Friday, April 28, 2006

Mobile Slots Player Wins $163,114 Jackpot on His Phone

Slotland.com’s first mobile games jackpot winner breaks previous progressive jackpot record

A Texas man became the first Slotland.com player to hit the jackpot on a mobile phone and is the biggest mobile gambling winner to date. The player known as “OlympiaGold” won $163,114 playing Slotland.com’s Lucky Stars slot machine.

“Our jackpot is hit every six weeks or so,” said Hannah Morante of Slotland.com. “Not only is this the first time it’s been won by someone using a mobile phone, it’s also our biggest jackpot ever, breaking our previous record of $162,514.”

“I am a gadget freak!” said the lucky winner when he learned he was the first mobile jackpot winner ever. “I love all sorts of electronic items, and so of course I have a nice mobile phone with all the extras. I wasn't even aware that you could gamble on your mobile phone until a friend of mine introduced me to Slotland's mobile games. “

The Texas jackpot winner began playing Slotland.com’s mobile games last September when their most popular game from the web was launched on the new mobile gambling platform. There are three mobile slots now and a new one is added every couple of months. “OlympiaGold” was enjoying the newest mobile slot, Golden 8, but hit the jackpot when he switched to Lucky Stars.

“I don't know why, but I always feel that new games are looser than the older games,” said the historic winner. “But that Sunday morning, I wasn’t winning much on the Golden 8 so I went back to my old favourite, Lucky Stars. I already had two of my three stars lit up so I figured with a little luck I could light up the third and possibly pull in a nice win to double my $100 deposit.”

It wasn't more than 15 minutes before his third star lit up – and his bonus spin produced three bars across the fourth pay line! His hands were sweating and he was literally shaking all over -- he’d just won $163,114.

“Of course, my wife already has plans for most of my winnings,” grinned the happy winner. “But I told her that $5,000 of that win is all mine to just blow on more gadgets!"

Slotland.com now features three unique games in its mobile suite and eight different slot machines plus video poker on the web site. Both mobile and web games share the same progressive jackpot pool.

American Idol is the Hottest Proposition of the Year

As with sports, betting on television heightens excitement for viewers

35 million viewers vote on American Idol contestants each week and betting online has become a hugely popular way to participate in the excitement of America’s favorite reality television show. Aces.com Odds Maker Jeremy Ryan listens to the judges, checks the polls and monitors weekly voting trends when he updates his odds each Thursday.

While Chris Daughtry and Katherine McPhee have been the odds makers’ and voters’ favorites since Week 1, other early favorites have been eliminated, and some unlikely contestants have survived.

“Every contestant had a chance to win,” adds Ryan. “That’s why odds are different; some are just bigger favorites than others.”

“Of course at Aces.com we were pulling for Ace Young,” said Manager Rene Quesada. “He seemed like such a sure thing for awhile there…”

“The action has been pretty predictable, nothing out of the norm for Idol betting. We’re getting great action on all contestants,” said Ryan.”Idol is live so it always gets great action. With other taped reality shows I generally see only one-way action. For example, for Survivor I had action mostly on 2 people and my guess is you'll see those two at the live finale.”

Elliot Yamin opened as a relative long shot but, to the amazement of many, he’s still in the running -- Paula Abdul gushed over him this week and even Simon Cowell loved him.

“He’s been one of the most talented voices from the start, so I’m not surprised he’s still around,” Ryan said about his personal favorite. “Initially, odds were high to generate more action on him. Our customers didn't start betting him ‘till later in the show...Week 4 or so. A month ago we had him at 18-1, but only 5% of the money was on him. Now he’s in the final five at 9-1.”

Current odds* on who will be the next American Idol:

Chris Daughtry 13-10
Katharine McPhee 11-5
Taylor Hicks 12-5
Elliott Yamin 9-1
Paris Bennett 20-1

* As posted at Aces.com as of April 27, 2006.

Wednesday, April 26, 2006

Where will Rocket Roger Launch in 2006?

The Roger Clemens sweepstakes has kicked into high gear, with several MLB teams hoping to land the all-star pitcher for the 2006 season. Sportsbook.com, the world’s largest online sportsbook and casino, is offering fans a chance to bet on which team Clemens will play his first game for in 2006.

“Everyone bets on baseball and there is no bigger player than the Rocket. He is apt to have a real impact on whatever team he signs with, so fans will be watching closely,” says Alex Czajkowski, Sportsbook.com. “Only a few teams have pockets deep enough to sign him though, which could signal his return to New York or Houston.”

Clemens, 43, is a future Hall of Famer, having racked up 341 career wins and six American League Cy Young awards over twenty-two years in the majors. Despite his age, Clemens has continued to be a productive pitcher. In the 2005 season, the Rocket won 13 games for the Astros with a 1.87 ERA. Should Clemens choose to play this season, he is likely to command a $10-13 million dollar salary. That leaves only a handful of teams in the running who need pitching and have the money to sign him.

At this point, the Astros and Yankees are the most likely destinations for Clemens. They both have the cash and a long history with Rocket Roger. Odds on Clemens playing his first game of 2006 for the Astros are 3-2, while odds on the Yankees are 2-1.



Current odds at www.sportsbook.com:

Roger Clemens - What team will he play his first game for in 2006?

Houston Astros 3-2

NY Yankees 2-1

Boston Red Sox 9-2

Texas Rangers 10-1

Any other team 5-1

Does not play in 2006 7-2

Thursday, April 13, 2006

Slots Player Hits $1,427,369 Progressive Jackpot

When she hit a $1,427,369 progressive while playing the slot King Cashalotbet at RoxyPalace.com, Amanda R from Plymouth, England became one of the UK's biggest ever online gaming Jackpot winners. The day before her historic win, Amanda deposited $240. Next morning, on her 61st spin, she hit the historic Jackpot.

Powered by Microgaming, RoxyPalace.com have grown from strength to strength after winning a number of awards and being a players favourite since its launch back in 2002.

RoxyPalace.com spokesperson said, “We are delighted with this huge jackpot win Roxy Palace has always tried to give players exceptional value and entertainment as well as great customer service. We are extremely happy that our players can have the opportunity of winning such huge amounts.”

Microgaming's progressive network, Jackpot Madness, is the largest online progressive jackpot offering on the internet. Roger Raatgever, CEO Microgaming said, "The Microgaming team is delighted to hear that Jackpot Madness has created yet another overnight millionaire our eighth in three years, and I would like to take this opportunity to publicly pass on our congratulations to Amanda. Over the last three years, our progressive has paid out a total of $196m in winnings, which serves as testament to just how popular and successful it has become."

RoxyPalace.com is one of the most popular online casinos, especially amongst slot players. They have over 150 casino games including over 100 slot games which range from Video, Bonus and Jackpot Slots to regular 3 reel and UK Pub ‘fruit machines’. RoxyPalace.com also carries 19 online Progressive Jackpot Games.

Wednesday, April 12, 2006

Phil Ivey and Daniel Negreanu Favorites to Win WSOP

Aces.com hosts 3 weekly qualifying matches with more than $1,000,000 in World Series of Poker Prize Packages

The online casino most like Las Vegas itself is among the first to post odds on the biggest poker tournament in Sin City this season. Aces.com has posted early odds on the World Series of Poker (WSOP) and favors Phil Ivey and Daniel Negreanu to win the prestigious tournament.

“With odds like 200-1, even the favorites look like long shots, but that will change quickly as the field narrows.” said Aces.com Manager Rene Quesada. “Who knows, maybe there’s another Chris Moneymaker in the crowd!”

The dance. The Big Kahuna. Going to the show. Call it what you want, the 2006 World Series of Poker $10,000 buy-in Main Event is one of the largest, most prestigious tournaments in the poker world. Its coveted World Champion bracelet is considered to be the ultimate achievement in any poker player’s career. Last year, Joe Hachem beat other 5,618 players to win the title and a record breaking 7.5 million dollars. This year’s prize pool figures to be even bigger.

From now through July, Aces.com is hosting three weekly qualifying tournaments and awarding a $12,000 WSOP prize package -- including a seat at the Main Event July 28th -- to the winner of each.

Phil Ivey, the Tiger Woods of Poker, is the early favorite at 200-1. Last June, Ivey, he won his fifth WSOP bracelet in a $5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha event. Phil was introduced to poker by his grandfather, who'd deal out hands of penny-ante Five-Card Stud to his eight-year-old grandson. At 18, he scored a fake ID and started frequenting the poker rooms in Atlantic City casinos. Recently, Ivey moved to Las Vegas where he is now a fixture in the high-limit area at the Bellagio, regularly sharing a table with Doyle Brunson, Chip Reese, and Jennifer Harman.

In 1997 Daniel Negreanu (currently 250-1 to take the WSOP bracelet) won two events at the World Poker Finals at Foxwoods, and was named the tournament's best all-around player. He followed this triumph in the 1998 World Series of Poker by becoming the youngest WSOP bracelet winner in history — a record he held until 2004. He became one of the most successful poker tournament players in history, winning two World Poker Tour (WPT) events, another two World Series bracelets, and appearing at 11 final tables. Negreanu is known for his ability to "read" other players by studying their betting patterns and physical expressions. His televised poker appearances include Late Night Poker, High Stakes Poker and Ultimate Poker.

Aces.com's current odds on the WSOP winner:

Phil Ivey 200-1
Daniel Negreanu 250-1
Howard (The Professor) Lederer 300-1
Phil Hellmuth 400-1
Marcel Luske 400-1
Layne Flack 400-1
Gus Hansen 400-1
Paul Phillips 500-1
Men (The Master) Nguyen 500-1
Johnny Chan 500-1
John Juanda 500-1
John (World) Hennigan 500-1
Erik Seidel 500-1
Dave (Devilfish) Ulliott 500-1
Dan Harrington 500-1
Chris (Jesus) Ferguson 500-1
Carlos Mortenson 500-1
Barry Greenstein 500-1
Doyle (Texas Dolly) Brunson 750-1

Aces.com is giving their players a chance to follow in the footsteps of Chris Moneymaker – the previously unknown player who won the 2004 WSOP after winning his seat at the Main Table in an online tournament. Weekly tournament times and winners to date are posted at Aces.com.

Wednesday, April 05, 2006

Aces.com Odds Favor the Yankees to Take World Series

Dozens of Vegas-style Props Include a ‘Home Run Derby’, Division and League Champs, and Individual Players’ Runs, Hits & Errors

The New York Yankees home opener isn’t until next week, but already Aces.com odds makers favor them to win the World Series in October. The Yankees couldn’t manage more than a tie in their pre-season game against the Arizona Diamondbacks, but Alex Rodriguez’ Grand Slam in Monday night’s 13-2 win over the Oakland A’s showed the Yanks have excellent pennant potential.

The Yankees are currently at 7-2 to win the October classic with the St. Louis Cardinals coming in close at 7-1. The reigning champs, the White Sox, are at 9-2.

"We're fine," New York Manager Joe Torre told ESPN.com after their disappointing pre-season performance. "We're ready to go. We don't need to work on anything or do anything. I have a sense that when the hitters start the season they will have a different mind-set. Everybody's had enough work."

“I personally like the Yankees,” says Aces.com Manager Rene Quesada. “You either love the pin-stripes club or hate them, and I love them for sure. Not so much because of ‘The Boss’ Steinbrenner but because of Babe Ruth and Joltin' Joe Dimaggio and all the history there is in the team from the Bronx.”
The Yankees home opener is next Tuesday against Kansas City. The Cardinals move in to the new Busch Stadium for their home opener on Monday. Odds on next week’s games will be posted at Aces.com this weekend.

“We’ve got way more future bets and props betting options than any hotel in Las Vegas,” adds Quesada.

· Aces.com has David Ortiz of the Boston Red Sox and the Texas Rangers’ Mark Teixeira each at 8-1 to score the most home runs this season.

· Odds on who will win the National and American League Pennants, who will take each division in each league, and which team will win the most regular season games, have also been posted.

· Every week, odds on who will have the most runs, hits and errors are listed.

About the only MLB prop not included in Aces.com’s long list of betting options is whether or not the Florida Marlins will move to Las Vegas.

“Of course everyone at Aces.com would like to have an MLB team in Vegas,” said Quesada, “It sounds like they may be close to a deal in Dade County, but they’ve been close before. When negotiations stalled in 2004, Vegas was only to happy to talk and we’re still all ears.”