That poker is a social game is something that surely doesn’t come as a surprise. Moreover, many underestimate the power that poker has to weave new friendships and create groups that give rise to private clubs, one of the assets that many seek to exploit in poker through apps like Pokerhub, one of the best poker apps to play with friends in a private club. This app is especially designed for those who want to play poker with friends.
In this post we are going to focus precisely on the social component of poker and the limit of players depending on the game, so that you find the type of game adapted to what you and your friends are looking for.
Private poker club with friends: how many can I play with?
It depends on the type of poker you play. Pokerhub allows you to select between different game types and in different variants, each of which has its own player limit. Broadly speaking, these are the player limits you will find per game type on Pokerhub:
NLH (No-Limit Hold’em). Up to 9 players. This is the most common and well-known poker modality. At Pokerhub, you can invite up to 9 friends from your poker club to join your NLH table. The “No-Limit” means that there is no maximum limit on the amount of chips a player can bet at any one time, which adds an exciting element of risk to the game.
PLO (Pot-Limit Omaha). Up to 9 players. If you prefer Omaha, at Pokerhub you can also create a PLO table with up to 9 players. PLO is a poker variant that shares some similarities with NLH, but with some key differences, such as four cards instead of two in each hand.
Flash Poker. Up to 9 players. Flash poker is a fast and exciting form of poker in which players are dealt new cards each hand. At Pokerhub, you can invite up to 9 friends to join your Flash table and enjoy fast-paced, action-packed games.
6+ (Six Plus Hold’em). Up to 9 players. Six Plus Hold’em is a variant of Texas Hold’em poker in which cards 2 through 5 are removed from the deck. On Pokerhub, as in NLH and PLO, you can invite up to 9 friends to join your 6+ table.
OFC (Open-Face Chinese Poker). Up to 3 players. If you are looking for a more intimate poker experience, OFC is an excellent option. At Pokerhub, you can invite up to 3 friends to join your OFC game. OFC is played in a unique way, where players build poker hands three at a time instead of the traditional five cards.
How to start a private poker club with friends on Pokerhub?
Creating private poker clubs on Pokerhub is a simple process that will allow you to enjoy exclusive games with your friends. Take a look at the steps you need to follow to do it. It will cost you more to read it than to do it, you’ll see.
Download Pokerhub. The first thing you need to do is download the Pokerhub application on your smartphone.
Register and create an account. If you don’t have a Pokerhub account yet, you will need to register. Enter your e-mail address and create a password. Verify your account and access the app by logging in.
Create a private club. Once you have logged in to Pokerhub, go to the club’s section. Here you will find the “Create Club” option. Select this option and follow the instructions to name your club and customize it with a description and profile picture.
Invite your friends. After creating your private club, you can invite your friends to join. To do so, provide your friends with the invitation code.
Set up the game tables. Once you have your friends in the private club, you can set up game tables according to the poker modality you wish to play. In Pokerhub, you can choose between NLH, PLO, Flash, 6+ and OFC, according to your preferences and the number of players you want to invite.
Set the rules and limits. Customize the rules and limits of your private club. You can define the minimum and maximum number of chips allowed, the time of the rounds, the blinds and other specific aspects of the games.
Invite your friends to the tables. Once you have set up the game tables, invite your friends to join them. Pokerhub allows you to send invitations through the app, making everything much faster.
Start playing. Once everyone is ready and the tables are set up, start playing! Enjoy exciting poker games with your friends in a private and personalized environment.
How to create a table on Pokerhub?
Creating a table on Pokerhub is an essential process to start playing poker with your friends in your private club. Here’s how to create a table on Pokerhub:
Log in to your private poker club online. Log in to Pokerhub and go to your private club. This is where you can manage and create gaming tables.
Select the poker mode. Once in your club, select the poker mode you want to play. You can choose between NLH, PLO, Flash, 6+ and OFC, according to your preferences and those of your friends.
Customize the table. Configure the table according to your preferences. This includes setting betting limits, starting blinds, minimum and maximum number of chips allowed, and other settings specific to the mode you are playing.
Invite your friends. After customizing the table, you can invite your friends. Pokerhub will provide you with options to send invitations through the application or by email. Select the friends you want to invite and send the invitations.
Start the game. Once all your friends have joined the table and are ready to play, start the game. Pokerhub will manage card dealing, betting and round tracking, allowing you to focus on enjoying the game.
Trash, or Garbage, is a classic card game for two player. It requires a standard 52 playing card deck and is suitable for ages 8 and up. The objective of Trash is to be the first person with a complete hand of 10 cards.
For more classic card games, check out our guides for Kemps and Crazy Eights.
If you are looking for cards to play Trash with, check out a standard deck here or check out one of our more recent arrivals here.
Set Up
To set up a game of Trash, players need to first sit around a suitable gameplay area. Before gameplay can begin, every player draws a card from a shuffled deck. The player with the highest card becomes the first dealer. Ties are broken by a redraw. The dealer then shuffles the deck and passes out ten cards, faced down, arranged in a 2 x 5 grid. Players do not look at these cards.
The remaining deck forms the the stock pile.
In Trash, Aces are 1, 2s-10s are their face value, Jacks are wildcards and Queens and Kings are unplayable.
How to Play
The player who doesn’t deal the cards starts the game. The first player draws from the stock. If they can play the card (meaning Ace through Jack) the player places the card in the appropriate spot on their grid. If they drew an Ace, for instance, they would place it in the top left position of the grid; a 10 would be the bottom right and so on. When they place a card on the grid, they flip over the faced down card previously in that position. If they can use that card then they do the same thing until they get a card they cannot play (meaning a King, Queen, or a card they have already played).
When they have an unplayable card, they place it face up beside the stock pile, forming the discard pile, and player 2 begins their turn.
Starting with player 2’s first turn, players can choose to either draw from the stock pile or the discard pile.
The first player to fill out their entire grid wins the round
Scoring
The player who won the previous round removes one card from their grid. This means that the 10 will be unplayable for them in round 2, the 9 in round 3, and etc.
A player wins the game when they only have one card in their grid and draw an Ace or Jack.
For more information, check out Pagat’s article here.
Looking for more card games to play? Check out this article:
About the author: John Taylor is a content writer and freelancer through the company Upwork.com. You may view his freelancing profile here. He has a B. A. in English, with a specialty in technical writing, from Texas A&M University and a M. A. in English from the University of Glasgow. You may view his previous articles about card games here and his LinkedIn profile here.
If you want to become a savvier player at the roulette tables, you must familiarise yourself with the roulette rules. These affect every bet you place.
This classic casino table game is one of the oldest games available in land-based and online casinos. However, to beginner online roulette players, the table can feel somewhat daunting, with so many betting options on the wheel and the unique roulette layout to get to grips with.
Roulette Rules: The Basics
There are several aspects to the game of roulette that you need to master, especially when it comes to staking real money. It’s not just the roulette wheel you have to think about, it’s the different ways to stake, when you can and can’t stake, and what you could win when the ball lands in your favour.
The Object Of The Game
To win at a round of roulette, you must put a stake of money on a desired number or collection of numbers. You do this by placing roulette chips of your chosen value on your selected number(s). Put simply, the object is to predict where you think the ball will land on the roulette wheel and bet accordingly.
All winning chips are returned to winning players, plus extra chip payouts in accordance with the table odds. All losing chips are taken by the table dealer and retained by the house. Of course, when you play live roulette online, the transfer of winning and losing chips happens digitally and in an instant, to accelerate your gameplay in between spins.
Basic Rules To Master
First, you’ll need to master the dynamics of the roulette wheel. Depending on the variant of roulette you choose to play you’ll have 37 (including the single zero) or 38 (including the double zero) numbers on the wheel. There will also be some differences in terms of your roulette table layout, or the way you place your stakes.
The Roulette Table Layout Explained
When we talk about the table layout, we’re referring to two things – the layout of numbers on both the roulette wheel and of the numbers on the table where you place your chips.
So, let’s briefly talk about the numbers. A typical roulette wheel will have a minimum of 36 numbered pockets. Additional ‘special’ numbers have been added to the wheel over time, too. For instance, a green single zero pocket is included in the European version.
These additional pockets were added to help the house increasing its edge. If you’re interested in how to calculate this in a game of roulette, you need to work out the following calculation:
(Odds Against Winning – House Odds) x Probability Of Success
For a roulette wheel with 37 pockets the calculation would be:
(36/1 – 35/1) x 1/37 = 1/1 x 1/37 = 1/37 = 0.0270270 (2.70% when multiplied by 100)
For roulette wheels with both a single zero and double zero, creating 38 pockets, the house edge almost doubles to 5.26%, which is why single-zero roulette tends to be more popular with players.
All About Red And Black
One thing you’ll notice on any roulette wheel layout is that the pockets alternate between red and black numbers. That’s designed to give you, the player an almost 50/50 chance of landing red or black. Why do we say almost? Because the addition of the single zero and the double zero makes it impossible for the probability of the ball landing on red or black to be exactly 50%.
As the payout odds of on red or black are even-money (1:1), this is where the house edge tips in favour of the casinos.
All About The Numbers
Taking a quick look at a
roulette wheel with 37 numbered pockets, you’ll probably notice that the
numbers are by no means in a specific order. This is to avoid any potential
bias of results over the long-term from a single roulette wheel.
In single zero roulette, the numbers are laid out clockwise in the following sequence: 0, 32, 15, 19, 4, 21, 2, 25, 17, 34, 6, 27, 13, 36, 11, 30, 8, 23, 10, 5, 24, 16, 33, 1, 20, 14, 31, 9, 22, 18, 29, 7, 28, 12, 35, 3, 26.
The positioning of the numbered pockets on a double zero wheel, also known as American roulette, is laid out very differently. The sequence is designed to create a level playing field, with the single zero and double zero positioned on opposite sides of the wheel:
As you can see, with single zero roulette wheels, the low and high-value numbers alternate as much as possible. You’ll very rarely spot two low or high numbers next to each other on the wheel. That’s in stark contrast to double zero roulette wheels, which are less balanced, with many instances of low and high numbers positioned next to one another on the wheel.
Roulette Betting Systems
The beauty of roulette is that you can stake on as many numbers as you wish if your bankroll allows. Though if you opt in to live casino offers and promotions, there may be limits placed on the amount of numbers you can cover in any game round, so always check the terms and conditions.
If you want to cover several single numbers or multiple groups of numbers, you can do so freely. There are three different types of bets you can make – inside bets, outside bets, and announced bets.
Inside Betting
Look at the standard roulette table layout and you’ll see that the main layout is comprised of the numbers zero through to 36. The other areas on the side of the table layout are specifically reserved for betting on groups of numbers – more on that shortly.
When you stake on an individual number or cover several numbers at once, these bets are known as inside bets. There are seven main inside bets you can make at any time:
Straight or straight-up A bet placed on a single number, such as red 7. Chips are placed inside the square of the number you want to stake on.
Split A bet placed on two numbers adjacent to one another on the roulette table, such as red 14 and black 17. Chips are placed on the connecting line between the two numbers.
Street A bet placed on three numbers located on the same line of the table. Chips are placed on the outer corner of the row of three numbers you want to stake on. An example is a bet on the row including 4, 5 and 6.
Six Line A bet placed on two adjacent lines of numbers. Chips are placed on the connecting outer corner between the two lines you want to stake on, such as the two rows containing numbers 28 – 33.
Corner A bet placed on a cluster of four numbers in a square. Place your chip in the middle of the four numbers. An example is a square containing 15, 18, 17 and 14 (looking at them clockwise).
Trio A bet placed on three numbers including single zero or double zero. Chips are positioned on the line connecting the single zero or double zero with the two additional numbers 1 and 2, or 2 and 3.
Basket A bet placed on the numbers zero, 1, 2, and 3. Chips are placed on the outer corner of the table connecting zero and 1.
Outside Betting
All outside bets made on the roulette table are placed outside of the field of numbers. Outside bets cover the sectors that span larger groups of numbers than you can otherwise cover with multiple inside bets. With outside bets, you can cover virtually half the numbers during a single spin, compared to just six with a single inside bet.
For all these bets, choose your outcome and simply place your chip/s in the square marked with the bet you want.
Odd/Even
Red/Black
1 to 18/19 to 36
Dozens A bet placed on whether the 1st 12, 2nd or 3rd 12 on the table.
Columns A bet placed on whether the next number the ball lands on will be within the first, second, or third column of the table. Chips are placed inside the first, second, or third “2 to 1” squares next beside numbers 34, 35, and 36 respectively.
Announced Betting
Most commonly found in French roulette and some European roulette games, there are additional announced bets that can be made. These are a combination of different numbers, and usually, you’ll find a secondary table aside from the one where you can place inside and outside bets. Here are the five announced bets:
Voisins du Zero A bet placed on the single zero and seven numbers either side of the zero, comprising a trio bet on zero, 2, and 3, five split bets on 4 and 7, 12 and 15, 18 and 21, 19 and 22, 32 and 35, one corner bet on 25, 26, 28, and 29.
Le Tiers Du Cylindre Translated to English as “one-third of the wheel”, this bet covers six different split bets on 5 and 8, 10 and 11, 13 and 16, 23 and 24, 27 and 30, 33 and 36.
Orphelins A bet placed on all the numbers not covered by a Voisins du Zero bet or a Le Tier Du Cylindre bet, spanning eight numbers and known as the orphans. It consists of a straight-up bet on 1 and four split bets on 6 and 9, 14 and 17, 17 and 20, 31 and 34.
Jeu Zero A bet covering all three neighbours of the single zero on either side of the wheel. It consists of a straight-up bet on 26 and three split bets on zero and 3, 12 and 15, 32 and 35.
Neighbours A five-number bet covering 26 and its two neighbours on either side.
Roulette Payouts And Odds
Inside bets tend to have much larger payouts than outside bets. That’s because they cover no more than six numbers per spin. Meanwhile, outside bets can cover half of the numbers on the wheel during a single spin, so the odds of winning on any single number is increased.
The below table shows the payout odds of each main roulette bet:
Bet Type
Payout/Odds
Inside/Outside Bet?
Straight-up
35:1
Inside Bet
Split
17:1
Inside Bet
Trio or Street
11:1
Inside
Corner
8:1
Inside Bet
Line
5:1
Inside Bet
Column
2:1
Outside Bet
Dozen
2:1
Outside Bet
Red/Black
1:1
Outside Bet
Odd/Even
1:1
Outside Bet
1 – 18 / 19 – 36
1:1
Outside Bet
Does this all make sense? Try your hand at live roulette today!
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Position is critical when considering how to play suited connectors before the flop.
These are the positions that will be referenced in this section:
Unopened Pots
98-suited is strong enough to raise from any position in a 6-handed game. Limping in an unopened pot should be avoided.
If you are playing a 9-handed, 98-suited should be folded from the first 3 positions*. It is not strong enough to raise with so many players still to act behind you.
The exception is if you’re at a table of weak and/or passive players against whom you have a big edge. You can generally loosen up and raise 98-suited in that case.
Against a Raise
98-suited has a unique property: when it makes a straight on a QxJxTx flop, Ace-King also makes a straight. This might seem minor, but it actually has a notable impact because of the prevalence of Ace-King in preflop ranges.
When you’re in the Hijack through the Small Blind and face a raise, for example, 98-suited should almost always be folded. You could 3-bet with it a small fraction of the time, if anything.
Interestingly, this is a much more passive strategy than we see with lower suited connectors like 87-suited through 54-suited. Those hands 3-bet at a much higher frequency than 98-suited, even though they are weaker in terms of absolute strength.
This is an esoteric concept, but if you’re interested in learning more about it, check out this article:
The Big Blind is the only position in which 98-suited is worth playing against any single raise. This is because you are getting great pot odds and because there are no more players left to act beside you and the opener.
The best approach from the Big Blind is to mix between 3-betting and calling with 98-suited. The closer the open-raiser is to the Button, the more often you should 3-bet (i.e. 3-bet less often against early position and more often versus later position).
You can, of course, adjust based on the players at your table. But now you know the “GTO” way to play 98-suited against a raise.
Against a 3-Bet
You should always continue with 98-suited against a 3-bet. The hand has plenty of equity and playability to make calling the best option.
The one exception is when you are playing against a really tight 3-bettor. If you know they’ve always got the goods, don’t give them action — just get out of the way and move onto the next hand.
Against a 4-Bet
I’m going to hone in on how to play versus a 4-bet after you’ve 3-bet from the Big Blind.
In this scenario, you should mix 50/50 between calling and folding when out-of-position. If you’re in position (meaning the Small Blind is the 4-bettor), always call.
Note: This strategy is only good against a strong opponent who actually 4-bets aggressively. If you are playing against a player who is not going to bluff enough, then calling with 98-suited would be a huge mistake.
3 Tips for Playing When You Miss the Flop
Most of the time, you won’t flop a pair with 98-suited. That’s what these 3 tips are for.
Tip #1: Consider check-raising when you flop an open-ended straight draw out of position
Example: You defend from the Big Blind with 9d8d and the flop comes JdTs5h. You should look to check-raise at a high frequency.
Including a mix of both strong hands and bluffs is essential when building a strong check-raising strategy.
Open-ended straight draws are ideal bluffs because they carry strong equity and give you the potential to make stronger hands (like Ace-high) fold. By occasionally check-raising with these draws, you can win either by completing your straight or by forcing your opponent to fold a superior hand.
Tip #2: If you raise preflop and flop a draw, c-bet almost every time
Example: You open-raise from the Cutoff with 9h8h and the Big Blind calls. If the board comes QsJs5h, you should fire a c-bet at a very high frequency.
To keep your strategy balanced and effective, bet with gutshot straight draws, open-ended straight draws, and flush draws to apply pressure on your opponent.
By c-betting draws, you maintain a good mix of bluffs and potential value hands. These draws offer opportunities to improve on later streets. And when they hit, you can capitalize by maximizing value and potentially stacking your opponent.
Tip #3: If you 3-bet and the flop has two broadway cards, c-bet even if you totally missed
In 3-bet pots, you have a significant range advantage on “double broadway” flops (i.e. two cards above Ten). These boards connect strongly with the value hands in your range, so c-betting is often the best move.
Even if you completely miss, like holding 9h8h on an AsKs5d board, it’s still crucial to bluff. Not c-betting in this scenario is a fundamental mistake (unless you’re up against a calling station that never folds).
3 Tips for Playing When You Hit the Flop
Sometimes you’ll actually flop a pair or better. That’s what these tips are for.
Tip #1: Check back with middle or third pair in single-raised pots
Example: If you open-raise from the Button, the Big Blind calls and the flop comes Js9d4c, you should mostly check back with your 98-suited.
With marginal hands like middle pair and third pair, the goal is usually to get to a cheap showdown by playing passively. And when you improve to trips or two pair, you can start playing more aggressively.
Additionally, checking back allows you to capitalize on opponents who over-bluff (since they’ll bet into you on later streets and your pair is strong enough to call a bet).
Tip #2: Slow-play your two pairs when the flop is monotone
If you’ve been reading my articles regularly, you have probably read that slow-playing is something you should do very seldomly.
Well, here is one situation in which you should slow-play some of your strong hands (two pair or better): monotone flops.
For example, let’s say that the flop came 9h8h4h after you’ve called from the Big Blind with 9d8d. When faced with a bet in this scenario, you should always just call.
Your opponent can already have a ton of better hands (flushes and sets) and is very likely to hit more on the turn or river. So, while your absolute hand strength is two pair, your relative hand strength is something like a top pair.
You have a great bluff-catching hand at this point, nothing more. Don’t bloat the pot by fast-playing or you’re gonna have a bad time.
Tip #3: If you raise preflop and flop top pair, mix between c-betting big and checking (in position)
On low boards, you should mix between betting large and checking back with your flopped top pair.
Let’s go through an example and I will explain why.
You open-raise from the Button and the Big Blind calls. The flop comes 9d6s3s and you’re holding 9h8h.
In this spot, your range has a lot of missed hands in it. All your double broadway hands missed (Queen-Jack, Ace-Queen, etc). Your range cannot support a high c-betting frequency because of all those missed hands.
Your opponent also has a large amount of the same types of missed hands. For this reason, a bigger bet is better as it will push the large majority of those missed hands with one or two overcards out of the pot.
When you opt for this strategy of using a bigger bet, the threshold of betting for value goes up. For this reason, mixing between c-betting and checking with your top pair weak kicker is optimal, as this hand cannot go for three streets of value. But it is very vulnerable to all those overcards which are very likely to come on the turn or the river.
Wrapping Up
There you have it, the 5-minute guide to crushing it with 98-suited. Take this knowledge to heart, execute correctly at the tables, and get ready to have more big blinds coming your way!
Note: Check out the free preview video below. It’s from Upswing Poker’s new course designed for low stakes players. Even if you don’t get the course now, it is worth a watch.
(Above is the set up for the card game Spoil Five)
Card Game Rules
Spoil Five is a casino game for two to ten players. It requires a standard 52 playing card deck and poker chips. The objective of Spoil Five is to win 3 or more tricks in a round.
If you are looking for cards to play Spoil Five with, check out a standard deck here or check out one of our more recent arrivals here.
Set Up
Before gameplay can begin, every player draws a card from a shuffled deck. The player with the highest card becomes the first dealer. Ties are broken by a redraw. The dealer then passes out five cards to each player. The remaining deck is placed to the side. Its top card assigns the trump suit for that round.
Card Ranking
When a suit is trump, the ranking is as follows from high to low:
Spades and Clubs: 5, Jack, Ace of Hearts, Ace, King, Queen, 2 up to 10.
Diamonds: 5, Jack, Ace of Hearts, Ace, down to 2
Hearts: 5, Jack, Ace down to 2.
When a suit is not trump, the ranking is as follows from high to low:
Spades and Clubs: King, Queen, Jack, Ace, 2 up to 10.
Diamonds: King down to Ace.
Hearts: King down to 2.
The Ace of Hearts is always the third best card.
How to Play
Players begin by placing an ante in the middle. The top card of the deck is flipped over to establish trump for the round. Starting with the person left of the dealer, players try to win tricks by playing the highest ranking card. Players must follow the suit of the lead card if they can.
If a player has the Ace of trump, they may exchange any card in their hand for the top card in the deck. If they refuse to do so, they must announce that they are turning down the trump.
If an Ace is initially flipped over when establishing trump, the dealer may take it after the first trick in exchange for any of their cards. They could also refuse it.
Scoring
If a player wins 3 or more tricks in a round, the player gets all of the poker chips in the middle. For the next round, every player adds one chip to the middle again.
If no player wins 3 or more tricks in a round, then the pot carries over. For the next round, only the dealer adds a chip to the middle.
Looking for more card games to play? Check out this article:
About the author: John Taylor is a content writer and freelancer through the company Upwork.com. You may view his freelancing profile here. He has a B. A. in English, with a specialty in technical writing, from Texas A&M University and a M. A. in English from the University of Glasgow. You may view his previous articles about card games here and his LinkedIn profile here.
Slot fans who are seasoned poker players may already be familiar with the concept of bankroll management, but the term is just as important when you play slots online. Within this guide, we’ll provide some useful money management slot tips to help you select the right slot titles for your budget, based on a range of factors such as volatility, RTP percentages and more.
Although these bankroll management tips won’t improve your odds of winning – because all slots are games of chance – it is possible to use these slot tips to spread your risk, minimise losses and have a more enjoyable slot gaming experience.
Tip 1: Set A Budget
Before you spin a single slot reel, you should take some time to calculate how much you can afford to play with. Any money you do spend on the reels should be funds you know you can afford to lose.
Set aside a slot budget that doesn’t limit any of your essential monthly outgoings. You could label it as part of your monthly entertainment expenses. When you spend money going to the cinema, you wouldn’t expect a return on your cinema ticket at the end of the movie. You should adopt the same mindset with your slot gaming budget.
When you make a deposit into your LiveRoulette account for the first time, you can claim a deposit bonus up to a maximum of €50. All winnings from this bonus money must be played through 40 times and cannot be withdrawn until play through conditions are met. Through careful game selection, it’s possible to find games that have greater winning probabilities than others to help make your bonus funds last longer. However, some games may not be eligible for bonus offers, so read the terms and conditions carefully. You’ll learn more about this as you advance through this guide.
Ultimately, you will want to choose slot games that you can engage with. Whether it’s a themed slot based on one of your favourite hobbies or pastimes or a slot with the kind of bonus features that you enjoy – such as free spins or pick-me bonuses – the right slot for you is ultimately the one you enjoy the most.
However, it’s a good idea to be more selective with your slot titles if you want to make sure your slot budget goes further. All slot games are different – they come with different volatilities and return to player percentages, which means that some are more likely to pay out more frequently than others.
Understanding Return To Player (RTP) Percentages
When you search through lists of available slot games, most games will also have their RTP percentage displayed within the game’s help pages. RTP is an important factor for experienced slot players. Those slot players determined to manage their bankroll properly will use RTP percentages to determine the slots they should and shouldn’t play. RTP is short for return to player, which means the amount a slot player could expect returned to them over a high number of spins.
Let’s say for example that a slot game displays an RTP of 96.5%. This means that for every €100 spent on its reels, the slot is programmed to return €96.50 over the long-term. Because of variance and the fact that all online slot titles are powered by decentralised random number generators (RNGs), there will be variations when you play short-term, but the RTP is what you can expect to be paid out over an infinite number of spins.
Each slot will also be programmed with a hit frequency in tandem with an RTP percentage. The hit frequency is best described as the number of times you can expect to land a winning combination on the reels within 100 spins. If a slot has a hit frequency of 20, that means there is a 20% possibility of landing a winning combination on any spin. However, this is an average over an infinite number of spins, so there can be variance with the hit frequency over the short-term, just like the RTP percentage.
What Does Slot Volatility Mean?
Slot volatility is often confused for RTP. The RTP of a slot game does not set the volatility of a slot, although they are closely related. The opposing ends of the slot volatility spectrum are:
Low Volatility A low volatility slot is programmed to pay out more frequent wins of a smaller size. By design, low volatility slots give you a chance to keep your bankroll going for longer, with smaller maximum payouts or jackpots.
High Volatility As for high volatility slots, these games tend to feature multiple bonus games and larger fixed prizes or progressive jackpots. Dig a little deeper and you’ll find that these slots will tend to trigger these features less frequently than a low volatility game. However, when the jackpots do land, it’s possible to win big.
Select The Right Number Of Paylines
Sensible bankroll management for slot gaming also involves choosing the right number of paylines to play with per spin. The higher volatility slots that are linked to progressive jackpots may only qualify players for the biggest jackpot prizes displayed when they bet the maximum number of paylines per spin. The probability of triggering these progressives is slim. You must therefore weigh up whether your slot budget can absorb betting the maximum or if you should find slots with lower maximum bets and reduced volatility instead.
It’s also important to take into consideration the coin values available for each payline. Most slots will allow you to wager multiple credits on each active payline. For instance, if you play all available lines in a ten-payline slot at a cost of €0.10 per line, you’re spending €1 per spin. If you are just starting out with slots online, it’s a good idea to start playing with the smallest coin denominations per payline while you learn the game’s dynamics.
Choose Between New And Classic Slot Games
If you have looked at the portfolio of slot games at LiveRoulette, you may have recognised slot titles tend to fall in two different categories – classic slots and newer, state-of-the-art video slots.
Classic slots are built to celebrate the purity of old-school slot machine gaming. Think of the original fruit machine games with cherries, watermelons, lemons and a healthy selection of lucky sevens on the reels. There are still plenty of classic slots online. Most of these can be played with modest budgets as they offer fewer paylines – sometimes as few as three.
At the other end of the spectrum, newer video slots are popular for their more advanced gameplay. These are often packed with paylines, features and high volatility which may make them more expensive to play. Of course, some new slot releases will have lower volatility than others, so it’s a case of doing your research.
Tip 3: Setting Aside Your Winnings
Always put your winnings aside. If you sit down with €20 to play your favourite slots and you win €15, you could withdraw the €15 from your balance and play on with your remaining funds. If you know you could be tempted to spend your winnings and put them back into your slot game, this could be an option for you.
However, a better way might be to set a winning target and a stop-loss for each gaming session. Once your balance hits your win goal or stop-loss limit, you simply walk away, win or lose. There will be winning sessions and losing sessions this way, but ultimately you’ll protect your bankroll through the ups and downs.
Tip 4: Control Your Emotions
Keeping your emotions in check is an vital when playing slots online. Seasoned slot players would agree that it’s good to be consistent and accept your losses and wins as part and parcel of the game. That may sound easier said than done, but sensible management of your slot bankroll will also ensure that you are prepared to handle the peaks and troughs of wins and losses. If you feel like your emotions are getting ahead of you, stop playing immediately.
Tip 5: Play Slots Online Responsibly
The bottom line is that playing should be fun. Spending beyond your means and chasing jackpots you can’t afford to chase is anything but fun.
Dividing your daily, weekly or monthly slot budget into units based on your minimum wager is one way to budget and keep your gaming going week on week. You can then divide those units into equal amounts depending on the number of gaming sessions you plan to have throughout the month.
By treating your slot bankroll with respect, you can be safer with your slot gaming, which is the only way we recommend at LiveRoulette.
How Much Time Should You Spend Playing One Slot?
Take control of the length of time you spend playing slots using our Reality Check function. By switching on the Reality Check feature in your LiveRoulette account you will receive prompts reminding you how long you’ve been playing.
Each time the prompt appears on-screen, you will be asked whether you wish to continue playing or to leave the game, with your win/loss rate also visible to help you make your mind up. It’s an effective way of monitoring your gaming sessions and ensuring you don’t exceed your maximum losses and wins.
Tip 6: Set Yourself Daily, Weekly Or Monthly Betting Limits
At LiveRoulette, we always promote responsible gaming behaviour. That’s why we give all our players the flexibility to set their own gaming limits and boundaries. Within your LiveRoulette account it’s possible to set daily, weekly and monthly limits on how much you can deposit.
These limitations are there for your own good and to prevent you from chasing losses during losing slot sessions. Our friendly customer support team is available 24/7 should you need any guidance with setting your deposit limits.
Hopefully this article has helped to reinforce the importance of managing your bankroll when you play slots online at LiveRoulette. With these slot tips for money management, you can be sure to save your winnings and limit your losses when either scenario occurs.
With so many different video slots and slot genres ready and waiting to be explored at LiveRoulette our Canadian online casino, we hope this guide helps you to pick slot titles that are right for you.
Crapless Craps makes some fundamental changes to regular craps gameplay. This variant removes the Don’t Pass line, the Don’t Come box, and lay bets.
It treats rolls of 2, 3, 11, and 12 as point numbers (such as 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, and 10). This was done to be able to play tables that were running cold (not paying out much). It is still possible to make Place and Buy wagers.
Crapless Craps Vs Craps
So, what exactly are the differences between Crapless Craps and craps? Well, in standard craps games, there are four dice rolls that can lead to a loss in the Come Out roll. You can make a 2, a 12, and two possible ways to make a 3. What Crapless Craps does is remove the losing numbers on the Come Out roll.
On paper, this means every Come Out roll is a winner, and you cannot lose. However, there are tradeoffs with adjusting the rules of standard craps. For example, in Crapless Craps, 11 is a Point number, alongside 2, 3, and 12. Remember, in standard craps, an 11 roll would be an outright winner on the Come Out roll.
Rules of Crapless Craps
You can learn how to play the crapless variant easily enough, as the game is not harder than standard craps. When the dice rolls the first time – the Come Out – any number but 7 becomes the Point. You will now need to repeat the Point to be able to win a Pass Line wager. In all other aspects, Crapless bets are the same as the standard game:
Crapless Craps: All numbers aside from 7 are a Point. You get six ways to roll a 7 as winning Come Out rolls and no ways to lose.
Standard craps: 8 ways to win with six ways to roll 7 and two ways to roll 11, and four ways to lose.
In terms of the table layout, the Crapless table extends from the Point boxes and now includes 2, 3, 11, and 12 as Point numbers. The Don’t Pass section has been taken out completely, but there is still a Pass Line. There are no “dark side” bets in Crapless Craps, so all lay bets are removed from the table.
How To Play Crapless Craps
Craps games have one player acting as the Shooter, which is the player who rolls the dice. This may not always be you in land-based games, but it usually will be at an online casino.
Make an initial “Come Out” bet. In Crapless Craps, you can only bet on the Pass Line.
The Shooter rolls the dice. If you have a Pass Line and the dice show a 7, you win. If the dice shows any other number, it becomes the Point.
If you set a Point, you can keep rolling until either you repeat the Point and win or roll a 7 and the game ends in you losing.
Crapless Craps Odds And Payouts
Crapless Craps payouts differ from normal craps because of the slight changes in gameplay. It is important to know the odds before you start playing.
2 and 12: 6 to 1
3 and 11: 3 to 1
4 and 10: 2 to 1
5 and 9: 3 to 2
6 and 8: 6 to 5
You can make a Place bet on 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 with the following payouts:
2 and 12: 11 to 2
3 and 11: 11 to 4
4 and 10: 9 to 5
5 and 9: 3 to 2
6 and 8: 7 to 6
Because you can only win on a 7 (and not also an 11) during the Come Out roll, there are downsides to Crapless Craps. Chief among them is that it can be harder to set the point and that you cannot use dark side betting. In craps, most players feel it is bad etiquette to bet against the Shooter, who is a fellow player. Betting against the Shooter is known as dark side betting, and online, it doesn’t matter as much because you play by yourself. In Crapless Craps, dark side betting is not available.
In terms of the house edge, the Pass Line bet on standard craps is 1.414%, while on Crapless Craps it is 5.382%. The reason for the significantly worse house edge is that Crapless Craps offers fewer ways to win on the Come Out by removing 11 as a winning roll.
Crapless Craps Tips
While no Crapless Craps strategy can guarantee wins, the following tips will give you a better understanding of the game:
Check the betting limits: Different games have varying betting limits. Check to ensure the game you choose is within your budget. You may find Crapless Craps has higher buy-in bets, so you may need to wager more than when you play standard craps.
Practice for free: Online casinos offer demo modes of their games. While you cannot win real money, playing for free allows you to become familiar with the game, practice, and learn betting systems before risking your own cash.
Gamble responsibly: As we say with all casino games, always gamble responsibly and within your financial limits. Only you know what you can afford to lose, but set a budget that comes from your disposable income.
Learn the rules: Use this guide and free demo play to understand how to play Crapless Craps and become clear on the rules. Only once you are confident that you know what you are doing should you start betting for real.
Conclusion
While traditional craps may offer a better house edge, Crapless Craps adds a unique twist to the classic casino game by removing the Don’t Pass and Don’t Come betting options. Plus, since you can’t lose on the Come Out roll, you are guaranteed at least two dice rolls in Crapless Craps.
Despite its many advantages, the game may not appeal to every casino player. Take a closer look at the main pros and cons below.
Pros
Cons
You can’t lose on the Come Out roll
Higher house edge
Fewer rules than traditional craps
Not available at every online casino
Lead image credit: Netfalls Remy Musser/Shutterstock
Thirteen is a four player trick-taking card game that requires a standard 52 playing card deck. In Thirteen, 2s are high and 3s are low. The suits are ranked with Hearts being the highest, then Diamonds, Clubs, and Spades. The objective of Thirteen is to be the first player to get rid of their cards.
For other trick-taking card games, see our guides for President and Bezique.
If you are looking for cards to play Thirteen with, check out a standard pack here or one of our more recent arrivals here.
Set Up
Before game play can begin, a dealer must be selected. Each player draws one card from a shuffled deck. The player with the lowest card becomes the dealer. The dealer shuffles the deck and passes out thirteen cards to each player in a clockwise fashion.
How to Play
The player with the 3 of Spades makes the first move. Going clockwise, players can either player a card that is of equal rank (with a higher suit) or higher than the card previously played. Once nobody can play a higher card, the pile is removed and the last person to play a card starts the new pile.
Cards can be played as singles, pairs, three of a kinds, four of a kinds or a sequence of 3 or more. Players must however follow whatever the lead play was. If somebody leads with a single, players cannot beat it with a double or etc.
Bombs
A four of a kind and a double sequence of three cards are called bombs. Bombs can beat a single 2. A double sequence of four cards can beat a pair of 2s and a double sequence of five cards can beat three 2s.
Miscellaneous Rules
If a player has four 2s or a sequence of 3 to Ace, they immediately win the game.
The last card in a sequence determines its suit.
The player who gets rid of all of their cards first wins the game.
Looking for more card games to play? Check out this article:
About the author: John Taylor is a content writer and freelancer through the company Upwork.com. You may view his freelancing profile here. He has a B. A. in English, with a specialty in technical writing, from Texas A&M University and a M. A. in English from the University of Glasgow. You may view his previous articles about card games here and his LinkedIn profile here.
Few other card games gather more players or draw more intensity than a game of blackjack. With its immersive gameplay and a worldwide reputation as an iconic card game, it’s one of the most straightforward games you’ll find in the entire casino range.
Blackjack may look simple on the outside, but beneath the surface, you’ll find there’s much more to this classic card game. Let us tell you more in our beginner casino guide. Here you’ll get the basic rules, card values and more, so you get acquainted with the game in any setting.
Already know the game? Log in or join LiveRoulette and get your seat at the table.
What’s The Aim Of Blackjack?
Ultimately, the aim is to beat the dealer’s hand without exceeding 21- It’s that simple! If your hand goes higher than 21, you “bust”, which means you lose that hand.
What Are The Rules?
Whether you want to play live, online or
otherwise, the rules of the game are pretty much the same. Up to seven players
are seated around the semi-circular table (but more players can be seated
online, such as in a game of Infinite
Blackjack). There’s a betting spot in front of each player, where you
must place your wager in the form of chips before the dealer plays the hand. If
space allows, you can play more than one hand at the table, placing chips in
each betting spot.
Once everyone has placed their chips, the dealer will hand out two cards to each player. They will then draw themselves a card turned face down (known as their “hole card”). Note that there are some variations of this game that allow the dealer to receive two cards: one turned down and the other facing up.
Next, each player can decide to hit (take another card) or stand (keep just their current cards). This all depends on the value of the hand in front of you.
What Are The Card Values?
The game is played with standard playing cards and up to eight decks. The cards from 2 through 10 are worth their exact value while all the face cards – King, Queen and Jack are worth 10. An Ace can have two values – either worth 1 or 11.
How Does The Game Start?
If the total value of the cards you get is 21 (for example if you get a 10 and an Ace), you immediately win a Blackjack, and the dealer will pay out odds of 3:2 on your initial wager. This is the ideal scenario! But what are your options if you don’t get this hand?
You Can Hit…
Essentially, you’re requesting another card from the dealer to increase your hand’s value. You can do this as many times as you like – just be careful you don’t go over 21 and bust!
You Can Stand…
If you stand you won’t accept any more cards for that round and gameplay will move to the next player. So, if you have a hand with two 10-value cards and you stand, your final value of 20 will be pitted against the dealer.
Or You Could Split
If you have two of the same value cards dealt to you, you can split them, and place the same wager again on the second hand. Now, you can choose to hit and stand on each hand independently depending on what cards you’re dealt next. Now that’s potentially two chances to beat the dealer instead of one.
What Does It Mean To “Double Down”?
This option allows you to double
your initial bet in return for receiving one (and only one) more card. In
most casinos, you can only double down after you receive your first two cards
and before drawing another card. There are
plenty of guides and strategies for doubling down, but it all depends on what
card the dealer holds and what’s left in the deck: not easy to know.
Unlike you, the player, a blackjack dealer has specific rules to follow. Casino rules specify that a dealer must keep drawing a card if their hand totals less than 17 and stand when the total is 17 through 21. There are variations to dealer’s play, so make sure you check out the table rules carefully before you take a seat.
Insurance
Some casinos will allow you to take an
insurance bet, which only becomes available if the dealer draws an Ace as their
first card. In essence, you’re betting that their next card will be a 10-value
card, resulting in a Blackjack. An
insurance bet enables you to win back half your original wager instead of potentially
going bust.
How To Play Live Blackjack
A game of live blackjack doesn’t vary that much from a game at the table. There may be more variations to play such as single-deck games, party-style games and tables where more players can take part. Check out LiveRoulette’s library live games and discover just how easy it is to switch from table games to live!
And Finally: Blackjack Payouts
The payout for a winning hand is 1:1, so if you put down a €5 bet, you’ll get €5. If you manage to win on a natural Blackjack, you’ll receive a payout of 3:2, making it the highest return in the game. There are various table limits available, giving you diverse betting options that match your bankroll and playing style.
That’s everything a first-timer needs to know to get by in a game
of blackjack. Why not put your newly found knowledge to the test in one of
LiveRoulette’s games?
3 Card Poker is a simple poker variation where you only get dealt three cards in total and play against the house. It’s really easy to learn how to play 3 card poker, making it a great game for beginners.
You first place an ‘Ante’ bet, before three cards are dealt to each player and the dealer. The dealer’s cards are dealt face down. You then decide to either fold your hand or continue playing by placing a ‘Play’ bet. That’s it! The dealer then reveals their three-card hand – if your hand beats the dealer’s qualified hand (Queen or higher), you win.
How To Play 3 Card Poker
Once you have taken your seat at a 3 Card Poker table, whether at a land-based or online casino, you’ll be asked to make your first bet.
Place your bet: The Ante bet box will be sitting empty in front of you, and you will be asked to place some chips there. You’ll be able to place any bet within the table stakes, between a minimum and maximum bet.
Cards are dealt: Once you’ve placed your Ante and other players at the table have done the same, the dealer will deal everyone three cards, including themselves.
Decide whether to play or fold you hand: Once you have your three cards, your only decision will be whether to keep them by placing the Play bet or to discard them right away. In truth, you will want to keep going with most hands in 3 Card Poker, but more on this a bit later in the strategy section. If you do decide to place a play bet, you will have to match your Ante bet in full, doubling your total bet. You should be ready to bet the whole amount when starting a hand, as this is the only way you will get to showdown.
The dealer’s hand is revealed: Once all the bets are placed, and players who don’t wish to proceed have discarded their cards, the hand goes to showdown. The dealer turns over their cards, and every player’s hand is compared to the dealer’s.
Winner is determined and payouts given: The dealer must have a Queen or higher to qualify. If the dealer doesn’t qualify (has a Jack-high or worse), you receive even money on your Ante bet and the Play bet is returned to you. If the dealer qualifies and your hand is better, you receive even money on both the Ante and Play bets. If the dealer’s hand is better, you lose both bets. In case of a tie, both the Ante and Play bets are returned to you.
3 Card Poker Rules
The rules
of 3 Card Poker couldn’t be simpler. You only have two options to choose from
after being dealt cards: Play and Fold.
You will
forfeit your cards and your Ante bet if you decide to fold. You won’t be able
to win the hand, even if the dealer has a very weak hand.
If you
decide to place the Play bet, you will stay in the hand until the very end,
when your cards will be compared to the dealer’s holdings.
Keep in
mind that there is no drawing or discarding in 3 Card Poker, and you will only
have the three cards you get dealt at your disposal, so make your decisions
based on these.
When it
comes to comparing hands in 3 Card Poker, it’s clear that some hands, such as
full houses and four of a kind, don’t exist in this variation of the game.
Of course, you
won’t be able to make real straights and flushes with just three cards, but
three cards in a row will count as a straight, three cards of the same suit
will count as a flush, etc.
This simple
hand ranking should be easy enough to understand for anyone who has ever played
poker, and at the end of the day, the dealer will tell you if you have won or
lost anyway.
With that
said, I have covered all the rules of the game you need to know about, so it’s
time to talk about payouts and special bets in 3 Card Poker.
3 Card Poker Payouts
The most
basic payouts in 3 Card Poker come from simply beating the dealer’s hand.
This is done by having a better poker hand than the dealer at showdown, in which case you will always win a 1:1 payout on the Ante bet.
The Play bet only comes into play if the dealer has at least a Queen high in their hand. If this happens, and you also have a winning hand, you’ll be paid at 1:1 on the Play bet as well.
Otherwise,
the Play bet will be returned to you.
In addition to these payouts, the Ante Bonus will give you an additional payout if you win the hand with at least three of a kind.
The Ante Bonus payouts are as follows:
Straight: 1:1
Three of a Kind: 4:1
Straight Flush: 5:1
It’s
interesting to note that hand rankings in 3 Card Poker are quite different from
other forms of poker, simply because getting three cards of the same suit or
three consecutive cards is easier than getting three of a kind.
For that reason, there is no payout for a flush on the Ante Bonus, and the straight payout is significantly lower than the one for three of a kind.
Pair Plus Bet Payout
One last
thing to keep an eye out on in 3 Card Poker is the Pair Plus bet, which is an
optional bet you can make on every hand.
The Pair
Plus bet is placed simultaneously with the Ante bet, and you can choose to bet
any value you want.
If the Pair
Plus bet is activated, you will receive the following payouts on your hand if
you hold one pair or better:
One Pair: 1:1
Flush: 4:1
Straight: 6:1
Three of a Kind: 30:1
Straight Flush: 40:1
Keep in
mind that you will lose any money you place in the Pair Plus box every time you
don’t make at least one pair, even if you end up winning the hand against the
dealer with your high card.
3 Card Poker Odds
3 Card Poker gives the house quite a substantial edge.
The Pair Plus bet comes with a house advantage of 2.32%, which is lower than the basic bets, making it an interesting prospect for anyone playing this game.
While the dealer and the player have the same chance of making a winning hand, the fact that your Play bet is not paid out unless the dealer has at least Queen high is what gives the house the majority of its edge.
Here are
some interesting odds related to making certain big hands in 3 Card Poker,
which come in handy, especially if you enjoy playing the Pair Plus bet:
Odds to make a straight flush: 0.217%
Odds to make three of a kind: 0.235%
Odds to make a straight: 3.257%
Odds to make a flush: 4.95%
Odds to make one pair: 16.94%
Odds to make Ace High or worse: 76.38%
As you can
see, you’ll have a hand that does not contain any pair, straight or a flush,
the vast majority of the time.
Best 3 Card Poker Strategy
3 Card Poker is a very simple game which means there’s not
too much you can do in terms of strategy. In fact, your only concern should be
which cards to keep and which to discard.
Traditionally, the optimal strategy for the game is to keep any hand that has at least a Q 6 4 in it while discarding everything weaker than this.
This may not seem like much of a strategy, but this approach
will get you the best possible results in the game.
Apart from that, there are no special or fancy plays you should remember, other than the fact that the Pair Plus bet is not a negative EV (Expected Value) one compared to the Ante bet, as jackpot bets often are in poker games.
This means that, statistically, The Pair Plus bet is not a losing bet over the long run when compared to the Ante bet. However, remember that EVs are statistical measurements and don’t guarantee short-term outcomes.
Where To Play 3 Card Poker Online
The game of 3 Card Poker is quite a popular poker variation,
mostly because of its simple rules and strategy, so you should be able to find
it at most poker rooms.
Remember to always play at a regulated and secure operator, like the ones on our list of recommended poker sites.
Have fun playing this simple poker variation and see if you
can beat the house!
Everything is better with friends, and poker is no exception. In fact, the experience changes completely and apps like Pokerhub offer a very interesting alternative to enjoy poker with friends in private clubs that is very attractive for those who want to enhance the social side of poker.
Here you have an excellent option to play poker online with friends… free! How? Keep reading, we are going to tell you how to enjoy games of poker with friends online free, at no cost!
Where to play free online poker with friends?
Before we delve into Pokerhub, it is important to understand that not all online poker websites offer the possibility to play for free with friends. Most online poker platforms are designed for real money play, and while some allow free games, they often don’t offer the same experience or flexibility as Pokerhub.
Pokerhub is a poker app that has been noted for giving players the opportunity to play poker online for free and, even more excitingly, with friends. This means that you can organize private and personalized poker games with your friends without spending a penny. No real money is required to join or enjoy Pokerhub, making it an ideal choice for those who want to practice, socialize or just have a good time without risking their finances.
Below you can find out why Pokerhub is the best free online private poker app to play with friends. Take a look!
Why choose Pokerhub to play poker with friends for free?
There are several reasons why Pokerhub is the best free online poker site to play with friends. It is an excellent choice for playing free online poker with friends. Here are some of the most outstanding features and advantages of Pokerhub:
Easy to use. Pokerhub stands out for its intuitive and easy-to-use user interface. This makes it easy for players, even beginners, to join and create games in a matter of minutes.
Private games. Pokerhub allows you to organize private games with your friends. You can create a personalized game room and share the link with your friends, ensuring that only the people you invite participate in the game.
Variety of modes. Pokerhub offers a wide range of poker games, from Texas Hold’em to Omaha, allowing you to choose the game you like the most or try several of them.
No need for downloads. Unlike some online poker platforms that require software downloads, Pokerhub works directly in your smartphone. You won’t have to worry about installing additional programs on your device, just the Pokerhub app.
Live chat. Pokerhub has an integrated live chat system that allows you to communicate with your friends during the game, adding a social dimension to your online games.
Detailed statistics. Pokerhub provides detailed statistics of your games, allowing you to evaluate and improve your game over time.
Security. Security is a major concern in online gaming. Pokerhub takes measures to protect players’ privacy and ensure that their games are fair.
How to organize an online poker game on Pokerhub?
Hosting an online poker game at Pokerhub is a simple process. Here we will guide you so you can enjoy free online poker games with friends in private:
Registering at Pokerhub. First of all, you will need to register at Pokerhub if you don’t already have an account. Registration is quick and easy, and will only require you to provide a few basic details.
Log in to your account. Once you have your Pokerhub account, log in to the platform with your credentials.
Create a private game. In the Pokerhub control panel, you will see the option to “Create a private game”. Click on this option to start setting up your game.
Configure the game. Here you can define the details of your game, such as the type of poker you want to play, the specific rules, the betting limits and the duration of the game. You can also set a password for the game if you want only your friends to have access.
Invite your friends. Once you have set up the game, Pokerhub will provide you with a link that you can share with your friends. They will be able to join the game by clicking on that link.
Start the game. Once you and your friends have joined the game room, you can start the game. Pokerhub will provide the cards and supervise the game in an unbiased manner.
Enjoy poker with friends. Now you can enjoy an online poker game with your friends in a safe and controlled environment. Use live chat to maintain communication and enjoy an authentic social experience.
(Above is an ending layout from a game of Carousel Rummy)
Card Game Rules
Carousel is a Rummy type game for 2-5 players. For 2 players, Carousel requires a standard deck of 52 playing cards and 1 Joker. For 3-5 players, Carousel requires 2 standard decks of 52 playing cards and 2 Joker. In Carousel Aces can be High or Low, however they cannot connect a King and 2. The objective of Carousel is to play all of your cards by melding them.
If you are looking for cards to play Carousel with, check out a standard deck here or one of our newest arrivals here.
For more Rummy type games, check out our guides for Canasta and Gin.
Set-Up
Before game play can begin, a dealer must be selected. Each player draws one card from a shuffled deck. The player with the lowest card becomes the dealer. Ties are broken by a redraw.
The dealer then shuffles the deck and passes out ten cards one at a time to each player. The remaining cards form the stock pile.
How to Play
Starting with the player left of the dealer, players try to meld off as much cards as they can. A player begins their turn by first drawing from the stock. If they cannot make any melds with their cards, they draw another card from the stock. If they still can’t make any melds, they draw a final card from the stock and end their turn, even if they can make a meld with the drawn card.
Notably, a player may rearrange all of the melded cards as long as they return to valid melds at the end of their turn.
Melds
A player makes a meld by either having three or more of a kind or by having three or more of a run. A run is made of three or more cards of the same suit in increasing or decreasing order. When a player makes a meld they lay it face up on the table.
Melds are communal, meaning once a meld is made, another player can continue the sequence/set with their own cards.
Joker
Jokers are wildcards. If a player has the card that the Joker is replacing, they can swap the two and get the joker to make their own melds.
Knocking
Once a player has a hand of 5 or less points, a player can choose to “knock” and end the round.
Scoring
In Carousel:
Jokers are worth 25 points.
Face cards are worth 10 points.
Cards 2-10 are worth their face value.
Aces are worth 1 point.
Once somebody Knocks, the player with the least number of points in their hand wins the difference between their opponents’ hand and their own.
If a player Knocks after playing all of their cards, they win a 25 point bonus.
If a player Knocks while somebody else has a lower hand than them, the person with the lower hand wins the points for the round and a 10 point bonus.
For more information about Carousel, check out The Rummy Rule book here or Pagat.com’s article here.
Looking for more card games to play? Check out this article:
About the author: John Taylor is a content writer and freelancer through the company Upwork.com. You may view his freelancing profile here. He has a B. A. in English, with a specialty in technical writing, from Texas A&M University and a M. A. in English from the University of Glasgow. You may view his previous articles about card games here and his LinkedIn profile here.
In the world of casino games, roulette sits somewhere between online slots and blackjack. If the latter involves a decent amount of skill and the other does not, then roulette is a mixture of both. You place your bets as strategically as you like, but the wheel in motion decides the outcome.
However, if you’ve ever read anything about live or online roulette, you’ll know there are various betting techniques that some believe improve your results.
No roulette strategy can ever be 100% effective. However, there are some advantages to roulette betting strategies such as the Martingale. Again, there isn’t a single tip we can offer that will help you influence the outcome of a game. But you may be able to get an edge if you’re willing to think outside of the box.
In this guide, we’re going to take you outside of the proverbial box and offer some advanced roulette tips that have been used in casinos all over the world, though they won’t necessarily work in a live game. We’ve put together some of the most popular advanced online and live roulette techniques
Moving On From Basic Roulette Strategy
The main benefit of basic roulette strategy is structure. By following a set betting pattern, you have more control over those bets. For example, if you use the Martingale technique, you know that you must double your bets following a loss and reset after a win.
The idea behind these systems is that they follow a set pattern, giving you some direction or goal. Neither can swing the odds in your favour, but that’s not the point: basic roulette strategy and betting techniques are designed to mitigate risk, so you stand a better chance of riding the natural ups and downs of the game.
When it comes to advanced roulette strategy, things are slightly different. In general, you’re looking for some sort of anomaly or bias that you could exploit to get ahead. In practice, the chances of spotting a trait you can exploit are extremely slim. Even if you do, it’s not easy to take advantage of.
Who Should Use Advanced Roulette Strategy?
It should be obvious but advanced roulette tips should only be used by experts. If you’ve been playing for a while, you may be able to consider these tactics. If, however, you’re new to playing roulette online or live, it’s best to stick with the basics. In fact, the best thing you can do is learn about the game’s structure, devise a system that suits your own preferences and go with that.
At the end of the day, roulette, like the online slots other casino games in our Vegas hub, is about having fun. If you spend too much time worrying about how to win at roulette or roulette cheats, you’ll miss the experience.
How To Win at Roulette: Why Things Don’t Always Work Out
No roulette strategy is guaranteed to work, even if you follow the guidelines to a tee. Therefore, when you’re reading through the tips below, keep in mind that success isn’t assured.
Advanced Roulette Strategy – The Top Non-Standard Roulette Tips
If you’re confident you understand the basics of roulette online and you want to expand your horizons, advanced strategy might be for you. In the following sections, you’ll learn more about advanced roulette strategies, what they are and how they could help you.
Dealer Signature
If you play roulette inside a casino or online via a web stream, you can try using the Dealer Signature strategy. Before we get into the nuances of this roulette strategy, let’s talk about the main idea. Dealers are humans and, because of that, they often slip into set patterns.
Unlike the random number generators (RNGs) that control automated online roulette games, live tables are managed by real people. So there could be times when a dealer makes certain moves repeatedly without realising it. If you accept that this strategy is plausible, it’s accepted in roulette circles that a dealer will develop what’s called a “signature” (habit) after 1,000 spins.
To test this theory, you’d need to watch the dealer for an extended period. Eventually, you may pick out some habits that could allow you to predict where the ball may land. Naturally, you’re not going to predict the exact number. However, if you can spot patterns in the following areas, you may be able to build up an idea of what section/area of the wheel the ball is going to land.
Dealer Signature patterns could include:
Where do they drop the ball?
How fast do they drop it?
At what angle do they drop it?
If – and it’s a big if – you can spot patterns in these areas, you may be able to predict where the ball is going to land. However, even if you do notice certain habits, it’s still tough to guess where the ball will stop as there are many other factors involved in addition to the dealer.
Wheel Bias Analysis
When you play roulette online, the outcome is controlled by a random number generator (RNG). These algorithms are also used in online slots, blackjack, and any other digital casino game. In simple terms, RNGs use complex mathematical equations to create random results. For you as a player, this means there are no distinguishable patterns or biases. To put it another way, everything is 100% fair and random, 100% of the time.
In centuries gone by, this may not have always been the case in some of the world’s smaller land-based casinos. Although a biased wheel is extremely rare in live venues today, it’s something that can happen due to a defect. Whether a wheel is slightly worn on one side or its internal mechanics have been compromised, roulette wheels have been known to develop a bias.
The idea of a biased wheel has been around for more than a century, but one of the first investigations into the phenomenon came courtesy of Joseph Jagger. The English engineer predicted that, theoretically, it was possible for wheels to develop a bias. Using his knowledge of engineering and how certain mechanisms can break down over time, he decided to test his theory in the 19th century. With the help of six croupiers, he was able to analyse results from a roulette table inside the Beaux Arts Casino, Monte Carlo.
Historical Analysis Leads To Modern Reliability
After thousands of spins, Jagger spotted patterns that didn’t tally up with the odds. In other words, certain numbers appeared more than they mathematically should have. With the ball drifting more towards a certain section of the wheel, Jagger agreed that a bias had developed. From this, the idea of biased roulette wheels became better understood by the mainstream.
In practice, strict gaming rules are in place to ensure roulette wheels inside a live casino aren’t biased. Constant checks are performed and, if any defects are spotted, the wheel is removed. However, in the 19th century, the checks weren’t always as strict. Fortunately, things have changed. What’s more, we now have online roulette. Playing online eliminates the possibility of a bias wheel by default. Because games are powered by RNGs, you never have to worry that a fault has developed, and the numbers aren’t spinning in randomly as they should.
Visual Ballistics
For a roulette strategy based on scientific principles, this is the one to use. Taking a concept from physics and applying it to a game of chance, this technique requires you to predict where the ball is going to land by calculating certain variables. Just as scientists can predict where a ball is going to land based on its weight, how hard someone has thrown it, the air density and other factors, theory is that it’s be possible to do the same in roulette.
When the wheel is spun and the ball is released, there’s a certain amount of inertia that has to be used up. When the ball has slowed to a sufficient speed, it will drop into a number. If you’re able to calculate the speed of the wheel, the speed of the ball and when it was first dropped, you may have a chance of predicting where it’s going to land with more accuracy.
As you’d expect, the calculations aren’t going to be 100%, far from it. We don’t have lasers for eyes, so we can’t log the exact speed of the ball or the moment it was dropped and where. You may be able to make estimates though. If you can, there’s a slim chance you can work out which section of the wheel the ball is likely to stop, based on all the variables in play.
How To Win at Roulette: Other Advanced Strategies
If the trio of techniques outlined above seem too complex or too farfetched, here’s a quick rundown of some other advanced strategies you might want to try:
Oscar’s Grind: With this system, you’re aiming for a series of small wins. To start, you divide your chips into two equal piles of 12. From here, you bet on 1-12 with your first stack and 25-36 with your second. Assuming a number in the second 12 doesn’t hit, you’ll make an 11-unit profit.
The Lucky 7 System: If you’ve got a large bankroll, this system can give you an 18.93% chance of winning. In simple terms, you need to select seven numbers and bet on each of them straight up. If you win, you stick to betting the same amount. If you lose, you increase your bet according to a set chart.
The important thing to note here is this can be an expensive strategy and should only be used by someone with the appropriate funds. In general, you’ll need at least €3,000 to try this technique if you’re betting €1 per number. This is to ensure you’re able to cope with an extended losing run. Indeed, there may be times when you go through 20 spins and don’t win (if you reach this point, you stop for the session). Therefore, you need a bankroll that can handle those swings.
In reality, if the system requires that much of a financial buffer, you actually need a lot more money in your bankroll. Whichever roulette betting technique you’re using, however much you’re staking, you always need a surplus. If the potential costs of this strategy are €3,000, you should have at least €6,000. You need to ensure that you can comfortably afford the ups and downs. This is known as bankroll management and is all part of a responsible gambling approach.
To start, you need to stake €1 per number for a total outlay of €7. When you win, you stick at the current level. If you lose, you increase the bet per number according to the table below. The reason the bets increase as they do is to ensure that, if you win, your profit will outweigh the amount you’ve wagered to that point.
Round
Stake Per Number
Number of Picks
Profit When You Win
1
€1
7
€28
2
€1
7
€22
3
€1
7
€15
4
€1
7
€8
5
€3
7
€59
6
€3
7
€38
7
€5
7
€75
8
€5
7
€40
9
€7
7
€63
10
€7
7
€14
11
€13
7
€139
12
€13
7
€48
13
€21
7
€189
14
€21
7
€21
15
€35
7
€301
16
€35
7
€56
17
€59
7
€507
18
€59
7
€94
19
€100
7
€870
20
€100
7
€170
As you can see, the stake per number gradually increases. Again, this is to ensure you make a profit any time one of your numbers comes in.
Using These Online Roulette Tips Wisely
The techniques listed here are both complex. Even though they are based on sound principles, the principles aren’t always in play. For example, if you can spot a biased wheel, there’s a strong chance you can predict where the ball is going to land, but wheels don’t usually have a bias. And, if they do, they’re taken out of service. So, while it’s great to know these techniques, it’s important to understand that they’re not always practical.
To test out any of these tips or simply have fun playing roulette online, join LiveRoulette!
Faro is a historical casino game for two or more players. It requires a standard 52 card deck, an extra set of 13 cards for each rank, a set of betting chips for each player, and a penny for each player. In Faro, Aces are low and Kings are high. The objective is to win the most bets.
If you are looking for cards to play Faro with, check out a standard deck here or check out one of our recent arrivals here.
For more casino games, check out our guides for In-Between and Baccarat.
To set-up a game a Faro, place the extra 13 cards in two rows face up in the middle of the playing table. These cards make up the tableau. From the top left going right, the card order should be King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, and 8. The 7 should be placed to the right of and halfway down from the 8. The 6 should then be placed to the left of the 7 and directly below the 8. From the 6 going left, the card order should be 5, 4, 3, 2, and Ace.
The dealer sits opposite of the players with a faced down deck of shuffled cards in-front of them. Players bring their own chips to bet with. Every player receives a penny to bet against cards with.
How to Play
The dealer begins the game by showing everyone the top card of the deck. The card is then placed face up to the side of the gameplay area. Players then place bets on one of the cards in the tableau. Next the dealer draws two card from the deck and places them face up for all the players to see. The first card is the loser. The second card is the winner. Bets on the first card are lost. Bets on the second card receive 1:1 payout from the dealer.
The flipped over cards are placed to the side and another round begins. Players can move their bets around, keep them where they were or begin placing bets on multiple cards. Multiple players can bet on the same card. Gameplay continues until the deck runs out.
Misc. Rules
A player can bet that the winning card is higher than the losing card by placing chips next to the deck. Payout is 1:1.
A player can bet on the losing card by placing a penny on top of their chip.
When the deck has three cards left, players can bet on the order of the final draw.
If the losing and winning cards are of the same rank, then the dealer receives half of the bet made.
If a player places a bet on a card that has already been drawn four times from the deck, the first person (player or dealer) who notices can say “dead bet” and receive the chips.
History
(A game of Faro in 1895)
Faro was first played in 18th century France. It was named after the picture of an Egyptian pharaoh that appeared on many French playing cards. The game spread eastward towards Russia and eventually reached the American West in the 1800’s. By 1925, the game became virtually extinct as Baccarat and Blackjack took over as the more popular games at casinos.
For more information about Faro, check out David Parlett’s article here or Pagat.com’s article here.
Looking for more card games to play? Check out this article:
About the author: John Taylor is a content writer and freelancer through the company Upwork.com. You may view his freelancing profile here. He has a B. A. in English, with a specialty in technical writing, from Texas A&M University and a M. A. in English from the University of Glasgow. You may view his previous articles about card games here and his LinkedIn profile here.
Online casinos are fun and entertaining, however, it’s always good to remember to play safe, be it with regards to responsible gaming, playing on licensed sites or choosing secure payment methods.
During these emergency measures, the safety and well-being of our players is our top priority, which is why we’re reminding you of our safer gambling tools.
Gamble Responsibly
We want you to have fun but be responsible every time you play with us. LiveRoulette encourages its players to gamble responsibly, and to use your funds wisely. Borrowing money to play, spending more than you can afford or using money which has been saved for other reasons is not the right way to go, as it can cause problems for yourself and the people around you.
LiveRoulette has several responsible gaming tools in place to help you play in the right way. You can set up your own gaming limits, budgets and boundaries. We work together with the Global Gaming Guidance Group (G4) to provide players with the tools to prevent unhealthy gaming behaviour. Here’s a recap of our top tools:
Set Deposit Limits
If you’re spending more time at home or you’re spending more time online, you can control your funds with a daily, weekly or monthly deposit limit. You can set up these limits through My Account and accessing the Responsible Gaming page. You’ll also be prompted to set a limit when you first open an account.
Use Reality Checks
These days, most online casinos offer cool-off options, from 24-hour time outs to more permanent solutions. Need a reality check on your gaming? No problem. With LiveRoulette you can be notified through a Reality Check which helps you keep track of how long you’ve been playing. You can be informed every 15 minutes, 30 minutes, one or two hours, depending on the frequency you choose.
The Reality Check feature will automatically stop the game you’re currently playing until you either decide to continue with the game or you choose to exit. This feature gives you a detailed breakdown of your online casino activity, such as information about your current gaming session with regards to time spent and information regarding any wins and losses.
Take Time Out
Think you might be playing too much? Give yourself time to cool off by temporarily suspending your account.
For players who may wish to self-exclude on a more permanent basis, LiveRoulette and a number of online casinos allow you to register with GamStop. GamStop is a handy and free service which allows players to self-exclude from all online gambling companies which are licensed in Great Britain. To find out more information and to sign up for this service simply visit www.gamstop.co.uk.
Take A Self-Assessment Test
If you’re concerned about the possibility of developing a gambling problem you can try our online Self-Assessment test (if you’re a registered player), and see what the results show. If your test result has reason to concern you, consider activating a timeout on your account or contact customer support to receive further advice.
Protect Your Kids
It’s illegal for anyone under 18 to open a casino account in the UK, and we take all the necessary precautions to ensure we do not attract or target minors. All accounts are fully age-verified before anyone can play, and if an account cannot be verified for any reason it is suspended, and no play can go ahead.
Whilst you and your children might be spending more time at home, there are measures you can take to ensure that your children aren’t exposing to gambling sites:
Do not play in front of your children or minors.
Log out as soon as you’ve finished playing.
Keep any card details secure and out of reach.
Do not use auto-fill for email addresses, passwords and other account details such as usernames.
If you share your computer with people who are not yet of age, you can install software such as NetNanny to monitor, limit and protect your family from harmful content.
A Final Word Of Advice
Do not gamble if you feel anxious, tired or frustrated, and do not let your gambling get in the way of your daily activities. Gambling is not a solution to financial problems and should be done with your entertainment budget, not with your phone bill or rent money.
Decide how much you can afford to lose before you start playing, and remember once it’s gone, it’s gone. Apart from setting monetary limits, set yourself a time limit or a particular time window for play.
Get More Help
Should you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact us or call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133.
Picking 12 winning teams across multiple sports in a single day is no easy task, but that’s exactly what Joe from Cambridge, ON, did on a cold January day when he chose the victors across a series of a dozen hockey and basketball games.
Once the Florida Panthers finished off the Colorado Rockies late that evening – a game Joe called “a nail-biter until the end” – the Ontario construction worker netted nearly $80,000 on a $10 parlay ticket playing PROLINE.
With 12 games needing to go his way, the odds were not in Joe’s favour. In fact, they were stacked against him by a factor of about 8000 to 1. If he played such a ticket once per week for his entire life, chances are he’d never win. No matter the odds, though, there are no guaranteed outcomes when it comes to sports gambling. Anything can happen. Joe trusted his gut and used his own knowledge of the teams and sports he wagered on. And in this case, his risk paid off.
When playing odds like that, never assume a win is in the cards. Play for the fun of playing. Winning, if it happens, is just the sugar on top.
May the Odds Be Ever in Your Favour
You’re never guaranteed to win when placing a bet. An undefeated team going up against the worst in the league still has a very real chance of losing. No outcomes are certain. That’s a huge part of the thrill of sports, and it’s also the main part of the fun of betting.
Betting odds are calculated by teams of sports analysts who use algorithms that take into consideration an enormous variety of factors that affect the chances of a team winning or losing a particular contest. The goal is to provide players a clear picture of how likely it is that one team will best another so that they can make informed wagering decisions.
But there’s no such thing as a sure bet. Great athletes can make errors or get hurt, and mediocre teams can find their groove and rally to come back. Consider your bets money spent, and never count on a big return.
How to Play Smart
The best way to play smart is to set a bankroll (that’s wagering talk for budget). Decide the limit you’re willing to spend on betting each day, week, or month with no expectation of earning anything back. Once you hit that limit, stop – regardless of whether you’re up or down. Don’t try to win back your losses. And know to quit when you’re ahead – losing your winnings can hurt as much as watching your favourite team blow a three-goal lead in the final period.
Learn more about wagering, too. Get to know the different markets – the types of outcomes you’re betting on, like over/under and point spread – so that you can make better decisions on game results you think may happen. And make sure you have a handle on how odds are calculated using the decimal, American, and fractional systems to better understand your chances of winning.
Whatever you do, don’t fall into the trap of thinking a particular team is due for a win, or that a winning streak is bound to be snapped. Remember that the 1993 Dallas Mavericks lost 39 of their first 41 games, and that the 1972 Miami Dolphins won all 14 regular-season and all three postseason games for a perfect season. There’s no telling how many games a team will win or lose before their fortunes change!
Play for the Fun of the Game
Betting is a game – and much like the sports we bet on, the reason it’s fun is because of the mixture of skill and luck involved. It’s our chance to put a little skin in the game.
Setting your knowledge and understanding of sports, teams, and players against the odds established by sports analysts is thrilling and often gratifying. If it comes with a payout – as it did for Joe – great!
The key is to never expect a win. Placing bets is a thrill, but no bets are sure. That’s the best mindset for playing smart.
Roulette is a casino game with an infinite number of spins.
Players bet on the outcome of the ball in the roulette wheel, or its position relative to numbers on the board or in relation to other numbers.
The game is played by placing bets with chips on various portions of the roulette table, which can correspond either to numbers, colors, or even whether the player is betting “even” or “odd”.
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Roulette is a game played with a spinning wheel that has slots for placing bets. In this game, the players place their chips on the table as they choose one of the numbers or colors on the wheel. The croupier spins the wheel and then spins it again after all of the players have placed their bets.
In order to win, you have to bet on a number or color that is coming up in a random fashion under one of those two spins. You can also bet on a specific range of numbers or colors by putting your chips at the back edge of those numbers or colors. There is also an option called “outside bets” which are any other number outside of 0 and 00 that you can place your bet on.
Blackjack is one of the easiest casino table games to grasp, but it can take you a little longer to master. With the aid of this comprehensive guide on how to play blackjack, we can equip you with the skillset and knowledge to have fun even when you are sat playing against a real dealer in the LiveRoulette live casino.
With over 20 live blackjack tables to choose from at LiveRoulette, there is always an opportunity to play a basic hand of blackjack or dabble with some of the side bet variants that can switch-up your gameplay. Before you get started, why not familiarise yourself with the basics of blackjack and get to grips with an optimal strategy to minimise the house edge.
The on-screen layout of a live blackjack table
From the moment you load up your live casino blackjack table, you will meet a friendly, professionally trained dealer to manage your game. You can see the seven-player seats around the table. Vacant seats will say ‘Sit Here’ and you only need to click to join the action.
The display of your account balance is in the bottom left corner of the screen and you can choose the size of your stake in the ‘Total Bet’ button next to it. Click the inner circle of your seat position once to bet one unit. You can also click on the side bet areas to place additional bets if you wish.
It’s possible to chat with the dealer and the other players at the table in real-time using the ‘Lobby’ button in the bottom right corner of the screen.
Card values in live blackjack
The values of cards in a game of blackjack are easy to follow. They correspond to their numerical value displayed on the card. Face cards (Jack, Queen and King) are worth ten, while an Ace can be worth either one or 11 and played however you see fit.
In-play actions available in live blackjack
Hit
By ‘hitting’, you’re requesting an additional card from the dealer to try and improve your hand(s). You can continue to hit cards until your hand value is 21 or greater.
Stand
You can choose to stand on your hand, which means that you are happy with the value of your cards and don’t require any more from the deck. You may choose to stand your hand to avoid exceeding 21 and going bust.
Split
When a dealer gives you two cards of equal value, you can split them. Splitting turns these cards into two separate hands, with the dealer giving you one additional card for each hand. You must pay to split. The additional bet must be equal to your starting stake.
Double Down
If you believe one additional card will improve your hand to defeat the dealer, you may choose to double down. You’ll only get one more card from the deck and you must double your starting stake.
Insurance
Whenever the dealer’s upcard is an Ace, the dealer will offer you an insurance side bet which can cover your losses if the dealer has a blackjack.
How many hands can you play in live blackjack?
You can play as many hands as you want at most live blackjack tables. Wherever there is a vacant seat at the table, you can normally use it to play multiple hands in different seats – providing you have the bankroll for it. Unlike other card games such as Texas Hold’em Poker, where it’s not possible to take up multiple seats at a table, you can do so in blackjack because you are not playing against the other players at the table, only the dealer’s hand.
What does bet behind mean?
At some live casino blackjack tables, you may have the option to ‘bet behind’ another active player at the table. This means that you will be betting on your chosen player’s hand to beat the dealer’s hand. Although you will have no say or control over how the hand turns out, you obviously have a choice as to which player you choose to bet behind.
Each active player at the table will have icons displayed next to their name, displaying how well they are playing. Those on a ‘hot’ or winning streak will usually have a gold medal or star next to their name.
How does the dealer play their hand?
You should now know how to play your blackjack hand at the tables, but do you know how the dealer plays their own hand? Put simply, if the dealer’s first two cards add up to 16 or less, they must hit and take an additional card. If their first two cards value is between 18 and 21, they must stand and take no further cards.
If the dealer has a ‘hard’ 17, they must stand. A hard 17 is a hand that does not contain an ace or has one or more aces with the value at one. If the dealer has a ‘soft’ 17, they must hit and take an additional card. A soft 17 is a hand that does contain an ace with the value being at 11.
The dealer’s hand automatically wins the round if your hand busts, or if the option is available to surrender your hand and half of your original stake. Their hand also wins if it is closer to 21 than yours. If you and the dealer have hands of the same value, then this is a ‘push’. In this event, you receive your original stake in full due to the tied game.
It’s worth noting that the dealer has very little say in how they play their hand. They must adhere to the house rules of standing on hard 17 and hitting on soft 17. Under no circumstances can they change tac and play their hand differently.
Available payouts at the blackjack tables
First and foremost, if you win a hand of live blackjack against the dealer’s hand, you will win a payout worth 1:1. If you bet €10, you’ll receive €10 in winnings, plus your €10 stake back.
It’s a little less straightforward for blackjacks. Some tables payout 6:5 for blackjack, while others will pay 3:2. For example, if you bet €10 and get a blackjack at a 6:5 blackjack table, you’ll receive €12 in winnings, plus your €10 stake back. If you bet €10 and get a blackjack at a 3:2 blackjack table, you’ll get €15 in winnings, plus your €10 stake back.
If you choose to take out the insurance bet, this pays out at 2:1 in the event the dealer lands a natural two-card blackjack.
Side bets in live blackjack
Although bet behind is also considered a side bet option, there are two primary side bets that you can place when sat at most of our live blackjack tables:
21+3 Let’s start with the 21+3 side bet. This one happens around the first two cards you receive, as well as the dealer’s visible ‘upcard’. If you can form a three-card poker hand using your first two cards and the dealer’s upcard (flush, straight, straight flush or three-of-a-kind) you will win a payout. The size of the payout depends on what kind of poker hand you can form. It typically ranges from 5:1 for a flush through to 100:1 for three-of-a-kind cards of the same suit.
Perfect Pairs Perfect Pairs is the second most popular side bet you’ll find at our live blackjack tables. This optional side bet requires you to find matching card values, card colours or, better still, two identical cards. You can win 5:1 for a Mixed Pair, such as a pair of eights of different suits. You can win 12:1 for a Coloured Pair, like a pair of sixes of the same colour i.e. diamonds or hearts. Finally, you can also bag 25:1 payouts for a Perfect Pair, which is two identical cards.
Understanding optimal strategy in live blackjack
The key to giving yourself the best chance of winning at the live casino blackjack tables is to adopt a smart strategy. A smart strategy is one that minimises the game’s house edge. With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the betting techniques you should employ as part of an optimal blackjack strategy:
Doubling down on 10 and 11 Some casinos will only allow players to double down on hands when their initial two-card hand is worth 10 or 11. Doubling down on 10 or 11 is a powerful play, particularly if the dealer’s hand is lower. It may even be prudent to double down when your hand is worth nine and the dealer’s hand is of a lower value still.
Splitting Aces and 8s If you have a pair of aces in your hand, this is a hard or soft total of 12. This is rarely a good situation to be in. There’s a high probability of landing a face card or a ten with your next card and going bust. Splitting them gives you a chance to potentially land two blackjacks or two cards valued higher than 12.
A pair of eights is a hard total of 16, which means there are plenty of cards in the deck that could bust your hand when you hit. Splitting your eights into two hands gives you a chance to land a ten on both hands to achieve 18, which is a respectable outcome in this scenario.
Avoid taking Insurance Whenever the dealer’s upcard is an ace, you will get the chance to buy ‘Insurance’. This requires you to pay half the size of your original stake as a side bet, which pays out 2:1 if the dealer has a blackjack, ensuring you break even for the hand. The dealer will not have a blackjack more than 50% of the time, so Insurance is a statistically bad play – unless you are certain their next card will be a ten.
Surrender 16 against a ten (if allowed) If early or late ‘Surrender’, the best time to use it is when you have a hand value of 16 against the dealer’s ten. There are plenty of cards in the deck that can bust your hand and a similar amount that can give the dealer’s hand an unassailable advantage. That’s why it makes more sense to cut your losses and surrender half your stake in this position.
Live blackjack variations
Not content with conventional live blackjack games? We’ve got you covered. At LiveRoulette, you can immerse yourself in three different blackjack variations. All of which offer exciting, fast-paced gameplay, available on all desktop and mobile devices.
Speed Blackjack
Are you short on time? If you don’t have a moment to waste, Speed Blackjack could be the ideal solution for you. Powered by LiveRoulette partner Evolution Gaming, Speed Blackjack accelerates the gameplay wherever possible. The first two cards play as normal, but the next step is completely different.
In Speed Blackjack, the quickest players to make their decision to stand, hit, split or double down will play first with the dealer. It reduces the waiting time for experienced players that know what they are doing, even if it does not provide a mathematical edge to your action.
Infinite Blackjack
If you are someone that can only devote time to playing live blackjack during ‘peak’ hours, the chances are that most live blackjack tables will be full of players when you log in. There’s no need to worry about not being able to play though, thanks to our Infinite Blackjack tables.
As the name suggests, these low bet limit tables cater to an unlimited number of players, with no need to wait for a seat to become available. That’s because all active players receive a ‘community’ two-card hand. Subsequently, each player can play the remainder of the hand however they wish. There are no less than four side bets to choose from too.
Blitz Blackjack
Blitz Blackjack, powered by LiveRoulette partner NetEnt, operates on the same principle as Infinite Blackjack. All players receive the same two cards on-screen from the dealer and are then given the option to hit, stand and split the two cards to make the remainder of the hand their own. Again, there is no limit on the number of players that can play at these tables, which is great for peak hour gaming.
Blackjack is not a complex or scary casino game. You can grasp it within minutes and start to enjoy yourself at the tables of our Canadian online casino!
