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Martin Jacobson was cooking up meals in the Swedish Navy before his breakthrough in poker. His Poker career started in 2008 when he won an entry into the Main Event of the World Series of Poker. He was given the option of a $1000 buy-in and forego competing, but he decided to compete after being advised to do so by his Mom and was out after only three hands.

Over the next couple of years, he became known as a top competitor but a poker player without any wins; however, in 2014, he managed to win the WOSP Main Event snagging $10 million in prize money.

Jacobsen’s Poker Career

Martin Jacobsen grew up on a small island called Lindingo, not far from Sweden’s capital city of Stockholm. He started playing poker as a hobby whilst developing his culinary skills, and at the age of 18, he was committed to doing military service and got assigned to being a chef in the Swedish Royal Navy stationed on a stealth battleship. Upon completing his stint in the Navy, he returned to Stockholm and worked in a restaurant for 18 months and continued indulging in his hobby-poker.

After a few months, he had success playing satellite step tournaments, and in the build-up to the WOSP, he reached the final satellite stage and was eliminated after three hands. He rose from the ashes six short years later to conquer the poker world and become Main Event Champion

Final Thoughts

Martin Jacobsen ended his partnership with 888poker and has hinted at his next phase being the start of a two-month training course. He may follow the example of Phil Galfond and Doug Polk and open his poker training site, or he may sign another ambassadorship contract with another poker room like GGPoker and partypoker, who are not averse to operating in the Swedish market where he is famous.

I was fondly recalling earlier, carefree days of when I used to head to a local casino with my two brothers. We had a whole routine, which would involve an enjoyable time at a local horse racing track, followed by using the racing entry ticket at the casino for a free £10 bet (due to a tie-in the two businesses had together). Sure, it’s was only a ‘tenner’ but in my view there are enough situations in life where someone is picking our pocket in one way or another, so it’s always a good move to take advantage of situations that effectively involve receiving ‘free money’. Of course in theory at least now that it’s past ‘Freedom Day‘ in my country at least (as in Covid restrictions have been lifted) I can now get back to these fond past-times.

On the other hand though, I’m sure we all still hold some reservations about how ‘normal’ daily life is going to be over the coming months. It can sometimes be better to try to strike a balance between a return to how things were previously, and acknowledgement that there may still be differences or certain restrictions for a few months longer. I expect by now many of us will have adopted certain ‘workarounds’ to the limitations that life has shuffled our way. Casinos are a prime example really, as online casinos offer the very same games (if not more up-to-date versions) that ‘real world’ casinos do, only they also remove many of the complications associated with ‘real life’ restrictions. Online versions also are, if anything, more generous on the casino bonuses front on account of trying to draw in new user. In this regard, Hyperino bonus and the like, have their finger on the pulse of what appeals to users.

Online casino bonuses can take many forms. Sometimes they come in the form of a sign up bonus where the act of simply becoming a member of the site gives you some free money or spins or suchlike. On other occasions you may be offered a match bet (this is commonly seen on sports betting sites also) where whatever you bet it matched by the site. Other sites sometimes reward the allegiance of existing members by offering them incentives to play specific games, or free entry to tournaments – such as poker competitions. On occasion these freebies do come with certain requirements, but on the whole they’re still a major plus in comparison to say not taking advantage of them at all.

So armed with the ability to bag a bonus at will, and the myriad of online casino options available (such as brand new slots games added on a regular basis), it’s easy to see why this alternative to ‘bricks and mortar’ casinos can be a big plus for some players, especially in concerning times like these. I’ve certainly opted far more frequently for the online route myself of late, and while I will definitely seek to recreate some of the casino memories of old now that casinos are back open, it’s surely a better mix to have both options to hand!

We previously touched on the pros and cons and bricks and mortar vs online casinos, and essentially came to the conclusion that while the ‘real life’ experience is certainly something to be had, for the most part casinos online do an amazing job of emulating that casino experience. The convenience factor too takes centre stage; most of us live busy lives and don’t always have time to put the energy into a night out that we can easily replicate in our own homes. The game variety, customer support and payment options available in the online world often eclipses that of bricks and mortar casinos too, and so it’s a no-brainer to have online accounts if casino games are an area of interest for you.

Don’t let the convenience of signing up to online casino sites cloud your judgement though. Just because it’s easy it doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t put serious thought into which site or sites you sign up to. In the competitive world of online casinos you are the one holding the winning hand and so can hold out for the best deals going. If you do your homework you’ll notice that several sites have casino bonus offers. These can often make the form of a matched deposit (as in you deposit x amount and the casino matches it). Sometimes matched deposits have conditions attached but there’s no denying that you’re still in a good spot as you’re immediately off to a winning start. Other offers can include the likes of free slots or roulette spins, either at sign up or each week or month. Where sites sometimes have a bookmaker element too they can have bet boosts where better odds are offered to you. ‘Every little helps’ as the saying goes and all of these bonuses can help point your bank balance very much in the right direction!

With the use of casino bonuses and the advantage it offers, you can start thinking about which casino game is the one to help you maximise your chances of winning big.  You can of course partially base this on which games you’re personally drawn towards and have the most experience in. For many this will be slots and there are such a myriad of slots games available to play; some casino goers simply can’t get enough of them. For others the skill element involved in poker will dictate that as their game of choice. After all, you only have to look at some of the household names in poker and their net worth to understand that there is money to be made.

From a personal perspective though I’d say that roulette is my game of choice and something of a safe option as long as you adopt a structured approach. It has a very small ‘house edge’ compared to most casino games and so you know you’re getting a lot of bang for your buck from the moment you start playing. As I say though, do adopt a sensible staking plan as if you’re perpetually throwing caution to the wind you’ll come a cropper as soon as you have a bad run. Whatever approach you take, or game you play, be sure to enjoy yourself, and keep an eye out for the best casino bonuses around, for the sake of getting off to a winning start for minimal additional effort. Do your homework!

You wouldn’t be here if you didn’t have the ‘casino bug’, and that can of course manifest itself in many forms. For some it’s just the general ‘vibe’ and feel of a casino that appeals. The lights, the bustling atmosphere, the sound of celebrations and wins all around (and of course sometimes the grumble of losses!). Others have a more people watcher attitude to casinos and just like to see the local characters giving it their all, without really parting with too much hard earned cash themselves in the process. And of course the diehards, or pedal to the metal types too who enjoy the highs and lows of really going for it are another group in the mix.

Beyond the atmosphere and approach of ever popular casinos, there’s also the specific casino games. For me personally I have often been drawn to roulette. I’m a creature of habit and stubbornly stick to a group of numbers on the roulette wheel come what may and see how it pans out.  For some friends of mine they are drawn to three card poker and there they will remain until the early hours, always with a story to let at the end of the night. And for others it’s the visuals and fast paced slots that are a major draw. I’ve been there too, as with so much going on and endless different slots themes there is always something new and exciting to play.

It’s worth adding that nowadays many of these thrilling slots games are available on the Internet too. Online slots have grown massively in popularity in recent years for various reasons. For one online recreations of popular slots games are very faithful to the real thing, secondly it’s easy to release new slots games regularly on the internet, thirdly there is the convenience factor of being able to play your favourite games when you want and where you want. Time is precious and we don’t all have countless hours to attend a local casino, and besides in this covid age that itself is often not even a formality.

Aside from the above, another major reason to go the online route and play those ultra popular slots games of the moment (Ramses Book, Big Bass Bonanza, Fire Joker etc) is the number of offers and incentives out there for new player. Frequently sites are eager to gain your custom and so free spins or sign up bonuses are often to be found online. This is a great way to ensure that you’re off to a winning start from the very beginning. ‘Start as you mean to go on’ as the saying goes.

So in summing up, the draw of online slots in today’s world is understandable for a myriad of reasons, and the same is often true of many other casino games. That perfect mix of convenience, up-to-date faithfully recreated games, as well as brand new titles, and top offers make it a no-brainer if you’re looking for a great way to pass some time. So what are you waiting for?