• A 3 bet is the 3rd bet in a poker round, when a player raises on the 2 bet in poker, or the initial preflop raise.
• This happens when one player bets, another player raises, and then either the original bettor or another player makes another raise. This second raise constitutes a 3 bet
• In Texas Hold ‘Em and Omaha Poker, the blinds are considered the first bet, which is why the second raise is a ‘3 bet’
• For example, if one player raises to $15 before the flop, and the other player makes it $45, the player raising to $45 is making a 3-bet.
• Preflop betting is a huge part of poker strategy. This guide will take you through exactly what poker 3 bet is, how the value of your poker hands factors into your decision making, and how to build and implement a three bet in poker strategy.

A 3 bet in online poker is a a raise made after another player has made a raise already. Although the expression is often used to describe pre-flop action, a poker 3 bet can also happen after the flop.

During a poker game, 3 betting is an important part of poker strategy, from video poker to live dealer poker, allowing players to increase their aggression levels, resulting in winning more pots when bluffing and scooping bigger pots with the best value poker hands.

Figuring out when to 3 bet in poker, how to size your 3 bet poker properly depending on a situation, and what poker hands to pick can be tricky, but it is essential on your path to becoming a successful and profitable poker player in the long run.

What is a 3 Bet in Poker: The Basics

If you’re new to the game of online poker, the definition in the introduction will give you an idea of a 3 bet is and how it works. However, the definition alone doesn’t explain what makes this bet different from other bets and why it’s so important to develop a deep understanding of this concept.

There are several main goals that we want to achieve when placing a 3 bet in poker, and we can accomplish two or more of these with a single bet:

• Taking control of the betting – When you 3 bet in poker before the flop, players who stick around will usually call, giving you control of the betting on future streets.
• Hand protection – When you have a strong hand, 3 bet poker helps you reduce the number of players to the flop, making it easier to realize your equity.
• Isolating weak players – You can use 3 bet poker to target weak players and attack their raises, ensuring you play them heads-up by removing other players from the pot.
• Making you harder to play against – If other players know that you are capable of 3 betting, they’ll be less likely to attack your blinds, and when they do, they’ll have to fight harder for the pots.

Like with every other aspect of poker strategy, such as ICM in poker, finding a good balance is crucial. You want to 3 bet at the right frequency and with the correct poker hands to make the most out of this move.

Most players don’t do it enough, but there are also those who make one of the top 10 mistakes in poker, 3 betting too often, leaving them exposed to observant opponents who’ll take advantage of this tendency.

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What Does 3 Bet Mean in Poker: Purpose & Strategy of a 3 Bet in Poker

A 3 bet in poker is one of the most powerful moves when it comes to pre-flop betting. In many lower-stakes games, players don’t know how to properly respond to it, and very few have balanced 4 betting ranges. This means that a good 3 betting strategy can give you a big edge.

By attacking a pre-flop raise, you’re conveying a message that you have a strong hand, allowing you to pick up the pot right then and there or proceed to the flop with an advantage.

On high-card boards, you’ll have a range advantage, and on lower and middling boards, you’ll still have some coverage because of a balanced poker strategy that doesn’t include just the best poker hands.

When deciding whether to play 3 bet poker or not, there are a few things to look at:

• The raiser table position – A player raising from a late position will usually have a weaker range, which means you can attack it with a wider scope of poker hands. Conversely, an early position raise conveys more strength, which should lead to a tighter 3 betting range.
• Your hand – Your hand is important when deciding whether to 3 bet. Some of your strongest holdings will want to 3 bet almost always, while other poker hands are good candidates for light 3 bets, especially against late position openers.
• Stack sizes – It’s important to be aware of all relevant stack sizes and poker chip values when making a pre-flop 3 bet. If there are particularly short stacks still to act or the original raiser doesn’t have many chips behind, you should usually tighten your 3 betting range.

In addition to these general considerations, you should always think about any specific reads you have on the player whose raise you’re attacking.

If you know someone to be opening a very tight range in general, you’ll want to deviate from your standard pre-flop poker strategy and skip on some of the weakest theoretically correct 3 bets. By the same token, against players who open too frequently and have a wide opening range, you should be looking for opportunities to 3 bet in poker.

That said, always try to think beyond the pre-flop. If you know someone is sticky and will often call a 3 bet to see the flop, you should increase your frequency when in position and avoid some of the marginal 3 bets when out of position.

What is 3 Bet Poker: Types of 3 Bets

We’ve already talked about some of the main goals we want to achieve when 3 betting. With these goals in mind, 3 bets can be divided into three main groups:

• Value 3 bets – These are 3 bets done with the strongest part of our range, like big pocket pairs, AK, and AQ. What exactly our value poker 3 bet range looks like will depend on the position where the raise is coming from, and any reads we have on the player. For example, pocket 9s are a value poker 3 bet against a button open, but we can’t raise with them for value against a reasonable UTG (under the gun) raise.
• Bluff 3 bets – Certain poker hands play very well as bluffs before the flop. Some of the best bluffing 3 bet candidates are small suited aces because of their ability to flop flush and straight draws, which allow you to put a lot of pressure on your opponent.
• Semi-bluff 3 bets – When talking about semi-bluff 3 betting poker hands, we’re talking about post-flop situations. With certain drawing hands, you’ll want to go for a 3 bet poker to put the maximum pressure and try to win with aggression while still maintaining some equity if you get called.

What is a 3 Bet in Poker: Important Factors to Consider

Armed with the answer to ‘what is a 3 bet in poker?’ what its main goals are, and the three major types of 3 bet, we can now move on to the most important part: the implementation.

It is one thing to say that it’s good to 3 bet because it helps us improve our aggression and win more pots. It is an entirely different thing, though, to figure out when to 3-bet in poker and what are some of the most important factors to pay attention to besides the one we’ve mentioned earlier.

Poker Game Dynamics

Game dynamics will play a huge role in how you construct your 3 betting ranges. While you can use GTO charts as your starting point, you shouldn’t be following these blindly, especially in lower stakes and live games, where players often have pronounced tendencies that you can take advantage of.

When figuring out your pre-flop strategy for a particular poker table at a casino, you should first figure out how that table plays overall. Are general tendencies more passive or are they on a more aggressive side? Are players opening a lot of hands, are there many callers before the flop, etc.?

This also applies to games of online poker, live dealer poker, or video poker. The same poker strategies apply to digital games as much as local casino games.

This information will help you create an idea of what their tendencies are and what their hand ranges look like. Based on this knowledge, you can make adjustments to your 3 betting strategy, adding or removing hands and deciding if including some of the marginal poker hands makes sense or if you should stick to a tighter, more straightforward approach.

Player Stack Sizes

Likewise, you should also be aware of stack sizes, especially in tournaments, where this is one factor that changes constantly.

Perhaps the player to your left has been on a 50+ big blind stack for the entire poker tournament, but they had just lost a huge hand, and now they are down to just seven or eight big blinds. This is something you have to consider when deciding whether to 3 bet light, as you’ll be committed to calling that player’s all-in once you 3 bet.

In cash games, you won’t often have to deal with short stacks, but you should be careful when entering pots against extremely deep-stacked opponents. When 3 betting in these situations, you need to have a solid plan for future streets and a general idea of how you want to proceed in a pot when you miss or make a marginal hand.

It doesn’t take that much for a pot to balloon out of control, and it usually starts with a 3-bet before the flop, so you must always be very aware of all stack sizes and seriously consider them when making your decisions.

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Common Mistakes to Avoid When 3 Betting

Playing aggressive poker at a online casino isn’t just effective. It’s also fun and exciting, so it’s not hard to fall into the trap of taking things too far. To help you avoid these situations, here are a few common mistakes and pitfalls to avoid when it comes to 3 betting:

• 3 betting too much against early position opens – Unless you have a very specific reason to think otherwise, you should respect early position opens and only go after them with very strong poker hands. This is especially true when you are in an early position as well and have several players to act after you. Many players tend to forget about other people involved in a hand and focus only on the original opener, which can be a costly mistake to make.
• Not balancing properly – When 3 betting, you have to make it difficult for your opponents to put you on a hand. If you’re 3 betting only with your strongest poker hands, good players will quickly pick up on it. Instead, you want to use what’s known as a “polarized” range, which includes your best hands but also a decent number of weaker hands.
• Using a bad sizing – It’s very important to use a proper size when 3 betting. While there is no one magic number, you want to make the 3 bet big enough so that it’s not an automatic call for your opponent with their entire range. This is especially true when 3 betting out of position, as you almost never mind picking up the pot on the spot. When playing deep-stacked, good players will often use big 3 bet poker sizes to make it harder for their opponents to call and to send a clear message that if they do call, they might end up playing for the stacks by the river.

For example:

If you’re playing 200 big blinds deep and face a cutoff raise in the big blind, you will often want to 3 bet with a hand like Ah5h. But if the cutoff opens to 3 BBs (big blinds), you should 3 bet to at least 10, and maybe even 12 big blinds.

Anything smaller will make it an easy call for a player in position, and that eliminates a big part of the reason you’re 3 betting in the first place, i.e., to win the pot without going to the flop.

Advanced 3 Betting Tactics

The concept of 3 betting in poker is a vast and very important topic, so this article, as long as it is, doesn’t nearly cover all of the different angles and nuances there are to this move.

With that in mind, we’ll quickly go over some advanced 3 betting tactics that can help nudge you in the right direction as you look to improve and solidify your pre-flop strategy.

Creating a Balanced 3 Bet Poker Range

We’ve mentioned a few times in this article the importance of a balanced 3 betting range, but what does this mean exactly? There isn’t a one-fit-all answer to this question, as what your 3 betting range looks like will depend on stack sizes, positions, and player tendencies.

Generally speaking, though, you want to have a range that has your good poker hands balanced out with enough weaker hands so that your poker strategy isn’t too predictable.

For example:

If you’re 3-betting hands like AK, AQ, KQs, and pocket pairs down to pocket 10s for value, you will want to include hands like KQo, A2s – A5s, and some suited connectors into your 3 betting range to create a good balance.

Paying Attention to Poker Hand Frequencies

In addition to figuring out a solid range, you also need to think about frequencies. If a hand like KQo is in your 3-bet bluffing range, this doesn’t mean you’ll want to 3-bet with it every time. Maybe you’ll do it 70% of the time and fold it the remaining 30%. To balance this out, you’ll sometimes just call with your strongest poker hands like pocket Aces.

Combining 3 Betting With Other Post-Flop Strategies

In the ideal world, your opponents would be folding to all of your 3 bets, and you’d be printing money. In the real world, however, this doesn’t happen, and you’ll often have to play in 3 bet poker pots across multiple streets.

When devising your 3-bet poker strategy, you always need to have this in mind. The moment you make a 3 bet, you should be thinking about different scenarios and how you want to tackle them. What sort of boards will you be continuing on, what board textures are best to check on, and what, if any, opportunities there are to go for a check-raise?

When planning all this, you’ll have to think about more than just your hand. Your opponents’ ranges, tendencies, and stack sizes will play a huge role in how you devise your post-flop strategies in 3 bet poker pots, but those fall outside of scope of this particular article.

What is a 3 Bet In Poker: Your Questions Answered

• Is a 3bet better than an open raise? – The benefits of a 3 bet in poker over an open-raise is that a 3 bet will often force players with weaker hold cards out before the flop, reducing competition for the pot. With a good 3-bet, you might also pick up the entire pot preflop, which you cannot do with an open-raise.
• What is a linear 3 bet poker range? – A linear 3 bet range is a list of poker hands, in descending order a value, that are strong enough to 3 bet on. A linear 3 bet range is one composed exclusively of value-bets.
• What hands should I 3bet with? – As noted, there isn’t one straight answer to this question. It will depend on table dynamics, stack sizes, and whether you’re using polarized or linear betting ranges. Familiarizing yourself with all aspects of pre-flop betting is the best way to decide on which poker hand to three bet on at any given time.

Adding 3 Bet Poker to Your Poker Strategy

A poker 3 bet is one of the most powerful weapons in a player’s pre-flop betting arsenal. Knowing when to 3 bet, what hands to do it with, and how to properly size your 3 bets to get value and deny your opponents’ equity is essential to your long-term success in poker.

While we covered many important aspects of the 3 betting poker strategy in this article, the bulk of your knowledge and understanding will come from practice and analysis. Don’t be afraid to test different things against different players and then spend some time analyzing these spots.

A little free video poker is a great way to practice your 3-betting without spending a dime!

With time and practice, you’ll be able to pick up many interesting trends and flaws in both your and your opponent’s game, allowing you to improve and perfect your 3 betting poker strategy.

When used correctly, this can be one of the most powerful tools in your toolbox. Most players, especially those new to the game, are afraid of a poker 3 bet, whether when they have to face them or when they’re the ones who should use them. Break away from this pattern, develop an understanding of this important porker strategy concept, and you’ll quickly see significant improvements in your results!

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• Buying in bulk: Purchasing more scratch cards increases your chances of winning compared to buying a single card.
• Understanding the odds: Detailed information about the odds is usually printed behind the card, helping you choose ones with better winning odds.
• Varying your choices: Instead of sticking to one type of scratch card, try experimenting with ones of different values and themes.
• Checking unclaimed prizes: Some lotteries disclose information about unclaimed prizes. Stick to cards that still have large prizes available.
• Second-chance games: Don’t throw away non-winning scratchcards. Some lotteries offer second-chance drawings where you can enter non-winning tickets for another shot at a prize.

Scratchcards are a fun way alternative to casino games like poker or blackjack, and to try and earn some quick cash without having to spend too much when purchasing them. Just like the lottery, they are based on pure luck. But there are actually ways you can improve your chances of finding winning scratchcards.

We may not be able to show you how to win scratch offs every time you play, but we can show you the scratch off tickets worth buying and these tips will certainly help improve your odds!

1. Don’t Buy The Cheapest Ones

The number of scratchcards available these days is mind-boggling, and it can be a bit of a minefield for those who aren’t familiar with them.

There are so many different designs, prices, prizes, and brands that it can get very confusing or hard to make a decision, so keep your focus when buying scratchcards to enhance your chances of winning.

If you’re looking for how to find winning scratch off tickets, we know it might be tempting to opt for the cheaper tickets and some people will often buy a number of these. However, they’re cheap for a reason. The prize pool is lower.

You would be better off buying higher-priced scratch offs but buying fewer. Quality over quantity is very true when it comes to finding scratch off tickets worth buying.

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2. Check The Small Print

This might sound more like advice you would heed when you’re taking out a loan, but it also applies for finding winning scratchcards.

The small print can often tell you what your odds are of winning on that specific card. So it makes absolute sense to read it. Who would want to opt for longer odds over shorter odds?

Also, it’s crucial you check your state’s lottery home page. They will have information about the remaining prizes. It’s estimated that in more than 10% of scratch off tickets sold, there are no longer any major prizes left in the game.  By comparing prizes left on the lottery site, you can get a much better sense of whether these are scratch off tickets worth buying.

3. How to Win Scratch Off Tickets: Buy In Bulk

One tactic some scratch card players swear by is buying their scratchcards in bulk to find scratch off tickets worth buying.

They’ll purchase about five scratch offs from the same game in a single trip to the shop, as opposed to buying just one single scratch card and then making several trips over a period of time to buy another from the same game.

Some believe that if you buy in bulk, then the odds of hitting a win increase, since the manufacturers often place a win frequently throughout their scratch offs.

So if you bulk buy scratchcards in one purchase, the chance of hitting one of those planted winning scratchcards is going to be higher than if you bought the same number of scratchcards over a period of several purchases.

You should only do this if your budget allows this, though.

4. Play Them Like Slots

You’ll find there are some slots players who loiter around machines to wait until players go on a dry spell or a number of players fail to hit a jackpot prize. The long drought can mean that the slot machine is about to hit.

If you try this method, you’ll need to hang around a store or outlet that sells the scratchcards for a bit of time and that could be something you’re not entirely comfortable with – or have the time for!

Maybe start a conversation with the store keeper or ask the vendor if they have had any winning scratchcards being bought lately. Be subtle, but it could be the key to a big win.

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5. Keep Your Old Tickets

No, this isn’t for a feeling of nostalgia. There is a damn good reason for this.

You might breeze through a scratch card and think it’s a loser. But don’t throw it away! You never know, you might pick up on a mistake you might have made at a later date.

In some cases, jackpots are never won, so the manufacturer requests losing tickets to pick a best loser. It can happen.

Don’t be the dummy who threw away a winning ticket!

6. Submit All Losing Tickets

Similar to the above: The only way you can be absolutely sure you haven’t won is if you have your ticket officially checked.

Whether it’s a missed winning combination or there is simply an error on the card, you could be eligible for some sort of payment. There is always the chance you might have missed something.

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7. Study The Scratchcards

Yes, there is actually a process called the “Singleton Method” that’s used by experienced scratch card players as part of their strategy for how to win scratch offs.

They analyze the layout and design of a scratch card to pick up on patterns that can give clues as to whether a scratch card has certain numbers, symbols, or combinations that can lead to a win.

Most scratch card manufacturers have caught onto this strategy and a large number now design their scratchcards to work against it.

But there are still a few who’ve not yet taken steps to address it. You can use it on the type of scratch offs where numbers are visible on the side, so it’s a method still worth pursuing.

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8. Be Strict With Your Budget

You might not win more or less by this tactic, but it’s a safety buffer to keep you from losing too much money.

Set yourself a weekly or monthly budget and make sure you stick to it, so your finances don’t spiral out of control.

9. Pick A Game And Stick To It

This just seems to make logical sense. If you stick with a game and keep playing it then you will either win, or every losing ticket you play will be one more losing ticket out of the equation.

However, if you spread your spending over a number of games, then you could just endlessly hit losing scratchcards.

So pick a game you like and stick to it. In the long run, it’s a much better strategy.

It’s All About Lady Luck

We may not have been able to show you how to win scratch offs every time (if there was one simple trick, everyone would be doing it and companies would stop creating them!), but we have shown you some methods and strategies you can use to enhance your chances of winning.

Ultimately, it does come down to chance, but there is no harm in improving your odds of success.

And cheaters!

With such huge payouts available, it’s no wonder that slot machines have always been a game of cat and mouse between cheaters and the house.

Let’s check out some of the naughty tricks used by slots cheaters over the years. We don’t recommend ever trying them yourself, though!

1. Cheat Code

Gambling authorities are there to ensure that the gaming industry is operating correctly and fairly.

Engineers design the best casino games so that they can be monitored and audited while also delivering quality gameplay. But what happens when an engineer decides to rig the codes for their own advantage?

The infamous slots cheat Ronald Dale Harris – an engineer from The Nevada Gaming Commission – did exactly that. He sure knew how to manipulate a slot machine!

For years, he cheated machines by knowing the source codes. It wasn’t until his partner had a big win in the casino – $100,000 on a keno game in 1995 – that the scam was discovered.

2. Shaved Coins

This scam using shaved coins doesn’t really exist today, but it’s still interesting to know about.

As technology advanced, slot machines began to use a light sensor to register payment. In a large number of machines, the optic sensor worked separately from the physical comparator.

Basically, that meant that if a shaved coin was sent down at the same time as an object that matched the shape and size of the required stake coin, the shaved coin would be returned whilst the other object would land in the machine and start play.

3. Fake Coins

Another method of slots cheating present throughout history was the use of fake coins.

Fake coins were used by con artist Louis “The Coin” Colavecchio to scam casinos for years until his arrest in 1998.

He was released in 2006 and quickly re-started his cheating. It was a matter of months before he was unsurprisingly sussed again.

4. Magnet

We often get asked how to cheat a slot machine with a magnet.

Let’s get one thing clear: it’s not actually possible to cheat modern day slot machines with a magnet, since they’re all programmed by computer software and aren’t magnetic.

However, people used to be able to cheat with a magnet on the older machines, when they were made of metal.

To cheat at slots using a magnet, you could spin the reels and then use a strong magnet on the outside of the machine to stop them spinning when you saw your winning combination.

Cheaters would then remove the magnet and claim the payout.

This wasn’t the most subtle cheat but, if done well, people could easily win lots of cash!

5. Yo-Yo

This slots cheat was all about the technique.

A string is attached to the coin, the coin is sent into the machine until it triggers the start of the game, and then the player brings the coin back up using the string.

Nowadays, this technique is all but redundant thanks to the march of technology.

It’s a real classic though and, if it worked, you could have seen a big win for free.

6. Light Wand

Tommy Glenn Carmichael is one of the most notorious slot cheats in gambling history. He is responsible for the light wand.

Magicians such as David Copperfield, Dynamo and David Blaine might have the ability to create the illusion of something happening, but Carmichael would use his light wand to make jackpot wins magically appear out of thin air.

The light wand would effectively blind the optical sensor on slot machines so it couldn’t work out how many coins had been deposited into the machine, meaning it wouldn’t know when to pay out or how much.

This meant Carmichael could manipulate a slot machine to his advantage, by turning small wins into massive payouts.

7. Piano Wire

This is an oldie but a goody in the world of how to cheat at slots.

A group of men worked together at the Caesars Boardwalk Regency casino in Atlantic City back in 1982. One man opened the targeted slot machine and attached 20-inch long piano wires to the whirring guts of the game.

The wires could then be used to jam the clock that measured the wheel rotations, allowing the group to manipulate the spins.

They hit the $50,000 jackpot but, unfortunately, their whole scam had been filmed and the winning player was arrested before he left the premises.

8. Top-Bottom Joint

This is one of the most cunning methods of cheating at slots and was popular with scammers in the 1970s and 1980s.

They used a special tool that was split into two parts. A top (a metal rod with its end bent in the shape of a “q”) and a bottom (a long wire).

By putting the bottom in through the coin chute and the top through the coin slot, the cheats were able to jam the machine and force the game to release all the coins it had stored.

Big wins galore!

9. Monkey Paw

It’s that man Carmichael again. He was a total genius, in cheating terms.

He was the creator of the “monkey paw”. After testing out new methods on a video poker machine, he eventually built the correct contraption. It was amazingly simple.

He got a guitar string and attached it to a bent metal rod. He would thrust it into the machine’s air vent and wriggle it around until he clicked the trigger switch for the coin hopper.

Cue the avalanche of coins.

10. Bill Validator Device

A simple yet very effective slots cheat.

This is a little device that is wrapped around a bill to fool the slot machine into thinking it is accepting a $100 bill when in reality it is just accepting a humble $1 bill.

11. Computer Chip Replacement

Dennis Nikrasch changed the slots cheating game with this idea.

He bought a slot machine and messed about with it in his garage to figure out its flaws.

He worked out the computer chips inside the machines could be re-programmed to be manipulated to pay out jackpots on tap.

Nikrasch ordered a load of these chips, hired a team of scammers, got hold of a bunch of slot machine keys and started a reign of scamming that would bleed casinos dry for years.

And he did it all just by switching the independent chips for his manipulated chips.

12. Software Glitch

Software glitches have been manipulated by cheats for decades.

By playing a certain pattern of stakes and games, players could confuse the machine and trigger a glitch that pays out the jackpot.

Many slots cheats benefited from this over the years but now many jackpot winners are also being denied their winnings because of it.

The most famous incident happened in 2015 when 90-year-old grandmother Pauline McKee from Illinois won $41 million on a Miss Kitty slot machine at the Isle Casino Hotel Waterloo.

She tried to sue the casino initially in 2012, but her final appeal was rejected three years later. Unfortunately, historical instances are the reason the casino won this case.

• The vig comes from the Russian word vyigrysh and refers to the commission charged by a sports book on all bets.
• The vig is also known as the juice, cut, edge, or rake. In casinos, it also known as the house edge.
• The term ‘vig’ has also entered popular culture as the periodic payment owed to a loan shark.
• Knowing what the vig is for each sportsbook and how to calculate the vig is important to understanding how much money you stand to make on any bet.

Vig – short for vigorish – refers to the house edge that is built into every sports bet. It’s essentially a small commission that ensures the sportsbook makes money no matter the outcome of the bet. Understanding how gambling vig works is essential for making sports bets because it impacts the long-term success of your wagers.

Origin and Meaning of Vig in Gambling

Vigorish, vig, juice, cut, edge, rake; no matter what you call it, they all mean the same thing. The vig gambling term is thought to be derived from the Russian word “vyigrysh”, which means “gain” or “winnings”. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, its earliest known appearance in print was in the 1960s.

The shortened “vig” can also refer to the interest owed to a loan shark. Picture this: I borrow money from Big Tony and forget to pay back the vig. The next thing I know, he’s threatening to break my knees. Unsurprisingly, this usage was popularized by the Italian-American Mafia.

How to Calculate the Vig

Every sportsbook bet already has the vig embedded in the odds. If you’re a casual bettor, online gambling for a bit of fun, there’s no need for you to calculate the vig, especially if you’re choosing your sportsbook based on how much you like the site instead of the quality of the odds.

However, if you’re a seasoned sports wagerer who is betting for long-term profit, calculating the gambling vig can help you make informed betting choices and (hopefully) increase your overall profit. The vig can vary between sportsbooks, so it’s good practice to compare sites and opt for the lowest edge.

Below is a formula that you can use to calculate the vig yourself.

• (Favorite odds / (Favorite odds + 100) x 100) + (100 / (Underdog odds + 100) x 100) – 100

The Vig in Online Gambling

The vig looks different at an online sportsbook compared to a casino. At a casino, it’s hidden away within the game’s RTP. You’ll need to open up and scroll through the paytable to find the RTP amount. As discussed above, the sportsbook vig is a little more obvious, as it’s embedded in the odds of every bet.

There’s not much difference between the vig at online sportsbooks/casinos and brick-and-mortar sportsbooks/casinos. Just like their digital counterparts, retail sportsbooks will build the vig into the odds. Similarly, every brick-and-mortar slot machine arrives at the casino with a built-in RTP percentage, while games like American Roulette and Caribbean Stud also have a predetermined RTP.

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Types of Vig in Gambling

Spread Betting Vig

A spread bet is the difference in the predicted points between two teams. The favorite is represented by a minus number, and has to score more than the spread for your bet to win. Meanwhile, the underdog has a plus and must lose within this number of points or win. Spreads on games like baseball often have a decimal (0.5) to avoid pushes, as many baseball games end with less than two runs between the teams.

Spread bets differ from over/unders as they focus on the difference in points between the two teams rather than predicting if the total number of points scored will be above or below the specified threshold. The spread bet vig is built into the odds, which typically range from -120 to +100. It’s important to remember that the odds and the spread are two separate entities.

Moneyline Vig

A moneyline is a bet on the result of the game. Since there is only one possible outcome – a win or a loss – they are one of the most straightforward sports bets available. Like all other bet types, the moneyline vig is built into the odds.

Though moneyline bets are perhaps the most simple, research has proven that they can also be the most efficient and prosperous. Since you’re wagering on a pretty black-or-white outcome, odds for moneyline bets – which already have the vig included – can be crazy, with some underdogs reaching into the thousands.

Sportsbook Vig

Every sportsbook bet incorporates a vig. The vig, to both the sportsbook and its bettors, is the most important part of the operation. It can determine whether or not you can sustain a long-term profit, and it ensures that the sportsbook doesn’t lose money when bettors win big.

Casino Vig

It’s very unlikely that you’ll come across the term “vig” at an online casino. Instead, casinos use the phrase “house edge” to describe the advantage that the house has over the bettor. Unlike a sportsbook vig, which is determined by the sportsbook itself, the house edge is already built into the game by the software developer.

Every game has a house edge, whether you’re playing slots, blackjack, or roulette. Most casino players are familiar with the Return to Player (RTP) percentage, which is the theoretical amount the casino will return to players over thousands of slot spins or game rounds. The RTP reflects the player’s perspective on how much they may win back, and the house edge is the remaining percentage. For example, if I select a game with a 95% RTP, then the house edge is 5%.

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Impact of Vig on Gambling

Not all sportsbooks will apply the same vig to the same bet; you’ll often find a noticeable difference between sites. That’s why it’s important to understand exactly how big of an impact vig can have on your bet. Don’t take it for granted that you’ll earn the same amount from every sportsbook!

The vig is a consequential factor to consider if you’re betting with a strategy. Let’s take a look at how different vigs can impact a $100 wager.

• +100 odds = $100 potential profit
• -105 odds = $95.24 potential profit
• -110 odds = $90.91 potential profit
• -115 odds = $86.98 potential profit
• -120 odds = $83.33 potential profit
• -125 odds = $80 potential profit

Strategies to Mitigate the Vig

Unfortunately, you can’t escape the vig. Just like you pay for goods in a shop, you’ve got to pay the sportsbook for the pleasure of using its platform. Ultimately, players must accept that it’s an inherent and unavoidable part of sports betting.

That said, there are some strategies you can implement that might help you lower the financial impact of the vig.

• Compare lines across sportsbooks. For example, let’s say I see two sportsbooks offering the same bet, but one has +115 odds, and the other has +120. I’ll get $5 more for betting with the second sportsbook if my $100 bet pays out. Though it’s only five bucks, these little differences can have a big impact over time.
• Look for reduced vig. Sportsbooks often run reduced vig promotions during popular games to draw bettors away from their competitors. Seeking out these reduced vig offers can lessen the sportsbook’s cut of your wager.
• Improve your win rate. This one sounds like a no-brainer, and obviously, it’s impossible to guarantee a win every time. But by improving your win rate – even on smaller bets with only a few cents or dollars of profit – you will end up at the stage where you’re beating the vig.
• Claim a bonus. Beyond reduced vig, most sportsbooks, like online casinos, offer a range of promotions like bonus bets, odds boosts, bet insurance, and more. Claiming a bonus will allow you to try bigger bets and score bigger wins. They’ll also give beginners the opportunity to try wagering and understand the vig before spending real cash.

Unlocking the Vig: How It Shapes the Dynamics of Gambling

All in all, vig is a very significant part of the gambling landscape. Looming over your shoulder like Monday morning on a Sunday night, the vig is an unwanted but inescapable part of your sportsbook experience. You can’t run, you can’t hide – the vig will always be there.

Therefore, it’s essential to implement a few tactics to keep its impact to a minimum. Comparing lines across different sportsbooks, searching for reduced vig offers, and keeping your eye out for sportsbook promotions will help mitigate the vig in the long run. Hopefully, this page has cleared up the big question of what does vig mean in gambling.

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The Essentials

• A philanthropist of picks and parlays, Dan Gamble AI, also known as DanGamble, is like the Robin Hood of the sports betting industry. Not only does he take from the rich (sportsbooks) and give to the poor (bettors), but he does so anonymously.
• As an AI engineer, he uses predictive models based on past data to pick potential winners in the future.
• Though he goes by the name of Dan, the engineer in question posts all of his predictions from an unnamed account. Rather than a real name, ‘Dan’ is actually a reference to the ChatGPT DAN prompt, “Do Any Thing”. Without a face or name attached to the account, Dan Gambles AI remains a total enigma.

How is he Using AI for Sports Betting?

Dan Gamble AI has designed a unique algorithm with which he can predict the outcome of various sports events and consequently build a data-backed bet sheet.

First, he decides which sport to focus on. Depending on the time of year, this will be the NFL, NBA, MLB, etc. He also determines what type of bet he is looking to predict, such as prop bets, parlays, and Over/Unders.

Dan then feeds this information into his AI algorithm. After receiving the necessary prompt, AI rapidly analyzes years of historical data to give detailed forecasts on the outcome of a specific event. In a way, it is similar to historical horse racing (HHR) games, which use historical racing data to determine wagering outcomes.

Once he has collected the data and used it to make his predictions, Dan places his bets on bet365. Whether this is down to personal preference or a strategic partnership is not entirely clear, but he regularly encourages his followers to sign up and claim a bonus using the links in his Instagram bio.

bet365 isn’t the only sportsbook he’s advertised. Back in February, DanGamble posted an Instagram slideshow highlighting the different sign-up bonuses available at BetMGM, Caesars, and BetRivers. During the NBA playoffs in April, the Dan Gamble AI Twitter account encouraged users to tail his parlay on DraftKings and claim the sportsbook’s welcome bonus.

Image Credit: Davizro Photography/Shutterstock

Is he Able to Pick Winners?

Most of Dan’s AI Sports Picks focus on prop bets and Overs/Unders. However, he also has a history of successfully picking winning teams and individual player bets. If you ever need visual evidence that his picks are winners, check out the Dans AI Sports Picks Twitter and Instagram accounts. All bets that pay out are posted with his signature celebration: “BAAANG.”

Dan’s AI algorithm has a track record of predicting winning prop bets, though it’s obviously not foolproof. While Dan does the work and posts his predictions online, it’s up to his followers whether or not they choose to tail the bets.

During Dan’s impressive MLB run of winners in July, one follower chose to put his faith in one of Dan’s 3 leg parlays. The parlay predicted a home run for Jeimer Candelario, a home run for Shohei Ohtani, and 2+ bases for Christian Walker.

The first two hit, and the cash out was over $6,400. Dan reposted the bet sheet, asking what his other followers would do in this case. Although the original bettor asked for his advice, Dan refrained from offering any. 

Ultimately, the follower decided to see the parlay through, and it paid off. His original $350 wager cashed out at an eye-watering $16,036. So yes, it’s fair to say that Dan’s AI sports picks can produce winners!

How Consistently is Dan’s AI Model Correct?

Though he has only been active online since June 2023, Dan’s AI predictions have already proven highly successful. According to his Instagram bio, Dan’s AI Sports Picks had a 73% hit rate on the NFL last season. That’s almost three out of four predictions coming true.

He also had quite a mind-blowing run during the first half of the 2024 MLB season, particularly with his “Pick of the Day” predictions. Six out of seven of his mid-July “Pick of the Day” players were winners, 11/13 of his June selections cashed out, and 8/9 of his May predictions rang true.

While the algorithm does have an impressive success rate, there is never a guarantee that these predictions will be correct. AI can forecast outcomes based on data and trends but doesn’t factor in variables like human error or injury.

On January 17th, 2024, Dans Gamble AI took to Twitter (X) to express his disappointment over numerous failed NFL predictions.

“No denying it was a tough weekend, but we’ve cashed in plenty during the NFL season. Three weekends left of Football, let’s make sure they’re good ones. For now, it’s time to bounce back on a 10-game NBA slate…”

Do You Have to be an AI Engineer to do What he is Doing?

Successfully predicting the outcome of a sports event may seem like an awfully complicated process. However, Dan Gamble AI often posts about the prompts and instructions he uses, and they’re not quite as complex as you’d imagine.

Some of Dan’s AI sports picks strategies include:

• Analyzing historical data to calculate player minute projections
• Using various data points to rank player props and produce an AI Edge score out of 10
• Predicting stat lines on points, rebounds, and assists for key players
• Calculating which players rate highly on alternate lines and which will go Over/Under

Of course, you need to know what you’re looking for when using AI for prediction betting. While you don’t necessarily need to be an AI engineer, you need to thoroughly understand how sports betting works, including sports odds, bet types, game rules, and markets. You also need to know how to leverage AI for sports betting predictions.

AI technology used to be available only to IT engineers and mathematical geniuses, but it’s gradually becoming more accessible to the general public. Sites like ChatGPT can help the everyday Joe back his bets with statistical data and trend forecasts (if you know how to use them).

Is AI going to be picking our winners for us in the future?

Dan Gamble AI isn’t the first person to use artificial intelligence for sports betting predictions, and he certainly won’t be the last. Jimmy Sports Picks, Joey’s Sports Bets, John Hyslop, Quentin Locks, and Dr. Profit are just a few of the other gambling figureheads encouraging people to put their trust in AI.

As AI advances and becomes more mainstream, it’s likely that more bettors will begin to use AI for their own sports betting predictions. Until then, you can tail one of the AI engineers and see if their calculations ring true. After all, Dan’s AI Sports Picks announced that 2024 will be his “most profitable NFL season yet”.

Are Online Blackjack Games Rigged? What You Need to Know

• No, online blackjack games are not rigged. If you are using a licensed online blackjack casino, then the games are heavily regulated and overseen by accredited auditing bodies.
• Most online blackjack card games use RNG (random number generators) to decided which cards are dealt. This also ensures that players can’t count cards.
• Licensed online casinos are regularly audited to ensure their system give the player a reasonable chance to win
• This guide will show how online blackjack isn’t rigged, explain why systems are used to ensure this, and give you some tip on which sites to avoid so you stay safe.
• Large online Casinos like Stake, High Five Casino,?and?Hello Millions have much more to lose by being caught cheating than they could win by rigging blackjack games.

Is Online Blackjack Rigged: Debunking Common Misconceptions

The vast majority of online blackjack games are legitimate, give you a fair chance of winning, and a heavily regulated. To give you complete peace of mind, we’ve busted some common misconceptions, broken down how online blackjack games are regulated and listed steps you can take to keep yourself safe while enjoying online blackjack.

The first and most common myth can debunk is the idea that all online blackjack games are some kind of scam. Unless you are a blackjack player at an unlicensed or rigged US casino, online blackjack is not fixed against the player.

How Are Online Casinos Kept Honest?

Our recommended regulated online casino games use RNGs (Random Number Generators) and are externally audited by independent testing agencies to guarantee that outcomes are completely fair and random.

So, why do you lose when playing blackjack online? Well, this is because blackjack is a game of chance. There is nothing you can do to influence the outcome or shift the odds and the cards in your favor, regardless of whether you’re playing in a casino or playing mobile blackjack on your phone.

You can use online blackjack strategies and betting systems to help your bankroll last longer, but there is no surefire way of predicting what cards will show up next.

4 More Blackjack Myths Busted

There are plenty of other harmfully myths about online blackjack, so let’s bust four more of them!

1. Online Casinos are all Scams: While the odds are against you, reputable real money casinos are not swindling you. Each game you play has been tested to ensure it provides random and fair outcomes.
2. Some Blackjack Games are Hot/Cold: Because every outcome of online blackjack is random, there is no guarantee what the next result will be. If a table has not paid for several rounds, it’s simply down to random chance and not the casino rigging the game not to pay.
3. Casinos Freeze Games During Win Streaks: Blackjack is a hard game to win, but it is possible to go on streaks and build up profits in a single session. It is a myth that when this happens, the online casino or casino app will freeze the game to stop you from winning more.
4. Live Dealer Games are More Secure: Live dealer games are no more secure or immune to rigging than online blackjack, but people perceive them as being harder to rig. Perhaps being able to see the action with a human dealer puts people at ease. The reality is virtual RNG blackjack is as completely random and secure as playing with a live dealer.

Is Online Blackjack Rigged: What Is The House Edge?

All reputable online and land-based local casinos give you a fair chance to win, but the system is set up so that the casino wins the majority of the time. You have probably heard the term “the house always wins,” and the house edge is what this refers to.

House edge is set up to favor casinos in each game. So, if blackjack has a house edge of 0.5%, that means for every $10 you bet, you could win back $9.50 and lose $0.50 on average. Those 50 cents are the profit the casino makes. The house edge isn’t a set in stone amount, but rather an average taken over millions of hands of blackjack.

You could bet $10, land a winning hand, and double your money to $20. If you walk away at that moment, the casino will be down $10. Equally, you could bet your $10 and lose all of it, meaning the casino/house makes $10 in clear profit from one single player.

Because most people do not walk away in profit, the “house always wins” eventually. If you do suffer a losing streak, I can be easy to thing online blackjack is rigged, but the answer is always just probability.

Is Online Blackjack Rigged: How Are Games Kept Fair?

We have talked a lot about how safe and fair online blackjack games are. Now lets take a look at what measures are in place to ensure that casinos and their games are held accountable and deliver fair gameplay!

RNGs

A Random Number Generator is software that randomizes the outcome of every game. Importantly, RNG online blackjack games use this technology, where the RNG generates numbers randomly to ensure they cannot be predicted.

This makes them more secure than standard land-based blackjack games, where it is possible to count cards, especially in single deck blackjack.

With an RNG, the gambler, casino, or software provider cannot influence the outcome, which is why they are widely used in games like online roulette and online poker as well as blackjack.

Auditing Bodies

Using an RNG on its own is not enough because the casino/software provider could theoretically rig the software to deliver non-random results. Of course, this is not the case at our recommended online casinos, but to ensure this does not happen and to enhance their reputability, leading software studios allow their games to be tested by independent labs.

Third-party auditors such as eCOGRA, iTech Labs, and GLI test games to ensure the RNG is random and fair.

Casino Licenses

To operate legally in the US, online casinos must obtain a gambling license in every state in which they operate. These gambling authorities, such as the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement or the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board, hold online gambling sites to strict player safety and fair gaming standards.

You should always avoid any casino that does not have a license, as this is likely a rogue site that may have unfair games or not pay winnings.

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How to Protect Yourself When Playing Online Blackjack

While most casino games, and 100% of the games we recommend, are totally safe, it’s always a good idea to take a few extra steps to keep yourself safe online. Here are some easy-to-implement safety tips you can use:

• Use Our Recommended Casinos: The first thing that can help you stay safe when playing blackjack online is to choose one of the leading blackjack online casinos we recommend. Our gambling experts know exactly what to look for and have found the safest, fairest, and most reputable casino brands regulated in the US.
• Never Compromise on a License: If the online casino you are looking at does not have a license with a US state regulatory authority, leave the casino at once and absolutely do not register or deposit money.
• Read Customer Feedback: Fellow casino players are a reliable source of information. Check on sites like Trustpilot, the Google Play Store, or the Apple App Store to see how other players rate an online casino.
• Check Their Software Providers and Audits: The casinos we recommend have blackjack games from reputable providers like NetEnt, Playtech, and Evolution. These studios are open about their RNG testing and game fairness. You can also check to see if your casino has been tested by an auditor such as eCOGRA, iTech Labs, TST, or GLI.
• Use Secure Payments: If you use e-wallets or prepaid cards, you can avoid giving the casino your financial information, making deposits and withdrawals more secure.
• Play For Free: You can play free online blackjack on most online casinos. This allows you to test the game or practice before you bet your own money.
• Always Game Responsibly: Think about how much money you can afford to lose before you start betting. Do not use money that comes from your living expenses. Remember, while the games are not rigged, the house always wins. Chasing losses can lead to your bankroll running out quickly.

Online Blackjack Rigged: FAQ

It’s perfectly reasonable for a player to wonder is ‘online blackjack fixed’ if they’re on a losing streak, so to put your mind at rest, here are some of the most common questions about online blackjack being rigged, answered!

• Can online blackjack be beaten? Yes, absolutely. While the casino always has a house edge, RNG ensures that players always have a reasonable chance of winning.
• Is online blackjack predetermined? No. Whenever a card is dealt, the software used in online blackjack uses a balanced RNG system to determine a random card. It is not predetermined and is, in fact, more random than live blackjack.
• What are the odds of winning blackjack online? Blackjack odds are based on the hand you are dealt. However, there are some blackjack strategies and card counting methods you can use to
• Is virtual blackjack fixed? No. If you’re playing at a licensed, regulated online casino then RNGs and auditing by independent agencies ensure none of the casino games are fixed.

Shuffle Away Your Doubts on Online Blackjack

The myth that all online blackjack games are scams or rigged is just that, a myth. Modern online casino games are heavily regulated and audited to give you a reasonable chance of winning. You can get out there an enjoy online blackjack to your hearts content, without constantly thinking “is online blackjack rigged?”

If you looking for some expert advice on how to up your blackjack game with easy to understand tips, check out these articles:

• When To Hit In Blackjack (And When Not To)
• Blackjack Strategy Charts: Play Perfect Blackjack
• When To Double Down In Blackjack (And When Not To)
• Blackjack Strategy: When To Split And When To Stand Pat

Lead image credit: Nazarovsergey/Shutterstock

Poker hand rankings chart

Let’s explain what each hand ranking means in more detail:

1. Royal flush: the highest possible straight flush containing T J Q K and A of the same suit. This is the strongest possible hand in Texas Hold’em that is guaranteed to win every time.
2. Straight flush: five cards of the same suit in a sequence, such as 3s 4s 5s 6s 7s.
3. Four of a kind or quads: Four cards of the same rank plus any other card, e.g. Q Q Q Q 2.
4. Full house: three of a kind plus a pair, e.g. 9 9 9 5 5.
5. Flush: Five cards of the same suit. There are four suits: clubs, diamonds, hearts, and spades. If all your five cards are in just one of these suits, you have a flush.
6. Straight: Five cards in sequential order, provided they’re not all of the same suit, e.g. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. Keep in mind that an ace can help form two straights in Hold’em, namely A 2 3 4 5 and T J Q K A.
7. Three of a kind (trips): Three cards of the same rank coupled with any two non-paired cards, e.g. T T T 7 2.
8. Two pair: Two cards of the same rank and two more different cards of the same rank, e.g. 9 9 5 5 J.
9. One pair: Two cards of the same rank combined with three cards of different values. For example, K K 9 5 2 is a pair of kings.
10. A high card: A hand containing five cards of different ranks and suits that don’t make any of the other combinations. For example, a hand like K, J, 7, 5, 2 is referred to as a king-high.

Suits have no ranking in poker, which means no suit is higher than another.

Poker hand values are exactly the same in 5 Card Draw and 7 Card Stud poker variations.

But How Do You Make Poker hands In Texas Hold’em?

In Hold’em, all players are dealt two face-down cards to start the hand. After that, five more community cards are dealt across the board for everyone to use.

All players can use all seven available cards to make the best possible five-card hand combination. This means that you can:

• Use two cards from your hand and three community cards
• Combine just one of your hole cards with four cards on the board
• Use only the five community cards

Once it’s time for the showdown, the cards speak. When you turn over your hand, you’ll always play the best five-card hand possible.

There are usually no problems here as the dealer will compare all poker hands and announce the winner.

Comparing Hands In Hold’em To Determine The Winner

But what happens if two or more players have a poker hand from the same category? Who wins when everyone has two pairs or a straight?

The best piece of advice to make this distinction is to remember that, in Hold’em, you always start at the top. For example, it’s clear cut in a pair vs. pair scenario. A pair of aces beats a pair of kings. A pair of tens beats a pair of eights, etc.

In two pair situations, the top pair is the only relevant factor in determining the winner. If one player has K K 2 2 X and the other one has Q Q J J X, the one with the pair of kings wins.

This is sometimes confusing for beginners because the other hand looks stronger, and it would be the case if card values were somehow added. But that’s not the case in Hold’em.

The same rule applies to full houses, where the player with the best three-of-a-kind combination will always win the pot. In straight and flush scenarios, the winner is determined by comparing the highest card in the combination.

For example:

• 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 beats 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

• Ah 9h 7h 5h 2h beats Kh Qh 9h 7h 5h

Finally, in the event that both players only have a high-card hand (no pair), the one with the highest card wins.

Of course, this only applies if there are no better combinations available on the board.

Resolving A Tie: The Role Of Kicker In Poker

Every now and again, it will happen that two players have the exact same poker hand. For example, they could both have two pairs, kings and tens. With players new to poker, this will often create a lot of confusion.

That said, the rules of Hold’em are very clear on how these situations are resolved. Kickers are compared, and whoever has the higher kicker wins.

For those unfamiliar with the poker lingo, kickers are those dangling cards in your hand that aren’t a part of any combinations. For example:

• In a hand K K 7 7 J, the jack is the kicker card
• If you have A A A 9 5, both 9 and 5 are “kickers”

So, in our kings and tens scenario, players would compare their fifth card. If one player had K K T T 7 and the other held K K T T Q, the pot goes to the player holding the queen.

Keep in mind that this rule only applies if a player’s hole card is higher than the available community cards. Remember, you always get to play the five best cards on the showdown.

Here’s a couple of scenarios with the same starting hands but different boards to clarify this further.

Example 1

Player A has 9 8, and player B has 9 7. By the river, the board read 9 9 5 2 4. In this case, Player A wins because their kicker plays.

The best possible hand for Player A is 9 9 9 8 5, while the best hand for Player B is 9 9 9 7 5. The eight beats the seven, so Player A wins the pot.

Example 2

Both players have the same starting poker hands as before 9 8 vs. 9 7, but this time the community board read 9 9 A J 2. In this scenario, the hand is a tie, and players will split the pot.

This is because both players have the exact same best five-card hand: 9 9 9 A J. Since both the 8 and the 7 are lower than the ace and the jack, they’re disregarded.

It may still seem a bit confusing, but you’ll get the hang of it as you play more.

Just try to keep two important rules in mind when figuring out which poker hands beat which:

• The best possible five-card hand always plays
• Always check at the top and work your way down

Once you learn all the hand rankings and memorize these important rules, you’ll no longer have any problems figuring out who wins at the showdown.

Holding The Nuts – When You Know You Can’t Lose

Unlike in some other poker variants, you’ll often find yourself in spots in Texas Hold’em where you know you have the best possible hand.

This is known as “the nuts” and it’s one of the best feelings you can have at the table.

This is possible because the game combines your hidden “hole” cards and community cards. Hence, there is plenty of information to work with.

For example, if you have Ah 5h and the board reads 9h 7h 2c 6c Qh, you have an ace-high flush and the best possible hand. There is no way for any other player to beat you.

Albeit simple, this is another concept that beginners are sometimes confused about and will play their hand cautiously, even in spots where they can’t lose.

If you’re new to poker, I’d suggest you take your time reading the board and thinking about hands when making your decisions.

After you gather some experience, you’ll become much better at this, and it’ll become almost second nature.

What To Do With This Information

Obviously, you need to know which hands beat which to play the game. But why is this information so crucial if you know the dealer will always ensure the pot goes to the rightful owner?

The thing is, everything you do at the Hold’em table revolves around this concept.

You’ll be making your decisions based on the strength of your hand and the perceived strength of your opponent’s holdings. If you know a full house beats a flush, you’ll be less inclined to chase your flush draws on a paired board.

When you have a top pair with a weak kicker, you’ll know your hand is susceptible, and you need to proceed with caution.

For someone who’s been playing poker for any serious length of time, this information may seem trivial and redundant, but it’s far from it.

The fact is, I still come across people who haven’t mastered the basics and aren’t quite sure what to do with their hands. Yet, they decide to jump into the action and play for real money. It doesn’t happen very often, but it’s not something you’d ever want – even in a friendly game where you’re playing for pennies.

At the lowest of stakes, it may only cause you some embarrassment but in any serious game, not being sure about which poker hands beat which can be a very costly mistake. It goes without saying that you can’t even begin to learn any more complex strategies before you master these basics.

Hand rankings are at the heart of all poker concepts, from the simplest ones to the ones used by those at the highest of stakes.

The Basics of How To Play Craps: Games Start With A Pass

Craps is an easy game to play. The basics of craps are as follows:

Around the outside of the layout is the “pass line” and above that is the “don’t pass” line.

These two betting options are opposites of each other. In fact, 90-95% of craps players bet the pass line and the others bet the don’t pass line – another name for these players is darksiders. I am sure you get the picture here. Don’t pass players tend to be disliked by pass-line players who are also called right-side players. Each tends to be betting the opposite side of the game.

The shooter is passed five dice and he or she selects two of them.

Yes, each player is given the option of shooting the dice and that is one of the charms of the game. Take those dice and put everything into your own hands – for good or ill! Have a winning craps roll – glorious! Have a losing roll? Yuck, you might feel like slinking away!

Tip: Check out the movie Oceans 13 which gives a great look at how the dice are actually made so they are nearly perfect.

• The game begins with a new shooter rolling the dice.
• This is called the come-out roll and that starts the new shooter’s attempt to take down the house at craps.
• The come-out roll will set up the number that will become the “point.”
• The shooter will have to hit that number before hitting a seven in order to win.
• Hit the 7 and most pass line bets will lose.
• On the come-out roll, a pass-line bet wins if the 7 or 11 rolls, and it loses if a 2, 3 or 12 rolls.
• When the shooter hits the point number, he will continue to roll the dice until he or she loses.

The world record for a dice roll is over 150!

The Numbers in Craps Explained

Since craps is a game of numbers, players should know how these numbers are made.

There are 36 possible combinations of two six-sided dice [6 x 6 = 36). ?Every aspect of craps is a numbered aspect – and you will probably be surprised by how many players do not actually understand the numbers.

Since this is a basics of craps explainer, let’s go through them!

Each pip on the dice is a number. So, a one-pip die is the number one and a six-pips die is the number six. A six-piped die and a one-piped die will equal the number 7; the most powerful number in craps.

The seven can also be made using the 2 pips and 5 pips, the 3 pips and the 4 pips. Remember, you use two dice so there are two dice with 4 pips and two dice with 3 pips.

Dice Combinations In A Craps Game Explained : “The Pyramid of Numbers”

This pyramid shows the possible combinations for each number.

2:  1:1

3:  2:1; 1:2

4:  2:2, 3:1, 1:3

5:  3:2, 2:3, 4:1, 1:4

6:  3:3, 4:2, 2:4; 5:1, 1:5

7:  4:3, 3:4, 5:2, 2:5, 6:1, 1:6

8:  4:4, 5:3, 3:5,6:2, 2:6

9:  5:4, 4:5, 6:3, 3:6

10: 5:5, 6:4, 4:6

11: 6:5, 5:6

12: 6:6

The Dice Odds In Craps Explained

The relationship of a given number to the 7 is important for many craps bets. So, here it is.

At first the numbers might seem intimidating, but in a short while, a very short while, they will be second nature to you.

The Craps Table Explained

Check out the craps table. The layout seems to be a staggering array of symbols, colors, and numbers. Yikes! Could these come from an ancient civilization? Maybe Mesopotamia? Egypt?

Actually, the game comes from the Mississippi River towns and counties of the United States. It used to be called “crabs” and it was played for many generations in the South. Its origin might have been the British game of Hazard. The great writer Geofrey Chaucer mentions it in his epic book The Canterbury Tales which was written in the late 1300s.

In the United States, the game slowly moved its way into the cities of the North and was often called the “alley game” by city players. It still is played in the cities’ alleys. Northerners thought those southerners called the game “craps” as opposed to “crabs”, and that’s what its name became.

World War II brought craps to the forefront of the gaming world as it was one of the two most played games during the war, along with poker. When casinos started to flourish after World War II, craps was the number-one table game in the house.

A Final Note On The Basics of Craps: The Most Exciting Game

Yes, I love to play craps and I also love other games but bar none, craps is the most exciting, stimulating, and also the most disappointing, and groan-inducing game in the house.

Can you win at craps? On some bets the game is so close that any given session might indeed turn out to be a winner for the smart player.

But the title of the game can mean a different thing, a negative thing, with some other bets. It is up to the players to know the difference between good craps bets (such as the Come bet) and bad ones (such as the Field bet).

You see, when things are riding high and a craps shooter is hitting numbers and points, the table generally explodes with just about each roll of the dice. When shooter after shooter sevens-out early in his or her roll, which usually means a bad time for just about everyone, the groans can be heard from just about everywhere in the casino.

Those groans are the yodels of the despondent players.

If you are a casino fan, you know what I’m speaking about. You’ve heard it and perhaps seen it, but now you’ve read our craps for beginners guide, hopefully you can avoid it yourself!

Now you’ve mastered the basics of craps, check out these articles about how to play craps and craps strategy.

Instead, experts say that you should stick with pick-3 or pick-4 games that are only offered to in-state residents. The payouts may be smaller, but your odds of winning are higher.

Another popular option are scratch cards. There are ways you can improve your chances of winning scratch cards, too.

Understanding The Odds

According to USC mathematics professor Kenneth Alexander, due to the odds of winning the lottery, it does not make financial sense to play.

He explains that people who play should use it as entertainment only, spending the $2 to get that feeling that you could hypothetically win. The odds are against you that you’ll actually win, but plenty of lottery fans are willing to spend $2 on the fantasy.

But if you are going to play, what are the odds?

If you play the Powerball lottery, you’ll need to match five numbers plus the Powerball to win the jackpot. The odds of scooping the grand prize are 1 in 292,201,338. The overall odds of winning a prize are 1 in 292,201,338, so for smaller cash prizes the odds are a lot better.

Mega Millions odds are even tougher to beat, at 1 in 302,575,350. By comparison, the New York Take 5 odds are 1 in 575,757. Just to put that in perspective: the odds of getting hit by lightning are 1 in 700,000 while the odds of getting dealt a Royal Flush are 1 in 649,740.

The odds are so tough to beat that buying more tickets really doesn’t help. This quote from Professor Alexander puts it into an excellent perspective: “My favorite description of Powerball odds is that if you’d been buying 1,800 tickets per week since the time of Jesus, there’s a better-than-even chance you wouldn’t have won the jackpot yet.” Uhh.

Lotteries That Offer Better Odds Of Winning

So, if the odds of winning Powerball is that tricky, which lotteries should you play if you actually want to win?

The experts say that you players looking to win should stick with pick-3 or pick-4 games that are only offered to in-state residents. The payouts may be much smaller, but your odds of winning are significantly higher. You might only win a few hundred dollars, but at least you stand a chance to win back more than you’re spending on tickets.

Some states are more generous than others. Looking at average payout per dollar, Massachusetts state lotteries are the most generous, getting close to 80 cents. Most states range between 60-70 cents per dollar, with some falling well below that.

In fact, if you’re playing state lotteries in West Virginia, you’re looking at just 16 cents of every dollar! That said, you still have a better chance of winning a state lottery in West Virginia than a national lottery.

Another popular option are scratch cards. Because of the range of prizes awarded in scratch cards, you’ll have a 60% or higher chance to make back what you spent on the ticket. Winning a substantial prize can quickly change to 1% or less, but they still tend to payout more often.

This means that you’ll be able to play more scratch cards while staying afloat, compared to other lotteries where the odds are you’ll never recoup your ticket prices. There are a number of ways you can improve your chances of winning scratch cards too.

The Biggest Lottery Wins In History

Even though the odds are astronomical, the biggest lottery wins in history come from games like Powerball and Mega Millions. In May 2013, a Florida woman won a jackpot worth about $590 million, which at the time was the biggest jackpot won by a single person.

It’s important to note the number of winners for these prizes. For example, in December 2013, there was a winner in Georgia and California for the $648 million Mega Millions. Both opted for the lump sum payout, getting $173 million each.

After winning the $758.7 million Powerball jackpot in August 2017, the single winner quit her job and took the lump sum payout of $480.5 million before taxes. When the Powerball hit $1.586 billion in January 2016, three winning tickets were sold, which meant they each got about $327.8 million as the pre-tax lump sum.

But the research shows that the fantasy of winning is often way better than the reality. For many, the lottery makes lives worse instead of better. About 70% of people who receive a cash windfall lose it within a few years. Beyond blowing it on frivolous things, many winners end up getting cheated out of cash or losing loved ones.

The best advice if you win?

Hire a financial planner and accountant to help you manage your money for the future. Also, if you live somewhere that allows you to stay anonymous, that’s probably best, unless you want to spend the rest of your life fighting off friends and acquaintances asking you for cash.

Hopefully, these tips will help protect you and your bankroll, especially if you regularly play in private games.

1. Don’t Play With Shady Characters

As a poker player, there’s nothing wrong with looking for “spots.”

You want to play with people who are bad at poker but have plenty of money to put on the tables.

However, if you’re playing in private games, you should be very careful about the lineup, especially if you get invited to a new game.

Whether it’s through marking cards or using some other system (see: the Tip Scam or false deals), you’ll be much more likely to get cheated in a game filled with or run by shady characters.

Of course, this isn’t always easy to recognize, and sometimes you’ll have no idea you’ve been set up. But sometimes it’s blatantly obvious.

The very minimum you can do for yourself is to stay away from suspicious games.

As a poker player, you should be able to “read” people to some extent, so use these skills when deciding where you do and don’t want to play.

If you’re being promised a game full of rich fish by someone who doesn’t even know you that well, you should ask yourself why they picked you for this awesome “opportunity”?

2. Pay Attention To How Players Handle Their Cards

There are tons of different ways to mark cards these days, but most cheaters aren’t particularly sophisticated.

The most common way to mark cards on the spot is by making slight markings on the edges using your fingernails.

Now, it’s perfectly common for players to shuffle their cards around and even lift them from the table. It happens all the time in private games and casinos alike.

However, if someone’s paying too much attention to their cards and seems to be squeezing them weirdly, it might be a sign they’re up to no good.

Don’t be too quick to call someone out, though.

Calling someone a cheater at the poker table is a serious accusation and a big insult for most honest players, so you have to play it smart.

Observe, but keep your observations to yourself for the time being.

3. Look For Unusual Physical Markings On The Cards

If you have a reason to believe a player is marking cards in some way, you should look for any unusual marks at the back of the cards.

Are there small, barely visible cuts, or have edges been bent slightly?

The most efficient way to go about this is to pay attention to big cards like aces and kings.

When using these on-the-spot card marking techniques, cheaters usually don’t have enough time to come up with an elaborate scheme to mark the entire deck.

Instead, they’ll try to make important cards stand out, which will provide them with quite a bit of an edge if they can get away with it.

4. Be On The Lookout For Unusual Play Patterns

Unfortunately, there are way more advanced techniques for marking cards these days.

Invisible ink that can only be seen using special glasses or under special lightning is usually impossible to detect by the naked eye, no matter how hard you look.

This is why you should always stay alert when you play poker and be particularly careful about highly unusual situations.

Sure, it happens every now and then that someone calls down a big bluff with queen high, but it’s hardly a common occurrence in regular games.

If there are too many weird hands happening in a short period of time, it might be a sign that something isn’t right.

You can share your concerns with the floor in a casino or an official poker room, and they’ll usually look into it for you.

In private games, though, things can be a bit trickier.

It’s not only that you need to be pretty sure there is cheating going on, but you must also worry about who else is in on it.

If the person running the game knows about it, your complaints won’t be welcomed, which circles back to the first point.

5. Ask For A New Deck

No matter where you’re playing, there is usually nothing wrong with asking for a new deck if you suspect there’s cheating going on with marked cards.

However, if you’re in a private game and don’t feel safe, you don’t have to state the reason why you’re asking for the change.

That way, if your request is met with hostility of some sort, you can still get out of trouble by laughing it off and saying something along the lines of the current deck not being particularly kind to you.

Even if the person in charge knows about the cheating, they’ll usually let it go at this point as they don’t want to upset their other potential marks.

Of course, they will most likely come up with a reason why they can’t change the deck, but at least you’ll have a pretty good idea of where you’re at.

6. Don’t Be Afraid To Leave

You can’t fix the world, and you can’t win in a rigged game.

Even if you play your best and get very lucky, eventually, they’ll get you.

And why would you want to spend a second more than you have to in a game where you suspect the deck is marked?

If you feel something isn’t right, simply get up, cash your chips out, and leave.

You don’t owe anyone an explanation as to why you’re leaving but you can always come up with an excuse.

Understandably, you might be afraid to share your suspicions in a completely new environment where you only know one or two people, and you shouldn’t feel bad about it.

Once the dust settles, you can maybe talk to the person who invited you to the game and share your concerns, but only if you’re pretty sure they aren’t in on it.

If you have your doubts, don’t go there again. That’s the easiest and the best way to protect yourself!

7. Don’t Be Too Paranoid

While it’s important to stay safe, you shouldn’t be too paranoid about marked cards and other forms of cheating to the point where you’ll start seeing them everywhere.

It’ll just ruin your overall experience and it won’t be long before you can’t find a good game because you think they’re all rigged somehow.

I’ve seen and experienced all sorts of things in poker and have personally played some very strange hands and got extremely unlucky bad beats.

So try not to jump to conclusions and pass judgment based on a few isolated incidents.

If there are several different indicators, though, such as these things happening way too often, the game host refusing to switch the deck, etc., it’s fine to move on and look for a new game.

That said, the biggest advice is to avoid any unknown private games in the first place.

The cheating technology could be way more advanced than we think, so I wouldn’t even consider joining suspicious games.

The best thing to do is stay in regulated poker rooms, where you will be very likely to get help when needed.

You can always ask to exchange decks, inspect the one that is used, and have all your concerns answered.

Better to be safe than sorry.

Here, you can learn all about arb betting, what it is, how it works, whether it’s legal or not, and the risks involved.

What Is Arbitrage Betting?

Arbing is where you back and lay the same outcome on a sports event, exploiting any mathematical differences in the odds available. The margin between these is called an ‘arb’.

If done correctly, arbitrage betting guarantees you a profit regardless of whether the back or lay wager wins.

When arbitrage betting, the back wager must be at higher odds than the lay.

You don’t even have to be knowledgeable about sports in order to become a successful arber. It’s all about finding opportunities.

The wager where you back a sporting outcome should be placed via a regular fixed-odds bookmaker, either online through sportsbooks or offline at retail outlets.

When putting on the lay bet while arbing, however, you can only make this via a sports betting exchange.

How Arbitrage Betting Works

We’ve included some practical examples of arbitrage betting to help illustrate how it works.

In a hypothetical horse race in the UK, Red Rum is the 9/4 (3.25 in decimal odds) favorite with the bookmakers to win. That works out as ￡9 in profit for every ￡4 gambled.

On the exchanges, meanwhile, this horse can be laid at 15/8 (2.88), which means ￡15 profit for every ￡8 wagered.

You will probably have to pay commission on the lay wager when arbing. This is typically 2%, so also factor this into your calculations.

Backing Red Rum when betting ￡100 through a fixed odds bookmaker then requires a lay stake of ￡113.64.

Your exchange betting balance will need to be ￡213.64, to cover paying out to whoever matches you in the event he wins the race.

An arbing calculator helps you figure out how much you need to bet in order to guarantee profit. These are readily available online.

Should the back bet win, you make ￡225 of profit on that, minus the ￡213.64 of losses from the exchanges.

If the lay wager is successful, then there is ￡227.28 in winnings, with the 2% commission to pay and losing fixed-odds bookmaker bet to deduct.

Either way, you make ￡11.36 of profit whether Red Rum wins the race or not. It’s all thanks to arbitrage betting done properly.

That isn’t a massive margin on its own, but, if done several times a day, what you stand to gain soon adds up.

Another Arb Betting Example

Let’s now look at a football example of arbitrage betting. New England Patriots are at Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFL.

You back the Patriots at +175 for the win on the road with the bookmaker, staking $50. For every $4 bet, you receive $7 in profit.

At the same time, you can lay New England to lose at Tampa Bay at +163 on the exchanges. For every $8 gambled, there are $13 in winnings if successful.

Again, with 2% commission to pay on your exchange wager, a lay stake of $52.68, making sure your balance is $85.87 to cover the loss, would be enough to guarantee $1.63 in profit either way through arb betting.

Just remember, you must subtract the losing wager – either the back or lay part of arbing – from your winnings.

If the back bet is successful, there is also commission costs to pay, as well as settling the losing exchange wager with whoever matched your bet.

Arbing Is Legal But Risky

There are no laws against arbitrage betting, so you can’t be prosecuted for doing it.

However, be aware that bookmakers do not take kindly to arb bettors.

This is because you are profiting from a pastime that is supposed to incur losses.

Any bettor who wins often, through fixed-odds wagers and/or sports exchange betting, has their gambling activities monitored by the bookmaker. If you’re caught arbing, then there will be consequences.

It’s important that you are aware of the risks involved.

Bettors can have their accounts with bookmakers restricted, such as limited maximum stakes, or even closed.

Arbitrage betting may even lead to you being blacklisted, so you can never bet on some sportsbooks again.

For some experienced bettors, the irony of bookies being upset by arbing isn’t lost on them. Successful gambling is all about placing wagers when the odds are in your favor.

Bookmakers and their traders are usually pretty good and sharp at shutting down value, especially when reacting to market support for certain outcomes.

Avoiding detection and being exposed as an arber is part of the process, so we’ve got some tips later on that can help you with your arbitrage betting.

Popular Arbitrage Betting Events

Arbing is something you can do on any sport of your choice, but be warned.

The more niche or obscure the event that you back and lay outcomes on, then the more it will stand out to the bookmaker.

It makes more sense, then, if you keep arbitrage betting to popular gambling sports, such as soccer and horse racing.

These two sports in particular attract huge volumes of bets worldwide.

With soccer, there are so many different markets offered by fixed-odds sportsbooks, that traders may find it challenging to keep on top of the odds.

On the downside, the margins of guaranteed profit through arbitrage betting are pretty small here. This is because in many markets, there are only two or three possible outcomes.

Arbitrage betting is associated with horse racing more than any other sport, because of the multiple runners in races leading to a much wider variety of potential results.

Price fluctuations of the odds for horses is also a lot more common.

That naturally lends itself to arbing, especially if there are significant market moves that happen in the build-up to a race.

In order to help spot opportunities for arbitrage betting, there is software available to assist you.

Various providers have simple tools that crawl both fixed-odds sportsbooks and the betting exchanges, which identify where arbing is possible.

These are completely safe and legal to use.

Tips For Successful Arbitrage Betting

As promised, we’ve got some helpful hints and advice for any budding arbers out there.

Just follow these tips when doing arbitrage betting and you’ll beat the bookies at their own game!

1. Place Your Back Arbing Wagers In Betting Shops

Offline retail betting may not be as quick or convenient as online gambling, but placing wagers over the counter gives you a certain anonymity.

While you can’t do lay arbing in a betting shop, there is nothing stopping you from putting the back bet on in person.

It makes it much more difficult for the bookies to track you down.

A key thing to remember with arbitrage betting that uses shop arbing (or ‘sharbing’ for short) is to keep your accounts separate.

Do not link your online accounts to retail.

If you link them, it’s much easier for bookmakers to see what you’re up to.

2. Avoid Large Stakes – They Look Suspicious

Arb betting can involve significant sums of money, both across the back and lay wagers, in order to make decent margins.

The trouble with that is, the bigger your stakes are, the more they will stand out to the bookies, especially if you normally bet on a smaller scale.

Everyone wants a big profit from their gambling, but with arbing, you have to tread very carefully.

Little and often can also be flagged up, yet requires more investigation from bookmakers.

If you find an arbitrage betting opportunity on a major event like a soccer cup final or Group/Grade 1 horse race, where the volume of wagers will be high, that may be a better place to take a bigger punt than usual.

3. Use Multiple Betting Accounts

If you always bet with the same bookmaker, then it won’t be difficult for them to see if you’ve been arbing or not.

Staying loyal to the same sportsbook only gives you access to a small portion of the market.

Arbitrage betting is about getting best odds possible for the back bet, so to do that you may need to wager with other sportsbooks.

Holding multiple accounts across different firms will make it even tougher for your bookmakers to know whether you are arb betting.

Like betting in person over the counter, this helps to obscure your activities.

4. Look Like A Mug Punter

One sure-fire way to cover your tracks from any arbing is to place mug bets.

That means deliberately lose some of the profits you’ve made through arbitrage betting.

Back your favorite soccer team or short-price favorites in horse races as an accumulator.

Make these losses discreet and subtle, so that you aren’t throwing too much away and bookmakers never suspect what you’re really up to.

The idea is to look like a mug – a na?ve, inexperienced bettor reinvesting some of your winnings on wagers that don’t pay off.

When the bookies come to profile you, these losses will show up and confuse the situation. That way, your arb betting may go on for much longer undetected.

Final Thoughts On Arbitrage Betting

Arbitrage betting is a win-win situation for bettors until you’re rumbled by bookmakers.

You may then face sanctions, including account closure, so you must be prepared for the consequences of discovery.

The key to successful arbitrage betting is locating margins between backing and laying the same outcome in a sports event.

It’s completely legal to do so, but annoys the bookies.

Software can help you with arbitrage betting and, although the margins may be modest, the lure of guaranteed profits is very attractive.

For more helpful guides, check out our post on prop betting.

Straddling in poker can be overwhelming for beginners. But after reading, you should not only understand the basic mechanics, but the best opportunities.

What Is A Straddle In Poker?

In poker, a straddle is akin to paying an extra big blind.

If this already sounds confusing to you and makes your eyes glaze over, don’t panic—you’re not alone. A poker term that often trips up beginners is “blinds.” So stay with me, as just for a moment, we do need to get technical.

In Texas Hold ‘Em, there is always a “button” placed at the table (see below). This is a physical button. The two players to the left of the button are called the blinds. The first person to the left of the button is the small blind; the person to the left of them is the big blind. If you’re playing $1/$2 stakes for example, the small blind will have to pay $1 and the big blind will have to pay $2.

Paying the blinds is mandatory—it’s actually a shorthand term for “blind bet.” Because you have to pay this amount before you’ve seen your cards. In other words, you have to pay it blindly.

(Bonus technical language if you want to get really precise: This is why players start with a raise preflop rather than a bet. The blinds were already a placed bet, so, for example, you can’t bet $10 but you can raise to $10).

A straddle means voluntarily paying an extra blind.

How Do Straddles Work In Poker?

In the example of the $1/$2 game, the small blind is $1, the big blind is $2, and you can straddle to $4—all without seeing your cards. Again, it functions like an extra big blind because you’ve put in this money blindly before seeing your cards.

People can even “double straddle” at certain casinos. This would mean the small blind pays $1, the big blind pays $2, the straddle pays $4, and the double straddle pays $8.

What would a super-ultra-rare triple straddle look like in this example? The triple straddle player would pay $16.

Straddling in poker is doubling the last bet before anyone has seen their cards. If the stakes were $5/$10, the player straddling would pay $20 prior to being dealt their hand. You need to declare your intention to straddle in advance.

Pro tip: If you choose to straddle, point to those extra chips so the dealer notices. They will then announce, “STRADDLE!” to the table so everyone knows that you placed your straddle before seeing your hand.

Once a player has straddled, that is now the minimum price to continue playing. Instead of it costing a minimum of $2 to keep playing, it is now $4 (or whatever the amount straddled to is). Straddling in poker is a way of raising the stakes.

Who Can Straddle In Poker?

First of all, it is important to mention that every casino is different and will have their own rules and regulations. Some venues will not allow straddling at all. The same applies when playing online poker.

Most commonly, however, you can choose to straddle when you are seated under-the-gun. That means you are the first person to act preflop. This is why in the previous section we indicated the person left of the big blind—that is the under-the-gun seat. If a casino allows straddles, you can always elect to straddle when you are here.

From time to time you will encounter a casino that also permits button straddles (a.k.a a ‘Mississippi straddle’). This means you can straddle when you are located on the button seat as well.

What if both the under-the-gun player and the button player want to straddle?

It is up to the casino who takes priority—don’t hesitate to ask. Good questions to ask when you’re new to a card room are:

1. Do you allow straddles here?
2. Can you straddle on the button or only under-the-gun?
3. Does the under-the-gun straddle or the button straddle get priority?

In rare scenarios, you will find a game where you can straddle from any position at the table. In any case, the action usually starts left of the last straddle preflop. If the under-the-gun player straddled, the person to their left will have the first decision preflop whether to fold or play their hand. If the button player straddled, the person in the small blind will have the first decision.

There are definitely exceptions to button straddles, so it’s always good to clarify with the dealer.

What you need to know is this:

• Most places allow under-the-gun straddles.
• When you straddle under-the-gun, the action preflop starts on the player to your left (under-the-gun + 1).

Why Straddle In Poker: Pros And Cons

Now that we know what a straddle in poker is and who can straddle in Texas Hold‘Em, we need to answer the burning question: WHY straddle in poker?

There are reasons both for and against straddling in Texas Hold‘Em:

Pros

• Straddling in poker raises the stakes. It now costs double to continue playing—and raises will be adjusted even bigger accordingly.
• Poker is a people game—you want to create a fun atmosphere. People that don’t straddle are often viewed as uptight. Even though you might lose money straddling when you are dealt lousy cards, it can be worth it because it encourages everyone at the table to play looser and more relaxed. Think of it like buying a cocktail.
• When the player(s) in the blinds are fish, it’s good to straddle when you are under-the-gun because you will play bigger pots while having direct position on them.
• When you straddle under-the-gun, you no longer act first preflop. It is an advantage to see what everyone else does and then get to make your decision.

Cons

• You waste chips every time you straddle and aren’t dealt a good hand.
• Straddling in poker raises the stakes—which can also be a negative. The game might play bigger now than you can afford. Even if finances aren’t an issue for you, everyone’s stack depth gets cut in half.
  
  For example, in a $1/$2 game where everyone starts with $100, all players have 50 big blinds. If the game is straddled to $4, now everyone only has 25 big blinds. This means players will be all-in much more frequently and the game will play higher variance. Luck will play an outsized role.

When You Should And Shouldn’t Straddle In Poker

For the reasons above, you should avoid straddling when short-stacked (or most players at the table are short-stacked). All you are doing is minimizing your skill edge by making the game wilder and more swingy.

There is also a big difference between a button straddle and an under-the-gun straddle. When you straddle under-the-gun, you are making the pots play bigger when you are in a relatively bad position at the table. When you button straddle, however, you are putting more money in the middle when you have an advantage (because you get to act last after the flop and will get to see what all the other players do ahead of you. You will have more information to make your decisions). Button straddling is the most powerful option in Hold ‘Em.

A button straddle is considered such a huge advantage that many casinos do not permit it. It is too great of an edge. High stakes players don’t like it because it “kills the game” since poker pros can manipulate button straddles so effectively.

Under-the-gun straddles don’t provide that same advantage. The times they do are when fishy players are seated in the blinds, in which case that can sway you towards a straddle. Otherwise under-the-gun straddles are best avoided unless most players at the table are deep-stacked.

Can You Straddle In A Poker Tournament?

Finally you may wonder if you can straddle in a poker tournament. This one has an easy answer… no!

The poker chips you lose in tournaments are more valuable than the chips you gain. You can’t afford to be splashy and throw on a straddle to bump up the stakes. Even if you’re chip leader, you won’t be permitted to straddle in a poker tournament anyways!

Lead image credit: Poker Photos/Flickr, CC BY 2.0

Use our blackjack strategy charts in this order:

1. First, look at surrender, if it’s even an option.
2. Then, if you have pairs, consult the split chart.
3. At that point, if you have a soft hand, meaning one of your cards is an ace, you will refer to the soft totals hit or stand chart.
4. And finally, work your way to the hard totals hit and stand chart.

When you’re ready to play, simply download our free printable blackjack charts.

Blackjack Surrender Chart

Surrender isn’t always offered, and when it is, it’s usually what we refer to as Late Surrender. It’s the option to throw away your hand after the first two cards are dealt, and after the dealer has already checked for blackjack. If you choose to do this, you only lose half your bet.

In Early Surrender, you can choose to toss away your hand before the dealer checks for Blackjack. This can be a very powerful but seldom-seen rule change. In the chart above, I am referencing Late Surrender.

• Basically, with 15 you surrender against a 10, but only if it’s not made up of the 8 and 7.
• You always surrender any 16, other than a pair of 8s against a dealer up card of 9, 10 or 11. 
• With a pair of 8s, you only surrender against a dealer ace if the rule requires them to hit soft 17.
• With a 17, you only surrender against an ace.

Blackjack Split Chart

When you split, you must be aware of whether you can then double if you get dealt two cards that our chart tells you to double. This is simply called Double After Split (DAS).

In the above chart, you should only split the hands highlighted in blue if the game rules you are playing do, in fact, allow you to double after the split; otherwise, move on to the Hit/Stand tables.

• You always split aces and 8s.
• 9s are split against everything but a 7, 10 or an ace.
• 7s are split against 2 through 7.
• 6s are split against 2 through 6, though against a two up you should really only split if you are allowed to double after.
• Never split 5s.
• Only split 4s against a 5 or 6 if you are allowed to Double After Split.
• With 2s or 3s, only split against 2 and 3 if you can DAS, and against 4 through 6 regardless.

Hit or Stand Chart – Soft Totals

Use this chart if one of your cards is an ace. But, before we get into whether to hit, stand or double with a soft hand, note that some blackjack games only allow you to double certain cards like 10 or 11. My advice is to stay away from those games. You will see our blackjack hand chart notes to double if allowed.

• With A2 and A3, you should double against a 5 or 6, otherwise hit.
• With A4 and A5, double against 4, 5 or 6, otherwise hit.
• With A6, you can double against 3 through 6.
• With A7, you can double against 2 through 6, stand against 7 or 8, and hit against 9, 10, ace.
• With the A8, you double against a 6 and stand on everything else.
• And with A9, you stand against everything.

Hit or Stand Chart – Hard Totals

A hard total is a hand that does not contain an ace.

Low hands (5 through 8) that aren’t pairs or soft hands are hit in blackjack until at least 12, regardless of the up card. Then, once we get to 12, we can begin to use our blackjack basic strategy chart. You will double down some 9,10, and 11 value hands.

• 9s are doubled against a 3 through 6 up card. Otherwise, you hit.
• 10s are doubled against the dealer’s 2 through 9. Otherwise, you hit.
• And with a total of 11, you always double.
• With hands totaling 12, stand on 4, 5 or 6. Otherwise hit. 
• With a 13, 14, 15 or 16, stand against 2 through 6 and hit the rest.
• On any other hand with totals of hard 17 or more, you stand.

Printable Blackjack Charts

Use our printable blackjack strategy charts to make it easy to remind yourself of the best move to make when next playing online or in a casino. Just hit download to save each individual blackjack chart PDF to your phone or desktop, ready to refer to whenever you need them. Or, once downloaded, use the printer icon to print the PDFs.

FAQs About Basic Blackjack Strategy Charts

What is a blackjack strategy chart?

A basic blackjack strategy chart tells us exactly how to play each hand in the mathematically correct way. This information is presented in an easy-to-understand chart that shows how to play each hand.

How do you read a blackjack chart?

It’s important to remember that we need to walk through the hand in a certain order. Surrender if allowed, splitting pairs, playing soft hands, double downs, and finally, hitting or standing. The dealer’s up card is across the top, your hand is on the left-hand side, and the table is filled with how to play that exact hand.

Are blackjack charts allowed in casinos?

Yes! You can always use your blackjack chart whether you’re at a casino or playing blackjack online. Playing these hands perfectly will make a big difference to your bottom line, so never be ashamed about using a blackjack cheat chart to help you.

What is the best blackjack strategy?

The best strategy can change based on the number of decks being used and various rule changes from one casino to the other. These slight changes can alter how our blackjack strategy chart looks and how you should play. For more on blackjack strategies, read our in-depth guide.

Should you always hit 12 in blackjack?

The math is very clear: you want to hit a 12 against a dealer 12 or 13, and honestly, it’s really a coin flip against 14. Many folks may disagree, but I wouldn’t lie to you, and neither will your strategy chart.

Why not put these charts to the test and practice playing?blackjack for free? And then play online blackjack for real money or try a home game using our guide on how to deal blackjack.

These lucky numbers are determined by the alignment of the planets at the time of your birth, along with other factors linked to your zodiac sign. For example, the ruling planet, its corresponding element, specific personality traits, and more. They are believed to positively influence you and impact your life. Worth a shot, don’t you think?

Aquarius Lucky Numbers 

• January 20 – February 18
• Lucky number: 11

Aquarius, Latin for water-bearer, is the eleventh astrological sign in the zodiac, originating from the constellation Aquarius. It is a fixed air sign ruled by the planets of Saturn and Uranus.

If you’re an Aquarius, you are a social person and a visionary who wants to make the world a better place. You’re humble but won’t allow others to influence your opinion easily. So it will be hard to convince you not to pick number 11. 11 symbolizes idealism and a vision for a better future, which closely links to your forward-thinking and humanitarian nature.

Pisces Lucky Numbers

• February 19 – March 20
• Lucky number: 7

Pisces is the twelfth sign in the Zodiac, ruled by the planets Neptune and Jupiter. It’s a mutable water sign represented by twin fish swimming in opposite directions. If you’re a Pisces, you’re big-hearted, intuitive, and get along with people from all walks of life. This is why you should pick number 7, as it’s associated with your spirituality, creativity, and inner wisdom.

Aries Lucky Numbers

• March 21 – April 19
• Lucky numbers: 9, 6

Aries, derived from “Ares,” the Greek god of war, is the first sign of the Zodiac. Ruled by the planet of assertion, Mars, and symbolized by the ram, you are ambitious, driven, and unafraid to dive headfirst into any situation.

Being a fire sign means you possess high energy levels, represented by the highest single-digit number 9. The number 6 is also lucky for you, hot-headed Aries. These numbers are expected to bring you good fortune and financial success. So, if you’re an Aries on the hunt for prosperity, you should choose 9 and 6.

Taurus Lucky Numbers

• April 20 – May 20
• Lucky numbers: 5,6

Taurus is the second sign of the Zodiac, ruled by the planet Venus and represented by the celestial bull. If you’re a Taurus, material needs and success are always at the center of your concerns. As an earth sign, you are naturally caring towards others.

If there are two numbers you should gravitate towards the most, they should be the number 5 and the number 6. 5 guarantees financial prosperity, while 6 is associated with balance and harmony. These are important for you Tauruses, who strive for stability and a clear state of mind.

Gemini Lucky Numbers

• May 21 – June 20
• Lucky numbers: 5

Gemini is the third sign of the zodiac, ruled by the planet Mercury and represented by The Twins. If you’re born under this mutable air sign, you are light-hearted and curious and know how to keep a conversation going for hours on end. You find it easy to make new friends, and being ruled by the planet of communication, you certainly have the gift of the gab.

The number 5 is lucky for you because it represents intelligence, curiosity, and confidence – all traits that align with your sign. So, you should go for 5 to invite luck and positive energy into your life.

Cancer Lucky Numbers

• June 21 – July 22
• Lucky numbers: 2

Cancer is a cardinal water sign and the fourth astrological sign. If you’re a Cancer, you are nurturing by nature and will go out of your way to ensure that the people you care for are looked after. Your zodiac symbol is the crab, and similar to those hard-shell crustaceans, you can be a little crabby from time to time.

Being ruled by the moon, there’s no wonder you will find luck in the number 2. It’s connected to the moon and represents balance and harmony, which is very important for you caring Cancerians.

Leo Lucky Numbers

• July 23 – August 22
• Lucky numbers: 1

Leo is a fire sign and the fifth sign in the zodiac. Ruled by the sun and represented by the lion, you’re meant to lead the pack. Whether you plan it or not, you’re always at the center of attention; your loud roar barely goes unnoticed.

As natural-born leaders, you will naturally gravitate towards the number 1. Let this number guide you through life, and embrace every obstacle in your path. If you’re a Leo looking to take charge of your life and reach your goals, open your heart to 1.

Virgo Lucky Numbers

• August 23 – September 22
• Lucky numbers: 3

Virgo is the sixth sign in the zodiac, symbolized by the maiden. It’s often depicted with the Goddess of Shala, who ruled over fertility and the harvest. Being a mutable earth sign, you are the perfectionist of the zodiac. You are meticulous and apply very high standards to yourself and others.

Ruled by Mercury, the planet of communication, you will be drawn to the number 3. 3 symbolizes communication, creativity, and self-expression, helping you tap into your creative side.

Libra Lucky Numbers

• September 23 – October 22
• Lucky numbers: 7

Libra is a cardinal air sign that is the seventh sign in the zodiac. Libra is represented by the weighing scale, and one of your major traits involves craving balance in all walks of life. Ruled by the planet of love, Venus, you crave to be in happy and fulfilling relationships. You are also extremely courteous individuals who will avoid chaos and drama at all costs.

You will find luck in the number 7. 7 is associated with spirituality and wisdom.

Scorpio Lucky Numbers

• October 23 – November 21
• Lucky numbers: 8

Scorpio, symbolized by the scorpion, is the eighth sign in the zodiac. Being ruled by the planets of Mars and Pluto, you are both passionate and powerful. Tendencies often mistaken for a fire sign. But the element attached to your sign is actually water.

You are loyal and strong-minded and will make a statement wherever you go. You have a strong desire for success, and the number 8 aligns perfectly with this.

Sagittarius Lucky Numbers

• November 22 – December 21
• Lucky numbers: 3

Sagittarius is the ninth sign in the zodiac, ruled by the planet Jupiter and represented by the archer. You show traits derived from your zodiac symbol, the centaur; you live life to the fullest and find joy in experiencing new things. The centaur is half man and half horse, so you often possess a deep love for animals.

As a mutable fire sign, the number 3 is lucky for you. 3, associated with the energies of the divine, encourages you to have a positive outlook on life and embrace your adventurous side, deep-rooted from birth.

Capricorn Lucky Numbers

• December 22 – January 19
• Lucky numbers: 4

Capricorn is the last earth sign and the tenth in the zodiac wheel. It’s ruled by the planet Saturn and represented by the sea goat. You are achievement-oriented individuals who will climb mountains to make it to the top.

Like all earth signs, you have a masterful and determined energy and will not stop until you have reached your goal. This is why you coolheaded Capricorns will gravitate towards the number 4. 4 represents focus and stability. If you’re a Capricorn looking to maintain self-discipline when pursuing your goals, or simply looking for your lucky number, pick 4.

What Are Lucky Numbers? 

In astrology, everyone has a lucky number from birth. These lucky numbers can bring good luck, fortune, and positive energy to our lives. Many people believe that these lucky numbers can help alter any course of action and bring forth several positive possibilities, allowing you to flourish and achieve all that you desire from life.

What Numbers Are Lucky Generally?  

When it comes to lucky numbers, everyone always assumes that 7 is lucky and 13 is unlucky, but many astrologers will disagree. In astrology, 8 is seen as a lucky number because its shape forms the sign for infinity. It’s also linked to prosperity, success, and material wealth. So, if the angel number 8 repeatedly appears in your presence, you can expect financial prosperity.

Another lucky number, according to many astrologers, is the number 3. This number is associated with Jupiter, the planet of good fortune, and has always held powerful symbolism. The world is filled with trinities and triads like the Holy Trinity, and the saying goes, good things come in threes. This is why many individuals believe that the number 3 is a good omen and utilize it to help make important decisions in life.

When it comes to lucky numbers for love, the number 6 is seen as particularly lucky. This is because the number 6 is associated with Venus, the planet of love and beauty. Therefore, individuals with a strong connection with the number 6 are considered lucky in love, romance, and relationships.

FAQs

For more articles about luck, check out The Luckiest Casinos in Vegas and The Lucky Color of The Year. Or head here for Different Ways To Pick Lottery Numbers.

Lead image credit: Mariia Shalabaieva/Unsplash

Casinos outsource payroll to the customer and so, from the valet runner when you arrive to the cashier who cashes you out when you leave, 80% of the staff you run across is going to be low paid and looking for a gratuity.

Not to worry though, we’re going to walk you through the who, why and when of casino tipping.

Tipping Upon Arrival

Valet runners are fast, efficient, and can save you a ton of walking.

Not everyone will choose to valet park, but for $2 or $5 when you pull in, to a few dollars when they pull your car back around, this is a gratuity that delivers real bang for the buck, especially on rainy or cold nights.

Just be aware that most valet departments without parking structures will pull their runners in when lightning is nearby.

If you’re staying at the hotel, bellmen can also be a great time saver.

A couple of dollars a bag, up to $10 or $20 for the entire luggage cart, will likely start your stay off on a much nicer footing then schlepping your bags up the elevator and down the hall to your room.

And of course, the quicker you’re settled in, the sooner you can make a beeline for the casino floor.

Tipping Your Slots Attendant

Slots are a relatively straightforward affair when it comes to tipping.

There’s some debate about tipping an attendant if they fix your machine, but if a dollar or two means they will be back quicker next time, what can it hurt?

In most US jurisdictions, any payout of more than $1,200 will be paid in person by a slot floor person. Tipping here starts at about $20 and goes up to between 3-10 percent of the jackpot, depending on the customer. More on this below.

If you call an attendant over to hold a machine while you use the restroom or for whatever reason, tips should be based on the length of time you’re gone.

This could range from a couple dollars up to $5 or even more if you’re gone for a bit.

If you’re likely to be gone for more than 5-10 minutes, just ask them to turn off the machine instead. You can always use the service button when you return to get it turned back on.

Tipping On A Hand Pay Jackpot

As mentioned above, any win above $1,200 will be a hand pay jackpot. The term hand pay is apt because that’s precisely what happens – the attendant will give you your winnings by hand.

This is because a win of this amount needs to be reported to the IRS for tax purposes. Your slot attendant will make sure they have all of the required information on file, deduct the appropriate taxes, and then come over and pay you your jackpot in cash.

Of course, on larger jackpots, you will have the option to take a check or put the money on deposit at the casino cage. This way you can access as much as you need without worrying about carrying all of that cash on you.

So, how much do you tip after winning a hand pay jackpot? Due to the time, personal interaction, and the expectation that you will want to be paid on time when your next jackpot hits, a minimum tip of $20 and up to 3% to 10% of the total is recommended.

Side note: Federal taxes are not generally withheld until the jackpot is over $5,000, so if you want them withheld on smaller amounts, be sure to ask.

Tipping At Table Games

Tipping in table games can be confusing.

There are many different schools of thoughts when it comes to tipping dealers, but it really comes down to whether you are having a good time. A pit boss isn’t allowed to accept tips.

A dealer is an entertainer first and dealer second. This isn’t someone pulling your car around or bringing you a drink.

Tipping here isn’t about a service being provided (or at least not directly), this is about entertainment value.

Yes, if a dealer gives you a straight flush on Mississippi Stud or a 30-minute roll on the dice table, you absolutely should take care of them, but even that should be within the context of whether you had a good time.

A dealer should always make sure you leave smiling, even if you lost. If you’ve enjoyed playing at their table, then it’s time to tip the dealer.

We will discuss different tipping situations in more detail, but at the end of the day, the service you are tipping for is customer service, and if they deliver that they deserve that little extra.

Tipping Your Blackjack Dealer

Tipping in blackjack can be done by handing chips directly to the dealer or by placing a bet in front of yours.

Most folks prefer to make a bet for the dealer because they feel like it keeps the dealer rooting for them and gives them a stake in seeing them win.

On lower limit tables, maybe a few dollars after every blackjack, or if you’ve won several hands in a row.

On higher limit $25 and up games, the $5 dollar chips would be a better choice.

Most blackjack games have some sort of side bet now, and if you were to hit one of these, something like 3-10% would be in order.

It’s not required, but if you split or double your bet and have a bet for the dealer, it’s good form to make those bets for the dealer as well.

Tipping Your Roulette Dealer

In roulette, the bet for the dealer can be offset on top of the chips you are betting to let the dealer know it’s for them, or you can simply hand it in.

Tell them which number you wish to bet, and that this bet is for them.

Another common form of tipping in roulette is simply to hand in some of your chips, perhaps 5%, when you are done and coloring up.

Roulette is a game where some people work the dealer much more than others. If you’re simply making outside bets and placing them yourself, perhaps you don’t need to tip as frequently.

But if before every spin you are asking the dealer to place 10 or 12 bets for you, or are stacking up chips on corners, splits and straight ups, more frequent tipping may assure more cooperation.

Tipping Your Craps Dealer

Most dice players simply hand in chips when they are done playing. This doesn’t slow down the game and makes things a bit smoother.

But some dice players like to keep the dealers in action as a form of good luck.

On the come out roll, you may hear: “$5 Yo for me and a dollar for the dealers.” This means the player will win $75 dollars if the 11 rolls and the dealers will win $15.

Much more than any other game, you will hear dice players say “I’m in control” in reference to a dealer bet that they have placed.

So, in our above example, if the player said: “Dollar for the dealer, I’m in control,” then the player would decide what to do with a winning wager, perhaps parlaying it to a $16 Yo or telling the dealers to drop the $15 in winnings but leave the dollar up for the next roll.

Some craps players will give the dealers a six or eight or maybe all the numbers as a tip.

If that number wins, the dealers win, and if the player has said he’s in control, then he will decide whether to press, parlay or drop the winnings when they hit.

If you’re new to the game, try and find a slower game with fewer people.

Tell the dealer you’re learning and ask about tipping while you’re there. They will be certain to help.

Tipping Your Baccarat Dealer

Tipping in baccarat is much the same, the majority of players tip when they are coloring up.

Some will bet for the dealer on individual hands by placing a chip in front of either their player or banker bet, or sometimes the tie bet.

Most baccarat tables now have some type of side bet, and when hitting a decent payout on one of these, most players will tip 3-5%.

Tipping In Carnival Games

Carnival games such as Mississippi Stud, Three Card Poker, Ultimate Texas Hold’em and even Pai-Gow Poker are always problematic, mainly because for the first time, we have the chance of hitting a taxable jackpot.

Filling out tax forms for the 100+ dealers splitting the jackpot isn’t something the casinos are going to entertain.

So, on many carnival games, betting for the dealer on a single hand is prohibited. You can give the dealer their tip when you leave the table or hand in a tip after a winning hand.

You can get around this in some cases by placing the bet offset for the dealer on top of your bet.

Should you hit a taxable jackpot, the chip is still considered yours, and the taxes will be taken out in your name, at which point you can just give the dealer their share.

This won’t always work, due to many of the bets on these games having a strict bet of just one dollar, or just five dollars. In most states, a payout becomes taxable at 300 to 1 AND $600 or more.

But this also varies from state to state and tribe to tribe so, as in craps, your best bet is to ask the dealer and they will walk you through the individual casino’s rules for tipping on these tables.

Do Casino Dealers Keep Their Tips?

Most US casino dealers initially earn between $4.35 to $9.00 per hour, and casinos expect the customers to make up the rest.

But in almost all casinos, dealers pool their tips. They don’t keep their own. There are many reasons, but the heart of it is to avoid the dealer feeling like they would be penalized financially for dealing difficult games, and make more when dealing very simple games. This wouldn’t be in the casino’s best interest.

Tipping Your Cocktail Servers

Casinos wouldn’t be half the fun without beverage servers.

Your hard-working server will bring you drinks, give you a smile and encouragement, and just generally make your gaming experience better.

One of the dirty little secrets of the casino business is that these hard-working folks are paid $2.15 an hour. Many can work years and not see their base pay go over $3.

In about half of USA casinos, drinks are free for those actively gaming, in the other half there will be some nominal charge.

Either way, you should tip a minimum $1 and preferably $2 for each drink, whether it’s alcoholic or not. And then feel free to go higher for great service and customer care.

I mean after all, you want these folks coming back by.

Tipping At The Cage

The cage is where you cash out your chips at the end of the evening. Throughout most casinos in the States, this will also be the players’ club area where you get your players’ club card.

90% or more of these casinos will have an offer for new players signing up, so make sure you swing by this area and get a players card and see what is offered if you don’t already have one.

They also help set up credit lines or can get you cash off your credit card.

Most transactions in this area won’t require a gratuity, but in some rare cases such as cashing out a big win, or a wire transfer, or something equally time consuming, perhaps a small tip should be considered.

Tipping Your Casino Host

Not all casino hosts can accept cash tips, and in some rare cases, even gifts are frowned on. But in most casinos, you can bring your host a small gift or cash tip, though it’s best to be discreet. Place it inside an envelope or card, or use a gift card if cash is not allowed.

While it is unlikely that a host will over-comp you just because of some small gratuity, showing them that you appreciate their time and attention is always a good idea.

The amount to tip a host will depend heavily on what they do for you. If they got you a room, that might be a $20 gift card, but if they flew you out, set you up for three nights of dinner reservations, and then found you tickets to see U2 at the Sphere, well, that’s a whole different level of tipping.

Tipping At Restaurants

When dining out either at the casino or nearby restaurants, tipping etiquette in America is 10-25% of the cost of the meal, including drinks.

Again, the majority of these folks aren’t making even minimum wage, but some tip adjusted version of it.

As in all these situations, customer service is everything.

Tipping Taxis And Such

If you need to take a taxi, especially in Las Vegas, look for a taxi stand.

It’s illegal for Vegas taxis to accept hailed fairs, so no flagging down one on your own on the Strip.

10% of the fare is a good baseline starting place. Uber or Lyft should be treated the same as taxi drivers.

Tipping Etiquette In America And The Rest Of The World

As you can see, tipping in American casinos can be a wallet draining exercise, and is quite a different experience than in most of the world.

Tipping in UK casinos was illegal until quite recently. And in most European casinos tipping is still quite rare, or at least discreet.

Even Macau doesn’t have a tipping culture, and many of the tips are appropriated by the managers.

Only in the Caribbean will you find an American model of low paid staff and an expectation of a gratuity-filled evening.

But remember the staff are working hard to make sure you have a memorable and fun-filled adventure so in most cases a couple bucks, a smile and a bit of understanding will go a long, long way.

Some are for playing from “the outside” but others were designed to cheat the players by giving the house complete control over who wins or loses.

But there was more to these devices than the ability to win every time.

Back To The Sting

Fans of George Roy Hill’s perfect con-artist movie The Sting will remember the scene where Robert Redford’s “Hooker,” who was flush with cash from a recent scam, bets it all on a spin of the roulette wheel.

After a large wager is approved and the ball released, the dealer reaches under the table to press a hidden button forcing the ball into a losing slot.

Hooker knew immediately he’d been had but had no recourse thanks to the “family” nature of that illegal gambling establishment.

I loved that scene as a kid and was fascinated to learn – later in life – that such “gaffed wheels” actually exist and were once used all over the world by all kinds of establishments from back-alley gaming rooms to large-scale casinos that needed a fallback option in case some whale took them to the cleaners.

A Different Kind Of Juice

Early versions of gaffed wheels benefited from “Drop In” style wheels that fit into a large hole cut into the table.

These allowed for a ring of electromagnets to be hidden inside the wheel (behind the ball track), which could influence a special ball containing a steel core.

Once the ball passed a number the house wanted to avoid, the magnets could be flashed on and off, stopping the ball in its tracks, forcing fall immediately into the rotor where it would be almost impossible for it to land in the number that just passed by.

These “juice tables” (where the ball was manipulated by “turning on the juice”) were so well built that players and dealers could spend years playing without ever suspecting there was a large electronic device hidden inside that could blow up someone’s pacemaker if they stood too close.

I had a friend who traded in both honest and gaffed collectable gambling devices.

About 20 years ago, he bought what he believed to be a completely legitimate wheel from a casino company but when he stripped the wheel for repair, noticed a “tell” inside the wooden interior.

Suspecting there might be more to this wheel than meets the eye, he had it completely deconstructed and discovered a ring of crusty, leaking batteries behind a continuous loop of coiled wires!

It had long since expired as a working device but was so well made, not even its most recent owner knew it had been a crooked wheel!

Dropping A Pin

Another variation that didn’t need batteries (or to be plugged into a wall socket) was the ingenious “kickoff wheel.”

This type of gaff was used in conjunction with a “dead ball” that bounced a lot less than ordinary roulette balls so would tend to drop straight into the nearest slot once it fell (or was pushed) out of the ball track.

The secret was a couple of invisible holes in the ball track, under the rim on the player’s side and impossible to see from that position.

When the wheel was “operated” a thin, stiff wire would push out of the hole to intercept the ball, sending it downward into the rotor.

As with the “juiced” wheel, this simply stopped the ball after a particular number had passed but gave the house an unbeatable advantage against the players.

Hiding The Switch

Unlike the dealer in The Sting, most staff were never required to activate these devices but simply played on the level until excused and replaced with a crooked dealer, or in some cases the mechanism could be activated by a manager or pit boss.

Early gaffed wheels had switches in the leg or far side of the table, but modern versions were activated by a remote-control garage door opener!

Operating these types of crooked tables took a little skill, not just in reaching the operating button or lever but in how and when to use that unbeatable advantage.

You can’t just beat every spin or the house would soon go broke; no one wants to play at the joint where nobody ever wins!

A gaffed table or wheel must be reserved for extreme situations where the house cannot afford to lose.

Sometimes all it takes is one bad spin to interrupt a player’s winning momentum and put them back on the right (losing) track and crooked dealers must learn to bide their time for the right series of bets by the target player to inflict maximum monetary and psychological damage.

That’s not to say every crooked gambling room operated that way.

A few needed to keep their gaffed tables well oiled because they used them so much, but in those cases, the clientele was either changing constantly or had no other place to exercise their gambling needs.

There’s an old joke about a gambler who is playing a bunch of notorious cheaters in the corner of a quiet saloon when a friend arrives and gestures for the gambler to join him at the bar.

The friend says to the gambler, “Don’t you know those guys are all cheaters? They’ll rob you blind!”

The gambler shrugs, swallows his whisky and says, “I know. But it’s the only game in town.” Then returns to the card table.

Do Modern Casinos Rig Roulette Wheels?

It’s very unusual to find a modern gambling establishment foolish enough to have a gaffed game on the premises.

Apart from being a 400-pound piece of evidence, it’s just not necessary when players keep coming and playing no matter how bad the odds are against them.

Unusual doesn’t mean impossible.

Some casinos have fallen victim to staff interfering with the ball track, changing materials in the wheel, or switching the ball for one that is easier to manipulate or predict.

Crooked maintenance staff have even been known to use pliers on older wheels to narrow the pocket on some numbers, or deepening or adjusting slots to make reds more likely than blacks.

A few years ago, I heard of an Asian casino that was caught dropping a wire frame into numbers on a wheel if those numbers were being over-bet or were popular with big money players.

You’d never think that a wire frame would be deceptive since it’s visible to the naked eye, even when placed in the slot.

When the wheel is spun, however, that wire frame is rendered completely invisible!

So, yes, gaffed wheels are extremely rare but like an ageing rock band, they’re always poised for a comeback.

? R. Paul Wilson On: How To Cheat At Roulette With Past Posting

We’re going to set the record straight once and for all by explaining the most commonly believed gambling myths – and why they’re not true.

MYTH 1: Casinos Pump Oxygen Into The Air

Some gamblers believe that casinos secretly add more oxygen to the AC on casino floors to make customers more energetic and therefore more likely to gamble, and some believe they even add pheromones.

This is false and there is a logical reason why.

Oxygen is not pumped into casinos since it would increase the flammability of the air and make it a fire risk. And no casino wants to burn itself to the ground. Think about it.

Oh, and it’s also illegal to tamper with air supplies in many countries. So if you’re playing in a legal, licensed casino, you should be good.

MYTH 2: Casino Games Are Rigged

Let’s make one thing absolutely clear: Casino games are not rigged.

Are casino games designed to give the house the edge? Of course, that’s how casinos make money.

But this edge plays out over a long period across thousands of players. It doesn’t mean you can’t win.

Many people accept that table games are fair, as they can see what the dealer is doing at all times.

But what about slots? How can you really know what’s going on inside a slot machine?

Every slot game uses a random number generator (RNG) to determine what symbols will land and guarantee random results. You have the same chance of hitting a payout on every spin.

Now you don’t just have to take our word on RNGs. You know when a legal casino describes itself as licensed and regulated? Part of that regulation involves third parties coming and testing the RNGs on slot games.

There is a pinch of salt in this myth, as games are built so the casino will win over time.

But games aren’t rigged, and you have as much a chance as anyone of walking away with a big win.

? No, Slot Machines Aren’t Rigged. A Casino Worker Explains Why

MYTH 3: Card Counting Is Illegal

There is nothing illegal about card counting, and you can’t be thrown in jail if you’re caught.

However, most casinos don’t want you to count cards because it reduces the house edge, so won’t take kindly to players doing it.

? How Casinos Catch Card Counters And Why You Should Avoid Trying It

The most likely punishment if you get caught is you’ll be asked to leave the casino. At worst, they may also notify other casinos about who you are.

You’re not suddenly going to find a court summons in your mailbox one day if you count cards.

This is a myth supported by casinos because it benefits them if you think there are severe repercussions for card counting.

MYTH 4: Gambling Isn’t Addictive

This one is crucial, as recognizing that gambling is addictive is a significant step towards preventing problem gambling.

You feel good when you hit a win while playing casino games because your brain releases chemicals like dopamine. The more you trigger this reaction, the more you need to activate that same feeling.

As gamblers chase down that buzz, they feel they need to risk and win more and more money, which can result in bad gambling habits.

There is no problem with enjoying gambling, but it’s essential to know when to stop.

Setting limits on how much to spend before you reach a casino, or enforcing time limits on how you play, can protect you from developing a problem.

? Top Tips For Responsible Gambling

MYTH 5: There Are Hot And Cold Slot Machines

The idea with this myth is that once a machine starts paying out, you’re more likely to hit wins frequently. This is known as a ‘hot’ slot.

Likewise, slots can go through long periods of not paying out, and they’re known as ‘cold’ slots.

Remember RNGs? Well, they put an end to this myth.

Every spin is equal, and you have just as high as chance of a win on one spin as on another.

Sometimes, slot machines will provide several payouts in quick succession. Other times, slots will go on for long periods without paying out.

It’s 100% random – don’t believe anyone who tells you otherwise.

? Top 10 Biggest Slot Machine Wins Of All Time

MYTH 6: You’re Due A Win If You Haven’t Had One In A While

Many gamblers believe that if you stick with the same game, eventually, you’ll get a big payout because you’ll be “due” a win.

This is sometimes called the Gambler’s Fallacy.

For example, if a roulette wheel hasn’t hit any wins on the previous 10 spins, a player might believe that on its 11^th spin that a win will occur because it’s time.  

However, this is a myth because each spin should be considered independent – its previous results have zero impact on the future.

Or if a slot has just paid out a big jackpot, players might avoid that machine as they believe it won’t pay out again soon – when really it could pay out an hour later!

It’s important to remember that past events do not have any impact on the present or future.

MYTH 7: Dealers Adjust Games If You’re Winning Too Much

Some gamblers have a lot of suspicions in casinos, and one of the most popular is that dealers will adjust games if you are winning too much.

Again, remember that casino games are designed to give the house the edge.

Dealers don’t need to rig games because they know that eventually the casino will make a profit across all players.

In addition, land-based casinos are regulated by independent bodies which are looking to protect player safety. Along with testing the RNGs of slot machines, regulators will also review the processes that dealers use.

If you don’t want to trust casino regulators, think about it another way.

It would probably cost the casinos far too much money to have to train dealers to rig games without people noticing. It takes years to perfect sleight of hand or other moves.

This training would cost the casino a lot more than just letting the occasional player hit big wins. And if no one ever won big at the casino, they’d soon get a reputation and be out of business.

MYTH 8: Casino Games Are Pure Luck

This myth is kind of true.

There are some games that are based on luck, like slots or roulette, however, there are a number of casino games that require skill and strategy to win, like poker or blackjack.

To use an example we’ve already talked about, if you know how to card count, you’ve theoretically got a better chance of winning in blackjack than someone who doesn’t.

Of course, luck still plays a huge part in the game, but there are ways you can give yourself marginal edges.

MYTH 9: You’re More Likely To Win Slots In A Busy Casino

Many gamblers believe if you visit a busier casino, you’re more likely to win when playing slot machines because more money is being pumped into them.

This is categorically untrue, as the winnings spins on slots are determined by RNGs.

No matter if you’re the only one on the casino floor or you’re struggling to find an available slot machine, the chances of winning are the same.

However, there are benefits to playing in busy casinos, especially if you’re a fan of progressive jackpot games.

Progressive jackpots increase as more players stake on that game. If there are more players in a casino, that prize total will rise faster, so you can hit a bigger jackpot if you land the right spin.

Likewise, land-based casinos often run tournaments on slots for players to enjoy. Busier casinos will have larger prize pools for these competitions. 

MYTH 10: Online Casinos Don’t Pay Out

Many people believe that online casinos are scam sites that won’t pay out. If a casino is licensed and regulated, then you will get your winnings (providing you follow the wagering requirements).

One of the reasons that the myth that online casinos don’t pay out is so popular is that many players claim welcome bonuses without understanding what they are.

However, these promotions have terms and conditions to prevent bonus abuse, like wagering requirements, which tell you how many times you need to use your bonuses before withdrawing.

You won’t be able to cash out if you make a transaction request without completing your wagering requirements. Many players don’t understand this and see it as the casino site scamming them.

So let’s make it as simple as possible. If you are using an online casino licensed by a respected regulatory body, accepting players from where you are, you will receive your payouts.

Sure, there are scam online casinos out there, but if you use a regulated platform, your payouts should be safe.

Knowing just a single card can provide an unbeatable advantage; there are dozens of methods to get a glimpse of a card and in the hands of expert players, a simple peek can reap enormous rewards.

Secret Knowledge

I’m always suspicious when casinos use technology to know the order of a deck they’re about to deal and past systems that used cameras and computers in conjunction with automatic shufflers were subject to all kinds of shenanigans if the casino or developers were so inclined to make adjustments to how those machines worked.

I’ll get into the problems and possibilities of this kind of scenario another time but just having information that could lead to an unfair advantage is dangerous if it can inform or change game procedure.

The way I like to put it to my friends on the other side of table is: If players are not permitted to know what cards are about to be dealt, why should the house have that information?

Knowing what card is about to be dealt could make an enormous difference to a player sitting at first base on a blackjack table who knows for certain that the first card out of the shoe will be an ace.

Equally, if a machine were to change its procedure according to the order of the deck, this could give the house an unfair advantage against the players.

Shuffling and dealing procedures are so important to protect everybody from everybody else and one of the key considerations when shuffling or dealing cards in a gambling situation is to ensure none of cards are accidentally or deliberately revealed.

Imagine sitting at a table while a dealer shuffles eight decks by hand, then knowing exactly what the first 10 or 12 cards are going to be. Or playing Texas Hold ‘Em and knowing whether or not you’re about to hit the flop.

How big an advantage would you have if you could deal a good card to yourself and a bad card to your opponent?

All of this without the aid of a marked deck.

The following examples presume a crooked dealer (a mechanic) working with one or more players against the balance of the table but these same moves can be used in many situations including when a cheater is working “single-o”.

From Bubbles To Greeks

The following dealer peeks are used to either gain information that could be used against other players or in conjunction with a second deal to manipulate cards into the perfect position; here we’ll look at some of the most common (and most effective) methods to get that glimpse.

The heel or “Greek Peek” is used as the dealer gestures with the left hand, which is holding the deck.

The top card is lifted at the inner left side by pressure exerted from the base of the left thumb.

There is a distinct knack to this that takes a while to accomplish but once the muscle is trained and the action reduced to a minimum, it’s possible to make multiple peeks as cards are dealt from the top of the deck.

Continuous glimpses while dealing is truly limited to a handful of experts who both know the secret and have dedicated hundreds of hours to perfecting it.

Yet the easier, single peek has proven more dangerous to players and casinos, whether used by crooked dealers to avoid busting a partner’s hand or by bust-out dealers (in the bad old days) to make sure they killed a player’s hand!

The “Bubble Peek” is more appropriate for games where the dealer is required to necktie or guard their hand when not dealing, which both protects cards from some moves but makes them more vulnerable to others.

The Bubble is so called because the left thumb pushes the top card to the right against the tips of the left finger, which prevents the card from moving and forcing the card to buckle at the outer right corner, exposing the card’s index if the deck is held at the right angle (perfectly aided by many casinos’ dealing procedure).

This is an excellent way to peek a card, but care must be taken not to leave a distinct bend in the card and the peek happens in an instant, the “Bubble” popping up and down in just a fraction of a second.

Variations on the Bubble Peek bend the cards in different directions depending on game procedure and a particularly subtle version only bends the back of the card just enough to see if the dealer has a “paint” on top (a court card), which can be more than enough information.

Left-handed dealers have their own methods for these peeks since they tend to deal from the right hand and the techniques just described would only reveal a blank corner!

Down Into The Deck

Similar moves exist to peek the bottom of the deck with the cards being slightly buckled as they’re picked up, allowing a glimpse of the bottom inside index.

Another glimpse requires the bottom card to be squeezed backwards, buckling it until the dealer can see the index; this may seem crude but performed correctly it is completely invisible to everyone but the crooked dealer.

More advanced sleights allow the dealer to catch a glimpse of any card near the top or even a card in the middle.

Players can also glimpse cards during common table procedures with a particularly devious glimpse happening under cover of a cut.

In a loose game (in terms of procedure), when the dealer passes the deck, the cheating player cuts with two hands, estimating enough cards from the bottom for all the players plus one or two more.

If the bottom card is glimpsed before the cut, the player now knows a card that’s sure to hit the flop!

The danger with such a move is the bottom glimpse (which is hard to take when other players may be watching the cut), but there’s a little-known secret called the “Shutter Peek” where the top card is lifted at the inner end as the bottom half of the deck is being slapped on top of it.

Performed correctly, the previous top card is lifted at the very instant it becomes buried under the bottom half and is only exposed for a fraction of a second.

So long as the number of cards placed on top allow for all the players plus a burn card, the glimpsed card is sure to reappear with the community cards.

The “shutter” is a fantastic move and knowing one card that’s coming in the flop is a powerful advantage but games that allow players to cut – especially with two hands – are much rarer these days.

Deeper Deceptions

These are just a handful of the most powerful and common ways to peek cards before they are dealt but when a crooked dealer is working in cahoots with players there are many more sophisticated strategies that can beat almost any game.

These methods have stolen millions from casino table games and even more from players in private games.

In my next article, “How Dealers And Players Can Work Together To Steal From The House” I’ll discuss how these simple peeks evolved to create an unbeatable advantage.

Lead image: Shutterstock

This age-old practice involves keeping a mental tally of the cards dealt, so you know information about the cards that haven’t been dealt.

Many people believe that card counting is illegal, but that’s not actually the case.

It’s certainly frowned upon by casinos, however, who will quickly remove any player they think is dabbling in this practice.

Card counting is seen by many players as a great way to get one over on the house, but we’ve decided to present a different viewpoint here.

Instead of talking about why card counting is great, we’re going to be looking at the reasons why you shouldn’t bother counting cards when you’re next at the blackjack table.

1. Profit Margins Are Actually Pretty Thin

If you’ve been inspired by the MIT blackjack card counting team, who managed to scoop millions at the tables, then prepare to be disappointed.

While it’s true that they managed to win a huge amount of cash, this isn’t the case for most players.

Card counting only gives you a small advantage over the casino, so you’ll find that most players win money very slowly.

You might get lucky and win a couple of thousand one night, but there’s every chance you’ll hit the tables the next evening and walk away with a loss.

That’s the nature of advantage gambling.

2. It’s Not Much Fun

For most people, the main reason to visit a casino is to have some fun.

When it comes to card counting, you’ll find that it’s not particularly exciting.

It requires you to spend hours at a time sitting at the table, trying to subtly work out how advantageous the deck is to you.

You’ll be thinking so much about counting cards that you won’t be able to chat to others or enjoy the cold beer sitting next to you.

3. It’s Hard To Master

You can’t just jump in and start card counting as there is quite a bit you need to learn first.

You’ll need to know basic blackjack strategy, which isn’t actually very basic, and then you’ll need to perfect one of the many different card counting systems.

Once you’ve learned how to count cards, the work isn’t over.

You then need to work hard on your demeanor at the table, as you mustn’t give even the slightest hint that you’re counting cards.

Casinos have multiple ways to catch card counters, so if you start playing for real money without preparing yourself properly, you’ll probably find yourself rumbled in the first few minutes, leading to you being unceremoniously bounced from the venue.

4. You Need A Lot Of Cash To Start With

Many people think that counting cards will guarantee profits, however this is only partly true.

You’ll only be tilting the house edge in your favor by a couple of percent when counting cards, so there’s no guarantee you’ll start winning straightaway.

Instead, you might have to wait weeks, months or even years to turn a profit.

It’s vital to know that counting cards is a long-term game and if you don’t plan for this, you could find yourself running out of money before the goal is achieved.

This means you need to start with a hefty bankroll – the MIT team started with $89,000.

The chances are your modest $200 bankroll really won’t be enough to beat the system, even at the lowest stakes tables.

5. You Will Get Caught

Card counting is not illegal. This means that many nonchalantly try it, thinking the worst that will happen is a telling off. This is not the case.

If you’re caught card counting at a casino, you’ll be ejected from the premises immediately.

You also won’t be able to redeem your chips with a cashier, meaning that you’ll be embarrassed and broke.

What’s more, you might really like the casino you’re ejected from. The security staff won’t care though, as you’ll be banned, never able to return.

You’ll then need to find another place to play, which could be tough, as you’ll see next…

6. Then You’ll Get Banned All Over Town

When you get caught card counting – which you will almost certainly be at some point – you won’t just be banned from one casino.

Instead, you’ll find your picture circulated throughout the local area, meaning that you won’t be able to get into any other casinos either.

When this happens, you’ll not be allowed to enter a casino for any reason.

Invited for a work party? You’ll be parting outside, solo. Want to play slot slots? You still won’t be allowed in.

Quite simply, you’ll have to accept that it will probably be many years before you step into a local casino again.

Hopefully you enjoy playing at online casinos, as they’ll be the only option open to you.

The Lesson? Leave Card Counting To The Movie Industry

Card counting is a hard skill to master so you’ll need to put in a lot of work before you’re ready to head to a casino.

And when you do, even if you can count cards better than the MIT team, you’re going to get caught out eventually.

It’s unlikely you’ll ever make loads of money through card counting, so is it really worth the risk of getting kicked out and banned from casinos?

It’s up to you to weigh up the pros and cons…

And as we all know from the infamous Phil Ivey case, casinos don’t take kindly to players using the technique.

But what is it and how does it work?

Keep reading to understand more about edge sorting and what went down with Phil Ivey.

What Is Edge Sorting?

Edge sorting is an advantage play technique used mostly in baccarat, where players make use of imperfections on the backs of cards to help identify specific ones, giving them an edge over the casino.

Edge sorting requires a defective decks of cards – cards with slightly different patterns or cuts – and some seriously impressive vision.

The playing cards seem perfectly normal at first glance, but the patterns on their backs aren’t symmetrical.

While many decks have a standard image and border on the back, many use a series of circles or diamonds instead.

When the cards are cut, they aren’t 100% symmetrical, with one side of the card showing the full circle or diamond, while the other shows half of the shape.

Just seeing this difference in pattern doesn’t do anything, though, so you need to do the ‘sorting’ part.

When one card is rotated 180 degrees, two cards can be distinguished from one another.

As you can’t be sorting through cards in the casino, this needs to be done with a keen eye or by making use of clever requests and techniques to make it happen.

How Edge Sorting Works

Someone looking to take advantage of this defect firstly needs to find a casino where defective cards are being used.

While most manufacturers try their best to avoid such mistakes, it does happen.

So, once the player knows about the typical make of card decks with this defect and they find a casino using them (or convince the casino to use these decks), they can set their plan in motion.

This technique works very well for punto banco (variation of baccarat), the game where you gain a big advantage if you can identify big (face) cards from regular ones.

During the course of the game, the player will ask the dealer to rotate face cards.

They can do this under a guise of superstition, and if the dealer is unaware of what’s going on, they’ll usually indulge the player, especially if the request comes from a high roller.

Once the shoe is out, all cards will be positioned just right. High cards will be rotated one way, and low cards will be rotated the other way.

So, when the deal begins again, the player will be able to distinguish between low (especially 6s through 9s) and high cards and place their bets on the more favorable side.

For this strategy to work, it’s also essential that the casino uses an automatic card shuffler as the machine will not rotate cards during the shuffle.

If this process were done manually by the dealer, the entire setup would be spoiled, and the player would get no advantage.

Is Edge Sorting Illegal?

Although the lines are blurred around whether it’s a form of cheating, edge sorting isn’t illegal.

Most laws stipulate that cheating has to involve some sort of interference with the game.

With edge sorting, players aren’t using any special tools or even physically touching the cards, so there are no elements of cheating as such.

However, while it’s very unlikely for someone to be prosecuted for doing this, they are equally unlikely to get their money if the casino catches on to them – and it seems that most courts side with the casinos on that particular matter.

How Phil Ivey Used Edge Sorting

Edge sorting became well known back in 2012 when Phil Ivey was accused of using it during high stakes baccarat sessions in Atlantic City and London.

During four visits to the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in New Jersey he pulled in about $9.6 million, and followed that with a four-day baccarat binge at Crockfords in London where he made nearly $10 million.

When the casinos investigated these huge wins, they claimed he cheated. Ivey admitted to using edge sorting but claimed it was legitimate.

So how did he do it?

Namely, in 2012, Ivey took Crockfords for ￡7.7 million ($9.6 million) playing high stakes baccarat.

The casino was suspicious and refused to pay out, giving Ivey only his ￡1 million deposit back.

It later came to light that the high roller and his accomplice, Cheung Yin Sun, used edge sorting during their sessions.

They’d asked for a specific brand of playing cards with a distinct white-circle pattern on the back.

They asked to use a shuffling machine and, once completing the shoe, they asked to keep using the same decks.

Their strangest request?

In the first round of games, they had the dealer rotate all the 7s through 9s, the most valuable cards in baccarat, as they first came out of the shoe.

As mentioned already, casinos often indulge the superstitions and good-luck rituals gamblers request.

Considering how much Ivey was wagering per hand, of course they wanted to keep him at the table and didn’t mind abiding by his strange quirks.

Ivey decided to take them to court asking for his winnings to be paid in full.

He never once tried to deny they were using edge sorting – he simply saw nothing wrong with it as it wasn’t cheating.

UK courts didn’t see it that way, though.

Although they didn’t say Ivey was cheating, they all agreed that he had no proper claim to the money.

They concluded he was purposefully dishonest, asking the dealer to rotate cards under false pretenses (claiming he was superstitious), which interfered with the regular flow of the game.

Ivey not getting paid his winnings sucked for the high roller, but it wasn’t as bad as the suit from Borgata Casino that emerged soon after the edge sorting story hit the headlines.

After getting wind of what happened in the UK, the Atlantic City Casino filed suit against Ivey, asking for $9.6 million back – the amount Ivey won playing punto banco at Borgata between April and October 2012.

The ball was on the other side of the court in this case as Ivey had already been paid his money and Borgata was trying to get it back.

Of course, Ivey wasn’t going to go down without a fight, and a long legal battle ensued.

In 2018, the battle came to an official end, as the court decided Borgata was in the right and gave the casino the green light to go after Ivey’s assets.

This wasn’t something that came as a huge surprise and Ivey was clearly ready for it, as Borgata found the zero balance in his New Jersey account after the court ruling allowed them to go after his money.

However, they did manage to get some of it back thanks to his performance at the 2019 World Series of Poker, where Ivey had his $124,410 in winnings seized by the Borgata Casino.

He’s one of the richest poker players in the world, although it’s presumed his cash is not located in US banks.

??Find out why Casino.org’s scams and cheating expert, R.Paul Wilson, doesn’t believe Ivey should have been punished for cheating.

Remember: The House Always Wins

While different variations of edge sorting may have been around for a while, it wasn’t until relatively recently that the technique became known to the general public, primarily because of Ivey’s high profile case.

This will probably force card manufacturers to pay much more attention to their production process and avoid these types of errors in the future.

The public opinion remains somewhat divided on the topic.

While some believe there is nothing wrong with edge sorting and is the casino’s fault, others think that cheating is cheating, no matter how you try to wrap it.

At the end of the day, it turns out that you really can’t beat the casino in their own game.

Even if you find an edge, they’ll likely find a way to get their money back one way or another.

Of course, this has never stopped people from trying, and they’ll continue to try in the future, no matter how unfavorable the odds may seem.

Here we’ll look at chaos theory at its most basic level and whether you can you use it to gain an advantage in blackjack and roulette.

What Is Chaos Theory?

Chaos theory is a complicated mathematical theory that studies the unpredictable and random nature of complex systems.

A complex system could be something like the weather, or the behavior of water boiling on a stove.

It theorizes that a tiny difference in starting conditions will result in a completely different outcome, which is what makes the systems so complex to study.

You might be more familiar with the butterfly effect.

The term was coined by MIT meteorologist and one of the pioneers of chaos theory, Edward Lorenz, when he was developing a weather-prediction model in the 1960s.

He theorized that something as small as a buttery flapping its wings in Asia could be capable of eventually causing a hurricane in the Atlantic.

As is often the case in such discussions of scientific discovery, many nuances were lost in its simplification for widespread audiences.

And is also the case in many scientific discoveries, there were punters hoping to cash in.

Edward Lorenz’s nuanced take on the predictability of weather quickly began discussions on whether roulette spins could be foretold, or whether blackjack shoes were ‘complex systems.’

And wherever there are gamblers looking to cash in, there is always someone selling a how-to guide that will make it quick and easy.

And in all fairness, both blackjack and roulette outcomes certainly do have a sensitive dependence to initial conditions.

So, let’s take a look to see if you can use chaos theory next time you’re at the casino.

Can You Use Chaos Theory To Beat Blackjack?

The beauty of blackjack has always been that it’s not a random game.

The probability of the next card is determined by the cards that have been dealt preceding it.

And due to the rules of the game, a large number of high-value cards left to be dealt changes the odds, sometimes to the point where you have the advantage.

Chaos theory is used to find order in seemingly random data, so there is some sense that maybe it could be applied in some way here.

But that is just smoke and mirrors.

We know the difference that each card’s removal from the game will make, there is no large change from the subtraction of one Ace from a 6-deck shoe.

Six decks of randomly shuffled cards present many opportunities for those that watch what cards have been played and know the value of cards left to be played.

But it does not rise to the level of a complex system. No small change to our starting conditions can lead to big changes by the end of the shoe.

Modeling of millions of shoes of blackjack does not reveal any tipping point where things change suddenly and dramatically.

Rather it shows a simple mathematical progression of highs and lows. Almost like a song if you will.

Can You Use Chaos Theory To Beat Roulette?

The purpose of a roulette wheel from the house side of things is to put together an instrument that creates an independent trial.

One that randomly selects one of 38 different numbers from double zero to 36.

But of course, an ivory ball, a wooden wheel, and a moving metal wheel head are perhaps not the best practical choices for such a task.

Trust an engineer to quickly figure out a system’s flaws. That’s exactly what Joseph Jagger did way back in 1880 when he famously broke the bank in Monte Carlo.

Spotting just one wheel out of dozens that seemed to have flaws, he won about $7 million in today’s money in an up-and-down week that saw the casino realize the problem and attempt a bait and switch with a different wheel head.

I personally saw a rather eccentric Englishman, who went by the pseudonym “Harry Gatto,” beat two separate wheel heads for more than $300K back in the early 90s after tracking them for months.

There is little doubt that roulette wheels have been susceptible to attack in the past due to poor maintenance and flawed design.

The question is whether they still are, and whether chaos theory can help in that pursuit.

Here again, on the surface, it appears that small deviations in starting conditions can cause large changes in results.

A slightly bent fret on a wheel head, a worn ball, a groove in the ball track, a slight tilt to the spindle – any of these can cause a number or segment of numbers to hit more often than they should.

But most of these issues are best described by everyday physics, and while the turn of the roulette wheel and the subsequent landing of the ball is affected by many more things than you might at first think, it’s simply untrue that small differences in things as obscure as humidity or the temperature make a large difference in the speed or, more importantly, the number the ball ultimately lands in.

Casinos Make It Hard To Cheat

As far back as the late 70s physics students from UCSC were tackling roulette with computers.

It turns out that by accounting for the speed of the ball and the speed of the wheel, and then using other calculations for the scatter of the ball once it descends onto the wheel head, that they could bet sections of the wheel that would net them north of a 40% advantage.

The issue here, much as counting cards, is that it is almost instantly observable by a trained professional.

You must first get the info on where the ball is, where the wheel head is, and the speed of both, and then still have time to get your bets down where a hidden computer tells you to.

While it can now be accomplished by apps on your phone, you can imagine the frantic betting back in the 80s.

But again, the late betting of coinciding numbers on the wheel head is a dead giveaway. And this is one of many reasons why phones are almost never allowed to be out anywhere near a roulette game.

In rare cases, casinos may wave off new bets after just one or two revolutions of the ball to prevent this type of advantage play.

Other approaches from the late 80s and 90s that looked for tilted wheel heads or other physical issues with the wheels have also largely been fixed.

It’s not uncommon for a larger casino in the states to do wheel maintenance once a week, or even more.

This will include looking for any issues with frets and canoes or ensuring that nothing sticky has gotten on a number to prevent the ball from bouncing out easily.

It will also employ a level to make sure the wheel isn’t tilted in some way, which may have been how my Mr. Gatto managed to beat those roulette games.

And while collecting reams of data on roulette wheel decisions is what is generally prescribed for locating a beatable game, please note that most casinos already pull that data directly from their electronic roulette scoreboards where it can then be analyzed by powerful software looking for anomalies.

My advice on anyone wanting to sell you a chaos theory-derived roulette system is, as always, “Run, don’t walk.” 

While roulette remains susceptible to several different advantage plays, most of these are easily defeated by properly trained staff and have nothing to do with chaos theory.

And perhaps the best protection of all is simply keeping two balls on the table of differing weights and sizes.

Even the best physics models or an absolutely stunning supercomputer using some version of chaos modeling won’t get far if they are unsure of the starting conditions that they need to make an accurate prediction.

For something similar, check out:
Can Quantum Entanglement Really Help You Win At Blackjack?

These are all questions we ask ourselves when fantasizing about winning the lottery.

After all, the massive prizes on offer, and the long delay between buying tickets and the actual draw, makes it almost impossible not to dream about how you would spend your cash. 

But the chances of winning the lottery are absurdly small. In fact, so tiny are the odds that many believe entering the lottery is pointless.

To put it into perspective, you have a greater chance of getting hit by lightning than winning the lottery. 

So, is buying another ticket like standing on a golf course during a thunderstorm? Will you boost your odds by buying more tickets, or are there better ways to improve your odds?

The Math Behind Buying Multiple Lotto Tickets

In theory, buying more tickets will give you more chances to win.

In smaller lottery setups, for example, a random ticket drawing at your local school or community center, there is a set number of tickets available and buying more of them boosts your chances.

So, if there are 100 raffle tickets and you buy five of them, you have a 5% chance of winning compared to a 1% chance of winning with a single ticket.

However, when it comes to lotteries, the math gets a bit more complicated. That’s because there aren’t set tickets sold, but rather a series of numbers that are drawn. 

Any number of people could pick the same series of numbers that you have. And, if those numbers come in, you will all have to split the prize.

What’s more, the odds of actually winning the jackpot are miniscule. 

For example, if you’re playing the Powerball lottery, you need to match five numbers, plus the Powerball to win the grand prize. Those are odds of 1 in 292,201,338.

Buying two tickets gives you odds of 2 in 292,201,338

Statisticians say that these odds are so tiny that it is hard for most people to truly understand them. 

One Quora user explained an interesting way of visualizing the odds:

If you knew a dog was only going to bark once in the next nine years, you would have a better chance of guessing the exact date and time of that bark, to the second (e.g. the 12th second of 4:07am on July 15, 2028), than winning the Powerball. 

Seems unlikely, doesn’t it?

In an effort to double their odds, many lottery players buy two lottery tickets. 

Of course, improving your odds doesn’t hurt, but it’s also not going to make much of a difference either. 

Would you really feel confident guessing when that dog would bark, if you could pick two seconds out of the next nine years instead of one?

To put it simpler, even if you bought 20,000 tickets, you would still be more likely to win an Oscar than win the Powerball jackpot. 

What About Lottery Pools?

So, if buying more tickets is a waste of time, effort and money, how can you improve your chances of winning the lottery?

Well, one of the best ways is to join a lottery pool. This is a group of people who put their money together every week and buy a bunch of lottery tickets.

This means you can increase your chances of winning the lottery, without committing money to buying up loads of tickets every week.

There is, however, a catch. If by some miracle, your lottery pool does win, you will then have to split the prize between the entire pool. 

For example, if your lottery pool has 200 people in it, and one of your tickets wins $10 million, you will each only walk away with $50,000. And that’s before tax. 

What’s more, winning when part of a lottery pool can create a lot of problems, with arguments breaking out and many people not coping with the sudden money and fame. 

Because of this, lottery pools have been the cause of some sensational fallouts over the years. Work colleagues, lifelong friends and even families have been torn apart by arguments over who should get what.

Unfortunately, many of these disagreements ultimately end up in court. 

Play The Lottery Just For Fun

There’s no two ways about it, your chances of winning the lottery are miniscule, and they will stay that way no matter how you decide to enter. 

But, if you are going to keep trying, it might be worth joining a lottery pool.

At the very least, you will have other people to fantasize over your potential winnings with.

And hey, should you beat the odds, check out our guide on what to do when you win the lottery.

One story that I would love to tell has been filmed before but in my opinion remains an untapped source for a brilliantly funny, suspenseful adventure featuring a gang of English middle-class misfits breaking the bank of an iconic European casino.

This is what they did, how they did it, and why it hasn’t happened since.

Meet Norman Leigh – The Mastermind

In my version of this story, Norman Leigh would be straight out of an Ealing comedy casting book – a mixture of Alistair Sims, Sir John Mills and Bill Nighy.

An English gentleman with a plan to beat casinos on the continent with a seemingly ingenious twist on an old betting strategy.

To realize this plan, Norman placed an ad in the newspaper that attracted the interest of a dozen characters who could each be found in a usual suspects line-up of 1960s English society.

This included an undercover policeman who believed the scheme might be some kind of con or a fraud against the gambling establishment but soon discovered that Norman’s idea was perfectly legal and seemingly, a sure-fire way to beat the casinos at their own game.

He was so convinced that he took a leave of absence and joined Norman’s team!

The game was roulette, and the system was the “Reverse Labouchere.”

It’s Pronounced “La-Boo-Share”

First, let’s start with the Labouchere system that is relatively simple to understand but do bear with me as it can seem more complicated than it actually is.

This type of system is designed for (almost) 50/50 type bets like red/black on the roulette table.

The player starts with a series of numbers which can be as short as three digits, but longer strings can be used with some gamblers insisting certain combinations offer better odds (I would advise you to ignore this because – ultimately – the flaws in such systems remain the same).

So let’s say you write down a string of digits as follows: 1-2-3.

The sum of these digits is 6, and that’s the amount you should expect to win if this plays out in your favor.

To play, you must always bet the sum of the first and last digits in your string.

In this case it is 1 + 3, which means the first bet is $4.

The rules are that if you LOSE that bet you add the amount of the bet to the end of your string of digits, which would become 1-2-3-4.

This would continue for each loss, the next bet being $5 (1 + 4 – the sum of first and last digit) adding the number 5 to the end of your string should you lose.

But what if you win?

When you win, you delete the first and last numbers and then add the first and last remaining numbers of your string of digits.

Let’s say you win the third bet, which was a $6 bet since 1 and 5 were the first and last digits after losing the second bet.

You now delete the first and last digits (the 1 and the 5) leaving you with 2-3-4 as your remaining string.

And so it continues until your string of numbers is erased by enough wins (if you get down to just one digit remaining of your string – that’s the amount you bet).

In the end, if you erase all your digits, your profit will equal the sum of the digits in your initial string.

I told you it would seem complicated but play with this for a few imaginary bets (maybe toss a coin and bet heads and tails with this system) and you’ll see that it’s really quite simple.

So long as you don’t hit a long series of losses, you can absolutely make your target amount (the sum of your initial string of numbers) providing you have deep enough pockets to increase your bets whenever you lose.

In this sense, it’s really just a version of the Martingale and can be both fun to play and deceptively effective over time.

But, just like the Martingale, it’s primarily a betting strategy; not a playing system that offers any kind of advantage against the house.

Playing The Reverse

Norman Leigh’s preferred version was called the ‘Reverse Labouchere’ because it increased bets when the player won and decreased bets when they lost.

As with the Labouchere, the Reverse requires players to write down or mentally track a string of numbers.

Like the Labouchere, bets are decided by adding the first and last digits of the string but here you will add your winning bets to the end and delete the first and last digits when you lose – the exact opposite of the method dictated by the Labouchere.

So if you lose the first two bets, the string is deleted and you either begin again with a fresh string (in our example, 1-2-3) or leave the table.

If you win, however, you add the winning bet to the end (1-2-3-4) and then bet again by adding the first and last digits ($5).

Continue until you reach a pre-determined profit, at which point you either retire from the table or start a fresh string (1-2-3) and pocket your winnings from that round of play.

In effect, it is a money management system similar to that of gambling legend Nick The Greek whose book “Gambling Secrets of Nick The Greek” amounted to “bet more when you’re winning and less when you’re losing”!

The 13 players who descended upon Nice, France, and Monte Carlo, Monaco, were also able to increase the amount being risked, since Norman’s bankroll was distributed between the players who were essentially hiding in plain sight.

And did it work?

Did Norman and his 12 cohorts defeat the casinos?

You bet they did!

Norman and his dapper dozen broke the bank at Monte Carlo and Norman was quickly blacklisted, despite the casino having no idea what he was doing to beat their games.

If they had known – and had they been smart – they should have given Norman and his crew free rooms for a fortnight and watched them blow back every penny that they’d previously won thanks to pure luck.

Here’s the rub:

The Reverse Labouchere doesn’t change the odds, it only limits your losses.

But if you keep playing, those losses will add up and while the same system increases returns during a winning streak the only way to benefit from that is to stop playing, which they did – only thanks to the casinos shutting them all down!

What About That Movie?

Other than a dry TV Mini-series, the adventures of Norman Leigh are best presented in his book “Thirteen Against The Bank” and I’d rather you read that than spoil all the details for you here.

It would make a fantastic comedy adventure for anyone who owns the rights and can raise the budget; there’s a fantastic story to be told but there’s one factor many neglect to mention in the telling: That it’s never been repeated.

Martingale-type systems chase ever-increasing losses until stopped by the table limit or a player’s limited bankroll.

Such losses can be a lot more than players might imagine thanks to the nature of random outcomes and the fact that gambling devices have no memory, so it is entirely possible for a 50/50 outcome not to occur after dozens of fair rolls, spins or turns.

The same can be true for a series of wins and in the case of Norman Leigh and his assault on Monte Carlo, he was simply the benefactor of a terrific run of luck that was halted before the tide could turn the other way as it always, always does.

That being said, in my movie, the ending would be better…

A common tactic used by all scammers is to blend into their surroundings and bide their time until an opportunity presents itself to move in for the kill.

In this article I’m going to illustrate how a super-simple swindle can be adapted to any game but also show how the game itself can be adapted to make new scams possible.

A Cheating Lesson

At the card table, cheaters learn to follow accepted procedures and to emulate common physical actions while practicing to subvert these elements through sleight of hand, gaffed cards, loaded dice, crooked chips or electronic devices that might offer an unbeatable edge over time or steal every chip at the table in a single round of play.

Typically, in any game where strange hand motions or a break in expected procedure would be noticed, the goal is to find a weakness in the established order of play that can be used to create an unfair advantage for the cheater.

For example, most private games share the deal, passing the deck from one player to the next who also collects the cards from the previous round of play.

This gives a mechanic (an expert in crooked sleight of hand) plenty of opportunity to set a hand, load the flop or just know what he’s about to deal and to whom.

There are plenty of sleights to facilitate this kind of unfair advantage while completely complying with the agreed order of play.

Cutting the cards is designed to beat this type of cheater since any stacked cards might be relocated to a random part of the deck but cheaters have known how to beat the cut for centuries with methods that range from staggeringly difficult sleight of hand to more risky techniques that force other players to cut exactly where the cheater wants them to!

The simplest solution is also the safest the most effective; to have a partner sit to the mechanic’s right and make the cut exactly where the dealer tells him to – usually thanks to a tiny brief when the cards are passed.

Attempts to beat this method vary in effectiveness and my favorite (failed) procedure was to have the person to the dealer’s left shuffle the deck and the person to the dealer’s right cut the deck so the dealer would deal cards he neither shuffled nor cut and in the passing of the deck (so the theory goes) it would be impossible to cheat.

Of course, this presented no problem for pairs of cheating partners who simply straddled an honest player at the table sitting either side of a sucker who would be forced (thanks to this procedure) to deal the cards the cheaters had already stacked and cut into play.

An Aside

Incidentally, when I played poker regularly around the UK, many casinos offered the cards to be cut and if I was in the right position to do so, I would make a complete false cut where the top half is snapped forward as if came from the bottom, then slapped back on top.

This sleight is difficult to master but the illusion it creates is perfect and had the cards been stacked in advance, my cut would have kept the pre-ordered cards in play making this a powerful move in concert with a crooked dealer.

The purpose of this false cut was nothing more than practice since the house dealer was never cheating (as far as I could tell) and I was just rehearsing a move to see if anyone noticed, which they never did.

During this time, I also noticed a potential opportunity thanks to the way the cards were passed across the table to be cut.

Since I always cut with two hands, I realized the back of the deck could only be seen by me and that I could use this now-familiar action to spot the top card of the lower half as a legitimate (actual) cut was completed.

This might not seem like much of an advantage until I trained myself to always cut a certain amount, ensuring the card I spotted would hit the flop!

I practiced this technique for years and while knowing one card that will hit the flop every nine or 10 hands might offer some sort of advantage to an expert player, it was really no more than an interesting move that would be better used by a crooked dealer with a confederate on first base to see the exposed card during every shuffle.

Faking The Familiar

Adapting to legitimate procedures isn’t always the most profitable strategy and when cheaters spot the potential for a more effective method that requires a change in those procedures, they corrupt the order of play slowly until the suckers become comfortable with anything new.

It works like this:

Let’s say I want to steal chips from the pot, and I happen to have access to a good bottle of “check cop” (a sticky substance made by manufacturers of crooked gambling devices for the sole purpose of palming chips without transferring the sticky stuff to the chip).

The problem is that I need to lay my hand flat onto a chip for it to adhere to my skin and if I reached into a pot and just slapped my hand onto a pile of checks, people are bound to notice.

So how do I make this method work without attracting attention?

First, I figure out a way to steal that doesn’t require me to flatten my hand onto a pile of loose chips. 

Instead, I’ll steal a chip from the top of a pile where it is less likely to be noticed vanishing and to cover it even further, I’ll then stack more chips onto the stack I just stole from in the process of counting.

This means that if I break off five black chips and stack those then steal the top chip as I collect six loose chips, once I stack those six onto the first pile It will leave a stack of 10, which would be expected.

Timing-wise, I would do this before the end of a hand or during a showdown as I arrange the chips for active players to see and while attention is towards those players or the dealer.

This allows me plenty of cover so long as I am not attracting attention for stacking the chips in the first place!

Once I have mastered this technique until I can make it look almost like magic – in fact, even a close observer would never notice a high-value chip vanishing in the process – I need to create the perfect conditions to secure my advantage with minimum risk to my life and limb.

The secret is to “splash the move” for hours, days or even weeks, months and years – always being the one to stack chips mid-hand or organize pots for other players to see whenever I’m out of the hand.

This becomes normal and comfortable and when it feels safe to do so without suspicion, I might begin stealing the occasional chip to bolster my stack.

This may seem like a lot of work and a lot of risk without much reward, but many crooked players have risked a lot more for a lot less and, over time, little scams like this can add up to a very unfair advantage.

Splashing the move is a powerful way to introduce new actions and put even the most alert players to sleep thanks to eventual familiarity that gives the cheater increased opportunities to steal.

In The Real World

Away from gambling games, this same strategy is used in all forms of deception where tiny changes (or nudges) in everyday situations can corrupt, convert or change any outcome to varying degrees.

Consider how high-stakes advantage players encourage “tweaks” in casino procedures in return for bigger bets and longer playing sessions while potentially giving the player a powerful advantage against the house.

In life, huge changes are often forced upon us in tiny nudges that people are prone to accept when they would have taken to the streets with flaming torches and pitchforks had those changes been made more quickly and openly.

The same is true in deception where tiny shifts in procedure can put people at their ease until the barn door is wide open and horse are long gone.

But for both your mental health and that of your bankroll, it’s important to take a little time to find the blackjack table that’s right for you.

You’ll be wanting three things: Table stakes that fit your bankroll, great blackjack rules, and a table where you can relax and have fun.

Step 1: Scout For The Right Minimums and Maximums

Table stakes are important because if you’re playing on a table with a minimum bet too high for your bankroll, it’s much more likely that you will go bust sooner.

Just a few bad hands will wipe you out.

But if you can afford a few more minimum bets, you can weather a small run of bad luck.  

A good rule of thumb is a bankroll of at least 20 times the table minimum, and preferably 40 times. That means you should bring at least $100 dollars to a $5 table, and $500 to a $25 table.

Always try and set loss limits for each gaming session and stick to them. Then use those limits when scouting blackjack tables to play.

Limits are always posted on the table sign on each table. You should be aware that management can (and does) change table minimums to meet demand, often with little notice.

Be prepared to walk away if your $10 game suddenly becomes a $25 game and your bankroll isn’t big enough.

Depending on the size of the casino, lower limit games may be featured up front, sometimes in “fun pits” designed to catch the eye of passers-by.

More medium limits may be further back in the casino in comparatively quieter areas, and high limits will often be found off to the side in a private room.

When in doubt, simply ask one of the blackjack dealers, floor people, or even the cocktail servers where you might find the particular limits you are looking for.

Step 2: Scout The Best Blackjack Conditions

Once you’ve found tables with appropriate stakes, you want to try and get the most bang for your buck. This means cutting the house advantage as low as you can.

The three biggest things you can look for to keep the blackjack house edge small are table rules, the number of decks in play, and the type of shuffler being used.

1. Table Rules

While it might seem odd, many casinos have different rules on their blackjack tables depending on their table limits.

You want to balance your need for a certain minimum bet vs. the best rules you can find.

A couple of nefarious rules often seen at lower limit tables are only paying 6/5 on blackjack instead of 3/2 and even charging a commission of 25 cents on each hand to play.

You should avoid these at all costs.

Ask the dealers if they have full pay blackjack tables, and if they are a bit higher limits it may be worth hunting them down in this particular case. Or even ask if nearby casinos have full pay tables.

Those 6/5 tables can add as much as 300% to the house advantage and the commission tables can be even worse.

You then want to look for other rules that have less impact on the house advantage but can still make a big difference long term.  

Ideally, you want to look for tables that allow:

• Dealer stands on soft 17.
• A player may double on any first two cards.
• A player may double after split.
• Aces can be split up to 4 times.

These common rules can save you a lot of money over several hours of play.

2. Number Of Decks Used

In general, the fewer decks in use, the better for the player. 

However, while eight decks are very common, the difference between eight and six decks is just a few hundredths of a percent.

If you can find a double-deck game, however, it is much more lucrative for the player.

A double deck with all the above rules has about half the house advantage of an eight-deck game with those same rules.

That means you would lose only half the money on average playing the double deck.

The casino of course is aware of this, and double deck games have minimums that reflect this lower house advantage.  

Again, you will have to balance your bankroll against the house rules to find an appropriate game that meets your budget.

3. Shufflers

There are three types of shufflers.

One is where the casino still allows the dealer to take the time to shuffle. This can be a several-minute process depending on the dealer and the number of decks in play, but it offers a nice respite where you don’t have money at risk, where the casino is still rating you for being in action, and where you can catch your breath.

Then on other tables, you will see shuffle machines. These are attached to the table and are readily noticeable once you’ve seen them.

On these tables, the dealer will be putting their used cards in the machine at the end of the shoe, and immediately pulling out freshly shuffled decks of cards from the machine. Then the dealer will begin dealing again.

It only stands to reason that the more bets you make in an hour, the greater the house advantage. 

And the casino has decided that they want to make money instead of shuffling.

Not only can this make for a poorer gaming experience with dealers who are exhausted and just dealing robotically, but you will lose more money on these games quicker over time.

The other possible machine that you may see is a continuous shuffler.

You can identify them by the dealer immediately putting their used cards into the machine instead of at the end of the shoe.

This is a bad choice not only for the reasons listed above but also because putting the used cards right back into play increases the house edge, at least a little.

Step 3: Scout For The Best Blackjack Environment

At this point, you’ll have spent a lot of time finding a blackjack table that fits your budget and keeps the house advantage to a minimum. But in the end, you want to have a good time.

Sitting down with a belligerent drunk who’s smoking a foul-smelling cigar and banging the table is not going to make for the best experience.

Take a few more seconds before you sit down and take a good look at the other players.

Are they laughing and having fun, or do they look miserable?

If you’re not a big fan of cigarette smoke it won’t make sense to sit down surrounded by people smoking like chimneys.

How about the dealer: Are they interacting with the players and having a good time, or are their heads down – just going through the motions?

An extra 10 or 15 seconds of observing the table may mean the difference between having a great night or having a lousy time that forces you to start scouting tables all over again.

Take the time to find a table that is a good fit not just for your bankroll and your chances of winning, but also one that makes for a smooth, enjoyable, and hopefully profitable experience.

Over in the U.K. the game was first launched in 2005 and has become an iconic yearly event.

Many people are now familiar with the competition and play regularly with the hopes of winning big, although a frequent consolation prize in the form of some free food isn’t too bad either.?

McDonald’s has announced the return of the Monopoly to the U.K. this fall.

Although the exact dates have yet to be released it is thought to be occurring over September and October, lasting for around six weeks as per previous games.

McDonald’s Monopoly is completely random, meaning there is no method of guaranteeing success.?

However, there are a few techniques which many players believe can help maximize the opportunity to win, whether it be the highly sought-after cash prizes, or a bunch of free chicken nuggets.?

How McDonald’s Monopoly Works

The McDonald’s Monopoly game is a highly successful marketing campaign wherein players collect game pieces – in the form of stickers – from certain McDonald’s products.

These game pieces are themed around the traditional Monopoly properties and stations, e.g. Marylebone Station.?

To win a prize players must collect a full set of properties.

For example, winning one of the largest prizes requires a complete dark blue set, by collecting both the Mayfair and Park Lane game pieces.

One of each set is usually a rare sticker and finding it is therefore the key to completing the set and winning a prize.?

The 2022 prize list has not yet been announced. However, in the 2021 edition, prizes included a hot tub (red set), holidays to Ibiza (green set), and a ￡100,000 cash prize (ultra-rare dark blue set).?

There are also ‘Instant Win’ stickers, which are prizes that can be claimed without the need to collect other game pieces.?

These can usually be redeemed in-store and most commonly take the form of free McDonald’s food, although there are other prizes up for grabs too.?

Every sticker also contains a 12-digit code which can be entered online or via the McDonald’s app.

By submitting this code, you automatically enter the digital prize draw, where two cash prizes – ranging from ￡5-100 – are won every minute.

6 Ways To Improve Your Chances Of Winning

Below you’ll find a number of tips and tricks that many players believe give them an edge.

1. Create A Team

The best way to maximize your chances of winning in the McDonald’s Monopoly is quite simple: Buy more McDonald’s products so you have access to more game tokens.

But this can be both expensive and time-consuming.?

An alternative is joining together with a team of friends and pooling your resources to boost your chances of completing a set.

Any cash prize can then be split equally between team members.?

Of course, dividing a hot tub or other prizes between your group would be a struggle.

We’d suggest sorting out who gets to keep which prize before entering the competition together.?

2. Order Healthier Options For The Most Game Pieces?

Not all products at McDonald’s are created equal when it comes to Monopoly, with some items containing more game pieces – and therefore more opportunities to win – than others.?

All menu items during the Monopoly promotion will contain either three, two, or no stickers.?

Due to backlash in previous years, healthier choices such as fruit and vegetable bags have three stickers, whilst other sides like fries will only contain two.?

All soft drinks will provide three stickers, as will many burgers and wraps.?

The highest number of game pieces you can get per order is nine, so it’s worth tweaking your order to maximize your chances.

The the last thing you want to do is order something that doesn’t have any game pieces, so it might be worth swapping something for a healthier side or adding a soft drink.

3. Enter The Digital Draw During Non-Peak Times

Whilst collecting a full set of properties and winning a big prize should be the goal of every serious McDonald’s Monopoly player, the digital cash prize draw shouldn’t be sniffed at either.?

Although significantly smaller than what you’d get for a full property set, winning a digital cash prize can be a much more straightforward process thanks to the volume of prizes – two are won every single minute without fail.

It’s the same number of prizes regardless of how many people have entered, which means that the best way to maximize your chances of winning the digital prize draw is to enter when there is the least amount of competition.?

As such, entering the digital prize draw outside of lunch and dinner times – when McDonald’s is busiest – is a sure fire way of improving your chances of winning.?

Some players go even further, and enter at extremely obscure times, such as late at night and early in the morning, to ensure they enter when the least number of other people are playing.

5. Try Scooping Prizes Off People Who Don’t Want Them

A lot of McDonald’s customers don’t play or won’t bother to check the Monopoly prizes attached to their meals, meaning ultra-rare game pieces may be being lost to the trash.?

Empty bottles and packaging therefore offer a golden, cost-free means of improving your chances of finding a highly sought-after game piece, winning digital code, or instant claim prizes.?

Of course, there’s also nothing stopping you from asking other customers in the restaurant whether you can have their unused game pieces.?

However, be aware that whilst completely legal, it can be frowned upon by McDonald employees.

5. Keep Hold Of Any Rare Stickers

In each set of McDonald’s Monopoly property sets there are a high volume of common game pieces and one that is significantly rarer.?

For example, during the 2021 promotion there was an abundance of Park Lane stickers.

However, in order to complete the dark blue set and claim a ￡100,000 cash prize, individuals also needed to collect a Mayfair sticker, of which there were only four printed.?

As such, it’s vitally important to know which stickers are rare, because these are the ones that can shape the rest of your playing strategy.?

If you were lucky enough to come across a Mayfair sticker first, it would be advisable to buy McDonald’s products until you find the relatively common Park Lane sticker.?

However, if you come across the Park Lane sticker first, it probably isn’t wise to adopt the same approach in an attempt to find the ultra-rare Mayfair game piece.

This is the full list of rare stickers for 2022. If you find yourself with one of these, it’s sensible to focus on completing that set:

• Dark blue: Mayfair
• Train stations: Liverpool St Station
• Red: Strand
• Yellow: Coventry Street
• Green: Bond Street
• Orange: Marlborough Street
• Light blue: Euston Road
• Pink: Northumberland Avenue
• Brown: Old Kent Road

6. Prepare To Swap Stickers

With different players working on completing a range of property sets, there develops a natural market for game piece trading. This can take the simple form of swapping stickers with friends and family.?

However, there are a number of ways strangers also seek to swap game pieces with each other, like through public Facebook groups.

There are also even reports of some people attempting to sell desirable game pieces on eBay.?

Of course, trading with people you don’t know comes with a risk.

The stickers could already have been used, be from previous years and thus invalid, or be fakes altogether.

Consequently, it’s advisable to only trade with people who you know and trust.?

There are some bad folks out there. Remember over 20 years ago when an ex-cop rigged the game and stole millions?

Nothing Is More Important Than Luck

At the end of the day, the McDonald’s Monopoly is a promotion run by the company to boost its sales and profits.

As such, the chances of winning big are extremely small and it’s therefore wise to not commit too much time or money in trying to win.?

Ultimately the deciding factor in this type of competition will always be luck.

However, if Lady Luck does happen to be on your side, these tips might just give you the edge you need to snag yourself a top prize.?

Lead image: Brett Jordan via Unsplash

Of course, no matter how you pick your lottery numbers, the draw is always totally random. While there is no method to guarantee a win (otherwise we’d all be millionaires!) there’s no harm in having one, either.

So, if you’re wanting to have a go at scooping the massive $810 million Mega Millions jackpot we’re all going crazy about, try one of these eight different ways to make your pick.

1. Study The Statistics

This method involves looking up previous draws and noting down the balls that get drawn most frequently. And thanks to a global obsession with lotteries, there is tons of information out there for you to study.

Although there’s no mathematical reason why some numbers get drawn more than others, there are a few that appear to be hotter.

Just remember that every number has the same chance of being drawn, regardless of whether it has appeared 10 or zero times over the past few draws.

Overall, this method is pretty time consuming, but many lottery players feel it gives them an edge.

You won’t be the only one using this method, though, so be prepared to split the prize if your numbers win.

2. Use Numerology

Next up, we come onto numerology. Whether you choose to use this method really depends on whether you’re a believer in the power of the universe.

Anyone can calculate their own “numbers” which hold a significance that’s personal to them.

We’re not going to go into how to find them, as it’s a really long process, but there are plenty of websites that explain how it all works if you want to try this method.

Once you’ve come up with six numbers, use them for the next lottery draw.

You never know: Some cosmic force could lead to you finally winning the jackpot you’ve been chasing for years.

3. Use Lucky Numbers

Nearly everyone has some lucky numbers.

You might like 10, for example, as it’s your birthday. Or you could have an attachment to number 28 for no reason whatsoever.

Lucky numbers come in all forms, from anniversaries to player jerseys. All you need to do is pick the ones you like or hold a sentimental value for, and that’s pretty much it.

It’s certainly not a scientific way of doing things but it’s always been a very popular way to pick lottery numbers.

4. Go Random

Every lottery is completely random, so why shouldn’t the way you pick numbers embrace this?

What’s the first number you think of? Write it down, and you’ve got your first pick!

There are various other ways to randomly pick numbers as well – the only limit to the ways is your own imagination. You could even just drop a pen on some numbers and use the one it hits.

We could go on about random number picking methods for hours, but we’ll let you get creative instead. As long as you end up with the correct number of picks, you’re doing it right.

This is actually one of our top ways to pick numbers, as it doesn’t have to take too long and it takes the pressure off having to think of lottery numbers for yourself.

5. Pick Numbers Over 31

Although this method won’t increase your chances of winning, it could increase the amount you win if you’re lucky enough to scoop the jackpot.

Why?

Well, most people have some low numbers in their selection, as they often use birthdays. Therefore, the numbers over 31 are used less frequently.

This then means that there’s less chance of someone else also hitting the jackpot with your numbers.

Think of it like this: You pick your numbers for a $10m jackpot, and 10 people win. Everyone would get $1 million each.

If only 2 people win though, you’d instead find yourself raking in $5 million.

We’d recommend this method to everyone, as it at least does have some mathematical reasoning behind it.

6. Make A Pattern

When you’re looking down at your lottery slip, you’ll notice that every selection contributes towards a pattern. This method involves picking numbers by drawing on the slip.

You could go in a circle, for example, or you could try to draw out a letter of the alphabet. Use your artistic flair and ability to make something that really does look great when you hand it over to the cashier.

Don’t just go in a straight line though as loads of people do this, so if you win, you’ll be sharing your prize with quite a few other winners.

7. Use A System

Another way some people choose their lottery numbers is by using a system.

There are plenty of these online, all of which are supposed to improve your odds of winning the jackpot.

In reality, they don’t, but many people have found it works for them.

There are tons out there, but we will only explain the Delta System today.

It works like this:

• Choose a number from 1 to 3.
• Pick two other numbers from 1 to 8.
• Now pick something close to 8.
• Now pick two numbers between 8 and 15.
• Mix the numbers up, so they’re not in numerical order.
• Your first lottery number is the first Delta number in the sequence.
• The second number is the first two Delta numbers added together.
• The third is your second lottery number + the third Delta number.
• The fourth number is the third lottery number + the fourth Delta number.
• The fifth is the fourth lottery number + the fifth Delta number.
• The sixth is the fifth lottery number + the sixth Delta number.

We know this sounds confusing, but it’s actually easy if you follow the instructions.

If any number is higher than the highest lottery number, just mix the numbers around until the system works for you.

8. Leave It To The Machine

Feeling lazy? This is the perfect method for you if you can’t be bothered to think about your lottery numbers.

Most lotteries allow players to simply receive random numbers, picked for them by a machine.

Just select the option, and you’ll receive your ticket, complete with the correct number of selections.

You’ll hear some people saying that letting the machine pick your numbers ruins your chances of winning.

The truth, however, is that whether you spend a year choosing your numbers or whether you let the machine do it, you’ll still have exactly the same chances of winning.

Picking numbers randomly is a hugely popular way to choose numbers in some countries, such as the UK.

Why not see if the lottery machine can help you win the jackpot?

It’s All About Lady Luck

We hope there’s at least one method here you like the sound of for the next time you try to hit the jackpot.

If you’re lucky enough to win, be sure to check out our handy guide on how to cope with winning the lottery.

It would be life changing, after all!

Sometimes they’re intertwined, with one leading to another, creating a vicious circle that can be quite hard to get out of.

While amateurs and recreational players are more likely to make these mistakes, even professionals fall victim from time to time, so it’s good to be aware of them – wherever you are in your poker journey.

1. Playing Too Many Hands Pre-Flop

Texas Hold’em can be a boring game when cards aren’t coming your way. When you catch a run of really bad hole cards, especially when playing live, it can be really annoying.

If you let the frustration and boredom get the better of you, you’re likely to start playing too many hands before the flop, which is one of the “safest” ways to start giving your chips away.

Staying disciplined and sticking to proper starting hand ranges – even when you’ve been getting dealt trash hands for two hours straights – is a mark of a good poker player.

If you catch yourself thinking that 7-3 suited looks like an okay hand to call a UTG raise, you’ll be better off getting up and leaving.

Playing too many hands pre-flop is guaranteed to land you in tricky post-flop situations with weak holdings, often leading to substantial losses that could have been easily avoided by simply giving your cards back to the dealer like you were supposed to.

Learn more about what hands to play pre-flop with this poker cheat sheet guide.

2. Overplaying Speculative And Medium-Strength Hands

The “value of your hand” is a relative term depending on what kind of opposition and action you’re facing.

However, some holdings are just not very strong by definition, like small flushes facing a big raise on the river, second pairs, top pairs with weak kickers, etc.

Some players, especially those new to the game, tend to value these hands way too much, playing them almost as if they had the nuts.

The issue with overplaying these hands is that you’re effectively turning them into bluffs.

These lines might get an opponent to fold a stronger hand here and there, but almost every time they look you up, they’ll have a better hand.

Since these medium-strength hands have a decent showdown value themselves, you don’t need to take aggressive lines with them and should play them for what they’re worth.

3. Acting Too Quickly Without Thinking Things Through

This is a problem for both recreational and professional players alike.

In fact, players who spend a lot of time playing the game will often go on auto-pilot and make decisions without taking enough time to think, which can lead to costly mistakes in poker.

One way to avoid this is by training yourself to never, ever act immediately when it’s your turn.

Always take at least a few seconds to think about all available information.

Take into consideration your opponents’ action, position, sizing, and even verbal tells when you are playing live.

In those few extra seconds, you can gather your thoughts and prevent yourself from making a mistake like calling where you should be raising or folding in a spot where pot odds are way too good, just because you had such an instinct.

4. Failing To Table-Select And Search For Good Games

If you’re looking to make some money then you need to approach the game seriously.

This includes looking for the best games and best situations to make a profit.

Sometimes, it can be annoying to spend time selecting tables online or waiting for your seat in a really good live game.

You’d rather jump straight into action even if it means battling it out with other good players, some even better than yourself.

However, this won’t be profitable and if you play poker for a living or to subsidize some of your expenses, looking for the best tables you can find is part of your job.

Sitting down in any game just to put in some hands is reckless and can also be quite costly in the long run.

5. Not Thinking About Other Players’ Hand Ranges

When you play Hold’em, there are two key pieces of information you need to worry about: Your hand and the cards held by your opponents.

Some players forget to think about the latter and just focus on their own hand.

I am sure that you can see how it can end up being a very costly mistake.

Even though it’s one of the hardest things to master in poker, it is essential to learn how to assign a range of hands to your opponent, instead of just guessing what they could have.

You can simply assign your opponent a range of likely holdings based on their pre-flop position and play, and then reduce possible combinations based on their action when the hand progresses.

This way you will be much more accurate with your decisions compared to putting them on a single hand and sticking with it no matter what.

6. Getting Too Emotional While Playing

With all the bad beats, lucky hits, busted and caught bluffs, a poker session can be a real rollercoaster of emotions.

However, you can’t allow for your emotions to take hold and start influencing your decisions.

Allowing any type of emotion to take over is what we refer to as “tilt.”

Some players fail to realize there are many different types of tilt and it isn’t always caused by bad beats.

You can go on tilt from running too hot as well, throwing caution to the wind and starting to play way too loose.

The main point to remember is that every time you start doing things at the table that you rationally know you shouldn’t be doing, it’s time to take a break from the session before you make a poor decision.

7. Relying Too Much On Your Stats

Online poker players love tracking software and heads-up displays (HUDs), and for a good reason.

All of these tools can be a great help when playing, giving you a much better idea of your opponents’ playing styles and tendencies in different spots.

However, you shouldn’t let poker statistics become the only thing you pay attention to when playing.

For example, there are situations where players are unlikely to bluff, even if they’re playing an aggressive style in general.

Also, someone might be tilting after a few bad beats and spewing chips, and this won’t show up in their stats as they usually play solid poker.

Obviously, you should take advantage of stats available to you, but don’t let them be the only thing that guides your decisions.

8. Failing To Adjust To Other Players

While it’s important to have a solid game-plan, you should also be prepared to adapt your plan when a specific situation arises.

Some players will fail to adjust to changing dynamics at the table, often to their own detriment.

If a maniac sits down at your table, for example, you can’t continue stealing a bunch of pots before the flop.

Then there might be a player who won’t let you do it, so you need to change your strategy.

If someone isn’t folding out of the big blind, attack them with stronger hands and make bigger raises.

Don’t make small raises with weak hands because they’re completely useless against this type of player.

There are many ways to adjust to different players, and being open to these changes during the play will help you win more and improve much faster.

9. Poor Bankroll Management

Once again, this is a mistake that relates more to serious players.

Sticking to a fairly strict bankroll management plan is essential for success in the long run.

This prevents you from losing all your money or having to go down the limits too fast when you encounter a bad run of cards.

Without proper bankroll, you can’t play.

If you can’t play, you can’t make any money.

And if you can’t make money, then future isn’t looking particularly bright if you want to play poker professionally.

10. Failure To Keep Learning

Some players will work hard to get to the point where they start beating the games.

Once they do, however, they’ll be happy to sit on their laurels and will stop learning and expanding their knowledge.

This can be a very dangerous mistake as there are always others out there just as passionate about the game, and they are ready to study.

If you aren’t keeping up, you’ll fall behind, and all of a sudden, you’ll stop winning.

It can be very hard, not only from a money standpoint but also in terms of self-confidence and motivation.

Avoid this by constantly learning and improving your strategy.

The game changes all the time and players are always getting better – so you can’t afford not to!

I’ve seen many crazy bets based on this kind of proposition and most are genuinely suggested at random but with a little advance knowledge you can play with an edge that is sure to pay off over time.

At the very least, you’ll learn how powerful even a slight advantage can be, and have a useful weapon in your arsenal to reclaim some of your bankroll in a pinch.

As stated in my other articles on this topic, these are not scams but real games where you can secure a slight or powerful advantage depending on how and what you play, so I encourage you to share the secret with anyone you are able to fleece (for a fair and reasonable amount) as compensation for their losses.

I can’t tell you how much has been won and lost on a misunderstanding of seemingly obvious odds that are actually quite complex and bear the opposite return to what many might assume.

These propositions will all return a positive outcome over time, but they require a little shaping (scamming) on your part to rope your mark and get their money into your game and your “personal casino”.

Card Hustle #1 – Seven Card Monte

So let’s start with something that’s really unfair.

Ask your target to remove five court cards (K/Q/J) and two spot cards (2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9) from any deck and then mix them thoroughly on the table.

Make the following proposition:

If they turn three court cards face up (one at a time) they win, but if they turn over any of the spot cards, they lose.

Of course, this seems perfectly simple.

If they figure incorrectly, they will believe that each turn of the card is in their favour with the first turn offering five chances in seven, then four chances in six, followed by three chances in five!

In fact, I like to point these odds out, but the odds of turning three cards in seven without turning one of the two spot cards are more than two to one against the sucker overall.

This is more than enough of an advantage to win plenty in the long run but beware sneaky players who may try to mark or identify the spot cards (or one or more court cards), which is disappointingly common.

A crooked variation on this uses identical jokers instead of spot cards and the game ends when any joker is turned over.

The crooked part is that one card of the five court cards is secretly swapped for third joker making the odds almost impossible.

This, of course is a real scam and should not be encouraged.

Card Hustle #2 – Three Cut

This is a simple swindle but can be used to manipulate people effectively into playing deeper into the hole with a little social engineering.

Have a deck shuffled and cut into three piles, then bet that there are no picture (court) cards on top of any of the packets.

A smart person will reason that since only one card in four is a court card, the odds must be in your favour and this is a reasonable (but wrong) assumption that you can use against them by flipping it and betting that there will be a court card on top of any of the three randomly cut and shuffled piles.

This reversal is a great way to manipulate the situation (and your mark) and puts the odds firmly in your favour.

You could obviously simply start from that proposition but since people will try to outthink you, knowing how they might think is a powerful advantage employed by real con artists all the time!

I’ve seen a genuine scam based on this where suckers were paid for any non-court card and the scammer was paid for court cards when three piles were cut at random (by the suckers) – and this seemed incredibly fair.

In reality, several (or all 12) court cards were secretly shaved very finely on all four edges which made it almost certain that at least one court card would appear and, thanks to this ruse, two court cards were more common and would shift the odds to the hustler.

Variations on this (with the short cards) paid odds for court cards (or penalties if roles were reversed) and the game could get quite complex based on true odds that were circumvented by the short and narrow cards, which were more easily cut to the top of any pile.

In fact, a brilliant play on this swindle was to re-cut each packet individually and bet on two or more court cards, which was almost certain under those conditions.

The ‘fair’ version (without the trimmed deck) can also be played when cutting four packets.

Card Hustle #3 – Quick Props

I’ve seen this played for real and it’s a great proposition bet that will often pay off.

Here’s the bet:

Name any four of a kind, shuffle, and deal 32 cards face up from anywhere in the deck without peeking. If you turn up all four cards of your nominated value, you win. If not, you lose.

This is a simple idea, and many will assume it’s possible to turn over four of a kind out of any 32.

It is possible, but the odds are truly against this happening.

If/when they lose, repeat the same bet but offer 39 cards instead of 32. Repeat the challenge, allowing them to name any four of a kind, shuffle, and turn over any 39 cards.

Another challenge is to have a shuffled deck dealt into two even piles and bet that if you turn over cards simultaneously from each pile, two of the same colour and value will appear together.

This actually happens more often than not so, again, odds favour the hustler.

Finally, a perennial favourite of mine is to have someone name any two values in the deck, shuffle, and spread face up. They lose if there are two cards of the named values together anywhere in the deck.

Each of these is a simple, quick challenge played between other rounds of poker and if you’re around real gamblers you should have no problem inviting them to play in your own personal casino.

For more similar content, check out the other articles in this series on dice hustles and coin tricks.

I must re-iterate that these games are for entertainment purposes only and as always, while I encourage you to play for affordable stakes, it’s always good to share the secret when the game is over so your suckers can enjoy the same benefits with fresh fish on another day.

Here we will take the flip of a coin and turn it to our favour with some ingenious games that ultimately push the money in your direction.

The Fun Of Coin Flips

I’ve written elsewhere about the master of crooked coin flips AKA “The Flipper” and the many ways he would manipulate a coin toss or secretly know the outcome.

It’s also possible to buy (or have made) a “wobbler” – a coin that has been re-milled on the edge with a slight angle towards one side so that, when spun on a hard surface, it favours one side more than the other and, in many cases, the work is so heavy it’s almost impossible to force a losing spin!

Such gaffs can be fun, and the above variation was my preferred method for securing a free lunch by spinning a coin and asking someone to call heads or tails while still spinning.

The bet was for who would pay for lunch and if they called the winning side, I’d scoop up the coin and say, “I’m only kidding, I wouldn’t force you to pay for this!”

But if they called the losing side I’d let it fall!

What follows are games played entirely with fair coins and can be a great ongoing game or distraction between other gambling sessions and have been used as such by smart players and grifters for decades.

Coin Hustle #1 – Eight Coins Out

With eight pennies, propose a simple bet that once all are flipped, spun or tossed in a random fashion, you will pay two to one any time that the player throws four heads out of the eight coins.

A simple calculation makes four heads (or tails if preferred) the most common outcome of eight 50/50 flips but in fact the odds are absolutely in your favour, since you win if the result is one, two, three, five, six or eight heads (or tails)!

I prefer to do this in a cup or glass (a glass attracts attention and more suckers in the right scenario) and simply and fairly spread out the coins once upended onto the table without changing how they landed.

This is such a simple proposition that you can play this edge for hours both winning and losing but always being ahead.

And if you can’t find any takers for a two-to-one proposition like this, you’re probably not cut out for this kind of friendly swindle!

Coin Hustle #2 – Threesomes

The same proposition can be made with just three coins and again is based on encouraging a simple fallacy.

With just three coins, point out that there are only four possibilities when all three are flipped at random:

1. Three heads.
2. Three tails.
3. One head and two tails.
4. Two tails and one head.

Now state that if they fall all heads or all tails they win, and you will pay two to one on any reasonable bet but if the coins land with any other outcome they lose.

Personally, I prefer to randomise the coins in a glass or cup but the result is three individual 50/50 propositions. You may prefer to simply flip one coin three times, but the result is the same.

Think about this for a minute.

If there are only four outcomes, then you are essentially offering them two to one on a 50/50 situation and that’s madness.

But be warned that if they’re smart enough to think it over they will exit the logic trap you set up at the beginning and realise that there are actually six losing outcomes and only two winning possibilities since each of the three coins has a 50/50 outcome.

You lose when the coins land:

TAILS, TAILS, TAILS

or

HEADS, HEADS, HEADS

You win if the coins land:

HEADS, TAILS, TAILS

HEADS, HEADS, TAILS

HEADS, TAILS, HEADS

TAILS, HEADS, TAILS

TAILS, TAILS, HEADS

TAILS, HEADS, HEADS

Think of it as individual rolls and it makes sense but the beauty of rolling three coins at once is that this is harder to intuit and many people will be blinded by your two-to-one offer on a game that is actually three to one against the player.

Coin Hustle #3 – Penney’s Game

Finally, let me share a brilliant bit of mathematics that will guarantee a powerful edge almost by magic if you follow some simple rules.

As stated above there are eight possible outcomes when flipping three coins and each outcome should be as likely as the other.

But for this version, only one coin is flipped repeatedly until a chosen three-flip combination appears.

So, if the chosen combination is TAILS, TAILS, TAILS, a single coin is flipped until three tails have appeared in a row. So it might be flipped 10 times before this occurs in three consecutive flips.

Similarly with any selected possible outcome – such as TAILS, HEADS, HEADS or HEADS, TAILS, HEADS – you keep flipping coins and recording the outcome until three consecutive flips produces one of the wagered results.

I hope you got that.

It can be confusing, but just keep flipping and noting down the result until one of the wagered three-coin outcomes happens and whoever bet on that combination is the winner.

So where is the scam?

Walter Penney discovered that a simple calculation based on your opponent’s choice of three-coin combination will place the odds firmly in your favour in the worst case, and seven to one in your favour for the best case scenario!

The secret is to make sure they choose their three-coin combination first and then you state your three-coin combination based on their choice as follows.

Whatever combination they choose, consider it as A/B/C so if they nominate HEADS, HEADS, HEADS:

A = HEADS

B = HEADS

C = HEADS

If they pick TAILS, HEADS, TAILS, then:

A = TAILS

B = HEADS

C = TAILS

And so on.

Your nominated three-coins should be X/A/B where X = the opposite of B.

I know this sounds complicated so let’s look at a couple of quick examples.

For the two examples above X/A/B would be TAILS, HEADS, HEADS (if the sucker nominates HEADS, HEADS, HEADS) and TAILS, TAILS, HEADS (if the sucker wants TAILS, HEADS, TAILS).

So, another way of saying this is that you take their choice (A/B/C) remove C (their third flip option) and simply add the opposite of B (their second flip option) to the beginning of your three-coin combination.

This means that X/A/B for their choice of HEADS, TAILS, TAILS would be HEADS, HEADS, TAILS.

Play with this for while with all the combinations mentioned in the previous coin flip game above (Threesomes) until you can quickly calculate X/A/B for all outcomes, then flip a coin to see how often your three-coin combo will win against theirs.

Sure, it sounds complicated but all advantages in gambling require a little extra work and understanding and if you can decipher these instructions, you have a powerful winning strategy for a seemingly simple game.

For more similar content, check out the first part of this series on dice hustles.

I spend a lot of time explaining how to narrow and occasionally beat the mathematical edge in certain casino games and in turn, I read and discuss these matters with expert players who put these methods into practice with various levels of success.

Concealed computers and complex mental gymnastics can offer individuals or teams of players a better return for money they play but it’s a lot of work and can require a particular mindset to commit the effort required to beat the house.

So let’s take a different approach and put ourselves into the house’s position of playing with an edge against anyone curious (or stupid) enough to accept a seemingly simple proposition.

Games With An Unfair Advantage

Proposition bets often have a trick to them that is revealed when enough money is bet against us but with clip games, there is a concealed advantage that is only apparent to players who can calculate the true odds against them.

Whether you read these games as curious examples of skewed chances or as an opportunity to fleece your friends or fellow players in the future, I guarantee there’s plenty to learn from understanding how to play with an unfair advantage!

Carry a few dice in your pocket and you’ll find no end of gamblers interested in playing a seemingly fair game, but you need to make sure the rules are clear and any apparent advantage to you is hidden or far from obvious.

So the approach – like all good con games – has to be as subtle as possible without going unnoticed and not so strong you wake up their suspicions!

Dice Hustle #1 – Six And Four Before

With two dice, make the following proposition:

In any round, I bet you will roll a six AND eight BEFORE you roll TWO sevens.

Now think about that.

A seven is the most common number rolled with two legitimate dice so the chances of rolling a six and an eight before two sevens seems to be weighted entirely in the favour of the player (remember: you are the house) so you’re going to get a lot of takers if they can figure the odds of rolling a six and an eight compared to the odds of rolling a seven.

They should figure like this:

There are five ways to roll a six, and five ways to roll an eight.

There are six ways to roll a seven.

Therefore, it should be easier to roll two sevens than to roll a six and an eight in any round of play.

In fact, the odds against them are almost two to one against but the false logic that most people fall into will set them up for a (minor) financial fall.

Be prepared to play several rounds and if you happen to lose the first one, be prepared to play even more than if they lose the first roll.

That first win is a powerful convincer and some dice mechanics have been known to fix the first roll on bets like this to drive the hook even deeper into their mark!

Dice Hustle #2 – Add Up To Seven

For this you will need four identical dice.

With three dice, there’s a devilish little swindle that can play entirely in your favour but be warned it’s limited, as the secret can easily be recognized.

The first couple of rounds require some careful management (and explanation) on your part.

Stick a die inside a coffee mug with a little blu-tack or similar product with an ace (one dot) uppermost.

Add two more dice and find a suitable cover (a saucer, plate etc).

If you have a home poker night, this is a perfect little set-up for a break in the main game and I encourage you to share the secret after winning but only if the original bet stands, of course!

Here’s the proposition:

The dice will be shaken inside the cup while covered with the plate and when stopped, if any two or all three add to seven, you (the house) win. But if there’s no seven then the players win.

All should be encouraged to bet against you since the odds in this round are entirely in your favour.

Play several rounds and you’ll be shocked that no-one will notice there is always an ace amongst the three dice.

Be warned, though, that if you win too often they will start to question what’s in the cup or notice that one die never moves.

Tip: I stick it off-centre, near the inner edge and I use a shallow coffee mug, so the dice are easily seen and the mug does not need to be picked up to show them.

With this method you will win five times out of nine.

After a couple of rounds, secure an extra die in your hand and then tip the dice in the mug onto that hand and pass out the three dice (one will remain stuck inside the mug) as you place the mug and plate aside while you offer a variation on the game just played.

This time the dice will be rolled openly and this time if any two or all three add to seven the players will win, apparently turning the odds in their favour but in truth you still hold enough of an edge to win more than half the time!

Dice Hustle #3 – Aces Wild

For this, you’ll need five dice and enough gall to offer the following proposition:

With aces wild (three ones), players win with any pair but lose with any three of a kind!

Without aces being wild, two of a kind is much easier to roll than three but making aces wild makes three of a kind more likely than a pair!

This is hard for people to figure but after a few rounds they’ll soon realise that three of a kinds happen almost twice as often as pairs, making this bet a license to print money!

I’ve played this with poker dice and somehow the added colour and playing card dice make it less obvious but over time, anyone is sure to wake up to getting fleeced.

Remember To Reveal The Secret

The goal here is to win a little money but the host thing to do with this information is to expose how and why you are able to win more often than you lose.

The doesn’t necessarily mean they get their money back!

As the great Bob Farmer has often coached, the secret is part of the price of losing a proposition bet and is therefore a fair trade so long as you’re playing for reasonable stakes.

In our next “Be Your Own Casino” article we will explore a brilliant mathematical principle that can turn the flip of a few coins into a winning proposition for the house (you).

• Back Republicans to win Presidency @ 1.88 (Betfair)
• Back Elizabeth Warren to be the Democrat Nominee @ 32.0 (Betfair)
• Back Amy Klobuchar to be the Democrat Nominee @ 50.0 (Betfair)

The finale is 33 months away but the biggest market in world betting is already heating up.

￡1.6BN was traded on Betfair when Donald Trump and Joe Biden faced off in 2020, smashing the previous all-time record – set by Trump and Hillary Clinton in 2016 – by a factor of eight.

A new record may well be set in 2024.

Biden/Trump Would Be First Rematch In 68 Years

Rematches are rare, if not unprecedented.

If materialising, it will be the first since 1956, when Dwight Eisenhower won for a second time against Adlai Stevenson.

Prior to that, it was 1900 when William McKinley repeated his victory over William Jennings Bryan. Interestingly, that pair of elections followed another rematch, when Grover Cleveland reversed his 1888 defeat to Benjamin Harrison.

The logic of a rematch this time is strong. Both Biden and Trump give every indication they intend to run again.

Whilst there is some doubt about Biden given his age and dire ratings, were he to withdraw, he would be the first incumbent to not seek a second term since Lyndon Johnson in 1968.

If you want to back either man, Betfair is the place to get the best odds. Their exchange quotes Biden at 6.6 and Trump at 4.6.

By comparison, buying either on PredictIt would equate to fixed odds of 4.2 and 3.3 respectively.

So, should we be betting on the obvious? Personally, I’m sceptical.

It is simply too early in the cycle to make confident assumptions. Events can and will happen, which are bound to impact the reputations of both men.

Other candidates will raise their profiles. The primaries are two years off, and most contenders won’t start declaring until 2023.

Betting Available On Which Candidates Will Run

On that front, we can bet on whether candidates will run and when they will declare.

Regarding whether Trump will file a Statement of Candidacy before 2023, the PredictIt trading line is around 30c for Yes, 70c for No.

Other bookmakers offer odds that Trump declares this year, or that he is listed on the first ballot of the opening ballot or caucus.

They also offer a wide range of politicians and celebrities for the latter market.

Hillary Clinton is at 4.0 to run – the same odds as actor Dwayne Johnson. “The Rock” has signaled interest in running previously and, the way it is shaping up, 2024 could be perfect for somebody outside politics.

Fox News host Tucker Carlson is a 5.0 chance while Ivanka Trump has also been a popular selection at odds of 8.0.

For a real longshot, Oprah Winfrey is available at 67.0.

Biden Is In Big Trouble

Leaving aside those more outlandish options for a moment, let’s return to the rematch, whether it will happen and who would win.

For my money, Joe Biden has a mountain to climb. His approval ratings are terrible and legislative agenda stalling.

It is very likely he will lose Congress at the mid-terms and then be ground down by Republican investigations.

There will be temptation and pressure to retire. He’ll probably face a primary challenge from within his own party.

The fact Vice President Kamala Harris herself looks an even weaker candidate doesn’t alter his predicament. Others will come forward.

Previously I recommended Pete Buttigieg on these pages and have since cashed the bet out for a profit at 20 points shorter.

Other Democrats to consider are Elizabeth Warren and Amy Klobuchar – available at 32.0 and 50.0 for the party nomination on Betfair.

Michelle Obama (22.0) will attract bets, but there’s no indication she’ll run.

Whoever they pick will face a very tough task retaining the coalition of voters that backed Biden against Trump.

My recommendation is to back the Republicans to regain the presidency at 1.88 on Betfair, or at 54 cents on PredictIt.

Republicans In Strong Shape But Don’t Back Trump

I do not, however, recommend backing Trump. His name on the ballot is the Democrats’ best chance.

If he does run, that may well convince Biden to go for the rematch.

Whether this reality dawns on Republicans is highly questionable, but there is still plenty that can go wrong in Trump’s bid for re-election.

First and foremost, there is his massive legal exposure.

New York Attorney General Letitia James said her civil investigation into the Trump Organisation has found massive fraud, is issuing subpoenas and noted Eric Trump had pleaded the 5th Amendment over 500 times.

That investigation dovetails with a longstanding criminal investigation in Manhattan. Grand juries have long been convened and the chances of an indictment remain high.

How To Bet On A Trump Indictment

There is also the ongoing investigation into the Jan 6th insurrection, Trump’s role and other attempts to overturn the election result.

Georgia is investigating his taped and publicised call, telling their Secretary of State to find 11,000 votes. The latest revelations about false electors in seven states, seemingly to defraud the electoral college, could well produce criminal charges.

There’s a link to all the ongoing investigations into Trump within this NYT piece.

Here’s another betting market. Will Trump be indicted in 2022?

PredictIt set an earlier timeline, with an indictment before April 1 trading around 14 cents.

Could Trump Lose His Grip On The GOP?

Such threats would ruin any political candidate in history, but Trump has of course defied conventional wisdom before.

Nevertheless, I regard this a risk that Republicans would be mad to take. 

This time next year, there will be slates of head-to-head polls involving multiple candidates.

I’m confident Trump will fare much worse than other Republicans. Ron DeSantis or Nikki Haley would be looking at an easy win, whilst Trump may even trail Democrats.

I expect there will also be more internal opposition. Some of his loudest cheerleaders, such as Alex Jones, are now sworn enemies.

Trump has picked a fight with a large part of his base by supporting the Covid vaccines.

He even praised China in a recent shocking interview with Conservative activist Candace Owens, who patronised him afterwards as being too old to understand the issues.

Finally, I don’t think Trump-backers have thought through the dynamics of a 2024 campaign.

Whether under indictment or not, he is sure to continue talking openly about rigging the electoral college.

In 2016 and 2020, Trump refused to commit to accepting the result but few commentators, foolishly, took him at his word. In light of Jan 6, they won’t make that mistake again. 

If he’s the candidate, Republicans will spend all of 2024 under pressure to commit to democracy. To avoid chaos, even civil war. Not a winning look, or strategy.

Common sense may prevail, leaving Trump free to spend more time with his lawyers.

Recommended Bets

• Back Republicans to win Presidency @ 1.88 (Betfair)
• Back Elizabeth Warren to be the Democrat Nominee @ 32.0 (Betfair)
• Back Amy Klobuchar to be the Democrat Nominee @ 50.0 (Betfair)

From sporting events to all-or-nothing gambles, the ability to predict or control the outcome of such a simple thing as flipping a coin can be a powerful advantage.

Controlling A Coin Toss

Controlling how a coin will land is not always as difficult as you might think.

The “wobble” (as I was taught it) is a simple idea that only requires a thousand hours of practice and is usually performed with a larger coin to aid the illusion of it spinning in midair when it is, in fact, merely oscillating without turning over.

The method is to spin the coin horizontally and give it a little kick with thumb as the coin is tossed upwards, so it rotates and wobbles without flipping.

The knack is to give it enough of a kick to create this pronounced wobble while throwing it straight upwards to emulate the well-known action of flipping a coin legitimately.

I’ve used this in several scenarios to great effect from magic performances to Real Hustle scams and occasionally in real world situations to decide all manner of things.

It’s not the easiest move to master and it takes consistent practice to retain the skill but for a while I was obsessed, flipping thousands of times not just to get the wobble to work but to make the false flip look perfect!

Later, I learned another secret that made the turn of a coin seem much fairer and while it was not quite 100 percent accurate, the odds were so far in my favour that over time it has proven much more valuable and far more convincing than a perfect fake flip.

Gaffed Coins

While there’s a secret method to flipping a coin so it lands exactly on the side you need, there are other solutions that make it almost automatic in the correct conditions.

I have a friend who can let you spin a coin on the floor, then stamp on it with his foot and guarantee the outcome.

I also knew magician in Edinburgh who carried a double-headed coin and a double-tailed coin so he could flip and win no matter what side was called.

I remember watching him perform this feat and was amazed that no one noticed that for heads, he always flipped the coin from the left hand and for tails he always flipped from the right.

People assumed he only had one coin, but his secret was to have a coin in each hand, so he never even bothered to switch the coins!

Ricky Jay, in a quick item for Simon Drake’s excellent early 90s TV show The Secret Cabaret suggested an even smarter use of a double-headed coin where he would propose flipping a silver dollar to decide who paid for dinner and invite his companion to call it while the coin was still in the air.

If they called tails, the coin was sure to land heads up and the sucker would pay the cheque but if they called heads, Ricky would catch the coin and return it to his pocket, claiming it was just a joke to see if they would play along then proposed splitting the cheque as normal.

This was a simple swindle but an ingenious construction that might gain a sizeable advantage on the number of free meals a hustler might win in a year.

Other gaffs include coins that have had their edges expertly filed and re-milled so that when spun, they might land on a preferred side more often than not.

Professional hustlers can make these with simple tools, though I’ve seen poorly made examples in joke shops that are almost impossible to make land the other way!

But the best controlled flip did not use mechanical shoes, gaffed coins or even controlled tosses and yet, over time, many millions were won by the master coin flipper of all time.

Meet “The Flipper”

As a con man, “The Flipper” has succeeded in creating his own legend with almost no personal details being revealed and much of what I learned about him came from second or third-hand accounts.

Details of what he could do with a coin soon began to baffle me because it seemed impossible that anyone could control a coin under the circumstances being described.

The Flipper didn’t just toss a coin and slap it on the back of his hand; he span it high into the air then tossed it unseen under a cup or even an upended trash can.

Sometimes he allowed others to spin the coin – often borrowed and freely examinable at any point.

I was baffled by these stories because I assumed he simply had to be controlling the outcome, but this was not always the case (though I’m certain he was also a master of all the methods previously described).

In fact, a controlled flip would be a disadvantage for the Flipper’s purposes because when he tossed a coin, it was never to win a free lunch or a few dollars.

When the Flipper flipped a coin, thousands of dollars would ride on the outcome.

The Flipper’s Secret

So if the flip was fair, how did the Flipper cheat?

When a coin was tossed, the outcome was truly random but what happened to the coin after the flip is where the Flipper’s genius excelled.

No matter if coin landed heads-up or tails-up or whether he threw it a hundred yards away onto an empty field, ricocheting into a trash can or under his own foot – that coin never flipped again.

The Flipper’s process of trapping the coin in a seemingly fair manner so it couldn’t be controlled, allowed him (by sense of touch) to tell if the coin was heads up or tails up and then keep it that way while placing it into a seemingly fair position for people to then gamble on the outcome.

This meant that he alone knew for certain what the outcome was before any bets were made and since he would be the bookie for the bets that were taken, he had the ultimate advantage.

From that moment, he would take bets on heads and tails but make absolutely sure he took more losing bets than winning bets since he already knew the outcome.

The Flipper’s skill and showmanship gave him a powerful advantage and he would often have dozens of people betting on the toss of a coin, each winning and losing according to an obviously random and fair coin toss but thanks to already knowing the result and being able to retain that result in a theatrical and convincing manner, the Flipper was guaranteed to make money.

Shill Work

The Flipper also worked with shills who bet money on the winning side so the Flipper could encourage more bets from suckers on the other side of the coin.

An expert shill might bet on heads after receiving a signal on the Flipper then offer odds to anyone who would bet against him, so pushing all the suckers towards the losing option.

There are so many ways to manipulate a crowd once the outcome is certain that the Flipper probably made millions during his ‘career’ but what became of him is unknown and in a dozen years of asking and searching, I am yet to even learn his name.

And while not as popular as it once was, surrender can be found in some land-based casinos, and on many online casinos and electronic table games.

What Is Surrender In Blackjack?

Surrender is simply an optional rule in blackjack that allows you to give up half your bet after you have seen your first two cards and the dealer up card.

If your hand has less than a 50 percent chance of winning against the dealer, then it’s time to consider surrender.

There are two types of surrender rules, referred to as either early or late surrender.

We will discuss both, though early surrender is increasingly difficult to find in its original form, where it hasn’t been diluted by other less advantageous rule changes.

Early Surrender

Early surrender allows you the option to surrender half your bet before the dealer checks the hole card for blackjack. This has a tremendous effect on house advantage as players can give up half their bet on bad hands vs. a dealer’s ace up card.

Early surrender was a byproduct of some questionable decisions by the Casino Control Commission and early operators in Atlantic City, New Jersey, in the late 70s when casinos first became legal there.

Hoping liberal rules might lure players, and not wanting the dealers to peek at their hole card due to possible collusion, they came up with this new version of surrender.

With a .6 percent blow to the casino’s house edge, even basic strategy players had a slight advantage.

In fact, this rule change was so disastrous that in 1981 then New Jersey Governor Byrne had to step in and uphold the New Jersey Casino Control Commission’s decision to bypass the regular public hearing process, as they believed continuing the early surrender rule for the 60 days normally required for public comment posed an “imminent peril” for casino operators.

Such a potent rule variation is seldom seen today in land-based casinos.

If you find it online, it’s best to carefully check all the house rules as they are likely to have been tweaked to make up for the loss to the house edge.

If the rules seem reasonable you will want to surrender 14, 15 or 16 when the dealer has a 10 up.

If the dealer has an ace, you will want to surrender hard 5, 6, 7 and 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, and 17.

If the dealer hits soft 17, you will also want to surrender hard 4.

Late Surrender

Late surrender differs from early surrender in that you can only forfeit your hand and lose half your bet AFTER the dealer checks his hand for blackjack.

This dramatically reduces the effectiveness of the surrender option to something like .05 to .1 percent.

That doesn’t sound like much, but consider that on a 6 deck shoe with loose house rules, the edge drops from .42 percent to .35 percent or almost 20 percent overall when late surrender is used optimally.

So late surrender can be another tool to help us decrease house edge when it’s available.

While it should be an easy option to spot at online casinos or e-tables, in land-based casinos it is seldom displayed on table signage or elsewhere.

Your best bet may be to ask the dealer if the surrender option is available and if it’s late surrender or early.

If that wasn’t confusing enough, not all casinos use the same hand signals for surrender in blackjack.

Generally speaking, you should draw a horizontal line behind your bet with your index finger, while verbally announcing surrender.

This applies to blackjack games dealt out of a shoe.

In casinos with handheld games, procedures for surrender may differ, so when in doubt it’s best to ask your dealer the proper etiquette for surrendering your hand. They will be happy to walk you through it.

You will want to surrender any hands where you don’t have at least a 50 percent chance of winning against the dealer’s up card.

But this will be influenced by house rules such as hit or stand on soft 17 and by the number of decks in play.

Here is a quick summary of late surrender rules:

• If the dealer has a 9 up, you should only ever surrender if dealt a 16. And then only if the game has four or more decks.

• If the dealer has a 10, then you should always surrender if you have a 16, and also surrender all 15s unless it’s a single deck game.

• If the dealer has an ace, things become complicated by whether the house hits soft 17 or stands.

• If they stand on all 17s, always surrender 16 no matter how many decks are in play. If they hit soft 17, you should surrender 15, 16 and 17 regardless of the number of decks.

Total Dependent vs Composition Dependent

The rules of play outlined above are for what is called ‘total dependent’, meaning you are only interested in the totals of your first two cards in order to make a surrender decision.

There are rules for ‘composition dependent’ surrender, meaning for instance if you are dealt a 9, 6 vs an 8, 7. While both total 15, they are composed of different groupings of cards.

If you analyze this using composition dependent rules for the single deck game, you should surrender 9, 6 but play out an 8, 7.

There is more than a dozen such exceptions, and it can be quite confusing for those starting out with surrender options in blackjack.

The small advantage gained is probably not worth the added difficulty, and best left to more seasoned players.

So that’s a basic summary of early and late surrender and the basic rules for gaining the most edge in blackjack. When used properly, these will help you keep more of your money and stay in the game longer.

If you’re ever unsure, you can also refer to our handy blackjack strategy charts which tell you your best next move. You can also check out our other helpful guides:

• When to hit in blackjack
• When to double down in blackjack
• When to split in blackjack
• And even how to deal in blackjack

One place you’ll often find them sharing their tips is on Reddit. To save you the time of trawling through the various AMA threads and other subreddits, we’ve collected all the most common bits of advice and compiled them into one handy article.

These tips offer excellent insights into what to expect at a casino, and how to come out ahead. Or at least have the best time.

1. Don’t Play The Slots Next To The Bathroom

The legal payout percentage is based on the house, not individual machines. So some machines, even with the same games you’ll find elsewhere in the casino, will pay out less than others.

For example, slots near toilets often have the lowest payout because the casino knows you’ll take a seat while waiting for someone.

2. Only Use Your Player’s Card For Extended Sessions

Casinos calculate an Average Day Trip (ADT) to determine how much you’re worth as a patron.

The more you spend in general, the better the comps and promotions a casino will offer you.

Using the card on a quick session where you only spend $20 could drive your ADT down and reduce your promos.

3. Don’t Hate On The Dealers

Too often players assume that the dealer, as the face of the house at the casino, wants them to lose.

But most dealers know that players who win are likely to give them a nice tip.

So, whether you’re winning or losing, respect the dealer and enjoy the fun they add to the experience.

Remember to tip them. And don’t treat them like the enemy!

4. Never Take Any Side Bets

According to one casino employee of Reddit: “All sidebets are horrible odds. Don’t do them unless you plan on losing your money anyways.”

This was always apparent for insurance bets in blackjack, but across the board the dealers say not to take those extra side wagers, even if the payouts sound worthwhile, such as with the 21+3 or rummy side bet.

5. Play Video Casino Games To Get Free Drinks Faster

Bartenders can see how much money you put into the video games.

So, if you’re playing at a casino that doesn’t just automatically comp drinks to all players, put in $100 when you sit down at the machine and don’t try to flag down the bartender.

Make small bets and appear to settle in. Soon the bartender will come around and ask for your order.

Keep making small bets until they return with your drink, then tip them and cash out. Repeat at different bars.

6. Get A Player’s Card To Get An Instant Room Discount

Planning a trip to Las Vegas? Sign up for a player’s card!

The rates for rooms are usually 10-20 percent cheaper depending on availability, and all you need to get a casino room rate is to have the club card.

Of course, if you stay and play, you might end up getting the room comped, too.

7. Spend More Money And You Might Get A Grill Or Panini Maker

Across Reddit there are stories of people using player’s cards to get rewards.

Beyond comps for rooms and meals, many loyalty members get gifts including George Foreman grills, panini makers, pasta cookers and other kitchen equipment.

And as one Redditor has pointed out: “Bitches love paninis.”

8. It’s Okay To Ask The Dealer For Advice

Part of dealer training is to not only know all the rules, but to also be friendly and helpful to newcomers.

Always wanted to learn craps? Wondering whether to split or not in blackjack? Just ask your dealer.

They get paid whether the house wins or loses, so they will give you honest advice based on much more experience than the random player sitting next to you.

Just make sure to tip them.

9. Bring Your Printed Strategy Card

Worried about learning whether to stand, hit, split, or double in blackjack? Just find a winning strategy guide and print it out.

You may need to check with the dealer, but most casinos allow them or even encourage them as they want you to have fun and stay for as long as possible.

Just make sure it’s actually printed on paper, and not on your smart device, as that’s not allowed.

10. Play Craps For The Best Odds

Read through enough AMA threads on Reddit from casino dealers and you’ll note a trend, they all start by dealing blackjack but recommend that gamblers play craps.

While ideal play in blackjack can have some of the best odds in the casino, they are convinced that craps is actually the best.

Maybe it’s finally time to figure out that game, or ask the dealer!

If you enjoyed reading this, you’ll love our similar piece on the craziest things we learned about casinos on Reddit:

As discussed there, the need to control 51 percent of a currency’s ledger record means that the bigger (and faster) a network is, the harder it is to access the necessary nodes and keep up with updates.

My conclusion (and I’m essentially a noob) was that the coins themselves are difficult to hack, but what about individual holdings such as software-based wallets or online accounts?

That’s where real digital danger lies.

In this article, I’m going to lay out the most common threats to your digital pocketbook.

Nothing New Here

For the most part, cryptocurrencies are just another item of value and like many other digital items, access to where records are held can be enough to defeat our individual (often inept) security measures.

Like your online bank account, if someone can gain access to that account with your details and password, they might easily steal all of your money with a click of a keyboard.

The methods used to do this are not dissimilar to how local crypto wallets (stored on a device) or remote exchange accounts might be compromised.

To gain access to your funds, thieves can take several approaches from stealing your ID or password to convincing you to send the funds yourself.

If you have a healthy interest in all things deceptive, these tactics will be quite familiar.

The fact that most digital currencies are unregulated creates a Wild West aspect that attracts online bandits and offers them a degree of impunity compared to other forms of theft.

As a result, the diversity of thinking from this new generation of fraudsters can create remarkably complex or elegantly simple methods for taking your money.

How They Find You

With any con game, knowing what a potential target wants is the foundation upon which most scams are built but scammers also need to target victims with treasure that’s worth stealing.

Online profiling can create a catalogue of viable crypto investors simply by trawling forums, video comments and social media groups while collecting any available data from these sources.

With your email, phone number and real name, scammers can attack people in several ways so fostering a disposal identity that’s difficult to connect to your own might be a good strategy in terms of protecting your true identity.

I don’t particularly care for anonymous online interaction since it tends to foster negative discussions, insults, lies and general bad behavior but when it comes to not revealing yourself as a target for thieves, an alter-ego might not be such a bad idea when publicly discussing financial matters.

I leave that up to you but please, act responsibly.

An important factor is that there are a lot of new investors vulnerable to many forms of attack and crypto seems to attract a certain type of investor who tends to be overconfident in the face of much more sophisticated adversaries.

Like a brand-new chess player convinced they could hold their own against a grandmaster when in fact, they’re almost certain to lose; whereas a more intelligent beginner might have the self-awareness to recognize when they’re sitting opposite a superior opponent and expect the inevitable.

This is nothing new and poker players everywhere have learned the hard lessons of hubris only to take full advantage when tables are turned later in their playing careers!

How They Get You

An exhaustive list or description of methods might fill a book so take these are merely examples of how scams might catch you. You should always be aware that new variations are common.

You will hopefully recognize all of these tactics from other types of scams but that does little to help if you don’t remain vigilant when trading online and accept that you might be outplayed and outgunned if you fall into a well-concealed trap.

1. Pretenders

Traditional methods like phishing, where an email or online communications trick people into accessing bogus sites and/or installing (openly or secretly) malware onto their devices remain successful.

No matter how hard we try, there will always be a link we shouldn’t have clicked or a page we shouldn’t have opened.

A key component to the success of phishing is timing and while billions of emails might be sent in the hope that a few will fall into a victim’s inbox just after they’ve spoken to the bank or company being emulated; crypto scams can make excellent use of data trawled from the sources previously mentioned and be almost tailored to individual recipients.

A powerful tactic is to find subscribers to certain websites, channels or individuals and then spoof these sources to make it look like you are talking to someone you may already trust.

Recently, multiple celebrities were hacked and their online identities used to advertise a giveaway of cryptocurrency where any amount of crypto sent to them would be doubled and quickly returned.

Of course this sounds like a scam, but the fact it came from verified sources (apparently) gave it enough credibility and inherent trust in these famous accounts trapped lots of people into foolishly sending their money.

2. Infestment Opportunities

Malware can come from many sources and now that the incentive to hunt and steal digital currency is high, don’t think that dodgy emails or texts are the only ways to get past your personal security measures.

Genuine software updates from major companies have had viruses incorporated at source and it’s only a matter of time before one of the big two operating systems has a disastrous event baked into its own code that might trigger before it can be recognized.

Hardware is also a very real danger and anything you plug into your computer might have something unexpected lurking inside.

Personally, I’m hyper cautious about all USB sticks and hard drives to the point where I would prefer to use one device purely for financial matters and protect it from all other unnecessary software or hardware.

I recently heard of a USB flash drive company sending tens of thousands of sticks to corporate clients, each with a virus on board waiting to find the right conditions for a digital heist.

It’s easy to become super-paranoid but a little paranoia is warranted in the face of unwanted parasites infesting seemingly legitimate products and providers.

3. Online Imposters

Unsurprisingly, fake websites have become increasingly common as a way to facilitate various types of crypto theft and these sites might run for hours, days or months before recycling into a different form with a similar name.

Fake websites might be a complete copy of a recognized legitimate site but with a tweaked URL to fool those who don’t double check such things and still click through from emails.

Social Engineering attacks often direct people to these bogus sites and encourage them to create accounts or enter details that might be useful elsewhere.

This type of attack uses human-to-human (apparently) engagement to gain trust or manipulate people into giving sensitive information or taking actions that compromise their personal online security.

You can check these sites for yourself with services like Crunchbase but if you don’t know what you’re doing or have any reason to doubt, my advice is to stick with well-known exchange sites and always check the URL you’re using.

Your Best Defense?

As Mr. Miyagi says, the best defense is to “no be there”.

I’d caution anybody about getting too deeply and too openly involved in any financial venture without learning as much as you can about what’s safe and what’s not and to always recognize that the less you know, the more vulnerable you are.

Make sure your passwords are as strong as possible and be equally careful with password recovery methods that should be as strong as the password itself.

Think of it this way: if you have a 50-digit password with numerals, letters and symbols but your password can be recovered by knowing the name of your dog or grandmother’s maiden name, you’re not as safe as you think you are.

By using two-factor authentication on all your accounts, tracking all wallet or exchange activity, deleting any remote access software that might be on your devices and using advance phrase recovery for your accounts, you minimize the chances of being scammed.

And of course, make sure your anti-virus software is up to date on any devices you use for financial purposes.

Such steps will make you a harder target but if hackers smell blood in the water and concentrate their efforts on any one of us, it’s only a matter of time before they break through.

And if you do get hit, stop all activity immediately, reset passwords and report it immediately to your brokerage.

If at all possible, have a trusted, verifiable source for advice on how to navigate the minefield of cryptocurrencies.

As always, bar bets, proposition bets and betchas are like jokes or stunts with money on the line and should be presented as such.

Make it clear your friends will win back anything they lose once they know the secret and only bet what your friends can afford to lose.

1. Which Is Taller?

For this, you need a pint glass, a thick pile of drinks coasters (bar mats), a napkin and plenty of hustle.

I perform this at the bar, where the coasters are stacked nearby or grab a pile and take them to the table.

I ask someone which they think is greater, the circumference of the mouth of the pint glass OR the height of the glass.

Many will immediately say the height, but clever folk might reason that the two could be similar and bet on the circumference. So to make it interesting, I add a few coasters under the glass to increase the height.

Now the height of the glass plus the coasters must be greater so people will be inclined to bet on the height. I then add more coasters until the combined height is obviously much more than the distance around the mouth of the glass.

During this process, it’s up to you to cajole people into betting.

I often present it as proof that even when the odds are obviously in people’s favour they are too scared to take a simple bet, even for low stakes like the price of a drink and to prove all of this I offer to pay 2/1 for anyone who bets on the height of the glass.

The logic seems to explain why you are making it impossible to lose and eventually people will bet a drink or a pound on the height of the glass (plus coasters) being greater than the circumference of the mouth of the glass.

NOTE: This is where the hustle lies and it’s where you can tease people a little but also make it clear that the only way to find out what happens is to take the bet.

Using the napkin, measure the height of the glass on top of the coasters, then move the glass to the bar and measure the circumference.

So long as you checked earlier how many coasters you can safely place under the glass, the circumference will always be a LOT more than the height of the glass itself and even more than when combined with the coasters.

This also works with tall thin glasses (without being able to add so many coasters) but always check first just in case.

2. The Traveling Olive

This is an oldie, a goodie and an opportunity to scam people who know the secret.

Get a little black thread and piece of tape and carry those in your pocket when going to the bar or pub or a friend’s house (I used to loop some around a credit card and stick the tape to the card, which was easy to remove and use.

Secretly attach the thread to the bottom of a beer mat and replace the coaster on the table. So long as it’s a dark surface, the thread won’t be seen.

Otherwise, place the coaster near the edge of the table so the thread dangles over the edge and can be easily grabbed later.

The following betcha works without this set-up but it affords you a terrific opportunity to have some fun with people even if they know this bet (or can work it out).

The challenge is to move an olive from one coaster to another when the coasters are several inches apart and without touching the olive with their hands.

The only thing they can use is a brandy glass, but they can only turn it over (end for end) ONCE.

The secret is to place the glass mouth-down over the olive on the coaster and then make circles with the glass until the olive is propelled up into the glass, rotating inside thanks to the circular action.

The glass can now be moved, still making those circles, to the other coaster where the olive drops after successfully completing its journey.

A little practice at home will show how the circular action scoops the olive into the glass as it spins inside, and that action is easy to maintain as you move to the second coaster.

SO— what about that thread?

Whether you run into someone who already knows this bet or decide to prank someone who just learned it, the thread is a great way to pull another fast one.

Once they pick up the olive inside the glass, wait until they get close to the second coaster and slowly pull the thread, so the coaster moves away!

This will surprise them so much they stop spinning or mess it up so the olive falls (or flies) out.

No need to hide the thread; show everyone and take a bow (and several free drinks).

3. Seven And Three

This is such a simple bet but one of my favourites since it’s earned me several free lunches.

When arriving at a diner or restaurant, ask for three shot glasses and change of a dollar or pound (or whatever) so you have 10 identical coins.

Tell your victims they need to use all 10 coins and all three glasses – and they must place an odd number of coins into each glass.

Tell them if they can do so, you’ll buy dinner and if they can’t they have to buy yours.

The secret is easy but be prepared for complaints: place three coins into two glasses and four into the third glass before stacking one of the shot glasses with three coins inside the glass with four coins.

Two glasses now contain three coins and the other contains seven (in total)!

4. Hat Trick

If you wear a hat, this is a funny bet that works but be prepared to dodge the occasional slap or punch.

Cover a filled shot glass with your hat and take a straw claiming you can drink from the glass without touching the hat.

Allow some time for your suckers to consider all the options then, once the bet is accepted, lean under the table with the straw and make noises as if drinking through the straw.

Sit upright, replace the straw on the table and say “done!”

Wait for someone to lift the hat and prove you wrong and as soon as they do, pick up the glass and drink!

True to your word, you never needed to touch the hat…

Compared to the record-breaking events of last year, 2021 has been relatively quiet on the US political betting front. Some calm after the storm and a chance for everyone to catch a breath.

With Donald Trump expected to return to the campaign trail any day soon, expect the drama to resume.

‘The Donald’ drove the growth of political betting like no other.

Turnout on Betfair rose nearly fifty-fold between the 2012 and 2020 presidential elections. It is not unreasonable, therefore, to expect the all-time record for any single betting event, ￡2.5BN ($3.5BN), to be smashed.

Both Donald And Ivanka Are Popular For 2024

If you want to bet early, there are plenty of 2024 lines open.

Trump is trading in third place across the industry, with a best price of 9.4 available on Betfair. At 4.0, he’s a firm favorite to be the Republican Nominee.    

Of those two, the nominee bet makes superior sense. Whilst he remains overwhelmingly popular amongst the Republicans who will decide their nominee, Trump remains deeply unpopular with a majority of US voters.

In my view, he’d start a big outsider in a rematch with Biden.

Both bets of course involve a large amount of risk, as he isn’t certain to participate.

Assuming that he intends to run, the more immediate question involves when he will announce.

Here, PredictIt offers a couple of markets on the date – prior to 2022 or 2023. Its current odds currently reflect 12% and 37% chances respectively.

My view here is that he’s in no hurry.

I don’t doubt his appetite, but the decision will probably depend on (a) how well he’s faring in polls and (b) how tied up he is with legal stress.

I don’t expect good news for him on either front.

Will Trump Be Indicted?

After four years trying to get Trump’s tax returns and financial records for an investigation, Manhattan DA Cyrus Vance finally won at the Supreme Court.

A grand jury is now sitting and a decision whether to indict is likely within months. 

Some bookies are offering odds that Trump is indicted before the end of 2021. That also covers any other criminal charges.

For example, Georgia’s AG is investigating his publicized telephone call asking Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to find 11,000 votes, or various unresolved loose ends, related to the Russia scandal or Mueller Report.

The Georgia case looks particularly threatening.

So if you want to back Trump for long-term targets such as 2024, it probably makes sense to back one of these earlier targets, such as to run.

Or even to avoid indictment, as that would surely have a negative effect on the later odds. If the first hurdle is passed, play up the winnings on the next.

This strategy will pay bigger odds overall.

Congress Run Looks Under-Priced

One idea gaining traction involves first running for Congress.

Find a Republican-friendly district in Florida where the incumbent would happily stand aside – scandal-hit Matt Gaetz’s district, for example – and which would be certain to elect him.

When the idea was mentioned in a radio interview last week, Trump was very enthusiastic.

Being in Congress would provide Trump a new platform. A new megaphone to replace the social media sites, from which he is still banned. Republicans could elect him as Speaker of the House of Representatives, thus elevating him to third in line for the presidency. 

The plan could therefore be for Republicans to win the House at the mid-terms – currently around a 2 in 3 chance according to the betting.

They would then have the numbers to impeach President Biden, conjuring up spurious charges if necessary. If losing the presidential race but retaining the House in 2024, Trump could block the certification.

Bettors aren’t yet convinced.

PredictIt offers a market that Trump will either be on a GOP primary ballot for 2022 or any seat.

‘Yes’ is currently available to buy at just 8 cents – equivalent to odds of 12.5.

Return Of Rallies To Spark More Gambles

I reckon there’s juice in those odds.

Trump thrives off his rallies and so do his supporters. We saw an extraordinary surge of cash for him following the Republican Convention and again once his election rallies ramped up.

Once they restart, (perhaps around July 4), I expect a repeat across these various markets.

This plan to run for Congress will get more of an airing. His supporters will love it and so will his entourage. Trump will love teasing them and the media. A new election campaign would ensure tens of millions of donations.

What’s not to like? 

Republicans would worry that his presence would hurt their mid-term chances and motivate Democrats but hardly anybody in the GOP will stand up to Trump.

I recommend buying these PredictIt shares cheap at 8. If it looked likely, the price would move instantly to 90 plus.

That is the extent of my pro-Trump betting at this stage, though.

I’ve said for five years that the Republicans were on a suicide mission by embracing him and far-right politics.

Nothing has changed.

His brand is toxic to a majority and fixed.

Wider events, from potential indictments to the ongoing prosecutions of his supporters for the January 6 insurrection, will damage him further. 

But so long as Trump wants the political limelight, the Republicans will placate his ambitions.

And so long as these conversations persist, so will the betting opportunities.

Lead image: Gage Skidmore

How can you anticipate these future scams and protect yourself?

The Numbers Game

Be a con artist.

Okay, not really.

I don’t mean BE a con artist; what I really mean is that you should learn to think like one.

If you’re a gambler, why not look at scams from a similar perspective?

What are the chances any of us might be targeted and what are the chances we might avoid getting caught out and escape a hustler’s trap?

Pickpockets we can control by adjusting our choices of where we go, what we carry and how we carry it. Make it obvious and easy in a busy public place well-known for pocket pinchers and the odds of us getting ripped off go way up.

Take a taxi, blend into your environment and protect your belongings somewhere neither obvious or easy to access and the odds swing into your favour.

In other words: we control the conditions of the game.

But not always.

Our luggage might be stolen while in transit but even here our choice of suitcase can lower the likelihood of having it “go missing”.

A friend once told me her entire Louis Vuitton luggage set was stolen from a hotel baggage room despite holding nothing but cheap clothes and shoes.

The bags themselves, of course, were brand new and worth a fortune so even if they were filled with dirty socks, the thieves were guaranteed a score once they aired out her sweaty bags.

My friend took some satisfaction in the fact that the bags were actually fake but as I pointed out, they looked real-enough to be worth stealing and she might still have her belongings if she’d bought some genuine, less ostentatious luggage that isn’t just begging to be stolen.

There’s A Scam For That

Common theft can target anyone but each of is vulnerable to specific scams associated with our businesses or leisure activities.

Do you play the stock market? There’s a scam for that.

Do you use online banking? There’s a scam for that.

Do you carry “no-contact” credit cards? There’s a scam for that.

Do you gamble online? You guessed it— there’s a scam for that, too.

If you follow these articles, you’re probably hip to many scams that might affect you but as I recently pointed out, the COVID-19 pandemic has opened countless doors of opportunity to criminals and it’s impossible to keep abreast of every wrinkle on any swindle that’s out there.

Each of us needs to watch our own backs to some extent so while taking the time to search the internet or read articles like this one, a powerful protective strategy is to jump the fence and see your own situation from the other side of the tracks.

Be Your Own Hustler

If you ever need to know how vulnerable your home is to burglars, try to break in sometime and you’ll soon find out how easy it is to get inside.

Similarly, whenever presented with new processes for business transactions, gambling scenarios or day-to-day activities, ask yourself: how would I take advantage of that if I happened to be a crook?

With so many meetings taking place over online conference providers, it’s not hard to believe that extremely sensitive corporate, personal or political conversations are happening all the time and are therefore ripe pickings for anyone who can break into those calls.

Security has been beefed up across the industry with passwords, two-factor authentication and encryption offering confidence to clients around the world.

But while those clients are talking on a perfectly secure conference platform, what other devices, apps or software is available for motivated hackers and thieves to take advantage of?

Perhaps our phones could be listening to the call we are making on our laptop.

Just a few months ago, a ubiquitous piece of software proved easy to use as a way to connect to any user and open their microphone and while that flaw may have been identified before it could be used, the chances are excellent there are plenty of other back doors or trap doors out there.

Perhaps if we know where a target might be, we could simply climb a tree, point a piece of hardware at their home-office window and listen the old-fashioned way?

Maybe we can mail them a gift with a cellular device hidden inside.

Stay Fresh

I ruminate on all of these possibilities based on any activity I find myself participating in and I recommend you do too.

And while most of us are now familiar with Zoom and Skype and FaceTime and Facebook calls, I remain hyper-aware that this new trend has opened up a buffet of opportunities for anyone seeking to do wrong for fun or profit.

In my country (Scotland) we’ve all been asked to install a Test & Trace app to help control and monitor the spread of COVID-19 and while I’m glad to comply for those reasons, I can’t help but wonder how secure these apps are in the long run or if there’s already an available method to take advantage of.

Reading through the instructions for these apps, there’s a brief warning about scams and what might happen, but I can quickly conceive of how many opportunities are now available to con artists able to weasel their own logic around new and unfamiliar procedures.

It beggars belief that governments or companies don’t take more time to consult on the feasibility of deception. 

Just as white hat hackers can help identify potential means of attack or existing weaknesses in a system, experts on deception can spot potential opportunities for those with a criminal mindset.

Only you really know your own vulnerabilities and while most of us are susceptible in similar ways, it’s worth paying attention to anything that might be particular to your own online or real-world activity and either educate yourself or assess your own weaknesses by thinking from the other side of the tracks.

Why wait to get caught out when you can be your own con artist; after all, you know more about your potential weaknesses than almost anyone.

For more tips and tricks to keep you safe from scammers, check out:

On top of the possibility of winning big money, the Main Event also offers a unique experience to rub elbows with the best of the best and potentially play a few pots with those players you’ve watched and admired for years.

But, as you’re probably aware, this experience doesn’t come cheap.

The buy-in alone is $10,000, then you’ve got all the other expenses connected to traveling to Las Vegas and staying there for a week or so.

So, what’s the best and cheapest way to get yourself into the Main Event?

We’ll discuss a few viable options in this article, and depending on your particular situation, you can figure out which one works best for you.

Option 1: WSOP Main Event Satellites

The simplest and the most accessible option for most players wanting to get their seat in the Main Event at a discount is playing satellites.

With this being the biggest and the most popular poker event of the year, you’ll have no problems finding heaps of satellite events, both online and at various live venues.

Of course, depending on where you live, online might be your only option.

But, if you’re looking to save money, online satellites are probably the best option as well, simply because you can start your quest for the Main Event seat with a fairly small bankroll.

Many poker rooms feature step satellites that start with buy-ins as low as $1.

If you finish in the money, you’ll progress to the next tournament, and so forth. Eventually, you’ll get to the main satellite, where a certain number of players will receive the Main Event entry.

To make things even better, rooms will often cover travel and accommodation expenses for their qualifiers.

If you have a bit of extra cash, but not exactly the 10 grand you need, you can always find more expensive satellites online or at live venues.

For example, in a $500 Main Event satellite, one in every 20 players will get a seat, which isn’t that unrealistic at all. If you’re already a decent player, you have decent odds of qualifying in two or three attempts, saving a lot of money.

If you’re serious about playing in the Main Event and have plans to do it, there is absolutely no downside to playing satellites.

Even if you have the money to pay the buy-in in full, jumping in a few satellite events to try and get in for cheaper is a good idea.

This is especially true for more experienced players as you’ll come across many amateurs who don’t really know how to play these types of tournaments, and you’ll be able to take advantage of their mistakes.

Even Chris Moneymaker got his seat through an online satellite, and if that didn’t happen, he most certainly wouldn’t have entered the Main Event and won a couple of million, which changed the poker landscape forever.

Tip: For those not as experienced, it’s probably a good idea to read up or watch some strategy videos for satellite tournaments before you set off on your journey.

Understanding how these events differ from traditional events and what kind of adjustments you need to make will be invaluable.

Option 2: Set Up A Home Game Qualifier

If you have a group of poker buddies who you play with in home games regularly, all of you probably share the dream of playing in the Main Event. If you put your money and your imagination together, you might be able to send one person from the group to “represent” you on the big stage.

The $10,000 amount may seem steep, but if there are seven or eight people working together towards that goal and if you start early enough, it’s not impossible.

For example, you could set up a weekly league with the buy-in of $50. All funds are collected and put aside, while all players are rewarded points for their performance in the tournaments.

If there were eight of you, that’s $400 a week, so it would take you about half a year to collect enough money to fund one Main Event entry.

The person with the best score at the end of the league would be the one traveling to Vegas and playing for all the marbles.

Be sure to agree on all the terms beforehand. Since you’re all putting in money and effort, everyone should get a slice of any potential Main Event winnings. For example, the person playing gets 50 percent of their winnings, while the other 50 percent is shared equally by the rest of you.

Tip: Get it all in writing.

On the off-chance that the person going to Vegas ends up playing for millions, it’s probably best to have all the details written down and signed. You don’t want your buddy to have a change of heart when they realize they’re supposed to part with two or three million.

One small problem with this approach is that you’ll need someone to handle the organization: creating tournaments, keeping track of the score, and, of course, taking care of the money.

The effort will pay off in the end, as even if you don’t end up winning, the experience of sweating your buddy in the Main Event and knowing you might be up for a handsome payday if they manage to make a deep run will make it well worth it.

Option 3: Secure WSOP Main Event Staking

Another very popular way to play in the Main Event for cheap or even for free is through a staking deal.

This essentially means that someone else will pay your buy-in, and in exchange, you’ll agree to give them a share of whatever you win.

Staking is a very viable option for established players, and many pros have regular backers who trust their skills and cover many of their tournament entries.

Although they give up some of their profits, these players agree to such deals because they decrease variance and can play their best game not worrying about money.

If you’re an amateur with no track record to show, though, it will probably be hard to get someone to stake you for $10,000.

But, if you’re really eager to play, there’s no harm in asking around.

If you happen to have a wealthy relative or a friend who knows you’re a decent poker player, you can ask them if they’d be interested in backing you for the Main Event.

Ideally, they should know at least a bit about poker, or else it will feel like you’re asking them to blow their money on a roulette spin.

If this isn’t an option, you can also get involved with poker forums and communities and look for some possibilities. Don’t get your hopes up too much as there is plenty of demand and a limited supply, but don’t let that discourage you, either.

People willing to stake someone $10,000 for the Main Event will be looking for someone who can play decent poker and, perhaps equally as important, someone they can trust.

Should an opportunity present itself, be prepared to honestly answer any questions your potential backer might have, and don’t be surprised if they ask for a big cut of profits if you win some money.

After all, they’re taking all the risk while you get to have all the fun.

Since you’re not a poker pro and this is your one-off shot, even if you get to keep only 25 percent of your winnings, it’s a decent deal.

And, if you show yourself trustworthy and honest, the same person might be up for putting you in some more tournaments in the future.

Option 4: Sell Main Event Shares

If you can’t get a full staking deal, you might be able to sell a percentage of your Main Event performance. In the poker world, this is known as “selling shares.”

For example, you pay $5,000 of your own money and then gather $5,000 from one or several people to cover the other half.

In this scenario, you keep half of your winnings. The other half is distributed to those who bought shares depending on how much they invested at the start.

This is something you can do even if you’re a complete amateur, so long as you have a nice group of friends who believe in your skills.

You’re not asking anyone to put up a huge amount. Instead, you can ask multiple people to invest $50, $100, or more – depending on how much they can afford and are willing to risk. You explain to them what they can expect back, and then they decide if they’re interested or not.

Given that the Main Event is a bit like a lottery in that it can potentially produce a substantial return on even a small investment, people might be interested.

An alternative way to go about this is to sell your Main Event package on one of the poker shares websites.

There are quite a few around these days, so you’ll have no problem finding a place to do it.

The problem is, much like staking, you probably won’t have much luck with selling shares online if you’re not a well-known player and don’t have results that show that you actually have an edge in the tournament.

You’ll probably have more luck convincing people who know you to take the risk over a bunch of strangers on the internet.

Of course, you can combine both.

You can sell shares for the same tournament live and online. Just keep track of all the money you receive and all the reservations someone asks you to keep.

Be warned that this can be a bit tedious, and some people might have a change of heart along the way.

How you handle these situations is entirely up to you. It’s probably not worth losing a friend over a hundred bucks, though, so if someone wants out before the tournament starts, just accommodate them and find someone else to cover the difference or do it yourself.

Option 5: Freeroll Your Way In

There are ways to get into the Main Event without spending a single cent, and without asking for money from anyone – but these aren’t guaranteed.

Many large online rooms organize freeroll tournaments that can result in the Main Event package where all your expenses will be paid.

However, to get your hands on such a prize, you’ll have to compete against tens of thousands of others with the same goal. You’ll need some crazy luck to emerge victorious.

Similarly, there are other free competitions and raffles giving away Main Event seats or Main Event satellite tickets.

Follow big poker operators on Twitter and keep a close eye on Twitch streams from their sponsored pros, and you’ll probably come across quite a few interesting opportunities.

These competitions often cost nothing but a few minutes of your time, so it’s a good deal.

But, just like freerolls, there’ll be thousands of others trying to do the same thing, so it is very little you can do to improve your winning chances.

The best advice we can give you is to stay persistent and to not give up.

Playing In The Main Event For Cheap – It’s Possible

Hopefully, the advice in this article has provided you with some ideas on how you could make your dream come true and play in the Main Event without spending $10,000+.

All of these options come with their pros and cons, and whatever path you choose will have a set of its own obstacles. But, if it were easy, everybody would be doing it.

Who wouldn’t want a shot at a few million for playing some cards?

The key takeaway is that it is definitely possible to get your Main Event seat for much less than it actually costs.

Of course, you’ll have to invest some time and effort and potentially give up some of your theoretical winnings, but it all boils down to how much you want it.

If it’s the Main Event experience you seek and you’re happy to give up some of your profits and don’t mind putting some effort in to make your dream come true – you can do it!

Something similar:

Lead Image: John Locher/Bleacher Report