Casino Cash Cow

Like classic Baccarat, the version known as ‘Mini Baccarat’ version it is very simple to learn and play. In fact it’s one of the easiest games in the casino. No special skills or knowledge are needed. Mini Baccarat plays by the same rules as classic Baccarat , with only minor procedural differences. The same fixed game rules apply in all casinos. Rigid conventions dictate whether to hit or stand, and everyone follows the same formula.

And what’s more, baccarat has the best odds overall of any casino game, with the lowest house edge. As with poker, the casinos make their money not by winning against the player, but by charging winners a commission.

So what is different about Mini Baccarat? Well, there are a number of factors:

• In terms of how the game itself is played, the main difference is in the role of the banker. In the classic game the players take turns at being banker and the shoe is passed between them. But in Mini-Baccarat the dealer is always the Banker and the Players never touch the cards.

• Mini baccarat is usually dealt from a six-deck shoe, whilst classic baccarat plays with 8 decks.

• Having less decks changes the odds very slightly in favor of the house on tie bets. For a 6-deck game the house edge is 1.06% on the banker bet, 1.24% on the player bet, and 14.44% on the tie. Whereas in the eight deck version the house edge is 1.06% on the banker bet, 1.24% on the player bet, and 14.36% on the tie.

• The actual dealing process is faster. In mini-baccarat, dealers handle all the cards and place them right-side-up on the table. In standard baccarat, bettors draw cards from the shoe then place them upside down on the table before making a ritual out of turning them over.

• In mini baccarat a single dealer handles the entire game, including dealing the cards, whereas the big table version will have several dealers.

• While regular baccarat is known for its huge bets, betting minimums and maximums are usually lower in the Mini game. The minimum can be as low as $2 – $5, and the maximum up to around $500.

• There are less players and a smaller table. Instead of the big table and large number of players of classic baccarat, the Mini Baccarat table is similar to a blackjack table, with just seven or sometimes nine places for players.

• The Mini version is played in a less formal, more relaxed atmosphere. The classic game can have quite an intimidating atmosphere, with high stakes, well dressed high-rollers, several dealers in tuxedos, and the plush baccarat area that’s separated off from the other games. Mini baccarat is part of the normal casino floor, does not have the high rollers atmosphere and dress codes, and its lower betting limits that make it accessible to all.

All in all, its speed, more relaxed atmosphere and lower stakes make Mini Baccarat a good way to learn the game, and many players will never move on to the big table version.

Jacob Pirenne is a staff writer on The Baccarat Guide, which provides online baccarat information, including baccarat game reviews, news, articles, site listings and much more.

When I visited Monte Carlo, Monaco a few weeks ago I ran into an old colleague, we had been in the same card counting team almost twenty years ago, we sat down at Havana Café and we discussed old memories, she had spent all the time since we met the last time at the Blackjack tables in Atlantic City, US, while I had spent my time at the European casinos. After half an hour of old memories we slided in to how the casino world has developed since it went online.

A business, a world going online usually make things easier, but the question is if it really has with the online gambling business. For starters it is not that easy to protect yourself against credit card fraud and rigged games and to bust a myth, when I’m writing this (December 2005) it doesn’t exist any kind of authority to control the online casinos.

But that’s not the most important. What you really should ask yourself is if gambling really is more available than it was fifteen years ago, when the online casino world began to develop. More people than ever are of course gambling, but is that really because of the dotcom industry? What I mean is that gambling has always been available to every one and that regardsless of the fact that there are really few ”real” casinos in Europe, there have always been exceptions to the non-gambling laws, everything from the restaurant casinos in Germany to the Jack Vegas slot machines in Sweden, and Monte Carlo is never to far away.

I’m referring to the fact that you can always, and always could gamble, but it’s first when the online gambling business came that people are doing it. Politician all over the world explains this with that the easier gambling gets, the more people gambe.

I, who have been in this business for twenty years, know that that isn’t the answer. I would say that this actually a proof of how easy manipulated we humans are. The reason I disagree with the politicians is of course because the online gambling business actually never did that well until the beginning of 2003, 13 years after the first casino went online. There for, the reason more people are gambling than ever is not because of the availability, it’s because of the online marketing methods they are using.

And then the press should have it’s piece of the criticism, when it suddenly became cool to make your living out of poker then every kid sat behind the computer for hours, trying to become a pro.

But the ones who cannot be blamed enough is the politicians all over the world with their disgusting moral. If the casinos had not been forbidden world wide there wouldn’t be any online casinos, a censureship of these casinos would of course be restrictions in our democracy, but something has to be done, and since politicians refuse to give people the right to gamble on a real casino without the risk of getting your credit card stolen or without the risk of rigged games, they all refuse to let the casinos in, but if you want to get poor and manipulated, please do as every one else, go with the casino wave.

Jean Branche DuChaux

With the exception of talent, when it comes to NBA betting, the most important factor to consider is the home court, right?

Well, not exactly.

Actually, there’s not much difference in courts. They’re all made of wood and while the court logos are of varying colors, designs and questionable tastes, all have a 10-foot basket at each end. Supposedly, there’s some advantage to “knowing the rims” but since metal mostly comes into play on missed shots and no one deliberately tries to miss, it’s difficult to see where the advantage lies. Yes, we know from a rudimentary 10th grade course in physics that longer shots produce longer rebounds but the direction of the carom is based more on the trajectory of the shot than anything to do with the condition of the rims.

Another supposed advantage of the home court is the local fans. But it’s hard to accept the notion that professionals, who balk at signing autographs unless they’re paid, are motivated by the very same people they so willingly shun. Besides, what did all that ranting and raving by Spike Lee at Madison Square Garden ever do for New York? Reggie Miller still did the right thing by the Pacers and destroyed the Knicks.

The final alleged advantage of playing at home is that players gain some sort of “comfort level” from sleeping in their own beds. Excuse me, but weren’t you paying attention to the Gold Club trial in Atlanta a few years ago? Based on the evidence, it seems that many a player readily would relinquish a night under his own satin sheets if an, ahem, “dancer” were made available for some companionship.

That being said, there is an advantage to playing at home but it has little to do with the court, the fans or the sleeping conditions. It has everything to do with getting to the court.

Clear and simple, visiting teams are disadvantaged most by travel, a factor we touched on but did not fully explore in a previous article. In fact, how far a team has to travel, how many time zones it crosses, the direction it travels and how many games it’s forced to play in a given number of nights are crucial elements in both NBA oddsmaking and NBA betting.

Remember how tired and out of synch you were after a cross Atlantic flight? Now try running six miles (the average distance a basketball player runs in a game) in a different venue, three out of four or four out of six nights and see how it impacts your athletic performance. NBA betting pros understand that no team can be “up” for every game, that fatigue can become a significant factor, and pointspreads often grow in proportion to the length of a road trip.

It’s also worth noting that it’s more difficult on the body to travel against the sun, or west to east, than it is to go east to west. So, NBA teams based in the Western and Rocky Mountain Time Zones often are disadvantaged more by long road trips than are teams in the Eastern and Central Time Zones. One way they overcome this handicap is by flying all the way east to start the road trip then work their way back west.

Oddsmakers and NBA betting experts not only consider the journey of the road team but also note whether the home team has been stationed in familiar confines for a period of time or is itself just returning from a lengthy trip.

Often overlooked by the casual player, savvy bettors understand that it’s always important to check the schedule.

Interestingly, despite playing 82 home games to gain one extra postseason home date in a series, the home court means less in the playoffs than it does during the regular season. Generally, that’s because teams in a post-season series have similar travel itineraries. For example, if San Antonio and Sacramento are set to square off in a best-of-seven series beginning in Texas, once the Kings visit the Spurs for the initial two games in the series, the teams will have similar travel schedules, flying to Northern California within hours of each other. That also will be the case if a return flight to San Antonio is needed to finish the series. The sameness of travel mitigates the home court advantage.

Yes, talent counts in NBA betting, but cagey bettors also understand that it’s important to check those schedules before placing a wager.

By Luken Karel for http://www.thegreek.com/ . The Greek Sportsbook & Casino is host to one of the top online sportsbooks offering NBA betting: http://www.thegreek.com/ NFL betting and all other major sports. Article reproductions must include a link pointing to http://www.thegreek.com/.

Free casino bonuses is a really a buzzword in today’s casino world. Play who is interested in the online casino games and people who play online casino games will be quite familiar with this term at least in the recent past. Before exactly going into the details of these free casino bonuses, we should see why online casinos are getting popular day by day.

The main thing lies in the legal norms. An online business is definitely less affected when compared to the physical ones and hence the margins are high in the online versions. So, here the businesses are happy to share a bit of their profits with the players to get ahead of competitors. Hence arises the scenario of casino free bonus in the online games.

Online casino bonuses can be classified into some categories. Bonuses without any deposit, Bonuses with first deposit reward and the bonuses associated only with poker rooms. All these three types along with some other variations are equally popular in the online casino world.

Mainly the new entrants into the market will use the first type. They will just give bonus freely. How ever, the amount will be released only after you make at least one legitimate deposit. But you can use the bonus amount to play on the same casino. This is certainly fair enough.

The second type of bonus is a bit more popular and it easily attracts players. Here the company offers bonus in two forms. The first one is in terms of cash and the second one is in terms of the percentage. Both are just two logical views. If seen closely they seem to be very same.

The third type is more popular among the casinos, which are already established. Here you have to play a minimum number of games before you actually get some bonus.

Hence all the types are definitely legal. However, you should be knowledgeable about them before going to opt for any one of those bonuses. This helps you in getting what exactly you are looking for from that casino.

Darren Dunner is a professional writer currently writing for Casino Free Bonus and Online Slots. Visit http://www.casinofreebonus.com and http://www.online–slots.com for more information on the subject.

Poker’s advance from the casino’s of New Orleans to the paddle wheelers plying the Mississippi River in the early years of the 19th century. created new opportunities for the professional gambler. These steamboats were lavishly appointed floating palaces catering to the well-heeled, replete with wine, women and song for the taking, and, oh yes, gambling. Many of the passengers on these cruises were Southern plantation owners flush with money – thanks to the arrival of the railroads linking the cotton fields to the mighty river. These were men looking for a good time and willing to spend – or lose – their money in pursuit of pleasure.

At that time poker was a far different, and much simpler game then as played today. Only a twenty card deck (tens to aces), was used, and only four players at a table could participate, since the entire deck was dealt out, five cards to each player. Bets were placed and raised after the cards were dealt. The cards were then shown, and the best hand took the pot. This was an ideal game for card sharks since there was no draw and hands could easily be manipulated by various methods so that the card shark always left the game with the most winnings.

Among these various methods of cheating were sleight-of-hand tricks and even specially made mechanical devices often used by crooked gamblers, and most professional gamblers in those days were crooked. For example, Will and Finck developed a card-holding device called a sleeve card-holdout. This contraption – strapped to the inside forearm of a gamblers sleeve, which was tailored in a wide cut to accommodate the device, had a metallic clip attached to a leather band that could clasp a needed card that a gambler could transfer unnoticed into his palm with a deft movement of the wrist.

Since these were not penny-ante games it was not uncommon for crooked gamblers to recruit one or more of the ship’s officers as accomplices, with a portion of the “loot” going to the officer or officers for their aid. These officers would often steer so-called “marks” or suckers, who were usually pleasantly drunk over to the gambler and would further aid the card shark by prearranged signals that revealed what cards had been dealt to the “mark”.

In fact, cheating at these games had become so notorious that by the 1840’s a number of books were published as more or less “exposes” of the dangers of playing poker with professionals. About this time an American writer, Jonathan H. Green, wrote a particularly well received book on this subject called “The Exposures of the Arts and Miseries of Gambling”. In this book, Green referred to gambling as a “cheating game”. The game became more complex and more difficult for the card shark once the fifty-two card deck came into being, and new variations of poker were introduced.

Kenneth Bateman writes numerous articles on the subject of poker and its players. To read more player profiles, visit http://www.xlpoker.com.

Baccarat is the most sophisticated and upscale game at the casinos. Remember James Bond with the two beautiful girls hanging over the table while he rakes in a pile of chips of 10,000 or more. This is baccarat, simple to master, fun and easy to play.

To keep baccarat the game of high rollers, the casino generally puts the baccarat tables in their own room or behind velvet ropes. The dealers are dressed in tuxedos with a couple of girls dressed in evening gowns with low cut necklines.

What makes this simple game so appealing? That’s a question only the player can answer. Some say they love the simplicity of the game, others play because of the really low house edge and still others enjoy the James Bond affect with its sense of elegance and high stakes. One thing you will always hear is baccarat is a highly profitable game for the casino.

It is commonly accepted that the Italians invented baccarat and it was introduced in France during the reign of Charles VIII, who ruled from 1483 to 1498. The term baccarat in both Italian and French means “Zero” and was originally played with a Tarot deck. In medieval France, the game was popular with the French nobility, and it eventually evolved into “Chemin de Fer”, a variation that is stil played today. The game then migrated to England, where it underwent further development, and “European baccarat” emerged. Baccarat first spread to South America from England and eventually up to Cuba. Baccarat came to America through the casinos of Havana and was introduced in Vegas in the 1950’s. The game became more popular in Las Vegas largely through the efforts of Frank Sinatra who was co-owner of the Sands at the time. The game at that time was exclusively targeted to high rollers. In more recent years many US casinos are offering mini baccarat with lower steaks and played on a standard blackjack shaped table.

The baccarat table has three positions that you can place your bets on, player, banker and tie. The term player does not refer to you the gambling customer and banker does not refer to the house, they are simply an option on which gamblers can place their bets.

It is an unusual game in that any score of ten is worth zero or baccarat. Nine is the highest score that you can achieve. Two face cards would have a score of zero and a nine and six would not equal 15, but 5, you drop the leading digit. A nine and ace equal zero, with the ace counting as one. Only two cards are dealt to the player (gambler), on some occasions three cards, the hand with the highest count closer to 9 or 9 wins the bet. The tie bet is won when both hands are equal. This tie bet usually pays a multiple of the bet.

There are 3 accepted variations of baccarat: BaccaratChemin de Fer (railway), Baccarat Banque (or a deux tableau) and Punto Banco (North American baccarat). Punto Banco is played in the United States, Canada and Australia.

Mini baccarat is becoming very popular because of the lower stakes. It is essentially the same game as Punto Banco, but played on a table similar to a blackjack table. Baccarat and mini baccarat can be found at most casinos across the United States and Canada. Most online casinos have baccarat and it is very popular with because of the fast pace and the chance to win big bucks.

Eric Madsen has been playing baccarat for many years and enjoys the simplicity of the game. Try online baccarat for fun or real maoney at this http://www.onlinebettingreview.com.

Ever see a craps table with markings that say “Put Bets Allowed?” Surprisingly, few players understand the Put bet.

A Put bet is a Pass Line bet that you make (or “put” down) after the come-out roll. You typically see it when someone walks up to the table in the middle of a game and wants to play the point number. The player will “put” a bet on the Pass Line after the come-out roll. An Odds bet on the Put bet can then be made, if desired. As we know, a Flat Pass Line bet has a 2:1 advantage before the come-out roll but then has a disadvantage after the come-out. So, with a Put bet, you give up that initial advantage before the come-out roll and immediately accept a disadvantage. That’s what makes a Put bet a bad idea, generally. The only time the Put bet makes sense is when the house allows a lot of Odds and you bet a lot of Odds. In that case, a Put bet on the point number can have a lower house advantage than Placing the point number. Unless you’re an experienced player and have a big bankroll to put at risk, avoid Put bets. If you walk up to a table and can’t wait for a new game to end, and if you’re in love with the point number and just have to play it, you won’t be giving away much if you simply avoid the Put bet and, instead, Place bet the point number.

Another type of Put bet is adding to a Pass Line bet during a game after you made the normal Pass Line bet. For example, suppose you make a normal Flat Pass Line bet for $5 and you take the maximum Odds allowed, which the placard says are 5x. That means your maximum Odds bet behind a $5 Flat Pass Line bet is $25 (i.e., $5 x 5 = $25). The shooter seems to be on fire, rolling number after number. She rolls every number possible except the point and the dreaded 7. You feel in your gut that she’s going to hit the point, so you want to increase your Odds bet, but you can’t because you’re already at the maximum Odds allowed for your $5 Pass Line bet. To increase your Odds bet, you “put” another $5 chip on your Flat Pass Line bet bringing your total Pass Line bet to $10. Now, with the maximum Odds allowed, which in this example are 5x, you can add another $25 to your Odds bet bringing your total Odds bet to $50 (i.e., $10 x 5 = $50).

A Put bet can also be a Come bet made without going through the Come bet’s come-out roll. (Wow! That was a mouthful.) If a game is already in progress, you can immediately “put” a Come bet with its associated Odds bet. For example, when the stickman still controls the dice in the center of the table and you have the dealer’s attention, simply drop the correct amount of chips in the Come area and tell the dealer what you want. Suppose you drop $11 in chips for a Come bet on the 9 with Odds. Simply tell the dealer, “Put me on the Come nine with six dollars in Odds.” The dealer moves your chips to the proper spot in the 9 point box and “puts” down a $5 Flat Come bet with $6 in Come Odds.

Now you know!

William Enslen Jr is a reliability engineer who routinely works with statistics. Having played and analyzed the game for 25 years, he has compiled his winning secrets in a new eBook, which you can sample at http://www.learnthesecrettocraps.com/

Blackjack has always rivaled poker for popularity. In fact, many land-based casinos featured Blackjack over poker. Some casinos in the not so distant past even closed their poker rooms for lack of activity.

Since the advent of televised poker tournaments, like the World Poker Tour, and the World Series of Poker, in particular, replete with celebrity players and fabulous amounts of prize money awarded the tournament champions, poker has taken the world by storm.

Although Blackjack remained highly popular, the game was surely being overshadowed by the multitude of high-profile poker tournaments. Not any more. The Ultimate Blackjack Tour for example, may be hot on the heels of the WSOP tour’s popularity, since the UBT will feature not only the best Blackjack players, but championship-level poker players as well.

Although the basic principle of Blackjack is simple; card values are added in an attempt to reach twenty-one without going over, the game is not purely one of luck, as there are numerous strategies that can be employed to increase one’s chances of winning.

Although various card games similar to what we now know as Blackjack had been played in other countries for many years, Blackjack did not make an appearance in American casinos until a few years prior to WW I. Played as a private game until around 1915, Blackjack was known by it’s French name of “Vingt-Un, (twenty-one). The game became “Blackjack” when the casinos established bonus payouts if a player’s first two cards dealt were a Black Jack (spades or clubs), and an Ace of Spades.

In the early 1930’s Blackjack had increased it’s popularity among gamblers to the point that it was now the third most popular game played, second only to Roulette and Craps. Shortly after the end of WW II Blackjack’s popularity soared, and the game was second in popularity only to Craps, it’s rise largely attributed to returning American soldiers, who played the game most frequently as a diversion from the strife of the War years. By the early Fifties, Blackjack had become the most popular card game in the U.S.

Blackjack has evolved in the casinos, and having a “black” Jack and an Ace of Spades is no longer the sole means of getting Blackjack. Now, any ten-value card ( ten or face card ), and an Ace of any color gives one a “Blackjack”.

Blackjack was hugely popular in the illegal casinos and card rooms of the U.S., but the game reached it’s zenith when the State of Nevada legalized gambling within its borders in 1931. It was then that the game could be played by locals and visitors, as well as the professional gamblers that were once only able to ply their trade illegally.

A Brief Blackjack Glossary For The Beginner:

- Blackjack – Ten value card and an Ace
- Broke or Bust – Hand card value over 21
- Hit or Draw – Request for additional cards
- Splitting Pairs – Two of the same value cards “split” into separate hands
- Double-Down – Both cards turned face-up. One extra card dealt only.
- Stand/Stay/Stick – No additional cards requested
- Push – Player and dealer have the same value hand – no winner

Kenneth Bateman writes numerous articles on the subject of online casinos. To read more of his articles on the http://www.21-online-casinos.com.

Not so very long ago poker was just another card game, but not anymore. Poker has evolved – thanks to The World Series of Poker and the World Poker Tour – into what might almost be considered a “sport” attracting unprecedented player participation, and literally “legions” of fans.

Just think of it, this 2006 World Series of Poker enjoyed the highest player participation in its 37 years of tournament existence, and the prize money was phenomenal. Chip leader Jaime Gold, of Malibu, California left the tournament with a record-setting $12 million dollars in prize money. However, he may not keep much of it. Part of his winnings – it is rumored up to 50% – will be claimed by Bodog, the online gaming company that reportedly advanced Gold’s $10,000 dollar entry fee, and perhaps other expenses. Jaime’s coach, the legendary WSOP poker champion Johnny Chan (ten WSOP Bracelets), is reportedly due 10% or $1.2 million dollars for his efforts, and what about the $1 million dollars Jaime said he would give to the dealers if he won the tournament ?

All told, that would leave Gold just shy of four million dollars – before taxes.

The 2006 World Series of Poker Tournament ran from June 26th to August 11th at Harrah’s All-Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. The Tourney had a total prize pool of $82,676,084 million dollars. Twelve of the over 8,000 entrants into the Tournament took home over one million dollars apiece. They were:

* Paul Wasicka $6,102,499
* Mike Binger $4,123,310
* Allen Cunnigham $3,628,513
* Rhett Butler $3,216,182
* Richard Lee $2,803,851
* Douglas Kim $2,391.520
* Erik Friberg $1,979,189
* Don Friberg $1,566,858
* Fred Goldberg $1,154,527
* Lief Force $1,154,527
* John Magill $1,154,529

The 2006 WSOP Tournament enjoyed vast exposure. In addition to extensive television and newspaper coverage in the U.S. the games were covered by no less than several hundred reporters representing the newspapers of some twenty foreign countries who diligently tracked the progress of players at the event’s 200 poker tables.

Now, poker may not really be a sport, but playing in a major tournament is undoubtedly a real test of one’s mental endurance and physical stamina. Veteran players are well aware that the long hours of play and the tension accompanying big-stakes poker takes its toll.That is why massage therapists roamed the tournament floor during the 2006 WSOP. That is why some players arrived early to go through a stretching regimen. Experienced tourney players drink copious amounts of water and eat fruit and other nutritious foods to flush the system and supply energy. The smart ones avoid alcoholic beverages, knowing that staying alert and refreshed is a key factor in winning or losing. Being in shape and ready, like any athlete paves the road to success.

Kenneth Bateman writes numerous articles on the subject of poker and its players. To read more player profiles, visit http://www.xlpoker.com

There are at least a half-dozen factors that separate college football betting from NFL betting. For starters, action on college football is much more likely to come from sophisticated bettors, known as “sharps” or “wiseguys”, who often possess some insight or kernel of information that may provide them with an edge against the house. Experienced bet takers know not to treat heavy activity on an obscure game, such as East Carolina versus Wake Forest, as casually as they might deal with increased wagering interest on a marquee NFL game such as a Redskins-Cowboys confrontation. For that reason, bookmakers usually move college football betting lines quickly, often one full point at a time. In general, it takes more money to move an NFL betting line and, when it is moved, usually it is by only half a point.

Largely because of a lack of proficiency in the kicking game, key numbers such as 3, 4, 6, 7, 10, 13 and 14 are not nearly as sacrosanct in college football betting as they are in the NFL. College football games just do not fall on those numbers as often as they do in NFL contests.

We may never again see a three-touchdown favorite in the NFL but lines of -30, -40, or even -50 are not that uncommon in the college gridiron game. Oddsmakers and bookmakers also find college totals more difficult to gauge because some coaches try to impress those who have a vote in the polls by running up the score. Others, such as Penn State’s Joe Paterno, feel that a third-string player’s reward for practicing all week is to get to play in a blowout. It’s just these types of unique uncertainties that compel bookmakers to shift college “over/under” numbers more quickly than they move NFL totals.

It’s also the nature of college football that personnel change every year. This makes early season evaluation more difficult and leads bet takers to move lines and totals more quickly, especially in September and early October when the season is still young. There is personnel movement in the NFL too, of course, but mostly it involves players of established ability moving from team to team. In college football, you’re always dealing with fresh faces.

By collective bargaining agreement, each week, the NFL publishes a comprehensive list of injured players and their status. Sure, there are mistakes and abuses and players who have been listed as “doubtful” have played while those regarded as “probable” have not but overall, the list is accurate. On the other hand, colleges are under no obligation to announce the status of injured or disciplined football players. This vagueness over availability sometimes can create opportunities in college football betting. Consequently, bookmakers are wary if too much wagering attention is paid to one team.

When it comes to parlay card numbers, you are much more apt to see a slight gap between those prices printed on cards and those posted on the board in the NFL than you are in college football. The key element is that bookmakers can more accurately predict the public inclination for an NFL game than they can for a college football game. It’s not unusual then for traditionally popular team such as Dallas or a “hot” team such as Cincinnati, to be listed as a 7 1/2-point favorite on a parlay card but just a 6 1/2 or 7-point choice on the board. Through experience, bookmakers know that “public” teams such as the Cowboys, as well as “now” teams such as the Bengals, will be more aggressively played on parlay cards than they are straight up.

Clearly, understanding the differences between college football betting and NFL betting is essential to winning.

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN COLLEGE AND PRO FOOTBALL

College Football:
‘Wiseguys’ frequently supply the action
College football betting lines often are moved by a full point at a time
Key numbers are not as important
Personnel changes can make early season analysis difficult
Information on injuries is not always accessible
There’s usually not a disparity between parlay card and board numbers

NFL:
Money from public is prevalent
Betting lines are usually moved by a half-point at a time
Key numbers are VERY important
Personnel changes are less volatile and easier to evaluate
Information on injuries usually is accessible
Parlay card numbers sometimes are intentionally different than prices on the board.

By Luken Karel for http://www.thegreek.com/ . The Greek Sportsbook & Casino is host to one of the top online sportsbooks offering college football betting: http://www.thegreek.com/ NFL betting and betting on all other major sports. Article reproductions must link back to this site.