Casino Affiliate Programs (CAP)

"CAP" stands for “Casino Affiliate Programs” an online gambling affiliate and conference promotion group that offers a centralized promotion type hub for online casinos that pay a fee to have their casino programs listed there, for those of you that do not know what I am talking about here. They have had their website up on the Internet for a little over eight years now. When they first started out they were intentioned on “Rating Casino Affiliate Programs” which I originally believed was a good step forward for the Online Casino Industry in general.

But over the years they started charging a fee for the Casino Affiliate Programs to receive a so called “Safety Seal’ which is “CAP’s” seal of approval that says in general that the casinos affiliate program is a good one and a safe one. But in reality when the programs have to in fact purchase this “Seal” then the validity of the seal becomes skewed in my opinion. As any online casino program with enough money can then simply purchase this seal certification in order to appear legit and reputable.

In my opinion, the “CAP Certification Program” is, and has always been a total farce in my eyes and also a lot of others in this industry. It's nothing more than a cloaked attempt to fool the intellect of a lot of folks in this industry into believing that the casino program carrying this seal is above board so to speak. It has recently come to our attention that this is not always the case here as in the recent issues regarding the “CardSpike” program and their continued failure to pay their affiliates the money that is rightfully owed to them.

Like I have said before, I have been here at the online casinos since day one, approximately thirteen years now, and I have seen a lot of online casinos come and go, both good and bad for multitudes of various reasons.

Why the casinos ever even considered that they would appear to be a more reputable or legitimate organization because of a seal badge or a meaningless piece of paper stating that they were a so called “certified program” for affiliates is just beyond me. And the more important part of this equation is the fact that the so-called “Seal of Approval” comes from no more that a website owner(s), not from a jurisdictional regulating body.

I still to this day question why so many online Casino Affiliate Programs and also Casino Affiliates too fall for this farce certification seal approval. It is beyond my comprehension, other than the fact that the affiliates themselves did not know anything at all about the online casinos and this online gaming business in general at the time they chose to enter it.

It could also be due to the fact that “CAP” are also really good at creative marketing and I can see how the farce of the "CAP Certification” could have seemed appealing to them. In my opinion the certification program reminds me of the old past when the Mafioso strong arm style of the families would get together and offer you, the local shopkeeper, which is now the "Affiliate" the opportunity to partner with and join their program if you wanted protection for what was rightfully yours in the first place.

For all of those affiliates out there that would feel a need to respond that "CAP" has done a lot of great things over the years for both affiliates and affiliate programs then I would simply say to you, that it was all a mirage of cloak and dagger type effects and theatrics. If the affiliate programs were not legit in the first place then it would have only been a simple matter of time before they failed or were brought down on their own merits and in the fall they would have also brought the casino down with them.

No matter whether or not they would have ever been a so-called "certified program"...it's really that simple. If the online casinos had chose to have not paid their affiliates for promoting said casino then all the affiliates would have had to of done is just simply STOP promoting said casino and the ramifications of that action would have spoken for itself as it does in any business in the free trade market.

I often step back and ask myself this question, as I am sure others have also done. Has "CAP" or the "CAP Certification Program" helped to bring any type of legalized regulation to this industry over the years? I think the answer to that question is clear and the answer is NO! In my opinion all "CAP" has done for the online casino industry over the years is simply milk hundreds of thousands of dollars out of the online casinos unnecessarily by promoting a product (Farce Certification Seal) that the online casinos could have eventually figured out on their own.

The Online Casinos could also have gone on to further implement their own self-regulating body or program similar to what a lot of the land based Indian or Tribal Casinos adhere to today regarding self-regulation.

Furthermore, anyone that still wants to associate with the "CAP Program" after all the alleged evidence that has been revealed of late regarding their non transparent association with "CardSpike" (the online poker room) which is hosted by the “Cake Poker Network”, along with other revelations that just recently came to surface is only condoning a type of behavior and mindset that can only add to the fuel of the US Politicians that are hell bent on totally abolishing this industry. They, the US Politicians will see incidences like this and establish in their minds that they were right all along about this industry being set up to be a money laundering business from the get go!

This type of behavior cannot exist in this industry if this industry ever wants to be truly considered legit. The type of behavior I am speaking of can be further referenced here at the news article published by Gambling911 on Jan. 1st, 09 and also all of the investigative reporting that J. Todd has offered up here at the APCW and further in his videos here.

The Gambling Guru

Traveling and Gambling

Traveling to the different areas of the United States on gambling trips has allowed me to take in some of the most beautiful and scenic locations that the US has to offer. My favorite place I do have to say is the Lake Tahoe area, which is located in the high Sierra Mountains range of Nevada/California and the lake itself, spans the border of the two states.

Lake Tahoe is the highest elevation lake of its size in the United States sitting at 1.18 miles above sea level it is also the largest alpine lake in North America. The water in Lake Tahoe is ninety-nine point nine percent pure and is so clear you can see to a depth of approximately seventy-five feet below the surface level. The area itself has some of the most breathtaking scenery that you will see anywhere on the planet.

My first trip to Lake Tahoe was in the wintertime and my wife and I flew into Reno, Nevada. When we had made our way off the plane and entered the baggage claim area we were met by a very nice gentleman that had been sent by Harrah’s Casino to pick us up at the Reno airport and chauffeur us up to South Lake Tahoe in a very nice stretch limousine that had been furnished by my Casino Host. Needless to say, the limos bar was fully stocked as well which made the one-hour drive up to our hotel most enjoyable.

The scenery we took in on the drive was just simply beautiful. The snow covering the landscape and the alpine setting took me back to some special memories of my childhood growing up in the Appalachian Mountains when I remember how much I always enjoyed the snow days that let us off the hook for school. After we traveled through Carson City, NV, which is about half way between Reno and South Lake Tahoe, we started making our way up the mountain. Along the way we could see several ski resorts and snowmobile locations that we thought about checking out during our stay. We crested the top and could then see the glistening blue of Lake Tahoe, which was absolutely a breathtaking experience within itself.

We reached the Harrah’s Casino and Hotel we were staying at and was torn from checking out the area's sights to the luring of the slot machine sounds coming from within the gaming area. We got checked into our very nice suite that my Casino Host had reserved for our stay and then decided to go down and try our luck at a few games. My first day there I was successful in keeping my money about even with what I started with for my gambling budget. Later that night after a very delicious steak dinner we had in the Summit Restaurant we decided to mosey on back down to the gaming floor and try our luck again. I sat down at one of my favorite slots, the “double red, white and blue” machine. I stuck a hundred dollar bill in the machine and started out betting ten dollars a spin and about five or so spins into it guess what I hit?



That’s right, I had just spun up one of the top pay jackpots on the machine, the red seven with two double symbols following. I couldn’t believe I had hit for $12,000 so fast after just sitting down at that machine. Needless to say after that win, not to mention all of our other smaller wins, our remaining four-day trip didn’t cost me a thing and was even more fun. We were able to enjoy many of the other activities that Lake Tahoe had to offer, like skiing, snowboarding and driving the snowmobiles through the mountains, just to name a few. We also checked out some of the other area casinos too!

To top the trip off, on the drive back to the airport in Reno, we took the scenic route up the mountain and through Incline Village where we awed at the fabulous multi-million dollar homes built there. Once we reached the peak at the top of the mountain we stopped at an overlook area and could almost see the entire Lake Tahoe surrounded by the majestic Sierra Mountains and we knew then that we would be back again. It was one of our most memorable trips and such a great feeling to leave winners!

Check out a picture of my jackpot win at Harrah's Lake Tahoe!!

The Gambling Guru

Online Baccarat in Vegas

Is Online Baccarat coming to Vegas? Well, TheGamblingGuru thinks so and we will see soon but for now the best places that you will find to play Online Baccarat are listed right here at TheGamblingGurus.com. Some know what the name Baccarat means but to others it sounds like some wild animals name. This card game is an elegant and easy to master game of chance that is and has been a long time favorite of the upper class and gaming elite like James Bond and others who frequent the likes of Monte Carlo and other ritzy places around the world.



In Online Baccarat, two cards are dealt to a Player hand and two to a Banker hand. The goal is to predict which hand will score closest to nine points, the Player’s hand or the Banker’s hand. If you’re not convinced either hand will score closer to nine points, you can bet that the two hands will tie. It’s really that simple. Go ahead, step behind the velvet ropes and into the areas where the upper crust hang out at and enjoy this elegant world of gaming that you’re sure to appreciate.

Also in Online Baccarat, two cards are dealt to the Player hand and two to the Banker hand. You are not the "Player" or “The Banker.” The Player and The Banker are just hands on which you can bet upon. The goal of Baccarat is to predict which hand will score closest to nine points. You can bet on the Player hand, on the Banker hand, or on the Tie position.

A hand of eight or nine points is considered a “natural” and automatically wins, unless there is a tie. If both hands have a natural, the hand with the highest point value wins. However, if you bet on the Banker or Player hand and both hands have naturals of equal point value; your bet is then pushed back to you. In the event that neither hand has a natural, each hand is dealt a third card according to the table rules governing how the Player and Banker hands are dealt. Please note the rules for the particular table that you are playing at in any casino.



The Point Values are as follows: Cards 2 through 9 = face value, 10's and Face Cards = 0 points and Aces = 1 point. In order to calculate the points you need to add the values of all the cards together. If the value of the cards is greater than 9 points, drop the digit in the tens position. For example: 21 - digit in tens position = 1 point. To Win your bet you will have needed to of placed your bet on the hand that has a higher point value and does not tie with the other hand. If you happened to have bet on a Tie and the Banker and Player hands both tie then you would have won this bet placed !

To Play Online Baccarat you will need to Click Player, Banker, or Tie in the middle of the game table to select which hand to bet on and Click chips to place a bet within the table limits and then Click Deal. In the casino software, cards will be automatically dealt according to the rules governing how the Player and Banker hands are dealt. See rules in the games software at the Online Casino you are playing at.

You place a bet on the Player, Banker, or on a Tie. The Player and Banker are each dealt two cards; if either hand has a natural then that hand automatically wins, unless there is a tie. In a tie between two naturals, the highest point value wins. If both naturals are equal, you push on Banker and Player bets, and win on Tie bets. The Player draws a third card or stands according to the rules of that table. The Banker draws a third card or stands according to the rules of that table. The two hands are compared to determine the winner.

The Gambling Guru

The Game of Red Dog

With roots in America’s old West, Red Dog is a game of chance that lets you sink your teeth into some big prizes. In Red Dog, you are dealt two cards, face up. You decide if the next card you draw will rank between the first two cards. Feeling wary? Continue without raising your bet. But, if you think you can take on the big dog, go ahead and raise your bet! Special payouts are awarded depending on the spread between the first two cards - the smaller the spread, the bigger the payout!


Red Dog Explained:

In Red Dog, you are dealt two cards face up. The goal of Red Dog is to draw a third card that is ranked between the first two cards dealt. If you believe you will draw a card ranked between the first two cards, you can raise. If you believe the third card will not be ranked between the first two cards dealt, you can select Continue. If the third card is ranked between the first two cards dealt, you win. If the third card is not ranked between the first two cards dealt, you lose. If all three cards are the same rank, you win 11:1. If the first two cards are consecutive ranks (like 5 and 6), you push. Get an Ace/Ace combination and win 30:1 your bet amount !


Important - If the first two cards dealt are the same rank, a third card will be dealt automatically. If the third card is the same rank, you win 11:1. If it is a different rank, you push.

Point Value:
Cards 2 through 10 = face value
Jack = 11
Queen = 12
King = 13
Ace = 14

How To Play Red Dog:
Click chips to place a bet within table limits or click Rebet
Click DealClick
Raise or Continue

The Gambling Guru

Casino Etiquette & Social Graces 101

Part 1, The Slot & Video Poker Area

So who has been to the casino when it’s crowded ? I think that most all of us can answer that question with a big ole “yes I have”. You find yourself walking through the aisles, back and forth, trying to find a slot or video poker machine to play and they are all basically full. You do happen to see a couple of ones where no one is sitting at, but there is this one person that cannot seem to read the little emblem on the machine that simply states “During peak or busy times please limit yourself to only one machine”.



I know you have seen this person that always tends to ignore this little emblem and they think it’s ok for them to play two or more machines when the casino is totally packed. They tend to have a total disrespect for the others standing around trying their hardest to find a machine for a little bit of enjoyment. Just remember folks, if the casino is crowded, please limit your play to just one machine until the crowd thins out. Your fellow gamers will appreciate this as will the casino itself.

For the smokers out there, you too can be an annoyance at times even though you are clearly within yours rights to smoke in the smoking area of the casino. What I mean by this is the fact that you are sitting at your machine smoking and the smoke from your cigarette or cigar or even your exhale is drifting in the other patrons face that is sitting beside you. This is a major annoyance even to a smoker to have another’s smoke coming right at them. Just please be aware of the direction of your smoke as you are playing and if possible you can hold the cigarette or cigar behind your chair which also helps to keep the smoke off of your neighbor sitting beside you.

If you need to take a bathroom break or go and look for a change person, you should normally put a cup on your seat or on the handle, which will indicate that you are still playing that slot machine. If you happen to see this at a machine that you are thinking of playing you can also ask the person that is sitting close by if someone is saving this machine, especially if it has been awhile since the machine was left this way. Separating a player from his or her favorite machine is clearly not in your best interest.

The Gambling Guru

My Most Memorable Jackpot Win !!

First let me explain that I was in a casino back a few years ago that was located on an Indian Reservation. At this casino, the slots were lock and roll slots. These slots allowed you 2 spins per bet. Your first roll allowed you to hold whatever you wanted on the payline and then you got a second spin to see if you had a winning combination. Also you could increase your bet up to $10 on any of these slot machines.

I was playing a $.25 cent lock and roll, red white and blue machine, which had the double star symbols and I began betting small in the beginning. The slot machine was hitting ok so I raised my bet by $.25 cent to $1.00 increments at a time. It was in no time that I had my bet up to $10 max. I spun the wheels and received a red bar on the left, a white seven in the middle with a double symbol on the right hand side, which was a good hit on $10. Since the slot had been hitting so well though, I decided to gamble this win for the bigger payoff and I held the double symbol and the white seven and spun again.



To my surprise another double symbol landed in the first position, which gave me two double symbols and a white seven. I knew it was going to be a big win but when I figured it up I had won $12,000. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would win that much and it all started out with a $20 bill. This was one of my sweetest memories from a casino trip, especially considering the fact that I only had walked in there with a couple of hundred dollars. That’s why they call it gambling though, sometimes it pays and sometimes it doesn’t, and then on those special occasions it pays off real big !!

The Gambling Guru

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Insider Tips On Player Ratings & Comps at Land Based Casinos

As a long time player who generally plays fairly large bets and spins, I'd like to share some insider tips on your player ratings and the comp perks you can earn. As an example, if you sit down at a BJ table and you buy in for $500.00 to $1,000.00 dollars, make sure that you hand the Pit Boss your “Players Club Card” immediately. This is only the beginning of getting the most out of your rated play.

Normally, the Pit Boss will mark down on your rating card the time you began play,your buy in cash or marker amount, and your average bet within your first 3 to 5 bets. Here's the deal folks. If your first bet is $25.00, but 3 to 5 hours later you are betting $100.00 or more per hand, as an example, then typically the Pit Boss will still have you rated at $25.00 per hand average bets.

This is by no means done on purpose, but because weekends are very busy at most casinos and the Pit Boss for that particular area has to watch over many players and many tables then your real rating is usually missed as he or she maybe only initially looked at it three to four hours earlier.

Here is one of the fastest ways to increase your comps

Before you leave any table game, make sure you ask the Pit Boss about your rating and what the average size bet they have you listed at for that particular session. Don't let them tell you “I have you covered or something along those lines”. If you do, then you could be losing out on what could amount to thousands of extra comp and perk benefit dollars over a few months time…..Ouch !

Ask to verify specifically your average bet, as well as the time played at that session. This simply opens the door for negotiation. When speaking to the Pit Boss, if he or she tells you that you are rated at $25.00 average bet size, then now is the time to negotiate, right then and there, not a day later or even an hour later but right then and right there !



You can state that for the last 3 hours of your 5 hours of play, you were betting $100.00 to $150.00 per hand average bet size if in fact you were. At that point most Pit Bosses will say I'll raise your average bet to $100.00 or $125.00. If that is acceptable to you, you just quadrupled your comps for that session of gambling.

Now on the other hand if that is still not quite acceptable to you then you may need to do a little further negotiation with Mr. Or Ms. Pit Boss by simply asking him or her to please verify your average bet with the past two dealers that were dealing that particular table. Nine times out of ten the Pit Boss will be more than happy to do this for you.

If you will use this technique and practice this at each and every table, then you will certainly raise your comps. All casino comps and perks are based on your rated play in the casino. So if you simply walk away from the table, or accept a vague answer from the Pit Boss, you are leaving huge amounts of your comp dollars at the casino. Also, the same holds true for not using your card while playing at one of the slot machines.

Remember to always use your “Players Club Card” at all times as all invitations to special events, tournaments, rooms, food & beverage (also known as RF&B) etc. are based on your last trips rated play. And your last trips rated play will also earn you cash coupons redeemable on future trips.

One last tip before I sign off. At the end of your casino trip go and tell your casino host how much you have enjoyed this trip and let him or her know that you are really looking forward to seeing them again soon. Introduce your spouse to them too. Before you leave your casino host ask them if they have a minute that they can look at your play there for this trip and see if you are eligible for any airfare reimbursement. Usually if you ask this, all they will want to see is the price on your ticket stubs in order to fully or partially reimburse you.

It never, ever hurts to ask ! All they can say is no and if they say yes then you are that much better off and you will be taking extra cash home with you. Until next time, you guys play smart, enjoy your trip and remember to always ask for what you want.

The Gambling Guru

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