Captain Cooks Casino
I happened by chance upon a new casino which opened at the beginning of the
millennium - how I got there I'll never know. But I was pleasantly surprised to
see that Captain
Cooks Casino is a licensee of Microgaming, which I consider to be the finest
software in the market.
Their website promises 10 minutes response time to support emails - and in
all my mailings I have not seen them miss this yet, at any time of day or
night! (Editor's note - Bonuses change on a regular basis - please visit
the site for the latest bonus)
The same bonus rules which apply at other casinos applies here - before you
can cash in the bonus, you must wager the total amount of the bonus as well as
your initial deposit - in my case that was $60. But I must have been unlucky -
where I was able to win or at least break even at other casinos, I lost my whole
$60.
Before you jump to conclusions, I was almost exclusively a blackjack player,
and I play by the book. I only hit video poker or any of the other games when
I've lost three hands in a row at blackjack - and then usually for just a minute
or so before it's back to the table. Today, I like to play a whole bunch of
different games, and usually not blackjack - because I tend to play for the
entertainment value.
Most of you will know that playing by the book means following basic
strategy, which should give you essentially a 50-50 chance against the casino.
So I was a bit surprised to lose the entire investment as quick as I did, must
have been one of those runs of cards I encounter in Vegas every single year.
But back to Captain
Cooks Casino - as far as play and operation is concerned, it is functionally
equivalent to almost every Microgaming casino on the Net. That is a good thing -
helps cut down on the learning curve. Everything operates as you would expect
to, fast, secure, and fully audited through Microgaming's proprietary Playcheck
and CashCheck systems. I have a full record of my play ever since I started at
Captain
Cooks Casino, from the size of the bet to the deal of the cards, the exact
time, transaction number, probably even the results of a pull on the CashSplash
slots (I didn't check). There will be no safer gaming experience on the Net.
What did surprise me, and set Captain
Cooks Casino apart from the rest, was first of all the huge bonus to new
players, and second, an email I got from them. Now you think to yourself, all
casinos send emails - this is for the most part the truth. But this email was
different - Maryann, one of the partners, personally asked me where I had found
out about Captain
Cooks Casino, so now you know why I didn't remember!
She then went on to tell me that Captain
Cooks Casino was just 8 weeks old, and was performing quite well. I was able
to verify that later by checking my accounts, which essentially showed that Captain
Cooks Casino was processing an average of 8000 blackjack hands a DAY - make
that 1 every 10 seconds. Not too shabby for this new casino! But of course, now
many months later, they probably process 8000 blackjack hands every HOUR...
Anyhow, I sent a few more emails back and forth, tried to cash out some funds
I won with a later deposit, basically gave the entire system the once over. And
I'm pleased to say it passed with flying colors, though transactions to and from
your credit card or checking account seem to be lagging just slightly, probably
because they are overwhelmed.
They also have a rewards program which is unique and different from the rest.
I personally found that it was a bit difficult for me to obtain the full rewards
at the level I play at, but basically speaking they have a progressive bonus
program which allows you to earn up to $1,025 every single month! There is no
other casino out there that has a progressive bonus - but to be fair, the other
casinos allow you to roll points over as long as you are active - at Captain
Cooks Casino your points are good only in the month they were earned, and
your account zeroed afterwards. For high rollers, this is definitely the place
to be! Of course, the management have reserved the right to make changes to the
program at any time, so I will keep you posted on future developments.
The people there are efficient, friendly, and will go out of their way to
help you. A tip o' the hat to Maryann, Louisa, Bill, Peter and the amazing crew
at Captain
Cooks Casino.