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Reefer Poker powered by Merge Gaming Network

by Lauren

Welcome Bonus: 100% up to $500 (limited time offer)

CasinoCashJourney.com has just added another new poker room - Reefer Poker. We have been adding lots of poker rooms lately but this is the newest being launched last month. Powered by Merge Gaming Network software, players will find games like Omaha, Omaha Hi/Lo, Texas Hold’em, Seven Card Stud, Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo, HORSE, Five Card Stud, Five Card Draw, Razz, Ace to Five Highball, Deuce to Five Lowball, Badugi and Tournaments along with casino games like Blackjack, Video Poker, Roulette, Backgammon and Caribbean Stud.

Reefer Poker offers tons of tournaments and freerolls for both new and existing players.  They’re licensed by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission and support is available 24/7 by live chat service or e-mail.

Click for CasinoCashJourney.com’s review of Reefer Poker or for a list of the latest casinos, poker rooms or bingo sites added, head to our new casinos page.

March 28th, 2008 | permalink

Spanish 21 | Yet another variation of Blackjack

by Lauren

If you are looking for one of the most amazing games to play on the internet that will give you wonderful odds and hours of fun then Spanish 21 is your dream game. The game is basically a great variation of Blackjack that happens to be one of the best bets in any casino that you go to online. If you are out to find a game that is a little different from the traditional Blackjack game, but you still want all of the advantages you will find that this is the best alternative you will ever find. The first part of this or any game that you should become familiar with is the rules. Like the game the rules are very much like Blackjack, with a few great exceptions.

This game is played with either six or eight Spanish decks, each one of them consist of 48 cards. This deck is made up of the regular 52 cards minus the four tens. Now it is well known that removing a card that is worth 10 points switches the odds in the favor of the dealer, but some of the rules in this game definitely help to more than make up for the odds change. Playing this game will be one of the most entertaining experiences that you will ever have at an online casino and once you master the game it will also be one of the most profitable.

Some of the rules that make this game so much fun to play include being able to double after the split, have the option to surrender late and being able to re-split Aces. These are however not the only rule differences, you must know all of the following before you start to play this game so you can take full advantage of every aspect. First of all if any player gets a 21 they automatically win. One great thing is that if a player gets a Blackjack and the dealer gets a Blackjack the player always wins. This is an awesome feature because this way you know that when you get a Blackjack you win, you don’t have to worry about the dealer also getting one and beating you out. As the player you are allowed to double on any number of cards. This is an awesome rule because usually you can only double down on two cards, playing this way you can have as many cards as you want and still double, very profitable potentially.

In some casinos online while playing this game you are allowed to hit and double down after splitting Aces, this gives you a big advantage, and the chance to get a great hand. You may also double down rescue which is when you surrender half of your total bet after doubling down. So if doubling didn’t work out the way you thought it would you can surrender half of your bet and not lose so much. Also some casinos on the internet allow redoubling up to three times, which can prove to be very profitable for you.

A couple of things that you should keep in mind while playing is that the dealer usually hits on a soft 17 and that all 21 bonus hands do not count if they are the result of doubling. Once you get the rules down pat, and you decide that you want to play the game you need to know a great strategy, this will help you to earn a lot of money and have a little bit of information that the other players might not have. There are two different very distinctive types of strategies that you should be aware of, the one for the hard hands and the ones for the soft hands. First of all in the hard hand you should always hit on anything that totals an eight or less and always stand if you have a hand that totals eighteen or more. If you follow those two rules you will be way ahead of people who think that they can play with a regular Blackjack strategy.

For all of the cards in between you should follow the strategy laid out below, if you follow this you will be well on your way to gaining the wins you desire. If you have a hard 17 you should always surrender when the dealer has an Ace, if not you should stand unless the dealer shows an 8-10 and the 17 is made up of six cards if this happens hit. Now if you have a hard 16 the same rule applies if the dealer has an Ace, otherwise you should hit if you have a 7 or higher. You should also hit against a 2 if your hard 16 has five or more cards or against a 5 or 6 with five or more cards. On a hard 15 hit always if the dealer has a 7 or higher or if the dealer has a 2 and the hard 15 consists of four or more cards. If you 15 has five or more cards hit against a 3 or 4 and if your hand has six or more cards hit if the dealer has a 5 or 6. If you have a hard 14 you should always hit if the dealer has a 2, 3 or 7 or higher. If the dealer has a 4 and your 14 hand is made up of four or more cards hit, and if the dealer has a 5 or 6 hit if you have five or more cards. As for a hard 13 hit if the dealer is showing 2,3,4, or 7 or higher, you should stand with what you have if the dealer is showing a 5 or 6 unless you have five or more cards in your hand. The strategy for a hard 12 is very easy ALWAYS HIT. For a hard 11 double if the dealer has anything from 2-8 and hit if they have a 9 or higher. If you have a hard 10 double if the dealer has anything from 2-7 hit against everything else. As for the hard 9 double on a two card 9 if the dealer has a 6, hit for everything else.

The strategies for soft hands are a little bit different buy they will help you in your online gaming excursion. Now if you have a soft 19, 20 or a 21 you should always stand, you won’t get a better hand. If your hand consists of a soft 13, 14, or 15 you should always hit, chances are you are going to get a great hand from this. When you have a soft 16 you should double if the dealer has a 6, except hit if the 16 you have contains four or more cards. Hit if the dealer has a 2, 3, or 7 or higher if you have a soft 17. When you have a soft 18 hit if the dealer has a 9, 10 or Ace and stand against 2, 3, 7 and 8. Some of this might be hard for you to understand first of all if when you see hard hands or soft hands you might not know what that means so it will be explained for you. A hard hand is when your hand does not consist of an Ace, and therefore a soft hand is one that does consist of an Ace.

Now reading some of the strategies laid out above for you might seem impossible, but when you start playing the game you will realize what it means and you will be able to play a much better game. There are also some strategies that you can follow when it comes to splitting pairs while playing Spanish 21. First of all you should always split Aces, you will end up with a great hand almost all the time. There are some cards that you should never split because the outcome won’t be as beneficial as holding the pair, these include 4, 5 and any 10 value card (kings, queens and jacks). There are other pairs that you can split and certain strategies that you can follow to make sure that you are doing the right thing. If you have a pair of 2’s or a pair of 3’s you should split if the dealer has anything from a three to a seven. Pairs of 6’s should be split if the dealer has a 4, 5 or 6. Pairs of 7’s should be split if the dealer has a 2 through 7. Pairs of 8’s should be surrendered if the dealer shows an Ace, split against everything else. Pairs of 9’s should be split when the dealer has 3 through 6 or and 8 or 9. Now that know about Spanish 21 you are able to go in and play with a lot of confidence and the reassurance that you are going to be better than most of the other players at the table, so go out and have a wonderful time.

 Click for tons of charts, tips and strategies for Spanish 21 at CasinoCashJourney.com.

March 25th, 2008 | permalink

Best Poker - The name says it all!

by Michael

Best Poker features several welcome bonuses for new players that will be available for a limited time.

Bonus Code

Bonus

Points

Days to Clear

ccj100

100% up to $100 bonus

10 PP/$1 of bonus

30

ccj250

100% up to $250 bonus

10 PP/$1 of bonus

30

ccj600

300% up to $600 bonus

10 PP/$1 of bonus

45

ccj1000

500% up to $1000 bonus

11 PP/$1 of bonus

60

ccj1200

500% up to $1200 bonus

11 PP/$1 of bonus

60

Best Poker’s focus is on the player.  They want to make sure their poker software is easy to use, safe, reliable and most of all, fun!  The poker room is powered by Ongame Network software and not only features poker games like Omaha, Texas Holdem, 7 Card Stud and 5 Card Draw but there’s also a casino. Ongame Network was first established in 1999 and has since served over 4 million players.

Best Poker can be contacted around-the-clock by live chat, phone or e-mail.  They’re licensed by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission.

Click for Casino Cash Journey’s review of Best Poker.

March 21st, 2008 | permalink

Pontoon | A Variation of Blackjack

by Erica

Pontoon is a thrilling version of Blackjack that is becoming more and more popular at online casinos. This is a British version of the game that has some interesting twists. There can be any number of players from two up, for larger amounts of players, two decks can be used. As in Blackjack, the object is to obtain the hand closest to 21. Aces are valued at 1 or 11, the face cards and the tens are valued at 10 and the rest of the cards are taken at face value. One player acts as the banker and thus sets the standards that the other players must beat. For example, if the Banker ends up with a hand of 19, the other players must beat that hand and they make their bets accordingly.

In Pontoon, the ultimate hand to try to achieve is called Pontoon, and this is having a hand of two cards that equal 21. The following hand ranking starts with the hand that is the highest ranking after Pontoon.

Five Card Trick - this hand is five cards that total 21 or less. A player may not have more than five cards in his hand.

Having three or four cards in your hand that equal 21 ranks next.

If you are holding similar hands as above but the total equals less than 21, these rank next.

Any hand with more than 21 regardless of how many cards you have, is called a bust and do not rank.

To begin the game the Banker deals out the first card face down to all of the players beginning with the player to the Bankers immediate left and ending with himself. The Banker is not to look at his card but each of the other players may do so. The betting begins with the player to the immediate left of the Banker and goes in a clockwise motion and bets are placed on the table in front of the player making the bet. The Banker continues dealing the second card face down ending with himself and at this point all the players including the Banker may look at their cards. If the Banker is dealt a Pontoon, he must announce it at this time and the Banker will collect double the bet from each player.

If at this point the Banker has not won with a Pontoon, then each player may continue with the game trying to make a better hand if they so desire. If no player can claim Pontoon, the first player may do one of several things.

Split
A player that has two cards that are equal in value may choose to Split his hand. The cards are both turned face up and the Banker will deal another card face down, to each face up card. An equal wager must be made for each set of cards. The player can then decide to continue playing, or Buy One, for that hand if it is less than 21 or he may choose to stand. If the chooses to continue he must increase his wager at least equal to the current bet but may not exceed two times the value of the current bet. The player may continue to buy cards if his total is still below 21, and the wager must lie between the original wager and the second wager. When the first hand has played out, the second hand is played.

Twist
If the players hand is less than 21 he may choose to add another card and not make another wager. He must say Twist me one, and the Banker will deal another card face up. This can be done two more times trying to reach 21. If a player Busts with a Twist card, he loses that hand and turns in his card which are burned, or placed at the bottom of the deck by the Banker and the Banker takes the wager. Also, once you have asked for a Twist, you may not Buy another card, but you can receive another Twist.

Stick
If the player has a hand that is at least 15, he may choose to Stick, or hold with the cards he has thus passing play to the next player in turn.

The Banker’s Play
When all the players except the banker have had their turns the banker’s two cards are turned face up. The other players’ cards will not be visible at this point, except where they have split, twisted, declared pontoons or gone bust. Once play has gone around the table, it is the Banker’s turn to play. The other players cards are still not visible at this time unless they have Split, called Pontoon or Busted. The Banker begins play of his hand and may add cards to his hand face up. Once he is satisfied with the best hand possible, he may play his hand against the players. If the Banker goes Bust, he must pay each player their winning wager doubling the wager if the player has a Pontoon or Five Card Trick.  The Banker must pay out to any player that has a higher ranking hand than his own.

Play continues, if there was no Pontoon called, the Banker must add the cards that were just in play to the bottom of the deck and does not shuffle before dealing the next round. If a player called Pontoon without Splitting their hand and the Banker did not have a Pontoon, the deck is shuffled and cut and that player is the new Banker. If there are more than one player that called Pontoon, the deal is given to the player closest to the left on the Banker. The Banker may also choose to give up the deal and sell the bank to another player at a price agreed upon by the two of them.

As stated early on, Pontoon is becoming more and more popular and can be found at many online casinos. The rules may vary from one casino to another as there are many variations of this exciting 21 game. Check out the rules before playing to make sure you are familiar with them and that there are no misunderstandings. Some of the simple variations are listed below and may or may not be all of the variations that you will come across while playing at online casinos.

* Splits may be done with Aces only.
* To Stick, you must have at least 16.
* Payouts for a Pontoon vary as well, with some paying a single, double or triple.
* If a player has 4 cards with a total of 11 or less, they may not buy a fifth card but must Twist a card.
* 3 Sevens is considered a Royal Pontoon and is paid triple.
* A Pontoon with an Ace and a Face Card beats a Pontoon with an Ace and a 10.

 Click for more strategies and tips on Pontoon at CasinoCashJourney.com.

March 18th, 2008 | permalink

Exclusive Bonus at Casino Club!

by Lauren

No Deposit Welcome Bonus: €10 FREE Exclusive to CasinoCashJourney.com!
First Deposit Welcome Bonus: 100% up to €100
The above offers are available for a limited time

CasinoCashJourney.com has just added Casino Club to its directory and for the launch is offering an exclusive bonus of €10 free!

The casino has been around for several years and has an excellent reputation.  Powered by Boss Media software, games include blackjack, slots, progressive games, video poker, roulette and more.  Banking transactions are processed by WebDollar.  Casino Club is licensed by the Lotteries & Gaming Authority of Malta and casino support can be reached 24/7 by phone or e-mail. The casino also features guaranteed fair play free of manipulation with university-audited and regulated random-number generators.

For those looking for an authentic club atmosphere, Casino Club is it. Click for Casino Cash Journey’s review of Casino Club.

March 14th, 2008 | permalink

About 7 Card Stud Poker

by Michael

How to Play
7 Card Stud is one of the easiest games to learn.  The purpose of the game is to finish with the best poker hand and win the pot.  Players place an ante on the table. The ante is set by the card room, and is not applicable in games where increments are $0.50/$1.00.  3rd Street - three cards are dealt - two “hole” cards, and one visible “door card”.  At this point, the player with the lowest card must bring-in the betting.  First round of betting - options are to check, fold, bet, or raise.  4th Street - the fourth card is dealt - face-up.  Betting round - options are to check, fold, bet, or raise.  5th Street - the fifth card is dealt - face-up.  Betting round - options are to check, fold, bet, or raise.  6th Street - the sixth card is dealt - face-up.  Betting round - options are to check, fold, bet, or raise.  River Card /7th Street- the final card is dealt - facedown.  Final round of betting follows.  If two or more players are still vying for the pot when the betting concludes, the hands at the table are turned face-up.  All remaining players create the best possible poker hand using five out of the seven cards.  The highest hand wins the pot.

7 Card Stud Poker Rules
As per normal poker rules - playing and betting proceeds in a clockwise direction.  All Players must first ante before they receive their initial cards, except the $0.50/$1 game which has no ante.  There are five betting rounds in a complete game of 7 Card Stud, not including the ante.  On the first round of betting, the player with the lowest value door card “brings-in” and starts the betting - equal to at least half the minimum bet for the game. In proceeding rounds, the player with the highest hand initiates the betting. If hands tie, the player to the left of the dealer acts first.  Betting increments in the game determine the bets. In a game of $2 and $4 betting increments, the first two rounds of betting and raising are set at the lower level of $2, the other three rounds of betting and raising are set at the higher level of $4.  The exception to this rule is if any player displays a pair with their 2 face-up cards on 4th Street. In this circumstance, all players have the option to bet either the lower limit or the higher limit. If a player bets the higher limit, then all subsequent raises must be made at the higher limit.  The maximum allowable number of bets per player during any betting round is four. This includes a (1) bet, (2) raise, (3) re-raise, and (4) cap. The term cap is used to describe the 3rd raise in a round since betting is then capped and can’t be raised further. Once capped, players will have only the option of calling or folding.  In betting rounds where players have folded, the first active player left of the dealer is first to act.

7 Card Stud Poker Strategy
* If the cards you need to help improve your hand are visible in your opponents hands, consider them dead to you
* There are 13 cards in a suit. You need five of them to make a flush, if the cards you need happen to be in your opponents’ hand you have no chance of them being dealt to you, however, if you can’t see them, it means that it is still possible to receive those cards
* A “big pair” is worth betting on, unless another player is betting aggressively on what seems to be a very good hand
* Fifth Street is a make or break point. As the bet amount doubles each round, ensure your hand can produce a win at the end of the game. This will minimize your loss
* It is advisable to fold if another player’s exposed cards beat your entire hand
* If you are trying to compete a straight, check to see if another player displays the cards you need. You can then adjust your strategy accordingly
* Fold when necessary.  7 Card Stud poker is a game of patience; so do not bet all you money on losing hands 

CasinoCashJourney.com features more information on 7 Card Stud Poker along with many other types of poker.

March 11th, 2008 | permalink

How to Play Blackjack Switch

by Lauren

The main difference between Blackjack and Blackjack Switch is that the player is dealt two separate hands with two identical bets when playing Blackjack Switch. The dealer is still dealt one hand.  They are allowed to switch the second cards around before the player hits.  Blackjack Switch can be played at Playtech powered online casinos.

Please note that when playing Blackjack Switch, the dealer hits on a soft 17, Blackjack pays 1:1 instead of 3:2 since there are more chances to make a blackjack hand, double downs and splits are allowed, and the dealer will push a player’s hands on a dealer’s total of 22. However, Blackjacks still win.

The two kinds of bet areas are Normal Blackjack Switch bet area which is any of the two larger areas and the “Super Match” bet area is the small area.  Keep in mind that when clicking on the normal bet area, you are actually placing two identical bets – one for each of your hands.  In the “Super Match,” a player can place a bet higher or lower than the original Blackjack Switch bet.  The objective of the “Super Match” bet is to be dealt a pair or better from the initial 4 cards dealt out.  “Super Match” bets are settled before any further play.

For more on Blackjack Switch including a strategy chart, head to Casino Cash Journey.

March 7th, 2008 | permalink

Scratch Card Fever

by Erica

This exciting and fun phenomenon known as Scratch Cards has swept across the nation, and in many places throughout the world. This form of gambling offers many different types of games to consumers, each having different prizes and cash payouts depending on how much the card cost and what the game is. Scratch cards is now one of the most popular of all gambling games, you can find is almost anywhere in the country; online, in catalogs, and even in your local gas station. They hold a very long history in North America, and are very much embedded into it’s culture. If you like playing for money in the least little bit, you will fall in love with scratch off games without a doubt. In the United States, many states use scratch cards and different lotto tickets to create a cash flow that goes straight to education, so you can feel like your doing something good for your community by playing, and not have to feel guilty for gambling if it is something you don’t approve of. With so many different types of cards that come in every shape and size, there is bound to be at least one that you can find that would strike your fancy.

Scratch Cards go by many names, including scratch tickets, scratch-offs, instant scratch-its, and scratchies. They are known as scratch off cards because that is how they are used. On the card, you will find in the play area a thin layer of a metallic substance covering parts of it. This substance can be removed simply by scratching it with your fingernail, but if you don’t like your fingers and nails dirty, you should probably use something else for scratching, such as a coin, your keys, or any other stiff object usable and at hand. The covering comes up easily and with little to no mess to clean up There are many different ways to play these fun little cards. On some cards, you scratch off the whole card and see what you have won, others you can only scratch off a few of the spaces in an attempt to make a winning combination.

It has become such a popular game, that people have even begun using them as collectibles. This practice has come to be named Lotology. Basically, the hobby of collecting everything from lotto tickets to scratch card, already scratched and unscratched. The definition of Lotology is “the study of the lottery”. People who follow this hobby have had themselves named Lotologists’. Collectors have even started online communities for Lotology. The market for collecting scratch cards is becoming substantial. Just after a few minutes of a searching the web, you will come across many dealers of scratch cards. Some businesses even offer custom-made scratch cards. It is an up and coming, and probably soon to be booming, business. People have fallen in love with this enjoyable game. Even non-gamblers like scratch cards and join in on this growing craze.

Not only can you order Scratch Cards from people and companies over the Internet; you can even play them on the Internet itself. Many online casinos are now offering scratch card games and other games based on scratch off cards. You can play them for free with free money, or you can play to win real money using real money. A few places even allow you to create your own scratch card games. If you choose to play Scratch Cards online, you would do so like most any casino game. Some casinos will have you buy the ticket with real money before you can play. Others will allow you to use points you have earned while playing at the casino, as long as you have deposited within a certain time limit. Most online scratch card games will online win you free cash usable only at the casino you win on. With some games, you can even win deposit bonuses.

Scratch Cards have become a favorite way to gamble because there are so many different games offered, each one with its own twist. Some will give out prizes; some will give out cash. Scratch Cards are so easy to win money with, that many people will buy them just because they know they can usually at least win what they paid for the card back. The cash prizes can be very small, like 1 dollar, to very large sums, like 25,000 dollars. Some cards have more than one game on one card. For example, you might find one with a bingo game, tic-tac-toe game, and a matching game. All of them having an equal chance of being winners. Some offer bonuses, there may be a small scratchie square in one of the corners that could reveal an extra prize and automatic win. Then again, some cards are winners; you just have to scratch off the proper squares in order to activate the win. If you scratch off the wrong square, you will lose. A lot of people enjoy that kind of thrill, but some people will try to cheat and scratch off a tiny bit to see which squares are the winning ones before scratching. Thankfully, the makers have a way of telling if any part of the card has been tampered with when it is sent in for collection.

Scratch Card games have been used in certain promotions throughout the years. Some businesses have used them as a way to attract customers to by their products by attaching the game to the item. That has been an ever-successful use of the scratch card game and is still in use today. You can often see advertisements for these kind of products on TV, in a magazine, or in your daily and weekly newspaper. Most people don’t even realize how big scratch offs have become.

Scratch Cards are made by a machine called the Eletek E8100, also known as the Scratch Card System. It is a state-of-the-art machine with the best technology put into it, but is also made to be cost effective. This systems gives the Scratch Card produces an efficient and reliable means of manufacturing their highly demanded cards and allows them to easily make a wide range of cards, both standard and cards made for special order. With the machine, they are able to make over 10,000 cards an hour. The Eletek is made to ensure that no errors can be made during the making of the cards. There are many safety features that in place for that reason. The main thing they use is the inkjet head placed above the vacuum bed. Using a shaft encoder with high resolution that is used in conjunction with sensors make sure that the print is made with both accuracy and the ability for repatision of the process. Verification is made with two camera modules and a magnetic stripe, to check both encoded data and print/label constraints.

For a fun, free game of scratch cards or for more information, go to Casino Cash Journey.

March 4th, 2008 | permalink