Entries by ste.b

Many people would have had their doubts, I am sure - myself included, at one point or another about conducting an online casino financial transaction over the internet and whether the website in question is not going to abuse its position, or is indeed safe and secure from would-be hackers.

Anyone in their right mind would think twice about using a website where the security of information, let alone monetary, is not beyond doubt as it only makes sense to protect yourself.

However, that is not to say that all online casino transactions are at risk and customers and would-be online casino goers can be confident that their security is not taken for granted and that there are sufficient measures in place to them secure.

That is not my opinion, although I agree with it, but one of the Remote Gambling Association (RGA) who recently released a statement that said that the online casino industry has "no security problems that people choosing to gamble online need to be concerned about."

The RGA's business director, Brian Wright did concede that online casino goers were a little paranoid over the handing over of their personal and account details over to the casinos in the beginning, but that the growth of the industry has seen huge resources directed towards safety and security ensure that they are the best in the business.

"It is a safe form of gambling," Mr Wright said, adding that 'usability' and 'comfort' were primary reasons behind the popularity of online casinos.

Mr Wright continued: "While it was all being built up and becoming established there was a perception that people weren't familiar with it and didn't really have the confidence to bet online, but I think customers now realise that it is such a safe form of gambling."

Omaha poker comes in two formats. Traditionally Omaha is played as a high only game, and has a similar format to Texas Hold’em – the only difference being you have four cards in the hole as opposed to two. Omaha Hi-Lo works rather differently, as you are ideally hoping to make not one, but two hands. Before moving on to discussing what hands you should be playing, let’s get some of the basic principles of the game laid out.

You overall goal in Omaha Hi-Lo is to make two hands... a five card traditional poker hand (as you would in most variants) and a five card Low hand (which must be 8 or lower, A-2-3-4-5 being the nuts). A hand must consist of any two of your hole cards and three of the five cards from the board. The flop, turn and river works in exactly the same way as it would in Texas Hold’em or standard Omaha poker. You can use your hole cards to make both a High and a Low... so should you be holding A-3-A-Q, and the board shows 2-4-5-J-Q – you can use your A 3 to make both a High and a Low hand – A-2-3-4-5 makes both a straight for High and the lowest possible Low. You are not required to use all four hole cards.

With this in mind, let’s discuss starting hands.

Ideally an Omaha Hi-Lo will have two aces and another two low cards. Double suited (e.g. two hearts and two clubs) would make this even better. These hands allow you to make both a good High hand and a potentially nuts Low hand.

Here are the hands you should always be playing... though never too aggressively as any variant of Omaha is very much a drawing game:

1. A-A-2-3 Double suited
2. A-A-2-4 Double suited
3. A-A-2-3 Suited
4. A-A-2-5 Double suited
5. A-A-2-4 Suited
6. A-A-3-4 Double suited
7. A-A-2-3 Non-suited
8. A-A-2-2 Double suited
9. A-A-3-5 Double suited
10. A-A-2-6 Double suited

There are many other playable starting hands. Your range should be A-A-2-X through to K-K-Q-J. Hands which can only make a High should almost always be folded on the flop if 3 low cards land - i.e below the value of 8.

If you are still unsure as to how to play Omaha Hi Lo poker, you can find many articles around the web with further instructions or tuition. Or, if you are ready to play, this Online Poker Site offers many tournaments and sit-and-go Omaha Hi Lo games.

Keno is fun and a very easy game to play holding a striking resemblance to lottery style games, and also has comparisons to the increasingly popular game of bingo. Although the game of Keno is traditionally played in casinos and bingo halls, an internet version of Keno is becoming increasingly popular and the accessibility of internet Keno is greater than ever.
Keno is one of the oldest casino games around, steeped in tradition, dating back more than 21,000 years. The game was originally conceptualised in China, and it was thought to have been brought to US shores sometime during the 19th century by Chinese immigrant workers. During this transitional period from East to West, one significant change was made to the way the game is played and this was that the amount of keno characters was decreased from 120 to 80; making it much easier for players to win! Other slight alterations included the Chinese symbols being replaced by numbers as the game started to become much more like the version of online keno that we all know and love today.

Keno Rules
Unlike many popular online casino games, internet keno is purely a game of luck. Participants choose a group of numbers from a wider collection of numbers. Numbers are then drawn completely at randomly and you are a winner if your selected numbers can be matched up with those numbers which are drawn. Prize money all depends on how many matching numbers you have.
The game begins with 20 balls being randomly drawn from a collection of balls that are numbered from 1 to 80. Player then place their bets on which numbers they believe will be drawn. With the player hoping to have guessed as many numbers correctly as possible, the moment of truth then follows as the balls are drawn. Your payout is then determined by the number of matches you have made.
With keno being a game of pure chance, it has proved very popular with people who are new to online gaming and because you have as much chance of winning the first time you play as you do the 10th time you play, people often become drawn in very easily. If gaming strategy and complicated rules aren’t your thing then it sounds like Keno is the perfect casino game for you.
Whether you’re into games of chance or games of skill, the diversity of offerings at many of today’s top online casinos means you will, more often than not, find what you are looking for on the internet.

A slot machine, more commonly known as a fruit machine (or fruity), was traditionally a coin-operated machine typically consisting of three or more reels which spin when the user pulls down on a lever attached to the side. In today’s rapidly expanding digital era however, traditional coin operated slot machines are in danger of becoming antiques… A thing of the past! Online slots machines work in almost exactly the same way as the traditional fruit machines found in your typical bricks’n’mortar casinos and arcades, making them an essential inclusion within any online casino. The key difference being that instead of pulling down a level to operate the machine, users simply have to click their mouse!

To begin, a player must deposit money or credits into the game in order to activate the lever. This then sends the reels of symbols into a spin, with the ultimate goal being to correctly match the symbols in specified orders to win cash and prizes. Usually, there is a variety of winning combinations of which will, more often than not, be illustrated to the user at the side of the screen or slot machine.

In order to win the biggest jackpots, you would be wiser to play progressive casino slot games as these offer the highest returns out of all slot machines. For people who wish to play for long periods of time, it might be worth investigating the other types of fruit machine games available. Such games include standard slots, bonus-feature slots and multi-line slots.

If you are hoping to win the biggest jackpot possible then the best strategy you could employ would be to play maximum coins, basically meaning that you are playing with the largest amount of money any given machine will accept. This is often the only way to receive the jackpot prize when a winning reel appears. If you land on the winning reel in a progressive slot game, but you have not deposited maximum coins, then the payout will be relative to the money you first put in… Kind of like “pro – rata” holiday entitlement when you work part-time!

For players who are not comfortable risking large sums of cash, the possibility to win the big jackpots on the fruit machines still exists. You will find slot machines out there with relatively low maximum bets allowing you to play maximum coins but without scary limits.

Some Popular Slots Terms
Bonus - A slots bonus occurs when a set combination of symbols are hit. Such combinations vary between slot machines, as will the value of bonus payouts and prizes.
Carousel - A group of traditional slot machines (i.e. bricks’n’mortar) often forming a circular or oval formation.
Credit meter - A credit meter displaying the amount of money or credits remaining in the slot machine.
EGM “Electronic Gaming Machine” - Optimal play A payback percentage based on a player using the best strategy in a skill based casino slots game.
Payline A line that crosses through one symbol on each reel to reveal a winning combination. The number of winning paylines in any given slots game will vary depending on what kind of slot game you are playing.

Essentially though, there is very little difference between slot machines you would find in a traditional arcade or casino to those you would play in a top online casino. The only variations are that you click a mouse instead of yanking a lever, and that you usually pay on plastic rather than using loose change. You also have total price transparency when playing at virtual slot machines, allowing you to carefully select the best online casino bonuses so as to receive the maximum return on investment.

We’ve all played Pontoon at some point in our lives; it’s one of the simplest card games in existence. In the UK, Pontoon involves being dealt two cards and you can for ask more cards in an attempt to make a number equalling twenty one or as close as possible without going higher. Each player gets the choice to ‘hit’ meaning to take a card, or ‘stick’ meaning to stay with the cards you have. You can hit all you want and then stick so long as the total stays below twenty one otherwise you’re ‘bust’ or to put it simply - out of the game. Then when all the players have stuck or gone bust they reveal their cards and the highest number wins, it’s as simple as that! The only other rule involved is that if you have five cards in your hand and you still aren’t bust you win instantly! This is Pontoon!

Blackjack however has a few other rules. It seems to be very basic itself, but is usually marketed for the high roller casino types! Money is involved so everything changes as to who you play against. In Pontoon you play against the other players, in Blackjack the players are pitted against the dealer, you don’t directly take any other players money. This makes Blackjack friendlier and more relaxed to play but you know that if you’re losing money the house is more than likely getting it all.

In Blackjack there is a special rule like in Pontoon that allows you win the round instantly, but unlike Pontoon you can’t do it by having five cards in your hand. This rule is actually why Blackjack is called Blackjack. If you are dealt any Ace and a Black-Jack (i.e. the Jack of Spades or the Jack of Clubs) then you win the round instantly no matter what anyone else has. Although the dealer can also get Blackjack, you get the chance to take out insurance against the possibility of the dealer getting Blackjack, which will cost you more but will protect some of your wager.

The only other rules in Blackjack that differ from Pontoon are the ‘Split’ and ‘Double Down’ rules. Split allows a player that is dealt a pair to split the pair into two hands, though an equal wager must be placed on each hand. The ‘Double Down’ rule allows the player to double their bet and draw only one more card in the hope of beating the dealer.

Well that is Blackjack and whether it’s Online Casino Blackjack or just regular casino blackjack, it’s all the same and you’re essentially just playing a fancier version of Pontoon. Enjoy!

The friends, the atmosphere, the exhilaration... bingo halls have long since been a firm favourite on the social scene of millions for decades. In recent years, online bingo has brought players a whole new way to enjoy their game of choice. But can it ever compete with the sheer thrill that is offered by the real thing?

In the 1970’s, bingo was at its height of popularity. A local bingo hall provided its patrons with a cheap and cheerful way to spend an evening out with friends. The trend changed in the early 90’s as bingo halls became synonyms with old aged pensioners and a gloomy, smoke filled, environment. Bingo has, however, seen a sudden rise from near extinction – thanks to online bingo.

With their colourful display and excitable callers, it can be said that online bingo is trying to recreate the experience of the bingo hall that was once loved by so many. With a very much community driven feel, incorporating chat boxes and message boards, the bingo sites offer many individuals a chance to meet more people and make new friends. Various sites now even have progressive jackpots worth millions of pounds to whoever manages to strike it lucky.

The clear downside to all of this, of course, is that you are sat at home behind a PC screen, alone. For many people going to a bingo hall simply is not an option. Mothers with young children are just one group of people targeted by online bingo sites. While bad weather can make even the most hardened bingo fan re-consider leaving the house to head to a bingo hall. You can play online bingo 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, so there is always an opportunity for bingo fans working irregular hours to get their fix.

Traditional bingo halls are said to have seen a rise in numbers in the past 2 years. I think it is fair to say this can be accounted to the number of people who play online bingo. While you may not be able to get your dauber out and mark your own cards, online bingo has certainly given new life to a game which was being threatened with becoming nothing more than something our parents used to play.

Despite recent legislation aimed at preventing online poker advertising and participation by US citizens (look up UIGEA), the popularity of the game continues to grow at exceptional pace in the UK. The rise in popularity of online poker has been brought on by a number of factors, but it is largely down to the improved accessibility of sites offering online betting services coupled with continuously increasing internet penetration rates here in the UK.

The increasing take up of online poker is also largely down to the freedom which playing at internet poker sites offers the end user. In the days before internet access was readily available; one would have to locate a casino housing a poker table, and then attend only during specific time slots set by the casino’s operator. Such inconveniences simply do not exist within the virtual gambling world. Today, poker players can join a game from any location supporting internet access, at any time - day or night, and compete with players of various skill levels located right across the globe!

Many internet poker sites present users with opportunites to compete in a variety of game types – Some sites set players against each other in “high stakes” tournaments where the winnings are potentially huge - whereas others will allow players to play free poker online. Sites permitting players to compete with “virtual money” are also contributing to the escalating popularity of the game in the UK - because they allow less experienced and “newbie” poker players to gain experience in a no risk environment. The hope is that once they have played a few successful hands, they will feel comfortable enough to place real money on the outcome of future rounds – thus the ability to play free poker online is arguably contributing to its increased take-up, simply by offering a taster to UK punters.

UK poker players have never had it so good when it comes to poker. There has never been more poker streamed on our television sets, and today’s UK gambling laws have now been relaxed; allowing money to be bet on poker in public houses – something which previously, was illegal. When the pub is closed, all your mates have gone home, and no poker is on the T.V; there is guaranteed to be an internet poker site out there to satisfy your needs!


Find an internet poker site which will let you play free poker online; allowing you to hone your skills before you potentially empty out your bank account!