grochowski
John Grochowski
John Grochowski, a Chicago-based writer and editor, has been covering the casino industry since 1994, when he launched a weekly gaming column in the Chicago …
Read More-
Yes, same slots may have varying RNGs
There’s a large subset of my e-mail that comes from slot players who start by saying, “I get that the games are random, but . . . ” Then they tell of a slot experience that doesn’t seem quite right to them. The latest came …Read More
-
Video poker results random
A shuffle through the Gaming mailbag: Q. Do video poker machines with progressive jackpots on royal flushes deal fewer small winners to make up for the bigger jackpots? Ed, St. Charles, Ill. A. No, the programming in video poker doesn’t allow for a lower frequency …Read More
-
Majestic Star II bright spot for video poker
The last several years have not been kind to video poker players in the Chicago area, with a decline in pay tables that I lamented a few weeks ago in my best-of-2011 column. But there is a bright spot, as an alert reader pointed out …Read More
Search recent columns
More Columns
Whole lotta Elvis slot play going on
Pop culture has been a fertile field for slot machine designers for a couple of decades now. In any trip to a casino, we expect to see games based on games and game shows (Monopoly, “Wheel of Fortune”), TV shows (“Star Trek,” “The Beverly Hillbillies”) …
Dividing lines clear in Mississippi Stud
Any card game that requires decisions by players has its dividing lines. When the dealer has a 10 in blackjack, you hit when you have a hard total of 16 or less, but stand on 17 or higher. In Caribbean Stud Poker, you stay in …
Highs outpace lows in gaming this year
Amid the usual mix of new games and revamped amenities that happen every year, there was one big, overpowering change that dwarfed all else in the Chicago area casino scene in 2011: the opening of the Rivers Casino in Des Plaines. It had been 16 …
Not all players comped equally
Whether comps come in the form of meals, hotel stays, cash back, free play or anything else, players who are the most valuable to the casino have always been given the most incentive to return. Along with wagering totals, the house edge is taken into …
Three royals in a row astounding
I don’t really believe in beginner’s luck. The odds don’t change just because you’re a newbie. Nonetheless, a father’s tale of his son’s first, second and third times in a casino might make the phrase “beginner’s luck” ring through your brain at megadecibels. The short …
Area casinos need to rethink game mix
A shuffle through the Gaming mailbag: Q. I went to an Illinois casino last week for the first time in a few months. It was nearly empty. I could have played just about any game I wanted, but the video poker was awful, they jacked …
Changes just part of the game at Rivers
Casino slot floors are constantly changing as managers keep an eye out for new games and shifts in player tastes. In the case of Rivers Casino in Des Plaines, Ill., the first few months of operation were a time of evaluating what customers were and …
Much to like about Alice slots
There usually is a lag time between my first peek at a hot new slot machine and the time I see the game in action in casinos. Sometimes it’s just because I’m not actively seeking out the game, but there’s usually a matter of months …
7-14-21 table game is a good bet
Based in Northbrook, Ill., Leading Edge design has made its name with its creativity in electronic games. It was Leading Edge who designed the Gems Wild Tiles cascading reels game and Multi-Strike Poker, both licensed and distributed by International Game Technology. But at the beginning …
New slot adventures behind curtain at WMS
A visit to WMS Gaming’s facilities on North California always has a touch of the fantastic about it, a little escape from the real world. That’s doubly true as the annual Global Gaming Expo approaches, when the innovative slotmaker is putting the finishing touches on …
Stay on track at casino by knowing road to ‘ruin’
A friend of a friend put me in touch with George, a casino player with a question of bankroll: “How much is enough?” he wanted to know. I answered with a question of my own: Enough for what? “Enough so I can play awhile,” he …
Majestic Star offers tasty possibilities
In his first column of each month, John Grochowski reports on a casino visit. There are only a handful of casino games in which the player can get an edge. Start with blackjack for card counters, video poker at certain pay tables that are not …
Explaining Rivers’ 100x odds in craps
In the short time since Rivers Casino in Des Plaines, Ill., opened with an offer of 100x odds to craps players, I’ve had a surge in questions from readers, friends and relatives who want to know just what that means. Let’s tackle a few questions …
‘Hangover’ slots reel-y fun
In his first column of each month, John Grochowski reports on a casino visit. I’ve never seen “The Hangover.” You might think anything with an iconic “Vegas, baby!” trek would be automatic for me, but life fills up, and this is one movie I missed. …
New WMS slot games are out of this world
The Martians are coming! They’re after Earth’s monumental treasures, and a few women, for good measure. Can you stop them? Perhaps you can — with a chicken or a pig. Or maybe you don’t want to stop them. Maybe you’d rather join the invaders. Take …Read More
Casinos slot in on paybacks
Usually at this time of month, I report on a casino visit. In March, a hospital stay got in the way. I’m fine, but I didn’t get out to make the rounds. Instead, I did a little number-crunching, since we’re long overdue for a look …Read More
Three-zero wheel ups the house advantage
Anna was a casual acquaintance in college, a friend of a friend of a friend who I used to run into at the odd party. I was more than a little surprised to receive a message from her via Facebook — and then I saw …Read More
