Texas Hold ‘Em has become the game of choice recently due to the World Poker Tour and World Series of Poker. This course will give you the basic rules of Texas Hold ‘Em Poker.

If you’re playing Texas Hold ‘Em in a casino then the dealer won’t be joining you. To indicate the dealer position a round disc is used, called the “dealer button.” The dealer button marks the player who would be dealer. As the game advances the deal or button moves clockwise from player to player.

Before the hands are dealt an action usually takes place called “posting the blinds.” A “blind” is a predetermined amount of money, which is added to the pot to ensure there’s something to play for on every hand. The player directly to the left of the dealer position most often adds an amount known as the “first blind,” or “small blind,” which is half the minimum bet. The player to his left adds the “second blind,” or “large blind,” which is the full minimum bet.

Once the blinds have been added then it’s time to start dealing the cards. Each player is initially dealt two cards both face down.

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By ARNOLD M. KNIGHTLY
REVIEW-JOURNALGaming companies are well-positioned for the eventual spread of legalized Internet gambling to the United States, top executives of the world’s two largest casino operators said Wednesday during a panel discussion at the Global Gaming Expo.

Terry Lanni, MGM Mirage’s chairman and chief executive officer, said the company’s first venture into Internet gaming may have been unsuccessful financially, but it laid the groundwork for the company to return when the time is right.

“We closed the operation down with the thought that we know what we’re doing, and we’re prepared to do it if and when it becomes legal here,” Lanni said.

The company set up an Internet gaming site in 2001 in the Isle of Man but quickly folded the operation. The site lost money because the company elected to undergo a more stringent registration process than its competitors.

However, the endeavor helped the company work out problems that will be useful when relaunching, such as how to determine a bettor’s age and location and how to protect problem gamblers.

Lanni and Gary Loveman, Harrah’s Entertainment’s chairman and CEO, agreed that Internet poker will be legalized ahead of other casino games, partially because of its popularity. Loveman predicted online poker would be legalized in the United States in the next 18 months to two years. Lanni predicted 12 months to 18 months.

Harrah’s, which owns the World Series of Poker brand, is already looking at the possibility of establishing branded online sites in jurisdictions that clearly allow online gaming, which includes many Caribbean countries and many members of the European Union.

However, the two executives greatly differed in their opinions about the possibility of legalizing other online casino games.

Loveman, noting that there is little support for online casino games beyond poker, thinks online casinos are eight to 10 years away.

Lanni believes it will happen sooner than that, although he did not give a time.

Lanni also said casino companies will be able to make up for time lost to the many of foreign online sites now in operation because they will be able to bring sense of comfort to users familiar with their brick-and-mortar properties.

“The issue is people want some form of comfort (on the Web),” he said. “If you know it’s a Harrah’s or a major brand, they can feel more comfortable.”

The U.S. Justice Department under the Clinton and Bush administrations has enforced Internet gaming laws under the 1961 Wire Act, which prohibits the use of phones for sports wagering, horse wagering and the transmission of betting odds.

Contact reporter Arnold M. Knightly at aknightly@reviewjournal.com or (702) 477-3893.

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According to the Reuters news agency, the European Union (EU) Trade Commissioner, Peter Mandelson, has told Washington that its Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) is unfair to foreign firms and should be repealed.
Mandelson is in American to negotiate fair and adequate compensation for the 27-nation EU following the unilateral withdrawal of the US from World Trade Organisation (WTO) obligations after UIGEA was declared discriminatory.

‘It’s not in the interest of American consumers to have good responsible competitors in this market excluded by regulatory mechanisms,’ said Mandelson. ‘What we need to see is a change in US legislation that removes that discrimination against EU operators.’

European gambling firms asked the EU to pursue claims of up to $100 billion in compensatory sanctions and Mandelson has indicated that he supports these claims.

‘When a member of the WTO defaults on its commitments, compensation is due,’ continued Mandelson. ‘That’s the case of online gambling.’

While in Washington, Mandelson also met with Massachusetts Representative Barney Frank and discussed the legislator’s proposed Internet Gambling Regulation And Enforcement Act (IGREA) that would regulate online gambling and bring the US into compliance with WTO rules.

‘I think Frank takes a fair-minded, common sense approach to this and we look forward to that being effective legislation,’ said Mandelson.

The EU is the largest of at least seven claimants seeking compensation over America’s passage of UIGEA and negotiations have twice been extended. If the parties cannot reach a settlement, the EU could demand binding arbitration.

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In China, the Government has announced that it is to institute new laws to help prevent underage and compulsive gambling.
Experts predict that these laws will see companies forced to use software that screens users to ensure that adults only are accessing gambling sites. This software could also be required to encourage players to stick to a maximum playing time of three hours per day by halving any points accrued after this length of time had passed.

The Government did not announce a time frame for the proposed legislation but the scheme comes on the heels of a requirement by authorities that online gaming companies operating in the nation use a type of screening software that detects the identities of users through the use of an issued card.

There have also been campaigns encouraging players to perform exercise after three hours to reduce Internet gaming addiction across the country. According to a 2006 study by the China National Children’s Center, the nation has 137 million Internet users under the age of 18 with 13 per cent, or 2.3 million, classed as online addicts.

China has also recently established the first treatment centre in the world dedicated to treating teenagers suffering from Internet Addiction Disorder (IAD), the Internet Addiction Treatment Center (IATC) in Daxing. Led by Tao Ran, a military researcher who built his career by treating heroin addicts, the clinic uses a ‘tough love’ approach that includes counselling, military discipline, drugs, hypnosis and mild electric shocks.

Read more articles like this one from  Online Casino News.com

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Well, it seems our friends at the Maryland Casino have their hands full with the same issues on gambling as every other State out there!  Is the addition of legalized gambling going to be good for the community or is it going to be it’s demise?

This is a question that many Legislators have had to ask themselves and now those residing in Maryland find themselves with the same question.  It’s really heating up for both parties and continued to do so on Friday as two seperate rallies were put together to relay their side of the story and their opinions on the issues at hand.

Governor Martin O’Malley is looking to amend the states constitution through a bill that would allow up to 15,000 slot machines, which would be spread over five locations in the state.  The constitution is defininately being put to the test these days, and this is yet another.

Opponents of the bill, such as Comptroller Peter Franchot feel the slots will bring a negative image to the state, he had this to say, referring to back in 1949 when slots were legal, “The results were disastrous, corruption and crime, broken families, ruined communities, destruction of things that we care about.”

Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller took a different approach when speaking at a rally for slot supporters saying, “Over 200 years ago, George Washington came to this city to race his horses, to bet on the horses, the president of the United States, folks.”

He went on to say, “It’s been a part of our history, part of our culture for a long time.”

The Legislature began deliberating on the issue on Friday and a decision could be made soon as to whether the voters will get to decide the issue.

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November 2, 2007
Posted By Tom Jones
Staff Editor, CasinoGamblingWeb.com