Online Casino Reviews

In order to keep myself robust, I prefer to take morning walk, wherever I am and generally went out for a five-mile run just after waking up. I ate an apple and sometimes a little piece of chocolate and took off. While on course I often killed the time thinking, since I'd never been able to run comfortably wearing headphones or carrying a radio in my hand. It was on a clear, crisp morning in Reno during the second mile of my run that I had my first brainstorm. I speeded up my pace to hurry back to the room and tell Joe.

He was seated at the round table next to the window, drinking coffee as he studied the pieces on the chessboard he had laid on the table. 

"Joe," I said excitedly as I breezed into the room, "I think I came up with something - a chess strategy?"

I was not absolutely sure he was kidding. "Listen, it has to do with roulette. Remember when you said that once the black-chip setup bet starts taking steam, we have to abandon the move until it cools down?"

Joe nodded and mumbled the name of a chess gambit as he moved a white pawn forward to be sacrificed.

He wasn't listening to me. He continued rapidly moving pieces across the board in both directions, then finally said,

"Check," as he moved the white queen to threaten the black king.

"Joe, are you going to listen to me or not?" That was the loudest I had ever raised my voice to him.

"We'll talk about it after our petite partied." He really annoyed me when he spoke

French; it sounded condescending.

I had no choice, so I sat down and took white. We had already played a half-dozen times.

Though I was not a bad chess player, I had managed only one stalemate against Joe in six parties. After he checkmated me, he finally listened to what I had to say.

"Instead of having the claimer come to the table and set the casino up," I began, "we have the claimer buy in for a dark color, taking a seat at the top of the table away from the third section. As soon as he receives his stacks of chips, he mixes three or four black chips into one of the stacks and puts that stack in the rear, out of the dealer's sight. The rest of his stacks will keep that 'mix-up' stack hidden. Then he makes his own bets with his own chips on the third section numbers. The other check-bettor still bets his stack in the third-dozen box to assure the dealer's turn so Duke can do the move. Then, once the move is in, the claimer quickly places his mix-up stack in front of all his other stacks-in plain view of the dealer and begins claiming that he accidentally got one of his black chips mixed up with his roulette chips and it won. He can say something like, 'Oh, my God, I got one of my black chips mixed up and it won!' When the dealer sees the mix-up stack that the claimer just put out front in his view, he'll understand immediately what we want him to think happened. In effect, the black chips mixed up with the roulette chips in that front stack serve as the setup bet, but only after the move goes in." I paused a second to let it all sink into Joe's brain, then said, "what do you think of that for checkmate?'

Joe Classon's eyes widened as the genius of my mix-up claim dawned on him. It was the first time since he had been taught the past posting business that somebody else working with him invented a new claim, and given that I'd only been involved in the operation a few months, it was even more spectacular. It didn't take him more than a few seconds to grasp exactly what the enormous strength of that claim was. The fact that the claimer was claiming that he had made an "honest" mistake, that he never had the intention of betting the hundred-dollar chip, removed the inherent steam that went along with unseen black winning chips on roulette layouts. Hearing this claim would make the bosses think that the claimer was just a lucky idiot whose own stupidity had paid off big. And then seeing that mix up stack in front, the black chips got deliberately misplaced in a stack of roulette chips. That was the real clincher.

How could they not go for it?

Casino Craps Game:

There are various dice games played in the casinos, and Crap is one of them. It is a casino dice game, developed from the old English game Hazard. The real origin for this game is believed to be forming the Crusades and later it got influenced by the French gamblers as well. Earlier this game was known as “crapaud” which is a French word and it means “toad”.
The modern day popularity for this game is believed to be due to the African-American community. This community took this game with them and spread to all over the world and made it a much more popular game then it was in early times.
In this game the players wager the money against the outcome of the casino single roll, or for a certain series of the rolls of two dice in the casino. As the basic requirement for this game is much less it can easily be played in comparatively less formal settings. The less equipment requirement for this game makes it most popular among the soldiers. This game can be played by one player or more than one player. The general rules for this game are as follows;
The main requirement for this game is dice, and one or more than one player at a time can play this game. This game is played by betting on the dice in rounds. The first player throwing the dice s known as “shooter” in the game and the first roll for a new round is called “come-out-roll”.
Two dice are used in the game and the bets are placed on the outcome sum of the two dices. If the sum for the dices in the come-out-roll is 2, 3, 7, 11, or 12, then the round is finished immediately and the shooter has to through the dice again but this is also considered as a come out roll for the game. There are specific names given to some of the outcomes of the dices, like if the sum of the two dices is 2, 3, or 7 then it is called “craps” where as if the resultant outcome is 7 or 11 it is named as “win” or “natural”. If a number other than those mentioned above like 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 comes as the out come then it is called as “point”.
Players of this game can make any large number of bets; mostly the bet in this game is made on the way the round will end up in. Other betting is done on the sum of the score of the dices, or a specific total being rolled out before the outcome of 7. There are separate crap tables in the casinos where the players interested in playing crap players it for their bets, for the betting they uses chips instead of real money on the table. And at the end of the game they can cash their chips for real money at the cash counters of the casinos.

Baccarat

Baccarat is a popular casino game. It is believed that this was originated in Italy and from there it was brought to France where first it was introduced as a game. Baccarat was introduced in France during the reign of Charles VIII (1483-1498). It is believed that it is similar to the other games of that time like Faro and Basset. This is an Italian game so the name of the variants of this game is in Italian.
The two main variants of baccarat are Baccarat Chemin de fer, Baccarat banque and Punta banco.

Among all the three variants of this game Punca Bunto is the only game which does not require any amount of skill, it is totally a luck dependent game. Whereas Baccarat Chemin de fer and Baccarat banque allows the players to make there move so these games requires a significant amount of luck and skill as well.
 Mainly the game Baccarat is a simple game and could end up in only three possible results; first being “player”, “banker” and “tie”. Now the term “player” does not refer to the player playing the game and the term “banker” does not refer to the house or the institute providing money for playing. But they both are the options on which the players can bet.
The card ranking for the game is as follows
the cards from 2-9 worth their face value.
10, K, Q, J are worth zero.
And Aces worth 1 points.
On the basis of the above point values for the cards the payers calculate there scores, by adding all the values of the cards in there hand. The scoring for this game is pretty interesting in its own way; if the score of any players cards goes above or equals 10 then the tens digit of the score is dropped. And then the score of that player becomes the some of the two digits in ones and tens places; and if even the sum goes above 10 then again the two digits are added until there sum comes in single digit. Let’s take an example of a hand consisting of 1 and 2 it is worth 3 (1 + 2 = 5). A hand consisting of 3 and 7 is worth 1 (3 + 7 = 10 = 1) the number at the ones place is dropped because the total is higher than 10. A hand consisting of 4 and 6 is worth zero, or Baccarat (4 + 6 = 10 = 0).

The actual meaning of the word Baccarat is the worst hand worth score 0 this is where the game Baccarat got its name. it is again a quite amazing fact about the game. The highest score that a player can achieve in this game is 9 and this is the highest score for this game.

Casino time span – enjoyable moments

Remember, you are at the table to have a good time. There is nothing wrong with taking advantage of the free drinks and casual conversation. Just don't have such a good time that you make mistakes in your play or betting. If you order drinks it is customary to tip the waitress; she will gladly accept chips. As you win, try and be a good sport about it. Your playing partners don't really care to hear what an expert you are. Try your best to refrain from telling others how to play. This is quite often a hard thing to avoid, particularly when people are staying on 12 against a dealer's 10.

Tipping the dealer is allowed. If the dealer gives you a great run or good shoe, think about giving an appropriate tip. The dealer will be just as happy if you make an extra wager on the hand for him or her. Do not blame a run of bad luck on the dealer. They have nothing to gain by taking your money. It is just the current luck of the cards. I get tired of listening to people giving the dealer a hard time. If you're unlucky at a table, move to another. Dealers do get lucky and often get on "hot streaks."

There will be times when the players preceding you will hit when they shouldn't and take the cards that would have helped you. Keep your cool. Others have as much right to playas you do, no matter how bad their play may be. You will really have to take it in stride when the dealer has a 5 card up and the anchor man hits a 14, takes the dealer's bust card, causing you to lose. Don't feel obligated to inform the anchor man of his blunder-someone will beat you to it! You will tend to always remember these situations. Keep in mind, just as many player mistakes work to your advantage.

If amateur play upsets you, the percentage of beginners at the table can be reduced by going to a table with a higher minimum required bet. Of course, your financial situation must be able to support the move. If you encounter a dealer who is unfriendly, or just a plain jerk, move to another table. It is not worth the aggravation. After all, you are there to enjoy yourself as well as make money.

Casino Assortments

There are playoffs which are recognized for being better participant welcoming inside the practical world. For beginners, the playoffs of blackjack and baccarat are favorite games both online as they are offline. You can more often than not find a pretty fair game of blackjack or baccarat in almost all the online casinos. There are many deviations of the blackjack sport online and more often than not players’ perform better if they remain with the simple 21 game or something similar. Slot machines on the whole are chancy and depend on where you engage in recreation online, you may find out that you got to slot hop till you discover a casino erected practically with the participant in psyche. It is imperative to keep in mind, if you aren't receiving a fair sport and at least a shot at the casino's capital and there are other games available in the practical casino planets which permit you to occupy yourself more extendedly on your wagering dollars. Nonetheless, you are familiar with the wise saying about the rope aren’t you? A lot of online casinos will nosh you the rope and willingly let you sling yourself! With this in mind, commit to memory if you are in a casino online where you look as if to be doing swell, acquire your proceeds and scurry. If the online casino takes a plunge, it can be quite atrocious and in general doesn't get an up thrust quickly. Online kenos as well as bingo players discover that the online games are more player friendly practically than anyplace else. These participants know they engage in a chance game and are more often than not contented with megre wins knowing they can play as long as they want. Online craps are a swell way to become skilled at the embark and many facets of the sport. Nevertheless, the sport is very capricious online. Select your game astutely online. In the sport of online craps, if you observe that you are visualizing a lot of instability in the game and then pay notice the other online casino sports event inside that casino; you'll probably discover that online Casino on the whole is quite unpredictable. Craps online is more often than not; one of the most excellent sports event to play if you don’t know what you are upto. The online adaptation together with a few online tip-offs will permit you to become skilled at how to occupy yourself in live dice and you never know, you might enlighten a land based Casino player. With the arrival of the internet Casino gaming is an in thing today. People have pre conceived notion that online Casino offers only video poker; however, online Casino offers all the games played in a land Casino. Even the rules and regulations are the same in online Casino as compared to land based Casino. People who are fervent online Casino players would vouch for the fact; that they win more online than offline.

Advanced Red Seven Count

For those players who've been bitten hard by the blackjack bug, and might be considering moving on to a more advanced true count system, it is advised to first try the advanced red seven. This system uses the same Red-Seven count values, and continues to work as a running count system, but there is need to expand on the strategy changes so that you can play more accurately. For dedicated players there is also a precise method of estimating your advantage, so that you can use the same proportional betting schemes as professional players.

 In the 1 and 2-Deck Strategy Chart, the heavy bold index numbers are to be used for both 1- and 2-deck games. For 2-deck games, these are all the indices you will need. The lighter numbers should be used for single-deck games only. They are not as important as the bold indices, so if you play in single-deck games, learn the ones in bold first. The Shoe Game Chart is to be used in the second half of the shoe only.

For example, in an 8-deck game, use the Advanced Red Seven indices only after the first four decks are in the discard tray. In a 6-deck game, wait until three decks have been played to start using the advanced indices. In the first half of the shoe, follow the simple Red Seven strategy, utilizing only the primary half-dozen strategy changes.

Observe that the shoe game indices are quite different from the 1- and 2 -deck charts. If you sometimes play in shoe games, and sometimes in hand-held games, then I would suggest learning the 1- and 2-deck chart for the hand-held games, but reverting to the simple Red Seven system for shoe games, using only the half dozen indices prescribed earlier. Naturally, if you memorize things easily, or if you are very dedicated, you could learn both of these charts. Do not try to do more than you're comfortable with; remember that it's better to do a few things well than to bungle your game by trying to do too much.

These are presented in the standard format of blackjack strategy charts, like those presented earlier. If there is no entry for a decision, then you should always use basic strategy. No pair-split indices are provided because the gains are too small to bother with. For all of the player-hand totals of 12-16 at the top of the charts, the index numbers provide the running counts at which you should stand. For example, with 12 against 4 in the Shoe Game chart, note that you should stand if your running count is -4 or higher. This means that in the second half of the shoe, you would stand on a count of -4, -3, -2, and so on, and hit on -5, -6, -7, and below.

If surrender is allowed, that takes precedence over other decisions. Since no indices are provided for surrendering on 16 against 9, 10, or A, always follow basic strategy and surrender the hand. The easiest way to learn the index numbers is to learn them in blocks.

First learn all of the 0 (pivot) indices. Then learn the +2 and +4 indices. After you have learned all of the positive indices, learn the negative ones, starting with the -2s. Many players make flash cards to drill themselves on index numbers, and there are also many excellent software programs available that allow you to input and practice card counting systems. There is a simple and accurate method for estimating your precise advantage at any point in the deal with the Advanced Red Seven Count. I do not recommend this method for any player who finds it confusing or difficult. Such players must quit themselves to using the betting chart, along with the advice on bet-sizing.

Slot Machine

Slot Machine is been an enigma for the casino player. Every player has keen interest in knowing how it works. I am going to tell you some of good things which can at least satisfy some of your quarry.

There are two basic types of progressive Jackpot Slot Machines:

(1) The type with one jackpot

(2) The type with two separate jackpot amounts (called Double Progressive Slot Machines). The best type to play is the Single Jackpot machine, but this system can also be used with the double jackpot machines.

Most Progressive Slot Machines will take from one to three coins or from one to five coins. (There are a few that accept from one to four coins.) Each machine will only take one denomination of coin; either nickels, dimes, quarters, half dollars, or dollars. The most common are the nickel, quarter and dollar machines. Each machine has three, four or five reels. When one or more coins are inserted and the handle is pulled, the reels start spinning in a random manner and then stop, usually one at a time.

Each reel is covered with decals referred to as symbols. When the reels are not spinning, you can see three symbols from each reel through the front window of the machine. There are certain payoffs for particular patterns of the symbols. Payoff money is usually spilled into the payoff tray at the bottom of the machine, but certain large payoff amounts are paid by a casino employee.

All progressive Slot Machines have one special pattern of symbols that when arranged in the proper • sequence cause the jackpot to be paid. This is usually a row of “7’s” on a particular line of the machine.

On single progressive jackpot machines, the amount paid is indicated at the top of the machine. On double progressive jackpot machines, the amount paid is in one of two jackpot meters at the top of the machine. An arrow usually points to each jackpot meter. The amount paid is the amount next to the arrow that is lighted at the time jackpot sequence is lined up.

There is one important factor that must not be overlooked when playing for a progressive jackpot. You must deposit the maximum number of coins that the machine will accept before pulling the handle in order to qualify for the jackpot amount. If you pull the handle with less than the maximum number of coins played, you can not win the jackpot even if the jackpot pattern appears. Be sure you understand this. Many people have hit the jackpot pattern on the machine only to discover that they didn’t play the required number of coins.

The jackpot meters on progressive slot machines are initially set at a low figure. On single progressive machines, each time a coin is inserted into the machine, 10% of the value of that coin is added to the jackpot amount. On double progressive machines, 5% of the value of the coin is added to each jackpot meter. When a jackpot is hit, the meter that showed the amount is again set at a low figure. With the majority of double progressive machines, the lighted arrow switches between the two jackpot meters every second time a coin is inserted into the machine. Please see that I said every second time a coin is inserted and not every second time the handle is pulled! This will become important when playing the double progressives.

Casino Business

The casino is a business just like any other. Let39s face it, competition is steep and upkeep is expensive. It costs lots of money to build hotels with suites the size of small cities, give out free drinks all night long, and maintain a workforce right down to the guy whose duties include imprinting the hotel39 logo in the sand of every ashtray. A well-run business tries to address or eliminate all inefficiencies, no matter what size. Imagine a house in the dead of winter. Advantage players are like open windows in that house-window open perhaps only a crack, but nevertheless open. Another example: why do most companies turn off the warehouse lights when the warehouse is not operating?

Card counters take up space. In a casino, a blackjack table is worth so many dollars per square foot. And a seat at that blackjack table is worth "x" dollars an hour when filled, with "x" being dependent on a number of variables ranging from player skill to average bet size. To the casino, a card counter playing at a positive expectation represents a reverse cash flow. In fact, it39s a situation similar to the swing experienced when you lose a hand you normally should have won. Instead of winning $450, you lose $450, resulting in a $900 swing. If a seat is worth $69 per hour to the casino, and you are making $63 per hour, then the total swing for the casino is actually $132 per hour-a bit higher than just your take-away amount.

Word gets around, and coming down hard on any and all advantage players prevents a casino from becoming known as easy.  ''J.J. mentioned the Galapagos Island Casino is dealing its four-deck game down to under half a deck."

"Really? I'll be in that part of the world next Tuesday. I was planning to hit Easter Island's casino, but since penetration in the Galapagos is so good I'll go there instead. And I think Kaitlyn is planning a trip next month. I'll mention it to her as well."

From the casino's perspective, call it the gnat syndrome: one becomes two becomes four becomes eight and so on. One gnat isn't bad, but when is there ever only one?

Note, too, that information like penetration levels is meaningless to non-counters. The casinos aren't getting extra market share from normal losing players, only an increase in visitation from card counters.

Situations become personal confrontations. I've experienced all kinds of heat in my career, from civilized back offs to uncivilized barring to procedural changes that were made with an undertone of hostility. In the instances when I've encountered uncivilized treatment, it was obvious that the parties involved had it out for me simply because I was an advantage player applying a skill with which I had become proficient. It seemed to become somewhat of a personal confrontation-my playing in their pit, or on their turf, and beating them. I suppose it's just the sadder side of human nature for some people to become antagonistic towards others who are good at something cerebral, or who stand to gain from their ability. If card counters must be barred, backed off, or treated unlike everyone else, then why not make it strictly an unemotional business decision, and leave the antagonism out of it?

Resistance exists because it's allowed to exist. After all, what industry provides the number one source of income to the state of Nevada? With that said, why should the law limit what casinos can and cannot do while staying within the law? I don't believe it's really any more complicated than that.

If your stay in Vegas is limited, you probably don't have the time to run around hunting for the best free souvenirs. During long stays, many hit every casino that's giving out free things. Regular players quickly learn which souvenirs are valuable and where to go back time after time and year after year. It is easy to understand where not to bother returning. Surprising at times players get a surprise when they come across that a casino that had good souvenirs in the past reverts to key chains, or someplace that's never excelled in the souvenir department suddenly starts giving away something good. This can be accumulated, just if there is regular appraisal of the promotions.

Food and drink coupons, abound-total freebies, two-for-ones, and other money-off discounts - they show up regularly in the newspapers and the freebie magazines. Almost every fun book has at least one free-drink offer. Of course, you can get free drinks when you're playing, but it's nice to get them when you don't want to play, like when you just want to sit at the bar or in the lounge and relax a bit. Earlier, there has been an increased trend in casinos to maintain good fun book comprising of discounts and freebies in the food department. Everybody enjoyed free ice cream, free hamburgers, and free all-you-can-eat pancake breakfasts. But now it’s on declining side with the increased adoption of online gaming.
The Plaza fun book is a hard one to get, but it has a coupon for a free breakfast. What's really unusual about this breakfast coupon is that you can use it 24 hours a day. Also, the gratuity is included; you usually have to tip out of pocket when you use free coupons for food. Almost all mention that gratuity is not included.
Many Casinos in Las Vegas sometimes puts out a coupon for a free drink with a stub that you give the cocktail waitress. The casino picks up both the tab and the gratuity. This is a good example of a real-term coupon, because tips are the one thing that you rarely take care of, and tips are one of our biggest expenses when we travel to gambling destinations. One of the strongest promotions in Las Vegas is related to the cashing of paychecks. Unfortunately, paycheck cashing is for locals only, and since we don't live in Las Vegas, we haven't been able to take advantage of it. Some of the locals’ casinos in the neighborhoods and outlying areas of town have excellent check-cashing incentives where the prizes can be very big: a Hawaiian vacation, a truck or car, even large monetary prizes.

Some casinos will give you a bonus for cashing government or pension checks; you just have to check on the requirements. Other casinos will give you a little something if you cash traveler's checks. Silver City, for example, a small casino on the Strip across the street from Circus, will give you a free drink coupon good at the bar just for cashing a traveler's check. So whenever you cash a check, ask if you get something for it.
Some promotions, such as check cashing, are geared specifically for local dwellers. By showing a Nevada driver's license, you can get a discount on admission into the MGM Grand amusement park and Circus Circus' Grand Slam Canyon. Casinos in the outlying parts of Las Vegas cater more to locals, making them more likely to get mailings from those casinos than people from out of town.

Locals can sometimes get discounted show tickets, especially in December when business is slowest. The daily newspapers are the source for bargains aimed at locals. Senior citizen discounts are not common in gambling areas, probably because the prices, especially for food, are already so cheap. That why at many big casinos where on Mondays, being slag day, offer senior citizens eat free at the buffet.

Winning players of Black Jack in the Marathon

If you are all for a Casino or otherwise, you’ll most certainly bump into a Casino in any part of the world. Such might have been the case a decade ago, however that’s History now. It most certainly is in the US of A.

So what are these places really all about? What goes on behind the scenes? And now that you're going to be part of an elite group of players that actually wins money in the long run, what will you need to know?

Let's take a chapter to talk about casinos-where they are, what are in them, how you'll interface, and some other interesting things to know about an environment truly unlike any other. Where Are They and What's With the Mountain?

Which city is home to more casinos per square mile than any in the world, and also happens to be Mecca for the modern-day card counter? If your answer was "Las Vegas," you're right. Sin City has turned up the volume yet again. And that was a good business decision, because with the popularity of casino gambling exploding across the United States, some place had to emerge as the creme de la creme of gambling towns. And that somewhere remains, indisputably, Las Vegas, Nevada.

Okay, enough about Vegas. Where else can I find casinos to throw my 1 percent at?

In the United States, try Atlantic City, Northern Connecticut, Gulfport/Biloxi, Reno/Lake Tahoe, Chicagoland, Minnesota, Michigan, St. Louis, New Orleans, Niagara Falls-the list goes on and on, and includes hundreds of riverboats and Indian casinos all over the United States. By the way, unless you're from the Upper Midwest, I bet you didn't know that the state of Minnesota alone has about nineteen operating casinos.

On the international front, casinos can be found in many countries all over the world. They're just a little more low-key than those in America. Don't expect mega-structures with 6,000-room hotels overlooking a volcano. In fact, in some European countries it's very possible to pass a casino on the street and not even know of its existence behind the glass doors of what could easily be mistaken as a private club or office. Serious players find out where the games are and what rules apply-without the aid of blinking lights or garish advertisement. It's a whole different kind of interface-you'll know what I mean if you ever play in other countries.

Some better-known international destinations offering casino gambling include the Caribbean, Canada, London, Amsterdam, Monte Carlo, and all over the Pacific Rim, including the major cities in Australia.

The Advantage Player Interface

Casinos come in all shapes and sizes: big ones, small ones, those plainer than plain, and those lavish beyond your wildest dreams. But remember casinos are businesses like any other, and whether big or small, the bottom line for any operating business is to make a profit.

From your experience to date, is it hard to imagine a pit full of friendly casino personals suddenly turning against you? It probably is, and it's probably also hard to imagine a multi-million dollar corporation "sweating" the action of a single card counter varying his bets between $10 and $200 per hand. But that happens too. Why? Because you; as an advantage player, are taking up space at a blackjack table otherwise worth "X" dollars per hour to the house. And losing money to one customer when a casino would otherwise stand to make money from another is the last thing any good company wants to do on a consistent basis. Which is what, would happen if casino management allowed you to play.

So how bad does it get? That depends where you are and what rules are in effect for the particular jurisdiction you're playing in. I've been both backed off and barred in my playing career and, believe me, it's no fun. In Las Vegas, for instance, casinos can still prevent card counters from playing blackjack by throwing them off the premises, often referred to as being barred, or in casino lingo, being "86'd." Whereas in Atlantic City, for example, regulations enforced by the Casino Control Commission prevent any casino from actually barring someone from the premises. But the flip side (and there's always a flip side) is that the casinos in AC can suddenly impose procedures or rule changes that nullify the card counter's advantage, thereby making it pointless for a skilled player to keep playing.

The Veteran Player

Veteran's excel in their respective fields, it could be blackjack as well. The game pattern must reflect that the players possess hold over the intricities of the game play. When in blackjack, if you took about three decks off the top of the five-deck stack, it would look like two decks remain in the discard rack. The exact card number for two decks, in the discard rack, is 104. Anything reasonably close to that is accurate enough for TC conversions. However, if you guessed two decks were in the rack and the card number read 140, you were well off-it was much closer to three decks i.e. 156 cards than to two decks i.e. 104 cards. Continue to practice until you're consistently within 5 to 10 cards of the actual number. This technique can be used whether you decide to round to the nearest deck or half-deck.

You can also mix in TC conversion practice by adding in another separate deck. Take a card from the new deck an flip it over. This represents an imaginary RC number for practice. Say you turned over the 8 of clubs. If you've estimated there are two decks in the discard rack, then there are four decks remaining. So 8 needs to be divided by 4, which gives a TC of 2. You can do this with several different cards, one after another, to practice this conversion before moving on to a different number of decks in the discard rack. You can also use red cards, the hearts and diamonds to imitate minus numbers and black, spades and clubs, for positive. Dividing by whole numbers should be fairly easy with this drill. The exactness of decimal points for a TC is unnecessary, and it's generally best to round down to the nearest whole number:

Determining the TC will help in two ways. The main advantage is in being able to bet the correct amounts at the right times. One important thing to remember is that a negative RC always equals a negative TC. So if you are calculating a TC only to determine your bet, you can save yourself the effort on any negative number because you will never change your bet until the RC rises over into the positive side.

 The other reason you need a TC is so you can vary your play decisions from basic strategy according to the count. It may sound stupid, after I took so much time explaining the importance of basic strategy, to tell you now that there are occasions when you throw it out the window; but there are good reasons for these exceptions. When an excess of face cards are left in the shoe, it is sometimes wiser to stand on your stiffs and let the dealer bust. Also, you'd want to double down and split more frequently in positive counts and less often in negative decks.

The correct time to deviate from basic strategy is determined by a matrix number. However, you still play basic strategy on the vast majority of your hands. Some of these modifications according to the count can greatly increase your edge. Don Schlesinger, the gifted author of Blackjack Attack, determined the most important hands for changing your play from basic strategy. He dubbed these critical plays "the Illustrious 18." Here are the matrix numbers  to use during those critical situations. Sometimes, you may have a decision that is a toss-up-: a hand that is border-line for the number. The best way to resolve such close calls is to go with basic strategy and err on the side of safety.

A serious player must know, all the basics to become an overall winner at the casinos. However, at times this task may seem too difficult or overwhelming, and you may want to give up, but the reward for the work you put in now will be great over your lifetime. Disciplined players who adhere to the proper strategies will win far more often than those who play blackjack by the seat of their pants.

The important principle is to only use what you are able to master. A little knowledge sometimes can be a dangerous thing, and every time good information is dispersed to the gaming public it usually creates more losing players than winners. That is because few put in the work at home before entering the doors of the palaces of chance.

The next step, once your speed and accuracy is adequate, is to take your game out of the kitchen and into the battlefield. However, it is very important not to rush this process. Practice should be done at home, not at the casinos. The cost of your education in the real world can be very high.

Assuming you're ready to tackle the tables, I suggest you start off betting small. Don't make my initial mistake and go in unprepared and overconfident. It is better to start slow and work your way up to higher chip levels. There are many things to keep track of when you first start card counting, and if you are also sweating over the amount of money at risk, you have a recipe for disaster.

If you’ve already learned a valid counting system, there is no need to change if you are comfortable with that. However, more chips wait for you at each additional rung of the ladder. The higher you are willing to climb, the larger the gain. In the next chapter, I'll reveal some insider tips to help you maximize your return at lucrative hand held games. And those chosen few who are diligent and serious about their blackjack game can join the ranks of the true upper class in blackjack-the pros.

Playing 21 in blackjack as a black belt sensei

 A one-pass stepladder describes a shuffle that is completed when the piles are gone and the final stack is offered for a player to cut. A two-pass stepladder is a shuffle where the final stack is re-broken into piles for a second stepladder action. Stepladders are time-consuming, so multi-pass stepladders are relatively rare. Multi-pass R&Rs are more common. More common still is a two-pass combo which consists of a stepladder followed by an R&R.

All R&Rs and stepladders can be performed from two or more piles. You might find a 4-pile stepladder comboed with a 2-pile R&R. Most shuffles that have more than two piles utilize a criss-cross pattern of grabs. A fairly standard criss-cross shuffle uses 4 piles in a square, with the alternating grabs drawing an x-pattern, hence the name. I will use the term criss-cross, however, to define any shuffle in which there are more than two piles, and in which the cards from one pile will be mixed with cards from more than one other pile.

A segment is any visually identifiable portion of a stack or pile. For example, you might refer to the bottom I-deck segment of the discards. A slug is another word for a segment, though slug usually refers to a segment that has been identified as containing a large portion of high cards, low cards, or aces. For instance, if during a single round of play you notice 5 aces come out, that portion of the discards where these aces are located is an ace slug.

In defining a shuffle, it's always important to note where the cutoffs (un-dealt cards taken from the shoe after the shuffle-card comes out) are placed in the discards (the cards that have already been played and deposited in the discard tray). The cutoffs may be topped, bottomed, or plugged. Topping the cutoffs is placing them on top of the discards; bottoming the cutoffs is placing them beneath the discards, and plugging the cutoffs is inserting them into the middle of the discards. Multiple plugging is breaking the cutoffs into two or more pieces, and inserting these pieces into different locations within the discards.

Some casinos also rearrange the discard stack itself by plugging. That is, grabs from the top or bottom of the discard stack may be plugged into the middle of the discards, usually in addition to cutoff plugging.

Stripping is a shuffling action performed by the dealer in which he reverses the sequence of a grab of cards. Usually, he holds the grab in one hand while pulling cards from the top of the grab (sometimes alternating with cards from the top and bottom) and dropping them onto the table. Stripping (especially thin-stripping) is time-consuming, so it's common in hand-held games but uncommon in shoe games. A thin-strip is a stripping action where cards are stripped one card at a time. (In some casinos the dealer will strip a few cards at a time.) A thick-strip is a stripping action that pulls greater amounts of cards off the top at one time.

Boxing a deck is a cutting action performed by the dealer, usually between riffles. This is generally a lopsided cut, with one thin segment (1/4 to 1/3 decks) and one thick segment. Many casinos that use the boxing action also have the dealer spin one portion of the grab 1800. For this reason, some trackers refer to boxing the deck as spinning it. Cutting is what a player does at the end of the dealer's shuffle routine.

There are a number of other less common shuffle actions (which are described in the Cookbook), but this should cover about 90% of the shuffles you'll find in real-world casinos. A good tracker can watch a house shuffle one time and describe it in detail, while the average person can't.

 Capital Requirements

Everyone asks me, “How much back-up money, do I need to win those big jackpots?”. My answer is always the same; “It’s hard to tell. You can never be sure, how much money it is going to take to win that big one.” I recommend having more than enough to make sure that you do not run out of money just before the jackpot hits. As a rough guideline, refer to the list below.

5c machines $300 to $600

10c machines $600 to $1200

25c machines $1500 to $3000

50c machines $3000 to $6000

$1.00 machines $6000 to $10,000

This is only a guideline and I realize that most people that play the slots and my system will not take this much back-up money. That is why, I recommend playing with partners or as a member of a team. Spreading the cost over several people, doesn’t hurt as much.

There you have it, the most precise and winning slot machine system known to man. Study it carefully. Commit yourself to going after some of those huge jackpots. You now know how to determine if a machine is worth playing. Once you have found your playable machine, get with it and take your share of the available money the casinos are paying out in Progressive Slot Jackpots.

One last point: Keep this system to yourself. Don’t divulge how you go about winning those jackpots. After all, we don’t want too many other competitors, do we?

Good hunting and good luck.

Gambler's Guide to England with ten tips

Even, if you survive the 48-hour gaming, 99 percent of the clubs charge an admission fee ranging from $10 to $25. If you are a good player or you know one of the casino executives in a London club, then you might be able to get around the admission fee. Phone ahead to the club and mention that you are coming over. The casino executive can invite you in as an "honorary guest." That way you don't have to pay the admission. Or if you have played heavily in a club, don't be afraid to ask the boss to phone ahead to the next club so that you might be able to beat the admission price.

Nevada still has the finest casinos, entertainment, atmosphere, and style of handling players in the world, but the major clubs in London run a close second, though you, the tourist, still must take precautions that you wouldn't have to worry about in Nevada.

Once you have decided that you're going to gamble in England, you must quickly but very carefully choose the clubs where you want to register.

As I have advised for most non-Nevada gambling, stick strictly to the major clubs. Don't venture off the main trail into the small hit and run joints. They have small bankrolls and can't afford for you to win much. It is very tempting for them to pull a few shenanigans.

And the limits in most small clubs are low (about $50 tops), so you can easily lose a lot of money but you would need a fantastic lucky streak to win very much; and if you get stuck, the low limits may prevent you from ever getting even.

Just stay with the major clubs in the London area.

Another thing, in America and in most other gambling centers is the slang expression for a big bettor is "high roller." And a small player is called a "small player." Makes sense, but in England they call big bettors "big punters," and small bettors "small punters." So don't be surprised if you hear yourself, or some other player, referred to as a punter of one size or another. But the nickname for American tourists hasn't changed, no matter what casino you enter in any part of the world. We still are called "suckers."

Here are ten tips before stepping out on the town to gamble in England:

1. Don't worry about dress. Wear the same clothes you would during an evening of night clubbing in the States, but don't get too casual: tie and jacket for the man (or for the women, as the case may be).

2. Major clubs are open from 2 p.m. to 4 a.m. on weekdays and to 3 a.m. Sunday beginning Saturday nights.

3. Don't cash traveler's cheques or American currency for English money in the casinos.

Banks generally give you a better rate of exchange so there's no sense getting the worst of it before you even make a bet.

4. If you just like to play slot machines then you might not want to waste money spending the entrance fee in London because major clubs are allowed only two slot machines which take only a 6-pence coin (about 12e) and often the two lonely machines have lines of people waiting to play them.

5. Expect to pay an entrance fee of up to $25 at each club, except a few. If you just want to tour a casino, it might save money to phone 'ahead and check if there is a fee.        

6. London casinos aren't for boozers. No drinks are allowed near the gaming tables and the bars close by 11:30 p.m.

7. Don't worry about addresses because cab drivers know the locations of the major clubs. But be careful, because the cabbies and bellhops in some hotels might try to steer you to smaller outlying clubs so that they can get kickbacks from the club owners as a reward for luring tourists off the beaten track to the boondocks.

8. English casinos are very strict on credit.

Don't expect credit unless you have impressive references and credentials. For example you can't make "call" bets (a spur of the moment bet without immediately putting up cash) but must play with cash or go to cashier's cage and get some if you can.

9. Minimum and maximum bets vary among the clubs but generally speaking you can usually get by with a minimum bet of pence and £1 on 21 and craps in most games at most major clubs.

10. A final bit of advice: There's an English law that you can't taxed for the money you win, but our Internal Revenue boys consider, that to be a valid law only if you live in England.

 “What Is The Greatest Amount Of Money Ever Stolen From A Casino?”
Sure, online play is easier, more comfortable and can be done from home, but can you swag a bundle from a website…?

For purposes of this question we are not going to speculate as to the amount of money “Skimmed” from casinos in the old days when the mob and private owners had free run of the count rooms.

I eagerly followed the news about investigations of several casino scams where over three (3) million dollars was stolen. One of the scams occurred in Bophuthatswanna, South Africa, in the Sun City Casino. A group of about ten to twelve individuals were involved, both from the inside and as players. The method used to steal was a clever, but old time device, known as a “Chip Cup.” Imagine a hollow tube which was painted and designed to look like a stack of small denomination online casino chips. The “Chip Cup” is made slightly larger than a standard 39 millimeter casino chip. Because the cup is larger than standard chips, it can easily slid over a stack of four (4) standard casino chips. (The casino chips are hidden inside the hollowed cup.) A standard casino chip of small value is glued to made of aluminum, spring steel or brass and is painted and scored to look like a stack of five (5) $1.00 or $5,00 chips. (In Sun City the chip cup was painted to resemble a stack of five (5) $10.00 chips….dollars there are called “Rands”.) The beauty of the chip cup is that a player brings the cup Into play and also takes it out again. The dealer and player are obviously working together in this scam. In Las Vegas, or casinos in the U.S., the chip cup scam is normally attempted on a crap table. This is because the dealers stack chips straight up in front of them on a crap table, as opposed to laying them down in a table rack, as in a 21 game. (Chips stacked straight up in front of a dealer makes it much easier for the chip cup to be placed over the chips.) In South Africa, in the mid 1980’s, craps was not at all popular in casinos. Casino Craps is an American game. The big money game in Sun City is Baccarat…called “Punter -Banco”. In this game, unlike the Las Vegas Baccarat games, chips are stacked straight up in front of the dealers.

The scam works like this. The player/cheater, (known as an “Agent” or an “A”), sits next to the dealer who is standing. The agent places the hollowed empty “Chip Cup” on the layout as a bet. It looks, to all intents, like a $50.00 bet (50 Rand)… a stack of five $10.00 chips. (There are also bettors wagering $100.00, Rand, chips on the game). If the bet wins the dealer/cheater simply pays the bet as he would any legitimate bet, by stacking five $10.00 chips next to the “Chip Cup”. What the cheaters really want is for the bet to lose.., that’s how the cheaters really win. When the bet loses the dealer/cheater picks up the empty chip cup and in the process of picking up losing $100.00 chips he secretly slips the chip cup over four (4) one hundred dollar chips. (There are now four (4) $100.00 chips hidden inside the Chip Cup.) As the dealer begins to put the chips away he makes sure the chip cup remains on top of the stack of $10.00 chips. The player/cheater then simply “Buys” the loaded chip cup back from the dealer/cheater. The “Agent” throws in $50.00 cash. The cash is dropped and the dealer/cheater hands the loaded “Chip Cup” back to the “Agent” as change. The cheaters have netted $350.00. (The loaded chip cup cost $50.00 to buy… but it had $400.00 inside.) The real strength of the transaction with the chip cup is that the house has just won big bets from the players. Afterwards a relatively small amount, ($50.00 in london) is exchanged as a cash buy-in by a dealer and customer. One key element in the success of the Chip Cup scam at Sun City was the inside bit boss.. .(called Inspectors in Sun City). The Inspector was key to this scam because he controlled the dealer’s schedule. This particular pit boss designated which games the dealers would go to on arrival to start work, and which games they would go to on return from breaks. In effect, this one Inspector could send his crew of three (3) cheating dealers all to one game. The Inspector chose Punter-Banco games where the house was winning. This practice helped to disguise the activity as the bosses and surveillance were watching the Punter-Banco games where the house was losing. In addition, the floor man on the game was also in on the scam, and could alert the team if a non- member boss were to approach the table (again, in London)

One other key element in the chip cup scam was a cage employee. This senior cage cashier allowed the agents to cash out considerable sums of money without question. (At the time South Africa had a very strict currency transaction policy. Large cash outs should have been recorded and/or brought to the attention of upper management. In the end it would be the Currency Transactions outside the casino which would prove to be the downfall of the scam and its’ members. (Large amounts of online casino cash were being wired from a house in Rustenberg, a town right outside Sun City, to England.)

Over the course of several months the London team was estimated to have removed between 2.5 and 3.5 million dollars from the Punter-Banco tables. (I personally polygraphed about fifty employees to determine the extent of the scam for insurance purposes. The casino received a settlement from Lloyds of London of better than 2 million dollars. The exact amount of the insurance settlement was not disclosed. A formula of historic win versus the deflated win for those months was used to determine the amount of the insurance claim).