Online Gambling Addictions Have Become a Common Problem

The computer is a wonderful gateway to every useful item of information one might need to access. It is also a gateway to the kind of nightmare that nobody would wish to be involved in; gambling and betting websites that attract people who are susceptible to online gambling addiction.

In recent surveys there are an alarming number of people addicted to internet gambling. Their involvement in online betting begins with innocent visits in websites that offer low cost betting on roulette tables and playing poker for pennies or even with fake money. As the casino games progress, the stakes become increasingly higher and the cheat poker player is given extra credit on the basis of his or her ‘success’. The choice of terminology is clever and targeted at the desire of the player to win on a large scale.

Within a short period of time, players can get hooked and within weeks they might be seriously addicted to a "hobby" that will eventually ruin their finances and compromise their family life as they gamble away money that is needed for daily household expenses and vital financial commitments.
It is possible to take control of an online gambling addiction and stop internet gambling but it is far better to prevent the problem in the first place by installing blocking software on the computer to bar access to indiscriminate websites that offer online gambling. Gambling addiction help is available and the first step is to install a good quality web filter to shut the gateway to gambling and betting online.
Gambling is an attraction for any age group and even the most serious minded person might be pulled into a website that cunningly lures the player with phrases such as ‘cash prizes every day’ and, ‘everyone guaranteed a daily win’.

How Internet Gambling has Evolved over the Past Decade

A decade ago the online world was very diiferent than today. Online gambling was at an early stage in its development and was largely unregulated.

Today, online gambling is much more advanced. The overwhelming success of online poker has brought online gambling to a massive market all over the world. Technology too has changed casino games almost beyond recognition, since the early internet slots first were launched in 1996.  

Now, online casino jackpots routinely reach over one million dollars. Compare this to Cashsplash, the first ever progressive slot which had a minimum progressive jackpot win of just $6,000. Microgaming Mega Moolah Mega jackpot starts at one million dollars, and virtually all of the major gaming brands have jackpots which pay marked cards over one million dollars.

HoweverBut it hasnt always been postive news for the casino business. The American governments Safe Port Act, effectively made it (very difficult|almost impossible} for {American players|US gamblers} to deposit to online {casinos|gambling sites|gaming sites}, although it did not outlaw {gambling|online gambling|wagering} in most States. Although {some|a few} offshore sites still allow {wagers from Americans|players from the USA}, the gambling industry in the {United States|USA} produces {only a fraction of the revenue|only a tiny percentage of the play} it once did.

So what predictions can be made for {the future|the next decade}? It is likely that the USA will once again allow {wagering at internet casinos|online gambling} but in a very {regulated and taxed way|different form} than before. The online {casino industry|gambling world} could bring {massive|huge} revenues into the {United States|USA} if taxed and regulated {responsibly|properly} marked cards lenses.

Another change {which is likely to occur|which may be on the horizon} is modular casinos. At present, {internet casinos|online gambling sites} tend to utilise the games from just one {casino software provider|casino licensee}. Therefore, all of the licensees of a {particular casino brand|single software provider} are {relatively|pretty much} the same with {similar|the same games and interface}. In the {future|years to come} we are likely to see individual {games|casino games} being licensed, so casinos can {pick and choose|select from} a bigger portfolio of games.

Whatever {the future may hold|happens in the future}, it is likely that online gaming {is here to stay|will still be around for many years to come} and that the next {decade|ten years} will be just as {exciting|thrilling|fun) as the first.

{To learn more about|For more information on} the {best online casinos|online gambling|internet casinos} visit best online casinos

7 Great Gifts for the Gambling Enthusiast in Your Life

Here are five unique gift ideas that they will love!
Customized poker chips.
Give a set of customized poker chips and you are delivering a guaranteed one-of-a-kind gift.  You can order clay poker chips monogrammed with the individual's initials, favorite sports team logo or even the logo of their business.  It's an unforgettable gift that will last for years and years.  They'll love showing off their personalize chips to the folks in their weekly game.
Slot machines.
A great conversation starter for any room in the house, a personal casino slot machine is the gift that keeps on giving.  The recipient can program the machine for any odds setting and even load it up so that it dispenses real money!  Perfect for a game room or rec room.
Automatic card shufflers and casino-used decks.
Authentic casino supplies such as used decks of cards make great stocking stuffers.  And when those card need to be randomized, make sure the person on your list has a cool automatic card shuffler.  Perfect for everything from Wednesday poker night to casino benefit nights, card shufflers get the job done without any strain on the dealer's hands or wrists.
A craps table.
This item is for serious gambling enthusiasts only!  A genuine craps table lets the gamer in your life host big-time craps nights in their home, and also provides a great place to practice their game.  You'll feel like you're on the casino floor.

Books on gambling.
Few hobbies or sports have been trick cards the source for as much literature as gambling.  From "how to win" books to memoirs of great poker hands, there is a wealth of great reading on the subject of gambling.  Pick out a few of the classics and give them as a set to gaming-reader on your holiday shopping list.



Texas Hold Em sets.
Know somebody who loves Texas Hold ‘Em?  Then pick up a Texas Hold ‘Em gift set.  These sets are affordably priced and offer everything needed to pick up and play the world's most popular poker variation, including: cards, chips, buttons and more.
Baccarat.
While sitting down at the baccarat table in a casino can be a bit too pricey, playing at home is a different matter.  Buy a baccarat set as a gift and transform your dad or brother into a home version of James Bond.  It's a great way to practice before hitting the no-limit VIP room at the casino.
This holiday season, the place to go for all your gambling gifts is www.marked-cards.com. Poker chest offers an incredible selection of chips, tables, cards and other must-have poker accessories for everyone on your list.

David Blaine card trick revealed

Perhaps you have were going to learn easy methods to perform a simple card trick just as David Blaine or perhaps you have pondered just what exactly are David Blaine's easy card trick secrets?

With one of his simple card tricks, David Blaine would certainly make a spectator sign a card marked cards, and then he would put the card back into the pack and after that the card would be made to show up from behind two aces. The key in this trick in that David Blaine would provide the spectator two red aces and would actually tell them to keep them. Soon after this, he would fan out the deck and tell the spectator to touch a card, then he would square the deck up, allowing the chosen card to stick out in order for it to be signed and shown.

He is able to do this because he secretly places the card into "palm position" when he squares the deck so he can then effortlessly palm the card when he wishes to. For this trick to be done adequately, the picked card must stick out in the lower corner of the pack, where it meets your inner thumb. David Blaine would then let the man out of the audience sign the card, after that handing them the deck while secretly palming the card infrared ink.

After the audience is assured that the card is lost inside the deck, David Blaine would ask for the aces and subsequently he would  squeeze the face down palmed card in between the two aces, while displaying exclusively the aces face up. He would then convey to the audience to keep the deck up openly when he would be shaking the aces above the pack. After all this, the spectator would be able to see their particular card rise from the deck up into the two aces, plus after the deck is shaken even more, the entire card would show up much to the public's astonishment.

Easy Card Tricks

Probably every kid in the world sometimes thinks about becoming a magician. It doesn’t matter it comes from watching master magicians like David Blaine or Criss Angel perform their amazing street magic acts, or from reading one of the great fantasy novels, each and every one of us sometimes wishes to be able to learn magic tricks and have fun while entertaining an audience. And while it may not be possible to do it quite like Harry Potter or Milamber, it’s fun to learn a few cool easy card tricks if you follow the instructions and tips found on websites like ellusionist or in other sources (like magicrevealed.freehostia.com, or else).
Easy card tricks are very fun to learn once you read a guide or have someone explain them to you. For example an easy card trick that won’t require any optical illusions or sleight of hand (meaning it’s very simple) can be done like this: from your pocket get a normal deck of playing cards, shuffle them and have a spectator pick any card infrared contactlenses, concentrate on it, put it at the top of your deck and cut the cards, once you’ve went through these steps, amaze your friends by guessing the card on the first try. The secret behind this easy card magic lies in the bottom card, while you finish shuffling the deck, take a quick look at it because once the deck is cut, that card will always land on top of the chosen card.
Here I will teach you some very basic but mind blowing easy card tricks that require no prior preparation. For the first trick, you have to follow these instructions.
* Take a deck of card, and shuffle it thoroughly. You can also ask one of your spectators to do it.
* Now hold the deck so that the cards are facing the spectators and the back of the deck is towards you.
* Pull out the second card, third card and fourth card from the deck and hold them in a fan formation, and wedge them at the back of the deck.
* Allow the top card to remain in place so that the spectators do not know about this extra card.
* Display the three fanned cards to the spectators, hiding the extra card behind the fanned cards.
* Ask the spectators to select a card from the fanned cards by making them point at it.
* Assign a number to each card like “one”, “two” and “three” and ask the spectators to remember the card based on the number.
* After the spectator are done selecting a card by naming a number, gather the cards on top of the deck and allow the unseen first card to stay on top.
* Count the number of spectators who have selected the cards and take that many cards from the top of the deck and push them into the middle of the deck.
* Now utter some magic words and display the top card to show the spectator his card that has magically risen to the top trick cards.
For the next trick, you will again need a deck of cards and some prior practice of the trick, before showing it to your audience.
* First prepare the deck of cards by separating it into two decks by color; one black and the other red.
* Put one colored deck over the other without shuffling them.
* Now before performing before an audience, separate the two decks again and place them in a table over a cloth with their face down.
* Ask an audience member to come up and choose a card at random from each pile, memorize them and place them in the opposite pile from which it was selected.
* Now ask the person to shuffle each deck separately and then place the two decks together, one over the other.
* Now you look through the cards and find the two cards that do not match the color of the cards that are surrounding it.
* Voila! You have learnt another easy card tricks for beginners.
These were some easy card tricks for beginners that you can master quickly with a little practice. There are some amazing magic card tricks as well as free easy card tricks for beginners that you can learn online. At this website you can learn many great magician do card magic tricks and that pretty easy actually, just download and watch but don’t forget to practice, enjoy…
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$1 Million Big One for One Drop at 2012 WSOP: Player List and Bios II

Confirmed Players for the $1 Million 2012 WSOP Big One

Guy Laliberté

• Who he is: Founder of Cirque de Soleil, Guy Laliberté got his start busking on the streets of Montreal. Since then he’s grown his circus into a worldwide phenomenon that's been seen by more than 90 million people, been named Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst and Young and taken a vacation into space marked poker.
• Why he can afford a $1M buy-in: As Canada’s 11^th wealthiest man, with an estimated net worth of $2.5 billion, Laliberte is one of the few players in this event that can eat a $1 million loss without breaking a sweat.
• Fun Fact: Even if Laliberte wins this tournament it won’t fully make up for his online poker losses.

Bobby Baldwin

• Who he is: The Owl, the 1978 world champion of poker, President of the Golden Nugget, Bellagio and Mirage. These are just a few of the things Bobby Baldwin has been called. A casino industry fixture for the last 30 years, there’s a reason the biggest cash game in Las Vegas is played in “Bobby’s Room”.
• Why he can afford a $1M buy-in: According to the Casino Journal the average gaming CEO made $750,000 in 2007 and Baldwin has been a top-level executive since the 80s. And just think, he’s probably getting comps to the Bellagio buffet 365 days a year.
• Fun Fact: Despite having limited presence at live poker tournaments, Baldwin is the proud owner of four WSOP bracelets, including the world championship in ’78.

Phil Ruffin

• Who he is: An American businessman with interests in casinos, oil production, convenience stores and real estate, Phil Ruffin is best known as the owner of the Treasure Island Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.
• Why he can afford a $1M buy-in: In 2008 Ruffin was named the 215^th wealthiest man in the US, with a net worth of $2.1 billion. Even though the casino industry’s had some tough times we’re pretty sure he’s got a spare million lying around somewhere.
• Fun Fact: At 72 years old Ruffin married 26 year old Oleksandra Nikolayenko, his fourth wife and 2004's Miss Ukraine. Even more impressive? They just had their first child together.

Daniel Negreanu

• Who he is: Arguably the most recognizable face in poker, Daniel Negreanu has been among the winningest tournament players in the world for more than ten years.
• Why he can afford a $1M buy-in: With $14.65 million in live tournament earnings Negreanu is number two on the all-time live money list. He’s also the flagship of Team PokerStars Pro, a position which has probably been as lucrative for him as every hand of poker he’s ever played marked cards.
• Fun Fact: Negreanu is no stranger to dropping money in poker tournaments. At the 2006 WSOP he reloaded a record 48 times in the $1k rebuy event.

Tom Dwan

• Who he is: In many ways Tom Dwan defined what it is to be an uber-successful, fearless, talented and young online poker professional. He’s part of a very small group looked upon as the absolute best of their generation.
• Why he can afford a $1M buy-in: Estimating Dwan’s net worth isn’t easy but considering he was willing to put $1 million up on two separate occasions for the durrrr Challenge, it should come as no surprise that Dwan was one of the first to commit to the Big One.
• Fun Fact: Dwan doesn’t just play on the internet. He won the biggest pot ever played on GSN’s High Stakes Poker, a $919,600 monster he took from Barry Greenstein in Season 5.

Jonathan Duhamel

• Who he is: 2010 world champion of poker, Montreal poker poster boy, new BFF of Guy Laliberte. Jon Duhamel played a comfortable and hospitable poker ambassador during his tenure as world champ, and looks to have a staying power not shared by main event winners of late.
• Why he can afford a $1M buy-in: Duhamel snatched nearly $9 million for winning the 2010 Main Event, and he also secured a PokerStars endorsement deal that is still in place today. Despite having close to $10 million in tournament earnings it’s extremely unlikely he’ll have 100% of himself in the Big One.
• Fun Fact: Duhamel donated $100,000 to the Montreal Canadiens Children’s Foundation when he won the main event.

Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier

• Who he is: Rock star in Korea, recreational kickboxer, Guiness World Record Holder. Real name Bertrand Grospellier, ElkY has been one of the winningest players in poker since 2008.
• Why he can afford a $1M buy-in: ElkY has $8.6 million in live tournament earnings and over $1.1 million online. In addition to a bloated bankroll he has the confidence of every potential staker in the world. It will not be hard for ElkY to sell action for the Big One.
• Fun Fact:  He got kicked in the head by Lex Veldhuis just a few weeks ago.

Justin “BoostedJ” Smith

• Who he is: From wheelchair to wealthy, BoostedJ has been winning at poker since an injury put him out of work at age 17. Since then he’s been a reserved but omnipresent part of the poker world. He’s a well-rounded, high-stakes veteran who plays many games and succeeds in both tournaments and cash games, online and live.
• Why he can afford a $1M buy-in: Smith has only been playing live tournament poker since late 2008 but already he’s earned more than $2 million. He’s definitely not afraid to play high. He took fourth in the $100,000 buy-in High Roller event at the 2011 Five Diamond in Las Vegas.
• Fun Fact: It appears Smith was involved in the 2011 horror movie Detention as an executive producer. The movie “starred” Dane Cook.

Daniel Shak

• Who he is: Dan Shak is known in the poker world as a hedge fund manager, but he’s probably known as a poker player by his fellow financiers. Specializing in gold futures Shak has been finding more and more time to play live major poker tournaments.  
• Why he can afford a $1M buy-in: Shak’s New York City apartment sold earlier this year for $7.5 million and judging by the number of super high roller events we’ve already seen Shak playing, his commitment to the Big One isn’t surprising.
• Fun Fact: Shak has the rare ability to say he beat Phil Ivey at poker. Shak won the $100,000 buy-in event at the 2010 Aussie Millions, defeating Ivey heads-up.

Andrew Robl

• Who he is: A regular in the highest-stakes cash games in the world, you may have seen Robl on Poker After Dark or High Stakes Poker. Known more early in his career as good2cu, Robl cut his teeth online before becoming a predominately live player in the last couple of years. 
• Why he can afford a $1M buy-in: If you’re profitable in the highest-stakes cash games in the world, you likely have $1m kicking around. Robl has also spent time in the past year playing the softer, nosebleed-stakes games in Macau.
• Fun Fact: One of the original members of the "Ship it Holla Ballas" crew, Robl had one of the worst losing weeks of his career while being filmed for the documentary From Busto to Robusto.

An Experiment in Decision-Oriented Thinking - Courtney Gee

Long time no blog for me! The last time I wrote, I mentioned that I was about to start playing poker again for the first time in a month. Getting back to the grind has been a lot more difficult than I thought it would be.
I was pretty rusty when I started playing again in January. I started off at lower stakes and with less tables, but it was still really difficult! I was surprised that a break of just one month made that much of a difference.
While I certainly punted more than a few stacks shaking the rust off, I have also been running quite badly so far this year. You probably already know that losing day after day at poker isn’t very fun marked poker, so I haven’t exactly been in high spirits the last few weeks.
You always hear people claiming that in order to be a good poker player, you have to learn not to care about your losses. That if your bankroll is large enough, you shouldn’t worry about downswings because you should always have enough money to play through the variance.
I, myself, stand by these statements.
Just because I say it, though, doesn’t mean I take my own advice. Honestly, it’s REALLY hard to not care about losing money day after day.
The thing with me is that the actual money doesn’t matter much. This is because my bankroll management is very sound. It really comes down to the fact that I hate losing. Money is a way to keep score, so seeing losses over and over again is quite discouraging.
Blah blah blah, right? Downswings are standard. Everyone loses. I just have to keep learning how to deal with it better.

The Experiment

I think it might help me to stop “keeping score” for a while. Keeping track of account balances and bankroll funds can be important when it comes to moving up and down in stakes, but aside from that, I can’t think of any additional benefits. I don’t plan on drastically changing stakes anytime soon, so I can safely ignore my bankroll for the time being.
I’m going to try just playing online poker while ignoring my wins and losses for a week. I’ll focus on playing well, and as long as I’m doing that, it doesn’t matter what the score is.
If I run bad and still feel extremely tilted even without knowing how much money I have lost, then perhaps the root of my tilt problems is somewhere else. Running the experiment will at least help me rule this one element out.
I made up this experiment as I wrote this blog post! I think it’s an interesting idea for me, though, so I’ll definitely try it. It will be an exercise in discipline, too, because I always check my results at least once a day (usually twice). I hope that I will be able to resist checking for a week!
The next time I write, I’ll let you know how the experiment ended up (and how long it lasted… hopefully for a week and not just half a day).
Until then, good luck at the tables!