Casino Games – Online Poker – Part Two

February 6th, 2010
How to choose an online poker room. Choice of the poker rooms very significant. It is prudent to pay attention to the following factors: convenience of depositing and withdrawal options, availability of the required games and consequently – total amount of players, level of opponents, software, support, bonuses, etc…

If you intend to use only credit for depositing and withdrawal funds and bank transfer, then it will immediately limit the list of the available poker rooms. If you can use several methods of depositing and withdrawal funds, for example, you have an account with e-wallets such as moneybookers or neteller then this issue will not restrict your choice.

The next question is: what game and at what limits are going to play? Texas hold’em limit and no limit, also single and multi-table hold’em tournaments are popular at any room, but those who prefer Omaha poker, and stud poker have to choose the most attended rooms (Party, Stars, Full Tilt) to find the opponents. The same refers to those who love high stakes, not all rooms even in holdem have gamblers who stake $50/$100 or higher.

Most players want to win money, so they look for weaker poker opponents. Lately the trend of leveling the opponents in different rooms is becoming more and more obvious, nonetheless Party and casino poker rooms are considered to have less professional players (Prima networks, Boss Media, Playtech, Pacific Poker).

Player may have specific requirements to the poker room software, for example, non-downloaded software is offered by Ongame, Prima and Party Poker. Many rooms allow to reduce the size of tables, and the computer screen without overlay holds four table with the resolution 1024E768. For somebody the facility of Poker Tracker can be a criteria. One can buy Tracker and use it, other players prefer poker rooms that are not allowed the Poker Tracker.

In general, it is not about WHERE you play but HOW you play. So, choose the room with sufficient number of opponents at your selected limit, convenient depositing and withdrawal funds options, maybe good bonus and go ahead!

The game.

After registration, log-in and enter the lobby. Here, as a rule, a gambler will find out the number of players, latest news, choose options, enter the cash desk to make deposit. But the main thing is the choice of the games. A gambler may choose the necessary game (holdem, Omaha, stud, etc.), its type (limit, unlimited, pot-limit), cash or tournaments (sit&go or multi table), limits. The number of players and anticipates is shown for each table and also average jackpot, number of players at the flop and number of hands per hour. The player can view information about all the players of the selected table in a new window. The player may join the vacant table, or wait list (the player can wait for the first vacated table at the particular limit or particular table).

To make the first deposit, enter the cash desk and deposit the required sum, choosing the payment method.

When the table opens, the gambler may take any vacant seat. Appearance of the players and the table differ from one poker room to another, but the principle is the same everywhere – oval table with seats around it. Chat option is usually at the bottom of the poker room site, as well as options and buttons for decision-making. While it is no your turn to lead, you may use the buttons of preliminary choice of action. Tick one of the proposed flags and when it is your turn, it will be done automatically. If you have not performed preliminary choice, then you have to select one of three buttons: Fold, Call, Raise. You can use mouse to operate, but some poker rooms allow to play with keyboard using “hot buttons”. You pocket cards are displayed next to your name, general cards are put in the centre of the table. The gambler usually can view the statistics of his game, communicate with other players in the chat, make notes about other gamblers which will be available at every game with this opponent.

Enjoy experience with online poker.



By: A. Prudent

All Slots Online Casino Review

February 2nd, 2010
All Slots Casino is another Microgaming powerhouse who is part of the well known Jackpot Factory Group. This is the number one group in the industry today and has a solid reputation. This site is very user friendly, which any novice computer gamer can adapt too.

You have two options at All Slots Casino when playing, the Flash (no download) version or the downloaded version. I strongly recommend the downloaded version after testing out both, because you get the full casino experience.

Bonus offerings!!!! This is what got me really excited about this great online casino. The first offering allows you to buy $25 and get $100 free; in the second you can buy $50 and get $150 free. The terms associated with this bonus required you to play through of 30 times for regular players and 15 times for Members of the Jackpot Factory VIP lounge. However, if you register to the site for the first time I recommend buying in. Another exciting feature to this site is the $10,000 weekly draw which you are able to play if using Neteller as your deposit method. The payment methods I strongly erg you to use are the FirePay, Neteller and Click2Pay because of the $25 bonus you receive when depositing money into this site. The $200 promotion that is currently running now, I would say is my favorite and can’t be beaten by any other online Slot Casino. The thing that has always kept me satisfied with All Slots is there Loyalty program. You earn cash-back points every time you play.

Besides all the great slot machines All Slots has to offer, I enjoyed playing the Video Poker, Blackjack, Roulette and Craps. I have to admit though when I choose the slots machines over any other game offered on this site, especially the Major Millions Jackpot slot.

Overall with my total experience, I am totally thrilled with All Slots Casino and recommend this site. I will definitely return and continue to keep playing on this site and hope you have the same great experience that I had. Enjoy and know your limit!!



By: Napoleon Will

The Craps Tournaments

January 31st, 2010
Craps tournaments are very popular these days. The entrants are required to post a $250 entry fee, some of which is funneled into the prize pots.
Again, the table assignments for each player are randomly selected, with each player given an arbitrary number. The craps game is played the conventional way (see Chapter 1), with twelve to fourteen players assigned to each table. There is one round per hour. When the hour is up, whoever has the dice—the shooter— may finish his roll. The round does not end until that particular shoot is through.

Players must keep their chips in front of them, by denomination, in their racks. As in the blackjack tournaments, the minimum bet on a roll is $5, and the maximum is $500. On the proposition bets (like hard way 4, hard way 6, hard way 8, and hard way 10), 7, ace, ace-deuce, and 11, there is a $25 limit. On all other bets the limit is $500.

As in the blackjack tourneys, whoever wins Round 1 advances to Round 2. In some places, both the winner and the runner-up at each table may advance to the second round. Each player is given a receipt for his chips, which is cashed in at the end of the round. There are cash prizes awarded along the way to the winners of each round, as in the card tournaments.
Simple rules apply to the players: Keep your chips in view, hands off the table, etc. Courtesy and fair play are the name of the game.



By: Nick Shons

Online Games – Casinos for Americans

January 14th, 2010
Recently, the US Federal government banned online casinos from operating in America by making it illegal to transfer money to them through any US bank or payment system. Because of this law, most of the popular online casino networks such as Party Gaming and PlayTech left the United States. However, new casinos starting taking root.

Most of these casinos were new ventures belonging to trusted and respectable casino networks with the difference being that these new ventures were still accepting players from the United States.

How?

By creating new names, these casinos are able to bypass the gambling law, and you can even use your Visa or MasterCard to play. Other than these, there are some online payment options such as MoneyBrokers and Neteller through which you can deposit and eventually withdraw money from your casino account.

What Difference Does It Make to Me?

Yes. There is a law. But what are those who loved playing online supposed to do? Are they to stop just because of someone in the Senate thinks that online casinos are linked to terrorism? Anyway, there will still be those that decide to play anyway, and it is for those renegades that the following list serves.

Casinos that Allow American Players to Take Part

1) ClubUSA Casino:

By offering software created and professionally managed by Real Time Gaming, one of the most trusted names in the gaming software industry, this online casino uses Wire Card to conduct all its online banking transactions with you. They also offer a nice and hefty seven hundred and fifty dollars free for playing.

2) Roxy Palace:

While the previous casino was operated using Real Time Gaming, Roxy Palace turned to MicroGaming, another firm and sturdy software gaming company. The product you get is one that is not only graphically enhanced, but also includes a random number generator far superior than any other in the online casino industry.

3) Golden Casino is rumoured to belong to the online entity Golden Palace. Yes. They are the one that used publicity stunts such as buying a pizza with a holy figure on it or paying people to run topless or naked and disrupt sporting events. Even so, this new online casino has a lot to offer. They hand out a vast number of daily free awards and the number of games that one can play increases weekly.

4) Crystal Palace:

With a platform that is as clear as crystal, this online gaming entity boasts an extra-safe 128-coding system that is far superior to those offered by most of the other online casinos. The variety of games is just about average and the download speed is quite quick, but these are not what make this casino attractive. For those looking for a super-secure playing environment, pick it. If not, I suggest you opt for one of the other casinos.

5) Any casino that belongs to the Fortune Lounge group is one that any player from anywhere in the world can safely play and enjoy. Royal Vegas Casino is the top one from this group, and to those from America, still accepting US players. It also uses MicroGaming and uses their assistance in the day-to-day running of the casino software.

Afterword:

It is not difficult to find an online casino that is willing to let you play there even if you reside in America. But, the problems might occur when you try transferring money to and more importantly from it. Preventing your hard-earned money from returning to your account is what this article hopes to guarantee by helping you select those casinos that allow such transactions to take place. In any case, I suggest that you prefer the casinos situated locally and that are legal than trying to bypass any American law especially since it has been passed by the Federal government.



By: Jack Reider

Payment Methods Explained for Online Casinos

January 10th, 2010
Depositing funds into your online casino account is one of the most important aspects of playing at an online casino. With so many different options out there, how do you know which one is best? And which method is most suitable for you? This article will review each method in turn so that next time you deposit at an online casino you will be choosing the method that is right for you.

The problems with depositing at online casinos are twofold. Firstly online gambling is banned in many states in the USA. The government as a result has put major political pressure on many financial institutions, forcing them to reject payments to online gambling sites. This has made it more difficult in some cases to deposit at your favourite online casino.

The other problem with depositing at an online casino is you often don’t know the trustworthiness of the gambling site in question. You are handing over payment details to a website and you have no idea who these people are. There are many reputable online gambling sites out there which use the most up to date encryption methods. So as long as you choose a trusted site to play at, you won’t have any problems. A good directory providing consumer reviews is bewisebets so make sure you read a few reviews before depositing.

The first deposit method to look at is cheque. This is probably one of the least favoured methods because it will take you nearly 3 weeks to get cleared funds into your account. You need to post the cheque, wait for it to arrive, they need to cash it and wait for it to clear and then transfer it into your playing account. It is a safe way of doing things albeit a slow one. Online casinos don’t often provide extra incentives for depositing this way, probably due to the effort required on their part.

The next method is paypal. Paypal is owned by ebay and handles $ millions worth of transactions every day. For that reason it would be a perfect avenue to use for depositing at an online casino. However about 3 years ago paypal decided that they were no longer going to process gambling transactions due to the strict gambling laws in US. They have recently changed their stance from not processing any gambling transactions as you may now deposit on betfair, the online betting exchange. However I have yet to see an online casino accept paypal for depositing money.

Credit cards are accepted for depositing funds into an online casino account, but for how long remains to be seen. The Us government are pressing for credit card companies to reveal which of their clients are using credit cards to deposit at online gambling sites. Although to a large extend this action has failed, it has led to a number of credit cards companies refusing to process deposits for online gambling sites. If you want to deposit using a credit card the best thing to do is check before signing up. If the credit card will not allow you to deposit at an online casino, simply sign up to one that does. You should also be aware that credit card companies are now treating gambling deposits as cash advances so you will be charged a higher rate of interest on these purchases.

Debit cards are popular in the UK. They are also known as switch or solo cards. They are a great way to deposit for 2 reasons. Firstly they are your current account so wont let you spend more than you can afford to and secondly you can deposit instantly (as with many other methods) not all sites will accept switch cards but many of the UK based sites will. It is important to note here that you may be subject to other age verification checks as people under the age of 18 can own a switch card.

The final method to be discussed is Neteller. Neteller is almost like an online wallet. You can deposit into your wallet using many different methods. Online casinos will provide members who deposit using neteller with an additional bonus (usually 10% extra) in most cases so it is well worth getting a neteller account. Withdrawing back to your neteller account is also instant so it gets round all the waiting as well.

Overall The best method to deposit with is neteller, you receive deposit bonuses as well as instant withdrawals, so well worth considering.



By: Mark Hirst

Online Gambling Offers

January 8th, 2010
Online gambling offers are not only restricted to poker, sports betting, and bingo but also include card games and other “fun” games that are offered free of cost. Online poker rooms usually offer games such as Texas Hold ‘em, Omaha, and Seven Card Stud. The rules and regulations of the game remain the same as in a land based poker game.

Many online casinos offer other games such as blackjack, roulette, and craps. These are played against the “house” unlike poker games in which players play against each other. Therefore, the “percentages” are with the casino, which means that the casino has a distinct advantage over the players in such games. Other popular gambling games include sports betting and online bingo.

Sports betting has gained popularity over the years since they not only provide the player with gambling thrills but also offer the enjoyment of the sport. This makes it an even more appealing to gamblers who want something more out of the activity. Bingo is another popular multi million-dollar game that can be played on the Internet, and in land based casinos. The online versions of these games use Flash and Java software and may require players to download the software before playing.

Although there are free games available, the players are required to sign up for a paid account in order to start playing online. Almost all of the sites offer e-funding options such as PayPal, Neteller, and Prepaid ATM. Some sites will offer matching bonuses to players who deposit money through the above-mentioned options. European gamblers can fund their online accounts by using debit or credit cards.

Since Internet has expanded drastically over the years, the numbers of people who gamble online are continuously increasing. Political boundaries are dissolved because gamblers around the world can gamble without worrying about laws and regulations. Some countries even provide tax-free benefits and such offers are contributing to the further expansion of Internet gambling activities.



By: Steve Valentino

Simple Jacks or Better Strategy Tutorial

January 8th, 2010
Statistical Arbitrage strategy applied to Video Poker

Introduction

Jacks or Better is a popular video poker game available at many online casinos. When collecting casino matched deposit bonuses, it counts towards wagering requirements for most online casinos, has a high payout, and a large jackpot.

This article will show readers how to calculate and maximise their expected return when using Jacks or Better to clear Casino bonuses. In effect, this is a statistical arbitrage strategy similar to that used by Casinos to maintain a house edge against players.

Readers who do not already know how to play Jacks or Better are advised to read this tutorial covering the basics.

Simple Optimal Strategy

CSBS favours a simple Jacks or Better strategy as it allows a faster rate of play with minimal expected loss. 5 coins should be played per hand as this maximises the payout from a Royal Flush.

This simple strategy has a 99.46% payout. To use the it, find all the ways to play a possible hand from the list below, and select the one that is highest. A high card is one that is a Jack or better (i.e. Jack, Queen, King or Ace).

To execute the strategy, players simply play the initial hand that is highest in this list:
Full house or better 4 to a royal flush Straight, three of a kind, or flush 4 to a straight flush Two pair High pair (i.e. pair of Jacks, Queens, Kings or Aces) 3 to a royal flush 4 to a flush Low pair (i.e. pair of Tens or lower) 4 to an outside straight 2 suited high cards 3 to a straight flush 2 unsuited high cards (if more than 2 pick then pick lowest 2) Suited 10/J, 10/Q, or 10/K One high card Discard everything

Expected Returns – Intercasino US Example

Before claiming any casino deposit bonuses, it is important to understand the terms and conditions, and any wagering requirements. As an example, we shall consider claiming the Intercasino US $90 monthly deposit bonus, and demonstrate how to calculate the expected return.

At time of writing, Intercasino US offer a $90 monthly deposit bonus. This means that playerss depositing $90 will receive a $90 bonus into their account. (Intercasino US credits this immediately upon deposit, but other casinos may act differently).

The terms and conditions state that players must wager an aggregate total of 25 times the bonus in the casino before they can withdraw the bonus money. For example, a player who deposits $90 and receives a $90 bonus must then wager an aggregate total of $2,250 before they can cash out.

A player using the Simple Strategy would expect a payout of 99.46% which is equivalent to a loss of 0.0054%. Therefore, if they wager the full $2,250 wager requirement they would expect a loss of $2,250 * 0.0054 = $12.15.

Since the player received a $90 deposit bonus, their expected profit is therefore – $90.00-$12.15 = $77.85.

Problems to consider

There are some additional considerations that players may want to consider before taking advantage of these bonuses. A few are listed here:

Neteller users must pay $1.00 to withdraw. This is an additional cost reducing the expected return to $76.85. The expected return is only an estimate. Players are not guaranteed to win every month, though if they hit a Royal Flush then they could make a lot more than $77.85. Some casinos will allow players to withdraw their deposits before they have even started working through the wager requirements. CSBS does not recommend this as it can lead to players being banned for abusing the promotions.



By: Ben Willets

Best Online Casinos for Beginners

January 5th, 2010
With over 1,700 online casino sites currently taking bets, it is easy for a new comer to feel overwhelmed. To a novice, sites may seem unsafe and confusing. However, with a little guidance, this is easily overcome.

There are actually many advantages to gambling online compared to traditional on-site gambling. Online casinos are quite convenient and offer 24 hours/day access from the comfort of your home. Further, there is much less pressure when betting from home, as gamblers can take as much time as needed to make bets and devise strategies. This is particularly helpful for beginners who often find other players intimidating and Vegas-style casinos overwhelming. Beginners can also hone their skill using fake money until they feel confident enough to begin gambling with actual money.

Now that your friends have talked you into it, it’s time to choose a site. First, you need to decide what games you want to play, as most sites offer a wide variety. Most gamblers begin with blackjack or video poker, as the payout ratio ranges from 98 percent to 100 percent. This means that you have the best chance of winning, or at least breaking even.

The following are a few tips on selecting an online gambling site:

1. When deciding on a website, check to see what type of license the site has. The most reputable sites will have both a software and a jurisdiction license. The presence of a software license (all online casinos use third-party game software) confirms the fact that the website has spent a lot of money and signed a long-term operation contract. These sites are stable businesses that won’t vanish once you deposit your money. The jurisdiction license allows the country of jurisdiction to frequently audit the site to make sure money is exchanged honestly and ethically.

2. Safety is an obvious concern when you gamble online. Since you will be exchanging money and providing sensitive, personal information, you should be certain that a site is respectful and protective of your information. Make sure that the site you choose uses 128-bit SSL encryption, as this is almost impenetrable to would-be hackers. Along these same lines, you should carefully examine the site’s privacy policy to assure that your information will not be shared with other parties. The last thing you want is to be spammed!

3. Be sure that the site you choose has a payment method with which you are comfortable. Common methods are FirePay, NeTeller, bank transfers, and credit card transactions. Be sure to find out how quickly you can make withdrawals and how quickly you may receive winnings. Less reputable sites will stall during this processes in the hope that you will gamble your winnings away before they are withdrawn.

4. Find out how long a particular site has been in business. As a general rule of thumb, sites that have been in existence for at least five years are reputable.

If you follow these tips, you should get off to a good start. Be sure to ease into online gambling. Start with small bets until you feel comfortable and then proceed with moderation. Good luck!



By: Tom Shannahan

Bet365 Casino Review

December 29th, 2009
Bet365 Casino is an online gambling platform of Bet365 group in the UK. They conduct in over 50 betting locations nationwide and with over 500 affiliates at their main center. Bet365 get their UK gambling license in 1974. They had grown extensively ever since their establishment, and currently they have dealt weekly bets of exceeding more than 350,000. With such huge organization behind their belt, players can be assured their security and trust with them. As one always said, to increase your chances of winning a bet, you must always study very detail the histories of the game, depends on luck, and place affordable bets as frequent as possible. With Bet365 casino, players can do that all the time without worry of their security.

Bet365 used Playtech based software on their casino. Like most of their rival casino and wagering sites, Bet365 equipped with all the standard and most popular features you can imagine. They also offer varieties type of casino games that are completely unique compared to elsewhere. Although they does not offers the choice of most popular online slot and video poker games that you will found somewhere else, however, their casino software have a proper layout and exclusive games that stood up from the usual conventional table game format. Generally, the overall graphical and audio effects at Bet365 casino are fulfilling, but not magnificent. Despite the disappointment, Bet365 casino does offer quite some exciting wagering opportunities, with some progressive jackpots prizes in excess of £45,000. Another unique feature of Bet365 casino is that, they have options to allow players to join in and make high stakes while the games are in progress. With such huge amount of wagers on the table, it does create great excitement for their players.

Bet365 casino offers customer support through telephone, fax, email, and even conventional mail. They also offer exclusive featured option for their players, a unique call back support service for those who in need of help over the phone. According to customers’ feedback and comments, Bet365 is more for small to medium sized player’s choice. However, if looking at more details into the overall casino platform, players will convince that it is more toward a large world market. Inside the casino, players can viewed in 15 different languages, such as Spanish, German, Italian, Polish, and even in Chinese language. The banking in Bet365 casino is exceedingly efficient and swift. They accept all standard method of payments and withdrawals; such as Visa, MasterCard, Wire Transfer, NETeller, Moneybookers and Click2Pay. Normally, a demand requested by phone will appear in less than 10 minutes. However it is worth knowing that any demand requested within 28 days of the first demand can cost £8.00 or US$15.00 of processing fee. This unnecessary and costly processing fee is totally undermines the swiftness of their payment process. It is advice that players should enjoy the most the offers provided by Bet365 casino, but be extra cautious on the small prints and unnecessary hidden fees.



By: Wilson Teo

Choosing a Reputable Online Casino

December 23rd, 2009
People who have played in casinos think that one establishment is the same as another. This kind of thinking is wrong even if the government regulates it. When it comes to the rules, the casino dictates it.

The same is true for those who decide to play online casino. Some of these sites have rules that are favorable to the player while some are not. A good example is when someone new opens an account; a credit is given which is a bit more than what the player actually brought out.

Since it is hard to know which site is a reputable one, the best thing to do is to check a general casino referral site. The job of this kind of review site, is to check out many online casinos and then make an unbiased review about them. The key point indicators which determines if it is a good site are; the kind of games that are offered, customer support and if the online casino is customer friendly.

After selecting an online casino to play in, then it is time to put in money to be used as credit in the games. A lot of people can put in cash using the credit card. Since not everyone can pay online using this, other options are given which include Paypal, Click2Pay, Firepay, Moneybookers, Neteller, Citadel and a lot more. Mode of payment can be seen in the online casino site so the player has the option to chose which is best.

Some online casinos give the player bonuses. This can be done by letting the person play a few games without first shelling out any money. The other will double the credit of how much was put in initially.

Another way of giving a customer a bonus is adding a certain percentage to the cash that was brought out. This will let the individual have more money than what was exactly given upon signing up.

These bonuses are also what differs one casino from another. This is because of the different set of betting requirements for each game so reading up on the rules will really help the person know if the player can avail of any.

A good online casino gives higher payout odds. These sites can tell the player the overall payout of the games offered and the breakdown of each game to give the person an idea which of these games can give better returns.

Aside from getting casino referral, the person can also ask friends and other people online who have done this for some time if the site is good or not. There is a chance that the player will encounter some good and bad sites. Once this has been determined, the person can play in more than one of the sites that have a good reputation.

Computers have made it easy for people to gamble online. There is no need anymore to drive a few miles to the casino. The thrill of this game is may only be similar to the real thing but it has its rewards.

The first thing that needs to be done in order to play in it is to find a good site that is safe to play on. Afterwards, the player can download it or play it live then start putting on some bets.



By: Claire Bowes