Plenty
of Wampum Needed for
a Royal
How much money is
needed for a bankroll
before I can expect
to hit a royal flush?
Blackjack
Doubling Down Outpaces
the Insurance Bet
Far too many players
don't double, fearing
that losing the extra
bets might wreak havoc
on their bankrolls
Ultimate Texas Hold'em
101
ShuffleMaster's Ultimate
Texas Hold'em pretty
much has it all, aggressive
betting, yet the ability
to check through the
river, optional Trips
bonus bet, and yes,
those bad beats and
miracle draws.
Royal
Match blackjack
The casino's advantage
on a Royal Match bet
depends on the number
of decks used.. If
playing on a six-deck
shoe game, the casino
advantage is 6.67%.
On an eight-deck game,
the house edge is
slightly lower at
6.46%.
Odds
And Payout Video Poker
VS Live Poker
Are the paybacks and
odds the same on Table
Master's Three Card
Poker video machine
as that of playing
on a live game with
a live dealer?
Table
Master Multiple Player
Table Games
Table Master games
nearly doubles the
number of hands played
per hour. Called "incremental
game speed,"
the more hands you
are exposed to the
built-in house advantage
on any of the Table
Master games.
Poker
The Over Sized Chip
Rule
The
over-sized chip rule
also applies when
more than one chip
is necessary to call
a bet, and when the
last chip tendered
might be interpreted
as a raise.
Blackjack
Thorp's Card Counting
Theory
Thorp's theory was
based on counting
cards with a value
of 10. In a deck of
52 cards, there are
36 non -10-value cards
and 16 10-value cards,
After each shuffle,
the deck stands at
2.25 to one which
slightly favors the
house.
Blackjack
Switch
Blackjack Switch,
it is a mutant form
of blackjack where
a player is dealt
two hands and is allowed
to trade cards between
hands.
Let
It Ride Poker
Let It Ride is a variation
of five-card stud
poker where the player
wagers on a poker
hand consisting of
three cards in the
player's hand and
two community cards
in the dealer’s
hand.
Pulling
The Slot Card
A player pulls
the slot card from
the reader before
hitting the Draw button
on a hand that has
potential for a big
payoff.
Can Video Blackjack
Stiff You
Can video blackjack
machines be programmed
to recognize a larger
amount bet and then
stiff you accordingly?
The
Taxman Cometh
The casino's decision
to issue a Form W2-G,
Certain Gambling Winnings,
or a Form 1099-Misc.,
Miscellaneous Income,
does not affect the
nature of the winnings
or the deductibility
of losses for tax
purposes.
No
Hole Blackjack
Any blackjack game
in which the dealer
does not take a second
card until after all
player hands are finished
is
PERFECT
BASIC STRATEGY - not
just a pretty slogan
In passing, most players
try to take on the
casino with too small
a bankroll. Your bankroll
is the amount of money
that you are willing
to put at risk, knowing
that there is a reasonable
possibility that you...
Roulette
Odds
How the house does
get its edge in
roulette.
The
Smarter You Play,
the Luckier You'll
Be
Unless you're making
wagers that have a
casino advantage of
two percent or less,
you're like a greyhound
at the track, chasing
Rusty, the fake rabbit
of gambling riches.
Video
Poker Stay Put ?
Many
players erroneously
believe that if they
had stayed put and
inserted just five
more coins, or had
pressed the play button
on a coinless machine
one more time, that
royal -- that someone
else fortuitously
hit -- would have
been theirs.
Switcheroo
Allowed with this
BJ Hybrid
Players miscalling
their hands. And a
game called BlackJack
Switch.
Free
Money When Using Match
Play
Match Play coupons
are often found in
casino fun books and
can often be had by
going up to the casino
cage and just asking
for one.
Marked
Cards Juicing A Deck
Do the casinos check
for marked cards after
they are taken from
the table
Mississippi
Stud Poker
Mississippi Stud is
but another poker
variant in which each
player receives a
mix of face-down and
face-up cards.
Pai
Gow Poker, The Second
Hand
I have noticed that
those who play the
Dragon do so depending
on the circumstances
and their style of
play.
Craps
A Bad Call
In a frenzied game
like craps, the stickman
needs to make a lickety-split
decision that is not
always favorable to
the player.
Quirky
Quickies From The
Mailbag
What happens at
a blackjack table
if every player refuses
to cut the deck? How
do they determine
the house edge in
roulette? Do blackjack
machines use a random
number generator just
like a video poker
machine does? And
More..
What
Are The Odds
A
player early in the
evening got four aces
and the king of spades
to win the hand. Later
on, he got the exact
same hand? What are
the chances of that
occurring?
Easy
Card Counting System
For Blackjack
Card counting, is
not restricted to
any one method. The
central idea is simply
that a deck rich in
high cards favors
the player and a deck
rich in low cards
favors the dealer.
The
Joker in Pai Gow
The rank of the a
Joker when it applies
to a flush.
Getting
A Cold Deck
Secretly slipping
a stacked deck into
the game can provide
a great potential
payoff for the card
cheat.
The
Art Of A Card Mechanic
In a poker game with
a card mechanic here
are a few things to
look out for.
Your
Odds Doubling Up Playing
Video Poker
Like the odds bet
in craps, the Double
Up wager is one of
the few casino bets
offered that doesn't
have a house edge.
Some
Worthy Wagers
I'm new to casino
gambling and would
like to find something
in the casino that
is very easy to play
(where no brains are
needed), and the house
edge isn't sky-high.
Is it slots, or is
there something else?
Breaking
The Bank
Joseph Jagger was
the first famous gambler
to get some publicity
in 1873 for breaking
the bank, but, it
was a con artist,
a public relations-thirsty
casino owner, a song,
and a music hall star
that made the term
"Break the Bank"
most memorable.
50
And 100 Play Video
Poker Machines
Why is it that every
time I play 50 and
100 play video poker
machines, I make less
money than when I
play your standard
video poker machine?
Pokers
Handy Glossary
A quick refresher
of these contentious
poker rules that seem
to pop up at some
not-so-friendly kitchen
table games.
Poker
And The Ace
That Ubiquitous Ace
as it relates to poker,
both using it as high
or low, and using
it in a straight.
A
slot I had just left
hits jackpot.
If I had played just
three more quarters,
that $10,000 jackpot
would have been mine.
No even gluing your
hopeful fanny to that
same machine's stool
would not have given
you that $10,000 jackpot.
Why?
Those
near misses in slots
We've all been there
seeing the winning
combinations on a
slot appearing more
often than would occur
randomly coincidence
or not?
Craps
And Hop Bets
Hop proposition bets,
How they are played
and the odds.
Craps
The Casino Advantage
In Hardways
The actual odds, pitted
against the player's
payout, determines
what the casino's
advantage is on a
hardway bet, and NOT
how many more ways
you can roll an easy
6 or 8 versus 4 and
10. Let's examine
this further.
Pyramid
poker
A simplified version
of Pai Gow poker,
where, instead of
seven cards, three
cards are dealt to
each player.
Blackjack
Card Counting And
The Shuffle
The disadvantage a
blackjack player has
who counts cards against
continuous shuffle
machines and online
poker.
Poker
Blind Bets and Video
Poker Odds
Poker blind bets how
much they cost the
players that are forced
to pay them. Video
poker the odds of
hitting a Triple Play
video poker machine
vs. single-hand machine.
Texas
Hold'em The Five Card
Rule
When two people both
make a flush, and
the highest card is
shared, is the pot
split, or is the tie
broken by the second
highest card in each
flush?
Blackjack
Does The Number Of
Players Matter
The house edge remains
the same in blackjack
if there are one,
two, three, or even
five players on the
table. However…...
Slots
Playing Max Coins
Next time you're front
and center of a one-armed
bandit, give the paytable
a once-over.
Video
Poker Paytables
Shopping for value
and playing on video
poker machines with
the best paytables.
Poker
"Could have been"
should cost
"What if"
players should shove
their chips in the
middle if they want
to see whether they
would have hit their
straight.
Baccarat
Counting Cards
Baccarat
is a card game with
one major similarity
to blackjack, Once
the cards are dealt,
they are then placed
in a discard rack
and do not reappear
until the shuffle.
Blackjack
Card Counting And
The Cut
Premature shuffling
destroys the advantageous
situation counters.
The successful card
counter avoids the
early shuffling.
Is
Video Poker Considered
A True Draw.
Yes or no, would video
poker on a machine
be considered a true
"draw" poker
game?
The
Best Bets On A Craps
Game
The only bets you
really want to make
on a crap table.
Don't
Confuse The House
Edge And Casino Hold
Casino operators know
all too well that
such cautious behavior
has negative implications
on the casino's hold.
Max
Coins Advice
For almost all multiple-pay
and multiple-play
machines, the maximum
coin line tends to
yield a better percentage
payback.
Should
You Really Split Your
8s In Blackjack
If the dealer in a
strong position the
good common sense
your momma raised
you with tells you
that splitting this
hand just creates
two losers.
Why
The Casinos Charge
Tax On Baccarat
The banker and
the noncommissioned
player hand are two
of the best bets on
the casino floor.
Deal
or No Deal Game Show
Your Odds Of Winning
Deal or No Deal taps
into the most basic
human emotions: greed,
a desire to improve
one's situation.It's
something we can all
relate to, and one
we all play in life
differently.
Texas
Hold'em maximum amount
of players
Theoretically,
Texas Hold'em can
be played by up to
22 players (44 player
cards, three burn
cards, and five community
cards.
Roulette
Placing A Split Bet
Placing
a split bet on the
0 and 00 in roulette
makes zero difference
to the house edge.
The casino advantage
of 5.26% applies when
splitting the 0 and
00.
Advantages
Of Video Blackjack
Video blackjack
the advantages and
disadvantages of playing.
Craps
Dice Control The Golden
Arm
I fly on the side
of gaming folklore,
and hold that it ain't
so. Others in the
betting house biz
disagree.
Hooked
on Winning tapes
You were just
checking on your readers
to see if we are alert
enough to gamble,
right?
Roulette
Adding Chips To A
Winning Number
One time Yours
Truly had such a hustler
on a game that was
graced with the hands
of a magician. He
could get chips on
or off a table without
me even noticing.
Craps
Field Bet And The
House Edge
On a Field bet on
a crap table, some
casinos pay 2-1 if
a 12 rolls, others
pay 3-1.
How
To Determine Your
Eligibility For Casino
Comps
This is but one criterion
a casino would use
to assess your rating
and eligibility for
comps.
Craps
Size Up The Dice
What is the "allowable"
size difference in
a set of five dice
on a craps table?
Craps
Hardway Bet VS Hopping
Hardway
Although
all proposition bets
like a hardway have
high payoffs, the
casino advantage on
them is between 9-11%
Mark
Pilarski Covert Casino
Spy
At
the seven casinos
where I was employed,
none had any problem
with us rank and filers
offering customers
advice,
Las
Vegas legendary lore
Binion's Horseshoe
Casino
Ground zero for
plenty of Las Vegas
legendary lore was
Binion's Horseshoe
Casino.
Card
Shuffling Methods
The three most
commonly used shuffling
methods used in casinos
today.
The
Differences in blackjack
that can cost you
Common Blackjack
Misconceptions That
Needn't Cost Your
Chips
Pai
Pow What To Do With
That Three Pair
How to play three
pairs in Pai Gow Poker.
Payouts
For Pushes On Parlay
Bets
Do pushes on parlay
bets win if you tie
a game?
Changing
progressive slot percentages
Who sets the payout
percentages for large
progressives like
Megabucks?
Blackjack's
Origins The Elusive
History
Just about every
card game has a unique
history, but unfortunately
historians cannot
always uncover the
full trace of a game.
Safeguarding
Your pacemaker In
A Casino
Had to use Area 51's
living legend, Blackjack
Jack for help with
this answer.
Blackjack
Strategy Cards In
Casinos
Do the casinos
really allow you to
look at a blackjack
strategy card while
playing?
Texas
Hold'em What is considered
a Dead Hand
First position is
excited he won, slams
his cards on the table
face up, but one card
falls on the floor.
What is the correct
ruling?
Points
on Poker Etiquette
and Prison
In poker, who is supposed
to show their cards
first at the end of
a hand?
Black
Jack Strategy Doubling
Down
Doubling down
is an offensive strategy
that allows you to
earn more of a profit
than you'd rake in
just by hitting the
hand.
Texas
Hold'em Tie Hands
Breaking A Tie
It is not uncommon
for two or more players
to end up with identical
winning hands.
Four
Card Poker 101 How
To Play
The generalities
of the game, with
a future column focused
on a game plan to
lower the house edge.
Super
Fun 21 Rules How To
Play
This mutant of
blackjack incorporates
a number of liberal
rules and bonuses
not found in conventional
blackjack.
Casino
Chips In The Collection
Basket
More Catholic
churches there than
there are casinos
in Las Vegas
State
Regulations On Indian
Casinos
The Indian Gaming
Regulatory Act Class
I and II gaming.
Blackjack
When To Split Your
Cards
Here are seven
easy basic strategy
rules that apply to
splitting pairs:
Pips,
Paint and Pushka
“pips and
paint" What exactly
is it.
Poker
Tournaments Making
The Final Table
Poker tournaments
involve multiple tables,
and as players are
eliminated, tables
are combined, aiming
at the eventual final
table.
Video
Poker Machines That
Payout
Payouts on video
poker machines are
determined by; 1)
the pay schedule and,
just as importantly
2) how you select
discards.
Poker
Passing The Deal
Players deal for
themselves as opposed
to something you would
see in a poker room.
Poker
Hand Full House Ranking
Full House Rankings
in Poker Hands.
Poker
Table Captain
In a poker room,
is a player ever allowed
to make decisions
regarding rules of
the game?
Tahoe
Poker
Ah, Tahoe! "Every
day a picnic, every
night a party,"
-- a quote, by the
way, I coined years
ago, perhaps eventually
to appear on my tombstone.
Low
Odds Craps Bets /
Wagers
Can a greenhorn
player stick to a
few simple bets instead
of mixing up his wagers
on a crap game?
Best
Bet Craps / Pass line
Bet
a pass line bet
requires limited (actually
zero) knowledge.
Common
Questions While Playing
Craps
The only thing
greener than the felt
on your typical crap
game is not the money
won, but the players.
Whats
A Duke In A Craps
Game?
If someone were
to write a book on
gambling at Lake Tahoe
and didn’t mention
“the Duke,”
they wouldn’t
have done their research.
Setting
Craps Gambling Limits
Bellying up to
a crap table with
$100 and expecting
to win $1,000 is,
at best, unrealistic.
Traditional
Craps Plays
It is time
to let go of your
genealogically inspired
gambling theories.
Pass
Line Bet On The Craps
Table
By using a simple
mathematical formula,
I will prove that
by playing smart,
your play will generally
outperform.
The
House Edge / Craps
Here are the percentages
in favor of the house
for pass line and
come bettors when
you take full advantage
of various odds bets.
Craps
Tables - Nevada and
Atlantic City The
Same?
When the
player bets on the
big 6 or 8,
Gambling
Lingo / Craps Language
90 percent
who visit casinos
deny themselves playing
what many consider
the most engaging,
exhilarating game
the casino has to
offer.
Horn
Bet Craps And Video
Craps
Although proposition
bets have seemingly
lofty payoffs, the
house edge is way
to high too waste
your hard-earned money
on them.
Hardway
Bet Craps Wager
Hard way bets
are much, much higher
and will gourmandize
most of your hard-earned,
hopefully disposable
income.
Don't
Pass Bet/Buy Bet Craps
Wager
The don’t
pass bet (seven rolling
before the point)
is a marginally better
wager—a 1.4 percent
casino advantage.
Psychic
Ability And Craps
All too many players
use the dial-a-psychic
approach on the next
toss of the dice when
something whimsical
happens on the game.
Inspection
Of Craps Dice
How a
pitboss on a craps
game identify loaded
dice.
