The Gambling Weblog

Excerpted with permission from “Internet Gambling: How to Win Big Online Playing Bingo, Poker, Lotto, Slots, Sportsbetting and Much More.”  Copyright Blackdog & Leventhal, 2006.

Just as there are key facets indicative of a great online casino, quality online poker rooms have specific features that can help you to determine if the room is worthy of your attention or simply a “Johnny-come-lately” looking to take a share of the $200 million poker bonanza.  Here’s what to look for when selecting an online poker room.

Games, Games and More Games
Although the game of choice for right now is Texas Hold ‘em, you might want to try and find a site that has pushed past that singular craze to offer a selection of other not-so-trendy poker classics such as Five Card Stud, Seven Card Stud, Omaha, Omaha 8/B,
Triple Draw, Crazy Pineapple, and Five Card Draw.
Also, wherever possible you’ll want the choice of selecting from limit, pot limit, and no limit games, as well as ring, single table,  heads-up (limited to two opponents) and multi-table tournaments both with and without re-buy (purchasing more chips during play) options.

Player Volume
In addition to wanting a solid selection of games and game formats (i.e., single table, multi-table, limit, no limit, etc.,) the ideal site must also have an ample stable of players accessing the site around the clock.  Why do you want to have so many players constantly streaming in?  Because there’s nothing worse than having the itch to sit down at a table and start playing only find a room full of empty chairs.
The curse of many new poker sites is that they often lack a large enough membership to allow for continuous play.  You may have to sit and wait for quite some time—possibly even hours—just to have enough players to begin certain single table tournaments, while in established rooms with 20,000-50,000+ members the seats fill up quickly.

A Wide Range of Limits
Poker rooms differ in the betting limits, and it’s important to be able to play in a room that offers the widest possible range—something like $0.02/$0.04 to $100/$200.
The reason you want a large gap in limit structure—especially for you new players—is to be able to accurately adjust your game according to your bankroll and skill level.
Although there is some debate as to the appropriate bankroll for an online poker player, as a rule of thumb solid players want something on the order of 200 to 300 times the value of the big blind.  That means that if you want to play comfortable at a $2/$4 table you’ll need a bankroll somewhere between $800 and $1,200.  As you go along, you make adjustments to your table limit based on your bankroll and success at a particular level.
So if you’re playing—and losing—at a $1/$2 table, you might want to drop a level or two to recoup some loses and enter a game that’ll suit you better.  That’s why it’s always good to be in a room that offers the widest range of table limits.

Player Incentives
Of course, free cash is always a very nice feature that can make a big difference in your bankroll and ultimately your sustainability at the tables.  Ideally, whichever poker site you select should offer a combination of incentives to help keep your bankroll healthy throughout your play.  Standard comps include a new player bonus (initial deposit bonus), VIP points (also called “Frequent Player Points” in some sites), and monthly deposit bonuses (these are sometimes announced sporadically on sites).
As you examine each site, make a note of what comps are given out, how often you’re entitled to them, and the rules regarding their usage and availability.  Also, create a checklist and compare the comp options from site to site, to see which ones are currently offering the most lucrative rewards.  Don’t forget to take into consideration your probable play frequency as this can drastically affect the value of your comps over time.
For example, let’s suppose that site X offers a 100% deposit bonus, but no additional comps, or re-load cash for returning players.  Site Y, on the other hand, offers a 40% deposit bonus followed by an additional 20% re-load bonus every month.
Assuming you were to deposit an additional $200 each month, which site do you think offers the more lucrative program in the long run?  Take a look.

Site    Initial Deposit    New Player Bonus    Total Starting Bankroll    Monthly Bonus (for six months)    Total Comps Earned
X    $200.00    100%    $400.00    $0.00    $200.00
Y    $200.00    40%    $280.00    $40/month    $320.00

As you can see, in the end players who chose site Y are earning substantially more comps than players who went for a much larger new player bonus.  However, if you do not plan to stick around for too long and are only looking to get your feet wet online, site X with its 100% bonus would be the better option.

Multiple Banking Options
As with online casinos, a quality poker room provides ample banking options designed to suit a wide range of player preferences.  If you hate to wait for your money to reach your poker account, make sure that the site offers at least one option that provides immediate funding.

A Dedicated Support Team
Because problems can happen at any time—the server might be down during a crucial stage in a tournament, or your bankroll shows less than what you deposited—you’re going to want to be able to secure help in a moment’s notice.  The best sites offer numerous contact options that include live chat with a room host, 24/7 toll-free telephone numbers and multiple e-mail addresses.

Pleasing Graphics
Despite the technical advances, online poker rooms are not completely accurate representations of traditional poker rooms.  You don’t see live images of your opponents, can’t read their faces or watch them intently for any sign of physical tells.  You’re staring at a screen full of avatars (simulated player images) placed to represent who’s sitting at the table.  These images vary from site to site, some appearing as nothing more than bland placeholders, while in others they border on the cartoonish.
To make your play as enjoyable as possible, opt for the sites that support the best games with as realistic software are you can find.  This will help to better recreate the poker setting, adding an increased level of entertainment and comfort to the experience.

Special Features
When making your decision about which room to frequent, be sure to take into account any unique features a site offers. For example, if you’re new to the game you might like access to a strategy library where you can learn all of the subtle nuances of the game.
If your dream is to become a poker legend, you might want to factor in the availability of satellites to major terrestrial poker events such as with the World Poker Tour or the granddaddy of ‘em all, the World Series of Poker.
Online poker rooms all offer their own mix of each of these features, so be sure to note which elements are most important to you when selecting a site.

Internet Gambling: How to Win Big Online Playing Bingo, Poker, Lotto, Slots, Sportsbetting and Much More by J. Phillip Vogel is now available at www.amazon.com.

Spend some time at the craps tables and you will see and hear a host of hedges, the most common of which are hedges that increase or decrease your chances of winning or losing on the Pass Line. But are hedges really worth it?

A classic craps hedge consists of utilizing one bet to offset another bet. For example, you place a $5 Pass Line bet and then ask the dealers to give you a one-dollar “Any Craps” — 2, 3, 12 — in order to offset the possible loss of that Pass Line bet when any of the craps numbers appear.
Thus, there is no way to lose on the Pass Line by utilizing such a scheme. You’ll win $40 on the 7 and 11, which will show up eight times (on average) in 36 rolls, but you’ll lose $8 on the Any Craps, for a net gain of $32. However, when any of the craps numbers appear– and they’ll appear four times for every 36 rolls on average — you will lose $20 on the Pass Line but win $28 on the Any Craps (which pays off at 7 to 1). Therefore, the hedger is ahead of the Pass Line game at this point to the tune of $40.
However, when a point number — 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 — is rolled, the Pass Line bet does not win or lose. The shooter now has to make that point before he rolls the dreaded 7. And what of all those Any Craps bets you’ve been making for a buck? What happens to them? The 24 times on average that a point number rolls is a loser for the Any Craps bet. So, the Pass Line win is now reduced by $24. Still, by the end of the betting sequence, and in the long run, the hedger is guaranteed a win on the Pass Line come-out rolls of $16. Has our hedger successfully protected his Pass Line bet from being diminished by the craps numbers? No.

At first, advocates of hedging will be delighted to look at the above figures and see just how “protected” their Pass Line bet is by the Any Craps hedge. But can hedging advocates answer “yes” to the following question? “Will I win more or lose less by betting this way?” Sorry, you’ll lose more. Here’s why:
If you merely played the Pass Line sans hedging, you would have won $40 on the eight times the 7 and 11 appeared, lost $20 when the 2, 3 and 12 appeared; yet, you would have been ahead $20 for the full sequence in the long run. Contrast that with our hedger who wins only $16. The cost for hedging is a 20 percent reduction in our overall Pass Line come-out win in the long run. In this case hedging is a bad investment.
So, my advice is to take a pass on the Pass Line hedges.

Don’t Pass bettors can also get tangled up in the hedges in numerous ways.
Here’s one advocated by some gaming writers. Place a Don’t-Pass bet of $20 and when the point is 6 or 8, you Place bet the same number for $18. The thinking here is that if the 7 appears, you will win $20 on the Don’t Pass and lose $18 on the Place bet, giving you a $2 guaranteed profit.
However, if the either the 6 or 8 hits, you will win $21 and lose $20, giving you a guaranteed $1 profit. Overall, you’ll win $17 betting this way.
The problem with this betting scheme is obvious. When a Don’t Pass bet has made it past the come-out roll, it is the odds-on favorite to win as a 7 will appear more often than any single number. Even though the 6 or 8 will appear five times for every six appearances of the 7, the Don’t bettor is still favored to win one betting unit — in this case $20 (he’ll win six times on the 7 for $120 but lose five times on the 6 or 8 for $100).
How much will you win on the guaranteed hedge? A total of $17. That’s $3 less than had you played it straight! It is also a reduction of 15 percent in winnings. Not good.
This same hedge is also advocated for the other numbers as well, with the same dire consequences.
Again, you bet $20 on the Don’t Pass and if the 5 or 9 is the Point, you also Place bet that number for $15. If the 7 hits, you win $20 on the Don’t Pass bet, but lose $15 on the Place bet — for a guaranteed win of $5. When the Point rolls, you win $21 on the Place bet, but lose $20 on the Don’t Pass bet for a guaranteed win of $1.
So what does this all add up to? Had you simply stuck with your Don’t Pass bet on the 5 or 9, you would have won $120 when the 7 rolled and lost $80 when the 5 or 9 rolled as the 7 is a six-to-four, or three-to-two, favorite over the 5 or 9.  That’s a net win of $40. By hedging, you won $30 when the 7 rolled and $4 when the 5 or 9 rolled for a net win of $34. That’s $6 less! Your winnings have again been reduced by 15 percent because of hedging. Bad news.
The same scenario holds for the hedging of the 4 or 10. Again, you bet $20 on the Don’t Pass and if the point is 4 or 10, you Place bet that number for $15.
If a 7 hits, you will win $20 on the Don’t but lose $15 on the Place bet, for a profit of $5.  However, if the point is rolled you win $27 on your Place bet, lose $20 on your Don’t Pass bet, and wind up ahead $7 overall.
This sounds good until you take a look at what you actually would have won had you just stuck with your Don’t Pass bet of 4 or 10. You would have won $60 because the 7 is a six-to-three, or two-to-one, favorite over the  4 or 10.
You would win six times ($120), lose three (-$60) and been up $60. How much did you win with the guaranteed hedge?  You won $30 when the 7 rolled and $21 when the 4 or 10 rolled, for a win of $51. That’s $9 less! Again a reduction of 15 percent in your overall win! Just awful.
By hedging on the Don’t Pass after you have successfully maneuvered through the toughest part of Don’t betting, the come-out roll where you lose eight times for every three times that you win, you have increased your overall losses dramatically.
Now, a clever craps player might say, “Well, if that come-out roll is so dangerous to me because I lose on the 7 and 11, why don’t I just hedge my come-outs and let my numbers stand when they are up against the Point?”
This article continues with Part 2.

Frank Scoblete’s website is: www.goldentouchcraps.com

Imagine the two dice are rotating on a horizontal axis at the same time. If they stay straight and continue rotating, the numbers on the right and left sides of each die will never show.
If you set, grip and throw them properly, you should only see the numbers that are on the vertical axis.
There are only six different dice sets as follows:

The 2354 Set:
Set both dice identically so when you rotate them toward you, all you see are the 2, 3, 5 and 4 on the vertical axis. The totals showing are all hard ways – the hard four, hard six, hard ten and hard eight.
Called the “hard way set”, this is one of the most popular sets.
If you look closely, you will see that the ones and sixes have been eliminated.
In addition to fewer sevens, you would not be able to throw a two, three, eleven or twelve with this set.
This set is terrific for hardways, place bets and 6s and 8s.
Set this quickly by placing the ones and sixes on both horizontal axis.

The 1364 Set:
Both dice are set on the vertical axis for 1, 3, 6 and 4. This method eliminates the 5′s and 2′s on the horizontal axis so it is impossible to roll a 3 or 11. It actually increases the frequency of sevens so it is used only for don’t bettors and the come out. You can set this quickly by placing the fives and twos on both horizontal axis.

The 1265 Set:
Another don’t bettor set is the 1, 2, 6 and 5. You will have the fours and threes eliminated on the sides so these numbers will not roll. This set will produce more sevens but no fives or nines so if you see someone laying the fives and nines, he’s probably using this set. Set his quickly by placing the fours and threes on both horizontal axis.

The 1265/2354 Set:
Both die can be set differently. For example, set the first die as 1, 2, 6, 5 and the second die as 2, 3, 5, 4. Although this may take a little longer to set, it has terrific advantages – only two sevens, and two each of the 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 and 10. This set would be excellent for place bettors after the come-out!
Set this one by placing the four and three on one horizontal die axis and the one and six on the other.

The 1265/1364 Set:
Additionally, you can set the first die to 1, 2, 6, 5 and the second to 2, 3, 5, 4. On the first die, you are eliminating the 4 & 3. On the second die, you are eliminating the 2 & 5. This combination gives you two of each of the 5, 6, 7 and 8.
This is the famous “6-T” set, because if you place the two sixes together to form a “T” you master this set in one quick motion.
This is set by placing the four and three on one horizontal die axis and the two and five on the other.

The 1364/2354 set
Lastly, my favorite. Set the first die to 1, 3, 6, 4 and the second to 2, 3, 5, 4. This set will produce only two sevens, but three each of the six and eight. There are also no twos or twelves and one each of 3, 4, 10 and 11. Set this one by placing the five and two on one horizontal die axis and the one and six on the other.

When pre-setting the dice, it doesn’t matter exactly where the numbers are located, as long as the proper ones are there.
With my favorite described above, it is okay to set them 6, 4, 1, 3 on one and 4, 2, 3, 5 on the other.
With this particular set, you will be eliminating the 5 & 2 on one die and the 6 & 1 on the other die.
As long as these numbers remain on the axis, it doesn’t matter where the other numbers end up.

The advantage of dice setting is that it doesn’t cost you anything but a little practice.
I say, “If you’re going to shoot anyway, why not set the dice?”

Larry Edell’s website is: www.thecrapshooter.com

All casinos, be they terrestrial or online, are in a constant struggle to attract new players while at the same time keeping the ones they already have.
Land-based casino do this in any number of ways, such as offering free rooms, show tickets, inexpensive buffets and of course cash rewards.

Online casinos, on the other hand, don’t generally have the same luxury of diversity as their terrestrial counterparts.  In online gambling, there are no free meals to be had or shows to attend. The primary impetus for attracting and keeping players are the cash incentives.  And there are a lot of them.

In this article, we’ll examine some of the most common and potentially lucrative forms of comps online casinos have to offer.  Let’s begin with the first and most fundamental of player incentives, the sign-up bonus.

The Sign-Up Bonus:
By and large, online gamblers are offered a tempting bankroll boost right from the start in the form of a sign-up bonus. Sign-up bonuses (also called initial deposit bonuses) are cash rewards that are doled out as an incentive to get gamblers to open up an account and start playing.  Because they are designed to entice new players to come onboard, an often difficult task, they tend to be among the most lucrative form of comp.
In fact, it’s not uncommon for sites to offer hundreds of dollars in ‘free’ money based on
only a fraction of the initial deposit.
Although the specific type and value of each sign-up bonus varies from site-to-site, they are generally available in one of two forms: fixed bonuses and percentage-based bonuses.

The simplest form of player incentive, fixed sign-up bonuses are deposit bonuses set at a predetermined amount by the casino and offered to all new players that open an account.  The basic requirement for such a comp is generally that the player deposits an amount equal to or higher than the value of the comp itself.
For example, a casino may offer all new players a $50 deposit bonus, provided that they deposit at least $50.

Percentage-based bonuses, on the other hand, are often more lucrative, especially for players that establish a large bankroll right from the start.
With percentage bonuses, players receive a bonus based on the amount of money deposited into their account on the first transaction.  For example, if a new player decides that they want to start with a $200 bankroll, and the casino offers a 100% deposit bonus, their $200 becomes $400.

At first glance, it may seem that the percentage-based bonus structure offers more of an incentive than the fixed bonus.  However, that is not always the case.  Consider a small bankroll gambler.  A player who makes an initial deposit that is fairly small, let’s say $50, would receive a $50 bonus under a typical fixed schedule, resulting in a total bankroll of $100.
If that same player were to establish a bankroll at a casino with a moderate percentage-based bonus schedule of 30%, the same player would have a substantially smaller bonus of $15 and a total starting bankroll of only $65.

Finally, be aware that all sites place restrictions on when the bonus cash can be withdrawn. For some, the funds are available for cash out once the value of the comp has been wagered ten times.  For others, players need to bet 35 times the amount of the comp before it can be claimed.
Always read what restrictions are placed on any bonus when deciding where to play.

Loyalty Programs:
Regardless of the size of the deposit bonus, it’s only a matter of time until the well runs dry and it becomes necessary to re-fund your account.
Historically, that wonderful sign-up bonus that you got when you first joined the site was available only to new players‹returning players received little, if anything, in terms of comps.  Luckily, because of the increasing competition among online casinos, more and more sites have started offering additional incentives to keep players happy, well fed and returning to the site.
These loyalty programs come in a variety of formats but typically conform to two categories: additional deposits and previous play.

Rewards for Additional Deposits:
Additional deposit bonuses are cash rewards given to players at the beginning of every month and are based on the amount of the deposit for that month.
Examples of these types of bonuses include the match bonus and the percentage bonus.

Match Bonus:
One of the most common player incentives, match bonus programs award patrons with cash comps that are equal in value to the amount of the first new deposit each month.
For example, let’s say you deposited $50 in January and exhausted your bankroll by the end of the month.  On February 3rd, you deposit another $50, your first deposit for the new month. The casino will then match that deposit dollar-for-dollar, giving you a new bankroll of $100.

Percentage Bonus:
As previously discussed, online casinos sometimes offer new players a bonus based on a percentage of their initial deposit.  Some casinos now offer this type of bonus to returning players as well, awarding it based on the first new deposit each month, just like you were a new player.
However, be aware that the same bonus rules may not apply to returning players.
For example, when you originally signed-up and made your first deposit, the bonus may have been 100% or more. Subsequent deposits may only yield a bonus equal to 20% or less.

Rewards for Play:
Unlike deposit-based bonuses, some casino comps are based on previous play, rather than on a current deposit.  Two major loyalty programs of this nature include cash back programs and player’s clubs.

Cash Back Programs:
Rather than just hand over a bonus based on a single deposit, a few enterprising sites have developed cash back programs that refund players a portion of their total losses over the previous month.
One casino, for example, gives players a monthly bonus equal to 10% of their monthly net losses, while winners receive a 1% bonus based on their winning balance.

Player’s Club:
Similar to the comp programs found in traditional casinos, a player’s club in an online casino awards patrons points for play.  That is, for every X amount of dollars wagered the casino awards one point to the player.
Over time, these points accumulate in the player’s account, and when enough have been earned may be exchanged for casino cash.  Although the point system varies, players typically receive one point for every $10 wagered, and can begin cashing these in at 1,000.
In addition, some sites provide players with incentives to hold the points longer.
For example, the one casino awards players $25.00 for 2,500 points, but $52.50 for 5,000 points, $2.50 more than what would be earned by cashing in 2,500 points twice.

Specialty Rewards:
While sign-up bonuses and loyalty programs represent the major bonus incentives offered by online casinos, there are also a variety of specialty bonuses out there that are often overlooked, but nonetheless potentially lucrative.

Referral Programs:
To help draw in new clientele, many casinos offer a referral fee to players who can get their friends and/or family members to play on the site.  These rewards are usually minimal, ranging from a flat $20 to 5% of the new player’s initial deposit.
But if you have a lot of friends or family interested in gambling online, it could be worth the effort.

Deposit Options:
Some sites award players additional cash bonuses for deposits made via specified methods.  For example, one online casino offers players an additional 20% initial deposit
bonus for using IGM-Pay to fund their account.

Variable Bonuses:
Occasionally, sites will offer extra bonus opportunities to mark some special event, such as a new game being launched or in celebration of a holiday.  They may take any number of forms, like an extra 20% bonus on all deposits for a week, or free cash to a lucky player chosen at random.
To get an idea of the type of special bonuses a site offers, check out their Promotions Page, or review the archives of their member newsletter.

The bonus incentives offered by online casinos are as diverse as the sites that offer them. Some are available only once, while others can be renewed throughout the life of your account.  Although not every bonus will turn a mediocre bankroll into a gold mine, no matter how large or small it is, any bonus is still valuable ammunition in your battle against the house.

J. Phillip Vogel’s Website is: www.theopn.com

There is no one perfect strategy for video poker. When we check our online gaming options and finds a game with a higher than usual payoff on flushes, we must adjust our strategy to maximize flush opportunities.
In a game that pays a big bonus on four Aces, we’ll sometimes ignore other potential winners to make a run at the jackpot.

How much do we gain by making such strategy adjustments? Surprisingly little. If we start out by learning expert strategy for 9-6 Jacks or Better, we gain only a few tenths of a percent by memorizing all the special cases that go into more complex games.
A prime example is Double Bonus Poker. On the negative side, Double Bonus pays only 1-for-1 on two pair, instead of the 2-for-1 return on Jacks or Better. To balance that off, there are many pay table enhancements, starting with big bonuses on four of a kinds.

In Jacks or Better, all four-of-a-kind hands pay 25-for-1 or 125 coins for a five-coin wager. In Double Bonus Poker, four of a kinds from 5s through Kings double that, to 50-for-1, four 2s, 3s or 4s pay 80-for-1 and four Aces pay 160-for-1, an 800-coin bonanza with a maximum bet.
There are other differences. In the full-pay version of Double Bonus, full houses pay 10-for-1 instead of the 9-for-1 you get in full-pay Jacks or Better; flushes pay 7-for-1 instead of 6-for-1 and straights pay 5-for-1 instead of 4-for-1.
To someone who wants to play at expert level, all those changes mean a full card of special cases and strategy switches. But let’s say you don’t want to make learning the game a full-time job. Applying Jacks or Better strategy to full-pay Double Bonus brings an expected long-run return of 99.8 percent, just four-tenths of a percent shy of the 100.2 percent expected with experts’ strategy adjustments.
If you want to close the gap between the 99.8-percent return using Jacks or Better strategy and the 100.2-percent return at expert level, there are some important areas to watch:

Partial flushes:
In Jacks or Better, four-card flushes are good hands to build on. In full-pay Double Bonus Poker, where flushes pay 7-for-1, we extend that to three-card flushes. Let’s say we’re dealt a hand with a 10, 8 and 5 of spades, along with a 9 of hearts and a 2 of clubs. In Jacks or Better, we’d just discard the entire hand and pray for something better on the draw.
In full-pay Double Bonus, we keep the three spades. We even keep three cards to a flush in 10-7-5 Double Bonus if the hand includes two parts of a straight flush. Dealt King-Queen-8 of hearts, we keep all three, instead of keeping just King-Queen, as we would in Jacks or Better.
One tricky decision comes with four parts of a flush and a high pair, such as Ace-King-Jack-8 of hearts with a Jack of clubs. In Jacks or Better, we’d keep the pair of Jacks for the sure payoff on the high pair and potential for more. But in 10-7-5 Double Bonus, we keep all four hearts.
In the lower-paying 9-7-5 Double Bonus, a 99.1 percent game in which the full house return drops to 9-for-1, we still make these flush pays. We revert to something more like Jacks or Better strategy if the flush return is dropped to 6-for-1.

Partial straights:
Upping the straight payoff to 5-for-1 makes inside draws worth our while. In Double Bonus, we draw to hands such as 9-8-7-5 or Jack-9-8-7. In Jacks or Better, we draw to inside straights only if the hand includes at least three high cards.

Aces: Adjusting to the possibility of an 800-coin jackpot for four Aces, we make a play that would be regarded as very strange in Jacks or Better. In Double Bonus, if we’re dealt a full house that includes three Aces, we discard the other pair and hope for the fourth Ace. It’s a 2-in-47 shot that we’ll fill out the quads, but when it happens, that jackpot makes all the discarded full houses worthwhile.

John Grochowski’s website is: www.casinoanswerman.com

Why is a single deck game better for the player than a multiple deck game?
I must get asked that question at least once a week because the reason isn’t very obvious to most blackjack players. But one of the major reasons is simply due to the fact that you will be dealt more blackjack hands in a single deck game compared to a multiple deck game. Here’s why this is so.

Suppose you took a single deck of cards, shuffled them, and then randomly picked one card. What is the probability that you’ll pick an ace? Since there are four aces in a single deck of cards, the chance of drawing one of those aces is the ratio of 4 over 52. Once you draw the ace, you are left with 51 cards to draw a ten-value card. There are 16 ten-value cards in a deck of cards (the four tens, jacks, queens and kings) so the chance of drawing one is the ratio of 16 over 51. If you multiply these two ratios, you will compute the probability of getting an ace followed by a ten-value card in a single deck to be 2.41%.

4/52 times 16/51 = 2.41%.

However, you could have just as easily drawn the ten-value card first then the ace. Therefore, the overall probability of getting a blackjack hand in a single deck game is twice 2.415 or 4.82%. This translates into one blackjack out of every 20.72 hands, an important statistic in blackjack.

For a 6-deck game the chance of drawing the ace as the first card is the ratio 24 over 312. The chance of drawing the ten-value as the second card is the ratio 96 over 311. Multiply the two ratios and you get 2.37%. Double it and you get 4.74%, which is, less than the 4.82% probability of getting a blackjack in a single deck game.

In fact, if you do the math for 2, 4 and 8 decks here is what you’ll calculate as the probability of getting a blackjack hand.

Single deck        1 in every 20.72 hands
Double deck        1 in every 20.93 hands
Four decks        1 in every 21.02 hands
Six decks        1 in every 21.07 hands
Eight decks        1 in every 21.07 hands

Notice that you’ll only be 98% as successful at drawing a blackjack in an eight-deck game compared to a single deck game, which makes the single deck game better.

Essentially the effect of removing a card from a single deck affects the percentages of the remaining cards to a much greater extent than in a multiple deck game. This is another important point to remember when you playing blackjack.

Although getting more blackjacks is good for the player, it’s even better when you get a blackjack and the dealer doesn’t. Which brings me to the second reason why the single deck game is better than a multiple deck game, namely the dealer’s chances of duplicating a blackjack is less in a single deck game compared to a multiple deck game. The exact probabilities of the dealer duplicating our blackjack in the same round are:

Single deck        1 in every 27.25 hands
Two decks        1 in every 23.74 hands
Four decks         1 in every 22.34 hands
Six decks        1 in every 21.92 hands
Eight decks        1 in every 21.71 hands

Blackjack pushes are about 20% more likely in a six or eight deck game, compared to a single deck game, which reduces our earnings potential (remember you get paid 3 to 2 on a blackjack hand when the dealer doesn’t have blackjack but get nothing when he does have a blackjack).
This makes a single deck game a much better game.

Another reason that a player’s expectation is better in a single deck game is that a player is more likely to get a good hit when doubling down on 10 or 11 compared to the same situation in a multiple deck game.
When you get a 10 or 11, it’s usually made up of two undesirable small cards. Their removal from the single deck increases our chances of getting a good hit.
Because of the dilution effect of so many more cards in multiple deck games, the probability of drawing a good card is less compared to the single deck game.

To summarize, single deck games are a better deal for blackjack players because:
1. You will be dealt more blackjack hands
2. The dealer is less likely to also have a blackjack hand and tie you, and
3. You are more likely to draw a good card when you double down on 10 or 11.

Even though single deck games have historically been better for players than multiple deck games, don’t run to your favorite casino and sit down at any ole single deck table.
Check first what the house pays for a blackjack because many casinos nowadays are paying only 6 to 5 for a blackjack rather than the traditional 3 to 2.
The 6 to 5 payoff is terrible and increases the house edge to over 1% against a basic strategy player.
Therefore, single deck games are good but only when the house pays 3 to 2 for a blackjack.

Henry Tamburin is the publisher of Blackjack Insider at www.bjinsider.com

Many players agree that game selection is one of the most important concepts in playing winning Poker.

It is also the one that is most often overlooked by most players. There is an adage that says, “You don’t have to be the best poker player in the world. You just have to be better than the other players at your table.”

When you have a choice, you should pick a game that you think will be profitable for you.

A game filled with rocks who only bet when they have the nuts will not be as profitable as a game with one or two calling stations. You should evaluate the skill level of the players in a game and determine where you fit in. If you feel that you are outmatched by the players at one table, you should look for a different game.

Game selection will be a big factor in whether you win or lose.

As you can probably figure out, the type of game that you are in will be dependant upon the types of players sitting at the table. Most of the time you will have a mixture of players but more than likely you will find yourself with the majority of players having the same style.

No Fold’em Hold’em

This is the term given to games that contain a large number of calling stations. The game is usually very loose with a lot of players seeing the flop and many of them calling all the way to the river. This type of game is also called “Showdown Poker” because you will have to show down the best hand at the end.

There is absolutely no time in this game when it will be correct to try a bluff. It just won’t work.

Wild Games

In wild games, you will have a large majority of loose aggressive players. They will want to cap the betting before the flop and continue betting after the flop. This type of game can produce big fluctuations on your bankroll if you play your normal style. You will have to tighten up your game even more than normal and wait for the big solid hands to play. You may not be playing many hands, but the ones you do win will be huge.

It has been my experience that most of the wild games I have been in consisted of mostly younger males who are out having a good time and showing off a little macho bravado at the tables. If this type of game makes you feel uncomfortable then you should find another game.

Tight Games

If you are in a game with many tight players, you will see much smaller pots, as there will be fewer players involved in each hand. They will be very selective about the hands they play and will do a lot of checking, looking for a free card if they are on a draw. Usually a bet will drive them out in this situation. If the game is passive as well as tight, you may be able to loosen up a little since you will be seeing the flop fairly cheaply.

If there is ever a correct time to bluff in low-limit Hold’em, it will happen when you are in an extremely tight passive game.

In some brick and mortar card rooms there will be several games being played at the same limit but in others your choices will be limited. Most of the time you will have to be seated before you can determine the type of game you are in. If it is not to your liking, you will have to ask for a table change.

This is not the case when you play poker online.

When you play online, you will usually have many different choices. In fact, one of the advantages to playing online is that fact that you can tell before hand how many players are seeing the flop.

Most online poker sites also show you the average size of the hand. This can help you choose a game easily.

It is also easy to jump from table to table when you play online.

Know Your Limit

Some players want to move up to play for higher limits. This is fine if you have the bankroll and the skill to move up to the higher limit games. When you do move up don’t let your ego get in the way.

If you find you are outmatched at the table, there is no shame in moving back down to a lower limit game that you know you can beat.

With the growth of online poker, there is an abundance of the very low limit games that are extremely loose with many players staying in to the river. This has produced a lot more bad beats and I often hear player lament that they want to move up to higher limit games to play with a “better quality” players.

This is not necessarily the remedy. If you can’t beat these loose players at the lower level, you most likely will not beat the more skilled players at the higher limits.

Your goal in poker is to win money. You can start by evaluating the games you play in. Pick one that suits your style and bankroll and always play your best game.