Hi-Lo Card Counting in Blackjack
May 19, 2008
We’ve had plenty of questions coming in to the site concerning card counting in blackjack so wanted to address the issue. It is thought that with a little bit of research and practice a common player can improve their game to the point where the game is a break-even situation or else they may get the advantage to their side. The casinos have other plans in mind, and try to curtail this practice at all costs. They think it’s cheating, but it really seems to be a skill that only takes...
House Edge on Wheel of Fortune & Big 6
May 17, 2008
The Wheel of Fortune, or Big 6 games in the casino are played on a carnival like vertical wheel that are segmented into dollar bills of various denominations. The player steps up to the table and wagers on which domination he feels the pointer will stop at. All of the six possible wagers carry a pretty steep house edge: $1 spot: 11.1% $2 spot: 16.6% $5 spot: 22.2% $10 spot: 18.5% $20 spot: 22.2% Casino or Joker Logo: 24% (if it’s 40 to 1, if the casino pays 45 to 1 on this wager then the...
Scorecards in Baccarat
May 17, 2008
It seems that almost every baccarat table that we have ever played at has scorecards for the players to use. Players will sit at the baccarat table with their scorecards and pencils marking away as to the outcome of every hand, hoping to pick up on trends that will help them determine to bet either the player or the banker. However, if you do much reading on this site, you know that each hand should be a completely independent event. If the shoe and dealer are legit, previous hands have absolutely...
Four Card Poker Rules
May 14, 2008
Four Card Poker is similar to Three Card Poker, but as the name signifies, you use four cards instead of three to make your hand. The other key differences between the game are that there is no dealer qualifying hand, and the player can raise up to three times his ante. And then there is the real kicker, that the house gets to draw one extra card to form the best hand. The goal of the game for the player is to form a four-card poker hand higher than, or equal in rank to the dealer’s hand....
Number of Ways a Seven Can Be Thrown
May 14, 2008
We were poised the question of how many different ways a seven can be thrown in craps so we thought we would illustrate the point with an example. Why isn’t it easy to understand how many ways a seven can be thrown? Probably because people fail to realize that each dice is independent of the other one. Leading them to believe there are three combinations instead of the actual six. However, the game of craps is played with a two of the same type of numbered cubes. Each die (the singular...
Foul Hands in Pai Gow
May 14, 2008
Sometimes you can have better cards while playing Pai Gow and still end up losing. I’m talking about foul hands, and even if you beat the bankers hands you will be denied payment and lose your wager. In order to win at Pai Gow you have to be able to beat both of the banker’s hands with both of yours. As most of you know you have to set seven cards into two separate hands of two and five cards. A hand is considered foul when hands either have the wrong number of cards in them, or the...
Drawing to Inside Straights in Video Poker
May 14, 2008
We frequently get questions from visitors regarding inside straights in video poker. Some people think that there are times that it is acceptable to draw one, and other people think that there is never a situation in which it would be appropriate. Let’s take a look at an example so we are all on the same page. An inside straight would be a hand like 4-5-7-8, a hand in which you would be hoping to draw a six. Is it smart to keep these cards and try to get the six? Not really, but that...
House Edge When Blackjack Pushes Go To House
March 15, 2008
Generally, charity blackjack events turn pushes into wins for the casino. Real casinos do not offer such a hard-line rule, because players would never belly up to the table when the odds are so stacked against them. There is an exception: Double Exposure blackjack. Here, as compensation for losing in pushes, all dealer’s cards are dealt face up, However, (there’s always an “however”) because you get to view both of the dealer’s up-cards, the playing rules are adjusted...
Odds on Craps Hardways
March 15, 2008
In Craps, hard-way bets are very enticing to players. To win this bet, your number not only has to appear before the seven, it has to emerge with two dice showing the same number. For example, if you are betting a hard six, it must be a pair only (3-3) in order for you to win your wager. If it shows as a 4-2, 2-4, 5-1, 1-5, or if the seven rolls, you lose. Sticking with the six as an example, the correct odds on making the six is 10 to 1, calculated as four easy ways of making the six (4-2, 2-4,...
11 against an Ace in Blackjack
March 14, 2008
What to do with an 11 against an ace? Do you double down or just hit? This is a question that even most pros disagree upon, but our recommendation is to play the hand differently depending on the number of decks in play. If you are in a multi-deck game then you should just hit the 11, but if you are in a single deck game then you would double down. The reason is that you are more likely to get a decent card on a single deck game than one using multiple decks. Let’s take a look at the number....
