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Here is an alphabetical list of games, from
Baccarat through to Wheel of Fortune
Baccarat / Punto Banco: Rules & How
To Play
Played by James Bond 007 and numerous other film stars, both on and
off screen. This is a very quick game to play, with very high stakes being both won and lost.
The Basics
Baccarat or Punto Banco is usually played in a
separate casino area. The playing table is about the size of a craps table with three casino dealers and up to 12 or
14 players. There are just two principal bets to
make: banker or player - Banco or Punto, plus the rarely used Standoff. Some casinos let the players deal the cards
in turn and others have a casino dealer to deal the cards. In online Baccarat the cards are dealt automatically by a
virtual dealer.
Each player, including the player dealing, may bet on
either Punto or Banco but it is customary for the dealer to bet on Banco. Players may opt not to deal, passing the 'Shoe'
to the next player. The shoe remains with one player as long as the Bank wins. If Punto wins, the shoe passes
on to the next player.
Two hands are dealt and you bet which one will win, or
that they will tie. It is just like betting on Black or Red at roulette, and the payoff is even money, 1:1 (except for
the standoff, which pays 8-1 or 9-1). The only difference between the Banco and Punto bet is a win on Banco will cost
you 5% commission or tax levied by the casino - the in-built advantage. The reason for taxing the Banco is because it has been established that over an 8-deck cards play on average the Banco
will win three to four hands more than the Punto.
Each hand consists of a minimum of two and a maximum
of three cards. The person dealing will put two cards, face down, tucked under the shoe, and give the player with the
largest bet on Punto the other two cards, face down. The
Punto player then looks at the cards and gives them back to the player who is dealing. Then the player who is dealing
will turn over the cards of both hands while one of the casino dealers will announce the results and the winner.
If either hand has a total of 8 or 9 (nine is the highest),
then it is called a 'Natural' and no more cards are dealt. If it is not a natural, then depending on the value of each
hand the casino dealer may instruct the card dealer to deal a third card. The decision when to deal a third card follows
precise set rules used by all casinos.
Once dealing is completed, the hand with the highest
count wins. The paying casino dealers will collect the losing bets first and then pay the winning ones. The player
who actually deals the cards is not responsible for the payouts. He is just like any other player, playing against the
casino.
The Rules
Baccarat is played from a six-deck or an eight-deck
shoe. All face cards and 10s have no value. Cards less than 10 are counted at face value, Aces are worth 1.
Suits don't matter. Only single digit values are valid. Any count that reaches a double digit drops the left digit.
15 is counted as 5 and 25 is also counted as 5.
To start, the players bet either on Banco or Punto or
Standoff. The card dealer gives two cards each; first to the player and then the banker. The object of the game
is to bet on the hand that you think will have the highest total value.
A third card may be dealt to either or both the player
(Punto) and the bank (Banco) based on the following three-card-rules. It is not necessary to learn these rules to play,
they are compulsory decisions and therefore automatic. Only on rare occasions a mistake is made:
Player's Third-Card-Rule
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If either the player or the bank have a total of 8
or 9 on the first two cards no further cards are drawn. The resulting hand is called a natural and the hand is over.
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If the player's total is less than or equal to 5 the
player's hand draws a third card.
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If the player does not draw a third card, then the
bank's hand stands on 6 or more and takes a third card on a total of 5 or less. If the player does take a third card
then the Bank's third-card-rule below will determine if the bank takes a third card.
Bank's Third-Card-Rule
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If the bank's total is 2 or less then bank draws a
card, regardless of what the players third card is.
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If the banks total is 3 then the bank draws a third
card unless the players third card was an 8.
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If the banks total is 4 then the bank draws a third
card unless the players third card was a 0, 1, 8, or 9.
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If the banks total is 5 then the bank draws a third
card if the players third card was 4, 5, 6, or 7.
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If the banks total is 6 then the bank draws a third
card if the players third card was a 6 or 7.
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If the banks total is 7 then the bank stands.
House Advantage
Banker (Banco)
1.17%
Player (Punto) 1.36%
Tie (Standoff) 14.12% at 8:1 payout
Blackjack: Rules &
How To Play
The Basics
The object of blackjack is to accumulate cards
with point totals as close to 21 as possible without going over 21. Face cards (Jacks, Queens and Kings) are worth 10
points. Aces are worth 1 or 11, whichever is preferable. Other cards are represented by their number.
If player and the House tie, it is a push and no one
wins. Ace and 10 (Blackjack) on the first two cards dealt is an automatic player win at 1.5 to 1, unless the house ties.
A player may stand at any time.
Playing Blackjack
To win you need to beat the dealer without busting. You
bust when your cards total to more than 21 and you lose automatically. The winner is whoever has closest to a total
of 21. You reach 21 by adding up the values of the cards.
The blackjack table seats about 6 players. Either six
or eight decks of cards are used and are shuffled together by the dealer and placed in a card dispensing box called 'Shoe'.
Before receiving any cards, players must place a wager.
Then the players are dealt two cards face up. The dealer gets one face up, one face down. Each player in turn
either stays or takes more cards to try and get closer to 21 without busting. Players who do not bust wait for the dealer's
turn. When all the players are done, the dealer turns up the down card. By rule, on counts of 17 or higher the
dealer must stay; on counts of 16 or lower the dealer must draw.
If you make a total of 21 with the first two cards (a
10 or a face and an Ace), you win automatically. This is called 'Blackjack'. If you have Blackjack, you will win
one and one-half times your bet unless the dealer also has Blackjack, in which case it is a Push or a Tie (or a Stand-off)
and you get your bet back.
The remaining players with a higher count than the dealer
win an amount equal to their bet. Players with a lower count than the dealer lose their bet. If the dealer busts,
all the remaining players win. There are other betting options namely Insurance, Surrender, Double Down, Even Money
and Split.
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Insurance: side bet up to half the initial
bet against the dealer having a natural 21 - allowed only when the dealer's showing card is an Ace. If the dealer has
a 10 face down and makes a blackjack, insurance pays at 2-1 odds, but loses if the dealer does not.
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Surrender: giving up your hand and lose
only half the bet.
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Early Surrender: surrender allowed before
the dealer checks for blackjack.
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Late Surrender: the dealer first checks
to see if he has blackjack. If he does, surrender is not permitted.
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Double Down: double your initial bet following
the initial two-card deal, but you can hit one card only. A good bet if the player is in a strong situation.
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Even Money: cashing in your bet immediately
at a 1:1 payout ratio when you are dealt a natural blackjack and the dealer's showing card is an Ace.
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Split Hand: split the initial two-card
hand into two and play them separately - allowed only when the two first cards are of equal value. Use each card as
the start to a separate hand and place a second bet equal to the first.
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Hard Hand: A hand without an Ace, or with
an Ace valued at 1 is said to be Hard in that it can only be given one value, unlike a Soft Hand. (You can value an Ace 1
or 11 to suit you).
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Soft Hand: A hand that contains an Ace
counted as 11 is called a Soft Hand.
House Advantage (approximate, may vary with
different rules)
Without basic strategy 7% average.
With basic strategy 0.5% or less.
Card counting can reverse
the advantage up to 1% to the player.
Some Blackjack Variations
Using different number of decks: all other conditions
being the same, as a general rule the fewer the decks, the better for the player.
Allowing the dealer to hit a soft 17: a disadvantage
to the player. It gives the dealer a chance to improve.
Allowing a double down after splitting pairs: can be
advantageous to the player if used wisely.
Allowing re-splitting of Aces: a clear advantage to the
player.
No dealer hole card: common on cruise ships, this variation
is a disadvantage to the player. The dealer does not deal himself a second card until the players have played and they
can lose the doubles and splits.
Caribbean Stud Poker: Rules
& How To Play
Game Summary
A casino table game based on the standard 5-card stud
poker game played on a Blackjack-type table. Some casinos also offer a progressive jackpot paid to high ranking hands.
This table game is played with one deck of cards.
Here the player competes against the dealer's hand.
Each player makes the opening bet called 'ante'. Players then have the option to bet $1.00 to participate in the progressive
jackpot. Players win all or part of the progressive jackpot with a Royal Flush, Straight Flush, Four of a Kind, Full House
or Flush.
Players place the opening bet 'ante'. Then the dealer
deals in turn giving five cards each face down, including himself except for the dealer's fifth card, which is face up. After
examining the cards, the player must decide on one of two options:
1. Either place a bet on the 'play' mark equal to the
'ante' amount and continue the game, or
2. Fold and withdraw from that round and forfeit the 'ante' wager.
Once all the players made their decisions, the dealer
will open his or her cards. The dealer's hand must contain an Ace-King or better to qualify and challenge the players hands,
otherwise the dealer folds and only the 'ante' wagers are paid, at 1:1 irrespective of ranking. The 'play' bet is returned
to the player.
If the dealer's hand qualifies with an Ace-King or better,
then the players cards are opened and compared against the dealer's. If the dealer's hand is better than the player's hand,
then the player loses both, the 'ante' and 'play' wager.
If the player's hand is better than the dealer's, then
the dealer pays the player for both wagers; the 'ante' and the 'play'. For the 'ante' the payoff is fixed at 1:1 irrespective
of the hand ranking. For the 'play' wager the payoffs vary according to the ranking of each player's hand.
The payoffs may differ between casinos but basically
they are as follows:
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A Pair - Even Money
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Two Pairs - 2 to 1
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Three of A Kind - 3 to 1
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Straight - 4 to 1
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Flush - 6 to 1
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Full House - 8 to 1
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Four of A Kind - 20 to 1
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Straight Flush - 50 to 1
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Royal Flush - 100 to 1
Irrespective of the dealer's hand, if a player has a
hand that qualifies for the progressive jackpot, the player wins according to the ranking of his hand. If two or more players
win, the winnings are shared. The jackpot payoffs are as follows:
House advantage 5.22%
Casino War Card Game: Rules & How To
Play
Game Summary
This is a simple and straightforward card game. All cards
are ranked according to their poker value and Aces are the highest.
 The player and the dealer get one card each. If the player's card is better than the dealer's
card, then the player wins even money. If the dealer's card is better than the player's card, the player loses.
If both cards are of equal value, then the player may
either lose half his bet or elect to go to 'war' against the dealer (similar to the 'En Prison' rule in roulette). The player
has also the option of a 10:1 side bet that the two initial cards will tie.
If the player elects to go to 'war', then he must double
his bet. The dealer then disposes of or burns three cards before giving both the player and himself a second card. If the
player's second card either beats or ties the dealer's second card, then the player wins even money on the raise and the original
bet is a push. If the dealer's second card beats the player's second card the player loses both his original and the additional
bet.
House advantage
Go to war
on ties: 2.88%
Surrender on ties: 3.7%
Bet on ties: 18.65%
Chuck-A-Luck: Rules & How To Play
Game Summary
Chuck-a-Luck is a unique dice game where the object is to tumble three dice in a cage and then wager on how they will land once
the cage comes to a rest. The dice are standard six-sided cubes, with sides numbered 1 through 6. The four different ways
to make the bets are described below. You may move and alter the bets until the "No More Bets" sign appears. At that point
all bets must stand.
"Numbers Bet"
If
you place your wager on any of the six numbered squares known as the "Numbers Bet" you will win according to how many dice
show the number you bet on.
| # of Dice |
Payoff |
| 1 |
1:1 |
| 2 |
2:1 |
| 3 |
10:1 |
"Field Bet"
If you place your wager on the "Field" area
then you are betting that all three dice will add up to one of the numbers featured on the "Field." It doesn't matter where
on the "Field" you place the bet, if the point total of the dice is anywhere in the "Field" you will be paid 1:1 on your wager.
"Over 10" and "Under 11"
If you place your bet in any of the two "Over
10" or "Under 11" squares, then you are wagering that the sum total of the dice will be greater than 10 or less than 11, respectively.
The payoff in both cases is 1:1.
Dice / Craps: Rules & How To Play
The Basics
Craps is one of the most exciting casino games.
It is common to hear yelling and shouting at a craps table. It is played on a purpose-built table and two dice are used. The
dice are made after very strict standards and are routinely inspected for any damage. As a matter of course, the dice are
replaced with new ones after about eight hours of use, and casinos have implemented rules in the way a player handles them.
The player must handle the dice with one hand only when
throwing and the dice must hit the walls on the opposite end of the table. In the event that one or both dice are thrown off
the table, they must be inspected (usually by the stickman) before putting them back into play.
The craps table can accommodate up to about 20 players,
who each get a round of throws or at 'shooting' the dice. If you don't want to throw the dice, you can bet on the thrower.
Several types of bets can be made on the table action. The casino crew consist of a stickman, boxman and two dealers.
The first roll of the dice in a betting round is called
the Come Out roll - a new game in Craps begins with the Come Out roll. A Come Out roll can be made only when the previous
shooter fails to make a winning roll, that is, fails to make the Point or seven out.
A new game then begins with a new shooter. If the current
shooter does make his Point, the dice are returned to him and he then begins the new Come Out roll. This is a continuation
of that shooter's roll, although technically, the Come Out roll identifies a new game about to begin.
When the shooter fails to make his or her Point, the
dice are then offered to the next player for a new Come Out roll and the game continues in the same manner. The new shooter
will be the person directly next to the left of the previous shooter - so the game moves in a clockwise fashion around the
craps table.
The dice are rolled across the craps table layout. The
layout is divided into three areas - two side areas separated by a center one. Each side area is the mirror reflection of
the other and contains the following: Pass and Don't Pass line bets, Come and Don't Come bets, Odds bet, Place bets and Field
bets. The center area is shared by both side areas and contains the Proposition bets.
Pass bets win when the come out roll is 7 or 11, while
pass bets lose when the come out roll is 2, 3, or 12. Don't bets lose when the come out roll is 7 or 11, and don't bets win
when the come out roll is 2 or 3. Don't bets tie when the come out roll is 12 (2 in some casinos; the 'Bar' roll on the layout
indicates which roll is treated as a tie).
Various Bets You Can Make
Pass Line Bet - You win if the first roll is a
natural (7, 11) and lose if it is craps (2, 3, 12). If a point is rolled (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10) it must be repeated before a
7 is thrown in order to win. If 7 is rolled before the point you lose.
Odds on Pass Line Bet - After a point is rolled
you can make this additional bet by taking odds. There are different payoffs for each point. A point of 4 or 10 will pay you
2:1; 5 or 9 pays 3:2; 6 or 8 pays 6:5. You only win if the point is rolled again before a 7.
Come Bet - It has the same rules as the Pass Line
bet. The difference consists in the fact you can make this bet only after the point on the pass line has been determined.
After you place your bet the first dice roll will set the come point. You win if it is a natural (7, 11) and lose if it is
craps (2, 3, 12). Other rolls will make you a winner if the come point is repeated before a 7 is rolled. If a 7 is rolled
first you lose.
Odds on Come Bet - Exactly the same thing as the
Odds on Pass Line bet except you take odds on the Come bet not the Pass Line bet.
Don't Pass Line Bet - This is the reversed Pass
Line bet. If the first roll of a dice is a natural (7, 11) you lose and if it is a 2 or a 3 you win. A dice roll of 12 means
you have a tie or push with the casino. If the roll is a point (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10) a 7 must come out before that point is
repeated to make you a winner. If the point is rolled again before the 7 you lose.
Don't Come Bet - The reversed Come Bet. After the
come point has been established you win if it is a 2 or 3 and lose for 7 or 11. 12 is a tie and other dice rolls will make
you win only if a 7 appears before them on the following throws.
Place Bets - This bet works only after the point
has been determined. You can bet on a dice roll of 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 and 10. You win if the number you placed your bet on is rolled
before a 7. Otherwise you lose. The Place Bets payoffs are different depending on the number you bet on. 4 or 10 will pay
9:5; 5 or 9 pays 7:5, and 6 or 8 pays 7:6. You can cancel this bet anytime you want to.
Field Bets - These bets are for one dice roll only.
If a 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, 12 is rolled you win. A 5, 6, 7 and 8 make you lose. Field Bets have the following different payoffs:
2 pays double (2:1) while 12 pays 3:1. Other winning dice rolls pays even (1:1).
Big Six, Big Eight Bets - Placed at any roll of
dice these bets win if a 6 or 8 comes out before a 7 is rolled. Big Six and Big Eight are even bets and are paid at 1:1.
Proposition Bets - These bets can be made at any
time and, except for the hardways, they are all one roll bets:
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Any Craps: Wins if a 2, 3 or 12 is thrown. Payoff
8:1
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Any Seven: Wins if a 7 is rolled. Payoff 5:1
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Eleven: Wins if a 11 is thrown. Payoff 16:1
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Ace Duece: Wins if a 3 is rolled. Payoff 16:1
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Aces or Boxcars: Wins if a 2 or 12 is thrown.
Payoff 30:1
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Horn Bet: it acts as the bets on 2, 3, 11 and
12 all at once. Wins if one of these numbers is rolled. Payoff is determined according to the number rolled. The other three
bets are lost.
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Hardways: The bet on a hardway number wins if
it's thrown hard (sum of pairs: 1-1, 3-3, 4-4...) before it's rolled easy and a 7 is thrown. Payoffs: Hard 4 and 10, 8:1;
Hard 6 and 8, 10:1
House advantage
2 - 17%
Poker Dice International: Rules & How
To Play
Game Summary
Poker Dice International is a casino bankers game. Combining elements of both
craps and poker. Where five six sided dice are used to make poker hands. With different odds being paid on different results
(hands) achieved.
The rules
A player (with all bets wagered) will roll all
five dice simultaneously, hitting the backboard to validate a fair roll. The five upward facing sides of the dice will be
used to decide the outcome of the throw. ie; five sixes facing upwards will be the resulting outcome of the throw. All five
upward facing sides must be used to determine the result (none may be omitted to provide a lower result). Any ambiguity or
cooked dice (not lying individually flat with only one directly upwards facing side) will result in a no roll, with no placed
wagers being paid or taken.
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The thrown result will fall into one of the following
eight categories; |
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Odds |
Example
of results |
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| A pair
of fours or lower |
3 to 2 |
1,2,4,5,6 |
2,2,4,5,6 |
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| A pair
of fives or sixes |
2 to 1 |
5,5,3,4,6 |
6,6,5,4,1 |
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| Two Pairs |
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3 to 2 |
1,1,3,3,5 |
5,5,6,6,1 |
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| Three
of a kind |
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2 to 1 |
3,3,3,5,6 |
1,1,1,4,5 |
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| Full house |
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8 to 1 |
1,1,1,2,2 |
6,6,2,2,2 |
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| Straight |
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10 to 1 |
1,2,3,4,5 |
2,3,4,5,6 |
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| Four of
a kind |
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17 to 1 |
6,6,6,6,1 |
4,4,4,4,1 |
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| Five of
a kind |
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100 to 1 |
5,5,5,5,5 |
1,1,1,1,1 |
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Only the winning result will be paid at the odds displayed. All other
bets (except a Pair of 4's or lower) above or below the result will be neither taken nor paid, by the banker and now may be
removed, changed or left unaltered by the player. For example, with a result of five, sixes rolled, all bets wagered on this
result will be paid one hundred units for every unit wagered. All other wagers placed on a pair of 5's or 6's; two pairs;
three of a kind; full house; straight and four of a kind will be left untaken and unpaid.
However if a result of a pair of 4's or lower is rolled, then all wagered bets on; a pair of
5's or 6's or any higher combination will all lose and be taken by the game banker. The pair of 4's or lower result
is akin to a crap out result as used in craps/dice and effectively provides the house edge for the game banker. Players may
however bet upon the result of a pair of 4's or lower, which when winning will be paid three units for every two wagered.
However this is a one roll only wager and if the exact result is not produced, then the wager is taken by the game banker.
When the player rolling the dice rolls a result of, a pair of 4's or lower and when
all wagers have been settled, the dice are passed to the next player, who will continue to roll the dice, until a result of
a pair of 4's or lower is rolled. This process of passing the dice continues repeatedly, giving all players the option
of rolling the dice or declining and passing the dice to the next player.
The five dice may be rolled from the players hand, a cup, an automatic dice tumbler or by a bird
cage tumbler.
House advantage
2.3% to 29.3%, overall % of 8.49%
Pontoon: Rules & How To Play
Game Summary
Pontoon is the British version of the internationally
popular banking game Twenty-one, perhaps now best known in the form of the American Casino version Blackjack. The game Pontoon and its name are derived from the French Vingt-et-un
(21). The variation Shoot Pontoon makes the betting more interesting, by incorporating the betting mechanism
of Shoot.
Players, Cards and Objective
Pontoon can be played by any number of players from two
upwards - it works well with 5 to 8 players - using a standard 52 card pack. For a large number of players, say 8 or more,
two 52 packs can be mixed together. The players also need a supply of money or chips for betting.
The cards have values: ace is worth 1 or 11 at the holder's
choice, kings, queens, jacks and tens are worth ten, and the remaining cards are worth their pip value. Each player's basic
aim is to form a hand whose total value is as near as possible to 21, without going above 21.
One player is designated as the banker. The banker has
an advantage, so the first banker is chosen at random (whoever cuts the highest card). In each hand, each of the other players
bets on having a better hand than the banker.
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The best hand of all is a Pontoon, which is 21 points
in two cards - this can only consist of ace plus a picture card or ten.
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Next best after a Pontoon is a Five Card Trick, which
is a hand of five cards totalling 21 or less.
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A hand of three or four cards worth 21 points beats
everything else except a Pontoon or Five Card Trick.
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Hands with 20 or fewer points and fewer than five cards
rank in order of their point value - the nearer to 21 the better.
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Hands with more than 21 points are bust and are worthless.
If the banker and a player have equal valued hands,
then the banker wins.
Example: A-J (Pontoon) beats 7-3-4-2-2 (Five Card Trick)
which beats 9-8-4 (21) which beats 9-A (20) which beats 9-6-A (17)
The Deal & Initial Stakes
The banker deals one card face down to each player, starting
with the player to dealer's left, going round the table and ending with the dealer. All the players except the banker may
look at their card.
Now starting again with the player to dealer's left and
going around clockwise, the players other than the banker place their initial bets in front of them. A minimum and maximum
for initial bets must be agreed before the start of the game, and each player may bet any amount within these limits, but
must bet at least the minimum.
The dealer now deals a second card face down to each
player, and all the players look at their two cards. If the banker has a Pontoon this is immediately exposed, and the banker
collects double the amount staked from each of the players.
The Players' Turns
If the banker does not have a pontoon then, beginning
with the player to dealer's left and continuing clockwise, the players each have a turn to try to improve their hand if they
wish by acquiring extra cards. When it is your turn, you have the following possibilities:
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Declare a Pontoon
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If your two cards are an ace and a ten point card,
you declare it by putting them on the table with the ten point card face down and the ace face up on top of it.
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Split your cards
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If your two cards are equal in rank, you may split
them into two hands by putting them face up on the table and placing another bet equal to your initial bet. The banker immediately
deals another card face down to each of your hands, and you then play the hands one at a time, as separate hands with separate
stakes. If either of the new cards dealt is equal to the first two you may choose to split again, creating three or even (theoretically)
four separate hands, each with its own stake. Note that you cannot split two ten point cards unless they are actually equal
- two queens can be split but a queen and a jack cannot.
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Buy a card
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If the total value of your cards is less than 21, you
may say "I'll buy one". You must increase your stake by adding an amount at least equal to and not more than twice your initial
stake (so for example if you had bet 6 initially you could add to it any amount from 6 to 12, making a maximum of 18 in total).
The dealer then deals you another card face down. If your total is still less than 21 you may buy a fourth card; this time
you may add to your stake any amount between your initial stake and the amount you added previously. So if your initial bet
was 6 and you bought a third card for 10, you may buy a fourth for any amount from 6 to 10. If your four cards still total
less than 21 you may buy a fifth card in the same way.
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Twist
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If the total value of your cards is less than 21 you
may say "Twist me one". Your stake is unaffected, and the dealer deals you one card face up to add to your hand. If your total
remains below 21 you may ask for a fourth card to be twisted and then a fifth, in the same way.
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Stick
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If the total value of your cards is at least 15 you
may say "stick". You stay with the cards you have, your stake stays as it is and it is the next hand's turn to play.
If at any time buying or twisting a card causes the total
value of your hand to be more than 21 you are bust; you must immediately throw in your hand face up, and the banker takes
your stake and adds your cards to the bottom of the pack.
You can begin by buying one or more cards and continue
by twisting, but once you have asked for a card to be twisted you can no longer buy cards - any further cards you want can
only be twisted.
When your hand reaches five cards without going over
21 you have a Five Card Trick, and you are not allowed any more cards.
At any time when your total hand value is at least 15
and not more than 21 you can choose to stick, keeping your cards and stake as they are, and the turn passes to the next hand.
When you have split your hand, you play the two hands
one after the other - once you have stuck or gone bust on the first hand you play the second one.
The Banker's Turn
When all the players except the banker have had their
turns the banker's two cards are turned face up. The other players' cards will not be visible at this point, except where
they have split, twisted, declared pontoons or gone bust.
The banker may add more cards to the initial two by dealing
them face up one at a time. At any point, when satisfied with the hand the banker can stay - i.e. stop dealing and play with
the cards as dealt. The possible outcomes are:
-
The dealer goes bust
-
If a card is dealt that takes the dealer's hand over
21, the dealer loses and pays out an amount equal to their stake to all the players who have not gone bust, paying a double
stake to any hand that was a Pontoon or Five Card Trick.
-
-
The dealer stays on 21 or less, with four or
fewer cards
-
The dealer pays an amount equal to their stake to any
player who has a higher value hand than the dealer, and collects from those who have equal or less. Pontoons and Five Card
Tricks are paid double. For example a dealer who stays on 18 will say "paying 19". Everyone then exposes their cards and those
who have 19 or more win, those with Pontoons and Five Card Tricks win double and the rest lose. A dealer who makes 21 will
be paying Five Card Tricks and Pontoons only.
-
-
The dealer makes a Five Card Trick
-
The dealer pays Pontoons only. Any player with a Pontoon
receives double their stake from the dealer. Everyone else (including anyone who had a Five Card Trick) loses double their
stake to the dealer.
The New Deal
If no one had a Pontoon, the dealer adds all the used
cards to the bottom of the pack and without shuffling deals a new hand. This makes it possible to improve one's chances by
remembering which cards are out of play. If there was a Pontoon, the cards are shuffled and cut before the next deal.
If a player other than the banker achieves a Pontoon
without splitting their hand, and the banker did not have a Pontoon, then that player becomes the new banker from the next
deal. If there are two or more such players, the one nearest to the dealer's left takes over the bank.
The bank can also change hands after any hand if the
existing banker wishes to sell the bank to another player at a mutually agreed price.
Variations
For a relatively simple game, Pontoon has surprisingly
many variations. Here is a selection:
-
Some play that only aces can be split, not other pairs
of cards.
-
Some play that you must have at least 16 points (rather
than 15) to stick.
-
Some play that after everyone else has made their initial
bet, the banker looks at his own first card and can choose to double the bets. This is sometimes indicated by the banker putting
out a stake equal to double the highest of the other players' bets. The effect is that the final payments are doubled, but
this doubling does not affect the payments for Pontoon or Five Card Trick - these remain at double the amount staked, not
four times.
-
The payout for a pontoon varies - some agree to pay
a single or a treble stake, rather than double.
-
If you have 4 cards totalling 11 or less, you are certain
to make a five card trick. In this case some play that you cannot buy a fifth card, only twist one.
-
Some play that a hand of three sevens held by a player
(not the banker) is a Royal Pontoon, which beats everything and is paid treble stakes.
-
Some play that a Pontoon consisting of an ace and a
picture beats a Pontoon which is an ace and a ten. Some play that A-10 is not a pontoon at all, but just an ordinary 21.
Red dog: Rules & How To Play
Game Summary
This is a game of chance more than skill. It is a variation
of the in-between game. All cards are ranked as in poker.
To start, the player places an initial wager on the table
and then the dealer draws two cards face up. If the two dealt cards are consecutive then the hand is a push. If the two cards
are equal a third card is dealt. A matching third card pays 11:1, otherwise the hand is a push.
If the two cards are neither consecutive nor equal the
dealer announces the spread, that is, the number of card values in between the dealt cards. For example a 4 and 10 would have
a spread of 5.
The player then must decide whether or not the third
card dealt by the dealer will fall in-between the values of the first two cards and is given a chance to increase the wager
up to the amount of the initial wager.
Then a third card is dealt. If it matches or is outside
the first two cards the player loses. If it is in between the first two cards the player wins as follows:
Based on statistical probability, it is suggested that
a player should only raise the bet when the spread between the two initial cards is seven or greater, where the player's edge
is 54%. The player's edge rises to 85% when the spread is 11 and lowers to 8% when the spread is only one.
House advantage 2.7%
Roulette: Rules & How To Play
Roulette was first played in France back in the 17th
century. It is now one of the most popular European gambling games and Monte Carlo in Monaco is a well known and famous casino
center for playing roulette.
The Basics
Players, usually up to eight, play against the
house represented by the croupier also called the dealer, who spins the roulette wheel and handles the wagers and payouts.
The wheel has 37 slots - representing 36 numbers and one zero. In the USA, most roulette wheels have two zeros and therefore
38 slots.
Each player plays in different coloured chips
so their bets don't get mixed up. At the end of play, if you won, you exchange back the coloured chips with cash chips. These
are special chips with the value amount imprinted on them. There are several denominations in various colours, which
your dealer will explain to you.
To play roulette, you place your bet or bets on numbers
(any number including the zero) in the table layout or on the outside, and when everybody at the table had a chance to place
their bets, the croupier starts the spin and launches the ball. Just a few moments before the ball is about to drop
over the slots, the croupier says 'no more bets'. From that moment no one is allowed to place - or change - their bets
until the ball drops on a slot. Only after the croupier places the dolly on the winning number on the roulette table
and clears all the losing bets you can then start placing your new bets while the croupier pays the winners. The winners
are those bets that are on or around the number that comes up. Also the bets on the outside of the layout win if the winning
number is represented.
The House Advantage
On a single zero roulette table the house advantage
is 2.7%. On a double zero roulette table it is 5.26% (7.9% on the five-number bet, 0-00-1-2-3). The house advantage
is gained by paying the winners a chip or two (or a proportion of it) less than what it should have been if there was no advantage.
The 'En Prison' Rule
A roulette rule applied to even-money bets only,
and by some casinos (not all). When the outcome is zero, some casinos will allow the player to either take back half his/her
bet or leave the bet (en prison = in prison) for another roulette spin. In the second case, if the following spin the outcome
is again zero, then the whole bet is lost.
The 'La Partage' Rule
The la partage roulette rule is similar to the
en prison rule, only in this case the player loses half the bet and does not have the option of leaving the bet en prison
for another spin. This refers to the 'outside' even-money bets Red/Black, High/Low, Odd/Even and applies when the outcome
is zero. Both the La Partage and the En Prison roulette rules essentially cut the casino edge on the 'even-money bets' in
half. So a bet on Red on a single-zero roulette table with the la partage rule or the en prison rule has a 1.35% house
edge and one on a double-zero roulette table has a house edge of 2.63%.
The Payouts
A bet on one number only, called a straight-up
bet, pays 35 to 1. (You collect 36. With no house advantage you should collect 37.
A two-number bet, called split
bet, pays 17 to 1.
A three-number bet, called street bet, pays 11 to 1.
A four-number bet, called corner bet, pays
8 to 1.
A six-number bet, pays 5 to 1.
A bet on the outside dozen or column, pays 2 to 1.
A bet on the outside
even money bets, pays 1 to 1.
Object Of The Game
To win at roulette the player needs to predict
where the ball will land after each spin. This is by no means easy. In fact, luck plays an important part in this game.
Some players go with the winning numbers calling them 'hot' numbers and therefore likely to come up more times. Others
see which numbers did not come up for some time and bet on them believing that their turn is now due. Some players bet
on many numbers to increase their chances of winning at every spin, but this way the payout is considerably reduced. Other
methodical players use specific roulette systems or methods, money management systems, or both.
Texas Hold'em Poker:
Rules & How To Play
Game Summary
Basically a form of poker in which each player is dealt
two cards face down, called hole cards. The player may then use none, one, or both of his hole cards, in combination with
five board cards or community cards dealt face up, to make the best possible five-card hand.
'Community Cards' are cards dealt face up in the middle
of the table and their rankings are shared by all the players.
How To Play Texas Hold'em Poker
Play begins by dealing two cards in the Hole (face down)
to each player. This is followed by a round of betting. Most hold'em games get the betting started with one or two 'Blind
Bets' to the left of the dealer. These are forced bets which must be made before seeing one's cards. Check and raise are allowed.
Play proceeds clockwise from the blinds, with each player
free to fold, call the blind bet, or raise. Usually the blinds are 'Live', meaning that they may raise themselves when the
action gets back around to them.
Now three board cards are dealt face up in the middle
of the table; this is called the Flop. A round of betting takes place, with action starting on the first blind, immediately
to the dealers left. Another card is dealt face up called the Turn, followed by another round of betting, again beginning
to the dealer's left.
Then the final card, the River, is dealt followed by
the final round of betting. In a structured-limit game, the bets on the turn and river are usually double the size of those
before and on the flop.
The game is usually played for high only, and each player
makes the best five-card combination to compete for the pot. Players usually use both their hole cards to make their best
hand, but this is not required. A player may even choose to 'Play the Board' and use no hole cards at all. Dead hits or identical
five-card hands split the pot; the sixth and seventh cards are not used to break ties.
Hold'em High-Low Split
The game is played exactly like Texas Hold'em, except
the best High hand splits the pot with the best Low hand. However, to win the Low half pot, the player must qualify; he must
have a hand with an 8 highest card or better (lower), or the high hand wins the entire pot. Any hand qualifies for High.
Three-Card Poker: Rules & How To Play
Game Summary
This poker game is played with three cards per hand,
but unlike regular poker where players compete against each other, all players at this game compete either against the dealer
or against a posted payout schedule for specific hands.
Atlantis Casino Resort, a land-based casino in Reno,
is the first property in northern Nevada to offer this new and innovative game and currently has a Three Card Poker table
with a $3 minimum and $200 maximum.
Three Card Poker is a relatively new casino game and
uses a 52-card deck. It was invented in 1994 by Derek Webb, the proprietor of Prime Table Games, and a successful poker player
based in Great Britain. It is played on a table similar to that of blackjack. It is actually two games in one. The player
may bet on either one, both, and with different amounts.
There are three betting marks in front of each player.
Closest to the player is the betting mark labelled 'play', above it one labelled 'ante' and above the 'ante' one labelled
'pair plus'. These are the only bets allowed in three card poker.
To start, all the players make their bets. Players can
either wager that their hand will be higher in rank than the dealer's hand ('ante' and 'play' wagers) or they can wager that
their hand will have at least a pair or higher ('pair plus' wager). Each player and the dealer are then dealt three cards,
giving each player in turn one card face down until all the players and the dealer have three face down cards.
The simplest bet to make is on the 'pair plus'. It does
not matter whether the player's hand is better than the dealer when it comes to the payouts of the 'pair plus' wager. It is
a completely independent bet and the payout is based only on the rank of the 3 card hand. If you have less than a pair, you
lose the 'pair plus' wager. If you have a pair or higher, you win. The higher the rank, the greater the payout, as follows:
The above are the valid ranking hands in Three Card Poker
in ascending order starting from the lowest.
The second bet available to the player is a bet on the
'ante', like in the Caribbean Stud poker. Here the player competes against the dealer's hand. The player places a bet, and
after examining the cards, the player must decide on one of two options:
-
Either place a bet on the 'play' mark equal to the
'ante' amount and continue the game, or
-
Fold and withdraw from that round and forfeit the 'ante'
wager. If the player played two bets and placed one also on the 'pair plus', that too is forfeited.
Once all the players made their decisions, the dealer
will open his or her cards. The dealer's hand must contain a Queen or better to qualify and challenge the players hands, otherwise
the dealer folds and only the 'ante' wagers are paid, at 1:1 irrespective of ranking. The 'play' bet is returned to the player.
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