Rule: Let’em Ride

In this casino banking game three cards are dealt to each player and two face down to the dealer. The player is paid according to how good a poker hand is made by the player’s three cards plus the dealer’s two cards.

To play this game you must place three equal stakes before the deal. After the cards are dealt you may look at your three cards and withdraw one of your stakes if you wish. The players must not see each other’s cards. One of the dealer’s cards is then faced and you have another opportunity to withdraw one of your stakes. So you will have one, two or three of your stakes still in front of you when the dealer’s second card is exposed.

After exposing the second card, the dealer collects the remaining stakes of any players whose three cards together with the dealer’s two cards to not form a pair of tens or better. The other players are paid according to their remaining stakes at the following fixed odds:

Let’em Ride — Standard Pay Table

HAND	PAYS
Royal Flush	1000
Straight Flush	200
Four of a kind	50
Full House	11
Flush	8
Straight	5
Three of a kind	3
Two pair	2
Tens or better	1
Loser	Loss

Rule: Baccarat

Baccarat or Punto Banco is usually played in a separate casino area. The playing table is about the size of a craps table with three casino dealers and up to 12 or 14 players.

There are just two principal bets to make: banker or player – Banco or Punto, plus the rarely used Standoff. Some casinos let the players deal the cards in turn and others have a casino dealer to deal the cards. In online Baccarat the cards are dealt automatically by a virtual dealer.

Each player, including the player dealing, may bet on either Punto or Banco but it is customary for the dealer to bet on Banco. Players may opt not to deal, passing the ‘Shoe‘ to the next player. The shoe remains with one player as long as the Bank wins. If Punto wins, the shoe passes on to the next player.

Two hands are dealt and you bet which one will win, or that they will tie. It is just like betting on Black or Red at roulette, and the payoff is even money, 1:1 (except for the standoff, which pays 8-1 or 9-1). The only difference between the Banco and Punto bet is a win on Banco will cost you 5% commission or tax levied by the casino – the in-built advantage.

The reason for taxing the Banco is because it has been established that over an 8-deck cards play on average the Banco will win three to four hands more than the Punto.

Each hand consists of a minimum of two and a maximum of three cards. The person dealing will put two cards, face down, tucked under the shoe, and give the player with the largest beton Punto the other two cards, face down.

The Punto player then looks at the cards and gives them back to the player who is dealing. Then the player who is dealing will turn over the cards of both hands while one of the casino dealers will announce the results and the winner.

If either hand has a total of 8 or 9 (nine is the highest), then it is called a ‘Natural’ and no more cards are dealt. If it is not a natural, then depending on the value of each hand the casino dealer may instruct the card dealer to deal a third card. The decision when to deal a third card follows precise set rules used by all casinos.

Once dealing is completed, the hand with the highest count wins. The paying casino dealers will collect the losing bets first and then pay the winning ones. The player who actually deals the cards is not responsible for the payouts. He is just like any other player, playing against the casino.

The rules

Baccarat is played from a six-deck or an eight-deck shoe. All face cards and 10s have no value. Cards less than 10 are counted at face value, Aces are worth 1. Suits don’t matter. Only single digit values are valid. Any count that reaches a double digit drops the left digit. 15 is counted as 5 and 25 is also counted as 5.

To start, the players bet either on Banco or Punto or Standoff. The card dealer gives two cards each; first to the player and then the banker. The object of the game is to bet on the hand that you think will have the highest total value.

A third card may be dealt to either or both the player (Punto) and the bank (Banco) based on the following three-card-rules. It is not necessary to learn these rules to play, they are compulsory decisions and therefore automatic. Only on rare occasions a mistake is made:

Player’s third-card-rule

 

• If either the player or the bank have a total of 8 or 9 on the first two cards no further cards are drawn. The resulting hand is called a natural and the hand is over.
• If the player’s total is less than or equal to 5 the player’s hand draws a third card.
• If the player does not draw a third card, then the bank’s hand stands on 6 or more and takes a third card on a total of 5 or less. If the player does take a third card then the Bank’s third-card-rule below will determine if the bank takes a third card.

 

Bank’s third-card-rule

• If the bank’s total is 2 or less then bank draws a card, regardless of what the players third card is.
• If the banks total is 3 then the bank draws a third card unless the players third card was an 8.
• If the banks total is 4 then the bank draws a third card unless the players third card was a 0, 1, 8, or 9.
• If the banks total is 5 then the bank draws a third card if the players third card was 4, 5, 6, or 7.
• If the banks total is 6 then the bank draws a third card if the players third card was a 6 or 7.
• If the banks total is 7 then the bank stands.

 

Rule: sicbo

How to Play Sic Bo

Sic Bo is a traditional Chinese dice game that has now been adapted for online play in the Internet casino. It is not as well-known as online Craps — the other casino dice game — but it is a good game with good payouts and can be very enjoyable.

The Sic Bo table, at first glance, looks very confusing. You might think it would take years of study to learn how to play Sic Bo. In fact, the game of Sic Bo is quite simple. Just take your time, read on, and the rules of Sic Bo will soon become perfectly clear.

Rules of How to Play Sic Bo

The essential elements of this online casino game are three dice and a Sic Bo table. Each game of Sic Bo is based on a roll of the three dice. The object of the game of Sic Bo is to bet on your prediction of the outcome of the dice roll.

To play Sic Bo, you first select your chip size by clicking on the Plus (+) or Minus (-) button. You then place your bets by clicking on the appropriate area of the Sic Bo table layout. Note that you can place more than one Sic Bo bet on a single roll of the dice.

Once your Sic Bo bets are ready, click the Roll button. You will see the Sic Bo dice roll around and eventually come to rest. If the final outcome of the dice roll matches your bet, you have succeeded to win at Sic Bo.

The Sic Bo Bets

As you can see from the crowded Sic Bo layout, there are many possible bets you can make. These are the most common Sic Bo bets:

• Small and Big: These are bets on the total sum of the three dice. Small is a bet on a total of 4 through 10; Big is a bet on a total of 11 through 17. The Small and Big bets lose if a triple appears, so if bet on Small, for example, and you roll three 2’s for a total of 6, you will lose your bet.
• Three-Dice Total: This is a bet on the exact total of the three dice. In this case, you can win with a triple. So a bet on a three-dice total of 6 can win with a roll of 1-1-4, 1-2-3, or 2-2-2.
• Two-Dice Combination: This is a bet on the outcome of any two of the three dice. If you bet on 4 and 6, for example, you win if one die lands on 4 and another die lands on 6. It doesn’t matter what the third die lands on.
• Single Die: This is a bet that at least one die will land on your number. If you bet on 4, you will win if one die lands on 4, you will win more if two dice land on 4, and you will win even more than that if all three dice land on 4.
• Specific Double: This is a bet that at least two of the dice will land on the number you picked, such as Double One, Double Two, etc.
• Specific Triple: This is a bet that all three of the Sic Bo dice will land on the number you picked, such as three 4’s.
• Any Triple: This is a bet that all three dice will land on the same number, regardless of what that number happens to be.

Rule: Texas Holdem

The beginning

When playing Texas HoldEm poker, every player is dealt two cards face down – these are called your ‘hole cards’. Then there is a round of betting where you can Check, Bet or Fold. This stage of the game is known as pre-flop and what you should do is dependent on those hole cards, or starting hand.

When all the betting has finished three shared cards are dealt face up in the middle of the table. This is called the flop.

The flop

The middle

After this there is another round of betting, then a fourth shared card – called the turn – is dealt.

The turn

There is another round of betting then a final shared card – called the river – and a final round of betting.

The river

Your best Texas Holdem hands will be made by using your hole cards and the five cards in the middle to make the best possible five card poker hand. Not sure what the best Texas Holdem poker hands are? You can visit the poker hand rankings page for more information!

So, for example, if you have 9-9 and the shared cards are 9-9-A-5-2 you have four-of-a-kind. If the shared cards were J-Q-K-7-2 you would only have two nines.

Sometimes the best texas hold em hand is made by the five shared cards on their own. If they were 10-10-10-10-A and you had 9-9 your hole cards would not play as there is a four-of-a-kind of higher value already showing.

The end

There are two ways a hand can end.

One is when the players in a hand turn over their hole cards and the player with the best hand wins. This is known as a showdown.

The other is that someone will bet enough that everyone else folds. This is how most hands end in Texas Hold’em and that’s the magic of the game – you don’t always need the best hand to win.

Regular Five Card Stud Poker

5 Card Stud Poker
Five card stud poker is one of the most popular forms of stud poker. Along with seven card stud, it forms the basis of most popular stud poker game variations and can be found at nearly every live casino and Internet gaming site that provides modern poker games.

Here are the official rules to 5-Card Stud poker and a basic strategy guide.

Ante Up and Deal
Prior to the deal in Five-Card Stud, every player posts an ante.

The first two cards are then dealt, one face down and one up. The player with the lowest upcard showing must make a forced bet known as “the bring-in.”

This bet is typically half the size of the small bet but sometimes is a custom amount based on the betting limits.
The bring-in player also has the option to complete the bet to the size of the small bet. After the bring-in player acts, action continues clockwise around the table.

If the bring-in player does not complete the bet, the next player has the option to complete the bet.

Please note that a completion is not a raise. Once the bet has been completed, raises occur in the small bet amount. Action continues around the table until all bets are equal.

Third Street to the River
After action is completed on second street, a second upcard is dealt.

Betting on third street begins with the player showing the highest hand and continues around the table. In the event more than one player has the high hand, action begins with the player closest to the stud button.

Betting action continues in the small bet amount on third street. Please note that an open pair does not incur a double bet like in Seven-Card Stud High.

Once third-street betting is completed, a third up-card is dealt with action beginning with the high hand. Bets from fourth street forward are in the double bet amount.

After fourth-street betting is completed, a final down-card is dealt and the final betting round begins with the high hand.

Once betting action is completed, players showdown with the best five-card hand taking the pot.

Rule: Banluck (Chinese Blackjack)

Chinese Blackjack, which is also known as 21-point, ban-luck or ban-nag, does bear similarity to the conventional version of Blackjack, and when the Chinese New Year rolls around, many gamblers will play some form of gambling as it is believed that the New Year brings in new, fresh luck.

The games uses one or two 52-card decks and is playable by any number of players. One is sometimes nominated to be the dealer, or they may take it in turns to hold the position. As with all blackjack variations, Chinese Blackjack is host to its own rules.

Chinese Blackjack Rules and How to Play

While many of the Chinese Blackjack rules are the same as those adhered to in standard versions of blackjack, there are also differences which make this particular variation unique. Chinese Blackjack features its own winning combinations, those being ban-ban, ban-nag, free hand and 5-Dragon.

• A player holding two Aces has a ban-ban, which pays out 3:1, unless the dealer has a ban-ban. This results in a push.

• A player holding an Ace and a card with a value of 10 has a ban-nag, which pays out 2:1. If the dealer has a ban-nag, he beats out all hands, except a ban-ban.

•  A player holding a total of 15 has a free hand. This allows the player to continue or stop playing that hand. The same rule applies to the dealer. If the dealer chooses to stop playing, the hand ends and the dealer re-shuffles the cards.

•  If the player holds five cards without busting, he has a 5-Dragon. He is paid out 2:1, unless he has a total of 21, in which case he receives 3:1. If the dealer holds a 5-Dragon without busting, all players must double their initial bet and pay him. If the dealer holds five cards with a total of 21, players triple their initial bet and pay him.

Everything else in Chinese Blackjack is played the same as a standard version of the game.

Difference Between Chinese Blackjack and Traditional Blackjack

Obviously, the main difference between the two versions of Blackjack are the winning combinations included in the Chinese version. It’s important to note that the value of the Ace changes depending upon how many cards the player holds in Chinese Blackjack. If they hold two cards, an Ace is counted as 10 or 11. If they hold three cards, Aces can be counted as 1 or 10. With four or more cards, an Ace will only count as 1.

However, one further difference states that if the dealer holds a total of 16-20 from his initially dealt cards, he may reveal a certain number of player hands before deciding if he should hit or stand. If the dealer busts, all players are paid even money on their hands. If the dealer reaches a total of 21 without busting, the dealer wins.

The House Advantage in Chinese Blackjack

With such rules in the dealer’s favor, as noted above, this provides the house with a very obvious edge. This is why when people play the game at home, it’s more commonplace for them to take turns being the dealer. This massive edge is increased upon even further with the possibility of players having to give up twice or thrice as much as their original wager due to the 5-Dragon combination.

 

In Summary

Chinese Blackjack is one version of the game that is very much considered a real gamble. While a decent amount of skill can be put to use, including basic blackjack strategies, there really isn’t anything that can strongly guarantee that you’ll win a round.

However, if you enjoy a challenge and act favorably in the direction of proper gambling, Chinese Blackjack is definitely a game you should try out.

Rule: Caribbean Stud Poker

Caribbean Stud Poker is a casino table game played against the dealer. 

1) The player antes, and is then dealt a five-card hand; the dealer is also dealt five cards of which only one is exposed. 

2) The player now either folds, losing his ante, or bets an additional amount equal to  exactly twice the ante. 

3) The dealer then reveals his remaining four cards. If the dealer’s hand is not Ace-King or better, the player is paid even money on the ante and nothing (i.e., a push) on the bet.

4)  If the dealer’s hand is Ace-King or better it is said to “qualify” (for play against the player). 

5) In that case if the dealer’s hand is better than the player’s, the player’s ante and bet are collected by the house. 

6) If the dealer’s qualifying hand is worse than the player’s hand, the player is paid even money on the ante

Notes: the “qualify” feature is under development and will be released soon, currently, the game only check dealer’s hand is better or worse than player’s hand, qualify is ignored.

Rule: Casino Blackjack

• Blackjack may be played with one to eight decks of 52-card decks.
• Aces may be counted as 1 or 11 points, 2 to 9 according to pip value, and tens and face cards count as ten points.
• The value of a hand is the sum of the point values of the individual cards. Except, a “blackjack” is the highest hand, consisting of an ace and any 10-point card, and it outranks all other 21-point hands.
• After the players have bet, the dealer will give two cards to each player and two cards to himself. One of the dealer cards is dealt face up. The facedown card is called the “hole card.”
• If the dealer has an ace showing, he will offer a side bet called “insurance.” This side wager pays 2 to 1 if the dealer’s hole card is any 10-point card. Insurance wagers are optional and may not exceed half the original wager.
• If the dealer has a ten or an ace showing (after offering insurance with an ace showing), then he will peek at his facedown card to see if he has a blackjack. If he does, then he will turn it over immediately.
• If the dealer does have a blackjack, then all wagers (except insurance) will lose, unless the player also has a blackjack, which will result in a push. The dealer will resolve insurance wagers at this time.
• Play begins with the player to the dealer’s left. The following are the choices available to the player:
  • Stand: Player stands pat with his cards.
  • Hit: Player draws another card (and more if he wishes). If this card causes the player’s total points to exceed 21 (known as “breaking” or “busting”) then he loses.
  • Double: Player doubles his bet and gets one, and only one, more card.
  • Split: If the player has a pair, or any two 10-point cards, then he may double his bet and separate his cards into two individual hands. The dealer will automatically give each card a second card. Then, the player may hit, stand, or double normally. However, when splitting aces, each ace gets only one card. Sometimes doubling after splitting is not allowed. If the player gets a ten and ace after splitting, then it counts as 21 points, not a blackjack. Usually the player may keep re-splitting up to a total of four hands. Sometimes re-splitting aces is not allowed.
  • Surrender: The player forfeits half his wager, keeping the other half, and does not play out his hand.
• After each player has had his turn, the dealer will turn over his hole card. If the dealer has 16 or less, then he will draw another card. A special situation is when the dealer has an ace and any number of cards totaling six points (known as a “soft 17”). At some tables, the dealer will also hit a soft 17.
• If the dealer goes over 21 points, then any player who didn’t already bust will win.
• If the dealer does not bust, then the higher point total between the player and dealer will win.
• Winning wagers pay even money, except a winning player blackjack usually pays 3 to 2.

Rule: Texas Hold’em Bonus Poker

• The game is played with a standard 52 card deck.
• Each player makes an ante bet and may make an optional separate bonus bet.
• The player and dealer are both dealt two cards (face down).
• After checking his/her cards, the player may fold and forfeit the ante bet or play by betting double the ante.
• Three community cards are then dealt face up to the board (the flop).
• The player may decide to check or bet the amount of the ante.
• Another card is dealt to the board (the turn).
• The player may decide to check or make a final bet of the amount of the ante.
• One last card is dealt to the board (the river).
• The player and dealer make their best five card poker hand from their own two cards and the five board cards.
• If the dealer’s hand beats the player’s, the player loses all bets
• If the dealer’s hand ties the player’s, dealer wins.
• If the player’s hand beats the dealer’s, the player wins even money on the flop, turn and river bets. The player wins even money on the ante bet only if his hand is a straight or better, otherwise the ante bet pushes.
• Notes: the bonus bet feature is under development and will be released soon