Gambling is an exciting pastime for many people, and although most of us are able to enjoy the fun and thrill of it now and again, it can be a very fickle mistress. Gambling, simply put, creates winners and losers, and high rollers looking to place significant amounts of money on any one particular outcome risk losing it all just as much as they have a chance to walk away with a life-changing sum of money. So which risk takers have made it onto our list of the biggest bets of all time?

Mike Futter, Grand National

The Grand National is a huge date in the horse racing calendar, and it’s a time when even those who wouldn’t typically follow the gee-gees chance their hand and place a few randomly selected wagers in the hope of cheering their rider and racer on to an unprecedented victory. For Mike Futter, his flutter turned into an incredible £1 million-plus win back in 2003 when he gambled on his own horse, the eventual winner Monty’s Pass. Along with the horse’s other co-owners, they made a series of bets of £5,000 with odds standing at 33-1 each way and a massive £10,000 each way bet at 20-1.

Terrance Watanabe, Vegas Losing Streak

Unfortunately, not all big bets end well for the gambler, much to businessman Terrance Watanabe’s dismay in 2007. Watanabe spent a year in gambling capital Las Vegas and managed to lose nearly $127 million of his own fortune that he had accumulated over the past 20 years. His 12-month Vegas gambling splurge resulted in record losses, earning his endeavours the title of being one of the biggest losing streaks ever to hit the streets of Sin City.

Archie Karas, One Last Chance

From an unbelievable losing streak to an incredible stroke of fortune which managed to completely turn things around. Former waiter Archie Karas had almost nothing to his name, but after being lent $10,000 in stake money for a hugely important head-to-head poker tournament at the Binion’s Horseshoe casino in Las Vegas, his luck changed significantly. Karas progressed through the tournament and even faced off against 15 of the world’s best poker players. Karas eventually went on to win the contest, and even after that, he wasn’t quite done. With a trip to the craps table, he was able to extend his winning streak and finally ended up with $17 million in winnings.

The Newport Accumulator

There’s not a lot that high street betting shops won’t take a wager on, whether it’s a sporting or TV-related event or even trying to predict the outcome or a certain development in some aspect of society or pop culture. While popular online sites such as King Cashalot give you the chance to pick up potential big winnings off the back of a small initial bet, mixing a certain number of possible predictions can also lead to a huge win, much like it did for a 40-year-old Welshman in 1989. He placed a £30 bet on “Eastenders,” “Neighbours” and “Home and Away” still being active soap operas on British television by the year 2000, as well as U2 remaining a pop group and Cliff Richard being knighted, all by the turn of the millennium. The odds given were 6,479/1 and it managed to net him an incredible £194,400 payday.

Money makes the world go ‘round, and it goes without saying that the more you have, the more you can achieve in life. If you aren’t happy with the income you are presently making and you want to boost your earning potential, there are some very viable options available that can increase your cash flow in a short period of time. How? Keep on reading to find out.

1. No-Risk Match Betting

Even if you aren’t a fan of gambling, you don’t want to miss out on the incredible cash making opportunity that no-risk match betting can offer.

What is matched betting? It’s a betting technique that involves taking advantage of the profit that is made available from the free bets and incentives that are offered by bookmakers. Why is it considered risk-free? Because it’s based on mathematics instead of chance. Typically, the return on investment from a matched bet is 85% or more of the free bet offer amount and 70% or more when the stake is not returned.

How does no-risk matched betting work? You can either place a bet for or against a certain sporting event. In order to earn a profit, you have to repeat the process of matching a bet again, but when you do so, you use the free bet rather than money from your own pocket.

2. Binary Options Trading

Binary options are another approach to making money. They allow you to trade price fluctuations in multiple global markets. These “options” are marked as exotic options, the most common of which is a high-low option. Binary trade options are also known as fixed-return options, and this is for the simple fact that the option has an expiration date and time, as well as a strike price. If you wager properly on the market’s direction and the price at is right at the time of the expiration, you are paid a fixed return, regardless of how much the item moved.

3. Review Music for Money

You love music, right? Well, why not make a few extra bucks while listening to it?

There are a number of websites out there that will actually pay you to listen to music and review it. These websites team up with new artists and ask you, the user of their website, to listen to the new music and give your feedback. Quite simply, all you need to do is listen to music, post a comment about it and collect the cash.

4. Online Competitions

Signing up for a competition online is another great way to rake in some cash. There are literally tens of thousands of online competitions going on at any given time. All you have to do is put in a quick “online competition” query in your search engine and start entering. Usually, you are only asked to enter your email address, and once you do that, you are entered in a contest. If your email address is drawn for that competition, you could walk away with a profit.

Using these simple techniques, you could easily find some extra cash in your pocket in little to no time at all.

1. Archie Karas – 1992 – After losing around $2 million during high stakes poker games in Los Angeles, Archie did what few people would do with their last $50… He went to Las Vegas. At Binion’s Horseshoe Casino, he stumbled into a close friend who lent Archie $10,000 to play some high stakes poker games. In a game called Razz, where the lowest accumulative hand wins, he quickly returned the $10,000 he was leant with 50% interest, and was still on a roll. This wasn’t just a one hit wonder of a night, Archie’s streak was just getting started.

He simply did not lose for about three years, and was continually building his wealth. In total, Archie won around $40 million in three years. However, like so many gamblers, he eventually blew it. He lost around $11 million by playing craps over a three week span. He then tried to reverse his luck with baccarat, but he ended up losing $17 million more. And then managed to gamble away the rest of his lucky fortune. He is known as one of the streakiest gamblers of all time. His real name is Anargyros Karabourniotis.

2. Sean Connery – 1963 – Sean Connery was known to be no stranger to gambling, as his father was an avid gambler. Connery followed in his footsteps and was known to occasionally enjoy a stop at the casino. On one particular trip in 1963 to an Italian casino located in the Alps, Connery went on a magical run in the game of roulette. After a few losing rolls with his money on 17, he then won, and then won again, and once again. At odds of 50,000 to 1, Connery won over 17 million lire. Till this day, many roulette croupiers say the the commonly played number is “17.”

3. MIT Students – 1992 – A devoted team of MIT students employed the tactic of card counting to swindle millions from unsuspecting casinos across the globe. Mainly in the United States, these MIT students were often treated like royalty at these casinos that they had established themselves as high rollers at. They were often given executive suites and VIP treatment throughout their successful run. As the team grew, some members got into trouble. For example two team members which were a married couple, both were caught counting cards in the Bahamas and thrown in jail while their money was confiscated. They never played for the team of players again. Over 20 years later, a movie was produced roughly based on their achievement of the greatest card counting scam in history. This movie was called “21” and featured Kevin Spacey.

4. Don Johnson – 2011 – An avid gambler, Don Johnson made history as he won a total of $15 million spread out from three different casinos in only six months. He did this, in part, by seeking out the casinos with the most player-friendly rules, and played at particular tables where they were using an optimal number of card decks. This along with some other strict criteria for the style of dealer at the table enabled Don to really put the odds in his favor. Another huge piece was that he personally negotiated a 20% payback, where as some casinos offered a standard 10% payback, if any at all, for the purpose of luring in new customers. Through this tactic, Don ended up accumulating his $15 million fortune without counting cards or any cheating.

5. Charles Deville Wells – 1891 – “Bankrupting the Bank” is the term used when a player in a poker game wins ever chip at the table, and it’s considered an extremely impressive task. Charles Deville Wells did just that in 1891 at the Monte Carlo casino as he won around one million francs. Wells was commonly known to be a cheater and a scam-artist, but managed to pull off such a great feat in a game of luck over an 11 hour period. It helped gain him worldwide fame from his accomplishment, even though like so many gambling stories, he eventually lost it all back at Monte Carlo a little while after.

6. Fred Smith – This is the Fed-ex Blackjack story that is the sole reason for federal expresses existence to this day. Fred Smith the Yale graduate who came up with the idea for premium delivery services was down to his last $5,000 and had a $24.000 fuel bill due for Fedex in the early days. So Fred went to Las Vegas, Nevada and bet it all on Blackjack as recounted below:

““I asked Fred where the funds had come from, and he responded, ‘The meeting with the General Dynamics board was a bust and I knew we needed money for Monday, so I took a plane to Las Vegas and won $27,000.’ I said, ‘You mean you took our last $5,000– how could you do that?’ He shrugged his shoulders and said, ‘What difference does it make? Without the funds for the fuel companies, we couldn’t have flown anyway.’ Fred’s luck held again. It was not much, but it came at a critical time and kept us in business for another week.”

The result of that lucky Vegas trip is a Memphis, Tennessee company that today is valued at 46.33 Billion dollars and Smiths net worth hovers around $3 billion himself.

7. Jon Price Sports Information Traders – There are touts that you see on CNBC shows like Steve Stevens and then there are legends that fly under the radar while making millions of dollars betting on sports. With a knack for analytical research and numbers Price is known for running his sports advisory operation at Sports Information Traders like a hedge fund while cashing in for millions of dollars consistently year over year. Recently he made headlines for making over a million dollars wagering on Floyd Mayweather over Manny Pacqauio despite the public betting heavily on Pac-Man. In the hall of fame of sports betting Jon Price certainly ranks at the top.

The matchup is set with the Denver Broncos facing off against the Seattle Seahawks in the 2014 Super Bowl which will be the first to be played outside in a northern city. It will likely be a very evenly matched game between two very different football teams led by very different quarterbacks. With such a matchup we can all expect the Super Bowl online betting to be quite brisk. As soon as the two teams were in place there was already a flurry of activity as most sportsbooks had Seattle listed as a slight favorite, but that changed quickly as money poored in on the Broncos. Now were see Denver as a one point or 1.5 point favorite on many sportsbooks, and we can probably expect more volatility.

One factor that will probably move the line with be the weather. With Peyton Manning leading Denver’s traditional yet explosive air attack, we can expct more money to flow to the Broncos if we see mild conditions for the game, or at least little wind and snow. But if the weather is bad, than the conventional wisdom has that favoring the Seahawks who rely more on the running game as opposed to Russell Wislon. Also, while Wislon is not particularly effective in the pocket, he is great at improvising and bad weather might actually help his game.

The matchup between the quarterbacks will be the most intriguing and that goes far beyond the weather. Peyton Manning represents the kind of quarterback that has been winning championships in the NFL throughout its history. Manning beats you by throwing from the pocket. His mobility isn’t that great though he’s good at navigating around a pass rush and throwing under pressure. Russell Wilson on the other hand is one of the new mobile quarterbacks who sometimes relies on the read option to be effective. The Seahawks have been limiting the number of times he runs, as it’s obviously a huge risk that he’ll get injured, but he’s also been less effective lately. Without the running threat teams are daring Wilson to throw the ball. But he’s certainly capable of making big plays, and if he hits on some then Seattle will be in a good position.

It should be a great game!

Playing blackjack on android has long shed the stigma of having to settle for less, in just about every respect. Mobile devices are perfectly capable of handling graphics just as good as you’ll find in the full, downloadable clients of online casinos, and blackjack (like slots and other casino card games) is wonderfully suited for being played on the smaller screen of a mobile phone or tablet.

Indeed, blackjack lends itself well to android-based gaming, and because of that, one can safely say that the android-based version of the game is possibly even better than the PC-based one.

The smaller screen-size is just about the only drawback, other than that, blackjack for android only carries advantages. People can take the game with them wherever they go, and given how well blackjack works as a recreational game, playing a couple of hands while waiting in line at the bank or the ATM, makes perfect sense indeed.

Blackjack is a strategy-based game, in which the players can actually diminish the house edge by adhering to optimal strategy. What that also means is that through practice, one can actually polish up on his/her skills and thusly, by playing lots of recreational games, one can get better for the real money action.

There are several types of blackjack games made for the Android platform, and there are literally hundreds if not thousands of such apps, which – considering the overall popularity of the game – isn’t even particularly surprising.

One type of blackjack android devices run is the offline type. This kind of app is basically a standalone game, with built-in AI, which goes up against the player. Needless to say, such games are all play-money ones, and even though they lack the excitement brought along by the element of risk, they’re great for recreational players. They lose no money, yet they get to enjoy the action and even – as said above – brush up on their basic strategy skills in the process.

There are so many such blackjack android apps of this type available out there, one will probably have to try out several before a favorite is found.

The second type of blackjack android devices can handle just as well, is the kind available for free through the apps offered by various online casinos. Blackjack is one of the backbones of the online gambling industry, and given how well it lends itself to mobile gaming, it’s only natural that it be one of the best and most widely implemented games in the online casino apps available out there.

This type of blackjack game can only be played online, and even though the focus is on the real money action, most online casinos make these games available in play money versions too.

With that in mind, it’s probably safe to say that these games are the best for recreational gamblers too, simply because – its financial interests on the line – the online casino will never do a sloppy job at delivering top-notch play experience through these games and yes, that goes for the play money versions too.

The bottom line: if you’re looking for a good android blackjack game, just log on to a reputable online casino, download their app and fire up the play money version of the game. It doesn’t even matter whether you’re interested in real money action or not. These games look great, they work well and the experience they offer is second to none. Add to that the fact that you can carry the game around with you wherever you want and play whenever you have a spare moment, and you have a sure winner!

That answer to that is a simple one at first glance: it is headed into an era of regulation and accountability, one in which a Full Tilt Poker-like squandering of player funds will be just as impossible as the Absolute Poker/Ultimate Bet insider cheating. An era in which the perpetrators of such schemes won’t have to be held accountable, because it will be impossible for anyone to do anything as vile and despicable as conning people out of their hard-earned money. At first glance, the future does seem bright, and the game may yet get there indeed, but those who know a thing or two about the inner workings of the online poker industry understand that the legalized/regulated sort of online poker utopia depicted above – if it exists at all – is really far down the road, so far down in fact, that the industry may never get there in its current shape and form.

Online poker regulation has been underway in Europe for a while now, and what has been made clear by the process thus far is that small operators, be they honest or crooked, do not have a seat at the table. This fact has been reflected in the dwindling poker room review sections of major online poker portals like pokerstop.com, which saw many of their listed operators evaporate, the sites fallen victim to this current period of transition. Online poker giants like PokerStar and a handful of others have managed to secure licenses in most of Europe’s regulated markets, but whereas before there was one major online poker compact where players from all over the continent and even the world could play at the same table, the post-regulation market has become a mosaic of smaller parts, a fragmented shadow of its former self, where raising proper player liquidity has become a major challenge.

Although the EU has generally been opposed to this market-fragmentation which – at the end of the day – is about favoritism towards local interests, but only if the outside operator looking to break into the market isn’t a PokerStars-like 500 lb gorilla, many of the member states have gone ahead implementing protectionist measures thus essentially denying smaller operators any semblance of a chance to ever peddle their games and promotions to their citizens.

In the US, the outlook isn’t any brighter for the small guys either. As the legalized area of the US online poker market is slowly but surely expanding, having started out in Nevada and having later secured a foothold in New Jersey too, it is increasingly obvious that the new playing ground is by no means level. Local big dogs are muscling in, but since they possess neither the technological prowess nor the required experience in the vert, they strike up deals and partnerships with the major online poker operators to put together a viable business. The two legal online poker operators (Ultimate Poker and WSOP.com) currently pushing the frontlines in Nevada have thus far only managed to shed a light on the incondite nature of the intra-state market, which – in its current state – is basically screaming for inter-state compacts.

Starting up an online poker business under these conditions is no longer a matter of joining an established network and putting up a website, although that may indeed turn out to be a good thing in the long run.

While the San Antonio Spurs cruised through the Western Conference Finals against Memphis, the Miami Heat had everything they could handle against the size and youth of the Indiana Pacers. Naturally, throughout that seven-game marathon, the storyline seemed to change over and over again. We had the inevitable drama as Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh took some heat for their play, but as usual (since their choke job two years ago against Dallas), the Heat delivered in crunch time. So now we have a pretty evenly matched NBA Finals, and serious betters will be doing a ton of research and then checking out online gambling site reviews to make their picks and get the latest and best odds, though in the end this one really comes down to your gut.

We have one dynasty led by Tim Duncan, and one potential dynasty led by Lebron James. With Duncan, he’s basically ceded the leadership of the team to Tony Parker, and their “Big Three” with Manu Ginobili have more to do with legacy. The Spurs are a deep team, with these veterans supported by some excellent young talent. The professionalism and experience of the Spurs sets them apart from some of the other teams the Heat have played, so many think they have a shot here.

In Miami, Lebron was ridiculed for being “Robin” to Wade’s “Batman” several years ago, and while we can all mock him for pairing up with superstars to win, there’s no doubt today that he has emerged as the leader of this team, as he matured quite a bit after the humiliation of the Dallas series. Meanwhile, the inconsistency of Wade and Bosh has to worry Heat fans, though like I said earlier, they always seem to rise up. Lebron also has revenge on his mind, so the motivation is definitely there against the Spurs.

So sit back and enjoy what should be a great series.

In 2012, more than half of the adult population wagered on the Super Bowl. From sports books to casual office pools, fans bet an estimated $10 billion on this single game. Rapper Birdman placed $5 million on a Patriot win and lost it all. Losses are inevitable in sports betting, but a few tips can make sure you win more often.

Sports analysts spend a lot of time studying the statistics and numbers throughout the season so that they can accurately predict the outcome of future games. The industry’s top experts rarely meet an accuracy rate of more than 50%. Even computer betting systems fall short of perfection. AccuScore, for instance, is the system that powers many prediction forecasts including ESPN, CBS Sports, and Yahoo Sports and it is one of the most accurate with a success rate of about 55%. Expert picks are great guidelines but you shouldn’t rely completely on an educated guess when you make your wagers.

#1: The Underdog May Come Out on Top

Analysts and handicappers examine player abilities, recent game trends, and similar facts to decide which team has the best odds of winning. Other factors, such as the team’s drive or new play developments, affects the outcome of the game as well. It’s not very likely that the lowest ranked team will beat the team in the number one spot, but with a good point spread, underdog bets have great potential.

#2: Parlay Cards Aren’t the Answer

A reputable Sports Book allows players to wager on sporting events, political campaigns, awards shows, and more. There are also a variety of betting options available for each event. Parlay cards are popular with many sports games because of their attractive payouts. With a parlay card, a better can wager on multiple games with a single bet. If all the selections win, the payout is rather impressive. If just one team loses their game, however, the player wins nothing.

#3: Several Bets Are Better than One

It is tempting to put your entire bankroll on a ‘sure thing’, but there are no definite wins in sports betting. The best way to make sure you walk away with a profit is to place several small bets and not one large one. Payouts on smaller bets are less, but the odds of winning continue to improve with each wager.

Whether you’re new to sports betting or a seasoned sports book player, wagering on your favorite events and matches is fun and exciting. If you pay attention to the secrets above, it can also be profitable.

There are a lot of reasons why online sportsbooks have a nice edge over casinos; convenience of location (you can bet in your sweatpants from your La-Z-Boy!), time to peruse your options before deciding where to put your money down and a quieter atmosphere where you’re the only one in the queue on Sunday morning without the shouting or crowds. But perhaps the biggest draws for first-time online sports bettors are the handsome, and in some cases spectacular, bonuses deposited into accounts after initial sign-up. They’re generous and intended to both lure prospective bettors to that particular site, while also giving you, the customer, the means to make the most out of online sports betting.

However, with so many options, it can be difficult to find the best sportsbook bonus you can get and even where to start your search. You also want to be wary of bonuses that look too good to be true—in some cases, they are, and your experience can turn into a nightmare. So how do you find the best bonuses? And how can you maximize the benefit so every game turns into a payout? All it takes is a little know-how.

Do Your Homework
If school wasn’t your thing and you got by on as little homework as possible, take heart: this is the kind of at-home research and studying that literally pays off. Look for sports betting forums and online sports betting reviews to see what everyone is saying about the insane offers they’ve found. The more you learn, the better your odds are of finding the best bonus. Search for betting sites and advance the search settings to sort the results based on bonuses or click here to skip the search and start betting.

Types of Bonuses
The two most common bonuses are percentage bonuses and flat bonuses.

– Percentage bonuses match your initial deposit and range from 10-100%. For example: if you sign up for a sports betting site that offers a 50% sign-up bonus, and you play with $200 of your own money, your account will read $300—reflecting your $200 deposit plus $100 (or 50%). Of course, the best options are the sites offering a 100% match; however, keep in mind that most sites will place a ceiling (or limit) on your initial deposit amount. Some of the most competitive sites even offer “rollover” on bonuses up to five or six times.

– A flat bonus is a specific dollar amount offered upon sign-up, regardless of your initial deposit. If you’re new to sports betting, this is the better option, as you can keep your deposit low and use the bonus toward a bet. In order to stay competitive with all the other sites, flat bonuses are at least $100.
The bottom line is that sports bonuses are great for both the betting sites and you, as the competition for your business is high and you will always have options. If you find one that doesn’t look good…on to the next!

Last Thoughts
You can sign up for one sports betting site and faithfully keep to it, but consider taking advantage of as many different sign-up bonuses as possible. You’re not limited on the number of sites you sign up for, though you should be cautious and be careful that you don’t strain your finances.

Samantha Knight is a contributing writer and online sports bettor who also enjoys casino gambling in her spare time. She and her husband regularly host poker nights at their home for friends and family.

Notre Dame had a huge road win last weekend, and the Fighting Irish have certainly gotten everyone’s attention. After years of mediocrity, Notre Dame is certainly relevant again.

Take a look at the college football lines for this week and you’ll see Notre Dame is a 17 point favorite over Pitt? Can they cover? Here’s this week’s free pick from Vegas Vic:

3:30 Eastern (Saturday, November 3rd)
Pittsburgh +17 over Notre Dame
You have to figure the Irish are going to be somewhat flat in this situation if not totally flat in this situation as a double digit home favorite coming off of last weeks huge/satisfying national tv 30-13 upset road win at Oklahoma as a double digit road underdog crushing the Sooners. Lines do matter in perception. Who is the underdog and who is the favorite does matter in scheduling/situations/results. Pittsburgh is just good enough to give Notre Dame a fight and the Panthers are playing with double revenge having lost 17-23 and 12-15 the last 2 seasons vs Notre Dame. If the Irish show up flat in this situation off last weeks big win at Oklahoma they are going to be hard pressed to cover -17 points. If the Irish show up totally flat in this situation their 8-0 start ends with an outright Pittsburgh upset…

There you have it.