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Outlaw in the Heavenly Hall - Gambling Experience

July 2, 2010

E.K. Garrigan

I opened the website with a flourish. It was my lucky day, I felt, and I wasn’t going to waste it.

The screen lay out before me. The table in the center – nearly filled with other players. This was only my third or fourth time playing, but I had been enjoying it so far. I’d open up a tiny little window and be transported into a high stakes game. Sure, I mostly played for pride or a couple dollars at best. I thought that this day would be different, though. Maybe I could get enough to take friends out to dinner.

The first round was passed out. I was playing Texas Hold ‘Em poker, something based more on luck than just regular poker. Blinds went up, and the table was off. Two cards flashed on my screen. They were nothing fancy, nothing that had a good chance of bringing me the pot - two of Spades and a lonely Jack of Diamonds. The flop wasn’t much better. Sure, the Ace of Spades showed up to match with my two, but that wouldn’t win. A turn and a river later, and I was down a few chips. A little slow to start, maybe, but I still had that feeling.

The next few rounds failed to back up my lucky feeling. I felt more like Mr. Mudd than Mr. Gold at this point. But even at the end of the song, Mr. Mudd gets his. I just had to play one more round.

Now, it’s always bothered me that I can’t see faces in online poker. There’s no tell – no subtle twitch of the face to let me know when a man or woman is bluffing. I’m betting and tossing around cards in front of a faceless computer screen. I guess that’s good in some ways, at least no one will see my tells.

I promised myself that this would be my last round. The table had been full at ten and we’d only lost a player in the past hour or so. People had a yen for a big win, but so far the winnings had been spread evenly.

My two cards flash on screen. That Jack of Diamonds again and Ace of Diamonds. I swore under my breath. An inside straight would have to support my lucky feeling. Nothing to do but play. Bets flew and the cards flopped. My heart almost stopped when I saw the King of Diamonds joined by a couple clubs. I was so close, but I didn’t like my odds. No good player would. But I strove on.

The Queen of Diamonds was the most beautiful turn I had ever seen. After her card fell I stopped breathing. All the dealer had to do was show a ten and my day was won.

I thought my computer had frozen; it took so long for that card. The first thing I saw was the 10 in simple script. My heart beat raced as my eyes searched for a color or shape. The red diamond winked at me from the screen. I had beaten the odds and everyone on the table.

Well, it was a nerve wracking round, but I pulled in enough to take a couple buddies out for the night. Every once and a while, I get that urge to play a little poker online again, that lucky feeling. Worth following, sometimes, if you ask me.

2010 Betfair Bonuses

February 19, 2010

Betfair is an online gambling company that has been around for many years. They offer every form of gambling including poker, casino, horse betting, sports betting and more.  Their poker room boasts decent traffic and plenty of weak competition. This post will explain the best Betfair bonuses available in 2o10.

Betfair Poker

Betfair Poker offers players with a 100% match bonus up to $1,500. This is 2-3 times higher than the standard bonus in this industry. They have excellent support, software, deposit options and are well known for their fast withdrawals.

Betfair Sports Book

The sports book is running a free money promotion right now. Just for signing up you will receive £25 free to make bets with. I used up my £25 betting on football.

Betfair Casino

Betfair’s casino has one of the best VIP programs in the industry. Their software is also very high tech. You will receive a 100% match on your initial deposit, for a max of £250. The clearance requirements are quite low so you won’t have any trouble with that.