gaming-strategy Archives - Page 33 of 34

Going For Straights in Video Poker

Have you ever listened in as a couple of video poker novices tried to figure out just what to do with a hand? I couldn’t help but overhear one evening when a woman playing Bonus Poker was dealt 5-6-7-9 and a Jack.

“What do you do here?” she asked the fellow accompanying her.

He looked at the hand, and looked at the pay table. “Look here,” he said. “You’d get five coins back if you draw another Jack, but you have four parts of a straight. Straights pay 20. You probably should go for the straight.”

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“Buy” Bets in Craps

gaming-and-casinos / By ceastway

Making a place bet on 4 — betting a craps shooter will roll a 4 before the next 7 — is a weak bet, with a house edge of 6.67 percent. Same deal if you place 10. The house edge is still 6.67 percent, and there are several bets at the craps table that are much better percentage plays.

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Choosing a Coin Denomination on Video Slots

gaming-and-casinos / By ceastway

A reader e-mailed me with her take on playing video slot machines.

“I like to cover all the lines, although I can’t afford to bet $3 or $5 at a time on a ‘penny’ slot machine. I can’t bet 25 coins a line, but sometimes I’ll bet five a line. On a penny machine with 20 lines, that means I’m betting a dollar a spin.

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The “Even Money” Option in Blackjack

gaming-and-casinos / By ceastway

In blackjack, if the dealer has an Ace face up when you’re dealt a blackjack, the dealer will ask if you want “even money.” If you wager $10, you’ll win $10 even if the dealer also has a blackjack. “The only sure thing in the house,” I’ve had dozens of dealers tell me.

It’s a form of insurance, which is really a bet that the dealer has a blackjack. You’re offered insurance whenever the dealer has an Ace up. That allows you to make a wager half the size of your original wager. If the dealer has a 10-value card face down, your insurance bet pays 2-1.

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Holding Low Pairs in Video Poker

gaming-and-casinos / By ceastway

Payoffs in most video poker games start at a pair of Jacks, so many players underestimate the power of low pairs.

If you’re dealt a single Jack along with a low pair, such as two 5s, what are you going to do? It’s tempting to keep the single Jack and draw four cards, each with chance to bring a second Jack that’ll at least get you your money back.

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Splitting 8s in Blackjack

gaming-and-casinos / By ceastway

Sometimes in blackjack, the best offense is a good defense. And splitting pairs is often a form of defense.

Take a pair of 8s, especially when the dealer has a 10 face up. If we play it as a 16, we bust too often if we hit, and if we stand, the dealer beats us all 79 percent of the time he makes 17 or better.

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