Imagine you are sitting in an extremely comfortable chair, your eyes are heavy and you rest them for a moment. There are cards being shuffled in front of you and soft music playing that nearly lulls you to sleep. In the background you notice the indecipherable, hushed chatter of people talking.

The dealer announces, ?place your bets? and you sit up, lean in closer and slowly open your eyes. At first you are confused about where you are and then you realize the sounds are coming from speakers. The disorientation passes quickly as you focus on the two dimensional action displayed on your monitor. You remember now that it had been a hard day at the office and you decided playing a few hands would be relaxing. You move enough to prop your feet up and lean back more comfortably in your chair as you click on. While waiting to finish your last hand you find yourself maneuvering your chips around the screen with your cursor debating whether you want to tip or not. After passing on tipping your cyber dealer you finish the game, log off, and shut down your computer bringing a sudden quiet to the room. After getting yourself a drink you head for bed very relaxed and thinking, ?This is great, I have a casino right here at home. This is better than Vegas!?

Now, imagine yourself sitting at a blackjack table inside a Las Vegas casino resort. As you wait for your cards you observe the dealers movements and demeanor. Surmising her mood is good you decide to stay at the table a while. As you begin to focus on the game you feel a slight, perfumed breeze whisk by and you turn to see a scantily clad waitress had passed carrying a tray of beverages. Turning your attention back to the game you notice one tower of your chips has fallen over. While adjusting them you toss a few towards the dealer as you say with a smile, ?These are for you.? The smoke from a neighboring table is drifting overhead gives the room a mystical look. There are noises everywhere, a roulette wheel spinning, slot machines ringing, and the distinct clanking of glasses and dishes in a nearby restaurant. While in your hotel room, before you came down to the gaming floor, you placed tickets in your coat pocket and you pull them out to check the show time. You put the tickets back in your pocket where they rest beside keys to your rented car, your hotel room, and flight information scribbled on a paper for your return trip home. You sit contentedly at the blackjack table thinking, ?This is the life, live Vegas action - it doesn?t get better than this.?

Both styles of casino gaming have their appeal and perhaps a true gambler at heart may not have a preference. Few of us walk the Las Vegas Strip sporting nightclothes complete with slippers and few, if any, people hire a team of entertainers to perform in their homes. Both casino styles offer the games, the odds, and the tantalizing excitement of the win but they have such vast differences in atmosphere. Logging in to your favorite online casino can be as anticipated an experience as planning a vacation to Vegas, minus the hassle and expense of tickets, car rentals, hotels and meals - but is it an equal exchange for the ?real? thing?

And the element of luck, how does that play in? Some may want to feel the chips in hand rather than the mouse. Some may need to hear the atmosphere naturally instead of adjusting the stereo sound on their computer. But then, we may like the familiarity and convenience of betting in the privacy and comfort of our home over dealing with reservations and other inconveniences of travel.

Is it really a decision that needs made? Cyber or real casinos, why not enjoy them both? The ease and comfort of cyber betting is obvious, the excitement of Vegas irreplaceable. The thrill of the deal is the same but if it is atmosphere you want you may need to go to Vegas, after all how many showgirls can you fit into your home?

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