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A Complete Guide to WSOP 2018 Online Qualifiers

888Poker and Winamax are once again the two authorized WSOP partners outside the US, while others offer unofficial packages.

In just three week’s time, the 49th annual World Series of Poker (WSOP), the world’s most prestigious live tournament series, will get underway.

The highly anticipated series this year features 78 bracelet events, including four online events—the most ever. The Big One for One Drop, a $1 million buy-in event, is making a comeback after four years, and for the first time, the WSOP will implement big blind antes and shot clocks for their high roller events.

Read the full article on pokerfuse →

Posted on

A Complete Guide to WSOP 2018 Online Qualifiers

888Poker and Winamax are once again the two authorized WSOP partners outside the US, while others offer unofficial packages.

In just three week’s time, the 49th annual World Series of Poker (WSOP), the world’s most prestigious live tournament series, will get underway.

The highly anticipated series this year features 78 bracelet events, including four online events—the most ever. The Big One for One Drop, a $1 million buy-in event, is making a comeback after four years, and for the first time, the WSOP will implement big blind antes and shot clocks for their high roller events.

Read the full article on pokerfuse →

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Bye Bye, Bonacic: Influential NY Senator Will Step Aside This Year

Some of New York’s most-tenured Republican senators are vacating office this year.

Sen. John Bonacic is the most recent to announce his retirement, doing so this week via an e-mail statement.

“I have decided that I will not seek re-election to the New York Senate,” the letter begins. “Next to being called Pat’s husband and Melissa and Scott’s father and a grandfather to three more, serving in the State Senate has been the honor of my life.”

Bonacic’s retirement will end a career of more than 40 years as an elected official in NY. He’s the third GOP senator to announce his exit in recent days, following colleagues John DeFrancisco and Kathleen Marchione out the door. The news creates some alarm for the Senate GOP, clutching onto a one-vote majority with three seats up for grabs this fall.

Bonacic’s career is worthy of a brief review, as he’s been a key supporter of the NY gaming industry during his tenure.

Bonacic on gaming issues

Bonacic sits on a number of NY committees, including the chairman’s position for Senate Racing, Gaming, and Wagering. That gives him significant input on gaming issues in NY, and he’s been an absolute champion for the industry.

Most notably, Bonacic was the lead sponsor of the Upstate NY Gaming Economic Development Act, which the governor signed into law in 2013. Passage paved the way for the construction of four commercial casinos, and all four have since opened their doors. One of those properties, Resorts World Catskills, is in his own district.

A couple years later, Bonacic successfully pushed for the legalization of NY daily fantasy sports. Both DraftKings and FanDuel occupy office space in New York City, but DFS was temporarily prohibited under an order from attorney general Eric Schneiderman.

Bonacic’s bill provided a mechanism for state oversight, and operations quickly resumed following the governor’s signature. The Fantasy Sports Trade Association personally thanked Bonacic for his efforts, as did the two largest operators.

His gaming to-do list still contains two items, though. Bonacic has filed separate proposals to legalize NY sports betting and NY online poker, and there’s a good chance one or both will get through during this session. His committee has already passed both bills.

Bonacic’s career in public service

Bonacic represents the 42nd District in the Hudson Valley, which includes parts of Delaware, Green, Orange, Sullivan, and Ulster counties. The senator and his wife make their home in Orange.

The constituents in Bonacic’s diverse district made an impact on him during his career:

I want to thank many people for the opportunity to serve, and am so grateful to them. The fact that someone who grew up in the most urban area of the nation — Hell’s Kitchen — could be welcomed into dairy barns in Delhi, and small businesses in Monticello, and mix with today’s college students at New Paltz, while returning home at night to Orange County and being welcomed there also, is something that is a testament to the people of the 42nd Senate District.

Bonacic was first elected into a vacant Assembly seat in 1990 following a stint as a county official. He was re-elected four times before moving into the Senate in 1998, and he’s defended his seat every two years since. The incumbent senator earned more than 60 percent of his district’s votes in the 2016 election.

During his tenure, Bonacic developed a reputation for managing controversial issues, even when it displeased his own party. In his announcement, he ran through some of his own personal highlights:

  • Sponsored the Women’s Health and Wellness Act
  • Restored Ellenville Hospital and protected other rural clinics
  • Helped facilitate relocation for families in upstate flood areas
  • Secured funding for New York Main Street program

There’s also this:

Partnering with Governor [Andrew] Cuomo, we finally brought casino gaming to Sullivan County. That is something that had been fought for decades, and now it is creating jobs and raising property values.

 

Bonacic’s personal life

Bonacic is 75 years old, a third-generation descendant of Croatian immigrants.

As the first member of his family to attend college, Bonacic spent much of his lawmaking career supporting issues related to education. He studied Economics in undergrad at Iona University, then entered the Law School at Fordham University. He received his JD in 1968.

Bonacic has two children with his wife of more than 50 years, Pat. The senator’s retirement announcement expressed a desire to focus on family going forward.

The twenty years I have spent in the Senate have been rewarding both personally and professionally, despite the frustrations that all of us experience in any career.

Twenty years, though, is enough, and I look forward to spending quality time with my bride, Pat, and my children and grandchildren. They have been my rock and my inspiration.

Bonacic says he’ll end his career where it began, at home in Orange County with Pat by his side. He closes his statement with a simple, “Thank you.”

Thank you as well, Senator.

The post Bye Bye, Bonacic: Influential NY Senator Will Step Aside This Year appeared first on Play NY.

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With Summer Closing In, NJ Online Casinos Are Bubbling With New Games

April showers bring May flowers, as well as a whole new crop of games to play at NJ online casinos. Two casinos made it over the 300-game count, three casinos added 20 or more new titles, and Golden Nugget continues to lead the pack in almost every type of game available. Plus a couple casinos launched Live Dealer format gaming, bringing the total to three NJ online casinos offering this type of gaming.

Golden Nugget

Golden Nugget continues to be the leader in the overall NJ online casino game count, blackjack, slots, and table games. End of April counts showed 484 slots — an increase of 28 during the previous month, 18 blackjack variations — including two new additions, 21 video poker games, and 18 table games. Its game library now holds 541 titles, along with 10 Live Dealer tables (Casino Hold’em, blackjack — five tables, Roulette, Multiview Roulette, Baccarat, and Casino Floor Roulette).

In the last month, new slot titles added include:

  • Triple Cash Wheel
  • The Voice
  • Monkey Drop
  • Acorn Pixie
  • Twin Spin Deluxe

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Betfair

Betfair is another casino that pumped up the volume, adding 21 new titles in the last month, bringing its total game library to 381. While it didn’t add any new video poker (11), blackjack (6) or table games (14), Betfair’s slot assortment just got larger and now numbers 350 and counting.

Among their newest games are:

  • Asgardian Stones: With a nod to Stonehenge and the mythical city of Asgard, this slot has symbols carved out of stone, has an Avalanche feature, Colossal symbols, Colossal Crush and a Bonus Wheel, which can yield Free Spins or a bonus cash prize.
  • Hula Hula Nights: Head to the Hawaiian Islands, where hula girls and tiki masks will make your day. A unique Green Reel feature can yield huge cash prizes, and there’s also a Big Bet option.
  • Monopoly Mega Movers: Another title based on the famed board game, this one features all of your favorite game pieces, Directional Wilds, Extra Bet Wheel feature and 5 Jackpots.

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Virgin

Only slightly behind sister site Tropicana, Virgin online casino is up to 215 total games in its library. With the addition of seven new slots, Virgin now offers 193 different titles, along with six each of blackjack and video poker and 10 table games.

Their newest games are the aforementioned Golden Chief and Tetris Super Jackpots. This latter game has become a popular addition at almost all NJ online casinos. Designed by SG Interactive, this slot is based on the original Tetris that became popular on game consoles like Sega and Nintendo. What’s interesting is the Free Spins bonus game. When the Scatter symbol (TETRIS) appears on reels 2, 3, and 4, you head to Free Spins, where the reel array expands to 5 reels and 8 rows. Any spin that has a winning combo will generate a watermark and that symbol falls to the bottom of the array.

Winning lines with a watermark are paid and then the symbols cleared, much like the original version. Oh, and there are 3 Jackpots available, with the Mini being 50x your total stake, Minor is 250x total stake, and Major is 2500x total stake.

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Caesars

Caesars has been the consistent leader when it comes to video poker, with 22 games. But not content to rest on its laurels, it too added 14 new slot titles to its arsenal. Caesars now has 411 slot titles, along with nine blackjack games and 10 table games.

Among the newest slots are two Slingo options, the slot-bingo hybrid that has become very popular in NJ online casinos:

  • Slingo Reel Extreme: With this version, each bet buys you five linked spins. There are two ways to win during that time. You can make symbol matches, similar to a regular slot machine, and you can accumulate bonus symbols during the spins. Collect three or more bonus symbols to trigger the Win Spins Bonus. During the Win Spins Bonus, you are offered your choice of spin/multiplier combos. For example, get three bonus symbols and you can choose 16 spins x2, 8 spins x4 or 4 spins x8. All spins generate a win.
  • Slingo Fortunes: This Slingo variation has an Asian twist. Each bingo square has a red envelope, each of which contains a cash prize. The goal is to get rid of the envelopes with the lowers cash prizes. With each spin, five numbers appear 1 in each column. If the number matches up with a number on an envelope then the prize is revealed and removed from the grid. A Slingo occurs if you open five envelopes in a row diagonally, vertically or horizontally.

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888 Casino

888 Casino made a big play in the last 30 days, adding 61 new games to its library. New affiliations with both NetEnt and IGT, leading game makers in the field, yielded a whole new array of possibilities for players. NetEnt contributed 43 new titles, while IGT added another 18.

New titles include:

  • Guns ‘N’ Roses
  • Planet of the Apes
  • Da Vinci Diamonds
  • Crown of Egypt
  • Emoji Planet
  • Starburst
  • King Kong
  • Gorilla Go Wild
  • Steamtower
  • Dead or Alive

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Pala

Pala, like Harrah’s, neglected to add new online casino games in the last 30 days, after doing some housecleaning last month. They stand at:

  • 219 slots
  • 4 blackjack
  • 8 video poker
  • 5 table games

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Mohegan Sun

Mohegan Sun was just two games shy of adding 20 titles last month. It has increased its blackjack and table game offerings by one each, plus Mohegan Sun added 16 slot titles. It is holding strong in third place with 486 total titles in its game library.

Two of Mohegan’s new titles will take you back to your childhood:

  • Tetris Super Jackpots: You may remember playing this arcade game back in the 1980s and 1990s, and it’s back as a slot variation. The symbols are an actual game piece in varying colors and configurations, as well as the 10-Ace. While there is no Wild, there is a Tetrimino Feature, which adds extra lines of one symbol, making winning combinations easier to achieve. You’ll need 3 Scatter symbols (TETRIS) to move on to the Free Spins Bonus Game where the reel array expands to 5 reels and 8 rows. Oh, and there are three Jackpots available, with the Mini being 50x your total stake, Minor is 250x total stake, and Major is 2500x total stake.
  • Monopoly Money in Hand: The newest version based on the popular board game of your youth contains some of your favorite items: Rich Uncle Pennybags, Scotty dog, cat, and top hat, as well as 3 stacks of cash, each with a different multiplier. You also have a Wild symbol and a Scatter, represented by the GO corner of the board. Three or more GO symbols triggers the Free Spins bonus round, the only time that Rich Uncle Pennybags (aka Mr. Monopoly) appears. There’s also a Big Bet option, Red Hot Respins, and a Chance Card Bonus.

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Resorts

Resorts was just one title shy of adding 20 new online casino games after cleaning house last month and deleting some older, less popular titles. At this rate, it will cross the 500-game threshold in May. Currently, Resorts has 456 slots, 10 blackjack variations, 20 video poker options, and 11 table games, for a total of 497.

Among those new offerings are:

  • Cleo’s Wish
  • Sphinx Wild
  • Gong Xi Fa Cai
  • Smash the Pig
  • Icy Wilds

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Borgata

Borgata was no slouch either, adding not only 16 new slot titles, but they also launched its Live Dealer format. Live dealer games were introduced by Golden Nugget in August 2016, with Betfair following in 2017. Now Borgata has thrown their hat in the ring, offering American Blackjack, Casino Hold’em, American Roulette and Baccarat Dragon Bonus.

Borgata now offers 288 slot titles, four blackjack options, 12 video poker games, and four Live Dealer games. The addition of both the slots and live games pushed its total over the 300-mark, and they now have 312 different options for you to enjoy.

New slot titles include:

  • Fortune Stacks
  • Heart of Romance
  • Wonder Rose
  • Wings of the Phoneix
  • Wealthy Monkey
  • The Voice
  • Color Cubes

…and much more.

Tropicana

Tropicana expanded both its slot offerings as well as blackjack for a total of nine new titles. If slow and steady wins the race, then both Tropicana and sister site, Virgin, should end up on top. They both consistently add 5-10 new titles every month, with many of the slot options being exclusive to their sites.

Total game count at Tropicana NJ is now at 221, and it also offers eight blackjack games, eight video poker and 10 table games. Among the newest of its games is Golden Chief. With a nod to Native American culture, this slot features an intricate beadwork pattern on its Wild symbol and Jack-Ace and a wizened chief complete with ornate headdress. That Golden Chief can expand to fill up a whole reel during a win and acts as a Wild. This is in addition to the Wild already on the board (and the Heap Wild available in the bonus round).

Three or more Scatter symbols will trigger the Golden Bonus Wheel. That wheel features three games for the bonus round: Totem, Cash Canyon, and Free Spins Gamble, all of which can bring rich cash prizes.

playMGM

If you are a regular on playMGM, you may have noticed a big increase in games on the site. That’s because playMGM added 26 new slot titles, bringing its total to 297. Add to that three blackjack games, 12 video poker, and five table games and the NJ online casino now has a grand total of 317 offerings on the site.

New to the site are three slot titles that break the mold. There are no reels, no paylines, no Wilds and no Scatters. Only one has a Bonus round, and it is in a simplified format. While that may put you off, the good news is that the bets are low, from $1 to $10 and each bet gives you 7-10 chances to make a win. Perfect game for a beginner or low stakes player, or if you just want something new and unique. Check out:

  • The Voice
  • Monkey Drop
  • Color Cubes

But here’s something to note: playMGM also launched a live dealer game collection on its site since it shares Borgata’s NJ online gambling license.

Harrah’s

Harrah’s has gone quiet for the last two months with nary a new NJ online casino game in sight. It continues to offer 98 slot titles, one blackjack table, and four table games, for a total of 103 games.

SugarHouse

SugarHouse has been very consistent, adding about 10 games a month, and April was no exception. Eleven new slot titles brought SugarHouse’s total to 406, and it added one new table game, making it lucky a lucky seven. There are also 15 blackjack variations for a total of 433 titles.

New to the lineup are two unique games:

  • Twin Spin Deluxe: NetEnt is the creator behind Twin Spin Deluxe. This game has 6 reels, but instead of regular paylines uses Cluster Pays. Nine or more symbols linked horizontally, vertically or adjacent compose a winning cluster. Each spin starts with two of the six reels being identical, hence the Twin Spin name. During the spin those two reels can expand to become 3, 4, 5, or 6 adjacent reels, making for some nice wins.
  • Wheel of Fortune Winning Words: The goal with this slot, based off the popular TV game show, is to take the letter tiles you are given and match them to three randomly chosen words. Once you place your bet, the Wheel of Fortune will determine the prize value for each of those three words. Then you reveal each tile one by one or use the Auto Reveal button to speed things up. Matching letters get paired with your words and you must complete a whole word (or two or three) for a win. For each win, you’ll get a spin of the Multiplier Wheel to increase your prize.

The post With Summer Closing In, NJ Online Casinos Are Bubbling With New Games appeared first on NJ Online Casino.