Posts Tagged ‘casino games’

The Advantages of Mobile Gambling

Monday, December 6th, 2010

It can’t be ignored that mobile gambling is playing a more significant role in the industry with each passing year. More and more online casinos are allowing their customers to access their games and software from their mobile devices. In addition, the growing popularity of iPhones and other smart phones have brought the best casino games right to the player’s fingertips. It is no wonder then, that mobile gambling providers are seeing a huge surge in business and a growing demand for their products.

So why do gamblers enjoy mobile gambling? What is the secret?

The Convenience

When online gambling hit the scene, everyone believed that gambling couldn’t get more convenient than that. All one needed was a computer with internet connection and the very best in Vegas casino games could be brought to one’s office or home with the click of a mouse. However, along came mobile gambling which allowed players to play anywhere and anytime – as long as they had a mobile phone or other hand held device – and convenience took on a whole new word.  Mobile gambling allows players to play their favorite blackjack game when they’re standing in line at the bank, spin slot reels when they’re lazing on the beach or enjoy video poker while waiting at the airport. The options are endless!

The Payouts

Mobile gambling allows players to put themselves in line to win huge prizes at any time of the day or not, without the need to adapt themselves to the opening and closing hours of a land casino. Many mobile casinos have their games linked to huge progressive jackpots that grow each time the game is played. As such, it is not unusually to see a mobile progressives carrying prize funds of millions of dollars!

The Support

Despite the fact that mobile casinos are played on phones, the support that players receive from mobile casinos is on par with support received at land based casinos. From the discreet payment methods to the 24/7 friendly team support; from the security to the safety, playing at a mobile casino has all the perks of a regular casino – with all the convenience attached.

Dead Man Trys to Reign in Wife’s Gambling Habits

Monday, November 29th, 2010

Reading the international press sometimes is entertainment in itself. Sometimes you pick up on the weirdest stories- like the one I saw in the Australian press this week. The Sydney Morning Herald reported about a guy who died from a long illness and left behind a very specific will. I should add that the man, Ron Hoolahan, was a very wealthy gentleman who had an estate worth more than $15 million.  While he clearly loved his wife and four children (professing so in the letters accompanying his will), the terms of the will came as a shock to his widow Juliana.

Hoolahan apparently didn’t trust his wife with handling his estate, particularly since he claimed she had a bad gambling habit , and so he stipulated that she would get a restricted income of $85,000 a year instead of being able to decide for herself how to spend the money. “I believe you think you can win at gambling, particularly the pokies,” he wrote to Juliana. “You should be well aware by now that this is not the case. You can only use this money once, then it is gone. Please be careful.”

He also criticized her drinking habits, claiming that she drank too much alcohol and that “you say things when you have been drinking that you normally would not say.”

Nevertheless, Juliana wasn’t going to let her husband bully her from the grave and took the case to the Australian Supreme Court.  After quite a bit of deliberation, it was ruled that the widow should be given the money of the estate without the stipulations made by her late husband.  The court found that while Juliana drew up to $1,000 at a time at busy pokie clubs and admitted spending the money on popular casino games, she clearly didn’t have a gambling problem as her spending patterns were consistent throughout the years with no major changes. The outcome of the case, according to the newspaper, was that the idea of an annual stipend was done away with, and instead, the wife received millions of dollars to do with as she wished, plus the family homes and boat.

Interesting Facts About Baccarat

Sunday, November 21st, 2010

The casino game, baccarat, may be less popular than other casino games such as roulette and blackjack, but it has definitely achieved an incredible following of fans that total literally millions from around the globe. This simple to learn card game has its roots steeped deep in 15th century Europe and is considered to be an elegant game that has stood the test of time.

Here are some interesting facts that I bet you didn’t know about baccarat:

1. The game of choice among high rollers at Las Vegas casinos is baccarat. Loaded players are drawn to the high betting limits and top prizes that can be won, as well as the exclusive reputation that baccarat enjoys. It is not rare to find players wagering on $100,000 hands – certainly not a pastime for the faint-hearted! As an aside, over 70% of the high rollers who visit the casino floors at Vegas casinos are of Asian origin.

2. Baccarat offers a great value bet – with odds on the banker bet (in 6 or 8 deck baccarat) only 1.06%. It is not surprising then, to learn that the famous Crown Casino in Melbourne, Australia, lost a staggering $55 million at its baccarat tables to high roller players in the months October and November, 1997!  In the same vein, on the first night that baccarat was offered at the Sands Hotel in Las Vegas, the casino lost  $250,000.  Also, baccarat – in its multiplayer form - was shown to be the best returning game at the Sands in the year 2002, with figures of a very impressive 98.5%.

3. Baccarat (or chemin-de-fer) enjoys popular representation in mainstream culture. The game is a firm favorite for Ian Fleming’s  James Bond, and the secret agent is regularly featured in movies such as Casino Royale playing the game in one format or another.  Other 007 movies where the game features include Dr. No, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service and For Your Eyes Only.

4. Baccarat enjoyed a fantastic growth in popularity with the advent of online gambling, and it is one of the more popular games among internet punters at some of the best online casinos in the market today. Online baccarat is very easy to play and has great returns!

Visit: The Weirdest Las Vegas Sites

Tuesday, November 2nd, 2010

A trip to Las Vegas is always a joy, especially if you head to a top class casino and win a bundle playing popular casino games. But when you feel like a break from the adrenaline filled nights (that turn into days), how about heading off the beaten track and trying out some of the weird and wacky tourist attractions found only in the City that Never Sleeps?  I’ve compiled a list of my all-time favorites for you to visit next time you head off to Vegas.

Pinball Hall of Fame

Remember those pinball machines found at your local diner? This museum has nearly 150 of them in a bid to preserve this important part of American culture! You can play most of the games, knowing that all your quarters will be donated to a worthy cause. This quirky, albeit gem of a place is one of my favorite Vegas haunts.

Liberace Museum

There is probably no other place in Vegas (or the world for that matter!) that screams KITSCH the way this museum does, but then again, that’s what made the musical genius Liberace who he was. No other performer and pianist has ever managed to pull off so many blindingly bright outfits, so many dazzling jewels and so many OTT musical instruments. Yet, Liberace was admired and loved, and this museum is a testament to that fact. The kitschiest gift shop in the world that forms part of the museum is also worth a visit!

The Guardian Angel Cathedral

This may seem like an unlikely place to visit if you’re Vegas, but you will be surprised to see how many gamblers head to this chapel in order to pray for luck at the best casinos! Look out for the priest known as the ‘Chip Monk’, whose job it is to clear the donations box which is sometimes filled with casino chips, and take them back to the relevant casinos. The money, of course, is used for religious purposes!

These are just three of some of the zaniest places available in Las Vegas, and are well worth a visit!

Casinos in Singapore

Friday, October 29th, 2010

One of the gateway’s to Asia is Singapore, and even if you use this country as a stop over to switch planes, it may be worth spending some time in this fascinating location and get a feel of the vibe. If you’re a gambling enthusiast, you are well recommended to try out one of several casinos that have recently opened their doors to the public. These are among some of the most glitzy and glamorous in the world, and definitely worth a vist.

In 2005, the government gave the green light for casino gambling, which led to a flurry of activity in the construction business. The casino building industry took a hit in 2008 during the global recession, but bounced back soon afterwards – leading to the opening of the city-state’s first casino, the $4.4 billion Resorts World Sentosa in February 2010.

In April this year, the doors’s to the second casino were flung open – this time the $5.5 billion Marina Bay Sands constructed by the US gaming giant, Las Vegas Sands. This was the world’s second most expensive casino to construct, after MGM’s Mirage’s CityCenter in Las Vegas. The casino is expected to generate $1 billion in annual profits, making this a sound investment for Las Vegas Sands.

The casino opened at 3.18 pm – a lucky number in local Chinese tradition – and the official opening  included the casino and nearly 1,000 of the 2,500 rooms planned. Restaurants, exhibition rooms, a shopping mall and plazas were also part of the grand opening.  The remaining rooms opened in June this year.

The Marina Bay Sands boasts all the favorite casino games on its floor, ranging from blackjack to roulette and slots.

The Marina Bay Sands caters more for the corporate crowd, while the Resorts World complex is more geared towards families with children. The latter boasts a Universal Studios movie theme park  – the only one in South East Asia – as well as hotels and restaurants.

Singapore believes that both casinos will attract a staggering 17 million visitors a year, bringing in $21 billion by 2015.

The two casinos certainly pose a competitive threat to the casino in neighbouring Malaysia, although Macau shouldn’t be too affected by these facilities, considering the number of uber-casinos being constructed in the Chinese enclave.

Learn How to Increase Your Chances of Winning the Lottery

Friday, October 22nd, 2010

The biggest jackpot in UK history was finally claimed this week, when someone stepped forward with the winning ticket to the EuroMillions lottery draw and took home a staggering GBP 113 million! The rest of us can now pull our tongues off the floor and go back to our normal flesh color after turning a sorry shade of green, and in the meantime, dream about the next big win.  There is something to be said for buying lottery tickets. While casino games such as slots and poker provide almost instant gratification and entertainment, somehow waiting for the lottery numbers to be announced draws out the pleasure somewhat and allows you a few days to dream that maybe, just maybe, next time it’ll be you holding that massive check.

One guy, however, decided to stop with the dreaming and start with the doing. Richard Lustig has written a book called Learn How to Increase your Chances of Winning the Lotteryand he is walking proof that his strategy works. Lustig has won the lottery an incredible seven times, the highest sum being $842,000! Lustig said that he spent most of time losing the lottery until he decided that there has to be a method that works. As such, he sat down and devised a method that he claims will bring relative success.

Lustig doesn’t guarantee that that by following his method, all his readers will win the lottery. He is promising, however, that they will increase their chances of winning. The system was developed over a few years and was initially written out as a report. After Lustig sold thousands of copies of this report, he turned his method into a book and the success was remarkable. Learn How to Increase Your Chances of Winning the Lottery now sits at number three on Amazon’s list of self-help books, and more people than ever are picking up the book in the hope of becoming a big winner.

Lustig himself is a gambler by nature and loves his regular games of blackjack. He has spent some of his winnings spoiling himself, such as a Harley Davidson and a Jaguar. Seems like this guy knows what he’s talking about!

Las Vegas Urban Legends

Sunday, October 10th, 2010

Las Vegas is the city that never sleeps – which is possibly why so many tall stories about this fantastic city have been recounted over the years! There are quite a number of urban legends doing the rounds about Vegas, and I decided to take a look at some of them to see if there was any truth behind them.

1. The Black Market Kidney Story

According to one tale, a Vegas gambler had too much to drink and passed out in his hotel room after a particularly long casino game session. He awoke to find a note saying: ‘Call 911 or you will die’. After being rushed to hospital, doctors told him that his kidney had been removed, possibly to sell on the black market. As horrifiying as this story is, it was found to be totally untrue and similar tales were also heard in Atlantic City and New York.

2. Aliens!

Located just 100 km away from Las Vegas, the top secret US airforce base of Area 51 has been the subject of incredible speculation regarding the presence of aliens and UFOs. Many extraterrestrial believers are convinced that the government is not telling the public the truth regarding UFO findings over the years, while the government continues to deny having any concrete evidence of life beyond our atmospheric borders. Truth or fiction? That depends on what you believe!

3. Prostitution in Vegas

Let’s face it – one of the reasons why many stag nights and parties are held in Vegas is the fact that ladies of the night are easily available to, er, add some spark to the evening. However, did you know that prostitution is actually illegal in Las Vegas?  If you drive around 50 minutes to Pahrump in Nye County, you’ll find that it is perfectly legal. Don’t say you weren’t warned!

4. The Megabucks Curse

There is a true story about a young cocktail waitress who won $35 million after hitting the Megabucks slots jackpot in 2000. Just six weeks later, she was involved in a car crash and became a quadriplegic. However,  stories linked to other jackpot wins involving so called winners started circulating soon afterwards, telling the tragic tales of what happened to these poor people and this became known as the Megabucks Curse. Thankfully, all the other winners have been accounted for and are reportedly healthy and alive!

Bet You Didn’t Know THAT About Gambling History!

Thursday, October 7th, 2010

Gambling in one form or another is one of the oldest pastimes in existence and has been part of recorded history for literally thousands of years. The history of gambling is vast, with each game lending its roots to the geographical location from which it originated, the culture of the people playing it, the time period and so forth. There are plenty of  books about the history of gambling, with some facts more interesting than others. I’ve picked out some of the more fascinating facts that should cast a new light on some of the things we take for granted in our everyday gaming pastimes.

Interesting Facts about Playing Cards

Next time you pick up a standard deck of playing cards, stop to ponder for a moment why the images you see on the cards are actually there and what they represent. Did you know, for example, that the Kings on the cards are real people, representing royal figures who ruled at the time that playing cards were invented in the fifteenth century, or those from their own history books?  The King of Diamonds, for example, actually represents the French king Charlemange, while the King of Spades is none other than King David of the Biblical era.

And why do you think that there are different suits on the playing cards? Why did the creators of cards decide on spades, clubs, diamonds and hearts out of all the existing images in the world. At the time that cards were invented, there were four major cultures that dominated the world. As such, these suits represent the cultures as follows: The Spades represent the Middle East, Clubs represent Greece, Diamonds represent the Roman Empire, while Hearts represent the Holy Roman Empire.  The next time you play poker or blackjack, take a look!

Interesting Facts about Las Vegas

Think of the city of Las Vegas and you immediately imagine non stop entertainment, lights and ‘vices’. But did you know that Las Vegas was originally established as a Mormon settlement back in 1855? Amazingly, the land on which the city now sits was put aside for the group in the United States that most represents a ban on alcohol and other vices such as gambling!

Ten Hottest Gambling Gadgets

Sunday, October 3rd, 2010

Feel like bringing the excitement of Las Vegas into your own living room? There are plenty of ways to do so, ranging from gambling online from the comfort of our home, or ordering a few of the hottest gambling gadgets out there and setting up your very own private casino!

There are lots of websites that deal with the supply of casino gadgets and goodies, and we have created a list of ten must-haves for setting up your Vegas kingdom. Check them out, place an order and invite your friends over for the ultimate Vegas bash!

The list:

  • Poker Chips – Invest in the best quality chips you can afford as once you get playing with these guys, they’ll be used over and over again! Good chips are weighted and feel great in the hand. Consider how many people will be playing in your private poker room and order the right quantity of chips. You’ll need about 500 chips for 6 – 8 players.
  • Playing Cards – Again, buy the best set you can afford.
  • Card Shuffler – Save time by putting your playing cards through an automatic shuffler.
  • Blackjack Accessories – For the ultimate home blackjack game, you will need a layout table cloth. Other goodies to throw into your shopping cart include a 6 deck card shoe, a dealer cut card and a discard holder.
  • Casino Dice – Shop around for the best casino dice that can be used in games such as craps.
  • Roulette Wheel – Avoid cheap and noisy. Look out for smooth running gadgets that will give you years of service.
  • Roulette Accessories – Chips, layout cloth and croupier stick all add to the genuine feel of the game!
  • Dealer Buttons – For authentic Vegas action, buy those buttons that indicate the dealer in any given game.
  • Gambling DVDs – Not sure about the rules of your favorite casino game? Check out the wide range of DVD’s on sale and learn how to play the game like a pro!
  • Dealer Attire – If you really want to go all the way, look out for some of the cool gambling attire available out there. From casino visors to black bow ties, the sky is the limit when it comes to decking yourself out!
 
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