Gaming Gurus: Strategy Expert Article Archive - Page 753

Michigan Construction Industry Opposes Detroit Wagering Tax Increase

The Michigan House of Representatives voted on May 12, 2004 to double the wagering that the Detroit casinos pay, from 18% to 36%. Last Thursday, the Michigan Senate rejected the House Bill that would double the Detroit wagering tax by a 18-19 vote...read more

A Shuffle through the Gaming Mailbag: Short-Pays on High-Limit Video Poker

Q. I visited the Casino Queen in East St. Louis and was surprised to see changes on the payouts. On $5 9-6 Jacks or Better, the 250-coin payout for straight flushes had been slashed to 239 coins, and on $5 10-7 Double Bonus the same had been done on four of a kind, 5s through Kings...read more

Electrical Problems and Slots

Gentlemen: Do you know of any occasions where a glitch (i.e., lightning, temporary power loss, etc.) in the electric power to a casino has damaged the sensitive RNG electronics in a slot or electronic gaming device? I was wondering how the power outage affected the Indian Reservation Casinos and Atlantic City other than the obvious loss of revenue due to the down-time. Clark Dear Clark, I don't know of any case in which lightning has affected a slot machine, but a slot is just a computer and if a power surge can fry you computer, it can also fry a slot machine--although I'm sure that a slot machine has far more protection than your home computer...read more

A neat trio you may not know

Dear Mark, When playing kitchen table poker, it seems arguments arise on what is the best possible hand for certain games. Recently a dispute occurred on what is the best hand for both California and Kansas City Lowball. For example, I recently thought I had the best hand for California Lowball with an A-2-3-4-5, all in hearts...read more

Does Scouting Video Poker Machine Payouts Make Sense?

Video poker veterans often discuss jacks-or-better, nothing-wild machines in terms of the returns paid on full houses and flushes. A "nine-six" game, for instance, returns 9-for-1 on a full house and 6-for-1 on a flush. Likewise, an "eight-five" machine gives back eight times the bet on a full house and five on a flush. With an otherwise "standard" set of payouts and no bonuses, a nine-six game has a 99.5 percent payback for "expert" play...read more

Video Poker Anomalies

Hi, Do you know, on average, what percentage of the time a slot machine is in use over the course of one day? For example, assume 1 pull takes 8 seconds...then at maximum use, a slot machine can handle 450 pulls per hour. What percentage of this number does a machine actually get used on average? I realize there are peak hours, but what would you say would be the average for one day? Also, how long does an average pull take? Is 8 seconds about right? Thanks very much. Daniel Dear Daniel, Joe Kaminkow, the game design guru at IGT, was recently featured in an article in the New York Times Magazine...read more

What Happens When the Dealer Hits Soft 17?

I was sitting at a local blackjack table where the dealer hits on soft 17. Three times in the same shoe I was dealt 18 or better when the dealer turned up an Ace/6. I ended up losing all three hands! Right then and there, I decided that my next article would discuss the inner workings of the soft 17 rule...read more

The Invasion of the Trendoids

Casino gamblers utilizing most systems in truly random games either go with or against a trend. If three reds come up in roulette, the anti-trend player will bet black on the next spin; the trendy player will bet red. The antitrendoid firmly believes that all streaks must end and that the other proposition is due...read more

Those Hidden Gems

Assuming a Jacks or Better Full-pay machine, how would you play the following hands: A) 2C 8H 10D JD QC B) 8S 9S 10S QD AD C) 5D 9S JD QD KC D) 6D 8C 9S 10D AD Let's take a closer look at each one. Hand A would appear to have a few choices...read more

Killer Sports NFL Annual Has 1,000 Team Trends

Ed Meyer and his Killer Sports group again have the trend-and-angle seeker in mind with their latest effort, 2004 Killer Sports NFL Annual (262 pages, 8x11 plastic spiralbound, $24.95) -- a new arrival at Gambler's Book Shop. This resource is excellent for both team and (for many) the all-important league trends...read more