Baccarat

Although originally an Italian game, Baccarat became famous in France in the 15th century. This is considered on of the most glamorous games in a casino.

The player's objective in Baccarat is to correctly guess which of three possible propositions will win the round: Bank, Player, or Tie.

How to Play

Whichever hand is closest to nine is the winner. Two cards are dealt to the Bank hand and two cards are dealt to the Player hand. Sometimes a third card must be dealt to either or both hands; this depends on the outcome of the first two cards. The player needs not to worry about the third card as the dealer is the one responsible for keeping track of the game.

Blackjack

Blackjack is a card game played against the dealer, with the general objective of getting cards totaling closer to 21 (without going over) than the dealer. The game begins with the dealer giving each player two cards facing up, and also deals themself two cards but only one of them is up. The point values of the cards are as displayed, with all face cards worth 10. The Ace is simultaneously worth 1 or 11 points, depending what suits you (A-7 is called "soft 18″ or "8″ with the "soft" referring to the fact the A can be changed to mean 1 if the hand initially busts).

Once the cards are dealt, you are given several options. In the general case, you can elect to "stand", meaning you are satisfied with your current cards and are ready to challenge the dealer. You may also elect to "hit", which indicates you want another card from the deck in an attempt to get close to 21. If you have two of the same card (for instance a pair of 6's), you may "split" you hand into two hands. You will be required to repeat your wager for the new hand, and then you will be able to play each hand individually, hitting or standing as you see fit. The final option you may choose is to "double". This indicates to the dealer that you want exactly one more card (you will not be able to hit again), but first you want to double your initial wager (allowing you to win more if successful).

If after hitting, splitting, or doubling, your hand reaches a total greater than 21, the hand busts and you forfeit your wager. If you reach exactly 21 with just two cards, you instantly win 3-2. All other numbers and configurations now must face the dealer in an attempt to come closer to 21.

Once all players have settled, the dealer reveals their face-down card, and begins playing according to particular rules. The dealer is not free to split or double, but instead is required to continue hitting until their hand value is >= 17, then they must stand. If the dealer busts during this process, the remaining players all win, otherwise each player's total is compared to the dealer's. A tie is a push, and wins pay 1:1.

There are a few other rules regarding "surrendering", "insurance", and "dealer peek". For more info and a basic strategy chart, check out The Wizard Of Odds: Blackjack.

Blackjack Variations

Besides the regular Blackjack games that you are used to we also offer these exciting variations of this popular game:

Double Exposure

Double exposure is a version of blackjack where both of the dealer's cards are exposed. There are of course some rule changes to favor the dealer in order to compensate. The house edge is greater than conventional blackjack, but still this game is one of the best bets in the casino if properly played. Double Exposure uses the usual blackjack rules with these main exceptions:

• Both dealer cards are shown face up
• No Pushes. House wins all ties, except on a natural blackjack
• Player blackjack pays even money
• Player may split only once

For further information on this game and its rules, please read this article at http://wizardofodds.com/doubleexposure

Blackjack Switch

Blackjack switch allows the player to trade cards between two hands.By default six decks of cards are used. The player needs to make two bets of equal amounts and is then allowed to switch the second card dealt to each hand. In order to compensate for this, a dealer 22 results in a push and blackjacks pay even money. All rules are based on conventional blackjack with these exceptions:

• Dealer hits a soft 17.
• The player must make two bets of equal size.
• Cards will be dealt face up.
• Dealer will peek for blackjack with an ace or ten up. If the dealer has a blackjack all player hands will immediately lose, except a player blackjack will push.
• The player may switch the second card dealt to each hand. The player may also switch cards to form a blackjack.
• Player may double on 10 and 11 only.
• Player may split once.
• Winning player blackjacks pay even money.
• A dealer total of 22 will push against any player total of 21 or less. A player blackjack will still beat a dealer 22.

Spanish Blackjack

Spanish Blackjack (also refer to as Spanish 21) is a yet another interesting variation of blackjack. Depending on the rules set by the house Spanish Blackjack is probably a better bet than blackjack.

Spanish 21 uses six decks, each deck consisting of 48 cards, the regular 52 card deck without the four tens. To make up for the advantage that this gives to the house, this game gives the player a set of favorable rules. The game is based on blackjack rules, including double after split, late surrender, and re-splitting aces. In addition Spanish 21 offers the follows rule enhancements:

• A player 21 always wins.
• Player blackjack beats dealer blackjack.
• Player may double on any number of cards.
• Player may usually hit and double down after splitting aces
• Player may surrender half of total bet after doubling down
• A five-card 21 pays 3 to 2, a six-card 21 pays 2 to 1, a seven or more card 21 pays 3 to 1. However the bonuses are not paid if the player doubled.
• A 6-7-8 or 7-7-7 of mixed suits pays 3:2, of the same suit pays 2:1, and of spades pays 3:1.
• Suited 7-7-7 when the dealer has a seven face up pays $1000 for bets of $5-$24 and $5000 for bets of $25 or over.

Craps

The objective of the game is to bet on the outcome of the dice, that you as the shooter roll. The payouts outs are made based on the sum of the numbers of the dice once the roll stops. Bets can be based on these two main things:

• The total sum of the numbers on the dice
• That a particular total of the dice before comes up before another total

How to Play

To begin the game, you as the shooter make an initial come out roll, here you must make a Pass Line or a Don't Pass Bar bet prior to rolling the dice. Depending on your choice for this initial bet, you will aim to roll specific numbers in order to win.

Pai Gow Poker

Pai Gow originated in the 1800′s during the construction of the railroad when the Chinese domino game Gai Gow was combined with American poker. It is a more slow paced game but still offers excitement to the player.

The object of the game is to have a higher ranked five-card and two-card Poker hand than the house.

How to Play

Pai Gow Poker is played using a single deck of standard playing cards including a Joker. You will be dealt 7 cards. These cards must be split into two Poker hands: a two-card front hand and a five-card back hand. You can split your hand however you like but you must follow one simple rule: your back hand must be ranked higher than your front hand. To win, your hands must rank higher than the house's front and back. If one of your hands wins and one loses, the hand is a push.

Roulette

Roulette is the perfect example of a game of chance with one objective: Guessing which number will be the next to come up. The Roulette Table consists of a spinning wheel with numbered slots, a small white ball and a betting layout that allows bets to be placed on one or more numbers at a time. There are also side bets in the table. The wheel is spun in one direction and the ball is propelled around the outer edge of the wheel in the opposite direction. Eventually, the ball will decrease in speed and fall toward the spinning wheel where it will bounce around for a while until it lands in one of the numbered slots. If your bet or bets are a "hit", the casino pays a variety of odds based on the number of numbers covered by your bet.

How to Play

To play roulette, you place your bet or bets on numbers, rows, or corners of the inside of the table layout or on the outside (see inside outside bets), and click spin. You may select your chip denomination by clicking on the chip/amount of your choice.

Slots

Try your luck by choosing a slot machine, inserting a coin, and pulling the handle!

Starting the Game

To play, select a machine from the Slots menu in the Casino Lobby. Each machine has a unique theme. The dollar amount shown beside each menu item is the value of a credit on that machine. Credit values range between 25 ¢ and one dollar.

• Fruity Fortune
• Serpent's Treasure
• Pirate's Revenge
• Wild Seven's
• Touchdown Fever
• Jurassic Fire Slots

Stud Poker

The objective of Stud Poker, like that of most poker games, is to get the highest hand. There are several twists to this variety, however, that provide for a different an interesting challenge.

How to Play

To begin the game, the player must place an ANTE on the table. Once the ante (which works as a straight 1:1 bet) has been placed, the cards are dealt: all of the player's cards are showing, and all of the dealer's cards are facing down, except for one. There are no card replacements for either of the parties.

Once the cards have been dealt, the player must decide if to RAISE the bet or to FOLD it. When the player decides to RAISE, the bet is raised automatically. The value of the RAISE bet is fixed as twice the ante and no modifications are allowed. The dealer must have an ace and a king or higher in order to be able to open or qualify. In other words, the lowest qualifying hand would be Ace, King, 4, 3, 2 and the highest non-qualifying hand would be Ace, Queen, Jack, 10, 9. If the dealer is unable to open his or her hand then the player will win even money on his ante wager and the raise will push.

The dealer then turns his cards up to compare both hands. If the dealer wins, he keeps both bet and ante. If the player has a better hand, he/she wins the ante straight plus the bet multiplied, in accordance to his/her hand. Refer to the payout table for complete details.

3 Card Poker

A 3-Card Poker game consists of two hands that are made with three cards, one that is the player's and the other the dealer's hand. 3 Card Poker has two ways to bet and win:

ANTE + PLAY: To win, you must have a higher hand than the dealer.
PAIR PLUS: To win, you must have at least a pair or higher hand. Flushes or better receive higher payouts than 1:1.

To begin play, place a wager on the ANTE, the PAIR PLUS, or both, depending on your betting strategy. The dealer and player are dealt three cards. Dealer must have a Queen or higher to qualify. If dealer qualifies, the highest hand wins the ANTE + PLAY bet. If player has a pair or higher, the PAIR PLUS wins regardless of the dealer's hand.

Ante and Play

To PLAY your hand, a wager equal to the ANTE is required. You are wagering that your hand beats the dealer's or that the dealer will not qualify. If your hand is higher than the dealer's qualifying hand, you win both ANTE and PLAY bets, otherwise you lose both. If the dealer does not qualify, you win the ANTE bet and the PLAY pushes. If you fold, all wagers including PAIR PLUS are forfeite.

Video Poker

Objective of the Game: The objective of the game is to get a winning combination of poker hands, the higher the rank of the final hand, the better the payout to the player. Video Poker is a game of draw poker, in which the player is dealt 5 cards face up. The player decides which cards to hold and which cards to discard for the second and final draw.

The strategy and preference for the different variations of this game is really up to the player since each game has its own set of rules and advantages both to the player and the house. Each game is explained in detail in this section.

Playing the Game

Once you have credits in the machine you may wager. You can change the coin value and amount of coins you'll bet per turn. The bet must be placed before you Draw cards, and can't be changed during play. Once you are ready you may press Draw for the initial five cards to come up.