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Choose a casino game:
Black Jack
Video Poker
Craps
Baccarat
Slots
Roulette
Black Jack
This table represents an approach to maximize your chances of winning in Blackjack. Many studies have been performed to ascertain the best strategy. At the end of the day, as much as you increase your chances by playing well, this is still a game of chance and much will depend on your luck with the cards on any given day.
| Players Hand: | Dealers Hand: | | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | A | | 17 | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | | 16 | S | S | S | S | S | H | H | H | H | H | | 15 | S | S | S | S | S | H | H | H | H | H | | 14 | S | S | S | S | S | H | H | H | H | H | | 13 | S | S | S | S | S | H | H | H | H | H | | 12 | H | H | S | S | S | H | H | H | H | H | | 11 | D/H | D/H | D/H | D/H | D/H | D/H | D/H | D/H | D/H | H | | 10 | D/H | D/H | D/H | D/H | D/H | D.H | D/H | D/H | H | H | | 9 | H | D/H | D/H | D/H | D/H | H | H | H | H | H | | 8 or less | H | H | H | H | H | H | H | H | H | H | | Soft 19 | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | | Soft 18 | S | D/S | D/S | D/S | D/S | S | S | H | H | H | | Soft 17 | H | D/H | D/H | D/H | D/H | H | H | H | H | H | | Soft 16 | H | H | D/H | D/H | D/H | H | H | H | H | H | | Soft 15 | H | H | D/H | D/H | D/H | H | H | H | H | H | | Soft 14 | H | H | H | D/H | D/H | H | H | H | H | H | | 13 | S | S | S | S | S | H | H | H | H | H | | 12 | H | H | S | S | S | H | H | H | H | H | | 11 | D/H | D/H | D/H | D/H | D/H | D/H | D/H | D/H | D/H | H | | 10 | D/H | D/H | D/H | D/H | D/H | D.H | D/H | D/H | H | H | | 9 | H | D/H | D/H | D/H | D/H | H | H | H | H | H | | 8 or less | H | H | H | H | H | H | H | H | H | H | | Soft 19 | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | | Soft 18 | S | D/S | D/S | D/S | D/S | S | S | H | H | H | | Soft 17 | H | D/H | D/H | D/H | D/H | H | H | H | H | H | | Soft 16 | H | H | D/H | D/H | D/H | H | H | H | H | H | | Soft 15 | H | H | D/H | D/H | D/H | H | H | H | H | H | | Soft 14 | H | H | H | D/H | D/H | H | H | H | H | H | | Soft 13 | H | H | H | D/H | D/H | H | H | H | H | H | | 2,2 | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP | H | H | H | H | | 3,3 | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP | H | H | H | H | | 4,4 | H | H | H | SP | SP | H | H | H | H | H | | 5,5 | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | H | H | | 6,6 | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP | H | H | H | H | H | | 7,7 | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP | H | H | H | H | | 8,8 | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP | | 9,9 | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP | S | SP | SP | S | S | | 10,10 | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | | A,A | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP | Key:
H=hit S=stand D=double down P=pair split X/Y=Do X if allowed, otherwise do Y
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Video Poker
Some basics:
Play with maximum coins:
Most games allow playing one to five coins or credits, but the maximum jackpot is paid only if you play five coins. Typically, the royal flush pays only 250-for-1 with short coin play, but a five-coin royal pays 4,000 coins, which is 800-for-1. If you can't afford to play five coins then look for a lower denomination machine with the same payoff schedule.
Always holding something - a longstanding myth:
Probably the most common playing error, particularly in wild card games. It may seem like a waste throwing away all five cards, but if none of the available card combinations is listed in the strategy chart then your best play is a five-card redraw. Try it out.
Holding a "kicker":
In live draw poker it's sometimes correct to hold an ace or other high card when drawing to a pair or to three of a kind, but in video poker it's a very costly error. Two pair pays the same no matter what the card ranks, and holding that kicker just reduces the chances of improving the hand. In Deuces Wild, remember that each card held means one less chance of drawing a wild card.
Don’t sacrifice a winning hand for a long shot:
The chance of making that Royal Flush by pulling two or three cards is not very good. It is well advised to not go for it if your hand is yielding something that will pay out, albeit not the progressive jackpot.
Playing too fast:
It's easy to overlook some things when playing too quickly.
Craps
Before exploring some of the ways that the Player can take advantage of this game let us summarise some of the possible bets. Craps is probably one of the most difficult games to get to know, but once understood it is without doubt one of the most enjoyable, and it also offers some of the best odds for the Player.
Pass Line Bets:
A pass line bet is placed on the field labeled "PASS LINE" on the craps table before the come out roll. A wager on the pass line wins if the come out roll is 7 or 11, and loses if 2, 3 or 12 is rolled. If 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 are rolled, that number becomes "the point." To win the pass line bet, the shooter must roll the point again before rolling a 7. If the shooter rolls a 7 before rolling the point again, your pass line bet loses. A winning pass line bet pays even money (1 to 1). Once the point has been established, unresolved pass line bets may not be removed or reduced. They can only be resolved with a roll of the point or 7.
Don't Pass Line Bets:
A don't pass line bet is essentially the reverse of a pass line bet, and is placed on the craps table in the "DON'T PASS BAR" before the come out roll. If the shooter rolls 2 or 3 on the come out roll, a don't pass line bet wins. However, if the come out roll is 7 or 11, don't pass line bets lose. If the come out roll is 12, a don't pass line bet is returned to the player in a push. If the come out roll is 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10, that number becomes the point. Once the point has been established, don't pass line bets win if the shooter rolls a 7 before rolling the point again. If the shooter rolls the point again before rolling a 7, don't pass line bets lose. A winning don't pass line bet pays even money (1 to 1).
Come Bets:
Once a point has been established by the come out roll, a come bet is placed in the "COME" bar on the craps table. The rules for come bets are essentially the same as pass line bets. Come bets win if the shooter's next roll is 7 or 11, and lose if the roll is 2, 3, or 12. If the shooter rolls 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10, that number becomes "the come point," and the dealer will move the come bet from the "COME" bar on the craps table to the box corresponding to the come point: "4, 5, six, 8, nine, or 10". If the shooter rolls the come point again before rolling a 7, the come bet pays even money. The come bet will stay in place until the come point or a 7 is rolled. Similarly to the pass line bet, unresolved come bets may not be removed or reduced. They must be resolved by a roll of the come point or 7.
Don't Come Bets:
A don't come bet is essentially the opposite of a come bet, which is placed after the come out roll in the "DON'T COME" bar on the craps table. Don't come bets win when the shooter's next roll is 2 or 3, and lose if the roll is 7 or 11. If the shooter rolls a 12, the bet will be returned to the player in a push. If the roll is 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10, that number becomes "the come point," and the dealer will move the don't come bet from the "Don't Come Bar" to the left corner of the narrow, uppermost bar over the box corresponding to the come point: "4, 5, six, 8, nine, or 10". After the come point is established, don't come bets win even money if 7 is rolled and lose if the come point is rolled. Don't come bets will stay in place until the come point or a 7 is rolled. However, unresolved don't come bets may be removed.
Odds Bets:
An "odds" bet is a "back up" bet on an original pass line bet, don't pass line bet, come bet, or don't come bet. The maximum odds bet is 3 times your original bet.
Some Ideas to shorten the odds:
In most casino games the idea is to take advantage off the ‘hot streaks’ that invariably occur. In Craps these streaks are generally characterised by extended passes of the dice. This means the shooter continues to roll, often for many minutes without the dice being passed on. One can normally take advantage of these streaks by playing the Pass Line, backing that bet with Free Odds bets, and placing multiple Come bets, also with Free Odds.
Aggressive players tend to make Come bets on every roll until all the point numbers are covered. This gives them the opportunity to win many bets in a short period of time, provided the shooter continues to roll without hitting a 7. This approach is fairly risky. A better strategy would be to place a maximum of two Come bets, which, along with the original Pass Line bets, sees three numbers always working for the Player. When one of the points is made and the bet is paid off, the player places another Come bet to keep three numbers working.
When a point has been established on the come-out roll, any player who has made a pass line bet is allowed to "take the odds." This is an additional wager, up to the amount of your original wager, that the point number will be repeated before a 7 is rolled. This is the best bet one can make in the game of craps, because the house has no built-in advantage. Some casinos permit players to make double odds, and even greater odds wagers.
Baccarat
Some things to consider when playing Baccarat:
- The casino takes a commission whenever a player wins a bet placed on the banker side. This is because betting on the banker holds an inherent advantage.
- The card that is face-up on the table is a show of how many cards the dealer will burn. If the card turned up is a four, the dealer will burn four cards.
- First and third cards are dealt to the player. Second and fourth cards are dealt to the banker.
- Suit is irrelevant in baccarat.
- For any total over nine, only the last digit is taken - for example, a total composed of a six of clubs and a six of diamonds is two. If either the player or the banker has a total of eight or nine, it's called a "natural" and automatically wins - unless the other hand also has a natural, in which case the two hands tie.
- If the player holds a total of less than six or seven, the player draws.
It is advised to avoid tie bets as they give the house a significant advantage. By sticking to only the banker and player bets, the house advantage will remain at a minimum, thereby maximizing your chances of winning.
Slots
Slot machines generally reward players for playing the maximum number of coins. A jackpot may pay 1000 coins with 1 coin played, but 4000 coins when 3 coins are played. To not have to spend more than you budgeted and still benefit from the advantage of playing maximum coins it is worth considering playing a machine that accepts lower-value coins.
Play at casinos that advertise the best payback percentages. These casinos are eager for your business and are willing to reward you with better payouts.
If you’re playing a progressive machine, remember that you'll probably have to bet the maximum number of coins to be eligible to win the big jackpot.
Roulette
Roulette is a statistical game where the odds are pretty fair. In a game of chance using a system is no guarantee of winning, but a well devised roulette system can streamline your losses, control your winnings and have a strategy that will give you an opportunity to be a winner.
For an efficient betting strategy aim to win more money in fewer winning spins. This is because systems that rely on sequential or conditional probability do not produce successful results. Each spin is a new spin and the outcome is never determined by prior spins. Therefore the probability for a possible outcome is the same for each spin and a probability advantage cannot be generated.
For example: Which outcome has a higher probability after seven successive Reds, Red again or Black?
The probable answer is Black.
Incorrect! After seven successive Reds, a Red is as likely to come up as a Black. The roulette wheel has no memory and it does not keep record of previous results. This is what many gamblers find hard to believe. This misconception has been around for many years and will probably be around for as many more years. It is known as the gambler's fallacy.
Tip: If you are influenced by previous results, then learn to bet with the outcome and not against it. You will eventually realize that it makes no difference. If anything, the 'law of unequal distribution' will be on your side.
In Roulette the two major factors that determine how much you win or lose are:
Your luck on the day and Deciding when is the best time to quit. Therefore, for a roulette system to have a degree of success it has to be linked to luck and tell you exactly when to quit.
More Tips: 1. Play a few numbers every spin. 2. Increase your bet when you win and not when you lose. 3. Quit while ahead and limit your losses.
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