Jeff's Life In Retrospect

Over the past few years, and especially of late, the popularity of online poker has been rapidly increasing. Current statistics show that there are as many as 100,000 new people signing up to play online every month. As more and more players enter the picture, the competition gets tougher. No matter how good you think you are, you will at some point or another always run into someone that is better than you. To ensure that you stay at the top of your game, it is important that you are always looking for new techniques and information to help you improve your skill at the game. Even the most experienced players can usually always benefit from brushing up their skills, and most do, that is how they stay ahead of the game. Mistakes in poker can be very costly, and it is in your best interest as a player to avoid making them whenever possible. The more knowledge and skill you have, the less likely you will be to make costly errors in your game play.

The most obvious thing to learn is the rules of the game. It is important to be familiar with all of the rules and terminology before you ever really begin to play. If you start to play a game without knowing the terminology, you are going to be lost. Every beginner should start building their poker skill and knowledge with this step.

Next to knowing the rules and terminology of the game, you also need to learn about calculating odds and betting. Calculating odds will help you determine your chances of winning a particular game. Everyone needs to learn the ins and outs of betting successfully, unless they always want to leave the game empty handed.

There are many sources that can help you in your poker education. Many online poker gaming sites offer online poker schools. These schools are designed mostly for new players to learn the basics of each game, which is a good way to learn the rules and terminology.

It also would be helpful to research article databases for information as well. Many of these articles are written by poker players, and can offer valuable insight as to some of the mistakes they have made and how to avoid them. Articles can also provide you with helpful hints and tips that you can use to develop of beef up your playing strategy.

There are also many valuable books that have been written on the game of poker. Some of these books may be found online as e-books, and many of them may be found for free in your local library. The internet can be a huge source of information on the subject as well. You may also benefit from visiting online poker forums where you can chat with and ask questions of other players.

If you have friends or family that play the game, they can also be a good resource. They could play a few games with you and offer insight that could draw attention to your mistakes, maybe little things that you weren’t even aware of.

The more you learn about the game of poker, the bigger the advantage you will have over other players. All it really takes is commitment to learn, and a little bit of spare time. Who knows? You could turn yourself into a poker pro!

Remember, you are your best critic. You should always analyze your game and look for things that you can tweak to make you a more successful player.

Thinking about launching a white label gaming channel? Do you have a great brand and are wondering how online gaming fits into your business model? Have you been approached by a white label games provider?

Well here’s a checklist of 10 characteristics that your gaming operator should provide:

Liquidity

When a player comes to your site, they want choice, entertainment and a large gaming community. Clients should be able to access a deep pool of player liquidity, ensuring that their customers will always be able to find a game to suit their requirements and their level of skill. They should also be able to play against players from all over the world. Operators like St Minver, who manage the International Poker Network (Europe’s largest poker network) and the International Bingo Network, provide access to multi-language bingo, casino, soft games and sportsbooks.

Tight Regulations

Operators should have a gaming license. There are only a few countries who regularly give licenses but, you should ensure that the operator is in possession of a license issued by a highly regulated authority. Granting online gaming licenses exclusively to only 13 companies, Gibraltar is home to a majority of the largest online gaming companies, representing close to 37% of the market by revenue.

The Gibraltar license is highly coveted as European governments have begun to restrict marketing to their residents by any online gaming company outside the EEA. In addition, the rigors of obtaining a Gibraltar license remain high. St Minver partners benefit from the company’s ability to offer gaming services that run off the most highly regarded gaming license without the rigors and the expense.

Tier 1 Banking

Clients and customers should require access to secure banking mechanisms. You should ensure you work with a client that enables you to leverage credit card merchant facilities with at least two premier banking institutions. Customers should be offered the ability to use mainstream payment mechanisms (including Visa, MasterCard, Switch and Solo), with immediate credit at competitive rates. Competitors without such banking facilities are currently only able to offer niche payment processors, such as NETeller, which only offers 3-4 days’ delayed credit or an instant credit option where customers are charged higher fees.

Customisation

Operators should provide partners with the ability to create a product which is bespoke to each partner’s brand requirements. The operator’s suite of games should enable a tailored product offering to better cater to specific audience demographics. In addition, the product offering should be tailored to comply with the specific look and feel of each partner’s brand and site, to create an environment which is seamless to the end user.

CRM

The operators should work closely with you as a partner, to offer direct customer communication strategies and tools. The white label provider should have a team of knowledgeable CRM experts who bring together experience from a variety of leading online sites. Partners benefit from the economies of scale gained through the creation of a network. In addition, operators like St Minver offer partners special CRM tools on a more cost effective basis.

Best-of-breed games

The operator should create a highly scalable solution for its white label partners. In creating the integrated platform, you should be offered the best-of-breed games that are plugged directly into the platform offering customers a unique gaming experience that is tailored to the individual site’s look and feel.

VIP service team

Your VIP customers should be given the opportunity to participate in special bonus and loyalty programs. The VIP program should be tailored to create loyalty for high consistency players, and offered on an invite only basis. Those customers who qualify for the VIP program should be entitled to receive cash back on all wins and losses incurred in the month. In addition they may receive special gifts at any time including flights, upgrades, hotels and concerts.

24/7 multi-language customer service

Operators should provide 24 hour customer service in multi-language. St Minver provide service in English, German, Spanish and Turkish (restricted times). More importantly, providers should offer online chat support in multiple languages. Customer service on three levels: online chat, email and telephone are a huge advantage in showing customers that you can provide a secure and safe gaming experience.

24/7 monitoring for fraud/security

Games and gaming operators should offer real time fraud security monitoring. The white label games operator should have a team of individuals who actively monitor the games for scams such as collusion, chip dumping and other fraudulent behaviour. With regard to Casino and Bingo, the company should implement the necessary precautionary processes to restrict underage gaming and gaming from non-legal jurisdictions such as the US. The company should also follow ethical gaming principles as set by associations like Gamcare, the industry leading player protection association.

Player education

Player education is a major part of obtaining and retaining customers. The operators should be able to provide an established mechanism of player education and tutoring. Networks like St Minver operate an interactive and live chat room poker school for all partners, with significant rookie player pools. The school is offered to beginners and to those who wish to take their skills to the next level. The school is offered in English, German and Spanish.

Which Type Of Casino – Online or Traditional ?

Back in the early nineties before casinos came online, I used to visit my local casino in the city about two or three times a week to play roulette. Now, I don’t go at all. I now play all my casino games online in the comfort of my own home.

Since the introduction of online casinos in the mid-nineties, the growth and popularity has rocketed and will continue to grow due to the large internet population explosion. New casinos are appearing online almost on a weekly basis.

Compared to the traditional city casinos, the online casinos have many advantages, so lets look at some of them :-

Any Time, Anywhere.

As long as you have access to a computer you can play online casino games 24hrs a day, it doesn’t matter where you are or where you live. If you happen to own a portable lap top computer you can play any game you choose while on the move, no longer are you restricted to set hours or locations.

No Need To Dress Up.

The traditional casinos usually have a stuffy dress code. In other words you need to wear the correct clothing outlined by the casino, and if your not dressed to their liking then you will not be allowed in. Not so with using the online casinos, you can even play in the nude you want, or maybe you just want to sit in you underwear !

The Weather’s Not A Problem.

With the online casinos you don’t have to venture out anywhere, just make yourself comfortable and log on to an online casino, pour yourself a drink, and start playing.

No Travel Required.

Why waste time and money travelling when all you have to do is switch on your pc ? By the time you’ve travelled to and from your city casino, you could have played numerous games at an online casino in the comfort of your own surroundings.

The Safety Element.

There can be a safety issue when visiting the traditional casino, especially for women and people travelling on their own. The average casino can be a bit intimidating for single women so the online casinos provide an obvious solution by making it possible to play from home in safety. According to the media a very large percentage of online casino players are now female.

No Smoking Problems

Speaking from my own experiences I’ve found smoking to be a real problem especially when the casinos become busy. It’s a known fact that most heavy gamblers seem to be heavy smokers too, and at times the smoke can become unbearable. Even with air conditioning and the extractor fans in operation the smoke never seems to clear properly.

No Crowds

If you’re a shy quiet person, then a busy casino is not for you. On a busy table, there can be a lot of noise as well as people pushing and shoving. At times it can be difficult to get near the table to place your bets. At home, you can play quietly on your own without all the hassles that we’ve already mentioned.

Many More Games Online.

The online casinos also offer many more games to choose from, far too many to mention in this article. Check it out for yourself, you’ll be amazed at the choice of games that the online casinos have to offer.

Methods Of Payment.

The traditional casinos usually only accept cash, but the online casinos offer dozens of ways of paying, mostly by credit card so there’s no need for hard cash.

Play For Free.

The online casinos will let you set up a dummy account so that you can practice without using real money. You can practice as long as you want until you’re confident enough to start playing for real.

Free Money.

Yes, free money. In order to get your business most casinos will offer you a free cash deposit. The amounts can be anything from $20 to $50, and in certain cases much higher so shop around for the best deals.

So there you have it, these are the main reasons why I choose to use online casinos. I think these reasons are good enough to keep me away from the traditional land type casinos but maybe you don’t agree. If you’re one of those people who would sooner dress up, trail down to the city at night in all weathers, get pushed and shoved in a crowded smokey room, then I wish you good luck.

Author John Moore – please use my link http://www.casino-information-guide.com