Bet-ya wanted to know that...
101 FAQs about online gambling
51 - 60
Online Casinos
How do online casinos work?What are the different types of online casinos?
What types of promotions do online casinos run?
How can they afford this?
How safe is it to play online casino?
What is Blackjack?
What is Roulette?
How do online slot machines work?
What is Video Poker?
What is Craps?
An Internet casino exist as powerful software residing on a large-scale computers which you can access via Internet connection. Some casinos have developed their own software, but they are the exception to the rule. In fact this market is controlled by a few brand names which provide online casinos with their versions of online games.
It is important to know that if an online casino uses a software from the well established provider, it usually will not have control over how the games play, game outcomes are dictated by various random number generation systems. This is controlled totally by the software vendor that licensee casino uses.
Different software vendors use different methods, but all them are based on the Random Number Generator. The typical version of software from the provider is customized for each casino but only at a cosmetic level. The gaming engine is the same and frequently, the games that casinos offer are the same.
What are the different types of online casinos?
Generally, Online casinos' software is of two kinds.
No download casinosSome of them use Flash or Shockwave, which runs in your browser and may require the Flash (or Shockwave) plug-ins available from Macromedia. Other casinos are Java-based, in which applets also run through your browser. Some of these casinos offer sound and animation, and all of them offer some pretty good graphics.
The biggest advantage of a no-download casino is that it can be played on most computers and operating systems, and many of these will also work on WebTV. But you have to download graphics and sounds every time you play.
Download casinos
The second kind are those that require you to download a program (5-15 megabytes) to your hard drive and then install it on your computer. Once installed, these programs typically offer great graphics, sound and animation. They are generally more stable and secure, and once installed minimize communications between your computer and the casino game server. Such a software can be run only on a Windows-based platform and it's ideal for dial-up connections.
Usually casino sites have a "Preview" section that shows some snapshots of the games. It's a good idea to look at their appearance before you spend 30-90 minutes downloading software.
What types of promotions do online casinos run?
One of the biggest pros of online gambling are the promotions. High competition amongst the growing number of online gambling sites make them offer fantastic bonuses to new customers.
The Welcome bonus is not the only promotion that the Gambling Industry can offer. If your become a customer, the most of well established gambling portals will offer your Reward or VIP Program, monthly or weekly bonuses, Prize Draws and 'Refer a Fiend' bonuses.
Gambling promotions can be classed the following categories
- Happy hour bonus
- Special bonus
- Random bonus
- Refer A Friend
Online Casinos (also Poker Rooms, Bingo Halls and Sports betting Sites) have a much lower overhead cost as compared to land-based casinos.
- They don't require any physical property
- They hire less staff
- As equipment they use computers and special software.
- Marketing costs are much less
And of course, you cannot take the bonus and run away. To get free money one should fulfill certain requirements. For example, according to some casino's promotion rules, you have to wager your bonus and the deposit at least three or up to 20 times before you can collect your winnings.
How safe is it to play online Casino?
Casino software brands use some e-cash
providers for making on-line money transactions, e.g., WagerLogic uses
E-cash transaction processing software, developed by CryptoLogic.
These e-cash companies use 128-bit SSL digital encryption when transferring data via the Internet where each end-user is issued with a unique account number and chooses their own password, which they alone can access.
The same technology used by worldwide banks and governments to transmit data securely and confidentially between parties. The e-cash provider also keeps a record of every transaction made. Should the need for a complete paper audit arise, the information is readily available.
So, if you feel that it is secure to buy at Amazon.com, then you should be comfortable depositing at a good casino.
Blackjack, or 21 is one of the most popular table game on the casino floor. A quick look might leave the impression that the closest hand to 21 wins, but that is not the case. Edward Thorp's classic book's title on the subject, Beat The Dealer, sums it up in a nutshell. A simple way to put it might be: It doesn't matter what you have; it just matters what the dealer has.
That is an oversimplification but it's ultimately true. You can win and get paid when you have a total of 12, and lose on 20. It happens every day. This deceptive game has many different levels at which it can be played ranging from absolute novice to card-counting master.
Realizing that you are probably not going to make a million playing blackjack overnight, you should find the game entertaining and enjoyable.
Around the reel with a depressed rim a little ivory ball is sent spinning in a direction opposite to the rotation of the wheel. As the momentum of the ball diminishes, it falls from the grooved track onto the revolving wheel. Finally it settles into one of the 38 pockets around the perimeter of the wheel. Each of the pockets is identified with a number from 1 to 36 or with a zero or double zero. The object of the game is to predict which pocket the ball will land in, and to back up your prediction with a wager. If you are correct then you are rewarded with a payoff.
How do online slot machines work?
Online slot machines operate in much the same manner as the machines found in today's casinos. They're all reliant on a random number generator (RNG). In the casino, the RNG is built into the machine; online, it's written into the programming.
The number of "reels" and the number of coins a player inserts determines the overall payback of any machine. In days gone by, randomness was limited by physical technology. However, with computerized number generators there's another fly in the ointment in that the programmer can write the script for any payback percentage.
This might make a player wary of computerized and/or online slot machines but the truth is, if the programmer creates a script that pays few winners, players will either lose all their money or quit playing in frustration. This leads to casino losses in the long run. Therefore, programs are written to provide balanced outcomes based on a payback percentage.
Payback percentage is simply what the machine can be expected to return to players in the long run. For example, a machine set at 96 percent should return 96 cents out of every dollar. The house gets to keep 4 cents. This doesn't mean you will get 96 cents back for every dollar you play. You might get less or more or you could hit the jackpot and get much, much more than your dollar. What's important to understand is the expression "long term."
The RNG is coordinated with the symbols on the machine to produce a 96 percent payback after thousands of thousands of tries. So, in essence, your own payback percentage will depend on one thing and one thing only - LUCK. Even if a program is set to pay 50 percent, if you are in the right place at the right time, you could realize a profit.
By far the most popular slot game in land-based casinos is found on the video poker machine. Two factors set this game apart from other slots. First, they generally offer the best payback percentage (the relationship between the amount of money played to the amount returned). Second, they require skill.
How to play: The video poker machine deals five cards. You choose which cards to keep or discard (depending on the machine). New cards replace the cards you throw away. The object of the game is to make the best hand by keeping good cards, throwing away useless cards and drawing new cards that might improve the current hand.
Most video poker machines will pay back between 96 and 100 percent to the player - that's right, one hundred percent. It all depends on the payoff schedule and your level of skill. Unfortunately, each type of game (Deuces Wild, jacks or better, bonus poker, double bonus poker, double double bonus poker, Joker wild, and so on) requires a different strategy because of the different outcomes of the draw. Therefore, it's important to learn the different strategies for each game.
Craps is a dice game that any number may play. Each person in turn may, as the shooter, cast two matched dice in attempting to roll a winning combination.
Before his first throw the shooter puts up a stake, and the other players fade it, i.e., bet against the shooter up to the amount of the stake. The shooter must withdraw any part of his stake that is not faded. If he wins, he may continue to shoot and bet again, as much or as little as he wants; or he may give up the dice. If the shooter loses, the other players take away double the amount they faded. The other players also may bet among themselves as to whether the shooter will win or lose in the next series of throws or whether certain numbers or combinations will appear. In some games, such as bank craps, players may bet only against the house.