Index I - II - III - IV - V - VI - VII - VIII - IX - X

• Pushovers sit here
  -- Dear Mark,
  It seems to me that in blackjack the less you know the more right your decisions are. When it comes to splitting pairs, doubling, even hitting certain hands, I take a chance and generally go against common wisdom. Therefore, my thoughts are that it isn't worth the extra trouble to learn the correct strategy. Rory B...more>>

• Putting gambling and "luck" into perspective
  -- Dear Mark,
  I am writing a paper on luck for a college logic class. You once wrote of individuals who had won the lottery more than once. Granted, that is lucky, but has there ever been an individual who was crowned the "luckiest person" in the world? Rachel G...more>>

• Casinos see raising table limits as economic common sense
  -- Dear Mark,
  Last weekend, on three separate occasions, the pit boss raised the table limits higher while I was playing. It went from $5 to $10, then all the way up to $25. Why do they do that? Rick D...more>>

• Right place, wrong timing
  -- Dear Mark,
  Recently I got my first royal flush. That was the good news. The bad news is I only had two coins in it when it hit. Would I have still gotten a royal flush had I inserted the maximum amount of coins? Jennifer G...more>>

• Rip-off on the midway?
  -- Dear Mark,
  Your column Do two-year-olds gamble? You bet they do! was terrific. But 25¢ at the local supermarket for an egg with a cheap toy inside is nothing compared to the amount I spend on my grandchildren on the midway. Last summer I must have spent more than $40 at one carnival trying to knock down two coke bottles with a softball. I got nothing, I mean nothing. Talk about games being rigged. Harold C...more>>

• Rules that improve blackjack conditions
  -- Dear Mark,
  In Atlantic City we are forced to play on a shoe (multiple-deck) game. How much of an edge am I giving up to the casino? Dan M...more>>

• Salvo Cannonade of Craps Questions
  -- Before I Deal: Craps can be mind-boggling entertainment, making mincemeat out of those who don't understand the fundamentals. My guess is that fewer than one percent of players truly grasp dice. The only thing greener than the felt on your typical crap game is not the money won, but the players. What proves my one percent theory is that on any crap game, most, if not all, players make at least one wager that has a house advantage of between 6-16 plus percent. But if you've read my column long enough, you know that I feel any wager, on any game, with a house edge in excess of 2%, is a SUCKER bet...more>>

• Same price, less sauce
  -- Dear Mark,
  I seem to be having less success playing the video poker game, Deuces Wild. I'm playing the same way I normally do. Is there something I should be on the lookout for since I play Deuces Wild exclusively? Sharon T...more>>

• Slot machines don't have synthetic reasoning capabilities
  -- Dear Mark,
  Does the slot machine know once I've won three or four small jackpots in a row to stop paying me because it has already paid me too much money? Roger B...more>>

• Slots at 35,000 feet?
  -- Dear Mark,
  Any truth to the rumor that I will be able to gamble on a flight from Cleveland to Las Vegas? Laurie H...more>>