Gaming Gurus: Strategy Expert Article Archive - Page 502

Be happy with what you've got

Last year a great New York Yankee Hall of Fame baseball player Phil Rizzuto died. The papers were filled with stories about how such a short guy — Rizzuto was "just" 5'6" — had overcome his height disadvantage to achieve such big things. He was an all-star, an MVP, won 10 pennants and eight World Series during his 13 years with the Yankees...read more

2008 Global Gaming Expo, part 8

Blackjack has been the most popular table game in casinos for more than 40 years. It's also a game that has been getting tougher on players as casinos have looked to squeeze an extra edge out of the game, with the biggest negative being the switch from 3-2 to 6-5 payoffs on blackjacks on many games on the Las Vegas Strip. Joe Awada thinks it's time to give something back to the players...read more

Don't spoil the fun of playing slots

Hi John, I love reading your articles and do believe you really are a slot expert. However, I would not like to go to the casinos with you. I'm sure you are a really nice guy, but it seems like you would take all the fun out of playing slots. I can see you now saying.....read more

He, she and me on table games

My wife, the beautiful AP, says I have one criterion for judging people. According to her, "If they agree with you, Scobe, they are smart; if they disagree with you they are stupid. You have no in between." OK, to show my beloved wife that she is wrong I took two people who have different opinions than me and we had a three-way conversation...read more

Have casinos cut their slot paybacks?

John: Just wondering, I live in CT and keep reading about all the economic troubles at the state's two casinos. Is there a chance in the present economic climate that the casinos can adjust the slot payouts to keep more money for the house since less people seem to be playing, and revenue is allegedly falling dramatically? db Dear db, Is there a chance? Yes...read more

Jest for Fun

I enjoy reading fiction when I go into a casino. You know. Those slot payout tables that show how much you can win. * * * * * Religion doesn't seem to count for much in a gaming town. The only time you see people on their knees is when they're looking for a dropped coin. * * * * * Fun in a casino is like life insurance...read more

Winner! Winner! We have a winner!

I am on every systems seller's mailing list. I get e-mails, letters, fliers, and even some video promotions for "can't-miss" systems of play at whatever game I choose. Some of these systems are just for craps, some just for blackjack, some just for poker, video poker, slots, horse racing, sports betting and some, the really "incredible" ones, can be used for everything because they are — in the words of their inventors — that "powerful." Now there are some gambling "systems" that actually work — first because they aren't systems by definition...read more

Sorry, High Rollers, This Table Is Reserved

When Hollywood Casino in Aurora introduced a gaming innovation called "reservation blackjack" in March of 2007, serious players were insulted at the thought of having to pay $20 per hour for the privilege of playing at a $5 minimum table. But high rollers and students of the game were not the players for whom reservation blackjack was intended. Couples and friends who attend the casinos only occasionally and are just looking for a fun time playing blackjack on a bankroll that is within their means are the people for whom Hollywood wanted to have a five dollar game available at all times, even on the busiest days. The idea had legs simply because five dollar minimum gaming tables are a rarity in the Chicago area gaming market, yet there is a demographic that desires them. "We find that the lure of the program is less the reservation aspect and more so the limit aspect," said Alan Rosenzweig, Hollywood's vice-president of marketing. However, knowing that you will be guaranteed a seat at a low stakes game on the day and at the time you're going to be at the casino is certainly an attraction. "We established a price at a level people were willing to pay and one at which we could still make money; not lots of money, because you don't make much on a five dollar table," Rosenzweig said, "but enough where we could offer a service which everyone who plays seems to be happy...read more

2008 Global Gaming Expo, part 7

It was the night before the opening day of the Global Gaming Expo, and I found myself at the Sahara, at the north end of the Las Vegas Strip. The attraction was the "Locals Lane" area of the slot floor. That's where the Sahara keeps its best video poker games...read more

Is it illegal to program near misses?

John, Enjoy reading your articles and now I have a question. Is it illegal to programme near misses? I was playing at Casino Niagara Niagara Falls Ontario, Canada. The machine was an IGT Double Double Diamond, quarter machine and maximum play three coins...read more