By John Grochowski on Monday October 31, 2016

Payoffs by bar-coded tickets have been with us for the better part of two decades now, but I still hear from longtime slot machine players who miss having coins pour into a tray after a big win. The nostalgia is understandable, but payoffs by tickets have too much going for them to bring back coins. Time spent on hopper fills and jams has been eliminated, casinos have saved money on labor and on not having to keep coins in stock, and players no longer walk away with filthy hands from handling all those coins. Still, players tell two sides of…

Payoffs by bar-coded tickets have been with us for the better part of two decades now, but I still hear from longtime slot machine players who miss having coins pour into a tray after a big win. The nostalgia is understandable, but payoffs by tickets have too much going for…

By John Grochowski on Tuesday October 25, 2016

Events that are extreme long shots to you and me are certainties to casino operators. Given thousands of plays a day, every day, rare outcomes and streaks are inevitable. Take the roulette streak that prompted a reader to contact me via email. “I’ve been playing roulette a long time, and I don’t think I ever saw this before,” he wrote. “There was a winner on 1, the next number was 2 and the next was 3. After that, it was something in the 20s, and the streak was broken. What are the chances of a 1-2-3 sequence? How big a…

Events that are extreme long shots to you and me are certainties to casino operators. Given thousands of plays a day, every day, rare outcomes and streaks are inevitable. Take the roulette streak that prompted a reader to contact me via email. “I’ve been playing roulette a long time, and…

By John Grochowski on Wednesday October 19, 2016

There’s a long-standing debate among craps players who bet on don’t pass/don’t come: Should you or should you not lay the odds once a point is established? Laying the odds means backing the original don’t pass/don’t come bet with a wager that the shooter will roll a 7 before rolling the point number again. The player must spot the house true odds. Odds of rolling 7 before a 6, for example, are 6-5, so the player must bet $6 for a chance to win an additional $5. The odds also are 6-5 on 8, and 3-2 on 5 or 9…

There’s a long-standing debate among craps players who bet on don’t pass/don’t come: Should you or should you not lay the odds once a point is established? Laying the odds means backing the original don’t pass/don’t come bet with a wager that the shooter will roll a 7 before rolling…

By John Grochowski on Monday October 17, 2016

One fundamental difference between video poker players and slot machine players is that video poker players are a loyal bunch, sticking with the same games year after year, while slot players are always on the lookout for the latest and greatest. Hundreds of slot games come and go every year. Video poker favorites such as Double Double Bonus Poker, Deuces Wild and Bonus Poker Deluxe are into their third decade and going strong. I asked a group of video poker players for their favorite games, and what it was about the games that kept them coming back. EDD: I have…

One fundamental difference between video poker players and slot machine players is that video poker players are a loyal bunch, sticking with the same games year after year, while slot players are always on the lookout for the latest and greatest. Hundreds of slot games come and go every year.…

By John Grochowski on Wednesday October 12, 2016

Not all blackjack games are created equal. There’s a set of mix-and-match rules, and you’ll find different combinations in different casinos. Sometimes you’ll even find different combinations at different tables within the same casino. One key variation comes on whether dealers hit or stand on soft 17. A soft 17 includes an Ace being counted as 11. Ace-6 is a soft 17, as are Ace-2-4, Ace-3-3, Ace-Ace-5 and others. When the dealer hits soft 17, the house edge against a basic strategy player is about two-tenths of a percent higher than if he stands. That brought a question from a…

Not all blackjack games are created equal. There’s a set of mix-and-match rules, and you’ll find different combinations in different casinos. Sometimes you’ll even find different combinations at different tables within the same casino. One key variation comes on whether dealers hit or stand on soft 17. A soft 17…

By John Grochowski on Friday October 7, 2016

Slot machine themes have become important factors for those of us who play the games, those who design them and those who sell them to us. A great theme will attract players to the game. A great them used well will keep us coming back for more. Of the thousands of slot themes we’ve seen over the decades, which ones were used best? Which really captured the feel and fun of the source? I asked slot players for their opinions. BOB: The Walking Dead has to be right up there. Holy cow, that could get as bloody as the TV…

Slot machine themes have become important factors for those of us who play the games, those who design them and those who sell them to us. A great theme will attract players to the game. A great them used well will keep us coming back for more. Of the thousands…

By John Grochowski on Tuesday October 4, 2016

Most of video poker games we play today have been around for decades. Jacks or Better, Deuces Wild, Bonus Poker Deluxe, Double Bonus Poker and others have stood the test of time. Most innovation in video poker comes in games that require an extra bet to activate a bonus feature. Of these, the most popular has been Super Times Pay. Super Times Pay is an option available in Triple Play, Five Play and Ten Play formats. Instead of the usual max bet of five coins per line, it takes a sixth coin per line to activate the Super Times feature.…

Most of video poker games we play today have been around for decades. Jacks or Better, Deuces Wild, Bonus Poker Deluxe, Double Bonus Poker and others have stood the test of time. Most innovation in video poker comes in games that require an extra bet to activate a bonus feature.…