Advantage Play Slots

After my recent trips to Atlantic City, I had started to believe that the pervasiveness of Advantage Play machines in today’s slot floors, combined with the sheer volume of people playing in casinos in big markets, meant that despite the potential for competition, I’d still trip across the occasional Advantage Play opportunity. You might think that beating a casino at a slots game would be an example of defying the odds. But as an advantage player proved when he and some friends got the better of several online casinos in New Jersey to the tune of almost a million dollars in January and February, sometimes you crack the casinos not by defying the odds, but by doing exactly what the odds forecast. Some casinos offer better returns if the play is taken through the slots instead of cash. If that is the case, it is always better to take free slot play. There are two other ways to maximize returns playing video poker through the players club. Video poker action will trigger mailers from casinos that include free play. Some casinos offer better returns if the play is taken through the slots instead of cash. If that is the case, it is always better to take free slot play. There are two other ways to maximize returns playing video poker through the players club. Video poker action will trigger mailers from casinos that include free play.

Every game in a casino is designed to earn profits for the House, not the player. But that certainly doesn’t mean it is impossible to win. In fact, players who are particularly observant and skillful in playing certain games can actually put themselves in the position of having an advantage over the casino. They practice what is known as “advantage play,” referring to the use of legal ways to gain a mathematical edge while gambling.

Avoiding Bad Bets

Some casino games, like Keno and Big Six, have such poor odds of winning that they should probably be ignored completely. There are no strategies that can give the player an edge. Other games offer “sucker bets” with such high margins for the House that they make it almost impossible to win.

Baccarat, for instance, features a relatively low advantage for the House, as long as bets are confined to backing either the Player hand or the Banker hand. But wagering on a Tie carries a stiff penalty; the House Edge shoots up to a whopping 14.36%. Similarly, betting on the Tie when playing Casino War gives the House an insurmountable 18.65% advantage.

At the Sic Bo table, some bets come with a House Edge as low as 2.78%, while others win so infrequently that the House gets a 33.33% advantage. When playing Craps, prop bets give the House an edge of 11.11% to 16.67%. And although the Ante & Play bets at the Three-Card Poker table carry a 3.37% margin for the House, the optional Pair Plus wager comes with a 7.28% edge. In general, high odds wagers and side bets are simply bad bets, so advantage players avoid them.

Seeking out Favorable Rules

Most casino games feature rule modifications that can greatly affect the House Edge. Advantage players will always seek out the variations that optimize the possibility of winning by putting the casino’s profit margin as close to zero as possible.

For example, American Roulette played with a Double Zero has a built-in House Edge of 5.26%, while European Roulette without it features just a 2.7% advantage for the House. Spanish 21 favors the House by 0.76% when the dealer must hit on Soft 17, but that percentage drops to 0.4% if the dealer stands on all totals of 17. For traditional Blackjack, more opportunities to double down and split, fewer decks in play and the option to take late surrender are all rules that help the player gain an advantage

An advantage player will know that betting on the Player hand at Baccarat gives the House a 1.24% edge compared to 1.06% when the Banker hand is backed. Wagers on Pass/Come at the Craps table carry a House margin of 1.41%, but Taking Odds on a subsequent roll is the one bet in the entire casino that has no advantage for the House whatsoever and it should always be made when available.

A shrewd advantage player will carefully follow the growth of Progressive jackpots for slot games, too. At some point the top prize may become so big that it actually shifts the advantage from the House to the Player’s favor—i.e., the potential payout becomes bigger that the odds against winning it.

Creating an Advantage

In land-based casinos, advantage play includes a variety of actions a player can take to benefit from human or mechanical faults. These range from “hole carding” and “shuffle tracking” at the Blackjack table to “wheel clocking” at Roulette and “angle shooting” at Poker. At online casinos, the mechanics of the games are somewhat different, but there are still steps a player can take to create an advantage, such as the following:

• Card Counting – At the Blackjack table, when playing in a live dealer game or at a multi-hand automated table, it may be possible to use card counting techniques to flip the odds from the casino to the player’s favor. The key factors are how many decks are in play and how often the cards are shuffled. In games that use continuous shuffling, card counting is rendered ineffective.
• Freerolls – Almost all online casinos offer occasional chances to win something for nothing. It doesn’t matter whether the occasion is a Blackjack tournament, a new Slots promotion or even a complimentary Keno card to celebrate a birthday. If there is no cost or entry fee, an advantage player will almost always welcome the opportunity.
• Bonus Chips – Especially as part of an enrollment promotion, many casinos give new players a certain number of non-redeemable “bonus chips” to use at their table games. Although the chips may not be exchanged for cash or counted as part of winnings, any amounts won as a result of betting with them may be redeemable for cash, so it is always to the player’s advantage to use such chips before the promotion expires.
• Points for Play – All major online casinos have some form of Loyalty Program for players, typically with points awarded for play. The points can be used to obtain bonus chips or merchandise and for cash redemption. Points are also accumulated to determine a player’s “status” within the casino’s hierarchy of benefits, including eligibility for cash rebates, deposit matching and reduced requirements for redeeming points. If points are worth, say, $0.01 and accumulate at a rate of one per dollar spent, that’s roughly equivalent to shaving a full percent off the House Edge.

If played at certain times, these machines give players an edge

By Frank Scoblete

Players can get an edge on the following three machines if these machines are played at certain times. With the help of columnist Jerry “Stickman” I explain those times and how much money to have in your pocket in order to be reasonably sure you take the cash from the casino.

These are banking machines and, as you’ll see, what they bank are various symbols and at a certain point there are enough symbols for the player to have the edge over the house. Only play these machines during such times when you have a real, mathematical edge.

These machines are excerpted from my book Slots Conquest: How to Beat the Slot Machines!

S&H Green Stamps

How it Works: This is probably the most widespread of the advantage slot machines as I write this chapter. As you play, the appearance of a green stamp with a number on the reels adds that number of stamps to a book. The stamps have a multiplier (1X, 2X, 5X) that multiplies the number of stamps that are collected. It takes 1200 stamps to fill a book. Once a book is filled you are given the option to continue collecting or to play the bonus games.

What to Look For: If the game has 600 or more stamps in a book it is positive. There is one stamp displayed in the book for each 100 stamps collected, so look for six stamps. Six stamps is one row or half a book. The actual number of stamps is also displayed near the books. Only play the machine at this point or higher.

How to Play: Play 25 lines at one credit per line until you play the free games. This amounts to 25¢ a spin for a 1¢ machine, 50¢ a spin for 2¢ machines and $1.25 a spin for 5¢ machines. Once you fill a book (1200 stamps), you will be given a choice to play free games or to continue filling another book. Play the free games—DO NOT continue filling another book. Follow this advice to the letter.

Bankroll Requirements: Your minimum bankroll must be at least 2000 credits. This amounts to $20 for a 1¢ game, $40 for a 2¢ game and $100 for a 5¢ game. Keep in mind I said minimum; more in the bank is probably an even better idea.

Comments: Most S&H Green Stamp games have a feature where you can immediately stop the spinning by hitting the spin button. Take advantage of this feature to minimize the time spent playing this game. The faster you play the better for you. Get your winnings and leave. This game is fairly volatile. You will tend to have many smaller wins and losses with occasional fairly large wins and losses. Don’t let a losing game tempt you to stop play before you collect the free games.

Double Diamond Mine

How it Works:There are three shafts that hold diamonds. A diamond is added to a shaft when the corresponding reel contains a diamond symbol. When a shaft is filled you collect the bonus. Once you collect the bonus and the shaft is emptied, re-evaluate whether you have an advantage or not.

What to Look For:This game is positive when any of the following is true.

• 1 shaft contains 9 diamonds
• 2 shafts contain 8 diamonds each
• 3 shafts contain 7 diamonds each

How to Play:Play one credit per spin until you collect the bonus. This amounts to 25¢ a spin for the standard 25¢ machine.

Bankroll Requirements:Your minimum bankroll must be at least 80 credits. This amounts to $20 for the 25¢ game.

Comments:This game is not very volatile. Games tend to be fairly short. You will tend to win most games and sometimes for a relatively large amount. Losses tend to be fairly small.

Triple Diamond Mine

How it Works:Triple Diamond Mine works exactly the same as Double Diamond Mine. There are three shafts that hold diamonds. A diamond is added to a shaft when the corresponding reel contains a diamond symbol. When a shaft is filled you collect the bonus. Once you collect the bonus and the shaft is emptied, you must re-evaluate whether you have an advantage or not.

What to Look For:This game is positive when any of the following is true:

Advantage Play Slots 2020

• 1 shaft contains 9 diamonds
• 2 shafts contain 8 diamonds each
• 3 shafts contain 7 diamonds each

How to Play:Play 1 credit per spin until you collect the bonus. This amounts to 25¢ a spin for the standard 25¢ machine.

Bankroll Requirements:Your minimum bankroll must be at least 80 credits. This amounts to $20 for the 25¢ game.

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Comments:This game is not very volatile. Games tend to be fairly short. You will tend to win most games and sometimes for a relatively large amount. Losses tend to be fairly small.

These are the first three machines. Next issue I’ll give you some more. One first and last point: You must play these machines exactly as recommended.

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Frank Scoblete’s newest books are Confessions of a Wayward Catholic! and Slots Conquest: How to Beat the Slot Machines! Available from Amazon.com, or at your favorite bookstore, or by mail-order by calling 1-800-944-0406. Join Frank on his web site at www.frankscoblete.com.