How to win at Blackjack

Blackjack odds are some of the best odds in the online casino. You can improve the chances of winning by knowing a few little tricks. Blackjack is the most popular table game in the casino. This is because it is easy to understand and the player has some control. If the player plays correctly the house has a very small edge. The blackjack strategy card must be understood by any serious player. This card will tell you what to do with any hand in blackjack.

If the strategy card is followed exactly in a blackjack game with standard casino rules the edge against the player will be half a percent. These are great odds but the house still has the advantage. This means that although you can win in the short term with a few good cards, in the long run the house edge will eventually overcome.

In order to turn the online gambling casino edge into your favor you will need to understand what creates that edge. Card counting is simply keeping track of how many high cards and low cards have already been played and figuring out when you have the edge. All professional or serious blackjack players understand the math behind this.

It takes many hours of practice to become a good card counter. The more cards with a face value of ten that are in a deck the better the odds for the player. The basic principle is that you start with a count of zero. When each card with a face value of two though six is dealt, the deck has become more favorable for the player, so you add one to your count. When a card with a face value of ten or greater is dealt you subtract one from your count. There are more complex systems that give more weight to the ace, but this is a good system that will increase your odds.

A true count is achieved by dividing the count by the number of remaining decks in the shoe. Most casinos use a shoe with eight decks. In order to determine how many decks are left assume that each deck is about one inch thick. Once you’re true count has reached a total of ten or greater you have an advantage over the house. Once you understand how to count the next problem becomes knowing how to use the count.

When you are card counting you do not want to be obvious with your bets. The obvious way to bet would be to bet small until the cards are in your favor and then bet large. You need to slowly increase your bets as the count gets better and better. This system will take you hundreds of hours to master. In order to count cards without being obvious at a table with other players takes a lot of practice and concentration.

Online Slots

When playing slot machines at either a land based or online casinos there is no skill involved in pulling the handle or pushing the button. Understanding what the machine pays and what you goals are is what you can control. If you know what to look for you will enjoy your experience more.

Online gambling progressive slot machines are played the same as regular slot machines; the difference between them is in the payouts. Progressive slot jackpots are constantly increasing in value. The value of the progressive slot is usually displayed on a large board in traditional casinos and on screen in an online casino. In a land based casino these boards are hung above the bank of machines and can be spotted from across the casino.

Progressive slots machines are a pre-determined group of machines that are networked together. These machines do not need to be in the same location. They are often networked between several land based casinos or even online casinos. Every time a player makes a wager at any of these machines a percentage goes towards the progressive jackpot. The progressive jackpot is the largest payout at these machines and can be won at any slot machine that is part of the network.

The most important thing for the player to remember is that they must play the maximum amount of coins in order to win the jackpot. There is no reason to play a progressive slot machine if you are not going to play the maximum. Each winning combination on these machines pays slightly less than they would on a regular machine. They play slightly less because the extra money goes towards the progressive jackpot.

The progressive jackpot continues to grow until one player hits it big. After someone hits the jackpot, it resets and goes back to its minimum payout and starts to grow again. Payouts on progressive slot machines can range from a few thousand dollars to millions of dollars. The more difficult it is to win the progressive jackpot the more it will usually pay. This also depends on how popular the progressives are.

All sots work basically the same way. The differences are in the cabinet that they are stored in and the pictures on the screen. You simply add credits, insert your coins or add cash or maybe a card and then press a button. The button or lever activates the machine. All slot machines work on the same principle. A random number generator determines the outcome, and then the symbols on the screen represent this outcome.

Slot machines pay winners based on a payout schedule. A payout schedule is how much each winning combination pays. Some machines pay more on the smaller wins and less on larger wins. Others, such as progressives, pay much more on the top jackpots and much less on the lower winning combinations. You need to determine what your goals are. Are you trying to play for as long as possible, or are you trying to win the biggest jackpot? Reasons for Playing at a machine which pays more for lesser combinations is the fact that your chances of winning the large jackpot are a lot lower than winning smaller payouts.

How to Play Craps at an Online Casino

online casino craps a basic guide to playing craps online. These are the rules and strategies for playing craps online; you can always look at more advanced strategies once you have mastered the basics. Please feel free to wear a tuxedo and drink a martini while you play so you can feel like you are in a real casino.

Online casinos have offered craps since their inception. Craps history is longer than most of its casino game counterparts. Competing theories of its origins range from craps having roots in the middle Ages to being a Roman invention where Roman Legions made “dice” from pig’s knuckles. Thank goodness for plastic! The simple part about playing craps online is placing the bet, rolling the dice and seeing if your number comes up. The complicated part is the betting field. Looking at all the numbers, symbols and betting “lines” on the table can overwhelm even a seasoned player let alone a novice craps online player. While you are trying to learn the crap’s rules, playing online you can play for free at reputable online casinos. Because winning at craps online takes practice, practice, practice. While you are learning you can develop winning strategies without breaking your bankroll. Online craps is both simple and complicated at the same time. Choosing the basic betting options before you place a bet will enable you to increase your payoffs. You will learn how to play smart and manage your bankroll.

Online gambling players hoping to dominate the Craps table should be familiar with the 36 possible results of each roll before placing any cash on the table. Craps online is primarily a game of chance but there are a few secrets when you are placing bets. You should avoid placing bets which increase the house edge. Craps may look simple, but there is much more to this dice game than meets the eye. Players unfamiliar with betting types, game flow and odds may find it intimidating, if not impossible, to keep up with game action their first time at the craps online table. Playing craps online and in an old fashion casino is both fun and relaxing. But don’t be fooled into thinking that it isn’t also a serious, strategic game.

What is for certain is that there exist definite rules and betting tactics that demand players establish their own approach if they hope to win at craps online. Where craps was once considered a game for high-rollers, it is now available for all to enjoy thanks to the online casinos and home computers. Online craps games capture all the thrills and excitement of those you find regular old fashion land-based casinos, but without the need to spend cash on travel. Modern technology allows fans of the game to play from the comfort of home and enjoy fast-paced action with graphics so real you may think you’re actually in Vegas playing craps.

Online Casinos and Bonuses

Today’s online casino bonuses are greater than ever. Increased competition between the casinos and a global recession has been driving the online casinos to increase their bonuses. Traditional land based casinos rarely offer any kind of comp or bonus to average players. Some land based casinos have begun offering credit towards meals to players who use player cards, but this does not compare to the match bonuses offered by online casinos.

Online casinos do not have as much overhead as traditional casinos. This means that they can work on smaller margins and still be profitable. Online casinos are run out of small offices not giant hotels that cost tens of millions of dollars to build. They lease software instead of paying hundreds of dealers. They have state of the art encryption software instead of a small army of security.
Online gambling does not offer the Las Vegas glitz and glamour. This is something that all gamblers should experience, but if you are just looking for the best odds you should be looking online.

The bonus offers are quite simple. There are some rules for cashing in the bonuses that you should know ahead of time. Almost every online casino offers some type of bonus for new players. This bonus will be as high as 100% depending on the online casino. The sign up bonus is the most common type of bonus. This is where the casino will match your first deposit. Most online casino bonuses have a time limit on them. If you do not use your bonuses with three months they will be lost. Make sure to check the time limit requirements when you are registering.

A reload bonus is offered to existing customers by online casinos. These bonuses are used to keep players from being lured away to new casinos offering sign up bonuses. A reload bonus is awarded every time a player makes a deposit more into an already existing account. The way that the bonuses are made available differs from casino to casino. Some reload bonuses are available immediately while others are converted into bonus points. In most cases a player can not withdraw on a reload bonus until they have played over the bonus at the casino a set number of times.
Although online casinos do not have all the employees and buildings that land based casinos do, they are just as if not more secure. Online casinos do not have shady neighbors hanging around outside the doors trying to sneak a peek at your PIN number or grab your girl friends purse. If there were security issues with an online casino they would not be in business for long. People who play at online casinos are generally tech savvy and would announce any funny business on the internet almost immediately.

The bonuses offered by internet casinos make cyber gambling your best casino bet. The better than Vegas odds combined with sign up and reload bonuses will stretch your gambling bankroll. It is easier to less costly to visit these casino and the chances of winning are greater.

Online Roulette

In online casinos one of the most popular games is roulette. Roulette was invented by a French mathematician named Blaise Pascal. Gamblers know Pascal as the inventor of roulette, but he is most well known for developing the theory of probability. Blaise was born in 1623 in Clermont, France. When he was 16 years old, Blaise came up with a theory for projecting numbers that impressed all the leading mathematicians of Paris. Blaise was not only a mathematician but he was also an inventor.

Online gambling depends upon the theory of probability. The theory eventually became known as the theory of probability. Pascal developed this theory while solving a problem posed by a French mathematician named Chevalier De Mere. The scenario was that two players had to end a game before it was finished even though one player was clearly ahead. The problem was dividing the stakes fairly while considering odds of each player eventually winning the game. It would be unfair to penalize the player who was ahead by dividing the pot evenly. It would also be unfair to give the entire pot to the player who is ahead at the time, because his victory is not certain. Pascal devised a formula for determining the probability that each player would win if the game had been played to its conclusion. The theory of probability is used in all facets of life today.

Blaise Pascal also attempted to make a perpetual motion machine. His experiments failed to produce perpetual motion, but in turn did produce the Roulette wheel. While the Roulette wheel cannot spin on forever it owes its roots to Pascal.

Roulette played online has a wheel with numbered slots and outside colors just like on a traditional roulette wheel. The slots are numbered 0 to 36 in traditional roulette and 00 through 36 in the American version. The American version is played the same as European Roulette only the odds are not as good for player because of the extra slot. The outside of the roulette board is colored in bars of red and black. A metal ball is spun in the wheel and continues to circulate the wheel until it comes to a stop within a slot. In online Roulette you can bet on a single number or multiple numbers. This is called an inside bet. An outside bet is when you bet on either the color red or black. In roulette you can also bet on odd or even or high or low numbers.

The game of roulette starts with the spinning of the ball in the roulette wheel. The wheel rotates in one direction and the ball rotates in the opposite direction. The ball spins inside the wheel until it comes to rest in one of the slots. If the ball lands on your number or color, you win. The game pays $36 for every $1 bet. There are no bad bets as each number or color pays at the same rate. The houses only advantage is the zero or double zero. If there were no zeros on the wheel and roulette still paid 36 to 1 it would be an even money game.

Become a decent blackjack player

It is relatively easy to learn how to play blackjack well enough to make money in both land based and online casinos. There are many books on how to become a professional blackjack player and they get pretty complicated. If you want to be a professional player it will take many years of practice and a real understanding of the game. Anyone can become a decent player and have a good shot at making money at a casino if you follow a few simple rules.

There are techniques, such as card counting, that can actually give you a slight advantage over the casino in blackjack. The problem is that you will have to spend many hours learning and perfecting these techniques and then you will have to play many hours a week in order to realize any real profit. In other words you can make it a career if you have the dedication and the bank roll.

First you need to know the basic game play. In blackjack tens and face cards count as 10, Aces count as your choice of either 10 or 11, and all other cards have a count equal to their face value. Players play against the dealer not each another. Each player bets before the hand starts and then the dealer deals two cards to each player and two cards to himself. His second card is dealt up so the players can see it. If the dealer has an ace and a face card or 10 this is blackjack and he will turn it over and wins all bets except against another blackjack. In that case it is a tie or push.

Going clockwise from the dealers left each player has the choice of standing or being dealt additional cards. Play continues with that player until the player stands or gets a card count that totals more than 21. After all players have gone, the dealer draws additional cards to either reach a total of 17 or bust. If the dealer doesn't bust, any player with a higher total count than the dealer without going over wins. Remember your goal is to beat the dealer not to get 21. Therefore your decisions need to be based on beating the dealer.

After the first two cards are dealt there are three special bets you can make. Doubling down means you can double your bet after you receive your first two cards. You then receive one, and only one more card. Splitting pairs is another special bet. If you receive a pair on your first two cards you can split them into two separate hands and play each hand separately. You do need to match your original bet in order to do this. The final special bet is insurance. This means that when the dealers up card is an ace you can wager an addition half of your original bet as insurance that the dealer does not have blackjack. This bet pays 2 to 1, which means you get your money back if the dealer has blackjack.

The basic blackjack strategy card simply tells you when to hit or stand using mathematical probabilities. It does take some time to memorize so here is an abridged version that will work almost as well. If the dealers up card is seven or higher continue to hit until you have 17 or better. If the dealers up card is 6 or lower, hit until you have at least a 12 and then stop. Double down when your first 2 cards total 10 or 11, and always split aces and eights. All of these strategies assume that the next card drawn will always be a ten. If you follow these 4 rules will always be making good bets and you will not be the sucker at the table.

Online Casino bonus offers

Online casinos use bonuses to help bring in new customers. They do this in the hope that once a new player gets a taste of their casino they will keep playing. Experienced players look for these bonuses. There are differences between no deposit bonuses, sign up bonuses, reload bonuses and referral bonuses and each player should know the differences and how each bonus works.

Online casino sign up bonuses are offered to new players when they sign up and make their initial deposit. The amount of the bonus varies from casino to casino. No deposit bonuses are small bonuses that are given for creating an account. These bonuses are usually $5 or $10. You cannot withdraw these bonuses but you can use them in the casino. Once you have made an actual deposit you will be able make a withdrawal. Most sites match a percentage of your first deposit. This match will range from 10% to 100% and have a cap. The most common first deposit bonus right now is 100% up to $100. So, if you deposit $100 you will have $200 in casino credit. These bonuses are not always automatic so you will need to pay attention to the fine print.

Sign up bonuses are not just free money. The bonuses are entered into your account as bonus points; you will need to gamble a certain amount to turn these points into cash. It is actually pretty simple and these are just safeguards against people trying to sign up and just taking the bonus without risking their own money. Information about how much a new player needs to wager prior to withdrawing the sign up bonus can be found on the online casinos website. If you look under wagering requirements there will be a detailed explanation of how to make a withdrawal of bonus money. It will also tell you how many times the money needs to be rolled over. If the bonus is $25 and it must be rolled over 10 times before it turns to real money, the player must make at least $250 in bets before it becomes cash.

Reload bonuses are sometimes offered by online casinos to players as an incentive to make a deposit into an already active real money account. These bonuses are also the most diverse in how they are administered. These bonuses can be either immediately available or may be offered as bonus points. Reload bonuses are typically smaller than sign up bonuses. They may also be available only at certain times and days. It is very important that you understand exactly how the reload bonus works at each online casino.

Refer a friend bonuses are the easiest to follow. When you refer a friend to play at an online casino they will credit you a pre determined amount of money. They only stipulation is usually that they deposit and gamble a certain amount of money. The only things that you need to do are make sure that the player that you refer adds the provided code to their application and make sure that it is registered by the online casino.

The most important point with any of these bonuses is to understand the fine print. Not all sites are the same. Once you do this you can stretch your online gambling budget considerably.

Online Casino Slots

Understanding online slot machines and online casinos in general is the first step to winning. Online casinos have been around for over a decade now and are here to stay.

The first step to winning in online casinos is to identify the correct type of slot machine. Not all players are the same and not all slot machines are the same. Beginners do not always understand the differences between the different slot machines and they also do not know the correct bets to maximize their winnings.

In general the largest payout is only paid when the maximum number of coins has been bet. What this means is that if a slot machine accepts different coin denominations, it is always better to play the maximum number of small coins instead of a lesser number of larger coins. In a machine that accepts up to five coins you are better off playing five nickels than a single quarter. This is especially true in the case of progressive machines. Progressive slot machines pay out at a lower rate for all hits accept the jackpot. The jackpot is only paid if the maximum coins are played. Next you need to know the different types of machines.

If you were only going to play with one coin or you wanted the same payout percentage no matter how many coins you played then you would want to play a multiplier slot machine. Multiplier machines pay out a certain amount of coins for certain symbols. This amount is then multiplied by the number of coins bet. So, if three cherries pay 10 coins for a one coin bet, it will pay 50 coins for a 5 coin bet. This type of machine does not penalize the player for not playing the maximum number of coins allowed. There are no big jackpots in this type of machine. If you are looking to get the most playing time out of your money then this is the machine for you.


The bonus multiplier is very similar to the multiplier machine except when it comes to the largest payout. On the bonus multiplier machine when the jackpot is hit with the maximum number of coins played it pays a jackpot. So, the machine may pay out 1000 coins when the top symbols come out for one coin, 2000 for two coins and 10,000 for three coins when three coins is the maximum.


Another type of slot machine is the multiple pay line machines. Most slot machines only pay out when the symbols are on the center line. Multiple pay line machines pay out on many different lines. These machines are very popular as nickel and penny machines. The most popular configurations include nine pay lines, but there are machines with as many as 96 pay lines. You can play more than one line on these machines. The more coins you add the more lines that will be activated up to the machine maximum number of lines.

The highest paying slot machine is the progressive. Progressive slot machines take a small percentage of each play and put it into a pool or jackpot. The lucky player who plays the maximum coins and hits the jackpot wins the whole pool. Progressive pools typically can get to be over $1 million. Many times several casinos will group machines together in order to increase the jackpot.

Online Casinos

Many people who have only played in traditional, land based, casinos do not believe that they can get the same experience at an online casino . Many people have tried buying slot machines for their homes. These machines can be found online without much difficulty. Many of the slot machines that you will find are old ones that were actually used in casinos. They will cost you a few hundred dollars and will work with either slugs or real coins. It seems like a good, inexpensive way to satisfy a craving. Although these home machines are a great novelty when guests come over, they do little more than collect dust on a daily basis. The problem is that there is no dream of instant fortune when playing your own slot machine.

If you are looking for the same excitement as a live casino from your own home then you will want to try an online casino. All you will need is a computer or mobile device and an internet connection. Broadband connections work much better with online casino software than dial up connections. Many online casinos will give you the option of using less sophisticated software when using dial up. By using the internet you do not need to travel to the casino. The casino will come to you. You will still experience the same excitement from the comfort of your own home.


Land based casinos are very expensive to build and maintain. Online casinos can be run out of small offices with very few employees. The major expense is licensing the casino software for a few hundred thousand dollars a year. When you compare this to the expense of building a lavish Las Vegas casino you can understand why online casinos are able to offer better odds and bonus programs.

Online casinos are easy to access and have all of the same games as traditional casinos. Slot machines, roulette, black jack, craps, Caribbean Stud Poker, Pai Gow Poker, slot tournaments, blackjack tournaments, etc. Any game that you can find at a land based casino you can now find online and these casinos offer better than Vegas odds. Slot machines are the most popular game in traditional casinos because they are easy to play and offer large payouts. They are also the most popular game at online casinos for the same reason.

When choosing an online casino you want to look for a reputable, licensed online casino. Licensed online casinos are audited by third party accounting firms. The internet also tends to keep them honest as failure to pay a player quickly becomes known in the online gambling community.

Most online casinos also offer deposit bonuses. These are matches on your deposits designed to get you to try their casino. These bonuses are generally 100 percent on your initial deposit and can go out as many as twenty deposits. There is also usually a limit as to how much the bonus will be. An example would be a 25 dollar deposit with a 100 percent match. You would then have $50 to play with. Once you have played for a predetermined amount of time, you will be able to cash in and collect all of the money.

$410,000 Guaranteed Free Roll Tournament

A fourth of July to remember at
Online Vegas. To celebrate the 4th of July, Online Vegas will have a Week-Long $44,444 Guaranteed Freeroll that starts on Friday, July 2nd at 7PM (ET) and runs until Friday, July 9th. The featured slot game is Independence Day which is a 4th of July themed, 5-Reel, 9 Pay-line Slot Machine with a Bonus Round where you select American historical figures and landmarks to earn various prizes. There is also a free-spin feature.

First Place prize is an explosive $14,444, and there are prizes paid all the way to 1000th Place.

You don’t have to pay a cent to enter this Tournament, and you can Win Real Cash! All you need is a real money account (No deposit required). Should you play your starting Tournament balance down to $20, you can always re-buy for only $7.44, which will give you $225 Tournament dollars.

In July, there will be over 110 Tournaments to choose from (113 to be exact), including Pot Percentage, Blackjack, Video Poker and Slot Tournaments. There is always a Tournament running and certainly something for everyone. For more information about online casinos.

Online Casinos

Online casinos offer a convenient alternative to the traditional land based casinos. They are perfect for the player who does not want to be distracted. What online casinos do not offer is the excitement of a live casino.

There are advantages to playing at both traditional brick and mortar casinos and online casinos. Some players prefer the traditional casino, some prefer online casinos and some players see the advantages of each. If all of your experience is with online casinos then you need to know what differences you will see when you visit a land based casino.

The first and most obvious difference is that there will be live people for you to interact with. This is a stark contrast to the online casino where you do not need to have any contact with other people. It used to be that casinos had dress codes and a code of conduct that needed to be followed. These days people can wear whatever they please and the code of conduct is almost completely gone. Most casinos have either non-smoking or smoking sections. There may also be non-smoking tables within sections. The tables at poker tournaments are generally non-smoking tables, but you can stand up and smoke next to the table. Players are allowed to be loud but not unruly. Offensive behavior is not tolerated and players who behave badly will be first asked to leave and then escorted out if necessary.

Online casinos are more convenient than land based casinos. If you are used to online casinos live casinos will seem a bit inconvenient. Switching games or tables is not instantaneous. A player must get up, pick up his chips and physically move to the next table. A seat at the game of your choice may not be available at peak hours. cannot play at whatever limit that you want and you will often have to wait for other players. You will receive free drinks while playing in a live casino. Waitresses come around and ask if anyone wants a drink. That do not specify alcohol, but it is available if you ask. The problem is if you want to switch tables while they are getting you your drink. Do you just walk away or do you wait for the woman to return with your drink?

When you enter a traditional casino you can feel the excitement in the air. Some people feel that this excitement is part of the experience of casino gambling. It is fun to be in a room with people who are winning. There is no other experience like a craps table when it is hot. The players are a group of complete strangers defeating a common opponent. When you play online at home, you do not really get the full casino experience. It is more cerebral. You can win and you can get excited about it, but there will probably not be a crowd of people standing behind you cheering you on. Players cannot get this kind of experience online.

In general it is just you against the dealer in most online casino games. In a live casino, you are at the table with other players and you are all playing against the dealer. There is an advantage in blackjack where seeing the other player’s cards will give you clues as to which cards are still left in the deck.

Online Blackjack

Blackjack, Twenty-one or Pontoon, is the most popular table game in casinos. This goes for both land based and online casinos. The game can be played with a single deck of 52 cards or, with several decks. In traditional casinos 8 decks are generally used. The more decks that are used the less chance of an accurate count. The object of the game is to add the value of the cards in your hand in hopes of getting twenty one. If the value of the cards in hand is less than twenty one the player may choose to receive individual cards that are added to the value of the hand. This may continue until they reach a value of twenty-one, the player is confident he has a winning hand or the cards reach a value that exceeds twenty one. The winner is the player or dealer that has a hand with a value nearest to twenty one without exceeding it. Twenty one is the best possible hand. There are many variations of blackjack in casinos with different table rules. Online casinos offer even more variations. The popularity of blackjack is due to the mix of chance and skill. This offers the player more control than games of complete chance.

Blackjack is derived from a game called twenty-one. Twenty-one was played in France and Spain since the 16th Century. Twenty-one introduced in the United States in the 1800’s. It was originally not popular so local casinos began offering bonus or progressive payouts to get players to try the game. One of these bonuses was a 10 to one payout if the ace of spades and a blackjack were dealt to the player. This became known as Blackjack. The name stuck although the bonus did not.

In casino blackjack there may be anywhere from one to seven players plus a dealer. The game is played at a horseshoe shaped table. Each player plays against the dealer and not each other. Before the hand is dealt, each player places a bet. They then receive their initial hand of two cards. The object of the game is to get a hand that totals more than the dealers hand without going over twenty-one. If a players hand does total more than twenty one they automatically lose no matter what the dealer does. Going over twenty one is called breaking or busting. In totaling the hand the jack, queen and king each have a value of 10. Cards with the numbers two through ten printed on them hold that same value. The ace can be either a one or eleven according to the player’s choice. The player to the dealers left goes first and can either hold pat with the cards that he has been dealt or he may take additional cards. If the additional cards bring his hands total to over twenty one, he busts and loses his initial bet. The deal goes around the table and each player has the same options as the first player had. The dealer then plays his hand. The dealer must hit on all hands under 16 and stand on all hands over 17. If the dealers hand totals more than 21, he busts and all remaining player hands that have not busted win. Ties count as a push or tie and the original bet is returned to the player.

Online Casinos Accepting US Players

Online gambling has been controversial since its inception over a decade ago. New laws are constantly being added and updated in an effort to thwart the growth of online gambling. Online casinos must adapt and find new ways of attracting new players. The battle rages on as today’s fight is over the banking regulations involved in making deposits and withdrawals.

US citizens who are looking for an online casino still have many options as long as they are willing to shop. There are many reputable online casinos that accept US players. Some of these casinos are the same casinos that have been around for years, but now they are operating under another name. Still others are new ventures from the creators of your favorite online casinos.

The US government has attempted to choke off the money supply to offshore casinos. This has made it more and more difficult to make deposits and withdrawals from online casinos. There are still online casinos that accept Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover cards from US players. Debit cards work more often than credit cards. Prepaid debit cards are anonymous and are the most reliable way of making deposits and withdrawals.

Online casinos that accept US players offer welcome bonuses and other incentives that cannot be found at land based casinos. The most common bonus is the initial deposit bonuses. This is usually a 100% on your first deposit. Online casinos offer this match in order to get you to try their casino. There is much greater competition between casino on the internet. This is because there are limited barriers to entry. There is not a great expense to open a full blown hotel and casino. All you need is a small office, a few employees and license fee for the casino software.

Some of the newer online casinos that accept US players have started offering sign up bonuses on the first ten or even twenty deposits. This is done in order to keep the players coming back. It should be obvious that owning an online casino can be very profitable and allowing US players can only increase profits.

Land based casinos have huge overheads and this cuts into their profits. This is pushed down to the player. Not only do US players have to travel to the casino, but they receive worse odds, no sign up bonuses and will have to pay tax if they win a substantial amount. The best bet is online casinos that accept US players.

While several of the well known brands of online casinos have withdrawn from the United States market, many have remained and new casinos are being developed. The new competition for US players has revived the bonus structure once reserved for other markets. The more online casinos available to US players the better it is for the player. American gamblers have traditionally spent more as a whole than any other market. This makes it appealing for online casino operators. In order to bring in more players, they offer higher bonuses and payout rates.

Although many of the better known online casinos have decided to pull out of the United States market, there are still places to play and bargains to be found. The size of the US market and the potential income will continue to force competition. This is the definition of the free market economy.

Online Casinos Accepting Mastercard

Mastercard is declining deposits at online casinos. This is being done in anticipation of the America’s Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act scheduled to start on June 1st 2010. For information specifically about online casinos accepting US players.

Newly proposed laws aimed at cutting off the money supply to online casinos have targeted credit cards. Mastercard online gambling restrictions have been increased on US citizens attempting to make deposits at online casinos. See Online casinos accepting US payments

The legality of online gambling has been long debated. The act of making a deposit at an online casino may fall under the Federal Wire Act of 1961. The Federal Wire Act was created to illegalize using telephones for the purpose of placing bets. The telephone had allowed people who lived in areas where gambling was illegal to begin gambling in areas where gambling was legal. Online gambling deposits are required to be coded with a sic code of 7995 so that they can be identified. Many online casino operators use sic codes that are designated for other online purchases to avoid having deposits declined. Mastercard transactions using both the correct and incorrect sic codes have begun being declined at an unprecedented rate. The action sends a signal that Mastercard is preparing for the enforcement of America’s Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA). This act is designed to ban the facilitation of online gambling by the banking industry.

Congress has unsuccessfully attempted to stop internet gambling in the past. The taxation of online gambling is extremely difficult. Congress views online gambling as a loss of income. Voters see online gambling as a personal choice. This has made it very difficult to get legislation passed. In 2006 the UIGEA was put through as an attachment to a Homeland Security bill.

Online casinos operate outside of the jurisdiction of the US government and therefore it will be difficult to enforce the UIGEA. In reality the UIGEA could only be enforced in the most serious cases. It would be impossible to investigate all suspicious transactions. The real success of the UIGEA will be in creating financial barriers for new online casinos and making it more difficult for online casinos to accept deposits. Ultimately new businesses that will "launder" deposits by acting as middlemen will arise.

The long term prospects for the online gambling industry probably lies in debit cards. Currently you will have a better chance of completing an online gambling transaction using a debit card than a credit card. This is because using credit is essentially borrowing the money to gamble from a bank. With a debit card you are removing your own cash from your bank account. This reduces the banks exposure. Prepaid debit cards are funded ahead of time and can only be used for the amount that was funded.

Many experts then started believing that credit cards would disappear as a means of funding online gambling transactions, as they believe that the solution lies in some type of debit card. Currently, the odds of completing a gambling transaction with a debit card are better than with a credit card. This is because using a credit card is equivalent to borrowing money from the issuing bank. With a debit card, money is instantly taken from your account. This in turn reduces the risk to the website and bank. Still at this point the only legislation passed against online casinos acting outside of the US is in the banking. Online gambling has not been outlawed.

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Online Slot Machines

Charles Fey, the inventor of the slot machine, invented 2 machines the first one was in 1897 and it was called the Liberty bell. The second one was called the Mills machine. The slot machine is the only casino game that originated in America. The liberty bell machine had three reels with symbols, was played with nickels and paid out at an average rate of three to one. From these humble beginnings the slot machine moved on to dominate land based casinos and today have moved on to online casinos.

Slot machines were all the rage during the depression. In 1931, gambling was legalized in Nevada and the slot machine found a home. When you walk into any casino today you see row after row of slot machines. Slot machines are so popular because they are simple to play and have large payouts.

There are three main components or parts of a slot machine. They are the cabinet, the reels and the payout tray. The cabinet houses all the mechanical parts of the slot machine. The reels contain the symbols that are displayed. These symbols can be just about anything. The first ones had fruit on them. The payout tray is where the player collects their winnings. This has now been replaced by a printer in most land based casinos.

Playing a slot machine is simple. First, you place your money in the machine. Today’s machines will take all denominations of bills. You can put in as much money as you want. This money will be converted into credits that can be used in the machine.

After the player pulls the spin handle or pushes the spin button they watch the reels spin until they stop one by one. If the symbols match the machine sends coins, tokens or printed tickets to the payout tray and the player wins. The player can then play again if they have more credits. If not the player can put more coins or tokens into the machine and try their luck again.

In land based casinos there is a service light or candle on top of the slot machine. This can be activated by the player if they have a question, want a drink, need change or has a technical problem. In order to activate the light the player should push the change button. This will set off the light or candle and it will blink to let the employee’s know that assistance is needed. The light or candle will automatically blink if there is a winner. A player should never walk away from a machine with a blinking light it could mean you are a winner. If you walk away from a blinking light machine you will not be able to claim the winnings.

Some of the slot machines in casinos are very simple to play, one coin with one payout. Some are more complicated and have multiple payout lines. And then there are some that are very complicated and have progressive payout lines.

When you are playing a slot machine you should make sure that you know all the rules to the game. Make sure you know all the payout and betting rules. If you have any question you should ask a casino employee and they will be able to tell you the rules and regulations to any slot machine. For more information about online casinos accepting US players and Online casinos accepting US payments Online Casino US

Online Craps Tournaments

Online craps tournaments offer an easy way to try a tournament without having to plan a trip. Before gambling online or entering an online craps tournament you will need to understand the game well enough to make smart decisions and be comfortable playing with other people. After you have learned the basics of the game then you can try entering an online craps tournament. The advantages of an online tournament over a live tournament are that you do not need to travel, can easily control overall spending and you can be more relaxed.

When looking for an online craps tournament, make sure that you understand the rules and payouts of each individual tournament. They do vary from casino to casino and from tournament to tournament. Check how many rounds there will be. This is usually controlled by a count of rolls of the dice or by a time limit. Find out how many players will get paid and how much they will get paid. This will help you decide how to play if you get close to the end. Decide ahead of time what your goals for the tournament are and do not get carried away with the excitement of the tournament.

Online craps software has become more sophisticated than the early versions. Some of the more advanced online casino software, like microgaming, can determine what style player you are and automatically ask you if you would like to place bets that fit your style. It is also easy to click an option and switch betting types.

The online casino software is easy to use. In many cases it is actually easier than playing at a land based casino. Your chips are counted for you and displayed on screen and you are given a list of betting options. It may sound like small things, but craps is a fast paced game in a casino and it often becomes confusing. The casino is actually trying to confuse you. Have you ever noticed that there are no clocks or windows in a casino?

Before you start playing in craps tournaments you will want learn the basic strategies. There are many websites devoted to craps where you can learn the odds of each bet as well as more sophisticated strategies. Once these strategies and the basic rules of the game have been mastered it is time to practice technique. The idea behind all of this homework in preparation for tournament play is to have you as well prepared as possible. Slot tournaments rely mostly on luck and the same people do not consistently win. Craps tournaments rely on skill and strategy. The same players regularly win.

You need to have a full and complete understanding of craps or the odds will be against you. There are both simple and complicated bets in craps. Until you have gained more experience you should probably stick with the less complicated strategies. Field bets and other long shots may not hit as often as the come line, but you will not need to hit them as often to end up ahead.

Online tournaments are rarely timed so you will be able to take your time. When playing in an online casino, the tournament will definitely be timed so pay attention to the rules.


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Online Slots

Slot machines or fruit machines, as they are known in England, have been around for over one hundred years. This is because of the excitement that they bring to the player. With each individual pull or game, there is a chance of hitting the life changing jackpot. The first slot machine was the liberty bell which was invented by Charles fey a German immigrant who worked as a mechanic in San Francisco in 1899. All slot machines both at land based and online casinos have descended in some way from the original liberty bell machine.

The Liberty Bell slot machine had three spinning reels. Diamond, spade, and heart symbols were painted around each reel, plus the image of a cracked Liberty Bell. A spin resulting in three Liberty Bells in a row gave the biggest payoff, a grand total of fifty cents or ten nickels. Calculating odds in those days was easy. 3 reels with 10 potential stops give the following odds: 10 X 10 X 10 = 1000 combinations. Only 1 of those combinations yielded the big jackpot.

In 1902, Slot machines were banned in many states. Charles Fey then had to get creative. He changed the symbols on his machines and started offering candy, drinks, and gum as prizes. The owners of the machines that were already out redecorated the wheels with pictures of the gum and fruit instead of the card suits. Cherries have remained a constant on slot machines even today, and the sticks of gum eventually changed into the bars that you still see on a lot of common slot machines.

Slot machines were not really popular until the 1970’s in casinos. The older machines were limiting, because the biggest reels had only 25 different stops, which gave 15,624 to 1 chance of hitting a jackpot. The jackpot had to pay out less than that in order for the casinos to make enough profit for the slot machines to warrant that kind of floor space.

Then the pinball machine company Bally, invented a new slot machine that had both electronic AND mechanical parts. The newer machines also allowed for bigger bets and larger hoppers which could hold larger payouts. This made slot machines more profitable.

The random number generator became popular in the 1980’s and everything changed. The random number generator is basically a mini computer that simulates the sinning reels from a computer program. This changed the entire face of casinos. The reels could be much larger than the actual reels, since they were powered by a computer program instead of a mechanism. The spin arms became unnecessary, because the spin button activated the random number generator program and the machines paid out a preset percentage.

The new technology has made it possible for the machine manufactures to produce virtually a unlimited number of attractive and entertaining slot machine games. Slot machines now take up over 80% of many casinos’ floor space. It’s eye candy of the highest order, and gamblers gobble it up as if it were popcorn.

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Valentine’s Day Week-Long $75,000 Free Slot Tournament

It’s time to fall in love all over again. Go Casino has been putting on impressive Slot Tournaments and will not disappoint this February with over $425,000 in Guaranteed Prizes.

On February 12th at 8PM (ET), Go Casino will be celebrating Valentine’s Day with a week-long $75,000 Guaranteed FREE ENTRY Slot Tournament featuring the game Cupid’s Arrow. 1st Place takes home $15,000 and there are prizes all the way to 1000th Place. The Tournament ends on Friday, February 19th, 2010.

As the title says, it is a freeroll (a Tournament that is free to enter). All you need to do is set up a real money account to play (no deposit necessary). It’s the best way test out the incredible Tournament action without risking any money.

You will have a starting balance of $100 when the Tournament begins. Your goal is to try to get this balance as high as you can. You will see your ranking on the bottom left of the game screen.

You can win real money without having to pay a penny, but if you find yourself with a balance below $20 in the Tournament, you have the option to re-load for only $14.14, which will get you $300 to play with.


Other February Tournament highlights include:

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Online Slot Tournaments

Online slot tournaments are becoming increasingly popular. They are fun to play and offer an element of competition since you are playing against the other participants. Tournaments also offer long play times and the opportunity for a large payout with a set price to buy in.

Slot tournaments can either require a fee or “buy in” or be a freeroll tournament. Freeroll is casino jargon for a free tournament. Free slot tournaments are used to bring in new real money players. The free slot tournaments usually require participants to sign up at an online casino. Around holidays you will often find freeroll tournaments that have large payouts. There are also online casinos that offer smaller weekly freeroll tournaments. The tournament itself will not cost you any money, but you will need to provide accurate contact information to play.

Each tournament will have its own set of rules but generally, there is a fee or “buy in” required. For this fee you will either receive a set number of credits or a set amount of time to play. Each participant receives the same amount of time or credits. These credits can then be used for spins on designated slot machines. In time limit tournaments you will want to make sure to get as many spins as possible. The goal is to end up with the largest amount of winnings.

Most tournaments use play money. It cannot be exchanged for cash when you are finished. The advantage of play money is that all you stand to lose is your entry fee. Every player has the chances of winning at the beginning of the tournament. No one will start with a larger stack than anyone else. The disadvantage of this system is that jackpots do not pay off in cash. If you hit a progressive during a tournament the maximum that you will receive is the tournament top prize.
Online slot tournaments generally do not require all players to start at the same time. There is usually a set amount of time that you will have to play. This time starts when you choose. The object of the game is to end with more credits than any other participant. You are allowed to stop playing at any time. Most tournaments have a leader board so you may decide to stop if you become the leader.
Familiarize yourself with the rules of the particular slot tournament than you are playing in. Although the actual play will be similar, the payout and re-buy systems may be different. Some online slot tournaments will allow you to re-buy credits after you have used your initial credits. This is important to know if you are on the leader board and expect to be paid out. Each tournament also decides how it will determine the winner. In some slot tournaments, the player with the most credits at the end of the established time period wins. Other tournaments have a playoff with a predetermined number of finalists.

Online slot tournaments give you the opportunity for large payouts for a relatively small investment, and a long playing time for a relatively small investment. It is a great way to get into online gambling without investing too much money right off the bat.

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Online Slot Payout Schedules

An online casino slot machine payout schedule is a list of each possible return and its associated probability. A straight online slot machine will have a payout schedule for the number of coins bet. For example the maximum payout for a one coin bet may be eight hundred coins, while a two coin bet will pay 1,600 coins and a three coin bet may pay a jackpot of 2,400 coins. Depending on the coins value, the actual payout will vary. For the examples payout schedule, if the coin size were twenty five cents, a three coin bet would pay $600 and a $1 coin size would pay $2,400 for a three coin bet. This example is from a balanced payout schedule. More often you will see payout schedules that pay higher amounts when the maximum coins are played.

An unbalanced payout schedule may pay a maximum of 200 coins for a single coin, 400 for a two coin bet and 1,000 coins for a three coin bet. Slot machine payout schedules vary from machine to machine. It is always important to know and understand a slot machines payouts because they are not always consistently proportional. The greatest variations occur on progressive slots. These slots are set up to pay at a lower rate on smaller hits, while the jackpot is a true jackpot. The jackpot is a pool that grows each time someone takes a chance on one of the designated slot machines.

Slot machines are set up to encourage players to play more coins. It is clear to see the more coins one bets, the better the odds and the payouts are. Most online slot machines allow you to select the value of the coin that you will play with. When the payout schedule pays at a higher rate for more coins, you are better off playing smaller denominations and maximum coins. This concept seems simple, but many jackpots have been lost by careless play.

If a slot machine has been paying off regularly it is said to be loose. A slot machine that has not hit in a while is thought to be due. These are myths and need to be understood as such. Remember that past performance in no way effects future games. Slot machines are completely random. They use a random number generator to select winners. Each pull of a slot machine, or game, is completely separate than the previous game. Luck is a larger factor in slots than in table games. The key to slot machines is that they are set up with different payback percentages and hit frequencies. Table game odds do not change much from casino to casino because the rules of these games are consistent. Since there is very little skill involved in playing slots, you need to take advantage of every opportunity that you can.
If your goal is to play as long as possible you should look at the lower winning symbol combinations. Choose a machine that offers the most winnings for the lower and medium symbol combos, because these are the ones you will be hitting most often, which will keep you playing longer. Do not play a slot machine simply because it has a high maximum payout. The chances of winning a large jackpot are very small. The odds of actually hitting the top combination do not change even when the payout rate is higher. Machines that have balanced payout schedules and high payout rates will be your best bet if you are looking to play for a long time without spending a lot of money. Play slot machines that have pay rates in line with your goals.

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Online Blackjack Tips

Blackjack is one of the most popular games at both land based and online casinos. The reasons for its popularity are that it is both easy to play and requires skill. By using the basic blackjack strategy card you can lower to the house advantage to less than 1%. This is one of the highest payouts in the casino. In order to give yourself the best odds you need to follow a few simple guidelines.

You need to learn and understand the rules of blackjack. Do your homework; there are thousands of websites dedicated to blackjack. You need to learn not only the basic rules, but the variations and how they affect the play of the game. If you start reading you will learn about variations such as blackjack switch, Spanish blackjack and European blackjack. Each of these games presents a slight twist and changes the player’s strategy. Do not assume that you will play a variation the same as you would the basic game; this is what the casino wants you to do.

Learn the basic blackjack strategy card. Learn the card, do not just memorize it. There are times when you will want to deviate from it, but only if you understand it. The blackjack strategy card is based on statistics. Playing by the basic strategy card will increase your chances of winning. Playing by gut feel is your worst enemy. This can increase the house edge by as much as 5%. The only times that you should be deviating are when you know that there are an inordinate amount of low cards left in the deck. Use this to your advantage and hit with low cards against low to mid cards. Your goal is to beat the dealer, so remember that when the count is against you hit more often. Both you and the dealer will pull more low cards in this situation.

There are two main differences between playing online and playing blackjack in a casino. Traditional casinos intentionally over stimulate you. The loud noise, crowds, use of chips, lack of windows and clocks are used to confuse and distract you. The land based casino also uses either a six or eight shoe deck. They do not reshuffle every hand because this would take too long. Online casinos reshuffle after every hand. If you are trying to keep track of the count you will need to play at a traditional casino. If you are not keeping track of the count the online casino is usually a much better bet. Online casinos allow you to play from your own home. You can prepare yourself to play and make sure that you will not be distracted. You can use your strategy card and shop for your best online opportunities. Online casinos offer many different bonus opportunities than traditional casinos. They offer match bonuses on your deposits. When you make your initial deposit at an online casino they will usually match it to entice you to try out their casino. There are other weekly and monthly match bonuses available through most online casinos.