Gaming Gurus: Strategy Expert Article Archive - Page 642

Tipping for a jackpot

OK, all you got to get off the HARRAH'S kick!! Harrah's may not be perfect but no Rewards Program is — you know Harrah's has one of very best rewards programs around — not only does it not take too many points to go from Gold to Platinum to Diamond compared to many others, but I find the customer service is incredible! Yes, this program has its problems and downfalls but I am sure MGM does too and so does Station Casinos and probably all the rest! So do us all a favor and find something else to report about...read more

Reading Your Opponents Is a Must to Win at Poker

Poker is a truly unique gambling game. Other casino games are made up entirely of mathematics. Poker's foundation too is rooted in math and the odds, but you'll never be a winning player if you can't understand and use its vital psychological aspect...read more

The odds may say, "No deal!" and yet . . .

Dear Mark, There is a new game show called Deal or No Deal. The participant selects a brief case containing anywhere from 1 cent to 1 million dollars, and there are 26 cases to choose from. Then, all non-selected cases are slowly revealed until there are just three left, two on the board and the one the player has selected...read more

Deciphering the Language of Craps

One of the fun things about standing around a craps table, besides playing the game, is to just stand there and listen to another language. I don't mean a foreign language; it's English all right, but sometimes, you wouldn't recognize it. Craps has its own slang that's often hard to decipher. A lot of craps' slang words have to do with the types of bets placed...read more

Buying the 4 and 10

Frank: I have been re-reading Beat the Craps Out of the Casinos in preparation for my latest trip to Vegas. I have not been a buyer of 4 and 10 in the past but am thinking about it for this trip for the high-roller strategy. My question is this: Do Strip casinos allow you to buy the 4/10 for more than $25 and still pay only $1 commission? If so, can you tell us which ones? I'm concerned that after all these years of the Captain's followers pushing the house that this isn't allowed anymore...read more

Odds and Stats Help Make Odds and Ends Meet

Depending on how deadly resolute you are and your level of play, odds on making various poker hands can be as serious as life or death. A new book by a writer named Catalin Barboianu titled Texas Hold 'Em Odds (143 pages, paperbound $29) is directed to those who are fascinated with gambling probability; who already the plays the game or who are programmers who want to create odds generating software. This arrived at Gambler¹s Book Shop along with a fine beginner's book by Byron Jacobs, Beginner's Guide to Limit Hold'em (272 pages, paperbound, $19.95). Meanwhile, a very timely annual for horseplayers from brisnet.com titled Maiden Stats (750 pages, paperbound, $99.95) has is also available, just in time for some of the biggest race meets of the year. Let's look at each work and its value to a gambler: Barboianu, (whose credentials I am unaware of, since the book offers no biographical or background information about the author), presents information in three major sections: "Own Hand Probabilities," the chance of getting every hand with either three or four cards on the table; to "Opponents' Hands Probabilities" three four or five cards on the table and "Immediate Odds" including preflop odds; flop odds; turn odds and other odds...read more

The Lowdown on New Jackpot Party Progressive Slots

WMS Gaming's new Jackpot Party multi-tier mystery progressive video game has become one of the most popular slots at casinos around the country, including properties in the Chicago area. The main attraction is the bonus game, which players enter when the familiar "Jackpot Party" symbol appears at any time during the course of play on the fifth reel...read more

How Bankroll, Bet Size, and Edge Affect your Staying Power

How many spins can you expect to get on a slot machine with a certain edge or return percentage, starting with a specific bankroll and bet some amount per try? There are lots of ways to answer this question. One of the simplest involves averages. But, a caution...read more

A Team Player at Third Base

I'd met Al before. He'd come to at least one of my seminars, and we once found ourselves at the final table in a blackjack tournament. Neither of us won. So when he called out my name from a blackjack table, I waved and walked over to say hello...read more

No room at the inn?

John, I have one more story on Harrah's. My bowling team is bowling at our state tournament in Topeka, KS in late April. I am a lowly Gold level member. I went to the website to see about rooms for that weekend. The website said there weren't any rooms for that weekend...read more