RSS Feed

Tech Support

In 1962, Professor Ed Thorpe first published a mathematically valid way to beat blackjack. His book, Beat a Dealer, was so afraid of casinos that casino owners decided to convene a meeting and change all blackjack rules at the same time. This did not achieve the effect they expected. In fact, it almost killed their business model. Player rates ran out because the players decided that casinos were not operating fairly.

After a few weeks of the change, casinos had to restore the original rules to get their players back, and it worked well. Casino revenues went beyond what Thorp had before the publication of his book, and revenues continued to increase over time. Casinos owed their initial surge in revenues to Ed Thorp and his first book, because just knowing that casinos could win was enough to attract the public. And as revenues across the gamut decline in today's environment, advantageous players can once again save casinos from themselves by listening.

Many professional players have been playing the game for years and are well aware of the operation of casinos, and more importantly, how certain changes will affect the playability of casino games over time. The most influential change in table games has been the introduction of a 6:5 payment for natural blackjacks. This increases the casino's advantage to nearly 2%. For slot games, the new norm is to switch from standard 3-coins, 3-reel machines to multi-line, multi-credit slot machines with high-profile, multi-subjects, which now dominate casino floors and online domains.

The functionality of multi-line multi-credit differs from traditional 3-coin variants. Wink Slots, for example, is a popular online slot website where players can play both variants of slots. Additionally, the functionality of slot games is outlined, allowing players to see exactly how they work. These are two major changes seen in casinos over the past two decades. Other changes include the introduction of several side bets on casino table games and a reduced payment schedule. With these changes in place for nearly two decades, the question remains: How did they work?

The short answer is: not in the long run. Initially, these changes were aimed at attracting numerous low-income gamblers. Casinos saw their initial profits skyrocket, but as the technology bubble burst in the early 2000s and the housing market collapsed in 2008, these low-income gamblers did not have the disposable income they once had.