| So you've read the first page. You like the sound of making a
lot of free money by playing a bit of blackjack. Well, at first the
whole process of choosing an offer, downloading a casino,
depositing, getting your bonus and actually getting hold of your
winnings might seem a little complicated. Hopefully by following
these 10 steps and taking it slowly, it'll all become clear and easy
for you and you can start off on your winning ways.
1. Choose a casino. If you want to try
out playing blackjack using the tables, playing for fun, simply
choose a casino you're interested in and use their 'play for
fun'/'practice' mode.
2. Choose a casino from the
bonus
page. The key here is that the lower the wagering requirements
the less time it will take and the lower the risk. This can be seen
by using the risk calculator.
Start off with some of the smaller bonuses-
Prestige,
Supervegas,
Casino365, before moving on to the £100/$100 ones. It is essential that you check out the terms and conditions of the
offers by clicking through to the casinos promotion page and then
clicking on the 'terms and conditions page'. The important bits to
note here are the WAGERING REQUIREMENTS and the EXCLUDED GAMES.
Though the bonus list is kept as up-to-date as possible, it is still
very important that you check yourself. Generally the terms will say
something along the lines of ''the deposit and bonus must be wagered
X times before withdrawal. Play on Roulette and Craps will not count
towards completing the wagering requirement'. If is says 5 times and
the offer is deposit 50 get 50 free, then this means that 500 must
be wagered before you withdraw.
3. Choose between the download and the no-download (sometimes
called flash or java) versions. Over a 56k standard modem a download
will take around 25 minutes and about about 2 minutes on a broadband
connection. No download games should load up in about a minute,
though the gameplay is often slower. If you choose to download then
remember whereabouts you have saved the file and when it has
finished double click on it and choose to save it to the directory
it suggests. If you are using an Apple Mac it is likely that you
will only be able to play the no-download (flash/java) version.
4. Register a 'play for real'/ 'real money account'. Remember to
fill out all the correct details and the address where your
credit/debit card is registered to. If you are offered a choice of £
or $ play, and if the bonus offer is the same for both (which is
usually the case), it is advisable to pick £ (GBP) if you have a £
bank account- there are unlikely to be any transaction fees and the
bonus will be worth over 50% more. Make sure you make note of your
account name/number. The software will run slightly quicker if you have a
broadband or network internet connection and ALWAYS remember to turn
the sound off from the options menu as this significantly speeds up
play. With download casinos it is
also advisable to change the video options (generally in the options
menu) to either 'run in window' or 'standard resolution' to
improve the speed and the graphics.
4. Find out how to claim the promotion. With Boss media, real
time gaming and Playtech software, the bonuses are generally
automatically added upon deposit. With microgaming software you
often have to fill out a claim form found on the website, filling in
your user name and a promotion code. Occasionally these may take up
to 24 hours to be credited. With these DO NOT start playing before
the bonus has been credited because this will not count towards your
required wagering.
5. Get a pen and paper ready, or better still download this
little
program
(created and owned by Neil Higham. If you use the program, why not
send him a neteller donation to
neil@nhigham.co.uk).
If that file does not work on your PC you'll need to download the
larger installer version from
here. If you have problems with the program or you just choose
not to use it, don't
worry, just use a pen and paper for now- a tally chart works fine. You should
always try and keep a rough track of the wagers you've done, though
it's not important if you don't keep track too accurately- there is often a
facility to check how much you've bet* and they will always tell you
if you email their support address. How long the wagering on an
offer takes depends a great deal on the software and the stake per
hand used and how well you know the tables. Remember, that if you're
betting £1 and you double (D on the tables) or Split (P on the
tables), then this will count as £2 of betting.
*For Microgaming use
playcheck (only updated every hour or so), for Cryptologic
use the log viewer (always up to date) and for Playtech look
at loyalty points in the cashier screen (generally converted at the
rate of $10=1 point, so easy to see your total bets from this).
Other software types often have play history viewers.
6. As has been said before, FOLLOW THE TABLES. They are based on
statistical calculations as to the perfect 'play' in any situation.
Though you may be tempted to stick on 16 when the dealer has a
7,8,9,10 or Ace, RESIST. Though it may work from time to time,
in the long-run it will always be the wrong thing to do.
7. If you're losing stop for a while, close down the casino and
come back. '. DON'T double your
stake to try and claw back your loss. This is the quickest way to
lose your money. Play with whatever stakes you feel comfortable
with, but we would suggest you go for £1 or £2 at first if this is
available. It may take longer, but it makes the chance of a loss
much less.
8. Once you've completed the wagering requirements
you are free to stop and
withdraw. If you have not kept an accurate tally of your wagers
email them and ask whether you have completed their wagering
requirement - they will generally reply very quickly. Go to
cashier/bank section and cash in the full balance. DO resist the
temptation to chase that next win. Note down the withdrawal codes and
exactly your withdrawal amount. This is essential to tell on your
credit card statement who has paid you and where the cheques in the
post have come from.
9. DON'T try and register and claim a bonus with
the same casino
twice. They will find out and deny you your bonus and any winnings.
Some casino's may also prevent more than one account per household
being opened. Check in the terms and conditions if this may be a
problem. Hardrock, Rank and Casino-on-net do NOT have this problem
10. Cash dollar cheques in bundles. Often casinos will pay
back the winnings by cheque (with the original deposit being
refunded to the credit card). Do not pay them in one by one as the
majority of banks charge a set fee regardless of the amount of
cheques cashed. Exceptions to this are Barclays who will cash them
free of charge for amounts under £30 and HSBC who charge a flat rate
of £4
per cheque. BY FAR the easiest way of dealing with casino deposits
and withdrawals is through NETELLER which
works a bit like an American bank account. Opening an account is
free, click here for a full explanation.
Occasionally as part of a security check online casinos may ask for
some verification documentation, usually a statement showing the
address and a drivers license/ID card or passport. It is a good idea
to scan these in and have them saved in your email account (email
them to yourself), to speed up proceedings.
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