Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category
Wednesday, August 27th, 2008
Believe it or not, even in online poker, there are some telltale signs that a player is bluffing. In fact, there are many ways to spot a poker bluff. Among the most common signs are impatience and attempts to distract you. Pay close attention to players who exhibit these kinds of behaviors.
When on the lookout for a bluff, beware of players who are chatting about how their poor luck is, especially if you notice that they are raising pots at the same time. Also be wary of players who raises before the flop and then quickly raises again after the flop. When this occurs, don’t call unless you are reasonably sure you can win with what is already in your hand.
Another sign of a bluff is a player who is “sitting out” and then suddenly re-enters the game just as the cards are being dealt. If this player is also quick to call or raise, he or she may simply be in too much of hurry to seriously be playing a good hand. Playing quickly is a sure sign of a bluff in poker games. To win consistently with good hands, players must take the time to play strategically. Someone who always plays Texas holdem quickly is not taking the time necessary to play a good hand. On a similar note, very loose players who bet on every hand are also very likely to be bluffing much of the time. It isn’t possible to always have a good starting hand.
Also be careful of a player who has low stacks and bets an entire bankroll. This may be a player who is ready to give up and is playing with an “all or nothing” mentality to see if they can win the pot and stay in the game.
Another sign of bluffing to look for is a player who checks on the turn after betting on the flop. This may look like confidence, but how confident is this player in reality? Players who do this should be called. If you have a decent hand and feel confident, force this type of player to bet.
Always pay attention to what a player shows at the end of a hand. This is another way to pick out a bluff. If you notice a player raise before the flop and that player loses the hand, notice what he or she shows. If it is not much, it is probably a bluff, and the player is likely to try it again. Be aware of that player’s tendency to bluff foolishly.
As you can see, playing with impatience is, in fact, one of the biggest mistake a poker bluff will make. While a good bluff may be able to fake patience, an impatient player is a top suspect for being a bluff.
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
Thursday, August 21st, 2008
There are many different types of online slots tournaments, but there are a few universal rules , there is a set price to ‘buy into’ the tournament, and this fee provides you with a set number of credits. These credits are then exchanged for games on particular slot machines. And the aim, of course, is to get the largest winnings possible. In most tournaments, you will be playing with only ‘tournament or play money’, which means in effect that all you stand to lose is your entry fee. Whether you are a high roller or not, you will have the same odds as every other player and have the potential to win a lot of cash. Some of the other online slots tournaments ask that you play with ‘real money’, and stakes are always dependent on the individual slots tournament. Common Types of Online Slots Tournaments Different slots tournaments work in different ways, but there are four common types: 1 - An entry fee of between $5 and $35 entitles you to play money chips for use in the tournament. 2 - There is a time limit on your playing period. 3 - The aim of the game is to have more play money than the others in the tournament and you are able to leave the game at any point. 4 - When the game ends, those in the top price bracket are the winners; and prize money is made up of the collected entry fees. Maximize your Chances of Winning Generally speaking, the rules for slots tournaments are universal; but different tournaments set different criteria for winning. In some cases, the winner will be the player with the highest total at the end of the game; in others, the winner will be the player who achieves the highest score in a bonus round. So, in order to maximize your chances of winning, always read the rules before beginning a game! Where you are given a set time limit for your play, it is often a good idea to keep your finger on the spin button. This ensures that you get in the maximum number of spins during the time period, and the wheel should only stop to allow for your wins. Slots Tournaments Online Playing online slots tournaments is a great way to potentially win serious cash for relatively little outlay, as playing online tends to be much cheaper than playing ‘for real’. One particularly good value example is The Sands. Here, the entry fee is only $25 and this entitles you to play for up to an hour. It is extremely common for online slots tournaments to allow great value for money and plentiful playing time. The very best of online slots tournaments, however, are for most people the Freerolls. These games ask no entry fee at all - but give the potential to win real cash!
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
Saturday, April 12th, 2008
Electronics Enter the Players’ Arsenal
During this same time period, Keith Taft began developing the first concealed blackjack computer, and by 1972, Keith had started using a computer in the Nevada casinos to play “perfect” blackjack. Nevada had no laws at that time prohibiting the use of devices at their tables. Keith’s first computer weighed fifteen pounds. He went on to develop dozens of concealable computers and other electronic devices over the next two decades, ever smaller and more powerful. By the mid-’70s, Keith and his son, Marty, had met Al Francesco, and they would be putting together teams of players using computers to beat the blackjack tables.
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
Saturday, April 5th, 2008
The casinos’ fear of counters, and the failure of John Scame to provide any workable protection from the threat, opened a huge market for Robert Griffin’s services. Griffin was essentially telling the casinos that they did not need card-counting experts on their staffs to identify counters at their tables. Griffin would compile the names and photos of counters from all of the casinos in Las Vegas, updating his mug book monthly, and the casinos simply had to subscribe to his service to get the book. Just about every major casino in Las Vegas subscribed.
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
Tuesday, February 19th, 2008
An excellent benefit of team play, mentioned earlier but worth expanding on a little more at this point, is that several counters playing at the same time get into the Blackjack bonus offers “long run” a lot more quickly than any individual counter playing on his or her own. In other words, the results begin to look a lot more like the mathematics a lot sooner, which helps to smooth out those inevitable negative swings. In a similar way but on a larger scale, the casino is a living, breathing example of being virtually immune to adverse statistical fluctuation. Multiple casino games operating at the same time all contribute to a shared bottom line. For instance, if a player hits a particular roulette table for a lot of money, it’s likely that the table would show a loss for the day in question. But the combined result of all the roulette tables in the casino that day would likely still produce a positive bottom line.
In the end, the effect of an advantage applying continuously should ultimately prevail, thanks largely to what mathematicians call the Law of Large Numbers, which very much applies for a team of card counters all playing at a positive expectation. In everyday language, that means the losses posted by one or even two team members spin the reels would likely be offset by the team’s combined results. Even a counter suffering through a severe negative swing gets a break. Playing alone, the poor unfortunate might have thrown in the towel. But instead he can revel in the success of the group as a whole and perhaps, more important, live to play another day.
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
Sunday, January 20th, 2008
Because advantage blackjack play entails having a predetermined betting strategy, the Big Player can place his first bet after being called into a game based on the call-in signal alone - without even knowing the count. That’s because the “come on in” signal is made only when a certain count threshold is reached, and should involve a specific amount. Certainly all communication signals are important, but communicating the count from spotter to Big Player is where the money train begins and ends. Typically, a spotter would call in a Big Player and soon after communicate the count, followed by the number of aces, if applicable. A specific sequence of signals should be established ahead of time (and practiced) to avoid any chances of miscommunication.
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
Saturday, January 19th, 2008
Teams using this approach don’t even have to play at the same time, or in the same casino. In fact, team members using this approach should avoid playing in the same casino for several reasons - the most obvious being that it doubles team exposure. It also shrinks the available playing field. For example, casinos for blackjack that offer eight-deck games on the main casino floor sometimes offer a few six-deckers with elevated minimums in the baccarat pit. Having one team player at one table in the bac pit may leave only one or two tables available for a second. The logistics of situation like this should be avoided.
Team meetings are necessary and fun, to share experiences and information on beatable and not-so-beatable games, or to comment оn where heat is rampant and where it isn’t according to set of blackjack rules . But probably the most important reason to meet, especially early on after the formation of a new team or bank, is to review group finances. A team just beginning that encounters a rocky start might want to adjust betting levels some if that option was agreed upon at bank formation playing free blackjack . Of course, the only way such a decision could be made would be if a meeting were called to share up-to-date results among team members.
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
Tuesday, January 15th, 2008
Another team approach involves playing together in one sense while playing apart in another. This is a lot less complicated than Big Player team play, in that interaction among team members is virtually nonexistent - except in one small but very important way: behind the scenes several counters share a joint bankroll.
Sharing a bankroll allows each counter to make larger bets. In fact, each counter can play as if the entire bankroll were his, assuming each counter upholds the same risk of ruin percentage and plays with the same level of proficiency. A third counter of equal ability contributing the same amount to the joint bank would allow all three to again increase their betting levels while maintaining the same risk of ruin - and substantially increase earnings potential. And the total amount won doesn’t just equal three times the original counter’s expectation - it’s three times each counter’s original expectation, or the number of players on the team squared times any solo counter’s expectation.
To be continued…
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
Monday, January 14th, 2008
These can be of any kind, as long as discretion is maintained. In a few instances some may be developed that might suggest, just by nature, the desired bit of information being communicated. For instance, I’ve often used rubbing my eyes as a way to signify the desire to “call it an evening.”
It’s natural, especially late at night, and it’s also something people do when they’re tired. Of course, you must be careful not to rub your eyes at just the wrong moment. The last thing you want to do is have a spotter start to get up from a table just as the true count goes through the nearest bubble.
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
