01.31.2008 | 11:15 am | Poker
While the online Poker sites of today are often credited with bringing Poker to the masses, many people may not know that Video Poker is a type of game which has been around since the 1970s. Video Poker was probably the first type of computer orientated Poker in the world, allowing players to brush up on their Poker skills without the added pressure of playing at a table. So how does Video Poker work?
One of the main regulations which came into force at the same time as Video Poker hit the scenes was the requirement to ensure that the game was as random as possible. No hidden gimmicks, no hidden systems, just a pure random play to add realism to the game (while strictly speaking there is no such thing as absolute random when the results are calculated by a computer, they are as near as you will ever get) and give everyone the same chance of that large win.
Rather than playing against an “opponent”, many of the video poker machines offer a league table of payouts for certain hands. The player will insert cash and receive 5 cards which they can exchange for up to 5 more different cards while they attempt to put their strongest hand together. Sound easy?
While the basics of the game are very simple and easy to understand, in practice you are playing with 52 cards (53 where the game uses a joker) and only using a maximum of 10 for any one hand. Over the years the style of video poker was amended slightly and rather than drawing 5 cards face up and 5 cards face down at the start, only 5 were dealt, and then the player had the option to exchange. The reason for the change in dealing style revolved around some machines and the formulae they used to “deal” the cards - some players had created a system which gave them an unfair advantage.
Video Poker is still very popular today and the machines can be seen dotted around a whole host of casinos.
01.30.2008 | 9:05 pm | casinos
If the rumours are correct it looks as though the UK government will finally announce the death of the so-called Super Casino in Manchester and the creation of up 16 smaller regional casinos across the UK. After a review of the situation it seems as though the government have taken a middle of the road stance, hoping to relieve some of the pressure which the authorities have been under. So what does this mean in the longer term?
The UK casino sector has been primed for expansion for some years, in the main prompted by the UK governments indications that they were ready to authorise Las Vegas style super casinos – possibly being used to re-vamp areas such as seaside resort Blackpool. However, it seems as though the authorities were caught off guard some what by the massive back lash from many areas of the UK – with religious leaders being particularly vocal. There are concerns that the recent fudge by the authorities, due to be announced in parliament in the week beginning 18th February, is more politically motivated that economic.
When you consider that the gambling industry spent millions of pounds putting together plans and proposals, not to mention the vast array of events to curry favour with the authorities, one thing is for certain - the gambling industry will not be stepping forward the next time the government come looking for ideas and suggestions, as many are feeling the pinch of the money which was “wasted”.
Would this have happened in the US? Would the authorities have been so mixed in their signals?
You can say what you like about the US, but the bottom line is that they are prepared to do an awful lot to protect their home based industries, something which the UK authorities seem to be unsure about.
01.29.2008 | 5:19 am | News, casinos
While the police will not speculate publicly there is speculation that there may be a link between the recent fire at the Monte Carlo Hotel Casino on the Las Vegas Strip and fire last night at the Foxwoods Resort Casino (operated by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe), which again seems to have been centred around the casino area of the hotel complex.
While the damage was not believed to be extensive a large area of the hotel complex was evacuated as a precautionary measure to ensure maximum safety for the residents. While the report into the Monte Carlo Hotel Casino is not yet complete there are rumours of some kind of safety anomalies, but official confirmation is still awaited.
One fire in a week is unlucky, two is a maybe a coincidence but the industry is now on alert for any similar events over the coming days and weeks, although many have already discounted speculation of some kind of link. However, there is no doubt that while the US casino industry is something of a national treasure in the US, the sector does have its fair share of critics who believe that casino operators receive preferential treatment because of the potentially enormous amounts of money involved.
The industry as a whole has a very good track record with regards to safety, which is especially impressive when you consider the size of some of these complexes which can accommodate thousands of customers, both in the casinos and the hotels. To many people a visit to the casino can be more of a break that a gambling spree, with shows, restaurants and the like all common place alongside the actual casinos themselves. They have become something of a national symbol to many people, but not everyone would agree!
01.28.2008 | 12:08 pm | Poker, News
Even though the Poker industry has been through something of a difficult period over the last 12 months, it seems that visits to the casino may actually have benefitted from the online gambling debate in the US. The last 12 months have seen a number of Poker Holiday clubs appear in places such as the UK where Poker still has a growing market. So will these Poker Holidays catch on?
Research has shown that places such as Las Vegas are still amongst the more popular holiday destinations for Poker players, but we are now seeing a move towards mixing traditional holiday destinations, such as Spain, with Poker Tournaments. This seems to have caught the eye of many in the UK who can now enjoy some sun and sand as well as a specially organised Poker tournament at a local casino. What more could they ask for?
The push behind the trend for Poker Holidays is the ever increasing number of Poker clubs in the UK, whether these are official casino based clubs or locals getting together for regular private games. This should not really be too surprising when you consider that Poker sets have been one of the best selling items for the last couple of Christmas’. There has been a growing ground swell in the UK for some time and the fact that UK players are still allowed to play Poker online has given many the chance to fine tune their skills.
However, when you are at a level when you step away from the online environment into the face to face competitions it can prove to be a great buzz. On many occasions it is not necessarily the money which attracts players (although it does help!) it is often the kudos of being a winner and getting one over on your friends. Pride can play a very large part in the Poker scene, but as they say, pride can come before a fall!
01.25.2008 | 6:40 am | News, casinos
While the Monte Carlo Hotel Casino, Las Vegas has been in the headlines for all of the wrong reasons after a terrible fire caused damage to some of the upper floors, many people will be surprised to learn just how massive the complex is. When you consider that 1,000 of the 2,800 staff who work at the complex were on duty when the fire broke out and over 5,000 guests were in the hotel, the size of the venture might shock the masses!
Reports also suggested that 120 fire fighters were called in to tackle the blaze in the higher floors of the building and thank fully they were able to bring the fire under control fairly quickly. The fire fighters and staff at the complex have received much praise as there were no serious injuries caused to either staff or customers and there is even talk of the complex opening again fairly soon. It seems as though much of the damage to the upper floors is only “smoke damage” although this is a situation which could have become so much more serious without careful planning for such events.
The authorities have been around to inspect the building and while there is much work to do on the damaged floors, as long as the landmark “Monte Carlo Hotel Casino” sign on the roof can be secured there is every chance that the complex will be open again in the short term.
As yet there are no suggestions as to how the fire began but no doubt the range of CCTV cameras and fire detectors should point investigators n the right direction. While the building has been “scarred” by the fire, it sees that it won’t be long before those tables are turning again!
01.24.2008 | 9:23 pm | News, casinos, gambling
While they have banned online Poker in the US it looks as though we may be about to see the emergence of an “online” version which may sneak under the nose of the authorities. Harrah’s Entertainment have joined up with Gaming Laboratories International (GLI) to create a Poker terminal game which allows users to play with other players situated at any of the other terminals in the Harrah Entertainment group. So what is the difference between this and internet Poker?
As far as the regulators are concerned there is a great difference between the GLI system and traditional online Poker due to the very fact it will not be open to the “internet public” and purely played within the boundaries of the Harrah Empire – i.e. you would need to be in a Harrah property to play. Not only does this proposed system give Harrah a very useful lead over their competitors, but it also allows them to have a system available which can be converted to the traditional online market as and when the ban on internet gaming is lifted in the US. A very clever ploy by Harrah!
It looks as though this will prompt a whole wave of similar systems in the casino industry, with the likelihood of some of the smaller casino groups either taking on the larger group systems or joining forces with other smaller operations. Yet again we are seeing a prime example of the speed with which the casino industry can move with the times. The beauty of this system is the fact that many casino companies have such terminal mothballed because of the ban, but now they can start to dust them down again.
While there is very little that the US Authorities can do, it will be interesting to see how they react.
01.23.2008 | 6:45 am | News, casinos
As news reaches the press that another state in the US is looking to rely more heavily upon casino licensing income to fund state spending, many are now starting to ask whether the politicians are taking the biggest gamble, depending upon a business of chance. So is there any risk?
More and more we are seeing casino license fees used to top-up already sky high state spending in the US, and while this trend has not yet reached other countries around the world it seems only a matter of time. However, many of the politicians seems to be ignoring the potential risks of depending upon this income at a time when the worldwide economy is looking to nose dive and casino expansion plans all around the world are being put on hold.
While the long term future of the casino industry is fairly secure, there will be bouts of competition which will, and have, pushed some major players to the edge (and even into serious financial trouble on occasions). The more companies that struggle the more pressure they will place upon the relevant states to reduce their fees, or risk moving casino operations to a “more friendly state authority”, so this particular line of income may not be as secure as many believe.
There are few who would disagree that where there are casino operations they should in some shape or form assist with the social services of a state, but these are businesses and they have a growing power in the US already. If they were to put pressure upon states to reduce their fees, etc, then this could have a material impact upon state spending plans.
It will be interesting to see how the relationship between the state and the casino operators’ develops in the “lean” times ahead and whether there are any changes in the licensing fee structure.
01.22.2008 | 8:57 pm | News, casinos
In a move which may have surprised many but is probably a reflection of how the industry feels at present, Ladbrokes have decided not to bid in the UK on-off-on casino licence giveaway. It seems that the government have finally got their act together and will be selling off licences for 8 large casinos and 8 smaller casinos, but many now believe that the cost of these licences will make them financially untenable. So what will happen in the UK?
While the rest of the world are increasing their casino exposure the UK authorities have dithered time and again, and it now seems as though the big players have had enough. Even though Ladbrokes are the first major casino operator to come out and claim that the cost is too high, we can surely expect others to take a similar tone in the weeks and moths ahead. The fact is that nobody quite knows where they stand with hundreds of thousands of pounds spent on the Manchester Super Casino application, only for it to be scrapped at the last minute.
If as seems likely, the bidding for the licences goes ahead the authorities will set in motion a train which they will find very hard to control. Eight licences now will surely constantly grow as slowly but surely the regulators can snap the back of the move against casinos at the moment. It will likely be a drip feed strategy which will soon bring round the public, taking away the grass roots support of those who oppose the increase in UK casino numbers.
This whole application system has been set out in a most unhelpful fashion, with the industry not knowing where it stands from one month to the next. Whatever happens from here on in nobody will be surprised!
01.21.2008 | 5:51 am | Poker, Poker Stars, casinos
When up and coming American Poker player Jason Potter finished 31st in the recent Aussie Millions Poker Tournament he thought that life could not get any better, he was on a high, and he was going home. However, on returning to his hotel room in the early ours of the morning he decided to nip out again for a quick burger. He now wishes he had not!
Amazingly, Potter had decided to collect his $30,000 winnings in cash and was carrying this around with him when he ventured to the burger van. Waiting in the queue he heard a scuffle behind him, turned around, only to receive a blow to the head. With Potter dazed and on the floor the thief then rifled through his jacket pockets, pulled out the $30,000 in dollar bills and made off with the jackpot. An excellent day for Potter had suddenly turned into his worst nightmare!
While there are obvious risks when winning at the casino, there are many who are surprised that he chose to take his winnings in cash rather than a cheque, never mind the fact that he took the money out with him again going for some food. There is speculation that Potter was target by someone who may have watched the tournament on TV or actually been at the event. Poker stars are now very much on their guard against such repeat performances.
What started out as a very good week and interesting tournament has been somewhat soured by the events, but maybe Russian Alexander Kostritsyn can console himself with the massive $1.6 million jackpot he takes home after wining the tournament. In a matter of hours we have seen both the good and the bad sides of gambling with many players now more aware than ever of the risks of cashing in your chips for dollars!
01.18.2008 | 11:20 pm | News, casinos
There has been a flurry of police investigations and arrests on the subject of Casino fraud, although surprisingly it has been a number of casino employees whom have been arrested. So is Casino fraud on the increase or is this just a spate of fraud cases hitting the media?
The problem with the casino industry and fraud, especially by employees, is the fact that it is almost impossible to prove unless you have excellent video coverage and are able to catch the perpetrators in the act. While the industry is ultra competitive to say the least there is massive money at stake both for the casino owners and the customers. So is there really an increase in fraud occurring?
While at first glance in the press you would say that there has been an increase of late, but further investigation will show that police detection and prosecution methods have greatly improved in recent times. There is still speculation that a number of professional gangs are operating in the industry, often using decoys to do their “dirty” work for them in order to avoid capture.
However, those who are familiar with the industry will know that this has always been the case because since day one it has been a constant battle between the casinos and the professionals. While both sides have claimed victories along the way, in general the casinos have been able to prevent any major fraudulent activity over the last few years. That said, the casino owners know that if they were to take their eye of the game the professionals are waiting to take advantage.
The battle between the owners and customers has always been a game of cat and mouse, and up to now the owners have been able to claim the glory. However, the battle is still very much ongoing and there will be much action in the future!
« Previous Entries
Casino Index 
All Casinos 
Promotions 
Competitions 
Play in Pounds 
Multi Lingual 
Deposit Bonus 
Non Cash Prizes