Gaming Gurus: Strategy Expert Article Archive - Page 650

A recommendation for VPInsider.com

John, I've been a regular subscriber to your newsletter, and everything you tell us about slot machines being random is true. My husband, mother, and I just returned from a trip to Tunica, MS, and Shreveport, LA. In Tunica on the way back to our room, I randomly walked up to a quarter machine, inserted a voucher, played one quarter on a Triple-Double Red, White and Blue, and didn't hit anything...read more

Drawing to Straights and Flushes in Texas Hold'em

What kind of hand does it take to win the average Texas Hold'em pot? Actually, Hold'em is not a "big hand" game. More times than not, one high pair will be enough to take down the money. Still and all, there are lots of times when a straight or a flush pops up...read more

Is There a Law Against Gambling on the Internet?

The question I get far more than any other is, "Is gambling on the Internet legal?" Often it comes from regular players. It is interesting how many gamblers are concerned about making sure they are not breaking the law. Advocates of legalization often say that people are going to gamble anyway, and that when an activity is illegal there is the temptation of "forbidden fruit." Both are undoubtedly true...read more

The sweet sound of the shuffle

Dear Mark, Could you please explain the physical process of shuffling that casinos use in blackjack? Also, why when a new deck is brought in, do some casinos place them face down and swish them around like we did as a kid when playing the game of Fish? Richard C...read more

Stay Away from This Blackjack Game

Don't even bother giving a gun to a casino - it'll manage to shoot itself in the foot regardless. (Of course, the same can be said of newbie poker players, but that's another story.) Before Hurricane Katrina hit, there was a disturbing trend here on the Mississippi Gulf Coast and it seemed to be growing...read more

Staying Under the Radar at Craps

Dear Frank: I have read your books and I have been practicing dice control for 14 months. I have had personal bests of $3000, $5000 and $6000 during my rolls at casinos in Atlantic City. Using the 5-Count I have had made profits of $2000 and $9000 with random shooters...read more

Betting Baseball; Pitching Aces; Baseball Guide Fresh for '06 Bettors

The 2006 baseball season is just around the corner, and as it turns out each year the multitude of trades and free agents has created a need to know who's playing for who and what the impact may be if you're going to bet. The "first wave" of baseball books to cover the preseason period has arrived, and these include Betting Baseball 2006 by Michael Murray (153 pages, 8x11 plastic spiralbound, $29.95); Phil Erwin's Pitching Aces 2000 (153 pages, 5x8 plastic spiralbound, $22.95) and the Sporting News 2006 Edition of the Baseball Guide (paperbound, 632 pages, $18.95). Murray's Baseball Betting book, updated, streamlined and $10 cheaper than last year's edition, explains how to bet baseball (in case you've never bet the game before) then explains how to understand the baseball line, what the house's theoretical hold percentage is, what to know if you're betting offshore including how to identify "shaky" operations and a profile of some top offshore operations and how to contact them...read more

G2E Institute

The organizers of the Global Gaming Expo (G2E) recently announced the creation of a new "G2E Institute," to be an educational conference with interactive, workshop-style sessions focused on four specific gaming industry sectors. The event will combine G2E's existing Casino Design and Racino events with the recently acquired Gaming & Technology Conference, and will incorporate a new series of seminars addressing developments and growth opportunities in tribal gaming...read more

New Blackjack Features May (or May not) Be in Your Future

There's big money in casino games. For the bosses who run them. For the lucky ducks who win them. And also for the entrepreneurs who create or improve them. Old standbys like blackjack, craps, baccarat, and roulette are in the public domain...read more

A Final Word on Blackjack from "Mr. Aces"

In today's final installment of my interview with "Mr. Aces", a veteran blackjack player who has mastered the art of playing the game for both fun and profit, he offers his thoughts on the importance of consistent play, opinions about variations of the game of Twenty-One and a fun approach to tipping good dealers. Thrifty Gambler: How important are good players at your table, especially at "first base" (player position number one) and "third base" (the final player to act before the dealer plays out the hand)? Mr...read more