How to play Baccarat

In baccarat, the object is for players to bet on the winning hand. No matter how many players are at the table, there are only two hands dealt—the dealer hand and the player hand. Players will place bets at one of three spots on the table based on which hand they believe will win. There is a spot for the dealer, the player and a tie.

The dealer will place the two hands next to each other face up on the table. All cards count their value. Aces count as 1, and all 10s and face cards count as 0. Simply add up the card values to get the hand’s total. Whichever of the two hands totals 9 or comes closest to 9 wins. If a hand total is higher than 10, you will drop the tens digit (e.g. 18 becomes 8).

The dealer will start by dealing two cards to each hand face up. If either hand equals 8 or 9 after the initial two cards, it is called a natural. A natural automatically wins a hand. If both hands are naturals, the game ends in a tie. If naturals do not come into play, a third card will be dealt. If the player’s two-card total equals 5 or less, the player must draw another card. If the total is 6 or 7, he or she may stand. The dealer must also draw another card when his or her total is 5 or less. Once both hands have been played out, the hand closer to 9 will win. The dealer will then pay those who bet on the winning hand. In the case of a tie, those who chose the player or dealer hand will not lose their wagers.

A wager on the player hand winning is paid off at 1 to 1. A wager on the dealer hand is paid off at 1 to 1 minus a 5% commission. A wager on a tie is paid off at either 9 to 1 or 8 to 1, depending on the casino.

There is also a mini-baccarat game. The same rules apply for mini-baccarat as far as game play. Minimum wagers are usually much lower in mini-baccarat. Mini-baccarat is also less interactive, as players will only get to help deal the cards if playing regular baccarat.

For free tips on baccarat and other casino games, visit the Southern Gaming website.

How to play Roulette

Roulette is a game that consists of a spinning wheel with slots numbered 0, 00, and 1 to 36. A croupier (dealer) spins a small ball within the wheel. When the ball stops spinning and comes to rest, the number the ball is laying on is the winning number. The numbers on the wheel alternate between red and black numbers, and the 0 and 00 are both green. Players wager on the outcome of where the ball stops by placing wagers on a number or group of numbers.

Once you sit at a roulette table, you will cash in (exchange) your money (or other casino chips) with roulette chips that range in colors, making it easy to determine what bets you have placed. Once you have done this, you are ready to play. The betting layout may look confusing, but it is actually pretty simple.

There are several variations of bets on the roulette table, and all pay different odds. Below is a list of bets (explained in parentheses) and payoffs:

• Single number: 35 to 1
• Split (two adjacent numbers): 17 to 1
• Trio (one row of three numbers): 11 to 1
• Four-Number (square of numbers): 8 to 1
• Five-Number (0, 00, 1, 2, 3): 6 to 1
• Six-Number (two consecutive rows): 5 to 1
• Red (all 18 red numbers): 1 to 1?
• Black (all 18 black numbers): 1 to 1
• Even (all 18 even numbers): 1 to 1
• Odd (all 18 odd numbers): 1 to 1
• Low Number Bet (1 through 18): 1 to 1
• High Number Bet (19 through 36): 1 to 1
• Column of 12 Numbers: 2 to 1
• Dozen Number Bet (1-12, 13-24, 25-36): 2 to 1

For more tips on roulette and other casino games, visit the Southern Gaming website.

How to play Craps

Craps is the most exciting and fast-paced, game in the casino. The game is played by betting on the outcome of the roll of the dice. Each person at the table gets the chance to roll the two dice or opt to pass to the next player.

The first roll is called the come-out roll. It determines the point (target number) to roll again before rolling a 7. If the come-out roll is a 7 or 11, anyone with a pass line wager will win even money (1 to 1). If the come-out roll is a 2, 3 or 12, he or she will lose his or her wager, and the next shooter gets a turn.

If the come-out roll is any other number (4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10), that number is referred to as the point. After the point is established, the shooter will continue to roll until the point number is made or a 7 is rolled.

Essentially, everyone at the table is betting on the shooter. There are many bets you can make at the craps table—some better than others—but one of the best bets in the casino is betting the pass line, where you will find a slim house advantage of only 1.4%. If you are new to craps, try to get a spot next to the stickman (in the center of the table) so he can help you with any questions you have.

For more tips on how to play craps and other casino games, visit the Southern Gaming website.

How to play Poker

When playing poker, the object is to win the pot. The pot is the collection of chips or other bets made by all players during the hand. Players can win the pot either by having the highest-ranking hand or by influencing other players to drop out. The strength of a poker hand is determined by the odds of receiving that five-card hand in a standard deck of cards.

Poker hand rankings are as follows (from lowest to highest):

• High Card: a hand valued by its highest card and without a pair, straight or flush
• One Pair: two cards of the same rank
• Two Pair: two cards of one rank and two cards of another rank
• Three of a Kind: three cards of the same rank
• Straight: all five cards in a sequence of varying suits
• Flush: all five cards of the same suit but not in a sequence
• Full House: three cards of the same rank and two cards of another rank
• Four of a Kind: four cards of the same rank
• Straight Flush: all five cards of the same suit and in sequence
• Royal Flush: ace, king, queen, jack and 10 all of the same suit

The dealer will deal the cards to each player. The players then take turns in rounds. Each will choose one of four options: check the bet (bet nothing but stay in the game), call the bet (bet the same amount as the previous bet), raise the previous bet, or fold (drop out of the game).

Players can check only when no other player has bet money so far. To stay in the game, players must bet equal to or higher than the previous bet. Choosing to fold at any point will give up any bets players have made at that point.

When players have finished betting, they reveal their cards and the dealer will declare a winner. If the best hands are of the same rank in anything but a royal flush, the hand with the higher cards wins. If there are two royal flushes at the table, players will split the pot.

For more tips on poker and other casino games, visit the Southern Gaming website.

How to Play Slots

Slot machines are the most popular games in the casinos. They are appealing because they are easy to use and provide results within seconds. Every Slot machine contains a computer chip called a random number generator (RNG). The RNG runs through numbers that are assigned certain combinations on the reels of a Slot machine. As soon as a coin is dropped into the machine, the RNG stops and sends its current number to the reels, determining what combination will be displayed when the player pulls the handle.

The RNG is continuously selecting random numbers when the slot machine is not in use. The maximum possible combinations on a Slot machine are based on how many reels there are and the number of symbols on each reel. A machine with fewer reels is more likely to hit the jackpot, since there will be less combinations.

Flat top slot machines have a fixed jackpot, no matter how many coins players use. Progressive slot machines have a jackpot that grows with the number of coins the player inserts into the machine. While the flat top machines will usually have smaller jackpots, players are more likely to win on these machines because they are not linked to any other machine. Some progressive machines are linked to machines in other casinos, making it even harder to hit the jackpot. To win smaller amounts more frequently, flat top machines are the way to go.

For more tips on slots and other casino games, visit the Southern Gaming website.