Following a recent British survey on online casinos, previous findings from well-respected organizations come into question, leading us back to square one. Sponsored by the UK Gambling Commission, this study used figures from the British Gambling Prevalence Study to conclude that problem gambling is more prominent among online casino users than brick-and-mortar gamblers by a factor of ten. Ten! Pretty significant finding, right?

Not so fast. Harvard Medical School’s Dr. Howard Shaffer came to another conclusion. After a lengthy two-year study, he discovered that problem gambling occurs less often in online casino gamblers. What’s that about?

Not clear. Shaffer isn’t the only one to come to this conclusion. Professor Dan Rose of South Africa’s National Responsible Gambling Program did as well. However, Keith Whyte, a representative of the United States National Council on Problem Gambling found no difference between online casino gamblers and land-based.

Here’s a possible explanation: some suspect that the scientists behind the recent study coming out of Britain was influenced by bias. One of the professors is known to have been seeking for partners to stop the loosening up of gambling laws in the UK. If this is the case, clearly further investigation needs to be done before accepting these findings as conclusive.

Until then, back to the online casino for me! Or didn’t you hear? Online blackjack helps to reverse hair loss.

Well, it seems that there are more benefits than anyone could have imagined before last weekend. You can add “multi-player chats which can save your life” to the list. No joke. Just a few days ago, a woman in Tulsa was saved by EMTs summoned to hear house by her fellow online gamblers. Read on.

Nita Renee found herself at her favorite online casino playing canasta. Through the chat function, she noticed the word “help” pop up from one of her fellow players. Upon confirming that this was not a joke, Renee determined her location before calling 911. When paramedics arrived to the house in Nebraska, they found a 70 year-old woman named Lucille Kimball stuck under a chimney which had collapsed onto her body below. Turns out she had been calling for help for hours and Renee was the first to respond. The woman’s phone was out of reach and she could only type with one hand.

Dale Thomas, volunteer EMT said, “If she wouldn’t have been able to get ahold of this woman in Oklahoma, she wouldn’t be with us.” While Kimball did not break any bones, she lost a lot of blood and had surgery over the weekend to improve her condition.

Renee hasn’t let the events phase her, saying she was just doing what she was supposed to do, responding to a woman who needed help.

Just another reason to visit an online casino: casino games and responsible players.

And why wouldn’t he be? Check this out: the casino will be built in the resort’s front yard and will include a swimming pool, walking paths, a reflecting pool, park benches to sit down and count your winnings, and a leisure area to relax in.

Did someone say reflecting pool? Hel-looooo? This is a CASINO! I don’t need everybody seeing my full house just because some drunk teenagers want to re-enact the Forrest Gump in DC scene. Here’s an idea: how about a black, concrete pool? See, this is why I stick to my online casino. Fewer reflecting pools.

Anyway, where were we? The casino itself will have just about every game imaginable: craps, poker, blackjack, roulette, slots, the works. And just to give a big thank you to its players (and a visit of Lady Luck), gamblers will enjoy a complimentary bottle of wine at 8 PM every evening. And the construction will facilitate improved guest arrivals and departures. Which is good when you want a big winner to get the hell out and never come back.

The beautiful Greenbrier has won numerous awards in the hotel business and has been welcoming guests since 1778.  Unless George Washington liked to play a little online blackjack in the Oval Office, who knows, maybe he frequented this place.  (Yeah, I know he pre-dated the White House.  This is an online gambling blog, not The History Channel.)

So there you go. If you’ve got money to spend and friends in West Virginia to impress, stop by the Greenbrier in 2010. If not, well, I’ll see you at the online casino.

According to a opponents of a constitutional amendment to be voted on in November, churches and non-profit organizations will no longer be able to sponsor craps, Texas Hold ‘Em, and other casino games pending an Ohio vote. Don’t that just take the “hallelujah!” out of your sails?

While the proposal will actually legalize tens of thousands of slot machines in Ohio’s biggest cities in addition to legalizing bingo, lotteries, and horse racing, everything NOT mentioned (such as church gaming nights) would thereby be outlawed.

Really?! The amendment also does not mention shoving a McDonald’s quarter-pounder down my pants, is that also barred? What about playing online blackjack wearing a Tweet jacket and a single sock, a la the Red Hot Chili Peppers? I just don’t get it….the world economy is in shambles, Ohio’s two professional football teams have a combined record of 8-487 this decade, and somebody’s proposed an amendment to outlaw some friendly cash games. I don’t get it. These angry voters aren’t even taking on the big fish, the casinos. Who knows why, they’re going after a bunch of retired senior citizens who probably don’t frequent the online casino because their 1998 AOL connection’s too slow.

Here’s some positive news. Former mayor of Cincinnati Charlie Luken interprets the amendment differently, arguing that the casino games not mentioned in the bill will NOT be affected in any way. Moreover, fortunately, some suspect that the lost revenues will be minimal. Father Bob Penhallurick, a pastor at an Ohio Catholic church, said that he didn’t expect a heavy financial impact from the losses.

We’ll see what happens. And I’ll see you at church.

In order to drink booze, let’s first talk booze.  You’ve seen “The Hangover” by now.  ”Swingers”.  The whole lot of ‘em.  Vegas and casinos are about PARTYING!  Walk into any casino and the waitresses jump on you like a pack of dogs on a steak.  The buzz you get from gambling loosens your collar and inhibitions and makes the wild ride at the tables that much more fun.

At an online casino however, things are a bit different.  There’s no waitress to cut you off after too many drinks.  There’s no pit boss or online casino staff to tell you maybe it’s time to slow down.  Anything goes in the confines of your own home, and when anything goes and you’re polishing off a bottle of Absolut and Coke by yourself?…suddenly it’s may not be so much fun anymore.  Remember:  gambling is risk-taking for the purpose of winning with the greater probability of losing.  In a casino, we place bets, weigh the odds, get a feel for the hotness of a table, and banter with those around us.  In an online casino in the confines of our own home, the real-life environment and surroundings disappear, increasing the effect that a few drinks can have us.  And after a few drinks, our judgment starts to go.  Do you really want to sacrifice judgment when entering your credit card number into a website?

The moral of the story is wherever you happen to gamble, be smart when it comes to knowing your drinking limit, especially in an online casino.  While online casino games can be as fun as in Vegas, the risk of drinking too much can be greater.

To “bust” is to hold a hand of cards that has a value that exceeds the total of 21.
To have a “blackjack” hand is to possess a hand of two cards that value 21. These cards had to be the original two cards dealt to you. An Ace and a picture card or a 10 are the only possible combinations for blackjack to occur.
To “push” is to have the same card total as the dealer. In the case of a push or a tie, you’ll get the money back that you bet.

As you play the game of blackjack more frequently and gain experience, you’ll easily understand the terms.

Cards ranging from 2 through 9 inclusive have face value of the card.
Cards with a 10 and all picture cards have a value of 10
An Ace can have a value of either 11 or 1 depending on which value makes the better use of that card in a particular game. An Ace is referred to as being a hard Ace or a soft Ace. A soft Ace is when the Ace is used as a 1 so the player can effectively draw another card without the risk of “busting,” or exceeding 21 on his card total.

Once you understand the concept of card value, online blackjack is the game in which you will have the best odds of winning. In online blackjack, the house advantage can be as low as less than .05%, so if there is a game for starters or players looking to keep their budgets intact, the blackjack table should be your first stop in the online casino.

1.    Surrender—This option can be used when you throw in your cards before the dealer has a chance to check his.  In this case, you would lose only half of your original investment.
2.    Double–This option can be employed if you think the next card you receive will be beneficial enough to win the game.  When you declare “double” you are permitted to double your original bet.  However, you can draw one and only one more card to complete your hand.
3.    Splitting Pairs—This option can be employed when the first two cards you are dealt have the same face value.  In this instance, you can split the hand into two hands, and place a bet on the second hand identical to your initial bet.
4.    Insurance—This option can be employed when a dealer draws an Ace on his face up card.  You may take out insurance on the dealer having a blackjack hand.    If the dealer has blackjack, the insurance bet wipes out the player’s loss on the original bet.  If the dealer does not have blackjack, the player loses both bets.

The more you know about your options and the vernacular used in the game of blackjack, the better you will be in a position to win.