Virgin Casino released a new online slot today. The game, developed by IGT, is called Monopoly: You’re In the Money. The online slot is based on the iconic board game, which from its debut in 1904 until now has pleased and punished children worldwide.

Monopoly is both one of the most popular board games ever and one of the most boring. I somehow managed to avoid playing it as a child, but was forced to do so at work one day (long story). As I imagined, spending hours sitting there waiting for other players to roll the dice and decide what to do doesn’t make for an interesting game. For whatever reason, though, the game was hugely popular and became a pop culture icon.

Now Virgin Casino has an online slot based on the board game. The game is a 5-reel, 30-payline slot that features the Monopoly board as players move around it to win bonuses. The reels feature symbols associated with the game, such as the player pieces, buildings and more. The online slot has a big Mystery Bonus, where players are able to win up to 12,000 times their wager.

Warren Eloff, Head of Products at Virgin Games, said that he is excited that Virgin is one of the first online casinos to offer Monopoly: You’re In the Money. He said that it is bound to be popular due to “nostalgia for this household favorite.” Maybe his household has never played the game, but it is definitely not a favorite in mine. Eloff also said that “with its fantastic features and high number of bonuses, this game will not disappoint – it’s a casino classic in the making.”

There is a new blackjack variation making its way around the casino industry and the name of this game is Double Attack Blackjack. The spin in this game is not in being dealt pairs or something similar like in other blackjack variations. This one changes what happens to the dealer. Neat idea right? Check it out:

A round of Double Attack Blackjack begins with the players placing their wagers just as they would in a standard game of blackjack. Then it is time to have the cards dealt. But rather than having the dealer hand out the first two cards that each player receives, the dealer’s up card is dealt first—that is a nice hit to his odds because it allows players to begin choosing how they will play their hands even though they have not received their cards yet; this is because they know going in if the dealer has a decent shot of busting or not.

Naturally there is a secondary or side bet in this blackjack variation, and here is where it comes in. Once the dealer’s up card is dealt, players can place a second wager, thusly increasing their wager if the dealer’s up card presents a favorable chance of him busting. These secondary or side bets cannot exceed the amount of the original wager though. So if you wager $20 at the onset of the round, your secondary wager cannot be more than $20.

Once the dealer’s up card has been dealt and players have either chosen to place a second side bet or to pass up the opportunity, the dealer will then deal a starting hand of two cards to each player. At this point the game is played out just like a regular game of blackjack. There are some changes to the rules; some favor the players and other the house. For instance players can double on any number of cards. They can even double on splits. Players can also make a late surrender if they feel it is necessary. And to top it off the dealer has to stand on all 17’s, so none of that hitting a soft 17 on the dealer’s part. But the trade off for all this is that a natural blackjack only has a 1-1 payout and that this variation is played with a Spanish deck. Spanish decks have had the 10 spot cards removed so that the only cards worth 10 remaining are the face cards.

But all of that considered, the house edge on this blackjack variation is 0.62 when playing with a modified blackjack strategy. That strategy means hitting a Hard 12 or 13 against any and all dealer up cards, and those Hard 14s will be hit against a dealer 2 or 3. Oh and if you are holding a soft 16 with a total less than 16 do not double down.

At this point in time this variation is still circling the US casino floors, but like all variations it will find its way into the online casino world. So keep your eyes peeled when in a land casino and also in the next several months in the online casinos—Double Attack Blackjack is bound to show up.

If a certain topic or license is popular in one form, it could be popular in other forms. Online casinos struggle to make their games stand out from those of competitors, so when they find a hit, the idea is to milk it for all it’s worth. Playtech online casinos have been doing that lately with their online scratch cards. The software designer has been releasing scratch card games based on their most popular online slots. This week, they are at it again, releasing online scratch card games for King Kong and Iron Man 2.

The King Kong-based game is called Kong Scratch. It is based on the online slot Kong: the 8^th Wonder of the World. Like the online slot, it is officially licensed by Universal Studios and is based on the Peter Jackson remake of the classic movie about the giant ape from Skull Island. There are six symbols on the scratch cards, each based on the movie based on that other movie. Players can select a card with a price ranging from $0.10 to $100. That maximum payout for the card depends on the card price and ranges from $1,000 to $1 million.

The other new Playtech online scratch card is the Iron Man 2 Scratch. This is based on the online slot, which is based on the movie based on the comic book. The Iron Man 2 Scratch is a matching game where there are 9 symbols arranged 3 by 3. Prizes are awarded based on any matches found by scratching the card.

For both games, the result of scratching the tickets is controlled by the random number generator. The new scratch cards can be found at any Playtech-licensed online casino.

So apparently there is a new slot tournament on Facebook. I don’t really see the point, but the game designer is really excited about it. Double Down Interactive has announced that it now has the first Social Slot Tournaments on Facebook. The tournaments can be played at DoubleDown Casino.

DoubleDown Casino is a game app that can be found on Facebook, just like Farmville and all of those other games. You only play for fun on the game, because Facebook doesn’t allow actual gambling. They do allow virtual gambling, though. You play with and earn credits. Those credits aren’t redeemable for cash and can’t be used to purchase anything real, but you can “buy” different virtual things from the casino or other Facebook apps.

DoubleDown Casino’s Facebook app has several slot games from which to choose, but they are all simplistic. Instead of being like the video slots you find at online casinos, they look like old-fashioned analog slot machines. There is a leader board that keeps track of how well you’re doing in the tournament and if you are one of the top tournament players, you can win virtual prizes.

If nothing else, this shows the necessity for the U.S. federal government to back off of online casinos and let people play where they want without worrying about payment processing. I mean, people want to play online slots so much that they will play for virtual credits that can only be used at other Facebook apps. Just imagine how happy they would be playing online slots for real money?

The last few month online casino game software developer Rival Gaming has been focusing on their fairly new lineup of 3D online slots games. Fans of Rival’s iSlot line of online slots games had begun to worry that the graphically intense online casino game creator had either forgotten its original call to fame or that they had decided to no longer release new iSlots.

Happily we can say that neither of those instances is the case. It appears that Rival had taken some attention away from its flagship line of online slots games to concentrate on their new line of 3D online slots games. Now it appears that attention is finally returning to the popular slots format. The end of June saw the release of a brand new iSlots entitled The Back Nine.

The Back Nine is a sequel to one of Rival’s earlier iSlots, Hole in Won. Like most iSlots The Back Nine gets its name from its bonus game. For those who are just getting on board with the iSlots, iSlots are known for their interactive bonus games in which the bonus payout is based on how well the player plays through the bonus game. The bonus games of iSlots are also known for another quality: that they are each stages of a story arch for the theme of the online slots game.

Let’s take a look at the bonus game story arch for The Back Nine. When players trigger the bonus game they are taken to Hole 1 of a golf course’s back nine holes. Players must successfully complete the hole in order to return to regular play. And if players are unable to complete the hole before being returned to regular play they will play that hole again and again until they successfully complete it. In effect, there are nine levels to this iSlot’s bonus game arch. Each time the bonus game is triggered the player plays a new hole in the golf course. Ideally the player will successfully complete the current hole, return to regular play until triggering the bonus game again, at which time they will play the next hole.

That is the progression that follows the typical pattern for an iSlot’s bonus game. But what about the bonus payouts? Like any other iSlot The Back Nine’s bonus game payouts are dependent on skill. Each hole has a par. Players who complete the hole under par receive a larger bonus prize than coming in at par, and coming over par means a smaller bonus prize.

On the whole a nice sequel to a previous successful iSlot. There is no doubt that The Back Nine will become another iSlot hit. It is nice to see Rival Gaming turning some of its attention back to their iSlots line of online slots games. Rival powered online casinos will be sporting the new iSlot.

Each month, Microgaming injects a little adrenaline into the online gambling world by releasing some new games. While traditional games like blackjack and Texas hold’em poker are popular online, more unique niche games also have a good following, so constantly releasing new games and staying current is important in the industry. This month, Microgaming is releasing three new games, two online slots and one roulette game.

The roulette game is called Multi-Player Premier Roulette – Diamond Edition. Multiplayer games aren’t new to online gambling – this is the third by Microgaming – but it is usually online slots that get the multiplayer treatment. This is the first non-slot in Microgaming’s portfolio to have a multiplayer platform.

Multi-Player Premier Roulette – Diamond Edition creates an environment similar to the inside of a brick and mortar casino, where you can place bets at the roulette table alongside other players and chat them up while you play. You create an avatar before approaching the roulette table and once there, can watch other players bet while you do and interact with them via a chat feature. One drawback for slower players is that you can’t take your time to place a bet at this roulette game. Because it is a multiplayer casino game, other players are waiting for you to place your bet, so you only have up to 60 seconds to make a decision.

Of the online slots, Riviera Riches is a traditional 5-reel, 15-payline slot. The slot portrays life at a classic, elegant casino. In addition to the regular payouts, using a roulette bonus you can unlock a 36x multiplier.

The other online slot is called Hexaline and Microgaming describes it as an “alternative slot” game. Instead of traditional reels and paylines, the screen shows “adjacent hexagons from left to right on the honeycomb grid” and players aim to complete a colored chain of those hexagons. These new casino games can be found at any Microgaming casino online, including Platinum Play Casino.

Online blackjack is for the most part one of the easiest online casino games to learn to play. The rules are basic and the game software will even add up your hand total for you. The part of online blackjack that is a little bit trickier to manage is the strategy.

Really online blackjack strategy is not overly difficult. All a player need do is follow basic strategy to the letter—or to the play—and they can reduce the house edge over time to 0.5%. Even without basic strategy knowing when to hit or stand is pretty easy to do. It is the doubling down and pair splitting that strategy gets a little bit tricky.

We here at onlinecasinosuite.com like to pride ourselves in not only providing reviews for the top online casinos to play at, but we also give our readers tips and how-tos for their favorite online casino games. Today I am going to give you the two pairs in online blackjack that should never, ever be split. Since there are only two pairs, this is an easy tip to remember.

The two hands in online blackjack that should never be split are a pair of 10’s and a pair of 5’s.

The reason you do not ever split a pair of 10’s is because of what their hand totals are: 20. A pair of 10’s is another way of say a hard 20, and a hard 20 is the second strongest hand to be dealt after a natural 21. While a hard 20 does not win every single round it is dealt into, it wins more often than not. This is because the only way for the dealer to beat a hard 20 is by having a natural 21 himself; if the dealer has a hard 20 as well he will only push you and you at least will not lose your wager. If you were to split a pair of 10’s it would require extra risk to build those hands back up to being strong, which may or may not happen. Splitting a pair of 10’s an easy way to let greed hurt your odds.

As for a pair of 5’s, it is also stronger as a hard 10 rather than being split into two hands with low cards. A hard 10 is one of the two hands that can always be doubled down on. Doubling down when opportune can hit the house’s edge and knock 1.6% off. This is because doubling down is a strong hand that also has the potential of paying out for twice the normal amount if the dealer is beaten. A hard 10 will always be stronger than a pair of 5’s split up.

There you have the reasons for not splitting a pair of 10’s or a pair of 5’s. Keeping this tip in mind when you are playing blackjack online can help you to get the most out of your player odds, which means getting the most out of your game.

Online poker and online slots might be two of the most popular online casino games in the industry. But coming in right on their tales is online blackjack.

What makes online blackjack so popular is its already low house edge. Prior to using any strategy, the house edge only ranges from 2% to 5%. Compare that to the 14% average that online slots have. Also in online blackjack’s favor is how easy it is to learn to play. One afternoon spent learning the rules and practicing with basic strategy while playing with free money in practice modes, and a novice blackjack player is already on their way.

And speaking of basic strategy, it is another bright spot to online blackjack. Basic strategy is the easiest online casino game strategy to use, and it also packs the biggest punch. For the online blackjack players who can play perfect basic strategy, the house edge can be lowered to 0.5%. And all a player need do is do exactly what the chart says!

Basic strategy is a chart with every possible player hand running down the left hand side. Across the top is every dealer up card. Where each player’s hand and dealer up card intersect is a play. That play is the best statistical play for that combination of player hand and dealer up card combination. The important thing to know is that basic strategy does not guarantee a win every single time. But because it gives players the best possible play for that situation, it helps cut away at the house edge. Using the best statistical play causes players to lose less money over time; and that lowers the house edge.

One of the best things about basic strategy is that it is free to use and can be used with online blackjack (or I would not be telling you about it). Card counting cannot be used in online blackjack, which makes basic strategy the best possible strategy for online blackjack players to use.

Card counting is one of the most popularized skills for playing blackjack. It has been burned into popular culture thanks to movies like ‘Rain Man’ and ’21.’ Often times people have heard of card counting and know it has something to do with gambling and card games, but many do not know exactly what card counting is. But there are some things that the up and coming online blackjack player should know about this extremely popular blackjack skill.

For starters and for those who are just getting their feet wet with online blackjack play, card counting is a skill that blackjack players use in land casinos to help tilt the odds in their favor. This skill employs a counting system of some variety of another; some are more complex and others are very simple. Good card counting requires hours of practice in order to keep the count and do the math in your heard without any outward sign of what you are doing among the distractions of a casino floor. The purpose of card counting is for the blackjack player to know whether or not the remainder of the unplayed cards are rich in cards that favor the player, such as 10’s, face cards and Aces. When the count indicates that the cards are there the player will increase his wager in order to win more from the house.

Sound like a pretty neat trick, right? But this is a skill that must be done without the casino staff detecting that you are counting. While card counting is not illegal by any law, casino very much frown on it and will throw players out of casinos and even ban them for using it.

So what does this have to do with online blackjack? Well for starters I can tell you that you have no worry about getting caught counting cards in online blackjack and banned from an online casino for it. You do not have to worry because there is no physical casino to be thrown out of. The reason that online blackjack players do not have to worry about being thrown out of an online casino for card counting is because card counting cannot be used in online blackjack.

The thing that makes card counting possible is that cards are discarded from play once a round is over. In online blackjack, because of the Random Number Generator (RNG), there is an effect as if none of the cards are discarded. When a new round begins and the player clicks ‘deal,’ the RNG will pull a starting hand from all possible starting hands; no cards are excluded from the possibilities. Because none of the cards are excluded and any starting hand is possible at the beginning of each round, it has the effect as if none of the cards had been discarded. With no cards discarded, card counting becomes futile.

So even at the best online casinos card counting cannot be used. It is not the fault of the online casinos, but in the nature and programming of online blackjack. Instead online blackjack players should focus on using basic strategy, the math and odds of the game and their betting strategies to make the most out of their potential to win in online blackjack.