From the mid-1970s to the early 1990s, I played backgammon regularly at the Cavendish West Club in greater Los Angeles. Through much of that period, a man named Bob Wachtel also frequented the club. I got to be a strong intermediate backgammon player. I learned to stay out of the same games that Wachtel played […]
Posts in category Advantage Play
Games I Prefer
Generally, I’m going to play the game that returns the most — including slot club, promotions, and mailer. Sometimes, however, I have a choice between a few different games that return about the same amount. Here is my approximate ranking — your mileage may vary. Hundred Play > Fifty Play > Ten Play > Five […]
If Bob Dancer is Playing . . .
A few years ago, for several days in a row, I was hammering a $5 Five Play 9/6 Double Double Bonus game. This game returns 98.98% and it is very un-Dancer-like to play so much on a game that bad. I received an email from somebody I didn’t know asking me why I was playing […]
Chasing a Progressive
There are hundreds of video poker progressives in greater Las Vegas. As a general rule, I avoid these games. Progressives are not my bread and butter. Still, I occasionally do sit down at a progressive that catches my eye, and recently there was such a case. A $2 9/5 DDB progressive at the South Point […]
A Matter of Perspective
I had a trip to take not related to gambling. There was a casino nearby. I knew that if I gave them some action, I could get a comped room and possibly a meal or two. I figured if they had at least 8/5 Bonus (99.166%), I was money ahead by staying at the casino. […]
Safety Precautions
I usually play by myself and sometimes will eat a meal at the casino. When I do, I always bring along a book to read while dining. Sometimes the book is a novel. Sometimes it is non-fiction – perhaps a book by a future guest on the podcast. But eating by myself without a book […]
Caesars Rewards credit card
I have discussed the Caesars Rewards credit card on the GWAE podcasts before and my opinion has been that there are better credit cards out there. However, I recently received a mailed offer for the card and there are some increased benefits. There is no annual fee and you get 5 points for every dollar […]
A Look at the Blackjack Apprenticeship Boot Cam...
Colin Jones is a former leader of the “Holy Rollers” blackjack team and has founded blackjackapprenticeship.com as a way of helping players learn to play. He’s been a guest on GWAE a number of times. Several times a year, Blackjack Apprenticeship runs a two-day “boot camp” in Las Vegas. This is a $3,000 intensive training […]
It’s All About the Quads
In February, I was playing 25¢ Five Play Multi-Strike 9/6 Jacks or Better at the South Point. This is a 99.79% game, played for 100 coins ($25) at a time. With the normal 0.30% slot club, the knowledgeable player has a small advantage all of the time. In February, however, there were always two casino-wide […]
An “Advantage Play” I Detest
What is an advantage play? While I have never heard a precise definition, generally it is when you use your intelligence, knowledge, or guile to gain an advantage over some other person or group. The term is most often used in discussions about beating a casino. Counting cards at blackjack is a common advantage play. […]
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