I tend to be on the conservative/skeptical end of the spectrum when it comes to Internet casinos. If I have much in the way of doubts about the honesty of a particular site, I stay away. To this point, I haven't been inclined to play at Global Player. Why? All you see on this site are encouraging remarks about Global Player. I respect those opinions. I also respect the opinions that are aired over at Arnold Snyder's site, blackjackforumonline.com. What does he have to say about Global Player? "Reliable reports of statistically significant negative results on their software indicating possible non-random software. Research is ongoing." At one point, I also dug up some old threads questioning the randomness of video poker on Global Player. What am I to make of all of this? Are there any comments people would like to make that might help me resolve this severe difference of opinion?
Tournament play only for me.... Kelly I wish I could tell you more about Global-Player, but really all I play is their tournaments. I to tend to stay away from ALL online gambling, but tournament play is different and Global-Player by far is the BEST when it comes to online blackjack tournaments. They are the only ones that offer a "Real" elimination style format. And for their weekly Wed. and Cruise tournaments (which they run for me) they add an extra bonus of up to $400 for the 2nd and 3rd place finishers in the semifinals. Global-Players tournament director Pumi is alway more than fair with all of the players. I don't believe I have ever seen or heard of any problems that Pumi didn't take care of and a very quick and fair way. No one (that I know of) has ever been screwed over in one of their BJ tournaments. I mentioned above that they run the Blackjack Cruise Satellite Tournaments for me because I do trust them and if I didn't I wouldn't have them hosting the events for me.
I'm quite interested to hear opinions on this as well. Hopefully we have enough players here to generate some worthwhile responses. I played a lot of video poker at Global, and while I think at the end I was a little short on expected royals, I did hit several. Certainly my experience was nothing to be concerned about by itself. I've never played enough blackjack there to have much of an opinion. Since Global Player is one of the few online casinos that developed their own software, they don't have the large base of players or casino clients that makes it easy to assume the games are fair. So, some of you guys who have played a lot... Did the games seem fair to you? We all know how brutal a losing streak at a land-based casino can be, and we also know how sometimes it seems that you just can't lose. Have you had both those kinds of experiences at Global?
Global I would not be surprised to learn that Global's non-tournament blackjack games are skewed in favor of the house. I've seen many bad losing streaks in land casinos, but nothing that even comes close to what happens at Global. It's extremely common for the dealer to draw to 21 from a bust card, sometimes 6 or 7 times in a row.
Global-Play: Re Kelly: I may be one of the few "fools" to play the blackjack games, other than the tournaments at Global. Usually, it's when I'm getting anxious for one or two others to join the standard 15 dollar tourney. First, after the opening statement, if I had read the statement on the Bishop's site, it would have only reinforced my suspicions of on line play. It very well may be there are variances in the programs. Which would and should disway folks from playing. But, as TX said and probably many others believe ,the tourney format is as close to land sites as you can get, for little money and if you've won, one or two you want to do it again. In addition to playing the tourneys, the chat feature with the other players is as high a level as the discussion on this site. Sometimes during the course of a sit n go, a Wednesday or TX Sunday Cruise, the tips and information you will receive, will not be found in any book, on any other "pay for" site, or at a live land based session. For the tournaments ONLY, those above comments make playing the tourneys well worth the minimal investment, even if there is some variance. The staff at global has been the best responsive "Casino" management I've encountered. IF, I have had a problem, theirs, or mine, they reply "immediately" without hemhawing or double talking. They have even gone out of their way to assist players who have disconnected. And, at least in my case, of a number of issues, they've always resolved it to my favor. Global is also very responsive to the players. When they first started, players complained about the vig on the games. Global was charging 10 percent just as the poker sites. Enough (gosh there must be more than 100 living APS) players complained and wouldn't play, that global changed. Global is continually adjusting the tourney format to satisfy the players, within their technical abilities. Ask TX. I haven't come across any other site so willing to satisfy their customers. Everyone else's attitude is "We're here. That's the way it is. Like it or lump it, or leave. We don't care." Now, I've ventured into their various non-tournament BJ games, as I said, knowing full well that it probably wasn't "smart." But you know, for all the talk about being AP, there are probably less than 100 living actual "AP's". The reasons for someone "gambling" at traditional "gambling" games, rather than stock market, or applied business ventures, where certainly, the brain power exerted will produce larger returns, are many, deep and psychological. So, I dip into those other games. And surprisingly, I've won enough there to keep me coming back. Not regularly, but as a time passer while waiting for the tourneys. Some are terrible. How many times do you beat your head against a brick wall, before you stop? I also play too much on line hold-em. I've tried a number of sites. Some of them spam you, virus you and seize your system. It's a pain..I've found two poker sites, I trust not to do anything but allow me to play. And with them, even, I've had my doubts on the veracity of their programs. But, then, I've won enough to keep me coming back. Getting responses from the poker sites to a problem, sometimes takes over a day and if you havn't kept detailed game, session, bet records....too bad. TO KELLY: specifically. more than a few folks on this site, including the administrator check out and test various on line sites and make recommendations. Those folks have the time and skills to do so. I usually trust one of their recommendations. There have been some recommendations, I havn't cared for. But then again, not everybody enjoys or likes the STARDUST. NOW, if indeed, someone has found an error in Global's, I'd venture it was unintentional, or of such a slight value as to make it meaningless.
