The Gaming Club is somewhat of a trend-setter, they were the first casino to grace the internet and they have been leading the field since 1997. With a stock of games that is only just short of being the most we have ever seen available at an online casino, there is somethiing for everyone at the Gaming Club. It is very easy to go on and on about this casino, they have an impeccable record with fast payouts and a security system to rival Fort Knox!!

However, although the Gaming Club is undoubtedly a very good casino, we found that we were unable to get particularly excited about it. For such an established casino we thought that it was a bit cheap of them to use the standard Microgaming graphics, interface and sounds. When a casino has as good a pedigree as the Gaming Club we like to see them strive to take it further. To some extent they have done this by offering an increadible amount of games and providing a back-office that is always able to deliver the goods, so you never have to worry about whether you'll ever see your withdrawal. we just hoped that the Gaming Club would come up with something a bit sexier, an innovation to drive the industry along.

It might be unfair of us to expect so much from them and it is probably true that we are using a higher benchmark for the Gaming Club than we do for most casinos. In relation to its rivals the Gaming Club really is in front. We only grumble because we have come to expect so much from this casino, we don't want to see it go stagnant! For this reason the gaming club can not receive a rating of 10, but rest assured as soon as they announce their big step forward (which we're sure they will), they'll go straight to the top of the class.

The website for English Harbour appears very comprehensive especially on security and banking issues which is encouraging. It does stress that it is only compatible with Windows systems however. Two different downloads are offered depending on the number of games that you want to play which we think is a useful feature, especially for those of you with slow download capability.

Unfortunately, we don't think that the casino itself lives up to the expectation caused by the website. English Harbour are no longer with Microgaming and have opted for Odds-On as their software provider. We are not aware of the reasons for the move but can only assume it was for cost concerns as the new playing interface is far less impressive than the standard Microgaming interface, in our opinion. The slots are simple and dull and only offer one 5-Reel machine. The lack of bonus features becomes tedious very quickly. The triple slots function is novel and allows you to play three slots of your choice simultaneously. They are still dull however and we could not get excited by it.

The email support is non-existent in our experience. Having asked specific questions of the support team, we received a non-relevant auto-responder and some months later, still haven't received answers to our specific questions.

It is not however, all negative. If you can put up with the average playing interface, English Harbour do offer some great competitions and prize draws. These would typically include holidays to Vegas, a sports car and various cash prizes.

• First/Initial Bet - The odds for the initial bet are 1:1. Thats the bet that you make at the beginning before any cards are dealt out.
• Raise Bet - If you win on the 'raise bet' the winnings are determined on the spread (gap in between the highest and lowest) of the cards. :-
• 1 Card Spread - Pays 5:1. For example the cards drawn are 5 and 7, the 3rd card is 6.
• 2 Card Spread - Pays 4:1. For example the cards drawn are 5 and 8, the 3rd card is 6 or 7.
• 3 Card Spread - Pays 2:1. For example the cards drawn are 5 and 9, the 3rd card is 6, 7 or 8.
• 4 - 11 Card Spread - Pays 1:1. For example the cards drawn are 2 and an Ace (14), the 3rd card is anything from 3 to King (13)

If the dealer deals out two consecutive cards then the game is a push. If the dealer deals out a pair, he automaticaly deals a 3rd card, if the 3rd card is the same card again creating a 3 of a kind then the dealer is paid 11:1.