Blackjack: Your Best Bet at the Casino

(Note: This school is for the single-player version of blackjack only. Other rules apply to the multi-player version).

As the legend goes, the game of blackjack originated in France
over 300 years ago. The ground rules of blackjack are simple and
straightforward. Once you master the ground rules, you can read
about basic strategy.

The Ground Rules of Blackjack
Blackjack is a card game, where each participant plays
one-on-one with the dealer. The objective in blackjack is to have
a hand which totals 21, or beats the dealer's hand by coming as
close to 21 as possible without going over, or "busting." If your
first two cards are an ace and a ten, that's blackjack or "a
natural" 21! Blackjack always beats a hand that totals 21 by
adding the values of more than the first two cards.

A picture card is counted as 10, a card from 2-10 is counted at its
face value, and an ace can be counted as either 1 or 11. A "hard
hand" is a hand that does not contain an ace or contains an ace
that can only be counted as 1 so as not to bust. A dealer's ace
always counts as 11.

Hit: "Give me another card!"

Stand: "No more cards!"

Double Down: "Give me ONLY one more card, and double my bet!"

Split: "Make two hands out of my pair!" Your initial wager will be
placed on one hand, and a second wager of equal value will be
placed on the second hand.

Insurance: If the dealer's upcard is an ace, you will be given the
option of placing a side-bet, called insurance. When the dealer
shows an ace, he is considered to have a good chance of having
blackjack.

The Table Basics
Roulette has been played since the 17th century, and emanates
sophistication and elegance. This game of pure chance is filled
with suspense, while hopeful players eagerly wait for the roulette
wheel to stop and allow the ball to rest on their chosen numbers.
As luck would have it, roulette is easy to learn! Your simple
objective as player is to predict the ball's final resting-place when
the wheel stops spinning. The roulette wheel at Queen's Club
consists of 36 numbers plus zero and double-zero. Your wager on
the roulette table can be placed on a single number, or be used to
cover 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 12, or up to 18 different numbers during one
spin. Here is a summary of the different roulette bets:

Straight Up
This is a wager on a single number, including zero (0) and double-zero (00). If the ball stops at your number, your bet pays 35 to 1.

Split Bet
This is a wager on two adjacent numbers in the roulette table, which is placed on the line dividing the two numbers. If the ball stops at either number, your bet pays 17 to 1.

Street Bet
Street bets cover three numbers. The chip is placed on the outer right
boundary line of the roulette table, next to the corresponding row of three numbers. If either number hits, the street bet pays 11 to 1.

Corner Bet
Corner bets cover four numbers. The chip is placed on the cross where the four numbers intersect. If any of the four numbers hit, your corner bet pays 8 to 1.

Five Bet
This bet covers the following numbers: 0, 00, 1, 2 and 3. The chip is placed on the outer right boundary line of the roulette table, between 00 and 3. If either number hits, your five bet pays 6 to 1.

Line Bet
A line bet covers the six different numbers in two rows of three numbers. For example: 4,5,6 plus 7,8,9). The chip is placed on outer right boundary line of the roulette table, where it is intersected by the line dividing the two rows. If any of the six numbers hit, your line bet pays 5 to 1.

Column Bet
On the short side of the roulette table are three boxes marked "2 to 1." By placing your chip in one of these boxes, you mark all twelve numbers above it (0 and 00 excluded). If the ball stops at either of these numbers, your bet pays 2 to 1.

Dozen Bet
You can bet on a group of twelve numbers by placing your chip in one of the three boxes marked "1st 12," "2nd 12," or "3rd 12." A winning dozen bet pays 2 to 1.

Red/Black, Even/Odd, Low/High Bets
A bet placed in one of the boxes on the left, long side of the table covers half of the roulette numbers (excluding zero and double zero). Each box covers 18 numbers. These bets pay even money, 1 to 1.

Craps is an exciting, fast-paced dice game where players can place several of the best bets in the casino; yet new players are apt to shy away from the craps table because of the confusing number of different bets. The strategy to becoming a good craps player is to:

1. Learn the different bets on the craps table (Lesson 1).
2. Learn the good bets from the bad bets (Lesson 2).
3. Start with a basic beginner strategy (Lesson 3).

The Different Craps Bets

Pass Line
A pass line bet is a bet placed before the come out roll (i.e. the first roll of the dice in a new craps round). A wager on the pass line wins immediately if the come out roll is 7 or 11 (naturals), and loses if the come out roll is 2, 3, or 12 (craps numbers). If any other number (4,5, 6, 8, 9, or 10) is rolled, that number becomes "the point". If the shooter rolls the point again before rolling a 7, your pass line bet wins. If the shooter rolls a 7 before rolling the point again, your pass line bet loses.

Don’t Pass Line
A don’t pass line bet is essentially the reverse of a pass line bet, and is also placed before the come out roll. If the shooter rolls 3 or 12 on the come out roll, a don’t pass line bet wins immediately. If, however, the come out roll is 7 or 11, don’t pass line bets lose. If the come out roll is 2, a don’t pass line bet is returned to the player in a push. If the come out roll is 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10, that number becomes the point. Once the point has been established, don’t pass line bets win if the shooter rolls a 7 before rolling the point again. If the shooter rolls the point again before rolling a 7, don’t pass line bets lose.

Come
A come bet is placed before any roll of the dice, once a point has been established by the come out roll. Come bets win immediately if the shooter’s next roll is 7 or 11, and lose if the roll is 2, 3, or 12. If the shooter rolls 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10, that number becomes "the come point." If the shooter rolls the come point again before rolling a 7, the come bet wins.

Don’t Come
A don’t come bet is essentially the opposite of a come bet. Don’t come bets win immediately when the shooter’s next roll is 3 or 12, and lose if the roll is 7 or 11. If the shooter rolls a 2, the bet will be returned to the player in a push. After the come point is established, don’t come bets win if 7 is rolled and lose if the come point is rolled.

Odds
An odds bet is a "back up" bet on an original pass line, don’t pass line, come, or don’t come bet. Queen's Club allows odds bets of three times your original bets.

Field
A field bet is a bet that the next roll of the dice will be either 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, or 12.

Big Six and Big Eight
A big six bet is a bet that 6 will be rolled before 7. Likewise, a big eight bet is a bet that 8 will be rolled before 7.

Place Win
A place win bet is a bet that either 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 will be rolled before a seven.

Caribbean poker has become the most popular new casino game in the last few years. If you like poker, you will love Caribbean Poker! The player plays against the dealer, independently of other players. Your goal as the player is to beat the dealer's hand. The exciting aspect of the game is that you can win big when you least expect it. The international payoff standard for a royal flush is 100 to 1. We also offer big $1 progressive jackpots and bonus payoffs!

In order to participate in the game, you must first place an "ante bet". Don't forget to add your $1 bonus bet! You are then dealt a hand of five cards, all of them dealt face up. The dealer also receives five cards; four cards dealt face down and one card face up. You then have to decide whether to challenge the dealer's hand or to surrender. If you wish to challenge the dealer you must
place a bet which is always equal to twice the ante. If you surrender you loose your ante.

When you receive a good hand, you naturally place a bet to challenge the dealer. When the bet has been placed, the dealer reveals his remaining four cards, and the hands are compared.

The dealer's hand must contain at least one ace and one king in order to qualify. If the dealer's hand does not qualify, you receive 1 to 1 on your ante, and your bet is returned to you without winnings.

If the dealer's hand does qualify with a value of at least one ace + one king, the best hand wins. Your winning hand receives 1 to 1 on the ante plus the winnings on your bet, which are calculated according to the below winnings table:

Hand
Pays
Card Specifications
Nothing
1 to 1
Five cards of different values.
One Pair
1 to 1
Two cards of the same value.
Two Pairs
2 to 1
Two sets of two cards of the same value.
Three of a Kind
3 to 1
Three cards of the same value.
Straight
4 to 1
Five cards in numerical sequence, but of different
suits.
Flush
7 to 1
Five cards of the same suit, of any value.
Full House
5 to 1
One pair + three of a kind.
Four of a Kind
20 to 1
Four cards of the same value.
Straight Flush
50 to 1
Five cards in numeric sequence, and of the same
suit.
Royal Flush
200 to 1
Ace, king, queen, jack, and 10; all of the same
suit.

When the dealer and the player receive poker hands of equal value (i.e. a push game), both the ante and the bet are returned to the player.