Category: Archive

Live or Land Casino Play?

November 30, 2015
Dazzling Las Vegas welcomes millions of visitors every year

Dazzling Las Vegas welcomes millions of visitors every year

There’s no city on earth quite like Las Vegas. With its 24/7 excitement from the world’s most famous casinos to some of the biggest shows and sporting events on the planet – it’s a unique city with a charm of all of its own – that few would deny.

On the other hand, most of us simply can’t get to Las Vegas as much as we’d like to, but we still crave the excitement that the desert city brings. Of course, it’s no secret that the world of online gaming has witnessed a veritable explosion in recent years with millions of players from all around the world in countries where online gambling is legal playing online blackjack, poker, slot machines, baccarat and a whole host of other traditional land-based casino games. Slots were an instant hit when Charles Fey first manufactured the Liberty Bell slot in 1887, and they’ve been popular ever since then. Today, online gaming sites like 32 Red, Skyvegas, Paddy Power not only provide players with a plethora of slot gaming choice with titles like Tomb Raider – the Secret of the Sword. They also go to great lengths to provide the kind of excitement the real Las Vegas brings with table games such as roulette, poker and blackjack as well. Anyone with an internet connection can enjoy the thrill of casino gaming whenever they want.

But which of the two styles of gaming provide the biggest pay-outs and the best chances of winning?

Well first let’s deal with the question of why one would prefer online to being in Vegas itself. The sheer ease of access and availability of online gaming is a big plus – as is the speed at which gamers are able to play. Some of the best sites like the afore-mentioned and award-winning 32Red and others really do a great job of re-creating the atmosphere of a genuine Las Vegas casino given superb graphics, sound effects and an overall sense of realism that has to be seen to be believed. You simply can’t compare the convenience of playing online with the physical and financial effort involved in travelling to Vegas to sit and play the same games.

But perhaps nothing can quite compare with Las Vegas itself and its exhilarating culture. Online casinos may do all they can to create the right atmosphere but sadly, they can only virtually let you wander down the world famous Las Vegas strip. A walk along Las Vegas Boulevard is a truly unique walk along what is probably the world’s most famous strip. Many tourists begin their sightseeing at the renowned “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” neon sign before strolling on along the whole length of the Vegas Strip.

Inside Caesar's Palace, Las Vegas

Inside Caesar’s Palace, Las Vegas

Here, you’ll find some of biggest names and most-recognised casinos in Las Vegas if not the world, including the Caesar’s Palace. the MGM Grand, Circus Circus, the Luxor, Bellagio, Monte Carlo Hotel & Casino, New York – New York, The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, and many more.

And it’s true – there is nothing quite like the real thing … unless you simply want the ease and availability of gaming quickly wherever you happen to be and that’s where the online gaming beats the live casinos hands-down of course.

The biggest wins

But what about when it comes to biggest wins? Well theoretically, there should be no greater chance on one than another, with the exception of two factors; the double zero additional slot in Las Vegas casino’s roulette wheels which means the house has the additional edge that you won’t find in online gaming houses – and the myriad special offers and bonuses the online providers use to tempt you in and encourage you to stay loyal. And these can be quite sizeable so it’s always worth checking for the best offers and latest updates etc.

As for the biggest ever winners, factory worker, John Orchard, from Long Sutton in England enjoyed an enormous online slots win in 2012, when he bagged a whopping £5.8 million for a 30p stake.

John’s win was almost matched for cash and more than matched for the odds in 2013 when a Scottish fisherman won £5.4m playing online slots for a 20p stake.

As for land-based real-life casinos; how about the incredible story of grand-mother Patricia Demauro at America’s second city of gambling, Atlantic City craps table. Patricia rolled the dice at a craps table a world-record-breaking 154 times without throwing a seven – though neither nor the casino were forthcoming about how much she’d won.

The final victory, though, goes to the online world. In January 2013, an online gamer from Finland broke a world record winning 17,861,813 Euros playing a Mega Fortune Slot!

Overall though, deciding which is best between live and land casino play is a little like comparing chalk with cheese in that you can’t truly say one is better than the other – they’re just different, but they’re both great fun.

 photos by: prayitnophotography & Daniel Ramirez

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Bitcoin in Poker Industry

September 9, 2015

bitcoinBitcoin in Poker Industry

Around the world, the big gaming companies and Poker players are increasingly allured by Bitcoin currency and using more and more bitcoin currency for all their monetary transactions. What is Bit coin? The simplest way to explain Bitcoin is that it is a type of currency which is virtual in nature and it is finding recognisation in the global finance world. Recently, various federal agencies suggested and agreed on the point that Bitcoin is a practical form of currency and there is need to find ways to accept it instead of refusing it. Rather, dramatically, value of Bitcoin rush forward, the reason behind is that China is amongst the countries which has joined the group of countries supporting Bitcoin deals and these countries are showing their financial interest in this new on the rise model of financial exchange. The velocity of changes in Bitcoin is so quick that no news is current for the reader. The basic motive of this article is to endow with poker players the basic understanding.

Pros of Bitcoin in Poker :

For Poker Players using Bitcoin is very advantageous. There are various aspects of bitcoin due to which it is very gainful to the poker players.

  1. Speculative feature of the Bitcoin. In Bitcoin, there is opportunity for the players for increase in their value of Bitcoin. Players can get return on investment as they can buy bitcoins at lower price and expect the value of currency to go up or may go down based on the market conditions.
  2. The poker sites which accept Bitcoin helps the poker players in having money on and off.while in other sites which uses traditional forms for payments, they do require a processor for payment and large time period for cashouts and we recommended you to try leading BTC gambling site for it.The transactions through this format that is Bitcoin are speedy and players can easily transfer money on and off from one site to another.
  3. Bitcoin driven sites allows players to play from all over the world, Poker players throughout the world can play with one another. For example in some states of USA, players can play poker online in their respective states only, but on bitcoin driven sites anyone can play.

Similarly,Poker players tries to assess the situation how to defeat an opponent by playing and observing the strategies and patterns used by players over time and how to make maximum utilization of the available information like betting patterns,tells,hands etc.Poker Plyers and companies tries to assess the implications and potentials of bitcoin in poker

Cons of Bitcoin in Online Poker :

  1. Bitcoin Sites are Unregulated Offshore Sites. According to some people using Bitcoin is not a problem but the problem is ethics to be followed by the online sites. The good Bitcoin sites are still striving to prove that their deals are fair. the risk is also involved with sites offering Bitcoin as government might take an action against them in some countries.
  2. Bitcoin Volatility as more and more people are lured towards Bitcoin and transact in Bitcoins ,its becomes more volatile. It is speculative and its value depends on various global factors which gives no guarantee to make a profit and value may go down.
  3. Bitcoin Use is Not unidentified. You can play poker at Bitcoin sites without giving any personal details ,but this is proven false. The reason is the use of bitcoins can be tracked within the block chain. A person’s personal bank account details can be tracked.
  4. The Tax Situation, according to some, the day may come when you may have to give the details of profit made through transactions in Bitcoins if they have increased in value and declare loss when the value of bitcoin go down and you sell it for less the value you bought.
  5. Bitcoin Is Not a Bank-Backed Currency form. Bitcoin is not a bank backed currency and that is why users favor it.But there is no safety net for users if the bitcoin industry stops functioning means there is no consumer protection.The principle of Bitcoin currency depends on trust.
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Finding the Right Online Casino Site

May 15, 2015

Las Vegas Club

Finding the Right Online Casino Site

The total scenario throughout the world has changed dramatically with the expansion and growth of the internet, past few years in particular, resulted in boom of casinos online, poker sites and other gambling sites. Wide numbers of online sites are available to the player where they can play and enjoy the game anywhere in the world.

Gambling in any form is game of chance, all the online casino sites offer the chance to gamble and wager money basically. There is however minor mathematical edge with online casinos. Nevertheless online casino gives a player an opportunity and lives can be changed on the roll of the dice, spin of the ball, turn of the card and jackpots can be won. Luck plays equally important role that turns odd in your favor.

Wide range of online games are available on popular sites, they offer traditional games likes Blackjack and Roulette to modern ones like Texas Hold’em, Ride Poker or Casino Stud. Large variety of popular slot machines and video poker are also being offered as any offline casinos.

Where to play is a big question when you have decided to play online casino game.

To begin with and to get answer to above question you first must choose any search engine, like yahoo or Google or any other of your choice, searching will generate list of several online casinos. Any one of the above results you could try but one thing must be kept in mind there are still some sites which does not play the game fairly.

So how to find the ideal gambling site? The answer to this is one of the many casino portals available. These portals would recommend list of reputable casinos and also about various offers and choices available to help you in taking decision.

It is always safer to stick to reputable sites where the information provided is genuine and useful and owners have gained a reputation for sound advice.

Once you are through this process of acquiring quality information, then it is up to your predilection to decide, where to play from. From themed casinos to casinos with updated games is a matter of interest.

In the end, wherever you play, one thing must be kept in mind is while playing in an online casino site, keep it reasonable, always set a limit .Keeping affordable always will help you enjoy the thrill and excitement of the game.

Winning is good but Play for excitement and entertainment not for win every time and you will never be upset even if you don’t win.

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The Evolution of Casino Croupiers

March 19, 2015

The Evolution of Casino Croupiers

Croupier

They’re the people often taken for granted, but without them all of the finest casinos in the world wouldn’t be able to function. Although they may not be the ones holding the purse strings or keeping an eye on security, croupiers are the people that make each game you play run without a hitch. Through the flick of a wrist and the wave of an arm, casino croupiers are able to make and break the fortunes of gamblers across the world. Not only that, but these casino works are veritable fonts of knowledge and will gladly assist novices and explain the rules of any game (as well as give them a few strategy hints) when asked.

Although it may seem like a menial task to shuffle some cards or count casino chips, there’s actually a lot of training that goes into becoming a croupier. Being able to simultaneously count bets, control the action and calculate payouts all while under the pressure of time is extremely difficult and not something that can be mastered overnight.

Fortunately, the top casinos in the world have extensive training programs for their croupiers and their actions are not only effortless and efficient, but a joy to behold. However, not all croupiers are created equal and today, the wide variety of casino experiences available across the world have given rise to a new breed of members of casino controllers. Of course, the traditional life of the croupier is still very much the dominant force; however, thanks to TV and the internet, it’s now possible to interact with these guys in a number of ways.

Where it All Began: Traditional Croupiers

Las Vegas

Visit any casino on the Las Vegas strip, in Atlantic City, Macau or any gambling destination in the world and you’ll encounter a traditional croupier (usually wearing a smart outfit). The main skills a dealer will need to master are: chip handling, mental arithmetic, card control and shuffling. Piecing these all things together means any croupier worth a dime should be able to control the following games: blackjack, baccarat, roulette and poker/ casino Hold’em. On top of this, a croupier in a live casino may need to take charged of a sic bo (dice) game as well as craps (also involving dice and a betting ring).

The reason becoming a live croupier is so difficult and why skilled practitioners are so well respected by casino players is that it’s tough to keep a game flowing without making any mistakes. Although the slip of a card or a casino chip may not seem like a big thing, it can actually be financially damaging for a player; especially if they’re betting large amounts of cash.

Poker

For this reason, a croupier not only needs to be accurate, but efficient in their movements. To do all this at the same time isn’t easy, but it becomes even tougher when you factor in the idea that a croupier also needs to be entertaining. Above all else, even the money, anteing up in a casino should be fun and if a croupier is too focused on controlling the game, the player’s experience will suffer. One famous Vegas croupier who has sadly now passed away who was an expert at controlling the game and entertaining players was “Elvis” Joe LeVine (not to be confused with the Elvis Presley who performed in Vegas for the first time back in 1956).

dealer

A staple fixture at the World Series of Poker, LeVine would do his Elvis Presley routine while dealing cards and counting bets to some of the top pros in the world. In fact, during any single session, LeVine could be in control of tournaments where millions of dollars were on the line. However, regardless of the stakes, LeVine was able to stay on top of the game and ensure that players at his table had the most enjoyable experience possible.

The New Generation: Internet Croupiers

Dealer

While Vegas croupiers such as LeVine are able to give players a memorable experience through a range of senses, online croupiers have a limited set of options. This new breed of croupiers operate in a similar way as traditional croupiers, but instead of being less than a foot away from their audience, these dealers have a computer screen and, potentially, thousands of miles between them and players. Over the last few years, online gaming platforms such as PokerStars have begun to add live dealer tables to their platforms. Utilizing webcams and RFID technology, these innovative tables connect real croupiers in a remote location with players anteing via their computer.

By clicking their mouse, players can place bets which are then transmitted to the croupier. The croupier then deals cards or spins a roulette wheel and if the player wins the system credits money to their account. Although this system is able to mimic many of the features seen in brick and mortar casinos, there is an element of physical connection that’s missing. This is where online croupiers need to be more skilled in the art of engagement than their live counterparts.

When you play online, you’ll now find a string of glamorous croupiers who are as seductive as they are skilled at their job. The job of any croupier in the online world is to keep people playing and the best way to do that is to chat with them. From questions about the game to general chatter about everything and anything, these women (sometimes men) make the divide between virtual reality and reality seem non-existent.

The Hybrid: TV Croupiers

Vegas TV

Performing a similar role to internet croupiers are those that preside over casino games shown on the TV. Although less skilled than traditional croupiers (mainly because the games the operate take place at a much slower pace), these people are probably the most engaging variant of the genre. Because there is no interaction between the players at home and the presenter, they need to keep the game flowing and the energy levels high. For this reason you’ll often see lots of anecdotes, jokes and gaming talk.

In essence, these croupiers are more of a hybrid between presenters and casino experts. The main games they usually control involve very little proficiency with roulette wheel or deck of cards. However, they do need to be skilled at entertaining people and ensuring that they remain engaged enough to continue playing for jackpot prizes.

An Excellent Service Regardless of the Medium

Becoming a world-class croupier may seem like an easy task but it’s not and the average person will have to complete a rigorous training regime before they become qualified. A lot of the time the most skilled practitioners have previously made their living as a gambler or poker player so they are able to transfer these skills into a new arena. Keeping a player entertained as well as content that the service they are receiving is efficient and fair is a tough task, and one that takes time to master.

Fortunately, when you ante-up in any reputable venue, whether it’s live, online or even on the TV, the people in charge of handling your bets will be the best in the business. Although they may sometimes be the forgotten faces of the casino world, don’t forget that these invisible heroes are the ones that make your experience as profitable and enjoyable as possible.

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Back to the Future DeLorean arrives 1 year too early

October 6, 2014
Back to the Future, Delorean seen on the streets of Las Vegas

Back to the Future, Delorean seen on the streets of Las Vegas arrives 1 year and 18 days early

Back to the Future, Delorean seen on the streets of Las Vegas

Back to the Future, DeLorean seen on the streets of Las Vegas

The Delorean from Back to the Future arrived 1 year and 18 days early as opposed to the film’s version of October 21, 2015. Maybe it was going to visit Biff Tannen’s Pleasure Paradise Casino & Hotel, the above photos spotted the DeLorean  on W. Charleston near the I-15 on October 3, 2014.

Did you know, in the movie, Back to the Future Part II, the hotel tower of Pleasure Paradise was an existing casino, the Plaza in Las Vegas. Long shots of the Plaza/ aka Union Plaza were digitally combined with the courthouse as filmed on the Universal Studios back-lot.

Biff Tannen’s Pleasure Paradise Casino & Hotel was a fictitious casino and hotel founded and owned by Biff Tannen following his spectacular gambling winning streak, which was actually the result of being given Grays Sports Almanac by his older self in the 1955 of the alternate 1985 universe.

Photo by: LasVegas360.com
Date taken: October 3, 2014

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Here is a Food that Represents Nevada- Let Them Eat Shrimp!

September 24, 2014

An article appeared in Deadspin online magazine featuring signature foods from all 50 states and the District of Columbia, ranking them in order. There where the notable No. 1. Chicago-style deep-dish pizza (Illinois), No. 4 Crab cake (Maryland), No. 7 Key lime pie (Florida) and the rest. But Nevada came in 49th place with ” Nothing” beating the horrid sounding, No. 50  Steamed  cheeseburger (Connecticut) and No. 51. Cincinnati chili (Ohio). Nevada was the only state listed as not having a food that represents itself.

   N0. 49  “Nothing”  “Not having any authentic local culture to speak of (Nevada)” – Deadspin

As a long time resident of Nevada and Las Vegas for over 40 years. I propose that we submit to DeadSpin and to our own legislator body of Nevada to make the “Shrimp Cocktail” the official food for Nevada. Now this might sound a bit strange for a land locked state being 200 miles from the nearest ocean. The shrimp cocktail is cool and spicy, reminds me of the classic Las Vegas, with the Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr. serve in a glass from a by gone era.

-Update- The Cooking Channel featured an article as Nevada’s state food as the “Buffet” which did include the Shrimp Cocktail, its like saying, Nevada your state food is “Food”. Let’s narrow it down to the quintessential Shrimp Cocktail.

On a per capita basis, Las Vegas alone consumes more than 22 million pounds of shrimp annually, more than anywhere else in the world and that is not even counting other popular areas like Lake Tahoe and Reno. Las Vegas now has local shrimp farming in warehouses to keep up with the Vegas’ 60,000 pounds daily need.

Shrimp Cocktail proposed State food for Nevada?

Shrimp Cocktail proposed State food for Nevada?

The history of the shrimp cocktail dates back to the end of the 1800s and the early 1900s and it came out of San Francisco. During the late 1920′s, “cocktail appetizers” like shrimp cocktail became popular during the prohibition era. It was a popular way to reuse the stemware that were at all the bars during those times. The shrimp cocktail was brought to Las Vegas in 1959 when the Golden Gate Hotel was purchased by a group of Italian-Americans from San Francisco. They set their cost of their shrimp cocktail price at 50 cents until 1991, at present it is $2.99. The Golden Gate continues to serve Shrimp Cocktails today.

Update 6/25/2017: After Dupar’s closed, no more shrimp cocktails at the Golden Gate.

Spread the word! Contact your you state legislators! Send the tweets! Don’t let Nevada be the “Nothing” state when it come to having a signature food. lets Make the Shrimp Cocktail Nevada’s State Food.

The full list of state foods can be found at Deadspin.

Photo By: LasVegas360.com at the Golden Gate Casino

 

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