Poker Legend Anne Duke to Marry Joe Reitman

The duchess of poker seems to be lucky this 2011 with her being engaged to long-time partner Joe Reitman. The announcement that was proclaimed last Christmas via Twitter has marked another much-awaited event not only in the industry of land-based casinos but also to the world of online casino gambling.

Actually, this will be the second marriage for both the mother of four and for Reitman. Actor Joe Reitman, like his fiancee, is also involved in poker. The couple first met in 2005 after 42-year old Joe had just divorced his wife of three years Shannon Elizabeth, also a professional poker player. The year before that, Annie Duke was divorced after four children and thirteen years of marriage to university friend Ben Duke. Ironically, she did win $500 from fellow poker pro Steve Zolotow who lost a bet that her marriage would be over within five years.

The Poker Legend was completely head over heels in-love after being proposed to by the man nicknamed Joe Ugly, and posted multiple tweets on her Twitter page: “I said yes! I am still shaky. Total surprise from Joe Ugly. I am the luckiest woman ever. Best man on earth. I am so in love. Sigh. So Joe Ugly put the ring in the bottom of my stocking instead of the traditional chocolate orange. Sneaky! But now I’m pissed that I didn’t get a chocolate orange this year! Freaking Joe Ugly!” Twitter congrats were sent to Duke from friends including Liv Boeree, Samantha Ryan, Prahlad, Joe Sebok, Tiffany Michelle and Andy Bloch as well as from many, many others.

There are high hopes for the couple and hopefully no one will bet against them. Annie Duke was known as one of the legends of Poker. Some of her recent successes include a 3rd place in the WSOP $2,500 Omaha/Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo event in 2007 and a 5th place in 2008 in the $5,000 Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo Championship. On the female All-Time Money List she is currently in 2nd place behind Kathy Liebert. According to many of her colleagues, she is the best female poker player of all times.

Having that being said, it can be presumed that these two were a great couple. Her partner, Joe Reitman, is mostly noted as an actor, who has starred in such TV shows as Monk, CSI: Miami, Charmed, Married with Children and ER, and films such as The Perfect Storm, American Pie II, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, and Clueless.

The Biggest Progressive Jackpots of year 2010

Year 2010 has finally ended, but the promotions and offerings of most online casino sites are still in its highest peak. Some casinos have already unleashed their plans for this new year, thus, making the online gambling world more lively. Well perhaps it is undeniable that 2010 is one of the most unforgettable year for the industry. An array of must-see events, tournaments, and new games were launched. And due to this fact, it is quite worthy to take a good look at the biggest progressive jackpots of 2010.

Last year was a boom for Microgaming. With the introduction of the Mega Moolah Slot, this online casino site became one of the biggest and most spectacular casino site in the history of online gambling. Mega Moolah is a four-tier progressive jackpot slot game designed by Microgaming, the most accomplished company in the online casino software business. This is a five-reel game with 25 paylines where the maximum wager is 125 coins. The game enables you to explore the heart of Africa as your safari takes you into the midst of the wild and the dangerous- all for your very own pot of gold. It also features a wild (which also serves as a multiplier) as well as a scatter, which kicks off the Free Spins Bonus Game. Therefore, making Mega Moolah the perfect game if you want to win the big money.

Aside from Mega Moolah, Microgaming also launched another slot game which became a highlight of year 2010. The King Cashalot Progressive Jackpot is a five-reel game with nine paylines where the maximum wager is 75 coins. With a minimum jackpot of $100,000, this game is indeed Microgaming's second highest paying jackpot slot, falling just slightly behind Major Millions in the million dollar payout stakes. King Cashalot is extremely popular due to its relatively low cost per spin – just $2.25 for a max bet on all lines, making it very affordable, and allowing the jackpot which is networked across all Microgaming casinos to build extremely quickly. Surprisingly, the game has already created 3 instant millionaires, with the slots biggest payout to date going to an English player who won a life changing $1,427,369.74 on her 61^st spin.

Following the steps of Microgaming is the renowned online casino software, Playtech. They have featured a number of online slots games which are truly superb. The previous biggest win on Beach Life, Playtech youngest progressive game having been launched in 2007, was in $480 000 July last year. Beach Life is a 5-reel, 20-payline slot with a tropical holiday theme. The jackpot is won by betting on all 20 lines at max bet and landing three "Sun" symbols on the last pay line. While Playtech's Gold Rally surpassed €1 million in August. Other notable winners were on Lotto Madness, Gladiator and Cherry Love.

Slotastic Casino also contributed to the industry's biggest progressive jackpots. They offered the Jackpot Pinatas which later became the online casino's slot-of-the-month. Jackpot Pinatas was reported to provide over $1.6 million dollars, making it the richest slots jackpot open to American online casino players.

2010 was really an exciting year for the online gambling world. We can only wait and see what next year holds.

Ashley Revell and his Riskiest Roulette Bet Ever

Skill is never a requirement when it comes to playing roulette – whether in land-based or in online casino site. The game of Roulette is purely based on luck, therefore, one cannot presume the outcome of each spin. In fact some people believes that there were strategies that can make them beat the roulette wheel and make lots of money. But the bottom line is, roulette is based on elements of chance and the game is played accordingly.

Surprisingly, one man had underestimated this roulette fact and almost forgot that there is no assurance of winning in this type of game. Ashley Revell, a 32 year old Londoner, had sold everything he had, including his clothes - and was going to risk the entire bankroll ($135,300) on one spin of the Roulette wheel in Plaza Hotel and Casino Las Vegas, Nevada. It was back in 2004 when Revell hit the fame and became a legend in the gambling world.

Before actually making his bet, Ashley was questioned about whether he was happy and completely decided on his bet. As the ball spun, he placed his chips onto the red and claims that the decision of which color to choose was made right at that very moment. The ball finally landed in the 7 Red slot, doubling his winnings to $270,600. He gave a $600 tip to the croupier before he left the casino.

'It all happened so fast' Revell uttered - 'It was over before I knew it'. 'It's Really down to my family and friends and my Mum and Dad' Revell told the television. 'I knew if I lost I would always have a home to go to'.

Ashley's parents didn't like the whole idea but they still decided to come along to Vegas and give him their support. His father was still against it even though he won. As he explained: 'I got four kids and the are all going to want to go the same way'.

When asked if he wanted to try his luck again, Revell answered: 'No that's it for me - I think he would like me to do it again, but no that is it' (gesturing to the casino host). 'I don't want to ride my luck' Revell said as the campaign started to flow.

Perhaps everyone is wondering why Ashley made such a bet. Well according to him, he was prepared to start out a fresh, and so the big gamble seemed to be the perfect opportunity to either get a financial boost, or to take the opportunity to start out from scratch with a new start in life.

New Playboy Casino in Cancun, Mexico

Let us take a short break from online casino updates and just for a moment, let's take a look at what is happening in the industry of land-based casinos. Last Saturday (December 4), a new Playboy Club Casino has opened its doors at the Caribbean Beach Resort in Cancun, Mexico that marked the next step in Playboy's expansion into the gambling world.

This newest casino that was named Playboy Club Cancun is a boutique gaming and entertainment venue with a restaurant, nightclub, casino, sports gaming and sports lounge. They conducted a private red carpet event on the same day of the opening which invited many VIPs including the former Playboy Model Carmen Electra.

Playboy Club Cancun was a 12,900 square foot casino which was reported to cost Playboy Enterprises around $7.5 million (£4.79m). Aside from catering various casino games such as roulette, blackjack and poker, this Playboy casino also have a big sports betting parlour that is expected to capture the attention of its visitors, with sports such as soccer, American football, baseball, and basketball being offered.

As proudly stated by Playboy creator Huff Hefner, “I am pleased to bring the Playboy Club to Mexico for the first time and to combine the sexy sophistication of the Playboy brand with the international allure of Cancun. With the opening of Playboy Club Cancun and the arrival of the Playboy Bunnies, nightlife there will never be the same!”

The launching of this newest casino does not only gave opportunities to the casino industry, but also to beautiful and sexy ladies. Playboy has indeed received at least 1,500 applications from hot and busty models to work at the Playboy casino in Mexico. But in the end, only 25 lucky young women were chosen to be the face of Hefner's iconic creation. Those lucky girls or Playboy bunnies will work as hostesses, cocktail servers and dealers, coming to Cancun from locations such as Argentina, Cuba, Canada, Russia and Mexico, joined by an international mix of DJs and musical entertainment.

"With the opening of this striking new venue, both Cancun residents and international visitors alike will now be able to experience the energy and excitement that the Playboy brand generates”, CEO of Playboy Enterprises, Scott Flanders, said. He also uttered that Mexico is far from the end for Playboy's attempts at global domination. "By working with this calibre of strong local partners we have at Playboy Club Cancun, we will continue to grow our successful licensing and location based entertainment businesses around the world. We look forward to bringing the Playboy brand to life at additional Playboy venues in select global markets”, Flanders commented.

The first Playboy Club was opened in Chicago in 1960 by Hefner. Since then, 2.5 million membership keys have been sold. Playboy Clubs, including its hotel, casino and resort facilities, has 40 properties in 25 states and seven countries.

Critics Call For A Lower New Zealand Lotto Pot

If the critics have it their way, New Zealand's lotto draws would be limited in the amount of their prizes. This came after the jackpot for the Big Wednesday draw hit more than $26 million.

Graeme Ramsey, chief executive of the Problem Gaming Foundation, said that larger prizes easily encourage players to gamble more on tickets. Ramsey said that it would be better if the current $30 million upper limit is lowered to only $12.5 million, which he adds is below the limit at which many people get too excited.

“Surely $12.5 million as a prize is already big enough for anybody in the country,” he said.

Ramsey calls the continuously increasing jackpots as a”fuel for a gambling environment in New Zealand, where only a few are winners.” He further adds that it creates problems that cost many people greatly.

According to Foundation analyst Graham Aitken, the jackpots increase by only $2 million a week during the first runs. However, he said, once the pots reach $15 million, the prizes also increases more quickly, growing by at least $5 to $6 million per week.

The jackpot cap has since risen from $15 million in 2004 to its current level.

However, not a few seemed ready to fix the prize cap to a lower limit. New Zealand's Lotteries Commission have expressed that they are even considering to the idea of increasing the pot cap for higher prizes.

The commission said in a paper given to then Internal Affairs minister Richard Worth, that it may be necessary to raise the limits as part of a move to join a proposed “world lottery” to be headed by the British National Lottery. “It is very likely that participation will entail lifting the $30 million prize limit set in our games,” the paper assessed. However, the commission said that the proposal is still being studied and it is not yet final.

Casino Bill To Help Out Kentucky Schools

As the debate over Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear's controversial gaming program rages on, supporters presented a proposal which they hope would sway public opinion to their favor.

Democrats came out of the a close door meeting on Tuesday and presented a new proposal to the public. The new scheme calls for the allocation of more than $700 million worth of casino income to help replace and restore schools in bad condition in the state.

In a list being presented to lawmakers, several Norther Kentucky schools are considered as candidates for the project. The schools proposed include those in communities like Fort Mitchell, Covington and Erlanger.

According to House Speaker Greg Stumbo, while the bill is still on the lines of expanded casino gaming, this one is of a different thrust. “It is about stabilizing and recapturing some of the income Kentucky is losing,” he said in an interview ofter the meeting. “It is about a plan that would perhaps improve our economy, stimulate the economy,” he further adds.

For his part, Representative Dennis Keene said, “There are some opportunities for us to help schools in this bill, fixing buildings.”

Under the list, schools that are in need of help the most are filed under Category 4 or 5. Beechwood Independent is listed as the most in need, being the only Category 5 school in Northern Kentucky. Around 160 schools were included in the list that was circulated to lawmakers.

The expenses that repairs would required will be paid off by the money generated from new casinos if Beshear's proposal pushes through. Projects on higher education and other proposals are also expected to be presented by next week.

Critics however, said that the move was made to present the bill in a more positive light. Beshear's plan was originally intended to assist the state's ailing horse industry.

They also fear that the funds for projects in the various districts would be caught off if their representatives refused to support the bill.

Florida Gov Approves Deal With Indian Casinos

Seminole casino operators rejoiced Monday as they are officially recognized and allowed to operate in the state.

This transpired as Florida Governor Charlie Crist finally signed a legislative bill that would allow expanded gambling in the state. The bill was reached as a compromise between the senate, which goes for added gambling, and the house, which runs the other way.

The proposal requires Seminole operated casinos to pay $150 million annually to the state plus additional fees based on the profits they gain. In return, they get exclusive rights to operate blackjack and other table games.

The decision, however, was not without hitch. An earlier agreement between Crist and Seminole representatives was dismissed by the state's Supreme Court, who said that Crist has overstepped his powers when inking the deal. Seminole casinos, however, still operated under the pact until officials came with the alternative solution.

Crist is yet to put the deal under negotiations with the tribe. He has until August to complete the talks and send the completed agreement back to the legislature for final approval.

However, the talks may take a lot of time as Seminole lawyers have expressed doubt that the deal may be acceptable. According to them, the original proposal has a significantly lower annual payment of $100 million. Tribe representatives have also said that the new agreement contains many loopholes that the state may use to go around the exclusive game rights without violating the contract. The Seminoles have the last say before the deal is finalized.

However, Crist expressed that it is very important to come up with a sound agreement because being unable to might lead to government to grant gaming rights to the tribal casinos without getting any payment, which he sees as very problematic.

Oklahoma Rides High On New Tribal Casinos

A boost in Oklahoma's economy came from an unexpected source as tribal casinos provide the needed support to aid the state.

Businesses in the state welcomed the establishment of new tribal casinos as they also benefit from the influx of customers that the casino brings. Establishments in Lawson, in particular, were very enthusiastic of the new rise in activity in the city, as they report increased customer traffic.

Casino manager Darell Nott says that the new casinos have greatly increased job opportunity in the town as new openings were provided for by the new casinos. He also says that the money generated by the public spending on casinos have helped provide for the town.

He sums it up, “Everybody spends, everybody buys homes, they rent places, they buy cars and they spend that money on goods and services.”

On the other hand, according to hotel manager Kimberly Staser, accommodations for the hotel that she works in have increased since the the casinos opened. Most of the clients that go down their way are casino players and tourists who want to spend time in the casinos.

Staser goes to say that “The amount the average person spends during their stay is four times the amount they spend on their rooms.”

“It's great to have casinos,” she says. “Because the trend nowadays with the increase in prices and the instability of the airline industry is what we call stay in casinos, vacations that you can drive to.” She also added that the money being spent on rooms shows that the casino does have a bigger impact on the town.

To date, Oklahoma is home to more than forty casinos, majority of which are owned and operated by the various Indian tribes in the state. More casinos are expected to open as several proposals are yet pending with the state's gaming authorities.

Australia's Online Gambling Filtration System to be mandatory by 2013

Few years ago, the Australian Federal Labor Government proposed a plan – to block people's access to online gambling and Internet content on a secret blacklist. This Labor Government's so-called plan has been changed for three significant times since its original introduction way back in November 2007 as more work needs to be done to perfect the system before it is applied.

According to the Standing Committee of Attorneys-General, the controversial internet filtration system may be mandatory by year 2013. They have been planning on drafting a more complete proposal of the notorious plan to implement a stricter internet filtration system by March 2011.

The purpose of this filtration system would be to block “refused-classification content” or RC, at the ISP level. As a result, all online casino websites in Australia became greatly affected since they are included in this category, as well as sites promoting content, such as child pornography. The full list of sites blocked has not been finished yet and the completed list is expected to be part of the revised proposal by the SCAG due in March 2011.

The list of blacklisted sites will never be made public, but if one were to speculate about its contents, it most likely targets online gambling sites that are operated out of other countries, and which target Australian gamblers without being licensed to do so under Australian gambling law.

Going back on the mid-part of the project, December 15^th 2009 to be more exact, the Labor Government announced the third version of this mandatory ISP-level blocking policy plan stating (contrary to their 2007 election policy) that adults will not be able to opt-out, and that ISPs will NOT be required to even offer to block any adults-only material, i.e. X18+ pornography or R18+. Hence, the mandatory ISP blocking system will be utterly useless for a purpose of protecting children online. The sole purpose is to require ISPs to (attempt to) block adults' access to content that the government deems unsuitable for adults. If implemented, Labor would be the first government in a "western democracy" to mandate that.

The Federal Government has indeed done much effort just to make Australian internet users apply current filtering software with a similar purpose until the broadened version is available. Included in the current filter are some of the RC content sites that offer internet gambling in Australia.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority is also involved in the 2013 filtering plan and is set to receive $400,000 every year to manage the list of RC sites which ISP’s will be using to filter the internet. Also, $800,000 will be given to The Department of Broadband over three years for the development of the toolkit needed to make the filter work.

While this plan has seen several significant delays, 2013 seems to be the realistic date of execution. Once implemented, the blocked sites will be extremely difficult to access considering they are blocked at the ISP level.

Tribe To Open Casino At Belmont

A casino may soon rise up in Belmont Park if deals with the Shinnecock Indians pushes through. The tribe have have announced recently that they are considering the racetrack as a possible site for a casino that they plan to establish.

Tribe officials have reached an agreement last week with the US Department of the Interior to receive formal recognition from the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The recognition is necessary to allow a tribe to operate a gambling facility. An earlier attempt by the tribe to set up a casino in 2003 was rejected by other factions.

According to Shinnecock trustee Randy King, the move will greatly benefit the tribe as it would help them gain better recognition from their surrounding neighbors.

According to BIA spokeswoman Nedra Darling, Interior officals are now looking into ancestral records and other documents to determine if the Shinnecock has reached the requirements for tribal recognition. The Shinnecock have tried to hasten the process in 2007 by seeking a recognition in court, but was denied of their request.

However, officials also added, that even if the tribe gets official recognition, the tribe still has a lot of things to do before they can start work on the casino. The tribe need to secure other required federal and state permits first to operate. If approved, however, the tribe can enjoy federal funding and grants for their operations. The preliminary decision on the case is expected by December 15, with the final ruling is hoped to come by next year.

The tribe's move was met with mixed reactions, however. Southampton residents were divided on the issue as several expressed their opposition against new casinos, while others say that the casino would bring in additional income for the community.

Several politicians also expressed their support for the move. According to Republican Senator Dean Skelos, while there are still many things to consider, he still open to the idea of an Indian casino in the area. A Democratic Senator meanwhile, said that the plan is “an intriguing but exciting possibility.”

The Shinnecock have also said that hey are also interested in other areas besides Belmont for the site of the casino.

Choosing the Right Online Casino Software

Since there is a lot of people who play online casino games, it is essential to get the right software that is suited to their style of play. Popular software groups such as Playtech, Microgaming, Realtime Gaming and Vegas Technology are only few of the providers who works all day just to give you an extreme gaming experience. So what role does a software provider plays in an online casino site? Simply, the better the software company is, the more you will enjoy your time at the site.

An online casino software can tell you everything with regards to the quality of the site's services. They give high emphasis on issues such as the level of security, the quality of the available games, and the level of support they can expect from the casino site. Take note that it is the software who stores all of the player’s private details and also the one who manages the player’s funds. Therefore it is important to know what software is used to operate the casino.

Another factor in choosing the right software is its ability to deliver highly-designed games without any disappointments. It is said that the quality of the available games and how they work is completely dependent on the software it runs on. Also, the game's graphics, animations, and performance were all based on the software being used.

There are several different types of casino software and it is worth trying a good selection. Here are some of them:

RIVAL GAMING

One of the software types to be available for both Windows and Mac users, Rival Gaming have made a big impression on Casino players with their interactive slot games I-Slots.

PLAYTECH

Founded in 1999, Playtech has become a well established gaming solutions for hundreds of online casinos.

MICROGAMING

Microgaming has maintained to stay on the top with innovative and progressive thinking, safety features, quality products, and powerful management tools. It is one of the oldest serving and most successful casino software providers to date, established in 1994.

REAL TIME GAMING (RTG)

Real time gaming is one of the marked leaders supporting more than 70 casinos and gaming brands. It is perhaps best known for its progressive slots, running one of the three largest slots networks on the internet.

VEGAS TECHNOLOGY

Vegas Technology takes great pride in updating old casino classics and keeping them up-to-date by using new graphics and sound solutions. It was established in 1997, and started running its flagship site – English Harbour Casino, the very same year.

All software providers give you a huge selection of games and each plays feel very differently. If you want to check out if the software works for you, try to test drive the site by playing it for free.

PokerStars Restricting Chinese Poker Players

Earlier this year, PokerStars encountered a collusion scandal that greatly affect their reputation as the world's largest poker room. It was back in August when studies uncovered the online casino site's major problem which is believed to be a collusion ring that was being run on the site by Chinese Poker players. It is assumed that the chinese players worked together to defraud other players. And according to some reports, PokerStars paid out more than $2 million in damages to the other players who were victimized by the collusion ring.

Taking actions to solve this problem, PokerStars decided to change their policy regarding Chinese players. From now on they will only be allowing one chinese poker player per table. And if the table do currently have a Chinese player sitting there, the new player would have to wait for the other player to leave the table before joining.

Poker players in China received the following email from the PokerStars team:

PokerStars has introduced a new security feature which prevents players from certain countries playing at the same ring game table. This restriction means that only one player from each of these countries is able to play at the same ring game table.

You are able to play at any ring game table you wish, but once you are seated no other player from your country will be able to join the table. Similarly, if another player from your country is seated, you will be unable to join that table until they leave.

We regret the inconvenience that this has caused you, but this policy has been implemented to enhance the integrity of the games.

This effort will put an end to all collusion from the chinese players. However, some speculations arises along with this decision. Some says that the policy was implemented because the company found evidence of another collusion ring operating in China. While others speculate that the company is being proactive.

Regardless of what people thinks, PokerStars' decision suggests two things. First, a large proportion of the Chinese players on Pokerstars are colluders/fraudsters. Second, the fraudsters have been able to outsmart Pokerstars’ anti-collusion system.

Most Chinese gamblers were disappointed on this news. For them, the decision was too unfair. It is quite requested that PokerStars should have a look at what other platform was done for cheating. If not, the online poker room is discriminating against an entire country for treating all of their citizens as potential threats.

On the side of PokerStars, their policy may have gone too far but this was only done to protect everybody playing at their website. This is simply a ban on more than one Chinese player sitting at the same table. Actually this restriction was nothing compared to the law that was passed in 2002 in which placing online wagers at any company other than the state-run monopoly is illegal.

After explaining the new rules, PokerStars stated, "Regret the inconvenience that this has caused you but this policy has been implemented to enhance the integrity of the games.”

"What on Earth?" slot at Virgin Online Casino

Virgin Casino has recently added another spectacular online casino game in their wide collection. To attract their loyal gamblers even more, they had offered a new slot game which is based and inspired from the outer space. They named it as the "What on Earth?" online slot.

This newest game is made possible by Microgaming's new Quick Fire platform. As stated by the Virgin Casino, “Invaders from Outer-space have come down to shower you with riches in this quirky 9-line slot with 3 great bonus rounds”. Exciting and lucrative features come along with this slot game, the bright colored caricature symbols make an instant impression. There are also spaceships of different kinds. But the best symbols are fruits doubling up as heavenly bodies. The sun is an orange and the striped water melon signifies Jupiter.

"What on Earth?" is a 5-reel, 9-pay line platform which includes three exhilarating bonus games: the Destination, Contest, and Beam Me Up. Each is designed to send player winnings into orbit and beyond.

With the Beam Me Up bonus, players are challenged to locate and beam up Earthlings with the highest value in their choice of New York, London, Cairo or Tokyo, and stand to win up to 400x their winnings. While in the Destination bonus game, the player selects one of the four destinations. If the player finds one of the special earthlings in their hometown then he wins up to 400 times the total bet.

In this slot game, players can wager up to five coins per payline. The coin denomination varies from $0.01 to $1.00. Hence the maximum line bet works out to $5.00 and the maximum total bet works out to $45.00. The biggest line payout is 7,500 coins, which translates to $37,500 at maximum bet.

"Microgaming has come up with a gem of a game, which is set to become a star with our players thanks to its outer space theme and fantastic bonuses", said Warren Eloff, Virgin Games head of products.

Virgin Casino is powered by WagerWorks software. All of the games are Flash based, so there is nothing to download. The casino is licensed by the Alderney Gaming Commission.

The “Stop Loss Strategy” for Online Poker Players

We can never deny that poker is an addictive online casino game. Most online poker players often find themselves unwary of when to stop playing. In fact some gamblers who are in the peak of winning may want to continue their luck, but eventually, their winning streak may turns out to be a losing one. While players who are losing may want to continue playing to see if their luck turns around, which in most cases, leads to a bigger loss. Well it's a good thing that a “Stop Loss Strategy” was formulated.

The Stop Loss strategy is a method which players can use to determine when to walk away from the game. The purpose of this strategy is simple: Since it is based on a specific money value, it will preset an amount that tells the player when to stop playing for the day. In short you know that when you have lost this much money you will stop playing. For example, if you choose $500 as your Stop Loss value, then you will quit when you have sustained a loss of $500.

By using this method, you can take advantage of your winning streaks while not letting yourself suffer too many damages from a huge losing streak. You can as well avoid tilting large portions of your bankroll and stop playing at a defined point. The Stop Loss strategy is often used for financial reasons only, but once a poker player gets use to walking away after loosing, he will likely improve his attitude towards playing. Furthermore, this strategy allows you to play longer sessions when you are winning and shorter sessions when you are losing.

Provided above are the benefits of the Stop Loss Strategy, but what about the downsides of it? Some players say that with this method, they may be forced to walk away just before the game turns to their favor which ends up profiting less. While others believe that they can use a stop loss strategy as a temporary "patch" on their game. Take note that a stop loss is not a cure for tilt.

So how does a player sets a Stop Loss number? Well this vary according to the individual, but be sure to set a stop loss number that is reasonable. In a $3 and $5 blind no limit hold'em game in which players will be buying in for a minimum of $200, a $200 stop loss does not make that much sense. On the other hand, a $1,000 stop loss in a $1/$2 fixed limit seven-card stud game is a bit superfluous.

A serious poker player should be aware of his strategies as a gambler. Sometimes cutting your losses is the best thing that you can do in order to become a good poker player. Take advantage in using the Stop Loss method and watch your bankroll increase.

Online Casinos and their Christmas Promotions

The month of December is such a great time to log on to your most favorable online casino websites. Perhaps we all know the fact that the internet gambling industry offers great promos and jackpots during this time of the year, thus making Christmas the perfect season to gamble online. There are different strategies that online casinos formulate just to make you enter their site. A captivating slots machine, attractive Christmas banners, cool slot games, higher payouts at your favorite poker tables and roulette games were only few of the offerings made those casino websites.

However, searching for the best casino website that do offer a gaming experience that will quench your thirst might be a daunting and very tiring task. That is why in this article, we have listed the top casino websites and their promotions for the season of Christmas.

Let us start with the very famous Party Casino. Party Casino will be giving away six big prizes! The Santa’s Party Pack promotion is a two tier prize giveaway. Players who are VIPs will get to enjoy an even bigger prize selection. The prize begin at an incredible £75 bonus cash and VIPs can also have the chance of winning an 64GB Apple iPad and a Caribbean holiday. To take part in this promotion at Party Casino, simply opt in by clicking on the appropriate link in the promotions section of the Party website. And continue playing the huge range of top slot and jackpot slot games.

Next, let's hear it from the 888 casino. This online casino website launches the “Santastic”, a 5 reels and 15 play lines slot game. The theme of the slot of course is Christmas and appropriately, icons on the slot are typical snowy images such as snowmen, reindeer, Christmas trees, and Father Christmas himself. Players are also able to claim 50 free spins on the slot or choose to activate the separate Christmas Frenzy bonus feature.

Silver Oak Casino also have their December promotions – a tournament to be more exact. They recently introduced the ‘Texan Tycoon’. This tourney embodies all of the ideals of the American Dream, in which everyone has a chance to live well through perseverance and hard work.

The online casinos powered by Microgaming are as well offering their 2 great promos. The Royal Feast Slot and the Premier Roulette. The Royal Feast slot is all about enjoying good food and drink this Christmas! The Kings and Queens featured in the game all enjoy their grand dinners in this game with rich food and drink images filling the reels. While Premier Roulette features bright colorful graphics with a 3-D wheel, and a sophisticated zoom and auto-play features.

These were only few of the must-try online casino games for this season. Before choosing the right website to play at, always remember to read the terms and conditions of that online casino. This will prevent such errors that might ruin your gaming.

Celebrating Christmas at Online Casinos

Now that Christmas is nearly approaching, online casino websites are all too happy and excited to offer their players a wide variety of special festive promotions and bonuses. Perhaps yuletide is the best season in which we should enter the top online casinos and play our most favorable games. Online casinos are undeniably offering nothing but the best due to the fact that this is the time that most people are having their way to gamble online.

But in most cases, gamblers are quite likely to visit brick and mortar casinos because they find it more exciting. Of course! Who would not want to enter a fully-decorated casino while socializing with other people who are wearing their Santa hats while playing. Well, although online casinos do not have this kind of offering, we can still witness them bringing out there decorations but in a different manner - that means throwing up some Christmas-themed banners on a website. Indeed, looking at different website banners is one of the most exciting thing to do during Christmas at online casino sites.

Christmas-themed online games are also breaking out. Expect your online casinos to have a very merry symbols such as Santa, sleigh, Christmas trees, and gifts symbols. Online casino players can as well experience great features and sound effects that are purely based on enchanting Christmas music.

The yuletide season sees the release of a selection of huge online casino jackpots. Most sites are proud to reward their players with an increased monthly match bonus. Which is why many gamblers are getting more and more addicted to gamble online during this time of the year. As the Christmas period comes around, online casinos across the U.S are beginning to open their box of new titles for players keen to make the most of their free time over the holiday. Indeed, there has been a host of high-profile online casino titles over the last few weeks. You can check a few articles on the web with regards to this one.

Spending your Christmas through gambling online is a sure way to spend your leisure time worthy and fun. But never worry once the season of giving comes to an end. When all the excitement wears down after Christmas morning, you could take it to another level with any of the Christmas themed games available on the Internet. Even if you don’t receive any Christmas money from Santa this year – even if you get coal in your stocking – there are thousands of free bonus cash at the best online casino websites.

Online Gambling Bill approved in New Jersey

A much awaited event has already happened in New Jersey when a bill has been signed making them the first state in the United States to regulate online casino gambling. Last November 15, 2010 (Monday), the Senate Budget committee approved the legislation, paving the way for the said bill to move along in the state legislature.

It was Senator Ray Lesniak who introduced the legislation back in January of 2010 and also the one who worked hard for the cause, which tends to help in improving the growth of race tracks and Atlantic City casinos with increased revenue. The bill seeks to allow casinos to offer online gambling, including poker, to the residents of the great state of New Jersey.

Via twitter, the outcome of the committee was immediately reported by iMEGA head Joe Brennan Jr., stating that the step in question was clearing a state senate budget committee and the outcome was a clear vote in favor of moving the bill forward, with 10 for and one against. He clearly said, “NJ Internet Gambling bill passed the Senate Budget Committee by 10-to-1 vote, bill now moves to the Senate for final passage”.

Aside from Senator Lesniak, there's another person who wanted to legalize the casino games. Since online poker has become one of the most popular form of entertainment in the U.S, representative Barney Frank seeks to change the current laws in order to license the gambling companies in the country.

Going back, the law strongly emphasized that the online gambling rooms would only be allowed to offer their services to customers within the state of New Jersey.

The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) was formed way back in 2006 in an attempt to stop online gambling from spreading out in the U.S. However the law was never a success so far, and legislators have been looking to have it overturned. Hence, individual states have decided to take charge and have decisions pertaining Internet Gambling Laws by themselves. Aside from New Jersey, Florida and California lawmakers also have decided to look into the possibilities of online poker regulations.

Currently, the state horse racing industry receives a $30 million annual subsidy from Atlantic City casinos. That $30 million would be eliminated, but it would be replaced by at least the same amount from the online gambling revenue. The amendment has the support of many senators, and Governor Christie is currently looking into the legislation.

US Digital Gaming teams up with CyberArts

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 11, 2010 – CyberArts and US Digital Gaming Inc (USDG) announced that they have reached a contract in which CyberArts will supply services and software to USDG that will develop several business initiatives, thus making such advance operations to the American-based, legalized online casino gambling. The two Californian companies tend to not only rule the US online gaming market but also to discuss the American map by territory, as opportunities arise from state governments deciding to get into the online gaming business.

CyberArts was founded in 1995 by Ken Arnold who also happens to be the company's Chairman of the Board. Since then, CyberArts aimed to deliver the most advanced enterprise and grade gaming software in the marketplace today. While USDG serves as the world-class, American technology company that pushes 'back to back” online poker solutions with a legally-compliant, responsible online gaming system. Hand in hand, these two intends to produce the best online gambling experience through providing an edgy and legally-focused services for the state regulators and online casino operators.

The CEO of USDG Richard Baskin has delivered his statements regarding the new union’s main selling point: “It has been remarkable to watch all the gaming companies that have been operating illegally in the US for years. We’ve taken a totally different approach – focusing only on a system that is 100% safe, legal, and built for the US market, one that will offer legal operators, including state governments, a solution that is second to none.”

Furthermore, CyberArts' Chairman Ken Arnold stated: "The relationship with USDG is a strategic and forward-thinking move for both of our companies. "What USDG is able to offer in terms of their legal poker solution really helps position CyberArts for the future, and our mission of providing the most innovative and leading services and technology available."

"We have entered a new era in gaming where the online opportunities are here and now," explained Richard "Skip" Bronson, a legendary gaming industry veteran, and USDG's Chairman. "While others have been dreaming and wishing, at USDG, we've been building and preparing. This CyberArts alliance will allow us to accelerate our legalized, partnership-driven solution for operators and state regulators and, we're excited to move ahead.

Considering the facts that CyberArts has long been recognized as a leader working to ensure their gaming operations are legal; and USDG has an unmatchable pedigree and experience in both the gaming business and online technology, we can merely conclude that the combination is brilliant.

If and when a state decides to go all in on gambling, CyberArts and USDG want it understood that there’s a homegrown technology option with no Department of Justice red ink on its report card. This option would also allow state legislators to crow loudly about providing jobs to their fellow Americans. In short, if these two gets their way, foreign gaming companies would be welcome to apply, but they wouldn’t be all that welcome.

EveryMatrix teams up with NouBet.com

LONDON, England -- (PRESS RELEASE) -- EveryMatrix, an award winning sports betting provider and software of both sportsbook and turnkey solutions, has announced the launch of NouBet.com - their newest Spanish operator, to supply its loyal gamblers with the most interactive live casino games available online.


As delivered by EveryMatrix CEO Stian Hornsletten, “EveryMatrix and NouBet.com are a great fit. We're thrilled to be able to offer our complete turnkey solution and new marketing package to such a promising operator in the Spanish gaming sector. We have worked very hard with NouBet.com to create a comprehensive yet tailored, flexible package. It is a relationship we look forward to developing in the future.”


NouBet.com, a new Spanish and English-language online casino and sports betting domain, clearly stated that it will initially focus its marketing strategy on Spain and nations where Spanish is the predominant language. And had also agreed to use the brand new EveryMatrix marketing package named PartnerMatrix. The said package will provide the Malta-licensed site with an integrated banner solution for managing and publishing interactive media along with real-time casino and poker content.


The UK and Spain-facing sites both decided to launch their platform with a full suite of innovative products, including the OddsMatrix sportsbook and the GamMatrix gaming management and payment processing platform. They as well planned to utilize some casino software from the Net Entertainment while offering great online poker games powered by The Cake Network. And to provide a more gambling excitement, a Bluff21 multi-player blackjack from New Deal Gaming will be catered. The turnkey solution will allow Noubet to access all player and vendor data from one central location.


Understandably excited at their newest team-up, Fran Valls of NouBet.com said, “The EveryMatrix package offers everything we could wish for from a turnkey and integrated marketing solution. Its reliability and flexibility rolled into one platform is ideal for an ambitious and hungry company like ours. We're pleased to have the expertise of EveryMatrix on board.”


EveryMatrix was founded in 2008 and is fully owned by senior management - all with extensive experience in the gaming industry. This independent company mainly focused on providing the best possible products for the gaming industry. They don’t operate any gaming sites themselves but focus on software development and services of the highest quality yet at affordable prices. All products from EveryMatrix are built with integration and flexibility. While the EveryMatrix products work well together, they equally well fit into any other platform, be it in-house or third-party software. Today, there are more than 25 companies using their products. Their customers include both start-ups as well as established companies such as Chili Poker, Centrebet, Betclick, and NoiQ poker.

Microgaming to launch Japanese-based Casino Games

Microgaming, a privately owned casino game developer that provides a full-software platform to most online casino sites, has released a press advisory announcing their newest casino products which is based on the popular Japanese arcade games - Pachislo and Pachinko. These games which are equipped with unique features, will be created in an online casino format by Microgaming's game designers.


Based on the press release, Microgaming tends to introduce two Pachislo three reel, five payline games, and one Pachinko game. The launch date of the said games has not yet been announced, as well as the divulged details on the list of online casinos that will host these new games. However, online casinos can expect a lot from these new products. Innovative features have been added to the games making them more appealing to most players. The Pachislo and Pachinko games will be available in a variety of languages which will slot in nicely with Microgaming’s new multi-lingual software package. They will be offered to online casino operators as a stand-alone product within the Microgaming portfolio.


During the press advisory, Microgaming's Head Mike Hebden stated that the launch of Pachislo and Pachinko has proved that Microgaming has always been a market leader when it comes to introducing innovative products. He clearly stated, “Microgaming has always led the way when it comes to launching innovative products and the launch of Pachislo and Pachinko is no exception. This latest proposition demonstrates our commitment to exploring new markets and tailoring our offering to an increasingly diverse range of operators and players. We have worked hard to ensure that our new portfolio of games captures the sights, sounds and game logic of authentic Pachislo and Pachinko games, and we’re extremely confident they will prove a hit with players all around the world.”


PACHINKO

Pachinko is a popular Japanese arcade game that resembles a pinball machine minus the flippers. A ball is fired at a controllable initial speed into the machine and falls through a layout of pins. If the ball falls to the bottom, the player loses; but if the ball falls into one of the pockets, a jackpot is won. Originally the device was entirely mechanical but now the electronic versions are more popular.


PACHISLO

Pachislo looks like a three reel classic slots machine with a difference: each reel can be independently stopped by separate buttons. After the player acquires the requite skill, his chances of obtaining winning combinations increase. The other features of Pachislo games are the Big Bonus and Regular Bonus.


In Japanese arcades the players can exchange balls won only for gifts because gambling is illegal, but in the Microgaming version real money players can expect to receive cash payouts.