The EGR awards are considered by many as the Oscars of the iGaming community. Hosted by the eGaming Review magazine, this ceremony is one of the most prestigious casino awards in the UK and in other countries across the world. In the table below, we have added quick links to each paragraph of this blog. Use them to navigate easily throughout the piece.

EGR Awards 2022 – How It All Started?

The EGR gaming awards are hosted by the famous eGaming Review magazine. The latter is a leading publisher of exclusive news, interviews with experts, and analyses from some of the most important people in the iGaming industry. In addition to publishing, the magazine also runs several global events throughout the year. Among them are six prestigious awards ceremonies that you can see in the table below:

All awards take place annually in different countries across the world. Over 700 online gambling operators are taking part, competing in various categories. Some of the latter include “Safer Gambling Operator”, “Diversity and Inclusion Model”, “Mobile Casino Product”, and others. The following paragraphs will provide an overlook of the awards.

EGR Marketing and Innovation Awards 2022

The EGR Marketing and Innovation Awards 2022, which took place in London, have recognised the brightest companies for their tremendous achievements in the iGaming community. As the name suggests, these awards are dedicated to praising creativity, hard efforts, and innovative solutions that the companies have put into delivering something new to the industry.

The night turned out to be very successful for several companies who took home not only an award but also the appreciation of the judging panel. Among the 20 categories that contestants compete in, some of the most desirable ones include “Brand of the Year”, “Innovation of the Year”, and “Marketer of the Year”.

EGR Operator Awards

Many anticipate the time of the year when online operators gather to look back at their achievements. It is, namely the EGR Operator Awards where all of this happens. A judging panel of gaming experts are given the task to recognise the efforts of many companies in the iGaming industry. The criteria focus on innovative solutions, great services and products, and the standards that these operators have demonstrated in the past year.

Just like the 2018 EGR Operator Awards, the 2022 EGR awards edition also took place in London with many companies competing fiercely in eight headline categories. Below we have provided a short list that outlines the categories and the respective winners for each of them:

Most of the companies who register for the awards are going after one of the most tempting categories, namely the “Operator of the Year” one. The 2022 winner for this category was Kaizen Gaming. The company is one of the fastest growing GameTech companies in the world, with market shares in countries like Greece, Cyprus, Romania, Canada, Ecuador, and more.

EGR North America Awards

Another one of the EGR Awards for 2022 is the EGR North America Awards. Like the other variants, this award is meant to recognise the leaders in the online gaming community across North America. Companies from different countries in the region are taking part in the attempt to showcase their achievements for the past 12 months.

The 2022 event was the first in-person awards ceremony since the last one, which took place in 2019. Contestants compete in 25 categories, as opposed to the EGR Operator Awards where there are only 9 categories. The winner of the “Operator of the Year” category was Rush Street Interactive, which operates some of the best online casinos in the USA.

Another highlight from the ceremony was the win in the category “Payment Provider” which was taken by Paysafe. The latter is a leading platform that specialises in payments. Some of its most notable subsidiary brands include Neteller, Skrill, Paysafecash, and Paysafecard. UK players might be familiar with some of the best Paysafecard casino sites where one of the prepaid online payment methods is accepted.

EGR Nordics Awards

The EGR Nordics Awards are celebrating the most successful and creative online gaming operators in the Nordic region. The event recognised the achievements in various aspects of the companies that stood out the most in the industry for the past 12 months. The judging panel of the 2022 edition had the hard job of determining the winners in 19 categories.

Betsson Group stole the show by taking home five awards, including “Operator of the Year” and “Customer Service Operator”. The company owns 20 brands offering casinos, sportsbooks, and other games. If you want to try out any of their platforms, browse through some of the best online casinos in Norway, which is one of the countries where Betsson Group operates.

EGR B2B Awards & EGR Italy Awards

The EGR Italy Awards are another premier event that takes place annually. As suggested by the name, its mission is to recognise the incredible work of the best Italian casinos. Focusing on the breadth and depth of the industry, this edition enables contestants to compete in more than 20 different categories.

The EGR B2B Awards is the final event that we will look at in our blog post. Last but certainly not least, this ceremony is dedicated to appreciating the companies that power the iGaming industry. The very best providers are competing in disciplines such as betting and gaming software, payments, recruitment, and more.

Conclusion

The EGR Awards 2022 have really impressed us with their mission of honouring brands and companies across the world for their unique contribution, creativity, and hard work in multiple domains. Year after year, gaming experts who take part in the judging panels have been given the hard task of selecting ‘t agree more with the perception of the EGR Awards 2022 as the Oscars of the gaming industry.

Frequently Asked Questions

We hope that we have managed to provide the most important information about the EGR awards and their many variants. However, once again, we would like to provide you with a brief overview of the frequently asked questions that often come up about the topic. Look at the section below to see if you will find what you are looking for.

A new-look Final Four

For the first time in NCAA Tournament history, no one, two or three seeds reached the Final Four.

This year’s unprecedented bracket has had it all, from No. 1 Purdue losing to the shortest team in America, No. 16 Fairleigh Dickinson, 5-foot-8 point guard Markquis Nowell playing larger than life, to now four mostly unheralded programs being two wins away from a national championship.

three of them had never reached the Final Four until now

On top of the four remaining schools – Connecticut, Miami, San Diego State, and Florida Atlantic – busting brackets, three of them had never reached the Final Four until now. Just another edition of the “Madness” of March.

Runs to the Final Four

West and Midwest Regions

Each team left standing has had a remarkable run to the Final Four, and all as underdogs. The schools’ average combined odds to win the national title on the day the bracket started was +8700 with the longest odds belong to FAU at +20500, according to DraftKings sportsbook.

opened the tournament at +1683 (now -125) to win it all

The team with the greatest expectations is UConn. It opened the tournament at +1683 (now -125) to win it all.

The Huskies kickstarted their tournament run with an 87-63 win over No. 14 Iona in the Round of 64 and a 70-55 beatdown of No. 5 Saint Mary’s two days later. It breezed past No. 8 Arkansas 88-65 in the Sweet 16, leading to its most impressive win of March Madness, an 82-54 demolition of No. 3 Gonzaga.

The other team on UConn’s side of the bracket is Miami (formerly +7667, now +475 to win the title). Ironically, their toughest battle came in the opening round against No. 12 Drake, requiring a late spurt to get past, 63-56. The Hurricanes then used an offensive masterclass to race by No. 4 Indiana 85-69 and also took out No. 1 seed and tournament favorites Houston in the Sweet 16 89-75.

The Hurricanes win that propelled them into their first Final Four in school history was a back-and-forth 88-81 result over No. 2 Texas. Senior wing Jordan Miller put up 27 points with a perfect 7-7 shooting from the field and 13-13 at the free-throw line.

South and East Regions

The left-hand side of the bracket is where the madness picks up. No. 5 San Diego State, often hidden from the national spotlight in the Mountain West Conference, has emerged as the champion of a South region that included Alabama, Arizona, and other excellent programs.

The Aztecs (once +4950, now +380) began their run to the Final Four by beating No. 12 College of Charleston 63-57. They easily handled No. 13 Furman 75-52 in the next round and then knocked off No. 1 Alabama 71-64 in the Sweet 16 behind an excellent defensive performance.

SDSU’s most recent win over No. 6 Creighton was also its most dramatic. Darrion Trammell went to the free-throw line in a tie game with one second left and, after missing his first attempt, calmly put the second one through the net and booked his team a spot in the Final Four.

down to +650 to win the national championship after starting at +20500

SDSU will now play No. 9 Florida Atlantic, who is still the biggest underdog in the field, but is down to +650 to win the national championship after starting at +20500. The Owls, who hail from a traditionally poor Conference USA, tied for the second-best regular season record in the country. 

FAU, like Miami, received its toughest test in the first round when it needed a Nicholas Boyd layup with two seconds left to squeak past No. 8 Memphis 66-65. It then beat No. 16 Fairleigh Dickinson 78-70 and No. 4 Tennessee 62-55 to reach the Elite Eight and set up a date with the red-hot Kansas State Wildcats.

Despite the best efforts of the previously mentioned Nowell, the Owls secured yet another win 79-76 and are a win against SDSU away from reaching the title game.

Odds and trends

According to ESPN, only 37 brackets filled out on its Bracket Challenge correctly predicted the Final Four. 

The right-hand side of the bracket is more likely to win the national title, per to the odds. UConn will be favored against SDSU or FAU, barring any major developments and if it gets past Miami, whereas a line for a matchup between Miami and either of the other schools is unknown. 

UConn has a 55.56% chance to emerge as the champion of March Madness

Based on implied probability, UConn has a 55.56% chance to emerge as the champion of March Madness. SDSU has a 20.83% chance, Miami a 17.39% chance, and FAU a 13.33% chance.

Miami reached the Elite Eight last year before it lost to No. 1 Kansas 76-50. UConn was upset by No. 12 New Mexico State University in the opening round of the same year, but is the only scholl remaining that has been to a Final Four. It also won the NCAA Tournament as recently as 2014, which coincidentally was the last time a non-one or two seed won it all.

SDSU lost to its first-round opponent in three straight appearances before this year, and FAU, which had only made the NCAA Tournament once before, hadn’t won a game until 2023.

Games resume in Houston, Texas on Saturday, April 1. The national championship will be held on Monday, April 3.

The post UConn, Miami, SDSU, FAU: No Top-Three Seeds in the Final Four for the First Time Ever appeared first on VegasSlotsOnline News.

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On Friday, March 24^th, 2023 Kylian Mbappe delivered for France again, this time wearing the captain’s armband for the French national club. Mbappe is leading a new era for Les Bleus, there was something very familiar concerning the manner in which Mbappe nailed 2 – goals for France in order to headline France’s 4 to 0 victory against the Netherlands in a qualifying match for the European Championship.

France’s Loss to Argentina in the 2022 World Cup Final Match

France demonstrated no overwhelming effects from their devastating penalty – kick shootout defeat to Argentina during the 2022 World Cup championship match just 3 – months ago. Mbappe managed to net a hat trick in France’s losing effort that day in the World Cup Final versus Argentina.

France vs. the Netherlands

One of Kylian’s first impactful plays vs. the Dutch last Friday was a nice slip pass inside for Antoine Griezmann (with his hair dyed pink) in order to finish on a goal score for the initial strike inside the first 2 – minutes of the game played at the legendary and historic Stade de France.

The two French stars embraced after the goal, pointing out that there was no lingering feud between the two, Antoine Griezmann and Kylian Mbappe. The more experienced of the pair in Griezmann was passed over by France for the captain’s armband in favor of Mbappé who took over that role after following Hugo Lloris retired from playing professional football for the French national team.

Dayot Upamecano slotted in the 2^nd – goal for France during the 8^th – minute of match play last Friday, and the 3^rd – French goal was recorded on an amazing opening 20 – minute performance by France as Mbappé scored a beautiful goal for his squad. Kylian ran in back of the Netherlands defensive unit, and he directed a shot inside the near post following Randal Kolo Muani letting a nice pass from Aurélien Tchouaméni roll past him meeting the golden boot of Mbappe.

Mbappé finalized the dominating 4 to nil win for France during the 88^th – minute of the match with a solo assisted goal score. He picked up the ball approximately 40 – meters out from the Netherland’s goal and while constructing a series of feints on the outside edge of the area prior to smashing in a low shot beating the Netherland’s goalkeeper, Jasper Cillessen.

That goal for the superstar striker of Paris Saint – Germain pushed Mbappe’s goal count for the French national team to 38 – international goals, placing him in front of Karim Benzema and landing into fifth place on France’s all – time goal list. While Benzema’s time might be up for the French national team, the now 24 – year – old Mbappé is now the leader of the new wave of international famous superstar footballers following in the footsteps of both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Speaking of starts, this was an extremely devastating way for Netherlands head coach, Ronald Koeman, to start his 2^nd– stint in charge of the Dutch national club. Playing without the Netherlands most influential midfielder in Frenkie de Jong due to injury as well as 5 – other players during the past week due to a circulating flu virus, the Netherlands were dominated by Kylian Mbappe and France throughout this one – sided Group B match as qualifying for 2024 European Championship continued on.

Their misery could be summed up when the Netherland’s Memphis Depay had a penalty – kick saved by France’s goalkeeper, Mike Maignan, on basically the last kick of the game.

Media Statements

“It was a complete performance,” explained by Kolo Muani, who started up front for France as opposed to Olivier Giroud. “We made a very good start, that’s what we’d wanted to do, and afterward we were able to control the match.”

Kylian Mbappe’s Football Career Achievements, Honors, & Awards

Monaco

• Ligue 1: 2016 – 2017
• Coupe de la Ligue Runner – Up: 2016 – 2017

Paris Saint – Germain

• Ligue 1: 2017 – 2018, 2018 – 2019, 2019 – 2020, 2021 – 2022
• Coupe de France: 2017 – 2018, 2019 – 2020, 2020 – 2021; Runner – Up: 2018 – 2019
• Coupe de la Ligue: 2017 – 2018, 2019 – 2020
• Trophée des Champions: 2019, 2020
• UEFA Champions League Runner – Up: 2019 – 2020

France U – 19

• UEFA European Under – 19 Championship: 2016

France

• FIFA World Cup: 2018, Runner – Up: 2022
• UEFA Nations League: 2020 – 2021

Individual

• UEFA European Under – 19 Championship Team of the Tournament: 2016
• UNFP Ligue 1 Player of the Year: 2018 – 2019, 2020 – 2021, 2021 – 2022
• UNFP Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year: 2016 – 2017, 2017 – 2018, 2018 – 2019
• UNFP Ligue 1 Team of the Year: 2016 – 2017, 2017 – 2018, 2018 – 2019, 2020 – 2021, 2021 – 2022
• UNFP Ligue 1 Player of the Month: April 2017, March 2018, August 2018, February 2019, February 2021, August 2021, February 2022, November / December 2022
• UEFA Champions League Squad of the Season: 2016 – 2017, 2019 – 2020, 2020 – 2021
• UEFA Champions League Team of the Season: 2021 – 2022
• FIFA FIFPro World11: 2018, 2019
• Golden Boy: 2017
• FIFA World Cup Golden Boot: 2022
• FIFA World Cup Silver Ball: 2022
• FIFA World Cup Young Player Award: 2018
• FIFA World Cup Dream Team: 2018
• Kopa Trophy: 2018
• IFFHS Men’s World Team: 2018, 2021, 2022
• IFFHS World’s Best Top Goal Scorer: 2022
• French Player of the Year: 2018, 2019
• UEFA Team of the Year: 2018
• Ligue 1 Top Goal Scorer: 2018 – 2019, 2019 – 2020, 2020 – 2021, 2021 – 2022
• Ligue 1 Top assist provider: 2021 – 2022
• Globe Soccer Best Player of the Year: 2021
• Onze de Bronze: 2019
• UEFA Nations League Finals Golden Boot: 2021

Orders

• Knight of the Legion of Honor: 2018

Lionel Messi’s Football Career Achievements, Honors, & Awards

Barcelona

• La Liga (10): 2004 – 2005, 2005 – 2006, 2008 – 2009, 2009 – 2010, 2010 – 2011, 2012 – 2013, 2014 – 2015, 2015 – 2016, 2017 – 2018, 2018 – 2019
• Copa del Rey (7): 2008 – 2009, 2011 – 2012, 2014 – 2015, 2015 – 2016, 2016 – 2017, 2017 – 2018, 2020 – 2021
• Supercopa de España (8): 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2016, 2018
• UEFA Champions League: 2005 – 2006, 2008 – 2009, 2010 – 2011, 2014 – 2015
• UEFA Super Cup: 2009, 2011, 2015
• FIFA Club World Cup: 2009, 2011, 2015

Paris Saint – Germain

• Ligue 1: 2021 – 2022
• Trophée des Champions: 2022

Argentina U – 20

• FIFA World Youth Championship: 2005

Argentina U – 23

Argentina

• FIFA World Cup: 2022
• Copa América: 2021
• CONMEBOL – UEFA Cup of Champions: 2022

Individual

• Ballon d’Or / FIFA Ballon d’Or (7): 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2021
• FIFA World Player of the Year: 2009
• The Best FIFA Men’s Player: 2019
• European Golden Shoe (6): 2009 – 2010, 2011 – 2012, 2012 – 2013, 2016 – 2017, 2017 – 2018, 2018 – 2019
• FIFA World Cup Golden Ball: 2014, 2022
• FIFA World Cup Silver Boot: 2022
• FIFA Club World Cup Golden Ball: 2009, 2011
• FIFA U – 20 World Cup Golden Ball: 2005
• FIFA U – 20 World Cup Golden Boot: 2005
• Copa América Best Player: 2015, 2021
• Copa América Top Goalscorer: 2021
• La Liga Best Player (6): 2008 – 2009, 2009 – 2010, 2010 – 2011, 2011 – 2012, 2012 – 2013, 2014 – 2015
• Pichichi Trophy (8): 2009 − 2010, 2011 – 2012, 2012 − 2013, 2016 – 2017, 2017 − 2018, 2018 – 2019, 2019 – 2020, 2020 – 2021
• Laureus World Sportsman of the Year: 2020
• Argentine Footballer of the Year (14): 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022

Sources:

Douglas, Steve. “Mbappé delivers for France as captain; Lukaku nets hat trick”. The Associated Press. Friday, March 24, 2023.

Football Reference News Services. “Kylian Mbappe”. Football Reference. Friday, March 24, 2023.

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For many, Augusta is the highlight of the golf calendar. Despite there being 44 events per season, including 4 majors, The Masters is considered the most coveted prize of them all. 

At casino.org, we’re suckers for data, but Golf is a sport of many variables with a lot of data points. We’ve decided to go back in time and take a close look at the last 20 green jacket winners, looking at the profile of the victorious golfers, their equipment, and their performance.

After mining 20 years of data, we have been able to identify some recurring trends. We have also used previous outcomes to calculate the most likely profile of the 2023 Masters winner.

The standout trends at Augusta

Since the very first Masters tournament in 1934, only three debutants have won. This trend is likely to change, though, as the quality of elite golfers is increasing year-on-year. The average age of the last 20 Masters winners is 31 and ½  – which is relatively high for PGA Tour winners. This stat suggests experience is key around Augusta.

Another prominent theme for those looking to don the Green Jacket at the Masters is power off the tee, with a right to left shot shape dominating. This is a draw for most players, but Phil Mickelson and Bubba Watson have won 25% of the last 20 Masters renewals between them. What have they got in common? They are both lefties who can power fade the ball with that required right-to-left shot shape. This is a theme that will largely be neutralised at Augusta over the coming years as the players and their equipment evolves.

Heavyweights debate

On the most recent episode of The Chip Race, I acted as an intermediary of sorts as my VegasSlotsOnline News colleague and co-host Dara O’Kearney engaged in a vigorous but good-natured debate with Ireland’s winningest poker player Andy Black. The segment was billed as Game Theory Optimal (GTO) versus White Magic. 

different philosophies, different routes into poker, and different coaching starting points 

This particular debate had been teased for quite some time, with the Irish Poker Tour expressing interest in having the two legends duke it out in a live setting. That may yet happen – in which case I hope our segment has whet the appetite for further discussion – but even if it doesn’t, I think the piece stands alone as an interesting clash of different philosophies, different routes into poker, and different coaching starting points. 

For the purposes of the debate, O’Kearney and Black were pitted as dueling representatives of the two opposing concepts, O’Kearney argued for GTO principles. His best-selling book GTO Poker Simplified espouses the virtues of unexploitable lines via balanced ranges. Black certainly recognizes the importance of having strong fundamentals, but he is also a believer in “white magic,” that somewhat ethereal Hellmuthian term which prioritizes the specific hand that you are playing and draws upon hand and people reading abilities to diverge successfully from game theory.

What is GTO? 

Game theory is the branch of mathematics concerned with the analysis of strategies for dealing with competitive situations where the outcome of a participant’s choice of action depends critically on the actions of other participants. Essentially, the objective of game theory is to figure out an optimal strategy. In other words, no matter what your opponents do, they cannot beat you long term. At best, they can break even by also playing optimally. This optimal strategy solution is known as “Nash equilibrium.” 

In No-Limit Hold’em, game theory optimal in its purest sense is not yet known and likely never will be owing to the game’s complexity but, using solver software, we can create useful toy games which have GTO solutions. The hand ranges and a limited number of options for actions on each street are input and then the solver iterates on strategies for each player until a balance point is found. 

good players will begin to recognize patterns and infer heuristics

The point is that armed with these solutions, good players will begin to recognize patterns and infer heuristics which will then massively benefit them in similar future situations. That is not to say that they will stick rigidly to those strategies. Of course, there will be times when they may choose to diverge but even then, it will be a divergence from this sound baseline strategy. 

What is white magic?

On a 2021 episode of No Gamble, No Future, Hellmuth was asked about white magic, a term he invented, and he told the story about a non-standard fold he made when his opponent shoved into him blind versus blind for 15 big blinds. According to “The Poker Brat,” the player was giving off strength tells and for him, “reading trumps everything,” so he laid down Ace-Ten. 

Another time, when he was asked about white magic, he was a little more cryptic, saying: “you don’t understand my mysterious and unseen powers.” Well, trying to decode the sorcery at play, author Zach Elwood wrote an excellent article entitled: “What Is Phil Hellmuth’s White Magic? Can We Define It?” In one section, the renowned poker tells expert focuses on the 16-time world champion’s ability to adapt to how people react to his belligerent behavior at the table: 

“Hellmuth often offends people. He often gets on their nerves. And so he generates many opportunities to get… reads.”

Elwood then gives an example of how a hand might play out between Hellmuth and a player who he has annoyed: 

Hellmuth knows his opponent is unlikely to act that way if he were bluffing

“Hellmuth and his opponent get in a hand and they get to the river. Hellmuth’s opponent goes all-in. Hellmuth insults him and his opponent fires back with a quick insult, very loose. Or, more subtly, maybe he stays quiet and only a brief flash of irritaton crosses his face. For either of these reactions, Hellmuth knows his opponent is unlikely to act that way if he were bluffing. Hellmuth folds.”

Elwood then offers a counter-example:

“Later on, the two get into another hand and his opponent makes a significant river bet. Hellmuth whines and berates his opponent, but his opponent is stoic and neutral, and doesn’t give anything way. Hellmuth is much more likely to call here.”

Less GTO is better?

The debate between O’Kearney and Black kicked off with me harkening back to Black’s first visit to The Chip Race when he said how when you are in a hand, being up against Kings feels different to being up against Aces, that they have their unique signature or energy into which an attuned player can tap. Feeling that difference and responding to it correctly seemed to quite nicely incapsulate the idea of white magic, but Black immediately reframed the conversation.

Black was keen to address what he believes is a preponderance of GTO material in the poker coaching realm. He contended that its domination of the space is at the expense of a more individually tailored humanistic approach to the game. He also suggested that roughly half of all poker players and the majority of recreational players would benefit more from a coaching methodology that looked to exploit their strengths in other facets of their life, honing in on the traits that have cross-over application. 

the way for some of them to get better is to be a bit more thorough”

“There are a whole bevvy-load of recreationals who are the heart blood of the game and I think that the way for some of them to get better is to be a bit more thorough, looking at stuff like focus and awareness, looking at the game in slightly more broad strokes… through that, you manage to find a composure.”

More GTO is better? 

By contrast, O’Kearney argued that by incorporating GTO principles you can improve and move up the stakes faster because you have a game that can win at all levels. In other words, your core game is scalable and not reliant on working out the specific exploits that work versus the different population tendencies at different stakes. 

In his book GTO Poker Simplified, O’Kearney says that playing GTO “means not having a leak in your game like bluffing too much or too little or calling too much or too little that can be exploited by another player.” He believes that shoring up these technical leaks and developing a play style that is more fundamentally sound is actually the best first step for recreational players.

O’Kearney also believes that it is often through GTO work and solver learning that players achieve the poise and composure that Black values so highly:

a systematic studious approach, not based on what happens, but based on learning a strategy”

“It comes from the way that they have gotten good technically at the game. They apply that to other areas as well… [poker] gave them an approach, a systematic studious approach, not based on what happens, but based on learning a strategy, which they are then able to apply, not just to other areas of poker but other areas of their life.”

Two different approaches

As the moderator of the debate, I was keen not to polarize either participant. To do so would have been disingenuous. It’s not like O’Kearney has never made a read on a player who was giving off tells and did the opposite of what a solver would have done. Similarly, it’s not like Black is out there just winging it without some baseline fundamentals. 

the crux of their difference is in the order and priority of things

I was also happy to embrace the redefining of white magic and the focus on the recreational player’s way into the game because I think it ultimately leads to more common ground. It struck me that both O’Kearney and Black want to coach players to be as good as they can be, but the crux of their difference is in the order and priority of things. 

O’Kearney gives players knowledge and teaches the ability to self-teach, believing that good execution relies on first having a solid base of understanding. Black works on a player’s execution first, believing that the ability to absorb information and build a knowledge base relies on first learning how to be receptive and aware. 

White magic is black magic? 

Ultimately, players seeking out coaching need to decide which methodology would work best for them. I can certainly see how Black’s approach could be valuable to a player who is struggling with a lack of composure and perhaps also a feeling that there is an overwhelming amount of material to consume in order to get proficient in the game. 

I do, however, lean more towards the O’Kearney modus operandi, as I think of GTO both a baseline and as a defensive posture against elite opponents. As such, it is the rock upon which I can build my game and that, in turn, gives me confidence. From there, confidence breeds composure and with composure comes (I hope) sharp execution. 

Black said: “Even if you cannot see something, it doesn’t mean it is not there”. That may be true, but I personally prefer to put my faith in things I can see, and solver output provides that. I am reminded by a famous line from The Sea, The Sea by the great novelist and philosopher Iris Murdock:

“White magic is black magic. A less than perfect meddling in the spiritual world can breed monsters for other people, and demons used for good can hang around and make mischief afterwards.”

The post GTO Versus White Magic: A Clash of Poker Philosophies appeared first on VegasSlotsOnline News.

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The two partners have already teamed up for a number of titles, such as the recent B2B release Festival 10K Ways launched in January. Yggdrasil and ReelPlay have now developed the Wild West-inspired hit, offering players the win potential of a total of 8,737x the player’s bet. Such a potential is facilitated by Yggdrasil’s landmark Giga Blox Mechanics (GEM), as well as the generous Bonus Respins feature, Mega Coin Symbol, and more.

Powerful Mechanics Guarantees Landing:

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Mega Coin Takes the Game Off:

But if at least 2 x 2 coins land on reels during the re-triggered bonus round, their combination will form a Mega Coin feature, which will multiply the multiplier values of all mutually combined symbols two times. Mega Coin feature offers the highest win potential and the Buy Bonus capacity can be optionally used to get straight into the Mega Coin action.

Quality Assurance:

As usual, Yggdrasil’s innovative GATI technology powers the slot. The provider uses the proven solution across a range of B2B and software and game development deals to ensure pre-set, standardized development tools for its partners. The consistency of development results in reproducible cutting-edge content ready for distribution. The level of quality assurance of Yggdrasil’s products makes the provider’s partners keep coming back for more.

Commenting on the new title release, Stuart McCarthy, Head of Product & Programs at Yggdrasil, said: “ReelPlay has established themselves as one of our most successful YG Masters partners over the last few years. We could not be more excited to release another top-tier slot with a proven theme and our much-loved GigaBlox GEM offering the potential for huge wins.”

David Johnson, CEO at ReelPlay, said: “Big Bucks Buffalo GigaBlox launches with all the familiar ReelPlay strengths evident; we’re thrilled to see our latest exciting YG Masters game go live and are confident that the release will prove appealing for players and operators alike.”

It seems like a simple question: how many decks in blackjack? Casual players may be surprised to find that there can be one, two, four, six or eight decks used in a game of blackjack. While friendly games of blackjack are usually only played with one deck of cards, when you step into a casino you will find double deck deals, alongside four, six and eight deck games. So, lets examine why that is and also how many decks are used in two of the most famous gambling cities, Atlantic City and Las Vegas.

Why Do Casinos Use More Than One Deck?

In 1966 the brilliant mathematician, Edward Thorp, released his ground-breaking book ‘Beat The Dealer’. In this book, Thorp mathematically proved that players could use a points-based system to beat the house in blackjack. Gamblers across the world soon adopted Thorp’s system, including one of the most famous gamblers in history – Bill Benter.

Until the release of Thorp’s book, almost every casino in the world would only have offered single-deck blackjack. However, card counting with a single deck was not an incredibly intellectual task that required a computer-sized brain; thus, it was quite an accessible system and a danger for casinos.  Before long, as casino bosses started to see the profits get eaten into by teams of card counting gamblers, changes had to be made. Casinos would soon introduce multiple-deck games, change minimum bets and alter pay-outs to protect themselves from card counters. Whilst card counting is still possible with multiple decks, it does not offer as significant an opportunity to gamblers as in the single-deck games.

How Blackjack Works in Atlantic City

Atlantic City has a particular set of rules that means that casinos need to be a little bit more wary of their players’ abilities. The rules in the city state that skilled players cannot be banned from playing in any casino. This means that if a casino suspects that a certain player is counting cards, they cannot ask them to leave. Therefore, the casinos have found other ways to protect themselves.

To do this, the casinos of Atlantic City almost exclusively use either six or eight decks. This is due to the fact that increasing the number of decks will slightly increase the house edge. This is illustrated in the table below:

Here we can see that the house edge in six or eight deck games is more than double of that in a single deck game. This is an important edge for the casinos of Atlantic City as they look to protect themselves against the sharper players.

Spanish 21 is also on offer more often in Atlantic City than in other gambling cities – however, this is not due to the generosity of the casinos! Again, the house edge in Spanish 21 is quite high – some believe it to be anywhere up to 4%. Expert players are only thought to bring the edge down to around 0.45%, but this will only happen for the most skilled players using a most robust strategy.