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Recent Articles
Best of Mark Pilarski
- Deal Me In: What in the world is going on with craps tables in California?
- Deal Me In: Just a token of your appreciation
- Deal Me In: Gamblers are shunning tightfisted slots
- Deal Me In: Where's my refill?
- Deal Me In: Is there such a thing as a controlled shooter in craps?
- Deal Me In: Using this lotto write-off ruse is ill advised
- Deal Me In: I'll be back
- Deal Me In: Your chances of busting are not as great as you think
- Deal Me In: Gimmick bets are part of the game
- Deal Me In: It's possible, but improbable, to hit the big kahuna
- Deal Me In: Player questions if he is a freak of nature
- Deal Me In: A decent game, for those running the casino
- Deal Me In: Does the Golden Arm exist?
- Deal Me In: Scores of one-button bandits seldom pay out super-sized jackpots
- Deal Me In: Reader's take, well taken
- Deal Me In: Murky waters when gambling at sea
- Deal Me In: We're all just grinding it out
- Deal Me In: If it weren't for suckers, there wouldn't be any good bets
- Deal Me In: The illusion of skill
- Deal Me In: Yo Levine the Dancing Queen
- Deal Me In: A freebie can be had just by asking
- Deal Me In: Husband penalized for canny play
- Deal Me In: Who watches them? Them being the casino
- Deal Me In: Plan on a long dry spell between top-line jackpots
- Deal Me In: Is Chuck-a-luck worth chucking?
- Deal Me In: Is Free Bet Blackjack really a freebie?
- Deal Me In: Patience is needed for volatile bonus video poker machines
- Deal Me In: Never shortchange yourself with this betting opportunity
- Deal Me In: What's in your wallet?
- Deal Me In: Did this player deserve to be tossed from the casino?
- Deal Me In: The choice between losing or losing really fast
- Deal Me In: Simple rule change squashes chances of winning
- Deal Me In: Whoever said you had to have fun?
- Deal Me In: Never and always are princes among slippery terms
- Deal Me In: Reading your way to riches
- Deal Me In: Round and round she goes
- Deal Me In: Beware of Greeks bearing gifts
- Deal Me In: Live keno vs. video keno
- Deal Me In: Pirates of the Caribbean
- Deal Me In: Number of decks versus number of players
- Deal Me In: The sticky thing about your gambling timeline
- Deal Me In: A little deeper into the comps topic
- Deal Me In: Jackpot denied
- Deal Me In: A certain craps loss
- Deal Me In: The courteous sidestep demonstrated and explained
- Deal Me In: Do not believe in scheming RNGs
- Deal Me In: Trading aces
- Deal Me In: Distrust any shuffling machine that smiles at you
- Deal Me In: Some profitable pre-yank reading
- Deal Me In: Hot news on roulette voodoo
- Deal Me In: Your state lottery has better odds
- Deal Me In: '...And how about a smile, while you're at it?'
- Deal Me In: Faced with two bad choices, take the better of the two
- Deal Me In: Hope springs eternal
- Deal Me In: The oddities of odds
- Deal Me In: Getting more decisions per hour isn't necessarily a good thing
- Deal Me In: You heard it right: Split 'em!
- Deal Me In: Many players believe the aisle-slot scuttlebutt
- Deal Me In: High hit frequency doesn't necessarily mean higher payback
- Deal Me In: Clanking of coins silenced
- Deal Me In: One annoying feature of randomness
- Deal Me In: The mathematics of breaking even
- Deal Me In: A sort-of answer to a sort-of query
- Deal Me In: But look at all the snow they got
- Deal Me In: Share and share alike
- Deal Me In: A New Year's brush-up on some fine points
- Deal Me In: This buy is no bargain
- Deal Me In: Spooks of the green felt
- Deal Me In: Glitches happen
- Deal Me In: On the up-and-up
- Deal Me In: The only game in town
- Deal Me In: Think outside the bun
- Deal Me In: R stands for right, rong or ravishing
- Deal Me In: That skinny path on the up-and-up
- Deal Me In: When less is more, more or less
- Deal Me In: Putting a pal in the sand trap
- Deal Me In: So, to shield her from embarrassment, I took the money
- Deal Me In: Getting, and betting, sloshed
- Deal Me In: When they say, "No thinking allowed," just smile
- Deal Me In: Over 21 in dog years doesn't count
- Deal Me In: The price of your free lunch
- Deal Me In: Three speeds – three different results
- Deal Me In: The Standing Committee is called to order
- Deal Me In: A better deal? Well, not really
- Deal Me In: Does back-and-forth chip exchange happen?
- Deal Me In: Sound of silence
- Deal Me In: The gentle art of tipping
- Deal Me In: Come one, come all
- Deal Me In: In unison, yell "Monkey Monkey"
- Deal Me In: Slot personnel will be your happy guide
- Deal Me In: Payment in installments or lump sum?
- Deal Me In: A flush at the outhouse
- Deal Me In: Fellow asked me once if I recommended winning
- Deal Me In: Can anything honestly be that elusive?
- Deal Me In: I'd gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today
- Deal Me In: That's what drove Aunt Matilda to cribbage with cocoa
- Deal Me In: Pennies from heaven line the casino's pocketbook
- Deal Me In: Players can get paid to play
- Deal Me In: A heap of small advantages has its value
- Deal Me In: Sister Cyrilla to the rescue
- Deal Me In: Winner winner
- Deal Me In: Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain
- Deal Me In: Point chasing not permitted
- Deal Me In: Bonus games and bonus multipliers
- Deal Me In: A negative-expectation game like craps can't be beat
- Deal Me In: And Faith says to Logic, "I'll jus' whup yo' butt, sonny."
- Deal Me In: Ah, sweet surrender
- Deal Me In: Maybe once in 800 hours of swift play, maybe not
- Deal Me In: Be one of the very few — use expert play
- Deal Me In: Naval names for table games
- Deal Me In: Hone strategy to a razor's edge
- Deal Me In: Cinco dos, adios
- Deal Me In: Should you split 10s in blackjack?
- Deal Me In: Course of action can differ between casinos
- Deal Me In: Start off 2010 by making smart bets exclusively
- Deal Me In: Power outage shouldn't cause concern
- Deal Me In: Warranty service with a smile
- Deal Me In: Thomas D. 1 — Mark P. 0
- Deal Me In: Reader eyewear required
- Deal Me In: Those thinking machines have still not arrived
- Deal Me In: Where she drops, nobody should know
- Deal Me In: Michigan gamblers out of luck on info
- Deal Me In: Toke tapping tenets for tipsters
- Deal Me In: Some dealers have strategy know-how, others don't
- Deal Me In: Feed the right machine the right strategy
- Deal Me In: Slots just don't work like that
- Deal Me In: The quicksand known as Gambler's Fallacy
- Deal Me In: Multi-line/multi-coin slots welcome all wallets
- Deal Me In: The Good Samaritan
- Deal Me In: Slot players butter casino's bread
- Deal Me In: The RNG neither frowns nor smiles
- Deal Me In: This cultist can't offer reader counsel
- Deal Me In: Two inquiries for the price of one
- Deal Me In: Those nickel machines just won't pay back in quarters
- Deal Me In: But it looks like a slot, quacks like a slot
- Deal Me In: Yes, the casino wants an occasional winner
- Deal Me In: Doubling up on bets and hopes
- Deal Me In: When not to be on the phone
- Deal Me In: Nominate your candidate for the 10 best bets in the casino
- Deal Me In: CASINO AHEAD. Reduced speed zone. All penalties doubled.
- Deal Me In: Just whose ace is it anyway?
- Deal Me In: Spread your action around
- Deal Me In: The Great Whamerooney, but it still slices like baloney?
- Deal Me In: Natural odds, take your bow
- Deal Me In: Those gimmick wagers ride the range again
- Deal Me In: 21 Madness
- Deal Me In: Alert player sounds the alarm
- Deal Me In: Fire and ice
- Deal Me In: How sweet they are, those 20 minutes of sanity
- Deal Me In: Tutorial on casino management
- Deal Me In: Casinos try to keep it cloak-and-dagger
- Deal Me In: Pick the odds against you: 5.26% or 2.7%
- While cards flit hither and yon, the dots on dice stay put
- Honest answer, yes, but here's the explanation why
- Deal Me In: Any time is the right or wrong time to play
- Deal Me In: Rigging your payday?
- Deal Me In: Happenstance or cheating?
- Deal Me In: While all liars figure, some figures can lie
- Deal Me In: Player's recall might be slightly off
- Deal Me In: Finders Keepers?
- Deal Me In: Munchin' on casino freebies
- Deal Me In: Smaller bankroll needed for video poker
- Deal Me In: A little bar stool trivia on cards
- Deal Me In: Will a roll of quarters 4.5 yards long last the weekend?
- Deal Me In: When in doubt, let the house set your hand
- Deal Me In: Progressives are in no way a "Cluck-for-the-Buck" deal
- Video poker is more skill than luck
- The language of craps
- Is counting worth the hassle?
- Dealers call these players ...
- Bankroll to bankrupt in three minutes
- Pumping Oxygen into a casino is NOT a trick of the trade
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Gaming Guru
Deal Me In: Stretch your strategy until it whimpers
26 October 2012
By Mark Pilarski
Dear Mark: Where I play, all the table games on the weekend have minimum table limits of $10-$25 a hand, which is far too expensive for my $50-$100 bankroll. I have actually lost my entire bankroll in less than 20 minutes. What is your recommendation for a game that will at least give me some staying power? Jay M.
For starters, Jay, let's change up the game you're playing: Lower your bet size, but maintain making bets that have a casino advantage of less than 2 percent. Sticking to this strategy will keep you in action longer and temper the flow of your hard-earned money into the house's catch-basin.
Since where and when you play have such high table limits, allow me to lead you to the video poker trough. It does involve some skill of identifying pay tables, plus, you will need to use your noggin to play the game smart.
When playing perfect basic strategy on a machine with a decent pay schedule, you can reduce the house advantage to well under 1 percent. Look for a 9/6 (nine for the full house, six for a flush) non-progressive machine or an 8/5-er (same as above) with a progressive meter attached that reads at least, $2,200 on a quarter and $8,800 on a dollar machine.
Both the quarter and dollar machines will give you a decent long-term payback, but if you want to play for an extended period of time, like hours on end, a drop in the denomination to a quarter machine with give you some serious staying power. Hit a royal, and your payday will be considerably more than what you'd be making while trying to slug it out on a blackjack table at $10 a whack.
Dear Mark: Does losing a hand to a lousy play from a fellow player alter the cards on the following hands? Alex B.
Your question, Alex, highlights one of many popular myths when it comes to playing blackjack, that poor play from one hand influences future cards.
The remaining cards in any deck(s) do not recognize the play of previous hands. The next hand remains an independent event, and your chances of winning or losing are the same whether you, or a fellow player, won, lost, or even misplayed, the preceding 5, 10 or 15 hands.
Dear Mark: Does picking numbers at video keno involve luck, patterns, or is it based on previous numbers that have or have not been drawn? I usually play nine spots and have yet to hit my numbers solid. Fred G.
Picking numbers at video keno, Fred, is based strictly on luck. The numbers are chosen at random with each draw being an independent event, so playing past numbers, patterns or numbers you feel are "due" does not work. Video keno uses microprocessor technology and randomized sequencing. On a properly functioning video keno machine, no specific number or combination of numbers is any more likely to appear than any other number or combination of numbers.
The upshot here, Fred, is that video keno is a negative-expectation game with a hefty house edge. Additionally, the odds of hitting a nine of nine ticket are one in 1,380,687.
Based on the astronomical odds of hitting your ticket solid, a friendly suggestion would be to switch to a game like video poker, which has a far, far lower house edge.
Gambling Wisdom of the Week: "Luck: when your burst of energy doesn't run afoul of someone else's." — Mignon McLaughlin, The Second Neurotic's Notebook, 1966
Recent Articles
Best of Mark Pilarski
- Deal Me In: What in the world is going on with craps tables in California?
- Deal Me In: Just a token of your appreciation
- Deal Me In: Gamblers are shunning tightfisted slots
- Deal Me In: Where's my refill?
- Deal Me In: Is there such a thing as a controlled shooter in craps?
- Deal Me In: Using this lotto write-off ruse is ill advised
- Deal Me In: I'll be back
- Deal Me In: Your chances of busting are not as great as you think
- Deal Me In: Gimmick bets are part of the game
- Deal Me In: It's possible, but improbable, to hit the big kahuna
- Deal Me In: Player questions if he is a freak of nature
- Deal Me In: A decent game, for those running the casino
- Deal Me In: Does the Golden Arm exist?
- Deal Me In: Scores of one-button bandits seldom pay out super-sized jackpots
- Deal Me In: Reader's take, well taken
- Deal Me In: Murky waters when gambling at sea
- Deal Me In: We're all just grinding it out
- Deal Me In: If it weren't for suckers, there wouldn't be any good bets
- Deal Me In: The illusion of skill
- Deal Me In: Yo Levine the Dancing Queen
- Deal Me In: A freebie can be had just by asking
- Deal Me In: Husband penalized for canny play
- Deal Me In: Who watches them? Them being the casino
- Deal Me In: Plan on a long dry spell between top-line jackpots
- Deal Me In: Is Chuck-a-luck worth chucking?
- Deal Me In: Is Free Bet Blackjack really a freebie?
- Deal Me In: Patience is needed for volatile bonus video poker machines
- Deal Me In: Never shortchange yourself with this betting opportunity
- Deal Me In: What's in your wallet?
- Deal Me In: Did this player deserve to be tossed from the casino?
- Deal Me In: The choice between losing or losing really fast
- Deal Me In: Simple rule change squashes chances of winning
- Deal Me In: Whoever said you had to have fun?
- Deal Me In: Never and always are princes among slippery terms
- Deal Me In: Reading your way to riches
- Deal Me In: Round and round she goes
- Deal Me In: Beware of Greeks bearing gifts
- Deal Me In: Live keno vs. video keno
- Deal Me In: Pirates of the Caribbean
- Deal Me In: Number of decks versus number of players
- Deal Me In: The sticky thing about your gambling timeline
- Deal Me In: A little deeper into the comps topic
- Deal Me In: Jackpot denied
- Deal Me In: A certain craps loss
- Deal Me In: The courteous sidestep demonstrated and explained
- Deal Me In: Do not believe in scheming RNGs
- Deal Me In: Trading aces
- Deal Me In: Distrust any shuffling machine that smiles at you
- Deal Me In: Some profitable pre-yank reading
- Deal Me In: Hot news on roulette voodoo
- Deal Me In: Your state lottery has better odds
- Deal Me In: '...And how about a smile, while you're at it?'
- Deal Me In: Faced with two bad choices, take the better of the two
- Deal Me In: Hope springs eternal
- Deal Me In: The oddities of odds
- Deal Me In: Getting more decisions per hour isn't necessarily a good thing
- Deal Me In: You heard it right: Split 'em!
- Deal Me In: Many players believe the aisle-slot scuttlebutt
- Deal Me In: High hit frequency doesn't necessarily mean higher payback
- Deal Me In: Clanking of coins silenced
- Deal Me In: One annoying feature of randomness
- Deal Me In: The mathematics of breaking even
- Deal Me In: A sort-of answer to a sort-of query
- Deal Me In: But look at all the snow they got
- Deal Me In: Share and share alike
- Deal Me In: A New Year's brush-up on some fine points
- Deal Me In: This buy is no bargain
- Deal Me In: Spooks of the green felt
- Deal Me In: Glitches happen
- Deal Me In: On the up-and-up
- Deal Me In: The only game in town
- Deal Me In: Think outside the bun
- Deal Me In: R stands for right, rong or ravishing
- Deal Me In: That skinny path on the up-and-up
- Deal Me In: When less is more, more or less
- Deal Me In: Putting a pal in the sand trap
- Deal Me In: So, to shield her from embarrassment, I took the money
- Deal Me In: Getting, and betting, sloshed
- Deal Me In: When they say, "No thinking allowed," just smile
- Deal Me In: Over 21 in dog years doesn't count
- Deal Me In: The price of your free lunch
- Deal Me In: Three speeds – three different results
- Deal Me In: The Standing Committee is called to order
- Deal Me In: A better deal? Well, not really
- Deal Me In: Does back-and-forth chip exchange happen?
- Deal Me In: Sound of silence
- Deal Me In: The gentle art of tipping
- Deal Me In: Come one, come all
- Deal Me In: In unison, yell "Monkey Monkey"
- Deal Me In: Slot personnel will be your happy guide
- Deal Me In: Payment in installments or lump sum?
- Deal Me In: A flush at the outhouse
- Deal Me In: Fellow asked me once if I recommended winning
- Deal Me In: Can anything honestly be that elusive?
- Deal Me In: I'd gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today
- Deal Me In: That's what drove Aunt Matilda to cribbage with cocoa
- Deal Me In: Pennies from heaven line the casino's pocketbook
- Deal Me In: Players can get paid to play
- Deal Me In: A heap of small advantages has its value
- Deal Me In: Sister Cyrilla to the rescue
- Deal Me In: Winner winner
- Deal Me In: Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain
- Deal Me In: Point chasing not permitted
- Deal Me In: Bonus games and bonus multipliers
- Deal Me In: A negative-expectation game like craps can't be beat
- Deal Me In: And Faith says to Logic, "I'll jus' whup yo' butt, sonny."
- Deal Me In: Ah, sweet surrender
- Deal Me In: Maybe once in 800 hours of swift play, maybe not
- Deal Me In: Be one of the very few — use expert play
- Deal Me In: Naval names for table games
- Deal Me In: Hone strategy to a razor's edge
- Deal Me In: Cinco dos, adios
- Deal Me In: Should you split 10s in blackjack?
- Deal Me In: Course of action can differ between casinos
- Deal Me In: Start off 2010 by making smart bets exclusively
- Deal Me In: Power outage shouldn't cause concern
- Deal Me In: Warranty service with a smile
- Deal Me In: Thomas D. 1 — Mark P. 0
- Deal Me In: Reader eyewear required
- Deal Me In: Those thinking machines have still not arrived
- Deal Me In: Where she drops, nobody should know
- Deal Me In: Michigan gamblers out of luck on info
- Deal Me In: Toke tapping tenets for tipsters
- Deal Me In: Some dealers have strategy know-how, others don't
- Deal Me In: Feed the right machine the right strategy
- Deal Me In: Slots just don't work like that
- Deal Me In: The quicksand known as Gambler's Fallacy
- Deal Me In: Multi-line/multi-coin slots welcome all wallets
- Deal Me In: The Good Samaritan
- Deal Me In: Slot players butter casino's bread
- Deal Me In: The RNG neither frowns nor smiles
- Deal Me In: This cultist can't offer reader counsel
- Deal Me In: Two inquiries for the price of one
- Deal Me In: Those nickel machines just won't pay back in quarters
- Deal Me In: But it looks like a slot, quacks like a slot
- Deal Me In: Yes, the casino wants an occasional winner
- Deal Me In: Doubling up on bets and hopes
- Deal Me In: When not to be on the phone
- Deal Me In: Nominate your candidate for the 10 best bets in the casino
- Deal Me In: CASINO AHEAD. Reduced speed zone. All penalties doubled.
- Deal Me In: Just whose ace is it anyway?
- Deal Me In: Spread your action around
- Deal Me In: The Great Whamerooney, but it still slices like baloney?
- Deal Me In: Natural odds, take your bow
- Deal Me In: Those gimmick wagers ride the range again
- Deal Me In: 21 Madness
- Deal Me In: Alert player sounds the alarm
- Deal Me In: Fire and ice
- Deal Me In: How sweet they are, those 20 minutes of sanity
- Deal Me In: Tutorial on casino management
- Deal Me In: Casinos try to keep it cloak-and-dagger
- Deal Me In: Pick the odds against you: 5.26% or 2.7%
- While cards flit hither and yon, the dots on dice stay put
- Honest answer, yes, but here's the explanation why
- Deal Me In: Any time is the right or wrong time to play
- Deal Me In: Rigging your payday?
- Deal Me In: Happenstance or cheating?
- Deal Me In: While all liars figure, some figures can lie
- Deal Me In: Player's recall might be slightly off
- Deal Me In: Finders Keepers?
- Deal Me In: Munchin' on casino freebies
- Deal Me In: Smaller bankroll needed for video poker
- Deal Me In: A little bar stool trivia on cards
- Deal Me In: Will a roll of quarters 4.5 yards long last the weekend?
- Deal Me In: When in doubt, let the house set your hand
- Deal Me In: Progressives are in no way a "Cluck-for-the-Buck" deal
- Video poker is more skill than luck
- The language of craps
- Is counting worth the hassle?
- Dealers call these players ...
- Bankroll to bankrupt in three minutes
- Pumping Oxygen into a casino is NOT a trick of the trade
As a recognized authority on casino gambling, Mark Pilarski survived 18 years in the casino trenches, working for seven different casinos. Mark now writes a nationally syndicated gambling column, is a university lecturer, author, reviewer and contributing editor for numerous gaming periodicals, and is the creator of the best-selling, award-winning audiocassette series on casino gambling, Hooked on Winning.
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As a recognized authority on casino gambling, Mark Pilarski survived 18 years in the casino trenches, working for seven different casinos. Mark now writes a nationally syndicated gambling column, is a university lecturer, author, reviewer and contributing editor for numerous gaming periodicals, and is the creator of the best-selling, award-winning audiocassette series on casino gambling, Hooked on Winning.
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