Daily Archives: August 18, 2021

Watch Atlas, Boston Dynamics’ humanoid robot, perform so well that you forget to be freaked out Stuff – Stuff Magazines

Posted: August 18, 2021 at 7:52 am

Theres a moment, right at the beginning of Boston Dynamics most recent demo video for Atlas, its humanoid robot, where you know that you should be freaking out about how this mechanical thing is moving. It crops up again and again, whenever you realise that this robot is jumping, flipping and balancing better, unassisted, than youve ever seen a robot perform before.

But by the time you get to the end of the video, all thats left is admiration. Admiration for Atlas performance because it sure has come a long way but also for the team behind its creation. It might just be a test-bed for robotics innovation but we can actually see its potential when it comes to, say, setting up a Mars colony now.

If you watch the minute-long video yourself, youll see just why were so enamoured with Boston Dynamics creation. It tackles a couple of circuits of a preplanned obstacle course, with a misstep here and there (which is corrected in an almost human manner) without batting an eye because it doesnt have any eyes. And you cant blink a camera.

Visually, its very impressive, but theres a lot that goes into making Atlas perform the way that it does. Boston Dynamics also has a meet the team video that gives a whole lot of insight into what makes Atlas do what it does, as well as introduces us to the people who created this robot athlete. Its a whole lot more information than weve had beyond just oooh, pretty

One day, we might send robots like Atlas to the moon or to Mars, to set up a liveable environment for humans to occupy when we follow at a later stage. Thats a whole lot safer than dumping a load of kit and then some astronauts and get them to set up their homes on arrival. That works if youre camping in the mountains (but even there, theres a chance youll die). Its a little less effective when youre doing it on the surface of Mars.

View post:

Watch Atlas, Boston Dynamics' humanoid robot, perform so well that you forget to be freaked out Stuff - Stuff Magazines

Posted in Mars Colony | Comments Off on Watch Atlas, Boston Dynamics’ humanoid robot, perform so well that you forget to be freaked out Stuff – Stuff Magazines

Golf Club Wasteland is More Than Just a Post-Apocalyptic Golf Game – Post Apocalyptic Media

Posted: at 7:52 am

In possibly the most realistic storyline of any post-apocalyptic game ever, Golf Club Wasteland is an arcade-style game about people coming back to Earth on vacation from a Mars colony to play golf in the remnants of the burned-out home planet.

Yes, I do imagine that golf will still be around, even when our planet has had all of its natural resources depleted by giant corporations, and the richest of the rich have fled to build a new life on a Martian colony. And I do believe that those wealthy elite will spend a good chunk of their money to fly back to Earth for a birdie on the back nine.

But Golf Club Wasteland is actually much more than a simple golf game. Youre playing through some of the most unique courses imaginable: across a lake of septic sludge, in a burned out multi-story mall, on top of a crumbled statue, and more. Along the way, youre slowly uncovering the secrets of Earths demise with the backdrop of dark, sarcastic humor to spice things up.

The game also has three separate modes: Story Mode for casual players mostly interested in the backstory of a dead planet instead of an actual golf game, Challenge Mode that appeals to those who love puzzle games and the real rules of golf, and the most difficult mode that allows nearly no room for error: Iron Mode.

Interestingly enough, the entire games soundtrack is based off of a nostalgic retro radio station for people who miss the music of the 2020s. OK, that may be the most unrealistic part of the game.

Golf Club Wasteland will release for PC, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch on September 3 for only $9.99. Every copy of the game includes the digital soundtrack and a graphic novel art book that tells more of the backstory for the main golfer character, Charley.

Want to chat about all things post-apocalyptic? Join our Discord serverhere.You can also follow us by emailhere, onFacebook, orTwitter.

Shawn has been infatuated with the post-apocalyptic genre since he wore out his horribly American-dubbed VHS of the original Mad Max as a child. Shawn is the former Editor-in-Chief at Joystiq's Massively.com, creator of the Aftermath post-apocalyptic immersion event, and host of the Through the Aftermath podcast for over 11 years. He currently resides on top of a mountain in the middle of nowhere with his wife and four children.

The rest is here:

Golf Club Wasteland is More Than Just a Post-Apocalyptic Golf Game - Post Apocalyptic Media

Posted in Mars Colony | Comments Off on Golf Club Wasteland is More Than Just a Post-Apocalyptic Golf Game – Post Apocalyptic Media

Humankind review – thoughtful authenticity nudges the scales away from fun – Eurogamer.net

Posted: at 7:52 am

Ideology's always been a part of grand, 4X strategy games. It's there in the specific, overt kind of way, as in: turning the "authoritarianism" dial up or down on your empire's ideology screen. And it's also in the layer behind that, ideology as in the ideology of the developer, the thought process, the reasoning, the thing that informs all that, which they may not even be aware of - why they went for an authoritarianism dial in the first place and why it works the way it does.

Say "ideology" too much and you start sounding like Slavoj iek stuck on a loop, so I'll move on. The point is in Humankind, the new, Civilization-style historical grand strategy from Endless Legend and Space developer Amplitude, capital-I ideology is handled smartly in a kind of consequential, sliding scale system, and the considered little-I ideology of the developer is regularly felt. Amplitude has wanted to make a game like this since the day it was founded, I'm told, and a desire to do things right, whatever right may be, is front and centre. Regardless of the outcome, I love it for that.

You can listen to a few more of our Humankind thoughts here in our special, first-ever reviewscast!

Everything else aside, Humankind plays like the most considered, most philosophical, most historically authentic (if not accurate, obviously) game of its kind. It plays like a group of very intelligent people have sat down in a room together and really thought about doing things in the most true-to-life way possible. In many ways that makes it the 4X game I've always wanted, the one that's systems work in a broadly similar manner to the way they do here in the real world, that's history is aligned, systemically, with actual humankind's. The only problem is having played it now, I'm not sure I actually want that anymore.

By far the closest parallel to Humankind is the reigning historical 4X itself, Civilization. If you've played Civ, especially a modern one, you can immediately play Humankind. You build cities on hexes and exploit the natural resources of the earth, you advance through a scientific tech tree, spread your religious or cultural influence, build and discover wonders, and balance all the many socio-economic strains on society as you compete against other civilisations, human or AI, to win the game.

In fact, Humankind basically feels like a Civilization sequel, insofar as it's following the formula right down to the series' famous rule of thirds: about two thirds of Humankind is Civ through and through, and a third - basically two big things - has been reworked with a twist. The first of those big differences is the win condition.

There is just one way to win a game of Humankind: fame. Fame is a numerical score, earned from achieving various in-game feats along the way, and the player with the highest score at the end of the game wins. What actually brings about the end of the game can vary: reaching a set number of turns, eliminating or vassalising all other players, completing the tech tree, launching a Mars colony, collecting all of the final era's stars (more on that in a moment) or, interestingly, rendering the entire planet inhospitable for human life, are what bring about the final totting up.

Like most aspects of Humankind, the thinking behind this is admirable. First, Amplitude wants to remove the "frustration" of someone else sneaking a win against you through a different win condition, say a culture victory, right when you were close to a science victory of your own. Second, it comes back to the desire for as much historical authenticity as possible. When we think about the most renowned civilizations, the thinking goes, many of them are no longer around - but they're still famous, still known, if not necessarily admired, for what they did, and so that's the way it works in Humankind. You can win a game even after you get eliminated, if by the end of the game nobody else can match the score you managed to accrue.

To support this comes a system of era stars - literally gold stars you can earn, like a good little student, only you can opt to be a student of completely brutalising your enemies at war or expanding your territory with force, if that's what you fancy. Each era, apart from the very first, has seven categories for you to earn era stars in, and three stars to be earned in each, so up 21 total per era (plus a few more for achieving certain one-off feats, like being the first to discover a natural wonder or link two cities by rail, and a special "competitive spirit" star that creates a kind of natural catch-up system to maintain balance). Each era star you get grants you a wad of fame points to add to your score, so generally the more you collect each era the better - but that comes with a large and very clever caveat.

You get more fame for stars of the same category as your current culture, which is where Humankind's second big departure from Civilization - and most other grand strategies - comes in. Rather than choosing a single culture or leader at the beginning of the game, like Genghis Khan or the Greeks, everyone starts out with the same blank slate: a single nomadic tribe, that slowly grows as you explore. When you advance to a new era, you then choose your culture for that era, and alongside the usual things like a unique unit, passive ability and building, comes a specialty. So, the Mongols' specialty is combat, which means when you earn a combat era star for defeating a certain number of enemy units, you get more fame than you would for other era stars like science ones.

Again, it comes down to authenticity, the philosophy of doing things in Humankind in a way that represents real life. Humans, broadly speaking, didn't start out as distinct cultures like Romans and the British Empire, we started as small nomadic tribes and we adapted along the way, building societies and cultures around the many circumstances of life. So it goes, on paper pretty ingeniously, in Humankind. You might start out prioritising your fighting capabilities because you settled right by some angry independent tribes, or an aggressive rival culture, and so your first culture of choice might be a combat-oriented one, granting you bonuses of that kind and more fame for doing that combat well. And even within that specialism there are nuances - some militarist cultures have more defensive bonuses than offensive, and vice versa.

Higher level play then requires you to think more proactively about how your choice of culture affects your fame, rather than just reacting to the world around you. Doing well militarily, for instance, might have meant you set yourself up with a city full of industrial districts (makers quarters, as they're known in Humankind) to help pump out warriors fast. Nearby enemies vanquished, that sets you up rather nicely for an era of building, so picking a "builder" culture next, rewarding you for simply constructing more districts, would be a smart move. And you might think further ahead than that, building a load of science districts (research quarters) to earn builder stars during your builder era then picking a science specialist for the following one, capitalising again.

There's also a couple of clever trade-offs that come with the system. You just need seven of the 21 available era stars to advance to the next era, and cultures are first-come first-served, so you're incentivised to rush to the next one before you lose out. But, once you move on you can't collect any remaining stars from the previous era, so the longer you stay in an era, the more stars - and thus fame - you can collect overall. There's also the option to "transcend" your culture to the next one, which means keeping everything the same and missing out on shiny new units or buildings, but getting a 10 per cent boost to all the fame you generate.

So, you have a more true-to-life start to the game, and a more true-to-life system of cultures for advancing through it, and a more true-to-life way of actually winning, victory as memorability or renown. Put it all together and you have a remarkably clever system, in theory. In theory.

Humankind's launch trailer

In practice, there are some snags. Alongside the authenticity of it, one of the stated goals for having you move between cultures as you progress is variety. There are millions of combinations, quite literally, and so the theory is that no two games will ever be the same. But actually, adapting from one specialty to another, as the circumstances demand, means the game can turn into something of a blur, rushing you towards that soupy late-game state you find in similar grand strategies, where you might have one or two outstanding specialties but really need to be doing a bit of everything for them to work anyway - money to pay for your troops, science to keep them advanced, industry to build them fast, food to supply the population, and so on. The endgame everything-bagel state is far and away the worst part of grand strategy games as a result of this, requiring busywork and attention in every direction, and so anything that makes games feel more like that rather than less is a problem.

More than that though, an oft-forgotten part of what makes a truly great strategy game of any kind, especially the grand ones, is role-playing. This is, really, the entire point of the wider genre: be it Stellaris or Civ or anything else, you play these games in order to sit back with a character-appropriate drink and assume the role of blustering commander-in-chief, or omnipotent demi-god, or shrewd technocrat, and this is hard to do when you're actually only a technocrat for a couple dozen turns before the next era comes around. You'll quickly find yourself rushing through roles like a one-man-theatre, shoving a lab coat over one arm of your military fatigues before you've whipped off the builder's hardhat. You can stay as one culture throughout, admittedly, through the transcendence option, but it will take some considerable skill to win a game that way, especially against militaristic foes with unique tanks rolling in or special fighter jets overhead, and the implication is very much for you to chop and change as you go.

Similarly, the victory conditions play into that. I pick Genghis Khan or the Imperial Space Slugs or whoever because I want to go for a military victory and play that way from the off, with a bit of adaptation where necessary, and that clarity of purpose is what separates one game from the next. And the surprise of an enemy pipping me to the post is, in a way, the point. The end of a good grand strategy is tense, you holding off an enemy horde while you try to rush through the construction of a final spaceport, or buy up whatever artefacts you can find to steal some last-minute tourists from someone on the verge of a cultural win. Focusing on era stars, which are undymanic - as in once you get one you can't lose it - means the systems are largely quite insular, even if you can technically use plenty of inter-player tools, like influence-bombing a territory to make it yours or just ploughing through a city with your army to reduce the population of someone going for an agrarian star, but that's less sophisticated than you'd hope for a game of this kind.

There's an obligation on the historical 4X to inspire fear and awe. Humankind can often appear to think mere appreciation is enough.

Finally, there is just a lingering sense that Humankind feels a tiny bit flat. It's a beautifully presented game in a vacuum, with a clean and mostly well-explained UI (although there are a few bits of awkward copy, and the tutorial never actually explains how building a city works, just that it can be done by converting outposts, which seems like an oversight, but these are very forgivable in the early days of a launch). But there's a missing spark, a missing celebration, in a way, that's quite stark when compared to its peers. There's no fanfare at all for unlocking new technologies - a good, if slightly sarky narrator only popping up on occasion - and the soundtrack again is good but a little unspectacular, no Baba Yetu or Creation and Beyond. These are games about all of humanity, about the wonders and horrors and dreams and nightmares of all that humans can do. There's an obligation on the historical 4X, above all other games, to inspire fear and awe, and Humankind can often appear to think mere appreciation is enough.

It's a crying shame, because the package as a whole is great. The ideology system - little-I - is a highlight, a series of left-right axes that your civilisation is nudged between according to civics you enact and decisions you make on pop-up narrative events. The further you go towards one ideology's end, like authoritarianism, say, the greater the related bonus and the greater the hit to your overall stability, or how likely your cities are to revolt. It makes sense! A lot of sense, as so much of this game does, filtering through clever societal commentary through mechanical nuance, the strategy game's golden ideal. Religion is very simple and somewhat unplugged from other mechanics - you get to add a new tenet when you hit a new follower threshold, you don't get them if you get converted - but it's effective. Diplomacy is mostly functional, which is about as good as diplomacy's ever been in a video game, so no worries there.

And combat, in particular, is a delight. Humankind's got Civ beat there, and plenty others. It's like a lighter version of something like Age of Wonders, where an overworld clash is zoomed in to a simplified XCOM-style tactical battle, taking place over a few hexes of battlefield. There's good nuance to it - elevation and sightlines are crucial, as is positioning and, at higher levels of play, a good understanding of what all the many units are capable of. It works well, is quick and breezy and deep if you want it to be. In many ways it reflects much of Humankind as a game: a lighter touch than some others in the genre maybe, more accessible once you get past the typical new-strategy-game fog, and clean, elegant, thoroughly thought-out.

The problem is the thinking-out is where the problems arise, too. It might be trite to say, but Humankind seems to have been made on an ideology slider of its own. Playfulness on one end, authenticity on the other. Too much towards either end of the axis and you lose stability, lose the fine balance of what makes a great historical strategy sing, and for the moment Humankind's just a smidge too far to the latter. It's missing a little magic, the wildcard element of a Great Person, the human touch of named, well-renowned faction leaders as opposed to your custom, but otherwise mannequin-esque avatar. Or those villainous, caricatured opponents that stick in the memory, instead of whoever it is behind "the green faction", who's name changes every couple dozen turns.

Still. Amplitude has promised to support Humankind for some time, and these games inevitably change over the months and years after launch - especially ones built on open development like this. Hopefully an opportunity might pop up that lets them nudge things just a little further towards the fun, because if the studio does manage to strike the right balance further down the line, they'll still be onto a winner.

View original post here:

Humankind review - thoughtful authenticity nudges the scales away from fun - Eurogamer.net

Posted in Mars Colony | Comments Off on Humankind review – thoughtful authenticity nudges the scales away from fun – Eurogamer.net

Space Caf WebTalk with Antonino Salmeri Recap: From Sicily to the Moon with law – SpaceWatch.Global

Posted: at 7:52 am

by Luisa Low

During this weeks Space Caf, SpaceWatch.Global publisher Torsten Kriening spoke with the ambitious and inspiring Antonino Salmeri, a doctoral space law researcher at the University of Luxembourg and the co-lead of the Space Exploration Project Group at the Space Generation Advisory Council.

Antonino is a space law subject matter expert and consummate grade A student having studied law at the Universiteit Leiden, LUISS Guido Carli University in Rome and the Universita di Catania, and space studies at the International Space University.

During this weeks Space Caf, he and Torsten discuss his lifes mission, his advice for space industry new starters, and just how important jurisprudence is to the burgeoning sector.

Antoninos guiding light Sicily and the Moon

Antoninos story starts in sunny Sicily the Southern Italian island with a rich history and culture that borrows from its many diverse inhabitants over the past few millennia.

Its this very history that gives Antonino a sense of solid ground allowing him to think and focus on the future, which ever since he was a child has centred around his lifes passion the Moon.

I think the moon is one of the most precious things that we have. And I want to help humanity to continue benefiting from it.

When weighing up his career prospects as a high school graduate, he considered hard science and astrophysics, but ultimately chose law while continuing to keep an eye on the sky.

When I started law, I continued to look at the sky and the moon but as a passion.

Although space law is little known in Italy, much less his home region of bella Sicilia, Antonino has been able to carve out a niche for himself in a profession thats really starting to gear up.

Although now devoted to the topic, a specialisation in space wasnt always such a clear path. At one point during his studies Antonio became disillusioned with law, but this all changed when he heard Elon Musk talking about establishing a colony on Mars which inspired him to to combine his legal training with his passion for the sky.

Its from this experience that he has developed sage advice for young people attempting to forge a path in the industry.

My advice would be to not to give up, not to settle down on on something that is not really connecting with you.

Dont to fixate yourself [too much] on something. It could be an opinion, a professional path, it could be anything. Dont be fixated life is change, life changes continuously and there is no shame in changing an opinion or in changing a position.

Can nations establish a consensus on Lunar activities?

Space agencies and private space enterprise are inching towards establishing the Moon as an outpost of humanity, but for a celestial object thats almost 400,000 kilometres away, there are plenty of yellow legal pads to fill and red tape to draw before a consensus on lunar operations is reached.

Given political tensions, getting nations to agree on how the Moon is run could be easier said than done, but Antonino firmly believes its too important an asset to waste on political tensions.

However, he isnt naive in thinking a transition to a Moon economy wont be without its hurdles, instead believing a general consensus should be achieved as a jumping off point.

It doesnt mean that we wont have competition on the Moon. It doesnt mean there wont be different interests maybe sometimes even tensions. But that is a completely different mindset when you move from the same starting point, right.

So this is my way forward: agreeing together on a solid document where we commit to the main things that we can do now in order to allow for a sort of solid base to evolve the rules in the future, once we know more about them this is what we call adaptive governance.

No Moon is an island why international cooperation is fundamental

When talking about Lunar colonisation, its impossible not to conjure up images of the most powerful nations carving up the place and snatching prime real estate.

Although Antonino hopes the Moon will be shared space, he believes that for it to operate safely, its imperative that space law establishes a right of way system.

This system, known as Lunar safety zones, are less about creating borders and divisions and more about ensuring safe operation in space, which will always be an inherently hostile place for humankind to operate in.

People who are not familiar with space law and lunar governance understand exclusionary zones as a sort of priority area where you that put the fence and nobody can enter. Thats not the purpose of a safety zone.

Safety zones are simply areas that say: Okay, Im operating here, up to certain amount of kilometres, I can damage you if you go in, and you can damage me if you dont tell me. So please, notify me when youre getting in so we can coordinate that you can pass through the safety zone without creating damage to me, or getting damaged yourself.

It remains to be seen how well nations will work together on a legal framework for the Moon and in the establishment of safety zones, however when we consider just how impractical and difficult it is to do anything on the Moon, it suddenly seems far more likely that disparate powers will work more cooperatively up there than they do anywhere on Earth.

Its a very hostile environment, its super costly to go to the Moon, its difficult to survive the lunar nights, there are no resources that we can immediately use for building a huge base. And, if we start messing with each other, then we will never do anything there.

Because its not like Earth, and it is different. I want to insist on that legally, politically, technically, its very different and the Moon is even more special.

To listen to Antonino Salmeris insights into space law, you can watch the full program here

Space Caf is broadcast live Tuesday at 4 pm CEST. Tosubscribeand get the latest on the space industry from world-leading experts visit click here.

Luisa Lowis a freelance journalist and media adviser from Sydney, Australia. She currently manages Media and Public Relations for the University of Sydneys Faculty of Engineering.

See original here:

Space Caf WebTalk with Antonino Salmeri Recap: From Sicily to the Moon with law - SpaceWatch.Global

Posted in Mars Colony | Comments Off on Space Caf WebTalk with Antonino Salmeri Recap: From Sicily to the Moon with law – SpaceWatch.Global

BIOTA Receives A Brand New Gameplay Trailer – Bleeding Cool News

Posted: at 7:52 am

|

Retrovibe and developer Small Bros. released a brand new gameplay trailer today for their upcoming 2n Metrovania title, B.I.O.T.A. We haven't heard much on this one since we last chatted about it, as the game gives us some major throwback vibes to the original Game Boy, but we've been looking forward to seeing something new! In case you're not familiar with the game, you'll take control of a commando unit sent to investigate a mining colony that stopped communicating with the powers that be. You'll have to head in and attempt to survive ten completely different environments filled with mutant monsters and deadly traps, all while trying to uncover the truth of what happened. Enjoy the trailer as the game is set to be released sometime this year on PC for Steam and GOG.

It's year 21XX. You command the Gemini 2 team a commando unit made up of tough war veterans commissioned by the V-corp, a mega mining corporation. Your task: shed light on strange events that are happening on Frontier Horizon a small isolated asteroid squeezed in between Mars and Jupiter, and housing a mining station owned by the V-corp. A new biological organism recently found on the surface of the asteroid, known as "the agent" is able to interact with every element of an ecosystem and change it at its will, taking full control of the organisms. Most of the mineworkers have mutated into horrible monsters, and the scientific team who made this discovery has taken refuge in the tunnels below Frontier Horizon. Take control of the Gemini II squad by choosing your favourite hero from 8+ and swapping them as needed during this adventure. Explore the sprawling Gemini complex, now home to hostile alien life forms, a multitude of trap-filled corridors, and use all the tools at your disposal including a bipedal fully-armed mech, offensive submarine and a starfighter class spaceship, among others.

Read the original post:

BIOTA Receives A Brand New Gameplay Trailer - Bleeding Cool News

Posted in Mars Colony | Comments Off on BIOTA Receives A Brand New Gameplay Trailer – Bleeding Cool News

How to Find the Best Real Money Roulette in Las Vegas, Nevada – BestUSCasinos.org

Posted: at 7:50 am

Despite being well over 200 years old, roulette continues to be highly popular in casinos. Case in point, many Las Vegas casinos offer this classic table game. In fact, Sin City offers so many roulette tables that you might not know where to begin.

If youre looking for some help in finding quality Vegas roulette games, then you should definitely read the following guide. It discusses what qualities to look for in a game along with the top Vegas roulette casinos.

The two main aspects that you want to consider in a roulette variation include the odds and stakes. You can see why both of these aspects are important below.

As can be seen, French Roulette provides the best chance of winning. European Roulette comes in second with its 2.70% house edge.

The American wheel, meanwhile, is the worst of the bunch. Unfortunately, its also the most prevalent version in Sin City.

The good news is that Las Vegas offers all three of the roulette games covered above. So, that means you should head straight for the French Roulette tables, right?

If only it were this easy. While some Vegas casinos are willing to offer French rules, they do sell at extremely high stakes. Youll end up wagering as much as $300 per spin in some casinos.

As Ill cover later, you can find a cheap European Roulette game thats the best in the city. Other than this, youll have to play American Roulette for low stakes.

Of course, you might opt for the French game if youre up for betting big. If not, youll need to play either American or European roulette.

Most Vegas casinos are relatively the same when it comes to roulette. They offer American wheels with stakes ranging from $5 to $500.

However, some standard options do exist. The following casinos are worthwhile due to their favorable roulette odds and/or low stakes.

The Plaza offers a special combination of cheap stakes and the European wheel. You can play the European Roulette game here for as little as $10.

As you can imagine, cheap European roulette draws many players. With that said, the lone table can get quite crowded.

Nevertheless, this game is worth checking out if you want a combination of great odds and a low minimum bet. If you get particularly hot and feel like upping the ante, you can bet as much as $1,000 per spin.

Like Plaza, the Cromwell also offers European roulette. The difference, though, is that you must bet at least $25 to play here.

$25 may not sound like very cheap stakes. However, the Cromwells European game is actually the second cheapest in Vegas.

Treasure Island Hotel & Casino is the only casino that provides French Roulette with under a $100 minimum wager. You can enjoy the highest-paying variation for $50 a spin.

Of course, $50 a spin isnt cheapeven when concerning French Roulette. Nevertheless, its the most reasonable French table in town.

Club Fortune doesnt offer the European or French variation. What it does have, though, is the cheapest roulette stakes in town.

This casino features an American table with $2 stakes. That said, you can play for next to nothing here.

Youve now seen which casinos are the best in terms of roulette. If youre looking for any additional advice for playing in Vegas, the following tips should help.

You cant do any better than the Plazas roulette game. It offers the best of both worlds with a 2.70% house edge and $1 minimum bet.

Simply put, you can play almost as cheaply as you would on an American wheel. The kicker, though, is that your odds of winning are twice as good.

You might also consider the Cromwells $25 European Roulette game. The stakes are five times as high as Plazas game, but at least theyre not totally in high-roller territory.

French Roulette will always give you the best chance to win on a per-dollar basis. After all, it features the lowest house edge at 1.35%.

However, its not the best option if youre a low-stakes player. The cheapest you can play this game is $50 at Treasure Island.

The only reason why you should consider playing French Roulette is if youre a high roller. This way, you can enjoy the best odds at the wagers youd be placing anyways.

Other than this instance, though, you should stick with either American or European roulette. Your theoretical losses will be lower with these games despite the inferior odds.

American Roulette is no doubt the worst game among the three covered so far. However, its still not that bad on the $5 tables.

Heres a comparison on theoretical losses between low-stakes American Roulette and high-stakes French Roulette:

French

American

Triple Zero Roulette is one Vegas game that hasnt been discussed yet. It features 39 pockets, including a single, double, and triple zero.

This game seems interesting from the perspective that it gives you a new way to play. However, its awful with regard to the house edge.

Triple zero roulette features a 7.69% house advantage (3/39). This is actually one of the worst house edges in all of Las Vegas.

When you visit Las Vegas, youre likely looking to do more than just play roulette. You should have a separate budget for casino games and entertainment.

If you have $2,000 in free money for the trip, then you might want to put $600 of this amount solely towards gambling.

You can then put the other $1,400 towards entertainment, food, and any other expenses. Separating your funds like this ensures that you wont blow everything during a bad night of roulette.

The Plaza is king when it comes to Vegas roulette. This casino features European Roulette at just $5 stakes.

The Cromwell also offers European Roulette at fairly reasonable stakes. You can play the game here for $25 per spin.

Treasure Island is the best with regard to French Roulette. It offers the cheapest French stakes at $50 per round.

You can find $5 American tables all over the town. As covered before, your theoretical losses wont be too bad with low-stakes American Roulette.

Assuming youre hoping to play as cheaply as possible, then El Cortez and Club Fortune should be on your radar. Both casinos offer American stakes as low as $2.

View original post here:

How to Find the Best Real Money Roulette in Las Vegas, Nevada - BestUSCasinos.org

Posted in Roulette | Comments Off on How to Find the Best Real Money Roulette in Las Vegas, Nevada – BestUSCasinos.org

Cheese Curds: When playing roster roulette, its a good idea to bet on Henry Black – Acme Packing Company

Posted: at 7:50 am

If you talk to an NFL coach about a young player coming off their rookie season, they will often mention the year two jump.

Thats the hopeful increase in performance as well as the decrease in the speed of the NFL game for them after whats usually an up-and-down first season.

For Green Bay Packers safety Henry Black, he could be in for such a sophomore season. After a forced fumble that all but sealed the game against the Houston Texans, Black was eventually added to the active roster from the practice squad in December.

He enters year two looking to become a solid backup behind Adrian Amos and Darnell Savage and much like receiver Amari Rodgers, Black will have a former Packer in his corner (except in Rodgers case the former part became current when the Packers traded for Randall Cobb).

That Packer for Black is Tramon Williams, who Black worked out with when he was in high school in 2013 and kept in contact with since. They actually got to be teammates when Williams returned to Green Bay one last time before the NFC Championship last season.

With Williams now retired, its up to Black to maintain that legacy and would anyone really get against him at this point?

Safety Henry Black impresses Packers with his maturity: Hes beyond his yearsPackersNews.com (subscription)

Coming in as a rookie and already being described as professional is high praise and a lesson Black learned from Williams all those years ago. Dont be surprised if that leads to a long NFL career for Black even if its not in Green Bay.

Five things learned at Packers training camp Aug. 12Packers.com

The Packers saw a lot of players return to practice yesterday ahead of tomorrows preseason opener. It will give them ample opportunity to see as many people on the 90-man roster (entrenched starters excluded of course) as possible.

Packers TE Josiah Deguara looks fantastic in return to practicePackers Wire

Deguara was an interesting pick when he was selected in 2020 but his rookie season was derailed by injury. He looks to be a classic H-back and how Matt LaFleur utilizes him is something to watch this preseason.

You guys know hes younger than me, right?: Matt LaFleur and Arthur Smith exchange playful jabsESPN

I love a good beef between coaches, even when its just playful. For his part, LaFleur owned the younger Falcons coach with a crack at Smiths hair color after LaFleur was accused of spending too much time in front of a mirror.

Bank Robbery In England Goes Awry Because Of Some Bad HandwritingHuffington Post

Dont let anyone tell you otherwise: penmanship is important. Just dont use it to rob a bank.

Read the original post:

Cheese Curds: When playing roster roulette, its a good idea to bet on Henry Black - Acme Packing Company

Posted in Roulette | Comments Off on Cheese Curds: When playing roster roulette, its a good idea to bet on Henry Black – Acme Packing Company

Covid testing: the great new game of holiday roulette – The Week UK

Posted: at 7:50 am

Like many people, Ive spent a lot of this year playing the great new game of holiday roulette, said Rachel Cooke in The Guardian. It began in January when a group of us gambled on booking a house in rural France. Our bet appeared to pay off last week when France was put back on the amber list, meaning that fully vaccinated Britons can visit the country without having to quarantine on their return. But my friends and I are now caught up in another game: negotiating our way through the confusing rules on Covid tests.

Its a complex business, said Janet Street-Porter in The Independent. For most purposes, cheap lateral flow tests are deemed sufficient. But even fully vaccinated people have to take more expensive PCR tests two days after returning to the UK from amber and green countries (and those returning from Spain now need to have a pre-flight PCR test as well). Is the Prime Ministers long-term plan to make foreign holidays so unattractive that we give up, stay at home and spend our cash in UK PLC, propping up Rishis sagging coffers?

The testing regime is certainly chaotic, said Charlotte Lytton in The Daily Telegraph. The Governments website features a list of hundreds of private PCR test providers charging wildly different rates: on one day last week, the prices ranged from 23.99 to 575 for the same test.

Tales abound of people ordering home testing kits that never arrive, or of booking virtual appointments that dont happen. Many others have been sent result certificates that are either riddled with errors or too late to stop people with Covid from spreading it, or to catch flights. Tests returned by travellers after their trips were recently pictured piling up and spilling out onto the street at drop-off points belonging to the operator Randox.

Ministers have justified their insistence on PCR tests on the basis that these more sophisticated tests involve gene sequencing that can help identify troubling new variants from abroad, said the Daily Mail. But that argument has been blown out of the water by the recent revelation that only 5% of the tests are actually being sent for analysis.

Its good that the Government has partially simplified the travel system by scrapping the amber-plus list and that it ditched the idea of a new amber watch category but it now needs to go further. At the very least, PCR tests should be price-capped and made VAT-free. It would be better, though, to make lateral flow tests the norm, at least for double-jabbed travellers. Best of all would be to follow the lead of France and the other European nations that now allow fully vaccinated arrivals to enter their country without proof of a negative test of any sort.

Here is the original post:

Covid testing: the great new game of holiday roulette - The Week UK

Posted in Roulette | Comments Off on Covid testing: the great new game of holiday roulette – The Week UK

Coloradans Getting Third Dose Of COVID Vaccine Say They Feel More Protected Than Ever – CBS Denver

Posted: at 7:50 am

LOVELAND, Colo. (CBS4) Some of the first Coloradans to get a third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine say they feel more protected than ever before from the deadly virus. Coloradans who are immunocompromised have been granted permission to get a third dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines in order to increase the efficacy of the vaccines. Those considered healthy have not been granted authorization for so-called booster shots as of the posting of this article.

I have absolutely gotten the COVID vaccine. My first, my second and now my third, said Betsy Craig, a Northern Colorado resident living with Scleroderma.

Craig was diagnosed in 2005 with Scleroderma and was only given 18 months to survive. However, a stem cell transplant helped her regain longevity and a mostly normal lifestyle.

However, viruses ranging from the common flu to COVID-19 pose a real threat to her life.

Because of her weakened immune system, Craigs two doses of vaccine did not give her the roughly 95% efficacy which most vaccinated people with two doses have. So, the CDC and FDA approved people like Craig to receive a third dose of either the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine to increase their protection.

I called the third dose liquid gold, because to me it is. It is the closest thing to protection to keep me breathing, Craig told CBS4s Dillon Thomas.

Dr. Thomas Campbell, Chief Clinical Research Officer for UCHealth, said the vaccines are effective but will need boosters over time.

The primary series we currently do of two doses doesnt work well enough, Campbell said.

Campbell said, once approved by the FDA, vaccinated Americans will likely need to receive routine booster shots to continue to maintain high rates of immunity.

The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines can protect people up to 96%. Compared to the annual flu shot, which only protects people about 50% of the time from the flu, the vaccines are incredibly effective.

However, like other vaccines, they can lose strength over time. Tetanus shots need boosting every 10 years, while flu shots often need to be boosted every year.

Preliminary research shows the COVID-19 Pfizer and Moderna vaccines will likely need boosters every eight months.

Campbell said, currently, only the immunocompromised need their third doses of the vaccines.

Those individuals never achieve adequate immunity with just two doses. They need a third dose just to get to adequate immunity, Campbell said. That is in contrast to people who are otherwise healthy, they respond well to the two-dose series. But, we know from immerging data, the protection wains over time. This doesnt mean the vaccine doesnt work. It just means that it can work better if we give it a third dose.

When getting a third dose of vaccine Coloradans will not have to return to the place they received their initial doses. Experts say there wont be an issue with availability due to demand as we saw when the vaccines first surfaced.

Also, while highly recommended, it isnt required for people to get the same type of vaccine they did for the first two. Campbell said Pfizer and Moderna can be mixed over time if absolutely necessary.

While the FDA works on rolling out booster shots for regularly healthy people, Craig said she is thrilled to have more protection from the virus.

(Forgoing the third dose) is Russian roulette, and I am just not willing to play Russian roulette if I dont have to. It is just relief that I am not going to die if I get sick, Craig said.

Here is the original post:

Coloradans Getting Third Dose Of COVID Vaccine Say They Feel More Protected Than Ever - CBS Denver

Posted in Roulette | Comments Off on Coloradans Getting Third Dose Of COVID Vaccine Say They Feel More Protected Than Ever – CBS Denver

Best Casino Apps That Pay Real Money | Top 10 Apps 2021 – Basketball Insiders

Posted: at 7:50 am

Want to play casino games like slots, blackjack, and roulette right from your smartphone? Mobile casino apps not only make it easy to play your favorite games, but they also pay out real winnings just like an in-person casino.

In this guide, well review the 10 best casino apps that pay real money for 2021 read on to learn more!

Weve tried out dozens of online casino apps to find the 10 best casino apps that pay real money for 2021:

To help you figure out which real money casino apps are right for you, weve put together detailed reviews of our top 5 picks.

Las Atlantis is our overall favorite casino app for 2021. This app offers more than 200 slot games along with dozens of table games from industry-leading software provider Real Time Gaming. Youll find several blackjack tables, video poker, roulette, and more. Just note that Las Atlantis isnt a live online casino.

A big part of what makes the Las Atlantis app stand out is its friendly user interface. The app is simple to use and you can find games by scrolling or filtering by type. Betting with your finger is seamless whether youre on an iPhone or Android device, and all of Las Atlantiss games are available on mobile.

Another plus to Las Atlantis is its generous welcome bonus. The casino will give you a 280% bonus on top of your first deposit up to $14,000. Las Atlantis accepts credit cards, Bitcoin, and PayID, so its easy to make a deposit however you want and claim the full bonus.

Pros:

Cons:

Wild Casino is another one of the best casino apps that pay real money in 2021, on top of being one of the best online roulette casinos, this app offers 210 slot games from developers like Betsoft and Nucleus Gaming. Since Nucleus in particular is less widely used than other gaming software companies, youll find a wide range of games at Wild Casino that arent available anywhere else.

Another thing we like about Wild Casino is that it offers 8 different live dealer games. You can connect with a dealer straight from your smartphone to play blackjack, roulette, and baccarat. We enjoyed the high-definition stream and the fact that you could easily chat with the dealer from your mobile device.

Wild Casino offers a welcome bonus worth up to $1,000 with a 250% match on your first deposit. You can also stretch your money further when you make a deposit with Bitcoin the casino offers a 5% bonus for reloads.

Pros:

Cons:

Besides the fact that it offers a lucrative real money casino welcome bonus worth up to $4,000, Planet 7 is also a unique casino that features a full suite of options from RTG. This casino sticks to a simple table layout across the board, enabling an easy and effective gambling experience, and it enables users to play on over 210 slot games too, many of which are not available anywhere else.

The Planet 7 app is easy to use and navigate but does suffer from a lack of table games there are just three variations of blackjack and a poker table. That said, once youre in a game, we think the simplified experience of placing bets and choosing lines in slot games is plenty of fun and will appeal to many.

Offering a 200% welcome bonus, as well as a 250% casino match bonus, plus a variety of free spins and special weekly bonuses for patrons, we feel that this is an online casino app thats well worth paying attention to.

Pros:

Cons:

Raging Bull Casino is one of the best online casinos in the US, and for good reason. The platform offers more than 200 games and releases new slots and promotions every month. There are no live dealer tables available, but you can play table games like blackjack, roulette, and baccarat.

Raging Bull stands out for its generous welcome bonus. New players can receive up to $2,500 with a 350% deposit match one of the best deposit match offers weve seen. Plus, you get 50 free spins on a featured slot game to help you start playing without risking any money.

The Raging Bull Casino mobile app is extremely well-designed. Its easy to find specific games or browse the whole library. You can also access 24/7 support from inside the app or refill your account balance on the go.

Pros:

Cons:

Ignition Casino is one of the best casino apps that pay real money for poker players. The casino has qualifier tournaments every day of the year, plus monthly tournaments with over $8 million in payouts. Plus, you can choose between different types of poker tournaments like knockout tournaments and sit & go tournaments.

Playing with the Ignition mobile app is seamless. You can easily choose your bet with a few taps, plus communicate with other players using the built-in chat. If poker isnt your thing, its easy to navigate through the lobby to find hundreds of slot games, table games, or live dealer tables.

Ignition offers a variable welcome bonus to new players that depends on whether you make a deposit with Bitcoin or with a credit card. For Bitcoin deposits, you get a 150% deposit match up to $1,500 for poker and $1,500 for casino games. For credit card deposits, the deposit match falls to 100% up to $1,000 for each type of game.

Pros:

Cons:

Now that youve read more about the best casino apps that pay real money, how do you decide which one is right for you? Weve put together a table comparing the top free casino apps to help you choose:

Its also worth understanding how we chose the 10 best casino apps for 2021. In this section, well cover the most important factors we consider when evaluating casino game apps and that youll want to think about when choosing which casino is best for you.

Range of real money casino games

The first thing we look at when evaluating iPhone and Android casino apps is what games they offer. Nearly every casino app offers slot games, but the number of slots on offer can range from a few dozen to hundreds. If you like to play slots, its worth finding a casino app like Planet 7 or Red Dog that offers a variety of classic, video, and jackpot slots.

Its also worth looking at what other casino games are available. Casino apps Wild Casino like offer live dealer games for blackjack and roulette, while apps like Ignition specialize in poker tournaments. Bingo, another popular casino game, is only available on select casino apps like Las Atlantis.

Software

Behind every great casino app is a great gaming software provider. Software providers are responsible for creating the in-game experience on your mobile device, ensuring dice rolls and deals are random, and developing new games to make the casino experience even better.

Many of the best casino apps use Real Time Gaming as their exclusive software provider. RTG is widely regarded as one of the leading software providers in the industry, so you cant go wrong with an app that relies on this provider. On the other hand, casino apps like Wild Casino and Planet 7 that use alternative software providers can have unique games you wont find elsewhere.

Bonus offers & promotions

Many of the best casino apps offer welcome bonuses to attract new players and ongoing promotions to reward you for playing.

There are several different types of welcome bonuses available, but the most common is a deposit match bonus. When you make a deposit, the casino will match or even exceed your deposit to boost your account balance. Just keep in mind that youll need to meet a wagering requirement before you can withdraw the bonus money. We think Raging Bull Casino has the best welcome bonus for 2021 you get a 350% deposit match up to $2,500, plus 50 free spins on a featured slot game.

Ongoing promotions can give you a boost when you reload your account or encourage you to try out new games. For example, Wild Casino always offers a 5% boost when you use Bitcoin to reload your account. At Planet 7theres a weekly giveaway so you can earn free plays.

Mobile app experience

The mobile app experience is another key consideration when choosing the best real money casino apps. Most modern online casino games are designed to be mobile-friendly, so you should have no trouble placing bets or navigating inside a game.

However, its important to check the lobby to see whether its simple to find the games you want. If an app offers live dealer tables, youll also want to try those out to see whether communication with the dealer is seamless.

Range of payout methods

Its also worth looking at what payment methods top mobile casino apps offer for deposits and withdrawals. Many casinos, including Las Atlantis and Red Dog, accept credit cards and electronic wallets like PayID or Neosurf. You can also pay with Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies, and some casinos even offer boosted welcome bonuses when you do.

Withdrawal times

One thing to keep in mind is that not all casinos offer the same payout limits or speeds. If you want to be able to get your money quickly, look for apps like Wild Casino that offer payments in under 48 hours.

Rewards program

Some casino apps like Raging Bull reward loyal players with a VIP program. These programs can vary between apps, but generally they offer perks like weekly promotions, loss insurance, or even discounts when you visit casinos in Las Vegas. VIPs can also be invited to exclusive tournaments or receive gifts for playing.

Security

One often overlooked aspect of Android and iPhone casino apps is security. Since your account has access to your money, its essential that it stays accessible only to you. All of the casino apps we reviewed use encryption and other security measures to protect your account and payment information. They also verify your identity to ensure that youre the real owner of your account when you go to withdraw funds.

Wondering why you should choose the best mobile casino apps over playing on your desktop? There are a few reasons why casino game apps are so popular among players.

The most important reason to play casino games on your phone is that it enables you to take them anywhere. If you want to play blackjack during your commute, for example, you can. If you want to try your luck at slots while waiting in line at the grocery store, the best casino apps that pay real money let you do that, too.

The ability to play casino games from anywhere with your smartphone is a huge advantage that cant be underestimated. Where in the past you had to travel to a casino or sit at your desktop to play, its now possible to game anytime you want.

Another thing thats great about free casino apps is that they are packed with mobile-optimized games. Most modern online slots and table games are actually built for mobile devices first and desktop computers second. So, youre getting the full experience on your smartphone, when you might only get a partial experience on a desktop computer.

Of course, this isnt true for all games many older slots were designed for desktop computers and then updated for mobile devices later. In general, though, youll have a more complete and seamless experience playing casino games on your phone than you will on your computer

The best casino apps also come with special promotions that you wont get when playing on a desktop. Many casinos offer better welcome or reload bonuses when you make a deposit through the app as opposed to online. Alternatively, if you turn on push notifications, you can receive alerts with exclusive promotions, free spins, and more.

You can play all the same games youd find at a Las Vegas casino through the best casino apps.

The first thing youll find at free casino apps for iPhone and Android are slot games lots of them. Casino apps like Las Atlantis have over 200 classic, video, and progressive jackpot slots. Some apps also offer featured slots so you can play for free or qualify for slot tournaments.

Blackjack is a favorite among many casino-goers, so its no surprise that you can find many different versions of this classic game on the top casino apps. If you want to play blackjack, be sure to check what the minimum bet is at different apps and whether both single-deck and multi-deck games are available.

Youll also find roulette both American and European style at all of the top real money casino apps.

One exciting development in casino apps has been the emergence of live dealer tables for blackjack, roulette, baccarat, and other popular table games. When you join a live dealer table, youre connected with a real dealer, so the experience is incredibly close to actually being in Las Vegas. You can communicate with the dealer and other players, too.

We think Wild Casino and Ignition Casino are the best choices for live dealer games. These apps offer a wide range of tables, so youre sure to find a game that suits you.

The best casino apps that pay real money all offer welcome bonuses for new players. So, what are these bonus offers and how do they work?

The first thing to understand is that there are different types of bonus offers available. The most common bonus is a deposit match bonus, in which you make a deposit to your new casino app account and the casino matches or exceeds it. In fact, all of the free casino apps for Android and iPhone that we reviewed offer deposit match bonuses.

Another common type of bonus offer is free spins. With free spins, you can play slot games for free without betting any money and the winnings are yours to keep. Youll find free spin bonuses at Raging Bull and Red Dog casinos.

Finally, no-deposit bonuses dont require you to make a deposit at all. Simply create an account and the casino app will give you money to start playing with.

One thing thats important to keep in mind is that not all bonuses can be used on all games. In addition, bonus offers typically come with a wager requirement you have to wager a certain amount of money relative to the bonus itself before you can withdraw the bonus funds.

Weve put together the table below to help you compare bonus offers at the 10 best casino apps that pay real money.

Real money casino apps offer a wide range of payment methods for deposits and withdrawals. To start, virtually every major casino app accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards and debit cards. Most also accept Discover and American Express cards.

You can also pay with cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. Wild Casino accepts 7 different digital currencies, among them Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum, Litecoin, and Stellar.

Finally, a growing number of mobile casino apps accept electronic wallets like Neteller, Skrill, and EcoPayz. Las Atlantis and Red Dog both accept PayID and Neosurf.

Mobile casino apps are legal in some states, but not others. As of 2021, the following states have legalized mobile casino gambling:

In these states, the only legal mobile casino apps are those that hold a gaming license from the state. So, your options are mostly limited to casino apps run by existing physical casinos in each state.

As you can see, the vast majority of states have not legalized mobile casino gambling. That doesnt mean you cant play, however. Offshore casinos with mobile apps cater to US players and are outside the bounds of state regulations. Depending on the state, these offshore casino apps may or may not be strictly legal but enforcement is extremely lax across the country.

Offshore casino apps offer the same range of games as US casinos, and many are regulated by gaming commissions in Europe or Caribbean countries. So, while they may not be licensed within the US, theyre still considered very trustworthy.

Ensuring that you choose a secure casino app is extremely important. After all, youre entering your payment information and trusting that the funds you have in your account are safe.

The good news is that all of the best casino apps have strong security measures in place to keep your money safe. They use encryption to ensure no one but you can access your account, and thats on top of the security measures you already have on your Android or iPhone device. In addition, most casinos offer 24/7 customer support so you can get help right away if you notice something unusual about your account.

The best casino apps make it easy to play slots, blackjack, roulette, and poker from anywhere in the world. These apps are free to download and offer generous welcome bonuses to help you start playing your favorite games with little risk.

Ready to start playing with the best casino apps that pay real money? Download Las Atlantis today and claim a welcome bonus of up to $14,000!

What casino apps pay real money?

The best casino apps that pay real money are Las Atlantis, Wild Casino, and Planet 7. You can also find dozens of other mobile casino apps that pay real money to winners.

Can you really win money on casino apps?

Yes, you can win real money playing slots, blackjack, poker, and more on mobile casino apps. These apps are run by real casinos and you can withdraw your winnings at any time.

What are the best casino apps?

Based on our analysis, the best casino apps are Las Atlantis, Wild Casino, and Planet 7. All 3 casino apps let you win real money and offer welcome bonuses to help you start playing.

What casino games are available on Android?

The best free casino apps for Android let you play slots, blackjack, roulette, video poker, baccarat, keno, and more. Some apps like Wild Casino also have live dealer blackjack and roulette games.

What casino games can I play on my iPhone?

You can play popular casino games like slots, poker, roulette, and blackjack with free casino apps for iPhone.

See original here:

Best Casino Apps That Pay Real Money | Top 10 Apps 2021 - Basketball Insiders

Posted in Roulette | Comments Off on Best Casino Apps That Pay Real Money | Top 10 Apps 2021 – Basketball Insiders