Gaming Gurus: Strategy Expert Article Archive - Page 700

Aces and Kings by Kaplan; Poker as Life -- Smooth Reading

They keep on coming, new and interesting books about poker the game, the people who play it and for those who can't get enough new information. The two newest arrivals at Gambler's Book Shop are Aces and Kings by Michael Kaplan and Brad Reagan (281 pages, hardbound, $24.95) and Poker as Life (101 Lessons From The World's Greatest Game) by Lee Schreiber (239 pages, hardbound, $14.95). Kaplan a regular contributor to Cigar Aficionado and Sports Illustrated magazines and Reagan, who contributes to The Wall Street Journal and Maxim magazines, gained the confidence of some of the world's top poker players and got to them to talk about the challenges of the game and their offbeat, high-energy lifestyle with what they call an "all-cash existence." From old pros to the new generation TV superstars of the game, the two authors trace beginnings to highs and lows, and with a colorful, breezy style, offer a glimpse into a world of pressure, decisions and big paydays. There are fifteen chapters (with photos of the players featured) to this easy read...read more

Less Glitz, More Payola

Nearly 30% of the hands we're dealt contain a low pair and are designated LPR in our table of rankings. The expected value (average return if each possible draw occurs once) of LPR is a healthy .82, so we can expect to recover 82% of our wagers on these hands...read more

Is Payback Overrated?

Is payback overrated? I don't mean 'payback' as in getting even with your neighbor for mowing his lawn at 6 a.m. on a Sunday. I mean payback as in the return on your 'investment' in a casino. The first rule of Expert Strategy is to know which games to play...read more

Help Buying Numbers

Dear Frank: When you "buy" the 4 or 10 you get true odds of 2 to 1 and the casino collects money from your win. This subject has always dogged me. No matter how many times I read it I can't seem to fully digest it. I know enough to know, I think, that you make more buying than placing, but when I win the dealers keep asking me to give them more money on each win...read more

New Development, The Engine That Drives The Gaming Industry

Sixteen years ago, in a fairly stagnant Las Vegas economy, Steve Wynn opened the Mirage, the first new major casino resort in Las Vegas in almost 20 years. At the time, many thought that Mr. Wynn had gone too far, that the market wouldn't support such a lavish facility...read more

Midwest Native Son Wins $1 Million Video Poker Tournament

Last year executives with Harrah's Entertainment were seeking to expand on the popularity of the highly successful Millionaire Maker Slot Tournament, a nationwide competition that has worked marketing magic for the gaming industry giant for over a decade. Realizing that video poker players are as passionate about their game as slot players, they created Harrah's Video Poker Millionaire Maker...read more

Gambling: Is It Still a Guy's Game?

Once upon a time, gambling was a sport for guys wiseguys, otherwise guys, and occasionally gals who were one of the guys. Back then, gambling meant risking serious dough on every round, money that hurt when it was lost, making bets that paid somewhere from not much less to not much more than 1-to-1...read more

Do Casinos Really Make Their Money From The Winners?

Q. Sitting in the buffet, I caught a snippet of conversation that I was wondering if you could explain. (I wasn't listening in, they were so loud I couldn't help hearing.) One guy was saying that the casino really makes its money off the winners, and the other guy said something like, "Oh really? You mean we pay for all this when we win?" That doesn't really make sense to me. A...read more

What's Up with All These Penny Machines?

John: This may be a dumb question, but could you briefly list what you believe the best casinos in Las Vegas are for slot machine play, I like to play $1 dollar to $5 dollar machines. I have been to Vegas a few times but have not really found a decent place to for slots, they all seem so tight these days. Thanks, Dave Dear Dave, There are no dumb questions here...read more

Progressive betting and Texas Wipeout

Dear Mark, Could you please provide some information on the Five Level betting system? Paul G. The Five Level Betting System is based on a cyclic progression: 1, 2, 3, and then 5 units, then back to 1 unit. For example, for a $2 player, the betting levels would be $2, $4, $6, $10, and then back to $2...read more