Gamblog.co.uk - Gambling & Casino Blog

No horse racing today or christmas day. Racing will resume on boxing day. There will be a feast for UK horserace punters with 8 English meets and 3 Irish.

Derek Tommo Thompson horseracing tips for today, 22nd of December 2005.

11.40 Southwell - Matusa
12.10 Southwell - Amarist

Full Race Cards Available At The Racing Post

Christmas Football Betting by Gerry Macdonnell

Walking in a win to Sunderland
You've got to be tough with kids, my littlest one threw a strop last week when I didn't lavish enough praise on him after he sent me a Christmas card. As a result of the little man's naughtiness, his letter to Santa asking for a puppy, a train set and Rob McCaffrey to stop screaming, "What's he like!" will now go unanswered.

Derek Tommo Thompson horseracing tips for today, 21st of December 2005.

2.30 Lingfield (5)Lewis Island
3.10 Ludlow (4)Capitana

Ibas have had a busy year. Not necissarily because the bookies have been trying to stiff more betting shop punters, but indeed because Ibas is becoming better known to gamblers.

I have had no cause to call Ibas, but I may just do soon, seeing as they are thinking of getting involved specifically in online gambling disputes with accreditted betting firms who have an online betting operation. We shall see.

There certainly are a lot of casino gambling related websites and portals online. These are some of the better ones. I doubt I would endorse 2% of the casinos advertised on these websites. That would be because I think 99% of all online casinos leave much to be desired.

For all obscure card games and rules, I use the Pagat Card Game Information website.

Obviously I use a few horseracing websites for many reasons. These are the main racing websites I frequent.

I frequent many gambling related forums online, here are a few of them.

The Fontwell Racecourse clerk of the course has caled an inspection for 8.30 am 10.30 am due to concerns about frost. Unexpected drop in temperature overnight apparently.

I am not the biggest bingo fan, but there are quite a few people who like bingo and lotteries. These are the few I have read at times for bingo and lotto info.

Derek Tommo Thompson horseracing tips for today, 20th of December 2005.

2.0 Lingfield (8) Snoqualmie Boy
3.20 Southwell (3) Wainwright

4.20 Wolverhampton. 12 runner 1m 1furlong AW Bet-Direct Handicap.

I'm betting on Nan Jan and have taken the first outward move in the betting at 5/1, from 9/2.

3.50 Wolverhampton. 10 runner 1m 1furlong AW handicap

I have taken the 25/1 available on Monkstown Road Each Way 1/4 the odds, 1,2,3 places.

Derek Tommo Thompson horseracing tips for today, 19th of December 2005.

1.20 Doncaster - Cloudless Dawn (2nd 9/4 fav)
2.30 Doncaster - Diamond Sal (non runner)

El Gordo is the home of the spanish lottery that is running into the €2billion payout range. By far the richest lottery in the world. Can you say bingo? Well calling house on this one won't necissarily make you mega rich, but you can certainly win a nice few quid for Xmas if you are lucky.

There was talk of William Hills Plc and the Rank Group merger, but the 2 UK gambling giants have ended discussions of joining forces.

The difference between real poker and videopoker is quite vast, but there are similarities. I prefer videopoker Jacks or Better on a screen, rather than Texas Holdem on green felt, but the basics hands are the same.

I read a few poker websites, these are a few of the better ones.

There are many gambling websites out there that purport to expound quality information related to the odds and probabilities related to online wagering activity and the maths involved. Don't be fooled, most know nothing. These gambling odds websites and pages are quality, you should read them if you place bets online, especially in online casinos.

The father of the worldwide web Tim Berners Lee Has A Blog - yes, the web daddy has a blog.

Don't know who Tim Berners Lee is exactly?

Well give thanks and praise to Tim Berners Lee - Director Of The WWW Consortium

General Gambling Related Blogs

2 Gunmen are on the run after raiding a Ladbrokes betting shop in Glasgow. A Ladbrokes member of staff was kidnapped at gunpoint in Church Street, Shettleton at 6.30pm on sunday evening. The male member of staff was driven to the Ladbrokes shop to open the doors. The Ladbrokes worker was then released in the Hamilton road area unharmed, but shaken.

Details of how much money was stolen have not been released. Detective Sergeant Owen McDonach of Shettleston CID has appealed for witnesses to the armed robbery. No comment from Ladbrokes on the armed raid as yet has been noted.

Poker Room have lost the plot and so has Karl Magnusson, the Vice-President and Chief Administration Officer of Ongame if they are in on this irresponsible stunt in any way shape or form.

Why pokerroom.com would ever feel the need to be involved with such advertising techniques is plain beyond me.

There is surely no way Pokerroom.com have got wind of this promotion yet right? Tell me it's not so and i'll still not be surprised though. When will this stupid shock advertising ridiculousness end?

Ongame run Pokerroom.com - who are in turn accepted by Ecogra and ceo Andrew Beveridge as a decent "sealed" poker supplier. That goes for their quango-like directors Michael Hirst, Bill Gaston and Frank Catania. If Ecogra allow this stupidness to stand, they are more soft than I give them credit for - and that is saying something. Lets not forget that old chestnut - egap 113 - RESPONSIBLE ADVERTISING AND PROMOTIONS

Betting by mobile phone could'nt be easier for gamblers these days. Laying your wagers instantly, while on the move is here to stay.

Mobile Phone Compatibility Issues
Most cellphone handsets are wap enabled. The new style 3g mobile phones especially so. Nearly all the major online betting firms have a mobile gambling option. Sports betting, football odds, horseracing and most wagering opportunities can be punted on via your mobile keypad quite painlessly.

The World Pie Eating Championship starts today in Wigan at Harry's Bar.

The Association of British Bookmakers have announced that fixed odds betting terminals will be VAT taxed on Dec 6 2005.

Gambling Industry Website Links

A 5 strong gang of gamblers betting on reality tv shows have been uncovered as scammers. The suspicion is the Betfair bettors work for Harvest media or BT. Running or working on the public phone line systems for the reality TV voting made it possible for staff to know who was to be evicted, or who had won various reality tele programmes.

6 times embassy world pro snooker champion Steve Interesting Davis rolled back the years last night to produce a stunning comeback to knock Scotland's title-holder Stephen Maguire out of the Travis Perkins UK Championship in York 9-8 from 8-6 down.

Steve the nugget Davis, 48, out-snookered Maguire with a 145 clearance in the next to last frame after some old time safety play that left Maguire wondering what was going on in front of him on the green baize. It was a joy to watch the old ginger master tactician find his world renowned 80's cueing form. The unnerving accuracy of Davis's simple potting, break building and control of the cue ball to lay up snooker after snooker on Maguire was scary.

Made me feel old to be honest hearing that Davis had'nt played so well in 2 decades, but hey, it was well worth it. I remember the days when it got boring watching Davis beat up Jimmy White time after time. Then along came the likes of Stephen Hendry and Ronnie O'sullivan to knock king Steve off of his throne of blue chalk. I never thought i'd see the day when it would be fun to watch Davis win a game of snooker, but it was the best sport on TV i've watched in ages.

I think I went snooker loopy for a hot minute there.

Aside from gambling, I read many online weblogs. Here are the select few I can be bothered to link to.

W3C Mobile Web Best Practices Working Group Blog simply put, is designed to teach webmasters how to make internet webpages and/or websites renderable via mobile phones.

Andrew Losowsky has left the alternative reality gaming network (ARGN) to be the website designer for Last Call Poker. Never heard of alternative reality gaming? Well I have never played games(yet), but the main stream media has reported on it a good few times - anyway.

The Adrants Blog report a new way to advertise to mobile phone handsets with a digital cameras built in, via run of the mill advertising billboards found on motorways, underground trains and just about anywhere there is a bit of unused space possible customers may look.

It won't be long before online and offline gambling firms take up with these new adverts.

Empire poker, Casino 888, Golden Palace, Partypoker, Ladbrokes, William Hills, 32red and many other betting operations already utilise land advertising hoardings, newspaper print adverts, magazine full spread posters, taxi cab adverts and your every day flyers.

Digital adverts with casino bonuses and wagering comps for gamblers with handheld mobile phones with cameras installed, will be coming to a billboard near you, soon.

The MSNBC Report - Is This Software On Your Hard Drive? goes in depth into spyware/adware and the public relations push by these firms to legitimise themselves and their behaviour towards the end user.

Spyware Info.com have issued a post asking - Is Spyware All That Bad? and goes into detail why it is. A post I agree with.

There are some big names in the gambling industry using spyware, as reported on by Spyware Detective Ben Edelman

Some interesting sports articles being posted at the newly opened The Recreation And Sports Blog

A couple of interesting recreation and sporting pieces are about Kayak Fishing and more interestingly the Footballers Nutrition and Mental Focus article originally posted at Soccer Training Skills.com

Despite the name, the editor of The Wagering War Blog is a peaceful soul. The wagering war is usually fought against the bookies. Argueing with other poker players is not the norm.

The Wagerer notes he got involved in his first poker room slanging match and did not like it

The betting system tipster come blogger is human after all.

The Man United Rant Blog is on the warpath again. After Man Utd recently failed to even get a Uefa cup spot via the Champions League groups after losing 2-1 away to Benfica - it was inevitable some staunch Manchester United fans would be unhappy.

The William Hills football betting odds compilers have the next Man Utd manager to replace Fergie market priced up as follows. Martin O'neill is 2/1 favourite, closely followed by Omar Hitzfeld at 4/1. Carlos Queiroz is an 8/1 chance. Fabio Capello and Mark Hughes are at 10/1. Roy Keane, Sven Goran Eriksson, Alan Curbishley and David Moyes are priced up at 14/1, while Middlesbrough's Alan McLaren is at 16's.

William Hills also have a Ferguson to leave Old trafford by the end of the season market. The odds are Fergie to leave at 4/6 and sir Alex to stay until the bitter end at 11/10. The 11/10 should be the favourite. Not sure what is going on there. Punters should grab that price. A definate value betting proposition.

Anyway, whether Fergie should leave or not is discussed at the United Rant blog, here are the 10 reasons listed why Sir Alex should retire now.

Thee BBC finished off their poker expose with a report on the rise and rise of Partypoker aka Partygaming aka Iglobalmedia on the money programme which is aired and supported by the Open University

The "television" online poker report entitled The Big Poker Gamble failed to go into detail about the firms dodgy past apart from to mention the millions made by Ruth Parasol in porn, nothing about running mathematically rigged/flawed/error strewn casino software, specifically their roulette wheel.

My most trusted gambling firm information source for good and bad online gaming operators, the "Original Mary" spoke about Iglobalmedia today and said.

Ate Online are hosting the ICE - International Casino Exhibition in London at the Earls Court and Olympia Confrerences Halls in January the 24th to the 26th, 2006.

The ICE Location - Go to Earls Court, just across the road from Earls Court and/or West Brompton underground train stations

There will be lots of good online gambling firms represented, along with the usual online gambling industry riff raff. Offline gambling is the main attraction for ICE. You can buy pool tables, merry-go-rounds, blackjack and craps tables, roulette wheels, fruit machines and slots, space invaders, driving games for your amusements arcade or just go to see the latest electronic games - and play them for free. Here is who will be there.

Audley Harrison V Danny Williams is an interesting fight for sure for the Commonwealth Heavyweight Title. Audley Harrison and Danny Williams will be broadcast live on ITV1 from 8.55 to 10.10pm. The fight venue is the ExCeL London on Saturday December 10 (tomorrow)

Why Audley Harrison is priced up at an odds on chance of 4/11 is anyones guess.

Danny Williams is a 2/1 shot, those odds on the Williams outright win are crazy. An insulting price in my opinion.

Williams is a fairly talented heavyweight boxer - he is arguably of the pugilist mould. Harrison is more interested in promoting himself than fighting. He is a boxing promotor for the most part.

I know Harrison holds an olympic gold medal for the heavyweight class - but has done nothing in the professional ring and has faced no one like a boxer of the calibre of Williams. Don't forget Williams once beat Mike Tyson while Harisson has beaten no one.

Even if I am completely wrong and Harisson punches Williams all around the ring. For betting purposes in a one on one bout, those 2/1 odds are a gamble by the bookies in my opinion.

Yes, David G Schwartz Finished the Las Vegas Marathon in one piece - allbeit in bits. Dodgy legs don't you know? His pins were okay before.

Now, Dave is an author, a gambling authority and Jujitsu practisioner. What he was doing running in the Vegas Marathon is anyones guess. He finished the full 26.2 mile corse though, so fair play to Dave.

A little known fact on the professional poker players scene is Tony Cascarino nicknamed himself Cool Hand Cas while presenting drivetime on Talksport Radio with Patrick Kinghorn.

Cascarino has left talksport and now chats about football on the tele as a soccer pundit alongside writing a column in the Times Newspaper, while doubling up as a pro poker player. I heard on the radio the other day via Charlie McCann that Tony won the Caribbean Poker Classic to net a cool $100,000 playing the game Texas hold-em.

Charlie McCann is a horseracing tipster and betting analyst who now works for Bet-Direct, is expecting a nice drink I gather, as he was the one who turned Cascarino onto the Caribbean Poker event. Never did Charlie expect "Cool Hand Cas" to win the whole tournament against many high profile Texas hold-em pro's.

£25,000 left the bookies satchels, via the 7/1 odds on offer for the Bingo Caller Of The Year(pdf file) market.

Countrywide, the bingo gambling syndicate bet the maximum stake of 25 pounds on the 7/1 shot Karl Seth (38). The bingo punters co-ordinated the gamble, so as not to alert the bookies, thereby not allowing the bookies time to drop the price or remove the bingo callers market alltogether.

To win 25k, the bingo betting crew must have layed out approximately £3500 or so, which would involve about 140 seperate wagers. Clearly, to lay so many bets without the punt being noticed, the bingo gang will have had to be quick and very co-ordinated.

I can see the old girls now, flying around the city centres with their blue rinses glinting in the sun, placing wager after wager. Of course, the odds are there were no grannies involved in the betting coup atall. The thought still makes me laugh though.