Casino Games

Casinos have a visceral appeal. From the oxygen filled game floors, to the free-flowing alcohol, to the excitement of winning or losing everything on one spin of the wheel. Casinos have always been built on the palpable excitement inherent in the experience. Yet only a very small minority has been so lucky as to experience the thrill of a brick and mortar casino. Monte Carlo, Monaco, Las Vegas—they all have one thing in common other than the games. To get there you need to take a trip, which for many people can mean flight and hotel on top of what they’re willing to gamble in one thrilling night.

In the late 1990s, visionary entrepreneurs realized the potential the internet afforded them. Instead of bringing people to casinos through expensive incentives such as hotel rooms and meals, why not bring the casino to people’s homes? The internet has not only made casinos accessible to a large portion of the population, but also reduced operating costs to such a degree that online casinos were able to reflect their savings in dramatically increased player odds.

In the process they were able to bring not only the games into people’s homes, but as technology has been steadily moving forward, and high end hardware has become more affordable, the online casinos have been able to create a living, pulsating and convincing simulation of the brick and mortar casino experience by utilizing state of the art graphics and sound, 3D technology, and high bandwidth to stream Live Dealer Casino rooms into people’s homes.

As the technology has improved, the variety of games and their quality has kept pace. Online casinos are leaders in technological innovation, and the software platforms of recent years support such a wide variety of games as to make traditional casinos seem puny in comparison. Options are almost limitless, with many of the better casinos online offering 500 or more games at any given moment—this is in addition to special tournaments, progressive jackpots that pay out astronomical sums, and VIP game rooms. To compare online casinos to their brick and mortar counterparts, has become almost unfair, as the sheer amount of options and games so far surpasses the traditional casinos as to make the comparison nonsensical.

If you’ve ever been to a brick and mortar casino, then you know what to expect, and you can dive right into the online experience. You will never look back. If, like many others, you’ve heard of casinos, but never been to one, you should take a moment to learn about the various different games out there—just so you don’t get overwhelmed by the sheer variety. This way you can also identify which games appeal to your particular playing style.

You might enjoy the flash and chance of Slots or you might be the type who revels in strategy and wants to learn the best way to beat the house, in which case you’d be a Blackjack player. Craps offers an altogether different experience—a hybrid of the excitement of chance and the interaction of knowing how to bet. There are games to suit all styles, so I will briefly outline them here. Once you’ve identified the games you would be most interested in, you will need to learn as much as you like about them.

SLOTS

Slots are simple and fun. This short explanation actually tells you exactly all you need to know about slots. They are the simplest of all the casino games. You insert your credits, you press the button, and you let Lady Luck do her thing. Any given pull might be the one that yields the big payout. People do win, and when they win they win BIG. The game is distilled down to the core essence of gambling. Never boring, slots are the staple of the casino world. In brick and mortar casinos slots are placed by the entrances to entice people to enter. The experience of playing slots online loses absolutely nothing in translation. It is exactly the same as playing in the casino floor—right down to the graphics on the machines.

The main reason that the game of pokies online has players returning again and again is the dream of winning that enormous jackpot. When playing at the online pokies in Australia, this dream does in fact become a reality for many players in Australia every year.

ROULETTE

Roulette is the iconic casino game. When one pictures the classy casinos of Monaco, the first image that comes to mind is high society high rollers in tuxedos and elegant women in flowing evening gowns. The spinning wheel and the little ball that makes or breaks fortune with a single bounce is ingrained in the mind’s eye of anyone who has ever seen it played in a movie. The online casinos have managed to bring the experience to life via state of the art graphics and sound. The digital experience is every bit as satisfying as its analog counterpart. Continue reading …

Basic Blackjack Strategy

Blackjack can be a fun and entertaining game played with the knowledge that the house has the edge, or it can be a game played for profit, with the use of a basic blackjack strategy wherein the player has the edge.

If you’re just getting started playing blackjack, or learning strategy, the following basic blackjack strategy is the perfect place to start.

Playing blackjack is gambling, and when you gamble there’s always a distinct possibility that you will lose, however there’s nothing wrong with putting the math to use on your side.

Basic blackjack strategy is easy to memorize, and available on strategy cards at most casinos. In fact, blackjack strategy cards used to come inside just about every deck of cards sold in stores.

If you’re using a blackjack strategy card you’ll generally scan the left side of the card until you come to your hand. Then on the right hand side of the card you’ll locate the dealers up card. Find the place where these two columns meet and you have the best action for you to take.

It‘s preferable however to memorize and practice some basic strategy, so that you don’t have to be the guy sitting at the blackjack table taking peaks at a strategy card (if they’re allowed at all).

Basic Blackjack Strategy – When to take a Card

 In the following situations the player will want to hit, accepting another card. These situations are based on a combination of the player’s hand, and the dealers UP card.

· When the total of the player’s two cards is 8 or any combination between 12 and 16 and the dealer is showing a 7, 8,9,10 or an ace the player should hit.

· If the player’s total of the players hand is 11 and the dealer has an ace showing, the player should hit, the player does not double down in this situation.

· When the players hand totals 10, and the dealer is also showing 10, the player should hit, this is another example of a situation where the player might mistakenly double down, when he should in fact only hit.

· When the cards in the players hand total 9 and the dealer is showing a 7, 8 or a 9, the player should just hit.

Basic Blackjack Strategy – When to Stand

A player that is content with his or her hand, or believes that the next card is likely to bust the dealer, will opt to stand, and not take any more cards.

· If the total of both of the player’s two cards is 17 or more, stand. Players should not take a card anytime their hand is higher than 16.

· If the dealer is showing a low card, 6 or lower, and the player is holding a hand higher than 12 (13 and up) the player should stand.

· If the player has a pair of tens, or two matching face cards the player should stand, the player shouldn’t ever split a hand totaling 20.

Basic Blackjack Strategy – When to Split

If a blackjack player has a pair, they are given the option of splitting that pair into two individual hands, and then playing the hands independently of each other. · Pairs of twos and threes should only be split if the dealer’s up card is a 4, 5, 6, or 7.

· Fives shouldn’t ever be split, if the dealer is showing a 10 or an ace, just hit them, if the dealers showing anything else, double these down.

· 6’s and 7’s should only be split if the dealers up card is a six or lower.

· Aces and 8’s should always be split, regardless of the dealers card if allowed (Some casinos or games don‘t allow aces to be split).

Basic Blackjack Strategy – Doubling your Bet

Blackjack players double down when they believe they have a good chance of hitting 19 or better and the dealer does not have a 10 showing.

Players should:

 · Double down whenever their hand totals 10, unless the dealer’s up card is a 10 or an ace.

· Double 11 unless the dealer has an Ace up.

· Double on 9 only if the dealer has a 3-6 up.

Because the dealer has to use a strict rule set when playing, regardless of your up card, using the above strategy tips will improve your overall ROI as a blackjack player.

The Jargon of Online Blackjack

If you’re ready to play blackjack, then you will really need to make sure that you learn the jargon of online blackjack before you do anything else. Thankfully, it’s really not hard at all to figure out all of the terms that you’ll see floating around the blackjack table. Knowing the terms of any game that you play is the basis of building the right strategy. You must make sure that you know what’s going on before you can get any further in your quest to have fun at blackjack online.

So, what are the terms, and what can they do for you? As mentioned earlier, it really is all about learning the terms so that you can build your strategy. As you get more interested in playing blackjack, you will naturally want to read more strategy guides and online community boards. People that have been playing blackjack for a while will use jargon freely, so you have to make sure that you know what’s being said. If you want to ask for help, knowing the terms will be one of the first requirements that veteran players will ask of you.

The terms are pretty basic, so let’s begin shall we?

The first set of terms is concepts you might already be familiar with, like hit or stand. These are two terms that will form the core of your gameplay, but they aren’t the only ones. Hit means that you are asking for another card from the dealer, and stand means that you’re going to keep the cards that you have. Naturally, if you know that you’re close to 21, you don’t want to hit — that would only work in the dealer’s favor.

You can also double down on your bet, which means that if you win against the dealer you will get double your bet. There is also the concept of insurance, which is simply a side bet that pays out if the dealer hits a natural blackjack. You don’t need insurance, but some players swear by it.

There is also the concept of going “heads up” — squaring off against the dealer, versus going against other players that are also going against the dealer. Gameplay does change when it’s heads up, so it’s important to make sure that you’re actually taking this into consideration.

Then there’s the concept of the true count, which is one of the hardest concepts to master. Indeed, you have to make sure that you are getting a real count of the cards in play, which might be a little tricky when it’s online. This is where an online community can help you sort things out, which is why it’s not a bad idea to make sure that you’re also part of a community when you start playing blackjack online. Most online casino houses will also have a forum or community attached to them for this reason — it makes the gameplay flow so much easier when you have a community to fall back on!

Overall, now that you know more of the jargon of online blackjack, there’s only one thing to do — play, of course!

Light Casino Games That You Should Check Out

It goes without saying that everyone jumps into the world of online casinos for different reasons. For some, it’s the thrill of learning something challenging that encourages them to spend their time at a casino. These are the people that generally are found within the poker or blackjack communities. These are both card games that are very mathematically oriented, giving people a very interesting challenge that must be soled over time.

On the other hand, what casino games are out there for people that aren’t interested in heavy math or challenges? Well, there are actually quite a few different “light” casino games that you should check out. This guide lists a few, as well as how to find out more information in a flash.

To start with, when the term “light” is applied to the world of casino games, it represents the fact that you will not have to deal with a lot of focus on logic and puzzles and challenges. You will be able to just spend time at the casino and have a good and entertaining day. For a lot of people, this is a far better experience because you won’t have to deal with the stress of trying to learn a lot of complex rules or deal with building a heavy strategy.

Light casino games that you should definitely think about checking out include keno, bingo, and slots. These are three games that will provide you with plenty of hours of entertainment, as well as being games that allow you to just focus on having a good time. Far too often, we try to go to an online casino to have fun, only to get caught up in trying to get way too competitive. Slots, keno, and bingo all offer ways to get back to the fun side of life without getting too serious about it.

When you’re ready to get started, you will want to look for the best casinos online that offer these games. Instead of trying to do all of the legwork on your own, you might want to actually check out an online casino directory that has already done the research for you and compiled a list of great casinos to check out.

If this sounds really easy to get into, that’s a good thing — it’s supposed to be that way! When you’re ready to get started, you’ll be in for quite a few hours of fun and entertainment — check it out today!

Gambling Games – The Best and the Worst Winning Odds

There are a slew of gambling games offered on the Internet and in addition, there are just as many casinos that want your business. While each casino is different, the odds of any specific gambling game remain the same. There are some with great winning odds for players and others that put gamblers in a difficult-to-win spot. If you are “in it to win it,” familiarize yourself with the games with the worst odds and the games with the best.

The Worst Odds – Poker

Although poker is an extremely popular gambling game, the odds of winning are not so appealing. In order to stand a fighting chance at the poker table, you will need ability to keep track of cards and recognize sequences. In addition, you must be able to “read” your opponents in order to determine if someone is bluffing. Combine those factors with the amount of competitors you will play against in a single game and the odds begin looking bleak.

The Better Odds – Craps

Craps is a well-established gambling game that many gamblers have enjoyed for years. With craps, there is no need to psychoanalyze your opponent, which eliminates a lot of playing and strategizing difficulty. But in order to make a craps game lean in your favor, you must follow certain rules such as correctly playing the pass line. Doing so will put the house at a disadvantage.

The Best Odds – Blackjack

Blackjack is the only card gambling game that allows players the opportunity to beat the house on a consistent basis. Just like craps, blackjack does not involve utilizing complicated gambling strategies. Your main goal is get a better hand than the house. Fortunately for you, the house is required to follow certain rules regarding when to stay or hit, which will put you at an advantage in every game

However, there is one main disadvantage to this ever-popular card game. If you become to skilled at card counting and the casino takes notice, they will most likely ask you to leave and not return. While this may seem unfair, it is not an illegal practice; the main goal of any casino is to win more often that its players in order to make a profit at the end of the day. So if you consider yourself to be a skilled blackjack player, be discreet when playing the game. Of course, this article is only meant as a guide. In the end, it is up to you to find the game you wish to play.

Tips for Winning at Blackjack

For those who know the basics of how to play blackjack, learning some new tips can help one enhance their blackjack game. Playing blackjack on an online casino is one of the best ways to hone your skills. Here one can play without being intimidated by experienced players one often faces in land based casinos. Also, many online casinos offer a practice mode that will allow one to practice. This is a great way to make sure you understand the game of blackjack prior to wagering your own money.

One good rule before playing is to determine your bankroll. This way you will make sure you are not spending money that you shouldn’t. When you’ve reached your limit, it is important to stop playing. Knowing your bankroll can also help you select an appropriate blackjack table. A good rule is to pick a table that has a maximum bet of no more than 5% of your total bankroll. This means you’ll be able to spread your money out over games.

In the game of blackjack, when it appears that the dealer could possibly have a blackjack, insurance is offered to players. This insurance does costs money. When playing online blackjack, always decline insurance. In the long run, it is not worth the money spent on it.

Splitting hands can be done in blackjack if the two cards you are dealt match. However, this does not mean that you should split every hand. Actually, only aces and 8’s should be split. Never split face cards or 10’s. When you have two of these cards you hand count is 20. This is only one less than the desired 21 card count. There are a lot of casinos out on the internet for playing blackjack. Search around before committing to an online casino and always read reviews about them.

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