Betting News

The Betting Directory have added a Fantasy Football column to their pages which will be regularly updated with the latest fantasy football news. Below is a copy of the first article. Log in regularly for all the latest tips!

With the opening of NFL training camps just around the corner, now is the time to begin thinking about fantasy football! We still have seven weeks until the season begins, but for hardcore fantasy players this is when they make decisions about what leagues to participate in and how many they want to do. I will give you my rankings for each position as we get closer to the season and when most people will have their drafts, but this column will give you an overall basic strategy you want to have for your draft.

The first thing you have to know is your league's scoring system. Does your league count points for touchdowns and yardage gained, or is it just touchdowns? Does your league include defensive teams and/or defensive players? Being familiar with your scoring system is the most important thing to know going into your draft, because that will determine the players you should be drafting and in which round. For example, if your league only counts touchdowns, then a QB like Michael Vick is not going to be very valuable because he doesn't pass for very many. He's much more valuable in a league where yardage is counted, because his rushing stats will give you a ton of points. For the purposes of this article, I will talk about a basic strategy for a league where yards and touchdowns are counted, and you have to have a starting lineup of 1 QB, 2 RBs, 2 WRs, 1 TE, 1 kicker and 1 defensive team. I would say a large majority of leagues people play in have a similar format to this. Some leagues might have the option to have 1 RB and 3 WRs instead of 2 and 2, but for the most part, you're going to see a structure that is close to this.

As you go into the draft, you need to realize that RB and QB are going to score the majority of your points, so that's where your focus needs to be in the early rounds. The top-level WRs are also a consideration in those first 3-4 rounds, but WRs are much less reliable as a whole, so I tend to grab the 2 RBs and the QB with my first three picks. If I can't get a top-shelf QB in the first three rounds (P. Manning, McNabb, Culpepper, Palmer) then I'll get that WR instead and go for a mid-level QB (Brady, Bulger, Hasselbeck, Vick, E.Manning) in the 5^th-6^th round.

Usually, my first two picks are going to be RBs, no matter what slot I'm in during the draft. If I'm in the top three, it's
a pretty easy choice. The top three picks this year are unquestionably Larry Johnson, Shaun Alexander and LaDanian Tomlinson, in that order. If I have a pick later than three, then it's kind of a crapshoot. There are three second-level RBs who I will target next: Tiki Barber, Clinton Portis and Edgerrin James. Now, normally you aren't going to see RBs taken with the first six picks (usually someone will grab Manning and maybe a WR in there also), so even if you draft at the end of the first round, you could be able to get one of those three.

If all 6 of those guys are gone and Manning is there, I would take him. If Manning is gone also, then assuming this is a snake-type draft (if you have the last pick of the 1st round you would get the first pick of the 2^nd round), these are the next-level RBs to target: LaMont Jordan, Steven Jackson, Ronnie Brown, Rudi Johnson, Domanick Davis, Cadillac Williams, Willis McGahee, Jamal Lewis, Kevin Jones and Julius Jones. In my opinion all of these guys are pretty similar as to what they are going to do for you, but I'll give you my RB rankings as we get closer to the season. You could get two of these guys with your first two picks and be just fine for your backfield. If you picked early in the first round that means you're going to have a late second-round pick, so hopefully one of these guys will slip to you. If all of these guys are gone (unlikely) then I would target either McNabb/Palmer or the top-rated WR left (Steve Smith, Torry Holt, Chad Johnson, Marvin Harrison, T.O. or Randy Moss).

As you end the third round, you should have your two RBs and either your QB or your No. 1 WR. The 4^th-5^th
rounds can then be used to fill out your QB and WR slots, so by the end of Round 5 you have your QB, 2 RBs and 2 WRs slots filled. As I said, I'll give you the WR rankings as we get closer to the season. If for some reason Antonio Gates, the top-rated TE, is available in Round 4 or 5 (unlikely), go ahead and draft him instead of a WR, which you can get in the 6^th round. Gates is the only TE worthy of being selected in those rounds in my opinion.

The middle rounds (6^th-10^th) are used to build depth on your team, and to pick up your TE and defense. Generally
if a top TE like Tony Gonzalez, Jeremy Shockey or Todd Heap are available, I will get them in the 6^th round, then target a top defense like Chicago, Pittsburgh, Baltimore or Carolina in the 7^th round. This will fill out your starting lineup (except for your kicker), and then you can start to grab the best backups available. In the 8^th round I would target the best available RB, the 9^th I would get the best available QB, then the 10^th go for the best available WR.

The late rounds (11^th-16^th) are where you can win a league. Every year you can pick up a player in these late rounds that will become a star during the season. Obviously the key is to know which players have that ability and just need playing time to dominate. As I've said, I will give you guys to target here later on, but just know that this is when you can really make a difference. Usually in these late rounds, I will grab my kicker in the 11^th (top guys are Neil Rackers, Adam Vinatieri, Mike Vanderjagt, David Akers), then I want to get the top backups to my two starting RBs in the 12^th-13th. If you have the backup to your main guys, then an injury during the year isn't going to kill your chances. Obviously any astute owner who picked up Larry Johnson in the late rounds last year was breathing much easier when Priest Holmes went down, because he knew LJ could do the job. This year (if Holmes plays) the opposite may be true, where the smart owner picks up Holmes late to back up Johnson. I would also try to get a 3^rd QB, 1-2 more WRs, and the best available defense in the last rounds, as depth is very important once we hit the bye weeks.

Bye weeks are a huge factor during the fantasy season, and one thing you need to have in front of you when you draft is a list of when each team has its bye. You don't want to draft a lot of guys who have the same bye week because that's most likely going to kill your chances at winning that particular week. Try to sprinkle it out so at most you only have two guys out.

As I said, I will give rankings for each position as we get closer to the season, beginning next week with the RB. Check back each week as I'll do a different position and then I'll give you and update on all positions as the preseason ends. If you want specific fantasy advice, feel free to e-mail me at fantasysensei@cox.net, and good luck!

WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

// posted by Tony M. @ 7:21 PM

Here is the latest article from the Poker Betting Column at The Betting Directory

Recreational Poker

This article won’t teach you strategy or fancy tricks. This is just a psychological opinion piece on the different reasons that people play recreational poker. You will often find that each individual's reason for playing is characteristic of the type of player that he or she is.

Only a handful of professional poker players actually earn a full-time living by playing poker. The most common reasons for playing recreational poker, aside from money, are social interaction, entertainment and education.

The game of poker is a very interactive and socially rewarding game. Even outside of actual casinos, home poker games are an extremely popular type of social activity seen around the globe. Playing poker is a very social experience.

To win at poker, a player needs skill and, sometimes, a bit of luck. Many players get the same type of entertainment value out of playing poker as they would with playing any type of sport. Compared to similar forms of entertainment, remember that in poker you can lose money. People who play poker for pure entertainment value usually play at lower limits where not much money is at stake. Playing poker is a very entertaining experience.

I’ve learned some extremely important life lessons while playing the game of poker. It can be a very educational experience.

Bottom line, every player has their own reasons on why they play. You’ve now been introduced
to three very common reasons to play recreational poker, but you haven’t learned them all. In the end, each player’s reasoning is a personal matter, and every player is different.

// posted by Tony M. @ 7:21 PM

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// posted by Tony M. @ 5:30 PM

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// posted by Tony M. @ 5:30 PM

The Betting Directory can now give you the opportunity to learn to play poker through the Poker School Online. In addition you can compete in free online tournaments through their sister site, Bugsy’s Club

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PokerSchool Online Members are able to track their progress through leagues and various other competitions. They are also offered lessons, quizzes and access to a knowledgeable community willing to give both wisdom and encouragement.

The instructors at PokerSchool Online are some of the best offered in the poker world. They are not only good poker players, but good teachers.

PSO also has a select mentoring and tutoring courses for those who want to work on a particular part of their game.

PokerSchool Online has been in business for over 5 years. In that time our members have won more than 1.5 million in live tournament and all of them attribute their success to PokerSchool Online.

// posted by Tony M. @ 6:36 PM

The Betting Directory have added a new Poker Room to its Poker section.

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// posted by Tony M. @ 4:34 PM

Grand Old Saratoga Opens 36-Day Meeting on July 26

Saratoga Springs has been attracting travelers even before the American Revolution, when wealthy pilgrims journeyed to the carbonated mineral springs running through the area.

During the Civil War, America’s oldest thoroughbred racetrack opened on Aug. 26, 1863. The Saratoga Racing Association bought 71 acres to other land already set for racing. On Aug. 1, 1864, a new course was established in almost the same spot as today’s Saratoga.

“There are a lot of changes on this schedule, including some purse reductions or eliminations of stakes, but we made sure that NYRA’s commitment to excellence remains intact,” he said. “The overall dollar reduction in stakes is nearly $4 million, but much of that money will be added back in overnight stakes.

While the NYRA usually boosts purses each year at Saratoga, Nader said, this year “the increases are much more robust.”

The NYRA will also continue to raise the purse of any race with at least eight horses that’s moved off the turf by 20 percent in hopes of deterring scratches, a policy launched this year at Belmont.

There’s at least one stakes race on every live racing program and two on eight days during the meeting that ends Sept. 4.

For handicap horses, the summer/fall schedule from Saratoga through Belmont Park’s meeting, including the 52nd Woodward, features the $750,000 Whitney at 1 1/8 miles on Aug. 5 at Saratoga and the $750,000 Jockey Gold Cup at 1 ¼ miles on Oct. 7 at Belmont.

Highlight of the meeting is the 137th Travers, the oldest American stakes race, named for the founder of Saratoga. The $1 million contest at 1 ¼ miles honoring William R. Travers will feature the outstanding sophomores of ’06 and help decide top 3-year-old honors.

Expected to show up on Aug. 26 at the historic track 180 miles north of New York City are:

Bernardini, winner of the Preakness; Jazil, who captured the Belmont; Bluegrass Cat, runner-up in the Kentucky Derby behind injured Barbaro and second in the Belmont; Steppenwolfer, third at Churchill Downs and fourth in the Belmont; and Sunriver, third in the Belmont.

Kentucky, owned by Travers, won the inaugural running in 1864 when the purse was only $2,940. The fastest time was posted by General Assembly in 1979: two minutes flat.

The largest margin of victory was recorded in ’67 by Damascus: 22 lengths. Seven times a nose has separated the top two finishers.

// posted by Tony M. @ 3:56 PM

Return Of A Champion

The son of Lost Solder, victorious last year by more than seven lengths while shattering the $300,000 Carry Back Stakes record by nearly a second in 1:09 1/5, is expected to go in the $500,000 Smile Sprint handicap at six furlongs.

Trainer Greg Gilchrist said only one thing could prevent Lost in the Fog from coming to South Florida: weight.

“For the most part our decision will probably depend on the weights. Lost in the Fog probably deserves to pick up a pound off his last race. But I’m already spotting everybody eight or nine pounds every time he runs, so there is really only so much weight we can handle.”

The 5-year-old is one of three runners trained by Marty Wolfson. However, Mister Fortis finished fourth behind the favored Woke Up Dreamin in the ’05 Smile. The winner, who covered the six furlongs in 1:09 4/5, was retired late last year.

The other Wolfson trainees are Chandtrue, who finished off the board this year in two overnight stakes at Calder, and Pomeroy, who hasn’t run since undergoing minor surgery for a chip in his ankle after failing to hit the board in the Vosburg on Oct. 1 at Belmont Park .

The $500,000 Princess Rooney Handicap at six furlongs for fillies and mares 3 years old and up, bumped up to a Grade 1, went last year to heavily favored Madcap Escapad by 5 ¼ lengths. The winner, who covered the distance in 1:09 4/5, was retired later in ’05.

The $100,000 Calder Turf Sprint Handicap at five furlongs for 3-year-olds and up was won last year by Southern Cal.

// posted by Tony M. @ 10:38 PM