Greatest Gambling Movie of All Time

The story about the ups and downs in the life of a professional poker player in 'The Cincinnati Kid' has been voted as the greatest gambling film of all time in the 888.com gambling greats awards.

The downfall of Eric Stoner, played by Steve McQueen has been described as 'the most powerful and realistic depiction of tension in a poker game ever seen'. The film has taken the number one spot of the 20 greatest poker & gambling films ever made. Voted for by poker buffs and casino fanatics on the site, and compiled by 888.com, the world's number one online casino and poker room, the results of the poll can now be revealed.

The Cincinnati Kid was chosen for its 'nostalgia' of poker, giving an audience the chance to look back at a time where the type of game, types of people and location of the poker games were completely different compared to today's modern poker scene. 'Casino' starring Robert DeNiro and Sharon Stone came in a close second, followed by 'Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels' in third place. Although voters raved about the fresh performances of George Clooney and Brad Pitt in the Ocean's Eleven remake, the film only managed fourth position, beating Robert Redford and Paul Newman's team effort in 'The Sting'.

'Croupier', featuring Clive Owen, star of new film King Arthur along with 'Lock Stock' and 'Casino Royale' are the only entries from the Brits. 'Lucky Town' featuring an early role for Spiderman star Kirsten Dunst also features in the top 20.

The full top 20 list is as follows: -


1. The Cincinatti kid
2. Casino
3. Lock, Stock and two Smoking barrels
4. Oceans Eleven
5. The Sting
6. Maverick
7. Rounders
8. Honeymoon in Vegas
9. Casino Royale
10. The Gambler
11. Rain Man
12. The Hustler
13. The Colour of Money
14. Lucky Town
15. Las Vegas
16. Snake Eyes
17. Croupier
18. The Music of Chance
19. Havana
20. Face

Matt Robinson, 888.com Marketing manager commented, ' The 888.com gambling greats awards proves that gambling, and in particular poker, is highly watchable as well as great fun to play. Just like the movies our members picked out, 888.com brings all the excitement of a real casino or poker room to life from the comfort of your home."



Verbatim from http://www.winneronline.com

Casino Texas Hold'em Online Poker Strategies

Texas Hold'em Poker is just one of many variations of poker that can be found at the online casinos. Poker itself is probably the most popular and well recognized of all the online casino games. Whether you are an amateur Texas Hold'em player or an expert it is always worth picking up a few new tips and strategies on how to succeed while playing poker at your favorite online casino. Read on to find out more.

Two important things to know about the Game

It may seem obvious to be reminded of the following fundamental facts, but often players get caught up in the excitement of the game and forget the basics.

1. The two cards you hold are the only cards that set you apart from the other players and give you the chance to win.

2. All of the face-up cards are community cards, shared by you and every other player.

It's fundamental that you focus on what those cards could mean to someone else at least as much as you focus on what they mean to you. Keep your eyes open for your opponent's straight and flush possibilities.

Ranking Your own Cards

Usually, the first decision you make in a hand of Texas Hold 'Em Poker happens with your only knowledge being what your two cards are.

When you look at your own cards, be careful not to reveal anything with your body language or facial expression. Taking a sharp breath, no matter how quietly you do it, can tell a wily opponent all he needs to know to have an advantage over you. Keyword: emotionless.

How do you know if your cards are worthy? It depends in part on how many players are in the game, but a general rule is that you should seriously consider folding before the flop if you have two non-pair cards, both less than 10. A more conservative player might fold if just one of the cards is less than 10; a more aggressive player might stay in with, for example, an 8 and 9 of the same suit (because those cards give you decent possibilities for a straight or a flush).

If the big blind (a forced bet designed to ensure that every hand has a pot) is low enough, it may be worthwhile to pay in so that you can see the flop even if you don't have particularly strong cards in your hand. But don't abuse this exception to the rule -- it can get you into trouble more quickly than you imagine.

A lot of Texas Hold 'Em strategy is based on the cards in your hand. You must be willing to suffer through a series of poor hands (e.g. 5-8, 2-6, 4-9) without getting impatient. The good hands will come, eventually, and you'll be in better position to take advantage of them if you don't waste your chips trying to get something out of nothing.

The Flop

After seeing the flop, don't be afraid to cut your losses. A common mistake made by novices is to decide, "I'm already in this hand, so I might as well play it out." Wrong.

With seven players at a table, two pair or better will generally be the winning hand. If you don't have the high pair after the flop (e.g. if the flop is K-9-5, the high pair would be two Ks), and you're not in good position for a straight or a flush, you should probably get out of the hand.

However, remember that as the number of players goes down, so does the potential of a strong hand -- so if you're at a table with just two other players, it could pay off to be more aggressive.

If you're first to bet after the flop, don't be afraid to check. This can work to your advantage in two ways. First, if your hand is on the weak side, you might be able to see one more card without having to put more into the pot. Second, if your hand is strong, you could convince an opponent or two that it's weaker than it really is.

Fourth Street and Fifth Street

Also know as The Turn and The River, the fourth and fifth community cards give you two more chances to either get out of the pot before you lose even more money or increase your winnings.

At this point, it's likely there will only be one or two other players still in the pot with you. The best advice here is to be cautious. After fourth street, don't stay in the pot hoping for a straight or flush, unless you can do so on a check (that is, without putting more chips into the pot). Although there will be times when you would have drawn the straight or flush, they will be outweighed by the times you wouldn't. The bottom line is this: Don't allow yourself to get sucked in too far with a weak hand.

Verbatim from http://www.onlinecasinoreports.com

Forum discussing legalising online gambling in Washington

A forum was held on Monday in Washington, discussed the legalisation of online gambling in the US. The event was sponsored by BetOnSports, and was attended by academics, and representatives from within the industry, as well as figures from the media and advertising sectors. The overall verdict was that online gambling should exist in a properly legislated and regulated way within the States.

On the topic of regulation, executive director of the National Council on Problem Gambling, Kevin Whyte, made the following comments: “The distinctions between the types of gambling, based on how they’re delivered to the participant, seem arbitrary. The point is, the operator has the obligation to develop responsible gaming policies, regardless of whether the gambling is on the lottery, at a church bingo night, or on the Internet. There seems to be no theoretical reason that Internet gambling operators could not develop programs that meet or exceed current land-based responsible gaming practices.”

CEO of BetOnSports, David Carruthers said, “We have to act responsibly. We want to set the example for hosting a safe Internet site, and we're willing to do whatever it takes.”

Meanwhile, William Hebner an attorney who attended the forum focused on the legal issues: “The Wire Act is an antiquated statute that the government is using to intimidate companies from accepting advertising for Internet gambling sites. This is a law that was developed to stop racketeering over the phone more than 50 years ago. They are manipulating the law to cover a technology that was not even invented when the Act was written.”

His sentiments were endorsed by Emily Hancock, another attorney who added that, “The DoJ's actions are not only overreaching, but if this leads to outright prohibition, it will put an unreasonable burden on the Internet service providers to block online gambling.” Certainly the consensus at the forum was that the current legal status of online gambling in the US was not based on practical concerns, and even was not acting as much of a deterrent to online gamblers, simply forcing that revenue offshore. An example of this particular line of thinking can be seen in Heberer’s further comments likening the current illegal status as being like: “the little boy with his finger in the dyke. There will be no way to enforce it with consumers. From a consumer point of view it's better for government to bring online gambling into the light of day. This is the time to address Internet gaming regulation.”

Victoria's Secret Supermodels Coming To Vegas

Victoria's Secret Supermodels Tyra Banks, Gisele Bundchen, Heidi Klum, Adriana Lima and Alessandra Ambrosio hit the road in a cross-country tour 'Angels Across America'.

Victoria's Secret celebrates the 2004 holiday season with a first-ever nationwide tour: Angels Across America. The Victoria's Secret Angels (Supermodels Tyra Banks, Gisele Bundchen, Heidi Klum, Adriana Lima, and Alessandra Ambrosio) will deliver holiday spirit to cities across the country, including New York, Chicago, Las Vegas and Los Angeles, via a private, customized 'Angels' jet. The Angels will stop in each city to present the 2004 Holiday Gift collection, interact with fans, donate memorabilia, attend sporting events and rock concerts, and host their own version of the 'Walk of Fame' ceremonies. The Angels Across America tour is Victoria's Secret's biggest, boldest holiday initiative yet.

Las Vegas welcomes the Victoria's Secret Angels Across America tour on Thursday, November 11th. The first stop in Vegas is the Las Vegas Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, where the Angels (Tyra, Gisele, Heidi, Adriana, and Alessandra) will be inducted into the Hard Rock Hall of Fame. In honor of their induction, the Angels will donate one-of-a kind Victoria's Secret memorabilia, which will be unveiled and prominently showcased in the Hard Rock lobby. At the Bellagio Hotel, the renowned fountain show will be more spectacular than ever with pink water to celebrate the arrival of Victoria's Secret, and the Angels will introduce a special holiday 'Santa Baby' version of the fountain show. Later in the evening, the Angels will announce a special performance by the Black Eyed Peas at the Palms Resort & Casino, which will be fully 'wrapped' in a Victoria's Secret building banner.

New prohibitionism: Internet gaming part of anti-terrorism legislation?

The U.S. House of Representatives Financial Services Committee has scheduled a hearing for Wednesday at 11 a.m. (EDT) to discuss a bill that would update the PATRIOT Act to address concerns brought to light in a report on the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. The committee's chairman, Michael Oxley, R-Ohio, is expected to propose an amendment that would merge the Unlawful Internet Gambling Prohibition Act into the anti-terrorism legislation.

See the full story at IGamingNews.com:
http://www.igamingnews.com/

It seems history repeats itself... But that's not an automatic process, people make history repeat itself. Underworld was the only one to benefit from prohibitionism, the lesson has still to be learnt.