Tuesday, October 1, 2013

The Secret to Blackjack Betting

Blackjack is a remarkably simple game. It's so simple that the rules can be printed on a business card sized piece of paper. These cards can be purchased in the casino gift shop, and that should tell you something. What does it say? It says that the real game, the game that makes vast fortunes for the casinos is not about how you play your cards.

You're probably thinking that Blackjack is a card game, how can it not be about the cards? The answer has been hiding in front of you, in plain sight for as long as you have been a player. Once you understand the secret and begin putting it to work, your game will change forever. Dealers and Pit Bosses will recognize you as an advanced player and will treat you with a higher level of respect. But most importantly, you will win more and more often than you do now.

With that said, keep in mind that no one wins all of the time, not you and not the casinos. Remember that statistics apply to a series of events and not to individual events. What you are about learn here is no guarantee on winning but rather a reliable way of moving the statistical advantage in your direction. This technique is easy to understand and easy to implement but there is one powerful variable that is entirely within your control, patience.

I have seen hundreds of examples on a player on a losing streak say "I can't possibly lose the next hand". They substantially increase their bet out of sheer frustration and proceed to lose it all. The casino loves these players and rely upon this kind of behavior. Don't do it!

Alright, so are you ready for the secret? In order to win more and more often you must bet larger amounts on your winning hands and bet less money on your losing hands. This is doable and doesn't require a crystal ball. The strategy you are about to learn makes it automatic. It's called a Progressive Betting Strategy and has been in use for many years by the bets gamblers around. It will quickly reduce your risk exposure and pull down handsome profits if you can be consistent and patient. Here's how it works.

Pick a table with a minimum bet you are comfortable with. Let's say it's a $25.00 table. From now on we will refer to that amount as "One Unit". You place one unit out on the table and the dealer deals the cards. If you win, you let it ride. You now have "Two Units" betting on your next hand, but think about what it actually is. One unit is yours and one is house money. Now if you win the next hand you will pull back two units and keep two out to bet.

At this point in your mini session you have recouped your original unit and taken one in profit. The two units out on the next bet are house money and your risk has been reduced to zero.

If you win the next hand (hand three) you let the four units ride, pulling back four units if you win hand number four. The progression continues until you lose a hand. As you can see, even a short winning streak becomes wildly profitable to you.

What happens when you lose a hand? Simple, you always go back to a one unit bet no matter what. This requires patience but is absolutely critical to this strategy. Remember that you have limited funds but the casino does not. You must manage your money for the long run while maximizing profits in the short run.

Thursday, September 19, 2013

New London Casino Review - Promotions and Bonuses

New London Casino is a newly launched site that opened its virtual doors in 2012. It is owned by Total E Soft Ltd and uses its own innovating software. This is not a US friendly casino, but gladly accepts new players from all other parts of the world.

New London supports 23 different languages, multiple currencies and international banking options. With the easy to use website and the simple registration any player can visit the site, join and be playing the games within minutes.

Once you give New London Casino a try you are entitled to receive pampering like none other that includes monthly giveaways, game updates, tournaments and a whole array of promotions and bonuses.

Software and Games Review

There are two ways to play the casino. The first one is to download the software from the site and install on your PC. This only takes a couple minutes and once installed there is no need to download and install again. The second way is to log into the website and play the instant play casino. There is around 100 games in the portfolio that range from Classic to Video Slots and Video Poker to Table Games.

Since there aren't too many categories of games we will go into detail with a few popular ones. Keno and Wheel of Fortune fall under the Specialty Games tab, Blackjack, Baccarat, Oasis Poker and Caribbean Poker for the Card Games, Craps and European Roulette under Table Games and a whole assortment of Video Pokers that come in single and multi-hand format up to 50 hands per game.

The software is updated regularly with adding enhanced features, new games and updated security. The sports section has all the major markets to wager on offering fixed and preferred odds if you are looking for the latest in the betting world.

Promotions and Bonuses

When you visit New London Casino you will notice that the promotions page is full of offers. New players will be happy when they learn they can claim a welcome bonus on the first four deposits. High roller players aren't left out either. They can claim a massive first deposit bonus when they register an account and make their first qualifying deposit.

If you are happy with the decision to give New London a try then why not tell your friends to try out the casino too. For each friend referral you will receive a referral bonus that consists of casino cash. In order to be eligible for this bonus the friend must register for an account and make a first time deposit. The bonus is available in all currencies.

NeTeller, Skrill and Credit Card bonuses are other promotions that can be used when making deposits with these payment options. No other online casino gives you all the options and chances to win extra bonuses.

Banking at New London Casino

New London Casino is a multi-currency casino that gladly accepts international players. Transferring funds is quite simple with payment methods that have been in the financial part of the industry for many years and have become trusted and reliable names. Ukash, Visa, MasterCard, Visa Electron, Visa Delta, Solo, Maestro Card, Paysafe Card, Check, Bank Wire Transfer, Click2Pay, Skrill (MoneyBookers), NeTeller, UseMyBank and My Citadel Wallet.

Although the casino is brand new to the industry they have proven themselves to be trustworthy in paying players their winnings. Players can expect nothing less than speedy cashouts and hassle free service.

Customer Support

New London Casino might be new to the industry, but when it comes to customer satisfaction they are old pros. Round the clock support is offered by having a 24 hour a day telephone help line made available for all players and email support. New London Casino not only guarantees friendly and courteous support, but also guarantees a fast reply to all email queries. The site map was created to give players the option to browse the site for answer to simple questions and concerns. Since New London Casino knows how important it is for players to have little to no game interruption, they put this little help section on the site for the benefit of the player.


Tuesday, September 17, 2013

The Important Role of Clubs Australia

In Australia, clubs and pubs are popular gambling destinations, providing locals with thousands of poker machines. Since these venues are much more than bars and nightclubs, operating them is quite complex. From adhering to gambling laws to allocating gambling grants, club owners take on a great deal of responsibility - and Clubs Australia was established to offer assistance in the complex task of running pokie venues.

Clubs Australia is responsible for representing pokie clubs in dealings with the local government, as well as keeping owners informed of any major developments with regards to gambling policies. The organization represents 6000 venues across the country and 96 000 employees. There are also state and territory associations which are responsible for dealing with clubs on a local level: Clubs ACT, Clubs Queensland, Clubs NSW, Clubs WA, Clubs Victoria, Clubs SA, Clubs NT and Clubs Tasmania.

Most recently, the organization dealt with the issue of mandatory pre-commitment. The organization felt that forcing all players to set their own betting limits before playing was not in the best interests of operators and the community at large. Clubs Australia fought hard to convince local politicians that implementing mandatory pre-commitment was not worth the high cost, especially since there was little proof that it would help to curb problem gambling rates. In the end, the organization's resistance was one of many reasons that the federal government decided to implement voluntary pre-commitment instead.

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Most Popular Movie-Themed Slots

Branded slots have become quite trendy in the world of online gambling. It seems that players are bored with traditional online slots themes, and gambling developers have discovered that familiar brands make great replacements. Movie-themed slots are some of the most popular branded games, based on a wide range of both new and old films.

The Dark Knight is the latest movie-themed slots game to hit the online casino market. It was released in June 2012, and was immediately well-received by players. It seems that the timing of the game's release was perfect, since it coincided with the release of Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Rises film.

The slots game is based on the second film in the Dark Knight series, featuring characters like Harvey Dent, the Joker and Commissioner Gordon. Graphics are taken directly from the film, giving the game a very realistic look. The Dark Knight slots also gained a great deal of attention because Microgaming linked the game to the Mega Moolah progressive jackpot network. Over the course of the past year, it was awarded the top prize twice.

The Lord of the Rings was another popular movie-branded slots game from Microgaming. Unfortunately, legal disputes between the Tolkien Estate and Warner Bros Studios forced the game to be pulled from the online casino market. During its time in the online gambling world, it was very popular. With a Mega Moolah jackpot and cinematic graphics, Lord of the Rings slots was a huge hit among slots players and fans of the fantasy series.

In the land-based casino world, another version of Lord of the Rings slots still exists. Designed by WMS Gaming, it is also a progressive jackpot game. Recently, it awarded a generous jackpot worth more than $7 million, and continues to attract a great deal of positive attention from players at brick and mortar casinos. This version of the Lord of the Rings slots has yet to be affected by Warner Bros' legal issues.

Thursday, August 29, 2013

How to Play Craps and Win!


When I go to Vegas I usually spend most of my time playing poker but if I do want to take a shot at some table games it's going to be Craps. Some of my fondest memories at a casino are playing Craps. When the table is hot there is nothing better. In this article I'll give you a basic strategy that will give you the best chance at leaving the table with more chips than you bought in for.
How to Play
A lot of people are intimidated by the craps table and therefore avoid it. For some reason a lot of people think it's a complicated game. This couldn't be farther from the truth. Craps is a very simple game. Lets start with the basics.
The Come Out Roll
The initial roll is called the come out roll. This is where the point is established. When you roll the dice the number is going to be between 2 and 12. Here the three things that are possible on the come out roll:
  1. You roll a 7 or 11 and win
  2. You roll a 2, 3, or 12 and lose
  3. You roll a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 and that becomes the point
Once a point is established it's as simple as rolling that number again before you roll a 7. For example if the point is established as a 6 then you will keep rolling the dice until you either roll a 6 and win or roll a 7 and lose. There are a ton of other bets you can make but this is the basic Craps strategy.
The Pass Line
This is where you want to place your initial bet. For easy math let's say it's a $10 minimum table and you put down $10. You or the shooter(the person rolling the dice) rolls a 7 on the come out. Guess what? Everyone cheers and you get paid $10 by the dealer. The great thing about Craps is all the players are on the same team against the casino. There is an exception to this and I'll address that later but for now let's dive further into proper strategy for you to win some money.
Free Odds
Assume for now that on the next roll we still have our $10 on the pass line and the shooter rolls a 10. Now the point becomes 10 and the shooter must roll the 10 again before he rolls a 7. Now we have the option to take odds on our 10. You definitely want to take the odds because they are free. That means that the casino has no edge on this bet. You want to take the maximum odds. For most casinos here are the max odds:
  1. 4 and 10 is 3x your pass line bet ($30 on a $10 bet)
  2. 5 and 9 is 4x your pass line bet ($40)
  3. 6 and 8 is 5x your pass line bet $(50)
So you are going to toss $30 to the dealer and say "odds on my 10 please." You now have $40 in play and here's what you'll win if the shooter rolls a 10:
  1. $10 on the pass line bet
  2. $60 on your odds bet because 4 and 10 pay 2 to 1
Collect your $70 in winnings and your $30 odds bet and put it in the rack. It's that easy! Unless of course the shooter rolls a 7 and in that case you would lose $40. In a similar scenario if your point was 5 or 9 you would have been paid 3 to 2 on your odds bet of $40 which would also equal $60 and on a 6 or 8 you are being paid 6 to 5 on your $50 odds bet which again would be $60. The casino does this to make it easier for their dealers. The odds payout will be the same amount no matter which number you hit as long as you took max odds.
Always Take Max Odds
On the pass line bet in Craps the casino gets a 1.4% edge. Meaning that over time after hundreds or thousands or rolls the casino is going to win on average $1.40 for every $100 that is bet. It's simple math and it's the reason they can build those beautiful hotels and can afford to comp you a free room if you play long enough. So why take max odds? Because is you do you lower the house edge to about 0.7% and cut in half their edge. That is as good of a bet you are going to find in the casino unless you can count cards in blackjack and I'm guessing you can't or you wouldn't be reading this article. By taking the max free odds you can only expect to lose $.70 over time for every $100 you bet. That's pretty cheap entertainment if you factor in that the cocktail waitress is going to bring you as many free drinks as you want.
So How Do You Make Money?
Always sign up for the casino's players club and take advantage of comps or freebies the casino is willing to reward you with for gambling with them. One thing you can do to help your comps is to buy in for more than you are willing to gamble with. For example, I never buy in for less than $1,000 even though the way I am playing I only need about $300. The secret to being profitable in Craps is to quit while you're ahead. Groundbreaking stuff I know but it's really as easy as that. Craps is a very streaky game. The table will go cold, hot, and choppy. When the table is cold quit playing. Take a break or find another table but when you go to the next table buy in for $1,000 again and if you do that 4 or 5 times in a day the casino may think your bankroll is much bigger that it actually is and be willing to bring you back by sending you a free room in the mail. It may be a minor thing but every little thing helps. As long as the table is hot keep playing and you might even want to bump up your bets a little if it gets real hot but as soon as it cools down take your profits and cash out. Stay away from other bets such as the field or other one roll bets on the table. These are called sucker bets for a reason. Only play the pass line with full odds.
Recap
  1. Get a players card
  2. Buy in for more $$$ than you plan to play with
  3. Place your initial bet on the pass line for the come out roll
  4. Take max odds once the point is established
  5. Keep playing as long as the table is hot
  6. Cash out when the table cools down

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Win a Car Sweepstakes



Online sweepstakes have become a huge craze, for people of all ages. Of course you have to understand the rules and regulations of each sweepstakes. Each contest runs by its own terms and because they are solely motivated by their branding, marketing and other promotional related activities, they may advertise the biggest prize without including the fine details of what they prize actually entails. One of the most common prizes available (and the most popular for that matter) is the "win a car" grand prize. Seeing these words with an amazing picture of a brand new car on the contest's page becomes extremely enticing. Before you go forward with entering that particular sweep, make sure you know EXACTLY what is being offered as the grand prize.

As someone actively involved in the online sweepstakes arena, I am aware of the intricacies of grand prizes. These companies that usually offer a brand new car as a prize are often large corporations that have the capital to support such an amazing prize, however they don't always give you a brand new car. It is important to not just use your eyes to review the promotional images and text but to actively seek out any rules and regulations pertaining to that sweepstakes. This will allow you to understand exactly what the sweepstakes has to offer, no more assumptions.

When you first review the rules, always, always, always, look for the eligible ages and locations requirement. Often times, you will have to be at least the age of 21 years old to win a car but sometimes you can be 18. Definitely, never younger than those ages. You must also consider the region you live in. Many of the win a car sweepstakes offered are available only to US Residents and only those residents who actually live in the continental US. So forget about entering this contests from Alaska or Hawaii, not going to happen.

Now that you have reviewed if you are eligible, make sure you understand and accept their privacy policy. Some companies are merely promotional or marketing agencies that collect the data, organize it and select the winners at random. Others are conducted directly by their own company and will use your information for further marketing efforts. They will send you promotions, deals, discounts and other related news to their company. If you are not ready to accept this type of communication with that particular company, then do not enter your details.

And finally, make sure that the grand prize is what you think it is. I have come across a number of "Win a Car" Sweepstakes that are simply an opportunity for you to win a free 2 year lease of a brand new car. But that is not always the case. There are legitimate car sweepstakes and finding them just takes a couple extra minutes. Good luck with entering your next sweepstakes and I hope you win that brand new car!



Friday, August 23, 2013

Betting On Baseball Today

The first pitch in Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2013 season has been thrown and that's great news for fans and bettors alike. With professional hockey, basketball, and football, more or less on hiatus when the summer rolls around in North America, it's up to baseball and Major League Soccer (MLS) to keep bettors and fans entertained. With each of the 30 MLB teams playing 162 games per season there's definitely plenty of action on a daily basis, including the annual All Star Classic.

Betting on baseball is quite popular with serious bettors as it's viewed by many as being the easiest sport to make a profit on. But oddly enough, the casual fan doesn't wager on baseball games with the regularity they do with other major professional sports. One of the reasons for less betting activity on baseball could be the fact that some fans aren't exactly sure how to go about it, so let's deal with that situation right off the bat.

In baseball you'll find that there's no point spread in use like there is in many other sports and this could be a little confusing to some people. The first thing bettors need to do is get a grasp on how the sport's money line operates. Some baseball bettors like to bet on the underdog quite often as they can still come out with a decent profit even when winning less than 50 per cent of their wagers.

When betting on the sport you'll also come across the run line, which is basically the money line and point spread combined into one. There's a constant 1.5 spread of runs in baseball betting and on the odd occasion you may see this increase to 2 or 2.5 runs. The ball team which is favoured in the money line will be favoured on the run line as well.

For example, on a regular money line, which means you're just going to pick the winning team, the odds could be +170 on the Toronto Blue Jays and -165 for the New York Yankees. This means Blue Jays' bettors can win $170 on a $100 bet while Yankees' bettors will need to lay down a $165 wager to win $165. However, if a bet is made with a run line the odds will change. For instance if the underdog Blue Jays are bet on at +1.5 in the run line the odds could read -125 and if the favoured Yankees run line is -1.5 then the odds could be +105.

This now means Blue Jays' bettors will have to wager more than they can win as it'll take a $125 bet to win $100. However, these bettors are being given 1.5 runs in the run line. This means those who laid a wager on the Blue Jays will win their bet even if Toronto loses the game by one run. A lot of bettors like to go with big favourites in the run line since they can get reduced odds when giving 1.5 runs. Betting on the run line basically makes the favourite the underdog.

You can also bet over/under when betting on baseball, which means to bet on the total number of runs predicted for the game. They're typically called totals in baseball wagering. The totals are the same as in other sports. While in ice hockey and soccer they're presented as goals, and in American football, basketball, and rugby they're points, in baseball they're represented as runs. All you have to do to wager on an over/under is to predict if there will be more or fewer runs scored than what the oddsmakers have selected.

For example, the betting line may read like this: Toronto Blue Jays OV 7.5 -120 and the New York Yankees UN 7.5 +130. If you want to bet on Toronto with more than 7.5 runs being scored you'll need to wager $120 to win $100. To bet on New York with fewer than 7.5 runs coming across the plate you can win $730 on a $100 bet. Just remember, that in baseball, when you're betting the extra innings count for run line bets and the over/under.

The pitchers are the key in most baseball games and the money line is decided based on who's going to be pitching for each team. Sometimes the money line is adjusted if a scheduled starting pitcher is substituted. However, you can wager on the contest as 'action' which means you want to make the bet no matter if there's a pitching change. The wager will still be active, but the payout could be different as the odds may have changed because of a pitching change.

If you bet on a baseball game based on the starting pitchers who have been listed by the sportsbook then the bet will be returned if either of the pitchers doesn't start. In addition, a bet can be made based on just one team's pitcher. If you bet on a specific starter for one team and don't care who the other pitcher is then the bet is active as long as the team you wagered on starts the scheduled pitcher.

You can also wager on correct scores, at-bats, hits, balls, strikes, home run leaders, and innings played etc. Of course, bets can be made on division winners and World Series champions. There are a lot of options when it comes to baseball betting and it's typically quite easy to get the hang of it.


Saturday, August 17, 2013

Online Gambling in Atlantic City



For better or for worse, online gambling is coming to New Jersey.

In late February, Chris Christie officially signed into law a bill that legalized internet gambling in Atlantic City.

Initially the bill was vetoed by the Governor because of issues surrounding transparency and taxes. Lawmakers adjusted the text and the amended bill passed by an overwhelming majority in the legislature and earned Christie's seal of approval.

Here are the basics of the bill:

- Casinos located in Atlantic City will be able to apply for a license to offer online gambling. Only the twelve official Atlantic City casinos will be eligible for the license. No other organizations can offer internet gambling, and face stiff fines if they do. All facilities used for the operation of internet gambling must be located within city limits; only bets that are received by a server in Atlantic City will be legal.

- Players must be "physically present" in New Jersey to place wagers. In the future, New Jersey may develop agreements with other states where internet gambling is legal to permit out-of-state gambling. The casino's equipment must verify players' locations before accepting wagers.

- Any games available to play in the casinos can be played online. (For comparison, Nevada only allows poker.) As of now, sports betting will not be protected by this bill, although the state of New Jersey is trying to fight the federal statute barring the legalization of sports betting.

- The bill has all kinds of provisions to keep gambling addiction at bay, such as requiring the prominent display of the 1-800-GAMBLER hotline number, a way to set maximum bets and losses over a certain period of time, and tracking player losses to identify and limit users who may demonstrate addictive gambling behavior.

- Revenue from online gambling will carry a 15% tax. The Christie administration states that about $180 million in revenue for the state will be generated from this tax, but some analysts think this number is seriously overestimated.

The official regulations, which the bill required the Division of Gaming Enforcement to produce, were released on June 3, and are subject to a "public comment period" until August 2 before being finalized. These rules include details such as how a casino acquires the appropriate licenses and procedures for maintaining network security on gambling sites.

So, will online gambling actually benefit the state?

The Good

Revenues from Atlantic City casinos have been on the decline for the past seven years, and online gambling could be what saves the failing casinos. Since 2006, casino revenue has dropped from $5.2 billion to around $3 billion. Online gambling could be a $500 million to $1 billion industry in New Jersey, which may be enough to keep struggling casinos afloat and save jobs in Atlantic City. Further, even though estimates of tax revenue are all over the map, there is potential for online gambling to be a considerably valuable source of money for the state. The casinos will also have to pay a tax to the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority, which will provide further assistance to struggling casinos in Atlantic City.

For the player, low overhead costs mean better prizes and more opportunities to play. Casinos can incent players with free "chips" that have minimal costs for them but give players more opportunities to play and win. The convenience of gambling online allows players to play more with less travel.

BAD:

One of the goals of the bill is supposedly to attract more people to visit the brick-and-mortar casinos, but it is hard to say if online gambling will actually lead to this outcome. One could speculate it could even cause people to go to the casinos less (However, this seems unlikely; the social element and the free drinks are lost in online gambling. Also, research indicates that, at least with poker, internet gaming does not reduce casino gaming.) Advertising for the host casino will be allowed on the online gambling sites, which could possibly encourage people to visit the casino but could also be annoying for players.

Online gambling could be seriously devastating for people who have gambling addictions, or even cause people to develop them, raising financial and moral concerns. Even with all the preventative steps the bill requires, it will definitely be much harder to cut off compulsive gamblers if they can place bets anywhere with an internet connection.

Regardless, it is going to be a while before the casinos can actually kick off their online gambling offerings. The regulations need to be finalized and casinos need to apply for licensure and develop their gambling websites. This means the casinos will not be enjoying this new source of revenue during the 2013 summer season, which could be Atlantic City's toughest season ever following recovery from Hurricane Sandy.

New Jersey has placed its bets, but only time will tell if online gambling will be a jackpot or a bust.


Thursday, August 8, 2013

Best Casino in India



Gambling is a fun activity and many people have a penchant for it. It's actually a great activity to indulge in every now and then, especially when you have taken some time off work. If you are looking to gamble over the holidays or after your work hours then there are many spots that you can hit with your family and friends. Here is a list of some well known casinos. Go through the facilities available at each and then pick the best casino in India for your weekly entertainment haunts.

Goa has loads of casinos for visitors. Some of the well-known names are casino Royale at Mandovi, Casino Pride in Panjim, Casino Carnival at the Mariott in Goa, Dunes at the Zuri White Sands Resort and the Chances Casino and Resort in Dona Paula.

About 40 gaming tables and a weather deck are laid all across Casino Pride that has three floors. Keep children busy at the Kid's Zone over here that has loads of computer games. The Pride Group is a well know brand in this niche as it manages operations at Casino Palms at Baga, Casino Paradise in Porvorim and even Casino Pearl in Bogmolla. Its casino is open for all 24 hours and on all seven days of the week. Unlimited drinks and buffet come with the tickets and there is also live entertainment during dinnertime.

Casino Carnival which has two locations absolutely rocks! One branch of the casino is at the Goa Mariott in Miramar while the other one is on a boat that takes off for a cruise on the Mandovi river. The casino has everything from buffet, snacks and booze to live entertainment. There is also VIP room for high rollers.

The 154 room hotel in Varca beach at Zuri White Sands Resort attracts male gamblers by throngs during the night. The layout has slot machines, derby games and American roulette. Chances Casino is tucked away in a 53 room boutique hotel located at Dona Paula beach. It has the view of the breathtaking Vainguinim Valley. A free buffet table is laid out for gamblers to dine away while they are playing. Dress code here is smart casuals and there is even live entertainment on many days. Games available over here are slot machines, Blackjack, American Roulette and Mini Baccarat.

Most of the casinos in India are located in Goa. Actually, India has hardly any locations where legal gambling is allowed. It is carried out in just 5 cities in the country. If you want to gamble away in India then Goa is the place to be. Most of the top notch hotels over here have casinos where you can let your hair down and bet away. In fact, casinos are a great place to enjoy with friends and spend time, especially if you have a wad of cash you want to squander. You can hook up with friends also when you are gambling or take a pile of cash home if you win. Either ways, gambling at casinos is a smashing way to spend time and party with your pals.

Thursday, August 1, 2013

It's Not Easy To Win Money Betting On Sports



It's not easy to win money betting on sports. If it were, everybody would be doing it and the books would close up shop. But that doesn't mean that you can not make a profit when you bet. You never hear anybody say that 100% of all sports bettors lose money betting. The most commonly used number is 98% are losers.

Let's be generous and say that only 95% lose money. That means that 5% of those placing bets do win money. Most people would take that 95% and use it as an excuse for their own losing. The winners take that 5% and say "Hey, if they can do it, so can I".

Where do you fit into that? Are you in the 95%, or the five? Do you think you are stuck there just because so many others are? Have those odds convinced you to accept losing?

I say again it is not easy to win money betting on sports. But it can be done. There are no other games a casino can offer that actually allows you to gain a legitimate advantage on every bet, but sports betting certainly does.

The key to winning is to gain the advantage the game allows for you. The problem is that most people have no idea how to go about doing that. They play the wrong games, with bad lines, and leave themselves no chance of winning. The 95% may as well be playing the slots, while the 5% is making all the money.

How can you gain the advantage over the books?

The first thing you do is make sure you get paid more for a win than you lose for loss on every bet you place. Most people play point spreads, and I can't for the life of me figure out why. Why would you risk a hundred dollars to win 91, on a bet designed to be a 50-50 proposition? It amounts to paying the book to take your money in a coin flip game. You put yourself at a monetary disadvantage right from the beginning. And you pay the book for helping you do it to yourself.

The next thing is to quit worrying about your winning percentage and pay attention to the money. Would you rather break even winning 55% of your bets or sport an ROI of 15% winning 40% of the time? The 95% choose the first option, the five percent take the second. The bottom line is that it is not about how many games you win, it's how much money you make.

Sports betting allows you to make your own rules. You only have to take the bets you want to take. To profit, you only have to win more bets than the break even point on the lines you play. You don't have to win more bets than you lose to profit. You have to win more money than you lose.

Once you understand those fine points, and apply them to your own betting strategy, it is far easier to profit from sports betting. The books give money away every day. With the right knowledge you can set rules for yourself that will draw some of that money your way.


Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Betting on Longshots, and Winning

How many times have you played a heavy favorite, only to lose the bet? Just because the books make you pay a lot to bet on team doesn't mean the game is a lock.

Every year I win several bets that pay out +300 or more. Most of the games that pay that high are truly bad bets. The trick is in knowing how to identify when those teams do have a good chance of winning the game, regardless of what the bookie says.

Especially early in the season, when a lot of what the books base their opinion on is last years performance and speculation. For example, take first three weeks of the 2013 NFL season.

In week one, the books and bettors figured the worst defense in the league last year would be the worst again this year, so I won 275 on Tennessee. Tennessee has a new guy high up in the defensive coaching staff that was largely responsible for the Saints winning the Super Bowl in 09. The Titans have had a much better defense because of that addition. The bettors are still unaware.

In week 3, Indianapolis played the 49ers, and paid out +400 for a 27-7 win. Based on last year, that was probably the right lines for the game. But based on the first two weeks, there is no way that SF should have been that heavily favored. Their QB is off to a bad start, and so is the rest of the team. Indianapolis has a very good QB, who is only getting better.

The thing about these games is that, from all I could see in the early stats is that they should have been much closer to even money than they were. The books know that the bettors are going heavy on last years results, and that means they have to pay large amounts of money just to get a bet on a team that did not have a good season the previous year.

The key to betting long shots is finding the teams that are equal yet the books are having to pay a large amount for a bet on one team just to balance the betting. It's not the books that are dumb. It's the bettors.

Many times the books will put high lines on good teams in anticipation of the betting trends. Once they do, most people are not going to consider a team at +300 to have a chance. When you find a high payout on a winning team, it's almost always a good bet. At the very least, it's worth a closer look. You will not win half of them, but you will win more than enough of them to show a betting profit. In the end, isn't that why we play?

Don't be scared of a high number on what appears to be a long shot. Many times, the books are forced to appease the not so sharp betting public. Just because the books put a number on game doesn't always mean that the odds of a win reflected in the number are the true odds of the outcome.

You make a lot of money just by finding games between relatively equal teams, with lines that pay good money on one of them. Don't look for games where the favorite is fairly certain to win. Look for games where the dog is of equal ability to the favorite, yet the books are having to provide a strong monetary advantage on them to balance the betting.

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Why Sports Betting Offers A Winning Opportunity


The world is full of gamblers. Most of them frequent the various casinos, where they are offered a variety of games to play. All of the games have one thing in common. The odds are rigged in favor of the house.

The house knows, as a mathematical certainty, that it will win a certain and predictable percentage of all money wagered. While the percentage may vary from game to game, the percentage for each game is always known beforehand.

The reason for this is that the house controls the odds. If they wish to shift the odds of blackjack, they can add or remove a deck of cards or change a rule and know the exact outcome of the change before the first hand is ever played. If they want to, they can adjust every game in the house to increase or decrease their profits if they so choose. The player has absolutely no control over the long term outcome, and the casino has 100 percent control.

When it comes to sports betting, that is no longer true. There is no mathematical formula they can apply to know beforehand what their profits will be. Instead, they try to achieve a balance of the betting to where which ever side wins, those betting on loser have wagered enough to pay the winners.

They do this one of two ways. For point spreads, they charge all bettors a premium just for taking the bet. A point spread win on a $100 bet returns only $91 to the "winner". If the book achieves balanced betting, and it usually does, it will pocket 10% of all bets placed, while the losers pay off the winners.

For money line bets, they adjust the lines to where if balanced betting is achieved, the loser will pay the winners and they pocket the difference. That's why the lines never match. For example, if a dog pays +150, the break even point on that bet is a 40% win rate. If the lines balanced out to zero, the favorite would pay -150, which indicates a 60% break even point on the bet.

Instead, what you will see in practice is lines that show approximately 105 to 110 percent probabilities. The difference between the actual lines break even total and 100% is what the books profit on balanced betting. Usually it is a little less than a point spread bet, but it is the same principle being applied. Losers pay winners with the books pocketing the difference.

That is the extent of what the books can control. Many times, the books will put out opening lines and then quickly adjust them. The adjustments are needed to balance the betting. The odds of the outcome predicted by the books does not change, but their business model requires that they balance the betting even if they have to pay more than the predicted probabilities of the outcome indicate they should.

When the book has to pay more than the original predictions of the probabilities to entice bettors to bet on a dog, the value of the dog increases. It becomes profitable to take a bet when the probabilities of the outcome are predicted at 55-45, yet the line is profitable 60-40.

The books also take into account the expected balance of betting base on their experience with the bettor. Some teams are just not that popular with the betting public, while others are very popular. For the more unpopular teams, and advantage is built into the opening lines.

Understanding how the books make their money, and where they give it away, is essential in understanding how to win money from them. It is what opens up the possibility of winning money sports betting, where other games are a no win proposition for the long term bettor.

In sports betting, you control the rules and the odds you play for. If done properly, you will always bet with a monetary advantage on teams the books are having to pay a premium on just to get the betting balanced. If you make rules that prevent doing otherwise, you will most likely win some money in your long term betting.


Thursday, July 18, 2013

Early Season Betting



Probably the most frequently asked question I get from customers is how should they approach the early season, when the stats are basically empty and no systems can really be applied. That is one area of sports betting that is best approached with strategies rather than systems. With the NHL starting, to be followed shortly by the NBA, I thought it would be a good time to reveal the best strategies for betting in the early season.

During the early season, the books business model is the same as it is in the middle or at the end of the season. They need balanced betting to guarantee their profits, and they do everything possible to achieve it from the first game to the last. For the bettor, we have to understand what the books are trying to achieve. They are, after all, our competition.

In the early season the books know that most bettors are more focused on the previous years performance as an indicator of how a team may do this season. Because of that, they are often having to pay extreme payouts to achieve their goal of balanced betting. Even if the books know a team is likely to be better this season than last they still have to anticipate what the public is going to do when setting their lines.

As the bettor, our job in the first few games is to predict which bad teams last year are going to be improved this year. At best, there is a lot of guesswork involved in making these predictions. But there are other indicators we can look for.

As an example, the Tennessee Titans were one of the worst defenses in the league last season. They did, however, add a high level coach to the defense that was instrumental in taking the Saints to the Super Bowl in 09. As a result of that addition, they have made great improvements this year on defense, and their record reflects that. Not only that, but it has rubbed off on the offense and Tennessee is playing like a contender this year.

That early season window has now been closed as Tennessee was a big favorite in week 4, but it is still a good example of what those windows look like in the early season, no matter which sport it is. The worse a team was last season, the better the lines they will get early in the next one. It's not that everybody knows they will still be bad, it's that they predict losers will keep on losing.

When betting in the early season, your main job is to predict which losers last year will be winners this year. If you can find a tangible reason why a bad team will show improvement, you can probably make some early season profits betting on them.

After a few games, those windows will begin to close and you can rely more on the systems and stats to confirm value and eliminate bad bets. But early on a good prediction of team improvement can lead to a solid start for the betting season.


Friday, July 12, 2013

How to Build a Bankroll

Everybody would love to have a big bankroll, but most sports bettors can not afford it. Or at least have the good sense not to risk the rent money on a sports bet.

One of the most asked questions I get is "How do I build up my bankroll so I can place bigger bets?". In my continuing efforts to help you take more money from the books, I will tell you what I have found to be the best and safest approach.

This method is complimentary to my betting strategies, and will not work well for the hardcore gambler who wants to place many bets every day. If you are one of those gamblers, you may want to focus on extending the life of your bankroll rather than trying to build it with long term profits because your method of playing is not conducive to making money at it.

The most asked question about bankrolls is how big should it be. I have a stock answer for that, and the amount is different for everyone. You should start your sports betting endeavors with no more than you can set on fire without changing your current situation or future prospects.

With that caveat, here is the best way to build your bankroll, while at the same time retaining a backup bankroll in the event of a catastrophic loss of the first one. In this example, I will start out with $200 for the total investment. If you need to start out with a smaller one, that is no problem, nor is it a problem if you want to start out a little larger. The math will be the same in percentages.

So now you have decided you want to be a professional sports bettor, or at least grow a decent bankroll to play with. You have decided that you can put up $200 in your new business (yes, you must look at it like a business).

The first thing you do is take $100 and commit that to wagering on games. Take the other $100 and put it in a safe place at home. Do not deposit all of it in an online book, and do not mix it with other money you need to live your life and pay bills.

The first $100 will be your playing bankroll, the second will be your backup bankroll. You will be betting in $10 units, so you are staring out with 10 units in the playing bankroll, and another 10 in the backup.

Because you are only placing one bet a day (if you are smart), you will risk no more or less than 10% of your starting bankroll on any given day. Your objective will be to increase the playing bankroll by 10 betting units. In effect, your goal each step of the way is to double the 10 units you start with.

Good fortune has befallen you, and you have doubled the initial $100 and now have $200 in your playing bankroll, or a $100 profit. Take that $100 and divide it between the two bankrolls, putting 50 in each.

After doing that, you will have a playing bankroll of $150, and a backup bankroll of the same still tucked safely away in your safe place at home. If you are playing at an online book, just have them send you a check for $50 and leave to $150 where it is.

With your new playing bankroll, you will begin playing in $15 units, or 10%. The goal once again is to get 10 units ahead.
Again, let's say that good fortune has befallen you and you achieve your goal again. This time, you will have $150 to split among the bankrolls, or $75 each. Add that to each of your bankrolls, which would leave you a $225 playing bank and a $225 backup.

Your new betting unit is still 10%, or this time around $22.50. You have doubled your playing bankroll twice, but the actual bankroll has grown by 125% over it's starting point, as has the backup still safely hiding in your safe place at home.

I think you get the picture, so let's carry it out a little so you can see how the bankroll grows over time, and with success.

On the third time going up 10 units, you will have 225 to split, or 112 for each bankroll, leaving 337 and a betting unit of 33.70.

On the fourth time going 10 units up, you will have 337 to split, or 168.50 to add to each bankroll leaving 505 in the playing bankroll, and the same in the backup still in your safe place at home.

Just continue on building this way until you reach your goal, whatever it may be. If you take $100 dollars and 10% units, you will be betting $50 units on a $500 bank after doubling it just 4 times. And you will also have a backup bankroll of 500% of the starting amount.

Time wise, that could take about a year at a 4 unit per month average profit, or less if you have a good year. It is very possible to double it in a good month, but definitely not every month If you churn a little, it could take longer.

Now, for the unaddressed question of what do you do if you bust a bankroll? It really depends on when you do it and how you want to proceed. For an example, let say you double your bankroll twice, but on the third try you bust it out. Your backup bankroll at that time would be $225, and it will need to be used to continue.

You have two choices. You can go all in with it and keep the 22.50 unit, and when you double it take the entire amount and replace the backup bankroll. Or you can split it back into two bankrolls and use an $11 unit to start over fully protected.

What you do is totally up to you. My suggestion is to keep playing with the bigger unit. But that is only a suggestion.

I rarely bust a bankroll with my betting strategy. I would have busted one in February of 2012, but I had not yet took the profits from a good January that left me over 12 units up. I hit a losing streak that would have busted a 10 unit bank had those profits been taken. I didn't bust it then because I actually had about 23 units still on the table. It took two months to recover and get back up to 23 units again, but I never had to employ my backup.

So there you have it. Many will say that 10% units is way too big. If you place a lot of bets, it is. If you follow my betting strategy it is perfect. It doubles quickly, with not as big a risk of busting as the hardcore gamblers would have you believe.

Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Are You Still Paying For Picks?



If I had a nickel for everybody who told me they had been burned by one professional handicapper or another, I would have a good sized bankroll. Most have soured on them to the point that they have sworn off of ever paying for a pick again.

I like to teach people about sports betting, and the topic of professional handicappers is one I have never properly addressed. For the record, I do not sell picks so I am not what you would call a professional handicapper. Nor have I ever paid someone for picks.

But I am a very experienced sports bettor, I know some professional handicappers, and I am quite familiar with the business model they use. Based on that, I think I can provide some useful insight into how they operate, generally speaking. This article does not pertain to 100% of all handicappers, because I don't know them all. But it does pertain to 100% of the ones I know, and I would think that the rest are the same.

I am not trying to dissuade you from using them, but there are some things you should consider before using them that you may not have considered before. What you do with this information is totally up to you.

First, let me state right up front that of all the handicappers I know, not a single one bets money on the picks they provide. They make their sports betting money off of their subscribers, and take zero risk other than losing clients during bad times. For many, becoming a professional handicapper is a great way to add the betting experience to sports without having to take the risk. If you want to find out for sure if the handicapper you choose bets on their picks, ask them. If I was a book I would put a +2000 line on that bet for the yes answer.

Secondly, professional handicappers do not have any magical skills or abilities that you don't have yourself. In fact, I would go so far as to say that most of them are clueless about how to actually win money betting on sports. With a focus on winning percentage over profits, they inevitable end up on the sports betting roller coaster. It's a losing strategy that will seemingly live forever.

But they have to do that because most of their customers are fixated on winning percentage as well. They would rather pay someone to pick them 60% winners at 5% profit than someone who picks them 40% winners at 20% profit. Can they really be faulted for giving the customer what they want? Anybody can focus on big favorites and hit a 60% win rate. That doesn't guarantee a profit.

Third,, whatever success you have with any handicapper is totally dependent on which cycle they are on. Are they going up the roller coaster, or down? Unfortunately, until you give them a few hundred dollars it is not possible to know.

Fourth, what do you really get for your money? A road map for gamblers? Wouldn't it be a lot more useful if these handicappers told you exactly how they arrived at their picks so you could learn from it? And maybe, just maybe, use the information yourself to make good picks on your own I the future? Once the game is over, you have nothing.

And lastly, why pay someone else to make picks for you? Isn't finding the bets half the fun? I think that most who pay for picks do so just to avoid responsibility for the inevitable losses in doing so. They can say it's not my fault I lost, because I was just playing somebody else's picks and they lost for me. But that doesn't refill the bankroll, now does it?

All of these problems associated with professional handicappers is exactly what lead me to put my betting systems and strategies down on paper. I believe it is far better to learn how to win money betting using a solid strategy and simple systems than it is to pay someone who doesn't understand how to win the game for doing the guesswork for you.

And when you consider that the vast majority of the picks these professionals send out are negative return bets (risk more than you win), I think it is safe to say that they have no idea what they are doing when it comes to actually making money betting on sports.

My conclusion, and I submit it for your consideration, is that the biggest gamble sports betting has to offer is picking and paying a professional handicapper. You may win for a while if you catch one at the right time, and maybe even show a little profit if you don't pay too much for the picks. But sooner or later, the hot streak you walked in on will end.

That leaves you with a compounding loss situation, where not only do you lose a lot of bets with terrible odds you never should have took, but you also get to pay for the privilege of having those picks sent to your email adding insult to injury.

Whether or not you continue to pay for picks is a personal choice. It is entirely up to you. But you do need to know there are other options.

You can learn to make picks yourself with simple systems and strategies. You can learn the bookies business model and understand what you need to do to win money. And you can take pride in your winning results because you did it yourself. That feeling is something you can't get from the books or a paid handicapper. And it is why I continue to bet on sports, and teach others the ways of winning.