Gaming Gurus: Strategy Expert Article Archive - Page 373

Cutting Back with the Joneses

I attended a party the other night and the topic of conversation turned to an article that appeared in a national newspaper. According to the article, fear of an uncertain economic future is creating a new cultural mindset in which less is more and people are devising ways to cut back on their spending...read more

A shuffle through the gaming mailbag

Q. I was playing craps, and some of the others were playing something called the "Fire Bet." When the shooter made a point, they'd put a fire disk on that point. Once the shooter made a couple of points, the guys started to get excited, but I think I only saw it pay off once...read more

Ask the Slot Expert: Do the RNGs in online slots run constantly?

Hi, I saw a show on the making of slot machines. The man said a slot machine at a casino is constantly going through codes. When the button is pushed, whatever code it's on is what the outcome on the wheel is. What about internet slot machine games? Are they the same, going by codes that are constantly running? I have been playing this slot machine game on here and wonder if it's the same. http://www.freeslots.com/Slot22.htm Thanks for your time to answer my question, Pat Dear Pat, The constantly running RNG (random number generator) is an anti-cheating measure...read more

Casinos can't change slot paybacks easily

When a casino changes its blackjack rules, or the type of shuffler used, or the number of decks in play, it's right there in the open. Players can evaluate the game by what they see. Same deal in video poker. When a game is changed, players can look at the new pay table and know exactly what kind of play experience they're getting. Slot machines are different...read more

Protect yourself at all times, part II

[The following article is excerpted from Frank's new book Cutting Edge Craps: Advanced Strategies for Serious Players!] It continues Frank's look at the ways the criminal enemies of the player go about their nefarious business. Credit: In order not to carry wads of cash around the casino before playing, getting credit is a good way to go...read more

Would I Have Hit the Jackpot Too?

I took your slot class at the WWC. I remember you saying that the number generator in the slot machine is constantly "churning" numbers and that it is possible to hit back-to-back jackpots. My question is if someone walks up to the slot machine and puts in $100 and spins four times and hits the jackpot, would I have hit the same jackpot had I put the same amount into the machine and hit the same sequence of plays? It is not the number of hits but the timing of the spin that activates the numbers generator. Therefore, I would have had to hit the spin buttons at the exact same times as the other player to win...read more

Practice As You Play, Play As You Practice

As a craps player who uses dice control, do you practice at home? Do you focus on practicing what you do in the casinos and then play in the casinos as you have practiced at home? At some point it will kick in that you are doing the right thing, and you will find yourself content, knowing you're doing exactly what you set out to do...read more

Ten mistakes blackjack players should avoid

Do you want to improve your blackjack game? You can by avoiding these common mistakes made by blackjack players. Not Checking the Rules Most players just plop themselves down at the first open blackjack seat that they spot. That can be a big mistake because not all blackjack games are created equal...read more

A shuffle through the gaming mailbag

Q. I have a question about the random number generator in slot machines. If there are 1,000 possible combinations, does the random number generator have to choose them all before there can be a new cycle? If that's the case, then wouldn't you want to leave a machine after a big hit, since that combination wouldn't be available? A...read more

How long should I stay on a machine?

Hi John, Enjoy reading your column, smiling at some (made the same errors when I first started) and got me thinking on some of the others. I have your book The Slot Expert's Guide to Playing Slots and was wondering about the section in High Hit / Low Hit Frequency for the Konami machines where the bonus game can be 8 to 450 free games...read more