The twist in this game is that there are different rules for the dealer, which is a different idea from all other versions of blackjack. In a round of Double Attack Blackjack, players place their wagers as they would in a normal blackjack game and when the cards are dealt the dealer’s up card is dealt first. This is a nice hit to the dealer’s odds and it allows players to choose how they will play their hands even though they have not seen their cards yet, as they know the chances of the dealer busting or not.

After the dealer’s up card is dealt there is a second round of wagers. These bets cannot exceed the amount of the original wager, so if you bet $30 in the first round, your secondary bet should be somewhere between $0 and $30.

After the secondary wager round has been completed, the dealer will deal a starting hand of two cards to each player and then the game proceeds just like a regular blackjack game would. Some rules are a little different, for example players can double on any number of cards and even double on splits. There is also the chance for a late surrender and the dealer is required to stand on all 17s.

Those are all great advantages for players and the trade-off is that in this versino a natural blackjack only has a 1-1 payout and you play with a Spanish deck (which means the 10 spot cards have been removed, so you only have the face cards to be worth 10).

The house edge for this version of blackjack is 0.62%, considering some modifications of blackjack strategy. In order to read how you should modify your blackjack strategy for this variation, keep checking the blog throughout this week as I will make a detailed post about it.

30 suspects were arrested today in New York for their involvement in an alleged illegal online gambling ring, according to officials.

One of the most notorious suspects is Joseph Fafone, who is a known associate of the infamous Gambino crime family of New York.  Fafone’s association with the online gambling operation involved delivering large sums of money to clients, including one delivery of over $500,000, according to reports.

Fafone may also be the head of the online gambling arm of the mob operation, which is suspected of spanning from Las Vegas to Central America.

Officials believe the online gambling operation, which  mostly dealt with sports wagers, accepted approximately $20 million a month in bets from nearly 8,000 clients.

Now that the police have shut down this large online betting operation, the funds of the sport’s books clients will most likely be forfeited to police.  This story is a fantastic example of why it is important to only deal with the most reputable online casinos, like Silver Oak Casino.

Silver Oak is Central Dispute System certified, meaning you are always protected when you play.  Silver Oak is also licensed by RTG, one of the most trusted names in online casinos, so you can be sure your gambling dollars are safe.

If you are ready to start playing your favorite online casino games using some of the most trusted software in the industry, go ahead and click on the Play Now button to get started!

Don’t let the mob get you too!

Last week, President Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize for his tough talk against nuclear proliferation, conflict in the Middle East and global warming. For those who follow the pre-Nobel chatter (yes, apparently some people do) the win came as quite a shock. And to those who decide on the actual odds (yes, you can gamble on who’s going to win the Nobel prize) the win was even more of a shock…the odds against Obama winning the prize were 25:1.

Personally, when I gamble I love the idea of winning some cash. But even more important is the thrill of seeing which cards fall, where the little metal ball lands, or what symbols line up on a payline. To me, the idea of putting down some money, and then watching the news to see who wins the Nobel prize, isn’t exactly exciting. But clearly some people have a different opinion of what’s exciting than I do, since a number of different bookies allow bets on the winners of Nobel prizes.

Apparently the favorite to win this one had been an Afghan human rights advocate named Sima Samar. She was posted at around 4:1 odds. So Mr. Obama really did defy the odds with his win. And that’s great. But I’m not going to be really impressed until he does something more unlikely than that. When the President enters, and wins, the main event of the World Series of Poker, then I’ll really be impressed.

Care to gamble on something really exciting? Then hit up our Silver Oak Online Casino and play some of our 130+ slots, video poker machines and table games! Just hit the blue “Play Now” button to download our free software and get started:

There are lots of great reasons to go to Las Vegas. It’s sunny and hot, there’s a great casino or two on every block, hotel rooms are cheap and the nightlife rivals that of the biggest cities in the world. But, speaking of nightlife, there’s also a few reasons you might reconsider visiting the city of sin. Stuff like prostitution, drug-use, drinking to the point of hospitalization, fist fights and underage drinking. And that’s in the big, fancy nightclubs on the Strip.

As we all know, the city has long been a destination for people wanting to cut loose and go a little crazy. But a recent scandal has been brewing that indicates things are a little out of control in some of the most popular nightspots in the city. As discussed here a couple months ago, one of Vegas’ biggest party spots, Prive, was busted for a variety of lewd and unhygenic offences, and forced to pay a $500,000 fine to the city.

Since then, though, the city’s been cracking down a whole bunch of other clubs identified as being host to a variety of bad behavior. The Rio had to close its pool, due to suspected prostitution and drug-dealing. And the Hard Rock Hotel’s Rehab club was the site of eight arrests for similar activities.

And you know, that’s all well and good. But when they start dumping people who are passed out from drinking out into the casino, something else clubs have been accused of, that’s when things start getting dicey. Because not only is that extremely dangerous for the poor boozer, imagine yourself on a great run at a slot-machine, when all of a sudden a couple bouncers dump some passed-out college kid on the ground beside you. That’s the kind of thing that’s going to turn your luck around in a hurry.

And that’s just one more reason why gambling online is a safe and un-sketchy alternative to going to Las Vegas. Want to play some of our 100+ slot machines and table games? Then download our free software right now:

Not since Elizabeth Berkley schemed and skanked her way through the movie Showgirls, has there been a Las Vegas cabaret dancer with the rising fame of Holly Madison. The former Playboy magazine model and #1(ish) girlfriend of Hugh Hefner, Ms. Madison got her first taste of mainstream fame as a star of the hit reality TV show “Girls Next Door”. And now she’ll be the star, and producer, of her own show called “Planet Holly”.

Since it’s just been announced, we don’t yet know if Planet Holly will take place amid the exciting casinos and stages of her home-base Las Vegas, or back in her L.A. haunts. But we do know she’s equally at home in both places. She’s currently the headline showgirl in the Vegas burlesque act Peepshow, and she was hangin’ with Hef at the Playboy Mansion in L.A. while starring in Girls Next Door.

She’s not saying much about her new reality show, except that it will be “all good-natured and not mean like other reality shows”. She promises it will be inspirational and empowering for young girls. Which is pretty good considering her main claims to fame so far are dating the elderly Hugh Hefner, and taking off her top on-stage and in magazines. And, improbably, she even compares her new project to the Mary Tyler Moore Show. It starts filming on October 12th, so we won’t have long to wait to see what it’s really all about.

Do you care about Las Vegas showgirls and reality TV? Or are you just here for the gambling? If it’s the latter, and I wouldn’t blame you if it is, then let me invite you to play some games in our online casino. Our casino software is free to download and only takes a second. Just hit the blue button and we’ll do the rest:

Lots of people have become very famous by starring in popular reality shows: Richard Hatch from Survivor, all those Kardashian sisters from their self-named show, Heidi & Spencer from The Hills, Rob & Amber from every single reality show on TV, even Paris Hilton from The Simple Life (with an assist to her self-shot, night-vision slice of reality, of course).

And yes, we can all agree that most of those semi-lebrities don’t really have any talent. But one thing we can say is that at least they were forced to do some interesting stuff on their assorted reality shows. Whether it’s cat-fighting in the Hollywood hills, eating giant bugs or running around naked in Samoa, the shows that made them famous had some pretty good entertainment value. But what about a reality show that just points a camera at people as they engage in some online gambling?

I love playing casino games online. And I love reality TV. But I really, really never thought anyone would try to put the two together. And yet, things are just about to start rolling in The Rounders House. It’s a Big-Brother-esque idea, where people live on-camera in a house 24/7. And what do they do to entertain viewers? They play online poker. And…well…that’s it. We get to watch a bunch of people sit at their computers and click their mouse every now and then. I’ve done lots of online gaming, and let me tell you, there is not a whole lot of entertainment value there. I might eat some chips and salsa or have a beverage now and then and that is about it.

Of course maybe there will be some interesting extracurricular stuff going on in the house. The first person to qualify for a spot in the house earned it by winning a tournament on a site called “Reefer Poker”. Which might tell you something about the types of people who will be on the show. Which is just another reason why I think I’ll pass on the Rounders House qualifying tournaments, and just stick to video poker right here at Silver Oak.

When the Borgata casino in Atlantic City recently hosted a women-only poker tournament, things didn’t quite turn out the way the casino planned. A man defied tradition, if not the law, and entered the tournament as the only man in the 270 player field. And as if that wasn’t bad enough, he won.

The party-pooper’s name is Abraham Korotki and he’s a pretty experienced and skilled player, having previous victories on the WSOP circuit. On that fateful day, though, he’d busted out of an earlier tournament at the casino. But instead of playing a cash game, or waiting for another open tournament to come around, he decided to forgoe general decency and tradition, and play against the ladies.

After several hours of poker, Kortki wound up heads-up against one last player, a woman named Nicole Rowe. She asked him to “chop” the pot, meaning they wouldn’t finish the tournament, but instead split the 1st and 2nd place prize. Her reason? She needed every cent she could get to help pay her living expenses while she recovers from cancer. The chivalrous Korotki refused her request and when he eventually beat her, took the entire winner’s pot all for himself.

It does raise the question of whether casinos are actually allowed to offer gender-specific tournaments. And, according to the law, they can’t. Despite it being unenforceable legally, in the vast majority of cases players respect the women-only rule and don’t play where they’re not welcome. But not Mr. Korotki.

Hey, looking for some exciting poker action without any rules about who can and can’t take part? Then choose one of our online video poker games and play a few hands. And if you’re not already a Silver Oak player, take a second and download our free software. Just hit the blue button to get started.

Come Sunday evening you’re going to have a difficult choice when deciding on your evening entertainment. Either you can play some games here at Silver Oak or you can watch the 61st Primetime Emmy Awards. Of, if you’re good at multi-tasking, you could do both. Maybe play the Hollywood-themed online slot Big Shot while watching the real big shots pat each other on the back.

Personally I’m going to be watching for one reason and one reason only. I’m hoping that Kanye West will jump up on stage to grab the microphone away from Alec Baldwin and declare that Beyonce should have won the award for best actor in a comedic series. Hey, it could happen.

Of course, if tonight’s show is anything like last year’s, most of you will be doing anything but watching the three hour Hollywood love-in. Last year’s awards were about a half dozen viewers away from being the least-watched Emmy’s in history. This year might be a little more popular, if only because the very funny Doogie Howser Neil Patrick Harris is hosting. And, well, because everybody else will also be tuning in to see if Kanye can elude security and make his way into the auditorium.

It’s all going on tonight, live(ish) from Los Angeles. So I advise you to get playing your favorite online slot machine and turn on your TV right now. And keep your fingers crossed that Entourage doesn’t win any awards, because I’m kinda sick of that show.

Lady GaGa a Hermaphrodite?

She first got attention in the gambling world (and everywhere else) for her hit song “Poker Face”. Now, the pop songstress has showed up in the gaming press for another reason, and it’s one that she can’t be nearly as happy about. Due to the single unfortunate image of Lady GaGa taken from video of her performance at the Glastonbury festival in the UK, rumors have been swirling for quite some time that she might be a hermaphrodite.

We here at Silver Oak Casino would never speculate about whether or not that Lady is really a lady. But we do love a good gamble,so we can tell you that the rumors have led to some wager makers opening up a bet on whether or not she really is a hermaphrodite. Sounds like a safe bet to us, since our friend’s, cousin’s hairdresser knew a guy who slept with her, so we know the truth.

Asked to comment about the internet-fueled speculation, Lady GaGa did what she could to shut it up. She reportedly said that both she and her “beautiful vagina” are offended by the rumors. Of course, since hermaphrodites have vaginas, that doesn’t really answer the question one way or another.

Surprisingly, Lady GaGa isn’t even the most famous potential hermaphrodite in the world right now. After winning the women’s 800m at the most recent Track & Field World Championships, South African runner Caster Semenya is also making headlines for her gender bending. In that case, she set tongues wagging with her, um, less than womanly appearance at the event. After undergoing testing, early reports indicate that Semenya is actually a hermaphrodite.

We’d just like to say that Silver Oak welcomes all our players, regardless of who you are. We have Good Games to Play for Manly Men, Good Games to Play for Womanly Women and if you’re somewhere in between, I’m sure you can still find something to entertain you here.

Over the last few weeks we’ve been covering some big news in online gambling law.  Not only is Barney Frank trying to legalize online gambling outright on a national level, but there have also been several court cases and state governments that have been toying with the idea of liberalizing their internet gambling laws.

And it might be these smaller state-level battles that will be the most interesting to watch over the coming months.

The recent online gambling decision by the Third Circuit Court of Appeals made it extremely clear that there is no federal law which makes online gambling illegal in the USA.  But what does this mean for you, the casual gambler?

Well, this court decision effectively leaves it up to the states to decide whether online gambling should be legal within their borders.

Since there are currently only a handful of states which have laws prohibiting online gambling, online gambling is essentially legal in every other state.

If you want to know what the laws are in your state, you can see a full listing of state online gambling laws here.

Now that the court has made this clear, several groups have started making moves in an attempt to make internet gambling legal in their state.

One of the most significant proposals thus far is the coalition of Indian Casinos and Poker Rooms in California.  These two groups have historically been rivals because the card rooms represent one of the only legal forms of gambling outside of the reservations.

However, given the current CA state budget crisis and this recent court decision putting the final legal decision in the hands of state government, the Indian Tribes and the card rooms have teamed up in an attempt to bring legal online poker to the masses in California.

If you’re an online gambling fan, be sure to watch these laws closely, as you could be gambling at a California-based online poker room in the next couple of years!

If you don’t want to wait for the politicians to bring these new options to you, have no fear!

You can start playing all of your favorite online casino games now here at Silver Oak Casino!  Just click on the Play Now button below to download our state of the art casino software and you’re ready to play!

US Players Welcome!

So what do you think about all of this?  Should it be legalized in the USA?  Do you even care since there are already plenty of online gambling options for US players?

Let me know in the comment section below!

As you’ve already guessed, Tally Ho has a fighter pilot theme. The symbols are things like enemy planes, navigational maps and, inexplicably, women who look like stewardesses. I’m not sure many WW2 aircraft had beverage service, but what do I know? You’ll also be hoping to see a few Pilot symbols, which are wild in this game. Roundels (those round, target-looking things) are the scatter symbols and if you find three or more of them, you’re cashing in with a bonus game.

The feature in Tally Ho isn’t complicated, but it is enriching. You’ll receive 25 free spins, which is awesome enough. But to make it even better, all prizes are tripled during the bonus spins, and the feature can be re-triggered! This game also features a random, progressive jackpot that will make you happy enough to fly some loop-de-loops if you hit it.

Tally Ho also has all the usual bells and whistles that let you decide on your own gaming experience. You can play from 1 to 20 lines at anywhere from a nickel to $50 per line. It also has a customizable Autoplay function and Turbo Play that lets you play at your own speed.

Check out all the specific details on the Tally Ho game page. Or if you’re ready to take to the air and try your luck, then find it under Slots > Real Series Video Slots > Tally Ho in our game menu. If you don’t already have our casino software, download it now for free!

For sale: Sequined glove. Not sure where the other one is. Cost: $48,000.

Next time you’re in Las Vegas, you can take a break from the video poker machines and Blackjack in the casino and take a peek at the only $48,000 glove you’re likely to ever see. People say the best career move a celebrity can ever make is to die prematurely. And that certainly seems to be the case for Michael Jackson. Beset by a massive and growing debt for the last 10+ years of his life, the King of Pop’s estate is now a money making machine. And even people who aren’t associated with him are able to cash in.

Michael Jackson was long known for his eccentric fashion, best symbolized by the single white glove he frequently wore in concert. A number of the gloves have been auctioned off over the years, but none have ever made the kind of money this most recent sale did.

In 1996, MJ tossed one sequined glove to a lucky fan. It was the same one he wore when he got married to Debbie Rowe earlier in the day, which no doubt added to its collectibility. And now, thirteen years later, Michael Jackson’s glove has just sold at auction for that hefty $48,000 price tag. Not bad, considering it doesn’t even have a partner.

It was bought by a representative of the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. The chain of hotels and casinos has been a long time collector or rock n’ roll memorabilia, with a collection that includes things like Jimi Hendrix’s guitar, Elton John’s sunglasses and Mick Jagger’s dentures. The glove will be put on display where it’s hoped it will attract lots of the musician’s fans, who will then eat, drink and gamble enough to justify the hefty price tag.

If you’re looking for some casino fun without having to be in the same room as MJ’s glove, look no further. Take a second to download our free software and start playing now!