We’ve had plenty of questions coming in to the site concerning card counting in blackjack so wanted to address the issue. It is thought that with a little bit of research and practice a common player can improve their game to the point where the game is a break-even situation or else they may get the advantage to their side. The casinos have other plans in mind, and try to curtail this practice at all costs. They think it’s cheating, but it really seems to be a skill that only takes...
Read more about Hi-Lo Card Counting in Blackjack House Edge When Blackjack Pushes Go To House - March 15, 2008Generally, charity blackjack events turn pushes into wins for the casino. Real casinos do not offer such a hard-line rule, because players would never belly up to the table when the odds are so stacked against them. There is an exception: Double Exposure blackjack. Here, as compensation for losing in pushes, all dealer’s cards are dealt face up, However, (there’s always an “however”) because you get to view both of the dealer’s up-cards, the playing rules are adjusted...
Read more about House Edge When Blackjack Pushes Go To House Wheel of Fortune Slot Machines - March 9, 2008If you have ever seen the slot machine Wheel of Fortune at your local casino then you probably know just how popular it is. I have seen players waiting nearly an hour just to get a sit for the chance to take a few pulls and a chance to win grand prizes. Since the game is so popular we figured we would take a look at the payback percentages on these machines, the frequency of payoffs, and how often a bonus spin appears for the play. The game is produced by International Game Technologies and is...
Read more about Wheel of Fortune Slot Machines Tic Tac Toe Chicken Challenge - March 9, 2008Maybe you have heard the rumor of the Tic-Tac-Toe Chicken Challenge that has been played at the Tropicana in Atlantic City and Trump 29 in Palm Springs. Sure enough, this is a real game that you can play at both of these fine establishments, but before you go jumping into the mix you might want to read the rest of this article by Mark Pilarski. Ginger, the chicken extraordinaire is the name that two casinos have given the animal that I know of have used to cook the goose of many intrepids who wanted...
Read more about Tic Tac Toe Chicken Challenge How Do Casinos Make Money - March 9, 2008It seems pretty obvious that casinos make money. I mean how else would they build the fancy hotels and spend so much money luring the player into their pits. There are some of you out there though who look at this and still don’t understand how it is done, so this article focuses on how casinos make their money. Casinos make money on their games because of the mathematics behind the games. The house has a well-calculated advantage on each and every bet wagered. If they didn’t have...
Read more about How Do Casinos Make Money Man Bets Life Saving on One Roulette Spin - March 8, 2008Back in 2006 there was a man who on live television walked into a casino in Las Vegas, and bet his entire life savings. This caught a lot of attention in the news, because it was such a large wager and that it was so odd for someone to risk it all. Mark Pilarski weighs in on his thoughts. The person who did this was Ashley Revell, who put up his entire net worth of $135,300 on red at the roulette table while a British film crew recorded the event. However, it was not live as your question suggests,...
Read more about Man Bets Life Saving on One Roulette Spin What is a String Raise? - March 8, 2008At our newly formed Thursday night poker club, I was informed that I couldn’t call a bet, and then raise. I used these words; “I’ll call your $20, and raise you another $20.” Someone objected and said that I couldn’t do that. I have seen this form of betting many times before, so enlighten me, am I wrong? Jeb S. Where you have seen “I’ll call your twenty, partner, then after a swig of JD, the gambler utters, I’ll raise you another twenty” is most...
Read more about What is a String Raise? Single Deck Blackjack – Common Rules & House Edge - March 8, 2008It seems like single deck blackjack games are becoming more common once again, but the trend in some casinos is to make the payoffs for blackjack 6:5 instead of the customary 3:2. Keep reading to see how this affects the overall dealer advantage. We advice players to play single deck blackjack games because if you play using perfect basic strategy on a single deck game the house edge shrinks to a meager 0.15%. Most casinos used to have single deck 3:2 games. But today, they are rarities, replaced...
Read more about Single Deck Blackjack – Common Rules & House Edge Skill in Throwing Craps Dice - March 8, 2008I was at the casino recently playing craps in a game where a guy threw the number seven about a dozen times without the point ever being made. Of course I was happy to be enjoying his luck until he starting telling us that he had the skill of willing the number seven. Of course, two hours later, he was broke. Now I don’t think there is such a thing as willing the numbers, but it got me wondering if there was any skill involved in throwing dice? The dice though have no idea who is throwing...
Read more about Skill in Throwing Craps Dice How Continuous Shuffling Affects the Odds - March 8, 2008A common question asked is how big of a disadvantage does the blackjack player have who counts cards have against continuous shuffle machines? And a related question of how often do online casinos shuffle their cards? We turned to casino expert Mark Pilarski to allow him to help assist us with these questions and more. Casinos thwart card counters by using different countermeasures. They can use more decks, which decrease the player’s advantage, or they can shuffle prematurely. The downside...
Read more about How Continuous Shuffling Affects the Odds Video Poker Odds Royal Flush - March 8, 2008Doesn’t it seem that every time you are dealt one card short of the royal flush, when you draw you never get the card that you need? It can lead you to believe that the casino controls who and when someone hits the jackpot and takes home the cash. However, casino expert Mark Pilarski is here to deal with this nasty rumor and set you down the right path: I could bore you to tears by trying to explain how the pseudo-random number generator determines the cards you will get, but instead, I’ll...
Read more about Video Poker Odds Royal Flush Splitting Eights in Blackjack - March 8, 2008If you have ever taken a look at a basic strategy card, book on blackjack, or an experts column online then you will always see they recommend splitting eights against a dealer 10. However, many players realize that they are going to end up losing even with two different 8′s going against the dealer 10, so they depart from optimal play and just hit instead of splitting. While this is a hand that hurts most players, you have to realize that the perfect strategy tries to minimize losses at times...
Read more about Splitting Eights in Blackjack Streaks on the Roulette Table - March 7, 2008There are some players out there who are convinced that roulette tables operate on streaks. These players use a strategy that allows them to wager only on numbers that have previously appeared. Mark Pilarski is here today to try and convince you that this is not a good strategy. A streak is nothing more than a backward glimpse at probability and should not be taken into consideration in most, if not all, gaming situations. Roulette wheels do not operate with artificial intelligence nor do they...
Read more about Streaks on the Roulette Table Most Popular Slot Machines in Las Vegas - March 7, 2008What are the most popular slot machines in the casino? This was a question recently poised to casino expert Mark Pilarski, and like normal he has the answer. The bulk of the lucrative slot business has been the exclusive territory of one manufacturer, International Game Technology (IGT). Their bread-and-butter comes from the most popular machine in America: the Red, White and Blue reel slot. And what makes the Red, White and Blue so popular? Player appeal. People flock to the colors that represent...
Read more about Most Popular Slot Machines in Las Vegas Do Casinos Pump Oxygen? - March 7, 2008There is a popular myth out there that the casinos in Las Vegas pump oxygen through the air conditioning system to enrich the air. The theory behind this is that the oxygen keeps you from sleeping as long and therefore you will be more inclined to gamble your money away. However, this is an old urban legend that doesn’t have any real fact behind it. What comes to mind every time I hear this rumor are the three Apollo astronauts who died when a small spark combined with oxygen ignited their...
Read more about Do Casinos Pump Oxygen? Odds on Deal or No Deal - March 6, 2008We frequently get asked if the banker is setting the true odds on Deal or No Deal or is this game show still showing a game show edge? It isn’t normally giving players the average, but then again there are other factors involved. Mark Pilarski gives his thoughts on the game. If you haven’t seen Deal or No Deal then this is how it works. The participant selects a brief case containing anywhere from 1 cent to 1 million dollars, and there are 26 cases to choose from. Then, all non-selected...
Read more about Odds on Deal or No Deal No Call Bets - March 6, 2008There may have been a time at the craps table when you heard the dealer call out no call bets. Here is a typical kind of situation. You have been playing for an extended session when you run out of chips with the exception of a lone $5 chip in hand, and whatever you had on the the Pass line and its odds. You toss your $5 chip on the table and yell out to place the 6 for $25, then reach for your wallet for the additional money when the dealer yells back “No Call Bets” and shoves...
Read more about No Call Bets How Random Number Generators Work on Slot Machines - March 5, 2008We’ve all seen it happen if we have spent enough time in the casino. You go through your roll of quarters on a cold machines and then make your move hoping that your luck will change. Then some other patron steps up to the machine that you just left and starts pumping quarters in, only to hit a $10,000 jackpot in the first minute, leaving them incredibly happy and you scratching your head on how you could have been such an idiot to leave that machine. However, don’t let this fool you. A...
Read more about How Random Number Generators Work on Slot Machines Near Miss Slot Jackpots - March 5, 2008It seems like a common occurence for casino patrons is to line up two of the highest jackpot winning symbols but not the third. Sometimes that symbol appers on the screen but on a different line, tantalizingly close to giving you your big payday. These near miss slot jackpots can be heartbreaking to the player, but it’s almost a tease when you get so close and then you just want to keep pumping in coins. There are players out there who think this is a big trick put on by the casino to induce...
Read more about Near Miss Slot Jackpots Multi Play Video Poker - March 5, 2008This week’s article from Mark Pilarski looks to clear up some confusion on Multi Play Video Poker. Dear Mark, I’m hoping you can clear up a question that’s been bothering me for long time. I’ve noticed quite frequently on 50 and 100-play video poker machines that when I get dealt two pair, I very rarely see any full houses. It’s almost as if the machines are rigged against me! It seems like the 50 and 100-play have different programming or something. A video poker...
Read more about Multi Play Video Poker Single Player Blackjack Versus Multiple Players - March 4, 2008There are some of you out there that think it is easier to beat single player blackjack than when there are additional players at the table. Casino gambling expert Mark Pilarski takes a look at this question and gives his response below. The number of players on a game makes a duck’s egg difference in terms of the game being beatable. The house edge remains the same if there are one, two, three, or even five players on the table. However, because the speed of play slows with multiple players,...
Read more about Single Player Blackjack Versus Multiple Players
