Gaming Gurus: Strategy Expert Article Archive - Page 713

Insurance Is a Poor Bet at Blackjack, but not Uniformly So

Anyone who's ever sidled up to a casino blackjack table knows "the book says you're not supposed to take insurance." If not before, a neophyte will surely hear it from the veterans when the opportunity to make the bet first arises. Some of the veterans, of course, will be rationalizing why they're doing it anyway. Insurance is a side bet, which can equal up to half of a player's original wager...read more

Slots Review: Captain Jackpot, Double Bonus Line and Sphinx Magic.

1) Captain Jackpot: Bally. 2 spins. 90-94% This slot introduces another slot superhero, Captain Jackpot, he of the muscular physique and toothy grin. The basic game is a 15-line video slot with bets ranging from 15-450 at 30 per line...read more

More on Randomness

Dear John, In your last article, you wrote: "Today, it's unusual at all to hit a jackpot over that amount, especially on high-limit machines." Didn't you mean: "today, its NOT unusual"? Just clarifying. Thanks for the articles. Jerry Dear Jerry, You are absolutely right...read more

Rule #1: Seek out the best paytables

Dear Mark, Where I play Jacks or Better video poker, some machines have different pay tables, the difference being what you are paid for a full house. One machine returns nine coins, another eight. How much am I giving up playing a machine that gives eight coins back for a full house versus one that gives nine? Sammy H...read more

Dad

Here I was in Vegas, dealing at the Mint Hotel and living in my very own apartment. I'd written my dad to tell him where I was, but he never wrote back, and he'd always been good about staying in touch. One morning I couldn't get him out of my mind, so I called him on the phone...read more

A Card-Carrying Member of Regis' Cash Club

Regis Philbin's TV series, "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire" had a decent run. And so did I, when I recently played Regis' namesake slot machine, "Regis' Cash Club." I laughed my way through the entire session on this thoroughly entertaining and very popular IGT slot, which is on the MegaJackpots system...read more

My Fantasy

It's Christmas 2004 at 3:15 AM. I'm waiting for Santa to return to my house to give me in waking life what he just gave me in sleep... I just woke up from the sweetest dream I've ever had. Background: all my latest trips to the casinos have seen me have 50 to 60 hand rolls (about the same number of minutes) on each and every trip, sometimes two such monsters to a trip and I have now been wondering if I will ever have a 2 hour roll...read more

When Tribes Buy Racinos

Startling changes are sweeping the world of legal gambling. Gaming tribes that for decades lived in abject poverty now have a new problem: finding ways to diversify their enormous wealth. Meanwhile, states have the opposite difficulty...read more

The Key to Michigan's Future: Embracing Change

With all the talk in the past week about the Governor's proposed changes to the Single Business Tax, there has been a renewed focus on the State of Michigan's ability to attract new business. Tax changes are important and will create the proper economic climate to foster growth...read more

A Visit with World Champion Poker Professional Annie Duke

Annie Duke broke the mold of the stereotypical poker player. The petite 39-year-old mother of four may appear as if she'd be better suited to an elementary school classroom teaching third grade, but in reality she makes her living playing high stakes tournament poker...read more