Gambling Greats (and Rogues)

Do you love the thrill of casino games? If so, you’re definitely not alone. Millions of people around the world enjoy playing casino games every day. But if you’re new to the world of casinos, it can be a little daunting knowing where to start.

We’ll talk about different casino games and share tips on how to find the best casino games for you. We’ll also give you some advice on how to prepare yourself for a night at the casino!

One of the best ways to find the right casino games for you is to think about what kind of game experience you’re looking for. Are you looking for something that requires quick thinking and strategy? Or do you prefer slower-paced, luck-based games like slots or roulette?

Once you’ve narrowed down your preferences, it’s time to do some research. Look for casinos that offer a variety of games to choose from and read reviews from other players to learn what you can expect.

Don’t forget to look for casinos with generous bonus offers as well! If you’re looking for more skill-based casino games, there are plenty of options to choose from.

Common Types of Casino Games to Play

Before we get to the tips for finding the best games on Bet365, let us explore the most common casino games that you can play.

Slots

Everyone who has tried their hand at online casinos is familiar with online slots. These are the most popular casino games available today, and they offer a great way to win big prizes in an exciting environment. Slots come in many shapes and sizes, so you can find one that suits your preferences.

Blackjack

This classic card game is perfect for players who enjoy strategic thinking. Blackjack is a game of skill and luck, and it’s one of the most popular casino games around. You can play at different levels of difficulty, depending on your experience.

Roulette

Another classic casino game that has been enjoyed by generations is roulette. Roulette offers an exciting way to win big prizes with the potential for a large payoff. You can find different varieties of this game at many casinos, and you’ll have plenty of opportunities to try your luck and win big!

Poker

Poker is one of the oldest and most popular casino games around. It requires skill, strategy, and luck to win. There are a few different types of poker variations that you can play – from Texas Hold’em to Omaha Hi-Lo and more.

Tips for Finding the Best Casino Games

Now that we’ve gone over some of the common casino games available, let’s get into the tips for finding the best games.

Extensive Range of Games

The first thing that you should look for is a casino that offers an extensive range of games. This will give you plenty of options to choose from, so you can find something that suits your preferences and skill level.

Good Reputation

It’s also important to look for casinos with a good reputation. You should read customer reviews or ask around for recommendations from experienced players before signing up at any casino. This will help you make sure that the casino is reputable and trustworthy.

Generous Bonuses

Finally, don’t forget to look for casinos with generous bonus offers. Bonuses can give you an edge when you’re playing online, so it’s worth taking some time to compare different casinos and find one that gives you the best bonuses!

How to Win Online Casino Games

No one wishes to play and lose. When you get into an online casino here are some things to keep in mind:

1. Research and Learn – Before you start playing any game at an online casino, make sure that you have done your research beforehand. Familiarize yourself with the game rules, strategies, and payouts so that you can maximize your chances of winning each time.

2. Set Limits – It’s important to set limits for yourself when it comes to online gambling. Decide how much money you are willing to spend and how long you plan on playing for. This way, you can avoid getting carried away and spending more than you can afford.

3. Take Breaks – Taking breaks is important when it comes to casino gaming. Make sure that you take regular breaks to avoid running out of energy or making rash decisions. This way, you can stay focused and play smarter for longer.

4. Play with a Strategy – To maximize your chances of winning, make sure that you come up with a strategy beforehand. Research the game rules and develop an effective strategy that will help you get ahead of other players.

Wrapping Up

You can use these tips to play and win online casino games. Remember to have fun, while at it, and do not struggles to chase down losses. We hope this guide will come in handy in your next online casino experience.

The exploits of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Blackjack Team inspired the bestselling book, ‘Bringing Down the House’, written by Ben Mezrich and, in turn, the Columbia Pictures film, ‘21’, starring Kevin Spacey and Jim Sturgess. According to Mike Aponte, who first played on the real MIT Blackjack Team in 1992, both the book and the film take artistic liberties.

In any event, the MIT Blackjack Team was a small group of students and former students, recruited not just from Harvard Business School, but from colleges throughout Boston and further afield, involved in card counting in the casinos of Atlantic City and Las Vegas. Under the strict supervision of Bill Kaplan, a Harvard graduate who had deferred his entry to Harvard Business School to form a highly profitable blackjack team in Las Vegas, the team was run like a business.

The original investment, $89,000, financed internally and externally, was doubled within the first ten weeks of operation in 1980 and four years later, when Kaplan ceased managing the team, the total invested in the enterprise had risen to $350,000. The MIT Blackjack Team continued to grow, and prosper, until 1994, when it split into two groups, known as ‘Amphibians’ and ‘Reptiles’, which continued, in various guises, until the turn of the Millennium.

Not to be confused with actor of the same name, Don Johnson is a professional blackjack player best known for winning over $15 million from three Atlantic City casinos – namely Borgata, Caesars Atlantic City and Tropicana Atlantic City – in 2011. Johnson did so not by card counting, but by negotiating changes to standard casino blackjack rules which, collectively, provided him with an effective edge of around 0.26% over the house. Among the changes he negotiated was a loss rebate of 20% every time he lost $500,000 or more; critically, the loss rebate was reset every day, with no minimum play requirement.

By playing the ‘perfect’ game, under already advantageous conditions, Johnson won $5 million at Borgata and $4 million at Caesars Atlantic City, which subsequently banned him, before continuing his winning streak at Tropicana Atlantic City. In a twelve-hour stint at Tropicana Atlantic City, Johnson won nearly $6 million, including $800,000 in a single hand. Having bet the table maximum wager of $100,000, he was dealt two eights, which he split, only to be dealt two more eights, which he split again. By now playing four hands, at $100,000 apiece, Johnson received a series of favourable cards, allowing him to double down on each hand and thereby increase his total bet to $800,000. The dealer duly bust, so Johnson won all four hands. Unsurprisingly, the loss of nearly $6 million in a single session devastated monthly revenue at Tropicana Atlantic City, such that, like Borgata, the casino quickly rescinded the favourable playing conditions and table limit.

Madrid-born Gonzalo Garcia Pelayo was a director, producer and writer before undertaking a study of bias in roulette wheels in his home town. Aided and abetted by his son Ivan and his daughter Vanessa, Pelayo started playing roulette for money in 1991 and, within a year, had won $700,000. By using a simple computer model, Pelayo claimed not only to have negated the house edge – typically 2.7%, or 5.3%, depending on the version of roulette – but actually given himself a 15% edge.

Outlawed by Spanish casinos, the Pelayo Family tried its luck in Las Vegas – via European destinations, including Amsterdam and Vienna – posing as tourists and changing their accents to avoid suspicion. Their success continued until, fresh from winning $500,000 in the summer of 1994, Pelayo collapsed from exhaustion.

All told, Pelayo won in excess of $1.5 million, after expenses, and would later detail his exploits in the book, ‘La Fabulosa Historia de los Pelayo’, which translates in English as ‘The Fabulous History of the Pelayos’. An inveterate gambler, Pelayo subsequently set up an illegal poker establishment and became heavily involved in sports betting, including football, horse racing and tennis, as part of what he called a ‘private investment fund’.

American mathematics professor Edward Oakley Thorp is famous in gambling circles as the author of the 1962 book, ‘Beat the Dealer’, which is nowadays billed ‘The book that made Las Vegas change the rules’. Shortly after being awarded his doctorate in mathematics by the University of California, Los Angeles in 1958, Thorp played blackjack in Las Vegas. He realised that, unlike other games of chance, each hand of blackjack is influenced by the cards already dealt from the deck and set about developing a winning system based on mathematical probability.

After several years of academic research, during which he used computer simulations to calculate the precise probabilities of winning or losing for decks of various composition and number, Thorp first published his conclusions in an academic paper, ‘A Favorable Strategy for 21’. His work attracted the attention of Emmanuel ‘Manny’ Kimmel – unbeknown to Thorpe an illegal bookmaker with Mafia connections – who offered him $10,000 to take an ‘applied research’ trip to Las Vegas, in return for 10% of any winnings. Thorp naively accepted and duly won $13,000 in the space of a few days. The following year, Thorp published the first edition of ‘Beat the Dealer’, which introduced card counting and basic blackjack strategy to the masses and has been a bestseller ever since.