Gaming Gurus: Strategy Expert Article Archive - Page 385

A shuffle through the gaming mailbag

Q. I have been playing video poker for many, many years and I still have not determined the correct play on Double Double Bonus Poker on the following hand: One pair of 2s, 3s or 4s with an ace kicker. I never hold the ace with a small bonus pair, but recently certain pundits are recommending that the ace be kept with twos and threes...read more

Are Las Vegas's video poker machines random?

John, We live in Las Vegas and play the video poker machines off-strip. I've read that the machines randomly deal the cards, but do random number chips enter into the mix or is the deal/draw truly random? Seems like some machines keep dealing losers, and then I move to another that seems clearly more "friendly" at dealing winning hands -- sometimes winning boils down to finding the "right" machine...read more

Win goals and loss limits

I once was giving a daylong seminar for a park district, teaching the basics of blackjack, craps and roulette. Most of the attendees were beginners whose main gambling had been playing the slots, often while on park district bus trips to casinos. But one gentleman spoke up as I was walking players through basic strategy at blackjack, and playing a few sample hands. "I was hoping you could teach us something about money management," he said...read more

Violating my own rules

I received a call a few days ago from the world's greatest dice controller, the Dominator, and he was quite angry with himself. Playing in a Florida casino that did not have craps, Dom had switched over to his second favorite game blackjack. He had taken a beating all night, but in the "last" shoe he had made a great comeback in the high [player favorable] counts and he was now only a little behind. "I decided to only give myself twelve hundred dollars to play with on the next shoe, and if I blew that money, call it a night," he said...read more

Down and Out in Atlantic City

What good are fair-weather friends who are only around when you are on top? Yes, there are some people who seem to always be on top. Unfortunately, I am not one of those people. Variance can produce extreme swings and God has a great sense of humor with me...read more

When Is Enough Too Much?

So you're on a roll. No, not a long roll at the table, which is always a welcome event, but a rather longer winning streak at a casino spanning several trips. At what point does one wear out his welcome? When is enough too much? How long will it take until the casino sees its numbers going in the "wrong direction"? When is that friendly boxman or pit boss going to turn hostile? There is no definitive answer or solid timeframe here...read more

Splitting aces and 8s

Always split aces and 8s. That is one of the golden rules for blackjack players but not according to a friend of mine. He insists that splitting 8s against a dealer upcard of 9, 10 or ace is crazy because you are probably going to lose anyway, so why double your loss by splitting? Although my friend's logic appears to make sense, it is flawed...read more

A shuffle through the gaming mailbag

Q. Playing video poker, seven to nine times, I had a possible diamond flush, and, seven to nine times, a spade appeared. Where were the diamonds, clubs and hearts? The odds of this happening seem astronomical. Do you still think that poker machines are random, as you once stated? A...read more

Getting another kicker pure chance?

John, Always read your Q/As with interest, but your answer to the fellow who told a story about a guy being dealt four aces and a deuce cannot be correct. In the example, he discarded the 2 and caught a 4, still giving him the bonus...read more

Sometimes there is a free lunch

There's only a handful of casino games in which the player can get an edge. Start with blackjack for card counters, video poker at certain pay, craps for a select few dice controllers. Add in live poker for those more skilled and disciplined than their opponents, and sports and racing betting for serious handicappers...read more