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

I think the one thing that keeps a lot of people from really sitting down at a poker table in a casino – those that are close enough to do it, of course – is the assumption that you’ll need a sizeable amount of money to come in and be willing to lose. That’s simply [...]

Back in the old days, the days when I was an instructor in philosophy at an engineering university, I built a reputation for making hard things seem simple. And I was also one of th efirst people to use the internet to publish things like FAQs (Frequently asked questions) and those kinds of things. Then [...]

If you’ve never played poker in a casino – or a cardroom, even, it might be a bit daunting. Maybe you’ve got a lot of online experience under yourbelt but are a bit anxious to look like a complete beginner when you walk in. Here’s what to expect: Tables, players at tables, dealers (unless it’s [...]

The first time you show up to the casino to play some poker, you’ll probably be anxious. You’ll probably have a few hours of online poker under your belt, but it’s still a bit unnerving for someone who’s never stared an opponent down over a large pot. Obviously you should have a plan towards your [...]

If you are slightly more experienced with the casino, but definitely not to the level of comfort where you can read your opponents, I’ll expand the play table I introduced. Using the same conventions as in the other post: When you have these hands: Bet this way: AA KK 99 88 AJs ATs Check (Limp) [...]

Once you get the hang of the odds of your hand actually coming through, you need to then work out the pot odds. The pot odds are not strictly statistical odds as much as they are a ration of the amount of money you stand to win versus the odds of your hand winning the [...]

Remember when I said not to play for the inside straight? That’s actually only true if you’ve never played for money before. If you’re a rank beginner. The best way to get past beginner, though, is to be able to calculate your hand odds. (I wouldn’t try bringing a calculator to the casino table, but [...]

I’m sure you already know the rankings of each hand. You know, Royal Flush beats a straight flush beats four of a kind beats a full house, etc. But you should be aware of the odds at hand. Consider this: You’ve got an A8. I have 99. The flop comes up A 8 9. You [...]

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 [...]