Gaming Gurus: Strategy Expert Article Archive - Page 357

A good bet: My mother and father meet

It was a neighborhood dance held every Friday at the Catholic school; this was just before the bombing of Pearl Harbor. My father attended the dance with his best friend and my future godfather Jimmy, who would become a big man in the Teamsters union after the war. My father noticed a beautiful girl dancing with another young man...read more

How much more can casino gamblers bet than they bring?

Win or lose in the end, most casino buffs bet lots more money than they bring to the machines or tables. Few aficionados risk big enough fractions of their stakes, or wager on all-or-nothing propositions with such long odds, that they go kablooie on one pass through their fanny packs by losing every coup...read more

A Blackjack Question?

I recently received an email from one of my readers, Amy, posing a question about Blackjack. Here is Amy's email: Dear Sir, My name is Amy, and I only ever play blackjack, basic strategy, but not card counting. My question is, regardless how long I have to play … minutes or hours … what are my chances of winning just two hands … not necessarily consecutively … meaning I bet say $50 and win $100 … with an unlimited bankroll … then walk away … do I have more chance of walking away a winner every time. Thanks, Amy First of all Amy, thank you for writing to me...read more

Jest for Fun

A very popular figure in the Las Vegas gambling scene died, and a large number of his gambling friends turned out for the funeral. As the preacher went on about how the deceased was a good family man, friend, and member of the community, he asked those present not to think of the deceased as dead, but just sleeping...read more

Smile through the pain, that confuses them

Dear Mark: When losing, should you move to an adjoining machine figuring if my machine is cold, the one next to me might not be? Larry M.Moving, Larry, doesn't necessarily mean you will win elsewhere. Every spin, on every machine, is random...read more

Texas Hold'em A to Z: U is for Under the Gun

Texas Hold'em is a positional game. Your position is determined by where you are sitting in relationship to the dealer button. Unlike games like stud where the betting order changes with each betting round, the order is fixed in Texas Hold'em...read more

The season of getting!

The holiday season is all about generosity, love of family and friends, the serving of meals, the making of toasts and the giving of gifts to those we cherish and prize above all others. The "spirit of giving" characterizes the holiday season and that's why it's called the "the season of giving." The holiday season very often reflects the "spirit of getting" and can even be called "the season of getting." Little kids sitting on Santa's lap never say, "And I want to give the following gifts to Mommy and Daddy and my little sister Lulu...read more

Would you rather have $50 in match play or $25 to bet in cash?

Which is a stronger inducement for solid citizens to visit a casino? Two $25 match play coupons or one $25 cash token the dealer will exchange for chips at any table (shades of those rolls of quarters). Assuming you won’t or can’t violate the letter or spirit of the incentive by doing other than betting with one or the other, the objective answer depends on the monetary equivalents of the premiums...read more

The fun way to pitch good money after bad

Dear Mark: Let us say you get on a once-in-a-lifetime winning streak. Will the casino allow you to start betting more than the highest table maximum in the casino? Joe T.Most, Joe, probably will not, principally because two possible scenarios threaten the casino...read more

A shuffle through the gaming mailbag

Q. Can you settle something once and for all? My brother and I have argued for years over which casino game is best for players. I say it's blackjack, he says it's craps. We're not talking about counting cards or being good enough to make money all the time...read more