Gaming Gurus: Strategy Expert Article Archive - Page 423

Doubling 11 against an ace

I got an interesting question from a blackjack player on the merits of doubling down on 11 against a dealer's ace. It read: "If I'm holding an 11 and the dealer shows an Ace and she peeks and doesn't have a blackjack, then isn't doubling down the better play since you've eliminated the possibility that she has a blackjack and my 11 has to be stronger than her Ace." The answer to his question is: It depends on the number of decks of cards and the rules...read more

Yes, you should tip the dealers

Many casino players wonder whether they should tip their dealers. Some gambling writers eschew tips, thinking them just another way that the casino uses to soak the player for more money. They write a simple phrase to their readers: "No tips!" I have to disagree with this premise...read more

"November Nine" Plays for $29 Million

The final table of nine remaining from the among the 7,319 participants who entered the $10,000 No-Limit Texas Hold'em World Championship at the 41st annual World Series of Poker held earlier this year is finally here. The finalists will reconvene in the Penn & Teller Theater at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas on Saturday (Nov...read more

Blackjack Switch

When it comes to blackjack, I'm a bit of a purist. I don't make side bets, regardless of whether the offering of the day is Royal Match, 21 + 3, Lucky Ladies or anything else that requires a separate bet. I'll play variations such as Spanish 21 or Super Fun 21 just about long enough to make sure I really understand what's going on when I write about them...read more

Why has double-up been disabled on video poker machines?

Hi John, Just discovered your site. I've been going to Vegas for 30 years. Been in the players' club at Main Street for years. Last year, just after New Year's, I was there and the Jacks or Better Video Double Up bank of games was gone or out of commission...read more

Scoblete's "Slots Conquest" reveals machines that give players the edge! by Melissa A. Kaplan

The following article is by Melissa A. Kaplan. It is no secret that Frank Scoblete is a treasure trove of gambling books that are instructive, original and fun. But he has outdone himself this time, bringing to light many slot machines that at some point in their programming actually become player friendly...read more

Best bets for a wheelchair-bound craps player

Hi Frank, Finished your book Casino Craps: Shoot to Win! I learned a great amount of information. Now since I can't throw the dice from a wheelchair, as I tried, I can still place bets. I go to the casinos at Mt Air Lodge, Pa. and Mohegan Sun, Wilkes-Barre, Pa...read more

Dealing with a grumpy pit boss

Dear Frank: I have been reading your archives at www.goldentouchcraps.com and www.casinocitytimes.com the past month or so and they have provided me with a lot of good insight that I have been applying at the craps tables. Anyhow I have a couple questions for you...read more

Hand Wringing Hands in 9/6 Jacks

            9/6 Jacks or Better Video Poker is, for the most part, a reasonable game.  High cards are better than low cards; high pairs are better than low pairs, and so on.  While it is true that one needs to study a strategy table to establish a hierarchy of hands, there are almost no real surprises.  When dealt a hand with three high cards that include an Ace, it is a bit of a surprise that one should toss the Ace and hold only the other two high cards, but it is not a play that one would wring one's hands about.  There are, however, a couple of hands that most players find hard to play correctly.  Let me show you.             If you are dealt a pat flush that contains four to a Royal, the correct play is to hold the four-card Royal and discard the low suited card.  What?  Bust up a made hand?  That's right.  Notice that the expected return on the made hand is 30 units (I am assuming that 5 units are bet).  Let's look at the expected return for the four-card Royal. I am going to assume that the four-card Royal is the weakest one possible, namely that it contains both the Ace and Ten (thereby precluding a possible straight flush).  Here is the table one uses to calculate the expected return: Event Freq. Pays Product No Win 27 0 0 Hi Pair 9 5 45 2 Pair 0 10 0 Trips 0 15 0 Straight 3 20 60 Flush 7 30 210 Full Hse 0 45 0 Quads 0 125 0 Strt...read more

Three silly theories by ploppy "thinkers"

Some hopelessly hapless critics of the best-of-the-best bets at craps such as the pass line and come with odds will state such inept arguments against betting on them. There are craps players, authors and Internet posters who just can't understand that the math of craps is inviolable if the game is random...read more