Gaming Gurus: Strategy Expert Article Archive - Page 325

Hitting soft 17 and video poker shuffles

QUESTION: I was grumbling at a blackjack table about the switch to dealer hits soft 17. The casino closest to me had the dealer stand on all 17s ever since it opened, close to 20 years ago. Last year, they switched.The dealer tried to convince me that it really was better for the player this way...read more

Odds of Winning the Fire Bet

Stickman,What are the odds of making a fire bet? I made the four points and have yet to see a five point hit. The Mohegan Sun plays the fire bet, and most of the time the majority of players do place a dollar or more. Thanks for your info.Alfred M.Hi Alfred,The fire bet has been available in different venues for a few years now...read more

Playing games you like

Casino players do not live by odds and strategies alone. Most play for fun, and what’s fun for one can be a crashing bore for another.That’s why we have the array of tables and electronic games, cards and dice, video and reel-spinning slots...read more

Ask the Slot Expert: Advice for playing Class II slot machines

Dear John, I've been reading your column, and some things you say are very interesting, however, there is a huge "Ponzi Scheme" going on at a New York Casino. The machines are definitely being influenced and controlled by someone. There are too many complaints, and it's no joke, people are losing thousands of dollars and maxing out there bank accounts to try and win some of their cash back...read more

Molly throws the bones

FROM MOLLY (First Letter): My husband had been reading your books and had created a practice table. I poo poo'ed this, as so many do. Then we went to Vegas for my 40th birthday, as I'd never been.I kept pushing him to play, and so I bellied up to the table and decided to play with him, even though I hadn't a clue what was going on...read more

Flushes and gambling

QUESTION: Please explain something to me about video poker and straight flushes. My strategy card for 9-6 Double Double Bonus Poker says that if I have a three-card straight flush with no gaps, it’s a better play than holding a suited King-Queen.So far, so good, but it also lists suited 2-3-4 and Ace-2-3 in a different category, and says that suited King-Queen (in a different suit, of course) is the better play than holding that particular three-card straight flush...read more

Crash course in blackjack, part II

This is Part 2 in a two-part series, Crash Course in Blackjack.HittingWhen you ask the dealer to give you another card, it's known as hitting. Hand signals are used in casinos to signify that you want a hit. In face-up games, make a beckoning motion with your finger or tap your finger on the table to signify you want a hit...read more

You flush for royal flushes

For video poker players, every royal flush is a thrill, and that first royal is the thrill of a lifetime. Greg, a Chicago reader, remembers his as being an unequaled shock.“It was back in the late 1980s,” he told me. “At the time, Trump was running cheap day trips to Atlantic City, and not just for high rollers...read more

Ask the Slot Expert: Why do I win fewer jackpots today?

I'm a heavy slot player at the Hard Rock in Florida. I lose 5-10k a day. I was in the high limit slot area and I put $100 into a machine and played. I hit a few hundred here and there. When I cashed out I noticed $5,000 in the machine. I have no idea what portion is mine...read more

Craps betting and a free ace

FROM LAWRENCE: I read a couple of your books but can't find whether you flat bet the Place bets on your own shoot or do you press it up more aggressively.I have a SRR of 7.1 over 1000 practice rolls using the Hardway set exclusively.Would appreciate your insight.FRANK’S RESPONSE: My betting is usually a Place bet on the six and eight plus a Pass Line bet with full odds...read more