Texas Hold’em is a card game from the Poker family. It is also the most famous and intriguing of the family. The game originated in the United States during the first decade of the 20th century. It is very popular among casinos to host tables for players which usually range between 2 to 10 people. The game reached households during the 2000s because of the poker boom. It was popularised by James Bond when he plays against the evil banker in Casino Royale. And who could forget the Martini, shaken not stirred?
The game involves both luck and skill. But you need skill and psychological control to maximize your winnings. Let us elaborate on that and also discuss how to beat the other players and take the pot home.
How to play Texas Hold’em
Texas Hold’em starts with two hole cards given to each player face down. After this, five more cards are given to the players in three subsequent rounds. The game progresses and the players start betting based on their cards. The skill is to judge what cards the other players have and how you can manipulate them.
Pot
The prize comes from the players themselves rather than the casino in Texas Hold’em. The player’s chip in their contribution to the pot, which makes up the prize money. It is every player’s target to contribute less and get other players to contribute more. This way, when they win the game in the end, they maximize their winnings. Increasing the pot is as important as winning the hand.
Bluffing
To get other players to contribute, players bluff during the game. They show their cards to be something they are not using their body language. Calling out the bluff and making decisions accordingly, which includes bluffing yourself, is important in the game.
How to win more at Texas Hold’em
To win more at Texas Hold’em, here are a few things you should keep in mind. Employ these techniques and your chances of winning will certainly boost towards the positive end.
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Choose carefully what hands you should play. The case with most players is that they play poker for the thrill and can’t keep themselves from being a part of the game. In the excitement, they don’t focus on whether their hand is worth playing or not.
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Observe your opponents. Even if you are not dealt a good hand, your opponents do not know that. But whether they have a good hand or not, you might be able to tell from their body language.
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Keep yourself paced for the first few games and see how the other players play and react. This will go a long way later when you are playing your hand, too.
Blackjack is one of the most famous games played at casinos. It is a card game that is based on luck but skill can be used to override bad luck. This is the reason that many players are attracted to it. It is a big adrenaline rush when you are dealt a bad hand but you still manage to beat the dealer.
The first-ever recorded match of Blackjack leads us as far as 1746 in France. The game was called Vingt Un back then and has undergone several changes to suit the era it is played in. People have always been interested in how to beat the dealer irrespective of the hand you are dealt with. A paper was published on the topic in 1956 which inspired further attempts such as Beat The Dealer by Ed Thorp.
Let us take a look at the basic rules of play and how you can win while gambling on BlackJack.
How to play Blackjack
Blackjack is a game played against the dealer rather than the other players present on the table. In casinos, the game is played on a semi-circular table with the dealer sitting in the center. The dealer hands two cards to each player at the beginning of the game and the game starts.
Objective
The objective from a player’s perspective is to gain as many points as possible but not exceeding 21. If points exceed 21, the player is busted and loses. The same is the case with the dealer. The one with more points wins the game.
Decisions permitted while playing
When the player is dealt a hand from the dealer, which is two cards, he can make the following decisions.
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Hit, that is, take one more card from the dealer.
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Star, that is, take no more cards from the dealer.
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Double down, which is to double the bet that the player has placed beforehand.
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If he has two cards of the same value, he can split them into two hands and place the second bet, which has to be equal to the first one.
Now that we know how to play Blackjack, let us go over some tips which will help beat the dealer in blackjack.
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The first tip is simply using your common sense. It makes no sense to hit when your original two cards total to 20. Keep your head in the game.
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Make a winning and losing limit and abide by it. If you hit the lower limit, quite the session and if you reach the upper limit, set new limits.
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Make use of the dealer’s revealed card. It tells you a lot about your chances and if you should take a risk or play safe.
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Make sure you read the rule book of the casino since there are multiple variations of the game even if the core gameplay is the same.
Backgammon is one of the oldest board games that are still very popular among players. The game was also played by the people of Mesopotamia over 5000 years ago. It is very similar to chess or other board games which require strategy, but there is an element of luck to it, too. Due to this element of luck, the game is popular in casinos. Other games of strategy like chess have a weaker chance of the weaker player winning over a pro. But the luck element makes it ideal for gambling purposes.
How to play Backgammon
Backgammon is a game of strategy as well as luck. It is a two-player game and each player has fifteen checkers to himself. The board has 24 long triangles on opposite ends, which are numbered as well. These triangles are called points. Each player begins with a specific number of checkers on specific points.
The game begins when both the players roll the dice and the player with a higher number moves first. For a turn, he has to roll both dice. After the roll, he has to move his checkers according to the number he has rolled. After this, the other player takes his turn and the game continues.
In case a checker lands on a triangle with the opposite checker, it is called a blot and the checker moves to the center of the board, waiting to be restricted by rolling the correct number.
The game ends by bearing off all the checkers. A checker can be heard off after all of a player’s checkers are on his side. It is done by rolling a one.
The doubling cube is used to raise the stakes of the game by calling out the opponent.
Gambling using Backgammon
When backgammon is used for gambling, it combines the use of skill and luck. A certain monetary value is assigned to specific points and reaching those points wins you money. The doubling cube is used for its original purpose, doubling the monetary stakes or giving up the game on that point.
Getting better at Backgammon gambling
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When you are playing for specific points, the goal is simply to reach those points and not much skill is needed except the presence of mind.
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It is always beneficial to study some opening moves and responses to those moves. These moves go a long way, especially against newbies.
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If you want to become a pro at Backgammon, you should study some mathematical rules such as the Keigh count, the Matussek’s bear off, etc. A simple concept of Neil’s numbers can help you go a long way.
These tips will make you better at tournament backgammon which will help you make a firm grasp over the game. This way, you will have mastered the skill part of the game and the gambling only remains on your luck.
Luck is an essential part of any game which involves gambling. Playing games entirely dependent on skill take the risk out of the game and put the pressure on the player. But games dependent on luck keep the pressure off the player and he is excited throughout the game trying to guess the outcome.
One such game that is very famous in casinos is Sic Bo. Sic Bo is a gambling game that is played using some. It is widely played in Asia and originated in China. It was introduced to the United States by Chinese immigrants at the beginning of the 20th century. Although it was not legal in the United Kingdom until 2002, after which it was offered by only licensed casinos.
Let us learn about some basic rules of Sic Bo and discuss some tips on how to control a dice with your mind. Or simply how to win more at the game. Let’s go with the latter.
How to play Sic Bo
The words Sic Bo mean precious dice. This is apt because the game entirely depends on the outcome of three dice that are rolled by the dealer.
The game requires a table to be played at a casino. The table has various markings on it that indicate betting variations. The players, before the beginning of the game, place their bets on the designated area. After the bets are placed, the dealer takes out a case that has three more in. The case is shaken vigorously and then opened. The outcome of the dice decides the fate of the bets.
There are multiple aspects to bet on in Sic Bo. You can bet on a Big meaning that the dice will roll a number between and inclusive of 11 and 17. Betting a Small means predicting the outcome will a number between and inclusive of 4 and 10. You can also get on the outcome being an odd or an even number.
The higher payout bets are predicting the done will roll a perfect triple, a specific number on all the dice, or a combination of a single and double-digit number on the dice.
How to win more at Sic Bo
Sic Bo is more a game of luck than it is of skill. The outcome of the dice decides the winner and the dice are pretty random. But, in games dependent on luck, you should keep an eye on probability. Place your bet on something which has a higher probability of occurring than something which has more house edge.