Gaming Gurus: Strategy Expert Article Archive - Page 670

Behind the Scenes at the WMS Gaming Booth

Behind the scenes at the WMS Gaming booth at the annual Global Gaming Expo in Las Vegas, I was awaiting my turn at Top Gun. Perhaps more than any other game at the casino industry's major fall trade show, Top Gun had a buzz about it. Word on the floor was that this was a game you had to see...read more

The ins and outs of payoffs

Dear Mark, My son hit a $20 seven-team parlay that paid $3,900.00. The next week he hit another one for $10.00 that got him $1,900.00. What were his odds of hitting a seven-team parlay? How about 14 teams in a row? Rich J. A parlay is a combination of bets in which you win only if every one of your selections is a winner...read more

Thoughts on getting enough play from a buy-in

Hi, John, I agree with you that playing the slots is strictly a pastime/entertainment. However, I wish someone at the casinos would understand that if I have $100 dollars to spend and it lasts me several hours, I am more apt to come back in a week or two for another couple hours of "entertainment." However, if the $100 is gone in less than an hour (no matter what denomination), then I will think about coming back anytime soon...read more

"Kingpin Bowling" Offers Fun to Spare

I spent a good part of my childhood in various St. Louis bowling alleys, running around with other kids whose parents played on leagues a few nights a week. This was before automatic scoring and all the other fancy gizmos, so I'm talking about authentic 1950s-1960s lanes -- classic kitsch! As a result, you can imagine how glad I was to discover Kingpin Bowling video slots by IGT...read more

Drawing to the 'Nut Low' in Omaha Hi/Lo Poker

About the only game besides Texas Hold'em that anybody plays in poker rooms anymore is Omaha Hi/Lo Split. Any kind of Stud poker has been just about trampled to death by the Hold'em stampede. Omaha, however, is similar to Hold'em with its three-card flop, turn card and river card...read more

Do machines on the end pay better?

Is there any truth that machines on the end pay off better? Should you always put the most amount of coins in each time? M.A. Dear M.A.: Most slot directors today order about the same payback percentage for all of their machines in a particular denomination...read more

Ask Frank: Are You the Captain?

Frank, I think I saw you on an episode of the Discovery or Travel Channel with all of your craps team, except for the Captain. Are you the Captain? Thanks. No. Do you have a question for Frank? Send it to slotexpert@comcast.net. ...read more

Blue Ribbon Hoops Book; Killer Sports NBA Annual Hot Arrivals

Two of the most sought-after important references for those who bet college and pro basketball annually have arrived at Gambler's Book Shop. They are the Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook (383 pages, paperbound, $21.95), edited by Chris Dortch and Killer Sports' NBA Annual (153 pages, spiralbound, $34.95). The Blue Ribbon compilation, now in its 25th year, was originally produced by the legendary Chris Wallace...read more

Fine Line Separates Gambling from Investing

Walter Clyde "Puggy" Pearson, a 76-year-old professional gambler, poker player and former World Series of Poker champion, once made this observation: "Ain't only three things to gambling – knowing the 60/40 end of the proposition, money management and knowin' yourself". When Bill Miller, manager of the high profile Legg Mason Value Trust, heard the quote he commented: "It's all you need to know about investing". Miller is recognized as one of the top money managers in the world...read more

Jackpot Size Doesn't Reveal Much about a Slot Machine.

Many slot players use jackpot size to select from among nominally similar machines. Once they've decided on what to bet per pull and opted for a single-outcome or multi-line "matrix" game, the choices are still mind-boggling. Some solid citizens go to one machine or another because they like the theme, say a Popeye cartoon or Elvis Presley...read more