Gaming Gurus: Strategy Expert Article Archive - Page 692

So Much for Assuming that the Unseen Card is a 10

A theory held and acted upon by far too many blackjack buffs, not all of whom are babes in the woods, is that in a pinch it's safe to assume "the unseen card is a 10." This says, for instance, a dealer's 10-up is headed toward a total of 20...read more

Harrah's Video Poker Millionaire Maker

Harrah's has been making millionaires out of slot players for a decade, having launched its national Millionaire Maker slot tournament in 1995. But for video poker players, the chance at the really big bucks is a new experience. And in March, when 198 qualifiers from 23 Harrah's casinos across the nation gathered in Atlantic City for the first Video Poker Millionaire Maker finals, it was a Buffalo Grove, Ill., man who showed the field when to hold 'em. "My wife and I have played video poker for many many years," says Dennis Zucker, 65, the retired owner of the Niles Color Center flooring and paint store that's now run by his son...read more

Heard It On The River

As you read this item the closing of HARRAH'S Entertainment's acquisition of CAESARS ENTERTAINMENT should be complete. It was to have taken place on June 13, barring any last minute blips. Locally that means Harrah's will own GRAND and SHERATON in Tunica, nice additions to the HORSESHOE that it bought earlier...read more

How Do You Beat the Slot Machines?

My wife and I enjoy playing quarter slots in Bossier City. Can you tell me if certain types of machines tend to pay more than others? Also, my wife is considering moving up to a 50-cent machine and playing one coin versus one or two on a quarter machine...read more

C-A-R-D-S! TEN-SHUN! COUNT OFF!

Dear Mark, I have a couple questions regarding cards on a blackjack game. When the decks are placed on a game, do pit bosses check them beforehand to see if they are all there? I'm always afraid that some of the aces will be missing. Do they check them when they come off the game? Also, when a pit boss changes decks, why does he replace a red deck with a blue one? David A...read more

What Are Your Odds in Texas Hold'em Poker?

Due to the popularity of Texas Hold'em, new poker rooms are springing up everywhere. Although various kinds of poker are played in public card rooms, the majority of games are Texas Hold'em these days. The lowest stakes tables usually begin at around $3/$6 limit...read more

Poker Tournaments in Bars, Clubs, Online ... Everywhere

The astounding success of poker on television and the Internet has created a poker phenomenon in the United States. And everyone wants a piece of the action. Toys R Us ran out of poker gift sets at Christmas, and so did Nordstrom. Run a search for "poker" at BarnesandNoble.com and you get 670 titles, including kits for home Texas Hold 'Em tournaments...read more

Pointspread Playbook, NFL Teasers & Totals Additional Football Arrivals

Two vital tools for the crafty pro football handicappers who are looking for potential angles and situations on which to capitalize have arrived at Gambler's Book Club (Gambler's Book Shop). They are the 2005 edition of Al O'Donnell's Pointspread Playbook (111 pages, paperbound, $19.95) and Andy Iskoe's NFL Teasers & Totals (73 pages, plastic spiralbound, $29.95). O'Donnell's book, subtitled "The Informed Player's Reference," has been providing bettors with information for more than 20 years...read more

The Secrets of Basic Craps Tournament Play

Pssst... Wanna know a secret? How about the secrets of basic tournament play? If you are a regular crapshooter, you might want to enter a craps tournament some day. Some of these contests are free to enter, some cost a few hundred dollars, and a few cost quite a bit more, depending on the prize money...read more

Comps: Getting What You Deserve, Getting What You Don't Deserve, and Getting the Edge!

By now everyone reading this site and just about everyone going to casinos will know something about comps. Table-game players dutifully hand in their cards to the floorpeople, who either swipe them in the computer or record the names on a piece of paper, and when these players are finished with their play they either ask that floorperson or pit boss for a comp or wait until their trip is over to see what the casino can do for them. Casinos have elaborate comping formulas, and while all casinos are a little or a lot different in their formulas, everyone gets what he or she deserves based on each casino's particular analysis of the customer's playing worth...read more