Gaming Gurus: Strategy Expert Article Archive - Page 693

Big Names, Big Excitement: Summer Entertainment at Michigan Casinos

Another summer brings a long list of top-name entertainment to several Michigan casinos. Three of Michigan's tribal casinos have had great success in bringing customers in through the use of big-name entertainment such as Jessica Simpson, Martina McBride, Alan Jackson, Reba McIntire, the Beach Boys, ZZ Top and Mickey Gilley...read more

Are Race Horses Athletes? You Bet They Are!

It's an argument that surfaces every now and then among sports fans: "Are race horses athletes?" Sports purists, not surprisingly the vast majority of whom have little or no knowledge of horse racing, invariably take this position: "How can a horse be considered an athlete? A horse is an animal with no mind of its own...read more

Why Casinos Like the Long Run, and Players the Short

Most gamblers realize that a probability such as one out of six doesn't mean a hit is in the bag after five misses in a row. It implies that over many instances, a span often glibly referred to as "the long run," hits are expected on close to one sixth of all trials...read more

At the Frank Scoblete Gamblers Jamboree

When I give seminars, I'm usually on my own. I say my piece, take questions and stop and chat with those who stick around afterward. But at the Frank Scoblete Gamblers Jamboree, May 21-22 at Casino Windsor, there were dozens of seminars with some of the premier gambling experts in North America, along with contests, prizes, fun and games...read more

Does the Number of Coins I Play Affect Where the Reels Stop?

Is it true that on a slot machine that takes up to 3 coins, the random hit is determined by the amount of coins? For example, had I put in 2 coins instead of 3, I might have hit the top sequence? Or doesn't it matter how many coins are put in to where the wheel stops? The number of coins you play has no influence whatsoever on the probability that any particular winning combination will land on the payline...read more

Divide and maybe conquer

Dear Mark, When on a gambling trip, do you have any suggestions regarding how I should handle my bankroll? Robbie P. Known as a "wad" or a "roll," a bankroll is the total amount of money that the player has on hand to finance all of his or her wagering activities...read more

18 Is Not a Winning Blackjack Hand

Did you know that if you were dealt 18 on every single hand for the rest of your life, you'd die a loser at blackjack? That's right -- 18 is just enough to make you a small loser overall. So what can you do about it? Well, when you're dealt a hand like 10/8, there's nothing you can do...read more

Some Gambler's Ruin Questions - Part 2

Last month I addressed a Gambler's Ruin problem that was raised by one of my readers, Ralph Scalitzia. You can refer to that article by scrolling back through recent articles on this site. The question raised there was a standard Gambler's Ruin problem and I gave the solution without any explanation of how one arrives at such...read more

A Death in the Family

I was in Vegas. My dad was in Texas. I was dealing craps at the Mint. He was in the hospital in San Antonio. I'd written him a letter, and a week later he called me on the phone. He sounded like he always did, like he was as healthy as a horse...read more

Football's Just Around the Corner; New Books, Magazines Arriving

It's two months into the baseball season and the hardcore football crowd is already asking when the new books and magazines will arrive for their favorite sport. Well, a few have already reached the shelves of the Gambler's Book Shop, with many more on their way. Andy Iskoe's Pro Football Statistical Pattern Report (20 pages, 8x11 stapled, $10) and his College Football Statistical Pattern Report (16 pages, 8x11 stapled, $10) have both landed, along with two magazines -- Street & Smith's Pro Football ($6.99) and Pro Football Weekly (NFL Previews) ($6.99). Iskoe, long-respected Las Vegas handicapper, focuses on 16 statistical patterns during a 17-season study (more than 4,200 games) which answers the question of what causes teams to cover the pointspread...read more