Author: horse-racing-free-tips

The theory of evolution was thanks to Darwin spending a great deal of time by himself on a secluded island poking and examiing the local creatures while he formed opinions about where the species came from including us lowly human beings. Had he spent those years in stranded in Las Vegas the theory of evolution might have been a result of examining and poking players. And boy what a different tell it would tell!

No one can really tell you how the evolution of poker players actually came about. Not even Darwin because he chose the secluded island rather than the far mor entertaining Vegas players. Perhaps the types of poker players that have evolved began with the caveman. As he huddled in his cave with his other cavemen betting twigs while using cards chiseled from rock. Now there’s a challenge!

What we do know is that there are two distinct species of poker players that can be seen hanging around the casino which is their natural habitat. After all a poker player is as natural to the casino as a caveman was to his club.

The first type of player you can spot is called the loose player. When most people think of a loose player their mind conjures up images of a sexy Madona with her big red lips and short skirt. That may be an accurate image of loose but not in the poker world.

Loose poker players are actually very aggressive. A loose player will take a lot of risks while chasing the big rewards at the end of the rainbow or should we say poker table. They play a lot of hands and are less likely to fold when challenged. But there are also two kinds of “Loose Players.”

There is the passive loose player who regards pot odds as only a friendly suggestion. They seldom fold and will continue to call regardless of the strength of their hand, or what they believe the strength of their opponents hand is. They are the perfect example of the eternal optimists believing that at any moment any two cards can make the difference. What makes them passive is that they will call almost every time, but rarely raise. They will stay in the game to the bitter end, but do not add that extra element of risk. Almost as a rule, these folks don’t bluff well. Passive-loose players are die a slow financial death at the table but you have to give them an A for their attitude.

The other type of loose player is an aggressive loose player. They are the Spiderman of the the poker world. They are extremely aggressive and see raising as form of worship to the card gods. These players have no problem raising before and after the flop, because they attempt to bully the table. Poker players with this style are very good at winning a lot of small pots but when it comes to the big pots and the big bucks they tend to loose their momentem and peter out.

The second type of poker player is the tight player who doesn’t play a lot of hands and who always folds when circumstances and pot odds are not in their favor. They do not thrive on a steady diet of raises. They much prefer to call or fold while picking their fights to mount a vigorous offensive. There are also two types of tight players.

A passive tight player is genetically programmed to avoid risk. Even when the hand is big they are more likely to call then ever think about raising. You will die of boredom if you are waiting for a passive tight player to bluff. There’s just no bluff in this type of player. Instead they play a very straightforward game and fold very easily.

An aggressive tight player is quite the opposite. This is the Rambo of poker, believing heavility in picking their own poison. They will fold when the odds are not in their favor. They will see the flop with a decent hand, and that is when their more aggressive tendencies will emerge. They will go after the money at that point.

It is a good idea to identify the types of poker players at your table. Then you can adapt to the style of the table. You may find yourself morphing into one of these types over time. But I’m telling you being a chameleon will benefit you a lot more in the long run. Leave the psychology to the other guys and gals!

Poker, looked at simply as a card game rather than a social phenomenon, has three main varieties. “Draw poker” is the simplest version of the game; the more complex “stud poker” was the most popular form for a long time; and “hold ’em” poker, usually called Texas Hold ’em, is the version that most casinos and poker rooms offer today.

Poker Basics

These basic categories have a number of differences, but they also have a number of similarities. To begin with, poker is always played with a standard deck of 52 cards, without the jokers. In many variations of poker, the players pass a “dealer puck” clockwise around the table, so that every player gets a turn as dealer. And in all poker games, the bets are placed with poker chips. All of this is just the bare bones of getting started. As you play the game, you’ll find that, no matter what variety of poker you’re playing, there are other, more important similarities.

In poker, whether you are playing a 5 card or 7 card varieties, the point of the game is to form a 5 card combination in your hand that outranks those of the other players. At various points in a hand of poker, you can place bets, receive additional cards, or discard and replace cards. At the end of the hand, the player with the strongest hand wins the money in the pot.

All of that is obvious. Most people know that much about poker. But what about the basic rules of the different variations? This is where poker can get confusing. It shouldn’t, though. Let’s take a look at the main varieties of poker.

Draw Poker

In draw poker, every player is dealt a full hand, face down, at the start of the game. Once you have your hand, make sure that no one else can see it, and take a look at your cards. Use what you see to place your initial bet. After the first round of betting, players can choose to discard and replace some of their hand; this is the “draw.” When the draw is complete, there is a second round of betting, after which the player with the best hand wins the pot.

Stud Poker

Stud poker is different. In stud games, each player gets one or two “hole cards,” face down, to start, after which the rest of his hand is dealt face up, for everyone to see. The dealing is interspersed with several rounds of betting, giving stud players a chance to watch their opponents, and to study the other hands on the table. After the final card is dealt, the players have the last round of betting and then the “showdown,” to determine the winner.

Hold ’em Poker

Hold ’em poker is similar to the stud games. Seven cards are dealt, with each player getting two hole cards. The remaining five cards, however, are the “flop,” a communal hand in the center of the table. Players must use at least one hole card to form a winning hand with the cards in the flop. Because hold ’em players form most of their hand from the communal cards, they “know” what most of their opponents “hold.” This gives the players much more of a chance to bluff and strategize during the game. Hold ’em poker has been called the “thinking man’s poker” because of this.

Always learn the rules of the specific poker game before you play. Poker is fun, but it can be hard for a novice to do well. You can find rule books, as well as other poker supplies, online at http://www.ShopWorldPoker.com.

Very few teams win 21 of 23 games and still find themselves on the ground floor but that is the case with the Minnesota Twins and the AL Central division. They have won 11 straight but the Tigers and White Sox refuse to let them into the party as we head to the All Star break.

Joe Mauer will part company with his teammate Justin Morneau who was neglected by AL manager Ozzie Guillen when he filled out his all star roster this past weekend. Mauer leads the majors with a ridiculous .391 average and has fought off stomach complications to remain in the lineup. His buddy Morneau has been on fire of late hitting safely in 11 straight games and in 22 of the past 23 games, going 39-for-91 (.429) with 11 homers and 33 RBIs in that span. As mentioned the Twins have won 21 of those 23 games.

The Mets are lucky they are playing in the inept NL East division as they have been less then stellar yesterday. They have been outscored 55-24 in the past 7 games, including Monday’s 11-1 shellacking at he hands of the inept Pirates. Pedro Martinez was originally scheduled to start the series opener against the Pirates but was pushed back because of a sore hip. The Mets aren’t sure if Martinez will start again before the break but manager Willie Randolph said he isn’t concerned about his star right-hander.

The San Francisco Giants have a chance to move into first place in the NL West prior to the break and considering their hitting has been non-existent, manager Felipe Alou must be happy. The Giants, who are 3-2 on their season-high 11-game road trip, will send ace Jason Schmidt (6-3, 2.73 ERA) to the mound in hopes of recording the team’s first four-game winning streak of the season.

San Francisco won five in a row last Sept. 16-21.

Schmidt is 0-1 in his last four starts despite a 3.42 ERA and .235 opponent batting average in that span, as the Giants have provided him with just seven total runs of support in those outings.

Two pitchers who are pulling down a lot of jack oppose each other today at Wrigley Field and both have been awful this year. Andy Pettitte and Mark Prior will try and get untracked for their stumbling teams. Pettitte, a two-time All-Star, allowed five runs — two earned — and 10 hits in 6 1-3 innings of a 5-0 loss to Detroit on Thursday. With Thursday’s defeat, he matched the nine losses he recorded in 33 starts a year ago. Pettitte has not lost 10 in a season since going 15-10 in 2001 with the New York Yankees.

The left-hander is 0-2 with a 6.23 ERA in his last three starts since a June 13 victory over Chicago. Pettitte allowed one run and five hits in seven innings in that 9-2 victory, and is 1-2 with a 3.82 ERA in seven career starts against the Cubs.

Chicago counters with Mark Prior (0-3, 9.00), who looks for his first win of the season and tries to avoid losing four straight starts for the first time in his career. Prior gave up five runs, eight hits and four walks in 5 2-3 innings of a 5-4 loss to Milwaukee on Thursday.

The 25-year-old right-hander has not made it out of the sixth inning in any of his three starts this season. Prior is 4-4 with a 4.35 ERA in 12 career starts against the Astros.

Bob Acton

Online Sports Betting

Those of us with kids involved in youth sports know how consuming it can be for our families. Weekends are dominated by games and weekdays by practices. The ties that bond us together are often tightened during these activities, but do our kids do too much too soon? When many of us were kids, there were not nearly as many organized activities; now that we have martial arts, religious studies, team and individual sports, family time and, of course, homework. Is there a right time to start to play or not to play? Like many parenting decisions, including those for youth sports, there are no black and white answers. Of the many variables to consider, this month we’ll focus on the potential injury risks.

What is the likelihood of Injury?

A common concern is that younger kids may be more susceptible to severe injuries before they have fully developed. Is there a greater risk of arm damage for kids who start pitching at age of 7 instead of waiting until they are 9? Should kids avoid tackle football until the reach a certain age? Does specialization in an individual sport increase the risk of injury for that child due to overuse and make them more susceptible to continuous motion injuries?

Injuries are certainly a concern for all of us and the risk of injury is considered a growing problem by many experts. According to the “Kids’ Health” supplement in the October 18-20, 2002 weekend edition of USA Today, there are over 3.5 million sports related injuries that require treatment reported each year for kids under 15 years old. Many of these injuries are from playground equipment, bike riding and other activities, but organized youth sports certainly contribute to the total. Fortunately, there are very few deaths, but the information suggests that 40% of all sports related injuries occur in children under 14 years old and more than half of those injuries take place in practices instead of games. In 2002, from information accumulated from the “Connecticut Safe Kids Sports/Recreation Activity Injury Fact Sheet”.

While this data is certainly misleading and flawed because it doesn’t break down the number of participants in each sport, the frequency of the activity or the severity of the injury, it does demonstrate that injuries are something we should pay attention to.

Types of Injuries

In the newsletter published by the Yale-New Haven Children’s Hospital, pediatrician Deiter Lindskog, MD exclaims that the largest increase in youth sports injuries are due to repetitive use. He states “Recent studies estimate that 30 to 50 percent of pediatric sports injuries are caused by overuse, with the frequency of injury equal among boys and girls.” Because they’re still not fully developed, kids are more susceptible to repetitive use problems like stress fractures, caused by use without enough recovery time, growth plate injuries, due to excess strain, and soft tissue damage to muscles, tendons or ligaments.
This would lead to the question of “how much is too much? The research on this isn’t clear at all. With increased specialization where kids participate in only one sport year round, start playing at a younger age and participate in multiple leagues at once, what is clear is that many are crossing that unknown line.

While there is a tremendous amount of flexibility in these recommendations, the main issue is that care should be taken to watch for signs of trouble. There is no evidence to suggest a higher injury rate for Pony League Baseball, which often starts kids pitching at age 7, when compared to Little League Baseball, which often starts kids pitching at age 9.

Studies done with Pop Warner Football players also show that there is a risk of injury, but surprisingly, younger players are less likely to be injured than older players. Supported by studies done by the Institute of Sports Medicine and Athletic Trauma in New York which completed a study in 71 towns covering 5,000 players, the Pop Warner Website (www.popwarner.com) states that because of the weight restrictions “injuries in youth football are normally mild and older players have a higher injury rate than younger players.”

Conclusion

As people involved in youth sports we need to be aware of safety and injury risks associated with the children we watch. Kids specializing in single sports or playing in multiple leagues have exacerbated the risk of repetitive motion “overuse” injuries. We need to be especially aware for these young athletes and be cognizant of the warning signs. Some things to watch for include pain, changes in gait or other observable behavior, changes in performance and psychological effects. Kids should not be encouraged to play through any real injury because they don’t want to let down their parents or teammates even though they may feel like they can do it.

We want to help prevent injuries through proper training and conditioning. An effort can be made to have children compete at levels commensurate with their skill so that they don’t overdo it. Furthermore, efforts must be made to teach proper fundamentals for all aspects of the game since mechanical errors are more likely to lead to flaws that can cause injury. Because practice makes permanent, it is crucial to work on these fundamentals even at an early age. As youth sports enthusiasts, we all have an obligation to take care of the kids.

About The Author

Ken Kaiserman is the president of SportsKids.com, a leading youth sports website featuring games, sports news, sports camp and league directories, community features, hosts SportsKids.com Superstore with over 150,000 products. Ken coaches youth football, basketball and baseball. He also serves on the local little league board of directors as well as the Park Advisory Board.