1. Favorable rules for the player: a. Early Surrender: allows you to give up or surrender one half of your bet before the dealer looks at his hole card and you've taken a hit. Good for situations like your 15 or 16 versus the dealer's exposed 10.'b. Late Surrender: a variation of the above. Allows you to surrender one-halfof your bet after the you have taken one card or more, prior to the dealer exposinghis/her hole card.c. Blackjack paid at 2-1: reduces the casino's edge by 2.2%. Not commonly found.d. Double after split (DAS): commonly applied rule variation that is very helpfulto players.e. Dealer stands on soft 17: only a .2% help for the player, but good nonetheless.f. Resplit of Aces: allows you to save a split ace hand by splitting again. Thissame applies to other splits as well. 2. Some Helpful Hints a. Never split 5's.b. Always split 8s and Aces.c. Always double on 11 except when the dealer shows an Ace.d. Never take insurance.e. Never hit your hand when you have a total more than 13 and the dealer is showing2-6.f. Never stand when you have a soft 12-17.g. Always hit your hand if you have a 12-16 and the dealer is showing 7-Ace.h. Never play when you aren't in the best frame of mind.i. Never play when you have had too much to drink.j. Never bet to impress others.k. Never risk your entire bankroll.l. Never chase your losses with larger bets.m. Only play in times and places you feel comfortable.

If one color has been coming up a lot, are my odds better by betting with it or against it on the next round? Your odds do not change regardless of whether you choose to bet with the color or against it. Roulette is a game of independent events, where one spin has no effect on the outcome of any other spin. What appear to be patterns actually have no affect on the probabilities associated with the available bets. The chance of hitting red or black on any given spin is always a consistent number. This is sometimes difficult to believe, because we have likely all experienced runs of red or black numbers on the roulette wheel. Statistically though, it is not unlikely for such a run to occur; in fact there is an expectancy to it. Runs of red or black numbers are just as likely as runs with alternating colors. Is there a difference between betting on a combination of numbers and betting on the same numbers individually? If you bet $4 on a split bet that covers four numbers, your expected outcome is equivalent to betting $1 each on the four numbers you're covering. Splitting your bet over the numbers is only beneficial because it is convenient, and it allows you to place multiple small bets if you wish to. Can you beat the house by starting with a table minimum bet on an even-money spot, then doubling-up after every loss and returning to the lowest level when you win? This is commonly referred to as the 'Martingale' betting system, and has been discussed at length in many forums of gambling discussion. The Martingale system does offer a high likelihood of netting a small profit, but pits that likelihood against a low chance that you could lose a major amount. The flaw in the system revolves around upper table limits. If you happen to start into a losing pattern where you are doubling your bet each time, the amount you are betting after a few short losses in a row grows rapidly. Eventually you reach the upper table limit and can no longer recover all of your losses with a win on the next spin. If a player is unlucky enough to lose a number of times in a row, the potential losses are usually seen to greatly outweigh the potential wins.

Baccarat History Baccarat dates back to the Middle Ages. It is believed the game was first played with a Tarot card deck. Originating in Italy, it soon made its way to France where it found a home among the upper class aristocracy. Further evolution of the game shows it split to European baccarat, and a French game that goes by the name 'chemin de fer'. Chemin de fer is very similar to baccarat as it's played in American casinos today. The difference is one of the players banks the game instead of the casino. The title of banker rotates around the table in a manner similar to the dice at a craps table. The interesting bit to observe of course is that the casino is taking no risk here; they simply charge a fee from each banker. The Baccarat game we know today originated in Great Britain and was then passed along to South America and finally to Nevada. The infamous Dunes casino introduced baccarat in the late 50's, and since then it has made its final migration onto the world wide web. Baccarat has a history overseas also, which is evidenced by its popularity among the Asian population who visit Las Vegas each year. The highest of the high rollers often come from overseas to try their hand under the chandeliers of the stylish Vegas baccarat rooms. In casinos based in the Portuguese territory of Macao, near Hong Kong, the popularity of baccarat is unrivaled. Unlike the heavily ordered and systematic American casinos, these Portuguese tables often allow multiple players to bet on a single spot at the same time, while the expert dealers mentally keep track of each players commission on winning bank bets.