A typical selection of games offered at an online casino might include:
Baccarat
Blackjack
Craps
Roulette
Slot Machines
Video Poker
Signup bonuses
Many online casinos offer signup bonuses to new players making their first deposit. These bonuses normally match a percentage of the player’s deposit with a dollar maximum, and almost all online casino signup bonuses require a minimum amount of wagering before allowing a cash out. Gameplay at specific casino games might be excluded from the wagering requirement calculation.
A fictional signup bonus offer follows as an example:
The online casino offers new players a deposit matching bonus of 100%, up to $100
The player must wager 25 times the total amount of the deposit plus the bonus before withdrawing
Wagers on baccarat, craps, roulette, and sic bo do not count towards meeting wagering requirements
For this particular example, this would mean that a player depositing $100 would start with $200 in his account. The player must make $5000 ($200 × 25) in wagers before being allowed to make a withdrawal.
Advantage play in casino signup bonus situations is mathematically possible. For example, the house edge in blackjack is roughly 0.5%. In the example above, $5000 in wagering with a house edge of 0.5% will result in an expected loss of $25. Since the player received a $100 signup bonus, the player has an expected profit of $75.
Advantage players who use bonus offers for an expected profit are often called “bonus hunters”, “bonus abusers”, “bonus baggers”, “bonus whores” and “casino scalpers”. Some online casinos have restrictions regarding “the spirit of the bonus offer” which they sometimes use as a deterrent to what they consider “bonus abuse”.
A player who wishes to do this at a large number of online casinos must be careful. Some casinos are rogues (see below) and do not pay. Others have terms and conditions that are not favorable to the player, such as most bonuses that are restricted to slots.
Biribi, or cavagnole, a French game of chance, prohibited by law since 1837. It is played on a board on which the numbers 1 to 70 are marked. The players put their stakes on the numbers they wish to back. The banker is provided with a bag from which he draws a case containing a ticket, the tickets corresponding with the numbers on the board. The banker calls out the number, and the player who has backed it receives sixty-four times his stake; the other stakes go to the banker. In the French army “to be sent to Biribi” is a cant term for being sent to the disciplinary battalion in Algeria.
References
This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.
Housie is a gambling game played in New Zealand, Australia and the UK, where it is called Bingo. Players mark off numbers on a ticket as they are randomly called out, in order to achieve a winning combination.It is not to be confused with the similar American game Bingo, as the tickets and the calling are slightly different.
Business Aspect
In New Zealand and Australia, housie is often used a fundraiser by churches, sports teams, and other groups, and raffles are sold before the game.
Bingo, as housie is known as in the UK (not to be confused with the similar US game Bingo), is an expanding and highly profitable business, with many companies competing for the customers’ money.
The two largest companies with bingo halls in the UK are:
Gala Bingo (Gala Group Ltd.)
Mecca Bingo Ltd. (part of The Rank Group plc)
As well as offering the familiar Housie/Bingo played by marking numbered books, most large clubs have their tables modified for the playing of Cash Housie or Mechanised Cash Bingo (using coin slots or, increasingly in the 21st century, an electronic credit system). This is highly profitable for the operator, with a typical “take” of fifty percent of the stake.
Usage of Bingo nicknames in the UK
Since the introduction of the electronic Random Number Generator (RNG) in Bingo Halls in the UK, the usage of the nicknames above in mainstream Bingo has dramatically decreased. Bingo with an electronic RNG is much less time consuming and it has been discovered that replacing the nicknames with a simple repetition (in the pattern “All the fives, fifty five” or “Two and four, twenty four”), has allowed bingo halls to focus on the more lucrative business of Mechanised Cash Bingo (MCB), known in Gala Bingo Clubs as Party Bingo, and Mecca Bingo Clubs as Cashline.
It is perhaps nostalgic to note that the usage of these nicknames tends to be greater where the focus of playing bingo is upon fun rather than big business; this includes British holiday resort chains such as Haven, British Holidays and Pontins, and also church halls, social clubs etc.
Trivia
An average British game of bingo takes between four and four and a half minutes.
The average speed of a British bingo caller is 23 numbers per minute.
The average time to check a winning claim is 30 seconds.
There is a UK Caller of the Year Competition in which bingo callers compete for a cash prize and the chance to call the numbers in Las Vegas, as well as to become the bingo ‘ambassador’ for Britain.
The bingo industry employs over 20,000 people from callers, and change givers to cleaners and accountants.
There are 699 licensed and operating bingo clubs in Great Britain.
For the year 2000 the total estimated market was around 89 million admissions.
Over 3 million people regularly play bingo in licensed clubs.
Players are often members of more than one club.
Players often arrive 2 hours before the game starts, to enjoy a meal or chat with friends.
More than two in three people go to bingo for social, rather than financial reasons.
Many celebrities like to play bingo, including Denise van Outen, Elle MacPherson, Damon Hill, Mariah Carey, Bianca and Jade Jagger.
In 2004 more people attended bingo than football matches in both UK leagues.
The current Bingo Caller of The Year is Karl Seth, aged 33, from the Buckingham Bingo Club in Old Trafford, Manchester.
All bingo halls in the UK participating in the National Bingo Game must adhere to the somewhat more strict rules on calling numbers because of the overwhelmingly large prize money (sometimes up to GBP £500 thousand). This includes a double repetition of every single number, in the format, “Fifty five, both the fives, fifty five”.
In Baccarat Chemin de Fer, it will have been noticed that a given bank only continues so long as the banker wins. So soon as he loses, it passes to another player. In Baccarat Banque the position of banker is much more permanent. Three packs of cards are shuffled together. (The number is not absolute, sometimes four packs, sometimes two only, being used; but three is the more usual number.) The banker (unless he retires either of his own free will or by reason of the exhaustion of his finances) holds office until all these cards have been dealt.
The bank is at the outset put up to auction, i.e. belongs to the player who will undertake to risk the largest amount. In some circles, the person who has first set down his name on the list of players has the right to hold the first bank, risking such amount as he may think proper.
The right to begin having been ascertained, the banker takes his place midway down one of the sides of an oval table, the croupier facing him, with the waste-basket between. On either side the banker are the punters (ten such constituting a full table). Any other persons desiring to take part remain standing, and can only play in the event of the amount in the bank for the time being not being covered by the seated players.
The croupier, having shuffled the cards, hands them for the same purpose to the players to the right and left of him, the banker being entitled to shuffle them last, and to select the person by whom they shall be cut. Each punter having made his stake, the banker deals three cards, the first to the player on his right, the second to the player on his left, and the third to himself; then three more in like manner. The five punters on the right (and any bystanders staking with them) win or lose by the cards dealt to that side; the five others by the cards dealt to the left side. The rules as to turning up with eight or nine, offering and accepting cards, and so on, are the same as at Baccarat Chemin de Fer.
Each punter continues to hold the cards for his side so long as he wins. If he loses, the next hand is dealt to the player next following him in rotation.
Any player may “go bank,” the first claim to do so belonging to the punter immediately on the right of the banker; the next to the player on his left, and so on alternatively in regular order. If two players on opposite sides desire to “go bank,” they go half shares.
A player going bank may either do so on a single hand, in the ordinary course, or a cheval, i.e. on two hands separately, one-half of the stake being played upon each hand. A player going bank and losing may, again go bank; and if he again loses, may go bank a third time, but not further.
A player undertaking to hold the bank must play out one hand, but may retire at anytime afterwards. On retiring, he is bound to state the amount with which he retires. It is then open to any other player (in order of rotation) to continue the bank, starting with the same amount, and dealing from the remainder of the pack, used by his predecessor. The outgoing banker takes the place previously occupied by his successor.
The breaking of the bank does not deprive the banker of the right to continue, provided that he has funds with which to replenish it, up to the agreed minimum.
Should the stakes of the punters exceed the amount for, the time being in the bank, the banker is not responsible for the amount of such excess. In the event of his losing, the croupier pays the punters in order of rotation, so far as the funds in the bank will extend; beyond this, they have no claim. The banker, may, however, in such a case, instead of resting on his right, declare the stakes accepted, forthwith putting up the needful funds to meet them. In such event the bank thenceforth becomes unlimited, and the banker must hold all stakes (to whatever amount) offered on any subsequent hand, or give up the bank.
The laws of baccarat are complicated and no one code is accepted as authoritative, the different clubs making their own rules.
Ace Invaders is a three line video poker game produced by International Gaming Technology. The game plays like other multi line video poker games except the bottom line is a Bonus Poker game, while the top two lines are both stud poker based games. The pay schedule for the Bonus Poker game on the bottom line offers a greater than 200% payout percentage (if one plays all three lines), but this is compensated for by the lower payout percentage on the stud poker games on the top two lines.Another feature unique to the Ace Invaders game is the gameplay. The bottom line is dealt and played as a draw poker hand, just like in a standard Jacks or Better game, and the player chooses which cards to keep and discard. Then the game deals the replacement cards, but unlike other video poker games, Ace Invaders doesn’t pay immediately. First the game checks the top line for a paying combination, then pays out for that. Then, if any of the cards in the top line are aces or would help create a royal flush in the second line, they drop down and become part of the hand on the second line. This process repeats itself on the second line, paying out, then checking to see if the cards would help complete a royal flush on the first line, and then drops those cards down again before finally paying out on the first line.
Big and small is a dice game of pure luck. It is a popular gambling game in China and is still offered in some casinos in Asia, notably in Macau. A variation is the common casino game Sic bo.
Rules
The game is played with three dice. Traditionally, the dice are placed on a plate, covered with an inverted bowl and the plate and bowl are then shaken together. After gamblers place their bets, the banker uncovers the bowl, pays the winners and the game continues on to the next round. In modern casinos the dice are shaken mechanically, and the outcome is keyed into a computer which automatically lights up the winning zones on the table.
The game is called “Big and Small” because the main bets are on “high points” (big) or “low points” (small). Other bets are also offered:
Name of Bet
Winning Criterion
Dividend
Odds of Occurrence
House Advantage
Big (大)
Dice Total: 11 to 17 Player loses if “Alls”
1 to 1
48.61%
2.78%
Small (小)
Dice Total: 4 to 10 Player lose if “Alls”
1 to 1
48.61%
2.78%
All 1 (圍一)
All 1
1 to 180
0.46%
16.7%
All 2 (圍二)
All 2
1 to 180
0.46%
16.7%
All 3 (圍三)
All 3
1 to 180
0.46%
16.7%
All 4 (圍四)
All 4
1 to 180
0.46%
16.7%
All 5 (圍五)
All 5
1 to 180
0.46%
16.7%
All 6 (圍六)
All 6
1 to 180
0.46%
16.7%
Any Alls (全圍)
All x
1 to 30
2.78%
16.7%
This is a game in which no skill is required on the players’ part, and the house always has an advantage.
Games available in most casinos are commonly called casino games. In a casino game, the players gamble casino chips on various possible random outcomes or combinations of outcomes. Casino games are available in online casinos, where permitted by law. Casino games can also be played outside of casinos for entertainment purposes, some on machines that simulate gambling.
House advantage
Casino games generally provide a predictable long-term advantage to the casino, or “house”, while offering the player the possibility of a large short-term payout. Casino games often include an illusion of control, in which the player must make choices. However, in most cases it is not mathematically possible for a player to eliminate his or her inherent long-term disadvantage (the house advantage) in a casino game.
The player’s disadvantage is a result of the casino not paying winning wagers according to the game’s “true odds”, which are the payouts that would be expected considering the odds of a wager either winning or losing. For example, if a game is played by wagering on the number that would result from the roll of one die, true odds would be 6 times the amount wagered since there is a 1 in 6 chance of any single number appearing. However, the casino may only pay 5 times the amount wagered for a winning wager.
Categories of casino games
There are three general categories of casino games:
Table games
Table games are played on a large table covered with a printed felt layout and may contain seating locations for players, with a dealer and other casino employees located on one side of the table (known as the “pit”) and players located on the opposite side. Table games may be played with cards, dice, or other gaming equipment.
Gaming machines
Gaming machines, such as slot machines, are usually played by one player at a time and do not require the involvement of casino employees to play.
Random number games
Random number games are based upon the selection of random numbers, either from a computerized random number generator or from other gaming equipment. Random number games may be played at a table, such as Roulette, or through the purchase of paper tickets or cards, such as Keno or Bingo.
Common table games
Cards
Asian stud
Baccarat
Blackjack
Casino war
Caribbean Stud Poker
Chinese poker
Faro
Four card poker
Let It Ride
Mambo stud
Pai gow poker
Red dog
Spanish 21
Texas Hold’em Bonus Poker
Three card poker
Two-up
Six full packs of cards of the same pattern are used, shuffled together. The players seat themselves round the table. In the centre is a basket for the reception of the used cards. If there is any question as to the relative positions of the players, it is decided by lot. The person who draws the first place seats himself next on the right hand of the croupier, and the rest follow in succession.
The croupier shuffles the cards, and then passes them on, each player having the right to shuffle in turn. When they have made the circuit of the table, the croupier again shuffles, and, having done so, offers the cards to the player on his left, who cuts. The croupier places the cards before him, and, taking a manageable quantity from the top, hands it to the player on his right, who for the time being is dealer, or “banker.” The other players are punters.
The dealer places before him the amount he is disposed to risk, and the players “make their stakes.” Any punter, beginning with the player on the immediate right of the dealer, is entitled to say “Banco”, meaning to “go bank,” to play against the whole of the banker’s stake. If no one does so, each player places his stake before him. If the total so staked by the seated players is not equal to the amount for the time being in the bank, other persons standing round may stake in addition. If it is more than equal to the amount in the bank, the punters nearest in order to the banker have the preference up to such amount, the banker having the right to decline any stake in excess of that limit.
The banker proceeds to deal four cards face downwards: the first, for the punters, to the right; the second to himself; the third for the punters, the fourth to himself. The player who has the highest stake represents the punters. If two punters are equal in this respect, the player first in rotation has the preference. Each then looks at his cards. If he finds that they make either nine, the highest point at Baccarat, or eight, the next highest, he turns them up, announcing the number aloud, and the hand is at an end. If the banker’s point is the better, the stakes of the punter become the property of the bank. If the punters’ point is the better, the banker (or the croupier for him) pays each punter the amount of his stake.
The stakes are made afresh, and the game proceeds. If the banker has been the winner, he deals again. If otherwise, the cards are passed to the player next in order, who thereupon becomes banker in his turn.
If neither party turns up his cards, this is an admission that neither has eight or nine. In this case the banker is bound to offer a third card. If the point of the punter is baccarat (i.e. cards together amounting to ten or twenty, = 0), one, two, three, or four, he accepts as a matter of course, replying, “Yes,” or “Card.” A third card is then given to him, face upwards. If his point if already six or seven, he will, equally as a matter of course, REFUSE the offered card. To accept a card with six or seven, or refuse with baccarat, one, two, three, or four (known in either case as a “false draw”), is a breach of the established procedure of the game, and brings down upon the head of the offender the wrath of his fellow-punters; indeed, in some circles he is made liable for any loss they may incur thereby, and in others is punishable by a fine. At the point of five, and no other, is it optional to the punter whether to take a card or not; nobody has the right to advise him, or to remark upon his decision.
The banker has now to decide whether he himself will draw a card, being guided in his decision partly by the cards he already holds, partly by the card (if any) drawn by the punter, and partly by what he may know or guess of the latter’s mode of play. If he has hesitated over his decision, the banker may be pretty certain (unless such hesitation was an intentional blind) that his original point was five, and as the third card (if any) is exposed, his present point becomes equally a matter of certainty. The banker, having drawn or not drawn, as he may elect, exposes his cards, and receives or pays as the case may be. Ties neither win nor lose, but the stakes remain for the next hand.
The banker is not permitted to withdraw any part of his winnings, which go to increase the amount in the bank. Should he at any given moment, desire to retire, he says, “I pass the deal.” In such case each of the other players, in rotation, has the option of taking it, but he must start the bank with the same amount at which it stood when the last banker retired. Should no one present care to risk that high a figure, the deal passes to the player next on the right hand of the retiring banker, who is in such case at liberty to start the bank with such amount as he thinks fit, the late banker now being regarded as last in order of rotation, though the respective priorities are not otherwise affected.
A player who has “gone bank,” and lost, is entitled to do so again on the next hand, notwithstanding that the deal may have “passed” to another player.
When the first supply of cards is exhausted, the croupier takes a fresh handful from the heap before him, has them cut by the player on his left, and hands them to the banker. To constitute a valid deal, there must be not less than seven cards left in the dealer’s hand. Should the cards in hand fall below this number, they are thrown into the wastebasket, and the banker takes a fresh supply as above mentioned.
Pachinko (パチンコ) is a device used for amusment and prizes and is related to pinball machines. Although originally strictly mechanical, modern pachinko machines are a cross between a pinball machine and a video slot machine. Pachinko is said to have been invented sometime after World War II in Nagoya, though the date is sometimes questioned. The machines are widespread in Japan in establishments called “pachinko parlors”, which also often feature a small number of slot machines.
Fist of the North Star pachinko machine, with slot machine component in the middle
The player purchases a large number of small steel balls which are inserted, in bulk, into the machine. Originally, machines had a spring-loaded lever for shooting the balls individually, but modern machines use a round “throttle” that merely controls how quickly an electrically fired plunger shoots the balls onto the playfield. The balls then drop through an array of pins, and usually simply fall through to the bottom, but occasionally fall into certain gates which make the machine pay out more balls.
Classic pachinko machine
Most current machines include a slot machine (these are called “pachi-slo”), and the big winnings are ultimately paid not from the balls falling into gates, but from the slot machine matches that follow. In fact, in many modern machines the balls have nothing to do with determining winnings, which are based strictly on electronic random number generators.
The winnings are in the form of more balls, which the player may either use to keep playing, or exchange for tokens or prizes such as pens or cigarette lighters. Under Japanese law, cash cannot be paid out, but there is virtually always a small exchange centre located nearby (or sometimes in a separate room from the game parlor itself) where players can conveniently exchange tokens or prizes for cash. Such pseudo-cash gambling is theoretically illegal, but from the sheer number of pachinko parlors in Japan, it is clear that the activity is at least tacitly tolerated by the authorities. (In fact, no pachinko parlor without a cash payout window has ever been documented.)
Pachinko parlor at night
As a quasi-gambling activity, pachinko is widely held to have links to organized crime (specifically the yakuza). (There have also been rumors of links to the government of North Korea, which is thereby allegedly able to siphon funds from the sizeable population of Pyongyang-aligned ethnic Korean residents of Japan, but this seems an implausible and potentially racially motivated myth.)
Pachinko parlors share the reputation of slot machine dens and casinos the world over—garish decoration, over-the-top architecture, the smell of tobacco, the constant din of the machines, and players entranced for hours in their games.
Entrance to pachinko parlor in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan
Petits-Chevaux, French for “little horses”, is a gambling game played with a mechanical device consisting of a board perforated with a number of concentric circular slits, in which revolve, each independently on its own axis, figures of jockeys on horseback, distinguished by numbers or colors. The bystanders having staked their money according to their choice on a board marked in divisions for this purpose, the horses are started revolving rapidly together by means of mechanism attached to the board, and the horse which stops nearest a marked goal wins, every player who has staked on that horse receiving so many times his stake. Figures of railway trains and other objects sometimes take the place of horses. In recent years there has been a tendency to supplant the petits chevaux at French resorts by the boule or ball game, on the same principle of gambling; in this a ball is rolled on a basin-shaped table so that it may eventually settle in one of a number of shallow cups, each marked with a figure.This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.
Jueteng (pronounced wet-teng) is an illegal numbers game played in the Philippines. Jueteng came from China and it means flower (jue) and bet (teng). Although illegal, it is a widely popular game with participation that crosses most, if not all social and economic boundaries, played by rich and poor alike. With long odds and no limits on minimum or maximum bets, the lure of quick riches through a lucrative payout is by far its strongest appeal.The game relies heavily on having a large number of wagers, and there is no limit to the amount of the bet(s). Usually the gambler selects two numbers from 1 through 37, and the winning number is determined by selecting a pair of numbers from a set of 37 numbered balls. Thus the theoretical odds of winning on any one play are one in 37C2, or 1/666. This is unlike the numbers games in the U.S. during the early part of the 20th century, where the last digit of the winning pay out or the number of the winning horse for three consecutive races determined the winning combination.
Although much has been done to curtail or eradicate this form of unregulated gambling by government and community leaders, it appears that such efforts have fallen by the wayside due to its vast popularity, and the poverty which cripples the country.
Scandals
Jueteng was brought to notoriety in 2000 during the impeachment proceedings of deposed Philippine President Joseph Estrada, who was accused of receiving illegal payoffs from gambling profits. Another political scandal erupted in June 2005 involving allegations that relatives of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo received payouts from jueteng operators.
Bau cua ca cop is a Vietnamese gambling game using three dice. The six sides of the dice, instead of showing numbers one through six, have pictures of a fish, prawn, crab, rooster, calabash gourd and stag. Players place wagers on a board, betting on which pictures will appear. (The game is similar to the English dice game Crown and anchor).
Bau cua ca cop is often played at Tet (Vietnamese New Year).
Flimsies are a type of bingo cards printed on thin sheets of paper. They are typically printed with three cards on a single sheet, but also come in other formats:
One card per sheet
Two cards per sheet
Four cards per sheet
Six cards per sheet
Nine cards per sheet
Flimsies costs $1-$2 per sheet and a win on a flimsy on a “special” game usually pays quite a bit more than a win on a “regular” game.
The squad in the field is the defensive team; they attempt to prevent the baserunners from scoring. There are nine defensive positions, however, only two of the positions have a mandatory location (pitcher and catcher), the locations of the other seven fielders is not specified by the rules, except that at the moment the pitch is delivered they must be positioned in fair territory and not in the space between the pitcher and the catcher. These fielders often shift their positioning in response to specific batters or game situations, and they may exchange positions with one another at any time. The nine positions most commonly used are: pitcher, catcher, first baseman, second baseman, third baseman, shortstop, left fielder, center fielder, and right fielder. Note that, in rare cases, teams may use dramatically differing schemes, such as switching an outfielder for an infielder. Scorekeepers label each position with a number starting with the pitcher (1), catcher (2), first baseman (3), second baseman (4), third baseman (5), shortstop (6), left fielder (7), center fielder (8), right fielder (9). This convention was established by Henry Chadwick. The reason the shortstop seems out of order has to do with the way fielders positioned themselves in the early years of the game.
The battery
The battery is composed of the pitcher, who stands on the rubber of the mound, and the catcher, who squats behind home plate. These are the two fielders who always deal directly with the batter on every pitch, hence the term “battery”, coined by Henry Chadwick and later reinforced by the implied comparison to artillery fire.
The pitcher’s main role is to pitch the ball toward home plate with the goal of getting the batter out. Pitchers also play defense by fielding batted balls, covering bases (for a potential tag out or force out on an approaching runner), or backing up throws. The catcher’s main role is to receive the pitch if the batter does not hit it. Together with the pitcher and coaches, the catcher plots game strategy by suggesting different pitches and by shifting the starting positions of the other fielders. Catchers are also responsible for defense in the area near home plate.
The infielders
The four infielders are the first baseman, second baseman, shortstop, and third baseman. Originally the first, second and third basemen played very near their respective bases, and the shortstop generally played “in” (hence the term), covering the area between second, third, and the pitchers box, or wherever the game situation required. As the game evolved, the fielding positions changed to the now-familiar “umbrella”, with the first and third baseman generally positioned a short distance toward second base from their bases, the second baseman to the right side of second base standing farther away from the base than any other infielder, and the shortstop playing to the left of second base, as seen from the batter’s perspective, filling in the gaps.
The first baseman’s job consists largely of making force plays at first base on ground balls hit to the other infielders. When an infielder picks up a ball from the ground hit by the batter, he must throw it to the first baseman who must catch the ball while maintaining contact with the base before the batter gets to the base for the batter to be out. The first baseman must be able to catch the ball very well and usually wears a specially designed mitt. The first baseman also fields balls hit near first base. The first baseman also has to receive throws from the pitcher in order to tag runners out who have reached base safely. The position is less physically challenging than the other positions, but there is still a lot of skill involved. Infielders don’t always make good throws to first base, so it is the first baseman’s job to field any ball thrown toward him cleanly. Older players who can no longer fulfill the demands of their original positions also often become first basemen. The second baseman covers the area to the first-base side of second base and provides backup for the first baseman in bunt situations. He also is a cut-off for the outfield. This is when the outfielder doesn’t have to throw the full distance from him/her to the base, but just to the cut-off. The shortstop fills the critical gap between second and third bases—where right-handed batters generally hit ground balls—and also covers second or third base and the near part of left field. This player is also a cut-off for the outfield. This position is the most demanding defensively, so a good shortstop doesn’t need to necessarily be a good batter. The third baseman’s primary requirement is a strong throwing arm, in order to make the long throw across the infield to the first baseman. Quick reaction time is also important for third basemen, as they tend to see more sharply hit balls than the other infielders, thus the nickname for third base as the “hot corner.”
The outfielders
The three outfielders, left fielder, center fielder, and right fielder, are so named from the catcher’s perspective looking out onto the field. The right fielder generally has the strongest arm of all the outfielders due to the need to make throws on runners attempting to take third base. The center fielder has more territory to cover than the corner outfielders, so this player must be quick and agile with a strong arm to throw balls in to the infield; as with the shortstop, teams tend to emphasize defense at this position. Also, the center fielder is considered the outfield leader, and left- and right-fielders often cede to his direction when fielding fly balls. Of all outfielders, the left fielder often has the weakest arm, as they generally do not need to throw the ball as far in order to prevent the advance of any baserunners. The left fielder still requires good fielding and catching skills, and tends to receive more balls than the right fielder due to the fact that right-handed hitters, who are much more common, tend to “pull” the ball into left field. The left fielder also backs up third base on pick-off attempts from the catcher.
Defensive strategy
Pitching
Effective pitching is vitally important to a baseball team, as pitching is the key for the defensive team to retire batters and to preventing runners from getting on base. A full game usually involves over one hundred pitches thrown by each team. However, most pitchers begin to tire before they reach this point. In previous eras, pitchers would often throw up to four complete games (all nine innings) in a week. With new advances in medical research and thus a better understanding of how the human body functions and tires out, starting pitchers tend more often to throw fractions of a game (typically 6 or 7 innings depending on their performance) about every five days (though a few complete games do still occur each year).
Multiple pitchers are often needed in a single game, including the starting pitcher and relief pitcher(s). Pitchers are substituted for one another like any other player (see below), and the rules do not limit the number of pitchers that can be used in a game; the only limiting factor is the size of the squad, naturally. In general, starting pitchers are not used in relief situations except sometimes during the post-season when every game is vital. If a game runs into many extra innings, a team may well empty its bullpen. If it then becomes necessary to use a “position player” as a pitcher, major league teams generally have certain players pre-designated as emergency relief pitchers, to avoid the embarrassment of using a less skillful player. In baseball’s early years, squads were smaller, and relief pitchers were relatively uncommon, with the starter normally remaining for the entire game unless he was either thoroughly ineffective or became injured; today, with a much greater emphasis on pitch count (100 being the “magic number” in general), over the course of a single game each team will frequently use from two to five pitchers. In the 2005 ALCS, all four of the Chicago White Sox victories were complete games by the starters, a highly noteworthy event in the modern game.
Although a pitcher can only take one step backward and one forward while delivering the ball, the pitcher has a great arsenal at his disposal in the variation of location, velocity, movement, and arm location. Most pitchers attempt to master two or three types of pitches; some pitchers throw up to 6 types of pitches with varying degrees of control. Common pitches include a fastball, which is the ball thrown at just under maximum velocity; a curveball, which is made to curve by rotation imparted by the pitcher; and a change-up, which seeks to mimic the delivery of a fastball but arrives at significantly lower velocity.
To illustrate pitching strategy, consider the “fastball/change-up” combination: The average major-league pitcher can throw a fastball around 90 miles per hour (145 km/h), and a few pitchers have even exceeded 100 miles per hour (161 km/h). The change-up is thrown somewhere between 75 to 85 miles per hour (121 to 137 km/h). Since the batter’s timing is critical to hitting a pitch, a batter swinging to hit what looks like a fastball, would be terribly fooled (swing and miss, hopefully) when the pitch turns out to be a much slower change-up.
Some pitchers choose to throw using the ‘submarine style,’ a very efficient sidearm or near-underhand motion. Pitchers with a submarine delivery are often very difficult to hit because of the angle and movement of the ball once released. Walter Johnson, who threw one of the fastest fast balls in the history of the game, threw sidearm (though not submarine) rather than a normal overhand. True underhanded pitching is not illegal in Major League Baseball. However, it is difficult to generate enough velocity and movement with the underhand motion.
Fielding strategy
Only the pitcher’s and catcher’s locations are fixed, and then only at the beginning of each pitch. Thus, the players on the field move around as needed to defend against scoring a run. Many variations of this are possible, as location depends upon the situation. Circumstances such as the number of outs, the count (balls and strikes) on the batter, the number and speed of runners, the ability of the fielders, the ability of the pitcher, the type of pitch thrown, and the inning cause the fielders move to more strategic locations on the field. Common defensive strategies include: playing for the bunt, trying to prevent a stolen base, moving to a shallow position to throw out a runner at home, playing at “double play depth”, and moving fielders to locations where hitters are most likely to hit the ball.
In the United States, Australia and Canada, a variation of baccarat is played in which the casino banks the game at all times. Punters may bet on either the player or the banker, which are merely designations for the two hands dealt in each game.
The cards are dealt, one to the ‘Player’ first then to the ‘Banker’, ‘Player’ then ‘Banker’ again. Each has two cards. This is the initial deal. Both cards in each hand are added together and the croupier calls the total. (e.g. five to the ‘Player’, three to the ‘Banker’) From this position the ‘Tableau’ or table of play is used to determine if further cards need to be drawn. A maximum of three cards per hand may be drawn to achieve a winning hand. Therefore the object of the game is to bet on the hand with the highest total.
The Tableau is as follows:
Pictures and 10s count as 0. If the initial deal has a hand totalling 8 or 9 no further cards are drawn.
If the ‘Player’ has an initial total of 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5, the ‘Player’ draws another card.
If the ‘Player’ has an initial total of 6 or 7, the ‘Player’ stands and draws no further card.
If the ‘Player’ has an initial total of 8 or 9, this is a natural and neither the ‘Player’ nor the ‘Banker’ draw further cards.
If the ‘Banker’ has an initial total of 0, 1 or 2, the ‘Banker’ draws another card.
If the ‘Banker’ has an initial total of 3, the ‘Banker’ draws another card when the ‘Player’s’ third card is anything but an 8.
If the ‘Banker’ has an initial total of 4, the ‘Banker’ draws another card when the ‘Player’s’ third card is a 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7.
If the ‘Banker’ has an initial total of 5, the ‘Banker’ draws another card when the ‘Player’s’ third card is a 4, 5, 6, or 7.
If the ‘Banker’ has an initial total of 6, the ‘Banker’ draws another card when the ‘Player’s’ third card is a 6 or 7.
If the ‘Banker’ has an initial total of 7, the ‘Banker’ stands and draws no further cards.
If the ‘Banker’ has an initial total of 8 or 9, this is a natural and neither the ‘Player’ nor the ‘Banker’ draw further cards.
If the ‘Banker’ has an initial total of 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 and the ‘Player’ has an initial total of 6 or 7 and stands, the ‘Banker’ draws another card.
The ‘Banker’ must stand on 6 when the ‘Player’ has a 6 or 7 on the initial deal.
The croupier will deal the cards according to the tableau and the croupier will announce the winning hand – either ‘Player’ or ‘Banker’. Losing bets will be collected and the winning bets will be paid according to the rules of the house. Usually even money or 1-1 will be paid to the player and 95% to the ‘Banker’, 5% commission to the house. (Commission Baccarat) Some casinos pay even money or 1-1 to both ‘Player’ and ‘Banker’ except when the ‘Banker’ wins with a total of 6. Then the ‘Banker’ will be paid 50% or half the original bet.
Should both the ‘Banker’s’ hand and the ‘Player’s’ hand have the same value at the end of the deal the croupier shall announce “Egalite – tie bets win.” All tie bets will be paid at the odds of 8-1 and the croupier shall not touch the bets on either ‘Player’ or ‘Banker’.
The traditional form of punto banco baccarat is played at an oval table, similar to the chemin de fer version. The table is staffed by a croupier, who directs the play of the game, and two dealers who collect and pay bets as well as tallying commissions due. Six or eight decks of cards are used, normally shuffled only by the croupier and dealers. Like chemin de fer, the shoe is passed around from player to player, who acts as the dealer of the cards and as “banker,” but he or she does not actually bank the game. Indeed, the “banker” may bet on the player hand if he or she wishes, or may pass the shoe along to another player — the role of the “banker” is merely ceremonial. The person who bet the highest amount on the player hand is given the player-hand cards, though he or she simply turns the cards over, annoucing their total. The croupier instructs the “banker” on if or when to deal third cards, and then announces the winning hand.
In casinos in Las Vegas and Atlantic City, this version of baccarat is usually played in special rooms separated from the main gaming floor, ostensibly to provide an extra measure of privacy and security because of the high stakes often involved. The game is frequented by the highest of high rollers, who may wager tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars on a single hand. Australian tycoon Kerry Packer was particularly fond of the game, having won and lost large sums over the years. Minimum bets are relatively high, often starting at 25 USD and going as high as 500 USD. Posted maximum bets are often arranged to suit a player, but maximums of 10,000 USD per hand are common
Despite its simplicity (or perhaps because of it), the punto banco version of baccarat offers some of the lowest house advantage available in a casino. The player bet has a house advantage of 1.24%, and the banker bet (despite the 5% commission) has an advantage of 1.06%. The tie bet has a much higher house advantage of 14.44%, based on six decks in play. [1]
Because of its attraction for wealthy players, a casino may win or lose millions of dollars a night on the game, and the house’s fortunes may even affect the bottom line of a corporation’s quarterly profit and loss — notations of the effects of major baccarat wins and losses are frequent in the quarterly reports of publicly-traded gaming companies.
Mini-baccarat is essentially the same game, but played at a smaller table very similar to a blackjack table. A single dealer handles the entire game, including dealing the cards. The pace is usually much faster than the “big baccarat” version. Betting minimums and maximums are usually lower. In casinos outside of Las Vegas and Atlantic City, this is frequently the only version of baccarat that is offered.
Originally, martingale referred to a class of betting strategies popular in 18th century France. The simplest of these strategies was designed for a game in which the gambler wins his stake if a coin comes up heads and loses it if the coin comes up tails. The strategy had the gambler double his bet after every loss, so that the first win would recover all previous losses plus win a profit equal to the original stake. Since a gambler with infinite wealth is guaranteed to eventually flip heads, the martingale betting strategy was seen as a sure thing by those who practiced it. Unfortunately, none of these practitioners in fact possessed infinite wealth, and the exponential growth of the bets would quickly bankrupt those foolish enough to use the martingale after even a moderately long run of bad luck.
Analysis
Suppose that someone applies the martingale betting system at an American roulette table, with 0 and 00 values; a bet on either red or black will win 18 times out of each 38. If the player’s initial bankroll is $160 and the betting unit is $10, the player will make a win in approximately 96% of sessions, gaining an average of $4.30 from each winning session. In the remaining 4% of sessions, the player will “bust”, exhausting his bankroll, for a loss of $160. It follows then that the average session losses of a gambler employing this strategy are $2.27. Given a larger bankroll, the odds of making a win before running out of cash increase; however, the average winnings grow more slowly than the average losses, so the game remains a losing proposition.
Modern casinos generally have table minimums and maximums to prevent players from doubling their bets more than five or six times, rendering the martingale system obsolete.
Bovine bingo is a traditional rural fundraising game that is often played at country fetes and summer fairs, usually for fundraising purposes.Bovine bingo is not really a form of bingo, but a form of lottery. The game is set up by marking out a grid of rectangles on an enclosed land area, such as a paddock or farm field. This is usually done by chalking lines. The grid cells are then numbered or otherwise identified in some way, and chances are sold on each cell. A cow (or other livestock animal) is then let loose within the enclosure. Where the first “cowflop” (defecation) lands determines the winner. Another popular variation of this game takes place during parades, usually with horses. Same rules apply, however.
The game is also known as “Cowpie Bingo”, “Fertilizer Lotto”, “Cow Patty Bingo”, “Cow Pat Lottery”, or “Bossy Bingo.”
Marvel battle dice is a game that uses small figures, which are placed inside dice, and then rolled. There are currently 69 of these figures from the first Set, and can be purchased in battle booster packs, or the starter set.
Purchasing
The figures can be purchased in booster packs (listed above), or in the starter sets. The booster packs contain 3 random battle figures, and also comes with one battle dice. The starter set comes with 6 figures, two of which are secret figures. There are also battle dice launchers, which are large sized versions of the Fantastic Four’s Thing (comics), and The Hulk.
The Game
The game works by placing the figures (approximately 1″ inch) in the battle dice, which have certain attributes by popping the dice open. When the dice are rolled, the player with the lower dice roll goes first. They select an attribute on the character, and use them to battle the other figure(s). Then the attributes take place, and so on and so forth, and the player with a certain roll wins, etc. Currently, there are 23 different dice. The attributes are: Intelligence, Strength, Speed, Durability, Energy, and Fighting Skills. Attributes are measured on a 0-6 scale, 6 being the highest. Characters are ranked points; in most tournaments teams cannot exceed 30 points making figures like Dark Phoenix too expensive to use. A comprehensive explanation can be found at any of the first two links in the links section.
Marvel Set 1
In January Playmates released the first set consisting such characters as: Captain America, Spider-Man, Doctor Octopus, Professor X, Psylocke, Dark Phoenix, Apocalypse, Cyclops, Sentinel, Magneto etc. There are also “Clear” forms of the characters that “re-arrange” their abilities. Three characters were left out of production and are currently tournament prizes: She-Hulk, Silver Surfer, and Red Skull. The only other promotional characters from Set 1 are Stealth Wolverine and Spider-Man.
Marvel Set 2
In July Playmates will release the second series. This set includes the popular Galactus, Phoenix, Storm, Pyro, Scarlet Spider, Vision, Juggernaut, Omega Red, Scarlet Witch, Electro, Green Goblin, Kingpin, etc.
DC Set 1
The first DC Set will be released in the Fall and includes characters like Starfire and Superman.
Bingo cards are used to play various bingo games, including U.S. style bingo and U.K. style Housie. Cards are usually made of cardboard or non-reusable paper, but more and more bingo halls are beginning to use computerized cards. Bingo cards are printed in various styles (see below) with randomized bingo numbers. As bingo numbers are called, players either check off the boxes with a pen or marker, or use a bingo daber/dauber to stamp the box.
U.S. Bingo Cards
A typical U.S. bingo card
U.S. bingo cards are 5×5 squares, with the columns labeled B-I-N-G-O and with spots contains numbers between 1 and 75. The center square typically is a free spot, and often has the word “free” printed on it.
U.K. Bingo, or Housie, cards are usually called tickets and differ greatly from U.S. Bingo cards. The cards contain three rows and nine columns. Each row contains five numbers and four blank spaces. Each column contains one, two or three numbers.
Numerous great players played in the days before tennis’s Open era, many of whom are unknown by modern sports fans. Among them, chronologically, are:
“Big Bill” Tilden – winner of 21 amateur Grand Slam titles, 7 consecutive Davis Cups, 4 professional Grand Slam titles, the professional doubles title at age 52; was for 7 years the World No. 1 player
Jean Borotra, Henri Cochet, René Lacoste – the three best of the “Four Musketeers”, won 46 amateur Grand Slam titles amongst them, 6 consecutive Davis Cups, 1 professional Grand Slam title; one was for 5 years the World No. 1 player
Ellsworth Vines – winner of 6 amateur Grand Slam titles, 4 professional Grand Slam titles; was world #1 professional player, 1933-1937; had a tremendous flat, hard service; was for 3 years the World No. 1 player
Fred Perry – won 13 amateur Grand Slam titles including 3 consecutive Wimbledons; was the first to win 4 consecutive Grand Slam titles; won 2 professional Grand Slam titles; was for 4 consecutive years the World No. 1 player
Don Budge – winner of 14 amateur Grand Slam titles; was the first to win 4 Grand Slam titles in a single year, 4 professional Grand Slam titles; is widely viewed as having had the best backhand of all time before Rosewall; was for 6 consecutive years the World No. 1 player
Bobby Riggs – winner of 6 amateur Grand Slam titles, 4 professional Grand Slam titles and 7 times a finalist; was world #1 professional player 1946-1947 and for those 2 years the World No. 1 player
Jack Kramer – won 10 amateur Grand Slam titles and 2 professional Grand Slam titles; was the first great player to play serve-volley on all serves; beat Gonzales badly in the 1949-1950 tour; was for 5 years the World No. 1 player
Pancho Segura – winner of 3 professional Grand Slam titles, including 2 victories over Gonzales, and 7 times a finalist; was for 1 year the World No. 1 player; Kramer called Segura’s two-handed forehand “the single best shot ever produced in tennis.”
Frank Sedgman – won 22 amateur Grand Slam titles, 3 professional Grand Slam titles and 4 times a finalist; winner of 3 consecutive Davis Cups
Pancho Gonzales – winner of 4 amateur Grand Slam titles, 12 professional Grand Slam titles and 6 times a finalist; world #1 amateur in 1949; was still world #6 player in 1969 and #9 American in 1972 at 44; was for 8 consecutive years the World No. 1 player, an unequalled 9 times overall
Ken Rosewall – won 18 Grand Slam titles, first 11 as an amateur, then 7 in the Open era, plus another 18 professional Grand Slam titles and was 5 times a finalist; winner of 3 consecutive Davis Cups; was for 2 years the World No. 1 player
Lew Hoad – won 11 amateur Grand Slam titles and 7 times a finalist in the professional Grand Slam; Gonzales said of him: “I think his game was the best game ever. Better than mine.”
Other fine players of the pre-Open era include Maurice McLoughlin, “Little Bill” Johnston, Vinnie Richards, Jack Crawford, Gottfried von Cramm, Ted Schroeder, Vic Seixas, and Tony Trabert.
Among women the top two pre-Open era players are considered to be Suzanne Lenglen and Helen Wills Moody. Maureen Connolly was the first female player to win a Grand Slam in 1953. Doris Hart was the first player to win all 12 possible singles, doubles and mixed doubles Grand Slam titles
Among the greatest male players of the Open era, with the number of career Grand Slam singles titles in parenthesis, are: Pete Sampras (14), Rod Laver (11), Björn Borg (11), Jimmy Connors (8), Ivan Lendl (8), Andre Agassi (8), John Newcombe (7), Roger Federer (7), John McEnroe (7), Mats Wilander (7), Boris Becker (6), Stefan Edberg (6), Jim Courier (4), Guillermo Vilas (4), Arthur Ashe (3), Gustavo Kuerten(3), Stan Smith (2), Lleyton Hewitt (2), Yevgeny Kafelnikov (2), Patrick Rafter (2), Marat Safin (2), and Rafael Nadal (2).
The greatest women players, again with the number of career Grand Slam singles titles in parenthsis for each, are: Margaret Smith Court (24), Steffi Graf (22), Chris Evert (18), Martina Navrátilová (18), Billie Jean King (12), Monica Seles (9), Serena Williams (7), Maria Bueno (7), Evonne Goolagong (7), Martina Hingis (5), Venus Williams (5), Justine Henin-Hardenne (5), Hana Mandlíková (4), Arantxa Sánchez Vicario (4),Lindsay Davenport (3), Jennifer Capriati (3), and Mary Pierce (2)
Suzanne Lenglen and Bill Tilden
The Greatest Player of All Time
Roger Federer
Until the mid-1950s, Bill Tilden was generally considered the greatest player ever, his only rivals being Vines, Budge, and Kramer. For much of the 1950s and 1960s, many thought Gonzales had claimed that title. Since then, first Laver, then more recently Borg, McEnroe, and Sampras, were widely regarded by many of their contemporaries as the greatest ever. Roger Federer is now considered by many observers to have the most “complete” game in modern tennis, with the potential to challenge the achievements of these past greats. Even among experts, however, no consensus exists as to who has been the greatest of all. Kramer, for instance, still believes that Budge was the best ever on a consistent basis, while Vines was the best at the top of his game. Segura opts for Gonzales, and Gonzales himself considered Hoad, at the height of his game, to be the best.
It frequently appears to be the case when trying to decide who is the best of all time that comptemporaries over-value the worth of great players of their own time. Each time that a great new player such as Tilden, Vines, Budge, Kramer, or Gonzales came on the scene and dominated it for several years, many observers at that time would then declare him to be the best of all time. A clear example of this occurred in early 1986 when Inside Tennis, a magazine edited in Northern California, devoted parts of four issues to a lengthy article called “Tournament of the Century”, an imaginary tournament to determine the greatest of all time. They asked 37 tennis notables such as Kramer, Budge, Perry, and Riggs and observers such as Bud Collins to list the 10 greatest players in order. This was probably as prestigious and knowledgeable a group of tennis experts as has ever been assembled. Nevertheless, there appears to be a clear predilection for choosing their near-contemporaries as the best player ever.
Twenty-five players in all were named by the 37 experts in their lists of the 10 best. The magazine then ranked them in descending order by total number of points assigned. The top eight players in overall points, with their number of first-place votes, were:
Rod Laver (9),
John McEnroe (3),
Don Budge (4),
Jack Kramer (5),
Bjorn Borg (6),
Pancho Gonzales (1),
Bill Tilden (6), and
Lew Hoad (1).
Sculpture depicting Rod Laver outside the Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne.
McEnroe was still an active player and Laver, Borg, and Gonzales had only recently retired. In the imaginary tournament Laver beat McEnroe in the finals in 5 sets.
Among the women, Lenglen and Wills Moody vie for the distinction of greatest of all time, along with several modern players: Court, Navratilova, Evert, Graf, and Seles.
The Great Doubles Players
Doubles is no longer as important to spectator tennis as it was in the first half of the 20th Century, when its attraction, particularly in Davis Cup rounds, was nearly equal to that of singles. George Lott, who himself won 5 U.S. doubles titles as well as 2 at Wimbledon, wrote an article in the May, 1973, issue of Tennis Magazine in which he ranked the great doubles teams and the great players. The teams, in descending order, were:
John Newcombe and Tony Roche
R. Norris Williams and Vinnie Richards
Bill Talbert and Gardnar Mulloy
Frank Sedgman and Ken McGregor
Adrian Quist and John Bromwich
Roy Emerson and Rod Laver
Bill Tilden and Vinnie Richards
Jacques Brugnon and Henri Cochet
Wilmer Allison and John Van Ryn
Lew Hoad and Ken Rosewall
John Newcombe and Tony Roche
Other great teams would include George Lott and Les Stoefen, Bob Lutz and Stan Smith, John McEnroe and Peter Fleming, and The Woodies (Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde).
Lott also wrote: “It is frequently said that a doubles team is as good as its weakest link…. I believe a really great doubles player can solidify that weak link.” His list of the greatest doubles players is:
John Bromwich, Jack Kramer, and Don Budge, tied for 1st
Frank Sedgman, Adrian Quist, and Roy Emerson tied for 4th
Vinnie Richards
Jacques Brugnon
Marty Riessen, Bill Talbert, and Gardnar Mulloy tied for 10th
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Fist of the North Star pachinko machine, with slot machine component in the middle
Classic pachinko machine
Pachinko parlor at night
Entrance to pachinko parlor in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan
A typical U.S. bingo card
A typical housie/Bingo ticket
Suzanne Lenglen and Bill Tilden
Roger Federer
Sculpture depicting Rod Laver outside the Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne.
John Newcombe and Tony Roche 
Bromwich as a junior in the 1930s
