Gaming Gurus: Strategy Expert Article Archive - Page 734

Doubling Down for Less in Blackjack Is a Big No-No

The player on my right was betting roughly $100 per hand. I'd say he was in his early twenties - pretty heavy hitting for a youngster. He made the typical basic strategy mistakes of standing with 12 against a 3, doubling with 4/4 against a 4, standing with Ace/7 against a 10, etc...read more

Should I Leave a Craps Table After a Hot Roll?

Dear Frank, I just finished reading your book The Craps Undergound. It was enjoyable. I will be in Vegas the 1st week in August. At various times I have applied the 5 count to other players and placed the dice in the 3V position with some success...read more

Florida Raises Poker Stakes (A Little)

It is difficult to get a state to legalize a new form of gambling. But it is nearly impossible to get the stakes raised once the cards have been dealt. Florida is the latest example of this political rule. Racetracks in Florida, like racetracks everywhere, have been searching for years for a way to bring in more gambling dollars...read more

Critiquing Coinless Slot Technology

The ticket-in/ticket-out slot machine technology that has created a virtual "coinless" environment at Chicago area casinos has for the most part received a warm reception from players who don't miss handling tokens, collecting them in plastic buckets, and then waiting in line at the cashier to have them counted. The system, however, is not without its critics...read more

Penny Lane Is in My Ears and in My Eyes

In Penny Lane the Par-A-Dice is full of slot machines, from every gamemaker the slot director knows. When I made the trek to East Peoria recently for an overnight stay at the Par-A-Dice hotel, I knew exactly what I wanted to see first in the casino. I'd spoken with slot director Tammy Couchman on the phone, and she'd told me about Penny Lane, her roomful of 1-cent slot machines on the riverboat's bottom deck. It's a bright, cheerful place, where '50s and '60s music plays while the customers touch the slot screens to choose to play for 1-cent, 2-cent, 5-cent, 10-cent or 25-cent denominations...read more

Even-Money Equivalents Show the Effect of Odds Multiples at Craps

Most craps aficionados know that casinos give them a better deal by offering higher Odds multiples on Pass, Come, Don't Pass, and Don't Come bets. However, surprisingly few dice devotees actually understand how this affects their chances, what's so great about it, and whether they should use the opportunities afforded. So, people patronize a casino because of the Odds, then bet Place, Buy, and Lay rather than Come and Don't Come...read more

Zzyzx

Zzyzx? What is that? Some strange mathematical variable? Not even close. It is something that every gambler driving between Los Angeles and Las Vegas encounters and something I've been curious about for years. I thought I'd take a break from the mathematics this month and tell you about it...read more

Of gaffes, goofs and gains

Dear Mark, You had a very interesting column last week. You stated that you have seen your 5-spot appear only four times, and fortuitously you were on it once for $5, and it paid four grand, far more than you have ever spent, or will spend, playing keno...read more

Get Set for Football Season with Tailgate Party

With college and NFL football gearing up once again, it's Tailgate Party time! But maybe you've wondered how to enjoy tailgating while watching the game at your favorite casino. Easy-play the Tailgate Party video reel slot machine. IGT's 5-reel, 9-line game is funny and fun to play with its clever cartoon graphics and inspired bonus rounds...read more

Switching Sides

Every serious gambler has wondered at some time or other what it would be like to be on the other side of the table. Working in a casino is obviously demanding, but a lot of people do it. So the pay must be good or, at least, good enough. And there is the romantic image that has been painted in fiction: Who is that handsome man in the tux, suavely winning hand after hand at Baccarat? The one who looks like a spy? "The name's Rose, Nelson Rose." Even the job titles have a mystique: croupier, professional dealer. It is hard to tell how much dealers really earn...read more