Gaming Gurus: Strategy Expert Article Archive - Page 823

How to Maximize Your Edge when You Act as Banker

In most casino table games, the house functions as Banker. This means that the dealer opposes all patrons, who act as Players, paying winners and collecting from losers. The casino earns its profit in these games by one or both of two means: a) payoffs are slightly below the odds bettors must overcome to win, or b) a commission or "vigorish" is collected from participants either on wagers when they are made or on winnings when they are paid. In some situations, patrons get an opportunity to bank, usually in sequence around the table...read more

You Can Bet On It!

Poker is the one game in the casino where you play against other players rather than the house. Therefore, the skilled player has a clear advantage over the long run. Anybody can get lucky in a session or two, but the chips will usually wind up in stacks in front of the best player...read more

Mr. Virtue and taxes

Dear Mark, This week Newsweek reported that former Education Secretary William Bennett lost eight million dollars over a decade in Las Vegas and Atlantic City. Even with those huge losses, would Mr. Bennett have any tax liability on his winnings? Dave T...read more

Craps A to Z - "T is for Tournaments"

If you are a regular Crapshooter, you might want to enter a craps tournament. Some of these contests are free to enter, some cost a few hundred dollars, and a few cost quite a bit more, depending on the prize money...read more

Kickin' It in Reno

Looking for fun? Discover or re-discover Reno in the quest for fun.... I was thinking about Reno the other day, and thinking of one word that would best describe what feelings the Reno experience invoked... and no matter what, it all boiled down to one word.....read more

Hand Interaction: The Neglected Side of Blackjack Strategy

As soon as a blackjack player learns all his basic strategy, he usually either progresses to card counting or stagnates right where he's at. That's because most people think there's nothing in between. Ahh, but there is! What would you do if the player next to you had a pair of 7s against a 3, but was out of money? So he asked you if you'd like to put up a bet and take one of his 7s so he could split the other...read more

Ask Frank

Dear Mr. Scoblete: In your book Forever Craps, you recommend to play one Don't Come bet per shooter without odds in order to reduce your exposure to the house. I usually play at casinos that count the spread and odds...read more

Types of Machines

I have received a number of e-mails asking how to recognize the different types of slot machines, so let's review the different types now and some general advice for playing each type. There are four paytable types: Multiplier There are two types of multipliers. Straight Multiplier: For all payouts, the amount you win when playing two coins is twice the amount you win when playing one coin; the amount you win when playing three coins is three times the amount you win when playing one coin, etc. Play one coin at a time on straight multipliers...read more

Dice Control - Fact or Fiction?

I have always been a skeptic about what has become popularly known in casino circles as "dice control." This relatively new gambling expression refers to the theory that it is possible for craps players to alter the random probability of the numerical combination of rolls of the dice. How is it possible, you ask, to make a science out of a "crap shoot?" Just pick up the dice, give 'em a shake, blow on 'em for good luck, and then let 'em roll! The cubes tumble and dance without rhyme or reason on the layout at the other end of the table...read more

Blackjack Options

In blackjack, any rule that increases player options is good, provided the player knows how to use the options. Permitting the player to resplit Aces decreases the house edge. The surrender rule cuts the house edge IF the player knows when to surrender...read more