Gaming Gurus: Strategy Expert Article Archive - Page 680

How Long Do You Have to Wait for a Decision at Craps?

Make believe you're playing craps. You bet on the Pass line and the shooter establishes a point during the come-out roll. You take odds and leave it at that. No other numbers. How many throws do you expect before the decision -- before the point is repeated and you win or the seven rears its head and you lose? A seven can be made six of the 36 ways the dice can land...read more

Grochowki's Roulette System

Over the years, I've debunked a fair number of roulette systems. There's the Martingale, where you double your bet after each loss. Hazardous to your bankroll. Bets get very large, very fast. Even if you can afford the action, you'll will bump up against table maximums often enough to sink the system. There's the cancellation, where you start by writing three numbers, the sum equaling your win goal for the sequence...read more

Got Keno?

Dear Sir, I love keno. I prefer nickel keno machines. Why don't casinos like keno machines? I drive 190 miles to Wisconsin Dells to play nickel keno, no one has them in Il. Some casinos have quarter keno machines, but not a lot...read more

Heard It On The River

It was a four day marathon and then some and being a bar owner didn't exactly put GREG BERKOW in top shape for a grueling final table session that didn't end until 2:30 a.m. at GRAND. The stocky Berkow,garbed in a sport shirt and hat, outlasted 178 players in the $10,000 buy-in for the HARRAH'S WORLD SERIES of POKER CIRCUIT CHAMPIONSHIP last week and whooped it up as $561,175 was dumped on the poker table for him...read more

You got to know when to hold 'em

Dear Mark, I have found over the years that betting on sports and beating the bookmaker is no easy task. Nevertheless, exactly what percentage of games do I have to win just to break even? Mark M. To kick off (puns offered at no extra charge for people with the right name, Mark), the person you are really trying to outfox is the oddsmaker, and his analysis on each team's chances, not necessarily the bookmaker as your question implied. The bookmaker is simply a middleman who operates on a small profit margin and, ideally, is looking for half the money wagered on one team, and half that bet on the other...read more

Honesty in Blackjack: Where Do You Draw the Line?

Anybody who's played blackjack for a number of years has somewhere, sometime been paid on a losing hand. It usually occurs when your hand contains several cards and somehow looks higher than the dealer's total. How should you handle this situation? Is it right to quietly accept this kind gift – or should you be perfectly honest and inform the dealer that you've got a loser? Personally, I consider myself an honest person...read more

Native American Gaming Should Consider a Road Change

It's only fitting that Native American gaming is spreading like a forest fire in a drought. After all, even a cursory examination of Native American history will show why they richly deserve their place in the casino sun. No, this place has nothing to do with their getting their just desserts after generations of neglect and abuse, although that's very nice indeed...read more

Marc Lawrence's Black Book; Iskoe's College Analysis Tops

Marc Lawrence's Black Book (A Guide to Picking College and Pro Football Winners) (108 pages, 8x11 plastic spiralbound, $29.95) and Andy Iskoe's College Football (Vol. 3 of the Pointspread Encyclopedia series) (144 pages, 8x11 plastic spiralbound, $29.95) are two late arrivals at the Gambler's Book Shop, and each should appeal to different types of football handicappers. Lawrence's annual gets right down to business for those who want systems or trends hitting 100% for or against a college or pro team...read more

Don't Be Manipulated by New Slot Technology

The ticket-in/ticket-out coinless slot machine technology that has swept casinos across the nation serves two masters, the players as well as the casino owners. For players, it is a tremendous convenience not having to handle coins and lug plastic buckets around, or having to go to the cashier to have the coins counted. For casino owners, it eliminated expenses, but more importantly, it created an environment that enables people to bet more money during any given period of playing time...read more

How Long Does It Take to Get a Jackpot?

Frustrating, isn't it? Maybe even aggravating. You've been playing the slots for years and have come close but never won a jackpot. Your braggadocios brother-in-law got dragged into a casino, kicking and screaming, once in his smug life, and bagged big bucks on the first (and last) machine he ever tried...read more