02.29.2008 | 7:11 am | casinos
While there are far worse and far more harmful industries in the world than the casino and gambling sector, they seem to receive more than their fair share of criticism. Many people are now starting to ask whether the industries will ever be truly accepted by society and if not what is the underlying reason?
Even though there are obvious possible problems with the casino industry, such as addiction, the sector has been more than proactive in putting aside funds for helping those with problems, introducing new laws to try and limit the damage for addicts and also protect those who may be at risk. However, for many sections of society this is still not enough and the casino industry has been one of the main targets for various religious movements in the US – with many believing that it was political pressure which instigated the online gambling ban in the country. So can there ever be a compromise?
In all honesty there is very little more that the casino industry can do to try and assist those who may be at risk or need help. Places like the UK have only now opened up the industry to the mass media world, recently allowing adverts on TV for the first time. However, the various governments are never slow in coming forward to claim their ever increasing share of casino profits and tax those who have won at the table – is this not a case of double taxation?
It seems to many observers that on the surface the authorities like to play the game and hit the industry as hard as possible, as often as possible with higher and higher taxes and greater regulation, yet underneath they are more than happy to use the funds raised to fund local and national services. Is this a case of double standards?
02.28.2008 | 7:23 am | Poker, Poker Stars
As we hear in the news about younger and younger winners of some of the biggest prize pots in the poker industry, many people are starting to ask whether poker champions are born with the skill to play or is it something which you can learn. So what is needed and how do you go about finding these skills?
While to those who do not play poker the game may seem like something of a game of chance, there are a great many skills in playing poker which may not be evident to those who have not experienced the thrill and the excitement of going head to head with other players. The game of poker has the ability to make sensible people play with their hearts and not their heads, it can sometimes see those with “winning hands” take a chance and blow the lot, yet it can also see those with nothing to show bluff their way to the top. The game of poker is no where near as simple as some would have you believe!
Like any world class sports person who rises to the very pinnacle of their game, there needs to be a certain number of elements already inside that person before they can even start to train and think about reaching the top. A winners mentality at poker is vital, the need to have a strong mind and play with your head and not your heart is another, but most vital of all you need to be able to absorb the pressure. We can all count the cards, we can all see when we have a good hand but can we actually lay down our life savings on the turn of a card for $1 million?
Poker is a pressure game played in pressure situations and those who can handle the pressure, and even apply it to their competitors, are the ones who will always do well. There are few games in the world which you can actually win when you are in a worse position than you opponent – this is where the art of the bluff comes in!
02.27.2008 | 7:34 am | Poker, Terminology
While the game of poker has its very own distinct language there are a few terms which you might need to learn for the future to make more sense of what people are taking about. These include :-
Action Card
A card which is dealt to the table and seems to instigate a fair amount of betting action – probably useful to two or more players in the game.
All In
This is the term used when you use up the last of your chips and go “all in” on the hand.
Big Bet Game
These are poker games where there are no limits on that mount of money which can be staked on each game – often the most thrilling and volatile of games with big bucks at stake!
Broadway
This is a ten to ace straight – very powerful in many situations.
Check
To bet nothing on a hand and effectively wait to see what your opponents do. It can be a useful technique to draw in more players and a larger prize pot if you have a good hand. Often by “checking” others will think you have a weak hand.
Laydown
This is one of the more difficult decisions in poker, to laydown and fold on a good hand because you think that someone else around the table has a better hand.
Position Bet
This is where a player will place more money into the pot based on their own position (around the table and in the game) rather than the strength of their hand. This can be a useful tactic to crush an opponent who has little funds left.
Poker Face
Having a good “poker face” is vital if you are ever going to win at the game. If you show any emotion when your cards are drawn you risk giving your competitors an idea of what you may have. Keep a straight face at all times!
02.26.2008 | 8:08 am | Poker, Poker Stars
Can you imagine all of the films which you have ever seen, the stories you have ever read, the characters that scared you and enthralled you. How would you like to play this list of characters at poker?
James Bond 007
James Bond is the coolest man on the planet, never rushed, never hassled and willing to take on everyone in front of him. With a face as straight as his how on earth would you know if he was bluffing or not!
Rocky
Quite frankly, would you have the nerve to beat the boxing champ who has gone hundreds of “rounds” with some of the hardest men in the world. It would take a brave person to call his bluff!
Nick Leeson
Nick Leeson was the original “rogue trader” who brought down Barings Bank in the UK after a series of multi-million dollar gambles failed to come off. While he initially went into hiding, he was caught and sentenced to prison. Would you dare play a man who was willing to bet hundreds and hundreds of millions of dollars?
Any of the Saudi Royal Princes
The Saudi Royal family is one of (if not the richest) family in the world and they have a reputation for blowing millions of dollars on weird and wonder full ideas, items and buildings. Would you have the bottle to turn a card for $1 million bucks, knowing that the man on the other side might carry that much around in his pocket!
While we are just having a little fun with some of the names we have mentioned above, the fact is that the more “bottle” a player has, the more difficult they can be to read. You need to be very careful that you are not drawn into traps where you end up going too far into the game, and then being forced to go the whole way and stake all of your funds. Loose cannons on the poker table can be easy prey for those willing to take their time, but you need to play a different game to them.
02.25.2008 | 12:41 pm | News, casinos
After effectively putting the casino up for sale, Skycity have taken their Adelaide casino off the market after instigating a major cost saving exercise since the start of the year. While the casino is not yet “out of the woods” we are starting to see signs that after a difficult period in the history of the Australian casino market, things may actually be looking up. So what has caused the up turn?
In simple terms it seems as though the Australian market had been somewhat overloaded with operational costs and was due a sector wide review of costs and expenditure. This review of costs seems to have come at the same time as a pickup in the sector which has seen the future suddenly brighten and prospects for the immediate future pickup.
As we have covered on this blog over the last few days, there are a number of Australian based casino outfits looking to expand into areas such as the US, where they feel they can make an impact below the main headline casino sector. While the secondary US sector which houses the smaller casino operations is maybe not as profitable as the majors, there is still money to be made and cheap assets to be picked up for those who can arrange funding. So what next for the Australian casino sector?
The fact that some of the Australian operators are now looking further afield is a sign of financial strength in the industry, and perhaps a sign that there is scope to pick up cheap assets in the US. After going through something of a difficult time they seem to have learnt some very harsh lessons and it may be these lessons which they can use to expand into new markets. Is the casino sector set to hold up better than most against a falling worldwide economy? Or will the slowdown catch up at some stage?
Time will tell……
02.22.2008 | 5:19 pm | News, casinos, gambling
Just when you thought the UK gambling farce was over, think again!
The UK government are set to be rocked again on Tuesday when they announce the already leaked winners of the next generation of Casino licences in the UK. While Manchester won the race for one of the country’s super casinos last year the move was cancelled after Gordon Brown took office and came under pressure to make changes. However, the local authority in Manchester have already hired a top barrister to take on their case and sue the government for the cost of the super casino bid – reckoned to be somewhere in the region of £250 million.
In a move which was designed purely to try to calm the situation, the government will this week announce plans to bring forward hundreds of millions of pounds of investment in the North West – effectively using tax payer’s money as a bargaining chip. This move has been ignored by the authorities who already knew that these projects were on the cards. So what are the chances of suing the government and winning?
If you were a gambling person then this would be a little too close to call because the local authority were acting on advice offered by the government when they invested some £250 million to try and win the super casino licence. The fact that this offer has now be withdrawn will be the subject of rigorous legal debate and act as a very unwelcome move, just when the government were ready to announce their revised gambling plans in a blaze of glory.
Aside from the money which is at stake, if the case does go ahead and reaches court then the whole process will be opened up to public and legal scrutiny, something which could cause major embarrassment to the government. This has turned out to be a very high risk strategy by the government, and one which looks like it might cost them a fortune!
02.21.2008 | 1:47 pm | Poker, casinos
If you “Google” the word Poker you will get a glimpse of just how popular the game is, as well as a feel for where each Poker site is situated, but it this the whole picture?
A quick search on the internet will only show you the tip of the iceberg, with Poker seemingly becoming ever more popular with social clubs, and other associations throughout the world. We are seeing an array of private Poker sites run by a wide variation of groups throughout the UK, and this trend seems to be picking up. So what is the main attraction?
While there is a great deal of satisfaction to be gained from winning a casino pot among strangers, the competitive edge is somewhat increased a little when you are playing against people you know – your family and friends. Online clubs have become all of the rage because many people find it less intimidating to play in the comfort of their own home, rather than in the glare of a big turnout. So how are these private clubs set up and run?
These private clubs are often set up using the traditional online Poker sites, and taking up their offer of setting up your own table of players, which is password protected to ensure that only those authorised to play are allowed a seat. There is no extra cost to set up the league as the “House” still take the money which players pay to sit at the table, and the jackpot is shared amongst the players.
In effect the Poker site is using your contacts to make money, in exchange for setting up and maintaining the league as long as your players want it alive. It is a very mutually beneficial situation which is become more and more popular as word continues to spread.
02.20.2008 | 1:13 pm | casinos
If you have ever played online casinos you will no doubt at some point have received the chance to claim your free chips and return to the table. Casino companies will routinely contact you by email if you have not played their tables for a while, and attempt to get you back online with them. So what are the big free chips all about?
While there is no doubt that the free chip offers are real casino chips, there are certain terms to ensure that you play on the table for a substantial while before being able to withdraw your money. If you look at the small print, you will see that for example you may have to gamble 10 times the free chip figure before you are able to withdraw what is left of your free chips (whether you have increased it to $10,000 or it is down to $10). So in effect you would need to play 10 hands of $100 (if you received $100 free chips) if all you won was your money back on each hand.
The idea behind this turnover rule is that it will allow you time to enjoy the game again and also offer you the challenge of building up your $100 free chip pot. Then there is obviously the chance that whether you have anything left to withdraw or not, you will return to the company’s tables in the future – their name will be back in you mind. The online casino industry is so competitive that free chip offers are now very common place, as are bonus chips when you deposit funds as well as new account bonuses.
If you join enough Casino sites and take up enough free chip offers, it is actually possible to make some good money – that is assuming that you are actually good at the game in the first place!
02.19.2008 | 1:08 pm | Poker, casinos
With news that Norwegian Poker queen Annette Obrestad has banked a cool £1 million at the age of just 19, many people are now starting to see a major turning point in ladies Poker. While she caused many unwelcome headlines with news that she started playing online poker at just 15 years of age, there is no doubt that Annette Obrestad has what it takes, but is she one of many ladies waiting to break through to the big time?
The £1 million win was Ms Obrestad largest to date, but she has had three more significant wins over the last couple of years. She is currently the main lady Poker player who is grabbing all of the headlines, but underground there seems to be a movement of ladies players looking to break out into the big time. We have seen the controversy of ladies only Poker, we have seen complaints from the men that it is unfair, but now it looks as though the game of Poker may be about to break down gender barriers. But will it work?
While there have been some rather sexist comments from the men’s game towards lady Poker players, a number of leading men have been forced to swallow their words when playing against some of the better lady players. They have just as much knowledge of the game, they have just as much drive and determination and they seem to be growing in confidence. Even though there are still significantly more men playing the game of Poker than ladies, we are starting to see a surge in the number of lady players. The news of Ms Obrestad’s large win is bound to have a positive effect on the future take up of the sport.
It seems as though while many are announcing new ladies only tournaments, the men’s and lady’s games are closing in on each other and we should have some interesting battles ahead!
02.18.2008 | 1:06 pm | News, casinos
After announcing adjusted half yearly profits of some AU$211m we are starting to see yet more signs that the Australian casino market is on the upturn. While these results were bang in line with market forecasts it was the comments about the Macau operation and rumours that the company are set to announce two US ventures which has got the market excited. So what is the future for Crown Casinos?
As many people may know, the Australian casino market has gone through something of a difficult patch of late with companies struggling under the financial burden of increased regulatory pressure, an economic slowdown and general disinterest in the market. However, these results from Crown may well be the turning point which many have been hoping for, confirming that profits are on the up and the major Australian companies are actually looking at investing overseas to balance their worldwide exposure.
The fact that they are looking towards the US, where prices have been historical high (as has competition), is perhaps a sign that they feel strong enough to compete financial with some of the smaller US casino groups. Crown Casinos have also reaped the rewards of a number of joint ventures which they instigated some time ago, and which received some criticism from market observers. So where next for the Australian casino industry?
While there is still much work to do to ensure that the smaller casinos in Australia will survive, the general improvement seen of late is encouraging. While Crown Casinos have done their best to try and play down some of the potential corporate moves which they have in mind, it seems as though some of the smaller US casino groups may well be receiving possibly unwanted interest very soon. They have money, they have ambition and they seem to be building up a head of steam for an attack on the US market – watch out, the Aussies are about!
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