History of Blackjack

The game of blackjack is originated from French casinos in around 1700 where it was called as "vingt-et-un" ("twenty-and-one"). The origin of this game in US can be traced since 1800. The name Blackjack is given to this game because if the player got a Jack of Spades and an Ace of Spades as the first two cards (Spade being the color black of course), the player was additionally remunerated.

The explanation goes like this, if a particular player have a Jack of Spades and an Ace of Spades as the first two cards, then the player is paid out extra money. So as the Spades is black and the Jack is a important most card this coins the name BlackJack!!

Gambling and casino was made illegal in west from 1850 to 1910. In this period Nevada made it a crime to operate a gambling game, but in early 1931, through a re-legalization, Nevada allowed casino gambling. Now Blackjack became on of the primary games of chance offered t gamblers. In 1978 casino gambling was made legal in Atlantic City of New Jersey.

Roger Baldwin published a paper in the Journal of American Statistical Association titled "The Optimum Strategy in BlackJack", this is the first recognized effort to apply mathematics in Blackjack in 1956. This paper became very popular. Much further work has been done in this area. Professor Edward O. Thorp in 1962 basic strategy and developed the first card counting techniques. He published his results in a book that became so popular that for a week in 1963 it was on the New York Times best-seller list "Beat the Dealer". 

As this book became much popular the casinos reacted promptly, they quickly changed the rules of the game which gave them even a greater advantage then they have ever enjoyed. This situation was unpredictable and was unwanted to the gamblers, they refused to play the game with the biased rules. The casinos responded by getting back to the old set of rules.

More History of Blackjack

Next few year were quite happening. Many books with more systems devoted to winning blackjack were published. Some of them even proposed to provide enough information to allow the reader to live off the profits of their efforts, such publications like Lawrence Revere's "Playing Blackjack As A Business" and Stanley Roberts' also helped to share the wealth with his winning systems in his book "Winning Blackjack". Soon blackjack began to compete with craps as the most popular casino game in the state of Nevada.

With inception of computer in this field, now it was possible to perform million of hands blackjack simulations, this allowed the players to produce sophisticated game strategies and many scientists, mathematicians, university professors, and other intellectuals began writing books on the game. Now it was a real threat to the casinos, because they were afraid of the latest technologies like computer simulation and the books, this was a potential threat to there margin of profit. To counteract this computer simulated strategies the casinos has now introduced multiple deck games rather then single deck game in 1970.

A living legend of the period indeed worth mentioning was Ken Uston, who used five computers that were built into the shoes of members of his playing team in 1977. The gamblers won over a hundred thousand dollars in a very short time, but one of the computers was confiscated and sent to the FBI. The FBI experts concluded that the computer used public information on BlackJack playing and was not a cheating device. As a result of his astounding success, Uston was barred from at least seven of the major Las Vegas casinos and sued them for violating his civil rights. He was found dead in a rented apartment in Paris in 1987, the cause of death remaining undetermined.

Rules of Blackjack

As far as the rules are concern they are not fixed, they vary from casino to casino and area to area. For example, a casino in downtown Vegas may have different rules than one of the Vegas Strip casinos which may have different rules from a casino up in Reno or Tahoe. As in same manner rules in a casino in Freeport Bahamas may differ from those in Atlantic City. So it is very important to know and learn the rules of a particular area and the casino before you set to play the game.

To set a blackjack table all you need is one dealer and one to seven players. The first seat on the dealer's left is referred to as First Base, the first seat on the dealer's right is referred to as Third Base. A printed betting square is felt on the table in front of each players seat. The chip tray is placed immediately in front of the dealer. On the dealer's left is the deck or shoe and beside that should be the minimum bet sign, which you ought to read before sitting down to play. 

On the dealer's immediate right is the money drop slot where all currency and tips (chips) are deposited. Next to the drop slot is the discard tray. Play begins after the following ritual is completed: the dealer shuffles the cards, the deck is "cut" by a player using the marker card, and the dealer "burns" a card. Before any cards are dealt, the players may make a wager by placing the desired chips (value and number) into the betting box. 

For various reasons the player may occasionally sit out a hand or two, no problem for that. Even it is a good strategy to sit out for few deals when dealer become lucky and every one is loosing badly. It may so happen that you can ask to leave the table until you are prepare to play again if you are sitting ideal for quite a few hands and good number of people are waiting to play at your table. 

Blackjack Strategy

Play blackjack with a simple basic strategy

In blackjack the strategies are the simple set of rules which tells you and any other player the correct way to play your hand. The basic strategy tell your when to hit, stand and double by taking into account only two factors.
1) Your cards
2) Dealer's upcard
The basic strategy makes you to optimize your play such that you win more often then you loose.

The following terms are useful when learning basic blackjack strategy: 

HARD HANDS: all hands not containing an Ace. 
SOFT HANDS: all hands containing an Ace coupled with a 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9. 
PAIRS: all hands that contain a pair of cards with the same value. A simplified approach to basic blackjack strategy is as follows:

HARD HANDS: 
If you have a 9 or lower, hit. 
If you have 10 or 11, double down if your total is more than the dealer's upcard; hit otherwise. 
If you have 12 through 16, hit when the dealer's upcard is 7 or higher; stand otherwise. 
If you have 17 or higher, stand. 

SOFT HANDS: 
If you have 13 through 18, double down when the dealer's upcard is 5 or 6. 
If you have 17 or lower, hit. 
If you have 18, hit when dealer's upcard is 6 or less; stand when dealer's upcard is 7 or more. 
If you have 19 or higher, stand. 

PAIRS: 
Always split a pair of 8's or Aces. 
Never split 10's, 4's, or 5's. 
Split all other pairs when dealer's upcard is 6 or less. 

Insurance is NOT recommended! 

Splitting pairs: If your two cards are the same value, you can 'split' them into two separate hands. The catch is that you also have to make two bets (one for each of the hands you now hold). Each split pair can be split again, for a total of four hands. If you split on an ace, you can only take one hit, but for all other cards you can take as many hits as you want. 

Doubling down: When your total is 10 or 11 (after being dealt your first two cards) you can choose to 'double down'. This is starting a second bet (up to the same amount as your original wager). 

When doubling, you can only take one hit. (It is dangerous to split two fives - you are replacing a hand that is potentially excellent for drawing on or doubling down on, by what will probably be two poor hands.) 

Insurance: If the dealer's face-up card is an ace, you can make a side bet. You can wager up to half your original bet that the facedown card is worth 10 or more (i.e. a picture card or a 10). 

If you are correct, and the dealer has a Blackjack, the player wins the side bet (the insurance bet) but loses the original bet. Therefore the player feels no net loss or gain. If it's not a face card or a 10, you lose the side bet or 'insurance'. 

Blackjack Betting System

Basically there are three kinds of betting system.

• The Martingale System
• Progressive Betting System - 2 Level
• Progressive Betting System - 5 Level

The Martingale System

This is about 200 year old system, invented in late 17th century, this system instructs the player to double his or her bet each time he losses, this system is based on the assumption that the person will eventually win and he will recover his profit from the initial wagers. 

With a beginning wager of $5.00 you would double your wager with each loss. IE: $5, $10, $20, $40 $80, etc. After a win your wager would drop back to $5.00. All wagers are recovered when you win a hand. 

The casino table tends to impose limits to this system to eliminate the effectiveness. The simple reason as to why the limits imposition is done is because that after a long losing streak you will eventually hit the table maximum, this defeats the purpose of this system. This system also needs a considerable amount of bankroll to work.

If you started with a $5 dollar wager and lost your first four wagers and won your fifth, (without double downs or splitting your cards) you would be a measly 5 dollars ahead. This is simply not worth it, and if you are losing multiple hands in a row it is time to leave the table, not double your wagers. Also, losing double downs or splits can deplete your bankroll in a big hurry. 

Progressive Betting System - 2 Level

This is one on the most simplest and widely used betting methodologies. This bet limit is decided in two tiers, the minimum and the maximum. With every loss the smaller amount is been betted and with every win the maximum is been placed. For example, say you set your minimum bet at $10 and your maximum at $50. 

Start with a $10 dollar bet. If you win that hand you bet $50 your next wager. You then continue to bet $50 until you lose. After any loss you return to your minimum bet of $10. This is a basic, put solid progressive betting system. 

Progressive Betting System - 5 Level

Here the bet amount is leveled in 5 slabs. This makes the progression count simpler and easy to understand.

This is another simple, yet effective system, based on a 1,2,3,5 back to 1 progression. Example: For a $5 player, the betting levels would be $5,10,15, and 25. With this system you start with your $5 bet and progress to the next level when you win a hand. 

If you lose a hand you drop back down to your original $5 wager. If you win four hands in a row you should then drop back down to your original $5 wager, hence the 1,2,3,5 back to 1 progression. 

Lets say you lose your first three hands and then win your next three. Assuming a starting wager of $5 you would be ahead $15 at the end of six hands. If you were betting an equal amount on each had you would be even. This system is rewarding when you experience winning streaks but still doesn't kill you with losing streaks.

BLACKJACK CARD COUNTING SYSTEM

The counting of card is a very much well defined procedure where a player keeps track of the cards. This dose means that the player keep a track of which is been dealt and already out of the deck. Keeping track of cards help him to take more accurate strategic playing decisions while in game. There are couple of misconception around the market for quite some time, we would take the opportunity to dispel those.

Card counting procedure dose not enable a person to develop his sixth sense to predict the next card which is going to be out of the deck. What Card counting will do is give you a good indication of whether a deck is favorable or unfavorable and the extent of this favorableness or un-favorableness. 

The procedure of card counting dose not involves memorizing every card which is out of the deck. When you count cards, you are not keeping track of individual cards. All you are doing is keeping a relative score of high value cards (10's and Ace's) to low cards (2, 3, 4, 5 and 6).

Card Counting: Basic Premise

The entire game of Blackjack revolves around 10-value cards (10's and Face Cards) and Ace's. The simple reason behind this is if we combined they are the most plentiful card in the deck. The basic principal involved in blackjack is the decks which is rich in 10-vlaue cads are of more valued for the player and decks short in 10-vlaue cards are beneficial for the casino.

The question arise that why the decks which are rich in 10-vlaue cards are are beneficial for the player? There are three main reasons: 
If more 10-value cards remain in the deck then the probability of drawing a blackjack (A 10 value card and an Ace) is maximized. The person who is dealer has the same maximized chances of getting a blackjack under such conditions and thus will get more blackjack also. Unless you have a blackjack it is also true that if the dealer draws a blackjack you will loose your entire bet. When you draw a Blackjack, however, you will not only win your entire bet, but you will also win 50% more. Remember, Blackjack pays 3-2. You will therefore win, not 100% of your bet, but 150% of your bet. Therefore, although both the odds of you and the dealer drawing a Blackjack increase during favorable conditions, you will win 150% of your bet when you draw the Blackjack while the dealer will only take 100% of your bet when he draws a Blackjack. So under these favorable conditions we hope you will be more then happy to trade a blackjack with the dealer.

If the dealer has 16 or less he must draw, this is compulsory. He has no other options. He runs a greater risk of busting when the deck is favorable. The player on the contrary can alter his strategy to take advantage of the favorable conditions. You don't have to take a card when the odds of busting are great because of a favorable deck. 

Doubling Down: You have the option of doubling your wager. During favorable conditions, this can be an extremely valuable.

MORE BLACKJACK TERMINOLOGY

Action: This is a general gambling term which refers to the total amount of money bet in a specific period of time. Ten bets of ten dollars each is $100 of action. 
Burn Card: A single card taken from the top of the deck or the first card in a shoe which the dealer slides across the table from his/her left o the right, and is placed into the discard tray. The card may or may not be shown face up (which can affect the count if you are counting cards). A card is burned after each shuffle. 
Cut Card: A solid colored card typically a piece of plastic which is given to a player by the dealer for the purpose of cutting the deck(s) after a shuffle. 
Hole Card: Any face down card. The definition most often refers to the dealer's single face down card. 
Shoe: A device that can hold up to eight decks of cards which allows the dealer to slide out the cards one at a time. 
Hard Hand: A hand in which any Ace is counted as a 1 and not as an 11. 
Soft Hand: A hand in which any Ace is counted as an 11 and not as a 1. 
Pat Hand: A hand with a total of 17 to 21. 
Stand: To decline another card. 
Hit: To request another card. 
Bust: When a hand's value exceeds 21... a losing hand. 
Push: A player-dealer tie. 
Pair: When a player's first two cards are numerically identical (i.e., 7,7). 
Point Count: The net value of the card count at the end of a hand. 
Running Count: The count from the beginning of the deck or shoe. The running count is updated by the value of the point count after each hand. 
True Count: The running count adjusted to account for the number of cards left in the deck or shoe to be played.

MORE BLACKJACK TERMINOLOGY

Bankroll: The stake (available money) a player plans to bet with. 
Flat Bet: A bet which you do not vary i.e., if you are flat betting ten dollars, you are betting $10 each and every hand without changing the betting amount from one hand to the next. 
Black Chip: A $100 chip. 
Green Chip: A $25 chip.
Red Chip:A $5 chip. 
Foreign Chip: A chip that is issued by one casino and is honored by another as cash. A casino is not necessarily obligated to accept them. 
Settlement: The resolving of the bet. Either the dealer takes your chips, pays you, or in the case of a push, no exchange of chips occurs. 
Toke: To "toke" the dealer is just another word for  
Marker: An IOU. A line of credit provided by the casino to a player.
Junket: An organized group of gamblers that travel to a casino together. Junkets are usually subsidized by a casino to attract players. 
Comp: Short for complimentary. If you wave lots of money around, the casino may give you things like a free room or free food, hoping you'll keep losing money at the tables in their casino. 
Heat: The pressure a casino puts on a winning player, typically someone who is suspected of being a card counter.
Shuffle Up: Prematurely shuffling the cards to harass a player who is usually suspected of being a  
Nut: The overhead costs of running the casino. 
Pit: The area inside a group of gaming tables. The tables are arranged in an elliptical manner, the space  
House: The Casino of course. 
Cage: Short for cashier's cage. This is where chips are redeemed for cash, checks cashed, credit arranged, etc. 
House Percentage: The casino's advantage in a  
Drop Percentage: That portion of the player's money that the casino will win because of the house percentage. It is a measure of the amount of a player's initial stake that he or she will eventually lose. On average this number is around 20 percent. That is, on average, Joe Gambler will lose $20 of every $100 he begins with. 
Head-On: To play alone at a Blackjack table with the dealer. 
WAG Player: Wild Assed Guessing player. 
SWAG Player: Scientific Wild Assed Guessing  
Tough Player: a player who can hurt the casino monetarily with his or her intelligent play. 
Counter: Someone who counts cards. 
High Roller: A big bettor. 
Mechanic: A manipulator of the cards, typically for illicit purposes. 
Shill: A house employee who bets money and pretends to be a player to attract customers. Shills typically follow the same rules as the dealer which makes them somewhat easy to spot (i.e., they don't Double Down or Split). 
Pit Boss: An employee of the casino whose job is to supervise Blackjack players, dealers, and other floor personnel.

WHAT IS ONLINE POKER?

Poker different from other card games very much depends on the skills then that of luck. This makes it a very interesting game. This is one of the most sorted out games in adult gaming industry. Poker not only provides you with entertainment but also provide you a good opportunity to win some serious money.

Since 1995, many online poker sites came into existence but the technology has now advanced and now sites offer live multiplayer poker tournaments.

Nowadays, Poker is taking the world by storm. The players of this game are also becoming celebrities. And various Television channels are anchoring shows on this game.

The most adorable property of online poker game is that you can choose form many games which suit your gaming level and betting capabilities.

In a tradition casino games the house always get an advantage but in poker as this game is totally different the house advantage situation in online poker is absent. As a game of skill any player can really win in the long term, but one has to keep his temper and patience intact and these are the keywords to win.

Internet and online poker is the best place to learn. If you are new then internet can offer you a chance to play against real player and practice the game of poker until you gain some confidence to bet some real money. Once you achieve a specific skill level then you can change the tables to play with better players.

WHAT IS ONLINE POKER?

Poker is not at all an "all luck game", it needs skill to be played and won. This is basically a playing card game. Generally poker uses a standard pack of playing cards which contains 52 cards. There are some poker games where the count of the playing cards are different. This depends on the variation of the game, at some places this count is even higher then that of 50 cards, this variation is due to usage of additional wild cards like jokers. Aces being high values of respective suits followed by King, Queen, Jack and then in decreasing order from 10 to 2 (the Lowest). There can be four suits - Clubs, Diamonds, Hearts and Spades - None of them being superior from others. 

Poker, at its very essence, is a simple game. Its countless versions can be quite complex, however, which is why we're going to focus on 5-Card Draw (a.k.a. "regular" poker), the easiest one for beginners to learn. Later we'll tell you about some of the other variations of the game, but for now, it's going to be 5-Card Draw, so you're just going to have to deal.

The cards are distributed in the players. Usually one poker hand contains 5 cards and the highest hand win the game. The number of cards which is been dealt depends upon the type of poker you are playing. For example in 5 card stud, five cards are dealt where as in 7 card stud, you are dealt seven. But in general, five card draw is the standard poker game where 5 cards are dealt to each players.

POKER HAND RANKING BASIC

To play the game of Poker, one need to posses thorough knowledge about the cards he/she gets in a deal. Knowing how to judge ones hand is the key of the game. The following are the possible poker hands listed from best to worst. 

Five of a Kind -only possible when using wild cards, is the highest possible hand. If more than one hand has five of a kind, the higher cards wins, five Aces will beat five kings, which beats five queens, and continues on by the ranking of the cards. 

Straight Flush- A straight flush is a straight (5 cards in order, such as 4-5-6-7-8) that are all of the same suit. As in a regular straight, one can have an ace either high (A-K-Q-J-10) or low (A-2-3-4-5). Where as (K-A-2-3-4) is not a straight since ace is wrapped around. An Ace high straight-flush is called a Royal Flush and is the highest natural hand 

Four of a Kind- Four cards of the same rank like four Aces or Four Kings. If there are two or more hands that qualify, the hand with the higher-rank four of a kind wins 

Full House-A full house is a three of a kind and a pair, such as K-K-K-2-2. When there are two full houses the tie is broken by the three of a kind. An example would be J-J-J-5-5 would beat 9-9-9-A-A. If for some reason the three of a kind cannot determine the victor then to the pair is taken into consideration to decide the winning hand (this would only happen in a game with wild cards). An example of this would be K-K-K-A-A would beat K-K-K-J-J. 

Flush-In this, all of the cards are the same suit, such as A-J-9-7-5, all of Diamonds. When flushes ties, follow the rules for High Card 

Straight-Five cards in rank order, but not of the same suit (it can be any combination of the four suits). An example of a straight is 2-3-4-5-6. The Ace can either be high or low card, either A-2-3-4-5 or 10-J-Q-K-A. When two hands make tie, the highest straight wins, K-Q-J-10-9 would beat 5-4-3-2-A. If two straights have the same value, AKQJT vs. AKQJT, the pot is split. 

Three of a Kind-Almost similar to full house (i.e., 3 of a kind) except that remaining cards are not a pair. Once again the highest ranking three of a kind would win. K-K-K-2-4 would beat Q-Q-Q-2-3. If both are the same rank (only in a wild card game), then the High Card rule come into effect with the remaining two 

Two Pair-Two distinct pairs of card and a 5th card. The highest ranking pair wins ties. If both hands have the same high pair, the second pair wins. If both hands have the same pairs, the high card wins. 
Pair-One pair with three distinct cards. Highest ranking pair wins. High card breaks ties. 

High Card- When a hand has none of the above qualifications of any of the ones listed above, nobody has even a pair or better, then it comes down to who is holding the highest ranking card. If there is a tie for the high card then the next high card determines the pot, if that card is a tie than it continues down till the third, fourth, and fifth card. The High card is also used to break ties when the high hands both have the same type of hand (pair, flush, straight, etc).
 

ONLINE POKER BETTING BASICS

Betting is generally started with an ante to get the cards dealt. The ante may range from anything from a small penny to virtually any other thing according to the wish of the player. The entire bet money is placed at the center of the table and is termed as Pot. Pot is won by the player who stays in the game till the end with the highest hand. 

This is to be remembered that betting is always done clockwise, giving all the player their equal turn , and during the time of betting, the plyer has the option of choosing form any three of the following choices entirely depending upon his wish and expertise. Choosing this also depends upon the hands and other factors.

· Call 

Call is a procedure in which you bet enough to compensate the difference between you last bet and your opponent bet to stay in the game. The following example explains it clearly. 

Suppose in a imaginary game Peter bet for 10 cents when got his turn. Peter's opponent Jason then bids for 20 cents on his turn. When Again Peter gets his turn, if he wishes to remain in the game, he need to compensate 10 cents by putting them in the pot. That means now Peter and Jason both have kept 20 cents in total in the pot. That means at no stage two or more players stay in the game by giving less amount in the pot than the amount which has been currently bet upon. 

· Raise

If a player wants to say in the game and raise his bet the first thing he has to do is to compensate the difference between the opponent call and his call in the last turn. Then he can bet for the additional amount. That is the higher bet on the second chance, this is called raise. There may or may not be a limit set for the raise.
Let us again consider a hypothetical game where the raise limit is set to 8 cents. Suppose I bid for 10 cents and then my opponent bids for 20 cents. If now I wish to raise, First I need to put the difference amount that is 10 cents in the pot. Next I put additional amount in the pot which should not be less than 8 cents (raise Limit). This additional amount becomes the raise in the bid. And if other players need to stay in the game, have to make a call or raise.

· Fold

In case a player finds the current bid is too high for him to compete in the game, He chooses to fold. That is he withdraws himself from the game and thus looses the chance of winning the pot. In such a scenario he looses all the money he putted earlier in the pot to remain in the game. It is very important to estimate, when one should fold. 

Your must understand and remember that betting is an art. A bad hand can even win over a good hand if betting is done with conscience and intelligence. The game is a art which can be mastered by plasticizing and learning.

Texas Hold'em Poker

Texas Hold'em - this is one of the most favorite and most popular forms of poker played around the world. Quite easy and simple to learn, make this game a very adaptable type of verity. 

Goal of the game - To finish with the best poker hand, and win the pot!

How to play Texas Hold'em: 2 cards facing down are dealt to each poker player. And five other cards are dealt faced up on the poker table. To win the game, a player must create a 5-card sequence using his face-down cards and any or all of the 5 common cards also known as community cards.

Example: If you have a 9 of hearts and a 4 of diamonds; your opponent has an ace of clubs and a five of diamonds; the community cards are: 5 of diamonds, 8 of spades, 7 of clubs, 6 of hearts and an ace of diamonds.
Which player o wins? You, because you can form a straight (5, 6, 7, 8, 9) while your opponent can only form two pairs (pair of aces and a pair of fives).

Steps of play

Important Rule: Most of the time four round betting scheme is applied. The entire betting is done in four steps. For the first two rounds you can bet or raise only as per the minimum amount permissible. During the last two the bets and raises must equal the maximum amount.

Blind bets are made the beginning of the game. The player who sits to the left of the dealer starts the blind bet. Then two cards are dealt facing-down to each Player 

First round of betting - Here you can fold, bet, or raise. Only one bet, and three raises per Player are allowed on the first round. 

Three communal cards (flop) are dealt face-up in the center of the table. All communal cards can be used by all the players and can be used in combination with each Player's two cards which were dealt before.

Second round of betting - Here you can check, fold, bet, or raise. 
Fourth communal card (Turn) is dealt face-up. 

Third round of betting - Here again you can check, fold, bet, or raise. 
If, at this stage, there are still at least two Players, the fifth and final communal card (River) is dealt face-up. 

Last round of betting -The Showdown! All remaining Players then create the best five-card hand possible. You can use in combination of your both pocket cards and three communal cards, one pocket card and four communal cards, all five communal cards 

At this stage hands are counted and the best hand wins the pot. If there is a joint winner the pot is equally shared between two of them.

Seven Card Stud Poker

This is another form of poker which is quite popular world wide. The keywords for this game is one must have patience as well as skills. The 7-card poker stud can be played with at most 8 players, and a dealer from the poker casino also participates in a passive role. The maximum number of bets double after the third round of betting so the players are needed to properly estimate that when to hold or when to fold as per his cards in hand.

Goal of the game: To finish with the best poker hand and win the pot.

Steps of the game: 3 cards are dealt to each player, 2 of them being "hole cards", and one card is exposed. After the initial deal betting round starts. The poker players then gets 3 more exposed cards, one at a time, and there exist a betting round after each deal. Another hole card is dealt and the last betting round is done after which players exposes their hidden cards. Then the hands are compared,
highest 5-card poker hand wins the poker pot. 

Sequence of play : All the players puts an ante on the table

3rd Street - 3 cards are dealt to each player, 2 of them are personal cards ("hole cards" also known as "pocket cards"), and one card is exposed (door card). At this point, the Player with the lowest card is to start the betting. 

First round of betting takes place - options are to check, fold, bet, or raise. 

4th Street - the fourth card is dealt - face-up and begins the 2nd Betting round. Players can choose to check, fold, bet, or raise in their turn. 

5th Street - the fifth card is dealt - face-up and then the 3rd betting round takes place. 
Betting round options are to check, fold, bet, or raise.

6th Street - the sixth card is dealt - face-up. Now, 4th round of betting takes place and its valid options for the players are to check, fold, bet, or raise.

River Card /7th Street- Here the final card is dealt facing it down this time. 
Final round of betting follows. If two or more Players are still there in the game for the pot when the betting concludes, the hands are shown

The Showdown! All remaining Players create the best possible poker hand using 5 out of the 7 cards. The two Players with the best high and low hands split the pot!

Finally few useful tips 

• The cards which could have improved your hand considerably are visible in your opponent's hands, don't think about them they are dead for you.
• In a suit there are 13 cards, you need five cards to make a flush. If the cards you are looking for is with your opponent's hand then it is obvious that they won't be dealt to you. On the other hand, if you can't see them, chances are there that they will be dealt to u. so plan your hand accordingly.
• While betting you can go on betting high money if you have a "big pair", restrict yourself when you see your opponent betting more then you, that dose means that he is having bigger pair in his hands
• Fifth Street is a make or break point. As you know the bet amount will be doubled every round so you must be sure that you have a winning hand other wise abstain from betting this will save further loses.
• Don't hesitate to fold if another Player's exposed cards beat your entire hand. Because in most of such cases you chance of loosing is high.
• If you are trying to compete a straight, check to see if another Player displays the cards you need.
• You can then adjust your strategy accordingly
• Fold when necessary. Seven-Card Stud poker is a game of patience; so do not bet all your money on losing hands.

Five Card Stud Poker

Five card stud is another form of poker which is very interesting and comparatively easy to play. The reason for the ease of play is the number of visible cards helps a person to judge the strength of his hand.

Goal of the game - To finish with the best poker hand, and win the pot! 

How to play Five Card Stud?

There are four betting rounds exclusive of the ante. On the first round of betting, the Player with the lowest value door card starts the betting which must be at least equal to half the minimum bet for the game. In proceeding rounds, the Player with the highest hand has to initiate the betting. In case of tie in hand rankings, the left most Player to the dealer initiates the betting. At the end, the hand with highest rank wins.

Steps of the game

Step 1: All the players put an ante on the table 

Step 2: Deal is done and the players are given two cards. One being faces down (Pocket card) and the other faces up. Betting is initiated by the player who has the lowest value card 

Step 3: Again deal is done and each player get their share of single visible card and betting takes place. 

Step 4: Each player gets their 3rd visible card and a round of betting takes place. 

Step5: Finally each player again gets their 4th visible card which makes total of five cards inclusive of the pocket card. 

Final step: All the players who have not folded, shows their hand and the player with highest hand ranking wins the race. 

Omaha High-Low Poker

About Omaha High Low

This game has a twist over Omaha high. Every thing in Omaha High/Low is same as a regular game of Omaha high except that in Omaha High/Low the pot won is divided equally into the best high hand and the best qualifying low hand. This game consists of 5 cards.

Goal of the game - To finish with the highest or lowest poker hand

How Omaha High/Low is played?

Omaha high / high-low Poker being a "community card" game, few cards are dealt face-up in the middle of the table to be shared by all the players while Each player receives four down cards of their own. The points combine from three community cards and two hole cards to make one's poker hand. 

Steps of the play

Step 1: The player has to choose a table and must buy-in chips which should be atleast of ten times of the lower bet as decided in the game. So, if you are playing with lower limit set to $5 and higher limit set to $10. Then the minimum buy-in for you will be $50. 

Step 2: Four cards (Hole cards) are dealt face down to each player, followed by a round of betting. Play proceeds clockwise from the blinds, with each player has the option to fold, call the blind bet, or raise. 

Step 3: Three cards (flop) are dealt face up in the middle of the poker table. A round of betting Takes place which is initiated by the player who is immediate to the dealers left. 

Step 4: Another card is dealt face up (the "turn") followed by another round of betting again initiated by the immediate left hand of the dealer. 

Final step: The final card (river) is dealt followed by the final round of betting. Finally the hands are exposed and the player with higher and lower hand rankings shares the pot. 

Online Casino Wagering

Sports Betting Betting Horses Poker Room

ONLINE POKER LINKS
1POKER.NET - Guide to Online Poker
Online Poker - Play Poker on the Internet. Guide to all the best online poker rooms where you can play poker online against thousands of other players ...

1POKERCHIPS.NET - Poker Chips Internet
Play online poker against thousands of players and rake in the cash. ... Collectorman's Online Poker Guide. Site Navigation. Online Poker ... Join the growing crowd of online poker players that is sweeping the nation ...

1POKERGAME.NET - Internet Poker Game
Online Poker Info Online Poker Providing a variety of Online Casino games including one of the Best online poker games ... Best Online Poker . Navigation. Pokerroom evolution ... Poker Room, the Internet site for the best online poker games. We offer the best online poker rules and strategy on ...

1POKERGAMES.NET - Internet Poker Games
Are you looking for the best Online - Poker ? Information on games like Texas Hold'em, Omaha Poker , and Seven Card Stud? Take a look at our articles on some of the best free online poker available today.

1POKERROOM.NET
PokerListings.com is the leading online poker guide, featuring the world's largest poker site directory, objective reviews on 71 online poker rooms, top lists of best poker games and poker rules. ... Poker software. Online Casino Guide. Online Poker . Bookmark this page ... Empire Poker . Paradise Poker . Pokerroom.com. online poker guide ...

1POKERSITE.NET
Poker and online poker news, strategy, internet poker reviews, forums, jokes, etc.

1POKERTABLE.NET
Source of discount casino-quality home poker tables. Perfect for you home poker games. ... Poker Tables and Table Tops ... Turn your dining room table into a poker table ! This is the perfect table for a small poker get-together with friends ...

1TEXASHOLDEM.NET
Information on playing Texas Hold ' em poker online, including Texas Hold em rules, tips, strategies, and poker rooms offering the game. ... Texas Hold ' em . Site Navigation ... Now you can play Texas Hold ' em Poker online for real money against real people ...

1TEXASHOLDEMSITE.COM
Texas Hold ' em is the most popular form of Poker. It is fairly easy to learn and you can become a winning player with a little effort. ... matches you see on television are No Limit Texas Hold ' em games. That means that at any time ... first learn to play Limit Texas Hold ' em . Limit games have structured ...

365SPORTSBOOK.COM
Sportsbook Online Sportsbook , Casino, Racebook, and Poker Room. NBA Basketball Betting lines, Online Blackjack, MLB Baseball betting, sports gambling, Las Vegas sportsbook , casino gambling, sport book, basketball gambling, Online casino games... Online Sportsbook - Online Sports Betting - Online Casino - Sports Gambling - Sports Betting Lines - Sportsbook Odds - Blackjack ..

7-CARD-STUD.US
7 Card Stud Poker! Looking for a 7 Card Stud Poker online poker game poker tournament to seven card stud ? These poker room feature online seven card stud poker, read 7 card stud rule, and poker 7 card stud strategy! ... HOT POKER ROOMS FOR 7 CARD STUD ! 7 CARD STUD POKER ... for a GREAT place for 7 CARD STUD ? I've been playing 7 card stud at

7-CARDSTUD-POKER.NET
How to play 7 Card Stud . 7 Card Stud is probably the most well known of all poker games and is the standard poker game played in most households throughout the world. Sequence of action for 7 Card Stud

BETFOOTBALLGAMES.COM
Bet on Football American football betting team bets for free picks and nfl draft pick information. Sports betting has never been so easy online. ... Bet on football American football . Bet football games Sportsbook bonuses Football draft graded Bet football Picks Betting ... Bet on football games with Jaguar Sportsbook ...

BETONFOOTBALLGAMES.COM
nfl football betting - bet nfl football bets with sportsbooks you can trust. Betting on nfl games with these sportsbooks is your safest choice.

BETTINGHORSES.COM
... online bookmaker horses . betting horses bookie. kentucky derby bookmaker ... bet derby gamble derby. betting horses betting horses . history of the kentucky derby ...

CARD-ROOMS.COM
Major Online Card Rooms . Home. Hold'em Strategy. Odds 'n Outs. Poker Library. Starting Hands. "33" Guest Book. Poker Forums. Articles. Online Card Rooms ... Articles. Online Card Rooms . Here we will list and rate the most used card rooms ...

CARRIBEAN-POKER.NET
Play carribean stud poker online! See our listing of online casinos with carribean stud poker , along with their free sign-up bonuses. ... Stud Poker . Online Carribean Poker Casinos. Carribean poker

CASIBO.COM
answers on each of your questions about Casibo .com. Casibo .com a most extraordinary thing!" "Perfectly inexplicable!" replied Gideon Spilett. "But Casibo .com do not dwell upon it just

CASINOPOKERGAME.NET
Casino gambling games rules and strategies. Poker rules and strategies for both table and poker room games . Includes blackjack, video poker , ...

CASINOPOKERGAMES.NET
Poker Games & Casino Guide provides information & links to poker rooms & online ... Top online casinos where you can play Casino War poker games . ...

E-POKER-ONLINE.COM
Poker Room provides Online Poker , Texas Hold em, Omaha, 7 Card Stud tables and
tournaments, lots of players and no downloads!

E-POKER-ROOM.NET
Play free Texas holdem poker online at HoldemPoker.com, no downloads necessary.

E-POKERCHIPS.NET
Casino Chips , Poker Chips , Clay Poker Chips , Hard Rock Casino Chips . We have over
1000 Las Vegas Casino Chips , Poker Chips , poker supplies for sale.

E-POKERCHIPS.US
Manufacturer of casino clay poker chips . Also offers a complete line of gambling
supplies.

E-POKERROOM.NET
Online Poker at Poker On Net. Specializing in texas holdem poker , free poker ,
free texas holdem poker and free online poker

E-POKERROOMS.COM
Poker - Play online poker game in our online poker rooms , your gateway to exhilarating multi-player poker

EBLACKJACK.US
Learn how to play blackjack , blackjack rules, blackjack strategies, read blackjack
stories and articles and play a free blackjack game

ECASINO21.COM
Online casino with real money games: roulette, poker and blackjack at multiplayer tables, slot machines and other online casino games. 21

ECASINOONLINE.COM
Online casino and online casinos reviews, gambling news online ! The latest news
in the casino and gambling industry.

EFOOTBALLFAN.COM
Football betting news service from Sporting Life. Latest football betting news, previews, odds, free tips, statistics, betting information and online ...

EFOOTBALLPOOLS.COM
Online football pools, office football pools, brackets

EPOKERCHIPS.NET
The world's most comprehensive listing of poker chips sites - PokerListings lists
all sites on the Internet offering clay poker chips , and the best of all, ...

EPOKERGAMES.NET
Internet poker game, online poker rooms

EPOKERHANDS.COM
... This is a comprehensive listing of texas hold'em poker hands based on their ... out and tape it to your wall if you need help with starting poker hands . ...

EPOKERHANDS.NET
Standard poker hands are ranked here in order of strength, from the strongest hand to the weakest.

EPOKERNIGHT.COM
Online poker night party for players over 18. Poker tournaments.

EPOKERROOM.BIZ
Poker Room

EPOKERROOM.INFO
The most comprehensive website devoted to poker , including an international directory of poker rooms , tournament schedules, tips and strategies for ...

EPOKERROOM.NET
Internet Poker Room Games. Directory of best online poker rooms

EPOKERROOM.ORG
... Play in our new multiplayer poker room with thousands of other real live ...
it's the World's biggest poker room . Click here to visit Party Poker . ...

EPOKERROOM.US
Online Poker at the Fastest Growing Online Poker Room . Full Tilt Poker offers
the best in online poker : world famous pros, a huge bonus, real or play money

EPOKERROOMS.COM
Poker News Blog. Online Poker Rooms , Poker.
Internet Poker, Online Poker. Poker Tips, Poker Software.

EPOKERROOMS.NET
Online Poker Rooms , Online Poker Rooms , Online Poker Rooms , Online Poker Rooms
... Online Poker Rooms Party-Pokernet. Online Poker Rooms Party-Poker- net ...

EPOKERRULES.COM
Poker rules , winning strategies and strategy tips for Texas Holdem, Seven Card Stud, and Omaha poker games.

EPOKERTABLES.COM
POKER TABLES GAMES ... POKER CHIPS GAMES ONLINE
POKER CHIPS GAMES ONLINE

Fantasy Horse Racing
Fantasy Horse Racing in the USA.

FOOTBALL-USA.COM
USA Football Betting Online

GAMBLER21.COM
Best Online Blackjack. Internet Blackjack games

GAMESPOKER.BIZ
Poker Games Online

GAMESPOKER.INFO
Info on internet poker games

GAMESPOKER.US
Poker games on the internet. on-line poker. Play poker at home online.

HOLD-EM-POKER.BIZ
Texas Holdem poker online. Play Texas Holdem like the pros.

HOTEL-AND-CASINO.COM
Best Las Vegas Hotels and casinos

I-CASINOGAMES.COM
Internet casino games. Play Las Vegas casino games online

I-CASINOSONLINE.COM
Internet Casinos Casino online gambling software! The first, original and trusted online casino.

I-LASVEGASCASINO.COM
Las Vegas is your Las Vegas casino destination right on The Strip! Get the best Las Vegas deals, entertainment, and casino events at

I-ONLINECASINOS.COM
Online Casinos

I-WAGER.COM
Wager on sports, casino games, racebook, and online poker

ICASINO247.COM
24/7 Internet casino

INTERNET-POKER.US
Internet Poker games. Play poker on the internet

LASVEGAS-GAMBLING.NET
Las Vegas Gambling

LASVEGAS-SPORTSBOOK.COM
The best Las Vegas Sportsbook. Bet on Sports

LASVEGASCASINO-HOTELS.COM
... Hotels , Motels, Resorts – Your complete guide to Las Vegas lodging, hotels , discount hotels , luxury hotels , casino hotels , motels and more! ...

MYBLACKJACK.COM
Online Blackjack in the USA.

MYPOKERCHIPS.NET
Poker games& casino guide offers directory of casinos & online poker rooms. Play online poker chips. Find any poker game online. Play TEXAS HOLDEM Poker for ...

MYPOKERROOM.US
Best Online Poker Room in the USA.

MYPOKERROOMS.COM
Online Poker - Texas Holdem - 7 Card Stud - Iternet poker rooms

MYPOKERTABLE.US
Best manufactured poker tables in the USA. Play poker at home with your friends

MYRACINO.COM
Online Racebook and Casino

MYSPORTSBETTING.COM
SPORTS BETTING

MYTEXASHOLDEM.NET
Play Texas holdem online, known as the cadillac of poker, is by far the most popular ... to the game texas holdem and more information on texas holdem rules we ...

OFFSHORE-SPORTSBOOK-GUIDE.COM
Guide to the best offshore Sportsbooks that PAY!

OFFSHOREFOOTBALLBETTING.COM
Betting football offshore. Bet on College and Pro NFL football online.

OMAHAPOKER.US
Play Omaha Poker online. Omaha Poker rules and tips.

ON-LINE-CASINO.ORG
on-line casino games.

ONLINE-CASINO.NET
Online Casino

ONLINE-GAMBLING-SPORTS.COM
Sports gambling online

ONLINE-POKER-GAME.BIZ
online poker game

ONLINE-POKER-GAME.US
Best online poker game

ONLINE-POKER-PARTY.NET
Poker party online with your friends right from home.

ONLINE-POKERROOM.NET
online poker room info. Best poker rooms online.

ONLINE-POKERROOMS.NET
Online poker rooms. PLay for real money on the internet.

ONLINEBLACKJACK21.COM
Online blackjack casino games just like Las Vegas

ONLINEPOKERCHIPS.NET
Discount Poker Shop is an online supplier and retailer of poker chips , ... to be the best online poker guide and directory including all poker chips ...

ONLINEPOKERPARTY.INFO
Poker Party is a the game for you. Plan a poker party and invite your friends.
... Online games are the best choice for the intellects among you. ...

ONLINERACETRACK.COM
Online Racetrack. Betting Horse online. Over 90 tracks. Full track odds.

ONLINESPORTSBOOK.NET
Online sportsbook

ONLINESPORTSBOOKS.NET
online sportsbooks

POKER-CARD-GAME-DOWNLOAD.COM
POKER CARD GAME DOWNLOAD

POKER-CARD-GAME-DOWNLOAD.NET
Poker Card Game downloads for free

POKER-DOWNLOADS.BIZ
Free Poker software. PLay poker online for real money of for free.

POKER-DOWNLOADS.ORG
Free Poker downloads

POKER-GAMBLING.US
Poker gambling online

POKER-GAME.BIZ
Poker game

POKER-GAMES-ONLINE.ORG
Poker Games online - Poker games& casino guide offers directory of casinos & online poker rooms. Play online poker LIVE. Find any poker game online . Play TEXAS HOLDEM Poker for ...

POKER-GAMES-ONLINE.US
Poker Room provides Online Poker , Texas Hold em, Omaha, 7 Card Stud tables and ... Play Poker online . Texas Hold'em Tournaments. Black Jack and Casino games ...

POKER-TABLE.BIZ
How to select a good poker table when playing online poker. Don't sit with the
sharks, but don't trapped with the maniacs.

POKER-TABLE.US
ONLINE POKER - Online gambling information: Texas holdem poker online, Free
poker gaming, Rules and Strategy, Online roulette gaming, Internet gambling, ...

POKERDOWNLOADS.BIZ
Get free poker game downloads for playing poker online.

POKERDOWNLOADS.US
Get free poker game downloads for playing poker online in the US

POKERGAMESONLINE.BIZ
Online Poker Games - Poker games& casino guide offers directory of casinos & online poker rooms. Play online poker LIVE. Find any poker game online . Play TEXAS HOLDEM Poker for ...

POKERGAMESONLINE.INFO
Info for online poker games. internet poker room info.

POKERGAMESONLINE.ORG
Poker Games Online - Overview of sites where to play an online game of poker .

POKERRULE.INFO
Online Poker Rules - Online poker guide. Rules for online and home games, reviews of the top poker rooms online, poker strategies, tournament listings, and player resources.

POKERRULE.NET
Poker Rules - Poker rules and variations, a page on how to play poker and poker variations

POKERRULE.US
Poer rules Learn poker rules for Texas Holdem, Omaha, 7 card stud, RAZZ. Complete tournament rules and in-depth poker explanation.

RULE-OF-POKER.INFO
Rules of Poker, poker hands, texas hold em, omaha, 7 card stud

RULEOFPOKER.INFO
Texas Holdem poker rules

RULES-OF-POKER.US
Rules for online poker - texas hold'em, seven card stud, omaha poker. Poker hands and best online poker rooms.

RULESOFPOKER.BIZ
Rules of poker, and rules of online poker rooms.

RULESOFPOKER.INFO

SPORTSBOOK-BETTING-GAMBLING.COM

SPORTSBOOK-CASINO.US
Sportsbook casino

SPORTSBOOK365.COM
Online sportsbook and sports betting online. Open 365 days a year. 24/7 customer support. Credit cards accepted.

SUPER-POKER.NET
Super poker room, play Texas Holdem online

SUPERPOKER.BIZ
Super Poker Room. PLay 7 card stud with the pros.

SUPERPOKER.US
USA Poker Room. PLay with other poker players from home all across the United States

TEXAS-HOLDEM-TOURNAMENTS.NET
Texas Holdem Tournaments online

TEXASHOLDEM-ONLINE-POKER.NET
Texas Holdem Online Poker

TEXASHOLDEM-POKER-ONLINE.NET
Texas Holdem Poker Online

TEXASHOLDEM-TOURNAMENTS.NET
Texas Holdem Tournametns on the internet

TEXASHOLDEM101.NET
All you need to know about Texas HoldEm - Rules of Texas Holdem

XMLSPORTS.COM
XML Sports News feeds. Free sports news for your site.

XMRADIO.US
XM Sattelite radio in the United States