Maybe today you logged on an internet gambling site thinking these sites are all the same.  That’s how I was not too long ago.  But the truth is this couldn’t be farther from the truth.  Today’s online casino comes in a bunch of varieties all offering different features and benefits.  You might not realize it, but where one online casino offers only traditional casino games and no bonuses, others offer traditional games plus many others, like arcade games and slots, as well as great money promotions for new and loyal players alike.

If you’re wondering how your online casino measures up, what you need to do is think what it is that you want in a casino.  What games, tournaments, security features, graphics, casino bonuses and more do you want.  If you haven’t thought about this and researched different internet gambling sites for the best online casino for you, you could be missing out on a better experience and, most importantly, more profit.

The number one thing I look for in an online casino is what casino bonuses it offers.  I know that the internet gambling industry is competitive and as a way to attract and keep players,  casinos offer hundreds of dollars  at a time in free money for players just to sign up or to reward loyal players.  If an online casino doesn’t offer these types of bonuses, you won’t find me there!

But, that’s only one benefit to look for in an online casino.  There are so many, like I mentioned before, it’s really up to you, and to your benefit, to think about what you want in an online casino and go find it.

For new players to blackjack, exactly how to play insurance can be confusing.  However, insurance is a crucial aspect to any blackjack game and can really make a difference in protecting your winnings.  Buying insurance in blackjack is like buying any type of insurance in life; you’re putting down a little extra money to cover your assets in case something goes wrong.  With internet gambling and real work casinos the insurance options becomes playable whenever the dealer has an up card that is an Ace.  The dealer will then offer you the option to buy insurance before they flip their hole card.  As the odds play in this situation to the dealer pulling a face card and having a natural blackjack, I always play the insurance.

There, it’s that simple.  You can find more information on playing blackjack insurance or other tricks for online casino games with a simple internet search.  There are many casino blogs out there with a lot of great info.  I also find talking to other gamblers at online casinos produces a lot of good tips and strategies.  It really pays to do your homework and know the trick to whatever your favorite game is.

So now that you know how to play blackjack insurance, give it a shot the next time the situation arises.  It can be a bother to put down extra money for insurance, but when you start seeing the dealer hitting 21 and you’re not losing your pot, you’ll never think about not playing blackjack insurance again.

As players become more familiar with the rules of backgammon and start to develop their own strategies, they will start to appreciate the art of pip counting.  In a nut shell, pip counting is what is done to determine approximately how many pips (spots on the dice), the player will need to throw in order to remove all remaining counters from the board.

Professional backgammon players drive home the importance of pip counting, especially if players intend tackling live backgammon tournaments. Newcomers to the game usually rely on the pip counting features provided by backgammon software on the internet. The main reason to count pips is to understand one’s position in the game. If the opponent needs half the number of pips than you do to bear off all his counters, it would be wise to concede the game while the stakes are low.

Mastering the art of pip counting is not simple and players need to practice long and hard before they can truly say that they are expert counters.  There is, however, a couple of simple and basic backgammon pip counting techniques that could be used by players initially. 

The first technique constitutes counting the opposites. Two counters positioned opposite each other – irrespective of where they are on the backgammon board – will always equal 25 pips.  By taking the opposite totals into account first, players should be able to identify the bulk of the total of pips needed for them to bear off all their checkers.

Block counting is another technique that new backgammon players are encouraged to try although it is slightly more difficult to understand than opposite counting.  The basic premise is that the base count for blocks of four checkers is six –taking into account that the first block starts on point #1.  If the block starts on point #9, for example, the player calculates the pips by first counting the number of open points from one to eight, then multiplying the 8 by the number of checkers (4) and thereafter adding the base count of 6. This will provide the player with a pip count of 38.  Pips can thus be calculated in block form, making the process quicker and simpler.

There are several other pip counting methods available, including counting pips using center point blocks or the comparison method.  Players are encouraged to try several methods before finding one that works for them in backgammon.