Gaming Gurus: Strategy Expert Article Archive - Page 420

Do bad blackjack players affect me?

Dear Frank, I play blackjack a couple of times a month, usually on a casino boat since we don't have casinos in my state. That means I have a finite time to play. I use your speed count and OBS card (Beat Blackjack Now: The Easiest Way to Get the Edge!). My question is this: When I'm at the table and novice players show up (they seem to travel in pairs) and start making non-basic strategy plays, do they hurt my odds of winning? If they are to my right I often sit out until they lose all their money or move on, but playing time is precious on a boat. Am I being a snob? Abe Dear Abe: You aren't being a snob but you are being misled by one of the persistent myths of blackjack that the way others play their hands directly affects you...read more

More on slot machine malfunctions

[You wrote,] "I don't like the implications of your calling the disclaimer "the weasel clause." It gives the impression that casinos routinely deny players jackpots by invoking the disclaimer." Well, I did say "occasionally" [in the original letter]...read more

A correction to evaluating two craps bets

Dear Readers: It's nice to have friends that are smart. In the article "Evaluating Two Craps Bets," I misread the question (translation: totally screwed up) and gave the wrong answer to the proposition. Then I received the following e-mail from Skinny putting it right (note how delicately Skinny handles telling me I screwed up -- what are good friends for?): Frank, I think there is an omission in the article entitled "Evaluating Two Craps Bets." You left out the place bet on the 4 and 10 in your analysis of Proposition #1...read more

Calculating the expected return of cashback offers

There are two components to your overall return as a successful video poker player. The first is the expected return (or ER) of the base video poker game that you are playing and the second is the ER of the cashback (and bounce-back cash) offers that the casino will give you for playing...read more

Stop bothering the shooter

Craps is a curious game as casino games go. With the exception of baccarat, though not mini-baccarat, the players of table games are merely passive witnesses who bet on a proposition and then wait for the decision to be announced. Think of the roulette ball spinning and spinning and then descending on a pocket...read more

Get Ready for a New Level of Slot Entertainment

A peek into the future of slot play was revealed during the Global Gaming Expo in Las Vegas. International Game Technology (IGT) took the theme "It's a Whole New Game" and made it more than just a slogan by putting more than 270 products on display, including the premier of more than 70 new games. Here is just a sampling of what casino goers can expect to see in the coming months: Fans of Batman will be captivated by The Dark Knight theme, which is presented on a bigger-than-life 103-inch and 70-inch Center Stage platform...read more

A shuffle through the gaming mailbag

Q. Suppose a casino offered a game with no edge at all, such as a coin flipping game. Would the casino make money over time on it? The obvious answer of course is no, as they have no edge. My thought was that since there are a certain number of compulsive gamblers that will insist on betting until all their money is gone, the casino could make money on such a game. A...read more

Top-10 lessons from my third (and final) 24-hour poker game

Over the weekend, the players in the Casino City home game managed to get together for our third 24-hour poker marathon. Here are the top-10 things I learned about poker, myself, and why I don't think I'll ever do it again.10. Phil Laak is insane I've played poker for 24 straight hours three times in my life...read more

Slot machine malfunctions

Occasionally there are reports of casinos using the weasel clause ("machine malfunction voids play") in the subject to avoid paying a jackpot when a machine displays a winner but fails to report it to Mission Control. Have you ever heard of the reverse happening, where the machine displayed a loser (and so the player kept on playing) but reported a winner? If so, was the weasel clause invoked again, or was the player contacted and paid? I don't like the implications of your calling the disclaimer "the weasel clause." It gives the impression that casinos routinely deny players jackpots by invoking the disclaimer. The media does not help to dispel this notion...read more

Reducing the house edge using odds

Frank, The video in your new book Casino Craps: Shoot to Win! is very good. It is a little hard to see the full throwing motion, but all in all a great help for learning. Thanks for the information. My wife also had a question even after reading the book...read more