Gambling

I’m not someone who looks at handicapping trends, but what do we find after the first two weeks of NFL preseason? Games have gone under the total by a whopping 20-11-1 count! It has been an under paradise thus far. However, before we jump all over every under this weekend, note that the unders were 12-4-1 the first week, but only 8-7 in Week 2.

Suddenly those unders are not so sizzling. Part of what is happening is that oddsmakers adjust. The Detroit Lions have new offensive schemes, with new quarterbacks and a new offensive coordinator in Mike Martz. Martz brings a more vertical passing attack to the table, as opposed to last season’s boring (and unproductive West Coast offense). The Lions total was 37 and a half in Week 1, but was 33 in Week 2. They sailed under the total in a 20-13 win in the opener, but slipped over this past weekend in a 20-16 win. That’s only 3 more points scored in their games, but it was enough to get them over the total via the adjustment.

Another thing that’s happening is that defenses truly are ahead of the offenses this time of the season. Offenses take a long time to gel, with quarterbacks learning the timing patterns of their receivers, offensive linemen learning their blocking assignments, and everyone learning new plays. Some teams are learning brand new playbooks as there are 10 new head coaches in the NFL.

Scoring did take an increase in Week 2. It’s going to be interesting to see what happens this week, as teams in Week 3 of the preseason give their starters the biggest workout. Overall, having the offense out there longer helps the offense develop more than having the defensive starters on the field longer.

For perspective, a year ago the unders led 9-7 in Week 1 of the NFL preseason then evened out at 8-8 in Week 2. In Week 3, with the starters playing more, the unders still ruled 10-6, while in Week 4 the overs bounced back 10-6. Starters don’t play that much in Week 4. This is why tracking trends and patterns can be difficult and at times even confusing. It is best to be patient and use handicapping objectivity.

It’s more important to look at each individual team. For instance, the Cleveland Browns have a lot of problems on offense, with a trio of young quarterbacks and serious offensive line injuries. The Miami Dolphins have given up a ton of passing yards in two preseason games and notice they have injury problems to the secondary. Rookie Jason Allen split time between safety and cornerback last week as coach Nick Saban said, “Because we don’t have any cornerbacks left!”

The Redskins are 0-2 SU/ATS in preseason. Joe Gibbs was disgusted in a post-game news conference after losing to the Jets. “I’m concerned about the team,” Gibbs said. “You’ve got to play good as a team, and we’re not. I couldn’t pick out one positive thing.” Washington has a new offensive system brought in by Al Saunders from Kansas City, as well. Saunders’ play-calling has been conservative and his unit’s execution has been inconsistent. Pieces like that are far more important to finding wagering angles than any betting trend.

Chuck A Luck is a gambling game that employs three dice and a wire cage or cone-shaped chute. The dice used are standard six-sided cubes numbered from 1 to 6 at each side. The chute, which can be made of either leather or metal, is usually called a ‘horn’.

The use of metal chutes in the game of Chuck A Luck is associated with the so-called tinhorn gamblers, who were actually gamblers with little money, thus the choice of metal over the higher-priced leather. An early version of the game was played by the dice being thrown or “chucked” - hence the name. A heavy welded metal birdcage device eventually became the standard use where only the dealers are allowed to turn the cage.

The Chuck A Luck cage has been loosely interchanged by many with any birdcage tumbler. This is only true on the basis of the game’s definition as long as there are three dice in the cage. Cages are also used for other games such as High/Low (Under and Over) but with a different number of dice.

Origins of Gambling and Gaming in the US

Long before casinos came to be, card, dice and gaming table possession were outlawed in some places. As time passed, laws were relaxed to allow casual gaming or games for purely recreational purposes and not for trade. However, general hostility toward professional gamblers took a long time to go away and sometimes resulted in lynching.

There were places, however, that accepted gambling as a harmless form of recreational activity. Legal gambling took the form of card, dice and animal racing games that were perceived to be proper gentlemen’s diversion. The wide appeal of gambling is attributed to its association with the frontier spirit, which relies on high expectations, risk-taking and opportunism.

Lotteries were widespread and used mainly to raise revenues. Some of the earliest and most prestigious universities such as Harvard and Yale were established using proceeds coming from lotteries. Dice and card games in taverns and roadhouses slowly initiated casino gaming. Casinos were established as the population increased.

During the highest point of California gambling, Faro was the most popular game played in saloons; followed by several dice games such as high/low, chuck a luck and grand hazard. The spread of settlers beyond California expedited the spread of gambling as well. Since then, laws have been enacted across the country in a bid to bestow respectability and recognition of legal gambling.

Origins of Chuck A Luck

Chuck A Luck is an old game that originated in English pubs. It was then known as “Sweat Cloth” and was introduced in the US sometime around 1800 as “Sweat”. It also became known by several other names such as “Chucker Luck”, “Chuck-Luck” and “Chuck” during the mid-to-late 1800’s. It was only after 1900 that it was called “Birdcage” and eventually “Chuck A Luck”.

“Sweat” was played using a cup and three dice, which were thrown. Due to allegations of cheating by operators in the use of weighted or trick-shaped dice and the practice of trick dice throwing, the cup was replaced by a birdcage-like device which was flipped several times by the dealer and displayed the results when the cage stopped and the dice dropped.

Chuck A Luck took a more advanced form through “Grand Hazard”, another type of dice game. The main difference lies in the layout. At present, the game can be found only in a handful of casinos worldwide, overshadowed by more recent versions of the simple dice game. Casino dice games have indeed come a long way, considering that tossing up dice holds traces of the ancient cult, being associated with the rituals of fortune telling.

If you are a gambler, and you enjoy sports, chances are you’ve bet on football at some time in your life. If you love football, and you have never played fantasy football, you’ll want to check into this fun and unique way to gamble on your favorite sport that doesn’t involve a bookie.

The popularity of fantasy football has exploded in the past five years. Over 15 million Americans play this amazing game today. Newsstands are littered with magazines about the game, and if you search “fantasy football” on the Internet, hundreds of pages will pop up, with thousands of web sites, dedicated to providing information on how to play and statistics that will arm you with the tools for success.

The fun really begins, though, when you join a league, and you play against others week to week. Now, to get your gambling fix, you can play a variety of ways. First, most leagues have an entry fee to cover running the league (a few parties are always in order) and to create a prize fund. There is one Internet league called the Fantasy Football World Series that offers the winner $250,000. But you don’t need the Internet to feed your hunger for football or gambling.

Just find ten or eleven other gamblers, start your own league, and toss in fifty to one hundred dollars toward the prize fund. Voila, you’ve got $500 to $1,000 dollars to compete for. Now, if this isn’t enough, simply add a weekly pool into the mix. Get others in the league to throw in an extra ten to twenty dollars, and give the money to the team that scores the most points each week. If you’re creative, you can come up with many ways to bet on your fantasy football team.

Now, if you’re a real gambler, imagine paying one million dollars to join a fantasy football league. Your league has 16 teams, and it has added to the prize fund, through some investments over a ten-year span. Your league commissioner tells you that this season you are playing for a winner-take-all, lottery-sized prize of $30 million. All you have to do is select the best players in the NFL and win your fantasy football league. Are you trying to figure out the best way to increase your team’s advantage? Are dollar signs dancing through your head? What might someone, desperate to win, do to assure himself victory each week?

Want to find out how millionaire gamblers play fantasy football? Read The League — the only work of fiction every published about fantasy football. Learn more today at www.sportsnovels.com. Then, quench your own gambling thirst by joining a fantasy football league of your own. Unlike the members of The League, you don’t have to play for millions to have fun.