Humans, by nature, love to talk and in doing so they will inadvertently give away valuable information about their thought processes and how they play the game. If you listen in on the table chatter at any live event a common conversation you will hear is people discussing big hands they have won and bad beats they have suffered. This happens whether you are playing in your local casino or taking part in a wsop tournament.

Another thing people love to do is exaggerate their stories to make them more interesting, so try not to pay too much attention to people bragging about their exploits. By all means listen in because you may get some clue as to how experienced a player is but if they start saying they are a regular winner at the $100 games, question why they are sat playing in a $10 re-buy.

You should pay more attention to how they describe hands they have been involved in as this can give a good insight into the sort of player they are. If a player says something along the lines of “I had a pair of aces, went all-in and some donkey called me with a pair of tens and hit a ten on the flop to bust me” then you should assume they are either an amateur player or do not actually pay much attention to table dynamics or what components make up a typical hand.

However, if the same player described a hand by saying, “I had a stack of only eight big blinds and open shoved with a pair of aces from on the button. The big blind, the chip leader, made the call with tens and flopped a set to bust me,” then I would be wary of this player. In those couple of sentences he has shown he is positionally aware, observant of his and his opponents’ chip stacks and also that he realises the big stacked big blind was compelled to call. This type of player is more likely to be a solid winning player than the previous person is.

Keep your ears open, you never know what you might learn.

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All of the final declarations have now been made so there should be very few changes to the line-ups below and the odds are no longer ante-post so what you see is what you get! The odds are from Paddy Power Bookmakers who have a fantastic ‘Bet £10 Get £20 Free’ offer on so you don’t just double your money, you treble it!

And watch out for their money back specials e.g. Paddy Power Bookmakers will refund all losing Win Singles if Dunguib wins the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle.

The first race which is the Supreme Novices Hurdle will be a cracker of an opening with Dunguib currently the ante-post favourite. Past winners include Go Native in 2009 and Captain Cee Bee in 2008.

There are six races scheduled for today which are as follows:

1.30 Spinal Research Supreme Novices’ Hurdle 2m 1/2f

• Dunguib 4/5
• Get Me Out Of Here 9/2
• Blackstairmountain 10/1
• Menorah 10/1
• Oscar Whiskey 10/1
• Dan Breen 20/1
• Flat Out 20/1
• General Miller 25/1
• Vino Griego 66/1
• Spring Jim 100/1
• Cootehill 100/1
• Far Away So Close 100/1
• Fiulin 100/1
• Dream Esteem 100/1
• Chain of Command 150/1
• Hollins 200/1
• Mister Wall Street 200/1
• Takestan 200/1

2.05 Irish Independent Arkle Challenge Trophy Steeple Chase 2m

• Captain Cee Bee 5/2
• Somersby 7/2
• Sizing Europe 5/1
• Sports Line 7/1
• Riverside Theatre 8/1
• Osana 14/1
• Kangaroo Court 20/1
• Mad Max 25/1
• Woolcombe Folly 25/1
• Fosters Cross 40/1
• Quiscover Fontaine 40/1
• Im Delilah 100/1

2.40 William Hill Trophy Handicap Steeple Chase 3m 1/2f

• Bensalem 11/2
• The Package 11/2
• Theatrical Moment 10/1
• Character Building 12/1
• Ogee 12/1
• Exmoor Ranger 14/1
• The Tother One 14/1
• Niche Market 16/1
• Casey Jones 16/1
• Razor Royale 16/1
• Beat the Boys 16/1
• Nenuphar Collonges 20/1
• Kicks For Free 20/1
• New Alco 25/1
• Chief Dan George 25/1
• Tatenen 25/1
• Joe Lively 25/1
• Comply or Die 33/1
• Officier De Reserve 33/1
• Offshore Account 33/1
• Stan 50/1
• Bible Lord 50/1
• Knowhere 50/1
• Ollie Magern 66/1

3.20 Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle Challenge Trophy 2m 1/2f

• Go Native 7/2
• Solwhit 11/2
• Punjabi 7/1
• Binocular 7/1
• Khyber Kim 8/1
• Medermit 9/1
• Celestial Halo 9/1
• Zaynar 9/1
• Starluck 12/1
• Won In The Dark 50/1
• Jumbo Rio 80/1
• Raise Your Heart 200/1

4.00 Glenfarclas Cross Country Handicap Steeple Chase 3m 7f

• Garde Champetre 9/4
• L’Ami 10/3
• Sizing Australia 9/2
• Monkerhostin 12/1
• Another Jewel 16/1
• Drombeag 18/1
• Silver Birch 20/1
• Freneys Well 25/1
• Lacdoudal 25/1
• Double Dizzy 25/1
• Heads Onthe Ground 33/1
• A New Story 33/1
• Preists Leap 40/1
• Cornish Sett 40/1
• Tawnies 50/1
• Oceanos Des Obeaux 66/1

4.40 David Nicholson Mares’ Hurdle Race 2m 4f

• Quevega 7/4
• Volver La Vedette 7/4
• No One Tells Me 10/1
• Sway 12/1
• Zarinava 20/1
• Carole’s Legacy 22/1
• Easter Legend 22/1
• Stravinsky Dance 25/1
• Pepite de Soleil 25/1
• Argento Luna 33/1
• Amber Brook 33/1
• Aura About You 33/1
• Arctic Magic 50/1
• Alasi 100/1
• Here Comes Sally 100/1
• Just Beware 250/1
• Princess Rainbow 250/1

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Baccarat is usually played with either 6 or 8 packs of cards and the name of the game is derived from the Italian word ‘baccara’, which means ‘zero’, which refers to the zero value given to all of the face cards and tens – Cards ace to nine retain their value, but tens and picture cards have no value.

If two cards have a combined value of more than 10, then 10 must be subtracted leaving the remaining total as the card value eg: a hand of 8 and 7 does not equal 15, but 5. The cards are placed in a box called the shoe which is in the charge of the dealer, but each player has to bet the Bank when holding the shoe, although it may be declined and passed along to the next player.

The game of Baccarat is so simple because all the player has to do is decide what type and amount to bet. Winning bets on the player are paid 1:1, winning bets on the banker pay 1:1 less a 5% commission and winning bets on a tie usually pay 8:1.

Once the cards have been dealt, the dealer takes over and announces the winner. There are three variants of the game: Punto Banco, Baccarat Chemin de Fer and Baccarat banque. Punto Banco – the cards are dealt, to the Player and then to the Banker. Each gets two cards, the value of which are added together, and the Croupier calls the total. The table of play is then used to decide on whether more cards need to be drawn. However, if the Banker and Player have the same hand total at the end of the deal, the croupier states ‘tie bets win’.

Baccarat Chemin de Fer – in this game 6 decks of cards are used in play. In the centre of the table there is a shoe where used cards are put. The cards are shuffled by the Croupier and taking some cards from the top of the shoe, he hands them to the player to his immediate right, who is then ‘Banker’, while the others are players. Any of the players can call ‘Banco’, which means that they want to play against the Bankers stake. The Banker deals two cards for himself, and two for the player – if the Bankers cards are better, he wins the players stakes and deals again. However, if the players are better, the banker has to pay each player the amount of his stake and the next player becomes Banker.

Baccarat banque – Three decks of cards are used in this version of the game, and the Banker remains the Banker until all the cards have been dealt, unless he loses or retires (he can retire at any point but has to state the amount with which he is retiring).

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A tougher Irish team than we’ve seen lately took to the field on Saturday and dominated a weaker Welsh side taking them one step further to the Triple Crown and potentially back to back Six Nations – of course that will depend entirely on England’s ability to beat France next week but they will need to really step it up a gear if that’s to happen.

So it now all comes down to Saturday March 20th, and a rugby filled day with the three remaining games on one after the other, to determine who will reign supreme. My head says it will be France, my heart says Ireland and my fingers will be crossed for England…

Saturday, 20 March 2010
France v England, 19:45
Ireland v Scotland, 17:00
Wales v Italy, 14:30

Paddy Power Bookmakers odds are as follows – can you guess who they think will win?????

• France 1/950
• Ireland 50/1

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In particular the five furlong Group 1 King’s Stand Stakes, now part of the Global Sprint Challenge, has been farmed by Australian horses, following the initial success of the mighty Choisir, winner of the race in 2003 and who famously followed up five days later by taking the other Group 1 sprint at the fixture, the six furlong Golden Jubilee Stakes, another Global Sprint Challenge event.

Choisir’s breakthrough victory for horses from the southern hemisphere encouraged a number of subsequently successful Australian challengers, including Takeover Target, Miss Andretti, and last year Scenic Blast. Whilst only Choisir managed to land the famous double, another long distance traveller to win a major sprint at the fixture was Cape Of Good Hope, champion sprinter of Hong Kong, who ran away with the 2005 Golden Jubilee Stakes.

Punters looking ahead to the 2010 Royal Ascot meeting will doubtless be keeping a close eye on the plans of the leading overseas sprinters and factoring in their potential performances against those of the locals from Britain, Ireland and France.

Over the years, the Kings Stand Stakes in particular, has been won by some of the great names in European sprinting – Habibti (1984), Last Tycoon (1986), Dayjur (1990), Sheikh Albadou (1992), Lochsong (1994), to name but a few, but in the last seven renewals, as well as the Australian domination there was the astounding 2008 success of unconsidered Spanish sprinter Equiano who defied all Royal Ascot betting odds.

Probably more than any other race at the whole Royal Ascot fixture, the King’s Stand Stakes has become the truly international event that attracts the world’s best over the distance.

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When a player decides to start taking the game a little more seriously, he or she will usually purchase a number of poker books, join an online training site or go on the search for the ultimate poker training guide. Unfortunately, no such guide exists, if it did we would either all be very rich or the games would be so tough because everyone would know how to play perfectly, that there would be very little money to make from the game.

Books and videos are great for giving you examples of how to play specific hands in specific situations but there is no substitute for experience. It is no coincidence that the better online poker players also play dozens of tables simultaneously. Yes they do this to make money first and foremost but some of them will have played more hands in a five year period than someone like Doyle Brunson would have played in their entire 50 year career.

Brunson once stated that each and every day he sits at the poker tables he learns something new, even if he is playing with the same group of players he has done for many years. One of them will look at their cards slightly differently, one will make a slightly different bet size, it could be anything, even learning something about himself.

By all means read some of the better strategy books out there, join a training site and discuss hands on a poker forum but once you have done this take some money and play some poker in an attempt to apply your new found knowledge. If you play enough poker you will come across similar situations day in day out that you will know exactly what to do regardless of the actions of your opponents meaning you will rarely be left in difficult, confusing spots and your poker playing will be a much more comfortable experience.

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McCoy will be even more desperate in 2010 as the clock continues to tick by and the nearly 36-year-old Irish-born sporting great is very well aware that he may only have a handful of chances left to achieve his goal. It took the great Sir Gordon Richards 26 attempts before he finally won the Epsom Derby, but the career of a National Hunt jockey is far shorter than that of a flat jockey and McCoy knows the sands of time are running out.

His last five rides in the world’s greatest steeplechase demonstrate the frustration he must feel. In 2005, six lengths clear on Clan Royal and going strongly at Becher’s second time around, McCoy was suddenly hampered by a loose horse a few strides from the fence and his mount was forced to refuse. The frustration must have been unbearable. The following year he teamed up again with Clan Royal and the pair came home 3rd behind Numbersixvalverde.

In 2007 McCoy completed the course in 10th position on board classy French raider L’Ami, then in 2008 it was again Becher’s on the second circuit that proved his undoing, when travelling strongly with the leaders on Butlers Cabin, the pairing fell. Last year, back aboard Butlers Cabin, McCoy was prominent for much of the race before his mount faded from the last to finish 7th.

Although yet to confirm which horse he will ride for grand national entries 2010, McCoy has the option of a number of horses owned by JP McManus, including 2008 runner-up King John’s Castle, together with live hopes Don’t Push It and Arbor Supreme. There is also the possibility of a big outside ride should the McManus trio not take their chance on the big day.

Many racing fans across the world will be hoping when it comes to 2010 Grand National race time that 2010 is at last the year when AP McCoy will add his name to the list of winning Grand National jockeys.

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You’ve probably seen the ads on tv but if you need a little refresher then this should explain everything…

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Last year saw him win the Dr. P.J. Moriarty Novice Chase in Leopardstown in February which preceded his impressive RSA Chase victory at Cheltenham the following month. In winning the RSA he was no less impressive than Denman had been in the same race two years previously, so it looks like things are looking promising for Cooldine and his team in this year’s Cheltenham Festival!

There was big disappointment for Cooldine’s return race at the end of December 2009, the Lexus Chase, where Ruby Walsh chose to ride him over What A Friend, showing the faith that there is in his abilities. Unfortunately for all concerned, he was pulled up, but there was a big change in the bay gelding for the Hennessy Gold Cup which has reignited not just his trainer Willie Mullin’s hope in him, but also the punters and the bookmakers, who have given him odds as low as 10/1 for the Cheltenham Gold Cup, and it has been speculated that his form is likely to be even better than it was in February by the time of the Cheltenham Festival in mid-March.

Cooldine is currently third favourite for the Cheltenham Gold Cup on Friday 19th March with ante-post odds of 12/1 with Paddy Power Bookmakers.

Whether he will be a realistic threat to the Nicholl’s stable clan is yet to be seen, but he is definitely considered a worthy opponent.

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Every day from March 1st to March 31st, Scratch2cash and Hopa.com. are choosing one game from their games selection and will give 100% cash back to anyone playing the game. Hints will be given to players to find out which game is for free, but it will not be revealed until the following day. So be smart and figure out which game is up for grabs in order to really benefit from this offer.

And don’t worry, they won’t choose the same game twice during the promotion so as the days go by, the hunt for the free game becomes easier, giving you a higher chance to find out which game is completely free.

And don’t forget that you also benefit from their £5 free offer which you don’t even need to make a deposit to get, it’s completely free and you get to try out the games before it costs you a single penny!

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