------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------   Roulette Roulette is a fast paced, fun game and it is possible to make large profits very quickly. I would always advise people to play French (european) roulette over its close cousin American roulette as the odds are much more favourable . Most players bet on "even" money chances or individual numbers (each number has individual odds of 35/1) Contrary to popular belief, there are no sure fired strategies that will give a player an edge over the casino in roulette . Every new spin of the wheel is a isolated event of chance, and every possible bet associated with each spin carries a casino edge. Bearing this in mind, here are a couple of popular systems which some punters have found useful in the past. Bear in mind that thousands have tried to develop systems and have failed. The roulette wheel is marked with numbers 1 through 36, with an additional "0". The numbers are alternately coloured red and black, and the "0" is green. The roulette layout is divided into different sections - individual numbers and group bets. Bets made on individual or adjacent numbers or small groups of numbers are referred to as 'inside bets' whilst the bets covering groups of 12 or 18 numbers (e.g. red, odd, etc.) are known as 'outside bets'. You begin by choosing a colour and placing your bet on either red or black. Be sure to make your first bet a small one. If you win, keep your winnings and place your starting bet again. If you lose, double your stake and place a bet on the same colour again. If this bet wins, your net result after two bets is the same as if you had one you initial bet. Keep your winnings and begin with your starting stake again. If your second bet loses, double your stake again, and continue doing this until your colour does come up, at which point your net win from the string of bets will be the same as if you won your starting bet. Bets Odds Payout Description Straight Up 35:1 A bet on any single number placed directly on a number Split 17:1 A bet on two adjacent numbers, placed on the line between the 2 numbers. Also can be made between 0 and 1, 0 and 2, or 0 and 3 Street 11:1 A bet on all three numbers in a row, placed on the line at the end of the row. Can also be placed on 0, 1, and 2. Or 0, 2 and 3 Corner 8:1 A bet on a group of four numbers, placed at the corner where the 4 numbers touch. Also can be made on the corner of 0, 1, 2, and 3 Line 5:1 A bet on six numbers (2 rows of 3 numbers), placed at the end of two rows on the line between them Column 2:1 A bet on an entire column, placed on a box at the end of a column Dozen 2:1 A bet on a group of 12 numbers, placed on the 1st 12 box (numbers 1-12), 2nd 12 box (numbers 13-24), or 3rd 12 box (numbers 25-36) Low Numbers 1:1 A bet on all low numbers placed on the low box (numbers 1-18), If 0 is spun, all outside bets are halved High Numbers 1:1 A bet on all high numbers, placed on the high box (numbers 19-36), If 0 is spun, all outside bets are halved Red or Black 1:1 A bet on all of the red numbers or all of the black numbers, placed on the red box or the black box Even or Odd 1:1 A bet on all of the even numbers or all of the odd numbers, placed on the even box or the odd box The other systems worth checking out are sector bets where similar to the board game monopoly you can have numbers next to each other on the wheel. The theory is to have "houses" on some of the numbers and" hotels "on others. By covering a sector of numbers all next to each other you are able to know where abouts you want the ball to land. That way it is fun to watch and like monopoly can land you some big money if you hit one of your hotels. The sectors traditionally used are Voisons de Zero which is a set amount of numbers based round the number zero , tiers du cylindres which is a portion of numbers based around the number 5 exactly opposite the zero and the orphlins or orphans which are the numbers on either side of the wheel which sit between the 2 sectors of zero and tiers. Back to the Top ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------   Craps Craps is often described as the best gambling game in the world and is an action packed rollercoaster of a game where swings both high and low are commonplace. It is a wonderful experience getting on a "roll" and no game moves at a faster more exciting pace than the "ivories" THE PASS LINE The pass line (or win line) bet is the best place to start - known as 'right' betting, it is an even money bet and the house edge on the pass line is only 1.41% (which means that out of every £100 wagered the casino expects to win £1.41). The first roll in a round of craps is called the 'come out roll'. If the numbers on both dice add up to 7 or 11 - you win immediately. If 2, 3 or 12 ('craps') are rolled - you lose. Any other number rolled becomes the 'point'. This means that you are now betting that the point number will come up again before a 7 is rolled. If it does - you win. Tip - it is a bad idea to place a pass line bet after the come out roll because the odds in favour of winning on the come out roll are greater than those of losing. The don't pass (don't win line) bet is nearly the opposite bet to the pass line bet and is also known as 'wrong' betting - the house edge for this bet is 1.40%. With this bet you lose if 7 or 11 comes up on the come out roll and win on 3 or 2. If 12 is rolled it is called a 'stand-off' and you neither win, nor lose (push). The reason for this is that if don't pass betters were permitted to win, it would give them an advantage over the house. By making the number 12 a stand-off on the come-out roll, the casinos retain a small edge. Some casinos bar the number 2 and the effect is exactly the same. Unlike a pass line bet, a don't pass bet can be removed after a point number has been established on the come-out roll. If the number 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 is rolled, that number becomes the point. The don't pass better is now gambling that a 7 will come up before the point is rolled again. BEST BET Taking the odds is the best bet you can make in a game of craps - the house has no edge on the odds. When the point number has been established on the come-out roll, any player who has made a pass line (or a don't pass line) bet is allowed to 'take the odds'. A pass line player is said to be 'buying' odds - a don't pass line player is 'laying' odds. The payouts for buying and laying are the same. An odds bet is an additional wager (not exceeding the amount of your original wager) that the point number will be repeated before a 7 is rolled. Some casinos will allow you to make double odds bets, or more, which cut the house's edge even further - the 1.4% they had at the start of the round is now cut to 0.6%. As a general rule, buy the biggest odds you can find, to shrink the house edge even further. The odds bet has no marked space on the craps table. To make the bet, place your chips behind your pass line bet in the open area of the table. The payoff for odds bets depends upon which point number has been established on the come out roll and varies with the odds that a 7 will be rolled before a that point is repeated. The payoff is the same whether you take single odds, double odds, or more. Points 4 and 10 pay 2:1. Points 5 and 9 pay 3:2. Points 6 and 8 pay 6:5. Laying the odds (the opposite of taking the odds) is betting that a 7 will be rolled before the point. If the point is a 4 or 10 don't odds pay 1:2. If the point is a 5 or 9 don't odds pay 2:3. if the point is a 6 or 8 don't odds pay 5:6. COME BETS A good strategy if you like constant action is to have a new bet on either the pass line (or on come) every throw - and always take the maximum allowable odds. The house edge on the come bet is 1.41%. A come bet is like a pass line bet, except that a come bet may be made on every throw of the dice once a point has been established. The bet is made by placing chips on the 'come' area of the craps table. After a come bet is made, the next roll of the dice becomes the come-out roll for that bet. So, if a 7 is rolled, you will win even though pass line betters will lose. If 11 is rolled, you will win while the line bets will not be affected. To win this bet, your come point must be repeated before a 7 is rolled. If one of the craps numbers come up, you lose, though the line bets remain unaffected. If one of the box numbers is thrown on the first roll of the dice, after you've made a come bet, this number becomes an established point for your come bet. Once a point has been established for your come bet, your chips will be moved to the appropriate numbered box. When your come bet wins, the dealer will pay you off by placing your original wager plus your winnings in the come section of the table. If you do not immediately retrieve your chips, they will be in action on the next roll of the dice as a new come bet. Adventurous players make come bets on every roll, until all of the point numbers are covered, giving them the opportunity to win many bets in a short period of time, so long as the dice continue to roll without hitting 7. A sounder strategy is to place no more than two come bets. These, along with the initial pass line bet, will give mean that there are three numbers always working for you. When one of the points is made (and your bet paid off) place another come bet to maintain the total of three numbers working for you on each roll. The don't come bet is similar to the don't pass bet, but is made on a non-come out roll. ONE ROLL BETS One roll bets (or proposition bets) can be made at any time during the game, they pay higher odds, but the house edge is bigger too. One roll bets win or lose on the next throw. Any Craps - one roll bet that wins on next roll of 2, 3 or 12 - pays 7:1 - house edge 11.11%. Craps 2 - one roll bet that wins on next roll of 3 only - pays 30:1 - house edge 13.89%. Craps 12 - one roll bet that wins on next roll of 12 only - pays 30:1 - house edge 13.89%. Any 7 - one roll bet that wins on next roll of 7 only - pays 4:1 - house edge 16.67%. 11 - one roll bet that wins on next roll of 11 only - pays 15:1 - house edge 11.11%. HARD WAYS There are four different hard way bets - 4, 6, 8 and 10. They are called the 'hard way' because they must be thrown in doubles eg. two twos = 4; two threes = 6. The 'easy' way to make 4 is by rolling a 1 and a 3. A bet on a hard 4, 6, 8, or 10 is a bet that these doubles will be rolled before either a 7, or any 'easy' way of making those numbers is rolled. Casinos pay 7:1 on a hard 4, or 10 - house edge 11.11%. Casino pay 9-1 on a hard 6, or 8 - house edge 9.09% Back to the Top ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------   BlackJack The good news for gaming beginners who are new to this game is that a great deal of helpful literature is already out there to assist you. Since the early 1950's players have been developing winning systems and you can benefit form their experience and trial and error. In Blackjack, the player (you) plays against the dealer (the house), independently of other players. Your goal is to draw cards ("hit") until your hand adds up to 21, or comes as close as possible without exceeding 21. If your first two cards total 21, you have Blackjack. This blackjack basic strategy is a simple set of rules that guide you through the pifalls and put the odds more in your favour and show you the correct way to play your hands as per the textbook. This basic strategy reveals when to hit (H), stand (S), or double (D) by taking into account only two factors: your cards and the dealer's upcard. Basic strategy allows you to win more and lose less. It is not infallable but will give you a better chance than random play. Study the box below and you will be amazed how fast you pick it all up The following terms are useful when learning this basic blackjack strategy: 1 Players should NOT take cards when there is a chance they will bust. Effectively by NEVER taking cards when you hold a hard 12 or above you are increasing the dealers edge by up to 5%. It is a mistake and you should refer back to the table above. 2 Never double or split....foolhardy advice as this can take away one of the players best money making opportunities. 3 Start low and double up each hand until you back a winner....very dangerous and it can happen every now and again that you go on an unbelievable bad run and very quickly get in a hopeless situation trying to make a small profit. 4 Assume the dealers hole card is a 10 ...nonsense, whilst this is clearly the most likely card statistically for the dealer to have over any other individual card the 10 value cards still make up between only 40 and 45% of the unseen deck. HARD HANDS: any hands not containing an Ace. SOFT HANDS: any hands containing an Ace together with a 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9. SPLIT HANDS: all hands that contain a pair of cards with the same value ie a pair Your Hand Dealer's Up Card   2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 A 5,6,7,8 H H H H H H H H H H 9 H D D D D H H H H H 10 D D D D D D D D H H 11 D D D D D D D D D H 12 H H S S S H H H H H 13,14 S S S S S H H H H H 15,16 S S S S S H H H H H 17,18,19,20 S S S S S S S S S S   Soft 13, 14 H H H D D H H H H H Soft 15, 16 H H D D D H H H H H Soft 17 H D D D D H H H H H Soft 18 S D D D D S S H H H Soft 19, 20 S S S S S S S S S S   A-A SP SP SP SP SP SP SP SP SP SP 2-2, 3-3 SP SP SP SP SP SP H H H H 4-4 H H H SP SP H H H H H 5-5 D D D D D D D D H H 6-6 SP SP SP SP SP H H H H H 7-7 SP SP SP SP SP SP H H H H 8-8 SP SP SP SP SP SP SP SP SP SP 9-9 SP SP SP SP SP S SP SP S S 10-10 S S S S S S S S S S Splitting When a player is dealt two cards with equal values, they have the option of "splitting" them into two separate hands. In order to "split", the initial bet has to be matched. Each hand is then played separately. If the player splits two Aces, only one more card is dealt to each hand. A hand can only be split once. Doubling Down A player may double on their first two cards other than a Blackjack. When a player doubles, only one more card is dealt and the original bet has to be matched. Essentially, the player bets the hand can be won with one more card. You can also "double down" after "splitting" a pair. Insurance When the dealer's up card is an ace, the player is offered "insurance". Taking insurance means the player makes a second bet (of half the original bet) that the dealer's face down card is a ten card. If this is the case, the player is paid 2 to 1 on the insurance bet and the initial bet loses as it is beaten by the dealer's Blackjack. If the dealer does not have a natural Blackjack, the insurance bet is lost and the hand is played out as normal. Even Money If the player (you) has a Blackjack and the dealer's up card is an Ace, the player is offered 'even money'. Taking even money means the player will be paid 1 to 1 on the Blackjack and not 3 to 2 as normal. Taking even money means the player believes the dealer's face down card is a ten card. If the player chooses not to take even money and the dealer reveals a Blackjack, both hands tie. If no even money is taken and the dealer has no Blackjack, the player is paid at 3 to 2. *The Dealer has none of these options. As well as using this table it should be noted that there are some flawed strategies out there and players should be careful to improve their style of play and avoid the following misplaced assumptions Back to the Top