Even though an online casino bonus may look clear and simple on the online casino’s website, generally bonuses are not that simple and there are many different aspects of them that a seasoned online casino player should know about.

Sometimes online casino players are attracted by the maximum amount of the bonus; a 200% up to $2000 bonus sounds optimal, right? Well, in reality an online casino player should not be looking at the maximum amount of the bonus but, instead, should ask themselves what is the maximum limit they can deposit. If an online casino bonus offers 200% up to $2000 but you can only deposit $200, then there is no point in you trying to clear such bonus. The best way to make the most of an online casino bonus is to choose one with a maximum amount that you can deposit to receive all of the benefits.

Another thing that online casino players need to know about bonuses is that the percentage is also a very important part of them. A 50% bonus up to $200 is not as good as a 100% bonus up to $200. This is because for the first one the online casino would require you to deposit twice as much than for the second one to end up getting the same value.

After having evaluated those aspects, the next thing an online casino player needs to look at is the wagering requirements. These are online casino requirements for a player to clear a bonus. Online casinos can do this in various ways, but the most common ones are to ask players to wager the bonus value x times and to ask for the deposit and the bonus values added to be wagered an x amount of times.

An online casino player should look for a bonus with wagering requirements that complement the value of the bonus. You do not want an online casino bonus that offers you 100% up to $100 and asks you to wager the deposit and the bonus 30 times because that would mean that you’d end up wagering $200 x 30 = $6,000. Instead, you might prefer a 100% up to $100 in which only the bonus needs to be wagered 40 times, so you only wager $100 x 40= $4000. It will be faster and simpler to clear.

A lot of players often wonder how to choose the best online casino software.

This is a very important question because when you play at an online casino you certainly want to play at the one that offers you the best quality. In order to pick the best online casino software you need to look into the functions that it has to offer you.

First of all, you need to look at the online casino software and decide if it is visually pleasing to you. Do you like the online casino design and graphics? This is the first step in deciding if an online casino is right for you or not.
After that you want to check that the online casino you have in mind offers the online casino games that you want to play. If it does not have the games you are interested on, then you should move on to a new online casino.

However, even more important than the games and the visuals, you should look for an online casino that can process financial transactions efficiently. An online casino should be able to process payments with no margin of error and every online casino must have the required protocols and security measures to guarantee that all transactions are being processed optimally.

Another aspect of this function is that the online casino you are looking at should offer online casino payment processors that you can access (debit cards, eWallets, etc).

Every online casino that is worth playing at will mention on their website and/or Terms and Conditions all of the requirements to clear bonuses. Another must for online casinos are proof that their Random Number Generator (RNG) is completely random and reliable and that there is very little, preferably any, human intervention.

Finally, you should check if the online casino has a respectable online casino software provider. Many online casinos out there are not reliable and end up disappointing the users and even committing fraud to their players. Make sure that the company behind the online casino has a good reputation in the online casino industry and that they are known for offering top-class services.

Every day online casino software developers look for new and bright ideas to create new themes for slot machines. The market is pretty competitive and it is important that when a new online slot is launched it must be unique and offer something different than what players have seen before.

Luckily, this means that these developers work really hard and manage to come up with fantastic ideas for online slot machines. However, some other times they are not as creative and the slot machines fail to captivate the audience.

Amongst the best themes for slots are probably the Marvel Comics themed slots. They all feature character from all the popular comic books we all loved as children, such as The Hulk, Spiderman, Dare Devil, X-Men, Batman, etc. They come with great superhero graphics and terrific animations that any player can enjoy; these slot machines have become a classic of online gaming.

Someone's waiting for the jackpot

Two of my personal favorites are the “Aztec’s Treasure” and the Three Stooges themed slot machines. I just love both ideas and the way in which their creators developed the themes make them two of the neatest online slots I have ever played. Both come with crisp and bright graphics, the sounds are groovy and realistic, the animations run neatly and they are both funny and entertaining; pretty much everything you look for in an online slot machine.

In my opinion, some of the worst themes that have been given to online slots are the ones created based on celebrities. They are not dislikeable only because they worship celebrities even more than all of us already do, but because the graphics lack quality and these online slots often come without animations and are quite dull to look at.

Time to dig for the Aztec's Treasure

However, the award-winner for the worst online slot machine has to be the “Russian Rock” slot machine. Who knows about Russian rock anyway? I do not even think Russians are too aware of the topic. The slot is poorly developed and appeals to a very selected audience who happen to know a couple Russian rock bands.

There are online slot machine themes for everyone and I am sure you can find one that you will enjoy. These are only a few selections of mine, but there is a whole world of online slots out there that you need to explore.

As a responsible gambler, a player should know when they are not performing optimally and should start thinking about quitting the tables. Of course, there are ways to improve your gambling habits but there are some signs that will tell you that you have been going in the wrong direction so far.

Here are 5 giveaway signs that could hint that you are not that much of a good casino player.

1.    You keep hoping to get even but you just have not got there: If it has not happened yet and it only keeps getting worse, there is a very slim (close to nonexistent) chance that you will manage to break even.

2.    You gamble when you feel angry/depressed/tired: There is a high chance that when your emotional state is not optimal you are not able to either concentrate on the game or make good decision when gambling. This bad habit could result in constant big losses for you; try gambling when you feel better.

3.    If you have not been able to identify “the fish” at the table yet: This probably means you are the fish at the table.

4.    You always end up betting more than you can afford: Not only does this mean that you are losing a lot of money, but also that you are getting into unhealthy, irresponsible, compulsive gambling habits.

5.    If you think the big blind is a large-sized man who cannot see: If that statement did not make you at least giggle it is because, either I am not funny, or you should just close down this tab and do some research before you continue gambling.

If you happen to fit into any of those categories we recommend that you do a little research if you feel strongly about gambling and want to keep on doing it. Otherwise, it makes no sense for you to go to casinos to just gamble all of your money away!

Remember, you should be gambling for fun in a responsible way. As long as you feel like you are enjoying the activity instead of it becoming a burden, you are on the right track.

Something that I have always loved about the gambling world is hearing those “Cinderella” stories in which a common person wins a staggering amount of money and goes from rags to riches.

The most recent story of someone going from poor to rich in online gambling happened to a man in Vancouver, Washington only two weeks ago. Neil Sullivan could not believe his luck when he found out he was holding the winning ticket for $6.8 million in the Washington State Lottery Lotto jackpot. I bet that was a good day for Mr. Sullivan.

However, hitting the jackpot, winning the lottery or winning a tournament has always worked as a way to make common people into rich people. For example, in 2008 a Danish poker player, Peter Eastgate, walked out of the World Series of Poker crowned Champion and with over $9 million in his bank account. Last year, Joe Cada went home with over $8 million after winning the WSOP.

A famous story in the poker world was when, now poker pro, Annette Obrestad won a freeroll that led her to buy into a $9 online tournament in which she won almost $500,000 at the early age of 15.

It was even more remarkable when a man in Ashville won the incredible sum of $141.4 million. Frank Griffin, a retired firefighter, hit the PowerBall Jackpot this past February. It was a pleasant surprise for the man and his wife and he is the third person to hit this jackpot in North Carolina since it started in 2006.

Online casino gamblers have also ran lucky when hitting the jackpot. Many players walk away with approximately $1 million every time the jackpot is hit at an online casino. Of course some have better jackpot than others, but it is always a good day when an amateur players hits it and takes some real money home.

I believe the reason to why these stories are so nice to hear is that it makes us think that, maybe, someday one of us could become the lucky person to win millions of dollars in a slot machine spin. For now, I will keep reading “Cinderella” stories until my lucky day comes.

Casino players often turn to luck rituals to increase their luck at the casinos. Most players say this is done because they realize that winning the jackpot is purely a matter of luck and that it is not illegal nor forbidden to have a luck ritual.
Amongst the most common luck rituals for casino players are carrying a lucky charm. Often, you will see casino players holding a rabbit foot at the table and carrying around som other not-so-obvious lucky charms.

Sometimes they show them and sometimes they keep them hidden or use them to protect their cards on the table so that the purpose of the lucky charm is less obvious. Another common luck ritual is to toss a few coins into a body of water that is close to the casino and wish for luck.

Other players like to have a certain meal before they head to the casino, they wear specific jewelry and/or clothes that, they believe, bring them luck. A famous poker player, Daniel Negreanu, says that he only eats meals that his mom cooks for him at big tournaments because it brings him luck.

Another thing players do, depending on their culture and background, is pray and carry religious symbols. You often see casino players carry crosses, rosary beads, wearing t-shirts with strong religious images, and even praying out loud for a little luck.

A very strange luck ritual that can be seen is to “court” the machine. Players can be seen kissing the slots machine, cleaning them, talking to them as if the machine was able to feel and respond to stimulus from the outside. There players hope that if they are nice to the machine, the machine will be nice in return and allow them to hit the jackpot or at least make some good winnings.

Sometimes players get very intense and take the luck rituals too seriously, some of them have certain manias such as hitting the deal button once when they win and the bet button five times when they lose. Other casino players who seem to be even more intense have stated that they believe they are able to hypnotize the machines to their favor by removing and reinserting the slot cards as they play to make the machine “believe” that a new player is playing.

Throughout history there have been some remarkable frauds in the casino and gambling world. Some stories can blow your mind as you begin to understand the minds of the creators of the perfect casino scam, you will also hear about some others who were not as successful.

Some stories are as simple as when, in 1992, a cashier at the Stardust Hotel in Las Vegas deceived the security guards by packing his rucksack with $500,000 in cash and walked away to never be seen again.

However, there are other stories that make a stronger impression. Back in the 1970s two physics graduates from University of California created a method that involved their shoes and computers. One of them would wear a custom made “techno-shoe” and stand close to the roulette wheel so that his shoe would interfere with the spin and simultaneously “read” the wheel’s response.

The second player had access to this information in his own shoe and would place an appropriate bet. Both participants suffered electrical shocks and found burned socks at the end of the day but they managed to enjoy 140% roulette profits for months until they got caught.

Sometimes casino frauds need an insider to help them happen. This is what went on at the Caesars Palace in South Africa in 1999 when a blackjack dealer allowed players to mark some cards so that they could play flawless blackjack. The fraud was reported by an observer who noticed that the high cards were marked and the greedy dealer was sent to prison along with his friends.

Luckily for casino owners, nowadays the casino frauds do not compare to what some innovative souls used to do. In the last years we have seen how information “accidentally” leaked out of Absolute Poker and a player managed to get restricted information on other players and make a lot of money. However, this scam only worked for a while and the cheaters were caught.

Another favorite for the worst casino frauds is (former?) poker pro Sorel Mizzi, who loves to create multiple account on online gambling sites and always ends up getting caught because he does not take any precautions and seems to tell everyone about it.

There are myths that have grown around casinos that players seem to believe. Some of them may be true, but some others are just absurd. In this article you can read about the top 10 casino myths out there and find out if they are true or not.

1.    Myth: Casinos pump extra oxygen onto the gaming floors to make players gamble more and/or care less about losing money.

False: It is illegal to pump any substance in closed establishments.

2.    Myth: The Delta Saloon, in Virginia City, Nevada displays the “suicide table” which has sat and condemned past owners of the Saloon to suicide after making huge losses.

True?: It has been stated that three Delta Saloon owners killed themselves after losing massive amounts of money at the table. However, we do not know if that is because of the table.

3.    Myth: In Craps there are hot and cold tables. At the hot tables you will always win and at the cold tables you will always lose. A hot table can never turn into a cold table and vice versa.

False: It has been statistically proved that in craps you are handling dices that have no idea on what type of table you are playing at. “Hot” tables have been seen turn “cold” and vice versa.

4.    Myth: Experienced dealers can control where the ball lands.

False: There are way too many physical variables involved in the wheel spin to be controlled by a person.

5.    Myth: If a machine has not been paying in a long time, it is likely to hit.

False: There is no way to determine when a machine is about to hit. The chance to hit it after it has not paid in four hours is the same chance there is for a machine to hit twice in a row.

6.    Myth: The highest paying slot machines are at the end of the aisle in casinos.

False: Slot machines have a completely random system for paying out. All slot machines can experience their high-paying and low-paying stages.

7.    Myth: Knowing the odds of a game will give you a better edge.

True: Unlike all other “luck” factors that are considered when gambling, if you know the odds you will probably be able to minimize your losses and maximize your winnings.

8.    Myth: To win at blackjack you should always assume that the dealer has a 10 in the hole.

False: There are sixteen 10-valued cards and 36 non 10-valued cards, which means that there is a higher chance that the dealer has a non 10-valued card in the hole.

9.    Myth: If someone hits the jackpot on the machine you just left, you could have won it yourself.

False: Random Number Generators are making combinations every micro-second; even when no one is playing them. That player had the same low chance you had of hitting that micro-second combination.

10.    Myth: In roulette, if the last 8888 (any amount) winning numbers have all been red, a black number will definitely be the next winning number.

False: Roulette is a game of chance. The chances of a black or a red number being the winning number are the same in every spin.

With the sustained popularity of online poker rooms, online video poker, the world series of Poker and pretty much anything poker related these days, it’s about time that somebody set out to make a legitimate charitable impact through using the game as a vehicle.

Well congrats are in order for Don Cheadle, Annie Duke and Norman Epstein

“Ante Up For Africa” was formed by the group in 2006 and was meant to bring awareness to the issues facing Sudan and help to bring peace to the region. They expected to raise a few thousand dollars, but to date have raised over $2.5 million dollars in their effort.

This week they are hosting their second annual event at the San Manuel Indian Bingo & Casino in California, who have donated $500, 000 of their own to the cause.

Regular people willing to put up the $150 buy in can go head to head with such celebrities as Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, George Lopez, Cheryl Hines, Marlon Wayans, Ron Livingston and pro athletes like Herschel Walker.

The object isn’t just about playing poker its learning about the cause, and the countless other charities benefitting some of the most desperate places in the world.

Check the website here: http://www.anteupforafrica.org/

Ok, don’t get TOO excited,  we haven’t figured out a way to somehow get discount cocktails through the internet, although don’t think we haven’t tried.

This happy hour is the best we could do, considering that alcohol email transfer technology hasn’t quite advanced as far as we’d like.

Every day between 10 AM and 12 PM you will receive 150% Happy Hour casino bonus on any re-deposit of $100 or more. But it doesn’t end there, contact us after you’ve made your deposit, and receive an ADDITIONAL 50%, bringing your total bonus up to 200%.

That’s a 200 percent bonus, for simply refilling your account between 10 AM and 12 PM any day!

Just download Silver Oak Casino and use the casino Promo Code HAPPYHOUR, and you’re set.

The bonus is subject to standard terms and conditions: 30x playthrough (60x blackjack/video poker) and no max withdrawal, and your deposit must be at least $100 in order to claim coupon. 200%. If your bonus is claimed outside the hours of 10 Am and 12 PM, you still receive the 150%!

What are you waiting for?

We’ve all played it, we all know the rules, but we all can’t get enough of it. I’m talking about the easiest game to play in any online casino. A game that continues to be the most popular, and more fun each time you play it.

Classic online Blackjack. You beat the dealer, you win. You go over, you bust. As simple as that.

As the most popular game week in and week out at Silver Oak Online Casino, we invite you to revisit this classic game of 21. With countless online Blackjack strategy guides at your disposal, joining a table and cashing in has never been easier.

And with $777 FREE when you deposit at Silver Oak, you’ll be well on your way to cashing out big. You can bet anywhere from $2 to $250 per hand on this online Blackjack game, and even play 2 hands at one time, there aren’t a lot of casino’s that will let you do that!

So what are you waiting for? Get your cards, beat the dealer, and take home the dough!

In Finney County, Kansas, giving the men in blue an employment choice in these dangerous and financially troubling times could spell trouble for the staffing of the local sheriffs office.

It seems that a local casino is opening, and some of the local deputy’s are trading in their badges and beats for the easier, safer and apparently better paying jobs of Casino security.

A Patrol Deputy and 2 deputies from the street gang unit are swapping the badge for the baton according to the Garden City Telegram (www.gctelegram.com).

The defections are a reflection on the current economic state of the country, but also alludes to the ongoing success of the gaming industry, even in these troubling times, where working security at a casino, is more lucrative than being a peace officer.

The lesson to be learned?

Next time you get pulled over for a driving infraction, whip out a deck of cards and play blackjack for the fine.