Gambling

The calendar has turned on the first month of the 2006 baseball season. While there is plenty of season left, it’s a good time to evaluate who has the early lead on baseball’s top awards.

American League MVP:

1) Jim Thome - While he has slowed somewhat since his sizzling start, Jim Thome has been the best acquisition any American League team has made. Many questioned what he had left, but he put any doubts to rest immediately by homering in his first 2 games and 6 times in his first 10 games. His 10 homeruns and 24 RBIs are tops on the American League’s most talented team.

2) Jason Giambi - His .542 OBP is fantastic as Giambi continues to expand on last year’s comeback- player-of-the-year performance. While he leads the AL in walks with 27, Giambi is not just being passive, as he also leads the AL in RBIs with 27. Only his statuesque defense and stubbornness about embracing the DH role make him second choice.

3) Vernon Wells - The Blue Jays went on baseball’s biggest shopping spree, this off-season, but one of their incumbent players has turned in his best effort so far. With 9 homers, 25 RBIs and a .374 batting average, Wells is carrying a heavy load as Toronto tries to prove that they can keep pace with the Red Sox and The Yankees.

National League MVP:

1) Albert Pujols - Provided he stays healthy, it appears as though this award will be his to lose for many years to come. His record-breaking 14 homeruns in April and 32 RBIs have led the Cardinals to another great start.

2) Lance Berkman - The reason for the Astros’ slow start, last April, was likely because they missed Berkman’s bat. Berkman has had a fast start, this year (10 homeruns, 31 RBIs and .240 BA), and so have the Astros.

3) Carlos Delgado - The best acquisition any National League team made, this off-season, Delgado has really carried the load (10 homeruns and 21 RBIs) while Beltran was injured and Cliff Floyd slumped.

American League Cy Young:

1) Jose Contreras - His 4-0 record and league-leading 1.45 ERA still leads a pitching staff that makes the White Sox the best bet to win the AL Pennant at the sports book.

2) Curt Schilling - Baseball’s biggest loudmouth is once again able to “walk the walk.” His 4-1 record, 2.88 ERA and durability (40.2 IP) have led the Red Sox to an early tenuous hold on first place in the AL East.

3) Kenny Rogers - The ace on a staff of promising young guns, veteran Rogers has done everything you can ask for the Tigers (4-2, 2.59 ERA and a great 0.98 WHIP).

National League Cy Young:

1) Greg Maddux - Talk about giving a club a lift. Once again frustrated by injuries to Mark Prior and Kerry Wood, the cursed Cubbies are thrilled by Maddux’s early renaissance (5-0, 1.35 ERA).

2) Pedro Martinez - The daily updates by a panicked New York press corps on Pedro’s toe during spring training are long forgotten as Pedro has been fantastic (5-0, 0.89 WHIP). He already has beaten the hated Braves twice.

3) Bronson Arroyo - Wow, after the AL East, this is sure easy. Arroyo (5-0, 2.06 ERA) has led the way for baseball’s biggest early season surprise.

Rookies of the Year:

American League:

Jonathan Papelbon - Thrown into the Boston pressure-cooker, Papelbon leads the AL in saves (10) and has yet to allow a run in over 15 innings.

National League:

Prince Fielder - Unlike his father, Cecil, Prince didn’t need to serve some time in the Japanese League to find his stroke. Fielder’s .343 average leads all rookies.

Bet MLB Baseball @ http://www.wagerweb.com

There are several types of poker games now played around the world, privately, in a casino, and now, online. Each variant has its own strategy and set of rules, though the concept remains the same. The best hand wins. Developing your strategy is key to playing a good game. In poker, you are almost always playing to win, especially when money is at stake. You want to minimize your risk while maximizing your winnings. There are two types of poker discussed here, limit and no-limit.

Limit poker is recommended for beginners where a set amount is bet. In no-limit poker, however, yu are able to win big pots with all-in bets, even when you don’t have the best hand. This is not recommended for beginners as they often make mistakes that wind up costing them a lot of money. If you are a beginner it is advised that you stick to limit poker until you are a more experienced player and have had an opportunity to develop your strategy.

No-limit texas Hold’em strategy. In no-limit Texas Hold’em poker, the all-in factor is what allows you to bully your opponents and take a dominating position in the game. This strategy can work for you if you know how to use it.

One of the best times to go all-in is when you steel a pot from your opponent, however, when you do this, you must be sure the hand meets these conditions.

You want outs. If your opponent calls, there should be cards left in the deck that could help you win the hand. Even if the odds are bad, you still want outs.

You must have a solid read on your opponent. If you are going to steel a pot, you must be confident that the other player will fold.

You want to have good positioning. Though this isn’t considered to be as important as the first two conditions, positioning is what usually allows you to get a solid read on opponents.

The key is knowing that your opponent will fold. If you choose to play a hand aggressively, know that it could lead to higher bets. This is why you want to go after players who have shorter stacks than you. If a worst-case scenario occurs and you lose an all-in match, you are still not out of the game.

A secondary benefit to this strategy is that if a player has fewer chips it will be easier to play the hand more aggressively and will further lower your risk.

No matter what strategy you try to adopt, remember that it is important to know as much about the habits of your opponents as possible. You will want to use different strategies in different situations, and in different games with different opponents.

Many believe that when you play penny machines in a regulated casino, the payoff is simply not worth the risk. I’m here to state, that is the furthest thing from the truth. I will share the secrets to winning a penny payoff.

1. When you look for a penny machine, find one that offers a progressive or at least offers bonus games. Normally to win the progressive jackpot, you must bet maximum credits. The games that offer bonus games normally ask that you bet at least a minimum of twenty five cents, dependant upon what game it is. The bonus games are usually where you get your returns.

2. The payoffs are at random. There are no ways to manipulate a win. If you try, you will be caught. Do not try to cheat! A cheater will not win!

3. The more you bet, the more you will win. The flip side to that is the obvious; the more you bet, the more you can lose. Never play with scared money. If you can’t afford to play a dollar spin, simply play a lesser hand.

4. Look for games that you can stop the spin at your will. Doing so, will pay off more in the long run. The downside to this is, you will win fast or will lose quicker.

5. If you follow these simple steps, you can turn a twenty dollar bill into a few hundred dollars. I don’t guarantee anything though. There is a reason it is called gambling. Luck is still going to remain a factor. These tips will just give you a little edge into making that penny machine go ding ding ding.

Many experienced players have learned how to play well in pre-flop. They know exactly when to call, raise, or fold. Surprisingly, these same players make horrible decisions post-flop, especially when they are playing in low-limit hold’em games. Their problem is not because they call down too often, but because they fold when they should not. These players probably believed that they should be playing a smart tight-aggressive play. And this is why they fold most of the time unless they are holding a very strong hand or have a good draw. But what actually happens is that they forget to take into account the odds they are getting.

For example, in the big blind, a player has a King and an Eight of spades. One of his opponents raise in middle position and four other players call. This player also calls. On the table, the flop is made up of a King of clubs, a Ten and a Deuce of diamonds. Then, the small blind bets out. Our poker player is inclined to fold. But it is going to be a bad fold. Analyzing his cards, he still has great odds for his money, although his kicker is not exactly the best. He has a top pair and he might even end up getting trips or two pairs. Admittedly, there is a pretty good chance that one of his opponents will win. But the pot has so much money that our player should at least call one bet.

Making a bad fold can be the biggest mistake that a poker player makes. To avoid this mistake, a player must remember that there are actually two major decisions he should make. One is in pre-flop, and second is on the turn.

In pre-flop, the player will decide whether he wants to play his hand or not. In the flop, this player will usually make or call a small bet, thus, flop decisions are not really significant. In the post-flop, on the turn, the player will consider odds, his hand, and his opponents’ hands. When this player decides to call the turn, it will be advisable for him to also call the river. When he does both, it means that he is making two big bets. This may seem risky but it will be tragic to fold a winning hand on the river.

Supposed the pot is raised pre-flop and only one bet is made post-flop, a player may fold at the turn. Obviously, he lost. But the money he lost is certainly less than what he would have lost if he had called to a showdown.

Lastly, the river is not a good time to fold. There are only two situations in which a player needs to fold on the river. First, a player must fold when he misses a draw. And second, if there is much betting and raising. This indicates that the player’s hand is probably the weakest.

Technocrat:

Another little known name of great influence on blackjack Keith Taft. He was an engineer, computer specialist and inventor, he created his first blackjack computer in 1970, before Ken Uston appeared on the stage, just four years after the publication of the second Thorp’s book that encouraged him for this work. This computer named “George” was used by Uston’s teams.

Consider the fact, that at that time, there were not computers at all, to say nothing of miniaturization. The first version used 16bite processor, manually made memory and manually wired-in program. Assembly work and debugging took two years. He protected his device with copper screen from possible clutters and hid it in his boots. At first he was very lucky, but then he lost a great deal. It made him give up independent playing. Keith thought of writing a book, but then contracts with professional players came his way. After a few years the market offered more powerful computing devices.

The basis of the other device was Z80 processor. Keith built it in the pocket calculator. This version of “George”, later renamed as “David”, caught Uston’s eye. Keith together with his brother made several such computers for his team. They doubled their capital in a week. Trebled in two weeks. Then they were caught, the money and the computer were confiscated. By the way, Uston’s lawyer in the case was Oscar Goodman now he is effective mayor of Las Vegas.

In the upshot the project broke down. And a new one emerged with more sophisticated and secret devices but now without Uston. More complicated computers required new processors and larger memory. New investments from the players and “Thor” project made good money for Taft and gamblers. Moreover, this computer remained unnoticed in the casinos. Keith created protection system which in fact repeats the concept of modern “electronic key”.

Then he developed “7-Up” scheme which connected 7 (!!) players at the table into the network. Each had a computer and they were united into the network. Just think this guy created computer networks!!!! It was 1982! Before Microsoft these people managed computer severs…

Then video cameras appeared. Keith started applying satellite and radio signals. Then again a failure, arrest and accusation of fraud. Charges were again dismissed. A new hi-tech project followed.

Finally when the usage of computers was deemed illegal in the USA, Keith stopped playing blackjack. Now he is living in his house and is working in his laboratory. I wonder, on what?

Things get easier when done together.

Blackjack boom in 70-80-s, public description of team playing methods lead to creation of the biggest blackjack teams. The most famous, probably was the team of Massachusetts technological Institute or MIT Team. The idea was innovative instead of hiring people with money, the operators of the team trained the students of playing the game and offered blackjack as summer earnings during their vacation. They almost posted announcements in the lecture rooms saying “Blackjack players wanted!”

At first he team was small, however the management drew great funds from outside investors and project became very large. These young guys and ladies lived a double life five days a week attending the lectures and eating in the campus canteen and on the weekend flying to Las Vegas, betting on 10 thousand dollars in the box, living in luxury apartments and driving in limousines at the expense of casinos.

This is possibly the most highly qualified team in all history of blackjack. In a few years they have won about 10 million dollars. Then everything went pear shaped. First, the risk on the casino’s side increased. There was spying on the players, soon it was found out that they were students of MIT and then their names were added to the blacklist all over the country. Besides, the casinos were more aware of team game principles and each big player immediately came under observation.

But it is not the most terrible. A prick was in the team. One of the players betrayed for “the thirty pieces of silver” all the members of the team to the casino security service. Moreover, part of the money was simply stolen. It caused the breakdown of the team. Though it revived in different new forms, they were not so successful as before. However, as the rumors circulating, you can come across some interesting announcements in the institute…

Former founders and managers of the team now are very famous people. Semyon Dukach is in sales and purchase of Internet companies, conducts seminars on blackjack and Andy Bloch became a professional poker player.

Team playing, regardless of its pros has a lot of cons of administration nature. It requires great investments into the risky business. That’s why 99% of team playing efforts end up in a financial catastrophe.

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It’s time to start thinking about tomorrow night’s Philadelphia Eagles-New Orleans Saints NFC Divisional Playoff matchup. The Eagles enter the divisional round as the hottest team in the NFC having won six straight games including their first round win over the New York Giants. Can they keep flying high against the heavenly Saints down in the bayou? Jimmy Boyd is all over Saturday night’s premier week two playoff matchup with his five Star NFC Divisional Playoff Best Bet.

It would make a great story wouldn’t it? The lowly Saints rose up from the doldrums surrounding Hurricane Katrina and a dead end franchise to capture a division title and a Super Bowl breathing life back into a decimated community. Let’s not count our chickens before they hatch. There’s no doubt that the Saints have virtually crossed an ocean to get to this point, but are they ready to beat an Eagles team which has been to the big game?

The Saints have just one playoff win in their 40-year history coming at home back in 2000 against the St. Louis Rams, but it wasn’t experience that got them to this point and I don’t think experience will be the determining factor in this game. If it is, then we should chalk one up for Philly. In this game, the offenses will shine, as they have all season long for the top two offenses in the NFL.

Drew Brees led the NFL with 4,418 passing yards and finished second in the MVP voting to L.T. Three-time Pro Bowler Jeff Garcia has returned to Pro Bowl form after losing the starting job in Detroit. Both of these players have made all the big plays for their respective teams to get them to this point, but this game could come down to which team can mount the best ground attack.

New Orleans ranks just twenty-third in the league against the run allowing 128.9 yards per game. Brian Westbrook is coming off his best game ever in the playoffs rushing for 141 yards and a touchdown. Perhaps, Westbrook will be Philly’s best opportunity to torch the Saints’ defense.

Philly has shared much of the same fate against the run this season. The Eagles rank twenty-sixth in the league against the run and will have to deal with 1,000 yard rusher Deuce McAllister and Reggie Bush this week. Perhaps, the Saints will try to establish the run to set up the pass and that will be their key to victory.

These teams last met earlier this season back in mid-October down in New Orleans with the Saints prevailing 27-24 on a John Carney field goal in the closing seconds. Both Philly and New Orleans are different teams now. That was when the Saints were unbeaten at home winning their first three games in New Orleans before losing four of their last five. That was when McNabb was still under center for the Eagles. It was Philly’s first loss of a stretch where it would lose five of six games.

At that time, these teams were pretty evenly matched as the game on October fifteenth would indicate. Now, one team clearly has the edge over the other and it just might not be who you’d expect. Make sure you’re on board with Jimmy Boyd for Saturday night’s NFC Divisional Playoff Best Bet. If you’re looking for that one big time winner this weekend, Jimmy Boyd has it.

Online slot machines are a game of chance, enjoyed by millions of people around the world. Online slots require no skill, are loads of fun, and have the potential to generate a lot of money (especially if you hit the jackpot). No wonder online slot machines are so popular! Would you like to increase your chances of winning big with online slots? Then I recommend following these tips.

Tips for winning on online slot machines

1) Set a budget

Setting a budget will help protect you in times of long losing streaks. Don’t gamble more than you can afford to lose. Setting a profit cut off is a great idea as well. As soon as your profits reach this amount, stop betting and enjoy your profits.

2) Understand the rules of your machine

This will help you play the right amount of coins for the best payout. Which machine offers better rules? Which machine offers better odds? Don’t just play any machine, play the machine that is best suited to you.

3) Play maximum coins

Jackpots only get paid when players bet maximum coins. Some jackpots are so large that they are often life changing. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to win massive jackpots. Imagine missing out on thousands of dollars because you didn’t bet 2 dollars more!

4) Play video poker

Video poker is a form of online slots. The big difference is that, if you play correctly, you can put the odds in your favor. Learn how to play video poker, put the odds in your favor, and you have a much better chance of winning.

You have three choices in regards to online slot machines. Ordinary slot machines allow you to play for jackpots and have a lot of fun. Progressive slot machines offer massive payouts, but at the same time, your chances of winning them aren’t very large. Finally, if you want to win more consistently, you can play video poker. If I could chose only one online slot machine, I’d almost certainly play video poker.

Underdog or favorite? It’s a choice we make everyday throughout the Soccer season. While there are certainly times when favorites warrant our attention, my experience tells me that betting underdogs is the best way to make money in soccer betting. Here are 5 reasons why you should pay special attention to the dogs every season.

1. Not every win is created equal

Favorites Odds tends to be on the low side ranging from 1.70-1.85. It doesn’t serve much value especially if you are betting big considering you risk $1000 on a singles even if you did win, you only managed a $700 to $825 profit. With a 3 bets/per day system which I’m adopting a typical scenario of 1 win 1 draw and 1 loss situation would result in a viguorish loss of $150-$300. However if you are betting on underdogs the odds tends to range from $1.975-$2.15 with the scenario of 1 win 1 draw and 1 loss situation would result in minimal viguorish loss or more often a profit due to the value odds.

2. Underdogs don’t get any respect!

They don’t get it from the public, sometimes leading to higher than deserved spreads. More importantly, they don’t get it from their opposition. Good teams can sometimes take bad teams lightly (especially if players and coaches minds are on other things, like next week’s tougher opponent). Research and an understanding of historical trends can reveal great situations in which underdogs are poised for an upset.

3. The Public Can’t Help Itself

The average bettor loves the popular teams (favorites), often times pushing lines unreasonably high. In fact, almost every week, with the right research, you can spot teams that should be favorites but are getting points against a popular team that has been installed as a favorite due to the public “bandwagon effect”?

4. Got Courage?

Most bettors don’t have the courage to go with certain underdogs. They see a (perceived) good team versus a (perceived) bad team and assume it won’t be a contest. They have formed an opinion about how horrible some teams are based on a recent blowout or past personal gambling loss. Again, with the right combination of statistical and situational research, some undervalued dogs can be spotted each week. There are also certain situations in which bad teams have historically and reliably outperformed their average. Match that with a historically-proven situation in which favorites under-perform and you have yourself a reliable upset scenario.

5.What It All Means

Obviously just playing all underdogs is not the answer (that would yield you approximately 50% wins and a negative account balance). However, with the right research, you can spot some very high-value underdog winners each week.

It’s hard to believe that No.8 seed Edmonton is in the East Conference Finals but they have proved to everybody they deserve to be there and they want to keep proving it and get all the way to the finals.

Edmonton barely made it into the playoffs but they have made a lot of noise since they did. The Oilers shut down the powerful Red Wings for a stunning first-round upset and then rolled over San Jose with four straight wins after dropping the first two.

Edmonton is one of the fastest teams in the league and they are taking advantage of that and finding a way to win with it. On the other side they might be concern of the size of the Ducks that can take advantage of that plus Edmonton doesn’t have as many natural scorers as Anaheim; which could hurt them in the offensive department. They’ll have to be concerned with Roloson as well because he tends to give up a lot of rebounds and that might mean more goals for the Ducks.

Meanwhile the Ducks has displayed an incredible playoff performance as they left out Calgary in a seven game war and sweep Colorado in four games. Now they will face Edmonton in the Conference Finals.

The Mighty Ducks use their quickness and strength to force turnovers and they have big players who create traffic in front of the other team’s net. Anaheim’s most important asset these days seems to be its penalty kill which destroyed Colorado in round two.

But they have a few weakness, they have tended to be a little sluggish early in games and have found themselves trailing after the first period on more than one occasion. That could be dangerous against the Oilers.

The comeback of their star Teemu Selanne has kept the offense with a good rhythm and he’s made a few important goals to help his team to be where they are.

If you are a hockey fan don’t miss the opportunity to enjoy these playoffs a little more by betting on them. Most sportsbooks will have lines and props for this playoffs series. Do some homework and take your winner pick on the road to the Stanley Cup.

Is it any wonder his teammates hate Cedric Benson?

I mean, sure, Michael Strahan’s an idiot, and was rightly lampooned in the press for his tirade against a (female) ESPN reporter over words Strahan himself said. But Strahan’s also known as a relatively jovial fellow who has a lot of fans, a lot of sacks, and a lot of supporters in the Giants’ locker room. He’s probably not a Hall-of-Famer yet, but he’s in the conversation.

Who the hell is Cedric Benson? Up to this very moment, here are Benson’s lifetime NFL statistics: 156 rushes for 584 yards (a mediocre 3.7 yards per carry), four touchdowns, and just over 30 yards rushing per game. Benson probably could’ve been a bigger part of the Chicago Bears’ offense last season, his rookie year, if he hadn’t held out of training camp because he wanted more money. He watched the second half of a preseason game this fall from the locker room instead of the sidelines, because he claimed he didn’t know it was a rule that he had to be, y’know, with his teammates. And he’s pretty much done nothing but complain and act like a completely entitled athlete from the moment he was interviewed by Stuart Scott at the ‘05 Draft, when Scott asked him to compare himself to another recent University of Texas alumnus, Ricky Williams, and Benson acted like a surly idiot claiming he was nothing like the mercurial Williams, when it was well known that Williams was Benson’s hero in college.

Here are Benson’s latest comments, made during a radio interview this week. “My relationship with (Bears’ starting running back Thomas) Jones has kind of been the same, we’re not friends. Me coming in was something heavy for him to deal with in his career. I’m supportive of him, all for him doing good. I really learned that when you get to the NFL, it’s not like high school or college, but the best players don’t always get on the field.”

I ask you: what the hell good can come of this? Thomas Jones is having his second straight superb year. In 2005, he rushed for 1,335 yards and nine touchdowns; this year, he’s on pace for 1,375 yards. His career yards-per-carry is 4.0, and last year he logged in at 4.3. Watch a Bears game sometime: there is absolutely no question who the more talented running back is. Jones is a tough mofo who does anything, can run in the middle, can bang it outside, can catch passes, and can block. Benson is a guy who dances and cuts too much, has a good nose for the goal line, but has caught five passes in 10 games, and has had his blocking skills questioned. There’s absolutely no argument to be made that Benson should be playing more, let alone that he’s a “better player” than Jones. So the factual content of the statement is, well, not so factual. But then there’s the “teammate” factor. Why the hell does Benson need to make it known that he’s not friends with Jones? Or that he’s sure he’s a better player, and just not getting a chance to show it? Just who the hell is Cedric Benson?

The Bears locker room has been anti-Benson since his holdout, and these comments aren’t going to change that. Trust me: there’s a lot of eye-rolling and sneering going on today among Chicago players.

Well that settles that. USC throttles Notre Dame, and worries about an Ohio State vs. Michigan rematch are put to bed. I mean, that is what’s going to happen, right? Or do you give UCLA a puncher’s chance on Saturday?

BoDog Bookmakers, BoDog.ws: Well that’s why they play the games; there are some nights when the unthinkable happens. I don’t think UCLA wins this week, because USC is playing great football. The worst thing that could happen is Pete Carroll’s team starts looking ahead to the BCS Championship and has a letdown game, but I don’t think the coach will let that happen.

List the AFC teams that are better than every single NFC team. How many do you wind up with?

BDB, BoDog.ws: Colts, New England, San Diego, Baltimore and now that Kansas City has focused on the run, they could cause problems for any NFC team. The balance of power has really shifted, much like the early ’90s when the NFC Championship game was the “real” Super Bowl; this year’s AFC title game could be looked at in the same way. The dominance is obvious, with the AFC holding a 32-20 record over the NFC in head-to-head games.

With five weeks left in the season, it looks as though Detroit, Arizona and Oakland may be the teams to duke it out for the #1 pick in the 2007 NFL Draft. It’s obviously early, but with the college season fresh in our minds, can you give a sense who each of these teams would take if they had the top overall pick?

BDB, BoDog.ws: Detroit could’ve drafted Matt Leinart last year, but passed on him. If they get the #1 pick next time around, you can bet they won’t make the same mistake, and will take a quarterback. Arizona needs a lot of help on the offensive line, but it’s been 10 years since an offensive lineman has been selected first overall. Like the Lions, Oakland needs a quarterback, and Brady Quinn is the best choice. Quinn isn’t a typical Raider, but considering how the “typical” Raiders have been playing, that might be a good thing.

What’s kind of handle do you expect for the SEC title game? Big? Enormous? Gargantuan? Will it be the weekend’s biggest play for bettors? Does the Big 12 game measure up? USC? The ACC?

BDB, BoDog.ws: We’re expecting a big handle on all the games you mention this weekend, not only because they’re great match-ups, but also because there will only be a handful of games to bet on. Thus far, the largest handle has been coming in on the USC/UCLA game, with the SEC title game in a close second. The ACC is the only real standout game in the morning, so it should draw bettors’ attention early.