Online Casino Bonuses 101

Online Casino Bonuses 101
You've probably seen that most online casinos advertisements usually offer some sort of bonus or FREE money to get you to start playing there. Like most things in the world, nothing really comes free, so before you start claiming this free money and then getting upset that you've been scammed, I suggest you keep reading and see how this all works.
First of all, you may ask; why do online casinos even offer this "free" money?
It's part of their marketing and differentiation strategy. In a nutshell, online casinos are generally "skins" of a specific software provider, so actually behind the different owner, graphics, licensing etc under the bonnet there's not much difference between let's say all Playtech powered casinos, or all Microgaming powered ones.
So, if they are mostly the same below the hood, there needs to be some sort of difference which will convince you to play at "X" online casino and not "Y". Besides the graphics, licensing, support and reputation, another way to pitch to potential players is by giving them something, in this case, a bonus.
Having put that out of the way, the next question you might ask yourself is: OK, so Casino X is offering $5,000 free, maybe I'll sign up, take my $5,000, play them out and go on to Casino Y.
The answer here is pretty simple as well. In order to claim bonuses at at an online casino, you will usually need to make a deposit, unless it's specifically stated that you don't, but we'll get to that later.
Before we sink into the beef of the different types of bonuses offered at online casinos, here are a few extra terms and points you should be aware of, so you can clarify them with a support representative before claiming a bonus, just so you know where you stand and what you're claiming.
1. Wagering requirements: Most bonuses have wagering or playthrough requirements, meaning that you need to play a certain amount before you can withdraw winning from your account. On average wagering requirements are usually between 15 to 40 times, however pay attention to what you are required to wager. In some cases it will be just the bonus times X and in others you will need to wager the bonus + your deposit amount X times. The latter by the way is more common.
Another tidbit you should pay attention to with regards to wagering requirements is, that at most online casinos, if you request a withdrawal before you have completed the wagering requirements, all your winnings to date will be void. Not really fair, but this is reality.
2. Games played: Make sure you read the T&Cs in this case. Because slots games are generally the most profitable games for online casinos, many bonuses tend to be valid only for slots games. Usually scratch cards and keno will comply with this rule.
In other cases, you will be allowed to play your bonus on all games; however not all games will count 100% towards the playthrough requirements. For example play on slots will count 100% but roulette will only count 30%, meaning that you will actually need to wager over three times more in order to clear the wagering requirements and withdraw your winnings.
3. Minimum deposit requirement: In most cases, in order to claim a bonus you will be required to make a minimum deposit, which again can vary. It's generally a small amount which you will probably deposit anyway. It's usually not over $50.
Now that we're all on the same page and speaking the same language, it's time we went through the main types of bonuses available at most online casinos.
1. A Match bonus is the most common type of bonus. For every $ you deposit, you will be credited X% of what you deposited by the casino. So, if, for example, casino Z is offering a 100% match bonus, deposit $100 and the casino will give you an extra $100 in bonus money. This means that actually start playing at the casino with $200. Match bonuses are almost always limited to a certain maximum bonus amount you can claim. A match bonus can be a standalone bonus as part of a promotion (more common at US friendly online casinos) and/or as part of the welcome bonus
2. A welcome bonus is generally offered by most, if not all, online casinos to new players who sign up and make their first deposit at the casino. The welcome bonus is the sum of all the possible match bonuses you can accumulate as a new player at the casino over a specific period of time, or within your first X deposits, or a mix of the two; so if a casino advertises a $3000 welcome bonus, it's actually the maximum you can get with the 1st deposit bonus, second deposit bonus, monthly bonus etc, where if you deposit the maximum amount of each match bonus, you can reach the advertised welcome bonus. If you deposit less than needed for the maximum bonus in each stage, you won't reach the amount advertised in the welcome bonus. So, in fact, the welcome bonus advertised is the MAXIMIUM amount you can claim in bonus money during your first period of playing at the casino.
3. A No deposit bonus is pretty self-explanatory. It's a bonus you receive from an online casino which will enable you to play real money games without having to make a deposit. This is a great tool for online casinos to acquire new players as it lets them try out the casino without having to make a deposit. In some countries it helps solve the "trust" issue casino players have with online casinos. Many players who feel comfortable depositing and playing at one online casino will be wary when trying out another one they've never played at. Other players don't want to make a deposit without trying out the software and games so a no deposit bonus can definitely help here. Some online casinos give no deposit bonuses as part of their standard offering and others steer well away from such bonuses as they claim that they tend to attract the wrong type of players, i.e. players who have no intention of playing for real money in the first place and that it just puts a strain on the support team with no actual outcome. I think that the truth is probably somewhere in the middle and that people claim no deposit bonuses for different reasons.
No deposit bonuses are generally for a pretty small amount, usually $10-$15 and they are either offered to potential clients directly by the casino or by websites affiliated with them. No deposit bonuses also have wagering requirements you need to complete before you are able to withdraw your winnings if you've been lucky.
4. Sticky/Play only bonuses are bonuses which you cannot withdraw from your account. If you get lucky and win and request a withdrawal, the bonus amount you received will be deducted off your winnings. Let's say you claimed a $50 sticky bonus and got lucky bringing your account balance to $500. Now you would like to withdraw your winnings and go celebrate with friends. The online casino will only allow you to withdraw $550 from your players account and $50, which is the sticky bonus amount, will be void. Play only bonuses are usually larger than match bonuses and the wagering requirements lower.
5. Payment method bonus: This is something that was initially common at Playtech powered casinos and has spread to many others as well over the years. Besides depositing at an online casino with your credit or debit card, there are many electronic options most of which offer instant fund transfers without the associated hassle and high fees. Many of these alternative payment methods, as they are widely called, offer their services to people without a credit check and you can transfer money from your bank account discreetly. Some are even pre-paid cards you can buy at a kiosk. Just for using these alternative payment methods you can receive an extra 10-15% bonus on every deposit you make in addition to any other bonus you claim. Be sure to check the cashier section before you sign up to an online casino you've never played at as this can definitely be to your advantage.
6. Most online casinos have a Loyalty/VIP Club scheme where you can redeem bonuses in return for points you accumulated while playing. The more you play, the more points you earn and the better the point-bonus conversion rate becomes.
It is always important to check the specific T&Cs at the online casino you're playing or plan to play at because often you will not be allowed to withdraw the bonus amount or the bonus amount can be docked off your winnings.
OK, so I'm pretty sure you're now thinking how to take advantage of all this good, so here's the flip side of the card. Online casinos are extremely sensitive to bonus abuse, also known as bonus whoring, by players. Just like you can get expelled from a land based casino for counting cards for example, you can also get your players account locked at an online casino at the first suspicion they have of bonus abuse. You need to remember that at the end of the day gambling is entertainment and is supposed to be fun and exciting. It's not a day job and you can't really earn money at the casino. Bonuses add to the fun and excitements and at the end of the day, are only a marketing tool. Claim them, have fun with them, increase your excitement but don't expect log out richer.

Turbo Sit and Go Strategy

Turbo Sit and Go Strategy

One of the most important thing that you need to think about when playing a turbo Sit and Go poker tournament may be the blind structure. Make sure that you just read all of the necessary information about the blind structure before the tournament starts. This with the hands that your opponents is certain to get will decide whether you win or lose. Everything apart from will probably be pure math.

Here we are going to present you some quick details of Turbo Sit and Go poker tournaments so that you will better know how these tournaments are now being played:

- The blinds coming from a Turbo SNG will move up a lot faster compared to what they would at the normal Sit and Go.

- This may be the reason why your stack will begin to become smaller in terms of the blinds you make payment for.

- Along with this, the Turbo Sit and Go poker tournaments will leave you with less room in making plays.

- And most of the decisions you'll have to take are going to be made during the flop and pre-flop periods.

The moment you will be playing a turbo SNG tournament, you will not have to take into account strategies that enquire creating a profile of the other players since the speed of such tournaments with the undeniable fact that the blinds should go up faster forces you to much less time for players as soon as the flop.

As a result of all this at the turbo Sit and Go tournament most with the pots no matter whether they are small or big will be played utilizing the tactic to push it or shove it. This means that the members will have to fold their cards or shove and call all in, determined by precisely what are their pocket cards.

At a standard single table on-line poker tournament the process is usually to go on and play a certain hand if you have 2 powerful cards. The situation is many different with a turbo SNG tournament, here the tactic that is used and it works would be to play a hand in case you have only only 1 premium card. No matter in case you have a small or big stack if you manage to obtain an ace or perhaps a king you need to do it.

At a Turbo SNG tournament you'll need to apply the strategies that you simply usually apply in a normal tournament when you have a short stack. This means that to be a prosperous Turbo Sit and Go player you will have to be informed about the short stack poker strategy.

Short Stack Poker Strategy

One from the main things you have to consider when applying the short stack poker strategy may be the starting hand selection. This means that you'll have to select to experience solely those hands that are going to assist you to hit the flop hard.

Here include the hands which are just perfect to experience using the short stack strategy:

- Big pocket pairs like: AA, KK, QQ, JJ and others

- And the high cards: AK, AQ, AJ, KQ, KJ and QJ.

And here are the hands that you should always avoid playing:

- The low suited cards

- The small pocket pairs (in case your stack is quite tiny you could try a desperate move and use a little pocket pair to learn)

- And the low connecting cards should also be avoided.

Freak Out With Roulette Online

Freak Out With Roulette Online
You had always been curious to know about roulette online, but every time you made a brave attempt to collect further information about this topic, you had always ended up with a situation where there wasn't much in your immediate recourse. It was not as if you had not tried it on previous occasions. You have called up some of your friends so that you can get their take on this. However, eventually you realized whatever they had told you were not of much use to you. That is the reason you were even doing a re-think whether you should be skipping the idea altogether.
Next time you feel the need to know more about play online roulette, you don't have to run pillar to post to accumulate information. You can just relax in sofa of your bedroom and yet succeed to collect necessary information. For this, you can take help of a newspaper. Normally people take newspaper to quench their thirst to keep themselves updated of latest happening taking place around them. After you have finished reading your favorite news items, make sure you have taken this more measure.
For instance, if your need is to know more about roulette online, try to focus to detect those adverts that normally appear in these newspapers. Generally, these adverts come in the adverts column of a newspaper. Therefore, when you give a closer look at these adverts, you will find certain crucial details like, say, telephone numbers. Therefore, be intelligent, smart of call these numbers, and derive whatever information you have wanted to know. The recipient of your call will definitely give answers to all your queries. After you have all the answers, making a final decision will become much easier for you.

Free Online Virtual Games

Free Online Virtual Games
Free online virtual games are a popular option for those looking to spend a few hours having fun on the internet, as well as those who want to practice their skills in terms of virtual casino and gambling tables. There are a number of casino services on the internet that will help you put your skills to the test with games such as virtual poker, roulette and much more.
The great thing about playing these types of simulations is that it can be just as fun as in a real casino - and you also get to practice your skills against other players from around the world. They give you a great chance to play the sorts of games you've never played before, or simply to improve your skills without risking any money at the outset. If you do decide to try this it is important to be aware that you need to be careful that you are only playing with virtual money!
You are not limited to virtual casino games either - there are literally thousands of different virtual games available to play online or download to your computer. You'll find it hard not to spend hours playing these fun games! You can get virtual car games, pet games, adventure games and even RPG games. To play you may be required to enter your name and email address.
Finding some free online virtual games is not difficult. Just do a quick internet search and you will find plenty of websites offering the free flash games. Many of these games are made by new game developers who are trying to improve their developing skills. Hence, they give the game away for free to see what people think of it. So what are you waiting for- try some free online virtual games today!

Advanced Betting Techniques in Texas Hold'em Poker - The Slow Play - Part 1 of 3

Winning poker comes down to being able to squeeze a profit out of marginal situations. The object is not to win every hand played, but to win every hand you play. The best way to do this is to out bet your opponents. Every bet made should have a purpose. Either it is made to induce a weaker hand to fold, or it is made to maximize the winnings on the hand.
Since there are many opportunities to outplay your opponents, you have to know which opponents you can outplay. It is difficult to finesse weak players. The slow play often backfires because one of the loose limpers will hit a hand. The bluff does not work, since these players call with any two cards. The following sections demonstrate many of the advanced aspects of the game and how best to play them.
The Art of the Slow-play
The slow-play is when you intentionally under-bet in order to disguise the strength of your hand and attempt to trap an opponent with a weaker hand. Unlike the bluff, the slow-play is effective against both strong and weak opponents. Bad opponents simply bet their hand, so if they have something or they are simply on a draw, they are going to pay you off.
You should not slow-play when there is a flush or straight draw on the board. You should only slow-play when your opponent has a poker hand that is not likely to improve enough to beat yours. Suppose the flop is AD-7H-KC and you hold 7D-7C, and you put your opponent on an Ace or King. It is usually more profitable to bet the hand aggressively on the turn. This way you can get at least one extra large bet by letting your opponent make the initial raise for you.
The flop is the primary round to use the slow-play. On subsequent betting rounds, your opponents give you action for one of two reasons. Either they improved their hand on the next street and their hand is now worth betting, or they think their mediocre hand is good because you did not show strength the previous round.
If you slow-play the turn, you are sacrificing an opportunity to make money on the turn. The only reason to slow-play here is if your read on your opponents is that they will fold with any bet you make. If this is the case, then it may be worth checking to see if you can get a bet from them on the river, since winning a pot with one round of betting in it is better than winning one with no money in the pot.
Some players want to slow-play a monster hand on the turn so they can make the big raise on the river. This is another example of trying to be too complex in betting. Because of their desire to raise on the river, they slow-play the turn and forgo an opportunity to make good money from several opponents. On the river, these plays usually end up isolating a single remaining opponent, who may or may not call a raise.
While another player is thinking of the big river raise, you should concentrate on building the pot at every opportunity when you have the premium hand. Do not attempt fancy slow-plays. They often cost you money from missed betting opportunities or from your opponent hitting a hand on the turn or river.
When Not to Slow-Play
If you should hit quads or a full house, do not over play the hand. If your opponents are playing out of position, they frequently do not bet the turn or river, instead they check or call. If you slow-play the turn, this type of opponent does not start throwing in raises and re-raises on the river. Therefore, just keep betting the turn, despite the improvement. They rarely put you on quads, so try to get some action on the turn. Do not stop playing your style of play and slow-play when you have a great hand. That becomes an easy tell to spot and makes your play predictable.
Remember that the act of betting does not automatically give your hand away. This is especially true if you have been constantly changing gears and mixing up your table image throughout the gaming session. Also, never overlook the fact that another player with an inferior hand may slow-play the flop with the intent to open up on the turn. Letting them do so allows you to hide the strength of your hand when they do raise or re-raise. As with the bluff, the slow play is not as useful in limit poker as it is in no-limit. With only a small bet, most players that are going to stay in the hand will do so for at least one additional bet.
Representing Your Hand
A strong bet can represent a strong hand. This is especially true when betting after the flop. If an Ace or King shows on the flop, you can represent an Ace or King in your hand by betting. Often, it is what you represent that is more important than what you actually have, especially if you have put your opponent on a medium or weak hand.

Poker Starting Hand Guides - How They Make You Predictable

Starting hand guides are a common feature in poker guide books, and they can be handy tools for beginners. These guides can help a new player in negating common and pricey misplays, and may even help the player to squeeze out a little bit of a yield yield in low limit poker. However, if you always stick to such a narrow hand and position range you are almost certain of losing money long-term in internet poker. Unfortunately, this isn't necessarily the best way to take home a substantial hourly rate, and in fact you may lose all of your first deposit waiting for the "textbook" opportunity.
This is most appropriate when playing no limit hold'em ring games. The problem with stringently using a opening hand guide is that you cannot evaluate particular conditions in a given hand before that hand actually occurs. So you won't find a hand like Six Two suited anywhere on any opening hand guide, but there may very well be situations where you need to play this hand in no limit poker online.
The primary problem following such a textbook approach, is that you become very easy to read, and other players will often put you on the correct hand. What happens when you are an effortless read? You start to lose lots of pots since you get pushed off hands, adversaries can more precisely gauge your pocket cards, positional tactics can be used against you, resulting in your high-quality hands will not getting paid off the way you need them to, in order to be a winning player.
To prevent that you have to increase and vary the range of hands you play preflop, and possibly your position play as well. For illustration, you could raise with a hand like Ten-Eight of hearts from early position now and again. Calling in late position with multiple limpers is also a great strategy to see more hands, as long as it's comparatively economical for you to see the flop. If you can control your entry costs for marginal hands and make positional plays against weak tight players you will have created a much tougher profile of yourself to play against
And therein you will set up for yourself the prospect to win the sporadic gigantic pot which might advance you to the big money, or create long-term positive EV for you in no limit poker tables. Just remember, when using a starting hand guide, you need to mix things up, otherwise you'll be an open book to a skilled opponent.

Winning Poker Hands - Experience and Practice Counts

Novices have a propensity of viewing every round of betting in isolation. The data and valuable information which one gains from betting rounds can really provide priceless insights into using the right strategy. Every poker player intends winning poker hands and makes sure to adopt the right strategies, place the right bets so that they emerge victorious. It is not very easy to get an accurate prediction when playing poker, but with practice and experience, you will surely be winning poker hands.
Poker has appealing and exciting terms when playing a combination of hands. Beginners may not be able to make sense of it, because the names itself will be quite confusing to them. Just to give an example an Aces Full Hand implies that the player has a full house comprising of three aces in combination with other pair of cards.
By comprehending how every individual player bets, one gets a deeper insight on the way the hand unfolds. If the player is moving his cards, we may not be able to exactly know the cards the player is holding. By concentrating on every move made by the opposite player, you will definitely get an idea of the cards and will be able to grasp more about the game and also how bets are placed at the table.
Positioning has an important role to play in winning poker hands. If the player plays good hands in early position, it is a signal that the player has definitely a strong hand. Hence, the opposite player needs to re-evaluate his or her strategy. One also needs to learn from every betting round. One needs to quickly take a mental note of what the opposite player is going to play depending upon their behaviour.
Keep making smart decisions and betting right. Mental updation of your analysis after every round will be of real help for making the right decisions at every possible stage of the game. The best way to arrive at the optimum strategy is to create a full narrative of every betting round.
The most frustrating thing of the game is finding out which hand is better than the other at the poker table. The Royal Flush is a five card sequence beginning from 10 going to the Ace. In straight flush, you have the sequence of any five cards of the same suit and are consecutive.
When it is a four of a kind situation, it implies four cards carrying the same index. A full house indicates three of the same kind with a pair. When there are five cards which are not in sequence but of the same suit, then it means a flush. If there are two or more players having a flush, then the player with the high card emerges the winner.