The answer comprises close examination of several key elements, such as personal circumstances, choice of online casino, regulation, games played and state of mind.

In order to adopt a winning strategy it is important not to fall into the loser’s trap.

Personal circumstances

• Is gambling a last-ditch attempt at making some money or are you gambling for fun?
• Do you have a gambling budget or are you using borrowed money to try and make some more?
• Do you know when to stop while you are gambling?

Choice of online casino

• Online casinos are popping up just about everywhere on the Internet. Choose only an online casino which is reputable.
• Are you able to game in your preferred language and currency?
• What about rewards and bonus programs?
• What are the online casino’s payout rates?

Regulation and Responsibility

• Is your chosen casino licensed? Where? How? Which jurisdiction?
• Does the casino adopt Responsible Gaming practices?

Games played

• What games have you opted to play?
• What is your proficiency level on these games?
• Do you know the rules and have you read the fine print?

State of mind

• Once the intricacies of online casinos have been understood, the most crucial factor comes into play – your state of mind. It is advisable not to play while being intoxicated, depressed or otherwise imbalanced.

How to win

By combining all these factors with level-headedness, a winning strategy can be employed. Winning has a lot to do with not selecting a losing strategy to begin with. The answer therefore is to use common sense, gathering as much information along the way as possible and knowing your limits. The rest is up to Lady Luck!

In its simplest form, poker is really an easy game to understand. True, there are multiple versions of poker which have all been juxtaposed into the online format of the game. For the purposes of instruction let’s stick to the basics: The 5-Card Draw Poker.

The basics of poker are as follows:

• The game is played with a standard deck of 52 cards
• The ranking descends from Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9,8,7,6,5,4,3 to 2
• Aces are always high cards
• Suits are: Clubs, Spades, Hearts and Diamonds

Getting into it:

• 5 cards are dealt to each player
• Players aim for the highest valued hand

Ranking your hand in poker

• Royal Flush – 10, Jack, Queen, King and Ace, all the same suit
• Straight Flush – Five cards in numerical order, all of the same suit
• Four of a Kind – Four cards of the same numerical rank plus a random card
• Full House – Of five cards in your hand, three have the same numerical rank, and the two remaining have the same numerical rank
• Flush – Five cards of the same suit, regardless of rank
• Straight – Five cards in numerical order, regardless of their suits
• Three of a Kind – Three cards of the same numerical rank
• Two Pair – Two sets of pairs + a random card
• One Pair – A single pair + 3 random cards
• High Card – The highest card in the player’s hands wins in a face-off

Keeping a poker face

A big part of the poker experience and one which players revel in is the bluff. It’s simply a term for pretending to have or not have a certain hand. This requires an intimate knowledge of the game or an innate ability in the art of deception. There are many intricacies in poker such as knowing when to raise the bet, when to hold and when to fold. These techniques require patience and practice. Poker has been likened to a game of tremendous skill and isn’t simply a game of luck.

Claiming the pot

In a round of poker – whether it be online or bricks and mortar gambling – players will deposit money to buy into a game. Bets will be raised and those players who wish to fold will forfeit their bets and those who wish to continue may raise their bets. In the end the player with the best hand may reveal it to the remaining players in the final showdown. Then the player may claim the pot.

The reason that poker is more than a game of chance is that it goes with player expectations. If a player feels reasonably confident of his/her ability to bluff other players in order to gain a psychological edge, then a reasonable expectation would allow for a comparative advantage to such a player – regardless of the hand being held.

The craps table

The typical craps table can seat 24 people. If the dice are hot, then that table is going to be buzzing like a live wire. The reason craps is so energized is that it’s a collective players’ game. On a good day the typical craps table runs at around 100 decisions an hour. Plus craps players have multiple bets running concomitantly. Thus your bankroll is going to be way higher than other table or slots games. And that’s because craps simply has so many betting options available for players.

Getting down to business

Many craps table have double layouts with a boxman (collects cash and supervises) at the center and a stickman (gives the shooter the dice) opposite him. The table’s center comprises boxes for proposition (1 roll) bets and there are hard-way bets too. These are more specific bets. There are dealers at the sides, taking bets and paying winners. The players cover the rest of the table.

The lingo at the craps table

• Field – a one roll bet that 1 of 7 numbers will be realized.
• Place or Buy – these are boxes marked 4, 5, Six, 8, Nine and 10. (Six and Nine are spelled so that there is no confusion to players on opposite sides of the table). Boxes 6 and 8 are the ‘Big 6’ and ‘Big 8’ bets.
• Craps – 2,3 or 12
• Boxcars – 2 sixes
• Yo, Yo-leven – 11
• C and E Craps – 11
• Snake Eyes – Two 1’s
• Little Joe – a 4 roll
• Jimmy Hicks – 6
• Skinny Dugan – a loser 7
• Skate and Donate – 8
• Center Field – 9
• Puppy Paws – Two 5s
• Natural Winner – 7 or 11 on the come-out roll

Betting and Technique

First up is the come-out roll. This is the first roll of the dice. There are Pass and Don’t Pass bets. Pass bets begin with the shooter and Don’t Pass bets are against the shooter. The shooter then tosses the dice to the opposite wall of the craps table. If the come-out roll is 7 or 11 then Don’t Pass bets lose and Pass bets win. When the come-out roll is 2, 3, or 12, that’s craps, and the Pass bets lose. Don’t Pass bets win on 2 or 3, but 12 is not allowed. Don’t Pass bets don’t win or lose if the come-out roll is 12.

A point is a come-out roll of any other number. When the point number is rolled again prior to the next 7, Pass bets will win and Don’t Pass bets will lose. But if a 7 comes up before the point number, Don’t Pass bets will win and Pass bets will lose. If the shooter doesn’t make the point, the dice are given to a new shooter. This goes in a clockwise direction. Field bets are for one roll bets stating that one of seven numbers will come up. They may be placed before any roll.

Bet to win

The house has a 1.41 percent edge on a Pass bet and 1.4 percent on Don’t Pass. Most players bet the Pass line. This is because they enjoy getting behind the shooter. There are come/don’t come bets – essentially the same as Pass/don’t pass except they’re placed on rolls besides the come-out.

Typical casino baccarat comes replete with dealers in tuxedos, amazing ambience and lots of buzz. But baccarat betting minimums are high. Playing the game is simple, here’s how:

Getting into it

The way baccarat is played is by placing a bet on the banker’s or player’s hand. Essentially that’s as simple as it is. Two cards are dealt from a shoe. The player receives the first hand and the second is the banker. It is possible for a third card to be dealt to either player or banker.

Baccarat odds

• Bank wins 45.84% of the time
• Players’ win 44.61% of the time
• A tie occurs 9.54% of the time

The house advantage is the following

• The Bank: 1.17%
• The Player: 1.36%
• A Tie: 4.57%

The cards

The goal is to get as close to 9 as possible. All cards that are 10 or above (picture cards) count as zero and all numbered cards from 1 to 9 are taken at face value.

Here’s where it gets interesting. If both cards dealt total a two-digit number, then only the last number counts. For example 6 + 8= 14 so the baccarat total is 4. Bets are paid even money and a commission is charged on winning banker wagers. A profitable albeit rare win would be on a tie hand which pays 8 to 1.

Knowing the rules

• Players and the banker will stand on a total of 8 or 9
• The player always draws a card if his/her total is less than or equal to 5, otherwise the player stands
• If the player does not draw a third card, then the Banker’s hand stands on a total of 6 or more and takes a third card on a total of 5 or less
• When the banker’s total is less than or equal to 2 then the banker draws another card – despite what the player’s third card is
• When the banker’s total is 3 then the banker draws another card unless the player’s third card is an 8
• When the banker’s total is 4 then banker draws another card unless the player’s third card is a 0, 1, 8, or 9
• If the banker’s total is 5 then banker draws another card if the player’s third card is a 4,5,6, or 7
• When the banker’s total is a 6 then the banker draws another card if the player’s third card is a 6 or 7
• Finally if the banker’s total is 7, then the banker stands firm