Posts Tagged ‘ Playing Poker ’

101 Gambling Facts Before You Shell Out A Dime

January 31st, 2010
posted by admin 8:16 AM

As a popular form of entertainment, gambling has a rich history, and every player has the potential to become a winner in the blink of an eye. There is nothing else quite like the rush of adrenaline that can accompany the gambling experience! The gaming industry has grown exponentially for the past two decades, and the lure of gambling has drawn more and more people to the casinos as well as racetracks and Internet gambling web sites. Gambling is a fascinating pastime in many respects, and the list below will introduce you to some of the historical, statistical, and humorous tips and trivia that make this pastime special.

Did You Know?

1. At least 65,000,000 people in the United States play poker on a regular basis.

2. Playing cards as we know them today are still greatly influenced by the French, even though playing cards were invented in China. According to French lore, the cards with Spades represent royalty. Diamonds represent Merchants, Clubs represent Peasants, and Hearts represent the Clergy.

3. Former United States President Richard M. Nixon used money he had won playing poker in the Navy during World War 2 to finance his run for Congress in 1946. He must have been a good player, for it is never inexpensive to get involved in politics!

4. 87% of the people who visited Las Vegas during the year 1996 gambled.

5. Surveys reveal that 38% of the people who live in the United States have visited Las Vegas, typically to gamble.

6. The game called craps usually has some of the best bets in the casino.

7. Poker tournaments that take place on the Internet and on television have caused the Texas Hold’em variation of poker to have an enormous surge in popularity.

8. There is one slot machine in Las Vegas, Nevada, for every 8 people who live there. In 2005, the estimated population for the Las Vegas Valley is 2 million people. That’s a LOT of slot machines!

Gambling Bits and Pieces

9. Blackjack, or 21 as some people call it, continues to be the most popular table game in both online and offline casinos. It is also the game with the best odds.

10. You will see many versions of video poker in a casino, but every one of them is based upon the game of Five Card Draw.

11. In the English gambling dens during the 18th century, one employee had the unfortunate job of dice swallower. That’s right – dice swallower! He was to swallow the dice if and when a police officer raided the den.

12. If played correctly, video poker can offer some of the best odds in the casino.

13. The first slot machine in the world was invented by a Mr. Charles Fey in the year 1899. He was an automobile mechanic who wanted his customers to have something to amuse them while they waited for their cars.

14. Groucho Marx, one of the Marx Brothers, loved to play poker. He kept his poker money on him at all times, carrying it in a ‘grouch bag”. This is how he got the nickname of Groucho.

15. There are only two states in the United States that do not offer legalized gambling. These are Hawaii and Utah.

16. 57% of people in the United States bought a lottery ticket in the last 12 months. This fact, which was discovered by a Gallup Poll audit on gambling, proves that the lottery is the most popular form of gambling in the United States.

17. 68% of the folks in Las Vegas who gamble play the slot machines.

Fun and Interesting Facts

18. 24% of those living in the USA admit that they have participated in illegal gambling.

19. When studying the percentages of people who visit Las Vegas, it was discovered that the largest percentage group, 22%, was made up of senior citizens, those who are 65 and older.

20. One of the largest slot machine payouts ever recorded took place in Las Vegas back in 1998. A woman who had spent around $300 at a casino that day hit a $27.6 million dollar jackpot! No wonder slot machines are so popular!

21. Most historians have come to the conclusion that the legendary and colorful figure of the Wild West known as Wild Bill Hickock was not a very good poker player.

22. In the United States, it is not possible to take out a patent on any kind of gambling machine.

23. The card game of Texas Hold ‘Em was played for the very first time in a Texas city known as Robstown. This happened in the early 1900s. Texas Hold ‘Em was brought to Texas from Las Vegas by a small group of Texas gamblers.

24. Back in the 1970s, the average age of the people who enjoyed casino gambling ranged from 30 to 55. Nowadays, that age ranges from 17 all the way up to 70.

25. 80% of a survey group said that all gambling should be legal, and that casinos are perfectly okay.

26. A word of warning – You are not allowed to use your cell phone at a gaming table. This is generally true in all casinos. Of course, if you are playing at an online gaming table, you can do what you wish.

27. The largest casino in the world is located on the outskirts of Hartford, Connecticut in the United States. It is called the Foxwoods Casino.

28. Las Vegas has two nicknames – Las Vegas and Lost Wages.

29. Slot machines range from penny slots all the way up to those that range from $50 to $500 for each spin! These high-priced slots are usually located in what is called the ‘High Roller’ room or rooms of a casino. As a general rule, you will not see too many of these machines.

Gambling Facts and History

30. In 2007, more than $170 billion dollars was placed in bets in Las Vegas by gamblers. ‘The House’, or the casinos, won about $7 billion dollars of that money.

31. Online gaming is cool. Where else can you play video poker in your pajamas?

32. Casinos in Las Vegas are under no legal obligation to pay off any of their gambling debts.

33. The state of Nevada in the USA, home of Las Vegas, made gambling legal in the year 1931.

During that same year, the Hoover Dam was being built by the US government.

They didn’t want the men who were working on the dam to get involved with gambling, so an entire town, Boulder City, was built as a place for the dam workers to live.

It was made illegal to gamble in Boulder City in the hopes that these workers would not squander the 50 cents an hour they were being paid.

Today, Boulder City is the only city in the state of Nevada where it is illegal to gamble.

Fascinating Gambling Facts

34. To this day, the Italians and the French will still argue over who invented the game of Blackjack.

35. Millions of people are using the Internet to gamble 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

36. Those who play the slots online as well as offline will find that a majority of the time, they will win more often playing online.

37. In horseracing or any type of sports gambling, you need to win a percentage of about 52.4% of the bets you make in order to break even. This is because a commission is charged by the house on every bet.

38. There is no rhyme, rhythm, or pattern to playing the slots. It is almost impossible to predict when you are going to win.

39. When playing poker, the Dead Man’s Hand is Aces and Eights.

40. Most people who take a vacation to Las Vegas gamble for 4 hours a day, each day they are there.

41. Some say that the game of roulette was invented by a man called Blaise Pascal, a French mathematician and inventor. Others say he merely decided what order the numbers would go in.

42. And still others claim that the game of roulette came from China. Another group swears that roulette was invented by a group of Venetian monks! It appears that no one knows the real truth.

43. Even though a line of slot machines may look identical, every one of them looks different on the inside.

44. Dice are the oldest gaming tool available to use today.

45. Blackjack was banned in America back at the turn of the 19th century. Already a hugely popular game, it went underground as folks continued to play it illegally. The ban was lifted in 1939 as Nevada prepared to introduce Las Vegas to the world.

46. Craps is an American game, but was devised as a variation of a European game played in the 17th and 18th century that was known as ‘hazard’.

47. Legend has it that a fellow by the name of Francois Blanc made a bargain with Satan in order to find out the supposed ‘secrets’ of the roulette, wheel. The basis of this legend is that when you add up all of the numbers on the wheel, you end up with the number 666, a number that has always represented the devil.

48. Slot machines are capable of revealing millions of possible combinations for every minute the game is played. This is because of the random number generator, or RNG, that is inside the machine.

49. Craps got its odd name from a nickname given to the French Creoles of New Orleans, Johnny Crapauds.

50. There are two types of dice, casino dice and ‘drugstore’ dice. Casino dice are precisely made by hand to insure that they are balanced and are a perfect cube. Drugstore dice are smaller than casino dice, and are made by machinery.

Gambling Facts and Figures

51. Historians have found documentation that tells us Napoleon really enjoyed playing a game or two of 21, or blackjack when he was in exile.

52. If you add up all of the opposing sides of one dice, you will always come up with a total of 7.

53. Roulette has rules that are easier to follow and understand than most other forms of gambling.

54. Video poker has been a part of the gambling world ever since the early 1970s.

55. The game of Baccarat was once played with Tarot cards.

56. Caribbean Stud Poker is a poker variation that is very popular worldwide. It was developed from a 16th century game called Primera.

57. There are 38 numbers on an American roulette wheel, 0, 00, 1 to 36.

58. There are 37 numbers of a French roulette wheel, 0 to 36.

59. Those who live in Nevada bet around $846 each year at the casinos.

60. The game of Baccarat was invented during the middle ages by Felix Falguiere, an Italian gambler.

61. One of the fastest growing forms of entertainment all over the world is casino gambling.

62. There are 11 different ways to make a wager in the game of roulette.

63. The British call

slot machines ‘fruit machines’ and ‘one-armed bandits’.

64. The gambling game of strip poker originated in New Orleans, Louisiana around 1830.

65. Backgammon is the oldest recorded game in history. This game, which originated in Mesopotamia, is called by many different monikers.

66. Gambling has become a $40 billion dollar per year industry in just the United States alone.

Things You Probably Never Knew About Gambling

67. Blackjack tables have a little in common with baseball games. The seats at the table that are around the dealer are known as ‘bases’, and are known as first, second, and third base. 68. Baccarat came to Las Vegas in 1959 at the old Sands hotel. It probably was not well like by the hotel owners, as the Sands ended up losing $250,000 the first night on the baccarat tables!

69. There are three different varieties of baccarat. They are called ‘Chemin de fer’, or railway, ‘Baccarat Banque, or Adeux Tableaux, and Punto Banto, which means North American Baccarat.

70. Blackjack team play was invented by a man known as Al Franesco. 71. The zeros on roulette wheels are called the ‘House Edge’. The zeros were originally added to the wheel by its inventor in order to increase the house odds.

72. Caribbean Stud Poker found its way to the United States in the 18th century. It first surfaced in Louisiana, and then spread west. 73. Nowadays, you can learn how to play Craps on your Iphone!

74. A pair of dice has several nicknames. They can be called ‘Boxcars’, ‘Snake Eyes’, ‘Mississippi Marbles’, or ‘Memphis Dominoes’.

75. The fastest growing industry in the world in Indian gaming, which is a $27 billion per year industry in just the United States.

76. The name ‘Blackjack’ was derived from a variation of the original game rules, in which a player who had the black Jack of Spades received a payout.

77. The worst roulette bet, and why? It’s known as the 5 number bet, 0, 00, 1, 2, 3, and once made, the house edge jumps from 5.26% to 7.89%.

78. The game of Baccarat gets its name from the worst hand possible, zero.

79. The original name of Blackjack was ‘Ving-et-un’, which translates into the word ‘blackjack’.

80. The largest win at an online casino was $1, 683,524.64.

81. A sailor had 27 wins in a row playing Craps at a Las Vegas casino back in the 1950s. The odds of this happening are 12,467,890 to 1!

82. The game of Bingo originated in Italy during the year 1530.

83. In Australia and New Zealand, the term “Housie” is used for Bingo.

Gambling Trivia You Never Would Have Guessed

84. In the entire time the game of Keno has been played, a prize of $500,000 has been won four times, two times by the same player.

85. Roulette is the oldest of all casino games.

86. Keno was used in ancient China to raise money that was used to build the Great Wall of China.

87. Keno came to the United States in the 19th century.

88. It is possible to come up with 1,474, 200 different Bingo cards. 89. Playing cards as we know them today first appeared in Europe sometime during the 1300s.

90. Modern Bingo was devised from a game known as Beano. When a player mistakenly called out “Bingo” instead of “Beano”, the name caught on everywhere.

91. A little more than 70% of the high rollers in Vegas who enjoy playing Baccarat are Asian bankers and Asian industrialists.

92. Keno goes back to the Han Dynasty in Chinese history between 205 and 187 B.C.

93. In South America and Europe, the game of Baccarat goes by the name of Punto Banco. Punto Banco is usually a high roller game.

94. The age of the youngest person to win the World Series of Poker main event was a tender 24.

95. It is possible to make 2,598,960 poker hands from a standard 52-card deck.

96. The odds of being dealt the hand known as a ‘pocket pair’ in Poker are 16 to 1.

97. There are only 4 possible Royal Flush hands in a standard 52-card deck.

98. The odds of getting a Royal Flush hand are 649,740 to 1.

99. More than 70 million decks of standard playing cards are sold each and every year.

100. That sandwich you ate yesterday got its name from a poker player. The Earl of Sandwich loved poker so much he was loathe to leave the game table, even to eat. So, he would have someone bring him bread and some meat, and the sandwich was born!

101. The nickname for a pair of 8s in the game of poker is Pocket Snowmen.

Online Poker Games – Game Point And Advantage

January 14th, 2010
posted by admin 8:38 PM

A game which has rules is an online poker game, where each game has a specific set of rules that differ between every casino on the net or website’s setting. The main attraction of an online poker match as the most-played game is because rules can vary slightly between one place and another, and yet it will still follow the main guidelines which allow everyone to feel comfortable with the game along with its guidelines to play.

But, there must be an accepted bunch of rules which each of the players may refer to if confusion sets in. This is why free tutorials have been made available on the net along with books on how to go about playing an online poker game. Offering the player instructions about how to play the game is what these books do, either online or real life. These tutorials provide tips to beat the opponent, when you must risk your cards and when you should hold them.

Poker games online are always so popular. Why is it so? Poker games’ on the net help the begginers learn to play the game in their own speed with the free software. If they think they are game to playing with other’s, online poker websites are the thing for them. Online poker games allow novices to gamble as little as 1¢ with free poker rolls to anyone who enter into the table without fee. The attractions in online game rooms are that players need not feel all that pressure from the rest of the players to perform without committing mistakes.

Playing poker games online will hone your probability skills, improve computing capabilities, propagates social inter reaction and teaches one how to play well. The type of players that the casino casts out (novices), the poker that’s online embraces. That is the main reason for the online poker to be one of the largest collectors of revenue from online casinos.

Despite all the benefits provided by online poker, a chief concern is
Like the professional casinos at Las Vegas, a watchful eye is present before each poker room. This “eye” checks for illegitimacy. Online poker games’ security checks out the IP address that belongs to a computer unit to confirm that not more than one unit play the game; thereby illegitimate game play is avoided.

Mainstream poker sites get players hooked by conducting tournaments. The winners of the poker tournament get a chance to try out real poker in casinos that host the programme. Tournaments may make players play at the World Series Poker Championship Games. Better your skills more are the chances of you winning a prize. As far as test of skills is concerned, these poker websites make it possible to play with real masters of the game.

Because of all these advantages, it isn’t a surprise that poker on the net is a successful business. But being a champion varies in the real world. Real poker can distract you when you are playing. The acclaimed “poker face” must be perfected before an online poker player can take on real poker. Online poker does not teach us that.

Apart from misleading your counterpart physically; there is no difference between playing on the net or playing a real game of poker. poker on the net and the real game are about betting cash.

The main advantage in playing poker online is the absence of intimidating opponents. Because you are new to the game, it helps to not have opponents present as it helps you improve your skills.

After you have become comfortable with the game play, you may sign up with various websites to play the game. Your first game can be quite challenging especially if you haven’t got the hang of it yet. Although, you will get better at the game when other players play and everything becomes clearer.

But the only thing that remains unchanged in any poker game is the prevalence of addiction in any form of gambling. The game revolves around taking risks, playing with guts and paying due attention for your skills and ultimately winning once or twice.

Even then it’s still the poker games online that attract novice’s everyday. The internet destroys all barriers of space, time and race; in this world, there is no better feeling than to win at the game!

Online poker can be played in a better manner if you have an poker software installed in your system so that the game is made accessible to the user.

The worldâ??s largest poker software is Party Poker. It is a software that hosts the best of the poker tournaments and is said to provide an excellent service. (Grade A).

The reliability of the endorsers goes a long way in the business of the online poker software. For instance Party Poker is said to be endorsed by three champions. These world champions are Chris Moneymaker who was a champion of the year 2003, Greg Raymer who was a champion of 2004 and lastly by Joseph Hachem who was the champion of 2005.

The uniqueness of the software is the reason behind the success of the largest poker software, Party Poker. This is online software that has not shared its game platform with others like Multipoker and Empire Poker. Skins like the two mentioned are said to work on their old and outdated platforms only.

888 Network is a software that supports playing poker online. Pacific Poker is a brand that is said to dominate this software. Pacific Poker was a private software that permitted online poker but when it was made public, it started to focus on a number of casinos in addition to the main 888 poker.

Ultimate Bet is one of the first few software to support online poker games. They are said to be the starters on the online poker business. It is a poker software that admits players who are of a very high profile. One such player was Phil Hellmuth. He was incorporated into Ultimate Bet as a player. This will give you an idea about the profile of players who have joined Ultimate Bet.

It is a software that is said to possess some of the very unique and sleek features. It will not distort your vision in any manner. One of the benefits of joining Ultimate Bet is that the viewers are saved of the act of straining your eyes because of long hours of waiting as it works at a very high speed and is the most reliable software as well. It is also to be noted that Laggis does not come under the list of options in this poker software.

A software that is to consist of one of the many busiest European poker halls is Ladbrokes Poker. It is also a software that supports online poker. Before heeding this software that supports online poker, you must take note of the most important fact that Americans are not permitted to play poker using this software. This fact should not lead you to most common misconception that Europeans are very discriminatory. In fact, it should be considered that the parent company of this software which is called Ladbrokes is actually a popular UK sportbook.

The strongest brand that has been listed in the Playtech network is Titan Poker. This software is said to present graphics in a very clear manner and is said to function without much flaw. This software is said to present the players with very amazing and attractive promotions.

Yet another software that is said to present excellent and sleek graphics is actually a Java based software and it is called the 24th Poker. It is said to proffer the best of the gaming experiences. It comes with highly advanced features that make it the best. It takes only 7 seconds to rebuy after everything is done and this has been possible with the high tech features. You should also be extremely cautious when you are dealing with professionals.

Within a span of six months that is between June and December 2004. 24th Poker is said to be the only poker software which has grown up to 500%. Due to their innovations these days, they are gaining more popularity.

Tigergaming.com. is said to have a clean look. The card is very tangible and this does not hamper our eyesight. This also makes us feel very comfortable with the game. It runs pretty fast and is also smooth and this makes playing with tigergaming fun.

Nine.com is one of the most recommended game rooms. It is a very popular sports book and it was first introduced online in the year 1997. A buffet of different kinds of skill games can be found in tigergaming .com. It is said to offer all kinds of casinos, pokers, race books, sports books and many others. In addition to all these, it also offers Bejeweled II, the highly popular Solitaire.

Celebpoker is one of the poker software that comes with very attractive graphics and is said to function very decently. This is a software lobby where in you can find the average number of hands dealt with in an hour and the average pot. People consider playing with such online poker stars an opportunity.

Poker Games Online At Pacific Poker – Holding On To The Internet

January 14th, 2010
posted by admin 8:38 PM

Pacific poker is no strange thing for a person who plays online poker games, a poker online that is supported by the Casino On Net, which is leading online casino.

One of the pacific poker’s features is a 24-hour customer support especially for the clients. According to their budgets and skills, the poker room can be chosen by the players. Apart from this, there is an assurance that people are playing against other real people.

The player has the free option to choose a no-download or download software for the3 poker game which is offered by pacific poker. The software makes navigation very easy and also has a feature which saves the seat of the person who has got disconnected from their dial up connection when playing poker.

Each day, apart from these, pacific poker conducts poker tournaments online where anybody can participate. In their free roll tournaments which are monthly, players are allowed to choose high or low limit games. Another thing that pacific poker offers are promotions like money added and free rolls.

If any player any of the games of pacific poker, the winner can choose his form of payment for the prize he’s won.

A few popular games available in the website of pacific poker are Texas Hold Em, Omaha High Low, 7-Card Stud, Seven Card Stud, and Texas Holdem.

Texas Holdem game is the most popular type of game in the online poker world as well as in Pacific Poker rooms. Using a 52-deck card, up to ten players can play the game. An equal chance at handing cards is given to all the players by using the dealer button. In the Texas Holdem games, the person who manages to get, out of the possible seven, best five card hand wins the prize.

Omaha High Low game is another game that is found at pacific poker. This game is another type of Texas Holdem. With the move before the flop, it’s a little different from Texas Holdem. Four hole cards are dealt faced down at the starting hand. Apart from this, at the centre of table, five board cards which are taken as community cards are dealt faced up. Almost all of the times, The people who play Texas Holdem and are used to it get confused with the rules of Omaha High Low game which is completely the reverse of the rules of Texas Holdem. But after they get used to it, the fame is really enjoyable to play. Omaha High Low of Pacific Poker has a bigger pot money to be won and it’s also an exciting game.

The 3rd Pacific Poker game is Seven Card Stud game. There are 5 betting rounds in each game of Sven Card Stud and up to eight players are allowed to play. Two cards are dealt faced down at the beginning of the game, 4 cards faced up and finally the last card faced down for every player online beginning from the player to the left of card dealer.

The person who has the best five cards out of 7 cards dealt is the winner of Pacific Poker’s Seven Card Stud game. He wins the pot as he’s got the best hand.

The 4th poker game online is Texas Hold Em in Pacific poker. A maximum of eleven players can play the game which is also played with 52-deck card. This game is so popular that it’s shown in movies and television shows around the world. World Series Poker and World Poker Tour are a few of the tournaments held for it.

Pacific Poker’s Texas Hold Em begins with players dealing their 2 hole cards face down. Starting from the player to the left of button, it’s done by each and every player. The game is won by the player who makes the best 5 cards with the help of the community cards and his hole cards.

The 5th and final of all the games of Pacific Poker is 7-Card Stud game. In this game, the players get to have more than one cards faced up. This game is the game most played by the poker players in all the public card rooms. In pacific poker, this game has 3 versions. They are High-Low Split, Low, High games. In the Low game, the pot is won by the person who gets the lowest hand, whereas the person who gets the highest hand wins the High game of 7-Card Stud. In High-Low split of 7-Card Stud, the whole pot is won by the person whose hand is the highest of all if no body is fit enough for the lowest hand.

Strip Poker – Making A Boring Game More Hot!

January 14th, 2010
posted by admin 8:38 PM

First, you may want to know about the type of people that play strip poker. According to surveys the game is most popular amongst 18 – 30 year old males! Although as you’d expect, there are some females who play strip poker too! Students with more liberal attitudes are the most likely people to be found playing strip poker, indeed, in almost every university and college around the western world there is sure to be a student strip poker game at the weekend.

More mature adults do play strip poker too, although in general it is played in smaller groups of between four and six friends, often married couples play the game for amusement in the privacy of their own home.

Origins of strip poker.
There is very little information about the history of strip poker. It gained worldwide notoriety in the mid 1900s and through the fifties, sixties and seventies gained an increasingly large following, particularly amongst students and those under the age of 30. An exact date for the invention of strip poker is unknown, rumors suggest more liberal female poker players would remove items of clothing if they lost all their money and that drunken males would literally lose the shirt off their back. Some suggest strip poker was one of the first poker games, played before money was involved, although this not generally taken seriously.

Why do people play strip poker?
There are two main reasons why strip poker fans play the game.

1, It’s played amongst friends infrequently, nobody gets completely naked and it’s seen as good fun, perhaps played after an evening out where alcohol has been involved.

2, It’s played more regularly with sexual intentions. Swingers parties have been known to organize strip poker games as an “ice breaker” to the evening before moving on to more explicit past times. The game here is certainly not at the fore front of the players minds.

In each scenario, the emphasis is of a light hearted nature, whether it be the start of an evening of the ending, those willing to take part do so for the sheer fun of it.

Strip poker rules.
The basic rules of any strip poker game involve the losers removing items of clothing whilst the winners get to see their naked, or semi naked friends. Generally no money is involved and the game is always played in the spirit of good fun, although it is not for the prudish!

There are several ways in which a strip poker game can be organized, the most popular involves:

A minimum of four players.
A standard deck of cards (52 cards).
A good location to play at (a table with good visibility).

A simple poker game such as 5 card stud or Texas Hold Em is a great strip poker game. After the hand is over, the loser should remove an item of clothing. When one person is completely naked, they should re-clothe themselves and the game can start again. Needless to say, the worst poker players will be the ones getting naked most of the time, so guys, invite girlfriends who have little or no poker knowledge and girls, study up on poker before you accept an invitation.

Strip poker, so long as played in private with consenting adults is generally a legal past time worldwide, however, if you are unsure you should check up on your local laws before organizing a game.

Places to play strip poker.

Almost always indoors, the student dorm’ room or perhaps a couples home/apartment. If you are single and perhaps less inclined to be invited to a strip poker party of less willing to attend one, there are strip poker rooms on the internet too. These are almost always pay-per-view websites and you’ll be playing against a model one-on-one, if you don’t have a webcam then it’s not difficult to cheat, although we suspect the intention is for the surfer to see the beautiful model strip until naked.

If you do have a webcam then you may be able to arrange a strip poker game with your webcam friends, however, we advise caution! If your friends are more prudish in nature they may take offence to your suggestion.

Remember to enjoy yourself when playing strip poker. Do not take the game seriously and try and play it in good spirits. So go have fun.