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THE COST OF PLAYING SIMILAR – BUT WRONG – VIDEO POKER STRATEGY

This post is syndicated by the Las Vegas Advisor for the 888 casino group. Anthony Curtis comments on the 888 article introduced and linked to on this page.

This article was written by Jerry Stich in association with 888Casino.

AC says:

Different video poker games and paytables call for different playing strategies. That’s obvious. But how much does it cost if you don’t make those changes and use one strategy for different games? This article addresses that, pointing out that the cost varies depending on which games you’re switching to without adjustments. The numbers indicate that the strategies for Jacks or Better and Bonus Poker, though there are some differences, are essentially interchangeable. That’s not the case, however, when using JoB or BP strategies to play Double Bonus or Double Double Bonus. That results in a reduction in expectation that can exceed 1%, which is significant. The penalty is also about 1% for mixing strategies in the referenced versions of Deuces Wild. The takeaway is, except in the case of JoB and BP, you should avoid using non-specific strategies between games. Video poker learning tools, especially the availability of different strategy cards, emphasize this point.

THE COST OF PLAYING SIMILAR – BUT WRONG – VIDEO POKER STRATEGY

Video poker players who play the game regularly – or even not so regularly – tend to have a favorite game or few games. They tend to play these games exclusively. They play the same pay tables for these select games. 

The reason for this is these players have learned and practiced the proper playing strategy for the specific game (or games) and pay tables that they play. They do this to maximize the return from their video poker play. 

But what happens if they cannot find one of their games and pay tables, but there is a similar – but different – game/pay table available.

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THE OLDEST LAS VEGAS CASINOS & WHY THEY’RE WORTH A VISIT

This post is syndicated by the Las Vegas Advisor for the 888 casino group. Anthony Curtis comments on the 888 article introduced and linked to on this page.

This article was written by Michael Kaplan in association with 888Casino.

AC says:

The recent closing of the Tropicana reduced the number of vintage casinos still operating in Las Vegas. Which ones are left? It depends on where you draw the line for vintage. The four profiled here – three downtown and one on the Strip – certainly qualify, all having opened no later than 1946. The Golden Gate actually showed up in 1955 after previously operating as Hotel Nevada when it opened in 1906, then Sal Sagev, which is Las Vegas spelled backward. The referenced 3-2 single-deck blackjack game at El Cortez was discontinued last month. The games still pay 3-2 on naturals, but are now dealt from 2 and 6 decks only.

THE OLDEST LAS VEGAS CASINOS & WHY THEY’RE WORTH A VISIT

It’s easy to stay at one of the new, shimmering casinos on the Las Vegas Strip or thereabouts. And we’re advocates for doing just that.

The Fontainebleau, for example, is new, cushy and compelling. Opened late last year, it features a state-of-the-art spa, fabulous restaurants (La Fontaine is a terrific Frenchified spot for gourmet dining) and a nightclub that will have you dancing all night.

But, also, there is something to be said for checking into the town’s oldest joints. They tend to be comfortable, friendly, dripping with history and best bets for value hunters. Knowing where Las Vegas used to be can provide a great counterbalance to explorations of where the ever-changing city is heading next.

Here then are four of our favorite casino/hotels that drip history and provide great experiences.

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ESTIMATING THE RETURN OF PROGRESSIVE VIDEO POKER

This post is syndicated by the Las Vegas Advisor for the 888 casino group. Anthony Curtis comments on the 888 article introduced and linked to on this page.

A.C. says:

What do you do when you run into a video poker game with what seems to be an inordinately high progressive meter? Maybe play it? Sure, but it’s difficult to make a spot decision about what the return percentage might be and whether or not you should play it relative to other options on the same machine. This article provides some guidance for assessing a progressive on the fly. It doesn’t give you everything you need to know, but the author makes that point and the shortcut advice provided is valuable. Print out the charts to consult or just commit the breakeven points to memory for the games addressed. Take the next step by applying the rules of thumb regarding the value of specific royal-flush-meter increases and you can make informed decisions in real time. Also, pay attention to the “Cautions” at the end of the article, which identify other important considerations. For the last word on playing progressives, check out The Secret World of Video Poker Progressives by Frank Kneeland, which goes beyond anything else currently in print on this subject.

This article was written by Jerry Stich in association with 888Casino.

ESTIMATING THE RETURN OF PROGRESSIVE VIDEO POKER

Progressive video poker offers benefits and challenges for players. One of the major challenges is determining the return at a specific level of the jackpot. This articles explores that aspects of the game.
In a progressive game, one or more lines of the pay table increases as the game is played. The most common pay line is the royal flush.

At reset value, the royal flush pays the same as a non-progressive – 4,000-for-5. As the game (or linked bank of games in a casino) is played, part of the amount bet goes towards increasing the amount paid when the jackpot is hit. Once a royal flush (or other progressive jackpot hand) is hit, the amount paid is returned to the reset value.

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NO DICE AVAILABLE AT THE TABLE? GIVE CARD CRAPS A SHOT

This post is syndicated by the Las Vegas Advisor for the 888 casino group. Anthony Curtis comments on the 888 article introduced and linked to on this page.

A.C. Says:

Where there’s a will there’s a way and that seems to apply doubly in gambling, where casinos find ingenious ways to circumvent laws that disallow certain games. One of the best examples is card craps, where the traditional game of craps is played without the demon dice. This article explains the basics. For the most part, card craps mirrors dice craps, but there are some differences in the house edge, due to the effect of removing cards from the decks being dealt (the procedures vary). Basic strategy is to bet the don’t pass and lay the odds, which often outperforms the same strategy in traditional craps, and depending on certain variables, can even yield a small edge for the player (this effect can be enhanced with the proper card-counting system). Note that there’s a typo in the last sentence under “Don’t come”: It should read, “The payoff on all winners is even money.”

This article was written by John Grochowski in association with 888Casino.

NO DICE AVAILABLE AT THE TABLE? GIVE CARD CRAPS A SHOT

Giving players the games they want is part of the business for casino operators, and plenty of players have made clear they want craps. Through the 1940s and ’50s it was the most popular casino table game in the United States before it was overtaken by blackjack in the 1960s.

But some jurisdictions don’t permit dice games, with California being the leading example. What’s an operator to do?

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BLACKJACK PLAYERS FACE MANY CHOICES BEYOND STRATEGY

This post is syndicated by the Las Vegas Advisor for the 888 casino group. Anthony Curtis comments on the 888 article introduced and linked to on this page.

A.C. says:

Most discussions about blackjack involve playing strategies, usually focusing on basic strategy. This article talks about other fundamental considerations that lead to better results, especially for beginners. Author John Grochowski correctly points out that the proper choices in the situations addressed will be different for experts who are playing with an advantage, but beginners who heed the advice to play at full tables, at games with fewer decks, etc. will benefit. Not all of the rules are absolute, so read carefully. Good stuff here.

This article was written by John Grochowski in association with 888Casino.

BLACKJACK PLAYERS FACE MANY CHOICES BEYOND STRATEGY

Player choices make a difference in blackjack, regardless of whether you’re playing online blackjack or in a live casino. That’s one of the keys to the game’s long-standing popularity.

The most obvious choices that make a difference come in blackjack strategy. Do you hit or stand. Should you double down? Should you split a pair?

Basic strategy can be your guide to those options, but there are choices beyond playing strategy that make a difference in your chances to win or lose.

Is it better to play at a crowded table or an empty one? Are fewer decks always better for players? Those are among the choices players face in addition to blackjack strategy once the game is underway.

Let’s explore some of the decisions blackjack players must make.

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ANALYZING SOME KEY COMBINATIONS IN VIDEO POKER

This post is syndicated by the Las Vegas Advisor for the 888 casino group. Anthony Curtis comments on the 888 article introduced and linked to on this page.

A.C. says:

Certain decisions in video poker are particularly problematic. Among them are hold choices that involve high cards and suited 10s. The cost of these errors is often low, but players should strive to make as few mistakes as possible. The “Adjacent Rule” is a good crib for making the proper plays in these instances. And if you learn nothing else from this article, you should know now that, with the exception of a high progressive royal flush, you should never hold a suited ace and 10. 

This article was written by Henry Tamburin in association with 888Casino.

ANALYZING SOME KEY COMBINATIONS IN VIDEO POKER

When playing Jacks or Better, one of the hands that usually confuse players is when there is a suited high card and a suited 10 along with another unsuited high card. For example, how would you play this hand?

Jh 3d Qs 10h 6c

You have two playing decisions to consider:

Hold the suited J-10 of hearts and discard the unsuited Q.
Hold the unsuited J-Q and discard the 10.

The correct play (the one with the higher expected value, or EV) is to hold the unsuited J-Q and discard the 10. Here’s why.

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CASHING IN: SOME OF HISTORY’S BIGGEST CASINO WINS

This post is syndicated by the Las Vegas Advisor for the 888 casino group. Anthony Curtis comments on the 888 article introduced and linked to on this page.

AC says:

Changing gears from the typical strategy-based articles in this series, this one is a quick read that describes some famous big wins by some famous gamblers. These are all good stories, but they’re only abbreviated versions of isolated incidents. With the exception of Johanna Heundi, whose jackpot came on a Megabucks machine, much more has been written about these players. One of the best sources for stories about Kerry Packer is our book Whale Hunt in the Desert—Secrets of a Vegas Superhost. An entire chapter on Don Johnson is included in our soon-to-be published book, The Advantage Players,  (written by the author of this article). For more on Billy Walters, check out the book cited in the article or read the chapter about him in Gambling Wizards—Conversations with the World’s Greatest Gamblers. 

This article was written by Michael Kaplan in association with 888Casino.

CASHING IN: SOME OF HISTORY’S BIGGEST CASINO WINS

We all hope to hit it big at the casino. For most of us, winning a few thousand dollars would be the dream come true. Then there are those who lived the dream writ large. They won millions instead of thousands, and the payoffs were life changing. Making these victories even more special, they got snagged in single sessions, not over the course of multiple nights spent grinding it out.

What does it take to rack up a jaw-dropping win? Sometimes, you need strategy and a knowledge of the game you’re playing. Always, there looms the unpredictable luck factor, which invariably plays a key role in massive payoffs at the tables. And finally, since one never knows when luck will strike, there is something to be said for putting up the money and being game to go for it.

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BLACKJACK PLAYS THAT FEEL WRONG CAN BE SO RIGHT

This post is syndicated by the Las Vegas Advisor for the 888 casino group. Anthony Curtis comments on the 888 article introduced and linked to on this page.

AC says:

Blackjack is the subject, but the advice in this article applies to all gambling games. When there’s one correct play and you’ve been told what it is, you’re costing yourself money every time you do something else. This comes up in video poker all the time, when players reason their way out of making the correct play. I can’t count all the times I’ve been asked for the correct play and given the answer, only for the player to wave it off and do something else. Amazing! You may desire an explanation that you can get your head around, but you don’t need one. One of my favorite stories is blackjack expert Ken Uston being asked for a reason that a certain play should be made. Uston answered simply, “Because the computer says so.” You’ll recognize some of the blackjack plays in the article that you’ve probably wondered about. You don’t need the explanations, but author John Grochowski obliges anyway.

This article was written by John Grochowski in association with 888Casino.

BLACKJACK PLAYS THAT FEEL WRONG CAN BE SO RIGHT

Learning basic strategy at blackjack is one thing. Internalizing it so it becomes second nature can be quite another.

The problem is that some blackjack strategy plays seem to defy common sense regardless of whether you’re playing online blackjack or in a live casino. As one player asked at a seminar I gave, “How can a play be so right when it feels so wrong?”

How can hitting hard 16 be the right play when there’s such a large chance of busting? How can splitting 8s against a dealer’s 10 be the right play when you could wind up with two 18s losing to a 20? How can doubling down on 11 when the dealer has a 10 face up be the right play when you can’t hit if you draw a low card and the dealer could be sitting with 20?

It’s enough to give you a queasy feeling even while you make the best play.

But they are the right plays. All casino games are grounded in math. Basic strategy takes into account all possible outcomes and calculates the play that, on average, yields the best chance to win.

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PLAYING YOUR HANDS AGAINST A DEALER’S 7 UPCARD

This post is syndicated by the Las Vegas Advisor for the 888 casino group. Anthony Curtis comments on the 888 article introduced and linked to on this page.

AC Says:
Here’s another of Henry Tamburin’s basic strategy primers, this one covering play against a dealer 7. The most important rule is to hit stiffs until you have at least 17. Many players are less inclined to hit vs. a 7 than against a ten, which is backward. And as pointed out, standing will result in losing the hand 74% of the time. I believe that memorizing a standard basic strategy table is an easier way to learn than with this presentation. However, it’s a good added learning tool to hammer in basic, which you must be able to play perfectly before advancing to card-counting strategies.

This article was written by Henry Tamburin in association with 888Casino.

PLAYING YOUR HANDS AGAINST A DEALER’S 7 UPCARD

When a dealer shows a 7 upcard, she has about a 26% chance of busting and about a 74% chance of getting to a final hand that totals 17 through 21 (rule dependent). Because of the latter, we have to be more aggressive when we are dealt a stiff hand (hit rather than stand) and less aggressive when we are dealt a two-card soft hand (hit rather than double down).

What follows is the accurate blackjack playing strategy for any hand when the dealer shows a 7 upcard.

Fortunately for blackjack players, the playing strategy against a casino dealer’s 7 upcard is nearly the same for any number of decks of cards or mix of playing rules. There is one exception and you’ll find it below.

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SAVING MONEY AT THE CASINOS IS A GOOD THING

This post is syndicated by the Las Vegas Advisor for the 888 casino group. Anthony Curtis comments on the 888 article introduced and linked to on this page.

AC says:

The theme of this article is losing less. Good theme. Making moves to lose less is the same as comparison shopping for goods, services, and entertainment. In blackjack, the advice is to learn basic strategy and limit your exposure to the house edge by playing at full tables where you’ll play fewer hands. Check and check on that advice (there’s also a bonus bathroom play that makes sense). The advice is similar for craps. There’s an unexplained strategy of the author betting more on himself (and partners). I assume this has to do with the idea of controlled dice rolling. That’s a different subject that won’t be pertinent to the majority of readers of this article, although I do like the suggestion that you roll the dice when given the opportunity (it’s fun). The roulette strategy of sticking to even-money bets doesn’t change the house edge, but reduces the variance while playing, so sessions will tend to last longer.

This article was written by Frank Scoblete in association with 888Casino.

SAVING MONEY AT THE CASINOS IS A GOOD THING

I am a conservative player and I play all the time. Many trips of mine to the glamorous casino cities and counties can last upwards of 130 days. I am very much aware that what I am doing is flirting with Lady Luck and that the casino has structured its games to beat me and every other player now, and then, and usually always.

This fact I must battle as best I can. And I do. All casino players must do this. That is our lot in gaming life.

I look at playing in two ways. One is to save money as best I can by approaching games in such a way as I am not spending as much of my hard-earned cash as the casino would like me to. Second is to play the best strategies the best way that I can. That means I eliminate games that I just can’t really see myself beating in any decent amount of time. In short, the long run is the casinos’ territory.

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