Gaming Gurus: Strategy Expert Article Archive - Page 73

A Proposition About a Roulette Proposition

CINDY: There are certain betting methods that we can recommend at roulette that we find interesting. None of the methods can give the player the edge over the house, that we all know or should know.ABBY: Both Cindy and I are bankroll conscious...read more

Ask the Slot Expert: Bounceback cash or point multiplier?

A friend who lives near the Gulf Coast casinos called a few days ago to get my take on the current video poker conditions in Las Vegas. He visits Las Vegas frequently -- or, at least, used to visit frequently, pre-pandemic. There was almost complete overlap in the Venn diagram of the casinos we visit most frequently...read more

Ups and Frowns

Almost all casino players know this truth: given some time, or a long time, or starting right now this morning, this afternoon or tonight, they will wind up losing. They know that the house has the edge over them in every game.Certain sessions and even certain multi-day trips, the player will win...read more

Why Six Decks in Online Games

QUESTION: I don't get why online casinos would have six-deck games when the cards are shuffled after every hand. I know that in live casinos more decks make it difficult on card counters, but computer cards can be shuffled instantly. The cards are in the same proportions for every hand...read more

Do Video Poker Systems Beat the Game?

They are everywhere. System sellers, those snake oil salesmen of the gambling world. When I receive questions about any betting system, my answer is always the same.First, however, a little background.When I first started coming to Las Vegas almost 40 years ago I signed up for a Las Vegas newsletter of some sort...read more

What About Roulette?

CINDY: Last week we took a look at one of our favorite scenes in the movie “Lost in America” starring Albert Brooks and Julie Hagerty. Hagerty’s character gets them into deep trouble by blowing their nest egg on roulette. So, let’s talk about roulette today.ABBY: First, it is important to know that there are two distinct versions of the game...read more

Ask the Slot Expert: What's the payback on this video poker progressive?

Question: I’m currently playing a progressive Triple Double Bonus Poker $1 machine that is a 9/5/4 game. The royal flush with 5 coins is currently at $10,238.70. I’ve never seen one this high in all my years of playing and know that this is now a positive play game...read more

Magical Thinking

The world of the casino inside the heads of many casino players is not the world of the casino inside the heads of the folks who know casinos, run casinos, and often have to talk to patrons who see the casino world in a very, very different, and wrong, way.Take streaks as an example...read more

Less Pay Allows Best Pay

Helen is an acquaintance, a friend of a friend of a friend. Once a year or so, we used to find ourselves at the same gathering, where she'd regale me with tales of her latest slot machine triumphs.It's been a couple of years since that circle of friends has gathered, so I was surprised on a snowy February morn to receive an instant message...read more

Let's Keep Quizzing

This quiz is a bit different from previous quizzes. Rather than being for just one game, each hand is subject to the strategy for 9/6 Jacks or Better as well as 9/6 Double-Double Bonus. All strategy is based on betting the five-credit maximum.Hand number one: Ad Jc Qc 7d KdHow would you play this hand on a 9/6 Jacks or Better game?This hand really has only four possible holds worth considering:1. Two cards of a royal flush (Jc Qc).2. Two cards of a royal flush (Ad Kd).3. Four cards of an open straight with four high cards (Ad Jc Qc Kd).4. Finally, three cards of a flush (Ad 7d Kd).Here are the returns for these holds on a 9/6 Jacks or Better game:1. Two cards of a royal flush (Jc Qc) return 3.0019 credits per five credits bet, on average.2. Two cards of a royal flush (Ad Kd) return 2.7558 credits for five credits.3. Four cards of an open straight with four high cards (Ad Jc Qc Kd) return 2.9787 credits.4. Three cards of a flush (Ad 7d Kd) return 2.4884 credits on average.Holding the Jack and Queen of clubs will get you 3.0019 credits on average...read more