Guides
How the games, the odds and the offers actually work. Written to inform, never to sell you a sign-up.
GuideBlackjack basic strategy explained in plain English
A look at the mathematically correct way to play every blackjack hand, and why it is not a guarantee of winning.
GuideMegabucks explained: how the most famous slot jackpot works
IGT's Megabucks links slot machines across Nevada casinos into one growing prize. Here is how it is funded, how it resets and what the record looks like.
GuidePoker hand rankings, from royal flush to high card
All ten poker hands in order, with examples, the odds of each in a five-card deal, how ties are broken and how short deck and lowball change the rules.
GuideHow card counting works in blackjack, and why casinos hate it
Card counting is a legal mental technique that tracks which cards have been played. Here is how the Hi-Lo system works, where it came from and how casinos fight back.
GuideWhere is online casino gambling legal in the US? A state-by-state guide
Eight states have legalised real-money online casinos, seven of them with live markets, while dozens allow only sports betting and a growing list has banned sweepstakes casinos.
GuideHow progressive jackpots work, and what the odds really are
Progressive jackpots grow with every bet placed across a game or network, but the odds of winning the top prize are closer to a lottery than a regular slot spin.
GuideHouse edge explained: how casinos make money on every game
Every casino game is built with a built-in mathematical advantage for the house, here is how it works and why it never disappears.
GuideWhat is RTP? Return to player explained
A plain-English guide to return to player, the percentage that shows how slot and casino games pay out over time.