2 CARDS

In online casino industry news this week, we see Foxwoods, a massive US casino brand, entering the online industry, obviously with hopes that the US Government will de-regulate sometime soon. They start off the proceedings by entering into a joint venture with Goodson Gaming who currently presents TV game shows. Currently these include Family Feud, global lotteries and Price is Right amongst others.

The new company formed will be called Velocity Gaming and they are to focus their efforts on regulated online gambling activities. The plan is to create an exciting and new customer experience using a proven business model. Goodson Gaming has developed and produced twenty six successful TV lottery programmes and has over 25 years in the turnkey lottery industry. Their aim is to generate product awareness as well as drive incremental game play. Jonathan Goodson is a leading television producer and Foxwoods is a commercial entity for tribal gaming properties in the USA. It is hoped that the combination of gaming expertise and proven success will help Velocity Gaming to be successfully launched.

In the meanwhile, on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, Dave the “Devilfish” Ulliot seems to be struggling with his online gambling offering. He currently produces an online bingo, casino and poker site, which appears to be in financial difficulty. We read this some weeks ago, but now it appears things have come to a head and Devilfish Gaming Plc has agreed to sell its online gambling business. Currently there is speculation that and unnamed third party has made an offer of approximately £330 000. An additional amount of £40 000 will be raised through the issue of new Ordinary Shares on the London AIM.

Dave the “Devilfish” Ulliot is a charismatic poker player who apparently knows how it feels to lose his shirt every now and then. There has been months of uncertainty surrounding the future of this company; they have been plagued by financial difficulties and regardless of the fact that the poker site has a strong brand name, they have been unable to perform in a saturated market which is driven by much stronger and more effective brands. Poker is actually being monopolized by the big brands such as Poker Stars and Full Tilt, and smaller operators such as Devilfish are lost in to a war of attrition.

The sale has not been completed as yet, and obviously the show isn’t over till the fat lady sings; or should we say, until due diligence takes place. The industry is not surprised by the sale of this online gambling property because as far back as September, shares were suspended pending clarification of the financial position of the company.

In the bigger scheme of things, in particular with regard to the online gambling industry, £330 000 is not a lot of money; particularly when you think about the turnover of big brand poker and gambling names which are in the $ billions annually.  It is a shame really, but Devilfish has also been unable to attain UK white-list status which means they have been unable to advertise the product to British players.

Playing poker, means making sure you are prepared to win, and this doesn’t necessarily mean willpower or the laws of attraction. While it is great to have your head in a good space, what playing winning poker really comes down to is playing the right hands. No matter how many affirmations you do, a K-8 hand is not going to turn into a K-K hand, and you are the one who has to decide to play or fold.

An all encompassing desire to win when you are on the sports field is a different matter to when you are seated at a poker table. The competition is different in a 100m track race; you know there is you, the track, your lane, your competitors, the starting pistol and the finish line.

In poker your play depends on the hand dealt and this offers far more variables. So, an all encompassing desire to win may make you play that K-8 hand, when you should actually fold. This is not considered to be a good starter hand – in fact, some experts consider it to be one of the worst; but there are a lot of bad starter hands in poker. Approximately 80% of the hands you are dealt are non-starters.

That’s right, unmitigated desire can lead you to making all the wrong poker playing decisions!

Knowledge is key; so it is brains before desire in any poker playing decisions made. In the heat of battle this may be difficult to overcome so the poker player needs to be prepared. What you think and how you think makes the difference between winning and losing.

If you are new to poker, you need to learn as much as you can about the game and learn a systemic approach to playing. You also need to have a systemic approach to learning and when you are preparing to win make sure you know the basics off pat. Improve your game and make sure you know the difference between right and wrong poker.

Read as many books on the subject as you can and play bearing any snippet of knowledge you pick up in mind. This also means learning new behavioral techniques which means getting new, good habits and getting rid of the old bad habits. A paradigm shift can be the key to unlocking many poker playing doors.

You have to be in control of your actions, the cards have no memory or mind and if you are getting cards that are not falling your way, it is unlikely that a change of deck will help. Cards don’t give your opponent a great hand and you a bad hand, and the dealer is also not responsible for this. You have to be responsible for yourself and your own actions. Personal responsibility is a big part of what goes on around a poker table.

Find a role model and emulate them. Walk the walk by finding a great player and wanting to be like them. Look at what they do, how they do it and why. They don’t play marginal hands in bad positions, you can be guaranteed of this.

If you are fond of gambling in a land based casino, in a palace or in a hotel and that you are accustomed with this environment, then there would be no problem if you make a step into the virtual world of casino : the game as land based casino offer is also available on the web. Since a few years, many users changed and adapted their habit with online casino. Effectively, the fact of playing in an online casino is a big advantage because the player has just to stay at home or at his office, or anywhere else on the road. He doesn’t spend energy which he can use at his convenience later. In addition, online casino offers various possibilities in award (money, prizes, jackpot…). This is why good online casino sites are always full day and night. More time to waste because once you enter, the delight of a boulevard filled with satisfaction is guaranteed: with each new registration, a unique welcome bonus where you can bluff the other posters is immediately offered.

The world of online casinos is difficult to discern. Each online Casino Bet has its own brand and its own software. From a casino to another, it is possible that we can be confused because all of them confirm that they are the best on the market. In fact, it is quite possible to know the good from the bad casino. A priori, all online casinos have a ranking. These rankings depend on some specific criteria. For starters, the classification of a casino stems from its offerings and services. But the more customers are satisfied with the casino, the more it is better. Among other things, the classification of a casino is also based on its method of deposit, the quality of its games, the software that powered the game and the country where it is located. Alternatively, you can recognize the ranking of the best casinos by visiting sites that reference the best casinos of the time. In a few clicks, you’ll have your answer.

Online casinos let you play casino games wherever you are, at any time you want. Just boot your PC and your internet connection and you can play. The games offered by these online casinos are far more numerous than those found in physical casinos. Gains are also more important in online casino in you choose the right one. Apart from that, even if you have any money, most online casinos allow you to enter their free environment, to ply in free mode, which will never be the case if you want to cross the threshold of the casinos in your city. With online casino, you also have the opportunity to learn the game without anyone knows it. Effectively, several online gambling sites offer a section dedicated to beginners where they can learn the rules of games for free. If you want to win in online casino, start by searching for the ideal casino.

A night club in Victoria called Dodge City invented a special way of getting local citizens together for an evening of fun. Locals socialize via poker. However, this particular poker club does not require money from the players to enter into the game – the only currency is tournament points. Only the final tournament played by the best ones is about winning real money. Because hard currency is not at stake during the majority of the games, the atmosphere is much more casual and relaxed and there is much more space for fun and conversation. The games take place every Sunday, Monday and Tuesday evening and each round is three-weekly.

A member of the Poker Hall of Fame and a holder of 11 WSOP bracelets Phil Hellmuth alias Hellmouth (alias given by journalists) is going to take part in the celebrity show Dancing with the Stars. He will take part in the 12th series of the show and judging by his latest Twitter feeds, he might make a funny sight on the dance floor. Phil Hellmuth is one of the most famous poker players, born in Madison. At the age of 24 he became the youngest player to ever win the main event of the World Series of Poker, keeping that title up until 2008 when he was overtaken by Peter Eastgate. He even runs his own brand of clothing called Poker Brat, which is also his nickname in the poker sphere he earned by his often inept conduct at the table.

A new attractive addition has been announced to the successful electronic Blackjack platform to be introduced in Las Vegas at the Global Gaming Expo held throughout a 3-day period from November 16 to 18. The wise app is called Lucky Ladies Bet and is already widely known as an element giving players yet another opportunity to place a bet and win. This bet concerns the first two cards dealt in the game of live blackjack and is won if these cards add up to 20. Depending on the combination making up the desired total, player’s winnings can be paid in a ratio anywhere between 4:1 and 1000:1. The app has been developed by Galaxy Gaming, one of the biggest distributors of casino table games.