Rules,Tips and Strategies for Your Favorite Online Casino Games

The first thing a casino player asks themselves when stepping up to a game is "how do I improve my odds?" The answer in Baccarat is easy: you don't. Other than avoiding the Tie bet there's nothing you can do.

What about card counting you ask? After all, everyone seems to do it on TV. Save yourself the trouble because it's a facade. Statistical analysis has shown that card counting in Baccarat is totally ineffective until the game hits the bottom of the shoe and even then it's a miniscule advantage. It basically boils down to paying yourself $10 an hour for risking $1,000,000. You're better off getting a squeegee and washing people's windows for spare change.

As to playing the game, that's it. As to knowing what's going on, it's a matter of strict and fixed rules, and here they are:

The Objective

The objective of Baccarat is to draw a two- or three-card hand that totals closer to 9 than the banker.

10, J, K, Q count as 0, A is a 1 and all other cards are face value.

If your total is more than ten, you drop the ten. So a 7-9 hand totals to 6 (16, drop ten).

There is no such thing as a "bust" hand.

The Rules

The banker and the player each draw two cards.

If either the player or banker total 8 or 9, both automatically stand, no exceptions.

If the player's total is 6 or 7, the player stands.

If the player stands, the banker hits on a total of 5 or less.

If the player's total is 5 or less, the player automatically hits and the banker gives the player a third card.

If the player receives a third card then the banker draws a third card according to the following:

Banker's hand totals 0,1,2: Banker always draws a third card.

Banker's hand totals 3: Banker draws if Player's third card is 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-9-0 (not 8)

Banker totals 4: Banker draws if Player thirds 2-3-4-5-6-7

Banker 5: Banker draws if Player thirds 4-5-6-7

Banker 6: Banker draws if Player thirds 6-7

Banker 7: Banker stands.

Once the final cards are dealt, the one with the total closest to 9 wins.

Objective

Bets are placed and the player receives seven cards. From these seven cards the player forms two hands: a two-card hand called the "low" or "front" hand; a five-card hand called the "high" or "back" hand. The goal is to beat the dealer on both hands. The back hand is ranked as in Poker with the exception that A-2-3-4-5 is the second-highest straight beating K-Q-J-10-9. The front hand is singles or a pair, with A-A being the highest.

There are a few additional rules. First, your front hand should not beat your back. If it does, this is called a "foul" and both hands lose. Second, the Joker can be used as a wild card to complete a Straight, a Flush, a Straight Flush or a Royal Flush. Otherwise it is treated as an Ace.

Betting

Betting in most online games is very simple in that you make a single opening bet and that is the end of it. In some Pai Gow games there are separate bets for the front and back hands, but this is unusual in on-line play.

If both hands lose to the dealer, you lose your bet. If both hands win, you win even money. If one hand wins and the other loses, it's a push. If your hands are the same as the dealer's, called "copies", the dealer wins. Obviously that’s an attraction of playing dealer/banker in multi-player games. In such games, you minimize your losses by betting low when you are a player and being dealer/banker whenever possible.

If the player wins, the house takes a 5% commission: you get $4.75 of a $5 winning bet.

There are a number of issues related to the multi-player games when it comes to the dealer/banker question. Keep in mind that none of this applies to typical single-player on-line play.

Dealer/Banker: In multi-player Pai Gow games the bank rotates from person to person, where a player may pass the deal if they choose. If you want to deal you must have enough money on the table to broker all other bets made. If you are uncomfortable with the full risk of banking, another player may co-bank with you as dealer and the two of you will split the wins and losses. The house will bank if no player is willing to do it. If a player is banking, the dealer can be a player, wagering as the banker asks. If a player is the banker then the dealer will first compare their own hands to that of the banker and make the appropriate payments. Then the dealer will take the banker's cards and compare them to the other players, using the banker's money.

Payoff

All wins in Pai Gow are at even money, less the house's 5% commission.

Let It Ride is a poker-style casino game. It is a variation of 5-card Stud but differs in that players don't have to beat a dealer's hand or other players. The goal is merely to compile a winning poker hand, with a minimum of a pair of tens.

Objective

The objective of Let It Ride is to compile the highest 5-card poker hand (containing at least a pair of tens) from three dealt cards and two community cards while keeping the maximum bet on the table.

Betting

The player opens a round by placing three identical bets on the betting circles. The player is dealt three cards and the dealer places two community cards in the center of the table, face down. Based on the favorability of the three hole cards, the player can withdraw the first bet or "let it ride" and leave it on the table. The dealer then reveals the first community card. Now the player decides whether to withdraw the second bet. The second community card is then revealed and the hand is scored. Note that the third bet stays on the table with no option to withdraw. Also note that withdrawing the second bet is independent of what was done with the first.

Optimal Strategy

Optimal play in Let It Ride is a matter of deciding if you are going to "stay" at the two decision points in the hand. Let's break down the decisions, keeping in mind that 10-J-Q-K-A are "high" cards and a "skip" is a card missing from a Straight:

Three cards up:

"Let It Ride" on the first bet if you have:

a paying hand: High-Card Pair or Three-of-a-Kind

three consecutive, same-suit cards valued 3-4-5 or better

three of a Straight Flush with one skip and at least one high card (eg. 8-9-J but not 7-8-J)

three of a Straight Flush with two skips and at least two high cards (eg. 8-J-Q but not 7-9-J)

Four cards up:

"Let It Ride" on the second bet if you have:

a paying hand: High-Card Pair, Three-of-a-Kind or Two Pair

four of any Flush

four of a Straight, no skips

four high cards

Objective

You ante in and the dealer deals five cards to you and five to themselves. The dealer turns one of their cards up. At this point you can make an additional bet -- the "call" bet -- or surrender. If you surrender you lose the hand and your ante.

If you make the "call" bet then the dealer turns over their cards. To continue to the showdown, the dealer must "qualify" by holding at least an Ace-King or better. If the dealer does not qualify, you win the ante but your "call" bet is simply returned, no matter what the cards show.

If the dealer does qualify then it's a good old fashioned showdown, with a catch. If you win, the ante pays even money. But if you win with anything better than a pair, then the house pays you a multiple of your "call" bet based on a bonus ranking. The better your hand, the higher the bonus.

Betting

There are two betting rounds in a hand of Caribbean Poker. The first is your ante. The second comes when the dealer turns one of their cards face up. If you like what you see and think you're still in the running, you can place a "call" bet -- which is fixed at twice whatever you anted -- and play on. If you don't "call" you surrender and forfeit your ante.

Payoff

Payoff in Caribbean Poker is very simple. If you place a "call" bet and the dealer fails to qualify, you win even money on your ante and the "call" bet is simply returned.

If the dealer qualifies and you win the showdown, you get even money on your ante and your "call" pays out

The Killer in Caribbean Poker

In my opinion there is one rule in Caribbean Poker that needs very close examination by the would-be player. The fact that the dealer must qualify with an A-K or better before the player gets a proper payout on a winning hand hangs over the game like a black cloud.

Let's dream a little and assume that every hand you get beats the dealer.

Only 54% of the time will the dealer qualify and that means that

46% of the time you'll only get paid for your Ante bet at 1-1 no matter how good your cards are.

Red Dog is a card game similar to Acey-Deucey and In-Between. The game is played on a blackjack-sized table with two betting spots -- "bet" and "raise" -- using a 52-card deck. Only three cards are played per hand. Card suit is not relevant in Red Dog.

The popularity of Red Dog is largely due to its simplicity. As the pros say, if you can remember the number seven and know how to subtract, then you can play Red Dog as well as anyone in the world.

As a player, you place an opening bet and the dealer will deal two cards. The object of the game is to bet on the likelihood that the rank of a third card is going to fall between the first two. If it does fall between, you win. If it doesn't, you lose.

So far, it's too simple. This is where the "raise" bet comes in and it's based on the "spread". Spread is the number of card values that lie between the two initial cards. The value of any card from 2 to 10 counts at face value, a jack counts as 11, a queen as 12, a king as 13, and an ace counts as 14.

A couple of examples are worthwhile. Let's say the dealer deals a 7 and a 10. What's the spread? Since 8 and 9 fall between the 7 and 10, the spread is 2. Ok, let's say the next hand plays a 4 and a 5. The spread? Since the cards are consecutive, no cards fall between 4 and 5, it's called a "tie", you keep your money and the hand is over.

The interesting part of Red Dog is betting on the spread. This is an optional second bet where you go for a bonus payout. The house sets the odds based on a simple principle: the narrower the spread, the higher the potential payout ("bonus").

Betting

As indicated, you open with a bet and the dealer deals two cards. The cards are placed face up on the table and the dealer will place a marker to indicate (a) the spread and (b) the odds the house offers on an additional bet (the "raise"). If you bet no further, you will win your original bet at even money if you win the hand.

If you do decide to raise, you're betting at house odds as printed on the Red Dog table. If you win, you get your original bet at even money and the raise bet at the odds indicated.

If the first two cards are a tie -- consecutive cards -- you keep your bet.

If the two cards are a pair, betting stops but you'll get paid at 11:1 if the third card makes it three of a kind. Otherwise you lose your bet.

Finally, if the third card matches either of the first two, you lose your bet.

Payoff

In a winning hand, opening bets are always paid out at even money.

Basics

When you are rolling the dice you are the "shooter". Your first toss in a round of Craps is called the Come Out roll. If you roll a 7 or 11, you win and the round is over before it started. If you roll a 2, 3, or 12 that's a Craps and you lose: again, it's over before it started. Any other number becomes the Point. The purpose of the Come Out roll is to set the Point, which can be any of 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10. The Dealer places a puck marked "On" above the Point number printed on the table.

Objective

The basic objective in Craps is for the shooter to win by tossing the Point again before he tosses a 7. That 7 is called Out 7 to differentiate it from the 7 on the Come Out roll. If the Point is tossed, the shooter and his fellow bettors win and the round is over. If the shooter tosses Out 7, they lose and the round is over. If the toss is neither the Point nor Out 7, the round continues and the dice keep rolling.

Betting and payoff

Here's where life at the Craps table can get complicated. There are an overwhelming number of betting options and it'll make you dizzy trying to figure them all out at once. Like I promised though, it's easy to play smart. Let's talk about those smart bets first.

Pass bets

The typical -- and simplest -- bet is called a Pass bet. It is placed on the Pass Line before the Come Out roll. Assuming that the round goes past the Come Out roll, you're betting on the chance that you'll roll the Point again before you roll an Out 7. Pass bets win at even odds, 1:1. Since any Pass bets are typically betting with the shooter, Pass bettors are said to be betting "right", they're supporting the shooter in his attempt to win.

To Win: win on the Come Out roll if the dice show 7 or 11. Win on any subsequent roll if you roll the Point.

To Lose: lose on the Come Out roll if the dice are Craps (2, 3, or 12). Lose on any subsequent roll if it's an Out 7.

Don't Pass bets

A bet placed on the Don't Pass line is basically the opposite of a Pass bet. Assuming that the round goes past the Come Out roll, you're betting that the shooter will roll Out 7 before making the Point. In other words, you're betting against the shooter, which is why it's called a "wrong" bet. Rest assured though, there is nothing wrong with the odds on a Don't Pass bet.

To Win: win on the Come Out roll if the dice show Craps (2, 3 or 12). Win on any subsequent roll if it's an Out 7.

To Lose: lose on the Come Out roll of 7 or 11. Lose on any subsequent roll if it's the Point.

Come/Don't Come bets

Come and Don't Come bets are basically the same as Pass and Don't Pass except they are placed while a round is in progress. They are designed for players who join the game late. The same rules apply: win if the next roll is 7 or 11, lose if it's Craps. Otherwise the roll becomes the Come Point.

Odds bets

An Odds bet is a backup bet on a Pass/Don't Pass/Come/Don't Come bet already on the table. They're usually limited to two or three times (2x or 3x) the original bet and pay off at true odds: the payoff truly reflects the probability of the dice's roll and there's no additional house edge involved. Unlike original Pass/Don't Pass/Come/Don't Come bets, unresolved Odds bets can be removed from the table during play.

Pass Odds and Come Odds pay 2:1 on a roll of 4 or 10, 3:2 on 5's and 9's, and 6:5 on 6's and 8's.

Don't Pass Odds and Don't Come Odds pay 1:2 on a roll of 4 or 10, 2:3 on 5's and 9's, 5:6 on 6's and 8's.

Other bets

Now for the rest of the table, the Place Number bets and Proposition bets. Unfortunately the odds against you here vary from mediocre to terrible which is why savvy players ignore almost all of them. These bets are mostly designed for players who either have money burning a hole in their pocket or feel they have to bet on every little toss of the dice. The price of such impatience and risk-taking is higher house edges, sometimes dramatically higher.

A Place Number bet is where you are betting that a particular number will roll before a 7 does, or vice versa. These include the Place, Buy, Lay and Lose bets, the Big 6 and Big 8, and finally the Hard 4, Hard 6, Hard 8 and Hard 10.

The Proposition bets are where you bet that the next roll will be a specific number. These include the 2, 3, 7, 11, and 12 bets, the Any Craps bet, the Field, Hop and Horn bets.

BEST BET

The numbers people say that a Pass bet gives the house a 1.41% edge. And a Don't Pass yields slightly less than 1.40% to the house. These are the Line Bets and they're the heart of a winner's strategy because everything else gives too much away.

Microgaming, Cryptologic, Boss Media, and Unified Gaming are the four major software manufacturers to support keno games. That doesn't mean that payouts are going to be the same for each company's games, however. The return on your initial investment can vary substantially from one software provider to another, so choose where you play carefully.

For the sake of comparison, land-based casinos generally pay back about 70 to 75 cents on the dollar in keno. Online casinos can pay more or less than that, depending on where you play.

Of the software providers listed above, the best keno game is Microgaming's Pick 13, with a return of 96.54%. The worst is Boss Media's Pick 4 with a return of 67.39%.

Overall, Microgaming and Unified gaming are very close with returns ranging from 92.09% to the high of 96.54%, except for the Pick 1, which always pays 3:1 for a return of 75%.

Cryptologic and Boss Media fall far behind with returns ranging from the low of 67.39% to a high of 73.79% (again, not counting the Pick 1).

The following table shows the return for all four providers according to the number of picks.

Marks Microgaming Unified Gaming Cryptologic Boss Media

1 75.00% 75.00% 75.00% n/a

2 92.09% 92.09% 72.15% 68.04%

3 93.04% 94.35% 73.54% 69.38%

4 93.79% 94.55% 73.79% 67.39%

5 93.87% 94.79% 73.22% 67.57%

6 93.79% 94.62% 71.61% 70.64%

7 96.35% 94.58% 72.41% 69.56%

8 92.90% 94.61% 72.71% 67.47%

9 92.86% 94.66% 71.87% 64.53%

10 94.54% 94.74% 72.35% 69.61%

11 93.10% n/a n/a n/a

12 94.22% n/a n/a n/a

13 96.54% n/a n/a n/a

14 95.42% n/a n/a n/a

15 95.19% n/a n/a n/a

To highlight the winner, the following is the specific pay table and probabilities for Microgaming's Pick 13.

Microgaming Pick 13

Match Pays Probability Return

0 1 1 in 60.99 0.016396

1 0 1 in 11.26 0

2 0 1 in 4.84 0

3 0.5 1 in 3.67 0.136368

4 0.5 1 in 4.40 0.113640

5 3 1 in 7.94 0.377635

6 4 1 in 21.05 0.190005

7 5 1 in 81.20 0.061576

8 20 1 in 458.06 0.043663

9 80 1 in 3847.67 0.020792

10 240 1 in 49844.80 0.004815

11 500 1 in 1060032.75 0.000472

12 3000 1 in 41694621.35 0.000072

13 6000 1 in 4065225581.67 0.000001

The typical "American" roulette wheel is divided into 38 slots which are numbered 1 to 36 plus 0 and 00. Even numbers are red and odd numbers black. 0 and 00 are green. Some casinos offer the "European Wheel". This wheel has only 37 slots. There is no 00.

After you place your bets, the dealer spins a small white ball in the opposite direction of the turning wheel. When the ball comes to rest in one of the slots, the dealer will call out the winning number and settle all bets.

Betting These are the bets you can place and their corresponding payouts:

Straight bet

A bet on a single number pays 35:1

Split bet

A bet on 2 adjacent numbers pays 17:1

Street bet

A bet on 3 numbers on a horizontal line pays 11:1

Corner bet

A bet on a block of 4 numbers pays 8:1

Line bet

A bet on 6 numbers in 2 adjacent rows pays 5:1

Column bet

A bet on 1 of 3 vertical columns pays 2:1

Dozen bet

A bet on 12 numbers, low (1-12), middle (13-24) or high (25-36) pays 2:1

Even bet

A bet on even or odd, red or black, low (1-18) or high (19-36) pays 1:1

You can place as many bets as you like on a single spin of the wheel up to the table maximum.

Some casinos use a rule called en prison. When a zero or double zero hits, the player loses half the bet, or can let the bet remain in play, with the results to be determined on the next spin. This rule only applies to even money bets.

Odds

With the 38-number American wheel, the house has a big 5.26 percent edge. (Whenever 0 or 00 are hit, all bets lose.)

With the 37-number European wheel, the house advantage is 2.7 percent. In other words, on every $100 bet the house makes $2.70. With the en prison rule, this edge drops to just 1.35 percent.

Obviously you want to look for casinos that offer the European, single-zero wheel -- and many online casinos do. If you can find one that also offers en prison, so much the better.

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