Got a question for the GameMaster? E-mail him here and he'll answer you personally, as soon as possible. Questions of general interest will be posted here, but we won't use your name or e-mail address unless you want us to.

GameMaster,

I was playing $2-$4 Hold 'em at the Flamingo Hilton in Laughlin recently when a play occurred that seemed somewhat sketchy. What do you think of it:

I was in middle position with 7c, 7s. The big blind, having not been raised by any players, had the chance to either check or raise his blind. Instead, not really paying attention closely enough (my guess at the time), he attempted to fold.

The dealer corrected him saying something like, "I'm only going to give you this warning once, you can stay in (for free) by checking. If you do it again, the fold will stand.".

The player stayed in and to make a long story short, the final board came up Ah, 7s, 7d, 2c, Ad. The big blind beat my quad 7s with quad aces! (Too bad there was no bad-beat jackpot!)

It appears that he had attempted to fold a pair of aces, knowing that the dealer would let him stay in (just this once), causing the rest of the players to believe he had bad openers. Now, if he would have done this with 78u and flopped a straight, I wouldn't be so suspicious. But to fold AA?

Is this a common strategic move? If done on purpose, is this kosher? Or is this something that could get him a pair of concrete boots?

I've never seen it done before, but it's at least unethical, if not just plain dirty poker. I'm with you -- fold a pair of bullets? No way. The dealer handled it correctly, but hopefully the floor supervisors know who this person was, in case s/he tries it again. Too bad about the quads; as you said, had there been a bad-beat jackpot, it would have taken some sting out of it.

-The GameMaster
September 22nd, 97

GameMaster,

What about buying some of the roulette or craps systems for sale, testing them, and publish your findings and evaluations in the magazine? I think that would be very interesting, cause I see quite a few systems for sale, and wouldn't mind buying one of them if I knew they worked. "If" is the operative word here!

Thanks,
Jim Vaughn

Dear Jim,

We don't do that, since none of them work. There is no system which can consistently overcome the house edge in roulette or craps. It's like you and I tossing a coin. You pay me $1 when it comes up heads and I'll pay you 95 cents when it comes up tails. You may get ahead of me for a while, but in the long run I'll win.

Always remember "The GameMaster's Final Argument" - If these systems really worked, the guy who 'invented' it would be in the casino using it, and wouldn't be trying to sell it to you.

The GameMaster
9/16/97

There's this gentleman named Jeremy who send The Awesome 1 some questions on how to handle Vegas. So she gave him her version of Las Vegas 101. It's not scientific like The GameMaster but it's entertaining. Enjoy.

COMPS! This is a new area for you & a great system if you play by the rules & be the sweetest person on earth to the hosts (both male & female is a HOST, no hostess EVER in Las Vegas!). If you are a jerk, you are ignored!!!!

As far as Slot Clubs: Tropicana is great, as is Treasure Island, Mirage, Hard Rock & Caesars Palace. 1) Get a slot club card at ALL of them. 2) Get RATED, which means play on all slot cards to let them know you were there.

How do I rate their machines: Trop has some very HOT machines (slots), yet Mirage has excellent VP.

How do I rate slot clubs: Caesars & Trop's slot club is good on quarters & up, Hard Rock Casino is nickels & up, Mirage & TI are $1 & up, but reward very high after 150 points!!!! ($150 dinner for FREE). Hard Rock is cute, but COLD! As is Caesars, but then again some nights may be HOT.

How to keep money longer: I believe in the "three tries & move one over" theory. Find a slot machine that interests you; at Trop for me it is PIGGY BANKIN. Make sure it is in a busy section, such as outside a buffet, theatre entrance, main entrance to casino. Play max coin for three tries. No payback, then move one machine to the right. Keep doing it til the end of the aisle, if still no $$$$ - CHANGE CASINOS!!!!! Believe me, it works. Also; if you are at the Trop, try the quarter Piggy Bankin (2 coin max); that's $.50 each try. You hit for 15 coins, remember how many tries to get the 15, take back those coins you fed in out of what you won; pocket it & keep playing on what's left. This way you are always AHEAD!!!!

Also, money market your trip. Whether traveler's checks, or large bills; figure out how much to gamble, charge room, shows, food etc. this way no one sees your money (pickpockets in a crowd) PURSES ARE OUT - FANNY PACKS WORN IN FRONT ARE IN & FASHIONABLE! If you use travelers checks, then you only cash in what you need; if taking large bills then put them into envelopes dating each one. Day 1 open envelope #1, if you gamble it all - then walk around, windowshop, see FREE shows, etc, BUT DO NOT OPEN DAYS 2 & UP!!!!! On Day 2 you may open envelope #2; Got it???? You will thank me time & time again.

FREE STUFF IN LAS VEGAS? Sure, birds in wildlife walk at Trop, can keep you entertained for hours, days, the whole week ;-), TI's Pirate battle - hourly after 4PM, Mirage's Volcano is every 15 minutes after 6PM, Forum Shops at Caesars have 2 shows going "Atlantis" & "Baccus" but in two different areas of the mall. So walk around & enjoy it all. Flamingo Hilton, outside by their restaurants is their pool, penquins, flamingos, etc. Great walk! Downtown is an hourly light show called FSE (Fremont St Experience). Also Golden Nugget has acrobats for FREE outside. Street musicians & maybe even a movie being shot.

So you still want to gamble, but not winning? Play NICKELS! Mirage has a great area called NICKELODEON, nickel slots, VP, keno & great drink service - still FREE! Hit a jackpot on nickels ($250) then goto quarters & go for more ($250-$1000 easy) then play the $1 machines, but restock what you lost that day.......

Now back to those slot club cards, you are now on a mailing list & depending on your play & how much they like you also, you will get mailings for tournaments, free shows, free food, even free rooms!! So get at least 4 going this trip, play on all of them then pick the one that you felt at home with it's requirements & give them the most action. You will get it in return. Now if you do hit MEGABUCKS - please, remember me ;-)

The Awesome 1
and The Game Master Staff too!!!!!
9/13/97

I recently read your column where a person wanted the name of a good book on slots. "Slot Smarts", written by Claude Halcombe is well written and concise. It will really open your eyes to playing slots. It can be purchased at Barnes and Nobles for less than $10. If someone is going to attempt to increase their edge against the house on slots, then they should read this book. It is not a get rich system.

Trey

Dear Trey,
Thanks for the tip; I'll get a copy and we'll post this.
The GameMaster
9/08/97

My Mother plays Keno nonstop when she is at a casino, she never seems to win. She plays 3 and 4 spot tickets. She will be here again next month is there any advise you can give her? Thanks, Janet

Dear Janet,

Unfortunately, the house edge is so big at keno that it's likely she'll never win. However, if she plays at a keno parlor, the odds are usually worse there, as compared to the electronic keno games offered on the casino floor. If she won't switch, at least check the payoffs on the tickets; some casinos pay more than others.

Yours for winning,
The GameMaster
9/08/97

GameMaster,
I know this sounds stupid....REAL STUPID!! Is it scientifically possible for a crapshooter to use a "preset" to bring the odds slightly to his/her favor?? I have read something like this (I believe in BEAT THE DEALER) where the author claimed to have know a guy that could do this,,,,he was later found dead in the Nevada desert. My guess is it can't be done...otherwise the casino would bar dice setters. What do you think??

A few people in this world can preset the dice (stack them with certain numbers up in their hand) and then slide the bottom die so that it doesn't randomly bounce off the end cushion. That is easily detected by surveillance personnel and won't be permitted for long.

The GameMaster
September 1st, 1997

GameMaster,
When sitting at a blackjack table, which seat has the best odds? Is it the first, middle, or last? Thank you.
Mike

Dear Mike,

The GameMaster
September 1st, 1997

Hiya Gamemaster! Your new site is very cool. Not enough people know about it. The basic strategy engine on the net says if you have A,7 against a dealers 3,4,5,6 and are unable to double, you should stand. However some books I've read recommend hitting anyway! What's the correct play?

Thanks...
Stingray

Dear Stingray,

The GameMaster
September 1st, 1997

I like to play dollar bonus poker in Vegas but also at an Indian reservation nearby. My problem is I have been losing 400-500 dollars a day lately. I need some advice to help improve my play.

First, are you using proper playing strategy that you learned from a recognized authority like Dan Paymar or Lenny Frome?

Are the machines set up so that they will be hotter when playing only one coin or would you get the same hand if full coins were played?

You will get the same hand, regardless of how many coins are played.

What is a reasonable amount of money to risk in one machine? What parameters do you use to determine that a machine is cold and you should move to another machine?

There are no parameters like that; all that matters is the pay schedule. Look at it this way: if you were dealing hands from an actual deck of cards, would you expect to see any difference if you changed to a new deck? So, as long as the pay schedule is the same, it doesn't matter whether you switch machines or not.

Would it be better to take small profits at of several machines and hope you get a four of a kind or better or keep playing the machine even if you start losing figuring a good hand will bring you back up?

If you are using proper playing strategy at a machine where you have a long term edge, it doesn't matter how long you play it; in the long run, you will make money. I define the long run as 100,000 hands or about 200 hours of play.

I usually start by playing one coin for about twenty plays and if the machine starts well then I alternate three and five coins in and if the machine is hot I go to five coins continuously. More often than not it seems I do fairly well playing one coin and then when I switch to full coins I get about eight hands in a row without even a return on my money and then I start wondering if I should continue playing full coins and try and make my money back or just quit and move to another machine. I know you should always play full coins for maximum payout but I have had so many times when I have dropped 300 dollars in about a half hour playing five coins. Maybe I just have bad luck.

Thanks for any help,
Tom from Michigan

It's not 'bad luck', it's just a typical short term run at a video poker machine. Only you can determine how much money you want to risk, but if you're at $1 Double Bonus poker machines, you could very easily lose $30,000 before the money starts flowing back to you.

The GameMaster August 25, 1997

Hello! I have a question reguarding electronic slot's random number generator. I have received info in the mail about buying someone's slot secrets and they touched on the RNG. Is there any good slot books out there right now? I'd like to know more about playing techniques other than drop money in the machine and pray. But on the other hand some books I have looked at basically said exactly that!
Thanks Slots,
dlake@ibm.net

P.S. Let me know if you know of any good techniques or systems for slot play.

Dear David,

The GameMaster
August 24th, 1997

GameMaster,
I am a regular player at internet casino called "Casino Fortune". Over the last month I have been having a hard time collecting on my winnings? They keep on telling me the money is in the mail. It has been 4 weeks since I requested my last payout. Has anyone else experienced problems with timely payouts?

Dear Steve,

GameMaster,
My friend and I are going to Las Vegas in a week. Can you suggest the best places to play video poker? Any casino you prefer over another in the way of video poker or slots in general. Thank you.
Jane Pittman

Dear Miss Jane Pittman,
My sources tell me that the best VP overall is Fiesta, and Vacation Village is the best for promos, etc. These are hangouts for the 'locals', so you won't find them on the strip, per se. Avoid the MGM Grand, Circus, Circus and the Imperial Palace. The Mirage has an excellent slot club, if you want to stay on the strip.

The GameMaster
-August 5th, 1997

GameMaster,
Is that supposed to be a joke or something, cause it seems as if you're serious.

I'm referring to the advice given in the current Hot Tips telling players how to play 3 coins on a Bonus Poker Deluxe machine. Playing the machine with 5 coins is a loser. Advising to short coin it is ridiculous. You've just reduced your payback on a Royal by a pro-rated % of over 68%. A 3 coin pro-rated Royal should pay 2400 coins, your 3 coin Royal pays 750, a reduction of 68.75%. Not very smart.

Frank B

Dear Frank,
You haven't read the whole article. As I said, the strategy here is to hit a 4K and the Royal doesn't figure in at all. What you say is correct, but it's like saying that to get on a jet just to fly to Kansas City when it's going to San Francisco is crazy. Well, I'm just on for a short trip. Long term expectation is great (and correct), but for the average player, this is not a bad strategy. Plus, you're awfully loose with big numbers like 68.75%. In reality, the cut from the short pay on the Royal is about 1.4% and that's long term.

The GameMaster
-August 5th, 1997

We are going to Biloxi in the next few weeks and I have a question for you...Is there any real way to have better odds on the slot machines? I've always heard that is you play the most coins you have a better chance. Anything else? Only get to gamble maybe once a year...not a gambler....in some regards...others, I love to!

Thanks for your help.
Jacque

Dear Jacque,
There is no 'real' way to get better odds on a slot machine, other than the fact that most machines of higher denomination pay back more than the smaller ones. What I mean is that a $5 slot will usually have a higher payback than a 5-cent slot, but it either case, the house will likely maintain an overall long term edge. In other words, even a $5 slot will payback only 98% or so on a long term basis. You should give serious consideration to playing video poker, since the worst return for a 25-cent machine is about 96%, whether or not you're an 'expert' player. If you'll study a bit, you can find many VP machines in the Biloxi area which pay almost 100% back on a long term basis to those who use expert strategy.

Please see the 'Video Poker' page on my site for more info.
Good luck, whatever you decide to do.

-The GameMaster
August 3rd, 1997

Dear Gamemaster,

Thanks for your great review of Tularou! I am very indebted to you and if the game ever succeeds, I promise I won't forget your help. The other item worth mentioning is that I now have a signed version of the Tularou game software available at my website for those with Windows 95 browsers. I chuckle now when I recall asking you if you knew how I could get my software signed. Little did I suspect how difficult it would be. I worked on it for a solid 2 weeks before it finally worked. I'm posting another message on rec.gambling.blackjack about Tularou, and I'll give Gamemaster Online a plug as well.

Thanks again!
Jim Hsu
Preferred E-mail address: JHsu@compuserve.com

Dear Jim,

Glad you like the review -- it was easy; I like the game. Thanks for the plug on the newsgroups. Good luck with it all -- the 'signature' thing sounds like a real pain; it'll be worth it, though.

To our readers: You should check out this new and exciting casino game. Look for our "Product Review" by ckicking on the "Info Page" button then click on the "Product Review" button.

The GameMaster
-August 2nd, 1997

What are the expected winnings as stated as a percentage of total amount wagered of the most popular count systems?

Thanks,
Perry