It’s a conundrum that many ATS fortune hunters face. Sports gambling can be a great leisurely activity for all, but for the well-versed sports prophesier, it can be a lucrative enterprise.

Having twice Chaired international searches for elite sports handicappers, once as GM of Freescoreboard, the first toll-free coast-to-coast scorephone network and than at OffshoreInsiders.com, widely accepted as the foremost handicapping site, I can tell you the quality sports handicappers are few and far between.

There are sharpies and wise guys who do make a lot of money sports gambling, but it takes the ability to both line-shop and forebode the outcome of games to make it profitable.

While my clients’ line-tracking skills are their own, the most important doomsday machine that an odds protégée can harbor is knowing the right sides and totals to monitor. As the musician was told on the way to Carnegie Hall, the only solution is practice, practice, and practice.

Let there be no doubt that there are a limited number of qualified professional handicapping experts and we have several of the elite few on OffshoreInsiders.com. Unfortunately the consumer is forced to ferret through the much more commonplace coin flippers with a grandiloquent sales pitch before unearthing the maestro confidants.

Too often desperate gamblers are clay pigeons for a windbag who talks the talk, but cannot walk the walk. Sometimes the other extreme happens. Ironically so many clients thinking they are suave patrons fall prey to the wolves in sheep’s clothing.

They are bamboozled into thinking virtuous means a virtuoso. It befuddles me how these people are the most easily hoodwinked considering how they present themselves as the more discriminating shoppers of sports investment advisors.

I have seen on Internet posting boards for example gamblers assign credibility to handicappers using the bottom rung criterion of merely admitting to losing days. Any huckster can merely come clean on heads covering when he picked tails. Professional gamblers can only sneer at such easily mislead gamblers who keep the bookmakers in business for the rest of us.

The polished magnate is much more concerned with handicappers who have few losers to proclaim than those who think sportsbooks are merely confessional booths. “Bookmaker forgive me for I have lost, it has been three weeks since my last winner.” If you can find a bookmaker who accepts “”ail Marys” and “Our Fathers” as payment, more power to you. The rest of you, I would implore you to set the bar much higher when purchasing advice.

In Advertising 101, they teach to “Sell the sizzle and not the steak.” But there really is no correlation between hard-sell/soft-peddle and legitimate/illegitimate in this field.
Let me elaborate though. This is not to say that one should give merit to the notorious snake oil salesmen. Rest assured anyone who claims “inside information” or implies that a game is a sure thing; the only forgone conclusion is that you better hope the shyster that you paid used the lucky paper clip.

A sharp player never merely gives the squeakiest wheel the oil, but also does not fall for the façade of legitimacy that uninformed consumers effortlessly acquiesce to the soft-peddlers.

Some brag because they can do it, others ballyhoo because a sales pitch is all they have got.

Quite often I get an email from someone saying that they want me to give them my premium picks for a few weeks and than if they are satisfied they will purchase a long-term package.

Even though gambling by its mere definition involves, well a “gamble” I wish all the worldly endeavors that by their nature involve less risk than gambling could come with such guarantee and free lunches as requested by the likes that I just mentioned.

Well speaking of free lunches, my only other obsession besides triumphant prognostication is dining. Could you imagine if I went in a restaurant and told them they should give me a few free meals before I determined if I wanted to consent to buying a meal?

Do not misconstrue what I assert, restaurants and many other businesses give free samples. Oh, I am so enlightened on that. My wife saw on television one day about how easy it is to acquire free samples via the Internet. Our life and mailbox has never been the same since. But I digress.

Car dealers certainly allow test drives. Likewise, reputable handicappers allow you to not only get free selections, but also even more importantly enable you to experience, savor and partake in their expertise. Well-informed and experienced handicappers should have no problem proving their proficiency before a game even starts with the profoundness of their accompanied analysis.

What, there was no reasoning and justification given with their free play? Purchase at your own risk. Caveat emptor. If a selection looks like a shot in the dark, it probably is. If a sports stockbroker is well informed, he has no reason not to flaunt it. But if a robber baron is trying to simply pawn off a guess, it is tough to present scrutiny and research when it consists of a wink and a smile.

But again, those who happily make payment for blind faith underwrite the bookmakers so they can painlessly benefact those of us who live and breathe sports betting.

A learned foreteller should have articulate widely published articles on gaming theory and strategy. Any handicapper who wants your patronage would be happy to showcase gaming scholarly doctrine. It is his best sales tool.

An educated buyer is good for both the gambler and top shelf handicapper. But those who want to judge all professional speculators by the actions of the most notorious are doing themselves and the true pros an injustice. Prejudice against members of any profession may be more politically correct than preconceived notions against someone because of their race, color or creed, but it is narrow-minded bigotry nonetheless.

Neither blind faith nor McCarthyism towards professional handicappers will do you fairness. But investing money in the proper middleman is most conducive to making coach potatoism a bull market.

Games are considered to be fair games when each player has the same opportunity to win, all other things considered equal. Games players everywhere are concerned with fair games. If the games aren’t fair, the players are being cheated so this is why they are always so concerned with the issue of fair games.

There is no way to know for sure if the games are fair. The software manufacturers have a stake in making sure that the games are fair since they have their own names to protect in the marketplace. They don’t want to be associated with any shoddy or fly-by-night operations. Many software manufactures have built-in procedures for testing the game software for fairness as well as protecting the consumer against other shoddy practices, but there is no way to guarantee that these are working.

Many online watchdog entities are concerned with the issue of game fairness and have requirements which must be met before the site receives its seal. The site usually has to submit to some form of software testing to ensure the integrity of the games in order to be awarded a seal. Finding a seal on a site is one way of being made to feel more secure about dealing with that site. Again, there are no positive guarantees, especially in the online environment. Fair games will always be a concern to players of gambling games because it is the player’s money that is at stake so most players will be concerned with fair games.

Casino gambling has been a hot source of debate among people coming from various religious and economic backgrounds.  

Religious authorities generally frown on casino gambling because of its perceived social costs. This is why in highly religious countries, casino gambling (or any sort of gambling)is not allowed. Most Islamic nations specifically prohibit gambling while other nations tend to regulate it to some extent.

Most legal authorities also put some sort of censorship on gambling. The law does not recognize wagers as contracts and views consequent losses as “debts of honor” that cannot be enforced through the legal process. This leads to organized crime taking over the enforcement of large gambling debts, sometimes in a violent manner.

Since contracts of insurance have many features similar to wagers, legislation makes a distinction between the two. It typically defines any agreement wherein either of the party has an interest in the outcome of the bet beyond the specified financial terms as an ‘insurance contract.’ So the bet on whether one’s house will burn down becomes a contract of insurance, since a person has an independent interest in the security of his or her home.

Many people participate in casino gambling as a form of recreation and sometimes as a means to have more income. Before you become obsessed with casino gambling, remember that like any form of behavior, it involves variation in brain chemistry. Thus, it can lead to disruptive behavior and psychological addiction. The phenomena of reinforcement may also make gamblers persist in gambling even after incurring repeated losses.

Russian writer Dostoevsky portrays in his short story entitled “The Gambler,” the psychological effects of gambling on gamblers. He suggested that the idea of gambling or the get-rich-quick mentality may have originated from the Russians. He shows the effect of betting money for the chance of having more money in 19th century Europe. The origins of the Russian roulette fueled legends associating Russians with gambling.

Due to the negative connotations of the term “gambling,” casinos and racetracks owners often use the word “gaming” to connote the recreational activities they offer.

When I was 14 years old my parents took me on a 2 day cruise, it was great; my dad spent the whole time looking a bit green whilst my mum introduced me to the wonders of onboard casinos – that was the beginning of my love affair with roulette. Ten years latter, I still love the roulette wheel, it’s appeal and excitement hasn’t waned. In the course of those ten years, however I have noticed a number of strategies that people tend to play with – personally I think they take the fun out of the game, but hey, everyone has a right to know what their options are, right?

The most common strategy used in roulette is known as the Martingale. This strategy is based on the theory that loosing streaks don’t last long, therefore if you continue to bet on the same one of two chance options (e.g. black or red/odds or evens), it won’t be long until you win. Now, the way that you actually make money on this is by doubling your bet each time each time you don’t win. Confused? Don’t be! If I bet $5 on red and it comes up black, then I’ve lost $5, however the next spin I bet $10 on red – oops came up black again, now I’ve lost a total of $15. Never mind, I stick with the Martingale theory, I double my bet on the same choice and so I put down $20 on red. Hallelujah, it’s red! I win $40. Does it work out? Yes, I bet $5 + $10 + $20 = $35; I made a $5 profit. Make sense?

Once you’ve grappled with the Martingale, the next strategy for you to deal with to is the Uber Martingale, actually more commonly known as the Grand Martingale. This strategy works in much the same way as the regular Martingale, except that with the Grand Martingale you double your bet and you add one of your original bet. So, after the first loss of $5 you double it to $10, but you also add one, i.e. another $5, so your second bet is $15. If that one doesn’t come in for you, you double the $15 and add one, i.e. $5 to make your third bet $35, and so on. This increases your profit margin when you do win.

The truth is that I have seen people win big with these strategies; they’re highly logical and do work. However, I’ve also seen people loose big on them because they didn’t plan properly; a table with a low limit can cause problems when playing the Martingale strategies because it increases the chance of reaching the limit before you win. So, if you’re going to play this strategy, play at a high limit table, and always start your bets low.

This isn’t the only roulette strategy used, but it is the most common. Personally, I find all strategies to be a little dull, except for mine that is – favorite numbers, birthdays and following the gut; frankly you can’t beat it.

There are some basics in blackjack. Splitting aces and eights only makes senses since a hand equaling 2 or 12 compared to having two hands of 11 is a no brainer. Even though you only receive one card to your ace, the chances of getting 21 or a relatively decent hand are good.

Splitting eights all the time is a bit riskier. Some blackjack studs say not to split eights if the dealer is showing a nine or a ten. For me, it depends on how the cards are flowing that day whether I will split the eights all the time or just when it feels right against that dealer nine or ten.

Probably the most important strategy for wining blackjack is to always play the dealer for a ten in the hole. This will be the basis of your winning strategy. If the dealer is showing a ten, you play him as if he has twenty and hit or stay accordingly. The same rule applies if the dealer is showing a six or any other bust combination (12, 13, 14, or 15). You always have to play as if you had x-ray vision and could see the dealer’s hole card.

Playing hunches will kill you. You have to have a plan and stick to it. And your plan should follow the basic rules. Granted there will plenty of times that the dealer doesn’t have that ten in the hole, but you have to stick to your guns and play it that way.

One mistake that I see a lot of novices make is splitting tens or face cards. They will do this mostly when the dealer is showing a bust card. They think they will be able to double their money hitting each one of their tens. This is ridiculous. Who splits the second best hand in blackjack? Definitely not me.

Besides doubling down on tens and elevens, if the house allows it, I love to double on soft 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, and 18 if the dealer is showing a 3, 4, 5 or 6. There is a good chance the dealer will bust, and also a good chance you will improve your hand, or get a ten and it remains the same.

I have always held if I had twelve and the dealer showed a bust card. But, recently I read that you should hit a 12 against the dealer when he shows a 2. I was a bit hesitant to do this since there was a chance that I would bust. But, playing this way, I have found out that I have won more than I have lost. This strategy you will have to decide for yourself if it right for you.

These are some of the basic blackjack strategies that you can apply. The key is to remain consistent even when the cards are against you. If you hit a bad run, get up from the table and take a break. Don’t keep throwing your money away when a dealer is hot.

A case to protect and secure your chips, cards and dealer button is imperative to protect your investment and provide the necessary security for your chips. The chips will remain safe under lock and key during play leaving you to concentrate on your play. You can quickly determine if any chips are missing after a playing session when you rack them into the case. Poker chip cases come in a wide variety of styles, materials and price ranges. Most chip sellers offer complete sets with an included case. Inexpensive, readily available plastic chips need not be protected so the case may be as simple as a shoebox but once you move into midrange and better casino style chips you should definitely consider a quality lockable case.

Plastic Case

Entry level carrying case for chips that usually is not lockable and provides a simple method of storing and carrying you gaming chips. Plastic cases boast the lowest cost but the shortest life of the specialized chip cases. Lack of security requires constant vigilance of chips during the game.

Vinyl Case

The vinyl case is a step above the plastic case and provides greater protection for the poker chipset. The case is usually constructed from wood or plastic covered with a vinyl material. The case may or may not be lockable. A major concern issue with vinyl cases is durability. The weight of a 500 chipset of 11.5 gram poker chips is close to twenty pounds and places considerable stress on the carrying case and handle. The failure mode for most vinyl cases is separation of the handle from the case due to the weight.

Metal Case

The metal case is the most common and popular poker chip carrying case. Most metal cases are constructed from structural aluminum in a wide range of styles and price ranges. The quality of metal cases varies considerably so it is important to comparison shop and choose wisely. Some metal cases are not all metal and may have plastic panels and parts in their construction. Some are not lockable. Others have sharp corners. Exceptionally lightweight metal sheets will not last long. The ideal medal case is medium weight all metal (aluminum preferred) construction with added reinforcement in the critical stress areas plus keyed locks to keep chips secure. The finest all metal cases are constructed from aircraft quality aluminum with removable flocked chip trays, high security barrel locks, machined from solid stock handle fittings and hinges. This case is the top-of-the-line in metal cases and accordingly the most expensive chip case.

Wood Case

Another chip case option is the quality wood case with custom brass fittings. Wood cases are available in many styles and price ranges form the low end pine models to the major splurge, carved exotic wood with inlayed precious metals handmade by a master cabinet maker. Most affordable wood cases are constructed from pine, mahogany, oak and other hard woods, the best feature quality construction and finish, heavy duty handles and hinges, keyed locks and well fitting removable chip trays. As with all the cases, wood cases come in a variety of qualities and prices befitting those qualities.

Flash Casino knockout are those that run stock and barrel in a Flash program on your web browser. By loading the on-screen ostentatious nightclub directly in the , there is no download requisite. For this reason, an virtual showy casino is also referred to as a “no download gaming club”. In this insertion to Flash Casino gaming, I’ll discuss some of the key to at a no download gaming house.

Online Flash Casino Advantages – Realistic Gameplay
The graphics and intact personal property of a no download gambling den are generally better. By better, I mean the dream are more confident, the animation smoother and the sturdy belongings more translucent.

The visible and definite effects be fluent in directly to our most predominant senses, in so doing creating a more realistic, true gaming house gaming event.

Online Flash Casino Advantages – Time & Space
Time a key role in the haughtiness of Online Flash Casino gaming. As in most instances of our everyday , when given a choice, we decide the way to succeed our .

No download casinos consent for instantaneous play, whereas a fixed electronic casino will require the download of a .zip or .exe file, predictably 5MB to 15MB or more, followed by a interminable ordination activity.

Online Flash Casino Advantages – PC Safety
This up additional notable question – what if the online nightclub isn’t licensed? The most trendy and successful connected casinos are absolutely licensed and planned, but it would be unwise to suppose that every working gambling den guidelines.

Any cyber- gaming club that lacks the veracity to be delimited may not be out for the best attention of it’s players. To put it transparently, the software download may comprehend malevolent files deliberate to source destruction to the user’s computer.

With Online Flash Casino games, there is no time, force and computer space invested – no difficult putting in place means – no risk of placing possibly harmful materials onto your hard passion.

Online Flash Casino Advantages – Compatibility
Attributing at tiniest in part to the thrilling approval of no download gaming house meet is the compatibility component.

The Flash Plug-In is compatible with all major going – Microsoft Windows, Mac and Linux included. Check out the coordination requirements of any accessible nightclub software that a download, and you’ll find it’s only compatible with Microsoft Windows.

98% of the flora and fauna’s computers are already furnished with Flash. Anyone with an elder computer has likely already encountered a Flash program at some contact, then has already the Flash Plug-In on computer. Anyone with a newer computer will Flash to be pre-installed.

If for any reason Flash is not already , the no download casino will ready the user to fit Flash, which is an virtually instantaneous course of action, much than and installing a software program.

Online Flash Casino Advantages – Game Variety
Flash equipment has been utilized to build up all of the most admired gambling den competition, giving players a nigh on to unlimited miscellany of no download gaming club sports event to enjoy.

Table Games, Card Games, Slots, Video Poker, Parlor Games, – you name it, Flash programmers have created it. From BlackJack, Roulette, Craps, Baccarat, Casino War and Pai Gow Poker to 3-Reel, 5-Reel and 7-Reel Slots with compound . Deuces Wild Video Poker, Double Bonus Joker Poker, even Keno, Scratch Cards and Bingo tournament. These are just a few of the players can appreciate when playing at a no download gaming club.

Poker to me has always been a little bit of luck and a whole lot of information. An Online Poker Tournament has been proven achievable but the first disadvantage I see is my “whole lot of information” is going to be next to nil.

I’m only going to see other players and myself as caricatures on my screen. Facial expressions, hand gestures, body motions will all be absent, as well as eye squinting, blinking or twitching – those ‘giveaways’ on TV and why many use sunglasses. Add to this the screen names: how do I know that Tiny Tina isn’t some card shark from Vegas alluding to be female and harmless?

I’m going to have to compensate for this not-so-small handicap. Basically anybody’s poker actions are six — whether you play online or off… betting, folding, calling, raising, re-raising, or check-raising. So that’s a given. My observations are going to fall in the realm of a good site selection, a game selection (there are many tables), careful note-taking and money management.

And while all players are indeed in caricature-form, they still have behavior that can be noted. I can put their screen names under one of two lists: “tight players” or “loose players”. It will help to observe a few hands and label them before I decide to sit in. Too many tight players and I might look at another table.

Tight players are strong opponents. Even as a novice they will fold a poor deal and play a good one. When they raise, more often than not they have the cards to back it up with. I think it would benefit me to keep them to my right – that way, I get to act after they do. Loose players are often called ‘maniacs’ because they love to bet and raise with very little in hand to back it up.

As I see it, they are best if kept to my left in playing online poker. Advantages are: I get to see how the other players react to his/her betting before it’s my turn. And, at times if I check to the maniac who bets of course, this allows everyone else to call before I raise the bet and collect the additional monies. Get it?

Of course a table can also be tight or loose. Ideally I believe a loose table is better and the first sign of this would be how many players see the flop; the more the better – if many are playing to the flop, the pots are healthier. I read where 30% of the table playing all the way to the flop is a good measure. Anything less is not worthwhile sitting in.

So, it’s time now to choose a fictitious name and sign up for the best poker school where I can (as they say) become a professional in a matter of months rather than years by playing the game with “fun” money until I declare I am ready for a real investment.

Are you aiming for a poker tournament? If so, why not follow me as I write future Articles on this issue. Also share what you have learned, I’d be happy to hear from you and include your observations.

2006 Esther Smith

Complete chip sets should be purchased with a few things in mind: How many chips do you need? How much can you afford to pay for your chipset and how many players will be using the chips in a game. As with most things, you pay for quality and the best advice is to buy the highest quality you can afford. It is rare to be sorry that you opted for a higher line of goods so buy the best your budget allows.

A good rule of thumb for quantity follows:

3-4 Players 300 chipset is usually enough

4-6 Players 400-500 chipset will suffice

6-8 Players 500-650 chipset is required

8-10+ Players 1000+ chips depending on numbers

The above guide is a suggested number only. Remember that you cannot really have too many chips, only too few so buy all you can afford. Many chip sellers maintain an open stock of chips so you can purchase more as you need them.

Buying a quality set of Poker chips isn’t cheap but if you’re buying a full set of chips (300, 500 or 1,000), the price typically includes an aluminum carrying case, one or two decks of cards, five dice, and sometimes a dealer button. At online stores, a set of 300 11.5-gram composite, two-color chips goes for $75 or more, depending on the style. A similar set of 300 real clay chips will cost about $25 to $30 more. Three-color chips are more expensive.

Money, Money, Money

One of the main reasons that people play blackjack is because it’s fun. Another reason could be for financial gain. If this is your reason, you will need some expertise in this field. The best way to win at blackjack is to know the ins and outs of the game. Once you know the strategies of blackjack, you will win money instead of losing it. Playing blackjack can be a good way to earn extra income on a regular basis. Although, the only way to accomplish this is to master the blackjack techniques. Everybody wants some extra pocket change. Learning how to play blackjack can help you put that extra money in your pocket. If you take the time to learn the game and its strategies, and choose where and when to play, there is no reason why you can’t use your winnings to enjoy the finer things in life.

Entertainment

Another reason to learn how to play blackjack is entertainment. There are people who play blackjack as a hobby; they use the game as a form of entertainment to occupy their leisure time. Blackjack can be a very challenging game, but like anything else, the best way and usually the only way to improve your skills are to practice. You can improve your skills two ways. First, learn as much about the game as possible. Second, challenge yourself continually. By following these rules, consistent winnings are just around the corner. Some of the benefits of playing blackjack on a regular basis, and learning the strategies, are improving your reasoning and calculating skills. The extra money you make will just be a bonus. That’s not too bad for a hobby.

What’s More Fun, Winning or Losing?

Last but not least, the final reason to step up your blackjack playing abilities is because winning is much more fun than losing. What could be more satisfying than leaving the casino with your pockets full of their money? When you become an expert in blackjack strategies, you will enjoy the feeling of knowing that you beat the casinos at their own game. It will take a lot of hard work and diligence to become a blackjack expert. If you apply yourself, the rewards you receive will outweigh your efforts to learn tenfold.

There are many more reasons why people play blackjack. We don’t need to touch on all of them. The reasons stated above should be enough to motivate you to be the best that you can be, to show the casinos they can be beaten. There are many ways to make money, none of them are easy, some of them are fun. Blackjack is a great way to combine entertainment and money making. Good luck.