Gambling

Video Poker is simply a combination of two popular forms of gambling: the slot machine with the poker game. Winning a game of Video Poker involves a combination of player skill with genuine luck, making it a favorite with players. The game of poker is thought to have originated back in 1830, where it is recorded as having been played by French immigrants living in New Orleans. Video Poker uses a version of the game called five-card draw poker. Meanwhile, the coin-operated card machine (known affectionately as a “slot”) was originally invented in the late 19th century, with poker machines appearing in San Francisco in 1890. These machines were very basic by today’s standards, using real cards rather than symbols.

The machines declined in popularity throughout the first half of the 20th century. Economic difficulties combined with the limited technology of the machines themselves meant that people just weren’t interested in playing anymore. A very primitive electronic poker machine was released in 1964 but achieved only moderate success.

It wasn’t until the mid-1970s that the Video Poker machine as we know it today became available. Advances in technology meant that a central processing unit (CPU) could be installed inside the machines to give them a “brain”, whilst a monitor transmitted the action to the player.

Meanwhile, casino operators searched for new high-profit games, and the combination of a slot machine with the more traditional game of five-card draw poker proved to be a winning combination of the old and new. The first Video Poker machine was built in 1976 by Bally Manufacturing. It was black and white only, but a color version followed just eight months later, released by the Fortune Coin Company. Over the next few years, computer chips became cheaper to mass produce, and more casinos introduced Video Poker machines as they became more financially viable. A version called Draw Poker was released in 1979 by a company now called IGT, and it achieved unheralded success.

Video Poker really took off in the early 1980s where it became popular in casinos across Las Vegas. Players found themselves far less intimidated by a machine than they were when sitting down at a table in front of others. The popularity of the game has steadily increased during the last quarter-century and it can now be found in the majority of casinos around the world, as well as in bars and on the Internet.

Online casinos have been flooding the online world lately. It seems that they have been trying very hard in attracting more and more players to try their luck at online casinos. They have been have been trying to think up of different offers to catch a potential player’s attention. One such promotion is offering different types of casino bonuses to get people into playing on their online casinos.

Casino bonuses are offers being given by online casinos that would enable a player to avail of bonus betting money to wager on the several casino games being offered. The amount may differ for different online casinos. Some may give out 25 to 50 dollar bonuses for a minimum bet. There are even some online casinos that can offer a 100 percent match bonus for every deposit that the player makes. This means that if the player deposits $100 o his account, the online casino will match that amount in full, making the player acquire $200 initial betting money on his account. There are also other casinos offering bonuses next to nothing, just to have people have a taste of playing online and possibly have them hooked to play some more later on.

Although you might think that this is easy money on your part, there are certain requirements that you have to follow in order to cash in on your proceeds. Online casinos have established these requirements as a safeguard to possible abusers of their offer. One of the usual requirements is that a player should wager at least 25 times the amount of deposit and bonus before being able to cash in. There are some games like baccarat, craps, roulette and even blackjack that do not count in meeting the required wagering provisions.

Casino bonuses can really attract players into getting started on online betting. They seem to want to avail of the extra amount being offered that would provide them with more betting money. It has made many people turn into regular online players and has done well for the online casinos. But there are also some people who have taken advantage of this offer in order to cash in on casino bonuses. These players, otherwise known as “bonus hunters”, take full advantage of the offered casino bonuses by opting to cash in on their winnings after all the betting provisions are met. Whether players may like it or not, these actions are strictly prohibited by the online casinos because it has been part of their conditions that players may only play for recreational purposes only. Online casinos are always on the lookout for bonus hunters. When caught, their promotional privileges are usually revoked.

If you do not want to be labeled as a bonus hunter and have your online privileges revoked, there are certain things that you should avoid. First of all, you should refrain from maintaining multiple accounts when playing in an online casino. Also try not to cash out on your winning before fulfilling the casino’s wagering requirement. You should also try to gamble normally. A sudden increase in the amount that you bet may make the casino throw a red flag at you. And last but not the least, make sure that you have the proper credit information given and avoid having irregularities on your credit card. Wrongful information may compel casinos to bar you from playing on their site and deny you the privilege of availing casino bonuses.

After completing the previous two articles about On-Line poker security, there were quite a few questions from readers that got me thinking about some areas that needed elaboration and possibly some viable, and free solutions, to help Internet poker players make their systems more secure by installing Microsoft Updates, if using Windows, and by suggesting a program that will handle and keep track of your passwords. This allows for the player to not have to possess a deep understanding of computers or operating systems and they do not have to make any alterations to their current operating system.

If the previous article, On-Line Poker Security II, has not been read, or a refresher ‘course’ is needed, it can be found here. There was no mention in the previous articles about system updates for Windows. The importance of these security updates cannot be stressed enough. There are several automated (or as automated as Microsoft can be) ways to receive these security updates or, if automatically downloading and installing is not preferred, then a notification can be sent to the computer. To choose the level of automation in XP, go to ’start’, ‘control panel’, and then ‘Windows Updates’. You will then be able to choose when and how you would like updates installed. In order to manually install these updates, go to Microsoft’s website and choose ‘express install’. This will list all security updates and critical updates. From here, choose to download and install the updates of your choice (should almost always be all of them) and the rest is completed by Windows. Make sure that your work is saved and be prepared to restart Windows in order for these updates to take effect. If these updates have never been installed on your computer before it could take a while, but after the first time, it usually will not take anymore than 20 minutes from start to finish.

Passwords were discussed in part II of the the previous set of articles. The ‘design’ of the passwords that are best to use are 7-10 characters, a mixture of upper case and lower case letters, numbers, and special characters. This ensures that a dictionary word cannot be used. The use of a passphrase was discussed in order to make remembering the password easier to remember. Another solution, that was not discussed, was software that keeps passwords for the poker player of all of his accounts, whether they are poker, rakeback, etc… related, in an encrypted database. This encrypted database uses one password to be viewed. Of course, with this one password there is always the risk of someone finding this password out and having access to all of your passwords. A solution to this is a ‘key’ that is placed on a compact disk/floppy disk, that can be used in conjunction with a password, or standalone, in order to open the database. This is ideal for those who want to have multiple passwords, user names, be able to create longer passwords, and be able to remember all of these details. One such program is KeePass. This is an open-source program that is free, in all uses of the word ‘free’, that not only will hold your passwords, but can also create passwords, allow the user to copy n’ paste the passwords, and is only available on your machine; i.e. the passwords are not uploaded to a website. The program is very easy to install, allows for multiple databases, has an active forum, and doesn’t require changes to the operating system or extensive knowledge about how the program actually works (but since it is open-source, it is possible to view how exactly it works). The KeePass home page is located at http://keepass.sourceforge.net/. After reading a bit more about it a link can be found to download it also. Make sure that it is only downloaded from links listed on their site.

The above two methods will not only help with securing your system while playing poker, but also help with all of your Internet security and can help prevent ‘leaks’ while you are going about your day to day computing.

Djibouti is a small, dirt-poor country in the Horn of Africa and as such, you wouldn’t expect the list of Djibouti’s casinos to be very long. You would be right in such a speculation for the list of Djibouti’s casinos is indeed short, totaling precisely one.

It is the Grand Casino de Djibouti and Sheraton Hotel, in the capital of the country, also called Djibouti. As the city, the county (or administrative area perhaps), and country are all called Djibouti, this means that the only one of Djibouti’s casinos thus has the unlikely address of Plateau de Serpent, Djibouti, Djibouti, Djibouti. Not all that important we know, but then it is interesting, don’t you think? As is right for such a powerhouse in the world’s listings of casinos, the Grand has two roulette tables, two blackjack ,and some 40 slot machines of various types.

The reality that Djibouti is unlikely to add to this list much in the near term seems a reasonable bet in and of itself. The country has recently finished a civil war between the two major tribes, the Afars and the Issas (originally a French colony, before being named French Somaliland it was known as the Land of the Afars and the Issas). The young men of each of the Afars were supposed to mark their entry into adulthood by killing one of the Issas, much as the Masai were expected to kill a lion. Given that their close ethnic kin inhabit the rest of Somalia, this might help to explain the problems the Americans had with their aid mission there.)

In common with other places ruled by military strongmen, whoever manages to get the most guns together to take over the State, the place is an economic mess. An unemployment rate of near 50% and near general destitution of the entire populace means that any list of Djibouti’s casinos is unlikely to expand any time soon. Two thirds of the population live in the capital city or just near it; almost everyone else being nomadic herders. The one casino that does exist is more a place where those very few who control the country can go to show off, rather than anything that we would regard as an interesting casino to visit.

In fact, given that the economy has shrunk per capita by 35% in recent years, both as a result of that civil war and the other wars going on in surrounding countries (the collapse of Somalia, the war between Ethiopia and Eritrea, the ongoing civil wars in Sudan), it’s actually a little surprising that the list of Djibouti’s casinos is as long as it is.

There is no one set strategy that suits everyone in poker. We’re all different, and if everyone could win by playing the same way, then poker would not be such a challenge, or as much fun!

Devising an Individual Poker Strategy for YOU

You need to work out a strategy in poker that is customised to your personality and this involves many things. Are you a tight player or a lose player? What game do you want to focus on - Texas hold’em, Omagh hold’em or another game? What is your bankroll? Do you want to play poker seriously for a living, or as a fun pastime? For big winnings at online poker, you will find below a simple six-point guide to forming your own individual poker strategy.

Poker Strategy #1 - Adopt the Correct Mindset

If you want to be successful in poker, then you must really have the desire to succeed. In fact, this is true not just in poker, but also in ALL areas of life. If you don’t have the desire to succeed from the outset, then you are probably not going to put in the required effort to earn those big winnings.

Poker Strategy #2 - Learn the Basics for Profit

How many players play poker online without knowing the basics of the game? The answer is the majority; don’t be eager to play until you know the basics. You need to learn all you can before you play including: Bluffing, pot odds, slow playing, rules and variations of the game and the game you wish to focus on. Sure, you can’t learn everything from books - you need experience as well, but you don’t want to gain experience without knowing the basics first, it will be more expensive!

Poker Strategy #3 - Have a Money Management Plan

How much money do you have to play poker with and what level of stakes should you play at? You need to decide this, and as rule of thumb, set a bankroll aside that will give you staying power of at least 200 - 300 bets. Don’t make the mistake of playing in high stakes games unless you have the experience and the money.

Poker Strategy #4 - Expand Your Knowledge of the Game

You will never know everything about the game; there is always something new to learn. Try to keep learning all the time, and have an open mind to new poker ideas and strategies. Do some reading at least once a month to improve your strategy.

Poker Strategy #5 - Focus on other Players

Poker is a game of psychology and you need to beat other players mentally. Keep in mind, that as we all know, the best hand does not always win at poker. Pay as much attention to the way your opponents play as your own play.

Poker Strategy #6 - Analysis Yourself

Continually, after each game, reflect on your own play. Don’t just analyse why you won, but why you lost as well. Why did your bluff not work? Why is your slow playing strategy losing you money? Keep thinking about what went wrong, what went right and how you can improve your overall play.

A Poker Strategy for Success

Not everyone can become a great poker player; life is simply not like that. However, we believe ANYONE can become a good poker player, i.e. win more money than they lose, but this is dependent on having an individual strategy for profit that reflects you.

Online casino is a derivation of the land-based traditional casino, also known as virtual casinos or gambling sites and providing diverse games or a single one depending on the website operation, franchise, etc. The online casino offers generally better odds than land-based casinos for games such as slot machines where the chances of winning are regulated by the house, the so-called house advantage.

On August 18, 1995 the world’s first online casino debuted, Internet Casinos, Inc. (ICI) operating with 18 different casino games and for the first time offering also online access to the National Indian Lottery. However, since the early days ICI operates out of the Turks and Caicos Islands, outside the United States to avoid government prosecution.

Also, in the mid 90’s, two other online casino’s made their debut claiming to be the first; The Gaming Club and Intertops casino and sports book, which in fact launched the first online sports book before Internet Casinos, Inc.. Building a reputable service with reliable payouts, high security, efficient customer support, and serving a large number of customers excited with this new gambling modality, the online casino succeeded.

The spring of 1996 brought into the gambling scene a second sports book planning to launch an online casino as they did. The Interactive Gaming & Communications Corp. (SBET), soon becoming a publicly traded company listed on NASDAQ. The financial success of this online casino is not only the internet, but also the acceptance of bettors’ sports wagers via telephone calls to Antigua on a toll free line via satellite.

Due the American gambling laws of regulations, the online casino industry has been developed mainly from the Caribbean Islands nations, as well as from Asian and European countries where even governments have also entered the business holding their own gambling sites, like Liechtenstein’s government operating an online international lottery, not only in German but in six different languages to drive international traffic.

Atlantis, was the first online casino based in Great Britain and licensed by the Isle of Man, an inspirational fact that made Sol Kerzner, its owner, develop a new concept in online gambling; the thematic online casino.

Today, this online casino has become one of a kind offering from five-figure slots payouts and progressives, offering free trips to Atlantis, the Paradise Island in Bahamas, and property of Mr. Kerzner. Atlantis was also the first casino recognizing the importance of players introducing the VIP program, exclusive for London Club’s Members.

According to Rolling Good Times Online, a popular gambling magazine, currently there are 452 gambling-related sites on the internet with thousands of subsidiaries, affiliates, franchises and co-branded sites, and the overall market for online gambling is estimated at approximately $49 billion worldwide on average.

For everyone who is not new to the world of lotteries playing lotteries in syndicate is a very lucrative option. Experienced players of this game stand by the benefits of playing lottery games in a syndicate. And when you get a chance to play lotteries in an online venture there are several other advantages that come along with the virtual system. There is no more standing in queue for procuring lottery tickets and since there are no lottery tickets the chances of misplacing the same is non-existent. Online lottery games are open to one and all and it can be played from anywhere in the world. While the best place to play lotteries is at the Virtual world direct.

Playing in syndicate has always been beneficial to all its members. The syndicate system of playing lotteries divides both the risk and benefits between the members. Over the time this has proved to be a very successful strategy. When playing at the e-lottery in a syndicate system there is 3,600% greater chances of catching a big win in the two of the world’s richest lotteries: the UK National Lottery and EuroMillions. The syndicate can be joined for as low as £5 a week.

The lottery syndicate association is not only a great way to achieve some extra income but it is also suitable to add in some regular cash to your monthly earnings. When playing alone the risks of the gamble is high and also you have to bear all that is at stake single handedly. But when an individual is in a group the chances of winning are increased. The e-Lottery Multi-Win Syndicate System can be played from anywhere in the world. The rules and regulations of the system are also very easy and can be checked online. When using the lottery syndicate as a business opportunity profits are generated on an ‘autopilot ‘ in regular basis. Playing effectively and with diligence can change your life for good. So if you are looking for a turning point in your career here’s a golden chance at the e-lottery, which offers best schemes and playing opportunities for world’s top most lottery games at The UK National Lottery and The Euro Millions.

All the fortune can be yours for only a petty sum of £5 per week. This trivial amount entitles you to participate in 88 UK Lottery entries. While adding just next £5 to it can increase your eligibility to play another 36 Euro Million entries. There is an additional attraction to the already handsome offers presented by e-lottery syndicate. Another enticement is that the chance of hitting a jackpot is not limited to only 6 or 7 there are total 5 numbers that make you eligible for a jackpot win.

Even if you miss checking your winning entries regularly the lottery syndicate organizers will send you the draw results directly at your e-mail box. Also the hassles for collecting the prize money is reduced to a bare minimum, all winnings are deposited directly into your StormPay or Click2Pay. The system allows an option to receive rewards, if desired also through cheques. So there is no more beating around the bush searching for lucrative business or income opportunities. The ultimate place to multiply your worth is available at the e-syndicate lottery and this is one prosperous chance that should not be missed. For more information go to: http://www.lottery-vwd.com

The first week of the NFL season is in the books and what stood out was line movement. In short, the line movement went in the right direction, meaning the public and the sharpies were correct most of the time. This didn’t appear to be the case with the first game of the season, as the Steelers went from a 6 point favorite down to minus 1 because of the injury to Ben Roethlisberger. The Steelers won by 11, and the line movement was even incorrect on the total, which was bet down to 36 but sailed over the total.

However, the first Sunday was a very different story. Eleven of the first 13 NFL games were bet under the total with the line movement going steadily downward. And nine went under the total. What bettors were going by was past history: Defenses are ahead of the offenses this time of year, and games are more common going under the total. 3 weeks ago I wrote an article about how in Week 1 of the NFL preseason the unders went 11-4-1. That was the case in Week 1 of the regular season, as well. In fact, nine of the first 10 games Sunday went under the total.

The largest line movement on a total was the Saints/Browns game, which was bet down from 40 to 36. Everyone collected as the Saints won 19-14. This wasn’t a surprise as the Saints had a terrible showing offensively during preseason as they tried to get acclimated to a new playbook of head coach Sean Payton. And Cleveland had all kinds of injuries to its offensive line plus they were working in a very young quarterback in Charlie Frye. The Browns ended up with 186 total yards in the opener against what is expected to be a bad Saints defense.

There was considerable line movement for the under in the Falcons/Panthers game, going from 42 to 38.5. Both teams run conservative, run-oriented offenses that eat up the clock. Atlanta won the game 20-6 as Carolina could muster only 215 total yards (65 rushing). Not having game-breaking WR Steve Smith was a major blow to the Carolina offense, as well. This is nothing new as teams are generally slow to come together on offense throughout September.

In addition, the underdog covered 11 games this week. Dogs often bark loud the first two weeks of the NFL season as so many changes have taken place. Ten teams have new NFL head coaches. That’s a lot of new personnel and playbooks to learn. Speaking of playbooks, how about the Lions and new offensive coordinator Mike Martz? Neither team topped 265 yards as the ball-control Seahawks won (yawn) 9-6. Most remarkable about that game was Seattle QB Matt Hasselbeck, who completed 25-of-30 passes!

The Ravens’ defense, as usual, looked incredibly sharp, shutting out Tampa Bay and allowing just 142 total yards while forcing 3 turnovers! Getting Steve McNair makes this an interesting team to watch. McNair completed 17 of 27 passes for 181 yards and no interceptions against the league’s No. 1 defense from last season. RB Jamal Lewis looked strong, and the Ravens sacked Chris Simms twice and held Carnell “Cadillac” Williams to 22 yards rushing on eight carries.

One other thing to keep in mind is the Denver Broncos. Denver’s great running game was fine against the Rams, rushing for 161 yards, a strong 6.4 yards per carry. Yet, they lost 18-10 as Ram RB Stephen Jackson had 121 yards, 5.5 ypc. The goat was (who else?) Bronco QB Jake Plummer, who threw three picks and no TDs, reminiscent of the egg he laid in his last game that meant something – the AFC Championship home loss to Pittsburgh. When will Mike Shanahan turn to rookie QB Jay Cutler? I wouldn’t be surprised to see sooner than later, meaning before the end of the season. Good luck, as always…Al McMordie.

Practice makes perfect. It doesn’t matter where you go, or what you do, the only way you are ever going to get good at something is to practice at it. If you want to get the edge when it comes to online gambling, then you must practice. How can you practice without risking any of your money? It’s simple, play for free. Here are a few tips for getting the most from your practice sessions.

Tip One - Choose A Game That You Enjoy

If you do something you enjoy, you are going to do a lot better at it. I love to play Roulette because I know all of the rules, and its something I’m very familiar with. What game do you love to play?

Tip Two - Observe The Results

In real life casinos, observing results is pretty much a useless endeavour. However, observing results can be useful when it comes to online casinos. Since online casinos are run by programs, more often than not, patterns may start to show up. If you can guess what is going to happen, you have a big chance of winning.

Tip Three - Take Your Time

Making rushed decisions usually results in failure. When playing from the comfort of your own home, you can afford to take your time. Take advantage of this fact, and never rush when making decisions.

Practice for long enough, and you are going to get better. Therefore, I recommend getting as much practice as you can before playing for real money. Take advantage of free online casino games. They are not only fun, but they are also completely risk free!

As you are going to win less than half the hands you play at blackjack, you need to up your bet size on hands when you see the odds are in your favor.

If you want to win at blackjack you will need to learn how to double down and up your bet when the odds are in your favor to win longer term.

Lets look at doubling down in more detail.

While playing blackjack you may be dealt two cards of equal value.

This is a great opportunity and you can then split the cards and ‘double down’. This means that after you receive your two cards, you can add an extra bet, and have effectively two hands.

Sometimes and in some casinos, you can double down on anything in your hand.

In other casinos you have to have a ten or eleven to double down, however doubling down is a favorable rule to the player.

An even more favorable rule is when the casino allows you to double after splitting This really affects the house advantage.

Say you are playing blackjack at a table that uses eight decks, and allows you to double on anything. In this case the casino advantage has dropped to -0.55%. It’s almost an equal game.

There are additional rules for doubling that can reduce or increase the casino advantage. Here are two examples:

If you double down after splitting you will reduce the house odds .13 % to -0.42

If you double down on a 10 and 11 only – .21 so you increase the house odds to -0.76 Discover a basic strategy for blackjack, and use it to determine when you should double down or not.

The strategy must be based on the math and favorable rules. Why is doubling down is so favorable?

Because if you are doubling your bet when you have the best opportunity of beating the dealer and this is the real object of the game.

Knowing when to double down should be done when you know the dealer is weak. A dealer’s up card can indicate his probability to bust. See the table below!

Dealer’s Up card 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Ace

Bust % 35 37 40 42 42 26 24 23 23 17

So a dealer’s worst up cards are the two through six. These card will see the dealer bust more than any other up cards. Knowing this, you can double down and be successful.

How about doubling down when the dealer has good up cards? Say a 9 or 10? These are really more dangerous, but in the end can pay off. You wont be winning as much as when the dealer has smaller up cards, but if your strategy calls for it, double down here too.

Don’t be afraid of losing a double bet. If you are, you are at the wrong table, and move down to a lower table minimum. This is the right play if the time is right, so bet correctly and win. A common mistake some players make is doubling down with a bet less than your original one.

Why do that?

If you doubling down, you are pretty certain you are going to win.

So why win less than you can?

Again, if you are nervous about losing a double bet, move to a table who’s minimums suit you. There are also times when nothing works. It happens to everyone. Playing blackjack is a long-term play, and you have to see the big picture.

Doubling down will give you some odds advantage, and a chance to start winning. Stick with it.

Doubling down at the correct time is a good idea, good strategy, and can be extremely profitable.

Finally, if you fail to double down at the correct moment, you only increase the casino’s odds advantage against you.

Be positive, double down correctly and win!