Gaming Gurus: Strategy Expert Article Archive - Page 88

Pick Up Fallen Card or Leave the Game?

QUESTION: I was playing blackjack at a two-deck pitch table. You know the games. Instead of cards dealt from a shoe and immediately turned face up, the dealer holds the cards and deals face down.That's my favorite way to play if the rules are reasonable and minimum bets fit my bankroll...read more

Bonus Poker Quiz

This time the same hand is examined for different pay tables of the same game. The game is Bonus Poker. The full-pay version of this game is 8/5 (8-for-1 for a full house and 5-for-1 for a flush). This game/pay table combination returns 99.17 percent with perfect play.It is getting more difficult to find full-pay games, so let’s also examine how this hand should be played on a 7/5 (7-for-1 for a full house and 5-for-1 for a flush) Bonus Poker game...read more

Conversations in the casino

CINDY: There are some games where the players talk to each other. Games such as blackjack can have many conversations taking place from this table to that table. Players don’t seem to mind talking at blackjack. Craps tends to only have cheers and moans...read more

Is a New York City casino license worth $1 billion?

No government has ever asked $1 billion just for the right to build a casino.That still is true. But that’s how much New York Governor Kathy Hochul had originally wanted for casinos in New York City.Casino executives and lobbyists were able to get the leaders of the State Legislature to put pressure on the Governor...read more

Ask the Slot Expert: Advantage Play outside the casino

Last week I wrote about a conversation I had with Jean Scott's husband, Brad. I had just played a promotion in which you got a free movie ticket if you earned a certain number of points. Without missing a beat, Brad asked, "How much did that ticket cost you?" "About $200," I said and we both chuckled. Many people would think that we're crazy laughing about losing $200 to get a $12 ticket (Cinemark XD early show)...read more

Real Casino or Internet Casino?

As I write this, the Covid-19 pandemic seems to be fading in many areas of our country but a new variant has made its ugly appearance. Yes, the rest of the world is still under the gun so to speak but the real casinos have been open for a while now...read more

Blackjack Bob Bombs

Blackjack Bob and I hadn't spoken in a while. I picked up the phone on the off chance he had time at the same time I did."Glad you called," he said. "I had a hand for the ages last week, and not in a good way."I figured this had to be more costly than your average losing hand, so I asked if it involves splitting pairs or doubling down."Both," he said...read more

Testing, Testing

This time two hands are examined. For both hands you are playing a full-pay (9/6) Jacks or Better game with the maximum bet of five credits.First hand:Ad Js 4h 5s TsHow would you play it?This hand has three cards of a flush (Js 5s Ts), two high cards (Ad Js) and two cards of a royal flush (Js Ts).Would you take a shot at the royal? Or would you rather try for a flush? What about saving the two high cards?Let’s see which one has the highest average return.Saving the (Js Ts) and trying for a royal flush returns 2.4403 credits on average for the five played.Saving the two high cards (Ad Js) returns 2.3717.Going for the flush by saving (Js 5s Ts) returns 2.2202 on average.Going for the royal flush is the way to go this hand.Is that what you would have done?Second hand:9c 8h Tc Kc QdLet’s examine the possibilities.This hand has two cards of a royal flush (Tc Kc), four cards of a straight (9c Tc Kc Qd), two high cards (Kc Qd), and three cards of a straight flush (9c Tc Kc).Those are several decent options from which to choose...read more

"Out, Damned Spot!"

CINDY: Lady Macbeth is one of the great characters in world literature. She teases and tempts her husband to kill King Duncan so that the two of them can rule Scotland. Her ambition is overwhelming but she doesn’t realize that the murder – and the blood from King Duncan which is everywhere in the King’s chambers after Macbeth slaughters him – will fester inside her and destroy her.ABBY: What’s the comparison with casino playing? I have a couple.CINDY: There are some...read more

Ask the Slot Expert: Gamblers say (and do) the darnedest things

Jean Scott recently wrote about how well she did in her latest casino visit in her blog: Did we win? Well, not exactly, but we left feeling like happy winners. For the first six or so hours of play, I got deeper and deeper in a depressing hole while playing through $90,000 coin-in, holding one, or two, or even three deuces and never catching the fourth...read more