Already promoted Sheffield United also recorded a 1-1 away draw at Luton. Ahmet Brkovic gave the home side the lead after 72 minutes but Michael Tonge’s equaliser in injury time set up a 9/4 draw.

Watford stretched QPR’s winless streak to 10 matches as they won 2-1 at Loftus Road and ensured they would play their home leg in the play-offs second. Marc Nygaard gave the Hoops the lead via a penalty on 39 but Ashley Young equalised three minutes later. The 6/4 Hornets secured victory 12 minutes from time when Georges Santos put the ball into his own net.

Leeds recorded their first win in nine matches at the expense of relegated Crewe. David Healy struck the decisive goal for 6/10 United after 74 minutes.

A goal two minutes before half-time denied Preston all three points at Hull. Simon Whaley gave North End the lead after 33 minutes but an own goal from captain Youl Mawene 10 minutes later secured a 9/4 draw.

Crystal Palace won their first match in four attempts against mid-table Southampton. Andy Johnson gave the 9/10 Eagles the lead after 63 minutes but Ricardo Fuller equalised for the Saints six minutes later. Substitute Clinton Morrison made sure of a home win with nine minutes remaining.

A Kenny Miller penalty after 31 minutes secured a 7/10 win for Wolves against relegated Brighton. However, the result was overshadowed by an unhappy Molineux crowd who chanted “disaster”, “Hoddle out” and “sack the board” throughout the match.

Robert Earnshaw returned to Ninian Park and struck the winner for 11/5 Norwich as they beat Cardiff 1-0. Wales international striker Earnshaw, who spent seven years with the Bluebirds, struck the decisive goal after 16 minutes.

Ipswich ended an eight-match winless streak with a 2-0 victory against Derby. Nick Forster gave the 6/5 Tractor Boys the lead a minute after the break and Darren Currie made sure of the points on 65.

Relegated Millwall gave themselves some pride with a 1-0 victory over Burnley. Marvin Williams scored the only goal of the game on the stroke of half-time for the 7/5 Lions.

Championship Betting Review – 23 April 2006 is a post from: Online Casino Blog - Latest online casino and gambling news every day

Sheffield United grabbed a late winner against Hull to all but seal automatic promotion. Neil Shipperley after 36 minutes and Paul Ifill on 52 gave the 1/2 Blades the lead before Hull hit back through Stuart Elliott on 65 and Daryl Duffy five minutes later. Veteran defender David Unsworth smashed in the decisive goal at the death.

Watford could only manage a 1-1 draw with Luton, handing the advantage to Sheffield United. Marlon King struck his twentieth goal of the season to give the Hornets the lead after 36 minutes but Ahmet Brkovic equalised on 73 for a 12/5 draw.

Leeds are also unlikely to catch the Blades after a goalless draw with Plymouth. Without a win in six matches, shrewd punters will have snapped up the draw at generous 13/5 odds.

Preston moved up a place to fifth and are almost assured a play-off place after Norwich scored two own goals at Deepdale. Jason Shackell after 20 minutes and Gary Doherty on 38 did the hard work for 5/6 North End before half-time.

Despite losing 2-0 at Leicester on Friday night, Crystal Palace also look set for a play-off place. On-loan Andy Welsh broke the deadlock three minutes before half-time and Stephen Hughes on 87 sealed a 9/5 home win.

Wolves squandered a two goal lead against Coventry. Veteran Paul Ince broke the deadlock after two minutes while Colin Cameron added a second 20 minutes later. Stern John gave the Sky Blues hope after 25 minutes and Gary McSheffrey equalised on the hour for a 9/4 draw. Wolves are 10 points adrift in seventh place of both Crystal Palace and Preston.

Crewe dragged Sheffield Wednesday back into the relegation dogfight and are within a mathematical chance of survival themselves following a 2-0 win at Gresty Road. Gareth Taylor’s double strike on 31 and 45 completed step one of the great escape at 11/8.

Southampton effectively assured their survival in the division but sent opponents Brighton to the foot of the table with a 2-0 win at the Withdean Stadium. Ricardo Fuller netted first after 37 minutes and Richard Chaplow sealed a 7/4 away victory.

Derby also took a step closer to safety but pushed Millwall deeper into the relegation mire with a 1-0 win at Pride Park. Tommy Smith scored his sixth goal of the campaign to earn the Rams three points at 10/11.

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Dave Kitson gave Reading the lead five minutes before the break but veteran Paul Furlong looked set to spoil the party when he equalised for the Hoops on 72. But Murty secured victory with six minutes left from the penalty spot, scoring 3/10 Reading’s 99th goal of the season.

Sheffield United beat Crystal Palace 1-0 to ensure the Eagles finished in the sixth and final play-off spot. Chris Morgan scored the only goal of the game with nine minutes remaining for the 20/21 Blades.

Watford got the point they needed to finish third in the table after a goalless draw against Hull at Vicarage Road. The 5/2 draw means Adrian Boothroyd’s men now take a five-match unbeaten run into the play-offs semi final against Crystal Palace.

Preston earned a psychological edge over play-off opponents Leeds after beating them 2-0 at Deepdale. Brian Stock scored direct from a free kick after 38 minutes for the 6/5 Lillywhites and Brett Ormerod added a second on 77.

Wolves finished the season one place off but eight points adrift of the play-off places with a 2-1 win at Norwich. Denes Rosa opened the scoring on the stroke of half-time and Mark Kennedy doubled Wolves’ advantage on 71. Robert Earnshaw hit back for the Canaries two minutes later but Glenn Hoddle’s side held firm at 14/5.

Coventry finished the season strongly at the expense of out-of-form Cardiff. Stern John broke the deadlock for the Sky Blues after eight minutes but the Bluebirds levelled through Steve Thompson on 21. Dele Adebola on 65 and Dennis Wise in stoppage time sealed a convincing Even money win at the Ricoh Arena.

Stoke boss Johan Boskamp ended his tenure in charge on a high after thumping Brighton 5-1, making a nonsense of the 8/5 odds available. Youngster Adam Rooney scored after 6 and 22 minutes before Mamady Sidibe made it three a couple of minutes before the break. Rooney completed his hat-trick on 63 and Peter Sweeny struck his first form the club on 82. Doug Loft grabbed a consolation two minutes later but the result condemned the Seagulls to bottom position in the table.

Crewe won the battle of the relegated sides as they beat Millwall 4-2 at Gresty Road. Ben May drew first blood for the Lions after 15 minutes but Eddie Johnson equalised two minutes before half-time. Crewe went ahead through Nicky Maynard on 46 but Millwall drew level May on 58. Parity last just one minute as the Alex went in front again through Luke Varney and Steve Jones made sure of the 11/10 win six minutes before full-time.

Championship Betting Review – 1 May 2006 is a post from: Online Casino Blog - Latest online casino and gambling news every day

So in my experience, it’s better to relate those odds to some real-life situations. For instance, if you were told that the chances of having a SUCCESSFUL forthcoming surgery is 0.000072% (not even 1%!!!), would you go ahead with it? Probably not. So why play the lottery if your chances of winning are 0.0000072%?!

How about going to the bookies and asking to place a bet on a horse with odds of 1 to 13,983,816?! I did and I don’t think the bookie ever laughed so much in his entire life as he laughed then. But what’s so funny? Millions of people play the lottery each week at exactly the same odds!

Some people play the same combination week in week out. Statistically, they could wait 134,460 years for their combination to come up (assuming they enter their combination for both draws). If turtles could play, even they would stand little chances of witnessing their big win.

So why do people play? Well, first of all, it’s the financial freedom that can be attained if they win that jackpot. After all, they only have to spend ?1 to “be in it to win it”. Secondly, this feeling is intensified by watching other lottery winners opening their bottle of champagne, be it on TV, or newspaper, or the Internet. In psychology, it’s called the Availability Heuristic, i.e. most people assess the likelihood of an event based on how often they hear about it happening. “If they can win it, why can’t I, right?” and based on that, we go and buy a lottery ticket.

Don’t get me wrong, I play the lottery myself. I do not want to discourage you, in any way, in playing. My aim is to let you know of a better way to play the lottery. It’s an old concept of syndication or pooling, as Americans call it, with a new sparkle, called Lottorino, added to it.

Before you read any further, ask yourself this question “What would you rather – win 100% of nothing or small % of a substantial amount?” If it’s the latter, than you’re suited for CATCHALOTTO.

Catchalotto approaches lottery at a slightly different angle. The aim is to increase the odds of winning via

a) playing more unique combinations (removing duplications) AND
b) not playing combinations that appear to have some bias within them (like 1-2-3-4-5-6)

You all heard of a concept “syndicate”. Quite a few lottery tickets purchased today belong to some sort of syndicate. Whether it is a syndicate formed amongst friends, or work collegues, or family, or a mix of all, or a syndicate formed online with similar minded individuals. According to Camelot, 25% of jackpot wins belong to syndicates. So there you have it, syndicates do work. If you have been playing lottery for sometime now and not won much, then maybe it’s about time for you to try and join a syndicate and test the ground for yourself?

With Catchalotto you can join any available syndicate. You can see all the information online, it’s all interactive. You know exactly who played within your chosen syndicate, what combinations have been played, what syndicates won, how much it won and much more.

As per a) above, each combination submitted to a Catchalotto syndicate is verified in that it has not already been played within that syndicate. In the older days when Camelot used to release certain information about combinations played, apparently there were around 10,000 tickets purchased with the same combination – 1-2-3-4-5-6! Catchalotto’s thinking is why bet on the same horse twice? Instead of playing the same combination, you will be asked to play a different combination thereby improving syndicate’s chances of winning! If 10,000 different combinations played, the odds of winning become 1 to 1,398!

As per b) above, Lottorino Scoring Engine has been developed in order to sieve out combinations that appear to have some pattern within them. Combinations like 1-2-3-4-5-6 or 7-14-21-28-35-42 (all divisible by 7) are played by many, as combinations with all numbers below 31 (people tend to choose their and their relatives birthdays). If such combinations do come up, the jackpot will be split into so many parts, that you probably regret that you’d won this time round. Lottorino has been programmed so as to recognise patterns like that. When you submit your combination into a syndicate, Lottorino will quickly access your combination and let you know how random your combination appears to be.

Lottorino also includes certain filters that help improve the odds further. There has been written a lot of literature about lottery analysis. It is believed that certain combinations are less probable to be drawn. Now then, I know some people would say at this point that any combination stands the same chances of being drawn. Yes, it’s true – it’s possible for any combination to be drawn at any future lottery draw. However, certain combinations are less probable to come up. Notice the different words here – possibility versus probability.

Did you know that the same combination has never been drawn again in the UK National Lottery? Why play such combinations then? Why bet on the horse that is more likely to lose? If you look at Lottorino’s scores of all officially drawn combinations in the past, you would see that some do appear to have a low Lottorino score (i.e. Lottorino would have advised not to play it), but 95% of time, Lottorino score is 50% or above (i.e. a recommended advisable limit). So 95% of time, the odds would have been indeed improved by Lottorino.

If you want to build a clearer picture of Lottorino, please visit Catchalotto site and view Tutorial 1 (duration: under 2 minutes). You can see Lottorino at work there.

To sum up, it’s difficult to say by how much the odds of winning the jackpot improve. My personal guesstimate, backed by lottery analysts/mathematicians is with Catchalotto the odds of winning are 1 to 2,000,000, i.e. 7 times better! 7 is a magic number, wouldn’t you agree? Let’s just hope Catchalotto will perform its magic soon and prove itself for what it believes in.

The site is located at: http://www.catchalotto.co.uk

For more information about Lottorino please visit: http://www.catchalotto.co.uk/lottorino.html.

Catchalotto – a new approach to win the UK National Lottery jackpot is a post from: Online Casino Blog - Latest online casino and gambling news every day

Blackjack, Poker and More!

Aruba not only has all the best games a top casino would offer, but they also have invented games that have gone on to be worldwide sensations, like Caribbean Stud Poker. It was first created here in 1988, and is one of the few casino games that offers players a progressive jackpot. Of course, if you like the old standards, they have blackjack, poker, craps, roulette, and baccarat.

Table minimums typically start at $5, however some start at $10, depending on the casino. If slot machine action or sports betting is more your speed, they have plenty of that as well. US currency is used for all gaming in Aruba casinos, which makes it very easy for US tourists.

Dance the Night Away in Aruba!

Looking to dance until the morning dawn after your big win at the tables? Aruba is the place to be! There are plenty of exciting nightspots with great bands and DJ’s. All of the major resort casinos also offer unique entertainment such as beach barbecues, theme parties and other special events. Hotels and nightclubs may feature water ballet, limbo and fire dances, international entertainers, fashion shows, local dance groups, and steel bands.

Stage shows more your style? Aruba has great stage entertainment options, at two or three of the major resort casinos. One thing to remember is to make a reservation. Things book up fast!
If you want to see the most popular show, be sure to check out ‘Let’s Go Latin!’ at the Renaissance’s Crystal Theatre. Featuring 26 performers from Cuba’s top dance studios and more than 180 costumes, you’ll be impressed with the incredible choreography and quality of the performances.

Aruba: A Culinary Mecca

Who would have known that Aruba had such incredible dining? After you enjoy some pre-dinner casino action, be sure to try some of the great restaurants that make up the Aruba culinary scene. As clearly one of the best dining experiences in the Caribbean, this cultural melting pot is influenced by flavors, tastes, and cooking traditions from all over the globe. Whether you’re looking for regional Caribbean fare, traditional European fare, or Asian, you’ll be treated to a feast by Aruba’s award-winning chefs.

So, if you are thinking that Aruba is a minor player in the casino scene, you’ll be pleasantly surprised to see that it really is so much more. Every night you stay in this island paradise can be a busy – or relaxing as you want to make it; as entertaining or quiet as you desire. There’s really something for everyone. But be sure to play a few hands or pull a few slots at the casinos. There’s a world of fun waiting for you in Aruba!

Casinos In Aruba: It’s Not Just About The Gaming is a post from: Online Casino Blog - Latest online casino and gambling news every day

Of course, all the free food, live shows and other features are really there to help diversify your gambling experience. The real reason the casinos exist is to provide you with quality entertainment with games of chance. Those games have come a long way since the old James Bond movies where hero and villain sit across the casino’s roulette wheel or the poker table matching wits.

Today there is video poker, progressive slot machine gambling, video blackjack and much more. The high-tech games are just as enticing as their older counterparts, and when you hear the jackpot sirens ringing on these machines, there’s no question who won, or where. Casinos today are bigger, more sophisticated and more dazzling than ever before.

To get more people into the casino, many establishments are offering incentive packages including books of coupons for discounted drinks, and some even offer a ‘bet matching’ incentive coupon that doubles your winnings on certain games. The casino scene offers many enticements and incentives, but the main attraction is always fun. Take a casino trip with a spending limit, good moderation habits and you’ll have just as much fun as any other night spot in town.

Casinos – What Do They Offer? is a post from: Online Casino Blog - Latest online casino and gambling news every day

Gamble opens up new possibilities of the personality, which are often not displayed in ordinary life. Almost everybody wants to get rich at once, without any efforts. Game gives a hope for this, but luck is destiny of the chosen ones.

Origins of the game.
Game and gamble has followed the humanity since its first steps. A grain of gamble is evident almost in everything, starting from hunting in the primitive society and up to major financial deals in the 21st century. Elements of game are inherent to many competitions and entertainments, which our forefathers arranged. For example, it is evident in competitions in strength and deftness, which were later transformed into famous tournaments. Later on the first gambling games appeared. They were based on the element of chance, trying one’s destiny.

The historians believe that the very first game was casting various stones, shells, animals’ bones – these objects were the prototypes of the dice. Documental evidence of the first games is stored in the British Museum. Among this evidence are dice, made by an unknown Egyptian craftsman from the elephant’s tusk (16th century B.C.) and a board for playing draughts, also called checkers which belonged to the queen Hatchepsut (1600 B.C.).

Historical evidence attests that all ancient civilizations played dice. Astragalus,i.e. fetlocks of the animals, were mostly used as dice. The word “astragalus” also referred to tetrahedral bricks with indentations, which more resembled modern dice – hexahedral bricks with somewhat rounded corners, in which the opposite facets, when added up, always amount to seven.

In the old days the people played odd and even, cast dice in the circle or threw them, trying to hit certain openings. Dice were also widely used for fortune-telling. It is also interesting that the players treated dice with nearly reverent trepidation, as if the dice were alive: the players talked to them, whispered charms and tried to persuade them to bring victory.

Since their emergence dice almost at once became one of the most venturesome gambling games. The players placed everything in their bet: money, things, dwelling and even freedom (ancient Germans who lost in dice humbly became slaves). At the same time there appeared various lawful bans on this seemingly harmless game. For instance, in the 3rd century B.C. the first known in history law against gambling games was adopted. It was called Lex aleatoria (alea means a die).

In Ancient Greece there was a legend that the Olympic gods divided the “spheres of influence” by casting lots (Zeus got the Olympus, Poseidon received the ocean, and Hades came to rule the underworld). The laws of Ancient Rome formally forbade gambling games, but there was no specific punishment for violation of the ban. The only “penalty” for the players was the right of the defeated player to reclaim everything he lost, if he though that he was wrongly or unfairly defeated. Officially the games were allowed only once a year, during the Saturnalia (annual festivities in honour of the god Saturn).

Throughout the years the significance of the game increased. There appeared new game contrivances, for example cards. Some researchers argue that the first playing-cards appeared in China. In the Chinese dictionary, Ching-tsze-tung (1678), mentions that cards were created in 1120 (according to the Christian chronology), and in 1132 they were already widely used. Cards at those times were long and narrow plates with numbers from 1 to 14 on them. Four suits symbolized four seasons, and the number of cards (52) corresponded to the number of weeks in the year.

The prototype of the modern deck of cards is the Tarot cards. The first documentary witness that we know of refers to 1254, when Saint Louis issued an edict that forbade card game within France under the fear of punishment with a whip.

Other researchers call Egypt the homeland of cards. The Tarot deck was used for fortune-telling. It had 78 sheets – arkana (22 seniors and 56 juniors). The pictures on the senior arkans correspond to golden tables, which are preserved in the dungeon of the god Tote in Egypt. Their names are as follows: 1. Fool; 2. Magician; 3. Priestess; 4. Hostess; 5. Host; 6. High priest; 7. Lovers; 8. Chariot; 9. Power; 10. Hermit; 11. The wheel of fortune; 12. Justice; 13. The hanged man; 14. Death; 15. Abstinence; 16. Devil; 17. Tower; 18. Star; 19. Moon; 20. Sun; 21. Court; 22. Peace.

It is considered that cards reached Europe in the 10-11th century, during the crusades to the Near East. Other argue that the majority of card games were born in France, which is called the homeland of European cards. The first factory-made deck of Tarot cards included 56 cards of four suits (swords, wands, money and cups). Besides there were 22 trump-cards with numbers from 1 to 21. Every card had a name of its own: the emperor, the empress, the nun, the conjurer, the fool etc. Thus, the deck incorporated 97 cards. Gradually it was substituted by new cards, which more closely resembled the modern ones.

It is surprising that the symbols of suits and the suits themselves did not change since 15th century. In the Middle Ages card games were very popular among various strata of population, ranging from a king’s court to the common people. By the way, in those times cards were not only a means to beguile the time, but also a symbol of the society structure: hearts embodied the priests, diamonds meant the bourgeoisie, spades represented officers and aristocracy, clubs referred to the peasants.

Modern card games (poker, blackjack) arose in the U.S. in the second half of the 19th century. It is difficult to name them all. There are card games for adults and children, games for training logic and wit – and there are games just to beguile the time. The more mature is the individual, the more complex are the games he plays. Having become financially independent, he lets loose his gamble: makes bets, plays in the lotteries, makes bets on the totalizator and finally funds himself in the very temple of game, the casino. Here the individual totally submits to the game, which sharpens his feelings and emotions and makes him forget everything, but the green cloth and roulette wheel. The thirst for such feelings lures again and again those people, who have at least once been in the casino. Meanwhile, the skeptics say: “If you want to win in the casino, buy one of those”.

Casinos. History Of Gambling In Brief. is a post from: Online Casino Blog - Latest online casino and gambling news every day

War is a game of getting the higher card. If the player gets a higher card than the dealer, they win. There’s not too much to it. The game really gets exciting when both the dealer and the player get the same value of card, that’s when the battle starts. If both the dealer and the player both get the same value card the dealer will deal each of them three cards face down and one card face up. The person that has the higher card at this point wins. The player has the choice to not got to war, of course, and can fold if they get the same value of the card as the dealer before the battle begins.

While the game of War doesn’t enjoy the immense popularity that the game of Poker it does it is still an enjoyable game to pass the time. In fact, it might be one of the best choices for beginners because it gives a beginner the opportunity to learn the values of the cards before they get involved in more sophisticated games like Poker and Blackjack. Because War uses Poker cards this is a great place for people that aren’t sure of what the cards mean what to learn before they walk uneducated into a Poker room where the stakes will inevitably be much higher. War uses the same fifty two card deck of Poker cards that many of the other table games use. Because of this it is very easy for most people to transition to a game of War even if they have never played before.

While Poker and Blackjack remain the standard fare for most online casinos it is great that there are those online casinos that offer players more choices than just the same run of the mill games that everyone else does. For me variety is what life is all about and by offering several alternatives to the standard games, games that I love I might add, it makes the day a little better. Everyone gets a little tired of the same old thing from time to time and War is a breath of fresh air.

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While most casino vacations take place in well know gambling destinations such as Las Vegas, Atlantic City, Lake Tahoe and the Bahamas, others prefer to take a slow, leisurely and relaxing casino cruise on the open sea.

There are casino vacations for everyone from the leisure traveler to the serious gambler, from singles and couples, to entire families. Many airlines and hotels offer all-inclusive casino vacations, which range in price, depending upon the type of accommodations, number of people, length of stay, and destination. You can select the one that fits your budget and interests.

The highlight of a casino vacation is the casino itself, which offers a variety of table games, including poker, blackjack, baccarat, roulette, craps, pai gow, sic bo, video poker and rows and rows of slot machines. In addition, the casino usually has separate keno, horse races, and high stakes gambling areas. The sounds of people laughing, the clink of coins in the slot bins, the lights and bells, and the anticipation of a winning hand or a jackpot payout are exhilarating and exciting. You can gamble what you can afford, enjoy the free beverages, dine at reasonable prices, or take a chance on the giant wheel of fortune for cash and prizes.

Casino vacations may include tickets to a nightly show or evening entertainment, as well. Arcades and amusements for families with children are often available as a part of the vacation package. Whether you choose to gamble in the casino, take in a show, or do a little shopping, casino vacations are an excellent choice for unlimited fun and excitement. Why not book a casino vacation to Las Vegas today and see what the buzz is all about?

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If you are willing to set through a pitch for a vacation club, you can get your room and some shows for free. These vacation clubs use these incentives to gain access to prospective clients.

Casinos with large room occupancy offer specials for those visiting during the week and at what are considered off times. If there is no offer ask if there is one coming up or is there one you might qualify for in the near future. Maybe you could shift your visit in order to save a great deal on this necessary expense.

Holiday seasons and weekends are difficult times to locate deals if you wait until these dates are just around the corner. The only way to get a deal for these dates is to make your reservation well in advance.

If you are going to have an extended stay, look into renting a furnished condo for the month or longer. If you and another couple are making a similar vacation time, this can save a great deal of money over renting from a hotel or motel. Also you will probably save on the room tax as these rentals are considered in a different class than hotel and motel rooms.

Private residences are also open for longer stays as the people who own them are trying to use their property to make a little extra money.

If you are an RV person or a travel trailer owner, the places that rent to these owners are wiling to make deals for stays longer than a day or so. It never hurts to ask what they have to offer or are they wiling to negotiate an arrangement.

All of this information is readily found on the Internet using any good search engine. These searches are worthwhile as you can get a handle on what is being offered and at what price. Most of these sites will have a special for longer stays.

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