Gaming Gurus: Strategy Expert Article Archive - Page 558

Separating sound strategies from sham systems

Dear Mark: All over the Internet you find offers of betting systems to beat the casino. You have claimed before that none of these systems are worth the paper they're printed on, and yet, you have also stated that with correct play, certain casino games are beatable...read more

Blackjack Variance

I recently received an email from one of my readers, Paul, who was curious about the effect on variance when playing multiple hands in Blackjack. Here is part of Paul's letter to me. I have a question for you regarding the determination of standard deviation (sd) and expectation in Blackjack...read more

Good and Bad Bets

It's no surprise that the casinos are in business to make money. They do that by offering games, promotions, restaurants, and shows to attract customers. It's also no secret that the casino wants to have an edge in every game that it offers because without that edge, there would be no casinos. No one is shocked to discover that just about all long-term players are losers...read more

Empress Joliet Casino celebrates 15 years

Attaining the age of being able to hail the vendor for a cold one on a hot summer's day at the ball park is a traditional rite of passage when turning 21, however these days a first time visit to a casino is becoming just as popular. People who are celebrating their 21st birthdays this year were only six when the first casino in the Chicago area opened its doors, so for them the availability of state-regulated gambling in the Midwest is taken somewhat for granted. Fifteen years ago when the Empress in Joliet ushered in the casino era in this region, things were a lot different...read more

Changes at the Ameristar East Chicago

In the beginning, there was Showboat Mardi Gras, which begat Harrah's Mardi Gras, which begat Harrah's East Chicago, which begat Resorts East Chicago, which soon will beget Ameristar East Chicago. Far more than any other casino property within hailing distance of Chicago, the boat in East Chicago has seen ownership change and rebranding...read more

Playing it smart - Do you play craps by rote or do you understand the bets you make?

In "Diamonds Are Forever, "James Bond makes some dumb craps bets. He shoots and wins (it's a movie, not a casino). Plenty O'Toole purrs, "You handle those cubes like a monkey handles coconuts." He'd have to, given the wagers in question...read more

An overlooked W-2G

"The page on the IRS website says that the casino has to report wins of $1,200 or more on a single wager. Accumulating more than $1,200 in winnings or even just cashing in over $1200 is not a reportable event. "Unbelievably, I have heard of casinos filling out a W-2G whenever a player cashed in $1,200 or more...read more

Backtesting a craps betting system

Dear Frank: I was wondering if there is a program that can be easily edited for back testing a gambling system for craps. And also is there a site available that has information on past craps results so I could manually back test my systems? Thanks. Gregory Dear Gregory: There is an old book titled 72 Hours at the Craps Tables, which might be available on Amazon.com or Barnes and Noble...read more

Does pressing the stop button affect the outcome of a spin?

I noticed on some multi-line video slot machines that you can stop the spin. Does stopping the spin affect the outcome? Or is the outcome predetermined? Chet Dear Chet, The outcome is determined by numbers polled from the RNG...read more

Sorry Charlie, no CSM for you

Dear Mark: Recently, I was playing blackjack on a cruise boat. The table had a constant shuffle machine with either 6 or 8 decks, although I can't be certain. What effect, if any, does this have on the house advantage on a basic strategy player? Charlie L. With a typical shoe game, any time the number of decks in play is increased, the casino's edge goes up slightly...read more