Gaming Gurus: Strategy Expert Article Archive - Page 452

Homework - Part 1

I recently received this email: Hi, Mr. Catlin, Please if you can help me with these questions. Thank you very much. Question 1 An urn contains b black balls and r red balls. One of the balls is drawn at random. If it is a black ball, we put it back and add c additional black balls to the urn; when a red ball is drawn we put back the red ball...read more

How do you keep focused while shooting at craps?

Hi Frank, I just became a member of your private board at Golden Touch Craps and here is why I did that. I just went to the casino and lost $600 in a matter of six hours, so basically $100 per hour I lost. Well, I only make $42 an hour at my real job ...read more

Deal Me In: Players can get paid to play

Dear Mark: A few weeks back you wrote the following: "Always use your player's card when playing video blackjack. The added cash back when using your player's card can turn a session from red to black." I don't quite understand how that is possible since the house always has an advantage over your play...read more

Lost in the Casino

One of the quickest ways to lose money at the casino is to sit down and play a game you don't understand. This used to apply only to table games, however some of the new slot games can be just as confusing to the player as the table games and you can make some costly mistakes if you don't understand the machine you are playing. Avoid the Maximum Bet Button The majority of the old reel slot machines had one play line that allowed you to wager one to three coins per spin...read more

High rollers might spend more real cash than low rollers!

Sit down and take a deep breath, you are going to learn something that is remarkable, amazing, unbelievable but nevertheless true. Are you ready? Breathe in; exhale slowly. Now wrap your mind around this statement: High rollers spend more cash at the casinos than do low rollers! Don't snicker...read more

Economics Dictate a Casino's Table Game Options

Many times there's a lot more to playing casino games than meets the eye, especially from the perspective of economics. Take the popular poker hybrid Three Card Poker as an example. When a casino decides to introduce this table game, it has to go through its copyright holder, Las Vegas-based Shuffle Master, Inc., to either lease a table or purchase one outright. It can be an expensive proposition...read more

Horse racing slots

On a trip to Las Vegas long enough ago that we didn't have casinos in the Midwest, I took a time out when things were going badly at blackjack and video poker. I decided to relax for a little cheap play on a horse racing game, Sigma Derby...read more

Changing the long-term payback on a video poker machine

Can the total payout (97% or 100.7%, e.g.) be determined by any means other than the payback schedule in video poker? In other words, do all 9/6 machines pay exactly the same in the long run? Thanks! Judy Dear Judy, The two components of long-term payback are 1) how much each winning combination is worth, and 2) the probability of hitting each winning combination...read more

Are casinos changing what is under the felt on a craps table?

Hi Frank, I took a craps class in a casino one morning in Las Vegas, years ago, just to learn the basics. I have read various books on gambling, and I am now reading your articles on Casino City Times to learn more about craps. I usually play blackjack when I go to a casino, but I am starting to branch out a little. My question is this: Are the casinos changing what is under the felt on the craps tables to thwart the controlled shooters and the rhythmic rollers from trying to beat the casino? When I was in a Tunica casino, I asked the casino manager about why they switched to a foam rubber layer under the felt, and he said it makes the felt layer last longer. What is your opinion on casinos changing what is under the felt layout? Thanks, Troy Dear Troy: The casino manager told you the truth...read more

Help for a dice throw

Dear Frank: Took the Golden Touch Dice Control class last summer. My question is that I am consistently either rolling the dice or yaw-pitching them. In other words the numbers that are on the pitch axis when I throw the dice end up on top when the dice come to rest...read more