Luck Based Online Casino Games

October 27, 2011

Online casino games can be classified into two categories: luck and skill based. The best online casino games are not always the games with the best odds. In skill based games the odds that most people list are the best possible odds based on playing perfectly. Blackjack is a good example. Most casino gamblers will say that Blackjack has a house edge of .28% and this might be true for them. If you had never played Blackjack before and were just thought the basic rules and objectives what you do think the house edge would be? It could easily increase to 30-40%, which would make it the worst game at the casino.

Luck based games like scratch cards and Roulette are different. When you play scratch cards you cannot possibly make a mistake. Nothing you can do will decrease your odds of winning. Some of you may be wondering why I am using scratchcards as an example. The common belief regarding scratch cards is that they are sucker bets. If you are referring to the cards sold by your local government lottery agency you would be correct. You may as well throw your money away. The scratch cards that I am talking about are the ones available online.

Online scratch cards can also be classified into two categories; generic and interactive. Generic scratch cards are usually available on a very limited basis at online casinos and you will simply use your mouse to scratch off the card. These are typically boring and not very popular. The new interactive scratch cards involve much more and have excellent odds.

At 888games.com less than half of the scratch cards are even remotely comparable to what most people are familiar with. They are more like new casino games than updated versions of an old casino game.

As a 100% luck based game scratch cards are ideal for recreational and inexperienced casino gamblers. They remind me of the cool games that people play for fun online to pass the time. The house edge will vary from game to game but luckily 888 Games allows visitors to play their scratch card games without downloading or signing up for an account. These games are fun to play when they are played for free so it will not take you long to get a feel for which games have great odds.

Once you have found a few scratch card games at 888games.com that you like to play you can opt to signup, deposit and play for money. This game site is offering some cool promotions including a free $5 to new players. When you make your first deposit 888 Games will give you even more money. There are some minor clearance requirements so you cannot simply receive a bonus and cash it out. They would have gone out of business a long time ago if they let people do that.

Visit the 888games.com web site and play a few of their scratch card and other online casino games through your browser. If you enjoyed the games and want to play for real money there is a section on their web site that explains how you can receive the free $5 just for creating an account.

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Real Money Online Roulette Tips

September 17, 2011

Online Roulette players can improve their odds of winning money when they follow the tips in this post. Obviously Roulette doesn’t have any complex strategies like Blackjack but you can increase the chance of winning none the less. When you play real money online Roulette you should be aware of the version that you are playing. There are two main versions of online  Roulette and the difference in the odds is vast. I will discuss these two variants and offer a couple more Roulette tips that will help you when you play online.

Single Zero Vs Double Zero Roulette – Tip #1

The house edge on almost every bet at a double zero (American) Roulette table is 5.26%. This basically means that on average a $100 wager will pay out $94.74. The more popular single zero Roulette game’s house edge is 2.63%. When it comes to casino gambling you want to play the games that are as close to 50:50 as possible. Vegas casinos tend to offer both Roulette versions but restrict the single zero game to medium and high stakes bettors. I’ve never been a fan of this policy because it gives well bankrolled gamblers an advantage over everyone else.

Online casinos are different though. You will not have any trouble finding a single zero Roulette table that has a minimum bet of $1 or less.

Bankroll Management For Online Roulette – Tip #2

Proper bankroll management is just as important in Roulette as it is in poker. You should always play within your means. In this case bankroll management has another definition. You should set strict goals when you play Roulette for real money. As with any casino game you will lose all of your money if you play long enough. Knowing when to quit when you are head and cutting your losses when Lady Luck isn’t smiling at you will help you win more money.

$200 bankroll:

  • With a $200 bankroll you should be placing wagers of $5 or less on the 1:1 bets like Red/Black and Odd/Even. Your maximum limit for single number bets should be $2 or less.
  • Goal: If you are having a good run at the Roulette table it is important for you to know when to walk away a winner. I typically end my session if I have won 50%-100% of my bankroll. So if you sit with $200 a good goal would be $300-$400. If you think that your luck will hold you should at least lower the amount of your wagers so a bad streak will not eat too much of your profit.
  • Cutting Losses – Every real money Roulette player has experienced a bad run. Sometimes you just can’t seem to win anything. I always suggest that players should walk away if they have lost 25% of their original bankroll.

When you are down never increase your bets with the goal of winning your money back in mind. If anything you should lower your bets and see if your luck changes. Online Roulette is perfect because you can place wagers that are 90-99% lower than you can at brick and mortar casinos.

Speed Control in Roulette – Tip #3

Online casino software usually boasts an option to customize your speed. When you play at extremely high speeds it can cause you to lose perspective on your winnings or losses. Live Roulette has an average speed of around 25-40 spins per hour. Internet Roulette players can easily clock in at around 500-750 spins per hour.

You should be very cautious when playing at these speeds. Online Roulette players have been known to develop something like tunnel vision and they lose track of their bankroll rules and objectives.

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Online Casinos For Americans In 2011

July 30, 2011

American casino gamblers are welcome at many online casinos but there are also many that do not accept them.  Casino portals do not help matters much since some of them contain outdated information. Online casinos that accept real money wagers from U.S. citizens are the minority so it can take a decent amount of effort to find a good one. You also have to consider the casino’s reputation, fairness, banking options & speeds and the overall quality of their service.

Online casino gamblers from the USA are more at risk to scams than Europeans. If an online casino refuses to pay an American jackpot winner he or she will not have many options because online gambling is still in a grey area of the law. In this post I will list the most popular Internet casinos that accept U.S. gamblers. These casinos pay good money for web sites like this one to send them players so you shouldn’t take my word for it. I will list the best U.S. online casinos and offer some tips on how you can independently research these casinos yourself. This way you will have the necessary knowledge to determine if a casino is safe or not.

The Top U.S. Friendly Casinos Online In 2011

Cherry Red Casino – The Cherry Red Casino has only been around for several years but during that short time they have become one of the top destinations for American casino gamblers. I believe their popularity is in large part due to their bonuses and promotions. Their VIP rewards program is much more than the generic comp point system. The benefits include special bonuses, cashback offers that will grow as your VIP level increases and the ability to get more cash for your comp points.

Slots Jungle – Don’t let the name fool you, Slots Jungle offers much more than slot machines. Granted, their slot games and slot based promotions are without rival but they offer just as many table and video poker games as any other online casino. They provide specially formatted bonuses to Blackjack, video poker and slot machine enthusiasts. Their slots tournaments are available every day from 11:00 am to 7:00 pm ET. Other online casinos run slot tournaments but Slots Jungle holds the title for the most and the best.

Casino Titan – This casino dabbles in everything. They might not be able to match the bonuses at Cherry Red or the slots tournaments at Slots Jungle but their special events and promotions are very well rounded and all types of players will find them appealing. Their banking service is one of their major strengths. Super-fast cashouts and simple deposit methods are more important to the average U.S. casino gambler than a deposit bonus and Casino Titan scores high marks in that department.

Casino Fairness & Safety -Find Out For Yourself

Online casino portals, also known as affiliate web sites, usually feature the casinos that offer them the most money. It has little to do with the actual quality of the casino. It wouldn’t be in their best interests to promote a shady casino but that doesn’t mean that they do any research on the ones they list on their web sites. I will teach you some of the tricks I use to find out if a casino is safe to play at.

The first thing you want to look for is a certification seal located towards the bottom of the casino’s homepage. There are several different fairness agencies out there. Technical Systems Testing and eCogra are the most common. Sometimes the casinos will just display the seal and other times they will link the seal image to their certification page which lists the payout percentages for their games.

There are several major watchdog communities out there that monitor casinos and ban them if they have any serious issues. By doing a Google search like “XXX Casino scam” or “XXX Casino ripoff” you will find any negative feedback from other players, if there is any.

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Online Blackjack Vs Slots

July 22, 2011

Blackjack and slots are the two most popular games at both brick and mortar and online casinos. The Blackjack vs slots debate may seem one-sided at a glance but there is more to this than meets the eye. Online Blackjack sites will claim that Blackjack has a much lower house edge than slot games. This is certainly true but there are other factors that need to be looked at. In this post I will compare these two popular casino games. After reading this article you should have a better idea of which game offers you the best chance to win money.

Online Blackjack Vs Slot Machines – Making A Profit

The house edge for a casino game is an important statistic to know but a lower house edge does not always mean that you will have better odds of winning money. The house edge for online Blackjack will change from casino to casino. There are many Blackjack variants out there and each one offers different odds. The house edge for Blackjack should be around .5%.  Some slots gambling sites feature games with low house advantages but nothing close to .5%.  A good slots game will have a house edge of 5% or less but some can easily be in the double digits. Based on the statistics listed above you would lose $.50 for every $100 you wager in Blackjack and $5 on a slot machine. Clearly Blackjack is the more profitable game, if you only considered the house edge but that can be very misleading.

If you only have a basic understanding of Blackjack strategies you will not receive these excellent odds. Slot games do not typically require any decision making that can alter the odds. A slot machine that will typically earn the casino $5 for every $100 wagered can easily be more profitable than Blackjack if you deviate from the accepted Blackjack strategy, even if you only do so 5% of the time.

Everyone is different so it would be impossible for me to tell you which game is better for you. I do know a way you can find out without having to risk any money though. All online casino sites allow you to play for fun money. Play Blackjack and the slot machines to see which one yields better results. It may take many sessions to get an accurate picture but in the end you should have a clear picture which game is best for you.

The slot games at an online casino have one additional advantage over Blackjack. When you make a deposit at an online casino you will receive a bonus. Some casino sites will give you a bonus on every deposit you make. These bonuses can make all of the difference in the world to your bottom line. In order to cash these bonuses out you will have to wager a certain amount of money. A good example would be 60 times the amount of the bonus.

If you wager $500 at a slot machine that will usually count as $5600 wagered. The same cannot be said for $500 in Blackjack wagers. Blackjack’s low house edge will come back to haunt you when it comes to clearing your bonuses. Some casinos will count that $500 as only $25 wagered (5%) due to the low edge. Other casinos may not Blackjack wagers at all. I personally like to play a healthy mix of both Blackjack and slots.

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Online Blackjack For US Citizens In 2011

April 26, 2011

You may have heard that many US poker rooms were shutdown a couple weeks ago.  Why did the U.S. government shutdown US poker sites and now casinos? I do not know the answer to that but as a US citizen and blackjack player I really don’t care. I actually play most of my blackjack at a poker room though so I am glad this poker room did not get shutdown. My blackjack palace is Lock Poker. Blackjack card counters can stop counting cards if they play here. I say this because the odds are so great. The house edge is lower than other casinos. Lock Poker offers blackjack as a perk to poker players so they do not need to squeeze every dime out of their casino.

When Pokerstars shut down I was pretty worried. When Fulltilt Poker shut down I was very worried. When I heard that Bodog closed to US players I was frantic with worry. Luckily that last rumor held no truth. Bodog is the open to US players. I play blackjack there every now and then but I main bet on sports there.

Lock Poker offers 2 casinos, one in the poker software and another web based casino. The poker software based blackjack is the best one to play at. The software is actually better than most casinos. I am offering the following bonus at Lock Poker:

  • 35% cash back / rakeback
  • 200% bonsu up to $1,200 – Easy to clear!
  • Tournament tickets

Lock Poker is the only US poker site to feature the game A-5 triple draw. It is not a very common game but I do love it. The only other US poker rooms worth mentioning are Betsharks Poker and Betcord Poker. If you opt to play blackjack at Bodog poker you will receive a 10% instant bonus and a 100% bonus with a $1,000 cap. Use the links below.

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Best Baccarat Gaming Sites Online

March 21, 2011

Baccarat is a unique casino game. You will find Baccarat at most of the best  gaming sites.  This includes online casinos and poker rooms that have casinos built in to their software. Baccarat is also very popular at brick and mortar (live) casinos around the world.  There are two major reasons for Baccarat’s popularity amongst recreational and serious casino gamblers around the globe:

* Extremely low house advantage
* Obtaining the best odds requires no skill

Baccarat is a much easier game to win money at when compared to a game like Blackjack. The house edge in Blackjack can be twice as low but to achieve those odds you will need to play perfectly, Baccarat is different. You just place your bets and that is virtually it. You will not have to make any decisions that you could make a mistake on and lower your chances of winning.

The best Baccarat sites use the Punto Banco rules system. This is the most common way Baccarat is played. The house advantage for this game depends on what you bet on. You only have three betting options in Baccarat:

* Banker
* Player
* Tie

When you place a wager on the Banker’s hand the house edge will be 1.17%. Bets on the Player’s hand have a house advantage of 1.36%. The Tie bet is the least popular as it has a house edge of 14.12%. The Tie bet pays 8:1 and the other two bets pay 1:1.

You may be wondering why anyone would ever bet on the Player since the odds are slightly lower. When you bet on the Banker and win the house deducts 5%. This does not happen when you bet on the Player and win. This helps to even things out. The Tie bet is usually only made by amateur and recreational players. With an 8:1 payout it isn’t too bad of a longshot bet though. I usually place a small Tie bet every 10-20 games just to spice things up.

Where To Play Baccarat?

This is a difficult question to answer because I do not know you. Personal preferences and your location are going to be the deciding factors. Some online casinos and gaming sites do not accept real money players from the USA. Europeans can play at both the US casinos and the rest but some players prefer to stick with the big name online gambling companies in their country, especially people from the UK. here is a list of the best Baccarat sites. I will list the best US friendly site and the top international site for Baccarat.

Bodog – The Bodog Casino is popular around the world and is one of the leading Baccarat sites for Americans. Their casino software is more advanced than the average online casino. You can also play poker and bet on sports at Bodog so they are a great “all in one” gaming company.

Bet365 – Bet365 is one of the United Kingdom’s most prominent gambling companies. The table games, including Baccarat, at the Bet365 casino have one of the highest payout percentages (97.04%)  around. This is tested and certified every month so they are a very safe and trustworthy casino.

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Echecks And Online Gambling

February 12, 2011

Finding reliable deposit and withdrawal options is the online gambling industries most challenging job. Many poker rooms, casinos and gaming sites have found that echecks are the best solution there is. It is a costly business though. The banks that process these high risk transactions charge enormous fees and most online gambling sites just cannot afford to pay them. Some pass the entire fee onto the player, others split the fee and a select few take care of it all.

Finding respectable online gambling sites that accept echecks is not too hard though. In the poker industry for example the big rooms like Pokerstars and Full Tilt Poker accept echeck deposits and process cashouts the same way. Only the largest and most popular gambling sites offer this method so you just have to stick to the largest sportsbooks, casinos and poker rooms.

That is always a good choice anyway as they typically offer the best gaming experiences. Let’s take a look at what e-checks are and how they work.

A Guide To Echecks

To make an e-check deposit you only need a checking account. They are like direct deposits. Gaming sites typically credit your account with the money right away despite the fact that it won’t be taken out of your checking account until 3-10 days later.

They are basically just digital checks. If you have ever had a Paypal account you will have experience with them. People often confuse echecks with bankwires. The seem very similar but they are handled completely different by banks.

One of the things I love about echecks is the speed. A bankwire cashout can take 1-2 weeks to be credited to your account. Echecks can take as little as 24 hours.

Gambling online is not “illegal” for the most part. It falls in a gray area of the law. The only concrete law concerning online gambling is the UIGEA. This law basically says that it is illegal for US banks to process transactions to and from internet gambling companies. This law was passed years ago and the banking industry has basically just ignored it because there is no way that they can enforce it.

That doesn’t mean that you will never have a problem with an echeck deposit or cashout though. The US government shuts down e-check processors on a monthly basis. During these times it can take over a week for the gambling company to find a new processor and send the money to you again. It’s basically just a token show of enforcement but it can wreak havoc amongst online gamblers that are counting on getting an echeck cashout in the normal timeframe.

Like I said though, it is rare. For every 1,000 echeck transactions only a few are delayed. So all in all the echecks  are the best overall deposit and cashout option in the online gambling industry in 2011.

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Australian Sports Books – Casinos – Poker Rooms

January 29, 2011

If you are an Australian citizen and want to gamble online there is a new resource that will help you decide where to gamble and answer many of the commonly asked questions about Australian online gambling. This site is australiangambling.com.au and you won’t find a better guide on the internet in 2011. This site covers three major topics: sports betting, casinos and poker rooms. I will provide a basic overview of what this site has to offer for each topic. First I want to talk about the legality of online gambling for people that live in Australia. The government does not prosecute Aussies for gambling online.  It’s one of those things that aren’t exactly legal or illegal so use your own judgment. Millions of Australians gambling online in one form or another everyday so I don’t think you have much to worry about.

Online Australian Sports Betting

The site I mentioned above has an entire section dedicated to sports betting. Australian sports betting is one of the most popular ways to gamble online these days. Aussies love their sports and they love betting on them even more. This site features a list of the top Australian online  bookmakers which includes special bonus offers and current reviews.

Australian Online Casinos

There are many casinos online today. Most Australians have a hard time deciding where to play. Out of the three major gambling industries this one is the riskiest for uninformed players. 99% of the casinos on the web today are perfectly legit but that still means 1 out of 100 people will fall victim to a rogue casino. These rogue casinos will not just steal your money. The major issue is delayed payouts. When you hit  jackpot even the shadiest casino will usually pay you but it will take a long time.

That is why the web site mentioned above has provided reviews of the two safest and most respected casinos that accept Australian players. You can receive an exclusive deposit bonus when you follow the instructions found in each review.

Online Australian Poker Rooms

Australia has had it’s own online poker room for a few years now, just like the USA had in 2006. One of the largest poker tournaments is the Aussie Millions which was won by an Aussie named Stewart Scott. This few a lot of attention to online poker. Thousands of players from around the world played in this event but an Australian won it. That enticed many other Australians to signup at online poker rooms and try to win a seat at the Aussie Millions. This site has reviewed seven online poker rooms that accept Australian players. Each of them holds special satellites to the Aussie Millions and the other major live events like the WSOP. When you use the bonus codes listed in each review you will receive an exclusive bonus offer and tickets to freerolls.

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Virtual Horse Racing Betting Online

January 27, 2011

Virtual horse race betting is a relatively new way to gambling online. There are several benefits of choosing a virtual horse race track over a brick and mortar track. This guide will explain how virtual horse race betting works. Virtual horses never get tired and are ready to race 24/7. When I go to the local track I always hate waiting the 15 minutes between races. At virtual horse tracks the post time is whenever you hit the start button.

Another benefit to virtual horse tracks is that there is no “human element”. Everything is control by a computer program that is tested and certified by the respected third party companies. This means that you will never have to worry about  jockey “throwing a race”.

The best virtual horse racing can be found at Bet365, Paddypower and Betfair. Each of these companies have been in the online gambling industry for many years and well know for being fair and trustworthy.

How Does A Virtual Horse Race Work?

Virtual races work in much the same way as live horse races only everything is controlled by a computer program. You can place the same type of wagers that you would at a live race track. I won’t get into how all of the bets works because I’m not really qualified for that. When I wager at a virtual track I usually stick to making trifecta wagers.

Virtual Horse Betting Vs Live Horse betting

Apart from being able to wager on virtual horse races any time you want there are a couple other benefits. I can only speak for myself but when I go to a live track I get somewhat nervous when I go to make my wagers. There have been several times when I mistakenly placed the wrong wager because I felt rushed. Nothing is worse than having 15 people in line behind you with 1 minute til post time and not knowing exactly how to place your bet.

With virtual horse betting you an take your time. The race starts when you want it to. The companies that offer this popular service provide you with detailed instructions on betting so you can take your time and make solid wagers.

After your first month at a virtual track you will learn a lot about horse race gambling. The next time you go to the track with your buddies you can impress them with your new-found knowledge. It will also help you become a better gambler. You’ll learn more about how the odds work and hopefully win money in the process. Virtual horse betting allows you to wager small amounts so you can take it slow.

Payouts at virtual horse races can exceed £200,000 so even novices have a change to win big. All in all, virtual horse race betting is perfect for novices and professionals alike. They are very fun and the virtual track is never closed so you can gamble whenever you have the itch.

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The Ultimate Gambling Guide – MyPokerBasics.com

January 26, 2011

There are countless poker and casino guides on the web in 2011. Most offer little in the way of unique, useful information. MyPokerBasics.com is one of the few that focuses less on trying to make a quick buck and more on providing the very best poker and casino information on the internet. This web site covers everything from poker games rules to Live Dealer casinos. This review of My Poker Basics will give you a general idea of what this site has to offer.

The most notable aspect of this site is their huge selection of poker game rules, poker strategy, poker room reviews and poker news. Before you play poker at an online poker room you should definitely browse through this site. You will be surprised to find out that you can receive better than normal bonuses and other incentives just by using their exclusive bonus codes.

If you are from the United States of America you have probably had trouble in the past finding a room that will accept you. Even if you know of a couple there is a good chance that you will have trouble funding your account. MyPokerBasics.com solves this problem by featuring a list of poker rooms that US players can play at and will have no trouble making deposits.

If you have never played at a Live Dealer Online Casino you should check out their section devoted to these increasingly popular casinos. You can sit back in your computer chair and watch/talk to the dealer. It’s a lot like having a brick and mortar casino in your home 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Their top two Live Dealer casinos are well respected in the industry. One accepts U.S. players and the other one does not so it doesn’t matter where you live.

Another thing I love about MyPokerBasics.com is that they let you know which poker rooms and casinos are available for players using Mac and Ubuntu operating systems. This will save you hours of research when you feel the need to gamble online.

The news section at MyPokerBasics is updated everyday. This section of the site is perfect if you want to stay informed on topics like online gambling regulation in the U.S., big offline tournaments and general poker and casino news.

All in all, MyPokerBasics.com is the perfect general guide to online gambling. They cover everything so they can be your main source for everything related to gambling online.

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