Casino Cash Cow

You have seen all of the Poker shows on t.v., your husband or boyfriend plays poker every week and now you want to Host a Ladies Poker Night. A trend that is becoming more and more popular throughout the U.S. There are certain things that you need to Host a Poker Game, and I will go through them with you now.

Because their may be many different skill levels at your 1st Home Game, it is a good idea to let everyone know what the rules are, what hands beat what, and some basic betting strategy. The easiest thing to do is to hang up the poster titled: All In- A Quick Guide To Poker Poster. This is large enough that everyone will be able to see it from their spot at the table, and will help to move the game along,

You will definitely need a set of quality poker chips. The best ones are made from clay, and the 2 top choices would be the Nexgen or Paulson Chips. The Paulson chips are used in casinos nation-wide. The most common type of chips are the composite material chips and these usually will say 11.5 gr. chip. Along with the chips, you should get some sort of carrying case…either aluminum, wood, or acrylic, and get some chip trays.

The next thing that you will need will be some cards. It is not a great idea to play poker with the cards that you get at a dollar store, or to use paper cards. The reason for this is that they will rip, tear, get bent out of shape, and if a drink spills on them, they are ruined. That is why you need to get cards made from PVC. The 2 top brands are Copag, and Kem. While the price is higher than the paper cards, you will be able to use the same decks week after week instead of replacing them thus making them the much better value.

You will need a place to play. A great starting point would be to use a table layout that will just sit on your table and look like a poker table. The next step up, and a great choice are the folding tables. Some of these will come with padded arm rests and cup holders. The obvious benefit of the folding table is that you have an authentic look and feel while you are playing but it will fold up for easy storage or for transport to next weeks Host Home. Finally if you want your Home Game to look and feel like an authentic casino experience then you Need to get the Full Size Casino Quality Poker Table.

There are some other things that you will need like a Dealer Kit. This will include a Dealer Button, Small and Big Blind Buttons as well as the missed blind button and the kill button. It also includes some chip spacers just like in the casino. You may also want to have a Tournament Timer to keep track of time between increasing blinds. Some people use a card cover/spinner to protect your cards. You need to let other players know that you are in the hand, and they should not take your cards. Some people use a coin, or a pre-fab cover/spinner while others use a bobblehead or something that is important to them(pic.of a kid)You can search for each of these items individually, or head over to www.ExecutiveGamingMonthly.com. Executive Gaming Monthly(EGM) is the first Casino Game of the Month Gift Club, and has 6 different complete Poker Packages in 3 different price points.

EGM’s packages include everything that you need to Host Your

Own Game all in one place. We hand pick the highest quality products for each of the packages, so all you need to do is provide the most important thing—FOOD.

Eric Hansel is the President of Executive Gaming Monthly (EGM), the 1st Casino Game of the Month Gift Club(like a cigar of the month). He has been in sales and marketing for the past 10 years and lives in New Jersey with his wife, and son. Bring the Casino Home with http://www.ExecutiveGamingMonthly.com.

One of the best ways of foreseeing the future is to understand the human nature. Our needs, hopes, problems and dreams are often the basis for our future making. The nature of the human being is one of the most important ingredients in a complicated gambling business. Each of the parties – a casino and a gambler, long to win money from each other. And the growing strain will determine the future of the game.

Blackjack before 1962:

Before publication of the classic book “Beat The Dealer” by Edward O. Thorp in 1962 no single player had ever suspected of such a thing as the Basic Strategy. Everyone used one’s own mixture of superstitions concerning the way in which one or the other hand had to play. Plus, some experience gained while playing at home in the kitchen. Excluding a small number of professional card-players who intuitively presupposed that their overbalance would be more if there were more bowers left in a pack, practically none won in blackjack. Naturally, casinos felt quite comfortable under such conditions. Till 1962 blackjack was not very popular, though percentagewise the profit rate was exclusively high.

The next decade: from 1962 till 1972:

After publication of the book by Thorp the situation changed radically. When the book mounted the peak of sales, became a bestseller, and the professor Thorp became an internationally famous personality, casinos were terrified that thus everyone could learn the system of Thorp and would start beating casinos winning huge amounts of money.

The results of this panic are well-known. The majority of casinos cardinally changed the blackjack rules creating even a larger overbalance in comparison with the previous set of rules. These introductions were effective a few weeks only as the majority of casinos’ clients simply refused to play a game with such bad rules. Subordinating to the law of supply and demand casinos had to quickly restore traditional rules for all. After this gamblers started immediately to play again, more than that in considerably larger quantities.

The popularity of Thorp’s book played into the hands of casinos. Blackjack started to attract crowds of people who thought they could “beat a dealer” only after they had read one book.

But the fact remained that casinos’ visitors continued to lose the same amounts of money while playing blackjack as before. Only the number of gamblers increased a hundred times. The majority of those who had read the book simply didn’t understand the way the calculation of tens given in the book worked, and those who got to the bottom didn’t take enough pains so as to master the system of calculation from A to Z. Casinos observed in surprise the incredibly increased profits.

Reedition of the book in 1966 gave a reader a simpler calculation system. Over that period of time a number of books on blackjack were published. The game gathered pace. Casinos were setting more and more tables. Blackjack was becoming the most popular game in casinos having outrun the previous leader craps.

Blackjack of the 70s:

The classic book “Playing Blackjack as a Business” by Lawrence Revere is responsible for further increase in popularity of the game in the 70s to a great extent. Revere published a shortened version of his systems at the beginning of 1969, but by 1972 already thousands of copies of the book were sold out. Revere republished an extended version of the book offering his simple and effective systems of the game which increased blackjack popularity even more.

Also the book “Winning Blackjack” by Stanley Roberts, was in the right place at the right time, in addition the author appeared in a number of radio and TV-shows. Roberts invested a considerable amount of money into advertising of his book making a splash.

Casinos were once again overcome by the fit of paranoia. They started to suspect that the systems developed with the help of research methods could considerably influence their profits. Casinos started to introduce a multi-pack blackjack instead of a one-pack blackjack to struggle against the system game.

At the beginning of the 70s a lot of scientists, mathematicians, university professors and other “intellectuals” started to write books about blackjack. Some of them developed their own cards’ calculation systems. One of the most popular and effective systems – Hi-Opt I, was developed in 1974 with the help of computer programs created by Julian Brown with participation of an anonymous postgraduate of a large Canadian university.

A lot of professional gamblers transferred from the Revere system to the Hi-Opt I system because of the relative simplicity and effectiveness of the latter one. A lot of ordinary gamblers started to use the system together with the basic strategy. These two systems evidently made the biggest impact upon casinos’ profits because of their use by professionals. Roberts’ systems were more often used by amateurs.

Kenneth Uston, teams and Great Horror:

Kenneth Uston noticed sometime at the end of 1976 that he was amazed by the way how effective the simplest systems of Hi-Opt I type could be. In Uston’s book “Big Player“the way how Uston and his companions won together more than a million of dollars playing blackjack is described. Later on his teams transferred from very complicated systems to the simplest of Hi-Opt I type. Uston was thrown out of a few big casinos of Las Vegas, and he filed lawsuit against them for a total amount of 80 million dollars.

With the arrival of Uston the whole new era of blackjack began. Casinos were once again frightened that teams could win huge amounts of money in blackjack. Nearly at once some casinos did away with a one- and two-pack blackjack transferring to 4-, 6- and 8-pack ones. For an average gambler blackjack became too difficult. Plus, casinos started to cut most cards out of play – to two packs. As has been mentioned by Roberts in one of his articles, such practice was at the very least doubtful. By the way, the fact itself of availability of cards which didn’t enter the game caused new kinds of crooked gambling connected with withdrawal and addition of cards.

Casinos up to now change the number of packs and the extent of cutting, and compare levels of profits, thus balancing rules. In any case, rules are extremely difficult for gamblers in the USA, especially beginners.

The nightmare continues:

The funniest thing is that gamblers’ thoughts are not rigid. Uston’s teams were followed by Keith Taft with his pocket computer for blackjack which played better than any profs in the world. The court of Nevada State broke the record of the USA on the quickness of adoption of statute on use of computers in casinos. Up to five years with confiscation in the current situation, though Taft and his advocates were sure of the unconstitutionality of that law.

Forbade the computer? There appeared Tommy Hyland and his most complicated systems of tracking. A new headache for casinos… To worsen the cutting, introduce more packs and make the procedure of riffle even longer. To invent shuffle-machines!

Stanford Wong was the first to outwit these shuffle-machines. The most important thing was to know how they worked. Poor casinos didn’t know what to do. These machines cost rather a lot.

Perhaps new varieties would help? Spanish 21, Super-fan 21, 6:5 blackjack, “Open” blackjack, Blackjack-switch, Pontoon… With every introduction there was one problem: either no one played it at all or profs immediately found the way to beat it. Tournaments? Old Wong created teams especially for tournament struggle. Every new rule was calculated and intensively looked into a week in advance. The development of the Internet caused quick information distribution.

Further on the whole pleiad of gamblers of the contemporary generation came on stage. Wong, Sneider, Anderson, Dogerty, Shlesinger and heaps of people who were occupied with theory and practical aspects of the game. Mathematical models of the game were worked out. Texts on Blackjack were published in scientific reviews.

Finally, up to the present moment a small number of professionals still win in blackjack. And will win in the future. Some profs transfer to more complicated systems which are plentiful (let’s say, Hi-Opt II was published as far back as 1976). New methods and techniques are being developed.

There is no doubt that it will get still more and more difficult to win in blackjack. However, there difficulties only make gambling wits work harder and harder. Right away new game systems are being worked out in many heads and at many computers of the world.

It is important to understand that gamblers always have a hope. They can change games. They can finally read a textbook on the theory of probability. They can read the same books themselves. They can spend even more money on the newest technologies. However, I assure You, there will always be a way to beat them.

© Copyright 2006-2007 www.Bonus-Map.com

Arthur Prudent is the developer of http://www.bonus-map.com , web site covering gambling news, features reviews on Casinos, Poker rooms, bingos, Sports Betting bonuses promotions and more.

While most people enjoy casino gambling, sports betting, lottery and bingo playing for the fun and excitement it provides, others may experience gambling as an addictive and distractive habit. Statistics show that while 85 percent of the adult population in the US enjoys some type of gambling every year, between 2 and 3 percent of will develop a gambling problem and 1 percent of them are diagnosed as pathological gamblers.

Where can you draw the line between harmless gambling to problem gambling? How can you tell if you or your friend are compulsive gamblers? Here you can find answers to these questions and other questions regarding problem gambling and gambling addiction.

What is the Meaning of Problem Gambling?

Problem gambling or compulsive gambling is defined as an uncontrollable urge to gamble despite the destructive effect of gambling on the gamblers life and despite feelings of guilt and remorse. Problem gambling tends to have a negative effect on the gamblers financial state, relationships and daily life. Severe cases of problem gambling can be defined as pathological gambling.

Am I a Compulsive Gambler?

1) Do you gamble until your last penny runs out?
2) Do you gamble to win back your former losses or debts?
3) Did you ever had to borrow money to continue gamble?
4) Did your gambling habit ever made you lie to your friends or family?
5) Did you ever skip work or other obligation to gamble?
6) Do you tend to gamble to forget about your personal problems or to celebrate happy occasions?
7) Does gambling have a negative affect on your daily life or relationships?

If you have answered yes on at least one of the questions listed above, then you have a problem.

Can Anyone Become a Compulsive Gambler?

Theoretically, yes. Any gambler can develop gambling problem regardless to the type of gambling he is occupied with, the amount of money and time he is spending on gambling. Researches show that slot machines that can be found in bars and convenient stores are the most addictive type of gambling activity, while lottery draws and bingo games are located on the other end of the scale. Gambling addiction is an emotional problem; its symptoms, causes and treatments are similar to any other form of addiction.

How Can I treat Gambling Addiction?

1) Group Therapy:

Gamblers Anonymous offers a 12 step self help program similar to the one offered to alcohol addicts in Alcoholics Anonymous. Group therapy also offers gambling addicts advice and support from professional counselors and other gambling addicts in different phases of their recovery process. Gambler Anonymous centers are available in more than 1,200 locations statewide.

2) Individual Therapy:

Cognitive or behavior therapy can help gambling addicts to identify their unaware thinking and acting patterns, which led them to gamble compulsively, and to replace them with controllable and healthier ways of thinking.

3) Psychiatric Medication:

It has recently been proven that antidepressant medications from the family of SSRIs, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors can be affective in treatment of gambling addicts.

As the editor of a guide to http://www.gambling-portal.com online casinos Jack Reider has had to deal with gambling addictions in all forms. He has helped users and Gamblers Anonymous organizations connect.

For the twelfth straight year, Bill Gates continues to be the richest man in the world with a net worth of $50 billion, according to the authoritative Forbes magazine, the business world’s bible of wealth and fortune. Microsoft’s founding father may be less active in the corporate world these days, but he still sits comfortably at the top of the hill as the inspiration and subject of envy of all would-be billionaires.

Based on a recent report released by Forbes, becoming a billionaire these days is not as hard as it used to be. The publication reveals that there are now a record 793 billionaires around the world, compared to 691 in 2005, with an average net worth of $3.3 billion. Combined, these 793 men and women have a net worth of $2.6 trillion.

What is stunning is that just three years ago, Forbes could only point to 476 billionaires worldwide, which means that their number has nearly doubled in a three-year span. Contrast that to the magazine’s inaugural list of only 140 billionaires 20 years ago, and you can easily see how so many individuals have reached the billion-dollar plateau in recent years compared to the last two decades.

Economic observers note that the road to riches has now taken on a different look. And perhaps nowhere is that more evident than when you consider new billionaire Calvin Ayre, a jet-setting Canadian playboy who started making his fortune 10 years ago by taking illegal bets over the Internet in Costa Rica. Ayre set up http://Bodog.com in 1995 as a sports betting site which later on added casino horse-racing and poker, and has parlayed that into what has become America’s largest sports betting destination now valued at over $1 billion. Ayre now sits behind a virtual business empire called the Bodog Entertainment Group that has become a mainstream, multi-channel organization. For his efforts, Ayre recently landed on the cover of Forbes magazine.

Another notable new billionaire is Anurag Dikshit, who, like Ayre, made his fortune from online gaming when he and two others went public with their company ParyGaming poker in London in June 2006. Other new billionaires include Vijay Mallya, a liquor mogul and the brains behind Kingfisher beer, and Tulsa Tanti, the owner of Asia’s largest windfarm.

There were also 10 women who were included among the 102 new billionaires in 2006, but only six of them were self-made.

Kadence Buchanan writes articles for http://4businesstalk.com/ – In addition, Kadence also writes articles for http://yourealestatesource.com/ and http://youremploymentsource.com/

Whenever you enter a casino, there is a certain etiquette you must follow, a way of behaving that tells others, and yourself, that you belong. Some people do this by handcuffing themselves to their money-filled briefcase while others, such as my father, do this by handcuffing themselves to something less obvious and way cooler, such as a fanny pack. But casino etiquette isn’t just about how you carry your cash, it’s also about how you behave the entire time you are inside a money-making establishment. In order to truly be welcomed in a casino, you have to play your cards right in more than one way.

Tip Everyone: Casinos run on money (insert “duh” here) and many of the people employed make their money off of tips. For this reason, it’s important to tip everyone who provides you with assistance: the bell hop, the concierge, the cocktail waitress, the blackjack dealer who just busted, allowing you to collect big on your 200 dollar bet. Not only does this help them out, but it also helps you out: casinos remember people who tip well and they reward them with things like free rooms or free meal vouchers.

Don’t Linger at the Slots: Lingering over a game of blackjack or a game of craps is one thing, lingering over a slot machine is a completely different thing. When you do this, not only do you make the person playing nervous – no one, sans Paris Hilton, wants to be watched intently – but you also come across as someone who is letting someone else put in all the money, so you can swoop in and win the big payoff. Even if this is your intent, it’s typically frowned upon, if not by the casino then by the person sitting in front of the slot machine, losing all their savings.

Don’t be That Guy or Girl: Sure, casinos are full of alcohol, free alcohol. For this reason, being in a casino and not drinking can only mean three things: you’re underage, you’re pregnant, or you’re crazy. Though the alcohol flows in a casino like water, you still need to be careful that you don’t drink so much you start making a fool of yourself. Casinos are packed with cameras and security guards and acting extremely intoxicated, dancing on the poker table, or grabbing chips from the blackjack dealer as just a “joke” will result in an encounter with the pit boss, and probably expulsion from the venue. It’s also a good idea, no matter how much alcohol you drink and how much cash you lose, not to ask for your money back: turns out, they won’t give it to you.

Be Careful Where you Use Cell Phones: Cell phones in casinos are fine to use, you just have to be careful where you use them. Sitting at a bar, playing at a slot machine, or standing outside the game tables are fine places to reach out and touch someone, but sitting at a poker table or a blackjack table and talking on your cell phone will result in you being asked to leave. Dealers and pit bosses are pre-programmed to believe that everyone is cheating, and talking on a cell phone while playing a card game perpetuates this fear. Save yourself some trouble by simply not bringing your phone to the tables.

Casinos are a fun place to go. You can win big, drink freely, and easily get caught up in the moment. But, remember that casinos also have etiquette: follow the unwritten rules and don’t make your behavior your biggest gamble yet.

Jennifer Jordan is an editor and staff writer for http://www.whatsknottolove.com. At home in a design firm in Denver, Colorado, she writes articles specific to the finer things in life.

Have you ever dreamed of playing poker with the professionals you see on TV? Maybe your only wish is to learn absolutely everything you can about poker but you simply don’t know where to get instructions from. It’s best if you consider taking some poker lessons. Not only would it be a fun experience, but it will also provide you with all the information you might need about poker – the rules of the game, how to win, some strategies and methods as well.

Poker is learned best at an actual casino, as this is the place where the action is. There are quite many casinos in Las Vegas that offer free poker lessons in the morning. It is always a bright idea to call the casino and ask if they have this service before you actually make a trip.

If you don’t feel like going to Las Vegas to get free poker lessons, then you should better visit some sites offering poker lessons that might be bought and used in your home. Another option you have is try the online professional poker schools. They have all that is needed to teach you the bases of the poker game.

In case you don’t care about the high price, then why not consider “Poker Fantasy Camps”? These are special camps where you can learn a lot about playing poker for a weekend out. These camps in particular are famous for their seminars, workshops, and tournaments. Furthermore, when taking part in a “Poker Fantasy Camp” you will have the unique opportunity to meet some of the most famous players in the history of poker. This would be a weekend you would never forget.

Another way to learn how to play poker is to call a professional tutor. Many professional players might come to your home and give you poker lessons. If you call all your friends that are interested in poker, then this whole poker lesson might turn to be a wonderful experience for all. In case you are not able to find a professional player by yourself, you should contact any popular casino and they will get you a pro.

It doesn’t matter if you want to learn how to play poker just for fun or you’d like to make some money of it, taking poker lessons is the right thing to do. Playing poker is a wonderful way to make friends and get to know other people. A night of poker is much better than watching others play poker on television, so consider taking poker lessons. All you have to do is get the bases and start practicing.

Morgan Hamilton offers expert advice and great tips regarding all aspects concerning gambling. Learn more at http://www.gamblingpokerguide.com/poker-information/poker–gambling/get-the-most-effective-poker-lessons.html

You can win many rounds of poker if you simply observe other players and their body language. You must carefully observe each move to determine if the player is a professional or a novice.

A poker fish is usually a beginner who is highly enthusiastic and will bet even with average cards. You will find the poker fish at the lower limit poker games though they may occasionally play at the higher limit tables.

You can win several games if poker fish are present at your table.

You may lose a few games, but on an average the more you sit at a table, the more you will win against them. Once you recognize a poker fish at your table, you can develop a proper strategy and beat them hollow. You can beat the fish by calculating the pot odds for your hand. They are playing based on pure luck while you can maximize your chances by using proper probability and your “player reading” skills.

You must compute the number of undealt cards and your chance of getting such cards. In case there are a good number of cards, you must call a bet; else, you must leave the game. If you are playing online poker, you can beat the poker calling machines by using a pot odds calculator. The poker calling machines always have an edge over the player and the purpose of your poker strategy must be to minimize this edge as much as possible.

You must learn how to adapt your game at various stages of the game as several players get a straight or a flush. If the bet is reasonable with a reasonable jackpot and you have a good hand, you must call the bet. In case you are last to play on the table and have a weak hand, it is better to leave the game than risk losing whatever you may have won.

Your opponents may have a good hand and will try to draw you in to betting at the river. They may try to check you and call your bet, so play as per the strength of your cards. You can also check on the river if you wager and your opponents have missed a draw. You may not bet in case you are the first player. So, play intelligently and call the bluff of your competitors.

In case you play last, you may wager on the flop. This way if the opponent checks you, you can convince him you have a bad draw. You can then raise him on the river and earn some amount of money. Another tactic to earn a good sum of money is to make a small bet when you have a good hand and your competitors have poor cards. This convinces them to raise their bets and you win a good amount at their cost.

When playing online poker you must learn to recognize a fake hand and withdraw from the game when the poker-calling machine has a stronger hand. It is very important to have proper money management and control over your bankroll to avoid bankruptcy, when playing poker. Most importantly, learn to recognize the types of players at your table. Novices will play without thinking unlike aggressive players who try to scare you off the table. For other players money is no criteria and they play the maximum bets even with average hands.

Therefore, when playing offline poker learn to recognize the poker fish, as his presence gives you a good advantage and a better chance of winning. When playing online poker join the online casino so that you get free money to play more poker.

You must play confidently if you have a good hand and bet assertively, taking more risk. If you observe these simple rules, you can easily beat the poker fish or the poker-calling machine in online poker.

PD Laughlin is a successful professional poker player and publisher of http://Learn-Texas-Holdem-Strategies.com. He provides free information on Poker Skills, Strategies and Systems on his website http://Learn-Texas-Holdem-Strategies.com including how to beat the poker fish and calling machines. Visit his site now and become a better poker player immediately.

Being on a tilt is a poker term used to imply the condition of a player when he is frustrated and on an aggressive losing spree. Sounds like a scary situation but do not be surprised if you find yourself on a tilt every once in a while.

Coming to a tilt situation is not hard but avoiding it is harder. Most players reach a tilt after they have suffered a bad beat. For instance, you had a great set of cards in a game; the flop was a set of reasonably good cards.

Assuming that these are great cards to play with and you decide to do some aggressive betting. Follow this up with a few more good cards. You end up betting a lot of money and finally your one of your opponent has a straight of a flush or something. You end up with potentially good cards but no-win and end up losing a lot of money. In poker, this would be a bad beat.

If you are someone who thinks really positive or just plain lose sight of ground reality, you may tend to bet in a very similar manner in the subsequent games. Since you are playing with opponents, a smart adversary will recognize your vulnerable situation and put you on the defensive.

A player, who in on a beat is quite a lonely and frustrated soul. Most likely, such players are likely to lose perspective of the game and end up playing on cards that would have otherwise been discarded. Any decent opponent will play the bluff at this and the beat player will lose more money. This is when he hits a tilt situation, where the losses far outnumber the wins.

If you are new to Texas Hold ’em bad beats, do not worry. To avoid bad beats, you can do some very basic things, by following tilt situation. Bad beats in Hold ‘em are very common. This is especially so because the game is quite dependent on chance and there is no question of chance favoring one player and not the other but it sure seems like that sometimes.

The first rule when playing poker is to play calmly and never bet too aggressively, in the crazy sense. This is also a great way to avoid a bad beat. If you do not bet like crazy, you will not feel frustrated even losing a few dollars. Getting your hopes up and wagering money without substantial results can be quite a bad experience even for very experienced players.

The next situation to tackle if you do end up with a bad beat is to avoid a tilt. A single beat cannot do as much damage as a tilt. The moment you realize you suffered a beat, take break to calm yourself.

If you can leave the table altogether, do so just to unwind and take a break. If you are at home, go dig into the cooler for a cola or a beer. Take the break time to focus on other things. If you are in a casino, try to check out the games at other tables.

Anther smart thing to do to avoid a tilt is to fold your cards after a beat unless you are dealt a formidable hand. Most players should avoid playing unless they are dead sure it is a great textbook “monster” hand.

PD Laughlin is a successful Webmaster and publisher of http://Learn-Texas-Holdem-Strategies.com. He provides free information on Poker Skills, Strategies and Systems on his website Learn-Texas-Holdem-Strategies.com.

Today we’ll continue our look at players who by themselves are worth the price of football tickets by ranking the RB’s in the NFL who are a cut above the rest. A good RB can make a bad team a threat and a good team great. The “modern” RB presents a dual threat to opposing defenses, as the “new breed” of RB can both run and catch. There are still throw-back types who smash defenses in the mouth all day long, but they are more easily defended than the RB who can sprint out into the flat, catch a pass and break off a big play. As usual, more than statistics go into these rankings.

1. LaDainian Tomlinson

Tomlinson remains the best all-around RB in the NFL. He can run, he can catch, he’s fast enough to outrun defenders, and he’s basically a threat every time he touches the ball. He’s deceptively elusive, and he’s had years where he basically carried the Chargers’ offense. Drew Brees should thank “LT” for his new mega-contract with the Saints, as Tomlinson made Brees’ ability to pile up stats that much easier. He’ll do the same thing for Phillip Rivers as he takes over at QB for the Chargers.

2. Shaun Alexander

Alexander is the reigning NFL MVP, and there’s good reason for that. He’s big, strong, fast and versatile. He’s continually chewing up 4 or 5 yards per carry, and he’s got enough speed to break a long run. Alexander also seems to have an innate ability to score touchdowns. He’s the prototypical West Coast Offense RB, as he has great receiving skills and will block. He had a somewhat unfair reputation in recent years of being “soft,” but he put that to rest in 2005.

3. Tiki Barber

Barber was the Giants’ offense in many games last year, and many felt he should’ve been the MVP over Alexander. Barber ran for nearly 1,900 yards last year and he caught more than 50 balls out of the backfield. “Numbers” guys feel that Barber is too small to be durable, but like Alexander, he put that rap to bed in 2005 when he logged over 350 carries. Barber has helped young QB Eli Manning mature by taking a huge amount of pressure off of him with his running skills. Giants’ fans bought their football tickets for the sole purpose of seeing Barber in many games last year.

4. Larry Johnson

Many wonder if I’m crazy ranking “LJ” this low, as he tops many fantasy football rankings. However, this is reality, and Johnson has not done it long enough yet to outrank those above him in these rankings. He had an incredible second half of 2005, and he’s looking to continue that trend this season. However, he’s not a great receiver and he’s working with a new coach and a revamped offensive line that lost at least one future Hall of Fame-worthy player in LT Willie Roaf. 2006 will help define Johnson’s true skills.

5. Steven Jackson

Jackson is somewhat overlooked, but watch out for him this season. He rushed for over 1,000 yards last season and only got 250 carries. This year, Marshall Faulk is not playing, and the coaching change in St. Louis will most likely benefit Jackson. The Rams will be running more than they did under Mike Martz, but the Martz regime did force Jackson to develop his pass-catching skills. Jackson is a load, runs behind a good offensive line, and will be a RB that gives opposing coaches fits in 2006.

6. Honorable Mention

There are three RB’s who would be ranked in the Top 5, although each of them has a “but” next to their qualifications. Edgerrin James would be ranked, but he now plays behind a questionable offensive line in Arizona. Cadillac Williams would be there, but he needs to show he can play a full season, as his reputation for being injury prone was not dispelled last year. Kevin Jones would be there as well, but he hasn’t had an opportunity to become the “new” Marshall Faulk in Mike Martz’s offense. He could be there next year. Regardless, each of these three is still worth the price of football tickets, and each will be successful if healthy.

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Millionaires have certain guidelines they live by – that’s one of the reasons they become Millionaires. If you haven’t created the wealth you desire, it can seem the Wealthy are privy to secrets you aren’t. The biggest secret is – you probably KNOW some of these so-called secrets already! You now need to APPLY them in your life, instead of just knowing them and you too can create your own Millions.

1. CONTINUE LEARNING To become a Millionaire, you must first create a Millionaire Mindset. Many Millionaires believe that your greatest asset is your knowledge. Your thoughts shape your future – choose your thoughts wisely. To realise your full potential, you need to continually be learning, discovering and educating yourself. Invest in your greatest asset by reading books, listening to audios and attending seminars constantly. By continuing your education beyond formal school years you will achieve more in life than you ever imagined. For dozens of free prosperity resources visit http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?Clk=2003412

2. LIVE BELOW YOUR MEANS This may not be the hot tip you expected, but this secret will assist you toward Millionaire status no matter what your income. A quote from Bill Earle sums it up perfectly “If your outgo exceeds your income, then your upkeep will be your downfall”. The typical Millionaire spends less than he earns, and invests the difference. Millionaires prefer to sacrifice high consumption today to achieve financial freedom tomorrow and for a lifetime.

3. BUILD A BUSINESS AROUND WHAT YOU LOVE Most of the richest people in the world own one or more businesses. To create true wealth, you must involve yourself in your own business – preferably doing something you love. Millionaires get that way because they do what they love. They love what they do so much that it rarely feels like work – they put their heart into it and the money just flows. This is where the money is – you will never get rich working for someone else. Find something you love, something you’re passionate about, create a business around what you love and watch the money flow to you.

4. BE PERSISTANT On your way to creating your own millions, you will definitely face some minor and major obstacles. The secret is to overcome these obstacles and move on. Do not give up – be persistent. True long-term wealth is achieved only by striding over, under and through the obstacles along your path to riches. “The road to success leads through the valley of humility, down the path of patience and across the wide barren plains of perseverance. As yet, no short cut has been discovered”

5. LEVERAGE YOUR TIME AND MONEY Millionaires do not have the time nor the inclination to do everything themselves and when it comes to making millions they don’t just use their own money. If you want to be a Millionaire you have to know how to leverage. Millionaires hire the right people to do far more than they possibly could themselves. And they utilise other people’s money to invest in income-producing assets.

6. INVEST IN REAL ESTATE ”One thing the Rich uniformly have in common is that almost without exception – the Rich either made their Wealth in Real Estate or they keep their Wealth in Real Estate” stated world famous Real Estate Investor, Dr. Dolf de Roos. It’s never too late to begin your Real Estate Investing career – with the right education and support you will be able to create long term secure wealth to pass onto future generations. Real Estate investing is one of the best-known ways to create millions – even if you have NO money to begin with!

7. GIVE BACK Many Millionaires are generous with their time and money in helping others. This wasn’t something they began after they became rich, they were givers before, during and after they made their millions. In fact many Millionaires even have their own foundations. They donate a percentage of their wealth to a cause they believe in. The more you give, the more you will receive. Don’t hoard your wealth, share it with others and watch it multiply.

Millionaires dream big, create a strong desire to achieve those dreams and then take consistent action to see their dreams come true. Follow these guidelines and you too can be on the way to your first Million!

© 2004 Sandy Forster