Gaming Gurus: Strategy Expert Article Archive - Page 697

Will the Rampant Poker Craze Breed New Gambling Addicts?

Two years ago, there were about 800 contestants in the annual World Series of Poker in Las Vegas. Last year there were 2600 and it's estimated that this year there may be more than 5000! Why the huge upswing? National television coverage of No Limit Hold'em tournaments has caught the fancy of red-blooded Americans in all age groups...read more

Can High-Limit Slots Pay Back More Than 100%?

Frank: I was reading in a local newspaper the current paybacks for the casinos in AC and they list one of the casinos (I forget which one) as having a 110% payback for a $100 slot machine. Is this correct? Thanks, Tom Dear Tom: Yes, it is true and for $100 I'll tell you exactly which machine it is! Just kidding...read more

2005 AGA Survey Shows Strong Support for Casinos Among Community Leaders

According to the latest study issued by the American Gaming Association, 79 percent of civic leaders and elected officials in gaming jurisdictions think casinos have had a positive impact on their communities. This information resulted from a poll conducted by the AGA in connection with its 2005 State of the States: The AGA Survey of Casino Entertainment...read more

Poker for the Sheer Fun of Playing the Game

Poker and playing for money are as inseparable as coffee and a donut to a majority of people. But for Shawn Riley, president, CEO and CFO of the Amateur Poker League (APL) with headquarters in Wichita, Kansas, poker and playing for fun is the jackpot combination. "We're not about gambling," Riley insists...read more

What Makes You Like One Slot Machine Better than Another?

If you play the slot machines a lot, you're apt to have one or two favorites. What is it about a particular device that makes you like it better than an alternative across the aisle or in a different casino? That, in fact, keeps you returning, not to the slots in general but to the same game, on a fairly regular basis? An abundance of answers is obviously possible, depending on your personal preferences...read more

Heard it on the River

DON BARDEN, CEO of Barden Companies which includes FITZGERALDS TUNICA, made a keynote speech at the very successful SOUTHERN GAMING SUMMIT just ended in Gulfport but it was an interview with the GULFPORT SUN HERALD he gave after his presentation that made the news...read more

Slots Review: Milk Money, That Girl, Monopoly Moneyline

1) Milk Money: WMS 2 spins, 85-95% This slot is worth the play not only for an opportunity to 'milk the cows' for money, but the 20 line version offers a better than 65% hit frequency. Look for three or more cow face symbols to begin the main event, Milking Bonus...read more

How to Double Your Money at the Casino

It was dinner time at Gary's Buffington Harbor casinos, and I was on the down escalator, headed toward Koko Taylor's Blues Café. On the escalator going up was an older man in a jacket and tie --- an unusual sight these days given that he wasn't wearing a casino ID. From the look in the man's eye, I could tell dinner was going to be a few minutes late even before he called out, "Hey John, got a minute?" "Sure," I said, and waited at the bottom while he finished the ride up, then changed escalators. "I have a hypothetical question for you," he started...read more

Some Smart Blackjack Plays Look Dumb to Most Players

You're playing first base at a blackjack table with four other players. It's the first hand off the top of the 6-deck shoe. The dealer has a deuce up. You've got 19. No problem. You stand. The next three players have 20, 19 and 20, and they stand too...read more

A hand by any other name . . .

Dear Mark, When making the Under/Over 13 bet in blackjack, which bet is better, the Under or the Over 13? Thomas D. The Under/Over 13 is a side bet that pays even money if the player correctly guesses that the sum of the first two cards dealt to him or her will be under or over 13...read more