Gaming Blog

Two up – a great casino game

This is an Australian game popular since the First World War. It is played in their casinos with two pennies and a flat piece of wood called the 'kip'. The pennies are placed on the kip, one with heads facing up and the other with tails facing up. The spinner (the player who tosses the pennies) and the other players bet on possible combinations of the two pennies when they land. Players can bet on heads (both pennies show heads), tails (both pennies show tails) or five consecutive odds (one penny shows heads, the other penny shows tails). Wagers are placed in the boxes marked on the playing table. The spinner tosses the pennies into the air. The pennies must rise at least one meter above the spinner's head and must spin, or a 'no spin' is declared. The Dealer confirms the winning combination for the round. The spinner is chosen from players around the betting ring.

The spinner wins by making three consecutive sets of what he or she has elected to spin for, and is paid odds of 7.5 to 1. Spin the opposite or five consecutive odds and the spinner loses, retiring from the pit to make way for the next spinner. A standoff is declared when the pennies come down odds and all bets must remain until heads or tails are thrown, or the spinner continues to throw 5 consecutive odds. The spinner may also have a side bet on heads, tails or five odds. The odds are also interesting; Heads: Even money, Tails: Even money, Five consecutive odds: 25 to 1, Spinner's bet on heads or tails: 7.5 to 1. The next time you’re in Australia try this fun and interesting game.

Biggest owner of slot machines

The popularity of slot machines has not been overlooked by the US Armed Forces. Machines have been common in overseas service clubs since the Second World War. In recent years, all four branches of the service have operated some 10,000 slot and video poker machines outside the US, producing well over $150 million in revenue annually. The money is used to pay for leisure activities and improvements to military service clubs. The program is entirely self-sufficient and no tax dollars are involved.

Did you know?

In 1992 Tunica County in Mississippi had 16 hotel rooms, today it has over 6,000 rooms.
About 119,000 marriages take place in Las Vegas every year.
Horse and dog racing is legal in Nevada, but there are no horse or dog tracks in the state.
Casanova, whose full name was Giacomo Jacopo Casanova de Seingalt, the Italian adventurer, rogue, and great lover was a gambler by profession.
In the 1830’s over 1500 professional gamblers made their living on the riverboats between New Orleans and Louisville.
Out of the 120 casinos in the UK, London’s 23 casinos account for 70% of the entire country’s gambling revenue.
Carlos III started Spain’s national lottery in 1763. A record of winning numbers has been kept since 1812.
In Nevada it’s a crime to knowingly take advantage of a malfunctioning video or slot machine by playing it.
The first book ever published in America that mentioned the word “gambling” in its title was An Exposure of the Arts and Miseries of Gambling, Written by Jonathan Green and published in 1843.
When looking at a die, notice that every number when added to the number opposite it on the die will always total 7. This is the first thing a boxman will look for when inspecting the dice.

Being good at poker

When it comes to poker you can only play one hand at a time, that’s the first step toward how to think like a pro. The key is staying in the present. Concentrate on playing great hands, instead of worrying about lost ones or what others think of your play. If you find your mind is starting to wonder, take a moment to refocus and start over again. Keep your mind on the hand you’re playing. Don’t worry about the hand you just lost or the one where you had a bad beat 20 minutes ago. Take care of the present; let future hands take care of themselves.

Gaming Tip

Playing more then one slot machine at a time makes you more vulnerable to making a mistake. You might pull the handle with only one or two coins inserted instead of the maximum desired. It also takes full concentration to play two or three machines at one time. This can leave you open to thieves who look to get some coins from unwatched coin trays. The best advice is to concentrate on the machine in front of you.