Now in its seventh season, the WSOP Circuit tour will reach another 75 million homes with a new agreement between the WSOP Circuit and VERSUS television. The 2010-2011 tour began in August, 2010 at Horseshoe Council Bluffs and ends May 22, 2011 at Harrah’s New Orleans.
When playing Blackjack at a casino with others, I am always shocked how seldom I see someone surrender a hand. In fact, it is so rare, that it often requires explanation! Most casinos – including most online casinos – allow you to surrender a hand of Blackjack after all the cards have been dealt (and if the dealer is showing an Ace, he checks and has no Blackjack – if the dealer has Blackjack, all players lose and no surrender is possible).
Before you are dealt another card you can “surrender” your hand, at which point the dealer will take half of your wage and return the other half to you. I was in Las Vegas not too long ago, playing Blackjack at one of my favorite spots, and I never saw anyone surrender! That is, not until I had done it and explained the strategy. Generally, the first reaction I get to a surrender is “What?!?” Then, after the surprise, I get the typical, “You need to man up dude and play the hand.” And, these reactions come from otherwise solid Blackjack players. Go figure.
The goal in Blackjack is to reduce the house advantage. It is one of the few games where you can chisel away at the house edge until it is almost gone; you can get it to the point where you are almost playing even up, and if it is longevity you are looking for, you can play a long time without losing (or winning) any money. Of course, there are ways to try and make money and get out while ahead, but the starting point is always to get the playing field level. Diminish the house edge in every way you can. And, one of those ways is to surrender your hand where the odds are that you will lose more than half your money if you play.
Don’t you hate getting dealt that 16 and the Dealer is showing a ten. Of course you do because you are going to lose that hand 77% of the time. Like all the “basic rules” for Blackjack, the surrender rules have been quantified by the statisticians and the results are clear. If you hit this hand – as the rules require – you are only going to win 23% of the time – your net loss would be 54% of your total wagers on this hand. (If you don’t hit the hand, your losses will be marginally worse, but it still rounds to losing 54% of your wagers.)
But what if you surrender your 16 against the Dealer’s ten? You will cap your losses and only lose 50% of your wagers on this hand. Not a great situation, but better than any other alternative.
To be a solid player and trim that house edge add these rules to your Blackjack play:
(1) Surrender when you are dealt 16 and the Dealer is showing a 9, 10, or Ace;
(2) Surrender when you are dealt 15 and the Dealer is showing a 10; and
(3) if the Dealer hits a soft 17, then Surrender when you are dealt 15, 17, or a pair of 8s and the Dealer is showing an Ace.
Before you go to an online casino make sure that you practice free no download blackjack for a while.
Mixed Martial Arts star Randy “The Natural” Couture will host his annual poker tournament at the Golden Nugget in Las Vegas on October 30. Proceeds will benefit the Xtreme Couture G.I. Foundation. A number of other celebrities are expected, including Hollywood celebs and several professional poker players.
What am I suppose to do when I have an A4 and the Dealer is showing a six?!? Those pesky little rules that the casino counts on me not knowing! Well, welcome to my online casino, where the pit boss is guess who? Me! And I say, bring all the cheat sheets you want.
Blackjack is a game where the house edge can be reduced by a number of factors, some involving the House Rules, but most depending on the decisions you make when playing. Playing Blackjack online allows you to control all of these factors. In fact, playing online allows you to ELIMINATE ALL UNNECESSARY HOUSE ADVANTAGE.
If you’re staying at a casino in Las Vegas, you have two choices in picking a Blackjack game: play with the house rules or take a walk and find another casino that hopefully has a more favorable set of basics. But, online you are only a Google search away from the set of house rules that suits your taste.
Here are some basics to keep in mind to reduce House odds:
(1) the more decks in play, the bigger the house edge (find that single deck game when you can!);
(2) don’t let the dealer hit soft 17;
(3) make sure you can surrender after the dealer checks for blackjack (knowing when to cut your losses with 15 and 16 helps);
(4) your odds improve if you can Double after Splitting and if you can re-split aces;
(5) find a game that doesn’t limit you to Double Downs on 10 and 11; and
(6) don’t settle for that 6-5 Blackjack payoff (its 3-2 all the way).
But your biggest influence on the game is with the individual decisions you make on each hand. Everybody knows the basics. Don’t hit 12 and above if the Dealer is showing less than 7. But, if the dealer has a 7 or higher, you keep hitting until you get 17 or bust!
It’s not the basics where you close the gap on the House edge. It’s the opportunities to Split and Double Down. And, unless you play frequently, or are “Rain Man” with certain little rules, it can be difficult to remember some of the situations that come up less frequently.
Well, online casino gambling allows you to reduce those House advantages. Find your favorite set of Blackjack rules – mine is the color coded chart – and never have it far away when playing online Blackjack.
You have all the time in the world – there is no guy sitting next to you wanting you to hurry; there is no one to make fun of you when you consult your cheat sheet; and you won’t be regretting all those times when you later decide you made the wrong play. Remember that you play Blackjack so you can get the opportunities to put more money on the table when the odds are in your favor – so don’t miss those chances.
Find every opportunity to Split and Double Down, and make the right decision when you find it. Reduce House Odds!
Before you go to an online casino make sure that you practice free no download online blackjack for a while.
A lawsuit filed in Los Angeles, CA includes allegations that Roger Federer’s agent bet $40,000 against Federer in the 2006 French Open after Federer gave him insider information about an injury. Federer did lose the match. This is just the latest of a number of allegations involving top tennis players and questionable gambling moves.
An admitted card counter filed suit in Indiana state court arguing that he had been improperly banned from local casinos. After losing at the trial court, the Card Counter won at the appeals court, only to have the decision reversed by the Indiana Supreme Court. The highest court in the State of Indiana said card counting was irrelevant; according to the court, the casino had the right to ban whoever they wanted from their casino.
No credit card is more coveted than the American Express Black card. But, even though you can’t get one, you might be able to get the Full Tilt Poker Black Card. Players who earn at least 500 points per day over a hundred day period will be rewarded with the card, which comes with special privileges and bonuses.
In the American casinos, Roulette is considered a low popular game when compared to the Video poker or the card games. On the other hand, the European casinos prefer roulette on the other games. This goes for all casinos in Europe and Monte Carlo.
In a European roulette wheel there are 36 numbers and 0 while the American wheel has an extra 00 number. The 0 and the 00 are considered the house edge.
In the American roulette, the house edge is 5.26 and this goes up to 7.89 in one bet. In European casinos, the players only are facing 2.7 house edge and in case of ‘en prison’ bets, the edge is only 1.4 and this makes it comparable to other games in the casino and consequently it is of the same popularity but the house edge in American roulette is very difficult to beat.
Some French wheels do exist in America but they are only reserved for high rollers who are ready to match a high minimum bet level. If you intend to bet high wages then seek a French wheel.
Although American wheels could have a very high house edge but, every player will give it a try once in a while. They could be doing it just to extend their time in the casino as the dealer will give them a long time to choose where to place their bets and this means that the round would take a lot of time.
The game is slower than the usual games played in the casino, a blackjack game can have 60 hands per hour while the roulette only circles 45 times per hour and this means less losses and more time spent inside the casino.
The roulette table is rectangular with the wheel on one side and a box of 36 numbers divided in 3 rows is on the other side. There are three boxes for the outside bets which covers up to 18 numbers in one time.
The numbers on the roulette wheel appears in two alternative colors, red and black while the 0 and the 00 numbers appear in green. The wheel is turned into one direction while the ball is tossed into the other, when the velocity of ball decreases; it tends to fall down on the numbered grid of the wheel.
Roulette has special chips so, when you start playing, the dealer will change the regular casino chips with these chips. Each set has a unique color so the dealer can keep track of each player. After designating the color, the dealer will ask the player to set denomination for the chips too.
Because the chips have variable value from a player to another, these chips are not accepted in any other game. The cashier also does not accept them so, make sure that you exchange the chips to normal casino chips before you leave the table.
Before you leave your home and go to a live casino make sure that you practice online roulette for a while.
Roulette is considered one of the popular casino games. It is known to be very easy to play but, it can also swallow lot of money in a short time. Without understanding how to play roulette and how to implement a strategy you will lose lot of money.
1. Before you start playing, learn the basic instructions of the game. Make sure you understand the different types of betting. You can bet with even money on whether the result would be a black or red color or even or odd number. If you are betting in exact number the payout is 35:1.
2. Before you leave your home and go to a live casino. Make sure that you practice online roulette for a while. Use the privilege of our fun money games to practice without risking a dime.
3. Before you play, estimate your budget and never exceed it while playing. Use the money that you can spare and do not use those needed for other venues.
4. Set a goal and follow a plan, this will help you cut the losses and magnifies the wining. Set a goal and when you reach it stop playing immediately or you will lose all what you have in hand.
5. It is better to play European roulette rather than the American ones. Many players do not think that the difference is huge but, the reality is that it is. the odds is much better in the European roulette wheels because they have only one zero number while the American roulette wheels have a zero and double zero numbers and these numbers increase the house edge significantly. It is always better to play the European roulette games and steer clear from the American. Resort to the American games only if there is no other option.
6. When you are playing, make sure that you are controlling your drinking habits. Too much alcohol could be of an adverse effect on your judgments during play. If you are drunk then, you won’t be able to take the right decision.
Always clear your mind and leave the stress behind when you are playing roulette and trying to achieve your goals.
When it comes to roulette, it is all about pure luck and with no doubt, there is no proven way to evade the house edge in this game. No matter you are betting on your lucky number, your birthday date or even the last two digits of your phone numbers, it is all the same at the end. Most people think that roulette is no–skill game.
In some cases, the dealer who had been throwing the ball for a long time, do not change the releasing spot, the angle and the speed of the ball so, it lands in a small range of numbers. Only those who are closely monitoring the game could spot such cases and start to bet accordingly. This type of players can predict where the ball is going to land.
Another rare case where luck is not the only factor is the case of defected roulette wheel. A crack in the wheel or a difference in the height of the metallic strips between the numbers could be the reason for unbalanced wheel. This is a rare condition because any casino management is monitoring the wheel balance closely and they will discover such defect very quickly.
Several casinos now have screens displaying the last dozen of numbers that appeared on the roulette wheel. Some players prefer to wager the numbers that appear more than once in these numbers, others would concentrate on the last numbers with a hope that the wheel is unbalanced. Other players would prefer to follow the winning players on the table hoping that they have the secret of winning. These systems have the same winning odds as other systems too.
Roulette is a slow-paced game, when compared to other casino games. This makes the game players more prone to follow a betting system. Some systems could minimize the losses and others could yield disastrous results. Below, you will find a handful of the systems that proved a high level of reliability over the last decades.
Whenever you lose, you double the next bet so, when you win, the profit is equal to your original bet. An initial bet of 5 $ and three consecutive losses then a winning at the fourth round will result in 5 $ net profit. At that point you can start over again with the initial bet.
In a perfect world, this could be a very safe solution but it is hardly applicable in the real world because of many things. Among the most important reason is the table limits. For example if you started betting with 5$ and you are doubling your bet every loss then you are paying 320 $ on the seventh round. If the table has a limit of 500 $ then you won’t be able to enter the 8th round with 640 $ and you are not able to compensate your previous losses.
Nothing guarantee that after 7 losses you will eventually win. The wheel has no memory so the losing or the winning series could last for unpredictable periods and who is capable of risking 640 $ just to win 5$?
Another amplification of losses and increment of money at stakes, in this betting system, the player will double the bet and add another betting unit. This means that a 5 $ initial bet will be 15 $ on the next up to 600 $ on the sixth bet. This means that your opportunity to win is even lower than the martingale betting system.
This is relatively safer than the other betting systems but, it is not delivering a solid solution for the problem. In this method, the player will set a series of numbers with a summation equals to his initial bet and when he wins, he omits the winning numbers at both ends of the series. In case of losing, the wager value is added to one end of the series.
If everything goes smoothly, like a loss followed by a winning round then couple of losses and winning again then three more losses. The sequence will be 3 – 3 – 6 – 9 so, the player will only put 12 $ at stakes and 2 winning in a row will close this series of number bringing the player back to square one. Although the cancellation betting system won’t get the player to bet large wages, it can still bring up a lot of losses before you can make a winning complete sequence.
As a conclusion, the roulette game is an easy game that depends on luck and chances, the real skill is delaying your bet to the farthest point before the wheel stops. You can try this strategies on our free online no download roulette
