The famous four days at the Cheltenham festival has finally arrived again and it looks as competitive as ever. With the weather forecast continuing to be uneasy the ground is likely to come up soft which could scupper some connections preparations with their horses needing better ground. This is however likely to have less of an influence as usual as the ground has been similar throughout the season so most horses form will have been on the slower surface.

One race that had everyone talking at the start of the season was the Champion hurdle and the anticipated clash of 2017 winner Buveur D’Air and the returning previous winner in Faugheen. The latest Cheltenham 2018 betting on the race has Buveur D’Air as the solid 8/15 market leader ahead of the 13/2 Faugheen. Buveur D’Air has barely had a race all season so this would be a slight negative to his chances but on all recent form there is no horse in the race who would get near him so he is likely to follow up from last year’s victory.

Faugheen on the other hand returned this season following a 665 day break through injury but had previously looked one of the most dominating champions of recent times. He had only been beaten on a reappearance by stablemate Nichols Canyon back in November of 2015. His final performance before the injury was a stunning 15 length victory over Arctic Fire at Leopardstown which resulted in an RPR of 177. This puts him in with the best in history and he would have likely been a multiple champion hurdle winner if he had not picked up an injury.

Faugheen returned and looked as good as ever in beating another previous champion hurdle winner in Jezki by 16 lengths. This prompted him to favouritism for the race with expectations high that he was the same horse. However a pulled up effort followed at odds of 2/11 with connections having no answer for his poor performance. Faugheen then returned at the start of February and ran with a lot more zest in finishing second behind stayers hurdle bound Supasundae. However this was far below his previous brilliant best so it seems that we have seen the best of the horse. The Champion hurdle is next and if connections were able to get him to win the race this would have to be one of the greatest training performances alike to that of Henderson and Sprinter Sacre. Check out the infographic below which covers the leading jockey title race and the horses heading the chances.

The PC vs Console Dilemma

There is an ongoing debate between gamers as to which platform is the best one for gaming, PC or Console?  Each platform has advantages and disadvantages and gamers will more than likely have their favourite option and stick to it.  Just like the Apple-Android debate rages on, so too does each side have a strong opinion and  a very clear preference.

To begin with it is important to make a distinction between how each platform is used.  PC games are played using a personal computer and console games are developed to be played on a console and are generally intense games.  The most popular consoles today are the Xbox from Microsoft, the PlayStation for Sony, the Gamecube and Wii from Nintendo.

Cost and Upgrades

When looking at differences in the cost of these, PC’s are often much more expensive than consoles and the games for PC’s are generally more expensive than console games.

Accessories for a PC often use a standard connection which means that PC users do not have to buy a new mouse, keyboard or headset for example. PC gamers have the option of customising their PC and then upgrading certain parts as technology advances. For PC gamers upgrading is an easy process although it may be expensive and for gamers working within a tight budget they may only have to upgrade their GPU or RAM every 3 or 4 years.

The outlay may be more than a console to begin with, but in the long run it is cheaper to upgrade a PC than to buy a new console when the latest one is released.  With consoles, upgrading is not really an option and only certain areas of a console can be customised. Gamers will not be able to open up their console and replace the GPU for example when new technology comes out.

Games

Games play an important, if not the most important factor when deciding on a platform. Although you won’t find anything like the selection of games available at a CAD casino for any console, the genres and variety are important to players.  Developers have created many games for Xbox or PlayStation and a gamer that has an Xbox One may not be able to play these games.  For PC gamers they get the option to choose many of these games as they are compatible with a PC.  Good news for PC gamers is that Sony offers PlayStation Now which is a streaming service offered on a subscription basis for PC gamers.  Not to be outdone Xbox offers the Xbox Play Anywhere service.

Initial Setup

There is often quite a lot to setup with PC gaming, which can often be fun for those interested in the technology but if a gamer does not really know all the ins and outs it may become frustrating. Setting up a console is usually very easy and a gamer can get going in no time. Some PC’s will not support multiplayer games, while console gaming is great for this and many gamers can play together in one room.

Speed is important when gaming and for beginners using a mouse and keyboard offers more control than a joystick.  The keyboard and joystick are more accurate.  On the other hand it is better to play certain games on an Xbox One controller or the PS DualShock 4 using the wired or Bluetooth option.  Many of the more popular games can also be played on a PC using a controller.

Both platforms have their pros and cons and knowing which platform to choose will also depend on the type of gamer and whether they prefer casual or hard-core gaming.

Poker Pros – The World’s Top Players

Gone are the days when poker was a card game played with friends on a Friday night over a couple of drinks.  This popular game has evolved in a major sport with rich financial gains to be won by its top players.

Different players have different strengths, and the most skilled might not necessarily have the most cash wins.  With skills based games becoming more popular in casinos, we’ve created a list of some of who we think are the best all round poker players today, in no particular order.

1.           Daniel Negreanu

Daniel Negreanu is a Canadian born player and has a list of accolades in professional poker as long as your arm.  In 2014, he was recognized by the Global Poker Index as being the best player of the decade due to his consistently excellent performances in the live arena.   He has won 6 World Series of Poker gold bracelets, as well as 2 World Poker Tour Championships.  He has had 6 separate cash winnings of $1 million or more – the biggest of which being $8.28 million which he earned by winning the $1 million buy-in Big One for One Drop at the WSOP.  He is the only player in the world to have ever won WSOP bracelets in Australia, Europe and Las Vegas and is also the only player i to have won the WSOP Player of the Year twice – once in 2004 and then again in 2013.He also plays online and sites like River Belle casino and other establishments have been known to welcome him to their virtual tables.

2. Antonio Esfandiari

Formerly a professional magician, Antonio Esfandiari is nicknamed “the Magician” on the            professional poker circuit due to his elaborate magic tricks with the chips.  Antonio has been placed first at 2 World Poker Tour events, and has 3 World Poker Series Bracelets to his      name.  His biggest win to date was when he beat Sam Trickett at the WSOP The Big One for One Drop in 2012, with a cash prize of over $18 million.  This gave him the title of the highest cash winner of all time for poker winnings, although he would be usurped in that category by Daniel Negreanu in 2014.

3. Sam Trickett

Sam Trickett hails from Nottinghamshire in England, and is currently number 5 in the list top     cash winners in the sport of poker.  After a knee injury ended his professional football career, Sam began playing poker, and it has turned out to be a very lucrative switch in sports             for him.  In 2011, he was named the Best European Poker Player of the Year, and Britain’s Best Cash Player also in 2011.  2011 was clearly a good year for Sam, with 2 major cash wins just within days of each other.  $1.5 million by winning the Aussie Millions A$100,000 top event, and just a few days later, scooping up the second prize at A$250,000 event, taking home a further $1.4million.  His biggest moment to date comes in 2012 however, when he was one of only 48 players spend $1 million on the buy in and compete for the biggest first prize in poker history – the WSOP The Big One for One Drop. He played until the end and eventually surrendered to Antonio Esfandiari to be placed second, but taking home winnings of just over $10 million for that prize.

4. Phil Hellmuth

Hellmuth was born in Wisconsin United States, and has a mind blowing 16 WSOP bracelets to his name.  In 1989 at just 24 years of age Phil Hellmuth won the main event at the WSOP, making him the youngest player in the history of the event to do so.  He was inducted in the          Poker Hall of Fame in 2007, and went on to win the main event in the World Series of Poker Europe in 2012.  His accumulated tournament winnings currently stands on over $21 million, and he holds the number 7 spot in the list of all time cash winners.

Android Operating System

Research shows that Android is the most popular mobile operating system around these days, even overtaking the popularity of iOS.

Android made its software open source, meaning the software for the original code is made freely available for redistribution and modification.  This has allowed developers worldwide to share their expertise with Android’s operating systems, making it among the most innovative software available.   It stands to reason therefore that gaming companies have ensured that their very best offerings are available for Android.

There are a myriad of categories and games available for Android on the Google Play Store, and these are continually added to as mobile gaming just keeps growing at a rapid pace.  Here are just a few top examples in no particular order:

1. Crashlands

This game was released in 2016.  The game revolves around an intergalactic trucker who is forced to crash land on an alien planet.  Players are then required to build themselves a base, collect and sometimes craft the different tools required, and save the world from an evil plot.  One of the best aspects of this game however is that there aren’t any in-app purchases.

2. Hearthstone Heroes of Warcraft

Released at the end of 2014, this game remains one of Android’s most popular.  It is similar to Pokemon or Magic in that you collect cards at The Gathering, build decks with those cards, and then face-off with your opponents using those decks.  This game has constant new expansions which help keep it new and engaging.

3. Diggy’s Adventure

This is a game full of puzzles and tasks you need to complete in order to play the game.  Add to this it’s fun script and interesting characters, and you can see why this game has made its way onto this list.

The aim of the game is to find your way out of a large maze or digging your way out of a mine, and this is achieved by solving over 1000 puzzles and riddles, and interacting with other characters along the way.

4. Dead Trigger 2

If blasting zombies to smithereens is your cup of tea, then Dead Trigger 2 is a good option for you.  The game has been around for a while, but due to constant updates and upgrades, it has remained popular enough to attract a large number of players, meaning there are always plenty of options of opponents to challenge, in a variety of different modes.

The game has a main story mode, as well as missions on the side, allowing players to earn extra component parts, plus earning cash in order to upgrade weapons.

5. Minecraft Pocket Edition

Minecraft is well known all around the world, and attracts players of all age groups.  This game puts you in a world where you mine resources and beat up villains.  There are several different modes – for example a survival mode which requires you to mine your own resources as well as food, and also a creative mode, which gives you unlimited access to everything in the game.  This game is constantly being upgraded and updated, much like the games you’d find at Canadian mobile casinos, and this keeps it hugely popular among loyal fans.

6. Pokemon Go

Pokemon Go erupted onto the gaming scene last year.  Although not the first augmented reality game to have ever been released, it was the first that made it into mainstream gaming and its huge runaway success makes it one of the best Android games ever.

In the game, you walk around in the real world, catching Pokemon, battling for Gyms and restocking supplies at Pokestops.  The game gets updates all the time, despite being advanced for its time when it was first released, and continues to captivate audiences the world around.