Winning Blackjack Tips

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1.   It is a good idea to ‘Hit’ when you have a 16, even if the Dealer has a 7 through to Ace as a face up card. You will be surprised to see how many times you will get a 4 or 5 card versus a higher card or face up card. This is a very strategic defensive move.

2.  It is a good idea to Double Down on a soft 18 when the Dealers face up card is a six. This will allow you to get more money on the table and drive the Dealer to hit and possibly get a bust card. This is a very strategic offensive move.

3.  It is a good idea to Stand on two nines even when the Dealer has a seven as his face up card. This move is not either defensive or offensive. It’s simply common sense. The Dealer must stand on 17 in most cases even if it is a Soft 17 (depending on the casino rules). So, if the Dealer gets a 10 valued card, then you automatically win.

4.   In multiple deck Blackjack, only use the Surrender option when you have a total of 16 and the Dealer’s face up card is a 9, 10, or an Ace.

5.  In multiple deck Blackjack, only use the Surrender option when you have a total of 15 and the Dealer’s face up card is a 10.

6.  You should never Surrender a pair of 8s.

7.  Do not Surrender a soft 15 or 16.

8.  You cannot Surrender your hand if the Dealer has an Ace as a face up card, as he may have a Blackjack. If he has a Blackjack, your bet will be lost.

Winning Slot Machine Strategies

The best way to win in a casino is by preparing your gambling session before you enter. If you follow a few simple rules and avoid a few bad choices you will reduce your losses and bump up your winnings. Let’s take a look at more winning strategies for the inspiring slot player.

Only play machines that will pay back 95 to 99 percent of the coins played. Usually these types of slot machines are of the higher denomination. Therefore you will want to look for the dollar slots, which are the most popular among those that payout at the high percentage.

Choose a loss number! Do not let your pride get in the way of knowing when to quit. For example, you can set a loss number at eight or ten spins. If your machine does not hit a winning combination after your set loss number you can simply move on to another machine. You may have to change casinos if that’s what it takes to win.

Play non-progressive machines. Progressive slot machines are normally set by the RNG(random number generator) which will result in a higher number of reels and symbols. Players are better off playing the flat top machines.

Ask your friendly casino employee if they can help you find a loose slot machine. Hey, there’s an old saying “the squeaky wheel gets the oil.” You never know, a casino employee could help you become a millionaire! Make sure you offer them a cut of the action if you win.

Casinos are very strategic as well when it comes to the actual physical placement of their slot machines. If you are looking for loose slots (who doesn’t?) then focus on the following four areas in the casino:
First, the change booths or cashiers area are a hot spot for loose slots because casinos want people to see winners and immediately see where they can get change to play.

Secondly, look for displayed or featured machines with huge prizes on top as these tend to be loose to attract players. If you notice, most of these slot areas are packed with people just waiting to get a seat. Casinos know that eventually players will get impatient and stray to other tighter slot machines.

The third area to find loose slots in a casino is near the coffee shops, cafés, and snack bars. The idea is to motivate people to eat quickly and get back to playing those winning slot machines!

Finally, keep an eye out for loose slots near the casino “crosswalks” which are the cross sections between different areas of slot machines. The casino management will purposely place a couple loose machines at the front or near the beginning of a slot section to lure players. Yeah, it works well as we tend to follow the sound of money!

Avoid playing the slot machines that are located in secluded areas as these are usually tight. If you don’t like crowds and find yourself playing in a quiet secluded corner you can bet on losing your money. My suggestion would be to get up early or stay up later to avoid the large crowds.

Casinos will also place tight machines around table games, as table players tend to not play the slots, so management does not want them distracted by busy machines.

Showrooms or club entrances will usually have tight slot machines placed near the entrances as casinos know that people waiting in line have pretty much taken off their gambling shoes for the day.
Finally, don’t plan on winning on a slot machine placed near the sportsbook in a casino. The casinos want their sports bettors to have as little distraction as possible.


Playing slot machines is a great time but winning while playing is even more exciting! By following a few simple rules you will increase your chances of winning. Luck to ya.

Top 10 Tips for Beating Casino Tactics

10 ) Know the Odds


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This may seem like basic advice, but you’d be surprised how many people actually think they have an edge over the House. Regardless of how good you are, or how much experience you have, or what technique you use, the casinos have been at this for a lot longer than you have. The odds are stacked in their favor, and while you may win in the short term, you will eventually lose. Knowing this can keep help keep your head clear.

9 )Take What You can Lose


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I used to be asked which machine paid out the most often in the casino, and my answer was always the same; “The one with the letters A-T-M on the front.” When you decide to go to the casino, you must assume that you are going to lose, and treat it as such. Decide beforehand how much money you can afford to spend on the evening’s entertainment, and take no more than that amount in cash. Leave your checkbook and credit cards in the room or at home. When you have played through the cash in your pocket, leave.

8) Watch your Cash


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This seems, again, like an obvious point, but it is something that gamblers often forget. Always be aware of your win-loss ratio. At any time, you should know exactly how much you have spent and how much you have won since you began this session. It doesn’t seem like much when you’re playing quarter slots until you realize that you’ve been shoving five-dollar bills into the machine!

7) Know When to Quit


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The casinos love to quote the old adage, “A winner never quits and a quitter never wins,” but the opposite is true when it comes to gambling. My wife and I have a standing rule: we play only what we intended to play before we arrived (see #2), and, if at any time, we reach double the amount we came in with (or greater), we cash out and leave. Just as small losses add up quickly, so do small wins. We go to the casino to eat about once every two months or so, and when we go, we usually bring a little extra cash (often $5 or $10) to play in the machines. In general, we lose or break even, but we have won (and walked out) often enough that, over the course of three years, we’re up by about $25.

6) Watch the Clock


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There’s a reason that few casinos have clocks or windows. Compensate for this by wearing a watch or carrying a timepiece and referring to it often. At any point, you should know exactly how long you have been sitting at the table or the machine. If you’ve been at the same location for more than 15 minutes and you haven’t at least broken even, it’s time to cut your loses and go. Sometimes, in addition to limiting the amount of money I bring with me, I also set my watch alarm to 30 minutes or so. When the alarm goes off, regardless of whether I’m up or down, I leave.

5) Don’t Drink


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Alcohol dulls the senses and impairs judgment; that’s why they keep offering you those free drinks. Fortunately, combating this tactic is as easy as saying, “No thanks.” Of course, the waitress will keep tempting you. After all, her job is to keep you there at the table or in front of the machine. If you need an excuse, you can always claim to be the designated driver and they will usually leave you alone. Just remember, they can’t force you to accept the alcohol.

4) Take Breaks


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All too often while working the floor, I would see people sitting in the same location for hours on end. Sometimes (it happens much more often than you think), these people would not even leave to take a bathroom break, instead simply urinating (or worse) right there in the seat. Sometimes they would shift to another seat, but more often, they simply sat in their own filth and kept playing. Such is the drive of greed. Get up once in a while and walk around. Go to the restaurant (if there is one) or snack bar and get a soft drink. Use that time to check your win-loss ratio (see #3), and if you find that you’re ahead, it might be time to go.

3) No Systems


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There’s no shortage of people trying to sell you on time-tested methods for beating the casino. Everyone seems to have a “system” that they claim works for them, but if you ask around, you’ll find that they made their money selling books, not playing casinos. If all of these systems worked as well as they say, how would casinos still be in business? And doesn’t it stand to reason that the casino operators have read these books too? There is no perfect system that can defeat the odds that are weighted in favor of the house, and it’s a waste of money to try. Gambling is largely luck, and you have no control over that factor. What’s more, most casinos write the rules such that the odds go to them.

2) Hidden Costs


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Many slot machines today offer varying levels of payout with the number of coins played. Of particular importance to note are linked machines that are placed in different casinos across the country, and tied to a central mega-jackpot. Often, in order to win the big money, you must play the maximum number of coins playable. I have been witness to two occasions in which someone got the winning combination (and won a small jackpot), but was “cheated out of” the big money because they did not play the maximum number of coins. By law, this information must be made clear on the face of the machine, but casinos are good at hiding it amongst the colorful designs and other eye-candy.

1) Cash Outs


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Cashiers in casinos have been trained (or machines, where they replace humans, have been programmed) to provide you with the largest possible denominations of bills when giving cash outs. This is because they know that you have to pass through the maze to get back out, and you might be tempted by the lure of a particular machine. You sit down to play just “one more dollar,” only to discover that the smallest bill you have is a five…

It would be wrong to say that no one ever wins. In fact, casinos are filled with winners, sometimes big winners. But stop and ask some of these people how much they have spent trying to get to that point and the numbers become a little more revealing. It is very rare to win huge amounts of cash without having paid excessive amounts to achieve that goal. Ever notice that casino winners (in large part) tend to be in the ages of 50 and upwards? Who else has all day to spend in front of a slot machine, shoving coins into it?
online pokies Sometimes, you get lucky. I’ve had days when I’ve walked into a casino with two dollars and come out two hours later with $20. There have also been days when I’ve gone in with $20 and come out in 15 minutes with nothing. The best way to win? Don’t play. But if you must, then these tips will at least help balance the odds a little.

Pai Gow Poker Rules

Pai Gow Poker is played with a 53 card deck, which includes one joker. The joker can only be used to complete a straight or a flush and is considered an Ace in any other circumstance. In a flush, it is considered the highest ranking card that has not been used.

Before your hand is dealt, you will need to make a wager. The people who are playing with you will also bet. If you are playing Pai Gow online, you probably won't be playing with other people. Everyone is dealt seven straight cards from the deck. When there is multiple people playing, rolling the dice will determine who will be dealt the first set of cards.

After everyone receives their cards, you have to arrange your cards and try to make your best 5 and 2 card poker hands. The strength of hand rankings of the same as normal five card poker. The one exception with Pai Gow poker is that in most casinos the "Wheel" (A,2,3,4,5) will be considered the second highest straight to the royal straight (10,J,Q,K,A).

The rankings are (in order): one pair, two pair, three of a kind, straight, flush, full house, four of a kind, straight flush, royal flush. You can also get a five of a kind if you get all four aces and the joker, though you might want to split them up between the two hands to try to win both hands.

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Important rule:

 your low hand is never allowed to be able to beat your high hand. Example: Look at the screen above. You are not allowed to play the pair of 6's in your low hand because it would win against the pair of 4's and AQ3 high cards in you high hand. Your best move is to play Ace/Queen in your low hand, although you could also play both 4's.

If the player and dealer both have the same hand rank in a 5 card hand (called the high hand), such as both having a pair of Aces, then the person with the highest ranked card (in this case a King) will be the winner. In the unlikely event that the dealer and player have the exact same 5 card hand, it is called a copy hand the tie will go to the dealer.

For your 2 card hand (called the low hand), any pair that you can create will beat two singletons (non-pairing two cards). A higher pair beats a lower pair and the highest ranked card wins when it comes to singletons. An Ace-2 will beat a King-Queen. If you and the dealer have the same two cards, the dealer wins on the copy hand.

Playing against the dealer's hands

The dealer will arrange his hands by a set of fixed rules called the "house way". This means that the dealer is not deciding how to try to beat people.
The main objective in Pai Gow poker is to win both your high and low hand against the dealer. If you win both hands against the dealer, you win even money on your bet minus a 5% commission to the casino. If you and the dealer split one hand a piece, the bet is pushed and no money is won or lose. If you lose both hands to the dealer, you will lose your entire bet.
Because of the 5% commission on your winnings, the house advantage is 5% because the dealer does not have much of a natural advantage on you. The normal house advantage for the banker is 2.5%, because of the cases where a copy hand goes to the banker.

Dragon Hand

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You might be wondering why there is a dragon that is associated with Pai Gow Poker. Well one fact is that the game originated in China. The other reason that the dragon is prominent with the game is called the "dragon" hand. This is usually only seen in live casinos when multiple people are playing.
If there is an empty seat that is available, the dealer will deal a hand for the empty seat. This is called the dragon hand.
Any player may place a bet and assume the dragon hand if they would like. This would essentially mean that you are now playing two separate hands against the banker.

Be the Banker

Any player at the table is allowed the be the Banker. The banker is who everybody else is playing their hands against. The dealer will still play and will bet an amount equal to the last bet that player made when the dealer was banking. The banker will be decided by taking turns. Everyone has the option to be the banker or decline. If a player decline, the next player in line has the option.

In order to be the banker, you must have enough money to pay off all winning bets from the other hands. You must also have played a hand against the banker.

What are the advantages to being the banker?

The main advantages are that there is a 2.5% advantage for the banker because they win on a copy hand.
The 5% commission that is charged isn't taken until all of your winnings and losings on all hands played are combined.