 |
|
|
The Casinos
Lets start by setting at ease any reservations people might have.
Online gambling is simply just as safe as gambling in Las Vegas, Atlantic City or
any other land based casino. Online casinos are responsible for acquiring all relative
licenses and permits before they may open their e-doors. The vast majority of online
casinos are regularly audited by professional firms such as Price Waterhouse Coopers.
Secure e-cash facilities are used by all of the casinos and customers are protected
from unauthorized of credit cards by the credit companies themselves.
However, all internet casinos are not created equal. There are somewhat
unscrupulous casinos out there. For instance, some casinos offer much better odds
than others. On the other hand, because of the low cost of internet business, there
are casinos that offer odds substantially above that of Las Vegas and Atlantic City.
All of the casinos recommended on this website have better odds than the average
American Casino. Additionally, they all offer toll free customer service numbers
for the USA and UK. Look at these payout percentages for different states of the
USA.
State within the USA |
Slot Games |
Table Games |
All Games |
|
Payout Percentages |
Nevada (Las Vegas) |
94.65% |
84.81% |
90.71% |
New Jersey (Atlantic City) |
91.63% |
83.45% |
88.36% |
Illinois |
93.97% |
82.86% |
89.52% |
Iowa |
93.42% |
78.00% |
87.25% |
Indiana |
93.29% |
80.29% |
88.09% |
Connecticut |
91.91% |
N/A |
N/A |
Colorado |
94.37% |
80.86% |
88.96% |
USA Average |
93.32% |
81.71% |
88.82% |
|
Average at online-gambling-888.com |
95.47% |
97.73% |
97.03% |
Updated for April 2004
|
So as you can see, getting started here literally pays!
Deposits / Withdrawals
Many of the online casinos incentivize you to make a deposit by offering
bonuses, such as a free $100 if you make a $50 deposit. The best offers at any time
can be found on our home page. In addition to offering these great bonuses, the
casinos also provide ample ways for you to complete your deposit. The average casino
has at least 9 different ways to deposit. All these different ways to deposit can
get a bit confusing so we have broken everything down for you here. This list provides
information on the most common internet deposit services:
NeTeller
NeTEller provides many different financial services through their
website. The service is extremely well known and used. Users can pull funds directly
from their bank accounts or credit cards with the website. Money can then be instantly
transferred to any online casino. When you have a mountain of winnings to cash out,
the NeTeller service can receive deposits from casinos and deposit them straight
into your bank account. NeTeller is a free service. Many casinos offer a $10 dollar
bonus for using NeTeller.
900 Pay: (Very Recommended)
900 pay is a great way to deposit money. Using this method, the depositor
calls a 900 number and the amount of the deposit is charged to the person's phone
bill. Funds become available instantly.
Credit Cards:
By far the most obvious choice for depositing money, all online casinos
accept standard Visa and MasterCard. Credit card payments are activated immediately
and are the easiest way to deposit. The only disadvantage of credit cards is that
it is very difficult to withdrawal money from an online casino with them. Some countries
have restricted these credit card companies from transferring funds to online gambling
institutions. If your card is declined, it is most likely due to this restriction.
Firepay:
Firepay is like an online debit card. You place money in the account
and then can spend it at different online merchants. The account cannot be funded
with credit cards however. ACH and wiring money are the only way to get money into
the account. The service is free.
Get Started Already!
At this point you should be an online gambling expert. So go ahead
and find a casino that suits your interest and start having fun. If you don't know
how to play any of the games, head over to the Rules & Strategy part of the website
(Located with all the other links on the left). Most casinos offer two versions,
a browser based flash casino and a downloadable casino software. Take if from me,
the download is absolutely worth it. It will only take seconds with a high speed
connection and maybe a few minutes with dial-up. Additionally, the software is small
and installs cleanly. There are never advertisements or any of the tag-along programs
that often come with some allegedly free software.
The best part about all of this is its completely free. If you don't
want to gamble for real money, don't. But do get the software and play for fake
money. If you have never gambled, it is more fun than you can possibly imagine.
Practice and go to Vegas later on! Just whatever you do, have a good time!
|
|
Game Play
The game appears simple in basic play but has more to it. The goal of
each player is to come as close to 21 as possible without going over. The
dealer deals all players two cards. Depending on the style of Blackjack you
are playing, the cards will be either face up or down.
Once each player has two cards, they will each have a total ranging anywhere
from 4 to 21. The cards with numbers are valued at the number on the card
while all face cards are valued ten. The aces have different values depending
on different situations. They can be either a one or eleven. We will cover
this later. Once everyone has cards, the dealer will ask whether or not the
players would like another card "hit" or stay with what they have
"stay". The dealer will have two cards; one face up and one face
down. We will talk later about how to analyze and react to the dealers card.
Aces are worth either 1 or 11 depending on what is better for the player.
Now lets say you draw a 8 from the deck. Now you have 15 because if the ace
was valued at 11 you would have 25 and you would consequently bust. When you
have an ace valued as an 11, the total is called 'soft'. For instance, a 5
and an ace is a soft 16. Any other combination without an ace representing
a 11 is called a hard number. For instance, a 7 and a 10 is a hard 17.
The dealer will usually be forced to hit until 17. This is always posted on
the table. If the dealer's total or your total exceed 21 the hand is a bust
and the player loses. You have Blackjack if you receive an ace and a card
worth ten. You even beat the dealer if he gets natural 21 which is 21 but
with more than two cards. It is called a push and nobody collects money if
you and the dealer tie. Blackjack usually pays 3:2. If you bet ten you either
win or lose ten the payoff in Blackjack is always even. That does it for the
basics. There are a few more intricacies so read on if you can.
Doubling Down
Players are allowed to Double Down. When a player doubles down, he has determined
that he has a favorable position and the dealer does not. The player will
place down another bet of equal value to the initial bet. He is now allowed
to only hit one time. If you double down and the one card you draw is a low
card you are in bad shape.
Different games have different rules regarding when a player is allowed to
double down. Some allow it with any cards. Some allow it with only 9, 10 and
11. And some casinos only allow 10 and 11.
Splitting
when a player is dealt two of the same card, as in two 8's, they are allowed
to split the two cards into two different hands and essentially play two games
of Blackjack at once.
Insurance
It is only very rarely that a player even has the insurance option. Only when
the dealer's face up card is an ace, it is offered. The premise of insurance
is that if the dealer's other card is a ten-value card, and he has blackjack,
you don't lose your bet. You can buy insurance for half of whatever your initial
bet was. Experts agree that insurance is generally a bad idea. If you are
counting the cards, it might be in your better interest.
Surrender
Some game offer the ability to surrender your hand before making any play
decisions for half the cost of your bet. If you have a bad looking hand and
the dealer has an ace showing, for instance, you might decide to surrender.
You could fold your hand and pay 5 to get your 10 back if your original bet
had been 10. There are two different versions of surrender, early and late.
If the game offers early surrender, the player must decide whether or not
they would like to surrender the cards before the dealer checks to see if
he has blackjack. In late surrender, the player may surrender even if the
dealer has blackjack.
Strategy
This website has everything you would ever want to know, literally. The site
provides a "Blackjack Strategy Engine", which is a computing program
that determines what you should do in every situation. You simply input into
the machine the specifications for the game you are playing and it will spit
out a web page with three tables detailing every move that can be made in
a blackjack game.
For those of you that just can't wait anymore and want strategy right here
and now, I will break down the gist of the "Blackjack Strategy Engine's"
output. This is going to be short and sweet so pay attention: You always
want to hit until 17 if the dealer is showing a 7 or higher.
Good Luck!
|
|
Baccarat history
When baccarat was originally presented in America, casino's
attempted to instill the glamorous ambiance connected with the European game.
In most casinos, baccarat is played in a roped-off area, and is directly observed
by a pit boss and intermittently the playing area is even guarded by armed
guards.
The word baccarat is a derivative of the Italian word baccara, meaning zero,
and refers to the zero value given to all of the face cards and tens. Baccarat
is played primarily in European casinos, were it was introduced in the 15th
century. The game has today is very popular and it is now played in casinos
around the world.
The game may in fact be the best game for the player who doesn't want to take
the time to develop expert skills required by other casino games.
Baccarat tips - Game Play
Baccarat is played with either six or eight complete decks of cards. All cards,
ace through nine, are valued according to their count. Tens and face cards
count as zero. When any two cards total over a 10 count, 10 must be subtracted
and the outstanding total is the card count.
Players, known as punters may sit around a table with 14 seating positions.
Three dealers assist each table - the dealer standing in the middle is known
as the croupier or the caller. The croupier makes the calls on each hand as
they are dealt, and directs the players playing the game. The other two dealers
are responsible for handling any payouts.
The cards are shuffled by a dealer and then reshuffled and placed in a box
referred to as a shoe. Each player will get an opportunity to handle the shoe.
When they are holding the shoe it’s anticipated that they will bet the bank,
but may decline the shoe and pass it along to the next player. The caller
receives the cards from the player with the shoe, places them in the suitable
boxes and then calls for another card or announces a winner.
The highest total possible for any baccarat hand is nine. A two card total
of nine is known as a natural and can not lose. An eight is the second best
hand and is also called a natural. If both player and bank are dealt the exact
same hands. It is a tie and neither bank nor player wins. If neither hand
has a natural, the player's hand is at all times the first to be played. Another
card will be drawn if the first two cards total five or less. If they total
six or seven, no further cards are allowed to be drawn. A maximum of three
cards can be drawn for either hand, and when both hands have been played,
the hand closest to nine wins.
General Baccarat Tips
Never place a wager on a potential tie. The payoff rate will be 8-1. This
is a bad bet for the player as the house edge will be greater than 14%. Instead
of collecting after each hand which would slow play, the dealer will pay even
money to winning banker bets and consider the 5% an IOU. So make sure you
pay close attention to your winnings, losses, and total hands played, as you
will be responsible for paying commissions on winning banker bets once you
decide to walk.
Scorecards and pencils are placed on every table for players to keep track
of the outcome of every hand. Many players attempt to use these scorecards
to count cards or discover patterns in an effort to predict future hands.
It is possible to cut down the house edge slightly by counting cards but looking
for patterns will not help at all.
Baccarat Tips - Betting * 1-3-2-6 System
It may seem to you like the odds are in your favor and not in the casinos,
but the odds favor the casino, as in most casino games, and no betting system
will change that fact.
The first bet is one unit - if you win:
1) Add another unit, making the second bet a total of three units.
2) If you win the second bet, there are 6 units on the table. Remove four
units, making your third bet two units.
3) If it wins add two more units, making it a total of six units for your
fourth bet.
4) If the fourth bet wins you'll collect a total of 12 units
General Baccarat Tips - Guidelines
- If you lose the first bet: The loss is one unit.
- If you win the first, but lose the second bet: your net loss is two units.
- If you win the second, but lose the third bet, you have a profit of two
units.
- If you win the first three bets but lose the fourth bet, you'll break even.
- If you lose the second bet five out of six times and win four consecutive
bets once, you'll be right back to even.
** You can also use this system for even-money betting at any other casino
game.
Good luck!
|
|
Game Play
Roulette is one of the simpler table games. The game
involves a wheel with 37 numbers from 0 to 36 with some games including a
double 0 for a total of 38. American Roulette has the full 38 slots while
European Roulette omits the double 0 for a total of 37. The numbers are not
arranged consecutively. Numbers are positioned opposite the corresponding
high and low number. 1 is on the opposite side of 2 and so on and so forth
until 35 is opposite 36. Red numbers and black numbers are opposite each other.
The roulette wheel is left spinning at all times. The wheel
is accelerated to higher speeds when a game is initiated. The ivory ball is
launched in the opposite direction. The opposite forces on the ball from the
wheel and its own momentum slow it down quickly. The result is the falling
into one of the 37 or 38 slots on the wheel.
Betting in roulette is also fairly straightforward. There
are many different types of bets. The roulette table uses special color-coded
chips that correspond to the different players at each table. There are 6
inside bets and 3 outside bets for 9 total. The inside bets correspond to
the area with all the numbers displayed. Outside bets are naturally placed
outside this area. The following table will simplify the different types of
bets available:
Inside
Bets |
Straight Up Bet |
A straight up bet involves
betting that one of the 38 numbers will be hit on the next roll. Simply
place a chip on a number to make the bet. Odds are 35:1 |
Split Bet |
This bet involves betting
that either one of two numbers will com up on the next roll. To place
the bet put a chip across the line in between two numbers. Odds 17:1. |
Street Bet |
Like above, this bet simply
involves betting on anyone of three numbers. To place the bet, place
chip on the end of a row of three numbers. Odds 11:1. |
Corner Bet |
Same as above, but with 4
numbers. To place bet, put chip on the intersection of two lines, covering
a portion of four different boxes. Odds 8:1. |
Five Number Bet |
Bet involves the 0, 00, 1,
2 and 3. Worst bet on the table. The house has a 50% edge. Doesn't even
exist in Europe because of the lack of a 00. Odds: 6:1. |
Line Bet |
Bet involves a group of six
numbers. To place bet, put chip on line between where you would place
two adjacent street bets. Odds 5:1. |
Outside
Bets |
Even Money |
The even money bet can be made three
different ways. You can bet low (1-16) or high (17-36), you can bet
even or odd and you can bet red or black. Odds 1:1. |
Column |
This is a bet on a column of 12 numbers.
To place bet, put chip at bottom of column on line. Odds 2:1. |
Dozen Bet |
Similar to column bet. This is a bet
on 12 numbers as well, however you pick an interval 1-12, 13-24, 25-36.
Odds 2:1. |
Strategy
A simple tip that is easy to follow right off the bat is play European
Roulette. European Roulette does not have the 00 that beefs up the
house edge like American Roulette.
Look for Roulette games that offer 'Surrender'. If you make
an outside bet for even money and 0 or 00 come up, you only lose half of your
money. Surrender is consistently available in Atlantic City. A different variation
similar to surrender is 'En Prison'. If you make an outside bet for even money
and a 0 comes up, the bet is left on the same place of the table for the next
spin. It is returned with no profit if the bet wins. If it loses, it is taken.
And if for some preposterous reason 0 comes back up, the bet remains in prison.
Both Surrender and En Prison are variations on the game that simply lower
the house edge.
Advanced Roulette systems involve picking and sticking to
profitable systems of play. Everybody and their brother has decided to post
their system on the internet. There are vast numbers of systems out there.
Find one with a good track record and stick to it.
|
|
Slots Strategy
Actual strategy is based on being an informed gambler. Slot machines
have house advantages from 1 to 20 percent. The payout percents are usually
advertised on the machines. If the information cannot be found on the machine,
simply ask an employee or call customer service online. Playing 1 percent
house advantage machines with progressive jackpots greatly reduce the mathematical
advantage that any machine has over the player.
The longer a player is engaged with a slots machines, the
longer they are subjected to the mathematical inevitability that they will
end up losing. The only logical conclusion we can make from this is quit while
you are ahead. You will be winning sometimes and you will be losing sometimes.
Cash out if you find yourself in a winning position. The key to winning in
the long term is riding the oscillations of probability up, not down. This
is all much easier said than done. There are certain things to identify when
you are riding things up or down. The theory that machines are either hot
or cold has merit. The computers are programmed to payout when certain criteria
is met. If the machine has collected a certain amount of money, the machine
can be caught in a payout interval. Catching machines during these winning
periods is essential to a very successful career in playing slots.
|
|
Objective
the player bets on whether the dice roll will result in a win or loss.
Rules
Craps is played with two dice. Chips are used to place bets.
The Shooter and the Come Out Roll
The player rolling the dice is called the shooter. The "come out"
roll is the shooter's first roll.
2 Bets Before the Come Out Roll
1) Pass Line bets
The Pass Line is an even money bet. When you make a "pass line"
bet, you are betting the shooter WILL be successful. The results for the "pass
line" "come out" rolls are as follows...
"Come Out" Roll ( First Roll
) |
Result |
7 or 11 ("Natural") |
Player Wins |
2, 3, or 12 ("Craps") |
Player Loses |
"Point"
is established 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 ("Point") |
Player wins: if the shooter
rolls the "point" number again before a 7. Player loses: if
a 7 is rolled before the "point" number. |
If the shooter's "Come Out" roll is an eight that will become the
"point", the shooter continues to roll until an eight or seven is
rolled. A roll of eight wins, a roll of seven loses - called a "seven-out".
All intervening rolls are irrelevant to the "Pass Line" bet.
Once either the seven or point has been rolled, the next roll becomes the
new "come out" roll.
2) Don't Pass Line bets
The Don't Pass Line is an even money bet. When you make a "don't pass
line" bet, you are betting that the shooter WILL NOT be successful. The
opposite of a "pass line" bet except rolling a 12 ties (a "push").
The results for the "don't pass line" "come out" rolls
are as follows:
"Come Out" Roll ( First Roll
) |
Result |
7 or 11 ("Natural") |
Player Loses |
2 or 3 ("Craps") |
Player Wins |
12 ("Push") |
Tie |
You win after the first roll if the shooter rolls a seven before making his
point. If the shooter successfully makes his point you lose.
8 Bets after the Come Out Roll
The dice are not passed on if the shooter is winning. The dice are only passed
to the next player if the shooter sevens-out or decides not to continue rolling.
In the Internet version of craps, the player loses if there
is a seven-out and can end the game at any time provided there are no bets
placed.
Pass Line and Don't Pass Line bets are made on the shooter's "Come Out"
roll. All other bets are placed after the come out, once a "point"
has been established, and work independent of the "pass line" and
"don't pass" bets.
1) The Come Bet - Made any time after the initial "Come Out" roll
when a shooter has a point to make, you win on the first roll of the come
bet with a natural and lose on craps. Any other number that comes up is a
come point. You win on a come bet if this number is rolled again before a
7.
2) The Don't Come Bet - Opposite of the come bet, except the 12 is a tie.
Made any time after the initial "Come Out" roll when a shooter has
a point to make, you lose on the first roll of the don't come bet with a natural
and win on craps. Any other number that comes up is a come point. You lose
on a don't come bet if this number is rolled again before a 7.
3) Odds Bet - You can accompany your Pass Line, Come, Don't Pass, or Don't
Come bet with an additional bet called an "odds bet". Once a point
has been established, the odds bet is popular because it pays "true odds"
on your bet. True odds are based on comparing the chance of your number being
rolled before the 7, and are paid out accordingly.
Determining True Odds
The following chart will display the number of ways a 7 can be made, as opposed
to the number of ways any other combination of points can be rolled at a given
time.

An odds bet on the "pass line" and the "come" is called
"taking odds". The payouts on taking odds are
Points |
True Odds |
4 and 10 |
2 - 1 |
5 and 9 |
3 - 2 |
6 and 8 |
6 - 5 |
To take odds on your Pass Line bet, click the area below the Pass Line, lower
left corner. To take odds on your Come bet, click the Come chips wagered.
An odds bet on the "don't pass" and the "don't come" is
called "laying odds". The payouts on laying odds are
Points |
True Odds |
4 and 10 |
1 - 2 |
5 and 9 |
2 - 3 |
6 and 8 |
5 - 6 |
To lay odds on your Don't Pass and Don't Come bets, click on the chips wagered.
4) Place Bet - betting a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10 will be rolled before a 7. This
is similar to come bets except unlike an Odds Bet, you do not have to place
a bet in the Come or Pass Line bet first.
Points |
True Odds |
4 and 10 |
9 - 5 |
5 and 9 |
7 - 5 |
6 and 8 |
7 - 6 |
Place bets on the 4, 5, 9, or 10 should be made in multiples of 5 units, and
bets on 6 or 8 should be made in multiples of 6 units because payouts are
rounded down to the nearest unit.
To make a place bet, click on the space marked "place bets" below
the desired number square.
5) Lay Bet - betting a 7 will be rolled before a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10 is rolled.
The Lay bet pays true odds less a 5% commission fee or "vig", rounded
down to the nearest unit. You can make a lay bet without making a "don't
pass" or "don't come" bet first. To make a lay bet, click on
the space marked "lay bets" above the desired number square.
6) Buy Bet - betting a four, five, six, eight, nine or ten will be rolled
before a seven, opposite of the Lay bet. The Buy bet pays true odds less a
5% commission fee or "vig", rounded down to the nearest unit. You
can make a buy bet without making a "pass line" or "come"
bet first.
7) Big 6 and Big 8 - betting a six or an eight will be rolled before a seven.
This area is located near the corner with a big 6 and 8. It is similar to
a place bet on the six or eight except you get paid even money.
8) Field Bet - A one roll bet that the next roll will be a two, three, four,
nine, ten, eleven or twelve. A roll of two or twelve pays double or 2 to 1.
Proposition Bets
In addition to the 8 different bets described above, you can also place Proposition
Bets, located on the right side of the Internet craps table.
To make a proposition bet, click on the desired square.
Hard Ways
When both dice come up with the same number, i.e. two 2's, it's called the
"hard way". The only numbers considered hard ways are 4, 6, 8, and
10. The 2 and 12 are not considered Hard Ways because the only way to make
them is with a double.
The following are the Hard Ways bets you can make:
Hard Bets |
Only Wins |
Payout |
Hard 4 |
Before 7 or soft 4(1+3, 3+1) |
7 - 1 |
Hard 6 |
Before 7 or soft 6(1+5, 5+1, 2+4, 4+2) |
9 - 1 |
Hard 8 |
Before 7 or soft 8( 2+6, 6+2, 5+3, 3+5) |
9 - 1 |
Hard 10 |
Before 7 or soft 10(4+6, 6+4) |
7 - 1 |
One Roll Bets
As their name suggests, these bets last for one roll of the dice only.
One Roll Bets |
Description |
Payout |
Any Seven |
Betting the shooter will throw a 7 on
the next roll |
4 - 1 |
Two |
Betting the shooter will throw a 2on
the next roll |
30 - 1 |
Twelve |
Betting the shooter will throw a 12 on
the next roll |
30 - 1 |
Horn Bet |
Betting the shooter will throw a 2, 3,
11, or 12 on the next roll |
15 - 5 (3 or 11), 30 - 4 (2 or 12) |
Three |
Betting the shooter will throw a 3 on
the next roll |
15 -1 |
Eleven |
Betting the shooter will throw an 11
on the next roll |
15 - 1 |
Any Craps |
Betting the shooter will throw a 2, 3,
or 12 on the next roll |
7 - 1 |
How to Play
1. Set your bet amount by clicking the appropriate chips in your chip tray.
To lower your bet amount, shift+click or right click the appropriate chips
in your chip tray. The default bet amount is 1 unit, the minimum is 1 unit,
and the maximum is 100 units. The one exception to the minimum bet value is
4 units on the Horn Bet. The number of bets that can be placed on the table
per roll is limited only by the 100 units maximum total bet.
2. Once you have set your bet amount, click the area(s) of the table where
you would like to place bet(s). The appropriate chips will appear on the table.
To remove your bet(s) shift+click or right click the appropriate bets on the
table.
3. Once you have placed your bet(s), click the Roll button. The result of
your roll will be shown as dice in the middle of the table and in the user
information panel. If you win, your balance increases and chips are added
to your chip tray.
4. To roll again, click the area on the table where you would like to place
your bet. Click the Roll button. To exit the game click the Close button in
the upper right-hand corner or choose Exit Game from the Casino menu.
Betting
The minimum wager is 1 unit and the maximum that can be played on the
table is 100 units. Exception on the Horn Bet, the minimum is 4 units. All
Odds bets will be limited to double odds. An odds bet is placed with a Pass
Line, Don't Pass, Come, or Don't Come bet.
|
|
|
|
|