1. If you like the slots or video poker games you should search out the biggest jackpots. Not only can you win more money, but these games offer the best playing odds because of the potential profit.

2. Play when you’re happy, not when you’re upset. Don’t play online because you have problems, play when things are going well in your life.

3. Make sure you take advantage of buy-in re-load bonuses. They can extend your playing time and increase your chances of getting lucky. You don’t necessarily get them automatically.

4. Learn to play basic strategy if you play blackjack. You’ll win more often and get to play for a longer time. It’s more fun when you know you’re playing the best you can.

5. Get out when you’re up. If you’re up get most of that money in your pocket, and save a small percentage to play with.

It’s been almost a year since 18-year-old Annette Obrestad shocked the poker world by winning the WSOP Europe. The huge success of the event last year has attracted lots of big names for this year’s version. Expected to attend are Chris Ferguson, Erick Lindgren, Jennifer Harman, Daniel Negreanu, and Phil Hellmuth. Members of the November Nine will also be in attendance, displaying their new sponsorship brands. Expected to play are Ivan Demidov, Peter Eastgate, and David Rheem.

The events will be held under one roof this year. The action will all take place in the Casino at the Empire, London Clubs International’s newest club in the heart of London, at Leicester Square. The events will run from Sept 19 to Oct 2, and bracelets will be awarded in no-limit hold’em, H.O.R.S.E., and pot limit Omaha. The main event will be a five-day tournament, with a £10,000 ($18,300 US) buy-in.

Online Caribbean Holdem is a tough one for which to develop an optimum strategy. Without any of the dealer’s cards viewable, decision making is based purely on the player’s cards and the flop, or first three community cards. With two cards still to come, and an ante bet already made, it makes sense for the player to call the bet in most hands.

You’ll get to optimum playing strategy by calling just over 80% of the hands you’re dealt. Only the worst hands should be folded before the last two community cards are dealt. If you hold two small cards that have no chance of a flush or straight, you should fold them. The rest have the chance of beating the dealer. Or the dealer may not qualify and your call bet will be a push. Plus the ante bet will pay out, depending on the hand you’re able to compile.

Only a few short months ago Las Vegas was one of the fastest growing cities in America. But the national economy has slowed everything down, and Sin City development is feeling the pinch. Another developer has announced that will stop work on a big project for possibly as much as a year.

The Echelon, the $4B resort that will replace the Stardust, has decided to stop construction for at least three quarters. Boyd Gaming decided to shut down construction after experiencing trouble securing financing for some important parts of the project. The Echelon will eventually have 5,000 guest rooms, 750,000 square feet of meeting space, two theaters, and a 140,000 square foot casino.

So the economy is affecting not only the existing casino revenues, but it’s now slowing down the city’s expansion. Let’s hope that this year’s coming elections will be the start of the US economy bouncing back.

Goodluckgamblers.com is the latest addition to the Good Luck Gambling Company. GLG has done their own research into what global online players prefer, and are trying to deliver that on this site. The site acts as a gaming supplier, and offers the best of free-play casino games, special casino/hotel/travel offers, gambling tips, events, products, international forums, VIP Clubs, and more.

The site will even give “good luck forecasts” which will be determined by interesting things like astrology. I find it hard to believe that people want astrological forecasts before they bet at a casino, but I’ve heard stranger things.

Founder Phil Kelly said, “We are in a competitive, explosive market. Customers rightly expect that they should be the driving force behind our company. At Good Luck Gamblers, we know that our products and services are not only the very best available, but that they are driven by customer-stated needs.”

The number of women playing poker is increasing all the time. The WPT has decided to encourage this trend by creating an official ladies poker league and tour. The first season of the tour kicked off last January at the Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa in Atlantic City, NJ.

Other events were at the Commerce Casino in Los Angeles, at the Bay 101 Casino in San Jose, at Foxwoods Resort and Casino in Mashantucket, CT, and the championship event at the Bellagio in Vegas. The championship event took place last April and was a $1500 no limit holdem event.

The tour hasn’t announced plans for further events, or when it will start up again. The first season was a success, and the tour was able to raise money for breast cancer research at the same time. Participants had the opportunity to donate to the cause at each tour stop.

Excalibur Casino’s lucky slots

Some people spend years and years trying to hit a big jackpot in a casino. Many will be well into their golden years before the odds finally hit them, some will never hit that big one that changes their life forever, while others will sit down and win on the first try. The most famous story of someone doing that was in Vegas at the Excalibur Casino back in 2003.

A 25-year-old man who was traveling to Vegas to watch NCAA basketball, decided he would try out the slot machines. He sat down to play for a little while, only to hit the biggest jackpot ever paid out in Las Vegas. He won $39.7 million playing a progressive jackpot machine, a payout he will receive in $1.5M payments each year for 25 years. The investment of only $100 turned into a life on easy street for the lucky beginner.

Carrying around lucky charms is one of the oldest human behaviors. It never hurts to carry around a bit of hope in our pocket. It doesn’t take long to find a lucky rock or trinket in a casino, where everyone is hoping to get lucky. They can take just about any form, but here’s a couple that have stood the test of time.

A four-leaf clover is believed to be one of the luckiest things you can carry. It’s a rare find in a patch of clover, representing that you’re lucky and can beat the odds. You should have a real one, not a pin or a man-made patch. Go out and find one, you’ll start to feel lucky as soon as you do.

The mother of all trinkets is the mojo bag. This is a small sack filled with different herbs and powders to bring you luck.

There are some real great deals going on in Vegas this summer. The economy has slowed down, and so has the number of casino visitors. Revenues are down in 2008, so resorts in Vegas are pumping up the summer savings to get you there. You know there’s something going on when you get a room at the Monte Carlo for $69.

The MGM Grand has rooms on this summer for $90. With that room you get one complimentary poolside cocktail, one free admission to Studio 54, and 15% off MGM Grand Spa services.

If you really want to save money you can stay in a 375-square-foot standard manor room, furnished with two double beds and game tables with chairs in the seating area at Circus Circus for $42 per night.

The Rio has really nice rooms for $59. It’s off the Strip but it has the WSOP Lifestyle Show.

Dice control is a much-debated topic around the craps tables these days. Some players claim that they can control the outcome of the roll and beat the game. Not only are there educational resources for controlling the roll of the dice, but also information on how to organize a dice-control team.

Controlled dice rolling is a theory where the dice are held in a certain position and thrown at a certain angle, so that the outcome of the rolls will change enough to diminish the house edge over the player. There are very few individuals that claim to have consistently beaten the game, but there are many who claim to know how to teach you.

This technique does not put the player in a position to crush the game, like counting cards would do at a blackjack table. It only diminishes the house edge, so a big bankroll will be a requirement.