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Slots and Poker Combined - Video Poker

2010-05-20T01:20:00.000-07:00

Video Poker is an online casino game that combines the fast pace of slots and the thrill of playing traditional poker. It is named video poker since you are playing against the machine.

Short Video Poker History

One of the very first video poker machines dated back to the 19th century. They were manufactured by the "Sittman and Pitt" company in Brooklyn in the 1800's, and were operated by putting a coin. Five drums which held poker cards could be spun in the machine by pulling a lever, similar to how slot machines work. The 10 of Spades and the Jack of Hearts were excluded by the machine in order to lower down the chances of winning. The winners were served with drinks and/or cigars.

From the previous years, the video poker machines were launched in 1976 with black and white colors. But within just 8 months, colored machines also came in the market. These days, the video poker machines are one of the common sights that you can see in traditional casinos. There were lots of variations that were applied to the game, such as including it in the progressive jackpot games, applying wild cards and payoff schedules. When the online casino gaming industry was introduced in 1994, players had acknowledged online video poker games exceptionally, thus, serving as a delectable addition to the game's history.

Video Poker Playing Guide

Video poker games are much more the same as other traditional poker games, except for the bets being wagered, which are considerably smaller than these traditional poker betting systems. The game is a contest between you (the player) and the machine (the dealer).

Similar to slots games, you have to put a coin and press a button in order to be dealt with cards by the video poker machine. You will be dealt with five cards, and when these cards are turned face up, you have to decide which among the cards you want to hold or discard. After you have discarded some cards, you then draw additional number of cards to replace how many cards you have discarded.

The objective of the game is simple: you have to finish with the best possible hand ranking. Your payout will depend on the rank of the final hand you are holding, the variety of video poker game you play, and the number of coins that you wager. Most video poker games accept 1 to 5 pieces of coin, from $0.25 up to $50 each coin as the wager.

Video Poker Varieties, Hand Rankings, and Payouts

Most video poker games applies the same poker hand rankings that traditional poker games use. In most varieties of video poker, the ROYAL FLUSH receives the highest payout. But in Deuces and Joker game, four Deuces (2) and a Joker has the most payout (10,000 coins) when you bet five coins. The lowest hand ranking that wins a payout also differs depending on the type of the game. The Tens or Better requires that you have a 10-high or better hand ranking; the Aces and Faces and the Jacks or Better variants requires a Jack-high or better; the Joker Poker requires a King-high or better; the Double Joker requires a Two Pairs or better; the Deuces Wild and the Deuces and Joker requires at least a Three of a Kind.

Italian Big Winner of Online Slots

2010-04-15T02:45:00.000-07:00

Online slots! One of my favorite games. And yes! It has made another winning moment for a player of the All Slots Casino.

The online casino site is proud to announce Ottavio P. from Italy as the winner from the Dance of the Masai online slots, taking home a total of 25,110 Euros, which is equivalent to more than 34,000 US dollars! But not just satisfied with the said amount, Ottavio still goes for more and claimed another prize after three days, and took away 41,050 Euros (equivalent to almost 56,000 US dollars) from the Jackpot Factory video slots.

Ottavio has been a member of the All Slots Casino for almost three years, and he is a member of the VIP program from the online casino. He felt that trust is an important issue when you are choosing an online casino to play at. After winning, he said to the casino staff, "So far I have had a good experience with your casino, especially compared to other casinos that sometimes offer big and appealing bonuses, but the results are poor. I noticed that you are a reliable and serious casino compared to others."

David Brickman, the Vice President for Player Affairs at the Jackpot Factory, said, "Good luck and great fun are what All Slots is about, but trust and honesty are truly the foundations of the relationship we build with our players. On behalf of all of us at All Slots, I warmly congratulate Ottavio P. and look forward to celebrating more big wins with him in the future."

All Slots Online Casino is powered by Microgaming. Licensed by the Kahnawake authorities on the Mohawk Territory in Quebec Canada, All Slots Online Casino is a proud member of the Jackpot Factory Group and a leading online slots casino. It is accredited by eCOGRA, and is proud of it's unwavering integrity and fast payouts.

News from: http://www.online-casinos.com/news/news139850.asp
Images from:

http://www.casinoadvisor.com/microgaming-november-online-casino-games-news-item.html
http://www.slottipsguide.com/jackpot-factory-group.html
http://www.newonlinecasinos.org/casinoarticles/850/1/1011/CashSplash-Online-Casino-Jackpot-Hit-For-Third-Time-This-Week.html

Your Reasons in Playing Slots

2010-02-24T00:06:00.000-08:00

Playing slots is probably one of the most common scenario in most casinos. Even in online casino technology, online slots is a very famous and popular game. And yet, I found myself keep on playing slots despite the fact that there are times that I return home penniless. Read my Squidoo Lens, Top Reasons to Play Slots, and then, I'll ask you, what is your reason in playing slots?

Playing Online Keno at English Harbour

2010-02-02T04:52:00.000-08:00

Keno is defined most of the time as a casino game which closely resembles the lotteries which is widely played today. English Harbour Casino also offers online gamblers the opportunity to play their favorite online keno game.

Skill is not required in winning on keno games. However, in order to play online keno more effectively, you should be acquainted with some keno jargons or terminologies. Here they are:

Call - means to draw the numbers for each game.
Catch (a number) - means that a number you have marked on your keno ticket has been drawn.
Combination Way Ticket - A ticket in which groups of numbers are bet several different ways, allowing the player to spread money over several combinations.
Keno Board - A large electronic board that displays the winning keno numbers.
Number Pool - The range of numbers from which you select the ones you want to play. A typical keno pool ranges from 1 to 80.
Spot - Any number from 1 to 80 that a player selects on a keno ticket. It also refers to the number of numbers that are marked on a ticket.
Touch Wand - A pointing device used on some video keno machines to select numbers.

How to Play Online Keno at English Harbour

If you start playing your online keno game for the first time, your keno table will be empty and the default amount of your wager is active. However, if you exit the game for some reasons, your current game status will be saved and when you open the game again, your previous game status will be shown.

In selecting the amount that you want to wager, you should click on one of the COIN buttons. Afterwards, you can select and mark up to 15 numbers on your keno ticket for your selected spots. The "Total Numbers Played" field on your screen displays how many spots you had chosen, and based on how many marks you selected, the paytable will change.

Now it's time to start the fun in your online keno game. Click on one of the PLAY buttons to do it, and you will see the balls that are bouncing and drops from the drum randomly. Each ball that drops from the drum rolls across the screen, and you will have your winning number. The number on each ball that drops will be displayed on your screen once it stops completely.

If you have a catch, the following three things happen:

On your Keno ticket, your mark changes color,
The ball and number change color.
The paytable highlights to show that a catch was made.

20 numbers will be drawn, and once these 20 numbers are completed, you can count how many catches you got and you can see how much you have won in the PAYOUT field in the screen.

You can also choose to play 5 or 10 games. If you want to play these, then you should click the PLAY 5 or PLAY 10 buttons. Once you do so, the balls then roll off the table and new numbers will be called. This will start again after each game until you have completed the 5 or 10 plays. Your account balance in the online casino will be adjusted after each game, the paytable shows the payout (number of tokens), and how many catches remain.

To play again click on the CLEAR, PLAY 1, PLAY 5 or PLAY 10 button.

Online Keno Buttons in English Harbour

COIN buttons - used to choose and adjust the size of your bet. The bets can only be changed or added between games.

Keno Ticket - the large grid of numbers from 1 through 80. Left click on a Keno ticket button to select and highlight up to fifteen numbers. You can also unselect a number by clicking on a highlighted number..

PLAY buttons - start a new game of Keno. The PLAY 1 button plays a single game of Keno, the PLAY 5 button plays five successive games using the same numbers and wager, and the PLAY 10 button plays ten successive games of Keno using the same numbers and wager.

CLEAR button - removes all selected numbers from the Keno ticket and removes the balls that were drawn.

REBET button - resets the game by removing the balls from the table and leaves your selected numbers on the Keno ticket.

Online Keno Table Limits and Payouts

The minimum machine wager is one $1.00 coin and the maximum wager is one $10.00 coin. The payouts for Keno depend upon the number of marks you selected. Below is a table showing the paytable for the various numbers of marks and catches.

Examples:

If you selected 11 marks and correctly predicted 6 catches you would win 6 times your initial bet.
If you selected 4 marks and correctly predicted 1 catch you would win half your initial bet.
If you selected 15 marks and correctly predicted 11 catches you would win 300 times your initial bet.

Keno Rules

Twenty balls are drawn per game from the eighty balls available in Keno.
The wager made stays the same no matter how many marks are on the ticket.
The ticket has a minimum of 1 mark and a maximum of 15 marks.
You can change your mark(s) or wager between games only.
If you selected PLAY 5 or PLAY 10 you can change your mark(s) or wager after all 5 or 10 games are completed.
Payouts are dependant on the number of catches made and the value of the coin wagered.

Come play keno at English Harbour for more online keno fun and excitement.

Source: http://www.englishharbour.com/keno/

Free Casino Games at English Harbour

2010-01-13T04:15:00.000-08:00

English Harbour Casino is one of the world's best online casino website since the year 1997. Most portals will always put English Harbour at the top of their lists in their online casino reviews. This is because of the fact that English Harbour is one of the first and the greatest online casinos.

English Harbour is powered by the award-winning Vegas Technology software. The casino games are guaranteed to be packed with superb graphics and animation and high quality sounds, and you can feel the experience of playing in the exciting environment of actual brick-and-mortar casinos.

Players can find great selections of online casino games, in which they can play free for fun, or choose to play for real money.

Video Poker

Video poker is a casino game, considered as a combination of slots and poker. It is a fast-paced slots game with the thrill of the traditional poker, and it offers handsome payouts to online gamblers. Some of the notable video poker games in English Harbour are Aces and Faces, Deuces and Joker, Deuces Wild, Double Joker, Jacks or Better, Joker Poker, and the Tens or Better.

Online Slots Games

The ever-loved and ever-popular casino game, the slot machines, have found a way to reach many people in the form of a computer game. English Harbour houses a wide selection of online slots, from 3-reel slots (such as the Crazy Cherry, Double Gold, and Triple Rainbow 7) to 5-reel (such as the 20,000 Leagues, Birds of Paradise, and Cool Bananas) and 7-reel video slots (such as Farming Futures and Lucky 7s slots), and from Traditional (such as the Fruit Slots, Alien Invasion, and King Tut's Treasure) to Bonus (such as Cleopatra's Pyramid and both 3 Reel and 5 Reel Wheel of Chance) and Progressive slots (such as the Mega Money Mine Slots, Pay Dirt Slots, and Treasure Trail Slots) too. Players can also feel the heat of the seasons in the Holiday Favorites slots, such as the Trick or Treat and the Turkey Time slots.

Table Games

Of course, English Harbour Casino is not just limited to video poker and slots. Featuring the all-time favorite casino games such as blackjack, craps, roulette, War, and many more, players can enjoy their favorite table games online through the online casino's great table games selection. From the exciting and fast-paced online craps games to the popular American and European online roulette, online gamblers are guaranteed to have fun in trying their luck in these games of luck. They can also put their skills to test in the wide varieties of online poker games (such as, in online baccarat which is the oldest of all games played in modern casinos, and in the most popular casino game, blackjack.

Specialty Games

English Harbour Casino also offers alternative games that put a new thrill and spin to all of the favorite casino games in their selection of Specialty Games. The most notable specialty games offered by English Harbour are the Bingo Bucks (a bingo-formatted game which has the payouts of slot machines), the Dazzling Dice Slots (a game based on poker hands which pays out like slots), Keno (the famous lottery-like casino game), and the Poker Dice (a game characterized by the combination of poker and craps).

There can be two types of online casino enthusiasts that English Harbour can accommodate: online players who are seeking fun and entertainment and want to play free casino games; and online gamblers who seek their fortune and want to have fun in winning real money in their favorite online casino games. Which of these two types do you belong to?

English Harbour official website: www.englishharbour.com

Online Casino Expectations

2010-01-04T22:54:00.000-08:00

Since the introduction of the casino to the world, people everywhere became enthusiastic and attracted by these establishments. However, due to the fact that casino gambling can be addictive, most of the world's governments had banned the establishments or rather regulated them. But nowadays, there are many brick-and-mortar casinos that are legally accepted and are operating to give people entertainment and a chance to gain additional income.

Due to the fact that most casinos are concentrated on only certain areas such as in Las Vegas, it became inconvenient to people faraway to visit the casinos frequently. This problem, however, is now solved, thanks to many online casino sites that are now operating on the web. These online casinos gives the players the opportunity to win on their favorite casino games while they are comfortably sitting on their homes, and even in their work office.

Considering that there are many websites that offers online casino games, the land-based casinos now have a counterpart in giving entertainment to people living in distant places from the establishments. And the dawn of online casinos now is evident, for the numbers of online casino players are now reaching great values.

And what can players expect from online casinos except from convenience? Simple, these are as follows:

Free Online Casino Games – any casino website is not complete without their selection of online casino games, which are the online and computerized representation of the traditional casino games. Any player can play their favorite games, whether it is online poker, bingo, blackjack, slot machines, roulette, keno, or baccarat, in front of their personal computers. That is, thanks to a number of credible online casino software providers that give their best in developing these casino games for the online players to enjoy. They can also practice their skills in these free online casino games that the websites offer them.

Online Casino Bonuses – with regards to the fact that land-based casinos are offering comps to attract their patronizers, online casinos find a way of gathering players by offering online bonuses such as sign-up bonuses. These bonuses can be added to the accounts of online gamblers once they sign up in the casino websites.

Huge Jackpots and Payouts – players are not just limited to playing, but they can also win real money in their favorite online casino games! That's right, online casino websites gives the gamblers the opportunity to wager their money in these casino games, similar to the land-based casinos, and feel their adrenaline rushing through their bodies as they hit those huge jackpots given by these online casinos.

Secure Online Transactions – when players sign up to online casino websites, they can deposit money on their accounts through online payment transactions. Additionally, they can also redeem their bonuses, winnings and jackpots through the same method. To keep their players and as well as to build their reputations, these online casinos ensure that the online transactions are secured from third parties and the account information of their players are safe and will not leak out to unwanted hackers.

What's next in knowing these expectations? Definitely it is finding the right online casino where you can play your favorite casino games. That's right, and it is important that you should not go empty-handed in knowledge about online casinos in order to avoid being scammed by fraudulent casino websites.

Online casino reviews are of great help to gamblers when it comes to providing them with information on the best and reliable online casinos to play at. There are many websites that distributes valuable facts and suggestions on selecting the top online casino websites. Plus, most of them also give tips and guides on playing and winning on casino games.

Gambling is always similar, whether it is online or not. The most important thing that any player must remember while playing on online casino websites is to be responsible. Avoid betting too much on casino games, and set a limit on how much you can afford to lose. Also remember that the casinos are not designed to give you money, but to provide entertainment, so enjoy your casino gaming experience and do not let these casinos take advantage of you. Instead, you are the one who should beat the casinos with responsible playing.

Image source: http://www.casinoadvisor.com/aztecs-millions-progressive-jackpot-hit-news-item.html

Online Texas Holdem Poker Tips

2009-12-21T23:59:00.000-08:00

Texas holdem poker has quickly become the most popular casino poker game, both in land based and online casino site. Though Holdem looks and plays very simply, many experts agree that it is the most complex of poker games. Due to its intricacy, texas holdem game can be kind or tough to novice players and whimpered old warriors alike. The action is fast and furious, with more players, bets, raises and re-raises than many other typical poker games.

One of the best places to learn and develop texas holdem poker skills is at one of the many online casino portal. These online casino sites are free and offered by online casinos. They cover the rules of the game, the format of the game, and the basic strategies of texas holdem poker, and in some cases you are even run through practice online casino games and multimedia demonstrations.

When choosing to play texas holdem online, you need to adjust to some specific features of online poker rooms before throwing your chips onto the table. Even if you have some experience of playing poker in casinos or at home, there are still a lot of things for you to learn. Despite being two branches of the same game, with identical texas holdem rules and game process including the number and sequence of betting rounds, live and online texas holdem have some important differences, which can appear to have decisive meaning at the table.

Moreover, certain features and aspects of texas holdem game may vary even from room to room. What you need is to get used to online poker room software and learn to benefit from each feature provided by the poker room. For instance, most online poker rooms provide players with the detailed statistics of each game and each hand you play, thus helping you to analyze your games, spot mistakes and weak points to correct them in the future and thus improve your play. If you’re a novice online casino player, start with play money games or free play, or low limit real money games and take enough time to learn new casino room's software before getting involved in tight and aggressive action.

One of the most important qualities of a Texas Holdem pro is an ability to keep to your bankroll. You must learn to stop, when you have to stop and don't treat texas holdem too seriously until online poker becomes your primary income. First of all, don’t even think of depositing money you cannot afford to lose and don’t waste a monthly bankroll during a couple of days, even if you expect to win.

Split your monthly bankroll in equal amounts according to your playing schedule and strictly keep to this plan. Don’t even think of depositing your money that you need for life, even if you feel self-assured about your lady luck, or somebody is trying to assure you of success. Luck and misfortune always go together and you cannot predict when they come, so you must not do things, which may result in a bitter and disgusting situation.

Texas holdem is a very serious online casino game that supposes discipline and self-control. You must keep to a strict schedule without forgetting that you live in a real world, where you have your job, your family and your leisure time.

Image Credit: http://www.nps2007.com/index/index.html#BodogPoker

Playing Online Bingo Games

2009-12-15T02:16:00.000-08:00

People who are fond of playing bingo can play right now from their laptop or personal computers anywhere at anytime. Nowadays, technology is within reach, and bingo is now in a high-level game where you can play it through the use of Internet. Bingo, with lots of online bingo game variations, are offered by hundreds of online bingo sites. So, how to play bingo? It's just easy!

To start off, you must first register on a reliable and trusted online bingo site. They will give you a random card. You can select up to 50 online bingo cards at a time, the online bingo software is programmed to call out numbers between 1-75. Your objective is to make a particular pattern of numbers. Online bingo is played by set of numbers in a 5x5 grid which are randomly selected. Players are required to match the drawn numbers with those numbers that have been printed on their cards.

A call out number will be display on the screen, and the person who makes a particular pattern will call bingo! Online bingo site, checks the patterns and compare it with the numbers called, and if the pattern is precise, he will be declared as a winner. However, if there are more than one person who acquire any winning pattern, they will share the pot money.

Some online bingo sites dish out cards to players in such a way that everyone has a fair chance of winning. Some online bingo websites place a restriction on the number of cards that a player can have to play. Every bingo card is a grid of five rows and five columns. The central space is blank and every row or column may have some number printed on it.

Another good way to increase one's chances of winning is by selecting a online bingo site with fewer players during early mornings and afternoons. It is best to ward off weekends when there is heavy rush. Lastly, one must fix a limit on the amount that one will play on a particular day. Once this is crossed, one must stop playing. Otherwise, he can end up losing a lot of money.

Online bingo enjoys several advantages over offline bingo halls. One can play at any time and from anywhere in the world. This is a blessing for die-hard bingo players who are short of time to visit a land-based gaming room. One can also leave his play in a particular gaming room and play on another site, without wasting time and losing money.

However, online bingo is not an of the beaten track online casino game. All online casino sites have good casino software for hasty play. They have the best audiovisual effects that simulate a real life bingo hall. One can even make friends online and chat with them while the game is in progress.

Thus, online bingo is free and enjoyable. It is easy, and can fit into one's busy schedule. The games are fast -paced and one has better chances of winning huge jackpots. All these factors make online bingo a pleasurable experience. As the online casinos bloom in the gambling industry, online bingo is exciting and entertaining. And whether you consider it as a form of gambling or not, people will always continue to play bingo!

Image Credit: http://online.worldcasinodirectory.com/realtime-gaming/bonus-bingo

What You Need To Know About Keno

2009-12-03T03:41:00.000-08:00

Keno is a game which closely resembles lottery and bingo. Online keno is becoming popular in online casino websites. There are also the video keno and the traditional keno game, with their respective keno booths in land-based casinos, which uses the “Rabbit Ear” or the “Hand Cage” in picking the numbers.

Keno is fun and is quite easy to play. The most common mechanism of playing the game is by selecting 1 to 20 numbers, which are termed as spots, and win prizes depending on how many hits (also termed as catches), or spots that match with the numbers being picked from time to time. Most keno players gathered in a single lounge where they can engage in social conversations with each other.

Manual keno games uses the Rabbit Ear, a transparent container with two tubes that form a V-shape at the top, resembling the ears of a rabbit. This container houses 80 ping-pong balls marked with the numbers from 1 to 80, and from the bottom of the container, air is blown which sends the balls flying inside in all directions. When the caller is about to draw a number, he would press a lever which will open an “ear” and allows a ball to pop outside the container. The number printed in the ball will be verified and will be recorded, and up to 20 numbers will be drawn in each game.

Other tool used in manual keno is called the Hand Cage, which is a metal cage mounted on an axle. This cage also contains similar number-printed balls and is rolled constantly, mixing the balls inside. When a number is about to be picked, a small slot somewhere in the middle will be opened, permitting one of the balls to roll out of the cage and be picked as a winning number.

In this traditional game, players are issued with keno tickets where numbers from 1 to 80 are printed in which their selected numbers (usually up to 20 spots) are indicated. If a number drawn from the Rabbit Ear matches with a spot, the player will mark the spot with an x and depending on how many hits they have, they will receive cash prizes.

Video keno on the other hand uses a random number generator, and from time to time, numbers are randomly generated and will be displayed in a video monitor. Video keno players also uses the traditional keno tickets in playing.

Online keno features video keno and visual representation of the keno ticket combined in a software. The players will only click on their desired numbers to select their spots. Then the system will generate the numbers randomly, and the virtual keno ticket will automatically mark the spot when there is a hit.

Payouts vary from one keno game to another, whether it is manual keno, video keno, or online casino keno. Basically, the more hits a player got, the higher is the payout. The number of spots selected also is considered in making a payout. There are even some keno games in which the casino will pay the players if their selected spots did not match any of the numbers drawn. In most keno payout tables, the payout is calculated by the amount of bet multiplied by the amount specified to a certain number of catches out of a certain number of spots. For example, if a player wagers $2 and selects 4 spots, and he managed to obtain 3 hits. If 3 hits out of 4 spots is given the amount of 6, then his bet will be multiplied by 6, resulting in a payout of $12. Therefore, he will have $14 in total.

An example keno payout table in online casinos run by Microgaming is as follows:

Keno is easy and fun to play. Players will just have to select their spots, wait for the winning numbers to be picked, and mark their catches. Then they could claim their prizes in the casino keno booths, or add their winning payout to their online casino money accounts.

Image Credits:
http://www.casino-crush.com/casinogames/
for online keno
http://www.casinotimesonline.com/march/keno_faq.htm
for rabbit ear
http://www.boxedart.com/phpshop/members.php/view/mp_/197/205
for hand cage
http://www.gamingtoday.com/slots-casino/story.bv?storyid=20914
for live keno ticket
http://www.the-keno-guide.com/keno-tips/keno-payout-schedules/
for payout table

Bonuses in Online Casinos

2009-11-19T23:42:00.000-08:00

It is a usual practice for most brick-and-mortar casinos to offer bonuses, or comps, to their players in order to make them stay longer and play more games inside the casino. These comps may come in the form of free alcohol and liquors, free entertainment, free hotel accommodations, reimbursements for air fare, and free limousine rides. In terms of online casino sites, bonuses are commonly offered in four types: signup bonuses, sticky bonuses, cashable bonuses, and cash back bonuses.

The first type of online casino bonus is the signup bonus. This is the first thing that attracts most online players, for they could receive bonuses for up to thousands of dollars just by signing up to the online casino websites and make their initial deposit. The amount of signup bonus is based on a percentage of the player’s total deposit, which can be up to 100%. So for example, if a player initially deposits $1,500, his money will be doubled ($3,000) instantly upon signing up and making the deposit.

There are also online casinos that do not require deposits to claim the signup bonus, but are mostly of lower values, such as a free $10 right of the bat, or in the form of playing some online casino games without any bet, but the winnings can be kept by the player. However, a player is only allowed to withdraw or to cash out if he meets the requirements of the casino website. For example, he should make a total bet of 25 times the total of the initial deposit plus the signup bonus. In the previous example, the player must make a total of $75,000 in terms of bets in order to cash out his signup bonus

By the last quarter of the year 2009, some of the most notable online casino signup bonuses ranges from hundreds to ten thousands of dollars! Caribbean Gold Casino offers $150; Silver Dollar and Super Slots Casino offer $300 each; VIP Slots, Cherry Red Casino, Golden Casino, and One Club Casino all offer $777 each; English Harbour Casino offers $800; Rushmore Casino offers $888; Slots Oasis offers $4,000; Millionaire Casino and Online Vegas Casino $5,000 each, Crazy Slots offers $12,500; and Go Casino offers a massive $20,000 online casino signup bonus. This handful of signup bonuses is one of the main attractions for online casino gamers to make their deposits and play on the mentioned online casino sites.

The second type of online casino bonus is called the sticky bonuses. This is the most common type of online casino bonus. The amount of the sticky bonus may be calculated based on a certain percentage of the player’s initial deposit, just like the signup bonus. This amount can be added to your total balance and therefore any player can use this amount to bet on any online casino game. However, if the player is making an encashment, the amount of the sticky bonus is to be subtracted to the total amount of payouts received by the player. The main advantage of the sticky bonuses for the players is increasing their chance of winning more money, by having a larger amount to bet compared to their initial deposit. This means that they can play for longer and win more (if they are aware of the casino house edges, and if they know some online casino gambling strategies) with the additional amount.

The third type of online casino bonus is the cashable bonuses. This is a very valuable, but quite rare, type of bonus. These bonuses are monetary amounts which can be obtained by a player when he meets a certain requirement. For example, an online casino gives a free $200 to any player who reaches the amount of $4,000 in his total bets in the unrestricted online casino games. This means that a player can encash the bonus once he meets the required total amount of wagers in the unrestricted games. These unrestricted games are those online casino games that have high casino house edges. Online casinos mostly restricts the games online blackjack and video poker, for these games have low house advantages. However, some casino sites allow players to bet on these low-house-edge casino games, but usually with a higher wagering requirement compared to other games in order to cash out the bonus.

The fourth type of online casino bonus is the cash back bonuses. This type of bonus is also rare. This is usually followed after a player’s losses within a certain span of time. For example, an online casino site offers a weekly 25% cash back bonus for any player’s loss. This means that if a player had lost a certain amount of money in playing on the online casino games within the week, he can receive 25% of the total amount of his losses. However, he will not receive the bonus if instead he had won within the week.

With every freebies there comes those who abuse this opportunity. Similar to comp hustlers in land-based casinos, who are using the strategy of betting larger amounts whenever there is a pit boss around and shifting to smaller amounts if the pit boss is not watching, and taking a lot of breaks and playing more slowly, there are also the bonus abusers in online casino site. These online casino bonus abusers may register multiple accounts in the online casinos and then claim the freebies in every account. However, online casinos may also commit fraud in giving bonuses, in such a way that they may change the terms of bonus and require a higher amount of wagers to avail the bonuses. That’s why it is wise to make sure that the online casino website that you planned to sign up for is of high credibility and would not ruin their reputation by means of committing fraud to their valued players.

Basics On How To Play Blackjack

2009-11-06T03:09:00.000-08:00

Blackjack is a game which originates from the 18th Century in France, and is now one of the most popular casino games in land casinos and as well as in most online casino gaming websites. The game was formerly called "Twenty-one", "Vingt-et-un" in French, and "Veintiuna" in Spanish, for this card game also revolves around the number 21, being the highest value which can be obtained in the game. It was also known as "Pontoon".

This card game became more popular with the name "Blackjack" when the game was introduced to the United State casinos. The game was quite unpopular in the US, so the gambling houses offered sorts of bonuses whenever a player will have an initial hand consisting of an Ace of Spades and any black Jack, either Jack of Spades or Jack of Clubs. This was the origin of the name "Blackjack". Nowadays, the term "blackjack" applies to a "natural" or a hand which contains any Ace and any card with a face value of 10, in which the value is equivalent to 21, the highest value.

The objective of blackjack is, as the game origin depicts, to have a total hand value equal to, or closer to 21 and beat the dealer. However, if it exceeds 21, it is known as a "bust" and the player will lose. Cards with ranks from 2 to 9 of any suit have face values equal to their ranks. Cards of ranks 10, Jack, Queen, and King of any suit counts to 10 points each, while an Ace has a value of either 10 or 11, depending on the blackjack player's choice. An Ace using the value of 11 plus any value, 3 for example, is termed as a "soft 14". Likewise, if additional cards are dealt, such as 2, the term would be the word "soft" plus the total value (soft 16). If the hand consists of an Ace plus any 10-valued card, therefore it is a natural or a blackjack. An initial hand without an Ace, or with an Ace using the value of 1, is named with the word "hard" plus the immediate sum of the cards, such as a "hard 17" in case of a 9+8 hand.

The game is started by placing the bets in the betting spots. Online casino blackjack also starts in the same way. The dealer will then deal the players (usually from 1 to 7 players) with initial two cards each and to himself as well. The cards may be dealt from either 1, 2, 4, 6, or 8 card decks, depending on the casino's preference. One of the dealer's cards will be revealed to the players (the up card) while the other will still remain hidden (the hole card). The players will then play their hands, before the dealer does. Any player with a blackjack hand instantly wins against the dealer. If the dealer also scores a blackjack, then it is a tie or a "push".

The players will play their hands first before the dealer. A player can decide on one of four (sometimes five) options if he does not score a blackjack. The first option is to "hit", or to request the dealer to draw him another. The value of the card will be added to the initial value. If the player is not yet satisfied with his hand, he can hit for another card until his hand reaches a comfortable value. But if a card is hit and the total value exceeds 21, he "busts" and loses his bet.

The second option for the player is to "stand", or not to take any additional card and stick with his hand value. This is mostly done when the initial hard value is quite high enough, such as a hard 18 or 20.

The third option is to "double down", which means that the player would place an additional bet equal to his original bet. In exchange to this, he must take one additional card, and he cannot request a hit anymore.

The fourth option for the player is to "split a pair". This means that if a player has been dealt any pair on his initial two cards, he has an option to separate and play these two cards, making two independent hands. He must place an additional bet equal to his original for the additional hand. However, if in case of two Aces and the player is dealt with any 10-valued card for any or both of the two separate hands, it is not considered as a blackjack and it will be beaten by a natural blackjack. Some casinos allow a player to double down on any or both of his hands after splitting. A player can split his pair for multiple times, or resplit, such as if a third card of the same rank as his pair has been hit, he can split the new pair and create a third hand, as well as add a third bet, and the same for the fourth and so on. However, he cannot split a pair if the hand containing it has more than two cards.

Some casinos offer a fifth and favorable option for the players. This is the "surrender" option, and as it implies, the player will surrender and will not play his card, but half of his bet will be taken. There are two types of surrender, namely the "early surrender" and the "late surrender". Early surrender is only available before any of the options above is done. This early surrender disappeared in most of the casinos, but they still exist in some. The reason behind this is that players tend to surrender very often when the dealer's up card (the revealed card) is an Ace. A "late surrender", or the normal surrender, is available after the dealer has checked out his hole card.

Players also has a choice whether to place an "insurance". An insurance is a side bet made by any player when the up card of the blackjack dealer is an Ace. Any player can bet up to half of his original bet, and if the dealer checks his hand and scores a blackjack, the bet wins and is paid double, equal to the loss of the player's original bet if he does not have a blackjack and his insurance bet is equal to half of his original bet. If the banker does not have a blackjack, the insurance bet is lost, but the player can still play his hand.

After the players had played out their hands, the dealer will then play his hand, according to predetermined casino rules. He must hit if his initial hand has a value of 16 or lower, and must continute until his hand totals the value of hard 17 or more. He must stand if he has an initial hand value of hard 17, hard or soft 18 or higher values. He busts if upon hitting one or more cards, the hard total exceeds 21.

There is a separate rule if the dealer's hand is equivalent to soft 17. The rule is either for the dealer to hit or not to hit on this value, which is depending on the casino. In "S17" blackjack, the casino rule states that the dealer must hit on a soft 17. He must stand on either hard or soft 17 otherwise in "H17" blackjack games.

The odds in payouts of winning players are different. The bet of a player without a blackjack hand but who wins against the banker is usually paid 1-to-1. Blackjack hands (except for a push) is usually paid at 3-to-2. Insurance, as stated above, has a payout of 2-to-1.

Handy Poker Hand Ranking Guide

2009-10-20T05:27:00.000-07:00

Poker is one of the most popular casino games, both on brick-and-mortar and on online casino websites. It is also a very complex games with lots of betting and winning rules, and the game itself has some variations on how to be played. However, most of these variations follow only one pattern of poker hand rankings.

The major variants of poker include Texas Hold'em, Omaha, Five Card Draw, and Seven Card Stud. If there are two or more poker players that have not folded until the end of the card dealing and betting on their hands, there will be a showdown among them, and depending on the rank of their hands, there is one, and possibly more than one, winner. How are the hands ranked? There are nine (9) poker hand categories, and starting from the lowest ranked, they are as follows: High Card, One Pair, Two Pair, Three of a Kind, Straight, Flush, Full House, Four of a Kind, and Straight Flush.

In all variants of poker, each of the cards are ranked individually, with 2 having the lowest rank. The rank goes up with the number until number 10, then followed by Jack, Queen, King, and the Ace card with the highest rank of all individual cards. Card suits have no effect in ranking though, such as an Ace of Diamonds is ranked equal with an Ace of Spade. Likewise, card suite also have no effect on the rankings of the poker hand categories.

The lowest hand category that a poker player can get is the High Card, in which no two or more cards have the same rank, the five cards do not form a consecutive sequence, and all five cards contains more than one suit. The winner between two or more High Card hands is determined by the card with the highest rank. If they have the same highest ranked card, the next highest is compared, and so on until there is a difference. If there is no difference, then they are tied and the pot is divided among them. High card is also termed as “no-pair”, and it is described by the highest ranked card (such as a “King high” if the highest rank is a King). It has the highest probability (approximately 50%) of being dealt to a poker player.

When a poker player obtains one pair of cards that have the same rank and the other three are all non-paired (called the kickers), then his hand falls to the One Pair category, in which it beats any High Card poker hand. The winner among more than One Pair hands is determined by the rank of the pair. If more than one have the same pairs, then the kickers in each hand will determine the winner, applying the same rule as the High Card poker hand. The probability that a poker player is dealt with a One Pair hand is approximately 42%.

If a poker hand contains two cards of similar rank, and two cards of another similar rank, and one kicker, then the hand is classified as a Two Pair, and it beats any One Pair poker hand. It is described by the higher of the two pairs, which can be followed by the other pair optionally. For example, a Two Pair hand which has a pair of Aces and another pair of Queen and any kicker can be described as “Aces and Queens”, “Aces over Queens”, or just “Aces up”. The higher-ranked pairs in each hand will be compared to determine the winner among the other Two Pair hands. If the higher-ranked pairs of the players are similar, the other pair will be compared, and if they are still similar, then the kicker will determine the winner. If there are still no differences, then they are tied. The probability of a poker player being dealt with a Two Pair is approximately 4.8%.

When three cards in a poker hand have similar ranks, and the other two are non-pair, then the player's hand is called a Three of a Kind, or Trips in other terms. It beats any Two Pair hand and ranks lower than Two Pair. The ranks of the cards that appear thrice in each hand are compared to determine the winner. The possibility that there can be two Three of a Kind poker hands with the same rank of their triples is only available to poker games with wild cards or community card games such as Texas Hold'em, and the winner will be determined by the ranks of the kickers of each hand. A poker player have an estimated 2.1% chance of being dealt with any Trips poker hand.

A poker hand that contains five ranks of consecutive sequence in more than one card suit is classified as a Straight, and it beats any Trips and lower hand ranks. In this poker hand, an Ace card can play either a high (such as Ace-King-Queen-Jack-10) or a low (such as 5-4-3-2-Ace, a “5-high straight” or commonly known as a “wheel”, which is lower in rank compared to a Straight consisting of 6-5-4-3-2), but not both at the same time (such as 3-2-Ace-King-Queen, which in this case is just an “Ace-high high card”). The highest-ranked card is used to describe a Straight, such as “King-high straight” or “straight to King” if the hand consists of the cards King-Queen-Jack-10-9 of more than one card suit, and is compared with the other Straight's highest-ranked card to determine the winner among more than one Straight hands. If the ranks are similar, then they are of equal value, and card suit is not used to separate them. There is an estimated 0.39% possibility of a poker player being dealt with a Straight hand.

If all five cards of a poker hand belongs to only one suit (either spades, clubs, diamonds, or hearts), and if they do not form a consecutive card rank sequence, then it is classified as a Flush, and it beats any Straight poker hand and those lower than Straight. It is also described by the highest-ranked card, which can also be followed by the next-ranked card if necessary. For example, a Flush which contains the cards 10-7-6-4-3 of clubs can be described as “10-high flush” or “10-7-high flush”. The highest-ranked cards in more than one Flush poker hands are compared to pick the winner. The next highest ranks are then compared if the highest cards are similar, and so on until there is a difference. If all five ranks are similar with the other Flush, then they are tied. Card suit is not used to differentiate their rankings. A poker player has a chance of approximately 0.20% to be dealt with a Flush.

A Full House (also termed as Full Boat) is a poker hand that contains three cards of similar ranks and a pair. It beats any Flush and lower hand rankings. It is described by the rank of the triple followed by “full”, or the words “full of” and then the rank of the pair (such as “Aces full of Kings” or “Aces full” in case of a hand which contains triple Aces and a pair of Kings). The rank of the triple determines the winner among more than one Full House poker hands. In case of poker games with wild cards and in Texas Hold'em, it is possible for two Full House hands to have the same triple, and the pair is used to pick the winner. A Full House poker hand has approximately 0.14% chance of being dealt to a player.

If a poker hand contains four cards all in one card rank, and a card kicker of another rank, it is known as a Four of a Kind or Quads, and it beats any Full House or lower poker hand ranks. Quads with higher ranks beats other lower-ranked quads. It is possible in Texas Hold'em and poker games with wild cards to have more than one players with similar-ranked quads. Therefore, their kicker will be compared, and if they are also equal in rank, then they are tied. A poker player has only 0.024% estimated chance of obtaining a Four of a Kind hand.

The highest ranked poker hand category is the Straight Flush. As the name suggests, it is a combination of a Straight and a Flush, in which the hand consists of all five cards in one suit and forms a consecutive sequence of individual card rankings. Similar to a Straight poker hand, the Ace card can play either high (such as Ace-King-Queen-Jack-10 of spades, an “Ace-high straight flush”) or low (such as 5-4-3-2-Ace of hearts, a “5-high straight flush”, or commonly called as a “steel-wheel”) and not both at the same time. Any “Ace-high straight flush” is also called a “royal flush”, and has the highest rank of all standard poker hands. The highest ranked card of a Straight Flush hand is compared with the others, and if they have similar ranks, then they are tied and the pot money is divided among them. Being the highest ranked poker hand category, a Straight Flush is the rarest poker hand that can be dealt, with only 0.0015% of appearing.

Luck in obtaining high-ranked poker hands is vital in your gameplay to ensure a win. But strategy plays the most important part in winning your poker games, for you can still win even though you have the lowest-ranked poker hand of all. Just stay cool, do your best in bluffing, and most of all, always keep wearing your poker face.

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A Roulette Spin Towards A Win

2009-10-01T03:03:00.000-07:00

Among the constantly growing population of Internet users, there can be found a substantial group of online gamblers. Online casino websites are, in fact, rapidly rising in number to fill the demand for gaming locations, and one of the more popular casino games sought after by players is roulette.

However, playing online casino roulette is still a relatively new experience for many online gamblers, even though they have played it in land-based casinos. The game itself consists of software that you can easily download from various websites, featuring animated graphics and sound that most often resembles that of a video game rather than a casino. Roulette is the only casino game that can be played with the same spirit and excitement in both land-based as well as online casinos.

To win at online roulette you must predict where the ball will stop after each spin. The roulette wheel has 37 or 38 numbered slots, numbered from 1 to 36, zero, and sometimes double zero, double zero appears only on American roulette wheels. Red is the color for even numbers and black is for odd numbers. Double zero and zero sections are usually green. 6 to 8 players can play at the roulette table in the same time, each player being assigned with a different color chip to place his bets.

After the dealers starts the spin and drops the white ball, he will say “no more bets are allowed”, no more bets can be placed and those already on the table can’t be changed. It’s illegal to try to change or even touch your bets after the spin starts. When the ball stops at a number the dealer will check the winning number on the roulette table with a plastic marker, and collect losing bets and pay winning bets.

Betting will start again only after the dealer removes the plastic marker. Winning is paid in colored chips and you can always withdraw from the game and get paid for chips you have won. However, it’s possible to play without a color, if you want to place a quick bet on a certain number. If you win you will be paid in online casino chips. Betting can be done in several ways.

You can bet on individual numbers or groups of numbers, named inside bets. You can also bet on general groups of numbers, like 1-18 / 19-36, red or black color and odd or even, these bets are called outside bets. Inside bets are paid by the dealer directly, while outside bets are placed at the betting area near the table and the player can either take them or bet with them at the next round.

There are mainly 2 types of online roulette, American and European roulette. The American roulette contains an extra number, which is a reason for amateurs to abide with European roulette as they have slightly better odds.

American roulette wheel has numbers from 1 to 36 with numbers 0 and 00. Here, players receive different color chips for easier differentiation of bets. American croupiers gather the chips in more inclined manner using their hands.

European roulette on the other hand is also known as French roulette. It does not contain 00 that American version additionally fixes. Here, players receive same color chips that ask their respective players to be alert. European croupiers gather chips with nifty looking rakes.

One of the great things about roulette is that you decide your own winning chances. Play red, black, odd or even and you basically have coin-flip odds of winning. If you feel more like gambling, you can narrow your bets down to just one or a few lucky numbers.

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Reminders in Playing Casino Games

2009-09-21T05:40:00.000-07:00

Casino is a place for entertainment. It is full of very exciting games to play, and as well as the chance of winning large prizes. Most casinos have special bonuses, or comps, to their players which attract even more people out there to have fun in casinos. In similar ways, online casino websites now become a famous place for entertainment, especially for those who could not afford a time to go to brick and mortar casinos.

Casinos and online casinos may not be a good place for someone who do not know much, and even lead him to outstanding debts and bankruptcy. Therefore, it is recommended that you should have some guides in playing your favorite land-based and online casino games.

Preparations for Playing Casino Games

If it would be your first time, or at least know very little about casinos, then the most common thing to do is to ask questions to those experienced gamblers. You can also surf for more information about casinos and online casino sites in the Internet. This will help you in getting familiar with the atmosphere and the ambiance of the casinos. You can also take a tour inside an actual casino, and ask questions from other customers, but don't disturb them or be a nuisance in their play.

The next thing to do is to learn about the casino games, such as slot machines, blackjack, poker, craps, keno, bingo, baccarat, and their corresponding rules. You can do it by playing on free online casino games from numerous sites that offer free casino games software. This could help you in practicing and getting more familiarized with your casino games, for the rules applied in online casino games are very similar with those in the actual casinos. It is also important that you should know some techniques on how to win in a particular casino game. Don't hesitate to surf for the best casino game tips and strategies, you can find many of them in the Internet.

Setting Your Budget and Your Goal

When you think that you are ready to play the game, you can now go to the actual casinos. If you have time and location restrictions, then you can play on online casino websites for your convenience. The most important thing, and you must not forget, to keep in mind is that you should set your budget in playing in the casino. Set the amount of limit that you can afford to lose. NEVER BORROW MONEY JUST TO GAMBLE! If you can't afford it, then just play free casino games online for your recreation. Never also spend your money in gambling when it would result to grave consequences in case you lose.

Your main goal in going to the casinos should be for entertainment and leisure, not to make money. Never aim for unrealistic amount, such as aiming to win a million dollars in just one night. The chances of winning in every casino games are relatively small, that's why it is enough to set a realistic goal, such as making your money double or up to 5 times its amount.

Going to the Casino

One thing to remember is not to go in the casinos alone. It is best to have at least one trusted companion, whether a family member or a close friend in order to remind you if you are spending too much money or too much time in gambling. Always bring your watch to keep track of the time, for there are no clocks in the casinos in order to keep the customers unaware of time.

Be sure that your mind is in a healthy state. Never go to the casino when you are drunk or you are very tired in order to avoid errors in your decisions. Never also gamble when you are angry or depressed so that you can decide wisely.

NEVER BRING YOUR CREDIT CARDS in the casino in order to avoid spending too much. Just bring your alotted budget, and spare some amounts in your pocket in order not to go home empty-handed.

Playing in the Casino

It is best that you should know much, if not all, of the casino games and their rules, as well as the casino's advantages in each game. Never play games that you don't know much, for it could take your money away without knowing how can that happen.

You must also consider that there are chances of losing, so don't aspire that you will always win. Always HAVE FUN in every casino game you play. This must be your main reason for going to the casino.

Limit your time in every gambling session, and take frequent breaks in order to refresh your minds and avoid fatigue. Also avoid most of the distractions around you, such as sexy ladies passing by or phones ringing. It is best that you have your trusted companion hold your phone while you are playing.

Never also spend your money in one casino game. There are lots of games to try, each with different winning odds. If you feel you are losing in one game, then try your luck on the other one. Never also bet all your money in one go, although it has a high winning percentage. This could end up to you losing so early. Bet small amounts in order to stay longer and enjoy more in the casino.

When You are Winning

If you are in a hot winning streak, never become overconfident with your luck. Most of the casinos take this opportunity to persuade you to wage on bets with high payout percentages but with very low odds of winning, or with bets with very high house edge and take most of your money. If you want, you can occasionally wage on these bets, but don't wage too much on these. Apply the tips and strategies that you have learned in playing.

Always maintain a low profile, for you do not know the people around you if they are fostering dirty intentions or not. That's why it is a good idea to have a companion.

If you had won a remarkable amount, keep some in your pocket in order not to lose all. Never play with all the money you had won.

When You are Losing

If you sense that you had lost a considerable amount, never aim to win it all back. Just let it be and have fun. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. That's the basic rule of gambling.

Never ever try to increase your bets when you are losing. This could end up very bad, for it could take all of what you had worked hard to earn. If you feel that you are on a losing streak, then decrease your bets and wage more on bets with higher winning percentages.

You must also know when you have to quit. If the budget you can afford to lose had been already lost, then you must consider going home and try your luck next time. NEVER PLAY OVER YOUR LIMIT. It is not a good habit of trying to win back what you had lost. It could result to further losses and outstanding debts, so decide wisely.

It is wise to keep a record of your winnings and your loses in each casino game in order to know in what game you are good at, or what games have higher winning percentages for you.

Casino Comps and Bonuses

When the casinos offer you comps, don't ignore it. You should join in their comp programs and avail the VIP benefits. Never also ignore the entertainment options, such as a band playing music or some stage performers. Be also kind to casino crews who cater you with your freebies and spare some change or dollar bills for their tips. Consider also checking for casino websites in order to be updated with promotional coupons and more online casino bonuses.

Conclusion

It is best that you know much important information about casinos and casino games in order to experience the fun and the casino excitement. Keep a healthy state of mind and play strategically. Budget your money well and know when you have to quit and try a better luck next time.

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New Online Slots Winner

2009-09-14T05:47:00.001-07:00

Online slot machines are always fun to play. Not only that it is fun, it is the simplest online casino game that exists today. There is no strategies, and the game-play is simple: just press the button to spin the reels, and wait for the reels to stop. The winning rules is also simple: if the reels forms one or more pattern of similar symbols once they stops spinning, then there is a corresponding prize.

Luck is at the side of Tallahassee's Jordan K., who recently graduated last May finishing the degree of BA in Literature and Publishing. Last week, his life had changed when he played at Rome Online Casino. He spun the winning reels of the Diamonds Are Forever online slot machine, which is one of the most popular classic 3-reel and 3-payline online slots, and gave him a 6,000 coin payout when the reels formed all the three 7 wild symbols. He never expected that before the summer ends, he would take home a massive $30,000 jackpot!

When he was interviewed on what he is going to do with his winning prize, he replied that he had a lot of loans which must be paid, for he had just graduated from college. He said that it is hard to find a decent job nowadays because of the recession, and he will use the money in his living for a few months while he looks for the perfect job. He also added that once he found that job, he'll spend the rest of the money in clearing his loans.

Rome Online Casino had also produced many lucky winners aside from Jordan. The site's large collection of online casino slot machines, powered by Top Game, had given lots of jackpot hits to many lucky gamers. You can be the next online casino jackpot winner. Try it yourself, and grab their sign-up bonuses and take home their large jackpot prizes.

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Baccarat Basics

2009-09-11T05:44:00.000-07:00

Baccarat is one of the most popular card game which is found in casinos worldwide, with its own playing area in the casinos. Baccarat as an online casino game is also still popular at most online casino websites. The game is played similarly both on online and brick and mortar casinos. It is usually played by two persons, and casino customers can bet on three options: the "Banker", the "Player", and the "Tie", which is checked by a croupier.

Baccarat Objective

The winner of a single deal is determined by the values of the two players' hands. In order to win, the hand value must be as close to 9 as possible. If you have a value of 9, then the only option is either to win or tie.

A hand value can be obtained by adding the values of all the cards in hand modulo 10 (the commonly used operator for modulo is %). This means that after adding the values, the result is divided by 10 and then the remainder will be the result. For example, 8 + 6 = 14, and 14 % 10 = 4 (if we divide 14 by 10, the answer is 1 with a remainder of 4). This also means that the tens digit is dropped, leaving only the ones digit. Therefore, the highest value which can be obtained is 9, and the lowest is zero which is termed as "baccarat". Oddly enough, the game is named after the worst value of a hand.

How to Play Baccarat

Here is the most common way on how to play the game. Cards 2 to 9 have values according to their numbers. Cards 10 and the face cards (J, Q, K) are all worth zero, while an Ace card is equivalent to 1. A hand can only have two or three cards. For example, a hand consisting of 6 and an Ace is equivalent to 7 (6 + 1 = 7). A hand with 3, 9, and 5 has a value of 7 (3 + 9 + 5 = 17, 17 % 10 = 7). These two hands have similar values.

The banker will deal one face-down card to the player, then one to himself, then another one to the player, and then another one to himself, resulting to both of them having two cards each. Depending on the value of their hands, each of them can either draw an additional card or stand pat. Basically, the player can draw an additional card if his initial hand value is 5 or less. If the initial value is 6 or 7, then he makes a stand. If either one or both of them have a hand value of 8 or 9 on the initial deal, then no further cards are drawn. This situation is called "natural".

Baccarat Betting Options

Players other than the ones playing as "banker" and "player" can also place their bets. The options are "Banker", "Player", and "Tie".

The term "banker" does not refer to the one who deals the cards nor the house. It is the situation in which the one who deals the cards wins. Even payout, or 1:1 is applied if this situation wins. However, there is a 5% deduction for the house commision.

The term "player" is not the player who plays against the dealer but the situation in which he wins against the dealer. Even payout is also applied for those who win this bet.

The term "tie", as it suggest, is a situation when both have the same amount of card value at the end of the deal. If this situation wins, then the bettors are paid at 8:1 ratio.

Baccarat Banker Strategy

Playing Baccarat mostly requires luck. When you are at the player position, you should definitely draw a card if your hand has an initial value of 5 or lower. If it is 6 or 7, then make a stand. However, this doesn't guarantee your win though. But when you are playing as the banker, then strategy is required in order to win. Here are some pointers depending on the situation of the opposing player:

The player did not draw a card - stand if his hand value is 6 or 7, or draw if it is 5 or lower
The player drew a 2 or 3 - stand if his hand value is 5 to 7, or draw if it is 4 or lower
The player drew a 4 or 5 - stand if his hand value is 6 or 7, or draw if it is 5 or lower
The player drew a 6 or 7 - stand if his hand value is 7, or draw if it is 6 or lower
The player drew an 8 - stand if his hand value is from 3 to 7, and draw if it is 2 or lower
The player drew an ace, 9, 10, or any face-card - stand if his hand value is from 4 to 7, or draw if it is 3 or lower

Baccarat Variations

The one discussed above applies to the Punto Banco, or the North American Baccarat variation. Punto refers to the Player and Banco refers to the Banker. Bettors will declare "Punto" if they are betting on the player, and will declare "Banco" if they are betting on the banker. The term applied for a tie is "Egalatie". This is also termed as the "regular" baccarat. Most online casino baccarat applies this variation.
Mini Baccarat is a variation which is played on a smaller table, the size of a Blackjack table. Up to seven players can play against a croupier who also acts as the banker. Regular baccarat tables has three dealers who take the bets to ensure that the rules are followed. The betting limits are lower in this variation.
Chemin-de-fer is a French version. Its rules are almost the same as the regular baccarat, except when the player acting as the Banker loses a hand, the next player will become the banker. This continues on and the state of the "Banker" travels around the table, similar to a train running on a railroad, which suggest the name of the variation. Chemin-de-fer means "railroad" in French.
Baccarat en Banque is another French variation. Unlike in the regular variation, a player is dealt with two hands, and the bettors are allowed to choose from the two hands on where to place their bet. However, they can't place their bet on the banker. Another difference is that only the casino can handle the position of the banker.
Private Baccarat is a variation in which the banker has the option to deal the player with either one or two hands. The player will decide whether he will be dealt with one hand, like in regular baccarat, or he can play two hands. If the player chooses two hands, this is termed as a cheval, and he must win both hands in order to win the deal. If he can only win one of the two, then it is a tie.
Super Pan Nine is a variation in which all the cards with values of 7, 8, 9, and 10 are removed from the deck. Both the banker and the player are dealt with 3 cards each. Either of them can make a choice whether to draw an additional 4th card or to stand with just the 3 cards. It is common that they will draw a 4th card if the initial hand value is 4 or lower.

Baccarat is used on so many popular culture. Did you know that the first version of the James Bond movie Casino Royale in 1967 features the game Baccarat? It is only replaced by Texas Hold'em poker in the recent 2006 movie version because of the currently great popularity of Texas Hold'em at the time of filming. In the film Rush Hour 3, Detective James Carter (portrayed by Chris Tucker) attempts to play baccarat in a casino in Paris, but he mistook the card game to be a Blackjack game. The dealer warns him that the game is Baccarat when he asks for a third card. Later on Carter got a hand with three Kings and he cheers happily because he again mistook the rules to be of poker. The value of his hand only evaluates to zero, which causes him to lose.

Baccarat is a very exciting game, and the rules are simple and easy to remember. You must be lucky enough to obtain the lucky 9 and win the deal.

Image Credit: Online Baccarat Gambling

Getting to Know Craps Betting System

2009-08-17T05:25:00.000-07:00

Craps is considered to be one of the most exciting casino games, mainly due to the fast game execution. One or more players can win on just a single dice roll, and can also lose in that instant. It all depends on how lucky they are. Another thing that adds to the excitement of craps is the numerous ways on how to bet your money.

Craps and online casino craps is played by rolling a dice. By the way, for those who don't have an idea about it, a die (singular of dice) is a cube shaped object (often made of wood or plastic) with dots engraved on all 6 sides: each side represents the numbers 1 to 6 by the count of dots, ie, one dot represents number 1, two dots is 2, etc. When the dice are rolled, the numbers on the sides of the two dice which are facing top are added and termed as the dice outcome. The shooter of the dice can either win or lose depending on the following situations:

Natural: If the shooter rolls the dice and the first dice outcome, which is called the come out roll, is a number 7 or 11, then he wins the game.
Craps: If the come out roll is either 2, 3, or 12, then the shooter loses, but still rolls the dice.
Point: If any number other than the already mentioned is the come out roll, then a point is established, and the shooter must roll the same number before a number 7 in order to win.
7-out: If a point is established and number 7 is rolled first before the point number is rolled

Depending on the dice outcomes, casinos offer a very wide variety of betting rules where players can place their bets. Craps on every online casino also provides online gamers with more or less the same number of craps betting variants. The shooter of the dice is mainly the center of attraction in playing craps. Players can place their bet on two main betting categories: line bets and side bets.

Line bets

Line bets are the most fundamental and basic bets in the game. This type of bet is resolved with reference to the winning or losing situation of the dice shooter.

Pass Line bet is the bet made by the players where they root on the dice shooter. If the dice shooter wins, then the pass line bet also wins. The bet loses on Craps and 7-out, together with the shooter.
Don't Pass Line bet is the opposite: if the shooter lose either on Craps (except number12) or 7-out, then the Don't Pass Line bet win. If the shooter's come out roll is 12, then it is considered as draw. The bet loses on Natural and if the shooter obtains the point number first before a 7.
Come bet is made after a point is established, and it applies the same rules as the Pass Line bet. However, if the shooter rolled a 7 upon placing the Come bet, then the come bet wins, but the shooter loses, together with the Pass Line and Come bets made before it.
Don't Come bet is the opposite of Come bet, and applies the same rules as the Don't Pass Line Bet.
Odds bets are bets made to reinforce the Pass Line and Don't Pass Line bets, as well as the Come and Don't Come bets.

Side Bets

Side bets, also called Proposition bets, are bets on craps that are based on the outcomes of the dice rolls. There are three types of side bets, namely, the Single-roll bets, Multi-roll bets, and the Player bet.

Single-roll bets are those that are resolved on a single dice roll.

Aces or Snake Eyes - bet that number 2 will be rolled
Boxcars, Cornrows, or Midnight - bet for number 12
Ace-Deuce - bet for number 3
Yo - bet for number 11
Hi-Lo - bet that either number 2 or 12 will be rolled
Any Craps or Three-Way - bet for either 2, 3, or 12
Any Seven - bet for number 7
C & E - combined bet for both Any Craps and Yo (11), where only one of the two bets may win
Field bet - bet where the player wins on either 3, 4, 9, 10, or 11, and wins double on 2 and 12, but loses if the dice outcome is either 5, 6, 7, or 8
Horn bet - a bet for each of the numbers 2, 3, 11, and 12 at the same time, which results to four separate bets where only one of the bets may win
Whirl bet or World bet - the Horn bet + Any Seven bet, resulting to a five-unit bet for each of the numbers of the Horn and the number 7. If number 7 wins, it is a draw or push, because the bets lost on the Horn is won in the number 7.
On the Hop - bet on any resulting combination of the come out roll, such as 3-5, 4-2, 3-3, etc. A player can choose whether to bet on double numbers (2-2, 3-3, etc.) or different numbers (3-5, 2-3, etc.)

Multi-roll bets are bets that are resolved by one or more dice rolls.

Place bet - a bet on any of the point numbers (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, and 10) to be rolled before a 7
Buy bet - a bet similar to the Place bet, butwith better payouts for a 5% commision charge if it wins
Lay bet - a bet on any of the point numbers (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, and 10), in which it wins if number 7 is rolled first before the number, and is charged a 5% commision
Big 6 - a bet on number 6 to be rolled before 7
Big 8 - a bet on number 8 to be rolled before 7
Hard Way - a bet on one of the numbers 4, 6, 8, or 10 to be rolled, with the dice showing similar numbers, before the number 7
Easy Way - bet for one of the numbers 4, 6, 8, or 10 to be rolled, with the dice showing different numbers, before number 7

A Player bet is a bet placed on the dice shooters. The Fire bet is one type of player bet, where the players can bet on one or more point numbers to be obtained and won by the shooter in more than three times in a row.

It is essential to know where to put your bets if you want to enjoy and win on both offline and online casino craps. On the mentioned craps betting rules, the best way for you to play longer is to bet on the Pass Line and Come bets, and frequently reinforcing with odds bet, for they offer the best winning situations. Even though Don't Pass Line and Don't Come bets have a higher chance of winning compared to the former, most experienced players avoid these bets because they don't like to be in contrast of the dice shooter.

Most of the time, proposition bets are considered to be bad bets because of the very high advantages of the house in taking your money. The payouts offered are very large in some, but there are only small chances of winning. Big 6 and Big 8 are avoided by experienced craps players, because these bets can be paid better in Place 6 and Place 8 bets in similar winning odds.

Craps is a vary fast game. Playing on online casino craps is very much faster, compared to brick and mortar casino craps, because everything is programmed: the dice can produce faster results and the bets are processed instantly. Online craps is best suited for those players who want to win and lose money fast.

Image Credit: http://www.funonlinecasinogames.com/images/craps.jpg

Slot Machine Winner: You could be the next

2009-07-30T05:33:00.000-07:00

Playing your favorite casino game gives a lot of entertainment, whether online or offline. There have been many news about casino winners, and sometimes we think that we should be the next to win. Here is a recent winner on Online Slots. You could be the next one.

July 24, 2009 - Intertops Red online casino was just launched two weeks ago. Within just a small span of time, there emerge a new online casino winner! The amount of jackpot won is a massive $200,090 and payed by the Intertops Red online casino to the player named "Christian T". Intertops has a reputation for quick processing. Christian started with only $300. He was just enjoying the T-Rex slot machine, and his win reached the amount of more than $70,000. He said that he was deciding to take a break, but after a while, he realized that he would want to go on winning and then, finally, he ended up with $200,090!

Read the full news at Glowing Casino.
Image credit: New Slot Machines

The Rise of Online Casino Games

2009-07-21T02:51:00.000-07:00

With the advancement of technology, people have found many ways of using it in many things. Technology is mostly used to make the lives of the people easier. That is why playing on casinos became a lot more easier and convenient, thanks to the help of technology.

When casino was introduced to people, it did not take a long time for people to accept and patronize this gambling house. Thus, it became a favorite to a large quantity of people. Nowadays, playing on casinos provide gamblers with entertainment and fun, plus an additional source of money. Most of the time, these gamblers go home with their pockets empty, or at least they have enough money to go home through a bus. But this does not stop them from coming back and play more on their favorite casino games.

Casinos provide gamblers with many varieties of casino game. These gambling houses are widespread throughout the world, but most of the time, the gamblers have to travel distances ranging from a block through a hundred miles just to play casino. But now, with the help of the Internet, the gamblers have another venue to practice, play, or compete with other players, through the online, virtual, or Internet casino games offered by casino websites. They just have to sit on their favorite chairs and enjoy their casino games while staying at home.

Games at casinos online are categorized into three types based on their interface. The first are web-based online casino games which do not need to be downloaded on your computer and can be played on your browsers directly, but may require some browser plugins. Download-based online casinos are games which can be downloaded for free or with software payment in order to play offline. Lastly, live-based casino games are games where you can play with other gamers online.

The most famous casino games are also categorized into games of luck, games of skill, and combination of both luck and skill. Games of luck includes those games whose winning criteria are based on random means. These include the roulette wheel, slot machines, bingo, keno. Games of skill are those which require skills in order to win the game. These includes blackjack, poker, and texas holdem poker. The games which includes combination of both luck and skills are craps and baccarat.

Online casino games uses technologies and advanced graphics which provides the players with the same ambiance and excitement they experience in the brick and mortar casino games.

The Roulette Wheel is characterized by a wheel with sections containing two or more different colors and numbers. A player can choose to place his bets on either one or more numbers, the color red or black, or whether the number is odd or even. The wheel is spun in one direction and a small ball is rolled opposite of the direction of the spin. When the wheel stops, the winning number and colored combination is determined by the wheel section where the ball lands. Roulette is the French word for "wheel". Online roulette wheel games use a simulated "wheel" which "spins" virtually and produces random results. Betting rules of its real-life counterpart are also applied in these games.

The Slot Machine is the simplest of all casino games. It is characterized by a machine with a mechanism such as a button or a lever to spin the reels with different symbols. The prize is based on the patterns of the symbols when the reels stopped spinning. Older versions of slots had a lever on one side of the machine and gained the reputation of "one-armed bandits", because slot machines have the ability to make a player penniless. Online slot machine games provide players with an interface with virtual "reels" which will spin when a button is clicked or a simulated lever is "pulled-down" and can also produce random patterns of images.

Bingo is a game of chance where the player is given one or more 5x5-matrices which contains randomly selected numbers. The matrices are available as a printed paper or card stock on land-based casinos and as an electronically represented number matrices available to the computer screen. These matrices are referred to as "Bingo cards", or just "cards". Each of the five columns have 5 numbers sorted vertically with the lowest value on the top and the highest value on the bottom. The first column (labeled "B") has the values ranging from 1-15. The second column (labeled "I") has values ranging from 16-30. The third column (labeled "N") has values ranging from 31-45. The fourth column (labeled "G") has values ranging from 46-60. And the last column (labeled "O") has values ranging from 61-75. The first player to form a certain pattern wins a prize based on the pattern he formed.

Keno is a game which is similar to a lottery game and bingo. The player will choose up to 20 numbers, or spots, on their keno tickets which contains numbers from 1 to 80. 20 numbers are drawn randomly, and if a drawn number matches any spot the player had selected, it is called a "hit". The prize is based on the number hits the player obtained. This game is mostly used for fund raising and charities. Most online keno games use an interface with a matrix containing numbers from 1 to 80 where they can click their selected spots, or auto-select their numbers randomly. The system will then "draw" 20 numbers randomly, and the winning numbers are also displayed on the matrix. If there is a "hit", it is often emphasized and highlighted. The number of hits the player obtained and the payouts are also displayed on either sides of the matrix.

Blackjack is one of the most commonly played casino banking game in the world. This is played by one to seven players against a banker from behaind a kidney-shaped table. The main objective is to get a higher card total than the dealer without going over 21. The player can "hit" or take another card just to get a hand close to 21. Online blackjack games usually use an iterface which resembles blackjack tables at land-based casinos. This is to provide players the same ambiance as the real-life blackjack.

Poker is characterized by betting rules and hand rankings. It is started with a primary bet, which will go to the left. Each of the players must match the previous one, otherwise, he will fold and lose all the bets he made and the further bets of other players. The last player whose bet are not matched will collect the pot, no need to present his cards, and the next round will begin. If more than one player remains at the end of a betting round, those players will present the cards in their hand and evaluate the hand rankings. The player with the best hand wins. Most online poker games have an interface with an oval table and up to 10 seats around where the virtual "players" (real people also playing online or computer players for practice) are "sitting" and playing the game.

Texas Holdem Poker Set is a famous variant of poker. The game starts with the players holding two cards each. The dealer will place up to three cards, face up. In each of the cards being placed, the players have the option to match the previous bet or to fold. The hand ranking of each player depends on the two cards they have plus the three face-up cards placed by the dealer. The winner is the player with the best hand.

Baccarat is usually characterized by two or more punters playing against the banker. The winner is the player who has two or three cards with the last digit of the sum of the values on these cards is nearest to nine. Two cards are first given, but the players have the option whether to ask for another or not. Both luck and strategy is required in order to win. The interface used by most online baccarat games contains a semi-circular table, similar to land-based baccarat, where the players can play agains the virtual "banker" at the center.

Craps is a dice game played by one or more players competing against each other or against the bank. When the dice are rolled, the value on the top-facing side of the two dice are added, which is called the dice outcome. If the result of the first throw, called the come-out roll, is 7 or 11, the dice shooter wins. A come-out roll which results 2, 3, or 12 makes the shooter lose, but he still rolls the dice. When any number aside from the mentioned values is the result of the first throw, then that number must be repeated in order to win. If a 7 is thrown after that number, then the shooter loses the bet. Online craps games use a simulated craps table similar to real-life craps where the players can place their bets.

Whether online or not, casino games still holds a high popularity and demand. The major thing that attracts the gamblers to play casino games is the excitement that they give and the huge amount of bonuses and prizes one can get from playing their favorite casino games.

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The Urge to Win on Slot Machines

2009-07-16T05:35:00.000-07:00

Have you ever played a casino game? Ever wonder why many gamblers still love these games despite of losing too much very often? Why is gambling considered as an entertainment? There are too many questions that are pointing to the attitudes of the gamblers. However, despite being questioned so much, they still love the games that can even lead them down to bankruptcy.

Gambling is now considered as an entertainment. Whether it is classic, traditional casinos, or gambling online, it is undeniable that there is an increasing number of people who considers gambling as a past-time and entertainment. Why is it so? Gambling gives them so much excitement because they do not know what will be the outcome of certain games they are playing. They are always trying to test their strategies, luck, and fighting spirit in these games. Thus, they always want to know if they will be lucky today or this week and if they will be hitting some jackpots and win some card games on the casino.

There are many different kinds of casino games. One of the most popular is the slot machine, or slot for short. This machine really attracts so many gamblers and gamers seeking entertainment and additional income. Slots are machines that are operated by a button, or a lever in older versions, which will spin three or more reels with different printed symbols. Most of these machines include a currency detector which scans and validates the coin or money inserted to play. When the machine stops spinning, the prize which a gambler can get from the machine is based on the patterns of symbols visible on the front of the machine.

Slot machines have the reputation of being the so-called "one-armed bandits". Why is it so? This is because the old versions of slots had a lever on one side which would spin the reels when pulled. But modern technology has redesigned slot machines in many variations, without sticking much on the one-armed-theme machine. Some have a button to be pushed in order for the machine to generate results. Even online slots have different designs. Whatever the design is, the major technology used in slot machines, nowadays, is the random number generator, particularly on online casino games and online slots. Therefore, it is beyond the player's control on what will be the outcome. Thus, everything depends on luck after the player "pulls that lever".

Most of the time, the machine seldom gives a winning combo. And if it hits a combo, the payout is still less than the total amount of coins the player has inserted in the coin slot. This results into the player leaving home with nothing, because he will eventually bet whatever he had left in his pocket in order to take back what he had lost in the machine. Thus, he is completely "robbed" by that "one-armed bandit". They really push their luck on these machines and hope that they would really go home with a bag full of coins.

Whether online or offline, gambling is like a magnet that draws the "metallic" desire of the gamblers to win more money. Once you get acquainted with it, it is not easy to break free from these "magnetic" casino games. It is advisable that the players must set a maximum amount to bet on the casino games and leave some amounts in their pockets so that not all of their already "metallic" coins and money will be drawn and completely taken away from them by the magnetic powers of these casino games.

Why is it that they still love gambling and playing casino games? Gamblers naturally have high winning spirits that keep them going on and on after losing so much on casino games that are based on luck. If this winning spirit and the luck of the player goes along with each other, then it is really a jackpot.

Image credit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slot_machine