Roulette (1) - the basic and rules

  Every time you walk into a casino, you can always see tons of people gathering around the roulette tables. Indeed 

roulette is the most popular table game which doesn't require too many skills to play.

Introduction to Roulette


Of all of the games in a casino, roulette is probably the most dynamic.  With a number of betting options available, roulette offers a game style that is unmatched by other popular titles.  The thrill, excitement, and complexity of the game make it not only fascinating but strategic as well.  For these reasons, roulette has grown to become one of the preferred choices in the online gaming industry.

Just how is the game of roulette played?  To begin, there are two versions of roulette.  These versions are American roulette and French roulette.  For the most part, each version involves the same style of game play with the exception of one aspect, and that aspect is the impact of the zero pocket.  In French roulette, there is only one zero pocket, while in American roulette there are two pockets.  The additional zero pocket in American roulette adds to the overall risk exposure for a player.

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Blackjack (2) - Be A Well-disciplined Player

It is really easy to know how to play blackjack, but the hard part is to have some faith in it.

Most people make the same mistake which is being hesitate when making decisions. 

Should I hit? stand? or double down??

If you are acting like that, then I can tell you that you've lost already.

The best strategy is to follow certain tactics and be confident. 

Once you know/develop a tactic, just make decisions like a robot without hesitate when you are on the table.

The following is a strategy chart which can maximize your chance of winning.

Understand it, memorize it, and follow it when you are really playing. 

Source from here

 You do not necessarily have to follow this chart. 

All you have to do is to find out a best plan for yourself and stick to it.

Blackjack (1) - The basics & rules

Blackjack is one the of popular games in casino.
It is not complicated at all, and the very first thing to do is knowing the rules.

The basics

The object of the blackjack game is to accumulate cards with point totals as close to 21 without going over 21. Face cards (Jacks, Queens and Kings) are worth 10 points. Aces are worth 1 or 11, whichever is preferable. Other cards are represented by their number.
If player and the House tie, it is a push and no one wins. Ace and 10 (Blackjack) on the first two cards dealt is an automatic player win at 1.5 to 1, unless the house ties. A player may stand at any time.

Playing Blackjack

To win you need to beat the dealer without busting. You bust when your cards total to more than 21 and you lose automatically. The winner is whoever has closest to a total of 21. You reach 21 by adding up the values of the cards.
The blackjack table seats about 6 players. Either six or eight decks of cards are used and are shuffled together by the dealer and placed in a card dispensing box called 'Shoe'.
Before receiving any cards players must place a wager. Then the players are dealt two cards face up. The dealer gets one face up, one face down. Each player in turn either stays or takes more cards to try and get closer to 21 without busting. Players who do not bust wait for the dealer's turn. When all the players are done, the dealer turns up the down card. By rule, on counts of 17 or higher the dealer must stay; on counts of 16 or lower the dealer must draw.
If you make a total of 21 with the first two cards (a 10 or a face and an Ace), you win automatically. This is called 'Blackjack'. If you have Blackjack, you will win one and one-half times your bet unless the dealer also has Blackjack, in which case it is a Push or a Tie (or a Stand-off) and you get your bet back.
The remaining players with a higher count than the dealer win an amount equal to their bet. Players with a lower count than the dealer lose their bet. If the dealer busts, all the remaining players win. There are other betting options namely Insurance, Surrender, Double Down, Even Money and Split.

Insurance: side bet up to half the initial bet against the dealer having a natural 21 - allowed only when the dealer's showing card is an Ace. If the dealer has a 10 face down and makes a blackjack, insurance pays at 2-1 odds, but loses if the dealer does not.
Surrender: giving up your hand and lose only half the bet.
Early Surrender: surrender allowed before the dealer checks for blackjack.
Late Surrender: the dealer first checks to see if he has blackjack. If he does, surrender is not permitted.
Double Down: double your initial bet following the initial two-card deal, but you can hit one card only. A good bet if the player is in a strong situation. Most casinos will allow you to double down on any two cards. Some casinos will let you double down after splitting and some will limit your doubling down to hands that total ten or eleven. However, there is one condition: When you double down, you must take one additional card and you cannot receive more than one.
Even Money: cashing in your bet immediately at a 1:1 payout ratio when you are dealt a natural blackjack and the dealer's showing card is an Ace.
Split Hand: split the initial two-card hand into two and play them separately - allowed only when the two first cards are of equal value. Use each card as the start to a separate hand and place a second bet equal to the first.
Hard Hand: A hand without an Ace, or with an Ace valued at 1 is said to be Hard in that it can only be given one value, unlike a Soft Hand. (You can value an Ace 1 or 11 to suit you).
Soft Hand: A hand that contains an Ace counted as 11 is called a Soft Hand.

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Tipping

Tipping is a thing that you can not forget when you are in Casinos.

1. Cocktails, drinks, and water: 
    When you are playing either table games or machines, you can always see waitresses walking around. Many people do not know that  casinos offer free drinks to players, so they never order. Next time when you go to a casino, do be afraid to enjoy free drinks they are offering, the only thing you have to do is to simply tip the waitress 1 or 2 bucks when they bring you the drinks.

2. Valet parking:
    Valet parking is another thing you should take advantage of. You can use valet parking for free no matter what car you have, and again the only thing you have to do is to simply tip the valet guy 1 or 2 bucks when they get you the car. Of course you can tip him as much as you want if you really like his service.

3. Dealers:
    When you play the table games, don't be stingy to tip the dealers. You do not have to tip them when you are losing, but you may want to tip them when you win. If you are nice to the dealers, they probably will "help" you when you are not lucky or at least won't go against you. Believe me some experienced dealers are capable of controlling the chance of  winning, so please be generous and polite to dealers. Remember you are winning money form or losing money to casino owners, not dealers. People treat you as you treat them.
P.S. You are not tipping dealers individually, all of the dealers share the tips they get from players.

Therefore, next time before you get into a casino, make sure you have enough dollar bills handy. If you do not have cash, you can still tip them the chips. Of course you are not going to tip the valet guys chips because you have to go to the cashier and change back all those chips in cash money.

 

Why should you get a player's card from the casino?

  
  After you enter the casino, take a few minutes to get a player's card.

  Nowadays most of the casinos offer players cards for free to customers, and believe me you can really benefit from the card.

1. Every dollar you spend is worth something:
    No matter you play machine or table games, the casino will have the record of each dollar you spend on gambling. Usually the casinos update the points you earn daily and you get to check how many points you have by visiting the players club. Do not underestimate those points you earned, they might get you free drinks, free meals, free slot play or table games, and sometimes you can even cash them back. Usually you will be introduced how those points work when you sign up for a player's card and the benefits depend on the casinos' policies. 

2. Priority services:
    If you are a loyal customer of the casino, the player's card you have might get you some priority services at the casino. As the points accumulate in your player's account, you will get to higher "levels" gradually. When your level is high enough, you can enjoy priority services at hotel check-in, valet parking, and casino cashier which save you a lot of time.

3. Promotional coupons:
    Once you sign up for a player's card, you will sometimes receive promotional coupons either by email or by mail. Those coupons include free stay at the hotel, free tickets to shows, airfare reimbursement, free meals, and free promotional chips for table games or free credit for slot play. 

※Useful tip: If you are a table game player and you are too lazy to get the line, you can ask the floor manager to get you a player's card when you are playing. All you have to provide is a valid ID.