Gaming Gurus: Strategy Expert Article Archive - Page 543

Californians Will Vote, Again, on Compacts

The voters of California are being asked to vote, once again, on Indian gaming. But unlike the prior two elections, the question is not whether tribes can have casinos. Rather, it is whether a few tribes may more than double their existing operations, creating some of the largest casinos in the world. The political players have also changed...read more

Deal Me In: The lure of automated table games

Dear Mark: This past weekend I got a chance to play on two new video games where you seem to playing against a live dealer on a flat screen television set. First off, are those real live dealers who are made to look computer generated (they seem to acknowledge my presence), and are my odds the same as if I were to play on a live game? Peter V. The electronic multiple-player table games you speak of, Peter, of which I will state here and now is a video game that I find enjoyable to play, combines the latest interactive technology with the camaraderie of a live table game by using a life-sized video dealer on a large screen, and which can be played for as little as a buck a hand. From ShuffleMaster, these series of machines are called Table Master, and no, Peter, they don't use live dealers who are made to look computer generated, but just a video representation of a dealer placed at the center of a fully automated table game. The animated Table Master dealer makes eye contact and speaks to players, which gives it a realistic live table-like experience on games that include Blackjack, Three Card Poker, Let It Ride, Dragon Bonus Baccarat, Royal Match 21 Blackjack, and Ultimate Texas Hold'em. When these cyber dealers are on a dead game they are in tracking mode, and seem to be looking around for some sucker, I mean player, and yes, Yours Truly, to park their hind side in one of the five player stations, but they actually can't respond to any of your verbal commands. Don't waste your time asking the pretty ones out for a date, nor can they understand your off-color jokes, they/it can't hear you...read more

Don't Confuse Surrender with New Blackjack Gimmicks

These days, there is a veritable glut of new "gimmicky" options you can take at many blackjack tables besides the basic play of your hand. Casino Surrender, Lucky Ladies, Royal Match, Pair Square and Super Sevens are just a few of the new propositions that have been dreamed up to pad the casino's bottom line at blackjack...read more

The Grand Master of Blackjack (of Asia)

Dear Frank: I wish you and the Grand Master of Blackjack (of Asia) could meet. He is British, 70 years old, has been playing blackjack for over 40 years (he plays no other game!) and earns his living (still!) solely from it. He is the nicest, funniest guy you could ever meet, and is smart enough to live in India and play in Katmandu, where you can live well on 70,000 rupees a month ($1500). He uses the Ace/five count, mostly, a 300 x 1 bankroll, bets $25 (a 'high-roller' in Katmandu!), plays many hours every day (on his 'professional' bankroll he 'walks' after winning $100-$150, but has an additional 'fun' bankroll of 100 x 1, with $5 bets he uses to play all day, or all night. I have tried to interest him in going to the USA to play tournaments - but he feels he is doing 'well enough' as he is - he is an avid reader of the "Gaming Gurus" website, and a strong advocate of Walter T's 4 step progressive betting method...read more

Quick Quads Makes 4-of-a-Kind Easier to Hit

Any regular video poker player knows that hitting 4-of-a-kind at least one time during any given playing session is essential to staying in the game without having to dip into your bankroll to purchase more credits on the machine. Those illusive "quads" make the difference between a profitable session and a losing one...read more

Timely Tax Advice for Gamblers

I think I've heard more tales of big wins from Jean Scott and her husband Brad than from anyone I know. Big tournament wins, big video poker hands, even a BIG stuffed gorilla they once won in a promotional drawing. The latest big one came in late November, when Brad hit the button a quarter Hundred Play video poker machine, and up popped, in order, Ace-10-Jack-King-Queen of hearts...read more

Do Class II machines compete against each other?

Hi John, My husband and I like to go to Oklahoma and play the slots because they have the "red screen rolling" action. We know those are Class II machines and are based on a bingo pattern. I was just reading over some of your answers to other questions and I see that we are actually playing against other people rather than the house...read more

The Secrets of Hedge Systems

Pssst… Wanna know a secret? How about the secrets of Hedge Systems? A hedge is a bet that almost cancels out another bet resulting in a small but positive profit. For example, if you have a don't come bet of $20 and it goes to the six or eight, you can place bet the same number for $18...read more

Are All Blackjack Games a Good Bet?

Blackjack has been around casinos for decades. It is available in virtually every casino that allows table games. It is by far the most popular table game. Blackjack games, in general, have among the lowest house edge of all casino table games. Scores of books have been written about how to play this game...read more

A Blackjack Ruin Problem

Dear Don, I am hopeless at mathematics but I understand at Blackjack I have a 43% chance of winning and a 49% chance of losing - that is a difference of 5% advantage to the casino. I am guessing that perfect basic strategy, double downs and splits, are responsible for bringing the advantage to 0.5% - so now the casino does not have a 5% advantage - so what % of winning do or losing does the casino and myself have? The other, more important question is - in say 75 hands (an hour of play) what chances do I have of winning $300 with $100 bets - I ask this because I know the number of hands I win and lose will not change, and that only splits and double downs will make the difference isn't it true that playing fewer hands (an hour or less) is to my advantage? What are the odds of my winning $300 with $100 bets every hour (assuming a new show (shoe??) every time I win $300? Thanks, Jack I wrote back to Jack and pointed out that his first question is not what is important to the player...read more