Gaming Gurus: Strategy Expert Article Archive - Page 804

Jackpots Are Tougher to Get on Machines that Let You Play Longer

Slot machines are rated according to "return percentage." This is the fraction of the gross wager paid out to players. Most slots are in the 90 percent range. A figure like 96 percent means that if players bet a total of $100,000 over enough trials that the law of averages applies reasonably well, $96,000 will accumulate on the "win" meter and $4,000 ends up in the bosses' pockets. Sophisticated solid citizens know that the $100,000 doesn't necessarily represent moolah gamblers bring into the casino, nor the $96,000 money they carry home...read more

Up, Up and Away!

It's that time of year again in Reno... the sky is full of beautiful multi-colored hot air balloons as the Great Reno Balloon Races are in progress... a sight that amazes me every year. Truly majestic in appearance, the balloons float gracefully across the Reno skyline, and the biggest draw of all is the "Dawn Patrol" where several balloons ascend before the sun comes up, creating a glowing and awesome sight which is accompanied by music and creates a visual and audio treat for all...read more

Yankless, coinless, clueless, staffless, tipless, hapless. Is playerless a-comin'?

Dear Mark, Why are so many slots today being converted to coinless machines? Are you a fan of them? Beth R. No aficionado in these shoes, Beth. I treasure the clanking sound of coins falling into the tray. I wonder about the rationale behind the switch to coinless machines...read more

Where Has All My Money Gone? (Long Time Passing.)

Even knowledgeable and experienced players have had occasion to sing variations of the Pete Seeger song suggested by this article's title. The sights, the sounds, the beverages, and according to some reports, even the air in a casino are designed to make time and money fade from consciousness...read more

A Dream of Mine

I often get into arguments with card counters over their level of ambition. Don't get me wrong, card counting is a fine discipline, but it is very tough. And, realistically, only the top well-financed teams can make big money at it these days...read more

Scobe's Quick Tips: #49 and #50 (Craps Proposition Bets and Comps)

Scobe's Quick Tip #49 If you think you are getting a bargain at craps when you bet a proposition bet such as the yo-eleven, think again. Yes, the bet does pay off at 15 to 1, but the house edge is a staggering 11.11 percent because the real odds of the bet are 17 to 1...read more

Heard it on the River

SAM'S TOWN's timing to stage a regular series of pro fights couldn't have come at a better time, what with the Olympic boxing trials set for next Feb., and now Hall of Fame trainer DAN DUVA has a hankering for grits and greens and wants to come South looking for a future world boxing champ in the Delta...read more

Best Way/Time to Play Slots

I'm a person who loves playing the slot machines. Mainly I play the nickel machines. What advice can you give on winning or bettering my chances of winning on these machines? The ones I like most are as follows: Jackpot Party, Life of Luxury, Millionaire, and some others...read more

Themed Slot Machines Continue to Grow in Popularity

Calling all Baby Boomers. If there was ever a doubt in your mind as to your importance as a casino customer, one look at the slot mix on your favorite casino floor should convince you. Increasingly, the casino floor is beginning to look like a page out of the TV Guide, circa 1967. In my mind, this trend started with the "Elvis" slot machines, which proved to be enormously popular and signaled the new trend...read more

American Roulette: Confessions of a Cheat Makes for Fascinating Reading

Now that New York publishers and Hollywood have discovered America's fascination with conmen, swindlers, and thieves could sell a lot of books and even more movie tickets, it appears as if the race for even more has begun. American Roulette ($24.95, hardbound, 370 pages) by Richard Marcus fits the mold perfectly...read more