Heroes of our Time.

What is the present situation in the sphere of war between the counters and players? Are there people to follow nowadays? Fortunately, despite great changes in the game itself and in the counteraction of casinos-players, blackjack is till alive and very popular. Thanks once again to Edward Thorp.

Now we are living in Internet era. If Uston at his time was able to stand apart from the crowd only due to his self-spin off and publicity, now everyone can easily communicate with blackjack stars.

Peter Griffin is a great mathematician, blackjack theory developer, now the deceased. No expert of black jack would utter a word without referring to Griffin. Arnold Snider is a prominent player, strategy developer, the author of many books. A man of an excellent soul with a perfect sense of humor, always contradictory. Stanford Wong as always a little reserved and a bit of introvert, but extremely scrupulous and always fighting against the casino. Don Schlesinger was able to explain the most intricate detail of blackjack in simple and clear language.

Internet abounds in many resources where you can meet the greatest world players and ask them any question you like. There are still so many questions left unsolved.

A lot of unique books were published; new systems and game techniques are being developed. Every day gambling forums answer and ask thousands of questions. The players are getting more educated, intelligent and well-prepared. In spite of evident worsening of the rules, blackjack still can be won.

Casino is more and more paranoiac to ″Advantageous″ players. Attempts to worsen rules and terms of the game even to the prejudice of their own reputation and profits, mass blacklists, efforts to legalize beneficial for them laws all these are not only American. During half-century of the struggle, the casinos did not understand that they are cutting their own throat. The fact that you can win at blackjack attracts so much money. More than 1% of world players are hardly of any risk to casinos. However aiming to save every single dollar, the casinos are spending millions of dollars on the most advanced computer technologies, programs for personality identification, computer databases, they are creating new devices for fighting the counters. Moral ethical norms are often violated and the legal limits are abused.

Happy end.

What future holds for an ordinary counter? There are only two opposite opinions so far.

The gloomy one:

Technologies will kill the game. The casinos will develop some electronic dirty trick that will not allow a professional competent player gain an advantage. Blackjack will die away turning into another slot-machine. The casinos will poke on all the players, all the blacklists will be united into a common one and the game on advantage will cease to exist.

The optimistic one:

″What one person has built, the other can easily dismantle″. Blackjack just can’t get away from it!

First, the players will always continue to invent something new responding to the changes in the game. There is no such thing created by a person, that can’t be overdone by another person. Second, casinos finally should realize that major part of their profits is due to the theory that blackjack can be won. Transformation of this intellectual game into fighting with stupid slot-machine will deprive casinos of the money.

Personally I hope that human intellect will win. Let the war between the casinos and players continue for ever. Let both parties rack their brains how to beat each other. Let this struggle be vehement, but honest and respectful to the rival.

Intellect will always win.

© Copyright 2006-2007 www.bonus-map.com

Texas holdem is a game where you can make huge amounts of money, if you have the right strategy.

Players who expect to read a few books and become a successful player are going to end up disappointed.

You can’t learn how to play successfully from books! Knowledge of the game is only part of the equation in becoming a successful player. Here’s why:

Successful Texas Holdem strategy – Playing your cards and other players

A successful strategy is not just based upon playing your own set strategy, but by learning what your opponent’s strategy is and adapting yours to defeat them.

This is the difficult bit of developing your Texas Hold’em strategy there is no optimal hand to play like in Blackjack; you have to BEAT your opponent.

This involves not only knowing the odds and all the basic strategies, but knowing as much about your opponent as you possibly can.

Your strategy & your psychological skills

Your psychology is really the key to winning, the best hand doesn’t always win in Texas Hold’em and this is the mistake that many players make.

They bluff or play to many hands and are easily picked off by more experienced players.

Texas hold’em Strategy - practice, practise, practise!

When you play you need practice to get your Texas Hold’em strategy right, it’s a psychological game that involves other players and you can’t learn psychology from books.

Success comes from playing in the real world and when we mean you need practice we don’t mean free games.

You need to know how it feels to lose money. Players play differently when money is on the line and mistakes and rash play cost hard cash, even if its small amounts.

Start at low limits and move up to higher stakes games as your skills increase. Compete at a high level first and you will lose.

5 Tips for successful Texas Hold’em strategy

1. Learn all the basic tips, odds and strategies you can from the resources on the net, there are plenty of them. Then understand these are worth nothing without the right psychological approach!

2. Now you need to adopt the correct mindset to win and beat your opponent.

3. Practice at low limits first, the experience you gain will help you develop a strategy that will allow you to take on and beat your opponents.

4. Attitude is everything! If you have the right hand you need to have the courage to play it for all it is worth and crush your opponents.

5. Don’t be in a hurry to win patience is the key, you can’t develop your skills without plenty of practice and this does NOT mean free games.

What you need to keep in mind when developing a Texas Hold’em strategy is the key to you winning is having the right mental attitude to defeat your opponent.

All the basics can be learned by anyone, but it’s your mindset that will set you apart as a winner.

Don’t expect overnight success!

To win at Texas hold’em requires lots of practice and some loses along the way, but with the right attitude, knowing the basics and lots of practice you can win big.

Don’t expect overnight success,many novices assume making big money is easy but life is not like that!

It takes hard work, dedication and a lot of practice to become a successful player. You can do it but be prepared to work hard for goals and dont try and do it to quickly.

The Internet is saturated with online casinos that give gamblers the opportunity to play virtual casino games for actual money. However the truth is that it is a small number of these casinos that can actually be classified as top of the line. It takes a very rare mix of qualities to merit the title of being a top online casino. You will find that there are only some online casinos that can really boast of having a complete mix of superb quality software, meticulous security, wide variety of games, excellent customer service and most importantly, a long and commendable history that is needed to figure as a top online casino.

The best online casinos that are top of the line but obviously have the best breed of software to offer. Their software brings to life impeccable graphics, sound that is true to life and smooth play that is uninterrupted. The state of the art software that top online casinos use offers you all these features. The next and really important factor that is so special about top online casinos is the large and varied variety of games that they have to offer. You will find that you can choose between a host of games ranging from blackjack and roulette to craps, slots poker keno and more. The variety of games offered is such that you will almost never get bored and it can satisfy the heaviest of gambling appetites.

The last and most important thing about top online casinos is the fact that they are reliable. They have the best combination of genuine ethics teamed with matchless security. You will find the best in customer service and will never want to try anything else after having a top online casino gambling experience.

I love Major Millions. And realistically speaking, there’s not really a ″strategy″ for playing any slot machine game. But there are bankroll strategies that can keep you entertained and still give you an opportunity to win big playing the internet’s biggest progressive jackpot game. That’s what this page is about.

First of all, you have to understand that progressive jackpots, like lotteries, are longshots of epic proportions. You’re not likely to win. Does that mean you shouldn’t play though? I don’t think it does at all. I think a frugal gambling approach to playing Major Millions would be similar to how a lot of people play the lottery: a little bit at a time, but consistently. Most of the people I know who play the lottery buy a ticket every time. And if the jackpot is higher, they’ll buy more tickets. I think this is a good approach, and could easily be applied to our game of choice.

So here’s my proposed strategy: I’m going to play Major Millions on a consistent basis. This means I’m going to play it daily, twice a week, weekly, or every payday. Doesn’t matter what the timeframe is; all that matters is the consistency of play. But I’m not going to play big sessions, because I don’t have a huge bankroll. But I am going to play the max bet every spin, because that’s the only way to win the life-changing jackpot.

The next part of the strategy involves how many spins I’m going to take per session. And what I’m going to do is increase the number of spins I make based on the size of the jackpot, the idea being that the higher the jackpot, the better the payout percentage. (Although realistically speaking, I won’t see a higher payout percentage because of a bigger jackpot unless I eventually win the jackpot.)

So here’s the strategy. I’m going to bet $3 or $6 per session, because I don’t have a lot of money. BUT if the jackpot is past a certain amount, I’m going to take additional spins based on the following schedule:

$250,000 - $499,999 - 1 $3 pull per session

$500,000 - $749,999 - 2 $3 pulls per session

$750,000 - $999,999 - 3 $3 pulls per sesssion

$1 million + - 4 $3 pulls per session

I’m not personally going to wager more than $12 per session on a progressive, because like I said, I have a small bankroll. And I’m probably going to be playing daily instead of weekly. If you have a smaller bankroll than I do, you might decide to only play weekly, and that’s definitely an okay plan. And if you have a bigger bankroll than I do, you might be playing daily, but you might play more spins than I’m willing to at each level. But I think increasing your bets as the jackpot grows larger is a smart thing to do, just like ranging your bets in blackjack is a smart thing to do when the deck is rich with 10’s.

And as always, this strategy assumes you have the money to play with. Don’t gamble the rent money away on something like this, and make sure that you’re getting some enjoyment out of the process. Otherwise, it’s just money wasted.

Games at the casino have been attracting people for many years. The thrill of gambling and the sheer joy of making windfall money have been the most potent factors drawing people. As a form of entertainment, it is unbeatable in providing total enjoyment to the participants. A recent addition has been the free online casinos. These casinos have been developed thanks to the advancements in software technology.

Difficulties in land-based casinos - The traditional land-based casinos have certain requirements. They need the individual to be present at the casino, sign up for the games, part with their stake money and play up their odds. This may be an easy affair for an experienced person, but to a novice it would be quite overwhelming. Also, there are no second chances or trial games. Hence, it would be quite expensive for him when he learns from his mistakes.

Advantages of online casinos - There are several advantages with the free online casinos. The player can be located in any part of the world and he can choose to play at his own convenient time. The comfort of playing from familiar surroundings relieves him of stress. A novice can easily learn how to play. This is because these online casinos offer opportunities for trial games with play money. There are also other attractive features like bonuses for signing up. The companies that run the free online casinos are members of the IGC, an international organization for regulating the industry. This means that the companies enjoy credibility with respect to distributing prizes. Also, the software program used by the companies has to be vetted by one of the big eight international accounting firms. Hence, there is total security with respect to sensitive monetary information while the processes are transparent.

How to get started - There are several websites that give information on free online casinos. The user can choose the game he wishes to play. He can download the game software or use Java applets or HTML platform to proceed with playing. He can also browse web directories for attractive bonuses for signing up besides free trial game offers. Most of the sites also have tips on odds. The instructions for playing are usually simple and a newcomer can easily learn in a few days.

Outlook for the future - The gaming industry, as a whole, is set for a giant leap in the coming years. As communication technology advances, free online casinos may become downloadable on a variety of gadgets including the mobile phone. Several games are available with excellent video and animation graphics. These are expected to soar in popularity.

A word of caution - It is always better to check the processes in the free online casinos. One should be wary of unscrupulous operators. Sensitive information should be disclosed in total privacy. After all, one plays a casino for entertainment. So, next time you wish to play poker, card game, backgammon or blackjack, head for your desktop! Good luck!

Copyright 2006 Ronda Lundvall

Professional players would go as far to say that poker is not even gambling. They do not mean this literally, as clearly the wagering of money against an outcome that is beyond the reasonable control of the individual is gambling, however what this poker player means is that because they are skilled enough at the game, they can eliminate most of the risk that is a fundamental part of most forms of wagering. In short, they have a distinct advantage by playing poker.

Before you even sit at a poker table, you are able to employ plenty of tactics to push the chances of winning into your favour.

You have at your disposal many books and strategy items available both on and offline for learning to play properly. Sklansky, Brunson, and many other have excellent books available that are highly recommended. Apart from the card counting Blackjack books, where are you able to get the level of support from any other game? Certainly not Roulette! There is no excuse for a ‘novice’ to enter a casino not fully prepared for what lies ahead. The new player can be full of theory (and having practised for free online) be nothing short of fully prepared when they wager their first chip into the poker pot. Joining a large poker forum will also give you the chance to analyse hands and put your opinions in. Do not be disheartened if you are mocked or blasted for your ‘bad’ postings on strategy, these people who criticise may indirectly put thousands of dollars into your pocket with their good advice, however direct they are.

The fact that you are not playing against the house but other players is obviously a massive advantage. The house edge in casinos is built into the games and almost impossible to beat in the long term. Poker, however, you are encouraged to win because that both keeps you in the game and maintains the rake (the percentage of the pot the poker room takes out of each pot for hosting the game). If you use the correct amount of bankroll management, and discipline, you can win. Unfortunately many gamblers by nature are not disciplined, and do not exercise sensible practices when betting, but as a good poker player you can take advantage of this inadequacy and win their money. Business is business after all.

By employing good strategy over a long period, any lucky or unlucky streaks balance out over time. This means the only difference between players is their starting hands selection and their skill. There are millions of bad players because of the massive coverage poker is getting at the moment. 8773 players battled for the main event bracelet with $12,000,000 going to the winner. This is unprecedented in sports to have this sort of prize available for a card game.

So get reading, get practising, and take your slice of the massive poker-pie!

If you want to play the blackjack game on the internet, you should know that there are black jack software companies out there that can be trusted. These companies are generating more than enough money from real online losers that they have no interest in ripping you off. Normally the picture is that twenty percent of online gamblers are giving these casino sites ninety percent of their profits. They are constantly looking for new players, therefore they make it very lucrative for you to join them. The carrot they use is called bonus.

Some of the best casino sites give you $25 or $50 bonus for your first $25 or $50 deposit. Then they will double your money for the first $25 or $50 you put in. Let’s say you deposit $25 and they add $25. Now, you can’t take out $50 but have to play the full $50 through to be able to cash this money out. You can even find websites that give you a $35 bonus for a $20 deposit and if you do a careful search on the web I wouldn't be surprised if you find even better casino bonus sites.

If you are a seasoned blackjack player and know the basic black jack strategy you’ll have a disadvantage of about 0.5%. So if the casino requires you to make $50 worth of bets before you take the money out you could lose each bet ending up with nothing to take out or you could win each of the bets and have $100 to take out but on average you’ll end up with $40 to $60 to take out. So learn the fundamentals in black jack before you start to play. If not then you could play another casino game like baccarat or craps. Here you’ll have a little more than a one percent disadvantage. It’s recommended that you bet the table's minimum each time you bet, and put in your $50 or whatever the play is worth.

It is simplest to play on credit. When you start playing your credit card gets charged but after a few days later it is credited by the same company. If you are really interested in black jack or other casino games, it is reasonable and convenient to have a blackjack bankroll that you can use for some land-based deck games in Las Vegas or Atlantic City on your vacations.

Oklahoma has long been synonymous with Bingo. That’s because the Indian tribes of Oklahoma have run Bingo games for generations. Patrons from all of the surrounding states load up in cars and travel into Oklahoma to play Bingo on the weekends. Growing up in a small town just south of the Red River, I knew of a group that would rent a bus to travel to Chocktaw Bingo every Friday night.

The 1988 Indian Gaming Regulatorty Act followed a landmark ruling by The U.S. Supreme Court the year before. Since that time, 23 of the 39 Indian tribes of Oklahoma have opened gaming halls. The Chickasaw were the first Oklahoma Indian tribe to take advantage of the gaming laws, and today run ten casinos of their own. Bingo was the game on which these casinos were founded. Electronic games like slots were not allowed, because they are thought to contribute to gambling addiction more than bingo.

Tulsa, Oklahoma is synonymous with the term Bingo parlour. The charity Bingo sites around that area means you can find a game of bingo any hour of the day. The Oklahoma Charity Games Act, passed in the early nineties, assured that bingo would be a huge moneymaker for the state. The act also covered pulltab or breakopen tickets, but that isn’t our concern here.

In 1993, charity game licensing was (strangely enough) transferred from the Oklahoma Tax Commission to the Alcohol Beverage Control Board, which regulates Bingo games in Oklahoma to this day. There are over 860 non-profit bingo operators in the state now. Most of these are church and veterans organization charities.

In recent years, Oklahoma law has changed to allow for big Indian gaming casinos. You’ll now find Indian casinos with slots, video poker and blackjack tables. Craps and roulette are not legal in the Indian casinos yet, but that is only a matter of time. No one can say what having other games in the bingo houses will do for the popularity of bingo. My guess is bingo will retain its huge popularity, because Bingo has maintained a gambling niche for over eight decades. It’s more than just for grandmas anymore.

In casino gambling, sometimes even the most knowledgable players turn to blind luck to make it through their day. Of course, luck can never be relied on; either things will go the right way for you or they won’t. The great thing about casino gambling is that luck has to be with you for only a moment to make a difference in what could’ve easily been a bad day.

Roulette is, in my opinion, the best game to play where you can turn blind luck into a great casino story to tell your friends.

Recently, my family dragged me down to the casinos of Atlantic City. I’m not going to lie to you - I wasn’t feeling very lucky and would’ve much preferred to stay home. Since I was ‘forced’ to go, my goal was to go into hiding, play slow and steady, kill time and grind it out until my folks were ready to come back home. I thought I had everything covered.

Well, I spent a little time at the $10 craps tables, but mostly I played $20 pai gow and then some $15 blackjack. I couldn’t for the life of me get anything going and instead of treading water, I was bleeding money the whole afternoon. After about 4 hours I was down $435, which could’ve been worse but it was obviously far from the result I wanted.

I was close to broke and ready to go home as I met back up with my family. Suddenly I had a crazy idea. ″I have to do one more thing before we go. I’ve gotta go to the roulette table.″ My family gave me an indifferent shrug and followed, as they’re mostly slot players and all table games are Greek to them.

The plan was to throw down a few more bucks and try to get back all the money I lost in one shot. I went over the math in my head as I walked over to the roulette table. I was down $435, so I knew a $40 bet at 11-1 could get me back to even. Hopefully.

I found a roulette table and gave $40 to the dealer, to which she handed me 8 red nickels. I reached and put all the chips on ‘28 Street’. (It’s a three number bet - either 28, 29 or 30 would win for me.) The dealer spun, I stood near the roulette wheel, and prayed!

The ball slowed down and bounced around the wheel for several tense seconds as I rooted for one of my three numbers. It popped into number 2 and stayed there for a moment - and then dropped into the number two slots over.

Number 28, black, even.

I went absolutely crazy! I screamed and pumped my fists, hollering and running up and down the aisle as the dealer paid me $440 on my $40 bet - eleven to one - and the floor supervisor tried in vain to get me to calm down. My family was in as much disbelief as I was that I had such a dramatic comeback.

Just like that, I got my money back! I tipped the dealer $5 leaving me with exactly as much money as I came with. I’ll take a draw over a loss any day! On that note, we left and headed home. Dinner that night was on me.

It’d be irresponsible of me to recommend you try something like this on a regular basis. American roulette has a house edge of 5.26%, so over the long run this move will lose you more money than you’ll win - theoretically 5.26% of what you bet. Roulette’s not the best game to play if you plan on sticking around the table for hours and hours because of this house advantage. For a single spin, however, it’s pretty much a given that you’re relying on luck, so house edge really doesn’t matter as much.

If you do choose to try this out the next time your back’s against the wall, here are some recommendations:

It’s better to bet in a way so that you get just enough to be even for the day as opposed to trying to hit a home run, so to speak. If you’re down $350, try betting $10 on a number straight up for a possible 35-1, or $45 on a corner (4-number) bet which would pay 8-1. Sure, you could win more if you bet, say, $25 straight up on one number and it hits, but the odds of it happening are a bit on the long side, and you’d be down that much more money if the play didn’t hit.

Consider this type of play a last resort. If it doesn’t work the first time, don’t try it again! If you do, you could easily be caught in the trap of chasing your money, where your bets would get bigger and bigger with the hopes of hitting just once. Rarely does a bank-chasing situation have a happy ending.

A blind-luck roulette play could very well get you through your next day at the casino, but here hoping it doesn’t come down to all that.

Until next time, take care and good luck in the casino!

Situated at the north end of the Las Vegas Strip, the 217 acre Wynn Las Vegas Resort is a gleaming testament to the luxury that is Las Vegas. Opened in the spring of 2005 by Steve Wynn himself, the newest 5 star Vegas resort is designed for the exclusive Vegas traveler.

Does the Wynn really live up to the hype? Here’s a review of the highlights to help you decide for yourself.

Rooms

The Wynn offers some of the largest and most luxurious rooms on the strip: 5 suite types in all, ranging form over 640 square feet up to 1950 square feet. They offer wall to wall, floor to ceiling windows with incredible views of the Strip or the Wynn golf course.

All rooms offer cordless phone, fax, high speed Internet access, 320 thread count European linens, In room massage, manicure, pedicure and hair styling services, over-sized Turkish towels and flat screen LCD high definition TVs. Plus all suite guests have private pools and terraces.

Casino

The 110000 square foot casino offers the full range of table games, including Blackjack, Big 6, Craps, Caribbean Stud, Roulette, Let it Ride ,Pai Gow Poker, Pai Gow, Three Card Poker and Casino War. If slots are your preference, you can choose from over 1850 slot machines in denominations ranging from 1 cent to 5000 dollars.

The 27 table poker room offers Hold’Em, Omaha Hi Low, and mixed game combination with game limits ranging from 4 to 8 dollars up to 200 dollars. There are also higher limit games as well as pot limit and no limit games.

The Wynn casino stands apart in that it offers lots of natural light and very little smoking. Also, children must be accompanied by an adult and no strollers are allowed in the casino.

Golf

Created by Tom Fazio exclusively for Wynn resort guests, the golf course is actually integrated into the resort itself so that your first tee is less than 50 feet away from the hotel. This is the only on premise golf course on the Las Vegas strip and includes nearly 6 miles of cart paths, two marshland areas using natural groundwater, and a 37 foot tall waterfall.

Shows

Franco Dragone, the man who created ″Mystere″, ″O″, and Celine Dion’s ″A New Day″, has created an all new show at the Wynn called ″Le Reve″ (The Dream). Performed in a domed theater where no seat is more than 40 feet from the action, this show is an original watery fairy tale that you won’t see anywhere else.

Angels fall from the sky, ancient warriors wander through dreams and sleeping beauties disappear into a watery abyss. The show’s theme, according to Dragone is really about the dual nature of the human race: how men can do both beautiful things and ugly things at the same time.

Restaurants

If you’ve always wanted to dine with the most famous chefs in the world you can do it at the Wynn. Chef Paul Bartolotta of the Ristorante di Mare was named the Best American Chef, Midwest by the James Beard Foundation.

Executive Pastry Chef Frederic Robert was named Restaurant Pastry Chef of the Year by Filere Gourmande Magazine and Pastry Chef of the Year by Champerard Guide.

Chef Alessandro Stratta heads the Riviera Cuisine which was called the Best New Restaurant 2005 by Esquire magazine and received the AAA Five Diamond Award of Excellence for 2006.

The Wynn offers over 15 restaurants to choose from with a vast selection of cuisines so you’ll never get bored (or even have to leave the resort!).

Spa

The spa offers 45 treatment rooms for massage, body treatments, facials, and hydrotherapy. Enjoy a customized massage to sooth away the stresses of the day or relax with a loved one in a couples massage.

Choose from the latest in antiaging technology with specialized facials including the Anakiri Active Enzyme Facial or the Naturopathica Custom Facial which is based on traditional European deep cleansing techniques.

Shopping

The 75000 square foot Wynn Esplanade is the where you’ll find the most exclusive names in fashion: Chanel, Dior, Oscar de la Renta, Gaultier, Louis Vuitton and and the only Manolo Blahnik boutique outside New York.

For men, there’s Brioni and of course the Penske Wynn Ferrari and Maserati showroom. If that isn’t enough, just a few steps across the street you’ll find the Fashion Show mall.

With it’s prime location and exclusive shopping boutiques the Wynn is a favorite hot spot for top fashion makers and shoppers alike.

Bottom Line?

The Wynn is simply the ultimate luxury getaway in Vegas. While it may not be for the economy traveller, if you want to stay at one of the top hotels in the world and have a once-in-a-lifetime experience, the Wynn is the ″IT″ place to be in Vegas.