Blogging

This has been my first time in keeping any sort of blog, and I must say it has been an interesting experience. Although I am not sure if anyone has viewed my blog, it does give a sense of talking to someone even if you may just be talking to yourself. Nonetheless, this has been an enjoyable assignment, and I do plan to continue blogging in the future.

Final Results

By going 2 for 4 last week, with one being a push (a push is when the spread was exactly on, which in turn makes it a "No Bet" and the money is returned to you)my final results of the season picks was 21 of 37. Prentending I bet $100 dollars on eacdh game, I would of ended up making $308.00 on the year. Although a decent amount of money, considering I picked 56% right on the year, you can see where the juice comes into play and keeps some money. The hard part about my experiment in comparison to real life situations is that often on a bad day a gambler may bet even harder on a late night game, lose that, and then bet even harder on the next game, and lose again. This is a common problem for gamblers in that they can never settle for a losing day, and in result, this can make for a very disastrous day.

Dangers Of Online Gambling

Gambling is most certainly an addiction, and being able to do it online makes it mush easier to come across and have this addiction affect you. Now, I personally gamble online, and when controlled, it is simply a source of entertainment. When you start risking the money you have to pay bills and feed your family, that is when you crossed the line. Many of the thrid party sites where the money is initially transfered from the bank acoount have deposit limits that restrict such activity to a degree, but nonetheless, it still has the power to be a negative factor in one's life. Having a family member or close friend monitor your betting habits is another preventive way of keeping you gambling under control.

Job Opportunities Anyone???

As seen in movies such as "Two For the Money," I would love to work as a professional pick man (as in picking the winner with the point spread and having people pay for the opportunities to hear my picks, I really don't know what the official title is). I was just seeing if anyone out there has noticed my semi-impressive record along with my great intellect of the teams. So if anyone out there is interested, my number is 260-486-6367.

Locks of the Week, Week 8

My current record is 19 of 33, so I am on pace for a solid seasons end. After this week, I will summarize my final standings and see how much I could have won if I actually had bet with the online gambling sites.

Tennessee +7 (vs LSU), The SEC Championship game has traditionally been a close one. Tennessee has also shown the capablities of handling such a team.

Oregon -1 (vs Oregon State), Ever since Dennis Dixon has been injured, Oregon has been able to do nothing offesnively. I expext this to change in their final home game.

Missouri +3 (vs Oklahoma), National Championship Game - Missouri vs West Virginia

Washington +14 (at Hawaii) Barring the Washington players have not had TOO good a time in the Aloha state, I expect the greater tested Washington team to keep it very close.

NCAA BASKETBALL Indiana +3.5 (at Southern Illinois), Trying my luck on the college basketball season, and who better to be on then an underdog IU team, who has already lost one game. I don't expect to see another loss to a less talented Saluki team.

Horse Racing

The final way the majority of online gambling sites allow you to gamble your money is through good ole' horse racing. Its an American pastime with great tradition, so why not offer you the ability to gamble on these horses through the comfort of your own computer. Almost every track is offered, along with every race that occurs there. The one thing that strikes me as very interesting is the gambling site does not keep any "juice" or any of your winnings. They allow you to bet straight up for horses. The only reason this must be is that people have a lower chance of success in gambling on horses then on other sports. I am sure that if the sites were not making decent money on horse bets, they would not offer it to the customer.

Online Casino's

Along with sports wagering and poker, there is another way these gambling sites make there money: Online Casinos. http://www.bodoglife.com/casino/ is a link to Bodog's online casion. Who needs Vegas when you got the games, flashy lights, and even pictures of gorgeous women, all available right from your home on Bodog. The biggest issue with these is no where does it show how this "online" casino is regulated. Vegas is heavily watched by the gaming commission, and for the most part, people who go to Las Vegas trust that what they are doing meets regulations. Sadly, online, there is no such gurantee. It is beyond me what kind a person would trust playing on an online casiono, other then the fact it offers the chance to play with real money. From my experience, the "play money" games have a much greater chance of success then the "real money" games. Coincedence? I think now.