Roulette Advanced Strategy Dos and Dont’s
May 13, 2009
Roulette is a game that has been found all over the world for centuries. It is also a game that appears on every major online casino site. The game itself is simple: Put chips down on the number, series of numbers, color or category of numbers that you like. If the ball lands in the niche on the wheel that corresponds with your choice, you win. As simple as it is, there are a few strategic dos and don’ts to consider.
Roulette Dos:
Look for a European or French Roulette Wheel
While all roulette wheels have one zero, American roulette wheels have another space for a double zero. This is true for both online roulette and live games. While this may not seem like such a large issue, it’s important to realize that the house edge in roulette comes from the zero. Bets are paid off at what their true odds would be if there were no zeroes, so the more zeroes, the worse it is for the player.
Look for En Prison Rules
The en prison and la partage rules mean that on an even money bet like black/red or odd/even, you do not automatically lose on a zero. If a zero should come up, the player will either get half his bet back or have it riding on the next spin, where he will get his full bet back if it wins. Which rule is in play depends on the online casino.
Don’t:
Play on an American Roulette Wheel
These are the wheels with the extra zero that should be avoided.
Play the Basket Bet
If for some reason you should find yourself playing on an American roulette wheel, avoid the basket bet, which is five numbers (0,00,1,2,3). The house edge is 7.89 percent on these bets. They are the worst bets on the layout.
Blackjack Strategy and Betting System
May 12, 2009
Blackjack is a game with a relatively low house edge when played correctly, which means a player who gets on a winning streak can build up a nice pile of cash. Some people may find blackjack a little slow because you only get paid even money on your bets (except for an actual blackjack). A progressive betting system may liven up your blackjack game a little bit – whether it’s played in a live casino or on an online blackjack site.
Progressive Betting Systems vs. Martingale
Progressive betting systems are methods of betting where you increase your bet after a win. This increases your ability to profit from a winning streak without significantly increasing your risk of loss when things go bad. Such systems are considered preferable to Martingale systems where you increase your bet after a loss, as such systems can lead to ruin if you run up against the house limits or the limits of your own bankroll.
Progressive Betting System in Blackjack
One blackjack betting system you may have some success with is a 1/3/5 system. In this blackjack strategy you bet one unit until you win, then bet three units. If you win again, you bet five units. After the third win, you return to one unit. Over the three bets, you will win nine units if you win, but lose no more than two units if you lose. For example, you bet $10 and win. You keep the $20 and add another $10 for a $30 bet, of which you have invested $20. You win again and take back only $10. Now you have invested $10 and have a $50 bet up. If you win that bet, you will have won $100 for a $10 investment and a net of $90.
Blackjack Betting System Analysis
A progressive betting system does not guarantee a winning session by any means. You will still have to apply basic strategy correctly and get lucky. However, if you do get lucky, and combine it with casino bonuses, this system can lead to a big blackjack score.
Online vs Offline poker
May 8, 2009
Television might be the primary “culprit” is popularizing the game, but online poker offers the hands-on possibility to play, for all people interested, no matter where in the world they may be.
Suddenly, playing poker has become a matter of turning on the computer and clicking on a few links.
Online poker is accessible to all, regardless where they live, and regardless of the language they speak. Each and every one of the other advantages online poker room possess over brick and mortar ones, stems from this accessibility.
Because the World Wide Web is basically a world-wide display case as well, there are virtually no limits to how many players can join a given poker room. Thus, while a few tens or a few hundred players pass as huge crowds in any live poker event, a few thousand players do not represent an outstandingly good traffic for an online poker room. Because there are thousands upon thousands of players at their tables, online poker rooms can afford to give their patrons much more generous bonuses (sign-up ones or loyalty ones) and often times allow them more-than-generous edges like rakeback or cashback.
The rake that they take off each pot is also much reduced compared to live poker rooms, and it is strictly proportional with the amount of money in the raked pot.
A live poker room won’t be able to afford to count exactly 5% of each pot that is taken down, to a max a $3, like online rooms do. Real poker rooms usually take the rake based on time collection. Thus, playing in low or micro-limit games becomes a bad investment, and people will generally end up paying more rake. On the other hand though, the time-collection rake will lead to looser games at higher limits, because people are aware the rake is not a percentage of the pot they’re so generously stuffing.
Besides the rake that you pay by the hour, you need to add up a few other expenses to your overall live-poker rake as well. Live events take place in certain locations, and that means you have to travel to get there. Once there, food and lodging represent yet another hurdle. There’s no reason why you shouldn’t consider all that part of the rake. If you look at things that way, plus you consider that no live poker room will ever give you a sign-up bonus, (except maybe the comp dollars that some establishments grant you) then you’ll realize there can be no fair comparison between online and offline rake rates.
We all know what a great edge game- and table selection can provide for a skilled player. Online, you couldn’t possibly ask for a better opportunity for table selection: you can check out any table you want to, you can watch people play for as long as you want to, (without them knowing about it) you can learn everything about their true colors before you actually take a seat.
I’d like to see you do that in a brick and mortar poker room. You should be glad if you can find more than a single table at the limit/stakes you’re comfortable with.
To top it all off, you’ll waste a tremendous amount of time chasing down line poker games, even when all you’re after, is a game at your local poker room. Travel not only takes money, it takes time too. More often than not, you’ll be forced to wait until a seat frees up at your preferred limit, which means more time lost, time you could’ve spent playing poker and making money.
Offline, there are much fewer hands played/hour than online, and I’d really love to see someone try to multi-table in real life.
Bottom line is: the online poker environment is much more forgiving than the offline one. In live poker, you have the odds stacked against you, so in order to eek out a long-term win, you’ll need to bring something very special to that table.



