178 pages
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Break the One-Armed Bandits
by Frank Scoblete
Spotlight Reviews
The ONLY Slots Book You'll Ever Need!, March 1, 2003
Reviewer: Keith Kimmel (Columbus, OH USA)
Casinos are in the business of taking people's money. They are not a charity and they don't have a 30 day money back guarantee. It's a fact and no matter what spin they try to put on it, it's your wallet that they have in their sights. It's operation drain pocketbook. And according to some estimates, as much as 80% of a given casino's revenues now come from slot machines.
They are easy to play and you don't have to be a rocket scientist to figure them out. Even the dumb kids can play them. Unlike table games which can be intimidating because of the interactions with other players and the complexities of the games themselves, you just put a couple of coins in and hit the little button or pull the magic lever. Who can't handle this?
It is because of this simplicity that slots generate the largest share of revenue for the gaming industry. In Blackjack, a player has lots of control over how much of an "edge" the house has. With a slot machine, it does what it is programmed to do and short of taking a sledge hammer to it - there is nothing you can do to change that - until now.
Frank begins with an excellent - but short and sweet - history of slot machines as they relate to the industry. He also describes how the machine actually works, which is of great importance to the player. Some of the most basic information he provided about today's "smart slots" dispels many myths: including the one of hot and cold machines and the infamious "it pays better when I don't use my [player's] card".
Not only is this title a learning experience, it helps the savvy slots player understand the forces at work behind the machines designed to take his money. Understanding how the machines work is half the battle - knowing how the casino works and why it works that way is the other half. And Frank does a remarkable job of quenching the readers' thirst for both.
Using Frank's techniques and information obtained from his interview with a casino slot executive who he refers to as "Mr. Handle", I have been able to locate the "loose" machines in even the tightest casinos. The information is not only on target, it makes perfect sense when one considers what is being said.
Frank's extremely revealing interview - quoted verbatim - has exposed so much about the placement of "loose" machines. And what's even more valuable is the fact that Frank has not only provided the locations but also the reasoning behind the locations.
Finally, the book contains a wealth of information that has been put into perspective about the slot player's long and short term prospects. Can you really come out ahead? According to Frank, yes - but only if you are careful and heed the warnings in this title.
For the few dollars you spend on this book, you may save yourself hundreds and maybe much more at the slots.
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