Daily Archives: June 11, 2021

Blackjack is one of the most famous games in the casino. Common in both online and land-based gambling venues, the popular Twenty-One is easily accessible.

The short answer to the question, Why is blackjack so popular is because its simple and fun. As for the longer answer, we will display it in the following article about the popular casino game.

Here are the five reasons why blackjack is so popular.

The first reason why blackjack is so fun is the low house advance often below 1%. In other words, you as the player have a phenomenal 99%+ return provided a good blackjack strategy. But overall, the average house edge is around 0.5%.

The perfect basic strategy is the best way to win at blackjack. In fact, there are charts available online for you to learn and use. As long s you stick to the basic strategy, you should be benefiting from the low house edge in blackjack. In short, the smartest way to play this French card game is to listen to the masters who came up with the best blackjack strategy.

The rules of blackjack are straightforward you get your cards and decide what happens next. You can either Hit or Stand, meaning ask for another card or keep your hand as it is. The universal rules also accept Split and even Double Down as options. Essentially, that is the point of blackjack. The ultimate goal is to get as close to 21 as possible without busting. To bust or go bust means to have a hand that exceeds 21.

While we maintain that blackjack is easy to learn, we must say that it can be hard to master. As an intrinsically game of skills, blackjack requires a bit of thinking to be really successful. Strategies such as advantage gambling and counting cards are popular terms in the industry. But if you are just getting started, we would recommend learning the basics first and nailing that perfect strategy.

Expert sites such as Blackjack Gala offer free blackjack tutorials and guides for beginners and experienced players alike. On this site specialising in the common casino game, punters can read game reviews and find the perfect variant. Also, casino reviews are also at your disposal if you dont know where to play blackjack yet.

Standard blackjack has a 3:2 payout, which is always displayed on the table. This is a great return on its own, but what makes it special is that the player wins regardless of what else is going on at the table. Let us explain.

In other card games, such as poker, each participants fate depends on the other players. In contrast, hitting a natural in blackjack (i.e. 21) results in an automatic win. In laymans terms, if the sum of the cards in your hand is 21, you win.

Additionally, blackjack is fairly affordable, especially in online casinos. The minimum bet in online blackjack goes as low as 1, even in live blackjack variations. So, not only does this card game provide massive wins, but it is also wallet-friendly. As long as you gamble responsibly, your bankroll will be intact.

Blackjack arguably originates from 17th-century France, where they called it Vingt-Un. It was originally invented as a form of socialisation that brought people together. Boasting the same simple rules that it has today, the game became an instant hit. Now, centuries later, blackjack is just as popular.

In modern online casinos, live dealer blackjack is available, allowing you the ultimate comfort of gambling from home. Through the live chat facility, players may talk to each other, and even address the dealer. The real croupier sees your message on the screen in front of them and replies instantly.

Where can you play live blackjack? Luckily, there are dozens of legit online casinos with live blackjack in the portfolio. We suggest checking out the Blackjack Gala website for reliable casino reviews.

Finally, even though it is possible to make blackjack social, the game is in its essence quite individualistic. If we ignore the Majority Rules variant for a second, the game can be seen as a one-man show.

Each player at the table receives his or her own cards, creating a unique hand. Therefore, each punter has to make their own decision. You have your destiny in your hands when playing blackjack, which is why the game is so popular.

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Why Is Blackjack So Popular? | The Rockland County Times - Rockland County Times

ST JOHNS, Antigua--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Its winner winner chicken dinner at Intertops Poker this week with players being given the chance to play for their share of a massive $2,000 jackpot when they hit certain win combinations when playing any blackjack game.

Taking part is simple; just head to the Intertops Poker Casino, open any Blackjack game including Blackjack 21, Double Draw and Perfect Pair and start playing. If players hit one of the specific win combinations, they are awarded a prize.

The win combinations and prizes are as follows:

Spades Blackjack - $5Hearts Blackjack - $5Diamonds Blackjack - $5Clubs Blackjack - $5Small Suite 21 - $10Big Suite 21 - $25Suited Big Suite 21 - $100

The Blackjack Jackpot runs from today until Sunday (13 May) and all prizes are subject to a x15 wagering requirement before they can be withdrawn as cash.

The big prize pots dont stop there; the Intertops June Slot Tournament is giving players the chance to compete for their share of another $2,000 prize pot. Again, the premise is simple play one of four featured slot games, earn points for every spin you make and climb the leaderboard.

Qualifying games include Gears of Time, Book of Darkness, Faerie Spells and Charms and Clovers. Come the end of the tournament on Monday (14 June) prizes will be paid out to the top 16 players with first place receiving $400, second place receiving $300 and third place receiving $230.

If this sounds like the sort of big win action you are looking for but you are not a member of Intertops Poker and Casino, we have just one question why not? We even welcome new players with an incredibly generous sign-up bonus.

The Intertops Poker and Casino Welcome Bonus offers a 200% deposit match up to $1,000 plus 25 Casino Spins which can be activated with the code 10000ITP. There is a $25 minimum deposit applied to the bonus and it is only available on your first deposit at the casino.

ENDS

Editors notes:

About Intertops Poker:

Intertops Poker is one of the most established online poker operators, and has been live for more than two decades. Its poker games and tables can be accessed via Instant Play, or by downloading its desktop client. The site has recently undergone a major redesign, and is fully optimised for mobile.

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Hit the Blackjack Jackpot at Intertops Poker This Week - Business Wire

MELBOURNE, Australia--(BUSINESS WIRE)--If you love the excitement and thrill of racing to the top of the tournament leaderboard when playing your favourite online pokies then Juicy Stakes Casino & Poker is definitely the place to be.

The hugely popular online casino is running its June Slot Tournament where players earn points for every spin they play on qualifying Betsoft pokies including Gears of Time, Book of Darkness, Faerie Spells and Charms and Clovers.

The tournament runs from today until Monday (14 June) with the top 16 players come the end of the race sharing a $2,000 prize pot. First place takes home $400, second place $300 and third place $230 with the rest of the pot split down to 16th spot.

The monster prize pots dont stop there from today until Sunday (13 June) you can also take part in the Juicy Stakes Blackjack Jackpot promotion. All you need to do is hit certain win combinations when playing any blackjack game to be in with the chance of winning extra cash.

Here is a breakdown of the win combinations and the prizes awarded for each.

Spades Blackjack - $5

Hearts Blackjack - $5

Diamonds Blackjack - $5

Clubs Blackjack - $5

Small Suite 21 - $10

Big Suite 21 - $25

Suited Big Suite 21 - $100

The offers dont stop there from today until Sunday (13 June) we are also running a Casino Slot Spins Special where you can unlock up to 110 free spins on two of the hottest Nucleus Gaming slots, Dragon Watch and The Golden Inn.

This is how it works:

Deposit $25 and receive 40 free spins on Dragon Watch with the code DRAGON40

Deposit $50 and receive 70 free spins on The Golden Inn with the code BAR70

Free spins are added to your account 24-48 hours after making the deposit or you can contact customer support casinohost@juicytskaes.com and the team will add them to your account instantly. You can claim both codes but each code only once.

ENDS

Editors notes:

About Juicy Stakes Casino:

Juicy Stakes offers online poker and online casino games to players all over the world. Known for its generous player rewards program, the online poker room is one of the most popular sites on the Horizon Poker Network and the online casino features games from WorldMatch, Betsoft and Lucktap.

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Race to the top of the leaderboard at Juicy Stakes Casino - Business Wire

Jim Sturgess didnt like being famous. It was a whole new world to get my head around, the British star of Across the Universe, One Day and Cloud Atlas says. I didnt know how the industry worked. I didnt know how to play the game. It really freaked me out. I didnt enjoy seeing myself on posters on the sides of buses. He remembers attending the Las Vegas premiere in 2008 of 21, a blackjack drama that looked set to propel him onto the Hollywood A-list, and panicking. I was driving down the strip and seeing my face on all these giant billboards. I checked into a hotel and all the blackjack tables had my face on them, and the room key had my face on it it was a lot.

That Sturgess didnt end up becoming a giant celebrity always felt more deliberate than accidental. The 43-year-old has boundless rock-star charisma on screen hes louche, swaggering and handsome, with a beard that wouldnt look out of place in an NME photo spread. Hes great as heartbreakers (romancing Anne Hathaway through time in One Day), hedonists (Electric Slides hippie bank robber) and heretics (in the grisly horror Heartless). A star could have, and probably should have, been born. But while he is loose and funny in conversation over Zoom from his home in London, theres a bit of unspoken discomfort, too in the hovering publicists on the call, the recurring allusions to insecurity and anxiousness, and the black paper hes taped over his laptop camera. I just hate looking at myself while Im talking at the same time, he says. I hate looking at myself anyway.

It might also explain why he feels so at ease in his new TV series, in which a preternaturally gifted 10-year-old actor does most of the heavy lifting. Apple TV+s Home Before Dark is a very modern television hit: its on a relatively new streaming platform you may not realise you had on your computer; its already on its second season, even though youve probably not heard of it; and its low-key in its charm, which is also its subtle superpower.

The Florida Projects Brooklynn Prince stars as a precocious kid detective named Hilde, who moves to a small American town with her journalist dad (Sturgess). In the shows first season, Hilde used her investigative skills mostly inspired by All the Presidents Men, her favourite film to solve a local murder, unravelling a raft of conspiracies in the process. In the shows second season, which launches on 11 June, she tangles with corrupt politicians and those responsible for dumping toxic waste in the towns river. Think of the shows leading lady as Nancy Drew meets Greta Thunberg and youll grasp its unique wavelength.

You have this young girl seeing things so innocently, Sturgess says. Its something kids are able to do, this ability to take out all the noise and all the bulls***, and just go, Okay, what is the truth of this situation? Whats really happened?

Prince is astoundingly good in the show, bringing a level of grit and humanity to Hilde that would be impressive for an adult, let alone a 10-year-old. Her scenes with Sturgess, which are full of humour and tenderness, are among the shows best. He says he is constantly in awe of her ability, along with that of the other child actors who play Hildes friends.

I spend a lot of time with them in a way that I wouldnt normally with younger people, Sturgess says. And I see how brilliant they are, and how professional they are, and how passionate they are. When youre around those guys, you have to be on your A-game. Theyre fast and theyre sharp and I find I just have to keep up with them. And their conversations! They seem switched on in a way that I never was. Theyre young kids with old minds, you know? I feel like theyve been here before.

Amateur detectives: Sturgess and Brooklynn Prince in Home Before Dark'

(Apple TV+)

What was he doing when he was 10? I dont think I thought beyond what I was eating at dinner time, he jokes. I didnt have any concept of thinking about the future at all. Maybe at best I wanted to be a professional football player, you know? Or a fireman or something. He did do a bit of acting as a child, but only in local theatre and drama clubs. He says he struggled in school, finding classroom scenarios difficult to learn in. He liked drama class though, and got his first acting gig when a local theatre auditioned schoolkids for a play.

I got one of the parts and I remember teachers and my parents just being like, ooh, hes focused and connecting with something now, he remembers. He doesnt think hed have been able to hack anything bigger at the time, though. Theres no way you could have got me on camera and able to remember all those lines, and hit my mark and be on set all day. No way on Gods earth would I have been able to focus and concentrate. I still can barely do it now.

Sturgess broke through in acting relatively late. By the time he was cast in Across the Universe at the age of 26, hed graduated from the University of Salford, where hed studied media and performance, and had moved to London to try and make it as a musician. Across the Universe, a jukebox musical soundtracked by The Beatles, allowed all of his passions to coalesce alongside Evan Rachel Wood, he sang and danced and acted and swooned. The film made no money, but it got him noticed. Roles came pouring in.

I got another film very quickly afterwards, which was The Other Boleyn Girl, he remembers. Then almost back-to-back with that I was cast in the movie 21 with Kevin Spacey. It definitely felt like something had shifted. Speaking of Spacey, who since 21 has been accused by multiple men of sexual harassment allegations the actor has denied Sturgess has said before that they didnt get to know each other very well on set. But he also isnt sure that the public is ready for Spaceys forthcoming return to acting in a film in which he plays a sex crime investigator, no less.

Star vehicle: Sturgess and Kevin Spacey in 21'

(Moviestore/Shutterstock)

It does feel like people are not as accepting [now] and arent just gonna turn a blind eye, he says. I think the internet has played a very positive part in that, in encouraging people to speak out and connect with each other and support each other. Whether that really does close some doors [in the industry], Ill have to wait and see, like everybody else. But there are certain people that you just hope never get the opportunity to make a comeback.

21 remains the only time a major American studio movie has rested on Sturgesss shoulders, and it led to a degree of unease about his career afterwards. In the aftermath of its release, he decided to pull back from the kind of superstardom his agents initially had in mind for him. I wish I could do it all over again and enjoy it a little bit more, he admits, but says that, back then, he felt the need to retreat. I turned down some stuff that was a lot bigger and a lot brighter and bolder. Whether that was the right thing or the wrong thing it doesnt matter.

Mean jokes: Sturgess with Anne Hathaway and her Yorkshire accent in One Day'

(Moviestore/Shutterstock)

Hes also open about various films he was in that didnt work at all. Among better-received projects, like Stephen Poliakoffs Close to the Enemy and the Wachowski sisters Cloud Atlas, he was in Geostorm, in which Gerard Butler fought bad weather, and London Fields, the disastrous Martin Amis adaptation that starred Amber Heard and Johnny Depp before they were locked into court battles.

Ive definitely been on film projects where you feel like its going great and youre really excited about how its going to come out, and then you watch the finished product and its a horror show, he jokes. Decision-making on what I work on is something Ive never got good at, you know? Sometimes you make a good choice and sometimes you dont, but thats part of the fun of it. Its a bit like a Russian roulette wheel that you spin every time you engage with [a script].

I wonder if Sturgesss slight resistance to Hollywood might have been impacted by the noise or criticism thats surrounded some of his films. The release of One Day, for instance, was beset by mean jokes about Anne Hathaways truthfully quite reasonable attempt at a Yorkshire accent. It didnt sour mainstream cinema for him, he says, but he did think the criticism was over the top. Im a real stickler for accents, he says. If someone does a bad one, I cant watch the film. But I never felt anything like that while working with Anne at all. I think what happened was that she got a bad rep in America for her bad English accent, because people dont know about a Yorkshire accent in America. Ive had friends in America say its the worst English accent theyve ever heard, but I didnt think it was fair.

Thankfully, it didnt put him off Hollywood altogether. Hes still working there, too just a month ago he filmed a low-budget indie with Katie Holmes that she also wrote and directed. It might not be the career his agents imagined for him more than a decade ago, but hes content. As long as his face gets nowhere near the side of a bus, presumably.

Home Before Dark season two begins Friday 11 June on Apple TV+, with new episodes released weekly

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Jim Sturgess: There are people you hope never make a comeback - The Independent

The world of business and economics isnt short on strategies designed to help one entrepreneur gain a leg up on the other. In a free market, good business is contingent on this level of competition, as it creates more options for consumers, and at better prices.

In the 1980s, game theory, originally developed in the field of mathematics, was applied to the field of economicsand with great success. Since then, game theory has been applied to a diverse range of interests, from entertainment to philosophy, and has even found a large following on the casino floor.

With a background in both probability and applications in sociology, its no surprise that big businesss game theory has found its footing with gamers. Card games like poker, in particular, rely equally on predicting another players hand (or bluff) and crossing that with the probability that a certain card will be drawn.

One key element of game theory is the mixing of strategies. In certain cases, this means a card player randomly chooses what gambit to follow right before starting a game. For many poker players, this may be a difficult adjustment. Just as online poker has grown over the last two decades, so, too, have discussions of accessing strategic advice.

There aresome great books on the topic from which contemporary players can benefit greatly despite the constant evolution of playing styles. One of thefive most popular books on the topiclays out how to become an aggressive player in order to force opponents to make difficult decisions.

For poker enthusiasts whove spent hours reading and perfecting strategies from books likeThe Cadillac of Poker GamesorHarrington on Holdem, swapping tactics willy-nilly may seem unprecedented. Thats because its not a gaming tactic, but an economic strategy thats slowly begun to influence other probability-driven fieldspoker and blackjack included.

Key Tenants of Game Theory

For those who havent attended business school, game theory is a way of making predictions within social situations with various players involved. The theoretical framework was created by mathematicians back in the 1940s, who were working with probabilities and wanted to apply them to human strategy.

More specifically, game theory sought to define the decisions that drove competitors in relation to one another. Game theory can be applied across a wide range of fields, from economics to sociology to business. At its most basic, game theory explores how humans act in relation to one another when theres something at stakei.e. winning the game.

So far, the most developed theoretical frameworks have been applied to global economics. However, game theory has also proved highly popular with poker players and, in some cases, blackjack players.

Adapting the Theory for Card Games

The intersection between game theory and poker isnt new. Back in 1944, one of the contributors to game theory, Jon von Neumann, immediately applied the theory to the card game. However, the framework took decades longer to pick up steam with poker enthusiasts.

Not only were the old guard of players more reliant on tricks like table talk and body language to gauge opponents, but they also had limited exposure to hard probabilities. In the early 2000s, poker players developed a specific Game Theory Optimal set of strategies taken directly from Neumanns game theory.

The idea was to create an incorruptible strategy that other players couldnt exploit. As mentioned above, works like The Cadillac of Poker Games and Harrington on Holdem compile the most cutting-edge strategies in the industry. Game theory looked to refine the approach to these strategies by incorporating hard sets of data from tournament play.

For example, players can tally data on remaining rounds of play, stack sizes, community cards, and possible cards each player might have in a given tournament. They can then crunch this data in a computer program that provides handy information on recommended bet increases, which hands will be most efficient for a win, and so on.

Game theory hasnt proved quite as popular with the blackjack crowd as with poker players. Blackjack doesnt involve bluffing, or quite as many aggressive strategies as poker. Blackjack players dont have to play off those at the table next to themtheyre playing against the dealer, and thats that.

For game theory to be successfully applied to blackjack, players would need to be counting cards, effectively introducing a strategy that could be spun against them. Given the difficulty of counting cards and the elusive nature of card counters, this strategy isnt accessible for most players.

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Big Business's Game Theory is Revolutionizing Card Games - R&R Magazine (www.randrlife.co.uk) Rest and Relax

Movies are an important part of everyday life. Films often influence public opinion and shape the way we view life. Since the beginning of film, movies centered around casinos and the lifestyle of gamblers have featured heavily in Hollywood. Many films related to casinos and gambling are accurate representation of the thrill, excitement and feelings experienced by bettors chasing a jackpot. If you are looking for a great film to watch tonight, then dont miss out on one of these quintessential casino movies.

Okay, The Hangover isnt exactly a film solely about gambling and casinos, but the movie is set in Las Vegas. Upon its release, The Hangover was considered one of the funniest films of all-time. Unfortunately, the movies creators made two sequels that were panned by fans and critics. If you have never seen The Hangover, prepare to laugh non-stop. In all, this is one of the funniest films of the 21st century. The Hangover is true to the saying, what happens in Las Vegas, stays in Las Vegas.

No casino film listicle would be complete without the film Casino on it. The Martin Scorsese film is a classic. Casino has been created with glamorizing the Las Vegas lifestyle. Starring Robert De Niro as Sam Ace Rothstein, the film follows the ex-gangster as he lives a normal life and works as a casino manager in Las Vegas. Of course, it doesnt take long for Rothsteins past to catch up with him. Casino is a true legend of the film industry. Fans of casino games can enjoy great free slots of their favorite online games. You can play some of the best online casino slots available without making a deposit.

Starring an all-star cast headlined by Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts and George Clooney, this 2001 hit comedy is a remake of the Dean Martin flick. Clooney plays Danny Ocean, a thief that assembles a world-class (at times rag-tag) team of con artists to help him pull off the score of a lifetime. The troupe plan to rob the Bellagio, MGM Grand, and Mirage all at the same time. Oceans Eleven is filled with comedy, action, and heists.

Now over 30 years old, Rain Man is still as good in 2021 as it was when released in 1988. Tom Cruise plays Charlie Babbit, an uptight businessman, who meets up with his estranged brother, Raymond, played by Dustin Hoffman. Raymond is an autistic savant. Charlie takes his brother to Sin City with the idea of using him to count cards at the Blackjack table. Will the duo win big at the blackjack table or will counting cards work against them?

21 is a classic casino movie starring Kevin Spacey. The film was inspired by a true story and the book Bringing Down the House, which told the tale of the MIT Blackjack Teams research into gambling. The film focuses on the role math and science play in casinos and gambling. The storyline is fast-paced and has plenty of twists and turns.

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Top 5 Casino Movies on Streaming Platforms - Film Threat

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Players can now find state-licensed and regulated online casino platforms from all over the world. One thing these online gambling parlors have in common is the types of games that are available there. Considering the massive appeal and popularity of this form of entertainment, lets take a closer look and see the kinds of games you can find on these websites.

You can find card games on just about any online casino out there with great welcome promotions. They are digitized versions of the card games that are found in land-based casinos. In other words, Blackjack, Baccarat, and of course Poker. There are different variations of these table games, and playing in a digital environment makes it easy to find other players who want to play at the same table.

One of the reasons why this is so beneficial is practice for tournaments. To be specific, there are many poker tournaments or events happening all over the world, so players are always happy to have more options where they can polish their poker skills. Sure, its not the same as playing with other people at the table and trying to gauge their reaction, but its still good training.

The best thing about digital casinos is definitely slots games. If you were to go to ecopayz casino that offers fast and safe transaction methods or on any other online gambling parlor you will see tons of different slot games. This should not be a surprise really, considering how even the early slot machines were the most popular attraction at any land-based casino or a simple gambling joint.

There are many types of online slots that are differently themed, and hosting them on a server is way easier than having a room filled with slot machines. These games will vary depending on the game developer or the software that the casino is using. At their core, they are pretty much similar, but this kind of subtle variations and different RTP is what keeps things interesting.

Because of this demand, casino games providers are likely to hire multiple software development companies to create games for their online casinos. Some of the well-known developers you are likely to see are:

There are those players who want to simply enjoy luck-based games and see if they can win. However, there are also those who want big rewards and that is the main motivator for them to invest their time in an online gambling parlor. This is why they go for slots with progressive jackpots. These are types of slot games that increase their prize pool based on the number of played games. Meaning the winnings can accumulate to some ridiculous numbers that you wont view these games as just games anymore but as a life-changing event.

Of course, everyone has their own personal preference when it comes to entertainment, but there are some tips that generally help anyone have a good time. The idea is to check the platform prior to paying money and make sure its not a scam, and to pay attention to the games and maybe practice them a bit before playing.

One way to improve the experience at the online casino is to make it more like the real thing. So, if you look here you will notice that one of the trends nowadays is to have games with a live dealer. This is definitely the element that has been missing and more and more platforms are incorporating these games. Basically, you are playing almost like you are on a video call, where the dealer is also present. This is especially popular for table games like Poker and Blackjack. Moreover, the game developers are looking into the capabilities of VR technology in order to create an authentic virtual casino that players can access from their homes.

To sum up, most of the online gambling parlors have the same offer as the land-based gambling joints or casinos. The unique value here is the variation of games, and accessibility, as users can access their favorite content from home. As a result, there is a high demand for this type of entertainment that only spiked further during the recent pandemic and lockdowns. Moreover, some games like slots can be more fun online, and given their popularity in physical casinos, its now a wonder this industry is thriving.

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What Kind of Games Are There in Online Casinos? - News Anyway

One of Russias most iconic bombers, the Soviet-era Tu-160 is set to receive a series of major upgrades in coming years.

The 1980s-era Tu-160 Blackjack has broken no shortage of records throughout its years in active serviceit has been called the worlds largest, heaviest, and fastest bomber all at once. But, while the Blackjack can still fulfill its basic mission purpose, the decades have taken their toll on the Soviet bomber. This has become particularly apparent in the planes outdated avionics suite, increasing incompatibility with the latest Russian air-launched weapons, and aging NK-32 engines.

It was revealed in 2015 that Russias defense industry plans to modernize Tu-160 with the coming Tu-160M revision. The new variant was tested in the late 2010s and undertook its maiden flight in 2020, suggesting that the Tu-160M is nearing service readiness. The new fighter jet largely retains its predecessors design. Instead, itfocuseson a raft of improvements and new features under the hood. The Tu-160M upgrade follows an established pattern for Russian aircraft modernization projects, mirroring the avionics and radar upgrades given to the Tu-22 bomber in recent years. There is a clear logic to this approach: in the short- to medium-term, iterating on a time-proven chassis can save time and research and development costs over investing in a fresh airframe design.

The Tu-160M does not appear to bring notable weapons upgrades.Instead, it is fielding its predecessors Raduga Kh series of air-launched cruise missiles: these include the Kh-101, 102, 55SM, and 555. The Kh-101 boasts a conventional warhead, while the Kh-102 likely carries a nuclear payload; both are new, relatively stealthy, low-flying missiles with a likely maximum range of around 2,800 kilometers. It was reported last year that the Russian military was studying the feasibility of arming the Tu-160 with the hypersonic, nuclear-capable Kh-47M2 Kinzhal missile. The current status of those deliberations is unknown, nor is it clear if the Kinzhal fitting is being considered for the base Tu-160 or its upgraded variants.

All of the seventeen currently-serving Tu-160s will be upgradeable to the Tu-160M standard, but this is only the first part of what is a two-tiered upgrade plan. The Tu-160M is to be followed in 2023 by the Tu-160M2 revision, a deeper modernization that will bring a glass digital cockpit, upgraded active electronically scanned array radar and new long-range cruise missiles. The M2s most notable addition is perhaps the new NK-32-02 engine. The NK-32-02 promises increased fuel efficiency, which may translate into a greater operational range depending on the bombers payload capacity and other specifications.

The upgraded Tu-160 fleet will consist of twenty-seven units in total and is set to serve as the backbone of Russias heavy strategic bomber fleet through the coming decade. Moscow plans to replace the Soviet-era bomber with the next-generation PAK DA, which will reportedly be launched in the same manufacturing plants as the Tu-160M2. The PAK-DA brings an entirely new airframe design and weapons suite, as well as unprecedented stealth penetration capabilities. The PAK-DA is scheduled to enter service in 2027, though it may take many more years for the bomber to be mass-produced in sufficient quantities to fully phase out Russias Tu-160 force.

Mark Episkopos is a national security reporter for the National Interest.

Image: Reuters

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Russia Has Big Plans for Its 'New' Tu-160 Supersonic Bombers - The National Interest

Playgon has signed agreements with Intelligent Gaming, Swintt and Solid Gaming andsuccessfully onboarded six operators that have begun generating revenue

Inc () () (FRA:7CR) has released a corporate update, revealing that since its virtual Vegas Lounge opened in May, more than 6,000 unique visitors made over 220,000 bets using the company's live dealer technology.

As of the second quarter of 2021, Playgon had signed agreements with Intelligent Gaming, Swintt and Solid Gaming andsuccessfully onboarded six operators that have begun generating revenue with Vegas Lounge.

In addition to the six operators that have onboarded with Playgon, the company said it has another 23 committed operators and aggregators that it expects to go live early in the third quarter. This includes the recently announced partnership with Solid Gaming, a division of Gamesys Group.

"We are seeing a rapid adoption of our proprietary mobile live dealer technology as both operators and online players actively seek out a modern and innovative mobile solution that had simply not been previously available in the market, until now," CEO Darcy Krogh said in a statement.

"With over 220,000 bets placed in just our first month of operations, we are confident that we have a solution that is garnering the attention of players globally and we are bracing to scale quickly. Considering our current base of aggregators and operators, we are well-positioned to meet our growth goals through the rest of this year and beyond."

The Vancouver-based company provides its operators with a multi-tenant gateway allowing them to offer their customers its live dealer casino, e-table games and daily fantasy sports. Live dealer casino games include roulette, baccarat and blackjack.

"We have begun our operational ramp and based on the early metrics, management is encouraged that the company will see the full financial impact of this ramp-up by Q3 '21, Krogh said.

"While still early in our revenue growth, the groundwork has been laid over the past 10 months to work alongside some of the largest iGaming companies globally and tap into emerging global trends with significant upside. We also continue to view the US market as an attractive opportunity and believe we are on track to formalize our US strategy in the second half of this year."

Contact Andrew Kessel at andrew.kessel@proactiveinvestors.com

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Playgon Games" Vegas Lounge live dealer casino draws in thousands of visitors in its first month - Proactive Investors USA