Monthly Archives: November 2013

Welcome Bonus Pros and Cons

Pros and Cons

One of the major attractions to gambling online instead of at a land based venue is that all online casinos offer new players “free money” in the form of sign up or welcome bonuses. In fact, it seems that the more you look around online the bigger these bonuses seem to get and they appear in many shapes and forms from no deposit to match deposit bonuses, with the latter being more common and often spread across up to three or four of your initial deposits at the casino.

As exciting as the potential to receive free money to play with is, there is more to consider when deciding on whether or not to take advantage of these offers than you may realise. Here we take a look at the pros and cons of online casino welcome bonuses so that you can make an informed decision as to whether or not you really want to accept these.

Pros

You can get free money

The most obvious reason for signing up and depositing at a casino is to receive their advertised welcome bonus which is a form of “free money” that casinos give to you from the start. You are able to play with this money and provided you meet the wagering requirements stated in the bonus terms and conditions, any money earned from playing is yours to keep.

You’ll be playing casino games anyway

If you make the decision to play at an online casino, you’ll be making a deposit and playing casino games anyway, so why not claim the match deposit bonus and enjoy the extra game play potential. If you manage your bankroll well you’ll be able to fulfil the wagering requirements of the bonus and enjoy the free money benefits without risking all of your own money.

You are able to play higher stakes than usual

When you receive a deposit bonus you are effectively playing with the online casinos money, this means that you can play at higher stakes and take bigger chances than you would with your own money. Bigger risks have the potential for greater rewards and even if you lose, you are not effectively losing any of your own casino bankroll. This can make game play very exciting and potentially financially rewarding too.

Cons

Bonuses are subject to Wagering Requirements

While bonus money is termed “free money” it is not altogether free, it is subject to wagering requirements, also known as play through requirements which are stipulated in the accompanying terms and conditions. These requirements can vary vastly from one casino to another and may be subject to anything from a 10x the bonus to 50x the bonus plus your deposit. It is therefore important to read the associated terms and conditions and to find a casino that offers reasonable terms. Obviously, the lower the wagering requirement the better.

Most online casinos require you to bet 20x the deposit plus bonus, i.e. 40times, so if you deposit $100 and receive a 100% match deposit bonus then you will be required to wager $4000 in total which is not a small amount.

Only certain casino games count towards wagering

When it comes to meeting the wagering requirements of a welcome bonus, casinos weight their games differently and not all games count towards the playthrough requirement. Generally games like slots count 100% towards wagering due to their larger house edge, while certain skill games like Blackjack and Video Poker only count 10%. You need to check on whether or not your favourite games are included in the bonus wagering requirements and if they aren’t then you need to decide whether or not you’ll be happy accepting the bonus.

Welcome Bonuses expire

Casino bonuses are subject to time limits so you do have to make use of them within the designated period after making a deposit or they will be removed from your account. The bonus term varies from one casino to another and can be anything from 1 to 3 months. You then have to make the decision as to whether or not you will play enough casino games in a designated period to fulfil the requirements.

As you can see from the above there are a number of pros and cons to online casino bonuses and it is really a matter of whether or not you believe there is value in accepting the bonus or not. It really is a personal decision and only one you can make when you have all of the information which you now do.

Win €18,000 in prizes at Platinum Play

Flash Back Promotion

It’s a November to remember with Platinum Play Online Casino’s Flash Back promotion which gives lucky players the opportunity to win over €18,000 in amazing prizes, including the grand prize of a Vespa GTS125!

The competition commences on the 19th of November 2013 and will run until the 1st of December 2013. To enter all you have to do is login to your casino account, click on the “Flash Back” promotion under the “My Promotions” tab and enter the weekly competitions to stand a chance to win some amazing prizes!

The prize pool consists of 5 Z2300 Polaroid digital cameras, 5 luxury Lacoste bags, 5 pairs of Ray-Ban (RB 5041) aviator sunglasses, 5 five piece Le Creuset cookware sets, 10,000 in casino credits and of course the amazing main prize of a Vespa GTS 125 scooter valued at €4,000!

So if you’re in the mood for some fun with great opportunities to win, be part of Platinum Play Online Casino’s Retro Recall in their Flash Back promotion.

Online Gambling Staking Strategies

staking

If you’ve been around the block once or twice in the online gaming world you’ve probably heard the term “Casino Staking Strategies“. If you haven’t or have but don’t really understand what these are all about, you’ve come to the right place.

Casino Staking Strategies are money management methods of betting that are employed by some online casino players in an attempt to maximize profits from bets in a short period of time. It is important to note that unlike game play strategies, these strategies do not alter the odds of the game in any way. They can however, be effective if used sensibly and on a short series of bets.

Here we will examine two potentially effective casino staking strategies that you may consider using during your online casino game play in future.

The Triple Jump

The Triple Jump staking strategy enables players to turn a profit if you are able to win out of a maximum of three even money bets. In order to put this strategy into practice, all you have to do is bet 1 credit on the first even money wager in the game you are playing. If you win the first bet you take 1 credit of the profit and stop betting. If however, you lose on your fist bet, you stake 2 credits on your second bet and if it wins, you take the 2 credits profit and stop betting – this way you will have earned 1 credit. If you lose your first two bets, then you wager 4 credits on the third bet and if you win you will still be one credit ahead (taking into account the 4 credits profit, less the 3 lost on your previous bets.

If however you lose the third bet, you should take the loss and stop playing rather than continuing to gamble in an attempt to recoup your losses. This type of control will not only ensure that you do not incur huge losses but also that you will never develop problem gambling behaviour.

Your “credits” can be of any denomination that you desire, for example if you want to bet $10 per credit then you would bet $10 on your first bet, $20 on your second bet and $40 on your third bet and your total risk would be $70. You can adjust the amounts that you wish to wager according to your bankroll and budget.

The Pentagon

While similar to the Triple Jump staking strategy, the Pentagon strategy dictates that you need to win just one bet out of five. Again, it is built on the premise of gradually increasing your bets and quitting as soon as you have enjoyed a win or five consecutive losses.

The staking pattern employed here is: 1,1, 2, 5, 10 and like the Triple Jump, it should only be used on even money bets like the Red or Black bet you’ll find in casino games like Roulette.

The maximum possible loss while employing this staking strategy is 19 credits, so there is a much bigger potential for loss than the Triple Jump but you also have more opportunities to win instead of just three offered by the Triple Jump. If you encounter a win on the 1st, 4th, 5th and 6th wager then you will make a 1 credit profit. If you enjoy wins on the 2nd and 3rd bet then you will break even which means that you could continue to play if you wanted to. Five consecutive losses on the other hand would result in the aforementioned 19 credit loss and the end to your wagering.

Three or five consecutive losses may sound unlucky but they do happen and it is important to keep this in mind and only wager what you are prepared to lose when employing any online staking strategy.

If you are new to online casino staking strategies, or you would like to see how they work in theory, you could always keep a record on paper the next time you play games like Roulette or Blackjack online. Simply record your results and stakes (you’ll have to bet the same amount every time) and you can look at how the Triple Jump or Pentagon betting strategies could have worked for you.

These staking strategies can also be put to use in online casino tournaments where you have fixed potential losses, that is your buy-in, and you could then select either of these strategies to play a more aggressive game than those playing with level stakes on each bet.

Costly Gambling Errors

Gambling Losses

All casino games, with the exception of poker carry have been designed to incorporate a house edge which gives the casino the advantage of players. While selecting games with the lowest house edge and playing these according to solid game strategy can greatly reduce the house edge, in the long run the edge ensures that the casino makes money and it is the price we pay for playing games.

There are however a few costly mistakes that some players make which can increase their losses and minimise their wins. Being aware of such mistakes helps us to avoid them, so read on and keep these in mind next time you play.

Playing with Borrowed Funds

You should never wager more than you can afford to lose when playing at a casino – gambling is entertainment and you should reserve a predetermined amount of your budget for playing casino games. You should never gamble on credit or with borrowed money because should you lose you’ll be liable for interest on the losses which will put you into a hole.

Not understanding the Casino Games you play

If you don’t play casino games often or you would like to try a new game, it is important to learn and understand the game’s rules and game play progression before you play. It is a good idea to read information on your casino game of choice, to review a few tutorials and make use of the “Free play” games on your online casino platform of choice. Once you are an experienced player you will not make costly game play errors.

Making Bad Wagers

Certain casino games and specific bets have a higher house edge than others. It is important to be aware of this fact and avoid making costly bets. If you’re not sure about which games have the highest house edges and which table game bets you should avoid, read the various articles on our site and do some research online before you play. This way you can tailor your game play and stick to the most profitable bets.

Being Greedy

The downfall of many gamblers is greed. It is exciting to win and very tempting to keep on playing instead of walking away and making higher and higher bets to increase your wins, but before you know it you may have played back all of your winnings and then some. If you want to be a winner in the long run it is best to lock in small profits as and when you win them back. It does take discipline but it will ensure that you come out on top.

Not playing with a plan

Don’t just visit and online casino, make your deposit and hop from game to game until you money is spent. You will have a much more enjoyable and profitable time if you plan which game/s to play, as well as how much time and budget you will allocate to these. If you are playing and not having any luck at all, plan to leave the casino and visit again on another day instead of wasting all of your money on a bad streak.

Poor or no Money Management

Effective bankroll management ensures that you will have enough money to play your favourite games, enjoy them and have a great time at the casino. Bear in mind that money management systems will not change the odds of a casino game but good bankroll management will ensure that you are in control of the amount of money that you are willing to risk. Click here for more on money and bankroll management at casinos.

Losing Control

Casinos are exciting places and it is sometimes difficult not to get caught up in all of the hype but ensure that you don’t lose control and if you find yourself gambling more than you should or trying to chase losses in an attempt to turn them around, rather leave and come back another day. When you get desperate you will end up throwing good money after bad and we all know that that can be a costly mistake.