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% GameAccount, the #1 online P2P and skill gaming provider (www.gameaccount.com), has officially launched their % -Card Poker% product, a unique person-to-person (P2P) skill-based adaptation of the ever popular casino game. The game signals a continued strategy of distributing high-value gaming products into the GameAccount Integrated Network, the world% largest P2P Network for sportsbooks, casino% and Poker sites. business home internet

Dermot Smurfit, Marketing Director at GameAccount says: % -Card Poker represents a compelling opportunity for sportsbook, casino and poker operators to generate incremental revenues from existing customers and re-activate lapsed customers with an exciting and instantly recognisable skill-based gaming opportunity. Like our successful existing P2P Blackjack product, we% e very excited about the potential for this to be skill-gaming% latest killer application for eGaming operators generating serious money, very quickly% /p business mlm opportunity

% dding GameAccount% unique blend of Skill Games is a superb opportunity for eGaming operators not only from a revenue perspective but also due to the fact that advertising Skill Games is legal in most of the United States and the rest of the world.% added Smurfit. % ameAccount% proven P2P Skill Gaming solutions allow eGaming operators to build their brand and reputation within key jurisdictions unencumbered by the legal or regulatory considerations applicable to traditional gaming products.% /p based business home income

back to top Explained: Gin rummy: Inside Edge Magazine by Alun Bowden, 1st March 2006

Fed up with bad beats on the poker table Alun Bowden explains why gin rummy could provide a satisfying alternative. But first, a word of warning: your success in this game could well rest upon the strength of your memory. Not a game for goldfish, then! Gin rummy Isn t that the game you played with your nan based business home internet

Beloved by nans the world over, the game s also a favourite of old-school poker legends, such as Stu Unger. In fact, there was a time when gin rummy was the hottest game in the US, and it featured heavily in Hollywood films. business homebased opportunity

So it s the height of card-playing fashion

Er, not exactly. That was back in the 1940s, but it is starting to make a comeback online. Its quick gameplay and strong skill component appeals to a new generation of poker fans. So how do you play it Each player is dealt ten cards, with the remainder placed face down between the players, forming the stock pile. The top card is turned face up and forms the open pile. Play begins with the first player taking the card from the open pile and discarding one from his own hand. The next player can then choose to take a card from either pile. Play continues until a player knocks. based business home mlm

A player what

A player ends the game, or knocks, when they have completed their hand by arranging their cards into sets of three or more cards of the same value (three Kings, say) or consecutive cards of the same suit. This is called gin. A player can also knock if the value of the cards not used in sets is ten or less. Any cards not in sets are known as deadwood. So what happens next business new opportunity

The simplest form means the first player to knock wins the game. The more sophisticated version relies on you scoring more points than your opponent over a series of hands. The points for each hand are worked out based on the difference in value between the deadwood held by the players. If, for example, player one knocks with deadwood worth nine, and player two has cards worth 29 that have not been made into sets then player one scores 20 points. Before this happens player two gets a chance to lay off his deadwood by adding to sets held by player one. You also score a bonus of 25 for making gin, and face a penalty of 25 when you knock if your opponent has lower valued deadwood. business home online

And in more advanced variations

In the most common version of the game the first player to reach a predetermined score usually 100 wins. There are other variations where bonuses apply for each hand won and for being the first to reach 100 points. But how do you make money from it Good point. The betting is even simpler than the game - you make a wager with your opponent on who will win. Winner takes all. Big money can be found by playing per-point stakes. Play 1 per point, beat your opponent by 200 points and take home 200. best business home opportunity

So where can I play

Surprisingly few places at the moment. Your best option is HERE! Any strategy tips for me before you go Watch the cards your opponent picks up and throws away. This should give you some clues to the type of sets he is trying to collect, and allow you to hold onto cards that will help him out. It s usually better to draw a card from the stock pile so your opponent has a harder time reading your hand. business investment

Good. Anything else

Make sure you have discarded any high cards not made into sets by the time the stock pile gets half way down. And pay attention. If you don t have a good memory then you re not going to win many games. Conversion Rates 18th January, 2006 There% a degree of healthy scepticism surrounding the nebulous term %kill-based gaming% a catch-all term describing the very different activities of a handful of operators and service providers. Skill-based gaming can be relevant to the eGaming market but only with the right games, tournaments and wagering opportunities. Converting the gambler to skill gaming requires the basic recognition that the average sports bettor, casino poker player is very different to the % raditional% skill gamer. The skill gaming demographic has historically been dominated by middle-aged women over the age of 35years and is most akin to the bingo demographic. However it is possible to attract, convert and retain a male-dominated group of players from dozens of sportsbook, casino poker sites. How business home making money

1. Single-wallet Service. Embedding a suite of skill-based games alongside sportsbook, casino or poker offerings makes sense only if provided to customers on a one-account basis. Seamless wagering between sports, casino poker is now accepted as the norm for all major iGaming operators. Why would you treat skill gaming any different With a single-wallet solution operators can expect: conversion rates from a sportsbook to a suitably tailored skill games suite as high as 8% in a single month; and conversion rates from login to cash play typically over 45%. based business free home

2. Serious Money. Uniquely, the GameAccount skill gaming service caters to the fundamentally different needs of an online gambler as well as the casual online gamer. We offer the gambler high-staking opportunities on recognisable skill-based games like backgammon, gin rummy or our skill-based version of multi-hand blackjack. Gamblers are too time-poor to spend all day in pursuit of $2 prizes. They seek out high-staking opportunities on games where they can earn material sums within single sessions lasting no longer than an hour. Play in heads-up tournaments to double your $1, 000 entry fee, instantly; or participate in sit go games of Gin Rummy and Backgammon for upto $700 a game; or compete in knockout tournaments featuring Prize Money of upto $170, 000. Serious money is invaluable in converting the gambler to skill gaming. business internet online

3. Reasonable Rake. Furthermore, gamblers are notoriously price sensitive. For example, poker players have become all-too aware of the 2-3% rake paid to the house. Casino players are also keenly aware of the House% edge in table games such as Blackjack. In comparison, the traditional skill gamer is willing to pay 25% rake on average entry fees of $1.00 or less. Ask a poker player if he would be willing to pay 25% of his winnings to the house and you% l generate an expletive-packed response. Rake structures of 25% or more will be the most immediate and obvious disincentive to gamblers presented with a skill-gaming opportunity. Games like Gin Rummy typically rake the 2-player pot no more than 5% with average stakes per player approaching $50. best business opportunity

4. Perceived Skill. Gamblers are a breed apart from the casual gamer. What they perceive to be skill-based may not align with lawyers or regulators. Is Poker a game of skill Ask poker players and the common answer will be an exclamatory % es% Yet Poker contains enough chance to classify it as gambling in all jurisdictions. Games of skill should not be limited to simplistic forms of bejewelled and solitaire which attract small entry fees from an incompatible demographic. Games of skill can be any game perceived by the target player and the relevant jurisdiction to be skill-based. For example, backgammon is deemed a game of skill in many US states, but almost perversely not in the United Kingdom where is it specifically legislated for as a game of equal chance. business computer home

5. Transparency. Most gamblers cite a belief that their particular strategy or technique generates profit over time. They feel they have an %dge% over the bookie or the house that justifies their gambling activity. Statistics and ratings provided to allow the gambler to make his own mind up about which game to play, who to play against and how much to wager in any given scenario. Transparency is critical in fostering the belief among gamblers that they too can (with practice) earn a material amount of money from opposing players. business idea opportunity

Forming Strategic Partnerships Partnerships by definition serve the needs of all parties. For a partnership to succeed in the long term the respective needs of all parties must be served equally well. Based on GameAccount% experience, partnerships between software service suppliers and iGaming operators require a number of conditions and precedents to formation, discussed below. 1. Offer a Relevant Service. With a market as large as iGaming comes a broad array of potential operator partners for service providers. Every operator has a unique customer base with unique demands for games and real money stakes. As a supplier, you should seek to maximise your chances of forming a meaningful partnership by approaching each operator armed with a healthy understanding of their customers% needs. For example, major international sportsbook, casino poker operator Victor Chandler International recently partnered with us on the basis that our high-staking games best suited the tastes of their diverse customer base. Crucial to their decision was the presence of a fully featured Backgammon game, players already in the network 24/7 and our ability to provide a single-wallet managed service localised in several languages and currencies.

2. Experience Counts. Demonstrable experience in serving the needs of operator partners is also crucial to forming partnerships. A managed service, should come with a team dedicated to providing ongoing marketing, technical customer services support as well as maintaining a consistent line of communication. Forming your very first partnership can prove the most difficult hurdle to overcome. We owe a significant debt of gratitude to Eric Semel, CEO of UKBetting Plc, for being the first operator with the vision to license our single-wallet managed service for p2p skill games early in 2004. Several sportsbook operators followed suit including PaddyPower Plc, Sportingbet Plc, BetCRIS and BetWWTS. based business home online

3. Justify the Service. Operators have only so much time and resource they can invest in a new product. A skill gaming service is not a replacement or substitute for Poker. It is a healthy extension to Poker with a similar rake-based model for (a) generating incremental additional revenues; (b) improving customer retention across the product portfolio; and (c) offers a valid Trojan horse for acquiring customers in restrictive jurisdictions. business federal opportunity

4. Incremental revenues. A capable service comprises several games such as backgammon, gin rummy and 8-Ball Pool. All these games are relevant to the typical sportsbook customer. Acting in concert these games generate per-player economics comparable to poker. Rakeper-player day approaches $10.00 and monthly rake per player start at $30.00 and increase depending on the nature of your sportsbook customers. As with poker, all rake revenues are risk free when compared with the proprietary risk in casino sports betting. based business home legitimate

5. Customer Retention. Improving customer retention, reducing the effect of churn, is equally important. An integrated single-wallet service, offering dormant or lapsed customers the opportunity to play relevant games, is a compelling way to reactivate and retain customers with a recreational gambling pastime. Tournament Blackjack, p2p multi-hand blackjack, has been proven to reactivate lapsed players of Blackjack within a Casino. The consumer proposition of % ired of the House% Edge % is a compelling call to action for anyone familiar with casino Blackjack. business home mlm opportunity

6. Trojan Horses. There are many potential Trojan horses out there offered with questionable conversion rates to sportsbook, casino or poker. However, recreational gambling games such as Backgammon are deemed to be skill-based in problematic jurisdictions such as the United States. Skill-based games side-step the common restrictions on marketing. Such games, if marketed in conjunction with high-staking opportunities, can and will attract customers capable of being converted once acquired to other forms of gambling. business home idea internet

A Wake Up Call for Skill Gaming 15th January, 2006

January 15, 2006 (London, UK) A question regularly asked within the eGaming industry is when will Skill Gaming live up to it% billing as % he next big thing% Can existent P2P models ever be relevant to the established players and how can they be best deployed to impact the domains of Casino, Poker and Betting Exchanges These serious and legitimate queries require the Skill Gaming sector to provide robust answers. Issues of customer acquisition, product value, marketing and technology determine synergies with the established remote gaming community. Ultimately the key concern is how to generate serious incremental revenues % without which Skill Gaming will never be able to raise its game. based business from home

Is it possible to attract new customers through a Skill Games channel The answer is a resounding yes and there are sites today with considerable volumes unencumbered by serious jurisdictional concerns. Nevertheless, despite the strong loyalty they attract these are by and large casual gamers who like playing for a few dollars and dimes at best. Converting the typical demographic (up to 60% women players) into serious cash players with a gambler mentality on the back of a perceived casual product is a different matter. The focus should be on looking at where the money is (casino, poker sportsbooks) and applying those winning principles to Skill Gaming. Don% turn your back on your existing market, just open up and build a new one. Introducing traditional gambling games running under the remit of skill such as Backgammon, Gin Rummy, Pool Skill% ased Tournament Blackjack adds cachet, marketing differentiation and cross-selling potential to a new demographic. Players attracted to these games are much more likely to convert into casino, sportsbook or poker players and conversely offer an attractive product alternative to high-churn eGaming sites. business make money online

With the introduction of unfamiliar games comes the fear of unwarranted product cannibalisation and reduced revenues. However, P2P % nockout% tournaments and multiplayer games can be structured to earn as much, if not more than Poker, and when applied to popular, quickly resolved games such as %li-Lo% Solitaire or Gin Rummy, the margins can be downright competitive. Concurrently, offering players the opportunity to stake higher amounts on their new found favourite games is a compelling proposition. Providing large returns in a matter of minutes at good odds is something the casual or professional gambler can% ignore. So, ensuring that games, entry fees and revenues per tournament are engineered to fit within the player demographic of an online gaming site is critical. base business home opportunity

Customer retention is another serious industry challenge. Players have a finite value ranging from weeks to months at the Poker end of the scale. Without offering other products these players are lost for good. Skill Gaming gives you a portfolio of accessible products to market to, retain and reactivate your customers. Skill gamers are loyal because the concept offers them choice and a real sense of achievement that earns them money. business magazine opportunity

Skill Gaming can also learn a lot from successful technology models. Stand alone destination sites require serious marketing investments to keep them viable and liquid. It does work, but the costs do not always weigh up to the gains made by high-rolling casinos and poker sites. Likewise, the images of sexualised glamour and the Poker lifestyle are often lost on the core audience demographic attracted to these sites. The integrated Poker network model is a viable growth strategy and allows a varied product set to be marketed by demographic (such as target portals), geography (country sites), product (Backgammon, gin rummy only) or customer types (Sportsbook, Casino, Poker). Of course, any or all of these variables can come into play, ensuring choice for both players and partners that go way beyond the remit of a one-product offering such as Poker, despite its multiple permutations % Offering a bespoke integrated wallet and unified backend gives rational gaming outfits what they want: a fully branded site, the ability to know where their money is, whose playing what and how to direct them there... business make money

Skill Game providers need a wake up call % the traditional gaming industry is giving off strong signals as to its expectations and it% up to this niche to meet those demands as a viable money-making enterprise. business opportunity weblog

GameAccount Appoints Sales Director 6th January, 2006

January 6, 2006 (London, UK) % GameAccount (www.gameaccount.com) continues its aggressive expansion plans with the appointment of ex-Tote Business Development Director Ed Comins to the newly created role of Sales Director. Ed brings over 15 years industry experience to GameAccount, the #1 Skill Game and P2P network supplier, having also worked for gaming giants Coral Eurobet and Ladbroke Casinos. base business home online

Amongst his many achievements, he was responsible for the launch of the Tote % coop6 bet% before being promoted to General Manager of Tote Direct % the joint venture between Ladbrokes, Coral Eurobet Tote. business home income

In the financial year ending 2005, he returned a record turnover of 100m for Tote Direct and subsequently promoted to Business Development Director with special responsibility for the organisation% commercial affiliations with many gaming industry majors, including Ladbrokes, Coral Eurobet and Blue Square. business opportunity unique

Managing a diverse team, Ed will initially focus on signing new licensees of GameAccount% single wallet service, particularly sportsbooks, casinos and poker sites, as well as white labels. Speaking about this important appointment, GameAccount Chief Executive, John Jones, said: % e are delighted to welcome Ed aboard and have every confidence that the extensive experience, expertise and proven deal-making talent he brings will help us cement our status as the undisputed #1 provider of online skill gaming services.% /p business home job opportunity

Ed Comins added: % his is a fantastic opportunity. Without doubt GameAccount is one of the most exciting and innovative service providers in the business, having already successfully managed to maximise crossover opportunities in the sportsbook casino and poker space. business from home mlm

% aim to build on those key achievements, by driving sales growth % particularly over the next twelve months - then securing and retaining new income streams that will further underpin the company% commitment to sustainable, long term growth.% /p ameriplan business opportunity

Overcoming the Hype: Skill Gaming at the Crossroads 1st January, 2006

January 1, 2006 (London, UK) % The actual, rather than perceived value of Skill Gaming within the % raditional% remote Gaming industry has been a question on quite a few people% lips these last 2 years. Whereas the main players have consolidated and developed into the market-busting technology and consumer brands we now see reaching maturity, the potential of P2P Skill Gaming as % he next big thing% is still only hinted at. The niche itself needs to establish clear strategic goals and viable models that will transform whisperings into strong, clear messages that the market understands. business internet marketing

The basis for success already exists; several destination sites and P2P networks have built strong player liquidity and loyalty, especially with US-facing offerings. These sites have millions of registered players, balanced demographics (in some cases up to 60% women players) and games that are not jurisdictionally prohibitive. Nevertheless, the figures that can be gleaned, point to an industry that is unable to generate the kind of incremental revenues that will have people start wanting a piece of the pie. The fact is that major operators know this and understandably have not been really interested. business home legitimate

Increased revenues are, of course, the ultimate determinant of success. Skill Gaming does not have to re-invent the wheel but should be going to where the money is already being made and forging the kind of synergies that can make it happen - Casino, Poker Sportsbooks. This does not mean abandoning your loyal customers and broad product portfolio, but streamlining it to create a new gaming class % the %jamebler % the converted skill game player with a gambler mentality % drawing the best from both worlds. This in turn has a knock-on effect on issues of customer acquisition, product value, marketing and technology. business home make money

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