No 1 in Gambling

Read the rest of this entry »

Lotteries are games in which contestants match their chosen set of numbers with a winning set. Most states have state-sponsored and multi-state lotteries.

The classic lottery is a drawing in which each contestant buys a combination of numbers. Each combination of numbers, or "play" is usually priced at $1. Plays are usually non-exclusive, meaning that two or more ticket holders may buy the same combination. The lottery organization then draws the winning combination of 5-8 numbers, usually from 1 to 50, using a randomized, automatic ball tumbler machine.

Read the rest of this entry »

Handgame, also known as stickgame, is a Native American guessing game.

Rules

Read the rest of this entry »

Read the rest of this entry »

Five-card draw is often the first poker variant learned by most players, and is very common in home games although it is now rare in casino and tournament play. The lowball variations make more interesting games and are more commonly played in casinos. Two to eight players can play.

Read the rest of this entry »

Housie is a gambling game played in New Zealand, Australia and the UK, where it is called Bingo. Players mark off numbers on a ticket as they are randomly called out, in order to achieve a winning combination.

It is not to be confused with the similar American game Bingo, as the tickets and the calling are slightly different.

Read the rest of this entry »

Cheating in casinos refers to actions which are prohibited by a casino's rules. Cheating is usually illegal but the exact sanctions will depend on the jurisdiction in which the casino operates. In Nevada, cheating in a casino is a felony under Nevada law. In most other jurisdictions, specific statutes do not exist but cheating in a casino would likely be considered fraud and dealt with as such by the authorities.

Methods of cheating

The methods for cheating in a casino are often specific to individual games and include:

Read the rest of this entry »

Spanish 21 provides players with many liberal blackjack rules, such as doubling down any number of cards (with the option to 'rescue', or surrender only one wager to the house), payout bonuses for five or more card 21's, 6-7-8 21's, 7-7-7 21's, late surrender, and player blackjacks always winning and player 21's always winning, at the cost of having no 10 cards in the deck (though there are jacks, queens, and kings). With correct basic strategy, a Spanish 21 game has a lower house edge than a comparable blackjack game. Another casino game similar to blackjack is Pontoon.

Read the rest of this entry »

Read the rest of this entry »

Using optimal strategy the house edge is 5.224% of the player's ante bet. This strategy can be complicated and does not lend itself to practical use in a casino. Using a strategy of raising with Ace/King/Jack/8/3 or better the house edge is 5.316%, very close to the optimal strategy house edge.

Knowledge of what other players hold can decrease the house edge. It has been estimated with the knowledge of 6 other player's hands (30 cards) and associated optimal strategy the player can gain an edge of 2.3%. Given that sharing information is against the rules and that a computer would be needed to calculate the appropriate strategy it is unlikely this could ever be achieved in a real life casino.

Read the rest of this entry »