Jackpot Hour In Casino

The explosive growth of the internet as well as the popularity of poker in mass media (especially TV) has encouraged the growth of online casinos that offer and encourage people to take part in a multitude of games, especially poker games.

Before Choosing a Casino

Before setting out into the world of online gambling, you must have the proper mindset: you're there to have a good time.

Whether you're getting into the game to appease your curiosity, to have something to discuss with your friends over lunch or to become a professional online casino player, the first thing to remember is that you're there to have a good time.

Choosing an Online Casino

The question every prospective player faces is, "Which casino do I play in?" There are literally thousands of sites to choose from, ranging from simple sites with a few offerings and basic graphics to major sites with top-of-the-line graphics, thousands of members and players, plus generous bonuses and offers that entice one to join up and play. Here are some things to help you decide if ever you find it difficult choosing an online casino.

You have three options: you can go looking for one by yourself through logging on to your favorite search engine; going to a casino review page and checking out the recommendations; or asking your friends who've tried online casino gambling about the sites they've visited. Whichever approach you take, here are a few things that you have to remember.

Different Casinos, Different Options

First, not all casinos are the same. They vary in games offered, level of graphics used (some people prefer the flashy ones with lots of blinking lights and glitter while others opt for the simpler ones which are less distracting), stakes, games offered, competition level, customer support, and "player-friendliness."

Think about these factors before opting for one casino over the other. The most important things to consider are the latter two – the level of customer support (especially important if you're a newbie at the games) and whether the casino is player-friendly or not.

"Player-friendly" casinos are those which offer customers higher payouts or bonuses. This can be done through crediting players with additional 'cash' or player points when they sign up with the casino; sometimes the additional 'credit' is double what one pays when he initially signs up.

Another form of customer bonuses is allowing players to play a few games for free, using the house's money. These online casinos may be a good starting point for you, especially if it is your first time. You will get to play the games, learn a little more about the rules and other player and get a 'feel' for the site – all without taking a risk.

Payment and Payout Modes

You must also check out the casinos' payment modes. Most casinos accept credit cards, but PayPal is more widely accepted so be sure to have either.

At the same time, check out their payout options. How do you get your winnings? Are these in the form of 'play money' (e.g. credit that you can use the next time you play) or is the payout in real money? If it's the latter, how will they do it and how much service fee will they charge you?

Once you've settled on a site to play in, there's nothing else to do but go in, sign up and play. However, don't be fixated on a single online casino. You can certainly try more than one and let experience guide you to your perfect online casino.

Cooper Brannan is a 22 year old Marine who has just returned from a second tour of duty from Iraq after losing a finger in a grenade explosion. He is one of the 80 players who has come to Padres to win a minor league pitching position.

Brannan is six foot four and weighs 235 pounds. He is a native of Gilbert, Arizona, and during the spring training camp he threw his fastballs. He is also has a curveball which has impressed the Padres a lot but Brannan pitched this last summer when he was part of the All Marine Corps team when they played semipro teams.

In November 2006 before a patrol, Brannan was conducting pre-combat inspection. One of his squad members did not have a flash-bang grenade. So, Brannan reached into the left pocket of his jacket to give him his. Unfortunately the grenade malfunctioned and exploded in his left hand.

Initially Brannan thought that his entire hand had blown up only to discover that he had lost his pinky. The doctors ended up amputating the remaining part of his pinky and medial part of his hand. During his recovery period, Brannan playing baseball with fellow Marines

While drifting in and out of consciousness, he thought his entire hand was blown off. But he had lost only his pinky. While he was in a morphine haze, doctors amputated what remained of the finger and the medial part of his hand, well below the outside knuckle.

After being evacuated to the Naval Medical Center in San Diego for three follow-up surgeries,

Brannan is married to Lindsay Marie Wagener and they have a one month old daughter named Brooke. The Brannans stay just two blocks away from the Padres camp.

Brannan is presently stationed at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego and he is on full recovery duty status. He cannot sign a contract with Padres till he finishes his commitment to the Marines, which is on May 31, 2007. The Padres insist that taking on Brannan is not a publicity stunt for the franchise and that he has a genuine above average curveball.

The first three rounds of the NCAA tournament are complete and thus the Elite Eight is upon us. Every year, the Elite 8 should be consisted of the top 8 teams in college basketball fighting for the National Championship. That is never the case.... until this year. There has yet to be a year in which all #1 and #2 Seeds advance to the Elite 8 but this year is damn close. In previous years, even teams outside the Top 25 Rankings have broke in and ruined all our brackets. For example, last year, #11 Seed George Mason squeezed into the "Elite 8" and even to the Final Four. Two years ago, we had a #4, #5, #6 and a #7 Seed make the "Elite 8". And a #7 and #8 Seed the year before that. The Elite 8 has been anything but in the past years but it's all changed in 2007.

There are eight teams left in the 2007 NCAA Tournament as Saturday morning approaches. As a matter of fact, this has been one of the best tournaments I can remember of any sport. As the Tournament approaches, people are always guessing at who the next underdog might be shaking things up as there always is. No Cinderella's hanging around the Elite 8 this year. In my opinion, there weren't any left after the 2nd round. Note: If you are one of those people that consider Butler and Southern Illinois a "Cinderella team" because they play in a smaller conference with extremely less exposure minus ESPN's Bracket Buster Saturday, you have a ways to go before understanding all the factors of college basketball. Well that, and the fact you are stupid. Butler was 7-2 vs. teams in the tournament with wins over: Old Dominion, Maryland, Purdue, Gonzaga, Tennessee, Indiana and Notre Dame and they also lost a tight one against Southern Illinois who had wins over: Virginia Tech (twice), Creighton, Butler and Holy Cross. They combined for a 12-6 record vs. teams in this year's tournament.

I enjoy as much as anybody else seeing a double digit seed work its way into the Sweet Sixteen or even Elite Eight but isn't it great to actually see the top 8 teams play each other Saturday and Sunday, no #1 vs. #7 or #2 vs. #8 Seed in the Elite Eight. Of the remaining eight teams, 7 are in the Top 10 Final Poll of the 2007 Season along with Oregon at #18 who spent some time in the Top Ten. Never in the history of the Field of 64 Teams has it come down to teams of this caliber. All four #1 Seeds, three #2 Seeds and a #3 Seed are remaining and never has the field been this open with eight teams remaining. This is what the NCAA Tournament should be about every once in a while. Yes, "Cinderella teams" are great but we never get to see the teams that were at the top all year long make it through the tournament. I can't believe it, but the Tournament Committee got it right. Good luck on your brackets, selections and enjoy this rare moment of watching the true Elite 8 of College Basketball.

Lottery secrets?...do you think there are any?... what if?...some people seem to know something more about lotteries and they seem to have some kind of advantage over us...true or false?

Who knows. Personally I think that playing a lottery is a simple gambling. Yes you can get a little advantage. There are obviously few tactics or strategies if you like.

Let´s see some of them.

First of all: you can play in a syndicate. Playing in a syndicate increases your chances to win. The bigger your syndicate is the higher your chances to win are. But that also have some disadvantages. The major disadvantage is that your winnings are divided by number of syndicate members. So that means, more syndicate members less winnings you get. But on the other hand you have higher chances to win...so it is up to you which strategy you choose.

There are also some syndicates which claim to give you up to 702% higher chance to win or even up to 3600% higher chance. Those are syndicates with a special mathematical formula, which gives you a big advantage and practically your syndicate match at least one number in every draw...that is guaranteed by mentioned mathematical system. Not bad, right?

But there are also some other lotto secrets. Recently I came across a special ebook. Lottery expert, Arlene Meeks has a lottery strategy guide that outlines how she is able to pick the winning lottery numbers time after time after time.

This statement seems strange but there are people actually winning using this strategy. Is that only a luck or is there more.

Well...some secrets remain hidden from us forever , but some of them might surprise us. Do your own research and good luck.

In the game of poker, every person will gain an image. It is the way that other poker players see you and judge your playing. Here are the three identities most commonly found at the poker table:

THE FISH: These players are the small fries of the table. They will commonly be seen making lots of mistakes, be quite clumsy, and be really easily pushed around. They are generally picked on and don't make money at tournaments. If you've been branded a fish, be ready for a fight, you'll be getting a lot of action from people who want to eat you up, and you most likely don't know how to stop them. Avoid gaining the image of fish, it shows weakness.

THE SQUID: these players are those that generally win money at tournaments, but never the big prize. They are generally break-even players who need more skills in order to become sharks. Squids will tend to avoid the sharks at the table, and generally feed on the fish. The squid will generally be a player that you should expect a lot of basic plays from, but every now and then may pull off a tricky move or two.

They generally try to stay quiet and out of the way and don't make much impact or presence at the table.

Expect them to come out with a fight if you invade their territory, they tend to be more aggressive and hostile than the sharks when they are provoked.

THE SHARK: these players are on the top of the chain! They are the fiercest players around and will always be seen dominating the table.

These players also gain a lot of respect and power of intimidation at the table, so be careful.

Every player should strive to become a shark because it is a name that proves you're one of the dominating forces that is sitting at the table.