QUESTIONS (AND ANSWERS)!
Everything you always wanted to know about planning and running a casino night!
Most charity events involve donors that provide the prizes. These may be local businesses, benefactors or other organizations. For example, a local sports team may offer a VIP seating package. Movie theaters may offer free tickets. Restaurants may offer discounted meals or a free Dinner for Two. We've hosted parties where the prizes include signed helmets, posters and autographs. The prizes are up to you!
Entry fees: You may charge "at the door" for entry into the "Casino".
Food and drinks: If not provided free of charge, a restaurant or bar will generate brisk sales if their staff works the room.
Purchasing of chips: Guests buy vouchers to exchange for Casino Chips. We help you decide the denominations. Your total chip purchase for the party, minus your expenses and purchased prizes if your profit for the event.
Sponsorships: It's common at charity events for each table to be "Sponsored" by a local company. The company's information is at each table, providing great exposure.
Other products sold at the party: Sell your swag, such as shirts, caps and other gear.
We'll help you develop a revenue model during the process of planning the party. With many factors involved, we can help insure you break even or turn a profit, while providing great exposure to your venue, the cause you support and exposure for the sponsors that helped make your event exciting.
It all depends upon the size of your casino party, but it does not take the set up crew very long. Most events take 1 hour or less for 10 tables. We always like to show up early to make sure we find our way into the venue and to clear all obstacles or obstructions prior to entering the room for set up. We like to make sure to find parking for our truck and trailer, van, or box truck.
Blackjack, money wheel and poker tables require approximately 50 square feet. Roulette and Mini Craps tables require approximately 60 square feet. Full size craps tables require approximately 80 square feet. This should leave enough room for dealers, players and walking areas.
Blackjack, Let-It-Ride Poker, 3 Card Poker, Caribbean Stud, Pai-Gow Poker, and Casino War = 6’ x 3 ½’
Texas Hold’em Poker = 7 feet by 3 ½ feet
Roulette = 7 feet by 4 feet
Small Craps = 8 feet by 4 feet
Large Craps = 12 feet by 4 feet
We normally recommend 60% table coverage versus the number of guests. Example: If you have a guest list of 100 you should have enough spots for 60 players at any given time.
Blackjack, Let-It-Ride Poker, 3 Card Poker, Caribbean Stud, Pai-Gow Poker, and Casino War = 7 players
Texas Hold’em Poker = 10 players
Roulette = 8 players
Small Craps = 8 – 12 players
Large Craps = 16 – 20 players
We deliver and will have the casino table setup complete 1 hour prior to the actual start of the casino event in most cases. Early setup must be arranged ahead of time and additional charges may apply. Tear down of the equipment begins at the end of the casino portion of the event unless prior arrangements have been made.
A signed contract and 20% down payment non-refundable deposit to hold your casino night reservation, equipment and staffing. Balance is due the night of the event. Acceptable forms of payment include: Cash, check, Paypal, and all major credit cards.
Deposits are non-refundable. However, they are fully transferable to another event or date that you book. Changes to the event or equipment ordered must be done in writing at least 10 days in advance of the event.
Every state has it’s own set of rules. It is the customer’s responsibility to research and contact their local jurisdiction. Also every event is different, some are to raise funds for a local charity and others may be a birthday party with casino tables at the event in order to provide entertainment for guests.
Every casino table you rent from Palm Beach Casino Nights includes a friendly, knowledgeable and patient dealer. It is our job to make sure your guests have fun and enjoy themselves. We understand that a lot of these games are foreign to most, our dealers are trained to explain and teach your guests the basic strategies and rules of the games.
The Basics
Texas Hold 'Em is the primary version of poker played in most casinos, and it's the version commonly seen on television shows like the World Poker Tour and the World Series of Poker.
The Shuffle, The Deal & The Blinds
The dealer shuffles a standard 52‐card deck. (In casinos, the dealer never plays. A round disc – known as a "dealer button" – moves clockwise from player to player with each hand. The button marks which player would be the dealer if the deal were advanced from player to player as the game went along.)
Most Texas Hold 'Em Poker games start with the two players to the left of the dealer (the button) putting a predetermined amount of money into the pot before any cards are dealt, ensuring that there's something to play for on every hand. This is called "posting the blinds." Most often, the "first blind" – the player to the left of the dealer – puts up half the minimum bet, and the "second blind" puts up the full minimum bet.
Each player is dealt two cards, face‐down. These are known as the "hole cards." A round of betting takes place, beginning with the player to the left of the two who posted the blinds. Players can call, raise, or fold when it's their turn to bet.
The Flop
After the first betting round, the dealer discards the top card of the deck. This is called burning the card and is done to ensure that no one accidentally saw the top card and to help prevent cheating. The dealer then flips the next three cards face up on the table. These cards are called the "flop."
NOTE: Eventually, a total of five community cards will be placed face up on the table. Players can use any combination of the community cards and their own two hole cards to form the best possible five‐ card poker hand.
After the flop, another round of betting takes place, beginning with the player to the left of the dealer (the button). During this and all future rounds of betting, players can check, call, raise, or fold when it's their turn to bet.
Fourth Street (The "turn")
The dealer burns another card and places one more face‐up onto the table. This, the fourth community card, is called the "turn" or "Fourth Street." The player to the left of the dealer (the button) begins the third round of betting.
Fifth Street (The "river")
The dealer burns another card before placing the final card face‐up on the table. This card is called the "river" or "Fifth Street."
FInal Betting and the Winner
Players can now use any combination of seven cards – the five community cards and the two hole cards known only to them – to form the best possible five‐card poker hand.
The fourth and final round of betting starts with the player to the left of the dealer (the button). After the final betting round, all players who remain in the game reveal their hands. The player who made the initial bet or the player who made the last raise shows his or her hand first.
Winning Poker Hands
Royal Flush This is the best possible hand in standard five‐card poker: Ace, king, queen, jack and 10, all of the same suit.
Straight Flush Any five‐card sequence in the same suit (e.g.: 8, 9, 10, jack, and queen of clubs; or 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 of diamonds).
Four of a Kind All four cards of the same value (e.g.: 8, 8, 8, 8; or queen, queen, queen, queen).
Full House Three of a kind combined with a pair (e.g.: 10, 10, 10 with 6, 6; or king, king, king with 5, 5).
Flush Any five cards of the same suit, but not in sequence (e.g.: 4, 5, 7, 10 and king of spades).
Straight Five cards in sequence, but not in the same suit (e.g.: 7 of clubs, 8 of clubs, 9 of diamonds, 10 of spades and jack of diamonds).
Three of a Kind Three cards of the same value (e.g.: 3, 3, 3; or jack, jack, jack).
Two Pair Two separate pairs (e.g.: 2, 2, queen, queen).
Pair Two cards of the same value (e.g.: 7, 7).
High Card If a poker hand contains none of the above combinations, it's valued by the highest card in the hand.
The Basics
The object of the game of blackjack is to accumulate cards with point totals as close to 21 without going over. Face cards (jacks, queens, and kings) are worth 10 points. Aces are worth 1 or 11, whichever is preferable. Other cards are represented by their numerical values. If a player and the house (i.e., the dealer) tie, this is called a "push" and no one wins. Receiving an ace and any card with a numerical value of 10 on the first two cards dealt is an automatic player win at 2 to 1, unless the house ties. A player may stand at any time.
Playing Blackjack
To win you need to beat the dealer without "busting" (going over 21). You're only playing against the dealer, not the other players at the table. You bust when your cards total more than 21. In this case, you lose automatically. Between the player and the dealer, the winner is whoever has a total closest to 21. You reach 21 by adding up the values of each of your cards.
The blackjack table accommodates 7 players. Either four or six decks of cards are used and are shuffled together by the dealer and placed in a card‐dispensing box called a "shoe."
Before receiving any cards players must place a wager. Then the players are dealt two cards face‐up. The dealer gets one card face‐up and one face‐down. Each player in turn either stays or takes more cards and tries to get as close to 21 as possible without busting. Players who do not bust wait for the dealer's turn. When all the players are done, the dealer turns over the face‐down card. By rule, on counts of 17 or higher the dealer must stay; on counts of 16 or lower the dealer must draw another card.
If you reach a total of 21 with the first two cards received (a 10 or a face card and an ace), you win automatically. This is called "blackjack." If you have blackjack, you will win two times your bet unless the dealer also has blackjack, in which case it is considered a push or tie and you get your bet back. The remaining players with a higher count than the dealer win an amount equal to their bet. Players with a lower count than the dealer's lose their bets. If the dealer busts, all the remaining players win.
Other Betting Options
Two other common betting options in blackjack include "doubling down" and "splitting."
Doubling Down: You may double your initial bet immediately following the initial two cards you receive (you may not do this later in your hand), but you are allowed to "hit" or receive only one additional card. This is considered a good bet if the player is in a strong situation.
Splitting: When your first two cards are of equal value (e.g., two 8's) you are allowed to split the initial two‐card hand into two hands and play each separately. Each of your first two initial cards is used as the start of a separate hand. You must place a second bet equal to your initial wager in order to split your hand. After the player puts up another bet equal to his initial one, a card is drawn to the first hand, and that hand is played out. A card is then drawn to the second hand and that hand is played out. Pairs may be split up to four times.
Object of the Game
To win at roulette the player needs to predict where the ball will land after each spin. This is by no means easy. In fact, luck plays an important part in this game. Some players go with the winning numbers, calling them "hot" numbers, and therefore thinking that they're likely to come up more times. Others see which numbers have notcome up for some time and bet on them, believing that their turn is now overdue. Some players bet on many numbers to increase their chances of winning at every spin, but betting in this way considerably reduces the payout. Other methodical players use specific roulette systems or methods, money management systems, or both.
The Basics
Up to seven players at a single roulette table play against the house, represented by the dealer, who spins the roulette wheel and handles the wagers and payouts. European roulette wheels have 37 slots representing 36 numbers and one zero. Most American roulette wheels have two zeros (one single‐ zero and one double‐zero) and therefore 38 slots.
One difference between roulette and all other table games is that roulette chips have no value denominations printed on them. The roulette table comes with six sets of different‐colored chips, with each set consisting of approximately 100 chips. When a player walks up to the table, they get their own color of chips to use while playing roulette. At the end of play, these colored chips can be exchanged back for standard casino chips with values imprinted on them (e.g., $25's, $50's, $100's, etc.). Players can then take these chips to any other gaming table and continue playing other games.
To play roulette, you place your bet or bets on numbers (any number including the single‐ or double‐zero) in the table layout or on the outside, and when everyone at the table has had a chance to place their bets, the dealer starts the spin and launches the ball. Just a few moments before the ball is about to drop over the slots, the croupier says "no more bets." From that moment on, no one is allowed to place—or change—their bets until the ball drops in a slot. Only after the croupier places the marker on the winning number on the roulette table and clears all the losing bets can you then start placing your new bets while the winners are paid out. The winners are those bets that are on or around the number that comes up. Also, the bets on the outside of the layout win if the winning number is represented.
Roulette Payouts
A bet on one number only, called a "straight‐up" bet, pays 35 to 1.
A two‐number bet, called a "split bet," pays 17 to 1.
A three‐number bet, called a "street bet," pays 11 to 1.
A four‐number bet, called a "corner bet," pays 8 to 1.
A six‐number bet pays 5 to 1.
A bet on the outside dozen or column, pays 2 to 1.
A bet on the outside even‐money bets pays 1 to 1.
The Basics
Craps is one of the most exciting casino games, and it is common to hear yelling and shouting at a craps table. Because each player takes a turn throwing the dice for the entire table, everyone wins and loses together, which ensures a high-energy atmosphere and creates synergy among your guests.
Playing Craps
The player must handle the dice with one hand only when throwing and the dice must hit the walls on the opposite end of the table. In the event that one or both dice are thrown off the table, they must be inspected (usually by the stickman) before putting them back into play.
The craps table can accommodate up to 14 players, who each get a round of throws at "shooting" the dice. If you don't want to throw the dice, you can bet on the thrower. Several types of bets can be made on the table action. The casino crew consists of one dealer and one stickman.
The first roll of the dice in a betting round is called the "come out" roll. A new game in craps begins with the come out roll. A come out roll can be made only when the previous shooter fails to make a winning roll (that is, he or she fails to make the point or seven out).
A new game begins with a new shooter. If the current shooter does make his point, the dice are returned to him and he then begins the new come out roll. This is a continuation of that shooter's roll, although technically, the come out roll identifies a new game about to begin.
When the shooter fails to make his or her point, the dice are then offered to the next player for a new come out roll and the game continues in the same manner. The new shooter will be the person directly next to the left of the previous shooter, and the game moves in a clockwise fashion around the craps table.
The dice are rolled across the craps table layout. The layout is divided into three areas – two side areas separated by a center one. Each side area is the mirror reflection of the other and contains the following: Pass and don't pass line bets, come and don't come bets, odds bet, place bets and field bets. The center area is shared by both side areas and contains the proposition bets.
Pass bets win when the come out roll is 7 or 11, while pass bets lose when the come out roll is 2, 3, or 12. Don't bets lose when the come out roll is 7 or 11, and don't bets win when the come out roll is 2 or 3. Don't bets tie when the come out roll is 12 (2 in some casinos; the "bar" roll on the layout indicates which roll is treated as a tie).
Craps Bets
Odds on Pass Line Bet: After a point is rolled you can make this additional bet by taking odds. There are different payoffs for each point. A point of 4 or 10 will pay you 2:1; 5 or 9 pays 3:2; 6 or 8 pays 6:5. You only win if the point is rolled again before a 7.
Come Bet: It has the same rules as the Pass Line bet. The difference consists in the fact you can make this bet only after the point on the pass line has been determined. After you place your bet the first dice roll will set the come point. You win if it is a natural (7, 11) and lose if it is craps (2, 3, 12). Other rolls will make you a winner if the come point is repeated before a 7 is rolled. If a 7 is rolled first you lose.
Odds on Come Bet: Exactly the same thing as the Odds on Pass Line bet except you take odds on the Come bet not the Pass Line bet.
Don't Pass Line Bet: This is a reversed Pass Line bet. If the first roll of a dice is a natural (7, 11) you lose and if it is a 2 or a 3 you win. A dice roll of 12 means you have a tie or push with the casino. If the roll is a point (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10) a 7 must come out before that point is repeated to make you a winner. If the point is rolled again before the 7 you lose.
Don't Come Bet: The a reversed Come Bet. After the come point has been established you win if it is a 2 or 3 and lose for 7 or 11. 12 is a tie and other dice rolls will make you win only if a 7 appears before them on the following throws.
Place Bets: This bet works only after the point has been determined. You can bet on a dice roll of 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 and 10. You win if the number you placed your bet on is rolled before a 7. Otherwise you lose.
Odds on Place Bets: Payoffs are different depending on the number you bet on. 4 or 10 will pay 9:5, 5 or 9 pays 7:5, and 6 or 8 pays 7:6. You can cancel this bet anytime you want to.
Field Bets: These bets are for one dice roll only. If a 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, 12 is rolled you win. A 5, 6, 7 and 8 make you lose. Field Bets have the following different payoffs: 2 pays double (2:1) while 12 pays 3:1. Other winning dice rolls pay even (1:1).
Big Six, Big Eight Bets: Placed at any roll of dice, these bets win if a 6 or 8 comes out before a 7 is rolled. Big Six and Big Eight are even bets and are paid at 1:1.
Proposition Bets: These bets can be made at any time and, except for the hardways, they are all one-roll bets:
Any Craps: Wins if a 2, 3, or 12 is thrown. Payoff is 8:1.
Any Seven: Wins if a 7 is rolled. Payoff is 5:1.
Eleven: Wins if an 11 is thrown. Payoff is 16:1.
Ace Duece: Wins if a 3 is rolled. Payoff is 16:1.
Aces or Boxcars: Wins if a 2 or 12 is thrown. Payoff is 30:1.
Horn Bet: It acts as the bets on 2, 3, 11, and 12 all at once. Wins if one of these numbers is rolled. Payoff is determined according to the number rolled. The other three bets are lost.
Hardways: The bet on a hardway number wins if it's thrown "hard" (sum of pairs: 1-1, 3- 3, 4-4...) before it's rolled "easy" and a 7 is thrown.
Payoffs: Hard 4 and 10, 8:1; Hard 6 and 8, 10:1