Gaming Gurus: Strategy Expert Article Archive - Page 357

European no-hole-card blackjack

In some countries, dealers take their hole card after all players have their hands. This is called European no-hole-card (ENHC) blackjack. Some countries will have the players lose the total amount of their splitting and doubling when the dealer gets a blackjack.Your odds and your playing strategy in such games changes somewhat.The ENHC rule increases the house edge by about 0.11 percent (rule dependent)...read more

Are video keno games worse than slot machines?

QUESTION: If video keno numbers are generated by random number generators, why do some casinos believe they can get away with markedly substandard pay tables? Some slot technicians allege that low payout keno machines are somehow programmed to hit more often, a claim which (if true) means that RNGs are irrelevant or subject to programming.It is my experience that slot managers either don’t understand or do not like keno...read more

Ask the Slot Expert: Can casinos change the way slot games play?

Dear John, Love your articles! My question is: Are casinos allowed to make changes in the way games play? I have been playing Three Kings slot machines and have done well on them, however just recently the casinos in Arizona seem to have changed the way they play...read more

Is setting for the field a good bet?

I just received two letters asking me if setting for a yo-eleven or a 12 in order to get field numbers is a smart bet. One individual had read somewhere that setting this way could improve his chances of hitting the field numbers of 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11 and 12...read more

Can You Get an Edge at Craps Without Dice Control?

They are everywhere. Gambling system sellers that claim to have the secret of how to extract money from the casinos. Not only can you win money from the casinos they say, but you can do it by simply employing some betting techniques. The systems are available for virtually every casino game; craps, blackjack, roulette, video poker, even slots. Most systems rely on some sort of play tracking – looking for streaks...read more

What does 'up to' 91% slot return really mean?

QUESTION: I saw a casino advertise that its slots paid better than 91%. Well, when I play there, I don’t get any 91% back. My friend said I probably just had a tight machine. If they advertise it, don’t all the machines have to pay 91%?ANSWER: In any casino, there will be machines that pay more than its average payback percentage, and machines that pay less...read more

Player positions at the craps tables

Names of Positions at the Craps Tablesby Billy the KidCraps tables are divided in two halves, each serviced by a "base dealer." The bets are booked and placed according to where a player is standing. To find out how and when the bets are paid please go to the odds and edges section on the front page.Each half of the craps table is also divided in half because the craps layouts are divided into box sections where the dealers place the bets, and these boxes must be kept in an orderly fashion so that the base dealer, box and stick can stay on the same page.When you look at the place bet and come bet boxes, you will see that there isn't enough room to put all of the bets in line, so the dealers put the bets either on the front or back part of the number box...read more

Blackjack deck penetration

Just what is it deck penetration? At blackjack, it is the question of how far down into the deck will the cut card appear, which requires the dealer to stop dealing cards and shuffle the decks.This is important to a card counter, because with that knowledge; what cards remain to be played is a very high advantage to the player because only a small number of cards remain...read more

Deal Me In: Varying pays of Pai Gow

Dear Mark: I was playing Pai Gow Poker with a side bet on a high hand. I received a wild card, which I used as the five of hearts for a straight flush (hearts 2-7), along with a five and three of diamonds in the front. This gave a nice payout for the side bet, while I pushed the main wager...read more

How To Handle Losing Streaks

If your go to the casino on a regular basis you have undoubtedly had your share of winning and losing sessions. The excitement of gambling comes from the anticipation that the next spin of the slot machine or hand of cards may be winner. When we visit the casino we hope that we will get lucky and hit a streak of winning hands that will allow us to take home a little extra money from our gambling session...read more