Frank Scoblete - Everything Casino Poker: Get the Edge at Video Poker, Texas Holdem, Omaha Hi-Lo, and Pai Gow Poker!

From Bill Ace-10 Burton:

Dedicated to my loving wife, Sandy

From Jerry Stickman:

Dedicated to my loving wife, Tres

From John Skinny:

Dedicated to my loving wife, Jean

From Frank Scoblete:

Dedicated to my loving wife, the beautiful AP

(Guys, these dedications will get us some good husband points! Frank)

Contents

Part I: Texas Holdem

Part II: Omaha

Part III: Expert Poker Advice from Bill Ace-10 Burton

Part IV: Advantage Pai Gow Poker

Part V: Advantage Video Poker

Introduction

W hy Shouldnt You Have the Edge?

There are approximately 54 million casino gamblers in the United States alone, plus a few million from Canada as well. How about all those European and Asian tourists who descend on Las Vegas to the tune of several million players per year? Id guess we are now talking about at least 63 million (plus) casino gamblers happily (or unhappily) playing their favorite games in American casinos. Those numbers would place casino gamblers, if they were a nation, approximately 21 st on the population charts for all countries on earth, which number some 242 nations.

Yes, there are more casino gamblers playing in America than most countries have people! That is a staggering fact.

Now to the big question: what percentage of these gamblers are long-term winners? Almost none! In fact, the number of winners probably doesnt equal the population of the Cook Islands, which is country number 225 on the national population list with approximately 17,791 citizens. Im guessing the long-term winners are half that much, probably closer to Gilligans Island than the Cook Islands. If I really wanted to go nuts here, I could figure out how many gamblers are on Earth, and wed probably have competition for the top 10 countries. Hey, move over China! But Ive made my point: gamblers abound!

So who are these rare, exotic birdsthese long-term winners at casino gambling? Well, occasionally some luckyand I do mean lucky player nails a monstrous slot jackpot that is so big, he or she never goes back into the red even if they continue to play stupidly. Thats it for luck, as luck really doesnt spread itself too far.

Gamblers who rely solely on good luck in the casinos will discover, to their chagrin, that good luck cant help them become long-term winners except in those very, very, very, very (add more very s) rare occasions when the slot machine yells to the winner, Okay, your dream has come true. Youre rich, while simultaneously yelling to the other slot players, Fat chance for you, bub! Keep dreaming.

However, there are long-term winners who rely on skill. They are out there right now in casinos all across America doing what all casino players should want to do, and that is get an edge for themselves. Come on, why play casino games if you cant really beat them in the long run?

There are a few thousand card counters in blackjack and even fewer dice controllers at craps. These folks are long-term winners. You also have poker players whose skills are good enough that they make more money than they lose. There are also some video-poker players who win in the long run as well. And how about those little-known Pai Gow Poker players who have figured out just how to turn that game in their favor?

Sounds like a lot of advantage players out there, doesnt it? Sadly, hardly. The numbers of advantage playerseven if we combine all the advantage players playing all the games that can be beaten by skillare miniscule. Sad to say, casino gamblers are losers.

If there were such a thing as a predator that hunted losers, just plop those predators in a casino, and they would be able to gorge themselves to their hearts content. Actually, the multibillion-dollar casino industry is just such a predator, even if it seems invisible to the players. The casinos feed on losers, for such folk are the casinos life blood. Casinos hate even those decidedly few advantage players, and I hope that when you finish reading this book and start putting into play what you have learned in these pagesthe casinos will hate you too! You should love to be hated.

Casinos dont want to lose money to skilled players. Sadly, all except a handful of casino players dont seem to care if they lose their money to the casinos. Thats unfair, isnt it? A multibillion-dollar industry goes bonkers with the idea that some few players can beat them, while the 21 st -largest nation of the world (Casinogamblia) doesnt care if it loses consistently. There is definitely something wrong with that picture and those hapless citizens of Casinogamblia.

I am guessing that since you are reading this book, you have decided to find the best path as a casino player, and that path is the one that allows you to turn the tables (and the machines) on the casinos. I am guessing that you have decided to become a part of the gambling elitethose players who can walk with confidence into casinos knowing they are not relying only on luck to win. You want to hone a skilla winning skill. Let luck take care of itself, because in the long run it will not take care of you.

This book will show you how to win at many video-poker games, the card-room poker games of Texas Holdem and Omaha 8 Hi-Lo, and the stepchild of advantage play, Pai Gow Poker. All these games can be beaten, and we will show you exactly how to do it in this book.

Some thoughts before you plunge ahead:

Mathematical Advantage, Monetary Advantage, and Disadvantage

There is no need to go into depth about what a true mathematical advantage is at a game. It means that, in the long run, the statistics work out in your favor. Blackjack card counters, dice controllers at craps, advantage video-poker players, advantage Pai Gow Poker players, and card-room poker players can all establish what their respective edges are and even what their long-term hourly win rate is. They have a clear mathematical edge, period.

But there is also another type of edge, something I call the monetary edge. Here we take into consideration all the free stuffmeaning comps that the casino gives youand add those to your theoretical long-term losses at the game you are playing to see if more money in the form of goods and services is coming in your direction than going in the casinos direction. Simply put, say your expected loss is $400 for a trip but the casino gives you $600 in comps. You could consider this an advantage play if you wish. You are up $200.

Some of the games in this book will work out as monetary advantages. Pai Gow can give you a mathematical edge, but by adding in comps, that edge can soar even higher. Some, but not all, video-poker machines mathematically favor the player, but for those that dont give the player such an edge by figuring in comps, the monetary edge can be achieved.

Sadly, with card-room poker the comps are not so hotespecially for low-limit players. The monetary edge is probably not to be had. Still, in both Texas Holdem and Omaha 8 Hi-Lo, you can get a definite edge, sometimes a strong edge, over the other players and win their money. Winning at poker is possible for two reasons:

1.If you know how to play, you will know which hands to play and which hands to fold.

2.Most of the other players stink.

Knowing what you are doing against players who dont know what they are doing or against players who just cant refrain from gambling are the keys to success at card-room poker. Play as we say to play in this book, and you are on your way.