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- Checking the Nuts – Is It Legal?
- How Can Roulette Probabilities Help You Understand The Math Behind Poker?
- How To Choose The Ideal Video Poker Game For You
- A Quick Guide to Texas Hold’em Poker
- Should You Still Be Reading Gambling Books in 2019?
- New and Unusual Poker Variations and How To Adapt To Them
- Guide to Common Poker Terms
- How to Play Caribbean Stud Poker – Rules and Strategy
- Low-Risk Bets: Why the Safe Option Isn’t Always Best
- From Live Poker to Jackpot Slots: Getting Started with Online Casinos
Author Archives: Poker Dictionary
Checking the Nuts – Is It Legal?
Despite most poker players having a fair idea about the rules of the game and knowing what to do in certain situations, there are still a few regulations that go under the radar and are only known by long-term players. One thing that you may not be aware of is that, in live poker tournaments, checking the nuts can be a breach of the rules. Let’s delve into the subject in more detail so you are clear on how and why this occurs.
Before getting into the specifics of this rule, it is important to clarify that it mainly exists in live poker. When playing at online poker sites real money, players are usually able to check the nuts if they wish to do so. It may differ in certain tournaments online, however, so it is important to check the rules before you start playing. When you have got to a sufficient ability level at poker online, you may want to test your skills in a live scenario. This is when you need to know rules such as this one.
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How Can Roulette Probabilities Help You Understand The Math Behind Poker?
You may feel like after winning a few online tournaments you are ready to take your game to the next level. But you may not realize that there are a few things that you need to master before you can cut it with the best. If you want to play poker against professionals who do it for a living, it is imperative that you develop the mathematical side of your game. There’s only so far that instinct can take you, and having knowledge of odds and probabilities will make you understand the game better. To help foster these skills, it’s a good idea to look to roulette.
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How To Choose The Ideal Video Poker Game For You
Poker is one of the most popular gambling forms available today and for that reason, there are thousands of variations around today. For those aren’t comfortable or experienced enough to sit down at a tournament table, the technological world has opened up incredible opportunities to indulge in a game or two from the comfort of our own homes. Even those wanting to practice their techniques can benefit from a round or two of poker online, which is why it has become such a popular phenomenon across the globe.
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A Quick Guide to Texas Hold’em Poker
Lots of people have quit their jobs to play poker. Of course, for most players money plays an important role in their decision to start playing poker full time, but it’s not the only factor. Every professional poker player is fascinated by this game and all they always want to do is improve their game and get better. For many people, poker is not just a card game, but it’s their whole life.
The game is played with a standard deck of 52 playing cards and there can be between 2-10 players at a table. There are dozens of different poker variations in the world, the two most famous are Texas Hold’em and Pot Limit Omaha.
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Should You Still Be Reading Gambling Books in 2019?
Many people are attracted by gambling in casinos because the activity is fun, entertaining and it can also generate some easy money. Unfortunately, though, casinos are run like a business (regardless of whether they are brick-and-mortar or online operators) and players can’t always win. In fact, in the long run, it is more likely that the casino wins more than the gamblers. Under these circumstances, more and more people are interested in improving their gambling skills to improve the outcome and are willing to invest some time in reading casino and gambling books. But are these really helpful in 2019?
Gambling books can help if they are used correctly. Some of them contain really good information and provide value for their money. Others are just full of fluff words and aren’t telling anything useful or new to gamblers. It is essential to know how to choose the best gambling books in order not to waste your time. Focus on the ones that deal with the games you often play or like. You can find out some interesting new strategies and you can also understand the rules of any new game better. Understanding how the game plays is very important because if you don’t know what you are doing you can lose your money very fast when you’re obviously looking to extend your play time.
What most people expect from gambling books is to find out strategies that really work and that can really be put into practice. Nowadays there are lots of casino gambling books available both in traditional bookstores and in the form of e-books which are sold on Amazon.com and other online retailers. The casino gambling book offering is pretty diverse, so all it takes is to choose the ones that really contain valuable information. As such, you want to avoid gambling books which are now outdated. Read some reviews about the casino books that you’re considering buying. If other readers have found them helpful, they might satisfy you too. Also make some time to research the authors if possible. If they are former or actual gamblers, they might know what there are talking about. If they have nothing to do with the gambling world, they might not be the most appropriate people to write casino books.
The choices you make regarding which casino gambling books you buy in 2019 should also take into consideration your level of expertise. If you are an experienced player, books for beginners are not suitable for you, and vice versa. Learn how to spot the gambling books that are likely to deceive you by presenting strategies that are too good to be true. When authors claim that you will revolutionize the world of gambling after reading their book, this is very unlikely to happen. If this would have been possible, those in the gambling industry would try to keep it secret and the author won’t just share his/her secrets with the rest of the world.
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New and Unusual Poker Variations and How To Adapt To Them
There are several well-established types of poker, the most popular being Texas Hold ‘em. Yet online providers are always looking for new ways to create exciting games and take poker to the next level. Many of the most recent variations of poker combine traditional rules with crazy twists to make exciting new formats.
Here we take a look at three recent variations of poker, and how you can adapt your game to each one. It’s beyond the scope of this article to teach you the fundamentals of the game, so I assume you already have a basic knowledge of poker.
Spin N’ Go
Spin N’ Gos were first introduced to online sites in 2014, and have since established themselves as very popular games for recreational players. Spin N’ Gos follow the rules of Texas Hold ‘em, and the format is hyper-turbo with three players, 500 chip starting stacks and 3 minute blind levels.
The prize money is decided as the game commences, and can be anything from 2x – 12,000x where the winner takes all. Though the odds of the jackpot kicking in are very slim (1/1,000,000), the scope for a big win with a small buy-in is enticing and exciting. Expect to be fighting it out for twice the buy-in most of the time, and then occasionally for 4 – 10x the buy-in.
There are a few strategic adaptions to make here. First of all, the stack sizes are small compared to the blinds. Starting stacks are 25bb, so the first couple of levels are suitable for small raises, steals and controlled aggression similar to a short-handed cash game strategy. If the other players let you own the table during these early stages, then great! Don’t flat call bets often – be prepared to 3-bet all in to defend.
After the first two or three levels, you will naturally have to fall back on your late-stage tournament strategy, playing short stack poker and racing against an increasingly threatening blind. Shove all in, adjusting your range according to your opponent, or trap opponents into giving you a double up. Then it’s heads-up all the way!
Power Up
This is perhaps the most unusual and daring variation of poker released in the last decade, and it almost plays out like a video game or e-sport competition. The rules are again based on Texas Hold ‘em, with all of the usual cards and bets, but in Power Up you also receive up to three power cards. These cards can be used to drastically affect the course of the hand.
The game plays out in a 3-handed SNG format and is available at several different stakes. Power cards are replenished after every hand, so you always have three in your hand. When it comes to your turn to bet, you can choose to play a power card. Each power card costs a set amount of energy, and players have limited energy – starting with 10, with a maximum of 15 and a replenish rate of 3 per hand.
The trick here is to understand all of the powers, know how to use them, and in what situations they are most effective. Examples of powers include; X-Ray, which allows you to see an opponent’s hole car; Reload, which gives you the opportunity to change one or more of your hole cards; and EMP, which disables opponent’s powers. There are 12 powers in total.
Fusion
This is the most recent addition to the PokerStars menu of games. Fusion poker is a blend of two popular variations, Texas Hold ‘em and Omaha. You start with two hole cards just like in Hold ‘em. After the flop, you are dealt another hole card, and then another after the turn for a total of 4 hole cards. You then have to make the best hand possible using two cards from your hand and three cards from the board.
Fusion poker only came out in late 2018, so players are still adapting to the game and finding their own strategies, but it’s worth pointing out that by the end of the hand you are basically playing Pot-limit Omaha. It is Omaha hands that you will be making, and therefore Hold ‘em hand rankings go out of the window. Learn both variations to become a master of this game.
For now, one of the most important differences is that pre-flop equity margins are much slimmer. The difference between AQ and QJ in Texas Hold ‘em is 72% to 28%, whereas in Fusion it runs at only 56% to 44%. This is because in Fusion the hands are really AQxx and QJxx, and so by the end of the hand, there is much more opportunity to catch up. As such, you can play more hands pre-flop, especially when you can gain an edge in other ways, such as position, and by playing a weaker opponent.
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Guide to Common Poker Terms
Poker is one casino game that comes with a whole load of technical terms. While it’s not a prerequisite that you know all terms by head before attempting a game, its advisable (and great also) to just know more than enough so that you won’t look puzzled when you hear a term you haven’t heard before during a game. To help you on this front, this article explains in detail common poker terms. Note that after going through this article, you can always look at this site to put what you have learnt into practice by playing a game of poker.
Dealer
Whether playing in a land-based casino or online, there is a person called a dealer. A dealer is a person who distributes the cards (normally) at the start of the game. It’s important that you know who the dealer is because the betting action always starts to the left of the dealer.
Hand
A hand refers to the set of cards that the player holds (normally structured in a hierarchy). Depending on the poker variation the player is playing, he may start with a hand that consists of three, four or five cards. It’s important to understand what the hand is as it is the hand which determines the winner and the loser when playing poker.
Blind
A blind is also known as the partial bet or a forced bet. A blind refers to the bet that is put by one or more players before the dealer distributes the cards. As the immediate person to the left of the dealer is the one who starts betting when playing poker, normally, it is this same person who will put in the blind.
Pre-Flop
When the dealer distributes the cards in order to start the game, the first player (to the immediate left of the player) will have to take action by making his bet if he has not already placed a blind. Depending on the action taken by the first player which is normally putting in a big blind, the next player is forced to put in a small blind. Thereafter, any action to be taken by the third player in line is referred to as the pre-flop.
Flop
After the pre-flop i.e. after the players in the round have taken their decisions, the dealer will be forced to take a flop. A flop is when the dealer reveals his cards (normally three cards but may differ depending on the poker variation). To reveal his cards, the dealer just has to put the cards face up for all players to see.
Ante
An ante refers to the money that’s seeded to the pot by players. An ante comes at the beginning of the game and all players have to contribute the same amount of money. It’s not all poker variations however that come with an ante, in some poker variations such as the Hold ‘em, the initial money into the pot comes from the ‘blinds’.
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How to Play Caribbean Stud Poker – Rules and Strategy
Poker is arguably one of the oldest and most popular forms of gambling, which has enabled it to reach all sides of the globe. Due to different influences and practices, this eventually caused the development of all kinds of variants of the well-known card game. One such example is Caribbean Stud Poker, a variant originating from the gambling-oriented islands in the Caribbean that are known to be a popular destination for many cruise ships where gambling is allowed. Once established on the isles, the game underwent the changes and is nowadays a widespread poker game in both land-based and online casino establishments. If you intend to play the game online you should visit casinobet.com.
The Basic Game Rules
The table for Caribbean Stud Poker is the same as the one for blackjack – a semicircle with the dealer on the one side and seven player seats on the other. It makes use of one 52-card deck and requires the table to have two marked boxes, ‘ante’ and ‘bet’ in order for it to go seamlessly.
Each of the players, as well as the dealer, is dealt five cards per hand, and cards are normally shuffled by an automated machine before the next round. This means that players in Caribbean Stud Poker are not going up against each other, each of them aim to get a hand better than the dealer’s.
The Game Play
Caribbean Stud Poker has a characteristic way of betting – like any poker game, players are invited to place an initial bet before seeing their cards – the ‘ante’ bet. During this time, they are also able to place an additional $1 for the game’s progressive jackpot bet. After that, players can see their five card-hand, and one of the five cards making up the dealer’s hand, and choose to fold or bet accordingly. Once the bets are placed – they need to be double the amount of the ante – and players reveal their hands, the dealer shows their hand in a manner that would give them the most powerful combination possible, i.e. they try to qualify. In order to do this, the dealer’s hand has to be Ace-King or higher.
When the dealer qualifies, each player ranks their hand with the dealer’s – a higher hand pays even money on the ante, and a specific payout on the bet, depending on the player’s specific hand. When the dealer doesn’t qualify, each player is paid even money on the ante and gets the bet money back, without a chance for a payout.
Tips and Strategies
A recommended move in this poker variant is to pay the extra $1 for the jackpot, as it offers the chance for a generous payout (based on a set payout table) even when the dealer fails to qualify.
As for specific strategies, more experienced players usually suggest folding a weak hand that isn’t worth the risk, and playing lower-rank hands that could prove extremely valuable. If you prefer your poker action online, remember to stick to reliable operators, and always practice reasonable bankroll management.
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Low-Risk Bets: Why the Safe Option Isn’t Always Best
Like poker, casino games have a degree of flexibility when it comes to betting options and potential returns. Even though we can all accept random number generators (RNGs) ensure a fair result whatever game we’re playing, the outcome doesn’t always fall in our favour. In poker, this will often mean the right move doesn’t always end with the right result. Indeed, by understanding the concept of equity, you’ll know that you’re rarely a 100% certainty to win a hand. Therefore, because there’s always a chance for your opponent to catch up, you can get “unlucky” and lose.
The most obvious example is pocket aces vs. 72 offsuit. If both hands are all-in preflop, the odds of aces winning the hand are 87.24%. As a poker player, having more than 87% equity of the pot (i.e. an 87% chance of winning the pot) is fantastic and enough to make you want to repeat this scenario indefinitely. However, there are times when you’ll lose. Now, if you’re playing a cash game, there is a way to reduce the risk of losing by running it twice. Originally popular live but now available online, this rule allows you to see more than one board (or simply more than one turn and river).
The theory behind this option is that it reduces the amount of times you get “unlucky” To put it another way, running it twice is an insurance policy against bad luck. Given that casino games share a variety of common features with poker, similar betting options have become popular in this section of the gaming industry over the years. Indeed, when you play blackjack, roulette et al, you’ll find various low-risk bets that are designed to help move the odds in your favour.
What Are Low-Risk Bets?
In simple terms, low risks bets are options that allow you to offset a negative outcome in some way. For example, in some games, you can make an insurance bet that allows you to receive a portion of your stake back if a certain result occurs. In other situations, you can combine two or more bets in order to mitigate your risk. When you choose the latter option, it’s similar to what Forbes guide to trading Bitcoin describes as “hedging” your bets i.e. speculating on more than one asset in order to reduce your overall risk. Basically, low risk bets are options that allow you to reduce your chances of getting unlucky.
Low-Value Bets In Practice
Before we give you some examples of low-risk casino bets, it’s important to note that they won’t allow you to become a heavy favourite in any given scenario. Every casino game is based on odds and that brings into play the concept of expected value (EV). This concept basically refers to the amount of times you can expect a certain move to win in the long-run based on a situations dynamics. Low-risk bets allow you to have better EV in some situations than you otherwise would. However, they don’t guarantee you a win.
Insurance Bet Blackjack
We all know what car insurance is. If you read through Confused.com’s car insurance overview and you’ll see that one fundamental premise runs through all the policy types: if X happens, you’ll receive Y is compensation. The same is true at the blackjack table. Whenever the dealer is showing an ace, you can take out an insurance policy that covers half of your main bet. This bet costs 50% of your starting stake and pays out at out 2:1 if the dealer makes blackjack. So, if you took insurance and the dealer made blackjack (and you didn’t), you’d lose the main bet but receive money back from the side bet. In other words, you’re insuring yourself against the dealer making an unbeatable hand.
Tie Bet in Baccarat
As per the Betway Casino guide to baccarat, the aim of the game is to decide whether the bank (dealer hand) or player hand is going to win (i.e. get a total closest to nine). Although it’s rare, there are times when the bank and player hand can tie. In situations like this, standard bets lose. To you cover more eventualities, you can bet on a tie and receive an 8:1 payout (sometimes 9:1).
La Partage French Roulette
Cash back sites have become all the rage in recent years. As described by MoneySavingExpert, sites like Quidco give you money back on purchases, providing you fulfil certain conditions. La Partage offer a similar service when you play French Roulette. Using the European format (i.e. a single zero), this game plays in the same way as other standard roulette variants. However, the main difference is that you can receive 50% of your stake back when you make an even money bet and the ball lands on zero. Therefore, in essence, even money bets are lower risk here than they are in other variants.
Side Bets
Many modern online casino games now feature side bets. Typically linked to a progressive jackpot or some sort of bonus, these options allow you to win more money when certain conditions are met. For example, the 21+3 bet in blackjack is based on your two starting cards plus the dealer’s up card. If these three cards make a ranked poker hand like a flush or trips, you’ll win a bonus prize that’s separate from the main win.
Should You Make Low-Value Bets?
Reducing your risk and offset negative variance i.e. results that deviate from an expected norm, is good in theory. However, because low risks bets either carry an additional fee or reduce your potential returns, they’re not considered a good long-term proposition. For example, when you make an insurance bet, it increases your stake by 50%. In turn, this reduces your returns by 50% when the dealer doesn’t have blackjack. Therefore, while low risks bets can be positive in certain scenarios, they’re not always great for your long-term EV.
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From Live Poker to Jackpot Slots: Getting Started with Online Casinos
If you’ve been playing and enjoying online poker games, it might be time to start exploring the broader world of online casinos. The iGaming industry is massive, and right now, there are hundreds of different types of casino games to play in regulated markets, ranging from live-streamed poker games to million-dollar jackpot slots. Click here now to discover the latest online slots. Before you take your first spin of the wheel, take a quick look at this guide to getting started with online casinos.
The Games
As an online player, you’ll have plenty of choices when it comes to the different types of games you can play. You’ll typically find the following games in most licensed online casinos:
- Baccarat
- Bingo
- Blackjack
- Caribbean Stud Poker
- Craps
- Hi and Lo
- Live Poker
- Pai Gow Poker
- Roulette
- Scratch Cards
- Slots
- Texas Hold‘em Poker
- Video Poker
However, each casino will have its unique take on the game. Over on the PokerStars platform, for example, you’ll find games like Unfold Hold‘em Poker and Power Up, which offer exciting variations on classic poker games. Live-streamed poker games are commonplace at most online casinos as well as live-streamed roulette and in some cases, live streamed-blackjack.
As far as other casino games available to play online go, gaming manufacturers like to push the boat out in this industry and develop games that are visually and aurally engaging as well as offering real money prizes. For this reason, Progressive Jackpot slots stand out as games that any budding casino enthusiast should try. These games with incrementally increasing jackpots can sometimes reach the millions.
How to Play
There are two ways that you can play casino games online: through instant online platforms and downloadable software. In the early days of the iGaming industry, you could download casino software right onto a desktop. However, these days, you can download an app for mobile devices. Many individual casino games are downloadable as separate apps, but most of the leading platforms have mobile casinos that you can install if you want more variety at your fingertips on the go. Web-based platforms, on the other hand, offer instant play once you register an account on the website of the casino where you want to play.
Many online casino platforms also offer exclusive bonus codes for things like free slots spins, welcome bonuses and more. These bonus codes are an excellent way to test the waters with different types of games than you’re used to, especially since they are for the most part low-risk and have a simple sign-up process.
Making Deposits
Once you’ve signed up for an account, you’ll want to make a deposit. Each online casino will have an accepted list of deposit and withdrawal methods, but the following come standard:
- Credit or Debit Card
- Bank Wire Transfer
- Western Union
- PayPal
Some casinos are also branching out into accepting deposits made with popular cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, but this isn’t the case across the board, so make sure you read up on the methods used by your preferred online platform.
You should also bear in mind that using more unusual deposit methods, such as e-wallets like NETELLER or Skrill, can sometimes incur extra charges. Certain credit card providers will also treat payments made to online casinos as cash advances, so debit cards are often the best method to make deposits, especially since transactions typically post fast, and there are no additional cash advance fees that the provider charges.
The Rules
Once you’ve made your deposit and have a bankroll to play, explore as many or as few of the games on offer in your chosen casino as you wish! If you’ve played online poker before, then this will be familiar territory for you, but for anyone new to online gaming should always read the casino rules before laying down any cash in a game. Even though the platforms may be available in U.S. markets, many online casino operators prefer to use European rules for some games, so prepare yourself for any differences that something like this may cause in your gaming strategy.
Pro Tips
To get the most out of your online gaming experience, here are some pro tips to keep in mind:
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