Beat The Casinos

Virgin Casino Christmas Cracker Promotion

2009-12-13T22:41:00.006Z

Now is a FANTASTIC time to join Virgin Casino if you haven't already, or to log in and play if you're already a member. Not only can you still get your up to 100GBP match bonus for joining, but you'll also be eligible for the Virgin Casino Christmas Cracker promotion. Starting on 12th December, Virgin Casino are giving away a number of daily prizes to celebrate the "12 days of Christmas". You can win V*POINTS, gaming consoles, laptops, a home cinema system and cash!

Some of the prizes you can win during this promotion are shown below:

Qualifying is easy. To qualify you just need to:
1. Play any game of your choice between 12th December and 23rd December 2009 (GMT).
2. Players will receive one entry into the daily draws for every 1 V*Point earned.
3. To qualify for the daily prize, players are required to play on that day.
4. You only need to enter the promotion once to be eligible for all the daily prize draws.

On top of this promotion, don't forget that you automatically earn V*Points when you play casino games at Virgin Casino, that can be converted into cash or flights with Virgin. There is a Christmas promotion on flights from the UK to many European cities. For just 1250 V*POINTS (equivalent to 12.50GBP) you could make a redemption for a return flight to one of the finest European city break destinations (excluding taxes and charges), flying from a range of major UK airports. This new redemption option is available NOW. With this fantastic promotions, you could visit: Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, Dublin, Madrid, Paris, Prague, Rome, Venice

On top of all of this, Virgin Casino are launching new slot machines later this week including Spiderman, The Hulk and Fantastic Four. So there's new slot machine games to play too! (Note: I'll try to feature some of these new slot machine games in the blog once they are launched officially). My advice: Join Virgin Casino NOW, and make your Christmas a real cracker!

Who's there? Super Hoot Loot!

2009-12-13T21:28:00.002Z

The Super Hoot Loot slot machine can now be played at Virgin Casino. A whole exciting forest can be found in this 40-line slot machine game, with eagles, foxes, and GIANT multipliers! If you manage to trigger a winning combination on the special Loot Line®, you can sit back and watch that win get multiplied up to 200x! It's a real hoot!

The bigger your stake on the game, the higher your multiplier on the Loot Line. Loot Line® awards are boosted by a massive multiplier equal to the number of credits bet. You can win MEGA MONEY! Play up to 5 credits per line, for a maximum bet of 200 credits - your winnings could be HUGE!

Super Hoot Loot™ features two wild symbols: the Wild Super Hoot Loot symbol and the 2x Wild Owl symbol. All payline wins involving the 2x Wild Owl symbol are doubled! Also, every 2x Wild Owl symbol on the reels gets copied to the Loot Line®, giving you the chance to double the already massive Loot Line® multiplier.

The Loot Line® is seeded with an automatic 2x Wild Owl in the Free Games feature. Not only are you much more likely to achieve meaty Loot Line® wins, but your Loot Line® award multiplier is guaranteed to be twice as big - up to 400x!

You're sure to enjoy playing the Super Hoot Loot Slot Machine, at Virgin Casino. With a 100GBP casino bonus available for new Virgin Casino players, Virgin Casino really looks after its players. Come and win some of Richard Branson's money in time for Christmas!

No Extra Casinos In New Zealand

2009-12-13T20:58:00.004Z

In 2003, the New Zealand Government passed the 2003 Gambling Act, which specifically banned the development of any new casinos outside those already operating in Auckland, Hamilton, Christchurch, Dunedin and Queenstown. Occasionally there have been rumours that the Government might relax that position, fuelled by a desire to get more tax dollars into the state coffers. Those rumours have been quashed this morning, by an article in the Dominion Post (a Wellington based newspaper), which quote Internal Affairs Minister Nathan Guy as saying "there were no plans to remove the previous government's moratorium on new casinos".

Are more casinos good for a small country like New Zealand? In reality, probably not. Those extra casinos will create even more problem gamblers, even more crime, even more hassles for the wider community as a whole... however they would be good for extracting more tourists from their dollars, giving the NZ Government more revenue (via casino taxation), and potentially revitalising some areas of urban space. Auckland's casino has been particularly good at making the inner city of Auckland a fun place to visit again, with lots of entertainment options surrounding the casino. Christchurch's casino has done similar things down south.

I do think having a few more casinos, even if concentrated in the same demographic areas as the existing casinos, would breed better competition and therefore encourage a greater return / experience for casino players. From a personal perspective, on that basis alone, I'd welcome a competitor to major operators. I've long thought that a casino built on Auckland's North Shore or in West Auckland would greatly enhance competition in the Auckland market (NZ's highest population city).

Anyway, New Zealand might not have any new casinos any time soon - but that's no big drama. With new casinos soon to operate in Singapore and Macau, and CityCenter just opened in Las Vegas, and with more than 8000 online casinos to choose from, there's no shortage of option for New Zealand players to "get their gambling fix".

Blackjack Perfect Pairs Bet

2009-12-13T19:58:00.003Z

I'm often asked by casino blackjack players in New Zealand, Australia, Macau and the United Kingdom about whether they should play the Perfect Pairs side bet offered with blackjack. My advice always has been, and will remain, a resounding NO. The reason? On a typical 8 deck blackjack game, this Perfect Pairs bet has a house edge of about 4.1%. This assumes a payout of 25-to-1 for a Perfect Pair, 12-to-1 for a Coloured pair, and 6-to-1 for a Mixed Pair. If you're lucky enough to live in Australia where the typical payouts are 30-to-1, 10-to-1 and 5-to-1 respectively, that house edge drops to about 3.4% - but that's still TOO HIGH an edge to beat in the long run.

What about other blackjack side bets you might come across? These are a bad bet too. Super Sevens has an overall edge of about 12%. Royal Match has an edge of between 3% and 11% depending on the available payouts. Lucky Ladies has a house edge of between 24% and 29%. Ouch! For the average non-counting blackjack player, ALL blackjack side bets should by avoided.

The Networked Casino Slot Floor

2009-12-08T01:20:00.003Z

I've been doing some research lately on the new technologies available to casino operators to improve their customer experience (and presumably profits as a result). I've long been a fan of TITO (ticket in, ticket out) slot machines, because it saves me carrying a heavy coin tub around when I get a good win. And it strikes me that this technology of having a ticket printer attached to each slot machine is under utilised. Turns out that I was right.

I read today about a positive spinoff that can be implemented by casinos with a fully networked slot machine floor and general business network. Suppose a player, Geoff, has been playing his favourite slot machine, Lucky 88, betting $1 a spin for the last 2 hours straight. That's roughly 17 spins per minute, 1020 per hour, or $2040 for the last 2 hours. The house has an edge of say 10% on that machine, so that player is worth $204 to the casino. Geoff has lost a few dollars, and he's thinking of leaving... but then an on-screen message flashes, and Geoff then receives a ticket on the printer for $20 to spend in the cafe / coffee shop. Now Geoff thinks, "Wow, what a great place. I'm special to them", and stays longer at his slot machine. Geoff got an unexpected casino bonus, and the casino got a more loyal player. It's a win-win situation.

What if we know Geoff doesn't like to eat? Perhaps he'd rather see a show? Well, if Geoff has his player's card inserted, the casino can match the vouchers offered on the machine to his preferences. So maybe that $2040 turnover will get him a $10 ticket to the afternoon show (normally $50), or a "free drink when you buy a show ticket" offer or similar. So there's huge potential here.

What I really like about this thinking is that EVERY CASINO PLAYER is SPECIAL. Or at least treated as if they were by the casino. By connecting the player to the game to the casino to the enterprise, every player, regardless of ranking, can feel like they are a part of the top tier. So that means all of us become casino VIPs, rather than a select few. I've not heard any rumours about this approach being taken by my local casino - but I'm suspecting it won't be too many years before they implement something highly similar. After all, it makes sense. Happier players play longer.

Bar-X Bonus Ladder by Electrocoin

2009-12-07T20:51:00.003Z

Like UK fruit machines? Like Bar-X by Electrocoin? Like to feel the challenge of knowing when to nudge a small win, and knowing when to push the machine for a bit more? Now you can play Bar-X Bonus Ladder at Virgin Casino - with a HUGE theoretical return of 95.19%! Bar-X Bonus Ladder fruit machine has five reels, five lines, wild cards to make your winning combinations larger (Wild Cards act as an extra symbol in a winning sequence), and a great bonus ladder game that increases your payouts. A great winning combination! There are five reels made up of eight symbols, a ‘O’, an ‘X’, an ‘XX’, an ‘XXX’, ‘BAR’, double ‘BAR’, Electrocoin and a Wild Card.

The Bonus Ladder feature is activated when you get three or more Electrocoin symbols starting from the left hand reel on a win line - and it's a great feature to strike. The feature will visually scramble ‘multiplier’ and ‘level up’ squares, then cover them over. You will then be prompted to choose a square from the starting level. Select a multiplier square, and you win that amount! Select a level up square and you will move up a level - the higher the level, the greater the multipliers! Your potential winnings are HUGE.

There is also a separate Jackpot feature, which pays 3000 x your credit bet. This Jackpot could be paid on any spin: it's paid when a win line shows mini number icons in 1,2,3,4,5 order or 5,4,3,2,1. It's difficult to get - and your luck really needs to be in - but it's great when you do strike it lucky! You'll enjoy playing the Bar-X Bonus Ladder slot machine at Virgin Casino. You're better off playing this great slot machine game here at Virgin Casino than in standard fruit machine arcades where the expected RTP payback percentages are generally lower. Play where you can win!

Casino VIP Advantages

2009-12-07T20:40:00.002Z

Being a casino VIP has its advantages. Last night I was treated to a pair of tickets to see the sold out show Rhys Darby night. Wow, that guy really is talented! Rhys Darby is one of the stars of Flight of the Conchords (Murray, the manager), and has also featured in hollywood movies such as "Yes Man" (with Jim Carrey). The show was great. Well timed, very funny, and importantly for me - FREE! To get tickets to the show was great (it's sold out for a full week), and it's only because I'm a VIP at our local casino that I was able to obtain them. If you get a chance to see Rhys Darby live anywhere in the world, take it. He IS that good!

As a casino VIP I also get lots of other promotions thrown my way. This coming weekend I get a free "Lucky Chip Dip" - a chance to put my hand in the barrel and draw a lucky disc for FREE promotional gaming chips. My entry is worth a MINIMUM $500 - and could be worth up to $5000. So it's worth going in for. And to make it even better, I get to do this TWICE before Christmas (once each weekend). This promotion is unique to casino VIP's. It's a nice way for the casino to give back some of the money its earnt from us over the years, at a time of year when we typically need it most. So hats off to the casino for this promotion!

How can you become a casino VIP? Typically, it's all based on turnover. The more you play, the more they pay. My advice is to concentrate your play at only one or two casinos (rather than spreading it around), so that you acheive higher turnover in those locations. That higher turnover will give you a better relationship with the casino, and enhance your chances of getting the high roller treatment. This advice / approach works whether you play in a land based casino, or online.

Slots N Games Casino Revamped

2009-12-06T06:57:00.005Z

We've featured the exciting Slots N Games online casino here on the Beat the Casinos blog several times before now. It's one of the newer online casinos available from the St Minver group. Licensed by the Government of Gibraltar, this fantastic online casino offers up to a 275GBP bonus package when you signup. It's just perfect for UK based casino players - but they also accept players from many other countries. As a thank you for reading this Beat the Casinos blog, I'll give you 30GBP EXTRA (win or lose, and from my own money) when you join via our links, by December 31, 2009. See full offer details here: Slots N Games Big Bonus.

The Slots N Games casino website has recently been revamped - and it's great to visit! Slots N Games online casino offers an exciting selection of no download slot games, 3 and 5 reel video slots like Cleopatra Video Slot with amazing bonus games and also online slots with huge progressive jackpots! Slots N Games offers also various casino games such as roulette, blackjack, baccarat, red dog plus scratch cards.

Slots N Games casino also features daily promotions, and competitions. It’s so quick and easy to get started and being a Flash casino, you can play instantly! Register for free and you can play Slot Machines for fun or cash at Slots N Games. So what are you waiting for? Register today and dive into a world of fun and excitement!

Tom "durrrr" Dwan Joins Full Tilt Poker

2009-12-06T05:53:00.003Z

Full Tilt Poker is proud to welcome Tom "durrrr" Dwan, one of the most influential and successful players in online poker history, to Team Full Tilt. A rare addition to the world's most elite group of poker professionals, Tom "durrrr" Dwan is best known for playing high-stakes poker games online.

He’s gone up against some the biggest names in poker and established himself as an unstoppable force at the felt. Also successful on the live poker scene, Dwan has celebrated numerous deep runs, amassing over $1.1 million in career tournament earnings. Dwan now plays exclusively on Full Tilt Poker - and you can join him! Don't forget that Full Tilt Poker offers up to US $600 free when you join. Act now whilst this great offer is available!

Las Vegas Hilton New Year's Eve

2009-12-06T00:09:00.003Z

The Las Vegas Hilton have a special New Year's Package to see out 2009 in style. The offer is available from December 29, 2009-January 4, 2010. To access this offer, call 800-457-3307 and mention offer code ZNNP399! The price is $399.

Here's what you get in the package:

3 NIGHT HOTEL STAY
4 FREE BREAKFAST BUFFETS
1 FREE BOTTLE OF CHAMPAGNE
$10 FREE BET CHIP
2 FREE ENTRIES TO THE FITNESS FACILITY
20% DISCOUNT IN PARADISE GIFT SHOP
1 FREE WELCOME GIFT (WITH PLAYER'S CLUB ENROLLMENT)

On New Year's Eve you can visit the midnight fireworks on the Las Vegas Strip from the pool deck! Have a great time in Las Vegas. The Hilton is bound to impress. I've stayed there several times and been impressed on each visit. It's a great place to stay (from my own experience there).

Terribles Casino Las Vegas 9th Anniversary

2009-12-06T00:05:00.003Z

You'll need to be quick - because it's TODAY. But Terribles Casino Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada is celebrating it's 9th anniversary today on December 6th, 2009. They are offering FREE cake and champagne for EVERYBODY in the CASINO from 4pm to 7pm. There are some lucky draws: At 9pm, 9 people will win $99 each. Earn 90 base slot points and get a free 9th anniversary t-shirt. There's 10x points on reels and video reel slot machines all day long. And there is a special buffet dinner offer for $9.99. Happy anniversary Terribles Casino Las Vegas!

Binions Casino No Longer Offers Rooms

2009-12-01T19:39:00.004Z

It was sad for me to read today that Binions Casino in downtown Las Vegas, Nevada is closing all of its 365 hotel rooms. Binions has been a part of the downtown Las Vegas scene for many, many years - made famous by the original owner Benny Binion, who would take any bet regardless of the size, on the condition that your largest bet was the FIRST bet you made. Stories of big winners and losers at that casino are legendary - including the gentleman who walked in with $700,000 in a briefcase and placed a single craps bet on the Pass Line - and won. Binions Las Vegas is home to the Million Dollar display - you can (still) have your photo taken with a $1 million cash pile!

The casino itself is still functioning, and the poker room etc are remaining open. But the downstairs coffee shop (which I've eaten in and thought offered excellent value) is closing, along with the 365 rooms, on December 14, 2009. About 100 casino staff will lose their jobs with the hotel and coffee shop closure. My thoughts go out to them and their families at this time.

As Binion's says on its own website: "Binions... Where legends are made and millions are played... The legend continues." You just can't stay where you play any more. :-(

Casino Bows To Pressure

2009-11-29T20:10:00.004Z

My local casino has finally given in to "player pressure" to make its main casino floor table games more competitive, after trying unsuccessfully to make even more revenue from its loyal player base. About 8 months ago, the main gaming floor moved from 4-deck Continuous Shuffle Machine (CSM) blackjack to 6-deck CSM blackjack, and also raised the minimum stake on its Pai Gow dominoes game from $25 to $50. I predicted at that time that there would soon be less players on the blackjack tables (as the edge had moved from 0.38% to 0.54% - almost a 30% increase), and at the Pai Gow tables (due to the higher minimum). It does appear that I was right. In the last few months especially, I've noticed a real decline in player numbers at those tables on my visits. Tables which regularly had 4 or 5 players were down to 1 or 2 at best.

However, the casino powers that be have now seen the light, or so it seems. The Pai Gow tables have now returned to a $25 minimum ($2000 maximum) - and the tables are getting busy once again. The blackjack tables also seem to have more players now that the edge has been lowered. For me as a casino table games player, this is a good thing. I like a busy casino full of people playing (not just hanging around) as its a better atmosphere, and discourages idiots from bugging you all day / night.

Before I claim victory however, the change back to 4-deck CSM blackjack was not for the reason I'd hoped (wanting to give players a better deal). Instead, it's in response to the casino getting HAMMERED by Perfect Pairs (side bet) players. Apparently, quite a few "syndicate" players were playing progressive style betting strategies on the Perfect Pairs bet, until it hit (the spread allowed was $2.50 - $100 which I've always thought too high), getting a 25-to-1 payout. And once they'd had that payout, they simply walked away from the game. Net result? The casino lots THOUSANDS of dollars on that side bet. Moving from 6-deck CSM blackjack back to 4-deck CSM blackjack will statistically reduce the number of Perfect Pairs generated - so the casino are clearly hoping they'll retrieve some of those losses. As someone who doesn't generally play Perfect Pairs, I'm just happy to see the base blackjack game become better. At 0.38% average edge, it's worth playing again.

As I've said many times, it's the casinos that look after their players and offer competitive games that will prosper in the long term. My only wish is that casino managers took that long term view rather than trying to screw down every last percentage margin possible, killing off their customers in the process.

Bar-X Magic7 - Great Slot Machine

2009-11-29T19:38:00.000Z

Bar-X Magic7 has long been a favourite UK fruit machine in arcades. Electrocoin, the original manufacturers of this great fruit machine, created a game that's simply a legend in my books. Addictive? Yes. High payouts? Yes. Fun to play? Yes.

You can play Bar-X Magic7, one of the UK’s most popular fruit machines, online at Virgin Casino. Three reels, auto nudges and holds make this game simple and fun. Place your stake, spin the reels and get three winning symbols on the single win line.

The three winning symbols on each reels are ‘BAR’, ‘X’ and ‘7’. Three matching symbols in a row on the single win line is a winning combination. During the game on any losing spin you may randomly be awarded auto holds or three auto nudges. Auto Holds automatically holds either one or two of the reels attempting to achieve the best available win. Auto Nudges automatically nudges the reels attempting to achieve the best available win. It's great to win off a "losing spin" huh!

In many UK arcades and bars, this Bar-x Magic7 fruit machine game pays back between about 70% and 92%. The online version is MUCH BETTER for you the player! This game is regulated by the Alderney Gambling Control Commission. The theoretical average return to player (RTP) is 94%. This RTP represents the long-term expected payback of the game which has been calculated by an independent testing company in accordance with AGCC regulations. 94% - that's a top payout percentage, for a top slot!

Play Bar-X Magic7 at Virgin Casino now. Don't forget to claim your 100GBP matchplay bonus for new players - play and win!

Terribles Casino Las Vegas 10x Points

2009-11-29T19:22:00.003Z

I've just received an email from Terribles Casino Las Vegas telling me about their very special 10x Points days in December 2009, on all Reel and Video Reel machines. The dates are December 2, 6, 9, 13, 16, 20, 23 and 27. Terribles Casino Las Vegas are also offering 5x Points on Tuesdays and Thursdays this month. See their players club for details. I just thought you'd like to know about this great promotion!

Paddington Casino (London) Now Closed

2009-11-22T07:23:00.003Z

I saw today that the Paddington Casino in London has closed (on about 12 November, 2009). It's very rare that casinos close down, so I can only assume it wasn't generating sufficient profits for its owners (Ladbrokes). It was based in one of the London Hilton hotels (part of the Ladbrokes Hilton group), and only had a small outside entrance - so perhaps it wasn't attracting many non-hotel guests. With Hilton hotels typically attracting a large American market, and with less Americans travelling to the UK / Europe, perhaps the writing has been on the wall for some time. Americans normally play a lot in land-based casinos - especially given their widespread online gaming ban in the USA.

Anyway, I'm sorry to see the Paddington Casino close. It was small (and beneath ground level), but comfortable, and it had good service. It had one of the first electronic texas hold-em poker tables I saw in the UK. It had low limit (3GBP) and high limit blackjack - although some of these tables were continuous shuffle machines if I remember correctly. It had complimentary bar service for players (one of the few in the UK that INCLUDED alcoholic beverages), and good free toasted sandwiches. But it didn't have many other significant comps or casino promotions though (that I recall) - this might have been its downfall.

I've mentioned many times in my Beat the Casinos blog posts that as players we should play where we feel valued, where we get good comps, where we can access good promotions, and where we feel we at least have a decent chance of winning. In the London casino market, which is highly competitive, it's inevitable that some casinos will not survive during a recession. Those that do survive will be those with good promotions, good free food and drinks for players, and good playable games (i.e. hand shuffled blackjack rather than continuous shuffle machines). In that respect only, maybe this casino closing down was a good thing.

Playing with reputable online casinos will always be better value for players, because online casinos have lower overheads so can afford to be more generous in their comp / vip programs and bonus packages. That's why you can always get matchplay offers for new customers at online casinos - and why many casinos now offer monthly free bonuses / other bonuses for regular players. You don't get food - but you can play from anywhere. If you're playing at home, you can make yourself a sandwich. And there's no travel costs.

RIP Paddington Casino, London, UK. It was fun to win from you whilst I had the opportunity. :-)

Beat The Casinos November and December 2009 Offers

2009-11-22T04:15:00.008Z

Here at Beat the Casinos, I do my best to provide casino information, advice, and offers that I really believe will help you to beat the casinos. Many of the offers are UNIQUE to this blog - I'm giving you REAL MONEY from my own pocket, IN ADDITION to the match plays / cash that the casinos / poker rooms / bingo sites offer you, as a thank you for reading the blog. This REAL MONEY (paid via Paypal for international players, or into a UK bank account for UK casino players) really helps to throw the odds back in YOUR favour. Stick with me and continue to read the blog, and over time you'll have a great chance to beat the casinos like I do!

Yes, I've had a reasonable year beating the casinos this year, some good months some bad, but ok overall. I've played in New Zealand casinos, Australian casinos, and USA casinos in the last 12 months. There's a definite worldwide trend in the land-based casinos of short changing customers by putting in slot machines with worse payouts, reducing VIP player privileges etc - so even I'm playing casino games / slots machines a lot more ONLINE these days. I really do think that playing casino games online is the best way to go.

Here are the current casino, bingo and poker offers being promoted (as mentioned earlier, all of my offers are in ADDITION to the bonus cash the casinos etc themselves offer you - and are unique to my blog family). All offers expire 30 December, 2009 - so get in quickly whilst my generosity lasts! Note: If there's not an offer you like, and you'd like an offer tailored just to you for your favourite casino / poker / bingo websites, let me know (email me at davewestlondon@yahoo.co.uk).

1) 5GBP for every bingo site you join - Free Bingo Cash

2) $50USD free at Full Tilt Poker - Free cash for Full Tilt Poker

3) 30GBP free at Slots N Games (a casino by reputable St Minver Group) - Derren Brown Beating Casinos

4) No extra - just 3 hours FREE BINGO each day at Virgin Bingo - Free Bingo Daily at Virgin Bingo

I really do wish you all the best of luck beating the casinos. I'm here to assist with any enquiries / questions you might have. Drop me a line and let me know how your own year has been going! :-)

Betfair Casino Now Uses Playtech

2009-11-22T03:38:00.007Z

Betfair Casino have launched a new DOWNLOAD casino offering, on the very popular and well respected Playtech software platform. Playtech is used by many online casinos (including Mansion Casino - $300 Bonus and Casino.com - $200 Bonus) as it offers a wide range of games, complimentary point programs, and good banking support for international and domestic casino players alike. I've played in Playtech casinos myself many times, and had a great time! The casino games they offer are awesome!

So what games are available at Betfair Casino? The Betfair Casino download version comes with 150 games, including many that are VERY popular. Games that you might have played before (or heard of) include: 21 Duel Blackjack, Alien Hunter, American Roulette, Baccarat, Beach Life, Blackjack, Blackjack Pro, Blackjack Surrender, Blackjack Switch, Bonus Bears, Carribean Stud Poker, Casino Hold'em, Casino War, Chinese Kitchen, Cinerama, Craps, Desert Treasure, Diamond Valley, Diamond Valley Pro, Dolphin Reef, Dr Lovemore, European Roulette, Farmer's Market, Football Rules, Forest of Wonders, Fruitmania, Funky Monkey, Geisha Story, Gladiator, Goblin's Cave, Gold Rally, Great Blue, Half Double Blackjack, Jackpot Darts, Jacks or Better video poker, Let Them Ride Poker, and Mini Roulette. And there are many more you can play once you've downloaded!

Betfair have a FANTASTIC reputation in the sportsbook / casino / poker industry, and have been around for many years. UK headquarted in Hammersmith London, this is a company that is reputable, offers fantastic low margins on its games (giving you a better chance to win), and offers great comps / vip programs for regular players. Better still, new players at Betfair can receive bonus funds. Visit the Betfair website for details. Enjoy playing with Betfair and their NEW casino games!

Slot Machine - The Price is Right

2009-11-18T07:10:00.003Z

If you like the Price is Right TV show, then your dreams have just come true. Virgin Casino now offer The Price is Right slot machine online. And it has a huge return to player percentage of 96.646% with BIG WHEEL ON and 95.426% with BIG WHEEL OFF! The Price is Right slot machine has five reels, and there are 3 DIFFERENT BONUS FEATURES to multiply your winnings. You can play from 1-25 lines per spin.

There is a Big Wheel Bonus, which increases the overall return to player percentage if played. To activate the Big Wheel Bonus, play 25 lines plus 10x your current Bet value. The Big Wheel will spin with each game. When the wheel stops, the arrow on the wheel points to the prize that YOU win. Big Wheel Bonus prizes may be a Mini Game Feature or multipliers.If a multiplier is won, the multiplier value is applied to any win on the reels for that spin. When betting the Big Wheel Bonus, scatter prizes are multiplied by 25 times the bet per line.

There are numerous other BONUSES inside the Price is Right Slot Machine, including the Secret X Feature, the Cliff Hangers Feature (shown below), and the Showcase Feature. However, for a change, I'm NOT going to explain or show them all in this article. There are lots of surprises for you - and I want them to stay a surprise until you play!

Let's just say this: you're really going to enjoy The Price is Right Slot Machine. It's got all the fun of the main TV show - but with YOU having the chance to WIN. So come on, win, win, win now on The Price is Right Slot Machine at Virgin Casino! And don't forget to claim your up to 100GBP match bonus cash for new Virgin Casino players!

Free Bingo Cash

2009-11-16T05:26:00.006Z

If you enjoy playing bingo, you'll love this offer. Join ANY of the Bingo Rooms featured in this blog post via the links on our blog, and you'll not only get the FREE cash that most of these sites offer - I'll also give you 5GBP via Paypal. To qualify, simply join and deposit a minimum of 20GBP to each bingo site you wish to qualify on, and meet their site playthrough requirements, then email me at davewestlondon@yahoo.co.uk. Once I've confirmed your eligibility, I'll send you 5GBP via Paypal - for each bingo room joined.

You MUST do this before 31 December, 2009. It's a limited time offer, and unique to my blog family. Take advantage now!

Derren Brown With Roulette

2009-11-06T21:02:00.002Z

A few weeks back now Derren Brown appeared live on UK television in the final episode in the Derren Brown's The Events series. As I understood things, according to the great deal of Internet hype generated before the showing, Derren Brown intended to take down a casino by predicting where a ball would land on a roulette wheel and winning a lucky viewer £175,000. But he didn't do it. That's right: he didn't win the money for a viewer. He didn't predict the number correctly - although he came close. The ball stopped one number away on the roulette wheel from the number he predicted to win.

And so that sort of got me wondering. What was the point of the Derren Brown show? Was it to highlight that gambling is based on chance, that chance means events are truly random, and that therefore there is no guarantee of winning? It it was meant to do that, then it's done a great job. Or did Derren Brown simply want to show that he was very good at predicting the stopping position of a ball on the roulette wheel - in most cases - but not perfect? It did a good job of demonstrating that too.

Of course the conspiracy theorists are already working over time. Maybe Derren Brown knew exactly where the roulette ball would stop on the wheel but placed the bet one neighbour number away so the viewer didn't win? Maybe that was the ultimate gamble, as perhaps he knows people are sometimes happy when people DON'T have nice things happen to them, and maybe that will drive further audiences to watch the next Derren Brown The Events series. Personally I doubt that any conspiracy occurred. I think Derren Brown just proved that he's not perfect. That's ok - none of us are.

Derren Brown's roulette prediction didn't work. I've not met Derren but he is after all considered a Mentalist (or very good psychologist, or magician) - not a casino expert. Here at Beat the Casinos, we know that placing a large bet on just a single spin of the roulette wheel is always going to be a dangerous thing. You've only got a one in 37 chance of winning that bet - 2.63%, or even less if you live in the USA and play standard American Casino roulette.

We've got more than a few articles around better roulette betting here at Beat the Casinos, and also at our sister blog: Beat Roulette Wheels. Take time to read them, and improve your chances.

$50 Free Cash For Full Tilt Poker

2009-11-03T19:53:00.011Z

Here's a very special treat for all of my readers. Join Full Tilt Poker using the banner below. You can get up to a $600 signup bonus from Full Tilt Poker themselves - fantastic!

Deposit $50 (USD) or more by 30 December 2009, and play and earn at least 100 Full Tilt Poker points, and I'll give you $50 (USD) cash from my own pocket via Paypal or similar - win or lose! This is in ADDITION to Full Tilt's own bonuses! Email me at davewestlondon@yahoo.co.uk once you have met the criteria, so that I can send you your $50 (USD) gift.

PS: Already a member of Full Tilt Poker? Join any of the other poker rooms using the images below, and let me know you've joined. I'll work out a special deal on each poker room just for you, dependent on your play.

Skycity Festival of Poker

2009-10-13T20:53:00.008+01:00

Today in little Auckland, New Zealand, battle will commence. The battle will be fierce. It will be heated. It will be fun to watch and participate in. Because today, the Skycity Festival of Poker will begin.

With only 180 seats maximum up for grabs, at a price of $3250 NZD each, the poker tournament prize pool will be significant. The Skycity Festival of Poker is already being billed as "New Zealand's biggest poker tournament" based upon the prize money on offer. The festival goes from 10th to 18th October 2009, with the main event start date of 14th October 2009.

Quite a few well known international players are competing, including Joe Hachem and Tony Hachem. Skycity Auckland casino bills this as "your chance to play with the pros". It takes a lot of cash to play alongside these guys - but I guess anyone can win. I know - I won a VIP invitation only poker tournament only a week ago (the prize was a ticket to the main event). My best wishes to all of the players competing in the Skycity Festival of Poker.

Casino Changing Comps Policy

2009-10-13T01:36:00.003+01:00

Our local casino changed their comps policy recently. To their credit, they did put advertising and brochures around the casino about the changes, but I doubt most people really took the information in. The devil was in the details.

Up until recently, the casino gave most players 1 point for every $4 played in a slot or video poker machine (or 1 point for every $3 for a diamond member, or 1 point for every $2 for a casino VIP), and these points could be used for food, accommodation, merchandise, or cashback in the casino. A VIP player playing $100000 of slots in a month could get $500 back in cash. An advantage table player would receive 100 points for a full hour spent at a minimum $25 hand average on blackjack. It would take that player around 40 hours (100 hands per hour x $25 = $2500 per hour) to get to $100000 turnover, so they would earn only $40 in points, which again could be used to pay for food, accommodation, merchandise, or cashback. That's about one-tenth of the cashback a slot player could get - but then the odds against the player (0.5% against typical 5% slot hold) are about one-tenth too!

Clearly some table players were doing quite well, and the comps were costing the casino even more as most players were opting for cashback rather than other services which cost the casino much less... so they've changed the formula. Now play on table games accumulates points, but those points can be used for food, accommodation, or merchandise - or TABLE CHIPS. NO MORE CASHBACK.

Table Chips might be seen as equivalent to cashback by some players: after all, they are issued as if they were cash (i.e. you get a $25 chip; before you'd get $25 in cash). However, the chip (which is non-negotiable) must be PLAYED until lost. Any winnings can be cashed out as normal. Because of this requirement, players are giving up about 1% of that value (on blackjack or baccarat) or more, depending on the games they play. So in reality, it's costing the player.

Personally, it won't stop me playing, as I play a lot of table games, and these chips I earn as comps are really insignificant in value compared to my normal buy-ins. But I expect some players won't like this new touch, and may move to slots. Maybe that's the casinos wish: after all, slots make more money for the casinos than most table games, and with lower staff overhead. If you see your own local casino making changes to the comp policy, do check out the details. Their "swap" might cost you more than you think.

Las Vegas Rocks in 2009

2009-10-12T21:21:00.001+01:00

There are some great headliners coming to Las Vegas end October / November 2009. Here's just a very quick sneak preview of some of the acts you'll want to see.

U2 - October 23rd at Sam Boyd Stadium Las Vegas
Kelly Clarkson - November 6th at Joint at the Hard Rock Las Vegas
Ray Romano and Kevin James - November 13th and 14th at The Mirage Las Vegas

Have fun, and enjoy the shows! I wish I was there with you!