Casinotoplists - News

Picking the Best PC for Online Gambling

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

The good news is that you’ll have a relatively easy time of it, as most online gambling sites don’t require a lot of computing power to run so you won’t have to get bogged down in too many technical specifications.

The perfect online gambling PC also goes beyond just the box itself, as small things like your keyboard, mouse, and even desk and chair should be considered when you’re trying to put together the ultimate online gambling machine.

Best PC for Online Gambling

Your first big choice will be whether to go with a Mac or Windows box, and as sad as it will be for Mac fans to hear, the hands down choice should be to go with Windows. Some online gambling sites don’t have clients for Macs so your best bet is to go with Windows, which every online gambling site supports.

As far as whether to get a laptop or a desktop, there’s not a huge difference, with a slight edge going to desktops, especially if you’re an online poker fan. Playing on a desktop makes it slightly easier to play at multiple sites and tables at the same time, something that can be important for online poker players looking to maximize their winnings.

Any new computer that you buy will have more than enough RAM and a speedy enough processor to do the job, so don’t go overboard here with upgrades. Online sites are designed to consume as few resources as possible and most aren’t graphic intensive, so you won’t have to worry about the graphics card or other hardware specs.

Top 5 Desktops for Online Gaming

Gateway SX2850-33

Processor: Intel Core i3
Processor speed: 3.2 GHz
RAM: 4 GB
Graphics Card: Intel GMA HD
Price Range: $500-$600

Acer Revo 100 RL100-U1002

Processor: AMD Athlon II Neo K325
Processor speed: 1.3GHz
RAM: 4 GB
Graphics Card: 512MB Nvidia Ion
Price Range: $450-$550

HP Pavilion Elite HPE-112y

Processor: AMD Phenom II X4 925
Processor speed: 2.8GHz
RAM: 8GB
Graphics Card: 512MB ATI Radeon HD 4350
Price Range: $850-$950

Acer Aspire AM3970-U5022

Processor: Intel Core i3 2100
Processor speed: 3.1GHz
RAM: 6GB
Graphics Card: 64MB Intel HD Graphics 2000
Price Range: $500-$600

Gateway DX4850-45u

Processor: Intel Core i5 2300
Processor speed: 2.8GHz
RAM: 6GB
Graphics Card: 64MB Intel HD Graphics 2000
Price Range: $700-$800

Best Monitors for Online Gambling

Monitor choice is really a matter of personal preference but size does matter, especially if you like to play different games or sites at the same time and don’t want tables to overlap.

Online poker players will often use two or three monitors at the same time to solve this problem, which might just be the trick as long as you have a graphics card that will support more than one monitor at a time.

Top 5 Monitors for Online Gambling

Dell UltraSharp U2711
Samsung SyncMaster S27A850D
Asus PA246Q
NEC MultiSync P221W
AOC e2243Fw

Miscellaneous

Any mouse will do but it’s not a bad idea to splurge on an ergonomic mouse, as the same repetitive motions can add up over time if you play a lot at online gambling sites (especially for poker players).

The same is true of the desk and chair you play at, as pretty much anything will work but you’ll be a lot more comfortable and relaxed if you spend a little more for a quality chair. Small comforts add up over time and the last thing you want is to be uncomfortable and off your game, as saving a few big bets here and there could easily pay for that nicer, more comfortable chair.

You won’t need to buy any software to play the online games themselves as they’re always free but you might consider stats programs like Holdem Manager or PokerTracker if you play a lot of online poker.

If you tend to install and then later uninstall lots of different online gambling sites, you might pick up some registry cleaner software as well, just to make sure your system is running as smoothly as possible and that programs and files uninstall correctly.

Top 5 Peripherals for Online Gambling

Razer Naga Epic mouse
Mad Catz Cyborg R.A.T. 9
Razer Orochi
Microsoft Touch Mouse
Logitech Gaming Mouse G500

Casinos Around the World - Vital Statistics

Wed, 23 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0500

When you look at the stats below, Asian casinos are picking up at a rapid pace. In some cases they’re already the biggest in the world.

However, Las Vegas is still the capitol of gambling and USA has the largest gambling market

But for how long will this last?

The trends speak for themselves. Click on infographic to enlarge.

Feel free to share it on your blog by copying the code below and pasting it (don't make changes, or it could break) in your article

<img width="450" height="1500" src="http://media.casinotoplists.com/infographics/casino_statistics.jpg"></a><br />Via: <a href="http://www.casinotoplists.com/">Casino Top Lists</a>

Video Poker Rules

Thu, 25 Aug 2011 07:00:00 -0500

But before we get into that, let’s take it from the beginning.

A hand in video poker works like this:

First you decide how much to wager, usually between one and one and four credits. Remember, though, that if you play multi-hand video poker you bet the same amount on every single hand.
Press Deal
Now you’ll receive a five-card hand and it’s time to decide what to hold and what to discard. This can be a little tricky if you haven’t played before we suggest that you read up on video poker strategy.
Click the cards you want to hold.
Press Deal
Now you have your final hand and can compare it to the paytable visible on the machine. Below you’ll find the payouts for the most popular video poker game Jacks or Better. As you can see, the hand ranking is exactly like regular draw poker, with the small exception that a pair has to be jacks or better.

Rules of Other Video Poker Variations

Although a majority of the players online choose Jacks or Better there are a bunch of other video poker machines in online casinos.

Here we will run you through the hand rankings of the most popular games.

In the payout examples we’ve bet the full amount – five credits.

Deuces Wild Rules

In Deuces Wild, 2s work as jokers and can substitute for any other card in the deck. Since the wild deuces will make you receive much stronger hands on average, three-of-a-kind is the weakest hand that’s paid.

Deuces Wild Hand Ranking

Natural Royal Flush: A royal straight flush (10, J, Q, K, A all in the same suit) with no wild deuces used. Pays 4,000 credits.

Four Deuces: A four-of-a-kind with wild deuces. Pays 1,000 credits.

Wild Royal Flush: A royal straight flush with one or more deuces used to complete the hand. Pays 125 credits.

Five of a Kind: Four cards of the same rank plus a deuce (or three cards of the same rank plus two deuces etc.) Pays 75 credits.

Straight Flush: A flush with all cards in sequence (not royal). Pays 45 credits.

Four of a Kind: Four cards of the same rank. Pays 20 credits.

Full House: Three cards of the same rank plus a pair. Pays 20 credits.

Flush: Five cards of the same suit. Pays 15 credits.

Straight: Five cards in sequence, not suited. Pays 10 credits.

Three of a Kind: Three cards of the same rank. Pays 5 credits.

Joker Poker Rules

In Joker Poker, a wild joker is used which can substitute for any other card in the deck. So just like in Deuces Wild, you’re able to create five-of-a-kind etc.

However, in Deuces Wild you need at least trips to receive a payout, in Joker Poker it’s enough with a pair of kings.

Joker Poker Hand Ranking

Natural Royal Flush: A royal straight flush (10, J, Q, K, A all in the same suit) without jokers. Pays 5,000 credits.

Five of a Kind: All cards of the same rank with one or more jokers used. Pays 1,000 credits.

Joker Royal Flush: A royal straight flush with one or more jokers used. Pays 500

Straight Flush: A flush with all cards in sequence (not royal). Pays 250 credits.

Four of a Kind: Four cards of the same rank. Pays 85 credits.

Full House: Three cards of the same rank plus a pair. Pays 35 credits.

Flush: Five cards of the same suit. Pays 25 credits.

Straight: Five cards in sequence, not suited. Pays 15 credits.

Three of a Kind: Three cards of the same rank. Pays 10 credits.

Two Pair: Two pairs of different rank. Pays 5 credits

Kings or Better: A pair of kings or aces. Pays 5 credits.

10s Or Better Rules

Tens or better is very similar to Jacks or Better, but in this game you only need a pair of tens to win. To make up for this, the casino lowers the payout for flush, full house and four-of-a-kind.

In 10s or better a flush pays 25 credits (when betting max), a full house 30 credits and a four-of-a-kind 100 credits.

Apart from this, the rules are exactly the same as in Jacks or Better.

Two Ways Royal Rules

The Main characteristic of this video poker machine is that there are two royal flushes both paying the same 4,000 credit when wagering the full amount.

Hi Royal Flush: A, K, Q, J, 10 of the same suit
Lo Royal Flush: 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 of the same suit

Apart from this feature the rules are more or less the same as in Joker Poker.

Flush pays 25 credits instead of 30 and full house pays 30 instead of 45.

But on the other hand, a four of a kind pays 200 instead of 125.

All American Video Poker Rules

In All American Video Poker the payout rules are a bit different compared to most other machines.

You will receive the same payout for pair (jacks or better) and two pair, and you also get the same payout for straight, flush and full house, even though it’s a lot harder to get a full house than a straight.

All American Hand Ranking

Natural Royal Flush: A royal straight flush (10, J, Q, K, A all in the same suit.) Pays 4,000 credits.

Straight Flush: A flush with all cards in sequence (not royal). Pays 1,000 credits.

Four of a Kind: Four cards of the same rank. Pays 170 credits.

Full House: Three cards of the same rank plus a pair. Pays 40 credits.

Flush: Five cards of the same suit. Pays 40 credits.

Straight: Five cards in sequence, not suited. Pays 40 credits.

Three of a Kind: Three cards of the same rank. Pays 15 credits.

Two Pair: Two pairs of different rank. Pays 5 credits

Jacks or Better: A pair of jacks, queens, kings or aces. Pays 5 credits.

Video Poker Rules Summary

These were the rules of the most popular online video poker machines – but there are other games too.

Before you start playing any of them, study the payout charts so you know what card is wild, how you get the biggest jackpot, what the minimum hand to receive payout is and so on.

Also, as said before, remember to learn the strategy of video poker.

Knowing the rules is one thing, making the correct decisions is another.

Blackjack Surrender

Mon, 22 Aug 2011 07:30:00 -0500

This article will be examining the game offered at Europa Casino and other online sites on the platform, and detailing some of the differences and rule changes and how they impact your strategy and odds as a player.

The main characteristic of this blackjack variation is obviously that a player may surrender. For the price of half the bet he has the opportunity to give up the hand altogether.

Like other blackjack variations such as Atlantic City blackjack and blackjack switch, Blackjack Surrender is a game that just gently tweaks the rules of blackjack, so it will be very familiar to people who are already fans of blackjack.

Blackjack Surrender Rules

There are two different types of blackjack surrender games, early and late.

In the early version players are allowed to surrender before the dealer has checked whether or not he has blackjack.

In the late version the dealer checks for blackjack and players may only surrender if the dealer has 20 or below.

Here we’re going to focus on late surrender since that is the game mostly offered online. The game is very similar to the standard Vegas Strip rules that most blackjack games use, but with the following changes:

Players can only split once, no matter what pair they hold.
Players have the option to surrender their hand – giving up half their bet – after the dealer checks for blackjack if they have a 10 or A showing.
The 7 Card Charlie rule is used, which means that if a player keeps hitting until they have five cards without going over 21 their hand is a winner. A 7 Card Charlie pays out at 1:1 like any standard winning bet for the player that isn’t a blackjack.

Blackjack Surrender Strategy

Blackjack Surrender strategy is almost identical to basic blackjack strategy, with just a few small changes to take into account the surrender option and the 7 Card Charlie rule.

If you have a hard 16, surrender if the dealer has an A, 10, or 9; if you have a hard 15, surrender if the dealer has an A or a 10.
The 7 Card Charlie rule only adds a .01% advantage to the player, so it essentially doesn’t change the odds and has some rather complicated strategies; for a full list of how to adjust your strategy for the 7 Card Charlie rule see the following link.

If you’d like to play Blackjack Surrender, go to our list of top blackjack casinos. Then choose a site supported by Playtech – for instance Europa Casino.

Pontoon

Mon, 22 Aug 2011 07:30:00 -0500

If you want to play Pontoon online, we recommend Europa Casino for European players and Silver Oak Casino for U.S. residents. If you’d like to play on any other site, have a look at our blackjack toplist.

Pontoon is similar to blackjack switch in that it takes the basic blackjack rules but adds pretty significant twists, making it almost a whole new game – as opposed to Atlantic City blackjack and Blackjack Surrender that only make minor tweaks to blackjack.

Pontoon was once a rare blackjack variant only found at casinos using RTG software but in recent years online casino software providers Playtech, Cryptogaming, and Microgaming have all added pontoon to the blackjack games they offer so it’s much more common now.

Pontoon Rules

Pontoon uses eight decks and shares many blackjack rules, but also adds some significant changes into the mix, most notably paying the player at 2:1 for any five card hands they make (including five card hands after splitting).

Here are some of the major rule changes that make Pontoon unique:

Five card hands for the player that don’t go over 21 are winners that are paid at 2:1.
Natural blackjacks are called “pontoons” and are paid at 2:1.
All other player wins are paid at even money (1:1).
The dealer wins all ties, including pontoons and five-card hands.
The player and dealer get two cards to start the game, with both player cards face-up and both dealer cards face-down.
A player must hit (called “twist” in pontoon) all point totals less than 15.
Players can hit or twist after doubling down.
Players can double down or draw more cards after splitting aces.

Pontoon Strategy

Pontoon has a very low house advantage of about 0.35%, although correct strategy for pontoon is a good deal different than basic blackjack strategy due to all the different rules and variations.

As far as playing proper pontoon strategy, please see this link for a chart that shows the proper players depending on which online casino software version of pontoon you’re playing.

Many blackjack players find pontoon very enjoyable as the rules make it an action game with lots of chances to double down, especially if you’re close to making a five-card hand.

The ability to double after splitting hands plus the requirement to keep hitting until your total is higher than 15 also lends more excitement, as the correct play is to keep hitting and doubling in many cases where you might otherwise just stand in a regular blackjack game.

Atlantic City Blackjack

Mon, 22 Aug 2011 07:30:00 -0500

As you’d guess by the name, Atlantic City blackjack was first offered by casinos in Atlantic City, New Jersey in the US. Casinos often look for new games and variations of existing games as a way to lure in new customers, which explains many of the different variations developed over he years for blackjack.

Atlantic City Blackjack Odds

One of the big draws of Atlantic City blackjack is that some variations of it have the lowest house advantage of any blackjack games at around 0.35%; you’ll need to pay close attention to the blackjack rules for the particular game you’re playing as even just one seemingly small rule change such as a blackjack paying 6:5 instead of 3:2 can substantially change the actual odds you’re facing.

Rules of the Game

Atlantic City blackjack is played with eight decks of cards and uses all of the standard blackjack rules. Unlike variations such as blackjack switch and pontoon, Atlantic City blackjack only has a few very small differences which are outlined below:

The dealer must stand on both hard and soft 17. In most blackjack games the dealer hits on soft 17, which is to the advantage of the casino.
Players can double down after splitting and can re-split up to three times in many casinos.
Atlantic City blackjack allows late surrender. This means the player can surrender and give up half their bet once the dealer checks for blackjack and doesn’t have it.

Atlantic City Blackjack Strategy

As far as Atlantic City blackjack strategy, it’s essentially the same as basic blackjack strategy but with a few changes due to the above rule differences.

If you have a hard 16, surrender if the dealer is showing an A, 10, or 9; if you have a hard 15, surrender if the dealer is showing an A or a 10.
If you have 88 and the dealer is showing an A, surrender instead of splitting them as you would in a normal blackjack game.

Always be sure to check the rules for the Atlantic City blackjack game that you’re playing, as just because it’s called “Atlantic City blackjack” it doesn’t mean that it has to follow the standard rules that are outlined here.

Key rules to look at include what the blackjack payout is (with 3:2 being the best for the player), what surrender options are allowed, how many decks are used, and what the rules are as far as what cards the player is allowed to double down on.

Be sure to take advantage of our blackjack trainer when getting a feel for blackjack strategy, as it’s a free and instructional way to get used to the game and the rules.

When you're ready to play for real, we list the best online blackjack sites. All the top casinos are highly recommended.

Blackjack Switch

Mon, 15 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Blackjack switch can be found at most major online casinos as well as some brick-and-mortar US casinos and other casinos around the world.

Screenshot from Europa Casino's Blackjack Switch

Blackjack Switch Rules

Blackjack switch uses many of the basic blackjack rules, but each player is dealt two hands to begin the game. The same starting bet must be wagered on both hands and the cards are dealt face up.

One both hands are dealt – and this is the key to this game – you’ll then have the option of swapping the second card dealt from one hand to the other.

Example: You’re dealt a 10 and a 6 for one hand (for a total of 16 – a terrible blackjack hand) and a 5 and a 10 for the other hand (a total of 15 for another poor hand).

Blackjack switch lets you exchange the second cards, so that you swap the 6 and the 10; your first hand is now a 10 and a 10 (for a total of 20 – much better) and your second hand is now a 5 and a 6 (for 11, which is a great hand to double down on).

You only get to switch cards one time, and after that the hand proceeds as normal based on blackjack rules, as far as options to split or double down, etc.

Blackjack Switch Odds

If being able to switch cards seems too good to be true, keep in mind a few other differences.

The biggest is that blackjacks only pay even money at 1:1 instead of the normal 3:2 as is the case in normal blackjack, which is a substantial drawback.

Another rule difference in blackjack switch is that the dealer doesn’t bust if they draw to 22 – a dealer 22 is a push and means that all hands are a tie.

As far as blackjack switch odds, the casino does have a very small edge of around 0.5% for most games – essentially the same as standard blackjack. That makes it one of the better casino games for the player, roughly on par with other games such as video poker and craps.

Blackjack Switch Strategy

Blackjack switch strategy can get complicated if you want to play perfectly according to the odds, but a good basic strategy follows, using this ranking as far as what starting hands are best at switch:

1.   21
2.   20
3.   19
4.   AA
5.   11
6.   10
7.   9
8.   18

If the dealer has a 7 or an 8 showing, then try to balance your hands so that the weakest hand is as high on the ranking list above.

If the dealer has anything other than a 7 or an 8, make one of your hands as strong as possible and take your chances with the other.

Example: If you’re dealt a 10 9 and a 8 8 and the dealer is showing a 7, you’ll want to switch your second cards so that you instead have 10 8 and 8 9; your first hand goes down slightly from a 19 to an 18 but your second hand improves greatly to 17 from 16.

If you’ve got A 5 and 9 10 versus the dealer showing a 10, you’ll want to switch your second cards. This gives you A 10 and 5 9, so you’ve got one strong hand for 21 and another with 14 that you’ll hope to get lucky with.

One of the enjoyable aspects of blackjack switch and a big part of the strategy is that you’ll often find yourself winning with one hand and losing with the other; the end result is a push where you don’t win or lose but get to play another round.

This means that you can usually play more hands with the same bankroll, as pushes and ties are more common than in normal blackjack so you get more play for your money, much like in Pai Gow poker (another card game with two hands and lots of pushes).

Where to Play Blackjack Switch

Quite a few online casinos offer blackjack switch – both US casinos and European. For more detailed information about different sites, go to the list of the best blackjack sites and read the casino reviews.

Credit Card Casinos

Thu, 28 Apr 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Most credit card companies have been around for a long while and service millions of customers in almost every country in the world. People who have a credit card use it on a regular basis to go shopping, pay for a dinner, buy things online, or use it when on holiday.

Credit cards are a trusted payment method that people have grown familiar with. This is the number one reason why credit card gambling is so popular and why there are that many credit card casinos.

The biggest advantage of gambling at a credit card casino is that there is no need to register any additional accounts, like is the case when using an e-Wallet. You simply go to the cashier of the credit card casino and fill in the required information. The process is very similar to when you buy stuff online. You provide your credit card number, security number, and expiration date. Once this is done your deposit will be visible in your online casino account in a matter of minutes.

If you’re a US player it might happen that your deposit to a credit card casino gets declined. This can happen because the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) that was passed in 2006 prohibits banks from processing transactions from and to online casinos.

Still, most credit card casinos state that they do accept credit card deposits from US players, and they do. The thing is that the credit card companies perform random checks to see which transactions are online gambling related. Once in a while they find transactions that meet these requirements and they are legally obliged to decline.

This is a game of hit and miss and it is not possible to say at which credit card casinos transactions from US players are declined. As having a credit card transaction declined has no further consequences, we recommend that you try out different credit card casinos to quickly find one that works for you.

Of all credit card casinos the vast majority only offers it as a method to make deposits. Some credit card casinos do actually also offer it as a way to withdraw funds. At these credit card casinos making withdrawals is only possible if you made a deposit with the same credit card in the recent past (usually the last 6 months).

When it comes to credit card casinos there are three major players: MasterCard, Visa, and American Express. Follow the links to go to the in-depth articles on each of these three payment options. Please note that Visa and MasterCard are used at almost every online casino, while American Express is less popular for online casino payments.

Online Gambling in the US

Fri, 04 Mar 2011 14:30:00 -0500

Federal Online Gambling Legislation

Back in September 2006 the US Senate and the House of Representatives voted in favor of a bill called the SAFE Port Act. Amended to this act was legislation prohibiting financial institutions from transferring funds to online gambling operators.

This legislation became known as the Unlawful Internet Gambling and Enforcement Act (UIGEA). The initial aim of the UIGEA was to prevent online gambling in the US, by preventing financial transaction to offshore online casinos could take place.

The UIGEA is by no means aimed at individuals who place bets at online casinos. It only prohibits US financial institutions from doing business with offshore online casino operators.

Although the passing of the UIGEA did not stop Americans from placing real-money wagers at foreign online casinos, it did lead to a drastic decline in the number and variety of online casinos welcoming US players.

Despite compliance with the UIGEA regulations being required only years later, Party Gaming for example immediately announced suspension of its US operations (causing its stock price to drop by 60%).

Microgaming, which currently powers just under 100 online casinos, was another major player that stopped accepting US players after the passing of the UIGEA.

Barney Frank’s HR 2267 Bill

To try and undo the effects of the UIGEA, Barney Frank re-introduced his Internet Gambling Regulation, Consumer Protection, and Enforcement Act in May, 2009.

This Act, known as HR 2267, was voted upon by the House Financial Services Committee on July 28, 2010 and passed with a vote of 41-22-1.

Unfortunately, HR 2267 was not voted on in time by the House of Representatives. By the end of 2010 a new US Congress had to be chosen, and due to time constraints and administrative backlog the voting never took place.

As far as federal legislation goes, full UIGEA compliance is required of US financial institutions as of June 1, 2010. Frank’s bill now has to be re-introduced, and any change in the federal online gambling legislation seems unlikely in the near future.

State Laws – New Jersey Situation

On January 10, 2011 a bill enabling New Jersey residents to place bets at licensed online casinos passed the New Jersey General Assembly and the Senate. The only thing needed for the bill to become law was the signature of Governor Chris Christie.

Judging from the comfortable margin with which the bill passed the legislature, chances looked good the bill would become law by the end of February 2011.

As soon the bill became law, Atlantic City casinos could apply for licenses to offer their games to New Jersey residents over the internet. Offshore gambling companies, however, would not be allowed to directly cater to New Jersey residents.

Under the legislation, foreign gambling companies could try to team up with Atlantic City casinos but all online casino operations must take place on the premises of an Atlantic City land-based casino.

The bill suffered a temporary setback on March 4 when Gov. Christie exercised his veto power and declined to sign the bill, saying it didn't properly address the State Constitution.

He did however suggest the state Legislature could revive the Bill and have voters approve it by referendum.

US States With No Laws Prohibiting Online Gambling

Neither the UIGEA, nor any other federal law, explicitly prohibits American citizens from placing bets at an online casino.

Consequently, all US citizens are legally allowed to place bets at an online casino, unless state laws dictate otherwise.

The following states have no laws that prohibit their citizens from gambling at online casinos:

Alabama	Hawaii	Mississippi	Oklahoma
Alaska	Idaho	Missouri	Pennsylvania
Arizona	Iowa	Nebraska	Rhode Island
Arkansas	Kansas	New Hampshire	South Carolina
California	Kentucky	New Jersey	Tennessee
Colorado	Maine	New Mexico	Texas
Connecticut	Maryland	New York	Utah
Delaware	Massachusetts	North Carolina	Vermont
Dist. of Columbia	Michigan	North Dakota	Virginia
Florida	Minnesota	Ohio	West Virginia
Georgia

If you live in any of the above listed states you have nothing to worry about and you can freely gambling at the best US-friendly online casinos.

Casino Game Probability 101

Wed, 07 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Without probability, casino gaming would not even be possible.

What Is Probability?

Probability is simply the likelihood that something will happen. We use probability every day in our daily lives. When we decide whether or not to cross the street against the light we are measuring the likelihood that we will get hit with an oncoming car vs. the benefits of getting across the street faster.

When we gamble, we are estimating the likelihood that an event will happen in order to formulate a bet. In these cases we are estimating probability.

Probability Example

Let's say you have a bag containing three blue balls and one red one. The likelihood of you picking the red ball out without looking is 1 in 4.

There are a number of ways to express this probability. We can say there is a 1 in 4 chance of red. We can also say there is a 3-to-1 chance against red, because on average we will pick three blue balls for every one red one.

Thus we can say the odds of picking red are 3-to-1 against.

We might also say our odds or probability of picking red are 25 percent, since there is a 100 percent probability of picking a ball of any color and four balls, and 100 divided by four is 25.

Our probability of picking a blue ball is 75 percent, since there are three of them with a probability of 25 percent.

Probability in Casino Games

Casinos work by offering you odds of winning that are not quite as good as the probability of the chosen outcome.

For example, in the ball picking example, the casino might offer to pay you 2-to-1 if you pick the red ball. If you bet $5, then over four trials on average you will pick the blue ball three times, losing $5 each time for a total loss of $15, and you will pick the red ball the fourth time and win $10, for a net gain to the casino of $5.

Of course, on any individual trial anything can happen. You might pick the red ball four times in a row and win $40, or pick the blue ball four times in a row and lose $20. However over the long term, you can expect to lose $5 for every four trials.

This difference represents the house edge.

Probability in Roulette

If we look at a single-number bet on an American roulette wheel, your odds against winning is 37 to 1. There are 37 slots, including the zero and the double zero, and you have picked one number.

If you win, you'll get 35 to 1.

Again, the difference between the chance of winning and the actual payout represent the house edge.

So if you play roulette online - or any other casino game for that matter - make sure that you understand the game's probability and your chances of winning.