Confused about the Legality of Online Gambling in the US?

No need to worry. Gambling Planet has word of a website called USA Online Gambling devoted solely to shedding some light on the murky legal waters of america's online gambling scene.

The website has been established to inform US players of their continued ability to enjoy playing poker, blackjack, slots, and other games of chance on the Internet. The website describes how the law works and why it is still possible to gamble online, listing poker rooms, sportsbooks and USA microgaming online casinos that are still accepting US players.

Thanks Gambling Planet for giving everyone the heads up! And thanks US Online Gambling for helping to clarify things!

Ask the Wizard!

We have long been proponents of the Wizard of Odds. That site is like a warm blanket of knowledge and straight talk about how all our favorite casino games work. The wizard provides us with deep insights, and irrefutable logic. And so we are pleased to know that when we're stumped with a gaming question, we can always ask the wizard for help.

This is just the kind of question we love to ask to:

Hi, Wizard. Let's say I have $300 to gamble with, and can accept a 25% risk of ruin. What should I do to maximize my upside? Thanks!

Head on over to the wizard's archive of answers to find the answer. And Yep.. we guessed right ;)

If you have your own question, why not ask the Wizard, and perhaps he will grace you with the wisdom of his answer.

Dice Cup

If your home casino is the kind that enjoys rollin' the bones like ours is, then you won't want to miss this sweet dice cup. Nobody NEEDS to have a dice cup, as your hands can do the job just fine. But everybody loves the feel of a dice cup. The soft plonking sound of the cubes bouncing around inside a muffled container, willing fate to show the roller good fortune. Its simply seductive. Its also one of those touches that takes an ordinary home casino night to the next level.

Six in One Casino Bar

If you can't decide whether to drink or gamble, why not do both! This sweet Six in One Casino Bar is a fantastic addition to any pad. Here are some of the features:

* A gorgeously crafted mahogany Casino Bar.

* As a bar it has 4 shelves and a wine/booze rack.

* A wooden surface for bar use.

* Reversible baize playing table tops for casino fun.

* Play Roulette, Craps, Blackjack, Baccarat and Texas Hold 'Em Poker.

* 2 dice.

* A dealer chip.

* 2 packs of playing cards.

* 6 sets of 50 playing chips.

* A banker's holder.

* A wooden rake.

* A 40cm wooden roulette wheel with ball bearing.

* Instructions for all games.

* Suitable for ages 18 years+.

* Weight: 65kg.

* Size: 137 x 77 x 68cm.

Casino Themed Tree Ornaments

Nothing says the holidays like some casino themed christmas tree ornaments. These glass beauties will look wonderful on any tree, but they are especially suited for the gambler in your life. Our favorite is the craps table. It makes us want to get a wee stick man, and some wee dice to throw on it.

Roulette Poster by Paulo Romero

Its sometimes difficult to find tasteful art that has casino elements in it. More often than not, casino themed art tends to lean toward the flasy or trippy vegas theme. This roulette poster by Paulo Romero on the other hand, is subdued, and reminds us of long afternoons sipping cocktails in game rooms while we enjoy the titillation of some roulette. To us, this piece just exudes that casino style we love.

BlackJack Extreme

As we were perusing the news this morning, we discovered an intriguing story about a Hollywood movie mogul trying to spin a new casino card game he invented into the next Texas Hold'em. His game, called BlackJack Extreme sounds like an intriguing mix of poker and blackjack, with plenty of bluffing, and a chance to play the "house".

Here's a bit about the story behind this new game from KansasCity.com:

[David C.]Thomas and Internet marketing guru Mark Koetting have formed BJX Entertainment LLC and are simultaneously pitching BlackJack Extreme as a TV card-game show, an online or live casino poker room game and an electronic game joining slot machines and video poker on casino floors.

“This is very ambitious to move simultaneously into three major industries,” Thomas admitted. But he’s confident that, given a chance, the game will catch on.

“It’s fast. It’s fun,” he said. And, he added, BlackJack Extreme is even more sociable than standard blackjack or Texas Hold ’em.

And for more on the game itself, head over to the BlackJack Extreme website, where you can learn to play, watch a sample game, and see a video that gives a flavor of how a TV show might work.

Welcome to the sickest game in town. We took the best of poker, added the best of blackjack, and came up with a brand new game. If you have the heart to bluff, the courage to make big plays and the brains to stay two jumps ahead of your opponents we’ve got the game for you. It’s blackjack so the rules are familiar - you can surrender, hit, stay, double and naturals pay 3 to 2. It’s BlackJack eXtreme because everyone takes turns being the dealer. When you’re the dealer, you can bluff, fold and hit any soft hand. When you’re the player you can go all-in but take as many cards as needed to make the best hand. And card counting is allowed. Learn to Play – Play to Win.

Giant Casino Dice

So, you think you're a big gambler? Not as big as these Huge Acrylic Heavy Duty Casino Dice. Don't be fooled, as that picture doesn't do them justice. These babies are 4 inches tall. While they may not be so practical for your everyday craps game, they make a very cool display item for your desk, or bookshelf. You could probably also get some good laughs when you bust them out at your next casino night.

Slingo: From Casual Game to Slot Success

image from Slingo.com

Slingo is a very interesting game. What started as a casual game has now branched into mobile, slot machine, and even scratch ticket versions. And if you happen not be one of the 1 in 20 Americans who has played Slingo, now is your chance.

Here the basics from the Wikipedia Entrry:

Slingo is an online multiplayer game created in 1995 by Slingo, Inc. It features a mix of slots and bingo, as well as elements fron the classic game show The Joker's Wild (the slot machine, the Jokers, and the Devils). A player has 20 turns to "spin" the numbers below his or her bingo card. Five numbers appear, and if they are found on the card, they can be marked off. If a joker pops up, any number in the column above it can be matched.

To find out where you an try Slingo at a casino, check out the Slingo Casino listing.

To play Slingo games you can play at MSN, or Yahoo, or try many variations on slingo at Slingo.com

All About: Pai Gow Poker

image from Flickr

So you've been wandering past the tables time and again. You see those weird dominoes, and you hear the excitement of a cluster of folks leaned close at the table. You stop to watch, but you just have NO idea what on earth is happening. Yep, you're wondering, what in the hell is Pai Gow Poker?

Read on to find out just what Pai Gow Poker is, and get the low down on why its such a fun game to play!

Continue reading: "All About: Pai Gow Poker"

How To Play Craps

For those out there who have played craps, you know the magic and wonder of this game of thrill and chance. Some of you, however, have not yet had the guts to take the plunge and get in on a game. We understand. Craps can be rather intimidating. There are many kinds of bets, there's lots of money flying around, and there are weird unspoken taboos. But fear not! Your confusion can be cut through, thanks to a helpful (and free) series on YouTube teaching you how to play.

And if you want more help, check out our All About Craps article. It has plenty of resources you can use including books, and casinos to try the game out at.

The Wizard And The Gambler's Fallacy

You know who you are. Yeah you. You are that guy who decides that just because the roulette has landed on red the last 200 times, black must be due. Well sir, you are wrong. Just plain wrong. And we here at Casino Snob have had enough of your logic. You know what else? We're not alone! The Wizard of Odds, that wise and powerful master of all things gaming-odds related, has also weighed in on your antics. Please do us all a favor, and heed his words:

I disagree with you when you said that if a roulette ball has landed on red 20 times in a row it is equally likely to land in red as black on the next spin.

This kind of comment never comes with any kind of mathematical reasoning or evidence behind it. Little metallic balls do not have a memory and can not defy the laws of physics by jumping in one color or the other. If you don't believe me please read any introductory book on probability. I don't have time to tutor the entire world on this one person at a time.

The probability of red winning 20 times in a row in roulette is (18/38)20 = 1 in 3,091,874. Thus, if red has already hit the last 19 spins the odds are that the next spin will almost certainly be black because of the long shot against 20 reds.

First, the odds of 19 reds in a row and then a black are the same as 20 reds in a row. The past does not matter. The probability of red after 19 reds is 18/38.

Still don't get it? Fine. Go take yourself a course in Combinatorics, then.. email the wizard, and perhaps he will grace you with some insight.

Haloween Skull Dice

If you are looking for some fun Halloween spice to add to your gambling night, you can scare up some fun with these skull dice from UnclesGames.com.

Yes, we're shameless for using the word 'scare' like that, but hey.. you should know that about us by now.

And if you need something to do with those scary new dice.. head over to Wikipedia for a list of great games to try!

Deuce on the Deal Video Poker Odds

The Wizard of Odds is far and away the master of all gambling odds related information. We turn to him first for the stats on each and every game we frequent at our favorite casinos. Continuing that sterling reputation of giving you the facts you need, here's the low-down on Deuce on the Deal video poker.

Here's a snip:

Deuce on the Deal is a video poker game by Bally I noticed at the Suncoast in Las Vegas on September 30, 2007. The rules are the same as normal video poker, except the player has the option to pay five extra coins to guarantee getting at least one deuce. The way this is programmed is random hands will be dealt behind the scenes, until one is found containing at least one deuce.

Slots image from Flickr