Tag Archives: sportsbook

000, Blackjack, Gambling, History, Horse Racing, Roulette, Sports

The history of gambling: From horse racing to card games

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Playing BlackjackBy We DigitizeWe Digitize.

Today, the most popular form of betting is sports betting. But how did betting begin, and what other betting games can you play?

Betting has always been a popular form of entertainment, and it has changed and evolved over the years. Learn how the most popular forms of betting originated and evolved.

Horse racing: The oldest sport in the world

Horse racing is arguably the oldest sport in the world. Horse racing dates back to the Olympic Games of ancient Greece in the period 700-40 BCE. Since then, the sport grew in popularity and spread to Medieval England, where horses were ridden by professional riders to showcase the animals to potential buyers.

Horse race betting started in the 17th century, and by the mid 18th century, horse racing had become such a popular sport, that it had turned into a proper sporting event, open to the public with larger fields of runners. Horse racing continued to grow in popularity up through the 1800s, and so did horse race betting. Today, however, the sport of horse racing has fallen in popularity, giving way to more popular sports.

Sports betting: A modern entertainment

Today, the most popular form of entertainment in sports, sports betting, has grown in popularity as well.  Although betting on sports has been illegal in most states for many years, the attitude towards sports betting seems to have changed drastically. With the legalization of sports betting the industry has grown, attracting millions of fans to participate in the old activity of sports betting. Now that people are becoming more and more interested in placing bets at their favorite sporting events, there is plenty of information to help you decide on a bet. Get your sports betting information here and start betting yourself.

Horse Racing

Blackjack: Luck or skill?

The game of blackjack is also very old. Some speculate, that the game dates back to the Romans. This theory, however, is not confirmed. Blackjack probably originated in France around the year 1700. In France, blackjack was called Ving-et-un, which means twenty-one. It wasn’t until the 20th century that the name of the game was changed from twenty-one to blackjack. The change occurred because casinos were promoting the game by offering bonus payouts, one of which was given if a jack of spades or clubs was dealt alongside an ace of spades. Eventually, the bonus payouts ceased, but the name of blackjack stuck. Today, blackjack is still being played in casinos. It is a game of both luck and skill.  For more information on the history of blackjack visit BlackjackHistory.com and click here to learn the rules of Blackjack.  

Roulette: A game of chance

Roulette was not a game, to begin with. It was invented by a French physicist and mathematician called Blaise Pascal in 1655. He intended to create a perpetual motion machine and not a casino game. In 1842, Francois and Lois Blanc added a zero to the wheel. This changed the game, giving the house a bigger house edge. The wheel was designed specifically for the king of Monaco, Charles III, whose kingdom was facing financial difficulties. By introducing the game of roulette with the added zero, the casinos of Monaco quickly generated income and made Monte Carlo a symbol of upscale gambling. Later, another zero was added, giving the house an even bigger edge.

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000, Online Gambling, Sports

Sports Betting Odds Demystified

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Sports BookBy Alex Larsen.

For those who are not experts in sports betting, all can agree to one thing: that reading, understanding and calculating game odds has never been easy. It takes some experience in the diverse gaming sector for someone to be fully conversant with the riddle of odds. The already amateur in this can agree that they were either taught or it took them quite some reasonable time for them to conveniently learn on their own. For that reason, blackjack has broken down the task for anyone who had the itching query about the entire concept of odds in games. So next time someone can bet confidently like a professional without experiencing goosebumps.

The three key aspects why you should understand gaming odds:

  • Betting odds help you to know what games are worth risking money on.
  • Odds can be used to calculate the probability of an outcome for a certain game.
  • Odds allow you to understand your expected pay out.

Betting odds help you to know what games are worth risking money on.

It is certainly true that everyone knows that gambling is a game of wins and losses. Nothing is ever guaranteed. Hence, by better understanding how odds work, you are in a better position to know where, when and how to place that bet with the least risk possible. The human psychology is often mounded in a manner that is geared towards winning and success.

To prove this fact, some people even engage in betting as an investment. To successfully do this, they engage in the sure bet formula to make sure that they have nothing to lose at all. It is very true that the math underlying the concept of odds can be an eye opener to whether the bet is worth it or not. One key factor to assess is whether or not the presented probability is higher or lower than the actual probability of the game. Hence, you have to put into consideration the bookmaker’s profit margin and the actual probability outcome of the game. However, you should not forget that probability is not reality.

Odds are used to calculate the probability of an outcome for a certain game.

Another expression for odds is chance or probability.1)Chance can be expressed either as a probability or as odds.  For more information, check the word odds in the Encyclopedia of Blackjack on this site. Odds can be better defined as a probability that something will occur or not. So, once the betting opportunity is identified and the probability assessed, the outcome should be higher than the probability implied. Hence, it is very vital to consider the estimates of the bookmaker. Furthermore, it is important to know that the odds that are always on display can never truly reflect accurate results. That is the probability of the results indicated occurring or not. One should also note that the payoff depends on the results of the odds reflected.

Getting to understand your expected payout.

The payout in sports always depends on types of odds being used. More importantly, payouts always include the amount of money that you put in. It is very simple to calculate the expected outcome of a game that you have placed a bet on. It is especially true when the odds are in decimal points. It is because you just have to multiply the number of odds by the amount you have placed for the bet. For other types of odds with either fractions or others, a bit of mathematics are needed for calculation. Still better enough, you can get betting tips for football and other games from sites like Bet365 games.

Different types of odds.

It is also very important for you to understand the different types of odds. A better understanding of the different types of odds enables you to know how you do calculations or your expected total payout. All odds come in different forms and styles. Hence as a serious gamer, you ought to know all these types of odds.  The common types of odds can be categorized into three. These are:

  • Fractional, also known as the British odds.
  • Decimal, also known as European odds.
  • Money line odds, also known as American odds.

European odds are the most conversant with most gamers. They are also the easiest when it comes to calculation based on total payout. 

Understanding more about the betting odds, how they are calculated and the risks involved in every betting game needs in-depth research. You also need to really be enthusiastic about sports and a very keen follower of Igames. Determining on which side of the match to place your bet is not always a walk into the park. It is always a double dilemma. There is the fear of losing and the excitement of winning. However, even with an in-depth comprehension of how the matches play, it is still not guaranteed that one is just prone to win. Placing a bet still remains to be a risk unless it is a sure bet. Sure bets have their own knowledge too.

Even podcasts that are run by some of the most experienced sports analysts, old football players, and retired coaches do fail at times. The work of these experts is to assist gamblers make the most informed decisions whenever it comes to betting tips and insights. These podcasts run by experts actually are very experienced experts.  They do a very critical analysis of matches based on past experiences and also the current state of the team. They use diversified data and facts to come to a convergent conclusion but winning is never guaranteed at all. Although at times the predictions hit right… at other times they do not.

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons

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Footnotes

Footnotes
↑1Chance can be expressed either as a probability or as odds.  For more information, check the word odds in the Encyclopedia of Blackjack on this site.
000, Sports

Where to find the best odds for the Breeders Cup?

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By Alex Dudley.

The Breeders’ Cup will be one of the big betting events of the year for horse racing fans around the globe.  That means that it will be more important than ever to ensure that gamblers can get the best odds on the selections that they want to make on the racing at Del Mar.

So, how important is it to find the best odds, and where can gamblers find the most lucrative prices for the races?1)The Breeders’ Cup World Championships is an annual series of Grade I Thoroughbred horse races, operated by Breeders’ Cup Limited, a company formed in 1982.

How Important Are Odds?

Anyone that has bet on horse racing in the past will understand just how important it is to make sure that they are betting on the best odds possible. It avoids the disappointment further down the line of finding out that you could have got higher returns betting elsewhere.

Breeder's Cup - Horse Racing

Not all sportsbooks will offer the same prices for the races taking place at Del Mar, with some going 2/1 on Knicks Go to win the Classic, while other sites may be offering a slightly bigger price at 4/1. Ensuring that you make your wager on the best possible odds is integral to all gamblers, and there are a number of ways to make sure that you get the best odds.

How To Find The Best Odds?

Finding the best odds for races at the Breeders’ Cup can be a time-consuming part of the research, but it does ensure that gamblers get the best possible returns should their selection get the win. The easiest way to find the best odds for the races taking place is to search for odds comparison sites, which were established to ensure that punters could get the best possible odds.

However, customers can also take matters into their own hands and just look at the various betting sites themselves to find the odds. All Breeders’ Cup races will have ante-post markets, which will ensure optimal value, as wagers will be placed before the final declarations have been made.

Ante-Post Betting

When it comes to huge races, such as the ones that take place during the Breeders’ Cup, ante-post betting is a popular way of making a wager for racing fans. These markets open before the declarations for the races have been made, which means that fans must examine a number of factors before making a wager. Most importantly, whether the horse will be traveling to Del Mar to compete.

The easiest way to see whether a horse stands a chance of making the trip is to look to see whether the selection has won one of the Breeders’ Cup challenge races. You can check past results for the Cup here: www.twinspires.com/breeders-cup/results

Horses that have won these will have an automatic berth for the race that they have qualified for, which means that connections will not need to pay for an entry. Regardless, ante-post betting ensures value on selections, as prices for the favorites will immediately be cut once they declare for the race.

Other Important Horse Racing Betting Features

While the odds are especially important when it comes to making wagers, a number of sportsbooks also offer a plethora of features that make them stand out from the crowd. Welcome bonuses are offered across the board, which will give new players more money to play with after signing up.

Some of the best horse racing betting sites will also offer unique promotions for races at the Breeders’ Cup, such as money back if your horse comes second, or extra places in some of the races with bigger fields. Many of the leading sites will also offer live streaming of the action, which will allow punters to watch the action on their mobile devices after making a bet.

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Footnotes

Footnotes
↑1The Breeders’ Cup World Championships is an annual series of Grade I Thoroughbred horse races, operated by Breeders’ Cup Limited, a company formed in 1982.
000, Online Gambling

The Future of Crypto and Online Casinos

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By Joshua Maddox

It has been said before and it will continue to be said, but the future is online. Everything has moved online these days. You can get medical consultations online, you can buy furniture and preview it in your room online, did you know you can even do your grocery shopping online now? The future is online, the future is now. So, today we’re going to be talking about the future of casinos and also technically the future of currency.

Over the last few years online casinos have become more readily available and the variety of online casinos from different companies has also grown drastically, but why would you need so many different options? Well one reason would be the currency you choose to use. If you asked me, I’d say we would be a cashless society within the next 20 or so years, everyone just uses their cards or android pay or whatever to pay for stuff now anyway, plus with cash being a primary spreader of Covid-19 during the pandemic, it kind of makes sense to me.1)There is no evidence that cash was a big spreader of Covid-19.  However, it is always a good idea to wash your hands after handling cash due to the build up of germs and bacteria on cash.  W.H.O.

Virtual Casinos
Virtual casinos have been adding more and more games to their platforms over recent years. There really is something for everybody.

Now going cashless doesn’t necessarily affect your ability to use online casinos, which would have us returning to the original question of why would you need so many different options? Well, another part of becoming a cashless society would be the use of Cryptocurrencies, as many of you may already be aware, cryptocurrency has been a growing (and shrinking) part of online trading for a big part of the last decade, seeing explosive growth in the last few years as more people develop distrust for their governments, and trading services and goods for crypto has also become more common alongside that. With places like youwager sportsbook and even Tesla now accepting cryptocurrencies from BitCoin to altcoins like Ethereum in exchange for betting stakes or, you know, cars in the case of Tesla.

But why would you accept Cryptocurrency if you were a Casino or like I mentioned above, a company like Tesla? Well, if we look back to February 2021, Tesla announced they had invested a huge amount of money ($1.5BILLION to be exact) into Bitcoin. On the 8th February, the day it was announced, bitcoin had a value of somewhere in the region of $38k per whole Bitcoin, assuming Tesla had purchased their Bitcoin a considerable amount of time before their announcement, they’ll have already made a bit of a profit, however within 24 hours of their announcement, a lot of people jumped on the bandwagon and the value of Bitcoin rose to $48k, then within the next two weeks that value rose again to $58k per Bitcoin. Tesla made over $1billion from their investment into Bitcoin.

Where am I going with this? Valid question. It’s no secret that Bitcoin, along with gold before it, is a volatile asset. Yes there is money to be made here, if you buy at the right time and sell at the right time, but you can also lose out. There’s a huge risk here. So if it’s that risky, why take that risk? Simple. It’s a gamble by the house. Let’s look at it this way. You’re sitting around the online roulette table. You’re having a good time, you’ve had some luck but you’ve also had some losses, swings and roundabouts. For your wins, you put 0.1 Ethereum on black and get 0.1 Ethereum back. Sweet! That Ethereum is currently worth $412.22, but in an hour it might be worth $300. So the casino hasn’t necessarily lost out as much in the long run.

Bitcoin Chart
Investing in Cryptocurrency is a just another gamble along the way. Are you lucky enough for it to pay off big?

However, what if you bet 0.1 Ethereum at $412.22 on Black then Red comes up, you lose your 0.1 Ethereum, sad times. This is where the house is taking their gamble, like I said that Ethereum could be worth $300 in an hours time, but what if, on the other side of the coin, that value goes up to $550? The casino is playing their own game by accepting cryptocurrency and they’re hoping their gambles pay off. Not only that, but it’s a pretty safe assumption to me that knowing a casino accepts cryptocurrency is a huge draw to a lot of people on the internet who don’t trust banks with their cash so they hold it all in volatile assets instead.

In my opinion, Cryptocurrency is the future, whether we’re living that future now is another question, but every day it seems new and more crazy cryptocurrencies are becoming readily available on trading platforms like $Doge and $Shib, more mainstream platforms have recently added these and they’re only adding a wider variation. What are your thoughts on this subject? Are you into online Casinos or do you prefer the physical experience, same for Cryptocurrency, have you got involved yet? Made any big trades? Let us know!

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Footnotes

Footnotes
↑1There is no evidence that cash was a big spreader of Covid-19.  However, it is always a good idea to wash your hands after handling cash due to the build up of germs and bacteria on cash.  W.H.O.
000, Gambling, Sports

How to Get Started with Sports Betting

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Football or SoccerBy We Digitize

Since you enjoy blackjack, you might also be interested in trying out sports betting. In this article, we will give you some tips on how to get started and how to take your blackjack knowledge into sports betting.

As an already experienced gambler, you have great preconditions to become a successful sport better. Sports betting is a game of knowledge, ability of prediction and gambling strategy. They all need to be combined to be successful.

As a blackjack player, you already have at least one of these three golden talents: insights on gambling strategies. Many beginners in sports betting go into the betting as sports fans and place their bets without great gambling knowledge. But to be a successful sport better, your knowledge of the sport is not enough.

You need to know when to take a risk and when your chance of winning is getting too low. With your blackjack experience, you have the skill of logical thinking and mathematical gaming training, which will give you an advantage over other sports betters, who rely purely on their sports insights. So, let’s take that advantage of your blackjack skills and stimulate your potential as a sports gambler with a few tips on how to get started with sports betting.

Set a budget

Few major results come from beginner’s luck. You need the training to become a winner. And that means you should be willing to accept some mistakes in your learning process. So, start by setting a budget of what you are willing to put at risk. The money should never be more than you can afford to lose.

In the beginning, your main focus should be on learning, so start with a low budget. Then each bet should be based on a low percentage of your total budget – let’s say 2 percent of the total budget. Then your whole budget isn’t ruined by a goal in the final minute that will change the result. As you become more experienced you can upscale your budget and make higher wages, while still sticking to the 2 percent rule.

Ping-Pong or Table Tennis

Don’t just bet on everything

One of the keystones to successful sports betting is to gain knowledge about your sport and predict winners, losers, or other results. So, you need to do your research to rely on something more reliable than your stomach feeling. Stick to one sport that you might already be following. Stay updated on relevant news, results, players’ shapes, and every other aspect that might influence the result you are trying to predict.

Pick the right bookmaker

The different sports bookers vary to a big degree in terms of odds, bonuses, special boosts, or which games they offer. But it isn’t difficult to gain knowledge about the different betting sites. You can visit an online betting guide that will show you all the best, licensed online betting companies. Furthermore, you can read about the latest betting news and get information about bonuses or other advantages. It will also inform you about special gambling regulations in your home state, so you are on top of the local gambling laws.

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000, Online Gambling, Sports

Smartphones are Changing the Online Gambling Industry

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Smartphones Changing Online Gambling IndustryBy Oscar Salazar

How have smartphones changed the online gambling industry and the way we gamble?

Cell phones have evolved exponentially since they were first introduced to the public in the 1990s from a simple device used to make phone calls to a fully-fledged handheld computer otherwise known as a mobile device. Today, billions of people around the world have a mobile device and they’ve become an integral part of people’s lives. Mobile devices are portable and light and can be just as powerful as desktop or laptop computers. They’re used to connect us with both people, information and other smart technology, they allow us to work remotely from home or on the go, they entertain us and they do practically everything else in between.

The online gambling industry debuted around about the same time as cell phones did in the 1990s, but few could have foreseen then the power couple that they’d become in the 2000s, thus revolutionising how the gambling industry is viewed and how we play and gamble at the same time.

In the mid-2000s, smartphones were introduced to the public and instantly changed the world forevermore. They tipped the world off its axis, charting a new path for civilisation towards a future that was unimaginable just a few decades before. And ever since the advent of smartphones, innovation has only picked up pace, pushing the boundaries of imagination and the realms of possibility.

Industries have had to adapt to the little device otherwise they’d have risked being made redundant. One of the quickest industries on the uptake, experiencing the greatest transformation since the smartphone’s introduction, is the gambling industry. And thanks to their adaptability, tapping into innovation and technology, the gambling industry has enjoyed unparalleled success and growth over the last two decades. What’s more, the growth is showing no signs of slowing down any time soon.

On the contrary, it’s growing at a faster clip than previously predicted, thanks to an unexpected boost few could have foreseen in the form of a global public health crisis. The gambling industry cashed in HUGE on the unprecedented coronavirus pandemic that rocked the world and shuttered most industries and brick-and-mortar retailers for extended periods since March 2020, when the World Health Organization declared the world was facing an extraordinary global pandemic.

The very manner in which smartphones revolutionized the gambling industry is behind one of its success against the backdrop of a global pandemic.

So, how have smartphones revolutionized the gambling industry? We’re going to have a look in this column at some of the key impacts of smartphone technology on the industry. Let’s have a look…

Smartphones have made betting easier

Another Level To Ease of Access

Smartphones have made betting easier and even more convenient to bet on sports no matter where a person is. Online gambling was already popular because it allowed bettors to get in on the action from the comfort of their own homes, but smartphones have taken it up another level. They’re increasingly replacing desktops and laptop computers because they allow bettors to get in on the action from anywhere and everywhere – be it from the comfort of their own home or on the go. So, whether bettors are looking at betting odds or to play virtual casino games, smartphones make it much easier to do what they want. Everything is at their fingertips, including live offers, up-to-date odds and live betting lines

Live Odds

Live betting lines are real time information for sports fans and act as an invaluable up-to-date source of information. Sports betting odds are fluid, the ebb and flow determined by many variables – team and player news, injury reports, weather, public betting trends and so on. Therefore, odds can and will fluctuate all the time and up to game time. In the morning, the odds for a certain game, match, event… might have looked one way but closer to time the odds might have changed slightly or dramatically. With a smartphone, bettors can stay abreast of all and any market changes in order to place the bet that they feel the most comfortable with.

Bonuses and More Offers

Bonuses and other offers and rewards set apart online sports betting sites and casinos from the brick-and-mortar bookmakers and casinos. Thus, giving them a competitive edge as they try to lure gamblers away from these traditional gambling outlets. The ease of access that smartphones provide goes both ways: gamblers can access gambling sites directly from a phone, via mobile apps or mobile-friendly websites, while gambling sites by that same token can reach out to their customer base with similar ease, using text messages, SMS, email or in-app notifications to alert users to various bonuses and promotions in real-time.

The unrestricted access that gambling websites have to their customer base is critical to marketing initiatives that are designed to keep customers engaged, such as bonuses and other offers and rewards. Typically, these will come with calls to action, prompting bettors to react instantly before they expire. Some gambling websites offer standalone mobile offers which can only be accessed with smartphones, thus providing incentive to download apps or to access the site using mobile-friendly websites.

Safety and Convenience

Carrying wads of cash is never safe or recommended, and having to go to the bank to make withdrawals in order to dabble in some gambling activity – be it betting on sports or casino – can be a hassle for many whose day-to-day lives are already busy enough. With the advent of smartphone banking and apps such as Apple pay, Paypal and other pay-by-phone apps, funding online gambling activities couldn’t be more safe or convenient, not to mention instantaneous.

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000, Blackjack, History

Five Key Lessons from Card Counting Masters

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Do Your ResearchBy Alicia Davis

Those with a passing interest in blackjack have likely looked into card counting legends like Edward Thorp and Al Francesco. Most gaming enthusiasts know that blackjack offers the best odds to win against the house—but card counting is a surefire way to beat the dealer.

Even better, it’s not illegal. Though most casinos will track suspected counters and the skill doesn’t exactly translate to online play, that doesn’t stop pros and newcomers alike from checking out the ropes. But first, players have to learn the basics, like knowing when to split, when to double down, or when to take a break. 

But when it comes to card counting, knowing when to stay at a table is even more important—and it’s not always dependent on when the count is in or out of their favor. Similar to how sports bettors will cross-reference odds from a variety of sportsbooks, blackjack pros may also choose to remain loyal to one company in search of exclusive offers. 

For example, one FanDuel sportsbook review highlights the group’s same game parlay capabilities. Punters who bet with FanDuel will have more competitive offers on the table for their loyalty, which could lead to competitive bonuses on parlays or other bets, leading to much higher payouts.

Similarly, a card counter may choose to stick around at a table with a cold deck, looking for a larger payout in the future—or, in some cases, to avoid raising suspicion. In other words, the standard advice may not always apply to those diving into card counting.

Let’s take a look at five key lessons from history’s most successful card counters.

Al Francesco: Teamwork Makes the Dream Work

There’s plenty for the average blackjack player to admire in pro Al Francesco. First of all, he wasn’t a natural-born mathematician. Instead, he spent hours and hours learning to count cards and battling headaches. 

Eventually, Francesco turned his hobby into a money-making endeavor in Reno and Tahoe using the Ten Count strategy. However, his biggest contribution to blackjack was forming card counting teams to alleviate the demands on a single counter. Francesco and his ever-shifting team brought home hundreds of thousands throughout the late 1960s and early 70s.

Edward Thorp: Stats > Emotion

So who did Al Francesco learn to count cards from? The original strategy came from Edward Thorp, regarded as the father of card counting, and his debut work Beat the Dealer (1962). Thorp was a mathematician who drew on his probability skills and applied them to blackjack.

Many consider Thorp to be the first true master of blackjack. Similar to his work in the financial sector, Thorp’s message for card counters is this: hard stats will yield reliable probabilities. The most successful players don’t rely on emotion or even experience but stick strictly to the numbers.

Build a team that’s skilled and trustworthy
Build a team that’s skilled and trustworthy!


Tommy Hyland: It Pays to Know the Rules

As mentioned above, card counting isn’t illegal—but that doesn’t mean casinos like or tolerate the practice. And it certainly doesn’t mean large companies losing hundreds of thousands to experienced card counters won’t attempt to hold them accountable.

Back in 1979, blackjack enthusiast Tommy Hyland formed his own card counting team. Over the years, over two hundred different players moonlighted as part of his team, and more than one attempt has been made at taking Hyland to court. However, no charges have ever stuck, as Hyland knows the rules related to card counting, signaling and more—and has never officially broken them.

Ken Uston: Know Who to Trust

As one of the most high-profile card counters in the world, Ken Uston is regarded for his high IQ and card counting precision. His skills landed him on Al Francesco’s card counting team but exposed the team’s secrets in a 1977 tell-all book, The Big Player. 

What’s the lesson to be learned from Uston? Don’t be overly trusting with team members and make sure everyone is incentivized to toe the line.

Peter A. Griffin: Keep it Basic

Similar to Uston, Peter A. Griffin is hailed for his intellect. But rather than card count himself, Griffin preferred to observe other counting teams and take notes. In fact, he never opted into blackjack but preferred to construct theories from the sidelines.

Griffin’s lesson is to keep it basic—both for the purpose of enjoying what you’re doing and to keep complex strategies as simple as possible. In the end, blackjack has only one goal: to beat the dealer!

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