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8 Top Tips For Newbies
Source : Max Drayman (www.winneronline.com)

So you've read about gambling online or maybe heard it mentioned in the media and are gonna give a try. Okay, on your marks, get set - wait!

Before you venture forth it's time for a quick reality check because the road to online gambling riches is not without its potholes. Here are a few caveats to illuminate the path ahead.

1. What is a download and why do I care?

One of the first questions you'll be faced with if you decide to gamble online is whether you want to play games that require you to download and install software these are called "download" games or perhaps you'd prefer games that simply run over the web called "no download" games. There are big differences between the two.

For a start the download options will usually take a good 40 minutes to complete (although some software providers give you a lite version to play while the full version downloads in the background) whereas the no download is virtually instant. But with that 40 minutes comes the kind of superior user interface you'd expect, with nice graphics, sound and lots of games to play. With the no download version this is much more limited. Sure you can still play blackjack, slots and poker, but thats about it. It all depends how impatient you really are!

2. So now I've downloaded, what do I do next?

With no-download games it's pretty obvious what you need to do to start the action but with download games it may not be so obvious. You could go back to the casino's website and read their instructions, they all have them, but if you're impatient like me you just want to get to it!

The first step after downloading is to install the software and reboot your machine. I know, it shouldn't be necessary, but the bottom line is that computers especially those running Windows behave best if you reboot after an install. Once you're back up, click on the casino's icon that was placeded on your desktop. If there's no icon, check your Start menu under "Programs" and it will be at the bottom of the list.

Once you fire up the software it will probably connect to the casino's home site, verify your install, and ask you whether you want to play for Real or Fun. That's it, pick your poison!

3. I want my winnings!

So you've won big and you're ready to hit the mall. All you need to do is cash out, right? Wrong! All casinos have policies about how much you can cash out and when. In most cases you can only withdraw as much to your credit card as you deposited in the first place. So what about the rest?

Casinos vary widely on this, but the short answer is that you'll need to be patient. Even if the casino lets you withdraw right away it could take weeks to receive your check. Some casinos won't let you withdraw until you receive a PIN number from them through the mail. Still others require numerous pieces of identification be faxed to them so they can verify that you are who you say you are.

There are a few casinos that seem to want everything including your Social Insurance number and a fax of your fingerprints (no kidding!) It's up to you to decide if you can live with this invasion of privacy but in any case it's best to know what they're gonna want from the get-go: read the casino's info on withdrawals, it should all be spelled out pretty clearly there. If you don't like what you see, try another casino.

4. PIN Number, what's that?

In most cases the casino's cash-out policies are reasonable, albeit a little inconvenient. Many of them issue the user a unique identification number, a PIN, that you need in order to initiate a cash-out.

Often your PIN number comes via regular postal mail which can be annoyingly slow. The theory is that it's for your own good since receiving it confirms that you actually live at the address they have in their database. It also helps the casino avoid fraud. Whatever, it's become part of the way many online casinos do business so you're probably just going to have to get used to it.

5. How much is it going to cost me?

Another bitter pill is that many casinos will charge you a fee for your withdrawal. Some charge a flat rate, a few charge a percentage, and almost all will charge you more if you want your money "right now thank you very much".

It's well worth your time to read your casino's website page of "Banking" or "Withdrawals". The vast majority of casinos are quite reasonable in their withdrawal charges, but you never know until you know. If it's not clear, email or phone them and find out what the deal is.

6. Hidden banking fees

So the check is in the mail and that means you're home free, yes? Maybe, but again, it depends on the details. For example, receiving a check on a Swiss bank in US dollars may not be money straight in your pocket.

We've known people to be hit with stiff transaction fees when they ask their bank to process a check drawn on a foreign bank. Direct deposit and bank wires may be alternatives, but you'd best check into it before hand because not all casinos offer these services at attractive rates.

7. Will the software run on my machine

Good question. The answer in the vast majority of cases is "Yes, beautifully!". Unless your machine is really old, or you're running out of system resources (read: disk space) there's really not much to worry about.

I've installed casino software well over a hundred times on a variety of machines and have only encountered a major problem once or twice. On the off chance that you do encounter a problem you guessed it contact the casino's Customer Support people. That's what they're there for.

8. Bonus rules

Bonuses are a big deal these days literally and figuratively and you've no doubt encountered one that sounds really attractive. By all means, go for it but not before you've read the fine print.

Bonuses come in a bewildering variety and it's hard to keep track of what's a great deal and what's so-so. All casinos will require that you play the bonus before you can withdraw it. Some require you to play 2-times or 3-times the bonus, and on and on it goes. No one can offer advice that will apply to all the bonuses you'll find out there, other than the one we all know: caveat emptor.

Unfortunately we can't leave the bonuses issue without a few cautionary words. First and foremost don't abuse the bonus offers. In particular don't re-register using another name in order to get the bonus again. That's "bonus abuse" and the casinos can get pretty hostile over such attempts at subterfuge.

Finally, there's the issue of fair-play on the casino's part. Some casino managers have a tough time with the fact that a player can deposit $100, get a $50 bonus, hit a winning streak at the Craps table and cash out for $2200.

Whatever the reason, a few casinos have been known to withhold the player's winnings, or freeze player accounts completely. Do a little research if you're serious about using a particular casino's bonus. Read the message boards and check out the reviews. Also, there are other sites like ours that make it their business to keep the player informed so surf a little before you break out the credit card.

Baccarat is a very simple game to play with no decisions made after a bet is placed. The rules are automatic. It means that the Dealer at the table acts according to these rules without consulting players.The highest total any baccarat hand can have is nine. A two-card total of nine is called a "natural" and cannot lose. An eight is the second-best hand and is also called a natural. If both player and bank are dealt identical hands, it is a standoff (a tie) and neither bank nor player wins.The dealer gives two cards each to the player and the banker.

If either the player or the banker has a total of an 8 or a 9 they both stand. There is no exceptions and this rule overrides all other rules.
If the player has total of 6 or 7, the player stands.
If the player stands, the banker hits on a total of 5 or less.
If the player has total of 5 or less, the player automatically hits and the banker gives the player a third card.

If the player gets the third card then the banker draws a third card according to the following rules:

Banker has total of 0, 1, 2: Banker always draws a third card.
Banker has total of 3: Banker draws if Player's Third Card is 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-9-0 (not 8)
Banker has total of 4: Banker draws if Player's Third Card is 2-3-4-5-6-7
Banker has total of 5: Banker draws if Player's Third Card is 4-5-6-7
Banker has total of 6: Banker draws if Player's Third Card is of 6-7
Banker has total of 7: Banker always stands.

You can use the following table to determine if the Banker hits or stands if the Player has drawn a card.H - hit, S - stand.

Six full decks are shuffled together and the players sit according to a collective decision. The first player sits to the croupier's right arm and the other players are sitting beside him in a circular order by the predetermined resolution.The croupier shuffles the cards, hand them to the next player, who shuffles again and hand it to the next player and so on till the cards are back to the croupier, who then hands them to the player to his left. The player cuts the cards, hand them back to the croupier, he take a fair amount of the cards for later rounds and hands the rest to the player sitting to his right. When this amount of cards are depleted after a round or more he then put the first cards in the "basket", which is located in the center of the table, and he takes fresh cards from the ones left.The player holding the cards is the "banker". Notice that in Chemin de Fer the casinos do not interfere with the game, the croupier is managing the conduct of the game but otherwise he does not intervene. The banker is responsible for the amount he wins or loses. It is up to the banker to accept or decline wagers from the players, also he is responsible to distribute the winnings or to claim the pot in case he wins. The player with the highest stakes gets to play against the bank. If too players have equal stakes then the player who sits first respectively to the rotation plays.The banker deals two cards to himself and to the player, if one of them reaches a total of nine or eight he declares it out loud and the round stops and the bankers pay the punters' gains or claim the pot, if it was him who won. In Chemin de Fer a tie is neither a loss nor a win, the pot remains for the next round. If the banker lost the cards are moved to the next player in order, making him the banker, though he can decline his status and the cards move to the next player.If none declares the banker offers a third card and the round proceeds as following:
If the initial total of the player is 0-4 he "must" accept a third card by saying "card" or "yes". If the initial sum is 5 he has the option to claim or decline a third card. If the initial total is six or seven he "must" refuse a third card. At any point the player can do as he wants, thus the "must", but if he avoids these traditional lines he faces the wrath of the lot, and it is up to him to compensate any loses of the other players.The banker is not under such rules and he can devise any move depending on his initial cards. The banker cannot extract any sum from the pot, if he wishes to dismiss himself from his status he declares "I pass the deal". He must leave the exact sum which was present in the pot when he commenced his duty as the banker. The initial bank is decided in the first round by the croupier. The pot moves to the next player in the rotation, who is free to put any sum at his disposal.Notice that casinos charge a 5% commission on winning bets, this way the game is profitable for casinos but leaves the players in control of the game. Chemin de Fer is game more suitable for dynamic players who would like to have more cardsoptions.

Why play roulette online instead of at a real casino? As I already mentioned, the cost of playing at Vegas is much higher. You have your room fee, your plane ticket, the cost of eating out while there, etc. It is very expensive. However, playing online is free. You can play at 3 am in the morning, while dressed in your bathrobe, eating a bowl full of popcorn. No one will rush you; you can take 20 minutes to place your next bets. You can have a notebook full of roulette strategies in front of you and no one will hassle you. The allure of the online casino is the convenience and ease of use.

In addition to this, your odds of winning at an online casino are higher than the odds of winning in Vegas. Why? Because online casinos costs are lower, so they can afford to pay out a higher percentage to the customer. Competition for online casino customers is very fierce, so not only will online casinos pay out a higher percentage of winnings to their customers, but they will also award lucrative, no strings attached bonuses. Online casinos offer a wide array of bonuses, from matching your initial deposit up to 100%, to continuously awarding bonuses based on the amount that you play.

The best part about playing online is the lack of distractions. Roulette is a very social game, and usually draws large crowds in Las Vegas. If you want to concentrate on the game, it can be hard to do so. However, playing online, it is just you and the computer, so you can focus on improving your play. Graphically speaking, online roulette games these days are so advanced that you probably won't even notice the difference anyways. Just put your feet up on the desk, load up your casino software, and have a few hours of fun, without the expense of travelling to Vegas.

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