Monday, March 11, 2013
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Online casino real money
Online casino real money gambling is rapidly becoming one of the most popular leisure activities. For fun and exciting real money casinos gambling experience, you need to choose the optimal online real money casino. With so many sites claiming to offer the best possible services, selecting an online casino can be difficult. Knowing what to look for in an online casino can make the decision easier. There are a number of characteristic that set the top real money casinos apart from the rest.
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Blackjack Rules for the Beginner
The dealer will always hit until they get at least 17. When the dealer's up-card is 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 they will have to take a card. Hit to improve your hand but try not to go over 21. When you get to 17 on a hard-hand, stop hitting. When you have 12 or more and the dealer has to hit, stand.Double Down
A double down allows you to bet up to an amount equal to your original wager on the draw of a single card. The table limit sign will tell you what two cards you are allowed to double down on. You need to turn your cards over to indicate a double down, usually done when the player has two cards that total 10 or 11.
You may also be able to double down on soft-hands, where your first two cards are an ace and a small card. Don't do this against a dealer's up card of 8, 9, 10 or ace, or when you hold 19 or 20.
Splitting
Anytime your first two cards are the same value, such as a deuce and a deuce, you may split them and play two separate hands. While a double down can be played for any amount up to your original wager, a split hand must be for the same amount originally bet.
Match your original bet and the dealer will handle the cards for you and get you started on the first hand. You will get a second card on the hand to your right. You then have the option of hitting, standing, or splitting again. You may split to make up to four hands at most casinos.
Some clubs allow the player to double down after a split, a good option for the player.
You should always split aces, but when you receive a ten on an ace you will have 21, not blackjack. Therefore you will not be paid 3-2.
Surrender
Some casinos offer a surrender option: "early surrender," if you can take the option before the dealer looks under a ten for a blackjack; and "late surrender," if they only allow surrender after the dealer peaks for blackjack.
Either surrender option can be helpful for the player, as you will sometimes find yourself with a terrible hand like hard 15 or 16 against a dealer up-card of 10 or ace. If you use the surrender option, the dealer takes half your bet and your cards - you are done with the hand.
Popularity
Blackjack is the most popular card game found in most casinos. The number of decks used and other house rules change the casino's overall win expectation. However, as long as the casino offers most of the options presented here, you should be able to have a good time playing blackjack.
To improve your chances of winning, read some Tips and Strategy to increase your fun and get the most out of your blackjack experience.
A double down allows you to bet up to an amount equal to your original wager on the draw of a single card. The table limit sign will tell you what two cards you are allowed to double down on. You need to turn your cards over to indicate a double down, usually done when the player has two cards that total 10 or 11.
You may also be able to double down on soft-hands, where your first two cards are an ace and a small card. Don't do this against a dealer's up card of 8, 9, 10 or ace, or when you hold 19 or 20.
Splitting
Anytime your first two cards are the same value, such as a deuce and a deuce, you may split them and play two separate hands. While a double down can be played for any amount up to your original wager, a split hand must be for the same amount originally bet.
Match your original bet and the dealer will handle the cards for you and get you started on the first hand. You will get a second card on the hand to your right. You then have the option of hitting, standing, or splitting again. You may split to make up to four hands at most casinos.
Some clubs allow the player to double down after a split, a good option for the player.
You should always split aces, but when you receive a ten on an ace you will have 21, not blackjack. Therefore you will not be paid 3-2.
Surrender
Some casinos offer a surrender option: "early surrender," if you can take the option before the dealer looks under a ten for a blackjack; and "late surrender," if they only allow surrender after the dealer peaks for blackjack.
Either surrender option can be helpful for the player, as you will sometimes find yourself with a terrible hand like hard 15 or 16 against a dealer up-card of 10 or ace. If you use the surrender option, the dealer takes half your bet and your cards - you are done with the hand.
Popularity
Blackjack is the most popular card game found in most casinos. The number of decks used and other house rules change the casino's overall win expectation. However, as long as the casino offers most of the options presented here, you should be able to have a good time playing blackjack.
To improve your chances of winning, read some Tips and Strategy to increase your fun and get the most out of your blackjack experience.
Blackjack Tables - What to Expect
Understanding the Game of Blackjack
By Al Moe, About.com Guide
Standard Blackjack Table
Photo courtesy of (Angel Fire Press)
Blackjack is played on a half-circle shaped table. The players sit along the rounded edge and the dealer stands on the straight side with a tray of chips in front of them. You can purchase chips from the dealer with cash, or bring chips from other tables. Some clubs allow you to play cash.
Your bet for the upcoming hand goes inside the betting circle located in front of your chair. Your extra chips go right in front of you, next to the padded rail that goes around the table.
Table Limits
Each table has a minimum and a maximum limit for each bet. The limit sign is usually on the far left as you face the table. A limit of $5-$250 means you can bet any amount from $5 to $250 on each hand. Place your buy-in between the betting circles so it is not mistaken for a bet.
Consider sitting at a table where the other players are playing close to what you want to play. You may be uncomfortable playing $5 per hand when the other players are betting $100, and they may feel the same about having you at "their" table.
Game Conditions
Blackjack can be played with a single deck of 52-cards or multiple decks may be used. If four, six, or eight decks are used, once they are shuffled, the cards will be housed in a plastic "shoe" that allows one card at a time to come out. At some casinos, the cards are placed in a continuous shuffler where the dealer takes out one card at a time.
Once you place your bet in your own circle, the dealer will start the hand. If the game is played with your cards exposed, you do not touch your cards. If your cards are dealt face down, you pick them up with one hand. The dealer will expose just one of their cards, but will check to see if they have a blackjack.
Blackjack
If the dealer has a two-card 21, they win instantly, unless you also have a blackjack. If you both have a natural, or blackjack, then you tie, and no chips change hands. If you have blackjack and the dealer does not, expose you cards and you will be paid 3 chips for every 2 you bet. A $5 blackjack pays $7.50
There are some games where a blackjack pays just 6 to 5, so check the limit sign to see what you will get on a blackjack. On this game, a $5 bet wins only $6 and this rule makes the game very tough on the players' bankrolls.
Insurance
Insurance is a side-bet that the dealer has a blackjack. This will be offered when the dealer shows an ace-up. Insurance is rarely a good bet, skip it and you will do fine.
A winning insurance bet pays 2-1. If your original bet is $10 and you take insurance for $5, you get paid $10. If the dealer does not have a blackjack you lose your $5 insurance wager.
If you also have a blackjack, you and the dealer will tie, called a "push." If you have a blackjack and want to take insurance, you can say "even money," which works out the same as far as your payoff goes.
Hitting and Standing
After the dealer checks for blackjack, the player to the dealer's left acts first. If the cards are in their hand, they sweep them towards themselves to signify they want a card. This scratching motion lets everybody know, from the eye-in-sky to the pit boss to the dealer, that the player wants another card - a hit.
If your first two cards are dealt face-up, use your hand in a sweeping motion towards yourself to indicate a hit.
When you want no more cards, or to "stand," tuck your cards under your bet. If the cards were dealt face-up, then make a sideways motion with your hand to indicate "no-more," and your play is finished.
Your bet for the upcoming hand goes inside the betting circle located in front of your chair. Your extra chips go right in front of you, next to the padded rail that goes around the table.
Table Limits
Each table has a minimum and a maximum limit for each bet. The limit sign is usually on the far left as you face the table. A limit of $5-$250 means you can bet any amount from $5 to $250 on each hand. Place your buy-in between the betting circles so it is not mistaken for a bet.
Consider sitting at a table where the other players are playing close to what you want to play. You may be uncomfortable playing $5 per hand when the other players are betting $100, and they may feel the same about having you at "their" table.
Game Conditions
Blackjack can be played with a single deck of 52-cards or multiple decks may be used. If four, six, or eight decks are used, once they are shuffled, the cards will be housed in a plastic "shoe" that allows one card at a time to come out. At some casinos, the cards are placed in a continuous shuffler where the dealer takes out one card at a time.
Once you place your bet in your own circle, the dealer will start the hand. If the game is played with your cards exposed, you do not touch your cards. If your cards are dealt face down, you pick them up with one hand. The dealer will expose just one of their cards, but will check to see if they have a blackjack.
Blackjack
If the dealer has a two-card 21, they win instantly, unless you also have a blackjack. If you both have a natural, or blackjack, then you tie, and no chips change hands. If you have blackjack and the dealer does not, expose you cards and you will be paid 3 chips for every 2 you bet. A $5 blackjack pays $7.50
There are some games where a blackjack pays just 6 to 5, so check the limit sign to see what you will get on a blackjack. On this game, a $5 bet wins only $6 and this rule makes the game very tough on the players' bankrolls.
Insurance
Insurance is a side-bet that the dealer has a blackjack. This will be offered when the dealer shows an ace-up. Insurance is rarely a good bet, skip it and you will do fine.
A winning insurance bet pays 2-1. If your original bet is $10 and you take insurance for $5, you get paid $10. If the dealer does not have a blackjack you lose your $5 insurance wager.
If you also have a blackjack, you and the dealer will tie, called a "push." If you have a blackjack and want to take insurance, you can say "even money," which works out the same as far as your payoff goes.
Hitting and Standing
After the dealer checks for blackjack, the player to the dealer's left acts first. If the cards are in their hand, they sweep them towards themselves to signify they want a card. This scratching motion lets everybody know, from the eye-in-sky to the pit boss to the dealer, that the player wants another card - a hit.
If your first two cards are dealt face-up, use your hand in a sweeping motion towards yourself to indicate a hit.
When you want no more cards, or to "stand," tuck your cards under your bet. If the cards were dealt face-up, then make a sideways motion with your hand to indicate "no-more," and your play is finished.
Must Reads
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- How to Play Roulette
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Maryland Casinos in Hiring Frenzy
Wednesday December 12, 2012
Last year Ohio casinos were frantic about getting enough casino employees hired and ready to work in the state's four new casinos. 2013 promises to bring another round of casino jobs as Maryland expects to expand from just three casinos to six. The casinos built in Ohio were all of moderate size, more like Tunica or Reno. Maryland already has two small race-track casinos, but the latest expansion brings Las Vegas style resorts to the state.
The new Maryland casinos are huge, with nearly 5,000 slot machines in place. Maryland Live! expects to be allowed to offer 24-hour gaming at the end of the month, and new live table games will be coming in 2013. Penn National's Hollywood Casino, in Perryville, MD is accepting applications for their dealing school scheduled for early next year.
Likewise, Maryland Live! in Hanover, MD is planning to hire 800 new dealers for their casino. Applications are currently being accepted for the school slated to begin January 7, 2013. Filling out the form for Hollywood casino or Maryland Live! is just the first step. You can expect to undergo a personal interview and skills assessment if your application is chosen. And, you will of course need to attend and graduate from the dealing school. Applications must be 21 years of age by the first day of class.
The new Maryland casinos are huge, with nearly 5,000 slot machines in place. Maryland Live! expects to be allowed to offer 24-hour gaming at the end of the month, and new live table games will be coming in 2013. Penn National's Hollywood Casino, in Perryville, MD is accepting applications for their dealing school scheduled for early next year.
Likewise, Maryland Live! in Hanover, MD is planning to hire 800 new dealers for their casino. Applications are currently being accepted for the school slated to begin January 7, 2013. Filling out the form for Hollywood casino or Maryland Live! is just the first step. You can expect to undergo a personal interview and skills assessment if your application is chosen. And, you will of course need to attend and graduate from the dealing school. Applications must be 21 years of age by the first day of class.
White Christmas for Reno - Tahoe Casinos
Monday December 10, 2012
With Northern California and Nevada already buffeted by several storms, the skiing in the Sierra Nevada's is looking good for the season. Another light storm is expected to bring a white Christmas for 2012, and the closest skiing to Reno's casino resorts, Mt. Rose, has a base of 35 - 70 inches. 80% of the terrain is available via lift, with Northwest Magnum 6, Blazing Zephyr 6 and Ponderosa open. All roads to Reno and Lake Tahoe are currently open with no controls.
If you have never skied, you can learn for as little as $44 at Mt. Rose. If you already ski, you might want to take advantage of some of the very reasonable ski packages at Reno casinos offered right now. Some of the great ski deals start at as low as $75 for a lift ticket and one night stay at casinos in Reno that are as close as 45 minutes from the slopes.
Of course you don't have to ski to enjoy Northern Nevada casinos during the winter season. Although the mountain passes will occasionally require chains, most driving is safe and sane, as the roads are well maintained even during storms. Although Lake Tahoe may require chains near the casinos on rare occasions, I can't ever remember needing them for driving in Reno.
However, most ski packages also offer transportation to and back from the ski resorts for $15. You can ski all day and gamble all night! Enjoy.
If you have never skied, you can learn for as little as $44 at Mt. Rose. If you already ski, you might want to take advantage of some of the very reasonable ski packages at Reno casinos offered right now. Some of the great ski deals start at as low as $75 for a lift ticket and one night stay at casinos in Reno that are as close as 45 minutes from the slopes.
Of course you don't have to ski to enjoy Northern Nevada casinos during the winter season. Although the mountain passes will occasionally require chains, most driving is safe and sane, as the roads are well maintained even during storms. Although Lake Tahoe may require chains near the casinos on rare occasions, I can't ever remember needing them for driving in Reno.
However, most ski packages also offer transportation to and back from the ski resorts for $15. You can ski all day and gamble all night! Enjoy.
Spending Your Christmas Bonus
Wednesday December 5, 2012
If you get a Christmas bonus this year, well good for you. My informal poll (20 people employed in differing businesses) shows 55 percent get something. Obviously 45 percent got nothing, that's pretty bad. On the bonus side the worst was a free turkey. The best was 10 percent of their base pay, because the business hit all their budget projections. However, the overall worst was a place that gave nothing at Christmas, and no raise this year, even after the company hit all their projections. That stinks.
I don't think of a Christmas bonus as something designed to retain employees. I see it as a year-end thank-you for your help keeping the business running all year - and that means even a business that didn't make all their goals should be sharing something, or they really are Scrooge's.
Now whether you got a bonus or not, you might be considering playing a little at the casino this holiday season. So, keep in mind that casinos tend to be generous (to their players) at this time of year. I've gotten several free play, free match play, free night stay, and free slot play coupons. Apparently the casinos need my bucks this year, and I'll probably oblige. The most interesting one I've gotten so far is for $100 in free slot play and I'm not sure how to approach it.
The deal is this: I get to play as long as I want on one machine of any denomination from 2-cents to $1. When I decide to quit, I get to keep anything I've won, or they rebate back to me anything I have lost, up to $100. I can't decide whether to play $1 video poker where I could win $4000 on a royal for free, but won't last more than a few minutes, or 25-cent video poker, where I'm likely to last an hour enjoying carefree play and will probably end-up getting my money back at the player's club. HMMM.
Online Poker Bonus
If you are able to play cash games online, this is a good time to join a poker site. The competition is getting heavier as European sites see the US market turning finally to soon-to-be-legalized intra-state games and they want to impress those of us in the States before it's too late. Clearing an online poker bonus takes time. You won't be able to do it quickly, but if you get a $100 bonus at work, you can deposit it and get double that at William Hill. So, $100 gets $200 in bonus.
If you've never tried to clear a bonus, you only get your original deposit to start with, but as you play more hands, the site continually adds available cash from your cleared bonus to your playing account. It's not that hard, but the US government currently say's you can't play (WHAAAA). That's going to change soon, and besides, some people are already playing!
I don't think of a Christmas bonus as something designed to retain employees. I see it as a year-end thank-you for your help keeping the business running all year - and that means even a business that didn't make all their goals should be sharing something, or they really are Scrooge's.
Now whether you got a bonus or not, you might be considering playing a little at the casino this holiday season. So, keep in mind that casinos tend to be generous (to their players) at this time of year. I've gotten several free play, free match play, free night stay, and free slot play coupons. Apparently the casinos need my bucks this year, and I'll probably oblige. The most interesting one I've gotten so far is for $100 in free slot play and I'm not sure how to approach it.
The deal is this: I get to play as long as I want on one machine of any denomination from 2-cents to $1. When I decide to quit, I get to keep anything I've won, or they rebate back to me anything I have lost, up to $100. I can't decide whether to play $1 video poker where I could win $4000 on a royal for free, but won't last more than a few minutes, or 25-cent video poker, where I'm likely to last an hour enjoying carefree play and will probably end-up getting my money back at the player's club. HMMM.
Online Poker Bonus
If you are able to play cash games online, this is a good time to join a poker site. The competition is getting heavier as European sites see the US market turning finally to soon-to-be-legalized intra-state games and they want to impress those of us in the States before it's too late. Clearing an online poker bonus takes time. You won't be able to do it quickly, but if you get a $100 bonus at work, you can deposit it and get double that at William Hill. So, $100 gets $200 in bonus.
If you've never tried to clear a bonus, you only get your original deposit to start with, but as you play more hands, the site continually adds available cash from your cleared bonus to your playing account. It's not that hard, but the US government currently say's you can't play (WHAAAA). That's going to change soon, and besides, some people are already playing!
WSOP Reader Poll - Go Back to Old Format
Friday November 30, 2012
Photo Courtesy (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
In a highly unscientific poll taken this past month by less than 100 unknown readers, 83% say Go back to the old way of showing the Championship table of the World Series of Poker. Let's face it, nobody wants to watch ice cubes melt, paint dry, or a player on the final table go "into the tank" and think about what to do on a hand for three minutes - every single round!
While early broadcasts of the WSOP by CBS Sports were less than perfect, I'd much rather watch that kind of recap from the 1980's than sit through another year of "live" broadcasts from ESPN that will likely kill me with. Even Doyle Brunson, who's been at the championship final table many times, used his Twitter account to tell his fans that the play was way too slow. He thought he'd pass watching the following year unless it was changed, perhaps with the aid of a "play clock" or timer of some sort. I agree.
In other news, the 79-year old Brunson also Tweeted that he has been diagnosed with been a rather slow-growth form of skin cancer - Squamous cell carcinoma. Our best wishes go out to him as he continues to play great live and tournament poker.
As for ESPN, I can't wait to hear what they have come up with for next year's final table so I can decide whether to watch or not.
How to Play Casino Games
Casino Gambling is one of the fastest growing forms of entertainment. Casinos are opening up all over the World. Before you sit down to play any casino game you should have a basic knowledge of how to play. Here are the basics for the most popular casino games.
- Casino Game Crash Courses
- Casino Gambling for Beginners
- Blackjack
- Craps Success - How to Play
- More Casino Games
Casino Game Crash Courses
Short on Time? Check out these Crash Courses in casino gambling that give you the details you really need up front and let you decide whether you want to go on and read about the finer points of the game later on. Read a little now to brush-up on the game or get more detailed information later!- How to Play Baccarat - A Crash Course
- How to Play Video Poker - A Crash Course
- How to Play Roulette - A Crash Course
- How to Play Craps - A Crash Course
- How to Play Blackjack - A Crash Course
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Casino Gambling for Beginners
The world of casinos can be confusing, but new players can get comfortable before they ever head inside a casino by following some simple rules. Where to park, how to navigate the casino and what to expect are important things to know befor
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