Utilizing Dice Control as a strategy goes beyond just holding the dice in a particular manner. Players are required to hold the dice in a particular way, throw at an exact speed with accuracy and also control the angle that they land just in front of the far wall of the Craps table. In addition, the dice should just gently touch the far wall of the Craps table in order to increase the probability that they will remain on the same axis. If executed correctly, this strategy can go a very long way to put the odds of the game in the favor of the player.
While there is no shortage of doubters of Dice Control as a useable strategy, most people would agree that it is possible to utilize the strategy in instances where the dice are not required to bounce off the far wall of the Craps table. This is called the “army blanket roll.” In World War II, US soldiers used to play dice games on their army blankets, hence the name. The idea is that players set the dice on a particular axis and gently roll the dice down the table. If the toss is successful then the dice will not move off their axis and will come to rest just before they hit the back wall. Unfortunately, most casinos require that the dice hit the back wall in order for a throw to be considered valid. When considering that the surface of crap table walls are covered with little rubber pyramid shapes, it is somewhat difficult to fathom how one could control the outcome of a throw to any significant degree.
Jerry Patterson, Chris Pawlicki and Stanford Wong are undoubtedly the most outspoken advocates of Dice Control in Craps. Patterson and Pawlicki co-developed what is known as the Patterson Rhythm Roll in 1997 and is considered the first methodology for developing this skill.
Dice Control is not some strategy that one can learn over the course of an afternoon and requires years of training before one can influence the outcome of dice throws, if ever. Scientific experiments have been conducted with regards to Dice Control and the results were not conclusive. The truth is that very few players view Dice Control as a viable strategy and casinos do not even regard the strategy as worthy of their attention. That having been said, this is a strategy that can payoff for the player in spades.
Join the Royal Vegas Casino for the best Craps action online.]]>
It is believed that the Labouchére betting system got its name from Henry Labouchére. Labouchére was a prominent English writer, publisher, politician and theatre owner during the Victorian and Edwardian eras. In addition, he was apparently a fairly avid gambler.
The best way to explain how this system works is to start off with a very simple series of numbers: 1,2,3,4,5,6. Each of these numbers represents a betting value unit so 1 signifies 1 chip or $1 (or $10, depending on the players bankroll, 2 signifies 2 chips or $2 and so on. The player selects their betting amount by taking the sum of the first and last units in the sequence, in the above example this would be 7 units (1+6).
If the player wins the bet then they would cross out the two units in the number sequence used (in this case, the 1 and the 6) and move on to the new extremes of the sequence (in this case, when you scratch the 1 and 6 out of the sequence, you are left with 2 and 5). The next bet would be, again, 7 units (2 units + 5 units). If the player wins that bet then they move on to the sum of the last two numbers remaining in the sequence, 3 and 4 making the third bet 7 units. If the player wins the third bet then they have made what is termed as a “coup” and have completed the sequence and begin again.
Let us say that the player loses the first bet of 7 units made up of the 1 and the 6 in the sequence. The player would then add the “7” to the end of the sequence so that the series becomes 1,2,3,4,5,6 and 7. The players next bet would be 8 units (1+7).
Let us now say that the player wins the first bet of 7 units but loses the second bet of 7 units. In this case, the player scratched the 1 and the 6 from the original series of 1,2,3,4,5,6 after the first winning bet leaving a sequence of 2,3,4,5. The second bet uses the 2 and the 5 remaining in the sequence for a second bet of 7 units. Now, the second bet is lost so the new sequence is 2,3,4,5,7 so that the players third bet would be of 9 units (2+7).
In essence, when a player loses a bet, the next bet goes up so that if that bet is won then the player makes up for the previously lost bet. In this way, if a player completes a “coup,” they will always walk away with a profit.
It is important to keep in mind that using this system does not guarantee a win. In order to truly work this system, a player must be ready to absorb some losses. It is for this reason that most experts will only recommend this system for use by high rollers.
Join the Swiss Casino for the best Craps action online.]]>
Fibonacci numbers are numbers that appear in the following sequence:
0,1,1,2,3,5,8,13,21,35,89,144,233,377…
The idea behind the sequence is quite simple. The first two numbers in a Fibonacci sequence are 0 and 1 with each subsequent number being the sum of the previous two numbers. Many times, you will find that a listing of a Fibonacci sequence will begin with two 1s for the simple reason that any number multiplied by 0 will equal 0 and thus beginning with 0 can be somewhat difficult for the “mathematically challenged” to deal with.
The Fibonacci sequence is defined in mathematical terms by the following recurrence relations:
F(n)=F(n-1)+F(n-2), where F(0)=0 and F(1)=1
The Fibonacci sequence first appeared in ancient Indian mathematics as early as 200 BC but was introduced to the West by Leondardo of Pisa in his book Liber Abaci in 1202 AD. The Fibonacci sequence is actually named after Leonardo of Pisa who was also known as Fibonacci (his fathers name was Bonacci and “Fibonacci” simply means “son of Bonaccio”). Fibonacci sequences are truly amazing, appearing in a number of biological settings; including, nautilus shells, uncurling ferns, pine cones and other places.
When utilizing the Fibonacci Craps strategy, players simply begin with bets of 1 unit and continue making bets of 1 unit until they hit a losing bet. Once a bet is lost, the player progresses to bets of 2 units and continues to make bets of 2 units until they hit another losing bet. The player then progresses to bets of 3 units and so on according to the Fibonacci sequence.
The Fibonacci Craps strategy is a progressive wagering plan where the player covers their last two losing bets with their present bet which essentially prolongs the players session at the table. The more time that a player remains at the Craps table, the better their chances of hitting a nice win.
This strategy can be an extremely effective one especially for those players betting at the lower stake levels. Players following this strategy have a chance of covering their short-term losses and give them a far better chance of walking away from the table with a nice wad of cash.
Join the 888 Casino for the best Craps action online.]]>
NETELLER offers its members a very easy and convenient way for online casino players to transfer whatever funds required from their bank accounts, credit cards and wire transfer. One of the best thing about NETELLER is that many online casinos will often offer special match bonuses when making deposits using this method.
Advantages Of Using NETELLER For Online Casinos
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NETELLER Friendly Casinos
As mentioned above, NETELLER is one of the most widely used e-wallets used by participants in the online gaming industry. With over 2,000 online casinos in operation today, this means that there is an enormous list of online casinos from with to choose when it comes to making payments with NETELLER. Thankfully, we at Casinophiles have done all of the research for you.
You will find a list of our favorite online casinos accepting NETELLER below:
The EuroPalace Casino
The EuroPalace Casino not only accepts NETELLER but all deposits made through NETELLER enjoy a 10% match bonus on top of any other deposit bonuses that the player might qualify for including their awesome First Deposit Bonus.One cannot talk about the EuroPalace Casino without talking about their incredible 1500 Free Bets No-Deposit Bonus. This is one of the most fantastic promotions found online and if you are considering joining an online casino then this bonus is something that you should definitely consider taking advantage of.
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The Swiss Casino
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Whether you love the action of Blackjack or are looking to hit one the many massive Progressive Jackpots on offer, this is the online casino for you.
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The WinPalace Casino
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The Winner Casino
All deposits made at the Winner Casino using NETELLER enjoy an additional 10% Match Bonus on top of any other bonuses that the player might qualify for.Since their official launch back in 2009, the Winner Casino has since established itself as one of the foremost providers of online gaming entertainment in the industry. Security and fairness are priorities at this online casino and all transactions and personal information are protected with all of the latest measures available.
Over 100 of the finest Playtech games can be found here with incredible 3D graphics and fantastic sound quality. Not only will you find a massive selection of Slots, Card Games, Table Games and Video Poker but members of the Winner Casino also enjoy a selection of Live Dealer Games. Live Dealer Games allow the player to play via webcam with lovely and most definitely nubile croupiers.
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Advantages Of Using PayPal For Online Casinos
* Largest online payment service, owned by eBay.
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PayPal Friendly Casinos
After a three year respite from the online gaming industry, PayPal has returned and now services online casinos, online poker rooms and online sportsbooks. There are currently over 2,000 online casinos in operation today. Rather than scour the internet searching for a good online casino that accepts PayPal, take a look at the list that we have compiled below. Many of the online casinos listed on Casinophiles accept PayPal as a payment method and the following are our favorites:
The 888Casino
When you see “888” attached to any gaming site then you know that you have found the best whether it be the 888Casino, 888Poker, 888Bingo, 888Sport or 888Games. The 888Casino is traded on the London Stock Exchange and offers players one of the best player experiences available. From the moment that you enter their online casino, you know that you have arrived at the premier site in the industry. Their true 3D graphics are phenomenal and their lineup of games is simply staggering. From Slots to Live Casino games, the 888Casino has it all.
This is one online casino that knows how to treat their members with non-stop promotions, a phenomenal VIP program and Customer Service that is second to none.
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The William Hill Casino
William Hill is one of the oldest companies in the gaming industry today. They were established way back in 1934 and have been listed and traded on the London Stock Exchange since 2002. In addition to their extensive online business, William Hill also operates over 2,300 retail betting establishments throughout the UK and Ireland with offices around the world. The William Hill Casino offers players a huge selection of over 120 Playtech games including such casino favorites as Slots, Roulette, Blackjack, Casino Poker, Video Poker, Card and Table games. In addition, players also enjoy fantastic Live Dealer Games with real croupiers on real Baccarat, Roulette, Blackjack and Sic Bo tables.
The William Hill Casino happily accepts players using PayPal.
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The PartyCasino
If you are looking for an online casino to call home then you should definitely take a look at the PartyCasino. This online casino is a PartyGaming run site. PartyGaming is one of the biggest players in the game, traded on the London Stock Exchange and licensed and regulated by the Government of Gibraltar. The PartyCasino runs on ParyGamings proprietary software promising a selection of fantastic games that you wont be able to find anywhere else online. This online casino boasts over 120 different online casino games as well as a collection of Live Dealer Games that include American/European Roulette, Baccarat and a number of different Blackjack variations.
The PartyCasino promises security, high octane action, massive jackpots, great customer support and reliability for one of the highest levels of gaming experiences to be found.
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The Slot Machine enjoys a number of popular nicknames: “fruit machine”, “pokies” and “poker machine” to name a few. The most popular nickname by far is the “one-armed bandit”, obviously coined by a disgruntled gambler. The Slot Machine is, by far, the most popular means of wagering at the Casino and typically constitutes in the area of 70% of most casinos income.
The History Of Slot Machines
The first Slot Machine, Liberty Bell, was conceived by Charles Fey of San Francisco back in 1887. One of the challenges in creating a slot machine was in devising a method for the machine to automatically payout for all of the possible winning combination. In the end, Fey came up with the Liberty Bell slot machine. The Liberty Bell was made up of three reels and a total of five different symbols: Liberty Bell, diamonds, hearts, spades and horseshoes. The Liberty Bell paid off the biggest when three Liberty Bells hit…a staggering $0.50 (10 nickels).
The Liberty Bell slot machine proved to be an absolutely phenomenal success and spawned what has come to be a thriving gaming device industry. Fey found it difficult to keep up with the demand for his new gaming device and a number of copies found their way into the market such as the Operator Bell slot machine, manufactured by Herbert Mills in 1907. By 1908, slot machines could be found in most saloons, cigar stores, bowling allies and barber shops around the US.
In 1891, Sittman and Pitt of Brooklyn developed a machine which would prove to be the mold by which modern slot machines would develop. Their machine was made up of 5 reels of 50 playing cards and was loosely based on poker. Sittman and Pitts machine proved a success and soon could be found in most of the bars in New York. Players would insert a nickel and then pull a lever. The reels would spin and if a decent poker hand landed then the player won. Unlike the Liberty Bell slot machine, Sittman and Pitts machine did not offer players a direct payout mechanism. If the player won then the establishment would pay them with drinks or cigars, basically, the prizes were set by the particular establishment. Generally speaking, the better the poker hand, the better the prize. In order to increase the odds in the favor of the house, most establishments would often remove the Ten of Spades and the Jack of Hearts.
The Bell-Fruit Gum Company also produced an early machine that had a great deal of influence on modern slot machines. Their paid out winners in fruit flavored chewing gum which is great for the kids and also a commonly used technique in avoiding gambling laws that were in existence at the time in a number of states. The melon and cherry symbols now found in many slot machines today originated in the Bell-Fruit Gum Companys machine, not to mention that the BAR symbol was, in fact, developed from an early Bell-Fruit Gum Company logo.
The first fully electromechanical slot machine, Money Honey, was developed in 1963 by Bally. Bally had been developing slot machines that began to exhibit the basic characteristics of electromechanical construction since as far back as 1940 with their High Hand poker machine. The technology in Money Honey enabled it to be the first slot machine with a bottomless hopper as well as an automatic payout without the need of an attendant.
How To Play Slots
The action begins on a slot machine with the player making a wager. Players may make their wager either by inserting money or a paper ticket with a barcode in the case of the newer Ticket-In, Ticket-Out machines. The player then activates the machine by pulling a lever, pushing a button or pressing a touchscreen; depending upon the machine being played. Once the slot machine is activated, the reels will spin and will eventually stop revealing a series of symbols. The symbols used by slot machines are typically quite colorful and easily recognizable. The most common symbols found include images of fruit, letters, numbers and shapes such as hearts, bells and diamonds. Many of the newer video slot machines are themed and will often use the images of popular actors or animated characters on their reels.
Most of the slot machines around today will offer a fairly wide variety of different winning combinations of symbols. A slot machines winning combinations generally appear prominently on the body of the slot machine itself or can be viewed on the screen by pushing a button. When the players symbols match one of the winning combinations then the slot machine will pay out as required.
Multi-line slot machines are different from traditional slot machines in that they offer the player more than one payline, that is to say that symbols do not necessarily have to line up horizontally in order to be considered a winning combination. Mechanical reel slot machines will generally have either 3 or 5 paylines whereas video slot machines may have anywhere from 9 all the way up to 100 different paylines. The vast majority of the video slot machines are themed and feature graphics and audio derived from the TV or movies (for example, Rambo, The Addams Family and The Fantastic Four).
While video slot machines now dominate the landscape, there are still plenty of traditional electromechanical slot machines with 3 to 5 reels to be found. In 2005, hybrid machines were introduced that combine elements of both the traditional electromechanical slot machine and the newer video slot machines.
One of the major differences between video slot machines and traditional electromechanical slot machines, other than the obvious, is in the way that the different machines payout winnings. With electromechanical slot machines the only way to hit the maximum amount for a jackpot is to play using the maximum number of coins. With video slot machines, all fixed payout values are, in turn, multiplied by the amount of coins per each line that is being bet.
Just in the past couple of years we have seen the introduction of multi-denomination slot machines. Multi-denomination slot machines allow the player to select the value of each credit that they wager from a list. Once this is done, the slot machine can automatically arrive at the number of credits that the player will receive for the money that they have inserted into the machine and will display this amount for the player to see. In essence, this allows a player to place a $1.00 bet on a dime slot machine. In this way, a player can play the slot machine that they wish without having the constraint of having to find a slot machine that meets their denominational requirements; rather, they can simply find a machine and set the denomination of the bets that they wish to make.
Another recent development in slot machines is the introduction of “tokenization”. This means that a single token can purchase more than 1 credit. With tokenization, casinos are now able to configure slot machines of all different denominations to accept a single type of token. In other words, a nickel slot machine and a dollar slot machine can now both be configured to accept dollar tokens. This innovation goes a long way in reducing all of the costs incurred by casinos in coin handling and inventory costs.
Visit the Royal Vegas Casino for the best Slots action online.]]>
The game of Pai Gow Poker was developed by Fred Wolf and Sam Torosian. When Fred Wolf was managing the Commerce Casino in early 80s, he took a chance on subletting one third of the casino floor space of the Bell Club in order to introduce his newly developed game of Super Pan-9. In an effort to compete with some of the larger card casinos that were in the LA area, Wolf decided that he needed to innovate some new games in order to attract gamblers. The games of Super Pan-9 and Pai Gow Poker enjoyed immense popularity and soon spread amongst the other California casinos and beyond. These days, Pai Gow Poker can be found in casinos around the world.
How To Play Pai Gow Poker
In Pai Gow Poker, players must create two poker hands out of the 7 cards that they are dealt by the dealer; a two card poker hand and a five card poker hand. The hands must be constructed in such a way that the value of the five card poker hand exceeds that of the two card hand. The two card hand is known as the hand “on top”, the hand “in front” or the “minor”, “small” or “low” hand. The five card hand is known as the “high”, “bottom”, or “big” hand as well as the “bottom” or the hand “behind”.
The action begins with the dealer shuffling the cards and dealing 7 face down cards to the players and themselves. Each betting position at the table is assigned a number from 1 through 7 beginning from the player that is acting as banker and proceeding around the table in a counter-clockwise fashion. A number is then chosen randomly, either with dice or electronically, and the deal will begin with the position corresponding to the number and continues in a counter clockwise fashion.
If there are open seats at the table, the open positions will still be dealt their cards; however, the cards are thrown in the discard pile soon thereafter. Some casinos will deal a hand to a vacant position and that hand becomes known as the “dragon” hand. Once players have been dealt their hands, each player is asked in turn whether they would like to place an additional wager on the dragon hand. A player accepting the “dragon” hand is essentially playing two hands.
Pai Gow Poker Hand Rankings
The hand rankings in Pai Gow Poker are fairly straightforward:
Two Card Pai Gow Poker Hand: The two card Pai Gow Poker hands include high cards and pairs. That is to say that the best Pai Gow Poker hand is a pair of Aces and the worst Pai Gow Poker hand is [A][2].
Five Card Pai Gow Poker Hand: The five card Pai Gow Poker hands are ranked according to standard poker hand rankings. The only exception to this rule is that there are some casinos that will rank the 5 high straight ([A][2][3][4][5]) above the King high straight ([9][10][J][Q][K]). As mentioned above, Pai Gow Poker will have one of the Jokers in play. The Joker acts as a wild card of sorts. In the five card hand, the Joker can be used to complete a flush or straight; otherwise, it acts as an Ace. In the two card hand, the Joker will always act as an Ace. That having been said, there are certain California casinos in which the Joker is truly a wild card.
The Outcome
Once players have separated their 7 dealt cards into a 2 card and a 5 card hand, it is time to see whether they have one. If both of the players hands beat the corresponding hands of the banker then the player wins. If one of the players hands wins then it is a push. If both of the players hands lose to the bankers hands then the player loses their wager.
Regarding both hands, if the player and banker have the same hand then the tie goes to the banker. For example, if both the player and the banker have made a two card hand of [A][5] then the bankers hand wins. This gives the banker a nominal advantage.
In the event that the player commits a foul by making a two card hand that outranks their five card hand (for example, [A][A] and [K][10][8][4][3]) or by making up hands of incorrect number (not sure how someone could do that but…OK), there is a penalty. The penalty will either be that their hands must be re-arranged according to the “house way” or they will forfeit the round.
With casino-banked games of Pai Gow Poker, the banker is typically required to set their hands according to a specific model known as the “house way”. This prevents the dealer from utilizing strategy in order to defeat the players at the table. With player-banked games, the banker has the freedom to set up their hands as they wish. In the event that the player is co-banking with the house, then they must set up their hand according to the “house way”.
Casinos will take their cut (vig) from Pai Gow Poker in one of two ways. Most California casinos will simply charge players a flat fee of between $0.05 and $1 on each hand regardless of whether they win or lose. The rest of the casinos take a 5% commission out of the winnings.
Popular Variations Of Pai Gow Poker
With the popularity of Pai Gow Poker came a number of different variations of the game, the majority of which were developed between 2004 and 2009. One of the first Pai Gow Poker variants was Pai Gow Mania. The difference between Pai Gow Mania and traditional Pai Gow Poker is that with Pai Gow Mania, players may make two side bets instead one side bet per hand. Another Pai Gow Poker variant is Fortune Pai Gow. Fortune Pai Gow allows players to make a side bet with a 5 card hand of Trips or better. One of the more popular Pai Gow Poker variants is Pai Gow Progressive which is Pai Gow Poker with a progressive jackpot thrown into the mix.
Join the 888 Casino for the best Pai Gow Poker action online.]]>
Again, there is a great deal of variety afforded Video Poker enthusiasts. Online casinos will typically feature a lineup of Video Poker games that includes Jacks or Better, Aces and Faces, Deuces Wild, Bonus Poker and Joker Poker.
The History of Video Poker
The earliest Video Poker games surfaced at about the same time that PCs were being introduced to the public back in the mid-70s. Basically, the moment that it became a commercially viable possibility to utilize advances in technology to create such a game, the gaming industry moved forward.
In 1979, Si Redds Coin Machines (SIRCOMA) introduced the Video Poker game Draw Poker. The popularity of Draw Poker firmly established Video Pokers position in the world of gaming. Video Poker blossomed throughout the 80s and enjoyed a great deal of action presumably because most players found it far less intimidating then playing conventional poker at the tables. These days, Video Poker games maintain a prominent place on the floors of land-based casinos and are incredibly popular online.
How To Play Video Poker
The first thing that players must do when playing video poker is “feed the machine”. At land-based casino this means either inserting money or a casino card into the Video Poker machine and at online casino simply entails clicking a button. The action begins with the player making a wager of one or more credits and pressing or clicking the Deal button. The player is then dealt their virtual hand. The player may discard one or more of the cards dealt to them in exchange for new cards from the virtual deck. If the players hand (or hands) after the draw matches one of the possible winning combinations then the Video Poker machine will pay the player. All of the winning combinations of Video Poker games will be posted somewhere on the machine in a pay table.
Video Poker pay tables list all of the possible winning hands and their associated payouts. The payouts that a Video Poker machine offers the player for different hands are determined by the variation of Video Poker played, the probability of hitting the different hands and the discretion of the Video Poker game operator. Pay tables will typically start with a pair of Jacks, paying even money. The remaining hand combinations in Video Poker are exactly the same as they are in conventional table poker; two pair, three of a kind, straight, flush, full house, four of a kind, straight flush and royal flush.
To add a little flavor to the crock pot of fun, most Video Poker games will offer a variety of bonuses and progressive jackpots in order to attract and keep players playing.
Video Poker Game Variety
There are countless variations of Video Poker games available. Most popular amongst the different varieties include:
Deuces Wild: Video Poker game where the [2] is wild.
Pay Schedule Modification: Video Poker game where quad Aces with a [5] or smaller kicker will pay some sort of bonus amount (these varieties will usually include the word “double”, “triple” or “bonus” in their names.
Multi-Play Poker: Video Poker game in which players can play multiple hands simultaneously. Multi-Play Video Poker games can be found in “Triple Play”, “Five Play”, “Ten Play”, and other such versions.
Full Pay Video Poker Games
When the more modern versions of Video Poker first made their appearance on the gaming scene, the Video Poker games with the most favorable house edge were known as “Full Pay”. While the term “Full Pay” is still used to describe certain Video Poker games, the truth is that many of todays Video Poker variants offer far more favorable house edges then ever in the games history. In fact, many of todays games offer players payback percentages hovering just under 100%. Take the game Full Pay Jacks or Better, for example, that offers a payback percentage as high as 99.54%.
It is important to note that the payout structures of most Video Poker games will generally pay proportionately more for certain specific hands only when a bet of the maximum number of credits is made. Players not making wagers of the maximum number of possible credits, in these instances, will be playing with a lower theoretical return.
Jacks or Better
Jacks or Better is also known as Draw Poker and is, by far, the most commonly played variation of Video Poker at casinos. The Full Pay version of Jacks or Better will sometimes be called 9/6 Jacks or Better. This is due to the fact that the payout for hitting a full house is 9 credits and the payout for hitting a flush is 6 credits.
The payouts received from different hands in Jacks or Better are heavily influenced by the size of the wager made. The Jacks or Better payout structure is as follows:
Tens or Better
Tens or Better is a very simple little twist on 6/5 Jacks or Better. As the games name implies, with Tens or Better, the minimum playing hand is a pair of Tens rather than a pair of Jacks. This is the only difference in the strategy between the two games. There is; however a significant difference in the Flush and Full House payouts between the two games.
Deuces Wild
Deuces Wild is a simple variation of Video Poker where, as the name implies, the Two cards are wild. The term “wild card” simply means that the card can substitute for any of the other cards in the deck in order to optimize the players hand. If you take a look at the payout structure of Deuces Wild, you will notice that approximately 33% of the payout percentage of the game goes towards the payout for a Four of a Kind. Thanks to the Twos being wild, players will encounter a Four of a Kind approximately once only every 15 hands.
Apparently, there are Deuces Wild Video Poker games available in Nevada that offer players a theoretical return as high as 100.8%. I imagine these machines are far and few between when you consider that with such theoretical returns, the casino would stand to lose money and casinos are not in the business of losing money.
All American
All American is a Video Poker game almost identical to Jacks or Better. The difference is that All American offers better payouts for Flushes, Straights and Straight Flushes while offering reduced payouts for Full Houses and Two Pairs.
The Full Pay version of All American offers a 50x return on Quads. This version presents players with some of the best returns found in Video Poker. These machines have become rare of late.
Bonus Poker
Bonus Poker is almost exactly like Jacks or Better, the only difference being that Bonus Poker will offer players a bigger payout for Quads.
Double Bonus
Double Bonus almost exactly like Jacks or Better, the only difference being that it offers a bonus for Quad Aces.
Double Double Bonus
Double Double Bonus is almost exactly like Double Bonus; however, it offers different bonuses for different Four of a Kinds. Double Double Bonus Video Poker games can be found with payout structures that can offer a theoretical return of up to 100.1%.
Low Pay Video Poker Games
Casinos will sometimes offer games with a reduced maximum payout percentage in order to increase the house edge and provide the casino with more revenue.
6/5 Jacks or Better
With 6/5 Jacks or Better, the payout for hitting a Full House is decreased from 9 times the bet to 6 times the bet and the payout for hitting a Flush is decreased from 6 times the bet to 5 times the bet. The remaining payout structure is identical to that of the Full Pay version. This decrease in payout reduces the games payout percentage to 95% for players making five coin bets.
7/5 Jacks or Better
With 7/5 Jacks or Better, the payout for hitting a Full House is decreased from 9 times the bet to 7 times the bet and the payout for hitting a Flush is decreased from 6 times the bet to 5 times the bet. The remaining payout structure is identical to that of the Full Pay version. This decrease in payout reduces the games payout percentage to 96.15% for players making five coin bets.
8/5 Jacks or Better
With 8/5 Jacks or Better, the payout for hitting a Full House is decreased from 9 times the bet to 8 times the bet and the payout for hitting a Flush is decreased from 6 times the bet to 5 times the bet. The remaining payout structure is identical to that of the Full Pay version. This decrease in payout reduces the games payout percentage to 97.30% for players making five coin bets.
8/6 Jacks or Better
With 8/6 Jacks or Better, the payout for hitting a Full House is decreased from 9 times the bet to 8 times the bet. The remaining payout structure is identical to that of the Full Pay version. This decrease in payout reduces the games payout percentage to 98.39% for players making five coin bets.
9/5 Jacks or Better
With 9/5 Jacks or Better, the payout for hitting a Flush is decreased from 6 times the bet to 5 times the bet. The remaining payout structure is identical to that of the Full Pay version. This decrease in payout reduces the games payout percentage to 98.45% for players making five coin bets.
Video Poker Games With Progressive Jackpots
Casinos will often offer Low Pay Video Poker Games with progressive jackpots. These progressive jackpots will not only offset some of the lower payouts offered by the Low Pay Video Poker Games, but will sometimes even boost the games into positive theoretical returns. Most casinos will often advertise a video poker game when its progressive jackpot arrives to a certain amount.
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Whether played on the street or in the casino, a game of craps is quite easy to find, all that is required is that you follow the roar of the crowd. Craps tables tend to be amongst the most exciting tables at the casino, especially when the tables are hot.
The History of Craps
Modern Craps is basically a simplified version of the Old English dice game Hazard. The true origins of Craps are somewhat cloudy but it is agreed that the games history reaches back to the Crusades and was later influenced by the French.
What was later to become the modern day American version of Craps was brought to New Orleans by the Louisiana landowner, politician and gambler Bernard Xavier Philippe. There was a flaw intrinsic in the version introduced by Bernard in which players could have an unfair advantage using fixed dice and exploiting the way players were able to bet either with or against the thrower. The “Dont Pass” betting option, introduced by John Winn, addressed this flaw and the result is the game of Craps that is still played to this day.
Street craps is a game generally played by the African American community. Street craps is often played by rolling the dice against a curb or stoop. Street craps is known simply as “shooting dice.”
A type of street craps was popular amongst American soldiers during World War II. An army blanket was often used as the dice shooting surface and the dice were not rolled against a board or curb of any type. Since the dice were not rolled against any backboard of any kind, this game gave rise to a number of presumed methods of dice control, the most common of which was known as the “army blanket roll.”
How To Play Craps
The game of Craps is played by a number of players at the same time, all betting against the casino, or bank. Each participating player takes turns rolling a pair of dice. The player rolling the dice is known as the “shooter.” Players have a number of betting options from which to choose, all of which are made by placing their chips in the appropriate section on the Craps table.
The shooter is required to have a bet either on the “Pass” line (also known as a “Win” or “Right” bet) or on the “Dont Pass line (also known as a “Dont Win” or “Wrong” bet). Craps is a game played in rounds and these bets are wagers on the outcome of the round. The position of “shooter” will commonly switch at the end of the round or when the current “shooter” rolls a 7. The position of “shooter” moves clockwise around the Craps table. Before a player makes their first roll as “shooter”, the stickman will give them a number of dice from which the new shooter must select two.
Each round of Craps is made up of two parts; “come-out” and “point”. At the opening of a round, the shooter will make one or a number of “come-out” rolls. A come-out roll of either 7 or 11 is known as a “natural” and wins resulting in a payout for all of the Pass line bets. A come-out roll of 2, 3 or 12 is known as “craps” and loses resulting in a loss for all of the Pass line bets. A come-out roll resulting in any of the remaining numbers (known as the point numbers), including the 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 and 10, establishes what is known as the “point”. The point is the number that must be rolled again before rolling a 7. Once a point number is rolled, the dealer will turn the button to its “On” side and place the button over the point number on the Craps board thus signifying the beginning of the “point” part of the round. In the event that the shooter rolls a 7 before they manage to roll the “point” number, the Pass line bets lose and the round concludes.
The Layout Of The Craps Table
Craps is played on specially marked, felt covered Craps tables. The Craps table displays all of the possible betting variations and, in most casinos, Craps tables are split in half. Each side of the table is a mirror image of the other with the center bets located at the center of the table. The tables are double sided simply to allow for convenience as the shooter may roll the dice from either end of the Craps table and also to allow for more players to participate in the action. Each Craps table at the casino will be run by up to 4 casino workers: the boxman, two base dealers and the stickman. The boxmans job is to keep an eye on the chips, watch the dealers and color out players. The base dealers will stand on each side of the boxman and it is their job to collect and payout bets. The stickman will stand across the table from the boxman and it is their job to take the bets at the center of the table (yo, horn, craps, etc.), announce the results of the shooters rolls, collect the dice after the roll (with the stick) and make it known to the base dealers to pay the bets from the center of the table.
How To Join In On A Game Of Craps
When wishing to join in a game of craps at the casino, players must first check to see whether the dealers “On” button is resting on any of the point numbers. If the button is on then the table is currently in the “point” part of the round and most casinos will allow players to make a Pass line bet. All single and multi proposition bets can be placed in either part of the round. Dealers collect losing bets and payout the winning bets in between rolls of the dice. Once the dealer has settled up, players can place new bets. Players may continue to place bets until the stickman presents the shooter with the dice. After the shooter is given the dice, no more bets may be placed.
Rolling The Dice In Craps
When rolling the dice in a game of Craps, the shooter must roll the dice with one hand and the dice must strike the far wall of the table. In the event a die jumps the table wall during a roll, the shooter may either choose another die from the stickman or can request to use the same die that popped off the table once it has passed the inspection of the boxman.
Each possible outcome of a roll of the dice in Craps has a nickname associated with it and it is important that one be familiar with them before playing:
Having nicknames for the different rolls adds a little excitement to the game and the nicknames can vary somewhat from casino to casino. Dice rolls resulting in 4, 6, 8, and 10 can be known as “hard” or “easy”. The roll is called “hard” when it made with a double; for example, a “hard” eight is one made up of a roll of two 4s. The roll is called “easy” when it is made with any other combination of dice; for example, an “easy” eight can be made up of a roll of either 5 and 3 or 6 and 2.
Roll of 2: A roll of 2 is most commonly known as “Snake Eyes”, this is presumably because the single dots showing on each of the dice together resembles a pair of eyes. During the come-out, a roll of 2 is also known as “two craps two” since the Pass line bet is lost and a bet on craps wins. A roll of 2 during a point roll is sometimes known as “Aces; Double the Field” in order to encourage subsequent bets. A roll of two may also be known as “Loose Deuce”.
Roll of 3: A roll of 3 is most commonly called “Three Craps Three” when hit during the come-out roll. At any other roll other than the come-out roll, a roll of 3 will be called “Three Ace Deuce, come away single” meaning that the come bet is lost and any Field bets are to be paid single.
Roll of 4: A roll of 4 is also known sometimes as “Little Joe from Kokomo”. This term has its origins in the way African Americans from the South pronounce the number “four” (“fo”). Not what one may call “politically correct” but it is what it is.
Roll of 5: A roll of 5 is often known as “No Field Five” because the number “5” is not present on the Field and, therefore, not paid out in a Field bet.
Roll of 6: A roll of 6 is also known as “Jimmy Hicks” or “Jimmy Hicks From The Sticks”, presumably because of the fact that it rhymes with the number “6”. If a winning roll of 6 is made then it will often be called “666 winner 6” followed by “came easy” or “came hard” depending on whether the roll was a hard or easy 6.
Roll of 7: A roll of 7 comprised of a 6 and 1 is often known as “Up Pops the Devil” or “Six Ace”. When the shooter rolls a 7 during the come-out phase, it is called “Seven, Front Line Winner”. When the shooter rolls a 7 during the point phase, it will often be called “7 out 7” or simply “7 out.”
Roll of 8: A roll of a hard 8 has a number of different nicknames, the majority of which are of a sexual nature: “Mom and Dad”, “Ozzie and Harriet”, “Square Pair” and “Eight The Hard.”
Roll of 9: A roll of 9 is most commonly known as “Centerfield Nine” because the number “9” appears in the center of the betting area, also known as the “Field.” A roll of 9 made up of a 4 and a 5 is called a “Railroad Nine” in the casinos of Atlantic City. It is also known as a “Jesse James” because Jesse James was reportedly killed by a .45 caliber pistol.
Roll of 10: A roll of 10 the hard way is also known as “Hard Ten” and a “Womans Best Friend”…more sexual double entendres.
Roll of 11: A roll of 11 is known as “YoLeven” or simply “Yo”. This nickname is used because “eleven” can sometimes be heard as “seven” and use of the expletive “Yo” helps to make it clear.
Roll of 12 A roll of 12 is most commonly known as “Boxcars” or “Midnight”. At Craps tables that pay triple the field on a roll of 12, the stickman will generally call out “Triple!”.
Different Craps Bets
Line Bets
Before making their first roll as the “shooter”, a player must place either a Pass line bet or a Dont Pass bet. There are certain casinos that will require that all participating players place a minimum Pass line bet or Dont Pass bet regardless of whether they are the shooter.
Pass Line Bet: The Pass line bet is the most basic bet in craps and is simply a bet that the shooter will roll their point number. If the shooter rolls a come-out roll of 7 or 11 then the bet is immediately won. If the shooter rolls a come-out roll of 2, 3 or 12 then they “crap out and the Pass line bet is lost. If any number other than those listed above is rolled then that number becomes known as the “point”. If the “point” number is rolled before the 7 then the Pass line bet wins. If the 7 is rolled before the “point” number then the Pass line bet is lost. The Pass line bet is an even money bet.
Dont Pass Line Bet: The Dont Pass line bet is a bet on the shooter rolling a 7 before hitting their “point number.” A simple way of looking at the Dont Pass line bet is that it is the opposite of the Pass Line bet. With a Dont Pass line bet, if the shooters come-out roll is 2 or 3 then the Dont Pass line bet wins and if the come-out roll is a 7 or 11 then the Dont Pass line bet loses. A roll of 12 will generally result in a draw depending on the casino; either way, the player cannot lose on a roll of 12 with a Dont Pass line bet. If the shooter establishes a “point” number and rolls the “point” number again then the Dont Pass line bet loses. While a perfectly acceptable bet in terms of the rules of Craps, Dont Pass line bets are not commonly made for the simple reason that it is considered by most as poor taste to bet against the shooter and it is often known, for this reason, as “playing the dark side”.
Pass Odds: As mentioned above, when the shooter rolls a 4, 5, 6, 8, or 10, they set the “point” number. When this is the case, most casinos will allow players that made a Pass line bet to make an additional bet of from 1 to 5 times the Pass line bet. This bet is placed behind the Pass line bet. This additional bet wins when the “point” number is rolled before 7. This bet pays winners at true odds:
4 or 10: When a 4 or 10 is the “point” number, it pays 2:1.
5 or 9: When a 5 or 9 is the “point” number, it pays 3:2.
6 or 8: When a 6 or 8 is the “point” number, it pays 6:5.
There are certain casinos that will offer what is called “3-4-5X Odds”. This simply means that players may bet:
When a 4 or 10 is rolled: 3 times the Pass line bet.
When a 5 or 9 is rolled: 4 times the Pass line bet.
When a 6 or 8 is rolled: 5 times the Pass line bet.
The great thing about Odds bets is that they payout in accordance with their true odds. Making a maximum Pass Odds bet over a minimum Pass line bet will often offer players the lowest house edge at the casino. However, dont shed a tear for the casinos just yet; since Pass Odds bets cannot be made independently of a Pass line bet, the casino is still taking their piece.
Dont Pass Odds: If the player is feeling cheeky and decides to “play the dark side” and make a Dont Pass line bet then they may also make a Dont Pass Odds bet. The Dont Pass Odds bet is to the Dont Pass line bet as the Pass Odds bet is to the Pass line bet. If the shooter establishes a “point” number then players having made a Dont Pass line bet may make a Dont Pass Odds bet. This is a bet that the shooter will roll a 7 before their “point” number. The Dont Pass Odds bet pays true odds:
4 or 10: When a 4 or 10 is the “point” number, it pays 1:2.
5 or 9: When a 5 or 9 is the “point” number, it pays 2:3.
6 or 8: When a 6 or 8 is the “point” number, it pays 5:6.
Come Bet: The Come bet is similar to the Pass line bet and is played over the course of two rounds. The primary difference between the two is that a Come bet is a wager made on the first point number of the shooters following roll, irrespective of the round. When a player makes a Come bet, the following throw of the dice is treated in the same way that a come-out roll as regards Pass Line bets. The roll can win the bet, lose the bet or establish a “point” number in the same way. If the shooter rolls a 7 or 11 in the first round then the Come bet wins. If the shooter rolls a 2, 3, or 12 in the first round then the Come bet loses. If; however, the shooter rolls a 4, 5, 6, 7, 9 or 10 then the dealer will move the players Come bet to the corresponding numbers box on the Craps table. This number is what is known as the Come bet point and the player, if they wish, may make a Come Odds bet along with their Come bet. If the shooter rolls the Come bet point number before the 7 in the second round then the Come bet wins as well as any associated Come Odds bet. If the shooter rolls the 7 before the Come bet point number in the second round then the Come bet loses as well as any associated Come Odds bet.
The best way to explain the Come bet is through an example: Let us say that the player makes a Come bet and the shooter rolls a 4. The players come bet is picked up and moved over to the 4 section of the Craps table. At this point, the player may include a Come Odds bet along with the Come bet. Now, the players only concern is that the shooter roll a 4 before a 7…no other number is of any significance to the player. Players may have up to 7 Come bets running simultaneously.
It is important to note that Come Odds bets are automatically considered inactive during a come-out roll whereas the Come bet is always active. This becomes interesting when the shooter rolls a Come point number or 7 during the come-out roll. If the shooter rolls the Come point number in their come-out roll while the player has a Come bet with an associated Come Odds bet then the Come bet is paid but the Come Odds bet is simply returned to the player since the Come Odds bet is considered inactive during come-out rolls. If the shooter rolls a7 in their come-out roll while the player has a Come bet with an associated Come Odds bet then the Come bet is lost but the Come Odds bet is simply returned to the player since the Come Odds bet is considered inactive during come-out rolls. While the Come Odds bets are automatically considered inactive during the come-out roll, the player may request from the dealer that the Come Odds bets remain active during come-out rolls and the dealer will place and “On” button on the players Come Odds bet.
Dont Come Bet: The Dont Come bet is just like the Come bet, just rocking the dark side, so to speak. As with the Come bet, the Dont Come bet is made over two rounds. If the shooter rolls a 2 or a 3 in the first round then the Dont Come bet wins. If the shooter rolls a 7 or 11 in the first round then the Dont Come bet loses. A standoff is reached in the event that the shooter rolls a 12 and the player may either revoke their bet or let it ride. If the shooter rolls a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or a 10 then the rolled number becomes the Dont Come point number and the Dont Come bet is moved to the corresponding numbers box on the Craps table. The Dont Come bet will then win if, in the second round, the shooter rolls a 7 before the Dont Come point number.
Single Roll Bets
Single Roll bets are also known as proposition bets and are made on a single roll of the die. Most of the Single Roll bets are “Service Bets” and can be found at the center of the Craps table.
The Single Roll bets are as follows:
2 (Snake Eyes, Aces): This bet wins if the shooter rolls a 2.
3 (Ace Deuce): This bet wins if the shooter rolls a 3.
11 (Yo, Yoleven): This bet wins if the shooter rolls an 11.
12 (Midnight, Boxcars): This bet wins if the shooter rolls a 12.
2 or 12 (Hi-Lo): This bet wins if the shooter rolls either a 2 or a 12. The stickman will place a Hi-Lo bet on the line that divides the 2 and 12 bet on the Craps table.
Any Craps (Three-Way): This bet wins if the shooter rolls either a 2, 3 or a 12.
C & E: The C & E bet is a combination bet where the player places half of their wager on Craps and the other half on 11 (Yoleven).
Any Seven (Big Red): This bet wins if the shooter rolls a 7.
The Horn: The Horn bet is a combination bet where an equal bet is placed on the 2, 3, 11 and 12 for the shooters next roll. The Horn bet is essentially four individual bets and its payout will be determined by which of the numbers was rolled minus three betting units placed on the other three numbers. A common variation on the Horn bet is the Horn High bet. The Horn High bet is the same as a Horn bet just with an additional number. For example, a Horn High Ten bet would be a Horn bet with an additional betting unit placed on the 10.
Whirl (World): A Whirl bet is a combination of the Horn Bet and the Any Seven bet.
On The Hop: The On The Hop bet is a bet that a certain combination of the dice will be rolled by the shooter on their next roll. A player betting 3 and 1 on the hop are wagering that the shooters next roll will be made up of one die of 3 and another die of 1. This bet will pay 15:1. The odds change when betting on the shooter rolling doubles on the hop. For example, a bet of 5 and 5 on the hop will pay 35:1. The true odds of these On The Hop bets are 17:1 and 35:1, respectively, or a house edge of 11.11% and 13.89% respectively.
Field: The Field bet is a bet that the shooter will roll either a 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11 or 12 on their next roll of the dice. Generally speaking, a Field bet will payout differently depending upon the number that is rolled. The Field bet will payout 1:1 if a 3, 4, 9, 10 or 11 is rolled and 2:1 or 3:1 if either the 2 or 12 is rolled. Field bets are known as “Service Bets” because the player places the Field bet themselves on the Field bet section of the Craps table as opposed to a dealer or stickman placing it for them.
Multi Roll Bets:
Multi Roll bets are a type of bet whose outcome is not necessarily determined by a single roll of the dice. When making a Multi Roll bet, you might find yourself in a situation where the shooter rolls their point number before the outcome of the Multi Roll bet has been determined. In this instance, the Multi Roll Bet is considered as “not working” until the shooter has established a new point number, unless of course the player calls the bet as “working”.
The Multi Roll bets are as follows:
Hard Way: A Hard Way bet is a bet that the shooter will roll either a 4, 6, 8 or 10 the hard way before they roll a 7 or the same number the Easy Way.
Easy Way: An Easy Way bet is a bet that the shooter will roll either a 4, 6, 8 or 10 the easy way before they roll a 7.
Big 6 and Big 8: A Big 6 bet is a bet that the shooter will roll a 6 before the 7 and the Big 8 bet is a bet that the shooter will roll an 8 before the 7. This bet pays even money and is not commonly played since an individual bet on either the 6 or the 8 will pay 7:6.
Place and Buy: With Place and Buy bets, players have the opportunity to buy or place any of the possible point numbers (4, 5, 6, 8, 9 and 10) by simply placing their total bet in the Come area of the Craps table and instructing the dealer what size bet to place on what numbers. Place and Buy bets are bets that whatever point number selected will be rolled by the shooter before the 7. Both of these bets are considered working bets and will continue to payout to the player each time the shooter rolls the selected Buy point or Place point number. The difference between Place bets and Buy bets is simply in the way that the casino takes their cut. Place bets will payout at slightly below true odds and Buy bets will payout at true odds; however, the casino will charge a 5% commission on the amount of the bet.
Lay: The Lay bet is the exact opposite of a Buy bet. With a Lay bet, the player is wagering that the shooter will roll a 7 before the laid number. As with a Buy bet, Lay bets enjoy true odds with a 5% commission charged by the casino.
Fire Bets
Some casinos will allow a Fire bet to be made before the shooter begins rolling. A Fire bet is basically a bet that the shooter will hit a hot streak. Fire bets are long shot bets that payout big. As the shooter hits point numbers in a streak, the numbers are marked on the table with a little chip with a fire symbol. Fire bets begin paying out on the shooters fourth point number roll in a streak. The fourth point number rolled by the shooter pays 24:1, the fifth point number pays 249:1 and the sixth point number pays 999:1.
Craps Betting Odds
The following table lists the True Odds, Odds Paid and the House Edge of each Craps bet. It is important to note that while the payout ratios can vary from casino to casino, the ones listed below are the most common payout ratios at US casinos.
The odds of the payouts in Craps is determined by the probability that each of the possible dice combinations have of being rolled. The table below shows all of the possible combination of dice that can make up each number.
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Players place their bets in Keno by marking an “S” over the chosen numbers on a Keno ticket form. Once players have placed their bets, a blower forces a stream of air into the bubble and the Keno balls bounce around. The caller will then press a button that opens a tube where balls are lifted one at a time into the “rabbit ears”, a small “V”-shaped tube. Twenty balls are drawn and the caller and “verifier” each record the numbers of the balls. Once the balls are drawn, a computerized system calculates all of the wagers and winnings.
Paytables will vary from casino to casino. Players are paid out according to how many of the numbers drawn match the numbers on their ticket and the amount of their wager. Players should not be surprised to find a fairly marked difference in Keno paytables from casino to casino as well as the house edge afforded the different casinos. In addition, each individual casino will offer a number of different paytables as well as specialty Keno bets from which to chose, each with their own unique house edge. The house edge offered by different paytables will vary from below 4% all the way up to 35%.
The History of Keno
While the word “Keno” is Latin in origin, the game itself originated in China. Legend has it that money raised by the game of Keno helped to safe an ancient city during war and also was important in raising the money to build the Great Wall of China.
The Chinese name for “Keno” is “Baige Piao”. “Baige Piao” translated into English means “white pigeon tickets”. It is believed that the results of some of the Keno games in ancient China were sent to surrounding villages via carrier pigeon, hence the name.
Originally, Keno was played using paper with Chinese characters. Often, they were the first 80 characters of the Thousand Character Classic. Keno was introduced to the US by Chinese Immigrants that worked on the First Transcontinental Railroad in the early 1800s.
Playing Keno At The Casino
The Keno booth is the venue for the ball draw. Keno balls are drawn in one of four possible ways: the traditional Rabbit Ear blower, Automated Keno Blower (AKV), Random Number Generator (RNG) and the Hand Cage.
Before a balldraw, Keno “runners” will wonder the casino floor calling “Keno.” Keno runners will take players wagers and carry them to the Keno booth to be processed. The Keno tickets that the players hand the Keno runners are known as “inside tickets”. The Keno runner returns to the players with “outside” tickets which is the players official wager receipt. Once players receive their “outside” tickets, it is important that they verify that the numbers are correct. Errors typically cannot be corrected once the balldraw begins.
Once players have made their bets, they can watch the balldraw either on the electronic Keno board or on a video monitor. Keno results will normally be displayed throughout the casino and, often times, they can even be viewed from the TVs of the hotel rooms.
It used to be that winning Keno tickets had to be taken to the Keno booth immediately after having posted the results. In fact, had a player tried to redeem their winning ticket once the next Keno balldraw took place then they would find their ticket expired. Considering that Keno drawings can take place every couple of minutes, this did not leave the players a whole lot of time to dilly dally. These days, most casinos will offer players a “late pay” window. Generally speaking, Keno tickets covering 21 races or more will remain valid up to a year in many jurisdictions. The “late pay” rules for Keno tickets covering less than 21 races will vary from casino to casino.
Many casinos will offer alternatives to the tradional Keno playtables that offer between 1 and 20 spots. An example of this is the Top/Bottom paytable in which the player does not select any spots; rather, they bet that the balldraw will be uneven in its distribution amongst the top 40 and bottom 40 numbers. Other special Keno paytables include Even Only, Parlay, Edge, Exacta, Top Only, Bottom Only, Odd Only and Even Only.
Keno Odds
The payouts provided by Keno are based on how many numbers the player chooses and how many of their numbers “hit” multiplied by the proportion of the players wager with respect to the “base rate” of the relevant Keno paytable. For the most part, the more numbers chosen by the player that “hit”, the greater the payout. Keno payouts will vary widely from casino to casino. Some casinos will allow wagers of between 1 and 20 numbers; although, some will only limit the choice to only 1-10, 12 or 15 numbers (spots).
The probability of a player hitting all 20 of the numbers on a 20 spot Keno ticket are infinitesimal (1 in 3.5 quintillion). In other words, forget about it. The odds of hitting on a 20 spot Keno ticket are as follows:
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Sic Bo is a rather simple game to play. Players may either select the individual numbers or the combination of numbers that will appear when the dice are thrown.
The Action
A round of Sic Bo kicks off with players placing their chips on the section of the game table outlining their bet. It is important to note that the player is responsible for their chips being on the correct spot on the Sic Bo table, irrespective of whether the dealer places the chips or the player does themselves.
Once all of the bets have been placed, the dealer will place the three dice in a closed, glass covered, container known as a shaker that vibrates and bounces the dice around. Once the vibrating stops, the dealer will announce the value of each die and enter them onto a screen for all to see and payout all of the winning bets.
Sic Bo Betting Options
Sic Bo offers players a choice of 7 different betting options. The associated payouts and house edge on each bet will vary from casino to casino and from country to country.
Small or Big
The Big and Small bets are the most common bets made at the Sic Bo tables. A bet on Small is a bet that the total value of the three dice will be between 4 and 10. A bet on Big is a bet that the total value of the three dice will be between 11 and 17. Notice that the total range of these bets encompasses the totals of 4 through 17. This is because the player loses if a triple falls (for example ([1][1][1]).
Dice Face
This is a bet that a particular number will appear on any of the three dice. If the number appears on one of the dice then the player simply wins even money. If the number appears on any two of the dice then the player wins 2:1. If the number appears on all three of the dice then the player wins 3:1. The house enjoys an advantage of around 8% on this bet.
Two Faces
This is a bet that two specific numbers will appear on two of the three dice; for example, [1] and [4]. This bet pays off 5:1 and the house enjoys an advantage of around 17%.
Any Pair
This is a bet that a pair of a particular number will appear; for example, [4][4]. This bet pays off 8:1 and is one of the worst bets for the player as the house enjoys an advantage of around 33%.
Triple
This is a bet that all three of the dice will be of a particular number; for example, [4][4][4]. The payoff for hitting this bet is massive at 150:1. That having been said, the chances are stacked against the player on this one at 215:1. The house enjoys an advantage of around 30%.
Any Triple
This is a bet that all three of the dice will all be of the same non-specific number. This bet has a nice payout of 24:1 but, just as with the Triple bet, the house enjoys an advantage of around 30%.
Totals
This is a bet on the total value of all three dice. Players may select a specific total from 4 to 17. The odds of a total hitting will vary from value to value and, as a result, so do the payouts of the different totals:
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Since the early 60s, the Blackjack table has been a very popular target of advantage players and card counters that track the cards dealt in previous hands so as to make a determination as regards cards that may be dealt. Counters will use this information in their wagering and playing strategies in order to gain an edge on the house.
The History of Blackjack
The predecessor of Blackjack is a game called “21” (yes, modern Blackjack is also known as 21…this refers to a somewhat different game by the same name). No one really knows the origin of 21; however, the first known reference to the game can be found in a book by Miguel de Cervantes called Novelas Ejemplares. A number of characters from one of the stories in the book are identified as cheaters in a game called ventiuna (21 in Spanish), and the book goes on to discuss some of the rules of the game which closely resembles modern day Blackjack. This book was written sometime between 1601 and 1602 so we can assume that the game has been played as early as the 16th century in the Castillan Kingdom and perhaps earlier.
When “21” was first introduced the U.S., many of the casinos and gambling houses would offer special bonuses in order to get players interest going. One of the more popular bonuses was a special 10:1 payout if the player was dealt a hand made up of one of the two black Jacks (Jack of Spades or Jack of Clubs) and the Ace of Spades. This hand was known as “blackjack”. The special bonus was soon removed; however, the game took on the name of this special bonus and has remained the name of the game ever since. These days, the hand “blackjack” actually refers to any hand that is made up of an Ace and either a Ten card or one of the Face cards; irrespective of the suit of the card or its color.
How To Play Blackjack
The Blackjack table will have between 5 and 9 playing positions in a semi-circle facing the dealer at the center. Each playing position will have a “bet in betting area” in which up to three players may place a bet. The player whose bet sits at the front of the betting area has control over the position (typically the person sitting at the table in front of the betting area) and is consulted by the dealer as regards any decisions required. The players that place bets but do not control one of the positions are said to “play behind.” Generally speaking, a single player may control as many positions as they wish at the table but may not play at more than one table at a time. The action opens with the dealer dealing two cards to each active position at the table. The dealer will then deal two cards to themselves. In “hole card” games (most common in American casinos), one card is dealt face down (the “hole card”) and the other is dealt face up. The dealer will take a peek at the hole card but wont reveal it unless the hand is a blackjack. In “no hole card” games (most common in European casinos), the dealer will deal their first card and then wait to deal themselves the second card until all of the players have played their hands.
The object of Blackjack is to create a card total higher than that of the dealers hand without the card total going over 21 (going bust). In Blackjack, cards have the following values:
Number Cards: Cards [2] through [9] have their natural value.
Face Cards and [10]: Cards [10] through [K] have a value of 10.
Ace: The [A] can either be 1 or 11 according to which is better for the player.
Once the initial two cards are dealt, the first player clockwise from the dealer is first to act and the action continues in a clockwise fashion. Players may choose to hit, stick, double down or split.
Hit
When a player “hits,” they take another card from the dealer. Players may “hit” as much as they like without going over 21. Players may, of course, say “hit” and the dealer will deal them a card; however, they may also use signals: tap the table, wave towards themselves or scrape the cards on the table. Players may hit as often as they wish as long as the total is not above 21. Once a player reaches 21, they are required to stick (which is just fine considering 21 is the highest score that a player can achieve).
Should a player hit resulting in a card total of above 21 then they “bust.” A bust in Blackjack results in a total loss and all bets placed associated with the hand are forfeited to the house.
Stick
Also known as “Stay.” When a player sticks, they are declining to take any further cards. The signal for sticking is sliding the cards under ones chips or waving their hand horizontally to the table.
Double Down
Players are only permitted to double down in their initial action. Players may double their bets in exchange for committing to stick after they receive only one additional card. This bet is placed in the betting area next to their original bet. Other players that are participating but not in control may also double down with the controlling player or not as they wish; however, if the controlling player decides to take more than one card then they cannot.
Split
If the initial two cards dealt to a player have the same value, the player may split the cards into two separate hands. They signal their wish to do so by placing a second bet equal to their first bet in the area outside the betting area containing their original bet. The dealer will then separate the two cards and deal an additional card to each new hand. The player will then play each hand in their turn. Most casinos will only allow players to split when the cards are exactly the same; for example, [10][10] and not [10][K].
Some casinos will allow the splitting of already split hands. In other words, let us say that a player is originally dealt [10][10] and they decide to split their hand. If the dealer should deal another [10] to one of the split hands then some casinos will allow the player to split again leaving the player, in this example, with three hands each starting with a [10] card. Casinos that do allow the splitting of split hands will often count blackjacks as a non-blackjack 21 against the dealer. Often when splitting Aces, the casino will not allow the players to hit meaning that the second card dealt by the dealer to each new [A] hand will close the hand.
If the controlling player decides to split and a non-controlling player does not wish to place another bet then the non-controlling player must select one of the hands to play before the dealer deals the second cards.
Surrender
Some casinos will allow players to “surrender,” typically at hole card tables once the dealer has checked their hand for blackjack. Once a player surrenders their hand, half of their bet is lost to the house and the other half is given back to the player and the player is out of the round. Players will do this if they do not like the cards that they were dealt.
It is important to note that hand signals are not simply ceremonial. Casinos video tape their tables (the “eye in the sky”) and hand signals will help in identifying mistakes by the dealer and resolving any disputes.
After all of the players have finished, the dealer reveals the hole card and continues to draw cards until their hand has reached a minimum value of 17. In the event that the dealers initial hand is an [A][6], also known as a “soft 17”, some casinos will require the dealer to draw. The dealer may never split, double down or surrender. If the dealer draws cards and busts then all of the hands remaining in the game (that havent busted) win. If the dealer does not bust then the hands remaining in the game that have a value greater than that of the dealer win and less than that of the dealer lose. If a player hand ties that of the dealer (known as a “push”) then the players bet is returned to the player. That having been said, a blackjack hand beats any hand that is not a blackjack; for example, a blackjack hand of [K][A] will beat a non-blackjack 21 hand such as [7][3][A]. Blackjack wins are paid out equal to the wager or 1:1 except in the event that a player wins with blackjack in which case they are typically paid out at one and a half times the wager or 3.2.
Insurance
Players are given the option to take “insurance” by the dealer, prior to their checking their hole card, if the dealers exposed card is an ace. Insurance pays the player 2:1. Insurance is essentially a side bet that the dealer has hit blackjack and is separate from the players main bet. The idea behind insurance is that if the dealers exposed card is an ace then there is approximately a 1:3 chance that the dealers hole card has a value of 10 thus giving the dealer blackjack. Players have the option of insuring against the possibility that the dealer has hit blackjack by making a maximum “insurance” bet which would make up for the loss of the original bet. Players may take insurance of up to half of their original bet.
Players hitting blackjack may also opt to take insurance. Should a player hitting blackjack take maximum insurance then they are basically committing to winning back their initial wager irrespective of the dealers cards. It is for this reason that taking insurance on a blackjack against a dealers possible blackjack is also known as “taking even money”.
Basic Blackjack Strategy
It is important to have at least a basic understanding of Blackjack strategy before playing, especially at the casino. That is not to say that it isnt important to have an understanding of Blackjack strategy when playing alone online; it is just that wild and inconsistent play at the casino can get you some mean looks from your fellow players. For example, if you hit with a hand total of 18 when the dealers exposed card is a [5] then you can expect to get some looks from the person sitting to your left. It isnt that you are required to follow any rules. If you want to play wild then it is certainly your prerogative. The thing is that if you hit when you “shouldnt” according to the basic strategy of Blackjack and the person seated to your left needed the card that you received there is a certain attitude that persists where the person to your left will think that that [K] should have been theirs. Again, not the end of the world; however, it is certainly something to be kept in mind.
Truth be told, a player will maximize their odds by playing according to the basic strategy. The basic Blackjack strategy is no secret and you will even see, at times, players sitting at the Blackjack tables holding basic strategy cards in their hand much like the one appearing below.
Technically speaking, the basic strategy in Blackjack will change somewhat in accordance with the rules governing the game. The following is a basic Blackjack Strategy when:
* The dealer sticks on a soft 17
* Between 4 and 8 decks are in play
* Players may double on any two cards.
* Players may double after a split
* Only original bets are lost when the dealer gets blackjack
* Late surrender
Where:
S: Stick
H: Hit
Dh: Double if allowed. If not allowed then Hit.
Ds: Double if allowed. If not allowed then Stick.
SP: Split
SU: Surrender if allowed. If not allowed then Hit except when holding 16 against Dealer showing [10] in which case Stick.
When casinos and gaming regulators provide a house edge for a particular Blackjack table, they do so assuming that players will follow a basic strategy, much like that provided above, and do not change their bet size according to some betting strategy. Generally speaking, you will find that Blackjack will have a house edge of somewhere between 0.5% and 1%. Blackjack provides players with the best odds of all of the casino table games.
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The History of Roulette
The French scientist Blaise Pascal first introduced the world to Roulette (albeit a primitive form of the game) in the 1600s while attempting to construct a perpetual motion machine. Roulette has existed in its present form as early as 1796. The earliest description of the game can be found in the novel La Roulette, ou le Jour published in 1801 and written by the French novelist Jaques Lablee.
The Frenchmen Francois and Louis Blanc introduced the single “0” style Roulette wheel in the German resort town of Homburg. It was their intention to compete with casinos that had the more traditional wheel that contained single and double “0” house pockets. There is a legend surrounding Francois Blanc that he sold his soul to the devil in exchange for the secrets of the game of Roulette. The basis for this legend is that the sum of all of the numbers found on the Roulette wheel equals 666 (the Number of the Beast as delineated in the Book of Revelation of the New Testament).
The 1886 Hoyle gambling books depict some early forms of the American Roulette wheels. These wheels were made up of numbers 1-28, “0”, “00” and an American Eagle. The Eagle slot was a representation of American freedom and gave the casino an extra edge. The American Eagle slot did not last too long and soon disappeared leaving only numbered slots.
Throughout the 19th century, Roulette consistently gained in popularity, spreading like wildfire throughout the US and Europe. The German government outlawed gambling during the 1860s. This caused the famous Blanca family to move to Monte Carlo where they established a gambling center for Europes elite. It was in Monte Carlo that the single “0” Roulette wheel developed into the premier game that spread throughout the world, with the exception of the US where the double “0” Roulette wheel maintained its popularity.
Today, the double “0” (American) Roulette wheel can be found in casinos throughout the US, Caribbean and South America and the single “0” (European/French) Roulette wheel can be found just about everywhere else.
The Roulette Table
The betting area of the Roulette table is known as the “layout” and is typically covered with felt. The layout of an American Roulette table will have a single “0” and double “0” slot and the layout of a European/French Roulette table will have just a single “0” slot.
American Roulette Layout
European/French Roulette Layout
The pockets on both the American and the European/French Roulette wheels are numbered from 1 through 36. In pocket numbers 1-10 and 19-28, the odd numbers are red and the even numbers are black. In pocket numbers 11-18 and 29-36, the odd numbers are black and the even numbers are red. The European/French Roulette wheel will have a “0” pocket colored in green and the American Roulette wheel will have a second, “00” pocket, also colored in green. The pocket numbers on the Roulette wheel follow the following clockwise numerical order:
American Roulette Wheel: 0, 28, 9, 26, 30, 11, 7, 20, 32, 17, 5, 22, 34, 15, 3, 24, 36, 13, 1, 00, 27, 10, 25, 29, 12, 8, 19, 31, 18, 6, 21, 33, 16, 4, 23, 35, 14 and 2.
European/French Roulette Wheel: 0, 32, 15, 19, 4, 21, 2, 25, 17, 34, 6, 27, 13, 36, 11, 30, 8, 23, 10, 5, 24, 16, 33, 1, 20, 14, 31, 9, 22, 18, 29, 7, 28, 12, 35, 3 and 26.
Roulette Betting
The game of Roulette affords players a variety of different betting options. When players place an “inside” bet, they are either betting on the exact number on which the ball will land or on a relatively small number of pockets within close proximity of each other on the “layout.” When players place an “outside” bet, they are betting either on a larger grouping of numbers, the number color or whether the number will be odd or even. The payouts of the different betting options are in direct relation to the probability that they will hit.
As with any other game that found at casinos, you will find that there will be minimum and maximum bets set. Typically, there will be different rules regarding minimum and maximum bets for “inside” and “outside” bets.
Even after the croupier spins the wheel and the ball, players may continue to place bets until the croupier announces “rien ne va plus” or “no more bets”.
Once the ball comes to rest in a pocket on the Roulette wheel, the croupier will put a marker on the table known as a dolly. As long as the dolly is on the table, players may not make bets, collect bets or remove bets from the layout. The croupier will then sweep all of the losing bets away and place the winnings in front of the respective players. The croupier then removes the marker and players are allowed to collect their winnings and all players are welcome to make their next bets. The croupier leaves the winning chips on their winning position for the player to either continue making the winning bet or they may simply just collect the chips and do as they wish with them.
Inside Bets
Straight –Up: A bet placed on a single number. The players chips are placed in the middle of a numbers square on the layout.
Split: A bet placed on two numbers bordering each other on the layout, either horizontally or vertically. The players chips are placed on the line making up the border between the two numbers.
Street:A bet placed on the three numbers of a horizontal line of the layout (for example; 27,26,25). The players chips are placed on the edge of the line of numbers.
Corner: Also known as a “square”, this is a bet placed on four numbers in a square as they appear on the layout (for example; 25, 26, 28, 29) The players chips are placed in the central intersection of vertical and horizontal lines at the center of the four number grouping.
Double Street: Also known as “Six Line”, this is a bet placed on to horizontal lines, or Streets. The players chips are placed between both streets at the end of the lines of numbers on the layout.
Trio: This bet is a bet either that the 0, 1 and 2 will hit or the 0, 2 and 3 (the second one only relevant for European/French Roulette). The players chips are placed at the intersection of the three numbers.
Basket (European/French Roulette): This bet is a placed on the 0, 1, 2 and 3.
Basket (American Roulette): This is a bet placed on the 0, 1 and 2; 0, 00 and 2; or 00, 2 and 3. The players chips are placed at the intersection of the three numbers.
Top Line: This is a bet placed only in American Roulette and is on the 0, 00, 1, 2 and 3. The players chips for this bet are placed either at the corner of the 0 and 1 or at the corner of the 00 and the 3.
Outside Bets
1 To 18: This is a bet placed on numbers 1 through 18.
19 To 26: This is a bet placed on numbers 19 through 26.
Red: This is a bet placed on the color red.
Black: This is a bet placed on the color black.
Even: This is a bet that the winning number will be an even number.
Odd: This is a bet that the winning number will be an odd number.
Dozen Bets: This is a bet that the winning number will be amongst one of the three twelve number blocks; 1-12, 13-24 and 25-36.
Snake Bet: The Snake Bet is not accepted at all casinos. It basically a special kind of Dozen Bet involving the numbers 1, 5, 9, 12, 14, 16, 19, 23, 27, 30, 32 and 34.
Roulette Bet Odds
Roulette Call Bets And Announced Bets
Some casinos will allow Call Bets or Announced Bets. A Call Bet is a bet called out by the player without them placing money on the table. A great many jurisdictions (the UK most notably amongst them) will not accept Call Bets as they are considered gambling on credit which is not legal. The Roulette wheel is divided into a series of sectors, each particular sector has a specific name and special bets attached to them (see illustration). These special bets are known as the “French Bets”, with the exception of Zero Spiel which is known as the “German Bet”.
The Zero Spiel Bet
Zero Spiel, or Jeu Zéro in French, is the name for the sector of the Roulette wheel closest to zero. These numbers include the 12, 35, 3, 26, 0, 32 and 15. A Zero Spiel bet is made up of 4 chips or multiples of 4 chips and includes a chip on the 0-3 split, a chip on the 12-15 split, a chip on the 32-35 split and a chip on 26 straight up. Some Eastern European Casinos will offer the Zero Spiel bet as a 5 chip bet with a chip placed on 19 straight up in addition to those listed above.
The Voisins de Zéro Bet
Voisins de Zéro, or “Grand Voisins du Zéro”, is the name for the sector of the Roulette wheel lying between the numbers 22 and 25, including 22 and 25. A Voisins de Zéro bet is made up of 9 chips or multiples of 9 chips and includes two chips placed on the 0,2 and 3 trio, a chip on the 4-7 split, a chip on the 12-15 split, a chip on the 19-22 split, a chip on the 32-35 split and two chips on the 25-26-28-29 corner.
Orphelins
Orphelins, or “Orphans” in English, is the name of the two sectors of the Roulette wheel lying between the Voisins de Zéro sector and the Le tiers du cylinder (Tiers) and is made up of eight numbers including 17, 34, 6 and 1, 20, 14, 31,9. A Orphelins bet is made up of 5 chips or multiples of 5 chips and includes a chip on 1 straight up, a chip on the 6-9 split, a chip on the 14-17 split, a chip on the 17-20 split and a chip on the 31-34 chip.
Le tiers du cylinder (Tiers)
Le tiers du cylinder, or “Thirds of the wheel” in English, is the name of the sector of the Roulette wheel made up of the twelve numbers between 27 and 33, including 27 and 33. This bet is known as “Thirds of the wheel” because it is a bet on 1/3rd of the wheel. A Tiers bet made up of 6 chips or multiples of 6 chips and includes a chip placed on the 5-8 split, a chip placed on the 10-11 split, a chip placed on the 13-16 split, a chip placed on the 23-24 split, a chip on the 27-30 split and a chip on the 33-36 split.
…And The Neighbors
The “…And The Neighbors” bet is a fairly simple type of bet that includes a particular number and the two numbers found on either side of it on the Roulette wheel for a 5 piece bet. For example, a “10 And The Neighbors” bet would include a bet on the 8, 32, 10, 5 and the 24. These bets can often be made in combinations such as “22, 16 4 And The Neighbors” which include the numbers themselves and the two numbers found on either side of them for a total of 15 numbers (individual bets).
Final Bets
Final Bets are only found in European/French Roulette. A Final Bet number is always a one digit number and will involve all numbers with that number in the ones digit including that number. For example, a Final 3 is a bet on the numbers 3, 13, 23 and 33.
There are some casinos that will offer Split Final Bets. For example, a Final 6-9 would be a bet on the 6-9 split, the 16-19 split and the 26-29 split.
Complete Bets
A Complete Bet is a bet made on all of the possible inside bets that can be made on a particular number. Complete Bets are a high roller bet and are most commonly made as Maximum Bets. The amount of money that a player can bet on a Maximum Bet is based on a progressive betting model.
Let us take the example of a Roulette Wheel with a maximum bet of $1,000 on a 35-1 straight up bet. In this case, $2,000 can be bet on each and every 17-1 split connected to that number. The maximum amounts that can be bet on each of the inside bets associated with any given number are in proportion to the odds of the bet. Now, a gentleman at the table calls “17 to the maximum”. This is a Maximum Bet on 17. With a $1,000 maximum on a straight up bet, the gentleman would require $40,000 in order to make the bet:
This bet pays out big, at 390x”the maximum bet”. In the above example, if the gentleman were to hit his “17 To the maximum” bet then he would get a payout of $392,000 on a $40,000 bet. The position of the number on the layout will determine the size of bet that they can make with a Complete Bet. This is logical since with a number such as “7” located on the edge of the layout simply wont have as many neighboring numbers with which to make split bets as well as a number in the center of the layout such as “17” or “11” would have.
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There are three commonly accepted variations of Baccarat: Punto Banco, Baccarat Chemin de Fer and Baccarat Banque (a deux tableaux). The Punto Banco variation of Baccarat involves no skill and is simply a game of chance where a players moves are governed by the cards that they are dealt. Baccarat Chemin de Fer and Baccarat Banque, on the other hand, do involve a certain amount of skill as players are afforded the option to make choices.
Baccarat is a fairly simple game and ends in one of three ways: Player, Banker and Tie. It is important to note that neither does the outcome “Player” refer to the player nor does the outcome “Banker” refer to the house, they are simply options on which the player may bet.
Hand Valuations
The hand valuations in Baccarat are quite simple. The cards [2]-[9] all are worth their face value, [10]-[K] are worth 0 and [A] is worth 1. Scores are calculated by adding up the sum of all of ones cards and dropping the 10s digit (modulo 10). For example:
[2][3]: 5
[7][9]: 6 (7+9=16 and the 10s digit is dropped so we are left with 6)
The highest score that a player can achieve is 9. The worst hand that players can hit is 0 or “Baccarat”.
Punto Banco
Punto Banco (also known as “North American Baccarat” and “tableau”) is a variation of Baccarat played in casinos in the United States, Canada, Australia, Finland, Macau and Sweden. In this Baccarat variation, the casino banks the game.
In most US casinos, Punto Banco is played only at very high stakes and is usually played in special rooms set aside from the main gaming area. This game attracts the big gamblers, betting tens and even hundreds of thousands of dollar on single hands. Minimum bets at Punto Banco tables will often begin at $25 with some tables offering minimum bets as high as $500. If you are interested in low stakes Baccarat then you will have to go online. Baccarat tables at online casinos will allow players to make more reserved bets. Of course, online casinos will generally invite selected players to play in special high roller games.
How To Play Punto Banco
In Punto Banco, players may bet on the “Player” or the “Banker.” These names do not refer to the player and the croupier; rather, they are simply designations for the two hands dealt in each game. The croupier deals the cards face down, first card to the “Player” hand, second card to the “Banker” hand, third card to the “Player” hand and the fourth card is dealt to the “Banker” hand. Both cards of the “Player” and “Banker” hands are turned over by the croupier and they call the total. It is at this point that the “tableau” or table of play determines whether any additional cards are drawn.
If either the “Player” or the “Banker” has a value of 8 or 9 after the opening deal (this is known as a “natural”) then no more cards are dealt and the outcome of the cards determines the winner with the higher point value winning. If, on the other hand, neither the “Player” nor the “Banker” have a natural then the game proceeds as follows:
Players Rule
- If the score after the initial deal totals 0-5 then the “Player” draws a third card.
- If the score after the initial deal totals 6 or 7 then the “Player stands (doesnt draw a card).
Bankers Rule
- If the “Player” doesnt take a third card then the “Banker” acts according to the Players Rule.
- If the “Player” draws a third card then the “Banker” draws a third card according to the following rules:
- - If the “Player” drew a [4] or [5] then the “Banker” draws a third card if they have a score of 0-5 and stands if they have a score of 6-7.
- - If the “Player” drew an [8] then the “Banker” draws a third card if they have a score of 0-6 and stands if they have a score of 7.
- - If the “Player” drew an [A], [9], [10], or face card then the “Banker draws a third card if they have a score of 0-3 and stands if they have a score of 4-7.
Once game play has concluded, the croupier announces the winning hand; either the “Player” or the “Banker”. The winning bets are paid according to rules established by the house and the losing bets are collected. Generally speaking, even money is paid when the “Player” hand wins and when the “Banker” hand wins, 95% goes to the “Banker” hand and 5% goes to the house (Commission Baccarat). In a variation of Punto Banco known as “Super 6”, the casino pays even money to both the “Banker” and the “Player” accept for when the “Banker” wins with a score of 6. When this happens, the “Banker” is paid 50% of the original bet.
In the event that both the “Banker” hand and “Player” hand have the same score at the end of dealing, then the “Tie” bet wins and the croupier declares “Egalité-tie bets win”. Tie bets are paid at 8:1 odds and the “Player” and “Banker” bets remain in play for the next game. In most cases, participants will not be able to take back their “Player” and “Banker” bets when there is a tie; the rules vary from casino to casino.
Traditionally, Punto Banco is played at an oval table that is very similar to the table used in Chemin de Fer. A table will have a croupier as well as two dealers. The croupier guides the players through the game and the job of the dealers is to collect and pay out bets as well as calculate the commissions due the casino. Most casinos will have either 6 or 8 deck shoes for Baccarat and the cards are shuffled by the croupier and the dealers. Just as with Chemin de fer, the shoe is moved from player to player. The player in possession of the shoe acts as the dealer of the cards and as the “banker” (of course, this player is not actually banking the game). The “banker” may bet on either the “Banker” hand or the “Player” hand, the name “banker” in this case is merely ceremonial. Of course, if the “banker” wishes, they may pass the shoe to another player. The player that made the biggest bet on the “Player” hand is given the “Player” cards and the honor of turning them over and announcing their score. The croupier will inform the “banker” on when and if to deal third cards and the croupier will then declare the winning bet.
A popular variation of Punto Banco is Mini-Baccarat which is basically the same game; however, it is typically played at a small table. One dealer will manage a Mini-Baccarat table and deal the cards. The stake levels offered at Mini-Baccarat are generally lower and the pace of the games is quite a bit faster.
Punto Banco Odds
One of the attractions to Punto Banco, aside from the excitement, is the fact that it offers amongst the lowest house advantages that you will find at a casino. The “Player” hand bet has a house advantage of 1.24% and the “Banker” hand bet offers a house advantage of 1.06% (this is taking into consideration the 5% commission that must be paid). The “Tie” bet has a much higher house advantage then that of the other bets with a house advantage of 14.44% when a shoe of 6 decks is used and 14.36% when a shoe of 8 decks is used.
In Super 6 (see above), the house advantage on a “Banker” bet is 1.46% and the house advantage on the “Player” and “Tie” bets remain the same as standard Punto Banco.
Chemin de Fer
Chemin de Fer (also known as Chernay or Shimmy) is the original version of Baccarat introduced to France hundreds of years ago and is still the best known and most popular variation of Baccarat in France. There are two theories as to why the game is called “Chemin de Fer”. “Chemin de Fer” in French means “way of iron” or “way of railroad”. One theory is that it is called “Chemin de Fer” because the cards were originally placed in an iron box and the other theory is that it is because the box goes around the table (like a choo choo train).
How To Play Chemin de Fer
Chemin de Fer tables are oval and strict rules are followed in seating at these tables. The first player to approach a Chemin de Fer table will sit to the right of the croupier with each additional person seated in order counterclockwise.
The croupier will begin by shuffling 6 decks of cards and then each player starting from the player to the right of the croupier and continuing counterclockwise is invited to shuffle the cards. The croupier will then shuffle the cards one final time and the player to the croupiers left cuts the deck.
At the opening of play, the player to the immediate right of the croupier is designated the “banker” and the other players are “punters”. The position of “banker” moves from player to player in a counterclockwise fashion during the course of the game. The round begins with the “banker” declaring the amount of money that they are willing to bet. The other players, “punters”, beginning from the player to the immediate right of the “banker” and continuing counterclockwise, will declare whether they wish to “go bank”. When a player decides to “go bank”, they are willing to wager a bet matching the entire current bank amount. Only one player is allowed to “go bank” in any game. If no one “goes bank” then players are allowed to place bets in a clockwise order, starting from the player to the immediate right of the “banker”. If the total wagers placed by all of the players are below the total amount of the bank then observers are allowed to make up the difference. If, on the other hand, the total wagers placed by all of the players are above the total amount of the bank then the banker reserves the right to increase the bank to make up the difference or; otherwise, players are instructed to return their bets, in reverse play order, until the amount of the bets and the bank are equal.
Once the bets are made then the player making the highest wager represents the “punters” in play. The “banker” begins by dealing two cards to themself and two cards to the player representing the “punters”. Both player then look at their cards and if either one has a hand score of 8 or 9 then it is announced by the player and the hands are turned face-up and compared. If neither the player nor the banker hand has a score of 8 or 9 then the player is given the option of being dealt a third card face-up. It is general practice to take a third card with a hand score of between 0 and 4 and always refuse a third card with a hand score of 6 or 7. The banker will then be given the same option to take a third card. Once all of the cards are dealt, all cards are turned face-up and the hand scores are compared.
If the hand score of the players hand exceeds that of the bankers hand then all of the wagering players get their wagered amount plus a matching amount from the bank and the position of “banker” passes to the player to the bankers right. If the hand score of the bankers hand exceeds that of the players hand then all of the bets placed are added to the bank and the position of “banker” does not change. In the event of a tie, all of the bets remain as they are for the following hand. Of course, if the banker is looking at a nice pile of cash, they may wish to withdraw and claim the entire bank for themselves. If this occurs then players are given the option, in playing order, to become the new banker by staking an amount equal to the current bank total. In the event that no player is willing to stake the amount, the new banker is the next player in the order and the bank simply becomes what that player wishes to stake.
Baccarat Banque
Baccarat Banque is certainly not for the weak at heart. While it is very similar to Chemin de Fer in many ways, it is dissimilar in one significant way. When playing Chemin de Fer, a player takes the position of “bank” for only as long as they win and as soon as they lose, it passes to the next player. This is not the case with Baccarat Banque. Baccarat Banque has between 2 and 4 decks of cards (3 decks is most common). The player designated as banker remains the banker until all of the cards in the decks have been dealt (unless they retire because they have run out of money or just lost the desire to go on).
How To Play Baccarat Banque
The first thing done when a Baccarat Banque table opens is to auction off the position of bank. The player willing to risk the most money opens as the bank. Sometimes, the position of bank is given to the first player to sign on the player list for the table and they simply risk whatever amount that they think proper.
The banker takes their seat halfway down the side of the oval table immediately opposite the croupier with 5 “punters on each side of them. The 5 “punters” to the right of the banker and the 5 “punters” to the left of the banker each work as separate “teams” with one player representing the group (and any bystanders that bet with them) in the hand. This player maintains this position as long as they win. If they lose then the next player in the rotation is dealt the following hand. Bystanders may contribute to the bets and be represented by either the player on the right of the banker or the left as long the amount by the bank is covered by the bets of the players seated at the table.
The croupier will shuffle the cards and allow the player to the right and left of him to do the same. The banker is the last to shuffle and they also select the player that will cut the cards. Now, the bets are placed. First, players are allowed to “go bank” if they wish. First choice is given to the punter to the immediate right of the banker and then the punter to the immediate left of the banker and continues thusly. In the event that two players on opposite sides of the banker deside to “go bank” then they go in half and half. When a player goes bank they may either do so using a single hand or using both player hands (cheval). When playing two hands, the players bet is split evenly amongst the two hands. Players that “go bank” and fail in three consecutive attempts are not allowed to “go bank” any further.
After all bets have been placed, the banker deals a card to the player representing the players to the bankers right, another card to the player representing the players to the bankers right and then one to themselves; with three more cards being dealt in the same manner. Of course, if one player “goes bank” and only selects to play a single hand then the banker will only deal to that player. The banker and either one or two punters (as the case might be) then look at their cards and if either one has a hand score of 8 or 9 then it is announced by the player and the hands are turned face-up and compared. If neither the players nor the banker hand has a score of 8 or 9 then the players are given the option of being dealt a third card face-up. It is general practice to take a third card with a hand score of between 0 and 4 and always refuse a third card with a hand score of 6 or 7. The banker will then be given the same option to take a third card. Once all of the cards are dealt, all cards are turned face-up and the hand scores are compared.
If the hand score of a players hand exceeds that of the bankers hand then all of the wagering players on their side of the banker get their wagered amount plus a matching amount from the bank. If the hand score of the bankers hand exceeds that of the players hand then all of the bets placed are added to the bank after a 5% commission is take for the house.
When a player undertakes the position of “banker”, they must play out at least one full hand but may retire. When a “banker” retires, they must state the amount of money that they wish to retire. It is then left to any of the other players to continue in the position of “bank”, starting with the same amount as well as dealing from the remainder of the shoe.
It is important to note that when breaking the bank, this does not necessarily keep the “banker” from continuing; they simply must have the funds with which to replenish the bank, up to a pre-agreed minimum amount. When the bets of all of the punters are greater than the amount in the bank, the “banker” is not responsible for the excess bets. If this happens and the “banker” loses then the croupier pays the punters in the order of play as far as the money in the bank will extend. The “banker” may; however, decide to accept any excess claims in which case they will have to put up the money. Once the banker does this, the bank from that point on becomes unlimited and the “banker” must cover all bets offered on any later hands or give up the position of “banker”.
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