Many of us enjoy playing on the slot machines but don’t really understand their true origins or how they came about. Yes, one might know that a man named Charles Fey invented the first slot machine in 1895, but what was the theory behind his great invention?

Charles Fey was a successful mechanic who liked to play around with machinery in his spare time. He had a small workshop where he lived and spent many an evening fiddling and playing with all sorts of mechanical ideas. He was also a keen card player but due to his low income he could not afford to spend many evenings in the casinos. He came up with the idea of spinning reels one night just when he was getting frustrated with not being able to go to the casino again.

As the idea grew in his head, he started working on it and came up with a mechanical machine with three separated tubs or reels that would spin independently of each other when a lever was pulled. With the help of notches and ridges on the reels, they would all spin at different speeds and come to rest at different places. To this he added the picture cards of the Kings, Queens, and Jacks, and thus the first slot machine was invented. When a line of the same cards — such as all kings or all queens — was drawn, a bell rang and a winner was declared. Charles Fey gave the name Liberty Bell to this machine and made his fortune from it. This original Liberty Bell machine was a fancy machine that stood on claw feet and the public loved it.

The Liberty Bell was just the first of many slot machines. Initially they were considered mere diversions for the wives and partners of the high-rolling gamblers who were happy to let their partners keep busy with what they thought were the small-change machines. But within twenty years the mechanical slot machines had become the most popular game in casinos and leisure houses. In some places they were known as the “one-armed bandits” in honor of the lever that was pulled.

As the popularity of the slot machines grew, so did the technology: the original three-reel machines changed into five reels, the machines became more detailed with microprocessors controlling the spinning, and the winning lines were controlled by Random Number Generators. Levers were no longer needed to activate the machines and buttons were pressed instead. These were all major advances in slot machine history.

The next big step in the history of the slot machine was the creation of the online casino in the late 20th century. With the online casino, of course, came online slots. As in the traditional casinos, the slot machines proved to be the most popular game in the online casinos. People found that they could win at slots — sometimes winning many thousands of dollars — without having to travel to a casino. Even when they did not win, they enjoyed the convenience and the excitement of playing slot machines online from the comfort of home.

Now in the 21st century, more than 100 years after Charles Fey had originally played around in his garage, slot machines are the biggest attractions in both land-based and online casinos. The wide and varied different themes, and the low investment that is needed to play the slots, have kept slot machines as the most popular casino game for all of these years.

You’ve just arrived at the casino and are excited to start to play the slot machine games. You’ve been playing and practicing at the online slot machine sites, and now you are so excited to try out this game in person in a real casino.

You comb through the many slot machine games, looking for that special game. But wait, it isn’t here. Where could it be?! You’ve come 100 miles and spent oodles of money to try this machine out in person. What in the world could have happened?

Although you may not realize it, when you stay home and play in the online casino, you have the world of online slots games at your fingertips. There are hundreds of variations to play, thousands of options, and a myriad of betting amounts from which to choose. And in the land-based casino? Sure, it’s fun to play there. But each casino can only hold so many slot machines. There are other games that people enjoy as well, and the casino can’t be filled with only slot machines. Even if a casino were to invest in only slots, they couldn’t possibly fit every slots game that we see online into their building space. It just wouldn’t be physically possible or financially feasible.

So, while you had your heart set on a particular slot machine game, if you go to the land-based casinos, you may have to compromise. When you play slot machines online, however, you will never have to make that decision. Every slots machine game that you could want to play is at your fingertips. This, of course, makes playing online slots infinitely more appealing than the land-based variety.

In addition to this obvious reason, there are others that make online slot games more appealing than their land-based counterparts. You are in control — you can moderate the noise as much as you desire; you can control the speed of play and the betting amount. You are the only one playing — there isn’t a cacophony of slot machine sounds — and you can moderate your one little machine to fit your comfort level.

Similarly, you can jump around and play every online slot machine game without a wait. At the casino, if someone is playing the game that you want, then you have to wait. And that leaves you to either wait or find a game that you like less. At home, there is no line and no wait. You can play any game that you desire whenever you want and for as long as you want. And you can play online flash slots without even downloading any software.
Best of all, Internet slots come with free games, welcome bonuses, special promotions, a VIP Program, and the chance to play slots for real money without ever leaving your home. All Jackpots Online Casino offers several attractice and secure banking options, and 24/7 customer service for slots players via e-mail or phone.

So, next time that you think of heading to the nearest casino to play that slot machine game that you love, think again. You might find that staying in the comfort of your home and playing slot machines online is a better option. You have control over the game, you can find the game that you want to play, and you can play it at whatever time and at whatever volume you desire. Go ahead and enjoy your online slot machine game at home today!

For a real blackjack feeling, nothing beats European Blackjack Gold. Its incredibly realistic graphics and soothing background music make you feel like you are sitting right there in a posh European casino (without the annoying lights or loud music). Scoot right up to the table and try your hand against the dealer in this fun, enjoyable online blackjack game.

European Blackjack Gold is played with two 52-card decks that are shuffled after every game. The goal, as always in online blackjack, is to beat the dealer with your cards by getting closer to 21 without going over. The ultimate goal is to do so with an Ace and a card with the value of 10. In European Blackjack Gold, you can bet on one hand per game or you can play up to five hands in the Multi-Hand European Blackjack Gold.

While some people enjoy the flash and drama of video Slots and others like the drama of Progressives, a game like European Blackjack Gold is for the true-blooded gambling purists. This is pure blackjack fun with all of the traditional blackjack rules that you’ve come to know and trust. You can hit, stand, split, double down, and take insurance in this game, all adding to the fun and chances to win in a classic online casino game.

Taking Insurance is a great, very interesting feature. If the dealer’s first card is an Ace, you are offered the chance to take insurance. This means that you are insuring yourself against the dealer getting blackjack. The Insurance Bet is equal to half of your original bet. If the Dealer doesn’t have 21, then you lose this amount. If he does have 21, then you are paid out winnings at a rate of 2:1.

Enjoy the fun predictability of European Blackjack Gold. This game makes you feel exactly like you are sitting at the Blackjack table, even if you are playing in an online casino while relaxing in the comfort of your own home. Now that’s a feeling that can’t be beat!

The Multi-Hand Blackjack Gold Series combines the multiplied excitement of multihand blackjack with the posh elegance of the Gold Series of online casino table games. Online casino gambling does not get any better than the games of the Multi-Hand Blackjack Gold Series.

All Jackpots Online Casino offers a variety of games in the Multi-Hand Blackjack Gold Series, including:

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Each game in the series is different and unique, yet they all share the exquisite high quality of online blackjack that you would expect in the Multihand Blackjack Gold Series of games.

When you play one of the Gold Series blackjack games at All Jackpots, you will feel like you are sitting at an actual blackjack table in a real casino. The action and realism of these online casino games are unbelievable. See the complete blackjack table at a glance and see the cards and the chips. Make your moves and play multiple hands. If you really love the game of blackjack then you must play the Gold Series games.

Since you are able to play multiple hands of blackjack at the same time, you will be playing more and waiting less and isn’t that what we all want. Multiple hands means a chance to win more money without waiting for other players to make their moves. Don’t let other players disturb your games; with online multi-hand blackjack you can be winning on many hands all at the same time.

If you are into blackjack and love the feeling of winning, then you need to look into the Multi-Hand Blackjack Gold series. Pick one of the blackjack games in the series, or try them all. You’re sure to have a great time playing blackjack online with the Multi-Hand Blackjack Gold series at All Jackpots Casino.

Gambling is an unpredictable activity and gamblers are a volatile bunch. When you picture a casino, you imagine a lot of excitement, yelling and screaming, people jumping up and down, craps players going crazy and other people talking and praying to wheels, cards and dice. When so much money is changing hands, there’s bound to be an excess of emotion; it’s natural and it’s part of the fun. But blackjack is not craps, and emotions are not conducive to winning blackjack. Control is the name of the game — emotion control.

When all you’re doing in a casino is pulling a lever or placing a roulette bet, you can get as hysterical as you want. But blackjack is all about restraint and discipline; the blackjack table is no place for outbursts and emotional indulgence. Blackjack is a game that calls for skill and that skill requires concentration and focus. To play blackjack well, you have to use your memory and your gray matter; emotions are not part of the basic blackjack strategy.

Blackjack utilizes logic, statistics and math. It’s not a game in which wild hunches and emotional guesses will help you out in any way. If your feelings are flying high on a particular day — high enough to obscure your good judgment — stick to a game like roulette, but stay away from the blackjack table. In blackjack, you have to be steady and steadfast; if emotions are going to get in the way of your attentiveness then either check them at the door or wait until you have them under control before you approach the blackjack table.

This advice is also applicable if you are playing blackjack in an online casino. True, you are not exposed to the craziness of the craps players and the slots players. But winning real money or losing real money tends to get people excited — even in the quiet of their own homes. So emotional control is needed in the online casino just as much as in the land-based casino.

Even the toughest among us have had their emotions tested at the blackjack table; when luck is not on your side and you’re losing, it’s hard to stay emotionally uninvolved. But it’s precisely when you’re losing that you have to maintain the most control. When you’re angry or disappointed, it’s easy to make mistakes and so when you feel your self-control slipping, it’s a good idea to either step away from the table or give yourself an imaginary slap on the face to get yourself back in line. Even the best blackjack player can lose; you have to know that the cards can go either way and you have to train yourself to stay cool even under the most negative and adverse circumstances.

Keeping your emotions under control also means not yielding to them when you’re winning at blackjack. If you’re on a winning streak, the sheer joy can make you lose your focus. If you’ve had a winning blackjack strategy, just keep with it; don’t let emotions control your betting. Staying cool and calm at the blackjack table doesn’t mean you can’t have a good time; playing calm blackjack can be just as much fun as playing emotionally erratic blackjack. The thing to remember in playing blackjack is that when you are in control, you can control the game — your actions can determine whether you’re a winner or a loser. Emotions are not a part of that equation.

Blackjack may drive Poker out as the number one tournament game. No one can dispute the fact that poker has gotten a huge boost through the advent of televised poker tournaments. These days you can’t turn on the TV without seeing poker championships, whether in the World Series of Poker or the World Poker Tour or celebrity poker tournaments. Texas Hold’em has become #1 in large part because of television.

Not to be left behind, the game of blackjack decided to go with a big-money televised blackjack tournament, as well. A few years ago, the cable network, GSN, introduced the “World Series of Blackjack,” which became an instant hit. It is a closed blackjack tournament, which means that players are either invited to play or can win a spot via an official open tournament (previously broadcast, as well).

To its first tournament GSN invited a hand-picked group of 40 blackjack amateurs and pros. GSN knew that despite blackjack’s popularity the series needed big names to attract viewers, so they invited pros like Kenneth Smith, and celebrity players and writers like Stanford Wong. Mixed in with the famous card sharks were unknown card players and the hope was that the potential for an upset would keep viewers riveted. Blackjack fans took the bait — the show was a hit.

In the first season of the World Series of Blackjack, the prize money was a “mere” $300,000. This jumped to $500,000 in the second year, half of for the big winner. In the third season, the prize pool was increased to $1,000,000, with a $500,000 jackpot for the first-place winner. The show is professionally produced with creative camera angles, a state-of-the-art set, and a live studio audience to keep the atmosphere electric.

The format of the World Series blackjack tournament is simple. In the first round, the 40 players are split into 8 tables with 5 players each. Winners at each table advance and second-place finishers are put into a “wild-card” group. Including the post-season games — the semifinals and finals — there are 13 shows per season/tournament.

To keep viewers continually interested, GSN introduced changes and modifications along the way. In the third season of the show, for instance, a “knockout” card was added to each shoe. When the knockout card appeared in the course of a hand, the player with the lowest chip total at the end of the following hand was eliminated from the black jack tournament. The knockout card also signaled an increase in the minimum bet per hand.

The other change was called the “Burger King Power Chip.” Each player received one Power Chip per game and it allowed the player the one-time chance to discard one card from his hand and exchange it with the next card from the shoe. The World Series of Blackjack is committed to keeping their fans in front of their TVs. You can be sure the tournament will continue to serve up bigger, better, and bolder blackjack.