Online Casino Gambling

The Talking Stick Resort opened its doors on June 10^th, 2010 in Scottsdale, Arizona. It’s the most lavish casino in the area and is being compared to the several of the high-end properties found on the Las Vegas strip. The comparison is appropriate because the security system was designed by North American Video and M. Malia and Associates, the same designers used on the strip.

The casino boasts 240,000 square feet of gaming excellence complete with 497 premium guest rooms and suites. The resort also features a state of the art spa, a grand ballroom, several fine dining as well as casual restaurants and a 36 hole golf course.

The Security System at the Resort

The security system at the Talking Stick Resort features a 1,500 camera system with serverless storage solutions created by Pivot3. The specifications include 41 Cloudbanks and a 492 Terabyte storage capacity. The cameras are under the control of a NICE video management system.

This video surveillance system is highly sophisticated and well-designed rivaling many Las Vegas casinos. Since security is such a major contributor to the success and profitability of a casino; advanced, high-end systems like this are becoming increasingly important. North American Video is hoping to mitigate any security threats through the extensive technology offered by this equipment.

What Was Installed?

North American Video developed and installed a hybrid analog/digital video surveillance system. A few product demonstrations were given to Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community representatives as well as operators of the project.

How Does the System Work?

Cameras tape images taken from one of the 1,500 cameras throughout the casino. These images are recorded onto serverless computing infrastructure. The benefit of this is that the system provides storage and server resources within a single array. This reduces the amount of space needed for additional equipment within the server rooms.

The size and amenities offered by this resort rival many Las Vegas casinos on the strip. The experience provided by this establishment warrants a state of the art security and surveillance system. 1,500 cameras that view all areas of the 240,000 square foot gaming floor are sure to protect the casino and its patrons.

As casinos become larger; offer more amenities than ever before, they are going to need the surveillance industry to keep pace and offer advanced technology. The Talking Stick Resort is the first of many to implement these types of elaborate security systems.

On Wednesday, June 23^rd, 2010, the Wynn Las Vegas LLC sued IBM Corporation over a $9.7 million contract disagreement. The executive staff at the Wynn Las Vegas, including the owner, disputed that IBM overcharged them for use of their MAXIMO software which was developed by MRO Software, a subsidiary of IBM.

The Use of the Software

The lawsuit was filed with the federal court in Las Vegas. The software was purchased by Wynn Las Vegas in order to log and track the numerous work orders, inventory of materials, equipment needs and a few other maintenance purposes.

What was the Main Issue with the Software?

Wynn, LLC states that they paid hundreds of thousands of dollars for the initial software package and the various upgrades since its implementation. They’ve constantly endured system crashes and various other problems. As a result, IBM conducted an audit on the software in late 2009/early 2010 to verify bugs and other problems.

The contract between the two companies was that Wynn would set up 500 tier-1 users of the program. Wynn claimed that none of the configurations IBM setup met the definition of a tier-1 user. IBM later demanded that the hotels had to purchase an additional 2,000 licenses at a cost between $2,300 and $4,600 a piece.

IBM’s Justification of the Costly Bill

According to IBM, they were charging for every employee that had been using the MAXIMO software including the housekeepers that merely utilized the program to report on guest maintenance requests. IBM claimed that even these individuals must have a copy of their own license.

The Wynn’s Prerogative

The defense by Wynn lawyers is that IBM was using “bait and switch” tactics by dangling upgrade incentives without honoring the Wynn’s right to use the program at various permission levels in which the hotel had earlier acquired. The Wynn LLC is viewing these claims as absurd and unwarranted. IBM has pestered the casino for many months, demanding $9.7 million for past and future use of the software.

Although the allegations seem to be valid, IBM has still yet to comment on the matter. Therefore all facts are not yet out in the open for discussion. When two major corporations take matters to court, the intricacies of the case are numerous. This is a situation that will immediately be settled or will linger in court for many years to come.

Video poker is an electronic casino game that is based on five card draw. The program is placed into a small computerized compartment similar to a slot machine. The game is fairly simple to learn, but as with most games in a casino or online, the house has the advantage. Video poker can be found at almost all casinos and many have them near the drinking establishments on the operator’s property.

The Rules and the Video Poker Machine

Gameplay begins with the player inserting credits into the machine. This can be in the form of paper money or a player’s card. The player then proceeds to place a bet of one or multiple credits and pressing the deal button. The player is shown their hand and offered the chance to shed one or more cards to exchange them for new ones. This is known as the draw aspect of the game. These are all drawn from a virtual deck that represents a regular deck of cards.

Once the machine has issued new cards, it pays out if the hand played matches the listed winning combinations usually posted on the pay table on the video poker monitor.  These pay tables indicate the payout for various hands depending on their rarity. The rarer a hand is, the higher it pays out. For instance, a pair of jacks would pay even money. On the other hand, a royal flush (the rarest of all hands) would payout the maximum.

In addition to winning individual hands, there are other ways to profit. For instance, many video poker machines offer progressive jackpots or prizes. This entices the user to play more frequently and place higher wagers. Although the game is based on five card draw, the customer isn’t actually playing against another hand. Rather, they win by acquiring a specific combination of cards.

Regulation

In order to keep the equipment validated, calibrated and fair, video poker machines are regulated by individual state or Indian gaming agency. These regulatory bodies mandate that machines deal random card values out of a virtual card deck. The Nevada Gaming Commission began this rule with other states following shortly thereafter. All video poker machines are tested prior to going live on the casino floor.

Video poker can provide entertainment for hours on end. Since every casino is in business to make money, the machines are set to slightly favor the house. Although skill is involved, it’s extremely difficult to be popular in the long run. Consequently, it’s best to enjoy the excitement and have fun!

Planning your trip to the casino is important and part of that planning should go in to what you bring to the casino. Having everything you need will prevent you from either having to go back for an item you forgot, or doing without it entirely. You do not need to load your self down with equipment, but having a few things handy will make your day at the casino easier and more enjoyable.

1. Carry identification at all times. You will need your id from the moment you walk up to the door of a casino. Casinos have age limits and several casinos card patrons as a rule, regardless of how old or young they appear to be. Without an id, you will not be able to get in to the casino. You will also need your id to collect a big jackpot.

2. Carry emergency contact information. Your id will not tell the casino staff what to do in case of an emergency. If something unfortunate was to happen and you became injured it would go a lot smoother if the casino staff or an emergency responder was able to quickly locate someone who knew your previous condition, allergies, and hospital requirements.

If you have a cell phone, you can enter in an emergency contact number in to your address book under the name ICE. ICE stands for “in case of emergency” and is a widely recognized system. If you do not have a cell phone, you can write your emergency contact information down and place it in your wallet by your identification cards.

3. Carry cash. It is not a necessity to carry your bankroll in to the casino. There are ATMS and cashiers all over the casino floor. However, cashiers should be tipped and the ATM machines at casinos often come with high withdrawal fees. It is highly possible that it would be cheaper for you to take get cash outside of the casino. However, if you plan to spend more then a couple hundred dollars do not walk around with that much cash in your wallet; utilize the cashier for smaller chunks of money.

4. Carry your rewards card. Most casinos offer a rewards card. The rewards you get are based on how much you play. If you have a rewards card, make sure it is always with you in the casino and that you use it as much as possible.

“We are the game” is the slogan Microgaming uses to describe their company. They are the second largest and most popular software developers for the online casino industry. The company boasts a long list of online gambling sites.

Established in 1994, Microgaming is a consistent industry-leader by creating innovating products and conducting inventive thinking. The primary ideas that have produced success for Microgaming include:

• Product quality
• Powerful management tools
• Uncompromised security characteristics

The Microgaming sites have become synonymous with enormous jackpots. By offering over 20 progressive jackpots across all sites, customers have more of an opportunity to hit it big. This has become their trademark and thousands of internet gamblers have flocked to their sites. Since Microgaming’s conception, the company has paid out over $225 million.

In addition to the massive jackpots, Microgaming also controls one of the world’s largest online poker networks. This connects numerous players at different levels from various locations around the globe as the poker platform supports many different languages. A consistent theme is their big payouts. Poker tournaments offered on the Microgaming network tend to be some of the most aggressive and have the largest payouts.

Additionally, Microgaming provides a large bingo network for the traditional player, mobile gaming solutions for those on the go, live dealer games for those players that want to replicate reality and software packages for land based casino operators. Overall, the company offers over 120 casinos and 40 poker rooms that are available on the web. Within this network, there are 400 games to play.

A few of the most popular online casinos include:

• Prime Casino
• Spin Palace Casino
• Casino Splendido
• Roxy Palace Casino

There are many advantages to hiring Microgaming to develop casino software. First, Micrograming provides some of the most durable and robust casino software around. Next, a training academy is available for casino operators to ascertain new information about leading-edge practices and software and participate in ongoing training. Additionally, new game releases, ongoing system maintenance and upgrades add to the effectiveness of the software.

Microgaming views both their players and customers as top priority. With new games, large jackpots and huge networks, players are consistently satisfied. Casino customers are granted ongoing upgrades and maintenance, new games, training and excellent software. These aspects keep all their customers happy, resulting in an increased retention rate each year and consistent growth.

When first starting out at a new casino, it’s beneficial to play a few games in practice mode. This helps the user get used to the casino interface so they don’t make a mistake during a live game. Since many online casinos do not have a clear description of the rules of specific games, it’s important to practice while learning a new game. This will help the player adjust to the rules, betting structure, etc.

What to do if a Casino Doesn’t Offer Practice Mode

Unfortunately, in some instances online casinos do not offer practice games. They expect the player to jump right in and begin betting. If this is the case, either find another casino that does provide practice areas or play at the lowest wagering limits possible. That way only a minimal amount of money is lost while learning the game.

How to Find Casinos that Offer Practice Mode

The best method to finding online casinos that offer some type of practice mode is to search through the interface after downloading the application. There should be a whole area dedicated to free play. Most casinos will start the player off with a number of free credits to use within the free play section. The credits hold no monetary value.

All major casinos usually provide some type of free play or practice area. Many even offer tournaments that are free to enter and the winner receives a monetary prize. This is another excellent method for practicing. Players in these tournaments make more logical bets as there is actual money to be won.

Disadvantages of Practice Mode

The only real disadvantage to playing in practice mode is that many other players will place wild and erratic bets since there is no real money involved. This is also a common pattern found at lower wagering limits as well. This type of betting can be frustrating to users trying to hone in and improve their skills. Also, this type of betting is not representative of a true game.

With so many casinos to choose from on the internet, offering hundreds of games, the best way to select them is to find a casino that offers a game you’re interested in. If they have it, ensure you’ll receive free credits to play in the practice area. This will prepare you to participate in real money games and know all the rules, betting structure, nuances and the interface.