Chances for winning by the losers

In baseball, it has come close (see 2005 San Diego Padres, 1973 NY Mets). In the NFL, only two .500 teams have made the playoffs since 1991 (1991 NYJ, 2004 STL). In the NBA, however, it has been the norm to find teams with a losing record compete in late April and into May. Below, a table of the number of .500 win percentage teams, the number of first round games they have won, and the number of series they have gone on to win. First Round Playoff Stats Last 10 Years Year Teams at .500 or under Total first round games won Series Won 1996 2 2 0 1997 3 2 0 1998 1 2 0 1999 1 1 0 2000 0 0 0 2001 1 1 0 2002 0 0 0 2003 0 0 0 2004 4 4 0 2005 0 0 0 2006 3 Courtesy: Basketball-Reference Parody just hasn’t existed in the NBA playoffs. These 15 teams in the last 10 years have combined to win just 12 playoff games and have never advanced. In 2004, four teams in the East had the shot and surely one could pull off the upset? Not even the four vs. five could do it. The last time a team with a losing record entered the playoffs and won a Series was 1988. Then, the Seattle Supersonics boasted a 39-43 record as the 7-seed and made it all the way to the conference finals. They upset both Dallas and Houston, before being swept by Pat Riley’s Los Angeles Lakers. Since Seattle, a total of 31 teams have entered the playoffs with a record at or below .500. And these teams are 0-31 in playoff series. So, how good of a chance do Milwaukee (40-42), Chicago (41-41) and Indiana (41-41) have this year? I’m not going to say “none,” because that’s why they play the game—but let’s delve into these match-ups. (1) Detroit vs. (8) Milwaukee One-seeds haven’t lost since 1999. But there was a technicality about that year: First, 1999 was the NBA lockout year, and only 50 regular season games were played. Second, three other teams had the same 33-17 record, but Miami won by a tiebreaker. In a full 82-game season, it was the 1994 Denver Nuggets who upset the top-seeded Supersonics to advance to the second round. With Flip Saunders at the helm, we’ve seen the Pistons play looser offensively, but still maintaining impressive defense—leading them to their best regular season record ever (64-18). Don’t worry about the nonsense concerning Ben Wallace not getting along with Flip: This team is focused when it comes to the playoffs. Having said this, Milwaukee has their hands full. Let’s just look at player vs. player matchups. Detroit Milwaukee Advantage PG Billups Ford Detroit SG Hamilton Redd Detroit SF Prince Simmons Detroit PF R. Wallace Bogut Detroit C B. Wallace Magloire Detroit Billups will substitute size for speed and can dominate Ford. Hamilton is a workhorse. Prince is undoubtedly better than Simmons. And I’ll just point out the experience from the front court to suffice my argument for the Wallaces. To make matters worse, the only type of success they had against Detroit was when they played Toni Kukoc at the three. Kukoc is already banged up and will miss the first game, so his health will be a definite factor. Prediction: Pistons in a sweep (2) Miami vs. (7) Chicago Chicago is the hottest of the East’s bottom-3, finishing 12-2 in their final 14 to slip into the show. They had a similar run in the final month of the season last year, winning 15 of their last 19 games. The Bulls’ only win against the Heat in the regular season came back on April 15 when the Heat rested most of their stars. In the playoffs, it comes down to defense and though the “Baby Bulls” are young, they do buckle down, leading the NBA for the second straight season in defensive field-goal percentage (.426). Offensively, the Bulls’ patented “drive-and-kick” out game has given opposing teams a hard time. Ben Gordon ranks 2nd in the Eastern Conference, hitting 43.9-percent from 3-point land, and point-guard Kirk Hinrich has shot 42.9-percent from behind the arc in his last five games. Although the Heat have been locked into the No. 2 spot since basically January, I don’t see them having trouble kicking into high gear. Even when the Bulls shut down Wade in their meetings this year (12.3 ppg), the Heat have found a way to win. The Bulls have no answer for Shaq, who had 14 points and 6 rebounds in just 20 minutes of action on April 15. Prediction: Heat in 5 (3) New Jersey vs. (6) Indiana This might very well be the best shot for a team at the .500 mark in the regular season to win a Series. The Nets came from the weak Atlantic Division that sent no other teams beside themselves to the playoffs. The two teams have similar defensive work ethics, as they are 5th and 6th in points allowed, respectively, in the NBA. The interesting thing about this series is the way they view each other: New Jersey players have said the Pacers are a good transition and look to slow it down, while Indiana players have said the exact same thing about the Nets! Wow, this should be a fun series to watch! Jermaine O’Neal looks to be healthy into the playoffs, having played 30-plus minutes in his final 11 regular season games, but I don’t foresee him being the difference. The difference must come from the defense side of the ball, in particular, the ability to stop Vince Carter. Peja Stojakovic and Stephen Jackson must play top-notch to pull the upset. I have a feeling this series will go seven. The Nets were 29-12 at home, fourth-best home record in the Eastern conference, so that’s the way I lean. Prediction: Nets in 7 Bet the NBA Playoffs @ WagerWeb Sportsbook wagerweb/sportsbook

Online casinos simulating real world play

Many people around the world play at online casinos, and that’s fine if it’s your only source of gambling. However, online casinos are nowhere near as close to the real thing when it comes to simulation. Take Craps for example. The casino determines what number rolls by using a random number generator. However, just how random is random? If you have been in a casino, you know that every single person at a table has a unique rolling pattern. Some stack the dice and casually vault them into the air. Others shake them up and rocket them to the back wall, while other frequently launch the dice off the table or fall short of the back wall. There are even players who change their rolling pattern every roll or point. An online casino does not have the ability to simulate this. Sure, they can manipulate the random number generator, but there’s still no way to accurately simulate table action. Having programmed, I know that a random number generator is not all that random. Worse, if the computer simply “picks a number”, it is not even a proper setup to being with. Let’s keep looking at Craps. Does the casino have a random number generator that simply picks a number between one and twelve? If so, all the numbers have an even shot at coming out, which is against true probability. Perhaps they list out all probable combinations and then the computer selects one. This would be a little more accurate, probability wise, but it still lacks the real randomness of live action—and weird events are more likely to ensue. What I’m about to tell you is true and happens more frequently that one would imagine. A tester recently played at an online casino (Craps) to monitor number frequency in the field. Within the span of just 150 rolls, the computer rolled 11 non-field numbers in a row and then followed it up a handful of rolls later by rolling 12 non-field numbers in a row. What’s the big deal you ask? Well, first, the field has a 44.5% chance of winning on every roll and second; the probability of throwing 11 non-field rolls in a row is .0015%. The probability of throwing 12 non-field numbers in a row is .0008%. These events should happen once every 667 rolls and once every 1176 rolls respectively, yet both where seen within a handful of rolls from each other within the 150 rolls monitored. But wait, there’s more. Within these same, now historic, 150 rolls, a six was not thrown for 13-16 rolls 5 times. The probability of not throwing a six 13 times is 14.5% (9% for 16 rolls)—this happened 5 times in 150 rolls. The same happened to the eight—in fact—there were two instances where an eight was not thrown for 18-20 times. The probability of this happening is 5-7% and it happened twice. When you add all of these things together, you get a more accurate picture of just how unrealistic random number generators are for simulating real casino action. I am not trying to scare you away from playing. In fact, money can be made and fun can be had at online casinos. However, you need to realize that you are playing in a different environment with different rules. You can’t go chasing bets thinking they are overdue, mathematically, to come in, because this is a different world with a different way of producing outcomes. Playing strategies that you would use in a real live casino might not be applicable in an online casino. Read more at WiseBettor.

Read about bingo games and versions

Bingo is a very old game played since long time. In many countries like UK, the game was initially known as housie. Until this date, it is referred to as such in India. Bingo game was usually played in church for fund raising and in private party or some other public hall. Bingo is derived from the Italian Lottery, ‘Lo Giucco del Lotto D’Italia’. It was the Italian National Lottery begun in year 1530. This very famous casino game spread across the continent and finally reached America. The casino game developed in different ways in United Kingdom and United States. The bingo game is based on ninety numbers in United Kingdom. It is played on a rectangular matrices made of nine columns and three rows. Each vertical column has a range of ten numbers. The bingo tickets have five numbers on each row. The regular bingo games play for one line, two and three lines. The three lines are played as special bingo game with the three lines Cover All. It is also known as housie. When the bingo came to America it was restructured by toy salesman Edwin Lowe into a seventy five number game. It is played on a five number by five number square matrices with the letters of the word bingo across the top. Each vertical column has five numbers out of a range of fifteen numbers with the middle space of the N column designated as a free space. This allows it to be used to fill in for any N number in the making of a bingo. The regular bingo game consists of a vertical, horizontal and diagonal line patterns. It is also played for the four corners if the house rules allow. Special bingo games can be for a variety of bingo patterns which the square nature of the matrices allows or for a Cover All. The American bingo version allows for more variety than the British bingo version. Popularity of bingo game increases day by day. There is lots of casino bingo web site which offers play live casino games and tournament with large cash rewards. Also offers online community club and live chat rooms for UK casinos players. Internet bingo gambling portal offers varieties of casino bingo games. Many online bingo sites offer 75 ball and 90 ball bingo games with big cash prizes. The best bingo sites offer virtual bingo promotion and gambling reviews. Online casino gambling portal offers downloadable software to make online bingo more realistic and exciting. Internet bingo sites offer 24 x 7 playing environment for gambling enthusiasts. They offer bingo games with large progressive jackpot. Internet bingo games are very popular in United Kingdom where a large number of players go online to play Internet bingo free or for cash. UK online bingo halls are very popular on the Net.

Icebreaker bingo

Most people enjoy the fun and entertainment parties offer. It does not matter whether it is a birthday party, Christmas party or a reunion, it is always fun. But, having a party can become a nightmare to the host. Not only does the host have to keep all the guests happy, he/she should also introduce everyone and make sure all the guests are comfortable in each others company. What the host needs is something to break the ice and get the guests to mingle and talk to each other. The solution is an icebreaker game, such as icebreaker bingo. Not only are icebreaker bingo lots of fun, it can keep guests busy for hours and help the host to introduce all the guests to each other. The goal of the icebreaker bingo game is to get guests to ask each other questions in order to fill their bingo cards. This way guests can speak to each other and get to know each other without feeling pressured or uncomfortable. They learn personal details of each other’s lives and will soon feel they have something in common. Making icebreaker bingo cards is easy, but do require a bit of time. The same amount of cards as guests is needed, although it is always a good idea to prepare a few extra cards in case unexpected guests arrive at the party. An icebreaker bingo card usually consists out of 25 (5X5) or 36 (9x9) even-sized blocks. Inside every block the host can write short phrases like “played college football”, “has a pet reptile”, “has been to Hawaii”, “loves reading” and “has a tattoo”. Another option is to search for ready-made cards online. Most of these sites use a random card generator, which means that all the cards will be different. The aim of the game is to have the guests ask each other the questions on their cards. As soon as they find someone with, for example, a tattoo, they write that person’s name on the appropriate block. The first guest to fill their bingo card is the winner of the game. Another good idea is to offer a prize to the winner of the icebreaker bingo game. The prize can be anything from a yearbook if it is a reunion to a special gift at a Christmas of birthday party. The amount of icebreaker bingo games the guests play depends on the host and the amount of time set aside for the icebreaker bingo game. The intention is to let game last as long as possible, because guests are talking and interacting with each other. Icebreaker bingo is a must-have for every party. It is fun, entertaining and an easy, comfortable way to meet other people.

An introduction to online poker

According to studies, around eighty million Americans enjoy playing poker. With the growing number of online poker sites, more people are joining the burgeoning pool of enthusiasts who enjoy this game. Apart from offering a wider range of games and sites, online poker gives you the opportunity to play with more seasoned players from across the globe. You can rub shoulders with professional poker players online, and perfect your gaming skills. It is difficult to find the best site to play poker. It all depends on what you want at that time. If you are keen to have good tournaments and good customer service, Poker Stars is where you should anchor. On the other hand, if you are using Linux or Mac, you should frequent websites which offers Java-based services. In a nutshell, there will be only a handful of poker sites where you would find a real poker game. These sites don’t indulge in gimmicks to lure traffic, as they are popular for their content. Worrying about losing the deposit money is a genuine concern while playing online. Playing with established poker sites can safeguard you against these risks. These sites are regulated by gaming commissions, backed by leading financial companies and therefore assured to give winners their due. However, keep your eyes open, as these commissions are not authorized by the government and work fairly only to maintain their own reputations. Online poker forums are an excellent source for beginners and experts to meet and discuss the fine points of the game. They can offer advice and feedback which is free and very helpful. Using a credit card is considered wise while funding online poker games. They work as a safety net for problems like overcharging and scams.

Newbie texas holdem sharks

I just returned from a week long camping trip and of course I could not help but bring my chips and cards. I took some kids with the scouts to there camp and all day I did nothing. There where some old kids and some young kids, but they where all going to play just because I had nothing to do. The result of these games would amaze everybody. Texas holdem is a game of mystery and astonishment, you can never tell what is going to happen. On this occation, we played a game with 1/2 blids and 6 players. Each player had 40 chips. I tought the young kids who where clueless. They didn't know how to play, they didn't know the suites and the combinations. They had no chance of winning. The other players where around 17 and 18 years old. They where fair players and with my help they mastered some of the basics of texas holdem. They tried to keep the tells off there faces but they really could not. They always stared at the flop like it was going to fly away or something. At that point I focused on there faces. It was easy to tell when they had cards or not. There bluffs where obvious and there monster texas holdem hands where the same. Now, when we threw in the young kids, thats when the trouble began. Since they had no idea how to play texas holdem, there was no way they where going to win. As soon as we started, they where betting 3 before the flop. We all went with it thinking they where doing it for fun, raising the stakes. Thats where it all went down hill. They where pulling out pocket aces, suited connectors, concecutives. They won on the river with straights and flushes. We underestimated them almost every time and checked every time. There hands where unmatched and they won every hand. THey dominated each hand and they didnt even know what they where doing. We turned them into texas holdem sharks. Once the older guys realized that the younger guys where getting great cards they played tighter and ended there streak. We all learned a valuable poker lesson that day: Never underestimate your opponents, no matter how old they are or how skilled they are because the cards will come as they will either way. As ime went on we realized that we could get them to tell us there cards and they would still beat us because they had monster hands every game. This really was nothing I have ever seen.