Sunday December 27, 2009

Tampa Bay 2-12 (Road: 1-6) 1:00m ET
New Orleans 13-1 (Home: 6-1) TV: FOX

After their loss last week against the Cowboys, the Saints will try to make a statement. But if you really think about it they don’t have much too fight about since the Vikings are 2 games away from them.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers +14
New Orleans Saints -14
O /U 49

BetUS.com pick: The Saints will win but they won’t cover.

Houston 7-7 (Road: 4-3) 1:00pm ET
Miami 7-7 (Home: 4-2) TV: CBS

It’s hard to think these two teams will even qualify to get in the playoffs but at least they won’t rest until there really is no longer a shot.

Houston Texans +3
Miami Dolphins -3
O /U 45

BetUS.com pick: Dolphins will cover.

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Carolina 6-8 (Road: 2-5) 1:00pm ET
NY Giants 8-6 (Home: 4-3) TV: FOX

The Giants are in a must-win situation from now until the last game of the regular season. Meanwhile the Panthers have nothing to fight about. Bet on the G Men.

Carolina Panthers +3
New York Giants -3
O /U 42

BetUS.com pick: Giants.
Jacksonville 7-7 (Road: 2-4) 1:00pm ET
New England 9-5 (Home: 7-0) TV: CBS

I know the Jaguars think they might get into the playoffs, but facing the Colts and the Patriots in back to back weeks isn’t easy for anybody.

Jacksonville Jaguars +8
New England Patriots -8
O /U 44

BetUS.com pick: The Patriots will win but they won’t cover.
Baltimore 8-6 (Road: 2-4) 1:00pm ET
Pittsburgh 7-7 (Home: 5-2) TV: CBS

I don’t think either of these two teams deserves to be in the playoffs.

Baltimore Ravens +2
Pittsburgh Steelers -2
O /U 41

BetUS.com pick: Steelers.

Denver 8-6 (Road: 4-3) 4:15pm ET
Philadelphia 10-4 (Home: 5-2) TV: CBS

Denver Broncos +7
Philadelphia Eagles -7
O /U 41

Denver was not the team everybody was in love with for the first weeks of the season. There is no way they can stop the Eagles.

BetUS.com pick: Eagles will cover.
NY Jets 7-7 (Road: 4-3) 4:15pm ET
Indianapolis 14-0 (Home: 7-0) TV: CBS

New York Jets +5
Indianapolis Colts -5
O /U 40

There is an undefeated season on the line. Take the Colts no question.

BetUS.com pick: Colts will cover.

Dallas 9-5 (Road: 4-3) 8:20pm ET
Washington 4-10 (Home: 3-4) TV: NBC

The Cowboys proved to themselves and the world they can win in December. Meanwhile the Skins have only proven they are a joke.

Dallas Cowboys -6
Washington Redskins +6
O /U 42

BetUS.com pick: Dallas will cover.

Monday December 28, 2009

Minnesota 11-3 (Road: 4-3) 8:30pm ET
Chicago 5-9 (Home: 4-3) TV: ESPN

The Vikings don’t travel really well, however Jay Cutler seem to love the opposite team shirt more than his own

Minnesota Vikings -7
Chicago Bears +7
O /U 41

BetUS.com pick: Vikings won’t cover.

Read our BetUS Sportsbook Review.

Fifty-three-year-old Mike Kosowski revealed that he took up poker out of boredom after retiring in 2004 and used a combination of good cards and the ability to read people to win the top prize.

“It’s unbelievable,’ Kosowski told the New York Post newspaper.

‘We’re still on an emotional high every day. Every day I wonder ‘Am I living a dream’.’

The retired detective was one of the first officers on the scene following the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center eight years ago and was helping to evacuate survivors when the South Tower collapsed. He stated that he was thrown ten feet into the air and suffered burns to his neck and back.

The Staten Island man revealed that his wife, Francis, had encouraged him to pursue poker as a way to occupy his time and was happy for him to enter a 16,000-person online tournament on PokerStars.net in which he finished in fourth spot. That placing entitled Kosowski to submit a video to the programme’s producers explaining why he would make a good television contestant. He eventually asked to be an alternate and was flown with his wife to Los Angeles where the show was taped over the weekend of the couple’s anniversary.

“Playing against a pro is difficult because you know he knows the game inside and out,” said Kosowski.

“You can’t take as many risks as you would against some guy in Atlantic City.”

In the end, Kosowski was fortunate enough to get to play and won two consecutive four-person qualifier games in order to meet Negreanu heads-up. He revealed that he had researched his opponent by reading his book and watching Negreanu on television and had even figured out the Canadian’s ‘tell’.

“The only read I picked up on him was…you knew he didn’t have the best hand because he puts his hand behind the back of his head,” said Kosowski.

Poker fans in the US can watch Kosowski’s final hands on Sunday afternoon from five o’clock in the afternoon on Fox with the winner revealing that he will use his new-found wealth to pay off his mortgage while donating some money to charity.

“I just got lucky, you know, and I just played my game,” said Kosowski.

Dusty ‘Leatherass’ Schmidt (28) is a well known high stakes grinder (and a mean golfer to boot) who was one of the early PokerStars Supernova Elites and is an instructor at StoxPoker. His bread and butter poker comes from middle stakes cash games in 5/10 and 10/20 with some 25/50 and very occasionally 50/100 action when the games are good.

Interviewed in a local park, where he used his laptop to play several online poker tables simultaneously, Schmidt explaining that he became obsessed with Internet poker after a heart attack four years ago left him bedridden for months.

Overcome with medical bills, Schmidt bet his last $1,000 on a hand and won back not only enough money to cover his bills, but enough to make a good living, too.

He told the Portland Mercury reporter that in the last three years, he has made over $1 million a year on Internet poker (and won an Aston Martin).

This (December) month, he decided to donate all of his December winnings to Transitions Project, a Portland homeless non-profit organisation. With the $20,000 he has won so far, Schmidt plans to help support three families by prepaying their rent.

“We have very close links in Italy as well as employing a significant number of Italian nationals within our business,” said John Whittaker, managing director for StanleyBet.

“After such a tragic event, we felt it was incumbent on us to help in any way we could and as a result we decided to fund the rebuilding of the school in Arsita.”

Enzo Lucci, the Mayor for Arsita thanked Stanleybet and said: “We are very grateful to StanleyBet for its generous contribution and making the new school a reality,” said. “It means that our children will now have a building in which to learn.”

The new year is fast approaching us, and with it comes a new year packed full of good luck, festive wishes and amazing online casino promotions bursting at the seams ready to make 2010 profitable and full of bonuses!

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With a liberalising trend in the market, Ladbrokes hopes to additionally apply for licences to offer online poker cash games, bingo and casino action into the market in 2010.

“We are committed to expanding the international reach of our online business and Italy is an excellent regulated market opportunity,” said chief executive Chris Bell this week. “We hope that further positive changes in regulations in Italy will allow us to further expand our product range by launching cash games in poker, as well as bingo and casino gaming.” Ladbrokes currently has some 35,000 online gamblers on its Italian books, a spokesman revealed.

Industry consulting company H2 Gambling Capital estimates that the Italian licensed poker business will be worth €280 million in revenues by next year.

Beginning on November 30th Slots Galore (and other English Harbour group casinos) will be hosting four slot tournament events over the first four weeks in December. Each event lasts seven days and has a guaranteed prize pool of $40,200 with the top prize in each event being $10,000!

The top 200 spots in each event will be entered free into the Countdown to 2010 Final Showdown which will run from December 28 until midnight (Eastern Time) on December 31st. The final winner will start 2010 with $20,100 in cash in their account. Players who qualify for the Final Showdown will be notified directly. Qualifying rounds:

Round 1: Monday November 30th, 12:00PM - Monday December 7th, 12:00PM
Round 2: Monday December 7th, 12:00PM - Monday December 14th, 12:00PM
Round 3: Monday December 14th, 12:00PM - Monday December 21st, 12:00PM
Round 4: Monday December 21st, 12:00PM - Monday December 28th, 12:00PM

Countdown to 2010 Final Showdown:
Monday December 28th, 3:00PM - Thursday December 31st, 11:59PM.

Round 1-4 Payout Schedule
Place - Prize - # of winners
1st - $10,000 - 1
2nd - $7,500 - 1
3rd - $5,000 - 1
4th - $2,500 - 2
5th - $500 - 5
6th - $250 - 10
7th - $100 - 30
8th - $50 - 50
9th - $25 - 50
10th - $10 - 95

$40,200 Final Showdown Payouts
Place - Prize - # of winners
1st - $20,100 - 1
2nd - $2,010 - 4
3rd - 201 - 60

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December 18 - eCOGRA (e-Commerce Online Gaming Regulation) has congratulated their Seal Holders who recently won accolades in the annual eGaming Review Awards presented in London this past week.

The main award of the evening, Operator of the Year - went to the Vienna-listed eCOGRA seal holder Bwin Interactive AG. Needless to say, this category is fiercely competed by many of the the most reputable and decorated online gambling sites.

Other awards to eCOGRA-associated groups included Unibet who won "European Sports Operator of the Year" and "European Live Gaming Operator of the Year". Party Gaming’s Party Poker won "Poker Operator of the Year" and 888 won "Casino Operator of the Year".

Andrew Beveridge, the chief executive officer at eCOGRA, congratulated the companies, commenting: "We’re very proud to be associated with these well managed operations, which have once again proved that a sincere commitment to integrity and professionalism is good for the players, good for business and good for the industry."

Learn more about eCOGRA.

Online Gambling Insider is an eCOGRA approved portal.

Doris Stroud Renegar (56) was indicted on a charge of embezzlement and identity theft in U.S. District Court this week.

Court documents indicate Renegar stole customers’ identities to secure loans, and debited customers’ accounts. She is also accused of taking $112,000 from her parents’ certificates of deposit.

In total, federal prosecutors allege that she took more than $270,000 from both customers and her parents in order to pay online gambling debts incurred from May 2007 to June 2009.

Renegar was fired from the bank in June, court papers indicate.

Her attorney said Renegar regrets her actions and is planning to plead guilty. She faces a total of up to 32 years in prison on the charges.