That, folks, is an astonishing 93% and I can live with those numbers any time of the year. Andruw Jones was 5-for-5 with two homers and matched his career high with six RBIs helping the Braves to become the first team since the ‘30 Yankees to score 10 or more runs in five straight games with a 14-5 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday night.

Adam LaRoche, Chipper Jones and Brian McCann also homered for the Braves who have scored 65 runs during an offensive explosion that includes two 15-run games. The last time the franchise reached double figures in five straight games was in 1897 when the Braves were called the Beaneaters and they totaled 61 runs.

The 65 runs in five games is the best by the franchise since those same Beaneaters totaled 78 including 25 in one game and 21 in another from May 31-June 3. The Braves have 81 hits during their five-game run and 98 in their last six going back to an 8-3 victory over Cincinnati on July 9 which is the last game before the All-Star break.

Chipper Jones was 2-for-4 to extend his hitting streak to 18 games, all but four multihit efforts. He’s batting .534 (39-for-73) during the streak with eight homers and 23 RBIs.

During their six-game winning streak they’ve outscored their opponents 77-32 and they’ve hit 19 homers in the last five games — the most for the franchise in a five-game span and only two off the major league record set by the 1977 Boston Red Sox and 1999 Cincinnati Reds.

The Cardinals lost 15-3 in the opener of the three-game series on Monday and trailed 13-1 in the fifth Tuesday, a two-game sequence reminiscent of blowout losses to the Chicago White Sox by 20-6 and 13-5 on June 20-21.

After ripping starters Jeff Weaver and Jason Marquis, Atlanta faces Chris Carpenter (8-4, 2.85 ERA) in Wednesday’s series finale. He beat the Braves on July 4 by holding them to two runs and four hits in five innings of a 6-3 road win, his first victory in four career starts against Atlanta.

Carpenter is going for his third straight win after striking out seven in pitching a two-hitter in the Cardinals’ 5-0 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday.

If you’re into sports betting and winning, play the over!

Bob Acton

Online Sports Betting

While people do follow certain betting methods at the roulette table, they are really based more on probability, not on the game itself. After all, roulette is a true game of chance, so strategizing only takes you so far. Still, you may find yourself a system that will make you comfortable when playing roulette, and that will take off a lot of the stress that games of chance can bring.

The most common method of betting in roulette is known as the “Martingale” system which first came about in France during the 18th century. In this system, you start off with a fixed bet; let’s say $5, since that is a common minimum bet at roulette tables. You bet with this amount until you lost, at which point you double your bet continuously until you win. Once you do win, you will be betting enough to get back all the money you lost previously, and then some. Just make sure not to start off betting at the maximum, because you won’t be able to double from there. There is also a system called the Anti-Martingale system where the gambler reduces the amount of a bet after a loss.

Progressive betting is also a fairly common system. You start off betting a fixed amount, and whenever you win you will increase your bet by that much. So if you start off betting $5 and win, your next bet will be $10. Win again, and it’s $15. When you lose, subtract the initial amount and you’ll have your next bet.

These are only a couple examples of betting techniques other roulette players use. Once you play enough, though, you’re likely to develop your own strategy. Finding one that’s comfortable for you will be the best thing you can do in the game.

There are several types of poker games now played around the world, privately, in a casino, and now, online. Each variant has its own strategy and set of rules, though the concept remains the same. The best hand wins. Developing your strategy is key to playing a good game. In poker, you are almost always playing to win, especially when money is at stake. You want to minimize your risk while maximizing your winnings. There are two types of poker discussed here, limit and no-limit.

Limit poker is recommended for beginners where a set amount is bet. In no-limit poker, however, you are able to win big pots with all-in bets, even when you don’t have the best hand. This is not recommended for beginners as they often make mistakes that wind up costing them a lot of money. If you are a beginner it is advised that you stick to limit poker until you are a more experienced player and have had an opportunity to develop your strategy.

No-limit texas Hold’em strategy. In no-limit Texas Hold’em poker, the all-in factor is what allows you to bully your opponents and take a dominating position in the game. This strategy can work for you if you know how to use it.

One of the best times to go all-in is when you steel a pot from your opponent, however, when you do this, you must be sure the hand meets these conditions.

You want outs. If your opponent calls, there should be cards left in the deck that could help you win the hand. Even if the odds are bad, you still want outs.

You must have a solid read on your opponent. If you are going to steel a pot, you must be confident that the other player will fold.

Those of you not familiar with the latest on internet poker now have at least a basic understanding. But there’s more to come.

You want to have good positioning. Though this isn’t considered to be as important as the first two conditions, positioning is what usually allows you to get a solid read on opponents.

The key is knowing that your opponent will fold. If you choose to play a hand aggressively, know that it could lead to higher bets. This is why you want to go after players who have shorter stacks than you. If a worst-case scenario occurs and you lose an all-in match, you are still not out of the game.

A secondary benefit to this strategy is that if a player has fewer chips it will be easier to play the hand more aggressively and will further lower your risk.

No matter what strategy you try to adopt, remember that it is important to know as much about the habits of your opponents as possible. You will want to use different strategies in different situations, and in different games with different opponents.

Hopefully the sections above have contributed to your understanding of internet poker. Share your new understanding about internet poker with others. They’ll thank you for it.

Steve
Internet Poker

As a result the popularity of US Sports betting has also risen simply due to the fact that there is more for the ‘leisure’ bettor to get involved with and more enticing odds that those in the two horse race that is one side or the other to win. Whilst there is a huge lobby to restrict internet betting in the US the feeling that the bird has flown the nest is very strong as off-shore operators are queuing up for the business and many have now even listed themselves on the UK stock exchange giving them an immediate credibility.

For those of you with a nervous disposition it’s probably worth turning away now as the biggest growth area in betting in the US, outside of the monster that is Poker, is College sports! Yep, I’m afraid bookies will take bets on almost anything if the appetite is there – one was taking bets on how would die in the latest Harry Potter book another on the outcome of the Michael Jackson trial. Is nothing sacred, apparently not? And the NCAAF is no different – but before we judge to harshly, let’s not pretend that private underground wagering on the College sports has been massive for years so why not bring it out into the open. For those interested, Florida State and Miami are joint favourites in the ACC Conference Championship.

In the more mainstream fields Indianapolis just head the betting in the NFL over New England for the Superbowl XLI, its hard to split the Detroit Red Wings and the Ottawa Senators (who, with a name like, that should certainly know better than have a bet) in the Stanley Cup and in the MLB World Series its very tight in the betting between the New York Mets, Chicago White Sox, Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees.

Well, happy betting as our eyes start to turn away from the World Cup (that’s soccer to those who only follow the US stuff) and look forward to a new season of Hockey, Baseball, American Football and Basketball

We hope this helps but visit TheSportsman.com or read the paper, out every day for more tips and hints.

Minnesota (59-41) has won 34 of 42 since June 8 to cut what was an 11-game deficit in the wild card to a half-game.

“We’re just playing really good baseball,” said manager Ron Gardenhire, whose team was 25-33 nearly seven weeks ago. “People keep talking about the streak we’re on, but streaks don’t last two months or a month and a half.”

The Twins caught the struggling Chicago White Sox, who have led the wild-card race for most of the season, by completing a three-game sweep with a 7-4 victory Wednesday. Minnesota and Chicago are right behind the New York Yankees, who open a three-game home set against Tampa Bay on Friday night.

The Tigers under veteran skipper Jim Leyland have maintained their composure and now must deal with the newest phenom in the American League and that would be none other then rookie pitcher Francisco Liariano. The Twins look to keep rolling Friday behind Liriano (12-2, 1.93 ERA), who pitched poorly against the Tigers in two relief outings this season, allowing seven runs and 11 hits in 3 2-3 innings for a 17.18 ERA.

Since being moved into the rotation, though, the rookie left-hander has become a leading contender for the CY Young Award, going 11-2 with a 1.59 ERA in 13 starts. Minnesota is 2-7 this season against Detroit and has been outscored 64-25. In a three-game sweep from April 28-30 at Comerica Park, the Twins were outscored 33-1. The Tigers (68-33) have the best record in the major leagues, and their 30-13 mark against divisional opponents is also tops in baseball. Detroit leads the AL Central by 8 1/2 games over Minnesota and Chicago.

The question mark for all contending teams is the starting pitching and the Tigers send a struggling Zach Miner to the hill tonight. Miner has lasted only 6 2-3 combined innings and given up 10 earned runs in losing both of his starts since the break. In his first seven starts after being recalled in early June, the right-hander was 6-1 with a 2.57 ERA and didn’t allow more than three runs in a game.

Detroit gave Miner a five-run lead after one inning Saturday against Oakland, but he surrendered five runs in the top of the second and was pulled after a season-low 2 1-3 innings of a 9-5 loss.
Detroit has lost 9 of the past 12 in Minnesota and will be a dog tonight!

Bob Acton

Online Sports Betting

The Sportsman is the UK’s newest daily newspaper and website devoted entirely to sports betting and racing so who better to guide you through the basics?

Betting has an awful lot of jargon but it’s not nearly as complicated as you might think. The most popular bet in football outside of the straight forward who will win the World Cup or Premiership itself is the match betting.

The first thing to remember when betting on a football match is that it’s not a two horse race! A lot of people think that you are betting on, say, England or Sweden to win the match – which, of course you can but forget the draw at your peril. Bookmakers pay out on matches on the score after the first 90 minutes so extra time is not included and anybody who knows football knows that there are plenty of draws so don’t be afraid to back the draw.

Another very popular bet is who will score the first goal. Now whilst this is an obvious and appealing bet it is very hard to get right. Most bookmakers now offer a slightly different bet that gives you a much better chance of backing an all important winner, namely your chosen play to score at any time during the match. With the first scorer option your bet can be finished in the first minute whereas with the ‘to score during the match’ you can win at any time until the final whistle.

Predicting the correct score is another very popular choice though again not as easy thing to get right and again for an easier option most bookmakers now bet on the number of goals there will be in a match. So if you get the right number of goals but they don’t have to be the actual correct score, i.e., Liverpool 2 Spurs 1.

The other factor that often confuses those new to betting is the odds themselves – what does 6/4 mean? Basically, 3/1 most understand – you place £1 and win £3 – but remember if you win you also get your stake back too so your full return would be £4 (a profit of £3). Odds like 6/4 are less complicated than they appear – essentially if you divide the figure on the left by the one on the right and you get what the odds mean to a £1 stake. So in the case of 6/4, divide 6 by 4 and you get 1.5. The example, 6/4, is therefore 1.5/1. If you bet £1 at 6/4 you receive £1.50 profit and your stake back.

We hope this helps but visit TheSportsman.com or read the paper, out every day for more tips and hints.

Let’s start with the glamour division and of course I am referring to the American League East where the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox have been trading punches since the opening week of April and George’s boys are now sitting in the penthouse.

Lurking down in the lobby are the Toronto Blue Jays who have fought off injuries to their starting pitching staff, with superb hitting and are 32-25 and are just three games back. Toronto has made it clear from the get go, that they will spend money during the season in order to contend.

In the AL Central my 9-1 betting bonanza and that would be the 2005 Chicago White Sox are scuffling a bit after a torrid start and presently trail the Motown Detroit Tigers. The Tigers began the first 50 games under Jim Leyland in spectacular fashion, but injuries are beginning to hit them, with the latest being to Pudge Rodriguez.

At 28-29 the Cleveland Indians will make a move at some point and placing a few bucks on them, could provide you with a nice return on your dollar. The AL West with Texas, Oakland, Seattle and Los Angeles is a crapshoot, with only 5.5 games separating the VIP section and the cheap seats. The first place Rangers incidentally are the only team in the West with a winning mark in games played within the division and against the powerful AL East and you cannot ignore that vital gambling statistic.

The New York Mets like their neighbors the Yankees like to throw the money around and they sit atop the NL East presently, but the Phillies and Braves can almost reach out and touch them. With 14 straight division titles, I certainly would think about a wagering a few bucks on them to win once again.

The Cardinals are suddenly trying to ward off the Cincinnati Reds who are getting healthy and pounding the ball. The Cardinals meanwhile have all kids of injury issues with Pujols and ace Chris Carpenter does not look stable.

Just like their counterparts in the AL West, the NL West Diamondbacks, Dodgers, Padres, Giants and Rockies are in a fierce battle for supremacy. Just six games separate the top and bottom, with Arizona leading the pack. The Dodgers are getting superb play out of Garciaparra and if their veterans can stay healthy, watch out!

Bob Acton

Current baseball betting lines

We have very similar thoughts about comparing ballpark statistics. There are some stadiums that could be classified as “pitchers’ ballparks” while others could reasonably be labeled more friendly to hitters.

Yet again, we have to give props to the four-letter evil empire ESPN. In their fantasy baseball section, they have a straight-forward “Park Factor” that compares that rate of stats at home versus the rate of stats on the road. A rate that is higher than 1.000 favors the hitter, with lower than 1.000 favoring the pitcher.

Still, statistical reliability would assume the quality of the opponent has been equal at home and on the road. Random chance indicates some teams will face or use a disproportionate number of aces and No. 2 starters in one location. This deviation is just one example.

Then there is wind direction. Perhaps several teams have had the wind blowing in straight from center a higher percentage while other squads has an overbalanced number blowing out to leftfield.

Why, according the ESPN Ballpark Factor, is Boston the top hitters’ park this year, but was 13th last season?
As of this writing, Rogers Centre in Toronto is the second best pitchers park, yet last year it was a hitters paradise ranking 7th in hitting (24th pitching).

Petco Park is a rare exception. They are currently the top pitcher’s ball orchard after finishing first each of the previous three years and third in 2003.

So how do the elite gamblers use the stats? To measure the reliability of pitchers’ splits is how we employ them. For example, virtually every Padre is going to have statistically better stats at home than on the road. The fact that Chris Young, Greg Maddux, and

David Wells have significantly better stats at home than on the road proves to be the rule, not the exception. Hence the educated eye realizes there is not an angle in their respective splits.

Yet Jake Peavy is actually a better pitcher on the road than at home. This is an advantage for the gambler. A pitcher’s splits are most effective when measured against the ballpark stats.

Is there an edge for the over/under better? Often short-term, but rarely is the edge long-term as the sportsbooks adjust. As of June 19, the Padres last eight road games and 11-of-12 has seen a posted total of 8.0 or higher.
Yet 15 of their last 18 home games have seen a total of 7.5 or lower. Thinking somehow the sportsbooks are oblivious to such angles is one way for a gambler to subsidize bookmakers.

The Park Factor statistic is a valuable handicapping weapon, but more for statistical validation. Those who think they’ve found the Holy Grail with stadium comparisons are not in the same ballpark as the sharpies.
Brand new features: live odds, matchups from StatFox and Sports DataBases, injuries, free picks and more. Click here. Approved sportsbooks are at www.linetrackers.com

In fact not only is Clint Hurdle’s team +112 tonight, the over/under is 9 and that is surprising considering the fact that the A’s have not scored a run in 22 innings.

Barry Zito seeks to win his sixth straight start on Wednesday as Oakland tries to salvage the finale of a three-game series against the Rockies at Coors Field. Zito (8-3, 3.51 ERA) is 6-0 with a 3.28 ERA over his last seven starts, including victories in each of his last five. The left-hander pitched eight strong innings on Friday, giving up three runs and eight hits while striking out a season-high 11 batters in a 7-3 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Rockies (36-35) have never seen, as Zito has never faced Colorado.

The Rockies have now recorded four shutout wins at Coors Field this season, the most in a single season in that stadium’s history. Colorado also registered shutouts on consecutive days at home for the first time in the 14-year history of the franchise.

Slumping third baseman Eric Chavez went 0-for-3 on Tuesday. Chavez is 6-for-39 over his last 11 games, dropping his average from .285 to .262. Oakland center fielder Mark Kotsay returned to the lineup and went 0-for-4 after missing the previous five games with back spasms. Kotsay had hit safely in his previous eight games, batting .333 (11-for-33)!

The Numbers Favor Colorado!

Matt Holliday is batting .462 (24-for-52) with 14 runs scored over his last 13 games for Colorado, which is 5-0 in interleague play this year. The left fielder is 9-for-18 with five runs scored against AL opponents this season.

Manager Hurdle plans to give right-handed hitters Choo Freeman and Ryan Spilborghs starts in the outfield on Wednesday in place of left-handers.

Brad Hawpe and Cory Sullivan and the Rockies are 7-3 against left-handed starters this season.

Colorado’s Jamey Carroll is hitting .423 over the past 14 games after going 2-for-3 against the A’s. … Oakland’s pinch hitters were 0-for-2, stretching the A’s hitless streak to 29 at-bats over spanning two seasons, including 0-for-19 this year.

Dare I suggest Colorado wins 6-0!

Online Sports Betting

In Germany there will be 12 stadiums, hosting 64 games that will put 3 million derrieres in the seat and the host country tackles Costa Rica on day one. Staggering numbers reveal 1.5 BILLION people will watch the opening match and 35 BILLION will take in the tournament and wagering outlets will be staffed to the maximum.

The Belmont Stakes from New York will wrap up a disappointing Triple Crown series that gave us the wonder horse Barbaro and then shattered our dreams with a freakish injury. I have been touting Bon & John all spring and like him in an exacter with Steppenwolfer that was named after the 70’s rock band Steppenwolf.

Last night the Dallas Mavericks got subpar scoring games from stars Dirk Nowitzkie and Josh Howard, but Jason Terry lit the Heat up for 32 points. They also got some quality minutes from Eric Dampier to subdue the listless Heat. Once again the fragile foul shooting of NBA players is alarming and how are you going to win when just two players on the team get to the charity stripe. Shooting 36% (7-19) on a skill that you have practiced since kindergarten is perplexing to say the least.

The Edmonton Oilers are in serious trouble down 2-0 to the Carolina Hurricanes and look for the Chris Pronger team to lay a beating on the North Carolina based Canes. This series is far from over and I look for it to go the full seven.

All baseball eyes are on the Chicago Cubs who are floundering and this may result in the dusting of manager Dusty Baker. The Cubs have lost 11 of their last 16 overall, falling 12 1/2 games out of first place. At 23-36, they’ve matched their season low mark of 13 games under .500.

For the Cubs, it was another night of futile at-bats against the Reds Brandon Arroyo and two relievers. Chicago has lost three in a row, getting a total of 15 hits and two runs in those games.

The PGA tour is in Rye, New York for the Barclay Classic a tuneup for the US Open and Tiger Woods is resurfacing. The nine-week layoff is the longest of his career, and Woods said he isn’t sure what to expect out of his game. But having playing 18 holes at Winged Foot on May 27, he knows what to expect from the course.

Mike Weir is in striking distance after round one and you may want to place a bet on him to win this weekend.

NASCAR parks their trailers in the picturesque Pocono’s this weekend and the Roush team as usual will be front and centre as they have won the past two events staged there.

Happy Wagering!

Bob Acton

Online Sports Betting