Some over at poker bonus point at social interaction of course. It is a good excuse to meet up with friends, have a few drinks and play some poker. In these cases, the money isn’t the be all and end all.



Then of course, you get those who make a genuinely good money from playing poker regular and they aren’t even professional. So it becomes a worthwhile game to invest some time in.



Explaining some other reasons why poker’s popularity never seems to decrease, Pete Horton – who has been writing and playing poker for a while now – spoke about how the level of seriousness to your game is a key in how different people enjoy it. You don’t have to be a poker genius!



He explained on rugbyadvertisor.co.uk: “To describe poker’s allure to a non-player is difficult. Essentially it’s a game of mathematical chance – but the fascination lies in the use of psychology combined with successfully exploiting luck – and others’ misfortune, of course.”



“Unlike other games and hobbies, all the outlandish, colourful clichés you hear about poker are true, which for me is something that definitely adds to its appeal.”



“You can take it as seriously as you want, choosing to play at many venues for as little as £1, or, if you want to make things more interesting, higher stakes.”

“But there is another, more interesting reason why it’s so popular and that is that unlike most other sports and games, anything goes.”



It would be interesting to hear your thoughts on this. Why do you love poker? How many different types of characters can it appeal to? Is there anything like it?


Let us know.


While several European countries will send in their best swimmers–strong emphasis has been placed on Russia, Germany and Italy. Over the years, these three nations have led the world in global swimming competitions. Their goal, of course, is to win as many medals as possible in Eindhoven. Still, the Dutch hosts are hoping to offset this domination by showcasing precise swimming and diving skills of their own. Led by Yorick de Bruijn, the Dutch will also showcase a team comprised of seasoned veterans and young upstarts. This includes Ramon de Meijer and Inge Jansen; both slated to make the best performances. The Dutch squad will also be supported by thousands of fans, along with a well-respected coach and millions watching at home.

At the 2010 championships in Budapest, the Russians secured the most medals. They were, however, closely trailed by Spain and the Ukraine. With the competition level at its highest peak, it will be difficult to place early predictions on the winner. While all are competing to be European Champions of 2012, it will simply come down to performance and delivery. According to swimming experts, this year holds zero to little room for mistakes. This means the teams have to be precise, concise, and on point. With the Olympics just two months away, the stage is set for one of the most important swimming events in history.

The event, of course, will be attended by thousands of fans. Most are swimming enthusiasts and aficionados in their own right. As a result, the city of Eindhoven has secured countless sponsors for this historic event. The governing bodies, such as European Aquatics will also be on hand to ensure a fair and productive tournament. Most European nations have undergone stringent training and swim tests in preparation for this global event. If you love professional swimming, the Eindhoven Diving Championships are guaranteed to deliver.

‘The Mental Game of Poker’, written by Tendler – a psychologist who coaches some of the top poker players in the world –and Carter – a successful poker player and writer – seeks to deconstruct the mental game of poker and demonstrate how important it is to stay on top of the mental side of the game. They argue that it is in fact more important to keep the mental side of your game running smoothly than your tactical side, something that can apply to casinos online too.

Tendler’s aim is to provide the necessary tools for poker players to study the predictable patterns and habits that lead to people going on tilt.

Mental game fish are players who have no control over their game. They get frustrated when a bad player plays badly, they think other players are luckier than them, and they say things like ‘one time’.

Tendler realises that the mental game is difficult and needs as much practice as the other, more obvious side of poker. He also realises that you need quite a bit of talent to master the mental side of poker, and that is why there are the best players in the world, and then the rest of us!

‘The Mental Game of Poker’ seeks to give simple, step-by –step instructions and proven techniques to fix tilt, handling emotions, confidence and fear. In the future, the mental side of poker will become ever more important as more and more players become experts in poker strategy. And people like Tendler will be the new poker royalty, ready to take over from the Brunsons and Harringtons of the old established order.

AQ, whether involving mobile casinos or not, almost always features in players’ top ten starting hands in poker, so why then does it cause so many people so much grief so frequently? The pro poker player Daniel Negreanu famously used to call the AQ ‘1.4’ after the number of millions he has lost with it! Let’s investigate why this hand, which looks great pre-flop and is statistically in the top ten hands, causes so many problems for people.

First and foremost It is important not to overplay AQ. If you are playing against players with a similar tight strategy to yours, they will only be playing the top starting hands. Of these hands, AA, KK, QQ and AK all dominate AQ. If you play AQ as aggressively as you would with these four hands, you will lose money. AQ is a premium hand but it is at the bottom of the premium pack.

AQ is better played in late position where you can raise the pot and be confident you won’t be re-raised. If your opponent appears weak after the flop, you won’t have difficulty taking down the pot. If you miss the flop and your opponent is strong and aggressive then you can fold having lost the least amount of chips possible.

AQ is a powerful starting hand but looks prettier than it really is. It is a premium hand, but it is at the bottom of the premium hands pile. If played too aggressively it can lose you a lot of money. AQ will, for example, only give you winning odds of about 60% against a hand as weak as 87s. There’s a reason Doyle Brunson famously said he never plays the hand.

Whether you are interested in CasinoDirectory or not, you want to see as many flops as you can with hands that you believe you have a good chance of winning. There’s no point in getting yourself involved in flops, no matter how cheap they are, if you don’t believe you stand of chance of winning it! Usually, players will want to use the cheap flop strategy with low pocket pairs or perhaps suited connectors – hands with no real pre-flop value, but the potential to hit a tasty hand with the right flop.

There’s also the issue of ‘how cheap is cheap?’ Your chip stack size will determine this to a large extent. You can justify more ‘cheap flops’ if you have 100 big blinds in front of you. If on the other hand you are fighting for your life and running out of chips, then the cheap flop strategy goes out of the window.

The beauty of seeing cheap flops with easily disguised hands is being able to frequently reap huge rewards. A set takes down hands like top pair top kicker, over-pairs and two pair hands, all strong hands. It is nearly impossible to get a read on an opponent for a hand like 33 on a 37J board, so players are likely to be able to make a lot of money when they hit a hand like this.

If you can see a cheap flop (for example, from late position when no one has put in a strong raise) with a semi-strong hand, the benefits can be fantastic if the flop is favourable.

Those assessing online baccarat casinos note how last year’s SCOOP saw a total prize pool of over $43 million, over 100,000 entrants and over 150 countries represented. 40 events will take place between May 6 and May 20 this year, with a guaranteed prize pool of $30 million.

The online poker ban in the USA may have had an effect on the number of players going online to play poker, but Pokerstars is confident that the world-wide nature of poker these days will make the series as popular as ever.

Each tournament will have a low, medium and high buy in, making SCOOP the perfect online poker experience for players of all skill levels and experience (not to mention bankroll size). The Main Event will take place on May 20, and will feature buy ins of: $109 (low), $1,050 (medium) and $10,300 (high). The high buy in level features a guaranteed prize pool of $2.5 million!

There will be a whole host of different games available: No Limit Hold’em, Badugi, Omaha, Stud and many others. Most events will feature low buy ins of less than $30, making the whole series entirely affordable is low-limit players want to take part. The high buy in level – usually between $700 and $2,000 adds a new dimension to the tournament and makes the events lucrative and exciting for the sharks.

Perhaps the highlight of the series will be the $21,000 No Limit Hold’em Heads Up High Roller event which is bound to attract some huge names in the world of online poker.

Live poker tournaments – more essential for US players right now, as they have been banned from online poker – are a grind. Even for those who PlayBaccarat, they require masses of concentration, a high degree of poker skill, an ability to hide tells and read others’, and an ability to avoid getting hammered on $1 beers.

Added to the tournament buy in, players must factor in the cost of transport, accommodation and food and drink, especially if players have to travel further afield to be able to play. The ban on online poker and the state bans on gambling that exist around the USA mean that players may have to travel hundreds of miles to get a game, which isn’t cheap.

The way to deal with variance is to make sure you are careful with your bankroll management and that you make sure you are careful with your winnings. Think of winnings as future buy-ins rather than just money to blow on luxuries. Like in any area of life, it pays to be responsible and careful financially.

Treat poker like a job and keep your bankroll managed, and variance will hopefully not be such a big issue if a downswing hits

Defending champion K.J. Choi has his work cut out for him this year, as the field is littered with top talents from across the globe, all eager to put a PGA Tour win under their belts. Choi hails from South Korea and finished last year’s event 13 under par, defeating David Toms of Louisiana in a sudden-death playoff to claim the win.

Although the famous Tiger Woods is only just now emerging from a two-year winning slump, he is among the favorites to taste victory at the Players Championship. Woods has shown improvement in his play over the past few months, but will have to compete with the likes of Rory McIlroy and Phil Mickelson if he’s going to live up to the hype. Also among the top contenders will be Luke Donald, Hunter Mahan and Lee Westwood, who have all proven to be elite golfers in today’s brutally competitive field.

Coming off a big win will be Bubba Watson, who took the golf world by storm in April when he claimed his first-ever Master’s Championship green jacket. Watson, who hasn’t taken a golf lesson in his lifetime, held on to assert a convincing two-shot victory over Louis Oosthuizen in the PGA’s most prestigious annual event.

If there’s one thing TPC Sawgrass has proven over the years, though, it’s that a clear winner can’t be chosen this early in the game. Year after year, the challenging 18-hole course takes its toll on contenders, stripping them of wins at the last minute and surprising them with early eliminations. For instance, Woods shot six over par in the first nine holes at last year’s Players Championship before withdrawing from the competition altogether. If there’s one thing to remember before picking a winner, it’s that none of the favorites mentioned in this article have savored a win at the Players since Mickelson in 2007. Virtually anyone on the course could pull off a win this year.

A far cry from the tensions of Bahrain, the Spanish Grand Prix is scheduled for May 13th. Since 1991, the grand prix has taken place at the Circuit de Catalunya. Located north of Barcelona in scenic Montmeló, the track is used heavily for testing. As such, it has a reputation for its lack of on-track overtaking. In 2007, a chicane was added at turns 14 and 15 in hopes of increasing overtaking opportunities. Weather conditions, specifically the ever-changing wind direction, play a heavy role in race strategies.

Catalunya has been the scene of many memorable events in Formula One history. The first grand prix held at Catalunya saw the Williams of Nigel Mansell and the McLaren of Ayrton Senna racing wheel to wheel down the front straight. Mansell took Senna at the first corner, and would go on to win the race. Seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher saw his first win with Ferrari at the track in 1996. He would go on to win six runnings of the grand prix, the most of any other driver. Fernando Alonso won in 2006, and is the only Spaniard to win his home grand prix since its inception in 1951.

Ferrari has typically done well at this track, having won six times since Schumacher’s win in 1996. In 2008, Kimi Räikkönen took the fast lap record during his drive for Ferrari. Ferrari’s F2012 is a far cry from that model. However, recent testing at Mugello has shown that Alonso is in good standing for his home race. He came in third overall, just behind the Red Bull of Sebastian Vettel and the Lotus of test leader Romain Grosjean. Current championship standings have Vettel in the lead with 53 points, followed by a close battle for second between Hamilton and Webber, who have 49 and 48 points respectively. Red Bull racing is currently leading the Constructors’ Championship with 101 points, with McLaren taking second with 92 and Lotus in third with 57.

This event is part of a selection of tournaments set to try out the new venues to ensure that they all run smoothly before the 2012 London Olympics take place in the summer. As well as the Hockey there are other tournaments in the series include Water Polo, Wheelchair Tennis, Disability Athletics and the Olympic Stadium Evening Event that will bring together celebrities, sports stars and 40,000 visitors to see the new Olympic Stadium on the 5th May.

Although Hockey doesn’t get the coverage of football in this country it still remains a firm favourite of sports fans, probably because we have been quite good at it through the years. It’s a hugely skillful sport, and the International Invitational Hockey tournament will welcome some of the most skillful players in the business to the capital. And the fact that it will offer hockey fans the chance to see the brand new Hockey Centre for possibly the first time makes this event even more of a crowd puller.

It will be the first time the premier league clubs will be battling it out for the cup title. 

But both clubs are no strangers to the semi-finals of the competition, sharing a massive 43 appearances between them. 

It has been nearly two decades since the FA Cup final has come under floodlights at Wembley. It  will start at 5.15pm on Saturday, May 5, and can be viewed live on ITV and ESPN.

Liverpool fans will be hoping to gain a second cup on Wembley soil this season, having already won the League Cup on penalties against Cardiff earlier in the year.

Anfield legend Bill Shankly led Liverpool to their first FA Cup win, the latest manager to gain the accolode was Rafa Benitez, again winning a penalty shoot out in 2006 against West Ham United. The Merseyside army have seven FA Cups to their name.

To get to this season’s final Liverpool beat fierce rivals Everton  2-1.

During his first stint as Liverpool boss, Kenny Dalglish has been in three previous FA Cup finals, with two victories and one loss under his belt. 

The Anfield legend led Liverpool to victory over Everton in both the 1986 and 1989 finals but saw his side lose 1-0 to Wimbledon in 1988.

Fans will be looking to their star and captain Stevie G to help bring the cup back up to the north west. He midfielder has two FA Cup medals and bagged a goal in the 2006 final. 

The Stamford Bridge boys were the first to win The FA Cup at the new Wembley stadium when Didier Drogba scored an extra-time winner against Manchester United in 2007.

Chelsea reached this final in style, with a comfortable 5-1 win against fellow London club Spurs.

Chelsea will be led out by the club’s most successful captain, John Terry. Amongst his honours are three FA Cups.

Both club’s are out of the race for this season’s premier league top spot, but Liverpool and Chelsea will both be hoping to add to their trophy cabinet. The Merseyside team already have one cup at Anfield and on May 19, Chelsea are in the final of the Champions League against Bayern Munich.

It will be the 131st FA cup final on Saturday and the stage is set for it to be one to remember with Paddy Power Bookmakers rating Chelsea as 5/4 favourites and Liverpool at 2/1.

In 1922 King George V and Queen Mary opened the new Church road ground accompanied by their sons, the Prince of Wales [later Edward V111] and Prince Albert [later Duke of York and George V1]. In the 1926 Jubilee Championships the couple saw Prince Albert compete in a Mens Doubles event, the only Royal to ever have competed at Wimbledon, he and his partner Louis Greig, [later Chairman of the All England Club] were soundly beaten in the first round. The Kent family began a long association with the Club when Prince George became President of the Club in 1929, his widow Princess Marina, took the position after his death in 1942 and attended the tournament for 23 consecutive years until her death in 1968. The present Duke of Kent succeeded his mother, he and the present Duchess of Kent have continued the Royal tradition of attending the tournament and presenting the trophies.

King George V1 and Queen Elizabeth attended the Championship’s in 1947 to watch the Men’s Singles final and in 1957 Queen Elizabeth 11 made her first visit to Wimbledon. Although tennis may not be the The Queen’s favourite sport, she has attended a number of times over the years, often accompanied by Prince Phillip. In 1977 the Championship’s Centenary year and coincidentally the Queen’s Silver Jubilee year, she presented the Women’s Singles trophy to Britain’s Virginia Wade. Royal visitors in recent years have included the Duchess of Cornwall, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Andrew and his daughter Princess Beatrice. The Queen last visited the Championship’s in 2010, will she make an appearance in 2012, her Diamond Jubilee Year?. It seems very likely, will we see her presenting a Singles Trophy to a Brit?, it’s not impossible and Andy Murray fans will certainly be hoping so!.

With 11 Grade 1 races, Punchestown is unrivaled for its heart pounding excitement and promises a week of top notch racing. The highlight of the festival is the famous La Touche Cup, run over the cross country course it is sure to thrill experienced and novice race fans alike.

Racing starts on Tuesday with Champion Chase Day and has 3 Grade 1 races to thrill you with including The Boylesports.com Champion Chase, the Evening Herald Champion Novice Hurdle over 2 miles and the Growise Novice Chase over 3 miles.

Wednesday is Gold Cup Day and is the highlight of the chase calendar with the 3 mile Gold Cup. Other races include the betchronicle Champion Bumper and the Grade A Handicap Chase.

Thursday is World Series Hurdle Day and brings 2 Grade 1 races with it; The Ladbrokes World Series Hurdle  and the Ryanair Novice Chase over 2 miles not to mention the famous La Touche Cross Country race.

The biggest crowds of the festival are expected on Friday for the famous party atmosphere of the Champion Hurdle Day.

Finally Saturday brings the festival to a close with the AES Champion 4 year old hurdle showing us possible champions of the future. The day is typically enjoyed by a family oriented audience and there is plenty for the kids to do with bouncy castles, pony rides and face painting.

In the first leg, Chelsea played a defensive style of play, allowing Barcelona to possess the ball 72 percent of the time, and it worked perfectly for the Premier League team. The London club broke through just before half-time, two minutes into stoppage time, when an open Didier Drogba received a pass from Ramires to the right of goal, and he slammed the ball past Barcelona goalkeeper Víctor Valdés.

The second leg will surely see Chelsea settle back and play defensively once again. The club will most likely carry hope for a 0-0 draw against the competition’s holders to move Chelsea through or at least a 1-0 loss to force extra time and penalty kicks to determine the winner. A focus on an aerial attack may also help Chelsea advance, as the team does have a size advantage on Barcelona. However, playing solid defense and quickly sealing up any holes is vital to seeing Chelsea move on to the final.

In the other semi-final, Bayern Munich retains strong hopes in playing in the final that will be contested on May 19 in the club’s home stadium, the Allianz Arena. In the first leg on Tuesday, Bayern Munich celebrated a 90th-minute winning goal by Mario Gomez in a 2-1 victory over Real Madrid. The teams play their second leg on Wednesday at the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu.

The last time a club played in the Champions League final in its home stadium came at the Stadio Olimpico in 1984, when Roma fell in the final on penalty kicks, 4-2, after a 1-1 draw with Liverpool.

There are many who would take pleasure in watching an El Clásico in the 2012 final between Spanish rivals Real Madrid and Barcelona. However, Bayern Munich playing a final on home soil provides interesting story lines, as well.

Many in England would enjoy seeing Chelsea play in European football’s premier game for the first time since a 1-1 draw and 6-5 penalty-kick loss to Manchester United in the 2008 final. Chelsea is also still in the running for a double, as a meeting with Liverpool awaits the club on May 5 in the FA Cup final.

Trainer Paul Nicholls is no strangers to success having already won Gold Cups, World Hurdles and King Georges yet after 53 horses entered to the Grand National he had yet to win it. However jockey Daryl Jacob did Nicholls proud and rode Neptune through a thrilling race to become the first Grey in 51 years to win the race in.

The race didn’t pass without controversy however as two horses had to be put down during the race; Synchronised, who had earlier unseated his jockey Tiny McCoy before the race began, raising questions about the horses suitability to run the race and According To Pete who sustained a broken leg after falling at Becher’s Brook.

Last years Grand National also suffered two deaths and led to a swathe of safety improvements being implemented. The improvements included changes to three of the fences, stricter pre-race screenings and an increase to the minimum age requirement for entry. The controversial Becher’s Brook had its landing side raised to decrease the drop but many claim it isn’t enough. Gavin Grant, the chief executive of the RSPCA, said the grueling race is ‘clearly not safe enough’ adding ‘Becher’s Brook has claimed another casualty and perhaps it’s time for that to go.’

Way back in 1928 Tipperary Tim was the first horse to win the race after being placed at 100-1. His success was largely due to a pile up caused by Easter Hero who fell at Canal Turn leaving just seven horses in the race, this was reduced to two horses by the final fence; Tipperary Tim and Billy Barton. Billy Barton fell and his jockey had to remount but by then it was too late and Tipperary Tim booked his place in history as the first horse to win at 100-1.

1929 saw the largest number ever to compete in the Grand National with sixty-six horses in the line up. With such a packed start its no wonder this ultimately led to the chaos that saw Grelach become the second 100-1 horse ever to win the National.

Again in 1947 a high number of horses in the race lead to a congested pack that stifled the strong favourites, such as Prince Regent who had finished third the previous year, and allowed the Irish trained 100-1 outsider Caughoo to win.

Two decades passed before another 100-1 outsider won the National although there were some notable long shots in the intervening years such as Teal in 1952 at 100-7 and Jay Trump in 1965 at 100-6. However 1967 was the year that Foinavon won after several horses refused to jump causing a pile up that Foinavon managed to avoid going on to finish a full fifteen lengths ahead of his nearest competitor. The fence that gave Foinavon his unusual victory was later named for him.

Last and by no means least we have Mon Mome who won in 2009 and after a thrilling and highly contested race. Hunted around on the inside, he crept steadily into contention on the second circuit and was on the leaders’ heels at the third last. He jumped the last upsides when there were still plenty in with a chance, and then came right away as Liam Treadwell, having his first ride in the race, asked him for more.

So in a race where anything can happen do you have the guts to back a rank outsider this year? Maybe Tharawaat or In Compliance take your fancy at 100-1 or even Midnight Haze at 66-1 could be the one for you, whatever you decide the Grand National always lives up to its reputation as ‘The Greatest Steeple Chase In The World’.

The international media are sure to focus on both outstanding lady riders who have proved themselves more than up to the task of matching their male counterparts on numerous occasions in both Britain and Ireland, and with Walsh having been booked to ride Seabass following the news that her brother Ruby will be aboard the Willie Mullins-trained On His Own (Bet Grand National: 9/1), there is a real possibility that the 1945 movie dream of Elizabeth Taylor’s ‘National Velvet’ might actually come true and that a female jockey really could win the toughest horse race in the world.

Seabass could not be arriving at Aintree in better form having won his last seven outings over the last couple of seasons, and has graduated from an instantly forgettable low-grade handicapper to a genuinely smart staying chaser, in particularly in his last two outings when winning the Leopardstown Handicap Chase under Katie Walsh, then following up at Naas in February in the Grade 2 Paddypower.com Chase, when partnered by Ruby.

Ideally suited by some give in the ground, the showers that have fallen on the Aintree track in recent days will surely have helped take the sting out of the ground, but both Ted and Katie Walsh will be praying that there will be more rain in the region before the tapes fly up on Saturday. Seabass is currently a top-priced 16/1 to provide one of the biggest fairytale stories in the long and magical history of the outstanding sporting contest; the horse is particularly appealing to punters who may fancy a wild card choice when taking part in a promotional free grand national bet.

As historic clubs with legions of global fans, Liverpool and Everton battled for FA Cup supremacy back in 1986 and 1989. While Everton put on a valiant effort on both occasions, Liverpool went on to secure the championship in those respective years. As the semi-finals draws closer, fans on both sides are anxiously waiting to cheer on their favorite clubs to victory.

In the second leg of the FA Cup semi-finals, the mighty Chelsea will take on Tottenham Hotspur. This game is set for Sunday, April 15, 2012, live on ITV-1 at 6 p.m. While both legendary clubs met at the first all-London FA Cup Final in 1967, this is the first time they will meet in the semi-finals. With eight FA Cup victories under their wing, the Spurs are likely to reach the finals.

This, however, is a topic of debate that has dominated the British football media and airwaves. No matter which tourney is being contested, you simply cannot count out Chelsea. In fact, Chelsea is favored with the home field advantage. This is due to the fact that three out of their six FA Cup victories have been at Wembley Stadium.

Both clubs also have an unprecedented 37 semi-finals between them, with Chelsea leading the pack at 19 appearances. The FA Cup Prize will also award £900,000 to the winning clubs, while the losing teams will receive £450,000. As far as the first leg, Liverpool and Everton have an impressive 46 semi-finals between them. Everton, however, has edged out Liverpool 24-22 to date.

The FA Cup has a historic legacy that dates back to 1871. The cup not only showcases the best in club football, it is also oldest association football club in the world. Manchester United currently holds the record with 11 FA Cup title to date, while their cross-town rivals, Manchester City, are the current champions. With both clubs out of the semi-finals this year, fans are hoping for both semi-finals to rival the excitement of the Premiership and Champions League.

All the same, last season’s champions Lancashire, overseen by former England coach Peter Moores are a good bet as far as those looking at casinos mobile are concerned to bag their second title in as many years – the best price you can get is 13/2 with SportingBet.

But it’s 2008 and 2009 champions Durham who are favourites with almost every bookmaker in town: you can catch them at 9/2 at Totesport, whilst Warwickshire are 7/1 with PaddyPower to win their seventh title.

Nottinghamshire have had a busy winter break by cricketing standards, drafting in former England Twenty20 batsman Michael Lumb and Leicestershire’s James Taylor. They’re a 13/2 bet with BWin to win the Championship, but are 10/1 with Ladbrokes to get relegated.

Worcestershire survived relegation by the skin of their teeth last season – a stat that has not escaped the bookies’ attention. They’re red hot favourites for the drop this time around – Ladbrokes rate them at 4/9 to be playing in Division Two next season.

Middlesex’s Aussie Chris Rodgers is a good bet to be the division’s leading batsmen. He’s a good 12/1 with Ladbrokes to gain the highest average. Elsewhere, Nottinghamshire starlet Alex Hales and veteran Mark Ramprakash might well be worth your backing at 20/1 apiece.

England bowler Monty Panesar is hot favourite to be the top bowler – he carries favourable odds of 7/1 with BetVictor.

Meanwhile, in Division Two, relegated sides Yorkshire and Hampshire will hope to lead the pack for promotion this time around. The former are 7/2 with most bookmakers’ to take the title to Headingley in 2012, with StanJames offering odds of 5/4 on them gaining outright promotion.

Hampshire are rated at 3/1 with most for the title, and 5/6 for promotion.

If you’re looking for an outside bet however, Robert Key’s Kent are priced at an excellent 12/1 with SportingBet for the title. Skipper Key is also favourite to be his side’s highest-averaging batsmen – he’s definitely worth a punt at 5/2 with BetVictor. Former England wicket-keeper Geraint Jones is 13/2 with the same bookmaker, but 7/1 with Stan James.

Betting is also now underway for the FriendsLife Twenty20 competition, which starts in June.

Last year’s beaten finalists Somerset, spearheaded by Marcus Trescothick are this year’s favourites. You can back them at 5/1 with either BetVictor or StanJames. Holders Leicestershire are an excellent 20/1 with SkyBet to retain their title.

Other contenders include Surrey (9/1), Sussex (11/1) and Durham (14/1), with the latter having just snapped up Australia’s pace bowler Mitchell Johnson for the T20 campaign.

If there is a horse listed that shares a name with a friend or family member or even someone from your favourite band then that could be the one for you. Remember it doesn’t really matter what odds the horse has been given as there have been many horses that have won on long odds.

A quick way to reduce the selection pool of horses is to go with a ‘grey’ as last year only 4 were at the starting line up. While greys aren’t known for winning the Grand National the last grey to win was Nicolaus Silver in 1961 but King John’s Castle was runner up in 2008.

It could be that you have noticed a connection to your favourite sporting team or player, maybe the connection is the strip colour or the home ground, it doesn’t matter so long as you pick it. Horses such as Cappa Bleu, Becauseicouldntsee, West End Rocker or even Organisedconfusion could ring true to you.

If you look at the colours (know as silks) the Jockey wears can you find a connection? If you do then with a bit of luck the Jockey will be riding a decent horse.

If you have a hobby you might be able to find a link there such as ‘Seabass’ for the anglers among you. It could be that you are someone who has pride in their independence, then ‘On His Own’ could be the horse for you. It could also be that you have been in a long term relationship and recognise something in the horse ‘Always Right’.

This is well worth doing, pick an Irish Jockey, Horse or Trainer and if at all possible all three! The reason being that 6 out of the last 12 National Winners have had an Irish connection so it is a good bet to put your money on. Midnight Club or Alpha Beat could be in with a chance this year and worth having a punt.

Keep away from the French! There is a reason for this and it isn’t casual racism as a French horse hasn’t won the Grand National for well over a 100 years. That piece of advice only applies to French horses not trained in the UK as in 2008 Venetia Williams’ horse Mon Mome took the race in 2008.

If you can’t find a connection of any sort then you could always put all the names on separate pieces of paper and pick a random horse from a bag!

Once you have selected your horse you should place your bet with a bookie that has a Free Bet offer (there will be conditions). Paddy Power are giving a Free 20 Pound bet if you open an account on line and stake 10 Pounds of you’re own money. It wont feel half so bad if you lose using someone else’s cash and as they pay out on the first 5 horses (instead of the traditional 4) you have a better chance of collecting some cash.

Make sure you bet ‘Each Way’ this ensures you pick up some cash even if your horse comes in as low as 4th (5th with Paddy Power).

Galaxy reported to betting bonus pundits that profits totalled £247 million in 2011, up from around £75 million in 2010.

Macau has become the world’s biggest gambling destination, even overtaking Las Vegas (revenue is now believed to be five times greater than Vegas’ revenue). Galaxy Ents is taking full advantage of this Far East boom.

The company opened its flagship casino in May last year, the Galaxy Macau. The 550,000 square metre resort boasts 2,200 hotel rooms, 50 restaurants, a roof-top wave pool with an artificial beach, not to mention a massive casino floor.

Galaxy also runs five other smaller casinos in Macau. Macau’s gambling industry was sparked into life in 2002, when gambling was liberalised. Since then revenue has increased exponentially as a whole new market of Chinese punters has been created in a very short space of time.

With over a billion potential transfer betting customers on its doorstep, Macau has been able to turn itself into the biggest gambling hub the world has ever seen.

Galaxy is run by Hong Kong property magnate Lui Che Woo. The private equity group Permira has a 13% stake in the company. Woo said of the promising figures, “The highlight of the year was the successful opening of Galaxy Macau.

Not only has Asia’s newest and most exciting integrated resort been a game changer for Macau, but it has also elevated GEG (Galaxy Entertainment Group) to a whole new level of profitability and cash generation. This bodes well for the group’s prospects this year and beyond.”

Now you have taken in all this Grand National trivia maybe its time to pick the horse you think will win this year. The line up is already looking pretty good with bookies favourites such as this years Gold Cup winner Synchronised or maybe last years Grand National winner Ballabriggs will retain the trophy.

However you decide to pick this year the 2012 Grand National is looking like a superb race and if you can’t make it to Aintree then you can watch the great event live on the BBC with coverage starting at noon with the big race starting at 4.15pm.

The visual element is very important to some participants with regards to their enjoyment in the game. When the ball lands into a number in 3D Roulette, it is done so in a more realistic way than the standard online roulette wheels. The ball bounces in and out of a couple of numbers before settling in one of the slots.

Although the graphics are changed in 3D Roulette, all the betting opportunities remain exactly the same with the odds fixed at the standard payout.

Another way of making the game of online roulette more realistic is to play one of the live versions of the game. Just like in a casino, there is a betting period where chips can be placed on the table. Once this period is closed, the host will spin the wheel and a number will be drawn. The downside to this is that you could be waiting around for everyone else to place their bets before you learn your fate. On the other hand, this may allow you to be more disciplined with your bankroll and prolong your session even longer.

If you enjoy playing games live online, there are also versions of blackjack and baccarat. In the game of blackjack you will be up against a real dealer where you will be looking to better their hand without busting. Like in roulette, the odds are exactly the same and there is no additional cost to play.

Written by John, a fan of live roulette games.

The ‘Worlds Greatest Steeplechase’ in the guise of the Grand National should keep all you Horse Racing fans on tenterhooks as Aintree hosts its world famous event in the middle of April. Can Ballabriggs retain his title or can a newbie such as Organisedconfusion become a Grand National hero.

If it’s the aggressive elegance of the Formula One race car that sets your pulse racing then you will know that April sees the continuation of this years season after its first race in Australia last month. With Jensen Button winning in Melbourne and Fernando Alonso taking the second race in Malaysia it is still too early to say who will be on top at the end of the season, but rest assured April’s races in China and Bahrain will shed more light on that outcome.

Run Down Of April’s Events

• Apr 4 CRICKET – Indian Premier League starts
• Apr 5 CRICKET – LV= County Championship starts
• Apr 14 RACING – Grand National
• Apr 15 FORMULA ONE – Chinese Grand Prix, Shanghai
• Apr 22 FORMULA ONE – Bahrain Grand Prix, Sakhir
• Apr 24-28 RACING – Punchestown Festival

Killyglen hadn’t managed to get his head in front for the best part of three years until his latest outing when he comfortably accounted for Saddlers Storm by nearly six-lengths to win the Daily Mirror Chase at Down Royal on March 21, when given a fine ride by Power who has subsequently been given the nod to be back in the plate aboard the 10-year-old at Aintree where the pair will bid to atone for a highly unfortunate exit at the fourth from home in last year’s renewal of ‘the world’s greatest steeplechase’ when still bang there in the firing line. Those looking at the latest 2012 Grand National odds will be wondering if he can improve this time around.

Sent off a 66/1 chance for last year’s Liverpool marathon, Killyglen took up the running at Valentine’s on the first circuit and remained at the head of affairs until a mistake at the fifth from home handed the advantage to the eventual winner Ballabriggs. The gelded son of Presenting was still right in the thick of the action when he met the fourth last all wrong and took a heavy fall from which he thankfully got up quickly. Having proven that he remains in good form with his latest win, connections are more than hopeful that Power, (who won the 2007 race on the 33/1 shot Silver Birch), will once again gel with his Irish-trained mount in the big event and give all concerned with the horse plenty to shout about for the second time in 12 months.

Bookmakers rate Killyglen a top priced 25/1 chance to put in a clear round this time around and gallop away with one of the most coveted prizes in sport.

As 2011 drew to a close, the focus in Henderson’s stable was on the Festival, which would to take place at Cheltenham in March. On a whim, Murphy placed a five-horse parlay bet, which involved all of the horses that would be racing at the Festival out of Henderson’s stable.

To hear Conor tell it, he placed the bet and forgot it. Even when the races started at Cheltenham that March day, the accumulator bet hadn’t even crossed his mind. But after the third win, Conor realized that he had a legitimate chance at the big win, and then the excitement set it.

It all started with Sprint Scare, who won in Tuesday’s Arkle. On Wednesday, Simonsig won in the Novices’ hurdle, Bobs worth in the RSA Chase, and Finian’s Rainbow in the Queen Mother Champion Chase. Finian’s Rainbow is the horse that Murphy personally looks after, and Henderson would later muse that Simonsig was the key to Murphy’s magic win.

On Thursday, Riverside Theatre won the Ryanair Chase, sealing the deal for Murphy. The winning parlay, which had odds of 163,350:1, paid out more than £1m.

Henderson, who now has 45 wins, was happy for Conor. He had experience with this sort of thing: Last year, another hand, Kathleen Young, won £1m in the National Lottery. Henderson did jokingly add that he wished he had known about the bet; he could have used a cool million quid too.

Some wondered if Conor would leave his job now that he had won all that money, but he wouldn’t hear it. Murphy’s role at the stable comes second only to his family, and he couldn’t imagine doing anything else. Henderson referred to Murphy as a crucial component of his operation.

A spokesperson for Bet365, where Conor placed the bet, griped that it had been an awful event for all sportsbooks. A spokesperson for Paddy Power did not seem please either, although he did perk up when talking about how glad he was that it was not his book that had taken Murphy’s bet.

Murphy’s bet wasn’t the only big win at the Cheltenham Festival. Phil Williams, the owner of Son of Flicka, placed a bet on his own horse, and when Son of Flicka won the Coral Cup, Williams took home £900,000.

As the IPL embarks on its 2012 season, fans and media alike are offering a number of predictions. This includes likely winners, along with new signings and overall team performances. Favored to win are the Chennai Super Kings; a team that has already capture two IPL titles. As last year’s winners, this popular franchise is captained by Mahendra Singh Dhoni, and features a range of top-flight cricketers and athletes. Stephen Fleming, who is a former captain of the New Zealand national squad, also coaches the team. With superb batting, fielding and bowling skills, the Kings are certainly in contention for another IPL title.

Along with the Kings, the Mumbai Indians are also favorites to dominate the upcoming season. Led by legendary cricketer, Sachin Tendulkar, the team has legions of loyal fans all across the Indian sub-continent. The team is owned by Reliance Industries, and coached by the iconic Robin Singh. Comprised of crafty veterans and upstarts, the Indians are best known for their precise batting and fielding skills. They are, however, susceptible to injuries, which may dampen their quest for a first IPL divisional title. While the league has been around since 2008, it seems they are just now attaining global notoriety. With top cricketers like Rahul Dravid, Saurav Ganguly, and Yuvraj Singh, the IPL is destined for more greatness and will be around for generations to come.

The Kolkata Knight Riders are looking for more prominence in the upcoming season as well. As one of the most popular IPL clubs, the team is co-owned by Bollywood megastars, Shahrukh Khan and Juhi Chawla. Captained by Gautum Gambhir and co-owned by Red Chillies Entertainment, the Knight Riders also featured Saurav Ganguly during its first three seasons. Coached by Australian cricket legend, Trevor Bayliss, the Knight Riders recently went a complete internal overhaul. This included a new look, along with a new set of hungry and determined players. The latter consists of Shakib Al-Hassan, Brett Lee, Jacques Kallis, and Ryan ten Doeschate. As the 2012 IPL season rapidly approaches, fans are hoping the new squad can elevate their game and go on to win to win the league.

As millions of fans anxiously await the start of the new season, the IPL promises to bring more non-stop action to all cricket enthusiasts. With multiple regular season games and the always-exhilarating playoffs, the Indian Premier League is heralded for its commitment to excellence. Not only do they showcase the best cricket players from around the world, they are also securing the legacy of international cricket for future generations. No matter which club is your favorite, the IPL is simply the best when it comes to Indian cricket.

HBO attributes the cancellation to its deep concern for the welfare of the animals, while simultaneously stating that all possible precautions were taken. HBOs official statement “While we maintained the highest safety standards possible, accidents unfortunately happen and it is impossible to guarantee they won’t in the future”, certainly makes no mention of the poor ratings and lackluster plot.

Conflicting reports regarding the treatment of the animals drew interest from animal rights activist group PETA. American Humane Association representatives maintain that proper safety precautions were followed at all times, and the death of the most recent horse was unrelated to filming. The third horse reared and fell over, hitting its head, while on the way back to its stable. The safety precautions underwent review after the death of the first two horses. At the recommendation of the AHA, filming on the first season ceased until additional measures finished assessment and began operation.

PETA obtained necropsy reports that seem to indicate one of the earlier horses received significant amounts of very potent painkillers. Dr. Rick Arthur, a veterinarian at the Santa Anita racetrack, publicly stated that HBO took every precaution to ensure the safety of the horses. PETAs contention is that horse racing accounts for enough deaths; a show about horse racing does not need to add to the toll.

Though HBO is well-known for its patience with debut shows, often extending poorly rated shows for a second season, one must wonder if it would have cancelled a blockbuster show. The poor ratings, despite the acting talent of Dustin Hoffman and Nick Nolte, are sure to have played a role in the final decision.

Before the show aired, bettors would have given it solid odds for success. After all, the power house combination of David Milch (Deadwood) and Michael Mann (Miami Vice and Heat) should have created a show with witty dialogue and stunning cinematography. Unfortunately, the combination of two perfectionists behind the scenes did not translate into a perfect show.

The concept included some stunning elements. Dustin Hoffman, playing a recently released kingpin, enjoys a deep and abiding friendship with Dennis Farina, playing his henchman and driver. The wheeling and dealing behind the scenes of the racing world have the potential for excitement, but never seemed to get there. The multi-layered plot also follows: four track junkies; several horse trainers, one of whom is Nick Nolte; and two jockeys and a manager.

Given the number of stories shown simultaneously, a slow start was forgivable. This show took slow start to mean the entire first season. The finale finally built the tension and excitement that audiences crave, just in time for the cancellation notice. The romance and nobility of horse racing was reduced to the seedy, backdoor deals that are an inevitable part of any large industry.

Overall, it is probably a good thing that this show was not titled “Good Luck”, since it certainly wasn’t for HBO.

A spokesperson for the BBC has said ‘We are of course disappointed that we have lost the rights, but we are pleased that all the races in the contract remain free to air.’
‘We of course still look forward to broadcasting the Grand National next month and then of course the Derby and Royal Ascot which have special significance in the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee year.’

As horse racing coverage remains on terrestrial television that the sport will continue to remain in the minds of viewers and race fans alike. It is hoped that the length of the deal will provide a strong base to go forward and tap into the younger audience that Channel 4 can offer.

Although this move is not without risk, particularly the most famous race of the season the Grand National, as last year an amazing 8.5million people watched the race on the BBC and concern is the switch to Channel 4 could damage its profile. Of course, there is another side to that argument and is that since the Bookmakers have been allowed to advertise it has made a more attractive proposition to broadcasters and the rise of individual horses popularity such as Giles Cross and Hold On Julio add to the desire to show this sport.

The excitement can be felt across the country as the jockeys tussle for a position in the line up before the race begins, then the tape goes up and the thunder sounds as the 40 strong pack hurtle on to the first fence. The Grand National has a reputation that, more than any other race, brings the nation together for a collective flutter on the outcome. In fact the total gambled on the event every year is a staggering £80,000,000.

So with that in mind how do you pick a winner? Well, here are a couple of tips to help you pick the horse for you. Always check the horses age, a horse of twelve years of age is considered beyond its prime. Too young and the horse could be inexperienced, so choose a horse aged between 8 and 12. Can it go the distance? Check to see if the horse has won a previous race over a comparable distance of 3-4 miles. Finally, is it Irish? Throughout the history of the Grand National Irish horses have won more times than any other.

The favourite for the race is currently Prince De Beauchene after winning the John Smiths Handicap Chase last year, Junior and Ballabriggs are also favoured to take the race with Treacle, West End Rocker and Burton Port all under 25/1.

It seemed Oscar Whisky was set at two out to challenge Big Buck’s but simply ran out of stamina.

“The horse is fine and we’ll think about the race he won last year at Liverpool but I’ve yet to discuss a plan with Nicky.” Said Owner Dai Walters.

“On previous form with Overturn one has to think he’d have gone quite close in the Champion Hurdle, but we had to try the longer trip.”

Although disappointed at the World Hurdle, Henderson still had seven sins at Cheltenham and is now favourite to take the Jump Trainers Championship with Ladbrokes giving him odds of 8-15. Paul Nicholls dropped to 11-8 although he added the Champions and World Hurdle to his tally.

The former point-to-pointer has been one of the talking horses of the current National Hunt season having emerged from total obscurity to win two competitive Sandown handicap chases with ease, in the process rocketing up the ratings from a mark of 117 to a current level of 145. Off his present rating the gelded son of Blueprint was still all the rage for by far his stiffest task to date, but after shaping well on the heels of the leaders for the first two miles of the three-mile affair he blundered at the 14th fence and gradually beat a retreat thereafter, eventually trailing home in 10th place, some 35-lengths behind the winner, Alfie Sherrin. Those looking at the Grand National betting will not have been too impressed.

Set to carry a comfortable racing weight of 10st 7lbs for the John Smith’s Grand National at Aintree on April 14th, King will first wait a few days to see how Hold On Julio comes out of the Cheltenham contest before giving the green light to his participation in ‘the world’s greatest steeplechase’. A top-priced 25/1 shot in the Grand National 2012 odds prior to his first defeat since joining the Barbury Castle handler, the lightly-raced gelding is now as big as 40/1 with some firms in light of his ultimately disappointing effort on his first run in the big league.

King’s West End Rocker now appears his main Aintree hope, the Becher Chase winner being solid in the ante-post market and currently available at general odds of around 18/1.

With close to 90 years of Gold Cup history you can be assured of a line up of the best Jockeys, Horses and Trainers this year, all hoping to get their names in the record books alongside of the greats of yesterday. Like the Irish duo of racehorse Cottage Rake and trainer Vincent O’Brien who claimed their first of three consecutive victories in the Cheltenham Gold Cup. It was perhaps this string of victories more than any other factor that led to the Cheltenham Festival developing into the unofficial national hunt championships contested by the English and Irish racing fraternities.

But for those of you who enjoy betting on the big race it is the recent history that is interesting, particularly as Kauto Star has now been confirmed for the Gold Cup after a nasty fall in training almost ruled the previous champion out of this years race.

Ladbrokes Bookmaker’s favourite is Long Run at 6/4 with Kauto Star and Burton Port close on its heels at 7/2 and 7/1 respectively. Weird Al looks a good prospect at 10/1 after an impressive win in the Charlie Hall Chase last year.

Amongst the drivers who have held the coveted Driver Championship Trophy is returning champion Sebastian Vettel who is the favourite to take a third title this year. Kimi Raikkonen is bidding to make his return to Formula 1 a successful one and Jensen Button, Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso and Michael Schumacher will be hot on their heals as they bid to add another trophy to their mantelpiece.

The first test for the drivers and teams is Albert Park in Melbourne and with 58 laps of the 5km course that snakes around the lake in the centre of the park, it promises to be a great start to a highly contested season of Formula 1 racing.

“Sure, we will have to grit our teeth for the first few races, but first of all, we have to see exactly where we are in terms of being competitive and then give our all to bring home as many points as possible in this early stage of the championship.” said Fernando Alonso about the opening to a new season.

The second half continued at the same frenzied pace as the first half and Arsenal could have drawn the aggregate score level on the hour when, Abbiati first saved a deflected shot from Gervinho and then the follow up from Van Persie. In the end AC Milan held on and when the final whistle went the score was 3-0 seeing Milan through to the Quarter Finals.

This leaves Chelsea as the only English side left in the Champions League although they also have an uphill struggle as they play host to Napoli, who bring with them a 3-1 win from the first leg.

Barcelona remain the favourites to win the 2011/2012 Champions League with Betfair placing them at 5/4. Real Madrid come in as second favourites making an all Spanish Final a likely prospect at 14/5.