Tricks and Tips for those Games of Chance and Rare Skill – Poker, Blackjack, etc.

There is an aspect of poker making it ominously similar to bridge. Your bet, just like your bid in bridge, is intended to say something about your hand to your opponents. Of course you want to make your opponent only think that his hand is better than yours. All the while he’s trying (and failing) [...]

There’s no surer way to screw up a moderate start in hold ‘em than to try to draw to an inside straight. Well, there is a surer way, and that’s to start with a crap set of cards, but I’ll get back to that in a second. If you start with 10J, and the flop [...]

This weekend, like normal, I visited a casino. This time I went with my lawyer. My lawyer wants to go to the casino because it’s 1) close to her place and 2) doesn’t have a cover unlike the comletely packed club next door. I was in charge of being her wingman while she cruised for [...]

A lot of counters think the continuous shuffling machines are the bane of life’s existence. To hear some tell it they’re worse than pit bosses. But a smart counter would investigate the math of the machines before they make a decision. And oddly enough, the reason you don’t want to play at a table with [...]

The World Poker Tour starts ups are happening. The Mirage Poker Showdown happens this May, spanning the 9th through the 26th. Downside? You must be an MGM/Mirage Player’s Club Member (and yes, I am, have been for 11 years now). Not a biggie though since they want you to sign up so they can track [...]

I recently wrote that card counters can be barred from playing in Vegas. Anywhere in Nevada, actually. And if you don’t move you’ll be arrested for trespassing. Ken Uston was involved in a court case with an Atlantic City casino that required New Jersey not bar anyone for their skill. (In Nevada, you can actually [...]

Backgammon is one of my greatest passions in life. To me, it’s substantially more involved than chess because dice are involved and so the next few moves can’t really be planned out. Randomness is the best way to screw up plans. So obviously I was truly looking forward to the Marbella Gathering, a $1 million [...]

I was poking around some sites and I was practicing a little card counting (always work on those card counting skills!!!!!!!!) and I came across the blurb about how Nevada casinos can toss anyone for any reason, blah blah blah. But then it hit me. That’s a state law. I’m not in Nevada. Have I [...]

Now, I know that most people reading this blog don’t know much about me. I have written other places about gambling, but here it’s a whole new world. It’s Not Seattle. Anyway, if you did know me you’d realize that I don’t much like writing about other websites. I’m not the kind of shill to [...]

I’m not really an expert at poker. I prefer a good game of blackjack, to be honest. And if I’m really looking to win money I’ll go bet on the horses – after all, how often can you regularly bet 12-1 at the casino? But we all know poker is freaking everywhere. It’s like renting [...]