Tag Archives: cards

Speak The Language – Popular Punto Banco Terminology

Punto Banco is a popular card game which is actually quite similar to baccarat in some respects. It is played on a semicircular table and up to twelve different participants can play in a single hand. Interestingly enough, it is said that most versions of baccarat played within North America are likely to instead be Punto Banco.

 

Game Play

Six or eight decks of shuffled cards are used. They are placed within a “shoe” so that players will be able to deal the cards themselves during their turn. As in many other games, each card represents a specific value (aces are one, tens and face cards are zero and all numbered cards correspond to their own quantities). Once each player receives a total number of cards, the casino can play the hands as they are or opt to draw more from the shoe. The object of the game is for the players to get as close as possible to a total value of no more than nine. Also, the players can also choose which seat to sit in (as this will affect the cards which are received). It should finally be noted that Punto Banco (literally “Bank Player” in Spanish) offers one of the best house edges in gambling.

Terminology

The terminology of this game is as interesting as the action itself. So, it proves wise to take a look at some of the most common phrases. These will include:

Banker bet: betting that the banker will ultimately win.
“Carte”: the term used when a player wishes to receive another card.
Croupier: dealer.
Le Grande: a French term literally meaning “The Big”. This occurs when a hand totals nine points.
“Petite”: a hand that totals eight points (“petite” means “small” in French).
Cheval: the rule that a player can bet on two hands. Note that he or she must win both.

This is a brief description of the game of Punto Banco. By learning the basic strategy and terminology, the next winning hand may be just around the corner!

Poker – When to Fold ‘em

Poker is all about risk and reward but good players know when the risks outweigh the rewards and when it’s time to cut their losses and fold. Thus, mastering when to fold is as important as any other skill a poker player needs to win.

Although the least spectacular play, folding will save you money when done at the correct times. Smart players are players who fold when the risks are too high and go on to bet intelligently when the risks are acceptable.

There are a few basic situations where you will want to consider folding:

1. You are sure you are holding the worst hand.
2. The chance of improving your hand is very low, compared to the pot odds.
3. You are unsure where you stand with your hand, but a big call would be necessary to remain in the game. Folding would be playing it safe.
4. You currently have good odds, but it is highly likely that someone later will make it too expensive to continue when betting returns to you.

It might be obvious, but there are basic situations where folding is not a good idea:

1. If you have the choice to check or fold, check.
2. You know your hand is the best.
3. You know you probably have the worst hand but you are getting good odds to improve.
4. If you are behind, but are pretty sure you can bluff your opponents.

The choice about whether to fold or not usually boils down to pot odds, that is, the odds of you winning the pot with your current cards and the cards showing. Pocket aces before the flop, for instance, are great odds until the river shows your opponent has a potential for a three of a kind or straight. The choice then, might be to try and bluff instead of fold. Of course, your opponent is doing the same analysis and is facing the same decisions. Ultimately the choice is yours. Faced with poor odds, folding shouldn’t be considered a cowardly option, but a smart one.

How to Survive Bad Hands in Poker

 

Poker is one of the most popular online casino games played worldwide. Like most other casino games, there are good days with a streak of wins and then there are a few bouts of misses.

Beginners often believe the game of poker to be largely based on luck. This is the first mistake that many make; the actual truth is that good and bad hands figure in every deal. Simply put, poker is a bit of luck and a lot of skill. The experts are those who know how to make the most of a good hand and how to survive a bad one, rather than blaming things on luck alone.

With a bad hand, the main aim is to survive the game and maintain your stack of chips, trying to lie low while calling the shots. Soon, the tide is bound to turn and you can stack up high when a good hand comes.

It is also important to remain focused in the game. Instead of cursing your ‘bad luck’ and whiling away your bad hands hoping to see some good cards, you should be completely focused on avoiding further mistakes that could make the situation worse.

Of course, one of the most important parts of poker is bluffing. Keeping up your ‘poker face’ can save your hide in a multitude of bad hand draws. That’s not to say that keeping up a good poker face is easy. A player’s face, if untrained, can give away their hand quicker than shoving their cards into their opponents faces, especially if the player is nervous. The tell-tale signs of nervousness and apprehension can help a clever opponent take advantage and cash in on the situation. A weak and intimidated opponent is everyone’s target.

A periodic self-analysis is imperative if you want to excel in the game. Experts evaluate themselves critically to figure out mistakes and areas of improvisation. This helps in determining whether the outcome was due to a bad hand or a badly played hand.

It’s also important to take breaks in between games. Spend your break pumping yourself up and come back to the next round with a bang!

The most important tip; have fun! Don’t turn poker into a chore, keep it your passion and even when you’re getting bad cards, you won’t be having a bad time.

Valentine’s Day Special – The Suit of Hearts

Ah, Valentine’s day, the most romantic day of the year. And what’s more romantic than the symbol of a heart? Well, in playing cards, it’s not symbolic of just love.

Card suits have a long and disputed history. There are many different theories linking certain suits to certain meanings. The original french deck of cards, which closely resemble a modern day deck, was said to have split their suits into different parts of society.

Where other suits spanned knights and peasants, hearts are thought to have been representative of the clergy. Clergy were often seen as charitable, loving people. From that, the suit of hearts was often seen to symbolise three important things; God, charity and love.

Although we don’t quite have that same idea about the suit of hearts any more, I’m pretty sure most of us have fallen in love with an ace at some point.

We at Les Croupiers wish you a happy Valentine’s day, regardless if you’re setting up romantic plans or a blow out singles party. Have fun!

The Standard Playing Card Deck

A standard deck of playing cards is made up of fifty two cards. All of these cards are individually identified by three different characteristics. Suit, number and colour.

Initially the cards can be categorised by number. Starting at 2 and working up sequentially to 10, the cards are then given a royal position instead of a number. The 11 becomes a Jack, 12 is a Queen and 13 is a King. Following these the Ace is in the 14 position.

These are then separated into four groups of cards called suits. These suits are Clubs, Diamonds, Hearts and Spade. Each suit has one card of each number.

Finally the cards are coloured. The Hearts and the Diamonds are red and the Clubs and Spades are Black.

Using these three characteristics a player can identify any card, be it an 8 of Clubs, King of Diamonds, or just a red 3.