Las Vegas » players http://www.lassvegass.com Gambling heaven Tue, 24 Jan 2012 10:29:41 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= Myths about how to win at blackjack http://www.lassvegass.com/myths-about-how-to-win-at-blackjack.html http://www.lassvegass.com/myths-about-how-to-win-at-blackjack.html#comments Sat, 23 Apr 2011 18:36:13 +0000 patrick http://www.lassvegass.com/?p=919 One of the biggest myths about blackjack is that you need luck to win. In fact, blackjack is a game that takes skill and with a strong knowledge of the rules and basic strategy you can greatly increase your odds of winning. When you add an understanding of one of more card counting systems to the mix you can reduce the house advantage to almost nothing!

Another common misconception of blackjack is that it is designed for mathematic brains only. In fact, the only thing you need to know how to do in order to play blackjack is add and subtract simple numbers and count to 21. When it comes to card counting-sure, there are some card systems, such as the Wong Halves system, that are better suited to people who are strong in math. However, simpler methods such as Red Sevens, Knock Out Blackjack and the Hi-Lo card counting system only require you add and subtract 1. Even an elementary school child knows how to do that sort of math.

A lot of people think that in order to count cards you need a photographic memory. In fact, it is a common misconception that card counting requires memorizing every card in the deck. Actually, card counting is simply a method in which you can keep track of the ratio of high to low cards that remains in the deck over a course of blackjack hands. Card counting only requires simple math and no memorization at all. Practicing at home on your own with a deck of cards can help you work on your concentration and improve your card counting skills.

This is a myth that players have made up to make them feel better about a bad day at the tables. It’s always easier to blame someone else for your troubles than yourself. This myth stems from situations in which the player before you makes a bad move, such as hits only to bust, and receives the card that you needed in order to win. The truth of the matter is, however, that his bad play could have gotten rid of a card that you didn’t need only to free up a card that leads to your win. Stop thinking about other players at the table and focus on yourself and you’ll do just fine. Don’t take the myths seriously as they will harm your game, just try to enjoy and develop your own winning strategy.

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]]> http://www.lassvegass.com/myths-about-how-to-win-at-blackjack.html/feed 0 Most common blackjack strategies http://www.lassvegass.com/most-common-blackjack-strategies.html http://www.lassvegass.com/most-common-blackjack-strategies.html#comments Sun, 27 Mar 2011 16:58:47 +0000 patrick http://www.lassvegass.com/?p=935 In most casino games of blackjack, the house advantage is ~ 8%. The house gets this advantage by the dealer being the last player to act. By acting last, all other players have already made their decisions and could quite possibly bust before the dealer has his turn. By using correct blackjack basic strategy, you can turn the casino edge in blackjack from 7%-8% down to 0.5%. If you correctly use advanced card counting techniques, you can often change blackjack odds and give yourself the advantage over the casino. Manipulating the house odds to your favor is the reason most casinos don’t allow card counters to play blackjack.

Two-card count winning blackjack strategy:  This interesting blackjack odds chart is the two card count frequency chart. This chart shows the percentage chance that you will be dealt a hand in each given value range. The most important frequency to note is the chance of being dealt a natural blackjack (natural 21 value. The odds of being dealt a natural blackjack are merely 4.8%. Following this chart you will see that the most common two card hand, at 38.7%, is a hand totaling 1-16, which is considered a decision hand.

Effects of Removing Cards from a Deck: When looking at the odds of removing certain cards from a 52-card deck, some cards have a much greater effect on blackjack odds. To create the strongest card counting system ever invented, you would have to incorporate all of these slight and subtle differences into the numbers to be a completely accurate system. Basically  by removing every 5 from a deck cards would make the largest impact of improving your blackjack odds, as a player. On the other hand, removing every Ace from a deck of cards would make the largest impact on improving the odds for the casino.

 

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]]> http://www.lassvegass.com/most-common-blackjack-strategies.html/feed 0 Keno brief history http://www.lassvegass.com/keno-brief-history.html http://www.lassvegass.com/keno-brief-history.html#comments Tue, 15 Mar 2011 16:55:48 +0000 patrick http://www.lassvegass.com/?p=940 Keno is one of the oldest documented games of chance in human history. According to ancient writings, the game was invented around 200 B.C. by a Chinese warlord named Cheung Leung. Desperate to raise money, Cheung Leung created a game of chance where in people could select characters from the Chinese alphabet and win money if their character was pulled in a random drawing. This new game was so popular that Cheung Leung was able to raise more than enough money to supply his army, and the city was saved from financial and military ruin.

For years, though it was illegal under U.S. anti gambling laws, the Chinese-American community kept the gambling game alive. When Nevada legalized gambling in 1931, the law still barred lotteries. But the new gambling halls recognized the potentially huge profitability of Chinese lottery, so to get around the prohibition, they changed the name of the game to “horse race keno.” Eventually, when lotteries were legalized, the game’s name was shortened to “keno.” But the “horse race” association persists even today.

Keno has the highest house edge — and therefore the worst odds for the gambler — of virtually any game at the casino. At a minimum, the house will keep 22 percent of every keno dollar wagered. Various mathematicians have calculated the odds of matching the numbers you play against the numbers drawn in a given keno race, and the odds grow exponentially with the amount of numbers you select. These almost insurmountable odds are why experts advise keno players to look on the game as nothing more than amusement, due to this way of thinking people still enjoy themselves even if the didn’t win that particular time.

 

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]]> http://www.lassvegass.com/keno-brief-history.html/feed 0 Card counting strategy in blackjack http://www.lassvegass.com/card-counting-strategy-in-blackjack.html http://www.lassvegass.com/card-counting-strategy-in-blackjack.html#comments Mon, 21 Feb 2011 16:40:13 +0000 patrick http://www.lassvegass.com/?p=926 It is extremely important to understand how card counting works, before you can successfully apply the strategy to your blackjack game. The entire basis of card counting is to keep track of every single card dealt, so you can adjust your betting pattern to fit how your particular blackjack shoe is going. Most card counting systems start with a count of 0.  This means that when you first sit down at a blackjack table, the count is 0. Depending on which counting system you are using, this count will fluctuate with every card that is dealt. You must keep track of not only the cards that you are being dealt, but every single card dealt to every player and to the dealer. The only way to become a skilled card counter is to practice, practice, practice. It can take several months if not several years to truly master several of the card counting systems mentioned above. You need to be constantly practicing your card counting techniques and skills until you can count flawlessly. Keep in mind you don’t have to be playing blackjack to practice your counting techniques. You can practice your counting methods anywhere.

One very effective method of practicing card counting is to create practice counting charts. You can create a chart that show your hand and the dealer’s up card, then you verbally or mentally recite the proper play. If you get stumped, simply refer to your basic strategy charts.

The legality issue of card counting is a common topic around casinos and the game of blackjack. I’m definitely not a lawyer, so take this information in stride and make sure to do thorough research if investigating the full laws and regulations of card counting. The act of card counting at a physical blackjack table with your brain alone (without using any counting devices such as computers and electronics), is considered to be perfectly legal and is not considered cheating.

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]]> http://www.lassvegass.com/card-counting-strategy-in-blackjack.html/feed 0 Dont’s in the game of blackjack http://www.lassvegass.com/donts-in-the-game-of-blackjack.html http://www.lassvegass.com/donts-in-the-game-of-blackjack.html#comments Wed, 09 Feb 2011 15:37:00 +0000 patrick http://www.lassvegass.com/?p=933 In the blackjack strategy most of what you do is determined by the face card the dealer is showing, and how that corresponds to the two cards you are dealt. You can eliminate most bad blackjack decisions by learning basic blackjack strategy. Here are the most common mistakes when playing a game of blackjack.

The seat position when playing: Cards are dealt in the semi-circle from the dealer’s left to his right in a clockwise rotation. Therefore, the first cards will be dealt to the 1st seat to the dealer’s left, then the 2nd seat. Hand resolution occurs in the same way. Avoid sitting in the 1st or 2nd seats. Surrender to give a false soft-hand impression: A lot of blackjack players believe that surrender is always a bad idea. Players will reflexively refuse to surrender, even when that option will save them money.

Typically, a player should surrender when the dealer is showing a “10″ and the player is holding a 10-5, 9-6, 10-6 or 9-7. The player should surrender when the dealer is holding a “9″ and the player is holding a “10-6″ or “9-7″. In fact, surrender sometimes is to the advantage of the blackjack players. It’s not always a bad idea in blackjack. Adapt and not forget old strategy to new strategy: We’re processing new information all the time. As new information enters the brain, we tend to forget old information. Or we get bad blackjack habits because we think we know all the answers. So give yourself a blackjack primer occasionally to reinforce what you already know, and relearn what you’ve already forgot about blackjack.

 

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]]> http://www.lassvegass.com/donts-in-the-game-of-blackjack.html/feed 0 The origins of Baccarat http://www.lassvegass.com/the-origins-of-baccarat.html http://www.lassvegass.com/the-origins-of-baccarat.html#comments Wed, 26 Jan 2011 15:31:29 +0000 patrick http://www.lassvegass.com/?p=922 Baccarat is known as the card game of the rich and famous. Baccarat was so enigmatically linked with the wealthy upper classes and rich and famous. Baccarat is one of the easiest of casino games to learn and play and can really generate some excitement.

As Baccarats popularity increased across Europe, as with most of the other forms of gambling in those days there was some rigorous opposition from the Church. The Church viewed Baccarat as the game of the devil and those who played it were carrying out the devil’s work.

Tarot cards were first used in a game of Baccarat by Felix Galguiere. The Etruscan nine gods are said to be the basis for Galguiere’s version of the game. In this early edition of Baccarat, dice were rolled to determine the fate of a woman since the nine gods required the sacrifice of a blond virgin.  A roll of either an eight or nine made her a priestess; a six or seven and she was banned from religious activities; a number less than six and she walked into the sea and disappeared.  Since its origins in the Europe during the Middle Ages, Baccarat has steadily made it’s way across each continent eventually becoming one of the most famous and respected casino games in the world.

There are variations in play depending on the location at which you are playing, so it is always best to check the house rules. And, as so may other forms of gambling, baccarat has made its way onto the internet. Most online casinos offer baccarat games with some variation in house rules; the biggest I have found is that there are only two hands: the banker and one player. Again, it’s advised to check the house rules before you play. Some online casinos also play the game with a single deck of cards, which is unusual in a land-based casino.

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]]> http://www.lassvegass.com/the-origins-of-baccarat.html/feed 0 Sports Like a Pro http://www.lassvegass.com/sports-like-a-pro.html http://www.lassvegass.com/sports-like-a-pro.html#comments Sat, 20 Mar 2010 07:57:36 +0000 admin http://www.lassvegass.com/?p=825 A winning strategy takes a few salient factors into account which are:

1. The amount of the bid

2. The kind of bet

3. The odds on offer

Sportsbooks in the US and Bookmakers in UK are entities that accept sports bets. The bets can be placed predicting the outcome of several sporting events like Baseball, Snooker, Basketball, Hockey, Soccer, Football, Tennis and hundreds of other sports and atheletic activities. Just to cover some basic definitions: a sportsbook is the one that accepts the sports bet. An oddsmaker is the one who sets the odds of betting.

Betting the Odds
In order to place a bet, you must first select the type of bet and the amount you will wager. This naturally will depend upon the odds that are being offered. Before you go ahead and place the bet, carefully scrutinize the range of available odds.

The odds must be in the ratio of at least 2:1 for the bet to be worthwhile. Another factor that must be taken into account is the amount being given by way of commission to the sports-book. This ideally should be a minimal percentage of the total value of the odds.

Given below is a list of some common kinds of bets:

1. Single or Straight Bet: This is betting in its most basic form and allows you to bet at given odds, upon a winner.

2. Point Spread: Under this bet one can bet on one of two selections that have been equated through the allocation of suitable points. In the Point Spread the number of allocated points are shown with a + sign for the favorable side and a – sign for the underdog. In order that the better wins, the favored team must win by more than the Point Spread. On the flip side, if a bet has been placed on the underdog, that team has to lose by less than the Point Spread for the better to win.

3. Buy Points: This involves moving the Point Spread positively, by paying a price.

4. The Moneyline: This type of bet is simply on who will win. It establishes the odds for each side but is the reverse of the Point Spread, with a – sign standing for the favorite and the + sign for the underdog.

5. Total Bet: This is similar to point spread bets, only in that the better bets on the total points scored.

6. Over/ Under: This is a bet as per which the number of points scored by the teams in any game will be beyond/ over OR below/ under the total set by the oddsmaker.

7. Parlay of Accumulator: This is a way of betting on multiple sporting events in the hope that a big payoff will be made if all win. The picks made are in relation to the point spread. Even if one event does not win or draw, the better loses the entire bet. Huge amounts can be made through parlay betting, in the event of a win.

8. Teaser: A teaser is similar to a parlay, however it has the option of adding or taking off points from one or more than one Spread bets. The odds depend upon the number of points the spread is moved as well as upon the number of teams that are combined to form the teaser.

9. Futures: These are bets on who will win the championship in the event that there are more than two possible teams to bet on. Substantial variations between sportbooks exist in house edge on futures.

10. Buying Half a Point: In this, the straight bet player gets the option of moving the point spread half point to his advantage. The most appropriate time to buy a half point is when one team is favored by 2.5, 3, 6.5 or 7 in football. This is primarily due to the fact that several games end in a 3 or 7 point difference. The extra half point may end up turning a loss to a draw or a draw to a win.

Of all these types of bets, three types of bets are prominent and must be used for the simple reason that they are simple themselves, are easy to win and have a good chance of winning. These are the Straight bet, the Doubles and the Future.

Here are a few Betting tips that will help you to place the Best Bets and push you towards a big win, they are:

1. Always make an intelligent analysis of the odds and the offer of the bet.

2. For a simple bet, stick to the Straight bet as it is non-complicated and has good winning prospects.

3. Bet wisely by keeping your selections limited. Also try to limit the influence of bias in your betting. If you are a fan of a team try to limit the effect of that favoritism when betting.

4. One of the most rewarding bets is the ‘Future’ bet but only if you know a lot about the sport being played and about the players.

5. By betting regularly though systematically and in an analytical manner, one can improve your judgmental ability.

6. Contain the urge to bet with you winnings immediately. If you do not follow the standard rule of 50%, at least put some of your winnings back into your pocket.

7. Make sure your sportsbook is a member of a known Gambling Association, makes a quick payment and is easily accessible. Read in between the lines, about matters pertaining to disputes.

8. Train yourself to look for value odds – you will master this art soon, with time and practice.

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]]> http://www.lassvegass.com/sports-like-a-pro.html/feed 0 Online Poker Rooms http://www.lassvegass.com/online-poker-rooms.html http://www.lassvegass.com/online-poker-rooms.html#comments Thu, 11 Mar 2010 07:55:45 +0000 admin http://www.lassvegass.com/?p=823 Paradise Poker is a great online poker room. Some people know this site as the “World’s Premier Online card room”, On this site there are constantly tournaments going on and a player will always find some high stakes game to enter. People have mentioned that this game has the most pleasing graphics and yet it is not crowded with all sorts of unnecessary icons. For those players worried about the security of their money, Paradise Poker has shuffle card reviews from a highly recommended company, Pricewaterhouse Coopers.

Poker Stars never have a time where there is not a large tournament going on that anyone can enter. Popular with most of the free roll players, the site offers some enjoyable aspects to the programming. Although the site, itself can appear rather chaotic with the extensive graphics that people can use as their icons.

Ultimate Bet may not have the financial status to back it up, but it certainly has a few well-known players such as Annie Duke, Russ Hamilton and Phil Hellmuth. One great aspect about this room is that it includes a rather nice feature where players can minimize their gaming table on the screen, allowing them to play multiple tables easier.

Most of the time, Ladbrokes has encounters worth watching, and for added reliability they are connected with the Hilton Group. Sponsoring a huge tournament in Europe where they don’t accept US players is an annual competition known as the Ladbrokes Poker Tournament. Although the software is nothing extraordinary, it can still provide one with hours of poker entertainment.

Poker Room has a variety of options. Of those include multi-table tournaments, as well as Texas Hold’em, 7 Card Stud, Omaha, Hold ‘em as well as a host of other casino games. For those players worried about viruses, don’t be, there isn’t a download is needed to game on Poker Room. With the addition of a good links section, players are allowed to play a free roll with play money, which includes tournaments.

Prima Poker is more of a group of poker sites rather than a single room and boasts a minimal wait time before a game is available. With twenty-one sites from which they use to collect players for a game, it doesn’t matter where you connected to the site from, there will be a game started.

Full Tilt is another great online poker site. Although the graphics may appear slightly childish, Full Tilt’s interface can be a lot of fun, especially if the cards aren’t flopping your way. With Team Full Tilt, this site boasts some of the best players in the game, including Erik Seidel, Jennifer Harman, Howard Lederer, Chris “Jesus” Ferguson and Phil Ivey this site has earned its bragging rights.

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]]> http://www.lassvegass.com/online-poker-rooms.html/feed 0 Texas Holdem Strategies http://www.lassvegass.com/texas-holdem-strategies.html http://www.lassvegass.com/texas-holdem-strategies.html#comments Sun, 07 Feb 2010 07:57:25 +0000 admin http://www.lassvegass.com/?p=806 Fold
Forget about what you see on TV. In real Texas Holdem you will be folding more often than anything else. And if you’re not, then you’re probably playing too frivolously. Texas Holdem is about seizing opportunities, not barnstorming through every hand. If you stay in to the Showdown on more hands than you fold, we wager that your time as a Texas Holdem player will be brief.

Check
Overzealous poker neophytes will often fold out of a hand they could just as well have stayed in, if only they’d waited to see if everyone checked before them. Often everyone will check in a hand, and then you — having folded instead because you thought your hand unsalvageable — missed out on a chance to see your next card for free. Oops. If you’re the first to bet and you want to fold, check instead (unless you plan to bluff and then, may the force be with you). Worst case scenario, someone bets after you and then you fold after all. Big deal.

The Nuts
This is when you have the best possible Texas Holdem hand that can be had at the table at that given moment in time. If you’re not sure whether you have the nuts or not, you probably don’t. And if the River hasn’t been dealt yet, the subsequent card or cards in the deal could totally alter what The Nuts becomes.

Slow Play
A passive strategy, whereby you, holding a winning hand, feign weakness to keep more players contributing to the pot. If, after pulling off a slow play to the end, you still believe you have the winning hand, you may want to go all in on the River.

Check-Raise
A deceptive strategy whereby you, holding a strong Texas Holdem hand, initially feign weakness by checking the right to bet to the next players; then, when a player does bet and your turn comes around again, you don’t just call the bet, but your raise it (and usually raise it big). With this strategy, even if all players fold at that moment, you still get the chips they threw in after you checked.

Keep Your Emotions at the Door
They will kill you at the Texas Holdem table. You must keep your wits about you, and if you can’t — as will sometimes be the case — get out of the game and get out while you still can.

Change It Up
Whatever your personal favorite strategies, to be truly successful at Texas Holdem, you must mix up your game. Don’t let yourself fall into a rut, and by all means, do not become predictable — it is Texas Holdem’s kiss of death. Keep your opponents guessing, or suffer the consequences.

Position
Consider where you’re sitting in the sequence of betting for each hand. Your strategy must change depending on whether you’re betting first, last, or somewhere in the middle.

Attack Weakness
Texas Holdem players are either predators or prey. And if it’s often very difficult to tell one from the other. So proceed with caution, and when you smell fear, pounce!

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]]> http://www.lassvegass.com/texas-holdem-strategies.html/feed 1 Online Poker http://www.lassvegass.com/online-poker.html http://www.lassvegass.com/online-poker.html#comments Fri, 27 Nov 2009 22:41:28 +0000 admin http://www.lassvegass.com/?p=772 Apart from offering a wider range of games and sites, online poker gives you the opportunity to play with more seasoned players from across the globe.  You can rub shoulders with professional poker players online, and perfect your gaming skills.

It is difficult to find the best site to play poker. It all depends on what you want at that time. If you are keen to have good tournaments and good customer service, Poker Stars is where you should anchor. On the other hand, if you are using Linux or Mac, you should frequent websites which offers Java-based services. In a nutshell, there will be only a handful of poker sites where you would find a real poker game. These sites don’t indulge in gimmicks to lure traffic, as they are popular for their content.

Worrying about losing the deposit money is a genuine concern while playing online. Playing with established poker sites can safeguard you against these risks. These sites are regulated by gaming commissions, backed by leading financial companies and therefore assured to give winners their due. However, keep your eyes open, as these commissions are not authorized by the government and work fairly only to maintain their own reputations.

Online poker forums are an excellent source for beginners and experts to meet and discuss the fine points of the game. They can offer advice and feedback which is free and very helpful.

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