Poker Bankroll

Poker Strategies

One strategy that might seem obvious but is often overlooked is "Money Management" or what we call "Bankroll". We strongly suggest that you set personal limits as to how much cash you are prepared to put down before you start playing a game. If you decide before the game, rather than during play, you will keep a clearer idea of how much you can afford to lose and will be better able to stop playing once you reach this point.

We offer two suggestions on how much to invest in a game, see below for more information:

1. If you're playing "just for fun", then you shouldn't invest any more than you think it would be okay to lose. If losing $100 isn't a big deal to you, throw that in and enjoy the game. There's a fair chance that you'll end up with more money than when you started – maybe even a lot more than the original $100 you started with, but, should things not go to plan, know when to call it a day and leave the game. Once you've passed the limit you feel you can comfortably afford to lose, things will only get more difficult.

2. On the other hand, if you are playing poker because you want to make money, you should aim to have the means to finance about 200 big bets at the limit you play. So if you're at a $2-$4 table, you should have $800 to invest in the game ($4 big bet x 200). If it's a $5-$10 table, your target range should be $2,000, etc. If you keep this in mind, it should prevent you from betting too much in one go.

Whereas other experts or websites might claim that 200 big bets is too low, we advocate a strategy of moderation. If you feel comfortable investing more, than of course that's fine, but we strongly advise you to hold off until you've had several successes at the lower limit first. A more cautious attitude is less likely to lead to regrets later!

Bluffing

Poker Strategies

Clearly, there are major differences between bluffing in a real poker room, facing your opponents, and bluffing when playing poker online, where you have the advantage of not being seen. As you might expect, players are generally more likely to bluff online. There are countless differences between a live and a virtual game and bluffing is certainly one of the most notable among those. In an online poker room, all it takes is one click to place your bets, and the virtual environment enables players to behave more deceptively than they might feel able to in a real game. The virtual environment removes a lot of the psychological aspects of having all your moves watched by other players.

This means that in online poker, you should be even more aware of the likelihood that your opponents are bluffing and learn how to spot this even in the virtual environment. You should also be extra cautious when bluffing, and assume that your opponents are well aware of how Internet poker works. Don’t be careless when bluffing just because the game is online, other players are aware of this and it’s likely that they will be just as able to call your bluff, or even more so, than at a real poker table.

Of course, a well-timed bluff can be seriously lucrative, but don’t over-do it! The more you bluff, the more likely that your opponents will be able to spot it and call you on it. If you have a good hand, of course you can turn this back on your opponents – one of the oldest tricks in the book. Be aware though, that other players may well be trying the same trick on you. Another important consideration when playing online is that your opponents may not pay as close attention in a virtual game as they would in a real gaming environment.

You should adapt your bluffing strategy accordingly. Take all these factors into account, take good care when bluffing, look out for your opponents doing the same and with a bit of luck, it’ll all pay off at the end of the game!

Starting Hand Values

Poker Strategies

Any good strategy begins at the BEGINNING of the event. In the case of poker, this applies as well. Below, we've listed and broken down 'starting hands' according to their strengths. The starting hands (the two cards dealt face down in a Texas Hold'em game) are listed in groups according to their relevant strength.

The key to understanding this listing is:
• Ace - A
• King - K
• Queen - Q
• Jack - J
Note: In Poker shorthand, AKs means Ace and King of the same suit.

The Strongest Starting Hands:
• Pair of high cards - AA, KK, QQ, JJ, 1010
• Ace and high card suited - AK, AQ, AJ, A10
• Faces suited - KQ, KJ, QJ
• Ace King – AK

Medium Strength Starting Hands:

• Face ten suited - K10, Q10, J10
• Medium pairs - 99, 88, 77
• Two high cards - AQ, AJ, A10, KQ down to J10
• Ace and medium suited - A9, A8, A7
• Medium suited connectors - 109, 98, 87

Other Conditional Starting Hands:
• Low pairs - 66, 55, 44, 33, 22
• Ace and low suited - A6, A5, A4, A3, A2
• Low suited connectors - 76, 65, 54

In other words, if you are dealt the King and Queen of Clubs, this is a much stronger hand than if you would have received a pair of nines.

Playing Multiple Games

Poker Strategies

One of the many advantages of playing poker on the Internet is the ability to play several games at once and many players obviously take advantage of this. Before making that plunge, however, it's important to know whether or not such a decision will improve or hurt your chances for success.

IMPORTANT: The decision of whether to play 2 games at once is NOT to be taken lightly! Keep in mind that it can have a huge effect on your win-loss ratio and we don't mean in a 'good' way... When playing 2 games at once, you WILL NOT be able to pay as much attention to your every move and will most likely play a little worse. This is unarguable; think about it - if you average $25 an hour playing at one table, you might only able to average $18 at each table in a simultaneous set-up when the lack of focus and concentration plays a role.

However, since you're playing at two tables, you would of course be averaging $36 an hour, which is still better than the original $25. Therefore, the key factors when deciding whether or not to play two tables are establishing what you believe you make an hour by playing at one table; how much this will be decreased if you play at 2 tables (the effect lower levels of concentration will have on your ability to play); and whether or not this new number multiplied by 2 is greater than the original amount you were making per hour.

Because playing at 2 tables decreases rate of profit, you must first establish that you can beat a game consistently in order for it to be profitable to play two games at the same time. If you are breaking even at a limit table and decide to play two games at once at that limit, you will probably begin to lose money since your profit rate will go from 0 to, say, -$5 an hour per table, which amounts to -$10 an hour. You wouldn't believe how many players make this (stupid) error in judgment.

If you are winning a game, you may or may not be able to continue beating that game if you play 2 tables. If you're consistently beating a low fixed-limit game for instance, you can probably still beat the game even if you play 2 of them at once. That's because you're probably (and hopefully) beating this game not by paying close attention to your opponents, but rather through solid poker fundamentals which have become ingrained in your head! However, if you're playing nolimit games, you may not do so well if you play 2 at once since no-limit games rely much more on reading your opponents and adjusting your play to the style of those around you.

Another thing to consider when making such a decision is that playing more than 1 game at a time can be incredibly stressful. You'll constantly be checking each game, making snap decisions every 15 seconds, etc. This may make the game less enjoyable and perhaps not worth the extra bit of cash you'd be making playing 2 games at once.

If you're really considering playing 2 games at once, your choice should probably boil down to how you answer the following questions:

• Are you able to beat this game consistently?

• Are you beating this game because of solid poker skills rather than reading your opponents?

• Do you think you'll make more money playing two games at once? If so, does that money compensate for any potential enjoyment which may be lost because you won't be able to get into the game as much?

If you answered "yes" to all of these questions, go ahead and try to play two games at once. See how it goes; some people like it and some people hate it. If you answered "no" to any or all of these questions, you should probably stick to playing just one game for now.

Roulette is a game of chance

Roulette Strategy

It is also rather rigid and non-interactive. There is little you can do from a strategic point of view other than try to keep the house edge to a minimum. Casinos often have special rules which have a direct effect on the edge.
Below you will find a few of the rules you should be on the lookout for:

1. The first special rule to watch for is the 'surrender' option. This is not to be confused with the Blackjack rule with the same name. In Roulette, this rule applies to outside bets which pay even money only, such as odd/even, red/black, and high/low. If the balls lands on the 0 or the 00 you only lose half your bet, rather than the whole thing. This affects the house edge considerably; after all it is the 0 and 00 which account for the high house edge in the first place. Of course, the payoffs aren't as sweet for outside bets, but simply by finding a table with the 'surrender' rule, you are improving your odds substantially.

2. The 0 and 00, by the way, is a very interesting point. The thing to look out for is tables with only one 0, or European tables. Primarily found in Europe (obviously!), but not exclusive to the continent, these tables offer a much more attractive house edge from the player's point of view. If you can find a European table to play on, you are reducing the house edge from 5.26% to 2.7%. True to the name European roulette tables are found more often in Europe, but in the world of online gambling they are just a click away. Always try to keep this point (second rule) in mind as it will lead
to more success and thereby more money in your pocket.

3. The third rule to be aware of is the aptly titled 'En Prison'. This is when the ball lands on 0 and applies to only even-money outside bets. In this situation, the player does not immediately lose his bet, but instead the bet remains on the board and is said to be 'in prison'. Then, on the following spin, the fate of that bet is decided. If the previous bet wins, the money is returned to the player, but with no extra winnings. If it loses, the money is swept away and if 0 appears again the bet remains 'in prison'.

A lot of people talk about strategies or systems in Roulette but from a purely statistical point of view they don't really make any sense. Keep this in mind when evaluating any system you come across; it doesn't matter if the number 16 hasn't come up in the last 7 thousand spins, the odds of 22 coming up on the next spin are the same as all the rest of the numbers. That is a statistical fact, and must not be forgotten. Consequently, the best Roulette strategy is one of simple mathematics. Never play American Roulette if you can help it. The American roulette wheels have the extra double zero. All this does is double the house odds in their favor. Play European Roulette exclusively when given the option. Look out for special rules which favor the player, such as 'surrender' and 'en prison'. And finally, prepare yourself and play responsibly. Enjoy yourself!

Roulette Rules

Roulette Strategy

Roulette is a game with a wide variety of betting options and techniques. Played at a roulette table with a roulette wheel and a ball, and you are essentially betting on the number or color of the slot where the ball is to eventually stop. The minimum and maximum bets vary so check on your online casino's site.

Your bet payoff depends on the kind of bet you place, and there are lots of choices. It's possible, for example, to bet on odd or even numbers, red or black (or the green "zero" slot), groups of numbers, and also columns and rows. Below is a short description of the kinds of bets you can place, as well as their payoffs:

Single - betting on only one number. Payoff 35 to 1.

Split - betting on any two numbers by placing your bet on the line between them. Payoff 17 to 1.

Trio - betting on three numbers at their intersecting point (possible with either 0, 1, and 2 or 0, 2 and 3). Payoff 11 to 1.

Corner - betting on four numbers by placing your bet at their intersecting point. Payoff 8 to 1.

Four numbers - betting on the numbers 0, 1, 2, and 3 by placing your bet at the intersection of 0 and 3. Payoff 9 to 1.

Street - betting on a row of three numbers by placing your bet at the end of the row. Payoff 11 to 1.

Line - betting on two "streets" of numbers by placing your bet at the end of both rows, on the line between the rows. Payoff 5 to 1.

Dozen - betting on the "First 12," "Second 12," or "Third 12" boxes, as marked, covering 12 numbers each. Payoff 2 to 1.

Column - betting on a column of numbers by placing your bet in any of the three "2 to 1" boxes on the ends of the table. Like betting on dozens, columns cover 12 numbers. Payoff 2 to 1.

High or low - betting on the either the box marked "1 to 18" (low) or "19 to 36" (high). Payoff 1 to 1.

Red or black - betting exclusively on which color will come up. Zero does not count for either! Payoff 1 to 1.

Odd or even - betting exclusively on whether the number will be odd or even. Zero does not count for either! Payoff 1 to 1.

Roulette Table Odds

Roulette Strategy

Here we’ll attempt to explain the numbers and likelihood of landing on a given number, or a cluster of numbers. Unlike other games, it is very simple to calculate the probabilities in Roulette. It’s important to understand the odds you face when making any decision when gambling so study this table and commit it to memory if you want to become a smarter and more accomplished Roulette player.

The American Roulette wheel has 36 regular numbers, a zero, and a double-zero. Hence, you have 38 possible spaces on which the ball may land. So when you are betting on a single number, you have a 1/38 chance of winning. Over time, you will win 1 out of every 38 spins. Have a look at the probabilities for every possible outcome
illustrated in the table below.

As you can see the payout for a single number is only 35 to 1. As I stated before,
you will need to spin the wheel 38 times in the long run to be ensured a win. This is
where the house gets its edge. 2/38 spins will go to the casino, which converts to a
5.26% house edge.

Keep in mind these are the odds for the American Roulette table. The European
table does not have the double-zero, so it is much more advantageous to the player. When given the choice, you should always opt for the European table.

Play Your Cards Right

Bingo Strategies

Bingo, as we've said before, is a game of chance; so, ultimately, winning depends on luck more than anything else. Yet, it'd be wrong and foolish to say that there aren't ways to improve one's chances of winning through smart decisions.

What we've compiled below are some basic and common bingo strategies that could go a long way towards improving your bingo success rate and your overall enjoyment of the game. More experienced players are probably already familiar with most of these concepts and suggestions, but a refresher never hurt anyone and beginners should find the information quite useful. Some tips are more obvious and/or useful than others, but they're worth repeating here nonetheless.

Popular Strategies
Use the 'Auto-Daub' Function. We know it takes away the only 'skill' involved in the game in the first place, but consistent use of the 'auto-daub' feature, if available, is perhaps the most strategic decision you can make. Yes, it removes some of the excitement and mental aspect of the game, but it also eliminates the possibility for errors!

Play More than 1 card
Yes, it costs more, but playing several cards is perhaps the most sure-fire way of improving your odds of being able to yell out 'Bingo' and collect some of those prizes.

Choosing how many cards depends on
1) the number of players involved
2) the cost of each card,
3) the prize money at stake.

Experts suggest four cards as the optimal number, but this can vary depending on the number of opponents you're facing and the total prize money for which you are competing. When playing with more than 1 card, pick cards which differ as much as possible. According to this 'strategy', if you're playing with more than one card, it's best to make sure that each card has different numbers which aren't duplicated on other cards. The theory here is that if a number that you have on more than one card doesn't come up, you've compromised the value of more than one card. In other words, spreading out the numbers spreads out the risk and keeps you in the game longer!

When playing with more than 1 card, pick cards which are as similar as possible The opposite of the more conservative 'spread the numbers/risk' strategy above, this strategy is also known as the numbersconcentration method. The idea here is that if you select cards with as many duplicate numbers as possible - which is easily done online - you can double or triple up each time you hit a number! Essentially, you're maximizing the benefit of each lucky strike.

Choose games with Fewer Players
While a game with fewer players means smaller prizes, it also means that you have a better chance of victory than at larger games with more players. We know it sounds obvious, but seriously, you'll improve your chances of winning if you follow this guideline. To achieve this, try signing-on to sites during 'down' hours when less players are logged in and playing.

Go After the Big Prizes
We know this flies in the face of our other strategy tip (“Choose games with Fewer Players”) but each suggestion has its merits. By going after the big jackpots and prizes, yeah, you're probably then choosing to play games with more players (=less chance of winning). However, you're also making sure that when you do win, it's a BIG win! So big, perhaps, that it covers your losses from several previous exits.

Chat Room Games
To supplement your winnings or make up some of your losses, try playing in any number of the chat room games online. Often, these games, which play while the normal game is running, can feature some nice bonus dollars and can be a lot of fun.