Mahjong and poker are two card games that are often confused and are mistaken for the same game. Even though these games have some similarities when it comes to gameplay, they do share a few differences. Thanks to the fact that online casinos rose to power and players can choose to bet money on both games, playing mahjong and poker has never been easier.

Many players who have played are well-familiar with the fact that they have some differences, but they also share quite a few similarities. That is exactly the topic that we wanted to discuss in this article. We’ll be looking at both mahjong and poker, check the basics of both types, then name what are the similarities. Let’s start with the mahjong gambling game.

Basics of Mahjong

In the game of mahjong, around 4 players play to win a reward. While this gambling game is often referred to as mah-jongg or mahjong poker, keeping it simple is the best way to help you understand the basics better, which is why we are going to refer to this game as just mahjong.

When players play mahjong, they have a set of 144 tiles that are based on Chinese characters. While some regional variations may have unique mahjong tiles, in most variations, each player starts with 13 tiles.

The goal of mahjong poker is simple – you need to score the so-called mahjong, which is done by collecting all the tiles into four sets and a pair. A pair in mahjong represents two same tiles, while a set represents a pung, which is three same tiles, or a chow (three consecutive numbers in the same suit). If one player manages to do this, then the player wins.

The mahjong scoring rules are quite simple – one point is given to the player hat achieved mahjong and thus, won the hand. Since mahjong poker represents the Chinese culture, there are many players in Asia who are fond of this game and thus, they play mahjong regularly.

There is nothing more engaging and appealing than a poker game. It doesn’t matter whether it is poker online or poker in a casino, the gaming experience can be really exhilarating and thrilling.

To win it, one has to direct all their concentration, exercise all their patience, and employ all their best strategies.   

1. Doyle Brunson 

It looks that no other person loves poker more than Doyle Brunson who started the game early and didn’t leave it until reaching 85. The Texas-born genius was the first player to earn $1 million in poker tournaments. He authored several books on the game and has the distinction of being the two-time World Series of Poker Main Event champion. 

The World Series of Poker first took place in 1970 and Brunson was a regular player there. However, despite making some WSOP championship event final tables, he didn’t win any titles until 1976. That was the year when he won the $5,000 Deuce to Seven Draw and the $10,000 No Limit Hold’em World Championship. The former American poker player claimed eight more WSOP bracelets over the following years, with his latest victory coming at the $5,000 No Limit Shorthanded Texas Hold’em in 2005. 

Brunson’s tournament earnings amount to around $6 million, and he is widely regarded as one of the most influential forces in the world of poker. He makes regular appearances on televised cash games and so he is one of the most recognized players for poker enthusiasts. 

As with other Scandinavian countries, gambling and Finns go hand in hand. Gambling and Poker in Finland is a big part of the Finnish entertainment industry and the country’s economy. 

History of poker in Finland

Gambling machines can be found in many places you would not expect to find a gambling device. It helps stimulate the economy and drive value for establishments that typically would not have gambling on their premises. This is made possible by the state-controlled monopoly, regulated through the Lotteries Act. Other countries have started to dissolve the government monopoly. No change has been made in Finland. The most recent change to their laws was an update in the lotteries act in 2001. This change increased player protection in a step to further minimise the harmful effects of problem gambling.

Poker in Finland largely flew under the radar pre-poker boom. Before the 2000s, poker games would be held in underground establishments or at a personal player’s home, away from the long arm of the law. With the regulations in 2001, poker became even less visible in Finland. But it would only be another two years until the online poker boom, which propelled online poker everywhere, including Finland. It was and still is easy to access poker sites online that was not subject to specific laws in Finland.

In the subsequent years. People across Finland found a new hobby and several professional poker players emerged.

Best Finnish Poker Players

Juha Helppi is a humble Finnish poker player that made a name for himself by consistently placing well in tournaments. He started playing tournaments when he was 24 years old, in 2001. He won the first-ever Premier League Poker tournament. He has several other notable wins and has amassed over €7 million in tournament earnings.

Illari Sahamies is another great Finnish poker player. Contrary to Helppi, Sahamies is mainly known for his cash game play – ultra-aggressive. In 2009, he was up almost €7 million in one day during a game at Full Tilt Poker, the best poker site at the time. Or as Sahamies would say in Finnish: “Paras pokerisivusto.” An exact figure on how much money Sahamies has amassed in cash games is unknown. His tournament wins exceed €2 million.

Patrik Antonius needs no introduction. Often featured on the list over all-time greats internationally. Without a doubt, the most recognised and known Finnish poker play. From tournament player, Antonius has won over €8 million. These €8 million is just a fraction of what Antonius has made playing cash game at Full Tilt Poker and other sites. Along with live cash games in Las Vegas and Macau.

Daniel Negreanu is one of the most respected names in all of poker, whether it be in the online world or in the physical world. He is a true poker professional who has been around for many years and he still continues to win at a high level. Recently, Daniel came out with a Masterclass on his poker strategy and techniques. This is great news for anyone who wants to achieve the same kind of success that he has had over the years. Whether you’re playing on the best online casinos or in local tournaments at your nearby poker club, all of the principles remain the same. Here are some of the best tournament tips and secrets from the man himself.

Start Slow

Daniel says that one of the keys to winning tournaments is to start off slow. You don’t want to come out with guns blazing. You want to get a rhythm for the game as you warm up to the people at your table. Observe their betting patterns and try to see how you’re feeling for the night. There’s no need to start going all-in at the start. Get a feel for the game and gradually ease into things. 

The world of poker is dominated by men. It has been for centuries and is only changing a little bit with the presence of online gaming and women-only poker tournaments. Poker used to be a favourite pastime of men while women were taking care of the children and house chores. At present, there are a lot more famous male poker players than females and top male players make more money than their female counterparts. But are men better at poker? In this article, we are trying to figure this one out.

We are discussing the demographics of poker with a blogger from Canada Michelle Thomas. Michelle is familiar with the online gaming business and you can read more about her here.

Male vs female gambling at a glance

Gambling, in general, is a male-dominated industry. This comes down to the differences between men and women in characteristics. Men like to compete and they like the feel of adrenaline rushing through their veins, whereas women are more like caretakers who try to avoid unnecessary risks.

According to statistics, only around 10% of poker players are female. This figure is even lower on live poker tournaments where the number is usually below 5%. When it comes to online poker, it is estimated that around one-third of all players are female but it is hard to be certain as often female poker players pretend to be males in poker rooms to avoid sexist comments.

If you want to test your poker skills in a real money online casino Canada check out some casino reviews before signing up in one.

Eine der zentralen Fragen, die sich Spieler stellen, wenn sie in einem neuen Online Casino Zeit verbringen, ist, mit welchen Zahlungsmethoden der Anbieter aufwartet. Wussten Sie, dass es mittlerweile für so gut wie jeden Spielertyp und jede Situation eine passende Zahlungsmethode gibt und dass sich mittlerweile spezielle Zahlungsdienstleister gezielt auf Zahlungen in Online Casinos spezialisiert haben?

Wir liefern Ihnen im Zuge dieses Ratgebers einen kurzen Überblick, welche Zahlungsmethode sich für welchen Spielertyp eignet. Und wir liefern Ihnen einen kurzen Ausblick, wie sich das Angebot an Zahlungsmethoden in Online Casinos 2021 verändern wird. Hier spielt unter anderem der zukünftige deutsche Glücksspielstaatsvertrag eine Rolle.

Für jeden die passende Zahlungsmethode: Das müssen Sie wissen

Wer heute online in einem Casino spielt, der macht das auch, um echtes Geld zu gewinnen. Und um am Echtgeldspiel teilnehmen zu können, muss natürlich erst einmal mit einer der angebotenen Zahlungsmethoden eingezahlt werden. Dafür stehen in der Regel unterschiedliche Optionen zur Verfügung. Ein gutes Online Casino bietet Ihnen hier immer die Möglichkeit, Ihre Kreditkarte zu nutzen. Zusätzlich sollte eine deutsche Online Banking Option wie die Sofortüberweisung oder Giropay akzeptiert werden. Dass Sie auch mit der klassischen Banküberweisung einzahlen können, sollte ebenfalls gegeben sein.

While Texas Hold’em is currently the most played type of Poker in the world, there’s over a dozen other variants – many of which are also quite popular. Some variants have almost exactly the same rules and gameplay, but in some cases there are significant differences which have an impact on how easy the game is to learn.

In this article, we’ll take a look at a few different Poker variants which are played in the US and beyond, with an outline of their key differences and their relative popularity.

Texas Hold’em

As mentioned, Texas Hold’em is by far the most popular type of Poker game in the world, so you should have no trouble finding a place to play it at a card room, an online casino or a dedicated Poker gaming site.

Furthermore, Texas Hold’em has been the most televised Poker variant for around the last two decades. This is, in part, responsible for its surge in popularity in the 2000s and 2010s.

It’s an easy game to learn, though it isn’t necessarily the easiest Poker game for newbies to master.

It’s fair to say that online poker was something of a gold rush in the early noughties. The advancements in technology, coupled with the high-profile Chris Moneymaker World Series of Poker main event victory in 2003, caused interest in the game to explode. Dozens of online poker sites sprung up from nowhere, and millions of people around the world drew up a chair to see if they could get lucky and turn a profit.

Fast forward to the present, and there is still a big interest in online poker. For newcomers to the game, deciding on which online poker site to join can be confusing. There is an extensive choice, but not all will necessarily be a good fit. In this guide, we explore the five top things you should look for before signing up for an online poker room.

1. Liquidity

You’ll be signing up to a site because you want to play poker. Like, duh! But that requires lots of other players to be online simultaneously, available to sit down with and play cards. Imagine depositing on a site, excitedly sitting down at a cash table, and finding you are waiting for ages for enough players for the game to start?

And what if it’s the same few players turning up time and again, ones who you find it hard to beat?

While looking for your poker site of choice, find one that has a healthy playing pool. That way, you’ll always get a game at any time of day, and the skill level will be much wider. Sure, you might still lose, but you’ll have a better chance of winning.

A big customer base is also a big tick when it comes to social authority – the site must be good if so many people are happy to put their money on the line and play.

If you have ever thought of immersing yourself into an online poker business, you might have come up with an idea to launch your own online poker website. In this case, you need to consider the features of quality poker software and what role a poker server plays in the operation of a website, and its characteristics as well. So, let us arm you with the faultless tools for choosing quality poker software and let you take to this topic like a duck to water.

Why is online poker server software important?

Let us have an in-depth look at the elements of a poker website. A poker website has an integrated iGaming platform with conditions on playing and payment clearing. The website provides gamblers with virtual tables, games, RNG (random number generator), and there they can buy chips and exchange them for real money.

One plays poker via special applications called ‘game clients’. These game clients ensure gameplay, they don’t contain any information related to the cards, they are not able to generate card sequences since they receive data from a poker server in real time. Here, we have come to the significance of a poker server software.

A poker server software is one of the determining elements in the website’s operation. When obtaining a license for one server installation, you will be able to operate the software on your own one. To understand the points of a proper poker server software, let us turn to the example of a respectful and reliable iGaming provider . It offers not only a decent poker server software but also different solutions for a start-up.  A proper server software should involve:

• Supple and scalable Architecture
• Protected game logic
• Socket based system
• PHP, .NET, Python, Java native API
• Web API (JSON/REST)
• Support of external hardware RNG
• Up to 3000 online players on middle level server
• Software RNG certified by iTech Labs Australia, GLI, and Quinel

Poker is a game for both beginners and experts, but often the experience of joining a couple rounds can be intimidating. If you’ve been itching to have a poker night but don’t have a roster of professionals to play with, we’ve come up with a few tips to help your friends get into the game.

Host a Poker Night at Home

While casinos, online gaming or professional tournaments may intimidate, poker nights at home are one of the best ways to help newcomers learn just how exciting poker can be. You might be able to lure a few friends in with good drinks and delicious snacks, and then teach them the ropes. If you’re planning a poker night soon, make sure to prepare the following pieces of your perfect game night:

• Player Pool: Who is playing, and what is their skill level? Breaking tables up by beginner and intermediate abilities may help individuals feel more comfortable their first couple hands.
• Schedule: If your poker nights will be an ongoing initiative, determine the regular time and location—and share those details with attendees.
• Manage Expectations: Social events are less intimidating if you know exactly what’s going to happen. Set a schedule for attendees, including game time start and stop.
• Format: What kind of game will you have, and how will you structure the experience? What type of poker are you playing? For example, you may want to start with Blackjack to get people comfortable with playing cards and then move to traditional poker formats like 5 Card Draw, 5 Card Stud and Texas Hold ‘Em.
• Stakes: For poker beginners, low stakes often feel more comfortable and encourage nervous participants to join in. As your friends learn the game, consider increasing the stakes for more excitement.

With sporting activities cancelled around the globe, online casino games are leveraging the opportunity to boost their popularity. However, new players may find this challenging because there is a considerable difference between traditional local casinos and online gaming sites.

In this article, we provide the top five winning tips and you can find a gambling guide dedicated to helping new players win at online blackjack.

1. Find the Right Online Casino

Once you decide to have a taste of online blackjack, you must find an online gaming site that ticks all the boxes. That’s critical to your success.

While some casinos may offer you more bonuses than others, some may also offer different odds on the game. Some casinos will give you the liberty to play for as long as you wish, while some have a time limit for their players. Once your time is up, you leave. This may constitute a problem if you don’t find the right casino for you.

Thus, you must find a casino that meets your requirements before trying your luck with blackjacks.

What comes to mind when one hears of Thailand? For many, the image is white sandy beaches, turquoise waters, idyllic beaches, and a vibrant nightlife. Thailand is best known for its tourism attraction, perhaps the most popular in all of Asia. This picturesque destination is pulling in professional poker players in droves for several good reasons:

Bangkok is a Good Launching Pad

Thailand borders Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, and Myanmar. Although money prize poker is restricted in Thailand, it is easily accessible at casinos located on the borders with these countries.  Bangkok is also easy to get to. All major airlines make a stopover when flying to Macau, South Korea, Taiwan, India, China, Japan, the Philippines, Australia, and New Zealand.

The Asian Poker Tour circuit comes to Cambodia, Vietnam, and India. Poker players from Thailand are free to participate. Thai national Chane Kampanatsanyakorn participated in the 2014 event, inspiring many other poker players in Thailand to participate in the annual event.

Online Betting 

While gambling is restricted in Thailand, the government is considerate of the allure of gambling for tourism. The laws are not enforced as harshly as in the US or Europe. The expat community has active poker game groups that meet in private parties to play. 

Online gambling is not illegal in Thailand. Nowadays you don’t have to move somewhere to enjoy poker when you can play it online at an online casino. Webet is an upcoming sportsbook and casino in Thailand that has seen growing popularity. Poker players in Thailand can place real money bets on Webet.  There are many other offers on soccer, horse racing, tennis, basketball, and many other games. 

Playing poker online has quickly become one of the internet’s most popular pastimes. Whether you are a regular poker player online or in real life, or you are just starting out, these tips should help you win more games at online poker.

Start by Playing Low Stakes Games

For all level of players, it is a good idea to begin playing online poker with low stakes. Playing low stakes at the start gives you a chance to learn the nuances of online poker playing, and give yourself a chance to see the ‘lay of the land’ before you move on to higher stake games where mistakes will cost you more. It also lets you begin with a smaller bankroll that you can build up before moving to bigger games, so you are playing with your winnings and not your hard-earned cash at the higher stakes tables.

Practice Makes Perfect

Even if you are an experienced player, you are still going to have to make some adjustments in order to get used to the online poker experience. Most poker players are not used to having to play to enforced time limits. In a real-life poker game, you have time to make decisions and to bank your money, but online there are time constraints you must adhere to, and this can often cause problems for new online players. Make sure you play a lot of games before stepping into higher stakes competitions to get used to the rhythms of online poker.

Roulette is one of the most popular casino games of all time. It was invented in France but soon many other countries have adopted their own version of the game. Today, there are more versions of roulette, and the French and the American are the most recognizable form of this casino game. Thanks to online casino games, the popularity of roulette has gone up. More and more people enjoy playing these games because of the high level of excitement and adrenaline-boosting moments that make your heart skip a beat. Watching the roulette wheel spinning up and the down is the image of roulette we all have in our minds when someone mentions this all-time popular casino game.

Online vs Offline Roulette Gaming

Technology has improved the online roulette gaming experience to a high extent. Today, there are many different versions of this game to satisfy all gambling senses, including auditory, visual, and the gaming experience as a whole. The recent news from the online roulette wheel is that there is a live dealer roulette game. In other words, this game makes roulette appear as realistic as possible, just like sitting on the roulette table in any land-based casino game. Today, there isn’t a land-based casino where poker isn’t played. The same goes for Casimba the latest online casino in the UK. Today, roulette is one of the most popular casino games among gambling fans.

If you are a poker player or aspiring to be one, grab any no deposit poker bonus you come across because it would be a rare find. Casinos use this free offer to encourage new poker players to kickstart their online careers with no risk. Simply put, this bonus allows a poker player to play for real money without investing their own money. It also targets players who jump at any opportunity to improve their game without spending their hard-earned money.

The no deposit poker bonus is completely free of cost, but there is a catch: you will have to sign up for an account with the casino to use it. It is how the house wins. You, the player, get a chance to improve your poker game, and the casino gets a potential customer. Once you sign up, the free poker cash is credited to your account, and you are free to play with it with no restrictions. It works a lot like the no deposit free spins bonus casinos extended to slots players.

If you are a slot player looking for a bonus like this, check out this article for a list of the latest no deposit free spins.

How No Deposit Poker Bonuses Work

Casinos and online poker rooms offer free playing cash to attract new players. When you sign up for an account to redeem this bonus, you effectively add to the traffic that flows to the site. Casinos are constantly neck-and-neck competing for new signups. The stiff competition explains why they can afford to give away free playing cash that you can use to play, as you would with your own money.