I recently made a trip to the Seminole Hard Rock Casino & Hotel in Tampa and I must say I was impresses. The Hard Rock is located right off interstate 4 which makes it easy to get to from all areas around Tampa Bay. They have 2 huge parking garages and 1 parking lot to accomodate their visitors. They also offer valet service for a fee which is not a bad idea on busy night.

Upon arrival, I entered the South parking garage which is the newest garage and I quickly found parking. When I entered the casino I was amazed at how massive and modern the place was. I definately felt like I was in Las Vegas with what seemed like thousands of slot machines with their fancy lights and sounds.

The Hard Rock Casino has a really awesome center bar with a tower of flat screen tv’s that can be viewed from any spot in the bar. The center bar is staffed by a haanfull of beautiful bartenders wearing really short leather shorts. The center bar is a real classy place to take a break from the slots or card games. Another unique bar is located off to the side of the casino floor near the gift shop. This is a trendy and laid back bar with comfy sofa chairs and live music.

When it comes to dining, the Hard Rock gives you more choices than you would expect. You can grab a quick bite at the Food Marketplace which is similar to a shopping mall food court. I had some pizza and pasta and it was delicous! If you are looking for a fancier dining experience you can dine at Floyd’s which offers Mediterranean influenced dishes. Council Oak is the place for you if you desire steak and seafood. There is also the Pool Bar & Grill, the Green Room, Fresh Harvest, & Rock n Raw.

On most Wednesday nights the Hard Rock has a prize giveaway where you can win a car, jet ski, cash, etc. All you have to do is enter the contest by swiping your players card and go to the center bar if they call your name.

The State of Florida and the Seminole Indian tribe struck a deal to allow the Hard Rock to have vegas style slots and card games. The vegas style slots are already in place which has delighted the slot lovers but the card games are currently on hold due to a lawsuit. The casino has no limit poker which is a big draw. I tried my hand on the poker tables and the poker room was absolutely jam packed with players. It was my first time playing poker and the dealer was very understanding.

The Hard Rock also boasts a world class hotel with some pretty fancy looking rooms. I did not stay in a hotel room but I plan on doing so as soon as possible. My trip to the Seminole Hard Rock Casino was much better than I had anticipated and I will most certainly be back. Here is the link to the Seminole Hard Rock site.

By: Carl Dunde

Flash Casino Games refer to those online casino games that are developed using Macromedia Flash technology from Adobe Systems. Flash technology games are preferred over other conventional and non- conventional tools because of their much more realistic graphics and better sound effects. They are much better at recreating the real casino experience online as in land-based casinos. They bring the feel of real casinos to a player’s computer. This is something conventional gaming software hasn’t been successful at. As already mentioned, flash games are available on many websites. The number of flash games surpasses gaming software. The most commonly found flash games include:

Baccarat Craps Caribbean Poker Blackjack Pai Gow Poker Keno Roulette Slot Machines Video Poker and Video Slots

The major advantages of flash based casino games are described below

No Download or Installation Required

As you may already know, flash casino games do not require downloading and installation. They can be played online within the web browser when you are online. They load up relatively quickly. This is unlike traditional gaming software which require downloading of a big software and does not take time. Similarly, you don’t have to go through the hassle of installing the software onto your computer.

Apart from this there is the problem of a security risk. This is because it is either an .exe or a .zip file. Both of these can contain viruses or other spy ware. This risk is not posed by Flash games which do not require downloading or installation.

Widespread Use and Availability of Flash Games:

They are widely available. Flash players are a common application and are used in several programs. Almost all new computers have Flash players pre-installed and about 98% of all computers have flash installed. When a web-browser comes around a flash application, it automatically plays it.

By: Zulfiqar Dodhia

Hosting the Perfect Home Poker Game is something that is on the minds of seemingly millions of Americans. The overwhelming popularity of Texas Hold Em and Casino Games in general over the past few years has driven many to try to Host a Poker Game that has the same feel as their favorite casino poker room or something they saw on t.v. This combined with the recent issues surrounding playing poker online drive more and more groups of people to Host a game of their own.

In order to host a poker game, you will need certain things:

1) A good quality set of poker chips—- the most common are made of a clay/composite material and weigh 11.5 grams each. There are also clay chips Paulson and Nexgen that are found in casinos that can be bought for home use as well.

2) A solid themed playing surface. While you can use any table, having a poker felt layout would be a great beginning. The next step up would be to buy a Folding Poker Table, which can seat up to 10 players, and can come with arm rests and cup holders. The obvious benefit to this type of table is that you can have a professional looking table during the game, and after the game is over it can either be folded and put away, or sent on to the Home where the game will be next time. Finally, for those of you with the space and the desire, you can purchase a Full Size Casino Grade Table….NICE!

3) Playing Cards. You will need at least 2 decks of cards. By using 2 decks, one can always be shuffled and ready for the next hand. You have got lots of options for cards, but the main difference is in the material they are made of. The best quality cards are made of a pvc material. Copag and Kem are the most popular pvc cards on the market. The benefits are that you can spill a drink on them and just wipe it clean and they are much more durable overall. They are more expensive, but because you won’t need to keep getting new cards every week…they are the best value.

4) Buttons. You will at least need a dealer button, but should also get a missed blind, big blind, and little blind buttons. If you play in a game with a kill, then you will need to get a kill button as well.

5) Tournament Timer. This will help you keep track of when to change the blinds/ante. You also have the option to set a timer for tounament teirs. These range from the very basic to the elegant.

These are the basics, but some people also use a Card Cover/Spinner. This lets the dealer know that you are in the hand. Some people use a coin, poker chip, or a bobblehead while others use something that is important to them—like a picture of your kids. You can search for each of these items individually, or head over to www.ExecutiveGamingMonthly.com. Executive Gaming Monthly(EGM) is the first Casino Game of the Month Gift Club, and has 6 different complete Poker Packages in 3 different price points.

EGM’s packages include everything that you need to Host Your Own Game all in one place. We pick the highest quality products for each of the packages, so all you need to do is provide the most important thing—FOOD.

By: Eric Hansel