Roulette is a game of chance, not skill

The History of Roulette

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Top 10 Casino Games for 2018

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Roulette is a game of chance where players can bet on the outcome of a spinning wheel, which usually has either 38 or 37 numbers. The roulette ball is released and bounces around until it lands in one of the numbered slots on the wheel, and the number it lands on determines your fate.

There are several ways to play roulette online. You can choose to play with or without a casino’s house edge. Most online casinos offer this option as well as an auto-play feature for those who want to sit back and let the game run itself.

How to Play Roulette and Where You Can Find It for Free

Roulette is a casino game with an infinite number of spins.

Players bet on the outcome of the ball in the roulette wheel, or its position relative to numbers on the board or in relation to other numbers.

The game is played by placing bets with chips on various portions of the roulette table, which can correspond either to numbers, colors, or even whether the player is betting “even” or “odd”.

Roulette is a game played with a spinning wheel that has slots for placing bets. In this game, the players place their chips on the table as they choose one of the numbers or colors on the wheel. The croupier spins the wheel and then spins it again after all of the players have placed their bets.

In order to win, you have to bet on a number or color that is coming up in a random fashion under one of those two spins. You can also bet on a specific range of numbers or colors by putting your chips at the back edge of those numbers or colors. There is also an option called “outside bets” which are any other number outside of 0 and 00 that you can place your bet on.

The odds at winning roulette

How to Play Live Casino Blackjack

Blackjack is one of the easiest casino table games to grasp, but it can take you a little longer to master. With the aid of this comprehensive guide on how to play blackjack, we can equip you with the skillset and knowledge to have fun even when you are sat playing against a real dealer in the LiveRoulette live casino.

With over 20 live blackjack tables to choose from at LiveRoulette, there is always an opportunity to play a basic hand of blackjack or dabble with some of the side bet variants that can switch-up your gameplay. Before you get started, why not familiarise yourself with the basics of blackjack and get to grips with an optimal strategy to minimise the house edge.

The on-screen layout of a live blackjack table

From the moment you load up your live casino blackjack table, you will meet a friendly, professionally trained dealer to manage your game. You can see the seven-player seats around the table. Vacant seats will say ‘Sit Here’ and you only need to click to join the action.

The display of your account balance is in the bottom left corner of the screen and you can choose the size of your stake in the ‘Total Bet’ button next to it. Click the inner circle of your seat position once to bet one unit. You can also click on the side bet areas to place additional bets if you wish.

It’s possible to chat with the dealer and the other players at the table in real-time using the ‘Lobby’ button in the bottom right corner of the screen.

Card values in live blackjack

The values of cards in a game of blackjack are easy to follow. They correspond to their numerical value displayed on the card. Face cards (Jack, Queen and King) are worth ten, while an Ace can be worth either one or 11 and played however you see fit.

In-play actions available in live blackjack

Hit

By ‘hitting’, you’re requesting an additional card from the dealer to try and improve your hand(s). You can continue to hit cards until your hand value is 21 or greater.

Stand

You can choose to stand on your hand, which means that you are happy with the value of your cards and don’t require any more from the deck. You may choose to stand your hand to avoid exceeding 21 and going bust.

Split

When a dealer gives you two cards of equal value, you can split them. Splitting turns these cards into two separate hands, with the dealer giving you one additional card for each hand. You must pay to split. The additional bet must be equal to your starting stake.

Double Down

If you believe one additional card will improve your hand to defeat the dealer, you may choose to double down. You’ll only get one more card from the deck and you must double your starting stake.

Insurance

Whenever the dealer’s upcard is an Ace, the dealer will offer you an insurance side bet which can cover your losses if the dealer has a blackjack.

How many hands can you play in live blackjack?

You can play as many hands as you want at most live blackjack tables. Wherever there is a vacant seat at the table, you can normally use it to play multiple hands in different seats – providing you have the bankroll for it. Unlike other card games such as Texas Hold’em Poker, where it’s not possible to take up multiple seats at a table, you can do so in blackjack because you are not playing against the other players at the table, only the dealer’s hand.

What does bet behind mean?

At some live casino blackjack tables, you may have the option to ‘bet behind’ another active player at the table. This means that you will be betting on your chosen player’s hand to beat the dealer’s hand. Although you will have no say or control over how the hand turns out, you obviously have a choice as to which player you choose to bet behind.

Each active player at the table will have icons displayed next to their name, displaying how well they are playing. Those on a ‘hot’ or winning streak will usually have a gold medal or star next to their name.

How does the dealer play their hand?

You should now know how to play your blackjack hand at the tables, but do you know how the dealer plays their own hand? Put simply, if the dealer’s first two cards add up to 16 or less, they must hit and take an additional card. If their first two cards value is between 18 and 21, they must stand and take no further cards.

If the dealer has a ‘hard’ 17, they must stand. A hard 17 is a hand that does not contain an ace or has one or more aces with the value at one. If the dealer has a ‘soft’ 17, they must hit and take an additional card. A soft 17 is a hand that does contain an ace with the value being at 11.

The dealer’s hand automatically wins the round if your hand busts, or if the option is available to surrender your hand and half of your original stake. Their hand also wins if it is closer to 21 than yours. If you and the dealer have hands of the same value, then this is a ‘push’. In this event, you receive your original stake in full due to the tied game.

It’s worth noting that the dealer has very little say in how they play their hand. They must adhere to the house rules of standing on hard 17 and hitting on soft 17. Under no circumstances can they change tac and play their hand differently.

Available payouts at the blackjack tables

First and foremost, if you win a hand of live blackjack against the dealer’s hand, you will win a payout worth 1:1. If you bet €10, you’ll receive €10 in winnings, plus your €10 stake back.

It’s a little less straightforward for blackjacks. Some tables payout 6:5 for blackjack, while others will pay 3:2. For example, if you bet €10 and get a blackjack at a 6:5 blackjack table, you’ll receive €12 in winnings, plus your €10 stake back. If you bet €10 and get a blackjack at a 3:2 blackjack table, you’ll get €15 in winnings, plus your €10 stake back.

If you choose to take out the insurance bet, this pays out at 2:1 in the event the dealer lands a natural two-card blackjack.

Side bets in live blackjack

Although bet behind is also considered a side bet option, there are two primary side bets that you can place when sat at most of our live blackjack tables:

  • 21+3
    Let’s start with the 21+3 side bet. This one happens around the first two cards you receive, as well as the dealer’s visible ‘upcard’. If you can form a three-card poker hand using your first two cards and the dealer’s upcard (flush, straight, straight flush or three-of-a-kind) you will win a payout. The size of the payout depends on what kind of poker hand you can form. It typically ranges from 5:1 for a flush through to 100:1 for three-of-a-kind cards of the same suit.
     
  • Perfect Pairs
    Perfect Pairs is the second most popular side bet you’ll find at our live blackjack tables. This optional side bet requires you to find matching card values, card colours or, better still, two identical cards. You can win 5:1 for a Mixed Pair, such as a pair of eights of different suits. You can win 12:1 for a Coloured Pair, like a pair of sixes of the same colour i.e. diamonds or hearts. Finally, you can also bag 25:1 payouts for a Perfect Pair, which is two identical cards.

Understanding optimal strategy in live blackjack

The key to giving yourself the best chance of winning at the live casino blackjack tables is to adopt a smart strategy. A smart strategy is one that minimises the game’s house edge. With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the betting techniques you should employ as part of an optimal blackjack strategy:

  • Doubling down on 10 and 11
    Some casinos will only allow players to double down on hands when their initial two-card hand is worth 10 or 11. Doubling down on 10 or 11 is a powerful play, particularly if the dealer’s hand is lower. It may even be prudent to double down when your hand is worth nine and the dealer’s hand is of a lower value still.
     
  • Splitting Aces and 8s
    If you have a pair of aces in your hand, this is a hard or soft total of 12. This is rarely a good situation to be in. There’s a high probability of landing a face card or a ten with your next card and going bust. Splitting them gives you a chance to potentially land two blackjacks or two cards valued higher than 12.

    A pair of eights is a hard total of 16, which means there are plenty of cards in the deck that could bust your hand when you hit. Splitting your eights into two hands gives you a chance to land a ten on both hands to achieve 18, which is a respectable outcome in this scenario.
     

  • Avoid taking Insurance
    Whenever the dealer’s upcard is an ace, you will get the chance to buy ‘Insurance’. This requires you to pay half the size of your original stake as a side bet, which pays out 2:1 if the dealer has a blackjack, ensuring you break even for the hand. The dealer will not have a blackjack more than 50% of the time, so Insurance is a statistically bad play – unless you are certain their next card will be a ten.
     
  • Surrender 16 against a ten (if allowed)
    If early or late ‘Surrender’, the best time to use it is when you have a hand value of 16 against the dealer’s ten. There are plenty of cards in the deck that can bust your hand and a similar amount that can give the dealer’s hand an unassailable advantage. That’s why it makes more sense to cut your losses and surrender half your stake in this position.

Live blackjack variations

Not content with conventional live blackjack games? We’ve got you covered. At LiveRoulette, you can immerse yourself in three different blackjack variations. All of which offer exciting, fast-paced gameplay, available on all desktop and mobile devices.

Speed Blackjack

Are you short on time? If you don’t have a moment to waste, Speed Blackjack could be the ideal solution for you. Powered by LiveRoulette partner Evolution Gaming, Speed Blackjack accelerates the gameplay wherever possible. The first two cards play as normal, but the next step is completely different.

In Speed Blackjack, the quickest players to make their decision to stand, hit, split or double down will play first with the dealer. It reduces the waiting time for experienced players that know what they are doing, even if it does not provide a mathematical edge to your action.

Infinite Blackjack

If you are someone that can only devote time to playing live blackjack during ‘peak’ hours, the chances are that most live blackjack tables will be full of players when you log in. There’s no need to worry about not being able to play though, thanks to our Infinite Blackjack tables.

As the name suggests, these low bet limit tables cater to an unlimited number of players, with no need to wait for a seat to become available. That’s because all active players receive a ‘community’ two-card hand. Subsequently, each player can play the remainder of the hand however they wish. There are no less than four side bets to choose from too.

Blitz Blackjack

Blitz Blackjack, powered by LiveRoulette partner NetEnt, operates on the same principle as Infinite Blackjack. All players receive the same two cards on-screen from the dealer and are then given the option to hit, stand and split the two cards to make the remainder of the hand their own. Again, there is no limit on the number of players that can play at these tables, which is great for peak hour gaming.

Blackjack is not a complex or scary casino game. You can grasp it within minutes and start to enjoy yourself at the tables of our Canadian online casino!

18+ | Gambling can be addictive, please play responsibly |  Terms & Conditions apply

Live Roulette Glossary | LiveRoulette Blog

Contents

1. A Complete Roulette Glossary
2. Live Roulette FAQ

A Complete Roulette Glossary

American Roulette: A variant of roulette that features a double zero (00). The double zero sits next to the single zero on the betting board. This means there are 38 numbers in play and puts the house edge to 5.26%.

Backtrack: The outer section of the roulette wheel where the ball spins.

Biased Numbers: A section of numbers that is said to hit more frequently than is statistically likely. Biased numbers can be caused by an uneven or otherwise faulty wheel. Unless there is a software glitch, you’re unlikely to see biased numbers at an online roulette table.

Biased Wheel: An unevenly worn or faulty roulette wheel. In live roulette games, a biased wheel could cause certain numbers to hit more often than they otherwise would as it’s not spinning in an even, random manner.

Black Bet: An outside bet in live and online roulette. When you bet on black, you’ll win a 1:1 (even money) return on your money if any black number hits.

Bottom Track: The slanted inner rim of the roulette wheel that remains static during a spin. When the ball slows down, it slides from the backtrack and onto the bottom track before falling into a numbered pocket.

Carre: The French term for a corner bet.

Cheval: The French term for a split bet in land-based, online and live roulette.

Colonne: The French term for a column bet in roulette.

Column Bet: Like dozen bets, column bets allow you to cover 12 numbers with a single chip. There are three columns to choose from, and the payout on winning bets is 2:1.

Combination Bet: In general, a combination bet can be made with one or more chips and will cover two or more numbers. An example of a combination bet is a dozen, which covers 12 numbers in one section of the table.

Corner Bet: A single bet that covers four connected numbers. To make a corner bet, you must place a chip in the middle of a square of four numbers. This means you’re selecting all four numbers in the square. The payout for a corner bet in live or online roulette is 8:1.

Dealer: The person in control of a game, also called a croupier. When you play roulette, the dealer will be present and actively control the game. When you play roulette online, the game will be controlled by a random number generator (RNG).

Dozen Bet: A single bet that covers 12 numbers in one section of the table. Dozen bets are split into three sections: 1st (numbers 1-12), 2nd (numbers 13-24) and 3rd (numbers 25-36). Zero isn’t included in a dozen bet. If any number in your dozen hits, the payout is 2:1.

Double Zero: In American Roulette, double zero (00) is the additional number on the wheel.

En Plein: The French term for a straight-up bet in online and live roulette.

En Prison: A rule common in French Roulette, en prison literally means “in prison”. This rule applies to even money bets and allows you to either take back half your stake when zero hits or leave it “imprisoned” for the next spin. You’re choosing to either get a 50% rebate on a losing bet or keep your stake for the next bet.

European Roulette: The most common form of online and live roulette in the majority of casinos. This game is the older cousin of American Roulette. The main difference between the two variants is that European Roulette doesn’t feature the double zero. Because of this, it has one less number in play than its American counterpart. In total, there are 37 numbers in European Roulette, with a maximum payout of 35:1. The house edge is 2.70%.

Even Money: This term refers to a 1:1 payout. In other words, you win the same amount that you staked. For example, if you stake €1 and win, your total return will be your €1 stake back + €1 profit.

Five-Number Bet: This is a single bet that allows you to cover five specific numbers: 00, 0, 1, 2 and 3. If you win with this bet, your return will be 6:1.

High Bet: This is an outside bet in live and online roulette. When you bet on “high”, you’ll cover all numbers between 19-36. If you win, the return is 1:1 (even money).

House Edge: This term refers to the advantage the house (casino) has in any given situation. The house edge in roulette is created by a difference in the odds of any bet winning and the payout you receive. For example, the payout for a straight-up bet is 35:1. However, in European Roulette, there are 37 numbers on the table. This discrepancy (37:1 vs. 35:1) is where the casino gets its advantage. 

Inside Bet: Any bet made within the inner section of the table is known as an inside bet. Inside bets can be straight up or a combination of splits.

La Partage: When you play French roulette online or live, La Partage is a special rule that allows you to receive 50% of your stake back on even money bets. When it applies, if you make an even-money bet and the ball lands on zero, you’ll get half of your money back. This is similar to the En Prison. However, you don’t have the option to let your bet ride on the next spin with La Partage.

Line Bet: Also known as a six-line bet, this option allows you to cover six numbers (two rows of three) with a single wager. To make this bet, you split both rows with a single chip. The chip must be placed at the nearside end of the rows. The payout on this bet is 5:1. 

Marker: In live roulette, a marker, also called a ‘dolly’, is a small implement used to mark the winning number. When the round is over, the dealer will place a marker on the winning number and clear away all losing bets from the roulette table before paying out the winners.

Neighbours: In roulette, neighbours are numbers found next to/near each other on the wheel. These have relevance to certain types of bets, such as Orphelins.

Orphans: A type of bet that allows you to cover the numbers 6, 34 and 17 with a single wager.

Orphelins: A French term that refers to the process of betting on neighbours (numbers that sit near each other on the wheel). By betting on “neighbour” numbers (i.e. orphelins), it allows you to cover groups of numbers with fewer bets.

Outside Bets: Any bet outside of the inner table. Outside bets offer lower returns than inside bets. In roulette, the inner board is any betting option contained without the main, rectangular betting area. The inner board is where the individual numbers sit. 

Pockets: These are the slots where the ball lands on a roulette wheel.

Random Number Generator (RNG): When you play roulette online, the outcome is determined by a computer program known as an RNG. An RNG uses mathematics to generate random results. This allows online casinos to offer games that are as fair as their live counterparts.

Red Bet: An outside bet in live and online roulette. When you bet on red, you’ll win a 1:1 (even money) return on your money if any red number hits.

Sixainne: The French term for a line bet.

Split: A bet that covers two adjacent numbers. The bet is known as a split because you’re literally splitting the chip by placing it on the line between the two numbers. The payout for a winning split bet in roulette is 17:1.

Straight Up: A bet on a single number is known as straight up. The payout on winning straight up bets in roulette is 35:1.

Street: Similar to a line bet, a street bet allows you to cover three numbers in a row with a single bet. To make a street bet, you need to place a chip on the nearside end of a row. The payout for a winning street bet in roulette is 11:1.

Tiers Du Cylindre: Another neighbours bet in French Roulette, tiers du cylindre covers a third of the wheel. This bet requires you to cover 12 numbers with split bets. To make it, you split the following pairs: 5-8, 10-11, 13-16, 23-24, 27-30, and 33-36. The payout on this bet is 17:1, as any win will be a split bet.

Transversale: The French term for a street bet.

Trio Bet: Another term for a street bet in live and online roulette.

Voisins du Zero: A neighbours bet that’s popular in French Roulette. Voisins du zero translates as “neighbours of zero” and sees you cover the 17 numbers that flank zero on the wheel. You have to cover all 17 numbers with nine bets. You do that in the following way:

  • Two chips on the 0-2-3 trio
  • One chip on the 4-7 split
  • One chip on the 12-15 split
  • One chip on the 18-2 split
  • One chip on the 19-22 split
  • Two chips on the 25-26-28-29 corner
  • One chip on the 32-35 split

Zero: A number in the game of roulette. Zero is slightly different to other roulette numbers because it’s green. This means that it’s excluded from any outside bets. 

Roulette FAQ

How do live casino games work?

When you play live roulette or any other live casino game, you’re connected to a live game via a webcam. This allows you to see what’s going on at the table in real-time. In tandem with the live stream, RFID sensors on the table link to a computer program that allows you to place bets on the action via your desktop or mobile device.

What Are RFID Sensors?

These are small devices that record data in real-time. Each sensor records actions that take place on the table. These actions are then sent to a computer program so our system knows the result of each spin. This information is compared with the bets you made to determine whether you won the round or not.

Are Live Casino Games And Live Roulette Safe?

Yes. Live roulette and all live casino games are tightly controlled and regulated. In fact, every live roulette game you play online will be as fair as one in a brick-and-mortar casino. To ensure fairness and safety at all times, live roulette games have to be tested and monitored. These conditions form part of a company’s licensing duties. In other words, without proving a game is safe and fair, the company wouldn’t receive a gaming licence and, therefore, wouldn’t be able to offer products online.

Is There An RNG In Live Roulette Games?

No – with the only exception being Lightning Roulette. In this game, the location of the five numbers that are struck by lightning are controlled by a computer program called an RNG. This is very much similar to the process behind digital casino games such as online slots, blackjack and roulette, in the action is controlled by the game’s Random Number Generator. In this instance, the program does the job of a dealer and produces random results. In live roulette, however – bar Lightning Roulette, the dealer is solely responsible for controlling the wheel and, therefore, generating random results. 

How Can I See The Action?

All live roulette games online are broadcast to your screens via HD webcams. To ensure everyone has the best experience, you can adjust the quality of the stream to suit your connection. Additionally, many of the best live roulette games now feature multiple cameras so you can get different perspectives on the board and wheel.

What Types Of Live Roulette Are There?

As well as European, American and French roulette, live casino developers have created new variants in recent years. Games such as Lightning Roulette feature bonus options that allow you to potentially pick up enhanced payouts. As the popularity of live casino games grows, you’ll find more innovative offerings at LiveRoulette our Canadian online casino in the coming years.

To play live roulette and enjoy the action of a truly immersive online game experience, click the link below and join LiveRoulette today.

18+ | begambleaware.org | Gambling can be addictive, please play responsibly. Terms & Conditions apply.

Betsafe Expands to Kenya

With an established presence in more than 20 countries, Betsafe has finally made their sports betting experience available in Africa. The step was made through their Kenyan subsidiary; bet High Kenya LTD.

Betsafe has proven its dedication to football through its three-year-long sponsorship agreement with Kenya’s top-tier football clubs, Gor Mahia FC and AFC Leopards. This deal enabled them to touch base with Kenya’s most passionate football fans, to whom they will be able to provide their well-known range of betting experience. 

Alex Kobia, Acting Managing Director of BetHigh Ltd. puts emphasis on the fact that this launch is not only to provide the best possible sports betting experience, but to also serve as the industry standard for safe and responsible gaming.

Given that they are entering the market at such a crucial time for the Keynan Government and its new regulations for the industry, Betsafe is aware of the importance of safe betting. In light of the fresh efforts made with the help of the Betting Control and Licensing Board, Betsafe noted that they “will strictly adhere and fully support the Regulator in its objective of ensuring responsible gaming.”

A Unique Product Launch backed up by the two top-tier football clubs

Having that end goal in mind of providing the best service in the country, they have worked hard to tailor their product to the Kenyan market and their future users. Considering relatively low smartphone penetration in Kenya, most bettors still use basic phones, where SMS betting remains a popular and convenient way for placing bets. This is why Betsafe Kenya enables customers to place bets via SMS without the need for a gameID. The wager and stake can be set by simply texting #23333, and can be cancelled within a certain timeframe should the bettor change their mind. 

Fast payouts are a critical feature for both Betsafe and their customers, which is why they will do everything they can to ensure this is something that their customers can always count on.

Looking forward, in the span of a few months, they also aim to introduce and release several other new features, such as jackpots.  

In addition to providing Kenyans with the unique experience of online betting, the operator of Bet High Kenya Ltd. stated for CH that they plan to hire 150 employees during the upcoming 24-month period.

Alex Kobia’s final say on the launch was, “In essence, our ambition is to deliver a trustworthy product with safe and quick pay-outs, innovative betting services, passion, and commitment to Kenyan football, responsible gaming, and outstanding customer support.”

Online Slots Glossary For Beginners

If you’re new to online slots and you don’t know your wilds from your win multipliers and your scatters from your stacked symbols, take some to browse our A-Z slots glossary. This article lists all the common terms you’ll encounter the next time you play slots online.

Hopefully, you should have a better handle on how online slots work after reading this glossary. Our goal is to help you become the next slots slayer right here at LiveRoulette!

A

All Ways: Otherwise known as ‘win both ways’ these slots can have hundreds of available paylines  which can pay from left-to-right or right-to-left, maximising your winning potential.

Autoplay: If you want to play a multiple number of spins without having to press ‘Spin’ each time, set your gameplay to autoplay a pre-selected number of spins.

B

Bonus Games: Most online slots have at least one bonus game, which is often triggered by scatters or wild symbols. These bonus games can range from free spins rounds to bonus wheels and “pick-me” features.

Branded Slot: A branded slot is one that’s themed around a specific franchise, such as a Hollywood movie or hit television series, featuring exclusive visual and audio content.

C

Cascading Reels: Symbols involved in winning combinations are removed from the reels, leaving gaps to be replaced by new slot symbols that drop in from the top. This gives you a chance to win multiple combinations on a single spin.

Classic Slot: A ‘classic’ slot is one which nods to old-school fruit machines, featuring the classic fruity symbols, bells, lucky sevens and BARS, amongst others.

Cold Game: More common on casino floors than online slots, when a slot game is said to be ‘cold’ it means it does not pay out as frequently.

Coins: The funds you add to your chosen slot are displayed in a coin value, based on the minimum bet size per spin.

E

Expanding Wilds: An expanding wild is a special type of wild symbol (see ‘Wild’ for full description). Whenever the expanding wild feature is active, a wild symbol will expand to fill an entire reel to bring greater winning potential.

F

Fixed Jackpot: Online slots with a fixed jackpot have a fixed maximum prize, usually triggered by landing five of a specific symbol on a payline, or sometimes triggered at random.

Free Spins: It’s possible to unlock extra free spins by landing certain win combinations, such as three scatter symbols on a payline. A free spin is quite literally a free spin of the reels.

Fruit Machine: The British name for a classic slot machine. Fruit machines are the classic three-reel, three-payline slots featuring fruit symbols, lucky sevens, bells and BARs.

G

Gamble Feature: Within some slot games it is possible to gamble the winnings from your spin. You may be asked to pick a card suit or colour, or to guess high or low on the outcome of a card displayed on screen. You could double, triple or even quadruple your money depending on the game, but it’s also possible to lose all your winnings.

H

High Volatility: A slot deemed to have high volatility means that it is programmed to give out less frequent prizes and jackpots. However, most high volatility slots tend to offer bigger prizes when they do pay out.

Hit-And-Run: This term is used to describe slot players that play on single payline slots using maximum coins for a few spins and move on to the next slot if they don’t win.

Hit Frequency: How often a slot pays out on average. For example, a game with a hit frequency of five is expected to yield a winning payline approximately every five spins.

Hot Game: The opposite of a ‘Cold game’, hot slots are those that are said to be paying out regularly and in large sums.

J

Jackpot: The jackpot of an online slot is the coveted top prize, and can be fixed, progressive or linked across a network of slots.

L

Linked Progressive Jackpots: On occasion, there are multiple slot games whose progressive jackpots are linked together, often branded slots based on the same franchise. It doesn’t matter which one you play, you will be playing for the same progressive jackpot.

Loose Slot: A ‘loose’ slot is one that is considered to have low volatility, paying out more regularly than a ‘tight’ or high volatility slot.

Low Volatility: Low volatility slots tend to have higher hit frequencies and are often great slots for beginners. The trade-off is that low volatility slots may have smaller prizes on offer.

M

Maximum Bet: The maximum bet is the largest stake you can place per spin on your chosen slot game, based on the number of active paylines and the maximum coin denomination available.

MegawaysTM: This is a popular slot game engine is designed to expand the number of rows played per reel, giving you up hundreds of thousands of potential ways to win.

Mobile Slot: Mobile slots are those optimised for responsive gameplay across desktop, smartphone and tablet devices, utilising the latest HTML5 technology.

Multi-Line: This term is used to describe online slots with more than a single payline.

Multiplier: A multiplier could be a specific symbol which can multiply your winnings by a predetermined figure. Multipliers can also be found in free spins rounds, when the more consecutive wins you land, the bigger the multiplier grows.

N

Near miss: Players that narrowly miss out on a winning combination on a payline describe this as a near miss.

Nudge: Inspired by classic fruit machine gameplay, some slots have a ‘nudge’ functionality included, allowing players to hit the nudge button to move a reel up or down one space to form a winning payline.

O

One-Armed Bandit: The first slot machines produced in land-based casinos, which required players to pull a lever to spin the reels.

P

Payline: A payline is the line that symbols need to align with to trigger a payout.

Pay Table: The pay table for any slots online is designed to fully explain the rules and payout sizes of each game. It outlines the low and high-value symbols to look out for on the reels.

Penny Slot: A penny slot game is one which requires players to pay as little as €0.01 per spin.

Pick-Me Bonus: A type of slot bonus screen whereby players must select on-screen options to reveal instant prizes.

Progressive Jackpot: A progressive jackpot is a rolling jackpot that continues to increase in value until it is won. A percentage of each player’s stake per spin is contributed to the progressive jackpot, so the more players play, the higher the pot.

R

Random Number Generator: All state-of-the-art online slots are powered by a random number generator (RNG), which is a tamper-proof algorithm designed to randomise the outcome of every spin.

Reels: These are the columns within which the symbols spin to create potential winning combinations.

Return To player (RTP): The RTP percentage gives slot players an indicator of how much they can expect to return from their spins. If a slot has an RTP of 97%, for every €100 you stake, you can expect to receive €97 back on average.

S

Scatter Symbol: The scatter symbol is often used to trigger bonus rounds, and is usually the only symbol on the reels that the wild does not substitute for.

Stacked Symbols: Whenever the same symbols appear on top of one another on the reels, they are considered stacked.

Stacked Wilds: Whenever the wild symbol appears on top of one another on the reels, they are considered stacked.

T

Total Bet: The size of the total bet in an online slot is the total number of coins staked across all paylines.

V

Variance: The variance of a slot is the payout rate of a specific game. Slots with high variance are programmed to pay out less frequently than low variance slots. Variance can be used interchangeably with volatility.

Video Slot: A video slot game is designed to be displayed on desktop, smartphone or tablet screens using virtual reels instead of mechanical reels.

Volatility: Highly volatile slots are those that pay out less frequently, but with typically larger payouts when they do. Low volatility slots are those that pay out smaller prizes over a greater hit frequency.

W

Wild: A wild symbol is one of the most lucrative symbols in a slot game. Wilds can usually substitute any other base game symbol to improve winning combinations, except scatters. The same way that a joker works in a game of cards.

Win Both Ways: Slots with win both ways functionality can pay out on paylines running right-to-left as well as left-to-right.

Z

Zig-zag: Some slot paylines are designed to go up and down the reels or diagonally. These are known as zig-zag paylines.

Ready To Play?

Now that our slots glossary has equipped with all the slot lingo you need, log in or create a new account to play online slots at our Canadian online casino today!

18+  | Gambling can be addictive, please play responsibly | Terms & Conditions apply.

Explore and learn more about the popular game roulette

Online games in various forms have become popular in the UK and worldwide. On tradacasino.com you can explore many different games and play live roulette, one of the most popular and iconic games in the world.

Even if you’re not very familiar with casinos, you can probably still easily picture a Roulette wheel. Roulette is one of the most beloved and popular casino games, especially in the UK. And it’s very easy to see why. The popular game is played in the UK and worldwide for a number of reasons. It’s a fixture in casinos and very easy to recognize and play for most people. It’s fun and easy to learn quickly. Now, you can play Live roulette and many other popular casino games on Tradacasino.com from the comfort of your own home and still experience its many benefits.

Roulette is fun and easy to learn

Over the past years, online games have skyrocketed in terms of popularity in the UK and across the world. From slots to blackjack and roulette, there’s something for everyone. The roulette table consists of two parts. The wheel and the roulette layout. It’s composed of 36 numbered spaces, which are either coloured black or red and arranged in three columns of 12 spaces each, where the number 1 is on top and the number 36 is at the bottom. In a game of roulette, the players bet on which black or red numbered compartment of a spinning wheel a small ball will eventually come to rest on. It’s a game that offers excitement, chance and the planning of strategies. Visit roulette-games.co.uk and learn to play roulette with a step-by-step guide.

Games with pirate or Egyptian themes

On Tradacasino.com you can easily explore many other different games, which are both fun and exciting to play and easy to learn. Besides Live roulette, you can play Stolen Treasure, Spinberry Wilds, Treasure Mine, Sugar Rush and Big X. Some of the games have exotic and fun themes, such as a pirate theme in Captain Glum Pirate Hunter or Cursed Seas, or an Egyptian theme in the game Diamonds of Egypt. There are also games with a hint of magic, for example, Magic of the Ring or Magic Stars.

Roulette originated in France

One of the first forms of roulette is believed to have had its origin in France in the early 18th century. The game is named after the French word which means little wheel. It is derived from much older games, and since its birth, it has been developed and modernised many times. It was not until about the year 1790 that the game of roulette achieved its present layout design and wheel structure, and since then it has grown in popularity. Today it is one of the most popular games in casinos around Europe and the world. Read more about the origins of roulette on Britannica.

 

Kevin Stott’s William Hill blog: Don’t underestimate Bucanero Fuerte

Leopardstown, Sunday

I kick off my rides on Sunday with Ornellaia in the Moyglare (3.25pm). She’s a lightly-raced filly who was impressive at Goodwood and then built on that when second in a Group 2 a couple of weeks later. It was a pleasing performance and we believe she can continue to improve. She’ll need to stepping up in grade but the team have been happy with her homework and any rain that comes would do her chances no harm at all.

I can’t wait to get back on Bucanero Fuerte in the National Stakes (4.00pm). He was very impressive at the top level last time in the Phoenix Stakes. He’s unbeaten at the Curragh and the step up to seven furlongs should be no problem as it’s a trip we’ve always thought he’d see out well. The way he quickened clear over six last time was really impressive and if anything I think he might be better over seven which is obviously very exciting. The Aidan O’Brien pair look very good colts, but I think our horse might have been a touch underestimated, especially at a track we know he loves.

I ride Revenue in the sales race (5.10pm). These races are always really valuable so it’s a little surprising there are only 12 runners, but it’s great to gave picked up a ride for Eve Johnson Houghton. He’s been consistent in his career so far and this doesn’t look the most competitive of contests so hopefully he has an each-way chance. Eve’s horses tend to run well in these sorts of races and the yard is in form having had that group winner at Salisbury during the week which is always good.

Finally, I get the leg up on Killybegs Warrior in the 1m2f handicap (5.45pm). He’s been pretty solid throughout the year and we ideally don’t want too much rain. He was a bit unlucky at York last time and is well-suited to these sorts of races. The track should suit and he’d have an each-way chance in an open race.

Euro 2024 Odds: Betting Predictions and Picks

Euro 2024 will be held in Germany from June 14 to July 14, 2024. We’re in the early stages of qualifications with no more than two games being played per side.

In total 24 will participate in the tournament, and 23 of those sides will come through the qualification process. As hosts, Germany automatically qualifies. 

We’re a year out from one of soccer’s most important tournaments – and with lots of qualifying matches left to play – but let’s take an early look at the odds board and who’s favored to win.

Odds to Win 2024 Euro

Odds to win Euro 2024
Team Odds
France +500
Germany +550
England +600
Spain +750
Portugal +1000
Belgium +1200
Italy +1200
Netherlands +1400
Denmark +2000
Croatia +3500

Odds as of June 13

Why Is France Favored to Win Euro 2024?

On an international level, the French are the second-best side. Les Bleus were runners-up at the 2022 World Cup. On that World Cup journey in Qatar, France took out some strong European opponents.

They bested Denmark 2-1 in the group stage (the Danish hold the ninth-best Euro odds), Poland in the Round of 16 by a score of 3-1 (Poland is at +5000 for Euro 2024) and then France dispatched the English 2-1 in the Quarter-Finals (England is third on Euro odds board).

Through the short qualification period, France is 2-0-0 with a +5 goal differential while keeping two clean sheets with wins over Ireland and the Netherlands. 

Star power is another big factor to consider, and the Bleu-Blanc-Rouge have the biggest star of them all in Kylian Mbappe. The PSG forward has no flaws in his game and dominates at every level. 

In Qatar, Mbappe scored the most goals (8), lead the tournament in goal-creating actions with 11 (five more than the next best-player) and was third for goal-creating actions per 90 (1.74). When it comes to unlocking a game there’s no better player in Europe or even the world than Mbappe.

Euro 2024 Value 

France enters the tournament as slight favorites, what sides have greater value and have a chance to win instead of the favorites?

Germany

The hosts are just behind France on the oddsboard at +550. Because of their host status, we don’t have any sense of the form their in. They haven’t played any games because they don’t need to qualify.

If not for a shock 2-1 loss to Japan in the group stage of the 2022 World Cup, Germany would have likely gone much further. They bounced back from that defeat to the Blue Samurai with a 1-1 draw with a strong Spanish side before dismantling Costa Rica 4-2 to close out their tournament. 

The Germans will hope that youngster Jamal Musiala builds off a strong World Cup where he was credited with 7.67 shot-creating actions per 90 and an even better 22-23 Bundesliga campaign where he scored 12 goals and had ten assists for Bayern in his 19-year-old season. The kid is only going to get much better.

England

The English are the top-ranked side in Group C of Euro qualifiers with wins over Ukraine (2-0) and Italy (2-1).

Gareth Southgate’s side is winning games they should (against Ukraine) and those where they’re second best (vs Italy). Against the Azzurri, England only had 42% of the possession and 42% of the shots, they even went down a man in the 80th minute thanks to a Luke Shaw red card and still won 2-1. 

With Southgate’s contract over in December of 2024, this will likely be his final major tournament. His sides have come close to glory a few times but never won a title. Sadly for the three lions, their returns have been diminishing for the last few years.

England Under Southgate
Tournament Finish
2018 World Cup 4th
2022 Wold Cup 6th
2020 Euro Runner-Up
2019 UEFA Nations League 3rd
2021 UEFA Nations League 9th
2023 UEFA Nations League 15th

2024 Euro Dark horse

Every Euro tournament has its dark horse. A team comes out of nowhere and makes a deep run and upsets the landscape. 

In 2020, that was the Swiss who finished third in Group A and made it to the Quarter-Finals after beating France in the Round of 16.

Who should you have your eyes on in 2024?

Netherlands

The Dutch are no strangers to this competition. They won it once in 1988 and placed third four times. That last third-place finish came in 2004. 

At the 2022 World Cup, the Flying Dutchmen finished fourth with the third youngest squad in the competition. They had an average age of 26. Forward Cody Gakpo was a revelation with three goals in five matches for the Oranje in Qatar. 

There’s a lot to like about Holland. At +1400, keep an eye on their qualifying. 

Croatia

The Croatians are at the top of Group D with four points in two qualifiers. Remember, they finished as runners-up at the 2018 World Cup and then third in Qatar. Never discount Croatia at a major international tournament. With +3500 odds you could make $350 on a $10 bet backing them this early. That’s very tempting. 

Last Five Euro Winners

Last 5 Euro Winners
Year Team Opening Odds
2004 Greece +15000
2008 Spain +450
2012 Spain +250
2016 Portugal +1800
2020 Italy +700

 

Favorites typically win this tournament. They have deep squads overflowing with some of the most talented players in all of Europe. But every few years a dark horse goes all the way and is crowned Kings of Europe.

At +15000 Greece, and those who bet on them, haven’t yet forgotten about that tournament in 2004.

Last Five Euro Runners-Up 

Last 5 Euro Runners-Up
Year Team Score
2004 Portugal Lost 1-0 to Greece
2008 Germany Lost 1-0 to Spain
2012 Italy Lost 4-0 to Spain
2016 France Lost 1-0 to Portugal*
2020 England Lost 3-2 to Italy**

*After extra time
**Game tied 1-1 after extra time, ended 3-2 in penalties

The Euro finals are a low-scoring affair. Over the last five tournaments, three or more goals have been scored only once. It’s worth exploring the UNDER when the Final comes up in July of 2024.

How to Read Euro 2024 Odds

At any soccer betting site, you’ll see futures odds laid out like so:

  • England +500
  • Belgium +550
  • France +550
  • Spain +700

If you were to make a traditional straight-up bet, the favorite would be shown with the minus sign (-). In cases like these where there is no clear front-runner, the country with the lowest odds is the fave even if they’re all represented with the plus sign (+) which is generally used to demonstrate underdogs.

Let’s say you’ve looked at the group schedule and think Belgium is going to dominate and make it all the way to the top. A $100 bet would give you a payout of $650 – your original money is returned coupled with your winnings of $550.

Our Odds Calculator is a tool that will tell you how much you’d win based on the offered odds and amount bet.

What is a Futures Bet on the Euro Championship?

A futures bet is a wager made far in advance of a big event. Here, the bet is on the quadrennial Euro contest. It can be said that most bets are made prior to a sporting matchup, but futures can be placed weeks, months or even years in advance. In fact, as soon as the last championship is won, new odds will be released.

The odds will shift as the group stage gets closer and continue to move until right before the final is played on July 14, 2024, at the Olympiastadion in Berlin. If you see odds you like, take them to get the most value on your bets (should you win).

Digital Opportunity Trust and the Mastercard Foundation are partnering for Going Beyond

OTTAWA, Canada, July 12, 2023 — Digital Opportunity Trust and the Mastercard Foundation are partnering to support over 300,000 young women and men to gain relevant entrepreneurial skills and foster a network ecosystem of support for young leaders.

The “Going Beyond – Partnering for a Youth-Led Future” project aims to scale DOT’s evidence-based, peer-to-peer model and will be executed in four African countries – Côte d’Ivoire, Malawi, Zambia, and Tanzania. The linkage to DOT’s model ensures comprehensive digital and business skills training, leadership development, coaching, peer-to-peer learning, and networking.

The Going Beyond project will foster a network ecosystem of support for young leaders with the aim of improving their quality of life and building their resilience, agency, and amplifying their voice. Notably, the project will also introduce a leaner, more scalable model for long-term, transformational change by fostering a community of practice among a continuously expanding ecosystem of partners.

Over five years, and with the support of DOT regional hubs in Africa, the Going Beyond project will progressively transfer the responsibility for delivering DOT’s programs and equip youth as leaders of the future through a three-pronged approach:

  • Strengthening the capacity of 40 local youth-led and youth-led organizations (YLOs) to deliver high-quality digital livelihoods programming.
  • Training and supporting 4,000 young people (Youth Leaders) under the guidance of YLOs as digital business coaches and facilitators to deliver locally appropriate and culturally relevant digital inclusion and enterprise growth programs to their peers.
  • Training 300,000 disadvantaged young people with nascent Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in digital and entrepreneurship skills, 70 percent of whom are young women.

Most importantly, the project places young people at the center of the solution, tapping into their creativity, energy, and passion for making a difference; going beyond conventional development practices and extending impact to new countries for both organizations, without the need to establish and operate new offices.

“The Going Beyond program, which will harness the power of young people to lead community-driven solutions and create and obtain dignified and fulfilling work in four countries – Côte d’Ivoire, Malawi, Tanzania and Zambia – is an opportunity to tell a compelling story of youth leadership and capacity to transform Africa – and to catalyze the adoption of youth-led approaches across the continent,” says Janet Longmore, Founder and CEO, Digital Opportunity Trust

Violette Uwamutara, Regional Vice President of Africa, Digital Opportunity Trust agrees, “DOT is excited to serve as regional hubs for this project and build a network of connected individuals, organizations and MSMEs that share knowledge, support each other and shift the mindsets of their peers, communities and systems – trusting youth as the leaders of community transformation and our future.”

The ‘Going Beyond’ project aligns with the Mastercard Foundation’s Young Africa Works strategy, which aims to enable 30 million young people in Africa to access dignified and fulfilling work by 2030, particularly young women. It extends the impact beyond youth in work to advance youth leadership, digital skills, gender equality, and women’s empowerment.

Africa’s youth population represents a significant pool of human capital that can drive economic growth and social progress. Young people have the potential to be at the forefront of innovation and entrepreneurship in high-growth sectors such as technology, climate-smart agriculture, and renewable energy. Women and girls, in particular, can play a crucial role as powerful agents of change in their communities, contributing to economic growth and social progress.

Despite being a youthful continent, Africa faces significant challenges in harnessing the potential of its youth population. The continent has the highest youth unemployment rate globally – 20.8 percent in 2020 – more than 2.5 times higher than the adult unemployment rate. This situation is particularly dire for young women.

“Going Beyond is designed to envision young people as leaders in their communities, and we believe that a combination of YLO capacity building, locally appropriate 21st-century skills, entrepreneurship, and MSME support will be an effective means of bringing this vision to life while addressing youth employment in the four countries this project will be executed in. In addition, Going Beyond’s work, which is also in line with the Young Africa Works strategy, will help young women and men find dignified and meaningful work,” adds Reeta Roy, President and CEO, Mastercard Foundation.

When applied in this way, the youth-led model equips young people with market-relevant technical skills and the confidence to secure, sustain and thrive in the 21st-century working world, in turn creating a ripple effect of change in communities across the African continent, with young entrepreneurs becoming catalysts for broader behavioral change and inspiring others to follow in their footsteps.

About Digital Opportunity Trust

DOT is a Canadian-based not-for-profit organization headquartered in Ottawa, Canada, with a ‘footprint’ across 12 countries. DOT has locally managed offices in Africa, the Middle East; Tanzania, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Kenya, Lebanon and Jordan; Canada and the UK. DOT’s presence extends to Ghana, Uganda, Malawi and Zambia through local partnerships with youth-led organizations. As a youth-led movement of daring social innovators who have the tools, knowledge, and networks to create opportunities and transform their communities in Africa and the Middle East, DOT has created an impact in over 25 countries as development innovators and catalysts placing youth at the center of its activity to unlock their potential, bridge the digital divide across communities, and inspire young people to realize their potential in an inclusive digital economy. www.dotrust.org

About The Mastercard Foundation

The Mastercard Foundation is a Canadian Foundation and one of the world’s largest foundations, with a mission to advance education and financial inclusion. It works with visionary organizations to enable young people in Africa and in Indigenous communities in Canada to access dignified and fulfilling work. The Foundation was established in 2006 through the generosity of Mastercard when it became a public company. The Foundation is an independent organization and separate from the company. Its policies, operations, and programs are determined by the Foundation’s Board of Directors and leadership. For more information on the Foundation, please visit www.mastercardfdn.org.

 

Chili Eruption Thundershots Game Review

For a simple yet spicy casino slots experience, this title could certainly be one to consider. As the name suggests, the Chili Eruption Thundershots slot revolves around red and green chillis, with a total of three bonus modes being linked to these icons. The board itself sits in the middle of a desert, and a handful of cacti can be seen on either side. Chili Eruption Thundershots comes with a total of 5 reels, 20 paylines, and a minimum stake size of 0.10 per play!

This title was created by Playtech, a titan in the realm of online slots. In the past, they have released a huge variety of different games, such as Sahara Riches: Cash Collect, Full Moon Wild Track, and Flaming Bars. Playtech titles tend to come optimised for mobile devices, which also applies to their range of table games.

Featured Symbols

The standard symbols in Chili Eruption Thundershots consist of the J, Q, K, and A symbols that can be found in many online slots UK. Premium symbols are shown as a pair of maracas, a guitar, a sombrero, a skull, and a pinata. These can award players with up to 4x, 4x, 5x, 10x, or 15x, their stake size, respectively, should five land along the same payline. 

Wild symbols are also present, displayed as a bottle of hot sauce, or a splatter icon during one of the bonus rounds. Of course, wilds can replace any standard or premium symbol as part of a combination. There are also two different scatter icons, shown as red and green chillis, which are responsible for triggering the bonus modes in this title. 

Bonuses and Jackpots

The first bonus mode in Chili Eruption Thundershots is the regular free spins mode, which can be triggered if three chilli scatter symbols appear anywhere in view. Before the round starts, each chilli will reveal an additional number of free spins or a win multiplier, with the maximum sitting at 12 and 8x, respectively. If any other chillis land during the round, they can add more spins or increase the win multiplier, too! 

Now, during the base game, whenever a chilli symbol lands, it will be added to a pot at the top of the board. This can randomly become full, at which point either ‘Saucy Super Spins or the ‘Thundershots’ feature will trigger. If players are awarded with ‘Saucy Super Spins’, the pot will tip over, causing chillis and wild symbols to randomly be added across the reels. This is repeated at the start of each spin, and again, chillis can award extra spins or increase the potential win multiplier for the round. 

Finally, there is the Thundershots bonus, where players will be taken to a wheel featuring an assortment of different potential winnings. These include fixed values, free spins, and ‘Saucy Super Spins’. The wheel will be spun five times, with the outcome of each spin being totalled up and awarded at the end of the round. If players land on any bonus rounds, these will begin immediately after the fifth Thundershots spin has been finalised. 

Play Chili Eruption Thundershots at bwin

In conclusion, Chili Eruption Thundershots lives up to the spicey theme with the inclusion of three interesting bonuses. Two of these are made up of free spin modes, while the other grants the player a total of five spins on a wheel featuring various potential winnings!  

Is Chili Eruption Thundershots available to play at bwin?

Yes, Chili Eruption Thundershots and many other popular video slots can be found at bwin.

Which company created the Chili Eruption Thundershots slot?

Chili Eruption Thundershots was produced by Playtech.

How do players unlock the bonus mode in Chili Eruption Thundershots?

Like in many slots online, landing three scatter icons simultaneously will trigger the free spins bonus in Chili Eruption Thundershots.

Investigating the limitations of the UK’s fraud strategy.

We sit down with the financial crime trainer and apprenticeship coach to discuss why he left the police force, how criminal investigations have changed over time, the importance of education and accountability in an anti-fraud strategy, and why he would never become a KYC specialist.

Paul Stratton has always wanted to be a police officer. In fact, during a recent house clean-up, his wife discovered a childhood picture of Paul and his brother dressed up as characters from ‘Chips’ (an 80’s TV show about two motorcycle officers from the California Highway Patrol).  

However, after 22 years of working for Merseyside Police, including almost four years in the Fraud Unit, Paul knew he had to leave. 

“It got to the point where I was struggling with the lack of team ethos and internal politics. Before moving to the Fraud Unit, I was investigating domestic abuse, violent crimes, and sexual offences, and was starting to feel like an Uber driver, where the next job would just pop up in my inbox. I just didn’t have time to follow up as much as I wanted to with the people I had helped and that always bothered me. 

“Victim care is something that the police talk a lot about and I think it’s just become a soundbite. I don’t think we are doing as well as we could with victim care in certain areas of policing, and it frustrated me to just follow up with phone calls.” 

Little wonder then, that Paul left the police to pursue a career in fraud and financial crime training and raising awareness of the harm of fraud.  

The importance of education, accountability, and tangible messaging in the battle against fraud was a recurring theme in our discussion, as Paul believes a lack of consistent education – to the public, to the police, and the wider public sector – is a significant issue in the UK’s fight against fraud attacks. These rates, Paul believes, will not go down until that education gap is filled. 

Referring to the UK’s recently-released fraud strategy, Paul said: 

You can create the best strategy in the world, but it’ll just collect cyber dust unless there’s tangible messaging that is shared with the public. There’s no real messaging, and that’s where I fear it’ll fail.

Paul Stratton, financial crime trainer and apprenticeship coach.

“We can’t hold departments accountable because, besides the general aim to reduce fraud by 10% by 2025, there are no specific figures [that they wish to hit] or how they’re going to do it, and no one knows what they’re tangibly supposed to be doing. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak set out his five priorities for 2023, and, like them or not, they are clear, so why aren’t we doing something similar with the UK’s fraud strategy?” 

In this interview, we discuss everything from Paul’s skepticism regarding the strategy’s 400 promised new fraud officers, why he hates words like ‘scams’, ‘white collar crime’, and ‘money mules’, and why we’re still probably one or two generations away from fully recognizing the impact of social media and acting upon the dangers of online crime.

From detective at Merseyside Police to fraud specialist at Liverpool City Council, and currently, a full-time fraud apprenticeship coach and fraud and financial crime trainer, why the career change, and what are the main differences and similarities in roles, if any?

I spent 22 years with Merseyside Police, and never wanted to leave, in fact I still consider myself police, but I had to leave as I knew there had to be something better out there. Somewhere where a work/life balance is achievable.   

I brought the same principles and work ethic into my role at Liverpool City Council. In fact, it was working at the Council where I learned the most about fraud, corruption, bribery, conflicts of interest, gifts and hospitality, social media, KYC, and all the other typical red flags you look out for in police investigations. 

What did a typical day look like at Liverpool County Council?

I oversaw the Whistle Blowing process, reviewing, and allocating cases, and I was the lead investigator for all allegations of internal fraud and potential criminal activity. I was also part of the council’s effective Due Diligence Group and developed the council’s new Fighting Fraud & Corruption Together strategy. 

In 2020-2021, Liverpool City Council received a lot of bad press due to claims of widespread corruption, which led to numerous police investigations and government intervention.

I started my role just after the controversy started, so a lot of my work was focused on trying to bring Liverpool City Council to a point where there was that awareness of fraud and best practices. So, I would work virtually every day on building and delivering educational and engaging training sessions.  

We talk a lot about anti-fraud culture, and counter-fraud culture – that’s a phrase that’s bandied around. But anti-fraud culture is a difficult thing to achieve, as that would mean everybody knows about fraud, and how to prevent it and protect themselves from it.

What led you to leave the Council and launch your fraud and financial crime training and consultancy business?

It’s something I’ve always wanted to do. I am committed to providing quality training to delegates. Long gone are the days when trainers could just sit in front of a PowerPoint and talk for an hour. It must be immersive, with tasks, real-life examples, and problem-solving sessions. People want, need, and deserve more. This is especially true in the public sector, where there’s very little money to train people, so when a trainer does come in, it’s vital they deliver the best learning they can.

How have criminal investigations and intelligence operations changed in the two-plus decades since you began?

Since I started, back in 1998, it’s changed dramatically. For example, when I joined there was very little education on evidence-gathering at a scene, but now, with technology, recruits are even receiving Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) and social media training. 

Whether it’s over Facebook (which it inevitably is), or Instagram or Twitter, investigators need to know and understand how to secure digital evidence. That’s where a lot of the crime exists now. It’s not in person anymore – it’s online.

Would you say the perception of fraud has changed over the years?

Yes and no. When I started in the police, the Fraud Unit, which was called the Cheque and Fraud Wing, would only deal with cases of a certain amount; it had to be of high value for them to even become involved. 

Some police forces, like Merseyside Police, have now shifted to harm-based assessments, where they look at the harm caused by fraud. Yes, the monetary amount is important, but it’s not everything.

Paul Stratton, financial crime trainer and apprenticeship coach.

For example, £1 million in losses to a huge organization is a speed bump in relation to a single parent losing £500 in a month and being unable to pay the rent. You see this with romance frauds, where people lose everything.  

I think the perception of fraud can be too rarefied; we think ‘fraud’, we think “white collar crime,” and it’s a phrase I can’t stand, because many equate “white collar crime” with a business crime. 

The last suspect I ever interviewed before I left the police was a young lad involved in a gang that were dealing drugs and other types of criminal activities like selling fake Liverpool and Everton tickets. And they were doing all that through a bank account they’d created with the name of a vulnerable neighbor, and had done it horrifically easily at the time. There are increasing numbers of gangs moving into fraud and money laundering now.

What are your thoughts on the UK’s recently-released fraud strategy? Do you think it goes far enough, and is dedicating resources in the right place?

I think anything that looks at reducing fraud is a good thing. However, [in the strategy] there are a lot of new names for old teams, and reinventing the wheel somewhat, but that’s often law enforcement’s way. We go from priority to priority. You won’t have a burglary team for two years, but then you have a huge burglary problem, so you assemble a burglary squad and solve that problem, then move onto something else. Such is the lack of resources to specialize in everything at once. 

One of the things that I’m skeptical about is the government’s pledge to get 400 new specialist investigators. I don’t think these can be existing police officers, as no police force has enough staff to do what they need to do right now. So, I’m not sure where any new fraud specialists are going to come from, and whether they’re going to be trained or not. 

I also don’t think the fraud strategy factors in the educational component. The strategy may be on gov.uk, but are people seeing it in any kind of usable format? 

Are we doing enough education-wise with the public? I can’t ever remember seeing an advert on fraud prevention from the government. I see adverts about giving to charity and how people can spend money, but I don’t see adverts on how people can protect their money.

In the Foreword to the strategy, Home Secretary, Suella Braverman spoke of the need for coordinated collaboration between the police, the public and private sectors, as well as allies abroad. In your opinion, what is the most important component of a successful fraud strategy? Conversely, what hinders or can negatively impact the strategy, or a fraud investigation?

Intelligence sharing between the public and private sector and international arena is nothing new. The fact that, in 2023, we’re still talking about better intelligence sharing shows how far behind we are. From an investigator’s point of view, the mechanisms already exist for effective intel sharing. We have the National Crime Agency, which does a lot for police forces when they’re investigating abroad. 

For example, if I was investigating bank accounts or looking to get an IP address, we have Financial Intelligence Units that can act in the international arena. We have the Financial Action Task Force for money laundering.  

We need to look at how this affects investigators, and how we can make their jobs easier.  

I know they’ve assigned an MP (Member of Parliament) with the role of Anti-Fraud Champion [Anthony Browne, MP], which is fantastic, but I think it needs to be more effective than just naming someone a champion. Is giving this role to one MP enough? How is he going to do that amongst his constituency work, and other responsibilities? (Read more about the UK’s Anti-Fraud Champion, Anthony Browne here). 

Fraud accounts for 40% of all crime, 80% of that fraud is cyber. If this was burglary (or firearms), I can guarantee there’d be more press, and people would understand what steps the government is taking, and people would be more educated.

Paul Stratton, financial crime trainer and apprenticeship coach.

But, for some reason, fraud is just not considered as severe. It’s almost perceived as a sort of invisible crime, where a lot of victims may report it but be too embarrassed to tell people about it.

For example, with romance fraud, many people may think the victim has brought it on themselves and should have been wiser. 

I don’t like the term ‘money mules’; I call them money movers. I also don’t like the word ‘scam,’ people do not ‘fall for scams.’ They are defrauded by criminals. 

People may have a lack of empathy when they hear “falling for a scam,” and think how could they send £500 pounds to someone they’ve never met? Well, that’s the way of the world now – that’s how we meet people in 2023. We’ve moved on; we’re probably one or two generations away from a full understanding of the impact of social media. 

People now spend their lives online; on LinkedIn, on Instagram, everything’s done over email, if someone even rings you now, you think there’s a problem.   

I think it’s the same with fraud and understanding the full effects of it. I don’t think we’re going to get over the “How could they fall for that scam” for a couple of generations because people just think, “Well, I met my partner in person or I still bank in branch,” and it doesn’t work like that. Those days are gone. 

It’s for the same reason that people don’t like to be called “victims.” In the police, we call them complainants because they are complaining about a crime. 

Words matter.  

Apparently, just 1% of police resources are dedicated to tackling fraud, despite fraud accounting for 40% of all crime in the UK.  Why do you think fraud is such a neglected area?

Action Fraud has had a lot of bad press, and I don’t think people actually understand what they do. Not to diminish their work at all, but Action Fraud is like a call center and data warehouse. People call up and make a complaint; they’re not staffed by experts, or detectives or fraud experts.  

What hinders the effectiveness of Action Fraud is that we don’t tell people what Action Fraud is or manage people’s expectations enough to say that the complaint may not be investigated. So, when they get a letter a few weeks later, saying that the complaint is not being investigated, with no explanation, it’s tough. Whether it’s £50 or £5 million, you deserve a reason why the suspected crime isn’t being investigated, and you would get that if you were assaulted, for example. [Action Fraud will be replaced in Q2, 2024 with a new division. Read more about how it fits into the UK’s wider fraud revamp here.]

Mind the education gap? Investigating the limitations of the UK’s fraud strategy, with ex-police officer, Paul Stratton. 1
Paul Stratton and his little brother dressed up as characters from the hit 80’s TV show, Chips.

And that understandably has an impact on future reporting habits?

Of course, people just won’t bother reporting fraud. For years, victim support has been around the physical: assaults, sexual offenses, murders. But what do we do for people suffering financial and emotional loss because of romance fraud? Not enough. 

What most hinders an investigation, however, are the low numbers of staff, and inadequate training. Officers, detectives, and investigators all need to be trained, whether that’s in document fraud, cybercrime, or how to find an IP address from an email. Unfortunately, this is not always the case in the public sector, with local authorities. Although this is being changed with the recent Counter Fraud Investigator Apprenticeship.

I suppose if complainants believe they are unlikely to receive any of the stolen funds back, then this would also have a knock-on effect in reporting rates?

Yes, you’re right, the ease with which Proceeds of Crime (stolen funds) can be moved around into multiple bank accounts is scary.  A lot of people may think that if it’s only £100, they won’t report it, because they’re not going to get their money back, and it’s more effort than it’s worth.  

Once that money is spent, even if the perpetrator is caught, it’s very difficult to get it back. 

Let’s say the perpetrator resides in the UK, and you get them, the likelihood is they’re doing it for a reason: because they have no money or they’re greedy, so they’ll just spend it. It may not bother them if they get convicted, because they’re not going to get a job where they need a DBS check anyway. 

Regardless of how much money has been lost, that shouldn’t necessarily factor into the decision to a) report it, and b) investigate it. We must look at harm. Unfortunately, currently, Action Fraud just does not do that.

The fraud strategy has earmarked £100 million for additional police resources. Is that enough?

No, it’s not; we lose millions of pounds every day to fraud. Again, it’s not the amount, it’s where it’s going.  

Putting maybe one more detective into a fraud squad will take the pressure off, and really help get more positive outcomes, but I think there needs to be real education, and refresher courses on, for example, the blockchain. Can some of the money be used to procure external services, and bring someone in to talk about it? We just don’t know. Can we bring experts in to help the police with investigations, because we don’t know everything.  

Of course, there’s a balance to strike, and you don’t want to saturate people with information on fraud and get people scared. Perhaps the best approach would be to properly publicize new fraud initiatives that show how the money is being used. Help teachers get training on fraud prevention, train doctors in how to deal with the mental health ramifications of fraud.

Education is a recurring theme, as is responsibility. Responsibility of the government to educate people, responsibility of victims to report complaints. What about companies and service providers, where does the responsibility lie there? What role will technology, and in particular KYC and identity verification services, play in the future of fraud prevention?

They bear a huge responsibility, don’t they? Having recently been onboarded by a company, it’s all completely digital now, isn’t it? One of the cases I dealt with before I left the police was with a new online bank, where a lot of criminals were using their friends’ photographs, passports and licenses to open bank accounts. 

Knowing Your Customer (KYC) is everything really. And, it’s not just knowing your customer, it’s knowing your applicants, and knowing your staff. It’s having all these things in place, especially in recruitment, as document fraud is rampant, so it’s a huge responsibility. 

You’ll have KYC specialists in banks, but what about the public sector and other private companies? In recruitment, for example, you’re relying on recruitment staff – are they getting the training they need? Are they all aware of the threats of fraud? Do they understand what KYC is?  

I can only speak from the public sector, but the public sector and local authorities can learn a huge amount from banks and a huge amount from the private sector. 

From a fraud investigator’s point of view, I think it’s going to get harder and harder, because long gone are the days where an applicant or consumer must come to a business, and if you’re opening a bank account nowadays, it’ll be online, and you don’t have to see anyone. 

I don’t envy KYC staff – let’s put it that way. It’s not a job I’d like to do; there’s a lot of risk on their shoulders to develop, keep themselves regularly updated.  

In this technological age, it’s also important to remember that fraud is about people as much as it’s about AI and machine learning. Someone must press that button at the start, and someone must be a victim at the end.

If you’re interested in more insights from industry insiders and thought leaders, check out one of our interviews from our Fintech Spotlight Interview series below.

By

Mind the education gap? Investigating the limitations of the UK’s fraud strategy, with ex-police officer, Paul Stratton. 2

Jody Houton
Content Manager at IDnow
Connect with Jody on LinkedIn

Neil Diamond Tribute Concert 2023 Ute Mountain Casino Labor Day Weekend

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Most superstitious fan bases across major professional sports leagues

Sports fans – they’re known for their unwavering dedication and the power of superstitions. From sleeping in their opponent’s jerseys to wearing a lucky piece of clothing, it’s evident that fans are willing to do whatever it takes for their favorite team to win.

We wanted to know which fan bases are the most superstitious, across the top five major professional sports leagues: MLB, MLS, NBA, NFL, and NHL. We asked over 3,000 sports fanatics about their pre-game rituals to uncover the top 10 most superstitious fan bases and leagues.

Key Findings:

  • Dallas Cowboys and Los Angeles Lakers fans are the most superstitious (tied), across every major professional sports league.
  • NFL fans are the most superstitious, out of the top 5 major professional sports leagues.
  • New York Yankees supporters are the most superstitious MLB fan base.
  • The most (44.4%) common sports superstitions performed are wearing lucky colors or team colors.

Superstitious fervor: Top 10 fan bases across the major professional sports leagues

Whether it’s baseball, football, basketball, hockey or soccer, fans are ready to go the lengths to bring good luck and success to their favorite teams. But who’s putting the super in superstitious? 

Tied for the title of the most superstitious fan bases across all five major professional sports leagues are the Dallas Cowboys and Los Angeles Lakers. Not only do these teams inspire their fans’ rituals, but star players like the Cowboys’ Dak Prescott and the Lakers’ Lebron James also have their own unique routines, such as wearing specific clothing items or performing trademark gestures like the powder toss.

Holding the silver trophy with pride is the Green Bay Packers fan base. The Packers fans have a long history of superstitions, including wearing the same pieces of clothing to each game – unwashed! One Packers fan, Meg Flemming, has worn the same Packers anklet since she was 10, pleading not to take it off until the Green Bay Packers win the Super Bowl again. “I definitely want to take it off…I just love the Packers and I want them to win so badly,” Flemming states. Talk about dedication! 

Over on the East Coast, the Pittsburgh Steelers fan base ranks third as the most superstitious. The Steeler Nation also has a rich history of pre-game rituals, but they tend to be a bit more…unique. Besides wearing black and gold, fans have been known to play a few online casino or betting games, hoping to bring luck to their favorite team. Even more so, fans also like to bring their black cats to the game, to ward off bad vibes! For a more simple ritual, some opt to throw salt over their shoulders or to carry a piece of steel in their pocket – as an attempt to steel the win. 

Take me out to the ball game, take me out to the crowd! New York Yankees fans ranked fourth overall, but are also the most superstitious MLB team. Not only are the Yankees supporters a bit ritualistic, but so were some previous players. Roger Clemens touched the head of Ruth’s statue before pitching in the Yankee Stadium and Jason Giambi once wore a golden thong – which seemingly worked wonders as it broke his performance slump! 

Completing the top five list, the Chicago Bears fan base takes fifth place, representing the superstitious side of the NFL. Some of their favorite rituals include wearing a certain color or a lucky piece of clothing and listening to a lucky song. 

Overall, it’s evident that the NFL dominates the superstitious chart, with four out of six being football teams – making the NFL the most superstitious major professional sports league. The NBA ranks as the second most superstitious, followed by MLB, NHL, and MLS respectively. 

The most common sports superstitions fans swear by

Don’t jinx it! To ensure their favorite team’s success, sports enthusiasts will practice certain routines before the big game. Here are some of the most popular sports-related superstitions our superfans perform. 

Our sports enthusiasts dress for success! Most (44.4%) of our respondents say they wear a certain color before the big game. That includes wearing their lucky color or their team’s colors. Some (16.2%) opt to wear a lucky piece of clothing, such as their…lucky underwear? Hey, no judgment here – you gotta do what you gotta do, right?  

Other fans (8.6%) prefer to follow traditions, like watching the game in a specific place, like their favorite (or lucky) bar. A few (6.4%) noticed a specific meal they previously ate brought success to their team and now strategically eat that same meal on game day. Burgers, anyone? 

Wrapping up the top five most common sports superstitions sports fans practice, 6% avoid placing bets on their supporting team. They’re not the only avoidants here, as 4.4% go out of their way to watch the game without a certain family member or friend because they believe they’re bad luck. These die-hard fans leave no stone unturned when it comes to maximizing their teams’ chances of victory! 

In the end, it’s no secret that superstitions serve as a unique and endearing aspect of fan culture. From lucky apparel to avoiding certain family members and friends, true sports fanatics find solace in their superstitious practices. 

Methodology

In July 2023, we surveyed over 3,000 U.S. and Canadian sports fans about their pre-game rituals and participants. We asked them a series of questions to discover which fan bases and major professional sports leagues are the most superstitious. 

The average age of respondents was 37.9 years old. The representative sample comprised 58.6% male, 39.4% female, 1.5% non-binary, 0.4% transgender, and other 0.1%.

Fair use

Feel free to use the data or visuals on this page for non-commercial purposes. Please be sure to include proper attribution linking back to this page to give credit to the authors. 

For any press questions, please contact rhiannon.odonohoe[at]casino.org 

September 2023 New Games Release

Summertime is coming to an end, but we are still bringing the heat at Casino.com!

This month, we are travelling back in time and adding some Ancient themed slots to our gaming portfolio. Explore the Pyramids, thunderbolts and more as we take a closer look at a few of the new additions that will soon be hitting the game lobby.

All upcoming games have different bonuses features, varying bet ranges, and their own distinct characters. Get in your time machine and take a trip to see what is being released in September 2023.

Queen of the Pyramids Mega Cash Collect

Queen of the Pyramids Mega Cash Collect is an Ancient Egyptian themed slot game from game provider Playtech. The game features symbols such as the Cleopatra Wild, a sphinx, and a scarab which are all all set against the backdrop of a visually stunning extravagant temple that has flames surrounding the game grid.

The slot has 30 paylines, ambient traditional music, and an RTP of 95.41% with a huge bet range starting from €0.10 going all the way up to €500. One of the exciting features of the game is the Cash Collect mechanic, as well as the Free Games Bonus Round opportunity.

If you are lucky enough to trigger the additional round, a special expanded grid with locked rows above the main reels will be presented with a new colour scheme, and huge win potential.

Look out for these icons: 

  • Cash Collect Symbol Land a Cash Collect symbol to collect bonus symbols and cash prizes.
  • Cash Spreader When this bright gold and red striped symbols lands anywhere on the reels, it will spread random bonus symbols on the extra reels, adding up to 5 coins to random positions on extra reels.
  • Sticky Cash Collect prizes up to 16x your bet as this symbol will turn into a jackpot Diamond and freeze until your next spin once the jackpot has been collected.

This slot game also 4 Progressive JackpotsMini, Minor, Major, and Grand. These can be randomly triggered by landing a Diamond icon and a Cash Collect symbol on the reels during any spin.

Will you find your diamond at the top of the pyramid?

Amazing Link Zeus Epic 4

New Games Release September 2023 Amazing Link Zeus Epic 4 online slot game machine gambling gaming Games Global Ancient Greece

Next up, we travel into Greek mythology for the 4th instalment of Amazing Link Zeus Epic. This is an electrifying slot game brought to you by Microgaming (Games Global) with 20 to 80 paylines, an RTP of 96.47%, and 4 distinct reel sets. Spin away to find symbols such as Pegasus, the harp, the vase, and the powerful Zeus Wild.

At the heart of the slot game lies the vibrant blue Amazing Symbol which can also turn gold with the right amount of force! Triggering 6 or more of these icons on a single reel, can ignite the Amazing Link feature, awarding 3 respins. With the locked symbols intact, your respins could lock more spins leading to a huge payout.

Unleash your power!

Eye of Horus Rise Of Egypt

New Games Released in September 2023 Eye of Horus Rise of Egypt slot game machine Gambling gaming Ancient Egyptian Hieroglypics online casino

We are going back to Ancient Egypt again, however this time we are looking straight into the Eye of Horus Rise of Egypt. This slot has been developed by Blueprint Gaming and has a standard 5-reel x 3-rows game grid with 10 paylines. There are Wild symbols, and a captivating bonus round where you can get a maximum win of 50,000x your bet.

Although this is another Ancient Egyptian game, this one is set on a backdrop reminiscent of hieroglyphic slabs giving you a completely different experience to other Egyptian style games. See if the eye can guide you on a path to riches!

Play for Real Money

To start playing Real Money bets, just simply sign in and place your bets. Whether you are keen to explore the Ancient Egypt, Zeus’ thunderbolts, or if you just want to play a fun slot game, our lobby has something for everyone.

And if you are registering for the first time and making your first deposit, you can claim your Welcome Bonus before playing on all of our new games. 

How to bet the 2023 Personal Ensign Stakes

A small, but fantastic, field of six fillies and mares will run 1 1/8 miles on the Saratoga main strip in Friday’s $500,000 Personal Ensign S. (G1). Multiple Grade 1 heroine #5 Nest (4-5) commenced her four-year-old campaign with a stout tally in the Shuvee S. (G2) on the oval last time out and rates a huge chance with expected improvement in her second run of 2023.

Trained by Todd Pletcher, Nest compiled a fine 8-5-2-0 mark as a sophomore, which included dominant tallies locally in both the Coaching Club American Oaks (G1), as well as the Alabama S. (G1), and she owns a sterling 3-for-3 mark at The Spa in total. The daughter of Curlin shows a pair of solid morning drills in advance of Friday on the surface, and she figures to sit a comfortable trip from just off of a decent early tempo to the top of the stretch. Regular pilot Irad Ortiz Jr. will be in the stirrups.

For value, I expect #3 Secret Oath (8-1) to run one of her better ones in this spot while coming in fresh for conditioner D. Wayne Lukas. The Arrogate four-year-old ran a trio of big races earlier this campaign prior to a subpar showing in the Ogden Phipps S. (G1) at Belmont Park in June, but she comes in fresh and finished second in both of her previous assignments at Saratoga. Secret Oath has registered some very good morning drills at this venue leading up to the affair, and I like that Luis Saez gets back in the silks aboard the chestnut, too.

Steve Asmussen’s #6 Clairiere (5-2) has earned in excess of $3.1 million in her career and has come home either first or second in each of her four tries this season. The fantastic five-year-old daughter of Curlin didn’t fire as the favorite in the contest in 2022, but the bay has performed well in each of her four other runs on the strip and was clearly second best in the Shuvee (G2) most recently. The powerful stretch-runner could possibly receive a decent pace to rally into late while clear throughout under Joel Rosario.

Personal Ensign Wagers

$20 exacta: 5 with 3 ($20)

$10 trifecta: key 5 with 3,6 ($20)

O’Hara and Enrique’s Premier League Matchweek 2 Preview

With the Premier League now back in full swing we look ahead to what this weekend’s fixtures have in store.

Grosvenor Sport ambassadors Jamie O’Hara and Jose Enrique preview the second round of fixtures from England’s top flight, with additional focus on the weekend’s marquee clash which sees Manchester City take on Newcastle United.

 

Manchester City v Newcastle preview (Saturday, 20:00)

Jose Enrique: Manchester City 1 – 2 Newcastle United 15/1

I don’t think Newcastle are that far off from being able to challenge for the title but over a whole season I still think it will be Manchester City and Arsenal. We will have to wait until the transfer window closes but for me they still need a top left-back and maybe another centre-back to actually be able to go for the title, but I think even getting top four again would be a massive achievement for Newcastle. They will try to go as far as they can in the Champions League and maybe try to win one of the domestic cups.

I’m very excited about this game because for the first time in a very long time I think that this game is actually 50/50, I really believe either side could win. Normally every game you would go for Manchester City but I think Newcastle will make it a very tough game for them.

Sandro Tonali played very well against Aston Villa and for me he is a player that will keep growing and eventually he can become world class. I can see him scoring goals, he runs a lot and he is the perfect style of player for Eddie Howe so I think he can make a similar impact to Bruno Guimaraes when they signed him. Tonali is on another level and I really believe that he will be a world class player for Newcastle.

With both teams having so much quality and top strikers in Erling Haaland and Alexander Isak I hope that we will see goals. It think it will be a very close game but of course I have to edge slightly towards my former side so I think Newcastle will win the game 2-1.

 

Jamie O’Hara: Manchester City 2 – 2 Newcastle United 13/1

When you look at Manchester City’s team they’re a top side. They’ve got Erling Haaland, Phil Foden, Jack Grealish, Rodri, and so many more so they will obviously pose a big threat to Newcastle. I look at the Newcastle side and they’re now strong throughout the whole team, and Sandro Tonali, Bruno Guimaraes and Joelinton is one of the best midfields in the country.

They’ve also got Anthony Gordon who played well against Aston Villa and Alexander Isak up top. Isak is an unbelievable player, he’s so good that I think he could challenge Haaland for the Golden Boot, he’s got everything. He’s quick, strong, good in the air, he can hold it up, and he can finish. If Newcastle can keep him fit then he’s a world class player.

Its’s going to be a really tough game for both sides and I can see there being goals given the quality and goal-scoring efficiency of both teams. I think it will be a great game to watch and I can see a four-goal thriller that ends two-a-piece.

 

Premier League Matchweek 2 predictions

 

Nottingham Forest v Sheffield United (Friday, 19:45)

Jose Enrique: Draw 5/2

Jamie O’Hara: Nottingham Forest 22/25

 

Fulham v Brentford (Saturday, 15:00)

Jose Enrique: Brentford 17/10

Jamie O’Hara: Fulham 17/10

 

Liverpool v Bournemouth (Saturday, 15:00)

Jose Enrique: Liverpool 1/4

Jamie O’Hara: Liverpool 1/4

 

Wolves v Brighton (Saturday, 15:00)

Jose Enrique: Draw 11/4

Jamie O’Hara: Draw 11/4

 

Tottenham v Manchester United (Saturday, 17:30)

Jose Enrique: Draw 27/10

Jamie O’Hara: Tottenham 39/20

 

Manchester City v Newcastle United (Saturday, 20:00)

Jose Enrique: Newcastle 23/5

Jamie O’Hara: Draw 16/5

 

Aston Villa v Everton (Sunday, 14:00)

Jose Enrique: Aston Villa 4/6

Jamie O’Hara: Aston Villa 4/6

 

West Ham v Chelsea (Sunday, 16:30)

Jose Enrique: Chelsea 19/20

Jamie O’Hara: Draw 13/5

 

Crystal Palace v Arsenal (Monday, 20:00)

Jose Enrique: Arsenal 11/20

Jamie O’Hara: Crystal Palace 11/2

 

Target 21

Target 21 is Grosvenor Sport’s exciting Free to Play game where you can earn prizes for predicting how many times teams will score within your favourite sports, with a chance to win a share of £2,000.

With game rounds running for football and NFL, you will have plenty of chances to earn Free Bets, Boost Tokens and even Cash Prizes with Target 21.

This week Jamie challenged Jose on their new show to attempt to choose seven of the weekend’s matches from across the leagues for which the total number of goals scored will add up to 21….

Jose’s selections:

Liverpool v Bournemouth

Wolves v Brighton

Manchester City v Newcastle

Aston Villa v Everton

West Ham v Chelsea

Leicester v Cardiff

Blackburn v Hull

 

Watch Jose’s selection below, as well as everything else that Jamie and Jose discussed, and find out more about Target 21 here.

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Casinо Sanremo ▶️ A Must-Visit Destination for Gambling Enthusiasts

Sanremo, Italy – the City of Flowers

City of Sanremo, Italy

Nestled on the stunning Italian Riviera, Sanremo is a captivating coastal destination known as the City of Flowers for its blooming, lush gardens. With its picturesque landscapes, mild climate, and rich cultural heritage, Sanremo offers a delightful blend of natural beauty, vibrant culture, and historical charm that allures visitors from around the world.

The city’s seaside promenade, lined with elegant palm trees, offers the perfect setting for leisurely strolls along the Mediterranean Sea. Sanremo is also home to beautiful sandy and pebble beaches, making it an idyllic venue for relaxation and water activities.

Casino Sanremo is known as one of the city’s iconic landmarks and also one of Europe’s most prestigious casinos, offering unforgettable gambling experiences. Another great asset of the city is the Old Town, known as La Pigna.

With its narrow streets, lined with charming shops, local crafts, and beautiful squares, exploring Sanremo’s Old Town is like stepping back in time. Apart from that, the city’s scenic coastal roads and hilly terrain make it a paradise for cyclists.

Indeed, over the years, Sanremo has hosted prestigious cycling events, including the legendary Milan-Sanremo bicycle race, attracting cycling enthusiasts from all over the world. The city of flowers also hosts an annual Flower Festival in the winter, where floral displays and vibrant parades showcase its devotion to botanical beauty.

On top of that, the popular Sanremo Music Festival, which has been held every year since 1951, is a significant event in the music scene. This festival serves as a platform where emerging talents and internationally acclaimed musicians compete in a music contest.

Overall, with its floral charm, rich cultural heritage, and captivating atmosphere, Sanremo is a unique and unforgettable destination for visitors. Whether you’re a nature lover, a casino enthusiast, or simply seeking a charming seaside escape, Sanremo has something to offer everyone.

Glamour Through the Ages: Tracing the History of Casinо Sanremo

Casino Sanremo boasts a rich history that dates back over a century. Founded in 1905, the casino was designed to be a luxurious entertainment venue for the elite. This vision belonged to the French entrepreneur Zozime du Monêt, who aimed to create a sophisticated gambling destination that would rival the finest casinos in Europe.

The Sanremo casino’s stunning building, designed by architect Eugenio Ferret, presents a beautiful blend of Art Nouveau and Belle Époque styles, radiating elegance and grandeur.

Throughout the years, Sanremo Casino has changed hands several times, attracting prominent owners and investors. Notably, the casino was acquired by the City of Sanremo in 1927, securing its status as a cultural and economic landmark.

Over time, the venue has undergone numerous renovations and expansions, adapting to the evolving tastes and demands of its clientele. Overall, during its illustrious history, Casino Sanremo has become synonymous with glamour and entertainment.

Indeed, it has attracted an array of notable guests, including celebrities, aristocrats, and even royalty. Despite facing challenges such as the impact of World War II and changing gambling regulations, Sanremo Casino has persevered and continued to enchant guests with its timeless allure.

Today, it stands as a cherished institution, still owned by the City of Sanremo and operated by the Sanremo Casino Corporation. Overall, the gaming venue still continues to embody the spirit of sophistication and elegance, but also thrilling entertainment to all who visit its halls.

Casinо Sanremo – Majestic Halls and Dazzling Games

Roulette Table Felt Close-Up

With its diverse range of rooms and halls, each exuding its unique charm and ambience, the Sanremo Casino provides an array of gaming options for visitors to enjoy.

From the lively Main Hall filled with slot machines and electronic roulette terminals to the elegant Mezzanine and Mezzanine Hall hosting traditional table games, every corner of the casino invites excitement and entertainment.

Additionally, the Liberty Hall, Gio Ponti Room, De Sanctis Room, Privè Room, and Privatissimo Room offer exclusive settings for players seeking a more refined gaming experience.

However, before we begin, it is important to also note that responsible gambling practices in Italy are strongly emphasised, with severe measures in place to promote player protection and prevent excessive gambling behaviour.

Now, stay tuned, because next in this blog, we’re going to discuss the captivating interior, the available games, and the thrilling atmosphere that Sanremo Casino has to offer.

The Casinо Sanremo Game Rooms

Casino Sanremo, renowned for its elegance, boasts several exquisite rooms and halls. The opulent Main Hall welcomes visitors with classic table games, while the vibrant gaming area for slots houses an array of modern and traditional slot machines. Additionally, the sophisticated Poker Room hosts thrilling tournaments for poker enthusiasts. Let’s explore each room and its unique offerings:

Main Hall

The Main Hall serves as the heart of the Sanremo Casino. It features a splendid array of gaming options, including an assortment of slot machines, electronic roulette terminals, and video poker games.

Casinо Sanremo Slot Machines

Mezzanine

The Mezzanine provides a more intimate gaming environment. It offers a mix of traditional table games such as blackjack, roulette, and punto banco. With its refined décor and comfortable seating, the Mezzanine is an ideal spot to immerse yourself in classic casino gaming.

Mezzanine Hall

Adjacent to the Mezzanine, the Mezzanine Hall hosts an additional selection of slot machines, allowing guests to explore a variety of captivating themes and game features in a vibrant atmosphere.

Liberty Hall (Sala Cinquecento)

The Liberty Hall, or Sala Cinquecento, at Casino Sanremo, offers a delightful array of classic table games for players to enjoy. With the room’s breathtaking fireplace and elegant architecture as a backdrop, players can enjoy games such as Casino Sanremo poker, blackjack, roulette, and baccarat.

Whether you’re a seasoned player or a beginner, the Liberty Hall provides a sophisticated and captivating atmosphere for an unforgettable gaming experience while admiring the grandeur of the room’s ornate fireplace and elegant architecture.

Gio Ponti Room

The Gio Ponti Room at Casino Sanremo is a distinguished space dedicated to high-stakes gaming. Named after the renowned Italian architect, it offers an exclusive and upscale environment for discerning players.

Inside the Gio Ponti Room, you can find a selection of premium table games, including Casino Sanremo poker, blackjack, roulette, and baccarat. The room’s elegant design and sophisticated ambience create the perfect atmosphere for an exceptional gaming experience.

De Sanctis Room

The De Sanctis Room provides a sophisticated ambience for those particularly seeking a luxurious gaming experience. It offers a selection of table games, with a focus on blackjack and roulette. Moreover, the room’s refined décor and attentive service create an exclusive atmosphere that allures the guests.

Sanremo Casino Blackjack

Privè Room

The Privè Room is designed to provide a luxurious and private gaming experience for VIP guests. It offers a selection of high-limit tables, allowing players to enjoy their favourite games with higher stakes.

The room provides personalised service and creates an intimate atmosphere, ensuring exclusivity and privacy for discerning players. Ultimately, with its elegant setting and exclusive offerings, the Privè Room offers a first-class gaming experience.

Privatissimo Room

The Privatissimo Room is the epitome of exclusivity at Casino Sanremo. Reserved for the most esteemed clientele, it provides a secluded and opulent gaming environment, featuring high-stakes tables and impeccable service.

🏛️ The Casinо Sanremo Game Rooms 🎲 Games & Amenities:
🚪 The Main Hall 🎰 Slot Machines
🚪 The Mezzanine 🎰 Slot Machines Bar
🚪 The Mezzanine Hall 🎰 Slot Machines
🚪 The Liberty Hall / Sala Cinquecento (the Fireplace Room) 🎰 Slot Machines
🚬 Smoking Room
🎭 Liberty Theatre
🚪 The Gio Ponti Room 🏆 Game Tournaments
🚪 The De Sanctis Room ♣️ Table Games
🚪 The Privè Room 📍️ Large National Tournaments
🌎 International Tournaments
🔒 Private Events
🚪 The Privatissimo Room 📍️ Large National Tournaments
🌎 International Tournaments
🔒 Private Events

All in all, the interior of Casino Sanremo is a harmonious blend of classic and contemporary elements. From the ornate detailing in the Liberty Hall to the modern elegance of the Privè Room, each space is thoughtfully designed to create a unique atmosphere that enhances the overall gaming experience.

Casino Sanremo Slots

In terms of the available games, Casino Sanremo offers a well-diversified range of gaming options. Visitors can enjoy an ample selection of slot machines with various themes and features, as well as classic table games like blackjack, roulette, punto banco, and more.

Last but not least, the casino delivers to players of different preferences and skill levels, ensuring an enjoyable and immersive gaming experience for everyone.

Casino Sanremo Dress Code

The Casino Sanremo dress code is required to maintain an elegant and sophisticated atmosphere. The general condition is that guests are dressed smartly and appropriately.

For men, this typically means wearing a suit or a sports jacket paired with trousers and a collared shirt. Women are expected to dress in formal or cocktail attire. It is advisable to avoid wearing casual clothing such as shorts, flip-flops, and sportswear.

After all, adhering to the Casino Sanremo dress code adds to the ambience of the casino and enhances the experience for its visitors.

At Sanremo Casino, players can take advantage of a variety of thrilling promotions that would add extra excitement to their gaming adventures. One of the highlights is the “Casino Cards” program, which rewards players with various benefits, such as special discounts, personalised services, and invitations to exclusive events.

In addition to that, Casino Sanremo regularly hosts competitions and tournaments that offer players the chance to showcase their skills and compete for enticing prizes. These events attract both seasoned players and newcomers, creating a vibrant atmosphere filled with friendly competition.

Casino Sanremo Poker Competitions

Whether it’s a thrilling poker tournament or an exhilarating blackjack challenge, these competitions bring out the best in players and keep the excitement levels high. Additionally, Casino Sanremo often introduces special promotions tied to specific occasions or holidays.

They can range from themed events with unique games and entertainment to exclusive offers and bonuses. Such promotions not only enhance the overall casino experience but also provide an opportunity for players to maximise their winnings and enjoy memorable moments.

In conclusion, the diverse range of promotions at Sanremo Casino ensure that every visit is filled with excitement, rewards, and endless possibilities. Whether you’re a regular visitor or a first-time guest, these perks would add an extra layer of enjoyment to your gaming journey.

Casinо Sanremo Online – A Virtual World of Excitement

Casino Sanremo extends its gaming offerings also to the online realm, providing players with a cutting-edge digital platform. It is accessible through the casino’s official website, where players can easily register and create an account to get started.

As for game availability, the Casino Sanremo online platform boasts a wide selection of casino games in various categories. Players can explore an extensive collection of online slots, featuring popular titles, classic favourites, and exciting new releases from renowned software providers.

Additionally, fans of table games will find an impressive array of options, including classic blackjack, thrilling roulette titles, poker variations, and more. The Casino Sanremo online platform also embraces the trend of live dealer games, where players can engage in real-time gaming sessions with professional dealers via high-quality video streaming.

This feature enhances the authentic casino atmosphere, making players feel as if they are sitting at the actual gaming tables. Besides that, in order to ensure a safe and secure gaming environment, the Casino Sanremo online platform employs advanced security measures, including encryption technology and strict data protection protocols.

Players can confidently enjoy their dearest titles, knowing that their personal information and transactions are safe. Last but not least, the online gaming platform offers convenient and reliable banking options, allowing players to deposit and withdraw funds with ease.

Of course, customer support is also readily available to address any queries or concerns that players may have, ensuring a smooth and hassle-free gaming experience.

Meanwhile, for those who would like to dive deeper into this digital world of gaming, check out our Italy online casino guide for 2023 that will tell you all you need to know about the industry.

The Grand Stage of Casinо Sanremo: An Extravagant Theatre

The Casinо Sanremo Theatre

The Casinо Sanremo Theatre, also known as the Liberty Theatre, is an iconic cultural venue within the casino complex. The theatre boasts a rich history, dating back to its inauguration in 1905. Over the years, it has been and still is a stage for various artistic performances, showcasing an eclectic range of shows and events.

With its stunning architectural design and ornate décor, it provides a charming and elegant setting for audiences to indulge in amazing performances. In addition to that, it certainly adds a great touch of entertainment and sophistication to the overall casino experience.

From theatrical plays and musical concerts to dance recitals and comedy shows, the theatre offers a diverse program to fit different artistic tastes. Furthermore, the acoustics and seating arrangement ensure an immersive experience for its guests.

Whether you are a fan of classical music, a theatre enthusiast, or simply seeking a memorable evening of entertainment, a visit to the Casino Sanremo Theatre is a must.

Casinо Sanremo Restaurants & Bars: Exquisite Cuisine and Drinks

Casinо Sanremo Restaurants

Casinо Sanremo boasts an impressive selection of restaurants and bars, ensuring its guests get to enjoy delightful culinary experiences within its splendid setting. One of the highlights is the elegant Roof Garden, which offers panoramic views of the sea and the city, providing the perfect background for a romantic dining experience.

At Roof Garden, you can try a selection of gourmet dishes prepared with locally sourced ingredients, expertly crafted by talented chefs. From traditional Italian specialities to international fusion cuisine, the restaurant promises a delightful culinary journey.

For more casual dinners, the Bistrot del Casino offers a laid-back atmosphere and a diverse menu of Mediterranean-inspired dishes. It’s an ideal spot for a quick bite or a leisurely meal before or after gaming sessions.

Those seeking a touch of luxury would surely like the Sanremo Casino’s Ristorante Biribissi, renowned for its refined gourmet creations and impeccable service. What’s more, the restaurant’s exquisite cuisine is complemented by an extensive wine list, featuring some of the finest Italian and international labels.

Moreover, the Casino Sanremo features several bars, such as the Caffè del Teatro and the Liberty Bar, where visitors can unwind with a refreshing cocktail or a hot beverage in an elegant setting. These bars serve as charming meeting places, where guests can socialise and entirely soak in the casino’s vibe.

Casinо Sanremo: Important Info & Interesting Facts

This last paragraph of our blog is dedicated to the several interesting facts we found out about Sanremo Casino while talking to locals, during our stay. We are certainly going to discuss those right away, but before that, there’s something else we would like to mention.

In case you’re planning on visiting the venue, keep in mind that even though the Sanremo casino hours may vary a little, it should be open every day from 10:00 to 2:30.
However, for the most up-to-date info, you can check the Casino Sanremo’s official website or contact the casino directly by referring to the table below:

  • 🕙 Hours: Mon: 10:00 – 2:30
    Tue: 10:00 – 2:30
    Wed: 10:00 – 2:30
    Thu: 10:00 – 2:30
    Fri: 10:00 – 3:00
    Sat: 10:00 – 3:30
    Sun: 10:00 – 2:30
  • 🗺️ Address: Corso degli Inglesi, 18, Sanremo IM, Italy
  • 📱 Phone: +39 0184 5951
  • 📧 Email: [email protected]
  • 🌐 Website: www.casinosanremo.it

Now, going back to the subject of Casinо Sanremo’s hidden gems, here are the few interesting facts we heard about the popular venue that we would like to share with our readers:

Casino Sanremo’s captivating allure has attracted the attention of the film industry, making it a sought-after filming location. Carlo Dapporto performed his famous ‘Riviera Folies’ shows at the old Sanremo Ballroom, which then toured across Italy and Europe.

Edoardo and Peppino De Filippo, acclaimed actors, were frequent guests who enjoyed the games and entertained the audience at the Teatro della Casa.

The casino’s walls have witnessed encounters with notable figures such as Vittorio De Sica, King Gustav of Sweden, King Leopold of Belgium, Ranieri and Grace of Monaco, and even King Faruk, who visited the casino’s green tables daily and declared himself the “fourth king” during a Casino Sanremo poker game.

The gaming venue also houses artistic treasures, including a remarkable bronze sculpture called ‘The Fisherman’ by Vincenzo Gemito. The sculpture depicts a young man dislodging a fish from his hook with exceptional realism, capturing the carefree spirit and anatomical details.

Last but not least, the iconic Casino Sanremo served as the inspiration for the fictional casino in Ian Fleming’s renowned novel, ‘Casino Royale’. In fact, Fleming found inspiration during his visits to this splendid venue while residing in the nearby town of Ventimiglia.

References

FAQ

Finally, having come to the end of this article dedicated to the iconic Casino Sanremo, this final section will introduce you to the most commonly asked questions we received on the topic. Of course, we have taken the time to answer these inquiries in the most clear and brief way possible, so make sure you check them out.

Where is Casino Sanremo located?

Casino Sanremo is located in the city of Sanremo, Italy, also known as the city of flowers. Specifically, the gaming venue is situated on the Italian Riviera, along the coast of the Ligurian Sea. The exact address of the casino is Corso degli Inglesi, 18, 18038 Sanremo IM, Italy.

What is the Casino Sanremo dress code?

The Casinо Sanremo dress code requires its visitors to dress elegantly and appropriately. While formal attire is not mandatory, it is recommended to wear smart-casual clothing. Moreover, sportswear, beachwear, and overly casual clothing or footwear such as shorts or flip-flops will not be permitted in the casino.

What are the Casinо Sanremo working hours?

As already mentioned, the Casino Sanremo hours are not fixed for the whole week, but generally, the venue is always open from 10:00 – 2:30. For precise working hours and further info on the popular gaming venue, check out the paragraph above on important info and interesting facts about the Sanremo Casino.

Can I gamble at Casino Sanremo?

Yes, to play at Casino Sanremo, visitors must be at least 18 years old and present a valid identification document. In terms of game variety and choice, the Sanremo Casino offers a wide range of options, including slots, table games, poker, and more, providing an exceptional gaming experience to its guests.

Can you book Casino Sanremo for private events?

Yes, some of the Casinо Sanremo rooms can be booked for private events. Specific halls, such as the Privè Room and the Privatissimo Room, are usually available for private gatherings, or special occasions. Indeed, these exclusive spaces have hosted innumerable special events and can provide a unique and elegant setting for various private occasions.

Poker End Bosses Abandon GTO? ($26,229 Pot Analysis)

This high stakes cash game hand is anything but standard.

The players are two absolute crushers — Nacho124441 and DavyJones922* — battling in a $50/$100 game on PokerStars.

*I couldn’t find a photo of DavyJones922, so I used an artist’s depiction of Davy Jones from the Pirates of the Carribean movies. Credit to Evgen Karpenko.

Spoiler alert: GTO plays get thrown out of the window in this hand!

Let’s jump into the action!

Preflop Action

DavyJones raises to $250 from the Button with . Nacho calls from the Big Blind with .

Effective stacks are about $13,000 (130 big blinds).

Preflop Analysis

DavyJones makes the correct decision to raise with . His Button raising range should include around the top 40-45% of all starting hands, which all suited Aces are comfortably part of. His sizing of 2.5bb is also perfect as it puts a lot of the Big Blind’s hands in a difficult spot.

From the Big Blind facing a 2.5x open raise, Nacho should defend with roughly the top 55-60% of hands. Around 11-12% of those hands should be defending by 3-betting. is a must-defend in this scenario and calling is the preferred move.

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Flop Action

The flop comes . The pot is $550.

Nacho checks. DavyJones bets $164. Nacho raises to $601. DavyJones 3-bets to $1,650. Nacho calls.

Flop Analysis

This Ace-high flop is very good for DavyJones’ range and also his hand as he flops top two pair. He has the advantage with strong top pairs and he can also have top set with Pocket Aces, which Nacho can’t have. When this is the case, a high c-bet frequency using a small bet size is optimal.

A small sizing strategy will allow DavyJones to capitalize on the vast amount of totally whiffed hands that Nacho has in his range, while still retaining the ability to get the entire stack in on the river.

Against such a strategy on this type of flop, a polarized check-raising strategy is optimal as the Big Blind. While it is true that DavyJones has a lot of air in his range, he also retains the nut advantage.

For this reason, Nacho should check-raise bigger (75% of the pot instead of 50%). He should do this with hands that are strong enough to do so, focusing more on getting value than on denying equity. This is even more incentivized on a board that has a lot of gutshot straight draws and flush draws that will change the nuts on future streets.

Nacho’s exact hand of doesn’t fit into a polarized check-raising range, though it does have some good raising properties. His hand does benefit from denying equity (by getting hands like to fold) and he has the highest possible diamond on a two diamond board, which could come in handy should another diamond fall on the turn and/or river.

I’m sure Nacho has a good reason in mind when he made this check-raise, but it is the first non-standard play in the hand. Davy Jones responds with a non-standard play of his own.

Against this strategy, DavyJones should only have a calling range, despite having such a strong hand with his two pair. Interestingly, he decides to 3-bet. This could mean one of the following:

  • He thinks Nacho is check-raising too many draws. Thus, he is incentivized to attempt to extract value from them.
  • He thinks Nacho is check-raising too many middling hands such as , , , etc. Thus, he can extract value from them.
  • He thinks Nacho is going to 4-bet him too aggressively. Thus, he is attempting to induce too many bluffs from hands such as flush draws.
  • He simply made a mistake.

Given that DavyJones is one of the top 10 regs currently in No Limit Hold’Em, the chance of him making a mistake on the flop is extremely low. Thus, chances are that it’s one or more of the previous points.

Against a 3-bet, Nacho should be defending with his hand at equilibrium, blocking both and Pocket Eights. It’s not that this hand is very good, it’s that the pot odds are enticing. Nacho only needs to win the pot ~28% of the time to break even.

Other hands that he should be defending with are flush draws and gutshots with a backdoor flush draw.

He also has the option to 4-bet, looking to fold out some Ace-King and Ace-Queen with no diamond as he blocks some nut flush draws.

Turn Action

The turn comes the , making the board . The pot is $3,850.

Nacho checks. DavyJones bets $2,885. Nacho calls.

Turn Analysis

This turn completes the and in Nacho’s range to a straight. Plus, his hands like , , improve to combo draws. Meanwhile, this card does almost nothing for DavyJones’ range — i.e. he probably wouldn’t 3-bet on the flop with any hand that hits the on the turn.

A donk bet strategy could be implemented here to punish all the thin value 3-bets from the flop. Having said that, K8-offsuit would never be included in such a strategy. Nacho makes the right play here by checking.

DavyJones’s barrel is very good. He has a strong value hand that wants to extract money from hands such as combo draws and pair plus flush draws.

Nacho should always be folding now. His hand is way too weak against DavyJones’ likely range. Even if he does have the best hand, it will be tough for him to realize all of his equity since he’s quite likely to face a river bet that he can’t possibly call with middle pair.

River Action

The river is the , making the final board . The pot is $9,620.

Nacho checks. DavyJones goes all-in for $8,304. Nacho calls.

River Analysis

The river is a blank that helps DavyJones’ range as all of Nacho’s draws have missed.

His check is the best decision now despite the fact that he rivered two pair. But he shouldn’t even be in this spot.

DavyJones’ shove is likely too thin. The only way this shove can be good is if he thinks Nacho:

  • Has raised or donk-bet all of his Pocket Eights and Pocket Fours on the flop or the turn and is now left with a capped range
  • Will bluff-catch too wide here with hands such as , ,

That being said, Nacho makes a very bad call with his middling two pair. It’s easy to get fooled by the absolute strength of the hand here but in reality, while he is blocking and , his hand is a pure bluff-catcher.

What do you think of the play in this hand?

Let me know in the comments below.

I hope you enjoyed this breakdown!

If you want more, scroll down to related articles and pick another hand analysis. We’ve done around 100 such articles on Upswing Poker so you’ve got plenty to choose from.

Till’ next time, good luck, grinders!

If you want in-depth lessons from Tim, plus the chance to watch him play and explain his strategy, join the Upswing Lab training course! Tim has created 3 modules exclusively for Lab members with many more on the way. Add expert strategies to your game today!

UK PRS market set for strong growth in 2024, fuelled by DCB use in TV and entertainment services

The UK’s phone paid services market is expected to grow to £619m in 2023 and 2024 driven by further increases in consumer spending through operator billing (+9.1% year-on-year), and charity donations (+15.8%), with the return of the Stand Up to Cancer telethon expected to generate increased donations.

 User spending via premium SMS will be very similar to spending in 2022-2023 (–0.1%), and all other payment channels will decline in comparison with 2022–2023 because online platforms and digital payment mechanisms will continue to divert payments from phone-paid services.

According to predictions in the latest industry report by Analysis Mason for the Phone-Paid Services Authority (PSA) – the industry’s regulator in the UK – spending on operator billing will reach £321.0 million (+9.1% year-on-year), maintaining its position as the largest phone-paid services payment channel. By 2023–2024, the report says it expects operator billing will account for more than half of all payments made on phone-paid service channels (51.9%, up from 49.6% in 2022–2023).

Premium SMS spending is expected to remain relatively steady in 2023-2024, declining at a rate of 0.1% year-on-year to £188.5 million, significantly slower than in 2022–2023, when it was –3.5% year-on-year. The report forecasts that charity donations will grow by 15.8% year-on-year to reach £41.6 million in 2023–2024, but consumer spending via all other payment channels will decline.

The market share of voice 09, 118 and 087 numbers combined with voice short codes will fall from 12.6% in 2022–2023 to an estimated 11.0% in 2023–2024.

TV to drive DCB use

The largest segment for DCB spend will come from TV and entertainment, just ahead of that of games, which dominated DCB spend in 2022-23. Consumer spending on TV and radio engagement will increase by £1.8 million. This is because competitions will be run all year in contrast to the interruptions in fundraising during September 2022 as a result of a two-week break from competitions due to national mourning, and the subsequent halting of momentum, says the report.

However, declining TV viewership and the ongoing transition of radio and TV broadcast competitions to online platforms will slightly reduce the scale of this increase. Industry stakeholders expect this year’s trend of growing radio listenership to continue, but they also reported radio broadcasters’ plans to grow their online platforms, which will divert consumer spend away from phone-paid services and towards other payment mechanisms.

Spending on games is expected to increase by £19.9 million to a total of £162.3 million. The main drivers of this expected growth are the continued growth of in the number of games and the increasing acceptance of operator billing as a payment method for these services. The growth rate in 2023–2024 will be lower than in 2022–2023 when new and existing partnerships between Apple and operators (including Vodafone and Three) helped to drive growth.

However, these partnerships will remain a key contributor to the expected growth next year, as industry stakeholders expect to see an increasing number of consumers paying for games through Apple’s App Store using operator billing. Industry stakeholders also mentioned in interviews that one-off payments for gaming subscriptions will become a key growth area.

User spending on entertainment services will grow by £3.6 million. This forecasted increase is driven by anticipated new partnerships between video-on-demand providers and operators. These agreements are likely to emerge as intensifying competition in the video streaming market will incentivise market players to expand the range of payment mechanisms that they offer subscribers.

Similarly, to games, service providers will focus on increasing the number of subscriptions that can be taken using one-off payments. One operator mentioned that they will continue to bundle streaming services in an attempt to increase revenue.

Spending on all other services, including assistance services, betting, gambling and lotteries, sexual entertainment and personal and relationship services, will decline by £8.7 million. Within these services, assistance services are expected to decline by £4.4 million, a continuation of previous trends. Betting, gambling and lotteries are expected to remain more or less static, with a £0.3 million decline in end-user spending forecast. This can be explained by the limited appetite from merchants, service providers and operators to onboard and promote gambling services due to the PSD2 spending limitation and other perceived regulatory pressures. Personal and relationship services and sexual entertainment services are expected to decline by £0.7 million each, as the use of these legacy services gradually erodes in favour of online platforms.

Beyond 2024

The study takes a look ahead to how the market in the UK may shape up beyond 2024 and offers some encouraging predictions. The report says: “We forecast that between 2022–2023 and 2025–2026, the phone-paid services market will grow at a CAGR of 2.8% to reach £644.5 million in user spending by the end of the forecast period. Steady growth in operator billing and biannual growth in charity donations will drive this overall increase, with the former due to continued increases in consumer spending on games and the latter due to growing donations following the alleviation of the cost-of-living crisis. Spending via all other payment mechanisms will continue to decline, as legacy services reach their core user bases and TV and radio broadcast competitions move to online platforms.”

The study predicts that operator billing will remain the largest phone-paid service spending channel, growing to account for 54.4% (or £340.0 million) of total user spending in 2024–2025 and 55.1% (£355.0 million) of total spending in 2025– 2026. The proportion of phone-paid service spending via premium SMS will, however, decrease annually to 29.9% (£186.6 million) of total spending in 2024–2025 and 28.6% (£184.6 million) in 2025–2026.

All other payment channels will see reduced consumer spending between 2022–2023 and 2025–2026, except charity donations which will increase every other year (as discussed in Section 6.1 above). Voice-based payment channels will account for 10.0% of the phone-paid services market in 2024–2025 and 9.1% in 2025–2026. Figure 6.2 provides a breakdown of consumer spending by payment channel.

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Meet GGPoker’s New Ambassador: Influencer True Geordie

GGPoker recently signed a new poker ambassador, the controversial influencer True Geordie. We look at the brand’s ambassadors and their histories in poker.

The online poker world is full of competition, not just between players but also between different poker rooms. GGPoker is establishing its position as one of the top dogs, even over PokerStars, which for years was regarded as the best poker brand globally. As such, it should be no surprise that GGPoker signed Briand “True Geordie” Davis, an influencer previously affiliated with PokerStars, onto their team.

True Geordie, a popular poker YouTuber and podcast celebrity interviewer, will now act as the face of the brand’s online poker room, whether in the online or live spheres. This partnership promises more media coverage and an increased presence on social media for GGPoker, which is only beneficial for their journey to the top.

 

GGPoker has announced that part of the deal is that UK and Irish players can participate in a weekly freeroll event on Thursdays. Davis will participate in these tournaments, and players can win $1,000 prize pools and claim the bounty on Davis’ head. Davis will also have a meet and greet for his fans at the WSOP Circuit in London, where he’ll wear the GGPoker patch for the first time. 

Davis’ Influence and Controversy

Davis originally partnered with PokerStars in 2020, but after two years, the brand terminated the contract due to Islamophobic slurs Davis made against Andrew Tate. However, Davis has since apologized stating that he “never for one second, though someone would take offense to something so silly.” In terms of the word silly Davis said that he meant the statement he made, while acknowledging it was in bad taste, was something he considered so ridiculous it could never be true.

 

GGPoker Grows Ever Bigger

 

As GGPoker increases its media presence and client base, it has always been bold in using the best resources possible, even if those resources partnered with other poker brands previously. GGPoker has never shied away from collaborating with controversial figures, so it’s no surprise they are often successful in recruiting ambassadors from other poker rooms.

 

The History of GGPoker’s Ambassadors

 

Below, we list the GGPoker ambassadors that have previously represented other poker rooms.

 

 

How to Play the Best Poker

If you wish to try out GGPoker and play with its new ambassador, then RakeRace.com is a good option for finding exclusive monthly poker deals. Besides the excellent rake races and chases you can participate in, you can also now play online and live poker games with True Geordie at GGPoker.

10 Winning Tips for Online Poker

To help you get started down the right path of winning at online poker, we’ve devised some winning tips for online poker that are essential if you want to succeed in the digital poker space.

  • Start Off Slow
  • Have A Healthy Bankroll
  • Start With One Table
  • Remove All Distractions
  • Take Frequent Breaks
  • Learn The Math
  • Be More Aggressive
  • Don’t Bluff The Fish
  • Think In Ranges, Not Hands
  • Be Prepared To Lose
  • Have Fun

Start Off Slow

Slow sign on a highway

Many players start off at stakes that are way too high for their skill level. It’s important to know that $1/$2 online is light years away from $1/$2 live; even if you’re a winning player in your casino’s $1/$2 game, you’ll find yourself getting crushed if you play $1/$2 online.

That’s why it’s important to start off at lower stakes when first playing online. Playing lower stakes means you’ll be up against a lot more recreational players, and you’ll be able to get a feel for how the game is played. While live and online poker are the same game, just through different mediums, people play them very differently. Live poker is a lot more passive, whereas online poker is far more aggressive, which can take a bit of getting used to.

Have A Healthy Bankroll

Poker chips on cash bills

When playing any form of poker it’s recommended that you have at least 30 buy-ins for your stake level in cash games, and at least 100 buy-ins for MTTs. However, this need is exacerbated when playing online, as the game moves a lot faster, meaning that you’re more likely to see big swings that could see you go broke if you’re not properly rolled.

This is part of the reason why we suggest starting off at small stakes – it’s much easier to find $300 to have 30 buy-ins at $0.05/$0.10 than it is to find $6000 to have 30 buy-ins at $1/$2.

Start With One Table

a single poker table without cards

Online poker is significantly faster-paced than live poker. While at a live poker table you may expect to get 20 hands an hour, at an online table you can easily get 3-4x that. If you’re playing a fast-fold version of poker, it’s common for people to play 200 hands an hour – that’s ten times as many hands as you get playing live!

It’s tempting to load up as many tables as possible now that you’re finally able to play more than one at a time, but we’d recommend against doing that until you’re comfortable at your stake level. Playing 3-4x the number of hands you usually play can take some adjusting, so start with one table until you’re comfortable with the pace of online poker.

Remove All Distractions

focus in red among a bunch of blurry words

Playing online poker requires a lot of concentration, as you’re constantly being dealt hands and being forced to make decisions. If you’re sat there scrolling through Instagram while your favorite TV show is on in the background, it’s going to be hard to make optimal decisions.

That’s why we recommend removing all distractions from your playing area while you play. Put your phone on silent, turn off the TV, and focus on the game. You’ll be surprised at how much your game improves when you’re able to give your sole focus to the task at hand.

Take Frequent Breaks

Woman eating lunch and taking a break

One of the reasons people surround themselves with distractions is that it’s hard to keep focusing on one task for a significant amount of time; therefore, by having distractions nearby, people give themselves mini-breaks from the game to reset their focus. However, in practice, this doesn’t work, as the distractions become too enticing, and take focus away from your game.

Not only that, but online poker is an intense game with a lot of swings that can be tough for some people to handle. It’s incredibly common for players to log on and be down a couple of buy-ins within the first 2-3 minutes of playing. This is part of the reason why it’s so easy to tilt when playing online poker.

If you’re prone to tilting or losing focus while you play, we recommend taking frequent breaks during your sessions. This allows you to reset your focus, check your phone, de-tilt, and then come back to the game ready to play.

Learn The Math

woman standing at a chalkboard preparing to do math

Yes, we know it’s boring, but math is a vital part of poker, and you won’t be a winning player until you can do it backwards, forwards, and upside down. You should have a complete understanding of poker odds, outs, pot odds, minimum defense frequencies, and general poker probabilities – and know how to use them in-game.

Without understanding the math, you’re unable to know whether a play you’re making is profitable or not. “Should you draw to this flush?” “Is your hand a favorite against your opponent?” “What are the odds you’ll improve on the river?” These are questions that any winning poker player should be able to answer, and without knowing the math, you won’t be able to.

Be More Aggressive

Man in suit holding up gun after playing poker

A trademark of every winning online poker player is that they’re aggressive players. They don’t often take the passive route and are always betting and raising when they come into a pot. If you had to boil it down to a single attribute, aggression is the key factor that makes someone a winning player.

By being aggressive, you give yourself two chances to win the pot – either your opponent can fold, or you can win at showdown. If you play passively, you’re relying on having the best hand at showdown. While this can happen often if you play strong enough preflop ranges, it’s never a guarantee, and there will be long stretches where it seems impossible to win a hand at showdown.

This means we want to be aggressive preflop and postflop. We never want to open the pot with a limp, we want to 3bet and 4bet our opponents more, we want to be doing more continuation betting on the flop, and we want to be doing more raising when our opponents bet. A player who regularly does all of these things is a tough player to play against, as they’re always putting you under pressure and putting you to a decision.

So, if you want to become a winning poker player online, make sure you’re aggressive!

Don’t Bluff The Fish

someone bluffing with a 7 and 2

It may sound like simple advice, but you’d be surprised at how many people mess it up! Many recreational players are calling stations; players who will call down with a wide range of hands in the hopes that they’re good and to “see what you’ve got.” These people cannot be bullied off their hands, and they very rarely fold if they have a piece of the flop.

So, for the love of God, do not try to bluff them! These players are walking ATMs, and we want to be making withdrawals, not deposits. By all means, build the pot if you’ve got a big draw so you can make more money when you hit, but if you miss, save yourself the cash and just check – they weren’t going to fold anyway.

Think In Ranges, Not Hands

poker ranges

One of the biggest differences between a losing player and a winning player is that a winning player will think in terms of ranges, not in individual hands. Not too long ago, it would be common to hear people say “I put you on AK,” or, “I think she has 99.” This type of thinking is flawed and doesn’t take into account how people actually play.

For example, you’re first to act UTG, and you raise to 3bb in a cash game. If you’re a good player and not a complete nit, you’ll be doing this with more than one hand. You’ll be doing it with AA, KK, QQ, JJ, AK, AQ, AJs, and a number of other hands. Therefore it would be stupid of me to try and pinpoint what you have to a single hand, I should consider how to play against all the hands in your range.

Trying to put your opponent on a single hand is essentially guesswork, and while you might be right sometimes, most of the time you won’t be and will be making significant mistakes.

Train yourself to think in terms of ranges, and you’ll quickly see a vast improvement in your poker game.

Be Prepared To Lose

man with head down on poker table after losing hand

This is one that no one likes to hear, but it’s true nonetheless – get ready to lose. A lot. Online poker is a tough game, and even the winning players only win between 50-60% of their cash game sessions and only cash 15-20% of their tournaments. This means that winning players are still just less than half their cash game sessions, and only cashing one of every five tournaments!

The variance in online poker is much higher than it is in live poker, due to the increased number of hands you’re playing. This means that the swings are a lot more dramatic, and it’s common for players to go on 20, 30, or even 50 buy-in downswings during the course of their online career.

At some point, you will run worse than you ever thought possible, for longer than you ever thought possible – what matters is how you deal with it and how you bounce back from it.

Have Fun!

Emotional young man playing poker online

The most important part of playing online poker is to make sure you have fun! After all, what’s the point of becoming a winning poker player if you don’t enjoy playing the game? You should play and study poker for the enjoyment of the game, rather than any desire to get rich or make some fast cash.

If that’s your goal, you’ll soon find out why people say poker is a hard way to make an easy living!

If you enjoy yourself while at the poker table, you’ll always be a winning player.

Conclusion

In conclusion, mastering online poker demands dedication. By starting low, managing your bankroll, and embracing aggressive play, you’ll pave your path to victory. Stay focused, take breaks, and think in ranges, not hands. Remember, losses are part of the journey; resilience matters. Ultimately, prioritize enjoyment – the key to lasting success at the virtual felt.

FTX law firm facing lawsuit for helping the cryptocurrency exchange

Fenwick & West allegedly set up shell companies for the company, leading to a class-action suit

Fenwick & West LLP, former primary counsel for FTX, will be facing a class-action suit that claims the firm assisted the crypto exchange’s alleged multibillion-dollar fraud scheme. A group of FTX customers filed the suit in a California District Court on August 7, alleging the law firm established various “shadowy entities” permitting FTX co-founder Sam Bankman-Fried and other company executives to develop “creative but illegal strategies” to commit fraud.

The suit alleges that Fenwick & West delivered services to FTX that “went well beyond those a law firm should and usually does provide,” such as avoiding regulatory scrutiny with creative structuring of FTX US acquisitions and providing staff to execute those proposed strategies.

The “shadowy entities” named in the suit are North Dimension and North Wireless Dimension, which allegedly siphoned the misappropriated customer funds. The plaintiffs claim that Fenwick & West aided and abetted FTX’s fraud by deciding not to interfere with a series of misrepresentations allegedly made to customers by FTX.

According to the suit, the implied agreement between Fenwick & West, FTX US, and other FTX affiliates to deceive customers was something the law firm was attracted to because it “stood to gain financially” from the company’s alleged misconduct.

Former Alameda Research CEO Caroline Ellison, FTX co-founder Gary Wang, and former FTX engineering head Nishad Singh were named in the complaint along with Bankman-Fried as the four supposed FTX insiders.

According to a report from Reuters on June 21, Fenwick & West hired the services of law firm Gibson Dunn to aid with legal issues related to its alleged part in the FTX scheme. Bankman-Fried is facing 12 felony charges, including conspiracy, wire fraud, and money laundering. He remains under house arrest and is awaiting two criminal trials in October and March.

The Festival Series 2022 set to begin in Tallinn in June

The Festival in Tallinn

Malta – January 25th, 2022: The Festival Series Season 2022 is now set to begin in Tallinn, Estonia from June 27th – July 3rd, 2022, instead of Bratislava in March. The same games, the same concept and the same level of excitement and fun is guaranteed, just with a slight delay.

The decision comes following careful monitoring of the COVID situation across Europe, which sadly is still recording high numbers. And communicated since the inauguration of the series, player safety has always been the highest priority. Therefore, a COVID contingency plan was put into place from the start to protect our attendees and ensure that everyone who wants to play at our events has the option to travel to the location safely.

Players who have won packages for The Festival in Bratislava can be assured that they will roll over to the Tallinn stop. There will be no unusable tickets and no player will get left behind. This way, players can feel safer and more confident about attending the event.

The Festival Season 2022 will now kick off in summertime in the Estonian capital Tallinn. Venue will be the Olympic Park Casino next to the city centre.

“We want our first event in 2022 to be sensational” says Martin “Franke” von Zweigbergk, who is leading the event organization, “and we believe we can achieve this if we launch the Series at this slightly later date in Tallinn. The pandemic situation in Europe should be significantly better by Summer. After our successful first event last year it feels like a small eternity having to wait until June this year. However, we promise it will be worth the wait.” 

Now the full focus is shifting onto The Festival in Tallinn – set to be the first event of The Festival Series Season 2022 from June 27th – July 3rd, 2022. Preparations are in full swing with maximum effort to make this another memorable event after the fantastic inaugural event in Bratislava last year. More stops for The Festival Series will be announced in due course. 


About Acroud AB: ACROUD owns, operates and develops high-quality comparison sites, mainly in iGaming affiliation, for the purpose of helping our partners by channelling high-quality users to the Company’s customers – primarily iGaming operators. Through the sites, ACROUD generates high-quality users, primarily to global iGaming operators. The Company, which was founded in 2003, has just over 50 employees and is headquartered in Malta.

Memoir by SharmaJI – PokerGuru

Memoir by SharmaJI


Posted by Naman Sharma on 2023-04-04 at 7:56 PM

SharmaJI Blog

After busting two recently found bankrolls, I was sure I needed to do something differently (mostly bankroll management errors and skill overestimation). I consider myself one of those ‘feel-players’ who know very few technical details about the game, but my love for poker is such that I keep bouncing back somehow.

Working for PokerGuru and seeing the journey of numerous poker enthusiasts and pros, I’ve sometimes been envious and uncertain. However, it has also been one of my biggest motivations to persevere despite losing considerable money.

I was on top of the world after scoring a career-best payday (3rd in PokerStars India’s Master Minds [8-Max] for ₹89,125) in November 2022, and it was smooth sailing for some time. January and February were drastic months for me as one thing led to another, and I went bust before realizing it.

On the other hand, March was a harbinger of new opportunities. Although I have much to learn, I was asked to stream for PokerGuru under the ‘SharmaJI’ moniker, one of the most exciting challenges I’ve ever been issued.

On March 30, right after reaching the PokerGuru HQ, the usual work continued, with everyone pitching in for the Daily Majors report. I was writing about a few of the ongoing NPS and ITM events, wondering when I would get to take down an event.

Around 6 PM, I started grinding on PokerStars, playing the ₹375 buy-in, ₹50K GTD Super Stack PKO 8-Max. Only fifteen minutes into the event, I busted out once, and in hope and desperation, I fired my second bullet, which did the trick for me. Moving one step at a time, I was doing everything quite cautiously and built a decent stack before the close of late registration. The next step was to wait for the money bubble to burst, which was a task. Somehow, I reached the money and entered the final table as one of the shorter stacks.

Won PokerStars India's ₹50K GTD Super Stack PKO 8-Max
Won PokerStars India’s ₹50K GTD Super Stack PKO 8-Max

 

On the FT, I worked my way up before a misclick of folding pocket aces once. Lady luck smiled upon me, and I found a double-up with pocket jacks. The game continued, and at the time of three-handed play, I was again the shortest stack before jamming jack-eight suited (diamonds) from the button and finding a double-up from another runner who held ace-king suited (spades). After that, I had the chip lead; from then on, it seemed like a cakewalk. I eventually shipped the tournament for ₹12,154.

Got lucky with J8 of diamonds
Got lucky with J8 of diamonds

 

What made March 30 even more memorable was my getting to the final table of two more PokerStars India tourney’s ₹1 Lakh Gtd Ultrasonic (4th for ₹7,754) & Late Night Last Chance [Hyper-Turbo] (4th for ₹1,089).

This is a start, and I feel blessed to be part of a community that is so supportive when at the end of the day, we are all competing against each other at the tables.

Also, a big shoutout to all who have been tuning into my streams. I hope to see you all on my next stream very soon.

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l’influence du poker dans l’art

Le poker est devenu un jeu si populaire dans la culture de nombreux pays qu’il n’est pas surprenant qu’il soit capable d’exercer une influence sur une grande variété de disciplines et d’activités. Il est difficile de rencontrer quelqu’un sur cette planète qui n’aurait jamais entendu parler du poker ou même qui n’y aurait jamais joué ou du moins assisté à une partie au cours de sa vie. Et plus compliqué encore serait de trouver une personne qui n’aurait jamais vu quelque chose liée d’une manière ou d’une autre au poker. L’expansion du poker online et des tournois de poker en ligne a aussi eu son importance pour développer le poker et l’introduire dans les foyers d’un grand nombre de personnes.

Le plus étonnant est que les cartes ont réussi à trouver leur place jusque dans les œuvres d’art, et qu’elles ont eu une grande importance dans la carrière de certains peintres très connus et d’autres qui le sont un peu moins. Sans chercher bien loin, il suffit de citer le sévillan Diego Velázquez qui, au musée Dali de Figueres, dispose d’un hologramme d’une de ses œuvres représentant des joueurs assis autour d’une table et jouant au poker. Bien qu’il soit impossible d’y identifier les mains de poker de chacun des personnages, il paraît clair que le peintre espagnol a été marqué par ce jeu lors de son passage aux États-Unis où il s’imprégna de la culture de ce pays.

Passons maintenant du mondialement célèbre Velázquez à un qui l’était un peu moins : Cassius Marcellus Coolidge. L’artiste new-yorkais a dû suivre une route tortueuse avant de pouvoir se dédier entièrement à la peinture, mais il laissa en chemin une série de peintures merveilleuses appelées « Chiens jouant au poker ». Cet ensemble de toiles est sans aucun doute l’œuvre artistique la plus fameuse en relation avec le poker et, aussi bien aux Etats-Unis que dans le reste du monde, elle a eu de gigantesques répercussions. Il n’y aurait rien de surprenant à avoir chez soi une représentation d’un de ces tableaux, bien qu’ils datent déjà de plus d’un siècle.

Celui que l’on connaissait sous le surnom de « Cash » peignit ces tableaux en 1894, dans l’idée de représenter les goûts de la société nord-américaine de la fin du XIXème siècle et qui se poursuivront durant tout le XXème siècle. Le poker a fait forte impression dès son arrivée sur le nouveau continent, et c’est aux USA qu’il se convertit en une véritable religion, avec des hordes de joueurs talentueux essayant d’améliorer leurs capacités et leurs stratégies au Texas Hold’em. La variante la plus connue et la plus populaire de cette discipline n’est étrangement pas celle représentée dans les Chiens jouant au poker. Marcellus créa cette série de seize peintures, dont neuf sont à l’huile, pour la campagne publicitaire d’une marque de cigarettes.

Le Draw Poker est le protagoniste de cette série de toiles, un jeu appartenant à ces autres variantes de poker moins connues. Dans cette version, les joueurs disposent chacun de cinq cartes en main, et c’est avec celles-ci qu’ils devront réaliser la meilleure combinaison possible, à quelques subtilités près. C’est une manière de jouer qui est souvent considérée comme plus amateur et idéale pour les joueurs ne maîtrisant pas encore tous les codes du Texas Hold’em et du poker en général. C’est une façon d’apprendre à jouer au poker assez basique avant de passer ensuite à des tactiques plus élaborées.

Dans le tableau « A Bold Bluff », nous voyons comment un des chiens mise une grande quantité de jetons alors qu’il ne dispose que d’une paire de 2 tandis que le reste des convives le regardent avec incrédulité. Dans celui intitulé « Waterloo », nous pouvons voir comment un des chiens est anéanti de découvrir qu’il aurait pu gagner la partie avec sa main s’il ne s’était pas couché juste avant. Et dans « A Friend in Need », nous observons un bouledogue donnant sous la table un As au chien à ses côtés afin de compléter son carré d’As, la représentation-même de la triche (première image).

Le carré d’As apparaît aussi dans « Pinched with Four Aces » quand un des chiens, détenteur de ce carré, parvient à en battre un autre qui semble alors se retirer de son siège. Et sans aucun doute les plus sérieux, dans cette série qui a plutôt tendance à tendre vers le comique, sont « Poker Sympathy » et « Stranger in Camp » où nous voyons comment un carré d’As est neutralisé par la quinte flush de son adversaire (image ci-dessus). Tout comme « His Station and Four Aces » où tous les chiens sont assis autour de la table avec des habits rappelant les mafias nord-américaines de l’époque, car ce n’était pas qu’au poker que Cash souhaitait faire référence.

Les Chiens jouant au poker sont devenus si fameux qu’ils sont apparus dans de nombreux films, séries télévisées et dessins animés. Dans des comics de Marvel, il est possible de trouver des cases qui sont directement inspirées des tableaux de Coolidge, si ce n’est que les chiens sont ici remplacés par des super-héros. Dans Snoopy aussi, on peut voir le personnage principal jouer au poker autour d’une table avec ses amis. Tandis que dans Les Simpson, non seulement le chien de la famille apparaît dans une scène en train de jouer avec des collègues canins (image ci-dessous), mais en plus un tableau de Chiens jouant au poker apparaît aussi dans un épisode spécial d’Halloween.

Le poker a donc réussi à trouver sa place dans l’art, démontrant que ce jeu est, en lui-même, un art à part entière.

PokerListings set to do Live Reporting from The Festival Series in Nottingham (13-19 February 2023) 

Melvin Schroen – Live Reporter

For the first time in the history of The Festival Series, an event series is being held at the Dusk Till Dawn Pokerclub in Nottingham. PokerListings, represented by Melvin Schroen, will handle the live blog, and will provide all of you with all the inside information of this epic week of events. There will be a total of 35 unique tournaments being held, divided over the next seven days. The Series, who is mainly focused on mixed games and all the events around poker itself, will provide a guaranteed prize pool of £200,000 for the Main Event. Additionally, another great event will take place in the name of PokerListings Championships and it has a whopping £25,000 guaranteed. Both big events we will cover from A to Z for you, with the last-mentioned event currently already started with more than 80 entries in just two hours! 

Games for Everyone  

The Festival Series is known for its diversity in game selection, specialized in mixed games. With 35 unique events, there is of course enough to play for Hold’em fans, but the mixed games are right up there in the likes of Omaha, Mixed PLO/NLHE, PLO 4/5/6, PLO HiLo, Open Face Chinese, Short-Deck, and Sviten Special. So, if you like games with more than two hole-cards, the place to be this week will be the Dusk Till Dawn Pokerclub in Nottingham! Don’t forget about the following, for every event there is an amazing trophy to be won, which will be an unique portrait drawing of the winners photo. If that’s not enough yet, you will also get a signed comic book!

About the Main Event 

The Main Event of The Festival Series is a deep-stacked and nicely structured event with four opening flights. With 200,000 chips in starting stack, it is going to be promised to be a fun ride of action for everyone. With the first three days to be 30-minutes levels, the last turbo flight will be with 15-minute blind levels. A guaranteed prize pool cannot be missed and this time there has been set a whopping £200,000 as a guarantee, which promises to give the top spots a heavy prize.  

Players are allowed to re-enter once per starting day and can re-enter until the end of the first two levels of the second day, unique in its kind. Last edition in Bratislava was won by Dutchman Michel Molenaar, who collected a nice €126,650 score at the cash desk, in which another Dutch player in the name of Gerianne Dijkstra became second for €77,450.  

It is certain to be fireworks in Nottingham. And if you still have the chance to hop on a flight or train, you won’t be disappointed! 

Winner Bratislava Main Event : Michel Molenaar

Secure your package for the next stop in Malta!

There are several packages to be won for the next stop in Malta (15-21 May). Regardless of what you will play this week, in any discipline you can scoop a package worth 1,600! We have listed them for you:

Player of the Series

During the previous stop in Bratislava a true players ranking was introduced. Swede Totti Linde walked away with the package for The Festival Nottingham. To get hold of this all-round trophy, you will have the score the most points based on the ranking system. Meaning that you will either need to run very deep in the Main Event and make a couple of other notable finishes in other side events, or you simply play every single side event and cash in most of them. For more information check this link.

Cash Game Challenge

Are you a cash game player? Twice per day there is a cash game challenge, which mostly will be streamed live on the twitch channel of The Festival Series. It does not matter if you have deep pockets or not, regardless the buy-in level or blind level, it is all about the net profit in big blinds collected. All this needs to happen within the designated time frame which stands in line for this challenge. For more information check this link.

Franke’s Flip ‘n Go’s

The famous flip games are also part of the assortment in Nottingham during The Festival Series. Whoever wins the most flips throughout the whole week, takes home a package for the next event. Do you want to become the next flip master? Check out following link for more information.

PokerListings Championships

The PokerListings Championships is in full swing currently with Day 1A being played but hold your horses. Tomorrow there is another starting day as well. With a well-structured event and a 200K starting stack, there is enough space for some stunts. The winner does not only walk away with a heavy first prize, but also takes home the trophy + a package for the next stop. 

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Poker with friends app: how to choose the right one?

Poker as a social game is a great alternative for those who want to enjoy competitive poker without having to bet real money. This helps to avoid worrying about other aspects such as bankroll management, since the continuity of the game does not depend on the chips you have within your reach.

The social aspect of poker has led many to look directly for an alternative to encourage interaction between players without the pressure of betting money. And Pokerhub is one of the best alternatives for an all-round experience, with the best of competitive poker and cashless poker.

What is the best way to play online poker with friends?

There are many ways to enjoy online poker with friends, but the best way is to do it in an environment where clubbing is greatly facilitated. Because through a private club, it is much easier to access the gaming tables that lead directly to playing games with friends.

By restricting access to authorized persons only, the possibility of playing with unknown users is eliminated. This is also possible in the case of public clubs or free tables, but it is a different kind of experience.

Typically, those looking to play online poker with friends on an exclusive basis tend to associate with their friends in a club that is run by the group itself, making the experience much more tailored to what each individual prefers.

This has a direct impact on the variety of tables, game types, rules, limits and variants set at each table, making it much easier to tailor the parameters of the game to what the group really wants to find.

How to play online poker with friends?

The steps to do so are really simple, especially on Pokerhub. Because one of the hallmarks of its app is its accessibility, being able to access both with user credentials and in guest mode without registration, streamlining the steps to access the selection of tables in the club.

Using Pokerhub is really simple: just download the app, register or access in guest mode, collect the rewards (they are awarded daily after the first 24 hours) and find your club, search for a new one or create another one from scratch. It allows you to diversify groups to be able to associate each one with specific preferences, and you can add a name to each one and a different avatar to distinguish them.

Pokerhub is a poker app designed to enjoy poker with friends. Everything in it revolves around the social component of the game, including rewards, which can be used to buy loot boxes and various prizes to give you an edge in a game. Although it contains micropayments, Pokerhub has a fair and consistent reward scale, with daily rewards to reward the loyalty of its community.

More and more people are interested in enjoying a non-public poker experience with friends. This makes it easier to have control of the community and establish clear guidelines in terms of game modes, game types and other parameters.

Want to enjoy the best poker app to play with friends? Don’t miss it:

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Play poker with friends on PokerHub: what are the advantages?

As a poker app for playing with friends, Pokerhub stands out in several ways:

  • Total accessibility. Pokerhub is an app designed to be easy to use. This helps you to have all the possible options at your fingertips, both for those looking to join a table instantly and for those who want to shape their own circle of players. What’s more, as soon as you log in, you’ll be able to learn the basics with an interactive tutorial, so you can try out all the options when you download Pokerhub for the first time.
  • Easy to use. Its controls are designed so that every option for interacting with your friends both on and off the poker table is at your fingertips. You’ll quickly become familiar with everything the app has to offer, so you’ll be able to take advantage of all the possibilities as soon as possible.
  • Unlimited possibilities. Pokerhub gives you the experience you’re looking for, whatever it is. When you enter you can access public poker tables, search for a club, create your own, access your club’s private tables… And you can enjoy the games either by logging in, with your user credentials, or in guest mode, which allows you to access the game directly without waiting.
  • Strong social component. Everything is designed for you to enjoy poker at its most social and interactive with other members of the community, especially with your friends. But remember that private games are only part of the Pokerhub experience. Part of the fun is that your social circle expands, and thanks to the organic traffic that Pokerhub boosts, you will be able to meet new players who are looking for the same thing as you.

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Game Slot Olympus Nexus
Game Slot Olympus Nexus

Olympus Nexus adalah situs judi online yang telah terpercaya lebih dari satu dekade. Kepercayaan ini didapatkan melalui komitmen kami untuk selalu menyajikan pengalaman bermain yang adil dan menghibur bagi para pemainnya. Selain itu, kami juga memberikan pelayanan terbaik untuk memastikan Anda merasa nyaman dan puas selama bermain di situs kami.

Kualitas Terbaik dengan Nexus Engine Slot

Salah satu alasan mengapa Game Slot Olympus Nexus begitu diminati adalah karena kami menggunakan Nexus Engine Slot, teknologi terbaru dalam dunia perjudian online. Dengan menggunakan mesin slot ini, Anda dapat menikmati grafis yang memukau dan efek suara yang mengesankan, membuat pengalaman bermain Anda semakin hidup dan menyenangkan.

Tidak Hanya Sekedar Slot

Selain koleksi game slot yang melimpah, di Olympus Nexus Anda juga bisa menemukan berbagai jenis permainan judi online lainnya. Misalnya, bagi Anda yang menyukai tantangan strategi, kami memiliki permainan “Starlight Princess” yang akan menguji kecerdasan dan keterampilan Anda dalam mengatur strategi permainan. Jadi, tidak peduli apa preferensi permainan Anda, di Olympus Nexus, ada sesuatu untuk setiap jenis pemain.

Mode Demo: Manfaatkan Info dan Peluang

Kami paham bahwa bermain judi online bisa menjadi tantangan bagi sebagian orang, terutama bagi pemain pemula. Oleh karena itu, Olympus Nexus menyediakan mode demo untuk memungkinkan Anda mencoba permainan tanpa harus menggunakan uang sungguhan. Dengan begitu, Anda bisa merasa lebih percaya diri dan familiar dengan permainan sebelum mulai bertaruh dengan uang sungguhan.

Cara Bermain Gates of Olympus

Salah satu permainan slot terpopuler di Olympus Nexus adalah “Gates of Olympus”. Permainan ini menawarkan sensasi petualangan di dalam dunia mitologi kuno dengan hadiah yang menggiurkan. Untuk memainkannya, berikut adalah beberapa langkah sederhana yang dapat Anda ikuti:

1. Daftar dan buat akun di situs judi Olympus Nexus.
2. Pilih permainan “Gates of Olympus” dari koleksi game slot yang tersedia.
3. Setelah permainan dimuat, pilih jumlah taruhan sesuai dengan preferensi Anda.
4. Tekan tombol putar untuk memutar gulungan dan mulailah petualangan Anda.

Simbol Lengkap Permainan Gates of Olympus

Dalam permainan Gates of Olympus, Anda akan menemukan simbol-simbol yang terinspirasi dari dewa-dewa dan makhluk mitologi kuno. Beberapa simbol penting yang perlu Anda perhatikan adalah simbol Dewa Zeus sebagai simbol Scatter, yang dapat memicu putaran gratis jika Anda mendapatkannya dalam jumlah yang cukup. Selain itu, ada juga simbol Wild, yang dapat menggantikan simbol lainnya untuk membentuk kombinasi kemenangan.

Bocoran Pola Slot dan Jam Slot

Kami paham bahwa sebagai pemain game slot, Anda selalu mencari cara untuk meningkatkan peluang kemenangan. Oleh karena itu, kami ingin membagikan beberapa tips tentang pola slot dan jam slot.

Pola Slot: Penting untuk diingat bahwa mesin slot bekerja secara acak, dan setiap putaran adalah peristiwa independen. Tidak ada pola pasti yang bisa diikuti untuk menjamin kemenangan. Namun, Anda bisa memaksimalkan peluang dengan bertaruh secara bijaksana dan memilih mesin yang sesuai dengan gaya permainan Anda.

Jam Slot: Beberapa pemain percaya bahwa ada jam-jam tertentu di mana mesin slot lebih cenderung memberikan kemenangan. Namun, ini hanyalah mitos belaka. Mesin slot beroperasi secara acak, dan peluang kemenangan tidak dipengaruhi oleh waktu.

Bonus Slot: Manfaatkan Kesempatan Ekstra

Salah satu keuntungan bermain di Olympus Nexus adalah kesempatan untuk mendapatkan bonus slot yang melimpah. Sebagai new member, Anda akan menerima bonus selamat datang yang menguntungkan. Selain itu, kami juga menyediakan berbagai promosi dan bonus mingguan untuk meningkatkan kesenangan bermain Anda.

Memahami Fitur Utama dari Game Gates of Olympus

Kembali ke permainan Gates of Olympus, ada beberapa fitur utama yang perlu Anda pahami untuk meningkatkan peluang kemenangan Anda. Fitur-fitur ini termasuk:

1. Putaran Gratis:

Jika Anda berhasil mendapatkan tiga simbol Dewa Zeus (Scatter) atau lebih, Anda akan memicu putaran gratis. Jumlah putaran gratis yang Anda dapatkan akan tergantung pada jumlah simbol Scatter yang Anda dapatkan.

2. Multiplier:

Selama putaran gratis, setiap kemenangan akan meningkatkan nilai multiplier. Semakin banyak kemenangan yang Anda dapatkan, semakin tinggi multiplier yang Anda miliki, yang berarti hadiah yang lebih besar.

3. Tumble Feature:

Fitur ini memungkinkan simbol-simbol yang berpartisipasi dalam kemenangan menghilang, dan simbol-simbol baru jatuh ke tempatnya. Ini membuka peluang untuk mendapatkan kemenangan beruntun dalam satu putaran.

Keseruan Bermain Slot88 Gacor Gates of Olympus

Di Olympus Nexus, kami juga menyediakan slot88 gacor Gates of Olympus, yang menjadi favorit banyak pemain. Slot gacor adalah istilah yang digunakan untuk menggambarkan mesin slot yang sering memberikan kemenangan. Jika Anda mencari keseruan ekstra dan potensi kemenangan lebih besar, slot88 gacor Gates of Olympus adalah pilihan yang tepat.

Kesimpulan

Game Slot Olympus Nexus adalah tempat terbaik untuk merasakan keajaiban dunia perjudian online. Dengan koleksi permainan yang beragam, kualitas terbaik, dan bonus slot yang melimpah,

kami berkomitmen untuk memberikan pengalaman bermain yang tak terlupakan bagi setiap pemainnya. Manfaatkan fitur mode demo untuk memahami permainan lebih baik, dan jangan lupa untuk memanfaatkan info tentang pola slot dan jam slot untuk meningkatkan peluang kemenangan Anda. Bergabunglah dengan Olympus Nexus sekarang dan nikmati keseruan tak terbatas dari game slot yang kami tawarkan!


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