Can the Martingale System be Used for Slots and Other Games?

December 18, 2015 Category :General 0

The Martingale System is probably the most famous staking system in the world of casinos and betting generally. If you’ve ever played roulette at real money online casinos the chances are you may have heard of or read about Martingale. Whilst it is most famously used for playing online roulette, it can, theoretically, very easily be used to play other real money casino games, including baccarat, blackjack and even slots, as well as being used for sports betting.

Martingale works on any bet where the payout is even – or close to even – and the probability of you winning each bet is close to 50%. Therefore, whilst it may be most closely associated with roulette, and betting on the colors, odd or even, or high and low, in essence it also works very well for blackjack, baccarat and other casino games, as well as on sports when using the spread.

Blackjack is perhaps the simplest roulette-alternative for Martingale and by doubling your bet after any loss you should have a good chance of making a small profit in the short-term. Of course, doubling, splitting, insurance and hitting blackjack itself will all alter your overall return but generally using Martingale to play online blackjack will work much the same way it does for roulette.

In modified form it can even be used to play slots, such that after a pre-selected run of losing spins, or once a target loss is reached, you increase your total bet. In slots, as in all Martingale usages, this does mean that you lose money more quickly when you are already down but, of course, the upside of that is that you can also recoup losses much more quickly if your luck changes.

Warning: Use Martingale With Caution

In truth though, much as we have said “Martingale works” for blackjack, or “Martingale can be used for baccarat”, what we actually mean is that it “works” just as well as it does for roulette. That is to say it doesn’t work very well at all!

Martingale should deliver lots of small wins but it will, ultimately, deliver a crushing loss when a long run of “bad luck” or “unbelievable” hands/cards/bets wipes out all your profits and quite possibly a lot more. In roulette for example, after “Black” wins 10 times in a row you would think “Red” surely has to hit soon. In reality the game does not remember the past, and just as in the previous 10 spins the odds of the ball landing on Black or Red is the same as it was for the last 10 spins – about 50%. The fact that “Black” has won 10 times in a row doesn’t matter as the game as no memory and the chance of Black coming again is still about a 50/50 chance which is far from a sure thing.

In short – we strongly advise against using the Martingale System for ANYTHING, especially when playing for real money. Play at any USA online casino listed here and rely on lady luck rather than the Martingale system and you will be better off in the long term.

When was the first slot invented: slots history

December 2, 2015 Category :Games 0

Want to know when the first slots were invented and trace the history of one of the most popular online casino games around? You’re in the right place, so whether you play slots in Vegas, at a USA online casino or anywhere else, read on as we take a look at how it all began!

First Ever Slots

A New York firm, Sittman and Pitt of Brooklyn, is said to have invented the first ever slot way back in 1891. It used five drums to hold 50 playing cards and winning combinations were based on poker hands. Due to the high number of possible winning combinations automated payment wasn’t possible, so if your nickel spin was lucky enough to hit a win, you would have to claim your cigar, drink or cigarette from the barman – slots were only in bars in these days.

Around the same time, a Californian named Charles Fey was creating a slot of his own on the other side of the country. His slot was more simplistic, with just three reels and five symbols, one of which was a Liberty Bell which gave the slot its name, whilst the other fruit symbols are responsible for slots being known as fruit machines (especially in the UK).

Automated cash payments were possible on this more simplistic slot and similar machines were developed by other companies as slots swept the nation.

Electromechanical Slots

Through the first half of the 20th century slots changed little until Vegas kings Bally developed the world’s first fully electromechanical slot, Money Honey. This meant the side lever was no longer needed to spin the reels and fully automated payouts were possible for large amounts.

Video Slots

Video slots were the next big step that took offline slots closer to the type of games we know and love today. Initially developed in the mid-1970s these primitive games allowed much improved graphics. The next step was multiple screens, although these didn’t come into being until 1996, with separate bonus rounds and features now possible.

Online and Mobile Slots

These more advanced video slots, in conjunction with internet technology, paved the way for the modern real money online slots we play today, on desktops, tablets and mobiles. Graphics, sound and gameplay are improving all the time, with 3D and perhaps even 4D games coming to the fore.

Get started playing online slots for real money at any of the safe online casinos we recommend. Every online casino listed here has tested and played at thoroughly by ourselves and are the best USA online casinos period!

Slot Review: Jackpot Cleopatra’s Gold

November 19, 2015 Category :Games 0

Jackpot Cleopatra’s Gold is a brilliant progressive slot that is featured at most of the best US online casinos. Powered by Realtime Gaming (RTG), it boasts a huge, life-changing jackpot and one of the best bonus rounds going so read on as we take a closer look at this iconic jackpot slot.

Jackpot Cleopatra’s Gold is a progressive variant of Cleopatra’s Gold, perhaps one of the best-known and most well-loved online slots around. It’s Egyptian theme, complete with atmospheric music, makes playing the slot fun but it’s the free spins bonus round that helped make the original slot one of the very best.

Hit three of the Pyramid scatter symbols and you’ll be given 15 free spins. That in itself may sound fairly standard but the wins during the bonus round are TRIPLED and you can re-trigger a further 15 free spins by finding more scatters. This can lead to some massive wins, but, of course, to land the biggest win of all you’ll need to hit that progressive jackpot.

The big one currently stands at almost $400,000 and you’ll need to get five Cleopatra symbols on a line in order to land the progressive jackpot. Four leads to a very nice payout of 2,500 coins whilst you’ll also be sure to land plenty more besides because the Cleopatra symbol is also the wild, substituting for any symbol other than the Pyramid. What’s more, any wins made using at least one wild payout at double the normal value, so a couple of these on the first two reels is always a great start!

The game itself is, like many of RTG’s online slots, a five reel game, with 25 winning lines. You can’t play less than the full complement of lines, whilst the coin value is fixed giving a pre-set spin of $1 which can’t be altered. Some lower stakes slots fans may not like that but with well over $300,000 up for grabs, we think a dollar a spin is excellent value.

If that $1 spin is a little higher than you would normally play, why not check out our list of casino bonuses? That way you can give this superb progressive slot a try using someone else’s money. Choose a USA online casino that offers online slots for real money and take a shot at winning a huge jackpot. Progressive slot jackpots can get as big as $1 million which is certainly a life changing amount of money. Hit one of these jackpots and never work again!

Who Will Win the NBA Championship?

November 4, 2015 Category :General 0

If your casino luck is not running so great right now or you just fancy a change from the amazing US online casinos we feature – or you just happen to be a massive basketball fan – read on, as we take a look at the NBA season that started 27 October and will come to a thrilling climax next June.

Playing great online casino games provides an instant thrill, with casino games such as blackjack, slots or roulette offering a quick and simple resolution within a matter of seconds. You place your bets, spin the reels and cross your fingers. However, sportsbook betting is a different deck of cards, with part of the thrill being studying the stats and then watching your bets unfold over the course of the season, with the excitement potentially lasting months.

The early season betting favorites remain the Cleveland Cavaliers, despite their opening day defeat to dark horses Chicago, whom we suspect could be the surprise package this NBA season. The Cavs are currently priced at +275 to go all the way but the Bulls look like serious value to us at +1400, although since that fine win at the United Center they have slipped to 3-2.

The second favorites right now are the San Antonio Spurs, priced at +400 by a range of sportsbooks, they are sure to push hard all the way to the playoffs. The Spurs are currently leading in the Southwest and will hope to claim a sixth NBA Championship next year.

The Clippers and the defending champions Golden State have both started the new season in fine style and both boast 4-0 records at the time of writing, as do the Toronto Raptors in the East. Those three can be backed at odds of +1000, +450 and +6600 respectively and in what looks a very open NBA season there are also three or four other teams in with a shot of glory.

However, as said, it’s the Bulls who are the choice for us, with new coach Fred Hoiberg bringing fresh ideas to a side that has been hit by injury in recent years but now looks fit and ready to challenge. At +1400 this is a fine price and if they can keep absorbing the Head Coach’s philosophy they can deliver a long-overdue NBA Championship.

You may wonder why we are talking about the NBA on a casino website but we like sportsbetting as much as we like playing casino games. If you also like to bet on sports you can enjoy a full service sportsbook at one of our top US online casinos – BetOnline.

BetOnline is a top USA online casino and actually started off as a sportsbook. Today the BetOnline sportsbook is one of the biggest and most trusted US sportsbooks around. Use the online sportsboook or bet over the phone, BetOnline is a full service book and offers every type of bet imaginable. Use the sportsbook and casino at BetOnline from the same account and also claim some nice bonuses for both products. Check out our BetOnline Casino review for more information and if you also like to play online poker, yes they offer that too!

World Record Online Slots Win

October 23, 2015 Category :General 0

Almost all US online casinos feature progressive slots and if you’ve never tried these amazing real money slots then perhaps a little inspiration from the other side of the Atlantic is needed. And we’ve got just the man to provide that inspiration, with the tale of Jon Heywood, who recently won a world record $20.3m on an online slot!

There have been several bigger wins in Vegas and other US “real world” casinos but this latest win is the biggest EVER at an online casino, beating a win a Finnish player hit back in 2013. Many of the USA online slots we feature here are produced by Realtime Gaming and they have several progressive jackpot slots with seven figure jackpots, with the likes of Jackpot Pinatas and Shopping Spree II offering jackpots of almost $2m at the time of writing.

Heywood’s $20m stroke of exceptionally good luck is hard to beat but we think $2m will do nicely enough for us – let’s not get greedy now! Heywood, a 26-year-old from Crewe in the north of England, won his mega bounty on the Mega Moolah slot on October 6 and managed to keep his win quiet for three days as he tried to realize what a life-changing win he had achieved.

He even went into work the next day but the soldier, who toured Afghanistan with the British army, is unlikely to be going to work ever again after hitting this amazing slots win playing for just 25p (less than 40c!) per spin.

His father, who needs serious lung and heart surgery, is going to be the main beneficiary of Heywood’s win, with the very best in medical care for his dad being top of the kind soldier’s spending list. Next comes a family holiday – a luxurious Mediterranean cruise – and then a little something for himself in the shape of a quarter million dollar automobile, a Bentley Continental GT. We can’t agree with his color choice – yellow! – but hey, a Bentley’s a Bentley!

If you fancy buying the car of your dreams, quitting the day job and living a life of luxury, then why not claim a casino bonus today and try your luck at some of the great RTG progressive slots available at our featured real money online casinos? One USA online casino we like to play progressive slots at is the Aladdins Gold Casino. See our Aladdins Gold Casino review for more details and if you do sign up we think you will enjoy the time you spend there as well.

How to Play Online Slots

October 5, 2015 Category :General 0

Playing online slots is great fun and just about all US online casinos feature a good selection of slots. However, if you’ve never played slots before, or perhaps never played them online, knowing where to start and how to play can be tricky. Our beginners’ guide to slots tells you everything you need to know about how to choose a slot, how to play and also offers some great tips on how to win!

Choosing a great slots site or USA online casino is easy because all of the ones we feature here offer great bonuses, a wide selection of games, good software, fair terms and good customer support.

Once you’ve decided where to play you need to choose what slot to play and again, although there is a huge choice – the best US casinos may have as many as 150 slots – this is actually quite easy. Different people like different things from a slot and so the best option is to try a few different ones out and see what you like. Some casinos feature a demo or free play mode and so you can “try before you buy” but if not just play a few spins on the lowest coin value to see if you enjoy the slot without risking too much cash.

Most real money online casinos will highlight their most popular slots and these are usually prominently featured on the homepage or the slots sub-page. However, another option is to ask customer support which slots offer the highest return to player ratio. They may not be able to provide this info but if they can this will help you choose a slot that should give you the best chance of making a long term profit.

Actually playing the slot is easy enough too and all you need to do is decide how much you want to risk per spin. This is done by altering the stake, usually by changing the coin value, the number of lines you are playing or sometimes both.

Next, just hit spin and cross your fingers. Slots need no special skill or knowledge, just a little luck and good timing. One simple way to improve your chances and prolong your playing time is to claim a great casino bonus, so why not do that right now and get started playing the best online slots for real money?

House Edge of Most Popular Casino Games

September 23, 2015 Category :Games 0

The house edge of a game at a USA online casino explains, in simple terms, the profit the casino expects to make from the game in the long term. Most casino games have a house edge of around 5%, meaning that statistically the casino expects to make around $5 for every $100 staked. Here we take a look at the house edge of some of the most popular online casino games around, starting with online slots.

Slots

The house edge in slots is quite high in relatively terms, but this reflects the fact that slots, especially progressive ones, give you the chance to win huge amounts relative to your stake. At blackjack, for example, the biggest payout is 6/4, whilst slots can pay thousands times your spin value, or even millions with the progressives. The house edge for slots is usually around the 5% mark, although it can vary from as little as 1% to as much as 15%. To get started see the best online casinos to play US online slots.

Roulette

Roulette has a house edge of 2.7% if you play the single zero, European/French version of the game, or almost double that, 5.26%, if you opt for the double version. That should make your choice pretty clear – never play the 0, 00 roulette variant. If, for whatever reason you do play American roulette (with two zeros) then never place a bet on the top line (0, 00, 1, 2 and 3) as that has an even higher house edge of almost 8%! Play roulette online at our top US online casinos.

Blackjack

Blackjack differs from the games above in that the player must use optimum play, or Basic Strategy, in order to reduce the house edge to the bare minimum. Using Basic Strategy the house edge can drop to less than 0.5%, although 0.7% is probably more typical and some variants of the game may have a house edge of much more than that. See the best online casinos to play blackjack online.

Video Poker

As with blackjack, the decisions made by the player impact the house edge and in order to keep the casino’s advantage as low as possible the player should use a video poker game guide. Again, as with blackjack, there are many variants of video poker and the house edge varies. Theoretically in certain instances it can be negative, meaning the player can expect to PROFIT, although in practice a house edge of around 0.5% is more common. Play video poker online at any of our top recommended USA real money online casinos.

Playing Online and Mobile Roulette

September 9, 2015 Category :Games 0

All US online casinos offer the great casino game of roulette, perhaps the most famous casino game in the world. Increasingly a number of the best US legal casinos also offer this glamorous game in their mobile casinos too, and if you’ve never tried playing roulette then you really are missing out. Here we take you through a step by step guide to playing roulette either online or on your mobile. Then choose the USA online casino of your choice and get started playing online.

Join a Casino

We’ve made this easy for you, with our USA online casino reviews offering you the lowdown on the various features and benefits of our partner casinos. All of the casinos we feature here are ones we trust, ones that offer great casino bonuses, have good, reliable software and a wide choice of games and promotions. Joining is easy – just like registering at any online site or making any online purchase.

Roulette

The best online and mobile casinos may offer more than one style of roulette and the best to opt for is usually European or French roulette. Choose a roulette table with a single zero for the best chance of winning and avoid progressive or bonus versions of roulette, at least while you get to grips with the basics. Navigating to the roulette table should be easy, with simple access from the home page and most casinos offer instant play options as well as download versions. You can also play live dealer roulette where you use a live casino where the dealer is an actual real person in a casino and watch over a live streaming feed. See our USA live online casinos for details and give live roulette a shot.

Betting on Roulette

Betting on roulette is easy because if you choose single zero online roulette, no matter what you bet on, your overall long-term return should remain the same because all bets have the same risk/reward ration. Betting on red/black, odd/even or high/low is a good place to start to get a handle on the basics, with this roulette bet having just under a 50% chance of winning and returning even money, so if you bet $10 and win you get $20 back.

For higher risk bets that offer more return you can bet on almost any combination of numbers, right down to a single number which pays out at 35/1, meaning a $10 win will return $360!

Mobile or Online

Modern mobile casinos mean you can play roulette online whenever and wherever you like as long as you have internet access. It’s so convenient and most mobile casinos are instant play – just visit the casino on your cell and away you go! See the top instant play casinos we recommend here at US Casino Report. Of course they all accept US players.