Blue Jay Blues

Toronto busted through last season and broke up the stranglehold that the Pin-stripes and Bean Towners have had in the American League East Division by bumping Boston out of their reserved second place spot. The Jays did it with quality starting pitching. Sadly, Toronto's success appears to be short-lived as losing Todd Lilly will not allow the Jays to bloom again in 2007.

I don't mean to sound down on the Blue Jays because they are a good team which would win several other divisions in baseball, but there is a very fine margin for error in the elite AL East. Right handed ace Roy Halladay has helped speed up Toronto's progress over the last few seasons. Adding A.J. Burnett and Ted Lilly to the mix had the Jays' starting rotation emerging as tops in the division. But instead of picking up another guy to shore up the staff some more, the Jays lost Lilly to a handsome sum in Chicago. That loss puts a lot more pressure on A.J. Burnett to perform this season to pick up some of the slack. Another 10-8 year is just not going to cut it.

The Jays cannot afford any kind of a drop off from first basemen Lyle Overbay or Troy Glaus who were brilliant last season in their first year with the team. We won't have to worry about Vernon Wells who continues to increase his superstar status with each swing of the bat. Or will we? He just signed a mega deal and sometimes this can result in a down year. I remain optimistic as the young Wells doesn't appear to have reached his potential.

Jays backers finished way in the money last season. The boys north of the border have produced winning seasons for their backers in four of the last five seasons. This season won't match the success lining the pockets of 2006 supporters, but it should still produce profit for Jays enthusiasts. The Jays won't be quite as good this season with the loss of a solid starter, but because the go under the radar compared to the Yankees and Red Sox, the Jays will show better value than these higher profile teams.

It wasn't a big shocker when the Blue Jays jumped into the number two spot in the AL East last season. It will be in 2007. Toronto still has enough talent to leave the Devil Rays and Orioles in the dust, but the Red Sox and the Yankees will be tough fish to fry. Toronto is a team which has made great moves to put a solid team on the field, but it just isn't enough in a division which houses two of baseball's best teams year in and year out.

2007 MLB Baseball World Series Gambling

If you're looking forward to 2007 MLB Baseball World Series gambling time, you're probably also preparing to do the research on the teams to help you make the best betting decisions. Sometimes finding all of the information you need for successful 2007 MLB Baseball World Series gambling can be difficult and time consuming unless you choose to do your betting online with a well-known sportsbook. There you can not only get the latest and best betting odds and betting lines, but also the inside information on the teams and players provided by the website's expert handicappers.

The experts are there to provide you with everything you need to make 2007 MLB Baseball World Series gambling easier. They know the strengths and weaknesses of each team on both offense and defense. They know which players were hot in the playoffs and which ones were struggling. They'll tell you how a team's pitching staff will match up against the hitters on the opposing team and how any injuries to key players might affect a team's overall performance. These experts will then make solid recommendations that you can rely on when making your 2007 MLB World Series gambling decisions such as which team to bet on and how much to bet.

Then when you're ready to do your 2007 Baseball World Series sportsbook you can make deposits quickly and easily to your secure account and place your bets instantly from the comfort of your own home. There's no better or more convenient way to enjoy betting on the series.

Big AL - NCAA

Las Vegas streets and supermarket parking lots unusually were deserted Friday night as Sin Cityites stayed home in droves or attended parties to root for their beloved Sweet 16 Rebels.

UNLV's (impossible) dream of an NCAA Tournament Elite Eight berth rudely was interrupted 76-72 by Oregon in the Midwest Regional semis at St. Louis -- an accurate forecast by Las Vegan/Los Angeleno and Professional Handicappers League member Big Al McMordie.

"I don't think so," former lawyer McMordie said Thursday when asked if he thought "our" Rebels could do it.

"That's why I gave my customers Oregon minus 2 1/2."

McMordie, who splits his time between the two Western American cities, and fellow PHL member/buddy Scott Spreizter saw one bubble burst Thursday night when their joint "big bucks" futures play on Texas A &
M at 50/1 went down the tubes.

"That's where are hearts (were)," he said.

Vegas bet shops predictably were crowded with locals, including rabid Rebel fans, who juggled their own hearts and heads; bookmakers, many of whom openly declared they were "homers" for the evening, did the same.

Sentiment always is nice consolation, but for gamblers a winning ticket and beating the house trumps it!

The Ducks, comfortably ahead during much of the second half, until the waning minutes, ended up with a cover (in many cases), thanks to a pair of last-second free throws.

The spread generally was Oregon minus 2 1/2 during the week, but the number crept to 3 by tipoff.

BoDog.com and CalNeva had it at 4.

Also winning Friday were No. 2 seed Georgetown in East Rutherford and top seeds North Carolina in East Rutherford and defending national champion Florida in St. Louis.

The 7 1/2 to 8-point favorite Hoyas squeaked past Vanderbilt 66-65, while the Tar Heels covered 8 to 9 with a 74-64 victory over USC and the Gators got a big scare from stubborn Butler, winning 65-57 but failing to cover 10.

Thus, it's still possible for all four No. 1 seeds to advance to the Final Four.

BoDog.com Friday night had top seed Kansas as a 2 1/2-point pick over No. 2 UCLA at San Jose in one Saturday affair, though 2s were out there.

Ditto No. 1-ranked and top seed Ohio State, which BoDog.com favored by 2 1/2 over Memphis in San Antonio.

Totals were 129 on the Jayhawks-Bruins and 135 on the Buckeyes-Tigers.

The March to Atlanta continues Sunday in St. Louis with Florida-Oregon and in East Rutherford with Georgetown-North Carolina.

Olympic opened the Tar Heels as 3 1/2-point choices and others followed.

McMordie says he has been "swimming" in hoops so much he's not yet up to speed on his baseball handicapping, but promises to hit the books, so to speak, when he returns from a European trip next week.

"Ask me about the Spurs," he added.

Boost Your Texas Hold'em Poker Profits With A Preflop Strategy

These texas holde'm poker tips will help use develop a
preflop strategy. This will keep you from playing too
many hands and getting sucked in to texas holdem pots
you just shouldn't be playing into. Should you be
playing that pair of 7's preflop? That all depends.

Let's check into some factors that will affect whether
you play those 7's in your texas hold em game.

Firt of all, you have to consider the number of players
in your game. The more players in the game, the tougher
the competition is going to be. There will be a better
chance of another player having a better preflo texas
holdem hand than you do. In addition, with more players
in your texas holdem game, there are more chances that
another player will hit a hand on the flop.

Are the players in your texas holdem poker game aggressive?
While aggressive hold em players can lose big, they can
also knock you out of the game pretty darn quick. You'll
want to play tighter with aggressive players in your game.
The last thing you want to do with aggressive players is
try to go over the top of them without a hand. You're
night of texas holdem poker will end quickly.

Your bankroll, the size of the blinds, and whether or not
you are playing limit or no limit texas holdem, will all
play a part as to how you play the preflop. This includes
the hands you'll bet into, and how much you'll bet. You'll
play the preflop differently with a bankroll of $2,000 at
a $1/$2 table than if you are shortstacked at a $10/$20
table. In the first example, you can play aggressively.

Another factor is your position at the poker table. Whether
you're in early position or late, especially preflop, will
greatly affect how much influence you can have on the pot,
as well as what hands you should play.

Your personality when it comes to playing texas holdem poker
will also influence how you play preflop? Do you play
agressively, betting often to see a lot of flops? Or do you
play tight and only play solid hands, which keeps you out of
a lot of hands? You have to find your playing style.

Finally, you'll want to have a general awareness of your
preflop odds in texas holdem poker. Here's a quick guide to
help you out.

A high pocket pair versus a smaller pocket pair (like QQ vs. 55)
will give you roughly an 80%/20% advantage preflop.

When you have a pocket pair and bet into two overcards (88 vs.
AK) is basically the toss of a coin, roughly a 55/45 advantage
to the pocket pair.

If you hold a pocket pair and bet into the same card with an
overcard (1010 vs. A10) you hold roughly a 65/35 edge.

Two over versus two undercards, such as KQ vs. J10, will give
you about a 60/35 advantage.

As you can see, texas holdem poker is most definitely a game
of skill and strategy. There is a lot that goes into whether
or not you even get into a hand preflop!

Texas Holdem Poker - How to Play Pocket Pairs in Tournaments

I consider middle pocket pairs to be pocket tens and pocket jacks. Middle pocket pairs can be tricky cards to play in tournaments, a lot of players consider pocket jacks to be a top pocket pair, this usually costs them lots of tournaments in the long run. Don�t make the mistake of thinking pocket tens or jacks are great all-in hands, they are good hands but need to be played well.

The difference from low pocket pairs and middle pocket pairs is small but makes a difference in how you might play them. With middle pocket pairs you have a better chance of getting a flop that contains all under cards. So having fewer opponents in the hand, especially blind hands, can be a great benefit. When playing these hands it�s a good idea to make a small raise, this builds the pot and gets some players out to limit the field. You don�t want someone to call you with 7,9 when you have pocket tens, only to hit a flop like 4,9,7. A flop like that would make you think have the best hand, but would most likely get crushed by two weak pair.

When there�s a small to medium raise in front of you it would be ok to call with a middle pocket pair. Just be careful if the flop comes all low cards, the raiser could have a higher pocket pair. If its just one on one I would make a medium bet or raise a medium bet. If the opponent make a re-raise muck you hand. Most likely he has a higher pocket pair. If he calls I would make another bet on the turn and check on the river. Be careful if over cards come, but don�t act too weak or your opponent may try to make a bluff.

Poker History

The beginning of the game that we today phone call Poker is unsure and debated. Most research workers hold that the name Poker is derived from the Gallic word poque, which in bend arises from the German word pochen – to knock. It is however uncertain whether Poker is actually related to the card games where players must strike hard the table to tag certain situations. Poker bears a keener resemblance to an old Irani game called As Nas. Some research workers therefore propose that As Nas was taught to Gallic immigrants in New Orleans by Irani seafarers, and later developed into Poker in America. Poker also resembles a Renaissance game called Primero and a Gallic game known as Brelan. In England, Brelan eventually developed into a game named Boast or Bragg, a card game where the possibility of bluffing is an of import portion of the game, just as in Poker.

One of the earlier adverts of Poker is from 1829, when an English histrion named Chief Joseph Crowell encountered a type of card game in New Orleans where a deck of 20 cards were used by four players. The players made stakes and tried to think which player had the best hand. In 1843, Jonathan H. Green published a book named “An Exposure of the Humanistic Discipline and Miseries of Gambling” where he described how this game spreading from New Orleans via the riverboats on Mississippi. Playing games was a very popular pastime on the Mississippi River riverboats. As the game spread, the rules were changed and a full deck containing 52 cards began to be used. One of the major rule alterations was the introduction of the so called flush.

A batch of the more than modern poker versions were invented during the American Civil War, including Draw Poker and five card Stud Poker. The consecutive was also introduced during this era. Around 1875 the usage of wild cards was added. Lowball developed around the same time, and the split-pot poker was invented around the bend of the century. The first poker games involving community cards arose around 1925. Some explores claim the U.S. armed forces are responsible for spreading the game to Asia during wars, where it is today very popular and a natural portion of the traditional Asiatic games.

Poker is a noticeable portion of the American history and the poker cant have even made it into standard American English. Most of us utilize poker cant in our every twenty-four hours linguistic communication even if we never have got played a single game of poker in our full life. Rich Person you ever called someone’s bluff? Had an ace up your sleeve? Described an unknown region or unpredictable factor as a “wildcard”? Beats me, ace in the hole, bluish chip, cash in, stack up, base on balls the buck, high roller, poker face and when the chips are down, are other illustrations of poker looks that have got made it into normal language.

During the 1970’s, the first World Series of Poker were played which popularised Poker tournaments at the American casinos. This is also the time when the first serious Poker books were published. Three of the most celebrated 1s are “The Theory of Poker” written by Saint David Sklansky, “The Book of Tells” by Microphone Caro and “Super System” by Doyle Brunson. Today, poker is played all over the world. Poker have grown increasingly popular during the up-to-the-minute decade, chiefly owed to the innovation of online poker and the hole-card photographic camera that made the Poker tournaments much more than interesting to watch for non-players. Poker is today considered a witness athletics and respective TV-shows are devoted to the game. The World Series of Poker and the World Poker Tour are two major Poker tournaments that are broadcasted via cablegram and satellite.

Party Poker

Most of the people enjoy playing party poker games as it offers the most variety of games at any given time day or night.

The people refuse to give up Party Poker because of its simplicity. Everyone may be logged into this particular poker room, but another reason is because of the choices on offer which are not available elsewhere.

On the weekends many people log to party poker, even those who do not have any ideas to play poker or play for fun rather than to win.

Party Poker is still alive and kicking even with so many new online poker room alternatives.

Go ahead and try any of the new ones out there, then when you are ready to shake up some excitement, head on back to the place where you can party 24 hours a day, the one and only Party Poker!