Governor Brendan Byrne holds bill--the Casino Control Act-- he had just signed on June 2, 1977 establishing process for licensing casinos before crowd in front of Atlantic City Convention Hall. Image: New Jersey State Archives
- Overview
Through much of its history following its incorporation as a city in 1854, Atlantic City was known not only as a "family" resort, but also for its tolerance of vice. By the 1930s, Enoch "Nucky" Johnson, Its famous long-time political boss, defended its reputation: “We have whisky, wine, women, song and slot machines. I won’t deny it and I won’t apologize for it. If the majority of the people didn’t want them, they wouldn’t be profitable and they would not exist.” As Johnson suggested, gambling was one of the key attractions boosting the City's popularity, fueling the profits of hotels and taverns, as well as bribes and kickbacks to local police and politicians.
Over time, however, the City's appeal to visitors declined as newer resorts, particularly those in the south and west accessible by affordable air travel, grew in popularity as the City's hotels and other visitor amenities deteriorated. The poor state of the City's hotels was perhaps made most striking when the 1964 Democratic National Convention was held in the City, with George Meany, president of the AFL-CIO and a plumber by trade, shortly after checking in to his hotel, returned to the reception desk to report that the handle on his bathroom sink had come off in his hand as he tried to turn on the water. "National media had a field day reporting on how rundown and shoddy Atlantic City had become. That profoundly negative publicity would haunt the resort’s reputation for a very long time.Atlantic City's Summer of '64: Hosting Democratic convention turned into referendum on resort's decline - nj.com
In the 1970s, after failed efforts to attract new investment by major hotel chains, interest turned to legalizing gambling, which had boosted the strong growth of Las Vegas and other Nevada sites, as a vehicle for renewal of Atlantic City. In 1974, New Jersey voters were asked to amend the state Constitution by allowing casino gambling to be permitted in Atlantic City and elsewhere in the state, a referendum soundly defeated by 60% of voters. Casino advocates regrouped, however, to again seek voter approval two years later of a revised referendum question to amend the Constitution to restrict casino gambling to Atlantic City alone. This revised plan was actively supported by Governor Brendan Byrne, who as a former prosecutor and judge had campaigned for office stressing an anti-corruption program; his advocacy of casino gambling was a significant aid assuring voters that gambling in Atlantic City could operate without the influence of organized crime that had pervaded the casinos in Las Vegas.
In November 1976, the referendum to authorize casino gambling in Atlantic City alone was approved by 56% of voters. In contrast to the question defeated in the 1974 referendum, additional voter support was gained by including a commitment that 15% of the gambling receipts would be placed in a dedicated fund for programs aiding seniors and persons with disabilities.
To implement the constitutional amendment, Governor Byrne signed the New Jersey Casino Control Act into law onJune 2, 1977. The Act also made clear that gambling was intended only as a tool to spark wider renewal of the aging resort, with gambling segregated on casino floors apart from other amenities in the hotels; the hotels required to have minimum numbers of guest rooms and designated non-gaming facilities; and limited gambling hours (a restriction later repealed to allow 24-hour play). In signing the implementing legislation, Byrne bluntly addressed continuing concerns that casino gambling--like that previously established in Nevada--would be infiltrated by organized crime, declaring “Keep your filthy hands off Atlantic City and keep the hell out of our state!”
Toward this goal, New Jersey established a rigorous licensing and regulatory process of prospective casino licensees and their key employees which led to rejection of some high-profile applicants, including the Hilton Hotels Corp. and the then principal owners of the Caesars casino group.
Under the Casino Control Act, state licensing and oversight of casino gambling and key casino employees are provided through a two-agency system:
The Casino Control Commissionis the politically independent, quasi-judicial, decision-making body, organized in (but not under the control of) the Department of Treasury which licenses casino-hotels and key employees.
The Division of Gaming Enforcement is a unit of the Department of Law & Public Safety headed by the Attorney General, supervises and conducts law enforcement over all persons, locations, practices and associations related to the operation of casinos and all related service industries. The division evaluates every table game to determine if the odds are fair and oversees strict internal controls designed to protect the integrity of the game. The Division also maintains a list of persons who are excluded or ejected from any licensed casino in New Jersey, such as career or professional offenders, cheats or criminal offenders. Other regulations related to casino gambling include enforcement of the minimum age of 21 to gamble and restriction of gambling to the casino floor, prohibiting any play in lobbies, restaurants, bars or other public spaces in the hotel.
The Atlantic City casino industry grew rapidly from its launch in May 1978 with the opening of the Resorts casino through the 1990s, but from 2006 through 2013, gambling revenue fell by more than 45%. Its contraction lagged with cyclical economic slowdowns, along with competition from out-of-state gambling, first from Native American sites in Connecticut begun in the 1990s which were followed by gambling allowed in Pennsylvania, Delaware and New York. The first Atlantic City casino-hotel closures were of The Claridge in 2001 and The Sands in 2006. In 2014, however, four of the then 12 casinos--Trump Plaza, The Atlantic Club, Showboat and the Revel--all closed, with the Revel's bankruptcy just 15 months after opening at a $2.4 billion construction cost perhaps the most spectacular failure. In 2016 the Trump Taj Mahal--the last operating casino-hotel of the Trump-owned group which previously also had included the Trump Plaza, Trump Castle, and Trump Marina--closed for the final time after prior bankruptcy filings of the Trump properties in 2004, 2009 and 2014.
Although in-house gaming at the casinos has flattened, with total revenues in 2022 only reaching the peak level of 2006 with the nine casinos collective gross operating profit of $731.2 million in 2022 down 4.6% from the profit they made in 2021, the industry has received a new infusion of revenue from the approval in 2016 of legislation allowing online wagering at casinos and racetracks. This was followed--after protracted litigation resulting in a US Supreme Court decision that a federal law prohibiting New Jersey from allowing sports betting was unconstitutional --by a law enacted in 2018 authorizing gambling on sports (with the exception of wagering on In-state collegiate teams and events).
In the summer of 2018, the former Trump Taj Mahal and Revel, both of which had been reorganized under new ownership after their initial bankruptcies, were extensively renovated and reopened under new names as, respectively. the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino and the Ocean Resort. But the COVID-19 pandemic, which resulted in casino closures during several weeks in 2020 followed by a continuing falloff of visitor traffic into 2021, again undercut revenues to the point that the industry's lobbyists claimed that four of the nine casinos might close, leading the legislature and Governor to enact legislation which in 2022 reduced the rate of increase in the level of payments paid by the casinos in lieu of property taxes to Atlantic City, Atlantic County and the local school district. The new formula resulted in a saving of over $50 million in the 2023 fiscal year, but did not affect taxes casinos must pay on internet gambling revenue (15%); online sports betting revenue (13%); and in-person casino revenue (9.25%).
For the 2022 calendar year, total gaming revenue reported by casinos, racetracks, and their internet partners was $5.21 billion, reflecting a 10% increase over the level reported for 2021. The nine casino hotel properties accounted for $2.79 billion, reflecting growth of 9% over 2021. Of the total for casinos, $1.66 billion came from internet gaming and $763 million for sports betting by gamblers at casinos, racetracks, and their online partners.
The casinos won $2.78 billion from in-person gamblers in 2022, compared with $2.68 billion in 2019, the last year before the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in weeks of casino closures and a subsequent slowdown in visitors to the City. But only three of the nine casinos — Borgata, Ocean and Resorts--had more in-person revenue in 2022 than they did in 2019. Borgata, the market leader, had $1.3 billion in overall gambling revenue, up 18.2% over 2021, followed by the Golden Nugget ($581 million, up 10.2%); Hard Rock ($576 million, up 12.7%); Ocean ($389 million, up 13.6%); Tropicana ($365 million, up 2.9%,) and Bally’s ($198 million, up 37.3%) Sports betting, both online and through in-person betting at the state’s casinos and racetracks, has become the most important component of recent revenue growth. As of January 2023, New Jersey had posted four consecutive months of over $1 billion in sports betting handle, roughly a quarter of the total sports betting revenue in the US reported in the 30 states including Washington D.C. which had legalized sports betting. For the National Football League Superbowl played in February 2023, preliminary statistics reported by Atlantic City casinos and New Jersey racetracks totaled approximately $109 million, with a projected total sports wagering payout of $96.5 million, resulting in a win of $12.8 million for the 12 retail sports books and 27 sports wagering mobile applications. Of the $11 billion in sports bets at New Jersey’s casinos and horse tracks during 2022, the casinos, tracks and their online partners kept $726 million as revenue after paying off winning bets and other expenses.
According to the American Gaming Association, casino-hotels and their partners account for 39,000 New Jersey jobs and $1.2 billion in annual tax revenue for all levels of government.
The odds of winning while gambling in Atlantic City casinos vary greatly depending on the game a bettor chooses to play Blackjack and craps are generally viewed as having the best odds for players;, the worst returns are for slots and big wheel spins, with poker highly dependent on the individual player's skills. The odds, however, of winning in any casino game are always in favor of the house, an advantage which is described as the "house edge". Despite periods when gamblers can have winning streaks, over the long run the player is more likely to lose money than make money based on the mathematical advantage given to the house. Bettors thus can slow, but not eliminate, their average losses by only placing bets with the smallest house advantage.
To encourage gamblers, the casino-hotels, along with online betting platforms, offer a variety of incentives. These can range from free spins at slot machines and initial cash bonuses for new bettors to more valuable "comps" for higher-volume players including meals, tickets to shows, free rooms and travel.
Compulsive or problem gambling refers to a condition where people are, to varying degrees, addicted to gambling. The New Jersey state government provides funding for education and treatment programs for people with a gambling problem. and, along with nonprofit organizations, has taken various steps to offer help for those prone to excessive gambling. All print billboard or sign-based advertising by gambling sites must contain the phrase “If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help call 1-800-GAMBLER” and any on-site advertising of casinos must contain the phrase “Bet with your head – not over it.”
The state Division of Gaming Enforcement maintains a Self Exclusion Program through which problem gamblers can voluntarily enroll to be prohibited from entering a casino. In January 2023, the state also launched an innovative program, believed to be the first of its kind, to monitor online betting activity of individual gamblers who consent to have their play monitored to help them avoid problem gambling patterns, with notices warning gamblers demonstrating high betting volume or increasing value of their bets with automated warning notices escalating to personal outreach to caution against excessive gambling. Bills pending in the state legislature in 2023 would create a gambling treatment diversion court as an alternative to incarceration, similar to the “drug courts” for substance addictions, and another proposed bill would require school districts to provide instruction on the risk of compulsive gambling as early as ninth grade.
Nonprofit organizations also sponsor programs to promote responsible gambling. The Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey, for example, is a private non-profit organization providing information, education and referral services for people affected by a gambling problem, including maintaining a free and confidential 1-800-GAMBLER® Helpline available 24 hours a day, along with additional resources such as referrals to Certified Compulsive Gambling Counselors and in-patient facilities through its website www.800gambler.org
Slot machines are the most popular options in casino gambling, largely because they require no special skill in playing or knowledge of the rules. In 2022, Atlantic City casino win (total reported casino revenues) was $2.78 billion, with just over $2 billion from slot machines and about $742 million from table games.
Image: casinoslotstime.com
Slot machines In Atlantic City casinos are periodically tested by the technical unit of the Division of Gaming Enforcement to insure they payout at least 83% and that they do not mislead gamblers in their format or operation. In practice, however, slot machines in the casino-hotels and over online platforms return well over the minimum 83% return, with the best returns over 96%. The machines have evolved from the mechanical rolls of the original devices to become computerized, allowing faster play and more efficient digital payouts, thus reducing costs of labor and maintenance for the casinos.
Slot machines were first introduced in Brooklyn in 1891, with the game in a mechanical machine containing five drums holding a total of 50 card faces and the goal of the game adapted from winning poker hands. The first machines in many bars and taverns had players insert a nickel and pull a lever to spin the drums to display a poker hand. Modern machines have evolved to become computerized, allowing faster play and reducing costs of labor and maintenance for the casinos by replacing the traditional coin-based mechanical devices with digital displays offering a wide range of games, betting options and payouts. These include the popular jackpot machines which work by collecting some of the money staked and putting it towards a large jackpot prize. Individual slots players at the Borgata, for example, won over $1.5 million in 2023 and $3.5 million in 2021.
Gambling analysts suggest that the most common mistake of beginning slots players is to play too quickly, thus often exceeding any budget and continuing to play to fill time in the casino by trying to make up for losses. Before betting their own money, new slots players are advised to take time to watch other players, as well as to play the free games offered on the machines either in the casino or on online versions. Slots in free play mode are the same as when real-money is wagered, but allow practicing to get used to the game. In addition to free spins, most casinos also offer bonuses ranging from $10 to $100 of free bets as incentives to begin play. Again, given how quickly machines can be spun, it is important to set a firm budget, pacing gambling by taking a break when facing a losing streak and avoiding a single continuous session at one machine.
The machine is activated by the player pressing the ‘spin’ button to display a wheel with symbols on it on a horizontal row or "reel". The symbols align to form a "payline"--the line that runs across the reels and connects the symbols together. The objective is to get the highest possible payout by combining the same symbols on the payline, such as a row of all number "7"s. The higher the wager at each spin, the higher the payout will be.
In general, slot machines with higher coin or dollar denominations pay more money but typically have a house take of some 12% compared to around 6% for machines allowing lower bets. Accordingly, bettors are more likely to win on a game with a smaller jackpot than on machines offering large payouts, indicating that bettors with lower budgets focus on playing machines with more frequent, but smaller, payouts.
Some gambling analysts suggest, however, that online slots offer a better return than machines located within the casinos. According to one website, the average RTP for online slots ranges between 93% and 97% compared to the 91% average of land-based machines..
Slots generally have some of the worst odds of all casino gambling options, as the outcome of each spin is determined by a random number generator produced by a complex piece of software which determines the result of every spin. Since on a modern slot machine the outcome of each spin is random, regardless of how many times a machine has spun or what the outcomes of those spins were, the probability of the next result remains the same. Despite gamblers who look for "hot" machines, all spins of the machine are totally random.
Nonetheless, while spins on each machine are consistently random, experienced slots players seek to improve their results by researching statistics on returns calculated on the amount of money wagered. This calculation is described as the "Return to Player" or often by its acronym "RTP"--the percentage of money bet on a game that the game will ultimately, over the long-term, pay back to players. Accordingly, if a game has a 90% RTP, for every $100 bet on it, a player should expect to win back $90. It is important to note, however, that the percentage is over the long-term performance; in the short term, a player may never realize the slot’s true RTP before exhausting their funds in playing it.
Despite the minimum return required in New Jersey of 83%, the average RTP for most slot machines is significantly higher, with analysts reporting that RTPs above 92% are found at the top Atlantic City casinos. In early 2023, one casino website ranked the Tropicana, Caesars, Bally's and Borgata as all having RTPs ranging above 92%
According to igamingnj.com, popular high RTP slots for New Jersey gamblers include Starburst by NetEnt (RTP 96.01%); IGT’s Cleopatra (RTP 95.02%); and Big Time Gaming’s Bonanza’s (RTP of 96%)
Slot volatility is another concept playing a role in the winning rate from a particular slot machine. Low volatility assigned to slot games enables gamblers to have a higher winning probability, but with smaller jackpots in the range of 250 to 500 times the bet. High volatility slot machines are machines that have fewer opportunities to win but with much higher winning amounts compared to the low volatility machines
.A progressive slot works to have a jackpot that grows as the players’ bets are made. A predetermined percentage goes directly to the jackpot each time a bet is made by any player betting on this exact slot. It then continues to grow until a player makes the jackpot, with no upper limit to how large a jackpot can be before it is paid out. To calculate the odds of winning on a progressive slot, analysts advise looking at how many reels are on the slot game and how many symbols are on each reel; reviewing how the progressive jackpot is triggered; and avoiding machines which have posted recent wins. .In January 2023, a player on the MGM Grand Millions online slots jackpot game won over $2.8 million.
Craps is a game based on a roll of the dice on which players bet on which numbers will be displayed on the heads of the dice. To begin play, which is designated the "come-out roll", one person is the shooter who rolls the dice, and the other players place bets on the results of the roll. Gambling analysts suggest those new to playing take time to watch the game before joining to play and learn the betting options on the layout of the table. The minimum bet is usually $2 to $5.
The "pass line", which is labeled in large letters, is the area running around most of the the outer edge of the table. It is always opposite of where the stickperson stands. The pass line is where chips are placed to start the game by betting on the come-out roll.
The “don’t pass” bar above the pass line is a betting option for players who wish to bet against the shooter. The "come" and "don’t come" spaces are used for related bets later in the game.
To keep track of the game, the dealer places a disk or "puck" on the table. If the disk is flipped to its black side with the word “OFF,” a betting round is starting. On the first roll (the come-out roll), a 7 or an 11 means all bettors who bet on the pass line win. A roll of 2, 3, or 12 (called “craps” or “crapping out") means everyone loses.
Numbers like 4, 5, and 6 are neither wins nor losses. The rolled number becomes known as the “point.” On subsequent rolls, the shooter has to match that point before rolling a 7 to win. Other players at the table can place a bet on whether or not the shooter will win. According to one analyst, making a “pass line” bet on whether or not the shooter will win gives about 50/50 odds.
After a round starts, players may place their chips on the come space for a bet very similar to the pass bet. If the shooter rolls a 7 or 11, the player wins but loses If a 2, 3, or 12 is rolled. The come bet is separate from the pass line since a player may win the come bet with a 7 but lose the pass bet after the point is established. Similarly, play also may continue after a 2, 3, or 12 comes up.
A related option is the don’t come bet, where a win results for the player if the shooter rolls a 7 and a loss if their point number is rolled.
To become the shooter, a player has to place a pass or come bet; choose two of the five dice presented by the stickperson; and toss them using one hand with sufficient force so that they hit the rail on the opposite side of the table If the dice bounce off the table or fail to hit the back rail, the shooter is required to toss them again.
The pass line is the most basic element in craps betting and the best place to start when learning the game. A new round cannot begin until someone places a bet on the pass.
Another option is to bet on the don’t pass line. If a player takes this option, the wager is betting against everyone else. The player then wins if the shooter rolls a 2 or 3 but loses if the roll is a 7 or 11.
The most common number rolled is 7, followed by 6 and 8. The numbers 2 and 12 are least likely to appear because they require a pair of 1s or a pair of 6s, respectively.
Proposition bets, which have high odds in favor of the house but higher payouts for winning bets, are single roll bets separate from the main game. They are made by requesting that the dealer place chips on the rectangular box in the middle of the table on specific areas with phrases like “5 for 1” and images of dice. Proposition bets include betting that the shooter will roll an 8 as a pair of 4s or other specific outcomes. Gambling experts suggest that most players should avoid placing single-roll bets due to the high edge for the house, such as over 11% on rolls of 2, 3, or 12 or nearly 17% on a bet that the roll on both dice will be exactly a 7. This compares to the much lower house edges of 1.41% on a pass or come bet and 1.36% on don’t pass and don’t come bets.
Blackjack’s origins are traced to France in the 1700s, where it was “vingt-et-un” or "21" in French. It was brought to America with French colonists, becoming a popular game in the casinos of New Orleans.
The objective of the game is to beat the dealer's hand by having a hand value of 21 or close to 21, without exceeding it. All face cards (Jack, Queen, King) are worth 10 points. Aces are worth, at the player's choice, either 1 point or 11 points. Two cards are placed faceup before the player, and two more cards, one down, one up, before the dealer. A card’s suit doesn’t matter, only its numerical value—each face card is worth 10, and an ace can be either a one or an 11. The goal is to get to 21, or as close to it as possible without going over. Scanning the cards on the table, the player can either stand or keep taking cards in an effort to approach 21. Since the house’s hand has one card facedown, the player can’t know exactly what the hand is.
Card counters seek to gain an advantage by keeping a mental tally of every card dealt, and then adjusting the wager according to the value of the cards that remain in the deck. Card counting is based on statistical evidence that high cards (aces, 10s, and 9s) benefit the player, while low cards, (2s, 3s, 4s, 5s, 6s, and 7s) benefit the dealer. Common card-counting has the player keeping a running count based on each dealt card’s values and changing bets as the true count increases. In 1979, a decision by the the New Jersey Supreme Court held that casinos could not bar card counters, but those casinos who suspect that counting is being used may reduce the player's advantage by using more decks or more frequent deals, as well as barring those from their property.
The blackjack table is usually a half-moon shape with a dealer on one side and a series of seats for gamblers on the other side facing the dealer. The table limits of betting minimums and maximums are often displayed somewhere on the table, along with marked circles on the table that designate where chips should be placed.
The game begins before any cards are dealt with players making an initial required bet to “buy-in” or "ante" to play in the upcoming round. Each player is then dealt two cards faced down and the dealer also receiving two cards, but with one card faced up and one faced down. The first round of cards are dealt from left to right with the dealer getting the last card face down. If the dealer's faced-up card is an Ace, players have the option to "insure" their hand against a dealer's potential blackjack. When the dealer hits 21 on the first two cards (known as a "natural"), the round is automatically over unless another player also has 21, signifying a "push" between those two and the player keeps their bet. The dealer has the advantage because the player has to go first and If both "bust" by going over 21, the bettor loses and the dealer and house wins.
If the dealer and players do not have 21 after the first two cards are dealt, the round continues with cards dealt left to right also face up to everyone, including the dealer. The player then decides whether to ask to be "hit" to receive more cards or choose to "stand" (keep their current hand) until they reach 21 or close to it without going over.
The dealer must be hit if their hand value is less than 17 and must stand on 17 or higher. A "Soft 17" describes a hand worth 17 which includes an Ace (such as an Ace and a 6), where the Ace is counted either as 1 or 11. A Soft hand cannot bust if the player takes one more card; in contrast, a hard hand is one without an Ace, or which includes an Ace but it can bust if another card is taken. On the other hand, a pair of cards without an Ace counted as 11 is called a "hard" hand, such as combinations of 10 and 7 or a three- card hand of 7, 9 and Ace.
Other options for players include exercising a "double down" when a player takes one more card, stands, and doubles their bet at the same time
A player dealt two of a kind can choose to “split” the hand, which means each of the cards is played as a separate hand with the first card of each separate hand the original of the two that were dealt and two more cards are dealt, in effect doubling the bet.
"Surrender" is the option for a player to fold their hand and allows the player to lose only half of their original bet. This option is used as a tactic when players feel they have been dealt a bad hand, such as when the dealer’s exposed card is either a 9, 10 or Ace and the sum of the player's hand is 16. .
The odds of winning a hand in blackjack depend on several factors, including the number of decks in play, the rules of the game, and the player's strategy. Generally, the odds are slightly in favor of the house, but skilled players can increase their chances of winning by using basic strategy. In 2011, a skilled blackjack player won $5.8 million at the Tropicana, $5 million at the Borgata, and $4 million at Caesars.
A common strategy is to always hit on a hand value of less than 17, stand on 17 or higher; 16 stands against dealer 2 through 6, otherwise hit.
Poker is the casino table game which attracts many experienced gamblers and is the most dependent on player skill for winning. It is, however, according to a Rutgers University research study of New Jersey gamblers published in 2017, the game which has the highest percentage of high‐risk problem gamblers.
Atlantic City casinos have aggressively promoted poker, with three-- Borgata, Tropicana, and Harrah’s--offering designated poker rooms allowing players to play traditional poker games against each other instead of playing casino poker games against the house. The Borgata, which has the most poker room tables in Atlantic City, also has become a leading global poker venue through its hosting of the World Poker Tour® (WPT) and other prominent tournaments attracting both professional and less-advanced players. The WPT Borgata Poker Open held in Atlantic City posts millions in guaranteed prizes. Caesars Entertainment, parent of the Caesars, Tropicana and Harrah's casino-hotels in Atlantic City, also owns the World Series of Poker®, which allows players in New Jersey, Nevada and Delaware to play online against each other both in cash games and tournaments.
There are several poker variants, although Texas HoldEm is the most popular. Other poker games include Omaha (); Stud: (); 3 and 4-card (); Pai Gow Poker: Traditional Chinese gambling game played with cards or tiles); The odds of winning in poker vary greatly depending on the specific game and skill level of the bettor. In general, Texas Hold'em and Omaha have some of the best odds, while games like Seven Card Stud and Razz have some of the worst odds.
Most poker variants use the same system of hand rankings to determine the winner of each hand.
Image: Pinterest/Crystal Downing
Hand Rank
Cards
-- royal straight flush
Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10 in the same suit
-- straight flush
5 consecutive cards in the same suit
-- 4 of a kind
four of the same cards
-- full house
three of a kind and a pair
-- flush
5 cards of the same suit
-- straight
consecutive cards, not of the same suit
-- 3 of a kind
three of the same cards
-- 2 pair
two pairs
-- pair
two of the same cards
-- high card or "nothing" hand
highest single card
Texas holdem can be played with anywhere from 2 to 10 players and is most frequently played in No-Limit format, meaning that any player can put all of his or her chips in at any time. The opening bets can be "ante" bets, where all players put in an equal amount of money, or "blinds", where the player immediately to the left of the dealer (called "the small blind") places a small bet and the player to their left ("the large blind") places a larger one. If no ante is in place, they are the only players to put money in the pot before the cards are dealt.
The game then proceeds with players dealt two face-down cards called "hole cards". Once all hole cards have been dealt to each player the first betting round begins with the player sitting immediately to the left of the dealer who can say "check" to avoid betting; "call" to match the bet someone else has made; "raise" to add more money to the betting pool and require the other players to choose to either "call" the new bet or to "fold" if ithe player doesn't want to match the bet.
After the first cards are dealt, each player may exercise their betting options followed by three cards dealt simultaneously on the table for all players to share. This round is called "the flop", and is followed by another round of betting. A fourth card, called "the turn" is then dealt, again followed by a round of betting. One final community card called "the river" is dealt followed by a final round of betting. When all bets have concluded, there is a "showdown", in which players use the seven cards they have available--two in their hand and five community cards--to make the best five-card poker hand, with the highest ranking hand winning the pot. The worst 5-card poker hand possible is 7 high and the best poker hand possible is Royal Straight Flush (10, J, Q, K, A in the same suit). if two players face off with the same type of hand, the hand with the higher-ranking cards wins. If the hands have the exact same ranks of cards (suit does not matter), it is a tie and the prize, if any, is split evenly.
Omaha Poker is similar to Texas Hold’em, but each player is dealt four hole cards instead of two; the dealer puts five community cards on the table across three betting rounds; and players must use exactly two hole cards in combination with three community cards to make the best hand.
Five Card Draw, while still popular in amateur games, has fallen in the frequency of casino play, but it’s still played on video poker machines and at the World Series of Poker. Five Card Draw begins with each player dealt five hole cards, all of which are face down and visible to only the player holding them. After the deal, a betting round commences followed by all players allowed to discard as many cards from their hand as they choose, with the dealer replacing those discards with new cards. A final round of betting then takes place before a showdown when the best five-card hand is the winner.
Poker analysts suggest that common strategic mistakes of inexperienced players are continuing to play hands with weak opening deals rather than folding. In contrast, with relatively strong hands including high pairs such as two aces, kings, queens, jacks, and 10s and even lower-ranked pairs, most expert players bet before the flop to raise the value of the pot. Somewhat higher risk play worth placing a bet for staying in the game include an ace and a king, an ace and a queen, two consecutive numbers, cards from the same house, or face cards.
Professionals also are skilled in watching how others at the table play the game, looking for their betting patterns, reactions, and body language. They also carefully avoid tipping off other players to their own betting styles or their physical behavior in reviewing their hands and betting. The term "poker face", for example, describing the player's need to conceal emotions during play can be traced to the 19th century and has since expanded to be widely used to depict facial expressions in a broad variety of situations other than card games.
Playing online poker, either at a machine in the casino or from home, is similar to that at a poker table in a casino, with the table set-up the same, but the speed at which the game is played is much faster and players may play multiple virtual games simultaneously, again potentially risking higher losses.
.Poker analysts suggest that common strategic mistakes of inexperienced players are continuing to play hands with weak opening deals rather than folding. In contrast, strong hands worth betting to stay in the game include high pairs such as two aces, kings, queens, jacks, and 10s and, lower-ranked pairs. When dealt a relatively promising opening two cards, most expert players bet before the flop to raise the value of the pot. Somewhat higher risk play also worth placing a bet may involve staying in the game when dealt two consecutive numbers, cards from the same house, or face cards.
Players are advised to usually bet before the flop to raise the value of the pot with a hand of a pair of face cards or aces, an ace and a king or an ace and a queen.
If the needed card is not dealt, players can take risks of either bluffing if they feel other players will fold.
Roulette was first devised in 18th century France, with many historians citing the mathematician and inventor Blaise Pascal as making a form of roulette wheel adapted from the Italian game Biribi during his work exploring the rules of probability.
In roulette, the house has an edge because the wheel has 38 numbers, but only 18 of them are red and 18 of them are black. The player accordingly has a 50% chance of winning, but the casino pays out 35-to-1 on a winning bet. This means that the casino keeps 18/35 of the money that is bet, or about a 5.26% house edge.The odds of winning at roulette depend on the type of bet placed by chips on individual or multiple numbers or on sections such as "odd" or "even" or "red" or "black." The table's inside area has 36 numbered squares which are either red or black. The outside area has boxes that cover a broader range of numbers--like odd or even. At the top of the table, there’s also a large zero or double zero depending on the game. Bets may be made on any of the squares on the table or a combination of them. Bets on single numbers have the worst odds (35 to 1), while bets on red or black have better odds (2 to 1).
Analysts suggest that beginners or those betting with restricted budgets focus on classic bets like red or black and odd or even which give a higher chance of winning, although with a lower payout, in order to avoid losses which more quickly exhaust their funds through higher-risk bets on individual numbers or specific combinations of numbers.
Roulette is a game of chance, and the odds of winning depend on the type of bet placed. Bets on single numbers have the worst odds (35 to 1), while bets on red or black have better odds (2 to 1).
Most Atlantic City casinos offer a rule called "la partage" (French for “sharing or dividing”) on roulette tables with zeros. When the ball lands in 0 or 00, the player receives half their wager back on even-money, outside bets like red, black, odd, even, high and low, , which lowers the house edge to 2.63% on these wagers. compared to the typical 5.26% house advantage. The other bet is the five numbers on the basket, which are 0, 00, 1, 2 and 3. This has a 7.89% house edge.
Baccarat is a casino game which is believed to have origins in Italy in the 1400s; in Italian, "baccara" means zero, perhaps derived from the the game rule designating all the face cards and tens as worth zero. The game was later adapted for play in France in the 1800s under the name of Chemin de Fer (literally translated as "iron path" but understood by French speakers to mean "railway" or "railroad"). More recently, the portrayal of James Bond playing high-stakes baccarat in Ian Fleming's popular novels and adapted movies such as Dr. No contributed to the game's image of being played at high stakes by wealthy players.
Baccarat is typically a game played with particularly high table minimums, with gamblers playing for several hours at high stakes.
Playing Baccarat is essentially betting blind, with gamblers deciding to put a sum of money on either the banker hand or the player hand before the cards have been dealt. Cards are dealt from a shoe consisting of eight decks of cards. Any number of players at the table can bet on the outcome of each hand, choosing either to bet that the player hand or the banker hand will be closer to nine or that there will be a tie. Side bets also may be made based on which cards will appear.
Once betting is closed, the banker will deal two cards to the player and two to the banker, both of which will be face-up. The player may choose to bet on multiple outcomes, such as a player and a tie in one hand. Once the third card has been dealt on both sides, there should be a clear outcome.
Face cards are worth zero, and aces count as one, thus a face card and an 7 count as 7; a 2 and a 4 count as 6.; and a 9 and a 6 count as 15. If the player or banker hands are worth 8 or 9 (called a ‘Natural’) then the game is over as a win for one or the other, or a tie if both have the same score. If neither has 8 or 9, the winning hand is the one with a score where the final digit when all the dots (or "pips") on a playing card that are clubs, diamonds, hearts, and spades are added up is the closest to nine. Most common side bets are the “Player Pair” and “Banker Pair” bets, in which wagers are made on one party having a pair in their hand.
Baccarat has a low house edge compared to other casino games. On a banker bet, the house edge is only 1.06%, while the edge on a player bet is just 1.24%. Any number of players at the table can bet on the outcome of each hand, choosing either to bet that the player hand or the banker hand will be closer to nine.
Like other casino games, gambling analysts advise against continuing to play when in a long losing streak, suggesting that taking a break may help to avoid major losses, particularly in high-stakes games.
