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Jun

29

2016

When Asking for Advice Gets Annoying

I may have mentioned before, I don’t offer advice while playing. If someone asks me, I’ll answer, but I’m not one to routinely weigh in on decisions that belong to others. But what do you do if someone is asking for advice on EVERY hand? That’s the situation reader Leo encountered. He’d get 16 and the dealer would have a high card, and he’d say, ‘I’m supposed to hit this, right?’ People would say, ‘Yeah, you have to hit that,’ and he’d make the play.  “Thing is, he seemed to know basic strategy. He kept asking the questions, but he…

I may have mentioned before, I don’t offer advice while playing. If someone asks me, I’ll answer, but I’m not one to routinely weigh in on decisions that belong to others. But what do you do if someone is asking for advice on EVERY hand? That’s the situation reader Leo…

Jun

20

2016

Max Bets in Video Slots

One of the many differences between video slots and three-reel slots with mechanical reels is that three-reel games almost always have an incentive in the pay table to bet maximum coins. On three-reel games, a max-coins bet brings a disproportionate jump in the top jackpot, so betting the max brings a higher payback percentage than betting less. That’s not the case on most video slots. Paybacks are proportionate to your bet per line, and the expected payback percentage is the same no matter how much you bet. There are video slots that have incentives to bet more than the minimum…

One of the many differences between video slots and three-reel slots with mechanical reels is that three-reel games almost always have an incentive in the pay table to bet maximum coins. On three-reel games, a max-coins bet brings a disproportionate jump in the top jackpot, so betting the max brings…

Jun

14

2016

Does Winning with a Royal Flush in Video Poker Depend on Denomination?

I’ve been playing video poker for more than 25 years, and I’ve had royal flushes on penny, nickel, quarter, dollar and $2 games. The penny royal came on a memorable hand of Hundred Play Poker – 100 hands at once. I was dealt four parts of a royal, and drew the fifth part 11 times – far exceeding the 1 in 47 chance of completing a royal with a one-card draw. That the big hand came when playing for pennies didn’t bother me at all. My bankroll wouldn’t cover Hundred Play at higher denominations anyway. It’s a $5 max bet…

I’ve been playing video poker for more than 25 years, and I’ve had royal flushes on penny, nickel, quarter, dollar and $2 games. The penny royal came on a memorable hand of Hundred Play Poker – 100 hands at once. I was dealt four parts of a royal, and drew…

Jun

07

2016

Do Three-Reel Slot Machines Tease Jackpots More Often?

The majority of slot play today is on video slots, but traditional slots with three mechanical reels still command a loyal following.  One reader wrote to me recently with a question that could only come from a three-reel player. “I’ve noticed that the big-paying symbols are off the line a lot more than they’re on the line,” he wrote. “Is that intentional? Are the games programmed to tease players to thinking they’re close to a jackpot? The near-miss effect is much more common and noticeable on three-reel slots with one payline than on video slots where 30 or more lines…

The majority of slot play today is on video slots, but traditional slots with three mechanical reels still command a loyal following.  One reader wrote to me recently with a question that could only come from a three-reel player. “I’ve noticed that the big-paying symbols are off the line a…