Blackjack Strategy
Blackjack, the card game that adds a dash of European style to American casinos is easy enough: At the begin of all round you get 2 cards and so does the dealer, 1 of which is shown. Keep drawing cards until you hit a total value of 21 or quit merely before you go over the limit and bust. It’s you against the dealer and whoever comes out on top gets the winnings. At 1st glance the game seems 1 of chance an intuition. After all, you cannot know what card is coming up next. However 1 of the reasons that Blackjack is so common is that there is a strong element of skill involved. Rather than merely trusting to blind luck you can play your cards wisely and hopeful leave the table with a fist full of dollars.
Perhaps the most key thing to bear in mind is that what matters is not merely your card value but also the dealer’s shown card. Winning is all about assessing your hand against the dealer’s potential hand. Because the dealer has to hit on sixteen or stand on seventeen you can use this to plan out your strategy. The higher the dealer’s shown card the stronger his hand is and the more trouble your are in.
Here is a swift list of possible cards showing in the dealer’s hand and what they mean for you:
Ace: Huge trouble. This round is going to be the dealer’s unless you have spectacular luck.
10 or face card: Bad news for you. The dealer is in a strong position.
9 : Things aren’t looking good. The dealer has got the upper hand here.
7 or 8: Loosen up a bit, you can beat the dealer on this round if you play things right.
4 to 6: The dealer has got that sinking feeling. This hand looks like it will be yours.
2 to 3: Be careful. It could go either way, so play cautious.
Always draw a card if your total is less than eleven because there is no danger of you busting. As a general rule you ought always stand if your hand is 17 or higher. If you are on thirteen to 16 only draw a card if the dealer is showing seven or better.
If you hand totals twelve you ought take a hit unless the dealer is showing four to 6. In this case the dealer might very well bust so you ought sit tight and wait for that to happen.
If you play your Blackjack right you can narrow the home odds down to nearly even and with merely a tiny luck, you can come out ahead.
Blackjack Variations
Blackjack Variations
Blackjack baby! I love this game. Most players I’ve come across are only familiar with the general variety played. But, that’s not all there is. Blackjack is a diverse game with a rich history. As such, they are different variations of the game-even if subtle ones.
Before playing any game of Blackjack (or any casino game) it’s important to know the rules and the payouts. Nothing could be worse than having a huge bet out there and being told that you can’t do something, like split Aces and hit. That’s the pits. Know the game before you play. Ask if you must. Online Blackjack is easier, because all the rules are usually just a click away. And the rules are vital if you plan on playing some sort of system. Not all systems are universal.
One variation of Blackjack is European Blackjack. It’s played with two decks. Unlike some places on the Las Vegas Strip (unless they offer this variation), the dealer must stand on a soft 17. Oh, and here’s a big difference. You can only double down on 9 and 11. That’s right. So, if you have an Ace and an 8 with the dealer showing a 6, you can’t double.
For most people, this limitation is no big deal. But, it can be tough to swallow for the more aggressive player. Another aggressive player killer is the fact that you can’t double down after a split no matter what. In this version of Blackjack, the house has a 0.39% advantage.
Moving on, we come to Atlantic City Blackjack. This version of Blackjack is always played with eight decks via a shoe. As with Euro Blackjack, the dealer must stand on soft 17. And that’s how Downtown Las Vegas plays it too. Splitting is allowed, but only up to three hands. And you can double on the first two cards after splitting too.
Another interesting option is late surrender, which is allowed in the Atlantic City version. The house advantage is slightly lower at 0.35%.
And that brings us to Double Exposure Blackjack, which is a crowd favorite-at least at first. You can see both dealer cards. Easy win right? Not so fast. The dealer wins all ties. Yep, no pushes, you just lose. It’s the price to pay for knowing what the dealer has.
Another feature that I don’t personally like is Blackjack payouts only paying even money. There’s no bonus at all, which kind of ruins the game for me. The game is played with a shoe that holds 8 decks and the dealer hits on soft 17.
Even though the dealer shows both cards, the house advantage nearly doubles the previous two versions we talked about. It’s 0.69%.
How To Play Keno
Keno is one of the easiest gambling games to play. When you learn how to play Keno, you’ll be able to find a Keno game in just about any Las Vegas casino hall or online casino. Similar to Lotto, Keno originated in China and was brought to the United States by Chinese immigrants in the mid-1800s. One of the best reasons to learn how to play Keno is the potential payout: in most online casinos, a $1 bet can pay out up to $50,000 in winnings. The rules for how to play Keno are just as simple as playing your state’s lottery.
Would you like to know how to play Keno? There are no cards involved in this simple game of chance. Keno play consists of selecting a minimum of four and a maximum of ten numbers, called spots, between 1 and 80. Your game is called according to the number of spots you select; for instance, if you pick eight numbers, you’re playing 8-spot Keno. Winning numbers for each Keno game are randomly selected, and winners are determined by how many of your numbers match the winning numbers. In some cases, such as in 10-spot Keno, payouts are given if you don’t match any of the numbers. If you know how to play the lottery, you know how to play Keno!
Generally, there are two options for how to play Keno. In most Las Vegas casinos there are Keno lounges specially designated for playing the game. Screens called Keno boards are located in the lounge and display the results of each Keno draw. Most casinos hold Keno draws every ten or twenty minutes. For players who want to participate in Keno outside the lounge, Vegas casinos have Keno screens throughout the hall to display the results, and employees called Keno runner circulating through the crowds, who will collect your ticket and deliver your winnings. Knowing how to play Keno means you’ll always have something going on when you’re at the casino!
Another method for how to play Keno is video Keno. This is the version available for online casino play. Video Keno is similar to live Keno, except you don’t have to wait ten minutes between games. Like a slot machine, you can play video Keno as many times in a row as you wish. The payouts for video Keno can be as high as $100,000 on a $1 wager. Video Keno is available at just about every online casino. So, now you know how to play Keno. See you at the boards!
How to Play Flip Cup
Even though flip cup is a gambling game like baccarat it is not played in any of the best online casinos or land based casinos. Flip Cup is played on a long flat table. The flip cup table should be level to make things fair and plastic but it does not have to be.
Each flip cup team is made up of 5 or more players. Each player has a plastic keg cup in front of them. The plastic cup is then filled up about 1/3 of the way with beer or whatever alcoholic beverage you have agreed on before the start of the game. in the center of the table is the penalty pitcher. Generally the penalty pitcher is filled with beer but some people like to use something harder a pitcher of whiskey sour or something else made with hard alcohol.
When all the cups are filled, each player takes their position. Flip cup is a relay race so before the game one end of the table is designated as the start and the other is the finish.
An impartial observer is needed to call the start of the race. When he calls go the first drinker for each team will drink the contents of their cup as fast as they can then they will place the cup right side up with part of the bottom of the cup hanging past the edge of the table. Then using a finger they will try to flip the cup one half rotation so that the open end is down on the table. Only when the cup has been properly flipped so that the cup is now standing on its own can the next player begin to drink their drink and try to flip their cup.
The real betting on flip cup is not done by the players. The real fun of the game is done by the people watching. Observers can bet on the game in the same manner as you would bet in baccarat. You can bet on a team to win, loose or tie. It is very rare for 2 teams to tie in flip cup.
But unlike in Baccarat there are some other bets you can make you can also bet on which of the first 2 players will flip their cup first.
After the round is over there is usually a 5 min break for the losing team to drink the penalty pitcher. Then all the cups are filled again a new penalty pitcher is put on the table and the teams line up again.
So betting can be done on who will get real drunk the fastest or who will vomit first. The things you can bet on are only limited by your imagination.
How To Play Craps
Aside from Poker and perhaps even Roulette, Craps is one of the more well known casino games, both in the real and virtual gambling world. Craps’ simplicity and excitement draw both amateur and professional gamblers and the monetary stakes vary, attracting both average players and high rollers. The unique aspect of craps is that is not limited to the casino, but craps can also be played at house parties and even on street corners. This is what makes the game of craps so popular because anyone can learn how to play it and it introduces gambling to circles outside of the casino.
Craps is easy to learn as the rules are not very complex. Oftentimes, the only prerequisites for a good game of craps are a pair of dice and a few people. The excitement of playing in a casino, either online or in an actual facility is that the excitement of the crowd surrounding the craps table often fuels the game.
To begin a game, the player makes a passline bet. The bet is played before the dice are rolled. If you roll a 7, you’ve won. If you roll a 2, 3 or 12, you lose. Any other number you roll becomes what known as the point number. If you roll a point number, you must roll that number again before rolling a 7 or an 11 to win. If you roll 7 again before rolling the point number, you lose.
Players can make additional bets in addition to the first bet, a move that is known as the odds bet. This means that the casino loses the usual house edge and the game begins to be played on real odds, versus an edge one way or another.
Before beginning any game of craps, especially in the casino, check out other players first to learn different tips and strategies. If you are playing craps in an online gambling room, then be sure to check out rules and regulations and take advantage of any classes or other educational materials about the game. The best success stories in gambling are those who learned everything about the game they play. Craps is no different. Learn all of the tips and tricks of the game of craps to be truly successful and win big. And for casino amateurs, craps can be the best way to start on a really big roll.
