Introduction

This is one in a series of money-saving tips. For more information, please visit my home page.

Online Poker

Gambling can be fun and inexpensive, especially if you like to play poker, thanks to the Internet. There are a number of poker sites available. The one I use is pokerstars.net. They allow you to play for fun or for money. At first I didn't think playing for fun would be very interesting. But I was wrong.


Here's how they make it competitive, even when you're playing with fun chips. You are alloted 1000 chips. If you use those up you can get a 2nd 1000 and then a 3rd 1000, all within an hour. If you use up all 3000 you have to wait until an hour is up to get more.


You can play Stud, Omaha, or Texas Hold'em. The players you compete against are from all over the world. There is also a chat feature so you can communicate with the other players. The games have various stakes, with and without limits so you can go "All In" just like the professionals you see on T.V. You can either pop in on a table or participate in a tournament. The play money tournaments have entry fees, in play chips of course, and award more play chips to the top finishers.


But if you absolutely have to play for real money you can do that as well. And, you can play in games as low as $.01/$.02. Yes, that's right, you can literally play for pennies.


This is a great place to hone your poker skills. Maybe someday you'll be at that final table in The World Series of Poker. Others have done it starting just this way.

Blackjack Pointers

Blackjack, if played well, may give the house an edge of as little as only .2%. That is better than craps and far better than roulette or the slots. But the house rules must be favorable and you have to make the best percentage plays.


Some blackjack games in Vegas now only pay 6 to 5 for a blackjack. Don't play at such a game! It gives too much of an edge to the house. Also, avoid games where the dealer must hit soft seventeen or where you are not allowed to double down on any two cards. You also want to be able to double down after splitting a pair. Surrender is also good for the player, if it is offered. NEVER take insurance! Here are the best percentage plays and the order in which you should evaluate your hand.


Surrender
Ocassionally you may find a casino that allows you to surrender. This is where you give up half your bet after seeing your first two cards. You should do this if you have 16 against a nine, ten or ace or with 15 against a ten. With bad hands like 16 and 15 you can lose less money by surrendering than by playing out the hand.


Splitting Pairs
If you have a pair, ALWAYS split eights and aces. NEVER split fives or tens. Split nines against 2 through 6, 8 or 9. Split sevens against 2 through 7. Split twos, threes, and sixes against 2 through 6. Split fours against 5 or 6. Here's why you play this way.


You split eights against ANY dealer card because 16 is a terrible hand. It's the worst hand you can have. By splitting you give yourself the chance of drawing a two or three giving you a ten or eleven. Now you may have a hand worth doubling down. Or you may draw an ace giving you 19. You hope that one of the two hands you are playing works out this way because your goal is to win at least one of the hands to produce a push. A push is a good result when you start with 16. Some people will not split eights against a dealer's ten. They are giving money to the house. You'll be far worse off if you hit or stand.


You split aces against any dealer card because 2 isn't a very good hand and there is a good chance that one of the aces will get a ten. Again, your goal is really just to push by winning one of the hands.


You should never split fives because 10 is a good hand to either double down or hit. And, although you will see people do it, you should never split tens because 20 is a great hand that will win most of the time as the dealer's average hand is 18.2.


You should split nines against 2-6, 8 or 9 because there is a good chance that one or both hands will end up as a 19 or better. But it is too dangerous to split nines against a dealer ten or ace. When the dealer has a seven, however, you assume his hidden card is a ten giving him a 17. Because 18 beats 17 you should just stand with a pair of nines.


Assuming that you are allowed to double down after splitting a pair, you can split twos, threes, and sixes against a dealer 2 through 6. You do this because you assume that the dealer has a ten hidden giving him a total of 12 to 16, which is a bad hand for him but good for you. You can only safely split fours when the dealer's card is a 5 or 6. The dealer will bust 42% - 43% of the time when showing a 5 or 6. Actually, optimum play also says split twos and threes against a 7 but ignoring this situation makes very little difference and simplifies what you have to remember.


Doubling Down
If you don't have a pair or shouldn't split a pair, the next thing to decide is if you should double down. Double down with 11 against any dealer card except an ace. But, this is a close call. You may double down against an ace if you sense that more small cards than big cards have appeared thus far in the current shoe. Double down with 10 against a dealer 2 through 9. Double down with 9 against a dealer 3 through 6. But don't stop there or you could be helping the house. Double down with A-7 or A-6 against a dealer's 3. Double down with A-7, A-6, A-5 or A-4 against a dealer's 4. Double down with A-7, A-6, A-5, A-4, A-3 or A-2 against a dealer's 5 or 6.


Hit or Stand
Those are all of the hard plays to learn. The rest are easy. ALWAYS take another card if your total is 16 or less and the dealer's card is a seven or higher. NEVER take another card if your total is 13 - 16 and the dealer's card is a 6 or less. ALWAYS take one more card if your total is 12 and the dealers card is a 2 or a 3, but stand with 12 against a 4, 5, or 6. Obviously, always take another card when your total is less than 12. For optimum play, also take another card with A-7 against a dealer's 9, ten, or ace. Dealers will sometimes question this play but it is the right thing to do. And, always take another card with A-6 (or any other "soft" 17).


The most important plays to learn first are those for hit and stand as they come up on almost every hand. Then learn the double down plays and finally tackle the pair splitting plays, which are a bit complicated but worth the effort. If you make all of these plays your chances at the blackjack table will be greatly improved. Here's a game that you can use to practice. Just click the deal button to start the game.

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