Idenitfying the Top Poker Gambling Sites
November 29, 2011
Sites offering online poker gambling are a dime a dozen these days. You could more or less type any word and then poker into your browser and there would be a good chance you’d find an actual poker room.
What’s a bit more difficult is finding a room you feel comfortable playing it. It’s hard to make sense of all of the various licensing bodies, and many online poker review sites seem to be little more than shills for the rooms they promote. Thankfully, there are a few simple things people can look for when choosing a room that can help you to cut through the hype and get down to the business of playing poker online in a secure, trustworthy environment.
Banking Reputation: For this one, you’ll want to skip all the review sites and instead look for search results from poker forums such as CardsChat or TwoPlusTwo. There you’ll find honest discussions of the payment processing and banking for sites, including news of delays or other potential issues that might preclude you from playing at a room.
Traffic: While this one isn’t a lock, the more players a room has, the less likely it is to be scamming them. Again, this isn’t the ultimate factor, but it simply becomes more difficult to hide bad behavior as your player base grows. All other things being equal, you should feel more comfortable with a larger site than a smaller one.
Licensing: I know licensing can be annoying, but where a site is licensed does matter. It’s beyond the scope of this article to review every licensing body, but as a quick guide we’d suggest preferring sites that are licensed in Malta and Gibraltar. That’s not to say other bodies aren’t credible, but rather just to say that there have been few problems historically with the licensees of those countries.
How Will a Post-Regulation US Online Casino Market Function?
November 28, 2011
Online casino regulation in the US seems to be gaining serious momentum. While most proposals on the table at this point deal specifically – and exclusively – with online poker, the players involved all understand that regulated online poker is a first step toward regulated online casinos in the US.
What would this mean for consumers? It’s likely that regulated casinos in the US will only be available to players from the US, so global customers are unlikely to be welcomed by these outfits – at least at the start. US customers are likely to experience a credibility and security when it comes to funds and gameplay that even the best online casinos in the current market simply wouldn’t be able to match.
They are also likely to see far more generous – and far more personalized – promotional offers. The dominant casino bonus in the status quo is essentially a one-size-fits-all solution, usually in the form of a match bonus for your first deposit or reload bonuses for subsequent deposits, and that format is likely to go the way of the dodo in the post-regulation US market. Instead, you’ll likely see a lot of cross-promotion between the online site and the physical properties owned by the casino; instead of match bonuses you’ll get free hotel rooms or show tickets.
Finally, US players can expect one other major feature that probably won’t elicit much but grumbling from gamblers: transparency. When we say transparency, in this case we mean that your account will be an open book to the government – usually it will be the tax man who has the interest in looking – so they days of deciding whether or not to report your big wins are over.
In many ways, a post-regulatory online casino market will look similar to the current market – the games will be close in form and function, and the house will still have the ultimate edge. However, a brief survery of the likely impacts of regulation does lead one to conclude that more about the indstry will change than will stay the same.
Technology and Casinos
November 21, 2011
The Internet is now the perfect alternative to an array of land based casino venues. Not only does it offer all that the land based casinos offer, it also allows players to log on whenever they desire, as internet based venues are open 24-7.
This is great news for those that just don’t have the leeway to visit a casino when they wish or also for those that live quite far from a land-based casino venue.
Online casinos such as http://www.onlinecasinoking.com/ offer a great gaming experience and due to all the state of the art technology, this experience is often just as good as that offered by a land-based venue.
Players and gaming fans can log onto a variety of casino sites using either a personal computer, or any other device with a Wi-Fi connection. Not only does this relieve the hassle of driving to a casino, it also allows players to experience a new gaming option, one that offers so much more than simply playing the games!
Fans can share strategies and listen to others in regards to the various entertainment on offer, they can also read up on the latest casino news and any changes that may have been made recently to any of the venues or games on offer.
Online casinos can be a form of entertainment for all and allow players to join together or they can simply play on their own. Players can play for fun or alternatively for a cash payout, just make sure you are very confident in the game prior to doing this.
Internet casinos are also great news for those that run them as they don’t have to have half the number of staff required for a land-based venue, nor do they have the overheads.
Breaking Down the New Player Zone at Party Poker
November 19, 2011
New players to online poker need to grab whatever edge is available to them, because waiting in the lobby of almost every online poker room is a small army of grinders and sharks looking to gobble up the bankrolls of the unexperienced.
Party Poker attempts to provide those new to online poker with a significant edge via the Party Poker New Player Zone. Below we break down the zone and analyze whether or not the resources it provides can make the difference for new players looking to protect – and maybe even grow – their account balance. If you don’t know about Party and would like to learn more, read a partypoker review or join a poker forum like 2plus2.
The Basics: Party does a good job with illustrating the fundamentals of online poker in the New Player Zone. Through a series of written articles and video tutorials, Party walks players through the rules of the game and the basic logistics of playing at an online poker room. This section is for the newest of players, so don’t waste time here if you’re experienced with the nuts and bolts of poker, but definitely stay and browse if you don’t know the nuts from the big blind.
Strategy: With the Hand Analyzer tool located in the New Player Zone, Party provides inexperienced players with a tool that helps to develop the habit of choosing good starting hands instead of bad ones. Party also provides a good selection of basic strategy videos, many from the WPT Academy library and a few developed in-house featuring Kara Scott and some Party regulars.
Poker Trainer: A piece of standalone software, the poker trainer is free and allows you to practice your game against AI opponents. The software is very well-regarded and allows you topractice under a variety of conditions.
How to Choose a New Bingo Site
November 18, 2011
Whilst the game of bingo is not a new game, you can choose from many different new bingo sites. Online bingo operators have made the game easily accessible to bingo players spanning the globe. With increase in its online popularity, the number of new online bingo sites has increased substantially. With so many different operators competing for your business, choosing the best and most appropriate new bingo site may be anything but a simple task.
Many new online bingo sites offer excellent services, you will also come across a number of poorly planned bingo halls in the course of your search. Confusing navigation, insufficient details and difficulty in finding required information indicate that the site has not been planned properly. It is best to avoid such sites, as their management may be as inefficient as their website. Careful selection of online bingo halls is essential for an enjoyable experience.
Items for consideration
The overall layout, navigating, game selection, the quality of games, software and graphics, deposit and withdrawal options, security measures employed and customer support are some of the things you need to check out once you land at a new bingo site. These factors will help you determine better whether an online bingo website is suitable for you.
Network Backing the Bingo Site
New online bingo sites backed by trusted groups usually offer better services than the websites lacking such support. Well-established online gambling groups have many years of industry experience. They are aware of the features that are essential for providing players a fun online gaming experience. Thus, a new bingo site offered by a well-known gaming group is likely to meet and exceed all your requirements and expectations.
Whilst checking out a new bingo site, it is advisable to look for information on the organization or group responsible for the operation of website. Try to find out details like years of experience in the online gaming industry, the history of its establishment and the like. If a gaming network has been offering quality gaming services for a number of years and boasts of a large satisfied customer base, the new bingo site offered by it is likely to be a good and reliable option to play at. Cross-reference your information with a search for “blacklisted bingo sites,” as any online bingo portal worth its weight in salt will maintain a list of rogue operators to avoid. Additionally, some bingo networks are hands on with their member bingo sites, whilst others are on their own. Thus, you should look into the bingo software network characteristics, as well as operator information when narrowing down your short list.
Remote Licencing
It is best to avoid playing at bingo sites operating without the appropriate licence. An online or remote gaming licence from a reputed authority is a prerequisite for legal internet gambling business. Gaming sites need to maintain high quality standards to obtain and maintain a licence. An online gaming licence indicates that the holder will offer services matching or exceeding industry standards. Gibraltar, the Isle of Man, Malta, and Alderney are some of the jurisdictions that offer valid online gaming licences for UK and European bingo players. Whilst choosing a new bingo site to play at, ensure that you check the regulating authority for the website.
Promotions
The main attraction of bingo is that it allows players to win a considerable amount of money with minimum investment within a short duration. The promotions offered by bingo site are important in the selection criteria. Check a list of new online bingo sites offering the best bonuses and promotions. Additionally, make sure that the bingo sites you are considering hold some big games that make playing worth your while if you are seeking the higher-end prizes.
Payment Options
Apart from the bonuses and promotion, the cashout requirements also need to be considered. If a site offers very attractive bonuses, but does not allow players to withdraw them, it is of no use. Choose bingo sites that offer great promotions and have easy withdrawal requirements, in addition to ensuring they accept your desired payment method. If you plan on depositing with PayPal, the bingo site in question needs to accept PayPal – otherwise they are of little good to you.
Stick with the best – avoid the rest
By using your head and taking a few short minutes to investigate a new online bingo site, you can really find some great new bingo sites at which to play. Promos, payment options, licencing, software, character and integrity matters – so stick with the best and avoid the rest.
Bet365 Poker Promotions for November 2011
November 4, 2011
We like Bet365 every month of the year, but November brings with it some excellent promotions that will give you even more incentive to play poker at Bet365, one of the largest gambling sites online.
Deposit Bonus: Back for November, the popular 200% deposit bonus with a maximum bonus amount of $1000 is a good way to get started a Bet365 if you’ve yet to make an account. Making the bonus even more attractive is that Bet365 is one of the few poker sites that accept PayPal, meaning that depositing is a snap. The bonus clears at roughly 15%, which is at the low end of your typical deposit bonus clearance rate, but Bet365 makes up for it with excellent support, frequent promotions and arguably the largest suite of wagering options you’ll find on the Internet.
Premium Tables: While Bet365 does share most of their lobby with the iPoker Network, premium tables are exclusive to Bet365 players. To get more action on these tables, bet365 is offering special incentives to players like the Premium Cash Ladder, a rewards program that pays you up to $1,000 a week just for playing at the premium tables.
Beginners Welcome: In addition to a freeroll for new players, Bet365 also offers a complete section of their poker room open only to players who signed up within the last 90 days. These Beginners Tables are a great way to get your feet wet without worrying about running into tables full of sharks looking to eat up your bankroll.
Many of the promotions this month at Bet365 are for new players, so those who already have an account might want to check out some other sites. We suggest our friends at Good Bonus Guide to players looking for bonuses on other iPoker rooms, or those who are interested in discovering a new room altogether.