Jackpot Hour In Casino

Pocket aces are the most powerful starting hand in Texas Hold 'Em. They will always start out ahead of any other hand that any of your opponents could possibly have. But is there ever a time when the best play is to fold this monster before the flop? Read on to find out.

The answer to this question, as is the case with just about any question relating to the game of poker, depends on what sort of situation you find yourself in. We first have to consider whether or not we are playing in a cash game or in a tournament.

In a cash game, I can not really think of a situation where it would be prudent to fold pocket aces prior to seeing a flop. Keep in mind, however, that the more opponents you happen to be involved in a pot against, the more your odds of winning are lessened. For example, if you are in a pot heads-up with pocket aces, your hand is a 4:1 favorite against any other pocket pair, a slightly larger favorite over any two live undercards, and a 9:1 favorite against any other ace. If you happen to be in a pot with four opponents, however, your edge could drop as low as 70% or even lower, depending on what your opponents hold. Still a sizeable advantage, yes, but not as much as you would enjoy heads-up.

But let's take a look at a tournament scenario. Allow me to recap a situation I occurred at a local tournament I played in recently.

We arrived at the 9-person final table after starting out with 80 people. I was exactly in the middle, with four stacks larger than me and four stacks smaller. However, of the four smaller stacks, three of them were basically on life support, and would only last a round or two before they got blinded out of the tournament. On the second hand of this final table, I was in the big blind, and I looked down to see two red aces staring back at me. Immediately, my mind was trying to figure out exactly how much I'd raise when the action got around to me. But a funny thing happened on the way to my chips.

The player under the gun, one of the aforementioned smaller stacks, pushed all-in. So did another short stack immediately after. To top it off, the last of the three smallest stacks pushed all-in as well.

I had all of these players covered, and had this been a cash game, I would have shoved all-in as well. But this is a tournament, so I took the payout structure into account. A ninth-place finish would have netted me $224. A nice win (almost three times the tournament buy-in), but if I let these three players kill each other off, I could almost guarantee myself a sixth-place finish, which would give me a prize of $416.

I don't know about you, but I'll take $416 over $224 every single time. So, I threw my aces into the muck and let the other three players have at it. It was a good thing I did, as the biggest of the three stacks made a straight on the turn. He tripled-up in that hand, but had I stayed in, he could have quadrupled up and gotten himself back in the game. As it was, that triple-up still left him significantly behind me and the sixth-place player at the time.

The object of poker is not to dazzle people with your brilliant play. The object is to bring home as much money as possible. Every play you make should be geared towards meeting that goal. If that means throwing away a monster hand before the flop, even pocket aces, it's a move you should definitely consider.

Using the information from the form or other sources is the basis for most betters to choose which horse merits a bet. It could be a hunch because you like the jockey and the horse's name. A substantially better reason is does the race set up for the horse or not. This means if the race is loaded with speed, maybe a horse that likes to come from off the pace will do well when the front-runners tire.

Another consideration is the postposition of your selection. A horse posted way out side in the starting gate may be affected and it could influence how the horse will finish. Jockeys can be a factor in how the race is run and a better jockey seem to get more out of horse than another.

This myriad of nuances makes handicapping a difficult study and it takes a while to get good at it. There are several good books on handicapping available. If you happen to know a good handicapper ask them if they have any recommendations. If not read the reviews of readers on any book purchase site.

Here is a suggestion for playing trifectas at the races. If you can get a ten horse race down to five horses that you feel will have a chance to be in the money, this idea has merit. This idea is especially good if the horses you like are price horses. There are several ways to play this trifecta bet. You can play a $60 ticket with all five horses in the win, place and show slots. Each horse you eliminate from the win hole reduces the total price substantially. A three five five would only cost $36. A single in the win hole with all five in the second and third
Holes would cost $12

Another wager strategy is what is called Dutch betting. This is the play of two or more horses to win at the same time. The odds have to be favorable for this idea to have legs. It is very good if you hand two 4 to one shots with an 8 to one shot. If any one of them wins you will book a profit. You could do the same thing with a 5 to two shot and a 3 to one shot. Pure favorites are hard to play in a Dutch betting strategy

There are numerous betting strategies and a player is wise to find one they like.

Talladega isn't the greatest place to get off a losing streak.

Not that we're technically on a losing streak; we had Jeff Gordon winning last Saturday night's Phoenix event, which he did, as a +385 favorite. But in an excruciating turn of events, Dale Earnhardt Jr. got caught on in the pits during a late caution, went a lap down, and wound up losing his head-to-head match-up against Greg Biffle, who didn't have nearly the car Junior did, and who trailed the #8 all night. Drat.

So we lost a little money, and now we head to the 'Dega, probably the sport's most random site. It's random, of course, because the Big One is never more than a few laps away: the giant wreck that takes out half the field, since the cars all ride so impossibly close together at 190 mph with restrictor plates on their carburetors. The favorites can lead all day, as did Tony Stewart and Kurt Busch in this year's Daytona 500, only to get slam-drafted late and see the afternoon go up in a puff of tire smoke. It's nerve-rattling for us; imagine how crazy it is for the drivers themselves.

Anyway, we can but try. Here are the best bets for the Aaron's 499 from Talladega.

Last Week: Gordon's win couldn't overcome Junior's terrible luck (which he's now experienced two weeks running), meaning we dropped 0.38 units on 1.5 units wagered. For the season, then, we stand a positive net 1.49 units on 12 units wagered, a return of 12.4%. Note also that if you eschew the conservative betting scheme I outline below, and simply place one unit on every wager I recommend, for the year you'd be up 17.52 units on 32 units wagered, for a 54.8% return. As always, though, be aware that that betting scheme is far riskier on a week-to-week basis.

Take Tony Stewart (+403), 1/6th unit. Smoke is the favorite Sunday for a reason. He had close to the best car at Daytona, but wrecked from the lead and wound up 43rd. Leading up to last fall's Talladega event, he'd finished second in three consecutive races here, though he'd never won. Stewart made all kinds of noise this week about how NASCAR is essentially fixing races by creating phantom cautions in advance of green-flag pit stops, thereby bringing the field together again for late restarts. NASCAR isn't pleased about that, and they won't be pleased by the firestorm Stewart creates winning this race, either. Talk about a post-race interview you want to watch.

Take Kurt Busch (+1123), 1/6th unit. And if it's not Stewart, I think it'll be the older Busch. My opinion is that Busch had the best car in the field in Daytona this February, and that he very well could've won the race had he and Stewart not smacked into one another while jostling for the lead late. Hopefully he learned a little something, which is: don't fight for the lead until the final five laps. Busch has five consecutive Talladega finishes in the top eight, and while he hasn't won a plate race in his career, he's come close on several occasions.

Take Matt Kenseth (+1436), 1/6th unit. This is a value bet, pure and simple. The Hendrick cars (Jeff Gordon (+608) and Jimmie Johnson (+649)) have better chances to win, having already proven they can take plate-track events. But getting Kenseth at this price is too good to pass up, because he's no slouch when it comes to Talladega. His last three finishes here? Fourth, sixth and third. And remember, Kenseth actually had a great chance for the win in the last couple laps at the Daytona 500 (after Stewart and Busch had wrecked), but got taken out by Kyle Busch (+1352) and his over-aggressive racing. Kenseth will win a plate-track race someday, and getting him at better than 14-1 means you can take a chance on him this weekend.

Saturday night under the lights, the Car of Tomorrow gets its first shot at a track longer than a half-mile. However, the one-mile Phoenix International Raceway is so shallowly banked -- 11 and nine degrees in the turns -- that it drives like a smaller track than it is. In fact, the heavy-braking, flat track is an awful lot like Martinsville, where the Smokeless Set ran just a few weeks ago in these very same CoTs. How very convenient.

Who's been strongest in the CoT so far? Well, the temptation is to say Hendrick Motorsports. Kyle Busch won at Bristol, and Jimmie Johnson won at Martinsville, with Jeff Gordon hot on his tail. But those results don't tell the whole story. Tony Stewart easily had the best car at Bristol, and only a fluky mechanical problem that had nothing to do with the CoT itself caused him to lose. At Martinsville, Dale Earnhardt Jr. led the most laps and Stewart's teammate, Denny Hamlin, led the second-most. If you ask me, the best CoT team so far has been Joe Gibbs Racing. They clearly invested a lot of dough in these puppies, and it's showing. We'll see if that trend continues Saturday night.

Last Week: It was a frustrating day deep in the heart of Texas, as our two primary picks, Johnson and Stewart, suffered wrecks at the hands of other, less speedy drivers. Jeff Burton won the event and looked great doing it; he's going to be a threat at a whole lot of races this summer. Anyway, it was a lost day, which means 1.5 units down the tubes. Fortunately, we're still up 1.87 units on the season, on 10.5 units wagered, for a 17.8% return. (If you scrap the conservative betting system outlined below and simply bet one unit per wager, you'd be up 16.67 units so far this year on 28 units wagered, for a 59.5% return. Of course, there's a lot more risk on a weekly basis with that system; for instance, you'd have dropped four units last week.)

Take Jeff Gordon (+385), 1/6th unit. Gordon has never won at Phoenix, one of just three current Nextel Cup venues where he hasn't taken the checkers. Also, this race has never been won from the pole, and Gordon won the pole Friday afternoon. Still, he's a tough guy to ignore in this spot. As I mentioned above, Gordon was coming fast after Jimmie Johnson (+625) at Martinsville, and almost certainly would've won the race if Johnson wasn't his teammate; he didn't want to wreck the #48, so he had to console himself with second place. Gordon still leads in points, and has won four poles already this year, but hasn't won a race. I think that changes Saturday night.

Take Denny Hamlin (+950), 1/6th unit. Hamlin could've easily won both of the first two CoT events, and he qualified third for Phoenix. He was quoted telling reporters that racing at this flat one-miler reminds him of the late-model races he grew up on, and that running under the lights on Saturday will cinch the deal, and take him right back to the minor-league series where he made his bones. Phoenix events have been won from the third starting position on three occasions, which probably doesn't mean much to any but the numerologists among you, but still. The Gibbs CoT program is strong, Hamlin finished third here last fall, and he's due for a win.

Take Dale Earnhardt Jr. (+815), 1/6th unit. Lost amid the excitement of Jeff Burton (+1145) winning his late-race duel with Matt Kenseth (+1250) is the fact that Junior got royally screwed in the Texas event last week. He led the most laps, and obviously had the best car, but got wrecked by Tony Stewart (+745) when Smoke probably shouldn't have even been on the racetrack. The racing gods haven't been kind to Little-E of late, but that could change Saturday night. He's won twice at this place, and ran really well for a time at Martinsville. Look for the #8 to excite some red-clad fans.

Let's cut right to the chase. You can forget about playing the Rockies on the road. In 2006, the Colorado Rockies were 32-49 on the road. In fact, over the past eight seasons, the Rockies are just 239-409 away from Coors Field. Because the Rockies are so poor away from Coors Field, public perception is that the Rockies are a bad team period. However, Colorado has been solid at home and often times the Rockies show great value as a home underdog. At 44-37 at Coors in 2006, the Rockies held the second-best home record in the National League West. As the Rockies' young, talented offense continues to gain experience, we'll expect them improve at Coors Field again in 2007.

The Colorado Rockies improved nine wins from the 2005 to 2006 seasons knotting them with San Francisco and Arizona with 76 wins a piece. The Rockies still have to have to make some strides to avoid having their seventh losing season in a row. A turnaround is taking far longer than Rockies fans would like. Colorado's build-from-within approach may be noble in today's big money game, but it is not the best recipe for success in the short term. How many more losing seasons can the Rockies possible take before GM Dan O'Dowd and Manger Clint Hurdle are out of jobs. The new contracts these guys signed prior to this season were more than a bit of a surprise to me. I feel that buying some talent could be the Rocks only way out.

With Jason Jennings off to Houston, the Rockies' pitching staff is even more thin. Aaron Cook and Jeff Francis will become even more vital parts of this Colorado rotation. Francis has won 27 games in his first two major league seasons and I think he evolves into Colorado's ace. Cook is listed as the Rockies number one man, but his 9-15 record last season doesn't have be convinced. Rodrigo Lopez is a guy with 15-win potential. He has recorded 14 wins or more in three seasons since 2002 in the tough American League East. The National League West could help Lopez to a break out season.

At the plate, Garret Atkins and Matt Holliday will put up lofty power numbers. Todd Helton isn't the old Todd Helton, but he is still a solid stick and will hit behind them in the fifth spot giving Colorado a very respectable middle of the order. Willy Taveras comes over from Houston and brings his .329 career on-base percentage with him. The rest of the order will have to make a name for itself. Kaz Matsui is a guy who could emerge as another contributing force on the offense. He hit safely in 20 of his 24 starts for the Rockies last season.

The Rockies are still young and missing some pieces, but I think they improve again in 2007. Look for the Rockies at home to be a nice play this season.

There is nothing more annoying than a parent who talks endlessly about how 'clever' or 'sporty' their child is, before whipping out a picture of some spotty two foot hooligan tucking in to the contents of his nostril.

My Goliath though, is genuinely bright for his age. The wee lad can speak about 10 words now; that's three more than Paul Merson.

The little fellow will definitely be a footballer when he grows up. The last time we had a kick around in the garden he nutmegged me twice; nobody's regretted opening their legs on two separate occasions since Mrs Neville. You won't regret a bet on Manchester United at 3/10 to waltz past Wigan in a one-sided FA Cup semi.

If the media are to be believed, and you'll never find a more honest bunch of lads, Jose Mourinho is considering managing England when his tenure expires at Stamford Bridge.

This would be the greatest result for the average Englishman since Gareth Gates wore down Jordan with a pizza and some of the longest chat-up lines in history.

Chelsea have already beaten Blackburn on three occasions this season, a fourth win at 4/7 will set up the most eagerly awaited showdown since Peter Andre narrowly defeated Gareth Gates in a bare-knuckled 15 round extravaganza.

A few people are beginning to question Arsene Wenger, but Aristotle was once mocked when he suggested the Earth was round. Rumours of Arsenal's demise have been leaked prematurely, they can return to winning ways against Bolton at a huge 8/11.

Liverpool are finishing the season with aplomb; Bellamy I think his name is. The Pool have won their last three against Manchester City by a single goal; another Liverpool victory is advised at 10/11.

Charlton's recovery in recent weeks has been nothing short of sensational. The Addicks are on a real high, they can snatch an invaluable point from Goodison Park at 5/2.

Aston Villa return to the Riverside for the first time since a 4-0 cakewalk led to a visionary Middlesbrough fan hurling his season ticket at Steve McClaren. A punt on the Villa at 12/5 will lead to a healthy prophet.

It's the Blades versus the Hammers at Bramall Lane; that's more tools than you'd find in a Peter Andre fan club. It's a must-win game for both teams; I'm siding with the rejuvenated West Ham at 2/1.

When I suggested that Wigan were a good bet for relegation in my pre-season write-up, I received more stick than a Manchester United fan in Rome. Another Tottenham win at 7/5 will place the cat well and truly amongst the pigeons.

I'm not too sure about Fulham's decision to sack Chris Coleman a mere three days before a massive match away to Reading. I guess Mohammed Al Fayed wants to guarantee at least one decent result against the Royals. The arrival of Lawrie 'Dirty' Sanchez can inspire the Cottagers to a hard-fought point at 12/5.

David James is the Pauline Fowler of the football world; you wouldn't want to get involved in a conversation with him, but he's the man to see if you need a clean sheet. The fashion icon needs one more shutout to break the all-time Premiership record; a home fixture against Newcastle can land a Portsmouth win at 11/10 and a new record for Calamity at 6/4.

Arsenal, Portsmouth, Man Utd, Tottenham and Chelsea form a 16/1 weekend accer that is so candid, Peter Andre has decided to share his life story via the medium of a new single. 'What was I thinking' is released in all good record shops on Monday morning.

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.