One of the newest poker rooms to launch online is CardSpike.com, as they have only been out for around one month. However, since they're on the Cake Poker network, they already have thousands of players online at all hours, and have some great tournaments and sit and go's. To entice players to sign up, they're encouraging players to use a CardSpike Promotion Code to receive a 100% up to $500 bonus.
The terms of this bonus are as follows: Players have 90 days to clear the bonus, and have to earn 166.6 FPP's to clear each $10 of total bonus. To be eligible for the full bonus, you have to deposit $500 or more. Good luck, and enjoy!
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Monday, October 13, 2008
New Bonus at a Great Poker Room
I was checking out some poker videos on YouTube today and came across a cool video. Basically it shows players how to get a $600 bonus when you make your first deposit at the Full Tilt poker site. All you need to do is use the Full Tilt Poker Referral Code that is shown in the video, and you'll get the 100% bonus tracked to your account. Check it out today!
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Man vs. Machine Poker Match
Very recently a new poker-playing artificial intelligence machine has been developed that is believed to be more adaptive to poker than humans. This new machine, "Polaris 2.0" is believed to soon surpass humans in the game of poker, and it was recently tested in Las Vegas against numerous poker pros.
Polaris played four rounds of Texas Hold 'Em against two separate teams, and Polaris proceeded to win 2 of the rounds, drawing and losing the other two. However this was after Polaris 1.0 was first released to play in public prior to this years new release. Humans ended up defeating Polaris 1.0, 3 out of 4 matches, but the release of 2.0 took everyone for a new ride.
Polaris was first developed for chess, and after beating chess champion Gary Kasparov in 1997, the research team moved onto developing a poker strategy. This new Polaris, "Polaris 2.0" soon became very famous around the University of Alberta. The major new innovations of this new Polaris were its ability to not allow humans to exploit any weaknesses found within the machine. And not to mention, the machine could learn from past experiences.
This means that the machine can identify the strategy that each individual poker player would use, then quickly switch its own strategy to counteract the opponents. The poker pros at the match said they have not seen a human do this before: switch strategies to counteract the opponent so efficiently.
Although Polaris 2.0 did beat the human teams 3 out of the 4 matches that took place in Las Vegas, many poker pros are still skeptic of the robots ability to play against higher ranking pros. One pro is quoted saying, "Over the next year or so there are going to have to be several rematches before everyone is convinced that humans have been surpassed by machines in poker."
Researches are also hoping to develop a new system to enable Polaris to play on a wider range of games, besides the sole Heads-up Texas Hold 'Em version it is now capable of. The researches are hoping to develop new algorithm systems that will allow the robot to be used in a variety of different aspects of technology, far away from poker.
So the real question is will these new robots truly be more adaptable to poker than humans by remembering literally every hand played and adapting? And if so, how will this affect the online poker world in the near future?
Polaris played four rounds of Texas Hold 'Em against two separate teams, and Polaris proceeded to win 2 of the rounds, drawing and losing the other two. However this was after Polaris 1.0 was first released to play in public prior to this years new release. Humans ended up defeating Polaris 1.0, 3 out of 4 matches, but the release of 2.0 took everyone for a new ride.
Polaris was first developed for chess, and after beating chess champion Gary Kasparov in 1997, the research team moved onto developing a poker strategy. This new Polaris, "Polaris 2.0" soon became very famous around the University of Alberta. The major new innovations of this new Polaris were its ability to not allow humans to exploit any weaknesses found within the machine. And not to mention, the machine could learn from past experiences.
This means that the machine can identify the strategy that each individual poker player would use, then quickly switch its own strategy to counteract the opponents. The poker pros at the match said they have not seen a human do this before: switch strategies to counteract the opponent so efficiently.
Although Polaris 2.0 did beat the human teams 3 out of the 4 matches that took place in Las Vegas, many poker pros are still skeptic of the robots ability to play against higher ranking pros. One pro is quoted saying, "Over the next year or so there are going to have to be several rematches before everyone is convinced that humans have been surpassed by machines in poker."
Researches are also hoping to develop a new system to enable Polaris to play on a wider range of games, besides the sole Heads-up Texas Hold 'Em version it is now capable of. The researches are hoping to develop new algorithm systems that will allow the robot to be used in a variety of different aspects of technology, far away from poker.
So the real question is will these new robots truly be more adaptable to poker than humans by remembering literally every hand played and adapting? And if so, how will this affect the online poker world in the near future?
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
My Latest Trip to TS
We returned yesterday from our trip to Turning Stone, and it was a blast. I had the chance to do everything that I wished to. The food was great, the poker turned out to be so-so for me, but great for others, and the golf was amazing. Without a doubt the highlight of my trip was the amazing golf course and the relaxing that came with it.
The main reason for going was obviously the poker, and for this particular trip, the Heartland Poker Tour was at Turning Stone and brought a large amount of players to the casino. One of my friends was staked in each of the tournaments that Heartland hosted but failed to cash in any. Another of my friends did well on the cash tables and left up around $400 solely from cash games. And the last member of our group ended placing 6th in the $220 deep stack turbo tournament that Heartland hosted for just over $2000. He had a very profittable trip leaving with over $3000 after coming with only a few hundred dollars.
My poker play ended fairly quickly, the third day or so. I was running terribly on the cash tables as I tended to get my money good on large pots and then proceeded to be drawn out in the three major pots I was in. The first of which was with pocket fives; I called a normal preflop raise of around $12 along with around 3 other callers including the raiser. The flop came 3 5 7, two diamonds. I was first to act and checked, the raiser C-bet the flop for about $30 and I raised all in after one behind me called the $30 for an additional $65 or $70. The initial raiser called the extra $70 with AK of diamonds, a flush draw, with the 9 of diamonds obviously coming on the river without pairing the board.
Another hand with AA left me with a loss of a $400 pot against a woman with KQ who called my reraise preflop to about $20 after she min-raised before me to $4. The flop came Q 4 2 and she lead out $40 on the flop, I raised all in for an additional $110 or so, she proceeded to call and the turn came a queen to end my poker playing trip. I decided then that I would rather do other things this trip than play poker.
The golf was amazing, we played the Shenendoah course for around $120 per round. The $120 included a cart for the 18 holes along with the top of the line rental clubs, all Titleist. I ended up parring 8 out of the 18 holes which I was happy with, but missed a great eagle opportunity on a par 4 after driving the green. That golf session was worth the entire trip to Turning Stone as I'm sure that will be one of the finest courses I will ever play.
Along with the golf the food was very good, we tended to order room service far too often and should have gone to more restaurants, but it was very good anyway. Rodizios was everything it has been in the past, but next time I expect to visit the steakhouse and Asian restaurant we planned on eating at this trip.
The main reason for going was obviously the poker, and for this particular trip, the Heartland Poker Tour was at Turning Stone and brought a large amount of players to the casino. One of my friends was staked in each of the tournaments that Heartland hosted but failed to cash in any. Another of my friends did well on the cash tables and left up around $400 solely from cash games. And the last member of our group ended placing 6th in the $220 deep stack turbo tournament that Heartland hosted for just over $2000. He had a very profittable trip leaving with over $3000 after coming with only a few hundred dollars.
My poker play ended fairly quickly, the third day or so. I was running terribly on the cash tables as I tended to get my money good on large pots and then proceeded to be drawn out in the three major pots I was in. The first of which was with pocket fives; I called a normal preflop raise of around $12 along with around 3 other callers including the raiser. The flop came 3 5 7, two diamonds. I was first to act and checked, the raiser C-bet the flop for about $30 and I raised all in after one behind me called the $30 for an additional $65 or $70. The initial raiser called the extra $70 with AK of diamonds, a flush draw, with the 9 of diamonds obviously coming on the river without pairing the board.
Another hand with AA left me with a loss of a $400 pot against a woman with KQ who called my reraise preflop to about $20 after she min-raised before me to $4. The flop came Q 4 2 and she lead out $40 on the flop, I raised all in for an additional $110 or so, she proceeded to call and the turn came a queen to end my poker playing trip. I decided then that I would rather do other things this trip than play poker.
The golf was amazing, we played the Shenendoah course for around $120 per round. The $120 included a cart for the 18 holes along with the top of the line rental clubs, all Titleist. I ended up parring 8 out of the 18 holes which I was happy with, but missed a great eagle opportunity on a par 4 after driving the green. That golf session was worth the entire trip to Turning Stone as I'm sure that will be one of the finest courses I will ever play.
Along with the golf the food was very good, we tended to order room service far too often and should have gone to more restaurants, but it was very good anyway. Rodizios was everything it has been in the past, but next time I expect to visit the steakhouse and Asian restaurant we planned on eating at this trip.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Trip to Turning Stone
Recently a group of friends and I decided to plan a long-weekend's vacation to Turning Stone, a casino twenty five minutes out of Syracuse, New York. The vacation is a perfect chance for the five of us to be relieved from stress at work and our homes. It also just happens to be one of the busiest poker weekends at Turning Stone as the Heartland Poker Tour is visiting as well.
The rooms were the most difficult decision for our group to decide upon, as Turning Stone offers a variety. Many of the rooms and packages were booked due to the poker players coming into town, but we still have a number of choices. We decided to spend less than our last trip and book the Hotel at Turning Stone for around $100/night for the first 3 nights. We leave on Wednesday morning and plan to return Sunday afternoon. So, Wednesday through Friday night we will stay in the Hotel, then Saturday night we'll be living it up in the Lodge, with the finest ammenities. We plan on using the room service to the utmost possibilities, and milking the main desk for all they're worth.
The drive there is no less than 3 hours, but going for nearly a week is completely worth the drive. This will be my longest stay at Turning Stone, but there is plenty to do besides gamble. They offer some of the finest golf courses in New York including PGA Championship courses; Atunyote, Shenendoah, and Pleasant Knolls. Each entirely worth the reservation and price required.
The Heartland Poker tour is offering 3 major poker tournaments that we all plan on winning a satellite into. The three buy-ins are $500, $700, $1500, and $200 deep stack turbo, all of which are No-Limit Hold 'Em. One of my colleagues with a rather massive poker bankroll plans to buy into each tournament, while the others will attempt satellites.
The cash tables are very accessible for players at any Hold 'Em level. All different types of players come to the tables, and if you have a decent amount of poker experience and knowledge, you should have no trouble in making money. I plan to pay for the entire trip and then extra completely off playing at the $100 max cash tables.
One of the greatest highlights discluding the golf and poker is the dining. Turning Stone offers some of the finest dining restaurants around including Pino Bianco, Wildflowers, Rodizio, and Forest Grill. Each one specializes in a different worldly cuisine suitable for any fine diner with an extensive pallat. I personally recomment Rodizios for its buffet Brazilian style dining, and it's absolutely delicious.
I plan on also utilizing the spa and massage opportunities as I missed out on that during our last trip. I hope this trip goes well as the last have, and if you have an opportunity to visit Turning Stone I recommend all these features.
The rooms were the most difficult decision for our group to decide upon, as Turning Stone offers a variety. Many of the rooms and packages were booked due to the poker players coming into town, but we still have a number of choices. We decided to spend less than our last trip and book the Hotel at Turning Stone for around $100/night for the first 3 nights. We leave on Wednesday morning and plan to return Sunday afternoon. So, Wednesday through Friday night we will stay in the Hotel, then Saturday night we'll be living it up in the Lodge, with the finest ammenities. We plan on using the room service to the utmost possibilities, and milking the main desk for all they're worth.
The drive there is no less than 3 hours, but going for nearly a week is completely worth the drive. This will be my longest stay at Turning Stone, but there is plenty to do besides gamble. They offer some of the finest golf courses in New York including PGA Championship courses; Atunyote, Shenendoah, and Pleasant Knolls. Each entirely worth the reservation and price required.
The Heartland Poker tour is offering 3 major poker tournaments that we all plan on winning a satellite into. The three buy-ins are $500, $700, $1500, and $200 deep stack turbo, all of which are No-Limit Hold 'Em. One of my colleagues with a rather massive poker bankroll plans to buy into each tournament, while the others will attempt satellites.
The cash tables are very accessible for players at any Hold 'Em level. All different types of players come to the tables, and if you have a decent amount of poker experience and knowledge, you should have no trouble in making money. I plan to pay for the entire trip and then extra completely off playing at the $100 max cash tables.
One of the greatest highlights discluding the golf and poker is the dining. Turning Stone offers some of the finest dining restaurants around including Pino Bianco, Wildflowers, Rodizio, and Forest Grill. Each one specializes in a different worldly cuisine suitable for any fine diner with an extensive pallat. I personally recomment Rodizios for its buffet Brazilian style dining, and it's absolutely delicious.
I plan on also utilizing the spa and massage opportunities as I missed out on that during our last trip. I hope this trip goes well as the last have, and if you have an opportunity to visit Turning Stone I recommend all these features.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Absolute Poker
Recently, I decided to deposit a mere $100 on Absolute Poker to test my luck in their tournaments. Now, Absolute has gotten a bad reputation after their scandal that occurred months prior, but I still wanted to play some of their new tournaments and see if they fixed the problems with their software.
I began playing some low stack tournaments such as $5 no re buy and $10 as well. The first day was a pure disaster and my bankroll had diminished to about $25. That was all from multi table tournaments and I was just running very poorly and I could not catch a break.
Day two was a complete 360 as I began by playing a $5 re buy. There were only 61 entries, but first place paid out a nice $331. At the end of the first break, I was only in for my original $5 and I also had a nice stack which put me in 5th out of 40 remaining. I chose to do a double add-on, and I was fortunate to make the final table. The final table was nuts and I was lucky enough to have AA against KK in a huge pot which allowed me to thrust forward and win the tournament.
My bankroll after this tournament was around $370. I did not feel like ending Day 2 so I decided to enter a $50 no re buy with 227 entrants. After 2.5 to 3 hours we had made the money which was only $72 for 27th-19th. I got all my chips in with 77 against KQ and a K fell on the turn. I was not to angry with that tournament and I knew I had a solid bankroll that would allow me to play some solid tournaments.
I woke early on day 3 and entered a $15 bounty tournament. The structure was pretty screwed up, but I was able to make it to the Final Table where I made an early exit. Later that night, I decided to play 3 tournaments: $5 re buy, $3 re buy, and there nightly $15,000 Guar. $30 re buy. Now I told myself I would only put $60 into the 15k and would go further.
Three hours later I found myself in the money for all three tournaments. First for the $3 was $1,700, $300 for the $5 re buy, and a massive $4,750 for the $30 re buy. I pushed on the button with 22 in the $3 and got called in the BB by AK....I lost the coin flip and finished in 62 for only $17.50. I was plowing through the other two fields and the next thing I knew I was at 2 Final Tables.
The atmosphere was great knowing I was about to more than double my bankroll. I grinded the $5 re buy and made it to Heads Up. I was down about 2:1 in chips, but got all my chips in with J7 on a J78 board and my opponent quickly called with KJ. My hand did not hold as he rivered a K and I got second place for $221.
The final table of the $30 re buy quickly became my main concern and with each player going out the pay outs were becoming huge. It was down to 6 of us and I found myself in last place. I was able to double up by winning a coin flip with 88. Two more people went out and it was down to 4. The blinds were 5k-10k and I only had about 121k in front of me. Hoping to steal the BB I shoved from the SB with Q10 and ran into QQ. I was still very happy as I just took down a cool $1,300.
I did not mention a few other tournaments that I cashed in, but regardless in 3 days I had cashed 8/11 MTT's and had profited over $1,800. One of the main things I enjoy about AP is there small fields which allow you to capture many final tables and even victories.
I began playing some low stack tournaments such as $5 no re buy and $10 as well. The first day was a pure disaster and my bankroll had diminished to about $25. That was all from multi table tournaments and I was just running very poorly and I could not catch a break.
Day two was a complete 360 as I began by playing a $5 re buy. There were only 61 entries, but first place paid out a nice $331. At the end of the first break, I was only in for my original $5 and I also had a nice stack which put me in 5th out of 40 remaining. I chose to do a double add-on, and I was fortunate to make the final table. The final table was nuts and I was lucky enough to have AA against KK in a huge pot which allowed me to thrust forward and win the tournament.
My bankroll after this tournament was around $370. I did not feel like ending Day 2 so I decided to enter a $50 no re buy with 227 entrants. After 2.5 to 3 hours we had made the money which was only $72 for 27th-19th. I got all my chips in with 77 against KQ and a K fell on the turn. I was not to angry with that tournament and I knew I had a solid bankroll that would allow me to play some solid tournaments.
I woke early on day 3 and entered a $15 bounty tournament. The structure was pretty screwed up, but I was able to make it to the Final Table where I made an early exit. Later that night, I decided to play 3 tournaments: $5 re buy, $3 re buy, and there nightly $15,000 Guar. $30 re buy. Now I told myself I would only put $60 into the 15k and would go further.
Three hours later I found myself in the money for all three tournaments. First for the $3 was $1,700, $300 for the $5 re buy, and a massive $4,750 for the $30 re buy. I pushed on the button with 22 in the $3 and got called in the BB by AK....I lost the coin flip and finished in 62 for only $17.50. I was plowing through the other two fields and the next thing I knew I was at 2 Final Tables.
The atmosphere was great knowing I was about to more than double my bankroll. I grinded the $5 re buy and made it to Heads Up. I was down about 2:1 in chips, but got all my chips in with J7 on a J78 board and my opponent quickly called with KJ. My hand did not hold as he rivered a K and I got second place for $221.
The final table of the $30 re buy quickly became my main concern and with each player going out the pay outs were becoming huge. It was down to 6 of us and I found myself in last place. I was able to double up by winning a coin flip with 88. Two more people went out and it was down to 4. The blinds were 5k-10k and I only had about 121k in front of me. Hoping to steal the BB I shoved from the SB with Q10 and ran into QQ. I was still very happy as I just took down a cool $1,300.
I did not mention a few other tournaments that I cashed in, but regardless in 3 days I had cashed 8/11 MTT's and had profited over $1,800. One of the main things I enjoy about AP is there small fields which allow you to capture many final tables and even victories.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
How to play Craps
Craps is a great game to play, but it can be tricky if you have never learned the rules to this blood rushing and exciting game.
Craps begins with a shooter who rolls two die against a wall. This first roll in known as the "come out" roll. If the shooter rolls a 2,3, or 12 this is known as craps and the shooter would lose the pass line bet, the round ends, and the same shooter would roll a new come out roll. If that shooter would have rolled a 7 or 11 then the shooter would win the pass line bet, the round ends, and the same shooter rolls a new come out roll.
You may be asking what happens if the shooter rolls a 4,5,6,8,9, or a 10. Well rolling one of these numbers establishes a "point" number. If you roll one of these then the round continues and on your next roll you are trying to roll your point number before rolling a 7. If you roll your point first then you win the pass line bet, the round ends, and the same shooter rolls a new come out roll. But if the 7 is rolled first then the shooter loses the pass line bet, the round ends, and the die are passed to the next shooter to the left.
The betting for this game has a great variety as players can bet on the way a round will end, a specific total being rolled, and a specific number being rolled. The first shooter or newest must bet on either the pass or dont pass line.
The pass line is won if a 7 or 11 is rolled first. This same bet can also be won if the shooter rolls a point number then rolls that same point number again before rolling a 7. The pass line bet would be lost if the shooter rolled a 2,3, or 12 to start or if they established a point number, but rolled the 7 first. The opposite goes for the dont pass line and players can choose to bet on whichever line they would like.
When betting on specific numbers remember to look at the craps board which displays all the bets that can be made and the odds of hitting that number.
For more Craps information check out Casino Craps Gambling Online
Craps begins with a shooter who rolls two die against a wall. This first roll in known as the "come out" roll. If the shooter rolls a 2,3, or 12 this is known as craps and the shooter would lose the pass line bet, the round ends, and the same shooter would roll a new come out roll. If that shooter would have rolled a 7 or 11 then the shooter would win the pass line bet, the round ends, and the same shooter rolls a new come out roll.
You may be asking what happens if the shooter rolls a 4,5,6,8,9, or a 10. Well rolling one of these numbers establishes a "point" number. If you roll one of these then the round continues and on your next roll you are trying to roll your point number before rolling a 7. If you roll your point first then you win the pass line bet, the round ends, and the same shooter rolls a new come out roll. But if the 7 is rolled first then the shooter loses the pass line bet, the round ends, and the die are passed to the next shooter to the left.
The betting for this game has a great variety as players can bet on the way a round will end, a specific total being rolled, and a specific number being rolled. The first shooter or newest must bet on either the pass or dont pass line.
The pass line is won if a 7 or 11 is rolled first. This same bet can also be won if the shooter rolls a point number then rolls that same point number again before rolling a 7. The pass line bet would be lost if the shooter rolled a 2,3, or 12 to start or if they established a point number, but rolled the 7 first. The opposite goes for the dont pass line and players can choose to bet on whichever line they would like.
When betting on specific numbers remember to look at the craps board which displays all the bets that can be made and the odds of hitting that number.
For more Craps information check out Casino Craps Gambling Online
Friday, June 6, 2008
Microgaming Flash Version
Microgaming Flash versions allow users to log-in and begin playing immediately which is a great advantage for those players who hate waiting for a program to load. These programs offer a great number of games and some of the casinos that use this software include Royal Vegas Casino, Platinum Play Casino, Jackpot City Casino, Roxy Palace, and many more.
Flash Casinos do not require players to download a specific software and players can still take full advantage of the site. Players still must make an account before playing, but that is an easy and quick process. After making the account, a web browser will appear and players can then see all the different games the casino has to offer which includes slots, table games, video poker, and many more.
One huge advantage to using the Flash version is that it allows for all users to play and reap the benefits of online casinos. Whether you have a PC or a MAC it does not matter and the Flash system will let you play. Flash casinos have been increasing their variety as well and some of the new games they offer include Hitman Bonus Slots. A new and exciting game is the progressive jackpots that they offer. These jackpots have been known to payout huge sums of money to the winners.
Microgaming has always been a safe and secure place for customers to gamble. The software has been around for over 14 years and they have been making updates every day. They have taken part in creating over 120 casinos and more than 40 poker rooms. They are well-known for offering a large variety of slots so people will no longer get bored playing the same games.
For more information about Microgaming and their state of the art Flash version check out Microgaming Flash Casinos
Flash Casinos do not require players to download a specific software and players can still take full advantage of the site. Players still must make an account before playing, but that is an easy and quick process. After making the account, a web browser will appear and players can then see all the different games the casino has to offer which includes slots, table games, video poker, and many more.
One huge advantage to using the Flash version is that it allows for all users to play and reap the benefits of online casinos. Whether you have a PC or a MAC it does not matter and the Flash system will let you play. Flash casinos have been increasing their variety as well and some of the new games they offer include Hitman Bonus Slots. A new and exciting game is the progressive jackpots that they offer. These jackpots have been known to payout huge sums of money to the winners.
Microgaming has always been a safe and secure place for customers to gamble. The software has been around for over 14 years and they have been making updates every day. They have taken part in creating over 120 casinos and more than 40 poker rooms. They are well-known for offering a large variety of slots so people will no longer get bored playing the same games.
For more information about Microgaming and their state of the art Flash version check out Microgaming Flash Casinos
Saturday, May 24, 2008
My New Casino Group
I just saw this cool new thing on Google that allows you to create your own group to chat with friends or meet new people. Check it out here: Online Casino
Thursday, May 22, 2008
The 2008 WSOP
The 2008 WSOP is about one week away and the anticipation is growing at a drastic pace. There will be 55 events this year and the first one will begin on May 30 which will be a $10,000 buy-in (Pot-limit Hold'em). The Circuit events are almost all completed and season pro Allen Cunningham took down the last event at Caesars Palace on May 1st. This was a $5,150 buy-in and the event was No-Limit Hold'em. Now that the Circuit events are almost over it is time for the WSOP to begin, but some changes are taking place this year.
The main change to this years WSOP is the fact that once the Main Event is down to the Final Table they will end play. The play will not continue until November 9th. This is a four month stoppage in play and in my view this is absurd. The players will greatly benefit from this as sponsors will be going "nuts" to get ahold of these players. The media is going to build up this Final Table to the maximum and take full advantage of the situation. Casinos will be getting very large crowds as well.
In some cases this will benefit the player, but it will most certainly disrupt their play and reads they had on certain players. Reads will no longer be good as players will adjust their play over the 4 month break. I imagine that each player will be getting coached during this time to sharpen up their skills. Hopefully the new addition to the WSOP will just be a one year thing, but for all of you heading out to Vegas GOOD LUCK!
For great deals check out Casino Stop Online
The main change to this years WSOP is the fact that once the Main Event is down to the Final Table they will end play. The play will not continue until November 9th. This is a four month stoppage in play and in my view this is absurd. The players will greatly benefit from this as sponsors will be going "nuts" to get ahold of these players. The media is going to build up this Final Table to the maximum and take full advantage of the situation. Casinos will be getting very large crowds as well.
In some cases this will benefit the player, but it will most certainly disrupt their play and reads they had on certain players. Reads will no longer be good as players will adjust their play over the 4 month break. I imagine that each player will be getting coached during this time to sharpen up their skills. Hopefully the new addition to the WSOP will just be a one year thing, but for all of you heading out to Vegas GOOD LUCK!
For great deals check out Casino Stop Online
My session at Irving Casino
Today I went to Irving again and put in a solid session. I got there around 9 a.m. to make it for the 10 a.m. $55 rebuy tournament. Unlike last week, I actually ran really well. Here's a few hands from the rebuy period:
My table was nuts - every hand during the rebuy hour was all-in or fold. About 5 hands in or so I pick up AQ in the big blind, and there were two all-ins in from of me from loose players. I called it down and they both showed KQ. Nobody improved, so I got a quick triple up. Then, about 5 hands later I pick up 88 in the cutoff, and call one players all in. He had AJ, and he didn't improve, so I doubled up again. At this point I was sitting pretty and was the chip leader of my table, so I cooled off and cruised into the add-on period.
I took the add-on, and that put me in about the top 20% of the field. It was pretty uneventful for an hour or two, as I just picked up the blinds and a few small pots to maintain my stack. Once we got near the money though it really heated up. I have all of the hands in my notepad but don't have it now, so I'll have to post them later. P.S. - check out my buddies' new online casino site.
My table was nuts - every hand during the rebuy hour was all-in or fold. About 5 hands in or so I pick up AQ in the big blind, and there were two all-ins in from of me from loose players. I called it down and they both showed KQ. Nobody improved, so I got a quick triple up. Then, about 5 hands later I pick up 88 in the cutoff, and call one players all in. He had AJ, and he didn't improve, so I doubled up again. At this point I was sitting pretty and was the chip leader of my table, so I cooled off and cruised into the add-on period.
I took the add-on, and that put me in about the top 20% of the field. It was pretty uneventful for an hour or two, as I just picked up the blinds and a few small pots to maintain my stack. Once we got near the money though it really heated up. I have all of the hands in my notepad but don't have it now, so I'll have to post them later. P.S. - check out my buddies' new online casino site.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Turning Stone
March Madness is a time that Turning Stone Casino has one of their best tournament segments. They run tournaments all week with a $1,000 Main Event. I was not able to make it to the earlier tournaments so I decided to go and play some cash games while I attempted to build my bankroll in the hopes of playing in their Main Event.
I arrived Friday night around Midnight and immediately went to the 1-2 NL 100max. I know this is not anything big, but I wanted to double up then move up to 200max. This was my goal to sit down, double up, and then move up to the next highest level. In theory I could only lose my initial $100 , but then again that is "In theory." After playing for 8 hours straight with my peak being $190, I was still at that same $100 max. table which was very disappointing (left the table with under $100). It was time for a quick nap which only lasted until about noon.
This session was terrible as I was absolutely exhausted and could not focus or make good decisions so I obviously donked off $100 which put me down about $150ish on the weekend. We went and had a great meal at a Steak House restaurant right in the Casino. I was extremely disappointed in myself that I played while being so tired. I took the night off which meant I would not be making it to the Main Event.
Early Sunday I decided to try some $200 max. and once again left the table with a little under $200. Toward the end of the trip I ended up down about $200 from poker and just could not get anything going.
Turning Stone is always a great time though and I will definitely be back very soon. If you're looking for a Secure Casino check out Casino On Net
I arrived Friday night around Midnight and immediately went to the 1-2 NL 100max. I know this is not anything big, but I wanted to double up then move up to 200max. This was my goal to sit down, double up, and then move up to the next highest level. In theory I could only lose my initial $100 , but then again that is "In theory." After playing for 8 hours straight with my peak being $190, I was still at that same $100 max. table which was very disappointing (left the table with under $100). It was time for a quick nap which only lasted until about noon.
This session was terrible as I was absolutely exhausted and could not focus or make good decisions so I obviously donked off $100 which put me down about $150ish on the weekend. We went and had a great meal at a Steak House restaurant right in the Casino. I was extremely disappointed in myself that I played while being so tired. I took the night off which meant I would not be making it to the Main Event.
Early Sunday I decided to try some $200 max. and once again left the table with a little under $200. Toward the end of the trip I ended up down about $200 from poker and just could not get anything going.
Turning Stone is always a great time though and I will definitely be back very soon. If you're looking for a Secure Casino check out Casino On Net
Friday, May 16, 2008
Last Night at the Casino
Last night me and a few of my buddies went to the casino again. It's only about a 20 minute drive, so after work we all decided we'd take a ride up. Funny story - as soon as I pull into the casino I get out of my car, and walk up to the entrance waiting for a casino valet to come get my keys. I see a guy in a red jacket, so I toss him my keys and stroll by. For some reason he looks perplexed... and after a few moments I realize the man is not a valet after all, but just happened to have on a red jacket! Lol, slightly embarrassing, and definitely a signal of things to come at the casino.
When I walked into the casino we passed by the Roulette tables, Craps games, and Slot machines until we got to the Blackjack tables. I decided to play some $20/hand Blackjack and see if I could get up a little before heading to the poker room. I was running pretty well for about 15 or 20 hands, and I was up about $100 - not bad at all. But then disaster struck. I swear the Blackjack dealer was out to get me, because for about the next 15 hands I don't think I made a single hand over 15. Then, it got even worse.
For about the next 5 Blackjack hands after that, the dealer made all 21's or 20's while I had consistent 19's and 18's. I would get a great hand, stand pat on the dealer's 5 up card, and then he'd peel off the perfect three card combination to make Blackjack. Ridiculous!
After dropping about $200 during that Blackjack session, I decided to try my luck at Roulette. The trend from my Blackjack session would continue. I started off with just doing a few inside bets spread over 2 numbers. My favorite bet is always just placing a $5 chip on number 2, and after about ten of those bets I was down $50. I recovered my losses after hitting on a 7/8 spread bet for about a $70 winning, but I continued to donate it all back by betting red/black for a while.
Now that I was down about $300 I had had enough. We decided to head up to the new steakhouse that the casino just put in - WOW. This place was practically a 5 star restaurant, and their prices weren't even that bad. I'll post more about dinner later. Gotta run though.
When I walked into the casino we passed by the Roulette tables, Craps games, and Slot machines until we got to the Blackjack tables. I decided to play some $20/hand Blackjack and see if I could get up a little before heading to the poker room. I was running pretty well for about 15 or 20 hands, and I was up about $100 - not bad at all. But then disaster struck. I swear the Blackjack dealer was out to get me, because for about the next 15 hands I don't think I made a single hand over 15. Then, it got even worse.
For about the next 5 Blackjack hands after that, the dealer made all 21's or 20's while I had consistent 19's and 18's. I would get a great hand, stand pat on the dealer's 5 up card, and then he'd peel off the perfect three card combination to make Blackjack. Ridiculous!
After dropping about $200 during that Blackjack session, I decided to try my luck at Roulette. The trend from my Blackjack session would continue. I started off with just doing a few inside bets spread over 2 numbers. My favorite bet is always just placing a $5 chip on number 2, and after about ten of those bets I was down $50. I recovered my losses after hitting on a 7/8 spread bet for about a $70 winning, but I continued to donate it all back by betting red/black for a while.
Now that I was down about $300 I had had enough. We decided to head up to the new steakhouse that the casino just put in - WOW. This place was practically a 5 star restaurant, and their prices weren't even that bad. I'll post more about dinner later. Gotta run though.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
My Slots Session Today
Today I went over to my local casino to play some slots games. I recently turned 18 so I decided to take the 20 minute drive over to the Indian-run casino and try it out. A few of my friends went with me, and although they were pressed for cash, we all had a blast. As soon as we got there we were starving, so we went right to the world class buffet.
At the casino buffet they have literally every food you could imagine, from Prime Rib to Crab Legs to Cheesecake, and I think we ate them all. I started off by grabbing a plate of Chinese food, and after about 6 more plates of various food, we were ready to hit the casino floor.
I only brought $50 with me so I knew I had to be smart with conserving my money. I started off playing some progressives in the hopes that I might hit a big casino score. However, after playing about 20 pulls I still hadn't even won a single reel, so I moved on to the next slot machine.
This one wasn't progressive so I imagine it had better slot odds. It was a quarter slot machine, meaning that I could bet $.25 at a time on each line. After about 10-12 pulls, I finally had my first score. I made three Pie's in a row which was good for a 25x payout, meaning that I won $6.25 which put me about back to even for the day. I continued to play this machine for about an hour, and although I had a few more hits, I eventually left down about $4.
After that I decided to try my luck at another progressive machine, which had a jackpot of $314,000! I ended up burning about $15 there, and once again, never even won on a single line. After that we decided to head home!
At the casino buffet they have literally every food you could imagine, from Prime Rib to Crab Legs to Cheesecake, and I think we ate them all. I started off by grabbing a plate of Chinese food, and after about 6 more plates of various food, we were ready to hit the casino floor.
I only brought $50 with me so I knew I had to be smart with conserving my money. I started off playing some progressives in the hopes that I might hit a big casino score. However, after playing about 20 pulls I still hadn't even won a single reel, so I moved on to the next slot machine.
This one wasn't progressive so I imagine it had better slot odds. It was a quarter slot machine, meaning that I could bet $.25 at a time on each line. After about 10-12 pulls, I finally had my first score. I made three Pie's in a row which was good for a 25x payout, meaning that I won $6.25 which put me about back to even for the day. I continued to play this machine for about an hour, and although I had a few more hits, I eventually left down about $4.
After that I decided to try my luck at another progressive machine, which had a jackpot of $314,000! I ended up burning about $15 there, and once again, never even won on a single line. After that we decided to head home!
Friday, May 9, 2008
Best Roulette Tips
If you're a gambler then you've certainly heard of Roulette - the popular table game with huge payouts when you happen to win on a bet. Many live casinos now offer both American and European Roulette, and we'll get into the differences between these games right now.
American Roulette is the more common form of the game when it comes to brick and mortar casinos. The reason for this is the fact that the American form gives the house a higher edge, meaning that they will make more money from the gamblers. Since there is an additional number on the wheel (double zero) there is less of a chance for a player to hit any of their bets, and over the long run American Roulette has a much higher house edge than European Roulette.
European Roulette has the same rules as American Roulette, with the exception being that there is no double zero on the wheel. It has the exact same payouts as American, so in the long run the house edge is significantly less because of the absence of the double zero spot.
When you make a bet on the inside portion of the table, you can either place your bet on one number, or spread it across multiple numbers. If you bet it only on one single number, and happen to hit, you'll receive a 35:1 payout. So if you happen to make a $5 bet on the number 7, and the roulette ball falls on the number 7, you'll receive a $175 payout! Obviously that's a nice little payout for only one bet.
Also, there are other bets to be made like outside bets or 0 bets. To learn more about the specific bets make sure to check out the links that are listed in the previous paragraphs.
American Roulette is the more common form of the game when it comes to brick and mortar casinos. The reason for this is the fact that the American form gives the house a higher edge, meaning that they will make more money from the gamblers. Since there is an additional number on the wheel (double zero) there is less of a chance for a player to hit any of their bets, and over the long run American Roulette has a much higher house edge than European Roulette.
European Roulette has the same rules as American Roulette, with the exception being that there is no double zero on the wheel. It has the exact same payouts as American, so in the long run the house edge is significantly less because of the absence of the double zero spot.
When you make a bet on the inside portion of the table, you can either place your bet on one number, or spread it across multiple numbers. If you bet it only on one single number, and happen to hit, you'll receive a 35:1 payout. So if you happen to make a $5 bet on the number 7, and the roulette ball falls on the number 7, you'll receive a $175 payout! Obviously that's a nice little payout for only one bet.
Also, there are other bets to be made like outside bets or 0 bets. To learn more about the specific bets make sure to check out the links that are listed in the previous paragraphs.
Saturday, May 3, 2008
How to Clear Your Casino Bonus
When you qualify for an online casino bonus it is important that you understand the requirements to clear the bonus, because no matter how big a bonus is if it is hard to clear you may not want to attempt to clear it. Many of the larger bonuses in the online casino industry are extremely hard to clear, so you may be better off starting with a medium sized bonus to get your feet wet.
The first thing to understand is how bonuses are calculated. Often times online casino bonuses are percentages of your first deposit, such as a 200% up to $500 sign up bonus. In this case, the % is based on your deposit amount, so to fully qualify for the $500 bonus you'd need to deposit $250, as $500 is 200% of $250.
Now, once you make your initial deposit, don't think that you're just getting free money. If it worked like that I'd be depositing thousands every day ;). When you make your deposit, the bonus money will go into a pending bonus account where it will stay until you've "cleared" it.
To clear the bonus you have to wager it a certain number of times, usually around 20x. So for the bonus above ($500) you'll have to place $10,000 in wagers before it is cleared. This is total wagers, so if you bet $20/hand blackjack for say, 50 hands, that'd be $1000 in wagers. The 20x may seem like a lot, but if you're playing decent stakes and have a nice little run of luck you'll be able to clear it no problem.
Besides initial deposit bonuses, there are also reload bonuses that work the same way, but are offered at random times throughout the month, and you don't have to be a new depositor. Also, many casinos run game specific bonuses such as slots or blackjack bonuses.
The first thing to understand is how bonuses are calculated. Often times online casino bonuses are percentages of your first deposit, such as a 200% up to $500 sign up bonus. In this case, the % is based on your deposit amount, so to fully qualify for the $500 bonus you'd need to deposit $250, as $500 is 200% of $250.
Now, once you make your initial deposit, don't think that you're just getting free money. If it worked like that I'd be depositing thousands every day ;). When you make your deposit, the bonus money will go into a pending bonus account where it will stay until you've "cleared" it.
To clear the bonus you have to wager it a certain number of times, usually around 20x. So for the bonus above ($500) you'll have to place $10,000 in wagers before it is cleared. This is total wagers, so if you bet $20/hand blackjack for say, 50 hands, that'd be $1000 in wagers. The 20x may seem like a lot, but if you're playing decent stakes and have a nice little run of luck you'll be able to clear it no problem.
Besides initial deposit bonuses, there are also reload bonuses that work the same way, but are offered at random times throughout the month, and you don't have to be a new depositor. Also, many casinos run game specific bonuses such as slots or blackjack bonuses.
Friday, May 2, 2008
Advantages of Playing in a Live Casino
If you are a gambler, odds are that you've played in both live casinos and online casinos. But, for those of you who have never played in a live casino, maybe due to your location, we'll explain why they're so awesome, and why you should try it out.
The first reason I love gambling at a live casino as opposed to one of the best online casinos is the fact that you are getting more than just a gambling experience. When you play online you just get your gambling fix, because most of the time you are just sitting in your house so it isn't a social or visually pleasing environment. When you go to a casino, you can interact with the fellow gamblers, the dealers, perhaps get a meal, or even stay overnight at the casino's luxurious hotel.
One night I stayed at TurningStone casino in their prestigious Lodge. It's a four star hotel, and I can easily say that it was the most luxurious experience I've ever had. The employees are so nice to you, and the room was enormous, and had two huge, soft beds. Needless to say, I took heavy advantage of the room service system ;)
Another nice thing about live casinos is the fact that when you get comped, it feels very personal and satisfying. Often times online comps are just a cashback % or a special deposit bonus, but it is never a free meal, a free room, or a private table like you can often times get at a live casino.
The final thing I'm going to mention is that if you decide to travel to a live casino, make sure to bring a few friends. Gambling in a casino with a few buddies is an experience that is hard to beat, and you'll definitely have a blast. The long nights and countless drinks will be a time that you will never forget.
The first reason I love gambling at a live casino as opposed to one of the best online casinos is the fact that you are getting more than just a gambling experience. When you play online you just get your gambling fix, because most of the time you are just sitting in your house so it isn't a social or visually pleasing environment. When you go to a casino, you can interact with the fellow gamblers, the dealers, perhaps get a meal, or even stay overnight at the casino's luxurious hotel.
One night I stayed at TurningStone casino in their prestigious Lodge. It's a four star hotel, and I can easily say that it was the most luxurious experience I've ever had. The employees are so nice to you, and the room was enormous, and had two huge, soft beds. Needless to say, I took heavy advantage of the room service system ;)
Another nice thing about live casinos is the fact that when you get comped, it feels very personal and satisfying. Often times online comps are just a cashback % or a special deposit bonus, but it is never a free meal, a free room, or a private table like you can often times get at a live casino.
The final thing I'm going to mention is that if you decide to travel to a live casino, make sure to bring a few friends. Gambling in a casino with a few buddies is an experience that is hard to beat, and you'll definitely have a blast. The long nights and countless drinks will be a time that you will never forget.
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Depositing at Online Casinos
If you decide to play for real money at an online casino, the first task you have to undertake is actually getting your funds onto the site. There are a bunch of options to do this, and this article is going to look at the easiest ways, and most affordable ways to get money from your wallet to your online casino account.
The first thing you'll want to do is pick the best Internet casino, because you'll find that the top notch casinos accept more deposit options, and have more withdrawal options. It is always important to analyze the withdrawal options before you deposit, or you may find yourself hitting a big score, then having no way to get your money out of the account. The site should offer at least a check withdrawal, and preferably a bank wire transfer too if you have a large amount of money in the account.
Ok, so now you've chosen your casino. The first deposit method we'll look at is credit cards. These are definitely my favorite, because there is no fee on them (at least for you, the casino has to eat the fee) and they often times are instant transactions. Plus, a credit card is something almost everyone has nowadays, as opposed to an e-wallet. The problem with credit card depositing is that many casinos don't accept it. If you want to play at a site that accepts credit cards, check out Club USA Casino.
Another great method for seasoned players is through an e-wallet. If you plan on playing at multiple online casinos then an e-wallet is definitely the way to go. With this option you can deposit and cash out at multiple sites instantly, so instead of waiting for your withdrawal check to arrive before depositing at a new casino, you can do it right away. However, the drawback with e-wallets is that you have to link them to your bank account, which can take a little more effort than just punching in a credit card number.
The first thing you'll want to do is pick the best Internet casino, because you'll find that the top notch casinos accept more deposit options, and have more withdrawal options. It is always important to analyze the withdrawal options before you deposit, or you may find yourself hitting a big score, then having no way to get your money out of the account. The site should offer at least a check withdrawal, and preferably a bank wire transfer too if you have a large amount of money in the account.
Ok, so now you've chosen your casino. The first deposit method we'll look at is credit cards. These are definitely my favorite, because there is no fee on them (at least for you, the casino has to eat the fee) and they often times are instant transactions. Plus, a credit card is something almost everyone has nowadays, as opposed to an e-wallet. The problem with credit card depositing is that many casinos don't accept it. If you want to play at a site that accepts credit cards, check out Club USA Casino.
Another great method for seasoned players is through an e-wallet. If you plan on playing at multiple online casinos then an e-wallet is definitely the way to go. With this option you can deposit and cash out at multiple sites instantly, so instead of waiting for your withdrawal check to arrive before depositing at a new casino, you can do it right away. However, the drawback with e-wallets is that you have to link them to your bank account, which can take a little more effort than just punching in a credit card number.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Welcome to Gambling Casinos!
This is my brand new casino gambling and betting blog, and I'm going to be posting my gambling stories and tales for the foreseeable future. I don't really have time to post right now, but check back soon and I'll surely have something up for you. I play middle limit casino games, and mostly like to play online Roulette and Blackjack. Keep your eyes peeled for more posts soon!
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