Friday, September 29, 2006

GameAccount Re-invents Blackjack

Multiplayer Blackjack Tournaments for the Poker Generation

GameAccount, the world’s largest provider of person-to-person (P2P) games this week introduced Multiplayer Blackjack, a unique skill-based version of the casino classic. Players rely on their card-counting skills and mastery of strategic play to outwit their opponents in real-time multiplayer tournaments.

GameAccount, short-listed for two 2006 eGaming Review Awards, has rolled out next-generation tournaments for all multiplayer games including Gin Rummy, Backgammon and Multiplayer Blackjack, a world first for any P2P games service provider. Players in the GameAccount Network can now compete online in professional tournament formats popularised by online poker operators.

GameAccount’s browser-based Multiplayer Blackjack allows players to play live and in real-time against up to five online opponents simultaneously, never directly against the ‘House’. Starting with an imaginary chip stack of $1,000 the objective is to build a larger chip stack than your opponent over ten rounds of cards dealt to both players and the automated in-game dealer. Using a 4-deck shoe of cards and no auto-shuffler, Multiplayer Blackjack openly encourages optimal strategic play and card-counting unlike conventional casino blackjack. This demonstrates GameAccount’s philosophy to empower players with a serious alternative to existing forms of casino blackjack where over time players can never defeat the traditional ‘House’ edge.

Kevin Dale, CEO of GameAccount commented, “Multiplayer Blackjack marks another leap forward in adapting recognisable casino products to encourage skilful game play without losing the aura or excitement of the original. We also provide the industry-standard guaranteed prize money tournaments that make Poker such an exciting offering. We see this as the future of Skill Gaming: Skill, with a bit of luck.”

As the leading provider of person-to-person games to sportsbook, casino and poker operators GameAccount offers a real solution to operators looking to generate incremental extra revenues from new, existing and lapsed customers. The suite of game products have been bolstered by next generation tournament technology: Cash Games; Non-stop ‘Sit and Go’ tournaments, money-added scheduled tournaments; guaranteed prize money tournaments; feeder tournaments and regular scheduled Freeroll tournaments. Millions of dollars, pounds and euros are paid out to players within the GameAccount Network each and every month.

“Our exciting new lobby-based tournaments go hand-in-hand with our expanding product portfolio – one simply can’t exist without the other. Scheduled tournaments are a must-have for both us and our blue-chip partners, allowing branded tailor-made tournaments exclusive to certain operators as well as offline tournaments fed by online satellites. We see serious potential for both Gin Rummy, Backgammon and Blackjack tournaments in the near future. Our Backgammon product is already being featured on TV in the UK on the PokerZone channel.”, added Mr. Dale.

Hollywood Loves Poker

Top Ten Poker Movies of All Time
Hollywood has long known a high stakes poker table is a powder keg of dramatic potential. Aces.com’s sexy new poker flick, Aces the Movie, is the latest in a long line of poker classics. The popular online casino is celebrating the DVD release of Aces the Movie -- dubbed “the Charlie’s Angels of Poker” at the WSOP this summer -- with a gala star-studded event in Beverly Hills next week. Hundreds of L.A.-area Aces.com players will attend the event – five of them flown in from all over the U.S. on VIP tournament prize packages.

The recently re-designed Aces.com site features a tribute to Hollywood’s love for poker. The Top Ten Poker Movies of All Time has concise reviews of the poker classics.

Matt Damon revived the poker movie genre in Rounders (1998), but Hollywood has been fascinated by poker and poker culture since Hopalong Cassidy saved the day by posing as a newbie poker player in Sunset Trail (1939),and Gene Autry starred in the classic poker murder mystery, Loaded Pistols (1948). In Maverick (1994), Mel Gibson and Jody Foster needed $3000 dollars to enter a winner takes all poker tournament. California Split (1974) directed by Robert Altman (M*A*S*H) and starring George Segal & Elliot Gould, showed the day-to-day life of card-playing, sports-betting, sleep-till-noon gamblers. Like the main character in Aces the Movie, the heroine in Big Hand for a Little Lady (1966) had never played poker before she sat down to the big table. Steve McQueen manages to get into the highest stakes game of his life in what most consider to be the ultimate poker classic, The Cincinnati Kid (1965).

“Poker isn’t just about rules and strategy,” said Aces.com Manager Rene Quesada. “It’s a culture. With so many people playing poker online now, it’s a lifestyle that millions dream about.”

The retro Vegas-style online gambling site has sponsored and promoted ‘Aces the Movie’ all summer. Thousands of free DVDs have been given to new players and awarded as contest and tournament prizes.

Aces.com’s Top Ten Poker Movies
Aces the Movie (2006)
The Cincinnati Kid (1965)
Rounders (1998)
Big Hand for a Little Lady (1966)
Kaleidoscope (1966), Maverick (1994)
The Gambler (1980), California Split (1974)
The Sting (1973)
High Roller - The Stu Ungar Story (2003).

The complete Top Ten Poker Movie list is at: http://www.aces.com/contest/movies-poker.php.

As they say in the movies…

"If we shoot him, we won't have anyone to play with."
Wyatt Earp in Cheyenne Autumn

"A deck of cards is like a woman -- usually when you pick one up, you wish you hadn't."
Flame of the Barbary Coast

"When your opponent is holding all the aces, there's only one thing to do. Kick over the table."
Robin and the Seven Hoods (1964)

"Is this a game of chance?" "Not the way I play it, no."
W.C. Fields in My Little Chickadee