Gambling

Pay no attention to practice. Don’t even look at qualifying. Heck, you might as well even throw out past results. We’re headed to Talladega.

The tools of our particular trade don’t work at plate tracks. It doesn’t do us any good to wait through Friday’s two practices, or Saturday’s qualifying and Happy Hour. During all these driving sessions, the Nextel Cup cars will either be riding completely on their own, in which case they’ll be going several miles per hour slower than during the race (when they’ll bunch in aerodynamic packs), or they’ll be darting in and out of traffic, and you won’t know whose times reflect a solo act, and whose came in the draft. The only thing qualifying is good for this weekend is trying to keep a driver up front at the beginning of the race, just in case the field wrecks on Lap 1.

Oh, yes. The Big One. You can expect a pretty high number of cars to get caught up in a wreck not of their own making on Sunday. And while the fall ‘Dega race does tend to be a little more cautious than the spring event, you can bet at least one of the Chase participants will be interviewed in the garage while the race is still going on. It happens every year.

So what do we do as we try to handicap this race? Other than a few genuflections?

For me, contrary to how I handicap just about every other event on the Smokeless Set, anecdotal evidence is best. It doesn’t really matter to me that Jeff Gordon finished 15th in the Aaron’s 499 here in May, because I know that Gordon led the most laps (62) and was well nigh dominant until the final two circuits around this leviathan track, whereupon everyone else in the field decided Gordon was radioactive and wouldn’t draft with him (because he was going to, y’know, win), so, friendless, he dropped way back. Nor does it matter that Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished 31st, because he was a threat to win through much of the race before his engine blew late. It is worth noting that Tony Stewart was (contrary to his behavior at just about every other track) perhaps the smartest driver in that last Talladega race, sitting back and playing possum for the first 450 miles and then suddenly coming to life in time to charge up and almost win the thing (he finished second, behind Jimmie Johnson). That’s worth filing away, for sure.

So handicapping this one’s going to take experience and guile, and a ton of dumb luck. A guy can have the fastest car at a plate track and finish 20th. Easily. It’s about who’s got teammates who’ll help push him to the front at the end, who’s got experience staying out of the big wrecks, and who’s got horsepower enough to make a big push when it counts. Let’s take a look at the best bets for this super-fast superspeedway event.

Last Week: Kansas has always plagued me; it’s a normal track that seems to breed strange results. Jimmie Johnson should’ve won the event (I didn’t pick him), but he and most of the other fast cars fell out of step on fuel mileage, and had to pit one extra time (and then Johnson sped on Pit Road). So Tony Stewart won the race having run out of gas on the last lap; he coasted at granny speed across the finish line. In our head-to-head bet, unfortunately, stupid Kasey Kahne stalled his car in the pits during the race’s final refueling, which allowed Kevin Harvick to get around him. My TV almost got kicked-in after that one, let me tell you. Anyway, so we came up empty last week, netting a negative 1.5 units. For the year, we still stand at a positive 17.27 units, so it’s not really that bad, right?

Note: Please check back for our head-to-head selection of the week either late on Saturday or early on Sunday, depending when the online books post their odds. Thanks.

Take Jimmie Johnson (5-1), 1/6th unit. Johnson is the favorite this weekend, and with good reason. He won the Daytona 500 this February, and captured the Aaron’s 499 on this very track back in May. His only restrictor-plate blemish of the season came in the summer Daytona race, where he finished 32nd because of a crash. Certainly, J.J. is edgy this weekend, because he had a good enough car to win at Kansas, which would’ve made up some ground in the Chase; here’s hoping he doesn’t do anything stupid at the beginning (or middle) of this race. The good news for Johnson is that he’s not a Chase leader, so no one’s going to refuse to draft with him on the grounds that he’s a threat to the championship (not at this point, anyway), and also he’s likely to have some teammates up near the front to help him, if it comes to that.

Take Tony Stewart (6-1), 1/6th unit. Smoke has been the best and most consistent plate-track driver so far in 2006. He came second in the Daytona 500, first in the summer Daytona race, and second here at Talladega this spring. He’s got a little Ricky Bobby in him, for sure, but an eerie calm seems to take over in Tony the Tiger’s mind when the Smokeless Set comes to Talladega; whereas in just about every other race, Stewart’s constantly beating and banging cars out of his way as soon as the green flag drops, at the plate tracks Stewart has taken to staying near the back and out of trouble for most of the race, and then charging forward when he needs it. Stewart didn’t even qualify for the Chase, so no one near the front is going to have a problem drafting with him (in fact, he’s likely to be the most popular drafting partner among all the best cars), and I think that could net him his first Talladega win ever.

Take Brian Vickers (30-1), 1/6th unit. This one’s a little outside the box, but hear me out. Vickers finished third here in Talladega in May, and might have won if he hadn’t hung his teammate, Jeff Gordon (8-1), out to dry with two laps to go. That was a lapse in judgment — it came in a split-second — that may have contributed to Vickers’s dismissal from Hendrick Motorsports (you don’t sabotage the boss, Brian). Vickers also finished seventh and 18th at Daytona, giving him the fourth-best plate-track finishing average for 2006. He, like Stewart, is no threat to the Chase participants, so he could find himself cast in the role of sexy drafting partner. The only rub would be that one assumes his soon-to-be-ex-teammates might not have a ton of incentive to see him gather his first Cup win in his sixth-to-last race as a Hendrick driver. Still, as long shots go, I like this bet a lot.

For those serious about their online poker experience, the following tips are designed to help the novice avoid the traps used by more experienced online poker players.

1. Online Poker Chat

The online poker chat can be a valuable tool to shake the novice player. Experienced players use the chat feature to take the novice player off their game by providing a distraction. If you feel the need to trash talk or make friends you are better off finding a sports chat room or playing free online poker.

The online chat feature is a psychological tool used by the experienced player and can be effective in many ways. They may try to anger you, or “trash talk” you in order to get you into making bets out of spite, they can attempt to befriend you in order to make your betting more passive or they may even use it to gain extra information concerning your last bet. When asked about your last hand you should always lie! Do not give your fellow players any sort of edge and always keep them guessing. You are here to make money, not friends, keep that in mind when you are playing online poker.

Your best bet is to turn the chat off and focus on your winning strategy until you feel you can use the chat feature to take other players off their game.

2. Betting Help Software

All online poker rooms use random number generators to choose the cards presented to you. Right there you should see that any software that may be offered to you does not help.

There are sites all over the internet offering you their “winning software” or their mathematical formula to beat the odds, none of which work! In most cases they are selling you a random number generator of their own, making their odds and plays less reliable than your own. There is no such thing as an online card counter, the best way to win a game is to follow your strategy and play the hands you feel you have a chance at winning. There are no shortcuts that will make you a better player, spend your time building your understanding of the game through practice and reading.

Making yourself familiar with winning combinations and what are the best first draw cards will take you further than any software offered ever could. Play smart and play to win!

Playing AK or Big Slick may be one of the toughest hands to play for any poker player. Ace King should be played similar to the other premium hands AA, KK, QQ, and JJ. In any position, AK should be raised three or four times the big blind. Regardless of the flop, make a continuation bet about three quarters of the pot size. Understand that you will only hit a pair about one third of the time. The difficult decisions occur when you miss the flop and your opponent decides to call your continuation bet. What are you supposed to do now? There is no simple answer to this question. Before you entered this pot, you should have had a read on your opponent. How often does your opponent call a bet on the flop and then fold to a bet on the turn? If your opponent folds to a bet on the turn very often, fire out another bet. If your opponent rarely folds to a bet on the turn, you should play cautiously. You don’t want to bet into a player who won’t lay his hand down.

On the river, you have to decide if you want to bluff. If your opponent folds to a bet on the river very often, go ahead and bet. Many times while playing AK, you will have very difficult decisions. Prepare for these difficult decisions by using your powers of observation. AK can be a hand where you will be forced to play your opponent rather than your own hand. Pay attention to every detail of your opponent’s play. Does he usually play low cards or high cards? If the flop is high and he usually plays low cards, it may be smart to bluff. There is a lot to think about when you are playing AK. Get a read on your opponent and AK will be easier to play than AA.

NFC Northern Division:

1) Chicago: da’Bears made the playoffs by breaking out with an 11-6 record last year which was their first winning season since 2001 and figure to battle a now healthy Packer team for the divisional crown this season. In truth these Bears were able to win the divisional crown last year because of the fact that the rest of the division had a very down year as evidenced by GB, Detroit, and Minny combining for a shoddy 18-30 record in 2005. Chicago had a very strong defense last season and good play on that side of the ball will be needed again this year if they want to match last years win total. The Bears have a lot of question marks on an offense that ranked a shoddy 29th overall last year and it starts with QB Rex Grossman’s ability to stay off the injury list, as an insurance policy Chicago brought in Brian Griese to back up Grossman. The Bears also have disgruntled RB Thomas to deal with and a possible training camp injury to starting RB Cedric Benson. Projected record: 10-6

**Look to play AGAINST these Bears in their Monday Night game on October 16th at Arizona, the Cards are only the 2nd playoff caliber team the Bears will have faced at this point in the season. Brand new Cardinal Stadium will surely be rocking and rolling since this is the Cards first MNF appearance since 1999, its also nice to know that four of the Bears six losses from a year ago occurred when playing on the road.

2) Green Bay: Never mind the fact that QB Brett Favre finished last year ranked a very shoddy 14th out of 16 starting NFC Quarterbacks in terms of QB rating and threw an eye opening 29 interceptions against 20 TD’s, they begged him to come back, instead the blame was placed solely on HC Mike Sherman. The Packer organization fired HC Mike Sherman for having a 4-12 season last year after he had posted winning seasons in each of his first five years in Packer land and had made the playoffs in each of the four seasons prior to last year. The truth of the matter is that GB suffered serious injuries to key players on both sides of the ball last year and especially on offense where virtually every starting skill position had players succumb to injury except for QB Brett Favre and WR Donald Driver. In Sherman’s place the Packers hired first time HC Mike McCarthy who will look like a genius in winning 10 or 11 games this year, all because the Packers will be healthy once again and were able to pick high in the draft which allowed them to snag linebacker A.J. Hawk with the 5th overall selection, the free agent signing of CB Charles Woodson should shore up the Packer defensive secondary as well. Projected record: 10-6

**Look to play ON these Packers in their October 8th home game against the visiting Rams, St Louis will be playing on the road for the 3rd time in a 4 week span and has a divisional battle versus Seattle on deck, meanwhile, according to the ole history book GB is a perfect 4-0 ATS in their last 4 home games against NFC West teams.

3) Minnesota: These Vikings are one of three teams in this division to bring in a new first time head coach to take the helm with the hiring of HC Brad Childress. The Vikes have won 9 games each of the past three seasons which is really a middle of the road kind of performance, not bad enough to garner top draft picking and not good enough to consistently make the playoffs, hence the reason for HC Mike Tice’s firing (finally!!). For a second straight year the Vikings let a franchaise player get away with the loss of QB Duante Culpepper to Miami and will start 38 year old journeyman QB Brad Johnson who played very well for the Vikes during the second half of last season following Culpepper’s knee injury. Minny had a terrible draft and really didn’t help themselves much in free agency other than the acquisition of RB Chester Taylor and LG Steve Hutchinson to bolster the running game. The Vikes are an aging team with a new first time HC who is installing all new schemes and it adds up to a sub par season. Projected record: 6-10

**Look to play ON these Vikings when they visit Buffalo on October 1st, the Bills will be coming off three straight divisional games and thus will experience a natural let down in this situation, Minny will probably be getting a couple of points and its nice to know that Minny has covered 4 of their last 5 games ATS following a game against the hated Bears.

4) Detroit: What is up with this Lion organization, when are they going to wake up and get rid of GM Matt Millen? Millen was nothing more than a former player who had a broad casting gig with Fox Sports, he had no coaching experience at all nor did he have any front office experience. Yet Millen was hired to assume the GM Duties following the Lions 9-7 season in 2000. Since Millen’s arrival in Detroit the Lions have not had a winning season nor have they won more than 6 games in any single year over the past five seasons under his guidance. Its head shaking stuff that in Millen’s five years in Detroit the Lions have posted a shoddy combined mark of 21-59 and yet he is still the GM! This year the Lions will start their 3rd head coach since Millen took over, this time around they start a brand new HC that has never held the head position (Rod Marinelli). In the big picture these Lions have a brand new first time HC, they have the “mad bomber” Mike Martz installing his complicated offense, they have a new QB under center, and they have a losing mentality to overcome, add it all up and it equals yet another losing year for the Lion faithful. Projected record: 4-12

**Look to play the UNDER when Detroit visits St Louis on October 1st, both teams are in transition with new first time HC’s who want to control the game’s tempo by using the running game, meanwhile, the public will in all likelihood expect a high scoring affair because that is usually what they got in Ram home games.

Theory

The flop can often be a fairly easy bet to play, compared to the blind pre-flop betting and the agonizing decisions you’ll make on the turn.

By analyzing the texture of the flop (this is a key term and idea in hold’em), you’ll be able to make a lot of educated guess concerning how you stack up against your opponents.

The way you do this, in a nutshell, is first by assessing your own hand, of course. Generally, three things can happen to you on the flop. They are the following:

1. Good Flop: You’ve hit high pair with a good kicker, pulled a set, or perhaps even hit a straight or flush. Flops which have both flush and straight opportunities, along with high pairs (thus giving you many outs, or ways to improve your hand) also fall in this category.

2. Middling Flop: You’re middle pair, or high pair with a low kicker, or on a straight or flush draw. Basically, these are flops which don’t put you in the driver’s seat right away, but which have a decent chance of improving.

3. Bad Flop: We all know these flops. Too well. Let’s start off with an example. You’re in late position with Ad-Kd against a bunch of aggressive players. The pot’s already huge, and you’re headed for a big play. Then the flop comes 7c-5h-Qc. A worse flop is hard to imagine. Another example–4h-5h pocket draws a Kc-As-Js flop. Uh-uh. Try again next time.

Once you’ve figured out what your possibilities are (this takes about 2.5 seconds for an experienced player), it’s time to put together how the flop went for the other guys. This is where hold’em becomes a lot like detective work, with a whole bunch of inductive reasoning.

This reasoning is the most crucial aspect of successful hold’em play.

It’s absolutely essential that you devote yourself to a careful study of your opponents’ probable holdings. This includes careful concentration on the betting at all stages. However, the first-round betting and the cards showing aren’t the only clues you have to go on.

The popularity of televised poker tournaments has led many people to want to get involved with high stakes poker. However, it’s often difficult to find a place to play since there are few locations with casinos and its often expensive and time consuming to travel to some place like Las Vegas. The solution is to play high stakes poker online. There are numerous poker rooms on the Internet and the more are opening every day. The best of these poker rooms offer numerous opportunities to play for high stakes.

You can choose to play high stakes poker at an individual table or in one of the many tournaments offered. You can register for free at one of these sites and find a variety of options available for making your deposits. You can register for free at one of these sites and find a variety of options available for making your deposits. Your account is 100% secure and your privacy is always protected. The best part is that you can play high stakes poker any time you want from anywhere you want. There is no travel involved and no hotel rooms to rent.

When you play high stakes poker in a top poker room there will be no pressure involved. You can play as long as you want and quit any time. You can also play in single and multi-table tournaments and win big money with very reasonable buy-ins. There is a great new world out there for poker players, so why not give it a try.

Gambling is one of those increasingly common marriage problems that are often over looked despite over 50% of compulsive gamblers having been divorced. As with many bad habits, gambling has a real negative impact on family life with the habit often leading to serious financial problems as well as neglect of partners and children and sometimes proving to be a catalyst for abuse.

The National Gambling Impact Study Commission reported that more than 15 million Americans have a serious gambling problem often generated from boredom, a need for change, the adrenalin rush or as a result of marital or family conflicts. Gambling is becoming an ever increasing marriage problem and it’s a bad habit that has serious consequences with regard to family and personal life.

Very few people have any kind of understanding of the devastating impact that the gambling habit can have. Gambling is one bad habit that if it grabs a hold it takes over your entire life, wrecks you marriage, alienates your family, leaves you in financial ruin and destroys your life. Like alcohol abuse, gambling is often a root cause for domestic violence and child abuse. Gambling starts as just a bad habit, something that you do when you’ve got some spare time but it quickly worms its way into your routine and becomes and all encompassing and hard to break addiction that rules your life.

The escalating habit has been made worse with gambling becoming even more common as a result of the onset of internet gambling. There are now around 1,700 gambling websites all vying for business and just waiting to encourage more and more people into the regular gambling routine. Online gambling is a really bad habit to get into with the 24/7 access from the comfort of your own home, the loss of the sense of reality when gambling away money and the ease at which the gamblers can add more funds.

Research has shown that online gamblers are more likely have the most serious gambling habits / addictions and the families of those addicted suffering a greater intrusion into their everyday lives.

If you want to begin gambling at any one of the online casinos found on the Internet, there are a few things you should be made aware of. For one thing, not all online casinos are created equal—not only do casinos differ in terms of rules and regulations, but just like the traditional brick and mortar casinos, different online casinos will offer up different forms of gambling entertainment. Also, not every online casino is created as an “honest and forthright” gambling institution and the Internet gambler needs to keep a wary eye open for online casino scams.

First, when you visit an online casino it is not wise to immediately sign up for an account just because the website offers the type of gambling entertainment you love, nor is it wise to sign up because an online casino website offer seems particularly appealing. Rather, it becomes necessary for Internet gamblers to do a little research about the casino they are considering, before they create and account. In doing so, the Internet gambler will be taking preemptive measures to protect their hard earned money and to make sure that their gambling endeavors remain entertaining.

Internet gamblers should review every inch of an online casino’s website—not a page should be missed. Why? It is important to become familiar with the rules, regulations, game offerings, specials and bonuses that the online casino offers. Signing up for an account at an online casino before reviewing the information on their website is imprudent. Moreover, an Internet gambler should take the time to compare the online casino they are considering with other online casinos? Why? Quite simply—the gambler may find Internet casinos with more diverse gaming, better terms and conditions, or better bonuses.

Alternatively, if a gambler finally decides to sign up for an account with any online casino, one should engage in regular monitoring of their casino account. There have been instances in which gamblers were not correctly paid, and in some instances, players have been locked out of their accounts without further explanation. Thus, a wary eye must be kept on any casino one signs on with.

In the end, a little comparative shopping is in order. Internet users should read online casino reviews and news and keep alert to various scams on the Internet. As long as gamblers take measures to protect themselves, they will find that online casino gambling can be quite an enjoyable pastime.

These are the most popular and highest-rated websites that offer free poker games online.

Holdempoker.com enables players to choose and learn to play Texas Holdem Poker, Omaha, and other poker games for free. You can play Limit, Pot Limit or No Limit and Ring Games and Freerolls, as well as sharpen your skills and strategies on the various micro-limit tables before you start to play for real money. You can download the poker software from their website (versions for Windows, Mac, and Linux available).

Planetpoker.com offers free poker software that allows you to join other players for a game of poker online. While playing, you can earn Planet Points that you can use to buy into tournaments or to redeem merchandise at the Planet Points Store. You can also earn money by referring other people or by becoming an affiliate and linking to the site if you’re a webmaster.

Cardplayer.com is a completely free Play-Money poker site for beginners to experts. However, you have to register on the website, download the software, and subscribe to Card Player Newsletter before you can start playing any free games. The website also offers real prizes.

Pokerstars.com rewards people for choosing to play on the site by giving out Frequent Player Points (FPPs) and the opportunity to participate in exclusive VIP Freerolls. The FPPs can be used to purchase consumer goods at the higher level of the VIP Club and to buy directly into the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure, the European Poker Tour, and the main event at the World Series of Poker at the highest level.

Whether you call it Pontoon, 21, or an investment. Blackjack is easy to learn and even easier to play. The aim of Blackjack is to accumulate a winning hand of 21, or as close to 21, without going over (bust.) That’s all there is to it. No flushes, straights or trying to outsmart the other players, who, like you, are all just trying to beat the Blackjack dealer.

Despite its simplicity (Blackjack is truly accessible to all); some players inevitably try to complicate Blackjack. For all the talk of systems and odds, all you need to know is how to win and how to avoid losing! Here’s how it works: Two cards are dealt to every player and play moves from the dealers left – each participant elects whether to hit (take another card,) stand (play with the cards they were dealt,) or surrender, in which case they fold at the cost of half their original bet. Once all the participants have finished hitting, the dealer plays his hand and pays out to players who beat his score.

The good news is: Blackjack dealers are bound by the house rules; you’re not. For example, dealers stand on all 17’s. In other words, he’ll keep hitting until he reaches or exceeds 17. If he draws a king and a six, he’s bound by convention to play on, while you’ve got the get-out clause of an early surrender.

The better news is: you can ‘Double Down’ and double your winnings! Double your bet on a potentially winning deal, provided you can hit once and stand. You can even ‘Split Your Pairs’ and double your chances! If you’re dealt two cards of identical value, split them and play two hands for the price of one!

The best news is: in Blackjack, you can win big and win quickly. Blackjack is the name and the aim of the game. A Blackjack is a total of 21 in your initial deal; a picture card / ace combination. A blackjack can only be beaten by a dealer’s blackjack. Any other score of 21 just won’t cut it.

Blackjack is a truly elegant game: uncomplicated enough to engage players, but sufficiently captivating to keep them coming back - once you start playing Blackjack, you might just find you can’t stop. Blackjack is enjoyable, exhilarating, and instantly compelling. No wonder it’s played and enjoyed the whole world over.