In previous articles, I’ve focused on my career as a semi-professional blackjack card counter, author, teacher, and writer. During this time (covering some 30 years), I never considered learning or playing any other casino game. After all, life was good; I was doing well as a card counter, and I enjoyed teaching players in my blackjack school and seminars how to play blackjack, and writing about it in dozens of publications. But this changed in the 1990s.

A few days later I received a package in the mail, opened it, and took out the 56-page book “Expert Video Poker for Las Vegas.” I started reading it and to say I was impressed with the ground-breaking work Lenny had done on video poker is an understatement. This was the first time I became aware (from Lenny’s mathematical analysis) that you can:

• Determine the theoretical return of any video poker game by merely looking at the pay schedule posted on the machine.
• Use an optimum strategy for playing every hand dealt to you.

It turned out the man who sent me this book was Lenny Frome, whom many consider being the “Godfather of Video Poker,” for his advocacy in promoting video poker to land-based and online casino players for many years. I promoted Lenny’s book in my articles, and from our phone conversations, I learned that Lenny was an aerospace engineer with a strong mathematical background. (We had something in common since I worked as a chemist and had a background in math.) After Lenny retired, he and his wife moved to Las Vegas but we still kept in touch.

Lenny enjoyed living in Vegas and kept encouraging me “to come out and buy a house here.” On one of my trips to Vegas, I met Lenny and he drove me around town specifically to show me different housing developments (including his) where I could by “my dream house in Las Vegas.” Lenny also did something else: he took me to several locals’ casinos and showed me where the full-pay video poker games were located (specifically, the Full Pay Deuces Wild games that had a theoretical return of 100.76% with expert play). 

Lenny went on to write several more books on video poker, and began writing video poker columns in many of the same magazines where my blackjack columns appeared. Lenny passed away in 1998; however, his legacy is still being carried on by his son Eliot Frome. (Eliot has a website, Gambatria, which contains many of the books written by his father that you can purchase.)

Lenny certainly fueled my interest in video poker but what pushed me over the edge was Jean Scott. I had known Jean as the “Frugal Gambler” because of her legendary comped casino trips to Vegas. (She revealed her advantage play techniques on the national TV show “60 Minutes,” which dubbed her the “Queen of Casino Comps.”)   I knew Jean had started her gambling career as a blackjack player but switched to video poker. When I asked her “why the switch?” she uttered four words to me that I have never forgotten: comps and free play.

Jean became my mentor on how to take advantage of free play, bounce back, and casino comps while playing those great full-pay video poker games that Lenny showed me. But just as I had done earlier when my wife (Linda) and I started our blackjack-playing careers, we took it slow and easy with video poker. We set aside $4,000 of our blackjack bankroll to play video poker. Before we made a single bet in a casino, we practiced Video Poker strategy for Full Pay Deuces Wild at home on our computer using video poker training software. After we consistently achieved at least 99% playing accuracy, we began playing video poker for real money in a casino. We always brought a “cheat sheet” with us when we played that we could refer to if we weren’t 100% sure of how to play a hand. We also started our video poker journey on a quarter-denomination machine and as our bankroll grew, we moved up to 50-cent denomination and eventually dollar (and sometimes) two-dollar denomination. (In the beginning, we split our time playing blackjack and video poker.)

We were fortunate that we got involved with video poker when we did because there were so many great opportunities available to smart players. I can remember playing Full Pay Deuces Wild machines at the Suncoast Casino (located in North Las Vegas, which in those days had over 50 full-pay machines in the casino). We also spent a lot of time playing at the South Point casino at the south end of the Strip because they also had many full-pay games with great casino promotions and lucrative bounce back offers that we received from their monthly mailers. We were also able to take advantage of some great video poker games in Mississippi. One of the best was at the Palace Casino in Biloxi that had many 9/6 Jacks or Better machines in dollar denomination and a great senior promotion that included triple points (yielding a 0.9% return), a free lunch buffet, a free gift, and at the end of the day we would convert all the free play we earned into cash. But the crème de la crème when it came to video poker advantage play was Casino Montelago, a small casino located in the plush Lake of Las Vegas community (located in Henderson, NV). During the beginning of our video poker career, we played there often to kick-start our bankroll because they had Full Pay Deuces Wild machines (quarter denomination), frequent point multipliers, comps for lunch or dinner in their restaurant, lots of free gifts, and frequent cash-prize giveaways for players. (Once, my wife won a couple of hundred dollars in cash twice in the same day while playing a Full Pay Deuces Wild machine during a three-time multiplier promotion.)

My wife and I had other memorable playing experiences with video poker (most good; some not so good), which I’ll describe in more detail in future articles. For now, I hope you will heed the advice of Lenny and Jean (just as Linda and I had done) and consider learning how to play video poker skillfully. You won’t regret it. 

Note: If you want to get started learning how to win at video poker, I suggest you read my friend Jerry “Stickman” Stich’s Ultimate Guide to Video Poker.

When you know how to play video poker and save three of a kind and hope for a four of a kind – and don’t get it – do you ever notice how often the two drawn cards total the same as the three you saved? Wouldn’t it be nice if these hands also counted as a winning four of a kind? If you would like that to happen, consider Quick Quads.

WHAT IS QUICK QUADS VIDEO POKER

Quick Quads Video Poker is a variation of standard video poker. Introduced by IGT and Action Gaming in 2008, Quick Quads plays as a standard video poker game with up to five credits played. However, once the sixth credit per line is bet, a very powerful feature is activated. When a three-of-a-kind is dealt normally the fourth card of the same rank is the only card that will produce a four-of-a-kind. With the “quick quad” feature activated, the fourth card of the same rank – as well as any two cards that total up to the rank of the other three cards – also scores as a four-of-a-kind. With the quick quads feature activated, if you are dealt three 9s, a four-of-a-kind winner will be paid if you draw the fourth 9, or if the other two cards total nine. So, rather than just one card (the last 9) being eligible to complete the four-of-a-kind, an ace-8, 2-7, 3-6, or 4-5 will also pay the same amount, dramatically improving the odds of completing this profitable hand.

There are, naturally, some restrictions. They are:

• Only four-of-a-kinds of 2 through 10 are eligible for quick quad consideration.
• Also, in order to complete the hand as a quick quad, the other two cards must be under a 10.
• Aces always count as one.

If the final hand is a full house as well as a quick quad (ex: 44422), the hand is paid as a four-of-a-kind.

Quick Quads is available in most of the popular video poker game versions such as Jacks or Better, Bonus Poker, Double Bonus, Triple Bonus, Double-Double Bonus, Triple Double Bonus, and Triple Bonus Poker Plus.

Initially, Quick Quads was only available in a multiline format of three or five lines. Currently, single line versions are available, though you may have to look for them a bit. 

PAY TABLES

The pay tables for Quick Quads are a bit different than for the standard game. Pay tables for 9/6 Jacks or Better standard and Quick Quads are shown below. 

RETURNS

Notice that the pays are the same for both games with the exception of the four-of-a-kind. Quick Quads pays nearly twice as much for those thanks to the extra completion possibilities. Also, notice that the overall return is only slightly higher for Quick Quads. Why? 

Quick Quads requires six credits before the additional quads come into play. The following table shows the relative return by hand, factoring in the six credits required to activate the Quick Quads feature.

This table clearly shows that Quick Quads four-of-a-kinds amount to almost a quarter of the total return. To balance that fact, every other hand returns less per credit.

The extra credit required to play Quick Quads causes the bankroll requirements to increase. Make sure you are properly bankrolled should you choose to play.

QUICK QUADS VIDEO POKER STRATEGY

It may not be apparent from a casual glance at the pay tables and a basic understanding of how the game is played, but the video poker strategy for quick quads is quite different from that for the standard version of the game. There are a couple of reasons for this. 

• First, every hand other than the four-of-a-kind has a reduced return. 
• Second, and most importantly, four-of-a-kinds can be made in many more ways. 

This means that three-of-a-kinds in Quick Quads are more important than in the standard game. Three-of-a-kinds with a kicker (a card that can be combined with another to add up to one of the three like cards) are even more important.

While there is only one strategy line for three-of-a-kinds in the standard Jacks or Better game, there are two in Quick Quads – three-of-a-kind with a kicker, and three-of-a-kind without a kicker.

Certain two pair hands also become more important – those that can become a quick quad by matching one of the pairs. These hands are AA22, 2244, 3366, 4488, and 55TT. 

Select single pairs with a kicker (or kickers) also take on greater importance. 

• A low pair of 33 with A2 
• 44 with A3 
• 55 with A4 or 23
• 66 with A5 or 24
• 77 with A5, 25, or 34
• 88 with A7, 26, or 35
• 99 with A8, 27, 36, or 45
• TT with A9, 28, 37, or 46
• 22 with A
• 33 with A or 2
• 44 with A or 3

If all of the additional concerns above are not enough for you, hands containing three to a flush that could result in a quick quad are also included in the strategy.

• A56
• A67
• A78
• A89
• A9T
• 257
• 268
• 279
• 28T
• 358
• 369
• 37T
• 459
• 46T

Yes, Quick Quads strategy is significantly more complex than different video poker strategies for the standard game. 

Strategies for Quick Quads can be found by searching Internet web sites. As an indication of strategy complexity, a full-pay (9/6) Jacks or Better Quick Quads strategy contains 50 lines. By comparison, standard Jacks or Better strategy has 36 lines. There is an almost 40 percent increase in the number of strategy lines for the Quick Quads game.

Now let’s weigh the positives and negatives.

POSITIVES

• Playing Quick Quads can be a lot of fun.
• The game loudly announces each time you score a Quick Quads four-of-a-kind which adds to the fun and excitement.
• There are many more quads produced in Quick Quads.
• The return of the game is slightly more than the equivalent standard version of the game. 

NEGATIVES

• Quick Quads is not widely available – mainly limited to select casinos in Las Vegas.
• Single line versions of the game are somewhat limited.
• The additional credit required to activate the Quick Quad feature means bankroll requirements increase.
• The strategy is significantly more complex than the strategy for the standard version of the game.

One last caution - make sure to check the entire pay table to make sure you are playing a game with a decent return (and a game for which you know the video poker strategy tips). It makes no sense to play Quick Quads at a one or two percent – or higher – disadvantage over the standard games that may be available in the same casino. Vigilance always pays off.

If you can find a Quick Quads game with a decent return, if you have an adequate bankroll, and if you have the proper strategy mastered, Quick Quads is fun, exciting, and can be profitable as well.

 

Looking for the best chance to win a big jackpot is practically the reason for existence for some slot machine players. Among the most frequently asked questions about slots are, "How can I tell when a slot is ready to pay a jackpot?", "Is there anything you can do to make a machine pay a jackpot?", "How can I track a loose slot?" and "Are you better off playing a hot machine that has just paid a jackpot or a cold machine that is due to pay a jackpot?"

And there's a fifth question: "Aren't there more jackpots in crowded casinos?"

The answers to the first four:

1. "How can I tell when a slot is ready to pay a jackpot?": Results are random and there is no way to tell when a machine is going to pay off.
2. "Is there anything you can do to make a machine pay a jackpot?": There is nothing you can do, no strategy you can follow that will force the random number generator to produce a jackpot number.
3. "Are you better off playing a hot machine that has just paid a jackpot or a cold machine that is due to pay a jackpot?": There is no tendency for hot machines to stay hot or cold machines to stay cold. Neither strategy is more likely to lead you to a jackpot.
4. "How can I track a loose slot?": You really can't.
5. "Aren't there more jackpots in crowded casinos?": Let's explain in detail.

It is true that there are more slots jackpots in crowded casinos. However, you are no more likely to hit a jackpot in a crowded casino than if you're the only player on the floor. 

That runs contrary to the feelings of some players, a number of whom have made their opinions known via email with comments about how to win at slots including these;

• "I feel luckier in a crowded casino. When I see others winning around me, I just feel like something good is going to happen."
• "You know when they announce over the P.A. that someone has won a big jackpot at slots? That's always in a crowded casino."
• "Everybody knows you have to go at the crowded times. That's when they hand out all the money."

Nonetheless, feeling lucky and actually being lucky are two different things.

There are more slots jackpots when more people are playing, but that’s because there are more players, more spins and more chances at a big payoff. 

For individual players, the chances of hitting a big slot jackpot are the same regardless of how many others are playing.

Let’s make up a hypothetical situation. Imagine a casino filled with slot machines that pay their top jackpot an average of once per 10,000 spins.

Slot Machine results are random, so it’s possible for the jackpot combination to show up two spins in a row, or not at all for 20,000, 50,000, 100,000 or even more spins. But as a long-term average, the slots jackpots in our hypothetical casino show up an average of once per 10,000 spins.

Now let's stipulate that on a slow Wednesday morning, 100 people are playing, each playing for 1,000 spins (free spins included).

In all, there are 100,000 spins. With average results for these machines, we could expect about 10 jackpots.

Depending on where you are in the casino, you might or might not see a slot player win big. The big win could come right next to you, or it might be all the way across the casino floor or in a different room or nook.

Next, let's say you come back on a Saturday night with 1,500 people each playing 1,000 spins.

Instead of the 100,000 spins on the slow Wednesday, there are 1.5 million spins.

This time, average results would yield 150 jackpots.

Those 150 slts jackpots come in the space as the 10 jackpots when there are fewer players and more empty machines. With more jackpots in the same space, there’s a much better chance you’ll witness a big win or two or three.

With all those big jackpots, the lights and sound effects from the machines and the hubbub with slot attendants, supervisors and casino security paying off the big winners, it will feel as there’s a whole lot of winning on the busier night

But notice that whether the numbers are 10 slot machines jackpots for 100 players or 150 jackpots for 1,500 players, it’s still an average of one jackpot per 10 players.

Your chances of winning a jackpot are the same in the busy casino as in the smaller crowd, no matter how much winning might be going on around you.

The notion that there’s a better chance to win on busier nights is an illusion.

Real-world conditions vary. Not all slots within a casino have the same jackpot hit frequency, most paying a lot less often than once per 10,000 spins. On a game with a big multimillion-dollar jackpot like Megabucks, the jackpot chances are closer to 1 in 50 million.

So your actual chances of hitting a jackpot will differ than in our hypothetical, which was designed for easy arithmetic.

But the principle remains the same. There are more slots jackpots on crowded nights, but the individual players' chances remain the same regardless of crowd size.

There are a wide variety of bets when you're playing craps. Some of these bets have low house edges; a few with under 2% and these tend to pay one-to-one. Other bets have somewhat larger payouts with house edges hitting about 6% (give or take) and then we have what my mentor the Captain of craps called the Crazy Crapper proposition bets which can pay out large sums on relatively small bets but the Crazy Crapper bets come with very high house edges, often hitting over 10 percent.

Please Note: To monetize a house edge it is best to say that a 10% edge translates into one dollar for every $10 wagered or $10 for every $100 wagered. This will give an accurate description of what you face based on the house edge percentage. What you face is also called your “expectation.”

The betting range for players is a continuum from excellent craps bets to a full load of Crazy Crapper ones. However, most players operate in or near the middle of the continuum as opposed to either extreme. These middle of the road players fall into this general pattern: 

• A pass line bet with odds 
• Some place bets on the box numbers
• Perhaps buy bets on the 4 and/or 10 
• Perhaps come bets with odds 
• Some one-roll proposition bets that have generally high payouts with equally high house edges

So for this article I want to focus on radical methods of play, from excellent in terms of reducing the house edge and keeping the monetary hit on your bankroll to a minimum, all the way to truly aggressive craps strategies that have the radical bettor going after the casino’s gold even though the risks are as high as those high house edges the player faces.

 

First let’s look at the extremely aggressive player. He (or maybe she) wants the excitement of knowing he can take home a load of money after this session. He is somewhat aware that the bets he is making have high house edges but the lure of substantial wins colors his vision – and that color is green, or whatever color the paper money is for the country in which he is playing. 

Please Note: Craps players are about 90% to 95% male. It is rare to see a woman without a companion at a craps table. So I will use “he” to describe the typical craps player.

The thrill of the hunt for the big money, the same thrill that stimulates players to go for major slot machine jackpots and state lotteries, consumes such players. They do not wait and test the waters when they play; no, they jump right in to sink or swim.

It is possible that even such aggressive radical players might make a pass line bet with odds, most players do as it is traditional craps form (very few players go the darkside don’t pass or don’t come route even though these are good bets), but after that traditional pass line bet the aggressive player lets it all hang out.

 

 

THE MOST AGGRESSIVE BETTING PRACTICES

The most popular bets for the aggressive players are the following (most of these are one-roll bets except for the hardways bets of the 4, 6, 8 and 10)

• Hard 6 (made 3:3) or hard 8 (made 4:4), payout is nine to one and the house edge is 9.09%
• Hard 4 (made 2:2) or hard 10 (made 5:5), payout is seven to one and the house edge is 11.11%
• The C&E, which means the craps numbers and the 11, payout is three to one on the craps numbers and seven to one on the 11, and the house edge is 11.11%
• Any craps, which means  2, 3, 12, payout is seven to one and the house edge is 11.11%
• Straight up 2 (known as snake eyes), payout is 30 to one and the house edge is 13.89%
• Straight up 3, payout is 15 to one and the house edge is 11.11%
• Straight up 7 (known as big red), payout is four to one and the house edge is 16.67%
• Straight up 11 (known as yo-eleven), payout is 15 to one and the house edge is 11.11%
• Straight up 12 (known as boxcars or midnight), payout is 30 to one and the house edge is 13.89%
• The horn which numbers are 2, 3, 11, or 12, payout is 27 to four with 2 and 12, three to one with 3 and 11, and the house edge is 12.5%
• The whirl or world which are numbers 2, 3, 7, 11 or 12, payout is 26 to five with 2 or 12, 11 to five with 3 or 11, the 7 is a tie, and the house edge is 13.33%
• Individual hop bets where player calls out the combinations of the dice; the various  edges will depend on how the player wishes the dice faces to appear

You can see the hit these bets can have on a player’s bankroll. Still, the payouts make these bets attractive since they all return far more than one-to-one. That attractiveness is the spur to wager them.

Now, radical aggressive players tend to also be aggressive in how they bet these propositions. If you are at a table with them you will see chips rocketing through the air as the players call out, “Give me a yo-eleven!” “Big red my man!” “C&E!” “High and low!” “All the hardways!”

The real annoyances (for me!) are those players who just keep winging their bets onto the layout even when the shooter has the dice and is ready to throw. These players don’t seem to know there is an actual game going on since most of their bets are one-rollers and do not actually hinge on the game itself.

Please Note: Because the radical aggressive players must throw their bets onto the layout and call out what these bets are, they need to be very careful not to interrupt the flow of the game. Many are, in fact, careful and some will put the bet onto the layout in front of the dealer nearest them and tell that dealer what bet they want; but the most notably annoying radical aggressive players are not careful in the least.

Okay, it is obvious that I am not a big fan of the truly radical aggressive players, especially those who show little courtesy for other craps players at their tables, and I do show my discomfort with the way they play. I certainly do realize that my view of gambling and their view of gambling are at severe cross purposes. In the world of betting our own hard-earned money, they have as much a right to zip their bets on the propositions as I do playing as I do.

PLENTY OF PROBLEMS PLAYING AGGRESSIVELY

Because the radical aggressive player is looking for a massive win, he has a tendency to play too long and he will often bet too much if things are not going his way. The figuring is actually quite simple. He thinks, “I have to win sooner or later!” All gamblers know this statement that, while seemingly true, can actually be devastating to a player when things go wrong – and things can go wrong for a long, long time.

The radical aggressive player does not keep a gambling bankroll and plays by the seat of his pants. His mental state can go from initially hopeful to desperate in a very short time. You will no doubt notice that many of the craps players who are grousing the loudest and most often tend to be the radical aggressive players. I have been at tables where the radical aggressive player is behind while just about everyone else is ahead!

THE TRULY CONSERVATIVE RIGHTSIDE PLAYERS

Many land-based and online casino craps players think of conservative bettors as those who make a pass line bet, back it with odds, and then do a couple of come bets with odds. Keeping the pass line and come bet as small as possible and the odds as high as possible will give the house a truly low edge over the multiple-bet conservative player.

Please Note: Very few craps players consider the darkside don’t pass and don’t come as options, even though these wagers have the lowest house edges which can be lowered still more by laying the odds. This attitude is wrong but the culture of craps sees darksiders as outsiders too! The information for the rightside in this section will generally fit the darkside as well.

This multiple-bet rightside player is definitely a conservative craps player. Less conservative would be to place the 6 and/or 8 that has a house edge of 1.52 percent. One would wonder why I would say that placing the 6 and/or 8 is not a radical conservative bet since the only difference is a house edge of 1.41 percent on pass line and come bets, while the place bet of 6 and/or 8 is only a little higher at 1.52 percent.

The reason tends to be hidden but it is there. You must place the 6 and/or 8 in increments of six dollars to get the seven dollar to six dollar payout. The pass line or come bet can be made in increments of five dollars. The difference now becomes an expected loss of nine cents for every six dollars bet on the 6 and/or 8 but the expected loss on the pass and come is only seven cents.

Let me up those figures now: You will lose $90 on the 6 and/or 8 for every $70 lost on the pass line and come bets. Now to me that figure does speak loudly. While placing the 6 and/or 8 is a good bet, to my way of thinking it is not a particularly radical one.

THE RADICAL CONSERVATIVE RIGHTSIDE BETTOR

I am a truly radical rightside conservative bettor. I am past the conservative label as I will not have more than one bet working at any time. That would be either a pass line bet with odds or a come bet with odds, not both. So it is one bet for me versus the 7 against me – one on one!

Yes, I do know that even conservative bettors think going with just one bet is nuts, where’s the action in that?

The misnomer that action is good for players is a philosophy pushed by casinos and, yes, pushed by players who crave multiple bets and also by those players who enjoy making high house edge bets. I do not buy into that. To me I can last far longer playing craps on any given session, day, week, month and year betting as I do. Heck, most years I could be found playing away in casinos for 130 days. 

It was my number versus the 7, all other numbers didn’t exist. I ignored them. I treated them the way I am now treating all the numbers rolling in all the casinos across the world right this second; they don’t exist for me.

Please Note: If a conservative player makes three bets at a time using pass and come, he reduces the hit on his bankroll by two-thirds. Even if the one-bet-bettor plays twice as long as he normally would mean he is reducing the house hit on his bankroll by one-third. 

Betting one bet relaxes me and allows me to enjoy the swings of the game. Darkside players should follow the same principle; one bet only.

THE COMP QUESTION

If you enjoy receiving comps from casinos, radical aggressive players can ring them up. The potential losses for such players thrill the casinos and the casinos will, without question, extend their comps to such players. A bunch of high house-edge bets will result in a bunch of comps.

The comp formula will not work well for the one-bet-bettor. Such players are not that valuable to the casino unless that one pass line or come bet is amazingly high, say $100 or so. 

That doesn’t bother me. I can buy my own meals and pay for the shows I wish to see. My saving on my play gives me plenty of extra money to spend on other things.

There you have it, both extremes of the betting spectrum. Where do you fit?

Frank’s latest books are Confessions of a Wayward Catholic; I Am a Dice Controller: Inside the World of Advantage-Play Craps, and I Am a Card Counter: Inside the World of Advantage-Play Blackjack. Available from Amazon.com, Kindle, Barnes and Noble, e-books and at bookstores.

Blackjack is a dynamic game. It is a game shifting percentages, where each card that is played either adds too or, takes away from the initial advantage the casino has over the player. It is also the most mathematical orientated game offered by gaming companies, but it's also a great experience for online players. Sites such as www.onlineblackjack.com have great promotional offers that can give the player a boost at his bankroll to start with and you can also find their casino reviews and decide which online casino is the best for you. 

Back to the point: Every two-card starting hand has a value associated with it. This means there is a quantitative mathematical percent of the bet that an initial starting hand has. This is determined by evaluating every combination of cards that can occur while applying optimal basic strategy, as determined by Professor Ed Thorp as well as adhering to the rules of the game being offered. The evaluation is done by computer simulation because the combinations are excessive. Rules play an important role in determining the optimal basic strategy or more to the point what the appropriate action for the hand is, e.g. whether a player should hit, stand, double down or split. Here I will discuss what the best 3 starting hands in Blackjack as well as the worst 3 starting Hands in Blackjack, and more importantly why the hands are classified as either good or bad. These 6 hands can be applied to brick and mortar casinos as well as online casinos.

THE BEST STARTING HANDS IN BLACKJACK

BLACKJACK VS. ANY NON 10 OR ACE CARD

The best hand in Blackjack is intuitive; it is when the player has a Blackjack (21), it consists of an Ace and a 10 value card (e.g. a Ten, Jack, Queen or King) for the player against any dealer non 10 or Ace up facing card. The mathematical value of the hand is 150% of the players bet in a traditional 3:2 payoff Blackjack game. This means that for every 100 dollars that is wagered when a player has a Blackjack, the player will win $150; as long as the dealer doesn’t have a 10 or Ace up card the player has no chance of pushing (when a tie occurs) the dealer.

THE HARD 20 VS. 8

The Hard 20 consists of two 10 value cards. It is a very strong hand in Blackjack. It is most valuable against a dealer’s 8 up card. The player wins 79.18 % of their bet when they have a hard 20 against the dealers 8 up card. For every hundred dollars wagered when the player has a 20 against the dealers 8 up card, the player will win an average $79.18. The only hand that can beat a 20 is a dealer total of 21. In some cases, the dealer will draw to this total through any number of combinations such as six as the hole card for a total of 14 and then draw a 7 for a total of 21. The combinations that result in a dealer 21 are several, but the computer simulations dictate that the percent of the bet that the dealer wins when all these combinations are accounted for is 79.18%.

THE HARD 20 VS. 7

The hard 20 against a 7 has a mathematical value of %77.32. For every hundred dollars wagered when the player has a 20 against the dealers 7 up card, the player will win an average $77.32. The 7 up card is important card because the rules of the game dictate that the dealer must stand on a total of 17. And because there are more 10 value cards in the deck than any other value card there is a high probability that the dealer will have a 10 value card as their hole card. There is a finite probability that the dealer will draw to either a 20 or 21 total in those cases the dealer would push or beat the player respectively.

THE WORST STARTING HANDS IN BLACKJACK

THE 16 VS. 10 

A player total of 16 vs. the dealers 10 up card is the worst possible starting hand a player can have. This total yields a negative expectation of 0.5398%.  This means that for every $100 wagered in the situation where the player has a total of 16 against the dealers 10 up card the player will lose $53.98, over the long term.  As the number of times, this situation increases the average loss will get closer and closer to $53.98.  A player will occasionally draw a 5 or a lower value card and stand pat, and the dealer will have a weak card in the hole and bust out; thus accounting for wins. But when all outcomes are considered the average loss to the player is 0.5398% of their bet.

THE 16 VS. ACE

A player total of 16 vs. the dealer Ace card is the second worse starting hand a player can have.  This total against this dealer’s up card yields a negative expectation to the player of 0.5171%.  From the same derivation as above the player loses $51.71 for every $100 wagered in this scenario.  A 16 total for the player gives the fewest possible cards for the player to make a hand, while an Ace gives the highest number of cards for the dealer to make a hand.

THE 16 VS. 19

A player total of 16 vs. the dealers 9 up card is the third worse starting hand a player can have.  This total against the dealer’s up card yields a negative expectation to the player of 0.5093%.  From the same derivation as before the player loses $50.93 for every $100 wagered in this scenario.  A 16 total against the dealers 9 up card only gives a few cards for the player to make a hand.  A nine is a strong card for the dealer and, because the preponderance of cards in the shoe are 10 value cards, there is a high chance that the dealer will have a standing total of 19. 

SUMMARY

Each Blackjack starting hand regardless of its land-based or online blackjack has an inherent mathematical value associated with it. Here we have discussed the best and worst possible starting hands for the player to have. Ideally, a player would best be served when betting a lot in cases where they are winning a high percentage of their bet and a minimum amount when they are losing a high percentage of the bet. Card counting is a way to determine when these situations will occur.

Regular players will identify with that exciting buzz we feel when joining a live Baccarat table. We look at the dealer and think about a winning method we could put into action.

We’re aware not every single outcome we bet on can win thus we instinctively know we need to use a Baccarat strategy that’ll give us the best possible chance of trying to win more than we stand to lose.

The art of winning the game of Baccarat boils down to getting our betting decisions in harmony with the flow of the type of ‘shoe trend’ that’s developing.

We must first become familiar with the four key shoe trends. Then decide when to implement any one of the two most profitable shoe trends from the four. Finally, we must begin the betting process. Executed correctly, achieving steady Baccarat success becomes more attainable.

Reading a Baccarat shoe at an early stage, to determine the likelihood of its trend type will give you a winning advantage. Predicting a dominate shoe trend is relatively easy as I’ll explain. However, you’re only ever predicting how a shoe might end up overall based upon previous outcomes as a shoe develops.

In a live, fast-paced Baccarat game, a forming pattern can give you an idea of the likelihood of whether a shoe is strong Zigzag streak, strong Banker and/or Player streaks or one of the other two trend types. Although microanalysis can be misleading, don’t allow uncertainly to put you off. 

Here are the most common types of shoe trends as seen on the main road or big road scoreboards. I prefer viewing this layout because outcomes are displayed in a logical format which makes it easy to recognise patterns forming into trends.

TREND #1: THE ZIGZAGY ZONE

In the following shoe trend example, what I call, the ‘ZIGZAGY Zone,’ note that the outcomes are predominantly zigzagged. Zigzags are chops or changes between Bankers and Players. The zigzag zone is made up of first and second line outcomes.

These outcomes only occasionally breakout of the zigzag zone thereby forming Banker or Player streaks. But these do not continue and so the zigzag zone dominates.

TREND #2: THE STREAKY BANKERS AND PLAYERS

In the next, B/P STREAKY shoe trend example, the outcomes are predominantly streaks of Bankers and Players. In my opinion, streaks truly begin from the third line onwards. You can see that although the first and second lines display outcomes, this is generally a brief occurrence since there is a strong presence of streaky Bankers and Players vertically; back to back. 

This means that the first and second lines are only being filled on the scoreboard as transition outcomes i.e. from Banker to Player streaks and vice versa. Only occasionally does the pattern of this shoe show a short zigzag zone streak without Player or Banker streak breakouts occurring. Thus, in my opinion these mini zigzag zone breakouts are short-lived blips that can be ignored because Streaky Players and Bankers are dominant.  

I’ve explained how to identify two of the most important Baccarat shoe trends, but it’s equally important to bear in mind you’ll not always be able to predict what trend a shoe might end up being regarded as. 

It’s this uncertainty that’ll impact upon your betting decisions. The formations of shoe outcomes can completely switch from being ZIGZAGY pattern strong at one stage of a shoe to being Banker and Player STREAKY pattern strong at another stage. 

TREND #3: THE TREND SWITCH TREATMENT

When you experience, what I call, the TREND SWITCH TREATMENT, this is an attack on the conclusion you would’ve formed out of your analysis. But you should understand that part of gaining chips when betting in Baccarat involves taking the rough with the smooth. You can’t always get it right. 

Money management will assist you in withstanding the uncertainty the game brings thereby protecting your bankroll. Or you may decide to change Baccarat tables in hope of identifying a trend that might remain favourable long enough for your winnings to increase, especially if you up your wagers during such fruitful periods.

The following shoe trend example is what a typical trend switch treatment shoe looks like: 

TREND #4: THE HOVERING STATE

The final shoe type I’d like you to look at is, what I call, the HOVERING STATE. As you can see, the outcomes that have formed indicate the shoe pattern cannot make up its mind therefore there’s no trend breakout. This type of hovering shoe doesn’t favour the dominance of zigzags or streaks of Bankers and/or Players. However, in and of itself it is nevertheless a trend. 

Though I believe it’s difficult to profit from this type of Baccarat shoe. The best form of defensive in protecting your bankroll, in my opinion, is to apply stop losses into your game. You could also sit it out and wait for a new shoe to begin or simply change Baccarat tables.

SUMMARY

So, let’s recap. We’ve looked at the following four shoe types.

1. The ZIGZAGY Zone
2. The STREAKY Bankers and Players 
3. The TREND SWITCH TREATMENT 
4. The HOVERING STATE

By logging into your 888 Casino account, you’ll be able to become familiar with these shoe types. Simply study some live casino Baccarat games in action. Moreover, you could also examine shoes that are almost complete. (before the data disappears) How many shoe types can you identify?

Implementation:

To increase your chances of winning you need to look for any one of the “first two Baccarat shoe types” so that you can follow those trends.

Before you start betting, you’ll want to be sure a trend has begun. Once you believe it has, simply place your bets by following the rules of the trend type you’ve identified.

For instance, if you’ve identified the shoe might end up being a Zigzag zone dominate trend then always bet ‘opposite’ or against the last outcome. So, if Player is the last outcome (and the pattern informs that the trend is still within the zigzag zone) then your next bet must be Banker. If you lose just continue betting opposite up to a stop loss of 2x and reassess. So, if you lose again - stop.

If you’ve identified the trend might end up being a streaky Banker and/or Player shoe, then always ‘bet on the last outcome’ reoccurring. So, if Player is the last outcome (and the pattern informs that the trend is still streaky Player/Banker) then your next bet must be Player.

If the next outcome happens to be a Banker, (a change occurred) resulting in a loss, you might want to double down betting the likelihood of a continuing streak. Therefore, you would bet Banker hoping that the streak continues, but now on Banker following the single transition from Player. 

Again, as in the zigzagy zone trend, if you lose twice this should be your trigger to stop betting. Then reassess.    

Consistent practice and the ability to identify the four main Baccarat trends should improve your game and this may reflect in the number of outcomes you’ll win as you become familiar with the best times to bet and what side to bet on.

Once, when I was booked for a “fun casino” the other person due to work dropped out at the last minute, leaving the job a dealer short. A “fun casino” if you haven’t come across one, is a casino at a private event – usually a Christmas party – where the “customers” come to the table with fun money. No real cash changes hands, and there’s usually a bottle of bubbly for whoever wins the most chips. The casino dealers tend to be former croupiers who no longer work in casinos, although a few will be doing the job on their night off.

On this occasion, with no time to ring around for another dealer, I roped in my brother, who happened to be staying with me. I had 20 minutes to teach him the game of blackjack and how to deal. “Don’t worry about working out the blackjack payout,” I told him. “Just give the players two cards each, one for yourself, then ask them if they want another card. If they go over 21, take their chips.”

This pretty much sums up my brother’s fast-track training, and he made it through the event without anyone outing him as an imposter. So is it really easy to learn how to play blackjack? Well, the owners of “fun casinos” are increasingly training up their next-door neighbors’ dog and sticking them on the blackjack table instead of employing professional croupiers. But real customers are a different breed to the pissed-up punters at Christmas parties, most of whom have never set foot inside a real casino. And real customers – quite rightly – have much higher expectations.

So while it’s easy to get the gist of blackjack, learning to deal it like a pro takes a lot more work. There are chip handling skills, managing your float, pulling the cards smoothly from the shoe, and positioning them neatly in front of the punter’s box first time (no nudging them into place afterwards)! There’s knowing where to place the cards in the case of multiple splits, and knowing where in the box to position the chips, to indicate whether they’re splits, doubles or the bets of multiple players. There’s learning how to “see” the total sum of the cards, rather than standing there adding them up, and there’s working out how much to pay in the case of blackjack when the odds are one and a half to one. There’s the dexterity of paying each box with alternate hands, learning to shuffle like a pro, and becoming adept at dealing with tricky customers who are trying to get one over on you.

Some of this will be taught in the training school, and improved on over time - nobody’s perfect when they deal their first game! Other aspects, such as dealing with cheating casino players, can only really come from experience on the casino floor.

The majority of courses (which are usually about six weeks long) will spend the bulk of the time teaching how to play roulette, with just the last week working on blackjack. The advantage of this is that by the time you get to blackjack (a)you’ll already have basic chip handling skills, and (b) it will seem like a doddle after roulette! Seriously, after pushing seven stacks across the table, learning your 17 times table, and doing all sorts of mental arithmetic, you’ll be grateful for a bit of blackjack! It’s also done this way due to a “survival of the fittest” element. My friend Anna explains, “we learned roulette first and they were kicking people off the course along the way. I guess they figured that if someone couldn’t grasp roulette, there was no point in teaching them blackjack!”

Some UK casinos have training schools, where you can earn while you learn. In the meantime, here’s some advice to get ahead of the game:

TIP #1: WORKING OUT BLACKJACK PAYOUTS

The majority of bets on blackjack pay even money, so if a customer has £25 on the box, they’ll win £25 – simple! However, when the customer wins with a blackjack, ie when their first two cards consist of an ace and either a ten or a face card (a Jack, Queen or King) the payout is one and a half to one. So if the customer has £10 on the box, you’d pay £15. This is an easy example. It gets a bit trickier if the customer’s bet is something like £1,375. So to make it easier for yourself, the first thing to do is memorize basic payouts, eg you should know on autopilot that £25 pays £37.50, and £75 pays £112.50, as you’ll see these bets a lot. It’ll also make it easier for you to work out the bigger bets that are a bit trickier.

Everyone has their own way of working, but it tends to consist of having the bet, then adding that on (eg if the bet is £10 and you halve that, you have £5. Add £5 on to £10 and you get the payout of £15) as well as using figures you know from memory. So in the case of £1,375, most dealers would break this down into more manageable amounts, working with even numbers. One way would be breaking it into three parts, eg £1,000 pays £1,500, plus £300 pays £450, plus £75 pays £112.50. Other dealers might break it into two parts. So some might see it as £1,300 pays £1,950, plus £75 pays £112.50. Others might see it as £1,370 pays £2,055, plus £5 pays £7.50. Whichever way you do it, you should get a payout of £2,062.50.

Depending on the casino’s procedures, there may be times when you don’t need to do any maths at all! If the bet consists of an even number of chips, and they’re all of the same value, (eg ten chips at a value of £25 each) you can split the ten chips into two piles of five, and cut into one of the piles three times. So in this case, you’d be paying out £375 for a £250 bet (which is equivalent to paying out £37.50 for £25 bet).

TIP #2: ADDING UP THE CARDS

When I asked my friends what they found trickiest about learning blackjack, adding up the cards came up more than working out blackjack payouts. Dagmara says, “when I first started dealing, a nasty punter made a comment that I should just 'see' what the cards added up to, not stand there counting! I took it to heart because I wanted to look professional!” Kasia says, “when I was learning how to become a blackjack dealer, I was rubbish at adding up. If I went over 21, I just knew it was too many! I struggled to remember that the picture cards are ten, and Aces also gave me problems - I had to kind of imagine whether to use it as 1 or 11!”

Not every land-based and online casino will allow dealers to say “too many” when the cards add up to more than 21. In some, the procedure is always to announce the total, even if the hand’s gone bust – so don’t rely on having this as an easy option! Besides, you’ll get the hang of “seeing” the total. It’s just a case of adding up cards over and over until you see the sum total automatically. Anna says that when she was in the training school, “we’d get a deck of cards and add two cards together. Over and over. Just adding six and seven, or eight and six, or eight and seven and so on. That really helped.” This can easily be done at home, holding a deck of cards and turning over two at a time.

TIP #3: PULLING THE CARDS

On the blackjack table, you’ll pull the cards from a shoe on your left, before passing them out with your right hand. Richard remembers, “the trainer would put a pencil in your left hand to make sure you pulled the cards with only your thumb and index finger. Holding the pencil kept your hand gripped tight, so it stopped your other fingers from getting involved.”

Ultimately, it’s about precision, as you need to lay the cards down neatly first time – there shouldn’t be any fussing with them once they’re on the table! It’s also about style and dealing smoothly. Chloe says that as an inspector, her number one bugbear when watching blackjack is: “When people practically punch the table when they pull the cards out!”

TIP #4: FLOAT MANAGEMENT

The float will have a certain number of cash chips at each value, and it’s your job to keep the majority of them in the float, rather than letting the customers collect them. Richard explains, “When you first start dealing, you give out all your chips and ask for a fill to replace them, but a good pit boss knows when to say no and they’ll tell you to manage your float!”

So if you’re running short of £25 chips, and a customer has a winning bet of £375, you could pay out four chips at £100, and take £25 from the customer’s bet. Similarly, if you’re running short of £5 chips and a customer has £25 on the box in fives, you could pay him two chips at £25, and take back all the fives. You can also ask the customers to colour-up their chips (ie swap them for chips of a higher value) – and sometimes they’ll offer, but many customers are superstitious and want to hold onto the chips they see as lucky. They may even insist on being paid out in chips of the same value, even when the float is empty - at this point, you’ll have to ask the pit boss for a fill!

TIP #5: MIND THE BOXES

In the training school, you’ll practice by dealing to every box on the blackjack table. Don’t do this in the casino or you’ll give your inspector a coronary! Barbs says: “I remember watching a trainee deal to empty boxes. I levitated from the chair screaming “STOP!” They'd been so used to dealing to all the boxes in training, they’d done it on autopilot!”

TIP #6: DON'T ACT LIKE A ROOKIE

Ever heard of the trainee decorator who was sent to buy a tin of tartan paint? The casino equivalent is being told to go and chip up on blackjack – don’t fall for it!

TIP #7: THERE'S A HOLE AT THE TABLE, AND IT'S NOT FOR YOU

You may see a rectangular hole in the blackjack table – this is for the chip tray! This may sound obvious but Mark remembers, “one of the guys on my training school climbed into where the chip tray was meant to go and wondered how ‘heftier’ folk could deal the game!” And Aga says, “when I was training, someone asked why there was a hole in the table, so we told him it’s where the dealer goes and he assumed the position!”

TIP #8: PERFECT YOUR POSTURE!

Anna says, “working in different clubs over the years, I was praised for dealing elegantly, and I think that’s thanks to my posture. She explains: “press your hip against the table - one leg forward, one leg back. Keep your back straight - no hunching.”

 

 

TIP #9: IN LONDON, NEVER CALL THE CUTTING CARD A "POSTILION"

“Never call the cutting card a ‘postilion,’” says Mark. “Even at the poshest casino, they’ll laugh at you until their jaws ache!” Unfortunately, Mark is speaking from experience. Having trained in Glasgow, where the term ‘postilion’ was interchangeable with ‘cutting card’ he learned very quickly that no one calls it that in London!

TIP #10: USE YOUR TRAINING AS A PLATFORM TO DEVELOP YOUR OWN STYLE

Watch and Learn. Nick, who ran his own training school, says, “One thing I always told my trainees is, don’t assume I’m the best blackjack dealer just because I say so. Watch other dealers and decide for yourself. Ask experienced dealers who they think’s best, then study their technique. Work out why they’re good – then improve on it!”

TIP #11: THINK TWICE WHEN THE PLAYER ASKS YOU TO HIT HIM

Customers will sometimes say “hit me” when they want a card. Mark says, “try to resist the urge to actually hit the punter…” (Trust me, we’ve all wanted to sometimes along the way).

 

TIP #12: NEW CARDS CAN CAUSE NEW TROUBLES

Hold tight! Richard says, “the worst thing is when you have eight decks of brand new cards, and you have that Mission Impossible moment of getting them into the shoe without spraying them everywhere – commonly known as 416 card pick up!” To avoid this, Richard says, “grip tightly like your life depends on it! And make sure they’re perfectly level at every side. One rogue card sticking out could spell disaster!

TIP #13: EXTRA WORK WILL DO WONDERS

For a faultless shuffle, practise at home – on your ironing board! Mark says, “if you play poker then you pretty much know how to shuffle with one deck. If you practise on your ironing board, you’ll get used to the height you’ll be working at!”

TIP #14: MISTAKES WILL HAPPEN. LEARN FROM THEM

“Concentrate solely on technique,” says Nick. “Mistakes are expected, so go slowly and don’t worry about them.”

 

Every year, hundreds of new slot games are released to compete for the affections of players. New themes, new graphics, bonuses and ways to play keep us coming back for more. It will be no different in 2018. Already, new games are making their way to casino floors. Here are 10 of the best that are sure to command players' attention.

1. BEAT SQUARE (KONAMI GAMING)

There's a new breed of skill-based games coming into casinos that are designed to capture the imaginations of those who grew up playing video games in arcades and home gaming systems.

Beat Square is an innovative example of that new breed. Named Best Slot Product for 2018 in Global Gaming Business magazine's  Gaming and Technology awards, gives extra awards for players who can keep the beat.

Instead of traditional slot reels, Beat Square has 16 buttons arranged in a 4-by-4 grid. Konami has a selection of modern, rhythmic music, and when you make your bet, buttons on the grid light up in time to the music.

Your task is to hit the buttons as they light up in rhythmic patterns. More than one can be lit at a time -- you'll want to use both hands as you get in the groove. The more correct beats you tap, the higher your score and the bigger your win at the end of the round

It's a concept that figures to resonate most strongly with younger players, but older players up for a test of rhythm and reflexes can have a good time, too.

2. BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER (EVERI)

From the TV screen to a new slot game, Buffy Summers battles the forces, slaying vampires and demons. On the five video reel, 1,024 ways to win slot, slaying the vampires also means wins for the player.

Buffy the slot is chock full of bonus features, including a pick'em bonus, the Primeval Progressive Wheel for jackpots, expanding reels on the base game and two free-spin bonuses, one with a Hellmouth theme -- that's the gateway to the realm of demons that sits under Sunnydale High School -- and the other themed on lead characters Buffy and Angel.

Players will love it when the expanding reels grow and add additional symbols. When that happens, the game creates 32,768 ways to win instead of the usual 1,024. That's when you have the potential for huge wins.

3. MONOPOLY HOT SHOT (SCIENTIFIC GAMES)

Monopoly has been a huge, long-running success for WMS Gaming, and Hot Shot games are ever-popular for Bally Technologies. Both manufacturers are now part of Scientific Games., and we're seeing games that merge the best of both worlds.

Monopoly Hot Shot is a a three-reel, nine-payline game. During regular spins,  you could win extras through the Hot Shot sets of spinning mini-reels.

And at bonus time, there's the famous Monopoly game board, launched when three Scottie dogs land on the reels. As you roll the dice in a trip around the board, there are extras such as multipliers when you land on a railroad, a credit refund when you land on a utility or tax spaces, a pick'em feature when you land on Chance, Community Chest or Free Parking, even a giant slot payoff for landing on Go.

On top of all that, there's a wide-area progressive jackpot and three smaller local progressives levels, leaving a game jam-packed with extras.

4. MAMMOTH POWER (KONAMI GAMING)

Konami takes its popular five-reel Xtra Reward format to the ice age. Stacked wild cave symbols can boost wins during regular play, and three or more arrow symbols trigger up to 30 free spins. You'll also see Konami's Action Stacked Symbols for multi-payline wins throughout play.

On the free spins, those wild cave symbols carry 2x or 3x multipliers, and you can win additional free games during the feature. Those multipliers and plenty of free spins can bring some Mammoth wins.

5. RAYS OF EGYPT (INCREDIBLE TECHNOLOGIES)

A 40-line new slot game, Rays of Egypt basks in the bonus benevolence of the ancient sun god Ra. During regular play, any Sun Scatters that land on reels open the Eye of Ra at the top of the screen, and the Eye adds shimmering stacked gold wilds to the reels.

Three scarab beetles unlock the GoldLink Progressive Bonus. Select a beetle to reveal a number of spins on bonus reels where all the symbols are Egyptian coins. Look for four different colored halos around the coins -- they not only award additional free spins but lock onto the screen for remaining free spins. Collect halos to unlock one of five progressive jackpot wheels. The final award of any progressive wins plus credits from the coin scatters can create huge payoffs.

The stacks and wilds keep you going in regular play, and the slot progressives plus payoffs on scattered coins make bonus time an event to savor.

6. WRECKING BALL (INTERNATIONAL GAME TECHNOLOGY)

Construct big wins when the demolition team arrives in this creative new slot game.

Instead of a standard five video reels, each three symbols deep as you find on most slots, Wrecking Ball has four reels arranged in different-sized columns. The first is five symbols deep, the second has four symbols, the third has seven and the fourth has six. That leads to an 830-ways-to-win base game, giving you extra chances on sever spin,

During the main game, crane symbols that land at the bottom of a reel trigger the Wrecking Ball feature. This feature includes crane animation that swings through the reels, crushing symbols and imploding buildings, leaving behind a trail of wild symbols that offer opportunities for big wins. 

The Smash Bonus feature is triggered when a bonus symbol lands on reel one and reel four. Players interact with a virtual crane by moving the digital joystick left and right to target and select a building to smash, revealing a prize.

7. WONDER WOMAN GOLDEN LASSO AND BULLETS & BRACELETS (SCIENTIFIC GAMES)

Under license from DC Comics, TV's Wonder Woman Lynda Carter returns in two new five-reel, 40-line games. 

In the Power Wheel Bonus, players can spin the wheel by touching the screen for a chance to win credit prizes; the Minor, Major or Mega Jackpots; Knockout Wilds Free Games; or Transforming Wilds Free Games.

Both free spin bonuses feature reels that grow to eight rows for extra chances to win. In Knockout Wilds spins, each wild symbol that lands on the reels locks into place for remaining free spins. In Transforming Wilds spins, wilds also lock into place, but when Diana Prince appears and transforms into Wonder Woman, she rounds up any locked wilds into one big block for a chance at huge payoffs.

8. WILLIE NELSON (EVERI)

If three-reel slot players come for Willie's sweet country music, they'll find multipliers, progressive jackpots and plenty of Willie.

There are two game themes: Willie Nelson Shotgun Willie and Willie Nelson Whiskey River.

On Shotgun Willie, lining up three Shotgun Willie symbols on an active ninth line awards the wide-area progressive. There are 2x, 3x, 4x and 5x multipliers on some bar and 7 symbols, and two or more multipliers on the same line multiply each other, so the wins can add up fast.

Whiskey River awards the progressive the same way - three Whisky Rivers on payline 9. Whiskey River symbols are wild and multiply your winnings. In winning 7s or bars combos, one Whiskey River multiplies by 2 and two Whiskey Rivers multiply by 4.

9. THE VOICE (IGT)

"The Voice" has been an international reality television sensation. IGT's slot machine is based on the American version, complete with coaches lending their aid to up and coming singers in a five-reel, 40-payline video slot.

The Voice delivers an immersive experience with popular songs and video footage from the show, and features celebrity coaches Adam Levine, Blake Shelton, Ricky Martin and Rita Ora. The game highlights iconic elements from The Voice including the stage, coaches’ chairs and red button. 

IGT blends those show elements nto wagering fun, highlighted by The Voice Bonus. The bonus serves as the gateway to the Audition Free Spins, Performer Bonus, coach progressives or The Voice Jackpot. With so many bonus options, there as many surprises as in the TV competition.

10. SEINFELD (SCIENTIFIC GAMES)  

Slot players and casino operators alike have been waiting eagerly for this one ever since it was show in demo mode in Las Vegas at Global Gaming Expo 2016. Now it's ready to roll out.

The Seinfeld base game has four 5-reel, 15-line mini-games, each starring one of the four main characters – Jerry, Elaine, Kramer, and George.  

During the base game, characters can appear on the reels to add a mini-bonus, such as Jerry’s Added Wilds, Kramer’s Wild Reels, George’s Multiplier, or Elaine’s Giant Reels.

Other game features include a Free Spins Bonus where players can pick which characters’ games they want to play.  In the “No Soup for You!” Bonus, players pick soups for credit prizes and wheel spins.  In the “Festivus” Bonus, players can actually shake the Festivus pole for credit prizes using the Gamescape’s gesture control element, or choose to spin a wheel for credit prizes. And in an Episode Bonus that is randomly triggered in the base game, elements from one of six fan favorite episodes are featured.

With plenty of video from the TV comedy classic, the Seinfeld slot is an entertainment extravaganza.

Most players know not to stand on a total of 10 or 11; however, knowing when to hit or double down seems to confound them. This article will give you tips on how to accurately play your 10 and 11 in Blackjack.

DIFFERENT WAYS TO GET A 10 AND 11

First, let’s look at the different ways you can be dealt a 10 or 11.

FOR A 10:

• 2-8
• 3-7
• 4-6
• 5-5

FOR AN 11:

• 2-9
• 3-8
• 4-7
• 5-6

When you are dealt a two-card 10, there are three viable playing options:

• Hit
• Double down
• Split (in the case of 5-5)

With an initial hand that totals 11, the viable playing options are:

• Hit
• Double down

Here is the optimal way to play each hand.

BASIC PLAYING STRATEGY FOR 10

When you are dealt a two-card hand that totals 10, regardless of the composition of the cards in your hand, or the number of decks of cards, or mix of playing rules, you should always:

• Double Down if the dealer’s upcard is 9 or less

• Hit if the dealer’s upcard is 10 or Ace
• Never split a pair of 5s; play the hand as a 10

Sometimes you will have a 10 consisting of three (or more) cards. For example, suppose your initial two cards were a 3 and a 4, you hit and draw a 3, giving you a 10. Once you draw a third card, the double down option is no longer available; therefore, you should hit instead. Likewise, if the blackjack rules forbid doubling a 10, then you should also hit.

The following color-coded chart summarizes the strategy for playing a two-card 10 (including 5-5).

Note: In this article, the following abbreviations are used:

H = Hit
Dh = double down if permitted; otherwise hit
s17 = dealer must stand on soft 17
h17 = dealer must hit soft 17

TWO-CARD 10
(Includes 5-5)

As you can see, the playing strategy for a 10 is straightforward: always double down on dealer’s 9 or less, and hit against a dealer’s 10 or Ace upcard in all games.

BASIC PLAYING STRATEGY FOR 11

The basic playing strategy for a two-card hand that totals 11 depends upon the number of decks of cards being used and if the game is s17 or h17.

SINGLE-DECK GAME

In a single-deck game, you should always double down an 11 against any dealer upcard. 

Many players hesitate to double their bet on an 11 against a dealer’s strong Ace. But here are the facts. In a single-deck game with h17, you win fewer hands overall when you double down but you win twice as much as when you hit, making doubling the preferred  strategy. (It's not how many hands you win or lose that’s important; it’s how much money you end up with. In the case of an 11 against a dealer’s A, after playing 100 hands at $1 bet per hand, you’ll win $16 on average by hitting but $24 by doubling down.)

DOUBLE-AND MULTI-DECK GAME WITH S17

In a double- and multi-deck game with s17, you should double down when the dealer’s upcard is 10 or less and hit when the dealer’s upcard is an Ace.  

Note: Notice in a double-deck game with s17, you win slightly more by hitting against an dealer’s Ace compared to doubling (which wasn’t the case in the single-deck game).

DOUBLE- AND MULTI-DECK WITH H17

When the playing rules specify that the live blackjack dealer must hit soft 17 (h17), you should double down on 11 against all dealer upcards (including against an Ace).  (This is the same strategy as in a single-deck game.)

The contributing factor  for doubling against a dealer Ace is that when she must hit soft 17, she will bust 3.4 % more often (compared to standing on soft 17), which makes doubling down a better play over hitting. 

COMPOSITION-DEPENDENT STRATEGY DOUBLE-DECK GAME (WITH S17)

For extra precision in a double-deck game with s17, you should hit your 11 against a dealer’s Ace when your 11 is composed of:

• 9 plus 2
• 8 plus 3

The logic for hitting is you have one card in each hand (the 8 and 9) that you would like to receive on a double-down draw. The fact that these cards were removed from the decks (they are in your hand) decreases the chances that you will get them on a double down draw. This makes hitting a slight favorite over doubling. 

MULTI-CARD 11

Sometimes you will have an 11 consisting of three (or more) cards. For example, suppose your initial two cards were a 2 and 4, you hit and draw a 5, giving you an 11. Once you draw a third card, the double down option is no longer available; therefore, according to the above Blackjack strategy chart you should hit. Likewise, if the playing rules forbid doubling an 11, then you should hit instead.

SUMMARY

You will always win more or lose less if you follow the above optimal playing strategy for a 10 or 11.

UFC President Dana White says he only sleeps three to six hours a night, and that’s only when he isn’t up all night at the blackjack table in Vegas, which is often. On those nights, when he gets involved in marathon blackjack sessions playing for $25,000 a hand, he’s lucky to get home in time to drive his two kids to school. He can handle it. He’s been playing serious blackjack for a long time, even longer than he’s been the $350 million president of a multi-billion dollar sports and entertainment company, lest you think his gambling habits were a by-product of his wealth. But blackjack, before White got rich, was a much more subdued affair. Today he likes to make a big splash when he plays. That’s his style, at the blackjack tables and in his business alike. It’s his brashness, the spectacle he creates, that gets White into the most trouble. It’s also usually the secret to his success.

Take, for example, his tumultuous relationship with the Palms Casino in Las Vegas. From the day the Palms opened in 2001, White was one of their biggest players, playing there regularly for $25,000 a hand, while also holding some of the UFC’s biggest fights at the Palms. The Ultimate Fighter finale was held there for 15 straight seasons. Not only was White one of the biggest players at the tables, he was one of their biggest tippers as well. During one three month period he tipped the dealers over $200,000. He was known to dine in the Palms trendy steakhouse, N9NE, and tip $10,000 on a $10,000 bill. 

The trouble began in 2012 when White went on a run and hit the Palms for a few million dollars. The casino responded by cutting his credit in half and limiting his action at the tables to a maximum of $5,000 per hand. Furious, White quit playing at the Palms, and he pulled UFC’s fights from the property as well. The 16th Ultimate Fighter finale was moved to the Hard Rock. White took his blackjack action to Caesar's, where he said that “they will let you play. No messing around with limits.”

 

Two years later the new management at the Palms tried to win Dana White and the UFC back by sending him a $5,000 bottle of 2001 Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Montrachet wine. The gesture worked. White ended the UFC boycott and returned to the Palms high limit blackjack pits with abandon.

When White went back to winning blackjack (and blackjack tournaments), the casino did whatever they could to keep him in action in hopes that he would lose the money back. Once, when White tried to leave the casino with $5 million in winnings, the casino simply stacked the cash on the counter for him and wished him good luck. When White asked the casino for a bag to carry the money in they refused. ““I’m like, are you serious? We’re going to get killed,” White said while recounting the story during a media luncheon. “They don’t have some kind of suitcase where they put the money in. ‘You just beat us, here you go.’ That’s really the attitude. They just stack it all up there and go ‘thanks, have a great night.’” White sent his friends in search of something to carry the money in. They returned with black hefty bags. White stuffed the five million in the garbage bags and carried it out of the casino. Now, he says, he brings his own bags just in case he has another winning session. 

Less than six months after returning to the Palms, the casino cried uncle again. They limited his action to $5,000 again, and eventually White claims the casino “gave me my walking papers” and pushed him off entirely. This time around, however, the casino and White ended the relationship more amicably. The Palms presented White with a custom-made championship belt that read “PALMS Undisputed Blackjack Champion” and “Winner by TKO” on it. 

Dana White was raised in Manchester, Connecticut in an Irish-Catholic family with his mother June, his father Dana Sr, and his sister Kelly. When Dana was 17 he got into boxing. He later got into managing fighters and moved to Las Vegas. It was there that he reunited with an old childhood friend, Lorenzo Fertitta, who was an executive at Stations Casinos and a member of the Nevada State Athletic Commission, the licensing body for professional fighting in Nevada. White convinced Fertitta to purchase the struggling UFC, seeing promise in the future of mixed martial arts. Fertitta made White the president. Together they turned an obscure and struggling company into an international phenomenon.

Along the way, White made plenty of enemies with his loud and bold style. White has developed a reputation as someone who doesn’t mince words. That style of management can be polarizing. While it has won White a lot of fans and notoriety and made him a juicy subject for the tabloids, it has also pushed a lot of people away from him. He’s been in very public feuds with everyone from rival promoters to his own UFC fighters and employees.

Some of Dana’s famous friends have also grown concerned about him, including the comedian and podcaster Joe Rogan, who on a recent episode of the Joe Rogan Experience suggested that White might be addicted to blackjack because he might have brain damage or CTE. “[He does it for] thrills. Also, people who have been hit in the head a lot - Dana’s been hit in the head a lot. Notoriously impulsive, notoriously susceptible to addiction, whether it’s gambling addiction, it’s a big part of CTE. Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy. That’s brain damage, from getting hit in the head. He did a lot of boxing when he was young, had his dome rattled.”

Dana White still plays a lot of blackjack, his favorite casino game, and says he’s still a winning player. After so many multi-million dollar wins and high-profile banishments, there are rumors around Vegas that White is a card counter. It isn’t so far-fetched to believe that someone as wealthy as White would spend the time and effort counting cards to beat a casino at blackjack. The same year the Palms gave White the boot, the Hard Rock famously kicked out Ben Affleck for card counting at their high stakes blackjack game. While Affleck admitted to card counting, White denies the accusations. “I’m the farthest thing from a card counter,” he has said. White just claims to be a good gambler, nothing more. And it isn’t just for the money. For White, gambling is about the rush he gets from winning. "I just like to win," he told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. "Do I need to play cards? I’m not gambling to win money. It’s just such a weird mental psyche thing. I like to (expletive) win."