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.
Holding Low Pairs in Video Poker Read More »
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.
Splitting 8s in Blackjack Read More »
The free odds wager in craps is a rarity, a wager with no mathematical edge to the house. To make it, you have to first make a bet that DOES have a house edge — the pass line, where the 1.41 percent advantage to the house still makes it one of the better bets in casinos.
The Free Odds Wager in Craps Read More »
A slot machine player wrote to say she was intrigued to watch two slot technicians open a three-reel machine. They flipped a switch, hit the play button — and every combination that showed on the reels was a winner, in order. First game the jackpot symbols, then the 7s, then the triple bars on down to the lowest winner, a single cherry.
Slot Tech’s Test Program Doesn’t Change the Odds Read More »
Slot machines have been with us ever since Charles Fey invented the Liberty Bell slot in San Francisco in the 1890s. Those early slots were mechanical, and if you knew the number of symbols per reel, you could calculate the odds.
If a game had three reels with 10 symbols on each reel, and one top jackpot symbol per reel, then the odds of hitting the top jackpot were 1 in 10 x 10 z 10, or one in 1,000.
Estimating Jackpot Frequency on the Slots Read More »
Among the prime attractions of video slot machines are interactive bonus games that are a fun way to pile up credits without making extra wagers. Land three noisemakers on the screen in Jackpot Party, for example, and you get to touch the screen to choose gift boxes containing credits until a “Pooper” ends your party. On many games with free-spin bonuses, you’re first asked to touch an icon to reveal how many free spins you’re getting, and sometimes to touch an icon to reveal whether your winnings will be multiplied.
Choices Make a Difference in Video Slot Bonus Rounds Read More »
