Posted in: Foreign mahjong pro becomes force on local gaming scene See in context
Hi. This is the author, Benjamin. Thank you all for reading and commenting on my article. I've responded to comments on my blog. The link is at the bottom of the article.
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Posted in: An addict’s guide to pachinko See in context
This is a very entertaining article and a great introduction to Pachinko for beginners. But I'd recommend readers beware of the "strategies" recommended by the author. For a self-proclaimed "addict" of Pachinko, Mr. Van Bakel gets a lot wrong.
Pachinko balls are "rented" (bought) for 4 yen a piece, not "about 15 yen." If a player wins, he sells those balls back to the parlor for a rate which is almost always lower than the original 4 yen. The most common rate until a little while ago was 2.5 yen. This means that if you bought 100 balls and then traded in 125, you'd come out BEHIND. In general, you need to make back over 140% of your original "investment" to come out ahead in Pachinko. This is why Pachi-pros play for so long.
Alternatively, one of the worst things you can do in Pachinko is play in short spurts, or cash out immediately after winning. And yet, the author recommends both of these "strategies." I wish I had a nicer way to put this, but he's just dead wrong.
Who is this guy, anyways? Googling his name turns up almost nothing. A pseudonym?
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Posted in: Pachinko academy draws in students See in context
It's a fairly open secret that the money from Pachinko doesn't flow to gangsters or, for the most part, North Korea. It goes to police amakudari. Just don't say that in public in Japan.
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Posted in: Japanese gamblers love hunches See in context
cow76, Don't misquote the article.
after a player sits down at the machine, skill is practically nonexistent
There's plenty skill in picking a machine and deciding how long to play.
Incidentally, the other article's strategy tips are pretty suspect.
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Posted in: Hit TV satire reveals how Japanese society has changed
Being a communist,is a political affiliation,not a reflection of their character
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