Calling all Poker lovers

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Learn how to play a more exciting version of poker with this article.

How to Play Pai Gow

If you like poker, you’ll love learning how to play Pai Gow. Pai Gow poker is a variation of seven-card stud, based on a Chinese game of the same name played with dominoes. Learning how to play Pai Gow poker is a bit more challenging than other poker variations, but Pai Gow is a lot of fun and can pay off big at the casinos.

You can learn how to play Pai Gow in an internet casino that operates on credit or point bets instead of cash; then once you figure out how to play Pai Gow, you can move up to for-money games.

The rules for how to play Pai Gow are similar to straight poker as far as winning hands go, but game play is somewhat different. You should first know that Pai Gow is played with 53 cards–the standard 52-card deck, plus one joker. This makes five-of-a-kind a possibility in Pai Gow poker.

Pai Gow compared to poker

In standard poker, the highest possible hand is a Royal Flush (five cards of the same suit in sequential order from Ten to Ace); however, a five-of-a-kind will beat a Royal Flush. Also, the next-highest hand beneath a Royal Flush is a straight flush from Ace to Five. One of the most exciting aspects of how to play Pai Gow is the possibility of getting five-of-a-kind.

Another difference in how to play Pai Gow is that all seven cards are used to determine winnings. In Pai Gow, the dealer plays against the other players. To begin the game, each player puts up a stake. Then, seven cards are dealt face-down to each player. After the deal, each player other than the dealer picks up their cards and arranges them into a five-card hand and a two-card hand.

In learning how to play Pai Gow, it is important to note that players are not allowed to discuss their cards, or touch them after the split is made. The hand ranking for the five-card hand is as discussed previously, with five-of-a-kind being the highest possible. The only possibilities for the two-card hand are Pair or High Card.

When players have arranged the two hands, they must then place them face-down on the table side by side, with the highest of their two hands first (so, for example, if a player has a pair of Aces and five unmatched cards, the two-card hand would be placed to the left of the five-card hand).

When all players have arranged their hands, the dealer does the same with his. At this point all hands are revealed and the payouts begin. In learning how to play Pai Gow, you should understand how winnings are awarded.

Each player’s five-card hand is compared with the dealer’s five-card hand; and the same is done for the two-card hands. If both of your hands beat the dealer’s, the payout is the amount of your stake at the beginning of the game. If you win one hand and the dealer wins the other, you keep your stake and receive no further payout (this is called a “push”).

The dealer wins your stake if both of his hands beat both of yours. As with most casino games, in the event of a tied hand the favor goes to the dealer. Learning how to play Pai Gow is a great way to practice poker skills for seven-card stud games with minimal financial risk. Now you know how to play Pai Gow!

Caribbeans Stud Poker

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You need to play with strategy and out beat your opponent’s thinking in order to win. There is a lot of bluffing and deception involved in poker. You need to toy with your opponent’s psyche and make him fold even when his hand is better than yours. This is why poker is very popular in casinos worldwide.

There are several types of poker games; here are a few popular types of poker normally played in casinos:

  • Seven Card Stud
  • Five Card Draw
  • Texas Holdem
  • Caribbean Stud

Out of these, the Caribbean Stud is played with a dealer and not with opponents like the other poker games. This type of poker is straightforward, as there is no bluffing or deception involved.

Playing Caribbean Stud poker

To begin playing Caribbean Stud poker you need to place your initial bet, or ante, in the specified place at the table. Once all the players finish placing their antes in their respective specified places the dealer distributes five cards to each player and to himself. All the cards are dealt face down. At this point in Caribbean Stud you are allowed to view your cards without showing it to the other players, and you have an option to either play or fold.

If you are confident that you have a strong hand and if you choose to play, you need to place twice the amount of your initial bet, in the specified place. If you choose to fold, you lose your ante, and the game continues with the remaining players. Payout is based on the strength of the hand of each player. Once the dealer reveals his hole cards he compares it with the players’ cards, one at a time, from right to left.

A player having the strongest hand wins and the remaining players lose both their ante and their bets. A lot of people assume that their hand is strong, or simply depend on their luck, and bet without analyzing their card strength, losing a lot of money in the process.

Tip: Observe the reactions of other players carefully when they view their cards as it can give you some helpful clues about their card strengths.

Like all poker games, the Caribbean Stud too has strict rules that you must follow:

  • Each player is allowed just one hand to play. You cannot play and bet on multiple hands.
  • Once the dealer starts to deal the cards you are not allowed to talk to other players or look at their cards.
  • After you examine your cards and put it face down on the table to indicate that you are folding, you are not allowed to touch it again.
  • You are not allowed to place any more bets after the dealer announces No More Bets.

Double Hand Poker

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Pai Gow means “double hand” poker. In it, a standard 52-card deck with one joker is used.

How it works: The player must create two poker hands out of the seven cards in his hand: a five-card hand and a two-card hand. The five-card hand must outrank the two-card. The two-card hand is the hand “in front” and the five-card hand is the hand “behind.”

Seven cards are dealt to each player. The only two card hands are pairs or high card. The player then makes his five card hand with the remaining cards.

The five card hands use the standard poker rankings.

How you win: If both of your separated hands beat the banker?s hands, you win. If only one wins, it is a push. If both lose, the player loses. Ties will go to the banker, which gives the house a small advantage. Make sure you understand the rules and do not foul your hand when you split it into two.

Strategy: The first goal is to set the best two-card hand possible within your limits of the game. In other words, the best possible two card hand that still leaves the player with a better five-card hand; your five-card hand must outrank your two-card hand. In general, an average hand will have a pair in the five-card and an ace or king high in the two card hand.

In a Playtech casino, the rules are fixed, but some variations on which hand is best exist in live casinos, so make sure you ask the house rules in these situations. The value of the joker also varies from place to place.

About Pai Gow Poker

Pai Gow poker was founded in the early 1980s at the Commerce Casino in Los Angeles by the gaming innovator Fred Wolf. The game become popular very quickly, and was soon in Las Vegas and then all over the world. It is an important staple of online gaming now.

The house edge on Pai Gow Poker is not as high because of the length it takes to play, so in general the takeout is higher. But there are many pushes, and it is a game where you can get action for quite some time.

In a playtech casino, the house edge is under 3 percent, roughly 2.85. The house is always the banker in a Playtech casino.

Pai Gow is an interesting twist and combines elements of stud, but it also requires the player to make strategic decisions on how to split the hand. Take some time to play online and get the rules down, and you will find this version of casino poker might be the most interesting to play.

Spanish 21 as Blackjack version

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Standard games offered at a microgaming casino include Atlantic City Blackjack, Bonus Blackjack, Double Exposure Blackjack, Microgaming European Blackjack, Microgaming Spanish Blackjack, Microgaming Super Fun 21 Blackjack, Microgaming Triple Sevens Progressive Blackjack, Microgaming Vegas Strip Blackjack, Vegas Downtown Blackjack, Multi-hand Atlantic City Blackjack, Multi-hand Bonus Blackjack, Multi-hand Vegas Downtown Blackjack, Multi-hand Vegas Strip Blackjack, Microgaming Multi-Hand Blackjack, Multi-hand Spanish 21 Blackjack, Classic Blackjack Gold Series, Vegas Single Deck Blackjack Gold, Bonus Blackjack Gold, Big Five Blackjack Gold and High Streak European Blackjack Gold.

Each game has a variation on the basic blackjack rules. The basics are the same, however. You are trying to get your cards to have a higher number than the dealer without going over 21. It?s that simple. The variations include different decks and different bets within the game.

Because there are so many options with blackjack a microgaming casino, the player has an opportunity to show around for the game that best suits what they are used to playing. In addition, you can play the different games to find out which one you are more comfortable with.

Choosing version of blackjack

When choosing a version of blackjack, take a few minutes to review the rules of each. There is no shortage of reference material online to help you make up your mind. Most of the casinos will offer free play until you get the hang of the setup and get ready to invest real money. The structure of the free play in a microgaming casino is the same as it is with money play.

The blackjack available at a microgaming casino has games that go all the way up to eight decks. It is important to understand how the math of the game changes with additional decks and variations. Take some time to learn these concepts before switching games.

The math for a game like Microgaming Spanish Blackjack will be different from others. In this game, there are eight decks of 48 cards, with no 10s. Take some time to learn how this will affect your strategy and approach to the game as opposed to more traditional forms of blackjack.

This gives a player will to shop a little an advantage, and at the same time gives you options to improve your overall blackjack game.

A microgaming casino setup gives you an opportunity to shop for games and learn the different variations and the subtle changes that define each one. By learning this, you will get the most out of your online blackjack experience and will be a much more successful player in the long run.

Let it Ride Poker – Casino Game

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Let It Ride is a curious card game in that if you don’t like the look of your cards you get to pull some of your wager back. Together with its relaxed pace the game is a favorite with old and newbie gamblers alike.

Each round in Let It Ride starts with players placing three bets of equal size. Players are then dealt three cards each and an additional two community cards that are dealt face down.

Having checked their cards players are now given the option of either withdrawing one of their initial bets or “letting it ride”. The dealer then turns over one of the two community cards and again players can choose to withdraw one the initial bets or let it ride.

The choice to withdraw a bet at this stage is independent of what the player did in the previous round. The dealer then reveals the last community card and each player’s hand is compared to a pay-out table.

Pay-out tables vary from region to region but most US casino follow the same basic table. However, be warned many tables have a maximum pay-out. You should always check this and not place bets that total more than the maximum pay-out divided by about 3000. Betting above this limit will not pay out the maximum if you hit a royal flush and that means you are effectively increasing the house odds.

A basic Let it Ride Poker strategy

The following is a basic strategy guide to Let It Ride based on the standard pay-out table found in most US casinos.

After receiving your initial three cards you should only let it ride if you have:

  • Any paying hand (tens or better, three of a kind).
  • Any three cards required to make up a royal flush.
  • Three straight cards of the same suit with the exception of 2-3-4 and ace-2-3.
  • Three cards of a straight flush, including a ten or higher, and spread out over a group of four consecutive numbers. For instance 7-8-10, or 9-J-Q.
  • Three of a straight flush, including at least two high cards, and spread out over a group of five consecutive numbers. For instance, 8-9-J-Q, or 9-10-Q-K.

After the first of the community cards is turned you should only “let it ride” if you have:

  • Any hand that is on the pay-out table (pair of tens or better, two pair, three of a kind).
  • Any four cards towards a royal flush.Any four cards towards a straight flush.
  • Any four cards towards a flush.
  • Any four consecutive cards of straight and at least one high card.
  • Any four consecutive cards of a straight with no high cards. Four out of the five cards required for a straight when all four are high cards.

Some casinos also offer a side a bet of $1 that gives you an additional pay-out for some bets. This bet usually offers some of the worst odds out there and should not be taken.

Let it Ride Game

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Gambling activities have been immensely boosted by the presence of casinos and at present there are various casinos in different parts of the world which encourage placing of bets and promote themselves as centers of entertainment.

Casino gaming facilities are often available in markets and other places of public gathering apart from being located commonly in hotels and restaurants. While it is true that excessive allegiance to gambling can result in addiction and this can prove fatal as it affects one psychologically. However, on a casual level casino gambling can be simply an activity of fun.

There are various casino games of which one among the most popular is definitely poker. With the coming of the internet and the emerging popularity of online casinos, it has been noticed that the fame of poker has increased further, there are various kinds of poker games currently played in the various casinos worldwide and one among them is Let it Ride.

About Let it Ride Poker

This is a kind of poker game where the opponent is not another player but rather the casino itself. In recent times, the game of Let it Ride has gained immense popularity among various traditional casino game enthusiasts because of its facility which allows the players to recall two of three bets in course of the game which is possible since it is a slow paced game.

It is necessary to note here that the game of Let it Ride is similar in playing to that of the five card stud poker and the various hands in this game are similar to that of the various poker games like one or two pair, three or four of a kind, straight, flush, full house, straight flush and royal flush. The royal flush is the one which ensures the highest wager being placed on it.

Three cards comprise of the players’ hands while the dealer receives two community cards. The payout schedule determines the rankings of the hands received by each player.

The players are allowed to place three equal bets each in course of the game.

Similar to the other poker games, all the cards received by the players need to be placed in front of the dealer to ensure the dealer has a complete view of these cards.

The players’ hands are compared according to the payout schedule and those who win are paid with reference to the payout schedule strictly which may or may not vary across different casinos.