Archive for the ‘Dagool’ Category

Over the last half a decade or so, a revolution has hit the world of television and now the phenomenon that is high definition TV is here to stay. High Definition (or HD) gives users an increase in picture quality and is five times clearer than standard definition, so now everything on your screen is super clear.

Sky, with their HD service, offer a variety of channels in High Definition and although channels like Sky Poker are not yet HD, there are a range of standard TV and Film channels that allow you to utilise the new technology. However, to many there is one area in particular that High Definition improve no end and in the world of Sport on TV, the better the picture quality the better the viewing experience.

Sports as popular as cricket, tennis and WWE wrestling are shown regular in HD so you can see everything from the fear in a batsman’s eyes as James Anderson shapes up to aim another bouncer at his head, to the chalk flying as Rafael Nadal wins another point on the clay courts in the summer. Although these sports are popular though, it is in the world of football that most people have noticed the difference between high and standard definition TV.

With HD on your TV, more colours can be viewed on your display, which means that the picture is much more crisp and bold. Without HD when watching football, the players seem to have a blurry outline whilst when watching HD, each player looks clear and you are able to see their movement far better. It is much easier to analyse the state of pitches also, so now you can see just why Sir Alex is complaining about a poor pitch without having to be at the match! With Sky Sports 1, 2 and 3 now in high definition as well as Sky Sports News then it is extremely easy to watch all of the best stars playing every week in crystal clear HD.

There are plenty other services available from Sky as well, not just television. Sky has their own online casino, Sky Vegas, where you can play all of your favourite Vegas style games and if poker is more your thing there is also Sky Poker, a place available through the services website or your Sky TV package, where you can play as much Poker as you want from the comfort of your own home.

Tracking the movement of the lines and understanding the reasons that lead to such movements is just about the most important thing a successful sports bettor needs to achieve. There are two basic components to sports betting success: bankroll management and finding bets that offer bettors long term EV+. The bankroll management part is easy to cover, at least in theory. All bankroll management comes down to is discipline and while it’s actually rather difficult to stick to the right bet amount all the time and to refrain from chasing losses, there’s not much theory to it: it just has to be done and that’s that. Finding value in match-ups is a different kind of fish altogether. It takes time, it takes skills and it takes an uncanny ability to make heads and tails of the movements exhibited by the lines. Line tracking is part of reverse handicapping, meaning that instead of handicapping the game straight up (by analyzing the usual statistics) – which needs to be done too – players take a look at the equation from the bookmaker’s perspective.

Let’s start with the beginning though: why do lines move? The problem with line movements is that lines move for a bunch of reasons. Take side-notes for instance. Side notes like injuries to key players, coaching issues or travel problems can cause rather large swings to the line. These movements mean little as far as value is concerned though, because they reflect actual changes on the court/field, and in the power-balance between the two teams.

What bettors are looking for, are pressure-induced swings in the line. Sometimes, despite the match-up being a perfectly balanced one, squares seem to prefer one side over the other in overwhelming numbers. In such cases, the bookie’s carefully set-up deal is turned upside down and he’s forced to make moves to respond and to try to re-establish the balance. The bookie can choose to cover the square bets from his own pockets, but that’s a risky move and the bookie only engages in gambling in extreme cases. Most often, the bookmaker will simply shift his lines around a little, inducing more value into the less bet-on side of the match-up to entice more people to post their monies there, thus re-establishing the balance. That value is something that would not be there if it weren’t for the unexpected influx of square bets. That value there is known as the hidden value. The hidden value will turn an  otherwise negative EV (expected value) proposition into a positive EV one, albeit the EV+ will still only be a marginal one. Getting your money in on either side of a perfectly balanced match-up carries negative EV, because of the vigorish the bookmaker takes. Basically, a well-balanced match-up is the perfect thing for the bookie: he can afford to take the money that the losers drop, to pay the winners out and to keep the juice without any sort of risks involved. Because when you win, you receive even money minus the vig (which is small but significant nonetheless) you get hit by negative long-term EV.

How do you track the lines? Make sure you get the starting line down and keep an eye on it, checking back in regular intervals. Obviously, weekly games are much easier to track, while daily ones present a bigger challenge. Do not try to track the lines on too many games in the beginning. Start with just one and as soon as you get the hang of it, add some more. Keep in mind that swings that do betray hidden value are usually not spectacular ones like the side-notes induced ones.

As a poker player, playing without a rakeback deal is never really an option you should consider. Sign up for rakeback at rakemeback or at pokerprops.com and cut right into the money that you’d otherwise just pay out and never see again. Rakeback will better your overall odds and it may even single handedly turn you into a winner if you’re a marginal loser.

How has the football season been treating you so far? If you’ve kept up with the Premier League in their 2009/2010 season, you know that things are just now starting to heat up. Picking a winner now would be next to impossible, but that’s the beautiful thing about betting: it’s the thrill of it all – the sport within a sport.

Gambling has its place in football. It’s the world’s largest sport, hands down, and the Premier League is the top English league, thus one of the most popular in Europe. Already in the season, Manchester United is proving to be atop of bookmakers’ favorites list. Man U is no stranger to the PL limelight. Since 1992, the club from Old Trafford has won the championship an impressive 11 times (92/93, 93/94, 95/96, 98/99, 99/00, 00/01, 02/03, 06/07, 07/08, and 08/09).

Man U has developed a hefty following all over the world, and like any great sports franchise, they have their heated rivals in Chelsea and Arsenal. With Man U winning the past three seasons, it’s been a hard pill to swallow for fans of other franchises in the sport. But there’s still some hope for every team this early in the sporting year.

Some of the fan favorites have yet to show any flash on the field, namely Liverpool and their 15 point total, good enough for only 8th place. Aston Villa is an exciting prospect in 6th place, and even Tottenham is looking great, with their 3rd place standing and 19 championship points. But at number one and two, it’s Man U and Chelsea holding down the fort. So, does that mean it’s all locked up? Some would beg to differ on that.

In recent weeks, it has become clear that Arsenal is back in championship form. Fans of Arsenal know all too well of the untimely injuries that have plagued the squad for many years in a row, but thus far, they’re healthy as a horse and currently sitting in 4th place with a record of 6-0-2.

It’s far too early in the season to know who has the best shot at winning. Because of their history and current standing, Man U is a prohibited favorite, but other teams continue to nip at their heels. Picking an overall winner this season will be extremely difficult. But in the meantime, there’s some great game-to-game football happening in numerous leagues across the globe. That’s more than enough to keep any fan busy.