An Introduction to Online Bingo

Put away your marker pens, breathe a sigh of relief that you don’t have to listen to the irritating bingo caller yelling ‘two fat ladies wobble, wobble!’ and sit yourself down at your PC. Now is the time of online bingo and here’s my quick guide to playing it:

How to Play Bingo

There are several variations of bingo in the world and on the internet, but they all stem from the same basic game which I will outline here.

In traditional bingo, the players gather in a hall and each is given a card with different numbers printed in a grid (see picture.) A caller stands at the front of the room with a large spinning container full of bingo balls (called a draw machine.) Each bingo ball has a different number written on it.

One by one, bingo balls are plucked from the machine and read out. If the number that has been read out corresponds with one on your card, you cross it off. The aim of the game is to cross off a certain selection of these numbers first. Whoever does so stands up, yells the appropriate phrase (usually BINGO!) and they win the game which usually has a cash prize.

The amount of numbers on the cards and in the machine depends on which variation of the game you are playing, as does the selection of numbers you are attempting to cross out.

Variations

The bingo card pictured above is an American bingo card. American bingo cards are laid out in a 5x5 grid with the letters B-I-N-G-O written across the top. There are 75 bingo ballers in the machine and each has a letter and a number written on it, e.g.: B7. Players cross out numbers that correspond with the letters at the top of their grids and the numbers below them. For example, if I was playing with the American bingo card pictured above and ‘B7’ was called, I would cross out the first number in the grid.

In American bingo, the player is aiming to cross out five numbers in a row, whether that be diagonally, in a row, or in a column.

Here is a UK/Australian bingo ticket:

In UK and Australian bingo the tickets are generally sold in strips of six and each ticket has a 3x9 grid of numbers.

Each combination usually has a different cash prize attached to it.

Playing Online

Both UK/Australian and American bingo are played online.

When playing online, the bingo caller is replaced by a random number generation programme and you cross off your numbers with a click of your mouse. I strongly recommend that you do not use your marker to cross off the numbers on your screen, you may still yell ‘BINGO!’ if you like, but it will not have any effect.

When you first log into a bingo website, you will probably enter a lobby which shows the schedules for each online bingo room. You'll see a countdown for each game start time, and you can simply click on them to join them.

When playing online you are generally given about four cards to play with.

The pattern of numbers that you must cross off to win can change when playing online, especially in American bingo, so make sure you check before the round begins.

A lot of online bingo games are free and only have a small chance of a cash prize. Browse around a few sites and decide whether you want to venture more money for the chance to win more, or you’re comfortable playing free games.

Real life bingo has always been popular due to the social aspect, and this is preserved in a lot of online bingo games which feature chat boxes for you to converse with your fellow players. Don’t worry though, a lot of websites also have an ‘ignore’ button for when they get a bit too chatty!

An Introduction to Playing Craps Online

If you’ve never seen Guys and Dolls you may not know how to play Craps, let alone play it online, so here’s a quick and easy guide to get you playing as soon as possible.

Craps is a gambling game played with dice. Players bet on the outcome of their dice rolls. Craps is played by multiple or a single player betting against the casino.

The Basics

The players stand around the ‘Craps Table’ as pictured here:

Online Craps generally features a digital version of the craps table, such as this one:

The layout of the table indicates the different betting outcomes, which will be explained below. The layouts and pay-outs of the tables vary between casinos, online or otherwise, but they all have the same basic features.

Players take turns rolling two dice. The player rolling the dice is called the "shooter". Players place chips on the table on the appropriately-marked sections of the layout to place their bets.

Craps is played in rounds. Before a round begins, a button with the word ‘OFF’ on it is placed on the table. The shooter starts the round by performing a ‘come-out roll.’ While shooting, players must have a bet on either the ‘Pass’ or ‘Don't Pass’ line, depending on what they think the outcome of the round will be. Any other players at the table can also bet on this, but it isn’t compulsory.

If the result of the come-out roll is a 2, 3 or 12, it’s called ‘crapping out’ or ‘craps,’ and anyone who placed a bet on the Pass Line loses.

If a 7 or 11 is rolled it is called a ‘natural’ and those who bet on the pass line win.

If a player rolls any other number, this number becomes the ’point’ and all bets on the ‘don’t pass line’ remain there. The OFF button is now flipped to its ‘ON’ side and is placed on the number on the table corresponding with the point.

The shooter continues to roll the dice, they are aiming to roll their point number before they roll the number seven. For example, if the point is six and the shooter roles a five, they role again. If they then role a seven, they have lost. If a number seven is rolled at any time other than during the come-out roll, everyone loses. If, however, the shooter rolls a six rather than a seven, they have succeeded and perform another come-out roll, starting a new round. When the shooter eventually rolls a losing seven, they turn the dice over to the next player.

If Pass wins, Don't Pass loses, and vice versa. There is one exception: a twelve on the come-out roll means that Pass bets lose, but Don't Pass bets are ‘pushed’ meaning they neither win nor lose.

Advanced Betting

Those are the simple rules out of the way – you can now play craps. There are, however, some more complicated types of bet that you may be interested in.

Odds bets

As long as they are also betting on the Don’t Pass Line, players can place another bet behind the Pass Line after the point had been established. This is a second bet on the point. Should the shooter hit their point, you win both your bets. You can increase, decrease or remove an odds bet at any time. The winnings of an odds bet are based on the odds of you winning, thus the name. Look away now if you don’t like being told the odds:

Come / Don’t Come bets

Beyond the Pass / Don’t Pass lines, you’ll see the Come and Don’t Come lines. If you have played the Don’t Pass Line and a point has been established, you can place a Come or Don’t Come bet. You, and only you, treat the next roll the shooter makes as your own come-out roll – a second coming if you will. The same rules apply as to the original come-out roll, but this bet only affects you. If the roll is a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10, it becomes your personal ‘come-point’. Your original bet still relies on the shooter’s point, so you may well be betting on two different points at the same time. If you’re really feeling adventurous, you can also place an odds bet on your second come-point.

Proposition bets

Proposition bets are also called one-roll bets and utilise the part of the table labelled ‘field’ and the part made up of a list of different odds that can be seen to the far right of the picture above. At any point you can use these sections to bet on specific rolls of the dice. You can bet on certain numbers or combinations of numbers being rolled next or rolled before a seven is.

Buy bets

The boxes labelled with single numbers are used to place buy bets. This is simply a bet that your chosen number will turn up before the next 7 is rolled.

Getting Online

Playing craps online is much the same as playing it in a casino – only it takes far less staff. You’re generally presented with a digital version of the table and simply click where you want to place your chips. There will also be a ‘roll’ button for you to roll the dice.

Online variations

Bank Craps

The standard version of craps that I have described in this article, is sometimes referred to as ‘bank craps’ or ‘casino craps’ because all bets made are against the casino.

Simplified Craps

Simplified Craps can be won by rolling 2, 3, 4, 10, 11 or 12. If any other number is rolled, the player loses.

New York Craps

New York Craps uses a slightly different table layout and doesn’t allow Come/Don’t come bets.

An Introduction to Online Poker

Poker is the quintessential casino game. It’s the game for gamblers, bluffers and strategists. It’s the game played by James Bond in Casino Royale. It’s the game that you too can now play from your computer, without all the hassle of being poisoned by a sinister Frenchman.

Poker has many variations which are all played in different places across the internet. They all stem from the same basic structure and rules: players are dealt a hand of cards. The player with the hand of cards with the highest value at the end of the round is the winner. Players bet against each other, deciding whether they want to bet that their hand is highest and, as they cannot see the other players’ hands, a certain amount of deception and strategy is involved. All the money involved in this game is contributed by the players themselves. There is a dealer (or computer) who, surprise surprise, deals but otherwise has no other impact on the game. In this article, I’m going to outline the most popular form of poker: ‘Texas Hold ‘em.’

Texas Hold ‘em

Texas Hold ‘em can be played by between 2 and 10 players.

Let’s start at the very beginning. Casino tables and televised poker can make it all look very intimidating and complex, but it doesn’t have to be. To play poker, you simply need a pack of cards and something to gamble with. In the case of an online game or a casino, your money is substituted for poker chips (pictured) which have various values depending on where you’re playing.

That big intimidating table you see? That’s just a bit of felt which might have some lines drawn on it for the cards to be dealt onto and a cup holder for your swanky cocktail.

Before you actually start playing, one of the most important things to understand is how the different combinations of cards are valued, as the aim of the game is to have a hand of a higher value than your opponents.

Poker hands are made up of five cards. In variations of poker where more cards are available to the player, the best five card combination is played.

Aces can be used as a high or a low. All other cards follow their natural ranking of 2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,J,Q,K.

The suit of a card does not affect its ranking.

If, at the end of the round, there are multiple hands of identical ranking, the pot (money which has been bet on this round) is split evenly between the winners.

Here are the various poker hands from highest value to lowest:

Royal Flush

A hand which contains an ace, king, queen, jack and a 10 of the same suit is a royal flush.

Straight Flush

A straight flush is like a royal flush, but the cards don’t have to be ace, king, queen, jack, 10; they can be any sequential series of cards.

If more than one player has a straight flush, the highest cards of the two hands are compared. The hand containing the highest value card wins.

Four of a Kind

If a poker hand contains four cards of the same rank, it is called four of a kind. If more than one player has a four of a kind, the four of a kind made up of the highest ranking cads wins. For example, four 7s beats four 3s.

Full House

A hand which contains three cards of the same rank and a further two of a different rank to the three but of the same rank as each other (a three of a kind and a pair) is called a full house.

If more than one player has a full house, the full house with a higher ranking three will win, for example: a full house containing three 8s is worth more than a full house containing three 5s. If two full houses contain the same ranking three, the pair is also compared in a similar manner.

Flush

A flush is a hand in which all five cards are the suit. If more than one player has a flush, the player with the highest ranking card wins. If the highest ranking card is the same then the second highest ranking card is compared, and so on until a winner is decided or a tie announced.

Straight

A hand whose five cards are in sequence in two or more different suits, is called a straight.

If more than one player has a straight, the highest cards of the straights are compared and the card with the highest value wins. If the highest cards are the same, the straights are of equal value. Straights are described using their highest card, for example, the pictured hand is an Ace-high straight.

Three of a Kind

A three of a kind hand contains three cards of the same rank plus two which are a different rank from the first three and a different rank from each other.

A higher ranking three of a kind hand beats a lower ranking one, for example: three queens beats three nines. If two players have a three of a kind of the same value, the player who has a higher ranking card in his remaining two cards, is the winner.

Two Pairs

If there is a pair of cards of the same rank in a hand, and a second pair of a different rank to the first, along with a fifth card which is a different rank to the two pairs, it is a two pair hand.

Pairs are valued by their rank, for example: a pair of queens is worth more than a pair of 10s. If another player has a two pair hand, the highest value pair of each player is compared. If the highest pairs are the same, then the lowest pairs are compared. If these too are the same then the hand whose fifth card is of the highest value wins.

Two pair hands are described by their highest pair first. For example, the pictured hand would be called ‘Aces over Kings.’

One Pair

If there is a pair of cards of the same rank in a hand and the other three cards are all of a different rank to the pair and each other, it is one pair. Should there be two pairs of the same rank, the player with the highest card remaining in their hand wins.

High Card

This one’s pretty self-explanatory. If you’ve got no other combination of any kind, your highest card serves as your hand. If another player also has no other combinations, the player with the highest card in their hand wins.

For example, in this hand, ace is high.

It seems like a lot to remember, but as you play these combinations will become second nature to you. Online poker is great because it will calculate the value of your hand for you.

The Game Itself

Now we’re ready to get onto the game itself. There is a dealer button which is passed clockwise to the next player each round. This, confusingly, does not signify who is dealing (as the dealer is a casino employ or computer) but it signifies who will have the first opportunity to bet.

Each player is dealt two face down cards.

Texas Hold ‘em generally starts with two compulsory bets called ‘small blind and ‘big blind’. Before the players are allowed to look at their cards, the player to the left of the dealer button must contribute the small blind bet and then the player to their left must contribute the big blind bet. The value of these bets varies, but the big blind tends to be double the value of the small blind.

The players may now look at their cards.

This begins a round of betting in which the players, taking turns in a clockwise order, must match the bet, raise the bet, or fold.

Match – If a player matches the bet, they are betting the same amount of money as the current highest better. All players must match the highest bet placed to continue playing.

Raise – If a player raises the bet, they are placing a bet which is higher than all previous bets. The other players must match this to continue playing.

Fold – If a player folds, they return any cards they have to a dealer, lose any money they have bet, and the round is over for them.

The round ends when all the players have either matched the highest bet, folded or gone ‘all in’.

Going all in means that a player has bet all of their available chips and cannot, therefore, bet any more.

If all but one player folds at any point in the game, that player automatically wins all the money that has been bet.

The Flop

Assuming that the game has not already ended, the dealer now deals ‘the flop.’ The flop is made up of three cards and is placed in the centre of the table. These cards, and the ones that will subsequently join them, are used by the players, in combination with their own two cards, to form the strongest poker hands they can. Another round of betting ensues at this point.

The Turn

Once the flop’s betting round is over, the dealer deals a fourth card to the centre of the table, this is called ‘the turn.’ There is now another round of betting.

The River

The dealer deals a final card called ‘the river.’ There is now a final betting round and, if there is still more than one player left, they move onto the showdown.

The Showdown

Going clockwise round the table from the big blind, each remaining player now reveals the best poker hand they can make using their own cards and the cards in the centre of the table. The player deemed to have the best hand wins and the game starts all over again.

Playing Online

Poker is probably the most popular online card game and is generally cheaper than playing in a casino. Playing poker online is much the same as playing in real life, only your assessment of whether your fellow players are bluffing or not is no longer influenced by their body language or behaviour.

There are hundreds of reputable poker website on the internet all with easy to use controls. Get online, try a few out, and decide which suits your needs best.

An Introduction to Online Roulette

Roulette is by far the most elegant casino game with its spinning wheel of fate perfectly illustrating the tension and thrill of gambling. Older than many casino games, this game of chance and cunning has remained a solid favourite even in the age of online casinos. In this article I will outline the basics of playing online roulette and how the digital dimension effects it.

The Basics

The central piece of equipment required to play the game is the roulette wheel. There are European roulette wheels and American roulette wheels, I’ll be describing American roulette wheels because they are predominantly used in casinos around the world.

A roulette wheel is a spinning disk set in the roulette table. Around the edge of the wheel are 38 ‘pockets’ which are numbered from 0 – 36 along with a ‘00’ space. 18 pockets are coloured red and 18 are coloured black, the ‘0’ and the ‘00’ pockets are coloured green. These pockets are slots just large enough for the small roulette ball to rest in.

The wheel is spun one way by a croupier and the ball is then spun the opposite way around a track circling the wheel. When the ball loses its momentum and the wheel stops, the ball deposits itself in one of the wheel’s pockets.

The players bet on where the ball will fall and, if they get it right, they win. They bet by placing their chips on the ‘layout’ which is a grid on the table listing all the different bets a player can make.

Betting

First of all, you must understand the different types of bet you can make when playing roulette. ‘Inside bets’ are bets placed on specific numbers. Here are the different inside bets you can make and the odds they pay:

Land based casinos in Australia

This is a list of the biggest and the best casinos in Australia – as well as playing all your favourite games and maybe some new ones, these modern palaces of decadence are tourist attractions in their own right.

Adelaide Casino

Adelaide Casino is, you guessed it, in Adelaide. A lot of casinos may claim to have good travel links for the roaming poker players and baccarat behemoths of Australia, but Adelaide casino is on another level as it’s housed in a section of Adelaide railway station. This is the one and only licensed casino in South Australia so it has a whopping 90 gaming tables and 950 gaming machines to cater for the entire state.

Website: http://www.adelaidecasino.com.au/

Casino Canberra

Based in the heart of Canberra’s business district, Casino Canberra is presumably where the high rolling hedge-funders go to gamble their own money when they’re done gambling with other people’s money. It’s a smaller, more intimate venue than many on this list and hosts regular tournaments for the more competitive players. If you’re a fan of poker machines, this isn’t the place for you as it is the only casino in Australia which is not able to operate poker machines. By which I mean, their license prevents them from doing so – they’re not just stupid!

Website: http://www.casinocanberra.com.au/

Crown Casino and Entertainment Complex

For those more interested in gigantic grandeur than intimacy, there’s Melbourne’s Crown Casino and Entertainment Complex. This is the largest casino complex in the southern hemisphere so try not to get lost amongst the 3,500 poker machines. If you get bored you can always go and spend your winnings at the bowling alley, laser tag centre or the large selection of luxury retailers housed within the complex. If it all gets a bit much, you can always go for a nap in one of the casino’s three hotels.

Website: https://www.crownmelbourne.com.au/

Crown own and operate another similar casino in Perth which you can find here: https://www.crownperth.com.au/

They are currently planning to build a third casino in Barangaroo, Sydney which would become the tallest building in the city with 75 floors. You can find out about that here:

http://www.crownsydney.com.au/

Jupiters Hotel and Casino

The Jupiters Hotel and Casino is another jack of all trades establishment. Set in seven acres of Queensland’s Gold Coast, it has a ballroom, theatre, gym, spa and a hotel with six hundred rooms. The only thing it’s missing is a shopping centre, but that’s made up for by the monorail which transports guests to the Oasis Shopping Centre. This place is big enough to legitimately declare itself an independent country.

Website: https://www.jupitersgoldcoast.com.au/

The Star Sydney Casino & Hotel

It’s hard to believe that The Star is only Sydney’s second biggest casino, with its three separate gaming floors and various hotels and restaurants. This is the only casino on the list that you can actually live in as it boasts 130 privately owned apartments. This is truly the place to live out your 007 dreams as it has two exclusive gaming rooms called The Soveriegn and The Inner Sanctum which are only open to the highest of rollers who have to apply just to be let in.

Website: http://www.star.com.au/

The Treasury Casino

While many of the casinos mentioned here are like modern day pyramids or Earth-bound Death Stars, The Treasury in Brisbane has more of an old-world charm. The 19^th century building has an air of history and heritage about it but still has all casino mod cons, with a hotel, restaurants, bars, a nightclub, and function rooms which range from stately 19^th century spaces to more modern conference rooms.

Website: http://www.treasurybrisbane.com.au/

Wrest Point Hotel Casino

Tasmania’s Wrest Point Hotel casino was Australia’s first legal casino when it opened way back in 1973. Although it’s been around for forty years, the Wrest Point is far from outdated as it offers all modern card games and machines along with a revolving restaurant and free live entertainment.

Website: www.wrestpoint.com.au/

Of course, not everyone can get to one of these super casinos, but don’t worry, you can still go to the casino right here on your computer. Click here to read our article on online casinos. INSERT LINK.

The Legality of Online Casinos in Australia

The average man on the street may have some trouble defining the legality of online casinos in Australia. This is because of various laws surrounding online gambling that muddy the water a bit, and if you want to get on with a few hands of poker, you probably don’t want to trawl through the Interactive Gambling Act of 2001. Don’t panic, I’m here to do that for you and to say that yes, it is legal to gamble in online casinos in Australia. There are, however, a few things you need to know before you partake in a digital flutter.

What age do I have to be to gamble in online casinos?

The laws regarding age in online casinos are the same as in brick-and-mortar casinos. Players must be eighteen years old or over. Clicking onto an online casino when you’re underage may seem easier than trying persuade real-life bouncers that it isn’t past your bed time and you’re just short for your age, but online casinos can request to see ID that proves your age just like any bouncer could.

Why haven’t I heard about online casinos in Australia?

The Interactive Gambling Act made it illegal to advertise online casinos in Australia. As you can imagine, not being allowed to market to their fellow citizens would make running an ozzie online casino pretty difficult. They’re faced with either breaking the law or breaking the bank. That’s why the majority of Australian gamblers use online casinos which are based abroad but accept Australian dollars. Interestingly, Australian online casinos can market their services to people outside of Australia, so while all the ozzie gamblers are playing in off-shore online casinos, foreign players are doing just the same in Australian online casinos.

Who are the laws aimed at?

At the moment, the laws regarding online casinos in Australia are aimed at the casinos. It is the casinos’ responsibility to ensure that they are operating legally. While the Abbot government believe that foreign online casinos catering to ozzie players don’t comply with the Interactive Gambling Act, they are yet to do anything about it and if they do then any restrictions introduced will most likely only be enforceable if aimed at the casinos rather than the players.

Am I Protected?

Some players might find the laws regarding online casinos to be too intrusive and over regulatory, and they’re allowed to hold that opinion. I for one am glad that there are regulations which protect me when dealing with potentially large amounts of money online. Online casinos are, as I’ve described, closely monitored and regulated by the Australian authorities. If you have a complaint about an online casino, you can report it here: http://www.acma.gov.au/Industry/Internet/Internet-content/Internet-gambling-complaints/gambling-complaint-form

Other than that, I advise you to use common sense. Gambling should rely on the luck of the draw, not on whether a casino is trustworthy enough to pay out when the cards are in your favour. If you feel unsafe on an online casino, if it seems untrustworthy or suspicious, get out of there. Just googling the words ‘safe online casinos’ will bring up hundreds of lists of online casinos that other users have found to be safe, so do your research before entering your bank details.

Can my winnings be taxed?

No. The taxes, as with the laws, are aimed at the casinos. The government taxes the casinos and not the players because gambling is a hobby rather than a job and they treat gambling wins as good luck rather than income. Their logic being that if someone wins a lot money, there’s always a chance they’ll lose it the same way!

Why are there so many rules and regulations surrounding online casinos in Australia?

As with all our favourite vices, gambling can be addictive and can, if not properly regulated, end up having a negative impact on people’s lives. If you’re worried that this applies to you, the Australian government offer impartial and free advice on the matter here: http://www.problemgambling.gov.au/

Still unsure?

If you don’t think I’ve done my job properly or are concerned about the finer details of the legality of online casinos in Australia, there is plenty more information to be found online. Each state / territory has its regulatory body and they can all be found here:

http://www.australia.gov.au/information-and-services/culture-and-arts/recreational-activities/gambling-and-lotteries/gaming