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Online Gambling Sites that Offer Real Money Wagering Online Options

Online GamblingNot everyone agrees but for many people, gambling is a lot of fun and a great way to spend some time. Gambling has certainly caused difficulty for some people but for the vast, vast majority of people who have been known to enjoy a gamble or two, it has been a pleasurable leisure experience. The ability to gamble online has made it much easier for people to make bets and the fact that it can be done from the comfort of their own home makes it a fantastic option for many players.

There are many gambling options to choose

There a wide range of online gambling sites which should cater for every person and their needs or interests. Sports betting sites, casino sites, poker sites and bingo sites are just some of the ways that a player can enjoy placing money online in the hope of making a tidy return on their gamble.

There is a thrill and sense of anticipation that comes along with gambling online and for money people, this is as important as the financial bonus that can arise from pacing a winning bet. There is no need to place a lot of money when gambling online but knowing that you correctly predicted the outcome of a game or event can make a person feel good about themselves.

Put your money where your mouth is

This is why real money wagering online is such a thrill for people. It is not just about winning money, it is about indicating they have an expertise in a certain area and placing a wager is their way of indicating this.

The old saying refers to putting your money where your mouth is and this is exactly what is on offer when placing real money wagering online. If you have confidence that your skills in poker, bingo, on casino tables or in predicting the outcome of football matches are high, placing money on it can provide a great return and offer validation of your skills.

Some online gambling sites offer free gambling opportunities where there is the chance to play against other people but not for real money. The thrill of beating other people and developing your skills are aspects here but for many people, the added kick of there being money involved makes it seem more real. Real money wagering online is not for everyone but it does provide a great incentive for online gamblers who have a belief in themselves and a confidence they can beat their opponents.

Mansion Poker Review

The Mansion brand has a great deal of respectability in the online gaming market and any site of there is considered to be of good quality. The Mansion Poker site manages to keep this run going and if you are familiar with any other Mansion site; you will find the poker site easy to use and full of great poker options.

Promotions can make all the difference for new players

Mansion Poker

New player promotions are always of interest when people are considering joining up with a new site and Mansion Poker provide some solid ones. The 100% welcome bonus goes all the way up to $500, so if a new player is planning on playing big money, they can receive up to $500 free. Regular play is also encouraged at Mansion Poker because for every 500 points a player earns on the site, $5 of their online poker bonus is released as cash. A great number of players are unhappy about the little genuine value of their bonus but Mansion Poker provides the opportunity to turn the bonus into cash.

The promotions available at Mansion Poker also provide players with the chance to win a place at some of the world’s biggest poker tournaments. For online poker players, the chance to earn a seat at a major poker event is a massive thrill and can be seen as something that is even better than a big cash prize. Being put up in a hotel, being sponsored into the tournament and having some spending money to enjoy the free time is an amazing promotion and one that will keep all good poker players excited about using the site.

If you are looking for a genuine poker bonus, the Mansion Poker site should have plenty on offer for everyone.

Poker players always get more games with the download option

To access the games at Mansion Poker, a player is required to download software to gain access to the games. This is something that some poker players are wary of but there is a poker bonus in store for all downloaders with a huge array of poker games. Downloading definitely provides more poker options than an instant play site can offer and Mansion Poker comes up trumps with these games.

The site also offers a number of customisable features which should ensure every player can enjoy poker the way they like and the Quick Seat option means players can choose which games of poker they like playing the best and navigate their way to them directly.

The Mansion Poker site has a lot to live up to with regards the other Mansion gaming sites but the poker options appears to be as strong. With a wide range of poker bonus incentives and a huge range of games to enjoy, poker players should find plenty to like and enjoy at Mansion Poker.

WSOP Winners Since 1970

Of all the poker tournaments throughout the world, the one that every poker player dreams of winning is the WSOP. Every year poker players from around the world have gathered in Las Vegas to compete for the chance to be named the World Champion of Poker. Several events are held during the series, and a bracelet is awarded to the winner of each event, but the most watched, well known, and coveted prize of all events is the main event of no limit Texas Hold-em.

Since 1976 the WSOP bracelet has been the most coveted prize in the world of poker, and in the last two decades, thousands of players have signed up with the dream of going home wearing this prestigious prize. Those who have won the bracelet have had their names go down in poker history. For those who are interested in the history of the World Series of Poker, we’ve compiled a list of the winners of the main event every year since the WSOP was first played in 1970 as well as the grand prize amount.

Year Player Winnings Year Player Winnings
1970 Johnny Moss Awarded by player vote 1971 Johnny Moss $30,000
1972 Amarillo Slim Preston $80,000 1973 Puggy Pearson $130,000
1974 Johnny Moss $160,000 1975 Sailor Roberts $210,000
1976 Doyle Brunson $220,000 1977 Doyle Brunson $340,000
1978 Bobby Baldwin $210,000 1979 Hal Fowler $270,000
1980 Stu Ungar $385,000 1981 Stu Ungar $375,000
1982 Jack Strauss $520,000 1983 Tom McEvoy $580,000
1984 Jack Keller $660,000 1985 Bill Smith $700,000
1986 Berry Johnston $570,000 1987 Johnny Chan $625,000
1988 Johnny Chan $700,000 1989 Phil Hellmuth Jr. $755,000
1990 Mansour Matloubi $895,000 1991 Brad Daugherty $1,000,000
1992 Hamid Dastmalchi $1,000,000 1993 Jim Bechtel $1,000,000
1994 Russ Hamilton $1,000,000 1995 Dan Harrington $1,000,000
1996 Huck Seed $1,000,000 1997 Stu Ungar $1,000,000
1998 Scotty Nguyen $1,000,000 1999 J. J. “Noel” Furlong $1,000,000
2001 Carlos Mortensen $1,500,000 2002 Robert Varkonyi $2,000,000
2003 Chris Moneymaker $2,500,000 2004 Greg Raymer $5,000,000
2005 Joe Hachem $7,500,000 2006 Jamie Gold $12,000,000
2007 Jerry Yang $8,250,000 2008 Peter Eastgate $9,119,517
2009 Joe Cada $8,546,435 2010 Jonathan Duhamel $8,944,138

The prize for each event is determined by the number of participants and is split up among the top players, the grand prize of course, going to the winner and World Champion of poker every year.

If you like to stay up-to-date during this years WSOP, I suggest you visit FastEmpire.net and sign-up for their RSS feed. Their blog is regularly updated with news and promotions, including items about the World Series of Poker.

Absolute Poker is an Absolute Winner for New and Experienced Players

Given that there are so many online poker sites available, it can be hard to stand out. It seems that most sites are now attempting to provide a solid and reliable service and then hope they have something in their favour which brings new players to them. Absolute Poker is a site that does all the basics right and may have a trick or two up its sleeve to draw you in to becoming a regular player.

When it comes to opening bonuses, there isn’t much to choose from between many poker sites but gaining an opening bonus of 150% is always a good start. If you are going to be playing online poker, getting extra money to play with is always a bonus.

Standard terms and conditions apply

The majority of players are well aware of the conditions that are attached to these opening bonuses but as long as you know the rules, you can make the most of this free opportunity. This bonus is just one of the many promotions available on site and if you need any further encouragement to join up with Absolute Poker, an Absolute Poker referral code could provide all the encouragement you could ever want or need.

Some poker players retain an aversion to downloading software to their computer so it is good to see that Absolute Poker provides the opportunity to play online without having to download. There is a download facility available for those that want all the features but for those that like simplicity about their poker play and no worries about downloading software, Absolute Poker has you covered. There is also a Mac version so all you Apple users can play to your hearts content as well.

Get to know the rules of the games

If you are new to online poker or want to brush up on your knowledge of certain games, there are a great set of rules and player guides available on the Absolute Poker site. These rules are squarely aimed at the novice player and provide all the information you need in a language you will understand. It can be difficult to get up to speed with much of the poker chat on site but the glossary and terms will have you talking like a professional in no time at all.

And when you do develop an understanding of poker, where better to test yourself in one of the many tournaments that Absolute Poker provides for their members? Whether it is a weekly tournament or one of the more special events, put your poker skill to the test and see if you have the beating of other players. Winning money is good when playing poker but sometimes a great deal of fun comes from interacting and defeating other players.

Poker Codes Can Be a Great Bonus for Any Player

Poker Bonus & Referrer CodesIf you play a lot of online poker, the cost can start to add up. Even if you have good bankroll management, playing regularly can be a drain on the finances and depending on your success rate; this may start to become an issue. If you are winning more than you are paying, you are doing very well but not every player has the ability to do this just yet. Learning poker skills can take time and practice so many may suffer losses in their early days. This is why anything which can help you win more or spend less is a great bonus for poker players.

Referral codes can boost your bankroll balance

One of the ways that poker players can lower their level of expenditure is by taking advantage of the many bonus codes or referral codes that can be found online. With so many online poker companies competing against each other, many of them are happy to offer bonuses to encourage new players to use their site. This is definitely in the favour of the players and taking advantage of these bonuses can help you learn about new sites and different games.

It is not just new or unpopular sites that choose this method of promotion, all of the big sites do it. Full Tilt Poker is one of the biggest poker sites online and has a number of huge celebrity endorsements. Even they offer bonuses and referrals which means that Full Tilt referral codes are amongst the most highly sought in the industry. Having the opportunity to play one of the best and most-respected poker sites in the industry for free or very little money is a fantastic opportunity and one that many poker players are keen to take.

Something for nothing is always of benefit

Even if you are a regular poker player and you manage your bankroll very well, getting something for nothing has to be worth considering. Playing on different poker sites can allow you to compete against new players and improve your skills in different environments. Gaining all round skills and adaptability is a good way to develop your skills and will stand a player in good stead for future tournaments. Practise is essential in all walks of life and the range of bonus codes that are available online should offer plenty of poker practice opportunities. If you want to improve your poker skills at no extra cost, using bonus or referral codes is a fantastic way of going about it.

The Most Famous Poker Tournament in the World

World Series of Poker
World Series of Poker

The World Series of Poker, (WSOP) is unarguably the most well known poker tournament in the world. Players from across the world qualify for cheap on poker sites and travel to Las Vegas to participate in this event seeking to claim the coveted WSOP bracelet as their own, not to mention the multi-million dollar grand prize. But the WSOP isn’t about the money… well… ok yes it is. Who doesn’t want to win seven figures for playing poker? However, professional poker players can do that on high stakes poker tables filled with rich flounders just as easily. For the pros, the WSOP is about being the best in the world, winning the bracelet. Every poker player dreams of owning the WSOP championship bracelet, and making your way through the thousands of entrants who register to play in the World Series every year is no easy task. The winner of this tournament truly deserves the title of World Champion.

The WSOP was born in 1970 when the owner of the Horseshoe Casino in Las Vegas, Benny Binion invited seven of the best known poker players to showdown at his casino to decide once and for all who was the best. The seven players were the famous Doyle Brunson, Carl Cannon, Puggy Pearson, Johnny Moss, Crandell Addington, Sailor Roberts, and “Amarillo Slim” Preston. The tournament was set to take place for a specific period of time, after which the players would vote by secret ballot for who among them was the best. Each player was asked to cast two votes, the first vote being for the best player at the table, the next for the second best. As the story goes, each player voted for himself in the first vote, and Johnny Moss was voted as second best. Johnny Moss was declared the winner of the tournament, awarded a silver cup trophy, and became the first World Series of Poker champion. It wasn’t until 1976 that the WSOP bracelet was introduced as the trophy for winning the tournament, and has since become the most coveted prize in the world of poker.

These days the WSOP consists of almost 60 events, and each a different variation of poker, and each awarding a bracelet to the winner. Numerous of online poker sites run WSOP satellites between the months of  January and July, when the prestigious main event begins, still (and likely always will be) the cut throat, heavy swinging game of No Limit Texas Hold-em, widely considered the ultimate poker game in the world of poker. The winner of this event is crowned the World Champion of poker.

Playing Poker – The Key to Success

Poker Bankroll
Poker Bankroll

Any professional poker player will tell you, poker is a game of skill. To be successful in poker requires patience, at least some idea of how to calculate odds, the ability to read your opponents, knowing how to control the pot, and sometimes even all that is not enough.

While it goes without saying to anybody who knows better that poker is indeed a game of skill, there is an element of luck involved. You can do everything right, read every hand your opponent is holding correctly, and still lose sometimes. The secret to being successful despite this element of luck involved in poker is to learn to minimize your losses while maximizing your winning opportunities. In other words, when you can’t win a hand, protect your money. When you can’t lose a hand, win as much money as you can manage. There are a few strategies that can be employed to achieve this goal, the most important of which is bankroll management.

The first rule in bankroll management is never to put any money into play that you cannot afford to lose. Many gamblers will end up playing with money they should be using to pay bills, or buy food. If you ever find yourself in this position, you need to step away from the game. This is the road to ruins that all too many people have traveled. Set aside a portion of money to play with, and do not over-extend that limit… this is your poker bankroll.

Once you have your bankroll established it’s time to play some poker, but don’t jump into the first game you find in which you can play all the money in your bankroll. This is another classic mistake that many gamblers make. You should never sit at any table, or buy into any tournament with more than a certain percentage of your bankroll. As we’ve already mentioned, regardless of how skillful a player you are, there is an element of luck involved, and therefore there will always be losing streaks. It is simply the nature of the game. Laying down most, or all of your bankroll on a single game puts you in danger of losing your entire bankroll on that single game should you find yourself in a losing streak.

The bankroll percentage played will vary from player to player depending on their own style, but you should set up your own bankroll management strategy before playing, and stick to it religiously. One popular strategy is to never lay down more than 5%-10% of your bankroll on any cash game, and never buy into any tournament for more than 2%-5% of your bankroll. This is a sound strategy, but you will have to decide for yourself what is right for you. You may even have to adjust your bankroll strategy until you find one that works well for you.

5-Card Draw

5-Card Draw5-card draw, commonly referred to as “draw” is most popular in home games. Draw was somewhat popular in the 70’s and 80’s, but has since lost some popularity after the explosion of Texas Hold’em swept across the world over the last 2 decades. You don’t see the game played in too many large tournaments, (though it is out there) and some online poker rooms don’t even offer the game. It is however a fun variation of poker well worth playing once you understand the strategies you need to perfect to play well.

The game is set up with blinds, a big blind and a small blind, which rotate clockwise around the table each hand. The small blind is half the BB and positioned to the left of the dealer button, the BB is set to the left of the SB. These are mandatory bets that must be placed before any card is dealt.

Once the blinds have been laid, each player is dealt 5 cards face down. A round of betting takes place in which each player, starting from the player to the left of the BB and rotating clockwise around the table may either call the BB or raise the bet. After all betting has been completed, each player remaining in the pot is given the opportunity to turn in any number of cards from their hand and draw the same number of new cards from the deck. Another round of betting takes place, this time starting from the player on the SB. Each player may now either check, bet, or if a bet has already been established, call, fold, or raise the bet.

The object is to make the best possible poker hand. Once all bets have been established after the drawing round, the players remaining in the pot go to showdown. They turn up their cards, and the player with the best poker hand wins the pot.