Gaming Gurus: Strategy Expert Article Archive - Page 401

Casinos let you have the odds, but not the edge

Casino aficionados commonly confuse the meanings and implications of odds and edge. They’re related, but not the same things. The element that connects and differentiates them is the payoff. Odds describe the chance of an event. Strictly, odds are stated in a form like “3-to-1" – meaning three ways to achieve one result versus one way for the other...read more

A Controlled Throw in Craps

Dear Stickman, You have been kind enough in the past to answer one of my questions in the past so I thought I would try again. I have purchased the Golden Touch two-DVD set as well as both the new dice control books, Casino Craps: Shoot to Win and Cutting Edge Craps...read more

A detailed look at blackjack hands

Have you ever thought about how many different hands you get when you play blackjack and how frequently you get them? What about the win rates for these hands, specifically, which hands generate a profit and which hands result in a loss? Allow me to explain. You can be dealt 34 different hands at the start of a round...read more

Types of Blackjack Players

There are various types of players that can be found at the casino blackjack table. Here is a short list of only four types. See if you can recognize any of them. The social player The largest of the groups. They play hunches and have little consistency or logic to their play...read more

A shuffle through the gaming mailbag

Q. I have a couple of questions: 1. Whenever we get together with a group of casino players, this question comes up quite often. When a new casino opens, they think the machines are set up to pay more to bring the people back. I think the odds are the same, because doesn't the state have control on setting changes and make sure everything is OK? I knew a gentleman that was working for the Empress Casino in Joliet, Illinois, a while ago, and he said whenever they get into the circuit board, a state rep...read more

When did computers take over the slot floor?

Can you tell me what year the first slots with computer chips were introduced to the floors of Las Vegas casinos? Are there any casinos that still have the mechanical machines in Las Vegas? Thanks for all of the great information you provide us...read more

Bigger players get better games

My friend Jared came back from a casino trip with a question. "Why is the blackjack different in the high-limit room than on the main casino floor?" He'd noticed that in the high-limit room in the casino closest to his home, dealers stand on all 17s, while on the main floor they hit soft 17 — hands such as A-6 or A-2-4 in which the ace is counted as 11...read more

The Sisyphean gambler

Unless a casino player is a Golden Touch controlled shooter at craps or a card counter at blackjack or someone who knows about advantage-play slot machines, casino players enter the casino knowing the house has the edge at the games of craps, blackjack, and all the other games and machines, too...read more

A Word to the Wise

If you are reading this you most likely have a keen interest in casino gambling. The casino is an exciting place. The sights and sounds are designed to excite the patrons' senses. I personally enjoy the casino experience -- the games, the restaurants, the entertainment and just the people watching. I have studied casino operations and the different games for many years...read more

Selecting a Video Poker Machine

Video poker is one of only five games on which a player can hope to move the odds into his or her favor. (The others are blackjack, horse racing, sports betting and live poker.) There are two requirements to gain the upper hand at video poker: (1) select the best machines, and (2) play the correct strategy...read more