The deposit bonus at Bovada Poker is somewhat unique in the world of online poker. It would take several paragraphs to explain it so instead I will suggest visiting OnlinePokerSiteReviews.org. This web site has a detailed guide to the bonuses and promotions available at Bovada Poker. Their Bovada Poker review is also much more comprehensive than this blog post so if you have any questions about something not covered here they would be a good place to look. They are one of the few online poker review sites that offer detailed and unbiased information about Bovada Poker.

Bovada Poker Software Review

The software at Bovada Poker is not going to be the same as you may remember if you have played at Bodog in the past. They recently upgraded their software and there are some new aspects to it. One upgrade in particular has caused a lot of controversy at online poker forums. This feature is anonymous tables and poker players are still debating if it is good or bar. When you sit down at an anonymous table at Bovada Poker you will be assigned a number instead of your username. Supporters claim that this feature will protect their playing history from data-mining web sites. In essence this will prevent an online card shark from looking up a recreational player’s username and learning a great deal about how they play. Others have claimed that this feature will prevent the online community from spotting cheaters. If this feature was implemented at Ultimate Bet or Absolute Poker there would have been no way for users at 2+2 to spot and confirm that employees were using super-user accounts to steal their money.

Bovada Poker Traffic & Game Line-up Review

Bovada Poker shares players with Bodog so that makes them a sizable US poker room. They currently rank #2 amongst US poker sites and boast several thousand players during peak hours. Bovada is an excellent room for Texas Hold’em and both Omaha poker games. They also offer Stud but the traffic is erratic. Tournaments and sitngos receive plenty of attention but it seems like most people play at Bovada’s ring tables.

Action At Bovada Poker

As I mentioned above, most players stick to the cash games at Bovada. Bovada’s parent company is one of the largest sports books on the Internet and they also have a very popular casino. For years many people have claimed that Bovada/Bodog was the home of the softest poker games online. This is due to the large number of sports bettors and casino gamblers that occasionally play at the poker room. I cannot say if this is true or not but there certainly must be some truth to it. I suggest you sign-up for a free account and check it out for yourself.

Titan Poker

The Titan bonus code TNBONUS provides new players with one of the largest poker bonuses in 2012. You can receive up to $2,000 when you use this bonus code and make a deposit. The average poker bonus ranges from $500-$600 so this deal is pretty unique.  They match your initial deposit at 200% when you use this bonus code. The match percentage at Titan is also superior to the standard 100% found elsewhere. To clear this bonus at Titan Poker you will only need to play poker and earn points. The number of points you earn per hand is determined by how much rake Titan Poker takes out of the pot.  The rake at Titan Poker is in line with the industry average.

In addition to the money new players will also receive tickets to special tournaments. After using the bonus code listed above you will be awarded four tournament tokens. These tokens can be used to enter the $2,500 GTD tournaments exclusively for new depositors. These private freerolls are not open to everyone so the number of competitors will be relatively low.

One of the leading promotions at Titan Poker in 2012 is the VIP program. This Club Titan breakdown provides a thorough review of the VIP-Club but I will give you the basic details. There are nine benefit levels at Titan Poker.  Each Club level has a unique set of incentives:

• Point multiplier – Titan Poker will credit you with more points per hand. You can earn anywhere from 10% to 120% more points. You can use these points several different ways but most players at Titan Poker opt to trade them in for cash.
• Freerolls & Sitngos – Titan Poker hosts VIP-Club freerolls for the various levels. These free-to-enter tournaments have prize pools ranging from $500 to $5,000.

When you trade in points for cash at Titan Poker the number of points needed for each $1 decreases. There are 13 different exchange rates that vary from 250 points/$1 to as low as 58 points/$1. The cash rewards start at $5 and go as high as $120,000.

Very few poker rooms have VIP programs that can compete with Titan’s. In total you can redeem just under $190,000. Once you are on one of the higher VIP tiers you will earn points quicker and they will essentially be worth more money. This has enticed many players to play poker exclusively at this room.

I’ve checked out the web site and software. It doesn’t seem like they put much effort into making it functional or making it look good. That’s really the two main things a new poker room needs so the Kingdom of Poker is off to a bad start. I honestly expected better from an Asian poker room.

Kingdom of Poker is going to fight an uphill battle. Since they are not part of a network they have no traffic. Right now there are 4 real money players at a NLH table. They do offer two cool and uncommon games so that will help them but they really need to fix the web site and the platform. Check out these Kingdom of Poker review and Kingdom of Poker bonus guides.

On January 10th 2012 Kingdomofpoker was excited to announce that they are now live, and they will be accepting cash deposits from Visa or MasterCard.  New players will be able to take advantage of a 100% deposit bonus up to $1000.  All that is needed is the bonus code “FREE1000″ to be entered along with your cash deposit.  Also a $10 cash bonus will be credited to your account with the code “CASH10″.

Pokerstars is bringing some new and exciting changes for it’s players in the new year.  New players will experience the best Pokerstars has to offer in 2012 by entering Pokerstars affiliate marketing code PSP11820.  Once signed up players will immediately take advantage of the welcome bonus package that includes:

• 100% match bonus on your 1st deposit
• 100% match bonus on your 2nd deposit
• 100% match bonus on your 3rd deposit
• 4 tickets to the $100,000 New Depositor Freerolls
• Visit Pokerstars – Download

To get the ball rolling the Pokerstars affiliate code must be entered during the final step of the sign up process.  Once your account is created, the Poker Stars bonus code STARS600 must be entered as well.  A 100% match for your first 3 deposits and 4 tickets for the 100k Freerolls for all new players awaits.  The 3 deposits add up to a maximum of $600 and are credited to your account in $10 deposits.  Both of these Pokerstars affiliate codes are good until 2013.

To sign up the Pokerstars affiliate marketing codes need to be entered during the final registration step.  Don’t forget to set the source menu at “Affiliate/Marketing Code” to take full advantage of the best bonuses that Pokerstars has to offer in 2012.

• Mobile betting apps – Some sports books develop free downloadable apps that are designed for the iPad, iPhone, Android powered phones & tablets and other mobile devices. You simply send a text message and the application will be sent to your phone. This is the preferred method used by the big UK bookmakers.
• Mobile friendly web pages – US sports books tend to setup special sections on their web sites that are designed to load properly on many types of mobile devices. This method is ideal for sports bettors that own older phones since these web pages work just as well using a basic $20 phone or a $200 smart-phone.

The Best Mobile Sportsbooks For iPad Users

Many online sportsbooks have rules that restrict U.S. citizens from placing real money wagers due to unclear gambling laws in the USA. There are still quite a few reputable US friendly bookmakers that support mobile iPhone betting so I have picked the most popular to include with the UK sportsbooks listed below. Here are the top two UK and the top US online sportsbook for iPad users going in to 2012.

• Bookmaker – This sports book welcomes both American and European sports bettors. They do not actually offer an app but they have a section on their site that works with almost ever device that allows web browsing. This includes the Apple iPad, iPhone and the iTouch. Once you log in to your mobile Bookmaker account you can do much more than simply bet on sports. Other activities include Blackjack, horse race betting and checking your bet history and open wagers.
• William Hill – Regular sports bets at William Hill can be made by visiting mobile.williamhill.com or by downloading their Shake-a-bet app at the Apple App Store. Both options work perfectly on the iPad so OI suggest trying both and choosing the one that best suits your tastes.
• Paddy Power – Developing an iPad app was a no-thinking for Paddy Power since 4 out of 10 tablet users own an iPad. This app is easy to use and comes with great graphics. This has been available since 2010 so it is one of the most used mobile sports betting apps going in to 2012.

These are not the only iPad sports betting sites but I consider them to be the best of 2011 and they will likely keep this title during 2012.

Claiming & Clearing Your PartyPoker Bonus

The first step is to sign up and make a deposit. PartyPoker accepts more deposit methods than virtually any other poker room so this should be fast and easy. You will see an area that asks for a bonus code. Simply enter the PartyPoker bonus code SKYHIGH and complete the deposit. You can deposit money via several different currencies. If possible you should make your first deposit using either British Pounds or Euros. This will give you over $200 extra dollars when you factor in the difference in value between USD and the two currencies mentioned above.

Clearing this PartyPoker bonus is relatively easy when compared to similar promotions at other large online poker sites. Once again, the currency you use will determine how many Party Points are needed to clear the bonus. For deposits in USD you will need to earn 6 points per dollar. If you deposited using GBP the rate will be 9 points per Pound.

PartyPoker will place the bonus money into your bonus account and it will be instantly transferred to your cash account in 10% intervals. Other poker rooms only pay out bonuses all at once or not at all so this system is much better for low stakes players. PartyPoker gives you a full 60 days to clear your signup bonus so most players having little trouble receiving the entire bonus.

Other PartyPoker Promotions

Players that entered the PartyPoker bonus code SKYHIGH can also take part in a couple other promotions. PartyPoker has an excellent freeroll program that gives away $100,000 in prizes per month. New depositors can play in many of these events. Here is an overview of a couple types of freerolls offered at PartyPoker:

• $1,500 Saturday Freeroll – This freeroll runs weekly and is available exclusively for new players that made their initial deposit within the last 60 days. These events have relatively small playing fields so the actual value of an entry can range from $5-$10 so I suggest playing in these events with the same tactics as you would a $10 buy-in MTT. I say this because many people tend to play ultra loose simply because it is a freeroll but in reality it is no different from a $5-$10 MTT with a 150-player playing field. Play smart and you can do very well in these events during your first two months.
• Daily $150 Country-based Freerolls - PartyPoker runs a $150 freeroll every day for players from certain countries. There are seven of these events everyday and they each focus on players from a certain region (i.e. East Europe, Germany, South Pacific…ect).

As you can see there are several benefits to using the PartyPoker bonus code SKYHIGH. You can turn a small deposit into hundreds of dollars by taking advantage of their deposit bonus and freerolls.

What Is Spread Betting & How Does It Work?

When I first heard of spread betting I initially thought it was nothing more than point spread betting on sporting events but I soon learned that I was way off. Spread betting is centered in the UK but people from around the world have been doing it for many years. The basic concept behind spread betting will be appealing to many online poker players. It may seem pretty complex at first but it is actually quite simple. You can compare it to poker in a way. Learning the game of Texas Hold’em is simple enough but mastering it is much more difficult.

You can bet on a wide range of things in spread betting including single stocks, currencies and entire indexes.  Here are a few examples:

• Single stock: Apple Inc. (APPL)
• Entire indexes: NASDAQ
• Currencies: GBP

There are two basic options in spread betting. To keep things simple let’s say that you want to bet on Apple Inc.

• You can wager that the stock will increase in value.
• You can wager that the stock will decrease in value.

Simple online research can help you determine which option to choose. Let’s say that Apple will be launching a new iPhone and after reading some articles written by people that have seen the new device you feel that it will be a huge success. In this case you would want to bet that the stock price will increase.

In a different scenario you may have read that Motorola will be unveiling a new phone and you think that it will become more popular than the iPhone. This would likely reduce iPhone sales and cause the stock price to go down.

That seems pretty simple and when you factor in the almost limitless number of things you can bet on it will almost seem like an easy way to win money. Blindly betting on a spread gives you 50:50 odds on winning or losing and you can improve your odds by doing a little research.

Why Choose City Index?

As I mentioned above City Index allows you to bet on spreads in more markets than almost every other spread betting site online. I like City Index because they offer a wide range of tutorials and guides. This makes them one of the most friendly spread betting sites for beginners. You can even open up a demo account and give spread betting a try for a couple weeks. This will give you the complete spread betting experience without risking any money, kind of like play money tables at a poker room. I would suggest taking advantage of the demo account for anyone who is new to spread betting online.

There are definitely some small poker rooms and networks that poker players from the USA should avoid. My job as a poker affiliate gives me access to a lot of “behind the scenes” information and I usually learn about any scandals before they hit the poker communities so I am in a good position to at least point you in the right direction. Here are some small overviews of a couple poker sites that accept U.S. players as well as some bonus code offers.

Bodog Poker – U.S. Players Welcome

As I mentioned above the status of US players in 2012 is questionable. If they simply block new US sign-ups you will be very glad that you got in now. Bodog has been offering sports betting, casino gambling and poker to Americans for many years. They were always in the shadow of the larger rooms but that is no longer a problem. There were four US friendly poker sites that were larger than Bodog at the start of 2011. Three out of those four rooms are no longer open and have not paid players back a single dime. Only Pokerstars had the integrity to honor all debts when they banned players from the USA back in April.

Bodog Poker was the only large US poker site that wasn’t shut down in April. Since then they have really capitalized on the millions of American poker players that had recently been booted from Absolute Poker, Pokerstars, UB Poker and Full Tilt Poker.  Bodog accepts several USA poker deposit options and have a reputation for fast, hassle-free payouts. Use the Bodog Poker referral number 1980701 to claim a 100% bonus up to $1,000 and up to $100 in instant cash.

Intertops Poker – A Popular U.S. Poker Room

Intertops is another excellent poker room for US players. A couple months ago they actually had to stop accepting new players because of the massive number of American signing up there. They have upgraded their software and hardware to cope with the increase in traffic and they are once again open to players from the United States. The only bad thing I can say about this poker room is about the constant cashout delays. This is another reason they stopped accepting new players. Their banking systems were not able to process U.S. cashouts quickly enough so they used the few months to get caught up but they are once again backlogged. Paper check cashouts to addresses in the USA can take several weeks at Intertops. They are working hard to find faster solutions though. Use the Intertops Poker bonus code EZBONUS for the maximum deposit bonus in November of 2011.

Free Money At Online Bingo Sites

Online bingo halls dish out no deposit bonuses to attract new real money players. This type of promotion enables skeptical players to give real money online bingo a try without giving out any financial information or risking any of their own money. After you signup at a bingo site that offers a no-deposit bonus you will typically receive a cash credit within 24 hours. The amount of cash ranges from £5 to £16 at the top bingo sites. There will be a few restrictions and rules on this free bingo money. You cannot simply cash it out immediately. You will have to fulfill any wagering requirements attached to the bonus before withdrawing it or any of the money you won. Here are the top free bonus offers for non-depositing online bingo players:

• Ruby Bingo – £16 Free!
• 888 Ladies Bingo – £5 Free!

Deposit Bonuses At Online Bingo Sites

If you are like millions of other people you will love the fun and relaxing nature of online bingo. Throw in the possibility of winning money and you might find yourself hooked for life. Online bingo sites offer bonuses when a new player makes their first deposit. These bonuses can range from £25 to over £200.  These welcome bonuses are meant to thank you for signing up and becoming a real money bingo player. Many online bingo halls will also give you bonuses on future deposits. These are called re-load bonuses and they can turn a losing week into a winning week.

It is important that you read the bingo site’s terms and conditions for bonuses. There are certain restrictions on cashing bonus money out too quickly. They usually require players to play a certain number of bingo games before the bonus money is officially considered “cleared”. Once the bonus is cleared you can do whatever you want with it. Here are a few of the best bingo bonuses offered online:

• 888 Bingo – 200% up to £200
• William Hill Bingo – 250% up to £150
• Wink Bingo – 200% up to £100

Best Promotion For New Bingo Players – William Hill Bingo

Bonuses are not the only incentive online bingo sites offer to new players. The William Hill bingo site has an amazing promotion running right now. They have an exclusive bingo lounge that is strictly for new players. After signing up you will be able to play in this lounge for one week. What makes this so special is the fact that during this week you will be able to play in real money bingo games for free. They run regular bingo games that feature cash prizes and you will not have to buy a single card to play in these games.

Because this lounge is restricted there are relatively few players. This gives you a much better chance of catching a bingo before anyone else.

What Can I Play Mobile Blackjack On?

There are many devices that you can play Blackjack on. Obviously the iPhone and the iPad are the most notable devices but there are many others. Mobile Blackjack sites have developed apps that are compatible on different smart phone operating systems. Your house computer or laptop may use Windows Vista or Windows 7. Smart phones and tablets also have their own operating systems. Every mobile Blackjack site that I know of offers an app for Android, a popular software for smart phones. There are hundreds of different types of phones that use this software so you can essentially play mobile Blackjack using any of these devices, provided the hardware meets the minimum requirements.

Some mobile Blackjack casinos can be accessed by over 1,500 different phones and tablets.  You will probably not be able to play mobile Blackjack on a $15 pay-as-you-go phone but any of the more modern phones will usually work fine. Touch-screen phones are typically great. As a rule of thumb any phone with a nice size screen has a decent chance of being compatible with the mobile Blackjack apps available at the top online casinos.

Online Blackjack Vs Mobile Blackjack

There really isn’t a big difference between mobile Blackjack and regular online Blackjack. The rules and house edge is the same in both. Look at it as simply playing online Blackjack on a smaller screen. Mobile Blackjack definitely has one major perk:

• You can play anywhere – Stuck waiting on/for a bus/train? No problem, you can play Blackjack for fun or real money on your smart phone.

Mobile casino gambling is going to be big in 2012. It is not restricted to Blackjack. Here is a brief list of the casino games you can play on your mobile device:

• Mobile slots
• Mobile bingo
• Mobile video poker

You can even play mobile poker. While mobile Blackjack is my favorite game to play on my iPhone it is nice to take a break every now and then and play other games.

Who Offers Mobile Blackjack Apps?

There are many online casinos that offer apps for mobile play. The cost of developing these apps is pretty high so only the brand name casinos can afford to do so. Here is a list of some of the top mobile Blackjack casinos online today:

• Ladbrokes Casino
• William Hill Casino
• Wild Jack Casino
• 32 Red Casino