Monday 31 January 2011

Since 2007, USA/American players have found it increasingly difficult to find casinos and gambling sites which accept players from the USA. This is not because online gambling has been made illegal, as gambling is not illegal in many States. It is because an act was passed called the Safe Port Act, which was supposed to clamp down on money laundering. An unfortunate consequence of this act, was that is became much harder to transfer money online, particularly to offshore companies such as gambling sites.



Because of the Safeport act, some of the biggest casino software providers have abandoned American players. The largest casino software companies, Microgaming and Playtech no longer accept players from the USA. However, the good news is that there are still many casinos, poker sites, bingo halls and gambling sites which accept players from the USA. Software companies such as RTG, Rival and Top Game all accept US players and some proprietary brand casinos do too.



However, there are still problems to overcome for US citizens who want to gamble online. The main issue is how to make real money deposits as many banks will not allow their credit or debit cards to be used at online casinos. EwalletXpress, which was one of the major banking for US players, has recently withdrawn from the USA. Current deposit options for US players include prepaid debit cards and gift cards, MyPaylinQ, UsemyWallet and money transfer services.



As gambling laws vary from State to State, if you are a resident of the USA/US citizen it is recommended you check and abide by the laws in your State before gambling online.usa allowed casinos

Friday 28 January 2011

Blackjack is one of the few gambling that are beatable in the long run. It means that by using a basic blackjack strategy you can have an advantage over the casino and eventually stepaway from the blackjack table as a winner. Here you can find the basicblackjack strategy explained in a simplified manner.
The blackjack strategy is based on the mathematical probabilities of the game and it provides you guidance on the best decisionsto make at every situation which can occur during the game. It takes about an hour to memorize this strategy but it is worth every minute. This does not man you will win every single blackjack game from now on, but with the help of the blackjack strategy, persistance and patience, you will definately improve your chances of winning in the long run.
Note that some blackjack rules vary from one online casino to another. In some casinos, both brick and mortar and internet casinos, blackjack is played with one card deck while in others the blackjack game occupies four decks or more. In addition, in some of the casinos the dealer hits on a soft 17 while in others he is required to stand and doubling after splitting is allowed only in some of the casinos.
Here you can find a basic strategy to a single deck blackjack game where the dealer hits on soft 17. Playing other variations of blackjack would require you to make some adjustments for a few potential hands
First, here is a short glossary of the terms mentioned here:



Hard Hand: two initial cards that do not include an Ace.
Soft Hand: two initial cards that one of them is an Ace
Stand: when a player does not want more cards after the two initial cards.
Hit: when a player calls for an additional card to be dealt
Double: when a player doubles his initial bet after the initial deal, but it requires him to hit only one card.
Split: when a player separates the initial two cards into two individual hands and plays them as 2 hands.
Finally, here is a basic blackjack strategy:



When your initial two card hand sums up to 8 or less: hit



When your hand sums up to 9 and the dealer hand value is between 3 and 6:



double if else: hit when your hand sums up to 10 and the dealer hand value is between 2 and 9: double; if else:



When your hand sums up to 11 and the dealer hand value is between 2 and 10: double; if else hit.



When your hand sums up to 13, 14, 15, or 16 and the dealer hand value is between 2 and 6: stand; if else hit.



When your hand sums up to 17: stand.



when your initial two card hand contains Ace 2 or Ace 3 and the dealer has either 5 or 6: double; if else: hit.



When your hand contains Ace 4 or Ace 5 and the dealer has 4, 5 or 6: double; if else: hit.



When your hand contains Ace 6 and the dealer has 3, 4, 5 or 6: double; if else: hit.



When your hand contains Ace 7 and the dealer has 2, 7 or 8: stand; if he has 3, 4, 5 or 6: double; if else: hit.



When your hand contains Ace 8 or Ace 9: stand



When your hand contains a pair of 2s or 3s and the dealer hand value is between 2 and 7: split; if else: hit



When your hand contains a pair of 4s and the dealer has either 4 or 5: split; if else: hit



When your hand contains a pair of 5s and the dealer hand value is between 2 and 9: double; if else: hit



When your hand contains a pair of 6s and the dealer hand value is between 2 and 6: split; if else: hit



When your hand contains a pair of 7s and the dealer hand value is between 2 and 7: split; if else: hit



When your hand contains a pair of 8s: split



When your hand contains a pair of 9s and the dealer hand value is between 2 and 7 and either 8 or 9: split; if else: stand



When your hand contains a pair of 10s: stand



When your hand contains a pair of 8s: splitcasino bonus usa

Thursday 27 January 2011

Good casino software makes all the difference between an OK casino and a great one. Of course there are other factors to take into account when choosing where to gamble online , such as customer service and speedy withdrawals, but at the very heart of the online casino is the software that powers it. It is essential that the software itself is reliable, fair and random.



There are several major suppliers of online gaming software, and a few lesser known ones. Some casinos run proprietary software, and if you choose a casino which runs its own software then you need to ensure it has been thoroughly tested for fairness and randomness. Luckily, very few casinos run rigged software, but if you stick to one of the casinos powered by the bigger providers, you can be assured you are being dealt a fair game.



Major Casino Software Providers



Microgaming
Microgaming Casinos were one of the first online casino software providers and also the first to introduce an online progressive slot - CashSplash way back in 1997. Microgaming now powers over 120 casinos and 40 poker rooms, and has been known for producing many big winners, including several millionaires. Some of their most popular games include King Cashalot, Mega Moolah and Major Millions. Microgaming software is technologically advanced, offering excellent graphics including the new cinematic reel spins on the Lord of the Rings Slot. The software also offers advanced auto play features, including perfect play strategy for video poker and table. Unfortunately, Microgaming no longer accepts players from the USA.



Playtech
Playtech are the largest publicly traded casino software company in the world, with a respected portfolio of clients , including some of the biggest names in online gaming. Offering single player and multiplayer games, the Playtech suite also includes several of live dealer games, via streaming video. Features include the ability to play several games at once, the dollar ball progressive side game and the huge progressive slot Gold Rally, the jackpot on which frequently reaches over $2 million. Playtech are mainly aimed at European players and the software is available in all the major European languages. Unfortunately, Playtech no longer accept players from the USA.



Real Time Gaming (RTG)
RTG introduced the very first random jackpot slot - Cleopatra’s Gold, and since then their Real Series slots have become some of the most exciting slots online. All feature random jackpots which can be triggered on any play, regardless of coins played or denomination. RTG also has an instant redeem bonus system, with coupon codes which can be redeemed instantly in the cashier. Real Time Gaming video poker is commonly acknowledged to be the very fastest online, with 18 types of poker and the chance to play up to 100 hands at a time. RTG casinos welcome players from the USA.



Rival Gaming
A relative newcomer, Rival Casinos have undergone massive expansion, largely due to their USA player friendly policy. Rival feature the unique I-slots series, which are interactive slot machines with various outcomes based on the choices you make. Like RTG, Rival also have an instant redeem bonus system accessed via the casino cashier. Many Rival Casinos have no deposit bonuses, giving you the opportunity to try the casino without risking you own cash. Rival Gaming welcomes players from the USA.



Your choice of casino may be limited by the jurisdiction in which you live. Since 2007, two of the big four casino software providers no longer accept players from the USA. Rival, RTG and Top Game still support American players, and offer a variety of US friendly deposit methods.casino bonus usa