I remember where I was on 9/11 (or 20010911, as a programmer would write it)—I had pulled an all-nighter playing and scouting Vegas, and I was just settling into my cozy bed at the Budget Inn downtown, across from the Greyhound bus station. On the TV I saw the live footage of the smoking World Trade Center buildings, before the second tower was hit. In my hometown, Continue reading How We Do It: Going through an Airport
Good Thing the Machine Malfunctioned and Should You Make a Fuss?
Author’s note: I am posting two articles today, September 9, and none next week. This article tells of a September South Point promotion that is good for the player community and will expire September 30. Therefore I didn’t want to delay it another week.
Continue reading Good Thing the Machine Malfunctioned and Should You Make a Fuss?
Blackjacknesia
My old BP “Santi” made a comment about one of our fabulous comeback wins, a quality game where we were down to the felt—no chips, no cash, no time. Well, almost. We had a little cash, a little time, and a big edge. It really was a phenomenal comeback, a fun time, and a happy memory, except for one thing. I don’t really remember it. Continue reading Blackjacknesia
Negative Variance, Juicy Count Games, and Ishniae (sp?)
In a previous post, I criticized the loser’s mentality of counters. The belief that hardening oneself to pain is a necessary and advisable part of the AP career is counterproductive. Many counters spend ridiculous amounts of time and emotional energy trying to answer the question, “How unlucky was I?” Instead of calculating how many standard deviations “below EV” you were, why not spend your time and effort trying to raise your edge? This message was lost or not well received by the counters reading my blog. Continue reading Negative Variance, Juicy Count Games, and Ishniae (sp?)
First Things First
This article was first published in 2005. The specific game I was playing is no longer found at this particular casino — and now I’m married to Bonnie rather than Shirley. But the point the article makes is still a good one to remember.
I was playing NSU Deuces Wild one evening recently at the Palms. Depending on the specific promotion, I frequently play on multi denomination ($1, $2, $5) Triple Play / Five Play machines that have several choices of games to play. I hear a female voice to my right querying, “Why does everyone play Deuces Wild on these machines?” Continue reading First Things First
A No Brainer — Or So I Thought
This past Saturday, August 23, the Palms casino in Las Vegas hosted a $50,000 slot tournament. This was a tournament where, so far as I know, extremely limited skill was required. As long as you were hitting the button whenever the reels were stopped, you were going to get the maximum score that your particular machine would allow for that session. Whether it was a little or a lot was dependent on the luck of the draw. Continue reading A No Brainer — Or So I Thought
Contemplating Foxwoods, Part 2 of 2
Check out Part 1 of this story here. I’ll wait until you come back.
I asked John to provide me with a number of things before I flew to Foxwoods, including:
a. A photograph of the pay schedule and denomination. A one digit mistake in how much a flush pays, for example, can change whether the game is playable or not. Continue reading Contemplating Foxwoods, Part 2 of 2
Contemplating Foxwoods, Part 1 of 2
I received an email from somebody, “John,” who wanted to know if I was willing to pay a finder’s fee for information about a $5 video poker game on the East coast that had so far slipped under everyone’s radar. He thought the game was worth more than $200 per hour. I know John and I trust John–which is a very good start.
Before we went through the “How much do you want?” “How much are you willing to pay?” two-step, I needed to know some information, including: Continue reading Contemplating Foxwoods, Part 1 of 2
Thinking Like a Casino Manager
Winning video poker players DO NOT think the same as casino managers. While there is no one “right way” to think, it’s wise to remember that casino managers often are the ones who make the rules. Sometimes players need to shift their thinking cap in order to understand those rules. Continue reading Thinking Like a Casino Manager
Lessons Learned as a Programmer
Author’s note: A somewhat similar version of this article appeared in 2005. The argument remains valid.
During the 1980s, I worked in the computer departments of three different corporations. As I explained in my autobiography, Million Dollar Video Poker, I needed to go to work as a computer programmer because I was not sufficiently successful at my profession of choice, namely being a professional backgammon player.
The language I programmed in was COBOL–this was way before personal computers were common. I haven’t had anything to do with programming since the early 1990s and do not claim any current proficiency. Continue reading Lessons Learned as a Programmer