Month: October 2021

Positional Advantages in Poker

One of the most important aspects of poker that you can play at the best online casinos, is what position you will act during a given hand. When you have position on your opponents and act last in the hand, you have a decided advantage as you will be able to make your decision with the most amount of information. Many experience poker players feel they would never lose a hand if they had position on their opponents, showcasing just how important this aspect of the game actually is.

The biggest advantage associated with having position over your opponents is the amount of information available to you when it is your turn to act. When you are first to act, you do not know if the other players will raise or fold to your bet. This can make it difficult to choose the best course action during a given poker hand. However, when you are last to act, all of the other players in the hand have made a decision and tipped you off to the strength of their hands. Being able to use this information that is now available to you can make it very easy to determine what your course of action should be.

Having more information when it is your turn to act is beneficial both pre and post-flop. Analyzing your opponents’ actions, taking note of whether they checked, bet, or raised, and keeping a close eye out for any tells are all things you can do while in position and waiting for your turn to act. Then, when it is your turn to act, you will be able to process all of the information you have gathered to make the best decision possible given the current circumstances.

Having positional advantage over your opponents allows you to make more moves. When your opponents are making their decisions, they will have to keep you in mind since you will act after them. They will constantly be wondering what you are holding in your hand and whether or not you will raise their bet. Giving off signals as if you are going to raise any bet or bet yourself if checked to can scare your opponents off of betting a marginal hand and checking to you in position. If you have a weak hand yourself and would like to see a free card, you may act like you are going to bet or raise to induce your opponent to check to you so that you can check as well and see the next card for free.

When you have position over your opponents you have more leeway when it comes to making these types of plays and forcing your opponents to make mistakes they otherwise would not have made.

When contesting a huge pot – like those often found at usa high roller casinos – having position on your opponents can take a lot of the pressure of the hand off of you. Since you are last to act and will be able to make all of your decisions with the most amount of information possible, the hand becomes a bit easier to play. This is why many experience poker players will avoid playing huge pots when they are out of position and be more willing to get all of their chips in the middle when they are in position.

Having position over your opponents is such a huge advantage that you should be more willing to gamble and play bigger pots when you are in position as it is easier to place more pressure on your opponents by making big bets and raises yourself.

Free Spins Bonus To Try

What is Free Spins Bonus?

What is Free Spins Bonus?There are a variety of slot games for players to choose from that offer the Free Spins Bonus like these australian online gambling sites. This Bonus allows gamblers to play with free money while winning huge rewards every time a winning combination is formed.

Many slot games reward players with even bigger prizes while playing this Bonus feature, as there are extra options that get triggered during these free spins. These extras include Multipliers and Sticky Wilds, and both of them will award players with huge sums of free cash.

How to Get Free Spins Bonus Codes?

It is quite easy for players to receive this exciting Free Spins feature. The Free Spins feature will be activated when 3 or more scatter symbols appear on the screen during a single spin. There are many slots that will re-trigger the Free Spins feature, which makes it even more exciting for players.

Popular Free Spins Slots

Popular Free Spins SlotsThe Free Spins Bonus has become one of the favourite features amongst online gamblers. There are many slots in online casinos that have this amazing option, and each developer has introduced something special to its Free Spins Slots. Gamblers are advised to try out the popular games such as, thunderstruck 2 slots, X-Men Slots, Safari Heat Slots, Crystal Waters Slots or Ghost Pirates Slots. All of these games were created by different developers, but bring the same level of excitement and gaming enjoyment to gamblers. These games not only reward players with huge rewards, but also contain high quality graphics and intriguing Bonus features.

Free Spins Slot Casinos

Different casinos – especially most new casinos online –  are powered by different online gambling platforms, all offering the ever popular Free Spins Slots. Gamblers can choose any online casino that offers Video Slots to try out this fantastic feature and line their pockets with huge rewards.

Play Blackjack with the Best Online Casinos

Play blackjack online and choosing amongst the best games and best australia online casino sites – find out more about strategies, payouts and rules to win.

Play Blackjack With the Best Online Casinos

Today you can find a lot of blackjack variations. You also can find a lot of online casinos to play blackjack. Different casino software providers offer you to enjoy various designs, slightly different rules as well as the collection of blackjack games that also are different. So, whether you need to try them all to make your choice considering where to play blackjack for real money? They usually offer you all the necessary information about the blackjack games, online casinos you can trust and of course, blackjack strategies to win.

Popular Blackjack Games

You can play single hand and multi hand blackjack games. Some software offers you to play such variations as Lucky Blackjack where you need to guess the dealers hand value without even your own hand dealt. Others offer you to play blackjack with such extra options as split, double, insurance or late surrender. Talking about design we should mention superb microgaming blackjack variations. You can choose between classic and Gold Series blackjack games. Sparkling green tables, mute colours, fast cards dealt. Enjoy first class design with advanced Autoplay option and strategy table to appreciate and make your game even more exciting. Atlantic City, Big 5 Blackjack, Pontoon, Spanish 21, Vegas Downtown or Classic Blackjack. Choose among about 40 blackjack games for any choice to play these amazing games of skills and luck.

Online Blackjack Bonuses & Coupon Codes

You also can find out about bonus payouts and minimum as well as maximum bets allowed to make. With all the options explained there will be no problem in learning how to play blackjack as well as to improve your skills. Read the rules, try different games and create the list of your favourite blackjack games to play and win. Most the casino offering blackjack games also offer various slot, video poker, and numerous other games. Most you can play in demo mode with demo credits, but they also offer online slots real money games when you want to play with and for real cash.

When To Make A Move

Poker - When to make a moveIn tournament poker (and any other casino games for that matter) it’s important to know when it’s time to make a move. There’s a temptation, whether you are playing live or if you prefer to play poker online, to sit and wait for good hands when you’re playing in a tournament, but that can lead to an ever decreasing stack which will leave you with virtually no chance of winning.

Indeed, any time you let your stack fall below a certain level you’re asking for lady luck to scoop you up in her arms and help you out. Relying on luck is obviously a recipe for disaster in poker because the majority of the time things won’t go your way.

So when should you take the initiative and not put yourself at the mercy of fate? In tournament poker the accepted time to start worrying about your stack size is when it starts to near the 10bb mark. Indeed, when you have 10bb this is the last point in which you have any real fold equity. In basic terms this means that if you have a stack with fewer than 10bbs you can’t put enough pressure on your opponent to make them fold.

Thus, whenever you’re in a tournament your aim should be to never reach the sacred 10bb mark. To stop this from happening you should be looking to re-raise all-in whenever your stack is between 15-25bbs. Thus, when an opponent makes a pre-flop raise you should be willing to go over the top of them when your stack is within this range. Doing this will allow you to gradually regain some chips and avoid the dreaded danger zone.

If, however, you can’t stop yourself from falling close to the 10bb mark then your plan should be to move all-in at any opportunity. If a player raises before you then only move in with hands you don’t mind being called with. In contrast, if the action folds to you then move all-in with a wide range of hands. As long as you have over 10bb you should have enough chips to make most players fold.

In tournament poker you need to watch your stack carefully and move when the time is right. Get it wrong and you’ll lose any momentum you might have had and need luck to give you a helping hand.

Have a look at some of these australian casinos, they not only offer a great selection of casino games, but some might have some poker tournaments on go.

Online Casino Credit Card Transactions Explained

Although technology is the way of the future – There are still many gamblers who are reluctant to play at an Online Casino, or australian online gambling sites, for various reasons. The main reason we have come across is that people are unsure of how their money is handled and they seem to feel that it is going into a black hole somewhere on the internet. The ironic thing is that these same people are quite happy to use internet banking to transfer funds to other accounts and to do shopping online, yet are scared to allow a casino to debit their credit card.

For this very reason I decided to write this article to dispel some of the myths around gambling online, and more specifically the banking, depositing side of things. I am referring specifically to credit card transactions, however most e-wallets like Neteller, Moneybookers, Eco Card etc. operate on the same basis.

The most important thing to remember is that all credit card transactions performed over the internet are done via a SSL encrypted channel. SSL stands for secure socket layer, which simply means that it is processed over a secure connection via a 3rd party processor directly linked to your bank. The casino does not see the actual credit card account number or data, so it is actually safer than paying for a meal at your local restaurant with a credit card!

You are also protected from potential fraudsters using your card as most online casinos have very stringent security procedures to the point of being quite irritating if truth be told. i.e When you request a cashout of your winnings, the casino will often insist that you send a copy of your credit card and identification document so that they can prove that you are the legal owner of the card. This is only for the 1st withdrawal, subsequent withdrawals are processed with ease once they have done the initial verification.

The beauty of using credit cards is that it takes less than 5 minutes to process and the money is available in your casino account immediately. There is also an added feature which many people do not know exist, and this is called a chargeback. Unfortunately some gamblers use this facility when they have exceeded their bank roll and have gambler remorse, so they simply chargeback the funds by telling their bank that the transaction is fraudulent or unauthorised. Please note that this is not recommended and will get you banned by the online casino in question!

However, if you genuinely discover that someone ( like a family member ) has used your credit card without your knowledge, then you can request a chargeback from your bank and they will then retract the funds from the casino in question.

Unfortunately some banks ( especially in the USA ) have a policy that they do not process gambling transactions, and in these instances your credit card will be declined, regardless of whether there is funds in the account or not. There is not much you can do about this asides from changing banks or using another deposit method.

In short – it is safe to use your credit card on the internet at online casinos – even the highest paying casinos.

The subtleties behind the house edge in casino gambling

There are quite a few things you should know about online and live casino gambling before you break open the piggybank. One of the most important is that most casino games carry a negative expected value induced by the house edge. There are a few exceptions to this rule of course. Blackjack for instance can be turned into a 0 house edge game through skill or the edge can even be reversed in some cases. Certain variants of video poker can also be turned into positive EV games through optimal strategy. The bottom line is however, that the odds are not stacked in your favor when you play against the house. Unlike in poker, where the house collects the so called poker rake off a game which is played between two players, the house has no choice but to introduce the house edge in order to generate revenue in casino gambling. In poker, the house will often reward players with rakeback, something that casinos offer too in the form of comp points loyalty programs.

Now then, this house edge theory is not a secret. As a matter of fact, every trustworthy and fair casino and online casino – for example the best au online casino sites – fills its players in on exactly how much the house edge is on any given game. They usually give you payout rates (which is a marketing-oriented move on their part, as they simply tell you you’ll win X% back of every dollar, instead of saying that you’ll lose X% of it) which are varied depending on the type of game you play. These rates are in the 97-98% range in the case of slot machines and 92-94% in the case of roulette (where different bets may carry different house edges). The house edge is public information. There’s something however that is much less known about the house edge: it is not the main source of revenue for a casino. While it may look like that, and the casinos will probably tell you it is so too, the house edge is a simple tool in a greater equation. Its presence induces a process which is really responsible for the revenue the casinos make. This revenue is called the house drop, and while the house edges are in the 1-10% range (could be much more on games like bingo and keno) the house drop is generally around 30% but it can even reach 100% depending on the player for whom one calculates it.

Here’s how the house drop works. Let’s say you walk into a casino with $10, which you plan to play on the roulette (let’s suppose there’s a 5% house edge on it to make the calculus simpler). You make your ten $1 bets and you lose 50 cents. That’s your 5% house edge right there. Of course this is discussed in general terms. You may end up with more money after your ten $1 bets, on average however and over the long run, you will lose 50 cents, so it’s mathematically reasonable to use this amount.

What happens with the $9.5 that you’ve left after your initial bets is what matters though. You decide to re-invest your money, and you make 9 more $1 bets. You lose 5% on those too. If you add that money up to the $0.5 you lost on your previous bets, you’ll see you’ve lost more than 5% of your initial $10 bankroll (as a matter of fact, at that stage you’ve lost almost 10%).

If you play on afterwards, you’ll drop even more money. If you play till your bankroll is all gone, you’ll register a 100% house drop.

Why should you play in casinos like https://en.goldenrivieracasino.com/ then? Because the variance offers you the chance to take down a fabulous amount of money on every bet that you make. If you do succeed in it, it’ll be up to you to walk away with the money and not let the system take it back from you. Don’t forget to choose a casino which offers you poker rakeback like benefits, as that will cut into the house edge and implicitly into the house drop as well.

5 Ways to Become a Responsible Gambler

5 Ways to Become a Responsible GamblerHow do you become a responsible gambler? Perhaps you’re thinking that quitting or stopping is the best route to take. But if you simply love playing your favorite games at sites like those listed at online casino nz, and you cannot entertain the thought of quitting, don’t worry. There are five simple ways on how you can become a responsible gambler.

How to Become a Responsible Gambler

  1. Decide how much you are prepared to lose before logging in or sitting at the tables (bankroll management).

    When you have reached your limit, stop playing! Avoid chasing losses, one of the biggest mistakes to make in gambling. If you’re having a bad streak and you have reached your bankroll limit for that session, quit playing and just come back another day. Trying to recoup your losses is a bad practice; in fact, it might also lead to losing more money in the process or even incurring debt.

    Speaking of bankroll management, wise players set aside about 10% of their income and put this in another account (their gambling account). In the process, they avoid using their household or personal money in gambling. You can do the same and become a responsible gambler. Set a bank account for gambling and use only that money when playing.

    Also, think of the money you lose as entertainment cost and money you win as a bonus. In gambling, understand that you will probably lose and losing is a part of any game.

  2. Do not borrow money for gambling (follow-up to #1).

    One big mistake of gamblers is that they try to recoup money they lost at the casinos and never stop playing until they win it back. But the problem is that this practice won’t help but even worsen the situation. Many of them would borrow money just to keep on playing.

  3. Self-assess. To become a responsible gambler, it would be wise to take a self-assessment test that will determine your gambling habits, allowing you to address problems before they arise. There are good online sources that can let you take self-assessment tests, which can determine what bad gambling habits you have. In the process, you can make adjustments to avoid developing a potentially harmful gambling habit.
  4. Decide beforehand when to stop if you happen to win. So if you’re up by 20% for instance and you’re able to beat the odds, you should stop. Otherwise, you will lose if you continue. This is a proven certainty. Aside from planning when to stop when winning, you should also plan when to stop when losing to avoid big losses as well as to become a responsible gambler. But you don’t only plan when to stop when winning or losing, you also have to plan how long or how many hours your session will last.
  5. Take a break from gambling. Learn to walk away from your computer, get outside and talk to a family member, giving you the chance to clearing your head up and some time away from gambling. After all, you should not consider gambling as a replacement for your family, friends and loved ones. Also, gambling should not be the only form of entertainment to consider. You can try exploring and developing other hobbies and interests.

Gambling is fun and entertaining. However, make sure that you practice good gambling habits to avoid becoming addicted to it. And to become a responsible gambler, follow the tips shared above. Again, determine a bankroll and stick with it, know when to stop when losing or winning and take a break from gambling, to name some, and you will be just fine.

An extra tip – have a look at sites like gambling sites review – read about the various sites, what they offer and often what other players think of them. Unfortunately in the online casino market there are quite a few unscrupulous operators and reading reviews could help you in not losing before you even started.

Finally, don’t gamble when you’re depressed or stressed. Any of these won’t make you a good and wise gambler because they won’t help you make good decisions in the games.

Cast Iron Casino Security

With the amount of money that casinos hold at any one time, it should come as no surprise that they have some of the strictest and most comprehensive security protocols. Considering that there is a lot of money at stake, casinos have invested millions to ensure that they are protected at all times. Here are five ways casinos use security to ensure that there is no cheating occurring and identify any potential crimes that might be happening.

Physical Security

It may be a bit ‘old school’, but security guards still remain a valuable part of casino security. Although they may not be high-tech compared to the other types of security technology that is being used in the casino, their presence often reminds guests and potential criminals that they’re being watched. Depending on the location and popularity of the casino, armed security guards might also be used which is even more of a deterrent.

However, security guards aren’t just “muscle men”. There are multiple dispatch codes which they need to be aware of to respond to a certain scenario, and must be competent in using sophisticated tools to solve threats.

CCTV - eye in the sky

As well as security guards, casinos have used video surveillance technology at their premises for a number of years. Used in almost every casino - even big win casino online that offer live dealer games that have to be monitored - the CCTV cameras are positioned to monitor seats, tables, hallways, restaurants and elevators. As you would expect, these cameras are used to ensure that there is no cheating, such as card counting, going on at the tables and also ensure that the guests are not in danger.

The surveillance department often works very closely with the physical security force to detect any misconduct in the casino and remove those who are continuing to break the rules.

cctv dome camera

An example of a CCTV camera used in casinos

SSL Protection

In the past, casino heists would involve crooks using brute force to steal as much money as possible. However, the availability of wireless networks since the turn of the millennium has meant that hackers have had a better track record. Hackers often use the wireless network to their advantage by accessing the cameras to see what cards other players have at the table. This information is then given to an accomplice that is playing.

To combat this cheating, almost every casino has adopted the 128-bit SSL encryption algorithm to stop this from happening - like the encryption technologies used at these aussie online casino. Although there is a chance that the most skilled hackers will still be able access the cameras, the connections are carefully monitored with any suspicious connections getting terminated immediately.

At a basic level, this type of encryption is also used on online casino sites to protect player data and all financial transactions. This means you are protected when playing card games from Betfair or mobile casino games. However, many large companies that deal with a large amount of confidential information and money over the internet tend to use the RSA algorithm. The algorithm is somewhat similar to SSL, but its asymmetrical use of prime numbers, and the infeasible amount of time it would take to decipher the original prime numbers means that it is one of the most secure encryption algorithms in the world.

RFID Chips

When picturing a casino heist, you probably immediately think of someone breaking into the vault at a casino and stealing as much money as possible. However, the most common way criminals try and get money from a casino is by stealing the chips and cashing them in at the casino at a later date, or sell them on the streets.
In the past this might have seemed like a legitimate tactic, but the casinos have combated this by introducing RFID chips in the high denomination chips. This means that in order to exchange these chips for cash, they must be scanned first.

Originally this technology was used to catch any counterfeiters, but it has also been proven very useful in stopping robbers. For example, any chips which don’t have an RFID chip, or has had their RFID tracking turned off means that they’ll be effectively worthless.

casino chips

NORA Public Records Search

This is arguably the most unique type of technology being used in casinos at the moment. Casinos tend to be very cautious with guests that have some sort of criminal records, so they use NORA (Non-Obvious Relationship Analysis) Public Records Search which allows them to do background checks on anyone that looks suspicious.

Although it is primarily used to identify any relationships between cheaters and accomplices, it has also been used to determine if any of the guests has a criminal record. This system means that casinos are able to remove anyone that has been convicted of robbery or theft by deception, as well as anyone that is potentially colluding with them.

With casinos handling large amounts of money every day, strong security measures are a necessity, but also a challenge. However, these security measures and policies are carried out by the best in the business and are consistently changed in order to reduce any risk.

What’s It Really Like To Be A Pro Poker Player?

Katrina Jett, Jesse Sylvia and Jason Somerville
Katrina Jett, Jesse Sylvia and Jason Somerville

By nature, professional poker players are tight-lipped – even those found at casinos online sites. However, recently Katrina Jett, Jesse Sylvia and Jason Somerville agreed to reveal what life is really like as a professional. This conversation happened at the 15th International Gambling & Risk Taking Conference at Caesars Palace. The three professionals all have very different backgrounds, but bonded over a lifestyle that few people will ever know.

Jett lives in Las Vegas and has been to the WSOP final table four times, however when she’s not working on her skills, she’s working in her garden. She’s married to another pro star, Chip Jett, and it’s clear that Vegas is her home. Sylvia recently won $5.3 million at Martha’s Vineyard, and Somerville gained attention for being the first poker player who’s openly gay.

The Beginning

Jett comes from a family of poker players, although she’s the first professional. It’s allowed her to travel the world, but she and her husband have kept poker out of their children’s lives. Instead, the big focus is on education. Jett has been on the circuit since 1977.

On the other hand, Sylvia has only been pro for five years and started playing to put himself through college. He shares Jett’s love of travel. Somerville began playing when he was 16 with friends, then moved onto online casinos that offered not only poker, but some of the best online slots as well. By the time he was 17, he’d won $100,000.

The Transition

Jett has moved into real estate, too, and considers it a kind of gambling, and Sylvia is following suit. The thrill of the risk is the same, and playing with numbers is what realtors do. However, Somerville is looking for something else to balance out his life. He likes making videos and short stories, but he’s constantly on the lookout for the next fun thing to catch his eye. After playing games for a living for 10 years, he feels it’s time to expand.

Jett reports struggling to keep up with changes, such as the no-limit poker that wasn’t around when she started. She cites a lot of research to keep her game fresh. However, Sylvia says poker isn’t a job, it’s a lifestyle. Without obsession, Sylvia says even the best will fail. Somerville agrees that studying is a must to play well, and review sessions are a requirement.

The Game-Life Balance

Unlike Jett, Somerville made a conscious decision to live in New York where casinos aren’t readily available. He steers clear of poker players and enjoys spending time with old friends. However, he does indulge in online gaming at times. Sylvia simply accepts that poker is part of who he is, sometimes for the good and bad.

However, Jett is adamant that poker is a part of her, but doesn’t define her. She’s focused on her family, but admits it’s a daily struggle to strike that balance.