Gambling

Everyone who plays Texas Holdem knows that Ace-King is one of the very best starting hands. But, it is just that, a starting hand. It’s only 2 cards of a 7-card equation. In nearly every situation, you want to come out firing with A-K as your hole cards. (The exception would be when faced with a big raise from an early position bettor.) When the flop comes, you need to reassess your hand and think things through before you just assume your overcards are best.

Like many other situations in Texas Holdem, knowing your opponents will help you gauge your situation when you hold A-K and see a flop like 9-8-2. Since you bet preflop and were called, you assume your opponent is also holding good cards and the flop may have missed them as badly as it missed you. Your assumption will often times be correct, but they could be holding a pocket pair and be leading in the hand, or worse yet have pocket 9s, 8s, or 2s. Also, don’t forget that many poor players wouldn’t know good cards if they tripped over them and could have called with A-x and paired the board.

If your opponent checks, you could check and see a free card or make a bet and try to pick the pot up right there. If they bet, you could raise to see if they are for real or fold. What you want to avoid is simply calling your opponent’s bet to see what the turn brings. If any card other than and Ace or King hits, you won’t know any more information than you did after the flop. Let’s say the turn brings a 4 and your opponent bets again, what do you do? To call a bet on the flop you had to think your hand was the best, so you must surely think it still is. So, you call a bet on the turn and one more on the river to find out that your opponent was holding 10-8 and only had second pair after the flop. At that point, it dawns on you that a raise after the flop could have won the pot right then. Instead, you called and lost 3 more bets in the hopes of catching a miracle card or that your Ace high would hold up. If you would have raised on the flop and been called or reraised it would have only cost you 2 bets to learn more about the strength of your opponents hand.

Ace-King is a beautiful thing to see in your hole cards. Just be sure you play them wisely and they can bring you great happiness at the poker table.

For more information, check out www.4TexasHoldem.com.

Let it ride poker is fun and the ability to let your bet ride means that you have the thrill of making some big money to and this article is all about betting to win

The tips below can help you win the big pots you desire.

We will now consider what to do (bet) after you receive the first three cards, and follow up what to do when you receive the forth card.

With Let it Ride poker the basic strategic consideration is based around the first four cards, and the first two betting circles.

Here the player has to decide whether or not the first four cards are appropriate to let the bets “ride

The first decision takes place after you have received your first 3 cards from the dealer. You will know instantly if you have a chance or not.

Often no thinking is required!

Being dealt three of a kind, or the first three cards of a flush, or straight, will obviously dictate you to let it ride.

These can only get better, and turn into a full house, or four of a kind.

You may be dealt a good potential and, then follow the rules you see below.

1. Pair of tens or higher: Let it Ride. Minimum payout 1:1

2. Three of a Kind: Let it Ride. Minimum payout 3:1

3. Three cards to a Straight Flush: You can win in many ways, with a straight, flush, or even a straight flush. Let it Ride.

4. Three cards to a Royal Flush: Same as above. Let it Ride.

5. Three cards to a Flush/Possible Straight with two 10 value cards: Typically a weak hand. Don’t let it ride

6. Three card Flush with J, 9, 8, 10, 9, 7 or 10, 8, 7: Not as good as the other Let it Rides above, but full of real possibilities. Let it Ride, for the first 3 cards, wait for the 4th card betting.

7. K,Q,J or Q,J,10: As above, Let it Ride for the first 3 cards, decide on the 4ht, and second betting.

So now you are either out of game or letting it ride and waiting for the 4th card.

Now you will see the dealer’s exposed card.

As in the previous example, when you see the first exposed card, and you have a “made” hand, you need not think to Let it Ride or not.

Where you have a guaranteed pair of 10s or better, you just Let it Ride.

Most of the time you will have “maybe” hands which need to turned into winners.

The hands with potential are known as playable hands.

If you don’t have a playable hand, you must remove the second bet, and put it back into your stake. Here are the playable hands. Let them Ride

Four of a Kind. A guaranteed winner, pay-out is 50-1

Three of a Kind. Again guaranteed with a payout of 3-1 for each of your bets. Also it can get better.

Two Pair. Still guaranteed winner, pay-out at 2-1It can also improve. Pair of 10’s or better. It can only get better.

Four Cards to a Royal Flush. Nothing guaranteed here, but it can get better. You might find yourself with a royal flush, straight flush, flush, straight or high pair Four Cards to a Straight Flush. Same as immediately above

Four to a Flush. Always play this hand out, and Let it Ride

Four Cards to an Open Ended Straight. Odds are not too much against you. Let it Ride.

Four Cards to a High Straight. Odds are not in your favor.

Don’t Let it Ride if…

You have been dealt an inside or one-way straight. The odds are definetley NOT in your favor.

With practice you will soon learn how to aim for the big pots that are available to win in Let It Ride poker so play with the above tips in mind and win!

We are three weeks into the NFL exhibition season and starters won’t play much in Week 4. We can get a good idea about some of the strengths and weaknesses of several teams. Here are some pointers to keep in mind when the games count for real after next week.

Saints: The Saints had a great offseason. They got a new coach cut from the Bill Parcells cloth in former Dallas assistant Sean Payton. They won the Drew Brees sweepstakes, getting an upper-echelon NFL quarterback, and then had RB Reggie Bush drop into their laps. This was already a team with talent on offense at the skill positions, so on paper they appear to have one of the more talented offenses in the NFC.

However, the preseason has been a disaster. In the three outings when it’s been starters against starters, the Saints have been outscored 44-6.The Saints’ first-teamers continue to struggle against the opponents’ first unit and were outscored 17-0 for the second consecutive game. The Saints had five turnovers Saturday, including four on offense, and the defense again failed to get off the field as the Colt offense controlled the ball for nearly 20 minutes in the first half piling up 18 first downs. Brees served up two interceptions and rookie running back Reggie Bush lost a fumble.

We knew the Saints’ defense was going to be bad, but this offense looks poor as it is struggling to learn a new system. Saints cornerback Mike McKenzie had a rough time against Colts All-Pro wide receiver Marvin Harrison. McKenzie was flagged three times for pass interference, costing the Saints 45 yards and three first downs, in less than 11 minutes of clock. If they ever get their offense going, the Saints could be a team to look at ‘over’ the total because this defense isn’t going to stop anybody.

Redskins: As bad as the Saints have looked, the Redskins (a playoff team last fall) have looked worse. Washington has a new offensive coordinator in Al Saunders, who ran the Chiefs offense the last two years. The Chiefs were No. 1 in total offense in 2004 and ‘05. But it’s obvious a coordinator needs talented tools on the field and Washington doesn’t have it. QB Mark Brunell and the first-team offense have yet to score in the preseason and the whole team looked lost in a 41-0 defeat at New England. Brunell said his grasp of the offense is an “ongoing process.” His quarterback rating in the preseason is 48.1. After a 27-14 loss to the Jets, the players said they looked forward to playing the Patriots because of all preseason games, the third game is the most crucial. The Redskins had 59 total yards and were 2 for 8 on third down in the first half. Washington is 0-3 SU/ATS in preseason, and has been outscored 87-17.

Titans: Tennessee is in a rebuilding mode, and cut expensive defensive players, and also let QB Steve McNair walk. In the past two preseason games, the first-team offense has managed just three field goals and the Titans have been outscored 45-9. Said LB Keith Bulluck, “This losing (expletive) is not cool.'’

Bills: Buffalo jettisoned some of its best players (Lawyer Milloy, Sam Adams, Eric Moulds) and is also rebuilding. J.P. Losman has won the starting job, it appears, mainly because QB Kelly Holcomb has been worse. The last game, Losman threw an interception trying to force a third-down throw, fumbled a snap from center, and let the clock wind down for a delay of game penalty. And it was his BEST performance of the preseason!

Cowboys: The Cowboys, Seahawks and Panthers appear to be the teams to beat in the NFC. Seattle and Carolina played in the NFC Championship game in January, so it’s no surprise. But Dallas appears ready to make a run to the elite. Bill Parcells rebuilt the defense a year ago and now has key pieces on a veteran offense in place, including a rebuilt offensive line, which was needed. Dallas is 3-0 in preseason, flattened the Saints on the road last week, and just dominated the 49ers with an edge in yards 489-197. Forget about the 17 points they only scored, they rolled up 489 yards! And Terrell Owens has yet to play. Good luck, as always…Al McMordie.

The Sweet 16 gets underway tonight with four games, followed by four more games on Friday. While Duke is a regular attendee to this party (ninth straight Sweet 16 appearance), it is the only one of the nation’s 10 winningest programs to be part of this year’s regionals. St John’s, Temple and Utah went uninvited this year, while Indiana (2nd), Kansas (1st), Kentucky (2nd), Indiana (2nd), North Carolina ((2nd) and Penn (1st) have already lost.

My free play for Thursday is on the Pho Suns over the Por Trailblazers in the NBA. The Pistons “D’ came through and gave me a 22* winner last night in the NBA and tonight I’m offering another 22*, this time in college hoops. It’s a rare opportunity to cash back-to-back 22-stars, my highest-rated releases!

However, I’m not done in college hoops, as I have two Las Vegas Insider Plays as well, on LSU/Duke and West Va/Texas. I released two Las Vegas Insider Plays last Friday and went a perfect 2-0, winning with Arizona (over Wisconsin) and NC State (over Cal). NBA fans, I’m looking to continue my 63% run since Feb 3 with a 15* NBA Blowout winner!

The last eight national champs have all advanced past the tourney’s opening weekend by winning each of their first two games by at least double digits. Only five of this year’s Sweet 16 teams have been able to do that. The list includes Boston College, Duke, Florida, Memphis and West Virginia. Noticeably absent from this group are No. 1 seeds U Conn and Villanova. Does that mean something?

The NCAA defines a “major upset” as one in which the winner is seeded at least five spots lower than the loser. There have been 10 major upsets so far in this year’s tournament but there are no possible major upsets in any of the eight Sweet 16 matchups.

Major upsets possible over the weekend would be Duke (1) vs West Va (6) and Bradley (13) vs either UCLA (2) or Gonzaga (3). U Conn (1) vs either Wichita State (7) or George Mason (11) is another, as would be Washington (5) vs George Mason. One last major upset possibility in an Elite 8 matchup would be Villanova (1) vs Georgetown (7).

There have been eight mid-major schools that have advanced to the Sweet 16 (since 1985) as at-large teams. There are three schools that fit that description this year in Bradley, George Mason and Wichita State. The previous eight schools have gone 0-8 in their Sweet 16 appearances, losing by an average margin of 14.1 PPG. However, that losing streak has to end this year, as George Mason and Wichita State meet on Friday!

Tonight’s games are LSU vs Duke at 7:10 ET (Duke is favored by six with a total of 147 1/2), Bradley vs Memphis at 7:25 ET (Memphis is favored by six with a total of 142), West Va vs Texas at about 9:40 ET (Texas is favored by five with a total of 131 1/2) and Gonzaga vs UCLA around 9:55 ET (UCLA is favored by three with a total of 138).

Three of the NIT’s Final Four are set as Old Dominion, Michigan and Louisville won last night, meaning all three will head to New York next week. ODU ended the nation’s second-longest active home winning streak, winning at Hofstra 61-51. The Pride had won 21 straight home games but after beating the Monarchs twice during the regular season, couldn’t make it three-for-three last night. Ironically, Old Dominion was also the last team to beat Hofstra on its home court, back on Jan 19, 2005!

ODU will meet Michigan next Tuesday in one of two semifinal games in MSG, as the Wolverines advanced last night with a 71-65 win over Miami-Florida. Michigan is now 16-0 in home NIT games and has won eight straight postseason games (went 5-0 in winning the 2004 NIT and has added three wins this year). The meeting between Michigan and Old Dominion next Tuesday will be the first-ever meeting between the two schools.

Louisville, like Michigan a No. 1 seed in this year’s NIT, had little trouble dispatching Missouri State (74-56), as the Bears shot a pathetic 27 percent in their Wednesday night loss. Louisville awaits the winner of tonight’s game for its semifinal opponent for Tuesday, as the Cards will face the winner of South Carolina at Cincinnati (6:00 ET). The Bearcats are favored by 3 1/2 points (132) over the Gamecocks, who are the defending champs of this event.

The Pistons scored a season-low 35 points in the first half of last night’s game against the Heat but shut Miami down in the second half, holding the Heat to only 30 points (while scoring 47). The 82-73 win gives Detroit its 16th straight home win and ups its home mark this year to 30-2 (54-13 overall). For Miami, Wade was held to a season-low 13 points and the 73 points for the game, also marked a team season-low.

Detroit started its usual “cast of characters” for the 67th consecutive game, becoming the only team since 1980 to open the season with the same starting-five for that many games. The 2002-03 Warriors opened that season with the same starting-five for 66 straight games!

The Nuggets beat the Spurs 104-92 in Denver (dropping the Spurs into a tie with the Mavs at 53-15) and the Lakers beat the Kings 87-80 in LA, moving them just ahead of the Kings (36-34 to 34-34) as they battle for the 7th and 8th playoff spots in the West.

In the huge shadow cast by tonight’s NCAA action, the NBA will play six games. Of interest are Minnesota at New Jersey (7:35 ET), Houston at New Orleans (8:05 in Okla City), the Clippers at Memphis (8:05 ET) and Golden State at Dallas (8:35 ET).

Kevin Garnett has posted 24 consecutive double-doubles but Minnesota takes an eight-game road losing streak into the Meadowlands tonight. The T-wolves have lost 21 of their last 24 games away from the Target Center and will meet a New Jersey team that’s won six straight overall (5-0-1 ATS) and 18 of its last 21 in the Meadowlands. NJ is favored by seven points ((183 1/2).

The Rockets are 2-19 without T-Mac and play the Hornets, fresh off ending an eight-game losing streak (both SU and ATS) on Tuesday vs the Clippers. The Hornets are 32-33, just a half-game back of the Kings for the West’s final playoff spot. New Orleans is favored by six points (178 1/2).

The Clippers (39-27) lead the Grizzlies (38-29) by 1 1/2 games in the West’s playoff picture but one has to wonder if Memphis really wants to catch LA for the fifth spot. The team that gains the fifth seed will have to play either Dallas or San Antonio in the first round, while the sixth-place finisher gets the Nuggets! Who would you prefer?

Memphis is favored by four points tonight with a total of 187. Speaking of the Mavericks, they can move a half-game ahead of the Spurs with a win tonight at home over the Warriors. Dallas is favored by 10 points (193).

Ness Notes is available by 1:00 ET Monday through Friday.

When it comes to poker, there is no shortage of poker variants or the methods in which it is played, such as online at home or in a busy casino. The key to poker is understanding that while the basic concept of the game always remains the same throughout, each variant carries its own set of rules and strategy. However, with every game of poker one person wins, the one with the best hand.

The key good poker playing is developing a strategy. In general, most poker players, play to win, it is hard to imagine anyone playing to lose, particularly when you are placing your hard-earned money in the pot. Developing your strategy allows you to maximize your winnings, while minimizing your risks. In this article, we discuss two different poker types, no-limit, and limit.

Beginners enjoy and benefit from limit poker particular because there is a previously determined amount of money a person can bet. For the more advance players, no-limit is the name of the game, because with all in bets, the pots become huge and even if you do not have the great of pokers hands, you can still win it. This is where a strategy comes in handy, in no-limit poker. It is advisable for those still learning poker, that they avoid no-limit poker games, simply because any mistake could end up costing you a great deal of money.

Building a Strategy in No-limit Texas Holdem Poker

The all in betting, in no-limit Texas Holdem Poker, is how experienced players take charge, dominate a position, and intimidate their opponents. This strategy works for many players and if mastered, can be used to your advantage.

If you ever watch players in a no-limit Texas Holdem poker game, you will notice they tend to go ‘all in when they have the ability to steal the pot from their opponents. It is essential that you never follow this strategy unless certain conditions have been met within your poker hand.

If the other player calls on you, you want outs. Meaning you should ensure that there are still some cards that may help you in winning the current hand, within the deck. No matter if the odds are good or bad, you still need to ensure you have outs.

You should also have a good ability to read the actions of your opponents. In other words, you should be confident enough in your ability to read that you know for sure the player will likely fold, before stealing the pot.

A lesser important factor among these tips, is ensuring you have a good position. However, in order to accurately read your opponents, you should be in a good position.

As you can tell, knowing if your opponent will fold is the key to this strategy. With no-limit poker, aggressive hand playing will likely lead to bets being much higher. It is for this reason that you should be playing aggressively against players who hold a shorter stack than yours. This makes sure that even if you were to lose the match, you are still playing the game. Opponents with shorter stacks allow you to lessen your risks, this is yet another benefit of using this strategy.

Regardless of which strategy you choose to implement into your poker game, it is crucial to remember that you should have the ability to accurately read your opponents and their habits. Another important factor to remember, obviously, is that different games, different opponents, and different situations will all require different strategies.

It certainly was a wild football weekend, with two games decided by late field goals, one OT game and the top two AFC seeds losing. The Patriots stunning comeback at San Diego was a field day for second-guessers. Certainly the interception and fumble by the Chargers Marlon McCree was the most talked about San Diego miscue, but so many other things took place that were significant.

WR Brandon Marshall had a near-TD pass in the second half but one foot just touched out of the end zone. The Chargers had numerous dropped passes, three fumbles, an interception, and allowed a New England TD pass with 8 seconds left in the first half. All were pivotal at allowing New England to stay close and rally late.

Handicappers need to approach analyzing games in a similar fashion: Don’t look at one play as deciding a game, but more likely many factors linked together will better explain the outcome. The Chargers proved how talented they are, with 123 rushing yards by LaDainian Tomlinson, allowing just 51 Patriots rushing yards, and picking off three Tom Brady passes. Think retaining QB Drew Brees might have made a difference? We’ll never know.

In the NFC, the Bears were expected to be one of the top teams in the NFC, while the Saints are this year’s Cinderella story. The Saints offense is No. 1 in the NFL (391 yards pg) and New Orleans is 6-2 SU, 7-1 ATS on the road. They are also 6-3 SU/7-2 ATS as a dog!

The Bears defense will get a test against this potent offense. Saints QB Drew Brees completed passes for 35, 29, 28, 23, 21 and 19 yards to six receivers in beating the Eagles this weekend. The Chicago defense suffered injuries late in the season and struggled down the stretch, allowing 27, 31, 21, 26 and 24 points the last five games. This does not appear to be the dominant unit that roared through the first eight games of the season. One question to consider: If Seahawks RB Shaun Alexander can run for 108 yards and an average of 4.2, what might Reggie Bush and Deuce McAllister do?

In the AFC, old rivals New England and Indy battle. The Patriots held the Colts to 14 and 3 points during the 2003 and 2004 playoffs, but those games were at frigid New England. This time Peyton Manning gets home field, where the Colts haven’t lost since the Steelers topped them 21-18 in the playoffs over a year ago.

The Patriots abandoned the running game Sunday against San Diego, passing 51 times. However, look for them to get back to their preferred balanced offense this weekend, using RBs Laurence Maroney and Corey Dillon. And don’t expect the quarterbacks to be as bad as they have been: Brady threw 3 interceptions Sunday, while Manning has one TD and 5 picks thus far in the playoffs!

It’s interesting that after losing 21-0 at Miami, Bill Belichick cut WR Doug Gabriel, Brady called out his teammates to start listening to the coaching staff more, and the offensive line shaved all the beards and refused to talk to the media for several weeks while they focused on improving. The Pats are 5-0 SU/ATS since, winning three times as a dog.

The Colts are 2-0 SU/ATS the last two seasons against the Patriots, scoring 40 and 27 points. The Colts are also 9-0 SU, 6-3 ATS at home this season, though the Patriots are 8-1 SU/ATS on the road! It’s power against power, not to mention two veteran QBs, and the winner of this game will be the Super Bowl favorite.

Contest winnings attract millions of Americans to participate in real life shows. No wonder then that these shows have become a rage all over the US. It is definitely a joyous occasion for an individual to win in a contest. However, the prize money due from winning a contest reaches the winner over a period of time. This can be pretty frustrating. The best option for a contest winner in such a situation is to sell the winnings to an entity that is willing to purchase it and pay him off immediately. The amount paid is typically much lesser than the original contest amount. Many winners are willing to receive a lesser amount by selling the contest winnings if it enables them to utilize the funds in the near future, instead of waiting for years to collect the prize amount.

The purchasing power of a certain sum of money today would not be the same after a few years. Inflation, falling lending rates and arbitrage in market conditions can cause severe attrition on the value of money received over a period of time. Also, money received in trickles tends to be spent very easily on wasteful expenditure. Money received in bulk, on the other hand, can be invested and be a recurring source of income without affecting the principal amount. These factors motivate winners to sell their winning amount.

There are companies in the US that specialize in the buying of contest winnings. They provide flexible financial alternatives to a winner. Factors such as an individual’s needs, financial standing and the course of payment are considered. It is a winner’s choice on whether to cash the entire winnings of the contest or a part of the winnings. In either case, the payer or the contest organizer will not be affected by the sale of the winnings.

Sale of contest winnings is an invaluable source of income for people who are short of cash or in an emergency. It is important to ensure that the company that offers to buy the contest winning is a reliable one. It is also recommended that an attorney be retained while conducting the negotiation.