Craps or Dice Craps the name is enough to put you off which is probably why most people don’t want to play it! Yet the odds on craps will favour the player so why don’t gamblers on this side of the pond want to play the game, is it because the love giving their hard earned dosh to the casino’s.

Maybe they don’t know how to play it and worse still are afraid to ask. Don’t worry we are about to show you how.

Not sure what the crap table looks like see the picture below. There are 36 possible combinations that can be made from rolling two dice, there is only one way to roll a two, two ways to roll a three, three ways to roll a four, four ways to roll a five, five ways to roll a six, six ways to roll a seven, then you start to reverse this sequence for the higher numbers 5 ways to roll an 8, 4 ways to roll a 9, 3 ways to roll a 10, 2 ways to roll 11 and only one way to roll 12.

The Shooter
The Player rolling the dice is the Shooter he will throw a pair of dice from one end of a craps table to the other end (back wall) thus establishing a ‘point number’ this is where the term ‘Making the point’ comes in this is done by throwing a 4,5,6,8,9 or 10 when a point is made a white marker known as the puck is placed on the table at the relevant number. This number then becomes the point of the game the shooter will carry on trying to roll that same point number, there is no time limit.

Betting
Players bet on what number they think the shooter will roll and payouts are based on odds calculated on that happening against a 7 being rolled.
Roll a 7 and the game is over and the dice are moved or passed on to the next player who then becomes the stickman, you will also hear the casino declare “7 out new shooter”.

Although there are lots of side bet possibilities the initially betting involves just two bets the Pass Line and the Don’t Pass Line.

PASS LINE - DON’T PASS LINE
This is your basic craps bet, paying even money the house edge here is minimal at 1.4% Place your bet before the first roll of the dice in a new game if the shooter rolls a 7 or 11 you win immediately, you lose immediately if a 2, 3 or 12 are rolled and of course if any other number is rolled 4,5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 these become the point number.

Once the point number is set you win, if the shooter rolls the point number before he rolls a 7 you win, should he roll a 7 before the point number you lose.

The reversal of the pass line bet the Don’t Pass Line, should the shooter roll 3 or 12 you win, roll 7 or 11 you lose and if the 2 is rolled you have a ‘push’ and your bet is returned. Should the shooter make his point, the don’t pass line bet wins if he rolls a 7 before making the point again.

These two bets kick off the game but after this is where the game of craps takes on a whole new persona.

COME - DON’T COME
It’s actually the same bet as the pass line but is made after the point has been made and pays even money. You can make a Come bet before any roll of the die and you win if the shooter rolls 7 or 11 and lose if 2, 3 or 12, any other number becomes the ‘come point’ and you win if the shooter rolls that number before rolling a 7.

Like the don’t pass line bet the Don’t Come bet is a reversal of the come bet you win if the roll is 3 or 12 lose if 7 or 11 a 2 is a ‘push’ and your bet is returned and once the ‘come point’ is made you win if a 7 is rolled and lose if the come point is rolled.

PLACE BET
This is a bet made on any of the point numbers which are 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10 they are paid at house odds. You can make or remove these bets anytime before a shooter rolls and you can place these bets to lose, that is you are betting a 7 will be rolled before the placed number is thrown. e.g. you bet a placed ‘no 8′ this means you bet 7 will be rolled before an 8. Be aware the chances of this happening are quite high so the odds are low and you have to pay the ‘vig’ this is the house commission and is usually 5%.

FIELD BET
The field box is in the middle of the table and most player make this bet, your betting that numbers 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11 or 12 will be thrown next, the odds are even except for the two and twelve which varies but can be 3/1 in some casino’s. With this bet you lose if the shooter throws a 5, 6, 8 or 7.

PROPOSITION BET
A one roll bet with names to lure you to make them such as ‘any craps’ ‘horn’, ‘hardway”,
Any Craps - the bet is that the next roll will be a 2, 3, or 12

Horn - the next roll will be 2, 3, 11 or 12

Hardway - the bet here is that the shooter will roll 4, 6, 8, or 10 as pairs of numbers before rolling a 7 or a point is made by rolling two different values. for instance here you betting that an hard 8 a pair of 4’s are going to be rolled before a 7 or 5 & 3 or 6 & 2

Things to watch out for at the craps table, avoid side bets the odds are usually in favour of the house and in fact this is where the house makes most of it’s money.

Betting the 7 the house makes sure it has the edge here paying out at 4/1 when the real odds are more like 5/1.

Betting on 11 pay out is good but the house gives itself a good edge.

The horn a fourway bet sounds a good bet but the odds are again in favour of the house.

Any craps used by some as an insurance bet but once again it favours the house.

Hardways a good fun bet but the odds are stacked against you.

Superstitious Crap players are the most superstitious of the lot here are some things to watch out for.

1. It’s unlucky to say Seven players prefer to say ‘It’ such as I hope IT doesn’t come up.

2. If the dice bounce off the table, the next roll will almost certainly be a 7, so you’ll see lots of players remove their bets if the dice leave the table. They will also be heard to shout same dice so a new set won’t be brought out.

3. Bad luck if the dice hit’s anyone’s hand (fortunately this can’t happen online.)

4. Lady crap players who are rolling for the first time will always have a hot roll whereas men won’t

5. It’s poor form to touch the shooter when he’s having a roll (can’t do this one online either.)

6. It’s bad luck if the stick man pushes the dice to you with a 7 showing (stickmen will avoid doing this.)

7. If a player places new money on the table during a roll and the dice hit it the next roll will be a 7 once again you can’t do this online.

Paul Edison invites you to check out his guides to other sports and betting at Play To Win race at www.play-to-win.co.uk/

If you want to get ahead in the game of bingo then why not follow our five easy strategies that could have you on your way to winning the jackpot in no time.

Play More Than One Card
If you want to improve your odds while playing bingo then you need to play more than one card per game. Yes, it’s more expensive but it significantly increases your chances of winning and you can choose the number of cards you play depending on a couple of things.

Look at the number of people playing the same game, the cost of each card and the size of the jackpot involved. Experts suggest that four cards is the optimal amount to play with in any given game.

Play Games With Less Players
Clearly there is a link between the number of players in a game and your chances of winning. The less people that are playing the better your odds of scooping the jackpot. However, given that most jackpots are based on the number of players you may have to be content with plenty of little pots rather than one big jackpot.

Try choosing games that are being played during the quieter hours of the day and look for games with fixed jackpots.

Don’t Go Broke
This might sound like a pretty simple tip, but remember that you can’t win when you have no money to play with! Set yourself a daily or weekly amount of money you can comfortably afford to lose playing bingo. Let’s say you can comfortably afford to lose $20 a month without breaking into a sweat, so set yourself a weekly limit of $5.

Using a system like this will help you control how much you are spending and allow you to continue playing even when luck is not on your side. This way you’ll be able to play through the dry spells and not get stuck in them. The longer you stay in the game, the better your chances of landing a big win!

Chase Wins - Not Loses
If you find yourself on a lucky streak then slowly increase the number of bingo cards you’re playing. Because you can play bingo for low stakes you can steadily build up a healthy bank roll, if you start the day with $5 and end the day with $20, then bank $10 (your original $5 plus $5 profit) and gamble the remaining $10 on higher priced bingo cards which carry bigger payout’s.

Don’t Use Your Own Money
You can’t really lose if you’re playing with someone else’s money! Now I’m not suggesting you go and steal your partners credit card, but remember that you can loads of free dosh from many online bingo sites. Foxy Bingo is giving away $10 completely free to all new players, and Paddy Power Bingo is offering $3 totally free! There great offers and you don’t have to deposit any of your own money to claim the free cash.

Paul Edison invites you to check out his tips for playing Online Bingo at www.bingoonline.me.uk

Poker is a game that combines mathematical skill, luck and deception. Learning how to bluff is an integral part of any poker players game. Below we have put together advice on bluffing, slow playing and tips for pulling off the semi-bluff.

Bluffing is really only an option in Texas Hold’em no limit games because in a no limit game your entire stack of chips is at risk in each hand and this makes the bluff an effective weapon. In limit games the risk is minimal as you cannot lose everything in one hand, so bluffing loses much of it’s potency.

The key to bluffing is making the bluff believable and choosing the correct players to target with the deception. A bluff will be hard to pull off when you’re playing a game with a maniac who ’s calling and raising every hand. These types of players are likely to call any bet and that’s exactly what you don’t want to happen. Try bluffing the tight players at the table, these players are the ones who only play top hands.

If you are one of the last players to act at the table then this is a good time to bluff, as you will get the chance to see what other players do before you have to act. It is not advisable to try and bluff more than one or two players at the same time because if there are 3 or more players in a hand it will be more likely that one of them is holding cards which are good enough to call you with.

Remember the size of your bet is key to pulling off the deception. If the bet is too big you will telegraph your bluff since a strong hand wants to be called, bet too small and you’ll make it too easy for an opponent to call.

It’s a great feeling when you successfully pull off a big bluff but don’t fall into the trap of trying to bluff too often, save your bluffs for when they are most advantageous.

The Semi-Bluff
The normal situation for employing a bluff is when you’re holding cards that have no realistic chance of winning the hand. So you bet in the hope of forcing other players to fold and you can collect the pot without revealing your weak cards.

A semi-bluff is slightly different than a normal bluff. The difference between a semi-bluff and a normal bluff is the strength of the cards you are holding. Typically in an out and out bluff you will be holding cards like 7 / 2 off suit, but the semi-bluff may see you holding a hand like 8 / 9 suited. Now 8 / 9 suited isn’t a great starting hand but it does offer you a number of good outs. Even if your bluff is called you could still hit a straight draw or a flush draw.

When holding a hand like 8 / 9 suited you might hit a flop which gives you another two suited cards and leaves you one card anyway from make your flush draw, this is the perfect time for a bluff. You still don’t have a hand, but a big bet could see you taking the pot before the turn. If the worst happens and you get called you still have two table cards to try and pick up the last suited card to complete your flush.

The Slow Play
When you bluff you are trying to make other players believe you have a stronger hand than you really do and when you Slow Play you are doing the exact opposite. By slow playing you are trying to convince other players that your hand is weaker than it really is. By doing this you hope other players will bet into the pot more than they would if you came out raising with a big bet which may scare them off.

Slow playing should only be used when you have an unbeatable hand like a full house or the highest flush or straight. When you hold an unbeatable hand after the flop you don’t want to scare anyone out of the action. You should wait until the turn and river card before sticking in the big bets. Allow the other players to become committed into a showdown.

Paul Edison invites you to check out his tips at Poker legend.

Playing fruit machines is fun and for most people provides an enjoy experience as long as the personal financial risks are minimal. The majority of fruit machine players are well able to keep the correct balance between having fun and managing the risks, but for a small number of people this form of gambling can become a big problem.

Their life can be dominated by the need to play fruit machine games well beyond their financial means. Problem gamblers will continue to play fruit machines whether they are winning or losing. Often they will use their own and other people’s money to fund their addiction. Their family life, jobs and other interests will suffer as a consequence.

Someone who thinks they have a gambling problem should ask themselves the following questions?

* Have you ever lose time from work or education because you are gambling?
* Do you gamble to pay off debts?
* Do you feel you must return to a fruit machine as soon as possible to win back losses?
* Have you ever gambled until all your money is gone?
* Do you borrow money to fund your gambling?
* Have you ever committed or considered committing a crime to fund your gambling?
* Do you ever neglect your family and friends to continue gambling?

Most compulsive gamblers will answer YES to at least FOUR of these questions; fruit machine gambling problems are more common than many other types of gambling addiction.

The perceived view is that fruit machines are on the softer side of gambling and as such are licensed in the UK at locations where you wouldn’t normally be allowed to gamble, most pubs will have at least two fruit machines on the premises and motorway service stations can have up to 20 different machines on site. You will also come across machines in bookmakers, high street arcades, airports and on ferries.

This availability of fruit machines makes it very difficult for those with a problem to avoid them in everyday life. Until very recently you could also find them in fast food outlets and taxi offices! Recently the law has been change and the number of venues allowed to install fruit machines has been reduced.

If you feel that your fruit machine gambling is becoming a problem there are a number for organizations out there to help you. In the UK GamCare is the national centre for information, advice and practical help regarding the social impact of gambling. GamCare runs a helpline manned by trained staff. They can offer counseling, information and advice to problem gamblers, family members and friends of a gambler. You can call the helpline from the UK on 0845 6000 133. You can also find support and help at gamblersanonymous which runs support groups in many cities. You can call their national helpline on: 020 7384 3040

Paul Edison invites you to find out more about fruit machines and dealing with gambling problems at www.fruitmachine.me.uk

On the whole Scratch Card games are a game of chance, but there are still plenty of strategies and tips you can use to improve your chances of landing a big jackpot. This guide to designed to help you maximize your wins and minimize your loses.

The Luck Factor:
Winning at scratch cards is always down to luck, there is nothing scientific you can do to improve your chances of picking a winning card. As everyone knows lucky streaks run hot and cold but you can improve your percentage chances of winning in a number of ways.

The first way to improve your chances of winning big is by playing more scratch cards. No, I’m not suggesting you spend more money on the cards, rather that you play the cards with the lower purchase values - for example if you only have $20 available to play with this month then don’t opt to play the cards with a ticket price of $5! You’ll only be able to buy 4 cards and you’ll have to be very lucky to get a winner is such a small number of cards.

Instead play the cards with a purchase price of 0.20c as you’ll be able to buy 25 cards and you’ll dramatically increase your chances of getting a winning card in such a large selection. You’ll also have more fun for your money too!

Don’t Go Broke:
It’s a pretty simple tip, but you can’t win when you have no money to play with! To avoid going broke use a ‘Stop Limit’ system. Set yourself a daily or weekly amount of money you can comfortably afford to lose. Let’s say you can afford to lose $20 a month without breaking into a sweat, so set yourself a weekly gambling limit of $5 - If you’re unlucky and lose the lot in one day then do not play again that week.

Using a system like this will help you control how much you are spending and allow you to continue playing even when luck is not on your side. This way you’ll be able to play through the dry spells and not get stuck in them. The longer you stay in the game, the better your chances of landing a big win!

Chase Wins Not Loses:
If you find yourself on a winning roll then slowly increase your stakes and chances of landing a big jackpot. Because you can play scratch cards for low stakes you can steadily build up a healthy bank roll, if you start the day with $5 and you manage to win $30 in a session then bank $15 (your original $5 plus $10 profit) and gamble the remaining $15 on higher priced cards which carry bigger payout’s.

Play With Other Peoples Money:
Gambling with other peoples money is way more fun than your own! Now I’m not suggesting you go and steal your partners credit card but you can get free cash from many online scratch card sites.

Paul Edison invites you to check out the free cash deals for playing scratch cards online at http://www.scratchcards.me.uk