By John Grochowski on Tuesday June 23, 2015

From time to time, readers send me stories about unusual things that have happened to them in casinos. I always find them fun to read, and I hope you will, too. Gordon: My dad always splits 10s if the dealer has a 6 up. You know and I know he has a bigger edge if he just plays his 20, but he’s my 75-year-old dad and I’m never going to be able to convince him of that. One day we were playing, and he split his 10s against a 6 and wound up with a 14 and 15. The dealer…

From time to time, readers send me stories about unusual things that have happened to them in casinos. I always find them fun to read, and I hope you will, too. Gordon: My dad always splits 10s if the dealer has a 6 up. You know and I know he…

By Travel Tunica on Friday June 19, 2015

In Tunica we believe every meal should be finished off with a great dessert. Here are a few of our favorites. Taste for yourself and let us know what your favorites are in the comments below.  Strawberry Napoleon  - The Strawberry Napoleon at GoldStrike's Chicago Steakhouse is sure to make your taste buds do a little dance. This decadent dessert is made up of Strawberry Ricotta Cookies layered with Champagne Cream and Strawberries. Toffee Caramel Pecan Pie - Hollywood Casino's Fairbank's Steakhouse hits the mark with their Toffee Caramel Pecan Pie topped with an orange caramel sauce. The toffee bits…

In Tunica we believe every meal should be finished off with a great dessert. Here are a few of our favorites. Taste for yourself and let us know what your favorites are in the comments below.  Strawberry Napoleon  - The Strawberry Napoleon at GoldStrike's Chicago Steakhouse is sure to make…

By John Grochowski on Thursday June 18, 2015

One thing I’ve warned blackjack players about is games that pay less than the standard 3-2 on blackjacks. If you play video blackjack, you have to be extra watchful, as one reader learned. “You have warned against playing blackjack when blackjacks pay only 6-5 because that increases the house edge,” he wrote in an email. “I assume that means you’d also warn against playing on machines where blackjack pays even money. What does that do to the house edge? “I ask because I was playing on a dollar machine that had video poker, video keno, some slot games and video…

One thing I’ve warned blackjack players about is games that pay less than the standard 3-2 on blackjacks. If you play video blackjack, you have to be extra watchful, as one reader learned. “You have warned against playing blackjack when blackjacks pay only 6-5 because that increases the house edge,”…

By John Grochowski on Wednesday June 10, 2015

Incredible Technologies has been manufacturing and distributing slot machines only since 2010, and it doesn’t have the huge market share of slot giants IGT, Bally, WMS Gaming or Aristocrat. What it does have are creative games with a difference, chock full of entertainment value for players. Take Money Rain, IT’s current hit that’s proved popular with players in its strongholds in the South, Midwest and California – IT doesn’t yet distribute in the East, and its distribution in Nevada is limited. Here are just some of the features that make Money Rain different: **Money Rain uses a video representation of…

Incredible Technologies has been manufacturing and distributing slot machines only since 2010, and it doesn’t have the huge market share of slot giants IGT, Bally, WMS Gaming or Aristocrat. What it does have are creative games with a difference, chock full of entertainment value for players. Take Money Rain, IT’s…

By John Grochowski on Friday June 5, 2015

Pai-gow poker is known as an even-keel, extended play kind of game. The Fortune Pai-Gow side bet injects a little excitement for jackpot hunters, including a big payoff of 5,000-1 on a seven-card straight flush that does not include the joker. That’s about a 4.8 million-to-1 shot, but hey, we can dream. A reader’s email asked about the house edge, and whether the Fortune bet was worth making. That depends partly on how many players are at the table. The game carries an “envy bonus,” meaning that when someone wins big, other players get something extra, too. There are several…

Pai-gow poker is known as an even-keel, extended play kind of game. The Fortune Pai-Gow side bet injects a little excitement for jackpot hunters, including a big payoff of 5,000-1 on a seven-card straight flush that does not include the joker. That’s about a 4.8 million-to-1 shot, but hey, we…