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 best "preset" I've heard of is where someone put another dot (pip?) on each of the 4s of a set of dice, thus giving them two extra 5s. They then bet the hardway 10, made place bets on 10 and cleaned up!

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,
Unless you are counting cards, it doesn't matter which seat you're at; the odds are the same. For counters, it can be helpful to sit near the end ("third base") since you'll likely see more cards before you make your playing decision. But this only applies if the counter is making deviations from basic strategy. Most casino personnel think counters prefer to sit at the end, so I don't often do it.

GameMaster,
Your basic strategy at Blackjack 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 correct strategy is to stand. The only time one should hit A-7 is when the dealer is showing a 9, 10 or Ace. A player doubles an A-7 in order to get more $$$ on the table, rather than to improve the hand, so when doubling is not allowed, standing is the correct play.

GameMaster,
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. 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 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.

GameMaster,
I recently came across one of the internet casinos that pays 5-1 on "any 7" in craps. The norm I believe for this wager is 4-1. Do you know of any strategy that will take advantage of this situation?
Steve K.

Dear Steve,
Does it pay 5 TO 1 or 5 FOR 1? The latter is just a 4-1 in disguise. If it really is 5 TO 1, just bet it as you would a free odds bet, because while you don't have an edge there, it is an even money proposition.

Hot Tip of the Month: Remember, when the Blackjack dealer must hit A-6, s/he will break more often. Thus, basic strategy says to double a hand of A-8 against a dealer's 6. If they stand on A-6, then you should stand with A-8 against a 6.
-the GameMaster

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