Dennis Sean McAndrew, who officially changed his name from Dennis Andrew Nikrasch, but also used at least half a dozen aliases during his lifetime, was the mastermind of the biggest slot machine cheating schemes in history. At the time of his death in 2010, he had the dubious distinction of being in the so-called ‘Black Book’, which lists individuals who are forever banned from casinos, in both Nevada and New Jersey.
In the late seventies and early eighties, when slot machines were electro-mechanical, McAndrew and his accomplices used distraction techniques to take impressions of keys used to open slot machines, fashioned new keys and, later, opened the machines and physically rigged the reels to winning jackpot combinations. Collectively, they stole a reported $25 million a year from Las Vegas casinos.
In 1983, McAndew began an eight-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to using a set of magnets and locksmith tools, dubbed the ‘Nikrasch device’, to illegally manipulate slot machines and defraud Las Vegas casinos. Following his release in 1991, McAndrew adopted more sophisticated methods to cope with the evolution of slot machines in the interim. They still involved opening slot machine cabinets but, rather than physically rigging reels, reprogramming Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory. (EPROM) chips, without removing them from the machine and thereby invalidating security measures.
In 1998, McAndrew was convicted for a second time, for swindling over $6 million from various Las Vegas casinos, including nearly $2 million from the Luxor alone, between September 1996 and November 1997. He had also travelled to Atlantic City, with a view to fraudulently winning a $5 million slot jackpot, only to be foiled when the jackpot was won legimately beforehand. A search of his residence revealed an ‘Aladdin’s Cave’ of slot machines, microchips and other incriminating evidence. McAndrew was sentenced to a further seven-and-a-half years’ imprisonment, of which her served six.
A former computer techncian for the Nevada Gaming Control Board – on whose Excluded Person List his name has appeared since February 20, 1997 – Ronald Dale ‘Ron’ Harris was responsible for series of lucrative and, for the most part, undetected casino scams in the nineties.
Initially, he secretly, and illegally, devised a slot machine rigging program, which was installed by unsuspecting representatives during the checking of the machines in question for correct operation. Once installed, the program allowed the jackpot to be triggered by a predetermined sequence of coins. Between 1993 and 1995, Dale and his partner in crime, Reid Errol McNeal, successfully swindled Las Vegas casinos out of hundreds thousands of dollars.
By late 1994, though, Dale has switched his attention to slot poker and keno machines and devised a program that allowed him to predict winning plays without meddling. That, too, proved successful, reportedly yielding $10,000 from a Las Vegas keno machine in the space of five minutes in December 1994.
However, the subterfugue was ultimately discovered when Harris and McNeal hit a $100,000 keno jackpot at Bally’s Park Place, now Bally’s Atlantic City, in Atlantic City, New Jersey in January 1995. Sloppily, McNeal, who was not carrying identification, requested payment in cash and, when state gaming officials arrived to verify the jackpot – as was legally required – he was arrested.
Harris fled the scene, but left behind damning evidence of the scheme and he, too, was arrested on his return to Las Vegas. Both men were charged with attempted theft by deception, conspiracy and computer theft. Harris was convicted and sentenced to seven years in jail, of which he served two. At the time of sentencing, District Judge Peter Breen told Harris, “There is no question the depth of your betrayal was complete.”
When people start playing a new game they may have every intention of getting good at it. Lots of people like to study the games and learn what skill and strategy is involved rather than just take a wild stab. There are also plenty of people who would rather just play the games and not have to worry about whether they are good or not – those people would probably be best advised to avoid games that have a lot of strategic elements.
Whether someone is looking for a game they can implement a strategy within or one with more random outcomes, casinos have both covered. We’re looking into the strategy-based games and those where people tend to try to influence the games by playing in a certain way.
Poker – A Historic Strategy Game
The thought of strategy games might conjure images of games like Civilization or SimCity. But poker definitely predates these computer games and is synonymous with strategy. Whether it’s Texas Hold’em or one of the different variations this classic game demands a combination of skill and observation to go with the luck of the draw.
Different casinos offer different varieties and each has its own set of rules which should be explored before. Ignition gambling offers numerous varieties for players and some have more strategy involved than others so there is even an element of choice within the niche of poker.
Poker is not quick to learn. Strategy can take a long time to get to grips with but there are a number of resources for people and famous poker players including Dan Negreanu have made courses for aspiring players.
The key to poker is reading opponents and this can come in the form of looking for tells or analyzing betting patterns. The outcome in poker isn’t solely determined by the cards you’re dealt but by how you play them and people have even won some influential hands in poker through the art of bluffing.
It is often a good idea for players to keep other players guessing whether their hand is strong or weak. Bankroll management and understanding the odds are also vital aspects. It’s no wonder poker has spawned countless books and tournaments that a lot of people watch – it’s a game where skill can outmatch luck and one where luck can sometimes change everything.
It is important to remember that poker is unpredictable. Sometimes players may choose to pursue a hand that is not the strongest and the game can totally change at the Flop. This video shows how the changes in the later rounds of a hand can be crucial.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/C9D8qcavwZK/
Blackjack – Taking on the House
Blackjack is a historic game which stands out as another casino game where strategy plays a major role. The objective is simple enough as players just try to beat the dealer’s hand without exceeding 21. The strategic depth lies in knowing when to hit, stand, double down, or split pairs. Decisions can be guided by basic strategy charts and these can outline the theoretically optimal move for every possible hand combination based on the dealer’s visible card.
There is even a fair amount of different mathematics involved in blackjack. The odds of each outcome change all the time whenever a card is drawn. The basics are very simple and this is one of the reasons why people find the game accessible but there is also a layer of strategy and knowledge that players can build up.
Blackjack players have different levels of risk tolerance and some would rather rely on luck more than strategy but it is definitely a game that can be played taking different approaches.
Craps
Craps can look chaotic with its fast pace and variety of betting options. Strategy lies in choosing the bets that may be best in each situation. The wagers have different levels for house edges and some people choose to strategize by playing multiple bets on the same hand.
The outcome of craps is certainly random! It doesn’t get more random than rolling dice. Knowing which bets to place and when to avoid riskier options can make a big difference in craps though. Strategic players often stick to bets that suit their strategy and manage their bankroll carefully.
Conclusion
Poker is probably the very best known of the games that can give a chance to implement some form of strategy. Players can choose to be more conservative or to bluff at the times when they feel like they can win any mind games.
There are other games that have some level of strategy and even complex odds and mathematics behind them. Blackjack is another game where players can strategize by noticing the position they are in when compared to the dealer. Luck always plays a part in games but many players like the fact that they can have an influence and make choices.
If you’re a fan of Hotchip, you’re certainly no stranger to casino games. On the site we review and discuss a wide array of slots games and the like, all with their own unique themes and angles (sports, puzzle, retro etc), and features (nudges, free spins, progressive jackpots). Other online casino games that also have bricks and mortar equivalents such as roulette, blackjack, poker and so on are firm casino favourites here too.
One online casino game you may not have necessarily heard of though if you’re a casual casino goer or gambler is ‘crash gambling’, which are also known as crash games. In crash gambling the player is tasked with betting on a multiplier of their stake that starts at 1.00x and continues upwards until it eventually crashes. Essentially the idea, or hope, for the player is that he or she cashes out before the crash occurs. Like other casino games, there are themes, such as with Aviator where the multiplier and crash is signified by a small plane taking off and eventually crashing, adding to the suspence of it all.
Crash Games are games of chance on account that an algorithm randomly dictates when the multiplier increase stops and the crash occurs (also known as the crash point), as such they are not skill based, but that doesn’t take away from the excitement factor of deciding when to cash out (‘cashing out’ is also a common factor in inplay bets of course). People may of course adopt a crash gambling strategy, but due to its random nature, there may be an element of wishful thinking to it.
There are both real money and crypo bet crash game sites (for those with Bitcoin, Ethereum and other cryptocurrencies), so anyone wanting to give it a go can do so. Some crash games even feature a social element, where there is live chat or a leaderboard, making people feel like they’re in it together as the watch the multiplier and the crash pan out.
When it comes to gambling online, your game of choice is very much an individual decision. It’s almost implied in the name that crash gambling is a high volatility game, but for some that’s part of the attraction with the risk and reward factor front and centre, and swings this way and that due to its random nature. For others betting on roulette in a more methodical nature might hold more appeal. With all that said, it’s undeniable that crash games are by their very nature exciting!
