Spend Winnings In Style

***OFFER NOW EXTENDED UNTIL END OF NOVEMBER 2008! BUY FOR CHRISTMAS NOW!***

****As an exclusive treat for my blog readers, I'll give you back 5% of your purchases at Bidz.com until the end of November 2008 as long as you use the links in this blog entry to visit Bidz.com and buy. Once you've paid for your auctions, send your email address to me at davewestlondon@yahoo.co.uk and I'll refund you 5% of your purchase price (once confirmed by Bidz) via Paypal.****

All gamblers, myself included, love the concept of getting "something for nothing", or for a bargain price. I believe it's part of the reason why we play online (to get casino bonuses, and free casino match play), and why we go to Las Vegas / Reno (to get free buffets, free rooms), etc. Many of the readers of this blog win in casinos often - I know, because I receive their emails (which is nice). From my own experience, there's certainly nothing like the feeling of getting FREE CASH from the casinos when we win.

Gold Necklace - paid $20, worth $400
It's important that when we do win, we spend our winnings wisely! Otherwise, what's all our play for? I've always tried to spend my winnings on things that make me happier - or that provide nice gifts (like jewellery) for the people close to me.


Diamond and Gold Ring - paid $42, worth $500
I believe I've found one of the very best places to buy jewellery online: Bidz.com. I never recommend anything I haven't tried myself, and Bidz is no exception. A NASDAQ listed company, having sold to date over one billion dollars of jewellery, Bidz offers a huge range of jewellery via online auctions, that you can literally get for up to 95% off. I've bought a lot of jewellery this way, and my friends have always been very appreciative. All items are auctioned in US dollars, but importantly, Bidz.com is open to INTERNATIONAL buyers also - and the postage / FedEx charges are very reasonable. To give you a taste of some of the items on offer, I've placed pictures of some of the jewellery I've personally purchased throughout this blog entry.


Diamond and Sapphire Ring - paid $23, worth $375
To my mind, buying jewellery this way, for these amazing prices, is a great way to spend your casino winnings in style! Buy now in time for Christmas for your friends and family!

PKR.com Poker Available Here

I'm delighted to announced that we've been approved to carry advertising for PKR.com, the web's most realistic poker site! If you've ever played the game "The Sims", you'll have an understanding of what PKR.com delivers in gameplay. The gameplay is 3d, realistic, and as good as being there.




PKR.com is a great poker site, and well worth a visit!

Blackjack Insurance: Don't!

The "Insurance" side bet is available in virtually all blackjack games. You put money down for insurance when the dealer has an Ace showing as their first card, if you think that the dealer will get a blackjack. The bet pays 2:1 if the dealer does get a blackjack, and loses if they don't.

What are the chances of a dealer getting blackjack? This can be affected by the number of decks played in the game, what the current "count" is, and how deeply the dealer penetration of the cards goes. To get a blackjack a dealer needs an Ace (1 chance in 13 = 7.7%) and a picture / ten card (4 chances in 13, but only makes a blackjack when an Ace is present already = 30%). On average, the dealer will get a blackjack about once in every 23 hands. That's also the same for a player.

Unless you're a very experienced card counter, blackjack INSURANCE bets should be AVOIDED. The average house edge on the insurance bet is about 8%. In the long run, not taking the blackjack insurance bet will save you money. Insurance is a premium paid to protect against an event that might or might not happen. In the case of blackjack insurance, the premium is simply too high to pay when compared to the relative risk.

Should I Surrender My Hand?

It's not uncommon to get "stiff hands" in Blackjack like 15 or 16. In fact, that probably happens about 30-40% of the time. Some casinos will give you the option to surrender your hand, losing half your bet. Should you do it? That all depends on the circumstances, and most importantly, the dealer's up card.

Normally, being a macho male, I don't like surrendering at anything. Surrendering means "I give up", "I throw in the towel", "I don't want to try any more" - and all of these thoughts are against my nature. And, to my mind, surrendering is not something you want to get in the habit of doing everytime you see a good dealer upcard - as it will cost you money.

The only times that I will surrender my hand are when I have a 15 or 16 only, and the dealer has a 10 or an Ace showing (assuming the casino allows surrender against an Ace - some don't). On these combinations only, it is better to surrender than to hit... potentially saving you some cash. Yes, even though I hate surrendering, it's better to lose half on a bad hand than to lose it all.

Read the plaque on the casino blackjack table to find out whether or not your casino offers surrender - or ask the dealer. Most online casinos clearly state in their game rules / plaques if surrender is available.

Virgin 3-Wheel Roulette

Virgin Casino have recently launched 3-Wheel Roulette. This game is played just like normal roulette, with the same European Roulette Odds (single zero), however it enables the player to spin and bet on 3 independent Roulette wheels at once. The game is copyright to IGT, who own WagerWorks, who produce the software which powers Virgin Casino.


In addition to the standard roulette bets, 3-Wheel Roulette offers a "Colour Up Bonus" bet. For a single unit (i.e. $1 or more), this bonus bet returns 1000 to 1 for three zeros, 100 to 1 for three of any number, 50 to 1 for two zeros, 25 to 1 for a straight, 5 to 1 for a pair, or even money for a colour match on all three wheels. Whilst the odds on hitting some of these combinations are high (and therefore, the bet should generally be avoided), bettors who enjoy taking risks towards long shot bets might enjoy the challenge (and resulting wins). 3-Wheel Roulette can be played for free, or for real cash. Visit Virgin Casino today.

Some Basic Craps Tips

Here are a few quick tips about Craps, that might prove helpful when you play:

1) Craps is a great casino game, that offers some of the lowest house edges on bets when played correctly - however, it also offers some high-edge bets too (so be careful!)

2) Place as many odds bets as you can (these pay true odds), especially if the casino will allow you to double your stake (or more). In many Las Vegas area games its not uncommon to see bettors allowed to have 3x or even 5x odds on numbers, or 10x or 100x odds on the pass line.


3) Avoid the "Any Seven" bet at 4/1 at all costs. It's one of the worst bets in the entire casino, as it has a massive 16.7% edge against the player.

4) Avoid the one-roll proposition bets. They have house edges of 13.9% (2 or 12), and 11.1% (3 or 11).

5) Avoid the "Any Craps" bet at 7/1 - with true odds of 8 to 1 this bet also has a house edge of 11.1%.

6) Avoid the hardways (i.e. hard 6, hard 8). These have house edges of 9% (for the hardway 6 or 8) and 11.1% (for the hardway 4 or 10) respectively.


7) Avoid field bets. Under normal payout conditions, this set of numbers has a house edge of at least 5.26%.

8) Avoid the Big 6 and Big 8 bets. These bets are boldly shown at the corner of the craps layout, but only give even money if a 6 or 8 is thrown, rather than the true odds of 7/6. As you can bet using the 7/6 odds by taking a place bet at a 1.52% house edge, using Big 6 or Big 8 and taking a 9.09% house edge is CRAZY!

Craps is an enjoyable and fun game to play. Many online casinos offer excellent craps games, including: Casino.com, Betfair Casino, Virgin Casino, Littlewoods Casino, Coral Casino, and Totesport Casino.

Some Basic Roulette Tips

Here are a few quick tips about Roulette, that might prove helpful when you play:

1) The house edge on the European Roulette wheel (single zero) is 2.7%. The house edge on the American Roulette wheel (double zero) is 5.26%. Therefore, always play on the European Roulette wheel if you can.

2) The house edge on the European Roulette wheel where the En-Prison rule is in force for even money bets is just 1.35%. This is an excellent edge - but it's very difficult to find this game variation.

3) The house edge on Betfair Casino Zero Edge Roulette is ZERO, because there is NO ZERO on the wheel. If you can play online at Betfair Casino, do so - this is the very best bet you will find for roulette online or offline! (See Roulette With ZERO House Edge).


4) Avoid the five number bet on the American Roulette table (0, 00, 1, 2 and 3) which has the biggest house edge in Roulette (7.89%). This is the worst bet you can possibly make on any Roulette table.

5) Realise that Roulette is not a game of skill - and that it's a game of luck. The only truly reliable strategy you can use at Roulette, on account of the house edge, is to manage your money in such a way that when you do you have a lucky streak, you are able to pick up your casino chips (real, or virtual) and walk away.

Play now: Play electronic ZERO edge roulette at Betfair, play traditional electronic roulette at Cyberslotz, Littlewoods, Virgin Casino, Casino.com, or play live Roulette at Liveroulette.com or Coral Casino. Spin to win, and stay lucky! I wish you great success when playing Roulette!

Gambling "on tilt"

Sometimes, we gamblers go out of control and lose our discipline. I call that going on "tilt" - named after that little sign that shows on a pinball machine when you hit it in frustration, and then lose your game. Going on tilt is common, and dangerous to gamblers. A sure sign that you're on tilt is when you start betting on anything and everything, and you're not really even thinking about what you're doing.

Why do we go on tilt? Often it's due to emotional reasons. We begin to feel angry when we play. We're tired and irritable. Our number on roulette doesn't show for 20 spins, and then just when we stop backing it, the number spins up - making us brassed off. Whatever the cause, the correct course of action is to stop betting immediately. Take a break, walk out the door of the casino, or move away from the computer screen (if betting online). Otherwise things will go from bad to worse. Admitting to yourself that you're "on tilt" and walking away can be the difference between an average gambling session (with a modest win or loss), and a catastrophic gambling session which reduces your bankroll and your self-esteem simultaneously.

Additionally, you should never gamble when you're drunk, and never gamble when you're too tired. Both of these events lead to bad decisions being made. And in gambling, bad decisions cost cash! Need some help on the basics of casino gambling, and how to win using Money Management and other techniques? Check out two of the blog entries I made in October and November last year (2007): "Partwork One: The Four D's" and "Partwork Two: Money Management in Casinos".

Enjoy your gambling experiences, and stay "in the zone" rather than "on tilt" to win.

Las Vegas Power Pass

Regular Beat the Casinos blog readers would have seen my entry the other day about some of the excellent upcoming shows in Las Vegas in September 2008: Las Vegas - Sept 2008. If you are going to Las Vegas, you should check out the Las Vegas Power Pass, by Visiticket.

The Las Vegas Power Pass includes admission to the top Las Vegas attractions, museums, sightseeing tours, and thrill rides for one low price - and until September 11, 2008 you can get TEN PERCENT OFF (10%) the 3 day and 5 day passes by following THIS EXCLUSIVE LINK or other links in this blog entry. Las Vegas Power Passes are available for 1 day, 2 days, 3 days, or 5 days.

Note: if you are reading this blog entry after September 11, 2008, please continue to click through to Visiticket using the links in this blog. You'll always receive a special discount for OUR blog readers. If you have trouble finding a discount, let me know at davewestlondon@yahoo.co.uk and I'll organise one for you.

Starting at only $75 for a 1 day Las Vegas Power Pass, you can save great money (up to $500 USD) off of the price of having to buy tickets individually. Just visit 2 or 3 attractions using the Las Vegas Power Pass, and you'll be saving! And since you don’t have to spend time waiting in line to pay for tickets at each location you’ll have more time to enjoy your Las Vegas vacation (or be able to fit more attractions into each day). The Las Vegas Power Pass offers unbeatable savings and convenience, and you're getting a great discount!

Some of the Las Vegas Power Pass included attractions are: Atomic Testing Museum, Las Vegas; Guggenheim Hermitage Museum in Las Vegas; Hoover Dam Tour from Las Vegas; Las Vegas Art Museum; Las Vegas Fashion Outlets Shopper's Shuttle; Las Vegas Natural History Museum; Las Vegas Zoo; Liberace Museum is Las Vegas' Finest; Luxor's In Search of the Obelisk; Madame Tussauds Las Vegas Interactive Wax Experience at the Venetian; Manhattan Express Rollercoaster at NYNY Casino in Las Vegas; Nevada State Museum; Popovich Comedy Pet Theater; Siegfried & Roy's Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat at the Mirage; SkyMania Fun Center Las Vegas; SPEED-The Ride and Cyber Speedway of Las Vegas at the Sahara Casino; Springs Preserve Las Vegas; The Adventuredome Theme Park at Circus Circus; Visit Egypt at the King Tut Museum Las Vegas in the Luxor Casino.

I've used the Las Vegas Power Pass myself on several occasions. It's inexpensive, highly convenient, and it saves you time too! Have a great time in Las Vegas, and save some money (even more if you act quickly, by September 11th, 2008) by using the Las Vegas Power Pass!