Regarding the postcard you sent incognito with personal and confidential penned on the bottom, I’m kinda hoping that this isn’t a career move on your part.

And yet, since inquiring minds besides yourself probably want to know, cheating at cards can be done a whole host of ways, such as collusion, sleight-of-hand movements like bottom stacking the deck, the use of physical objects such as marked cards, cold decks or holdout devices.

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Even though I left Detroit in 1994, I still go online to read the Detroit News and your column. One thing I do not understand is what the fascination with slot machines is. You, insert coin, pull lever, insert coin, pull lever, insert coins, etc. it seems almost mind numbing. I only play blackjack because to me at least, I have more of a say in the outcome than just, insert coin, pull lever, insert coin. Am I missing something? Am I mistaken or is Blackjack the one game with the highest degree of self-determined outcome?

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I’m hoping you can clear up a question that’s been bothering me for long time. I’ve noticed so many times on 50 and 100-play video poker machines that when dealt two pair, I get few full houses. They seem rigged! It seems like the 50 and 100-play have different programming. One VP expert has said they are programmed similar to a slot machine. Is that true?

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Could you please explain the ace as it relates to poker, both using it as high or low, and using it in a straight? Also, can the Ace ever be used in this scenario: Queen-King-Ace-2-3 to form a straight? Ray W.


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I am surprised at how many players truly don’t know the hand rankings when playing poker. For example, a flush versus a straight seems to fool a lot of players. Anyhow, how about a list of hand rankings and some examples so that we can laminate them and post it for our always-friendly Thursday night game?

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I once heard that “breaking the bank” had something to do with a misbehaving roulette wheel that paid off vast sums of money to the person who figured out that it was malfunctioning. Is that where the term “breaking the bank” came from in relation to casino gambling?

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What are your thoughts on the double up feature of video poker? Is there any limit to the amount of times you can double up? Is it a good bet?

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I consider myself your typical blackjack player, out there to have some fun, and like you always say in your column, only spend the money that I can afford to lose. But lately it seems I’m losing more money at blackjack, and I think it is due to continuous shuffling machines. Do these machines affect the odds in blackjack?

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