PartyGaming’s recent year-end results showed a dramatic shift in fortunes away from poker to the casino vertical.

Even though the business was founded on its poker client and high end US marketing effort, it looks like the PartyGaming group is ready to focus squarely on the sector that is currently generating the higher volumes of revenue: the online casino.

A new three part strategy is in place that will consist of targeting pure play casino players, rather than persuading poker players to shift platforms and try their luck at blackjack, roulette, or the slots.

Pure play casino players stay with the casino for twice as long as players who gamble elsewhere.

Jim Ryan said: “Here is why this is important. Historically, we have acquired all of our casino players from our poker database. That's been great, because our cost of acquisitions hasn't been particularly high, but it hasn't been particularly good for our poker liquidity in a challenged competitive environment where we need to grow that liquidity.

“What we have now started to do is go and acquire pure-play casino players. The magic of a pure-play casino player is that their lifetime value is twice that of a poker consumer who moves over to casino. So our casino offering will grow in 2010 and beyond.”

Ryan was speaking yesterday following the release of PartyGaming’s 2009 year-end results, in which the company revealed 12% year-on-year growth in earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) in casino, in contrast to a fall-off in poker EBITDA of 44%.

To achieve this goal, PartyCasino will continue to add more and more branded casino content and offer players ‘life-changing’ jackpots. Ryan said: "We will have 50 new games this year. The content will be exciting… branded content.

“The second aspect of the strategy is focused on having life-changing events. It's a jackpot-based strategy. Today we have the largest reset value in our Melon Madness Jackpot [which] starts at US$1.5m. Nobody else can match that in the sector. So we will continue to bring those life-changing events to the consumer.”

In April, PartyGaming reached a deal with the US authorities for its business in the US before the UIGEA, a indication that it hopes to re-enter the US market with a licence should any regulatory system for online poker such as those proposed by Congressman Barney Frank or senators Ron Wyden of Oregon and Judd Gregg be approved by lawmakers.

Aces & Faces is an online casino game variant of bonus poker that loves all aces and faces cards.  The game is new to the Winaday Online Casino, part of the Microgaming online casino platform.

Aces & Faces is based on 8/5 Jacks or Better with an increased payout for 4 of a kind with Aces & Face cards. The only difference between standard bonus poker is the increased payouts for 4 of a Kind with J-K are swapped with 2-4.

Winaday features the game on its instant flash online casino platform.

Tips for the Aces & Faces online casino game include:

*Do not break up wining combinations with the exception of needing one more card to create the royal flush. 

*Hold hands such as a Jack or better, three or four cards to a Royal Flush, four cards to an outside Straight, three or four cards to a Straight Flush, any pair, two suited cards and high suited cards such as a 10/J or 10/Q and two unsuited cards.

In addition Winaday offers a progressive online jackpot and a 200% signup bonus.

*US citizens prohibited from playing at Winaday.com.

Best Supporting Actress Oscar 2010 odds were available at BetUS.com.

This one appeared to be yet another lock, this time for Monique in Precious, but it will cost you.  In fact, you’ll need to bet $200 just to win $10 at BetUS.com.

That online gambling website has more competitive odds in other categories such as Best Actress and Best Picture, where Avatar and The Hurt Locker were neck and neck at around even odds.

These were your Best Supporting Actress Oscar 2010 odds:

Best Supporting Actress

Moneyline

1031

Anna Kendrick (Up in the Air)    

+800

1032

Maggie Gyllenhaal (Crazy Heart)    

+2500

1033

Monique (Precious)    

-2000

1034

Penelope Cruz (Nine)    

+1400

1035

Vera Farmiga (Up in the Air)    

+2000

BetUS.com offers an incredible selection of betting events and propositions mostly catering to the recreational sports bettor.  Get a FREE $75 in CASH when you open an online betting account with $200.  Mention bonus code GAMBLING911.  The industry leader since 1994.

Jordan Bach, Gambling911.com 

Best Supporting Actor 2010 Oscars odds were a bit difficult to comprehend. Christoph Waltz (Inglourious Basterds) was the …. brace yourselves please  …. -3500 favorite to win Best Supporting Actor at this year’s Oscars ceremony. 

Why not just present Waltz with the Oscar now?

These odds were available at SBG Global

"Essentially, Waltz is a ‘lock’ to win," explains Payton O’Brien, Senior Editor of the Gambling911.com website.  "You don’t get odds like these and lose.  It’s like the New York Yankees playing the Bad News Bears."

So what exactly does -3500 entail?

One must bet a whopping $350 just to win $10!!!  A $700 bet pays out $20!!!

Most online sportsbooks only accept a few hundred dollars max on Oscars bets.

SBG Global was offering plenty of other odds on the 2010 Oscars so even if you want to pass on Best Supporting Actor, there is some value to be had in other Oscars bets.

Waltz is not very well known in the US but worldwide he is very accomplished.  The Austrian actor has agreed to star alongside Stephen Fry in Guy Sharpe’s eagerly anticipated TV detective series The Marvellous Manatee and the Crafty Crow.

All Best Supporting Actor 2010 Oscars odds appear below.

Christoph Waltz (Inglourious Basterds)

-3500

Christopher Plummer (The Last Station)

+2200  

Matt Damon (Invictus)

+2500 

Stanley Tucci (The Lovely Bones)

+1200 

Woody Harrelson (The Messenger)

+1000

Jordan Bach, Gambling911.com