A player must be aware of how to place bets in three card poker. The playing area both live and online will have three areas where you place bets. The three areas are as follows:1) AnteHere one places a bet at the start of the game and it is mandatory. You place this bet before you see your cards.2) Play (sometimes called Raise)Here one places an amount equal to the ante if you want to see the dealer's cards. You will be able to see your cards before placing this bet. If you are not happy with your hand, you can fold at this stage and do not place any money on the Play area.3) Pair+Here you place an optional bet in the hope of you getting a pair or better three card poker hand. You can place any amount here and you must place this bet before you see the cards you are dealt. If you do get a pair or better hand you get paid out an extra bonus amount.The payout of the winnings is determined if the dealers hand "qualifies". The term "qualifies" means if the dealer's hand has a queen high or better hand.If the dealer qualifies and you beat him, the dealer covers your bet and raise. For example, if you placed $10 on the ante and then raise the dealer, you will get paid back $40. The $40 is split as follows $20 that you placed and $20 dollars from the dealer to cover your bets.If you placed money on the Pair+, and you get a pair or higher hand, you will get paid out an extra bonus over and above your ante and raise bet.If you placed money on the Pair+, and you get a pair or higher hand, you will still get paid out the bonus even if the dealer beats you. In this scenario you would still lose your ante and raise bet though.If the dealer does not qualify with his three card poker hand, the following scenarios could occur:? When you beat the dealer, you get your ante covered and your raise gets pushed (pushed means you just get your money back). For example, if you placed $10 on the ante and then raise the dealer, you will get paid back $30. The $30 is split as follows $20 that you placed and $10 dollars from the dealer to cover your ante.? When you beat the dealer with a pair or higher and have placed a bet on the Pair+, you get your ante covered, your Pair+ bonus and your raise gets pushed. For example, if you placed $10 on the ante, $10 on the Pair+ and then raise the dealer, you will get paid back $30 plus a bonus. The $30 is split as follows - $20 that you placed and $10 dollars from the dealer to cover your ante.Stanley Majors is an experienced online poker journalist who writes articles on a range of poker topics. You can read more on Three Card Poker Betting. Plus find other articles at Texas Holdem Net, which provide useful and factual poker information and insight.

Money Management: Picking "your" spotI'm sure we've all talked about money management, but how many of us practice what we preach/are preached about it??? After a decade of betting, I never thought I'd be writing articles about restraint when it comes to Sports Betting. I guess it's easier for me, personally, now that I've become a better handicapper. Hitting at a higher percentage sometimes builds patience, but many times breeds "greed".I guess I am as guilty as anyone at "singing while I'm winning". When I'm in the middle of a "good run", I still tend to fire away at a game that I shouldn't. But, the "ultimate sin" is chasing your money in the midst iof a losing streak. Or even worse, laying half, or "the whole bankroll" on one game!!!A wise man once said to me, "They play everyday!!" I knew exactly what he meant, but it took me five more years to "understand" what he meant. The more games you play on a daily, or weekly basis, you lower your percentage of having "longterm" success. It is to the sportsbooks benefit to be an "Action Jackson", so to speak.Most of the successful gamblers I know are self-proclaimed "spot players". I also fit into this category (mostly). These type of players will wait for a game they REALLY LIKE, sometimes not betting for days, or even weeks, until "that game" comes along.On the other hand, I also know gamblers who have to have "action" on many games (especially TV Games). The key, in my humble opinion, is to be able to sit and watch a game because you like/follow the sport. If you "must" have action on a game to be able to watch it, chances are you aren't that big of a sports fan. I watch plenty of games that I don't have money riding on, because 1) I'm a sports junkie, and 2) it is good for scouting a future "spot" play.It bugs me to watch guys lose over and over because they have no concept of money management. It is always a good idea to write down, and keep track of your bets, review your bet history every so often, mark down the ones (in hindsight) that you felt "really good about". I can "bet" that you hit most of those.John Onan is Sports Moderator at The Online Players Union.
You can read more articles by Mr. Onan (aka ego74) by going to http://www.theopu.comHe looks forward to you signing up at the forum and sharing your opinions on sports and casino gambling.

Women are being increasingly attracted to the excitement of online poker. Many professional women now shop extensively online and it's natural that they should explore other ways of having fun and spending their money online.According to the UK's fastest growing poker website, Victor Chandler Poker (http://www.vcpoker.com), it's no longer just a man's game. One in six new players joining Victor Chandler Poker is female ? up from virtually zero just 2 years ago. The typical female player tends to be between 24 and 25, internet savvy, shops online and has a professional business career.Why women are taking up online pokerThere are 5 main reasons why women are taking up online poker:Poker is gaining a lot of media attention. TV games shows, high-profile tournaments and the traditional portrayal of poker in film and TV gives the game a glamorous, exciting image.More and more women are playing the game professionally. The success of women players listed on the Women's Poker Hall of Fame has created some powerful role models.The web creates a safe environment. Logging on to a poker website is nowhere near as intimidating as walking into a male-dominated casino. Good online poker rooms are moderated, mostly by women.Online poker caters for the novice player in a way that was not possible before the web. First, the anonymity means no-one has to worry about looking stupid. Second, there are extensive tips, articles and tutorials online that rapidly educate the novice player.Games can be played just for fun or for small stakes. One fear is getting into a game where the stakes are continually rising. But fixed cost games mean that if women want to bet, they know exactly how much they stand to win or lose.Anecdotal evidence from the gambling industry suggests that traditional female traits such as assessing difficult situations, taking in information from multiple sources, make women ideal poker players.But do women really make good poker players?Research from Cambridge Professor, Simon Baron-Cohen in his book "The Essential Difference" suggests that men and women do show different personality traits. These traits undoubtedly influence how both men and women play poker.Professor Baron-Cohen identified three brain types ? the female brain, the male brain and the balanced brain:In the female brain called the E-type, empathizing is the dominant characteristicIn the male brain called the S-type, systemizing is the dominant characteristicIn the balanced brain called the B-type, both characteristics are finely balanced.According to Professor Baron-Cohen the female/male difference is not absolute but on average, more women have E-type brains and more men have S-type brains. His conclusions:Women tend to be better at decoding non-verbal communication, picking up subtle nuances and judging a person's character. Even online, players exhibit certain 'poker tells' that can indicate the strength of their hands.Introduced to new situations, women will stand and watch while men rush in, trying to be the centre of attention. The ability to observe and assess other players before joining in brings an advantageMales show more direct aggression while women tend to show indirect aggression.Women are becoming more aggressiveAnd if that was not enough to intimidate the male poker player, research from Purdue University suggests that they will face even stiffer competition from women in the future.Social psychology Professor Amanda Dickman surveyed over 800 adults on the personality characteristics of men and women and found that women are increasingly exhibiting personality traits typically associated with males.According to Dickman, "Women are perceived as having become much more assertive, independent, and competitive over the years."The future of women's poker onlineResearch shows that women do indeed have certain personality traits that predispose them to be good poker players. Add to this a layer of aggression and experience and it seems inevitable that potent and successful women poker players will emerge.Online poker websites have already noted a significant growth in women players. The market savvy among them will be quick to see the opportunity and provide facilities and tournaments to encourage more women to play.About The AuthorWritten by Simon Prodger, Product Marketing Manager, Victor Chandler Poker, the UK's fastest growing online poker website, http://www.vcpoker.comSimon.Prodger@vc-bs.com

Texas Hold em Poker (also know as Holdem Poker) is a card game which you'll take a few minutes to learn but many years to master. As a beginner you'll want to learn the Texas Hold em Poker basics - the rules, hands rankings and types of texas hold em poker.The absolute Texas hold em poker basics :
The game is played with a standard 52 card deck and there may be a minimum of two or a maximum of ten players per game.Players are dealt two cards each, which are used in addition to the 5 communal cards to create the best possible 5 card poker hand.The dealer begins the game by dealing two cards to each player; this round is known as the 'Pre-Flop'. The two cards dealt by the poker dealer are placed face down on the table ? these cards are called the pocket or hole cards.A round of betting occurs before the second round of cards is dealt. In this round the poker dealer places 3 cards face up on the poker table. This is known in Texas Hold em Poker games as the 'Flop'. Each player now has an opportunity to bet or check.By 'checking' you are choosing not to bet but you still remain in the game, checking is only allowed if there have been no bets placed before your turn in that round.In the third round, the dealer places another communal card face up on the table. At this time there are 4 communal cards on the table, as well as 2 hole or pocket cards per player. Considering the current choice of cards in their hand and those open on the table, the players again place their bets. This round is known as the 'Turn'.In the final round before the 'Show-down', the dealer places the fifth and final communal card on the table, face up. And the players begin betting. This round is known as the 'River'.After the River, the remaining players begin to show their hands. Players may use any combination of their two hole cards and 5 communal cards to create the best possible hand. You may even use all five communal cards to create the best hand.It's best to play Texas Holdem Poker for free before playing for real. Spend a few minutes getting use to the game, you'll realize how simple and entertaining this game really is.Play Free Online Texas Holdem Poker now ? it's a great way to learn the game!Stanley Majors is an experienced online poker journalist who writes articles on a range of poker topics. You can read more on Texas Hold em Poker Basics. Plus find other articles at Texas Holdem Net, which provide useful and factual poker information and insight.

Although I started using online sportsbooks almost ten years ago, I still maintained contact with a couple of local books for the express purpose of getting better lines with regard to the local or favorite teams of choice in my neck of the woods, the reasoning of course was so that if I saw "Value" in going against the the local or favorite teams of choice then what better place to get the best line when going against them then in their home area?However, a not so funny thing happened when one of the locals that I was using got crushed one week three years ago and skipped town and in doing so stiffed me for $1200, since that point in time I have wagered strictly online!I have always held the believe that if you want the beat deal available then it would be foolhardy to purchase the first car that you see at the first dealership that you visit, that very same line of logical thinking should be applied to "Sports investment" and of course is the very reason why I personally use four different "outs" as a means of gaining as much of an edge as possible with regard to finding the best line on games that I am wagering on, sometimes a half of a point here or a half of a point there can make all the difference in a winning week versus a break even or losing week.It never ceases to amaze me for example how some people will be totally misers with regard to insisting that any light on in a room with no one in it is a capital crime, these same individuals always seem to be the ones not willing to take the wife and kids to a movie or out to a restaurant for lunch or dinner because they may have to fork over a few dollars on something they consider unwarranted and wasteful.However, these same individuals find nothing wrong with shacking up in a tavern all Saturday or Sunday afternoon with the boys watching the games and betting with the local bookies, don't get me wrong as I like to stop for a beer or two myself now and then, but why do I make this comparison you ask?Simple my friend, if someone as I described above was truly cost conscious and on a quest of sorts for savings and "Value", why then would anyone in their right mind make sports wagers strictly with local bookies? Aren't these local guys the ones who make you wait until the morning of the game to get their lines? Aren't these the same guys that you have to track down and fight busy signals to reach on the ole telly phone?What real "Value" can be had from a local book that basically shoves his/her line in your face and figuratively speaking says "take it or leave it pal"?Hometown gamblers using strictly local bookies are missing out on more than just the convenience of being able to place a wager on an upcoming NFL or College football game days in advance, these hometown gamblers using strictly local books are also missing out on their fair share of "Moola"----"Black gold"----"Texas Tea"....No I am not going to start singing about Jed Clampett here but instead about the sign up bonus's offered by online sportsbooks.Think about it a second, let's say that you have a $5000 starting bankroll that is dedicated to nothing but sports investing, you could deposit the whole $5000 with one sportsbook and get as much as a 20% sign up bonus for doing so, which means that you would now have a starting bankroll of $6000...that's your $5000 plus the $1000 sign up bonus, right?WRONG!! Most sportsbooks in fact have limits on the total sign up bonus for an individual that ranges anywhere from $200 to $500, if that is the case then why not divide up your initial $5000 starting bankroll four ways between four different sportsbooks and possibly get a 20% sign up bonus from each sportsbook?$5000 divided four ways would mean that if you were to deposit $1250 at each sportsbook and got a 20% signup bonus with each one, your starting bankroll with each of your four sportsbooks would then be $1250 plus a $250 sign up bonus for a total of $1500.Thus $1500 X 4 means that you now have a $6000 starting bankroll, ( that's your $5000 plus the $1000 in total sign up bonus's ), and your money is now evenly spread out over four different sportsbooks which now allows you to "Line shop".As you now see, by depositing your entire bankroll with one sportsbook you could actually cost yourself some dinero in lost sign up bonus money, an added benefit of spreading your starting bankroll over three or four different sportsbooks is derived from the fact that sportbooks require you to "Roll over" the amount in your account so many times prior to being able to withdrawl funds.For example, if the sportsbook that you are using has a five (5) time rollover rule in effect and your initial deposit was $1000.00, you would have received $200 with your initial deposit for a total of $1200 if the sign up bonus was 20%.You would now need to wager a total of $6000 or ( $1000 + $200 ) X 5 in total bets placed before you are entitled to keep the initial sign up bonus and make a withdrawl of your funds, I would however advise you to be careful and to do your homework before depositing any funds anywhere as there are probably just as many "Fly by night" operations out there as there are legitimate and reputable ones.Ask questions of others that you know who may have used the different sportsbooks and hear what they have to say, troll thru the various forums and posting boards and post messages that ask the opinions and experiences of others.The main over riding factor to the equation is that you want to have the ability to "Line shop" for the best possible odds with as many reputable sources as possible.Football Forecastor is home to the nations most prolific sports handicapper, we specialize in NFL and College Football handicapping, we take sports betting to a whole new level by treating sports wagering as an investment.Over the past 30 plus yrs, I have been on both sides of the Sports Investment Business, as a entrepreneur that ran his own business, to building and maintaining a Private Clientele base that Greatly Benefits from my Superior Handicapping expertise in the sporting arena.Football Forecastor has been an internet based sports handicapping service since 1997, we specialize in NFL and College Football handicapping and over the past eight years have maintained one of the very best winning percentages of any sports handicapping service.If you are looking for a Proven winner that churns out Consistent NFL and College football winning selections, visit up at http://www.footballforecastor.com today!

Roulette offers the greatest variety of possible ways you can wager. If you've never tried it, the game is easy to learn and we'll show you strategies that will help make you a winner. Remember that luck comes easier if you know what you're doing.Even though there are 11 different kinds of bets, it is an easy game to play. The only skill required is deciding how much and on which number(s) to bet. Like in all gambling, if you ant to win at Roulette you must rely on both luck and strategy.Roulette is played on a wheel having 38 compartments numbered 1 to 36, 0 and 00. The same numbers are printed on the table lay-out where wagers are placed. The number fields are alternately red and black, except 0 and 00 which are green. The numbers themselves alternate between high/low and odd/even, with the 0 directly opposite the 00. The wheel spins counter-clockwise while a little white ball rolls in the opposite direction. The ball drops into one of the slots and that is the winning number.Look at the table layout carefully you'll see that there are "inside" and "outside" sections. You'll understand how "inside" and "outside" betting works after you've become familiar with the 11 different types of roulette bets you can make, along with their payoffs:THE SIX INSIDE BETS:One Number: Pays 35 to 1. Put your wager on any number from 1 to 36, or 0 and 00. Be sure your chips are inside the square and do not touch the line.
Two Numbers: Pays 17 to 1. Place your chip (or chips) on the line between two numbers. If either number comes up you win.
Three Numbers: Pays 11 to 1. To choose a row of 3 numbers position your bet on the line that separates the "inside" and "outside" areas.
Four Numbers: Pays 8 to 1. To make this bet, place your wager on a four-number intersection. You win if one of the four numbers is hit.
Five Numbers: Pays 6 to 1. Don't make this bet! It's the only one that gives the house an extra 2

This will not be a long ad to buy our picks, but it will be a reminder to have all your ducks lined up so you, not us, are ready for the season. On our site we have several articles that cover most of the checklist below. Go through the checklist to help you understand what being ready for the season means.Checklist for football betting:This is just a short list of what you will need to do to help you win money this football season. If you do not understand look through our site and research our articles to help you. That is why we wrote them.1. Research every team and map out possible games to win money on for the entire year.
2. Cross off games to stay away from this season.
3. Make charts for halftime betting situations.
4. Understand your bankroll and money management.
5. Set aside money for the entire year and do not go over your predetermined amount to spend.
6. Understand that this season is a long season and you need to win over the long haul.
7. Know your betting options and understand the odds.
8. Do not chase your money.
9. Understand when you should hedge your bets.
10. Research each team and each game every week.
11. Is there a motivational advantage for one team?
12. Look at trends as part of the equation.
13. Stay up on the injury list.

Checklist for football handicapping season:

1. How much does it really cost?
2. Do you get all the top picks with your subscription or is it a tease to get more money from you?
3. What is their guarantee?
4. Does the cost of the service justify your bankroll?
5. Are you doubling your bet just to cover the cost of the service?
6. Money back if they lose is great, but hey you just lost YOUR money at the sportsbook, did you lose too much because you had to bet double or triple your amount to pay for the pick?
7. Are they monitored by an outside source?
8. Do they pay money to be monitored?
9. Are the monitors respected and trusted?
10. Are they in the Las Vegas Hilton NFL Super Contest?
11. If they are not, why the hell are you giving them money when they are not putting up a large amount of money ($1,500) to compete against other Handicapping services?

This list is just the tip of the iceberg. Please do your research before you start betting this season. Research all the information yourself or research the services you are thinking about using. There is information on betting throughout the web, use it to your advantage. After all it is your money.Leo Mendelsohn
Thehooks
http://www.thehooksfootballpicks.com

There is over $120,000,000,000 spent on lottery systems along across the US and around the world. Yes, that's one hundred and twenty Billion on just lotteries not to mention the billions spent on other gambling systems.Massive jackpots are dangled in front of players but the only ones who truly win in most gambling/lottery systems are those operating them because of 3 dangerous characteristics. Let's review them:1.) Odds stacked against the playersTraditional gambling/lottery systems only win when the player loses. They continue to generate massive amounts of front-end profits and heavily stack the odds against the players to minimal back-end payouts are necessary.If you're going to gamble, at least do a little research and determine which of the systems provide you with the best chance of winning and learn everything you can about ways to increase your odds.2.) Addicted to more chances to winSince the odds are stacked against you winning, a psychological trigger gets set off in your brain that makes you "want" to find more chances to win.This burning desire to seek more and more chances to win is a natural human reaction. It's a true addiction with feeling the "winning" sensation. People will actually pay $1,000, win $100 and feel "good" because they won something without realizing they actually lost money.In traditional gambling/lottery systems the only way to quench this desire to win is to get more chances to win which means? spend more money. Traditional systems require you to pay for each chance to win.At least research the systems and find the one that offers you the most chances to win for each entry you purchase. Give yourself the best chance to win with the least money spent.3.) Lack of informationThere's a common joke that says, "Gambling is a tax on the stupid." Gambling or playing the lottery is not "stupid" ? it does serve as entertainment value. But it does punish the uneducated.If you don't research the odds of winning and find the games that provide you the best chance of winning, then you're more likely to throw your money away than if you do some research. More importantly, if you don't know what to do with the money you do win then you're even more likely to end up in a worse financial situation than before you started playing.Make sure you spend time up front finding out as much as you can about the games you're considering playing. Compare the odds and your chances of actually winning a cash prize. Also, educate yourself about your own personal budget and set a limit on the amount you're willing to lose in pursuit of "entertainment".Have fun? play smart!Scott Britner blended his background in programming and analysis with a little creativity and a lot of focus on the customer to develop the unique WeeklyWinning.com lottery system. If you want to benefit from Increasing Jackpots, Guaranteed Weekly Winners, Instant Winner Bonuses, and No Limits... then check out http://www.WeeklyWinning.comWeeklyWinning.com is so simple, so powerful, and so profitable for the players? it just makes sense. We look forward to making you a winner.

A successful Texas hold em player is one who maximizes his return or minimizes his loss with each decision he makes. Expected value (EV) is essentially the amount one would expect to win or lose if this decision were to be repeated millions of times. (rememer your precalculus "limit as n goes to infinity"??? didn't think so!)Every poker decision, whether it be to bet, raise, check/call, check/fold, check/raise has an expectation of success or failure. Those that will lose you money in the long run are said to have negative expected value (-EV). Folding always has an expected value of zero. You will never gain or lose money by folding. Folding, though it has an EV of zero, may often be your best decision from an EV perspective.Let's look at a few examples. Expected value is not always easily calculable, even in limit texas holdem, but every time you play you should try to analyze your decisionmaking with EV in your mind. For instance, you're playing 1/2 and in the small blind with 84o on a flop of K96 rainbow. The small blind checks and only you and a tight player are left. There is three dollars in the pot. Should you bet? You are risking one dollar. Betting has a positive expectation if you can expect the other two to fold more than one in four times. If you try it four times and it succeeds once, you win a three dollar pot and lose your one dollar bet the three other times, making it a 0 EV play. (We're discounting the chance that you are called and catch runner runner or win in some other very unlikely way) Remember, we analyze each decision on its own Expected Value merits. If you are called and catch an 8 on the turn, you must again analyze your decisions based on their likelihood of success or failure in the long run. Poker, and Texas Holdem in particular, is a game of short term variations, but you must continue to make the correct EV decisions and you will be a winner in the long term.Another example: You are holding A8 of spades, again playing 1/2. There are 3 limpers ahead of you and one behind you. The flop comes K96 with two spades. The first player bets and the other two in front of you call...you should raise! As we've seen in the Poker Odds section, you have about a 35 percent chance of hitting your flush. You will not win each time you hit it...perhaps someone has flopped a set or two pair and will hit a full house, etc. You may even occasionally win if you spike an Ace. Anyway, it is pretty clear that your odds of winning the hand are better than 25 percent, and with 3 players in the pot ahead of you, you want to get more money in the pot while you have an advantage from an expected value standpoint. Now, there are other factors that will enter your head and should be taken into account. If the original bettor reraises you and the other two fold, you've now put 2 dollars in and gotten the others to put 6 in. Now we may or may not be in positive EV territory, depending on what our opponent has. Also, we must consider the fact that our raise may have bought us a free card or may have gotten someone with an Ace and a better kicker or paired side card to fold. As you can see, there are many factors influencing the expected value of our decisions. We may not always be sure we've made the correct poker play, but it's extremely important that our thinking process runs along these lines.Even preflop you must think along expected value lines. You may be holding AJs in the small blind. Six players, most of them very loose, limp before you. A raise is in order. Think in terms of expected value or pot equity. Your hand figures to win more than one in every seven times against the starting hands held by the others, so a raise is in order. Again, evaluate each decision on its own merits. If you miss the flop in this instance, checking and folding may be your best option from an EV standpoint. Or, it may not...you may have an overcard, gutshot and back door flush draw...again, do the math in your head and arrive at the correct decision.Finally, remember this...in general, a bet has a higher EV than a check/call. You will sometimes win by forcing people to fold. Now, there are times when this is not correct due to the threat of a raise (if you're planning on calling), but always bear it in mind. In Texas Holdem, aggressive poker is winning poker.Greg Dwyer is a professional online poker player. His poker strategy websites can be found at http://www.HitTheFlop.com and http://www.pokercentral.us

There are several different ways bettors use the halftime wager, but for the most part, they use it more as a hedge bet. No matter how you want to bet a halftime bet, it is just another fun way to bet.A quick example of a halftime wager:Lets say you have a bet on the Dolphins and Bills game. The Dolphins were favored by 3 and are up 14-7 at halftime. At halftime a new bet comes out with a new spread. Most of the cases in which a team that is favored at the beginning of the game is up by more than the original spread, the underdog will most likely be favored in the second half.With this example, the Bills being 3 point underdogs at the beginning of the game and find themselves down by 7 at halftime are most likely going to be favored in the second half by at least 3. Another example of this bet deals with the over/under. Lets still use the Dolphins/Bills game. The original over under of the game was 46. With it being a total of 21 points in the first half, the likelihood of the over/under of the second half to be more than 21 is a great possibility. Most likely, the over/under in the second half will be somewhere around 24 to 26.One of the biggest reasons for the halftime bet for a bettor is to hedge their bet. The thing with betting is, winning is great, losing sucks and a push is ok! Breaking even is a lot better than losing! With a halftime wager, you could possibly take that losing part out if the right bet is made.Example of halftime betting:Let's stick with the Dolphins/Bills game. Lets say the Dolphins were favored by 3.5 and are up at halftime 24-7. The halftime bet comes out and the Bills are favored by 4. Your original bet was the Dolphins. Well, right now they look pretty good in covering the bet right? But you want to hedge your bet just to be on the safe side. So if you were to hedge your bet, you would bet on the Bills in the second half -4. Here are the possible scenarios that could play out:1) The Bills go all out in the second half and win the game 28-27. Well, your original bet of the Dolphins -3.5 is down the drain BUT you did take the Bills in the second half so that bet covered. OUTCOME: HEDGE BET= PUSH2) The Bills come out in the second half and get smoked and lose the game 41-10. You win your original bet of the Dolphins -3.5 BUT lose the second half bet of the Bills -4. OUTCOME: HEDGE=PUSH3) The Bills come out in the second half and make a valiant effort but get beat 27-21. You win your original bet of the Dolphins -3.5 AND your second half bet of the Bills -4 because the Bills outscored the Dolphins in the second half 14-3. OUTCOME: HEDGE=DOUBLE YOUR MONEY.To me, this is the best way to bet a halftime bet. Pushing beats losing any day of the week!The halftime wager is just another way to bet on a sporting event. It keeps you intrigued with the second half of even a blowout game! Just realize this when it comes to halftime wagering: You don't get days, weeks, etc. to analyze the bet like you would with a regular spread on a game. You get about 10 minutes to figure it out and go from there. Choose wisely!Halftime betting can be very beneficial to bettors that know what they are doing and have watched the first half with a purpose. The sports books only have a short time to put up a line for the second half and because of the short time frame, the so called smart money has not moved the lines yet. This is a golden opportunity for you to make money if you have done the research before the game has started and have watched the first half closely.Examples of pre-game research are to see how the teams play in the first half compared to the second half. Look at their stats and points scored for each half and make charts for when they are behind and in front at halftime. Some coaches play close to the vest during the 1st half and then come out and throw every play at the opposition in the second half. Other coaches look to jump on a team in the first half and then try to take the air out of the ball in the second half.Chart these teams accordingly. Chart how teams play on the road and at home, inside the division and outside the division for each of the scenarios above. This is only some of the basic chart examples. If you make these charts and watch the first half of the game with a purpose you can find opportunities for you to make money. You may have to hold off on the pizza and beer until after the second half starts so your head is clear and you are focused on winning some money. We will be offering as a bonus in our football packages, possible 2nd half plays to all our subscribers, this season.How do we know that the second half plays might be there? In our research we look for possible outcomes in the first half and predict the second half. This could be for a side or a total.Halftime betting example:We liked the over in the in the Houston Bowl last year but thought the total was too high at 72. We waited to see how the 1st half played out. We were hoping for a low scoring first half but with both teams moving the ball, just not converting the movement into points. Both teams combined to lose the ball inside the opponents' 5-yard line 3 times. This presented a golden opportunity to snatch a total for the over in the second half. When the line was posted we jumped on the over and then watched in misbelieve that it actually went down.So we bet it again, because we did our homework and felt the total would be an easy over in the second half. As the game proceeded the overall total of 72 was never approached but the second half total was an easy winner.So what should you do? Chart teams the first 3 weeks and see how the coaching staff and the team plays in the 1st half and 2nd half. You should have a good feel for what they are doing and what they are capable of doing after a few weeks. When you are ready to bet, have a couple of games picked out and scenarios written down. Watch the game with a purpose. Leave the brews in the fridge and scout the preview of the 1st half. At halftime if you have a chance to cash in on one of the scenarios then do so. Keep charting the teams and expand to home and away, behind or in front for all your tables.When to Bet and When to Stay Put, this sounds easy but there are a lot of greedy gamblers out there. They seem to think it is a crime to win so they bet more to enhance their winnings. The best time to bet at halftime is to pick a dog in the second half.Why is that? Teams in the lead, especially in the NFL, usually will not try to hammer teams in the second half. Players and coaches in the lead by a large margin start thinking about the next week and/or lose the emotion in the second half. Taking an underdog in the second half for the side is the only way to go if you want to stay in the game longer. It is the safest way to bet during the second half. Here is one specific situation and example.Taking an underdog with extra points is another winning proposition. Betting the favorite or a team at a pick-em in the second half usually will be a losing proposition. What am I talking about? Read the examples below.Smart halftime betting:Example: Team A is favored by 1 point to start the game and leads Team B by 4 points at half. If Team A is favored by 1 point again at half, you should bet Team B with the point. Numbers wise if you take Team B, it is like getting 5 points for the game. They are already down 4 and now you are getting 1 more point. If they lose the game by 3 points you win because they covered the 1-point in the second half.Not So Smart halftime betting:Same example as above but you take the favorite in the second half. Many bettors that have picked Team A in the beginning bet them again in the second half. I do not understand the theory except that bettors want to win, win, win.Well if they are laying 1 point and are up 4 why the hell are they laying another point, total of 5 points for the game?? I am guessing that they think if they hedge they will only break even and/or their team is up 4 so what is another point. Greedy bettors usually end up at some cash loan store cashing their future paycheck looking for the big score. Stop, there is no big score, go play the lottery. Investment into football betting is just that, an investment. Playing to hedge your bet and possibly win twice is much more productive than laying all your little marbles in one bag.We will giving out more examples of when to look for an advantage in the future Nose Bleed Sections of thehooks book ezine. Be sure to read Thehooks book for our most recent free football picks. You would have read this article already through Thehooks book.Leo Mendelsohn
Richard Peraldo
Thehooks
http://www.thehooksfootballpicks.com