Craps: Books for Beginners and Advanced Players

Although craps is not a very complicated game, many people find themselves confused by its strange terminology and large numbers of betting options. This article focuses on the most recommended craps books available in the market including beginners books, strategy books for the advanced player and books that introduce the concept of dice control.

1) Craps for the Clueless: A Beginners Guide to Playing and Winning by John Patrick
As its name indicates, it provides basic information on playing craps. The book is written in simple language that makes the terminology easy to understand even if you have never seen a craps table before. In addition to the object of the game, Craps for the Clueless, reveals the winning secrets of professional gamblers.

John Patrick is a professional gambler, an author of many gaming guidebooks and the former host of the TV show "So You Wanna be a Gambler", which was aired on national cable network for over a decade. According to Patrick, a successful gambling is a result of four essentials, he calls "The Big Four", which are a proper use of the bankroll, knowledge of the game, money management and discipline.

2) Beat the Craps Out of the Casinos: How to Play Craps and Win by Frank Scoblete
This book supplies useful information for the newbie as well as for the experienced player. The book explains how the game can be beaten including explanations on which bets can lower the house edge and which bets should by avoided by the smart player.

Frank Scoblete is one of the top selling gambling authors in the US and the director of Golden Touch, which offers seminars on craps and blackjack. Other recommended books by Scoblete are "The Captains Craps Revolution", "Forever Craps" and "Get the Edge at Craps".

3) Craps: Take the Money and Run by Henry J. Tamburin
Take the Money and Run focuses on how to make fast profits from playing at casinos. In addition to introduction on the mechanics of the game and recommendations on best bets, the book offers the Increased Odds craps betting system and the Take the Money and Run discipline, which both promise to maximize the profits. The book also provides a special chapter on using the <a href="http://www.gambling-portal.com/pass-line.html">pass line bet</a> for maximizing your profits. Take the Money and Run has special chapters on tournaments and new variations.

Dr. Henry J. Tamburin has been playing for over 25 years, and his betting system and discipline are based on his winning experiences.

4) Dice Control for Casino Craps by Yuri Kononenko.
This guide book offers an easy to understand introduction to the concept of dice control from the mathematical and mechanical points of view.

Other recommended books that teach how to gain advantage over the house by using dice control are Frank Scoblete's "Golden Touch Dice Control Revolution" and "Craps Underground: The Inside Story of How Dice Controllers are Winning Millions from the Casinos", which offers a fascinating inside look on the game system.

Conclusion:
Unlike poker or blackjack, this game is not very popular, but in that lies the biggest opportunity. The casinos focus on getting a profit from the popular games. Take advantage of this, and make your profit at this game instead.

Counting Cards: How to Escape Detection

It is not a secret for anyone that casinos do not like blackjack counters and frequently ask them to leave or to play another game. Here, we will describe how casino management detects counters and how to act when caught. We also describe the countermeasures that casinos use against skilled players but most of all we show you how to count cards while not getting caught.

Do Casinos Object?
Most casinos have strict policies that ban any player from counting cards when playing blackjack, but some like those in New Jersey do not pay any attention to such players.

How Do You Know Whether A Casino Minds?
You do not. But you had better act as if they all do and thus save yourself the embarressment of being shoved out if they do mind and if they catch you red-handed.

How to Count Without Getting Detected?
Always keep in mind that since card counting is something that one does silently, the only method to detect it is through observing you and the manner you play. Thus, look out for the following:
1) Do not stare at the cards of other players. Glance once, count, and then move on.
2) Do not stare at the cards that have been discarded. Look quickly and then slowly move away by shifting your gaze nonchalantly from player to player.
3) Change your pattern of betting occassionaly.
4) Change the amount of betting money each round.
5) Even though you know it, loose a round or two. Do not bet big on those rounds. But likewise do not bet too small too. If the casino notices that you are always winning big and losing small, they might get suspicious.
6) Buy chips of different colours and then mix them around while playing to confuse the dealer.
7) Talk to the other players while playing, but this is especially difficult so practice this at home before trying it at a casino.
8) Pick your seat carefully: either the first chair or the third one so that you won't have to twist your head around as the cards are dealt.
9) Dress casually because smart and elegant clothes cause the dealers to think you are intelligent and they might watch you more closely.
10) Order an alcoholic drink and pretend to sip it because they are looking for those non-drinkers who are staying sober to count the cards.

The common denominator of all these is that you must never forget that the casino si watching you and how you play. Act accordingly!

Supposing that the Casino Catches On, What Should you Do?
Stay calm if the casino catches you counting cards and abide by their wishes quietely. Do not make a fuss. If they ask you to leave, do so. The faster you leave, the easier it will be for you to return later. Remember that if you make a fuss, they will all remember you, so desist from any unfriendly behaviour. Note that after shifts change, the new personnel won't know you so all you have to do is wait for that and then you can start playing again. You could also just enter the next casino and start earning money there instead of risking casino personnel from recognizing you.

Swing Smoothly

When I get a golf club in my hand, I get that feeling of wanting to knock the cover off the ball.  It feels good to put all of my strength into hitting the ball.  Just hitting the ball as hard as I can does not mean that I play good golf though.

If you just need to relieve a little stress, then swinging with all your strength may accomplish your goals.  However, if you want to play golf well, then you are going to have to hold back on the power a little.

One of the most frequent mistakes is to swing the golf club too hard.  A hard swing shows that you have power, but accuracy is the name of the game in golf.

You need to relax when you are swinging.  This will help you swing easily and will help to reduce your power.  If you put your feet closer together, then you can further reduce the strength of your swing.  Tensing up will also cause you to use too much effort.

Your center of gravity is also very important.  Keep your center of gravity the same and your head will stay still.  If you keep both of your feet in the same position throughout your swing, then your center of gravity will be stable.  

If you jerk your body then your head will move and you will not be able to focus on the ball.  This can also change your center of gravity.  It is imperative that you keep your feet planted so that all your weight will be concentrated in your feet when you make contact with the ball.

Expending very little effort should be your goal.  If you hit the ball correctly, then it will feel smooth and easy.  

Don’t tense up when you are about to make contact with the ball.  If you tense up, your balance will be thrown off.  You want the club head to travel in a straight line to make contact with the ball.

To help correct slicing, see how centered you can hit the ball with your club and how low you can send the ball.  If you send the ball too high, it gets into the wind and can go left or right on rough ground.

You want to only use the amount of power that you are able to control.  The goal of the game is not power, but accuracy.  You want to be able to control every facet of your swing so that you hit the ball cleanly and it goes where you want it to go.

The distance will come from your clean and correct swing, not how much power that you put into it.

You want to try to gradually increase your speed during your swing until you connect with the ball solidly.  If you do not have a smooth swing, then you are pulling your hands somewhere during the swing.  Keep your head as still as you would if you had a glass of water balanced on top of it.  This will help to improve your swing and help you to swing more smoothly and fluidly.

Swing at a decent enough speed to keep yourself from becoming tense and stiff.  Don’t swing too slowly or so hard that you feel the effort of the swing.  Stay relaxed.

Try to keep the idea of power out of your head.  Keeping your power under control so that you can be more accurate is what counts!

The Magic Key to Putting

When you have it, you have it.  The world is yours.  When you don’t have it…then you think that you would be better off placing the ball in the hole with your hand rather than using your putter.

Just the last time you played you had the same stance, putter, and “feel” as you had today, but last time you made the shot easily.  What happened?

Do you just have bad luck this time?  

Putting is not a game of chance.  Although sometimes it may seem that there is no rhyme or reason to it, there are some tips to help your putting.

If you are having putting problems, your solution can be boiled down to one little word.

Tension.

Concentrate on keeping your muscles relaxed while you are putting and your shots will become more and more accurate.

Stiff muscles only make it harder to putt.  Good putting takes complete muscle relaxation so that your movements are fluid.  Fluid movement gives you the freedom to make a good putt.  If you are trying to tense your body up to keep your balance, then you are guaranteed to have problems.

When you are not having problems putting, your confidence is increased and you are having free movement.  When you miss an easy putt, then you become tense and you try more carefully.  The more tense you become, the more freedom you lose and your putting goes down the drain.

You can change everything about your putting and try to copy every professional player imaginable, but it all hinges on you being relaxed.  Relax your muscles.  Be loose and free.  Pretend your muscles are like jelly.

Making a good shot is impossible if you are tense.  When you stiffen up from your face to your feet, you lose the freedom that you need to make a good shot.  You may make several shots this way, but there will come a time when all you will hit are bad shots.  You need to stay relaxed enough to fall down (but stay up).

            If you will stay relaxed then your putt will improve, your confidence will rise, and you will be more relaxed for the entire golf game!

Are you looking for the magic key to putting?  RELAX!  Good putting hinges on this one key!

Changing the Awkward Shots Into Opportunities in Golf

For some of us golfers, this is something that happens to us more often that we would like.  You know what I am talking about.  Shots that throw you off balance or aren’t as simple as instruction videos or professionals make them look.  Here are some great ways to overcome the awkward shots.

When you have an awkward shot to make, think about how you can swing, keep your balance, and keep from moving your head.  Then imagine the line your club travels along.  

Prior to setting up your shot, consider where the club head needs to travel for the greatest distance in a straight line.  Keep in mind that the ball makes contact with the club head for several inches.  After you make a few practice swings, you will be able to see what relationship your feet will have with the line and then you can determine your stance.

It is important to keep from swaying when you are about the hit the ball.  Just before you swing, see if there is any problem keeping your balance.  If there is, you need to keep shifting until you find a comfortable position where there is no tension in your swing.  Freedom in your muscles and mind is what you are looking for so that you will be able to swing smoothly.  If you are fidgety when you address the ball, you are not going to be able to focus on the ball.  Be sure you keep your feet still.

Ensure that you can see the ball from the beginning to end of your swing.  Even if it is a difficult shot, do not lose focus on the ball.  This will help you hit the ball cleanly and solidly.

If you keep your eye on the ball, then your swing will be free from faults and the ball will be hit correctly.  If you can keep your head still for the entire swing until the club head meets the ball, your swing will definitely improve.  Then if you have an awkward shot, you will be able to hit it with confidence and assurance.

Bad or difficult weather can make any shot more difficult.  When the wind is blowing, it is important to keep your feet closer together.  It is natural to think that you just need to hit the ball harder, but the wind makes it even more important to hit the ball correctly.

The more awkward the shot, the more you need your muscles to be relaxed enough to make the shot.  Here is a tip.  The shorter the shot that you need to make, the closer your feet should be brought together.  Hit the ball true, instead of with all of your strength to keep it from bouncing away and reducing the distance that it travels.

Awkward and difficult shots are something that every golfer needs to learn to deal with.  Once you learn how to handle them, then you will be much more confident and be enjoying a lower golf score!

Keys to Golfing Better

The golf professionals do have something that they agree on.  If you do not keep your balance during the entire swing, it is not possible to have a good stroke.  It sounds simple to keep your balance, doesn’t it?  Unfortunately, it is impossible to have good balance when you are so tense that you are “white knuckling” the club, your entire body is stiff, and you are trying to hit the ball too hard.

When you are just starting to play golf, you are frequently warned to not hit the ball too hard.  Energy that is focused will make the ball go much further than a hard swing that does not make contact with the ball at the club’s center.  When you are well balanced, you are more free to hit the ball correctly.

Keep your head still, with your eyes focused on the ball.  The more still your head is, the better you will be able to see the ball.  This helps to create the foundation for you to keep your balance.  Any movement or distraction that hinders your balance will make it impossible to focus on the ball.  It is imperative that you keep your head perfectly still and do not move it during your swing.

If you want to keep your balance, you need to relax your body and muscles.  If you don’t relax, then your head is going to move.

If you will watch yourself in front of your mirror, you will soon realize that you need to relax your muscles for your head to stay still while you swing.  No two golfers have the same build, so you will have to figure out some things for yourself.  It is a necessity to begin by keeping your head in the same position from the beginning to end of your swing.  If you keep your head still, you will be able to focus on the ball, and you will turn your hands at the right time.

You will be able to cure many of your problems just by keeping your head completely still.  It will be impossible to incorrectly grip your club without losing your balance and moving your head.

If you don’t follow through correctly, you will not be able to keep your balance.  

If you concentrate on your balance and keeping your head still, then you will not swing too hard or pull your club away.  It will be impossible to put too much strength into your swing.  You will be relaxed and will have a smooth swing and a successful finish.

Keeping your balance is necessary for you to enjoy a great game of golf.  It will take time for you to see definite improvement, so be patient.  Concentrate on keeping your balance and your head in one place and in no time you will be enjoying an excellent golf game that your friends will be envious of!

Golf: Watch The Ball!

This phrase is often repeated in nearly every sport – keep your eye on the ball.  It applies to golf too!  If you do not watch the ball, then the chance that you will hit it is very slim!

Keep your eyes focused on one part of the ball.  Don’t watch your club as you swing.

Keep your focus on the ball and let everything else fade into the background.

Try to look down on the ball, rather than watching it at the end of the golf club.  Raising your shoulders is not going to help you see the ball more clearly.  If you will look down on the ball, you will get results that are more successful and you will not have a tendency to look up before the end of your swing.  

Unfortunately, it is completely natural to look away when you begin to pull the club back.  Ignore the natural feeling and keep your eyes on the ball.  

When you are looking down at the ball, you should notice that the only way you can keep the club head in the correct line of flight is to keep your hands moving parallel to the flight line.  Keep your hands in line with the club head when making contact with the ball.

It is very important to learn to watch the ball no matter what kind of shot you need to make.  It does not matter if the ball is in the long grass, the sand trap, on a slope, or anywhere else, the main thing is to see the ball completely so that you can hit it solidly and successfully.  

There are not many golfers who stand still and keep their attention on the ball.  Many times, people will look at where they want the ball to go and then look at the ball.  Most golfers would be surprised to learn that they do not stand still and watch the ball.  The instant that you take your eye off the ball, you begin having problems.

Most golf mistakes are a result of a loss of concentration.  It you keep your focus on the ball, you will be able to hit the ball well.  

To help your golf game, remind yourself to keep your eye on the ball for the entire swing.  You will find your golf game improving so much that your friends may be asking you for advice!

Chinese Gambling Games

The Chinese culture has a significant influence on the American gambling industry. Many of todays popular casino games were introduced to American casinos by Chinese immigrants. In this review, you can read about some of the most popular Chinese gambling games that had a successful immigration to the West.

Pai Gow Poker

Pai Gow Poker is a hybrid of American poker and traditional Chinese tiles game called Pai Gow. The original tile game Pai Gow, which means Make 9, is one of the most ancient gambling games that are still available in cotemporary casinos. Pai Gow Poker is played with playing cards instead of tiles and it uses the traditional poker hand ranking. It is one of the most popular casino games worldwide and it can be found in almost every major casino in the US. Its online version can be played at most casinos on the internet.

The object of the Pai Gow Poker is to form the highest possible two poker hands, one five card hand and a two card hand, out of the seven cards dealt to each player. Each player competes against the banker that can be either the casino dealer or one of the players who can afford paying the players winnings.

Sic Bo

Sic Bo is yet another popular casino game with roots that go back to ancient China. The chance game came to the States around the beginning of the 20th century by Chinese immigrants. It can be played in most land based casinos in Macau, the US and the UK. Sic Bo has an online version as well.

The meaning of Sic Bo is Dice Pair. It is played with three standard dice on a special table. Each player places any number of bets on the table and then tosses the dice. The outcome is determined by the combinations of the three dice. Each combination has a different payoff according to a payoff schedule, which vary from one casino to the other.

Fan Tan

Fan Tan used to be the most popular gambling game among Chinese gamblers but the glory days of Fan Tan have already passed. During the 1890s, Chinese immigrants brought the game to the United States. At that time, every Chinatown in American City had several Fan Tan houses that were always full of enthusiastic gamblers. Nowadays, you can find Fan Tan in some casinos in Macau as well as in some online gaming sites.

Traditional Fan Tan, not to be confused with the card game of the same name, used to be played with any objects such as coins, dried beans or small buttons on a table with a square marked on it. Fan Tan. The object of the game is pretty simple and odds are 1: 4.

The play begins with the banker puts on the table a pile of objects then covers them with a bowl. Each player has to bet on one of the numbers that mark the four sides of the square, or on one of the corners of the square. After the bowl is removed, the croupier removes four of the objects each time until the last group remains. If 1 object is left, then the player who placed a bet on 1 wins the pot, and so on.

Mahjong

Mahjong is probably the biggest inherit of Chinese culture to the gaming world. The ancient Chinese tile game has many variants worldwide including variety of online games. According to the myth, Mahjong was developed by Confucius around the 500 BC. The game was brought to the United States during the 1920s and soon was very popular especially among women. The game was played in Chinese style decorated rooms with waiters wearing traditional customs.

The American version of Mahjong was developed during the 1930s and it is played in America until today. At the same time, the National Mahjong league was founded. In addition to American Mahjong, there are Japanese, Vietnamese, Cantonese and other variations of the game, which vary from one to the other by their scoring structure, number of tiles and rules variants. In 1998, the China State Sports Commission had set a standard set of rules that will differentiate the illegal gambling game from the skill game.

Mahjong Solitaire, the online version of Mahjong, gains wide popularity recently. The online version of the classic Chinese game is a matching game that uses the Mahjong tiles. Online Mahjong games can be found in many online gaming sites in variety of layouts and versions.

Caribbean Stud Poker

Caribbean Stud Poker is gradually gaining in popularity as compared to its stud twin: Texas Holdem mainly because it is an easier game to learn and you can play it face to face and still enjoy.

Originating in the Caribbean and based loosely on five card stud poker rules, this game offers a fan alternative to traditional table games with an opportunity to place a side bet and hit a big jackpot too. Some of these jackpots are progressive and you can win millions of dollars if you break those machines or tables..

What is Caribbean Stud?
It is not a traditional poker game in the sense that you play against the other players and the best player wins the pot. Caribbean stud belongs to the family of games including Pai Gow poker, Let it Ride and Three Card poker for example, where your opponent is the dealer and your goal is to form a better poker hand than the dealers hand. However, basic knowledge of traditional poker hand ranking is required.

The Rules of Playing Caribbean Stud:
1) The game begins with the players placing an ante bet at the same amount as the table minimum on the ante circle on the table.
2) At the same time, you should decide whether to place an additional side bet for the progressive jackpot.
3) Then, the dealer deals each player five face down cards plus four face down cards and one up to himself.
4) After looking at your cards, you should decide whether to fold or to call. If you decide to call, you should place an additional bet double the amount of your former ante bet.
5) After all the players have made their decisions, the dealer shows his hand. In order to qualify in a Caribbean stud poker game, the dealer must have an ace and a king or better. If he does not qualify, you will be paid back your ante bet but the call bet is a push.
6) If the dealers hand qualifies, he compares hands against each of the players individually. If his hand is better than yours is, you lose both your ante and your call bets.
7) If your hand is better than the dealers hand, you would be paid even money for your ante while for your call you would be paid according to a paytable. The paytable can vary from one casino to another. Generally, US casinos pay out 50:1 on a straight flush; 20:1 on four of a kind; 7:1 on full house; 5:1 on a flush; 4:1 on a straight; 3:1 on three of a kind; 2:1 on two pairs and even money on one pair or less.<br> In case your hand and the dealers hand are even, both ante and raise will push.

One of the reasons that Caribbean stud poker is so popular is the option of placing a one dollar side bet and winning a large progressive jackpot prize. In order to qualify for the bonus payout you should have a flush or better. For a flush, you would be paid a 50 dollars bonus and in order to win the jackpot that usually resets from 10,000 dollars, you must have a royal flush. However, your chances to hit a royal flush are estimated as about 650,000 to 1, therefore I would recommend skipping it.

Blue Skies For Extreme Sports

Ample leisure time allows for a raft of thrilling experiences inducing different degrees of adrenaline rush from balloon rides to freefall parachuting.

Unpredictable UK weather conditions can be a bit of a stumbling block but add a small slice of sun to the equation and the whole extreme sports arena suddenly opens up to encompass many more attractive propositions. A hot air balloon at dawn across the Arizona desert holds a much broader appeal than, say, one over the flats of Northamptonshire and a leap off the soaring mountains to paraglide down to the powdery white sands and glistening blue lagoon of Turkey's famous Olu Deniz beach http://www.oludenizbeach.com/paragliding.html is something a fair few of us may contemplate, well at least from the comfort of our sun loungers.

The great range of water-based UK sports tend to remain the province of more hardy animals. It's difficult to beat the excellent kayaking and canoeing in the cascades of North Wales' Canolfan Tryweryn National Whitewater Centre http://www.ukrafting.co.uk and the huge windsurfing community are spoilt for choice with competitions taking place year round across the country.

But how much more appealing the wind and water sounds if you factor in the sun-drenched Saharan style dunes of Fuerteventura. The Canary Islands are home to some of the best windsurfing in the world, the combination of calm flat waters and strong, steady summer tradewinds providing the perfect conditions for the PWA Freestyle and PWA Wave Grand Slam World Championships to be held in July in Fuerteventura and in Gran Canaria.

These prime watersport heavens are becoming more and more accessible with journey times matching, and even sometimes bettering, those to Devon and Cornwall via the hugely congested summer road network. Flights to the Canaries can be picked up really cheaply see http://www.xl.com/champion/cheap-flights-to-canaries.asp with some great bargains to be had following the latest round of UK travel company discounts.

How to Win in Blackjack

Blackjack is one of the few casino games that are beatable in the long run. It means that by using a basic blackjack strategy you can have an advantage over the casino and eventually step away from the blackjack table as a winner. Here you can find the basic blackjack strategy explained in a simplified manner.

The blackjack strategy is based on the mathematical probabilities of the game and it provides you guidance on the best decisions to make at every possible situation during the game. It takes about an hour to memorize this strategy but it is worth every minute. This does not man you will win every single blackjack game from now on, but with the help of the blackjack strategy, patience and persistence, you can significantly improve your chances of beating the casino in the long run.

Note that some blackjack rules vary from one casino to another. In some casinos, both brick and mortar and internet casinos, blackjack is played with one card deck while in others the blackjack game occupies four decks or more. In addition, in some of the casinos the dealer hits on a soft 17 while in others he is required to stand and doubling after splitting is allowed only in some of the casinos.

Here you can find a basic strategy to a single deck blackjack game where the dealer hits on soft 17. Playing other blackjack variants would require you to make some adjustments for a few borderline occurrences.

First, here is a short introduction to the terms mentioned here:
Hard Hand: two initial cards that do not include an Ace.
Soft Hand: two initial cards that one of them is an Ace
Stand: when a player is not asking to be dealt more cards after the two initial cards.
Hit: when a player calls for an additional card to be dealt
Double: when a player doubles his initial bet after the initial deal, but it requires him to hit only one card.
Split: when a player separates the initial two cards into two individual hands and plays them as 2 hands.

Finally, here is a basic blackjack strategy:
When your initial two card hand sums up to 8 or less: hit
When your hand sums up to 9 and the dealer hand value is between 3 and 6: double if else: hit when your hand sums up to 10 and the dealer hand value is between 2 and 9: double; if else:
When your hand sums up to 11 and the dealer hand value is between 2 and 10: double; if else hit.
When your hand sums up to 13, 14, 15, or 16 and the dealer hand value is between 2 and 6: stand; if else hit.
When your hand sums up to 17: stand.
when your initial two card hand contains Ace 2 or Ace 3 and the dealer has either 5 or 6: double; if else: hit.
When your hand contains Ace 4 or Ace 5 and the dealer has 4, 5 or 6: double; if else: hit.
When your hand contains Ace 6 and the dealer has 3, 4, 5 or 6: double; if else: hit.
When your hand contains Ace 7 and the dealer has 2, 7 or 8: stand; if he has 3, 4, 5 or 6: double; if else: hit.
When your hand contains Ace 8 or Ace 9: stand
When your hand contains a pair of 2s or 3s and the dealer hand value is between 2 and 7: split; if else: hit
When your hand contains a pair of 4s and the dealer has either 4 or 5: split; if else: hit
When your hand contains a pair of 5s and the dealer hand value is between 2 and 9: double; if else: hit
When your hand contains a pair of 6s and the dealer hand value is between 2 and 6: split; if else: hit
When your hand contains a pair of 7s and the dealer hand value is between 2 and 7: split; if else: hit
When your hand contains a pair of 8s: split
When your hand contains a pair of 9s and the dealer hand value is between 2 and 7 and either 8 or 9: split; if else: stand
When your hand contains a pair of 10s: stand
When your hand contains a pair of 8s: split

Blackjack: Learn How to Become a Champion

Learn How to Play and Win Blackjack after practicing some basic steps that can be learn easily. Blackjack is one of the more easier card games that you will come across, and its basic concept is simple: get 21 as the sum of your cards or get as close to 21 but higher than the sum of your opponent's cards.

1) Do not try and reach 21.
Yes. Even though blackjack is also commonly called 21, trying to reach 21 with every hand is an amateurish move. You will, most certainly, lose the hand. Statistical research conducted has shown that the odds of reaching 21 is lesser than the odds of getting more than 21.

2) Try and Beat the Dealer.
Since blackjack is a one on one battle: you versus the dealer, focus on beating the dealer. Instead of trying to get 21, try to guess what hand the dealer will receive and accordingly play your hand. Remember that the dealer at a regular casino or even at an <a href="http://www.gambling-portal.com">online casino</a> has to stop taking more cards if the cards on the table add up to 17. But if their cards add up to 16 or any number less, they will have to take another card.

3) Look at the dealer's card facing up.
The only way to play is to look at the dealer's card facing up. If it is a low card like a two or anything up to a 6 or 7, try and get a high number combination. If it’s a 9 or 10, the odds are high that he has a 10 underneath or at least he will be forced to take another card. So, reach anything up to 20 or 21, but its better to even stop at a 18 or 19 and hope they will over-run the sum of 21.

How Blackjack is Played at a Casino:
1) Place your bet on the table.
Each blackjack table has a set beginning bet and this ranges from a dollar to ten or twenty for the high-rollers crowd. This is the amount of chips you will have to put down, and this signals to the dealer that you are taking part in the next round.

2) You will get a card.
The dealer then deals a card to you and all the other players who have also placed a bet down.

3) The dealer places a face-up card in front.
This is one of the cards of the dealer, and since its facing up, all the players have a chance to judge the outcome of his cards.

4) The dealer deals the second card.
The dealer, then, deals you and all the players an additional card. This is the time to have a look at them and at the dealer's card and decide whether you wish to get another card.

5) The dealer asks.
The dealer now turns to each player and asks them if they wish to receive another card. If you wish  it, the dealer will give you a card. Then, the dealer will ask you again. Note that the dealer will be with you until you decide that you do not want to receive any more cards. Then, the dealer moves on to the next player, then, the next, and so on.

6) The dealer starts playing.
Only when all the players have said that they do not want any more cards, does the dealer start playing. He takes cards until he has reached 17 or above. Then, he has to stop.

7) The dealer opens the cards.
When he's done, the dealer first reveals all his cards. Then, he moves from one player to the other opening their cards. After revealing each player's hands, the dealer pays out the bet or takes the bet away according to who has won and who has lost.

5-a-side Football Tournament

When you think of a perfect stag weekend with exciting stag parties and nightlife, the first place that comes to your mind is Birmingham. With its central location and reasonable price, Birmingham is the hottest stag weekend venue. This stag venue boasts of having the largest lap-dancing club in the world, with thrilling nightlife activities, stag friendly bars and curry houses, stag clubs and much more.

Stag Weekend Activity – the fun of a Football Match

If you are looking for some fun filled challenging stag weekend activity, the 5-a-side football tournament in Birmingham is the right option for you. The best part of this stag weekend activity is that you get to work as a team, thus building a sense of team spirit and unity among the players. All information regarding the rules and regulations of this stag event is provided to the individual teams prior to the start of the match. Each team will get to display their skills for 45 minutes with a minimum of three games each. You will get the feel of a real contest, as this stag event will be officiated by fully qualified FA referees.

Do not worry; Chillisauce will not leave you starving. On your arrival, freshly brewed coffee/tea and biscuits will welcome you. A bar and a lounge are there at your disposal throughout the duration of this exciting stag do. That is not all. There is a delicious buffet for all the players. If your team wins, be prepared to grab the engraved tournament cup along with seven individual engraved trophies. If your team is the runners-up, don’t be disappointed, as the team members will be given an engraved trophy each. A case of Carlsberg is presented to the winning team!

Advantages of Stag Do in Birmingham

Birmingham is the best place for a stag weekend where you indulge in stag parties and stag nights. All your needs while you are on a stag weekend in Birmingham will be catered by Chillisauce, a high quality tour operator that specializes in organizing the best stag weekends, parties and stag nights. The main objective of a stag weekend in Birmingham is to enliven and cheer you up, thus bringing out the best in you.

Sachin Tendulkar

Baseball Betting: How to Bet Basics

If you know nothing about sports and you still feel the urge to wager, baseball is the easiest sports to wager on. As opposed to football and basketball, where you are mixed up with the point spreads and other confusing calculations, in baseball betting you simply put your money on the outcome of the game. In addition, the baseball season lasts longer, which means more matches and bigger chances to go home with the winning money. Here is a step to step guide to baseball betting.

The main difference between baseball betting and other team sports betting such as football and basketball is that while the latter ones use point spreads, the former uses the money line.

What is a Point Spread?
Point spread is the most common betting type offered in football and basketball betting. The sportsbook spreads the odd of a certain match by subtracting points from the favorite team, which is the team most likely to win and adding points to the underdog, which is the team that will raise a lot of eyebrows if wins.

What is a Money Line?
In baseball betting, the sportsbook sets the odds strictly on the outcome of the match. In order to even the action, bettors would have to risk more money on the favorite and risk less on the underdog. This is called the money line.

For example, if the money line is minus 170 on the favorite and plus 150 on the underdog, then you would have to bet 170 dollars on the favorite in order to earn 100 dollars. On the other hand, if you bet 100 dollars on the underdog, you would win 150 dollars if they would eventually win the match.

The difference between the minus 170 on the favorite and the plus 150 on the underdog is known as the twenty cent line. If the money line was minus on the favorite and plus 150 on the underdog, it is called the ten cent line or dime line. The fifteen cent line is also common in baseball betting.

Sportsbooks also offer total bets and run lines in baseball betting.

1) Total Bets:
These wagers are based on the sum of the runs scored by both of the teams. For example, if the sportsbook sets the over under total of a match as 7, the over wins if the sum of the runs scored by both teams exceeds 7 and the under wins if it sums up to less than 7.

2) The Run Line:
This wager is the baseball variation of point spread. When you are betting on the run line, you are betting on whether one of the teams wins by more than one run, which is marked as minus 1.5 or stays within one run, marked as plus 1.5.

Conclusion:
Although the money line makes simpler than football and basketball betting, it causes the payoffs calculation to be more complicated:

1) In order to calculate the payoff when wagering on the favorite you should add 1 to the favorite price and divide it with the favorite price.

2) In order to calculate the payoff when wagering on the underdog you should add 1 to the underdog price.

How to Play Backgammon

The board game backgammon is one of the most ancient games known to man. It is believed that early variations of the game were played in Ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia and Ancient Rome. Since then, the game has evolved, changed several names and spread to different parts of the world. It is currently a popular pastime all over the US, East Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.

In order to play backgammon all you need is a partner, two dice and a special backgammon board with checkers. The backgammon board is divided into two sides with each one is the mirror reflection of the other. Each side contains 12 triangles called points numbered from 1 to 24.
Points 1 to 6: Home Board or Inner Board<
Points 7 to 12: Outer Board
7 point: Bar Point
13 point: Mid Point

At the starting position of the game, each player has 2 checkers on the 24 point, 3 checkers on the 8 point and 5 on the 13 and 6 point. Each player moves from his home board through the outer board towards the opponent home board.

The object of backgammon, then, is to move your checkers towards your opponent home board and remove them off the board before your opponent moves his checkers towards your home board. The speed of the progress of each move is determined by the outcome of the dice roll.

The backgammon play begins with both players tossing one die. The player whose outcome is the highest, makes the first move using both his and his opponents number. If the outcome of the dice toss is even, the players toss the dice again until an uneven outcome appears. From now on, each player tosses both dice on his turn.

After each toss of dice, you should move your checkers forward the number of steps appears on both dice. You can move either one checker the number of steps summed up by both die or move two checkers. To make it clearer: if the outcome of the dice roll is 5 and 4, you can either move one checker 9 steps forward or move one checker 5 steps forward and then move the other piece 4 steps forward

If the dice rolls a double, which means an even number on both dice, you can move double the number appears on the dice. For example, if you roll double 2, you can move 2 points four times. In that case, you can either move one checker 8 steps forward; move two checkers a total of 4 steps; move two checkers a total of 2 steps each plus a total of 4 steps; move one checker a total of 6 steps plus 2 steps; or move four checkers 2 steps.

You can move a checker to a point where there is another one of your checkers or no more than one checker of your opponent, called blot. When you hit a blot, it is moved to the middle of the board to the part divided between the home board and the outer boards, called the bar.

The checkers placed on the bar are kept out of play until the bar can be entered by a dice roll in the opponent’s home boards. For example, if you roll 2, you can enter a checker to the 23 point and enter the opponents home board and re enter the bar checkers into the game. You cannot move the other checkers unless your entire bar checkers are at your opponents home board.

By the time your checkers are in your home board, you must remove the checkers from the board, to bear off, using a roll of dice. For example, if you roll 1, you can bear off one checker from the 1 point; if you roll 2, you can move a checker form the 2 point, and so on.

If your opponent has not borne off any checkers while you have borne off 15 checkers, you win the gammon. If your opponent has not borne off any checkers and still some of his checkers are placed on the bar, while you have borne off 15 checkers, then you win the backgammon.

Athens Taxi Ride – Extreme Sports

Athens is a huge, congested city and the local taxis are your main means of getting around. The average Athens tax ride is inexpensive, just bring your helmet.

Living on the Edge

I had just arrived in Athens with a couple who’ll remain nameless. [He’s now a respectable doctor and married to someone else.] My buddy, “John”, had a Greek friend who lived in town named Stavos. We were going to stay with him and explore Athens before heading to the islands.

Stavos had gone to college with us in California and more or less been raised there. After experiencing the finer points of higher education [fraternity parties, etc.], he and his brother had started a snowboard company in Athens. Who could possibly be buying snowboards in Greece? It turned out Stavos and his brother were selling them throughout Europe, not in Greece.

Anyway, Stavos collected us in a friend’s car and took us to his small studio. We decided to catch some winks and then head out for a night on the town. Thus, we would experience an Athens taxi ride for the first time.

Taxi driving is a competitive sport. I am convinced there is a World Cup of taxi driving and drivers practice on the streets of their location. San Francisco and New York taxi drivers are an elite group, while taking a taxi in France is a good way to see the Eiffel Tower while going the wrong way down a one-way street. In Athens, it was all about speed.

Being an idiot, I yelled out “shotgun” as the taxi pulled to the curb. I should’ve guessed my triumph wasn’t a good thing when Stavos just smiled. In we went and Stavos gave the driver our destination. For the next fifteen minutes, I feared for life itself. Mine and others.

Our driver was apparently convinced he would get a bonus if he beat a certain time. We peeled out at the curb and the race was on. Through the tight, winding streets of Athens we went. As is the nature of chaotic Athens, the roads are packed with cars, buses, people and very brave cyclist. Considering this an obstacle course, a driver whipped through the throngs at over 80 miles per hour. Most of the time was spent in the SLOW lane, where less cars were. I still have nightmares about the faces of cyclist staring at me as we passed them with maybe 5 inches to spare. Frozen pictures of terror. Throw in cars starting to pull out in the road and you have the white knuckle event of the year.

When we finally pulled up to the club, I started breathing again. As I pulled my hand off the handle on the door, I left impressions. Standing outside of the cab, Stavos asked me if I wanted to sit in the front on the way home and started laughing.

It took two drinks to calm my nerves. Come hell or high water, I was walking home.

Basketball Tips and Predictions

Choosing the perfect picks to fit the bracket is one of the painstaking events in a fan’s NCAA life. Every
time you fill-in the bracket, doubts, hesitations and a lot of self-convincing shall be done before the
entries are filled. Those who have experienced filling out the bracket know that there is so much more than
the Madness March has caused them.
Still thinking on how to gather the right recipe for an effective bracket? There’s two: luck and skill.
Since luck is a phenomena people has no control of, better stick to number two: skill. Yes, you could
predict a very impressive bracket just by basing your chances on the performance of each team. You have to
research briefly to get the precise data to make a better judgment call.
Now, if you can’t still do that, take your chances by browsing down the tips stated below.

1. Points or wins
Usually, the basis of choosing all goes down to the points a team has scored in each event. It’s called Points Ratings. Wins Ratings refers to close games.Whether a team excelled in the victory margins or outperforming others as well, it’s a step you have to get onto. For example, Team Alpha and Team Beta have the same points ratings. But if Team Alpha gained more in wins ratings, then Team Alpha has a better chance
to capture the NCAA hype than Team Beta.

2. Performance
Focus your senses to the fact that power rankings are being withdrawn from NCAA basketball. The relevant
data which includes wins and losses, scores of the games, performance from different places (home,
neutral, away), recent game performances, victory margins, etc. Just basing your choice from these
pieces of data, you’ll have a pretty good idea on what team to give your full faith into. Aside from the
objective ranking, also look at the numerical rating.

3. Consistent Standings
This is what most likely happens during a tournament: teams that are expected to win over other teams win;
and teams that are expected to lose, lose. Those who are expected to win over teams are also expected to
lose to those that they are supposed to. Those who had the opportunity to beat better teams lost their
integrity with stinkers. If you look closer, those who are more consistent are the one who might have a
better shot at winning. If you have been eyeing a team with a very impressive consistency record, then they
would have a high chance of being "the one" and are most likely to beat the underdogs.

4. Wins and Losses
This is the battle between the weaklings and the unbeatable. One look on how a good a win is and how
bad the loss is will let you equally determine if the team deserves the right to be included in your bracket. If the team that won against hard-to-conquer situations and opponents, it is the best inevitable sign to dig into.

5. Recent Play
Consistency in a play is fairly predictable. A team can be great in one encounter and suck on another. To
get a hold on which team outsmarted the most and made a real impression for the last few weeks, base on
otheir ratings. Compare the previous game from the recent one. The first game is obviously of major
importance. If an underdog had been very lousy on the first parts and made it to the final four as the end
approaches, do you think they deserve a better position in that bracket? Definitely, yes.

A Dose of NCAA Basketball History

The National Collegiate Athletic Association was the trendsetter in ambiguity and victory. It is has undergone a lot of ups and downs. From the very founder of the game which all basketball enthusiasts have to be thankful for, Dr. Naismith. He, who showed people that a game this big can come from a game so seemingly small then.
It’s like looking through the hourglass where sands of time has lost track of the day that has passed. NCAA
basketball revitalized the blood of every college individual. Dreamers and supporters alike are the ones who made every event possible.
NCAA begins on the month of March. This is usually the time where cheerleaders strut their moves and the best players are molded into persons who will pave the way to get into the NBA or get into the school of their
choice. "March Madness", as they call it, had become a traditional season where colleges from different parts
of the United States meet for a chance to get to the top.
This wouldn’t all be possible without the help of a few significant people who paved the way for the firsts. First event. First MVP. First team champion.It’s all included in NCAA’s history record.
It was stated that the very first NCAA tournament for men’s basketball was held at Northwestern on March 27, 1939. There were only 8 teams that competed against each other coming from 2 different regions. Oregon was the very first to be declared as champions for that event, defeating Ohio State.
The NCAA was the king of the basketball arena but not until the 1950’s came. NIT went into the scene and was then considered as the more prestigious event than NCAA. Teams then preferred to play in NIT and choose to skip the NCAA season.
Because of this irony, the best teams never met. But either way, some of the best schools choose to enter
both tournaments that made playing more interesting. In the 1940’s, Oklahoma A&M won two titles in the
NCAA. Those who were defeated in NIT recovered much and gained integrity when they entered the NCAA. While some schools decided to stick with NIT, there are others who lost on their first and second round with NIT and decided to finish the season in the NCAA.
A third-place event was added into the game schedule in courtesy with the East region. That was in 1941.
The national third-place game was first held in 1946.This lasted until the 1980’s. In comes 1951. This was
the year where the expansion of 8 teams were made into 16. Seattle became the site of the semifinal and
championship games in 1952. This was also the place where the genuine "final four" was made. 1956 became historical for this year paved the way for the tournament to be divided into regions of four.
Thus, the most magnificent and famous games were made. In 1974, NCAA became a tournament with 32 teams. They also allowed more schools to participate in conferences. When 1979 came, it expanded to 40
participating teams. This is the year when Michigan State won national championship against Indiana State.
This tournament was one of the most historical events ever accounted for in all of NCAA seasons. Earvin
"Magic" Johnson became well known going against Larry Bird.
As the expansion follows over the years, in 1985, it had become a 64-team match. The tournament’s
popularity reached the corners of the country far and wide. Negotiations from television networks to air the
game via satellite speeding through the internet, radio, etc. had been agreed upon.

Playing Basketball: A Game of Defense

Defense in the arena is one of the most vital responsibilities of every teammate in the field of basketball. It is as important as an offensive move. On the contrary, defense can make a team win a specific game even if the winning score is 1-0. It proves that with proper defensive work, a team could pick it off till the championships.
Playing basketball is not just a game of shooting some hoops but also of guarding the ring. Sure they teach offensive techniques that require rigorous training and resistance. But that’s just the beginning. The real technique in winning a game is how to prevent an opponent from making that shot.This is one area that some of the coaches and players poorly rely on. They just don’t seem to realize how important defense is to their strategies. This should be their top priority. Even though defense in the court was proven many times, still, majority of the playing teams doesn’t seem to recognize this and fail to put extra effort to train on this one.
Playing defense is as important as playing offense. That is the second time it was reiterated in this article. Because it is true. No matter how hard you try to get through, you still can’t make the perfect shot because of the extreme defense your opponent is showing. If teams would realize that pursuing for the ball is just a part of the whole game, probably they’ll include defense practice more often than offense. And dedicate their time in it.
A team and its coach must have to attend to all aspects in ball playing. In other words, they have to be well-rounded. Players who think so much of their career doesn’t want to play as blockers. Why? How could you end up as MVP if all you do is block and prevent shots without giving yourself the opportunity to shoot? Think about that. No offense but, if this one popular player who calls the shots never had good teammates who defended every opponent from nagging him, how in the world can he prove himself to make that ball go inside the basket?
Coaches who tend to recognize this would assign respective players to play defense. But that would only prove a 50-50 chance of winning the game. Coaches must train in their players the ability to defend every angle of the court...all of them.
Then again, not all players can play defense. Only some are proven worthy. But still, it is good to be prepared than be caught off guard. Either way, teams must have the spirit in them to guard their base. And in order to do this, each player must have in them these certain qualities:
1. Instincts. A player must know how to react with every situation that may occur inside the court, and fast!
2. Has the knowledge to play numerous kinds of defenses like half-court traps, man-to-man, etc.
3. Infinite stamina to follow his guarded opponent wherever he goes.
4. Supporting number 3, he should also have quick feet and hands to be able to run and move as fast as his
opponent can.
5. Quick reflexes. He should know how to detect an incoming shot and be able to block it. He must have
the ability to jump as fast as he can repetitively.