Having been in the industry since the 1980s and having been a supporter of computer systems since prominent statistician Dr. Mike Orkin wrote his Pointspread Analyzer software, where does Center of the Handicapping Universe stand?

We agree with the theory, but less so the etched-in-stone considerations. First of all, let us give a quick refresher of the difference. A system can be measured objectively because the parameters are concrete. The zigzag is an example. Going with a double digit favorite off a single digit loss would be another hypothetical.

Of course there can be modest variances depending on when and where a database gathers lines, but over any statistically significant period it does not make a huge difference.

A theory is much like a system but does not have objective parameters. Our theory is the better the team is that the zigzag system favors and the bigger the margin the loss was, the more compelling it is to “go with the team off a loss.”

True one could come up with a system to measure our upgrading of the methodology. An example would be going with a team with a winning percentage of .575 or higher off a loss of eight or more. The problem is we believe a mental sliding scale combining and most importantly, weighing the two factors works best. It allows for a mixing and matching of the two parameters.

For example, this year as in most years, it would not apply or would only be weighed slightly if we are talking about the bottom three seeds in each conference off a loss. There is a reason they are called “mismatches”.

No. 4 versus five and the next three rounds of the playoffs (barring huge first round upsets), it is weighed much heavier. Remember we told you the mocker grew conspicuously quieter as the postseason went on. Now you know why.

It’s one of those theories that almost make too much sense. During the regular season of every sport we remind you of the Golden Rule to not merely go with the “team that needs it more” if said team is fighting just to make the playoffs.

We call attention to the fact if a team were proficient at winning “must win” games they would not be playing in must-win games late in the year.

Conversely, a one through five seed, especially as the playoffs go deeper, has shown the ability to rebound from adversity and respond when their backs are to the wall.

To the handicapper there is a titanic difference between desperate elite teams and equally desperate inferior teams playing in a crucial contest. It’s like the difference between seeing Jennifer Lopez and Rosie O’Donnell in a string bikini.

Okay, I don’t follow the analogy myself, but the exemplification of the distinction is infallible. From a handicapping standpoint one can’t measure the success of the zigzag if Phoenix coming off a loss is given the same weight (no pun intended Rosie) as Washington or Golden State following a setback.

Likewise, the margin of the loss is applicable for at least two obvious reasons. As we have said many times, nothing affects public perception more than the last game they have seen. It’s not uncommon for a blowout in the previous game to influence an opening line by 2-3 points and more times than not, the closing line by more.

Casinos are plentiful in Nevada, with the major concentration of them being in Las Vegas. Almost all of Nevada’s casinos feature a large number of slot machines, table games, dining and entertainment options, with some more upscale than others. Nevada casinos are unmatched in terms of quality and most casinos around the world model their facilities after those found in Nevada.

Starting in Las Vegas, the higher end casinos include: The Aladdin Resort & Casino, The Bellagio, Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, The MGM Grand, Caesars Palace, The Excalibur Hotel & Casino, The Mirage, Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, to name a few. These Nevada casinos all feature thousands of slots machines, hundred of table games and all of them feature special shows and entertainment options. From Broadway shows to musical performances by top artists to boxing matches, these Nevada casinos are the best of the best and are unrivaled. The Nevada casinos are visually stunning and from fountains to light shows, no expense in spared in the aesthetic affect of each one of the Nevada casinos. Up and down the Las Vegas “strip”, there are a number of smaller facilities, each devoted to helping you win and lose money. Each casino has facilities in place to pamper you, make you comfortable, and encourage you to stay longer, gamble more and spend more money.

Venturing outside of the bright lights of Las Vegas, there is a large of concentration of casinos in both Carson City and Reno.

Reno features the Atlantis Casino & Resort, Harrah’s and the Sands Regency Casino Hotel. Carson City boasts the Silver Dollar Casino and the Carson Nugget. Each of these Nevada casinos are not as large scale as those located in Las Vegas, but feature a nice mix of table games, slot machines and various amenities.

Several recent events in congress has brought attention to the legal standing of online wagering in general. The first thing to understand is the skill game of poker is not the same as sports betting nor even “random chance” casino games like craps and roulette. It may be treated the same eventually, or it may not. Legal precedent for a lot of this simply does not exist. As of this article, no person has been charged, brought to trial, convicted, or sentenced for playing online poker. But this does not guarantee that if will not happen in the future.

In my research I found that Professor I. Nelson Rose, Professor of Law, Whittier Law School Costa Mesa, Ca, is one of the world’s leading authorities on gambling law. He states that “no United States federal statute or regulation explicitly prohibits Internet gambling, either domestically or abroad.” Still, the US government has taken the position that certain things are illegal, and more importantly, certain things are worthy of prosecution. The Wire Act is the statute most often cited as making on-line gambling a federal offense. He notes that the operative subsection reads: “Whoever being engaged in the business of betting or wagering knowingly uses a wire communication facility for the transmission in interstate or foreign commerce of bets or wagers or information assisting in the placing of bets or wagers on any sporting event or contest, or for the transmission of a wire communication which entitles the recipient to receive money or credit as a result of bets or wagers, or for information assisting in the placing of bets or wagers, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than two years, or both.”

Rose goes on to say: “The first element of the Wire Act, says that the statute applies only to an individual involved in the ‘business of betting or wagering’ (not to a common player).”

The question of whether Internet sportsbetting is covered by the Wire Act seems to have been answered by the US Supreme Court’s refusal to review the conviction of Jay Cohen. Whether online casinos and online poker cardrooms are covered under the aimed-at-sportsbetting Wire Act is a different question. In February 2001, Judge Stanwood Duval of the US District Court in New Orleans ruled that it did not: “‘in plain language’ [the Wire Act] does not prohibit Internet gambling ‘on a game of chance.’”

On November 21, 2002, the US Fifth Circuit Federal Appeals Court upheld Duval’s ruling, stating: “The district court concluded that the Wire Act concerns gambling on sporting events or contests… We agree with the district court’s statutory interpretation, its reading of the relevant case law, its summary of the relevant legislative history, and its conclusion.”

The Appeals Court further states: “Because we find neither the Wire Act nor the mail and wire fraud statutes may serve as predicates here, we need not consider the other federal statutes identified by the Plaintiffs… As the district court correctly explained, these sections may not serve as predicates here because the Defendants did not violate any applicable federal or state law.”

The Appeals Court specifically cites Duval’s statement: “[A] plain reading of the statutory language [of the Wire Act] clearly requires that the object of the gambling be a sporting event or contest.” This is very explicit language. You would have to jump through a lot of mental hoops to consider the playing of online poker to be “a sporting event”.

So, while the US Justice Department recently stated that the Wire Act covers casino games in addition to sports wagering, the Federal Appeals Court has directly ruled that that interpretation is not correct. This is not a small disagreement. It is a direct contradiction that could well spur the creation of new, 21st Century Federal legislation that actually deals with these issues. One bill introduced by James Leach of Iowa, aims to inhibit the ability of citizens to gamble online. It however does nothing to criminalize actual gambling online. But other bills may be introduced in the future with that goal.

Gambling regulation traditionally has been the responsibility of individual states. For instance, New York State Attorney General Eliot Spitzer reached a settlement with Citibank and PayPal regarding their involvement with online gaming. Some individual states have laws prohibiting any form of gambling online (or any gambling for that matter). That is a different issue from whether it is legal on a US Federal level.

A key distinction exists on a Federal level between bettors and those operators whose business is to benefit from the actual making of wagers: “engaged in the business of betting or wagering… which entitles the recipient to receive money or credit as a result of bets or wagers, or for information assisting in the placing of bets or wagers…” As long as players stay in the “players” category and not in the in-the-business-of-wagering owners/bookies/runners/agents categories, a significant difference in status exists.

There are many ways to read the Wire Act, but only under the broadest interpretation could playing online poker be deemed illegal in terms of the Wire Act. In my opinion (which isn’t worth a hill of beans… only the US Supreme Court’s view will matter unless new legislation passes) playing online poker is not illegal for US citizens, in regards to Federal Law — unless it is a crime in an individual state, in which case the Federal Organized Crime Control Act of 1970 may apply. The Act makes it a federal crime for five or more persons to engage in a gambling business illegal under state law. Gambling online is definitely illegal in some states, but the Crime Control Act of 1970 does not apply to players. In addition, since the Crime Control Act does not refer to foreign commerce, it is hard to see how a case could be made that it applies to Internet gaming across multiple international borders.

Finally, in November 2004, the Caribbean island nation of Antigua and Barbuda won a World Trade Organization ruling that United States legislation criminalizing online betting violates global laws. In April 2005, the WTO Appellate Body affirmed the principal conclusions involved.

Will Holdem always be the poker game of choice, or is it possible another game will become the new favorite? Older poker games like Stud and Draw could possibly regain some momentum however this is an unlikely scenario as these games are currently being shunned by many new action players for their naturally slow pace of play. Other known games like Guts (3 card poker) seem a little too wild and precarious for most players and Pan (a form of chinese poker) is immediately seen as being just too complicated.

It is more likely that a newer game like Crazy Pineapple or Badugi would take over as the number one. Pineapple is essentially a spin-off from Holdem and Badugi is a fun new form of 4-card poker that is played triple-draw for low. These new games can be exciting poker alternatives when a bit of variety is needed in our playing sessions.

Regardless of these tendencies, it’s certain that the Holdem craze is not going to end anytime soon since it has been the introductory game for the biggest wave of new players in history.

THE PROCEDURE.
Take your online seat.

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

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

A round of betting will now take place by other players round the table.
If there has not been a “raise”(increase in your large blind stake you have already paid) then just “check”(it costs you nothing and you get to see next card for free).

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

THESE ARE THE BEST HANDS IN RANK ORDER
1. Royal Flush
This is the highest poker hand. It consists of ace, king, queen, jack, ten, all in the same suit. As all suits are equal, all royal flushes are equal.
2. Straight Flush
Five cards of the same suit in sequence – such asJ-10-9-8-7. Between two straight flushes, the one containing the higher top card is higher. An ace can be counted as low, so 5-4-3-2-A is a straight flush, but its top card is the five, not the ace, so it is the lowest type of straight flush.
3. Four of a kind
Four cards of the same rank – such as four queens. The fifth card can be anything. This combination is sometimes known as “quads”, and in some parts of Europe it is called a “poker”, though this term for it is unknown in English. Between two fours of a kind, the one with the higher set of four cards is higher – so 3-3-3-3-A is beaten by 4-4-4-4-2. It can’t happen in standard poker, but if in some other game you need to compare two fours of a kind where the sets of four cards are of the same rank, then the one with the higher fifth card is better.
4. Full House
This consists of three cards of one rank and two cards of another rank – for example three sevens and two tens (colloquially known as “sevens full” or more specifically “sevens on tens”). When comparing full houses, the rank of the three cards determines which is higher. For example 9-9-9-4-4 beats 8-8-8-A-A. If the threes of a kind were equal, the rank of the pairs would decide.
5. Flush
Five cards of the same suit. When comparing two flushes, the highest card determines which is higher. If the highest cards are equal then the second highest card is compared; if those are equal too, then the third highest card, and so on. For example K-J-9-3-2 beats K-J-7-6-5 because the nine beats the seven.
6. Straight
Five cards of mixed suits in sequence – for example Q-J-10-9-8. When comparing two sequences, the one with the higher ranking top card is better. Ace can count high or low in a straight, but not both at once, so A-K-Q-J-10 and 5-4-3-2-A are valid straights, but 2-A-K-Q-J is not. 5-4-3-2-A is the lowest kind of straight, the top card being the five.
7. Three of a Kind
When comparing two threes of a kind the hand in which the three equal cards are of higher rank is better. So for example 5-5-5-3-2 beats 4-4-4-K-Q. If you have to compare two threes of a kind where the sets of three are of equal rank, then the higher of the two remaining cards in each hand are compared, and if those are equal, the lower odd card is compared.
8. Two Pairs
A pair is two cards of equal rank. In a hand with two pairs, the two pairs are of different ranks (otherwise you would have four of a kind), and there is an odd card to make the hand up to five cards. When comparing hands with two pairs, the hand with the highest pair wins, irrespective of the rank of the other cards – so J-J-2-2-4 beats 10-10-9-9-8 because the jacks beat the tens. If the higher pairs are equal, the lower pairs are compared, so that for example 8-8-6-6-3 beats 8-8-5-5-K. Finally, if both pairs are the same, the odd cards are compared, so Q-Q-5-5-8 beats Q-Q-5-5-4.
9. Pair
A hand with two cards of equal rank and three other cards which do not match these or each other. When comparing two such hands, the hand with the higher pair is better – so for example 6-6-4-3-2 beats 5-5-A-K-Q. If the pairs are equal, compare the highest ranking odd cards from each hand; if these are equal compare the second highest odd card, and if these are equal too compare the lowest odd cards. So J-J-A-9-3 beats J-J-A-7-6 because the 9 beats the 7.
10. High Card
Five cards which do not form any of the combinations listed above. When comparing two such hands, the one with the better highest card wins. If the highest cards are equal the second cards are compared; if they are equal too the third cards are compared, and so on. So A-J-9-5-3 beats A-10-9-5-4 because the jack beats the ten.

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

But for now some guidlines may be useful.

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

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

These are hands you must play,or raise even if raised previousley.
AA, KK, QQ,
A K, AQ, AJ, KQ, KJ,
A – anything suited

Include these hands to check,and call if raised.
QJ, 10 – 10, J – J
4 – 5 suited, 5 – 6 suited, etc……through to………….10 – J suited.

Include these hands to play and check(discard or play,depending on your,and the games circumstances)
Any pair
4 – 5 unsuited etc……….through to ………………..10 – J.

THINGS TO BEAR IN MIND.

Players bluff a lot.

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

Have rough idea of odds involved.

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

Odds below are for river card – last card only to come.
It is roughly half the odds given below for turn plus river card – last 2 cards still to come
2 cards wanted is app 22/1
3………………………….14/1
4………………………….11/1
5………………………. … 8/1
6………………………….. 7/1
7………………………….11/2
8………………………….. 5/1
9……………………………4/1
10 cards wanted just play!

Most players are now too aggresive.

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

What do you have to know about the bonuses before you dive in? Don’t be fooled by big numbers, don’t be fooled by absurd percentages that some operators seem to offer to their players. Heck, there are sign-up bonuses as big as $3000 given away and even more. You’ll get clearer picture if you read their terms and conditions. For example, if you learn about Europa Casino infamous $2400 annual welcome bonus, you will find out that it consists of 5 different bonus types and has tons of terms attached to each and every one of them.

Some casino affiliate webmasters like to promote this casino as an “online casino with biggest welcome bonus to high rollers”, probably not knowing that biggest one time bonus new player can get is $500 – that is if player deposits $2000 and wagers a minimum $30000. Silly? Yea! It’s not a problem for me to offer you online casino bonus as big as $1,000,000 if you wager $100,000,000. Get the point? I would still earn millions offering this promotion and there are still people who think I am a Santa Claus! That’s what casinos do, they are giving you back some of your own money.

Most generous online casino bonus type is welcome bonus, also known as sign-up bonus, which is generally a lump sum of money deposited to player’s account after first deposit. Lately there has been a sudden increase of first and second deposit match bonuses, which give player certain percentage of their deposit, usually less than welcome bonus.

No deposit online casino bonus is indeed a tricky one. Many casinos want you to deposit before you can cash out your winnings, or wager the amount of bonus certain number of times. You should always check the terms and conditions before you start playing. It will save your nerves in the long term. Guaranteed!

These days, online gambling is so popular and so well organized that no legitimate operator of an online gambling enterprise would risk the future of his business by ripping of his customers. As in any business, the credibility of the operation is critical to its success. This is especially the case with online businesses, where bad news travels very quickly. Every serious online gambling establishment makes it a top priority to deal with customers openly, honestly and fairly.

** The appeal of online gambling

We take for granted that millions of people around the world like to gamble. The reasons and motivations for this are the same whether they gamble in casinos, at physical venues like race tracks or betting shops, or whether they gamble online.

Land-based casinos obviously have some features that you cannot get from an online casino. There is an important social component that is not there with online gambling. The glitz and flash of the casino atmosphere draws many people in and encourages them to get involved. People are drawn in by the excitement and the immediacy of the activity around them.

But setting aside the “entertainment” value of spending a night at the casino, from the wagering perspective, doing your gambling online has far fewer distractions, is more efficient, and lets you more easily focus on the task at hand. It’s all gambling all the time. Which means that you can spend hours — or minutes. You can place your wager and move on to something else.

** Convenience is very important

In other words, online gambling is much more convenient. There is no need to drive an hour or two to spend an entire (expensive) evening eating, drinking, and wagering. When you gamble online you do it from the comfort of your own home. You can do it online at any time — in the middle of the day, or in the middle of the night.

You can also do it at your own pace. If you are a newbie to the world of online wagering, most sites will have tutorials and demos that show you how things work. They will explain the rules and the terminology. And there is no pressure to play games or place wagers before you know what you are doing.

** Practise and play for free

In fact, with online gambling you can get your feet wet without risking any money at all. There are many games where you can play for free. You can even “test run” many actual games to see how they work and how you might have fared if you had been wagering real money. This is a great way to learn how the system works and to get a feel for what interests you most. Once you feel you have sufficiently mastered the techniques you can open a small account and start placing actual wagers.

** Play a greater variety of games

There is now a multitude of established casinos and wagering websites, and most of them have a wide variety of games to choose from. For instance many have a complete selection of casino games such as Blackjack, Baccarat, Keno, Poker, Roulette and Craps.

But that is only part of the action. There is often a complete Sportsbook betting facility where you can place wagers on virtually any major sporting activity taking place in the world. That includes NFL Football, NCAA Football, NBA Basketball, NCAA Basketball, WNBA Basketball, Major League Baseball, NHL Hockey, PGA Golf, Pro Tennis, Auto Racing, Professional Soccer, Professional Boxing, Olympic Sports, and much more.

** Security issues

Most people are concerned about the safety and security of online commerce, and this is especially the case with online gambling. The fact is that any successful online business must protect its reputation and guard its integrity, or it will be out of business very quickly. This is even more true for online gambling sites.

Search for reviews of the site in online forums where users comment on their experiences with the site. You should also search for special review sites where online gambling sites are reviewed. Bear in mind that these reviews may not be objective and are often out-of-date, but they can serve as a useful guide.

Most proponents of online gambling assert that online gambling is just as safe as gambling in known casinos in Las Vegas and Atlantic City. Just like the usual casino, online casinos are also required to have their licenses and permits before engaging into online gambling.

By doing so, online casinos are systematically regulated and audited by professional firms. All online casinos use the secure e-cash facilities, in cooperation with the credit card companies, so that the customers are being protected from unauthorized use of credit cards or from cases of identity theft.

Generally, online gambling in an online casino will entice new players by requiring them to deposit an amount by offering bonuses. An online casino that will offer you a free $100 for a $50 deposit is a good example. In this manner, more people believe that online gambling offers better chances than real-life gambling. However, this poses more risk in getting addicted to the game.

Results reported to the New Jersey Casino Control Commission show that the 11 casinos won $227.5 million at the slot machines and another $95.3 million at table games in June.

Also casinos paid $23.5 million on taxable gross revenue of $293.9 million in June.

For the first six months of the year, casinos won $1.94 billion, down 15.3 percent from the same period in 2008. Revenue from slot machines is down 15.9 percent.

Some casinos have even decided to launch an advertising campaign to make the south and the east part of Connecticut a perfect destination for gambling.

This is great idea that most of casinos want to apply. They are only 6 miles away of the forest of Connecticut. In this way they could compete with the casinos of the Atlantic City.

It was said that this strong connection between these 2 tribes underlines the battle for casino clients.

The President of the Mohegan T. Gaming Authority which owns the Mohegan Sun casino, Mitchell Ettess, said that the initial ads, on 8 billboards in NY City, Long Island and north part of New Jersey, target the fight-area between both destinations: Connecticut and Atlantic City. If you’re in North Jersey, then it is not as easy as it seems when you go down the turnpike instead of driving north. It could be really better to show that Connecticut is the best destination that could have ever been chosen.