Top 10 Casino Strategies
By Sonny White | August 26, 2010
- Play tight aggressive poker. Wait for premium hands and make pot size bets.
- Stick to the come/don’t come or the pass/don’t pass line bets on the craps table.
- Stick to the near even outside bets like Red/Black on the roulette table.
- Bet on the banker every time when you play baccarat; use the house edge to your advantage.
- Always play max bet when you’re playing on progressive jackpot slot machines, you won’t qualify otherwise.
- Get some optimum play charts for the blackjack table and stick to them.
- Search out video poker machines that pay out over 97% with large jackpots.
- Opt to be the bank when playing Pai Gow and use the house edge for yourself.
- Look to walk away from a game if you’ve tripled your buy-in.
- Take advantage of any comps the casino offers; just ask the pit boss.
Topics: Casino Strategies |
How to Look Cool at a Casino
By Sonny White | August 26, 2010
I know that feeling as though you need to look cool is kind of high school. When you try to look cool you risk the chance of coming off fake… because that’s exactly what you’re doing, trying to be something you’re not. However trying something new that makes you feel different can open you up to something that you could end up really liking. A change of pace is always is a good idea. Here are a few tips on how to look cool when you go into a casino.
Dress the Part
You don’t need to get super elaborate like James Bond in a tuxedo but you should defiantly ditch the t-shirt, jeans and the cap. What ever your style, dress for a casino like you’re going to a better club. Put some good shoes on, do your hair, what ever you do the key here is to look like you have money.
Act like A Pro
Another key is to look like you know what you are doing. Put your money down on the felt; never hand it directly to the dealer. Know the rules of the game and use the right phrases and actions when playing. For example, when playing blackjack always tap the table for a hit and wave your hand for a stand. One thing that you should also do is tip your dealer from time to time (the equivalent of one half of your standard bet every quarter hour or so, more when you’re winning).
Winning is Cool
Well this is a pretty obvious one. Every game has a strategy, even roulette. You can’t always win, but you can certainly give yourself a better chance of winning. Read a few books on gambling strategy. Most importantly never leave the table without chips. Yes, this will take some discipline but this mental practice will keep you looking cool and always allow you to go home with money in your pocket.
Topics: Casino Strategies |
Online Blackjack: Exceptions to Basic Strategy
By Sonny White | August 26, 2010
Basic Blackjack strategy will not necessarily apply to every game. Every casino has their own rules for Blackjack, and these rule changes also change the strategy you need to employ. These differences are usually small, but a good Blackjack player looks to play with the best possible edge.
One exception to the charts is when you’re in a game where the dealer hits on soft 17. The chart will tell you to hit with 11 against a dealer’s ace, and to stand with A-8 against a 6. But because the dealer hits on soft 17, you should double down on both of these hands instead.
The other one is when you have 16 against the dealer’s 10. The chart says to hit with this hand, which is correct, but there is one difference. If your 16 has a 4 or 5 in it you should stand with this hand.
Topics: Blackjack Strategies |
The Blackjack Mindset
By Sonny White | August 25, 2010
Your state of mind is extremely important in blackjack. You’re going to be the one calling the shots and making all of the decisions, so the psychological factor could make all the difference between a winner and a complete bankroll wipeout.
Get Over Your Apprehensions
There are many players who seem to get very apprehensive when it comes to blackjack. Some of these fears are related to going bust when they have a high number like 17. Even thought calculations would tell you to hit, it’s very likely that these reservations still exist. If this is how you may experience the game, there is nothing that a little practice to help you get over it. Aside from blackjack sessions practice your card counting or other probability-based strategies as well. This will help turn your fears and emotions into calls based more on facts and numbers.
Don’t Lose Your Focus
My guess is that every blackjack handbook will say this and for good reason because it simply cannot be over stated. When you’re at a blackjack table you cannot be troubled, distracted, and fidgety or have an impeded sense of judgment. You must be focused on the card being delt out, on the dealer’s cards, on the cards of other players at the table and of course your own cards. Doing that is practically impossible if your mind is clearly not in the same place as your cards.
Topics: Blackjack Strategies |
Online Casinos: Secrets to Winning
By Sonny White | August 25, 2010
There’s no surefire secret to winning at online casinos. If there was, I would be selling it in a book for thousands of dollars each. Even professional gamblers lose almost as much as they win. There are ways to increase your chances at winning; it just takes a bit of experience to learn all the advantages a gamer can use to reduce the house edge against you.
The first thing you can do is to make good bets. Learn which bets give you better odds to win and structure your gaming around them. There are lots of bets that give near-to-even odds, and plenty of games where the house edge is less than 1%.
Another way a player can get back a big edge from the house is to take advantage of casino comps and bonuses. These freebies can often get back the 1% you give up.
Topics: Casino Strategies |
Don’t Try These Casino Strategies at Home
By Sonny White | August 25, 2010
Ashley Revell has to be the king of “don’t try this at home”. This guy liquidated everything he owned and travelled to Vegas to bet it all in one shot. He was on some kind of faith mission, and put everything he had achieved on the line for the chance to double it. He took his $136,000 and bet it all on Red on a roulette table.
I understand that faith is an important thing to have, but someone around him should have put a bankroll management book in his hand. This event may have been presented as a heroic example of how taking a chance like this can be romantic, but I don’t care what anyone says – this guy was a complete idiot. Not only did he risk his future, but he risked becoming the biggest idiot of all time. Want to find out what happened? Check it out here.
Topics: Casino Strategies |
Playing for Fun vs. Playing to Win
By Sonny White | August 24, 2010
When you’re playing poker for fun the game should take forever to play. That means that the other players at the table are also playing for fun. There should be more time spent laughing, drinking beer and telling stories than bluffs and re-raises. Otherwise playing for fun is a costly practice. Unless of course you’re playing for just chips with no money on the line, although I don’t why anyone would.
When you’re playing to make money you should be on a constant search for weakness. Playing to win means you use poker skills like starting hand selection and percentages to make smart gaming decisions. You shouldn’t be drinking, and your attention should always be on trying to figure out how each one of your opponents plays poker. You should be picky as to where you play, taking the time to find tables with more weak players than skilled ones.
Topics: Online Poker |
Your Best Bet at the Casino
By Sonny White | August 24, 2010
The best casino games to play are the ones with the lowest house edge or of course the ones where the player has the advantage. When it comes to making bets we all know that some are better than others. Here’s what I think are the best ones to make.
- Blackjack – Card Counting
You can get yourself a 1-2 percent edge over the casino by learning how to count cards. Counting cards is a skill that takes a lot of practice to master. Its not illegal but counters must disguise their skills or they can be barred from playing. - Casino Poker
This is a skill game which plays a huge factor in determining the winner. Players are competing against eachother and not against the house. There is no house edge eccept from the small amount the house takes from each pot. - Video Poker
This game has a pretty small house edge, if you make the correct playing decisions. The house edge is determined by the pay table and plyers can determine the payback by reading the schedule. - Craps – Don’t Pass/Don’t Come
This game gives you a slight edge than a pass the line bet. The house edge is 1.14 percent. You can lower this edge by laying double odds. - Baccarat – Banker
The banker bet in Baccarat has a smaller house edge than the player bet but requires you to pay commission when you win. In this game the house edge is 1.06 percent.
Topics: Casino Strategies |
Character-Building Casino Strategies
By Sonny White | August 23, 2010
Playing gambling games is a microcosm of life in many ways. In life we have to gamble to get ahead, and it’s no different in the casino. The things that will make us successful in life are often the same things that will make us successful in the casino. We make our luck in life, and careful preparation is usually the key to winning anything.
If we waded through life just leaving it all up to fate, we wouldn’t get very far ahead. For some reason many gamblers approach gaming that way, not ever taking the time to learn how to play the games better. Hard work and study can make a winner out of any thinking player. Learning to control emotions and using discretion when the situation requires it are traits that build character and make you a winner. Even easy money takes an honest effort to get.
Topics: Casino Strategies |
Casino Gambling: How to Dress for Success
By Sonny White | August 23, 2010
Dressing sharply for the casino has been going on as long as there have been casinos. The first ones were built in southern France and were frequented by French aristocracy. They were always dressed for social events, and the tradition continues for many gamers. You will still be out of place without a tux in some European casinos, but dressing for Vegas has its own vibe.
In Vegas it’s wide open. You can put on an Elvis suit and not look out of place. You don’t want to look too touristy, and it’s good to sport something that you can wear anywhere. Slacks and a fitting shirt will get you in most restaurants as well as the nightclubs. The more of a high roller you look to be, the better the chances of being treated like one by the pit boss, in the way of comps or freebies.
Topics: Las Vegas |