Category: Articles

Europe’s most popular game, roulette, must be played precisely to provide a chance of winning. Despite a hefty house advantage, players can find games that will be more favourable and, by using simple betting systems, can beat the game.

Roulette players are often the most studious of all gamblers. You’ll find them at the oblong roulette table hunched over a pad, carefully distributing their chips in a predetermined pattern only they understand. As the dealer spins the ball around the wheel, they stare at it as if their hopes and dreams can influence where the ball falls. When their bets are swept away, they turn again to the pad that only records where they’ve been, not where they’re going.

FRENCH TWIST
The roots of roulette can be traced back to prehistoric China and the French monks. In the 17th century, a French scientist, Blaise Pascal, who invented the first calculator, introduced a primitive version of roulette.

It wasn’t until 1842 that Francois and Louis Blanc invented the single “0” roulette game. Ironically, the French brothers were forced to offer the game in Hamburg, Germany, since gambling was illegal in France at the time. The new game decimated the competition, which was offering an earlier version that featured higher odds. After Louis died, Francois was invited by the Prince of Monaco, Charles, after whom Monte Carlo is named, to bring his game to the principality in southern France. Francois and his son Camille developed Monte Carlo into the world-famous resort we know today.

When roulette came to the US in the early 1800s, the Blancs’ improvements were removed, and a double “00” returned. For a while, in fact, slick American operators added a triple “000”, tripling the house advantage and virtually ensuring that Americans would never warm to the game. The European game is today played in the great gambling palaces of Europe by tuxedoed men and elegant women in flowing gowns. It is especially popular with female players who enjoy the glamour of the game.
 
 
TODAY’S REVOLUTIONS
Europe’s most popular game neyer really caught on in the US, perhaps because of the changes that the American casinos made to this glamorous game. While no longer having three zeros, with the extra “0”, American roulette carries one of the heaviest casino advantages in the house, thereby discouraging the popularity it enjoys in Europe. With 38 numbers, players haye to overcome a 5.26 per cent house advantage because whenever “0” and “00” are hit, all bets lose. This is over five times worse than playing the most favourable bets on the craps table, or utilizing blackjack basic strategy.

In Europe, roulette uses only 37 numbers – 36 numbers and one “0”. Even-money bets are placed en prison when “0” is hit. This is an option in which the player loses half the bet, or is permitted to let the bet remain in action, with the results to be determined on the next spin. Because the European version utilizes the en prison rule and a single “0”, the house advantage is a comfortable 1.35 per cent. The only American jurisdiction that offers en prison is Atlantic City, but because casinos there use “0” and “00” the house advantage is halved to 2.7 per cent. (En prison, or surrender, means that if the player has bets on the “outside” – odd/even, high/low, black/red, the dozens or the columns bets – he only loses half his bet when “0” or “00” hits.)
Nonetheless, roulette remains an exciting game, mainly because of the variety of bets available. The 38 numbers in the American game are grouped into colours, columns and sections. The layout looks complicated, but is actually rather simple, once a map is provided. 

The other major blackjack strategy in an on line casino is known as card counting. In this system, the player keeps track of how many high cards remain in the deck. The theory is that high cards are good for the player. It’s true that high cards are also good for the house, but through formulas developed by the Fifties mathematicians and computer programs written by today’s experts, it was determined that players who count cards can actually gain a short-term advantage over the casino.

But because those situations don’t occur that often, playing blackjack professionally can be a grind. Card-counting players must wade through hundreds if not thousands of hands before the odds turn in their favour. And then the counter measures employed by casinos may short circuit their chance to make any serious money.

For the recreational player, basic strategy makes much more sense. While the casual player doesn’t play to lose, he also doesn’t want to cram for an exam to enjoy a visit to a casino.

But the key to the basic strategy is to stick to it; avoid a rush of blood to the head. To be successful at basic strategy, you have to play it faithfully and approach the game confident that your basic strategy will be successful.

Misplaying hands will be the downfall of recreational players. Standing on a hard 12 against a dealer’s upcard of Seven to Ace will cost players as much as 25 per cent of the hands. Hitting a hard 15 against a dealer’s Five or Six upcard costs just as much.

Doubling down on a hard eight against a dealer’s Seven to Ace is a common mistake, costing between 25 per cent and
60 per cent of the player’s bets. But a blackjack player who doesn’t double down on a hard ten or 11 costs himself over 30 per cent of his money.

Splitting cards is often an overlooked aspect of basic strategy. Players who neglect splitting can give away between 16 per cent and 50 per cent depending upon the dealer’s upcard. If you’ve ever tried to split Tens at a blackjack table, it won’t be long before you’re playing alone.

Other players instinctively know that it is one of the worst moves. And the facts back them up. Splitting Tens can give away more than 50 per cent of your bets, depending upon the dealer’s upcard. Even against the Five or Six, the worst upcards for the dealer, splitting Tens costs nearly 20 per cent of your bets.

The lesson is that the basic strategy has proven to be the best blackjack strategy for recreational players. It gives you the best chance to beat the casino. When you go with a feeling or decide to take a shot, you’re helping the casino, and it certainly doesn’t need your help.

Understanding and perfecting basic strategy in blackjack at a casino can make the difference between winning and losing at online gambling in the same way as with 80 Ball Bingo. Outside of poker, where the players compete against each other, not the house, blackjack is the only casino table game where the player can affect the outcome by his skillful play.

While card-counting may yield slightly greater results, basic strategy is much easier and can be mastered by learning a few key rules. Luck still plays a major role in the outcome of playing sessions, but over the long term, basic strategy gives a player the best chance of winning.

Playing situations vary widely at casinos in America. For maximum benefit, the basic strategy should be altered for different conditions. Basic-strategy players looking to get the best of the casino should look for situations where they have the best chance before they even sit down to play.

The single most important variable is the number of packs used. Players want games that use as few decks as possible. One pack is ideal but two or four packs can also provide positive situations. Games dealt with six or eight packs are more difficult to beat. Keep in mind that the number of packs can vary not only from casino to casino, but also from table to table within the same casino.

Rules also vary between jurisdiction, and, ideally, basic strategy should also be altered to account for these differences. The most important rule variation is the dealer hitting or standing on soft 17. In Downtown Las Vegas, for instance, dealers hit a soft 17, which adds to the house advantage. On the Las Vegas Strip and in Atlantic City, dealers stand on all 17’s.

Also important are restrictions on doubling down and splitting pairs. In some casinos, players are only permitted to double down on card totals of 10 and 11, another rule adding to the house advantage. On some Caribbean islands, doubling down is only permitted on 11, further reducing a player’s chance of winning. Other casinos restrict the number of times players can split pairs. Since players theoretically only split pairs when they have the advantage to begin with, the casinos that deny additional splits want to limit their exposure. It is for that reason that many casinos also bar players from doubling down after splitting, another option that adds to the players’ advantage.

Whenever possible, players should look for the most liberal rules when scouting out a positive blackjack situation. The following review of basic strategy is applicable for any playing situation, but players who want to obtain the best chance of winning must remember that different rules and conditions may affect the outcome

The second option to increase your original wager in Blackjack is known as “splitting”. When you receive two cards of the same value, you are allowed to match your original bet, and split the two cards into separate hands. You are not required to split; you can play the hand like any other hand, but in some situations, it is advantageous to make two hands out of a pair. It is entirely up to you.

Each card of the pair becomes the first card of a separate, totally independent, hand, and each bet – the original stake and the second stake – applies only to the hand to which it is attached. The dealer gives one additional card on the first hand, and then takes instructions on additional hits. When that hand is completed, the second hand proceeds in the same manner.

Since the two hands are independent, you may win both, lose both or win one and lose one. To split a hand, place an identical bet next to your original bet. The wager must be the exact amount; it cannot be any more or any less.

Depending upon the rules of the individual casino, you may be able to split hands up to four times. For example, if you have two Eights, split them, and receive a third Eight, you may split that hand to make three independent hands. The rules concerning how many times you may split vary from casino to casino.

The only card that has different splitting rules is the Ace. When you receive two Aces and split them, you only receive one card on each Ace. If that card is a ten-value card, it is simply a count of 21, not a blackjack, which must appear in the first two original cards.

In many casinos, you may also double down after splitting. The same rules apply for doubling down on a split hand as would for an original hand.

PEEKING
In most casinos today, if the dealers have an Ace or a Ten-value card up, they play the hand through, and if they have blackjack, all double down, and split bets are returned to the players who only lose their original bets. Since this wastes time and causes some player discontent, some casinos allow dealers to peek at their hole card to determine whether they have a blackjack. If they have blackjack, they immediately turn it over and take all losing bets, which saves time and aggravation.
 
Occasionally, you can find a dealer who “gives away” the value of his hole card (when he doesn’t have a hole card that completes a blackjack). This is called a “dealer tell”. You have to understand body language or psychology, but this has been one of the most consistent winning blackjack secrets down through the years.

Recently, technology has been employed to speed up the game. Several companies have marketed laser devices that will read the value of a card by slipping the edge of the card through a narrow opening. It tells the dealer whether that card is a Ten or an Ace, but not the specific value of the card. This allows him to complete the game without the knowledge of the value of the hole card, once again saving time, but also preventing dealer tells.

Blackjack, the most popular casino game, offers the best chance at winning. Players with varying levels of expertise in card counting can gain an edge over the house, and even casual players can play close to even.

There was a time when craps was the most popular casino game in America. Two world wars and “police action” developed craps players who crowded the tables of Reno and Las Vegas, as well as the many illegal casinos across the country in the middle of the 20th century.

In the mid-Fifties, a group of mathematicians discovered that a basic strategy could be employed to reduce the house advantage at blackjack, or “21”, to virtually nothing. Casinos suddenly realized that the game could be beaten, and have predictably taken various precautions to protect it ever slllce.

The American publication of Beat the Dealer by Ed Thorp, in 1962, began a rush to discover systems and methods that would indeed beat the dealer. Card counting, the method first described by Thorp, has been refined over the years, and today casinos employ various methods from shuffling after every hand to actually barring players accused of card counting from playing in casinos.

The casinos like to call blackjack a game of chance, but it is as much a game of skill as anything. But you won’t hear the casinos denying very strongly that blackjack can be beaten. After all, casinos make most of the money they take at the table games via blackjack. It’s great advertising when someone reports a big win at the blackjack tables. Players have been encouraged for many years to believe that blackjack can be beaten, and the casinos don’t want to do anything to disrupt that message.

But becoming an effective card counter is difficult and time consuming. And unless you’re planning to make blackjack your occupation, it’s unnecessary.

Blackjack can be played successfully by using variations on the basic strategy developed by that group of mathematicians in the Fifties.

Most people carry cash to the casino. Since cash is the fuel of the gambling business, it is the essential tool of the games. But carrying cash can be dangerous, particularly when you’re on holiday.

There are other options to bringing a pocketful of cash with vou to the casino.

Travellers cheques are a good choice. As they are with any other business, travellers cheques are as good as cash in the casino. They offer security and peace of mind to the player, but sometimes are difficult to handle. Exchanging travellers cheques is easy enough. Simply take them to the casino cage and you will receive cash. Losing travellers cheques means you must track down a representative of the company that issued them, but that is generally not very hard in a casino where most companies maintain offices.
 
Another option is to bring your credit or debit card to the casino. You’ll usually be able to find a machine but, eventually, you will still have to walk around with cash, albeit not as much as you would normally bring at one time.

Cash advances from your credit card are very convenient, but not recommended. Most casinos have cash machines on their casino floor. These are very profitable for their owners as well as for the casinos where they are located.
Most serious gamblers and frequent casino guests have established credit with the casino. Casino credit enables them to travel with the minimum amount of cash, and to deal with a casino on the same level as a bank. You make withdrawals and deposits.

Yes, casino credit can be dangerous. Like everything involved with gambling, casino credit requires discipline. But if you plan to frequent a particular casino on a regular basis and want to travel without the fear of losing your cash, it makes the most sense of any of the “cashless” options. Think about it.

Establishing credit is easy. Simply head to the casino cashier and explain that you would like to get credit. They will send you to the appropriate person. You will be asked to complete a form very similar to one you’d use to apply for a credit card. You’ll be asked for bank account numbers, the status of your home ownership, and several credit references – credit cards and so on.

Most casinos use credit agencies. They will examine your finances and then recommend whether to accept or reject your application. If you’re accepted, you will be given a credit limit, similar to the limit issued for a traditional credit card. This is called your “line”.

Once you’re approved, you can draw on that line at any gambling table or slot machine. When you approach a gambling table you tell the dealer you’d like a “marker”. A marker is simply a cheque like you’d find in a bank. You then give the supervisor your name and the amount you’d like to withdraw. He will put it in the system, and within five minutes, the marker will be ready. You sign it, and the dealer counts out chips in the amount of your marker.
Besides not having to carry a large amount of cash, the advantage of using casino credit is that you have a clear record of your gambling funds. That doesn’t help much if you lose it all, but if you employ money management techniques, casino credit can be a valuable tool. You are also automatically rated when you take a marker, so you never have to Worry if a supervisor is watching your action.

The casino wants to encourage you to use casino credit so, in most cases, they don’t charge interest on the money they loan you for at least 30 days. If you are disciplined with the use of casino credit and you payoff the balance quickly upon returning home, casino credit can be a bonus for the knowledgeable player.

But remember, it pays to be sensible. Don’t panic and run up huge debts, always hoping you’ll get that lucky win which will suddenly alleviate all your problems. If you haven’t had any major wins before, why should one happen right now? Life isn’t like that.

And if you do run up massive debts, you’ll be a two-way loser. Not only will you be blackballed by the casino but also, eventually, you will be taken to court.

Gambling is exciting, but don’t let it go to your head.

In the past, casinos rated only those customers who played table games. The customers’ play was observed by casino floor supervisors who calculated the average amount the customer played per hour. Players who exclusively frequented slot machines could rarely attain the high player category and receive the same complimentaries and extra services given to those rated as high-action players.

In recent years, however, the rating of slot machine players has become common throughout the casino industry. This change was made necessary by the increase in the casinos’ machine revenues and made possible by modern technology.
With machine revenue accounting for the large majority of gross gaming revenues, it became important to find
a way to track these players in order to encourage them to return to play again and again.

The casinos’ ability to track the activity of slot-machine players was provided by electronic systems developed
by most of the major manufacturers. Under these systems, players who apply are issued cards similar to credit cards to be inserted into specially designed slot machines. Each slot machine and video poker machine is connected to a central computer which contains information on customers’ playing histories. When the system has identified the player by his card, it flashes him a greeting on an electronic display ("Hi Bob") and tells him how many bonus points he has accumulated so far and how many coins he must play to get another point. As he drops in coins, the display counts down the number of coins remaining to be played until he gets to his next point. At one Las Yegas casino, for example, a player must drop 20 $1 coins, 40 half-dollars or 80 quarters to earn a bonus point.

Slot-machine clubs serve a dual purpose for the casinos. They are designed to attract players by offering a bonus. Players can earn points toward comps, special merchandise or even "cashback", which is essentially a cash award for patronising a particular casino. But the systems function primarily as player-tracking devices. The data fed into the central computer from each card allows the casino to determine who the high roller players are, the amount and frequency of play, which machines are most popular, how often and for what reason machines malfunction, total revenue per machine, frequency of jackpots, percentage of profits for the casino, and other accounting data that is valuable to casinos.

It simply makes sense to sign up for the slot club in any casino where you might play the machines. While you may not play to the level that would qualify you for comps or cashback, you may be included in a valuable promotional campaign. Casinos are always looking to reward loyal customers, and often go through their databases by offering free tokens, meals, entertainment or hotel rooms. You want your name on the list when these goodies are passed out. Don’t be shy.

Casinos spend millions in promoting their games. Everyone knows about how casinos bring in high players, and treat them to a room, food, drinks and entertainment in exchange for a chance to take their money.

The casinos are betting that the money they advance to host the high roller player is an investment that will be returned when the player hits the tables, or today, even the slot machines. To qualify for such a "complimentary" (or comp), a player has to demonstrate that he is indeed a high roller by giving casino executives the action they expect.

The level of betting to qualify as a high roller player varies from casino to casino. At a small casino in the provinces, a high roller gambler might be someone who bets £15 a hand at blackjack. At one of the glamorous Las Vegas Strip casino resorts, it might take a £300 a hand average bet to even attract attention.

The point is that a casino is willing to return a certain percentage of your action in complimentaries, whether you are playing slots or table games. You don’t have to be a high roller player; you don’t even have to be a regular customer. Most important, you don’t even have to lose; all you have to do is satisfy their qualifications for time played and average bet.

Table Talk
The key to being recognized as a regular player, and to therefore receive the benefits that are distributed to regular players, is to get rated.

Getting rated is simple. In most casinos, you can use the same card issued by the slot machine clubs to be rated at either the machines or the table games. So before you begin to play, stop by the promotions booth and sign up. They will ask your name, address, telephone number, and most likely specialized information, such as your game preferences, birthday, anniversary and other information that will enable them to tailor special promotions to specific audiences.

To be rated at the tables means that the supervisors track your betting style, from the amount of money you use, and the time you spend playing, to your average bet. They even note how well you play the game, because that will be evaluated, as well, when they determine the comps for which you are eligible.

Getting rated at the tables also gives you the opportunity to speak with the casino personnel, from the dealers and the supervisors to the pit manager – who oversees the action in his "pit", or collection of tables. They will be most helpful in clearing up any questions about how to play the game, the pay-outs and the procedures for obtaining comps. If you aren’t satisfied with the answers or the attitudes of the personnel assigned to that table, move on. There will be plenty of options for you, particularly if you are playing in a big city.

Just like real life, money management has more to do with how you budget your money, rather than simply the size of your bets. Most gambling experts suggest that you determine how long you plan to play in the casino, and set win goals and loss limits. Write them down and keep to them. You should therefore divide your funds into separate sessions accordingly.

For instance, if you’re travelling to a casino destination for a two-day stay with £1,000 in funds, divide that stash into two £500 sessions. Then take each £500, and slice each into four £125 sessions that will be designated for two-hour periods. Find that lucky slot machine or table, and get yourself started.

Play with discipline and knowledge, and if you win 50 per cent of your session, about £60 in this case, quit playing. Never stop in the middle of a streak, but as soon as it’s obviously over, step away. Take that £185 and put it away. Some players actually bring envelopes with them. When they reach their win goal, they slide the cash in the envelope and mail it home.

If you can’t afford £1,000 in funds, use a similar formula for the money you can afford.

Remember, when you win, you are not playing with the "casino’s money". The only money the casino has is sitting in the dealer’s chip rack. When it arrives on your side of the table it’s your money, not the casino’s.lf you refer to it as the casino’s money, there’s a good chance it will be in a very Short time.

If you lose the £125, take a walk. There’s no point in setting loss limits unless you’re the discipline to stick to them. Sit in the lounge. Do a crossword. Or even go to your room and read a book. Whatever you do, it’s got to be better than losing. Resist the desire to grab the next session’s funds. You can wait for luck to find you. She’s never where you look, especially after she’s been so elusive.

Time is your enemy. Remember, the longer you gamble, the more exposure you give to the casino’s inescapable mathematical advantage.

There are some games in the casino that should be avoided at all costs. Barring a lucky streak akin to being struck by lightning, these games are weighted so much in the casino’s favour it is foolish to even consider playing them. Try to avoid the temptation at all costs.

THE CASINO’S BEST AND WORST BETS
GAME         BET                 HOUSE ADVANTAGE

Baccarat     Banker                 1.17%
Baccarat     Player                 1.63%
Craps         Pass Line             1.46%
Craps         Pass Line with double odds     0.61%
Craps         Pass Line with 5x odds         0.32%
Craps         Pass Line with lOx odds     0.18%
Roulette     Single "0"             2.7%
Roulette     Double "00"             5.6%
Blackjack     Single Pack*             0.0%
Blackjack     Double Packs*             0.35%
Blackjack     Four Packs*             0.52%
Blackjack     Eight Packs*             0.61%
Big Six Wheel     $5 Spot             11.1%,
Keno         One Spot, 2-1 payoff         25.0%
Big Six Wheel     Joker                 14.8%
Sic Bo         Small or Big             2.8%
Sic Bo         Two of a Kind            37.5%
        

Linked Progressive Slot Machines
The "life-changing" prizes of the million-dollar-plus jackpots carry even greater odds than being struck by lightning. These machines are joined with others in many other casinos, giving you the chance to compete against billions of other combinations conjured up by the random number generator. Unless you believe a higher force is looking to provide you with a trouble-free life – and there must be plenty of people who do, judging from the receipts from state lotteries – avoid the multi-casino linked progressive slot machines. Unless you win the big prize, you’re just making a donation because the chance you will even break even is almost nil.

In-house progressive slot machines with payouts in the hundreds of thousands are a little better, but not much.

BIG SIX WHEEL AND SIC BO
With a casino advantage between 11 per cent and 22 per cent, the Big Six Wheel, money wheel or wheel of fortune ranks as one of the worst bets in the house. Sure, you’ve seen the game on piers and in amusement arcades lined up in great rows, but the casino version isn’t any better. And you can’t even win a fluffy stuffed animal.

Sic Bo is the Oriental version of the Big Six Wheel. Instead of a wheel, however, it uses dice in a cage. On most bets, the house advantage ranges between 8 and 48 per cent. The only saving graces are the "big" and "small" bets which offer a much more reasonable 2.8 per cent house advantage. If you play, don’t be tempted to place any other bets.
 

KENO
This relative to bingo is actually more like a lottery. From a pool of 80 numbers, you can pick anywhere between one and 20 numbers. The odds are determined by each house, but the house advantage is generally greater than 20 per cent.

The one good thing about keno is that it offers you the least amount of losses per hour if you’re betting £1 for each game. Since there are rarely more than six games an hour, you can relax in the keno lounge and keep guzzling those free drinks without worrying that you’re going to mess up your keno strategy. In fact, there is no valid keno strategy!

That said, anyone can be a winner at any casino game over the short term. The deviations from the long-tenn advantage for the casino can sometimes swing wildly. Everyone has heard of players who have been "struck by lightning" and won the multi-million pound progressive jackpots, or those who win the lottery.

There are inveterate keno players who swear that they can overcome the hefty disadvantage they face when playing their favourite game. But beware.

Roulette, craps, baccarat blackjack and every other casino game has the same stories of gamblers struck by "dumb luck". Sure, it’s all possible, but to make it anywhere close to probable, you’re got to play the games that give you the most chances to win, and you’re got to use all your resources to give yourself an advantage.