December 05, 2008
Ever since the creation of the earliest online poker rooms, there have been special images or “avatars” designed to represent each of the players at the table. But what is the history of these avatars, and does the choice of your avatar change the way your opponents perceive your style of play?
Poker avatars at different rooms.
The use of avatars at poker rooms can be split up into 3 separate groups:
- Rooms that do not allow you to choose your own avatar.
- Rooms that allow you to choose an avatar from a selection of avatars.
- Rooms that allow you to create and upload your own avatar.
The first type of room that does not allow you to choose an avatar to represent you at the table is quite a rare breed. There are still a few rooms that actually do not even have characters at the table, which means that you are solely represented by you username and your chips stack.
The most popular room that allows you to choose an avatar from a selection is Full Tilt Poker. This room has a nice set of around 90 cartoon avatars for you to choose from, with each suited to different personalities.
The next step up is a room like PokerStars, which allows you to upload you own images that can be displayed above your name whilst you play. This makes your player account at the room even more individualistic, as it may well be the case that no other player has the same avatar as you.
Does your avatar affect the way your opponents play against you?
In my honest opinion, I highly doubt that your player avatar (at rooms that allow you to choose your own) will have any significant affect on the way your opponents perceive your style of play. Of course a custom avatar may be a slight reflection on your personality, but I highly doubt that any player is going to change their strategy when they are in a pot with you because of an image that is representing you at the table.
If you are letting your opponents’ avatars get in the way of playing a healthy game of poker, you really need to start looking for the options menu to stop avatars from being displayed. You have a lot more important things to think about at the table than the graphics.
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November 29, 2008
Online gambling rules are given for many reasons, for instance to prevent the problem of cheating among players. However as a novice player we can be given a list of online gambling rules and not be able to understand and follow them properly. This in itself would therefore put you at a disadvantage among the rest of players. Therefore this article is aimed at assisting you in following the online gambling rules properly which would teach you how to deal with the psychological aspects of gambling and thus increase your success.
The following are nine tips which should be able to assist you when following online gambling rules. The first tip; don’t gamble while consuming alcohol, by drinking alcohol and gambling online you would be putting yourself at a disadvantage as you need to have a clear head when gambling, therefore you should leave alcohol alone when gambling online. Tip two; never bet more than you can afford. This point may seem very straight forward however majority of individuals don’t take heed. Now some individuals see gambling as a short term investment to their financial freedom, however, this is not a good idea, when betting you should set aside a sum of money that even if you lose you would not be in serious trouble. Tip three; be patient, when gambling patience is essential.
Tip four; be disciplined, this point goes hand in hand with point three. Being disciplined simply means knowing your limits and not letting yourself cross them. Tip five; don’t bet blindly! The majority of individuals are so excited to start betting online that they forget this one of the most important online gambling rules; therefore, it is wise to have a bad system but never enter an online casino without having a system. Also these are easy to access as there are websites which provide these online gambling methods and strategies. Tip six; do not get attached to the results. This simply means that if you win on a particular day then great and if you lose well then there is always tomorrow. Also even though you may have favorites when betting try to rotate, in short you should treat your visits to an online casino as if it’s business. Read the rest of this entry »
November 20, 2008
When you play live blackjack, or any other online casino game for that matter, it is important that you are in the right mindset to play and enjoy your game. There are so many people out there who think that because money is involved in every game of blackjack, and sometimes the money involved is a lot, it becomes too serious for them to have any fun.
The thing is that blackjack, even if it involves gambling money, it is still a game. And because it is a game, it is important that you have some fun with it even if you are losing money. The ability to win, after all, is a mindset. What you think you can achieve, you certainly can achieve. Therefore, you have to have the proper mindset when you play live blackjack.
There are a number of reasons that could hinder you from doing your best and having fun at the same time when playing blackjack. It could be because you are afraid to lose money. Sometimes, what you fear the most will come true for you because your mind is expecting it to happen, enough to make it actually happen. And when you are beset with fear, your eyes become clouded and your mind paralyzed. You will not be able to see or think clearly.
So if you are playing blackjack with your last money because you believe that you will win and your winnings will help you pay your rent or your credit card debt, you had best leave the game and log off, and then think of other means to earn more money instead. The fear of losing every single cent that you have and ending up with nothing will get you paralyzed and will hinder you from making the right decision in blackjack.
Another mindset that you should avoid when playing blackjack is arrogance. A person who is too arrogant often ends up making a fool of himself and regretting it later. Most of the time, an arrogant person gets too cocky and too reckless. Such recklessness prevents him from thinking out his moves. In blackjack, arrogance that gives rise to recklessness is dangerous. An arrogant person is bound to get his bankroll wiped out.
Lack of self-confidence is something that you should also not bring when playing blackjack. When you do not have any belief in yourself and you doubt the soundness of every decision that you yourself made, you will only end up making the wrong decision and losing money.
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November 13, 2008
What I am about to reveal in this article is perhaps one of the most underestimated aspects to betting on horses. Of all the expert betting advice I give, this ranks up there as one of the key items that all punters should know, hence the reason for me sharing this with you via this article.
So what is it that I am refering to? Its something that not a lot of people possess, but equally it can be learned and I am pleased to say that many of my members have learned from my many years of experience in horse racing. The important skill in question: discipline.
Why Beginners Face A Challenge
One of the biggest difficulties that punters have when trying to make the transition from practicing a hobby (as an amateur), to following expert betting advice and investing their time and money in horse racing for profit, is a lack of discipline.
Bookmakers to a certain degree take advantage of this fact, and often have daily promotions and special offers that may do nothing but make a punter lose their money. But the bookies exist to make money though, don’t they?
Well yes they do, however there is a perception that the bookmakers count on the vast majority of punters being willing to sit in front of a television or computer and bet on anything on the screen. Unfortunately, most punters that are betting on horse racing do exactly that and will therefore never be successful. These are punters are often happy with the occasional win, but they are operating an overall long-term losing strategy.
Important Points You Need To Know To Improve Your Discipline
As basic as it sounds (and I will elaborate on this below) it is all about having a strategy and sticking to it. Even a poor strategy is better than no strategy. If you’re privvy to expert betting advice you will be aware of this and appreciate that knowing when to ‘walk away’ is absolutely key to your success.
Betting on horses, if pursued as a serious venture, needs to be treated just like a business. As you will know from previous articles that I have written, I always preach about looking for value horses and not just backing favourites, so you need to have a plan and not just bet on a whim.
Whether you are following someone else’s strategy or your own, you must stick to it no matter what. Whether you win or lose, do not be tempted to deviate away from this strategy.
When Winning Can be Dangerous
Beginners often find that their discipline is stretched, particularly after a good winning streak, as there is a temptation to lump more money on your next horse. This is a classic mistake, as a punter starts to feel overconfident in their abilities leading to them allowing their discipline to slip.
A successful punter in this very same situation will stick to the plan. Indeed, the plan may dictate that your next bet will require extra funds (perhaps due to the horses value, form and potential), however it should never be done emotionally.
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November 10, 2008
Just when we thought there could not be a more infernal addiction, gambling burst on to the scene. At lower levels, it provided great pleasure. Bets were placed in a controlled, calculated and well-formatted way. It resulted in wins and losses; but losses of a large magnitude were not heartbreaking, to start with. Unfortunately, we slowly moved into the era of no-holds-barred gambling, and people started putting in everything they had. The lure of big bucks compounded with the evolutionary patterns of the country resulted in big betting houses. Most of them were regulated and properly policed, but still did not do enough to put an upper ceiling on how much one wanted to gamble.
Let’s take the case of poker to form an idea about how gambling in its various forms have simply taken the sheet from under our consciences and trapped us viciously in its lure. Poker is addictive. It leads to euphoria and trauma, and honestly it is trauma that largely surfaces at the poker table. Statistically (though nothing ever is conclusive in the poker circles) 80 to 85 percent of poker players lose money; this is enough to support the average living structure of the remaining 15 to 20 percent of players. The best players are not the ones always involved in big games, and the poor players are not the ones you would invariably find in small games. The competition at hand is largely the somewhere-in-the-middle- type.
The small, mid, and large games all have their players, and this has resulted in the lavish spread of all kinds of games. Most people enter poker having read just few books on the subject. They assume it would support their stay around the table. What they tend to forget largely is that it is about money, and hence there can’t ever be a quick path to success.
Also, we have professionals, who keep playing at lower stakes almost invariably. Very seldom they do move out to the bigger arena of higher stakes and lose money to the who’s who of the game. Sometimes, with the tide of fortune their way, they also make some money and prefer to move back to their acquainted smaller yards. The problem occurs when they successfully do it a few times, because it is then that they begin to play with the big shots more often and consequently end up losing largesse, in the due course of time.
People tend to lose on higher limits because they are constantly beset with the notion that they are making money - or at least breaking even. With higher stakes, such a notion can be a death-bell.
Another mindset, which causes huge downfalls, is ego of a gambler. Big poker losers would vouch how they wanted to be known as ‘people of the big league’, and hence jumped unarmed, without preparation, into the field of high stakes. This results in an expected abysmal show, and hence loss of a huge amount money. The big players know how to work this out most of the time, and hence lure the rookies by encouraging them with soft statements like “you were good, you deserve more, and perhaps a little more luck would have done it”. With such deceit coming in from the big players in a subtle way, the novices lose their ground and get further trapped in the mire.
Sometimes these rookies move back to the lesser arena only to show-off their newly acquired skills. Unfortunately, some of the players there are too well-versed with the game, and thus the rookies get a beating even here. This compounds their worry and in a fit, they pile on their losses. This is how small poker losers turn into big ones.
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November 10, 2008
Many of you may be wondering why online gambling is the safest form of gambling, well let’s see if we can give you some really good reasons to start up your online gambling account. First off online gambling casinos, like regular gambling casinos have to register their online gambling casinos and obtain a gambling permit and license before they can legally advertise their online gambling casino. Aside from using the secure “electrical cash” system to make their payments, the online gambling casinos have taken further steps to ensure that your payment transactions are secure by keeping in constant liaison with the major credit card companies, leaving no room for any possible chance of identity theft.
Another good reason why online gambling is the safest form of gambling, is you get to play in the comfort of your own home, no need to get dressed and go to the casino, all you need is a computer and an internet connection and you are all set to enter one of those online gambling casinos. Probably one of the best reasons why online gambling is the safest form of gambling is, you do not need to carry around a wad of money in your pocket or wallet, which will eliminate any possible chance of you getting robbed or mugged and having all that hard cash taken from you. For this reason alone online gambling is by far the safest form of gambling.
Making payments to your online gambling casino account is very simple, you can either pay with your credit card or if you do not have a credit card then all you need do is visit any one of your local banks and purchase one of those “one time credit cards”, then all you do is setup a paypal account and the payment will be debited from your account. Or if you prefer you can use a wireless transfer service to transfer the funds to your online gambling casino account. Note when purchasing a “one time credit card” you decide how much money you want to have on the card, but remember the card is only as good as the amount of money on it. This is a very safe way to transfer money and it’s another good reason why online gambling is the safest form of gambling.
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November 07, 2008
Gin rummy is defined as a card game played by two players in where both players collect sets and sequences of cards. The main goal of the game is to score higher than your adversary. This game is created by father and son Elwood T. Baker and C. Graham Baker. As with any other card games, gin rummy has evolved into an online pastime as well. And whether you’re playing gin rummy with a friend or with a virtual pal, you still need to know some free gin rummy tips that can assist you in your way to victory. Here are a few of free gin rummy guidelines for you to follow.
Free gin rummy tip #1
If you know that you’re not that skilled yet in playing gin rummy then consider playing without bets first. Otherwise, you won’t have any dime with you at the end of your playing session. See, playing gin rummy can be addictive in the sense that you’ll never notice the time passing and you’re money losing because the game can be highly entertaining and engrossing. So if you know that you don’t have the expertise so far or even be highly competitive in playing the game then content yourself in playing for free online or with a friend that can teach you the fundamentals, tricks and strategies of gin rummy.
Free gin rummy tip #2
If you’re playing gin rummy at game houses or casinos be observant and try to know the reputation of each player on the gin rummy tables. You don’t want to sit next to an opponent with a playing prowess that will make you look like a kindergarten in an adult room. Observe but don’t cheat. Every player has his own strategy so just pick out the tactics that you will be comfortable to sit with your own bag of tricks. Start by playing gin rummy with players who are within your level of knowledge else the gin rummy king will just outdo every strategy you use, anticipate every move you’ll make and eventually fish out all your betting money.
Free gin rummy tip #3
Most of the time, sets are better than runs. Sets are 3 or 4 cards which has the same number in different or in all suits (for example- 7 of hearts, 7 of spades, 7 of diamonds and/or 7 of clubs). Runs are 3 or more cards that are in correct order or progression and have the same suits (for instance- 4 of spades, 5 of spades, 6 of spades and 7 of spades). The odds of you gaining a set are higher that you completing a run before the game end. The probability of both players waiting for the same card(s) to complete his or her set is lower than the chances of both players aiming for particular cards to complete their runs.
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November 01, 2008
The house edge, which is the commission that a gambling agent such as a casino, a sportsbook (bookmaker), or a lottery administrator charges, is a yardstick that measures how a specific gambling game is fair and reasonable. It is one of the most important factors that every player should consider whenever he/she is engaged in any type of gambling, inasmuch as it indicates how much of the money wagered goes to the gambling agent’s pocket and how much is redistributed to the winners.
Indeed, a house edge cannot be zero since casinos, sportsbooks, and lottery administrators have to make some money in order to cover their expenses, and to make some profit as well. Yet, a high house edge simply means that the players are unecessarily being ripped-off, and as a result, any gambling game with a high house edge should certainly be avoided by a knowledgeable gambler.
In this article, we shall compare, in the simplest way possible, the house edges of a roulette, an evens-odd betting, and a Cash 3 lottery game as representatives of the three major gambling categories.
The Equation
The easiest way to compute a house edge is to compare the actual winnings that are paid by the respective agents to the winnings that would be paid in a fair game or bet. A fair game or a fair bet is one in which no commission is involved; an obvious model is a game between friends. Therefore, in percentage form, the house edge is obtained by subtracting an actual game winning from a fair game winning and dividing the result by the fair game winning, finally multiplying by 100. Thus,
House Edge = [ (fair game winning - actual game winning) / fair game winning ] * 100
Roulette
Because of its simplicity and popularity, we shall consider the roulette as a representative casino game. A European roulette wheel has grooves marked by the numbers 0 to 36; the American wheel (also called Las Vegas wheel) has an additional groove marked as ‘00′. So, the European wheel has a total of 37 numbers, while the American wheel has 38. Internet casinos usually make available the option to select the type of wheel the customer prefers, but the brick and mortar casinos normally offer only one type. The winning number in a roulette game is the number corresponding to the groove where a spinning ball lands.
Now, consider a fair game in which 38 friends are playing the roulette at home, and each one selects a number and places a $1 bet on the number (no two or more players wagering on the same number). When the ball is spun and lands in a groove, the number marking that groove will be the winning number. The person who has selected this winning number collects all the money on the table thus making him win $37. On the other hand, if the game were conducted in a casino, the winner would be paid only $35. The difference between the two winnings applied in the above equation gives us the house edge of a roulette game as
( 37 - 35 ) / 37 * 100 = 2 / 37 * 100 = 5.4%
This means that every time you spend a $100 on an offline or online casino roulette, $5.40 goes to the casino and the rest is redistributed to the winners. Evidently, there are quite a number of casino games and the house edge varies from game to game, many of them having a house edge less than that of the roulette. For obvious reasons, a good gambler always prefers games that have low house edges, while the casino itself loves those games with high house edges. For example, the house edge of craps is 1.4% which makes it one of the most preferred casino games by the players.
Even-odds Sports Betting
Again, because of its simplicity, we shall consider an even-odds betting as a representative of this category of gambling. By even-odds we mean that the event (usually a sports game) has equal chances of going either way. An example is a tennis match between two competitive players each of which has an equal chance of winning the match.
A fair bet, in this case, is just a simple bet between two friends who just pick one of the tennis player as winner. If these two friends wager $1 each, the winner will collect $2, thus winning $1. If instead the bets are placed through a sportsbook, the winner will collect only $1.91, since the odds of an evens game at most bookies and online sportsbooks is 1.91. If you are not familiar with the decimal representation of odds, 1.91 is the same as 10/11 in UK notation and -110 in US odds notation. Odds of 10/11 mean that you’ll win $10 when you wager $11; and odds of -110 mean that you have to wager $110 in order to win $100. Anyway, since the winnings paid by a sportsbook is only $0.91, the house edge of an even-odds betting will therefore be
( 1 - 0.91 ) / 1 * 100 = 0.09 * 100 = 9%
So, this is how sportsbooks make a living. Since several internet sportsbooks offer odds higher than 1.91 in order to lure bettors, the house edge could be smaller than 9%, which is one of the things that the bettor should be looking for when searching for a sportsbook. On the other hand, if the bettor is wagering on parlays the house edge would be significantly higher than 9%; for big parlays, it could go as high as 40%.
It should be apparent by now that the gambler is better off with casino games than sports betting. It should also be noted that while the house edge could be a major factor to consider while selecting a gambling game, it is by no means the only one. For instance, one should consider the fact that casino games are mostly games of chance, while sports betting also involves a learned decision in selecting a pick, consequently leading to a higher probability of winning a bet.
Cash 3
Depending on the state you are in, this lottery game may be known by a different name such as Pick 3, Play 3, Daily 3, etc. In this game, the player selects a three-digit number from 000 to 999, and plays the number as a straight or as a box. A straight play is a prediction that the number will come exactly as selected while a box is a prediction for the number to come in any order. For instance, if a player selects the number 672 and plays it straight, he/she will win if the number drawn is exactly 672. Instead, if the player plays 672 as a box, he/she will win as long as the drawn number contains a 6, a 7 and a 2, in any order (276, for example). Obviously, a straight game pays much more than a box game for the same amount wagered.
Now consider 1000 friends (maybe in a club) selecting a number as a straight, each for $1, so that all the 1000 possible numbers are covered. When the winning number is drawn, the person who has selected that lucky number will be deemed a winner and will cash in all the $1000 collected, so making him win $999. This is a fair game. In the case of state lotteries, however, the winner will be paid only $500 in most states. Some states may pay a little bit less, others may pay a little bit more, but $500 is more or less the standard. The winner therefore wins $499. The house edge for a Cash 3 game will therefore be
( 999 - 499 ) / 999 * 100 = 500 / 999 * 100 = 50%
This house edge applies not only to the Cash 3 game but also to all state lottery games such as Play 4, Cash 5, Mega, Fantasy 5, Lotto, Power Ball, etc. So, whenever you are playing the state lottery, remember that you are wagering only half of your money on the actual lottery; the other half, you are just giving it away. Where this other half goes is not the gambler’s concern, since his/her main objective is to win some money in order to pay the ever present bills, or to get out of a miserable life, or to change his/her 20-year-old car. As regards contributing to education and other noble causes, there are other means of collecting money called taxes and charities.
Unfortunately, many states do not allow casino games, and furthermore, sports betting is illegal in the United States. The player is therefore left with no choice but to cross state borders in search of a casino, or more recently, to engage in online sports betting through the several offshore internet sportsbooks. Nowadays, there is a plethora of trustworthy online casinos and sportsbooks operating from Canada, the UK, Antigua, Costa Rica, and so on.
The Conclusion
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October 26, 2008
There are no surefire ways to beat the game of Blackjack on each and every hand. If tips like these existed, Sin City would be out of business in a matter of months. There are, however, a few strategies that can be used to better your chances of going home the winner of the hand.
The first problem the player often has is the need to hit 21 on every hand. This is not the games focus. The game of blackjack will be more profitable to the player if they focus on beating the dealer rather than the odds. The elusive 21 is a great gift from the card Gods, but the dealers hand should be the primary focus.
Now that you are convinced to beat the dealer, the rules of the game can come into play. The dealer will hit on his or her hand if they are showing a 6 or lower as the up card. So, no matter what the bottom card may be, the dealer will have to hit on what is called a soft 17.
If the dealer has a ten or a face card as the bottom card, and the up card is a four, five or six there is a greater chance that the dealer will bust the hand. This is because any card at or above a 7 will cause the bust. Taking all 52 cards into account, the dealer has a 45% chance of drawing a card that will not cause the bust and a 30% chance that the draw card will not be played at all.
If the dealer is showing a 7, 8, 9, 10 or a face card you will instantly know what the face down card value is. If the dealer takes a card the value must be 7 or below. If the dealer does not take a card, he has a hard 17 and you will need to fight or fold. If your hand values a 15 or higher, you must take the loss. If you have is valued at a 14 or lower, hit the hand and hope for a card to beat the dealer.
The dealer may, from time to time, show a 2 or 3 the rules of the game require the dealer to take at least one card. This hand gives the dealer a better chance of hitting a hand from 18 to 21. The chances of the dealer busting or taking a second card are less than 30%. Again, you are in a position with this dealer hand to hit on a 15 or lower.
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October 26, 2008
What to choose: a small potential for bigger returns or a more guaranteed route to winning? That is the question you should be asking if you are indeed interested in making a bit (or a lot) of money with playing Pick 3 Lotto. The fact is: many people do not even consider this question seriously, if at all. It might surprise you that there are some people who actually make a living out of playing Pick 3 Lotto - and no, we don’t mean that these people set up a lotto machine in their stores.
We mean that with the right system, these people are investing as little as $0.50 cents per game and walking away with forty dollars in their pockets. And, if that doesn’t sound good enough, they can use their system over and over, winning constantly at almost every turn. You too could make a financial killing out of playing the game. Here are some basic but often overlooked tips on how you can start off your own strategy when it comes to Pick 3 Lotto.
1. Never subscribe to the quick picks. True, they are called quick picks because basically you just have to hand over the cash and you have a set of numbers. However, playing the quick picks or computer picks almost never gives you the winning numbers in the end. In short, this is a veritable waste of time, money and expectations. Hey, this is the Pick 3 Lotto - with the operative word of “3.” How long does it take for you to think of 3 numbers and ink it in? Set your own numbers, this has a greater chance of working to your advantage. Just remember this one fact: the lotto computer works for the lotto company. Do you honestly think that it is programmed to make winning combinations?
2. Keep playing your own numbers. Speaking of numbers, it would increase your chances dramatically if you play your own numbers frequently. The Pick 3 Lotto game can afford you placement one number for at least 5 times with the advanced draws games. Basically, this means that you do not have to buy a new ticket whenever you want to play. Of course, if you want to have several numbers in your memory pocket, you can bet on those as well. The deal here is that by keeping close a set of numbers and betting on them frequently, you are making sure that your numbers are always in contention, no matter what the odds are. If one set of numbers gains you profit, continue playing them. They are bound to turn up more than other combinations. Try not to make the mistake of other winners who literally change their winning combos thinking that the set will never occur again.
3. Timing is also critical when it comes to Pick 3 Lotto. It’s not surprising that many people are enticed to play the game when the jackpot is considerably large. But this is actually one of the reasons why these people often never see a return of their investment. Smaller jackpots or jackpots containing smaller wins also have less people betting on them. This fact increases your chances of hitting a winning streak sooner or later. A larger volume of players betting on the same jackpot means you are decreasing your chances even further.
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