By John Grochowski on Monday November 27, 2017

Unless they play at dollar level or above on single-hand games or quarter-level or above on multi-hand games, video poker players rarely reach the $1,200 threshold that requires a tax form before they're paid. A royal flush with five quarters wagered brings a $1,000 jackpot -- a nice bonanza, but well below the tax trigger. However, some multi-hand nickel games with bonus multipliers also can hit that level. The key is combining payoffs on multiple hands, a point that drew this question from a reader. "I was playing a Triple Play Bonus Poker on nickel Hot Roll, got an 4…

Unless they play at dollar level or above on single-hand games or quarter-level or above on multi-hand games, video poker players rarely reach the $1,200 threshold that requires a tax form before they're paid. A royal flush with five quarters wagered brings a $1,000 jackpot -- a nice bonanza, but…

By John Grochowski on Monday November 20, 2017

Newcomers to craps sometimes are confused by the details. It can take a while to sort out the ins and outs of a game with so many different ways to bet. One such novice player asked me why the one-roll bet on any 7 is said to be such a weak play. "My friend who got me interested tells me that it's good to bet on 6 and 8, but bad to bet on 7," he said. "But he's also told me 7 comes up the most, so why wouldn't a bet on 7, paying 4-1, be better than a…

Newcomers to craps sometimes are confused by the details. It can take a while to sort out the ins and outs of a game with so many different ways to bet. One such novice player asked me why the one-roll bet on any 7 is said to be such a…

By John Grochowski on Thursday November 16, 2017

One challenge facing blackjack players is that the rules aren't precisely the same in one casino as another, or even sometimes at one table as opposed to another in the same casino. There are a number of optional rules, including late surrender, which after the dealer checks to see if he has blackjack, allows you to give up half your bet instead of playing it beyond your first two cards. I received a note recently from a player who found late surrender offered in an eight-deck game. He wondered if the specific cards in his hand made a difference in…

One challenge facing blackjack players is that the rules aren't precisely the same in one casino as another, or even sometimes at one table as opposed to another in the same casino. There are a number of optional rules, including late surrender, which after the dealer checks to see if…

By John Grochowski on Wednesday November 8, 2017

After 20 years of multiline video slots in casinos, I find most players don't even look to see the shapes of the paylines anymore. When there were five lines or nine lines, everyone wanted to check to see how the lines ran and how their winning symbols lined up. With 30, 40 lines or more, most players today just accept their total winnings and move on. The 243-ways-to-win slots with no traditional paylines are another matter. They've been with us for most of a decade, introduced by Aristocrat Technology as Reel Power and picked up by other game manufacturers. I…

After 20 years of multiline video slots in casinos, I find most players don't even look to see the shapes of the paylines anymore. When there were five lines or nine lines, everyone wanted to check to see how the lines ran and how their winning symbols lined up. With…