Online betting versus betting shops

Posted on June 30, 2012 by rsphcouk

With the rising popularity of the internet and its increasing availability, it seems like more and more people are choosing to place their bets online rather than in physical betting shops. There are many benefits to choosing to bet online. Odds changes are instant, for example, and you can bet ‘in game’ and take advantage of rapidly changing variables such as players being sent off and goals being scored. As people get ready to start taking advantage of the many Cheltenham free bets, deciding where to place your bets might not be as straightforward as it would seem on the surface. Online bookies offer the advantage of being able to bet from the comfort of your own home and sometimes better odds can be found online due to the fact that bookies have lower overhead costs, but betting shops are as popular as they ever have been. There is a reason for this: betting in an actual betting shop is great fun. You get a real sense of community and it becomes a social experience as well as a gambling one. Inside a betting shop you can also get to watch many of the events you are betting on live, but this is also available online with many online bookies offering streaming of matches, races and more. In the end, whether you choose to bet online or in an actual shop usually comes down to personal preference and also location. If a bookies is close by it might be easier to just pop in than if you have to travel a great distance. One of the great things about the internet is that most of your high street bookies are represented online anyway, so you can still stick with the brand you prefer.

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Play for free, then go for the bonus

Posted on June 28, 2012 by rsphcouk

Those new to the world of online gambling, should definitely read up on the strategies and tips supplied for each game they wish to play. The next step is to take advantage of the trial offers that allow you to play some games for free. There is heated competition among the many online casinos, and one way these casinos try to lure you in, is to offer free trial playing time. Before you start paying money to play, check out another method these casinos use to keep you at their site – the casino bonus.

Casinos use a variety of bonuses to attract and keep players, with the most common one being the new depositor bonus. The strategy here, is that the player will find their site so impressive that, once having experienced the site and stayed around for a little while, they will not want to leave. To that end, the casinos offer bonus money when a new player makes their first deposit. In many cases, casinos will offer other bonuses, which require a code to access and are used to court new players or lure back former ones. The savvy online gambler takes advantage of every casino bonus code available, to maximize their winnings as well as their enjoyment.

With so many online casinos in existence, it would be easy for bogus casinos to defraud online players if it were not for these types of sites. Their reviewing of casinos, offering bonus codes and helping to sort out the different casinos and their specialities, helps the would-be player to avoid the bad apples while gambling online. What once may have seemed like a dangerous proposition, depositing money with an online gambling casino is now, thanks to sites dedicated to helping gambling consumers, perfectly safe.

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Learning the rules of online card games

Posted on June 25, 2012 by rsphcouk

Card games are an intriguing way to find enjoyment and hopefully win some money. Most gambling and betting websites include cards games in their portfolio, such as poker, bridge and blackjack. When involved in these games the participants need to know how to play, along with the various strategies.

Most people learn the rules of the various card games offline. The rules are basically the same online, so it simply a case of finding how the system and software works when playing on a gambling website. Many of these gaming sites also have rules for the various games posted, giving newcomers the opportunity of learning how to play.

Whether the individual is experienced or new to a particular type of card game it is always worth first using the free play options. Many gambling websites offer these and it gives players the chance to get used to the game without having to risk any money.

Most gambling websites offer variations of the most popular card games. For instance, those who like bridge can play alternatives such as Chicago bridge and duplicate bridge. New varieties of games increase interest, but this means having to learn the rules. ‘How to play’ instructions appear on many gambling websites and after reading them players can always try the free play options. A search on the internet will also provide information relating to the rules of the various online card games.

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Learning online bingo

Posted on June 22, 2012 by rsphcouk

Many of us played bingo as children.  A deceptively simple game, it can be difficult to win, particularly with many other people playing with (or against) you.  Online gambling includes bingo and, while very popular, not everyone has jumped in enthusiastically.  Common reservations include the speed of the player’s computer equipment, learning the rules of various games, and the security of the funds that the player gambles or wins. 

Most players have computer equipment that is fast enough to handle online bingo.  Each internet site is unique, but most run Flash, which requires very little bandwidth.  Players who also have other programmes running at the same time as they are gambling may experience slowness.  Shutting these programmes down typically speeds up the computer’s performance significantly.  DVD movies and even a CD playing music, or online radio or video, can utilise so many system requirements that your bingo game is impacted. 

Get your system running acceptably and then start at a site such as golden bingo, which allows you to connect to a wide variety of online bingo sites and games.  Choose a variety of bingo that appeals to you and find the chat room.  Almost all online bingo sites have chat rooms and even provide free games to allow you to learn in a safe environment.  Watch the chats from the current players and pick up tips from them.  Then spend some time learning with the free games.  Watch where the numbers come up and how you react to the draw, adjust your technique with the free games, then dive in to the live games!

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Gambling loyalty programmes

Posted on June 17, 2012 by rsphcouk

As the gambling market is an especially competitive one, many gambling firms both live and online offer loyalty programmes to their customers. These programmes reward players for sticking with one company rather than shopping around the market, and are usually based on how much a player wagers at a casino or on a website.

In casinos, customers are usually given a card when they join which they can swipe whenever they play at a table or slot machine. Based on how much they wager, they can accumulate points that can often be exchanged for free meals, invitations to exclusive events, or complementary tickets to entertainment. At large casino resorts, loyal players can even earn free stays.

With online casinos, loyal players can often find themselves rewarded by higher bonus levels, exclusive entry into tournaments, and quicker processing of withdrawals. For high roller members the benefits can get even better, with online sites even offering free holidays to live casino events and the chances to win non-monetary prizes, such as cars.

Online poker players are often rewarded for their loyalty with points that they can use to buy into satellite tournaments for larger, high stakes poker tournaments as a cheap way of gaining entry. They can also usually swap loyalty points for poker gear such as cards, patches, hoodies and caps, which they can wear to live poker events.

For experienced high stakes online poker players, enough loyalty points can even earn them the holy grail of online poker – a rakeback. With a rakeback, players are able to earn back a percentage of the house profit (the ‘rake’) from hands that they are a part of. Achieving this level of loyalty points is no small feat; however, depending on the hours and simultaneous tables played at once, it can prove to be very profitable.

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Greyhound Racing

Posted on June 13, 2012 by rsphcouk

Greyhound racing is one of the most popular spectator sports in Britain.  Annual attendance at greyhound track events exceeds three million, with a total of £2.5 billion wagered on races each year.

The UK boasts around 30 racetracks, which between them host over 70,000 races annually.  Greyhound racing’s image as the ‘poor relation of horseracing’ has long-since been shaken off, and a ‘night at the dogs’ is now seen as a fun occasion, that people from all walks of life can enjoy.

While attendance at live events is strong, an increasing number of people are choosing to bet on the outcome of greyhound racing via online betting sites.  Such sites are easy to access, and provide a convenient and reliable way for greyhound race fans to place bets at times and locations that fit in with their busy lifestyles.

Most of the big-name sites host great introductory promotions. Stan James free bets, Betvictor free bets and William hill free bets are to name but a few. 

Registration with a site is a straightforward process, and only takes a few minutes.  Once your account is active, you can log onto the ‘greyhounds’ section of the website, and place your first bet.

To enhance the betting experience, sites often televise greyhound races live, bringing the thrill of the trackside into your own home.  With such great offers available to new customers, there has never been a better time to sign up, and go to the dogs.

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How to choose a site to play bingo

Posted on June 7, 2012 by rsphcouk

With so many popular websites where people can play online bingo it is not always easy to decide which one is the best. In reality, there are lots of great sites and many of them are directed towards different gaming experiences. This is great news for bingo lovers, as it means that there is likely to be a site that is aimed towards the specific requirements of each individual player.

Some of the more practical aspects to consider when deciding which bingo site to sign up to include usability, security, ease of access and buy in amounts. Other things to consider are the motives for playing. Some online bingo sites are directed towards user fun, entertainment and user interaction, whilst others are geared towards larger stake games where the potential winnings are much higher. It is important to decide upon the motives for playing bingo online before signing up, in order to ensure that it is the right site for the user. For those wishing to play simply for a little fun and to pass the time, free bingo sites are available and these can be the perfect solution.

With so many different styles of bingo site available, it is always good to do a little research before signing up, to ensure that the most suitable one has been found. Online bingo reviews are a great way of finding out what the users really think about each site and this can be very helpful in deciding which one to sign up with. Some may have poor site performance during busy times or a bad reputation for customer services, whilst others may be extremely popular with most of their users and have great customer reviews.

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Online poker and Texas Hold’Em

Posted on June 4, 2012 by rsphcouk

The card game of poker has existed for over 200 years but the game only moved online in 1998. The recent explosion in online poker is mainly due to the success of Chris Moneymaker.

Moenymaker was the Tennessee accountant who, in 2003, entered the World Series of Poker (WSOP) with a $40 stake online and succeeded in winning a place at the Vegas finals and scooping the jackpot of $2,500,000. This success generated the online poker boom that has continued to expand. In 2011, researchers discovered that there were over 5.5 million online poker players over a period of six months and this research took aliases and nicknames into account.

The most popular online poker game is Texas Hold’ Em, with many players entering prestigious tournaments through the online satellites. Moneymaker’s success showed that one did not have to be a professional poker player in order to walk off with the pot. Online poker is becoming increasingly popular with the 18-25 age group. One of the new breeds of ‘poker millionaires’ ‘Isildur 1’, otherwise known as Viktor Blom, is only 21, and there are many other skilled young players who started their poker playing careers online.

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A day at the races

Posted on May 30, 2012 by rsphcouk

A day at the races is a super fun day out and a great experience as well as being a fine opportunity for dressing up to the nines and having a flutter.  Whether you are a first timer or a seasoned visitor, the races has an undeniably charismatic energy which surrounds every race, drawing you into the excitement.  If you have a bet on then the excitement is intensified.

In the UK, horse racing comes under one of two categories; National Hunt and Flat racing.  National Hunt racing involves hurdles and jumps and is seasonal.  Flat racing is just that, raced on the flat, and occurs throughout the year on racecourses up and down the country.

If you are attending a big race meeting, for example Ascot or the Grand National, you may have placed a bet ahead of the race itself.  This is an ante post bet and is a common occurrence prior to most major UK racing events.

Racecourse tipsters will have on offer a board with their own selection of favoured horses.  In racing parlance this is called the nap.  If you place an odds on bet then the winnings are less than the amount bet.  An even money bet is when the winnings and your stake are the same.

When you visit the racecourse for the first time you will hear terms like the tote, Yankee betting, starting price and more, but remember you do not need to bet vast sums of money to enjoy a day at the races and you will soon come to understand the terminology and have a great day out.

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Bar Bingo

Posted on May 24, 2012 by rsphcouk

A recent trend in playing bingo is Bar Bingo.  Although you can play bingo online at Xbingo.com, or in a bingo hall, on board a cruise ship or at home with friends, the playing of bingo in a bar or a pub has become very popular.  Bingo is bingo wherever you play it, but the relaxed atmosphere and friendly ambience of your local drinking venue can be a great place to play this iconic game, in the company of your friends and neighbours.

There is even a variation on the traditional game of bingo known as Bar Bingo.  Instead of crossing off the numbers that are called out, you form into competing teams, of at least two people per team, and search for items commonly seen in bars.  For example: ‘a cocktail with an olive’, ‘a woman with blonde hair’, etc.  The teams can even visit different bars, and take photos of their finds with a camera phone to send to the other teams.  The team that finds all their items first wins the game.

Talking of mobile phones, a simple way to play Bar Bingo is to ask the caller to generate numbers on their mobile phone, and then you can all play bingo the good old fashioned way, with numbers scored off a card.  It is a great way to break the ice and make friends, as well as being really great fun!

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