Funny how suddenly everyone starts talking about poker when the World Series of Poker (WSOP) is on or has just finished.  Also, how suddenly there are loads of poker experts out there, who know it all because they saw it on WSOP..

Poker rooms must see a huge spike in poker interest due to WSOP.  After watching all the action they would want to try their own luck at a poker tourney.  With all the money that gets spent on advertising and promoting the WSOP, its become a big thing.  S’pose that a lot of people are now aware of poker thanks to the WSOP being televised and promoted.  All that money spent does manage to get the word out.

I enjoy the social aspect of poker and the interaction that you can have with a few friends whilst playing.  Its also a mentally challenging game that keeps you thinking of how well your hand can do compared the other players.

Its a long time to wait until November to see who will be the overall world poker champion…

I had a good laugh when I read this headline, “Gambling Goes Green”.

Yeah sure buddy… who you trying to fool?  I can’t think of an industry that is probably more further from The Green Revolution.  Just look at Vegas for a start… its all about entertainment, no matter the cost to the environment.

But apparently some of the big hotel groups are implementing some projects that help to save energy and water.  It makes the most sense to start with energy consumption, as this is probably one of the largest expenses in the casino and gambling industry.  Lighting alone has a huge  contribution to energy consumption and there have been some huge technological breakthroughs with energy efficient LED lighting.  Vegas neon lighting can be seen from outer space… so its a good place to start!

There must be a portion of the market that would demand “environmentally friendly” places to stay.  People are becoming more and more aware of their footprint on the planet.  If it comes down to choice, between staying in a hotel that makes an effort to be “green” and one that doesn’t, then some customers may choose the environmentally friendly hotel.  Its a tough, competitive market out there.  Although most wouldn’t even bother to ask about how “green” the hotel or casino is.

Reducing energy and resource consumption will also reduce expenses, something that all companies must be looking at during these tougher times.

I hardly think its going to make headlines in the world of gambling or poker news, yet everyone should be doing their part to save the planet and reduce their impact.

One of the newer online gambling platforms starting to gain some traction, is live casino gambling.  And as a perennial casino favorite, blackjack was one of the first games to be rolled out in the live online format.

The difference between live blackjack and RNG blackjack, is that rather than playing against a machine with game outcomes determined by random number generators, you are being dealt by a real dealer.  You sit at home on your PC and watch a live video feed of a real dealer, dealing real cards via a betting interface that allows you to place bets and chat to the dealer as you play.

It’s a novel solution to the skepticism surrounding fairness or true randomness of traditional RNG games, but one that is not without its own shortcomings.  Chief among these are the quality of the vision and deal speed.  Despite all the leaps in webcasting technology, the quality of the feed provided, will be severely hampered if your connection isn’t fast enough.  And, its probably not a great format for impatient players.

Unlike RNG blackjack, when you can call the deal when you want it, live blackjack deals are set to a fixed timer to allow all participating players ample time to place their bets.  This can be anywhere from 40 to 15 seconds depending on the provider.