The game that put video poker on the map in the 1980s was “Jacks or Better.” And as it gained in popularity, the word spread that the best games had “9-6” pay tables, meaning they paid 9-for-1 on full houses and 6-for-1 on flushes.
“9-6” Isn’t the Magic Number in Every Video Poker Game Read More »
Every roulette player has a system, ranging from complicated combinations to playing family birthdays. One player told me that since the house gets its edge from the zero and double-zero, his system was to bet on red or black, then make a two-number split wager on the zeroes and make them work for him.
“I feel like I’m betting with the house,” he said. “The count on the zeroes, and so do I.”
Betting the Zeroes at Roulette Read More »
When I first started writing about casino games on a regular basis for a newspaper just shy of 17 years ago, I wrote a column about when to split pairs in blackjack. One tip was that players shouldn’t split 10s, that the should just stand on their 20s.
A co-worker came to me with an opposite theory.
Blackjack Strategy for Pairs of Fives and Tens Read More »
If you find yourself losing early in a day at the casino, what do you do? Do you back off and take it easy, or do you assume you’re “due” to win, and make bigger bets to try to recover your losses?
Don’t Chase Losses: Easing Off Losing Sessions Read More »
I once was privy to a heated conversation between a table games supervisor and a craps player regarding comps. Actually, I should say the entire pit was privy to one side of the conversation, which involved a very loud, very angry player haranguing a supervisor who was trying to calm him down.
Comps at Craps Tables Read More »
Have you ever noticed that different casinos have their blackjack dealers place the cut card in different places in the deck? The cut card is a solid-color plastic card. After a player cuts the cards, the dealer then inserts the cut card into the deck. When he reaches the cut card while dealing cards, he knows it’s time to shuffle after the hand is completed.
Does Placement of the Cut Card Really Matter in Blackjack? Read More »
