Baccarat is one of the simplest card games you’ll ever play and you actually don’t need to do anything while playing. There is no strategy involved in baccarat and the game relies on luck, which is why some people won’t play the game. The fact that baccarat is based on luck is also a reason many people do play the game though. Some people don’t like learning the strategy involved in some casino games and would rather just play the games that offer a good chance of winning and require no skill.

I want to talk about the rules and objective of baccarat briefly, but you should read all of the rules on the Bodog website. There isn’t any need to learn the rules in order to play, but it’s always nice to understand the game and what you’re doing rather then just betting on anything. Before we get into the rules I just want to talk about the Bodog Casino bonus briefly. If you’re new to Bodog then you can earn a 10% instant sign-up bonus when you make your first deposit into the casino. The bonus has small wagering requirements and there are no maximum limits on the amount you can receive.

Baccarat Rules

As I’ve already briefly mentioned, baccarat is one of the easiest card games you’ll ever play. All you need to do in baccarat is select whether you think the banker hand or player hand will win. You can also select the hands being a tie, which means you’ve only got three options too choose from. Once you’ve made your selection the cards will be dealt out and each hand will be ranked using the hand values listed under the rules section.

I’m not going to list out the hand rankings, but you should read them before you start playing. The objective is to have the highest hand in baccarat and the hand rankings range from 0-9. If you select the player hand or banker hand and you win you’ll be paid out 1:1 on your wager minus a 5% commission that the casino takes. If you bet on a tie and you happen to win the hand you’ll be paid out 9:1 on the wager.

Basically the only thing you need to do in baccarat is choose the amount of money you want to wager and then click on the player, banker or tie button and then click deal. The hand will be dealt and ranked instantly and you’ll find out whether or not you won any money. If you won money it’ll be credited to your casino balance and you can begin a new hand.

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What’s so great about UB ?

Simply put, everything ! UB is very special as a poker room, and this transpires by their player retention rate which is significantly above industry average. This phenomenon is even deeper in that a large fraction of players will play exclusively at UB moving forward. We think this comes from a number of factors:

No-Fluff Straight to the point software

The UB software certainly does the trick, it is clean, smart and efficient. On top of these qualities, it has to be the best looking poker software that we have found online, for american poker players. Just look at the screenshot above, you can even change the background to the Bahamas if you want, or the desert. The deal of cards is lightning fast, at least a clear cut above the average graphic intensive site.

Quota of Hands Seen per Hour is Unreal

UB deals its cards like machine gun bullets. You won’t be there waiting because graphic intensive animations occur (often mixed with some horrible sound effects). If you ask most players what they love about UB, they will tell you the deal of cards. This is seriously one of UB’s main selling points. If you are a pro, you know you need to maximize the number of hands seen per hour. Multi-playing is one option, playing at UB is another. If you were two tabling at a very slow site, it might be interesting to see whether you see the name number of hands single-tabling at UB.

The Fishiness of The Games is Unmatched

If you are looking for fishy sites, we think you will have found your heaven with UB. The density of tilting monkey is absurdly high and it seems no one is taking the game seriously. The result is that it should be very easy to make a few thousands dollars at the lowest stakes, playing only part time. Semi-pros or hard core grinders should easily be able to make a living from the game of poker at ub.

Great Promos + Qualifiers for The World Series

UB spoils its players with satellites to the WSOP every year. In fact, players get more than their fair share, say if you were trying to quality at Full Tilt Poker. They offer great real money deposit bonuses, such as DOUBLEPLAY, valid for all of 2010 which will confer a 111% sign-up bonus.

Party Poker

Look at any number of “best of” lists and you will likely see Party Poker consistently placed in at least the top three. Party Poker tops this list for their dedication to security, graphics and costumer service that makes them the pleasure of many European players and the envy of many players from the United States. Even without the United States, you will likely find more than 10,000 ring players during peak hours.

The graphics on Party Poker are outstanding. They constantly update their software to keep up with their main competitors, Full Tilt Poker and Poker Stars. You are given the opportunity to customize almost every part of the interface that you use while playing on Party Poker. One of the few downsides to their graphical presentation is that some players claim that the game tables tend to be crowded with cards and animations. While this is a minor feature, some player may consider it to be distracting. Still, the majority fidn the graphics to be pleasing and well rendered.

Everest Poker

In addition to the benefit of not having to pay taxes enjoyed by European poker website players, members of Everest Poker enjoy a $500 introductory bonus when making their first deposit. They come in at the number two EU poker site because of their independent software that features simplicity. If you feel drowned in a market full of complex and confusing graphics, you will enjoy the “back to basics” feel of Everest Poker.

Graphics are not the only strong point of Everest Poker, however. Their site security and customer service are fantastic when compared to other websites. It is obvious that the sacrifice in graphics is well justified by the attention they pay to the features that truly matter on a EU poker site. You will not be sorry if you choose to invest your money on the fine website known as Everest Poker.

Poker Kings

Poker Kings offers the same quality security and fairness enjoyed on all European licensed poker sites and takes it to the next level. Their encryption and random number generator make Poker Kings a very difficult egg to crack. In addition, their beautiful software and clean interface make playing on Poker Kings a very enjoyable experience. Combined with a substantial 30% rake back and an average site traffic of 3,500, Poker Kings just barely misses the number two website on this list.

How this method works is when you log into your Poker Stars account, head into the Cashier option that’s located inside of the lobby area of the casino software. Once you find the cashier feature, players must click on buy chips to fund their online poker website accounts with real money. After the player clicks on buy chips, then their credit card account information is added into the cashier. It only takes a few minutes to process your credit card information, and you automatically receive your poker chips and can start playing. Remember when you deposit funds into your account, that the minimum is $10. Furthermore, players should know that you cannot make a withdrawal with your credit card, another method has to be used such as e-Wallet for international members and check for American customers.

Although using your Visa or MasterCard is a quick and reliable way to add funds into your Poker Stars account, some credit cards will be declined, especially when used by American players because of the UIGEA laws. If this happens, the next best method for purchasing chips is to send an e-Check to Poker Stars. However, with e-Checks, the minimum deposit is $25, and it can take up to 10 days to clear your bank. You can deposit an e-Check the same way as your credit card; except for you enter in your account and routing number, instead of entering your credit card number and security code. Players can also use e-Checks to make withdrawals from their Poker Stars account, when they are ready to cash out.

Purchasing poker chips at Poker Stars is easy and quick to do. However, not every method will instantly appear in your player account. That is why credit cards are a popular option for players from the United States and all over the world. Not only do funds appear instantly into their accounts, players can enjoy their hands without a tedious wait. If you are tired of participating in the free games offered at Poker Stars and want to play for real jackpots, then using your credit card is the best way to go. Players not only participate in the fun a lot sooner than the rest.

Pokerstars

Pokerstars features some of the highest site traffic online. As double or nothing sit and goes normally require ten players, it can be difficult to find games without waiting for other ones to finish. Their substantial 100% match bonus (up to a maximum of $600) can be applied to double or nothing games so you can start building your bankroll early.

Cake Poker

Cake Poker does not feature as high of a traffic base as Pokerstars but can be a great choice for players that are conservative with both their play style and their bankroll. Most players find the double or nothing sit and go games to play very softly, good news for conservative players. Their 110% match bonus (once again, up to a maximum of $600) allows players to increase smaller bankrolls quickly while playing these types of games.

Quick Note on Strategy

We understand that without some idea of basic double or nothing strategy, you will not get very far at even the best online poker site for double or nothing sit and goes. For that reason, we are including the basic strategies for this type of game.

Play Conservatively: Just sit back and watch the aggressive players wipe each other out. There is no reason to chase weak odds as you will not be able to keep the winnings. Remember that the last five players receive double their buy-in and nothing else. More aggressive players often make the mistake of trying to chase players away with large bets or raises. Let them do so and be quick to fold.

Decide Hands Before the Flop: On the same note, most of your hands will be decided based on the cards you hold in your hand. There is no downside to letting bad cards go. Don’t give in to the temptation of wanting to see a flop every time. With double or nothing sit and goes, it is far better to play very slowly and let other players eliminate themselves.

Play Multiple Tables: As most decisions in this type of game are very easy to make, you can easily play several tables at once without sacrificing strategy. This is the reason that many players find sit and goes to be such great bankroll builders.

Pacific Poker

Pacific Poker holds an annual World Series of Poker qualifier tournament. The qualifier can be won by playing satellite tournaments for as little as one dollar, buying directly into a qualifier for $500, or by playing for free in a freeroll. The grand prize package this year was worth $17,000, and included a coveted seat in the World Series of Poker.

ESPN Poker Club

Each year, the World Series of Poker is televised on ESPN. ESPN uses a tournament on their Poker Club web page to promote the event, and offer users a chance to win an entry to the World Series of Poker. Players compete in a weekly tournament each Sunday for six weeks, and the top twenty-five players from each tournament qualify for the final tournament. The winner of the final tournament earns a free seat in the World Series of Poker. This year, ESPN’s Poker Club tournament was won by Eric Mullen, a 37-year-old transportation planner for the Michigan Department of Transportation. He defeated 441 opposing players to earn his spot in the World Series.

PokerStars

Annually, PokerStars holds a massive promotion offering free seats in the World Series of Poker. Entitled the WSOP Million Dollar Giveaway, PokerStars distributes one million dollars worth of World Series of Poker packages, each including a seat in the big tournament. Each package includes a $10,000 seat in the main event, $2,500 for expenses and spending money, and hotel accommodations at the Palms resort.

Every registered player at PokerStars has the opportunity each week for several weeks to play in a Round 1 freeroll tournament. The top fifty finishers in each are eligible to move on to the Weekly Final. Three Weekly Finals are held each Saturday. Qualifiers can choose one of the three available tournaments: morning, afternoon, and evening. The morning tournament winner and the top three finishers from the afternoon and evening tournaments will receive a free prize package and attend the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas.

Although any of these freeroll tournaments represent long odds are extremely stiff competition, the prospect of a free trip to the World Series is more than enough to fill the qualifier tournaments. If you decide to take part in any of these events, be sure to log on early for a chance at the grand prize.

Ultimate Bet

By using the bonus code, DOUBLEPLAY, your account will be credited with a 111% deposit bonus.

Sportsbook

Sportsbook Poker is one of the oldest online poker sites in existence. Starting in 1997, the sit also includes sections dedicated to horse race and sports betting, as well as other casino games. The site is extremely secure, though deposit options are limited to VISA, MasterCard, and Neteller. Statistics tracking will be endlessly useful to players looking to keep track of their hands. Sportsbook Poker is known for its loose play, and poker veterans can expect to make a lot of real cash here.

With a 100% bonus match, the site will double a new registrant’s initial deposit. The maximum bonus is $1,000. Enter bonus code XXXX to receive this benefit.

Carbon Poker

If you’re looking for more varieties of poker than just the usual Texas Hold’em, Omaha, and 7 Card Stud, look no further than Carbon Poker. The site offers the usual game types, as well as 5 Card Draw, 2-7 Draw, and even mixed games like HORSE. Graphics are clean, clear, and easy to understand, the site is known for solid customer support. Unfortunately, the site is still growing, and although it’s easy to find plenty of poker at peak hours, you might not be able to find the game type you want if you’re running the graveyard shift.

Carbon Poker offers a massive 200% bonus match, with a maximum deposit bonus of $550, making it one of the most desirable poker sites for wallet-conscious players. Enter bonus code XXXX to receive your bonus.

PlayersOnly

There’s only one site with competition softer than SportsBook, and it’s PlayersOnly. Established in 2006, and with a growing player base of nearly 8,000, the site attracts many novice poker players. Skilled players can jump right in and start winning serious money. Similar to Sportsbook, the site offers comprehensive statistics tracking. A million dollars in prize money is guaranteed to be distributed each month via tournament play. The busiest tables, and loosest play, are generally low stakes.

PlayersOnly offers a 110% bonus match, up to a maximum bonus of $1,000. Enter code XXXX to receive this bonus.

All of the aforementioned sites are safe and secure, with growing player bases and downloadable software designed to enhance and streamline your poker experience. With massive sign up bonuses like these, players are able to jump right in with double or even triple the money they initially deposit.

In its inaugural 2002 season, the WCOOP seemed impressive enough, featuring 9 events with overall prize pools totaling more than $730,000. However, when you compare that to the latest 2009 WCOOP, held last summer, there isn’t much to compare. In fact, the 2009 WCOOP is closely comparable to the World Series of Poker itself.

With each new PokerStars WCOOP, the events list grows, and the prize pools rise to new, unimagined heights. In 2003, 11 events paid more than $2.7 million. The 2004 WCOOP grew once more to 12 events with $6 million guaranteed. 2005’s WCOOP doubled the prizes to $12 million over 15 events. Players in the 2006 WCOOP were awarded more than $18 million over 18 events.

In 2007, the PokerStars WCOOP reached all new heights by guaranteeing $20 million over 23 events, 5 more than the previous year. Then in 2008, the online poker series made history by paying out $39,958,000 across 33 events; 10 more than the 2007 WCOOP.

The PokerStars 2009 WCOOP was, once more, a milestone in the online poker industry, rivaling even the World Series of Poker 45 exceptional events that paid out – drum roll please? – $51,652,800 in overall prize pools!

The PokerStars WCOOP is by far the world’s largest online poker tournament series. The latest installment attracted players from 140 countries, registering 112,739 participants in all, with 43,973 unique competitors.

The 2009 PokerStars WCOOP Main Event was the most impressive in the history of the series, carrying a guaranteed prize pool of $10 million. The buy-in stood at $5,000+$200, paid by 2,144 entrants (including those who won the buy-in through satellites and qualifiers). That boosted the guaranteed prize to even higher to $10,720,000.

In the end, 306 players shared in the excessive prize pool, but none more so than Russian native Yevgeniy “Jovial Gent” Timoshenko, whose skilled efforts awarded him an awesome $1,715,200 for the WCOOP title victory. Even the runner-up, “Udon Wannit”, walked away with $1,286,400 – almost the exact same prize guaranteed to the 9th place finisher in this November’s final table of the 2009 WSOP.

Buy-ins for the various WCOOP events range from $100 up to $5,000 for the Main Event. While most can afford to enter the standard events, the WCOOP Main Event carries a hefty price tag for many online poker players. But no matter what event you wish to participate in, PokerStars always hosts hundreds of satellites and qualifiers, via MTT and SNG Steps tournaments, giving players the chance to participate in the WCOOP for as little as a few dollars.

There’s simply no telling what Poker Stars has in store for its online poker players next summer when the 8th annual World Championship of Online Poker rolls around once more. If the online poker tournament series continue to grow in the same fashion as history has revealed, there will surely be even more events with at least $60 million doled out among the top finishers.

Considering the incredible rate of active player traffic, and steady growth thereof – PokerStars is the world’s number one online poker room after all – we can only imagine how soon the PokerStars WCOOP will deliver its first $100 million in series prize pools.