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Is postponement in the cards for the 2020 WSOP schedule?

An unprecedented series of events flipped the world upside down in March 2020. Covid-19 went from a shocking news story out of China to a global pandemic that’s got everyone huddled in their homes; some voluntarily, some by government mandate. That includes the countless professional and amateur poker players who flock to Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas each year to attend the world’s most prestigious poker festival of them all – the World Series of Poker.

Last year, more than 182,000 people turned out for the 2019 WSOP, registering for one or more of the 90 events in the 50^th anniversary edition of the poker tournament series. This year, just as many – if not more – were expected to attend. But with the current situation, it’s not certain what’s going to happen when it comes time to “Shuffle Up and Deal!”

Postponement in the Cards for 2020 WSOP Schedule?

Seth Palansky, the WSOP’s Vice President of Corporate Communications, has been on the phone with numerous media outlets in the past week or so. The biggest question on the interview docket is an obvious one:

Will there be a 2020 WSOP?

There are only three possible answers to this question. It can either be held, canceled, or postponed. Unfortunately, that’s a question Mr. Palansky has been unable to answer. According to the WSOP spokesman, that’s not going to change for a while. He doesn’t expect organizers to come to a decision before May.

That’s a long wait for the countless poker players who are surely waiting for a decision. The 2020 WSOP was originally scheduled to run from May 26 to July 15, with a record-setting 101 gold-bracelet events on the roster.

To date, World Series executives have already pulled the plug on 10 WSOP Circuit events since March 13, when the global pandemic first led to social distancing. Future Circuit events schedule through May have already been scratched off the menu, as well. It only makes sense that the official WSOP bracelet series would be either canceled or postponed, but to date, officials refuse to make the call.

“We Don’t Need to Make a Decision Now”

Last week, in an interview with Jim Barnes of the Las Vegas Review Journal, Seth told the poker community that no decision will be made until it has to be, and until then, it will remain business as usual.

“We keep our heads down, keep planning in place,” said Palansky. “We don’t need to make a decision now.”

Further comments pointed towards potential postponement. Palansky said that the WSOP is normally unable to reschedule, due to the Rio in Las Vegas having a packed convention slate. Now, with many conventions being canceled, he says it could give them enough wiggle room to run the tournament series at a later date.

But again, no official word has come down, nor does he expect it to anytime soon. In another interview with CardPlayer Magazine this week, he reiterated his previous statements.

“Everyone’s health and safety is paramount in the decision making, and there is no need to make a decision today,” said Palansky.

As for what might impact the decision of organizers in weeks to come, he said:

“There are a plethora of factors to consider, especially when you conceptualize alternatives. That said, the only factor that matters for the WSOP, for it to be held as planned, is the health and safety of guests and staff. So, if we can’t host an event like we have in the past 50 years in Las Vegas, where everyone can participate safely and without risk, we won’t.”

Seth added that contingency plans are being discussed everyday, but as the situation constantly changes and evolves, it’s impossible to come up with a definitive solution at this time. His best prediction for a final answer to the mystery of the 2020 WSOP schedule is early May, at best.

written by Grameister777 \\ tags: Gambling News, Las Vegas, Live Poker, Online Poker, Poker Games, Poker Pros, Poker Tournaments, WSOP

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Top live dealers casino websites for Canadians in 2020.

We’re kicking off the New Year with a fresh list of top-tier live casino operations welcoming Canadian players. Live dealer games are preferred for their realistic experience, closely mimicking that of a land-based casino – as close as you can possibly get on a computer or mobile device. There are real live dealers, operating real table games, with multiple real players joining in the action.

Here in Canada, we are limited in the number of online casinos we can play at. Some provinces are privy to locally-regulated gambling websites, but only two of them have live casino games. There are many more highly reputable and strictly regulated international offerings, but only so many have a good live dealer presentation.

Top Live Dealers Casino Sites for Canadians

Normally, a “top” list of anything has 3, 5, 10, or maybe 20 of the best whatever you’re listing. I’m going out of the box with this list and giving you the “Top 4”. Yes, four of Canada’s best live casinos in 2020. Why four? Because I couldn’t possibly cut this list down to three, and there really isn’t a fifth worthy of inclusion.

I’m also not giving the operators a number ranking. I don’t feel that any one is better than another. They all have differentiating qualities that earned them a spot on this list. For instance, the first two, PlayNow and PlayOLG, are both home-grown operations. Then again, they’re ring-fenced to their local provinces, limiting who can access them. The second two, LeoVegas and Royal Vegas, are open to all Canadians, but present very different live gaming options. With that being said, let’s get right to it…

PlayNow Live Casino – BC and Manitoba Only

PlayNow is a great iGaming operation built, maintained and regulated by the provincial government of British Columbia. Through a player sharing contract with the BCLC, Manitoba residents are also able to partake in PlayNow’s internet gambling activities. For residents of these jurisdictions, the degree of security and player protections can’t be beat.

The PlayNow Live Casino is powered by the industry’s #1 Live Casino brand, Evolution Gaming, and includes live blackjack, infinite blackjack, baccarat, eSqueeze baccarat, roulette, auto roulette and ultimate Texas holdem. That’s not a bad assortment, but it doesn’t include any of Evolution’s immensely popular game show-style productions.

EspaceJeux Live Casino – Quebec Only

Similarly, Espacejeux is the online gambling operation of Loto-Quebec – home grown and locally regulated by that provincial government. As such, security and safety are unquestionable, but only residents of Quebec can sign up an account and place wagers. That’s good for Quebecois, as is the implementation of Evolution Gaming’s world class live dealer software. On the negative side, the only live games are standard blackjack and roulette, baccarat, and Control Squeeze baccarat.

LeoVegas Live Casino – All Canadians Accepted

LeoVegas is an internationally operated casino brand, regulated in multiple jurisdictions. LeoVegas is licensed in its home country of Sweden, and also holds gaming licenses from Denmark and Malta. It is powered by more software brands than I’d care to count; somewhere in the neighborhood of 50. Several of those software studios offer live casino games. As such, this website presents, by far, the largest live gaming menu of any competitor.

There are – and bear in mind, some of these numbers will appear as duplicates due to multi-categorization – 48 live roulette games, 31 live blackjack games, 18 types of “card games”, 16 private Chambre Séparée (high roller) tables, 16 “VIP” tables, 11 live baccarat tables, 7 live “game show” style options, and 5 live poker variants; 23 of which are ‘Fast Play’ titles.

Royal Vegas Live Casino – All Canadians Accepted

There are some who would argue that “less is more”. By this, I mean having so many options – as many as LeoVegas presents – can make it harder to actually pick one. It’s not just a theory, but a scientific fact. Studies have shown that being offered chocolate, vanilla or strawberry ice cream makes it easy to pick one, whereas 30+ flavors can actually cause stress, anxiety, and an accelerated heart rate. Why such difficulty? People tend to fear that they won’t (or didn’t) choose the best option, and it leaves a bad taste in their mouth – pardon the pun.

If you prescribe to this ideal, then I present to you Royal Vegas Canada. Licensed in Malta, this operator only employs one live casino supplier, but it’s the world’s best – also proven by statistical data – Evolution Gaming.

Evolution has won the eGR Live Casino Supplier of the Year Award for the last 10 years straight. It’s almost as if they’ve figured out the perfect formula for live dealers casino games, and they’ve kept it as confidential as Mr. Krab’s secret formula for the “Krabby Patty”.

Royal Vegas accepts players from all over Canada. It’s also one of the few international sites that is approved to process payments via Interact eTransfer. Live casino games include blackjack, roulette, double ball roulette, baccarat, casino holdem, 3 card poker, Caribbean stud poker, private tables, game show tables, and their signature “Party” tables.

written by Grameister777 \\ tags: Baccarat Games, blackjack, British Columbia, Canada, Canada Casinos, Evolution Gaming, LeoVegas, Live Casino Games, Live Dealer Casinos, Live Poker, Online Gambling, Online Gambling Tips, Quebec, Roulette, Royal Vegas

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Introduction to Live Texas Holdem Bonus Poker from Evolution

When you think of Texas Holdem, what comes to mind? Probably a group of players seated around a table, fiddling with their chip stacks, stoic poker faces revealing nothing of their underlying emotions. But there is another game of this nature known as Texas Holdem Bonus Poker, and anyone can play it, with or without a bluff-worthy poker face.

In its traditional format, Texas Holdem is a player-versus-player (PvP) gambling game; one wherein the players compete only against each other, and the casino profits by taking a commission, or rake, off the top of each pot. The Holdem Bonus Poker edition is more akin to every other casino-style amusement, where the player competes against a single house bank.

It didn’t take long for Texas Holdem Bonus Poker to catch on in land-based and online casinos. It became so popular, in fact, that everyone’s favorite Live Casino supplier, Evolution Gaming, chose to convert it into one of their award winning real-time streaming games. They call it Live Dealer Texas Holdem Bonus Poker.

Live Texas Holdem Bonus Poker by Evolution

The base game is incredibly similar to a normal Texas Holdem poker game. Hole cards, community cards and hand ranks are exactly the same. While other players can join in, you won’t have to worry about them. Much like blackjack, your only job is to beat the dealer’s hand to win. In that regard, it’s kind of like playing heads up poker – one on one against a single opponent.

Like any other house banked game, however, the casino always has an advantage over the player, no matter how slight. In this case, the rules give the house an edge of 2.04% on the Ante bet alone, 0.53% overall. Let’s take a closer look…

How to Play Live TX Holdem Bonus Poker

What draws most players to this game is the ability to increase ones bets when the cards are falling in your favor. It gives you the opportunity to control your own destiny in terms of situational hand value.

You start with an Ante bet (we’ll talk about optional side bets later). The dealer will then dealer two hole to the player and him/herself. The player’s hole cards are face up; the dealer’s face down. From here, you can either fold, forfeiting the ante bet, or play on, placing a Flop bet e1qual to 2x the ante.

After placing a Flop bet, the dealer will deal the first three community cards (the Flop). Next you can Check, placing no bet but staying in the hand, or place a Turn bet, equal to 1x the ante. The fourth community card (Turn) is played face up, followed by one last Check or bet – the River bet (1x ante).

At this point, the final River card is played. The dealer turns up their hole cards and both hands are compared. Each must come up with the best possible 5 card hand using any 5-card combination of the 7 cards available to them – these being their own two hole cards plus the five community cards.

Don’t worry, the computer will automatically generate the best possible hand for player and dealer. At this point, the two hands are compared, and the following win, loss and payout rules apply:

If…	Then…
Dealer wins	Player loses all Ante and Play bets.
Player wins	Player wins even money on Play bets (Flop, Turn, River); Ante is a push.
Player wins with Straight or better	Player wins even money on all Ante and Play bets.
Dealer and Player tie	All Ante and Play bets push.

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Live Dealer Texas Holdem Bonus Side Bets

Evolution’s live dealer Texas Holdem Bonus Poker comes with a pair of optional side bets known as the Bonus Bet and the First 5 Jackpot Bet. These wagers are entirely optional. They have no bearing on the base game, nor does the result of the base game have any bearing on the side bets. They can be won or lost irrespective of each other.

Bonus Side Bet

The Bonus bet is based on the player and/or dealer’s hole cards only. The best starting hands in Texas Hold’em are the ones you’re aiming for with this bet, including any pair, or any A with a Jack or better (A-A, A-K, A-Q, A-J), with suited hole cards paying more. You cannot combine the player and dealer cards. Either the player’s and/or dealer’s hand must match one of the winning hands shown in the pay table below.

Hole Cards	Payout
A-A, Player’s and Dealer’s Hand	1000 to 1
A-A, Player’s Hand Only	30 to 1
A-K, Suited	25 to 1
A-J or A-Q, Suited	20 to 1
A-K, Mixed Suits	15 to 1
J-J, Q-Q or K-K	10 to 1
A-J or A-Q, Mixed Suits	5 to 1
Any Pair 2-2 thru 10-10	3 to 1

First 5 Jackpot Side Bet

This $1 side bet carries a progressive jackpot, paying out to any hand of high enough rank. Only the player’s hand rank counts towards the First 5 Jackpot bet.

The jackpot grows with every First 5 side bet placed, and pays out 100% of its girth when a Royal Flush is dealt (assuming at least one player made the bet). Since all players are sharing the same hand, all players who have placed the bet will share in an equal portion of the total jackpot. A progressive counter display on the right of the screen will show exactly how much of the jackpot each player is privy to if a Royal Flush is dealt.

The following hand ranks and pay table apply.

Hole Cards	Payout
Royal Flush	100% of Jackpot
Straight Flush	2,500
4 of a Kind	250
Full House	50
Flush	25
Straight	10
3 of a Kind	3

Overall RTP

Each eligible bet within this game carries its own theoretical return to player. The Play bets have the highest return rate of 99.47%. The Ante bet only has an RTP of 97.96%, but is required in order to get the higher RTP on any Play bets.

The side bets are sucker bets, of course. The Bonus side bet will net you an RTP of 91.46%, equivalent to a house edge of 8.54%. If you think that’s bad, the First 5 Jackpot is far worse at 81.84% RTP (house edge 18.16%).

Don’t be fooled into making this bet. Many players feel the urge to place it, thinking the odds of winning at least a share of the jackpot will be so much higher with a large number of players participating, but it is nothing like the Bad Beat Jackpots on a traditional live Texas Holdem game (PvP). There is only one player hand being dealt – not one hand to each active player. The odds of a Royal Flush being dealt are still an incredibly low 1 in 43,316, no matter how many players are at the table.

written by Grameister777 \\ tags: Evolution Gaming, Live Casino Games, Live Dealer Casinos, Live Poker, Online Poker, Poker Games, Poker Variants

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It really is possible to get an edge at casino games.

How many times have you heard that casino’s are in it to win it? That there’s no practical way to turn the tides in your favor? Or that you must have at least a little luck to walk away a winner? This is said so often because, for the majority of gamblers, it’s true. That’s only because the majority of gamblers are playing the wrong casino games.

Walk onto the gaming floor, and you’re immediately bombarded by the reverberating sounds and flashing lights of reel slots and video slots. Isle after aisle, they line the walls and gaudy carpets as far as the eye can see. The casinos would love for you to stop here – as so many players do – and start dropping your money into these machines. Those who aren’t fooled by these may still find themselves attracted to video poker, baccarat, roulette, the craps table, pai gow poker or the big money wheel.

There are so many games just waiting to take your money. And the casinos know they’re going to win, because these games cannot be beaten. A few players may get lucky and beat them, but many more players will lose, earning the casino its dues. That is, unless you know which games to play, and how to exact the ever-illusive player’s advantage at the casino.

Three Ways to Get an Edge at Casino Games

There are exactly three ways to gamble your money, and slide the advantage into your favor while doing it. Only one is found directly on the casino floor, and you can probably guess which one it is. I’m talking, of course, about blackjack.

The other two you’ll have to do a little extra walking to get too; one being the poker room, and the other the sportsbook. Unfortunately, for Canadians like myself, sportsbooks aren’t legal. You will either need to visit a foreign casino or take your wagering to international gambling websites to gain an edge with sports betting.

Blackjack Player’s Edge

The criteria for surpassing a 100% RTP in blackjack sounds simple enough. It only takes two things – a basic strategy and a good card counting technique. The strategy part is easy. You can print out a situational decision-making chart for the game and keep practicing until you get it down. Counting cards will be a bit tougher.

Being able to keep up with the count is only the beginning. You must be a able to do it flawlessly, size your bets appropriately, and be so perfectly nonchalant about it that the dealer, pit bosses and security surveillance team don’t suspect you’re doing it. Most casinos will kick you out for it, not because it’s illegal, but because they have ‘the right to refuse service to anyone‘.

Profitable Poker Pros

Casinos love to host poker games, because it doesn’t matter who wins or loses. The casino wins a small percentage of each pot (i.e. poker rake) regardless of the action on the table. Poker pits player versus player, and therefore the player who is most skilled is going to win more often. Like house edge casino games, luck can swing one players way over another regardless of skill, but in the long term, skill will prevail in any legitimate poker game.

Being the bet poker player at the table is no easy task, though, especially since the big live/online poker boom of 2003 (aka the Chris Moneymaker Effect). Its takes a special set of skills to truly excel in poker, calculating math quickly in your head, making smart value bets and accurately observing poker tells.

Sports Betting Advantage

If you’re a terrible actor and supreme mathematics isn’t your thing, how about trying your hand at sports betting? Pick a sport you follow, or want to follow, and learn everything you can about it. Get to know the athletes and/or teams. Understand outside influences that might impact a game, like weather, turf conditions, injuries or suspensions.

Having a good head for the games is just one aspect of being a good sports bettor. You have to understand the odds and different types of bets, like straight-up wagers, points spreads and over/unders, and live betting features. The more you know, the more you can slide the scales of profitability into your favor.

The average gambler relies on luck. The smart gambler doesn’t need luck. Choosing the right games and playing them with ultimate skill will produce a positive expectation for long-term profitable results.

written by Grameister777 \\ tags: blackjack, Blackjack Games, Canada, Canada Casinos, Live Poker, Online Poker, Online Sports Betting, Poker Games, Poker Pros, Sports Betting, Sportsbooks, Strategies, Video Poker

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Exploring the minimal efficacy of casino money management for slot machine players.

If you’ve ever looked into gambling strategies before, you’ve surely read a lot of information about bankroll budgeting. Every tactful wagering guide touts the need for proper bankroll management. It’s a useful tool in extending one’s entertainment value, but those who laud it as an effective gambling strategy for slots players are sorely mistaken.

Time and time again, I’ve come across online blogs that list proper bankroll management as a slot machine strategy. A strategy is something that’s meant to increase your odds of winning a game. Managing your money properly has no effect whatsoever on the house edge or odds. Don’t get me wrong – I’m not saying you shouldn’t budget your bankroll. I’m just saying that it’s a matter of player responsibility more than anything else.

What Casino Money Management Does for Players

Money management is all about extending a player’s entertainment to get the best value for your wagering dollars. If you’re going to spend an evening at the casino, and you have $200 to spend, I would suggest betting in smaller increments to make it last a few hours. Don’t drop $10 per spin into the slot machines. Stick to $1-$2 bets per spin. Win or lose, at least you’ll have had lots of pleasurable time in the casino.

Maybe you’re planing on spending 3 days in Las Vegas, and you’ve got $600 to spend at the casinos. Here’s where bankroll management becomes even more important. You don’t want to run out of money on the first day, right? Instead, you split your bankroll into 3 daily portions, $200 each. Maybe you want to do a little gambling in the morning, then come back again in the evening. You’d split that $200 again to provide two $100 budgets per day.

This kind of bankroll management is perfect for online casino players too. Maybe you only have $200 a month to wager with. You don’t want to deposit $200 on the 1st and go broke by the 2nd. Limit yourself to $15 a day. You’ll get at least two weeks out of it, plus all the small wins Lady Luck decides to toss your way.

Add in a win-limit – the point at which you’ve won enough money to quit and keep the cash – and you’re on the expressway for entertainment success!

Why Budgeting Isn’t a Slot Machine Strategy

Slot machines are a negative expectation games. No matter what you do, you’re not going to gain an advantage. Whether you bet your entire bankroll on a few spins of the reels, or spread your wagers out to last 3 days at a casino, the probabilities of winning will never increase.

In fact, the longer you spend playing slot machines, the more likely you are to lose on them. We chalk this up to short-term versus long-term variance.

The less time you spend playing, the more variance you’ll experience. So even a game with a negative expectation might proffer a win. So long as you stop after that win, a short-term player experience can become a positive win.

The more time you spend playing a game, the more likely your results are to match true mathematical probabilities. And those mathematical probabilities are what state you’ll lose. It’s what keeps casinos in business. Some players do go home winners, but many more will leave with lighter pockets to make up for it, providing the casinos with profits that equate to the house edge of each game.

Effective Bankroll Management Strategy

There’s one game available in casinos where bankroll management can be a very effective strategy. I’m talking about the one game that is not house banked – poker. In poker games, players compete against one another, therefore there is no house edge.

Managing your poker bankroll is easily done by splitting the total value into multiple sessions and/or tournaments. This is effective because you are playing against different odds, or in different circumstances, each time you buy in. You may compete against a tough set of players one session and lose that entire portion of your bankroll, then find yourself up against a table full of fish the next day, doubling or tripling that session’s spending limit.

Likewise, buying into one expensive tournament with your entire bankroll gives you only one shot at finishing in the money, where as budgeting your bankroll to join 10 smaller tournaments gives you that many chances to prevail over the competition. Thus money management is an effective tool for increasing the win rate of poker players.

written by Grameister777 \\ tags: Casino Gambling, Casino Games, Live Poker, Online Casinos, Online Poker, Poker Games, Poker Tournaments, Slot Machines, Strategies

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Be the Better Bettor: Walking the fine line between conservative and professional gambling.

Gambling is one of those pastimes that everyone seems to have an opinion about. Some believe it’s a vice. Others believe it’s a classic source of entertainment. Then there are those who believe gambling is the quickest way to get rich. Each of these opinions comes with a flaw of some sort.

Those who turn their nose up at casino goers are seen as prudes and, most often, hypocrites. People who enjoy it for entertainment value rarely put enough time and effort into game methodologies to get the most from each experience. And those who see gambling as a money-making opportunity are either A-grade savants, first-class cheaters, or just plain delusional.

The truth is, there is no such thing as a “perfect gambler”, at least, not by the term’s natural implications. It would suggest that a gambler always wins; always makes the right selections at the track, or the right decisions on the blackjack table. No one is perfect. Even so-called psychics cannot predict the lottery, or there would be multiple winners every week.

The goal should not be to exude the persona of a perfect gambler, as such people simply do not exist. Instead, the proper mission is to be the “better bettor”.

What Does it Mean to be the “Better Bettor”?

The better bettor is someone who isn’t disillusioned by the fallacies of professionalism, nor convoluted by the flippant ways of conservationists. It’s the ability to walk that fine line between the two. Let me explain…

Profile of a Professional Gambler

These players do generally have the peace of mind to stick to games they can beat. In a casino, blackjack is their preferred poison. They may also play poker, handicap sports betting, or parlay on the ponies. Whatever they do, they put a great deal of research into it first. No bet is made on a whim, but with calculated strategy and poise.

This all sounds wonderful, but egos tend to be their worst enemy. A professional gambler is someone who believes they’ve got it all figured out. This gambler will risk anything and everything for the win, because their confidence in their abilities is so high that they can’t see the disaster that may befall if and when they fail.

Profile of a Conservative Gambler

The conservative gambler is the complete opposite. This person is only playing casino games for the entertainment and excitement of it all. They tend to enjoy games like slot machines, roulette, and scratch-off lottery tickets—games where strategy will not assist in the propagation of a higher return. That doesn’t concern them, though, because these players aren’t interested in studying strategies or odds. Many times they aren’t even concerned with total comprehension of the rules because, again, fun is the only goal.

To have such a good time, these players must not lose a significant amount of money. They fear big losses above all else. Therefore they will only place small wagers, playing penny slots or $1 happy-hour table games.

Walking the Fine Line Between…

Odds are, you have already recognized some flaws with each of these patterns. Professional gamblers are high risk takers, while conservative gamblers are too careless. To walk the tightrope directly between them is the be the better bettor.

Learn the rules. Study game mechanics. Know the odds. Understand that the casino always has the advantage, and stick to games that have a higher rate of return. At the same time, keep your bets low, pay close attention to your bankroll and be cautious about your spending. By doing so, you can enjoy gambling for the entertainment and excitement it was meant to provide, and enjoy the maximum playing time, while never exceeding your budget. With just a little luck and conscionable awareness, you may even walk away a winner!

written by Grameister777 \\ tags: blackjack, Casino Gambling, Casino Games, Live Poker, Mobile Casinos, Mobile Gambling, Online Gambling, Online Poker, Online Sports Betting, Roulette, Slot Machines, Sports Betting, Strategies

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2018 WGE Monaco Postponed: Live, online and mobile gambling technology trade show will take place December 2019.

Last December, Monaco International Events SARL organized one of the best new gambling trade shows to come along in years. The 2017 World Gaming Expo Monaco was a huge hit with industry professionals, largely due to its prime European location. Thousands of visitors were expected to attend the 2nd Annual WGE Monaco this week. But not anymore…

In the earliest hours of Friday, November 30, 2018, the announcement came down. Then event was canceled. “Postponed” is the word they’re using, assuring interested parties that the show will go on. However, it won’t go on until twelve months from now, in December of 2019.

WEG Live, Online and Mobile Gambling Technology Trade Show

The World Gaming Expo is—or was—meant to be an annual trade show for the global, live and online gambling industry. In its 2017 debut, the event brought together industry leaders, regulators and producers from the gaming industry, as well as media partners to spread the word of accomplishments and accouterments of their trade.

The gaming industry is steadily evolving throughout many parts of the world, from the US and Canada, to Europe, to Asia and Africa. Being a classic destination for gambling activities—home to Monte Carlo, that is—Monaco delivers the perfect platform for bringing together the industry’s entrepreneurs and experienced veterans to network, share ideas, and build a more cohesive future.

As much as they’d like to do that from December 4-6, 2018, as originally planned, it’s not going to happen. It seems organizers weren’t able to manage their bankroll very well, leading to an abrupt cancellation just days prior to what should have been the “2nd Annual WGE Monaco”.

2nd World Gaming Expo Coming Dec 2019

Remove the word “annual” from the equation and it’s an easy fix. Now, the “2nd World Gaming Expo Monaco” is slated for December 2019.

Managing Director of the event’s organizing group, Igor Gamba, explains that the WGE Monaco was postponed due to a lack of funding. Monaco International Events SARL was unable to raise the necessary capital to host the event, resulting in the forced development of a “new business structure” and 12-month hiatus.

“For this reason, we’ve decided to postpone the second edition of the WGE to 2019, which will mark its renewal.” Gamba confirms the group’s “sole purpose is to sustain the event from next year on.”

Gamba anticipates the 2nd WGE Monaco to welcome “60 exhibitors carefully selected and distributed over an area of 4000 square meters,” within the Grimaldi Forum Monaco in December of 2019. An exact date has not yet been announced, but organizers promise it will not interfere with the schedules of any other live, online and/or mobile gambling technology trade shows.

“Considering both the dates we’ve chosen in regard to the other trade shows and the worldwide reputation of Monte Carlo as a prestigious capital of gambling, the WGE is gaining growing interest from a variety of industry professionals and players around the world,” says Gamba. “Monaco has its legitimate place on the international scene and our goal is to make of WGE Monaco an unmissable event in the sector.”

written by Grameister777 \\ tags: Canada, Casino Gambling, Casino Games, Gambling News, Land-Based Casinos, Live Dealer Casinos, Live Poker, Mobile Casinos, Mobile Gambling, New Casino Games, Online Casinos, Online Gambling, Online Poker, Online Sports Betting, Slot Machines, Smartphones and Tablets, Sports Betting

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Exploring the 5 largest casinos in Canada.

Domestic and foreign tourism is one of Canada’s most lucrative industries. Millions of people travel here each year to see the majestic landscape, natural wonders, historical sites, and so much more. Gambling is also big business in the Great White North, where Canada’s largest casinos attract countless visitors from far and wide.

Today, we’ll be taking a close-up look at the largest casinos and what they have to offer. They span the entire nation, from coast to coast. So, if you’re looking to visit one of these grand gambling halls, you’ll have plenty of major destinations to choose from.

Exploring the 5 Largest Casinos in Canada

#1 Casino de Montreal – Montreal, Quebec

Casino de Montreal (aka Montreal Casino) boasts, by far, the largest casino gaming floor in all of Canada. In fact—although often erroneously overlooked in global surveys—it’s home to the third largest casino in the world, coming in at a staggering 526,488 square feet. Only the 600,000sqft Winstar World Casino (Thackerville, Oklahoma, USA) and 540,000sqft Venetian Macao (Macau, China) are bigger.

That massive floor is teeming with gambling opportunities. There are 3,000 slots, 75 table games, and a 26-table live poker room. Outside of gaming, guests will find four restaurants for dining, and four bars for wetting their whistles. However, there is no hotel on site.

#2 Caesars Windsor – Windsor, Ontario

Situated just across the Detroit River from Michigan, USA, the Caesars Windsor is a part of the global Caesars Entertainment Corp brand of gambling and hospitality properties. That company specializes in doing things on a grand scale. Thus, it’s little wonder Caesars Windsor takes the second place spot with its 100,000 square foot gaming floor.

Caesars Windsor really knows how to pack ’em in, lining the walls and aisles with 2,261 slot machines and video pokers, 74 table games and 14-table poker room. Guests can dine in one of six restaurants, and book accommodations in one of the property’s twin hotel towers—Forum Tower and Augustus Tower—with a combined 758 rooms.

#3 Casino Niagara – Niagara Falls, Ontario

Overlooking Niagara Falls, one of the nation’s most gorgeous natural wonders, is the third largest gambling hall in Canada, Casino Niagara. The gaming floor comes in at 95,000 square feet. In this case, it’s not what’s inside that counts for most visitors. It’s the majestic view outside that draws so many people to this property, where a ‘Fallsview‘ guest room is a must.

Casino Niagara is packed with 1,600 gaming machines, 38 table games, and a 26-table poker room. It also features four restaurants, one bar and the 234-room Crowne Plaza Niagara Falls hotel.

#4 River Rock Casino – Richmond, British Columbia

The River Rock Casino Resort is the largest casino in British Columbia, and fourth largest in Canada. It’s located in Richmond, overlooking the beautiful 144-berth marina along the Fraser River, just south of Vancouver. Its gaming floor spans 70,000 square feet.

Gaming options include 1,110 slots and video poker machines, 99 casino table games, and a rather small 5-table poker room. There are four versatile restaurants and a 4-Diamond hotel with 222 rooms and suites.

#5 River Cree Resort & Casino – Enoch, Alberta

Last, but most certainly not least, is the River Cree Resort and Casino in Enoch, Alberta. Coming it at number five among the largest casinos in Canada, it’s located just west of the Edmonton city limits. River Cree is a Native American casino with a 62,600 square foot gaming floor and lot of extra amenities, including a pair of full-size ice hockey rinks where the Edmonton Oilers have been known to pop in for a practice session.

The casino packs a punch with 1,000 gaming machines, 39 table games and a 12-table poker room. Guests can choose from four dining restaurants and two bars, including the renowned OTB sports bar, Tap 25.

written by Grameister777 \\ tags: Alberta, Alberta Casinos, British Columbia, Canada, Canada Casinos, Casino Gambling, Casino Games, Live Casino Games, Live Poker, Ontario Casinos, Quebec, Slot Machines, Sports Betting, Table Games, Video Poker

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Live casino table games launch at Toronto’s Casino Woodbine.

Canada’s land-based gambling industry has been thriving for decades. Several major casinos from British Columbia to Nova Scotia deliver the same great gaming experience you’d expect to find in a Las Vegas casino. But all this time, the great city of Toronto, Ontario—the largest city in Canada—has been lacking.

The Greater Toronto Area (GTA) is home to three popular OLG Slots destinations. They include the Casino at Woodbine Racetrack, on the outskirts of Northwest Toronto; Casino Ajax, about 50km east of Downtown Toronto in Ajax, ON; and Great Blue Heron Casino, nearly 100km northeast of Toronto. For nearly two decades, this was the closest you’d find to a genuine casino experience in GTA, and it was a long drive to Casino Niagara for anything better.

That finally changed earlier this month when, upon approval from the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp (OLG), Casino Woodbine was authorized to install the city’s very first live table games.

Live Casino Table Games Launch at Woodbine

One Toronto Gaming (OTG), subdivision of Great Canadian Gaming and operator of Casino Woodbine, went all out for the launch of Toronto’s first live dealer casino games. Not only have they opened 50 tables with live dealers, they’ve also installed 200+ electronic table games and a ‘stadium’ gaming format that can accommodate 100+ players.

Patrons can now enjoy a wide range of more than a dozen live casino game titles at the Toronto casino. According to the Casino Woodbine website, current live dealer tables include:

• Blackjack

  • Spanish-21 Blackjack

  • Blazing 7’s Blackjack

  • Freebet Blackjack

  • Switchbet Blackjack

  • 21+3 Blackjack

• Baccarat

  • Squeeze Baccarat

  • Regular Baccarat

• Roulette

  • Roulette American Style

• Miscellaneous

  • Casino War

  • High Card Flush

  • Caribbean Stud Poker with Linked Progressive Feature

  • Mississippi Stud Poker with Linked Progressive Feature

  • Let-it-Ride with Linked Progressive Feature

  • Three Card Poker with Linked Progressive Feature

More Live Table Games Coming to Toronto Casino

As previously stated, OTG went all out for the launch of the first casino table games in Toronto, and they’re not done yet. According to reports, an additional 50 live tables are coming to the casino floor sometime in Q4 2018. Another 300 slot machines are also on the list for installment, bringing the casino’s total to 3,000 slots.

“This is another important achievement for One Toronto Gaming,” said OTG President and CEO Rod Baker in the press release. “This not only is a significant step in the expansion and overall development of Casino Woodbine, but this additional gaming amenity has generated over 400 new jobs, and will create another 300 by the end of 2018.”

Players Response Positive, Request for Live Poker Tables

Just over two weeks into the new live casino table games, the response has been very positive from players. They’re getting a lot of action, with most agreeing it’s a necessary change that’s “finally” come to pass.

City native Mark M. said: “It’s about time we have live tables in Toronto. Treat adults like adults!”

The one thing Woodbine is still lacking, as several players were quick to point out, is a live poker room. Woodbine previously hosted electronic poker tables, but they were removed in January 2018. There seems to be a strong push from the community to bring poker back to Toronto with live tables. So far, there’s been no comment from Woodbine on that subject.

written by Grameister777 \\ tags: Baccarat Games, blackjack, Blackjack Games, Canada, Canada Casinos, Casino Gambling, Casino Games, Gambling News, Live Casino Games, Live Dealer Casinos, Live Poker, New Casino Games, Ontario Casinos, Poker Games, Roulette, Slot Machines

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Online poker pro suing PokerStars for $692k SCOOP tournament win; says he was in Canada, not US.

What’s the biggest difference between live and online poker? No, it’s not the ability to read opponents, or ease of pulling off a successful bluff. It’s the way winners get paid. At a live event, you collect your check on the way out the door. In an online poker tournament, you must rely on the operator to deposit the winnings in your account balance.

PokerStars is largest, and arguably most respected and trustworthy poker operator in the world. For more than 15 years, it’s seen exponential growth in players, tournaments and monumental prize pools. Even when the US cracked down on them and other poker sites in 2011 for accepting American players, PokerStars took the high road. The company paid an enormous settlement, and returned hundreds of thousands in funds to players of Full Tilt Poker (which it purchased in doing so).

But now, PokerStars’s integrity is in question, and it’s got a lot of online poker players angry. None more so than American poker pro Gordon Vayo, who’s suing the Canadian iGaming juggernaut for failure to pay nearly $700,000 in tournament winnings.

US Online Poker Pro Sues PokerStars

Gordon Vayo is a professional live and online poker player from Illinois, USA. In 2016, he placed second in the World Series of Poker Main Event for $4.66 million. Then in 2017, he placed first in Event #1, $1,050 NLHE, in PokerStars famous Spring Championship of Online Poker (SCOOP) tournament series. That win should have earned him $692,000. But it didn’t…

Instead of receiving the 6-figure payout in his account, Vayo got a message that his winnings were frozen pending investigation of his location during the event. PokerStars requested Vayo supply them with evidence that he was not in the US at the time of the tournament.

According to a lawsuit filed by Gordon Vayo on April 7, 2018, the poker pro supplied that evidence. Yet PokerStars continues to withhold the winnings.

VPN Failure Costs Vayo $692,000

PokerStars claims that Vayo may very well have been in the US, because he was using a virtual private network (VPN) during the SCOOP event. VPNs are often used to mask a persons true location by connecting to a proxy server elsewhere in the world. Thus the server a player is connecting to – in this case PokerStars – is made to believe the player is in the location of proxy server.

PokerStars’s servers were able to verify that Vayo was using a VPN, but were not able to verify that the SCOOP tournament winner wasn’t in the US. Vayo is adamant that he was in Canada at the time, and says that using a VPN isn’t out of the ordinary. Even players in legal geographic locations sometimes use a VPN for security reasons.

Vayo claims that his VPN malfunctioned during the online poker tournament, and that’s why PokerStars’ geolocation system was unable to verify his Canadian position. That may very well be… but if it can’t be proven beyond a doubt, it’s a gamble PokerStars wasn’t willing to take.

Catch 22 for Canadian Online Poker Room

Realistically, PokerStars had no choice but to freeze the online poker pro’s winnings. If the company pays out the $692,000, it could face tremendous retribution from the US government for potentially allowing someone in the US (outside of New Jersey) to access its real money poker games. I’m sure most of you will remember the catastrophic fallout of April 15, 2011 (i.e. the Black Friday of Online Poker).

However, by refusing to take that risk, PokerStars’ integrity is being dragged through the mud by this lawsuit. And I if Vayo wins the case, the poker room’s reputation will surely suffer. Especially since Vayo is accusing them of a lot more than erroneous withholding of winnings. The lawsuit also claim a “pattern and practice of conduct intended to defraud users”, “retroactively” verifying geolocations of winners, and using the US law as a “whipsaw to maximize its profits”.

written by Grameister777 \\ tags: Canada, illegal gambling, Live Poker, Online Gambling, Online Poker, Poker Games, Poker Pros, Poker Tournaments, PokerStars