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Archive for May, 2009

Playing Keno is easy. Buy one or more Keno tickets and mark a few numbers on them. You can mark between 1 and 20 numbers. However, some casinos may set a different limit. After you mark your cards, you can take it to the keno writer and place your bet. If you can’t reach the keno writer yourself, you can ask the keno runner to carry your ticket to the keno writer and register your ticket.

When the game begins, 20 balls are drawn randomly. Each of these balls carry a number between 1 and 80. If your numbers match the ones that are drawn, you are paid according to a paytable. The payout may differ from casino to casino, but in general, the more the matching numbers, the better the winning amount.

Since Keno is a chance-based game, you can mark the numbers that bring you good luck. Some lucky numbers, for example, include your birth date, age, the current day of the week, the current hour of the day, your body weight, your shoe size and so on. This not only “increases” your chances of winning but also makes the game more interesting and fun to play.

If you can’t wait to visit a Keno hall, online Keno is the alternative. Online Keno is much the same as video Keno. Instead of using a touchscreen, you use your mouse to click the numbers on your computer screen. The rest of the game is played automatically by a computer.

Whether you play Keno online or in your local Keno club, the fun will never end. Get your lucky numbers ready and rock Keno!

Bonus Bingo? I was surprised. What’s the big deal with bonuses? Every Bingo variant on the block offers some kind of bonus. Then what’s so special about Bonus Bingo?

Out of curiosity, I gave Bonus Bingo a try at the CoolCat Casino. After a few games, I was awarded a 3X multiplier – my first bonus. “You’ve won a Multiplier,” a joker informed me. “Choose a card.” I chose a card. Another game began, and Bingo! I won. My winnings on the selected card was multiplied by 3.

I was playing with all four cards on, but that’s not a requirement. You can get a multiplier on a single card as well. The interesting thing is, you may be awarded a multiplier on your first game itself!

After a few more games, I was awarded a bonus ball. What’s with the bonus ball, I thought. I was running high on luck because in no time I was awarded two more bonus balls. Two more to go, I thought, and continued playing. Soon I received the fourth ball, and after some struggle, received the fifth one as well. Bingo, I exclaimed in joy!

This led me to the bonus round. A joker appeared and offered me three cards. I picked one. It revealed 1, the number of times I could play the bonus round. As the next step, I clicked the Play button. Five numbers were rolled automatically via a special dice. They were added and the total was multiplied by a random number. All in all, the gross total fetched me a pretty decent amount of money. Easy money, I muttered with a smile on my face.

The other day I played Bonus Bingo again in an attempt to enter the bonus round. However, no bonus ball appeared for a significant delay. I was frustrated. To find out why, I read the Help section. And I realized that the bonus balls only appear when all four cards are turned on. Please ensure that you play with all four cards turned on if you have an eye on the bonus balls.

I had my share of bonuses offered by Bonus Bingo. (And I will continue to have it.) It’s your time now. Give Bonus Bingo a go and grab the bonuses it has in store for you.

It has happened to all of us.  One look at the Craps tub, the players standing around it and all those rules around a seven ….and we look around desperately for a chair to sit down ! Except that one normally stands to play Craps and you do not get even that by nature of consolation!

You could crawl under the tub, but that will not really flatter the gambling instinct in you, right?  Here is an alternative. Table Craps or Play Craps, a new game played with cards. It is essentially the same as Craps, except that you don’t have to roll the dice and watch it throw up your fate as your legs turn to jelly.

Michael Christian and Jack Chappel have done to Craps  the same thing that was done to Pai Gow Poker when casinos introduced it as a table game…. The dice have been replaced with cards. These “die cards,” are the same size as standard playing cards but feature enlarged depictions of the faces on a die cube instead of the numbers.

The new table is no tub. It has been designed by a Las Vegas casino equipment designer. A little bigger than a blackjack table, it has nine seats, chip trays and drink holders. The field markings on the table are however the same as in a regular craps table. Two dealers are used in this game –one of them deals out two die-faced cards from the 324 cards placed in a continuous shuffle machine.

The number of cards and the use of the shuffle machine ensures that the odds are within .004 of a percent of conventional craps. The statistics have been established by the Gaming Laboratories International and the Nevada Gaming Control Board, which has approved the new table game.

The new game is quite a hit with land based and online casino –the table takes up less space, the number of dealers required is less and there are no hassles of checking the dice or picking it off the floor. This also means the game is faster and hence, the number of plays per hour is more, notching up the revenues for the House.

Of course, the traditional craps players will still prefer the tub and the dice, but there are many players who feel put-off by the confusing array of betting options and the dice roll. They want to be spared the ordeal of being criticized for unfavorable throws by other players. It is for them that this sit-down version of Play Craps with cards has been designed.

The good news is online casinos will continue to offer the dice-based game as a specialty game, even if the new game is introduced as part of their table games. So if you are one of those sticklers who want only the original, you will find it at Cool Cat Casino.

I simply adore all the games of Poker and have been playing Poker for a long time now. But you’ll be surprised to know that I have never tried my hand at Let ‘Em Ride Poker.

All my Poker buddies used to tell me about the interesting side bet option that can sometimes lead us to the hefty progressive jackpot in the game.

One day my friend referred me to this online casino that offers the game of Let ‘Em Ride Poker with the progressive jackpot linked to the side bet.

I registered myself on this online site and planned to practice the game on the free casino game of the Let ‘Em Ride Poker first.

I read the rules carefully and was amazed to see the progressive payouts starting from $75 to 100% of the whole pot of progressive jackpot. According to the rules, I placed $1 on the side bet first and then $2 on the ante wager.

Progressive payouts in the Let ‘em Ride Poker are only attached to the hand ranks: Royal Flush, Straight Flush, Four-of-a-Kind, Full House and Flush. Initially, I had no luck with the side bet rewards as I could not manage to pull out any of these hand ranks.

I however did not give up as I found it quite challenging. After few fruitful efforts, I got a Flush. I won $75, which is quite decent. If I had wagered $3 on an ante, then I would have won only $24 on drawing a Flush.

But just pulling out that one dollar to wager on the side bet got me $75. Did you see the difference? Since then I have fallen in love with this betting option in the Let ‘Em Ride Poker. Now I have my eye on getting a Royal Flush that can get me 100% of the progressive jackpot.

All you poker lovers out there, come and be part of this progressive side bet venture that you can find only in the game of Let ‘em Ride Poker. I am sure you will be smitten, like I have been. Have fun!

Despite first impressions, Craps is an easy to play casino game. The first timers may find Craps a little confusing because of the large variety of bets allowed. Often this alone bewilders the first-time player who leaves the Craps table or online Craps without making an attempt to understand the game or even trying it out.

While we always recommend that players should first familiarize themselves with a game, sometimes it may be better to just take the plunge. Playing craps is pretty much like swimming. Unless you get into the water, you will never learn it!

As far as Craps bets are concerned, some bets offer a high house edge whereas some bets offer a relatively low house edge. The bets with the high house edge are regarded as “worst” or “bad” bets and the bets with the low house edge are considered “best” or “good” bets. In case you wonder what the house edge is, it is a casino’s average profit per bet.

The proposition bets, found in the center of the table layout, are considered the “worst” bets. These bets offer a very high house edge, ranging from 9.09% to 16.67%. Stay away from the Hard Way bets as these bets offer a house edge between 9.09% to 11.11%. One thing though, these bets offer up to 30-to-1 payout, which isn’t a bad thing after all.

The good bets on the other hand are the ones with the low house edge. The Pass Odds and Come Odds bets offer a 0% house edge. And the payouts are pretty cool such as 2-to-1, 3-to-2, and 6-to-5. You can also go for Place, Buy, and Lay bets as these bets offer a house edge as low as 1.52% with a high 9-to-5 payout.

The choice is yours however. Whether you follow the “slow and steady wins the race” philosophy and place the bets that return you small wins or you place bets that fetch you big wins by following the “make hay while the sun shines” philosophy, the odds of winning will remain the same. Craps will still remain a chance-based game but knowing the best and the worst, you will not be over-awed with everything else that lies between.

Most online casinos offer casino games via a casino software. You need to download and install this software to play your favorite casino games. At Cool Cat Casino, you can play casino games on the Cool Cat Casino website as well. These kind of games are called flash casino games or instant casino games or simply, web play games. Cool Cat Casino offers plenty of flash casino games like- Online Slots, Video Poker, Blackjack, Roulette, Craps – all your favorite casino games are available for instant play, round the clock.

You don’t need to download and install the casino software to play these type of games. All you need to do is log into your casino account on our website and start playing these games online. It saves you time. Also, if you feel like playing your favorite casino game while you’re away from your computer, you can, since these games are available on the website itself and hence does not require the casino software to play.

At the Cool Cat Casino website, you get the same level of security and integrity with these online games as you get with the casino software. You can be sure that your privacy and sensitive information, including financial and personal details, is not compromised at any cost. Plus, these games work under a wide range of browsers and computers.

Whether you use Windows, Mac, or Linux, and use Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari,or Opera, you can enjoy these instant games to the fullest, as long as you are connected to the Internet.

You will find our online casino games very attractive, engaging, and easy to use. So, the next time you want to play your favorite casino game, just log into your casino account and enjoy. Now isn’t that simplicity at its best?

I really don’t know why but whenever I sit down to play Pai Gow Poker, I end up getting two low pairs. It was out of sheer desperation that I decided to take the bull by its horns. I decided to devise a strategy or trick to split a two low pair hand. I felt that if I put in some thought, I would definitely expand my odds of winning.

The first thing that struck my mind was to check on the Internet. Searching on Google, I was taken aback to find that I was not the first to encounter two pairs in Pai Gow Poker. I got a dozen search results that explained tricks specifically designed to win a two pair hand in Pai Gow Poker. I examined it, understood it properly and then sat down to try it out on two pair hands that I seem to get oh-so-frequently.

As per the strategy I first assigned some specific levels to the various card values such as, 2s through 6s as low pairs, 7s through 10s as medium pairs and Jacks through Aces as high pairs.

I finally sat down to play Pai Gow Poker online. When I pressed ‘deal’ after placing the bet…I was not at all surprised a to see a two low pair hand had been dealt to me. This hand included- 2-2-5-5-10-K-9.

In the case of a two low pair hand being dealt this strategy asks you to play the pair with the highest value in the five card hand and the pair with the lower value in the two card hand.

Following it I too split my cards in such a way so that it looked like this: 5-5-10-K-9 and 2-2.

I was amazed when both my hands turned out to be better than the dealer’s hands and I won the game. You can also apply this tactic to the hands with two high pairs, medium pairs and so on.

But yes, there is one thing that I would like to warn you against- don’t expect that this trick will work wonders every time you employ it. It is just a strategy and not a magic wand that will always bring in a fortune. There have been times, when even after employing this trick I’ve lost the game because the dealer’s cards were better.

I have progressed some more and have picked up similar tricks for different permutations and combinations of a low pair. A low pair with a high pair, a low pair with medium pair, a low -medium combo with unpaired Ace and King…and so on and so forth. Trying out strategies can be quite addictive. Do it yourself and enjoy the rush of adrenaline.

Poker is all about hand ranks. If you don’t know what you are holding, you are defeated even before you start playing! And in order to wager wisely, you need to know which hand is the best and which is the worst in terms of payouts. Here is a ready reckoner:

High cards: This hand does not contain any pairs, straights or flushes. For this reason it is referred to as Garbage. If this is the case, your first card is compared to the first card of other players. The hand which contains the highest first card among all hands wins. It is considered the worst hand due to the low payouts attached to it. However, the odds of being dealt such a hand is very high — 50.12% –so just cross your fingers and hope for the highest first card as well!

Pair: Two cards of the same value (e.g. 9-9) along with three kickers (unmatched cards) is known as a pair. Payout wise this hand ranks better than high card but the chances of being dealt a one pair hand is a less, 42.27%.

Two Pair: This hand consists of two separate pairs (e.g. 4- 4 and K-K) with one kicker. The possibility of drawing hands with two pairs is just 4.75% but this hand is still considered good as the payouts are decent.

Three-of-a-Kind: It includes three cards of the same value (e.g. 6, 6, 6) with two kickers. With odds of just 2.11%, the chances of drawing such a hand is less but the payout is good.

Straight: Five cards in a sequence but not of the same suit (e.g. 8-9-10-J-K of different suits) is known as a Straight Poker hand. The probability of getting a straight is 0.39%.

Flush: Any five cards of the same suit but not following any sequence is a Flush (e.g. 4-7-10-J-2 of spades). The probability of being dealt a flush is 0.20%.

Full House: It comprises three of a kind along with a pair (e.g. 8-8-8-A-A). The probability of dealing a full house is 0.144%.

Four of a Kind: It includes all the four cards of the same value with one kicker (e.g. 4-4-4-4-10) and the odds of winning this hand is 0.024%.

Straight Flush: It has five cards in sequence and of the same suit (e.g. 4-5-6-7-8 of clubs) with 0.00154% chances of drawing it.

Royal Flush: And here we finally introduce you to the best Poker hand that is possible and that comprises an Ace, King, Queen, Jack and a 10 of the same suit.

So next time you play online poker, RECOGNISE a good or bad hand when you see one.

I always followed the “more is better” philosophy until recently when I won a couple of dozen hands of Baccarat. It left me with a pretty decent amount of money.

Baccarat is a popular and well respected casino game the world over. Usually, casinos allot a special room for Baccarat tables because the game involves high stakes. Players play against one another, assuming the responsibility of the dealer from time to time. The game lasts for a long time usually but “quicker” variations of Baccarat are also available where you play against the dealer and not against other players.

In my first encounter with Baccarat, I played against the dealer. I placed my bet on the banker hand, which I had no clue about, and was dealt two Kings. A hand total of 20 was before me. I am a seasoned Blackjack player and 20 almost got me on my feet. The dealer who was playing on the player hand received 15. I was about to explode with happiness because I had placed a $500 bet and got a 20. But much to my surprise, I lost. I must say I screamed with consternation. I could not believe it. The number 20 beats 15, any mathematician would tell you that, I argued with the dealer.

The dealer calmly replied to my question and said, Baccarat is played under rules that differ from Blackjack. If you get a hand total that exceeds 9 points, the tens position is dropped. Therefore, a hand total of 20 becomes 0 and a hand total of 15 becomes 5. Outrageous, I said out loud.  Loud enough to be heard by the casino management. They asked me to maintain the decorum of the casino or leave. That wasn’t a very happy ending. A loss of $500 added to the frustration.  Well, I thought to myself, I’m going to stay and play a couple more Baccarat hands without caring about winning or losing.

Today I am a regular Baccarat player. I still play Blackjack and other casino games, but I must say I have developed a good taste for Baccarat, and I am much more comfortable with the “less is better” philosophy.

Online gambling has always been contentious –there is someone, somewhere pointing an accusing finger at the activity. The latest to join the naysayers is the Minnesota state in the US. It has directed telephony and Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to block access to an “initial sample” of 200 online sites.

Ironically, the Alcohol and Gambling Enforcement Division (AGED) of Minnesota’s Department of Public Safety (DPS), has NOT cited the controversial Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 while sending a notice to the ISPs. It is taking refuge in The Wire Act of 1961 that makes it incumbent on “common carriers” to comply with the request to block telecommunication services used for gambling.

The notice to 11 ISPs was sent in end-April with a deadline for compliance. However, the move has sparked off protests against the attempt to curb online freedom, disintegrate the Internet and eventually monitor private activity and data.

Legal experts were quick to point out that ISPs are not common carriers, and that the law only bars phone companies from doing direct business with bet-takers. Also, as online gambling is illegal in the US, online casinos operate from other locations overseas, and have no direct dealings with ISPs in the US.

The first voice of protest was from Minnesota state representative, Pat Garofalo who introduced a Bill to bar the DPS from using force to block Internet gambling sites. According to him, a private sector ISP cannot be controlled by the government —that kind of thing is done in Communist China!

The Interactive Media and Entertainment & Gaming Association (iMEGA) has also reacted by filing a suit in the US District Court of Minneapolis. First, to get Minnesota to withdraw its order on the grounds that it is a violation of the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution which guarantees free speech rights. And secondly, to warn other state governments that any similar move by them would also be challenged in court.

In a bold step, iMEGA has also communicated to the ISPs that it is not legally binding on them to comply the AGED’s directive. It has pointed out that Minnesota has neither the authority nor the jurisdiction to order the ISPs to block Minnesota residents’ access to sites that were not located within the state.

Technically speaking, it is true that blocking one IP may lead to obstructing several sites which may not be on the list of 200 sites and further still, may have nothing to do with online gambling. It should be mentioned that the Minnesota state has also warned residents that they could lose access to their Internet escrow accounts.

Moreover, past attempts to control the Internet have failed:

• Kentucky tried to block access to 141 online gambling sites by seizing the domain names late 2008. However, a Court of Appeals struck down the act, ruling that the state had no jurisdiction.

• In 2004, a federal court did not allow Pennsylvania to get ISPs to block child-pornography sites, because the filters affected Internet users outside the state and blocked legitimate web sites.