Gaming Gurus: Strategy Expert Article Archive - Page 67

Ask the Slot Expert: Rebutting an article about why slots are not random - Part 1

I found an article detailing why someone believes slot machines are not random while researching last week's column. The writer makes the common mistake of assuming that everything about random events is completely unpredictable. The article looks on solid ground...read more

Psychic Gambling

We live in a world of the mystical, even now in the 21st Century. Many of us start off with a belief in Santa Claus, usually spearheaded by our parents and relatives and totally enforced by society. Even the so-called objective news programs pretend to follow Santa’s sleigh in the sky on Christmas Eve.Santa Claus is a truly mystic figure...read more

Top 10 biohacks to improve your poker game

Ever wonder how pro poker players sit through 12 to 14 hour tournaments with millions of dollars? It takes more than skill to win at poker.Intense focus over a long period of time will get the job done. Some common bio hacks are listening to music, exercise breaks, and maintaining a good sleep schedule...read more

Straying from the Basics

Not long ago, several readers relayed their reasons for straying from optimal strategy on certain plays. I let them tell their stories while deferring comment.A blackjack player, Justin, explained he skipped splitting or doubling down if it would force him to buy more chips...read more

Strategy Quiz: Holding Two High Cards Versus a Three-Card Straight Flush

This article contains a video poker strategy quiz. The game is full-pay (9/6 – 9-for-1 full house, 6-for-1 flush) jacks or better.The quiz assumes the maximum five credits is played. The maximum bet produces the highest long-term return because the royal flush pays 800-for-1 (4,000-for-5) rather than 250-for-1 when less than the maximum is bet.Look at the dealt hand below and decide which card or cards you would hold...read more

The Caffeine Games

CINDY: There are two basic types of casino games, caffeine games and meditative games. As the names suggest one type, caffeine games, is heady and energy producing in order to play properly, and the other type is more internal in terms of a player’s reverie.ABBY: Today we will look at caffeine games.CINDY: Let’s look at the ultimate caffeine games of craps, blackjack and roulette.ABBY: In every way craps requires energy...read more

Ask the Slot Expert: Limits on machines in Montana

Question: I have a question about what a machine says it will pay out when it is printed on the side and a machine that does not have any information about the payout. Buy two nights ago on a roses festival game machine 13 got into the bonus ended up with over 100 free games...read more

A Spoonful of Sugar

If you like the original movie version of Mary Poppins, you are certainly familiar with its great song A Spoonful of Sugar. The song lauds the salutary effects of some sugar placed in some horrible medicine some poor kids had to take when they were under the weather.Sugar made whatever awful concoction the poor kids would have to swallow somewhat easier to swallow...read more

Wrong Plays for Personal Reasons

One of the things I had to learn when I started to write about gambling roughly 30 years ago was that it's not the goal of every player to get the lowest possible house edge.I write about strategies with the lowest edge in mind, but some players will choose other directions because they want to increase chances at a big jackpot, because a bankroll shortage forces non-optimal plays, because they had a bad streak with correct strategies and want to try something else, or any number of reasons important to them.Every year, I receive a number of messages from players detailing specific plays where they stray from perfect strategy...read more

Is Holding the Ace Correct?

This article contains a video poker strategy quiz. The game is full-pay (9/6 – 9-for-1 full house, 6-for-1 flush) jacks or better.The quiz assumes the maximum five credits is played. The maximum bet produces the highest long-term return because the royal flush pays 800-for-1 (4,000-for-5) rather than 250-for-1 when less than the maximum is bet.Look at the dealt hand below and decide which card or cards you would hold...read more