Best Starting Hands in Texas Holdem Poker

The Texas Holdem Poker Beginner Strategy that I recommend is playing only the best starting Texas Holdem Poker hands.

The hands that you should be playing as a beginning Texas Holdem Poker player are: A-A, K-K, Q-Q, J-J, 10-10, 9-9, 8-8, A-Ks (the s means that both cards are the same suit – both clubs), A-Qs, K-Qs.

Limit yourself to only these hands. If you are dealt any cards outside of these hands then fold.

The goal is to have you win money. The best way to do that is to win as much as possible on the hands that you have a chance to win and to minimize your losses on hands where you have little or no chance to win. In other words, fold the bad hands.

If you have one of the best hands, I recommend that you raise your opponents. A raise does a couple of things for you.

tells you who else may have a strong hand (If they re-raise)
forces a player with a bad hand to fold
gets more money into the pot

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Beginner Strategy on the Flop

· When the flop hits you must assess:

Whether you have improved your hand or not.
Whether you have a hand that can win the game.
If you have improved your hand on the flop or still feel you have a good chance of winning, I recommend that you raise.

If you have not improved or don’t feel that your hand is good enough to win then I recommend folding.

Beginner Strategy on the Turn and River

Playing on the Turn and River is similar. Every time a card is dealt you should ask yourself:

Did you make your hand?
Do you have a good chance of making your hand?
Most importantly, is your hand good enough to win?
If it is I would raise. If it is not then I recommend folding.

Summary of Texas Holdem Poker Beginner Strategy

Our Texas Holdem Poker beginner strategy can be summed up in this manner:

If you do not have one of the best starting hands – FOLD
If you do have one of the best starting hands – bet or raise
After the flop if you have not improved your hand – FOLD
After the flop if you have improved your hand – raise
If after the Turn and River you have not improved your hand – FOLD
If after the Turn and River you have improved your hand – raise
This Texas Holdem Poker beginner strategy is easy to learn and use. Practice it and you will win with it.

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The rules for Omaha Hi/Lo are the same as the rules for Omaha Hi, except that the pot is split between the high and and the low hand. The low hand cannot have a card higher than 8. If there is no legal low hand, the entire pot goes to the highest hand.

The goal in Omaha Hi/Lo is to scoop the entire pot. Although winning half of the pot is better than nothing, large profits at this game come from winning the entire pot. Effectively scooping pots requires understanding how to win the low side of the pot, as well as what hands work as quality starting hands.

The Low

For many new players, the most confusing part of Omaha Hi/Lo is determining the nut-low. In this game, straights and flushes do not affect the low. Thus, the best possible low hand is a wheel (5432A). Furthermore, it is important to remember that the low hands are counted from the top down. A player with 8432A (an 8 low) would lose to a player with 76543 (a 7 low). This surprises most players who instinctively think that 8432A wins due to the ace as the lowest card.

If there is no possible low hand (or if no one holds a low hand), then the person with the best high hand wins the entire pot. Let’s look at a few hand examples to better understand some low situations.

Example #1

Ah3cKh5c
Player #1 Qs6s4d2c
Player #2 AcAd3s8h6h
Board

This is a split pot. Player #1 wins the high side of the pot with AAA33, and Player #2 wins the low side of the pot with 6432A. In this instance, Player #2 has the nut low which means no one could possibly beat Player #2 for the low, only tie. Player #1′s low is 8653A. Player #1 would use A5 from his hand and 368 from the board (he also could use 35 from his hand and A68 from the board).

Example #2

As2sQh8h
Player #1 Jd6d3c2c
Player #2 7s5s4hAcJd
Board

The flop (754) gave Player #1 (who holds A2) the nut-low. However, on the turn, Player #1′s nut-low was “counterfeited.” This happened when an ace appeared on the turn, which gave all players the opportunity to have an ace for a low. Now, Player #2 has 5432A for a low, which beats Player #1′s 7542A. So in this example, Player #2′s dream comes true, and he “scoops” the entire pot.

Example #3

AhKcQdJs
Player #1 KhJh7c2c
Player #2 Ts9d8s5h4c
Board

First, notice that the flop put Player #2 in big trouble after he flopped the second-nut straight (with his J7). Player #1 flopped the nut straight (with his QJ), which put him in position to win a nice pot off of Player #2.

However, the turn and river bail out Player #2 and allow him to win half of the pot at the showdown. In conjunction with the board’s 854, Player #2 was able to make a low hand with his 72 to win half the pot. Sometimes a miracle low is what can save a player from losing a lot of money with a bad high. This example illustrates the importance of holding two cards to a low (something that Player #1 did not have with a deceitfully weak AKQJ).

Example #4

AhAcQdQs
Player #1 Ad2c3c4d
Player #2 KdKcQh5s6h
Board

Player #1 scoops the entire pot with his full house (KKQQQ). There is no low hand. There are only two low cards on the board, so it is impossible to make a low hand (remember: you must always use three cards from the board!) While it seems that Player #2 has an amazing low hand, he in fact holds no low at all.
Starting Hands

In Omaha Hi/Lo, it is important to hold a strong starting hand. Players need to have a hand that is capable of scooping the entire pot. This means hands that work great in Omaha hi (such as AKQJ or JT98) lose a lot of value in Hi/Lo due to their inability to make a low.

In general, the tightest player at any Omaha Hi/Lo table is likely to be a winning player. Starting hand selection is so critical that demonstrating patience is perhaps the single most important skill to have. Hands that may seem tempting to play (such as A49T) should be folded due to their propensity for making a non-nut low.

The best starting hand in Omaha Hi/Lo is AA23 double-suited. Other very playable hands include (but are not limited to): A234, AAxx, A2xx, A345, A36K, 2345, KQ23. Most winning Omaha Hi/Lo players are very careful about the number of A3xx hands they play. This hand is not nearly as good as it looks, and can often lead to several lost bets after making the second-nut low.

It is important to note the importance of the ace in Omaha Hi/Lo. An ace works as the best card on both ends of the pot. It is the key card in making a nut low, and is also a very important card to have in the high side of the pot for its value as a kicker. Some very famous poker players (Scotty Nguyen for example) have a theory that no Omaha Hi/Lo hand is playable unless it has an ace. Obviously this strategy is a little extreme. But for new players, it may be wise to develop a habit of folding most hands that do not contain an ace.

Position is just as important in Omaha Hi/Lo as it is in Texas hold’em. This means that borderline hands (such as JJ24) should only be played in late position in an un-raised pot.
Flop Tips

Most of the time, it is a poor decision for a player to draw to a low after the flop unless they already have the best four to a low. For example, after a flop of A5K, one should not draw for the low unless they are holding 23xx in the pocket. A lot of the profit in playing Omaha Hi/Lo comes from winning chips off of weak players who draw to non-nut lows. Drawing to a low that isn’t the nut-low is almost a guaranteed way to lose in Omaha Hi/Lo.

Another common losing mistake in Omaha Hi/Lo is drawing to a running low. For example, most players holding A2xx enter the pot expecting to make the nut-low. However, if the flop comes 8KQ, these players are now reliant on completing a running low-draw just to win half of the pot. These players should fold to a bet. It is a bad move to purposefully draw to two cards for a low.
Being Quartered

Being “quartered” is a very key concept in Omaha Hi/Lo. Let’s look a hand example of where a player only wins a quarter of the pot:

Ah3hKs9s
Player #1 Ac3cTd8d
Player #2 7d4c2hKsJh
Board

Notice that both players have used their ace-threes to make the nut-low. This means the low-pot is split between the two players. However, on the high side, Player #1 has a pair of kings which beats Player #2′s ace high.

Therefore, Player #1 gets 50% of the pot for making the best hi hand, as well as an additional 25% of the pot for his share of the low pot. Player #1 has “quartered” Player #2 by winning 75% of the pot. Quartering opponents is a very important ingredient in becoming a winning Omaha Hi/Lo player.

Of even more importance is the ability to keep the pot small when you realize that you may be quartered. If you are Player #2 in this example, you need to understand that you may stand to only win 25% of the pot. Thus, when Player #1 bets, do not raise and reraise with your nut-low. Just call.

One of the most played games, blackjack is absolutely a favorite. In this game there is a dealer and players. The dealer deals 2 cards for each players and himself, one of them is up. The point of this game is to reach or get as close as possible to 21. After you are dealt you can either HIT, SPLIT, DOUBLE or STAND

You are dealt another card when you say HIT.

You are dealt another card but no more when you say DOUBLE, of course if you win you get double.

If you have two same cards you can say SPLIT and keep playing with two hands.

You are not dealt another card and stick with your hand when you say STAND.

There are also certain rules in blackjack. The dealer has to stand if his hand reaches 16 or higher so you can grow a technique from this. On the other hand computers played every available hand millions of times and your best possible move is calculated. We are giving the tables below for you to win more!

Legend: H = Hit S = Stand D = Double P = Split

Las Vegas Single Deck Basic Strategy Table

Las Vegas Multiple Deck Basic Strategy

Atlantic City Multiple Deck Basic Strategy Table

A pass line bet is placed on the field labeled “PASS LINE” on the craps table before the come out roll (i.e. the first roll of the dice in a new craps round). A wager on the pass line wins if the come out roll is 7 or 11, and loses if 2, 3 or 12 is rolled. If 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 is rolled, that number becomes “the point”. To win a pass line bet, the shooter must roll the point again before rolling a 7. If the shooter rolls a 7 before rolling the point again, your pass line bet loses. A winning pass line bet pays even money (1 to 1). Once the point has been established, unresolved pass line bets may not be increased, reduced or removed. They must be resolved by rolling the point or 7.

Don’t Pass Line Bets

A don’t pass line bet is essentially the reverse of a pass line bet and is placed on the craps table in the “Don’t Pass line” before the come out roll. If the shooter rolls 3 or 12 in the come out roll, a don’t pass line bet wins. If, however, the come out roll is 7 or 11, don’t pass line bets lose. If the come out roll is 2, a don’t pass line bet is returned to the player in a push. If the come out roll is 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10, that number becomes the point. Once the point has been established, don’t pass line bets win if the shooter rolls a 7 before rolling the point again. If the shooter rolls the point again before rolling a 7, don’t pass line bets lose. A winning don’t pass line bet pays even money (1 to 1). Unlike pass line bets, unresolved don’t pass line bets may be removed or reduced, but not increased.

Come Bets

A come bet is placed in the “COME” bar on the craps table before any roll of the dice, once the point has been established by the come out roll. The rules for come bets are essentially the same as for pass line bets. Come bets win if the shooter’s next roll is 7 or 11, and lose if the roll is 2, 3, or 12. If the shooter rolls 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10, that number becomes “the come point,” and the dealer will move the come bet from the “COME” bar on the craps table to the box corresponding to the come point: “4, 5, SIX, 8, NINE, or 10”. If the shooter rolls the come point again before rolling a 7, the come bet pays even money. The come bet will stay in place until the come point or a 7 is rolled. Just as with the pass line bet, unresolved come bets may not be increased, reduced or removed. They must be resolved by a roll of the come point or 7.

Don’t Come Bets

A don’t come bet is essentially the opposite of a come bet. A don’t come bet is placed after the come out roll in the “Don’t Come Bar” on the craps table. Don’t come bets win when the shooter’s next roll is 3 or 12, and lose if the roll is 7 or 11. If the shooter rolls a 2, the bet will be returned to the player in a push. If the roll is 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10, that number becomes “the don’t come point,” and the dealer will move the don’t come bet from the “Don’t Come Bar” to the left corner of the narrow, uppermost bar over the box corresponding to the don’t come point: “4, 5, SIX, 8, NINE, or 10”. After the don’t come point has been established, don’t come bets win even money if 7 is rolled and lose if the don’t come point is rolled. Don’t come bets will stay in place until the don’t come point or a 7 is rolled. However, unresolved don’t come bets may be removed or reduced at any time, but not increased.

Odds Bet

An odds bet is a “back up” bet on an original pass line bet, don’t pass line bet, come bet, or don’t come bet. The maximum odds bet is 2 times your original bet on the pass line and come bets. You are allowed to lay full odds on don’t pass and don’t come up to the amount you could win if these bets were on the pass line or come.

Pass Line Odds Bets

After the point has been established, a pass line odds bet is placed by clicking with your left mouse button on the craps table beneath the “PASS LINE”, under your original pass line bet. A winning pass line odds bet pays true odds: 2 to 1 on a roll of 4 or 10, 3 to 2 on a roll of 5 or 9, and 6 to 5 on a roll of 6 or 8. Unlike the original pass line bet, an unresolved pass line odds bet may, at any time, be increased, reduced or removed.

Don’t Pass Line Odds Bets

Once the point has been established, a don’t pass line odds bet is placed by clicking with your left mouse button on the right side of your original bet in the “Don’t Pass Bar”. A winning don’t pass line odds bet pays true odds: 1 to 2 on a roll of 4 or 10, 2 to 3 on a roll of 5 or 9, and 5 to 6 on a roll of 6 or 8. An unresolved don’t pass line odds bet may be removed. However, if you click with your right mouse button to remove your don’t pass line odds bet, your original don’t pass line bet will also be removed.

Come Odds Bets

Once the come point has been established, a come odds bet is placed by clicking with your left mouse button directly under your come bet within the box that corresponds to the come point: “4, 5, SIX, 8, NINE, or 10”. A winning come odds bet pays true odds: 2 to 1 on a roll of 4 or 10, 3 to 2 on a roll of 5 or 9, and 6 to 5 on a roll of 6 or 8. Unlike the original come bet, an unresolved come odds bet may, at any time, be increased, reduced or removed.

In the Craps game, come odds bets are inactive during come out rolls by default. However, if you wish to change the default setting to make your come odds bets active during the come out rolls, click on the OPTIONS button. In the menu, click on the box next to “Come odds bets”. Check the box to activate come odds bets during come out rolls. Then click OK.

Don’t Come Odds Bets

Once the come point has been established, an odds bet is placed on your don’t come bet by clicking in the tiny space directly under your don’t come bet within the narrow, uppermost bar over the box that corresponds to the come point: “4, 5, SIX, 8, NINE, or 10”. A winning don’t come odds bet pays true odds: 1 to 2 on a roll of 4 or 10, 2 to 3 on a roll of 5 or 9, and 5 to 6 on a roll of 6 or 8. An unresolved don’t come odds bet may be increased, reduced or removed at any time.

Field Bets

A field bet is a bet that the next roll of the dice will be 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, or 12. It is placed in the “FIELD” bar on the craps table before any one roll of the dice. If the next roll is 3, 4, 9, 10 or 11, the field bet wins even money. If 2 or 12 is rolled, the field bet wins 2 to 1. If 5, 6, 7, or 8 is rolled, the field bet is lost.

Big 6 and Big 8 Bets

A big 6 bet is a bet that 6 will be rolled before 7. Likewise, a big 8 bet is a bet that 8 will be rolled before 7. A big 6 or a big 8 bet is placed in either the “6” or “8” box located in the left corner of the craps table. A big 6 or big 8 bet wins even money if the shooter rolls a 6 or 8 before rolling 7. Unresolved big 6 and big 8 bets may be increased, reduced or removed at any time.

Place Bets

There are two types of place bets:

A place win bet is a bet that either 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 will be rolled before a seven. A place win bet is placed in the narrow, unlabeled bar located just under the box with the corresponding number on the craps table: “4, 5, SIX, 8, NINE, or 10”. Winning place win bets are paid according to the following ratios: 7 to 6 on numbers 6 and 8, 7 to 5 on numbers 5 and 9, and 9 to 5 on numbers 4 and 10.

In the Craps game, place bets are inactive during come out rolls by default. However, if you wish to change the default setting to make your place bets active during come out rolls, click on the OPTIONS button. Click on the box next to “Place bets” in the menu. Check the box to activate place bets in come out rolls. Then click OK.

If the box next to “Use On/Off marker” is checked in the Options menu, an “ON” marker will cover your place bet to indicate that it is active, or an “OFF” marker will cover your place bet to indicate that it is inactive during a come out roll. The markers will be removed from your place bets after the come out roll, since all place bets will be active. Unresolved place bets may be removed.

Buy Bets

A buy bet is a bet that either 4, 6, 8, 9, or 10 will be rolled before 7. A buy bet is placed in the box corresponding to the number on the craps table: “4, 5, SIX, 8, NINE, or 10”. The buy bet will be covered by a “BUY” marker to distinguish it from a come bet. A vigorish (vig.) of 5% is charged when the buy bet is placed. Buy bet winnings are then paid at true odds: 6 to 5 on numbers 6 and 8, 3 to 2 on numbers 5 and 9, and 2 to 1 on numbers 4 and 10. If a buy bet is lost or removed, the 5% vig. is returned. Buy bets may be placed at any time during the crap game, and you may increase, reduce or remove a buy bet at any time.

Lay Bets

A lay bet is essentially the reverse of a buy bet. A lay bet is a bet that 7 will be rolled before 4, 6, 8, 9, or 10. The lay bet is placed in the top, unlabeled bar above the box corresponding to the number on the craps table: “4, 5, SIX, 8, NINE, or 10”. A lay bet will be covered by a “LAY” marker to distinguish it from a don’t come bet. A vigorish (vig.) of 5% is charged when the lay bet is placed. Lay bet winnings are then paid at true odds: 5 to 6 on numbers 6 and 8, 2 to 3 on numbers 5 and 9, and 1 to 2 on numbers 4 and 10. Lay bets are active also during the come out roll, and unresolved lay bets may be increased, reduced or removed at any time.

Any 7 Bets

An “any 7” bet is a bet that the next roll of the dice will be a seven. This bet is placed in the betting area called &quo6t;any seven” on the craps table. If a seven is rolled, you win 4 to 1 on your bet.

Any 11 Bets

An “any 11” bet, sometimes referred to as a “YO” bet, is a bet that the next roll of the dice will be 11. It is placed on any one roll of the dice in the box on the craps table containing the two illustrated dice that add up to 11. If 11 is rolled, you win 15 to 1 on your bet.

Any Craps Bets

An “any craps” bet is a bet that the next roll of the dice will be 2, 3, or 12. It is placed on any one roll of the dice in the “any craps” betting area on the craps table. If 2, 3, or 12 is rolled, you win 7 to 1 on your bet.

C & E Bets

On the craps table layout, you will see a vertical row of the letters “C” and “E”. These letters represents two bets.

The letter C represents the “any Craps” bet. By using your left mouse button, place a wager on letter C; your chips will appear in the “any Craps” betting area of the craps table. This bet is exactly the same as placing a wager directly on the “any Craps” bet.

The letter “E” represents the “any 11” bet or “YO” bet. Just like the any Craps bet, the “YO” bet will be placed in the “any 11” betting area. This bet is exactly the same as placing the wager directly in the “any 11” betting area.

C & E Split Bet

On the craps table layout, you will see a vertical row of the letters “C” and “E”. These letters represents the two bets above, and now you can wager on both of these popular bets with just one chip!

The letter C represents the “any Craps” bet. The letter “E” represents the “any 11” bet or “YO” bet. By using your left mouse button, place a wager between the letters C & E; your chips will appear between the two letters indicating that you have a spilt bet.

If 2, 3 or 12 is rolled, you win 3 to 1.
If 11 is rolled, you win 7 to 1.

7 & 11 Split Bet

This split bet pays 7 to 1 if the 11 is rolled and 3 to 2 if the 7 is rolled. This bet is placed by straddling the very top line of the any seven bet near the chip rack.

Horn Bet

The “horn” bet is one roll bet by which you are betting that 2, 3, 11 or 12 will appear on the next roll of the dice. This bet box is placed in the center of the layout and is a one roll bet.

If 3 or 11 is rolled, the bet pays 3 to 1.
If 2 or 12 is rolled, the bet pays 7 to 1 minus one fourth of the bet.

For example. If you bet a $4 horn and a 2 is rolled, you will win $4 X 7 = $28 – (1/4 of $4) $1 = $27.00. To put in another way: Let’s assume you bet $1 on the 2, 3, 11 and 12 prop bets. If you win on the roll of a 2, you will be paid $30. However, you also lost $3 on the 2, 3, 12 and thus your net win will be $27.

Hardway Bets

This is a bet on the shooter rolling a 4, 6, 8, or 10 as doubles (2+2, 3+3, 4+4, or 5+5) before rolling a 7. The hardway bet is placed in the box on the craps table containing the two illustrated dice corresponding to the number. Rolling a number by doubles is said to be rolling the number “the hard way”. For example, a roll of 4+4 is a called a “hard 8”, while a roll of 5+3 or 6+2 is called an “easy 8”. A winning hardway bet pays 7 to 1 on numbers 4 and 10 and 9 to 1 on numbers 6 and 8. Unresolved hardway bets may be increased, reduced or removed at any time.

In the Craps game, hardway bets are inactive during come out rolls by default. However, if you wish to change the default setting to make your hardway bets active during come out rolls, click on the OPTIONS button. In the menu, click on the box next to “Hardway bets”. Check the box to activate hardway bets in come out rolls. Then click OK.

The game of baccarat is largely a game of luck. That is a fact that must be accepted. Nevertheless, those who understand the rules, the odds, and the probabilities of the baccarat game are able to devise strategies that help the luck go their way.

Understand the Baccarat Rules

To devise a viable baccarat strategy, it is crucial that you thoroughly understand the baccarat rules. The most important baccarat rules are:

 You may bet on the Player’s hand, the Banker’s hand, or a Tie. You win at baccarat if your bet correctly matches the outcome of the hand.

 The Player and the Banker are each dealt two cards initially and then, sometimes, one or both of them is dealt a third card.

 Neither the Player nor the Banker has any say in whether he wants a third card. The decision is made automatically pursuant to strict baccarat rules.

 Tens and face cards count as zero, aces count as one, and all other cards count as their face values.

 When adding up the values of the cards in a baccarat hand, only the final digit of the total counts. Fifteen counts as five; twenty-one counts as one.

 The hand that comes closest to a total of nine wins.

Betting on the Banker or the Player

A baccarat bet on the Banker or on the Player each has its advantages and disadvantages. The advantage of betting on the Banker is that, statistically, the Banker’s hand wins slightly more than the Player’s hand wins. How could this be, you might ask, if the cards are dealt randomly? The answer is in the rules concerning the third card.

The rules governing whether the Player or the Banker receives a third card are very complicated. Suffice it to say that the rule governing a third card for the banker is different from the rule governing a third card for the Player; and that the rule governing a third card for the Banker involves a complex formula that factors in the Banker’s initial cards, whether or not the Player has received a third card, and, if so, what that third card is. The result of all this is that the Banker is given an advantage so that, over the long run, the Banker is likely to win more hands than the Player wins.

On the other hand, the advantage of betting on the player is that, if you win, you get to keep all of your winnings. If you bet $10 on the Player and you win, you get your bet back plus an additional $10. If you bet on the Banker and you win, you have to pay a 5 percent commission on your winnings to the house, which means you get your bet back plus only $9.50 additional. So a winning bet on the Player puts more money in your pocket than does a winning bet on the Banker.

So there you have it. Betting on the Banker means you will probably win a little more often. Betting on the Player means you get your full payout with no commission deducted. All in all, the advantages and disadvantages of the two bets pretty much cancel each other out, although the statisticians say there is still a tiny overall advantage to betting on the Banker. This may or may not affect your personal baccarat strategy, but it at least means that you understand what you are doing and why.

Betting on a Tie

Betting on a Tie also has advantages and disadvantages. The advantage is the big payout: 8 to 1. If you bet $10 on a tie, and the hand is indeed a tie, you will get back your original $10 plus and additional $80.

The disadvantage of the Tie bet is that, statistically speaking, fewer than 10 percent of baccarat hands are likely to result in a tie. Over the course of a hundred hands, the probability is that you will lose ninety of them, for a loss of $900, and win ten, for winnings of $800. So in the end, you would be down $100 for the day.

Of course, what holds true for millions of gamblers over the long run might not hold true for you individually over the short run. There are individuals who bet on the Tie and get lucky and win that sweet 8-to-1 payout more often than the statisticians expect them to. It’s just like betting on those long shots at the race track. It is not a recommended way to invest for your retirement, but there are days when luck is with you and you do hit the big jackpots.

So that’s it for the Tie bet. You are statistically likely to lose more than you win, but when you get lucky you can win a big 8-to-1 payout. Knowing these advantages and disadvantages can help you plan your baccarat strategy accordingly.

A Baccarat Strategy to Avoid

Some baccarat players like to keep track of the outcome of every hand, in the belief that they can spot trends in favor of the Player or the Banker and thus predict the outcome of future hands. This is known as “pattern spotting.” The casinos actually encourage this by providing scorecards and pencils at the baccarat table. They do so because they know that pattern spotting is not a winning baccarat strategy. Charting past trends will not help you win at baccarat. Don’t waste your time on it.

A Final Word on Baccarat Strategy

Baccarat is a game of luck – there is no doubt about it – but that does not mean that you cannot employ a strategy in the game to maximize your luck. Whether you have eight decks or one deck, whether you are playing one-on-one or in multi-play, or whether you are placing high-rolling bets or small mini-Baccarat bets, the most important thing about your baccarat strategy is to keep a cool head, understand what you are doing and why, and enjoy your baccarat game. That way you are bound to get something out of the game and hopefully win at baccarat more than you lose.

Regardless of how many people are playing, only two hands are dealt. One is designated the banker hand, the other is the player hand. Any customer may bet on either hand, with the exception that the customer holding the shoe in the full-scale game must either bet banker or pass the shoe. Do not think of the bank hand as belonging to the house or the player hand belonging to the bettor. To avoid confusion, we’ll refer to baccarat “bettors” or “customers” rather than “players.”

The Play

In full-scale baccarat, the bettor holding the shoe slides one card out and passes it facedown to the stand-up dealer, who passes it to the customer with the largest player bet. The next card, the first of the banker hand, is placed next to the shoe. The bettor then deals another player card, then the second banker card. The dealer calls for the player hand, and the customer with the largest player bet first looks at the cards, then gives them to the dealer. The dealer turns the cards faceup and announces the point total. Then the dealer calls for the banker hand, and the shoe holder looks at the cards and gives them to the dealer. If the player total requires a draw, the dealer will say, “Card for the player,” and the shoe holder will pass a card to the dealer, who will pass it to the player-bettor, who looks at it and passes it back to the dealer, who turns it faceup. Finally, if the banker requires a card, the dealer will call, “Card for the bank,” and repeat the process with the shoe holder.

The casino is more than willing to offer the time-consuming ceremony to its largest bettors. In mini-baccarat, however, the dealer plays out both hands, with no fuss and in half the time.
The object is to bet on the two- or three-card hand that totals closer to nine. Tens and face cards all are worth zero points; all other cards are worth their face value, with the ace worth one point. If a total is more than 10, the second digit is the value of the hand. For example, a 9 and a 6, which total 15, make up a five-point hand.

Initially, two cards are dealt for each hand. The point totals determine whether either hand gets a third card. The player hand is completed first. A total of 8 or 9 is called a “natural,” and the player hand gets no more cards. In fact, unless the banker has a natural 9 or ties the natural 8, no further cards are drawn, and the naturals are automatic winners. Player also stands on totals of 6 or 7. On any other total, zero through 5, player draws a third card, unless banker has a natural, in which case the bank hand wins with no further draw.

Banker rules are a bit more complex. Banker also stands on 7, 8, or 9 and draws on 0, 1, or 2, but on other hands the banker’s play is dependent on the value of the player’s third card. Banker hits 3 unless the player’s third card is an 8; hits 4 unless the player’s third card is 1, 8, 9, or 10; hits 5 only if the player’s third card is 4, 5, 6, or 7; and hits 6 only if the player’s third card is 6 or 7.

Player Hand: When first two cards total:

Banker Hand

There are a few exceptions. A natural, as noted above, stops play with no further draws. And if the player has one of its other two standing hands, 6 or 7, bank stands on 6 as well as 7, 8, and 9.
And that’s it. Neither hand ever gets more than three cards. After the hands have been played out, the hand totaling closer to 9 wins. Winning bets are paid off at even money. Ties push — neither hand wins nor loses.

Bets on Ties

Bettors also may wager that the two hands will finish with an equal number of points. Winning bets on ties pay off at 8-1. That sounds tempting, but this wager carries a hefty 9.5 percent house edge. Avoid it.

Etiquette

As in other table games, buy chips by placing cash on the layout and asking the dealer for change. The dealer is not allowed to take money directly from players’ hands.

If you are the bettor with the largest wager on player and receive the player cards, do not look at them until both player and banker hands have been dealt. And if you hold the banker hand, do not look at the cards until the dealer has flipped the player hand faceup.

Baccarat players are allowed to keep track of the results of each hand, and most casinos provide score sheets and pencils to do so. Most players simply put an X in a column beneath “Banker,” “Player,” or “Tie.”

Strategy

This is a pure guessing game. Which hand will win? The banker hand will win slightly more often — 50.68 percent of all decisions, not including ties — giving the house its 1.36 percent edge on player bets. But the house collects a 5 percent commission on winning banker bets, leading to the 1.17 percent house edge on banker.

Mathematicians long have suspected that baccarat, like blackjack, might be vulnerable to a card-counting system. But the best system yet developed appears to yield a slight edge to the bettor on the average of about one hand per eight-deck shoe. That’s an edge not worth pursuing — to have the advantage, the customer would have to count down hand after hand after hand, without playing, until this tiny advantage came to pass. The customer would lose more in time than he’d gain in the edge, and the casino would be unlikely to hold a seat for someone spending hours without placing a bet.

For the bettor, baccarat is a game of luck plus money management. Do not make bets too large for your available bankroll, and do not increase bets when losing. Making larger bets while chasing losses is a good way to go broke fast. If you’re going to vary your bet size, increase it while winning and bring it down when losing. Set limits on your losses and stick to them.

If you sit down at a mini-baccarat table with $100, tell yourself you’re not going to leave with less than $50. Then, if you have a cold streak and you hit that $50 mark, walk away. An important part of casino survival is developing the discipline to leave a table while you still have money.

Learn to walk away with winnings, too. If you have a good run and build that $100 up to $150, try one of these two techniques. Either put the original $100 in your pocket and just play with the $50 in winnings, while keeping that $50 loss limit, or adjust your thinking to tell yourself you’ll not walk away from the table with less than $125. Then stick to it.

The longer you play a game with a negative expectation, even one as narrow as 1.17 percent, the more likely it is that the casino will grind down your bankroll. Walk away from the table with at least part of that bankroll intact — not just at baccarat, but at any casino game — and you’ll be surprised at how much more often you wind up a winner for the day.

Baccarat is not necessarily the most popular game in a casino, but it can be just as exciting as blackjack or craps. Though the organization of the game can seem strange at first, the tips in this article should have you placing bets in no time.

So, although Keno differs from games like Blackjack and Poker in that the participant’s actions have very little bearing on the outcome of the game, there exist, nonetheless, a few techniques that some gamers “believe” will help. Although they cannot be correctly labeled “strategic decisions”, necessarily, the following tips and techniques are widely used and can make the game more interesting:

Play the numbers that you haven’t seen come up in recent games. The theory is that they will start coming up in order to make the long-term results for each number even out. Once again, however, the “random” nature of the game prevents this from being a certainty.

Instead of betting on the numbers that haven’t come up most often, a lot of keno players will bet on the numbers, which have come up. As much as it goes against the laws or chance and probability, there are always interesting trends and patterns when dealing with randomly drawn numbers, and these streaks can be very profitable when capitalized upon.

Pick successive numbers. Selecting pairs such as 12 and 13 or perhaps 43 and 44 would qualify as successive numbers. Although there is no proof this actually works over the long run, it does seem like many of the numbers that come out are in consecutive pairs. This is a very popular belief among many Keno players.

Use the same set of numbers consecutively. This strategy is very simple and the most common: play the same selection of numbers for a few rounds.

Remember that there is nothing ‘strategic’ about these systems, but they definitely are a bit of fun and they certainly will not harm your chances of winning.