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The four-day Cheltenham Festival dominates the March programme, but theres also a busy programme of racing throughout the month including the ever-popular Imperial Cup day at Sandown plus the thrills and spills of the Midlands Grand National day at Uttoxeter. Flat fans, meanwhile, will need no reminding that the new turf season kicks off with the William Hill Lincoln at Redcar on March 25.

March begins with the newly-established Vodafone Gold Cup at Newbury on the 4th over two and a half miles. Its something of a surprise to find such a valuable race staged so close to the Cheltenham Festival, and many trainers face the dilemma of deciding whether to run here or in either the Ryanair Chase or Racing Post Plate over similar distances at the Cheltenham Festival.

Twelve months ago a solid handicapper in the shape of Supreme Prince held on to land the valuable prize while in its inaugural year, the classy Isio was a well-backed winner. Absent since that season, Nicky Hendersons gelding may well reappear in this race and would be an interesting contender.

On the same day Doncasters Grimthorpe Chase, a staying handicap over three and a quarter miles, has been transferred to Lingfield and may well be the chosen target of A Glass In Thyne, who won the Skybet Chase that had also been switched from Doncaster to Southwell in January. Maybe the changing fixture pattern will repeat itself again for Ben Pollocks improving young chaser.

Champion trainer Martin Pipe has endured a stop-start season but plenty of punters will still be scouring the list of runners for the Imperial Cup at Sandown on March 11 in the hope of unearthing another Pipe hotpot for one of the seasons most keenly-contested handicap hurdles.

Pipe has won the race five times overall and has landed the prize three times in recent seasons. His mass of entries should be studied with the utmost care and may well include progressive sorts such as Buena Vista, Acambo and Desert Air.

The punishing combination of a fiercely-run race and a stamina-sapping finish up the demanding Sandown hill has often meant that lightly-weighted horses have held an advantage over their higher-weighted rivals, while waiting tactics have also proved successful for several of the recent winners. Making all in a race as competitive as this isnt easy.

The Irish won this race with shock outsider Regency Rake, trained by Arthur Moore in 1999, and any runners from across the Irish Sea should be accorded the greatest respect. Jessica Harringtons Studmaster, an easy winner of his last two races might take in this contest or wait for the County Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.

On the same day at Sandown make a note also of the EBF Novices Hurdle Final, a race that often produces a star of the future. Plenty of classy young hurdlers will have this contest in their sights including the Lambourn-trained duo Mr Pointment, and Wogan while the NickGifford team intends to field Dusky Lord.

In recent years the Irish have held the Champion Hurdle on March 14, the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival, in a vice-like grip, winning five of the last seven renewals and looking at the somewhat weakened field for this years renewal its hard not to envisage the hurdling crown being whisked away once more across the Irish Sea.

Reigning title-holders boast a superb record in the Champion, but recent dual winner Hardy Eustace will have to banish a bout of the blues on his latest and disappointing effort in the AIG Europe Champion Hurdle at Leopradstown. At the age of nine many think his time may have passed.

Plenty of horses that have been placed in the race previously have put that beneficial experience to good use by returning again the next year to run well. Irelands formidable trio of Brave Inca, Macs Joy and Al Eile, Situs Agen Maxbet Terpercaya who finished third, fifth and seventh respectively in last years race will all be fancying their chances of winning this race a second time around.

The home-based challenge looks poor and has been hit hard by a spate of cruel injuries as well as the loss of form of emerging contenders such as Faasel and Penzance. Maybe the best of the British will be Arcalis, whose chances will be much increased by quick ground at Cheltenham, and a return to form for his stable.

Wednesday sees the two-mile heavyweights clash in the stirring championship that is the Queen Mother Champion Chase. Predicting this years winner revolves around whether punters think dual winner and reigning champion Moscow Flyer is just a jaded member of the old guard ready to be swept away by young pretenders such as the classy Kauto Star and the improving Fota Island.

Disappointing on his two starts so far this season, the mighty Moscow Flyer is twelve years of age and you have to go back almost thirty years (1977) to find the last winner from that age group.

Kauto Star, by contrast, has youth on his side and hails from the Paul Nicholls stable that has the best recent record in this race with winners in 2004 and 1999, and four placed horses since 2000. Kauto Star is a worthy favourite to add to that auspicious tally.

Thursdays championship race is the World Hurdle, formerly known as the Stayers Hurdle and rather like the Queen Mother Champion Chase, it features a past champion in Baracouda attempting to add a third title at the age of eleven in what must rank a one of the most open renewals in living memory.

But for the foot-and-mouth abandonment of 2001, Baracouda would already have three Stayers titles to his name but his task this year is made even harder by his advancing years and the presence of a strong domestic and Irish challenge from Mighty Man, No Refuge, Asian Maze and Golden Cross.

Friday March 17 is Cheltenham Gold Cup day and after the brilliant dominance of the chasing blue riband by three times victor Best Mate, this years renewal is one of the poorest and also most open in years and likely to produce a surprise result in this greatly-anticipated championship event.

The loss through injury of Kicking King, last years easy winner, has left the race wide-open but many backers will be looking to Monkerhostin, runner-up to the imperious Kicking King in the 2005 King George VI Chase, as a possible winner. Seven of the last ten Gold Cup winners ran in the King George, making it a key trial for future Gold Cup heroes.

Cheltenham week closes with the Midlands Grand National day on March 18 and Ossmoses, a course winner last year, will be a leading fancy for the four-mile one-and-a-half furlong prize given his preference for running over long-distances in the mud. On the same card backers should watch out for Sue Smiths tough mare Viciana in the EBF Mares Novices Chase Final.

March closes with the William Hill Lincoln run for the first time at Redcar (due to building work at Doncaster) and the draw is sure to have a big say in the outcome of this one-mile handicap, and the first big prize of the new turf Flat season.

Twelve months ago Newmarket trainer Sir Michael Stoute won this contest for the first time with Stream of Gold and bids to do the same again with the progressive Kings Majesty while James Fanshawe will be looking for easy ground if hes to run Cesare, another young and improving horse.

The four-day Cheltenham Festival dominates the March programme, but theres also a busy programme of racing throughout the month including the ever-popular Imperial Cup day at Sandown plus the thrills and spills of the Midlands Grand National day at Uttoxeter. Flat fans, meanwhile, will need no reminding that the new turf season kicks off with the William Hill Lincoln at Redcar on March 25.

March begins with the newly-established Vodafone Gold Cup at Newbury on the 4th over two and a half miles. Its something of a surprise to find such a valuable race staged so close to the Cheltenham Festival, and many trainers face the dilemma of deciding whether to run here or in either the Ryanair Chase or Situs Agen Maxbet Terpercaya Racing Post Plate over similar distances at the Cheltenham Festival.

Twelve months ago a solid handicapper in the shape of Supreme Prince held on to land the valuable prize while in its inaugural year, the classy Isio was a well-backed winner. Absent since that season, Nicky Hendersons gelding may well reappear in this race and would be an interesting contender.

On the same day Doncasters Grimthorpe Chase, a staying handicap over three and a quarter miles, has been transferred to Lingfield and may well be the chosen target of A Glass In Thyne, who won the Skybet Chase that had also been switched from Doncaster to Southwell in January. Maybe the changing fixture pattern will repeat itself again for Ben Pollocks improving young chaser.

Champion trainer Martin Pipe has endured a stop-start season but plenty of punters will still be scouring the list of runners for the Imperial Cup at Sandown on March 11 in the hope of unearthing another Pipe hotpot for one of the seasons most keenly-contested handicap hurdles.

Pipe has won the race five times overall and has landed the prize three times in recent seasons. His mass of entries should be studied with the utmost care and may well include progressive sorts such as Buena Vista, Acambo and Desert Air.

The punishing combination of a fiercely-run race and a stamina-sapping finish up the demanding Sandown hill has often meant that lightly-weighted horses have held an advantage over their higher-weighted rivals, while waiting tactics have also proved successful for several of the recent winners. Making all in a race as competitive as this isnt easy.

The Irish won this race with shock outsider Regency Rake, trained by Arthur Moore in 1999, and any runners from across the Irish Sea should be accorded the greatest respect. Jessica Harringtons Studmaster, an easy winner of his last two races might take in this contest or wait for the County Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.

On the same day at Sandown make a note also of the EBF Novices Hurdle Final, a race that often produces a star of the future. Plenty of classy young hurdlers will have this contest in their sights including the Lambourn-trained duo Mr Pointment, and Wogan while the NickGifford team intends to field Dusky Lord.

In recent years the Irish have held the Champion Hurdle on March 14, the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival, in a vice-like grip, winning five of the last seven renewals and looking at the somewhat weakened field for this years renewal its hard not to envisage the hurdling crown being whisked away once more across the Irish Sea.

Reigning title-holders boast a superb record in the Champion, but recent dual winner Hardy Eustace will have to banish a bout of the blues on his latest and disappointing effort in the AIG Europe Champion Hurdle at Leopradstown. At the age of nine many think his time may have passed.

Plenty of horses that have been placed in the race previously have put that beneficial experience to good use by returning again the next year to run well. Irelands formidable trio of Brave Inca, Macs Joy and Al Eile, who finished third, fifth and seventh respectively in last years race will all be fancying their chances of winning this race a second time around.

The home-based challenge looks poor and has been hit hard by a spate of cruel injuries as well as the loss of form of emerging contenders such as Faasel and Penzance. Maybe the best of the British will be Arcalis, whose chances will be much increased by quick ground at Cheltenham, and a return to form for his stable.

Wednesday sees the two-mile heavyweights clash in the stirring championship that is the Queen Mother Champion Chase. Predicting this years winner revolves around whether punters think dual winner and reigning champion Moscow Flyer is just a jaded member of the old guard ready to be swept away by young pretenders such as the classy Kauto Star and the improving Fota Island.

Disappointing on his two starts so far this season, the mighty Moscow Flyer is twelve years of age and you have to go back almost thirty years (1977) to find the last winner from that age group.

Kauto Star, by contrast, has youth on his side and hails from the Paul Nicholls stable that has the best recent record in this race with winners in 2004 and 1999, and four placed horses since 2000. Kauto Star is a worthy favourite to add to that auspicious tally.

Thursdays championship race is the World Hurdle, formerly known as the Stayers Hurdle and rather like the Queen Mother Champion Chase, it features a past champion in Baracouda attempting to add a third title at the age of eleven in what must rank a one of the most open renewals in living memory.

But for the foot-and-mouth abandonment of 2001, Baracouda would already have three Stayers titles to his name but his task this year is made even harder by his advancing years and the presence of a strong domestic and Irish challenge from Mighty Man, No Refuge, Asian Maze and Golden Cross.

Friday March 17 is Cheltenham Gold Cup day and after the brilliant dominance of the chasing blue riband by three times victor Best Mate, this years renewal is one of the poorest and also most open in years and likely to produce a surprise result in this greatly-anticipated championship event.

The loss through injury of Kicking King, last years easy winner, has left the race wide-open but many backers will be looking to Monkerhostin, runner-up to the imperious Kicking King in the 2005 King George VI Chase, as a possible winner. Seven of the last ten Gold Cup winners ran in the King George, making it a key trial for future Gold Cup heroes.

Cheltenham week closes with the Midlands Grand National day on March 18 and Ossmoses, a course winner last year, will be a leading fancy for the four-mile one-and-a-half furlong prize given his preference for running over long-distances in the mud. On the same card backers should watch out for Sue Smiths tough mare Viciana in the EBF Mares Novices Chase Final.

March closes with the William Hill Lincoln run for the first time at Redcar (due to building work at Doncaster) and the draw is sure to have a big say in the outcome of this one-mile handicap, and the first big prize of the new turf Flat season.

Twelve months ago Newmarket trainer Sir Michael Stoute won this contest for the first time with Stream of Gold and bids to do the same again with the progressive Kings Majesty while James Fanshawe will be looking for easy ground if hes to run Cesare, another young and improving horse.

The four-day Cheltenham Festival dominates the March programme, but theres also a busy programme of racing throughout the month including the ever-popular Imperial Cup day at Sandown plus the thrills and spills of the Midlands Grand National day at Uttoxeter. Flat fans, meanwhile, will need no reminding that the new turf season kicks off with the William Hill Lincoln at Redcar on March 25.

March begins with the newly-established Vodafone Gold Cup at Newbury on the 4th over two and a half miles. Its something of a surprise to find such a valuable race staged so close to the Cheltenham Festival, and many trainers face the dilemma of deciding whether to run here or in either the Ryanair Chase or Racing Post Plate over similar distances at the Cheltenham Festival.

Twelve months ago a solid handicapper in the shape of Supreme Prince held on to land the valuable prize while in its inaugural year, the classy Isio was a well-backed winner. Absent since that season, Nicky Hendersons gelding may well reappear in this race and would be an interesting contender.

On the same day Doncasters Grimthorpe Chase, a staying handicap over three and a quarter miles, has been transferred to Lingfield and may well be the chosen target of A Glass In Thyne, who won the Skybet Chase that had also been switched from Doncaster to Southwell in January. Maybe the changing fixture pattern will repeat itself again for Ben Pollocks improving young chaser.

Champion trainer Martin Pipe has endured a stop-start season but plenty of punters will still be scouring the list of runners for the Imperial Cup at Sandown on March 11 in the hope of unearthing another Pipe hotpot for one of the seasons most keenly-contested handicap hurdles.

Pipe has won the race five times overall and has landed the prize three times in recent seasons. His mass of entries should be studied with the utmost care and may well include progressive sorts such as Buena Vista, Acambo and Desert Air.

The punishing combination of a fiercely-run race and a stamina-sapping finish up the demanding Sandown hill has often meant that lightly-weighted horses have held an advantage over their higher-weighted rivals, Situs Agen Maxbet Terpercaya while waiting tactics have also proved successful for several of the recent winners. Making all in a race as competitive as this isnt easy.

The Irish won this race with shock outsider Regency Rake, trained by Arthur Moore in 1999, and any runners from across the Irish Sea should be accorded the greatest respect. Jessica Harringtons Studmaster, an easy winner of his last two races might take in this contest or wait for the County Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.

On the same day at Sandown make a note also of the EBF Novices Hurdle Final, a race that often produces a star of the future. Plenty of classy young hurdlers will have this contest in their sights including the Lambourn-trained duo Mr Pointment, and Wogan while the NickGifford team intends to field Dusky Lord.

In recent years the Irish have held the Champion Hurdle on March 14, the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival, in a vice-like grip, winning five of the last seven renewals and looking at the somewhat weakened field for this years renewal its hard not to envisage the hurdling crown being whisked away once more across the Irish Sea.

Reigning title-holders boast a superb record in the Champion, but recent dual winner Hardy Eustace will have to banish a bout of the blues on his latest and disappointing effort in the AIG Europe Champion Hurdle at Leopradstown. At the age of nine many think his time may have passed.

Plenty of horses that have been placed in the race previously have put that beneficial experience to good use by returning again the next year to run well. Irelands formidable trio of Brave Inca, Macs Joy and Al Eile, who finished third, fifth and seventh respectively in last years race will all be fancying their chances of winning this race a second time around.

The home-based challenge looks poor and has been hit hard by a spate of cruel injuries as well as the loss of form of emerging contenders such as Faasel and Penzance. Maybe the best of the British will be Arcalis, whose chances will be much increased by quick ground at Cheltenham, and a return to form for his stable.

Wednesday sees the two-mile heavyweights clash in the stirring championship that is the Queen Mother Champion Chase. Predicting this years winner revolves around whether punters think dual winner and reigning champion Moscow Flyer is just a jaded member of the old guard ready to be swept away by young pretenders such as the classy Kauto Star and the improving Fota Island.

Disappointing on his two starts so far this season, the mighty Moscow Flyer is twelve years of age and you have to go back almost thirty years (1977) to find the last winner from that age group.

Kauto Star, by contrast, has youth on his side and hails from the Paul Nicholls stable that has the best recent record in this race with winners in 2004 and 1999, and four placed horses since 2000. Kauto Star is a worthy favourite to add to that auspicious tally.

Thursdays championship race is the World Hurdle, formerly known as the Stayers Hurdle and rather like the Queen Mother Champion Chase, it features a past champion in Baracouda attempting to add a third title at the age of eleven in what must rank a one of the most open renewals in living memory.

But for the foot-and-mouth abandonment of 2001, Baracouda would already have three Stayers titles to his name but his task this year is made even harder by his advancing years and the presence of a strong domestic and Irish challenge from Mighty Man, No Refuge, Asian Maze and Golden Cross.

Friday March 17 is Cheltenham Gold Cup day and after the brilliant dominance of the chasing blue riband by three times victor Best Mate, this years renewal is one of the poorest and also most open in years and likely to produce a surprise result in this greatly-anticipated championship event.

The loss through injury of Kicking King, last years easy winner, has left the race wide-open but many backers will be looking to Monkerhostin, runner-up to the imperious Kicking King in the 2005 King George VI Chase, as a possible winner. Seven of the last ten Gold Cup winners ran in the King George, making it a key trial for future Gold Cup heroes.

Cheltenham week closes with the Midlands Grand National day on March 18 and Ossmoses, a course winner last year, will be a leading fancy for the four-mile one-and-a-half furlong prize given his preference for running over long-distances in the mud. On the same card backers should watch out for Sue Smiths tough mare Viciana in the EBF Mares Novices Chase Final.

March closes with the William Hill Lincoln run for the first time at Redcar (due to building work at Doncaster) and the draw is sure to have a big say in the outcome of this one-mile handicap, and the first big prize of the new turf Flat season.

Twelve months ago Newmarket trainer Sir Michael Stoute won this contest for the first time with Stream of Gold and bids to do the same again with the progressive Kings Majesty while James Fanshawe will be looking for easy ground if hes to run Cesare, another young and improving horse.

The four-day Cheltenham Festival dominates the March programme, but theres also a busy programme of racing throughout the month including the ever-popular Imperial Cup day at Sandown plus the thrills and spills of the Midlands Grand National day at Uttoxeter. Flat fans, meanwhile, will need no reminding that the new turf season kicks off with the William Hill Lincoln at Redcar on March 25.

March begins with the newly-established Vodafone Gold Cup at Newbury on the 4th over two and a half miles. Its something of a surprise to find such a valuable race staged so close to the Cheltenham Festival, and many trainers face the dilemma of deciding whether to run here or in either the Ryanair Chase or Racing Post Plate over similar distances at the Cheltenham Festival.

Twelve months ago a solid handicapper in the shape of Supreme Prince held on to land the valuable prize while in its inaugural year, the classy Isio was a well-backed winner. Absent since that season, Nicky Hendersons gelding may well reappear in this race and would be an interesting contender.

On the same day Doncasters Grimthorpe Chase, a staying handicap over three and a quarter miles, has been transferred to Lingfield and may well be the chosen target of A Glass In Thyne, who won the Skybet Chase that had also been switched from Doncaster to Southwell in January. Maybe the changing fixture pattern will repeat itself again for Ben Pollocks improving young chaser.

Champion trainer Martin Pipe has endured a stop-start season but plenty of punters will still be scouring the list of runners for the Imperial Cup at Sandown on March 11 in the hope of unearthing another Pipe hotpot for one of the seasons most keenly-contested handicap hurdles.

Pipe has won the race five times overall and has landed the prize three times in recent seasons. His mass of entries should be studied with the utmost care and may well include progressive sorts such as Buena Vista, Acambo and Desert Air.

The punishing combination of a fiercely-run race and a stamina-sapping finish up the demanding Sandown hill has often meant that lightly-weighted horses have held an advantage over their higher-weighted rivals, while waiting tactics have also proved successful for several of the recent winners. Making all in a race as competitive as this isnt easy.

The Irish won this race with shock outsider Regency Rake, trained by Arthur Moore in 1999, and any runners from across the Irish Sea should be accorded the greatest respect. Jessica Harringtons Studmaster, an easy winner of his last two races might take in this contest or wait for the County Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.

On the same day at Sandown make a note also of the EBF Novices Hurdle Final, a race that often produces a star of the future. Plenty of classy young hurdlers will have this contest in their sights including the Lambourn-trained duo Mr Pointment, and Wogan while the NickGifford team intends to field Dusky Lord.

In recent years the Irish have held the Champion Hurdle on March 14, the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival, in a vice-like grip, winning five of the last seven renewals and looking at the somewhat weakened field for this years renewal its hard not to envisage the hurdling crown being whisked away once more across the Irish Sea.

Reigning title-holders boast a superb record in the Champion, but recent dual winner Hardy Eustace will have to banish a bout of the blues on his latest and disappointing effort in the AIG Europe Champion Hurdle at Leopradstown. At the age of nine many think his time may have passed.

Plenty of horses that have been placed in the race previously have put that beneficial experience to good use by returning again the next year to run well. Irelands formidable trio of Brave Inca, Macs Joy and Al Eile, who finished third, fifth and seventh respectively in last years race will all be fancying their chances of winning this race a second time around.

The home-based challenge looks poor and has been hit hard by a spate of cruel injuries as well as the loss of form of emerging contenders such as Faasel and Penzance. Maybe the best of the British will be Arcalis, whose chances will be much increased by quick ground at Cheltenham, and a return to form for his stable.

Wednesday sees the two-mile heavyweights clash in the stirring championship that is the Queen Mother Champion Chase. Predicting this years winner revolves around whether punters think dual winner and reigning champion Moscow Flyer is just a jaded member of the old guard ready to be swept away by young pretenders such as the classy Kauto Star and the improving Fota Island.

Disappointing on his two starts so far this season, the mighty Moscow Flyer is twelve years of age and you have to go back almost thirty years (1977) to find the last winner from that age group.

Kauto Star, by contrast, has youth on his side and hails from the Paul Nicholls stable that has the best recent record in this race with winners in 2004 and 1999, and four placed horses since 2000. Kauto Star is a worthy favourite to add to that auspicious tally.

Thursdays championship race is the World Hurdle, formerly known as the Stayers Hurdle and rather like the Queen Mother Champion Chase, it features a past champion in Baracouda attempting to add a third title at the age of eleven in what must rank a one of the most open renewals in living memory.

But for the foot-and-mouth abandonment of 2001, Baracouda would already have three Stayers titles to his name but his task this year is made even harder by his advancing years and the presence of a strong domestic and Irish challenge from Mighty Man, No Refuge, Asian Maze and Golden Cross.

Friday March 17 is Cheltenham Gold Cup day and after the brilliant dominance of the chasing blue riband by three times victor Best Mate, this years renewal is one of the poorest and also most open in years and likely to produce a surprise result in this greatly-anticipated championship event.

The loss through injury of Kicking King, last years easy winner, has left the race wide-open but many backers will be looking to Monkerhostin, runner-up to the imperious Kicking King in the 2005 King George VI Chase, as a possible winner. Seven of the last ten Gold Cup winners ran in the King George, making it a key trial for future Gold Cup heroes.

Cheltenham week closes with the Midlands Grand National day on March 18 and Ossmoses, a course winner last year, will be a leading fancy for the four-mile one-and-a-half furlong prize given his preference for running over long-distances in the mud. On the same card backers should watch out for Sue Smiths Situs Agen Maxbet Terpercaya tough mare Viciana in the EBF Mares Novices Chase Final.

March closes with the William Hill Lincoln run for the first time at Redcar (due to building work at Doncaster) and the draw is sure to have a big say in the outcome of this one-mile handicap, and the first big prize of the new turf Flat season.

Twelve months ago Newmarket trainer Sir Michael Stoute won this contest for the first time with Stream of Gold and bids to do the same again with the progressive Kings Majesty while James Fanshawe will be looking for easy ground if hes to run Cesare, another young and improving horse.

Casino Games History Or How People Have Learnt To Count Cards Part2.

Thorp’s Era.

If you dont know, now we are living in 43th year of Thorp’s era. This person had such a great influence on the blackjack and all the gambling industry, that I seriously consider that he is worth of setting up a monument while alive, by the way at the casino’s expense.

Being a young scientist, Edward O. Thorp regularly read mathematic journals. When he was a student, he was pressed for money. The idea of outplaying the casino on the basis of calculations appealed to Thorp and he decided to check the results of the “excellent four” and see what will come out of it. The result of his activity was a phenomenal book Beat The Dealer, now its sales are approaching million of samples.

Thorp chose the other way – he did not make analytical calculations, but with powerful at that time computer IBM (they were also called mainframe) he wrote several programs on Fortran, creating quite original methods for 60s. By the way, Thorp together with his research instructor Claude Elwood Shannon, a great scientist, were also involved in solving the problem “how to outplay the roulette?”

From his calculations Thorp understood that dead cards had a considerable affect on the gambler’s chances this or that way. His main idea was about memorizing the dead cards in somewhat simplified way and when the situation is beneficial for the player, make high stakes. By the way, this system still remains the basis of any methods and counting systems of blackjack.

The counting system introduced by Thorp, was rather complicated for usage in real casinos, required great concentration and large amount of mentally arithmetic actions. However with good training there was nothing impossible in its application.

Thorp’s book immediately became a success and bestseller. Everyone understood that with quite simple actions you can get an advantage. Every reader dreamt of enormous prizes. However, the casinos also knew the score.

Panic seized them. And in 1962 after Thorp’s book, all Las Vegas Casinos without exception changed their rules being afraid of mass influx of “system players”. The quality of the rules worsened terribly and no counting system could ever help you to win. Though the effect for casino turned out to be quite unpredictable and reverse – people stopped playing blackjack. And during several months, all the casinos had to return to the former rules for their own survival.

Another interesting effect caused by Thorp’s book- incredible popularity of blackjack outrunning the favorite American craps. A lot of people, after reading the book considered themselves potential winners and rushed to the blackjack tables. However, most of them had a bad understanding of the mathematical principles of the game did not become winners but quite vice versa. Therefore, casino got more clients and moreover losing clients. Since then their number is only increasing.

The system presented in the first edition of Thorp’s book was quite difficult even for professionals and only the few could apply it under the conditions of a real game. Something should be simplified.

The power behind the throne.

Julian Braun is quite a unique personality. He had hardly ever played a deal in real blackjack. But he played millions and maybe even billions of deals on the computer. Braun was a good mathematician and programmer and he got interested in Thorp’s idea and offered him cooperation in the sphere of calculations and programming.

Braun became the person who first invented the counting system Hi-Lo. He was behind the development of all modern systems the authorship of which belongs to Revere, Humble, Wong and Uston. He wrote the only book How to Play Winning Blackjack, but what a book!

Braun upgraded Thorp’s system on FORTRAN and made considerable changes and the second edition of Thorp’s book also contained Hi-Lo system in its modern form. It was quite a revolution in gambling world. Braun worked in IBM corporation and had access to probably most powerful computers of that time. This fact helped to build simple and efficient tool in struggle with casino.

Using Braun’s calculations the gambler mostly known as Lawrence Revere developed his own counting system and presented his results in the form of convenient tables which are applied in most counters of the world. Lance Humble based his HiOpt systems on Braun’s experience.

Regardless the fact that Julian most probably had Situs Agen Sbobet Terpercaya never been to the casino, he became a power behind the throne of the blackjack and all the mathematical modeling of the game fell on him.

Behind the phenomenon of gambling industry, there are definite individuals. The attitude to them is ambiguous. Some people consider them to be talented businessmen, respect them and learn from them. Others, conversely, condemn them. Doubtless is only one thing – these people are extraordinary, often venturesome, but at the same time they have business acumen, feel the demands of time, they can correctly estimate the potential of their future enterprises. Particularly such people gain millions of dollars from gambling industry.

Sheldon Adelson

Presently he is the richest representative of the gambling industry. He owns the corporation “Las Vegas Sands”, which controls the casino-hotel “Venetian” in Vegas and “Venetian” in Macao. The life of Sheldon reminds of a classical story about an American dream. The future billionaire was born in 1933 in Boston in a poor Jewish-Ukrainian emigrant family. He had to work since early childhood. He earned his first money by selling newspapers on the streets. Practically without any education, the self-made man Sheldon became one of the best financiers in the USA. While working as financial advisor, he breathed new life into more than 50 companies. Adelson was one of the first businessmen who believed in the future of IT technologies. The international show-exhibition of IT-technologies “COMDEX” was his brainchild. In 1995 he sold it to the Japanese for 860 mln dollars.

The businessman came to Situs Agen Maxbet Terpercaya the gambling market in 1989 buying the casino-hotel “Sands” in Las-Vegas, which was earlier owned by Frank Sinatra. Understanding that one more casino in Vegas is trivial and that is why relatively unprofitable, he decides to transform the capital of gambling into the international business center, in order to attract rich entrepreneurs (potential players) to his casino. Within several years Adelson built the business centre “Sands Expo”. In 1991 he invested one and a half billion dollars for building the casino-hotel “Venetian”. The new casino was targeted not only at players, but also at businessmen who came to his new business center. As many experts acknowledge, “Venetian” is one of the most beautiful casino-hotels in the world. There are more than 4000 rooms, 18 restaurants, a trade center (emporium), and all this is at the background of Venetian channels, with gondolas sailing and gondoliers singing their famous songs. In 2004 Adelson opened the casino “Venetian” in Macao, the first casino of Las Vegas type in Asia. In May 2006 he managed to obtain a permit for building a casino in Singapore, which will presumably be opened in 2009. It is planned that more than 3 billion dollars will be invested into its construction.

At the moment, according to “Forbes”, Adelson’s fortune is 16.1 billion dollars, i.e. he is number 14 in the world rating of the wealthiest people of the planet.

Kirk Kerkorian

This figure of gambling industry can be without exaggerations called the most experienced and sophisticated. He is the living legend, one of the “fathers of Las Vegas”. Kirk was born in 1917 in the town of Fresno (California) in the family of Armenian emigrants. In his youth he was actively engaged in boxing and participated in single combats, but at the age of 22 all of a sudden he decided to quit sport – the desire to learn to fly captivated his entire personality. During WW II Kirk became a pilot of British royal air force. Upon returning to his homeland, in 1947 he paid 60 thousand dollars and bought a small air company that specialized on charter flights between Los Angeles and Las Vegas. He abandoned this business only in 1968, having sold it for 108 mln dollars. Frequently visiting Vegas, he realizes the huge potential of this city. In 1962 Kirk buys 80 acres of land on the famous The Strip, not far from the legendary casino “Flamingo”. The land at that time cost him 960 thousand dollars. The investment was not vain, approximately at this time there started the gambling boom and many companies became interested in gambling industry. The renowned casino “Caesars Palace” is built on his land, which he grants on lease. In 1969 he sells it, having thus earned more than 9 million dollars.

In 1967 Kirk buys 82 more acres of the “precious” land and builds “International Hotel”, which was the biggest hotel in the world at that time. In order to make the hotel popular and attract potential players, Kirk hires Elvis Presley for concerts. At that time he also buys the casino Flamingo, which he resells in 1970 to the corporation “Hilton”. 1973 was crucial for Kirk. He invested most of his assets into buying the film studio “MGM” and builds the casino-hotel “MGM Grand” under the brand of his new company. Now this hotel becomes the biggest in the world. At the moment Kirk Kerkorian owns the corporation “Tracinda”, which has the controlling stock of “MGM Mirage” (casino in Nevada, New Jersey, Macao etc). Kirk’s interests are not limited only to gambling industry. He owns 10% of the shares of “General Motors”. All this allows him to be number 53 in the Forbes world rating, having the fortune of 8.7 billion dollars.

I would speculate that more than 95 percent of all football bettors have never asked themselves the most important question before wagering.

What do I want from betting on football?

This question is largely ignored by sports bettors. It is a simple question with no hidden meaning or tricks, yet for most it is not realistically answered. This question usually goes unasked and unanswered for most sports bettors. When it does get asked, more often than not the first response will be, “I want to win.” This is the obvious answer, but it is not exactly what I mean.

Are you looking to supplement your income?

Are you looking to bet as a profession?

Are you looking for a challenge?

Are you looking to make a little extra cash to buy a trip or a new car?

Are you looking for entertainment?

What are the specific reasons you bet on football? Write them down. Look at the reasons. Only you can answer this question for yourself. Most people would give the response that it is a combination of the above reasons. Yet when I talk to people throughout the season, very few have a plan to attain their goal. Even fewer have a specific plan or goal with which to work. To really be successful it sports betting, it is extremely important to have a goal. Many handicappers write about money management, but few ever discuss setting up a plan of attack or setting up specific goals to attain.

Preparation is the key to having a profitable football season. Part of this preparation involves setting goals. In talking to hundreds of sports bettors every year, I amazed at the amount of people that have no idea what they are trying to accomplish in betting. Most people fail in sports betting because they fail to set realistic expectations and determine a plan for attaining those expectations.

Picking winners is hard, but betting winners is even harder. If you have a plan and a goal, this mechanism of sports betting is made easier. There are many different approaches to betting football.

Here are a couple of things to consider when determining what you would like to accomplish for the season:

Including the preseason, there are approximately 22 full weeks of football action. If you bet an average of about 10 games a week, you will have bet on about 220 college and pro games during the course of a season. The following chart is a breakdown of percentages and net winners based on betting 220 games. Also illustrated is the potential profits that can be earned.

Win%RecordNet WinnersProfit @$100Profit @$500Profit @$1000

602-8835.2$3,520$17,600$35,200

590-90 31.0$3,100$15,500$31,000

588-9226.8$2,680$13,400$26,800

575-9520.5$2,050$10,250$20,500

563-9716.3$1,630$8,150$16,300

551-9912.1$1,210$6,050$12,100

549-1017.9$790$3,950$7,900

537-1033.7$370$1,850$3,700

In looking at these figures, you can see that if you have a bankroll that supports $100 wagers, then you are not going to make enough money to buy that new Ford Expedition that you have set as your goal. Setting a realistic goal based on realistic expectations is something most handicappers do not do. If you set your realistic expectations and goals before the season, you will avoid a lot of frustration and disappointment throughout the season. It will be easier to avoid the week-to-week mentality that kills so many novice sports bettors. Approach the season as a long-term endeavor and expect tremendous deviation from week-to-week.

Do not expect to make $35,000 with a bankroll of $1000. Avoid this pitfall by defining and allocating an appropriate bankroll. A bankroll is money that you have set aside for your sports betting. Like any investment, this should be money that you can afford to lose without affecting your lifestyle. A bankroll shouldn’t be money that would use for something else. A fully funded bankroll should be at least 40 times your average unit of play. Having a funded bankroll of at least 40 units alleviates much of the pressure when the ball bounces the other way and you drop a few in a row or suffer through a losing streak.

To determine your goals for the season, here is a step-by-step process that will help:

1. Honestly explore the reasons as to why you bet on sports

2. Set up specific and realistic goals to accomplish based on the above reasons

3. Define and allocate a fully funded bankroll

4. Determine what approaches to actual handicapping you are going to incorporate

5. Determine approximately the volume of plays you are going to make

6. Based on your previous experiences, determine a realistic predicted outcome

7. Review your goals based upon your projected results

8. Get access to at least 10 different betting outlets

9. Stay with the Situs Agen Sbobet Terpercaya plan

10. Keep meticulous records

If you follow these suggestions the only thing left to do is to pick winners. Good luck throughout the upcoming football season.

The example of Blaise Pascal, the famous French mathematician of 17th century, proves that gambling might be not so much a purpose as means. It can be an excellent exercise for mind, as in case with Pascal and another French mathematician – Fermat, who invented calculations, now known to us as theory of probabilities.

“Theory of probabilities was created when Pascal and Fermat started playing gambling games”, stated one of their contemporaries.

These two scientists did sums on theory of probabilities by correspondence and the relevant material was obtained during their visits to the gambling house at leisure. Later this correspondence resulted in Pascal’s treatise, “completely new composition on accidental combinations which govern the gambling games”.

In his work Pascal almost completely casts out phantoms of luck and chance from gambling games, substituting them with cold statistic calculations based on the arithmetic mind. It’s difficult for us to imagine what riot the invention made among the gamblers. We treat theory of probabilities as something trivial, though only specialists are sound on its details, but everyone understands its main principle. But in the times of the French mathematician, the minds of all gamblers were absorbed with such notions as “divine intent”, “lap of Fortune” and other things that only enhance the obsession by the game adding extra mystical tones to the games. Pascal without any hesitation opposes his thesis to such attitude to the game “Fluctuations of happiness and luck subordinate to considerations based on fairness and which aim irrevocably to give every player what actually is owing to him”.

In Pascal’s hands mathematics became fabulous art of foreseeing. It is more than just amazing that unlike Galileo, the French scientist did not make numerous tiring experiments on multiple throwing dice that tool a great deal of time. In Pascal’s opinion, the unique feature of the art of mathematic consideration compared to the common statistics is that it obtains its results not from the experiments but is based on “mind foreseeing”, i.e. on intellectual definitions. As a result” preciseness of mathematics is combined with uncertainty of chance. Our method borrows its awkward name – “mathematics of chance” from this ambiguity”. Another curious name followed Pascal’s invention – “method of mathematical expectation”.

Staked money, wrote Pascal, no more belonged to gamester. However, losing nth sum of money, players also gain something in return, though most of them do not even guess it. In fact, it is something absolutely virtual, you cannot touch it neither put into your pocket and to notice it – the gambler should possess certain intellectual ability. We are talking about the acquired “right to expect regular gain a chance can give according to the initial terms – stakes”.

Somebody will say that it is not so encouraging. However seeming dryness of this formulation ceases when you just pay your attention to word combination “regular gain”. Expectation of gain turns out to be quite justified and fair. It’s another matter that a more hot-tempered person is more likely to pay his attention to the word chance and “can give” (and consequently it might also be otherwise).

Using his method of “mathematical expectation”, the French scientist thoroughly calculates particular values of “right for gain” depending on different initial terms. Thus a completely new definition of right appears in mathematics which differs from the similar definitions of law or ethics.

“Pascal’s triangle” or where theory of probabilities fails.

Pascal summed up the results of these experiments in the form of the so-called arithmetic triangle consisting of numerical numbers. If you can apply it, you can precisely foresee probability of different gains.

For common people “Pascal’s triangle” looked more like magic tables of kabbalists or like a mystic Buddhist mandala. Failure to understand the invention by the illiterate public in 17th century touched the rumour that “Pascal’s triangle” helped to forecast world catastrophes and natural disasters of the remote future. Indeed presentations of theory of probabilities in the form of graphic tables or figures and moreover proved by the real game caused almost religious sensations in uneducated gamblers.

Though we should not mix theory of probabilities with what it is not by its definition. “Pascal’s triangle” fails to foresee the future deal in one particular case. Eyeless destiny governs such things – and Pascal never debated it. Theory of probabilities becomes useful and can be applied only in relation to the long series of chances. Only in this case, number probabilities, series and progressions, constant and known in advance can influence the decision of a clever gambler in favor of a particular stake (card, lead, etc.)

Pascal’s invention is even more amazing if to take into account that its famous triangle was known to Muslim mathematician of certain religious orders many centuries ago. It is absolutely true that European Pascal could not obtain this information from anywhere.

All this once again proves that mathematical patterns of any process are the same regardless of time and space and whims of the so called Fortune. Awareness of this fact enraptured by Pythagoreans, philosophers who deeply and emotionally Situs Agen Sbobet Terpercaya perceived it at that time.

One to thirty-five.

Pascal more and more often faced similar complications connected with the game that caused controversies in gambling houses and aristocratic mansions in France of that time. Among them there was a problem proposed to young Blaise by one of his aristocratic friends.

The problem concerned dice. It was desired to find how many series of throws is theoretically necessary so that the chances to win (two sixs) will dominate the probability of all other outcomes taken together. All this is not so difficult as a beginner may presume. It is easy to notice that in the game with two bones there are only 36 combinations of numbers and only one gives double six. After such explanation it is clear for any sensible person that with one-time throw there is only one chance to thirty-five to win.

The result of these simple calculations can cast down many fans of dice, but on the other hand, the rapture of those lucky ones throwing double six is staggering. Because they know the exact devil number of opposite outcomes that opposed their luck!

If you want to start playing poker,you had better decide to play texas hold’em !.This game,though arguably not the best game of poker,has somehow superceded other forms of poker,particularly online.

Within texas holdem there are still decisions to be made.Do you want to play limit poker,no limit poker or poker tournaments?

This introduction only concerns LIMIT TEXAS HOLDEM.

Why ?.Well the tactics you use in no limit poker,and tournament poker will be completely different to those used in limit poker.

Also limit poker,i feel,is the best test for a poker player.

No limit poker can leave a player potless after hours of good play,just by going “all in” on what seems an unbeatable hand,only for a bad player,or loaded player who can go with you,to pull off a fluke.The player has done nothing wrong,they have to go with their hand,but,the bottom line is they are going home with nothing to show for all the good play that went before.

Tournament play is also largely down to luck(and patience).Also as with no limit poker,you can play great for hours only to lose out just before the share-out stage on one bad stroke of luck.Again the player does nothing wrong,but hours of play goes up in smoke with nothing to show for it.

Limit poker is the game – you can play for as long as you feel good,and you can manipulate the stake you want to play for each and every hand.

THE PROCEDURE.

Take your online seat.

Wait for large blind(2 players pay large and small blind every hand to start pot) – you will be prompted,just click to pay)

Two cards will be shown to you,and no one else.

A round of betting will now take place by other players round the table.

If there has not been a “raise”(increase in your large blind stake you have already paid) then just “check”(it costs you nothing and you get to see next card for free).

If there has been a “raise”you can either go with them(“call”)and increase your stake or cut your losses and “fold” – We will show wether you should stay in or fold hands later.

Next the “flop” occurs – this is when 3 cards are dealt onto table,which everyone can see.

There is now another round of betting,and apply same procedure as in first round of betting.

Every player will now see another card dealt – the “turn” card.

Every player will now see another card – the 5th and final card – the “river” card.

The game is now finished – the player with the best hand wins the pot – less the poker house cut,the “rake”

Another game now begins,this time you will be prompted to pay the “small blind”-click to pay.After this game you will get a respite from paying to play,and will only pay again(unless you have good hand that you do want to play) when big blind rotates the table.

THESE ARE THE BEST HANDS IN RANK ORDER

1. Royal Flush

This is the highest poker hand. It consists of ace, king, queen, jack, ten, all in the same suit. As all suits are equal, all royal flushes are equal.

2. Straight Flush

Five cards of the same suit in sequence – such asJ-10-9-8-7. Between two straight flushes, the one containing the higher top card is higher. An ace can be counted as low, so 5-4-3-2-A is a straight flush, but its top card is the five, not the ace, so it is the lowest type of straight flush.

3. Four of a kind

Four cards of the same rank – such as four queens. The fifth card can be anything. This combination is sometimes known as “quads”, and in some parts of Europe it is called a “poker”, though this term for it is unknown in English. Between two fours of a kind, the one with the higher set of four cards is higher – so 3-3-3-3-A is beaten by 4-4-4-4-2. It can’t happen in standard poker, but if in some other game you need to compare two fours of a kind where the sets of four cards are of the same rank, then the one with the higher fifth card is better.

4. Full House

This consists of three cards of one rank and two cards of another rank – for example three sevens and two tens (colloquially known as “sevens full” or more specifically “sevens on tens”). When comparing full houses, the rank of the three cards determines which is higher. For example 9-9-9-4-4 beats 8-8-8-A-A. If the threes of a kind were equal, the rank of the pairs would decide.

5. Flush

Five cards of the same suit. When comparing two flushes, the highest card determines which is higher. If the highest cards are equal then the second highest card is compared; if those are equal too, then the third highest card, and so on. For example K-J-9-3-2 beats K-J-7-6-5 because the nine beats the seven.

6. Straight

Five cards of mixed suits in sequence – for example Q-J-10-9-8. When comparing two sequences, the one with the higher ranking top card is better. Ace can count high or low in a straight, but not both at once, so A-K-Q-J-10 and 5-4-3-2-A are valid straights, but 2-A-K-Q-J is not. 5-4-3-2-A is the lowest kind of straight, the top card being the five.

7. Three of a Kind

When comparing two threes of a kind the hand in which the three equal cards are of higher rank is better. So for example 5-5-5-3-2 beats 4-4-4-K-Q. If you have to compare two threes of a kind where the sets of three are of equal rank, then the higher of the two remaining cards in each hand are compared, and if those are equal, the lower odd card is compared.

8. Two Pairs

A pair is two cards of equal rank. In a hand with two pairs, the two pairs are of different ranks (otherwise you would have four of a kind), and there is an odd card to make the hand up to five cards. When comparing hands with two pairs, the hand with the highest pair wins, irrespective of the rank of the other cards – so J-J-2-2-4 beats 10-10-9-9-8 because the jacks beat the tens. If the higher pairs are equal, the lower pairs are compared, so that for example 8-8-6-6-3 beats 8-8-5-5-K. Finally, if both pairs are the same, the odd cards are compared, so Q-Q-5-5-8 beats Q-Q-5-5-4.

9. Pair

A hand with two cards of equal rank and three other cards which do not match these or each other. When comparing two such hands, the hand with the higher pair is better – so for example 6-6-4-3-2 beats 5-5-A-K-Q. If the pairs are equal, compare the highest ranking odd cards from each hand; if these are equal compare the second highest odd card, and if these are equal too compare the lowest odd cards. So J-J-A-9-3 beats J-J-A-7-6 because the 9 beats the 7.

10. High Card

Five cards which do not form any of the combinations listed above. When comparing two such hands, the one with the better highest card wins. If the highest cards are equal the second cards are compared; if they are equal too the third cards are compared, and so on. So A-J-9-5-3 beats A-10-9-5-4 because the jack beats the ten.

HANDS TO PLAY.

To stress again this is an introduction to limit poker,after time you will not stick to any strict guidlines,you get a feel for the game,there might be an idiot playing who you want to get involved with,it is your lucky day,and also you do not want to become too predictable.

But for now some guidlines may be useful.

Position is often portrayed as very important – it may be in no limit,but in limit not so important,if a hand is worth playing there is no need to be put off by an increase in stakes.If it is not a great hand,and you are early player(in other words you may get raised by later player)then fold,whereas if you are late player(fewer players have opportunity to raise you)then you might run with it.

Also you should always defend your big blind stake to at least one raise.One of the biggest pots i have ever won at limit poker was a situation where i was dragged unwillingly into a raising game holding a 6 – 2 unsuited,and you can’t get much worse than that.The flop threw down 3 sixes !.

Let the small blind go unless you have at least a half decent hand.

These are hands you must play,or raise even if raised previousley.

AA, KK, QQ,

A K, AQ, AJ, KQ, KJ,

A – anything suited

Include these hands to check,and call if raised.

QJ, 10 – 10, J – J

4 – 5 suited, 5 – 6 suited, etc……through to………….10 – J suited.

Include these hands to play and check(discard or play,depending on your,and the games circumstances)

Any pair

4 – 5 unsuited etc……….through to ………………..10 – J.

THINGS TO BEAR IN MIND.

Players bluff a lot.

Players bluff much more than you would imagine – if you hold at least a pair from flop,it may pay to see it through to the end.Particularly if 2 suited cards,or a possible straight was flopped,and now their straight can’t be made,and their flush busted.

Have rough idea of odds involved.

You can exhaust yourself,and make poker pretty hard work if you take the maths to extreme lengths,but a rough idea of the odds to draw is a must.

Just have in front of you the odds involved to make your hand.For these examples the river(last card)is to come,and below are the approximate odds.If,say for example,you have a pair of 3’s and know you need another 3 to win the pot,there are only 2 cards in the pack that can win it for you.The odds are 22/1,if the pot,plus what will be played this round is only paying you 10/1 you have to fold,if the pot has potential for paying 30/1 you have to play.

Odds below are for river card – last card only to come.

It is roughly half the odds given below for turn plus river card – last 2 cards still to come

2 cards wanted is app 22/1

3………………………….14/1

4………………………….11/1

5………………………. … 8/1

6………………………….. 7/1

7………………………….11/2

8………………………….. 5/1

9……………………………4/1

10 cards wanted just play!

Most players are now too aggresive.

Almost everyone has read the poker instruction books,and the recurring theme within those books is be agressive.Don’t be intimidated,when someone raises and reraises,if you have the hand,go with them,let them up the ante,wait and hit them late,particularly if the raiser does it all the time – the table will go with this player,but maybe fold if you raise.This is the reverse of popular tactics,but i have tried both,and at least you have the option of bailing out if it goes wrong,most players having raised agressively early feel they have to stay with it whatever they end up with,and try to bluff their way out of trouble.

Play in the highest stakes Situs Agen Sbobet Terpercaya table you dare play in.

Poker can be a drudge sometimes,particularly if you have a sequence of poor hands that you can’t play.Even if you do have hands to play,the norm is you will win the stake of the table each hour – $5/10 table will return about $10 – $15,for a GOOD player,not that much really.So what to do ? – play on a big stakes table,and win or lose play for a shorter time,enjoy the thrill,and if you do win,you will make a decent return.

Once you know the rankings of hands and the betting structure for Texas Holdem and you are ready to play, you need to know which two cards (known as your hole cards) you should stay with or fold before the flop (the first three communal cards).

Before the flop

One reason people lose is simply because they play too many hands before the flop. Then before they know it they are sucked in with the second best pair and lose their money. Many hands should not be played.

In fact they say that you should be seeing roughly 10% of the flops. Obviously high pairs in any position (aces down to jacks) should be played, but you should be more cautious playing lower pairs in late position, especially if there is a raise before you. Even pocket jacks are not as great as you might think. Did you know that if you are holding Jack Jack, you will see at least one over card 50% of the time on the flop! And this over card could be the one that beats you.

In a tournament even medium pairs should not always be played because you want to stay alive yes, even in late position. And low pairs are not really playable either. I mean, what do you want to hit? If you have, say, pocket 3s, the only thing you really want to see on the flop is another 3 which you have roughly only a 1 in 7 chance of hitting. If you do not hit your 3 then it is more than likely you are beaten by a higher pair, especially if there was a raise pre-flop.

A – K you would want to play in any position, but other high cards can be dangerous, for example, A – J or A – Q. If there has been a raise before you, it is possible that the other player has AK and has you out-kicked, before you have even seen a pair.

In late position you might want to limp in (just call) with two suited connectors, for example, 8 and 9 of hearts. There can be exceptions where you could also play two low cards or low pairs, for example when there are a lot of callers and you are getting very good odds for your hand to hit.

Some people will play any ace as well. This is really bad news. If you hold A -2, the only flop you want to see is 2 -2 x, because if you hit your ace, your kicker (other card) is the lowest you can get and you are left in a position of not knowing where you are. Your aces with a 2 kicker might be good but do you really want to spend money finding out?

No. It is best to pass a non-suited ace with a low card. Suited aces are good with a high card and with a low or medium card they can be played in late position or sometimes middle position. But do not forget that if your cards are suited it only increases their potential by roughly 2%.

So why do people say, any two will do? Is it true? Well, yes, sometimes it is, but for now, as a beginner, it is best to stick to high pairs and high cards in all positions and suited connectors and medium pairs in late position only or if you can get into the pot cheaply.

After the flop

Okay, so now you know what cards to play before the flop, but what do you do after the flop? Well, at this point there will be one of three outcomes.

They are; you hit the flop perfectly, you hit partly or you miss completely. For example:

FLOP ——– YOU HOLD

Perfect——– 10-J-Q : A-K

Partly ——– 7-8-2 : 6-9

Miss——– 9-9-K : 4-5

An important thing to remember is that you have seen 71per cent of your final poker hand at this point (5 out of 7 cards) so if you have not already hit something, you Situs Agen Sbobet Terpercaya want good odds to hit a card and, with the correct pot odds. It is easy enough if you have missed completely you just fold.

A lot of people are happy to play middle pair, middle kicker. For example, the flop is Q-J-6, and they have J-10. Personally I would not be calling with this hand and would maybe only consider with an ace kicker. But then again an ace comes and it gives someone else holding king 10 a straight! So what do you do? Top pair, top kicker is almost always a good flop for you, which is why I made the point before about playing high cards.

Draws are okay but best with over cards as well. You have almost 4 per cent on the flop for each out you have. So, if you have 4 to a straight, say, 4,5,6,7 and can hit either a 3 or an 8 then you have 8 outs, which is roughly 31.5 per cent or 2.2 to 1 at this point (with two cards to come, assuming you play until the end). If the pot is paying odds of over 2 to 1 then it is worth it. If not then it should really be folded. A flush draw is slightly better with 9 outs but if you also have over cards or a straight and a flush draw then you are odds on 54 per cent for the former and 59 per cent with the latter. Having said that, if you are holding something like 8 -9 of clubs, you would rather make your straight than the flush as even though a flush beats a straight you are more likely to have the nuts with the straight.

As a rule, I would say never to play a gut shot straight (that is when you only have 4 cards to make your straight). It is a bad play. However, if you are playing a solid player it does not mean he will not call with a gut shot as he may also have 2 over cards to make it worth his while. For example the flop is 10-J-2 and he is holding A-K. That gives him 12 outs instead of just 4.

If you hit straight or flush, and it is unbeatable, you need to know how to exploit it to make as much money as possible.

Catchalotto a new approach to win the UK National Lottery jackpot

Its amazing how many people play the UK National Lottery without realising their odds of winning. And when some do find out (odds are 1 in 13,983,816), they do not really comprehend how incredibly miniscule the odds of winning are.

So in my experience, its better to relate those odds to some real-life situations. For instance, if you were told that the chances of having a SUCCESSFUL forthcoming surgery is 0.000072% (not even 1%!!!), would you go ahead with it? Probably not. So why play the lottery if your chances of winning are 0.0000072%?!

How about going to the bookies and asking to place a bet on a horse with odds of 1 to 13,983,816?! I did and I dont think the bookie ever laughed so much in his entire life as he laughed then. But whats so funny? Millions of people play the lottery each week at exactly the same odds!

Some people play the same combination week in week out. Statistically, they could wait 134,460 years for their combination to come up (assuming they enter their combination for both draws). If turtles could play, even they would stand little chances of witnessing their big win.

So why do people play? Well, first of all, its the financial freedom that can be attained if they win that jackpot. After all, they only have to spend ?1 to be in it to win it. Secondly, this feeling is intensified by watching other lottery winners opening their bottle of champagne, be it on TV, or newspaper, or the Internet. In psychology, its called the Availability Heuristic, i.e. most people assess the likelihood of an event based on how often they hear about it happening. If they can win it, why cant I, right? and based on that, we go and buy a lottery ticket.

Dont get me wrong, I play the lottery myself. I do not want to discourage you, in any way, in playing. My aim is to let you know of a better way to play the lottery. Its an old concept of syndication or pooling, as Americans call it, with a new sparkle, called Lottorino, added to it.

Before you read any further, ask yourself this question What would you rather win 100% of nothing or small % of a substantial amount? If its the latter, than youre suited for CATCHALOTTO.

Catchalotto approaches lottery at a slightly different angle. The aim is to increase the odds of winning via

a) playing more unique combinations (removing duplications) AND

b) not playing combinations that appear to have some bias within them (like 1-2-3-4-5-6)

You all heard of a concept syndicate. Quite a few lottery tickets purchased today belong to some sort of syndicate. Whether it is a syndicate formed amongst friends, or work collegues, or family, or a mix of all, or a syndicate formed online with similar minded individuals. According to Camelot, 25% of jackpot wins belong to syndicates. So there you have it, syndicates do work. If you have been playing lottery for sometime now and not won much, then maybe its about time for you to try and join a syndicate and test the ground for yourself?

With Catchalotto you can join any available syndicate. You can see all the information online, its all interactive. You know exactly who played within your chosen syndicate, what combinations have been played, what syndicates won, how much it won and much more.

As per a) above, each combination submitted to a Catchalotto syndicate is verified in that it has not already been played within that syndicate. In the older days when Camelot used to release certain information about combinations played, apparently there were around 10,000 tickets purchased with the same combination – 1-2-3-4-5-6! Catchalottos thinking is why bet on the same horse twice? Instead of playing the same combination, you will be asked to play a different combination thereby improving syndicates chances of winning! If 10,000 different combinations played, the odds of winning become 1 to 1,398!

As per b) above, Lottorino Scoring Engine has been developed in order to sieve out combinations that appear to have some pattern within them. Combinations like 1-2-3-4-5-6 or 7-14-21-28-35-42 (all divisible by 7) are played by many, as combinations with all numbers below 31 (people tend to choose their and their relatives birthdays). If such combinations do come up, the jackpot will be split into so many parts, that you probably regret that youd won this time round. Lottorino has been programmed so as to recognise patterns like that. When you submit your combination into a syndicate, Lottorino will quickly access your combination and let you know how random your combination appears to be.

Lottorino also includes certain filters that help improve the odds further. There has been written a lot of literature about lottery analysis. It is believed that certain combinations are less probable to be drawn. Now then, I know some people would say at this point that any combination stands the same chances of being drawn. Yes, its true – its possible for any combination to be drawn at any future lottery draw. However, certain combinations are less probable to come up. Notice the different words here possibility versus probability.

Did you know that the same combination has never been drawn again in the UK National Lottery? Why play such combinations then? Why bet on the horse that is more likely to lose? If you look at Lottorinos scores of all officially drawn combinations in the past, you would see that some do appear to have a low Lottorino score (i.e. Lottorino would have advised not to play it), but 95% of time, Lottorino score is 50% or above (i.e. a recommended advisable limit). So 95% of time, the odds would have been indeed improved by Lottorino.

If you want to build a clearer picture of Lottorino, please visit Catchalotto site and view Tutorial 1 (duration: under 2 minutes). You can see Lottorino at work there.

To sum up, its difficult to say by how much the odds of winning the jackpot improve. My personal guesstimate, backed by lottery analysts/mathematicians is with Catchalotto the odds of winning are 1 to 2,000,000, i.e. 7 times better! Situs Agen Maxbet Terpercaya 7 is a magic number, wouldnt you agree? Lets just hope Catchalotto will perform its magic soon and prove itself for what it believes in.

Welcome to the poker betting column. Every week we will be analyzing recent player performances, the betting market and predicting future winners. Hopefully this column helps you make more informed bets, increases your edge and chances of poker betting success. It truly is a market where knowledge is money.

Today, an overview of the upcoming World Series of Poker and a few points to remember when making your picks.

The 2006 World Series of Poker is quickly approaching with an expected first-place prize of $10 million. Of course, that winner is going to have to battle through a grueling week of flush draws, open enders, 2 outers, cold decks and hot streaks. It will be a mental and physical roller coaster, testing a combination of skill, stamina, guts and luck.

Almost all sportsbooks will be offering lines on the winner market. Obviously this is the hardest pick to make, and therefore Id advise choosing a few long shots rather than any top-ranked player. There is clearly little value backing Phil Ivey at 125 1 or even Dave Colcough at 80-1!! Not only are these terrible prices to begin with, but also the players may not even be on form or running well in and around the tournament. Its always important to track each player’s recent performances when gauging their chances of success.

Poker players are a lot like horses in that recent form plays a huge part in how they perform. The best player in the world cannot beat cold decks or bad luck, and therefore running well is essential to having a real shot at winning. The five most important factors to consider when making your picks are: 1) Recent form running well vs. being cold decked. 2) Hunger to win any recent close wins fuel players’ desire to win the next event they enter. 3) Skill/experience level Players must be able to compete at the highest levels or at least have the guts to gamble. 4) Age As the main event is expected to take nine days to complete (though there are multiple Day 1s and 2s), players must be physically and mentally fit, able to stay sharp throughout. Fatigue causes mistakes, and mistakes cost you tournaments. 5) Style of play Weak/ tight vs. tight/aggressive.

Here is a breakdown of those factors:

1. Recent Form: This is a key topic when analyzing the market and making your picks. Therefore, it is worth waiting until the last couple of days before the event to place your Situs Agen Maxbet Terpercaya bets. We all know Ivey is widely regarded as the best player in the world, but even he will need to be focused and running well to win WSOP 2006. If he is too fatigued from the preliminary events and side action, then he will not be a serious contender.

2. Hunger to Win: Due to the volume of players entering the main event, competitiveness and hunger to win will play a vital role in players’ chances of success. For example, a player who simply wants to go deep and cash out is limiting his or her success level as opposed to the player who is playing to win. Even though the tournament cannot be won in a single day, players still need to be pushing every edge they can, staying sharp throughout, picking up every possible chip. With so many chips in play, chip accumulation is vital every day. Waiting for aces will not work. Remember, it is much easier to dominate the action at a table when you hold a large chip advantage, and if players can combine a large chip advantage with superior skill, there will be little that stands in the way of success, particularly if they are running well too!

3. Skill / Experience: Due to the volume of entrants, and the grueling nine-day schedule, skill and experience will be vital to staying alive in the tournament. Even though Chris Moneymaker miraculously won in 2003 with little to no experience, it is worth remembering that the field was less than 1,000 players then, as opposed to 6,500-plus this year. Therefore, players lacking in skill and experience will need to get lucky many more times than Moneymaker did. There are simply too many skilled players and chips in play for an unskilled newbie to cruise to victory. However, with the increased popularity in online poker, many young players have the skill and experience to compete against the older brick and mortar veterans though any additional live experience Internet players have will be invaluable as many top online players fail to make the correct adjustments for live play. It’s a lot easier to pull off a stone-cold bluff online than it is face to face!

4. Age: Again because of the schedule and necessity for mental and physical fitness, many of the great, experienced veterans will find it difficult to stay in contention throughout the main event. At the same time, an overly aggressive youngster lacking in experience may blow up too early after having dominated the action early on. So both ends of the age spectrum can be advantageous and disadvantageous the key being to find the right balance and mental psyche in your player picks.

5. Style of play: Players will need to accumulate as many chips as possible at every opportunity while also avoiding the risk of elimination. Therefore a weak/tight strategy will not be successful. Tight, aggressive play will win this tournament and crown the new champion. (Be careful not to confuse fearlessness with recklessness when analyzing players).

Good luck everybody, both playing and betting this week!

Online gambling is fun but in order to make it profitable too, you have to be aware of some things before you rush into playing and to help prevent from losing your hard earned money.

When you are surfing the web and visiting a new online casino that you have never seen before, you should keep the following things in mind before opening any new accounts:

Firstly, you must check every item of information you can find on the new site you want to play, before you begin gambling. We can assure you that there are many Online Casinos listed or advertised that have passed certain quality control tests with no problems. In fact most are audited and would lose their gaming license if they did not follow correct guidelines or gaming policies. The software should also meet certain criteria and standards and the games will use a random number generator (RNG), which means that the outcome of every game is truly unpredictable, just like in real casinos. You can usually find the name of the software provider on the homepage of the game site. It is worth reading about the software company to see how long they have been operating for and how safe and secure their software is. Find out also how long the casino site has been operating for. If it has only just launched, there may be a few teething problems and issues that need to be corrected. It may pay to wait a while to see how reputable and popular the site becomes.

Secondly, you have to find out everything you can about the customer support that is on offer! See if there is a phone number you can call, or see if they offer real time chat mode support, or is it only handled through email? You should prefer playing at casinos that offer several convenient ways for you to contact them. Call their support line, if you want to, just to see if it works. They should also have convenient and secure methods of payment such as via credit card. When you enter your card or account password details, make sure that the URL for the web page you are on begins with https://ww…. and not just http://… This shows that the credit card page is secure and you can enter your details safely. Sites will normally keep a record of all wagers and Situs Agen Maxbet Terpercaya transactions for your security.

Thirdly, try playing on a site with a reputable brand name or one that other players think highly about. There are many forums available to read reviews and news about each site. Stay updated and be well-informed because this is the first step towards winning! There are people whose job is to help you find the most professional, secure and fun online casinos there are.

Most sites offer you the most popular casino games including Blackjack, Roulette, Slot Machines, Video Poker, Pai Gow Poker, Texas Holdem Poker, War and Baccarat. They are constantly developing new games and they will inform you whenever they add a new game. Advanced image technology, sound and game play provide the excitement and virtual sensation of a real live casino.

Many table games are multi-player games. While playing with another player you may chat and communicate with other players.

If your connection fails while you are in the middle of a game, you still have as many chances of winning as the other players. When the connection is re-established, you can enter the History page and see the results of the last round. Winnings are still credited to your account.

If, when playing at a Slot Machine, a disconnection occurs before you have pressed the Spin or Bet Max button, then the credits are returned to your Balance. If it occurs after that – the round will continue. If you had a winning combination, your Balance is credited according to it.

If you are playing Roulette and you get disconnected after you placed your bet and before you pressed the Spin button, your bet will be returned to your Balance. If it happens after you placed your bet and pressed Spin and before the ball landed on a number, the round will continue.

If, while playing Video Poker a disconnection occurs after you placed your credit in the text box called Credit or Bet and you have not pressed the Deal or Draw button yet, then the credits are returned to your Balance. If it occurs after you pressed the Deal or Draw button, but before you had a chance to select the cards you would hold, the round is considered as if you had selected to hold all of your cards. If your hand turns out to be a winning one, your Balance is credited according to it.

When you play at online casinos you are playing with another player or against the software. In the first case, in order to keep the game fluent and to prevent cases where one of the players is holding up the game, online casino owners have set a time limit for placing a bet. In every game there is a Timer that shows you how much time you have left. If you do not place a bet and do not make a decision during this time, you will exit the game and will have to re-enter the game in order to play again. If a bet was placed on the table but you did not make a decision within the default time, the bet is returned to your balance. The Timer varies from one game to another, ranging from 30 to 45 seconds. These time limits give you plenty of time to place bets and make decisions.

Any news regarding gambling is updated every week, giving you all the up-to-date casino information you need, in order to have the highest chances of winning.

It is not necessary for you to download software to play at all the online casinos. Some casinos offer no-download versions of many of their games such as blackjack, roulette or slots. Still, it is worth mentioning that the download games offer you higher quality games with better graphics, sound and animation. Most casinos even let you play the games for free before placing a real money bet. That way you can test the casino and when you are convinced that it is the one that suits you most, you may choose playing the games you like best.

These are the most important things you need to know In order to have fun and also get lucky. So, pay close attention to all of them, because your safety and security is what should concern you most.

And remember that the more you know about what you are getting into and the more informed you are, the higher your chances of winning! Knowing will only do you good! And you will see the fun part of it without wasting any money!

Online Casino. Poker And Other Casino Games – Is There Anything Better Than This?

The principal instrument due to which a casino systematically wins is an in-built mathematical advantage in all the games. Either you play in slot machines, roulette, baccarat or dice – it is all the same, firstly, you play against a gambling establishment, secondly, it must still be in the black. It charges a fair price for satisfaction of a human game need, in particular a gambling need.

However, there are gambling games in which you can gain mathematical advantage thanks to your abilities. These are black jack, poker, slot machines, for example, some types of videopoker.

As regards black jack, videopoker, then, in point of fact, you play against a casino, so to say, dive into the pocket of a commercial enterprise. Do you think a gambling establishment likes it?

Surely, not. Therefore, a casino will always counteract such gamblers. As a result, even if you win, yours will be rather a hard toil.

What is left afterwards? As you have probably guessed – it is poker. Poker is a game in the variety of types of which there are both the factor of luck as well as the factor of abilities, mixed in different degrees.

For example, in a tournament poker the factor of luck is rather considerable – here a super champion can get the knock after the first round. Here a person who has got a gambling experience of just one year, more than that, on-line, can win the largest tournament and get a check for a seven-digit sum. It happened just this way last year at the World Series of poker.

To understand poker’s rules is not difficult. It will take you hardly a few hours. To thoroughly understand and effectively use a number of strategies, it will take you a few weeks. Even on this stage one can gain the result which will at least come to zero. It is already great – to satisfy one’s gambling need free of charge. If you are a football fan, then it is just the same as to visit all the matches of your favourite team free of charge!

To become a master of poker you will need several years. In this case, again sticking to a football analogy you will not simply watch your favourite team play, but become its full member and get money for it.

There are not so many real professionals. Generally speaking, I would not personally recommend to become a full-blood professional. It is my belief that for the majority of people it is quite enough to become a successful poker player, regularly to gain, and then you will decide for yourself if it is worth “getting mad” and in the course of many years playing one and the same game.

How is it still better to play: off-line or on-line? Much can be said about it, but if you are a beginner and would like to try yourself, then I am sure it is better to start with on-line games.

You need a computer priced at more than 300 dollars. You need a stable access to the Internet. You need a lifelong gambling bank the size of 500 big stakes or the so called sessional one the size of 200-300 big stakes. I won’t go into detail – to begin with 100 dollars will be more than enough, also, having opened an account on-line, be sure that you will get a bonus from 50 to 100 dollars on average. It will be enough to start with.

The basic advantages of an on-line game are as follows:

1. a possibility to play “for papers”;

2. a possibility of free instruction – there is a great deal of forums, books, handbooks;

3. a higher speed of the game;

4. a possibility to play with the players from all around the world at any convenient time for you;

5. a smaller size of minimum stakes;

6. absence of extra expenses (transport, tips, a hotel, meals);

7. a possibility to evaluate one’s level of game very accurately due to various statistical programs;

8. you can play in your underwear, swear – nobody takes any interest.

Also, a very important moment to remember: you can play without any strategy and use poker as an ordinary slot machine, to play at random and at a venture.

At this you can surely win something like jackpot, that is to win some big on-line tournament and the chances for it are not less than let’s say while playing on the ordinary slot machines.

Nowadays poker is played by dozens of millions of people all around the world, I advise you to Situs Agen Sbobet Terpercaya start playing this interesting game which can considerably add to your budget as a result or even become your profession and principal earner!

Home wins will dominate this weekends results, Tottenham will pip Arsenal to fourth spot and Bolton will play in the Intertoto Cup this summer at the expense of Newcastle writes David Walker.

Arsenal vs Wigan Athletic

Following Thursdays 3-1 win at Manchester City, Arsenal need to win this match if they have any hope of pipping Tottenham to fourth place. Despite a congested fixture list due to their final appearance in the Champions League they have won seven of their last 10 matches and have won 13 matches in front of their own fans this season. The Gunners have not been beaten at Highbury since West Hams 3-2 victory on 1 February while Wigan have lost three out of their last four and have won just three of their last nine matches.

Walkers Word: Close, but no cigar, Arsenal @ 1/4.

Aston Villa vs Sunderland

Matches between these two are traditionally low scoring affairs. Five Premiership meetings at Villa Park all have produced two goals or less with Villa winning 1-0 twice, drawing 1-1 once and twice 0-0. Sunderland have been awful all season but have produced two away victories against fellow relegated sides West Brom and Middlesbrough and finally won at home against Fulham on Thursday. Villa will most Situs Agen Maxbet Terpercaya likely win but are no value at the available price, especially with Sunderland buoyed by their recent victory. A bet on the unders is a more sensible investment.

Walkers Word: Under 2.5 goals @ 4/5.

Blackburn Rovers vs Manchester City

Blackburn secured sixth place in the league and UEFA Cup football with a win against Champions Chelsea on Tuesday but will want to close the gap on both Arsenal and Spurs to mark a successful season. They wont have a better opportunity to finish the season on a high against a poor City team which has lost nine of their last 11 matches. Victories against Aston Villa and Sunderland being the only bright spots in a dismal run of results.

Walkers Word: More misery for City, home win @ 7/10.

Bolton Wanderers vs Birmingham City

Birmingham are unbeaten on their last two visits to the Reebok but were on the end of a 4-2 beating back in 2003. Bolton have a solid home record of late, winning four of their last six with defeats coming against Manchester United and Chelsea. Birmingham owner David Sullivan criticised his players commitment this week which will not do much for overall squad morale. Steve Bruces side have not won in 11 matches on the road since beating Sunderland 1-0 on 26 November.

Walkers Word: Home win @ 8/13.

Everton vs West Bromwich Albion

Everton have won the last two meetings at Goodison Park and will want revenge for the 4-0 hammering they received by the relegated Baggies back in November. Everton were on a bad run then but have improved considerably in the subsequent months and only lost three in their last 10 matches. David Moyes side have won six in their last 10 home matches but not won in their last three in front of their home fans. This will be a great way to sign off on a positive note and try and achieve a top 10 finish. West Brom are without a win in 12 and have lost four of the last seven away.

Walkers Word: Everton to finish strongly @ 4/6.

Fulham vs Middlesbrough

Fulham have won three of last four head to head meetings at Craven Cottage but were beaten 2-0 last season. Fulham have a superb home record this season, winning 12 out of 16 matches and finally won their first match away from home last weekend at Manchester City. I wouldnt be surprised if a host of Middlesbrough first team regulars are rested in view of the UEFA Cup final on 10 May so a home win is the call here.

Walkers Word: Fulhams home form to prevail @ 8/11.

Manchester United vs Charlton Athletic

United must win this match at all costs if they are to finish second in the Premiership after dropping seemingly banker points to Middlesbrough and Sunderland in recent weeks. Alex Fergusons side have won five out of six Premiership meetings at Old Trafford while Charlton have not won on the road in 13 attempts. Alan Curbishley will be ending his tenure with the Addicks with a third consecutive defeat.

Walkers Word: One for the big hitters, United @ 1/4.

Newcastle United vs Chelsea

Newcastle are unbeaten in last three meetings at St James Park, drawing 1-1 last season and winning two meetings prior to that. However, after losing to Blackburn in midweek, Chelsea will not tolerate two defeats on the spin following their title win and may just spoil Newcastles party. If the Magpies lose and Bolton beat Birmingham, it will be Sam Allardyces side that finishes seventh and earns a place in the Intertoto Cup.

Walkers Word: Chelsea to finish with a win @ 7/5.

Portsmouth vs Liverpool

Portmsouth have won six out of nine but now they have secured survival for another season the edge may be taken off their performance. The same cannot be said for Liverpool who chasing second spot along with Manchester United and only a win will do. Liverpool have won their last eight matches, 10 if you include their involvement in the FA Cup and have won their last four on the road.

Walkers Word: Liverpool to make it nine in a row @ 7/10.

West Ham United vs Tottenham Hotspur

West Ham have enjoyed a fantastic season on their return to the Premiership and have secured UEFA Cup football due to reaching the FA Cup final. The squad may have their minds on the FA Cup and manager Alan Pardew may rest key players while Tottenham need a win to guarantee themselves a fourth placed finish and a possible Champions League spot next term. Spurs are looking to finish strongly after their derby draw with Arsenal and defeat of Bolton and one final push should see them finish ahead of bitter rivals Arsenal no matter what the result in their clash with Wigan Athletic.

Walkers Word: Tottenham @ 5/6.

Recent months has seen an increase in the number of online gaming sites being launched in Spain Situs Agen Sbobet Terpercaya (particularly online bingo and poker). But while the online gaming phenomenon took hold in the US and UK some time ago, it is only recently that the numbers of online players in Spain has increased, allowing companies the confidence to delve into the Spanish markets.

So what are the reasons for the recent increase in the number of players and game site launches?

The main reason is seen as the increase in availability of broadband across the country. Previously those with only a modem dial up connection would find it both expensive and frustrating playing a game which required a download and a sufficiently fast continuous connection. As dial-up in Spain is charged per minute, and with Telefonica (the worlds 6th largest telecoms company) previously being the sole provider of fixed telephone lines, and therefore its pricing mechanisms, you can see how people have been put off from using the internet, let alone delving into the world of online gaming.

However, times are changing. The liberalization of the fixed-line telecommunications service market in Spain was completed in 1998. Spain (9th in the table for European broadband coverage) with penetration just slightly lower than the European average is now ahead of countries such as France and Germany. Recent European rulings, together with large EU subsidies (23 million euros grant plus 120 million euros in interest free loans) are encouraging healthy competition for broadband provision in both large towns and remote locations. More and more companies are providing various means of gaining high speed access to the internet and the prices are tumbling rapidly as competition heats up. Nortel and Vodafone Spain have also recently demonstrated their mobile telephony at 3.6 Megabits per second at the 3GSM World Congress 2006 in Barcelona. At these rates customers will have access to higher speed broadband than the majority of European fixed broadband connections operating at 2 Megabits per second, providing a further option for those wishing to delve into the world of mobile gaming via laptop, palmtop or phone.

Security is seen as another main reason why players previously stayed away. Whereas before, out-dated computer systems with a dial-up connection would pose a security risk to those wishing to use online payments methods (a necessity if you wish to play and pay immediately), the latest computers, coupled with a broadband connection and inbuilt firewall software are far more secure. This provides users with more confidence when making payments to online bingo or poker sites.

And what of this new found confidence in the internet and online games. Confidence in the games is certainly another reason why the numbers of players have recently increased. Users in Spain were previously seen as cautious and unwilling to part with their hard earned cash. Numbers of people signing up to the games were high, the interest was certainly there, but actual cash deposits were low. It would seem that any spare money for such recreation was usually spent on the local or national lottery games such as El Gordo or ONCE. Players may have been waiting for the UK and US markets to take hold, therefore providing tried and tested games and technology, giving the Spanish more confidence in such systems.

Confidence in making payments online has also increased as companies such as UKash offer facilities for making deposits to online gaming sites without the need for credit card. Some sites also offer a system that allows bank transfer directly to the game site.

So what does this all mean for a company wishing to launch online bingo or poker in Spain?

At present Spain is seen as an untapped market, but with a population of over 40 million and with internet access currently available to over 25% of homes, coupled with growth in broadband connections of some 70% for 2005, you can see the potential both now and for growth and money making in the future. With land-based bingo being very popular in Spain, (there are around 468 licensed bingo halls) you would guess that the transition to online bingo will be inevitable, as it has been in countries like the UK. And with the Spanish being more attracted to skill and knowledge games, the transition to online poker will also be more forthcoming.

And what of the current demographic of current online players?

Well, juegabingoya reports that its bingo network is growing at a rate of 30% per month. The average age of bingo players being around 35 and, interestingly, 67% of players making cash deposits are male.

So with improvements in computer systems, more broadband connections, better game quality and payment methods, growth in confidence is only natural, and it wont be long before more Spanish internet users are attracted to the prospect of winning cash prizes at online bingo or online poker.