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Archive for March, 2010

There is a New Bingo Variation

Sunday, March 28th, 2010

Bingo is a game that has been offered for many years- it is a game used to build up funds for churches, schools and various charity organizations. Bingo has become one of the most popular games around. If you love bingo, get ready for a new generation of bingo to come to the market. This time bingo is being offered online- which means you can play it from the privacy of your own home. No longer will you have to travel to a land-based casino and wrestle with traffic, wait in line or wait for your favorite game. Now, bingo playh is as simple as just logging into your favorite online casino that offers outstanding gaming.

In general there are two different types of bingo games offered around the world. There is the 75-ball bingo game played on a 5×5 card. Normally this type of bingo game has the “free” space in the middle that helps you to make a win. The cards have columns labeled with “B-I-N-G-O” and numbers are drawn. When you hear a number you black out that space and hope for a full line of wins to complete “bingo” on your card. It’s the most traditional type of gaming when it comes to bingo and has served itself well in the world of gambling over the years. The second version of the game is played most commonly in Australia, Europe, South America and the UK. In these countries they play the 90-ball version of bingo. It is on a 9×3 card. Though it is not common in other areas, it is starting to be introduced to various areas. Every card in this various game has three horizontal lines and nine columns. Every line has fifteen numbers from eleven to twenty and the final column has numbers 91 to 90. The goal is to play across one line, two lines and a Full House. You have to complete any two lines to win. The two versions of the game are combining in the US and being offered as a new gambling game. They are bringing in new customers because the newer version is reinvigorating the market of online bingo.

FOX Airs The PokerStars Big Game

Sunday, March 28th, 2010

Poker is growing in popularity in the world of online gaming and PokerStars knows full well how much. The casino is going to air the PokerStars Big game later on this summer and they expect a huge following. It is going to be a high-stake game with top players facing off to win a $100,000 minimum buy-in and one qualifier per episode. The game played will be “Loose Cannon.” The best part of the game is that it offers the biggest freeroll available. Once a player manages to reach the qualfier, they can move to the Big Game Final Round qualifiers and then on to the top 200 playoff. Eligible players will be able to vie for the big payout. This is a premiere gaming outlet for anyone who loves poker. There are a lot of poker tournaments available, but this is proving to be one of the most exciting coming up in March.

To join in on the fun is unique too. If you want a chance at the winning table at PokerStars, you have to come up with a video titled “Loose Cannon.” Winners will be bankrolled into the tournament for $100,000 and any win you get is yours alone. There are blinds set at $200 and $400 throughout gaming. That means that you could win up to $100,000 in a payout– not bad odds there. Of course there are some hurdles to get over; one being professional player Daniel Negreanu. He of course is a huge stumbling block so if you play, you have to be ready to face off against the best. That’s good news for players who want to avoid boredom in gaming. High stakes poker has had higher rating this year than ever before. Expect games like this one to push poker into a new level of notoriety within the online gambling market. The entire event is going to be broadcast live via a high-profile network TV station for everyone to enjoy. This is a testament to how popular the world of gambling has become in the mainstream today. Though it began as a part-time hobby, it is now taking on a new life as a premiere online pastime for millions of people world wide.

Gambling and the Recession

Sunday, March 28th, 2010

The recent recession has made it hard on gamblers to afford to keep up with their habits. Although poker aficianados are still gambling, there has been a huge decline in overall gambling during and since the recession. People suffered from huge layoffs and the unemployment rate has skyrocketed. That means that people were left with little discretionary funds and one of the first cut backs has been gambling and wagering. Casinos are feeling the strain– both online and land-based casinos.Not that value hasn’t always been top of mind for us poker players. In fact it’s one of the ways you can easily separate really good players from the rest. Most players are obsessed with big pots they’ve lost, bad beats they’ve taken, or calls that were wrong. But really good players become obsessed – even angry about – value they’ve failed to extract when missing bets or not betting enough. And now many players are focused on doing things that have a true value to them and cutting everything else out of the mix. It was all people could do to survive the economic downturn.

If you talk to non-gamblers, it is hard to explain to them why poker is not the same as gambing. Poker is one of those games that has a strategy to it. It isn’t solely a game of like like, slots for example. It is a game that can be learned and taught. Some Ivy League schools are even offering classes that use poker as a means of teaching strategy to the students. It is a game that has evolved over the yeras and gained a higher level of respect in the world of gambling. Poker used to be a small hobby for a sliver of the population. Now, the game is one of the most popular mainstream games. Large tournaments are now being broadcast via major television stations. It also is gaining corporate sponsorship, which was unheard of in earlier years of gambling fun. Enjoy poker at a wide range of online venues, but remember that it will take time to perfect your skill level. There is also a huge element of luck to the game though. And that combination of luck and strategy is what makes poker one of the most popular wager games in the world today.

Full Tilt Poker Sues Clonie Gowen

Sunday, March 28th, 2010

When money is concerned lawsuits are inevitable. Now it seems that a big one is brewing in the market. Full Tilt Poker and former Team Full Tilt pro Clonie Gowen are set to take their ongoing battle to the courts again – but this time it is Full Tilt Poker that is doing the suing. Full Tilt of course is a premiere poker website that has a wide range of tournaments and specials for any gamer to enjoy. It is fun to watch how much goes on at the casino and it is one of the best poker websites available.

The whole issue bagan back in November 2009.  At this time Gowen issued her own lawsuit against the company – including other Team Full Tilt members like huge players Phil Ivey as well as Patrik Antonius – after she was let go from her former contract. Gowen claimed that when she initially signed a deal with the online poker giant in 2004 she was offered a 1% stake in the company to represent Full Tilt Poker in tournaments around the world. However, upon her release she was only reportedly offered a $250,000 payout while the 1% stake in the company would end up being estimated at a higher value, with some reports claiming it would be as much as $40,000,000. The disparity in reports is what is up for debate and it will take time to sort through it.  The only thing left to do is to wait and see if this is settled outside of the courts. Full Tilt is requesting a statement from Gowen that she did not have an agreement granting her 1% of the company, as she has previously pledged. There is no monetary motive to Tilt’s lawsuit besides court costs and legal fees. The company’s operators are looking to gain back the financial losses, but not an additional fee. Only time will tell what happens with the lawsuit and whether or now the parties will be able to find a solution to the problem. Expect many more legal issues to come up now that the field of online gaming is expanding so quickly. It will be interesting to see how new laws are written and how they build the foundation of the new market of online gaming.

BWin Comes Out With Another Premiere Promotion

Sunday, March 28th, 2010

Bwin isn’t leaving much of a chance for other casinos to gain new customers. In fact, BWin is one of the best casinos at bringing the best game possibilities and promotions to the market.  The leading online casino, that also sponsors of Spanish soccer giants Real Madrid, has just committed to introducing a new and special promotion before the infamous El Clasico clash with FC Barcelona. The online casino Bwin’s specialty custom-made site SaveTheRealGamel.com – will allow all participants a chance to rescue famous Real Madrid players like Granero, Rafael Van Der Vaart, Kaka and Marcelo from their opponents. To win, you are going to have to find four codes that are hidden in cyberspace. You’ll be led through following clues that are given via Madrid heroes. If a player wins, they are then entered into a prize drawing where the number one player will win a trip to view Los Blancos. Part of the trip is a unique visit to the teams plane. That is going to be great fun for any fan of Los Blancos.

Currently the standings in Spanish Football are La Liga at number one. The next El clasico game is happening this year. This game could have a significant affect on where the league title ends. Not only is it expected to be an amazing football prize but Bwin casino is also offering some of the best new bonuses available. New players will get ten Euros for every one of the Real Madrid players. The welcome bonus is one of the most lucrative ones in the world of online gambling so if you get the chance to play at the casino check it out for a great bonus. In addition, if you love Spanish soccer, or soccer at all, then try out this casino. Its unique sports affiliated promo is sure to entertain a wide range of gamblers. Take a chance at the BWin.com casino. You own’t be disappointed by the gambling, promotions, customer service or anything else this casino has to offer. Test it out and take advantage of the special bonus promotion and the VIP bonuses available. If you are looking to test out a new casino, look at this one. It’s one of the premiere gaming websites and is showing no signs of slowing down.

Party Poker Announces Another Promotion

Sunday, March 28th, 2010

Online site Party Poker has major events on the way with the announcement of their French release. Poker in France has become widely popular over the past two years with well-known players such as Bertrand “Elky” Grospellier and Antoine Saout directing the way on the world wide market. As a result, many newer players have taken to the virtual games with the goal of creating in the potentially lucrative online poker gaming world. This is an exclusive deal with PMU made to take advantage of the sweeping poker trend in France. The deal will see Party’s poker software being used in conjunction with the pari-mutual horse racing company PMU to provide a new gaming site for French players. For now the project is in transition while both entities are waiting for their licensing to come through but once the technicalities are completed the website should be up and running very quickly.

PartyGaming’s CEO, Jim Ryan is ecstatic. He is pleased with the company’s recent business deal, stating that it is consistent with their plans to expand and secure the services of a number of high-value partenrships. This is one of the best thing about the gambling world- there are a wide number of affiliations going on at any given time and they only make for better gaming for the customer. Companies online are highly competitive and need to create the best promotions to bring more and more people in. The world of internet gambling is also growing quickly and technologies are moving towards better and better gaming capabilities. Only the companies that manage to maintain a dynamic and fresh use of technology mixed with great bonuses are going to remain lucrative throughout the next few years. The US is working to legalize and regulate online gaming and that means that there is a huge industry focus on the development of the market. Now that the recession is over, poeple are just starting to move back into their old spending habits and hopefully that includes gambling. It will take time to get completely back to normal, but things are looking good. Casinos are showing some growth and that’s great news for operators.

Japan Starting to Open Minds to Gaming

Saturday, March 27th, 2010

For many years the Japanese have looked at gambling with caution and as a result have come up with a wide range of sanctions banning casinos across their country. Now, that the economy has been hit with a huge deficit due to the recession, the country realizes that it hasa few revenue-generating options. As a result, Japanese lawmakers are considering opening some land-based casinos in the country. Many of the public are expected to be against the move for gambling however experts cite that it will bring in millions of tourists per year. Though the Japanese may not like the idea, it will be hard to pass up the millions of dollars available with gambling and its legalization along with regulation. The move will likely anger some citizens, but that still isn’t enough to cause gambling to be banned much longer. 

It seems like Japan is in the midst of the same debate the US is. The US is also debating the two sides. On one side there is the group of people who believe that gambling’s revenues are enough to help the economy out of its financial troubles.They hold that the huge tax-revenue dollars are the only thing able to turn around the lagging economy and other options for finding funding are quickly waning. On the other side is a group who believe that legalizing and regulating gambling would only bring more problems to the communities– crime, corruption, money laundering and addictions. They say that the government is not able to handle the added strain of more problems. It seems as if the increased revenues may win out the argument though. This may take away some of the success that the Chinese have had with their gambling market. This is something that the Japanese could certainly take advantage of, as the lure of fresh casino across the water will likely draw a slew of gamblers looking for a flutter whilst on their holidays. Nothing has yet been confirmed but it seems as though this idea could gather more steam in the coming months.  Only time will tell where Japan and the US see gambling in up coming years but most likely gambling will be integral to gaining a financial footing.

Farrington Walks Away A Winner

Saturday, March 27th, 2010

Grand Sierra Resort and Casino poker room this week had some hot action brewing.  Farrington was one of 48 players who took part in the $200 rebuy event at the Grand Sierra. He was surrounded by a long list of pros including Laak, Antonio Esfandiari, Tiffany Michelle, Maria Ho, Adam “Roothlus” Levy, Jerry Yang, Jeff Madsen, Dani Stern and Jennifer Tilly. Emceed by Alex Outhred and Trishelle Cannatella, the tournament and accompanying silent auction raised in the realm of $50,000 for the organization, which raises money for cancer research. This amazing charity event raised both money and awareness for the cause.  The representatives from the Jimmy V Foundation were more than pleased with the results. Board member Julie Constantin told Bluff she thought, “the event went incredibly. “You want to raise money, but you also want to raise awareness,” she added. “It’s been an incredibly inspiring evening for me.”

There are hopes that this event will be an inspiration and that many more will take place.  The event was filmed by ESPN2 and will air on the network later this year in tandem with a downhill ski race featuring poker pros and celebrities held on Mt. Rose. The finals of the tournament style ski-race came down to Liv Boeree and Esfandiari, with the Magician claiming the honor of poker’s best ski bunny. While Farrington did not participate in the ski you will see a good chunk of camera time due to his deep run in the event. Play was reckless and lively during the rebuy period, with players like Michael Binger and Zachary Clark shelling out money for numerous rebuys. While a chunk of the field kept the mood light with a seemingly endless stream of Patron and Washington Apples shots, the final nine players who made the final table did take the event rather seriously. Farrington, Graham and Khan where the final three. Farrington managed to double up time and again to stay alive though, and by the time the final hand rolled around, he had both Graham and Khan covered. Farrington shoved all-in on the button and Graham, who was crippled just one hand prior, called with 2-10 and Khan decided to press his luck and put his tournament life on the line with A-8. Khan was racing with Farrington’s pocket fives, but a 5 on the turn left both Graham and Khan drawing dead. Farrington collected the top prize of $4,877, some of which was spent on silent auction items benefiting the charity. Graham pledged half his winnings to the charity and spent the other half on silent auction items and several other players followed suit donating a portion of their winnings.

Managing the Satellite Tournament

Saturday, March 27th, 2010

For anyone who has been participating in or reading about tournament play, inevitably they have see the term ‘satellite’ game. So what is satellite?  For the uninitiated, a satellite is a tournament that awards one or more seats to a larger tournament. They can come in many forms – turbo rebuys, all-in-every-hand crapshoots and everything in between – but the most common is the multi-table satellite tournament. The payout is always different; some pay a seat for every three entrants, some pay a seat for every 20 entrants and so on. One way to select satellites on Sunday Majors is to enter those which award one seat for every five to seven entrants.  This strategy can offer the best balance of luck, skill, payout and time invested. I find that when you stray outside of those boundaries you’re either paying too much (and might as well have bought in directly) or the chance of winning a seat is too slim. Although multi-table tournaments, there are some obvious differences between a multi-table satellite and a standard MTT. These differences, along with the ratio of entrants to seats, will affect your strategy for various parts of the entire tournament.
The satellite game can be fun. Although it is setting you up for the big tournament, you can have a lot of fun in the starter games too. Don’t discount them for a minute! You are still going to be up against good players. You are still going to have high-paced fun. You are still going to wager and play the game with as much strategy as you would if you were playing the end-tournament. This is where you have to fight it out. In addition, sattelinte tournaments are also much more affordable, in general. You normally can find the satellite tournaments at a much lower buy-in level. If you manage to get on the leaderboards, you will move up to the next level of play. That means another satellite. If you get lucky and play well, you can find yourself at the top-level tournament sooner than you think. It’s the satellite games that help you to get there!

Getting into a Good Game of Draw

Saturday, March 27th, 2010

If you are looking for a good game of draw, here are some tips. First, you start with 5 cards and attempt to make the worst poker hand you can find. For example straights and flushes count against you and Aces are high. The nuts therefore is 7-5-4-3-2, known as ‘Number 1’ or sometimes ‘a wheel’. This is followed by 7-6-4-3-2, 7-6-5-3-2, 7-6-5-4-2, 8-5-4-3-2 and so on. Next, the table can hold up to 7 players. Each player receives five cards and there is a round of betting, after which the players involved can discard any number of their five cards in exchange for new ones. It is very rare for anyone to discard more than two cards. If you start with a made hand you can ‘stand pat’ and not discard anything.

Next, once you discard a second round begins. This is similar to after the river card in Hold’em, with players being either forced to show their hand or winning the pot without showdown. Now you put in to place some pre-draw strategy. As a general rule, you don’t want to be drawing more than one card in 2-7 NL. Drawing two cards to something like 2-3-7-x-x isn’t great because you won’t make your draw often enough for it to be profitable, and when you do your hand is very transparent and unlikely to get paid if you raise after the river. Four to ten is a great place to begin. An important rule to remember is that any pat Jack is the favorite over any one-card draw while any pat Queen is a favorite over a two-card draw. At the same time, one-card draws versus each other are usually pretty close. For example, if you hold T-6-4-4-2 and dump the four against a Q-8-5-3-2 which discards the Queen, you’re only a 44% underdog. Any position can make a major play. Similar to Hold’em it is better to play tighter out of position. With position, you’re able to stand pat with rough Jacks and even Queens if your enemy is drawing. Crucially, 2-7 NL is also an incredibly high variance game, as the edges between many of the one-card draws are barely past coin flip territory so you should expect swings akin to PLO. This is a great game but like all the others takes some time to get used to. If you are a serious gamer, then get into the practice mode and focus on learning, rather than winning at the beginning.