There are many different kinds of poker games out there, and the number of online poker rooms is in the hundreds. These rooms allow you to play the most popular types of poker, like Texas Hold ‘Em, Omaha Hi/Lo and 5- and 7-Card Stud poker games. Within each of these poker types, you can also choose to play in a room that has a fixed limit, or one that is no limit. The latter of the two options may seem like the more popular and exciting option, but it can also be considered the more expensive one. People that have a strict budget for playing poker online are strongly encouraged to play in the fixed limit rooms. This way your poker stacks will last longer when you lose out even when you have a strong hand.
Best Online Poker Rooms
There are many poker rooms that players can enjoy online, offering players more than one type of game. Some of the most popular poker games include: Texas Hold ‘Em Poker, Omaha Hi-Lo, Caribbean Stud Poker, 7 Card Stud Poker, Stud 8 Poker and Omaha 8 or Better.
As a result of our commitment to provide poker players with everything that they need in their online gambling journey, we created a list that contains the best online Poker rooms available in the USA. The list provides such data as the name of the casino, the welcome bonus, the payout rate and the rating. In the last column, players will find a review.
The review will give players a deeper look into the poker room, its features and what it can offer. It discusses all of the aspects of the poker room so players can create a more detailed picture of the poker room before making a decision. These reviews are written by professional and experienced players who have many years of experience in the online gambling and online poker industry.
Casino’s Reviewed
OnlineCasinoBluebook aims to help online players make the best of their online gambling experience and the online casino that they choose to play at is one of the most important aspects that makes that experience a good one. This is why our website provides online gamblers with a list of top online casinos that were tested and examined personally by professional online gamblers. Not only that, as our casino review website also provides our readers with reviews that discuss all of the aspects of the listed online casinos.
These aspects, which are reviewed, include the bonuses and promotions that players can claim, including welcome bonuses and all regular promotions. They also include the quality of the software, the ease of use of the casino’s interface and the variety of the games it offers.
Last but not least, our casino reviews discuss the security and the safety of the casinos. This is essential because for a player to enjoy an online gambling experience, they will have to provide their casino of choice with personal information to register an account as well as banking information, such as credit card numbers in order to manage withdrawals and make deposits. This is why we make certain that we only list online casinos that have the best security and top rated internet encryption.
Blackjack Game Rules
The rules of blackjack depend on the rules of each version. This is why players are advised to check the rules of the blackjack version they are playing before engaging into the game. Although there are general rules such as 21, busting, the dealing procedure and the card value, there are other rules that differ.
Card Values:
The card values are equal the face value of each card while Jacks, Queen and Kings have a ten value and Aces have two values. They can be counted as 11 or 1, depending on the blackjack hand. If it forms a total while being counted as 11, it is called soft and if it creates a total while being counted as 1, it is called hard. For example, a hand that consists of an Ace and a five is a soft sixteen and a hard six.
Splitting Rules:
Splitting is allowed in every blackjack game but some games will not allow splitting Aces and some games will only allow players to split 1 time. Players who split aces will only be allowed to hit once and get one more card. Players can split unlike ten-value cards depending on the rules of each game, some allow it and some require players to get identical ten value cards so they can split. Splitting means that players will place a new wager on the new hand, this wager is equal to the original wager that players placed on the Blackjack hand. So with four hands players will quadruple their original wager.
Double Down Rules:
Players will be permitted to double down after they get their first two cards. Some games would enable players to double down at any value and others would only allow them to double down if they get a hand total that is equal 9, 10 or 11. Players will only be able to get one more card after they double, they will have to get that card, and it is not optional.
Surrender Rules:
Some games will give players the chance to surrender their blackjack hand; it is the equivalent of folding in poker. Players can make that decision after they get dealt the initial two cards. If they surrender, they will forfeit the hand and they will lose half of their bet. Sometimes it is better to lose half than to lose the entire bet.
Insurance Rules:
Insurance is a side bet that players can place if the dealer’s card that is facing up is an Ace or a ten-value card. Players will win that bet if the hand has a blackjack. The dealer will peak and see his card once players place that wager and pay it out if it is a blackjack.If players do not place insurance and the dealer gets a blackjack, all the wagers, except insurance will be losing ones. If the player has a blackjack as well, it is considered a push. Some games will give players their bets back and some versions consider a push to be in the favor of the house.
Blackjack Game Tutorial
Blackjack is a card game, one of the most popular and one of the most commonly played games in casinos, whether online or land based. The game is sometimes referred to as 21, which is related to the purpose of the game, as players will try to get a hand total that is equal 21. The game is not a competitive game between players as this game is only between players and the dealer at the blackjack table. So when it comes to it and the showdown occurs, players will not compare their blackjack hands together but each player will compare his hand to the hand of the dealer.There are many versions of the game but they all have the same concept and target, which is reaching a hand total of twenty-one. The game begins with each player being dealt 2 cards. Players will then go through a series of decisions that depend on the hand total and the cards forming the hand. These decisions include “Hitting”, “Standing”, “Splitting” and “Doubling Down”.
When players get an ace and a jack or any other ten-value card, they will instantly win and it is called blackjack. For a blackjack, players will be rewarded more than the usual winning hand (usually 3 to 2) while normal winning hands would pay even money (one to one). There is also a selection of side bets that players can place, depending on the blackjack version. The common side bet in most blackjack games is Insurance bet.clik
Spectrum Gaming Group identifies top 21 casino industry trends for 2014
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J.Spectrum Gaming Group, an independent research and professional services firm serving public- and private-sector clients worldwide, has listed the 21 most important trends that the global casino industry needs to monitor in 2014.
For the tenth year, Spectrum has compiled this list that addresses ongoing changes in all aspects of the gaming industry to determine the most significant trends. New Jersey-based Spectrum, together with its sister companies, Spectrum OSO Asia, based in Bangkok, and Spectrum Gaming Capital, based in New York City, tracks these and other trends on a regular basis.
1. Asia: As legislation to authorize integrated resorts in Japan moves forward, major global operators will arm themselves for this major opportunity. This will also prompt possible countermeasures elsewhere in Asia, with the potential for a further domino effect.
2. Asia: Macau is expected to surpass US$40 billion in gross gaming revenue in 2014. There has been no sign of slowdown in revenue growth despite the slowdown in the Chinese economy. VIP play continues to be strong while the premium mass market is expanding quickly. Several operators have proceeded with new developments in Cotai that should open between 2016 and 2018.
3. Asia: Several jurisdictions are exploring liberalizing or expanding their gaming industries. Among them are the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Vietnam and Cambodia.
4. Asia: The potential of the Primorye Gaming Zone in Russia, near the eastern port of Vladivostok, comes into focus as development is well underway in its goal of becoming a prominent Asian gaming center.
5. Consolidation: European online gaming operators and suppliers will seek mergers or acquisitions with US-based suppliers or properties to gain a foothold in the United States and increase the likelihood of licensure in the United States.
6. Consolidation: Small gaming companies, especially those restructured in the recent financial collapse, will pursue mergers with other small gaming companies to achieve greater geographic diversification, better capital access, and liquidity for its shareholders.
7. Europe: More efforts will be underway to authorize integrated destination resorts. Even though the proposed EuroVegas project has been canceled, other efforts will move forward, with Cyprus being a likely opportunity.
8. Expansion: Florida will become an epicenter of the gambling-expansion debate, as racetrack operators, international destination resort operators, and Native American tribes make their arguments to a legislature that is unsure if the family-friendly tourist state needs more casinos.
9. Expansion: Legalization efforts will continue in longtime casino-reluctant states such as Kentucky, New Hampshire and Texas, as those states seek additional revenue streams while trying to stem the flight of gambling dollars across state lines.
10. Expansion: States that have achieved peak casino revenues will look to other forms of gaming in addition to i-gaming, such as retail slots, electronic lottery games, airport slots, and small games of chance.
11. Expansion: The tremendous expansion of gaming over the past decade has resulted in market saturation in many regions of the US. Casino operators will need to focus on organic growth instead of stealing share from neighboring states. As revenues in established jurisdictions stagnate, expect stronger advocacy for Internet gambling.
12. Finance: Following in the lead of Penn National, more companies will seek to split themselves into REITs and C-Corps as a way to enhance shareholder value.
13. Finance: Fear of saturation in the US will force tougher underwriting standards on loans for higher levered companies.
14. I-gaming: States will continue to adopt i-gaming, with more types of games to assure higher level of play and tax revenues. Small states will seek interstate compacts to provide liquidity for poker. States at the forefront of i-gaming may seek to become i-gaming hubs for national expansion. Expect interstate compacting to roll out much more quickly than it did in the lottery industry.
15. I-gaming: The veracity of geolocation software and the acceptance of i-gaming transactions by credit-card issuers will take center stage as gaming jurisdictions consider adding i-gaming to their gambling portfolios.
16. I-gaming: Social networking and electronic gaming will make further, behind-the-scenes steps toward a convergence that could, at some point, be the "next big thing" in gaming.
17. I-gaming: With i-gaming legalized in Nevada, Delaware and New Jersey, increasing attempts will be made for federal approval of Internet poker, while more states will examine the potential for new revenues from in-state i-gaming.
18. Law enforcement: States will continue to seek to eliminate, or perhaps regulate, Internet/sweepstakes cafes, recognizing them either as financially harmful or a revenue source.
19. Lotteries: As more US lotteries consider entering the online market, they will be adjusting their core business model from one that is primarily marketing-based to one that also issues licenses to suppliers.
20. Lotteries: More state lotteries will authorize online ticket sales, and those already selling tickets online will experiment with additional Internet products, perhaps even offering instant games online. In those states without land-based casinos, state lotteries can be expected to take the lead in efforts to legalize Internet gambling.
21. Tribal: As tribal and commercial operators further consider a move toward online, pressure will increase to reopen compacts to address online and other issues that were not contemplated when compacts were originally negotiated.