Gaming Gurus: Strategy Expert Article Archive - Page 328

Ask the Slot Expert: Changing RNGs in a slot machine

We live in South Florida where there are no regulations from the state as far as the casinos go. We have several Indian casinos and several privately run racinos. I am finding that the slots pay nothing as far as any of the jackpots go and most of the time they pay very little...read more

Strange letters from stranger people

Most casino gamblers are like most people. They work; they play; they have families, dreams and desires. The intelligence range reflects the intelligence range you see day-in and day-out in our population. Yes, there are brilliant people who gamble and, yes, there are total ploppies who gamble too.I think the ploppies are the more interesting because people who are on the far end of the intellectual spectrum are fascinating the same way bacteria are fascinating to a microbiologist...read more

Comps and commissions

QUESTION: I have a question about comps. My wife and I were on an overnight casino trip, playing mostly penny slots. We lost about $170 between us, but that was well within our budget and we had a good time. We got two buffets comped, for $15 apiece, and our points were worth $25 in free play.A couple of weeks after we got home, we got a mailer from the casino...read more

The Probability of Black

Dear Jerry Stickman,Hi. My friends and I have been having long hours trying to work out the math logic behind a simple betting scenario, but alas to no avail. We hope you can shed some light.Scenario:In a make-believe game where there are two equal options being RED or BLACK. A croupier, in an unimaginable scenario, has already drawn 9 REDs in a row. At this stage, Mr...read more

Deal Me In: Mucking has multiple meanings

Dear Mark: I was catching up on my "required reading" and noticed your June 12 column concerning a poker irregularity. This reminded me of a question I have. Pick a game, any game. Consider a situation where, in the final round of betting, I have bet and been called...read more

New slot machines for slot tournaments

Slot tournaments have been part of the casino promotions tool kit for decades. My first was at the beginning of the 1990s, the “Magnificent Sevens” event that ran daily at the Las Vegas Sands. From early morning till the finals after 10 each night, slot players plunked down their 10 bucks for a chance to win $1,000 -- something I actually did the first time I played the tournament.The tournament was played on a couple of dozen Magnificent Sevens slots, equipped with tournament chips so that big winners showed up A LOT more often than they would in a machine set up for cash play...read more

Ask the Slot Expert: Do slot machines hit more frequently when I play more than one coin?

Can you explain how random jackpots pays are done via the RNG and number of coins played, i.e., does someone with 5 coins trigger 5 RNGS towards the random jackpot win versus someone playing only 1 coin generating 1 RNG? I've had this debate with my wife, suggesting that it's funny how it appears as if max play get more of the mini random jackpots than single play -- or so it seems. I compared it to each coin acting like a PIN in an exhibition game of poking holes in a board until you hit a winning hole (5 pins hit 5 consecutive holes while 1 pin gets only 1 hole), but not sure if that is correct. Thanks,Doug Dear Doug, Playing multiple coins does not get you multiple tries at the jackpot...read more

Why gamble and why so many casinos?

FROM GEORGE: I know writing to you about this is probably a mistake but here goes. Why do people gamble in casinos? What is the thrill of risking money you have earned at games where you can’t win if you play any length of time? I just don’t get it.FRANK'S RESPONSE: For most players I think it has more to do with an adrenaline rush than any real hope of winning in the long run...read more

Enter the Dragon

QUESTION: I have a question about Ten Poker, and the others where you play more than one hand like Five Play and Triple Play. I really like playing the three hands at once. It’s fun, and when you get winners on the deal and win three times over, the meter goes up fast.My problem is the bet...read more

The Dawning of the Age of the Customer

The Dawning of the Age of the CustomerForrester, a global research and advisory firm, sees a new age dawning – the “age of the customer” – and there are five ways the company’s research will have a significant impact on the gaming industry in 2013.In 2013, casinos will face intense challenges from competitors and Internet gaming that is only a click away on a smartphone...read more