Casino gambling online: blackjack, poker, baccarat

Why poker is a game for winners

2004-10-17T08:40:00.000-07:00

Yes, there are casino professional players, like the one you find featured on this site. Yes, you may win at blackjack, you may hit a royal flush at video poker, and you can take advantage of casino comps.

But, have you ever wondered why there are fulltime poker players, but no one ever heard about fulltime slots players? The answer is simple: at poker, you play against other players. With slots, roulette, etc., you play against the casino, which has a house advantage.

Stay tuned to get more info about poker, where to play and how to enjoy winning in poker rooms!

2004-10-03T10:09:00.000-07:00

Playing Blackjack as a professional: a few more thoughts

I’m ready to wrap up my posts with a few words of feminine advice about just having fun. Playing the game and being part of the main action has always been the best part of playing blackjack for me, but there are other fun things about it, too.

There are many casinos in this wide world, some big, some small, some cozy, some glamorous, and some downright sleazy. You can find them in so many countries that certainly you could spend a lot of time traveling around getting to know them.

I’ve found that different casinos in different places have their own personalities. When I first enter a casino and walk around, I get a definite “gut feeling” about where I am. Here’s my take on the places I’ve been. I’ll talk about the places in general, not specific casinos, OK?

San Juan, Puerto Rico: a GREAT place to start! The casinos here are quite elegant; playing in one of them is a dressy affair. Be sure to wear your elegant evening clothes to these casinos and you’ll fit right in! The dealers are generally quite friendly in Puerto Rico, which makes it fun. Also, in addition to bringing you drinks, they will also serve you light meals, such as sandwiches, right there at the table. (I’m told this is true at other casinos in the Caribbean, but San Juan is the only place I’ve personally been. Do let me know if you go to another island, and tell me what it’s like!) So, you don’t even have to get up to eat! These places are great for players like my husband and me, who can hang in there at the same table for hours.

Chamonix, France: a fun place for evening diversions after a day of skiing in the Mont Blanc area of the Alps. The casino is small and can be crowded, but it feels cozy. We haven’t spent much time there, but we’ve certainly enjoyed light gaming on occasion. Dress is casual to dressy, so you have your choice of what to wear. You can definitely play a comfortable game of blackjack there.

Las Vegas, Nevada: In my not-so-humble opinion, this is the most memorable place! And it keeps getting better, with so many new, themed, casinos going up in the past few years. You can find the gamut of accommodations, from good solid basic, to “flea bag” motels, to the epitome of luxury (and expense!). The most recently built casinos are designed around themes, such as “New York, New York”, “The Luxor” (Egyptian), “Paris,” “The Venetian,” etc. For a fab breakfast buffet, try the Bellagio. Many of the casinos have big amusement rides such as roller coasters. This adds an additional dimension to the Vegas experience. What was once called “Sin City” has become something of a family vacation destination, which is hard to believe for people like me who remember the Las Vegas of the movie “Oceans 11”, for example. But even then, as now, when I went there, I always felt, and still feel, that in Las Vegas, everything is set up for pleasure and fun. Dress is definitely casual – just about anything goes! Try playing blackjack in Las Vegas, you’ll like it!

Atlantic City: There was a time when there were no casinos in Atlantic City, but since the late 1970s, much casino construction has gone on there. When my parents lived on the East Coast it used to be that people had to travel out west to gamble, but now the East has a glorious venue on the pretty Atlantic Ocean to gamble and have fun. People seem to dress a little more formally at these casinos than in the casinos out west. Since I’d gotten to know Las Vegas before playing in Atlantic City, I do feel Vegas is more relaxed. But that may be a bias, since I was so impressed with Vegas the first time I went there. And I continue to feel that way.

To me, somehow Atlantic City feels more “serious”. Perhaps it’s because more people there seem to dress in darker colors than in the casinos out west, where light and bright are de rigeur. Also, the minimum bets are usually more expensive in Atlantic City. But don’t let that stop you! With the basic strategy you’ve learned, and your simple methods for counting, you can still have fun. Just remember not to bet more than you can afford to lose, right?

Reno, Nevada To me, Reno feels like a “real gambling town.” Unlike the extravagant glitz and frenzied activity of Las Vegas, Reno has a small town feel even though it is a major city. It has a number of very large casinos, complete with all the trappings of big Hollywood entertainment and great restaurants, including inexpensive and delicious buffets. (I personally favor the buffet at the El Dorado.) Dress is definitely casual here. Unlike Las Vegas, which has changed a lot recently, Reno has kept its original Western flavor, even though new casinos have been built there, too. It still has an all-American feeling. As a place to gamble, Reno is my personal favorite. And, it is less expensive than Las Vegas, Atlantic City, or even Lake Tahoe.

Stateline, South Lake Tahoe, Nevada: Famous casinos tower over a gorgeous, clear, lake, which is surrounded by snow-capped mountains. If you like the combination of fresh air, outdoor activities, and “honky-tonk,” then South Lake Tahoe is for you. Depending on the season, you can ski, hike, or swim during the day, and play blackjack in the evening. Like Reno, the major casinos of South Lake Tahoe have big Hollywood entertainment in their large-capacity nightclubs. Oddly, South Lake Tahoe comes across as a more sophisticated venue than Reno, even though it is, more than anything, an outdoor resort. The casinos are quite large and there are many hotels, motels, and restaurants of all price ranges. Ski clothing, or après ski togs, are definitely what to wear here, at least in the winter!

North Lake Tahoe, Nevada: Although the casinos are few here, and the ones that do exist are small, this is my favorite venue of all. North Lake Tahoe is much less built up than South Lake Tahoe, and with the gorgeous lake, mountains, and trees, it has a rustic feel. Although there are a couple of fairly luxurious hotel/casinos, most people stay in resort motels or in rented vacation houses. Restaurants tend to be either family-type or quite sophisticated; there is little “junk food” here although it does exist. For me, North Lake Tahoe affords the perfect combination of fresh air, outdoors, an unhurried, rustic feel, along with modest gaming opportunities. (Although there is one casino in North Lake Tahoe where my hubby and I have almost never won, which is incredible. We have observed this casino’s practices over and over, and we have concluded that they cheat there. So, be careful!) North Lake Tahoe is definitely a very well rounded place. Again, dress is casual. Oh, and it’s less than an hour’s drive from North Lake to Reno. So if you want a change of pace or big name entertainment, it’s an easy drive.

I’m not one to be sitting in the nail salon getting a manicure. I find it boring and time consuming, even though my nails look nice when the manicurist is done. I guess this goes along with my blackjack personality. Playing blackjack, I get very impatient unless I’m counting, since I need the counting to occupy my mind. But there is no such thing when I’m having my nails done. After all, what could one do to occupy the mind when a manicurist is painting your nails and chatting with you!

However, I do like to make an exception when I’m playing at the blackjack table. When I know I’m going to Reno or Tahoe, I do enjoy having my nails done! Why? Because I simply love the contrast of the pink (or whatever) color nails with the bright green felt of the tables! I also enjoy wearing my prettiest cocktail rings. Pretty nails and pretty rings, and pretty bracelets, too, make for a look of gorgeous hands at the table. Funny how I never paid much attention to my hands until I started playing blackjack. I love the feeling of showing them off, whether I’m scratching a card or tapping a finger the green felt to hit, picking up my cards, or scraping in my chips!

Once you’ve finished your blackjack sojourn, what to do with your winnings? I tend not to save them, but I like to splurge them instead. My favorite thing to do is to buy something luxurious at those gorgeous luxury stores on the premises of the large casinos. I’ve bought jewelry, small accessories, and dinner, all with my “earnings”. Post-gaming shopping is definitely FUN!

NOW IT'S YOUR TURN: there are so many things you could talk about that relate to your gaming experiences. Although playing tips, or other tips, would be great, I’d also love to hear your funny stories. For example, has anyone else gotten tendonitis by playing blackjack? If so, tell us about it and I’ll consider you my soul sister!

I wish you all,

Love and luck,

California Lizzie

2004-09-30T16:50:00.000-07:00

Make yout casino gaming hints be heard!

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2004-09-26T16:40:00.000-07:00

One more hint from Ms. BJ: Watch Where You Sit!

Before I played blackjack, during those days when I watched the tables wistfully from the nickel slots, I could never have imagined the day would arrive when I would care where I sat! At that time, I was so intimidated by the whole blackjack process that I didn’t have the courage even to take a seat!

But now, yes, it does matter to me where I sit. My favorite table spot has changed over time and reflects how my blackjack capacities have developed. I say that with a smile, but even so, I think my experience might be worth passing on to you, so here goes!

When I first played blackjack, it was always with my partner, who happened to be my husband. He was a good player when we met, and much more experienced than I. I’m indeed sure I’d never have sat at a table if he hadn’t been there. His interest and support were essential to my growth as a player.

When we first sat at a table, we tried to sit at first base, that is, at the end of the table, to the dealer’s left. My husband would sit on the end and I would sit to his left. That way, my husband would make the first decisions about whether to hit or to stand. Then it would be my turn. Hubby usually could see my hand out of the corner of his eye and would coach me if needed in a very soft voice. In other words, during the time I was learning the basic strategy, if I was stumped he’d give me hints about what to do.

This worked well for a good long time. But every so often we’d have to sit at another spot at the table. Although I always tried to sit next to Mr. California Lizzie, sometimes I couldn’t. In a way that was good, because it forced me to become more independent. And since we were still at the same table, I didn’t feel too alone!

Pretty soon I felt comfortable sitting anywhere. But then, I started counting and that changed everything!

Now I like to be the last, or next-to-last, person at the table, to the dealer’s right. That way, I can see the most cards before I have to decide to hit or stand. Since hubby knows the advantages of the last spot, too, sometimes we have little tussles over who will get that seat. For the most part I defer to him, since although I’m very good, he’s still the better player. And, after all, he taught me so much!

So, what does this mean to you, as a developing player? Well, if you’re like me, you might like to sit at first base in the beginning. I liked that spot a lot as a novice because I was able to make my decisions and then relax! Also, I could then watch the other players without worrying about what I was doing. In the long run I rhink I got better practice that way than if I’d tried to sit somewhere else where I felt under more “pressure.”

If you are playing the way I recommend, with a partner for support in the beginning, you might want to take turns sitting in the first base seat.

After you’ve graduated to counting, I do think the last seat is best, since you can count more cards and base your actions on the count.

Before I end this session, I also want to talk about “how” to sit! I have a bit of a story about that. But before I tell you the story, remember that my husband and I can “hang in there” with our basic strategy and our counting to the point that we can sit non-stop at a table for seven or eight hours. We’ve seen many dealer rotations and shift changes, with rotating dealers returning to our table and saying, “Are YOU still here?”

With that in mind, I want you to notice something about the chairs you’ll find at blackjack tables. Now this might not be true of all casinos, but I’ve noticed it an awful lot. The seats of the chairs appear to lean slightly toward the dealer. This means that they can be uncomfortable to sit on for very long! I usually feel like I am going to topple over towards the table because the slant of the seat makes me feel like my bum is going to slide off the chair!

To avoid this sliding feeling, I try to use my feet for balance and stabilize my body on the seat. I’ve found that if I rest my feet well enough apart on the vertical ledge under the seat I lose that out-of-balance feeling. With some especially bad chairs, though, that isn’t good enough. In such cases I wrap my leg around the legs of the stool, all the way down to my ankles. Then I wrap both feet around, too, for leverage and balance, if you can visualize what I mean. This works very well. Except for one memorable summer.

That summer we spent a week on vacation in North Lake Tahoe. The few casinos there are smaller than in Reno or South Lake Tahoe. Since there isn’t much competition, it’s kind of a “seller’s market” there. Some of the seats at the blackjack tables can be notoriously uncomfortable. There is one casino (that I won’t name) where the chairs were especially shaky. Even so, I found a way to sit rather comfortably, balanced on the seat by firmly wrapping my feet around the legs of the stool.

The vacation passed and we had a great time. It’s been a while, so I don’t remember whether I won, lost, or broke even.

A few days after I got home, my foot started hurting. I limped. Eventually, I could hardly walk.

So I went to the doctor. After examining my foot, the doctor said I had tendonitis. Tendonitis? How could I ever have that? I hated to admit I hadn’t done anything athletic during my vacation.

My doctor pressed the point. What had I done with my feet during vacation? It came to me in a flash! I told the doctor about the phenomenon of “casino chair slant” and my creative balancing act. “That’s it!” exclaimed the doc. He then told me how he’d kept his feet in a crazy position once for a period of time. He’d gotten tendonitis too!

Well, there’s “tennis elbow” and “swimmer’s ear.” I’d never heard of “blackjack foot.” But there you have it. Tendonitis in my feet from playing blackjack!

The doc said there wasn’t much I could do except rest my foot. As a wife, and mother of a toddler, how could I do that? After all, I needed to be on my feet to do housework and chase my little girl around!

Doc told me to wear Birkenstocks since they’re hard-soled and mould to the feet. “They would be much better than soft, flimsy, ladies’ shoes,” he said.

With the Birkenstocks, at least I was able to walk without crutches. Still, I felt like a decrepit old gal as I limped across the schoolyard. Other mothers would see me and would express concern. But I didn’t reveal my secret. I was too embarrassed to tell them!

And then one day I returned to my volunteer work. I worked in a thrift store which was a fund-raiser for a children’s educational institute. I’ll never forget the day I reported for that first shift after vacation. I told Marge, the manager, that I had almost decided not to come in because of the trouble with my foot. She had me be cashier that day, instead of back office worker, because that way I could sit behind the counter and mostly stay off my foot.

Marge was a charming and witty lady, but she had the devil in her, too. Knowing I’d just come back from vacation, where the foot problem began, she asked at the top of her lungs, “What did you do to your foot, Lizzie? Wrap it around a barstool all day?”

Imagine the guffaws of laughter that came from the rest of the staff! Imagine my own sheepish laughter when I told her the answer was “yes”, but from sitting at blackjack all day!

So there you have it. Where and how you sit are critical. I’ll bet you’ve never considered this pertinent fact!

That’s why you should stick with California Lizzie – She can tell stories to make your life complete, ha ha!

Please throw no rotten tomatoes (don’t worry, I’ll leave you now). But, stay tuned, I’ll be back!

Until then,

Love and luck,

California Lizzie

2004-06-23T16:22:00.000-07:00

California Lizzie 4ever: avoiding “detection”

I’m back! And champing at the bit to learn how you’re doing!

Have you been counting? Yes? If you have, how goes it? Now that you count, have you noticed you’re more able to keep your focus? You’re more occupied mentally than you were before, aren’t you?

And, what about your winnings? Are things going better in that department also?

My guess is that your answers are YES!

Well, if you’ve become as successful at counting as I think, smart lady, then you will be interested in my advice for you today. You already know that casinos observe how you play the cards – not only to make sure you don’t cheat, but also with an eye to controlling house losses. In other words, if you get too good, fine lady, they might not let you play!

Now, I’m not going to rant and rave about it. It’s simply reality, and I accept it, as I assume you will, too. So, just in case you’re getting quite good, I have some stories and tips for you.

I must, however, preface all this by saying I’m not a heroic card counter who attracts attention at the great casinos of the world. My “counting” system is simple. There are other very complex systems that are just not for me. And, after all, although I’ve learned to play blackjack to my advantage, I don’t play for high stakes. Even though I could.

I simply do as I’ve advised you to do all along; that is, I bet only amounts I feel would feel comfortable losing. (Notice I said “comfortable,” not “happy!”) There’s an upside to this. (Besides not going bankrupt.) Since my stakes are modest, I don’t attract attention! The casinos scrutinize the “high rollers.” Not me!

Or, so I thought.

My first realization that someone might be watching me came at a fifty-cent table! I alluded to this in a previous article, the one on counting the cards. I know you might be asking, “how in the world could California Lizzie be dumb enough to attract attention at such a cheap table?” Well, I’ll tell you. Through downright foolish bravado!

When I gamble over morning coffee I’m always in a good mood. It’s a new day, my mind is fresh, and the casino isn’t crowded. I’m especially relaxed if I’m playing at a nice cheap table, like the single-deck fifty cent table, at that fun casino in Reno where I used to stay and play. What a fabulous time!

One day I was playing cheaply and happily, just having my version of feminine fun. I started to get bored, even though I was counting. I had been doing quite well, maybe so well that it was becoming tedious. I decided to inject a little excitement. I decided to vary my bets.

I still remember the dealer. She was a young and attractive brunette, but serious-looking. She wasn’t particularly chatty or friendly. For quite some time I had been “hanging in there” at her table. More than hanging in there. I was winning or breaking even, depending on the ebb and flow of the game. As usual, there had been the normal “rise and fall” of my winnings – up quite a bit, down quite a bit, up quite a bit, etc.; I was basically breaking even.

And so I proceeded to change my betting. When the count was zero, I’d bet 50¢. When the count was high, I’d bet more.

After a while I started getting gutsy, betting 50¢ with the first hand of every shuffle and placing larger bet variations on the second hand.. When the count was high (+3 or so), and thus in my favor, I’d bet a lot more than the one or two dollars I’d previously been betting when the count was high at that table.

And then, it happened. On the second hand of the deck, I bet $10 since the count was high. And I got a blackjack, raking in $25! The dealer looked at me but said nothing. I smiled at her, with the blankest look I could muster on my face. (I love quietly pretending I’m stupid even though I play well, ha, ha!)

The dealer shuffled, starting a fresh deck. As usual, I bet 50¢ on the first hand. Again the count was wildly in my favor, so I bet $20 on the second hand. Again, to my amazement, when I took my hit, I got another blackjack!

The dealer was visibly shaken, and obviously annoyed. She looked at me with narrowed eyes and said in a caustic tone, “I wonder how you knew that was coming?” I gave her my vacant look and said, “Wow! How I could be so lucky!”

Then I collected my $50.

The dealer didn’t say anything to the pit boss. At least, as far as I know. But she proceeded to ruin my fun by shuffling every single hand from that moment on, that is, dealing with a new single deck every blasted time.

I know it might be unusual to get two blackjacks in a row like that, but the count was very high both times, and I certainly did take good advantage! But my shenanigans called attention to me and ultimately ruined my fun. I didn’t like playing with a new deck each time, so eventually I left the table. I guess the house got what they wanted.

And besides, I didn’t play at those 50¢ tables for the rest of that holiday. I felt bad since that venue was my favorite place for my “morning coffee blackjack!”

From that day forward I determined not to be so obvious about my “counting.”

My husband also had an interesting experience, again, in Reno, at one of the top casinos there. - the old MGM Grand, which is now Ballys. My hubby had time to kill. He was waiting to pick up his brother, who was arriving at the Reno airport. His brother’s plane was delayed quite a bit, so my husband had nothing to do.

Since we were staying in Lake Tahoe at the time, it didn’t make sense to drive the forty-five minutes from Reno back to Tahoe since he’d only have to leave again as soon as he got there. So, naturally, Mr. California Lizzie decided to play a little blackjack.

We had both played at the MGM Grand many, many times. Always, though, at night, after skiing. This time, though, hubby was playing in the morning. Instead of playing at my own “morning” casino with the cheap tables, he decided on a chance of pace, and played “morning MGM Grand.”

It goes without saying that he was playing the basic strategy he’d taught me. Of course, he was counting, too. His counting system is a little more complex than the one I use, but not by very much. He was playing a five dollar table.

He started winning. As hubby tells it, others at the table started to notice, and began to imitate him. He varied his bets slightly, always based on the count. The other players continued to ape him. When he bet higher, they did too. When he bet lower, they followed.

As I’ve said, over and over, just because you count, there is no guarantee you will win. Even so ,this was hubby’s lucky day; he couldn’t to do anything wrong! Whatever he did, he couldn’t lose!

He was winning, and other players were imitating him -- but there was no commotion going on. My husband felt just like any other day at the tables -- relaxed, enjoying himself.

Suddenly, and quietly, the pit boss approached my husband. “May I speak with you, sir?” he asked. My husband said “of course.”

The pit boss took hubby aside, motioning to follow him to the end of the blackjack bays. “Sir,” said the pit boss, politely and softly, “you are welcome to play any game except blackjack at the MGM Grand.”

My husband was stunned. Barred, just like that! Politely, but surely, with no warning at all! It was a huge shock, since hubby had never really thought of himself as anything but an ordinary, but good, player!

So he left.

When he arrived home and told me the story, I asked why he hadn’t demanded that the pit boss give him a certificate. In my opinion, it’s the least they could do.

Well, actually, I’d have loved to flash that certificate around for bragging rights about my smart hubby. Imagine! Barred from the MGM Grand!

All kidding aside, it was irritating and frustrating to have these “penalties” inflicted upon us just because we were playing well enough to have fun.

OK, I asked for it; I’d been varying my bets in a foolishly obvious way. You know what to do about that – if you vary your bets, try to be low key. You also might want to consider changing tables and not hanging in there at one table so long that you annoy the dealer.

My husband’s situation was more puzzling, since he didn’t think he was doing anything strange or overt; he was simply playing well, varying his bets modestly, and winning. And the stakes were low! Barred from a five-dollar table? How cheap, or so it seemed to us.

He finally figured out it must have been that he looked like a local. His clothes were very casual, not resort clothes, not ski clothes. He was dressed in the kind of clothing you’d wear around the house. Moreover, it was morning. Most non-locals would tend to ski on a winter morning, with all the great ski places in the Reno/Tahoe area. But hubby wasn’t skiing -- he was gambling.

Our guess is the casino thought he was local, or maybe a hard core gambler, who was preparing to make a killing. Flattering to my husband, in a way, but ultimately extremely annoying, since we were barred from one of the largest and most luxurious casinos in Reno at the time. Definitely not fun.

This story leads to another bit of advice -- try to look like a “tourist,” not a local. And by all means, try not to come off as a “gambler.” Just try to look like you’re there just for the fun, and this happen to be your lucky day. So, if it’s winter at Lake Tahoe, you consider wearing ski-themed garb to the casino. If it’s summer in Atlantic City, wear cool and snappy summer clothing, the kind a tourist might wear. Don’t look too local or too driven. If you look like a tourist you can appear low key and hopefully go unnoticed.

Well, I hope you’ve enjoyed my stories and my associated bits of advice! Can’t happen to you? Don’t bet on it.

So, like a good Girl Scout, be prepared!

Love and luck,

California Lizzie

2004-06-23T16:20:00.000-07:00

California Lizzie: counting the cards (Part 2) – Here’s how to do it

Hi, this is California Lizzie again, ready to tell you about a simple method of counting cards that ended my boredom and helped me control my betting. My husband taught it to me because it was very simple, and effective enough to make a difference. I’ve enjoyed using it for years.

This method is based on the fact that when there are more high cards in the deck, it is to the player’s advantage. When there are more low cards in the deck, the advantage rests with the house. So, in the simple method I present here, we count the cards to evaluate whether the deck is higher in high cards or in low cards.

By “high cards” I mean ten cards (K, Q, J, 10) or Aces. By “low cards” I mean 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6.

To evaluate whether there is a preponderance of high or low cards in the deck, you simply add or subtract one point every time you see any of the cards I’ve mentioned above. You keep a total in your head and decide how much to bet and whether to adjust your strategy based on the total count.

Every time you see a K, Q, J, 10, or Ace, you add a -1 (“negative one”). Every time you see a 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6, you add a +1 (“plus one”).

For example, supposing you are at a table with the dealer and one other person. Let us say you are dealt 3, 10. The player next to you shows a 4. The dealer shows a 5.

Of course, you can only count the cards you can see. In this example, this is what you do:
 Add +1 for your 3
 Add -1 for your 10
 Add +1 for your neighbor’s 4
 Add +1 for the dealer’s 5.
 Now compute the total: +1 -1 +1 +1 = +2

This means there is a slight preponderance of high cards in the deck, meaning that things are in your favor.

The dealer now asks for hits. You take a hit and receive a 5. You stand on your 18, and you add +1 (for the 5) to the count. The total is now +3, with things even more in your favor.

Your neighbor also takes a hit and gets a 3. You add +1 to the count for the 3. Your neighbor stands. The count is now +4.

The dealer hits and gets a 2, then stands. You add +1 to the count for the 2. The count is now +5. Very favorable to you!

The dealer now shows his hole card, which is a 10. Your cards are turned up, showing that you have 18, so you beat the dealer. Since you have already seen all your cards, you do not add to the count for your cards; rather, you simply add a -1 to the count, for the dealer’s 10. The count is now reduced by one point and is +4.

The dealer turns up your cards and your neighbor’s cards. You see that your neighbor had a 10 in the hole. You add a -1 to the count, which is now +3, still in your favor.

The dealer gathers up and disposes of the played cards and waits for you to bet. Since the count is +3, in your favor, you bet “two units” instead of “one unit.” If you remember what I meant by “units” in my previous article, you will know that “one unit” at a $5 table is $5, and “two units” are $10. At a $3 table, “one unit” is $3, and “two units” are $6.

Although there is, of course, absolutely no guarantee that you will win the next hand, the odds are in your favor since the deck is richer in high cards than it was before. So, considering the count, it is logical to bet a bit more at the beginning of this hand.

Conversely, if the count were not in your favor, for example, if the count were minus, meaning that the deck was relatively poor in high cards, then you would simply bet one unit.

Continue this counting process with every hand that is dealt from the deck, starting with the count from the previous hand, adding to or subtracting from it. Let us say that in the next hand you are dealt two queens. You would add -2 to the count, which started at +3 from the last hand. The count is now +1, still advantageous to you, but a much lower advantage. Let us say that you see your neighbor has a 5, so you add +1 to the count. The dealer shows a ten, so you add -1. Your count is still +1.

Continue counting in this manner until all hands have been played from the deck. When the dealer shuffles, start with zero again and continue counting from zero.

OK, now that you have learned this simple counting method, what do you do with it? Two things: 1) you can vary your bet, betting more when the count is in your favor, and less when it is not; 2) you can adjust your strategy a little to account for the preponderance of high or low cards that remain in the deck.

Let me give you two examples.

First, varying your bet. Here’s an extreme example. Years ago, one of the casinos in Reno had a number of 50 cent minimum-bet tables. I used to like to gamble at this table while sipping my morning coffee. When the count was high (+3 or so), meaning in my favor, I used to bet several dollars. When the count was zero or less, I would bet only 50 cents. This worked quite well and normally I would win or at least break even. This is an example of varying your bet according to the count.

If you vary your bet too much, the dealer may notice and take measures against you. For example, in single deck blackjack, occasionally a dealer would shuffle the deck for every single hand if she thought I was counting. In other words, she would deal one hand from the deck and then put all the cards together to start with a 52-card deck again, and then shuffle. This, of course, makes it impossible to vary the bet on second and subsequent hands, since there is only one hand per deck. (The varying of the bet comes at the second and subsequent hands, since it takes the first hand to establish a count.)

Second, adjusting your strategy. Occasionally, when the count is high and there are few remaining cards in the deck, I stand on 16, since I know it is very likely that if I hit I will get a ten, in which case I will bust. This is one example of how you can vary your strategy according to the count. Other examples are not doubling on certain soft hands, or even not splitting in certain cases.

The method I’ve given you here is very, very simple. My husband taught it to me a long time ago, and it has helped me to win or break even more than I lose. It is a very simple method that doesn’t require too much effort. However, if you are interested in very detailed counting and strategies based on it, there are a number of books you can read about winning at blackjack. Since I play to win a little, but mostly to have fun, I don’t worry about making a killing. Therefore, this method is absolutely perfect for me!

One thing to bear in mind: this method of counting works best when you are playing single-deck blackjack. If you must play multiple-deck (“shoe”) blackjack, then it is not as helpful. One idea I’ve heard of, though, is to adjust your total count by dividing it by the number of decks being used. So, if the count is +10, for example, and you are playing with three decks, then divide 10 by 3 (10/3), which equals about +3. That is a good count, so in that case you should consider varying your bet. However, if the count is +2 for three decks, if you divide 2 by 3 (2/3), the count is less than +1, approaching zero. With a count like this, I would neither vary my bets nor adjust my strategy.

Even so, I do prefer to play single deck blackjack. Because of this preference, I can sometimes spend quite a bit of time waiting for a table. But that is OK with me, since once I do sit down at that table, I can usually hang in there and play for a long, long time!

I’ll give you one final tip for keeping track of the count. Since I get distracted easily, I need a way to keep the count straight in my mind. Guess how I do that? I use my fingers! I keep both hands under the table (unless I am handling the cards, in that case my left hand is under the table and my right hand is on the table.) Every time there is a negative count, I use the fingers of my left hand. For positive counts, I use the fingers of my right hand.

Here’s what I mean. Let’s say that the count is at zero. At this time I have two lightly closed fists under the table. I see some cards, and let us say that those cards take the count to -2. I simply straighten two fingers on my left hand, leaving the other fingers folded in the fist. Let us say that the count changes to -3. I then straighten another finger of the left hand. Now let us say that the count moves to +1. To record this, I fold all the fingers of the left hand into my fist, and I straighten one finger of my right hand to indicate +1.

When the time comes for me to use my right hand to look at my hand or to play, I remember what the count is and then make sure I have the proper number of fingers unfolded in my left hand. If the count is negative, I rest my left hand on my left knee, under the table. If the count is positive, I rest my left hand on my right knee, under the table. (As you can see, in my “system”, left means a minus count and right means a plus count!)

Well, I admit this has been a pretty long article, but this is the absolute best of the tips I can offer you from my experience! I wanted to be as clear in my explanations as possible, so I took the time to write in detail. I do hope this has helped you! I want you to win, and, mainly, to have fun!

Since casinos will often bar a player whom they think is a card counter, it is wise to take action to avoid detection. So, now that you are a beginning card counter, you need to have ways to avoid this. Keeping a low profile as a card counter will be the subject of my next article.

So, in closing, let me say,

Counting? Try it, you’ll like it!

Love and luck,

California Lizzie

2004-06-22T14:18:00.000-07:00

Counting the Cards (Part One): advantages

In some ways, this (and the next) are my best sets of tips, so pay attention!

I wanted to get you away from the slots and into the action at the tables, and I guess I did, if you’ve come this far and are still reading tips from California Lizzie! My next goal for you is very exciting. It’s to get you to count the cards!

Winning at blackjack is mostly a matter of playing according to a basic strategy, and keeping track of cards. You’ve learned and practiced your basic strategy. So now you need to keep track of the cards.

Why, you may be asking, should I keep track of the cards? Well, consider this: let’s say that the dealer is showing a ten and you have a sixteen. If you follow our basic strategy, you would hit until (hard) seventeen. However, supposing you had kept track of the cards and this is the second hand at a single-deck table. Let us say you knew (because you’ve kept track of the cards) that relatively few of the ten cards had already been played, meaning that it was quite likely that you’d get a ten if you took a hit. If you got a ten, then you’d bust. Would you hit in this case?

Well, I would not. While it is true that the dealer is likely to have a ten in the hole for a total of twenty, winning over my sixteen, what if he or she does not? What, for example, if the dealer happens to have a six in the hole? Since the dealer in most houses is required to hit until 17, it is very likely also that the dealer will draw a ten. In that case, the dealer would have twenty-six, which would be a bust.

But since I know I’m likely to draw a ten, too, I therefore know that if I hit, there is a very good chance I will bust. I also realize that if the dealer has a ten in the hole, which is likely, the dealer will win. In that case, it doesn’t matter whether I hit or stand, since I will lose in either case. However, if the dealer does not have a ten in the hole, and has a six or less, he or she is required to hit. In that case, if I stand on sixteen, I either tie the dealer (“push”), or I win. So, in this limited circumstance, it is actually better for me to abandon my usual strategy and , rather than hitting until seventeen, to stand at sixteen!

Again, just to be clear about this, this discussion presents likelihoods, not certainties, when there are more ten cards relative to other cards in the deck.

OK, hopefully I’ve shown you why it is good to be able to keep track of the cards – to be able to estimate how likely it would be for you to draw a certain card, and to adjust your strategy accordingly.

Perhaps a more important reason, though, is to help you decide how much to bet. You probably realize by now that if there are more ten cards in the deck relative to other cards, you the player are favored over the dealer. The fewer tens there are in the deck, the more chance the dealer has of winning a hand. If, when betting, you knew that you had better odds of winning a certain hand, you would probably bet a little more, right? On the other hand, if you knew that your chances of losing a hand were great, you’d probably bet less on that hand, wouldn’t you? So, since keeping track of the cards helps you get a feel for your chances of winning or losing a hand, then it is helpful also in deciding how much to bet. See what I mean?

“Counting the cards” simply means to keep track of what cards are played in order to know how to bet and to change your strategy to increase your chances of winning. Counting is easiest, and possibly most beneficial, when you are playing single-deck blackjack. However, it is also useful when you are playing shoe blackjack (that is, when the dealer deals from multiple decks in a dealing-box, which is often called a “shoe.” )

I will teach you a simple, easy, and fun method of “counting” that my husband taught to me. But first, let me give you a little background.

Although he had told me all about the benefits of “counting”, somehow I was never interested in doing it. I didn’t want to use my brain that much! After all, I was at the tables to have fun, not to get my brain all tired from looking at cards and trying to remember what was played! Since I wasn’t a “serious” player, I didn’t need to count, did I? After all, my basic strategy was working well enough that I won quite a bit, and I could certainly manage my losses. Bankruptcy was not in the picture for me!

However, after playing blackjack for a couple of years using the basic strategy, guess what? I started to get bored! Can you imagine? After all, my husband and I were able to hang in there for hours and hours on end. The dealers at Tahoe were getting to recognize us, since, we’d show up at a table together, and sit there, and sit there, and sit there! Mr. California Lizzie and I would just stay on and on and on, with the dealer holding our spots for us while we took bathroom breaks, until we were so totally starving that we simply had to quit to have a meal! And, when we looked at our wins and our losses over time, we felt we either were ahead a little or breaking even.

Blackjack was certainly a cheap way to have fun! Now, to spoil it all by exercising my brain and counting? I thought, “No way, Jose!”

But, as I said, all this hanging out and playing over and over and over eventually got boring. So, I’d get antsy. And, guess what I’d do? I’d start betting a lot more! Instead of my usual one or two units, allowing me enough to double or split if needed, I’d bet ten or twenty units! And, oh, dear --- sometimes I’d lose it! Or, worse yet, I’d leave the table and go over to the slots. At least with the slots I could go from one machine to the other, and vary the numbers and pictures I was seeing, ha ha! After all, some slots had cherries and some had sevens. And some had stars and some had clowns. And some simply had “bars.” At least there was variation. Better than hanging out at the table, playing the cards over and over! Or so I thought.

But my good husband started wondering what I was doing. So, he asked: what is happening to Lizzie? I ended his confusion by admitting I was bored.

“Why don’t I teach you how to count?” he suggested. “That way you can control your betting. If you are tempted to bet the whole thing (as we jokingly called it), at least you’ll know if the cards are in your favor or not!”

OK. I grudgingly agreed to learn how to count.

Well. Lo and behold! Not only was I able to control my betting better, but, miracle of miracles, my boredom vanished! Why? Well, here’s the scoop.

Soon after I started counting, I realized that blackjack had become “too easy.” With the basic strategy I was able to play for long periods of time at modest expense. The whole thing was becoming tedious. However, when I counted the cards my brain was more fully occupied. Not only did I have to remember the basic strategy and apply it, but now I also had to do arithmetic in my head. And then I had to decide whether to follow the basic strategy as usual, or to do something different.

Another plus was learning to vary my bets based on the card count. And, this was really exciting! I found I liked the idea of risking more when my chances to win were better, and risking less when I was less likely to win. That way, I could actually increase my bets in an intelligent manner, instead of just randomly and recklessly betting “more.”

Counting made blackjack a gas!

So, now, pay full attention to California Lizzie. I’m going to explain how to count!

It’s a method my husband taught me, which I have used for years. It is simple and works quite well. I wouldn’t call it “advanced” counting, but it certainly helps me. If you want something more advanced, there are books you can read. But if you want something simple and easy, then stick with me.

Stay tuned to ASKWINNER.COM for the next installment of California Lizzie, and I’ll teach you a simple and easy way to count!

See you soon,

California Lizzie

2004-06-22T13:57:00.000-07:00

THANKS! And about republishing AskWinner.com hints

THANK YOU for all the messages you sent! It seems that, after getting featured on different media, we boost our popularity :-) And we love it!

We got some emails regarding republishing our tips. All the posts wrote by our team, can be freely republished, provided you mention "Get more tips on http://www.askwinner.com/beatthecasino/ your casino guide" at the top and at the end of the articles you copy. Please make these credits readable, in the same size, color, shape, ... of the body of the articles. Yes, you can republish our content even for commercial purposes, we are happy to make you rich :-) Anyway, please always remember to credit the content you are copying/quoting.

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2004-06-21T16:09:00.000-07:00

Blackjack tournament/2

Aloha people!

It seems everyone was waiting to play BJ tournaments... So here we go with some more hints.

THE RULES: first things first. Read carefully the tournament rules, feel free to ask the organizer for any clarification you need. Changing one rule can completly change the way you should play, so never be afraid to ask!

TIME: if the rules say that the best daily players will be selected to play the final round, it's better to play almost at the end of the day, when you'll know how many chips your opponent won. Remember that if the best 6 players are selected, the only advantage of being the first player is that you can choose where to sit. So, remember that you target is to get to the final, not to be the best player in the history of BJ.

Bankroll: in a tournament, you pay a flat amount of money and you get chips. You are not playing your real money. So, if you quantify you need to get at least $2,000 in chips to be in the final, ending up with $1,999 or $1 makes no difference, because you aren't in anyway. So, bet the last hands according to how much you need to get in the final.

If you can play more than once: buy a couple of entry tickets. Play in the very early morning, when the casino is quiet and you can concentrate on your bets. Then, as suggested above, play again at the end of the day, so you know what other players did.

New tips coming soon, if you show your interest for them as you did so far :-)

2004-06-21T15:09:00.000-07:00

Blackjack with California Lizzie: Branching Out

Hi, this is California Lizzie, again, checking in with you. I hope you have been playing, playing, playing, building your confidence, and having fun! By now you must be feeling pretty experienced. You must be quite the lady, playing well and oozing self-confidence from every pore!

Well, believe it or not, there is more fun to be had! It’s time to branch out. Go ahead, do something different. Test the waters in a new casino. If you’ve been playing at Lake Tahoe all the time, why not take the short drive to Reno? Or, really have fun by hopping a plane to Vegas! Or, Atlantic City! Or one of the new Indian casinos! Or, play abroad! As for me, I’ve played in Tahoe, Reno, Las Vegas, San Juan, and Chamonix, in France. There are so many, many places to play. And, now that you have learned how to play and have some experience under your belt, you are definitely part of the action. No longer on the sidelines. No longer confined to “the slots.”

Way to go, lady! I knew you were smart. I knew you were competent. I knew you could do it, and you did!

Before you start globe-trotting to enjoy your new pastime, however, I want to make sure you feel comfortable and confident playing alone. So, it’s time to branch out and break temporarily with your partner. Step up to a table where only one seat isn’t taken. Go ahead, sit down! You deserve it.

If you are like me, going it alone may feel a little strange at first. One way to feel more comfortable is to plan to play solo for just a certain period of time. Sit alone at a table for a half-hour at first and then leave. Unless you are winning pretty fast. In that case, you might want to stick around for a little while. But, remember to quit while you’re ahead.

OK, so you’ve played that first half-hour all by your lonesome. How did it feel? Pretty good, didn’t it? Did you feel a bit cocky? Maybe a little daring? Or, was it even a little exhilarating to feel that you’ve finally “made it?”

Now go back and do it again. This time, do pay particular attention to your playing. Are you playing as well as you would have if you’d been sitting with your partner? If you’re not, why not? If you are, then great!

After you have had a few short stints alone at the table, try playing a little longer. If you stay with your strategy, you should find that playing alone feels more and more comfortable, since, after all, you are playing the way you always do. The only thing that is missing is sitting with someone you already know. But, remember – now that you are skilled enough to go it solo, you just might find yourself meeting interesting people. Without your partner or other friends to be with you, you just might find yourself reaching out more.

I remember the time I finally felt comfortable playing blackjack alone. I’d been at a table by myself for about an hour. Although at the time I was working pretty hard to maintain my concentration, nonetheless I found myself exchanging banter with other players. It was day time, and the table wasn’t crowded. But, it was quite a chatty group. And, I was the only woman!

At this point in time, I hadn’t yet realized that I was playing pretty well. In my mind, I was just doing the things my husband had taught me. We’d played so much blackjack that all the things I did – strategy, level of betting, etc., seemed quite normal to me and certainly not in any way out of the ordinary. However, on that memorable afternoon, after playing the table for about an hour, the man next to me turned to me, looked at me face on, and said, “Wow! You play blackjack very, very well.”

I was absolutely flabbergasted! I managed to utter an innocuous “thank you”, along with a weak smile. Then, I continued to play. It was soon after that I noticed that other players were imitating me – betting like I did when they could, and mimicking my playing. Some of them actually asked me questions, although I really didn’t have a lot to say to answer them. How amazing it was to realize that this is what was happening, and that I had actually turned into a competent, relaxed blackjack player! Instead of feeling sidelined, and chained to the slots, I was now definitely part of the action!

From that day on I’ve felt comfortable playing by myself. So, now, I tend to be very independent, and pick and choose my times to play. I’m a morning person, and I get up pretty early when I’m on vacation. If I’m really relaxing by staying at a lovely room in a gorgeous casino, I often enjoy playing blackjack with my morning coffee. My brain is fresher, the tables are less crowded, and the gaming areas in the casino are generally much less smokey. I love to gamble in the quiet of the morning. Then I go about my business for the rest of the day, in summer, perhaps swimming, or hiking, or reading a book by the pool. I might even take a nap!

Needless to say, when I’m doing my morning gambling, more often than not I’m doing it alone. And I feel perfectly comfortable doing so! Then, in the evening, after dinner, I might take a short sojourn into the casino. At such times, since most people tend to gamble in the “prime time” of the night, I often sit at tables with my husband or with friends. It’s a great mix. Alone or with others, I’m having fun!

So, go ahead. Get out there! Pick your table and go solo. Sooner than you realize, others will be admiring your playing. You’ll feel great, and well equipped to gamble when you want, without having to wait for others. Morning, afternoon, evening; Reno, Tahoe, Vegas, Atlantic City; alone or in a group, the choice is now yours!

Love,

California Lizzie

2004-06-21T15:07:00.000-07:00

Blackjack as a pro: building Self-Confidence

Hi, it’s California Lizzie again! I’ve been waiting with bated breath to know how you’re doing!

Well, how did it go? How was your first real blackjack experience? Did you feel prepared? Did you win, lose, or break even? I’d love to hear about your first experiences. If you’d like to tell me, and the many other smart, beginning women enjoying this site, why not post your experiences? Please send them to us at WWW.ASKWINNER.COM.

I hope, and fully expect, that you had fun playing blackjack. I hope you took my advice seriously, and did not bet more than you felt comfortable losing. Then, even if you did lose, you can “chalk it up to experience,” since your losses didn’t bankrupt you! I also hope you quit while you were ahead! (Admittedly, though, if you happened to have the misfortune for your first day to be a “bad luck day,” then it could have been hard to quit while ahead if you never got ahead! But, that’s all part of the game, and you do have reason to hope that the next time you play your luck will come through!)

Did you find that playing with a “partner,” for moral support -- a friend, either a beginner like you, or someone more knowledgeable, helped you feel like you “belonged?” If you are like I was as a beginner, having that other person to sit next to you probably helped a lot.

However, if you are like me, you probably also still feel very much a beginner. So, today we’re going to talk about ways you can build your confidence as a blackjack player.

First, recognize and acknowledge your competence! After all, you know the basic strategy now, you’ve practiced, and you’ve played at the tables. So, give yourself some credit, and a pat on the back, while you’re at it!

Next, think about what could be causing you to feel so much like a beginner? If you can identify what the factors might be, you can then figure out ways to ease them.

For example, are you having trouble with the strategy? That might mean you should practice a little more. Remember, you can always practice on the computer, without risking anything, using the free blackjack software you can download from ASKWINNER.COM. Or, perhaps the solution could be just glancing at your strategy card a little more often when you’re playing the game!

Did you feel the game was a bit fast-paced for you? Did you feel pressure to make your decisions too quickly? Changing your seat might help. Instead of sitting at “first base,” to the dealer’s immediate left, which makes you the first person to be dealt to, and the first person to have to decide whether to hit or stand, consider sitting in the first seat to the dealer’s right. That way you’ll be the last person to play and you’ll have more time to think about what you want to do (and to glance down at your strategy card, should you feel the need.) Also, you’ll be able to see what other players did before you take your own action.

One very important factor in building self confidence: don’t drink alcoholic beverages! The house will be very pleased to serve you drinks while you’re gaming; cocktail waitresses will be hovering around your table regularly! Don’t feel you have to drink something alcoholic; the best thing to do is to order a coke, or a 7-up, or better yet, a glass of water with ice, or maybe even better, some orange juice! Come to think of it, the Vitamin C in the orange juice will be a nice little help to your immune system, which can become weakened from the nicotine in the cigarette smoke that is often wafting around the casino. I know you already know that alcoholic beverages – even just one – can impair your judgement, which also has a way of eroding your self confidence. So, do stay away from alcohol. But make sure your waitress isn’t penalized for your decision: give her a nice tip each time she brings you something! I usually tip a dollar for each drink. Most people tip cocktail waitresses with a chip that they’ll hand her, or which they’ll place on her tray.

While I’m talking about tipping, do tip the dealer once in a while, if you are winning. I usually give the dealer a modest tip after each blackjack I’m dealt. Another fun thing to do is to make a bet for the dealer as in addition to what you are betting for yourself. To do this, just put a chip in between your betting circle and the dealer, and say, “this bet is for you.” If you win, the dealer will keep the winnings from that bet for a tip. (Incidentally most casinos have their dealers pool their tips.) I do feel more confident and relaxed after I have tipped the dealer and gotten a nice smile back! Tipping modestly helps me feel like I “belong!”

When I was first starting out, there were two things that really helped my self-confidence; playing with my husband, and playing with my friends. Since my gaming was often in connection with a ski trip with at least several other people, I had built-in companions for blackjack après ski. Very often three or four of us would play at the same table. That was so much fun! It’s virtually impossible to feel like you don’t “belong” when most people at the table are your friends!

Since my husband was already a very good player when I was starting out, it also helped me to sit next to him. Since he would poke me or otherwise let me know when he could see I was about to do something stupid, he probably saved me some money and embarrassment! Just sitting next to him, knowing he was there keeping gentle watch over my playing, relieved my tension and helped me relax and have fun.

And, of course, playing with your “partner,” that special person you’ve chosen to share your beginning blackjack days with, could serve the same purpose. Even if you and your partner are both beginners, you can still watch out for each other and give each other mutual support.

But the main thing I will say, is to play, play, play! In my opinion, playing blackjack is the best confidence builder of all!

So, keep going!

Love and luck,

California Lizzie

2004-06-21T15:06:00.000-07:00

At the Casino: playing Blackjack

Here we are, at the casino, all set for your “debut!” Look at that blackjack table – the one with the two empty seats. It’s a low-minimum table, not too expensive for your first try. How about it?

Well, you’ve learned the basic strategy. You’ve practiced alone and with others. You’ve played for pennies with your friends. You’ve chosen your “partner,” who is with you right now. And, you’ve both got your strategy cards. I think you’re ready!

No, not quite? Are you feeling a little nervous? Well, that’s understandable. Something new, especially if it involves playing with others who might know more than you do, and especially if it involves risking your money – something like that usually makes people feel a bit nervous! I’d call it “stage fright!” But, remember the common wisdom – if you have stage fright, you’re probably going to do well!

But, there’s no hurry! Go ahead, relax and walk around a little with your partner. Go from table to table. Watch the players. See what they do. Compare their actions to the basic strategy I’ve taught you, which you’ve written on your card. See how they fare. Watch the ebb and flow of luck. See how some people’s chips build up into multiple piles, while others dwindle until they leave the table. See how some people can play for an extended period of time; watch how their chip piles get taller, then shorter, then taller again, as luck ebbs and flows. It is very likely that those people – the ones who can “hang in there,” are using the basic strategy, and playing well.

Now, focus on a player who doesn’t have a strategy. You can often spot them always standing at 15, regardless of what card the dealer shows. You may catch them failing to double down on eleven, or splitting some weird pair of cards, (or not splitting a pair of eights!) Such players are usually the ones whose money disappears rapidly, freeing up a chair for a new player.

Once you’ve observed the tables, go to the lounge with your partner and have an orange juice or coke, and talk about it all. Or, share observations in the ladies room, if she’s a gal!

Now that you’ve taken your “tour” of the tables, see if you can agree on one that feels comfortable to both you and your partner. Perhaps there is something about a particular dealer that feels good to you. Or, maybe there’s one where the players seem congenial. Go ahead! Pick a table!

By the way, when selecting your table, be sure the minimum bet is affordable! Never, ever, play more than you can afford to lose. When I started playing, it was common to be able to find many $2.00 tables in Reno and Tahoe. Those days are long gone. Now, you are lucky to be able to find a $2.00 table, or even a $3.00 table. However, they still exist, although they may be crowded, with lots of people standing around waiting to get a seat! No matter. If a $3.00 table is what you can afford, stake out your seat and wait your turn. You may find the turnover to be quicker than you expect, since less experienced people do tend to look for the cheaper tables. And, if a player happens to have no strategy, his/her seat might just free up pretty fast!

For less expensive tables, weekdays are better than weekends, and low season is better than high. It’s basic supply and demand. On weekdays, and in low season, when casinos are less crowded, you’ll find more inexpensive tables. On weekends and in high season, when more people gamble, you’ll find more of the pricier tables and fewer modestly priced.

Now, listen up! Here’s an important tip on how much to bet. It’s based on something my husband and I have noticed through experience. It’s not based on mathematical analysis, just on twenty years playing the game!

Here’s the tip: aim to “invest” forty units. In other words, if you play at the $2.00 table, let your “stake” be eighty dollars (40 x 2.00 = 80.00). If you play at the $3.00 table, invest $120. For a minimum bet of $5.00, invest $200.

Investing 40 units gives you enough money to “hang in there” long enough to withstand what I call the “ebb and flow” of luck. If you “invest” too little, and you happen to have a bad luck day, you may find yourself losing quite fast, and have to quit early. Quitting early is no fun! But, if you’d started with more – your forty units – you might have been able to play longer, and win!

If you invest 40 times the minimum bet, you will have approximately 40 plays. (Actually, a little fewer, allowing for doubling and splitting.) Over the years, we have observed that 40 plays seem to be enough to accommodate the waves of winning and losing and winning and losing that normally occur. Of course, there is no guarantee of this. Every once in a while we’ve had very bad luck, when we’ve lost our entire investment pretty quickly, even though we were playing very well. Of course, the reason for this is that although blackjack is the game you have the most chance of winning if you develop some playing skill, it is still a game of chance!

Once you’ve selected your table, go up to it and stand behind two players. Watch the game. Enjoy. When a seat becomes available, go ahead and sit down. Your partner can stand behind your chair until a seat frees up for him or her. When I was first learning, my husband would sit down first. I would wait until the seat next to him freed up, since I liked to sit next to him in the beginning. If your “partner” is more experienced than you are, you might want to try this approach. It will take longer for you to get your seat, but you might feel more comfortable when you start playing. Anyway, don’t go it alone your first time!

Before you sit down, make sure you have your strategy card (your “crib sheet”) folded up in your non-playing hand. (If you are right handed, keep your card in your left hand; if you are left-handed, keep your card in your right hand.)

Once you sit down, you’ll hand the dealer your money (your “40 units”) and he or she will give you chips for that amount. Of course, if you sit down in the middle of a hand, wait until play is completed, and all money is off the table before handing your money to the dealer. Place your chips on the table, near you, between the edge of the table and the circle that represents your “betting slot.”

You will be expected to bet on every hand that is played, unless there is a specific reason not to. For example, if you are distracted (which you shouldn’t be), and you fail to get your bet on the board before the dealer deals the first card, you can’t bet, so you don’t play that hand. Another situation would be going to the ladies’ room. In that case, the dealer will usually save your place for you until you come back.

After the cards from the prior hand are gathered up by the dealer, along with the money from that hand, you will place your bet by putting it on the circle in front of you, which is your betting place. The dealer will deal the cards, and play proceeds from your right to your left (left to right, from the dealer’s point of view).

The number of cards showing face up on the table will depend upon whether you are playing with a single deck or a shoe. Regardless, after all cards have been dealt, look to see what you have been dealt and then look to see what card the dealer is showing. The dealer will ask each player in turn, by pointing to their cards, whether they want to take a hit or stand. Use your basic strategy in deciding what to do.

Make sure that you always keep your playing hand on top of the table, so the dealer can see it. It is perfectly all right to keep your non-playing hand in your lap (at least in Reno, Lake Tahoe, and Las Vegas – I can’t really speak for other casinos since I play elsewhere infrequently). Consequently, I keep my strategy card in my non-playing hand at all times, in my lap, with my fist closed lightly upon it so that it is out of view of both the dealer and other players. That way, if I ever feel I want to take a peek at it to refresh myself with the basic strategy, I can easily do so, simply by opening my fist quickly and taking a fast glance. So as not to call attention to what I am doing, I keep my head up – I don’t lower it at all – and simply take a quick, downward, glance!

Indicating to the dealer whether you want to hit or stand is usually done silently. If you are playing single deck blackjack, tap your hand (the cards, not your fingers!) lightly on the table to say you want to hit; place your entire hand face down to stand. With shoe blackjack, tap a finger on the table to hit, and wave your playing hand lightly back and forth, palm parallel to the table, to indicate you want to stand.

Well, that’s about it! Just use the strategy you’ve learned to play the hand. After the hand is finished, the dealer will either pay you your winnings, or take your money if you lose, and gather up the cards. All you have to do is place any winnings on your chip pile and then place a new bet for the next hand!

You may feel slightly awkward your first time at the table, but after only a few hands you’ll get the hang of it. I have found that most dealers are quite accommodating, and often friendly, as long as you observe good behavior. By that, I mean, keep your cards on the table, keep your playing hand on the table, touch your cards with only one hand, pay attention, and don’t delay the flow of the game.

OK, you are ready to play! Just remember: play with a partner (for “moral support”), pick a comfortable, affordable table, “invest” 40 units, use your strategy, peek at your strategy card if you want, and, mostly, relax and have fun!

Oh, and two more things. If your very first day happens to be a “bad luck day,” don’t be discouraged. Try to play again as soon as possible, preferably the very next day, “investing” your 40 units. And, very importantly, QUIT WHILE YOU ARE AHEAD!

As I’ve told you before, I won $110 at the two-dollar table on my very first day playing blackjack! I “invested” $80, and wound up with $190 after several hours of play, for a “profit” of $110. But, remember --- I wouldn’t have won this much if I hadn’t quit while ahead!

NOW, GO FOR IT! I’m rooting for you!

Love and luck,

California Lizzie

2004-06-19T16:44:00.000-07:00

Reno, Nevada - Live action!

from our man in Reno, tips for some live action.

Aloha players!
If you happen to be in the Biggest Small City in the world, consider these hints.

BLACKJACK tournament: give a look at Circus Circus tournament. You get to play with $500 chips with a mere $5 fee. The 5 best daily players, plus one randomly selected entry, will play the final round in the evening.

FREE GADGETS: give a look at the Irish man, when you get here you'll understand what I mean. You can win if they select the day, month or year you were born, plus you get one free prize entry per day.

WAITRESSES: it seems the coolest ones work at the Silver Legacy, tell you friend you went there just to see the interesting themed interior.

FREE CONCERTS: just outside the Harrah's, good value for your time!

Have fun!

2004-06-18T16:53:00.000-07:00

Practice Makes Perfect (well, almost!) - play Blackjack with California Lizzie

Hi, how’re ya doin’? I’m back, this time to encourage you to have fun practicing the game! But first, let me ask you if you’ve made your little card with the basic strategy. You know, the one you can keep closed up in your hand to peek at if you need to.

You did? Good! You are now ready to start practicing blackjack.

There are many ways you can practice the game. You can purchase a blackjack program for really cheap, and run it on your computer. Better yet, you can download full blackjack software for free on ASKWINNER.COM, and practice without risking a penny! But, be careful. Playing the game is fun, even if you’re by yourself, just doing it on the computer. I’ve been known to stay up way too late playing blackjack with my computer!

As you play on the computer, you can keep track of your winnings easily, too! A great thing to do is to refer to your little strategy card as you play. This will help you memorize the strategy. And, since you will be keeping track of your winnings, it will also help you get a feel for what you can expect in terms of the flow of cash back and forth, winning, losing, winning, etc., as you apply the strategy when you play.

One of the most powerful and fun ways to practice is to do it with friends. When I was first learning, I used to do exactly that! We would often rent a ski house in Lake Tahoe, skiing during the day. In the evening, our group of skiers would often have fun playing blackjack together after dinner. Since my husband had more experience than the rest of us, he would usually play with us and coach and prompt us if we didn’t know what to do. We used to play for pennies or for chips. It was huge fun, and we all learned together.

Another tip I have while you are learning is to choose a “partner” to gamble with. It could be your husband, your significant other, or even a female friend. It is extremely important that you feel comfortable with this person, and for that person to feel comfortable with you. Ideally, the person should be very interested in learning to play, (or in helping you to learn if he/she is knowledgeable already), and should be patient, not too worried (at this point in time) about winning. Your main goal should be to learn how to play with the basic strategy, which will help you win and which will certainly help keep your losses at a minimum.

As for me, I was very lucky with my own “partner,” since it was my husband! However, it was before we were married, when we’d first met. Needless to say, he was at that time trying to impress me big time, so he was willing to spend hours practicing with me and coaching me, so I’d learn to play well. He was a very patient teacher, too. Now, after twenty years of marriage, as good as things still are, I’m not sure if he’d be so patient, hee, hee! You know how things are with the gents, ladies – so, if you’re going to “partner” with your husband or boyfriend, make sure you get him to work with you in the beginning! As the old saying goes, it’s best to strike when the iron is hot!

Another great option would be to “partner” with a female friend. Neither one of you has to be knowledgeable, as long as you have your strategy cards. Practice together, and help each other learn. You know how supportive we women can be!

So, that’s my advice for today. It may seem like obvious advice, but practicing is an important thing to do, and many people don’t! I can’t tell you how many, many people I’ve seen at the blackjack tables over the years who simply have no idea of strategy. And it shows in their disappointments; they plop down their money and make their silly moves, and -- soon they are gone, with the house taking their money in a very short time. Is that fun? I don’t think so!

Compare players like that to players like my hubby and me, who can sit at a table for hours and hours, hanging in there, often winning nicely, having hours and hours of fun! It’s all because we’ve learned the strategy well enough to use it!

So, practice, practice, practice! Alone and with your partner. Learn the strategy, and enjoy. Use your card; peek at it until you’ve learned! And, most of all, have fun!

You’re well on your way now, almost ready to sit at the table! So, I’ll be back soon, with tips for you to use --- at the casino tables!

Lots of love, and keep practising,

California Lizzie

2004-06-17T10:40:00.000-07:00

Blackjack: Basic Strategy with California Lizzie

Hi, this is California Lizzie again, back to continue showing you a good time! Today we are going to talk about the basic strategy for playing blackjack, and an easy way to learn it. First, though, take a look at my little notes below. It contains all the guidelines of the basic blackjack strategy! It tells you exactly what to do, depending on what you and the dealer have. And this card is the only thing I used to learn how to play good blackjack! Not bad, is it?

By the way, if you need a refresher on blackjack rules (as opposed to blackjack strategy), from the home page of ASKWINNER.COM, click on the link, Win at casino games, then on Casino games rules, and, finally, on Blackjack.

Now, back to the chart. Why did I make it? Well, my dear and brilliant husband had shown me so many strategy charts, both from books and from his own work, that I didn’t want to look at a single one! It was so very, very boring to see all blackjack strategy laid out in lengthy terms. “Give me something short and simple,” I thought. Something I can use to help me learn the strategy,as well as to refer to when I’m playing.

And, bingo! I decided to make this chart!

Learn this business card’s worth of information, and you will be well on your way to GO FOR IT! Or, better yet, don’t even wait to learn it!

Just make up a card of your own. Copy mine. Then fold it in half horizontally so you will have something smaller, to hold in your hand. If you fold it just above the words “DOUBLE DOWN”, that will do the trick. (Now, if you really want to get technical, to avoid having to turn the folded card upside down to see “DOUBLE DOWN” and “SPLIT” on the back, turn your card upside down before you copy the information on the lower half. That way, after you’ve folded the card, the information on the back flap will be right side up!)

Anyway, the instructions on this small piece of paper will be your best friend. They will help you win perhaps 40-60% of the time. Of course, this statement comes from the math of it – the statistical likelihood of winning. You could win much more, or the house can win much more. Blackjack is, after all, not only a game of skill; it is also a game of chance. So, don’t ever forget that, and please don’t risk more than you can afford comfortably.

OK, with that said, let’s talk about the reasoning behind the basic strategy. The fact is, that of a deck of 52 cards, there are 16 ten-count cards (10, J, Q, K of each suit). That means that 16/52, or about 30%, of the cards are worth ten points. The basic strategy is based upon this fact. The chances of you (or the dealer) drawing a ten card are greater than the chances of drawing any other card in the deck.

I don’t want to get too long and drawn out with theory here, since it isn’t really necessary to understand the theory in order to play – all you really need to do is to remember what to do! But, I do think it helps to have a little discussion of the basic mathematical facts of the game – nothing too complicated, mind you, since for me, at least, that gets in the way of the fun!

When you play blackjack, the dealer will have one card showing and one “in the hole” (not showing). Whether you “hit” (ask the dealer to give you a card) or “stand” (take no more cards) depends first on what card the dealer shows and what you have in your hand. The strategy takes into consideration the fact that a ten card is the most likely card either you or the dealer will get on the next hit.

Let me walk you through one example and then you can walk through the rest yourself, as much or as little as you see fit. Let us say that you are dealt an Ace and a seven and the dealer is showing a nine. Your hand is a “soft” hand, meaning that you can count it as an eight (ace being 1, so 1 + 7 = 8), OR an eighteen (ace being eleven, so 11 + 7 = 18). Now look at your card. It tells you that on a soft hand, if the dealer has nine, you should hit on Ace, seven (that is, on 18). Why? Well, since ten cards are the most common in the deck, there is a good chance that the dealer has a ten card “in the hole.” So, the strategy assumes that the dealer has that ten card, which along with the nine, yields 19. Well, your 18 (Ace, seven) doesn’t beat that, so you should take a hit. You might get an Ace, two, or three, which would tie (with the Ace), or beat the dealer (with the two or the three). You definitely should take the hit. There is no risk you 'll “bust” (that is, go over 21), because, even if you draw a ten card, you can still count the Ace as one. In that case you will still only have 18 (counting the Ace as one, (1 + 7 + 10 + 18). Since there is no risk of busting and there is at least some chance you can beat the dealer if you take another card, you should take it and see what happens. The worst that will happen is that you will be left with 18 (or less, if you draw less than a ten card.) Once you have taken the hit, the hand becomes a “hard” hand, and you follow the guidelines on your card for a hard hand.

Since the “soft” hand is a bit more complicated than the “hard” hand, I’ve used it to illustrate how the strategy accommodates the preponderance of ten cards in the deck. However, if you walk through other examples yourself, perhaps simpler ones to start with, you will get a good feel for how the basic strategy works.

OK, that’s more than enough about theory. All I want you to do at this point is to absorb, at least to some extent, why the basic strategy is helpful in playing blackjack.

By the way, this basic strategy that I’ve described here is nothing more than the basic strategy that you’ve probably already read in the Win at casino games link of ASKWINNER.COM. You may be asking, “Well, then, California Lizzie, what are you telling me here that has value to me?” Well, I’ll tell you: what is very valuable is to distill and summarize the strategy in a very simple way on your little card! Believe me, coming up with this card was probably the best thing I ever did to help myself learn blackjack when I was a beginner. That is why I’m offering it to you now!

I suggest that you make a card like this for yourself. It should be small enough to fit easily in your hand, hidden, and ready for you to glance at any time you want. I did actually study my card before I first played at the blackjack table, because I wanted to have as much of the strategy as I could in my own memory, for uninhibited use, at the blackjack table. Even so, since I suffered from lack of confidence in the beginning, I always kept it hidden discreetly in my off-the-table hand, just for an occasional memory check. Doing so helped me feel comfortable that I still knew what I was doing!

Having this little card, my little “crib sheet,” to refer to worked wonders for me! As a matter of fact, the “crib sheet” I used was even smaller than a business card! It was about the size of a small yellow post-it note. I really squeezed a lot of information into a small place. That made it very easy to keep in a loosely closed fist, in my lap, under the table. It was so small that I could open up my fist, quickly and surreptitiously, at any time, for a glance! I guess how small you make it depends on how good (or bad) your eyes are!

And, before you even sit down at the table for your very first “live” play of blackjack, you can use it as you practice, whether alone on the computer, or with others. The more you look at it, the more you will remember. And, eventually, you won’t need it any more, since you’ll be playing like the big boys and the sharp gals!

Well, that’s about all for now. Stay tuned for my next session, coming very soon, which will give you ideas for practicing the game.

Love and luck,

California Lizzie

2004-06-15T16:03:00.000-07:00

Blackjack - Getting Ready for a Good Time!

As with any worthwhile endeavor, I am of the opinion that it helps to set goals and expectations. After that is done, the next step is to come up with a plan. Once this is done, you’ll be on your way.

At this point, you may be asking, “why should I set goals and expectations?” If enjoying a night of gaming is as easy as you say, Lizzie, why shouldn’t I just jump right in with both feet? Well, I’ll tell you why.

Have you ever noticed how, in a relationship, it is so easy to miscommunicate? Perhaps you and your significant other have taken a vacation together. Let’s say you have both always wanted to go to Hawaii, so you book your flight and your hotels. A dream vacation, you think! Except…..there’s trouble when you get there.

He likes to get up early for a walk on the beach before breakfast. You prefer to sleep late. He likes the luxury of a big breakfast served in the room, while you can’t feel comfortable with the extra expense. He enjoys an active vacation, hiking, tennis, golf, in addition to swimming, while you’d rather relax under a palm tree with a good book! Or, perhaps you are the “active” one, and he wants nothing more than to lie on the beach, have a good dinner, and then enjoy the evening together while you prefer to be playing sports, taking tours, or even going shopping! But, perhaps if you’d thought about, and talked about, some of the details together, you might have been able to set realistic expectations and thus have a smashing good time!

Well, the same problems can occur in your relationship with gaming. Perhaps you have dreams of making a killing so you won’t ever have to work again! In my opinion, you’d be better buying a lottery ticket, if that’s what you want. However, if you learn to play very, very well, and you are able to manage your betting intelligently, you might wind up making more “profits” than you think! On the other hand, if you expect never to lose, if you think you can eliminate risk, then your expectations are way too high and you’re setting yourself up for disappointment.

So, I’m just asking you to give a little thought to the details and set your goals and expectations before you begin. I’d like you to have a mental picture of what you’d like your gaming to give you. To help you do this, I will propose some expectation sets for you, and also some modest goals. But, you may have other, better things to think about and plan for. It’s your gaming, your fun, your pleasure. You choose what you want, and you work for it, OK? California Lizzie is ready, willing, and able to help!

OK, first let’s take on some expectations. What do you expect to happen when you start playing well?
- If you expect to make huge profits, better look elsewhere;
- If you expect to win all the time, gaming is not for you;
- If you bet more than you can risk losing comfortably, you’ll be in trouble.
HOWEVER, if you are looking to have fun, consistently “break even” (or lose only a little), and sometimes win two or three times your “investment,” you can rest assured that your expectations will be met, if you make the proper effort.

Now, let’s talk about goals. Why are you going to work on your blackjack? What benefits do you want to receive from your gaming? And, remember we’re not only talking winning money here. There are lots of other, probably more important, reasons for learning the game.

Let me suggest a few.
- Spending more time with your “sweetie”. How would it feel to be able to sit next to him at the blackjack table? -- gambling for hours together, winning slowly but surely, and even substantially, or at least not losing very much? Would that be a fun way to spend time together?
- Enjoying the satisfaction of self-confidence at the tables - would you enjoy feeling that you know what you’re doing and that it is evident to others? My personal experience, as a woman at the tables, is that a lot of ego-gratification comes from playing well. I’ve enjoyed compliments from the men at my tables on numerous occasions. And, I must say, I like that!
- Feeling competent, and included, by being part of the main action. Would that be more fun instead of sitting on the sidelines playing the slots? Would you like your money to last longer? Would that make for a more enjoyable evening for you? It takes me about 1/10th of the time to spend $100 on slot machines, losing it all, than it does to spend that same $100 at the blackjack table! One half hour at the $1 slots to lose it all, while I can play for an entire evening at the $2 or $3 blackjack table for just $100, and usually break even!
- Being good enough to win enough, on occasion, to splurge! Would you feel proud to take him out to a really expensive dinner, instead of him always spending his winnings on you? Or would you like to buy a great dress, shoes, or accessories that you’d never consider under other circumstances?
- To be able to fully enjoy resorts like Lake Tahoe, Las Vegas, and Atlantic City! Would you feel better if you could have fun being able to enjoy the gaming at all the great casinos, and not just the “family” attractions?
- And, finally, would it be fun to have something to “brag” about (or laugh about) with your friends? I must say that some of my funniest stories took place in the casino, before, during, or after playing blackjack!

Well, I’ll leave your expectations and goals up to you. Decide what you want to get out of this, and then GO FOR IT!

Stay tuned for the next installment of “California Lizzie.” Next time we’ll talk about how to play blackjack and learning the basic strategy --- to play to win! Get ready for a good time!

See you soon!

Love,

California Lizzie

2004-06-11T10:01:00.000-07:00

California woman and pro blackjack casino player: introducing California Lizzie

DISCLAIMER FROM ASKWINNER.COM: all the information provided on this site are for entertainment purposes only. Players counting card can be banned from casinos. Please be a responsible player. And show this disclaimer to your relatives, friends, ... and, last but not least, your laywer(s) :-)

Hi, there! This is California Lizzie, calling all ladies who ever sat playing the nickel slots while their husbands or boyfriends sit at the blackjack tables, gambling up a storm!

Do you ever feel like you’re banished to the sidelines? Fooling around with those one-armed bandits, when you’d rather be sitting at the tables with the men, (and the knowledgeable women), where the real action is? Do you feed slot machines endlessly with coins of ever-decreasing value, starting with the dollar slots? While hubby or boyfriend bets big stakes at the tables, do you sadly go down to new lows as you lose more and more, eventually able to afford only the nickel slots? Do you finally give up and wait for him in the cocktail lounge? Or worse, do you just go back to the hotel room to read or watch TV?

Well, if this sounds like you, you’ve come to the right place! Here’s me, Lizzie, an ordinary California gal, who learned to play THE GAME well enough to sit at the tables with the big boys (and the sharp girls), and enjoy herself, without losing very much at all. Why, from time to time, I even win enough to buy myself gorgeous matching purses and boots, by the best Italian designers, of course! (And, I feel sure I could win even more if I tried. However, I don’t take things too seriously. I choose to play well, but just for fun. I don’t ever try to make a killing, however tempting that might be!)

Have you ever sauntered up to the blackjack table, hoping to place your bets, only to feel intimidated? Do those people who sit there looking nonchalant while they scrape in their chips cause you to think you could never belong there with them?

If this is how you think, believe me, I understand, since I’ve been there. But, hang on! You’re here with me now, and you’ve got another think coming. That chair at the blackjack table which just freed up is yours -- to sit in proudly, to bet, to play, and most of all, to have fun!

Still dubious? Then, let me tell you more about me. When I met my husband, about twenty years ago, I didn’t even know how to play twenty-one! My only experience with casinos was on a trip to San Juan, Puerto Rico, where I went from casino to casino, looking pretty, but never had the guts to sit down. It all looked so esoteric, especially the black jack!

You can imagine how disappointing that trip was for me, since I’d spent pretty pennies from my single-girl salary on gorgeous clothes, intending to look glamorous while I gambled! But, instead of playing and enjoying myself, I wound up standing behind the players, on my feet all night! My boyfriend played and I watched; get the picture? (And there were no slots in those casinos to give me a place to slink away in defeat!) What a way (not) to have fun, after a day on a palm-lined beach!

And what’s really crazy about all this is that I always knew I was very, very smart, probably a lot like YOU, smart lady, who is sitting there now, reading this at your computer. The trouble was, I didn’t know where to start, and I had no one to show me. And, even though I knew I was smart, once I got to the tables I felt awkward and out of place.

But, it just so happens that my husband and I met skiing at Lake Tahoe, where the most natural après-ski activity is gaming! Everything changed after that.

Mr. California Lizzie was a great player. Since we’d just met, and he was head-over-heels pursuing me at the time, he was very motivated to teach me! (And, no, I’m sorry, he’s NOT available to write, or to answer questions, or give advice, or whatever. So, don’t even ask. But, anyway, that’s why I’m here!)

That first weekend, I won $110, playing the two-dollar table very conservatively, “investing” just $40! Now, remember that a few days before, I didn’t even know what “blackjack” was. It’s easy if you have a good teacher, like my hubby. So, that’s where I come in. To be that good teacher for you!

Needless to say, I’m now independent. And you can be an independent player, too! In just a little while, you’ll be stepping up to the table, taking your seat, and plopping down your chips with confidence! Here, we’ll talk about preparation, basic strategy, confidence building, etiquette, and quick-and-easy card counting, the way to win more. All along with just plain womanly fun!

So get ready -- to toss your lack of confidence into the trash! Stay tuned to California Lizzie!

2004-06-03T18:24:00.000-07:00

Slow playing to maximise value

Written by: Dave Colclough

Ok Folks,

So here I am at the 2004 World Series of Poker. Binion's Horseshoe has been taken over by new owners... at long last. That is not the most obvious change that greeted me though. America has gone Poker mad, mad, mad. An astonishing 343 have just paid an amazing $25,000 to play the main event at the Bellagio. And yesterday I walked into Binions satelitte area and couldn't believe my eyes. Last year there would have been maybe 3 or 4 tables running. This year there were 23 or 24 tables buzzing with excitement. Hordes and hordes of new players. God bless America, god bless the WPT on the discovery channel, and god bless Chris Moneymaker. This is Poker heaven!

I managed to win a seat for the $2000 No Limit Hold em event in a one table satelitte. I got lucky when I slow played pocket Kings catching both blinds who both flopped top pair. As an added bonus, I was given a poker lesson by a very attractive young lady with a large bosom. She explained how dangerous it was not to raise with Kings before the flop. Bless her! Anyway I tripled thru and managed to outlast the rest to gain a seat in the NLH event for a paltry $230.

It can be very annoying playing you play tournament poker and you have waited two hours to pick up a hand. You finally look down at a pair of Kings, raise 3 times the Big Blind and everyone passes. Doh!... So what is the correct thing to do?

In the majority of cases the correct thing is exactly that. If you raise 3 times the Big Blind with AJ in mid to late position, then you must raise 3 times the Big Blind with your Kings (regardless of position). That way your eagle eyed opponents wont be able to tell what cards you play. If everyone passes, it's not the end of the world. At least you didn't lose with them.

In the satellite I mentioned above, I picked up the Kings in first position in a 9 handed aggressive one table satellite. I figured if I flat called, someone in a later position would raise, and then I could re-raise and get all my chips in the middle before the flop. A cunning plan... that didn't work. Everyone passed around to the blinds who smooth called. The flop came Jack high and they both decided they liked it. So it was just a matter of crossing my fingers and hoping neither had two pair.

In Limit Hold'em there is rarely any justification in slow playing big hands, especially in the lower limit games. If you have a pair a Kings I would recommend that you raise at every opportunity. The obvious reason is to make the pot as big as possible, so you win as much as possible. Another good reason though, is that you are better off playing against 1 or 2 opponents with your Kings than against the whole table. Less players will call 2 bets, and hopefully you wont lose the pot to anyone playing 5,6 of hearts. Post flop, the song remains the same. If it shows 3,7,J and your opponent bets, then raise him. Don't get cute. If for example he has 10,J or J,K, and the next card comes an Ace. Although it doesn't help either of you, it freezes the betting because it scares you both. And the pot that you win is that little bit smaller…

So as usual, I am being as contradictory as ever. But most of the time, it doesn't pay to be too clever.

See you next week folks,

Dave

2004-06-03T18:21:00.000-07:00

Using your Position to Bluff

Written by: Dave Colclough

It may be common sense but you can also use your position to bluff. Personally, when playing live, I only bluff if I think I can pick up some sort of tell as well. Maybe a quick check, a sigh, a look of disgust as an ace hits the flop. This isn't quite so easy to spot while playing on the internet against an opponent 4,000 miles away. Apparently there are books available on internet tells nowadays, but I'm a little sceptical myself. I haven't read them myself but maybe I should.

Ok let's assume that you have progressed and the game is 2$/$4 Limit Hold'em. Everyone passes to you on the blind. You raise your pair of 8s because there are only 2 hands behind you. But the small blind re-raises and you should call. The flop comes A K 2 off suit. The small blind checks. Well either he is playing sneaky or maybe he raised you with a pair of 9s, 10s, Js, Qs, or even a smaller pair than yours in the first place, or he is a suited connectors raiser. In all these cases he has assumed you called him with an Ace. So make a bet. You might win a $13 pot with a $2 bluff. If he raises, give it up. The clever git trap checked you, he's probably got AK or AQ and you lost an extra $2 in the pot. If he smooth calls then maybe he's got it maybe he hasn't, and maybe you hit an 8 on Fourth Street. If he checks again, well you have to make a judgement on how sneaky he is. If he's an honest Joe, make another bet. You may pick up a $17 pot for a $4 bluff...

Ok, although the moral of today's story is that you can use your position to bluff, I must unfortunately add a warning... most bluffers get carried away, do it too much and lose in the long run. So don't get carried away. Patience is probably the most important Poker virtue. I just wish I had some!

Oh and for those of you who were a little worried about my fridge being empty, fortunately my luck improved in February. The European Omaha Championship was held in Paris, and the deck hit me in the face for 2 days. I outlasted some of the world's best Omaha players like Rob Hollink (Holland) and Robert Williamson (USA) to pick up a cool 71,000 euros. Unbelievably, the following week I was second to fellow Stokie, Paul Maxfield, in the main Hold'em event and collected another 41,000 euros. And Sian got to see Peter Pan 5 times !

See ya,

Dave

2004-06-03T18:19:00.000-07:00

Your introduction to Position

Written by: Dave Colclough

Ok Folks,

The boss has spoken. He wants more advice and less drivel in the column (what's the difference you may well ask). He just doesn't care about whether my fridge was empty at the end of January… So what if my 5 year old daughter couldn't go to the cinema to watch Peter Pan? What's wrong with a good game of noughts and crosses? Exactly. So, here's probably the minimum I can get away with on the subject of 'position'.

'Position' is just plain common sense. The further you are from the Big Blind, the more information you have. It is commonly believed that having the best position is always being in last position. In fact, my mate Brad who has an IQ of 180, insists that being last to speak is always the best position to be in. It is in fact one of the few statements he has made that is completely incorrect, wrong, short sighted simplistic rubbish…but for the time being we will assume he is right.

Let's assume that we have all been good boys and girls, and we are sticking to Fixed Limit Hold'em at Bet365poker... no bigger than 50c/$1. (I know that No Limit is more fun but patience, patience, patience.) Ok. So you are first to speak after the Big Blind, commonly referred to as 'under the gun'. You are looking down at AJ. Nice hand... No, not in this position. There are 9 players who haven't acted yet. 9 hands that may contain a pair of Jacks, Queens, Kings, Aces, AK or AQ. All of which, you don't want to play against. And, should you raise from this position, all the hands that you want to play against, JK, JQ, J10, A10, A9, will probably fold to your raise. The bottom line being if continuously play AJ from here, you will lose money in the long run. Difficult to believe? but true... honest guv, I'm a poker player.

OK. So we are now sat on the button. Le position perfecte. You look down at AJ. Nice hand…well maybe… Lets say. The man under the gun raises, the next player re-raises, and the ultra tight Miss Rock of Gibraltar, I only play Aces, next to you has capped it. Do you want to play your AJ now? No, of course not. But the point is, you have found out that you don't have the best hand without putting a cent of yesterdays winnings in. If you had raised under the gun, and then had to fold, you would have wasted 2 bets, $2, half of Sian's entrance fee to watch Peter Pan.

OK. So we are now sat on the button. Le position perfecte. You look down at AJ. Nice hand... well maybe... Lets say. The man under the gun folds, everyone folds and the regular limper in with A 2 to your right, limps in. Now of course, we want to raise. The guy to your right didn't raise, so he can't have a better hand than you. And there are only 2 hands (the small and big blind) behind you. A very small chance of there being a better hand than yours… If you get really lucky, the Big Blind might fall in love with his J 9 and call as well. The flop comes down Ace high or Jack high, and they will probably bet and call your raises all the way to the river.

So the morale of this week's story is that AJ under the gun, is errr... a fold I'm afraid. Ok, well A 10 or A 9 is anyway.

Ok that's all I can cope with this week, but if you are really keen maybe we will talk about the positional advantages for bluffing at a later date, why my mate Brad is wrong, and why Brad is famous... (Yes he does exist. He is not my fictional friend. Oh, what a beautiful mind.)

See you next week folks,

Dave

2004-06-03T18:16:00.000-07:00

Starting to play for real (money)

Written by: Dave Colclough

Howdy Folks,

I hope you have all been practicing hard at the Play tables at bet365poker? I'd guess you've had fun, but the stimulation isn't quite there? There are a couple of reasons for this. Firstly, you don't have any of your hard earned dough on the line. Secondly, your opponents don't have any of their hard earned dough on the line. So they just don't play the same. Have you played a hand yet where you have the Aces, raised at every opportunity, and still there are five opponents on the river? And low and behold, one of them hit a gutshot, middle pin, inside straight draw. Ouch… No. They would not have been there if you were playing with real wonga.

So if you have got the hang of the pop up buttons, how the game flows, and generally feel comfortable, it is now time to move onto the cash tables. No, not 100/200 limit, or even the 10/20 limit. The sharks will be slobbering at the thought. They haven't been educated by Finding Nemo yet, and 'fish, are not friends. They are food''.

Let's start small : $0.10/$0.20 or $0.50/$1. Fixed Limit Hold'Em is the next step. This will drastically reduce the lunatic opponents scenario. All of a sudden, only 2 or 3 opponents are calling your raises. Your opponents don't want to give their money away, and they want to take your money off you! Let's sit down with a $50. If this doesn't last you at least 20 hours playing time, don't move up. Ideally, you shouldn't move up until you are breaking even. This is probably a good rule to abide by at all levels.

Ok. I know what you are thinking : I haven't given you any clues on what sort of cards to play, what situations, or 'position', to play them, and how to play them. If only it was that easy! The answers are, it depends, it depends, and you guessed it, it depends. (I should have been a politician.) Over the weeks, I'll try and cover as many 'it depends' as possible.

Do!
› A starter for ten… 7 2 off suit is not a good hand. 9 3 is also not a good hand. Just watch me blow $15000 (real money) on Sky Sports next month for proof. I was heads up with Peter, having outlasted the other 4 opponents. I believed Peter was playing too tight for heads up play, so I decided to bully him. Wronggg. I raised his big blind once too often with 9 3, and he surprisingly called me with 10 Q. Whoops! Not a very nice scenario. Needless to say I went out, lost my money, lost the $15000 prize money, lost the opportunity to win $200,000 in the final, looked rather stupid on TV, and lost my pride. And the moral of the story is… 'Let's stick to decent starting hands'.

Dont!
› Don't call any bets with an off suit, high card, low card combination, e.g. J4, Q3, K5.

› Don't call any bets with an off suit, two low cards combination, e.g. 84, 72 and especially 93!

Try!
› Only call with suited connectors, e.g. 9h,10h if the price is right, i.e. one bet and no raises.

› Only call with low pairs, e.g. 5s if the price is right, i.e. one bet and no raises.

› Let's try and play high cards like AJ. KQ, A10. These are calling hands.

› Let's only raise with AK, AQ and the high pairs 9s and up.

Ok, this all sounds very predictable. But you will be surprised how little your opponents notice, and believe it or not, how little many of them care.

See you,

Dave

2004-06-01T15:00:00.000-07:00

THANK YOU!

Today we received several emails, thank you for your feedback! We'll read every single email and we'll keep in consideration every single suggestion/idea you give us. Please use blog@askwinner.com for your ideas and comments. The address casinoonlinegambling-subscribe@yahoogroups.com is for players who want to subscribe to our free newsletter.

Special announcement: today, one more suprise! We got in touch with an experienced female casino player active in Lake Tahoe and Reno area. She will be writing for us, so stay tuned to get fresh ideas from her! Ladies, there aren't many places where you can benefit from a female approach to casino games: gentlemen, you'll see how women win at casino games, plus the usual advices we give you.

And yes, for the money management tips we'll make you wait a little longer :-) But you get an appetizer of our advices... Let's say that we go to Vegas for the weekend and that our bankroll is $900. We spend Fri. and Sat. evening playing, that's two days. So, we take $900 and split them in two pots. We'll be playing $450 for evening, no excuses allowed. But if we keep playing until we finish your daily bankroll, well, that's not wise! Let's say that, after going up and down, we end with a total of $700. That's our pot ($450) plus a nice $250. What should we do? What about stopping and enjoying our winnings?

We have already a stop-losses level ($450). But, before starting playing, there's a much nicer number to decide: profit taking level. Let's say we decide to stop when we are $250 up. Playing at casino games is one of the finest form of entertainment; let's be smart player and set losses/profit levels before playing.

Does this tell you anything about how to bet while playing at casino games? No, not at all. This is just a teaser, stay tuned for the big thing! :-)

2004-05-31T18:14:00.000-07:00

Texas Hold'Em Intro

Written by: Dave Colclough

Hi there,

So you have watched Late Nite Poker, you enjoyed it, but it wasn't quite clear how the action panned out. So let's just try and explain the basics simply. We will start with Texas Hold'Em. This is because it is the most common form of poker played throughout today's world.

You get dealt two 'hole' cards, which are just for your own personal use. There are then 5 communal cards dealt. You have to make the best 5 card poker hand out of these 7 cards. (No, you cannot have 3 pairs. 5 card hands only!)

There are 4 rounds of betting. During each round everyone has three options: to call (match the current bet), raise, or fold their hand. Everyone must put the same amount into the pot, if they wish to continue to the next round of betting, or the showdown.

The first round of betting is after you have been dealt your 2 hole cards.
The second round is after the first 3 communal cards are dealt, known as the flop.

The next round is after the fourth communal card is dealt the turn.
The final round of betting is after the final fifth communal card is dealt, and is often referred to as the river.
So what are you waiting for? The best place to start the learning process is at the Play tables at Bet365poker. That way, you can get the hang of the pop up buttons, how the game flows, and generally feel comfortable before moving onto the cash tables.

When I play live cash games, we often get dealt 10 to 15 hands an hour. In tournaments this may go up to 25 or even 30 hands per hour. One huge advantage of playing and learning poker on the internet with Bet365poker, is that you will be dealt between 70 and 90 hands per hour. And if you are a computer whiz, you can even multiply that a few times by opening 2 or 3 windows. This is why youngsters like Sweden's 'The King of Ding' have become poker phenomenon's in a very short space of time.

The King of Ding? You have never heard of him? I don't think Eric is quite 21 yet, and is one of the nicest guys I have met on the circuit. Always smiling, never complaining, smartly dressed, good looking, sexy girlfriend... sorry.
Getting carried away again. Anyway, when Eric started playing, he was obviously a natural. He got very good, very quickly. He was playing the biggest games available on the net very quickly (do not copy this at home, you might hurt yourself!). When scooping a large pot, he would type 'DING!' into the conversation box. The reason being that he had an old fashioned 'open all hours' cash register : you pressed a button, out popped the drawer, you put the money in, you close the drawer, and the cash register goes 'DING' to say thank you. Cute. Some players liked it. Some players didn't see the funny side. Their problem, not his, I'd say. Nowadays Eric is a millionaire from the game. He has so much money locked up in his cash registers, rumour is that he hasn't cashed in even a third of it, and doesn't actually know how much he has!!! So as I was saying, LOL, what are you waiting for?

See you,

Dave

2004-05-30T15:14:00.000-07:00

It's poker time!

Thanks to a partnership with Bet365poker, we are now able to offer you poker advices from "El Blondie", a pro poker player. What's life for someone who literally lives by his winnings at poker? What's hot about being a poker authority? We'll discover this, and MUCH more, here. Stay tuned. The more you reward us with your feedback and ideas, the more we'll offer you! And now, ladies and gentleman, let's the expert talk...

Written by Dave Colclough
Hi,

For those of you who have never heard of me (and hopefully it's because you are new to poker), my name is Dave Colclough, often known by the imaginative pseudonym of 'El Blondie'. I guess, I am now a Professional Poker Player. All I do to pay my bills and put food in my fridge nowadays, is play poker. Tough life, isn't it ? Not.

I am proud to say that I am now sponsored by Bet365poker, , part of the bet365 Group Limited, one of the world's leading betting and gaming groups. Over the next year I will be updating the site with a diary of how I am getting on, telling a few amusing stories from the past, but much more importantly, giving you all a few tips on how to keep hold of your hard earned wonga. I've been asked by Bet365poker, to give a brief history, so please excuse any bragging…

I started playing poker 19 years ago. A flatmate (Ray Edwards where are you?) gave me a few lessons and a basic strategy on how to play 7 card stud over dinner, and then dragged me off to the Northampton Rubicon Casino to play a £10 7 Card Stud Competition. I suspected a few flaws in his strategy on the first night. Three months later, I had refined it enough to win my first competition.

Unfortunately I worked as an IT Consultant until 2000, and it didn't half get in the way of Poker. Nethertheless, I would try and burn the candle at both ends, regularly playing competitions at Churchills in Stoke, or the Luton, Northampton and Victoria Casinos when working further south. I won my first major championship, the UK Hold'Em Championship at the Park Casino in 1995. At the latest count, 25.2.04, I think I have won 97 Casino Tournaments, not including satellites or online competitions. So hopefully, we will chalk up number 100 shortly.

In 2003, I concentrated solely on Poker, having given up all my previous business interests. And, I was fortunate enough to be voted European Player of the Year for 2003, having broke the record for the amount of final tables reached in ranking tournaments. In the US, I reached 2 final tables in the 2003 World Series of Poker at Las Vegas, finishing 2nd to Eddie Scharf in the Limit Omaha event. I also started playing online tournaments during 2003 and made two final tables in the so called online World Series. The online fields were huge, regularly reaching 1300 players. Yes 1300! So what are you waiting for?

See you next week, when my head has shrunk back to a more normal size,

Dave

Dave 'El Blondie' Colclough is the European Poker Player of the Year. He is sponsored by Bet365poker, , part of the bet365 Group Limited, one of the world's leading betting and gaming groups.

Dave writes a weekly column full of poker tips and his experiences playing professionally.

Put your poker playing skills to the test at Bet365poker.

2004-05-28T18:36:00.000-07:00

Casino betting: money management

We received a couple of interesting emails from friends in NJ and Toronto, Canada, about money management. Plus, we got several questions about this topic. So, here we go!

Money management is a keystone element in our gaming experience and can really make the difference, delivering us a great gaming time. Online, there are thousands of websites providing betting advices. Most of them, when it's time to talk about money management, they advise us to play Martingale. That is, keeping doubling our betting untill we win.

Sounds cool? IT SHOULDN'T! Let's see why. We are playing roulette, we bet $5 on red. We get black. No problem! We bet $10 on red. We still get a black. Finally, we are betting $80 and we get our red. Should we be happy? Not so much, because we are risking $80 just to get back... 5 bucks!

Let's see why martingale is not profitable from a mathematical point of view. Let's say we win when we bet $80. We get $160. But, so far, we played $(5 + 10 + 20 + 40), that is $75. So. we got $160, we wagered $ (80+75), we won $5. And, as said above, we wagered $80 just to get a mere $5 profit.

One more factor to consider: usually, casinos set table limits. If you sit at a $5-$100 table, you can't bet more than $100. So, if the red is still to come after we bet $80, we can just leave the table... without even getting our $5 profit!

Good, we talked about what's better to avoid about money management. Check this blog soon to see which money management method makes sense, for math and for your financial happiness! I bet you look forward to discovering what it is! :-)

2004-05-21T13:05:00.000-07:00

Poker rules

Introduction: poker is usually played with a standard deck of 52 cards. It consists of thirteen different ranks of cards (Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2). Each rank comes in four different suits: Clubs, Diamonds, Hearts, Spades.

Practise: download for free a full collection of card games. So you can practise on your computer, without risking a single cent.

Betting: poke involves rounds of betting into a common fund, or "pot", and rounds of replacing cards. The number of betting rounds and card draws depends on the particular variation of poker you are playing. Action proceeds in a clockwise direction. Generally betting begins with players making an "Ante" or a "Blind Bet" (when player bets without having seen their cards).

Betting options: Check - if there is not bet already on the table, the player may in essence bet 0, and pass the action on to the next player.
Call - if there is a bet on the table, the player may choose to match the bet.
Bet or Raise - if there were no bets on the table, the player places one by betting. If there was a bet on the table, the player may increase the bet by raising.
Fold - the player does not choose to match the bet on the table, and they forfeit any chance at winning the pot. They also surrender their cards.

Winning: theplayer with the highest hand wins.

Practise: download for free a full collection of card games. So you can practise on your computer, without risking a single cent.

Ranks: Royal Flush - Series of cards, all of the same suit ranking Ace, King, Queen, Jack and Ten.
Straight Flush - Five cards sequence of the same suit. When two straights tie, the one containing the highest card wins.When both hands contain the same high card, the pot is split.
Four-of-a-Kind - Four cards of the same rank with one other card of varying rank. The highest ranking Four-of-a-Kind would win in case of a tie.
Full House - Hand comprised of both a three-of-a-kind and a pair. When two full house hands tie, the hand containing the higher three-of-a-kind wins.
Flush - 5 cards of the same suit. Where there's a tie, the hand with the highest card wins. When the high cards are of the same rank, the next highest cards are compared (and so on).
Straight - Five cards in sequence, of mixed suits. When straights tie, the hand with the highest card wins. When hands are identical in rank, the pot is split. K-A-2-3-4 "straight" is not allowed.
Three-of-a-Kind - Three cards of the same rank with two other cards of varying rank (not a pair).When there's a tie, the highest ranking three-of-a-kind wins.
Two Pair - Hand with two cards of one rank, two cards of another rank, and a different fifth card. Ties are awarded to the higher of the high pair, followed by the higher of the low pairs, and finally by the last card.
One Pair - Hand with contains one set of cards with the same rank. Highest pair wins ties. When both pairs are the same, highest card wins. Followed by next highest card and so on.
High Card - Weakest poker hands. The highest ranking card wins the pot. When there's a tie, the next highest card wins, and so on.

2004-05-15T13:14:00.000-07:00

Casino gambling games of skills: Blackjack

In the '50s, "Beat the dealer" provided a statistical analysis of the best way to play black jack. Since then, casinos started using multiple decks.

At Black Jack, you play against the house. What other players are doing is irrelevant for you. If you like to know the basic rules of this game, just browse our BlackJack guide .

Card counting is not welcome by casinos, players are kick out for doing this. In card counting, players switch from very low bets, when odds are against them, to high bets, when odds are in their favour. So what I offer you is a set of rules which helps you, without transforming you into a card counter.

Hint: 10, J, Q, K are all worth 10 points. This means cards with a value 0f 10 are the most frequent in the deck. When deciding what to do, think that the dealer's card face down is more likely to be a 10 than something else. If you have 12 and the dealer has a 2 face up, from a statistical point of view chances are the dealer has got 12 all together.

Insurance: avoid it.

Doubling down: double down when you have:

hand of 11

hand of 10 and the dealer has 9 or less

hand of 9 and the dealer has 3-6

hand of ace and another card 2-7, with the dealer's card of 6,5 or 4

Splitting: split when you have:

a pair of aces

a pair of 8s

a pair of 2s, 3s, 6s, 7s and the dealer has 3-7

a pair of 9s and the dealer has 9, 8, 6-2

Drawing: draw when you have:

hard hand of 11 or less

hard hand with a score of 12-16 and the dealer's card is 7 or higher, ace included

soft hand of 17 or less

soft 18 and the dealer has a 9, 10 or ace

Stand: when you aren't in any of the conditions above, stand

Honest games: play only at licensed venues. Unlicensed venues offer no guarantee you'll get a honest gaming experience. From a statistic point of view, you should get one blackjack every 20 hands. Always from a statistic point of view, using the strategy outlined above you should win 40-60% of the times. These are statiscal information only, you can win much more or the house can win much more.

2004-05-15T12:47:00.000-07:00

Casino games: general etiquette

Starting: players look for a suitable table to sit and play. The most important item is the sign declaring the table betting limits: minimum and maximum allowable bets are usually clearly posted on a sign on the table-top. Often, you can spot tables with lower limit ($3 or $5) because they are quite crowded. In most casinos, the signs are color-coded to match the minimum bets posted on them: red ($5), green ($25), black ($100)

Sitting: seats in a casino are for players only, most dealers are required to ask non-players to move. When the casino is crowded, limit your play to just one machine. Anyway, don't play more machines than you can safely watch over: players should always monitor their machines

Getting chips: once seated at a table, players need to purchase some chips from the dealer for their bets. Players wait for a break in the action and lay cash in front of themselves on the table; some casinos may wait until the dealer shuffles to let new players join the game. Usual buy-in amount is anywhere from 10 to 20 times player's average bet. Players shouldn't hand cash to the dealer, because for security reasons, the dealer can't take anything from players' hands. The whole cash amount will be changed for an equal value of playing chips, with no change back, and put into a slot in the table top. It's good custom to give a quick look at the chips to be sure of their values and to have received the correct amount. In case of question, players cab ask the dealers, part of their jobs is to help players learn the game.

Chips colors: almost standardized in the casino industry. Usually, white chips represent $1, pink chips $2.50, red chips $5, green chips $25, black chips $100, purple chips $500 chips.

Betting: should be made on the table circle or box in front of the player. Before each hand begins, bets are placed into the circle in one stack. When betting multiple denominations of chips, the larger valued chips are placed on the bottom of the stack, with the smaller value chips on top. Once the cards have been dealt, players aren't allowed to touch the bet in the circle. Players know need to know how much they have bet for doubling or splitting at blackjack, the dealer will count down the chips on their behalf. Once the hand is over, the dealer will move around the table to each position in turn, paying winners and collecting the chips from losing hands. After the dealer has paid the players, they can remove their chips from the circle and place the next bets. Players wishing to let their winnings ride will form one stack of chips from the two or more stacks on the table after the dealer paid

Cashing winnings: players take their winnings, in form of chips, to the cashier to exchange them for cash.

Tipping: most front-line casino employees get paid minimum wage, so gratuities of casino patrons can be very important for them. Never should you expect the employee to break the rules when you tip, but when you are winning it is customary to show your appreciation to a courteous and helpful dealer. Of course, you are under no obligation to tip and people usually avoid to tip unkind casino employees just to see if they get nicer.

2004-05-14T15:19:00.000-07:00

Casino games: games of skills and games of chance

Feel free to distribuite and reprint this text, provided you credit it to "Online casino and gambling guide AskWinner.com"

Introduction: games of skills and games of chance
Casino games can be divided in games of skills and games of chance. In games of skills, your choices may make a difference in the final outcome; in games of chance, luck decides.

Here you find an applied use of math and statistics, to higher your chances to win at game of skills and lower your chances to loose at games of chance. Rules can change from casino to casino and, sometimes, from table to table. Make sure to know the rules applied at the table you are playing before playing. And remember there's no 100% secure method to play (see conclusions for further information about this).

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Games of skills: Blackjack
In the '50s, "Beat the dealer" provided a statistical analysis of the best way to play black jack. Since then, casinos started using multiple decks.

At Black Jack, you play against the house. What other players are doing is irrelevant for you. If you like to know the basic rules of this game, just browse our BlackJack guide .

Card counting is not welcome by casinos, players are kick out for doing this. In card counting, players switch from very low bets, when odds are against them, to high bets, when odds are in their favour. So what I offer you is a set of rules which helps you, without transforming you into a card counter.

Hint: 10, J, Q, K are all worth 10 points. This means cards with a value 0f 10 are the most frequent in the deck. When deciding what to do, think that the dealer's card face down is more likely to be a 10 than something else. If you have 12 and the dealer has a 2 face up, from a statistical point of view chances are the dealer has got 12 all together.

Insurance: avoid it.

Doubling down: double down when you have:

hand of 11

hand of 10 and the dealer has 9 or less

hand of 9 and the dealer has 3-6

hand of ace and another card 2-7, with the dealer's card of 6,5 or 4

Splitting: split when you have:

a pair of aces

a pair of 8s

a pair of 2s, 3s, 6s, 7s and the dealer has 3-7

a pair of 9s and the dealer has 9, 8, 6-2

Drawing: draw when you have:

hard hand of 11 or less

hard hand with a score of 12-16 and the dealer's card is 7 or higher, ace included

soft hand of 17 or less

soft 18 and the dealer has a 9, 10 or ace

Stand: when you aren't in any of the conditions above, stand

Honest games: play only at licensed venues. Unlicensed venues offer no guarantee you'll get a honest gaming experience. From a statistic point of view, you should get one blackjack every 20 hands. Always from a statistic point of view, using the strategy outlined above you should win 40-60% of the times. These are statiscal information only, you can win much more or the house can win much more.

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Games of chance: Roulette
Doubling up, also known as "martingale", is one of the most rumored strategy to win at this game. Don't double up: if you bet $1 and you keep doubling, chances are you'll end up risking hundreds of dollars just to get your $1 back. And table limits may prevent you from keeping rising your bid.

Hints: quantify your daily bankroll and set take-profit limits. If you have $1,000 for the day, never bet more than 1% of your whole bankroll. If you don't win, don't double and keep betting 1% of your current bankroll; when you win and you achieve your daily target (let's say: $3,000) enjoy your winnings and cash them. Quit when you are still winning.

Due numbers: there are people betting on numbers which hadn't come out for a long time. Consider that it's not rare to have ten or more red in a row, if you bet black that would be a bad news. If you bet red, compliments: you won ten times or more in a row!

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Games of chance: slot machines
Almost every casino on earth offers a "slot players' club" with a fidelity card and comps for players. Remember to join these clubs, even if you bet every a few dollars. If you feel that the slots you are playing aren't paying out enough, just change it or go to another casino. Use the "players' clubs" but don't be used by them.

Hints: the same casino can host different slots, with different payouts and rules. Before sitting and playing, walk around the room and study the slots. Don't stare at other players. Slots with higher bets, usually, have better payout; but betting more you may also end your money sooner. At progressive slots, if you pay the maximum amount of coins, you get a better deal when you win. That means, from this point of view, it's better to bet five coins in a quarter slot than playing one dollar in a one dollar slot.

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Games of chance: Videopoker
Instead of challeging other players, at videopoker you challenge a machine which is dealing you virtual cards. The cards are dealt using random generated numbers.

Hints: shop around for the best videopoker machine before sitting and playing. Choose a machine which fits your bankroll. Decide how much to bet everytime (f.e.: 1% or less of your $1,500 daily bankroll) and when to cash your winnings and leave.

2004-05-05T12:35:00.000-07:00

Free casino games: download free blackjack online, baccarat online, live poker, poker room software, roulette games, videopoker online, internet slotmachines and other casino gambling free software. Practise our tips with these free casino games, without risking a cent!

Free casino games [GF distribution]: free trial, no expiration time
RJ

Free casino games [BTD]: free trial, no expiration time, play as the casino dealer

2004-05-01T12:28:00.000-07:00

Casino games rules: baccarat casino, blackjack casino, poker room, roulette casino, videopoker casino, casino gambling online

Casino general rules

Baccarat

BlackJack

Poker

Roulette

Videopoker

2004-04-30T12:50:00.000-07:00

Casino games online guide: gambling for casino beginners, intermediate and experts. Tips to play videopoker, blackjack, poker online, poker rooms, baccarat, European roulette, American roulette and other casino games

by Edmond Hoyle - Feel free to distribuite and reprint this text, provided you credit it to "Online casino and gambling tips http://casinoplayers.blogspot.com - Edmond Hoyle"

Introduction: so you are here to win!

Dear player, there are several websites, books, ... claiming to have found the secret way to win at every casino game, every time. Beware: they are scams! So far, all those "methods" had failed to pass our mathematical tests. Here you find an applied use of math and statistics, to higher your chances to win at game of skills and lower your chances to loose at games of chance. Rules can change from casino to casino and, sometimes, from table to table. Make sure to know the rules applied at the table you are playing before playing. And remember there's no 100% secure method to win, never pay for books or websites which promise you what can't be achieved!

Our tips are divided in: rules of the game, basic strategies, advanced strategies. If you are a beginner, we advise you to read the rules and practise for free using free casino games; then, learn the easy strategies and keep practising; then, become confortable with the elaborated strategies.

First step: choosing your game

If you want to play the games with the best odds, go for blackjack, craps, video poker, baccarat (in this order) and play them using optimal strategies.

Based on their nature, casino games can be divided in games of skills and games of chance. In games of skills, your choices may make a difference in the final outcome; in games of chance, luck decides. This can be another criteria you can base your choice on.