Is Poker Better in a Casino?

Online poker is a favourite pastime of many of our readers. You love the ability to log on and play in moments. The convenience and availability of games are unprecedented. You can play at 1 am or 1 pm and you know there’s games available but have you considered playing in a casino? There have been hundreds of stories of online players who transition to casinos and generate better results. That’s why in this post we’re going to share a couple of reasons why poker in a live casino might be better than online.

Is Poker Better in a Casino

Seeing your opponent

A big part of poker is reading your opponents. You can do this with tells at an online casino Malaysia but you can’t physically see their face. In a real casino though you can see everything. Ok, some people try to hide eye movements with glasses and put their hood up but not all. Being able to see your opponent close up can be a huge advantage for a strong poker player.

Softer competition

It’s widely accepted that casino cardrooms are notoriously fishy. If you avoid the few regulars who grind, there are plenty of weak players around. Live play is notoriously soft competition. I suspect this is due to the fact it’s slower-paced thus people get impatient. This means you can pick up lots of money with a solid and aggressive strategy.

More fun

Finally, playing “real” poker is more pleasurable than online. Playing on a computer is more monotonous and less enjoyable in my opinion. Poker is a people game and you lack the social aspect when facing opponents online. Playing in a casino has a better ambiance and atmosphere when playing poker.

Do You Have a Texas Holdem Cheat Sheet

Holdem Cheat Sheet

Anyone who is brand new to poker will need to access tools and resources to help them develop. Unlike other casino games where you need a cursory understanding to play, Texas Hold’em is more complex. There are multiple aspects to playing even a basic ABC game. This is where a cheat sheet can help you.

A cheat sheet is a visual guide to help the reader grasp concepts quickly and easily. Fortunately for beginners, there you can easily get a free downloadable Texas Holdem cheat sheet from reputable poker strategy websites. In this article, we’re going to share a few things you can expect to find in a good cheat sheet.

Hand Rankings

The hand rankings break down the strength of poker hands. This ranges from no pair (high card) to royal flush. Don’t worry too much about the best hands as they are very rare. Most professionals can count on one hand the number of times they make a straight or royal flush.

Basic Odds

Texas Hold’em is a numbers game at its core. A poker player needs to have at least a basic appreciation of the math involved in order to make good decisions. This will usually be hand matchups e.g., ace-king vs pocket twos, or computing the percentage of hitting a flush by the river.

Positional Tips
All experts know that position is power in poker. Acting after your opponents is an advantage that will always be shared with readers. Any cheat sheet you read must hit on this key concept otherwise they don’t know what they’re doing.

Hand Selection
With so many hand combinations to choose from a newbie needs to filter the trash from the worthy hands. All the best cheat sheets will give tips on the types of hands to play and more importantly, what hands not to play too. Most beginners fall victim to overplaying any hand with an ace in it.

There is a distinction between what hands to enter the pot with and what hands to play when facing a raise. Most poker cheat sheets will highlight this as it generally takes a stronger hand to call a raise than to make a raise yourself. 

Summary

For new players entering the poker community, gaining practical knowledge quickly is vital. That’s why a cheat sheet will give you some quick wins. If you download one from a poker training site that has information on the topics in this post you can expect to have a fair crack of it. Just make sure you gamble responsibly by playing low stakes and with money you can afford to lose.

Important Poker Software for Players Looking to Win in 2020

Online Poker

3 Crucial Types of Poker Software for Serious Players in 2020

Are you new to the world of poker? Do you want to increase your winnings? You can use some poker software to your advantage if you want to maximize your gains. Whether online or live poker games, these tools will help you take your game to the next level.

If you’re wondering why you need poker software, here are the reasons. Firstly, it is an effective assistant when learning game strategy; it helps you analyze your opponents and gain a significant advantage. If you are a serious gamer, getting poker software is one of the most important things to do. Not only do they assist in giving you high wins, but they also increase your expertise. Secondly, these tools have been developed by highly advanced professionals. Apart from considering various betting sites similar to Mr. Bet, you also need to review different tools you can utilize to have the edge over your competitors. 

Poker software is divided into three important types: database software, equity calculators, and solvers. Each of them plays a vital role in your game, and they can help determine whether you win or lose. 

This article will discuss the types of online poker software, poker odds calculator software, and the best poker software for PokerStars. Let’s dive in.

Database Poker Software

This one is essential for your arsenal, and it has the following functions:

  • It will track the hands that you play 
  • It will give you your opponent’s statistics through a heads-up display (HUD) 
  • It will calculate your stats 

Like every sports game, it is good to review how you played to learn from it. Using this online poker software can help you study your competition to find the leaks and fix them. Besides, looking at your opponent’s results, you can scrutinize their strategy to maximize your winnings. The information is stored in the poker software server, which allows you to analyze your situation adapted to the competitive poker world. 

Most professional gamblers and those you will be competing against have database software. These tools will display your opponent’s stats while the game is in progress through interactive pop-ups. Once each hand is dealt, the information is updated on the software. This guarantees that you have the latest data to aid in making better decisions when playing. However, you need to be careful when using this feature to avoid making costly choices. If you want database software, you can consider the following: 

  • Poker Tracker 4
  • DriveHUD
  • Holdem Manager
  • Hand2note 
  • Poker Copilot 

They offer free trials that you can utilize to see the one that works best for you. Any of these poker tracking software programs will display your performance in all the tournaments and give you an edge by revealing patterns that you can execute.

poker software
poker software

Equity Calculators

The world of poker is extremely competitive, and having poker odds calculator software is one of the ways you can get ahead. Equity calculator tools help you determine how much equity is contained in one hand or several hands against the other hands. Equity refers to the chance you have to win a pot in a given situation within the game. The calculations can be performed on a specific board or a preflop match-up. 

The poker software calculator helps you determine whether your hand contains enough equity to call once you estimate your opponent’s range. You can find extra features in poker software calculators, such as the number of times a range will hit on the flop. 

If you are a new poker player or have not been able to master the game, investing in this tool is extremely useful. It assists in tuning your intuition of the number of ranges and equity hands in specific situations. Many pieces of software in this category offer friendly user interfaces with quick and easy to use outputs. For this, the tools to look at include:

  • PokerStove
  • Poker Range 
  • Flopzilla
  • Equilab
  • You can also access Cruncher, which is a free poker software limited to preflop calculations.

Solvers

What is the best poker software? The answer is solvers. They can teach you Game Theory Optimal (GTO) strategy, using which you can master your game. They give you the skills that you will need to earn money by exploiting your opponent’s weakness. You are also better placed to make adjustments to counter the strategy your contender employs.

Solvers have been a game-changer in how poker strategy is understood. They are one of the best poker software that you can use to equip yourself with Nash equilibrium strategies, also known as solutions that vary depending on the inputs. The inputs could include:

  • Pot size
  • Raise size or sizes on the flop, turn, and river
  • Effective stack size
  • Best size 
  • Preflop ranges that are involved

Applying solver software helps simulate various outcomes of the game by trying multiple strategies. This is done under the assumption that each player is aware of other player’s techniques. These strategies are helpful as they prevent you from circular thinking, making mistakes while, at the same time, they improve your objective analysis. 

Using this software, the strategies achieve equilibrium after countless calculations where no player can tweak their tactics any further. As a gambler, if you know your opponent’s weakness, you can adjust your GTO strategy on the solver to gain even more wins. Solvers are the best poker software for PokerStars as they give hyper-mixed solutions that you can study and create a strong winning concept over time. You can use them to spot trends, especially for flop situations, which you can include in your fundamental strategy. Solver software includes:

  • PioSolver
  • Simple Postflop
  • GTO+
  • MonkerSolver

Conclusion

One of the sure-fire ways of zeroing in on the best tool is going through poker software reviews. Some may have additional features that you can look at to see which one suits your needs. You can analyze them based on the three crucial types that we have discussed. The software could be database-oriented, which can help you study your games to see where you are failing and seal any leaks. It also enables you to analyze your opponent’s stats to know the weaknesses you can take advantage of to maximize your winnings. 

Calculating your odds while playing is also an essential strategy in poker. Choosing the best equity calculator is one way of determining whether you can call as soon as you estimate your opponent’s range. More so, using this tool for your poker games will be an excellent way to hone your skills and game intuition.

All in all, a good game is about strategy, and free poker software is a great assistant in that. This is where solvers are incredibly essential. An effective tool will help you learn game theory optimal strategy that you can use to boost your results. It will also keep you from circular thinking and making mistakes by helping with objective game analysis. Please write to us and let us know what poker software tools you have been using for your games. Did you find it useful?

Author’s bio:

Thomas Glare is a passionate poker player who is always trying to improve his game. His tutorials and poker strategy thoughts are very helpful. He shows that you don’t have to be the best player in the world to profit from poker. If you stick to the basics and play well at poker, you will be able to win games at high enough limits.

How Do Slot Machines and Other Electronic Gambling Machines Actually Work?

Online Slot Machines

Slot machines and other Electronic Gambling Machines (EGMs) are gambling devices that offer a variety of games.

They are inexpensive to run, which makes it possible for casinos to offer low-stakes betting to a large number of players. As a result, they have become the most profitable form of gambling. EGMs are found at casinos, online casinos, on cruise boats, at racetracks, at local bars, and even at corner stores.

Slot machines and other EGMs seem to attract a lot of myths. This is partly because of a lack of accurate information on how the machines work and partly due to the design of the machines. In this article, we will discuss how slot machines really work.

Our goal is to demystify the machines in order to demystify the games. We will also discuss some of the myths about slot machines. This article is intended to serve as a resource for counselors and prevention workers in the field of problem gambling. It is also intended for people in the general public who wish to understand slot machines.

Slot machines and other electronic gambling machines (EGMs) are gambling devices that offer a variety of games. EGMs are found at casinos, online casinos, on cruise boats, at racetracks, and, in some provinces and states, in local bars and corner stores.

There are three main varieties of EGMs: slot machines, video slots, and video poker. These machines are inexpensive to run compared to roulette or blackjack games, which makes it possible for casinos to offer low-stakes betting to a large number of players. As a result, they have become the most profitable form of gambling for casinos and online casinos operators.

A recent report from Statistics Canada indicates that EGMs outside of casinos (e.g., Video Lottery Terminals –VLTs- in bars and slot machines at racetracks) took in a total of 40% of the total revenue from non-charity gambling in Canada. In addition, slots accounted for 80% of the revenue from casinos in 2024. The purpose of this article is to examine how EGMs work and to address some of the most common misunderstandings about these machines.

For the most part, very little accurate information is available from the gambling industry on how EGMs work. However, even it falls well short of full disclosure about the machines. Information is available from numerous “How to Gamble” books, videos, and Web sites. While some of these are remarkably accurate, others are filled with misinformation about gambling.

It is difficult for the consumer to distinguish between accurate and inaccurate information. In the absence of easily accessible and accurate information, people tend to create their own beliefs about how things work. When these ideas are shared, they take on a life of their own as myths. Eventually, these myths are written down in “how-to” books or Web sites. Once written, the myths seem to become fact. EGMs seem to attract a lot of these myths.

The mythification of slots may be due to the way the machines are designed. Mythification may be the basis of many of the great works of literature, but, in the case of gambling, it is the source of much misery. In this article, we will explain how slot machines really work, and we will discuss and debunk some of the related myths.

Slot Machines

The basic game of a slot machine involves setting three or more reels into motion. In many modern offline and online slot machines, the reels are simply computer-generated pictures of simulated reels, but the essential game is the same. Typically, if all three reels match when they stop moving, the player wins, but other combinations can also lead to a prize (e.g., one cherry).

Common symbols include lemons, cherries, lucky sevens, diamonds, etc. The amount of the win is inversely related to the probability of a symbol coming up on the pay line.

However, there is very little relationship between the number of pictures on the reel and the probability of a particular symbol landing on the pay line. The wins and the player’s remaining credits are displayed using a small LED screen (a matrix of little red dots) and in online slots, it will be on screen.

In bricks and mortar casinos, if the player has won more than the machine can payout, a light on top of the machine usually flashes, notifying the casino of a big win. The remainder of the win is paid by cheque.

The payout of the slot is determined by the mathematical structure of the game, not by how recently the machine has paid out. Game structures are very complex and, as a result, the odds against winning on most EGMs are hidden from the player.

In Ontario, most offline slot machines have actual reels. However, some casinos have video slots (also called VLTs) with simulated reels that appear on a video screen. The introduction of video slots allows the game manufacturer a much greater degree of freedom in the structure of the game. Many video slots have bonus features that come up if certain combinations occur.

Bonus features are not new. Reel slots have always had bonus features run either by a separate wheel or oversized dice located at the top of the machine or through a separate display screen that is activated when a bonus feature occurs. The advantage of video slots, however, is that upgrading the program or replacing it with a new game is easier. In my view, slot lineup games presented on a video screen and slots with reels are essentially the same, except that video slots offer a greater variety of wagers and bonus features.

Video poker

Video poker is a completely different game than slots. It is based on five-card-draw poker played against the machine. Players win if they get certain combinations of cards, such as three of a kind (e.g., 4-4-K-4-7) or a flush (e.g., five hearts).

Players press a deal button, select the cards they want to keep by pressing a hold button, and then press deal to replace the rest of the cards. Typically, players only get one draw per hand. Some versions include wildcards (e.g., the joker or deuce), which are worth any value needed to complete a hand. The computer calculates the highest hand present and pays credits that are inversely related to the odds of a particular hand coming up. A flush might pay five credits for every credit bet while a full house might pay eight.

Video poker is different from slots in two main respects. First, the probabilities of the game are based on a simulated deck of cards, so that players can actually compute the probability of winning based on their knowledge of the cards.

For example, if you have four hearts and one spade, you can estimate that the chance of getting a flush if you replace the spade is 19% (9/47).

Second, you have an option to choose which card to hold, which means that there is an element of skill in the game. For example, with Jacks or Better video poker, say a player has a pair of tens, but also has a flush draw (e.g., four hearts). Taking into account the probability and payout for various hands, the player would be better off throwing away the ten and drawing for a flush than throwing away the three hearts to draw for two pairs or three of a kind.

However, if the player has a pair of jacks, he or she is better off keeping the jacks and throwing away the flush draw.

While some of the rules of play seem self-evident, optimal play actually involves memorizing a fairly large number of conditional rules. Thus, players who study the game and make probability-based choices can improve their success.

However, skill in video poker does not usually allow players to overcome the house edge. Skilled players might lose at a rate of 1% per bet, whereas less skilled players might lose at a rate of perhaps 10% per bet. Exact figures for skilled and unskilled would depend on a player’s level of skill and the particular machine played.

Note that there are apparently video poker games where an optimal strategy would allow the player to break even or even beat the house. Evaluating the accuracy of this claim is beyond the scope of this article. However, on most video poker machines, even expert players are playing against a house edge.

Video lottery machines

There is a great deal of confusion about the nature of VLTs. People often use the term VLT when referring to video poker or video slots located in a casino.

There are four main differences between a VLT and a video slot machine.

First, in some jurisdictions, the outcome of the games on a VLT is determined by a central determination system rather than the individual machine. This is in fact why they are called video lottery “terminals.” This distinction might have important legal implications in terms of whether a VLT is classed as a slot machine or a lottery, but is irrelevant in terms of the gambler’s experience.

Second, VLTs in Canada are often multi-game platforms that offer slot games, video poker, and sometimes a variety of other games such as video blackjack or keno. The range of games offered means that VLTs may appeal to a broader range of players than single-game slot machines. Slot games played on a VLT are largely the same as video slots on a stand-alone machine. Video poker on a VLT is essentially the same as video poker on a dedicated video poker machine. As described above, slot lineup games and video poker are quite different. One is a game of pure chance, the other a game with some skill elements. When discussing machine gambling with a player, it may be important to know the type of game played. Telling a VLT player who only plays video poker on the VLT that the game involves no skill could interfere with therapy by undermining the credibility of the counselor (the focus with video poker should be on the limits of skill).

Third, VLTs are often located in bars and corner stores — areas that are more easily accessible. Single-game machines (slots or video poker) make up the majority of machines offered in casinos in Canada, but multigame platforms can be found in Las Vegas casinos. The multigame nature of VLTs is likely due to the pragmatic need to offer a variety of games in a setting with only a small number of machines.

Fourth, wins from VLTs in Canada are usually paid with vouchers, whereas slot wins are paid with coins. However, both accumulate credits until a “cash-out” button is pressed.

Global variations

Gambling is a multinational industry that is regulated locally. As a result, there are regional variations in the games that are available and the regulations that control them. Fruit machines in the United Kingdom, for example, are required by law to pay out a minimum percentage within a short period of time.

Apparently this regulation came into effect because the bar owners responsible for these machines were worried about potential losses due to the volatility of games. According to U.S. patent #6,666,765 (http://www.uspto.gov/patft/index.html):

[British] fruit machines generally use a form of “adaptive logic” wherein coin-in and coin-out is monitored over time and wherein odds/payouts of the fruit machine are proactively adjusted to achieve a target win percentage. Examples of adaptive logic fruit-machines in Great Britain are GB 2 185 612 A and GB 2 087 618 A …. In the United States, the casino game operated with a random number generator must, overall play of the casino game, provide a known player expected return (or house advantage) and the casino game cannot proactively monitor performance and correspondingly adjust play parameters.

As a result, some of the myths about slot machines in North America may, in fact, be true in the United Kingdom, however, recently told us that adaptive logic machines are being phased out as the United Kingdom moves toward adopting North American standards in order to permit larger prizes.