Doyle's Room is switching to a more US friendly casino software

Doyle's Room may be at the lead of a new trend in online gambling, as the Internet poker room has decided to switch online poker software providers to allow a return to the US market. Doyle's Room sent e-mails to patrons this week alerting them to massive change on the site, expected to focus on a shift from Microgaming to Cake Poker.

Microgaming decided in November to withdraw from the US market to avoid further legal hassles like the Kentucky online casino domain name case. At that time, all sites powered by Microgaming were required to follow suit and stop accepting new US players. But studies have shown that as much as half of all online gambling involves US players, and a fledgling site like Doyle's needs that base to draw upon.

Therefore, Doyle's will become a member of the Cake Poker network. While Cake has blocked Kentucky players in a protective response to the ongoing court case, players from other states are still welcome. No word has been released about potential returns to prior service by either Microgaming or Cake in light of the appellate victory in Kentucky by online gambling sites.

Meanwhile, rumors persist that other online casinos may choose, or be forced economically, to follow Doyle's move to switch software providers that are still accepting US players. Playboy Casino, which expected to exploit the brand name so well-known in the US, has announced it will shut down next week after two years of struggling to survive following software provider Cryptologic's dropping of US players after the passing of the UIGEA.

More Internet casinos are sure to conclude their best path for survival and growth may lie in placing their companies with software companies still serving the US. With the arrival of new gambling solutions from Rival Gaming and Wizard Gaming, there are a growing number of high-quality, innovative programs to choose from.

Women should indulge in online gambling because...

Here is an interesting fact. Although men dominate the online poker segment, in online gambling as a whole, women have the bigger number. So why should we indulge ourselves in a little online gambling? Below are 8 of the top reasons.

1. Women can ultimately impress their man by showing that they too can kick-ass at online poker, blackjack or backgammon. You can show your man that you can not only play but can earn more money than him as well.
   
2. Online gambling let's you play at the comforts of our home even if you're just in our pajamas. You can focus more in the game since there are no distractions unlike in it's land-based counterpart. Playing online poker from home, rather than dealing with the noise and lights in actual casinos, gives you time to think and concentrate. This helps you play better, which in return helps you win.
3. The payout rates in online gambling sites are higher compared to its land-based counterpart. Higher payout means more profit for you.
   
4. Online gambling sites are more tailored to get better odds. The computer software itself are ruled by Random Number Generator system and is meant to give all the players a fair chance.
   
5. Playing at online gambling sites is easier for you to win. Since you don't have to deal with people and you don't need to put up your poker face to the test. You can smile, you can frown and no one will be there to analyze each and every twitch your eyes made during the game.
6. If you're not as good to start wagering your money, you can always practice using an online gambling site's free play feature.
   
7. Since women are sociable well-beings, you can immerse yourself with different cultures as you mingle with other online players.
   
8. Women can spare themselves being mugged in casino parking lots since online gambling sites have several payment options to choose from.
   

Loose- Aggressive and Tight- Aggressive Poker Game

It is often naturally presumed that whenever you play poker you should employ the Tight Aggressive style of play. With that being said the majority of poker players worldwide do actually adopt this approach. Although the TAG style of play might be the best strategy for no limit cash games it is not always the best tactic to employ when you are playing large tournaments or to a lesser extent single table sit-n-go tournaments.

A common strategy known amongst experienced players is to play in the opposite style to your opponents. Since the majority of players adopt the TAG approach, you may want to consider adding some LAG (Loose Aggressive) elements to your tournament game. This will add an extra dimension to your game; you will constantly keep your opposition guessing by playing a large variety of hands.

After playing poker for a long time I have come to realize that you cannot stick to one particular style of play for a long period. If you are always playing the TAG game you will eventually become too predictable and your opponents will figure out that you only play with premium hands. You will get bluffed at a lot more and won't get paid off with your monster hands. In order to overcome this problem you must be able to effectively mix up your play by shifting gears at the right times to continually keep your opponents on their toes; this is the key to playing solid tournament poker. I'm not saying that you should permanently switch to a LAG style of play, however by simply adding some key LAG elements to your tournament game you should see you a major overall improvement.

Now, what exactly is the Loose Aggressive approach? The LAG player is defined as a poker player who calls and raises a large variety of hands with the intention of outplaying or outdrawing an opponent who is usually holding a stronger hand. This type of player is also very aware and will usually back down when there is retaliation or resistance, However he will semi bluff at a lot more pots and sometimes come over the top if he feels his opponent is weak and cannot call.

This type of variety in a player's game can very easily help them exploit the enormous number of players who don't let a single chip slip into the pot without holding a premium hand in the early stages of poker tournaments. In No Limit Cash Games you can sit around and wait for the nuts all night, but in tournaments and sit-n-gos you don't have that luxury, the blinds and antes are continually eating away at your stack, so you must be making some moves regularly. By adding LAG elements to your game in the early stages of Sit-N-Gos and Tournaments your stack will be better equipped to deal with the frenzied circumstances at the end stages of the game.

When you are using the LAG approach you will probably be able to pick up a lot of small pots without much resistance. If you raise pre-flop with hands like 35 when you are in position and if you only get 1 or 2 callers you are in a good spot to take down the pot a majority of the time. Even you miss the flop entirely the pre-flop raise has put you in control of the hand and if your opponents check to you it is most likely they missed as well (Two Thirds of the time your opponents will completely miss the flop), a continuation bet in this spot will usually take down the pot.

Obviously this tactic won't always work; sometimes you will bet and get check-raised, but that doesn't matter because you should be able to get away from the hand easily and you wouldn't have lost that much. Overall you will accumulate more chips by continually winning those small pots, after all you can't win every pot, and even if you missed the flop with AK or AQ and you got check raised you would most likely have to fold.

Another major advantage that makes the LAG style of play so profitable and enjoyable to employ is the fact that sometimes you will hit the flop hard and make a huge hand, e.g. you flop a straight, a flush or 2 pair. If this occurs it is very unlikely for your opponents to put you on something like 86 or 47, and if they have high pockets or got a piece of the flop you will get paid off in a big way and take down a huge pot.

Although, there are some disadvantages of using the LAG approach. When using this style you will always come across inexperienced players or calling stations that will call you down with bottom pair or AK and absolutely destroy your stack. So to employ the style effectively you must study your opponents very carefully and know who to target. Remember there is no point bluffing a calling station or re-raising with bottom pair if you know your opponent never folds when he hits any pair.

Also by going into the pot with marginal hands you will constantly find yourself holding the second best hand. Whether you are holding middle pair or your kicker isn't good enough, a good LAG player should be able to away from 2nd best hands without losing too much money. However if you are not careful this could seriously damage your stack and jeopardize your chances for the latter stages.

Nevertheless overall, by adding LAG elements to your game in the early stages you should be able to amass extra chips and acquire a nice stack early on. You immediately gain a huge advantage over players who play a cautious, tight game. The extra chips that you accumulate will allow you to survive tough decisions in the end stages and give you some breathing space.

So if you happen to get involved in a race situation in the latter stages you are able to withstand a loss and are not completely crippled. You will have an extra buffer of chips that will be much needed and treasured when you are placed in those situations. On the other hand a player that always pursues the TAG approach will most likely be Dependant on his AK to win a race or be eliminated out of the tournament.

Online Gambling's - UIGEA

The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) is a part of the Security and Accountability For Every Port Act of 2006, or commonly known as the SAFE Port Act. The SAFE Port Act was enacted to cover online gambling and the U.S ports in relation with the continuous threat of terrorism. Title VIII of this Act has covered online gambling and is also commonly known as the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006. This title prohibits the transfer of funds from a financial institution to an Internet gambling site, with the notable exceptions of fantasy sports, online lotteries, and horse/harness racing. Title VIII's main objective is to prevent money laundering by terrorist organizations.

Surprise spread quickly over the online gambling industry when the UIGEA was passed by Congress in 2006. Several publicly listed members of the gambling industry took it so seriously that they ceased taking bets from American players even before having read the Statute. The UIGEA faced severe criticism both internationally and from the online gambling players community in the U.S. The international community that was critically affected by the loss of the players from the US, has pressed the matter that UIGEA has violated WTO standards. Antigua who is a major online gambling destination, has claimed $ 3.4 billion after it has obtained a ruling from WTO. Despite all the protests and criticism, the US authorities remain silent and continue to ignore the issue.

The opposition within the online gambling community is more effective. Online poker players, together, formed the coalition, Poker Players Alliance aiming to speak with one voice in order to promote poker, and to protect their rights as players. Online casino players have also organized the group Interactive Media Entertainment & Gaming Association (IMEGA) that aims to foster cooperation between the online industry and government at all levels, and to promote innovation, openness and freedom on the Internet.

The iMEGA went to court in March 2008 on behalf of a client against the UIGEA. The judge rejected the petition but acknowledged that there were deficiencies in the UIGEA that were best addressed by higher courts. The iMEGA has filed an appeal in the higher courts. The Internet gambling industry has challenged the UIGEA on several counts. The foremost is that it violates the fundamental rights of privacy, speech, expression, and conduct. Another important argument is that the UIGEA discriminates against Internet gambling as compared to land-based gambling. There are several arguments that are technical rather than fundamental. The most forceful of these is that the UIGEA does not define Internet gambling and is therefore vague. Several legislative challenges have been initiated against the UIGEA as well. The bill HR 6870 seeks suspension of the UIGEA till all issues raised against the UIGEA have been satisfactorily addressed. The bill S 3616 seeks to identify poker as a game of skill and therefore take it out of the purview of the UIGEA.

The online gambling community has come to terms with the fact that if it wants prohibition of Internet gambling removed then it will have to accept regulation. In fact many have begun to advocate regulation. In addition to the issue of money laundering regulation will address issues like underage, problem gambling and tax avoidance that will therefore increase the credibility of the online gambling industry.