The Mind of Kenney Young

Posts Tagged ‘recreation’

Betting on sports ‘futures’ is an enjoyable and potentially profitable way to wager, but there are several potential risks that can lead to losses. Here’s a rundown of things to avoid:

Don’t bet at the first place you look: In other words, shop around for the best price. This is essential to all aspects of sports betting, but especially important with futures wagers. You’ll find more disparity between prices from book to book on futures than any other betting proposition. From a theoretical standpoint, a little work can yield much better value. From a practical standpoint, that means a higher payout should you win. The reason for this is that individual sportsbooks’ aren’t as worried about what the other guys are doing as they are with most other bets. Once the futures “market” is set books move the lines almost exclusively on their own financial position. The market simply doesn’t respond as quickly to futures wagers as it does to individual game lines so it is essential to do the extra work to get the best price on your proposition.

In a competitive field, don’t obsess with picking the winner: This may sound like a strange concept, but once you understand the theory behind it it makes perfect sense. In a large field–the NCAA basketball tournament is a perfect example–the top few favorites are invariably priced at odds that are less than the ‘true odds’ of them winning. On the other hand, there are always teams that fly ‘under the radar’ available at higher prices that present a betting overlay.

In more theoretical terms, the ‘true odds’ of a Duke or similar top team winning the tournament are almost always higher than the price offered. Think of it this way–say we’re betting Duke to win the national title at 2/1. This means that the Blue Devils would have to win more than 33% of the time to break even. So lets say, for the sake of argument, that we could play the tournament over 100 times. Would Duke come out on top more than 33 of these times? If not, they represent a poor value. Let’s say that they win 30 of 100 times. This means that any price under +333 or thereabouts is a poor wagering value.

Note that the more competitive the market, the more difficult it is to find good value on the favorites. Since you can make a case for quite a few teams to win the NCAA tournament at this point this particular futures market is clearly a very competitive one. In a less competitive marketplace it might be possible to “pick the winner” and have it be a good value though you will pay a price for this. Here’s a (thankfully) hypothetical example: let’s say the UFC decided to hold a one night round robin tournament with 5 competitors. Competitor #1 would be heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar. The other four competitors would be professional figure skaters Elvis Stojko, Rudy Gallindo, Brian Boitano and Evgeni Plushinko. Even if he didn’t bring his “A game”, Lesnar would be essentially have a 100% certainty of beating the four untrained fighters, who also happen to be rather effeminate. If a sportsbook installed Lesnar as a -1000 favorite a bet on the 63 265 pound takedown would still be theoretically a good value. It’s always difficult to risk so much to win a little, but from a strictly theoretical standpoint its a good play.

Don’t try to make a huge profit with little risk: Sports betting provides few opportunities to make a ‘big killing’. It may happen occasionally, but even the big payouts when it occurs doesn’t make chasing big longshots a good value. If you’re serious about sports betting it is crucial to maintain your focus on the underlying numbers and look for value at all times. If you want to take a longshot at a huge jackpot, play the lottery but don’t try to do it at a sportsbook.

Simply stated, the concept of value works the same at the bottom of the wagering ladder as it does at the top. Even if you’re betting a big underdog at a huge price make sure that it accurately reflects the ‘true odds’ of the event occurring.

Don’t bet one sided props: Sometimes sports books will offer silly bets just to get publicity or in some cases just to be funny. While there may be life on other planets, the ‘true odds’ of a Martian being named to President Obama’s cabinet wouldn’t justify a +5000 line that it would occur.

Ross Everett is a widely published freelance writer who covers travel, casino gambling and sports handicapping. He is a staff handicapper for Anatta Sports where he is responsible for providing daily free sports picks. In his spare time he enjoys fine dining, flower arranging and scuba diving. He lives in Southern Nevada with four dogs and a pet coyote.

  Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2010 Kenney

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Athletes today are very gifted in their respective sports and are honed well as they grow old. What they fail to realize is that there is a mental aspect to sports as well. Because of this imbalance, athletes fail to control their emotions which may cause risks on their career as well as their personal lives. Read on to learn why some athletes experience emotional imbalances .

One reason why athletes are emotionally imbalanced is dysfunctional families. Sometimes these athletes may have grown uo in an atmosphere of cruelty and violence. They may have been growing up being beaten by their parents or step parents which they have been carrying within themselves until they grow up. At some point, these people will try to forget the past and concentrate on sports that’s why they have become athletes yet the fury within themselves is still existing which affect their emotional behaviors.

There is also the reason of a true psychiatric illness in the athlete. Athletes may have experienced psychological disorders namely depression, intermittent explosive, narcissistic personality disorder and other common illnesses during their early years. These kinds of psychological disorders can affect their emotions too which may become uncontrollable, dangerous and violent.

You also have abusive, illegal drugs and alcohols which causes an alteration of the emotional state of the athlete. Addicts to drugs and alcohol are very disruptive in their behavior and can become dangerous to those around them.

Greediness is also a cause of emotional imbalance. Athletes may lose themselves in their quest to become the greatest ever in their field or to become the richest. They will tend them to become unruly, unjust and aggressive because they let themselves feel greedy.

These are some of the common roots why athletes are becoming emotionally imbalanced. Emotionally imbalanced people are prone to outbursts that are uncontrollable and vindictive. You can usually see these in some athletes today.

Learn the different aspects of sports to help you succeed with this San Diego sports psychologist. His experience in dealing with many emotional issues as a family therapist San Diego can help.

After losing the services of starting goalie Roberto Luongo for the indefinite future with a broken rib, the Canucks may have breathed a sigh of relief too soon after backup goalie Andrew Raycroft’s performance in his first game in relief. After an excellent effort in an overtime victory over Los Angeles, Raycroft was torched for four goals in two periods before being pulled from the game. The Canucks scored twice in the first five minutes of the game to lead 2-0 before giving up seven unanswered goals.

Anaheim has struggled to a 4-6-1 record this season, but rewarded their backers who chose to lay the -164 price as home favorites with the Ducks. The Canucks evened their record on the season at 7-7 with the loss. The 9 combined goals put on the board sailed OVER the posted total of 6.

The Ducks snapped a four game losing streak with the offensive outburst. Corey Perry and Bobby Ryan each tallied two goals and an assist in the lopsided victory. Mike Brown had the eventual game winning goal in the second period with his first career shorthanded marker, and even enforcer George Parros got in on the act with his first goal of the year. Jonas Hiller was sharp in goal for Anaheim, stopping 36 of 38 shots in the victory.

Vancouver’s problem this season has been not getting enough shots on goal and giving up too many. In the shootout victory over Los Angeles on Thursday, they were outshot 29-12 in regulation. They’d been kept in a number of games they should have lost due to the goaltending virtuosity of Luongo, and this game didn’t bode well for his absence. This was only the second time in eight games Vancouver has allowed more than two goals, a testimony to the ungodly skill of Luongo more than their defensive tenacity.

Raycroft is expected to be back between the pipes for Vancouver’s next game, a Sunday home date against the Colorado Avalanche. The Canucks will host the New York Rangers on Tuesday night before a road game against the Minnesota Wild on Thursday. Anaheim will play at Phoenix on Saturday night before returning to the Honda Center for the next two games. They’ll host the defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday before welcoming the Nashville Predators to southern California later in the week.

Ross Everett is a freelance writer and highly respected authority on sports betting odds comparison. He writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sportsbooks and World Cup betting sites. He lives in Southern Nevada with three Jack Russell Terriers and a kangaroo. He is currently working on an autobiography of former interior secretary James Watt.

  Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2010 Kenney

Tinkerers, inventors, and creative people will especially enjoy what this article has to say. This article is here to tell you that you can make some pretty cool paintball gear from your own home. You can make it yourself, and you can use your own creations in your next game!

Making your own paintball gun can be one of the most fulfilling things a crafty person could do. If you enjoy to tinker and have a knack for taking things apart and putting them together then maybe you should consider making your own paintball gear.

With all of the paintball plans available online, building a paintball gun is just the beginning. Here are the top three things you as a paintballer should make if you have this special talent.

Growing in popularity, making your own paintball gun has become something many paintballers desire. Its not a simple process if you want to make one worthy of a paintball field, but can be if a simple one will satisfy your hunger to build, craft, and assemble.

Making paintball grenades is the easiest thing to do. Its especially easy if you craft your own filling machine powered by an air compressor you can grab at lowes.

What better to launch your grenades in the air than a personal bazooka? You can craft one of these out of PVC, and its actually pretty easy. Put one of these in the right hands and you have a game changing weapon on the field.

You can make a ton of different stuff if you take the time and have the patience to do so. Making your own paintball gear can be a major outlet for creativity. Crafting your own paintball grenades can give you the advantage at your next scenario. One thing is for sure, if you are the crafty type then making the above gear is a must. With all of the free plans and blueprints out there its hard not to spend an afternoon building up an arsenal of gear.

Want 40 plus paintball plans for free? Head on over to the ultimate paint ball website and claim your own ebook that is packed full of free paintball plans. It has all the very best links to the very best homemade paintball gear plans on the Internet. I spent weeks collecting the very best plans just so you wouldnt have to.

  Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2010 Kenney

The Atlanta Falcons are making a statement that they’ll be a factor in the NFC. The Falcons starters behind QB Matt Ryan were almost flawless, and left the reserves with a 14-0 lead before eventually beating the St. Louis Rams 20-13 at the Edward Jones Dome on Friday night.

Running back Michael Turner was unstoppable in his limited playing time, churning out 65 yards in the Falcons opening drive. After the game, he confirmed that the Falcons offense had placed a priority on sound execution:

“We wanted to come out and execute. They were preaching that all week and we wanted to show that on game day. We’re way better than we were last year at this time.”

Quarterback Matt Ryan was 7 of 8 for 81 yards and a touchdown pass before he called it a night. Tony Gonzalez caught Ryans TD pass and after the game was effusive in his praise for the young signal caller:

“He’s a great quarterback. It’s obvious he’s figuring things out. He has a great arm, talent, and knows how to play with poise.”

It was a disappointing home debut for new Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo, who saw his team blown away from the opening whistle before a half empty stadium. Still, he tried to frame the loss as a learning experience:

“Just like I said to the team, we’d have liked to have started out a little better. You’ve got to come out and take it to them.”

Rams safety O.J. Atogwe concurred:

“This was a fabulous game for us. That’s the reason you play the preseason. Going against a team like Atlanta, a top-caliber team, it allows us to reassess what we’ve been doing.”

Falcons coach Mike Smith was most excited about the improved play of his rushing defense:

“We were much improved against the run. It’s something we have to continue to get better at. We still had some missteps.”

The Falcons will continue NFL preseason play next Friday night as they host the San Diego Chargers at the Georgia Dome. The Rams will play the Bengals at Cincinnati next Thursday night.

Ross Everett is a widely published freelance sports writer and respected authority on sports betting odds comparison. He writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sports news and World Cup betting sites. He lives in Las Vegas with three Jack Russell Terriers and a kangaroo. He is currently working on an autobiography of former energy secretary Donald Hodell.

  Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2010 Kenney