Gaming Gurus: Strategy Expert Article Archive - Page 582

A stupid blackjack system

My blackjack-playing friend Jim phoned to ask if he could meet me for lunch. "I want to see the exasperation in your face when I tell you," he said. Tell me what? "See you at lunch." I'm not easily exasperated, so I was puzzled as to what he thought would do it. "You wouldn't believe the blackjack system some guy tried to convince me to play," Jim said as we sat down to order. A blackjack system? That's what you think will exasperate me. "I know," he said...read more

Playing it smart - How do you decide between keeping a sure thing and taking a shot?

How close are you to joy beginning a round of jacks-or-better video poker with four cards to a Royal? The answer depends on the four cards you hold as well as on the one you throw away. Say you start with 10-J-Q-K of diamonds and something irrelevant such as a six of clubs...read more

Playing off a jackpot

John, I'm sorry if you have answered this before. If you are playing a multi-line video machine are you increasing the house percentage by not playing all of the lines? As a corollary, is it the same thing playing a 20-line machine at one coin or playing only 10 lines at two coins? Thanks for the advice. Steve Dear Steve, The only way you would be increasing the house edge by not playing all lines is if there is some sort of reward (either an increase in payout for one or more combinations or qualifying for some sort of bonus) for playing all lines...read more

Betting "no four" at craps

Frank, I read all of your articles in Casino City and Santa is bringing me one of your craps books for Christmas. After 30 or so years playing blackjack, I finally got the nerve to try craps. It is no doubt the most exciting game in the casino and I am hooked on it...read more

Raising the W-2G threshold

Hi, John, I read your column and really like it. I just read a comment about the tax laws being tightened regarding record keeping for gambling loss claims. It amazes me how the IRS wants more from those who are winning less per wager...read more

It's best that you avoid these bets altogether

Dear Mark: A few weeks back you mentioned the difference between field bet payoffs on the craps table. I can't believe that all these years I have been playing on the wrong game, the one that only pays double on the 12. Are there any other proposition bet disparities on the craps layout that I am not aware of and should be looking for? Dan G...read more

When Should You Break Basic Blackjack Strategy?

In a past column, we ran through three fundamental truths about blackjack that most players either aren't aware of -– or don't believe in. They were: Money Management Doesn't Win Bad Players Don't Hurt You Basic Strategy Is Not Sacred Shortly afterwards, I received a response from a reader regarding #3...read more

Online blackjack options are limitless

There are 973 online casinos listed in the online.casinocity.com directory, and the vast majority of them offer blackjack. Many of these sites offer several different versions of the classic casino card game, so deciding between casinos and variations can be a bit overwhelming...read more

Patterns Here, There, Everywhere

Everyone knows someone who is wrong about this or that. When I was a kid just about all adults were wrong about just about everything. Then I grew up and low and behold adults got much smarter. In casino gambling there are a lot of wrong ideas -- even held by people of otherwise average or above-average intelligence...read more

The science of gaming floor design

Have you ever thought about the abundance of sensory stimulation in a casino that's purposely created to get you in the mood to gamble? The electronically generated chorus of the slots and the ornate and brightly illuminated signage combine to make a dance with Lady Luck almost impossible to resist. The design of gaming floors and the placement of machines and tables is a perpetual work in progress for casino executives, whose primary objective is to generate maximum revenue from the product that's in place. It's a particularly intensive enterprise at casinos in Illinois, where space is at a premium and there's a state-imposed restriction on the number of gaming positions (1,200)...read more