Casino Floor
When a familiar pay table disappears
A machine's title can remain familiar while its available schedules change.
THE DRAW JOURNAL
130 STORIESThe complete archive.
Every story, every perspective. Explore the full collection.
Strategy
A royal-draw quiz prompts disagreement
Reader disagreement can expose an unstated assumption or a missed detail in a hand.
Casino Floor
A rare round of good news from the casino floor
Robison's 2023 column reports a welcome set of developments at Red Rock after a period of cutbacks.
Strategy
A different kind of choice in Pick'em Poker
Pick'em uses a decision structure that differs from the familiar five-card discard-and-draw screen.
Strategy
A straight draw challenges a low pair
This archive quiz reduces the decision to two recognizable alternatives without making them interchangeable.
Strategy
Where luck ends and the decision begins
Video poker combines an uncertain deal with a choice about which cards to retain.
Strategy
What does the best game mean for a reader?
The phrase best game can refer to a pay table, a preferred pace or a familiar strategy.
Strategy
Variance and the risk of running out
A game's average return is only one part of the experience of playing it.
Strategy
Another angle on video poker volatility
Two games can look alike on a cabinet while distributing their payouts very differently.
Strategy
Should a player trust auto-hold?
An automatic suggestion is still a decision made under a particular set of rules.
Player Stories
A losing stretch does not create a deadline
A run of disappointing hands can make a recovery feel inevitable.