Sunday, February 15, 2009

Featured Online Games in Casino

European Roulette
Place your bets and get odds of 35/1 on a correct number. Alternatively, go for red, black, streets, quarters and sections in the world’s favourite gambling game.


Live Roulette
Enjoy the great game of single zero Roulette in a live gaming arena. Place your bets and see the dealer spin the ball as you wait to if you will be a winner!


Live Baccarat
Play four variations of Baccarat in a live gaming environment, with real cards and a live dealer. Immerse yourself in the casino experience as you chat with your fellow players and even the dealer.


Blackjack
Take on the dealer in this test of skill and nerve. Try to get as close to 21 or, better still, 21 itself. Hit a Blackjack and you get paid 3/2 but be careful not to go bust.


A Night Out
Enjoy a night on the town as you go in search of wine, woman and the big win on the bonus round.


Baccarat
Use the two cards dealt to you to try and achieve a hand as close to ‘9’ as possible without going over. Bet on the banker or the player for even money, or the tie for odds of 9/1.


Blackjack Surrender
If you get dealt a weak hand and don’t rate your chances then simply surrender your hand and get half of your stake back. It’s better to bet big when you’ve got the best hand!


Desert Treasure
The desert winds are blowing your way as you go in search of gold, using big pay lines, wild cards, scatter symbols and a great bonus round.


4-Line Jacks or Better
Make a pair of Jacks or better and you’re holding a winning hand, and you’ve got four lines with which to do it in this classic Video Poker game.



Caribbean Stud Poker
Play the famous Caribbean Poker game as you seek to make the best five card hand to try and beat the dealer. The side bet offers the chance of winning the massive progressive jackpot!


Live Blackjack
Experience our most popular game in a real casino environment. Take a seat at one of our multi-player Blackjack tables and try to beat the live dealer. 8 decks of real cards dealt in front of your own eyes.


Gold Rally
It’s the incredible progressive jackpot that will keep you playing this exciting game, where you have a chance to win big… and we mean BIG!


Blackjack Switch
This is a real twist on Blackjack as you get two hands to play and, to help you beat the dealer, you can switch the top cards in each of your hands. Also, look out for the big Super Match side bet.


Poker Three
Use your three cards to try and beat the dealer and make full use of the ‘Pair Plus’ option to make sure you don’t miss out on payouts that can go as high as 40/1.

Football Rules
Football is the world’s most popular sport and we’re betting that our new 25-line slots game will score a goal with our players with its wild cards, scatter cards, bonus round and dollar ball payout!


Diamond Valley
Diamonds are not just a girl’s best friend when you play here. Line up five of the precious stones and you’ll win a fantastic progressive jackpot.

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

History of BlackJack

History of Blackjack


History of Blackjack


Blackjack is one of the most popular games at any casino, no matter if it is a live casino or the online variety. How did blackjack get started? What forces came together to produce the card game we know as blackjack today?


 

Origins of Blackjack

The blackjack history writers often credit the French for the invention of the game. In fact, the game bears a similarity to baccarat, a popular modern day French game that has been around for hundreds of years. Vingt-et-un, French for "21" was a French casino game from the 18th century that found its way to the U.S. around the same time that poker did. The rules of this game differed in some ways, including offering a special bonus for being dealt the ace and jack of spades, hence the name "blackjack."

 

Beating Blackjack

The game of blackjack changed in the 1960s after Edward Thorpe published his comprehensive manual for beating blackjack, called "Beat the Dealer!" The game explained basic blackjack strategy and provided a comprehensive system for counting cards that could give players an edge. This changed the game of blackjack and forced casinos to take counter measures, including adding more decks to the shoe, reshuffling earlier in the shoe and making note of skilled counters to bar them from the casinos.

 

Blackjack Today

Blackjack remains one of the most popular casino games on the Internet and in card rooms. Many blackjack variations have emerged, including ones that use "Spanish decks," in which the tens (but not the face cards) are removed, and other, player-favorable rules are added to make up for this.

Blackjack winning strategy

Blackjack Strategy

Blackjack Strategy


Blackjack is actually a game of skill. Of course, there's a lot of chance involved in the decision of an individual hand, but chance evens out over time. Knowing when to hit and when to stand is what decides your success as a blackjack player.


Reducing the house edge

Nevertheless, even if you play an optimal blackjack strategy (see below), the house has an edge against you. But it is a smaller edge than in most other casino games - if you play well. A lot of people play blackjack in a way that doesn't yield the best possible chances. With a good strategy, a disciplined mentality, and a lot of practice, you can keep the house edge at a minimum and extract maximum enjoyment from the game.

Optimal blackjack strategy

This table describes a strategy that supplies an optimal move for each of your hands matched up against each possible up card of the dealer:

Your
Hand Dealer's up card Sum Ace Pair
2345678910A
<= 8HHHHHHHHHH
9 HDDDDHHHHH
10DDDDDDDDHH
11DDDDDDDDDH
12HHSSSHHHHH
13SSSSSHHHHH
14SSSSSHHHHH
15SSSSSHHHHH
16SSSSSHHHHH
>=17 SSSSSSSSSS
A-2 HHHDDHHHHH
A-3 HHHDDHHHHH
A-4 HHDDDHHHHH
A-5 HHDDDHHHHH
A-6 HDDDDHHHHH
A-7 SDDDDSSHHH
A-8 SSSSSSSSSS
A-9 SSSSSSSSSS
A-ATTTTTTTTTT
2-2HHTTTTHHHH
3-3HHTTTTHHHH
4-4HHHTTHHHHH
5-5HTTTTHHHHH
6-6HTTTTHHHHH
7-7TTTTTTHHHH
8-8TTTTTTTTTT
9-9TTTTTSTTSS
10-10SSSSSSSSSS

H = Hit, S = Stand, D = Double, T = Split

Play blackjack the smart way

Even with a good blackjack strategy, you cannot enter a blackjack game and expect to win - due to the house edge. However, using the blackjack strategy chart above you reduce the house edge to a minimum, and by following the simple mental guidelines below you have all chances of getting a lot of enjoyment from playing blackjack. Make a budget. Before you start playing, decide how much you can spend. Consider this amount gone.

Feels uncomfortable? Then you probably need to cut down your blackjack budget. Also decide how much you will bet on each hand. The higher you play, the shorter your session will last, on average. To have a long session, make small bets. If you want to play a short game with maximum variance, go for the big bets. When your budget is met, quit playing. This is the defining line between being a successful blackjack player and getting yourself into serious trouble.

Getting paid for playing blackjack

Keep a lookout for bonuses. A special feature in online casinos is that they offer casino bonuses as a mean to attract players. Bonuses usually require that you wager a certain amount before the bonus is released to your account. With this extra value you may actually turn the house edge around and be a favorite against the house!

Practice, practice and keep practicing. It takes a lot of playing to be comfortable with all possible situations that may arise in blackjack. As a matter of fact, it's a good idea to start practicing for free. Many online casinos offer play money tables where you can get accustomed to the game mechanics without risking any money.

What comes around

Don't chase losses. Sure, losing may be very frustrating, but if you change your game to compensate for it you deviate from the optimal strategy. That is, you increase the house edge. It is a good way of compounding your losses rather than neutralizing them. If you want to enjoy blackjack, make a sport out of smiling at your bad luck!

Blackjack Rules

Blackjack Basic Rules


Blackjack Basic Rules


Blackjack is a game that's notoriously player-friendly. If you thoroughly understand the rules, and if you know how to make the right play, then you can dramatically reduce the house's edge and increase your odds of winning.


The rules of blackjack are simple. Hand-held blackjack games are played with one or two 52-card decks. Shoe games utilize between four and six decks. Blackjack tables can vary in size. There are tables that seat up to seven heads, and tables that can fit only five or six players. Blackjack can be played with a full table, but only one player is actually needed to square off against the dealer. The blackjack rules are the same regardless of the number of players.

Everyone at the table is dealt two cards, including the dealer. The aim of the game is to beat the dealer by amassing a higher hand total without going over 21. Your hand total is the sum of your different cards. Numbered cards have numbered values. Suited cards are worth ten, and an ace can be worth either one or eleven, depending on the hand.

If you are dealt a natural or a two card hand that has a value of 21, then you'll get paid 3 to 2 on your initial wager. After looking at the value of their hands, players must decide whether or not to hit, stand, double down, split, surrender or take insurance.

Hit

If you hit, you will be dealt an additional card that will add to your hand value.

Stand

If you stand, you're not dealt any additional cards, and your hand value remains the same.

Split

Splitting happens when you are dealt a pair. When your first two cards are a pair, you can split your existing hand into two separate hands. Each hand will be accompanied by a bet that's equal to your original wager. (Tip: Don't ever split 10s, 4s or 5s. Split aces and 8s, always).

Double down

Doubling down means that you are doubling your wager. In this situation, you announce that you are doubling down, and you're only dealt one additional card.

Surrender

Some casinos allow players to surrender hands. When you think that you've been dealt a bad hand, you can cut your loses, give up half of your initial wager and surrender the hand.

Insurance

Insurance is a side bet that you make when you suspect that the dealer has been dealt a natural. If the dealers up card is an ace, you'll be offered insurance before any further game action happens. (Tip: It's a good idea to avoid insurance bets, because the odds of the dealer being dealt a natural are slim).

Knowing what action to take and when to take it is the key to being a successful blackjack player. In blackjack, the dealer does not have a strategy. The dealer simply follows the house rules. Players have choices, and the choice each player makes is dependent on what cards they have, and the value of the dealer's visible card.

Skilled blackjack players must make use of the basic blackjack strategy. Basic strategy is a set of rules that you can play by that are mathematically proven to increase your odds of winning. Basic strategy is a time tested method. If you are serious about playing blackjack, then invest in a basic blackjack strategy chart. Once you've thoroughly practiced your basic strategy, you'll be ready to rake in the dough. Remember that the basic strategy is different for single and multi-deck games.

CASINO GAMES QUICK GUIDE :: BLACK JACK

Online Blackjack Variations



To further improve your odds, we recommend that you have a look at our blackjack bonus listing. Playing with a great bonus deal, like the ones you find on this page, is certain to make the game even more fun and exciting and at the same time put the odds more in your favor.



When you first visit an online casino, you quickly discover that there are several variations of blackjack available. The most common variant, and perhaps the most popular, is the classic Vegas Strip Blackjack. This version of the game is well known for its exceptionally low house edge, and uses the standard rule set that has become synonymous with the word blackjack worldwide.

Other popular versions include Double Exposure Blackjack, where both of the dealer's cards are exposed, Double Attack Black, where the player may double his bet after the dealer's up-card is dealt but before his own cards are dealt, and Blackjack Switch, where the player is dealt two hands and is allowed to switch cards between them. The best blackjack strategy might vary a bit between these different versions. But sticking to regular basic blackjack strategy works for all variations of blackjack.

In some blackjack games you are also allowed to "surrender". If you believe that the odds are strongly against you, you are allowed to surrender and only lose half of your original bet. This can occur if you hand is, for instance, 15 or 16 and the dealer has an ace or ten showing. It may sound a bit strange not to take another card, but it actually improves your long-term winning chances. If you have the option to play blackjack with the surrender option then you should always do so, as this improves your odds of winning.

The skill factor has also made blackjack popular in tournament form. Of course you will need quite a bit of luck to win an online blackjack tournament, but with a good strategy you will need significantly less luck than your average opponent. It's also great fun to match your wits against real opponents instead of the house.

Most online casinos nowadays offer regular tournaments in blackjack and other popular casino games. One of the most popular forms of blackjack tournaments is Elimination blackjack. If you apply basic blackjack strategy when playing elimination blackjack you might come out on top. Especially against opponents who rely more on "feel" than the actual odds.

Monday, June 9, 2008

US Casino hotels

Following
is a list of states where you can find hotel casinos. You can click on
the state name to go straight to the hotel casinos, and resorts for that
state.

If you're searching for a casino in one of
the popular casino locations, check out the QuickLinks on the left. Here you
can quickly navigate to comparisons for Las Vegas, Reno, or Wendover Nevada,
Tunica, Biloxi Mississippi and Atlantic City, New Jersey.


Remember, new states are coming online every
day so check back often to see what's new..


Casino Links of States

See All States With Hotel Casinos


Following
is a list of states where you can find hotel casinos. You can click on
the state name to go straight to the hotel casinos, and resorts for that
state.

If you're searching for a casino in one of
the popular casino locations, check out the QuickLinks on the left. Here you
can quickly navigate to comparisons for Las Vegas, Reno, or Wendover Nevada,
Tunica, Biloxi Mississippi and Atlantic City, New Jersey.


Remember, new states are coming online every
day so check back often to see what's new.