Online Gambling

There is a $4000 Online Slots Tournament running now through the end of May 2013 at Miami Club Casino. Entries and rebuys are just $1 on their newest online slot machine, High Roller.

To play, sign up and register at Miami Club Casino. Then. from the lobby, go to Tournaments and click on the online slots tournament named Spring Round Cash 2.

As of right now, the top prize is $600, with the top 9 finishers winning real cash. A further 350 will win at least $10 in bonus cash.

Miami Club Casino is US-friendly and accepts real-money players from all US states.

Loco Panda has a promotion to suit everyone’s taste.

• Slots players will enjoy the extended play offered by the 400% PANDASLOTS promotion. Deposit between $21 and $1000, and play to your heart’s content on Bonus Bingo, European Slot Poker, Real Series Video Slots, Slots, Keno and Scratch cards. This promotion can be used only one, and carries a 30x playthrough.
• If you like playing the numbers, then you’re in luck! Loco Panda has special bonuses just for Keno and bingo games! Get a 250% match on deposits of $75 or more to play your favorite games – Bingo and Keno! Use bonus code: DISCOBALLS. This promotion can be used only once, and carries a 30x playthrough.
• Table players can use bonus code LOCOTABLES to get 150% up to $3000 on deposits between $21 and $2000 to play Blackjack, Perfect Pairs, Texas Holdem Bonus Poker, Multi Hand Video Poker and Video Poker.  This promotion can be used twice, and carries a 120x playthrough.
• For those of you who are looking for a place to be a high roller, Loco Panda is it. Use BIGPANDA and get an amazing 200% match bonus up to $2,000 on deposits of $500 to $1000 for all table games, including Blackjack and Video Poker. This promotion can be used only once and carries a 120x playthrough.

Loco Panda runs Realtime Gaming software, and accepts players from most countries, including the United States of America.

My pick:  Normandy Invasion.

Bovada Racebook is a great choice for betting on the Kentucky Derby this Saturday.

• Open a betting account and grab an instant 50% Free Bet Bonus to bet on Kentucky Derby props
• Get cash back on your Racebook wagers every week — not just for the Kentucky Derby —  just for playing with Bovada
• While you’re watching the Kentucky Derby, be among the first to race at Bovada’s new Virtual Racebook 3D and you could score up to $100 in bonus chips.

Major League Baseball spring training is underway in Florida and Arizona. All 30 teams have reported, and are preparing for the upcoming 162-game campaign that lasts from April through September. Last year’s MLB World Series Champions, the damned San Francisco Giants, and among the favorites to win the World Series in 2013.

My pick — like every year — is that my beloved Cincinnati Reds will go all the way.

Oddsmakers like Bovada, OddsMaker, and JustBet, are all over the board with their odds to win the 2013 MLB World Series and the pennants. For example, a $100 wager on the Cincinnati Reds to win the World Series pays twice as much at OddsMaker.com ($1500) than it does at JustBet.com ($750). This is a great example of why it pays to have more than one sportsbook account – so that you can shop lines.

So pick your team and make your bets for your Boys of Summer — whoever they may be.

  Bovada Sportsbook: 50% bonus on initial deposits between $20 and $500

  OddsMaker Sportsbook: 100% bonus on initial deposits between $20 and $1000

  JustBet Sportsbook: 30% bonus on initial deposits between $50 and $3000

One of the first things that video poker players learn is to pay attention to the pay table for the video poker game that they are playing. In the long run, the difference between a 9/6 and an 8/5 Jacks or Better machine is enormous.

(For the uninitiated, the “N/M” designation for a Jacks or Better machine refers to the payouts for a Full House and a Flush, respectively. The payouts for other winning hands are (usually) the same for all Jacks or Better machines, e.g. 1 for a high pair, 2 for two pair, 3 for a three of a kind, etc.)

Just like when playing video poker in a land-based casino, online video poker players should shop around and compare pay tables at various online casinos. This is a time-consuming process — I know because I have done it for three popular video poker games: Jacks or Better (JoB), Deuces Wild (DW) and Double Double Bonus (DDB).

What makes the comparison even more difficult is that not all online casino operators that run on the same platform (e.g. Real Time Gaming, Rival, BetOnSoft, etc.) have the same paytables, as operators are typically allowed to use whatever paytables they wish. So, you can’t look at just one online casino on each platform — you have to hunt for the best online casino on each platform.

Here is the expected return percentages for three popular video pokers, single handed, assuming optimal play and maximum coins in. For each variety of video poker, a green cell indicates the highest available return, yellow indicates a reasonable return, and red indicates a poor return.

Online Casino	JoB	DW	DDB
Treasure Mile	99.54	99.42	98.98
Slots Plus	99.54	98.91	98.98
Bovada	99.54	98.91	98.98
3Dice	99.54	98.91	97.87
Americas Cardroom	99.54	96.77	95.71
Dendera	99.54	98.91	N/A
Buzzluck	99.54	98.91	N/A
SuperBet Palace	99.54	96.77	N/A
Tropical Cash – Players Edge	96.15	98.01	N/A
OddsMaker	94.38	95.13	N/A

It looks like the top three are pretty close, with Treasure Mile holding a slight edge over Slots Plus and Bovada. But look what happens when you compare the same games in their multi-hand varieties.

Online Casino	JoB	DW	DDB
Treasure Mile	99.54	99.42	98.98
Slots Plus	97.30	98.91	98.98
Bovada	97.30	98.91	98.98
3Dice	99.54	98.91	97.87
Americas Cardroom	99.54	96.77	95.71
Dendera	99.54	98.91	N/A
Buzzluck	97.30	98.91	N/A
SuperBet Palace	99.54	96.77	N/A
Tropical Cash – Players Edge	96.15	98.01	N/A
OddsMaker	94.38	95.13	N/A

Treasure Mile offers the same return on its multi-hand video pokers as it does on its single hand video pokers, giving it the clear edge over Slots Plus and Bovada.

Beyond paytables, other factors may be important to consider, depending on your preferences and style of play.

• Keyboard shortcuts: Only Treasure Mile offers complete keyboard shortcuts (1-5 to toggle cards, spacebar to deal).
• Winning hands on the deal: All sites except for Treasure Mile indicate that you have been dealt a winning hand using either sound, by lighting up the appropriate row in the paytable on the screen or both. (Treasure Mile – if you are reading this — you really should make an improvement here.)
• Auto-hold winning hands on the deal: It’s curious to me that none of the top three sites in the table above offer this feature, while all of the bottom seven sites offer this feature.
• Denominations: For single-handed video poker, Treasure Mile has limits from a penny to $5; for Slots Plus and Bovada, the limits are a nickle to $5. All sites on the list have lower limits for multi-hand video poker, typically from 0.01 to 1.00.

Overall, Treasure Mile is the best choice for online video poker.

A note for beginners: You might want to look at 3Dice; their game selection is lacking, but their odds are top of the line on Jacks or Better, which is what you should play when just starting out. What 3Dice has that you might like is auto-selection of winning hands after the deal AND very good suggestions for which cards to hold after the deal if you are not dealt a winner. Their auto-suggestion engine does a good job in matching optimal strategy: for example, it offers to hold 4-straights and 4-flushes over low pairs, and only the lowest two high cards when dealt more than two unsuited high cards.

Check out this lowered online poker rake schedule for Limit Hold’em, 7 Stud, and Omaha tables at US-friendly Americas Cardroom.

Signup today at Americas Cardroom!

Here’s a list of the 5 newest online slot machines being offered at BetOnSoft online casinos. (Links go to a full review of the slot machine.)

• Arcadia:i3D - combines the nostalgia of popular 80′s game arcades with the very best features of modern web-based character games
• Legends of Olympia - celebrates the birthplace of the Olympic Games
• Max Cash - a super-agent with deadly fighting skills, intelligence, cunning, and the latest technological gadgetry
• Perfect Date - contemporary and sophisticated, creates a sense of vivid passion and mystique that you’ll find instantly appealing
• Tails of New York - features a cast of irresistibly mischievous furry friends

Play for practice or for real money, these online slots are sure to have you playing for hours over the upcoming holiday season.

BE CAREFUL when selecting a BetOnSoft online casino — of the more than a dozen online casinos that run on BetOnSoft, over half of them are blacklisted at The Online Casino Gambling Directory because they are all operated by the shady Grand Prive Group.

Here are my top 5 recommended BetOnSoft online casinos:

Recommended Sites: The recommended sites for Arcadia:i3D are listed below.

Mandarin Palace  $25 FREE + 100% bonus on initial deposits between $20 and $200! Mandarin Palace Casino is the preferred destination for players who enjoy their gaming experience with a hint of the exotic, a touch of oriental opulence, legendary eastern hospitality and charm where you are welcomed with wide open smiles and explosive casino action. Languages:    Currencies:

Treasure Mile  $15 FREE + 100% bonus on initial deposits between $20 and $500! Treasure Mile Casino combines the magic and glamour of a hot Las Vegas night out with all the exciting, fun, rewards and benefits expected of a truly world class online casino. Giving you the latest (and totally unique) games and exceptional odds, phenomenal Progressive Jackpots, tailor made features and constant gaming innovations. Languages:    Currencies:

Grand Eagle  100% bonus on initial deposits between $20 and $250! With brand new cutting edge games, massive winnings and supreme customer satisfaction, Grand Eagle Casino offers you a truly dynamic and magnificent online casino experience. Languages:    Currencies:

WizBet  100% bonus on initial deposits between $20 and $500! WizBet Casino has impeccable credentials. WizBet Casino forms part of an experienced and established group that is trusted and respected by its players and its partners. Licensed in Curacao in the Netherlands Antilles, WizBet Casino constantly strives to improve and enhance your online gaming experience and bring you the latest and best games, exciting promotions, unequalled security and the most fun you can have anywhere! Languages:    Currencies:

Lucky Creek  100% bonus on initial deposits between $20 and $200! Howdy and welcome to Lucky Creek Casino! Out here in the West we got gold nuggets the size of men’s fists, outlaws that stop at nothing to get what they want and fearless cowboys to stop them! It’s just like our featured game, Fistful of Dollars! Languages:    Currencies:

In case you didn’t get the email from Full Tilt Poker, they’re back online and dealing poker games. But they are offering only free money online poker for players in the United States “…until such time as there is regulation and licensing permitting this”.

When will that be? Not before 2014 in my opinion. (I also predict that it will happen at the state, not the federal, level; and that once it starts, it’ll be an avalanche with 80% of all states offering real-money online poker within a year.)

Of course, there are still several places that deal online poker games for real money to U.S. players: Bovada Poker, Americas Cardroom, and OddsMaker.com Poker come to mind.

Nothing was mentioned in the email from Full Tilt Poker regarding reclaiming any money that was in your account when the site went kaput over a year ago. But I recently read an article in which the U.S. government put out a RFP, looking for an agency to handle the disbursement of funds to U.S. online poker players.

If you were recently shut out of your online poker room on the Cake Network, here are the top 4 online poker sites that accept US-based real-money players.

  Bovada Poker
110% bonus on initial deposits between $20 and $1000!
No-download version available!
Play online poker at Bovada.lv. Play online poker games for free or download our free poker software and get to the real game. We offer the very best in poker games including Texas Hold’em, Omaha, 7 Card Stud, and more. 

  Americas Cardroom
100% bonus on initial deposits between $50 and $1000!
And we think America deserves the freedom to fund their online Poker account with ease. That’s why we’ve made playing for real money incredibly easy at Americas Cardroom. Start by downloading our free online Poker software

  OddsMaker.com Poker
100% bonus on initial deposits between $20 and $1000!
Our online poker card games test your mettle and challenge your preconceived notions of playing caliber. As a leading source of poker tournaments and rooms, Odds Maker has countless return customers

  iHoldem Poker
150% bonus on initial deposits between $25 and $500!
Bonus Code: PLAY150. At iHoldem, we are as passionate about Texas Hold’em as you are. Whatever your stakes, you will find live poker room action on iHoldem Poker’s Texas Hold’em tables 24/7. 

Betting through an online sportsbook is a great way to add to the enjoyment of watching a match on television or in person. Savvy gamblers have multiple online sportsbook accounts to:

• shop for the best lines — getting an extra 5-10% can make a big difference in your bankroll over the course of a year
• find a large variety of prop bets — proposition bets come in all flavors, and different online sportsbook will tend to offer different types of proposition bets
• negotiate a better deposit bonus — when calling to make a deposit, mention that you have other online sportsbook accounts where you are considering making this deposit
• find arbitrage opportunities – rarely, you can make a wager on both sides of a particular bet (one wager each at different online sportbooks) and ensure that you have small win

I’ve been betting at online sportsbooks for over 5 years, and have had my share of hassles with deposits, withdrawing, and poor customer service. Thankfully, those hassles are behind me, as I have been betting at these great online sportsbook for the past several years:

• Bovada: 50% bonus on initial deposits between $20 and $500
• Intertops: 25% bonus on initial deposits between $25 and $400
• Oddsmaker: 100% bonus on initial deposits between $20 and $1000

All three of these online sportsbooks accept players from the United States, as well as from most other parts of the world.

Here is the complete list of online sportsbooks in the The Online Casino Gambling Directory so you can do your own research if you’d like. But take it from me, you won’t do any better than these three online sportsbooks.