Blackjack, the classic game of ‘21′, is one of the hottest games in the casino and for hardcore pros it’s the number one game when it comes to bringing down the house. In fact, if you’ve seen the new movie, 21, you’ll know that a group of brain box students took millions from the casinos of Las Vegas using slick card counting systems!

However, unless you’re a serious skill gamer with the power to learn how to card count – can you get an edge against the online blackjack dealer?

The good news is yes - anyone can instantly start using blackjack strategy to become a smarter, more successful online blackjack gamer! However, you need to take some tricks from the pro’s and stop thinking the key to blackjack success is to simply build a hand with a value as close to 21 as possible.

Simply trying to beat the dealer without going bust gives the dealer an edge…..and that’s the one thing you don’t want. So – how do people hit regular wins in blackjack? The answer is by using the double-down bet to strike the dealer when the time is just right!

If you’re a blackjack novice, the double down rules is simple to learn instantly – the bet can be placed after the initial 2 card deal at the start of every blackjack round. You simply click to double down, receive one more card and stand against the dealer. The double-down increases your wager by 100% - instantly boosting you profit potential. Although your risk also doubles, using the bet at the right moment significantly turns the odds in your favour.

So, when exactly should you double down in blackjack? The answer is whenever your initial 2 card combination has a value or 10 or 11 and the casino’s is equal to 4, 5, or 6. The beauty of this simple blackjack strategy is that the house is required to hit and has a high probability of breaking while the stats favour you in hitting a 10 or a face card – which almost guarantees you success!

In addition, although you could still hit a low card such as a 3, the power remains with the player because the dealer still has a significant risk of breaking.

Many blackjack pros also advise gamers to double-down when you receive an ace and a numbered card and the house up card equals 3, 4, 5 or 6.

Naturally, because there are hot times to bet double, there are also risky times when you should definitely not try and take down the dealer! Fundamentally, don’t go for the double win if the dealer’s first card is a face value card or a 10 – the odds are with them to hit a 20 total and you face a high probability of a double loss. Just sit pretty and wait for the right time to boost your bank.

The blackjack double down strategy is probably the easiest and most effective basic system that you can use to try and boost your success when playing online blackjack. You can instantly test its power by playing free-play casino bonuses and seeing how much cash you can bank.

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Blackjack has a very basic aim – simply beat the dealer’s hand by forming a combo with a value as close to 21 as possible, without blowing your wager by busting (going over 21)!

The dealer fires out a hand of two cards, and you’re given the option of standing against the dealer, or hitting for another card. Once you stand, it’s you versus the dealer and the winner takes all. Naturally, a blackjack had of 21 (Ace and a 10 value card) makes you invincible, although the dealer can neutralise you hand by also hitting blackjack, voiding the bet!

With a number of cool side bets to boost your risk and rewards, blackjack becomes a volatile and exciting game. For example, you can double-up after a hot deal to draw one more card smash the dealer with venom and win twice as much cash (but you risk also doubles!). Similarly, pairs can be split to create two wagers that could become a double nightmare for the house. Savvy gamers can even place insurance bets to nullify the prospects of the dealer hitting blackjack (yep, you win when the dealer strikes it lucky!)

Because blackjack enables gamers to analyse the cards being drawn, it’s possible to get an edge over the house by knowing exactly when to deliver crushing bets.

The power of blackjack card counting has been the nemesis of casinos for decades, with gaming masters taking millions from the world’s most famous casino venues (leaving more than a few red faced casino bosses on their knees). The most infamous blackjack victory of recent times happened in none other than Las Vegas – where a team of student whiz kids shook the city to its roots by using goofy hand signals, covert card counting and awesome team work to fool the casinos, 100% legally! They took millions in a year and left Vegas the most hated gamers every to set foot in the Neon City.

However, the truth is that anyone can use the basics of card counting to know when they may have an edge over the house. There are countless free methods to use when playing online blackjack, scattered all over the web. In fact, casual counting can be used by anyone to review the cards being drawn and betting according to the patterns and cards that emerge. For example, if you really fancy your chances of a high value combo with one more card, double-up and go for broke.

Even if you simply want to relax in the refined 3D blackjack arenas and enjoy some chilled out fun, you can still
give some blackjack systems a go – who knows, you could develop the skill to create your own mini casino heist – Vegas style!

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For a company as permissive as Holland, with its liberal drug laws and acceptance of gay marriage, you wouldn’t think that gambling would be an issue.

However, it seems that, rather than taking a moral stand, it’s all about business. Holland Casino currently runs all online gambling in the country, and the government is keen to preserve its monopoly, by banning financial transactions from overseas casino providers.

This is however, contrary to EU law on free trade. The EU Commission has already issued warnings to other countries implementing similar practices, and since Holland is blatantly flouting European trade laws by excluding European competitors, they are likely to receive a strong reaction.

The Dutch Ministry of Justice claims that at least 30 foreign online casinos are targeting players from Holland. There are also plans to compile and distribute a gambling blacklist of online casinos from other countries in a quest to oust them from the market.

Holland Casino currently has around 400,000 players (around 2.5% of the population) and has recently increased its advertising budget in order to compete with overseas casinos.

Legal proceedings have already been instigated against Unibet, for targeting Dutch punters for its sports betting site. Holland Casino wants to impose a fine of 100,000 Euros per day, up to a possible 3 million Euros, but Unibet have appealed.

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Based on the true story of a group of MIT students who won millions by card-counting, 21 recounts how the college students, coached by their maths professor, perfected a scheme to beat the casinos.

The movie stars Kevin Spacey as the professor, Jim Sturgess as the lead and Lawrence Fishburne as casino security who starts to get suspicious.

The MIT students – all exceptional maths students - learned how to count cards in blackjack, before hitting the casinos at Atlantic City and Las Vegas. They punctuated their regular student lives with weekend trips to Vegas, becoming increasingly wild.

Both online and land-based casinos will be hoping that this new movie brings blackjack into the spotlight and encourages people to get playing. The thrill of watching someone win in a casino can only be matched by actually winning yourself.

There are many opportunities to play blackjack from the comfort of your home at online casinos. The addition of live dealer games, where players can interact with a live dealer, makes playing online feel almost like an authentic casino.

Card-counting is not illegal and can be practiced by anyone with a good memory and a sharp mathematical brain. There are plenty of get rich quick schemes around for gamblers, but this one is tried and tested and actually works - although only until the players are inevitably caught and asked to leave or banned.

This movie does have its dark side, where greed takes over from the thrill of winning, but what it does instill is the feeling of ‘if they can do it, I could do it’, that could just propel millions of players to take their chances at the blackjack tables.

21 is out in the UK on 11th April.

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Here is the lowdown on some new games you might want to try on your next visit to your favourite online casino.

Sic Bo is an ancient Chinese game, using three dice and a board consisting of numbers and domino-like tiles. Players bet on the combination that results from the roll of the dice.

The different bets you can make are:

Small – Pays even money when the sum of the three dice is between 4 and 10 (except three of a kind).

Big – Pays even money when the sum of the three dice is between 11 and 17(except three of a kind).

Three of a Kind – Pays 150-1 if your chosen number comes up on all three dice simultaneously. (Odds are 216-1.)
Two of a Kind – Pays 8-1 if your chosen number comes up on two of the three dice.

Any Three of a Kind – Pays 24-1 if any number (1-6) appears on all three dice simultaneously.
Sum bet – Pick a number from 4 – 17 as the sum of the three dice. Payout varies from 6-1 to 50-1.
Duo – Pays 5-1 if your two chosen numbers (eg. 1 and 2, or 5 and 6) come up on two of the three dice.

One of a Kind – Pick one number. If it appears on:
one dice - pays even
two dice - pays 2-1
three dice - pays 3-1

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Winning big at an online casino is not an urban myth – some lucky winners do actually win absurdly large jackpots playing online.

So which games are the most profitable and most likely to pay out big sums?

Poker is one game where good players can make a killing. Starting small, many players build up to big money tournaments with high stakes involved.

Some online poker rooms run tournaments with very high jackpots. For example, CD Poker (www.pokercd.biz) has a brand new $2 million tournament due to run in March. Although the direct buy-in is $1500, there are plenty of opportunities to enter for less. Qualifiers and satellites cost as little as $3 to enter, and winners get a seat in the main tournament. This is a great example of the possibility of winning a fortune without having to risk much.

Of course, you need a lot of practice to be a good poker player and take the big pots, but it’s not impossible and there is always a certain measure of luck involved. Many top players started out playing online. It’s worth taking a shot. And if you’re really good, you could even win a seat in an international poker tournament, to take your talents global.

There are other games at online casinos with equally big winning potential. Playing the slots online can be a lucrative pastime. Check out sites with progressive games. These are games, usually slots, where the jackpot gets higher every time someone plays and makes a bet. The rolling jackpot only stops when someone wins, and these are usually the highest paying games.

A few online casinos have their own slots games with astounding jackpots. 32 Vegas

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Land casinos are requesting longer and longer trading hours in a bid to compete with the online industry.

However, online casinos have a lot more to offer than just availability. The attraction of playing online will always trump real casino gambling for many players. It’s about the convenience of playing from home, the endless choice of games, the constant updates in technology and game ideas, the huge jackpots, and of course… the free bonuses.

Log on to www.joylandcasino.com and you’ll see one of the reasons for playing online – get £10 or $25 free before you’ve even started playing. Plus, the ever-increasing jackpot counter tells me that ‘Today’s Total’ is currently €3.9 million!

Like many online casinos, Joyland also offers players a match bonus, so when you deposit money into your player account, you receive a bonus, of up to 100%, enabling you to play a lot longer and have more chances at winning. You wouldn’t get that in a land-based gambling venue.

And in case you were thinking that playing at an online casino is a lonesome experience, let us introduce you to the chat feature. On any multiplayer game, you can open the chat and meet the other players, just like in a casino lounge. And even better, in the live games, available for roulette and blackjack, you play against a real live dealer who you can also engage in chat conversation.

Another advantage of playing online is the amazing assortment of games in an online casino. You can find traditional card and table games, plus all sorts of slots games, arcade games, video poker and progressive games, where the jackpot gets bigger and bigger on each play until someone wins. You can discover a whole new range of games that you would never find in a real casino. And the good news is that each game comes with a set of instructions to help you play.

Online casinos are a very good place to practise your technique, especially for skill games like poker. Online, the world is your oyster, and you can play against all levels and styles of player – this is great for your game, as you get to vary it up. Add in the option of play money while you learn the ropes, and you have the ingredients for an excellent learning environment needed to create a winner.

Online casinos beat their land-based counterparts hands down for comfort, choice and sheer fun.

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It’s been a rollercoaster ride for British gambling this year. First, Manchester was chosen as the location for the brand new Supercasino, a huge plan backed by Blair and intended to regenerate a rundown area of the city, bringing jobs, tourists and income to Britain’s third city. Manchester defeated Blackpool and London to win the Las Vegas style venue and anticipation was high in the city.

However, as soon as Gordon Brown replaced Blair in Downing Street, he put the supercasino plans on the backburner. Manchester was kept waiting with no official decision made. In January it was leaked that the government had scrapped the supercasino altogether. It seemed that Brown was firmly against gambling.

Until that is he approved the plan for sixteen new casinos across the country. Locations include Leeds, Wolverhampton, Dumfries, Milton Keynes, Southampton and Middlesborough. The new casinos will be up to 54000 square feet and may have up to 150 slot machines at each venue.

Bookmakers Ladbrokes had been in the running to operate the 16 casinos, but have since withdrawn their application. UK Rank group has also put in a bid and looks most likely to run the nationwide operation. Vegas operators Harrah’s and the Sands Corporation showed interest in the supercasino, but have backed out now the venues will be much smaller.

A Sands spokesman condemned the change of heart saying that the UK will be left with ‘lousy little casinos’ which instead of attracting international tourists, will only drain the local communities.

One politician dubbed Labour ‘the slot machine party’, in a lengthy criticism of their promotion of casino gambling.

Despite all this criticism, many Brits seem to be in favour and with pub poker taking off across the UK, gambling may be on the up. British casinos generally combine table and card games with entertainment, restaurants and bars to create a complete night out, not restricted to gambling – although the games are clearly the major source of income.

It remains to be seen whether Britain’s new abundance of casinos will transform gambling in the UK.

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The eCogra seal is well-known as a symbol of fair gaming awarded only to honest reliable operators.

In order to ensure that casinos maintain their standards, annual reviews are carried out to renew the seal.

During the review process, eCogra recently suspended its seal for six online casinos, run by Casino Action. This being only the second time in eCogra’s 6 year history that they have used this option, the news travelled fast round the online gambling community. eCogra did not immediately reveal the reason for the cancellation of the seal, leading to rumours of a serious breach by Casino Action.

Casino Action later released a statement claiming that their seal had not been renewed due to purely administrative issues that would be shortly resolved. They insist that their reputation has not been called into question. eCogra has not released any further information.

Whatever the outcome, the damage has already been done – online, as offline, mud sticks. However, memories are short and it is possible to bounce back from such a fall.

Online casino operator Jackpot Factory had its eCogra seal suspended in 2006 for unethical marketing practices. They made efforts to clean up their operation and won back the seal, and an award from Casinomeister for their improvement.

The online casino and gaming industry is highly competitive and any doubtful or suspicious sites quickly fail when consumers discover their shortcomings. There are enough choices online that a replacement can easily be found.

eCogra protects consumers and provides unbiased information on online casino sites. In a world of internet fraud and scams, when it’s hard to know who to trust online, it’s reassuring to know that someone is out there policing the virtual streets of the online gambling world, keeping our play and our money safe.

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She dithered and debated, finally calling over a security guard. They came up with a plan to get filmed by security cameras with the slot machine, in order to prove her winning jackpot. Only then would she agree to vacate the burning premises. She returned the following day and collected her winnings.

17 people were hurt in the fire which destroyed the top part of the casino. The fire was contained by firefighters, but the hotel and casino will remain closed for a while. The Monte Carlo casino, with 3000 rooms, was almost at full capacity with around 900 staff working.

This brings us to the question, just how far would you go to rescue your winnings? Would you risk your life for a few dollars? How far would you go for a life-changing amount of money?

Of course, gambling is all about taking risks. People love gambling exactly for the thrill of the risk, and the adrenalin that surges through their bodies as they wait to see whether they won a packet or lost it all.

For some gamblers, the thrill of the game is not exciting enough. These adrenalin junkies are the participants of Extreme Poker, a form of poker which tests players to the mental and physical extreme. Interpoker runs the Extreme Poker tournaments, which take poker to a new level of exhilaration – and some would say madness.

With tournaments set under water, on an Arctic shelf and on a cliff edge, this is as exciting as gambling gets. To win at extreme poker, players must have the ability to focus on the game and play their best under extreme conditions, without losing their cool. I wouldn’t be surprised if the next Extreme Poker tournament takes place in a burning building…

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