Gaming Gurus: Strategy Expert Article Archive - Page 839

Craps A to Z - "Q" is For Qualify

Craps is the only game in the casino where you, as the shooter, can influence hundreds, perhaps thousands of dollars due to your skill as a rhythm roller. But, if you are not the shooter, is there some way of determining if the shooter is skilled or not? Let's find out! It is extremely important to qualify your shooters...read more

Bits and Pieces from Indian Country - January 2003

California is certainly the big story in Indian gaming this month.  The battle lines between some of the communities and the tribes have been drawn.  The state is reaching into Indian gaming for $6 billion of the $35 billion budget shortfall.  At the same time, the Governor has joined the battle to keep the tribes out of urban areas. Agencies Win Right To Oppose Casino In Court.  …Casino opponents won a round in San Francisco, where U.S...read more

Wynn (and Trump) Watch - January 2003

Some months this section tracks a major company, often Harrah's, following the trendsetters in the hopes of getting a glimpse of the future.  The last couple of months, this space has been devoted to the two most flamboyant personalities in the industry.  Watching Donald Trump and Steven Wynn may not always, though it might, give you a hint of things to come, but it can be very entertaining. The Donald leads off:  this month Trump completed his refinancing and received final approval from the state of New Jersey, not without a little testiness on his part.  He is making a run at the last license in Illinois.  And, though he denies that is his purpose, is sneaking in the backdoor in Nevada.  In Nevada, a person or entity can only be licensed if there is a specific casino property or an interest in a property.  Licensing in Nevada is a comparatively long process, and without a license the lead-time on development is at least a year longer.  Donald Trump has purchased enough Riviera stock to require licensing.  Now, should he decide to do a Nevada project he has a foot in the door.  He still would be required to submit for a separate license, but the process will be quicker and easier, and if there are any issues, he will know in advance.  Wonder if he has a dream he would like to put up against Steve's?  The financial results of his properties never quite measure up to Wynn's properties, but he does seem to want the challenge. Scrutiny During Process Angers Trump.  …The Casino Control Commission approved the deal ($475 million bond refinancing) without pause, but Trump was angry that the DGE and its boss, Attorney General David Samson, put it to such scrutiny.  "I have great respect for the commission and I have great pride that they gave us a 4-0 vote, but I do believe that if you're going to get people to invest in Atlantic City, a different attitude is going to have to be given by the attorney general," Trump said…  Joe Weinert, Press of Atlantic City, 1-23-03 Consortium Waiting Decision About 10th And Last Casino License.   Donald Trump remains the leading candidate to run a proposed casino in Crestwood.  …"We are trying to determine which gaming operator has the wherewithal to provide what we need to put together the best package to bring before the state gaming board," sources said.  Brent Watters, Southtown Daily, 1-15-03 Riviera Stake Makes Trump Apply Himself.  … Trump's 358,000 shares do put him over the threshold, meaning the New York and Atlantic City developer will be required to submit an application for a Nevada gaming license.  …"I have great respect for Nevada," Trump said...read more

Quick-takes: The month's trends in a glance - January 2003

These are times that try, if not men's souls, at least their pocketbooks.  The threat of war, poor operating results and an economy that at best produced mixed signals have depressed the stock market again in January 2003.  The Dow Jones Industrial Average started the month at 8342 and finished at 8053.  Casino stocks were down even more than the market averages driven by lower revenues and the threat of new taxes, while manufacturing was up, driven by the promise of new jurisdictions. A Mixed Message For Gaming Stocks.  It was a rough month for casino stocks, but a bullish month for equipment manufacturers, according to the Applied Analysis Gaming Index, a monthly weighted average of eight local gaming stocks developed by a Las Vegas-based financial consulting company.  …  However, the average daily price of gaming stocks included in the composite index dropped 11.3 points, or 5.1 percent.  Offsetting that decline, the manufacturers' component of the index, largely International Game Technology, increased 12.4 points, or 5.6 percent.  Rod Smith, Gaming Wire, Las Vegas Review-Journal, 2-3-03 The economy is the story in more than one industry and in more than one state.  The economy may be responsible for lower gaming revenues and lower gaming stock prices, but increasingly more important to the gaming industry, the economy has caused a budget crisis in most states.  A promise of new revenue from gaming drove election results in as many as 15 states.  In the post election world, the world of real politic, governors and legislators are starting to come to grips with the depth of the budget crises...read more

Scobe's Quick Tips: #8 and #9

Scobe's Quick Tip #8: Computers and mathematical analysis have shown that Progressive Betting, either increasing your bets after you lose or increasing your bets after you win, does not change the house edge one way or the other. The only change that occurs is in the "patterns" of your wins and losses -- they are more explosive. If you want to bet progressively then a "positive progression" (up as you win) is better than a negative progression (up as you lose) -- if you start your betting at a lower rate than usual. For more on progressive betting read Twenty-First Century Blackjack by Walter Thomason. Scobe's Quick Tip #9: The "hit frequency" on a slot machine indicates how often some money is returned to you...read more

Superbowl 2003

What a year it was in the National Football League! In the AFC the dust didn't settle until the final week of the season. The geniuses at the home office wanted parity and they got it. During the regular season it seemed as if there was a new favorite each week that was going to be winning the Super Bowl...read more

Ladders go both up and down

Dear Mark,I feel I am decent player at video poker. I also feel I am ready to move up the ladder to the poker room. Are there enough similarities between the two to make me a successful player? Clarence M. Before you thrust your hand into that beehive, I got to tell ya, Clarence, you might not enjoy the honey...read more

How Much Extra Edge Are You Giving the House in Blackjack?

Many blackjack players know what "the book" says to do in adverse situations. But they sometimes honor their intuition over the laws of the universe anyway. For instance, they'll stand rather than hit 12 versus two- or three-up...read more

New Slots from Konami and Shuffle Master

Most of the slot machines we see on casino floors are produced by a handful of manufacturers. IGT is by far the largest slotmaker, while WMS, Bally Gaming, A.C. Coin, Aristocrat, Atronic and Mikohn have carved out shares of the market. At the annual Global Gaming Expo, which I attended in September in Las Vegas, I spend a lot of time looking over new games from those manufacturers, but I also like to check out the companies that are just starting to make a name in the market. One of those is Konami, a Japanese company that has been claiming growing respect from casino slot managers...read more

World's Greatest Job

For the last two decades, I've lived what many would consider the American dream, earning big bucks while working only part-time. My profession? Card counter. My office? Blackjack tables all over the world...read more