Best Gambling Strategy - Bankroll Management

If you love online sports betting, the heart racing rush that comes from being in action, then this is for you. A good gambling strategy can be the difference to a gambler between having his session bankroll tapped out in 2 hours to being able to gamble for 2 days and 2 nights straight and still having a chance of being ahead.

Whichever particular gambling strategy you do settle into, remember that the most important gambling strategy is Bankroll Management, make sure you are playing at a level that your bankroll justifies. The Golden Rule is that your average bet size should be 2% of your session bankroll. So either get more money or just bet a lower level. This will ensure that you won't face alot of volatility and be taken out by the first cold streak. No gambling strategy will be very successful without good bankroll management.

You can go ahead and read around now but remember gambling is fun, especially when you finish a monster rush but keep it under control. More than the house most gamblers will destroy themselves. Work out how much much you can afford a week, $50 or $100 or $1000 whatever, and keep your gambling budgeted and your bet sizes appropriate. Play smart, keep your action on the lowest house edges and you'll have fun. You'll even get your share of big winning nights.

Kelly Criterion

The Kelly Criterion is a mathematical approach to bankroll management and growth. It is interesting to players who want to know what the most mathematically efficient percentage of their bankroll they should gamble to maximize their bankroll growth.

The Kelly criterion is a mathematical formula:

Where,
f* = percentage of player’s bankroll
b = the odds being offered on the wager
p = the probability of winning
q = the probability of losing, i.e. (1 – p)

For example, we have a horse race where the bookies are offering 2-to-1 but on some inside information we judge the true odds to be around 3-to-1. Also, our current bankroll is $10,000. So according to the Kelly Criterion:

b = 2-to-1 = 2
p = 3-to-2 = 40% = 0.4
q = (1-p) = 0.6

f* = ( (2 * 0.4) – 0.6 ) / 2
= 0.2 / 2
= 0.1 or 10%

So we should put 10% of our bankroll on the horse or $1000 of our $10,000 bankroll.

The Kelly Criterion is used by horse and sports gamblers but also by fund managers for stocks and other financial investments. You could even apply it to poker, where often the odds are as if all players have equal chance of winning but the probabilities of each player winning are not equal.

The Kelly Criterion is a much more sophisticated approach to bankroll management beyond the ad hoc rules of thumb. Yet, in chasing the fastest long run bankroll growth the Kelly Criterion is quite aggressive. In application there is a real risk in making a mistake in assessing the true odds. To reduce this risk and the inherent volatility of betting so much your bankroll, it is common to bet half of what the Kelly Criterion suggests.

This approach sets the Kelly Criterion more as a maximum cap on the betting amount. This makes sense because betting anything over what the Kelly Criterion suggests is counter-productive and will only reduce long run bankroll growth. Never-the-less, if you want to go for maximum bankroll growth, the Kelly Criterion will tell you how much to bet in order to achieve the highest level of long run bankroll growth.

Good Luck

College Basketball Odds & Lines

Even though most people are probably still happily progressing with their NFL betting, I've decided to get a jump on this season of College Basketball. The success of my annual CasinoDave.com March Madness contest (and related pages) means that I would like to get ahead of the curve with betting on the NCAA.

The first games are a little more than two weeks from now and usually nothing exciting happens (save a few season opening tournaments) for another week or two; but it's nice not to try and get prepared for the NCAA tournament until the last minute. Because there is very little of substance to report, instead I will give you a quick tutorial on betting on these upcoming college basketball games.

College Basketball Betting

When most people think of college basketball lines they think of 'March Madness'--otherwise known as the NCAA Basketball Tournament—and filling out office pool brackets. That's unfortunate since professional sports bettors have long considered college basketball one of the most 'beatable' sports for a variety of reasons. There are so many teams on the board that the NCAA basketball betting enthusiast can become a 'specialist' and focus on teams from a specific region or conference. This allows them to find value against the college basketball lines or pointspread since bookmakers have to 'generalize' and set numbers on the entire board.

With so many good sports books available to players all over the world there's no reason to bet into unfavorable NCAA college basketball odds. Always shopping for and betting into the most favorable college basketball lines is essential for long term success at sports betting. Whether you're betting on NBA or college hoops, NFL or college football or any other sport there's no getting around the fact that long term winners do the work necessary to make sure that they're betting at the right college basketball pointspread.

The specific nature of college basketball betting makes pointspread shopping all the more important. With so many teams on the board and so many games being played every week you'll find more disparity from sports book to sports book in NCAA basketball lines than in any other sport. Just by doing some shopping and finding college basketball odds that are a point or two more favorable and doing it on a consistent basis can turn a losing season into a highly profitable winning season.

Since it is such a huge event in the college basketball betting world let's talk a little bit about the NCAA tournament aka 'March Madness'. 'March Madness' is one of the biggest mainstream sporting events of the year and a huge cash cow for the NCAA itself. The CBS TV network pays the NCAA over a half billion dollars per year and this amount makes up over 90% of its operating budget. It's also one of the biggest sports betting events of the year—some suggest that it's an even bigger deal than the Super Bowl since it's spread out over multiple days. In addition to college basketball pointspread betting on the game with sports books, NCAA tournament office pools are common in businesses large and small.

Whether you're betting on the finals of 'March Madness' or an early season non-conference game it's important to always get the best of it. This means shopping for the most favorable college basketball odds offered at more than one sports book. The extra work you do before the game will translate into more money in your pocket at the end of the season.

NFL Betting and Margin of Victory

The NFL season is almost upon us and people all over American will be rejoicing. The NFL season has a lot of people excited: fans of the teams, fantasy football owners, and yes, people who bet on football. Betting lines are always a gamble, but here's some interesting things that you should know if you are planning on betting on the spread of an NFL game this season.

Have you ever wondered why so many NFL betting lines are set at -3, -4, or -7? It seems like it happens a lot doesn't it? Let’s take a look and see exactly how many times games land on these key numbers.

In the last 20 years the number 3 is the biggest key number in NFL betting. 782 games have landed on three for a total of 15.38 %. The second most common number is 7 with 8.04 % of the games landing on that number. If you add those together you find that over 23% of all NFL games land on either 7 or 3. That is nearly a quarter of all NFL games. Now you know why those two numbers are so popular with NFL linemakers. Here is the full chart showing the margin of victory by NFL teams in the past 21 years. This includes all games except the Super Bowls.

Margin of Victory Percentage of Games

0 - 0.20%	2 - 3.74%	3 - 15.38%	4 - 5.58%	5 - 3.15%
6 - 5.76%	7 - 8.04%	8 - 2.56%	9 - 1.83%	10  - 5.80%
11 - 3.28%	12 - 1.63%	13 - 3.13%	14 - 4.66%	15 - 1.63%
16 - 2.22%	17 - 3.85%	18 - 2.10%	19 - 1.80%	20 - 2.62%
21 - 2.62%	22 - 0.83%	23 - 1.20%	24 - 2.12%	25 - 0.92%
26 - 0.65%	27 - 1.67%	28 - 1.49%	29 - 0.31%	30 - 0.59%
31 - 1.18%	32 - 0.55%	33 - 0.26%	34 - 0.63%	35 - 0.57%

All of the margins higher than 35 are less than .50%

This table shows you the key numbers in the NFL, and why so many times when you look at the betting line, that you see numbers like 3, 4, 6, 7, 10, and 14. The oddsmakers are well aware of these exact numbers and they will shade their lines accordingly.

This is one of the main reasons that many sportsbooks won’t let the bettors buy a ½ point on or off a 3 point spread. Since there are over 15% of all NFL games ending with a final margin of 3, sportsbooks might find it too risky for the chance of getting middle. This is why some football betting websites, like some of the ones found at www.NFLOnlineBetting.com, won’t allow customers to buy a half point down to 2.5 or a half point up to 3.5.

If you find a sportsbook that allows you to buy the half point on or off of 3, then it is always worth it for you to do it. The table shows that it is not worth it for any other number, including 7. It just does not prove profitable. Remember in your NFL betting this year that the key numbers are important and will affect you all year long.

Bodog Poker Room

www.bodog.eu offers an assortment of exciting online games. Whether your passion is sports wagering or casino games, Bodog is sure to have something you'll like. But it wasn't until a few years ago that Bodog included the latest crave ... poker.

At first glance, Bodog's in house developed poker software is more than just aesthetically pleasing. It also carries stability and ease of navigation. Bodog provides exciting multi-table tournaments as well as single table action. But be wary of low limit tables, however, as there are many loose players who are willing to fish for the extra card. You'll find tighter and more challenging players as you move up to a higher limit.

Sign Up Bonus

Bodog offers a 100% cash bonus on your first deposit. Although it's lower then some poker sites, it is up to $1000 bonus which you can receive if you place a $1000 deposit. To withdraw the bonus, you must earn Bodog poker points by contributing rake in cash games or by paying the tournament entry fee. For every $1 of rake contributed, you will receive 1 poker point. For every $1 paid in tournament entry fees, you will receive 3 points.

• Get 100% Cash Bonus on your first deposit. $1,000 max bonus.
• To withdraw the cash bonus, you must earn Bodog poker points. These bonuses will be released to your account in 6 levels.
• You will have 60 days from the time that you deposit to receive the bonus money into your account.

The software is one of the easiest to use. It allows for playing multiple tables at once. The interface is very well designed and stable. Statistical data is also available. The sound effects could use some improvements but you have the option of disabling this in the Options menu. An added feature is the ability to upload pictures to use as your players image.

The featured games include the 5 most popular online poker games including Texas Hold'em, Omaha, Omaha Hi/Lo, Seven Card Stud and Seven Card Hi/Lo. The vast majority of the players on the site tend to stick to the Texas Hold'em tables and tournaments. You may want to be careful playing Omaha or 7 card stud if you are a beginner, because you may not be aware when you should fold at first.

Bodog may not have the same volume as some poker sites but it is steadily building up its members. It averages at about 2,000 real money player count. You are likely to find a seat at a table or a short waiting list. The majority of the traffic (approximately 85%) are at Texas Hold'em tables.

The competition at Bodog is fair to competitive on higher limit tables. You'll find that many players will play the river in low limit tables.

Rake

The amount of points that you collect on the rake is fairly easy to understand. If you contribute 1¢ to 4¢, you will receive 0.05 poker points. 5¢ to ¢24 will receive 0.10 poker points. 25¢ to 49¢ will receive 0.25 poker points. $0.50 to $0.99 will receive 0.50 poker points and $1 to $3 of rake collected will receive 1 poker point.

You can also earn poker points through tournament fees and time spent playing at a table. For every $1.00 in tournament fees you pay, you can earn 3 poker points. To earn points playing at a table, you get 1 point for every 60 seconds of playing time for a maximum of 500 poker points per month. Sitting out does not count as playing time.

The rake contributed will be determined by the table limits and the number of players at the table.

Table Limit	# of Players	Rake Collected
$0.05/$0.10	2	$0.01 for each $0.20 in pot, maximum $0.02
$0.05/$0.10	3 to 5	$0.01 for each $0.20 in pot, maximum $0.05
$0.05/$0.10	6 or more	$0.01 for each $0.20 in pot, maximum $0.10
$0.25/$0.50	2	$0.05 for each $1.00 in pot, maximum $0.10
$0.25/$0.50	3 to 5	$0.05 for each $1.00 in pot, maximum $0.25
$0.25/$0.50	6 or more	$0.05 for each $1.00 in pot, maximum $0.50
$0.50/$1.00	2	$0.10 for each $2.00 in pot, maximum $0.50
$0.50/$1.00	3 to 5	$0.10 for each $2.00 in pot, maximum $1.00
$0.50/$1.00	6 or more	$0.10 for each $2.00 in pot, maximum $1.50
$1.00/$2.00	2	$0.25 for each $5.00 in pot, maximum $0.50
$1.00/$2.00	3 to 5	$0.25 for each $5.00 in pot, maximum $1.00
$1.00/$2.00	6 or more	$0.25 for each $5.00 in pot, maximum $1.50
$2.00/$4.00	2	$0.25 for each $5.00 in pot, maximum $0.50
$2.00/$4.00	3	$0.25 for each $5.00 in pot, maximum $1.00
$2.00/$4.00	4 to 5	$0.25 for each $5.00 in pot, maximum $2.00
$2.00/$4.00	6 or more	$0.25 for each $5.00 in pot, maximum $3.00
$3.00/$6.00	2	$0.25 for each $10.00 in pot, maximum $0.50
$3.00/$6.00	3	$0.50 for each $10.00 in pot, maximum $1.00
$3.00/$6.00	4 to 5	$0.50 for each $10.00 in pot, maximum $2.00
$3.00/$6.00	6 or more	$0.50 for each $10.00 in pot, maximum $3.00
$4.00/$8.00	2	$0.25 for each $10.00 in pot, maximum $0.50
$4.00/$8.00	3	$0.50 for each $10.00 in pot, maximum $1.00
$4.00/$8.00	4 to 5	$0.50 for each $10.00 in pot, maximum $2.00
$4.00/$8.00	6 or more	$0.50 for each $10.00 in pot, maximum $3.00
$5.00/$10.00	2	$0.50 for each $20.00 in pot, maximum $0.50
$5.00/$10.00	3	$0.50 for each $20.00 in pot, maximum $1.00
$5.00/$10.00	4 to 5	$1.00 for each $20.00 in pot, maximum $2.00
$5.00/$10.00	6 or more	$1.00 for each $20.00 in pot, maximum $3.00
$6.00/$12.00	2	$0.50 for each $20.00 in pot, maximum $0.50
$6.00/$12.00	3	$0.50 for each $20.00 in pot, maximum $1.00
$6.00/$12.00	4 to 5	$1.00 for each $20.00 in pot, maximum $2.00
$6.00/$12.00	6 or more	$1.00 for each $20.00 in pot, maximum $3.00
$8.00/$16.00	2	$0.50 for each $20.00 in pot, maximum $0.50
$8.00/$16.00	3	$0.50 for each $20.00 in pot, maximum $1.00
$8.00/$16.00	4 to 5	$1.00 for each $20.00 in pot, maximum $2.00
$8.00/$16.00	6 or more	$1.00 for each $20.00 in pot, maximum $3.00
$10.00/$20.00	2	$0.50 for each $40.00 in pot, maximum $0.50
$10.00/$20.00	3	$0.50 for each $40.00 in pot, maximum $1.00
$10.00/$20.00	4 to 5	$1.00 for each $40.00 in pot, maximum $2.00
$10.00/$20.00	6 or more	$1.00 for each $40.00 in pot, maximum $3.00
$15.00/$30.00	2	$0.50 on $40.00 in pot, maximum $0.50
$15.00/$30.00	3	$1.00 on $40.00 in pot, maximum $1.00
$15.00/$30.00	4 to 5	$1.00 on $40.00 in pot, $1.00 on $70.00 in pot, maximum $2.00
$15.00/$30.00	6 or more	$1.00 on $40.00, $1.00 on $70.00, $1.00 on $100.00, maximum $3.00
$20.00/$40.00	2	$0.50 on $40.00, maximum $0.50
$20.00/$40.00	3	$1.00 on $40.00, maximum $1.00
$20.00/$40.00	4 to 5	$1.00 on $40.00, $1.00 on $70.00, maximum $2.00
$20.00/$40.00	6 or more	$1.00 on $40.00, $1.00 on $70.00, $1.00 on $100.00, maximum $3.00

Bodog offers very good support. They have support by email and by telephone. The security is top notch as Bodog is one of the leaders in the online wagering industry. You can make deposits by one of the following methods: VISA, VISA Gift Card, and Person-to-Person money transfer.

Best Real Money Poker Sites in the US

Before April of 2011, it used to be very easy to play online poker in the United States. This is the era when PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker were poker giants and claimed much of the American market. However, the DoJ fought back against these two companies and dozens of littler poker rooms by forcing banks and credit card companies to stop payments to and from these websites. They also went and confiscated the .com website addresses from these companies, since the .com domain is directly under the control of the US government.

Since this time, it has been more difficult to find a place to continue to play poker online. Of course, you can always play at PokerStars play money tables, along with most other sites. But, we know that this is neither fun nor does it breed the correct type of competition. Oh, how fun! Another idiot went all in with nothing. And so did half the table. This is just like it would be if these dumbasses were putting up their own money.

The most difficult part of finding a real money poker room that accepts Americans is that it is a bit of a hassle to get your player's account funded. Most people will not be able to use cash directly from their bank account or credit cards. For the most diehard poker players, this hasn't been a problem. But for the casual player, many would rather not go to such lengths to play the games.

If you find where to play poker online for money in US, there have been two reliable ways of funding that real money account. The first is a Visa Gift Card. These gift cards are not tied to a person's accounts and is simply money in the form of a gift card. These cards need to have the funds credited on them in order to transfer the money to your account.

The second way to fund your account is to use a person-to-person money transfer service like Western Union or MoneyGram. This will require you to contact the customer support in order to receive the proper information to ensure that the money goes to the correct account. It also requires you to visit one of these stores in order to make the deposit. A lot of people avoid this option because they aren't looking to make a day out of getting money into their account.

Is Playing Online Poker for Real Money Legal in the United States?

This question has several different answers based upon where you live. On a federal level, it is not illegal for an individual to play online poker for real money. However, it is illegal for a website operator to accept real money wagers from Americans. This is why there are currently no poker websites that are hosted from within the borders of the United States.

If you live in Delaware, Nevada or New Jersey, there are state laws that regulate the poker websites for real money players. The poker sites within these states are not allowed to accept players from other states or other countries as this would be in violation of federal law. The main problem with these legal poker sites is that there is a lack of player base from each individual state to have a really good poker room.

If you live in Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, New York, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Washington state, Wisconsin or Wyoming, there are currently laws that prohibit individuals from playing online poker for real money or other online gambling activities. The likelihood of an individual who is playing a real money game being prosecuted is rather low in most states. The greatest chance are in the following states: Alabama, Florida, Hawaii, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah and Washington.

If you live in one of the states not mentioned in one of these lists, there currently aren't any laws prohibiting real money online poker as these states defer to the federal laws. Some states, such as California, are having talks about make a state law that regulates online gaming; but currently only the three states listed above currently have completely legal online poker. Other states that have expressed some interest in passing legislation to legalize online poker include Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota and Pennsylvania. If you live in one of the states mentioned in this paragraph, you should write to the state legislators indicating your interest in making online poker regulated. The more states that get regulated, the better the chance that the federal law gets changed.

The three states that are currently legal are expressing an interest to create an interstate poker alliance to combine the pool of players from the three states. This would challenge the federal law and probably isn't viable until other states get on board.

In the not too distant future, there should be several other states that pass legislation that legalizes betting online in one form or another. The big piece to the puzzle is going to be California. Much like other controversial issues such as legalizing marijuana or gay marriage, other states are going to take a wait and see approach before getting on board. If California, with it's massive population, gets legislation passed, it could be the tipping point where a conglomerate of states joins together to regulate online poker.

Much like the end of the prohibition of alcohol, you will have some states that don't join in for a long time (Utah and Alabama). In fact, Alabama didn't end its prohibition of alcohol until the 1960's. That's fine, you simply allow those states to opt out and create their own laws. You can parallel this issue to the state lotteries. For a long time, the lottery wasn't allowed in most states. Now, there are 47 states/district that offer lotteries and only Alaska, Alabama, Hawaii, Mississippi, Nevada, Utah and Wyoming do not.

Wagering Strategies in Horse Racing

When dealing with the topic of wagering strategies in horse racing, especially if you are going to bet on Kentucky Derby races, there are two things to keep in mind. You want to maximize the ROI (profits), but you also have to be comfortable with the type of bet that you will be using.

Let's examine two different types of wagers - both of which are very profitable;

a)WIN bet. This produces 46% winners, and an ROI (profit) of 28%.

There are two types of Win bets in our BEST BET reports. 1) Betting on one horse, if it's a clear cut standout. 2) Betting equal amounts on two horses (not dutching) if there is no standout.

b)EXACTA bet. This produces 24% winners, but a big ROI (profit) of 42%.

Even though the Exacta produces more profits than the Win bet, there will be more losing streaks. And the losing streaks will tend to be considerably longer.

So, you must decide your losing comfort zone.

There are many different wagering strategies. Your comfort zone should be the deciding factor which one you should use.

Do you still have confidence in your betting even after 15 straight losing bets? And on rare occasions (once or twice a year), the losing streak could reach over 20 straight losers.

Despite the fact that you make more money with the Exacta in the long-run, this type of wager may not be for you.

Some people will not be comfortable and will be quite nervous after 15 to 20 straight losers.

If you are in this category, the Win bet is more suitable for you. You will make good profits, without undue stress.

On the other hand, you may find this whole discussion about losing streaks a non-issue. This is probably the case if you are a veteran handicapper.

If you have a good knowledge of the game, you must be well aware that there are "Longshot" methods out there that are being peddled for big bucks. They are theoretically profitable - but you have to endure 40 or 50 play losing streaks occasionally.

So a 15 to 20 play streak probably doesn't bother you. As long as the handicapping strategy is sound, you know that this is to be expected. And you are very happy to make a 40+% profit in the long-run.

As the old saying goes, "The voice of experience is the best teacher".

Trifecta Betting

Lastly, we will discuss the most popular wager - the TRIFECTA.

While it is extremely popular, it is also the MOST destructive for the average bettor's wallet.

There are many different wagering strategies peddled around when it comes to the Trifecta.

But regardless of which one is used, the Trifecta causes the largest losses to the general public - by a huge margin.

Our Trifecta method shows a very healthy profit; by using the exacta plays and applying it the same way to the Trifecta. But we have two reasons why we aren't recommending it to our clients.

1)The win percentage is only 16%. So it basically becomes a typical "Longshot" type of play. You have these homongous losing streaks. We abhor long losing streaks. The win percentage can be boosted up to over 25% by playing more combinations, but then the long-term profits are reduced substantially.

2)As all of you know, any betting payoff that is $600 or more (300 to 1 odds) is automatically sent to the IRS. Each time you cash such a bet, you must fill out the W-2G IRS form, etc,etc...

We have these money generating plays from Win and Exacta betting.

Who needs the additional aggravations of dealing with the IRS. Enough said.

Methods that are based on betting longshots only, are also among the wagering strategies that you must avoid at all costs - if you want to be profitable.

March Madness almost here

The conference schedule of the NCAA college basketball season is almost over, and we all know what that means ... Conference Championship Week is coming up soon and the start of March Madness. The majority of the major conferences will not start their conference tournaments until the second week in March. The power conference teams have about 4 conference games left before Championship Week gets started. Also, it's never too early to be talking about the NCAA Tournament and Selection Sunday is only 3 Sundays away.

Right now, there are a whole slew of teams that have the possibility to win the NCAA Championship. This is always the case, but particularly in this season because there aren't too many power house teams. Syracuse was going to be one such team, remaining undefeated until they went through a recent slump. As always, it isn't how you play early in the season, but how good you are playing in March.

Florida and Arizona are poised to make deep runs, and they are both bracketing undefeated Wichita State in the rankings. Wichita State is going to be an interesting team for people making their brackets this year. They made it to the Final 4 last year and nearly beat the eventual champion Louisville. Other perennial powers like Kansas and Duke are hanging around the upper echelon of the NCAA. Louisville can't be overlooked either, as they only have 4 losses on their record.

Then, you have a bunch of mid-major conference teams that are having great seasons. This includes Creighton, Saint Louis and San Diego State. Other teams that have struggled in recent NCAA tournaments are making their presence felt like Villanova and Cincinnati. Virginia and Iowa State are probably the surprise teams of the season.

This leaves the Big Ten teams: Michigan, Michigan State, Wisconsin, Iowa and Ohio State. The Big Ten doesn't have a dominant team this season and they continually beat up on each other to knock them all down in the rankings. Top to bottom, the Big Ten is the best conference, with lowly teams like Nebraska coming up with huge wins. The ACC, Big East, Pac 12 and American Conferences are all top heavy with lots of bottom feeders. The Big 12 is the only other conference that compares to the level of overall conference talent.

All in all, that leaves about 20 teams or so that have a legitimate shot to go deep in the tournament. Of course, that hasn't stopped the lesser schools from making it to the Final 4 in the past 5 years. So, how do we sort this out? The short answer is that we can't sort it out yet. As teams begin to make a run or run out of steam, we will have a better idea as the final two weeks of the regular season wind down.

Right now, all we can do is watch the dreaded Bubble and see which teams are likely to be in or out. There will be 32 automatic bids for the conference champions, which leaves 36 At Large births into the Big Dance. Let's take a way-too-early look at the number of teams that will make it from each conference:

American Athletic Conference: 5 teams - Louisville, Cincinnati, Uconn, Memphis, SMU

A10 Conference: 4 teams - Saint Louis, Umass and two other teams TBD (VCU, George Washington, St. Joseph, Richmond, Dayton)

ACC: 5 teams - Syracuse, Duke, Virgina, UNC and one TBD (Pittsburgh or Florida State)

Big 12: 6 teams - Kansas, Iowa State, Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas State and one TBD (Baylor or Oklahoma State)

Big East: 4 teams - Villanova, Creighton and two other teams TBD (St. John's, Xavier, Georgetown, Providence)

Big Ten: 6 teams - Michigan, Michigan State, Wisconsin, Iowa, Ohio State and one TBD (Nebraska or Minnesota)

Mountain West: 2 teams - San Diego State and New Mexcio

Pac 12: 5 teams - Arizona, UCLA, Colorado and two other teams TBD (Arizona State, Oregon, Stanford, California)

SEC: 3 teams - Florida, Kentucky and one TBD (Missouri or Tennessee)

Other Conferences: 1 team has a lock - Wichita State. All other teams have to make sure that they win their tournaments to guarantee themselves a spot.

I have intentionally left myself a little bit short on the number of At-Large bids filled. If you take the worst case scenario like this, there are 31 of the 36 At-Large bids filled. That leaves 5 spots to be claimed by the various conferences. With a complete lack of mid-Majors with secured bids, it is unlikely that many of these spots will be lost in the conference tournaments. The lone exceptions would be if Wichita State lost in their conference tournament or if Gonzaga lost in the finals of the WCC. Of course, you have to also be aware of a dark horse candidate winning one of the major conferences (particularly the ACC, Mountain West, or the SEC).

If you would like to see the current NCAA Championship odds, you can find them at the allpro NCAA lines. Right now, only Nostradamus would be able to pick correctly out of the complete mess that is out there.

Video Slots Online

A video slot is a simulated slot machine which utilizes a random number generator to generate a vast number of different symbols on each "reel." While many online slots simulate the traditional 3 reel layout (which would only have between 10 and 20 symbols in a land-based casino), it’s interesting to note that all online slot machines technically fall into the category of video slots.

Due to the fact that all symbols had the same chance of appearing on the payline, early slot machines could be analyzed to find the odds of any single combination being hit. All one had to do was count the number of symbols on the reel and work it out from there. For example, a traditional slot machine with 15 symbols on each of its three reels would have 3375 (15x15x15) different possible combinations. Therefore, the chance of hitting the jackpot would be 1 in 3375.

The newer video slots have added features such as free spins, wild symbols, scatter cards, instant wins and bonus round incorporated into the game. They do not use actual reels with these slots. Instead, they use virtual reels that have 32 or 64 virtual stops on each reel.

Many of the newer slots have 5 reels and many more paylines than the classic slots. There can be between 10 paylines and as many as 50 paylines. You can choose the number of paylines that you wish to play or the coin amount that is bet on each line.

But with video slots often having between 30 and 90 stops on each reel, a player’s chance of hitting the jackpot is significantly smaller. Take, for example, a video slot with 60 stops on all five reels. Only one of those 60 stops will include the jackpot icon. That means there would be more than 700 million combinations (60x60x60x60x60) to hit the jackpot. That’s why these video slots jackpots get to more than $1 million.

Progressive Jackpots Online

Nothing gets an online slot player more excited than the allure of hitting a huge jackpot. Therefore, it’s hardly surprising that one of the most popular features of internet and land-based casinos is the progressive.

Progressives are jackpots which are contributed to and built from wagers by players at casinos all across the web. You can usually recognize progressive slots by the ticker displaying the jackpot amounts as they increase with each passing second. This usually works with a group of progressive slots, where each time a player plays a coin, the jackpot is raised for the entire group.

Online casinos usually even link with other casinos' online slot games, bringing the jackpot to incredibly high amounts (sometimes in excess of one million dollars).

Keep in mind that online progressive slots will usually require you to play a max bet if you would like to be eligible to win the progressive jackpot. A lot of the newer slots will not have an option to bet anything but the max bet. This is usually $5 per spin for a lot of the progressive video slots that I have seen. If you aren’t sure about the rules and requirements for winning the jackpot, be sure to read the payout schedule. This will have all of the basic information posted on it.

It is always a smart idea to read this payout chart before you begin playing a slot machine for real money. Each video slot is different. They each have their own rules, symbols, winning combinations, number of paylines and more. The alternative to deciphering the payout chart is to play these slots for free before playing for real money.

Free Slots Games Online

Many online casinos offer free slot games for those who aren’t yet ready to risk playing for real. While some might say that this makes about as much sense as drinking beer without alcohol (what's the point?), it’s an excellent option for beginners, because it allows you to learn all the slot terminology and machine layouts, as well as seeing if you like the particular software used by the casino.

Many modern slot machines are loaded down with numbers and multiple ways to win on any given spin, not to mention all the options for betting and payouts. While all the bells and whistles of online slots might seem daunting to some beginners, wading into the shallow end via free games will have you playing like a veteran in no time.

Basics of Betting on the NFL

Starting today, we will begin a series of sports betting tips designed to help both experienced and newbie sports bettors make wiser choices, win more money, and ultimately have more fun when placing bets over the internet.

With the 2013 NFL season upon us, the sports bets are on the rise. And with horrible betting results on this first Sunday of the NFL regular season, it is evident that even the most experienced bettors need to review the basics of NFL betting every so often.

The majority of gamblers failed to win on the following NFL games: New England (-9) at Buffalo, Oakland at Indianapolis (-10), Tampa Bay (-3.5) at New York Jets, Tennessee at Pittsburgh (-7). These were all favorites that had more than 75% of the wagers placed on them. Lots of gamblers (60% of wagers) were burned by betting on the underdog Baltimore Ravens in the NFL opener.

In fact, the only favorites that were heavily bet and won were Seattle (-3.5) and Kansas City. Seattle was looking bad until they got a 4th quarter TD. KC didn't have any problems with Jacksonville.

People got burned over and over by betting the favorites that all seemed they were locks. I always caution people to watch out for the lines that do not move even when the majority of people are betting on one side. How do you find out who's placing bets on which teams? Some sportsbooks share this information with the gamblers.

With that in mind, both of the Monday Night games fit this mold. Both games features favorites that have over 75% of the wagers placed on them: Washington (-3.5) is getting almost 80% of wagers and Houston (-5) is getting over 90% of the wagers. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that at least one of the two dogs will cover.

Proper Betting Techniques

Rule #1 - Don't always bet on favorites. I've never met a successful gambler who only bets on the favorites.

Rule #2 - Be selective when betting. If you don't have a good feeling about one team or another, don't bet that game. You should at least feel that you have a 65% chance of winning your bet.

Rule #3 - Look at the matchups! There are certain things that you want to know. If a terrible passing team is playing a strong secondary, bet on the team with the strong secondary. If a bad running team is playing a tough front 7, that means the team will be throwing a lot and that isn't a recipe for success. If a great running team is playing against a porous defensive line or a great passing offense is playing against a terrible pass defense, these are all things you want to know.

Rule #4 - Look for key injuries. Teams have a hard time adjusting to a backup as a starter and the other team will go directly after any weakness that they find.

Rule #5 - Manage your bankroll! Don't bet more than 5% of your bankroll on the first games that are played. You can bet more if you are winning later in the day. Don't have more than 15% of your bankroll in play at any one time. If you lose 15% of your bankroll, stop betting for the day. It is that simple.

Rule #6 - Don't bet with emotion - ever! If you lose, don't throw good money after bad. You will be most tempted to do this when you lose a wager in the last minute of the game.

Follow these rules and you will have a good chance of making money. You will have a better chance of not losing a lot of money when you are gambling on sports!

Future’s Betting

We’ll end by highlighting the future's bet, which are bets that are made several months in advanced. While a future bet can be one of the most profitable sporting bets there are, it also can be one of the most dangerous. A future bet, first of all, is a bet on an event later down the road.

For instance, betting on the Super Bowl champion right now before the season has even started is considered a future bet. However, these bets should only be made if one has considerable knowledge on the team/sport they are betting on.

Insider knowledge is always a plus. Yet, for most people, who get informed by staying abreast with current sporting events, team trades, player statuses etc., making a future bet takes hours of research and planning.

One should never make a future bet simply because they are betting on their favorite team, or the odds will pay off great if the bet wins. This is paramount to playing the lottery. And while all bets - sporting or not - inherently hold a degree of unpredictability and chance, there are some bets that simply have a better chance of going down than others.

If you do your research ahead of time for which teams realistically have the best chance at - for instance - winning the Super Bowl, you can then decide on which odds will give the best return for the amount of risk involved. Never risking too much, while making an informed bet is what makes for a good future bet. Please read the rest of the tips in this series on getting informed.

NFL Regular Season begins on Thursday!

It may be the end of the summer and the days are getting shorter, so that is kind of a bummer. But, there are a couple of positive things about this time of year. The kids are going back to school and I no longer have to swim through the air because of the humidity. But, most importantly of all, football is back baby!

College football started this past weekend, and what a weekend it was if you are a fan of the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS - formerly Division 1aa). They had a banner weekend with 6 major upsets and 8 wins overall against the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS - formerly Division 1a). The Eastern Washington Eagles led the way with only the third FCS win against a ranked opponent, #25 Oregon State. Just as impressive was North Dakota State beating co-Big 12 champion Kansas State. Northern Iowa beat Iowa State; Eastern Illinois crushed San Diego State; McNeese State scored the most points ever for an FCS team against a FBS team (53) in beating South Florida; and Connecticut lost to Towson.

There are a couple of things I learned this weekend in the NCAA: 1) Never schedule a FCS powerhouse; Michigan learned that the hard way when 3-time FCS champion Appalachian State beat them in 2007. Now Oregon State and Kansas State have also learned that lesson. The talent gap isn't as big as you would think, especially if you take them lightly. 2) Kiss your automatic BCS bid goodbye American Athletic Conference. They are behind the Mountain West Conference, on par with Conference USA and just ahead of the Mid American Conference. Cincinnati and Louisville better jump out while the gettin' is good. 3) One word for the rest of the NCAA schedule besides Georgia v. Clemson and LSU v. TCU ... Boring! They should just make the first week the unofficial preseason game of college football.

As much as I like college football, it still doesn't hold a candle to the NFL. Sure, there is the rivalries and traditions; but those are slowly being destroyed by greedy conferences and universities. Got to love how Texas A&M doesn't play any of their rivals anymore. Notre Dame v. Michigan? Michigan considers it a rivalry, but Notre dame doesn't because they can't beat them 90% of the time like their other "rivals". No, the ACC is calling and Notre Dame would rather create a rivalry against Wake Forest and Duke. Also, way to kill the Big East every good team that has left since Virgina Tech and Miami. None of you have been or will be any good for a while (Pittsburgh, Syracuse). West Virginia is the poster child of this; way to almost lose to William & Mary. Rutgers and Maryland to the Big 10? Talk about creating some rivalries! The Big 10 has tradition but still can't count. They haven't had 10 teams since 1991.

NFL Regular Season

I am ready for some football! Some regular season NFL action. The preseason is completely meaningless unless your a Fantasy Football junkie or a gambling degenerate. All you have to do is go back to the 2008 Detroit Lions and their 4-0 preseason followed by a winless regular season to see how much the preseason actually matters.

The real football schedule is about to start this Thursday. Denver is hosting the Super Bowl champions because the Orioles needed that four game series against the White Sox was just too important. To their credit, however, they still have a chance to make the playoffs and they didn't back down to the NFL. Now we have the biggest underdog for a Super Bowl Champion at 9 points. Joe Flacco better be the best quarterback in the league if he wants to start the season with a win. Baltimore has to go on without Ray Lewis or Ed Reed on defense; but Denver is without Von Miller's services since he decided to do his best raver impression.

I am going to give some predictions for the Week 1 of the NFL regular season. If you are a beginner, you may want to learn how to shop around for the best NFL betting lines before you start placing bets on the games.

Week 1 Predictions

Thursday Night Opener

This game opened at Denver -8.5 but has quickly been pushed up a half point to Denver -9. This means a lot of people think that Denver is going to blow Baltimore out of the water. No so fast my friend. I have Denver winning this game, but I think it will be by a TD or less. The sportsbook that I use, Bovada, has yet to put out a Moneyline or Total for this game; they probably won't do so until tomorrow night or Thursday morning. Baltimore +9 (-125) means that Bovada thinks that Baltimore is going to cover. Why else would you have to put up $125 to win $100 on such an underdog?

We have a full schedule of Thursday Night games this season except for Week 17. I have never been that much of a fan of the Thursday Night games for two reasons: 1) The scores are always low and the games look sloppy without a full week of preperation. 2) The games are on NFL Network and they do the worst job of presenting games. If you ever want to bet on Thursday Night games, I suggest that you take the Under more often than not.

Sunday Games

New England is currently off the board because Buffalo is that horrible right now, even at home.

Pittsburgh is a TD favorite at home, but I see their offense struggling for at least this first game. They have no running backs (yes, Isaac Redman, Larod Stephens-Howling and Felix Jones constitutes no running backs). They have no more deep threat (Mike Wallace to Miami) and not many redzone threats. Unless they beat Tennessee 9-0, I don't see how they cover a 7 point spread.

Atlanta +3 at New Orleans - I'm passing on this game. These two teams always play crazy games against each other. I can see either team winning by a lot or a close game.

Tampa Bay -3 at the New York Jets - There is no way that you can bet on the Jets, but the -3 points scares me a little because Tampa Bay's offense has been struggling. The Jets may not have the best defense, but they are at home and have some pride. I see a 14-13 score for this game. Unless the Total is less than 40 points, take the Under.

Kansas City -3.5 at Jacksonville - Pass, pass, pass. This is the blind beating the blind. KC has a new coach, new quarterback, new everything and Jacksonville is just as terrible as ever.

Cincinnati +3 at Chicago - Bears all the way in this one. Chicago plays much better at home than on the road. They may have a new coach but the defense should be able to stop either running back that Cincy throws at them. After that, they will pick off Andy Dalton a couple of times and win by at least a TD.

Miami +1 at Cleveland - I'm leaning Miami for the win but I'm not confident. Neither one of these teams inspires me into action. Cleveland doesn't even have a kicker right now. You might want to get one of those; they're kind of important.

Seattle -3 at Carolina - Classic trap game for Seattle. Their defense is no where near as good on the road as at home and they have to travel cross country for a 1:00PM ET start. Both spell bad news for the Seahawks. If I was betting on this game, I would take Carolina for the win straight up.

Minnesota +5.5 at Detroit - Did I read this right? How is Detroit a 5.5 favorite against anyone? I mean, this is the Lions that we are talking about. Detroit might win, but by 3 points or less. We'll see if David Akers can kick any better than last year now that he is in a dome.

Oakland +10 at Indianapolis - Colts all the way. The 10 points is being generous just so they get some action on this game. There is no way that Oakland keeps this within 2 TDs.

I'm going to pass on both 4:00PM ET games. Neither Arizona +4.5 at St Louis nor Green Bay +4.5 at San Francisco look appetizing to me. These games could both swing wildly one way or another.

Sunday Night Game

New York Giants +3 at Dallas - The Giants have made a habit of beating Dallas in prime time. Eli Manning has often had their number. This is going to be a high scoring game. I have the Giants winning by the score of 34-31.

Monday Night Games

Two Monday night games on the schedule for week 1: Philadelphia +3.5 at Washington and Houston -3.5 at San Diego. I'm not feeling confident about either of these games. Washington has to hope that RGIII is close to 100% or else this game will be close the entire way. I feel a little better about Houston on the road, but the 3.5 is scaring me a little bit. I think that this might be a field goal win for Houston.

2013 March Madness Begins

There have been a couple of themes with College basketball this season:

1) There is no dominant team this season. All of the top teams have shown flaws this season. There are literally at least 15 teams that have a legitimate shot of winning the NCAA tournament.

2) The Big Ten is the power conference this year. They have consistently had 5 teams in the top 25 all season long. That being said, only Indiana has proven to be dominant. Michigan, Michigan State, Wisconsin and Ohio State have all shown weaknesses.

Here are the current teams that are definitely have a spot in the Tournament so far:

ACC - Duke, Miami, NC State
The ACC is pretty top-heavy with Duke and Miami leading the conference. NC State would have to absolutely collapse not to make it to the Big Dance. The other teams that have a look at it are North Carolina, Virginia and Maryland. Of these teams, I could only see Duke and Miami going past the 2nd round.

A10 - Butler, St Louis
The A10 should get four teams in the tournament this year. Butler has proven to always be a tough team to beat, although they are currently looking up at St Louis in the standings. VCU, La Salle and Temple will be fighting for the third and fourth NCAA bid. If things work out right, the conference may get a fifth team in the First Four. Big East - Louisville, Syracuse, Georgetown, Marquette, Pittsburgh, Notre Dame
It's too bad that the Big East is breaking up. This was the best basketball conference for the majority of the past 25 years. Now, the Catholic 7 schools (DePaul, Georgetown, Marquette, Providence, St. John's, Seton Hall and Villanova) are leaving and they are being replaced with Conference USA squads.

With all of that being said, the Big East is still the second best college basketball conference. Louisville, Syracuse, Georgetown and Marquette are all capable of a making deep runs this year. The Big East will probably get at least 8 team into the tournament.

Big Ten - Indiana, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois
The Big Ten has been the power conference this year so far. They have had to beat up on each other during the season and you will probably see the conference champion with 4 losses. The seven teams listed are all definitely in the tournament.

Of these teams, I would be worried about taking Michigan or Ohio State deep into the tournament. Both teams have shown significant weaknesses that a bad matchup will exploit during tournament time. On the other hand, I would expect Indiana, Michigan State and Wisconsin to be able to make decent runs past the first weekend.

Big 12 - Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, Oklahoma
Kansas is still the class of the league, although Kansas State and Oklahoma State are hot on their trail. Those are the only teams that I really see making any noise during the tournament. Oklahoma should be in based upon their strength of schedule. This gives them the nod over Iowa State, who still could make it as well.

Mountain West - New Mexico, Colorado State, UNLV, San Diego State
Don't sleep on the Mountain West this year. The strength of schedule for New Mexico, Colorado State and UNLV are all top 30. However, you will want to watch out because this conference has traditionally struggled with their high seeds, so be careful taking them deep.

Pac 12 - Arizona, Colorado, Oregon
Now, there should be more than 3 teams making from the Pac 12, like UCLA and California. But, this is just indicative of the Pac 12 being one of the weaker conferences again this year. The problem is that many of the teams play a very soft non-conference schedule so many of the teams records seem better than they actually are.

SEC - Florida, Missouri
Perhaps the biggest surprise this year is how poor the SEC has been. Kentucky should still get in as well, although they won't be the same without Nerlens Noel. But, there is likely only one other team that will make the tournament between Tennessee, Ole Miss, Alabama and Arkansas. As with the Pac 12, many of these teams' strength of schedule is very poor.

Mid Majors - Gonzaga, Wichita State, Memphis, Creighton
Belmont should also probably be in the tournament as well, but they should probably still win their conference tournament so they don't give the selection committee a reason to leave them out. The same holds true for Middle Tennessee, Saint Mary's (been snubbed a couple of times), Akron and Louisiana Tech. All of these teams have great records for conferences that will likely only receive 1 NCAA bid.

Gonzaga is primed to be the #1 ranked team in the country. This is a team that will likely go deep into the tournament. Wichita State and Creighton will also be a very tough out.

You can learn more about this year's upcoming NCAA tournament at MarchMadnessAction.com. March is the best time of year for betting on basketball. The NCAA tournament is second only behind the Superbowl for placing wagers. You can find live betting at http://www.marchmadnessaction.com/betting.php. Visit them for more information.

2012 Superbowl Prediction

There are only a couple of times a year that I still place wagers on sports. I used to really be big into the NBA and MLB, but the past few years I have only bet on March Madness and the Superbowl.

This is a very interesting matchup this year with the two Harbaugh brothers coach the opposing teams. The 49ers are favored over the Ravens by 3.5 points at most sportsbooks. The moneyline is between -160 and -180 ($160 to win $100) for San Francisco and between +140 and +160 ($100 to win $140). The Over/Under is 47.5 points.

I always like finding trends when betting and I've found a couple that I would like to share with you. The first bet is the Total points (over/under) for the game. The last 8 times that the Super bowl total has been 46.5 points or more the Under has won. This dates back to 1999.

The coin flip is another trend that lots of people are betting on. The coin flip was Heads for the past 4 years. There has never been a 5 straight streak for either heads or tails. That is why many people are betting it this year.

Super Bowl Spread

Currently, 56% of the overall wagers on the Spread are for the Baltimore Ravens. The Spread opened at 4.5 points and it has been bet down to 3.5 points. When I see this, I don't like to go with the crowd, unless the Spread gets bet down to 2.5 points or the wagers even up for both sides.

I'll give you the NCAA National Championship for an example. Notre Dame was #1 going in but was still a 10 Point underdog. This was as high as they could make it while still looking like a good bet for Notre Dame. Many people were betting the line down for Notre Dame because they thought it would be a close game.

This game is shaping up the same way. The Ravens dominated in the 4th quarter over New England and San Francisco needed a big comeback against Atlanta. People are feeling good about the Ravens; but the spread hasn't moved much, which has gone relatively unnoticed in the midst of the Harbaugh brothers, Ray Lewis' last game and the Colin Kaepernick show.

If the sportsbooks didn't feel strongly about San Francisco, they wouldn't have opened at 4.5 point favorites. And the fact that this line still hasn't gone under a field goal even with the lopsided betting in favor of Baltimore means that Las Vegas thinks highly of San Francisco.

Final Score Prediction

The final score of the game has only been 3 points or closer once since 2005. I doubt that this game will be either.

That means if you really think that Baltimore is going to win, you should place a Moneyline bet on them or find a sportsbook that offers a moveable line and take Baltimore as a 3.5 point favorite. You should be able to find this at +240 ($100 to win $240).

I personally don't think that the Ravens will win. While Atlanta did choke the NFC Championship Game, San Francisco has consistently beaten good teams that are outside of their division. They also went on the road and beat the Patriots and they dispatched of all four AFC opponents that they faced this year.

I believe that the final score is going to be San Francisco 24, Baltimore 20 and that is the way that I am betting for the game.

How To Choose an Online Casino

Even the most skilled land-based Casino gambler would be lost in the fast paced world of online gambling.

As technology advances forward, online casinos advance with it. The casinos become more realistic and the entertainment they provide may even rival that of the real thing.

When visiting Vegas or any other gambling town, how do you choose which casino to invest your time and money at? Do you study each casino for yourself? Do you use recommendations?

Imagine taking that same evaluation process and multiplying it by 100. Now you're faced with the same choice millions of online gamblers are faced with when they are trying to decide what makes the best casino online.

So with so many casinos on the Internet to choose from, finding the best casino online can be a serious challenge.

There are a few specific points of discussion when searching for the best Casino en Ligne.

What to Look For

First, is the casino reputable?

Do a search on the casino in question and see how it rates on the review sites. Often the review sites will have a list of the top 10 and also a list of specific casinos to stay away from.

Next, check out the statistics on their software. Is it made by a reputable company like Playtech, Microgaming or other mainstream casino software makers? Reputable software companies that supply software to many casinos make sure their numbers are truly random.

The good online casinos will probably give you all the information about how the gambling odds or payout percentage are set up in the software.

Lastly, Check if they have a good, fast payout rate. Make note of the payment methods they accept. With some online options, this can be a little as 1 to 2 days. If you are requesting a check or another paper option, you can expect to wait up to 10 days to 2 weeks in some cases.

If it takes more than 2 weeks to receive payment, that is not a casino that you want to continue playing at.

And most importantly try out the software to see if you like the virtual casino itself. Most online casinos will allow you to play for fun before you are required to make a deposit.

All the top casinos offer free easy to use software you can download, install and try out in free mode to get familiar with it before you start betting for real money.

If you pay close attention to these important steps of evaluation you'll arrive at the best possible casinos online and maximize your gambling experience!

Exploring Your Options for Online Betting

Online betting allows gambling lovers to pursue their interests without having to travel to Las Vegas or Atlantic City. Men and women who have engaged in electronic gambling in the past will be aware of the variety of intriguing activities that await them. While some people choose to place monetary bets on the major sporting events of the week, others choose to play online casino games for a thrill. Once individuals find a particular activity that they enjoy, they can stick with it. They may even be able to get friends to do a bit of betting alongside them.

Football and baseball have long been beloved sports. Those men and women who are intimately knowledgeable in one of these sports might even place a few bets on their favorite teams from time to time. If they know how to read the spread correctly, then they can likely find some subtle observations that will allow them to make money.

Once they have discovered the secrets to success, they can continue to place bets on a regular basis. While the Super Bowl is probably the biggest gambling event of the calendar year, the World Series also sees its fair share of action. After individuals have placed a few bets, they will quickly get the hang of the process and become professionals in their own right.

There are a number of other casino games that are perfect for online betting. Slots, for example, are hugely popular with men and women of all ages. Many of them also feature special themes. The jackpots on some of these machines can be quite large, though this assumes that players are placing the maximum possible bet each time. Some individuals may wish to make very small bets at the beginning until they get a feel for the machine.

Men and women can also take part in online poker tournaments, which can be quite fun. They can play with both amateurs and professionals from all over the world. In fact, if they have never been involved in a card tournament before, this is the way in which they might get their feet wet. As long as they understand the basic rules of the poker game they are playing, they should have fun. Of course, gambling enthusiasts may also wish to play against an automated machine in an online gaming arcade. This way, they can hone their skills before they move on to real competition.

As with any event where money is involved, people should come into the process with a general idea of how much they can afford to spend. When they have given themselves a hard budget, they will be more likely to quit before they fall into a financial hole. If they happen to win quite a bit of money, however, they will be able to use it in whatever manner they want. Some individuals may choose to splurge for a family vacation, while others will want to use the cash to make some improvements to various features of the household.

This post was proudly handed to us by the betting aficionados at onlinebetting.com.au, if you rate their advice, you ought to jump on their blog and see what all the fuss is about.

Playing Blackjack at the Casino

Over at my main website, CasinoDave.com, I primarily explain Blackjack Bonuses and how to bet on and play blackjack in an online setting. However, this doesn't teach people about the correct etiquette to use when you are playing at the blackjack table at a casino.

Blackjack Etiquette, Terms, and Rules

How to Conduct Yourself

Do you know how to conduct yourself in the casino? Pit bosses, boxmen, and dealers will give you the respect and courtesy you’re entitled to. Act like a gentleman or lady and you’ll be treated like one. Act like an ill-mannered boob and you’ll be treated accordingly.

When you sit down at a Blackjack table, the first thing you should do is take out the amount of money you want to convert into chips, say $100. Put the money down in front of you because a dealer is not allowed to take it from your hand.

The dealer will take the money, lay it in front of him, count out the same amount in chips, and then tell the Pit Boss the amount of money he is changing. In this case, he would say "$100 change." He will wait until he gets clearance from the pit boss and then put your $100 in chips in front of you.

Pull the stack close to you and place your bet on the layout in the spot in front of you. When the cards are dealt, you will be given two cards face up (Atlantic City rules - the rules vary from casino to casino in Las Vegas). The dealer gets one card face up and another face down.

Don’t touch your cards! (Again, this is an Atlantic City rule.)

Don’t be a Nuisance

All signals to the dealer regarding hitting, staying, or splitting and doubling down, are done with movements of your hand or by placing additional chips in front of your cards. Also, don’t touch your bet once it has been made!

If you touch your cards or bet, the dealer will give you a polite warning. Perhaps he’ll give you two polite warnings. Beyond that, you’re exceeding your quota. Don’t force the dealer to scold you a third time; you’ll make him angry.

Nobody likes an angry dealer.

If you are a smoker, show consideration for the people next to you by asking their permission to smoke. If they object, don’t smoke or go where you can. Some casinos now have smoking and no smoking tables, so take note of which one you’re at.

Don’t carry on unnecessary conversations. It’s distracting to other players. Besides, it’s extremely difficult to chatter and concentrate on your cards at the same time. What do you want to be? A socializer or a smart player?

Don’t be a cry baby.

Don’t ask for the waitress every two or three minutes.

In general, don’t be a nuisance. Acquire the conduct and class that will make you welcome in the casinos.

Embrace The "Anchor"

There are usually seven available spots at a typical blackjack table. Of all the seven available positions, it is spot one and seven that tend to dictate the outcome of the hand for the rest of the players.

I am not suggesting that spots two through six are not important. It is that spot number one called the “lead” and spot seven termed the “anchor” are more prone to allowing the house to benefit when a mistake by a player at those two positions are made.



The anchor position can be the most stressful for a player and some people even shy away from playing blackjack at any position close to the anchor more specifically, any spot closest to the left side of the table usually being spots five through seven.

However, what some people do not realize is that playing the game of blackjack at spots five through seven can actually have its advantages. A more intermediate or advanced player has the added benefit of being able to watch the cards as they are dealt out to the players closest to spot one which in turn, can alter their decision as to whether they want to pull a card.

For instance, if a player at a spot closest to the left side of the table is dealt a hand of soft eighteen meaning they are given an Ace and a seven against a dealer's bust card some blackjack players may choose to do double down.

However, if the player is looking for a face card or ten for that matter, and the three players sitting to that players' right are dealt face cards, there is the option to stand knowing that the chances of pulling a face card are now more minimal.

Furthermore, sitting on the left side of the table can have its advantages in terms of watching the cards as they are dealt out when deciding whether to double down in situations where the player may not feel completely comfortable in doing so. If a player sitting at spot five, six, or seven has the option to double down against a dealer's non-bust card, previous face cards can determine how confident a player is when deciding whether the chances of another face card being pulled from the deck are more or less probable.

That being said, when deciding which spot to sit down at when playing the game of blackjack, remember that sitting at spots five through seven will not give you a better chance of winning but at a minimum can sometimes give you a more clear indication of what cards may be coming next.

Playing "Not to Bust" is "Not So Bad"

Most people with a certain level of experience at a casino will tell you that it is the game of blackjack that provides the player with the best set of odds to come away a winner.

Certain theories suggest that blackjack provides the player with just under a fifty percent chance of winning as long as that player employs the rules of basic strategy. What a lot of people tend to lose sight of are the reasons for why the house has that small edge over the player.

The answer is quite simplistic if given some thought. One of the main reasons as to why the casino holds a small edge over blackjack players is the mere fact that it is the player who is responsible for drawing cards before the dealer.

It is not uncommon for a player to bust on a hand of twelve through sixteen only to watch the dealer bust when it is their turn to pull cards. A number of people at this point tend to second guess themselves and wonder why they did not stand on their hand of fifteen or sixteen.

I am not suggesting that pulling a card on a hand of fifteen or sixteen is not the best strategy to winning at blackjack. In fact, it is my opinion that on a hand of twelve through sixteen the player gives themselves the best chance of winning by pulling a card if the dealer is showing a card anywhere from seven through ten.

However, a strategy of standing on fifteen or sixteen when the dealer is showing a high card cannot be deemed poor play as long as the player employing that strategy remains consistent with that strategy.

It is when the player using the “not-to-bust” strategy begins to play inconsistently that a shoe tends to work in favor of the casino. By standing on fifteen or sixteen against a dealer's high card, a player may not be able to win if the dealer pulls a ten or makes a hand.

However, the “not-to-bust” strategy at a minimum gives the player a chance to win the hand if the dealer happens to bust when it is their turn to pull cards. This strategy may not be an equalizer in terms of giving yourself the best odds to win but can allow for a few more winning hands where that player may have otherwise busted.

Take a look at the Blackjack section of my website for more tips and information.

Play Casino Games from your iPad

Did you know that you can now play casino games from your iPad or another tablet device? However, most of the real money iPad Casinos currently do not accept bets from players in the United States. But, I would like to give you one example that you can play from your iPad.

It is called Slotland and as its name implies it only hosts slot machines and video poker games. You will not be able to find games like blackjack, roulette or any other card games at Slotland.

Slotland offers a variety of unique slot games not found anywhere else. They currently have a selection of 24 total games. Of these, 18 of them are slot machines of one form or another, and the other 6 games are different forms of video poker.



These games are available to play via your iPad, iPhone, Android, Wii and webTV. There are also 6 of these 24 games that are compatible to play on almost any cell phone created in the past 3 years. You can visit the mobile games here.

Slotris Slot Machine

This is currently my favorite game to play at Slotland. This game give you two chances to win on your bet.

Before you make a spin, you will need to wager between 50¢ and $5. If you line up three symbols on a payline, you will win on your bet. The payout will be determined by the amount you bet and the shape of the symbol that you matched up.

However, you can also win a payout by clearing lines like a normal game of Tetris. The symbols from the current spin are shown in the preview section.

You can change the way the symbols will fall by clicking on the symbols located on the Payline.

If you create a solid line, the payoff indicator below will display the possible payouts based on the order of the symbols. On your next spin, all the symbols below that line will also be cleared.

The Slotris table will be shortened by one column. If you cannot clear a line before any part of a symbol reaches the top, the Slotris game will reset. All symbols will be cleared and any payout will be rewarded.

Finding Quality Sportsbooks With Reviews

If you have had a bad experience or simply just looking for quality sportsbook reviews than hopefully this articles comes to some use for you. Currently there are over 500 sportsbook in which you can choose online and frankly most don’t make the cut.

Actually a majority of them are very risky to play with as they are not licensed and have a history of stealing from sports bettors across the globe. In this review I want to go over a safe sportsbook called Betfair.

Betfair is currently and has been a licensed and documented company for over a decade. Betfair has a great history and reputation of paying members fast and securely along with many wagering options. If you decide you want to play here I highly recommend them on a personal note since I’m currently a member and never had any issues.

The reason I wanted to mention this company was because I have been unable to find any solid reviewing websites that offered the entire information one would need prior to joining a company. That was until I ran into casinochoice.co.uk sports reviews.

They currently have a list of great UK Sportsbooks in which you can join with advanced detail on games available and if your able to wager at a particular company or not. Also along inside these reviews are banking and bonus options available to you. No doubt this is the finest and most honest review sports betting website I have ever visited.

Betfair Sports

Currently Casino Choice has Betfair as a recommended sportsbook as well so that along with the Betfair sports betting review guide they list you should be aware you’re in good hands. How does one determine who is a safe sportsbook and who is not? Well that depends on how they value a sportsbook. Some value the quality on payouts and deposit options alone.

Personally I do not like that way of thinking because naturally that should be something they offer all clients anyhow. I recommend looking for quality of games, types of bonuses, types of betting options, customer service, and payout times. If a book is unable to pay you in a quick fashion then they don’t deserve your business.

In conclusion, if you ever need a safe and legit website to review the gambling companies available online then visit Casino Choice. They have been on a constant basis as of late updating new bonuses and promotions from these companies and letting you know beforehand if it’s a company you should gamble with. And for the record in case you don’t want to visit the site now you can join Betfair now and receive a 500 signup bonus in which you can play over 180 games!