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With online gambling growing every year more and more casinos are opening up to cater to the growing masses interested in partaking in the online games. As these casinos open it becomes easier and easier for many people to get involved in online games, and if they’re not careful it can also mean many people losing track of their funds and getting themselves into trouble they would much rather otherwise avoid. In order to counter this, maintaining strict gambling limits on your own activities becomes imperative when looking at playing at a single casino or multiple casinos simultaneously.

When Playing at a Single Casino

Perhaps the easiest way to track your online spending and earnings, playing at one and only one online casino is the best way in most cases to ensure that you are keeping proper track of your funds and not losing them through needless wagers. In order to put a cap on your wagering habits decide before depositing your money how much you have available to you and are able to spend on gambling throughout a given week or month. Then, taking only a fraction of that money, deposit that and that alone in an online casino account for use. When that money is done do NOT, under any circumstances, add more until a the next period comes when you feel it would be appropriate to gamble – for example, if you deposit 10% of your funds for a two week period on Monday do not add any more money until Tuesday. This simple tip can help keep your money in check and prevent you from depositing more than you can comfortably afford to lose by limiting the total amount available to you to gamble online with. If you are successful in your wagers, it is also an excellent way to track your earnings for a period and withdraw a set amount back to your bank account for later use, helping keep your money under control.

When Playing at Multiple Casinos

A popular way to gamble in today’s online casino environment, playing at multiple casinos can be a tricky prospect as it involves carefully managing your funds across a number of different gambling establishments. In order to better protect yourself try implementing the same monetary limiting practice you would do at a single casino as described above, only further divide the total available funds by the number of casinos you intend to play at. Then, if at any point your funds at one casino run out but you still have money in another one, do NOT add additional funds to the empty account – even if the one that has money has more than enough to cover it. The chances of you soon losing that money are quite high, and any breaking of your money handling policy to go against your set gambling limits will only serve to weaken your position overall and put you on a path to a downward spiral that will most likely simply leave you in deeper and deeper debt rather than see any realizable return on any wagers.

The world of gambling can be exciting, glamorous and even nerve-wracking as you play for higher stakes in a dynamic social setting. There are also a few pitfalls for those new to gambling and many things to learn and become aware of to maximize enjoyment and avoid any potential problems. Whether you are new to gambling and are looking to play at a land-based casino or online, there are a number of things you can look at in order to maximize your enjoyment and hopefully increase your winnings and minimize losses. Some tips might also make you appear more experienced than you really are, and this can be very useful in a world where bluff and psychology are part and parcel of the game.

Perhaps the first aspect to look at with regard to gambling is the bankroll, or the amount of money you will take to gamble with. Set aside an amount of money that you know you can absolutely afford to lose and that is not earmarked for any other vital purpose-for example, paying the rent, mortgage or bills. If, during your stint at the casino, you lose heavily, do not chase your losses, even for a big bonus, as you will most likely continue to lose. Also, leave all of your credit and debit cards at home, so that you will not be tempted to keep betting when your cash runs out. Most land-based casinos have ATM machines-always remember that these are there for the casinos benefit-NOT yours. They are there so that the casino can make more money from failing gamblers.

If you are playing at an online casino, make sure that you read all instructions and agreements carefully before signing up. If you have any doubts or questions, be sure to contact the customer service people. If you are not happy with the response you get, look elsewhere-you have plenty of choice. With regards to choice, do not simply sign up for the first casino you find – make sure you read plenty of customer review where you can find out about how reputable various casinos are. There are plenty of customer forums for gamblers, and they are not shy in giving their opinions when they feel they have been poorly treated. It is in a casino’s interests to keep customers happy, so take reviews seriously, but make sure it is not a site simply liked to and sponsored by a certain casino. Stick to independent reviews. In addition, you can arrange an e-cash service to place your bets, as this will not require you to share your banking details online.

Whether you go to a land casino or an online one, try to only gamble for fun and do not get too caught up. Very few people actually make a living from gambling, and if you leave with some of your bankroll, you have probably had a pretty good evening. Remember, it is supposed to be fun.

Remember also to take regular breaks in order to keep yourself mentally fresh. This will keep your decision making sharp. Also, don’t enjoy too many of the free drinks on offer. The casino is not being generous, they know that too much alcohol will impair your judgment and they will more of your cash!

Remember to try the games that offer you the best odds of winning. These tend to include blackjack, craps, video poker and baccarat. It is recommended to avoid the slots, as the odds are particularly long for you on these. Remember also that, in all games of chance, the house has a definite edge-as this is how they make their money. One experienced gamblers tip is to increase your bet by 50% every time you win. Enjoy and bet safely!

There have been many changes within the gaming environment inside my home city of Sheffield over the years. The three casinos inside that City have each been top dog at some stage in the past. Back in 1990, it was Napoleans that was the number one spot in the City with Grosvenor and Bonapartes bringing up the rear.

Then in 1996, the A&S Leisure Group moved their Bonapartes Casino to a brand new location in Sheffield and a brand new casino. This was far bigger and more plush than the other two and suddenly the new Bonapartes became top dog and jumped from 3rd to 1st with Grosvenor being demoted to third behind Napoleans.

The landscape has changed again and the new G-Casino (former Grosvenor) has just opened and even though I have yet to go personally, I have spoked with many people who have. Apparently it can blow the other two out of the water and is by far and away the best casino in Sheffield.

This now makes the 1990-1996 top dog Napoleans bringing up the rear and this will be a blow for A&S Leisure in Sheffield. Years ago the Sheffield Grosvenor casino was considered the weak link in Grosvenor’s chain and there was talk afoot at one stage that it would be bought out by the Staki’s Group (who went on to be Gala) and that the location was to be moved.

I can’t really say that I will get to see the new G-Casino since they will more than likely be aware of my history although I don’t know what they think that I am going to do. I am actually quite happy about the situation though and I quite like the thought of Grosvenor being top dog.

See you soon

Carl

There is a special type of buzz when you enter a casino with the intention of taking money from them. Casinos at the end of the day are businesses and any business is concentrating on making money and not on losing it.

But at the end of the day they are providing entertainment. They don’t mind people winning money as long as winning money is all that they are doing. There is of course a world of difference between winning money and earning money. When you are earning money then you have a positive long term expectation.

You are no longer winning money by getting lucky like a normal punter but slowly extracting money from the casino. It is possible that some card counters could be allowed to ply their trade if the casino was gaining in some other way.

For instance I once knew of a gaming manager who allowed a winning small-stakes counter to ply his trade simply because he didn’t want to risk upsetting the big hitting roulette players that he came in with who were his friends.

It is when you know that the casino don’t know what you are doing that creates the biggest buzz. This is something that a lifetime of online poker cannot replicate. This constant cat and mouse game is in itself quite a thrill.

Alas of course, it is very difficult to make blackjack a career. This is why I was playing online poker just a few years later. Just like with online poker where you are struggling to find profitable games, it is often better to play semi-professionally or as a serious amateur than to try and go full-time.

I certainly do recommend though that you try and play blackjack in a live setting because it will be well worth it.

See you soon

Carl
Or alternatively why not come and play blackjack on bwin online casino

I had someone e-mail me a few days ago who wanted to ask me about becoming a croupier and how easy it was. They had read my blackjack book which kind of painted a somewhat negative picture of life as a croupier.

Despite what I said in that book, there are many advantages to becoming a croupier. Firstly it is something where a person can create a very respectable career without having loads of qualifications. Anyone can be a croupier almost, as long as you don’t have a criminal record or maybe visible tattoos then you should be able to train as a croupier.

There are probably other factors that prohibit someone from becoming a croupier as well but not having qualifications isn’t one of them. The natural career path in the UK used to be a six week training course followed by doing the actual job for real.

Then anyone with at least 18 months experience as a dealer would be considered for promotion to Inspector. Then there were further career advancements to Pit Boss and then Manager followed by General Manager.

So a person could end up with a very good job if they showed the proper initiative and attitude. The money at that time wasn’t great but then again I am referring to the area where I worked and I am going back to 1998.

There is always the possibility for croupiers to work abroad and many follow that option and see exotic places whilst getting paid to do so. I never personally had that option because I had a family at the time but it can be a far better career for single people in many aspects.

Working night shifts isn’t for everyone but I didn’t mind it as I always liked to get out of bed whenever I wanted rather than having to be forced to get out of bed first thing in a morning. So all I can say is that the career has different appeal to different people depending on individual circumstances so do not be put off or swayed by anything that I have said either in this post or in the past.

see you soon

Carl
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When you have been in gambling as long as I have (far too long actually) then you begin to take certain things for granted and certain types of knowledge. One of those pieces of knowledge is basic strategy for blackjack.

The thing is that basic strategy isn’t rocket science and is so easily learnt. All you have to do is memorise a few simple charts. But one of the underlying problems behind why millions of blackjack players worldwide both in live casinos and online casinos do not use basic is not because they cannot memorise the tables but because they simply do not believe in it.

There is a tendency to be seduced by the effect of immediate short term results. This happens in poker an awful lot. If a player re-raises a rock with K-10 and the flop comes K-10-5 and he ends up busting the AA of his opponent then this underlines in his own mind that he made the proper play.

This happens in blackjack, you tell someone that they need to take a card on 15 against a 10 and they do so. They then bust on six consecutive occasions and then think that taking a card on 15 is wrong and go back to their old way of playing.

They then say things like “well if I had stood instead of taking a card then at least I would have had a chance”. They just cannot comprehend that these strategy plays are computed over hundreds of thousands (even millions) of situations and when replicated often enough is the correct mathematical play.

You can also have certain players who try to “feel” what the next card is. I like watching these types and find them hilarious. This is especially the case when they are on the last box playing the role of “goalkeeper”.

It is quite amusing to see the look on their faces when their play leads to the dealer busting on several consecutive occasions. They almost look like some “blackjack Zen master” when all they are is extremely misguided and naive about blackjack.

Carl “The Dean” Sampson

My recent family issues seem to be behind me now, my father has been ill recently so that has been taking up my time. Thankfully he is now OK and I went on my usual Friday night casino trip.

I would rather not say where it was for the reason being that I don’t want anyone to make the connection between me and what I have done in the past. It would just be my rotten luck that someone from the casino or that company read this blog

Anyway, I spent my time watching the dealers and I couldn’t believe how bad they were. I could never understand this years ago, I mean the job of a croupier can be considered professional.

It is not a job where you can walk straight in off the street and do it. You first have to have six weeks basic training but even after that six week period then you are not much good to the casino and have to be supervised very closely.

You would never be able to get a job at another casino with just six weeks training behind you. So even then you wouldn’t really be able to do much. Most casinos wouldn’t touch a dealer with much less than six months experience.

So what this means is that for a croupier to be of real use to a casino then they really need to have some considerable experience behind them. So why then do land based casino chains (especially in the UK) pay their staff so little compared to the job that they do and the profits that they make?

It is no wonder why so many staff leave casinos, a combination of poor to mediocre pay, anti-social working hours and often…..ill treatment from casino managers who think that they can talk to grown men and women like they are school children.

If these criteria were different then there wouldn’t be as much need for training schools and becoming a croupier would be far more difficult than what it really is.

I am actually starting to see the role of an online casino in a completely different light recently and they certainly rightfully take their place in the casino world there is no doubt about that.

Carl “The Dean” Sampson
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The difference between online casino gambling and live casino gambling is akin to online poker and live poker in my opinion. By that I mean that there are many similarities but also numerous differences.

For instance in online blackjack there is no facility to card count or shuffle track. But then again in live blackjack with shuffling machines then you do not have the facility to be able to do that anyway.

But with online casinos then you do have numerous other advantages that live casinos simply do not offer. You do not get financial incentives or bonuses in live casinos for becoming a member.

You also don’t have the luxury of being able to play in your own home without having to travel in order to do it. But of course live casinos do offer the ability for interaction.

But then again maybe you don’t want interaction. Maybe you don’t want friends and family knowing that you gamble. But in my mind, the differences with live blackjack and online casino blackjack are becoming less and less.

This is rapidly becoming the case with roulette as well. Live casinos are now featuring electronic roulette more and more or using one single centralised wheel like I have seen in numerous casinos.

The fact of the matter is that the old timers like me will not like this form of roulette but the new kids will not know anything else but the Internet version.

So I can see online casino games really starting to expand as the live casinos won’t be offering much different to what the online casinos will be offering from a purely gaming sense.

In my experience, there have been no casinos in the UK who have provided new members with money when they join. This is where the online casinos really have the edge.

But most people incorrectly view gaming anyway. It is merely entertainment and nothing more and no different to watching a movie or going out. It is merely an alternative form of entertainment and should be seen as such.

Carl “The Dean” Sampson

The objective of any casino is to maximise profits within set barriers. Obviously any casino owner in an ideal world would like to make 100% return on turnover on the gaming side but that isn’t possible.

Not one single punter would stand for not ever winning whether it be fruit machines, roulette, casino poker, blackjack or slots. The goal can really only be to take the maximum possible whilst still keeping the punters coming back.

This is why punters who win are the best source of advertising for any casino and adverse publicity is very bad. Roulette has always been the best money earner for the casinos due to its speed and its ability to be able to support more than a dozen players per table at any one time.

I don’t like it when land based casinos become agitated and disgruntled by punters winning sizable sums of money. I have worked on the inside so I know that it happens. I have seen countless situations where gaming managers have been openly hostile to punters who have won money.

I find this approach truly amazing in an industry where the casino has to depend on people repeatedly coming through the door in enough numbers to not only pay the overheads but to generate meaningful profits as well.

OK so casinos are not a means of social security but with areas like slots and Caribbean stud poker, then why in heavens name don’t they give the punter better value for a money?

Giving a player a 50/1 pay-off for a straight flush and this is based on the dealer having a qualifying hand of AK is ludicrous in my opinion. It is lucky for land based casinos that more punters are not aware of the odds of making these hands otherwise they simply wouldn’t play them.

Giving people value for money is the key to not only keeping them but to also keep them coming back for many years to come. Handing out a casino bonus every month would be a good start or some other incentive for players to come and play and after that…to stay and be happy.

Carl “The Dean” Sampson

Sometimes I can behave like a real idiot. I mean…when I do stupid things then a part of me wants to keep it quiet and not tell nobody. But then again I deserve to be punished so why not tell all. We had our usual Friday night casino jaunt last night and I ended up playing roulette like I have been for a while.

There was only me and my partner, the weather was foul so we went on our own. In fact we almost didn’t go at all and when you have seen as many casinos as I have down the years then they don’t carry the same appeal. It’s my partner who is the eager one, she has been winning and doing well and thinks that she can keep it up

Anyway, to cut a long story short I lost about £250…..it wasn’t the amount or the fact that I blew away my profits from the previous two trips. It was the fact that I placed bets when the situation wasn’t right. You see this is what professionalism is supposed to be about. You should bet when you should and not when you can. Having the discipline to stick to rules is what separated the pro’s from the pretenders and maybe I am nothing more than a pretender these days.

I have tried to tell myself that I was just having a great time but is this all that it is? I remember a few years back I was at a race meeting in Malta with my partner and a couple of friends. Their racing isn’t the same as it is in the UK and they have carts that the jockey’s sit on that are pulled by the horse.

But anyway, the others were having a good time placing bets except me. The reason why I didn’t bet was because of the stupendously large bookmaker margins which I viewed as nothing short of daylight robbery…..and the punters stood for it. I wasn’t giving them my money out of principle.

In the past I used to be as disciplined as this…..maybe I need to take a trip down memory lane to see how I used to be.

see you soon

Carl “The Dean” Sampson