This particular incident and conversation with a floor person happened at local casino in Las Vegas. I’m not going to identify the casino because I don’t know if what was told to me represents casino policy. Continue reading Changing of the House Rules
Category: Video Poker
Five Hundred Dollars isn’t the same as Five Hundred Dollars
When Shirley and I finished a cruise recently, we scheduled separate flights back home from Orlando because she was planning on visiting a girlfriend there for a few days. Those plans got cancelled for some reason and Shirley was able to get on a flight a couple of hours after mine. Continue reading Five Hundred Dollars isn’t the same as Five Hundred Dollars
Paying for Drawing Entries
Listeners to Gambling with an Edge may remember a guest named Sammy Katz, who is an advantage video poker from the Midwest. I got an interesting email from him, reading in part: “A local casino I play at in the Midwest is doing their drawing promotions in a new way. You earn 1 entry for every 250 points earned ($4=1 point). However, at certain times, you can BUY entries for all of the drawings that month at a rate of 100 points per entry (including points you have saved up). 200 points are worth $1 in free slot play otherwise. Is this somewhat common now for drawings? I am tempted to figure out whether it would be worth it for me to buy additional entries, but philosophically I am opposed to it, as if everyone did it, it would just be an arms race that only benefited the casino. It seems unfair that the casino is letting one person sell their points for something that costs the casino nothing, but essentially gets its value from devaluating my entries. Any thoughts on what you would do?” Continue reading Paying for Drawing Entries
Two Advantage Plays on Norwegian Cruise Lines — And an end of a play
Shirley and I just returned from a week-long Caribbean cruise on the Norwegian Sun. The cruise was “free” from the Palms, meaning that we “only” had to pay $521 in port fees and taxes — per person. We’ve taken a large number of cruises to many destinations, and this particular one was the only one that came up on NCL when we Googled “2011 Square Dance Cruise.” It’s a minority priority, to be sure, but it’s ours. Continue reading Two Advantage Plays on Norwegian Cruise Lines — And an end of a play
Time-Stamping Your Money
Assume you have more than $500 in your wallet. If it’s not true when you’re reading this, it has been true sometime before and you can do a “thought experiment” rather than a physical one. Reach into your wallet and pull out a $100 bill. Can you tell me when and where you got that particular bill? In most cases, the answer will be “no.” Yes we can imagine a scenario where one of the bills we got from the South Point had a ripped corner, and it just so happens that that was the bill you pulled out so you know where you got it, but that’s a pretty rare case. Continue reading Time-Stamping Your Money
Going to MIT
A few weeks ago on the Gambling with an Edge radio show, poker writer Ed Miller was asked by Munchkin how difficult it would be today for somebody just starting to learn the skills of winning poker. Miller replied that it wouldn’t be that difficult. Continue reading Going to MIT
A Look at How to Read Hands at No-Limit Hold’Em by Ed Miller
Players ask me all the time what I think the beatability of video poker will be five years from now. In truth, I just don’t know. There’s at least a possibility that I’ll need to look beyond video poker to keep my time and my mind occupied. Continue reading A Look at How to Read Hands at No-Limit Hold’Em by Ed Miller
What I Liked at the Gaming Show
Last week the Global Gaming Expo (G2E) was held in Las Vegas. This is the largest gaming show in the world and every year it is held in the fall somewhere in Las Vegas. Usually it has been held in the Las Vegas Convention Center, but this year it was held at the Sands Expo. Continue reading What I Liked at the Gaming Show
Good Judgment Affected by Losing Streak
Sam’s Town offered a nice low-roller promotion in September that they are extending through October. On Sundays, earning 1,750 points entitles you to $20 in Rebel gas cards. This is a 1.1% add-on to whatever multiplier you are normally entitled to if you play less-than-100% games. It’s a 0.55% add-on if you play their 100% games. One nice plus is that Sunday is one of the days when you can pick up free play — should you be entitled to it for past play. You can play lesser amounts to earn lesser amounts of gas cards, but why would you? Once you’re there, this is a good promotion worth playing to the max. Continue reading Good Judgment Affected by Losing Streak
A Look at Busting Vega$ by Ben Mezrich
In Munchkin’s and my September 1, 2011 Gambling with an Edge radio shows, guest Andy Bloch (poker player and former MIT Blackjack Team member) mentioned that he was involved in the Monte Carlo arrest described in Ben Mezrich’s book, Busting Vega$. Bloch claimed some of the details in the book were different than what actually happened. Continue reading A Look at Busting Vega$ by Ben Mezrich