Poker Winner Blog

Paper Cards

Paper was invented in China and it is likely that playing cards also originate from that ancient empire. Domino cards, which are the earliest recorded type of playing cards, represented the scores thrown by a pair of dice, much like today’s domino tiles.

Modern playing cards have evolved from ancient Chinese money cards, which comprised four suits (coins, strings of coins, myriads of strings, and tens of myriads of strings), each of which depicted various quantities of money. Read the rest of this entry »

Some of the first casinos in America were established during the early 1800s in New Orleans, along the Mississippi River. Although, at that time, there were no casinos on the riverboats themselves, informal gambling was a popular way for travellers to pass the journey. Professional gamblers, called sharps, would target wealthy passengers and relieve them of their money. Gambling moved westward with the expansion of the railroads and flourished during the time of the California gold rush and the Nevada silver era. Read the rest of this entry »

Studies have shown that today’s casino players are typically graduates in white-collar jobs with a higher than average income, who gamble to win money. A survey carried out by Roper Starch Worldwide Inc. of New York found that, for three out of four casino visitors, their prime motive is to win, while 57 per cent go for entertainment and recreation. Australians are the western world’s biggest gamblers, spending over $2000 a year per head of population. A close second are Americans at $1800 per head of population. Read the rest of this entry »

The main gaming halls are lavishly decorated, often to a theme, but the focal points are the green or blue baize-covered tables, which are printed with betting layouts. Seating for players is provided around the tables, which are arranged in groups, called pits. Read the rest of this entry »

Casino operators spend vast sums of money on lavish décor to attract customers. The most flamboyant concepts and designs are found in Las Vegas and other popular holiday resorts around the world. European casinos, especially those in cities, are often less ornate.

Once inside the casino, the interiors are carefully designed to keep players there. Windows and clocks are absent, to make the passing of time less noticeable. Waiters bring refreshments directly to the gaming tables so there is no need to stop gambling if you are hungry or thirsty. Read the rest of this entry »

Instead of playing with money, gamblers use coloured plastic or metal discs, called chips. This enables the games to run quickly and smoothly, as the chips can be piled up into stacks and easily counted. Players can purchase chips at the cash point (in any currency), or on the gaming tables (in the local currency). Read the rest of this entry »

All casino personnel wear uniforms, to easily identify their position. These are often a variation on evening wear, with the men wearing bow ties and waistcoats, and the women in long dresses. Inspectors, pit bosses and managers are traditionally dressed in formal suits or tuxedos. General managers usually wear business (dress) suits. In resort casinos, which often have a strong décor theme, uniforms tend to be less formal and frequently reflect the overall design concept. Read the rest of this entry »

Players are expected to abide by a number of conventions in order to facilitate the smooth running of the games. These can be summed up as follows:

• Do not engage the dealer in conversation
• Do not put money or chips into the dealer’s hand
• Do not throw chips or money at the betting layout
• Never move another player’s bet
• Give up seats to players if you are watching.

Although all dealers are trained to be friendly and welcoming, they must also pay attention to the game and be alert for cheats. If you try to engage a dealer in casual conversation he or she may ignore you, as distracting dealers is a trick frequently used by cheats. If you need assistance, the best person to approach is one of the floor managers, as their duties include socializing with players. If you have a query about a game, ask the dealer to call an inspector. Read the rest of this entry »

Before starting to play roulette, players first need to buy table chips. These can be purchased with money, cash chips or, in some casinos, with a personal cheque (check). Although bets may be placed using cash chips or money, it is advisable to always take a colour so that your bets are not confused with another player’s bets.

The value of the colour chips will be marked on the table. The chips are stacked in piles of 20. Each set of colour comprises 200 chips. To prove that there are 20 chips in each stack, the dealer will cut the chips down into four piles of five chips and spread out one of the piles. The dealer will push the chips across the table and leave them in front of you. Read the rest of this entry »

Slots

Slot machines (slots) are by far the easiest and most popular casino games to play because they require no skill on the part of the players. They also offer potentially huge returns for a small investment. There is an almost infinite variety of machines, with new designs constantly being developed. Most mimic traditional fruit machines, with basic symbols on spinning drums, but instead of the original three drums many now incorporate five drums, or payout lines, making it harder for players to win. Each coin played brings a new line into play, so it makes sense to play the maximum number of lines per spin. Mechanical systems, which used rotating drums and were activated by pulling a lever, have given way to push-button operated microprocessor-controlled machines with payouts controlled by computer chips, but there is no changing the popularity of the slots. Read the rest of this entry »

Apart from roulette, there are other casino games that are played using spinning wheels. These echo the original fairground wheel of fortune that is the forerunner of today’s mechanical games. They are all games of chance, relying more on luck than on skill.

Boule

Boule is found mostly in French and Swiss casinos. Like roulette, players bet where a ball will land on a spinning wheel. Instead of being divided into sections, the boule wheel has a series of indentations which are marked with four sets of the numbers one to nine. The ball used is much larger than that on roulette. Bets include single numbers (en plein), the colours red and black, high and low numbers, and even and odd numbers. Read the rest of this entry »

The object of baccara is to use a minimum of two and a maximum of three cards to try to make a score as close as possible to nine. The highest score is nine and the lowest is zero. Players aim to win the money in the bank by beating the banker’s hand.

After the dealer has shuffled the cards, a player is invited to cut them by placing a blank card into the pack. A second blank card is inserted about 15 cards from the end before the cards are placed in the shoe (sabot) and passed to the player acting as the banker, who deals. When the blank card is reached the shoe is returned to the dealer for the cards to be reshuffled. Read the rest of this entry »

These are played on smaller tables and are dealt at a faster speed than baccara. Minimum stakes are around US$5, which is considerably less than the high stakes normally played for at traditional baccara tables.

Baccarat and punto banco differ from baccara in that the casino acts as the banker, paying out winnings and collecting losing bets. In American casinos, baccarat players take turns to act as the dealer, but in punto banco that role is fulfilled by the casino. Read the rest of this entry »

Poker conjures up images of saloons in the old West where hustlers and gun fighters did battle. It seems that no Hollywood Western is complete without a gunfight over a poker game, but this way of life was often the reality for professional gamblers in the Wild West. In 1876 one of the west’s most famous lawmen, James Butler ‘Wild Bill’ Hickok, lost his life in a poker game in Deadwood, South Dakota. To this day his last hand — a pair of aces over eights — is known as the ‘dead man’s hand‘. Read the rest of this entry »

Each player receives two cards face down. Five cards are placed face up in the centre of the table. These cards are called community cards and are used by all the players. Each player uses a combination of the two cards in his or her hand and the five community cards to make the best possible five-card hand. Read the rest of this entry »

These are played on smaller tables and are dealt at a faster speed than baccara. Minimum stakes are around US$5, which is considerably less than the high stakes normally played for at traditional baccara tables.

Baccarat and punto banco differ from baccara in that the casino acts as the banker, paying out winnings and collecting losing bets. In American casinos, baccarat players take turns to act as the dealer, but in punto banco that role is fulfilled by the casino. Read the rest of this entry »

Gaming is all about winning and losing, so it makes sense to manage your money effectively. It is very easy to get carried away by the excitement, and lose your stake. By understanding the rules of the game, the odds paid, the chances of winning, and when to quit, players can ensure their casino experience is pleasant.

Gambling should be treated like any other form of entertainment. Expect to spend your money and have a good time doing so. Unfortunately most gamblers not only want to win, they actually expect to win and can take it extremely badly when they lose. Once the initial stake has been lost, they attempt to get it back by making increased bets. Most gamblers do not keep records of how much they win or lose. Big wins are fondly remembered, while losses tend to be forgotten. Even professional gamblers can delude themselves into thinking they either always win or break even. Read the rest of this entry »

How much money do you need to keep from going broke if you’re a professional and poker is your paycheck?

A professional poker player should realize that every dollar she wins will not be added to her bankroll. After all, she has to pay rent and buy groceries just like anyone else, and her only source of income is her winnings. Lose, and she pays her bills the only way she can: by dipping into her bankroll. But there’s a limit to how deeply she can dig without putting herself in jeopardy. Read the rest of this entry »

Sometimes you simply have to know that you’re playing against, well, real people — not against computer creations. When the computer opponents of interactive software games have you talking to yourself and longing for human adversaries to gripe about, what can you do?

Just as you can find almost anything else on the Internet, you can find poker games. These cybergames have no physical location, but you can summon them up from your personal computer at any time. Like genies in a bottle, they await your command — all it takes is a few clicks of your mouse! Read the rest of this entry »

Online poker casinos offering real-cash games often offer introductory play- money games. These are a great place to start. Here’s why:

Because they are meant to get clients used to the graphics and procedures of cash stakes games, these play-money games are user-friendly by design. You’re a potential cash client, and the online casino hopes to expand its business by making you feel welcome and comfortable.

Although the games are remarkably easy to use, the programming and graphics are highly sophisticated — they’re identical to those used in the money games. Overall, the games are far superior to games offered at Internet sites intended strictly for entertainment. Read the rest of this entry »