Category: Casino Games

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THE INNER WORKINGS OF YOUR FAVORITE SLOT MACHINE

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:

Are you looking for some tips for beating the slots? You won’t find any here, and that’s a good thing, as winning slot-play strategies mostly don’t exist. However, this is a good micro-chronology of how slot machine technology has advanced through the years. Author Michael Kaplan points out that, like most things in gambling, the original concept remains the underlying component of today’s slots, even as the software and physical presentations become many times more sophisticated. The discussion of the random number generator (RNG) hammers home the fact that slots, in general, are not beatable over time, but serve up intermittent swings of good fortune, which keep the slot players coming back.

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

THE INNER WORKINGS OF YOUR FAVORITE SLOT MACHINE

Walk through a brick-and-mortar casino or log on to 888casino and the slot machines are impossible to miss. Chinese themed Zodiac Lantern Rabbit, the enticing Cash Eruption and jewel-centric Sapphire Spin are all amazingly alluring. They’re the games you want to play for quick spurts of gambling satisfaction and potential cash payouts.

But what is inside these flashy sirens of the gambling world and how do they work?

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GOING A DIFFERENT DIRECTION: CRAPS ON THE DARKSIDE

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 Frank Scoblete in association with 888Casino.

A.C. says:

In craps there’s a do side and a don’t side for betting, designated on the layout as pass/come and don’t pass/don’t come. Despite the fact that the don’t pass bet has a casino edge of 1.36% compared to the pass line’s 1.41%, players overwhelmingly bet pass, because of the social aspects of the game. Accordingly, many describe betting the don’t pass as playing the “dark side.” The reality is, don’t bettors do not affect the results in any way, but since they’re opposite the bets of the majority of players, they’re sometimes viewed as the enemy. In this article, long time crap player Frank Scoblete offers advice for playing the don’t without ruffling too many feathers, along with some general rules of etiquette to follow while playing craps.

GOING A DIFFERENT DIRECTION: CRAPS ON THE DARKSIDE

I have written so many articles and books on craps that I have decided to start this article by looking at the often deliberately-overlooked area of the game. Many gambling writers shy away from the darkside because it is uncomfortable to write about and thus they give short shrift to it and its devoted but usually quiet players.

That’s right. I am going to lead some of you, maybe many of you, into the darkest corner of the most exciting game in the casino…

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Porter pity party; Control Board awakes

It was only a matter of time. Sooner or later, some guilt-ridden white liberal would pen a think piece declaring the real victim of the Jontay Porter scandal to be … Jontay Porter. Never mind the defrauded sports bettors, the Toronto Raptors fans and general NBA fans who all had a reasonable expectation of seeing basketball games played on the square. No, it’s this game-tanking weasel who merits our pity, according to Chris Dell, of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Dell wrings his hands over Porter being a “casualty” of the marriage between major-league sports and sports betting itself.

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WRONG BETTING: A CRAPS PLAYER’S  GUIDE TO THE ‘DARK SIDE’

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 focus of this article is betting the don’t side in craps, but the coverage also explains how the pass side works. The main takeaway is that betting the don’t side, even though most crap players bet the other way with the shooter, is usually the way to play with the lowest house edge. The chart clearly makes that point and is a good reference for finding the house edges on those bets. The article doesn’t cover prop bets, which have much higher house edges. Note that there are a couple of editing mistakes. In the fourth paragraph under “Don’t Pass,” it should state that pass bettors lose if the comeout roll is a 12. And in the third paragraph under “Don’t Place or Lay Bets,” the sentence should be completed with … $20 to win $10 against 4 or 10.

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

WRONG BETTING: A CRAPS PLAYER’S  GUIDE TO THE ‘DARK SIDE’

For many players, the prospect of winning together is part of the fun in playing craps and most players bet with the shooter. But some players simply want the best odds for their money and in craps, that comes with betting opposite the shooter.

Wager including don’t pass, don’t come, lay bets, and don’t place bets are collectively known as the “Dark Side,” and those who make them sometimes are called “wrong” bettors as opposed to “right” bettors who bet with the shooter.

If anything, playing the Dark Side is easier for online casino players than for those who play craps at live casinos. Online craps players don’t have to endure taunts or glares from those betting the other way.

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CELEBRITY GAMBLERS: HITTING THE CASINOS WHILE OFF SCREEN

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:

This is a light read discussing the gambling proclivities of five celebrities. We’ve written about all five in the Las Vegas Advisor and these portraits ring true. The word is that Ben Affleck is a good blackjack and poker player, though his described blackjack betting style could use some subtlety. The “syndicate” Ashton Kutcher refers to is most likely the Billy Walters group; Kutcher’s involvement (using aliases) is chronicled in the book The Smart Money. Barkley is pretty much considered a hot mess when it comes to his casino escapades, but he’s always been up-front about it. Floyd Mayweather, Jr. likes to Tweet out his winning tickets, but you never see the losers. Tiger Woods has been labeled as a somewhat notoriously bad tipper. With regard to Affleck’s over-tipping, we wrote the following in 2003: “The gossip rags love it, but the pairing of actors Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez hasn’t been well-received by Las Vegas dealers. It seems that Lopez, who is commonly referred to as ‘J.Lo,’ has put the clamps on Affleck’s legendary toking largesse. Ms. Lopez is now referred to in the dealing community as ‘Pay-Lo.’”

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

CELEBRITY GAMBLERS: HITTING THE CASINOS WHILE OFF SCREEN

Gambling is a great leveler. Whether rich or poor, famous or anonymous, we all like to have a little something riding on the turn of a card or the outcome of a sporting event. In that regard, celebrities are just like the rest of us – albeit, to a degree. They like to gamble, they deal with ups and downs, they do everything in their power to win. 

That said, things get different when you factor in sums on the line and notoriety attached to their wins or losses. Wagers are eye widening and reports of money on the line make headlines. Here then are some of the world’s most famous people who like to gamble big, what they play and how they handle outcomes.

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Bobby Vegas: How Stacking Works

Bobby Vegas: Friends Don’t Let Friends Play Triple-Zero Roulette

Stacking is a concept born from mad coupon grocery shoppers who scour multiple offers to get free food. You’ve probably heard of folks getting grocery carts full of food for pennies. We use that concept to maximize the value on standing casino offers and coupons. Combining them in order is the key and every one of these techniques lowers or eliminates the house edge.

Here are some examples using signup promotions and the MRB free play, matchplay, and food coupons (Plaza, The D, Golden Gate, Downtown Grand, El Cortez, Ellis Island, etc.).

Take the free play first. Run a $10 coupon, for instance, once through a good video poker machine, ending up, hopefully, with $9.50 or so. Use that money to pay some or all of a matchplay coupon. A second option is to use it for a 2-for-1 or 50%-off food offer.

Example: The D always gives me some free play and food comps. I like their low-key Circa book upstairs by Bar Canada and the Circa outlet next to Rainbow in Henderson, where I play, a lot. The comp minimum can be as low as $5 or $10, or higher depending on play. Use the free play and MRB free play to pay for the $25 or $50 matchplay.

(Also the “Southwest Show Your Ticket” and the “ Mention Mike” for additional matchplays. The D, Golden Gate, and Circa also give you non-expiring chips. Others, like Downtown Grand and Plaza, give you a 24-hour matchplays.)

When you have a series of, say, three chips, play them one after the other. Craps pass line is the best bet. You’re making a 50/50 bet with a 2-for-1 payoff. Bet $50 to win $100 and your bet back. It doesn’t get much better than that — playing on their dime, their time.

Then, depending on how hungry you are, try the pizza at the Plaza, shrimp cocktail at Fremont, burgers at Binion’s, or a Coney dog at the D (or meals at Four Queens’ Magnolia, Siegels 1941 at El Cortez, Freedom Beat at the Grand, or many others.)

I use my comp and money from free play or matchplays and my food MRBs … on the house!

Here’s na old example of extreme stacking. Ellis Island had a placemat offer for $10 in food or free play for a sign up and $10 for you if you brought someone in. I brought in a dozen or so people over time. Then I played 9/6 JOB, cashed out, and had their killer steak dinner for $8.

But wait! I used the MRB coupon for 50% off and on points. I called it “Free Steaks Forever.”

Info found at VPfree2 lists every casino’s player club points calculations and the best video poker.

Thank me later or buy a Bobby Vegas T-shirt. One says, “So many casinos, so little time.”

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BIG DEBUT: A LOOK AT NEW SLOTS FOR 2024

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:

            In this article, John Grochowski takes a look at four new slots and one video poker game he saw (and liked) during the G2E industry conference in November, including one of the NFL-branded games that everyone’s been clamoring about. The article was written fresh off the conference, so these games are just now making their way to casino floors. The descriptions provide insight into the experience that each game offers and give prospective players a head start on understanding what they’re rooting for while playing (the learning curve on the more complicated slots can be steep). In one description, Grochowski touches on the manufacturers’ tactic of using “persistence bonuses” to stimulate increased play. It’s a cursory discussion, but it shines some light on the psychology of slot machine design. Also of interest is the video poker variant that incorporates free-game bonuses, a staple of the new slot games, but that I haven’t seen before in video poker.

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

BIG DEBUT: A LOOK AT NEW SLOTS FOR 2024

Every autumn, game manufacturers and other casino suppliers show off their wares at the Global Gaming Expo in Las Vegas.

Included are hundreds of slot machines and other electronic games that will vie for space on casino floors in the coming years. You’ll see the new slots first in live casinos, still a larger market than online casinos in the United States. But many will be adapted as online slots, so keep your eyes open a little down the road.

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Bobby Vegas: What to do while waiting for your MRB

Bobby Vegas: What to do while waiting for your MRB

If you’re an LVA MRB coupon-crazed scuffler like me, you’re probably chomping at the bit waiting for this year’s coupon book, which will be available in a couple of weeks.

Most of us don’t have a problem with the delay early in the year. Myself, I was in Vegas in December (and gave away my unused coupons to a bartender at Downtown Grand). I won’t return until the Super Bowl in February.

But what about those of you coming between now and when the books arrive? Hang on, Uncle Bobby’s gonna give you some ideas to keep you scuffling, munching high or low, whatever your taste.

First up are the good folks at American Casino Guide, who’ve gotten their 2024 online coupons out, so you can snag them right now. They’re a great complement (did someone say “stacking”?) to the MRB and my fave is the Downtown Grand matchplay!

Here’s the ACG link.

ACG has 14 Vegas coupons, including a 2-for-1 burger at Binion’s, 2-for-1 entree at Four Queens’ Magnolia (I get two entrees and take the second for a snack), and a discount at the Mob Museum. (See if you can find the Speakeasy bar. Easey peasy.)

Also big money! Use Jean Scott’s Southwest boarding-pass matchplay strategy at
Golden Gate and the D. “Mention Mike” at Circa for another. They’ll give you either a $50 coupon or two $25 matchplay chips.

At El Cortez, you can also get a matchplay; it’s less money, but you get some slot free play and a free drink.

That’s five totaling over $200 with an EV of over $100. Nice!

Heck, there are so many sign-up opportunities on Fremont. Vegas virgins can do those now and when the MRB comes out and you’re coming back in town (you are coming back to Vegas more than once this year, right?) you can do them too.

Then there’s the Plaza’s slot tournaments every Wed., Thur., and Fri. and the Downtown Grand’s Thur. VP and BJ tournaments. So many casinos, so little time.

Still looking for something to do? Wander over to the Arts District downtown and all the cool antique, clothes, and knickknack shops, brewpubs, and even the Gamblers Book Store. Or head past El Cortez to some cool bars like Container Park, Atomic Liquor, and the Pirate bar.

There’s even a great vinyl shop down Fremont. Yes, vinyl is cool again. Are you?

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VIDEO POKER: HOW THE CASINO GETS THE EDGE OVER PLAYERS

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: How does the casino get its edge in video poker? Pretty much the same way it does in most other games: It pays winning hands at less than true odds. That fact is discussed here, along with a rundown of other methods of creating a casino edge, e.g., taking a rake or commission. The discussion of why casinos sometimes offer games with 100%+ theoretical returns is on the mark and begs the question, why don’t more do it?

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IS PROFESSIONAL VIDEO POKER PLAY REALISTIC?

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: Is it possible to play video poker professionally today? Good subject, and the article’s writer presents an honest evaluation. The message is, you won’t be able to do it, especially at low stakes, if all you’re doing is playing the best schedules—the dollar-per-hour return simply isn’t high enough. And when you move up in stakes, you risk the fluctuations that can take you out of the game. As suggested, playing avocationally is very possible and can be worth doing. Essentially, it means having a hobby that makes money, The article touches on playing progressives to get an edge, but doesn’t identify one of the most potent profi-makers, which is playing video poker promotions. An excellent description of this can be found in Million Dollar Video Poker by Bob Dancer. Las Vegas Advisor members can stay up on promotions as they come and go in our “Changes as They Happen” blog

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