One of the hands that often confound blackjack players is when they are dealt a soft 17. Should I stand or hit? What about doubling down? What follows are the facts on how to play this hand accurately every time you play blackjack.

First, let me review some basics. A soft hand is any hand that contains an ace that is counted as 11. For example, an ace-6 is a soft 17; so is ace-3-3 and 2-2-ace-2. The basic playing strategy for, say, an ace-6 is much different than it is for a 10-7 (known as a hard 17 because It doesn’t contain an ace counted as 11). Yes, both hands total 17, but you play a soft 17 differently because you can never bust with a one-card draw (not so with a hard 17).

Regardless of whether you are playing blackjack in a land-based or online casino, when you are dealt a soft 17, if you are not counting cards, you should always follow the basic playing strategy, which is as follows.

WHEN YOU ARE DEALT A SOFT 17:

• Never stand
• Double down when the dealer’s upcard in 3 through 6 (2 through 6 in a single-deck game)
• Hit when the dealer shows a 2 or 7 though ace (for single-deck, double against a dealer 2 rather than hit)

STANDING ON SOFT 17

The basic blackjack strategy for standing on soft 17 is simple: never stand! That’s right; you should never stand on soft 17 regardless of what the dealer’s upcard is.  That might seem odd since most players believe that 17 is a good enough hand on which to stand. In fact it’s not because you will lose more money standing than either hitting (or doubling).

"If you remember just one thing from this article it’s this: never stand on soft 17!"

If you are still not convinced that standing on soft 17 is a bad play, think about the dealer’s rule for soft 17. When the casino rules specify that dealer’s must hit their soft 17 (rather than stand), the house edge increases, meaning hitting a soft 17 is better for the dealer than standing. It’s the same for players … hitting soft 17 is always better than standing.

DOUBLING DOWN ON SOFT 17

Many players pass up the opportunity to double down because they don’t understand the logic for doing so. The reason you double on soft hands is not so much to outdraw the dealer as it is to get more money on the table when the dealer is vulnerable to busting. The latter occurs more often when the dealer shows a low-value upcard (e.g., 3 through 6).

The basic strategy for doubling a soft 17 is easy to remember.

• For double- and multi-deck games, double down when the dealer’s upcard is 3 through 6.
• For a single-deck game, double down when the dealer’s upcard is 2 through 6.

MULTI-CARD SOFT 17

Sometimes you might hit your hand and after drawing one (or more cards) have a soft 17. For example, suppose you were dealt a 2-4 and the dealer’s upcard is a 6. You hit and draw an ace giving you a soft 17 (2-4-A). The playing rules in most land-based and online casinos prohibit you from doubling down on a hand once you draw a third card; therefore, if you hold a multi-card soft 17, you should hit.

Likewise, the rules in some land-based and online casinos allow players to double down only on hard hands (i.e., they are prohibited from doubling soft hands). In addition, the rules in most video blackjack games in land-based casinos don’t allow players to double down on soft hands.  So, the bottom line is this:

• If you have a multi-card soft 17 or the rules don’t allow soft doubling, always hit soft 17.

HITTING SOFT 17

The basic strategy rules for hitting soft 17 are as follows:

• For double- and multi-deck games, hit when the dealer‘s upcard is a 2 or 7 through ace.
• For a single-deck game, hit when the dealer’s upcard is 7 through ace.

After you hit a soft 17, what you do next depends upon the total of your hand and the dealer’s upcard. (You need to refer to a basic strategy table for the rules on how to play your hand depending upon your total and the dealer’s upcard.)

BASIC STRATEGY TABLE FOR SOFT 17

The following color-coded blackjack strategy table summarizes the above rules for playing a soft 17.

Note:
Dh = Double down if permitted, otherwise hit.
H = Hit

QUIZ

To be sure you know when to hit or double-down on soft 17, decide how you would play each of the following hands against the dealer’s upcard.

1. A-6 vs. 3

2. A-6 vs. 9

3. A-2-4 vs. 4

4. 2-3-A-A vs. 2

5. A-6 vs. 2

6. A-6 vs. 5

7. A-6 vs. 6 (rules don’t allow doubling)

8. A-6 vs. 7

Answers:

1. Double down

2. Hit

3. Hit

4. Hit

5. Double down in single-deck; hit in double- and multi-deck.

6. Double down

7. Hit

8. Hit

CARD COUNTING AND SOFT 17

Card counters will sometimes vary their playing strategy depending upon the count; however, it’s rare when a card counter deviates with a soft 17 because there’s not much to be gained. The two times a card counter might consider doing so is as follows:

• If the count is positive, double down on soft 17 against dealer’s 2 upcard
• If the count is negative, hit against dealer’s 3 through 6 (rather than double down).

To be accurate, you should consult a table of index numbers for whatever counting system you are using for the specific index number for the above two plays.

The first question on any slot machine player’s mind is, “How do I win?” The question evolves with experienced players who think about it a little. They wonder, “Maybe I can’t always win, but how to I maximize my paybacks?

Slot machines are games of chance, With rare exceptions, there is no skill involved, and there is no method of play that will make them pay more than they’re designed to pay.

With that in mind, maximizing slot payouts comes down to choice of games and making the wagers necessary to get the most they have to offer.

HIGH DENOMINATION VS. LOW DENOMINATION

In the United States, where many state gaming boards publish statistics each month, nationwide averages look like this:
 

Those are national averages, but can vary widely from state to state and casino to casino, depending on the competitive situation and marketing goals of the casinos. For a real-world example, let’s look at the state of Mississippi and October 2015 payback percentages published by the Mississippi Gaming Commission:
 

On video slots, Mississippi casinos pay far above the national average on both penny non-progressives and on five-cent games. But the normal pattern holds in that the higher denomination slots pay a greater percentage back to players than the lower denomination games.

The 25-cent-and-up slots are mostly games with mechanical reels. Although in Mississippi the 25-cent and 50-cent games provide nearly equal returns, and the difference is narrower than usual between 25-cent and $1 games, you still can see a pattern where $5 games pay more than $1 games, which pay more than 25-cent games.

BOTTOM LINE

• Playing higher-denomination slots usually will put you at higher-paying machines.
• Caution: If you bet one coin per line on a 20-line video slot, you’re betting 20 cents on a penny slot, but $1 on five-cent slots.
• That difference in wager size means you can lose more money even while getting a higher payback percentage. If the 1-cent slot returns 87 percent and the 5-cent game returns 90 percent, then your loss per 20-coin wager is 2.6 cents on the 1-cent game, and 10 cents on the 5-cent game.
• Conclusion: Let your bankroll be your guide. If higher-denomination games fit within your entertainment budget, they can maximize payback and give you a better shot to win. But if they’d stretch your budget, it’s better to stay low. Never bet money you can’t afford to lose.

BETTING THE MAX

On many slot machines, including nearly all games with three mechanical reels, you get a higher payback percentage if you bet the maximum number of coins the game allows.

Here’s a sample pay table:

Note the disproportionate jump in the top jackpot. If the payoffs were perfectly proportional, the payback percentage would be same regardless of how many coins you wagered.

But betting the third coin brings a rise in payback percentage. Look at it this way:

• Each coin wagered brings the same return on cherries, bars, double bars and triple bars. A 15-coin payoff on three cherries breaks down into a 5-coin return for the first coin wagered, 5 for the second and 5 for the third.
• Payoffs on 7s are proportional through two coins. A 2,000-coin payoff breaks down into 1,000 on the first coin and 1,000 on the second.
• However, if you land the 7s on the payline with the maximum three-coin bet, the 5,000-coin return breaks down into 1,000 on the first coin, 1,000 on the second and a big leap to 3,000 on the third.
• The average payback on three 7s is 1,000 per coin wagered if you bet one or two coins, but 1,667 per coins wagered if you bet the maximum three.
• That higher average payback with three coins wagered means the payback percentage is higher when you bet the max.
• Caution: You maximize return when you bet the max, but you also have more money at risk and can have larger losses. Don’t overbet your bankroll.

The situation is different on five-reel video slots. Paybacks are proportional to coins wagered per payline on these games, with no jackpot jump for betting the max.

Here’s a sample pay table for a 20-payline, five-reel video game:
 

There are a few notable things about that pay table:

• It is simplified from the pay tables you actually see in casinos, which use more character symbols and also often use generic symbols such as A-K-Q-J-10. Many video slots also include more than one bonus event.
• Despite the simplification, there are many more possible winning combinations than on the three-reel slot. Even two in a row of the top-paying symbol brings some payoff.
• As set up, this game with 20 paylines and a five-coin maximum bet per line would have a maximum total bet of 100 coins. Games you’ll find in casinos often have much higher maximum bets, such as 20 coins per line on a 20-line game, or 10 coins per line on a 40-line game, for a total of 400 coins.
• The pay table is proportional from to bottom, so there is no advantage to betting maximum coins. You’ll get the same payback percentage regardless of whether you bet one coin per line or five.

BE ELIGIBLE TO WIN

On the video slot game illustrated above, there is no pay table incentive to wager maximum coins per line. However, it might be to your advantage to make sure you bet on every payline.

Why? Because on some machines, the bonus symbols must land on an active payline for you to be eligible for the free spins, wheel spin, pick-a-symbol round or whatever other special event has been designed into the game.

An example:

• You decide to bet a single coin. That activates only the center payline.
• You go to the bonus event if three bonus symbols land on the center line. On most video slots, they don’t have to be on consecutive reels, from left to right, as most paying symbols do. You’ll go to the bonus even if the symbols are in the center of reels 2, 3 and 5, or 1, 2 and 4, or any other combination.
• However, if the reels land on any line you have not activated, you do not go to the bonus.

• Time spent in bonus events is time you spend building credits without making extra wagers, so you want to maximize your chances of going to the bonuses.
• Bottom line: To maximize payouts, make sure you’re eligible for the bonuses offered.
• Note: Some newer games avoid the issue by eliminating the option to play fewer paylines than available. A 40-line game might have buttons labeled “Bet 40,” “Bet 80,” “Bet 120,” “Bet 160,” and “Bet 200,” giving you options to bet one, two, three, four or five credits per line, but no chance to play only one line. In the slot industry, these are called “forced bet” machines.

Reading the glass or help menu can save you in some other situations, too.

Consider this three-reel slot pay table:
 

This type of machine is called a buy-a-pay. Each coin you wager unlocks a set of symbols, if you wager only one coin and line up three 7s, you don’t hit the jackpot, you get nothing. It’s just a losing spin.

On such a machine, you maximize payouts by betting the max to such an extent that you should never play if you’re not prepared to make the maximum wager.

One more example of where reading the glass or help menu can save you some grief:

On many video slot machines with progressive jackpots, especially those with two, three, four or more levels of progressive, you must make a separate wager to be eligible for the jackpots.

Sometimes the button panel includes a separate button that includes covering all the paylines plus jackpot eligibility. Often it’s large and round and oval, to stand out from the small, square buttons for the usual choices of how many paylines to play and how many coins to wager per line.

The amount required for jackpot eligibility varies in different machines. It’s not unusual to see 10, 15 or 20-credit bets for the jackpot. On a game with a 10-credit jackpot bet, if you cover 20 paylines at 1 credit per line and make the jackpot bet, your total wager is 30 credits.  

If you bet five credits per line, you’re betting 100 credits in the main game and 10 on the jackpot for a total wager of 110 credits.

The progressive jackpots are the prime attraction of such games. You maximize your return by making the jackpot bet. If you do not want to make the jackpot bet, you’re better off to choose a different game.

SCOUTING PROGRESSIVES

Some players like to attempt to maximize their returns by scouting machines with progressive jackpots.

To do their scouting, they’ll visit casinos and note the starting points for progressive jackpots, and try to find out when they hit. Such charting requires frequent visits, and often requires asking slot attendants, “I see that jackpot just hit recently. How much was it?”

They build a data base that might look like this:

• Jackpot starting point: $5,000.
• Jackpot winners: $8,663; $5,981; $7,453; $9,012; $8,114; $7,888; $10, 576; $8,243.
• More data collected over longer time is better.
• From that, they determine that while jackpots sometimes hit at a little more than the starting point and sometimes exceed $10,000, they most often hit between about $7,400 and $8,700.
• Based on that information, they don’t play unless the jackpot exceeds $7,400.
• Actual jackpot amounts and average payout will differ from game to game and casino to casino.

Because such players do not bet when the jackpots are low, they always are playing at relatively high pay tables. That maximizes their payback percentage.

However, betting when the jackpot is high doesn’t increase your chances of hitting the jackpot, it just makes the average payout higher when you do win. Just as in any other method of maximizing payouts, rule Nos. 1, 2 and 3 are to stay within your bankroll, not bet money you can’t afford to lose, and to choose games that fit your budget.

Online casino gambling has exploded in the last decade, with the volume of worldwide online gambling expected to be reported in the $41.4 billion range for 2015, according to Statista. This is triple the $13.8 billion that was reported in 2005 - and this is mostly without United States participation, where online casino gambling is almost completely illegal.

In fact, Morgan Stanley Research suggests that if 20 jurisdictions were opened in the United States, that $5.2 billion would be generated just in America by 2020.

Statista defines online gaming as including such activities as poker, casinos (where people can play traditional casino games online, like slot machines or blackjack,, sports betting, bingo and lotteries. Of these, casino games make up the largest market segment, with figures from 2012 finding that 23 percent of online gambling was casino-style gaming and 18 percent was poker games.


 
Delving deeper into the online casino numbers, it is clear that the most popular activity by far is playing slot machines. And while most online casino companies closely guard their numbers, it is believed that slots make a much higher percentage of the bottom line for online casinos than they do at their brick-and-mortar counterparts, which usually report slot revenues as around 30 percent of their overall take.

The birth of an affordable computer in the early 1980s resulted in the introduction of computers to slot machines at brick-and-mortar casinos. Despite the immediate popularity of games like video poker, many players stayed away, feeling that if they couldn’t see the reels spinning, they couldn’t trust the machines. It didn’t take long for those players to see that they were like every other machine with payouts. 



Over time, computers in the machines allowed paper bills to be accepted and could offer a range of options on a single machine. Electronic bonus features were introduced and players found they had enough variety with one machine that the average time of a player staying at the same machine skyrocketed.
 

Bringing the Casino to the Home

Computerized casino games first found their way into homes around the same time, allowing players to wager pretend money in often rudimentary interfaces. Without the excitement of real money, most computer or console (like Atari, Nintendo, etc.) players chose different genres, be it sports or adventure and casino games were a tiny fraction of the gaming industry.

But once the Internet began penetrating the computer market in the late ’90s and early into the 21st century, it became clear that, with the ability to introduce real money into the mix, the online casino market was about to take off and cater to a completely different person than the one that plays Grand Theft Auto or FIFA15.

Generally, video games are aimed at the more casual players who are looking for some harmless fun, while real money gambling games - whether slot machines or table games - are of course aimed at those looking to replicate the excitement and potential monetary prizes of their favorite land-based casino at the comfort of their home or mobile device. Unlike video games, these users don't expect to pay for the software itself or abuse it for days over days, but rather they seek some immediate individualistic gratification in terms of cool features and prizes.

Creating an Online Slot Machine 

For the end user, or those unfamiliar with the world of casinos or computer programming, it may seem like the online slot machine is a basic tool. But when it comes to Internet casinos, they are the games that demand the most development, as well as the ones that change most frequently.   

 

A premium online slot machine takes approximately one year from the idea on a piece of paper to deployment on various platforms. About a dozen people are involved in the process, including a game designer, mathematician, server developer, between one and three front-end developers, a game tester, a project manager, a creative team of one or two people and a configurator. Depending on the specifics of the game, specialty graphic designers may also be brought in to be part of the team.

While each game is different, development teams are able to often use a pre-existing slot mechanism or framework which will help streamline the process of research and development. It is a way to avoid having to reinvent the wheel each time a new game is produced. Whether a player is enjoying a simple Bars and 7s machine or one with a Hollywood branded tie-in, they likely take for granted that every detail has been meticulously planned out to the last pixel.

A Long Process to Completion

The first step in designing a game is to get a large group together to talk about a concept and determine if it has legs. This involves creative teams, marketing people, product management and development. 

 

While the initial concept involves brainstorming, once a direction is chosen, marketing statistics, demographics and data are used to create several specific directions that may be taken. After additional meetings and votes, the concept becomes a concrete idea and is handed over to the creative team and the product team. The first thing these groups do is to take a look at what similarly-themed slot machines exist in the marketplace. The challenge then becomes figuring out how to present something different that will attract players.

For instance, if one company were designing a machine featuring landmarks of the world, the teams would first see which, if any, competing games existed. If they found a couple slot games that utilized mostly ancient and medieval landmarks such as the Egyptian Pyramids or The Colosseum in Rome, they may decide to go with more traditional structures, such as The Eiffel Tower and The Empire State Building. 

Once that theme is determined, the team figures out the mood of the game. Is it whimsical, perhaps benefitting from cartoon caricatures, or is it supposed to be more reality-based with real photographs being the best choice? How will bonus games be created in a way that reflects the theme and mood?

 

Creativity and market research determine everything from the large details - like color schemes, fonts and audio - to the tiniest specifications; which, in the example above, might involve determining if shadows should be cast by the famous buildings, or if the bonus game should take three or five seconds to launch. Every last detail is figured out by the team long before the outside world even knows it’s being developed. 

In the end, it simply comes down to trying to create the best possible experience for the player. 

Sometimes, designers have corporate tie-ins, usually involving a current pop culture element like a specific movie or a musician, that need to be part of the mix. This can be a considerable professional challenge. Making a branded game requires the game team to study and research the brand itself in depth, to understand the characters, main scenes and highlights, and then to translate everything into a realistic game plan that can be executed in reasonable time and budget and of course to approve everything with the brand owner – often a Hollywood studio, with very stringent rules on protecting its intellectual property and copyrights.


 
But despite the additional layer of dealing with the owners of a brand, sometimes it’s harder to create a new online slot machine from scratch. A non-branded game brings other challenges – how to differentiate it from the hordes of other slot games created by dozens of other vendors each year? The challenge is to make the game compelling and engaging from the player perspective and yet not too complicated in terms of project execution.
 

The Players Decide If It’s a Success

Online slot machines are continually being developed, with designers hoping each new offering will capture players’ imaginations and prompt repeat visits. However, once the slot machine is deployed to players, the designers must keep up with changes to technology, which may mean making occasionally tweaks to the games - especially if new platforms, browsers and operating systems enter the marketplace. Machines may also need to be changed as more jurisdictions allow online casinos.
An online slot machine’s success is measured by several metrics, including the money it generates, its popularity and, perhaps most importantly, its “stickiness” with players (meaning how long they play the machine at any one sitting and how often they return to that particular machine). All of the data in the world, however, cannot guarantee a machine with be a big hit or a bust.
Unfortunately, there’s no simple answer to this question. Designers can create very successful simple machines and very successful complex machines. Since there is no single player, there is no single answer. Nevertheless, a good game will often combine good returns to players with a rich feature set (often including a progressive jackpot) and outstanding creative – including sounds.
 

The Variance System

During the design process, the team must decide the variance of the machine: low-risk, medium-risk, or high-risk.

• Low-Risk Variance machines are designed to appeal to a wide swath of players looking to play for as long as possible. Jackpots are generally lower in value than many machines, but there are more winning combinations that will keep the player engaged with the machine.

• Medium-Risk Variance machines are the most plentiful kind found online, with both high and low jackpots. These game typically attract players by offering bonus features and special game-in-game opportunities to win additional money. Players can win more with these machines than low-risk ones, but they can also see their bankroll dwindle faster if luck isn’t on their side.

• High-Risk Variance slot machines are the ones that offer the best jackpots, often progressives and wild multiplier symbols which can dramatically increase winnings, but the tradeoff is that small jackpots are much more rare, causing a higher number of non-winning spins.

Each risk variance levels caters to a specific kind of player, meaning that developers must keep in mind who they are trying to attract when they are designing new online slot machines.
As with the video poker slots that first hit brick-and-mortar casinos in the 1980s, players were first leery of the dependability and veracity of the odds that came with online slot machines, but the most reputable online casino sites will list the names of external auditors they use who specialize in testing random number generating systems. In countries that may demand additional proof, stringent testing labs also can confirm the fair and unbiased nature of online casino companies. 

These random number generators, which are used in both online and brick-and-mortar casinos, feature proprietary algorithms that randomly chooses numbers, and those numbers are connected to the symbols the slots player sees. There is hefty security around these random number generators which manufacturers and sites will not talk about since they are at the heart of keeping games fair. 
People who enjoy the online slot machine experience may find one of many “slot machine builders” on the Internet, but it's important to note that these don’t have a fraction of the dependability and comprehensive measures utilized by legitimate designers. Traditional table games are still difficult to create, even if they lack the design variables of online slot machines, as  table games such as blackjack, roulette and craps are often played by the more conservative players, who seek to replicate the exact land-based casino experience down to the same table, chips, rules and strategies.

In slot games, the game designer can express his originality and innovation and thus create something differentiated and unique. So this is often more enjoyable and engaging from a professional standpoint. Nevertheless, designing any game is a considerable professional challenge and even mimicking a standard table game brings its own particular issues.

Did you realize so many variables went into slot machine design? Do you have any other questions about how these games are created? Leave us a comment below sharing your thoughts:

THE 5 BEST VIDEO POKER TIPS ARE: 

1. Play maximum coins
2. Check pay schedules
3. Know the strategy for the game you are playing
4. Practice before you play
5. Watch your bankroll

TIP #1: PLAY MAXIMUM COINS

Playing maximum coins gives you the full value for the royal flush --- typically 800-for-1. Playing fewer coins gives you less for that hand --- typically 250-for-1.

You won’t get that royal flush very often (usually once every 40,000 to 45,000 hands on average), but you NEVER know when the next one is coming. So playing maximum coins gets you paid well when the royal comes.

TIP #2: CHECK PAY SCHEDULES

For Video Poker games where you get your money back for a pair of jacks or better, every additional unit you receive for a full house or flush returns an extra 1.1%.

Compare these two Double Double Bonus games.

 

The first one returns 99.0% with perfect play. The second one returns 97.9%. Most of the plays are the same over the two games, but your money will last longer on the first one. Often you can find both games at the same casino. It’s up to you to know the difference or you’ll be taking the worst of it

If you don’t know how much each pay schedule returns, a good source of this information is my Video Poker for the Intelligent Beginner.

TIP #3: KNOW THE STRATEGY FOR THE GAME YOU ARE PLAYING

Say you’re playing deuces wild and you’re dealt 4♠ 4♥ 6♣ 6♦ 7♠. How do you play it? Do you hold one pair or both pairs?

Actually either could be correct. Consider the two games below, both of which return approximately 98.9% when played well. In the first game you just hold one pair (it doesn’t matter which one). In the second game you hold both pairs.

 

How can you tell which is which? Look at the amount you get when you receive a full house. In the first game, you get paid 3-for-1 (15 for a 5-coin bet). Whenever you see that in Deuces Wild, you hold one pair when you’re dealt two.

In the second game you get paid 4-for-1 for the same hand (20 for a 5-coin bet). That’s when you hold both pair.

TIP #4: PRACTICE BEFORE YOU PLAY

Computer software is available to tell you how to play any hand. The images you see today are inspired by Video Poker for Winners, which is the one I recommend, but there are other good ones as well.

Here we see a hand dealt in a Bonus Poker game. The player held the jack and the ten to go for the royal flush --- certainly a play that looks reasonable. The computer, however, tells you that’s a mistake. Holding the queen and jack is actually better.

 

After you get corrected a few times, you won’t be making this mistake any more. A little bit of practice can make a big difference in your results!

TIP #5: WATCH YOUR BANKROLL

Everybody wants to win, and everybody wins some of the time. But we all lose some of the time as well, and we can’t know what’s going to be the result today until we actually play.

If losing a few hundred credits will be a disaster for you, you can’t afford the stakes you’re playing. If you play for a modest amount compared to your overall bankroll, you’ll be able to absorb the swings, both plus and minus, and enjoy the game.

I wish you lots of royal flushes!

A blackjack player once asked me this question: “Every time I play blackjack against the dealer, he always seems to beat me. So why shouldn’t I just mimic the dealer’s strategy?” That’s a good question and to answer it you first have to understand two things:

1. How to play blackjack
2. How the casinos get their edge in blackjack in the first place. 

More Blackjack School tips and videos:

• How to Play Soft 17
• How to Play Soft 18
• How to Play Your 16 against Dealer's 10 Upcard
• How to Play a 12 vs. a Dealer's 2 Upcard

When I ask most blackjack players how the house gets their edge in blackjack, this is what they usually say: “They get their edge because players don’t know how to play their hands.”  It’s true that a player who plays blackjack and guesses on whether to hit or stand results in an increase in the house edge against this player. But what’s more important to understand is this: what is the inherent house edge in blackjack?

Simply put, the casino gets its edge in blackjack because players act on their hand before the dealer acts on her hand, and if the total of a player’s hand exceeds 21, the player is an automatic loser even if the dealer subsequently busts in the same round. There are more reasons why blackjack players lose besides mimicking the dealer's strategy. 

The “double bust” rule is the casino’s sole built-in advantage in blackjack, and if everything else were equal and a player mimicked the dealer’s playing strategy (i.e., always stand on 17-21 and hit on 16 or less) the house edge would be about 8%. That’s because the player and the dealer would have about a 28.3% probability of busting, if they played in the same manner; therefore, 0.283 times 0.283, or about 8% of the time both hands would bust and the dealer would win. 



Fortunately, not all is equal when you play blackjack. Players have certain advantages and options that are not available to the dealer. They include:

• Receiving a 3 to 2 bonus payoff on a blackjack, whereas the dealer gets paid only at 1 to 1 on his winning blackjack (advantage to player). 
• Being able to double their wager in favorable situations (like being dealt a two-card 11), whereas the dealer cannot double down (advantage to player).
• Being able to split, and sometimes resplit pairs, whereas dealers cannot split (advantage to player).
• Players can stand on totals of 12–16, whereas a dealer must always hit a total of 16 or lower (advantage to player), and players can hit some soft hands whereas the dealer cannot (advantage to player).
• Being able to surrender, when rules permit (advantage to player).

I trust you now understand why mimicking the dealer strategy when you play blackjack is a very bad idea. So is guessing on whether to hit or stand on a particular hand or using your “intuition” that says you should hit because you are “due” to win the hand. No, blackjack is not a guessing game; in fact, brilliant mathematicians have calculated the best way to play every hand and have condensed this information into what is known as the basic playing strategy. By learning the basic strategy, meaning knowing when to hit, stand, double down, or pair split, and playing every hand accurately, you can reduce the initial 8% double-bust house edge down to 0.5% or less (depending on the number of decks of cards and the playing rules). 

The following table summarizes the effect the 3 to 2 bonus blackjack payoff and the player advantage (options) has in reducing the initial 8% house edge. Getting paid 3-2 for a blackjack reduces the house edge by 2.3% (and that’s for doing nothing at all); using the correct standing and hitting strategies reduces it another 3.5%, and so forth.  (To reiterate, the percentages will vary slightly based on the number of decks of cards and the playing rules.)
 

SUMMARY

• Mimicking the dealer’s strategy is a very poor strategy that should never be used.
• Guessing or playing by “intuition” is another losing strategy.
• The only way to improve your chances of winning at blackjack is to learn the basic playing strategy.

The complete basic playing strategy for any given mix of playing rules and number of decks of cards being used is summarized in Chapter 3 of the Ultimate Blackjack Strategy Guide.

• In casino gaming there are a variety of mathematical based systems that are touted as a sure fire way to beat the casino.
   
• This is especially true for roulette. While some systems can be applied under a very specific set of circumstances, most can’t be applied over an extended period of time.
   
• When they are, the roulette system fails and the player usually lose the game.
   
• There is however one method of attacking roulette that can be applied over an extended period of time, when done correctly, gives the player a positive outcome. That system is the Kesselgucken roulette system.

Kesselgucken is a German word which most closely translates to the English word observational. It is appropriate because what the player is doing is observing influencing factors of where the ball will land, and using the laws of physics to predict where that will be. Usually within a sector range of octants, (1/8th of a pie like section of the wheel).  This approach was pioneered by Ed Thorp, when he and Noble Laureate Claude Shannon, developed the world’s first wearable computer, that was designed to predict where the roulette ball would land.

Roulette physics has many factors go into the classical mechanics calculations. Some of these factors include:

1. Release point
2. Initial Speed of the Ball
3. Gravity
4. Initial Speed of the Wheel
5. Bounce coefficient - how many times the ball would bounce before resting in a basket

By using a computer program that accounted for all these factors, all Thorp and Shannon had to do was input the initial velocity of the ball after one revolution and the computer would take care of the rest. The series of equations used required a computer to complete before the croupier would call “no more bets”. It’s worth noting that when the two MIT Professors did this the use of computers in casinos was allowed. We are not that lucky any more. The two made vast amounts of money using the roulette physics computer, and their success ultimately led to the ban of computer devices in casinos.

When the casinos successfully banned the use of computers, the player had to come up with ways to attack the wheel without the assistance of any device. The result was the Kesselgucken approach. The methodology wasn’t as accurate as the system that used the computer but it was still good enough to gain a healthy advantage over the house.

Using the computer the where the ball would land could be predicted to a range of 5 numbers or 1/8th of the wheel. If a player were to bet $1 dollar on 5 different numbers, with 100% accuracy you would earn a staggering profit of $33 per spin. And the numbers just get bigger as the wager amount increases. The profit levels are not that high when using a non computer approach but are still very good. Instead of 5 numbers a player increase the number of dollar inputs to $15, and at a payout of 36:1 a net profit of $20 per spin is possible on 100% hit rate. A profit can be made with a hit rate as low as 35%, so this is a very powerful system when properly executed. Let’s go over a couple of things you need to execute the system.

STEP 1: RELEASE POINT

Every roulette croupier has a signature. A croupier signature is few physical components of how the croupier releases the ball into the wheel. The first part of the croupier signature is where on the outer rim the dealer releases the ball onto the track. A croupier will usually release the ball from the same position for every spin. Starting position is very important.

STEP 2: INITIAL SPEED OF THE BALL

The next thing to consider is the initial velocity at which the ball is released on to the track. When Thorp and Shannon developed their roulette physics computer the player would click a button once to measure starting point and a second time when the ball made one complete revolution. The initial angular velocity was then used to run through all of the calculations to predict the landing point. Without a computer the player observes the croupier for a few hours before playing live roulette against the dealer and uses a stop watch to time the length of one revolution. The times are then averaged to get a mean time for the distance traveled. Approximately 100 spins should suffice for an average. The distance traveled for one revolution is approximately 2 πr, where π = 3.14 and r is the radius of the wheel. Then using the simple equation:

Velocity=2πr/time

What the player will find after 100 trials and 100 calculations is that the velocity is very consistent for each individual croupier.

STEP 3: GRAVITY

By knowing where the ball is released and what the initial velocity is the player can determine where the ball will enter the area of the wheel where number baskets are. The ball separates from the outer track at the same velocity every time. Then gravity takes over and the ball slides down the angled track until it hit enters the area with the numbered basket slots in it.

STEP 4: INITIAL SPEED OF THE WHEEL

Determining where the ball will enter the basket area is accounting for the ball aspect of the roulette game. The other half is the roulette wheel itself. The wheel remains in motion (under almost zero friction) and spins the direction opposite of the way the ball is spun. The velocity of the wheel, like that of the ball, is fairly consistent between dealers. It should be measured over the same100 spins as dealer’s initial velocity measurements. And like the velocity calculations, the average should be taken and applied. 

STEP 5: BOUNCE COEFFICIENT

The final component is the bounce coefficient. This refers to how many spaces the ball travels past before it comes to rest. It is the part of the calculation with the most variance involved. Determining the bounce coefficient is more of a technical art than hard calculation. Like before it depends heavily on the croupiers signatures and requires several observations, recording and averaging.
 

SUMMARY

Using Physics to beat a roulette wheel is possible, but as seen here is very complex. It takes lots of preparation and work. The first mistake most players who try this method, is that they jump right into taking measurements at a casino and often become frustrated and give up. The player has to make an investment in the game, so that he can practice roulette. By working out the methodology at home under controlled conditions they can perfect there methodology at home and then take the approach into real world, under real world conditions.


The roulette physics approach is a challenging way to attack the game of roulette. When exact calculations are used (the ones that require computers) you can predict where the ball will land within approximately 5 spaces. This is an overwhelming edge. The estimation method is far less accurate and the player needs expand the range of numbers from 5 to 15. And the hit ratio will be less than that of the computer aided approach. The take away is that it can be done but requires a lot of practice to be competent in this method. Before executing this method with real money the player can engage in simulation to make sure they have the ability to execute the Physics based approach. It’s hard, and like anything worthwhile it takes a lot of effort, but well worth it.

Video poker games have a loyal bunch of players. The games they love best and play most have been around 20 years, 30 years or more.

Once Jacks or Better gave the game its big popularity boost at the beginning of the 1980s, it was quickly followed by Deuces Wild and Bonus Poker, with Double Bonus Poker and Double Double Bonus Poker not far behind.

That doesn’t mean players that now how to play video poker for years are unwilling to try something new. As by far the world’s leader in video poker games, International Game Technology introduces new games every year. 

The coming attractions are mostly games with multiple hands and bonus multipliers. The multi-hand format was launched with Triple Play Poker, in which you start with one hand and after you decide what to hold, the deck is cloned and the draw played out three times. You could win on none, one, two or all three of the hands.

Since then we’ve seen Five Play, Ten Play, Fifty Play and Hundred Play Poker, with more cloned hands and potential winners.

Layered onto that in games such as Ultimate X and Super Times Pay are multipliers, where the potential value of the next hand is increased. The most successful of these is Ultimate X, and it’s only natural IGT would want to play off that success. It’s doing just that with Ultimate X Bonus Streak and Ultimate X Spin Poker.

ULTIMATE X BONUS STREAK

Ultimate X Bonus Streak is available in Triple Play, Five Play and Ten Play formats. Each has a 10-credit per hand maximum bet – five credits for basic play plus five credits to buy the bonus feature. If you’re playing in a 25-cent unit, the max bet on a Triple Play version of Ultimate X Bonus Streak is $7.50, and that rises to $12.50 on the five-hand version and $25 for Ten Play.

As in Ultimate X, winning hands can bring multipliers for subsequent hands. The multipliers apply only to the same line on which you had the winner. If you had losing hands on the bottom two hands of Triple Play Ultimate X but a winner on top, then only the top hand gets a multiplier on your next play.

The smallest-paying hands, Jacks or Better and two pairs, do not bring multipliers on Bonus Streak. That’s a change from original Ultimate X, where any winner earns a next-hand multiplier.

But there’s something extra in Bonus Streak, and this is the part players will love. You don’t just get a multiplier for the next hand. Instead of a one-hand-only multiplier, you get a streak of multipliers. On Jacks or Better, Double Double Bonus and other games with no wild cards, three of a kind, flushes and straights bring multipliers on the next three hands. If it’s a full house or better, you get a five-hand streak.

Not only that, the multiplier increases for each hand on the streak. When you have the maximum streak, multipliers are 2x, 3x, 4x, 8x and 12x – that is, payoffs on a winning hand are doubled on the next play, tripled on the one after and so on. 

If you have a winner during the streak, it increases payoffs for the remainder of the streak to 12x. Losing hands still pay nothing – 12 times zero is still zero. But a pair of Jacks or Better could pay up to 60 coins instead of five. The ultimate coup would be a royal flush with a 12x multiplier – 48,000 coins instead of 4,000.

Bonus Streak, like original Ultimate X, is likely to have its biggest appeal at low coin denominations. You might not want to bet $25 to get Bonus Streak on Ten Play in 25-cent denominations, but it’s a different story with a 5-cent denomination and a $5 maximum bet. That way you can keep the wagers affordable and still have a chance at big wins when the 12x multipliers come up.

Ultimate X Spin Poker is just what it says. It puts the Ultimate X multipliers on a Spin Poker format, where the cards are on five spinning reels with nine paylines.

Each payline makes up a five-card hand. Since there are nine lines with a maximum bet of 10 credits per line, the total max bet is 90 credits -- $22.50 on a 25-cent game or $4.50 on a five-cent game.

The odds are the same as on other video poker games with the same pay tables. Double Double Bonus Poker is still Double Double Bonus Poker. It’s just that you wait till reels stop spinning to see where your cards land.

In Ultimate X Spin Poker, you also get a multiplier after any winning hand. If you get a pair of Jacks on payline No. 5, then any winner on payline No. 5 on the next play will be multiplied by two.

Away from the Ultimate X variations, another new game has an option that can create extra winners. And this one is even available in single-hand games as well as multi-hand formats.

FLIP AND PLAY POKER

With a Jack and two Queens as the starting hand, for example, the Jack would flip to reveal a third Queen. If you have a 4, 5, 6, 7 and 9, that 9 would flip down one rank and become an  8 to complete a straight. Players have the option of rejecting the flip if it gets in the way of a desired draw.

As in the Ultimate X variations, it takes an extra bet to activate the flip feature, but it creates so many great starting hands that Flip and Play is sure to find an enthusiastic niche.

• A trending approach on the internet for roulette is the 666 strategy.
• In the past I wrote how the roulette 666 strategy can be a good, but also explained why the system doesn't work sometimes, 
• In this piece I will briefly explain the 666 strategy, as well as the 2 other popular strategies; the Martingale and the D’Alembert.
• We will then compare the 666 strategy to those others popular roulette strategies.

ROULETTE 666 STRATEGY

The concept of the 666 strategy is to cover almost all of the numbers on the felt with different size bets, adhering to the faulty thought that one of the numbers will always hit. The most popular variation of the 666 strategy is for the European Wheel variant and is below. The proof can be applied to any of the 3 variants of roulette,  American version and the elusive French wheel.

The roulette 666 system covers all of the numbers on the table except for four. You need at least $66 per spin to use this system, but you could use multiples of $66 instead (like $132 or $198, etc.). If you did that, you’d simply multiply the betting amounts in the example below by the factor you’re using.

The roulette 666 strategy betting protocol works like this:

1. You bet $36 on Red.
2. You bet another $24 on the following numbers: $4 on each of the following two-number bets: 0/2, 8/11, 10/13, 17/20, 26/29, 28/31.
3. You place $2 bets on any 3 single numbers that you choose from the following: 4, 6, 15, 22, 24, 33 and 35. 
4. This will leave only four numbers on the table that you haven’t bet on. In the image below you can see that the four numbers without any bets are: 6, 22, 24 and 35. 
5. What kind of results can you expect to see using this system? If one of the four numbers you didn’t bet on comes up, then you lose all of your $66 or the multiple of this that you bet. 
6. In all other case, the player sees a net win of $6 or the multiple of this that you bet.

THE MARTINGALE STRATEGY

The Martingale strategy is one of the most popular roulette betting strategies implemented by recreational players. This is not because it is effective, but it is such a straight forward and simplistic system to apply. The player does not have to memorize any complex equations, using physics or quickly and mentally calculate expressions.

 In most cases the Martingale system is applied to games of chance that have a near 50/50 win to loss outcome, such as the Roulette black and red bets.

The traditional Martingale system simply doubles the next bet after a loss is attained. When a win is achieved the cycle begins anew. For example, when a player starts with a 1 dollar bet and loses the first bet, the next bet would be 2 dollars, and if the player loses that bet, the next bet would be four dollars. If that bet is won the cycle begins at one dollar again. This approach dictates that the player will win the largest bet of their betting cycles.

THE D'ALEMBRT STRATEGY

The D’Alembert Roulette is a system with a minimal amount of variance associated with it. You do increase your bets after a loss, but it’s at a much smaller rate than in the Martingale system. The D’Alembert approach works best when used for an even chance game. In roulette it can be can be used on Red-Black, Odd-Even and 1-18/19-36 bets.

The system works in the following way:



First you pick a starting bet, than you increase your bets by one after a loss, and decrease them by one after a win. The theory is that once you have as many wins as losses, you will be in profit by the amount of bets you’ve placed. The following example shows a betting sequence with a starting bet of 5:

Bet 5 and lose ➨ Bet 6 and lose ➨ Bet 7 and win ➨ Bet 6 and lose ➨ Bet 7 and win ➨ Bet 6 and win ➨ Bet 5 and lose ➨ Bet 6 and win

The maths for the D'Alembert strategy above is as follows: 0 – 5 – 6 + 7 – 6 + 7 + 6 – 5 + 6 = 4

COMPARING THE ROULETTE 666 TO THE MARTINGALE & THE D'ALEMBERT STRATEGIES

Each one of these systems is subject to a mathematical negative expectation. This means that over the long term the player will lose money. There are circumstances where a positive expectation can be achieved. This usually involves some type of free play coupons or promotional chips. Keeping with the ideology that each system has a negative expectation the question becomes:  Under normal playing conditions which system has the slowest loss rate?

The 666 and the Martingale systems are heavily dependent on the fact that events that will be disastrous, and wipe a players bankroll out, are very rare. They are very streaky. The idea is you a win many small amounts often and only lose big dollars on rare occasions.

Conversely, the D’Alembert Roulette system results is a more linear decline in a players bankroll. The player does raise and lower their bet after a loss and win respectively, but it is not as extreme as in the Martingale systems. As in the previous systems, it is possible to flip the advantage temporarily, with the use of free play coupons and pit chips.

SUMMARY

From my experience the 666 and Martingale system are best utilized in short advantage gaming trips, no more than a few days. This is because there is a high percentage chance that the rare event will never be experienced, and the player could likely be a winning player on that trip. In trips that extend more than a few days (a week or more), the player would be best served to use the slow reduction D’Alembert system. This will ensure the players bankroll will remain intact and the player can maximize their comp value. Whatever system is used the player needs to understand that over the long term, and without the use of promotional chips, bonus or coupons the player is playing a negative game.

When you are playing blackjack and dealt a pair of 2s (also known as “deuces”), you have two viable playing options:

• Split
• Hit

Which strategy you should invoke depends upon what the dealer’s upcard is, the number of decks of cards being used, and whether double down after pair splitting is allowed.

More Blackjack School Articles:

• How to Play Soft 17
• How to Play Soft 18
• How to Play a 12 vs. a Dealer's 2 Upcard
• How to Play Your 16 against Dealer's 10 Upcard
• Why Not Mimic the Dealer's Playing Strategy?

The basic playing strategy for a double- or multi-deck game where doubling down after pair splitting is not allowed (NDAS) is to:

• split 2s against a dealer’s 4, 5, 6 or 7; otherwise hit

• If the playing rules allow doubling down after pair splitting (DAS), you should also split against a dealer’s upcard of 2 and 3.

In a single-deck game, the basic playing strategy is:

• If NDAS, Split against a dealer's upcard of 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7; otherwise hit
• If DAS, split against dealer’s upcard of 2 through 7; otherwise hit

 

REASON FOR SPLITTING

Splitting 2s becomes the better option than hitting if it meets one of these criteria:

• You will win more money on average

• You will lose less money on average

• You will turn a losing hand into a winning hand on average

Here is an example. Suppose you are playing a six-deck game with DAS and you are dealt a pair of 2s. The dealer’s upcard is a 4. If you hit, you have a negative expectation of winning. However, if you split, you expectation of winning is positive. Pair splitting is, therefore, the preferred option over hitting because it turns a negative expectation into a positive expectation (criterion #3 above).

Here’s another example. Suppose you are playing a double-deck game with NDAS. You are dealt a pair of 2s and the dealer is showing a 2 upcard. Whether you split or hit, your expectation is negative; however, hitting has a lower negative expectation than splitting, meaning you will lose less money in the long run if you hit (criterion #2).

The reason you split 2s against a dealer’s 2 and 3 upcard when DAS is allowed (double- and multi-deck game) is because the latter is a player-favorable rule that allows you to double your bet if you were to receive a favorable draw card on one or both of your split hands (such as a 9 plus 2 equals 11). To take full advantage of DAS, you split 2s not only against the dealer’s 4, 5, 6, or 7 but also against the dealer’s 2 and 3 upcards.

RESPLITTING 2S

If the playing rules allow you to resplit, then it is advantageous for you to do so. For example, if you are dealt a pair of 2s against a dealer’s 5 upcard, you should split them. Suppose on the first 2, you are dealt another 2 on the draw. You should resplit to form a third hand. If the casino allows resplits up to a total of four hands, then you should resplit again if you are dealt another 2. Resplitting pairs is a player- favorable option that you should always take advantage of.

BOTTOM LINE

You will always win more or lose less if you follow the above basic playing strategy for splitting or hitting a pair of 2s.

For a complete basic playing strategy for any set of playing rules, consult Chapter 3 in the Ultimate Blackjack Strategy Guide.
 

RNG - The RNG continuously generates thousands of numbers per second while the machine is on. Some RNGs may use a device that collects thermal noise and converts it into electrical signals to help generate the numbers, as computers alone are only able to generate pseudo-random numbers.

Reels - Reels are for show, and by the time they’re spinning the machine already knows what the outcome will be. Spinning and stopping reels in sequence helps build suspense and excitement for the player, keeping them more interested.

EPROM - The EPROM (Erasable Programmable Read-only Memory) controls the weighting of the machine to make sure the desired payout percentage is reached.

Stops - Each reel usually includes 20 to 30 stops, which are the symbols and blank spaces on the reel.

Bet button - When the bet button is pressed, the number generated by the RNG at that exact moment is selected and used.