Casino Games Guide

Roulette is one of the most popular casino games, both at land based casinos and online casinos as well. We have discussed roulette tips at GamesGuide, but online players will also want to learn about the different types of roulette they will be able to enjoy at many of the online casinos.  Here are four of the commonly offered versions of roulette:

European Roulette: This is the most common and the most popular version of roulette. Most of the online casinos that offer their players the chance to play roulette will offer a European version, even if they have other roulette games as well. The wheel in European roulette has numbers 1 through 36 and a 0. In European Roulette the house advantage is just 2.7%. This is one exciting game that has made an impressive number of fans for itself.

American Roulette: This version of roulette is very similar to the European version. In fact, there is just one main difference between the two versions. The American version has an extra number which is the 00. So it has 1 through 36, a 0, and a 00. This extra 00 makes all of the difference in the game of roulette. It means the house advantage nearly doubles form what the European version is. The American version offers the house a 5.26% which is quite a bit more of an advantage. This is why many people prefer to play the European version; it’s basically the same game, but with better odds. However, American roulette is still the choice for many players and is also quite popular.

Many online casinos offer the American and European versions with their download and flash roulette games.  There are a few more though that are a little less common.

RaceTrack Roulette: This version of roulette also has a wheel with numbers 1 through 36 and only a single 0. In racetrack roulette the table duplicates the roulette wheel. The numbers are ordered just the same. This racetrack offers players a different way to place their bets. Players are able to take advantage of neighbor bets; this is where numbers next to each other will be covered. There is also an area where players can make four different announce bets. In theory, this is just roulette with a bit extra added to the betting field.

Mini-Roulette: Mini-roulette has been considered more of a novelty than it was ever considered to be a serious game. However, things have begun to change for mini-roulette and it is gathering some fans of its own. The mini roulette wheel has 12 numbers plus a 0. The game is played the same way as European roulette, only with much less numbers.

Update: Rushmore is having another 10K freeroll slots tournament this weekend with this Loose Caboose slot game.  Here are the details:

FREE $10,000 CASH PRIZE!

If you like Slots and Cash but love the combination of both,

join our amazing $10,000 FREEROLL Slot Tournament

Starts this Friday, June 4th at 08:00 PM EST

running until Sunday, June 6th at 02:00 PM EST

Only 500 seats available – first come, first served!

No buy in, free to get in, easy to win!!!

* Valid for all players that have made at least 1 deposit in the casino.

Rushmore Casino has just announced that they will be holding their first ever freeroll slot tournament starting today, Friday May 21. The registration for this freeroll is will open at 4:00PM EST and will close when the tournament starts 4 hours later at 8:00PM EST.

The total cash prize is $10,000 and there is no buy in. Make sure you sign up as soon as you can, though. Only the first 500 people to register will be able to play in this tournament! This freeroll starts at 8:00PM EST tonight and lasts until Sunday, May 23rd at 2:00PM EST.

One thing to note: In order to sign up for a chance to win this freeroll, you must already have a Rushmore Casino account and must have already deposited into this account at least once to be eligible to register.

The feature video slot for this tournament is going to be Loose Caboose. At this time, I don’t have any other tournament information such as starting balance, possible rebuy or distribution of the $10,000 cash prize information yet. Suffice to say with only 500 players, you’ll have a much better chance than some of the larger slots tournaments!

Loose Caboose Video Slot

If you already have a Rushmore Casino account and plan on taking part in this tournament, you may want to play the feature game beforehand and get comfortable with this game if you have never done so before.

You can find Loose Caboose in the Real Series Video Slots section of the Slots category.

Loose Caboose has 25 paylines and is in the style of a late 19th early 20th century train ride. In general, always assume that the A, K, Q, J, 10, 9 icons are always the lowest valued icons. The tickets and purse are the next highest valued icons, followed by the Lady and Ticket Taker icons. The best regular icon in the game is the Train Engine.

There are also a couple of special icons that you can receive. The Engineer icon is called a substitute, which can be used to match surrounding icons to help complete any paylines. There is also the Caboose icon which is called the scatter card. A scatter card means that the icons don’t have to land on a payline in order to win. Scatter wins are multiplied by your total bet.

Paylines are won by matching icons across one of the 25 paylines. The paylines go from the leftmost reel and go across each reel to the right. Most of the icons require 3 matching icons in order to win. The best icons only need to match the first two rows in order to win.

Because you are betting on multiple paylines, each payline will only be a portion of your total bet. This means that just because you have won a payline doesn’t mean that you’ve won overall on the bet.

If you bet on all 25 paylines and your total bet is $5, that means you are betting $0.20 on each line. Lets say you won on one of the 20 paylines and got three Aces. You will have won the prize (5x winner on the payline) multiplied by the amount bet on that one payline, or 20 cents. That would mean on a $5 bet you only won $1 in return.

Bonus Features

I like the bonus feature in Loose Caboose. It is a little different than a lot of the other video slots out there. The thing that is normal is that you need to get 3 of the Caboose scatter icons on the screen; if you do, you get awarded with free spins.

When you activate this feature, you will see the Cash Train go across the real and reveal different prizes behind each panel. You may only have the train go across one of the rows; but occasionally the train will go across two or all three rows.

The three basic things you will see are “X number of Free Games” (spins), “X multiplier” – multiplies total winnings by whatever the multiplier is and Golden icons. Whichever Golden icon is revealed will act as an additional substitute card. These can add up to give your normal spin up to 30x more profitable during any free game.

Would you like to participate in this tournament? The registration is going to open in about 2 hours. Get you free entry before the registrations are gone.

Don’t have an account at Rushmore Casino yet? It’s not too late to open one and make a deposit. Click on the banner below.

When you log into your account, you will see an area that says “Amazing Slot Tournaments – Click to Join & Play”

When you click on it, you will see the slots tournament screen shown below. There are a couple of warm-up tournaments for Loose Caboose that aren’t freerolls, but attempt to get people ready for the tournament tonight.

You won’t see the main tournament until after 4:00PM EST. The amount under the buy-in will either say Freeroll or $0. When you see it, you just have to register and after 8:00PM EST you will be able to start.

Update

Everyone know how popular poker has become in the online gambling world. The fans of this game love it for its strategies and the fact that you can beat others by figuring out how they play. Any poker game always involves some luck, but good players are always there at the end of any tournament.

Poker is played in several versions like Texas Hold’em, Omaha, 5 card, 7 card etc. 7 card stud poker is one of the more complex forms of poker. For this reason, it isn’t as popular as Texas Hold’em.

This game is complex in its game play and strategies. Of-course, luck plays a role in deciding the winner, but one needs to master the skills and learn the rules well, to win more than just a couple times by a fluke or two in this game.

How to Play 7 Card Stud

To understand what really is so complex about them we should learn about the steps of the game:

1. 2 faces down cards are dealt by the dealer, from a 52-card deck, to each of the players on the table. He also deals a face up card to each player which is known as the door card.
2. Once the cards are dealt, players place their bets starting from the player in possession of the door card of highest value.
3. After the first round of betting, the dealer deals another face up card to each player. Once the cards are dealt, all the players can make their bets again.
4. Another card is dealt to the players after which another round of betting starts just as the last time.
5. The last face up card is dealt to each of the players. This card is followed by the last round of betting. At this stage, all the players are in possession of 7 cards each.
6. 7 cards of all the players make up their hands. The player with the hand of the highest value wins. If two players have hands of the same value, then the cards in the hands are considered to decide the winner. The winner gets the pot. As in the other forms of poker, the pot is the sum total of the bets made in all the previous rounds.

The main difference between this form of poker and the majority of other forms is that community cards are not used in this game. All the cards which are used to make up the hands of the players are dealt directly to them and none is laid on the table.

The first bet which is made, is called the Bring-in. This bet has to be made by the player who gets the door card of the highest value. This player has no option but to bet. If he does not want to bet or if he thinks that his hand is hopeless, the only other option open for him, is to fold.

In each round of betting, each player has to make a move. He can either make a bet or fold. Due to this rule, in many of the games, only one or two players remain till the last round and all others are eliminated. So, if only one player survives till the end, there is no question of calculating the value of the hand as there no contenders for the pot.

As most of the cards dealt in this game is face up, so as the game progresses, most of the players get an idea of the strength of their hands. Only two cards are face down and total cards in the deck are 52. So, if a players looks at the cards which are dealt to all the players, he can make his decision about making a bet or leaving more easily.

Because of all these differences, 7-card stud poker is indeed more complex than the other versions of the game and thus is loved by players who want the game to be more complex and more exciting at the same time.

Strategies for Playing Poker

These are general poker strategies that should be used in any game that you play. First and foremost is that you don’t play too many hands!

This is the most important rule for every poker game played with more than 6 people. The mistake most often made is that beginners don’t know when to get rid of their hands.

With Texas Hold’em this is very easy; usually you can fold when your hand misses the flop. It isn’t always that easy in other cards games, especially games like stud poker and Omaha Hi/Lo.

Before you start playing any form of poker for money online, make sure you have a good knowledge of what hands to stay with. If you don’t, the players that know how to play the game will be able to exploit you.

As far as this goes with 7 card stud poker, here is a great article that I have found that explains starting hands in 7 card stud. With this knowledge, you will have a much better chance surviving in a Sit & Go tournament or a ring game.

Casino War may be one of the simplest card games that you will find. It’s basically the same game that many of us played against our siblings and friends when we were kids. The object of the game is simple: you and your opponent will both flip a card over from the deck of cards. Whoever has the higher cards wins.

Now the war card game that many people will remember playing involves dealing each player half of the deck. Each game lasts about a second. Each time you win a game, you get to take the cards. When your opponent wins, they get to take the cards. The game did not end until somebody has all of the cards.

It is called war because of one feature in the game; when you and the opponent tie on a hand (get the same card) you must go to war. Wars are the primary way of getting valuable cards away from the other player. You and the opponent must lay your next three cards face down and flip over the fourth card. If you win, you get all of the cards, including those that are face down.

War goes to the Casino

Around the 1950’s, some enterprising man in Las Vegas had a thought about this simple game and viola, Casino War is born. The object and premise of the game is essentially the same. Instead of handling the cards, the dealer will flip over both cards. Each game is one flip of the cards, you against the dealer. You make a bet, the dealer flips the cards and a winner is determined. Bets are paid out 1 to 1.

They did a couple of things to deter people from counting cards and winning big. The main thing that the casinos did was to use a 6 deck shoe of cards. This essentially turned the game into a glorified coin flip. The only real advantage a casino had was when it came to breaking ties with the player, more on that below.

Some casinos give the players an opportunity to place a separate bet that the two cards would tie for a 10 to 1 payout. This turns out to be a very bad bet for the player. Anyone can do the basic math and see that there is a 13 to 1 chance of the two cards matching. This bet has a significant advantage towards the house.

In the late 1990’s, online casinos hit the internet. They made software for all of the games that you could play at the casino. This included Casino War, which can be found at almost any online casino. The casino war software was relatively easy to develop and the 50/50 nature of casino war made it a natural for people to bet on.

Breaking Ties

Casino War still has kept the most important feature – the Wars. When you and the dealer get the same card, you have to decide whether or not to go to war. It is always recommended in casino war to go to war with the dealer. This means that you must put down an additional bet and an additional card is flipped over for both the dealer and you. The highest card again is the winner and the bets are collected or paid accordingly. The one advantage that you have in casino war is the the player wins on a second tie.

If you decided to surrender you hand instead of going to war, you will forfeit half of your original bet. This is the only thing that gives the casino an advantage. You either have to bet double or you automatically lose half. You shouldn’t get caught in a situation where you should have to surrender. If you lost, the amount you lost should be equivalent to two consecutive game loses. Don’t over-bet and get caught in a situation where you can’t afford to go double or nothing.

Why should I play Casino War?

I know it doesn’t seem like the sexiest game to play, I’ll give you that. It may seem kind of boring and repetitive, but it is by far the quickest game to play, whether you are playing online or at the casino. Also, being such a simple game, people are more likely going to try war over games with more complex rules like baccarat.

If your a novice at games like craps or card games like pai gow poker, then you should try betting on casino war because you are likely to do much better. Even roulette and blackjack can give players a hard time. Developing and utilizing a basic betting pattern in Casino War can help you come out ahead.

I would highly recommend that you visit some of these war casinos if you are interested in playing. Some of the casinos listed have bonuses that players can claim.

There is a brand new video slot game out for St Patrick’s Day called Shamrock Isle. You can find this video slot at Sloto’ Cash.

Shamrock Isle is one of the better video slots that I have seen come out recently. This video slot has 5 reels that obviously has a St Patrick’s Day theme. There is a Leprechaun wild symbol, free spins mode and not 1 but three different bonus games to choose from. Some of the other icons you will see are the traditional 9 through Ace from a deck of playing cards as well as a shamrock and Unicorn.

Only the Leprechaun wild symbol and the jackpot icon (looks like a gold crown over a green and red heart) require 2 icons in order to complete a payline. All other icons need to match 3 across to win. The icons must match from the first reel on the left across to the right.

The Leprechaun wild symbol will only be found on reels 1, 2 and 3 (the three closest to the left). During normal play, you can use this icon to substitute for any other icon in order to compete a payline. But, during free spins mode the wild card expands to cover all three spots on the reel.

Free Spins Play

In order to get you need to get three (3) of the harp icons anywhere on the screen. Once you do, you will be notified that you have won 10 free spins. If you get 4 harp icons, you receive 25 free spins and 5 harps will get you 125 free spins. The free spins don’t cost you anything, but wins will be paid the same payouts as your last bet before you got the free spins. The wins will also be multiplied by 3 during free spins.

As you can see, the free spins mode can give you some really big wins. The feature actually keeps going and adding the total throughout the free spins.

The one thing that I like about the free spins is that you can win more of them during play. I have gotten as many as 60 free spins after I received my first 10 by getting lucky and getting 3 harps five more times.

Shamrock Isle Bonus Rounds

In order to activate the bonus round feature and play in one of the bonus rounds, you must get three pots of gold icons as shown below. There are a total of three different games to play: the first is called Road Bowl, the second is called Coin Grab and the third is called Skittles (no not the candy)

Road Bowl

The object of this game is simple. Click the Toss button to release the ball. You will have 4 tosses total. Each flag has a different coin amount attached to it. The further you throw the ball, the higher the coins you will get. Try to hit the same spot again with another toss. The coin amount does not change during the game.

The red areas of the meter are weak throws and won’t go very far. The closer to the green center, the harder you will throw. You only have four tosses so make them count. I would go for the furthest ones away, as the closest ones are easiest to hit.

Coin Grab

In this game, you must grab the coins and put them in your wallet before the Leprechaun gets them. You will be able to grab four coins in total and put them in your wallet. If the Leprechaun does grab it, you will see the amount of coins go to him. In order to grab the coin, you must click on the coin and drag it to the wallet where you then let go.

Skittles

This game is perhaps the easiest to play, because you only have to point and click where you want to toss a log. The are 5 wooden targets on a giant stump of a tree. To throw the log at the target, simply press and click on that target with your mouse. You will have a total of 4 throws at the 5 different targets. Each target has a different coin amount.

Do you like playing video slots? Why don’t you take a look at Free US Slot Tournaments? They list all of the monthly free slot tournaments for players in the United States. Looking to play this game in particular? You can play for real or fun at Sloto’ Cash. Just click on the banner below to play.

A while back, I posted a free online craps flash game from Bodog casino. It was inside of this online craps post from back in October. Since then, I’ve gotten interested in some of the different casino games that you can play for free.

Now free may be a relative term. You can go to many of the online casinos that are posted here and elsewhere, download and install their software and then play most any casino game you want for free. Although you aren’t putting any money in to play these games, the casinos make you register with your email address and sometimes your phone number before you can play for free.

Just what I was asking for, phone calls and spam. The one thing that people on the websites on the internet can’t seem to get straight is that people only search for free stuff because they aren’t looking to buy anything. Otherwise you wouldn’t have search with the qualification of “free”.

Now because you can’t win any money while playing these games, I would qualify this as a casino tool that you would use to in order to improve your game. Either that or just play for fun.

Just like the game I have hosted on that craps post. Just click on the post and you can start playing craps without any hassle. You’re not winning anything per say, but this gives the average person something to do to sharpen up their casino game skills and kill some time in the same breath.

One of the websites that I know sponsor on my sidebar is a free flash website that allows you to play many different types of casino games for free. It’s called playflashcasinogames.com. There are no signups required or any type of registration. Just jump onto the website and start playing casino games for fun. You will need a flash player installed in order to play the games offered (obviously).

Right now, the site only has 8 casino games to choose from, but I was told this is to change soon and more types of casino games will be added. The one thing that is awesome about this site is that the explanations of how to play and the rules for each game is located on the same page as the game itself.

Bingo Flash Games

One of the interesting things that I saw was a free Bingo flash game. I’ve looked around the internet and I’ve only found a couple different ones all together. Here is a link to one of the only other bingo flash games I could find.

Not that Bingo needs a whole lot of practice to play, but I thought I would look around to see if I could find any other styles of bingo games that could be played for fun.

These two styles of flash bingo games are completely different from each other. The first link goes to a flash game that is a one person game and tries to emulate the experience of playing bingo online. It is almost more of a scratch game because only a limited number of numbers are called and you have to get multiple Bingo’s to win a bigger prize.

The second link goes to a bingo game which is a one on one game between you and a computer. Numbers are called and you must manually mark your card. Once a line is completed, you must press Bingo and have your Bingo confirmed before you win.