Gaming Gurus: Strategy Expert Article Archive - Page 539

Low House Edge Gives Baccarat Its Appeal

The popularity of baccarat at casinos in Northwest Indiana and elsewhere around the Chicago area has not gone unnoticed by gamblers, as this reader's question reveals: "I see a lot of people playing baccarat. Can you please explain how the game is played? What are the two sets of cards the dealer draws from the shoe and what do you want to happen? Also, what does the white card that all players mark after each hand do for you?" – Joe S. The game of baccarat has a long history...read more

Short-term deviations from the norm

Casino gambling is a numbers game, and if you've played for very long, you're likely to have some of the numbers committed to memory: An average of 1 in every 6 rolls of two dice will total 7. When you make a single-number bet in double-zero roulette, you have a 1 in 38 chance of winning...read more

Are jackpots set to hit at certain times?

My wife and I have debated this for years. Could you settle it for us? On a regular slot machine, or any machine for that matter that permits you choose the amount of coins to bet, is the jackpot any more likely to come up betting one amount as opposed to another? For instance, I bet 20 coins on a nickel slot that allows you to play up to 100 coins...read more

Can I make a pass line bet after the point is established in Atlantic City?

Dear Frank: I know that in Vegas I'm allowed to make a pass line bet after the point is established. May I do the same in Atlantic City? Yours truly, Dino Dear Dino: Yes, you can, but do you want to? With your point being a 6 or 8, the house edge on the bet with exodus is about 1.5 percent, just as it is with a place bet of 6 or 8...read more

What Do You Have in These Omaha Hi/Lo Hands?

Omaha Hi/Lo (8-or-better) is a "sister" game of Texas Hold'em. It creates more action than Hold'em for a couple of reasons. First, the pot is split between the best high and best low hands. Second, once the flop comes down, because of four hole cards in each player's hand, nearly everybody has something they can draw to. Still and all, Omaha Hi/Lo languishes in popularity behind Texas Hold'em...read more

What Is the 5-Count?

Hi, Frank, You speak about the 5-Count and since I have never played Craps I really don't know what you are teaching. I like to go into a casino with an edge and it sounds like the 5-Count would help provide a little better betting edge than me just throwing the money away. Please forgive me for being stupid but when it comes to Craps I am! Sincerely, Cliff Dear Cliff: You're not stupid; you just don't know the game yet...read more

Four Winds Poker Room manager embraces PokerPro

When Glenn Arana came on board as poker room manager at Four Winds Casino Resort in New Buffalo, Michigan last year, he was placed in charge of a venue far different to what he was accustomed. Instead of a room with live dealers, real decks of cards and traditional poker chips, Arana was asked to run a fully-automated operation using PokerTek's innovative PokerPro tables. The installation at Four Winds includes 19 tables, 15 of which are full-size and engineered to accommodate up to 10 players...read more

About the Five Count

Alex is a craps player, a much better one than when he started writing to me about 14 years ago when this column began. Back then, he was always sending me convoluted systems, using one-roll propositions to cover up perceived weaknesses in pass, come and place bets...read more

Low-paying VP machines get play, high-paying VP machines sit idle

In almost every casino I play in, I'll search for a 9/6 video poker machine among all the 8/5s. Many times I'll find an empty 9/6, and next to it a frenzied player is eagerly slapping an 8/5 machine. The same goes for the joker and wild card video poker games...read more

What do you think of my craps hedge?

Hey, Frank, Love the articles. I just want to get your opinion on a betting strategy I have been using lately at the tables. I start by placing a don't pass bet before the come out roll. Then, when a point is established, I place the six and eight...read more