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."

• In this article I will explain a couple of interesting “roulette tricks” to use at the game of roulette. Mind you, these cannot give you a mathematical edge but they are fun to play and using my money management advice they might reduce the overall negative expectation of the game.

Roulette and craps are probably the two oldest games that are now found in our modern casinos and on any online casino. Actually, dice games were played all the way back to Caesar’s time – and perhaps even further into the past than that.

Those bones people rolled were from sheep and (wait for it) sometimes from humans – and roulette of a type goes just as far into the past. Heck, shields could be used for more than just shielding oneself. Soldiers needed their games to play and those spinning shields could give a lot of enjoyment without worrying about being killed by an enemy.

ROULETTE TRICKS AND SYSTEMS

First things first: What is the difference between a gambling system and a gambling trick? Actually not much. I look at gambling systems as a more complicated type of approach to a game such as roulette. I think of a roulette trick as a shorter, simpler method of approaching a game. One requires a certain type of discipline to follow; the other is short and sweet and not very taxing.

One of the most enjoyable of my roulette tricks is the utilization of a Big Number roulette strategy. This is a straight number strategy where you bet directly on the chosen number or numbers.

Take a look at any roulette scoreboard, those that usually show the last 20 numbers that hit, and what do you almost always see? That’s right; some number or numbers have repeated. Don’t get too excited; this is not unusual; in fact, it is usual in any random game of which roulette is one. Numbers do tend to repeat even in such short lengths as 20 spins.

The Big Number roulette trick is to take whichever number has been a repeater and bet that number. If there is more than one number you then bet on each of those numbers.

HOW MUCH TO BET?

Whatever your normal bet is then that is the bet you make on that one number. If there is more than one number than you bet your minimum bet on all the repeaters. 

It is rare indeed that there will be three repeating numbers. Still, although I haven’t seen that a profound number of times, it does happen.

Please Note: If you are a player who knows how to play roulette and bets more than the table minimum, then try to apportion your betting amounts so that you are not betting more than what is usually a single bet if you are betting multiple Big Numbers. A $50 player might want to break up his bet $25/$25 on two Big Numbers.
 

HOW LONG DO YOU BET A BIG NUMBER?

In the Big Number roulette strategy trick you are betting with the scoreboard. Once a number disappears from the scoreboard you stop betting on that number. If no number repeats you do not bet until a repeater shows. Not betting does take a modicum of discipline on the part of players but not betting on certain rounds does save you some money. That is not something to be dismissed. No bet is not susceptible to the house edge – naturally.

BETTING THE NEGATIVE ON BIG NUMBERS

What about roulette players who prefer to bet against numbers that have hit? Or what if they want to bet numbers that have not shown up as yet on the scoreboard?

These negative betting methods are just as valid as the one I am proposing but they are in a different category. The Big Number is a positive betting trick, going with the scoreboard’s numbers and not against them, and it is far simpler than the negative category which requires the player to keep track of the numbers that have not hit (if they are not on the scoreboard) which might require a notebook and pen. And how many of these numbers that have not hit or repeated do you wager on? Those can be tough questions to answer. 

WHAT IF SEVERAL NUMBERS APPEAR WITH A DIFFERENT FREQUENCY?

Let us say that a certain number repeated once but another repeated twice? Do you treat them differently? Some players might want to bet more on the number that repeated more than once. I wouldn’t recommend that as such larger bets can be dangerous to your bankroll. Just go with one bet on the repeating numbers.

You are not enhancing your chances of winning when you bet more money. You are merely increasing the overall amount you are expected to lose over time. True, if a number with more money on it hits, you certainly make more money but that does not mean the house will win less over time when you wager this way. The more money you wager the more money the house edge will grind away at.

Please Note: You must always keep in mind that whatever betting trick or system you are using cannot change the fundamental mathematics of roulette. In the American double-zero wheel you have a one in 38 chance of your number hitting and in the European single-zero wheel you have a one in 37 chance. Those probabilities do not change based on your betting methods.

MORE BIG NUMBER ROULETTE TRICKS

Players do not have to bet straight up on the numbers. After all, with a one in 38 chance of winning on the American double-zero wheels, there can be long waits for a number to hit (yes, true, the number could hit right away) and this could be discouraging to many players.

If we use the American double-zero wheels as our guide, we can postulate other ways to play the Big Number. You can use the same exact technique for the European wheel so those of you lucky enough to play the European single-zero wheel, I envy you!

Please Note: The European single-zero wheel is almost twice as good as the American double-zero wheel. The house edge is 2.7 percent while on the American double-zero wheel the house edge is 5.26 percent. So whenever given the option think in terms of playing the single-zero wheels.

If you wish to avoid straight-up bets, then you could make outside bets on one, two or a few of the outside proposition bets such as the red/black, odd/even, high/low, 1st Dozen, 2nd Dozen, or 3rd Dozen. By doing this you reduce possibly long waiting times between decisions. Many players prefer more frequent hits; to them this makes the game more enjoyable. I tend to be one of those players!There are many combinations of these bets that can be made. I’ll cover a few here and you can, I am sure, come up with more. You might even want to wager straight-up bets and outside bets!

THE "THIS AND "THAT" BIG NUMBER BET

We look at the scoreboard and we see that 10 has repeated. That number is a black one, it is an even number, and it is also a low number (low numbers are 1-18, high numbers are 19-36). Also 10 is one of the inside dozen numbers.

Please Note: On all the outside bets a hit on the 0 or 00 loses the bet. Yes, the 0 and 00 can also be the Big Number but that would mean a straight up bet on that number. Avoid making the five-number bet at the top of the layout as the house edge is 7.89 percent.

Now you have some choices to make if 10 is the repeater. Here they are:

• Make a black bet which has a one-to-one payout
• Make an even bet which has a one-to-one payout
• Make a low-number bet which has a one-to-one payout
• Make an inside dozen bet which has a two-to-one payout

You can also make any combination of the above bets, or all of them! The truly aggressive player might decide to also plop down a straight-up bet on the number. Such an aggressive player would be making five bets.

I think five bets are somewhat overboard as you are betting a lot of money. I would go with one or two of the propositions. You don’t want to throw too much money into the game at once because a losing streak could wipe you out. However, if you are breaking up a single bet into five units – say a $50 wager into $10 each – then that would be fine, as long as your minimum bet is really that $50.

WORDS OF CAUTION

Let me go over some of the obvious problems with betting these outside propositions.

• If you have two Big Numbers of different colors then you obviously do not bet red or black. 
• If you have two Big Numbers and one is high and one is low, you do not bet that proposition.
• If you have two Big Numbers and they are on two different dozen lines you bet one or the other.
• There are other combinations on the inside numbers to spread out your betting. These you can create for yourself.

THE BIG CAUTION ON THE BIG NUMBER ROULETTE TRICK

I am a very conservative player. I try to protect my money even as I am betting my money. To me gambling is a combination of fear and fun. I find it fun to play the games but I do not find it too much fun when I get clobbered and I have been clobbered at times in my almost 30 years of casino play. I am sure that many of my readers have been clobbered at times and I am guessing that it was a miserable experience for them as well.

So my fear can also be my protection against foolish play. Such fear has helped me study the games for the best possible ways to play them. I think all players should incorporate fear within themselves. How can that fear manifest itself? Here are the good products of fear: 

• Do not make too many bets at once. The more money you bet the greater the chance that bad luck can knock you out. Go slow. You worked hard to earn your money.
• Do not increase your bets to make up for previous losses. This is often called “going on tilt” and it has hurt many a player. Going on tilt is a sure way to get destroyed on bad sessions. If you are feeling rotten, quit for that session and do something else. The games will always be there. In fact, there are probably more casinos in the world today than there were yesterday.
• Make sure you have enough money in your bankroll not to get upset should you lose. Use the large bankroll to small bet equation. The larger your bankroll, the less a loss will hurt you.
• Have a separate bank account for your gambling money. Never mix your daily-living money with your play money. You can make deposits in your gambling account so that it grows. Put your wins in it too!
• Recognize that all casino games have a built-in advantage for the casinos. Casinos are in the business of making money. They have structured their games mathematically to beat the players. The casino’s math will defeat the player’s luck over time. Players ultimately need good luck to win; casinos just need the math; luck does not play a part on the casino end of things.

Please Note: Although the betting advice I am giving cannot overcome the math of the game, using such roulette tricks can be fun and give you a satisfying strategy for the playing of roulette. Just be cautious. Play with discipline and enjoy the thrills of the games.

ROULETTE - FAQ

Question 1: What is the house edge on roulette?

The European wheels’ edge is 2.70%. The American wheels’ edge is 5.26%.

Question 2: What is the Fibonacci system?

The Fibonacci system using the following number sequence to establish one’s betting levels. If you are a 10-unit bettor, the sequence would go like this: 10 units, 20 units, 30 units (on up). 

Question 3: What is the difference between the American wheel to the European/French wheel?

The American wheel has two green (or blue) zeros (0 and 00). The French or European wheel has only one green (or blue) zero.

Question 4: Should the odds be the same on an RNG game?

Yes, the odds on an RNG game (such as online roulette) and the payouts should be the same (or better than) the odds and payouts on a regular roulette game.

Question 5: What is the RNG?

The RNG is the random number generator. It is a computer program that randomly selects number sequences that will correspond to symbols or elements of a casino game or slot machine.

All the best in and out of the casinos!

Most video poker games have a fixed pay table, meaning the pays for each winning hand never change. For example, a high pair always pays 1-for-1, a 4-of-a-kind always pays 25-for-1 or some other fixed number, and a royal flush always pays 800-for-1 with 5 credits played.

Progressive video poker games are different. They add money to a jackpot as players play the machine. Usually, the jackpot is for hitting a royal flush, but some progressive games have running jackpots for straight flushes or certain four-of-a-kind hands.

Normally progressive games have reduced payouts for the full house and flush hands. For example, a jacks or better game that would normally pay 9-for-1 for a full house and 6-for-1 for a flush instead pays only 8-for-1 for a full house (sometimes 7-for-1) and 5-for-1 for a flush when it is a progressive game.

The good news is that as the progressive jackpot(s) climb(s), the house edge decreases – and can eventually become favorable for the player. For a Jacks or Better game, the house edge moves towards the player by about .5 to .6 percent for each additional 1,000 credits in the jackpot. For example, an 8/5 game (8-for-1 paid for a full house and 5-for-1 paid for a flush) has a 97.30 percent payback when the royal flush progressive jackpot is at the reset value of 4,000 credits. When the jackpot climbs to 5,000 credits, the payback improves to 97.81 percent. Should the jackpot climb to double the reset value of 4,000 to 8,000 credits, the payback is approximately the same as a full pay 9/6 jacks or better game (99.59 percent). What this means is when the jackpot of an 8/5 jacks or better progressive game is at 8,000 credits, a player can play the game with the same payback expectation as the increasingly harder to find full pay game.

However, just because the payback is the same doesn’t mean everything about the game is the same. Because more of the payback is concentrated in the royal flush, the variance of the game will increase – and increase dramatically from 19.32 to more than four times that amount or 81.75.

What this means for the player is additional money is required for the bankroll. It also means that the play strategy will have to change. Since the royal is worth so much more, saving for the royal will become more common.

TIP #1: FIND OUT WHEN SHOULD YOU PLAY

Returns on progressive video poker games while the progressive jackpot is at or near the reset value of 4,000 credits are significantly lower than the returns of non-progressive games. Because of this, you should only play progressive games when the progressive jackpot is 6,000 credits or higher. Even at 6,000 credits, the return for the game is in the low 98 percent range.

This is somewhat mitigated by the fact that you will probably only be playing for a relatively short period of time – until someone hits a royal. When playing a progressive game, you are playing to get a royal (or another hand that has a very high progressive jackpot). Long-term return is not as significant. What matters more is a very high jackpot amount.

TIP #2: FINDING A PLAYABLE GAME

The higher the jackpot amount the better the game is for you. The problem is a high jackpot does not occur very often. If progressive video poker is all you will play, up to 95 percent of your time will be spent looking for a playable game.   

Should you notice a game where the jackpot is approaching a decent level, you can rest assured that other players are also noticing it. If you set your jackpot size for game entry too high, all seats at your target group of machines could be taken by the time you want to enter.

As you can see, there is a very limited window where you will (or should) actually play the game.

TIP #3: KNOW THE REQUIRED AMOUNT OF YOUR BANKROLL

Assuming you are planning to play only progressive Jacks or Better games when the progressive jackpot is at 6,000 credits or higher, the required amount of your total bankroll increases by about 50 percent. These requirements are somewhat remediated by the fact that you will most likely not play for a very long time. However, there is no guarantee of that.

At minimum I recommend having a large enough bankroll to play at least a few thousand hands. It would really suck if you played a couple of thousand hands and ran out of money, then a short while later someone hits the jackpot. If you were still playing you may not have hit it, but because you were not playing you had no chance at it.

TIP #4: UNDERSTAND YOU WILL HAVE TO CHANGE BETWEEN STRATEGIES

As the progressive jackpot climbs, your video poker playing strategy needs to also change to start favoring the royal flush more often. This is a fluid requirement as the progressive amount is constantly changing. My recommendation is to make up several strategy charts using a video poker strategy program.

On each successive chart, increase the jackpot amount by 1,000 credits. When playing the actual game in the casino use the chart that most closely matches the progressive amount. If you do not have a video poker strategy program or app (or you do not have access to one) you are definitely at a disadvantage when it comes to proper playing strategy. It might be best to forego playing progressive video poker. However, it is your money at risk, so that decision is up to you.

TIP #5: TEST YOUR SKILLS

Most video poker applications allow the user to play the selected game on the computer or smartphone/tablet. Configure the game with a 6,000 (or whatever number you choose) credit royal flush and begin playing. The application will let you know when you make errors.

TIP #6: TRY THE ROYALS ONLY STRATEGY

A royals-only strategy does have its place – in video poker tournaments. In tournaments, there is an extremely short time to play and a royal flush will probably put you in the money. Also, the player’s bankroll is not affected by each hand that is lost. Neither of these situations is true when playing progressive games. Even though you save for a royal more often, you still need to make the most of each hand played in order to help make it to the end.

 

SUMMARY

• Most of the time a progressive game is not worth playing.
• A playable progressive video poker game will probably not last very long.
• Make sure you have enough money to play several thousand hands.
• To develop an approximate playing strategy, generate several strategy charts – each with the jackpot 1,000 credits higher.
• Use the strategy chart that has the jackpot amount closest to the actual amount. 

With all of the issues inherent to playing progressive video poker, you may want to think twice about pursuing this type of video poker play. On the other hand, even if you can lose more than on a standard game, you also could win big. 

Is it worth the risk? Only you can determine if you are willing to do what is required to be a winner at progressive video poker play. 

I was living in New Jersey in the late 1970s, when casino gambling became legalized in Atlantic City. The casinos that began opening there were clamoring for casino dealers. Soon, casino gambling schools began opening that taught students the skills necessary to become a casino dealer. (You had to be certified by a state-licensed dealer’s school in order to be a casino dealer.) The public was inundated with news, TV, and radio reports and advertisement about becoming a casino dealer. I began to ponder the idea of starting a school not to teach players how to deal the game of blackjack, but rather how to beat the game of blackjack.

With the encouragement of my wife, in the early 1980s, I opened a school in Toms River, NJ, specifically to teach players how to become successful at card counting. (My claim that I opened the first blackjack school in New Jersey was challenged by Jerry Patterson, who opened a school at about the same time in Voorhees. I still contend that my blackjack school opened slightly before his.)

You might think that opening a blackjack school wasn’t such a big deal, but back then there wasn’t a whole lot of information on card counting for the unique Atlantic City blackjack game. I knew first-hand about this game because I had worked with a mathematician (Dick) to develop an accurate basic strategy and card counting system for it.

Side Note: I wrote a 100-page manuscript that contained the strategies we developed for the Atlantic City blackjack game and submitted it to a publisher who had expressed interest in publishing it. They dragged their feet during the editing process and soon a new book appeared in bookstores that described that Atlantic City game. (The book was Playing Blackjack in Atlantic City by Chambliss and Roginski). The good news was that the strategies in their book were identical to the ones we had developed. The bad news was our book publisher backed out of the deal to publish our manuscript. Ever since that bad experience with a book publisher, all of my books have been self-published.)

 

 

 

The reason that the blackjack game was unique in Atlantic City was that dealers were not allowed to peek at their hole card to see if they had a blackjack until after players completed their hand. The N.J. Casino Control Commission, which back then was the regulatory body that formulated the playing rules for all the casino games in Atlantic City, wanted to minimize the possibility of dealer and/or player cheating, which is why they didn’t want dealers to peek at their hole card until after all players played out their hand. The playing rules in Atlantic City also allowed surrender, and coupled with the above dealer-no-peeking rule, the CCC unintentionally had created a situation where a player could surrender a hand before the dealer checked for a blackjack. This made surrender in Atlantic City a very player-favorable rule as long as the player learned the “early surrender” playing strategy. (The early surrender basic strategy is much different than the late surrender basic strategy, where the dealer peeks at her down card before players can act on their hand) 

Offering early surrender plus the rules that dealers must stand on soft 17, double down after pair splitting was allowed, and you could double down on any initial two-card hand, resulted in a basic strategy player’s having a tiny edge against the casino without card counting. (This was unheard of at that time.) By applying card counting to a game that had the early surrender rule, the game became very beatable and had a lower risk compared to the typical Las Vegas game of that era (i.e., without early surrender).  

Interestingly, what was unique, in my opinion, about the accurate computer simulation studies that Dick had done was the fact that he was legally blind. He used one of the first Radio Shack TR-S 80 computers to do his computer sims with a braille keyboard and a large magnifier in front of his screen. He often ran simulations overnight to get a decent sample size and would phone me the results. (The Internet hadn’t been invented yet.) How times change because nowadays you can do millions of computer sims for any blackjack game in minutes using any number of reputable blackjack software programs.

 

Having the idea of starting the first blackjack school to teach card counting in New Jersey is one thing but implementing this idea was something else. I felt confident I could teach students how to be successful at card counting in Atlantic City for two reasons. First, I had experience teaching while I was a graduate student at the University of Maryland while earning a doctoral degree in organic chemistry. In fact, after I earned my Ph.D., I couldn’t find a job in the chemical industry because the job market was tight (circa 1971), so the University offered me a one-year job as an instructor in the chemistry department. Teaching undergraduate students organic chemistry was a real challenge and it definitely sharpened my teaching skills. Secondly, I had been playing blackjack in Atlantic City for several years using the basic strategy and card-counting strategies developed by Dick and was very successful at beating the game. It was time to start teaching students how to do the same.

(Note: What also made the Atlantic City blackjack game unique for card counters was that in the early years the casinos could not bar card counters so they could use very aggressive bet spreads without the fear of getting barred.) 

I finally decided to rent space in an office building in Toms River, NJ, for my blackjack school. I purchased a professional blackjack table with chairs, cards, chips, dealing shoes, etc. In order to promote the school, I ran ads in the local newspaper for a free seminar that I gave on “How to Win at Blackjack” at a local hotel. The conference room was packed with attendees, and afterwards, I had my first group of students signed up, who were eager to learn how to become card counters.

The card counting course that I taught consisted of four two-hour classes spaced out over four weeks. I taught students the accurate basic playing strategy for Atlantic City,  the Hi-Lo card counting system, how to vary their bets and alter their playing strategy based on the true count, bankroll requirements and risk-of-ruin, advantages of team play, and some camouflage techniques. Students received handouts that summarized the material I covered each week, along with practice exercises that they had to do between classes. During the final class, I also gave the students the option to come back to my school to be checked out by me (privately) before they started playing in Atlantic City to be sure they were playing and betting accurately.  (The majority of my students took advantage of this private session.)

 

While I was teaching this extensive card counting class, my wife was teaching a “blackjack for women only class” For some reason, women tended to be intimidated by a male teacher so my wife had a portable blackjack table-top that she brought to homes where she taught mostly the basic playing strategy to groups of lady friends.

I don’t remember how many students I taught at my blackjack school but it was a bunch. I enjoyed interacting with students and teaching a somewhat complicated skill (card counting) at a level that was understandable for average players. I spent a lot of time designing the course and modifying it based on feedback from students. The school was very successful but I had another teaching idea that I was ready to launch: The Winner’s Circle Live Casino Gambling Club.

Video poker is among the most popular of casino video games. The reasons for this are many. They include:

• Relatively low house edge – sometimes even a player edge.
• Unlike table games, you can play without other people commenting on your play.
• Unlike standard slot machines:
  • The pay table which determines the house edge and volatility is displayed. 
  • You have a say in the outcome - player decisions affect results.
  • Playing strategies are available to maximize your results.

But even with all these advantages, many players – maybe even most players – lose far more than they should playing video poker. They tend to play like gamblers and make one or more of the common mistakes that gamblers make.

 In order to become an effective video poker player you must stop being a gambler and start treating your video poker play more seriously.

What specifically can you do? You can follow the eight “Be’s.” What are they?  Read on:

TIP #1: BE KNOWLEDGEABLE

Know what game you want to play. It should be a low house edge, low-variance game such as full-pay (9/6) Jacks or Better, full-pay or “Not So Ugly” deuces wild, or something similar. The reason for the low house edge is obvious. In order to be effective, you want the lowest barrier against you. Low variance helps keep the bankroll fluctuations low and therefore reduces bankroll requirements.

TIP #2: BE PREPARED

Once you have decided which game or games you want to play, learn the proper playing strategy. Practice this strategy using an application on your computer, tablet or smartphone until you are very comfortable with it. Remember, each time you misplay (or guess wrong) you are giving money to the casino. This is not a trait that helps you be effective.

TIP #3: BE OBSERVANT

In the casino, find the best game possible – one of the games you have practiced.

Casinos have scores of video poker machines. They come in all types: Jacks or Better, Double Bonus Poker, Deuces Wild, etc., etc., etc. As you walk through the casino checking out the video poker being offered, don’t assume that what is printed on the glass or base is the actual game on the machine. Just because the glass says Jacks or Better and the pay table displayed on the screen is 9/6, doesn’t make it full-pay Jacks or Better. It could be Double-Double Bonus – or something else entirely. The only way to guarantee you have the game you want – the game you studied and practiced at home – is to check the entire pay table.

Casinos put identical machines next to each other. They are identical in all appearances except the pay tables may be different. Completely check the pay table on each different machine you play.

Be observant. Play the best game. Don’t fall for the casinos tricks.

Here is a very important point for effective video poker play: if you cannot find a game with the low house edge you are seeking, don’t play. Go elsewhere. Don’t be a gambler. A gambler is not an effective video poker player.

TIP #4: BE ALERT

All the preparation and observation in the world will not help your effectiveness if you are not alert. 

Here are some recommendations:

• If at all possible, maintain the same general schedule as in your normal daily life. There are enough distractions in a casino without also messing with your daily rhythm.
• Make your playing sessions a reasonable length. Effectiveness wanes rapidly as playing sessions drag on. Take a break at least every hour or so – sooner if you find yourself making mistakes. For maximum effectiveness, leave the casino and take a walk. Relax for a while and recharge before resuming play. Mark Twain once said, “The right word may be effective, but no word was ever as effective as a rightly timed pause.” That works for video poker play, too.
• Do not play if you are tired. Tired players make mistakes. They are following the gambler in them. Don’t be a gambler.
• Be very careful about consuming alcohol as it clouds judgment and dulls the senses. Imbibing is a gambler’s characteristic, not one of an effective player.

As Terence Winter, creator, writer and executive producer of the HBO television series Boardwalk Empire mused; “Any distraction tends to get in the way of being an effective gangster.” The same can be said for being an effective video poker player.

TIP #5: BE FRUGAL

Making effective use of all your available resources is a great way to become an effective video poker player. Make sure you join the slot players club and use your player’s card for all your play. You will accumulate points that can be used for free play, food, and even cash. You play will be tracked so you could snag free rooms, food, drinks, shows and other casino comps. Most casinos also award “bounce-back” cash or other freebies based on play registered on your player’s card. You may be invited to special promotions such as, bonus point days, and free tournaments and more. All of these things add to your winnings and make your play more effective. 

TIP #6: BE ADEQUATELY FUNDED

Very few casino experiences are worse than losing your entire video poker stake in the first hour or two of a three-day casino stay. The good news is this is totally avoidable. In order to be effective playing video poker you have to have an adequate bankroll. The bankroll must be money that is strictly for casino play and not needed for other things such as groceries, car payments, mortgage or heart surgery.

When you are adequately financed, you will be effective since you can focus on playing properly and not sweat the money.

TIP #7: BE CAREFUL

If the player has an edge over the casino, more hands played means more profit. Speed is this player’s friend. But speed without accuracy is costly. If you have an edge (counting the game itself plus bonus cash and comps) you want to play as quickly as possible – but only if the play is perfect play.

If you find yourself making mistakes because of your playing speed, slow down. Perfect play is more effective than fast play.

TIP #8: BE INTROSPECTIVE

Popular management consultant Peter Drucker admonished, “Follow effective action with quiet reflection. From the quiet reflection will come even more effective action.”

After completing a playing session, take some time to reflect on how you did. What did you do right? What did you do wrong? Be honest. Once you answer those questions make a plan to enforce what you did right and correct what you did wrong. You will then on your way to “more effective action.”
 

 

 

SUMMARY

To be an effective video poker player, you must stop playing like a gambler. You must treat playing video poker more seriously. Follow the eight “Be’s” to help you achieve this goal:

1. Be knowledgeable.
2. Be prepared.
3. Be observant.
4. Be alert.
5. Be frugal.
6. Be adequately funded.
7. Be careful.
8. Be introspective.

If you follow these guidelines, and follow them closely, you will become an effective video poker player. You may not win every session. You may not win every trip. You will, however, win over the long run. And isn’t winning what it is all about?

When you are dealt a pair of 6s in the game of blackjack you have two viable playing options:

1. Split
2. Hit

Which blackjack 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.

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

• Split 6s against a dealer’s upcard of 2 through 6; otherwise hit 

If the blackjack rules allow doubling down after pair splitting (DAS)

• You should also split against a dealer’s upcard of 7 (Illustrate splitting against 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7.)

In a multi-deck game, the basic playing strategy is 

• If NDAS, split against a dealer’s upcard of 3 through 6; otherwise hit 
• If DAS, split against dealer’s upcard of 2 through 6; otherwise hit

The following color-coded charts summarize the basic strategy for a pair of 6s (Note: P = Split; H = Hit.)

There are dozens of craps bets advertised right on the live casino table felt - wagers including pass and don't pass, come and don't come, place numbers, the field, hardways, one-roll propositions.

But in some ways craps is like an American fast-food restaurant with a secret menu, ways of combining standard ingredients that aren't listed on the big board but are known to customers and workers alike.

Hop bets are prime offering on craps' secret menu. There's not a space on the layout to illustrate them. You have to know they're available to make them.

WHAT IS A HOP BET?

When you want to be the next roll will bring two specific numbers on the dice, you want a hop bet.

For example, if you want to bet the next roll will be a 6 on one die and a 4 on the other, you ask the dealer for 6-4 on the hop, or 6-4 hopping.

There are two types of hop bets: Easy hops and hard hops.

An easy hop is when you're betting the dice will land on two different numbers. Combinations such as 4-3, 5-2, 6-3 or 3-2 alls would be easy hops.

If both numbers are the same, it's a hard hop. 6-6, 5-5, 4-4, 3-3, 2-2 or 1-1 hopping are all hard hops.

The difference is that there are two ways to win at craps on any of the easy hops and only one way to win on a hard hop.

If you bet 6-4 hopping, you win if the first die is a 6 and the second a 4, and also if the second die is a 6 and the first die is a 4. 

If you bet 4-4 hopping, both dice have to land on 4. That's only one roll.

That you're twice as likely to win with an easy hop is reflected in the payoffs. Winners pay 30-1 on hard hops and 15-1 on easy hops.

HOPS TOTALS

If you want to bet total of the two dice as a one-roll bet, you can give the dealer the total and tell him it's on the hop. You then get all the combinations that yield that total.

For example, if you tell the dealer you want 10 hopping, you would win on 6-4, 4-6 and 5-5. If you want 9 hopping, you would win on 6-3, 3-6, 5-4 and 4-5.

That affects payoffs, since there are more possibilities. If you bet on 10 hopping, it's the equivalent of having half your bet on 6-4 hopping and half on 5-5.

Imagine you've wagered $2 on 10 hopping. That's the same as $1 on 6-4 and $1 on 5-5. So if the roll is 6-4, you're paid 15-1 on $1 and the house keeps the other $1. If the roll is 5-5, you're paid 30-1 on $1 and the house keeps the other $1.

So it goes on other hop totals. An 8 hopping is essentially is three bets, easy hops on 6-2 and 5-3 and the hard hop on 4-4. On any winner, you're paid for that portion while the house keeps the portion of the overall wager that corresponds to the other possibilities.

HOW AND WHEN TO MAKE HOP BETS

Unlike pass, don't pass, come, don't come and the field, you can't just put your chips down and make a hop bet. The dealer has to know what you're doing.

To make a hop bet, you place chips on the layout and tell the dealer what you want -- 5-3 hopping, or 4-2 on the hop. 

After the next roll, the dealer will pay you if you win or the house will keep your chips if you lose.

You can make hop bets before any roll, but it's rare to make them on the comeout roll.

Novices will notice there is a period for betting before the stickman pushes the dice to the shooter for the next roll. Once the shooter has the dice, you can't make any more bets. But until the dice are to the shooter, you can put your chips on the layout and ask the dealer for your hop.

ODDS AND PERCENTAGES

There are 36 possible rolls of two dice, with one way each to make 2 or 12, two ways each to make 3 or 11, three ways each to make 4 or 10, four ways each to make 5 or 9, five ways each to make 6 or 10 and six ways to make 7.

With easy hops, two of those rolls are winners. That leaves 34 ways to lose and two ways to win. Expressed as odds against winning, that's 34-2, or 17-1.

Looking at hard hops, there's only one potential winner and 35 losers for each hard hop wager. Odds against winning are 35-1.

Turning to the house edge, we have to consider not only the chances of winning, but the payoffs.

Easy hops pay 15-1, compared to those true odds of 17-1.

If you bet $1 each on 36 rolls in which each number came up once, you would win twice. On each win you would keep the $1 wager and collect $15 in winnings.

Add the two $15 wins and the two $1 bets you keep and at the end of the trial you have $32 of the $36 you wagered. The house keeps the rest.

Divide the $4 the house keeps by your $36 in wagers, and you get 0.1111. Multiply by 100 to convert to percent, and the house edge is 11.11 percent.

On hard hops, the payoff is 30-1. Per 36 rolls, you win once, keeping a $1 wager and claiming $30 in winnings for a total of $31. The house keeps $5.

Divide that $5 by $36, and you bet 0.1389. Multiply by 100, and the house edge on hard hops is 13.89 percent.

HOP BET PLAYING STRATEGY

Players seeking the lowest house edge in craps would avoid hops bets like the plague.

There are much better bets on the table. Pass and come have house edges of 1.41 perent while don't pass and don't come are at 1.36. All and be dropped to less than 1 percent with judicious use of free odds.

Place bets on 6 and 8 check in at 1.52 percent. All place bets, buy bets and bets where don't bettors lay the point numbers have lower edges than the 11.11 percent on easy hops and 13.89 percent on hard hops.

The hops are comparable to the center table one-roll propositions. The house edge on easy hops is lower than the 16.67 percent on any 7 and the same as on the one-roll any craps proposition, where you're betting the next roll will be 2, 3 or 12.

So what kind of bettor uses hops bets?

Mainly, hops are for players looking to make a big score on a single wager. Pass, come, don't pass and don't come pay even money. Winning place bets on 6 and 8 pay 7-6 odds.

The best bets, the ones that give you the best shot at long-term wins, do not yield big wins in one shot.

Hunch players and others hoping for a quick strike have hop bets among their favorites.

Alternatively, players who stick to the best bets overall sometimes will try to spice up their games during winning sessions by mixing in low probability, high yield bets such as hops. A pass and come player who is ahead might try for a quick bankroll boost with small hop bets.

However, hops are not part of any strategy designed for the best chance to grind out a profit for extended play.

SUMMARY

Hop bets are one-roll bets that the dice will land on the two numbers you call. They pay 15-1 if the two numbers you call are different or 30-1 if you bet both numbers will be the same.

House edges of 11.11 percent on easy hops and 13.89 percent on hard hops are too high for a steady stream of hops bets to be profitable. To much exposure to edges like that will grind down your bankroll.

If you find fun in chasing long shots with big rewards on infrequent wins, then the hops might be part of your game. But keep your bets low, put more of your money in bets with lower house edges, and understand that the players who cut the house edge to the bone skip the hops altogether.

Getting the most out of video poker requires learning to recognize the best possible draw on every hand.

Your video poker strategy decisions make a real difference in your wins and losses. And one of the most important decisions you'll make involves something we can call "The High Card Conundrum."

The conundrum is this: If you're dealt a hand that includes a Jack or higher, and also includes a lower pair, which do you hold? Do you keep the high card and hope to pair it up, or do you keep the low pair and hope for two pairs, three of a kind or something even better?

The reason it's a conundrum is that you'll get many more winners if you hold the high card and discard the pair along with other cards, but the average winner will bring more money if you hold the pair and discard the rest.

So, how do you play video poker? Do you go for more winners, or a higher average payback per winner?

Before getting into the explanation and arithmetic behind it, let's go straight to the answer: The better play is to hold the pair.

Let's use an hand that starts with Jack of hearts, 7 of spades, 7 of diamonds, 10 of clubs and 4 of spades as an example. Then let's evaluate it in two games: 9-6 Jacks or Better and 9-6 Double Double Bonus Poker.



The "9-6" in both games signifies a 9-for-1 payoff on full houses and a 6-for-1 payoff on flushes.

The full pay tables look like this:
 

 

Most of the pay tables are identical. They differ in two important respects:

Jacks or Better pays the same 25-for-1 on all four of a kind hands, while Double Double Bonus pays more on all quads, with payoffs differing depending on the card ranks. No four of a kind in JB pays more than 125 for a five-coin bet, while four Aces with a 2, 3 or 4 as the fifth card can bring 2,000 coins in DDB.

On the other hand, Jacks or Better pays 2-for-1 on two pairs while DDB pays only 1-for-1. That's extremely important, because two pairs occur much more often than four of a kind.

With that in mind, let's look at the possibilities with our example hand, Jack of hearts, 7 of spades, 7 of diamonds, 10 of clubs and 4 of spades.

If we hold the Jack alone, there are 178,365 possible four-card draws. The majority, 111,318 of them, bring no payoff. 

The next biggest share, 45,324, get us our money back — five coins on a five-coin maximum bet — with a pair of Jacks or better. There also are 9,033 possible two-pair draws, 4,177 three of a kinds, 668 straights, 492 flushes, 297 full houses, 53 four of a kinds, three straight flushes and one royal.

In Double Double Bonus, those 53 four of a kinds could be broken down into 49 consisting of four 5s through Kings, three that are four 2s, 3s or 4s and one that is four Aces.

To get an average return, we'd need to multiply the return per hand by the number of occurrences, add all the payoffs, and divide by the total number of draws.

Assuming a five-coin bet in DDB we'd multiply the 45,324 draws that bring a high pair by five, multiply the 9,033 two pairs by five, multiply the 4,177 three of a kinds by 15, and so on.

We'd go through the same process in Jacks or Better, but multiply the two pairs by 10 instead of five. And, of course, there would be different multipliers on the four of a kind hands.

Let's cut straight to the average: If you hold just the Jack, you win on 33.67 percent of hands. Your average return is 2.42 coins per five wagered in 9-6 Jacks or Better and slightly less at 2.21 coins in 9-6 Double Double Bonus.

What if you hold the pair of 7s instead?

Then there are 16,125 possible three-card draws, with 11,559 bringing no payoff. All the winners are at least two pairs, with 2,592 two pairs, 1,854 three of a kinds, 165 full houses and 45 four of a kinds. All the quads will be four 7s.

Again, straight to the averages: By holding the 7s, you win on just 28.31 percent of hands -- more than 8 percent fewer than if you hold the Jack by itself.

However, your average payback increases to 4.12 coins per five wagered on Jacks or Better or 3.67 coins on Double Double Bonus.

In summary, by holding the low pair, you win fewer hands, but you win more money. The High Card Conundrum is a decision you'll face frequently. Learning to hold the low pair rather than a high card is one of the key plays every video poker player must learn.