Backgammon is heavily dependent on the use of rolls. With every game you have good rolls and bad rolls, and to be an effective player you have to know what to do with every roll you make.

Create an Anchor
Your first order of business is to create an anchor on your opponent’s home board. This is purely defensive in nature, but it can be a safe landing place at least. If you can, create your anchors on the higher points like 20 or 21. Two anchors next to each other is ideal, and having them available makes it possible to get your checkers back on the board quickly.

Build a Prime
Get six points in a row and you’ll be able to block your opponent’s checkers. The prime is considered another form of defense. It allows you to cross, but your opponent will likely be trapped behind it giving you an advantage – even in the downturns of the game. If you build a prime on your own board, it will be called a “closed board” since your opponent now can’t enter from the bar and you have many more opportunities to play effectively.

Hit Your Opponent When It Works for You
Don’t get unruly and just hitting because it’s fun to hit. Instead, use your hit to increase the strength of your game while also ensuring that your hit doesn’t help your opponent. Your hit should make the other guy work harder to evade you rather than advancing his own position, but be especially wary of hitting a blot when your own board has plenty of blots in it because you may mess up your own game instead of helping it.

I think Blackjack is mostly a game of skill. The reason I make such a claim is, that when a player learns the strategy to play Blackjack, the casino has a very small (to non existent) edge on the player. If you dedicate yourself to learn Blackjack strategy, the casino you are playing at only has a 0.5% edge over you, which is much less than most other casino games.

The Blackjack strategy is based on mathematics and it takes a lot of skill from the player to be able to master it. This means that regardless of luck and the cards that may be dealt during the game, the final result could be completely controlled by the player if a strategic approach to the game is used.

Some players prefer Blackjack to be a game of luck because they play it just for fun and find more excitement in not knowing what the results will be. However, I am sure that many players would like to turn their favorite hobby into something profitable, and they should be aware that this is possible and as simple as learning a few rules to the game.

Others argue that any card game is a game of luck because you cannot predict the cards that will be dealt, nor what the next card will be, and I will say that I completely disagree because odds are a wonderful thing that allow gamblers to make predictions on what the next card will be. Thanks to odds and strategy, most online casino games can be enjoyed by players at the same time as they bring a few extra bucks in.

The main reason why gamblers fell for online casino games is convenience. Playing online casino games allows you to feel the thrill of the games and win money without leaving your comfortable living room. All you need is a computer and an internet connection at home, and you are ready to play your favorite casino games at the same time as you watch your favorite TV show and/or relax on your couch.

Another reason to love online casino games is that they are fast and reliable. 21st century technology has made it possible for the games to be more dynamic and efficient than ever before. Players logged into online casino games are playing the games in real time with people form all over the world. Players also get to play more hands and games per minute than they would at a real casino thanks to the random number generator (RNG), which generates hands through a computer system rather than having a person shuffle the deck or spin the roulette for you. Keep in mind that RNGs are completely reliable and have been tested for security and fairness.

One more extra aspect of online casino games is that you do not have to dress up or stand in line to get into a brick and mortar casino, anyone can play at an online casino and they do not need to wait for a seat to open up at a table or for the slot machines to be free. Online casino games offer instant fun whenever the player looks for it, and it is accessible from wherever it is more convenient for the player. In this technological era, you can even access online casino games from your mobile, so there is no reason to not try them.

The casino lobby is perhaps the most important place to find everything that an online casino has to offer. Sometimes players fail to take advantage of all the options that online casinos have to offer due to their lack of knowledge on navigating the lobby. There are things on a casino lobby that are vital to any player, such as knowing where to make deposits and withdrawals, contacting support and finding the games that you are interested in playing.

Most players learn how to do those important things when they need to, but it is important that they know that there are many other things that can be done at a casino. For example, you can arrange a lot of settings and personalize your lobby how you like it the most. There are also some special options for the games like auto play, speed and many others. The possibilities are endless and I am more than certain that there is something you have not seen that is waiting to impact you.

Once a player learns how to manage the online casino lobby, they will pretty much have complete access to everything that an online casino gaming experience should be like. Next time you log into Silver Oak Casino, make sure that you click on every button that you see on the lobby and explore the wide range of options that we provide. If you still have questions after exploring the lobby feel free to contact our support team, as they are always willing and ready to help.

The table below gives you a list of the probabilities of each hand in video poker, it is very handy to keep your mind on realistic goals and know where you stand in terms of getting the winning hand.

The way in which you need to look at this chart is that first, there are different pairs. Then, there is the number of different combinations that can be found on those hands. Finally, you can see the probability of the hand coming up. Consider that these can be altered depending on the casino you are playing at

Poker Hand                       Nbr. of Hands     Probability
———————————————————–
5 of a kind                                            0      0.00000000
Royal straight flush                              4      0.00000154
Other straight flush                            36      0.00001385
4 of a kind                                        624      0.00024010
Full House                                     3,744      0.00144058
Flush                                              5,108      0.00196540
Ace high straight                           1,020      0.00039246
Other straights                               9,180      0.00353218
3 of a kind                                   54,912      0.02112845
2 pairs                                        123,552      0.04753902
One pair >= Jacks                      337,920      0.13002124
One pair <= Tens                       760,320      0.29254779
Ace high                                     502,860      0.19348509
King high                                   335,580      0.12912088
Queen high                                 213,180      0.08202512
Jack high                                    127,500      0.04905808
Ten high                                       70,380      0.02708006
Nine high                                     34,680      0.01334380
Eight high                                     14,280      0.00549451
Seven high                                      4,080      0.00156986

I hope this table helps you improve your video poker strategy a little more. In future posts I will try to discuss some other factors that can put you on the winning side of the video poker equation.

The good news is that, even though French roulette is not one of the most popular games offered at casinos, we have moved far from the days in which the only way to play the game was going to France or the Monte Carlo. That is why in this post I want to talk about what makes French roulette different from other variations of the game so that if you ever run across it you will not feel entirely lost.

French roulette comes with the single-zero roulette wheel, the La Partage rule, the Call Bets, and those features make it different from the other versions of roulette. The first thing that stands out is that all the numbers on the table are red, this is just because the French like the design but it does not mean anything. The numbers alternate in red and black, so you still can place a bet on the color.

The French roulette table is, naturally, in French. If you are planning to play you should get familiar with some basic French terms that I will post later this week. The French roulette only comes with one zero, like the European roulette which means you have a higher chance of winning than in American roulette.

On my next post I will talk a little bit about French roulette vocabulary and the La Partage feature which makes it so special. Until the, happy wagering!

Some online casinos do offer French Roulette but as a single game and this has a lot to do with the house edge and the average return of the game. The three variants of roulette offer very different returns. For those who are not familiar with the term house edge, the simplest definition is that it is the percent of each wager that the casino expects to get as winnings. From this concept you can understand that the higher the house edge, the more the casino profits.

Whereas American and European roulette offer a 5.26% and 2.70% house edge, respectively, French roulette only offers a 1.35% house return on even money bets and a 2.70% on all other bets. However, if we think about it, some casinos offer some variants of Blackjack and Video Poker with house edges of less than 1%.

The difference is that Roulette is a game purely based on luck and so, in the long run, the house will always get its return. In blackjack and video poker there is a skill factor and the issue is that even though the house edge is only 0.5%, this involves that the player uses perfect strategy and that is rarely the case. As a result, the house can expect returns of almost 10%.

There lies the issue why French Roulette poses the least attractive option for casino owners and they prefer to keep it away from the players as much as they can. However, I encourage you t try the game as it is a lot of fun. I will try to post more information on it later on the week. Happy grinding!

The phone was presented to the world last week and some of the features that stood out were the slide-out section in which a keypad for a video game controller waits for you. Sony Ericsson is going to be the manufacturer and the rumor is that the phone will run on Android 3.0.

If this is true then all of us will be able to download our favorite casino’s software to the screen from the Android Marketplace as Google has began allowing online casino operators to offer games on the Android platform. The controller keypad will add a lot to the mobile gaming experience and I cannot wait to see the features that developers will combine it with, in addition to the high quality resolution of the phone.

I do not think that a communications device has put so much focus on gaming ever before, and this is the first step into what I hope will be a new fever that communication developers will catch from now on. We will be hearing more about this phone soon as it is expected to be released in 2011.

I hope you all had a great weekend and wish you a great start of the week. Good luck at the tables and in your daily endeavors.

The one basic and holy rule of slot machines is that you always play the maximum bet to keep the odds on your side. This is particularly good for progressive slot machines because you will have a greater chance to hit the big target: the jackpot. If you look at the odds, there is 1 in 4,096 chance of hitting the jackpot in a 3 reel slot machine, so you might not hit it but you will definitely be closer to getting the highest payout rate, which at good casinos is between 94% and 98%.

A common error amongst online gamblers is that they can get too supersticious. Whereas I respect any type of rituals people may have to attract luck and good energies, when you believe that a cold slot (i.e. a machine that has been on the losing end for a while) will start paying out all of the sudden, you could be right… or wrong. This is totally up to chance and there is nothing you can do to influence that.

Basically, your odds are the same in a hot or cold slot but if you stick to the one basic rule your results will be definitely on the black side of the line in the long run. Good luck at the tables!

It is rumoured that an Italian player created a game from this story using Tarot Cards, which is the most ancient form of Baccarat. However, Baccarat is no exception to the French’s eagerness to create gambling games. Back in the day, the French played a game called ‘Chemin de Fer’ which is the Baccarat variant  still played in most casinos across Europe.

In Europe, Baccarat regaiend popularity during early 20th century and later on would come to America by the mid-20th century, more exactly during the Cuban revolution when Castro shut down all casinos in Cuba. The game entered a new light in Las Vegas and New Orleans and it came with its usual elitist scent.

In the United States, Baccarat is also commonly known as Punto Blanco and it is a much simpler game than the European ‘Chemin de Fer’. And finally, Baccarat became THE game when the James Bond movie ‘Casino Royale’ hit the screens in 1967 and featured one of the most comprehensive games of Baccarat.

Baccarat is a very fun game to play and we are happy to offer it in its online casino form for all of our players. Log into Silver Oak Casino for one of the best Baccarat experiences available on the web.

• Aces – Betting that the next roll will be the total sum of 2.
• Any Craps – Betting that the next roll will be 2, 3, or 12.
• Arm – A very skilled craps player.
• Big Eight – Betting that an 8 will be rolled before a 7 comes up.
• Big Six – Betting that a 6 will be rolled before a 7 comes up.
• Capped Dice – non standard, crooked dice.
• Come Out Roll – The first roll of the dice in a betting round and determines the point for Pass and Don’t Pass Line bets.
• Field Bet – A bet on 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11 or 12.
• Free Odds Bet – Taken at true odds.
• Front Line – Another term for the Pass Line.
• Hi-Lo – A bet that the next roll of the dice will be a 2 or 12.
• Horn Bet – A bet on 2, 3, 11 and 12 with the same amount.
• Insurance Bet – Two or more wagers made to partially cover one another.
• Line Bet – Bet on the Pass Line or Don’t Pass Line.
• Natural – Another term for a throw of 7 or 11 on the come out roll. (Natural seven or natural eleven.)
• Outside Numbers – The numbers 4,5,9, and 10.
• Parley – Increasing a bet, usually double (let it ride).
• Place Bet – bet stating a place number will be thrown before a 7 comes out.
• Place Numbers – 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10.
• Playing the field – A bet placed on the box with the word ‘field’ with a set of numbers. Placing a field bet means you are betting that the next roll will be a 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, or 12.
• Point Number – One of the numbers 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 and 10 determined on the come out roll.
• Shooter – The player who is currently rolling the dice.
• Snake Eyes – When you roll a two in craps, it is called ‘Snake Eyes’ - eyes because they look like eyes, snake because they are bad news (for the shooter).
• Three-way Craps – A bet made in units of 3 with one unit on 2, one unit on 3, and one unit on 12.

I hope these terms are helpful and if you have heard of any others feel free to ask.

Recently, RTG launched several online slot games with two central sports themes: American football and baseball. The first game causing novelty is called ‘Field of Green’ and it is focused on American football (warning: not soccer!). When you enter the game you can see a background of a football field and on top of it are the reeels. The symbols include a trophy, a football player, a helmet, a whistle, a football and a cheerleader. The high value card symbols will remind you of the numbers on football players’ jerseys. The bonus involves a kick and if you score a goal then you get a lot of free spons and bonus credit.

Also on the American football category is ‘Fruit Ball XXV’ which came out last year at the beginning of the 2010-11 season. This is a favorite of mine as each character associated with football is represented as a different fruit. When you get to the bonus part your objective will be to bypass opponents using football moves and depending on how many you bypass, that is the amount of free spins and credits you will get, it is very entertaining to play and watch!

Tomorrow I will talk about the baseball themes RTG slots, I hope you are enjoying the games as they are really worth playing.