Gaming Gurus: Strategy Expert Article Archive - Page 5

How do you play these open and inside straight hands?

Open and inside straights and straight flushes were the topics of a recent article.Here are some hands that feature open and inside straights/straight flushes.These hands are played on a full-pay (9-for-1 for a full house and 6-for-1 for a flush) jacks or better game with the max credits of five.The first hand is:2dAd4dAh5dThis hand contains:- a high pair (AdAh)- a four-card inside straight flush (2dAd4d5d).Often, holding a high pair is the preferred play, but in this case, we also have a very powerful straight flush – although it is an inside straight flush, meaning only one card will complete the hand.The returns are:- Holding the high pair returns 7.683 credits.- Holding the four-card inside straight flush returns 11.915 creditsThe four-card inside straight flush returns nearly 50 percent more than the high pair...read more

Ask the Slot Expert: Pump up the volume -- and payback?

Last week in a column about whether the volume setting on a slot machine affects its "winnability" (Spoiler Alert: It doesn't.), I used the following excerpt from the page turner entitled Technical Standards for Gaming Devices and Associated Equipment: Standard 1 Integrity of Gaming Devices...read more

Open straights in video poker

Look at the strategy for just about any video poker game and you will find two different types of straight – an open (or more accurately – open-ended) straight and an inside straight. The terms open and inside also apply to straight flushes which are simply straights consisting on one suit.Most players, no matter how casual their play may be, know somewhat instinctively that open straights are good and inside straights are not so good...read more

Ask the Slot Expert: The sound of slot machines

Question: I occasionally watch some YouTube slot channels and often see them turn up the slot machine's sound to the highest level believing it offers a better chance of winning. When I play, I turn the sound down to low as I hate the loud sound. I don't think of myself as gullible...read more

Which casino game has the best shot of winning

From Stuart in Minnesota.Hi Mr. Stickman,I have read several of your articles on the Casino City website and like what I see.I am quite new to casino play so I apologize in advance if this question has been covered before.I am quite conservative in my approach to casino gambling...read more

Ask the Slot Expert: The Slot Machine Profit Transmogrification

Once again I had time to kill at a casino before my movie started. In my column a few weeks ago, I listed the things I look for in a time-killer slot machine. My goal is to spend the time without losing a lot. As usual, I wasn't going to follow my own advice...read more

How would you play this Triple Double Bonus hand?

In a departure from normal video poker quizzes, this time we look at a hand from a high variance game – Triple Double Bonus. The pay table is:Hand/5-Credits PaysRoyal Flush/4000Straight Flush/2504 Aces w/2, 3, 4/40004 2s, 3s, 4, w/A, 2, 3, 4/20004 Aces/8004 2s, 3s, 4s/4004 5s thru Ks/250Full House/45Flush/30Straight/203 of a Kind/102 Pair/10Jacks or Better/5The return on this game is 98.15 and the variance is 100...read more

Ask the Slot Expert: The one about The Desert Inn limo

The landscaper drove her little utility vehicle onto the triangular island at the corner of the intersection. I'm lucky that the intersection I walk through most frequently has an island at each corner. The right-turn-only lane that comes into existence before each corner creates the third side of the triangle...read more

Video poker strategy questions

From Ray in Illinois.Hi Jerry,As always, I enjoy your articles on best play for VP hands.I have a comment on a recent one, where you have 3 to a royal, 4 to a flush and a high pair.My general strategy, which I keep reminding my wife of, is when you have 4 to a flush (but not 4 to a royal) and a pair, toss the pair if it's a low pair and go for the flush, but keep the pair if it's a high pair (already a winner)...read more

Ask the Slot Expert: When all will be revealed

I watched many game shows over the summer to avoid doing tasks around the house. That's the reality, but I justified watching the shows by thinking that I should get more use out of the multiple streaming services to which I subscribe. I've seen a disturbing trend over the past few years...read more