DTRobers

I think that valentin68 makes a very salient point when he points out that in poker it is not so much about the amount of money won as about the mental competition between the players. A poker aficionado once said that money was only for keeping score. Of course, this is true only of recreational players. The World Series of Poker stars that we see on television are totally focused on the money to be won and the endorsement deals to be garnered. A group of casual players can have a good time playing for pennies or matchsticks. Like in a chess match, the thrill is in pitting your judgment against the judgment of your peers. Except there is an added spice to poker in that the most skillful player does not always win in the short-run. Luck in the draw of the cards gives hope to the unskilled and keeps the best players humble.

The Super Bowl is an American football game played on a Sunday at the end of January or the beginning of February that culminates the USA football season. It is played between the winners of the American League and the National League playoffs. It is similar to the World Series in baseball, except the winner is decided by one game. The Sunday on which the Super Bowl is played has become known as "Super Sunday" and is treated as an unofficial holiday by many. Even a lot of stores close early because there are simply no customers. It is common to have a group of friends come to your home for food, drink, and football. The commercial thing came about because many companies air new commercials, often created especially for this venue. Some are brilliant, some terrible. On the day after the broadcast newspapers critique the commercials as if they were movies or plays. Another activity Super Bowl viewers often participate in is a proposition bet contest. Each guest at the viewing party contributes ten or twenty dollars to a fund and receives twenty chips with which to wager. Throughout the game bets can be placed on factors game-related ( winner of the opening coin toss, first play pass or run, first score touchdown or field goal etc.) or not ( will the singer of the National Anthem bungle the lyrics?) At the end the player with the most chips wins the bankroll.

I cast my vote although I am no expert at online gaming, having done all of my wagering in brick & mortar casinos. I feel that the classic poker variants such as Texas Hold-Em, 7 Card Stud and 5 Card Draw are the perfect gambling games due to the combination of skill and luck required for success. Blackjack also has a skill component, but that skill is primarily memorization enabling the player to either just play correct basic strategy or to keep a running count of the exposed ten-values and aces. An experienced player can minimize or slightly overcome the house edge but the advantage is razor-thin so the luck of the draw is still a major factor. Baccarat can be relaxing in that you can use a simple system such as always betting on the side that won the previous hand. You might catch a series of either player or banker streaks and with judicious pressing do quite well. On the other hand a "choppy" shoe will break you if you constantly press at the wrong time! Roulette and Craps are both games of luck and money-management. They are fun due to the sheer number of possible wagers and the possibility of large wins sprouting from minor stakes. In a b&m casino the feel of the table at these two games is of high contrast. Roulette is usually a rather quiet and sedate game whilst Craps tends toward loud and alcohol-fueled. Depends on whether you are in the mood for contemplation or fellowship!

Another logical reason to have poker and sports betting in their own section is that they are the two gambling contests waged against other players rather than against the house. For example, the sportsbook does not care which team wins as long as the betting is balanced. They make the house's money on the vig - the disparity between what they pay out to the winners and what they keep from the losers. Ultimately the sports bettor is competing against his fellows by way of having to bet into a line, established by the cumulative judgment as to which team will prevail. Poker is a similar contest of skill among the players; the casino makes it's money by raking the pots or renting the table and dealer by the hour.

Hello All, I am new to this forum and thought that I would contribute some terms by way of introduction. These are slot terms that are archaic. ARM - When slots had gears instead of circuitboards the play was activated by pulling down on a lever on the right side (from player's view) of the machine. At least the player got some exercise! CHANGE BUCKET - Before bill acceptors and credit slips a slot player had to exchange currency for coins before playing. Change buckets were plastic pails with the casino logo that were used to carry the coins to the slot machine and (luck permitting) your winnings to the coin booth to be exchanged back to currency. They also made cheap (as in free) keepsakes of your casino visit.