Key Gambling » poker

Top gambling advice doesn’t come cheap

Brett — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 13:09:59 +0000

I’ve often been asked the question: what is the best advice you can give to help me make more money in an online casino? Well, if the truth be told there are a myriad of ways to make a ton of money at online casinos. You simply have to use a little smarts to make the most of your online gaming experience. I always like to advise potential gamers to do their homework before they just jump into the ocean of online casino kingdoms.

So here’s the first tip I’m going to provide you with: shop around.

There are so many online casinos in operation. Many of them are licensed, regulated and are responsible gaming operators. However, there are several online casinos that are not. In addition it is imperative that players shop around because everyone is competing for their patronage. In this vein, only the very best offers should be accepted. We’re talking about sign-up bonuses and promotional offers. If you’re going to deposit your hard-earned cash with an online casino –at least make sure that you’re getting your money’s worth.

This brings me to my next point: check out the wagering requirements. Just because they say you’re getting $500 with your first deposit of $200 or more, doesn’t necessarily mean it’s so. There are aspects involved in the fine print that need to be taken seriously. These include the fickle rules regarding which games you can and can’t wager on. It also tells you how many times you need to wager the bonus and/or deposit amount before you can claim the ‘free money.’

Another tip: practice, practice, practice!

I can’t stress it enough but play for free as much as possible. All top-class online casino operators offer their punters the option of flash (no-download) gaming as well as real-money gaming. The benefits of this are that you can actually gain invaluable experience by not spending a cent. It’s quick and easy and you don’t even have to provide any personal information and there’s no need for registration either.

My final tip is this – know your hand values

If you’re a poker, blackjack or baccarat player make sure you fully understand the hand values, the betting stakes and the rules of the games before you wager for real money. It’ll save you a mint in the long term.

Enjoy the gaming!

Players bracing for the UIGEA

karen — Sat, 22 May 2010 08:14:29 +0000

Placing a wager at online casinos for US based players is set to get a whole lot tougher in just a few days time. Unfortunately, the stage is set for that federal law signed in 2006 and known as the UIGEA to come into force on 1 June. This law prohibits the use of credit cards, checks and other financial instruments for online gambling transactions. The flow on effect of this law is intend to undermine on the online gambling industry. In other words, the law doesn’t actually make playing online illegal but just makes it more difficult. So it might not necessarily mean the end of online gambling in the States. There has, however, been a group of Democrats (lead by Barney Frank) advocating for certain online games to be legalized. Amongst them are online poker. The central pillar of his argument against the UIGEA is that the government is missing out on potentially millions of dollars of revenue that could be generated by the industry. So what do you think? Should the existing law take effect? Or should certain games like online poker be legal to create millions of extra dollars for the benefit of American citizens?
If you’re confused about what the UIGEA will actually do, here’s a good and straightforward explanation from the perspective of an online poker player.

Poker bots: good or bad?

karen — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 08:47:55 +0000

Personally, the jury is still out for me on whether poker bots are a good development or not for the online poker industry. In case you’re not familiar with the term, online poker bots are computer programs that help poker players to win based on the statistical data that is fed to them. It’s obviously argued by many that those players who rely on poker bots receive an unfair advantage over the others players at the table as they can dramatically increase your chances of winning. I agree to some extent. Why should I continue to play online when I’m probably playing against artificial intelligence? Not all online poker rooms allow the use of bots understandably so I tend to stick to these ones but it is very hard to detect the use of bots and enforce. On other hand, you could argue that bots aren’t perfect anyway and are only as good as the programmer who built them. There is a lot more to poker than just statistics and odds such as bluffing. Poker is an extreme complex game and it will be a long time until anyone can build a 100% effect bot. In any event, if you are planning on using a bot, you should read through the T & C’s carefully beforehand.

Let it Ride Poker

karen — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 05:00:37 +0000

Let it Ride Poker is another of the many poker variations circulating and is very similar to 5-card stud poker in case you’re familiar with that. It’s played with a standard 52 card deck and up to seven players. It’s like video poker in that you play against the pay schedule. In other words, the objective is to get a good poker hand (a pair of 10s or better).

The table is similar to a blackjack table and in front of each player are three circles marked with the numbers 1, 2 and $ where you place your three bets. You can take back the first and second bets you make later on during the game.

To start the game, each player makes three bets of the same amount and places them in the three circles (1, 2 and $). Each player is dealt three cards with the dealer receiving two community cards. The dealer does not have his own hand. Players must keep three cards face down on the table in view of the dealer at all time. After each player receives their cards, the dealer discards one card leaving two cards face down. Players are then allowed to check their three cards and have the choice of either taking back a bet in circle 1 or Let it Ride (hence the name). After all players have made their choices, the dealer turns up the first of the two community cards and is used as the fourth card for everyone’s hand. Again, players have the choice of removing the bet in circle 2 or Let it Ride. The second community card is then turned over so that everyone now has five cards in their hand and the dealer pays all the winning hands.

Here’s the paytable:

Tens or better 1 to 1
Two pair: pays 2 to 1
Three of a kind: pays 3 to 1
Straight: pays 5 to 1
Flush: pays 8 to 1
Full house: pays 11 to 1
Four of a kind: pays 50 to 1
Straight flush: pays 200 to 1
Royal flush: pays 1,000 to 1

Aces & Faces Video Poker

karen — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 07:23:07 +0000

If you’re a video poker player, maybe this one is for you. I quite enjoyed Aces & Faces because I like fast paced games. Plus it was really straight forward to play. It’s a video poker game loosely based on 8/5 Jacks or Better in case you’ve ever played that. There’s an increased payout for ‘Four of a Kind’ with Aces and Face cards (Kings, Queens and Jacks). The idea is to beat the computer with a better, more valuable hand and to do so you need to select the lowest numbered choice that you can from initial hand and ditch the rest. There are no wild cards. Check the payout table to see which hand combinations you need for maximum winnings.

Poker Joke

karen — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 08:33:27 +0000

Casino Jokes

I think it’s always a good idea to have a poker joke or two up your sleeve when you sit down to play a few rounds with mates – especially when you take that big fat pot.

Some people just seem to have a lot of luck. A friend of mine is one of those card players who can almost always draw whatever he needs to win a hand in poker, but loses big time at the races. I asked him about this once and he replied, “Well … they won’t let me shuffle the horses.”

I found more casino humor and jokes, and so can you, at the OCR portal. (Same one from ages ago, only now with a new look. Haven’t visited in a while and pelased to see it doing well)

Bwin – Here, There and Everywhere

admin — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 12:22:57 +0000

I got to hand it to Bwin. More than an online poker room, they are true leaders in body and spirit (and website) of the industry as a whole.

For instance, this recent legal issue with Portugal. Although the legal challenge by the poker company has ended in a loss (for now), they were those to challenge the Portuguese government. Masters of poker strategy as they are, I am quite confident this move will turn out to be good for all of us eventually.

The Bwin Group offers more than Online Poker though. Bwin operates sports betting, casino games and soft games too.

Seat is Saved for You
In a visit to the Bwin site, where the online poker software can be downloaded, one is struck with the cool graphics and design of the site. You want to click on these opportunities that wait for you – $1000 welcome bonus here, some Grand series of Poker III there.

But scroll down and see this cool invitation to Take Your Seat. Hover with the mouse cursor over the empty seat atr the realistic poker table and click. You’ll reach the poker school, only this time you’re not behind a school table or studying for a boring exam – you’re at the Bwin school of poker.

Very sweet. And kudus to all Bwin is doing on and off the poker table.

Everyday Poker Jargon

karen — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 11:12:48 +0000

Most non-poker players probably don’t even realize how much poker jargon they use in their everyday life. I came across this list the other day and found it quite amusing just how widespread and popular poker jargon actually is. So many poker phrases have become a part of our culture and are used in daily conversation without being aware of their origins. So here are a few of the more common ones for you to ponder …

Ace in the hole – In poker, this means that you are holding the Ace, giving you an advantage but in everyday life, it means having something that will give you the upper hand in a certain situation.
Beats me – I love this one! I bet it never in crossed most peoples’ mind that this originally came from poker. Anyway, in poker it means a winning hand but in everyday use means something that baffles or puzzles you or that you are at a loss to explain or understand something.
Call one’s bluff – Whilst in poker, you ‘call a bluff’ when you call against another player who is betting as if they have strong cards but actually have weak cards, in everyday life, ‘calling the bluff’ is almost like accusing someone of being a liar.
Under the Gun – In poker this means being first to act in a pot pre-flop but in everyday life, it gun means being under pressure.
Poker face – I reckon this would be the most commonly used one. In poker, we all know that you need to keep a face that won’t give anything away about your cards and if you can do this they say that you have a poker face (something I still aspire too lol). But in everyday life, the term applies to people who can keep a bland facial expression even when they are guilty (or excited) about something.
Up the ante – You up the ante in poker by betting more and making the pot bigger. In everyday life, to up the ante is to risk more so that you can reap more profits.
When the chips are down – In everyday life this means when the pressure is on or the situation is urgent or critical.

I wonder if poker jargon is actually more popular than the game of poker itself …