I am probably far more aware of (some might say obsessed with) penalty cards than most players. I’ve written about straight penalties, flush penalties, low straight penalties, low straight kicker penalties, straight flush penalties, and high card penalties, as well as specific card penalties such as a ‘9 penalty.’ There are also some situations where two or three penalties must occur at the same time before the strategy is affected. Continue reading A Royal Flush Penalty
Category: Video Poker
My Life with Ameristar
I recently read an article about the late Craig Neilsen who, although losing the use of his arms and legs due to an automobile accident in 1985, ran Ameristar casinos from its inception until his death in 2005.
Ameristar was good to me as a consultant. I earned more from my consulting with that company than I earned from all the other companies combined. Continue reading My Life with Ameristar
It’s the Wrong Way to Look at It
I recently had a surprising conversation at a local Las Vegas casino. I don’t wish to identify the place any further because they already no-mail a high percentage of their “sensible” players. Besides, it’s not the particular casino that I want to talk about today; it’s a particular player. Continue reading It’s the Wrong Way to Look at It
There’s a Lot of Bad Information Out There
The American Casino Guide is a handy reference book for gamblers. It includes articles, maps of casinos in every state, and lots of coupons. Over the years, some of my articles have been included. On-line, there are also podcast interviews of various gambling experts — again including me as well as many others. The reference material contained in the book changes little from year to year, but the coupons expire annually. If you actually use the coupons, purchasing the book every year is a smart buy and an excellent value. If you don’t use the coupons but you travel to a lot of casinos around the country, buying the book every five years or so makes sense.
Continue reading There’s a Lot of Bad Information Out There
Every Day It’s a Grind
I don’t watch baseball on television very often, but I happened to have a Dodgers-Rays game on in the background not so long ago. I spent the first 46 years of my life in greater Los Angeles and the Dodgers have always been “my team.” There were some great teams when the Dodgers were owned by the O’Malleys, but there have recently been some lean years.
Continue reading Every Day It’s a Grind
Theory or Fact?
Most everyone who has read my writings is, in general, aware of my “system” for playing video poker with an edge. Briefly: Total Return is the sum of the return on the game (discounted by your error rate), plus the slot club, plus the mailers, plus other promotions. If that return is less than 100%, don’t play. If that return is greater than 100%, then you’re playing with the advantage and, over time, good things will happen.
Continue reading Theory or Fact?
Which Classes Should I Teach?
My semi-annual 10-week semester at the South Point will begin on Tuesday, September 10, 2013 at noon in the Showroom and will continue through November 12. I have a number of choices regarding the subject of each class that I teach. This column is a request for feedback should you have any requests or opinions on this matter. Continue reading Which Classes Should I Teach?
It’s the Sum that Matters
A friend of mine, “Henry,” is a reasonably strong video poker player. His game selection is decent, his “play-of-the-hands” skills are better than average, and he only plays when he has an advantage. He likes multi-hand games with a total bet in the $10-15 range — so quarter Ten Play, 50¢ Triple Play or Five Play, or $1 Triple Play are all comfortable for him. He will occasionally break out of that comfort zone for the right promotion. Continue reading It’s the Sum that Matters
Card Pulling at the Revel
The Revel in Atlantic City is offering an outrageous 100% loss rebate. Whatever you lose in slots, video poker, or electronic table games during July is rebated in 20 equal weekly free play installments from early August through mid-December.
Continue reading Card Pulling at the Revel
Comparing Total Rewards with Total Rewards
On a recent broadcast of Gambling with an Edge, our guest (Mark Anduss, www.markslasvegas.markanduss.com) compared Total Rewards, the player’s club of Caesars Entertainment (formerly known as Harrah’s) with MLife, the player’s club of the MGM Mirage family of casinos.
Recently Bonnie and I traveled to Harrah’s Cherokee for three days and then immediately on to Harrah’s New Orleans for three more days. Both casinos belong to the Total Rewards system, but there were LOTS of differences in the way they did things. I want to point out some of these differences.
Continue reading Comparing Total Rewards with Total Rewards