• A flush draw in online poker is when a player has four cards of the same suit and needs just one more of that suit to complete a flush.
• Recognizing a flush draw is critical as it can potentially lead to a strong poker hand if the fifth card of the same suit is dealt.
• There are two main types of flush draws: the “nut flush draw,” which includes the Ace of the suit, and the “non-nut flush draw,” which does not.
• Deciding when to bet, call, or fold in a flush draw scenario depends on several factors, such as table position, pot odds, and your read on other players.
• A flush draw strategy is a dynamic part of casino poker gameplay that requires careful assessment of risk and reward, adding an extra layer of excitement to the game.

When I used to teach beginner’s poker classes, I liked to kick-off by asking if anyone had already played poker before. A handful of people would raise their hands.

“Keep your hand up,” I’d say, “if you’ve ever heard of a royal flush.”

Everyone’s hand would remain up in the air.

“Now keep your hand up if you’ve ever hit a royal flush,” I’d ask them — and inevitably, almost everyone’s hand would drop straight down. The answer was nearly no one.

So why are we talking about ‘royal flushes’ in an article that is supposed to teach you how to play a flush draw? This is actually lesson #1 — while the promise and possibility of making a flush is always on top of every poker player’s mind, the probability of hitting one is actually much lower.

There’s a thin line between ‘flush draws’ and ‘flush dreams.’

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What is a Flush Draw in Poker?

Let’s start at the beginning. What is a flush draw in poker?

• What’s a flush in Texas Hold ‘em? A flush happens when you have five cards of the same suit. For example, you could have two spades in your hand and the board has three spades.

• What a flush draw in poker? A standard flush draw means you only need one more card to complete your flush. In this case, perhaps you have two spades in your hand and the board has two spades, meaning you only need one more spade.

Different Types of Poker Flush Draws

To truly master ‘what is a flush draw,’ you’re also going to want to understand the different variations.

• Nut flush: a poker ‘nut flush’ is the best possible flush any player can have. Usually this means the ace-high flush, but it can also indicate a ‘straight flush,’ where five cards are the same suit but also consecutive. (Ex. 2-3-4-5-6)
  • A ‘nut flush draw’ refers to the possibility of hitting the nut flush. You will commonly hear players say, “I flopped the nut flush draw!” The nut flush is particularly important because it can beat other players’ lower flushes. A player holding A2 will beat a player holding KQ on 2-7-J-5-6 because they have hit the nut flush. This is very unlucky for Player #2, because they have hit the second-nut-flush! (One rank lower than the nut flush).

• Runner-runner/backdoor flush: Normally people only talk about flush draws when they only need to hit one card of a suit to make their hand. But you can also hit a flush with two cards… although this is much rarer. Perhaps you have 89 and the flop is AKQ. In order to make a flush, both of the next cards would need to be a diamond. It’s a sneaky proposition known as going for ‘runner-runner’ or a ‘backdoor’ flush draw.

Identifying Flush Draw Opportunities – Learning the Mathematics

There are three times when you can spot a flush draw opportunity: before the flop, on the flop, and on the turn.

Before The Flop

If you are dealt two cards of the same suit, you are more likely to hit a flush, right? This is true… but it’s also a trap! Beginners tend to overestimate the value of their hand when they’re dealt two ‘suited’ cards (ex. Two diamonds, two clubs, etc.)

Do NOT play any two cards simply because they are suited

As a matter of fact, ‘suited’-ness only makes your hand 2-3% better.

Playing a hand just because it’s suited will get you in lots of trouble… and cause you to lose lots of money over time. A hand like K7 may look good, but don’t be fooled — it’s a losing proposition.

The biggest rookie mistake a new poker player can make is playing too many hands. For more on which hands you should play, take a look at one of our cheat sheets.

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On The Flop

The greatest chance you will have at making a flush is on the flop. You may even ‘flop’ a flush — but again, this is rarer than you may think.

The likelihood of flopping a flush is 1 out of 118 times.

Ouch. That’s not good. But our memories deceive us — it’s easy to think of that one time you did flop a flush, and play any two suited cards again in hopes of repeating. Don’t do it. That vast majority of the time, your cards will miss.

What you find, however, is that you don’t flop a flush… but flop a flush draw.

This is usually worth sticking around and calling a reasonable bet. What does the math say? If you’re on the flop and only need one more card to complete your flush, the likelihood of it happening on the turn or river card is 36%. That’s intriguing — especially if you can win a big pot. But don’t go broke chasing flushes.

Unless there’s an exorbitant amount of money in the middle — boosting your ‘pot odds’ — you shouldn’t gamble your whole stack trying to hit something that will complete 36% of the time at best (assuming none of the cards that make your flush will make one of your opponents an even higher hand, like a full house).

On The Turn

Let’s say you’ve made it to the turn and you still only need one more card… but now things are getting dicey. It was 36% to hit your hand on the flop because we assumed you would get to see both the turn and river card.

Now you only have one card left to save your hand — and your odds drop in half.

The likelihood now of you hitting your flush has dropped to merely 18%.

Unless you’re getting a great price to see the river card — you only need to call a very small bet — you should often fold here. Sometimes we need to cut our losses.

What about a backdoor flush draw?

If you have a backdoor flush draw on the flop, your chance of hitting it is only 4%. This is why you usually want to ignore backdoor flush draws unless you have other draws with them to improve your mathematical equity.

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How do I Use Flush Draw Math to my Strategic Advantage?

Now that we know the math, there are key gameplay adjustments we can make.

1. Be disciplined in hand selection. Do not play a hand just because the cards are the same suit.
2. Recognize that trying to hit flush draws is gambling (36% at best). Only call bets when you have a flush draw when you’re getting a good price — the bet size to continue is cheap, or the pot size you can win is large enough to make the gamble worth it (‘pot odds’).
3. Play ‘in-position’. When you are ‘in-position’ during a hand, meaning you get to act last, you can often check back and see the next card for free.
4. Learn to bluff. Even if your flush draw misses, effective bluffing can scare your opponents into a fold, and you win the hand regardless.
5. Price-out your opponents. If you believe one of your opponents is trying to outdraw you by hitting a flush, you can bet large to make it very expensive for them.

Final Thoughts: Maximizing Your Flush Draw Opportunities

Most beginners overvalue flush draws. It’s a major leak.

If you’re new to poker, your first priority should be learning exactly which cards to play, a ‘preflop chart’, followed by grasping mathematical outcomes.

What you will find is that suited hands probably played too big a part of your game. While chasing a flush can be tempting, the odds are usually not in your favor.

There are exceptions. Sometimes the bet size is incredibly cheap, or the pot size is so enormous it’s worth the risk. As you get more sophisticated in your poker game, you will also be able to use position to your advantage and play flush draws aggressively — allowing you to bluff your way out of situations when your cards don’t hit.

As a starting point, focus on understanding the different types of flush draws and their chances of hitting so you can make smarter decisions. Be selective with your hands, only chase draws when the odds are good, and use strategic betting to your advantage (and your opponents’ detriment).

Poker is about making the right choices. Knowing when to go for a flush or when to fold can greatly impact your success… and transform your win-rate.

• The premise of the Iron Cross Craps strategy is that you have only one roll to win, making it a one-hit-and-down setup.
• The Iron Cross Strategy involves placing bets on the 5, 6, and 8, along with a field bet, to cover more potential outcomes.
• This strategy offers frequent wins, but while losses are less common, they can be more substantial.
• The Iron Cross betting strategy works just as well in online craps as it does in a local casino.
• Remember to set a betting limit to manage potential losses, as with all craps betting strategies. The Iron Cross is an exciting approach, but it doesn’t guarantee a win.

The Iron Cross craps strategy involves making use of the Place bets and the Field bet to give you a high chance of winning on every throw of the dice. Given the sheer number of bets and variety of possible strategies, the Iron Cross is one that’s easy to master.

In this article, we’ll review what the Iron Cross is all about and we’ll review the steps, the math, and answer the most important question: is the Iron Cross a good craps strategy to deploy in at the casino?

What is The Craps Iron Cross Strategy?

The craps Iron Cross strategy is popular because it is set up to cash in on a hot shooter. The Iron Cross craps strategy covers multiple numbers, so it produces regular, small wins. In a casino game like craps, where the house holds a small advantage, many players get more enjoyment if they can play longer and get frequent small wins instead of aiming for a unlikely jackpot win.

If that sounds like it’s a betting style that suits you, the craps Iron Cross betting method might be a good fit. You need only learn two basic bet types: Field bets and Place bets.

The goal is simple: use a combination of these two bets to cover every throw of the dice on the craps table except a 7. Specifically, we’ll use the Place bets for 5,6, and 8. Then we’ll use the Field bet for 2,3,4,9,10,11, and 12. As long as the dice don’t equal 7, you’ll make money on every throw.

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Craps Iron Cross Strategy: Place and Field Bets Overview

Because Place and Field bets are a little bit off the beaten path in terms of craps bets, it’s good to do a quick review of the more popular bets in craps.

This baseline gives you a jumping-off point for understanding where and how the craps Iron Cross strategy differs from standard gameplay and betting approaches.

• Pass Line/Come Bet: While these bets are not part of the Iron Cross, learning them is to understand the essential flow of the game. Most people bet on a version of the Pass Line and/or Come bets. When you place these bets, the next roll results in one of three outcomes: a 7 or 11 wins (paying even money), a 2,3, or 12 loses. In either of those two outcomes, the Pass Line/Come bet is concluded.
  
  However, should the first roll of a Pass Line/Come bet be any other number (4,5,6,8,9, or 10, collectively known as points) the bet changes and is now subject to a brand new set of rules. Your wager is now affected by two numbers: if the dice come 7, your Pass Line/Come bet loses, but if that point is rolled before a 7 appears, it wins and pays even money. The wager stays alive until one of those two outcomes.

We’re lumping these two bets in together because they behave the same way; the only difference is that players place Pass Line bets at the beginning of a shooter’s turn. Craps players place Come bets during the shooter’s turn.

Many players like to have wagers on several points at a time. By doing so, they stand to profit when a hot shooter comes along (someone who throws point after point without throwing a 7). Establishing points via Pass Line/Come is a valid option, but what if you don’t want to wait? Read on!

• Place: These bets mimic the Pass Line and Come bets that have passed and are tied to point throws. That is, they win if their point appears before a 7, they lose on a 7, and are unaffected by any other throw. However, there are a few important differences.
  
  When you make a Place bet on a number, you’re selecting the specific point rather than taking what the dice give you, as you would on a Pass Line/Come bet. Also, that wager is active immediately on that number; there is no need to pass through the first stage of rules on Pass Line/Come (that win on 7 or 11 and lose on 2,3, or 12).  

Payouts on Place bets vary with the number you select and are another difference with Pass Line/Come bets. For 6 and 8, you win $7 for every $6 wagered. For 5 and 9, you win $7 on every $5 wagered, and for 4 and 10, you win $9 for every $5 wagered.

• Field: this is a simple single-roll bet that pays off when the 8 least common numbers come up on the dice. Place this wager before any throw and you’ll win even money on 3,4,9,10, and 11. Most casinos will pay 2-to-1 on the Field bet if 2 or 12 appear. Field bets lose on 5,6,7, and 8.

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Executing the Craps Iron Cross Strategy 

The first part of the Iron Cross craps betting strategy involves making three simultaneous Place bets on the 5,6, and 8. Remember, Place bets stay in effect until their number hits or a 7 hits. Should any of these numbers come up your bet wins; you’ll collect your chips and re-make the bet if necessary.

Once a dealer recognizes you’re maintaining these active Place bets, they’ll only hand you your profits on a win, leaving the original wager in place as the roll continues.

Adding in the Field Bet

Once you’ve made Place bets, you’re ready for the second part of the Iron Cross craps strategy: the Field bet. This is one of the few wagers the player can make without the assistance of the craps dealers. Field bets win or lose on every throw of the dice, so be ready to replace losses.

The amount you wager depends on the minimum bet at the table. Start with the minimum bet size for the Field bet and the Place 5 bet. But you’ll want to make Place bets on the 6 and 8 in $6 increments, so these wagers will always be a little bit bigger.

For example, at a $15 minimum table, you’d place $15 bets on the Field and Place 5, then for the Place 6 and 8, you’d make $18 wagers, which is the closest multiple of 6 that meets the minimum bet requirements.

Example Craps Iron Cross Strategy Game Flow

You’re at a $10 minimum bet craps table. Here’s how an Iron Cross might play out. Note that when you win, some dealers leave your original bet alone and just slide your profits to you. If they return your original bet as well, you’ll need to remember to replace that wager before the next roll.

Before the dice are out, that is, before the stickman has pushed the dice to the shooter (which is an indication he or she is free to roll) you place a $10 wager directly onto the Field bet.

Then you take $34 in chips, push them in front of you in the Come bet area and tell the closest dealer on to place the 5,6, and 8. The dealer puts $10 on Place 5, and $12 each on Place 6 and 8.

1. Roll is a 5. Your $10 Field wager loses; you’ll need to replace it with another $10 in chips. Your Place 6 and 8 bets are unaffected but your Place 5 bet is a winner. The dealer will slide $14 in profits to you. So far you’re ahead $4 ($14 minus the $10 on the lost Field bet.)
2. Roll is a 2. All Place bets are safe, and your Field bet is a double winner! (Remember 2 and 12 get paid out 2-to-1). The dealer slides $20 in chips to you.
3. Roll is an 8. The Place 5 and Place 6 are unaffected, and the Place 8 is a winner, netting you $12. Your $10 Field bet loses so you replace it. This throw earned you $2.
4. Roll is a 10.  Place bets are unaffected. Your Field bet is a winner, netting you $10 for this throw.
5. Roll is a 4. Place bets are unaffected and the Field nets you another $10.
6. Roll is a 7. All four of your bets lose and are raked. For this sequence, you made $46 against $34 in wagers, resulting in a $12 profit.

Players using $10 Pass Line/Come bets to establish points would have gotten hit hard in this sequence. An initial Pass Line bet would have gone to 5, followed by a losing Come bet when the 2 appeared.

Players who kept betting the Come would have gotten $10 bets established on the 8,10, and 4 before seeing all bets wiped out by the 7 before any of the points had paid off.

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Advantages of the Craps Iron Cross Strategy

If you followed the example above, you can see that best outcome is when Field numbers appear because the result is pure profit. And when the Place bets win, it’s at least enough to cover the lost Field bet. Here are some positives about the Iron Cross craps strategy:

• Wide Coverage: With a Field bet plus Place bets on 5, 6, and 8, every outcome is covered except for 7.
• Frequent Wins: There are 36 possible combinations using two dice; six of those result in a 7. That means when you play the Iron Cross, 30 of 36 rolls (83.3%) have a positive outcome.
• Fun: Frequent wins makes for engaging and exciting gameplay.

Variations of the Iron Cross Craps Strategy

There are several variations of the Iron Cross strategy that players can explore:

• Pressed Place Bets: Instead of taking your profit on a Place bet win, you can tell the dealer to “press it.” That’s craps language that indicates to the dealer that you want to use your winnings to increase the size of your bet.
• Differential Place Bets: Because the Place 6 and 8 have a smaller house edge, some players like to bet a little more on these two bets.  At a $10 table you might have $18 each on Place 6 and 8.
• Other Bets: Advanced players might enhance their wins on Place 6 and 8 by also betting Hard 6 and/or Hard 8 bet, which pay a bonus when the number comes up as a double (e.g. if 6 is rolled as 3-3). ?Just remember Hardway bets have a big house advantage, so they’ll add some flavor to your game, but they won’t help your odds of winning.

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Disadvantages Of The Craps Iron Cross Strategy

While the Iron Cross strategy has several advantages, it’s no craps panacea.

• Overall House Edge: no betting strategy or sequence can overcome a game where the individual bets have a house edge. The Iron Cross is a gameplay strategy to maximize the craps experience, but it is not a strategy that will make money in the long run.

• Field Bet: To put a finer point on the house edge question, any strategy that relied on the Field bet should be met with skepticism. The house edge on a standard Field bet is 5.56%. However, some casinos offer 3-to-1 on either 2 or 12 (but rarely both) instead of the standard 2-to-1, cutting the edge down to 2.8%.

• Limited Big Wins: The Iron Cross betting approach is more likely to deliver small, frequent wins versus other multi-number strategies which can deliver bigger profits on a long roll.

In a qualitative comparison, the Iron Cross strategy stands out for its frequent wins and engaging gameplay. However, quantitatively, strategies involving pass line and come bets with full odds offer a lower house edge and higher potential payouts, making them more favorable for long-term play.

Win More Stacks With The Craps Iron Cross Strategy

The Iron Cross strategy offers an engaging way to play craps, appealing to players who like seeing a steady stream of chips come their way, however small the stacks are.

While it provides a sense of momentum and excitement, it also comes with disadvantages such as the house edge and limited potential for big wins. But as long as you know the pros and cons before you play, you might just find the Iron Cross to be the perfect intersection of risk and reward!

Title Image Credit: VITALII BORKOVSKYI/Shutterstock

• Ghosting is a form of cheating in online poker where a highly ranked player plays using the account of a less skillful player. This is also called multi-accounting.
• Since players in online poker are normally ranked to make matchmaking fairer. Ghosting allows more experienced and skillful players to take advanced of newer, less experienced players.
• Ghosting online poker can also mean a more experienced player coaching a less experienced player on how to play their hand during an online poker game.
• World class-players such as Bryn Kenney, Ali Imsirovic and Jake Schindler have all been accused of ghosting in order to easy money off other players.
• This article will fully explain what ghosting is in online poker, live dealer poker, or video poker, why it’s a problem, and how to avoid getting caught out by this form of cheating.

If you’re looking to learn about ghosting in online poker, you’ve come to the right page (and no, it’s not when someone you know suddenly cuts off all communication on social media without any explanation). In the world of online poker, ghosting refers to a skilled player taking over for a less experienced user during gameplay.

This sneaky tactic has been on the rise in recent years, prompting operators to take action. Keep reading to learn more about poker ghosting and the measures being used to combat it.

What is Ghosting in Online Poker ?

Cheating in poker can take on many forms, with many high level poker cheating scandals to prove it. However one of the most potent forms is online poker ghosting. In simple terms, ghosting involves a player with higher skill replacing a less skillful player during gameplay.

This could be just for one hand or for extended periods. The most dangerous form of poker ghosting happens in online poker tournament play.

A group may have a tournament specialist ready to jump into the game when another player in the group reaches a higher stage in the tournament, such as the final table. When this happens, the expert will enter the game and use their ability to get the best results and potentially win the tournament.

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Why is Online Poker Ghosting a Problem?

Poker is one of the few online casino games where skill is an element of gameplay. An experienced or high-skill player will make more intelligent betting decisions, play the best poker hands more accurately, and be more subtle with bluffing.

Any group of players who can call upon such a skillful player will give themselves an unfair advantage. Of course, if the skilled player were to join the tournament at the start, that would be fine. Instead, cheating occurs when the skilled player replaces another without the other participants knowing. That is why all top online poker platforms ban ghosting and deem it to be cheating.

Online Poker Ghosting ‘Stables’

On the surface, ghosting would not be a major issue in poker if it was a casual occurrence. However, because ghosting is possible in online poker, there is a real danger, and it is becoming increasingly common. In fact, there are professional-level poker players who have put together “stables” of mediocre players that they stake. Vice versa, less-skilled players have recruited experts to be their ghost player.

Stables will send the weaker players into the initial stages of big-money online poker tournaments. These players may still be good enough to get through early rounds and build big stacks. When the stable player manages to go deep into the tournament, the ghosting poker expert will take over and compete in the latter stages or final table.

So-called “grindhouses” have become increasingly common, hosting dozens of players who will literally grind online poker tournaments in attempts to go deep into the competition. This has become enough of a problem that some estimates suggest the grindhouses are making millions by cheating.

The situation was thrown into the spotlight when legendary tournament player Bryn Kenney was alleged to be operating a stable of players.

Types of Online Poker Ghosting

Poker ghosting can happen in several ways beyond stables and in tournaments. Below are the types of ghosting that online casinos prohibit:

• Joining an online poker room in the middle of a game and allowing someone else to play for you.
• Agreeing to play for someone else during an online game or tournament.
• Contacting an experienced player and having them give you poker tips during gameplay. This form of poker ghosting online is almost impossible to detect.
• Using two accounts simultaneously during the same game to trick opponents into thinking there are two players.

Risks and Consequences of Poker Ghosting

Poker ghosting is a massive issue for online poker rooms, be they video poker, live poker dealer or fully virtual games, not least because it is extremely hard to detect when it is happening. Even if the site can detect ghosting, proving it is even more difficult. That’s because many poker players have unique styles of play that they change interchangeably. In other words, it is hard to know if there are two different players or just one player using distinctive styles.

While finding concrete proof that someone is ghosting rather than simply playing differently is impossible, online casinos don’t need proof. These operators are free to ban players whenever they want and for any reason. If they even suspect a player is poker ghosting, that player is likely to lose their account and be banned.

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Why Should You Avoid Ghosting Poker Players?

Online poker casinos are also turning to simple campaigns to warn players to avoid ghosting. For novice players, the idea of drafting an expert player to win a tournament can be appealing. Likewise, skilled players creating stables of players who go deep into competition could make gathering prize money easier.

However, the reality of poker ghosting is that it hurts the poker room, but more importantly, it harms your fellow players. It is not only considered cheating and a bannable offense by poker operators but also unethical. If you are handing your deep tournament performances to a better player, you will also not be learning the theory, like ICM in poker, improve your own game.

Your skills will never improve, and you will never experience the excitement of playing at a real money poker tournament. Of course, if you are caught or suspected of ghosting, the poker room or casino will ban you and block your account. In cases where someone is caught multiple times, sites may even share information, making it hard for you to have accounts with any online poker provider.

Detecting and Reporting Ghosting Behavior: Protecting Yourself Online

To help find cheaters, poker sites are increasingly turning to AI, which will automatically search for anomalies in player style. Because of how hard it is to definitively spot ghosting poker techniques, it can be difficult for players to get involved with detecting ghosting. Even so, there are some things you can do:

• If you encounter a player more than once in a tournament and their playing style is drastically different, this can raise some concerns.

• Is there a player on your table who seems to be of much higher skill than anyone else? Remember, poker ghosting involves drafting a top player to complete a tournament.

• Do you see the same player winning multiple tournaments over a short time? Admittedly, the online poker room will likely spot this before you.

• You can report your suspicions to the online poker operator. Whether it is through live chat or email, your report should include the player’s name, the games you suspect cheating, and dates.

Avoiding This New Style of Online Poker Cheating

Ghosting poker techniques are an increasingly common form of cheating and have become more dangerous for poker rooms and players. Remember, ghosting in poker is harming other players, so never be tempted to engage in this method. Doing so could also lead to you being banned from the poker room.

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And it’s no wonder they’re so popular. It’s possible to win thousands from a small bet, with no skill required. But the question we all want to know is: how do you pick a winning slot machine and find the ones that pay out the most?

Unlike games of skill, like poker or blackjack, it’s important to remember that slots are totally random, however, some players believe there are a few things you can do to gain an edge over the casino, which we will share in this article today.

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1. Pick Slots With The Highest Return To Player (RTP) Percentage

If you’re looking for slot machines that are most likely to hit, a good starting point would be finding ones that have the highest percentage of RTP.

This is because the higher the RTP percentage, the more likely the slot machine is to pay out.

RTP, or payout percentage, is calculated by the amount an individual machine has paid out over its lifespan in relation to how much money has been paid in.

So, as an example, if a game has an RTP of 94% then the theory is that if you put $100 into the slot machine then you could expect an estimated return in winnings of $94 (over a long period of time).

The very best payout slots can have an RTP as high as 99%.

Obviously, that’s a rough guide and is not the case for every player.

2. Scan Message Boards And Threads Online

The likes of TripAdvisor forums and Reddit often have slots players sharing their experiences of trips to places such as Las Vegas, Atlantic City, and Macau.

These players will then often highlight slots at casinos where they have enjoyed decent payouts.

You can also pick up handy tips and tricks from other players along the way.

3. Use Casino Comparison Sites

If you don’t want to spend time trawling threads looking for real money slots with the best payouts, a great place to look is on comparison sites like ours that offer independent?slots reviews.

You’ll be able to see all the info you need to help pick your next game, from the number of paylines and reels to the RTP percentage and date of last win.

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4. Research Game Developers To Find Out Which Ones Offer High RTP%

Another tip some players recommend is to research different game developers to find the ones that offer the best RTP percentage. It won’t take long before certain trends start to appear.

You’ll notice there are slots by the same developers constantly being mentioned, certain casinos being identified as possessing loose slots, and slot machines by name that have proven to be big earners for players.

Online software developers Playtech and NetEnt among others are renowned for releasing slots with high RTP percentages.

5. Avoid The Games That Hardly Ever Pay Out

On the flip side of tip #4, it will also be worth taking note of the slots that are notorious for not paying out.

The more slots you can add to a blacklist of bad earners helps to narrow down the slots that can be labelled for their higher payouts. A number of slots have been highlighted by players as games to avoid due to their low payout percentages.

The likes of ‘Wish Upon a Jackpot’ by Blueprint Gaming, ‘Adventures in Wonderland’ by Ash Gaming, and ‘King Kong’ by Cryptologic frequently appear on such lists.

Instead, you should look up the ones that do pay out most by reading up on the biggest slot machine wins to spot patterns.

Spoiler alert: 80% of the winners on the list were playing on the?Megabucks slot machine!

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How Do Slot Machines Work?

Slots are simple to play: You insert money, spin the reels, and wait to see if you won anything. But inside the machine it’s a bit more complicated than that.

Slot machines work by using a complex piece of software, known as a random number generator (RNG). This determines the result of every spin. When you spin the reels, the RNG ensures that whatever outcome it produces is totally random.

Some people might sit and play slots for hours on end, winning nothing, while someone else may come along and win on their first go.

You are more likely to win on a game with a smaller jackpot over these huge progressives, however, it’s still possible to get lucky and scoop a massive cash prize off of just one spin.

Sometimes the only way to find out what works and what doesn’t is to get out there and spin those reels yourself.

• Heads Up poker is a thrilling form casino game played between just two players, requiring a unique strategy and understanding of your opponent’s tendencies.
• Position is paramount in Heads Up poker. The player on the button acts first pre-flop but last post-flop, creating strategic implications.
• The range of poker hands you play should be wider in Heads Up poker. Even hands considered weak in full-ring games can be strong heads up.
• Observing and adapting to your opponent’s patterns in video poker or at the casino and playing style is essential to success in a one-on-one match.
• In Heads Up poker, aggression often pays off. Players need to be prepared to bet and raise frequently to exert pressure on their opponents.

Are you looking to play – and master – heads up poker? You’re in the right place. Brace yourself for one of the purest, most iconic, and volatile forms of No Limit Texas Hold ‘Em.

How to Play Heads Up Poker: The Basics

To get started with the poker table positions:

• Place a ‘button’ marker in front of one player. This can be any object — an empty deck of cards box, a cup, an eraser, a lucky rabbit’s foot. As long as it’s easily visible to both players, you can use it as your button.
• The button player will act as the ‘small blind’. Player two will act as the ‘big blind.’
• If the game is $1/$2 for example, the player on the button would pay $1 and their opponent would pay $2 before any of the cards are dealt.
• The button player acts first preflop, and the big blind acts last post flop.
• Rotate the button each hand.

What is The Difference Between Heads Up Poker And Ring Games

The main differences between heads up and ring games are as follows. Typical ‘ring games’ will have a full table of players. (Online poker tables are usually six-handed and live casinos generally seat 8 or 9 players per table.)

Because you are not waiting for an entire table of people to make their decisions, heads up poker is much faster. You will see many more hands when you play heads up than when you are in a full ring game. Strategically, ring games require patience. Heads up requires aggression.

Breaking Down the Poker Jargon

‘The button player acts first preflop, and big blind acts last postflop’ — huh? What does this mean?

I’ll simplify the poker jargon for you. Here’s an example.

1. You and your friend are playing $0.25/$0.50 heads up poker.
2. You are on the button which is always simultaneously the small blind and pay $0.25.
3. Your friend in the big blind pays $0.50.
4. You are each dealt your two private hole cards face-down. In this scenario, you are dealt a fantastic pair of aces!
5. You raise to $1.50.
6. Your friend calls the $1.50. Since they already have $0.50 invested, they only need to contribute $1.00 more.
7. The flop — three public, face-up community cards — is dealt. In this case, the flop reveals: 26A
8. Wow! You’ve hit three-of-a-kind! But it’s your friend’s turn first. You must wait for them to make a decision. Your friend opts to check (no bet).
9. Now it’s your turn. You bet $2.00.
10. Your friend folds.

Do you see how you made the first decision before the cards were dealt? But after the cards were dealt, it was your friend’s turn first? This is the sequence of heads up poker… and then you rotate positions after the completion of the hand.

Image Credit: Kitreel/Shutterstock

Practicing Your Heads Up Poker Skills

What if you’re thinking, ‘Help! I’m still lost!’ or ‘I don’t have any friends!’ Don’t fear — technology is here.

Free video poker is a great way to practice and learn how to play heads up poker without worrying about all the set-up, sequencing, and positioning. The apps will take care of that for you.

I highly recommend beginners start digitally when possible. A computer will deal cards at least 3x faster than a human, so you will master the gameplay mechanics at a much higher speed. You also don’t need to waste brain space on small blind/big blind logistics. These come much more intuitively when cards are automatically dealt to you and this prevent confusing mistakes.

Even if you have a friend who is excited for two player poker, you may still want to start by playing versus each other on video poker. Shuffling cards and counting bets manually gets old quickly.

Why is Heads Up Poker Strategy More Aggressive?

Good question — let’s explain this conceptually. When you are seated at a table with eight other players, there is a good chance someone has been dealt a very good hand. Perhaps even two people have. Or three. There is a high likelihood that your hand will be beat. Again, you need to best all the other players.

Compare this to when you play heads up, where you are only faced with one opponent. Is it more or less likely your hand will win?

Much more likely. Why? The reason is that you only need to beat one player as opposed to eight players.

How Does This Impact Your Poker Strategy?

Since it’s less likely to have been dealt the worst hand before the flop, you can adjust by playing a wider variety of cards. As it’s less likely for either of you to have made a very strong hand after the flop, you can call bluffs more often and bluff more yourself.

As a theoretical example, you should generally not try to bluff five people. Someone is bound to have a very strong holding. But bluffing one person? That is a much easier task. In heads up, you only need to convince one person to fold as opposed to an entire table.

Image Credit: Vlasov Yevhenii/Shutterstock

What is a ‘Good Hand’ in Heads Up Poker?

Even though the heads up poker rules are still the same, what qualifies as a ‘good hand’ differs wildly.

Building upon the section above, if you want to defeat, let’s say, three opponents, you need to feel pretty confident in your holding. You need to have really strong cards that can best multiple people.

When playing heads up, however, a measly pair is often a pretty good hand. You only need to best one other person, and their cards might not have hit anything. This means the definition of a strong hand changes. Something as simple as a pair is often good enough to beat one random hand, but rarely good enough to beat several.

A Casino Game is Not Your Home Game

A cautionary tale — before you learn how to play poker in heads up format. Many people start learning how to play poker by practicing in a two player format with their family or friends — then they go to a casino and get torn apart. They are dumbfounded as to how they keep losing.

This is because what constitutes a good hand has changed. Yes, a high pair or three-of-a-kind will probably win against your dad or sibling when playing one-on-one. But don’t be surprised when you go to a casino betting on your pair of kings — only to find your opponents flipping over straights and flushes.

Beware of learning how to play head up poker as your starting point because the threshold for a good hand is much lower. What is good enough to win against two or three players will likely not cut it versus a big group. Keep this in mind when you transition from playing heads up at your kitchen table to live at the casino.

Why Should You Learn to Play Heads Up Poker?

I hope I’ve sufficiently scared you in the previous section. Too many people lose their money and have a terrible first time transitioning to a casino because their idea of relative hand strength is skewed. They ‘overvalue’ their hands.

For this reason, I actually recommend beginners do not start by playing heads up. You can use those same apps, computer programs, and online casinos to practice playing full ring poker at home. Should you even learn to play heads up poker at all? Honestly, it depends.

If your ambition is to play recreational home games or cash games at a casino, learning how to play heads up poker may do you more harm than good. Heads up poker reinforces bad habits and false feedback that too many hands are valuable when they’re not. Playing heads up poker may lure you into a false sense of security where you overvalue your relative hand strength.

Image Credit: Vlasov Yevhenii/Shutterstock

The Benefits of Learning Heads Up Poker

There are just three major reasons why I would recommend playing heads up:

1. People skills: Since you are only battling against one other person, you are more able to capture a ‘tell’ or get a read. (This includes playing online by the way — even when you cannot visually see your opponent, timing tells do exist.) Heads up poker can sharpen your ability to read another and maintain your own poker face.
2. Creativity and bluff frequency: If you’re nervous about playing poker and the idea of bluffing makes your stomach drop, then heads up is a great way to practice. The lower likelihood of your opponent having a strong hand encourages you to play more creatively and make bold moves. Bluffing heads-up is less risky than in a full-ring game due to fewer players potentially holding strong hands.
3. Tournaments: If you intend to play poker tournaments, you need to know how to play heads up. Tournaments play down to a winner —- when the field narrows to the final few players, you want to be comfortable playing in the bluffier, looser style in order to close the deal.

Taking Advantage of Heads Up Insecurities

Many local casinos have daily tournaments which will usually not play down to a winner. Instead, the players will propose a ‘chop’ — dividing the winnings proportionately by chip stack. For example, the person with the biggest stack will earn close to the first place payout.

Most players will favor a chop deal because they are afraid to play heads up. You can exploit this. They will likely not have experience or confidence in playing heads up poker. Just knowing the two basic strategic principles will give you a huge advantage:

1. Play more hands: You are much more likely to have a good hand when faced with fewer opponents.
2. Bluff more frequently: Your opponent is much less likely to have a hand good enough to call you with.

Lowering your threshold of what constitutes a good hand underlines all heads up strategy.

Also keep in mind that when someone proposes a chop, it’s not decided by a majority vote. Everyone at the final table could vote in favor of a chop except one person —- and the deal is off. It only takes one objection. Since so many people are insecure about playing heads up, you can use this to your advantage.

Win Without Actually Playing

I once found myself at the final table of a daily poker tournament at a local casino. With six players remaining, I was fourth in chips. The others suggested an ‘ICM’ chop, offering me a payout close to fourth place. I countered that I was happy to agree to a chop… if I was offered second-place prize money.

They laughed, then they screamed. They were furious — how could I propose such a thing? How could I be so audacious? Well, I knew that their eagerness to make a deal and resistance to playing heads up was something I could use to my advantage. A few minutes later, they reluctantly agreed.

Their fear of playing heads up and my confidence in the format allowed me to successfully drive a hard bargain, and secure a juicy second place prize.

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Final Strategy Shift: The Math Changes

We now know that everything in heads up poker strategy is driven by the fact that it’s less likely you’re up against a strong hand. This means you should play more hands and bluff more frequently. Since your opponent will likely employ the same heads up poker strategy changes, you might want to call down their bets lighter.

You also need to be aware that the math shifts too.

When you play heads up, you want to avoid chasing too many draws like flushes or straights. The reason why is that your ‘pot odds’ are almost always going to be worse.

An Example of The Math Changing

Let’s say someone bets $10 and four people call. There is now $50 in the middle just from the flop round alone, and you are faced with a decision with a flush draw. Should you call the $10? Absolutely — you are calling $10 to win a pot of what will be over $60 (their $50 bets + your $10 + any preflop money). That’s a great price!

A flush draw will complete around 36% of the time — so you’re getting great odds to draw. (Read more on poker probabilities in my cheat sheets here or purchase my book A Girl’s Guide to Poker.)

Since more people participated in the hand, there’s more money in the middle. You are thereby more incentivized to ‘chase’ your big draw. Because if you win, you will 6x your money! That should entice you to take the 36% gamble!

But now let’s say you’re playing heads up, and your opponent has bet $10. You now have to call $10 to win a pot that so far totals maybe a little over $20 (their $10 + your $10 + preflop bets). A 2x return on your money isn’t as appealing as a 6x return now, is it? In this case, the 36% gamble doesn’t look as fun at all.

Instead focus on ‘made hands’ that are already completed rather than draws. Because, hey, as you now know, when you play heads up poker, even a pair can be pretty good.

Becoming a Professional Poker Player: Top Tips from a Pro

• Pick your poker game and stick to it – The best Poker pros specialize in one variation of poker. Most player choose Texas Hold ‘Em, but you can make a career playing Omaha poker or another variation.
• Learn it inside out – Once you choose your game, learn it from back to front, until you can recount pre-flop charts in your street.
• Put money and time into improving continuously, and take care of your soft skills – Don’t rest on your laurels. Always look for ways to improve your game and focus on your poker soft skills (which we’ll cover in this article).
• Don’t just focus on tournaments – Large scale tournaments, such as the WSOP, do attract a lot of pro poker players, but you can make a good living playing poker in an online casino. Online poker, live dealer poker, and video poker are, after all, still poker.

What’s Included in This Guide

• My story and what I learned on the way
• Step 1: Pick Your Poker Game and Be Consistent
• Step 2: Master Your Game & Know Your Odds
• Step 3: Invest in Your Education
• Step 4: Keep Learning
• Step 5: Take Care of Your Soft Skills to Stay on Top of Your Game
• Step 6: Manage Your Money Carefully
• Pros and Cons of Being a Professional Poker Player
• Becoming A Professional Poker Player – Is It For You?

How do You Become a Professional Poker Player

Do not fool yourself: becoming a professional poker player in today’s competitive environment is not easy, but if you take it seriously, it can be well worth the efforts.

I had many ups and downs over the years, but playing online poker professionally was one of the best decisions I ever made in my life, and I never regretted choosing this path. However, if I had to start all over again, I would do many things differently to save years of wasted time and a ton of lost money on the way.

I am sure that you can easily avoid many of the poker mistakes that I made and speed up your progress. So, if you have a couple of minutes to read it through, I will be happy to share how I became a professional player and what I learned on the road.

How to Become a Pro Poker Player: Getting My Start

I started playing poker around 2008 when I was introduced to the game by my friends. At that time, it was hard to imagine how big the poker world really was, and that it offered much more than my home games with buddies.

But even that was enough for me. I fell in love with this game and never looked back.

Of course, there is no need to say that the beginning of my career was far from optimal. I played random sessions of Multi-Table Tournaments (MTTs), Progressive Knockout, and Sit-and-Go Tournaments (SNGs) online, plenty of cash games with my friends, and was not studying the game at all.

In the beginning, I loved competing with others and enjoyed the feeling of winning. With all honesty, it was not about the money. However, very soon, I realized that I could easily make much more playing poker than in a part-time job during my study years, and this idea fascinated me a lot.

At the time, I was struggling both financially and mentally because my father has just passed away. Poker helped take my thoughts off my situation, so I started grinding through days.

Starting Become a Pro Poker Player

The more I played, the more I liked the game. Unlike the “real” life, poker gave me control of everything. I could play when I wanted, what I wanted, for as long as I wanted – and I loved it.

When I look back, I think that I was incredibly lucky to discover this game. I am a very competitive person, and the ability to play with different pro poker players, adjust my strategy, and overcome them was very pleasing, probably even more so than money.

However, I have to confess that the beginning of my career was basically a gamble.

I had a very narrow understanding of the game and was not spending much time learning the strategy. Luckily for me, players weren’t that good back in those days, and I was making a very decent living even playing poorly.

And then I got lucky! One day changed my whole career.

In one of the live poker tournaments, I got to meet a professional poker player, and it changed my whole view of the game. He was talking in terms of ranges, breaking down poker math, poker ICM, and other concepts I barely knew existed.

That was the moment when I realized that there is so much more to the game. After that, I started studying like never before and rapidly improved my game.

Travelling the Poker Tournament Circuit

I joined a group of pro poker players, and we started traveling the world playing live cash games and occasional tournaments.

We visited WSOP in Las Vegas, many European Poker Tour stops, and other destinations in poker circuit. Now, I can easily say: meeting that PRO at the tournament was the best thing that ever happened to me in regards to poker.

I started getting coaching from one of the best pro poker players in my country, and my development boosted even more. We touched not only the strategy part, but also topics such as concentration, controlling emotions when bluffing, and other areas of the mental game, which once again made me realize how much I didn’t know.

After a year of traveling around and playing through the night in various local casinos, I decided that I didn’t want to do it anymore. Thus, I left the live games circuit and concentrated on playing at online casinos.

This is my path, but you can make much better decisions with a wide range of information available today.

If you want to play poker professionally, you can avoid a lot of my mistakes and speed this process by years. So what should you do? Let me try to answer this question by listing five steps that can drastically help you on your journey.

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How to Become a Professional Poker Player Step 1: Pick Your Poker Game and Be Consistent

At the beginning of my career, I tried playing different games simultaneously. I was launching MTTs and cash games at the same time, or even playing live cash and a table or two on my laptop.

Obviously, all of this looks ridiculous when I look back, and I believe it was one of the biggest roadblocks for improving as a player.

If you jump from one game to another, most likely, you will never become very good at either of it. Therefore, your primary job is to decide what you want to play and stick with that decision.

That being said, it does not mean that you can’t play cash games with your friends if you chose to play MTTs. Not at all, but you have to stick with one format as your main game and put all your concentration to it.

So how do you choose the game? Well, surely not based on possible income! You should pick the game which suits your situation and one you actually enjoy.

• If you do not want to play extremely long sessions or do not have the luxury to sit in front of your PC for hours without taking a break, MTTs are probably not for you.
• However, if you love the changing environment, different dynamics, and have all the time for playing – tournaments are a great choice.
• If you require the flexibility to manage your time, then you should probably choose cash games.

All of the formats have pros and cons. So do your homework, choose what works for you and most importantly, stick with it.

For example, if you decide to play tournaments and spend time to study ICM strategies, learn optimal approach on the bubble, master different stack depth play and vital adjustments for different situations, jumping to cash games would not be very wise.

Sticking to one game will help you improve much faster because you can concentrate on learning what matters the most and gather your experience at a much better pace.

If you gain an edge in one format, it is much easier to keep it than learn a different game.

This is where I struggled a lot. I was jumping from one format to another for a couple of years, and it was holding me back. Now, I can easily say that the moment I chose my game and put all the effort to improve in that area, my results skyrocketed, and you likely should follow this path as well.

How to Become a Pro Poker Player Step 2: Master Your Game & Know Your Odds

When you know what you’re going to play, concentrate all your efforts into mastering it. Obviously, you should start by learning the rules if it’s is a new game, but soon after that, your next step should be conquering the math.

No matter what you play, poker is a game of math, and if you do not know your numbers it will be very hard to reach any kind of success, maybe even impossible.

How to become a professional poker player – five essentials you need to know about your chosen game:

• Learn the odds of hitting a winning hand when you are behind.
• Figure out how to compare it against pot odds you are getting so you can make an educated decision if you need to continue with your holdings.
• Understand how implied odds work and the extra value they can add to your hand.
• Learn to count combos and frequencies so you can put your opponent on a range.
• And most importantly: learn to think in terms of ranges, not specific hands.

Assigning your opponent a specific hand instead of a range of cards is one of the biggest mistakes you can make, and one that almost everyone makes at the beginning.

When you understand frequencies and know how likely your opponent is to have one holding or another, you will be able to assign them a realistic range of cards and avoid the most common mistake.

You can easily do that if you observe all the action.

Start by analyzing the preflop situation and assign your opponent a specific range based on their position, the action they took, and bet sizing. Don’t worry if you struggle at the beginning, the more you play, the better you get at figuring out the exact holdings each of your opponents are likely to have.

After that, narrow down that range based on every action they take on following streets. If you do that correctly, at the end of the hand, you will always know where you stand.

You either have to call or raise their bet if your hand is ahead of their range, or fold if you are behind. As simple as that. This is where I made my second mistake, which wasted a lot of time and money.

I was simply playing and sticking with my assumptions without analyzing other professional poker players, or trying to put them on a range. So please, do not repeat my mistakes.

Never underestimate the value of fundamental knowledge, since it will always be your bread and butter when making decisions ?– and the most reliable source of information.

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How to Become a Professional Poker Player Step 3: Invest in Your Education

When you know your odds and the game inside-out, you should easily be winning in lower stakes games and can practice a lot without burning your bankroll.

However, if you’re looking for how to become a professional player, I guess you have much higher goals than that. This is great because your ambitions and goals will help you reach long-term success.

To boost this process, you have to invest in your education. I mean it literally. Obviously, you can get a lot of resources for free, but it will never be as good and most likely without any structure.

If you stick to reading random articles, watching Twitch streams or YouTube videos, it will probably never help you reach anything meaningful. I am not saying this just because I have a training site myself, but this proven to be true for many professional poker players, including myself.

Investing in Poker Coaching

My real progress started when I invested in my first coach, and big results came soon after that. I know plenty of such examples.

All top professional athletes and high performers require coaching and constant training. So, just like with anything else in life, you should not expect to reach exceptional results without investing in yourself at the beginning, and maybe even more so in poker.

A good course can help you save a lot of trials and errors time, and even money on the way. So I would recommend gathering as much information as possible, even if that means investing in several paid programs at the beginning.

How to Become a Professional Poker Player Step 4: Keep Learning

When you start playing and winning in serious games, do not make the mistake of thinking you know it all. It will never be the case.

There is no such thing as “happily ever after” in poker. It is a very challenging and dynamic game, meaning that the moment you stop improving, you will be falling back – and others will be quick to catch up.

You have to understand that if you are beating the games today, it definitely does not mean you’ll be beating same games tomorrow if you stop where you are.

Poker changes all the time. With many learning resources becoming available every day, pro poker players are getting better and better, new ones are joining the action, and they are hungry for the win.

How to become a professional poker player by keeping your skills sharp:

• Always analyze your game.
• Observe other players when playing.
• Mark hands that you are uncertain of how to play and discuss them with your friends or a coach.
• Join a training site or get a coach if you want to take it seriously.
• On top of that, work with poker solvers to learn game theory optimal (GTO) strategies.
• Use trackers and take poker notes to fine tune your play and identify population tendencies.
• Figure out the most profitable adjustments versus different professional poker players.

This list goes on and on. Basically, just try to become the best version of yourself every single day, and you will become excellent.

How to Become a Pro Poker Player Step 5: Take Care of Your Soft Skills

Many professional poker players lose a lot of money due to tilting, emotional decisions, or simply lack of concentration during the games. I like to call these “soft skills”.

You’re only human, so while it’s not possible to completely stop these issues from affecting your games, you have to make sure you do everything you can to reduce them.

If you end up spewing one buy-in every session because of sub-optimal play, the results at the end of the month will not be something you want to see. Most of the time, this part could be a deciding factor between crushing the games and barely surviving.

Most professional poker players think that it is enough to prevent tilting or avoid playing when they’re feeling bad. While this is important, it is just a very small part of the whole picture.

How to be a Good Poker Player Through Soft Skills

To perform at your best, you need to have a lot of energy and concentration. Be sure to:

• Get enough sleep.
• Exercise regularly.
• Eat a healthy and well-balanced diet.
• Prepare for your poker sessions.
• Remove distractions when playing.
• Observe all available information.
• Know when it’s time to quit playing.
• Stop chasing loses.

On top of that, never rush to make a decision.

Take your time and evaluate all available information, put your opponent on the range, and think through all the hand before making your final decision.

Remember that every time you make a sub-optimal play for any reason, you are simply leaving money at the table. And to be honest, I was struggling with this part long after I started playing poker.

The thing that helped me the most was realizing that I need to build structure into my life and grow habits that would help me along the way.

If you have to fight with yourself every time you need to study or play, your efforts will not last very long. So, do yourself a favor and think about how you can introduce some systems that will prevent you from playing when you shouldn’t, and help you perform at your best when you play.

Playing poker professionally is a long-term journey.

If you are better than your opponents, you will win in the end. Mastering the soft side of the game will help you do exactly that – become a better player than most of your opponents.

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How to Become a Professional Poker Player Step 6: Manage Your Money Carefully

It’s quite a self-explanatory topic, and everyone knows how vital it is to manage finances well. Yet MANY pro poker player fall short because of a lack of discipline in this area.

There are a few things I highly recommend for anyone looking play poker professionally:

• Separate your poker bankroll from everyday cash.
• Have enough buy-ins to outlive variance (based on the game that you play).
• Do not withdraw money too often.
• Have savings to cover living expenses for at least six months.
• Be ready to move down the stakes if needed.

I know many good pro poker players who busted all their money just because they weren’t able to follow these simple tips – do not become one of them.

Also, never think that you can outsmart the variance or that it will not hit you. Based on your win rate, the variance can be huge, probably bigger than you ever imagined.

This graph is based on calculations of possible variance over 100,000 cash game hands where you have 2.5bb/100 win rate. Each of these lines represents a possible outcome, with different probabilities of happening.

You can see that after 100,000 hands you can be down a couple of hundred or thousands of big blinds, even if you should be winning. At the worst-case scenario, you can be down as many as 80 buy-ins.

The same can be said about tournaments, SNGs and other formats. If you’re a winning player, it doesn’t mean that you’re guaranteed to win over a short period, so it’s better to be ready than sorry.

This is why it is vital to have funds to cover your living expenses and big bankroll to outlive the swings. Do not cut corners in this area.

Pros and Cons of Being a Professional Poker Player

We already covered how to become a professional poker player and avoid many mistakes on the road, but before making your final decision, you should understand what life in this line of work is really like.

Depending on your experience, you may think that winning in poker isn’t that hard. But to reach a high level of success, you need to devote a lot of time to playing and studying the game. As the saying goes:

“Poker is a hard way to make an easy living.”

I couldn’t agree with it more. From a distance, the life of a poker player may look like a dream, but no one sees how much effort goes into reaching that level.

Playing poker professionally is completely different from playing poker for fun, and you need to understand those differences.

The game is not about huge scores that you see on TV or in the movies, but much more about showing up every day and putting the grind on the tables.

Let me list what I consider to be the pros and cons of being a professional poker player:

PROS

• Freedom – You can do what you love for a living, without anyone bossing you around. On top of that, you can be flexible with your schedule and build it around your life to fully enjoy it.
• Competition – The game is very challenging and hugely exciting. You’ll be able to compete with other professional poker players and constantly improve, which is a good recipe for an interesting career.
• Traveling – If you reach higher levels, you will have the opportunity to travel the world and enjoy all of the experiences without spending any of your money. How cool is that?
• Money – Last but not least! Poker can give you the resources to live a wonderful life and offer almost unlimited earning potential. Moreover, you get to keep all the rewards to yourself, which is very unlikely to happen in other areas.

CONS

• Mentally draining – Even though this game is really fun, it can quickly become emotionally taxing if you are not fully prepared in all parts of your game. Variance can be brutal, and it will likely hit you very hard at some point in your career.
• Exhausting – It’s not as easy to consistently put long hours into playing and studying as it it may seem. Most likely, you will need to put in much more work than you think to succeed. On top of that, when you find yourself a longer downswing with breakeven stretch or even loosing for a couple of months, it can become very tiring. You need a lot of discipline to stay at the tables.
• Social stigma – Poker can be seen as pure gambling by anyone outside the game, which is why it may not be accepted well by your friends and family. I had this problem at the beginning of my career, and it took years for my family to realize that it was a serious job – just like anything else.

So before making any decisions, be sure to weigh up all the pros and cons and see if it suits who you are, or who you want to become.

How do I Become a Professional Poker Player – Is It For You?

Now you can decide for yourself if this is something you want to do for a living. Poker is not for everyone, and there is no shame to admit it. But if you choose to go down this path and commit yourself to the game, it can be very rewarding.

Obviously, you need to be very honest with yourself and understand why you want to pursue it. Do you want to play just because you are tired of what you’re doing, or because you have a genuine passion for the game and want to become the best?

These are two completely different answers. If your only goal is to make money, you will have a very hard time finding motivation when things don’t go your way.

I believe that it is close to impossible to reach long-term success in poker if you do not have the passion and commitment for the game. Either take it very seriously or look for other options.

But as long as you have the passion, are willing to put hard work and understand realistic expectations for the game, you will be fine!

If you love poker – just go for it, and you will learn everything else along the way.

If you’re new to poker and don’t know where to play, we suggest checking out Casino.org’s list of recommended online poker sites. We have tons of reviews you can read to find the one that’s most suitable for you.

If you want to be good at reading your opponents when playing poker, you need to make use of all the information available. Everything from bet sizing, behavior, and even the time they take to make a decision, can be important in figuring out your opponent’s holdings.

Let’s take a look at the most effective ways to read your opponents in all types of poker, from live dealer poker to video poker.

The Most Important Part: Putting Your Opponents On A Range

No matter if you’re playing live or online poker, the most important part of reading your opponents is putting them on a range.

The ‘range’ is the various possible hands they could hold, so putting them on a range means trying to figure out what those hands could be. As the hand plays out and your opponent makes more decisions and takes more actions, you can use this information to narrow down their range.

It’s a vital skill to master.

But instead of thinking about ranges, many players try to guess the exact hand of their opponents on the river. This approach doesn’t work.

Good players don’t make blind guesses; they use a methodical approach. Even though it requires a lot of practice, you can learn to put your opponent on a range by following these four simple steps.

Step 1:  Analyze preflop actions

If you want to put your opponent on an accurate range of cards by the river, you should start your work preflop.

The first thing you need to consider is your opponent’s position.

They will be playing completely different hands from under the gun (UTG) and button (BTN), so it’s vital to assign them a realistic range.A player who is raising from the first position will not have 63s in their range, so is very unlikely to have strong holdings on the flop with 633.

However, a player on the BTN can easily have such hands, and way more other 3x holdings, so you need to play differently against these ranges.

Knowing the position is not enough. You also have to identify your opponent’s type.

If they’re passive, they could be playing just 15% of hands from the cutoff (CO), while an aggressive opponent could be opening 35% or even more. The same thought process should be applied for other situations when someone limps, or you face a 3-bet.

When you evaluate your opponent’s position and playing style, you can already make an educated guess of what hands they could be playing.

Step 2: Narrow down the range based on flop action

The next step is quite straightforward. Using information from the flop action, you can narrow down their range.

You can learn what your opponent should do in any given situation by studying game theory optimal (GTO) strategy and then adjust these ranges based on your observations.

This will help you understand what hands your opponent should be checking or betting and then reduce their likely holdings accordingly.

Step 3: Evaluate additional information

To narrow down the range even further, you should look at all the other information available to you. Things like your opponent’s poker stats, bet sizing, or even physical tells can say a lot about their holdings. The table dynamics will give you a ton of additional insights.

This is a huge part of learning how to play poker, so we’ll come back to it later on in the article.

Step 4: Keep reducing their possible holdings on the turn and river

Just like you did in the second step for the flop play, you can continue reducing your opponent’s possible holdings based on their actions and community cards on the turn and river.

It’s worth saying that lots of people have a similar playing style and share similarities that are easy to notice and exploit.

An example would be that they don’t adjust to the situation. If you notice someone checking top pair with a weak kicker on the flop, they’re very likely to take the same action with similar holdings in other hands as well.

So after seeing it once, you’ll be able to remove these holdings from their range in similar spots.

You can quickly get a feel of player tendencies and use this information until you notice that your particular opponent adjusts their play, and then react accordingly.

Learning to put your opponent on a range instead of guessing a specific hand is the best way to read other players.

However, you can make even better decisions if you take into consideration all the additional information available to you.

How To Read Opponents in Online Poker Games

Given that you don’t physically see your opponent when playing online, there are only a few things you can consider.

You should closely monitor bet sizing and how long your opponent takes to make decisions.

Let’s start with the first one.

1. Look at bet sizing

Although probably the best indication of your opponent’s strength, this information is massively underused in games.

Players are very unlikely to change bet sizing and their betting patterns, so if you notice how they play their strong and weak hands, and what sizing they use in different spots, it could be a serious tell.

Even though this is very player dependent, here are two common situations:

• Using tiny bet sizing
  Players are unlikely to bet small as a bluff. Of course, they can do that with medium-strength hands, but you will rarely see complete air when facing such a bet. For the most part, they are simply trying to see a cheap showdown.
• Over betting
  This is very player dependent but more often than not people try to choose over bets with strong holdings. This shouldn’t be applied against regulars who balance their ranges.

However, if you see someone using truly big sizing, especially on dry board, they are more likely to be value betting.

Most players understand that your range is polarized in these situations, where you either have a strong hand that is going to call no matter what or a weak one, which will be folding even to a smaller bet – so it makes no point to over bet as a bluff.

These are just guidelines but could be a good starting point when observing your opponents.

2. Observe how much time they spend making decisions

Many players leave a lot of valuable information on the table by not considering the timing of others.

Some actions can be a very good indication of your opponent’s hand strength:

• Instant check
  Almost always an indication of a weak hand. It shows that your opponent didn’t have to spend any time to think through the decision, which is very unlikely to happen with a strong holding.
• Instant bet
  Can indicate strength, except for a c-bet. When a player instantly decides to continuation bet, they’re less likely to have a strong holding, but in most other cases you should be aware of this information.
• Instant call
  Most of the time it indicates that your opponent has a medium-strength hand or a draw, and they want to see another card without even thinking about raising or folding.
• Checking after taking a lot of time
  Very unlikely to have a strong holding. From my experience, a bet in this situation will take down the most, the majority of the time.
• Betting or raising after taking a lot of time
  This is very strong. I rarely see players bluffing with this line, and the reason they take more time is to appear weak, so you shouldn’t be fooled by this action.
• Calling after taking a long time
  Generally indicates more strength. We can follow the same logic as in the previous point that players tend to take more time to look weaker and encourage another bet from you.

It goes without saying that this could change depending on the players, so you shouldn’t base your decision on this information alone but instead consider it along with other information.

Moreover, some players may try to fake these tells and act the opposite, so observe your opponent and be open to adjusting your strategy.

How To Read Opponents In Live Poker Games

While there are only a few ways to read your opponents when playing online, you can get a lot of additional information in live games.

That being said, there’s not much difference between online and live games regarding sizing and timing tells, so the same logic applies as covered in the online section.

However, there are a lot of other factors to consider that I’ll split into two different parts – physical and verbal tells.

Physical Tells

1. Physical tells that indicate strength

• Player hesitates and then bets or raises
  A very reliable tell that indicates a lot of strength on your opponent’s part. They wouldn’t want to appear weak when bluffing and wouldn’t send such signals.
• Double-checking hole cards before betting postflop
  In my experience, a player is very unlikely to be bluffing with this line of action. Also, players rarely have suited hands when double-checking, so that’s worth noticing.
• Playing with chips in an unusual way
  Indicates that your opponent is relaxed and less likely to be bluffing. Of course, if they always play with chips in a specific way, ignore this, but if they usually sit quietly and out of nowhere start doing some tricks after betting, they’re probably not bluffing.

2. Physical tells that indicate weakness

• The pretending-to-plan-to-bet-when-waiting act
  Whenever you see players reaching for chips when you’re thinking of betting, you can be sure that they do not have a strong hand. It doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re going to fold to your bet but they’re very unlikely to have better than a one pair hand, so you can continue betting and barrel them off in most cases.
• Counting chips for betting and then checking
  Strong indication of a weak or medium-strength hand. By this action, your opponent tries to appear strong and discourage you from betting while most likely just hoping for a cheap showdown.
• Unnecessary movement
  This attracts attention and indicates a weak hand. If you notice someone putting chips in the pot by slamming it hard, hear loud announcements of call or bet, see extra arms or shoulders movements, you could be facing a weak hand and an opponent who is just trying to look scary. This also includes shuffling cards or doing anything else that draws the attention you actually wouldn’t want when having a strong hand.

As a general rule of thumb, players are weak when they try to show strength and are strong when showing weakness.

Verbal Tells

1. Verbal tells that indicate strength

• Talking while in hand
  Indicates that the player is relaxed and less likely to bluff. Of course, when someone asks how many chips you have and the player answers, it doesn’t count. But if the player starts talking while you’re thinking without any particular reason, they’re probably trying to convince you that they’re just friendly and you should play with them.
• Announcing they don’t have a strong hand
  If you think about it, why would anyone ever say something like this when bluffing? In reality, this is quite a reliable tell that indicates your opponent’s range is very strong. The same goes for naming the exact hand. If a player says that they don’t have JT on 987 5 2, you can almost be guaranteed that they have at least a 6x or even T6 and are trying to make their range look weaker, so you’ll call.
  Pretty much any announcement of a weak hand ever actually means they have a weak hand or even a draw.
• Asking for action
  Whenever you hear a player saying something like “you are committed,” “if you have it, you have it,” “let’s go,” or anything that encourages you to play, they’re likely holding something good.

2. Verbal tells that indicate weakness

• Joking when waiting for action
  Smiling and laughing is an indication of a weak hand from a player who is waiting to act (not necessarily true for player who is betting themself), but it’s even more likely to be true when a player is joking. Again, the reasoning is very similar. They would not risk attracting attention and discouraging action with a premium holding, so they’re more likely to be weak when joking or making funny statements.
• Verbally announcing checking
  Indicates a weak hand because they want to appear confident to prevent you from betting. The louder the check is, the more likely the player has a weak holding. The same could be said about verbal announcements of “calling”. When they have poor holding, they’ll do everything to indicate strength, which is very unlikely action with a really strong hand, because they would not want to discourage the action.

Everything can be logically explained, so always try to remember this and make better decisions.

Important Takeaways

• Generally, acting strong = weak hand, acting weak = strong hand.
• Tells are more useful when playing against recreational players.
• Some players try to give false tells, so be aware of this possibility.
• Use everything as an additional source of information, don’t blindly follow one thing.
• Bet sizing and timing tells can be used both live and online.
• Putting an opponent on a range is by far the most reliable way to predict their possible holdings.

Regardless of your general strategy and how tight you like to play, you simply have to poker bluff every now and then. Your opponents need to know that you’re capable of it – otherwise, you’ll become too predictable and too easy to play against.

Bluffing in Poker: What You Need to Know

• Some players hate bluffing and just don’t want to take the risk. They believe that “tight is right,” and you should only play your strong hands.
• This approach may be good in some very specific cases and certain super-soft games, but it won’t cut it in any serious lineup.
• Luckily, like everything else in poker, the fine art of bluffing is something you can learn.

While you shouldn’t expect to become the best bluffer in poker overnight, reading through these tips and applying them in your games will certainly help you get better at it.

1. Detach Yourself From The Money During a Poker Bluff

When you sit down to play bluff poker, you shouldn’t be thinking in terms of real-world money. The chips you have in front of you are just big blinds, and you should see them as such.

It takes time to develop this mindset, but it will help you immensely to become better at bluffing.

When you’re thinking about pulling a poker bluff, you need to clear your mind of any such notions.

For example, in a $2/$5 game, betting $200 may seem like a lot of money. But, if you think in terms of it big blinds and you’re betting 40 BB to win 150 BB pot, it’s much easier.

I understand that this is easier said than done and it takes a lot of practice, but it’s really important.

You’ll never be able to pull a good poker bluff if you associate every bet with something you could buy with that money instead. It’ll make you hesitant to pull the trigger, and even if you do end up doing it, your opponents might pick up on the fact you’re doing it reluctantly.

The only time you should think about actual money is when you know this could be a factor for your opponent.

If you know that they think in terms of cash and are in the state of mind described above, this is something you can use to your advantage. These players are often prime targets for a large poker bluff as they just won’t call you and risk a lot of money with a non-nut hand.

2. Learn How To Tell A Story as a Poker Bluffer

If you really want to become an expert poker bluffer, you need to understand that your bluffs must make sense.

Being brave and not caring about money is all well and good, but any decent player will call you out when your story doesn’t add up.

So, before you decide to go for bluff poker think about what you’re trying to represent. Weaker players don’t seem to have a good grasp of this concept.

For example, you open from UTG, they flat call in the big blind, and the flop comes A A K. They check, you bet, and then they raise you.

This story just doesn’t make sense.

You have a huge range advantage on this board, and they only have a few solid hands in their range that connect with that board and don’t 3-bet before the flop. As a bluffing spot, this is one of the worst you could pick, and a good player will often call you on the flop even with air, just to take it away on the turn.

Make sure you know what kind of story you’re trying to tell first and foremost, think about whether it makes sense, and then proceed to the execution phase.

For example, you could check on a turn that completes a possible flush draw with the intention of raising your opponent’s bet. That story is much more believable and will put your opponent in a tough spot, especially when you follow through with a bet on the river if they do call the turn.

Sometimes you’ll tell a perfect story and still get picked off. This doesn’t mean that you’re bad at bluffing. Some players just hate folding.

While your poker bluff won’t work all the time, if you pick your spots carefully, you can add a lot of chips in your stack by pulling the trigger.

3. Control Your Body Language

This one is exclusively dedicated to live poker, but I just can’t leave this point aside.

Controlling your body language is easier said than done but definitely something you need to work on if you want to become an expert bluffer in poker.

Physical tells play an important role in live poker, and if you have too many of these, experienced players are very likely to get a read on you.

But what if your hands are shaking or you start to breathe harder when you’re bluffing? What can you do about it? It’s not like you can really control these things.

First of all, you should be aware of your table presence and figure out if there are any changes that happen when you’re bluffing. When you get this part right, you can start working towards eliminating them or minimizing their effects.

One good way to go about it is to have a fixed posture when you’re involved in an important hand.

For example, keeping both hands together and close to your mouth will help hide many recognizable tells. It’ll be hard to see if your hands are shaking, and other players won’t have a clear view of your throat or your chest.

Of course, you have to do this when you’re not bluffing as well. Simply find a certain posture that you’re comfortable with and stick with it every time you get involved in a significant pot.

While this won’t get rid of all tells, it will certainly make it much more difficult for your opponents to pick off any solid reads.

4. Be Aware Of Your Table Image During Your Poker Bluff

Knowing how other players perceive you is quite important in general, but it’s essential for constructing your bluffing strategy.

I know players who poker bluff so rarely that they can pretty much get me off any hand that’s not the nuts. Then there are some players I’ll happily look up all the way till the river with a second pair and no kicker.

Image is everything.

If you want to be good at bluffing, you need to develop an image of someone who’s more than capable of bluffing but isn’t crazy loose. That way, you’ll always keep your opponents on the edge of their seats and guessing.

However, you can’t always plan for how a session will go down.

Maybe you’ll get several great bluffing opportunities in a row, and this might make some people think you poker bluff all the time. Or, you may have been card dead, so you appear as a rock who never gets involved with anything but nuts.

Try to see things from your opponents’ perspective and adjust your play accordingly.

If it feels like they might have you pegged as a crazy LAG, it might be a good time to step back a bit and pass on some bluffing opportunities.

You have to consider the fact that you’re much more likely to get looked up in this scenario, so the profitability of your poker bluff will have decreased significantly.

5. Learn To Pick The Best Spots

When you’re thinking about bluffing, you need to have something going your way. Either the situation is favorable, or the player you’re facing is likely to fold to a bluff (ideally both, of course).

Learning how to pick your bluffing spots is one of the essential skills you’ll need to develop.

Unfortunately, there isn’t a simple guide to this.

Online poker is such a fluid game that you can’t just have one strategy and stick to it no matter what. In some games, you’ll have heaps of great bluffing spots. Sometimes, you’ll be pretty much forced to play it straight and bluff very rarely.

Some general tips on this topic include:

• Don’t bluff calling stations – they don’t fold enough.
• Avoid bluffing players who are tilting.
• Always be on the lookout for scare cards: over-cards, cards completing obvious draws, etc.
• Bluff more against shorter stacks – they don’t have enough chips to speculate.
• At the same time, avoid super-short stacks. They might be too committed.

As you can see, there’s a variety of factors you need to think about when picking your bluffing spots.

For example, scare cards are one of the best friends of every good poker bluffer, and they give you a lot of opportunities to continue your aggression and force your opponent to fold.

Of course, you will rarely be in a perfect scenario where you can tick all of these boxes, but making educated bluffs and considering these elements will help you a lot.

6. Avoid Bluffing In Multi-Way Pots

Some of the biggest and craziest poker bluffs that ever happened – happened in heads up pots. You’ll almost never see a seasoned player pulling a massive bluff against two, three, or more players.

And for good reason.

With multiple players involved in a hand, pulling off a successful poker bluff becomes increasingly difficult. There is just so much you need to figure out before you proceed, and the likelihood of someone having a good hand increases as well.

Of course, you can still take small stabs at a pot when no one has shown an interest – but don’t get too involved.

If you try and get called by two or more players, it’s time to throw in the towel.

There are so many better spots you can take advantage of that there is no need to waste your chips in unfavorable situations.

7. Toy With Different Bet Sizes When Bluffing

One of the things experts are really good at is toying with different sizes to throw their opponents off and confuse them.

For example, if someone’s expecting a normal bet of about half the pot but is instead faced with an oversized wager of 1.2x the pot, they’ll find themselves in unknown territory.

They’ve probably made plans for a normal bet, but now they have to rethink their strategy completely.

You also need to understand that your bluff poker moves can’t look too weak or constructed in a way as to price in your opponents. Players who are bad at bluffing will frequently bet something like 15 percent of the pot on the river and then will complain about getting called with a weak hand.

You can get away with mixing in some small bets now and then, but do understand that these are simply much likelier to get called.

If you want to bluff, you can’t be afraid to commit chips. If you’d bet about half pot for value, you have to bet the same when you’re bluffing. Otherwise, you’re just making it too easy for any observant opponent.

That isn’t to say that you shouldn’t experiment a little.

In different lineups, different things could work quite well. So, it’s fine to test various bet sizes to see what happens as long as you are up against recreational players, who likely don’t know how to react to such changes.

Let Your Journey To Becoming An Expert Bluffer in Poker Begin

If you’re new to poker and have aspirations of becoming a pro at bluffing – you should be very careful.

Big bluffs may look awesome on TV, but when it’s your money going across the table, it is an entirely different story.

I’d say that you should instead aspire to become an all-around good poker player, and bluffing should just be one part of your overall strategy.

The thing is, you don’t want to be known as the bluffer in your game. The only thing that title will bring you is that people will be looking you up lightly, forcing you to bleed your chips if you are actually bluffing too much.

The best bluffers are the ones you don’t think of as bluffers. These players are super hard to play against because you never know where you’re at with them.

So, if you want to become an expert bluffer, this is what you should aspire to.

Everyone can throw their stack away time and time again in a desperate attempt to win a pot. The best know exactly when to put their chips at risk and when to give up – and that’s what makes them the best.

Brush up on your knowledge even more with some light reading:

What is the Dead Man’s Hand in Poker?

• The dead man’s hand is a poker hand containing two black aces and two black eights alongside a face down kicker card.
• This most famous of poker hands entered popular culture because it was the cards in Wild Bill Hickock’s hand when he was shot.
• Since Wild Bill’s untimely death, aces and eights has been considered an unlucky hand in poker.
• While you’re unlikely to get shot if your dealt aces and eights in your next game, it is a marginal hand that take a little skill to play properly
• This guide will take you through the history behind the dead man’s hand and how to play it when you get dealt it.

With plenty of legends and intrigue behind this poker hand, we are here to unlock all the secrets. Read on as we guide you through what the dead man’s hand is, its origins, composition, and whether this poker hand is worth playing.

The Legend of the Dead Man’s Hand and Wild Bill

While the exact meaning of the dead man’s hand has been debated, the origins are well documented. It comes from the legend of the notorious lawman James Butler “Wild Bill” Hickock, who was shot dead while he held a specific poker hand. A known gambler, the hand Hickock was holding when he met his end has become known as bad luck.

According to the story, Wild Bill was playing real money poker on a table alongside Jack “Crooked Nose” McCall and several other players. McCall lost his whole pot, mostly to Bill Hickock. Wild Bill took an honorable stance and told McCall he would buy him breakfast and that he should not play again until he could pay back the money.

McCall was angered by this and came back drunk to see Wild Bill still playing cards at. Hickok was known for sitting in the corner because he was paranoid someone would try to kill him.

However, on that day, another player would not give up their corner seat at the poker table, so Bill played with his back to the door. Given the popularity of online poker and video poker, this is less of a problem for the modern player.

As McCall approached, he drew his Colt .45 and shot Wild Bill in the head while shouting, “Damn you! Take that!” And so, one of the most iconic and lasting legends in the history of poker was set.

Why Are Aces And 8s in The Dead Man’s Hand?

As legends have a habit of doing, the details are murky. The exact hand Wild Bill was holding is unknown, and there is a lot of debate about the hand. Even so, when superstitious poker players hold the dead man’s hand, they see it as bad luck.

The fateful day happened on August 2, 1876, and it did not take long for the word of the dead man’s hand to spread through the Old West and beyond. The first mentions of the hand were on record in 1886, but then it was described as a full house of three jacks and two tens. These days, most players see the dead man’s hand as two black aces and two black eights.

Over the last 150 years, there have been other interpretations of what the dead man’s hand is. However, the modern understanding came from the 1920s in a biography of Bill Hickock, Wild Bill Hickok: The Prince of Pistoleers. 

Whether today’s definition of the hand is accurate or not, the two black aces and two black eights have become the best-known interpretation.  

Image credit: Armi1961 Photo/Shutterstock

The Dead Man’s Hand: How to Factor it into Your Poker Strategy

There may be a time during your online poker gameplay when you get the dead man’s hand. If you are an incredibly superstitious player, you may just fold the hand and move on. But that’s probably not the best poker strategy.

There is nothing wrong at all with playing this famous hand the next time you’re at a casino. The real question is whether the dead man’s hand is good or not.

Well, it is a middle-ground hand that is neither terrible nor excellent. Two pairs of higher-ranking cards is a decent hand, especially if you get the hand on the flop and can chase a full house or three of a kind. However, if you play through the round, two pairs is not a high-value hand.

Playing with the dead man’s hand can be interesting because you can potentially catch an opponent who’s trying to bluff with a low hand. With the dead man’s hand, a player will compete well with players holding a pair, such as 10-10, 9-9, 7-7, or 6-6. 

Common Mistakes to Avoid With the Dead Man’s Hand

During a game of Texas Hold’em, Ace-Eight is what we consider a marginal hand. How you choose to play will depend on which type of player you are:

• In a late position, it is likely that you will call, but there is potential to raise if you fancy a risk. However, some players will simply fold this hand away from the start, and not for superstitious reasons.
• For example, if the player leading raises, it is probably best to fold the A-8. As mentioned, if the hand does not hit with an A-8 to form the dead man’s hand after the flop, you will be left on a high ace.
• Of course, you may get an ace in the flop for a pair, but while that is a high pair, the low 8 puts a lot of risk on playing on, especially during a hand where other players are raising.

It’s not a Texas Hold ‘Em Poker Hand

It is worth noting that Wild Bill was reportedly playing 5-card stud when he was shot, which is a variation Omaha poker, with a greater number of hole cards. This version of poker would be more rewarding to the dead man’s hand. You would have all five cards in your hand, so the Aces and Eights pairs would already be there. This would be a good hand in 5-card stud, so Hickok may have been holding winning cards in his hand.

It may seem like we class the dead man’s hand as a poor combination, but that is not the case. In fact, the average winning hand in Hold’em is two pairs. Bearing that in mind, Aces and Eights is a solid hand to have in either live or online poker. Even so, it comes with risk because it does not take much for an opponent to have a higher ranking.

The Dead Man’s Hand for Beginners

For poker beginners, this makes the dead man’s hand a bit of a dangerous hand. On the one hand, it looks like an excellent combination, with two pairs and one pair being Aces.

Experienced players with a good poker strategy know how to weigh the risk with potential reward, understanding the possible dangers of this hand. However, beginners may just see what they think is a very good hand and bet high on it.

Remember that while a solid hand, the dead man’s hand is not spectacular.

What is The Significance of The Dead Mans Hand?

One of the most famous hands in poker, the dead man’s hand conjures plenty of superstition and interest. It also plays an important role in poker history. Don’t throw this hand away because of legend; the dead man’s hand can still potentially win you pots.

Wild Bill may not have had much luck meeting his end while holding this hand, but hopefully, the dead man’s hand can help you walk away with the pot.

Title Image credit: Semmic Photo/Shutterstock

Olympics Games Betting: The Essential Betting Guide

• Whether betting on the Olympics is legal in depends on which country you are in. However, most counties have legalized sport betting which includes the Olympics.
• There are actually four Olympic games. The summer Olympics, the Winter Olympics, the Paralympics and the Special Olympics.
• The Paralympics and the Special Olympics are often confused with each other. The difference is that the Paralympics is primarily for athletes with physical disabilities, while the Special Olympics is for athletes with intellectual disabilities.
• This guide will cover the basics of Olympics betting and answer questions such as ‘can you bet on the special Olympics?’

Often considered the pinnacle of many athletic events, the Olympics sees athletes from more than 180 countries come together to compete across a variety of sporting events.

As the Olympics are only held every four years and switch host nations every time, each competition has its own personality. This provides exciting opportunities for viewers to enjoy lesser-seen sports and fan favorites.

You can make things even more exciting by Olympic sports betting. Olympic games betting is legal in many countries globally, although there are some critical restrictions you need to consider before you start betting.

Read our complete guide to learn more about how you can bet on the Olympics 2024, including whether wagering on events is legal and some tips for placing successful wagers.

History of Betting on the Olympics

The Olympics are one of the oldest sports events in history, dating back to Ancient Greece around 776 BC. There is evidence that even during the Ancient Olympic Games, betting on athletes to win events was common.

While the Ancient Olympic Games finished around 393 AD, the modern Olympic Games returned in 1896. Most countries globally didn’t accept sports betting legally until later in the 20th century, with the UK legalizing sports betting, including Olympics betting with the Betting and Gaming Act 1960.

Legalizing Sports Betting on the Olympics

Meanwhile, places like the US have regulated sports betting since 1949. However, legal sports betting was limited to Nevada for most of this history. Anyone who visited the Silver State could bet on the Olympic games.

The US Supreme Court struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 (PASPA) in 2018, allowing other US states to legalize sports betting within their borders. Dozens of US states now allow sports betting, and you can bet on the Olympics 2024 at online sportsbooks or through retail sportsbooks.

Some countries worldwide do not allow betting on the Olympics or any other sports for cultural and religious reasons. For example, sports betting is prohibited in Saudi Arabia under Sharia law.

Olympic Sports Betting: Choosing a Winner

Standard Olympic sports betting involves athletes or teams competing against each other in competitions or events that are usually won through scoring points of some kind (goals, touchdowns, etc.). Most sportsbooks allow you to predict the final event and key events that will happen during the event, such as how many home runs a player will hit in a baseball game.

In Olympic events, many events are determined by the judges’ scores, like boxing matches that don’t feature a knockout. Another example is synchronized diving, which involves several rounds of scoring to determine which nations get a medal.

Of course, backing the nations that have consistently won the most gold medals is always a good idea.

Most sportsbooks won’t offer markets on individual moments during events for the Olympics but will allow you to wager on medal winners. The main exceptions to these rules are soccer and basketball, which will feature many of the same markets you’d expect when placing different types of sports bet.

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Can You Bet Money on The Olympics?

You can bet on the Olympics in many countries globally, with sportsbooks operating in Canada, the UK, and the rest of Europe allowing a wide range of wagers on these events.

You must use a sportsbook licensed in your jurisdiction to browse and wager on Olympic betting markets. For example, if you play in the UK, you must use a site licensed by the UK Gambling Commission.

Legality of Olympics Betting in the US

You can also bet on the Olympics in the US, although the availability of this betting will vary from state to state. For example, some US states will completely prohibit Olympic betting. Meanwhile, some states will allow betting on events like soccer and basketball but restrict wagers on judged events like gymnastics, surfing, equestrian, and BMX.

Many Olympic sports are amateur sports, which may raise ethical issues with some players. However, if your licensed sportsbook offers markets on an Olympic sport, it is doing so safely and legally.

Some Olympic events like skateboarding and gymnastics feature young athletes under 18. For example, an 11-year-old competed at the 2024 Olympics in skateboarding. Most sportsbooks will prohibit wagering on events featuring younger athletes to protect them from the pressure created by sports betting.

Betting on Different Types of Olympics

Of course, there are two Olympic competitions for fans to enjoy: the Summer Olympics and the Winter Olympics. While these events both showcase the top athletes, they host different sports and betting opportunities. Below, we’ll cover a few of the differences between betting on the Summer Olympics and the Winter Olympics.

Can You Bet on The Summer Olympics?

Summer Olympics sports betting is so appealing to bettors because there is a broad mix of sports to enjoy, including fan favorites like basketball and soccer, alongside niche sports like martial arts, equestrian events, and gymnastics.

As athletes compete at the highest level, the fields for these events are often relatively even, meaning some generous odds are available.

As the Summer Olympics are often held in the gap between the seasons of many major sports, the competition gets plenty of competition from sportsbooks. You’ll find special offers like chances to earn bonus bets, odds boosts, and other promotions available before and during the tournament. 

Can you bet on the Winter Olympics

The first Winter Olympics was hosted in Chamonix, France, in 1924. The competition was held in the winter months of January and February in the same year as the Summer Olympics until 1994 when it moved to two years after every Olympics.

For example, the 1994 Winter Olympics was held between the 1992 Barcelona Olympics and the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

While the Summer Olympics has a mixture of sports players might recognize from outside of Olympics betting, most Winter Olympics sports are niche. Therefore, there are many exciting new events for sportsbook customers to wager on, including curling, biathlon, and snowboarding.

Can you bet on the Special Olympics?

Betting on the Special Olympics made its first appearance in 2003, when BetOnline announced it would be offering a sportsbook for the event. So the answer to ‘can you bet on the special Olympics?’ is now a resounding yes!

Can you bet on the Paralympics?

As with the standard Olympics, whether you can bet on the Paralympics will depend on the legality of sportsbook betting where you live. But if its legal to bet only Olympics in your area, then it’s also legal to bet on the Paralympics.

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Betting Strategies for the Olympics

Like all sports betting, wagering on the Olympics is can come down to luck as much as skill. However, there are some Olympics betting strategies you can consider to increase your chances of winning.

One key factor is research. There are dozens of sports at the Olympics, many of which you can usually bet on, like basketball, cycling, tennis, and soccer, so many fans may be excited to back markets on niche sports.

However, betting on a sport you know nothing about may result in losing wagers. So, hold off on those canoeing slalom bets! That being said, niche sports are a best places to find PK bets.

The Home Field Advantage

While it may seem simple, backing the hosts is a strong strategy for Olympic betting. Past games have shown that hosts often perform better on home soil than nations would usually rank.

For example, Australia came fourth in the 2000 Olympic games in Sydney, a finish it has only matched once since. Meanwhile, South Korea hosted in 1988 and finished fourth, a position it has failed to match since.

The best example was Spain, which hosted the games in 1992 and finished the tournament in sixth. The nation has not ranked in the top ten in any games since then.

Betting on Different Olympic Sports

One of the things people most enjoy about Olympics sports betting is the wide range of sports taking the spotlight over a few weeks.

Whether you’re interested in soccer or taekwondo, there is something for everybody. Some popular sports for Olympic games betting include soccer, gymnastics, athletics, and basketball.

As the hosts, Paris was also allowed to add new sports, such as  surfing, sport climbing, skateboarding, and break dancing. Unfortunately, it seems America’s most hated sport, Ultimate Frisbee, seems to have been dropped (ironically) from the 2028 games in Los Angeles.

Team vs Individual Bets

With so many different events, bettors need to consider various factors. For example, if you’re betting on a sport like basketball or soccer, you’re betting on a team’s performance rather than a single athlete. Many betting sites will also let you wager on players to hit individual stats in games with these events, such as a soccer player scoring a goal.

Even with sports that feature individual athletes, like gymnastics or fencing, you can still wager on the whole performance of a nation. For example, you can bet on a particular athlete to score the highest total in the men’s pommel horse, but a nation to score the most points total.

Additionally, if you’re betting on a sport that might feature young athletes, such as skateboarding or gymnastics, you may not find betting lines available for these events to protect these athletes.

Will You be Able to Bet on The Olympics in 2024?

The Olympics brings together around 200 countries together to compete in a wide range of athletic events. For many sports, the Olympics is the highest level of competition.

You place wagers on the Olympics in multiple countries worldwide, although the events and bet types that may be available will vary. It’s tempting to try betting on all the sports you don’t see very often at sportsbooks, but we recommend doing your research to place the most intelligent bets you can. 

While betting on the Olympic Games is exciting, it’s important to always gamble responsibly. Many sportsbooks offer account tools like deposit, time, and spending limits to help control your gambling habits. If you need support, you’ll find on-site resources on how to play responsibly and links to third-party problem gambling support.

The Olympic Games hold a special place in many sports fans’ hearts, capable of creating exciting and heartfelt moments with memories lasting a lifetime. The medley of sports covered across the competition allows all sports fans to enjoy something. That enjoyment can be boosted even more by placing sports bets on the world’s biggest sports event.

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Omaha Poker Game: What You Need to Know

• The main difference between Texas Hold’em and the Omaha card game is that each player is dealt four hole cards, instead of two.
• The larger number of hole cards leads to a greater number of possible hands per player, which increases the pace and volatility of the game.
• If Texas Hold’em is the chess of poker, the Omaha poker game is more like boxing. Omaha Hold’em is fast, punchy, and has greater highs and lows than the more considered pace of Texas Hold’em.
• The Omaha card game is popular amount casual players, because of the faster pace, but it can also be a welcome break from the occasional boredom of a high intensity Texas Hold’em tournament.

Texas Hold’em walked so the Omaha game could run. These days, whenever you go to play poker at a casino or online casino, especially in Europe, you’ll likely see ‘Omaha poker’ tables running and it’s hugely popular with online poker players.

But what are the rules of Omaha poker? This article will teach you everything from how to play Omaha poker game to the essential strategy tips you need to know in order to master the Omaha card game.

How Does Omaha Poker Differ from Texas Hold’em: An Overview

While Omaha poker is fairly similar to its Texas cousin, there are a number of important differences, including:

Difference #1: Higher Variance and Larger Bankroll Requirements

If you’ve ever watched professional poker players play video poker on TV, you’ve probably noticed something: it’s slow. Very slow.

There’s more in common with watching a chess match than there is a high-intensity sports match or even a slot machine pull. It’s a long, drawn-out, thoughtful and methodical game. Even to the players, there can be long spells of boredom.

Omaha poker differs from Texas Hold’em in that it’s considered to be ‘higher action’ — in other words, more intense. The Omaha card game is not for the faint of heart. It’s a game that thrives on volatility and big swings, creating an experience that is thrilling for some and nerve-wracking for others.

Increased Volatility Comes with Two Major Impacts:

1. Recreational Gamblers Love to Play Omaha Poker: The fast-paced nature and frequent big hands make Omaha more exciting and appealing to casual players.
2. Professional Poker Players Have a Decreased Mathematical Edge: The added complexity and increased variance mean that even the best poker players can experience larger swings in their bankrolls.

Because the Omaha card game is such a swingy game, you need an even larger bankroll to play an Omaha game than you do for Texas Hold’em. The higher variance means you have to be prepared for big upswings and downswings. A financial buffer is necessary.

Reason #2: More Hole Cards and Hand Combinations

In Texas Hold’em, each player is dealt two hole cards, leading to a relatively straightforward calculation of potential hands and probabilities.

How Omaha Hold’em differs from Texas Hold’em is that each player is given four hole cards — dramatically increasing the number of possible hand combinations. This change has a profound effect on gameplay:

• More Possibilities: With four hole cards, players have many more ways to make strong hands. This means that the winning hand at showdown is often much stronger in the Omaha card game than in Texas Hold’em. Hands that would be considered monsters in Hold’em, like two pair, are frequently second-best or worse in Omaha Poker.
• Greater Complexity: The increased number of hole cards adds layers of complexity to the decision-making process. Players must consider not only the best possible hand they can make but also the best hand their opponents might have. Not only are you more likely to make a strong hand, your opponents are too.

Mentally, you need to adjust what you consider to be a ‘good hand’ in Omaha Poker versus Texas Hold’em. Sets and straights can become weak hands. Have a flush? It better be a ace-high flush or the nut flush — you are much more likely to get flush over flushed when playing in an Omaha poker game

Reason #3: Bluffing in an Omaha Poker Game

Bluffing is an essential part of any poker game, but it takes on a new dimension in Omaha card game compared to Texas Hold’em. This is one area how Omaha poker differs from Texas Hold’em wildly.

• Frequency of Bluffing: In Texas Hold’em, bluffing is a common and often necessary strategy. The simplicity of having only two hole cards makes it easier to represent a wide range of hands. Remember, in a Texas Hold’em online poker game, it’s less likely that any player has a hand they feel particularly attached to or excited about. You can ‘scare’ people off a hand — making bluffing in Texas Hold’em more frequent than in Omaha.
• More Players Seeing the Flop: In traditional Texas Hold’em poker tournament, you are likely only going to be facing off against one or two opponents. Large multiway pots are rare, especially at high stakes. But in Omaha poker, since four hole cards can make starting hands stronger, more people tend to see flops.
• Inability to Go ‘All-in’: Bluffs are more effective when you can bet a large amount of chips or money, applying significant pressure. Most Omaha games are ‘PLO’ — Pot-Limit Omaha. Your maximum bet is capped at the size of the pot, limiting your ability to go all-in as frequently or bet an amount large enough to shake your opponent off their hand. This restriction means that you can’t apply as much pressure with a single bet as you can in No-Limit Texas Hold’em, making bluffs less intimidating.

Bluffing against multiple players is risky in both games, but it’s much trickier to bluff several opponents than it is to bluff one. With more players seeing the flop in Pot Limit Omaha, there’s a higher chance that someone has a strong poker hand or a strong draw.

Coupled with the fact that you can’t bet as much on the earlier streets (betting rounds), bluffing in Omaha is definitely rarer and more challenging.

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How is Omaha Poker Different from Texas Hold’em: The Rules

While the Omaha card game and Texas Hold’em share many similarities, including the use of community cards, poker table positions, and the overall structure of betting rounds, they have several critical differences:

1. Hole Cards: In Texas Hold’em, players receive two hole cards. In Omaha, players receive four hole cards.

2. Hand Composition: In Texas Hold’em, players can use any combination of their hole cards and the community cards to form the best poker hand. In Omaha, players must use exactly two of their hole cards and exactly three of the five community cards.

3. Pot-Limit Omaha vs. No-Limit: While both games have multiple variants, Omaha is often played in Pot-Limit form (Pot-Limit Omaha, or PLO), whereas Texas Hold’em is commonly played in both No-Limit and Limit formats. ‘Pot-Limit’ simply means you cannot bet larger than the pot size at any given time. So if there is $80 in the pot, your max bet is capped at $80 in that particular instance.

As you can see, the rules for how to play Omaha poker are not exactly the same. Even though you are given four hole cards, you can only use two in your final hand combination.

Here are some examples:

• You’re holding three clubs in your hand, and the board contains two clubs. That does not mean you have a flush.
• Your hand contains a queen, a jack, and a ten, and the board contains an ace and a king. That does not mean you have a straight.

As a matter of fact, you must use two of your hole cards. Only two cards can ‘play.’

• There are four spades on the board, and you hold the ace of spades. Do you have the ace-high flush? No – not unless you incorporate another hole card with a spade.

According to the Omaha poker rules, there is no such thing as a ‘four-card flush’ or a ‘one-liner straight’ like there is in Texas Hold’em. This often trips up beginners to poker when they first learn how to play Omaha poker. That aside, the hand rankings remain the same.

Here they are below if you need a quick poker cheat sheet or refresher.

Omaha Poker Hand Rankings

Omaha poker hand rankings are identical to those in Texas Hold’em. From highest to lowest, they are:

1. Royal Flush: A, K, Q, J, 10, all of the same suit.

2. Straight Flush: Five consecutive cards of the same suit.

3. Four of a Kind: Four cards of the same rank.

4. Full House: Three of a kind combined with a pair.

5. Flush: Five cards of the same suit, not in sequence.

6. Straight: Five consecutive cards of different suits.

7. Three of a Kind: Three cards of the same rank.

8. Two Pair: Two pairs of cards of the same rank.

9. One Pair: Two cards of the same rank.

10. High Card: The highest card if no other hand is made.

Basic Omaha Poker Game Strategies

Now that you have a general grasp of how to play an Omaha game and how it differs from Texas Hold’em, let’s finish off by going over essential Omaha game poker strategies. These are key tips to keep in mind.

Nuts or Nothing

The importance of starting hand selection in Omaha poker cannot be overstated. Unlike Texas Hold’em, where you might play a wider range of hands, in an Omaha game, you want to focus on hands that have the potential to make the nuts (the best possible hand).

Look for hands with the ability to make ace-high and king-high flushes — otherwise you are likely to get coolered. Low cards go significantly down in value. Since two pairs are almost worthless too, it doesn’t make sense to play hands hoping to make a low straight, flush, or bottom two pair.

For example, the best starting hand in Omaha is A A K K. Why is this? You can make the ace-high flush in two different suits (you are ‘double-suited’), you can make the nut straight on a Q-J-T board, and your sets and full houses will be higher than other players’ sets and full houses.

Most money in an Omaha card game comes from people overvaluing their hands. You can easily beat your opponents if they evaluate hand strength in an Omaha card game the same way they do in Texas Hold’em.

Even though the hand rankings are the same, the relative hand strength is not.

The fastest way for a poker beginner to start winning in poker is by aiming to only play the nuts. Be as conservative as possible. A full house is even risky in Omaha poker if it’s a low full house — and the best way to avoid getting stuck with ‘bottom boat’ is by not playing small cards in the first place.

Pot Control

Be cautious about building large pots unless you have a strong hand. Omaha poker is a game where the nuts changes frequently. You don’t want to invest a lot of chips in a pot unless you are confident you have the best hand or a very strong draw.

Drawing Hands

In an Omaha game, drawing hands are incredibly powerful. Hands that have the potential to improve to the nuts should be played aggressively. With more hole cards in play, draws are more likely to complete as there are often more ways to connect.

An Omaha card game is a more dynamic game than Texas Hold’em, meaning the best hand on the flop is unlikely to be the best hand on the river. This is why you should focus on playing draws to the nuts, rather than get attached to flopped pairs, two pairs, or sets.

As you transition from Texas Hold’em to Omaha Hold’em, remember that mathematical advantages are narrower. In Texas Hold’em, you might often find scenarios where your hand is an 80% favorite against your opponent.

In Omaha poker, it’s rare to have such a significant edge — you might be lucky to have a 55% advantage. The four hole cards reduce the extremes of advantage or disadvantage each player can have. That’s why focusing on nutted draws is crucial — these hands are much less prone to vulnerability.

All-In On Omaha Poker: Final Thoughts On Mastering The Game

Switching from Texas Hold’em to Omaha poker opens up a faster, more intricate game with bigger swings and unique challenges.

The Omaha poker game’s key differences — like higher variance, slimmer mathematical margins, and capped bet sizes — add depth to the game. Stay flexible because the best hand can easily change from flop to turn to river in Omaha.

Bluff rarely and carefully — if you don’t have the nuts, do it in a situation where you know that your opponent doesn’t either (ex. you hold the nut flush ‘blocker,’ such as the ace of hearts, making it impossible for them to have the best possible flush of that suit).

Whatever you do, keep in mind that Omaha poker is a popular twist for a reason — its merciless volatility is a great exercise for pros and recreational players alike.

Now that you’ve learned how to play Omaha poker, brush up on your betting and bluffing skills with easy-to-learn tips and tricks from the experts:

• Understanding Poker Table Positions (And Why They Are SO Important!)
• Texas Hold’em Hand Rankings – Which Poker Hands Beat Which?
• Understanding All-In Poker Rules: When & Why You Should Go All-In
• 10 Essential Poker Statistics That Will Change Your Game

Title image credit: Vitalii Borkovskyi/Shutterstock

The Essentials

• Hugely popular in Russia, Durak is a card shedding game similar to Shithead, Crazy Eights, Old Maid and Big 2. The player who discards all their cards first wins.
• The Durak rules are simple to pick up and the game falls into the ‘easy to learn, hard to master’ category.
• Best played with between two and five players, the Durak card game only requires a standard card deck, making it an excellent travelling game.
• Because of its popularity, Durak is often gambled on in Russia, with the winning player (the first to discard all their cards) winning the pot.

Considering how many people play the game it’s not too well known outside of its native country. Here’s a look at how the Durak Rules, a step by step breakdown of a game turn, where you can play online, and how to gamble on a game of Durak.

Image credit: Vector Point Studio/Shutterstock

Crafting Strategy: How The Durak Rules Work

The concept of the game is very basic. Players must aim to be the quickest to get rid of all their cards. The last person with cards left is the ‘durak’ or fool.

A deck of 36 cards is used and the game is ideally played between two and five players. The deck is shuffled and each player receives six cards. The bottom card of the remaining deck in the middle of the table is displayed face up. This will indicate the trump suit.

The remaining cards in the deck are then placed on top of that face up card at a 90 degree angle so the face up card remains visible. This pile of cards will act as the draw pile called the ‘prikup’.

Cards discarded during the process of the game are placed on a discard pile away from the prikup and become inactive.

Playing by the Rules: A Step-By-Step Guide to Durak Gameplay

Now that you understand the basics of how Durak works, let’s take a look at a step-by-step guide to a Durak card game round:

1. The set-up of durak means players must be forced to attack and defend. The player with the lowest trump card is the first designated attacker. The individual to their left is then the defender.
2. The play rotates clockwise so that is always the case for the remainder of the game.
3. Play begins with the attacker playing their first card face up. The defender then has the chance to either defend or pass the attack.
4. If they successfully defend then they will not have to take on the attacker’s card. If they pass on the attack then they will take the attacker’s card, add it to their own card, and become the attacker themselves.
5. Passing an attack cannot be done if the player does not possess a card of the same rank as the attacker.
6. It is also possible for the defender to defeat the attacker.
7. They can choose higher value cards from their pack to win the hand. Other players can add attacking cards at any point during the turn. If the defender decides they cannot survive the attack then at any point they can cut their losses and pick up the cards in play on the table before the situation worsens.
8. If the player successfully defends against all attacking cards, then the cards are taken out of the game and placed on the discard pile.
9. At the end of every hand, players must then draw cards from the remaining prikup until they are in possession of six cards each.
10. This continues until the prikup is used up. Players may leave the game as soon as they have gotten rid of all their cards in their hand.

Image credit: Vector Point Studio/Shutterstock

Rule Mastery: Elevating Your Game with Expert Strategies

As a game of attack versus defense, Durak naturally has various card game strategies in play. The strategies used in durak can prove to be very in-depth. We’ll attempt to summarize them slightly, to avoid writing a durak version of War and Peace.

• The main strategy should be based around entering the latter stages of the game with as strong a hand of six cards as possible.
• Players do not want to head into that latter stage with the odds stacked against them. A key approach here is to act aggressively early on and try to collect the strongest six card hand they can muster. This will then give them impetus heading into the latter stages.
• When it comes to defending and attacking, players really need to play the scenario. The best approach to have for defending is to always assume the worst case scenario. If a situation arises that players are confident they can defend 90% of the time, then do so. Otherwise, surrender ASAP to avoid things spiraling out of control.
• For attacking, it should be used as a tactic to get rid of bad cards early and save the stronger cards for later. Do not be tempted to bring in the big guns early in order to try and damage the prospects of a fellow player.
• During the end phases of the game it is all about being decisive. Try to control as many Aces as possible. These are not only strong in defense but they are even more powerful in attack because they cannot be beaten.
• Players should do everything they can to get rid of non-trump cards to focus on the more influential trump cards.

Can You Play Online?

Durak is available to play online for free versus a computer opponent and other human players.

Sites such as playok.com and durak.hlop.de offer durak play online for fun or points. It is also available to play on mobile platforms with apps based on the game listed in the Google Play Store and Apple Store.

Can You Gamble on Durak?

Because Durak has a defined winner in each round (the player who discards all their cards first) its an easy game to gamble on. Generally, each player puts a set amount into a communal pot, which the winner scoops.

Despite being a Russian game, gambling on Durak in Russia is a little more complicated. Gambling is only legal in Russia in four regions, after the government made all gambling illegal in 2009.

These four regions are Altai, Kaliningrad, Krasnodar, and Primorsky. Durak can be gambled on provided it takes place within the boundaries of these four regions. Likewise, Russians in those areas can access online casinos, which can banned in the rest of the country.

Of course, if you’re outside of Russia, you can gamble on Durak as much as you like (within the laws of your home country). While you won’t find Durak on as many casino sites as say, online poker or online blackjack, the game is slowly become more popular outside of Russia.

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It’s all a game of statistics, probability, and psychology…

1. If you win, play what your opponent just played next

A lot of people lose in a long game (100 draws) because they keep switching their move to whatever would beat the most recent winning hand. So, should you hold steady and solid?

According to Robert Matthews of BBC Science Focus, if you win, play what your opponent just played, and if you lost, pull out the third move that didn’t show up in the last round. Or in other words…

2. If you lose, play whatever would beat your opponent’s last winning hand

If you lose a round, the best thing you can do is switch to the move that would beat your opponent’s last winning hand…because they might be playing the Roshambollah tactic. A study in China on 360 students playing 300 rounds found this pattern emerge.

3. Take advantage of the “Roshambollah Trap”

The great thing about humans is that we’re terrible at being truly random, and for that reason, an unseasoned RPS player would never repeat their last move, because that’s not random enough, right? And that’s where you, my friend, can cash in, so to speak.

Whatever they just played, let’s say it’s Rock, they won’t play again, so you’d play Scissors, which will either tie (Scissors vs Scissors), or win (Scissor vs Paper).

This technique was coined by RPS champ Jason Simmons, aka Master Roshambollah.

4. Study your opponent and watch for swinging elbows

If their elbow swings out to the side you know they’re going in for Paper. Seriously, try playing Paper now against an imaginary opponent – it’s true! Of course, in this instance you’d want to play Scissors.

To keep your best poker face and head off any detection of your moves, have a set of throws lined up in your head like ‘Rock-Rock-Rock’ or ‘Rock-Paper-Paper’ so you look unpredictable.

5. Manipulate your opponent

If you have no qualms about psychologically playing with your opponent, then this strategy’s for you.

A favorite of Master Roshambollah’s too, when challenging strangers to a game he’ll flash the Scissors at them, this then gets in their head and what happens on the big reveal? They pull out Scissors. Happy days (for you).

6. Play paper against beginners

If you’re playing a newbie, it’s HIGHLY likely the their first throw will be Rock, so to beat them you have to play Paper. Easy.

7. Learn and master the “Eight Gambits”

Gambits are a set of three moves lined up in advance and designed to have particular impact. Having them up your sleeve can really change your game.

A personal favorite has to be Paper Dolls (Paper-Scissors-Scissors). You start on the defense, suffocating the Rock, then BAM, out on the spiky attack with the Scissors. This is best used on players not so versed in these tactics as it’ll knock them flat and take a toll on their morale.

All of the eight gambits are as follows:

1. The Bureaucrat (Paper Paper Paper)
2. Avalanche (Rock Rock Rock)
3. The Crescendo (Paper Scissors Rock)
4. Denouement (Rock Scissors Paper)
5. Paper Dolls (Paper Scissors Scissors)
6. Fistful O’Dollars (Rock Paper Paper)
7. Scissor Sandwich (Paper Scissors Paper)
8. Toolbox (Scissors Scissors Scissors)

Give them a go and see which affords you the most success!

How To Win Rock, Paper, Scissors: A Conclusion

So as you can see, there’s plenty of tactical know-how to make sure you always win. Some of the advice is contradictory, so we suggest having a play around – a lot depends on how pro your opponent is. But, as long as you keep a cool head and figure out what they’re doing, there’s no reason why you can’t dominate every game!

That last slice of pizza will forever be yours, bin duty something to sully your roommate’s hands, and the best gaming chair in the house forever cushioning YOUR beautiful behind.

Enjoyed this article? We’ve got plenty more game guides that you can check out to boost your chances of winning, such as how to play Mahjong.

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Read on for a play by play of when to hit in blackjack, and crucially, when not to.

When To Hit In Blackjack?

Below you’ll find a breakdown of the times you want to hit. You can also refer to our blackjack strategy charts, which tell you when to hit, stand, double down, split, or surrender for every possible hand.

1. Totals less than 12

If your hand doesn’t total at least 12, you need to hit until you have at least a hard total of 12. You can’t bust, so taking a hit doesn’t hurt you yet.

2. 12 or 13 against a dealer’s 2

The dealer 2 allows them to draw to some very good hands. If you have a 12 or a 13, you should hit to try and get a better hand, even though you may sometimes bust.

3. Low hands against a dealer’s pat hand

In blackjack, a low hand (total less than 17) is hit against a dealer’s pat hand (17 to 21).

One of the premises of blackjack is that the dealer will have a 10 under whatever card is turned up. A pat dealer hand then, is one where the dealer has a 7, 8, 9, 10 or ace turned up.

You should therefore assume that they have a total of 17 or more and won’t be drawing more cards (dealer’s generally have to stand on 17 or more).

This means you need to hit your hand, even if it means going over 21, to try and get to at least 17.?

4. Higher soft hands against a dealer’s pat hand

A soft hand is one with an ace that can be counted as a 1 or 11. It means drawing a card can’t break it.

You should always hit a soft 17 against a dealer’s pat hand, because even if you draw a high card, you aren’t at risk of busting.

The ace gives the hands flexibility: if your next card would cause the total to exceed 21, you count the ace as 1 instead of 11. So, you can aggressively pursue a stronger hand to beat the dealer’s pat hand.

You should even hit soft 18 against a 9, 10, or ace up card.

When Not To Hit In Blackjack

Sometimes, you need to just let the dealer see if they can bust. Other times, you may need to split or double down instead of taking a hit. And sometimes, you just have to know when you can’t draw anymore. Here are the times when you don’t want to take a hit.

1. When you should surrender instead

If surrender is allowed, you want to give up your 16 against a dealer’s 9, 10, or ace, in return for half your bet, unless you have a pair of 8s. In which case you split them.

You will surrender your 15 against a dealer’s 10 or ace.

2. A total of 17 or more

Once you reach a total of at least hard 17, you have done all that you can do. It’s time to step back and hope that Lady Luck is on your side, no matter what the dealer has for an up card.

3. Against a dealer’s bust card

If the dealer has a 2 through 6 up, and the odds are they have a high card underneath, then there is a good chance that they will have to draw and probably bust.

So, when a dealer has a 2 through 6 up, you will generally stay on any card that will bust you, meaning you stop at hard 12.

The one exception being hitting the 12 and 13 against a dealer 2, which we discussed earlier.

4. When you should split a pair

If you have a pair, then you may split them. You can get a breakdown of when to split pairs in our in-depth article, but the important things to remember are you always split aces and 8s, you split 4s if you are allowed to double split hands, and you never split 10s.

5. When you should double down

Read our article to understand when to double down in blackjack. But for now, remember that you can double down when your card totals 11, when you have a soft 16, 17 or 18, and when you have a hard 9 or 10.

When Does The Dealer Have To Hit In Blackjack?

In blackjack, the dealer will draw until they have at least 17. They will stand on 17 and above, and hit anything below that.

Some blackjack casinos will hit if the dealer has soft 17, others won’t. The rules vary based on the specific house rules of the casino. We prefer games where the dealer doesn’t hit on soft 17.

How To Signal Hitting In Blackjack

Signaling that you want to hit in blackjack is usually accomplished by lightly scratching next to your cards. In games where you hold the cards, you simply scratch the cards near your bet, making sure you don’t bend them.

FAQs About Hitting In Blackjack

Should I hit or stand on 16?

If the dealer has a 7 through ace up, you should hit your 16. If not, then you need to stand.

Do you hit a 13 against a 2?

2s are tricky. You need to hit both your 12 or 13 against a dealer 2.

Should I hit on 14?

Hit against a dealer’s pat hand of 7 through ace, and stand on a dealer’s breaking hand of 2 through 6.

Should you ever hit a 17?

You need to hit a soft 17, but you should never hit a hard 17.

Should you hit a 16 against a 10?

The simple answer is yes, you should hit a 16 against a 10, but this is one of those hands that is so close to going either way. The best thing you can do is surrender if allowed.

If you absolutely feel like you need to stand, I hereby absolve you. If you look around the layout and see a lot of small cards, then maybe you will be ok standing. But as a new player, it’s probably best to stay consistent and hit it.

• The Basic Rules Of Mahjong
• Understanding Mahjong Tiles
• How To Play Mahjong – Step by Step
• How To Win Mahjong
• How To Play Mahjong With 2 Players
• How To Play Mahjong With 3 Players

The Basic Rules To Play Mahjong

• There are four players in a standard game of mahjong.
• It is played with 144 numbered tiles with different depictions: 36 bamboo, 36 circles, 36 characters, 16 wind, and 12 dragon.
• Dice are used to determine the dealer and then by the dealer during gameplay.
• The goal is to make four sets and one pair of tiles before any other player. It is the concept as making winning hands in poker.
• A pair is simply any two of the same tile. A set is a Pung (three identical tiles), Chow (three tiles of the same suit), or Kong (four identical tiles).
• No tile can be used more than once in a set.

Understanding Mahjong Tiles

While 144 tiles were traditionally used – including 8 bonus symbols (4 flowers and 4 seasons) – most games use 136 tiles without bonuses. In a game of mahjong, the following tiles can be in play:

Row 1: Circles

Also known as dots, there are 36 circle tiles (four identical sets of nine tiles). Circles have up to nine circles on them and are known as 筒子tǒngzi in Chinese.

Row 2: Bamboos

There are 36 bamboo tiles (four identical sets of nine tiles). Known as 竹zhú in Chinese, the first bamboo is usually a bird symbol, and the rest are stick bamboo.

Row 3: Characters

Character tiles are another group of 36 tiles (four identical sets of nine). They depict the numbers 1 to 9 in Chinese with the Chinese word for character – 万 wàn – also on the tile.

Row 4: Dragons/Winds

There are 16 wind tiles (four identical sets of four tiles). Each set of four represents the directions (east, south, west, and north). Wind tiles – or 风牌 Fēngpái – always follow this order.

There are 12 dragon tiles (four identical sets of three tiles). They depict red, green, and white dragons. Known as 三元牌 Sān yuán pái in Chinese, the dragon symbols are their relative colors, although white dragon tiles may be blank.

Row 5: Flowers/Seasons

There are four flower and four season symbols that are bonus tiles in some mahjong variants. It is important to know about them when learning how to play Chinese mahjong, even if they are not in your variant.

How To Play Mahjong – Step By Step

Once you know the tiles and general rules, you have nearly mastered how to play mahjong online and in person! Now let’s look at the gameplay:

Set Up The Game

1. The dealer shuffles and deals one wind tile to each player. This determines where the players sit clockwise in relation to the symbol (north, west, south, east). Some games use the dice to decide which of the players is the dealer.
2. All mahjong tiles are shuffled at the same time, and each player constructs a “wall” of 34 tiles facing down. A wall must be 17 tiles long and two tiles high. If you play online, all this happens automatically, and you won’t need to build yourself.
3. Now, the dealer rolls the dice to determine where to start dealing tiles from the “wall” of stacked tiles. The number rolled on the dice corresponds to a certain spot on the wall, counting from the right side. This introduces an element of randomness to the tile distribution.
4. Then, the wall is separated (“breaking the wall”). The dealer will now deal tiles clockwise to the players from the left of the split in the wall. Each player gets 13 tiles, but the dealer gets an extra 14^th tile.
5. Players can then organize their tiles facing towards them and out of sight of other players.

Discard And Pickup Tiles

1. The dealer now discards a tile and play starts from the player sitting to the right of the dealer.
2. The first player draws a tile from the wall and discards one, aiming to create a winning combination or “meld”. The next player does the same, and so on.
3. Each tile that is discarded can be claimed by a player to help them make a winning meld of 14 tiles.
4. If no player claims the discarded tile, the next tile from the open side of the wall is taken.
5. Like before, if this tile does not help, discard it and continue playing.
6. Once a player makes a pair and four sets of tiles, they call “Mah Jong” and win the game.

How To Win Mahjong

To win in mahjong, you must be the first player to make one pair and four sets of tiles. There are three basic tile sets:

• Pung: Three identical tiles of any kind, such as 3x Green Dragons.
• Kong: Four identical tiles of any kind, such as 4x Two Circles.
• Chow: Three consecutive tiles of the same suit, such as 4-5-6 of Bamboo.

Once you’ve collected the necessary tiles, you call “Mah Jong” and win the game. If you do not get four sets and a pair, you can also win by gaining more points than your opponents.

Points In Mahjong

• A Pung gets two points if it’s exposed or four if concealed.
• A Pung of 1s and 9s, dragons or winds gets four points if exposed and eight if concealed.
• A Kong gets eight points if exposed and 16 if concealed.
• A Kong of 1s and 9s, dragons or winds get 16 points if exposed and 32 if concealed.
• A flower or season gets four points.
• A pair of dragons or winds gets two points.
• Chows offer no points but help to build a meld that could be a winning 14-tile set.

How To Play Mahjong With 2 Players

Mahjong is a four-player game, but it can also be played by two players. Instead of tweaking the game’s rules, two-player mahjong simply gives players two racks of tiles to play, and they need to win both. In other words, it merely doubles everything, and one player assumes the position of two players.

So, you build two walls and attempt to make Mah Jong two times. In some two-player variants, there are no walls, and players just take shuffled tiles from the middle of the table. Either way, all gameplay matches standard mahjong aside from one player getting 27 tiles and the other (dealer) getting 28 tiles.

How To Play Mahjong With 3 Players?

Learning how to play mahjong with three players is easy but does not follow the same principle as two-player mahjong. Instead of doubling up everything for players, three-player mahjong has exactly the same gameplay as standard 4-player variants. Four walls are still built as normal, but the dealer will only deal tiles to the three players. In other words, one wall is essentially vacant, and gameplay starts from East instead of North.

Discover more easy-to-follow game guides here.

The only real differences are that Mini Baccarat takes place on a smaller table with fewer seats, games are faster, and minimum stakes are lower. All of this makes it more accessible to less experienced players.

The way the cards are dealt is also handled differently. Whereas players take turns dealing the cards in traditional baccarat, in Mini Baccarat, the dealer is always the banker and the players only place bets.

Read on to learn how to play Mini Baccarat and get an overview of strategies.

Mini Baccarat Rules: How Do You Win At Mini Baccarat?

In Mini Baccarat, you bet your money on whether the Player’s hand or the Banker’s hand will win, or if they will Tie.

The winning hand must have a higher total card value of up to 9 points. In Mini Baccarat, 9 is the highest possible score.

The score of a winning hand can be any value i.e. 1 through to 9 over the losing hand’s score 0 through to 8.

Value Of Cards In Mini Baccarat

• An Ace card is worth 1 point
• Cards numbered 2 through to 9 function as their face value
• The value of 10s and picture cards J, Q, K each equal 0

To work out the total value of any hand when two or three cards have been drawn, just ignore the tens and picture cards that function as zeros, unless of course the total value of a hand results in a zero.

Zero value hands are losing ones, except when the opposing hand also results in a zero. In such situations the hand outcome will be a Tie.

In Mini Baccarat, the Player’s hand is revealed first.

Examples of how to add up the points in Mini Baccarat:

Example 1:

• P’s first two cards: 7+4=1 (not 11, because the first digit 1 is dropped)
• B’s first two cards: J+5=5 (The 10 of the Jack picture card is ignored)
• P’s 3rd card is 7 so P’s total score = 8
• B’s 3rd card is 5 so B’s total score = 0
• And so, Player wins the round with 8 points.

Example 2:

• P: 9+7=6
• B: 6+A=7 (Ace is worth 1 point)
• No third cards are required. Banker wins the round with 7 points.

Example 3:

• P: A+9=0
• B: A+7=8
• No third cards are required. Banker wins the round with 8 points.

Example 4:

• P: 8+9=7
• B’s first two cards: 8+2=0
• B draws a third card which is K, total value of points = 0
• Player wins the round with 7 points.

Example 5:

• P’s first two cards: 3+2=5
• B’s first two cards: 9+4=3
• P’s third card is 6 so P’s total score = 1
• B’s third card is 9 so B’s total score =2
• Banker wins the round with 2 points.

So, you ignore the first digit when seeing double digits, i.e. a 10 or picture card is = 0, 11=1, 12=2, 13=3, 14=4, 15=5, 16=6, 17=7, 18=8, 19=9, 20=0, 21=1 and so on… up to 30=0

With each set of the first two cards, just because one of the cards might be an 8 or 9, this is not an automatic win. The other card in the hand can cause the total value to be low.

For instance, 9+2=1 and 8+4=2.

So, if you see an 8 or 9 on one of the first two cards in any hand, you should hope for a zero value card to be next because this will seal the hand as a Natural.

Examples of winning Mini Baccarat hands:

• The Banker’s hand wins over the Player’s hand with the following score: 1-0
• The Player’s hand wins over the Banker’s hand with the following score: 9-8

A winning hand over a losing hand is any of the following nine combinations: 9-8, 8-7, 7-6, 6-5, 5-4, 4-3, 3-2, 2-1, 1-0.

You can also win a bet on a Tie outcome when the final total card values of both hands result in one of Ten draws: 0-0, 1-1, 2-2, 3-3, 4-4, 5-5, 6-6, 7-7, 8-8, 9-9. 

You can bet on any Tie occurring with payout odds of 8 to 1. The house edge is steep at 14.36% (stats based on eight decks).

How Are Mini Baccarat Outcomes Decided?

Banker or Player winning sides:

As per the drawing rules for baccarat, the dealer will deal two sets of two cards each for Banker and Player hands.

The side that is recorded as the winning outcome would have a total hand value of 9 (the highest possible total value), or a score closest to 9 yet still beating the other hand’s total value.

Tie outcomes:

Once all cards for each side have been drawn, if both hands share the same value (0 to 9), the winning outcome will be declared a Tie.

When the first two cards are drawn for each hand, there may be an expectation of a win upon the disclosure of a high value first card. However, this can be cancelled to a zero score when the second card is revealed, and both cards added together equal 0.

There are five possible zero outcomes involving card values 1 through to 9 as follows:

• 5+5=0
• 6+4=0
• 7+3=0
• 8+2=0
• 9+1=0

After the first two cards have been drawn for each hand and the scores of both hands add up to 0-0, two further cards are drawn; one for each hand. And this will conclude the outcome of the game.

If zero cards are drawn for each of the hands – i.e. 10s and picture cards J, Q, K, the result will end in a Tie outcome.

Third Card Drawing Rules In Mini Baccarat

As in the above example, after two sets of two cards for each of the hands have been drawn, the dealer may draw one further card for one hand, or for both hands – depending on the total value of each hand. You can refer to the hand chart on this how to play baccarat article if you want to learn the drawing rules.

What To Do After A Tie Outcome

In the event of a Tie outcome when playing online baccarat, the initial stakes on Banker or Player are usually returned to the bettor in a process referred to as ‘a push’ bet.

If you’re playing in a land-based casino, push bets are not physically returned to players. Therefore your options are as follows:

• Leave your chips on the hand you last bet on (before the Tie result) to function as a bet for the next game.
• Move your chips onto the other hand for the next game or bet them on another Tie occurring.
• Remove your chips to skip one or more games. Or when taking the time to decide what to bet on before the next game begins.

It’s worth noting that some land-based casinos only allow Tie betting if either Banker or Player is also bet on, whereas many online casinos allow Tie betting regardless.

Mini Baccarat Strategy

Okay, you’re not going to alter the house edge: Banker bet is 1.06% and 1.24% on the Player bet (stats based on 8 decks).

But it’s possible that a good method for selecting Banker or Player bets – along with a good staking strategy – could enhance your prospects of increasing your bankroll within an average Mini Baccarat gambling session.

Payout odds are not 1 for 1 on Banker wins because of the 5% commission. But they’re 100% even-money payouts for Player wins.

What do baccarat heads say the best strategy is?

You can read thousands of articles telling you that betting on the Banker is the best baccarat strategy.

Take any advice to ‘always bet on the Banker side’ with a pinch of salt. Do your own research and assess the facts.

Bear in mind the following about Banker only bets:

• The 5% commission on every Banker win will eat into your bankroll gradually. For instance, the commission deducted for just 20 Banker wins is the equivalent to 1 staking unit.

Banker hands don’t dominate every Baccarat shoe! But even when they do:

• Due to the drawing rules, the Banker side only has a slight advantage over the Player side: Probability of a Banker hand win is 45.9% vs. 44.6% for a Player hand win (stats based on 8 decks).
• Within one shoe consisting of 80 outcomes, on average the Banker may have around a 4 hand advantage. But this is not true in every shoe. It really depends on the shuffle.

Those 416 shuffled cards secured inside a shoe, most to be used in Mini Baccarat rounds, is key to how results will play out.

Mini Baccarat vs Baccarat: Why Mini Baccarat Is The Best Game

Let’s consider Mini Baccarat vs. traditional baccarat. What are the differences?

1. Table size is smaller: Traditional baccarat is played on a larger table of up to 14 players, whereas Mini Baccarat tables seat 6 or 7 players.
2. Games are faster: Mini Baccarat is played at a faster pace. Baccarat system players love to play Mini Baccarat because the outcome of hands conclude swiftly, especially when playing in an online casino.
3. Betting limits are lower: You don’t need deep pockets to gamble on a live Mini Baccarat game, since minimum stakes are super low.
4. The dealer always handles the cards: In traditional baccarat, players “take turns” acting as the dealer. In Mini Baccarat, the dealer is always the card handler.

If you enjoy staking money in online casino games with even-money payouts (and close to 1 for 1 paying odds when it comes to winning on Banker bets), then Mini Baccarat games are an excellent choice, particularly for beginners or system players.

Baccarat Game History

To understand why Mini Baccarat was developed, we should look at the structure and history of traditional baccarat games. And these consist of two main variants, namely:

1. Baccarat en Banque (also known as Baccarat à Deux Tableaux), which is the older form of baccarat.
2. Baccarat chemin de fer. A later variant.

In the 19th and early 20th centuries, the invitation requirements to gamble on traditional baccarat, and the rules of the game, were long-winded. For instance, who could play baccarat was determined by a person’s class and/or status in society, and once allowed to play, there were tedious game procedures to decide on, such as:

• When bettors can place wagers
• On what side bettors can bet on i.e. on Banker or Player hands
• Whether cards should be drawn in some games

Evolution of Baccarat Variants

The journey to modernize the game saw the introduction of a variant of baccarat called Punto Banco (Punto=Player & Banco=Banker).

This game was formed in the 1950s in Argentina. Punto Banco spread to casinos in Cuba and then in America.

Thereafter the following variations were invented:

• Big Baccarat
• Midi Baccarat
• Mini Baccarat

The central idea of modern day baccarat makes it easy to bet on either side.

Those gambling on baccarat need only bet Player or Banker. The dealer manages the rest pertaining to the drawing rules. So, baccarat games, especially Mini Baccarat games, progress quickly.

Today, there’s at least 20 variants of baccarat. Mini Baccarat being one of the most popular.

In the 21st century, the rules and procedures of old style baccarat don’t resonate with casino goers. So online, you’re only likely to come across modern versions of baccarat.

Gamblers can still find simplified forms of the old style baccarat games in land-based casinos. Though generally, such games are only available to high rollers or VIPs and played in exclusive gaming rooms.

Table layouts for these traditional baccarat variants differ to modern games like Mini Baccarat. For instance, in some old style baccarat games, two tables, one each side of the dealer, are used to seat up to 16 players.

A Mini Baccarat table seats a cozy seven players.

Lead image credit: BachelorVegas.com

Use our blackjack strategy charts in this order:

1. First, look at surrender, if it’s even an option.
2. Then, if you have pairs, consult the split chart.
3. At that point, if you have a soft hand, meaning one of your cards is an ace, you will refer to the soft totals hit or stand chart.
4. And finally, work your way to the hard totals hit and stand chart.

When you’re ready to play, simply download our free printable blackjack charts.

Blackjack Surrender Chart

Surrender isn’t always offered, and when it is, it’s usually what we refer to as Late Surrender. It’s the option to throw away your hand after the first two cards are dealt, and after the dealer has already checked for blackjack. If you choose to do this, you only lose half your bet.

In Early Surrender, you can choose to toss away your hand before the dealer checks for Blackjack. This can be a very powerful but seldom-seen rule change. In the chart above, I am referencing Late Surrender.

• Basically, with 15 you surrender against a 10, but only if it’s not made up of the 8 and 7.
• You always surrender any 16, other than a pair of 8s against a dealer up card of 9, 10 or 11. 
• With a pair of 8s, you only surrender against a dealer ace if the rule requires them to hit soft 17.
• With a 17, you only surrender against an ace.

Blackjack Split Chart

When you split, you must be aware of whether you can then double if you get dealt two cards that our chart tells you to double. This is simply called Double After Split (DAS).

In the above chart, you should only split the hands highlighted in blue if the game rules you are playing do, in fact, allow you to double after the split; otherwise, move on to the Hit/Stand tables.

• You always split aces and 8s.
• 9s are split against everything but a 7, 10 or an ace.
• 7s are split against 2 through 7.
• 6s are split against 2 through 6, though against a two up you should really only split if you are allowed to double after.
• Never split 5s.
• Only split 4s against a 5 or 6 if you are allowed to Double After Split.
• With 2s or 3s, only split against 2 and 3 if you can DAS, and against 4 through 6 regardless.

Hit or Stand Chart – Soft Totals

Use this chart if one of your cards is an ace. But, before we get into whether to hit, stand or double with a soft hand, note that some blackjack games only allow you to double certain cards like 10 or 11. My advice is to stay away from those games. You will see our blackjack hand chart notes to double if allowed.

• With A2 and A3, you should double against a 5 or 6, otherwise hit.
• With A4 and A5, double against 4, 5 or 6, otherwise hit.
• With A6, you can double against 3 through 6.
• With A7, you can double against 2 through 6, stand against 7 or 8, and hit against 9, 10, ace.
• With the A8, you double against a 6 and stand on everything else.
• And with A9, you stand against everything.

Hit or Stand Chart – Hard Totals

A hard total is a hand that does not contain an ace.

Low hands (5 through 8) that aren’t pairs or soft hands are hit in blackjack until at least 12, regardless of the up card. Then, once we get to 12, we can begin to use our blackjack basic strategy chart. You will double down some 9,10, and 11 value hands.

• 9s are doubled against a 3 through 6 up card. Otherwise, you hit.
• 10s are doubled against the dealer’s 2 through 9. Otherwise, you hit.
• And with a total of 11, you always double.
• With hands totaling 12, stand on 4, 5 or 6. Otherwise hit. 
• With a 13, 14, 15 or 16, stand against 2 through 6 and hit the rest.
• On any other hand with totals of hard 17 or more, you stand.

Printable Blackjack Charts

Use our printable blackjack strategy charts to make it easy to remind yourself of the best move to make when next playing online or in a casino. Just hit download to save each individual blackjack chart PDF to your phone or desktop, ready to refer to whenever you need them. Or, once downloaded, use the printer icon to print the PDFs.

FAQs About Basic Blackjack Strategy Charts

What is a blackjack strategy chart?

A basic blackjack strategy chart tells us exactly how to play each hand in the mathematically correct way. This information is presented in an easy-to-understand chart that shows how to play each hand.

How do you read a blackjack chart?

It’s important to remember that we need to walk through the hand in a certain order. Surrender if allowed, splitting pairs, playing soft hands, double downs, and finally, hitting or standing. The dealer’s up card is across the top, your hand is on the left-hand side, and the table is filled with how to play that exact hand.

Are blackjack charts allowed in casinos?

Yes! You can always use your blackjack chart whether you’re at a casino or playing blackjack online. Playing these hands perfectly will make a big difference to your bottom line, so never be ashamed about using a blackjack cheat chart to help you.

What is the best blackjack strategy?

The best strategy can change based on the number of decks being used and various rule changes from one casino to the other. These slight changes can alter how our blackjack strategy chart looks and how you should play. For more on blackjack strategies, read our in-depth guide.

Should you always hit 12 in blackjack?

The math is very clear: you want to hit a 12 against a dealer 12 or 13, and honestly, it’s really a coin flip against 14. Many folks may disagree, but I wouldn’t lie to you, and neither will your strategy chart.

Why not put these charts to the test and practice playing?blackjack for free? And then play online blackjack for real money or try a home game using our guide on how to deal blackjack.

1. Remember: It’s Paid Entertainment

Gambling is a fun form of entertainment, but it’s important to think of it in the same way you might buy a movie ticket or a fair ride. It’s exciting during the experience, and if you happen to win something extra, that’s great. But the point is to enjoy the core time and experience.

2. Set a Money Limit

It can be hard to keep track of money in the heat of the moment. That’s why it’s important to set a gambling budget, one that still gives you plenty of cash for your normal expenses, and stick to it. If you go through all the money, it’s time to stop.

3. Set a Time Limit

Whether you’re winning or losing, time seems to run at a different pace when you’re gambling. Make sure that you set a time limit for your gambling, making time for other exciting or important activities.

4. Don’t Chase Losses

Some days you’re up and some days you’re down. As long as you stay within your gambling budget, it should still be fine. It’s important you avoid gambling more in the hope of making back lost money. This is called chasing losses and can lead to problem gambling.

5. Avoid Becoming Too Superstitious

Prefer a lucky table, or keep playing the same game where you won big? No problem! But remember that gambling is all about luck and chance, and no amount of superstition will change the outcomes. Also, being lucky or unlucky in gambling does not relate to your overall luck as a human being!

6. Never Fall for the Gambler’s Fallacy

Gambler’s fallacy is the belief that if an event has happened more frequently than expected, such as a dice roll showing the same number multiple times in a row, it is less likely to happen again in the future, or vice versa. This is an incorrect belief.

The probability of hitting red 2 times in a row might be way higher than 8 times in a row, but that doesn’t mean that just because the roulette wheel has shown red 5 times, it has to be black the next spin. Each outcome in any game of chance is independent of what happened before it. Don’t assume that results will change because of how the game has gone so far.

7. Learn the Rules and Odds of the Games

While blackjack and craps might have some of the best odds in a casino, they still have certain bets with comparatively bad odds. On the flipside, overall odds are worse for slots and keno, but people can still win big and have tons of fun. What’s important is to learn the rules and understand the odds of the games you enjoy. Some games are more entertaining than others for certain people, no matter the odds.

8. Don’t Play with Money You Don’t Have

Whether it’s using a credit card or borrowing from friends and family, never play with money you don’t have. It’s meant to be a fun pastime, so if you can’t afford it, it’s best not to gamble at all.

9. Avoid Gambling Under the Influence

Gambling is often paired with a fun atmosphere, complete with all the usual party essentials. But whether you’re under the influence of alcohol, or a high roller friend on a winning streak, avoid gambling while intoxicated. Your decisions won’t be as good, and you might play beyond your money or time limits.

10. Gamble During the Good Times

Gambling should be fun and exciting, best enjoyed with friends. If it becomes an escape during depression or hard times, it’s more likely to become a problem. So, enjoy gambling during the good times, but don’t fall back on it to solve your issues when times are tough.

When gambling stops being fun and is no longer within your control, it’s time to start taking the steps to stop.

How to Stop Gambling

1. Admit you have a problem

The first step to overcoming your addiction is acknowledging that you have a problem, which isn’t an easy thing to do. You will feel emotionally confused: the rational part of your personality will be telling you to stop because you know it’s destroying your life, while the other side of you will be craving the highs of gambling.

It’s time to seek out help and there are multiple ways you can do this.

2. Speak to someone you trust and join a support group

It is important that you confide in someone who you feel comfortable talking to and who will be able to offer you emotional support. Together you can create a plan of action. Whether you want to combat your addiction without professional help or you’d prefer to see a trained specialist, they will act as your guide throughout.

Many people find it helpful to speak to others in an online gambling addiction forum or read each other’s stories to help stay motivated. It is hugely comforting to know that you’re not alone.

3. Block your access to gambling

Delete any gambling apps, block any gambling websites, and leave any tip forums that you think could tempt you to relapse. You can use a self-exclusion tool like GAMSTOP to automatically block you out of hundreds of gambling and betting sites.

You can also limit your access to gambling by avoiding land-based casinos full stop, as well as avoid hanging around with any friends or family who enjoy gambling recreationally.

4. Take control of your finances

Ask your supportive friend or family member if they can manage your finances for you, at least for a month or two while you deal with your addiction. This does not mean asking them to pay off your debts – it means giving them control of your money. They can manage your bank account and credit cards while you seek out debt management help.

5. Keep yourself busy

Like any addiction, withdrawal is the hardest part. To overcome it you need to keep busy. We suggest picking up a new hobby, like a physical activity that can give you a rush – rock climbing is a great option. Many people also find taking up yoga and meditation can help with the feelings of guilt and anxiety that often come hand-in-hand with a gambling problem.

Visit our gambling addiction help page, which has been verified by two addiction specialists, for more information and a comprehensive list of resources.

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We’ve put together this step-by-step guide to help any lucky lottery winners, which is broken into three parts: when you’ve just won, when you first get the money, and building a future. And remember, what not to do when you win the lottery is equally as important as what you should do.

PART ONE – Before You Claim Your Winnings

Firstly, we’ll look at what to do – and not do – when you’ve just found out that you’ve won the lottery.

1. Try To Resist Telling Everyone

It might be really tempting to jump on social media and start telling the world about your lottery win, but you need to stay focused and consider your options. Your life is about to change dramatically.

• Keep the win to yourself for a couple of days, just to allow the enormity of the situation to sink in.
• After a couple of days, tell your closest family and friends – the people who you trust with such a large secret.
• Don’t tell other people until after the money has been claimed and you’re ready to deal with the change. You want to keep your privacy for as long as possible.

2. Sign Your Ticket And Read All The Instructions

• Most importantly, sign your ticket and make a photocopy to avoid losing it. Whoever signs the ticket is legally allowed to claim the prize, so make sure you do this.
• Carefully read all the information on your ticket and the lottery website incase there’s any small print. There may be a specific time or date you need to collect the winnings by.
• If the instructions say you need to phone the company, call them. If it says to contact them online, do that. Take care to follow the correct steps so you don’t make any errors with the claiming process that could prevent you from claiming your winnings.
• The lottery representative you speak with will be able to advise you about the whole process, from claiming the money, through to any expectations they might have of you, including publicity. You should feel much less anxious once you’ve spoken to someone and understand the process.

3. Hire Professional Help: Financial, Legal and Tax Advisors

It is absolutely vital that you hire professional help as soon as possible, before you even start the process of claiming your prize.

• Hire a financial and tax advisor. They will help you decide whether to take a lump-sum payment or annuity payments over a period of time.
• Hire an attorney. They will help you deal with the legal aspects of winning the lottery.
• Hiring help isn’t usually cheap, however, most companies will be happy to wait until you’ve received your winnings before requesting payment. You don’t have to take their advice, but most winners decide that it’s the least stressful option.

PART TWO – When You First Receive the Money

What should you do in the days after the money lands in your bank account?

1. Stay Anonymous

If you are allowed to remain anonymous, we recommend doing so.

• Speak with your attorney to see if you are obliged to do any mandatory publicity jobs for the company running the lottery.
• Ensure that all requests for publicity go through your attorney.
• If you aren’t obliged to disclose your identity, think about whether you want to go public and the implications that could have. Standing with a giant check shows the world you have just come into a whole lot of money; you don’t want any unwanted attention from criminals.

2. Speak To Your Professional Advisors

There’s a big decision to make about your lottery prize: how you will receive your winnings?

• As mentioned earlier, you will have to choose between getting the money in a number of instalments over the coming years, or in one lump sum.
• Discuss this decision with both your financial, legal and tax advisors to help you manage your new-found wealth.
• A lump sum of cash could encourage reckless spending. The value of money diminishes over time. There are pros and cons for both options, which your team will help you with.

3. Keep Your Job

For many, the first thing they plan on doing after getting their lottery money is stepping down from their job. But you should avoid making rash lifestyle changes overnight.

• Resist the temptation to hand in your notice. A job provides structure to your day, and this structure will be important when it comes to coping with your wealth and fame.
• Only once you have planned everything with your professional team, including financially, should you consider doing this.
• You might even decide to keep working indefinitely and never tell anyone about how rich you are.

PART THREE – Making The Most Of Your Money For A Happy Future

After a while, the attention on you will die down, however, there will still be a few things you absolutely must do.

1. Pay Off Your Debts

• Pay off your mortgage, car payments, credit cards, student loan, medical bills – whatever.
• Once this is done, you know that they money you have left is yours to spend how you like.
• Don’t forget that you also still need to pay your taxes. Your professional financial advisors can help with this.

2. Set Rules – And Stick to Them

One of the most stressful parts of winning the lottery is coping with the many requests you’ll get for money.

• To avoid any issues surrounding friends and family, set rules. Tell yourself that you’ll only give to specific people, and that you’ll turn down anyone asking you for money. Be strong when dealing with people just coming out of the woodwork.
• Avoid handing out loans. If you’re going to spend money, give gifts instead. This avoids the hassle and bad feeling that can sometimes go with chasing people for loan repayments.
• Keep a budget of how you want to live. Your money won’t last forever. Think about how much you can spend annually to give you an idea of how you can make this money last a lifetime.

3. Invest And Protect Your Money

• Consult your financial planners and get their advice on investments. They will guide you on how to spend your money to get the highest returns.
• Don’t fall for investments that sound too good to be true. You will most likely lose out.
• If you’re rich, you need to protect your assets. The last thing you need is someone suing you (people will try!). Ask your team to organize asset protection strategies that will create barriers from people who want to take you down.

But the most important thing is to enjoy yourself. Although your life has now changed, and that can seem daunting, it’s changed for the better! If you follow this guide, you should avoid any nasty traps and enjoy the easy life – that’s what winning the lottery is all about, after all!

If you read this but haven’t?actually won any money yet, check out this post on the lotteries with the best odds. Who knows, you may need to come back to remind yourself what to do when you win the lottery…

Partly, this is thanks to Hollywood’s obsession with gambling as shown through movies like 21, Rounders, and Casino Royale.

Unfortunately, the reality is quite different.

Fast cars, perfect poker hands, and vodka martinis – shaken not stirred – aren’t always guaranteed.?

There are also a lot of steps you must take before becoming a professional gambler. These include decisions about what type of bettor you should be and how you are going to manage your bankroll. 

To help you understand all the steps we’ve put together this detailed guide. As you’ll see, there’s a lot more to being a professional gambler than Hollywood suggests…

Steps To Becoming a Professional Gambler

It will take experience, patience and time before you are ready to bet for a living. There’s no point in sugar coating it. That is what it means to be a professional gambler.

As you would work at a regular “proper” job, you must do the same with betting.

It will take experience, patience, and time before you are ready to bet for a living. There’s no point in sugar coating it, hard work is what’s needed. 

Most of your time as a budding professional gambler should be spent on developing the following three practices:

1. Learning And Studying

No matter how, where, or when you gamble, studying is extremely important.

If it’s sports, there is always another soccer match or horse race to watch. For poker players there are always opponents to study and odds to calculate. 

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Studying is so important because it is only with knowledge that you can make the best decisions possible and maximize your chances of winning.

For example, a certain racehorse trainer might always target a particular event at a certain track. Or there could be one football club that is a bogey team for another.

These are variables you need to know.

If you don’t have a full understanding of the odds behind every bet then you can’t make the best decisions. Poor decisions will ultimately lead to you failing as a professional gambler.

The learning will never stop throughout your career, so if you don’t like putting in the work you should abandon your dreams of being a pro gambler now.

2. Preparing For Total Commitment

Knowledge is only useful when paired with commitment.

Remember, this is professional gambling we’re talking about. You can’t expect to be successful if you are half-hearted with it.

For example, twin brothers Gavin and Alex Walker watch four or five matches a day when betting on soccer. This dedication to their craft saw them make ￡440,000 in an 18-month period.

If you want to have similar success you have to treat gambling as your full-time job. Turn up every day and put the work in.

No excuses. 

3. Learning How To Leave Emotions Out Of It

As a professional, your betting decisions must be based on cold, hard logic.

There is no room for sentimentality in successful gambling, so make sure to follow your head, not your heart. In other words, make the logical bet, not the emotional one.

Closely tied to logical decision making is avoiding superstition.

Lucky charms and rituals may be comforting to you, but even professional gamblers don’t win all the time.

The difference between a pro and the average bettor is that they get things right more often than they get them wrong. Being overly superstitious might prevent you from doing this.

Leaving your luck charms at home and not betting on your favorite sports team is one thing but when it comes to casino games, letting go of your emotions is even more important.?

After all, you can’t expect to be a successful poker player if you can’t keep your cool.

Leave your emotions at the door and focus on the job at hand.

The Types Of Professional Gambler

Not all professional gamblers are the same.

To succeed in the casino, you need to be able to count cards and bluff well, but those attributes won’t help you if you like betting on sports.

Here is a rundown of the types of professional bettors:

1. Matched Bettor

Almost every online gambling site has a sign-up offer or welcome bonus that acts as an incentive for you to join.

This has led to the rise of the matched bettor, gamblers who make their money through so-called “free bets”. The beauty with such bonuses is that you don’t risk any actual capital.

While stakes aren’t returned from any wagers placed with free bets, anything made off them is pure profit. 

Of course, the downside of matched betting is that it can’t go on forever; you can only be a new customer of sportsbooks once. 

What’s more, bookmakers who realize what you are doing may limit, restrict or even completely remove additional promotions, prematurely ending your run of free bets.

2. Horse Bettor

Long before soccer was the most popular betting sport, professional gamblers were seen on racecourses all around the world.

Horse betting is known for being incredibly statistical.

In fact, some of the richest gamblers in the world have made their money by building algorithms that analyze vast pools of statistics to determine who is the true favorite.

Of course, an understanding of how handicapping works is also important. This is because most horse races run are handicaps.

Thanks to both exchange betting and the widespread use of statistical models by today’s gambling syndicates, the average bettor can now see which horses are being backed and which are being bet on to lose.?

This presents alternative ways for professional gamblers to make money: Follow the syndicates or take on favorites – who typically lose around two-thirds of the time.

3. Sports Trader

Talking of the exchanges, that point about horse racing applies to sports betting in general.

As you can bet for or against sporting outcomes, it is often likened to financial traders playing the stock markets.

You can buy into the sports bets you like by backing them and sell the ones you don’t by laying them not to happen.

What exchanges allow you to do is supplement any bets you have made through fixed odds sportsbooks. That means you can cover all your bases. This is a wise move.

Clever professional gamblers are always trying to create scenarios where they cannot lose.

You can closely follow what is happening on the exchanges before choosing the exact right time to back or lay an outcome.

Developing this sense of timing is the key to sports betting success.

4. Arb Bettor

That brings us on to arbitrage betting, or “arbing” for short.

By betting across multiple platforms and sportsbooks, it’s possible to find mathematical differences in the odds offered by various sportsbooks.

Hunting down those margins allows you to back and lay the same outcome on a sporting event, guaranteeing you a profit regardless of the final result. 

As you are gambling across different websites and betting services, you need to keep very good records of your wagers. This prevents confusion.

Arbing, much like matched betting, is something that the bookies frown upon though, so you don’t want to get caught doing it.

5. Card Counter

Card games like blackjack are all about counting.

As each hand is dealt and played, you need to know which cards are on the table and which have yet to appear.

You’ll also need to keep track of all the cards that have been previously played as well as calculating future probabilities.

In other words, you need to be a math whizz.

Although not illegal, casinos will also ban anyone they think is card counting as it’s a form of advantage play.

If you are thinking of trying this virtually, you can’t. The deck is shuffled after every hand is played, preventing you from counting cards.

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Pros And Cons Of Being A Professional Gambler

As with any job, there are upsides and downsides to betting for a living.

You should carefully consider the pros and cons of becoming a professional gambler before trying it as a career:

Pros

• If you enjoy sports or card games, then it won’t feel like work.
• Satisfaction of beating the bookmakers.
• Life changing sums of money (only if you are fully committed and successful).

Cons

• Risk of being shut down by the bookies or thrown out of a casino at any time.
• You can always take your business elsewhere, but the marketplace has become smaller.
• Research and knowledge are needed and must be kept constantly up to date, which might turn treasured pastimes, like watching sport, into something of a chore.
• You can also lose a lot of money – there are no guarantees with gambling.

3 Top Tips That All Professional Gamblers Follow

On the road to betting as a pro there are some handy bits of advice you’d do well to follow.

These tips are ones that many professional gamblers have learned over the years.

1. Practice Good Bankroll Management

Although there should be more profits than losses, managing your betting bank balance is essential.

Smart bettors will withdraw some of their profits while leaving themselves something to play with for future bets. 

Failing to remove profits can see you wager and lose all your capital. This would spell the end of your gambling career.

2. Look At The Bigger Picture

It is well worth looking beyond the soccer match, horse race or sporting event you are currently betting on to see what is going on elsewhere.

Even though you’re not wagering on this other match, you might learn something or even find a potential punt for the future.

It’s the same with casino games. Try to see everything, listen to everyone. You never know when some valuable information might come your way.

3. Bet Within Your Means

Even as a pro, there is one golden rule: Never bet more than you can afford to lose.

Keep to your budgets and within betting limits. Sticking to these is vitally important as overstretching can lead to financial ruin.

We know it might be tempting to try and win your losses back after a bad day, but you will probably just dig a deeper hole.

Accept the loss, move on, and don’t overstretch. 

Fancy Being A Professional Gambler?

So, there you have it. Anyone who wants to bet for a living needs incredible knowledge and dedication.

Professional gamblers can’t take shortcuts and must study the sports or card games they play thoroughly. 

Ego and emotions must be left at the door when it comes to decision making. Logic and data should take their place.

There are several gambling professions to choose from. Each has its skills and attributes, not to mention pros and cons. Be sure to pick yours wisely. 

If, after learning all this, you are still set on betting as a pro, then all that’s left to do is wish you the very best of luck!

As a result, there’s a fairly large grey zone where the rules aren’t quite clear enough, opening up space for a practice known as “angle shooting” where people bend the rules for their advantage.

In this article, we’ll cover what angle shooting means in poker, some of the more common angle shoots, and how to protect yourself at the tables.

What Is Angle Shooting?

Angle shooting in poker is when someone does things that are questionable or unethical – but not strictly against the rules – to try and get an edge over another player.

While the practice is generally frowned upon by the community, there are plenty of players who’ll take their chances walking the fine edge between what is and isn’t allowed.

Why Is Angle Shooting Bad?

As mentioned, there is a fair number of players who don’t see anything wrong with angle shooting.

Their reasoning is that if they aren’t breaking the rules, it’s no big deal.

The problem with this line of thinking is that poker is a game of people.

Just because something isn’t technically breaking the rules, it doesn’t mean it’s acceptable.

In every specific life setting, there is usually a set of unwritten rules that you are expected to follow. The same goes for poker etiquette.

And poor poker etiquette for the sake of gaining a small, short-term edge won’t win you any popularity points.

Angle shooters usually aren’t looked upon kindly, and other players will try to avoid them as much as possible.

In fact, it can even prevent you from getting into some of the best games if you get a reputation for it.

This is because angle shooting can create a toxic environment where recreational players, who are crucial for the games to run, refuse to sit down and would rather spend their time and money doing something else.

It negatively impacts everyone, including persistent angle shooters, who have no one to blame but themselves.

5 Common Angle Shoots To Look Out For

Although most of the poker community play by the rules, there will always be some players who try to cut corners and take advantage of unsuspecting victims.

So be prepared by getting to know some of the most common angle shoots in poker.

1. Going South

“Going south” is when someone secretly removes chips from the table during a live cash game.

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For example, a player wins a big $2,000 pot playing $1/$2, and they decide they don’t want to risk it all in later hands.

So, they remove a few hundred from the table when no one is looking.

In most poker rooms, this isn’t allowed, but penalties for going south are usually quite mild.

Another problem is that it’s hard to prove if you don’t notice it immediately.

This is one of the most common angle shoots you’ll encounter when playing live cash games as there are players out there who do it routinely.

The reason why this practice is frowned upon is that all chips that are at the table should be in play at all times, unless a player decides to get up and leave.

Sadly, calling someone out for going south can cause a lot of tension at the table and lead to some unpleasant situations.

That’s why many players decide to let it go and allow others to get away with it to keep the game going and avoid any drama.

2. Intentionally Hiding Big Denomination Chips

Another fairly common practice both in tournaments and cash games involves hiding big denomination chips behind the lower-value stacks.

By doing this, the angle shooter fools their opponents into believing they have fewer chips than they actually have, which can significantly impact someone’s strategy.

For example, you find yourself in a hand against someone you believe only has 15 big blinds.

You flop a top pair with a decent kicker, and when they bet into you, you decide to put them all in.

It’s only after they make the call that you see with horror the full stack of big chips sliding from behind.

Unfortunately, there isn’t much you can do at this point.

While the other player was supposed to keep their big denomination chips in the clear view, the usual punishment for this is a slap on the wrist for them (maybe a few hands away from the table in a tournament and pretty much nothing in a cash game).

It’s one of the reasons you’ll hear experienced players often ask someone how much they have left.

It may be annoying at times, but it helps avoid these things from happening.

When something like this happens to you in a big tournament, and ends up being the reason you bust, it really feels bad.

So, be sure to protect yourself, especially against players you know have done this in the past.

3. Pump Fake

In poker, information is gold, and obtaining the relevant information during a hand isn’t always easy.

So, some players will go to extra lengths to try and gauge a reaction from their opponent – including bending the rules.

The pump fake is one of the most common moves from this category.

This is when the angle shooter will pick up a stack of chips and move them forward while holding them in their hand, seemingly announcing a bet or a raise.

However, at the last moment, they’ll pull the stack back and put it down with the rest of their chips.

This move is treated differently at different venues.

At some places, you can’t get away with this kind of behavior, as any forward motion with your chips will be binding.

However, some casinos and poker rooms aren’t as strict and won’t force the player to stick to their action.

The main goal of this move is to try and gauge a reaction.

Lesser experienced players may even go ahead and fold their hands immediately when they see the big stack of chips in the opponent’s hand, which gives the angle shooter a massive advantage.

If they don’t get the desired result with their pump fake, they’ll take the bet back and reconsider.

Most casinos won’t let someone get away with this repeatedly.

So if you find yourself at a table where someone is doing this over and over again, make sure to complain to the floor.

Even if there isn’t a specific rule to address the issue, they’ll usually talk to the player and warn them that if they do it again, their action will stand.

4. Mis-Declaring A Hand At A Showdown

Once all the bets are in and there is no action left, it’s time for cards to speak.

However, some players like to do the actual speaking before letting their cards do it, and they do it to get you to muck your hand.

Say your opponent bets, you call, and they announce a “full house.”

Even before they turn their hand, you throw your cards into the muck, only to see them turn over Ace-high.

You’re in shock that someone would lie so blatantly at a poker table, but this isn’t all that uncommon.

If you call the floor, they can always say they were just joking.

Again, they might get a notice, while you may be out of a huge pot and a lot of money.

If a player was honestly just messing about, they might let you retrieve your hand or just straight up give you the pot. But don’t count on it.

Even if such behavior is bad, it’s your responsibility to protect yourself against it as much as humanly possible.

To protect yourself from this particular type of “cheating,” you should never release your hand until all cards are face up.

If you’re first to show, table your hand unless you’re certain you can’t win.

Don’t believe what anyone tells you, unless it’s someone you’ve known for years and you can be certain they’d never pull such trick on you.

Someone repeatedly miss-declaring their hand at a showdown will probably run into problems, but they don’t need to do it all the time.

If they pull it off in one big pot, it’s already given them a huge advantage.

It’s up to you to take matters into your own hands here; don’t count on anyone else to protect you.

5. Acting Out of Turn

This is another move aimed at getting extra information.

For example, a player may bet, and while you’re pondering what to do, you hear an angle shooter announce a call or a raise.

This sneaky trick is designed to confuse you into making a wrong decision.

Of all angle shoots out there, this is the least elaborate and least effective one.

It only works if they succeed in their intentions of confusing you.

Otherwise, they’ve just given you an extra piece of information you can work with.

For example, in most poker rooms verbal actions are binding, even if they act out of turn and the action before them doesn’t change.

So if one player bets and you hear someone declaring a raise behind you while you’re sitting there with a strong hand, you can just make a call.

Now, the player who acted out of turn will be forced to raise, and when the action gets back to you, you can spring your trap.

What I will say is that you shouldn’t feel bad about the poor guy acting out of turn when you’re sitting there with a monster.

Often, they’re doing it deliberately, not by accident, so let them have a taste of their own medicine.

Being a nice guy at the table is completely fine, but don’t let others take advantage of you.

Keep Yourself Safe From Poker Angle Shooters

There will always be some degree of angle shooting involved in poker.

With a game that revolves around outsmarting your opponents, this is pretty much inevitable.

Some behaviors are acceptable and tolerated, while others, like the ones described in this article, should be avoided at all costs.

If you spend a fair bit of time playing poker, especially in the live setting, you’re bound to run into all sorts of situations.

Hopefully, with this guide, you’ll be better prepared to handle them and avoid being taken advantage of at the tables.

Unfortunately, planning a casino-themed party is nowhere near as fun as attending one. In fact, it can quickly become a chore. 

To help you out, we’ve put together this step-by-step guide that tells you everything you need about throwing casino parties, from guidance on the law to what games you should play.

Take the guesswork out of party planning and read on to make sure that your party is perfect in every way. 

Step 1: Check The Law

It’s important to state at this point that holding a commercial casino night without a license is very, very illegal almost everywhere in the world.

It could land you with hefty fines and even prison. So please don’t do that.

Remember, in the US gambling laws differ widely from state to state, so it’s important to check that whatever you’re planning complies with federal, state, and local laws.

But rest assured, you only need a permit if you’re running a casino business and profiting from real money wagers. Holding a casino party for fun at home is completely legal.

Often the best way to stay on the right side of the law is to play it safe by providing your guests with play chips (instead of cash) and awarding a prize for whoever finishes the night with the biggest heap.

Hosting a casino-themed fundraising party is slightly more complicated with every state having its own unique laws. So, be sure to check out our other guide if you’re looking to raise money for charity. 

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Also, don’t forget that for both parties and fundraisers you need to be sure that alcohol doesn’t fall into underage hands.

If minors are going to be attending be sure to have a system in place to check IDs. 

Step 2: Work Out Your Budget

The great thing about throwing a casino-themed party is that it doesn’t have to break the bank.

You can always host it at home or in the office; just buy a few green tablecloths to throw over tables or desks and you’ll get an instant casino feel.

Card games are the easiest and cheapest games to organize; all you need is a few decks of cards and some tokens to act as chips. 

However, if you have a bigger budget you can set about building the party of your dreams. 

This can include hiring out a location, renting proper casino games such as roulette wheels and slots, or even bringing in professional dealers and live music!?

Either way, the most important thing to do is work out your budget before you start planning the party and to make sure that you stick to it.

After all, you don’t want to run out of money halfway through the planning process.

Step 3: Choose Your Location

The location will depend on your budget. Can you afford to rent out a space? 

If not, having it from the comfort of your own home can work too. Decorating the space with giant dice and playing cards will go a long way in giving you that casino feel.

Add in some playing tables and you may not even recognize your own living room.

If the party is for work, having it in your own home might not be appropriate. Instead, the office should be fine.

Just make sure to get the business owner’s permission and to make sure they are comfortable with the theme. The last thing you need is for the boss to come and shut the fun down. 

If you have the money, hiring a venue will instantly add some glitz and glamor to your party. You could consider renting a function room in a hotel, or maybe even a marquee to put up in a garden. 

Of course, the easiest way to throw a casino-themed party is to rent out an actual casino. There are many businesses which will help you find and rent out a space, whether it be a private room, or the entire casino. 

This is an expensive choice for sure, but it will definitely make this party one to remember.

Wherever you decide to host the party be sure to choose a location that is neither too big or too small. No one wants to be packed into a tight space or for your party to feel empty. 

Step 4: Pick A Theme And Dress Code

Now, before you say anything, we know the theme is casino, but that doesn’t mean your party has to be the same old Las Vegas themed night.

Why not get creative and pick a more specific casino theme?

For example, you could have a James Bond casino party with everyone dressing up as their favorite character from the films and books. 

Or, if you’re feeling more retro, why not go for a Great Gatsby theme and break out the jewelry, elbow length gloves, and fancy cocktails?

Either way, picking a theme is a great way of telling your guests how they are expected to dress – a vital part of any party.

And while having an extra theme will make the outfits that much more exciting, a generic casino theme still offers a lot of scope to get fancy.

If you decide to go formal, ask your male attendees to wear black suits and ties or bowties. Women should come in evening dresses, complete with as much gold and sparkly jewelry as is humanly possible.

If “chilled out” is more your style, jeans and t-shirts will work just fine, although formal wear will bring a touch of class to your party.

Step 5: Decide On Entertainment

This is the really fun part. After all, what’s a casino party without any gambling?

When it comes to games our advice is to pick the one you think your guests will enjoy the most and, above all else, keep it simple!

No one wants to be forced to learn a load of complicated instructions for a game they’ve never played before while at a party. So, we recommend going for the casino classics – roulette, blackjack and poker.

That’s because these games are all easy to set up, learn and play. What makes them even better is that you don’t need any expensive equipment to play them either.

You can pick up a poker tabletop, a blackjack table cover, and a roulette set for under $30 each.

Regardless of what games you decide on, it’s important to remember to buy some playing chips.

It’s a good idea to only use a maximum of three different colors. This will make the chips easier to keep track of and means that players don’t have a lot of values to learn. 

If you’ve got a bit more cash, it’s worth thinking about hiring a professional dealer. That way you and your buddies are free to hang out and enjoy the action.

Want to make your casino party even more legit? Then hire slot machines for the night. A local party store or casino equipment rental company should be able to help you out.

Or, as we have previously mentioned, go all the way and rent yourself an entire casino!

When it comes to entertainment, casinos don’t rely on gambling games alone and your party shouldn’t either.

You’ll want to make sure there’s music. This can range from organizing a playlist, hiring a DJ, or even paying for a live band if you have space in your budget. 

Another good idea is to hire a photographer or photo booth. Trust us, you’ll want to have memories of this night to look back on!

Step 6: Send Out Invitations

A party is nothing without its guests, so be sure to send out invites well ahead of time.

What’s more, this gives you the perfect opportunity to finalize a guest list, and double check how many people you are inviting. 

Using physical invitations is an opportunity for you to get creative. Depending on your theme you could style them as giant playing cards, or formal 1920s invitations.

If you don’t have much budget and you already have everyone’s contact details, then a group email should be fine too.

This type of invitation works really well for office parties because you probably all email each other on a daily basis anyway. 

The most important thing to do when sending out invites is to make sure that all the necessary details are included:

• Occasion
• Location
• Date
• Start and finish time
• Theme
• Dress code
• Plus ones
• RSVP/Contact details
• Any extra info e.g. food will/won’t be provided

Just remember, the more information you put on the invitation, the fewer questions you will have to answer in private.

Step 7: Make Sure There Are Refreshments

Food and drink are an important part of any party, and your night will be no different. But not all types of food are suitable for casino-themed parties. 

Why?

Because your guests are going to be busy with their hands.

That means, when it comes to food, you should give them something that’s both easy to eat and non-greasy/sticky so the cards and chips remain clean.

Of course, when it comes to drinks, cocktails are the order of the day. After all, who doesn’t want to sip on a martini when they play poker?

Cocktails can be expensive to make, so limit your costs by only having a few popular options like mojitos and martinis. You can even make them in bulk beforehand to save time. 

Unless, of course, you have the means to hire a private bar. 

Remember that cocktails aren’t for everyone, so be sure to provide popular alternatives like beer and wine, as well as non-alcoholic options for non-drinkers. 

Step 8: Enjoy The Fun

Now that you’ve set the stage for an awesome night, all that’s left to do is get yourself ready and wait for your guests to arrive. 

We can’t promise that you’ll finish the evening richer, but we can guarantee you’ll have an amazing night of casino-themed fun.

Whether you don’t want to carry money around or you’re looking for some extra security, checks are still viable options.

While casinos are known for cashing them, it’s vital that you ring up and double check in advance, as some of them don’t – especially now that many casinos are moving towards cashless gaming.

Another reason is that checks are easy to forge, and casinos don’t like to be fobbed off, so fewer casinos offer this as an option nowadays.

That, and the fact that literally no one writes checks out anymore. 

In 2005, 40% of worldwide transactions were made by cheques; by 2014, this number had dropped to just 8%. Many analysts believe paper checks might be extinct by 2026. 

So, it might seem like checks are a thing of the past.

After all, if the US government has already switched to direct deposits for Social Security transactions, the rest of the country can’t be far behind, right?

But there are still plenty of times when you’ll need to cash a check, and even the odd occasion when you’ll need to cash a two-party check. 

What Is A Two-Party Check?

Two-party checks are checks made out to two payees. These can be particularly common as wedding presents, or as a pay-out from the IRS when filing jointly. 

A small word makes a huge difference on a two-party check. 

The check could either be made out to “Person A or Person B” or “Person A and Person B.”

If the check says ‘or,’ either person will be able to cash the check without the other person present.

If the check says ‘and’ it can be much more complicated.

The law requires that everyone on the check endorses it. Sometimes this even means that both people need to be present for the deposit. 

What’s more, some banks require that two-party checks are deposited into a joint account, with the names on the check matching the names on the account.

How To Cash A Two-Party Check

If you’re cashing a two-party check with an ‘or’ between the parties, either person can endorse the check and cash it in the same way that you would any other check.

From your local casino to the supermarket, there are plenty of places that will cash this type of check for you.

Simple as that. 

But, if you’re cashing a two-party check with an ‘and’ between the parties, you may need to go directly to your bank branch, as many casinos avoid cashing these checks.

Depending on where you bank, both people may also need to be present and show ID. At some banks, the two parties will need to have a joint account for the funds to be deposited.

We strongly advise against signing the check and depositing it at an ATM as this may mean that you’ll need to get the check reissued, costing you even more time.

Instead, speak to a bank teller or go to the casino together and think of it as a fun excursion with your fellow check recipient. 

Just be sure to always ring the casino first to check if they offer this service, then go enjoy your cash. 

Who knows, if you get lucky you could come out with a lot more than you went in with!

Lead image: I-5 Design & Manufacture/Flickr

But you might have noticed that navigating the dos, don’ts and legal statuses of charity gambling events can be pretty challenging.

Whether you’re planning an event that’s big or small, in aid of a local group that’s close to your heart or a national or international non-profit organization, use our guide to help you host a gambling fundraiser, legally.

Step 1: Choose A Charity

If you haven’t already, it’s better to begin planning with a clear picture of what and who you want to raise funds for, rather than a vague idea.

If you can visualize your end goal it’ll motivate you when you hit the hard work and headaches.

Consider where focusing your efforts will reap the most rewards and how your time will be most effective.

It’s also worth thinking about your target audience and what is most likely to encourage people to attend and donate — a local, national, international, or global issue?

Step 2: Make Sure It’s Legal

You’ll need to make sure your event is water-tight when it comes to legal issues. Don’t skip over this step.

You need to make sure you research the appropriate state or local charitable gambling laws and apply them throughout the planning stages, as well as when actioning any requirements before or on the day.

There’s no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to gambling-related fundraising, as there are different laws applied to everything from games and raffles, through to bingo and auctions.

And every state has its own rules and laws.

When you’re trying to raise money for a cause or organization, the last thing you want to do is land yourself, the charity or non-profit, donors and attendees in hot water.

Failing to follow the rules can lead to criminal penalties.

There are many things to consider, such as:

• Whether you will need gambling and alcohol licenses.
• If different types of gambling and games are legal in your state or require multiple/different licenses.
• Age restrictions of attendees and participants. Check out our guide on legal US gambling ages by state.
• Procedures around handling money and the value of prizes.
• Whether proceeds must be kept in any special bank accounts.
• The timeframe between fundraising and transferring funds to the charity or non-profit.
• Who you can hire to work at the event.
• Whether winners or non-profits will be required to pay taxes on any income.
• If any records need to be kept.
• If staff and organizers require background checks.
• How proceeds can be used (or not).
• Whether there are copyrights on any music you want to play.

Ask The Right People

The first thing to do is to make sure that you contact the correct people.

An online search for your state’s laws will get the ball rolling, but you’ll also need to contact the local government branch that deals with gaming issues and enquiries.

This could involve contacting more than one person or office, so make sure to cover all bases and cut no corners.

Useful online resources to get you started include:

• The National Council of Nonprofits’s website has a helpful page on ‘games of chance’ including whether they’re legal in your state.
• They’ve also made a handy map with links to local state associations of non-profits.
• An article by NOLO regarding the IRS’s position on taxes.
• For UK events, we suggest reading Gov.uk’s guide on legal fundraising.

Step 3: Check That Your Cause Qualifies As A Charity

Refer back to points one and two here.

Once you’ve chosen your charity and started researching state laws, don’t forget to make sure that your chosen cause qualifies as a charitable organization, in relation to gambling events and fundraising.

This research will also help you to clarify the aforementioned IRS tax rules and whether the proceeds will be tax-exempt, or not.

As mentioned earlier, it can be helpful to bring in outside advice from a qualified lawyer or expert if you are unsure.

Step 4: Know The Rules About Serving Alcohol

An alcohol license may be one of the last things you end up thinking about before the event — but this would be an error.

You may have to apply for a license to serve alcohol, and restrictions could be based around numerous factors, such as:

• The legality in your state regarding providing alcoholic beverages at charity events.
• Individual state regulations on serving and selling alcohol.
• Whether your venue has an alcohol permit and, if so, whether the event still requires one separately.
• Whether bartenders need a permit.
• Whether there will be a free bar, if money will be exchanged for alcohol, if chips will be exchanged for alcohol, or if alcohol will be included in event ticket prices.
• Whether you can use alcohol as a prize.
• Other local laws such as notifying a liquor control board about using alcohol as a prize.

Licenses can take time and you may be asked to provide a lot of detail, so factor this into your thinking.

Also, keep in mind whether drinking is appropriate at your event e.g. if your charity or cause involves addiction.

Step 5: Find Out The Laws About Prizes

If non-cash prizes are likely to be featured at the event, via raffles, auctions, poker tournaments etc., make sure you know the different legal requirements surrounding each.

Remember that this differs from state to state.

Things to check include:

• Is there a price-cap on prizes?
• Are there things that cannot be included as prizes?

Step 6: Set A Fundraising Target

Once you’ve decided on your charity, checked the legality of the event, and made sure it qualifies, you need to set a fundraising target.

Most events set themselves a goal, and you can choose to make that public or not.

Find out what your chosen organization or cause needs most and work with them to estimate cost that would cover or help to cover it.

Make it something achievable.

What is the purpose of your event?

Making this clearer will then help you decide on ticket prices and how many you’ll need to sell.

If your attendees can see your fundraising target too, and how close (or far) you are from it, it may encourage more don-ations.

Step 7: Consider How Your Event Will Make Money

It’s all very well putting on a great fundraiser event, but if you can’t raise any funds from it then there’s no point in doing one.

Here are some ideas that could help you make money for your charity or cause:

• A ticketed event.
• Donations at the event.
• Donations in exchange for extra chips to use at games tables.
• Food and drink for sale, or extra options such as a bar or street food trucks if dinner is included in your original ticket price/package.
• Extra events within the overall event, such as auctions, special games, bingo, raffles and more.
• Reserved tables for companies who may want to buy a table and sit together, or want a specific table with a good view or position close to the bar.
• Sponsorship.

Step 8: Plan The Party And How Your Fundraiser Will Look

Now it’s time for the fun part.

Some things to consider in this step:

• What will the event look like overall?
• How long will it run for?
• Will you opt for a casino-style evening with lots of table games?
• Will your gambling fundraiser take the form of a poker competition?
• Or could you mix both types of entertainment to attract more attendees?

You may also want to consider giving your fundraiser a theme, which can encompass everything from food, drinks and decor to outfits, invitations and entertainment, such as:

• Black tie.
• 1950s, 1960s, 1970s or 1980s.
• Old Hollywood fancy dress.
• 1920s speakeasy/Roaring 20s/The Great Gatsby.
• Seasonal (Christmas, Halloween).
• Mob.
• Western.
• Sports.

These themes may affect the gambling and the ‘games’ of chance that you select.

As an example, a 1920s theme may feature rented vintage slot machines, while a 1980s theme may include video gaming machines.

Popular card and table games to include are craps, blackjack, roulette, poker and baccarat.

If you are including any of the above, it’s worth knowing the rules inside out so you feel like an expert on the day.

Our experts can help! Check out our guides on how to play blackjack as well as how to play roulette and how to play poker.

Finally, another things to consider: Will there be competitions, guessing games, or a bingo area?

And will you announce raffle and auction winners live (and allow people to bid in real-time) or after the event?

Will your auction be live, silent or blind/sealed-bid?

There’s plenty to consider, but use your allotted time wisely and ensure a balance between auction time, games and gambling time, entertainment, dinner (if you’re hosting a sit-down meal), time for extra eating and drinking, and networking/mixing time.

And the most important part of planning?

Give yourself plenty of time — and then some more, depending how big your event is.

Leaving it until the last minute won’t be fun.

Step 9: Ask For Volunteers

As mentioned earlier, there may be rules about who you can hire to work at a charitable gambling event, based on local laws regarding age and experience with professional gambling etc.

But, regardless of whether you will be hiring paid-staff to act as servers, catering, bartenders, valets or card dealers, you’ll need like-minded people to volunteer too and help your event become a success.

Don’t be afraid to put a call out to people you know, as this may help you save on expenses too.

Planning a gambling fundraiser requires a lot of effort, so consider if you know anyone with special and relevant skills (admin, event organization, graphic designers for websites, logos, tickets, invitations and marketing materials) who can help you.

If it’s a local event you’re working on e.g. fundraiser for school or church, you may find many willing takers.

Voluntary help could also include venues — are there any local venues that will host you for free and provide staff?

If it’s a local venue that you’re raising funds for, can you host it there?

Your venue will, of course, be part of checks to ensure everything is legal, safe, licensed and above board.

Step 10: Consider Any Expenses And Outgoings

Make sure to think potential expenses through thoroughly, as extra and hidden costs can crop up.

Decide whether you’ll need to:

• Hire professionals — card dealers, hosts, servers, insured and licensed bartenders, catering staff, cleaners, musicians, entertainers, lawyers to help with legalities, or fundraising professionals.
• Book and insure a venue — will you need to hire somewhere? And are there clean-up costs?
• Buy promotional materials.
• Use paid-for social media adverts.
• Use ticket and invitation printing (including delivery and postage — consider collection at the venue, or virtual invitations).
• Include the cost of free food and drink, or a free bar, in your budget and ticket prices, including for staff, volunteers and entertainment as wells guests.
• Purchase permits, licenses, testing, insurance and certification from gambling and alcohol to the venue, electrical equipment if you’re using special lights, PA systems, microphones, and electric instruments.
• Rent or buy decor, tables and chairs, stages, cutlery, glassware and/or props.
• Rent gambling equipment such as games and gaming tables, chips, slot machines, bingo equipment, and raffle tickets.
• Rent staff uniforms and safe storage for extra donations.

Make sure you have enough for everyone, plus a little surplus, to avoid disappointment.

You don’t want attendees to go hungry, get thirsty or bored if they have to wait on a limited number of games.

Step 11: Seek Sponsorship And Prize Donations

Are there any local or even national companies that would want to sponsor your event?

Ask around — free promotion in exchange for a donation is usually popular and can be a great boost to funds.

You can offer everything from logos, names or contact information on gaming or dining tables, staff clothes, venue decor, glassware and loads more.

If you’re including an auction, you’ll want to approach companies and individuals for donated prizes to use.

Ideas could include:

• Vacations.
• Overnight stays at hotels.
• Spa treatments.
• Concert or theatre tickets.
• Sports memorabilia.
• Sporting event tickets.
• Restaurant dinners.
• Experience days.
• Artwork.
• Homeware.
• Designer items.

And remember: If you don’t ask, you don’t get!

Step 12: Decide How To Promote The Event

You’ll need a marketing strategy that covers all areas:

• Word of mouth.
• Social media.
• Press releases.
• Newsletters.
• Local newspaper, magazine and radio adverts.
• Flyers and posters.
• Website banners.
• Advertising boards and more!

A mix of old school physical marketing and digital marketing may ensure you reach a range of people of all ages.

Do you know any famous faces, local figures or patrons of your chosen charity that may share the event details? Or can you invite them to the event?

Will you ask the charity or organization to help promote the event and do they have any promotions or marketing experts that can help?

Again, you will need to do your research and check individual state laws on gambling and gaming promotion for a charity event.

Step 13: Come Up With A Selling Strategy

How will you sell your tickets once you have begun marketing?

You will need to sell as many in advance as possible — but consider the following:

• Will you demand full price up front, or allow a deposit?
• Will you sell any remaining tickets on the door on the day?
• Physical sales as well as online sales — can you get volunteers or members of the organization to sell tickets personally?

Step 14: Enjoy The Event

And breathe.

Don’t forget to enjoy the event and make it fun!

You can read and know all the form beforehand, but if you are watching live at a racetrack you may spot something.

Bettors who are on course could have the edge over those gambling on the races away from the track, thanks to the opportunity to see horses parade before a race and on their way down to the start.

Read on to discover our step-by-step guide on how to bet late in horse racing.

1. Pick Out Horses To Follow Beforehand

There is plenty of preparation you can do before a horse race.

From buying programs and a Daily Racing Form/pro racecard upon arriving at the track to studying the form yourself in advance, the more research the better.

This allows you to make informed decisions about the horses running in a race.

It’s worth creating a shortlist from the field of runners based on what you have learned beforehand, so you can focus on watching their behavior in the paddock and other preliminaries.

Keeping a close eye on the betting market to see which horses are fancied and noting any changes is also important.

If a favorite has been weak on the morning of the race, that could suggest it may not be 100%. You will be able to confirm that yourself when you observe horses parading.

Noting the weather and conditions is another area of consideration.

While this may alter during racing, racetracks always announce a change in going – just like they do with non-runners and jockey changes.

They will also tell you what the ground is like on course for racing before the day’s action begins.

Pay attention and use this information to your advantage.

Certain horses perform better in certain conditions. Softer or sloppier going, depending on whether races are on turf or dirt, can make even shorter distance races into greater tests of stamina.

One or other of these terms will be uses to describe the going:

• Firm
• Good
• Soft
• Yielding
• Heavy
• Fast
• Wet Fast
• Standard
• Slow
• Muddy
• Sloppy
• Sealed

All of these factors, plus stable, jockey and horse’s form, are things you have to weigh up in advance of a horse race.

2. Bring Binoculars

It might seem a bit old school to have wide angle binoculars, but serious horse racing bettors who are regulars at the track use them.

These allow you to zoom in and get a really good look at horses.

You may spot something while keeping your eye on a fancied runner that others haven’t. Racetracks are large places and not everything is going to be within the range of your normal eyesight.

In order to enhance your viewing of the race – and the horses’ behavior beforehand – it makes sense to take binoculars with you.

You are giving yourself the best chance of seeing all the action, both before and during the races.

3. Put Yourself In The Right Place

Location is key to being able to bet late in horse racing.

Positioning yourself where you have a view of the parade and also the horses going down to start, but also within striking distance of a betting window or automated teller, is vital.

You need quick access to everything.

Even if you are betting online, then you need to be in a place where the large body of people that is the crowd of racegoers won’t interfere with the internet signal and connection, so you can get your bet on.

It can be very beneficial to look in advance at the layout of the racetrack.

If you know where everything is and have a sense of where is best to position yourself, then you can literally be better placed to see everything you need to.

4. Watch The Horses In The Preliminaries

Although you have a shortlist in mind, judging all the horses dispassionately and irrespective of the market in the paddock and on their way to start is your next step.

It’s often overlooked that racehorses are like people – everyone is different.

Consider the following:

• Is any horse playing up, sweating or misbehaving in the paddock? It may be normal for horses to get excited as they are aware that they are about to race. However, this isn’t the case for them all.
• Does a horse have just one handler taking it around the parade in the paddock? If there are two, then this suggests it may not be so well-behaved in the preliminaries.
• On the way down to the start, is a horse being kept apart from the others? Races involve groups of horses running against one another and, if they can’t settle beforehand, that may be a negative.
• Consider the way a horse carries itself. A low or angled head carriage, or excessive bucking suggest it may be highly strung.
• Look at how the jockey is riding a horse on its way to start. If they are straining on the reins to keep it in check, then that may be an indication of a headstrong horse.

Make a mental note of the behavior of the horses, even those who aren’t on your shortlist.

Now it’s time to decide.

5. Reduce Your Shortlist

Based on what you have observed in the preliminaries and through your binoculars, it’s time to eliminate horses from the shortlist and settle on the one you’re going to bet on.

Unruly horses are the most obvious to discount, depending on whether that behavior is unusual for them or not.

A horse that is controlled but vibrant and moving easily down to the start under its jockey is ideally what you are looking for.

Now refresh yourself with the form and see if conditions and past performances support what you’ve seen.

6. Check Out The Odds On Offer

Now it’s time to consult the betting market once again.

Your chosen horse may have seen its odds shorten as other observers spot what you saw, or the bookmakers may have been slow to react.

Either way, don’t panic.

Although frustrating to miss bigger odds, remember that the racehorse’s price coming in is a good sign because the market is speaking for them.

Alternatively, just because a price drifts and gets larger doesn’t mean the horse won’t win.

There may be a hot favorite in the race that you as a bettor want to take on.

If the market remains in favor of that horse, then you may be getting even better value on the wager you’re going to place.

It’s always worth comparing the prices available on track to those online (hence you need to avoid the crowds to make sure you’ve got decent 4G).

A look at the betting exchanges can also prove informative. If fixed odds prices aren’t in line with these, then you may be ahead of the game.

Remember, you don’t just have to bet on a horse to win.

There are also plenty of other race and exotic bets available, depending on your level of gambling expertise and the situation.

7. Place Your Bets

You may have to queue to get your bet on if you are gambling at the track.

That means it’s worthwhile to write the ticket out in advance, so you can you make the process at a betting window as quick as possible.

Having blank betslips or tickets with you to write out your chosen bet is fine.

You aren’t able to do this with an automated teller, but these are simple to use as an alternative means of betting on-track once you familiarize yourself with them.

Betting online is much easier for times when you want to bet late in a horse race.

This is because there are no queues. All you need is a decent internet connection and the betting app or website loaded on your smartphone or tablet.

We hope you enjoyed our guide and picked up some of the basic tips for betting late in horse racing.

You might still have a few questions, so we’ve included some FAQs below:

How late can I bet on a horse race?

This depends on your betting method. Bookmakers on track and online will suspend the market once horses come under starter’s orders.

For a Flat race, no further bets are taken once all horses are in the gates. Betting online is available pretty much right up until the last second.

What are the benefits of betting late on a horse race?

The benefits of betting late are that you have the maximum amount of information to go on and you had the opportunity to see all the horses yourself.

Placing bets beforehand means you haven’t seen how the horses are behaving – vital information before a race.

… And the drawbacks?

There are some potential downsides to betting late. A horse’s odds of winning the race may shorten if they were well-behaved in the preliminaries and other fancied runs played up.

You may have picked out a horse at better odds earlier in the day and missed them. That is the chance you take when you bet late.

Can I win more money by placing a bet late?

This depends on how the betting market has unfolded on a race.

Sometimes, leaving it late works in your favor and you get better odds and a bigger return, but on other occasions it works against you.

You develop betting judgment over time and decide to whether gamble on a price still being there shortly before a race begins, or take the odds without seeing the horse parade.

Knowledge is power when it comes to making money off horse racing. Keep up to date with Casino.org’s horse racing news, or check out our blog posts on the biggest horse races in the world and the top 10 jockeys.

As is often the case, someone winning a life-changing amount of money has inspired others to think about how they can improve their own chances of hitting the jackpot.

Unfortunately, the chances of winning the lottery are miniscule, and the only way to improve them is to buy more tickets. 

Of course, spending vast sums of money on lottery tickets is neither a wise idea nor a sensible investment given the extremely long odds of winning the lottery.?

Fortunately, lottery pools offer people an alternate means of accessing more tickets without them having to spend extra money.

This might sound too good to be true. However, lottery pools are a legal and legitimate means of competing in the lottery.

The process of organizing and running a lottery pool is by no means easy or risk-free.

That’s why we’ve decided to put together this handy guide to explain how lottery pools work, the advantages of doing one, and the risks they pose.

What Is A Lottery Pool?                   

A lottery pool is a group of people who put money together to buy lottery tickets and agree to split the prize if one of the tickets wins.

As mentioned, lotteries are games of chance where the only way to increase the probability of winning is by accruing more tickets. 

For example, numerous media outlets reported that the probability of winning the recent $1.337 billion Mega Millions jackpot was one out of 302,575,350.

Hypothetically, if a player had purchased 100 tickets these odds would improve to 100 out of 302,575,350. 

So why do so many lottery players choose to only purchase one ticket? 

This is predominantly due to the cost of playing. Most folks are not able or willing to invest large amounts of money into slightly increasing their chances of winning big.

After all, even with 100 tickets the odds of winning the jackpot are miniscule. 

That’s why lottery pools are a popular choice. You can improve your chances of winning but without the additional cost.

For example, if 100 people chose to form a lottery pool and bought one ticket each, the chances of them winning the Mega Millions would match that of an individual who bought 100 tickets themselves.

However, on the flip side, the winnings of $1.337 billion would have to then be split 100 ways if the lottery pool won, whereas the individual could keep it all for themselves. 

Of course, splitting the jackpot relies on winning in the first place but there is proof that lottery pools can and do work. 

In 2012, 20 workers at a Quaker Oats factory in Iowa won $241 million. In the same year, 48 SEPTA workers won $173 million.

In both these cases the money was split amicably, highlighting how fantastic lottery pools can be when executed properly. 

Why Are They Associated With Offices?

Whilst many friends and families may frequently form lottery pools, the practice is most closely associated with work colleagues, especially office workers.

The prevalence of lottery pools in office settings is thought to be due to a number of reasons, not all of them financially motivated. 

In fact, many offices decide to form lottery pools as a means of boosting workplace camaraderie. This is because it provides employees with a common topic of conversation that can form the foundation of future friendships. 

In a practical sense, offices tend to host a large number of people, which may lead to sizable lottery pools developing. Mathematically speaking, larger pools mean an increased chance of winning. 

This fact makes forming lottery pools with colleagues preferable to creating smaller pools with immediate friends or family.

How To Set Up A Lottery Pool

Setting up a lottery pool correctly requires high levels of organization and transparency, especially in a workplace setting where the number of participants can be significant. 

1. Form Your Team

Regardless of setting, the first task is always to recruit members.

If the pool is being created in an office, it’s advisable to make everyone aware of the fact.

This not only ensures those at the top of the company are comfortable with the lottery pool going ahead, but also that no employees feel left out or alienated. 

2. Set The Rules

Once all have been approached and a list of players has been collated, two decisions must be made.

The first is if participants have to play every week, or if they can opt-in or out depending on their preference. 

The second is what the buy-in for each draw is. This could be anything from the price of one ticket to the price of 10 and beyond. 

Tip: It is advised that all participants put in the same amount of money each week as this will make the division of any potential winnings that much simpler. 

Businesses that see a number of employees absent throughout the week either due to working schedules or commitments to clients, may wish to set up an in-house “bank”. 

This allows uncontactable or absent workers to deposit money for future draws and therefore ensure that their money is collected for every weekly draw whether they be in the office or not.

3. Buy The Tickets

After the week’s entry money has been collected a single individual should use it to buy a pre-specified number of tickets.

Once the tickets have been received, they must be kept in a secure location. 

All that is left to do then is to sit back, watch the draw, and hope for a lucky win!

Lottery Pool Dos And Don’ts

Whilst the process of forming a lottery pool is quite simple, there are a few tips that ensure the pool is fair and functional for all. 

 Do Assign A Leader

First and foremost, every lottery pool should have a clearly designated leader.

This will be the person responsible for collecting money, purchasing tickets, and maintaining clear channels of communication between all lottery pool members. 

Having a leader will ensure that the weekly processes are performed in a consistent manner, whilst players will have a contact they can reach out to if they have any questions or concerns.

 Do Make Sure You Sign A Contract

Secondly, make sure any agreements are put down in writing.

Signing a contract may seem excessive for those who see the lottery pool as a bit of fun, however there are numerous examples of verbal agreements falling apart when millions of dollars are suddenly up for grabs. 

A clearly written and signed document ensures that there can be no arguments over who was playing, or the way the winnings should be split. 

 Do Keep Tabs On Who Plays Each Week

Another important process is that after the collection of that week’s entry money, the pool leader should always email a full list of the week’s participants to all lottery pool members. 

This ensures that those who have chosen not to play that week’s draw cannot stake a claim to any of the pool’s potential winnings. 

 Do Make Sure The Leader Sends Copies Of The Tickets Out

The lottery pool leader should always send a copy of the week’s lottery tickets to all players upon purchasing them. 

This is vital as it prevents the pool leader from never actually purchasing the tickets and pocketing the pool’s money or from using one of the pool’s tickets to claim the jackpot as an individual.

A trend that has caused multiple lottery pools to take their leaders to court as reported by NBC News. 

The importance of this process is reinforced by Jason Kurland, a Criminal and Civil Litigation Attorney who stated to Time Magazine: 

“You can look at cases where there is a ‘leader’ collecting all the money, buying tickets and if not done right, that leader might win on their own ticket and no one in the pool will believe them. It’s pretty scary especially in states where it’s an anonymous winner, no one is going to know if the tickets aren’t photocopied.”

 Do Agree On How Winnings Will Be Split

All lottery pool participants should come to an agreement concerning how small winnings will be dealt with, as these amounts are probably not worth splitting between numerous pool members. 

Popular alternatives to splitting small winnings include using the money to buy more tickets for the next draw or buying treats such as coffees for the pool members. 

 Don’t Use Cash

Whilst cash may seem like the easiest payment option, it can cause headaches in the future because it leaves no trace.

Digitally transferring money creates proof that the transaction occurred; proof that may well prove vital if players find themselves battling over winnings in court. 

 Don’t Allow Verbal Agreements

For the same reason as not using cash, verbal agreements should also be avoided.

IOUs or verbal agreements on who has entered that week’s draw may well fall apart when large sums of money are at stake, so always get everything in writing.

Are Office Lottery Pools Legal?

In the US the legality of office lottery pools is predominantly down to location.

This is because lottery pools are a form of gambling and as such are dependent on the state’s gambling laws. 

In states like Nevada, where gambling is commonplace and widely encouraged, there should be no problem with office lottery pools. 

Of course, the opposite is also true, so you should always do your research before setting up a lottery pool.

In states like Utah, where all forms of gambling are prohibited, lottery pools are illegal and should therefore not be organized.  

Furthermore, as office lottery pools occur on company property – and during company hours – permission should always be sought from the company owner, or manager before setting one up.

Finally, all government employees or civilians working at government facilities are generally not allowed to take part in gambling, even in states where it is legal, as it goes against federal workplace rules.

Lottery pools are therefore prohibited within these working environments. 

But for both your mental health and that of your bankroll, it’s important to take a little time to find the blackjack table that’s right for you.

You’ll be wanting three things: Table stakes that fit your bankroll, great blackjack rules, and a table where you can relax and have fun.

Step 1: Scout For The Right Minimums and Maximums

Table stakes are important because if you’re playing on a table with a minimum bet too high for your bankroll, it’s much more likely that you will go bust sooner.

Just a few bad hands will wipe you out.

But if you can afford a few more minimum bets, you can weather a small run of bad luck.  

A good rule of thumb is a bankroll of at least 20 times the table minimum, and preferably 40 times. That means you should bring at least $100 dollars to a $5 table, and $500 to a $25 table.

Always try and set loss limits for each gaming session and stick to them. Then use those limits when scouting blackjack tables to play.

Limits are always posted on the table sign on each table. You should be aware that management can (and does) change table minimums to meet demand, often with little notice.

Be prepared to walk away if your $10 game suddenly becomes a $25 game and your bankroll isn’t big enough.

Depending on the size of the casino, lower limit games may be featured up front, sometimes in “fun pits” designed to catch the eye of passers-by.

More medium limits may be further back in the casino in comparatively quieter areas, and high limits will often be found off to the side in a private room.

When in doubt, simply ask one of the blackjack dealers, floor people, or even the cocktail servers where you might find the particular limits you are looking for.

Step 2: Scout The Best Blackjack Conditions

Once you’ve found tables with appropriate stakes, you want to try and get the most bang for your buck. This means cutting the house advantage as low as you can.

The three biggest things you can look for to keep the blackjack house edge small are table rules, the number of decks in play, and the type of shuffler being used.

1. Table Rules

While it might seem odd, many casinos have different rules on their blackjack tables depending on their table limits.

You want to balance your need for a certain minimum bet vs. the best rules you can find.

A couple of nefarious rules often seen at lower limit tables are only paying 6/5 on blackjack instead of 3/2 and even charging a commission of 25 cents on each hand to play.

You should avoid these at all costs.

Ask the dealers if they have full pay blackjack tables, and if they are a bit higher limits it may be worth hunting them down in this particular case. Or even ask if nearby casinos have full pay tables.

Those 6/5 tables can add as much as 300% to the house advantage and the commission tables can be even worse.

You then want to look for other rules that have less impact on the house advantage but can still make a big difference long term.  

Ideally, you want to look for tables that allow:

• Dealer stands on soft 17.
• A player may double on any first two cards.
• A player may double after split.
• Aces can be split up to 4 times.

These common rules can save you a lot of money over several hours of play.

2. Number Of Decks Used

In general, the fewer decks in use, the better for the player. 

However, while eight decks are very common, the difference between eight and six decks is just a few hundredths of a percent.

If you can find a double-deck game, however, it is much more lucrative for the player.

A double deck with all the above rules has about half the house advantage of an eight-deck game with those same rules.

That means you would lose only half the money on average playing the double deck.

The casino of course is aware of this, and double deck games have minimums that reflect this lower house advantage.  

Again, you will have to balance your bankroll against the house rules to find an appropriate game that meets your budget.

3. Shufflers

There are three types of shufflers.

One is where the casino still allows the dealer to take the time to shuffle. This can be a several-minute process depending on the dealer and the number of decks in play, but it offers a nice respite where you don’t have money at risk, where the casino is still rating you for being in action, and where you can catch your breath.

Then on other tables, you will see shuffle machines. These are attached to the table and are readily noticeable once you’ve seen them.

On these tables, the dealer will be putting their used cards in the machine at the end of the shoe, and immediately pulling out freshly shuffled decks of cards from the machine. Then the dealer will begin dealing again.

It only stands to reason that the more bets you make in an hour, the greater the house advantage. 

And the casino has decided that they want to make money instead of shuffling.

Not only can this make for a poorer gaming experience with dealers who are exhausted and just dealing robotically, but you will lose more money on these games quicker over time.

The other possible machine that you may see is a continuous shuffler.

You can identify them by the dealer immediately putting their used cards into the machine instead of at the end of the shoe.

This is a bad choice not only for the reasons listed above but also because putting the used cards right back into play increases the house edge, at least a little.

Step 3: Scout For The Best Blackjack Environment

At this point, you’ll have spent a lot of time finding a blackjack table that fits your budget and keeps the house advantage to a minimum. But in the end, you want to have a good time.

Sitting down with a belligerent drunk who’s smoking a foul-smelling cigar and banging the table is not going to make for the best experience.

Take a few more seconds before you sit down and take a good look at the other players.

Are they laughing and having fun, or do they look miserable?

If you’re not a big fan of cigarette smoke it won’t make sense to sit down surrounded by people smoking like chimneys.

How about the dealer: Are they interacting with the players and having a good time, or are their heads down – just going through the motions?

An extra 10 or 15 seconds of observing the table may mean the difference between having a great night or having a lousy time that forces you to start scouting tables all over again.

Take the time to find a table that is a good fit not just for your bankroll and your chances of winning, but also one that makes for a smooth, enjoyable, and hopefully profitable experience.

Of course, no matter how you pick your lottery numbers, the draw is always totally random. While there is no method to guarantee a win (otherwise we’d all be millionaires!) there’s no harm in having one, either.

So, if you’re wanting to have a go at scooping the massive $810 million Mega Millions jackpot we’re all going crazy about, try one of these eight different ways to make your pick.

1. Study The Statistics

This method involves looking up previous draws and noting down the balls that get drawn most frequently. And thanks to a global obsession with lotteries, there is tons of information out there for you to study.

Although there’s no mathematical reason why some numbers get drawn more than others, there are a few that appear to be hotter.

Just remember that every number has the same chance of being drawn, regardless of whether it has appeared 10 or zero times over the past few draws.

Overall, this method is pretty time consuming, but many lottery players feel it gives them an edge.

You won’t be the only one using this method, though, so be prepared to split the prize if your numbers win.

2. Use Numerology

Next up, we come onto numerology. Whether you choose to use this method really depends on whether you’re a believer in the power of the universe.

Anyone can calculate their own “numbers” which hold a significance that’s personal to them.

We’re not going to go into how to find them, as it’s a really long process, but there are plenty of websites that explain how it all works if you want to try this method.

Once you’ve come up with six numbers, use them for the next lottery draw.

You never know: Some cosmic force could lead to you finally winning the jackpot you’ve been chasing for years.

3. Use Lucky Numbers

Nearly everyone has some lucky numbers.

You might like 10, for example, as it’s your birthday. Or you could have an attachment to number 28 for no reason whatsoever.

Lucky numbers come in all forms, from anniversaries to player jerseys. All you need to do is pick the ones you like or hold a sentimental value for, and that’s pretty much it.

It’s certainly not a scientific way of doing things but it’s always been a very popular way to pick lottery numbers.

4. Go Random

Every lottery is completely random, so why shouldn’t the way you pick numbers embrace this?

What’s the first number you think of? Write it down, and you’ve got your first pick!

There are various other ways to randomly pick numbers as well – the only limit to the ways is your own imagination. You could even just drop a pen on some numbers and use the one it hits.

We could go on about random number picking methods for hours, but we’ll let you get creative instead. As long as you end up with the correct number of picks, you’re doing it right.

This is actually one of our top ways to pick numbers, as it doesn’t have to take too long and it takes the pressure off having to think of lottery numbers for yourself.

5. Pick Numbers Over 31

Although this method won’t increase your chances of winning, it could increase the amount you win if you’re lucky enough to scoop the jackpot.

Why?

Well, most people have some low numbers in their selection, as they often use birthdays. Therefore, the numbers over 31 are used less frequently.

This then means that there’s less chance of someone else also hitting the jackpot with your numbers.

Think of it like this: You pick your numbers for a $10m jackpot, and 10 people win. Everyone would get $1 million each.

If only 2 people win though, you’d instead find yourself raking in $5 million.

We’d recommend this method to everyone, as it at least does have some mathematical reasoning behind it.

6. Make A Pattern

When you’re looking down at your lottery slip, you’ll notice that every selection contributes towards a pattern. This method involves picking numbers by drawing on the slip.

You could go in a circle, for example, or you could try to draw out a letter of the alphabet. Use your artistic flair and ability to make something that really does look great when you hand it over to the cashier.

Don’t just go in a straight line though as loads of people do this, so if you win, you’ll be sharing your prize with quite a few other winners.

7. Use A System

Another way some people choose their lottery numbers is by using a system.

There are plenty of these online, all of which are supposed to improve your odds of winning the jackpot.

In reality, they don’t, but many people have found it works for them.

There are tons out there, but we will only explain the Delta System today.

It works like this:

• Choose a number from 1 to 3.
• Pick two other numbers from 1 to 8.
• Now pick something close to 8.
• Now pick two numbers between 8 and 15.
• Mix the numbers up, so they’re not in numerical order.
• Your first lottery number is the first Delta number in the sequence.
• The second number is the first two Delta numbers added together.
• The third is your second lottery number + the third Delta number.
• The fourth number is the third lottery number + the fourth Delta number.
• The fifth is the fourth lottery number + the fifth Delta number.
• The sixth is the fifth lottery number + the sixth Delta number.

We know this sounds confusing, but it’s actually easy if you follow the instructions.

If any number is higher than the highest lottery number, just mix the numbers around until the system works for you.

8. Leave It To The Machine

Feeling lazy? This is the perfect method for you if you can’t be bothered to think about your lottery numbers.

Most lotteries allow players to simply receive random numbers, picked for them by a machine.

Just select the option, and you’ll receive your ticket, complete with the correct number of selections.

You’ll hear some people saying that letting the machine pick your numbers ruins your chances of winning.

The truth, however, is that whether you spend a year choosing your numbers or whether you let the machine do it, you’ll still have exactly the same chances of winning.

Picking numbers randomly is a hugely popular way to choose numbers in some countries, such as the UK.

Why not see if the lottery machine can help you win the jackpot?

It’s All About Lady Luck

We hope there’s at least one method here you like the sound of for the next time you try to hit the jackpot.

If you’re lucky enough to win, be sure to check out our handy guide on how to cope with winning the lottery.

It would be life changing, after all!

There’s a lot to consider when buying one for your home, though.

From whether you’re legally allowed to own a gaming device in your state to finding a reputable seller, it’s not as simple as you might think.

Here’s everything you need to know before going all in.

Where You’re Legally Allowed To Own A Slot Machine

If you’re looking to buy a slot machine for your home, it’s essential that you do your research first.

It’s your responsibility as the buyer to check your state’s laws regarding gaming machine ownership – including any restrictions.

Most laws state that machines must be 25 years or older to use in your own home and are restricted to entertainment use only.

So if you were thinking of buying the latest slot release to set up a profitable casino from your own home, think again!

Here’s a list of all US states and their restrictions on owning a slot machine, however, it’s always best to double check as laws are fluid. 

Where You Can Buy A Real Slot Machine

If you want to find slot machines for sale, the internet is your oyster.

The best places to look are the dedicated and reputable retailers, distributors and manufacturers — people that know their stuff — either online, in a shop, or both!

Spend a bit of time looking for somewhere trustworthy that has good reviews, like Slot Machines Unlimited or Gambler’s Oasis.

You can find big names here like Bally and Konami, but they don’t come cheap — you can expect to fork out between $1,000-5,000 on average per machine.

We’d suggest visiting a trusted slot machine retailer but if you don’t want to spend that much on your personal slot machine, there are other avenues too.

A quick search will reveal slot machines for sale on eBay, as well as on consumer-to-consumer sites like Craigslist, for varying but sometimes discounted prices.

Buying through an auction website or an individual runs the risk of not living up to expectations or price tag, so make sure you know the condition of the machine and trust the seller before committing to anything.

You can also find an array of instant-buy options on Amazon, or even Etsy — but beware that these are usually likely to be smaller replica or toy slots, rather than the real deal!

If the price seems too good to be true, it probably is.

Similarly, if it’s definitely not a toy machine and the price is still too good to be true, it’s likely a scam – so watch out.

That’s why it’s worth going for a reputable retailer or distributor. With a company you’ll pay a premium, but you’re also more likely to benefit from a fixed price, a guarantee, repair servicing, and a receipt.

Things To Consider

We know it’s more appealing to focus on the fun parts of buying your own slot machine, but consider these points before opening your walllet:

1. Cost

Think about your budget — what’s the maximum you’re willing to spend?

Don’t forget to factor in those delivery costs, too, and any extra refurbishments you may need.

2. Repairs and services

Are you ready to make repairs if you need to? As your slots will likely be second-hand, you’ll have to be prepared for a machine that’s not in mint condition.

If refurbishment isn’t part of the deal, can you or someone you know install and repair it?

3. Size                                   

Slot machines are much larger (and louder!) than you realize.

Make sure you have enough space to house one and consider whether you’ll be able to receive delivery easily through your doors, corridors, stairs or elevator.

Equally you’re going to need strong flooring – they’re very heavy!

4. Dedicated space

Consider whether you’ll keep it in the garage or the house, or in a communal space or a dedicated gaming room.

Decide where it will live before purchasing and make sure you’ve got a space that will work before spending thousands on one.

If you don’t have the space or money for your own machine, why not play some of the best online slots instead? 

It’s worth noting that the Irish poker drinking game is not the same thing as Irish poker.

The game we’re covering today is played for fun, while Irish poker is played for money, and it’s not very smart or recommended to play for money when drinks are involved.

If you’re looking for a simple and entertaining card game involving drinking, this one is as good as they get.

How To Play The Irish Poker Drinking Game

The great thing about this game is that you can play anywhere and anytime, as it doesn’t require much preparation. You can also learn how to play in minutes.

As mentioned, you’ll just need one standard deck of cards and some other players.

With just one deck, up to 13 people can play, so if you want to play with a bigger group you’ll need another deck of cards.

Let’s imagine you’re playing in a group of four.

Here’s how a typical game goes:

Round 1 – Red Or Black?

Everyone gets given four cards, dealt face-down. Once you’ve all got four cards, the person to the dealer’s left side goes first.

They have to guess whether their first face-down card is red or black.

Once making their call, they turn over the card to see if they were correct.

If they were right, they get to pick two players to take a shot/sip. If they were wrong, they have to take two shots/sips themselves.

This continues around the table until all players have had a turn.

Round 2 – Higher Or Lower?

In this round, the player on the dealer’s right side starts off and they have to guess whether their second card is higher or lower in value than the card they turned over in the first round.

As this is the second round, the number of players you pick to drink or shots/sips that you have (if you lose) is doubled.

If you guess correctly, you choose four players who have to drink a sip/shot. If you’re wrong, you have to drink four shots/sips. And if you get the same card as the first round, you automatically drink then too.

Repeat until everyone has had their turn.

General rules dictate that aces are high in the Irish poker drinking game. That said, it’s your game, your rules – so it’s something you can change if all players agree on it.

Round 3 – Inside Or Outside?

In this round, you have to guess whether your third card will be inside or outside the values of your first two cards, which are face-up on the playing surface.

Again, as it’s a new round, you add two more drinks to the total amount to drink or hand out.

As in the other rounds, if you guess correctly, you pick six players to take a shot/sip. Guess wrong, and you’ll have to drink all six.

Round 4 – Which Suit?

Most players will be pretty tipsy by the fourth and final round, where you have to guess the suit of your final card.

There is a bit of room for tactical decisions here, as you can consider all of the face-up cards on the table to see which suit is the least represented.

Guess right, and you have eight shots/sips to hand out to the other players players. Guess wrong and you’ll have to drink them instead.

Adapting The Rules

As it’s your game, you can create your own rules or play another varation.

Feel free to change the number of shots/sips per round. Or you could create a rule for when a specific suit or card appears.

Before you play, we want to highlight the importance of drinking responsibly.

The Irish poker drinking game is can be quite alcohol-heavy. With this in mind, you shouldn’t stick blindly to the shots/sips rules, especially if you’re playing with strong alcohol.

If people aren’t comfortable drinking alcohol or can’t do so, you can still play it without, as the game’s exciting nature and competitive gameplay will keep everyone entertained regardless.

• Playing Order: In 5 Card Draw Poker, players operate in a clockwise direction, starting from the dealer’s left. The first two players left of the dealer generally post the small and big blinds.
• Dealing the Cards: Each player is dealt five private cards face down. The goal is to make the best five-card hand according to standard poker hand rankings.
• Betting Rounds: After the deal, there’s a round of betting starting with the player left of the big blind. After the betting, players can opt to discard up to three cards and receive new ones.
• Final Betting Round: There is a final round of betting after the draw, followed by a showdown, where the player with the best hand wins the pot.
• Differences from Texas Hold’em: In contrast to Texas Hold’em, 5 Card Draw allows no community cards and gives players the chance to improve their hand by replacing cards during the draw round.

5 Card Poker is nowhere near as popular as it used to be a few decades ago.

Still, you may get a chance to play it in a home game and there are still some poker sites offering 5 Card Draw games. So let’s take a look at what 5 Card Draw is, how to play, the rules, and the best strategies for winning.

What Is 5 Card Draw?

5 Card Draw is a simple variation of poker, where all players are dealt five cards at the start. The game is played using a standard deck of 52 cards and uses the same hand rankings as in Texas Hold’em.

How To Play 5 Card Draw Poker

As far as the gameplay is concerned, 5 Card Draw is one of the easiest poker variations to learn. You’ll need a deck of cards and some chips or something to track the betting, and you’re good to go.

Because of the way the cards are dealt, having more than 6 players at the table is not ideal, although it is possible. The game is usually played in a five or six-handed format.

Each round begins with players posting blinds, just like in Texas Hold’em. Blinds are posted by the players seated to the immediate left of the dealer position.

Antes aren’t mandatory, but they’re more common in 5 Card Draw than in Hold’em.

Once blinds are posted, and cards are shuffled, the deal begins with the first card off the deck going to the player in the small blind position and going around the table clockwise.

Players are dealt one card at a time, face down until everyone has five cards in their hand. Once the dealing is done, the play can begin.

5 Card Draw Rules

Most players are accustomed to community card poker games like Hold’em and Omaha.

However, as 5 Card Draw is a draw poker variant – meaning each player is dealt a complete hand before the first betting round – there are no community cards and the gameplay is quite different.

Once all players have their five cards, the first betting round begins. The action starts with the first player seated to the left of the big blind, the UTG position.

It’s worth mentioning that 5 Card Draw is usually played as either the fixed limit or the pot limit.

While no-limit games exist as well, they’re quite rare.

Betting Rules In 5 Card Draw

The first player to act has the same options you’d have in Hold’em, meaning they can:

• Fold – ending their participation in the hand.
• Call – matching the big blind amount.
• Raise – depending on the betting structure, the raise size is either fixed, capped at the size of the pot, or unlimited up to the amount a player has in their stack.

The action then moves to the next player to the left, who can fold, call the action in front of them, or raise it again.

The betting rules are no different from those in most other variants, so you should have no problems in this aspect.

Once all the players have had the opportunity to take their actions and the betting is over, the game progresses to the draw stage.

The Drawing Stage – Exchanging Your Cards

The draw stage begins with the small blind player or the first still-active player to the left of the small blind position.

They have an option to discard as many cards as they want from their hand and exchange them for fresh cards from the deck. A player can also choose not to exchange any cards, which is known as standing pat.

A player will pick the cards they want to discard and place them onto the table to exchange their cards. The dealer will pick up the cards and deal out the matching number of new cards.

The purpose of the drawing stage is to allow players to improve their hands.

For example, if you have four cards of the same suit, you’ll exchange the non-suited card in hopes of completing your flush.

All active players have the opportunity to exchange their cards during this stage. The action moves clockwise, just like during the betting stage.

After all the players have exchanged the cards, the final betting round ensues.

The Second Betting Round

The betting rules during the second round are exactly the same as those used in Hold’em.

The action begins with the small blind or the first active player to the left of the small blind and continues clockwise.

The only difference from the first betting round is that players can opt to “check” if there are no aggressive actions, passing the action to the next player.

The betting will continue until all players have had their say. If one player manages to get everyone else to fold, they’ll win the pot by default.

Otherwise, the game will proceed to the showdown, where the winner will be determined based on the best hand.

The Showdown

As mentioned earlier, 5 Card Draw uses the poker standard hand rankings, meaning hand strengths are exactly the same as in Texas Hold’em.

The weakest possible holding is a high card and the strongest hand you can have is a royal flush. Straights beat trips and flushes beat straights.

Once the game reaches the showdown stage, all players will flip over their hands and let the cards speak. The dealer will compare all the hands, and the player with the best combination wins the pot.

If two or more players have the same best hand, they’ll split the pot like in other variants.

One important thing to note is that suits don’t make any difference in 5 Card Draw hand rankings.

Unlike community card games, players in 5 Card Draw can have flushes in different suits. When this happens, beginners are often confused as to who should win if both flushes contain the same cards.

Without going off on a tangent, just remember that suits are completely irrelevant when determining the winner. A flush in clubs is just as strong as a flush in spades.

Of course, this only applies if two players have the exact same hand.

Otherwise, the player with the single highest card in their combination wins. I.e., As Ks Js 7s 2s beats Ac Kc Jc 5c 4c as the 7 beats the 5.

5 Card Draw Strategy And Tips

Just like any other poker variation, 5 Card Draw has its own tricks and poker strategies you should be familiar with to beat the opposition and come out ahead.

Here are some basic tips to help you get started with the game.

Good Starting Hands In 5 Card Draw Poker

Knowing which hands to throw away and which ones to continue with is essential in all poker variations.

If you’re a Hold’em player, you probably know just how important the starting hand selection is

5 Card Draw is no different in this regard.

If you get involved with too many bad hands, you’ll end up in tough spots where you’ll have to take weak hands to a showdown or turn your missed draws into bluffs way too often.

In general, you should only get involved with fairly strong hands, especially in early positions. This means high pocket pairs (QQ+) and good draws (four to a straight and four to flush).

Of course, the better your position, the more you can expand your range. But understand that small pocket pairs are weak hands in this game and, unless you improve, you won’t win with them often.

Hands containing two pairs or greater are considered strong hands that you can play from any position.

Of course, you should still exercise caution and pay attention to your opponents’ actions.

3 card draws are basically trash hands that should be discarded unless you are in the blinds and can get to the draw round for free.

Bluffing In 5 Card Draw

Unlike Hold’em, this game gives you very little information about what your opponent might be holding.

This means pulling successful bluffs is much easier, especially in pot-limit and no-limit games.

It’s hard to come up with an exact bluffing guide since, like so many other things in poker, it’s very situational.

However, you should pay attention to two things, whether you’re the one bluffing or trying to pick off a bluff:

• Your opponents’ tendencies
• The number of cards exchanged

The latter is very important as it can give you a lot of information about someone’s potential holdings.

For example, if they exchanged just one card and are now betting big, the story is that they were on a big draw that came in, or they had two pairs and filled up.

If someone stood pat, it means they were dealt a big hand right off the bat – or at least that’s what they want you to believe.

Of course, the same applies when you’re the one pulling a bluff.

If you want to tell a convincing story, it’s probably not a good idea to start by exchanging four cards. It’s way less likely that you have a big hand after you did that than after exchanging one or two cards.

All this being said, if you’re new to the game, don’t go crazy with your bluffs. Just like in Hold’em, waiting for big hands and playing them fast will be the winning strategy.

As long as you throw in an occasional bluff, so your opponents know you’re capable of it, you should have no problems charging them when you have the nuts.

Tips For Drawing Cards

How do you know what cards to hold and what to discard when it’s your turn to act?

The rules aren’t exactly set in stone and your decision will depend on what you want to achieve.

For example, if you want to leave yourself more room to bluff, you might want to exchange only two cards when exchanging three would give you the best odds of improving.

That said, here are a few simple when just starting. After you gather some experience, you can start experimenting with different strategies and see how they work for you:

• With one pair hands, keep the pair and take three new cards.
• When holding three of a kind, exchange the two dangling cards for new ones.
• Never break a two-pair hand and just exchange the dangling card.
• If you have four to a straight or a flush, keep the draw and exchange the odd card.

Where To Play 5 Card Draw Poker Online

Since 5 Card Draw isn’t particularly popular these days, there aren’t many online poker sites offering it.

That said, if you’re feeling nostalgic or want to learn the ropes by playing against real opponents, the good news is there are still a few rooms offering this classic poker variation.

PokerStars

PokerStars is probably your best bet as it offers low-stakes cash games that are the perfect training ground for those just starting.

It’s also one of the rare places where you can still find occasional 5-Card Draw poker tournaments across all stakes.

Unibet

Unibet may not be as big as PokerStars but you will still find a fair number of option.

Traffic isn’t as good as on PokerStars, but there are usually a few games going, so you can jump into the action around the clock.

You’ll find an occasional 5-Card Draw poker tournament as well with affordable buy-ins and modest prize pools, which is a solid deal if you just want to have fun playing this classic variation.

Both PokerStars and Unibet are on our list of recommended poker sites.

If you have never bet on this before, then you need to know what your options are.

This is our guide to Super Bowl betting, showing novices and newbies how and where to place your wagers on the big match.

Popular Super Bowl Betting Markets

For starters, it’s useful to get the lowdown on the most popular Super Bowl bets so you know what you can bet on.

These are the wagers bettors place most often on the NFL championship game each and every year:

Moneyline

With the Super Bowl moneyline, you bet on which of the two teams will win the championship game once the two finalists are known. It’s as simple as that.

Moneyline odds are three-figure numbers and favorites have a minus sign (-) next to their price. This value shows you how much you would have to bet to win $100 on a wager.

The underdogs, meanwhile, have a plus sign (+) next to their odds. Moneyline prices here highlight what you would win off a $100 stake.

Point Spread

Oddsmakers calculate a points total that they believe will be the likely difference between the two NFL teams contesting the Super Bowl. This is called the spread or point spread.

You can either bet on the favorites to win by this margin or greater, or back the underdogs to win or lose by less than this number of points.

A successful bet is said to cover the spread.

Over/Under

The Over/Under markets reflect whether there will be more or less than a set number of combined points picked up by both teams in a part of the Super Bowl.

Betting on each quarter or half, as well as the entire game, are all offered by sportsbooks.

You can wager on whether you think the oddsmakers have underestimated (Over) or overestimated (Under) the total points scored.

Super Bowl Prop Bets

Prop bets, a short form of proposition, are hugely popular on the Super Bowl and cover all sorts of bases.

You can make wagers on everything from who will sing the National Anthem to who scores the first touchdown of the game.

Props are also available on the Super Bowl MVP, the quarterback who makes the most passing yards and touchdown passes, and even the Halftime Show.

How To Place Super Bowl Bets

Putting a bet on the Super Bowl is no different any other form of sports wager.

If you’re new to it all, then just follow these simple steps:

1. Pick a legit and licensed sportsbook for Super Bowl betting

We have a number of recommended Super Bowl betting sites that tick all the boxes. More on that below.

2. Sign up to the betting site

In order to get a bet on in the first place, you must have a betting account. That means signing up to a sportsbook and entering your personal details.

3. Create a username and password for your sportsbook account

All betting sites will insist on this security measure. It helps to protect you when gambling online.

4. Now make a deposit so you have funds to bet with

You can’t place wagers without money in your account, but think carefully about your betting budget and what you can afford to lose.

5. Claim a welcome bonus for joining as a new customer

Sign-up offers are common throughout the gambling industry and incentivize bettors to join up to sportsbooks.

6. Locate the NFL betting tab or section on the sportsbook

Online bookmakers will display their Super Bowl markets prominently on the site near to the big game. You should be able to find them easily.

7. Search the Super Bowl betting markets for the wager you want

There will be lots of bets to choose from. Find the wager that looks like the best value for you and has a good chance of winning.

8. Click the odds of your selection to add it to the betslip

You can place more than one bet together at once. This is called a Super Bowl parlay, but only comes recommended for experienced bettors.

9. Now enter the stake you want to wager

Remember, you can only bet up to the amount of your account balance. Set yourself stake limits and stick to them, as this ensures responsible gambling.

10. Confirm and place your Super Bowl bet

Some sportsbooks may give you the option of cashing out wagers that you place later on. Always make it your decision if you want to end a bet early.

Where To Bet On The Super Bowl

As noted above, you should be betting on the top Super Bowl betting sites out there.

The online sportsbooks you use need to be reliable, fully licensed and regulated, and above all legal.

Casino.org can help you there. We only recommended the best places to put your Super Bowl bets on with details of the all the latest odds, welcome bonuses and more.

We offer comprehensive reviews that you can read before signing up, so you know what to expect and can make an educated decision about which sportsbook is best for you.

3 Quick Tips For Beginners

We all need a bit of advice when starting out; so, if this is the first Super Bowl that you have bet on, here are some top tips to consider.

1. Do your research to find the best odds

It could pay to shop around for the best odds before signing up to one of the Super Bowl betting sites we recommend.

Oddsmakers at sportsbooks may calculate their prices for the moneyline and spread differently, so you could find extra value.

2. Don’t go too wild with prop bets

When it comes to Super Bowl betting, it’s easy to get carried away in the excitement of it all.

There is so much choice out there, particularly with the prop bets, that you can end up gambling more than you intended.

It’s wiser to find bets on the game that you can research rather than guessing what color Gatorade gets dumped on the coach by the winning team.

3. Check the stats

Before placing a point spread bet, for instance, you can check out the record of all NFL franchises of covering it.

This stat is actually recorded every game against the spread (ATS) as the margin of victory (MOV).

That data can be vital in helping you pick out a winning Super Bowl bet.

We hope this guide has helped you to make an informed decision when you bet on the Super Bowl this year.

Enjoy the game!?

For more on the Super Bowl, check out our article on the Super Bowl’s average ticket price over the years.

If you’ve ever wondered how to play or what to look for in a good 21+3 game, we’ve got you covered.

What Is The 21+3 Side Bet?

The dealer will deal you your first two cards and then turn over their upcard.

If your first two cards and the dealer’s top card make a straight, a flush, or a three of a kind, you’ve won!

One of the reasons for its popularity is that it’s so easy to play.

The bet is placed in a small circle off to the side of the main wager, which is why it’s called a side bet.

Either online or in a land-based casino, you should be able to find the bet for as low as $1, although in some places like Las Vegas, you may only see it for $5 and up.

21+3 Payouts

In the original game – now owned by Galaxy Gaming and found on land-based blackjack tables worldwide – a straight, flush, or three of a kind was paid a simple 9 to 1.

But as online casinos flourished and other companies saw the potential, the pay tables evolved.

Some games now pay a progressive jackpot on things like three aces suited, or perhaps 270 to 1 for a three of a kind suited.

The critical thing to remember is that they all play basically the same. Your first two cards and the dealer’s top card need to combine to make a winning hand.

Several of the online providers offer different payouts depending on the hand dealt.

The most common of these is this payout table from IGT, which has a 4.14 percent house edge with a six-deck shoe.

Or the very similar payout from Evolution Gaming which has a 3.62 percent house edge with a six-deck shoe.

The very popular top three side bet often accompanies the 21+3 side bet since they are both owned by Galaxy and marketed together to casinos.

It requires that you bet both the 21+3 bet and the top three bet. Then if your two cards and the dealer’s up card are a three of a kind, you’re paid 90 to 1.

A straight flush gets you a 180 to 1, and three of a kind suited gets you 270 to 1. You also get your 9 to 1 payout on your regular 21+3 bet.

The house advantage on just the top three bet is approximately 9 percent.

The More Decks, The Merrier

The number of decks in play can influence the house advantage by a few tenths of a point on your blackjack hand.

But the house advantage on your 21+3 bet can change by several whole percentage points depending on the number of decks in play.

The original 21+3 offered up by Shufflemaster at casinos across Europe, America and Asia is a prime example.

Here’s the paytable from 1-8 decks:

The casino’s advantage is more than twice as much if you play the 21+3 side bet on the double-deck game vs. an eight-deck shoe.

Even on the IGT and Evolution payout tables discussed above, the difference between a six-deck shoe and an eight-deck shoe is almost a whole percentage point.

So this game is best played with every payout paying 9 to 1 and on an eight-deck shoe.

Failing that, look for as many decks as possible, with one of these pay tables preferably.

Can 21+3 Be Beaten?

While a lower house edge is always a better bet, can the game be beaten?

Eliot Jacobson, a table games hacker of sorts, showed that a simple count of suits was enough to beat the game, albeit with a very low expected return and a high degree of difficulty.

But as many casinos went to progressive pay tables with three ace of spades or something similar, many individuals and teams realized they could look for progressive payouts that were large enough to give the player the advantage.

In these very limited cases, the mathematical pendulum had swung to favor the player as the size of the jackpot grew to offset the slight house advantage.

So it never hurts to keep an eye out for large progressive meters when scouting for a 21+3 table.

Conversely, small jackpots on these progressive games may mean that you are playing at a much worse house advantage than you would be just playing on a conventional game, so beware.

21+3 Is Here To Stay

21+3 is a simple, fun side bet, which, if you’re careful, doesn’t have to have a huge house advantage.

It can add a lot of excitement for just a $1 or $5 bet, and it gets the whole table pulling together in a way that blackjack doesn’t always. It’s similar to, but better than, the rummy side bet.

That’s the reason it’s been around for two decades and will probably be around for at least two more.

In this article, we’ll explain how to play Yahtzee, both offline and online, as well as share a few tips and tricks you can use when you’re next battling friends and family in a game of this timeless classic.

Yahtzee: What It Is And Where It Came From

Yahtzee is one of the world’s best-loved games, played by millions of families over the past 80 years.

The goal of the game is simple: you just need to roll specific combinations of dice, which are outlined on a Yahtzee scorecard. The more difficult the combo, the higher the score.

At the end, the player with the highest total score is declared the winner!

Yahtzee has been around since the early 1940s, when it was marketed under the name of “Yatzie”.

However, in 1956, Edwin S. Lowe – the man also credited with inventing bingo – began to sell it as “Yahtzee”.

It was purchased from Lowe in 1973 by the Milton Bradley Company. It is now owned by gaming giant Hasbro, who state that 50 million games are sold around the world every year.

How To Play Yahtzee

The rules of Yahtzee are exceptionally easy to understand. It’s suitable for two or more players, although any more than four can make for a long game!

To play, you’ll need five dice, a pencil and Yahtzee scorecards.

On each scorecard, you’ll find a list of combinations to roll. There are 13 combinations in total, all of which are explained on the scorecards.

You’ll also see that there’s a 35-point bonus for getting over 63 points in the upper section, plus you can add extra Yahtzees to the lower section, getting 100 points for each one.

To play, you roll the five dice. You’re then allowed to re-roll any of the dice you choose.

After the second roll, you’ll have your final combination and will fill in one of the sections on the scorecard – if you managed to get a viable combo!

You’ll get 13 turns in total, so will need to use a combination of skill and luck to fill in as many combos as possible.

At the end of the game, add the scores together and see which player wins!

Online vs Real Life

Yahtzee is best known as a game played face-to-face by families, however, it’s also possible to play Yahtzee online.

So, now it doesn’t matter if your friends are thousands of miles away, as you can easily play by hopping online and starting a game.

Got nobody to play against? That’s not a problem, as it’s also easy to find other Yahtzee fans to play online.

The ability to play Yahtzee from behind a desktop or mobile screen has pros and cons, with the biggest pro being you can play whenever you like, wherever you like.

What’s more, you won’t have to pay anything to play, as there are many websites where you can play Yahtzee online for free.

However, playing online certainly doesn’t offer the same experience as playing face-to-face, as it’s not as sociable.

You can’t make quick quips to other players about their rolls, and you won’t be able to see the smile on another player’s face when they roll Yahtzee.

For that personal experience, the game is best played offline.

While convenience is the number one advantage to playing online, there is also another big pro: you won’t ever run out of scorecards! I

f you do run into this problem while playing offline, you can find out where to get additional scorecards in the next section.

Where To Get A Yahtzee Scorecard

Every avid Yahtzee player has run into this problem: you sit down ready to play, only to realize you’ve run out of scorecards.

You’re then forced to either create your own homemade scorecards, which can be a long and boring process, or postpone the game until another day.

However, getting extra Yahtzee scorecards is now incredibly simple. Just download a Yahtzee score card and then print it off as many times as you want.

Yahtzee Tips And Tricks

Yahtzee is a game that relies a lot on luck, but there is also an element of skill to the gameplay too. Here are five tips to improve your Yahtzee strategy:

• Always try to get the bonus of 35 points by scoring 63 points or more in the upper section. This is best achieved by maximizing on the number of fives and sixes you can roll.
• If you get four-of-a-kind with any number, use the score in the upper section and not in the four-of-a-kind box. This will help you get the 35-point bonus.
• Rolled a bad combination and don’t want to or can’t use your chance? If so, sacrifice the aces box in the upper section, as it only offers a maximum of six points.
• Don’t use your chance box too early, as you’ll need it later in the game, when getting combinations will be tougher. Aim for a score of 25+ in the chance box.
• If you’ve already got Yahtzee, don’t turn down the chance to roll it again, as additional Yahtzees count as 100 points each.

Of course, the number one tip when playing Yahtzee? It’s to have fun, just like people have been doing for 80 years.

Yahtzee: Fun Times Guaranteed

It’s no surprise that Yahtzee is one of the world’s most popular games. Not only does it offer excitement with every roll, but it’s suitable for players of all ages, from five-year-olds to their grandparents.

It’s also exceptionally easy to play, so even complete newbies will be rolling with confidence after a few minutes.

If you want to try a more challenging game instead, check out our post on the hardest games to master!

When you know what some of the common tells are, you can recognize it in others and adjust when required.

This is especially true for live games where there are more opportunities to pick up tells, and you’ll encounter more amateur players who are giving away information.

It’s important to note right at the start that the ways to spot poker bluffs described in this article will not work every time, all the time.

The fact that you’ll still get it wrong from time to time is nothing to worry about. If anything, it’s an opportunity to learn and refine your bluff spotting skills even more.

Certain behaviors and actions are more frequently found with players who are bluffing, and this knowledge should be more than enough to give you a solid edge.

So for the sake of this article, let’s leave all of the balancing discussion and minimal defense frequencies aside and concentrate on actual indications that your opponent might be trying to bluff you.

1. Intent Staring

There are some pros out there who’ll stare down their opponents no matter what. Their stare isn’t meant to scare other players into folding but rather make them uncomfortable and further increase the pressure of the situations.

With amateurs, however, this is a completely different story.

If an amateur player keeps staring at you after they’ve made their big bet, there is a big chance they’re bluffing.

Their “scary” glare is meant to compensate for their weak hand. If you aren’t afraid of their bet, they’re hoping you’ll back out in the face of their brave behavior, which must mean they have the goods.

However, while staring alone is usually a sign of weakness, you shouldn’t judge your decisions entirely on that and should consider other information.

For example, if your opponent also starts talking a lot and taunting you into calling, alarm bells should be going.

Most recreational players don’t have it in them to casually talk and taunt you (without their voices breaking at some point) when they have a stone-cold bluff.

2. Quick Bets

When someone is hell-bent on getting you to fold, they’ll often lack the patience to play the hand the way they’re supposed to.

They bet the flop, you called, and now the turn is out.

As you tap the table or as the word “check” crosses your lips, you see them already pushing out a stack of chips, often accompanied by a loud statement.

More often than not, these quick bets are a sign of a bluff.

When someone has a good hand, the last thing they want is for you to fold. So, they’ll usually take their time to figure out how much to bet.

On top of that, they’ll act slowly exactly because they don’t want to telegraph just how strong they are.

If you’re holding a marginal hand like a second pair with a solid kicker, you’ll also want to take a moment and think about the turn card. Has it changed anything? Do you need/want to keep betting?

So, there are very few instances where someone will be firing these snap bets on the turn or the river with a very strong hand.

Maybe if they’ve flopped a set and are afraid you’re drawing to a straight or flush, they’ll want you to fold so they don’t get sucked out on, but this rarely happens.

Pay attention to these snap bets if you want to get better at spotting bluffs.

Ideally, you’ll have already seen that player doing something similar in a hand against someone else before, which should give you even more information.

3. Weird Bet Sizings

It’s true that inexperienced players aren’t that good when it comes to figuring out a proper bet sizing, since that is one of the hardest things at the tables.

They’ll frequently make bets that are quite small in comparison to the pot, which will cause frequent “bad beats” and “suckouts.” What they don’t realize is that it was their bad sizing that gave other players correct odds to keep chasing.

However, even recreational players will size their bets in a “normal” way for the most part. They might be betting on a smaller or a bigger side of things, but it doesn’t look too much out of the ordinary.

Then, all of a sudden, you see them firing $200 into a $70 pot.

This kind of an unusual bet just screams “bluff.”

It’s usually a player trying to buy the pot and break the dry spell or get back to even. Perhaps they’ve just realized that winning what’s in the middle would put them back in the black and figured no one is crazy enough to call such a big bet.

Do be careful, though, especially when dealing with these big bets.

Sometimes they’ll also be coming from a player who’s just turned the nuts and got too excited. So, when trying to put things together, also consider whatever else you might know about the player in question, like:

• Are they aggressive in general?
• Have you seen them show many bluffs?
• Do they look nervous?

You can’t afford to go wrong in these spots too frequently. So, take your time before you make a final decision.

That said, keep an eye out for any weird bet sizes and pay attention to them. If you can assess these situations correctly more often than not, you can bump up your win rate quite nicely.

4. They Give You “Friendly Advice”

I’ve been in many poker games and have played with quite a few people you could genuinely call nice. But the fact someone’s nice in real life doesn’t mean they’re in the business of giving away money at the poker table.

Whenever a player tries to give you some friendly advice and convince you to fold your hand because it’s “no good” it’s an alarm for me!

Sure, if you’re playing in a cash game with your brother or your best friend, they may genuinely want you to fold because you’re already stuck, and they don’t want to take your money.

Other than that, I’d be very skeptical about anyone convincing me to fold for my own good.

Some more experienced players have turned this type of speech play into real art, and they’ll sound very honest and convincing when talking to you.

Just try and remember that this is the poker table you’re sitting at. People are after your chips (which is the whole point of the game, after all), and they’ll get them any way they can.

Combined with the fact that no one would want you to fold when they have a hand, this can be a good indication of an actual bluff in the making.

5. Physical Tells

Basing your decisions on physical tells is always a risky proposition.

While some people will tell you that this is a huge part of the game, I’d say you should only use them as an additional source of information when you already have an inkling someone might be bluffing.

The problem with physical tells is that they’re just not too reliable unless you know someone really well.

Things such as shaky hands, heavy breathing, and hard swallowing can be a sign of a bluff. But they can also mean someone is just excited or nervous because they’re not used to playing live or have a huge hand and are hoping you call.

What you may want to pay attention to, though, is if you notice someone trying their best to hide certain reactions or behavior.

If their hands are shaking and you notice them stop shuffling their chips because of it, it’s more likely they’re bluffing. If they weren’t bluffing, they probably wouldn’t care as much about what you could read from it.

When you find yourself up against someone, who’s been playing live for a while and seems to be a good player in general, you should be careful about the value you assign to any physical tells.

These players are likely to be aware of their table presence and might intentionally let you see certain things that you could interpret a certain way.

So as with everything in poker, you can get way more value from observing recreational players and adjusting based on those observations rather than trying to pick on a regular.

6. The Story They’re Telling Doesn’t Add Up

There are many different ways to go about spotting bluffs, but one of the safest routes is to think about the hand in progress.

It’s often said that bluffing is like telling a story, and a good story needs a beginning, middle, and ending to all work together for it to make sense.

Experienced players know this, but amateurs not so much.

If you’re the one driving the action in the hand until the river and then all of a sudden your opponent bets into you when the river is dealt, you must ask yourself: Does this make any sense?

• Has the river card changed anything?
• Have they slow-played a monster this way?

Sure, if the river card completes a flush or an obvious straight, you can stop to think.

But if it’s an irrelevant card that’s paired the lowest card on the board or doesn’t complete any draws, what is it that they’re trying to represent?

When you pick off these bluffs, they’ll often ask you, how could you call such a big bet on the river? Were you not afraid they had the nuts?

But it’s really hard to have the nuts in Hold’em, and most people don’t take these weird lines when they do get it.

If you make a mistake now and then and run into a weirdly played monster hand, so be it.

If the story doesn’t add up, it’s much more likely to be a bluff than anything else.

Staying Alert At The Table

All these unique ways to spot poker bluffs are good, but at the end of the day, every person is different.

While someone will never make an overbet bluff, others will regularly put their stack on the line with weird bluff lines.

So, if you want to become good at picking off bluffs, you need to stay on top of your game.

The best players don’t drift away when they’re not involved in a hand. They continue to pay attention to what’s going on around them and soak as much information as is humanly possible.

Some will even take notes on other players on their phones. These general ideas are much more applicable if you have some solid reads on a particular player and their tendencies.

Almost everybody pays attention to big pots, but you should also be aware of the small ones.

Did someone buy a 10 big blind pot with a 20 big blind bet? That player is much more likely to do something similar in a much more important spot for a larger amount.

Did someone talk their way out of a smallish pot by getting the other player to fold their hand? Rest assured that the same player might try something similar against you in the future.

If you can see a couple of showdowns in similar situations, you can make a mental note about specific player’s tendencies, and this will surely come in handy later in the session when you have to make a big decision.

This may seem like hard work, but once you get used to it, you’ll notice it can be a lot of fun as well.

It’s like a game within a game.

Gathering information on your opponent and making correct decisions based on that information will make you feel good and boost your confidence – not to mention your win rates.

Summary: Spotting Poker Bluffs Is A Science

I don’t think there is a guide in the world that can teach you everything you need to know about how to spot a bluff. This is one of those areas where experience and practice are an invaluable part of the process.

While certain patterns definitely exist, picking up on them and interpreting it is a science on its own.

This isn’t to say that you shouldn’t do your best to gather as much theoretical knowledge as possible, but different players have different tendencies, so you have to really focus on the table and observe them.

While bluffing and catching your opponents is an important part of the game, don’t let this become your only preoccupation.

You can improve your profitability by getting better at reading people, but this is only a small part of what you need to do to become a successful player.

In the end, by developing other areas of your game and learning sound strategies, you’ll become better at reading bluffs as well – simply because you’ll have a better understanding of poker!

“Knowing your opponents’ tendencies in all sorts of preflop and postflop spots is simply invaluable.”

With enough information and the knowledge to interpret it correctly, your win rates are bound to skyrocket. So it’s no wonder that there are various tracking programs in the online poker world.

But, as good as poker trackers are, you can’t always use them.

In live poker, you don’t get the benefit of a program running in the background, silently collecting all the data for you to use. As for online, more and more sites are completely banning or severely restricting the use of trackers.

While this is certainly inconvenient, especially for those used to playing with the help of various poker stats, it’s not the end of the world.

One trait that all successful poker players share is their ability to adapt to new situations.

If you can’t have a program doing things for you, there is nothing to stop you from doing it yourself by taking notes on players.

It may not be as efficient or as extensive but having some ideas about what kind of a player you’re up against certainly defeats playing completely blind.

On top of that, most of your opponents won’t take that extra step, so you can even gain an advantage.

Manually taking notes on players may feel like a demanding and painful task, but it doesn’t have to be.

The goal of this article is to give you some useful guidelines on how to go about your note-taking process, whether you play online or live.

With these tips, you should save a lot of time and end up with notes that are actually useful in your games.

Note Taking Fundamentals: What To Pay Attention To

When you’re playing poker, especially if you’re on multiple tables online, there is almost always a lot going on.

Even if you’re experienced with multi-tabling, as the number of games increases, the time you have for other things, including taking notes, decreases.

Because of this, it is extremely important to figure out what kind of situations warrant taking the time to make a note.

If you are doing it too often, not only will you lose time and perhaps start timing out all over the place, but you might also end up with big walls of texts that don’t really help you.

So, to begin with, focus on really odd, non-standard events, like:

• Someone calling your three barrels to the river with a bottom pair
• 3-bet and calling a jam with a weak hand
• Making a big over-bet on the river with a bluff

There are many examples such as this, but you get the idea. You want to take notes of the events that stand out and can help you in particular spots in the future.

Making a note about someone defending in the big blind with a hand like 7-4 against 2.5x raise is just too wide. That kind of information won’t really help you.

Even if you had enough time to take notes on all the plays, it still wouldn’t be very effective.

You don’t really need a huge file containing three pages of (mostly irrelevant) information. With all that data, it will just be hard to find the concrete info you’re actually looking for.

Unlike auto-generated stats, notes are something you’ll need to work out on your own and build over time.

With enough hands against a particular player, you’ll be able to pick up on their most important tendencies and be able to rely on those notes.

Avoid Making Notes When Tilting

When a particular player sucks out on you or plays a weird hand and puts a bad beat on you, you might get mad or go on tilt.

That’s part of the game, and no one is completely immune to tilt, but don’t let these things influence your notes.

Making a note of “fish”, “idiot” or “donkey” won’t do you any good.

The next time you come across that player, you probably won’t remember the hand; you’ll just have a note that’s supposed to describe what kind of a player they are. But a lot of the time this won’t even be true.

Maybe you will feel better after “marking” players that put a bad beat on you, but if you’re serious about taking notes and making the most out of them, you need to avoid this practice.

How To Take Notes Online

These days, most online poker rooms come with an inbuilt feature that allows you to make notes on players in real-time. It’s usually as simple as clicking on the player’s name or their avatar and typing a note in the box.

Some rooms will even provide you with convenient little icons or colors you can use to mark players.

You can develop your own system for tracking players with categories, which you should keep consistent.

Here are some of examples of possible categories:

• Regular players that you come across a lot
• Good regs (players that you should probably avoid or play very carefully against)
• Bad regs (those who play a lot but you see make bad plays)
• Passive players who call too wide
• Overly aggressive players who 3-bets too often, etc.

If you mark many regular players in your games with a colored label or some kind of shortcut representing a specific group, you will know how to adjust your play against these opponents even before sitting down at the table.

This will also help you find the most profitable games and table select, so it is totally worth the extra efforts.

However, don’t be quick to put players in certain categories and be prepared to move them from one group to another as you gain more information.

Even good regs make bad plays every now and then, but that doesn’t mean they’re bad in general.

Take enough time to figure out what group the player is most likely to belong to and never make judgments based on one hand.

As you become more proficient with the whole process, you might develop an even more complex marking system for different player types.

I’d suggest starting with a simple categorization and branch out from there, especially because tagging players in a more specific way will require a fair amount of time.

Keep It Simple And Efficient

You don’t need to write a short story to make a useful note on a player. You only have a limited amount of time to make a note, and you want it to contain just the relevant information.

Everything else surrounding it is just the fluff that you don’t need and will take time to write down and read when you meet the same player again.

For example, a note like:

3-bet from the middle position with 4-5s against UTG open, c-bet on the 9-high board

can simply be:

MP 3-bet 45s, c-bet 9-h flop.

You have all the information you need right there.

Of course, some notes won’t be as specific.

You might want to simply describe someone as a very aggressive player or someone you’ve seen bluff a lot. Still, it would be perfect if you could come up with a couple of examples that back up your theory as these can be quite useful in the future.

Bluffs a lot (3-barrel shoved river w missed f-draw x few times)

Having these kinds of specifics and the general information can be of great use, as not every player is prone to bluffing the same way. Some will keep firing, and some like to check-raise as bluffs, etc.

Whenever you want to make a new about a player, do so on a new line. To take it one step further, you can add separators to quickly access what you need.

When I’m taking notes, I have these lines:

• Preflop
• Flop
• Turn
• River
• Tendencies

This makes your notes much tidier and easier to scan through during the actual play.

Just like any text, breaking your notes into smaller chunks makes it easier to read and nicer to look at in general.

How To Take Notes In Live Poker

Back in the day, if you wanted to take notes on live players, you’d have to show up with a pen and notebook and keep writing stuff down.

In addition to making you look silly, I’m sure quite a few players wouldn’t take too kindly to it and would be super curious to know what it is that you’re writing.

Today, thankfully, there’s all sorts of technology like smartphones that let you make quick notes without anyone raising an eyebrow.

Players spend a lot of time on their phones as it is, so no one will know if you’re taking notes or chatting with your friends.

Live poker is generally slower, so you’ll have plenty of time to take notes between hands. In this case, you don’t have to worry too much about abbreviations and can take really in-depth notes.

It’s up to you what kind of app you want to use for this purpose.

You can use any default notes app that came with your phone, or you can get one of the poker apps developed specifically for this purpose.

There are a few out there, and they come with some neat functions that will make your life a lot easier.

Either way, you should keep things nicely organized.

There will be no bubble popping over the player’s head at a live table, bringing up the notes you have on them. Instead, you’ll need to find them on your phone, and you don’t want this process to take too long.

Ideally, you don’t even want other players to know you’re keeping notes.

So, you could sort your notes by player names or nicknames and have them always ready to go if needed.

That being said, you probably shouldn’t try to read those notes in the middle of the hand.

In the live setting, you’ll usually be up against the same players over and over again. So, if you keep detailed notes and read up before the session or just go through the notes between the hands, you’ll be able to memorize the most important points about almost every player you encounter frequently.

The Kind Of Notes To Take In Live Games

In live games, you have access to much more information while playing, and you should include all that information in your notes.

First of all, if there is an interesting hand, you can take the time to describe it in detail and save it for later.

Based on the hand breakdown, you can then edit specific player notes accordingly later. If there is a hand with a lot of action and weird plays, try to catch as much as you can and just save it.

Later, when you have more time, this description will help jog your memory and make some more specific notes about players involved.

In addition to hand information, you should also be making notes about any potential reads you pick up along the way.

For example, if a player was making a big speech when pulling a bluff, definitely make a note of that. Or, if they placed their bet in a very peculiar manner in a certain spot, write it down.

Individually, these things may not mean a lot. However, as you keep playing against the same players, certain patterns will likely start to emerge.

Others in the same game are very likely to miss out on them, but you won’t because you’re keeping notes and slowly building player profiles.

This is one of the most underused things in live games, so it can boost your win rate quite a bit when used correctly.

As well as being very helpful, keeping notes at the tables will also help you pass the time during hands you aren’t involved with and keep you focused on the game instead of watching random videos on your phone or giving up to other distractions.

Make Taking Notes A Habit

Whether online or live, taking notes while playing is a very good and valuable habit to have as a poker player.

Even if you have access to a tracking program and can run it without any issues, you should still take the time to make personal notes in interesting and peculiar spots.

While it may seem like a lot of work for very little gain at first, you’ll see their usefulness as time goes by, and you keep running into the same players trying to do the same thing over and over again.

Many poker players don’t change their style frequently, and once you figure out their tendencies, you’ll be able to exploit them for a long time.

Don’t rely on your memory. It’s simply impossible to remember all the important things, even in a live setting where you’re playing against a relatively small number of players.

Make it a habit to take notes every time you play and try your best to keep them neatly organized so that you can make the most use out of them.

Take the advice from this article and apply it. Your profit line will be most grateful to you!

If you don’t feel like pulling up a chair at the poker table or stopping by the slots, most casinos have more than enough activities and attractions to entertain even the most discerning of travelers.

Many casinos across the globe are now combined hotel complexes or resorts — and some particularly impressive examples are the size of a shopping mall (or have one), an entertainment district, or even a small city.

And there’s usually something for everyone, whether you’re a foodie, spa aficionado or a shopaholic. Where else can you get galleries, restaurants, swimming pools and superstars all under one roof?

So, if you’re wondering how you can turn a casino vacation into a trip for the whole family, or want to mix your visit up with some fun away from the floor (when it’s safe to do so, of course) — here’s how you can spend time at a casino without gambling…

1. Eat Out

It’s easy to dine around at casinos, which regularly serve up some of the best eateries in the world.

You should be spoilt for choice at any casino worth its salt, so why not go somewhere different for each of your three meals a day?

Casinos usually cater for all budgets, with restaurants for high-rollers and those who are a bit more budget conscious.

Explore the endless food courts and sample something from every outlet during your stay, get your money’s worth at one of the great value buffets or visit a fine dining restaurant for haute cuisine and world-famous chefs.

Casinos with a high-brow taste for gastronomy include Caesars Palace in Las Vegas and its two Michelin-starred French restaurant Guy Savoy, and Macau’s three Michelin-starred Robuchon au Dome in the Grand Lisboa.

If you’re all about options, The Venetian’s Las Vegas and Macau outposts both have extensive offerings, where you can feast on everything from pizza to noodles.

2. Hit The Bars

We’re not advocating spending all of your time with a drink in hand, or starring in your own version of The Hangover.

But, casinos often house some of the best and most unique watering holes in their host city, offering plenty of venue variety, VIP hangouts, and probably their own range of signature drinks, which you won’t be able to get anywhere else.

Bar hopping is a lot easier when it’s all under one roof, too.

For example, you could spend a few fun hours just exploring The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, where you’ll stumble across a themed barbershop bar, a bar dedicated to Mexican mezcal and The Chandelier — a multi-level crystal-ensconced wonder that doubles as an art exhibit.

So, if everyone else is kicking back at the craps tables, why not put your feet up with a glass of Champagne, a cocktail, or a mocktail instead?

3. Go To See A World-Class Show

Mega casinos and their often equally large entertainment venues often draw big names from showbiz.

Casinos can be as attractive to top performers and touring shows as prestigious theatres and arenas. And sometimes they can even hold more people.

Why not fill one or two of your evenings with a show — whether you’re a fan magic, musicals or comedy, there is bound to be something for you.

A quick internet search reveals a visit to the MGM Resorts in Vegas could entertain you with Cirque du Soleil packages and shows based around The Beatles, Michael Jackson and more.

It might not be Broadway, but it’s close enough.

4. Listen To Live Music

Casinos also double up as great concert venues and some of the biggest in the world are also home to facilities that can house hundreds or thousands of seats for live music.

Portugal’s casino Lisboa sets the standard with a rotating stage and flexible auditorium, but WinStar Casino in Oklahoma knocks the ball out of the park with its 7,700-seater ‘Colosseum’.

If you’re lucky, maybe you can be part of a stadium-size crowd watching the latest superstar perform a once-in-a-lifetime concert.

Or, if you prefer intimate gigs, there’s often slightly more low-key live music in the lounges and bars.

5. Stay Active

Casinos are always expanding, with the big-guns regularly trying to outdo each other in the size stakes.

But space must be filled, so you may find there’s more to do on site than you first thought.

For those who like to stretch their legs, examples of fun things to do at casinos include activity offerings as diverse as zip-lining and bowling  — both available at Foxwoods in Connecticut. Some Vegas arcades even feature virtual reality activities.

While golf, or access to local golf courses, often go hand-in-hand with casino trips, too.

6. Watch Your Favorite Games On The Big Screen

If there’s a game you just can’t miss, casinos are a great place to watch live sport.

From big deal Super Bowl events and fight night specials to bars with giant HD TVs screening the latest fixtures, news and highlights from the sporting sphere, you’ll be covered.

Find the best seat in the house, get those nachos and game snacks ordered, grab a cold beer and revel in the fact that you get to watch for ‘free’ — and in a great atmosphere.

Plenty of casinos offer sportsbooks now, so it makes sense that patrons can watch the real-world drama unfold alongside their bet.

The Tap at the MGM Grand takes sport seriously, and you can watch the action surrounded by walls covered in memorabilia, and there’s local brews and fried treats to match, too.

7. Soak Up The Unique Entertainment

Outlandish, eye-catching, elaborate…the top casinos in the world often like to make a statement to set themselves apart from the competition and grab a few headlines while they’re at it.

This means you can get some pretty cool and unusual entertainment, and customers can benefit as the big names in the gambling world try to outdo each other and diversify.

If you’re traveling to Macau, the Ponte 16 Macau casino is where you’ll find an area dedicated solely to street performers and, if you’re lucky, a unique ‘gift gallery’ featuring curious items and souvenirs from around the globe.

While, close by at the City of Dreams and Wynn Macau resorts, you’ll be dazzled by live water theatre and a host of digital and visual art installations including an illuminated lake, ‘Moon Jelly Aquarium’, a rotating dragon and a color-changing tree. 

Some of these features are tourist attractions in their own right.

So make sure to milk the novelty value, as there may be more to your destination than meets the eye.

8. Go For A Swim

It might not be the first thing you think of when visiting a casino, but plenty of establishments have a pool, either alongside or as part of a hotel.

So take a dip, cool off and do a few laps.

Some casinos, such as 7 Clans Casino in Oklahoma, take the aquatic theme even further with an indoor waterpark that boasts a 30 ft waterslide, and a 329 ft lazy river.

If you’re looking for children-friendly casino resorts, hitting the waves is great for big and little kids alike, and a great way to let off steam.

So be sure to pack your swimwear and make a splash while everyone else stays on the slots.

9. Experience A Casino Club Night

No casino is complete without a club.

Winners, whales and high-rollers often want to live the high-life and make the most of VIP perks.

But, even if you’re not into gambling, you can still enjoy an exclusive experience.

Encore at Wynn Las Vegas houses two famous venues in party-central Sin City, attracting celebrities and top DJs to its ‘beach club’ by the pool and the world-famous XS Nightclub that grabs attention with its curved DJ booth, golden staircase and penchant for lasers.

But clubs aren’t just for night owls either, as global gambling destinations are now peppered with day clubs, too.

Pool parties and private cabanas with all the trimmings are just some of the ways you can spend your day, before leaving to enjoy an early night.

10. Indulge In Retail Therapy

Another string casino complexes have added to their bows over the years is shopping.

If patrons are going to gamble, they may well win and want to spend their winnings, so why not spend them on site?

If you’re foregoing the gambling, you could easily fill a day with shopping at most casinos.

The MGM Grand and its 25 shops, and Foxwoods’ sprawling shopping center, are examples of destinations with a retail offering to rival the best malls.

If you don’t want to splash the cash, it can be just as fun to treat yourself to a spot of window shopping, too.

11. Treat Yourself To Spa Time

At world-class casinos you’ll usually find highly-rated hotels with first-rate, full-service spas.

Casino-goers often like to unwind after a big win (or loss), so take advantage of the top professionals and wellness facilities at your fingertips.

If you’re not tempted by the idea of a massage, a mud bath or a body wrap, many spas offer a day pass for a decent price.

These will usually give you access all areas to enjoy ‘public’ amenities like saunas, steam rooms, hot tubs, whirlpools, gyms and relaxation lounges.

If you’re staying in a hotel with a spa, you may even be able to use its communal areas for a discounted price.

It would certainly be easy to while away a full day at somewhere like the Bellagio Spa & Salon, where you can pair your steam and sauna with hair and makeup sessions, and treatments from around the world.

12. Enjoy The Arts And Culture

Nope, we’re not joking.

Casinos can be some of the best places at which to soak up arts and culture.

Often works of art themselves, casinos are home to some extraordinary and famous architecture (think The Venetian Macau, themed around Venice’s canals).

It’s worth taking a tour if there is one, or simply strolling around yourself armed with a floor-plan and a little history.

If it’s art that interests you and you’re staying at a big-name casino, you’re bound to stumble upon some fascinating collections, independent galleries and even rare originals.

Money attracts high-end art and vice-versa, with the Casino Lisboa’s contemporary art gallery, and The Bellagio’s Fine Art Gallery and Picasso restaurant just some of the places culture vultures can get their fix.

Quick Tips For Non-Gamblers Heading To The Casino

• Plan Ahead — check schedules and find out what shows and concerts will be showing while you’re visiting. You don’t want to miss out on that gig of a lifetime by being last minute.
  
• Reserve A Table — you’ll be gutted if you miss out on a Michelin-starred menu by turning up as a walk-in without a booking.
  
• Play The Part — just because you’re not gambling doesn’t mean you can’t mix, mingle and make the most of your luxury surroundings.
  
• Double Check — if you’re not staying at the attached hotel for the spa you want to visit, make sure you check which days it’s open to the public. Don’t be left ruining your itinerary after being turned away on a ‘guests only’ day.
  
• Do Your Research — if you’re bringing the kids there are plenty of casinos out there that offer dedicated play and games areas, as well as baby sitting services. But never assume.
  
• Take Your Time — casinos are filled with people from all walks of life, and from all over the world. So there’s nothing wrong with doing a little people watching.
  
• Sightsee — you don’t need to stay confined to the casino. Let your companions get on with the gambling and check out the local area. Some of the most famous casino cities also happen to be some of the coolest places on earth.

Related content:

Some of the giants of the betting industry – Coral, Paddy Power and William Hill among others – all started out small before becoming the gambling goliaths we know today.

Just how do you become a bookmaker and what route should you take? If done right, then you can have a very profitable and lucrative business on your hands.

You also need a certain skillset, money to get started, and to decide what type of bookie you want to be. We’ll cover everything in our step-by-step guide below.

Step 1: Decide Which Route To Take

If you decide that bookmaking is the career for you, then what avenues are open to you? Which of those is best?

Well, there are pros and cons to each route, with four options to choose from:

• Online bookmaker
• On-course bookmaker
• Opening a betting shop
• Combination of some or all of the above

Online betting has never been more popular, but the marketplace is somewhat saturated nowadays.

You would need to offer something different to the mainstream and big boys of betting to attract business. Incentives like sign up offers and regular promotions are what lures and then keeps bettors coming back to place their wagers with you.

Be warned: it’s hard to stand out from the crowd in this area.

If you love horse racing at your local track, then becoming an on-course bookie is an alternative option.

There are additional costs involved, however, for your pitch and it’s worth noting that quiet, midweek meetings seldom attract big crowds. It can be hard to make on-course bookmaking pay.

Opening a betting shop involves more than just getting yourself a license to operate. You have to rent some real estate and employ staff to help you run the place and that means additional costs.

A premises license for the place you lease and personal functional licenses for any people working for you are also needed. More on those later.

Step 2: Decide How You Want To Set Up

Many small-time bookmakers are family businesses, so do you want to go it alone or become a partner of an existing firm? That is the broad choice you face if deciding to become a bookie.

Again, there are pluses and minuses to both approaches:

• Being an independent bookmaker sounds great, but you still have overheads. There is rent and wages to pay if you run a High Street betting shop.
• There are fees like renewing your trackside pitch every year if you are an on-course bookie.
• Taking the business online means server costs and license fees apply to whatever type of outfit you want to run.

Becoming a partner with an existing company means you are representing them. Franchises may be granted for a betting shop or trackside pitch, but you are in effect an employee of that organization.

That means total profits don’t go to you and you are on a percentage of takings or a salary paid.

While there can be greater security in forming a partnership, it is worth remembering that many betting shops have been closed by large bookmakers to save on high rent costs.

This has come in reaction to regulation changes brought in the by the British Government over the maximum stake for Fixed Odds Betting Terminals (FOBTs).

Step 3: Find Out Which Licenses You Need

As noted above, the gambling industry has strict regulation by the state. This is to ensure ethical practice and fair treatment of bettors.

You are going to need licenses and, depending on the type of bookie you are, plenty of them.

As listed by the UK Gambling Commission on its website, the regulator requires you to have some or all of the following licenses:

• Operating License
• Personal Functional License
• Personal Management License
• Premises License

These don’t come cheap, either.

A license application has no guarantee of success and the UK Gambling Commission doesn’t return fees if you get turned down. There are also annual renewal costs attached to licenses.

With Premises Licenses, you are applying to your local authority rather than the regulator. These may set different fees, rates and tariffs depending on your geographical location.

Also be prepared for the possibility of opposition to your proposal of turning a piece of real estate into a betting shop.

Why You Need Licenses

Each of the licenses related to bookmaking serves a different purpose. Knowing about all of them is essential before you decide to become a bookie.

With an Operating License, the clue is in the name. Some or all of the following activities must be specified on your licenses:

• Non-remote general betting – standard if you trade from premises and/or limited for on-course bookies
• Non-remote pool betting
• Remote general betting – standard for real and/or virtual events, and/or limited for telephone and email bets
• Remote betting host – again for real and/or virtual events
• Remote betting intermediary – if you have trading rooms on your site
• Remote pool betting

Getting those which you need and also including ones for other intermediary purposes all have different costs attached to them in terms of fees.

Looking at the remote general betting license, for example, any bookie operating a gross gambling yield of under ￡550,000 per year has an application fee of ￡2,933 and annual renewal costs of ￡3,408.

Obtaining and keeping this license alone will thus be an expense of ￡6,341 within 12 months.

Successful bookies who have over ￡1,000,000,000 in their annual gross gambling yield pay an application fee of ￡25,777 with annual renewal costs of ￡694,856.

For every ￡500,000,000 above that threshold, the price to renew increases by ￡200,000.

Personal Functional License

Personal Functional Licenses are for people who work for you as a bookie.

Your staff needs to have one of these in order to be legally allowed to do their job. Employees are subject to a Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) check to ensure they are trustworthy.

You need to get a Personal Functional License for the following staff:

• Cashier
• Dealer/croupier (if you’re offering a casino product)
• Gaming supervisor (or pit boss)
• Inspector
• Security personnel

Personal Management License

Before granting a Personal Management License (PML) to anyone, the UK Gambling Commission wants to be satisfied that the business model of a bookmaker is sustainable. They are looking for stability in the people running the show.

These licenses cost ￡370 per person.

A PML isn’t just concerned with the boss. It covers a wider base than just that and includes members of staff with responsibility for:

• Strategy and delivery of gambling operations
• Financial planning and budgets
• Commercial development and marketing
• Compliance (with the regulator)
• IT provision and digital security
• Management of premises licensed for bingo and/or as a casino
• Management of 5 or more licensed premises within a particular area of the UK

Premises License

Local councils can take several weeks to process and decide on your application to turn real estate into a place where betting and gaming is permitted.

Residents in the nearby area may raise objections. It follows that converting some premises into a betting shop are easier than others.

Step 4: Work Out Your Budget

As you may have noticed, there are plenty of costs, expenses and overheads involved in setting up and becoming a bookmaker.

It’s estimated that there are average initial costs of ￡8,000 to ￡10,000 just for starting up as an on-course bookie.

Here are some of the outlays you are going to have to make:

• Licenses
• Rent of premises (for a betting shop)
• Light, heat and electricity of premises
• Pitches on racetracks (for on-course bookmakers)
• Staff wages
• Hardware (FOBTs, boards and batteries, computers, printers, stands and umbrellas to keep equipment dry on-course)
• Software (for printing betting slips, online security and tracking markets)
• Server hosting (for online bookies)

Bookmaker pitches, officially known as list positions, can be a huge expense depending on the racecourse in question.

At popular National Hunt horse racing venue Cheltenham, for instance, some of these have been valued at ￡250,000. Prime pitches at York, meanwhile, can change hands for ￡200,000.

That is a lot of money, but these tracks may be the exception rather than the rule.

A lower profile racecourse will have their pitches valued at significantly less, but it may be just as if not more difficult to turn a profit from them if demand isn’t there on track.

It’s crucial that you budget carefully, then, and have a good financial plan before you kick-start your new career.

The Skills You Need To Become A Bookmaker

Depending upon the type of bookie you want to be, certain specific skills may be needed.

In general terms, however, these traits and competencies will serve you well:

• Numeracy
• Negotiating skills
• Leadership and management
• Flexibility (reacting to situations)
• Decision making
• Customer service

Numeracy, an understanding of odds and finance, almost goes without saying for a bookmaker.

You may need to negotiate with potential betting partners, local authorities and staff, to whom you also have to show leadership and management.

Customer service is all-important too, as you can’t make money without people betting through your service.

Flexibility and decision-making become especially important if you are an on-course bookie. You have to decide whether or not you have a strong view about a horse race.

Is a favourite worth laying and pushing out in the market you offer, or do you just follow what the betting exchanges tell you as they reveal where the money is going?

Common Misconceptions About Being A Bookie

Be under no illusions, there is a lot more that goes into becoming a bookmaker than meets the eye.

The first mistake you can make is by assuming it is an easy living.

It really isn’t, especially for on-course bookies and those running a betting shop in an era where online gambling has taken off.

It’s not just a formality that you will be granted the licenses you need, either. If you fail in your applications, the UK Gambling Commission has a no-refunds policy.

This leads to additional costs that, if you didn’t budget for, will adversely affect your business because you can’t even get properly started without licenses.

If you choose the wrong favorite to take on as an on-course bookmaker, you can end up losing money. Developing sound betting judgement is essential.

Trying to just wing it is a very bad idea indeed.

Is The Bookie Life For You?

So, if you’re undeterred by all that and passionate about sport, being a bookie could be the career for you.

First of all, you need capital investment from the very start if you are to make a business. Strong financial planning and evidence of sustainability will help persuade gambling regulators to issue licenses to you.

When pitching to become a bookmaker, you must have a clear idea and vision of the type of bookie you want to be. Opening a betting shop means you need premises which means more licenses, overheads in rent, light, heat, electricity and wages.

On-course bookmakers must fork out for a pitch and have the technology to advertise prices, follow the wider betting trends and markets, and create betslips.

If you go down the online betting route, be prepared for stiff competition, security and server costs.

With numeracy, negotiating skills, the ability to plan, manage, lead and make decisions, and not forgetting a sense of customer service, you might just make it as a bookie.

But are they really “lucky”?

What if there was a way to improve your chances of winning, or cheat the system?

Well, one man argues that scratchcards aren’t actually random and even has a system to prove it: The Singleton Method.

Let’s take a look how he discovered the popular Singleton Method, how it works, and whether or not scratchcard manufacturers have done anything about it.

Statistician Finds Flaw In Manufacturing

In 2003, a geological statistician living in Toronto named Mohan Srivastava was waiting for some files to download on his computer. To pass the time, he decided to play some old scratch cards that were lying around.

He lost the first one but won a small amount of cash on a tic-tac-toe scratch card. It was this win that got him thinking about how they’re made.

What initially started as an interest about the computer’s algorithm led to him effectively cracking the code of scratch cards. 

The Singleton Method Is Born

Knowing that the tickets were mass-produced, he figured that they couldn’t be totally random since the manufacturers needed to control the number of winning tickets.

After a bit of research and ticket buying, he discovered a flaw in the way scratchcards are made. Once he’d worked it out, he was able to devise a method to cheat them.

You might be expecting a highly complex system, that only those with years of education at MIT would understand. This isn’t the case though.

Instead, Srivastava’s method simply relies on looking to see which numbers are visible on a card before it’s bought. You don’t need to scratch anything off, you just need to look at the numbers that are visible on the side, as they actually reveal essential information.

He found that if a number on the side appeared only once, then it would almost always appear under the latex coating that needed to be scratched off.

He was looking for singletons.

The below graphic by Toronto Star shows how his method works:

So, as you can see, it was easy: those looking to win just needed to find cards that had a few single numbers on them. Cards with three singletons on the same row were pretty much always a winning ticket.

While this didn’t guarantee a prize, it made the odds of winning much higher.

In fact, Srivastava found that tickets he selected had a 90 percent of chance of being winners.

The Manufacturers Haven’t Done Much

While Srivastava reported his findings to the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation, causing the tic-tac-toe game he studied to be pulled, they stated that it was simply caused by a design flaw in the game.

But this wasn’t just a trick Srivastava could use on a single type of scratchcard, it was a method that could be used all over.

This is because most scratchcards in North America are produced by just a few companies, so the bad practice extended to other scratchcards as well. Therefore, Srivastava’s trick could be used to crack most scratchcards on the continent.

He continued to test his method with other similar scratch lottery games.

Srivastava would later have tickets sent to him from Colorado, and he found that the same patterns were evident. He would also buy more scratchcards in Toronto and once again discover the issue was still there.

Clearly the companies producing the tickets hadn’t learned from the information he had provided them with.

But why haven’t they done anything about it?

According to Srivastava, it’s because they can’t.

This is because while the producers want everyone to think that scratchcards are a game of chance, it’s almost impossible to make them truly random.

Companies use algorithms to ensure the correct number of winning cards are produced. If they didn’t then they couldn’t control the number of winning tickets.

But it’s these algorithms that give a way in for those clever enough to exploit them, such as Srivastava.

Using The Singleton Method For Yourself

As yet, it doesn’t seem like the flaw has been fixed by scratchcard companies. In fact, as we previously explained, it might be the case that the flaw can’t be fixed.

If you want to use it, you should know that the Singleton Method only works on extended play scratchcards, where you scratch off numbers and match them with numbers already shown. This is because these visible numbers are the key to this system.

Another thing to note is that you need to be able to see the fronts of scratchcards before you buy them, which isn’t always possible.

On top of this, there’s no guaranteeing how much you’ll win, so you could go to the effort of identifying and purchasing a winner, only to find that you’ve only won $2.

Srivastava did the math and didn’t think it was worth his time or money. But could you scale the process to make it worthwhile for you?

Overall, however, it is still possible for this system to be used, providing the situation is right.

Why not try it the next time you head to the store to buy one?

These freebies are handed out by the house and differ from player to player. They could take the form of anything from drinks, concert tickets, and fine dining, through to flight discounts, hotel stays, room upgrades, and limo usage.

Making Comps Work For You

So far, so good, right? But how can you get comps from your casino?

Every gambling destination differs, but what you’re entitled to depends on a range of factors. Visitor ‘gifts’ will roughly be calculated based on factors including how much you bet, how long for or how frequently, how much you lose, and what games you play.

All this will usually be tracked by your players’ card, which will feed back a feast of data to casino analysts behind the scenes.

So, it’s up to you to make the comp criteria work for you.

As a general rule of thumb, casinos love customers that play slot machines. They account for a large slice of the casino profit pie.

Slots attract regular and ‘middle income’ players, who will likely sit and play on their favorites for long sessions, which provides a steady stream of income alongside the more glamorous weekenders and high-rollers.

For this reason, if you put in the work on the slots, you may find yourself making quicker work of those comp tiers than a if you were a poker player.

Essentially, what comps you get is dependent on what you put in to the casino through your custom.

Do your research and figure out the best bet for you. If you have plenty of time on your hands, consider which casinos most favor those that put in hours of play?

While if you’re short on time but bigger on budget, you’ll want to choose a casino that gives more back for every buck you spend. If you’re not a high-roller, find out which casinos also take into account what you spend across the vacation.

What You Get With The Different Comp Levels

Every casino has its own comp system. And there are many different types of comps. But we’ve detailed a rough guide below, to show you what gamblers get as they rise through the ranks.

Drinks

While a complimentary cocktail is the bare minimum an extravagant casino whale will expect on arrival, new or casual players will still enjoy the novelty of a drink on the house.

Free drinks are most commonly served on the casino floor to slots players but if you’re spending enough on other games, you can enjoy this perk across the casino.

To get swift service with a smile, don’t forget to tip your hard-working server generously. Our guide to tipping will help if you’re unsure about what’s appropriate (or check out our guide on tipping in Vegas specifically).

Food

You’ll level up from a bargain beverage to free food.

The usual form your food freebie will arrive in is a coupon to use at one of the on-site restaurants or cafes or, commonly, to use at a buffet.

But, at some casinos, high-rollers may even be gifted reservations at popular fine dining restaurants, or the gourmet meals themselves.

Rooms

Free rooms are one of the most sought-after comps.

Even if your casino doesn’t have a hotel, it might put you up in other local lodgings, should you prove to be worth the investment. But you’ll have to have really earn your stripes at the slots or tables to qualify for free accommodation.

The next step up is a room upgrade, or even being bumped up to a suite. You may be more likely to get one during the week, since there’s a higher chance of some empty rooms.

Despite appearances, it will cost the casino next to nothing to give these away, especially during low season.

But they’ll have to believe you’ll be spending, or have spent previously, more than it’s worth on the floor.

High-Roller Comps

The holy-grail of casino comps are the benefits that high-rollers get to enjoy. You’ll have put in plenty of hours and dollars to get that status, but the freebies reflect that.

Often tailored and bespoke, due to the data the casinos collect on promising patrons, high-roller or whale comps can include a host of red carpet treatments — as far as airport transfers in private cars and limos, and even airfares or a bump up in ticket class to get the gamblers to the casino floor.

To convince big spenders to make a longer stay of it, or perhaps to bring the whole family, live entertainment can be included too.

Music concerts, magic shows, theatre, dance performances, and sporting events — often being hosted in the casino complex itself — can be comped via free or reduced tickets, or access to the best seats in the house.

Wait, How Do Comps Work For Casinos?

On the face of it, giving away things for free seems like a bad business decision.

But while dishing out free drinks to customers, or writing off a night in a luxury suite will indeed cost the casino some money in the short-term, it also helps them to save money in the long-term.

It’s important to remember that the retail price for the comp you receive is not necessarily its real money value to the venue, which may buy its ingredients and alcohols in bulk or on the cheap from wholesalers.

Think about it.

You’re just planning on popping by the Strip while you’re in Vegas on business.

But a few free drinks or a meal might just put you in the mood to stay and play for a few hours longer and spend more money. And a comp room could convince you to turn your trip into a weekend away.

The casino comp system also creates a sense of loyalty, and a relationship, between customer and casino.

The outlets provide players with treats to make them feel special, so that they return regularly. It’s an area of high competition —retain your clientele with appealing inclusions, or risk losing repeat business to another venue.

This even leads to visitors picking a casino based on the hotel they most enjoy staying at. If you play at one or two places to potentially earn an extra night’s stay on your next trip, it makes a lot more sense than dividing your dollars between multiple casinos for no extra benefits next time around.

How To Take Advantage Of Casino Comps

Many players don’t realize how they can make the most of what’s on offer in exchange for their business. If you’re one of those, check out our tips for how to get the best casino comps below.

The best advice you’ll get is that comps will usually only be worth the trade-off of time and money for regular players, or those planning to spend big. You’ll get little to no real benefit from spending small amounts infrequently.

TOP TIP: Only use your players’ card if you plan to spend big. Otherwise your worth to the casino value goes down.

This casino worker on Reddit explains how your value at a casino works and why you should only log time if spending money:

So, use your reward card only when spending a decent wedge of money, with those trusty slot machines the best way to get bang for your buck when it comes to comp points.

If it’s table games that are more to your taste, however, simply ensure that you only clock in officially when you’re ready for a long session of craps, or to spend big on blackjack.

Or, even more ideally, choose a game where the house edge is lower.

If you’re on a losing streak, remember that your losses could actually work in your favor when it comes to comps. Losing is never ideal or the aim, but it might not be all doom and gloom if you eventually get a room in return.

6 tricks to help you get better casino comps:

1. Look like you’re spending more than you actually are.
   As casino staff will be rating your play, make an impression at the beginning by placing bigger bets for the first three or four wagers, and then alternating between bigger and smaller sums as discretely as possible. It’s all about appearances, so hopefully yours will stick.
   
2. Make it look as though you’re playing for longer than you are.
   Play at crowded tables during peak times like weekend evenings and holidays. This makes it tough for pit bosses to keep track of you as you play. Every third or fourth time you put chips or credit down, retract just before the bets close. This works even better with a partner on a connected card.
   
3. Take lots of bathroom breaks.
   If you take part in fewer rounds or hands than anticipated by the casino, when playing table games, it stands to reason that you’ll lose less while the casino guesses you’re losing more.
   
4. Play with a partner.
   Reward cards reward couples. You can play it cautious by off-setting bets, which means twice the amount of wagers but in theory losing less from your shared budget if you bet in opposite ways e.g. red or black. Many casinos also allow couples or people from the same household to link card accounts, so you can share the spends and the rewards.
   
5. Make it look like you are losing.
   Act the part and let everyone know when you lose, as the casino will want to latch on to a big spender that also looks like a big ‘loser’. Another slightly more cynical ‘trick’ is to hide chips in your pocket when you leave the table so that staff think you’re leaving with less than you really are. Be careful with this one though. Even though you’re not cheating, you don’t want to upset security.
   
6. Be generous.
   At some but certainly not all casino resorts, any spends you make in the complex — including at restaurants, bars, and hotels — can count as points on your reward or players’ card. Look like a big spender, if you go with a group, by getting a round in or buying dinner. But bear in mind that counting these expenses towards comps always depends on an individual casino’s discretion.

Finding The Casinos With The Best Comps

Casino comps are a competitive field. So shop around to get the best deal for you.

There’s no point chipping away at the points system in a particular casino if you don’t care much for the attached hotel or restaurant.

Go for the complex that you rate highly for service, who makes great drinks, has comfortable rooms, or that houses one of your favorite restaurants or spas.

When it comes to Vegas casinos in particular, some venues will specialize in different comp areas like rooms or food. So it makes sense to pull up a stool where you’d be happy to spend time anyway, and to build up a relationship with the staff so that they’ll get to know you, how you play, and what you prefer.

This is could also lead to you getting a casino host — when a regular, local or big-spender benefits from the attention of a dedicated member of staff.

Keeping a good relationship with your host can mean it’s a smoother road to those coveted comps each time you visit. And you’ll be much comfier asking someone you trust what you’re entitled to. After all, they want you to have a good time.

The question of which casinos in Vegas offer the best comps depends entirely on your budget.

Big hitters like the Bellagio Hotel and Casino, and Wynn Las Vegas are rated highly for their comps, with the latter particularly popular for its rooms — but it will likely take you much longer to get them, unless you’re a high-roller.

If you’re not flying solo and will be gambling as a couple, be it housemates, siblings, or partners, you may find that MGM Grand’s M life card works well for sharing points and rewards. The casino is also rated well for its food, drink and room freebies, making it an appealing if expensive all-rounder.

If you’ll be on a more modest budget, try making your money go further with the rewards at Rio All-Suites Hotel & Casino, or Flamingo Las Vegas, instead.

Spend More, Get More

Ultimately, the fastest way to get comps in Vegas is to simply spend money. Casinos are a business and they want you to bet, with all comps aimed at rewarding you for that and encouraging you to spend more.

So enjoy your well-earned freebies but always make sure to be careful, stay within your budget and be aware that nothing truly comes for free.