Gaming Gurus: Strategy Expert Article Archive - Page 397

Do not bring the kiddies to the casinos!

Dear Frank: This really, really, really bugs me -- parents who bring their little kids to the casinos. I've been to Vegas and seen kids who can barely walk being dragged through the casino by their parents. Worse, I see teenagers 13 and 14 years old at the pools and slowly ambling through the casino too...read more

How'd you like a game where the house counts the cards for you?

The early 20th Century Harvard social philosopher, Georgio Santayana, is famously quoted for saying, “Those who do not remember history are condemned to repeat it.” He did, in fact, write this in 1906 (in “The Life of Reason”). But he was paraphrasing the Irish political philosopher, Edmund Burke, who noted pretty much the same thing a century earlier...read more

Advantage Play, It Ain't For Everyone

Advantage play was once confined to mathematically gifted computer programmers moonlighting as blackjack card counters and slovenly dressed, greasy-haired nerdy poker players with an unnatural ability to instantly calculate odds and probability...read more

Parlaying the field bet

Jerry "Stickman" received this letter from a reader: Hi Stickman, Always enjoy your posts as I do the other guys' as well. Regarding your comments on the field, I have an interesting idea. Since the field pays 2.8% with a 3x's bet on the 12 in some casinos and considering a parlay situation, I'm finding an interesting scenario. Consider this: If you place a bet for $5 on the field and parlay a win, it now becomes $10 bet...read more

Loose Slot Myths

The ultimate goal for a slot player is finding a loose machine amidst the vast sea of machines on the casino floor. Some equate the task equal to finding the proverbial needle in a haystack, while others concede it is more like looking for a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow...read more

A shuffle through the gaming mailbag

Q. I usually play Double Bonus Poker, and have always held one face card, choosing one at random when several are dealt, if there is no chance of a straight or a flush. Many times that one will pair up to save my bet. Is this wrong? Does it limit my winning other hands? A...read more

John Robison Presents: Play advantage slot machines in Las Vegas on October 21st by Melissa A. Kaplan

The moment slot players have been looking forward to since they put their first coins or credit slips in the machines -- a chance to play slot machines that actually give the players an edge over the casinos! Frank Scoblete, casino gambling's No...read more

Odds in picking bonus rounds

There are bonus rounds wherein you start picking symbols until a "start" one is chosen. What's frustrating, nay, infuriating, John, is when you activate "start" after only two or even one symbol. Because many other symbols were left unpicked, it seems obvious that the slot machine has good payback reserves left, right? Therefore, there is a greater chance to win so better to continue playing the same game...read more

Double Attack Blackjack

Blackjack players feel pretty good about their hands when the dealer has a 5 or 6 face up. Some even refer to the them as "bust cards," although even with 5 or 6 up, the dealer still makes hands of 17 or better more often than not. What if the dealer got his or her up card first, before dealing to players? Would you be willing to go on the attack, and double your bet without seeing your cards? That's the premise of Double Attack Blackjack, a game I spotted recently...read more

Math is truly annoying

There are essentially four types of casino players and many subdivisions of such. 1. The math aficionados, dubbed by me as the "mathletes," but scornfully labeled as "the math boys" by uninformed ploppy players. The mathlete plays strictly by the math of the games...read more