Choosing the Right Sportsbook

Many sports betting fans ask how I choose the right sportsbook for myself.

Many times the answer can come from those companies that offer betting services online, as that’s how they earn their living. They explain their benefits in writing online, but then many are not interested in how they earn their living, but rather would like to know the important things in choosing the right sportsbook.

Of course, most of that is just propaganda to get them to bet on sports with them and may not always create the best results. This is why they are many websites that describe themselves as being a Sportsbook Reviews website or a gambling watchdog website.

Unfortunately, many of these websites will take advertising money from a sportsbook or be part of a sportsbook affiliate program which in itself creates a conflict of interest as how can they be impartial if they are getting paid to do this.

So How do You Choose the Right Sportsbook

The answer is actually very easy and complicated as it all depends on your style of laying.  To see if a sportsbook is safe enough and private enough to play at, I like to use a combination of research

First, I check out about 10 sports betting review websites to determine the rating they have.  If they have an average rating or higher, for me that is good enough as long as I do not invest too much money in it.

Second, I check out sports betting forums because sports bettors are fast to point out their grief on a forum if they had an issue with a sportsbook.  So based on these two things I know whether I have enough confidence in a new bookmaker to send money to them.

Does the Sportsbook Fit my Style of Play?

First let’s talk about online or offline. The online sportsbook sites have a lower margin of profit compared to the bookies of the bricks and mortar establishments. A local book may offer a line on a game at a -140 odds whereas the online book may have the same game at -110, so there you would have to make a choice.

Secondly the online books have an advantage in that you don’t have to go anywhere’s to place a bet and no going to a bookies office to bet. Everything is done via the computer or a mobile device, and even as you watch a game on television or on your mobile,as most offer live betting if you care to bet that way.

Where you live can significantly reduce your available choices. That’s due to fairly recent United States Legislation, whereby U.S. Citizens are told it’s illegal to bet online in the USA. Many people interpret the law differently, but regardless if you’re a United States Citizen you should carefully consider that. Thus one should check the government regulations of the country in which they live. However, many U.S. Citizens bet online but they deviate from the system for which they make deposits and payouts.

The betting limits are another consideration as some books are for only the recreational bettors,which indicates they are not interested in the big players, so they place limits pertaining to the maximum winning , so depending on how much one plans to bet, it’s important to check this out when you read the rules and limits online.

Also one needs to consider the offered betting lines and their profit margins, which in common terms is the vig, or what the book will charge on each bet you make, so here you can shop for the best lines and the lowest vig’s offered.  There are some books that offer great lines and odds on special events.
Another important point is to attempt to find out what kind of historic record the sportsbook has for payouts, as some books are cited for slow payouts, and some have been accused of not paying at all. Normally that information is available online with sites that review sportsbooks or forums.

It’s also wise to check on the Banking options as that can make your life in the betting World somewhat easier, especially when depositing or requesting payouts for you winnings. In the case the sportsbook only offers one system for banking, like bank wires,you and most others would seek another sportsbook.

Last but not least, if you Bet on Sports at an Online sportsbook are the bonuses and promotions the sportsbook your considering adversely affect their offers, and are there strings attached pertaining to play through and payouts.

If all the above meet your satisfaction, check this out. Some sportsbook offer no promotions, but simply great betting odds for their clients. If 2 of the books offer the same odds but 1 offers special promotions with no strings attach, then go for it. Just make sure you weigh all the benefits, and good luck gambling

NBA Finals Preview - LeBron-Cavaliers vs. Curry-Warriors!

The 2015 NBA Final playoffs are upon us with a 7 Game Series getting underway with the 1st Game on Thursday the 4th of June 2015 with the Cleveland Cavaliers taking on the Warriors of Golden State with tip-off for the game at 9:05 PM ET and played in California.

Yes, the Cavaliers of Cleveland are back for another NBA Final series along with their Ohio hero LeBron who is responsible for the team making it this far.

 The team is seeking their 1st NBA Title since back in the 1964 season and playing the Warriors of Golden State led by this Year’s NBA MVP J. Curry. Can Cleveland beat Golden State in the Finals for the NBA 2015 Season? With that being asked, let us review some key factors that could have a result in these playoffs with the Cavaliers and the Warriors!

1st they claim that home court is where the wins are born, and a general statistic we have for the Warriors is their home record in which in 45 games on home court they have lost only 3 games at their Oracle Arena.

On the other side the Cavaliers at the home court, the Quicken Loans Arena they have 26 wins and only 2 loses dating back to the 19th of January 2015, and to date during this post season they have not lost a game on home court. Thus, in this 7 game Series Golden State has more opportunities to win at home, as they have home court advantage.

So can a team that steals a victory on the road win this year’s NBA Title? 2nd they say winning and losing comes in 3-pointers, which is another part of the Warriors game that they are famous for, and that is the talent to hit from out yonder beyond the arc.

Presently Golden State leads all NBA Teams in 3-point shooting in the playoffs as they made 39% of their attempts. But Remember the Cavaliers follow in a close 2nd in that category with a respectable percentage of 36% of 3 pointers attempted.

According to the latest NBA Finals Odds, the Golden State Warriors are the favorite but since its the NBA, anything can happen!

So if you Bet on NBA at a preferred Offshore sportsbooks, remember you can be sure both the Cavaliers and the Warriors will come into these game with their 3-point attempts blazing, and the winner of this playoffs, could very well be the best 3-point shooting team. 3rd it pays to know the team’s role players, because all the Cavaliers players are not named LeBron, but other players like their duo on the frontcourt of T. Mozgov and T. Thompson have outplayed many of their opponents key players in these playoffs.

They are the ones that have to protect the rim against the tough Warrior’s A. Bogut and D. Green. The Cavaliers have a very talented backcourt with I. Shumpert and M. Dellavedova and J. Smith, and they will be guarding against the ‘Splash Brothers’ in K. Thompson and S. Curry of the Warriors. For the Cavaliers to win this 2015 Title they have to contain the Warriors deep attempt from beyond the arc. 4th we can’t over look LeBron and his 2015 season, to say the least has been like a roller coaster ride.

LeBron returns to his hometown with his sights on returning an NBA Title to Cleveland, but there season was a history of mishaps with injuries to team members, and then an injury to LeBron himself and has never seemed to completely recover. But LeBron has been unfazed by the various blocks in the Cavaliers path this season and has average in the playoffs of this post season 27 points per game. That coupled with his almost triple double adding 8 assists, 1 steal and 10 rebounds each game.

A former MVP LeBron now faces the Warriors and their current MVP in S. Curry, and there’s not a better opportunity for him to prove that he is still is the best basketball player in the World as he professes. Now LeBron must play at his best to provide his hometown with the Title, a long time dream of Lebron’s.

Betting on Soccer – UEFA Women's Final!

With the European 2015 Soccer Leagues coming to an end, it’s time to take a look at the UEFA Women’s Champions League final, which is to be played on Thursday the 14th of May 2015 at The Friedrich-Ludwig-Sport-park in Berlin, Germany with the Paris Saint-German’s team playing the 1. FFC Frankfurt team and game time is at 12 PM ET. 

If you Bet on Soccer at an Online sportsbook, and you’re new to Women’s soccer, then take a look at some information pertaining to each team.

The country records for these teams are:

For the German teams, their country has won 8 of the UEFA Titles in 13 different competitions, and the Women’s National team has been Champions in Europe since 1955 and has won 2 FIFA Women’s World Cups.

The French have been in the finals 4 times from 2010 through 2013 with 2 wins and 2 losses. The team has never won a World Cup, but did reach the Women’s World Cup back in 2011. 

In competition the 1.FFC Frankfurt team has played in 6 finals and won three titles, while the Paris Saint-German’s team had never made it past the round of 16 previously.

On the road to this UEFA Final in Berlin the Frankfurt team in eight games scored some 40 goals in total. The Paris team overcame the teams of Lyon and VFL Wolfsburg who has previously combined for 4 titles.

This UEFA Champions League season for the Women has a qualifying stage and then 4 rounds of 2 sided knockout rounds and 1 final round.

The Qualifying round is a 1 venue like mini-tournaments consisting of 4 teams and is hosted by a competitor team.

In the Knockout round, the winners of the Qualifying rounds and the two top runners-up participate in the 32nd round stage.

Thereafter, the tournament is made up of 2-legged knockout rounds, continuing into the round of 16, that drawn along with the last 32.

Then the draw for the remainder of the competition is completed, and that consists of quarter finals and semi finals over 2 rounds.

In the 2nd rounds if the scores are even after 90 to 120 minutes, then the team who has scored the most away goals wins, if that’s not the case, a penalty shootout phase is held to determine the winner.

The Friedrich-Ludwig-Hahn-Sport-park in Berlin is the same venue that will stage the UEFA Champions League Men’s Final in 2015. This Sport-park stadium has a seating capacity of some 30,000 (UEFA Approved 19.708) and is located in the North East section of Berlin, and is the 3rd largest Stadium in this city. This Stadium was constructed in 1951 and was renamed to honor the German “father of gymnastics’ who was “Turnvater Jahn” who to this date as a strong legacy in Germany.

2015 MLB – Keystone rivalry - Pirates at Phillies

With the 2015 Major League Baseball season slowly edging for the annual All-Star Break in July each year, we have MLB Game on Monday the 11th of May 2015, which is about the bragging right for baseball for the keystone state Pennsylvania with the Pirates of Pittsburgh (14-16) playing the Phillies of Philadelphia (11-20).

The game time scheduled for 7:10 PM ET and seen on CSN TV and the Game is to be played at the Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, PA.

This battle for those Keystone State (Pennsylvania) bragging privileges ‘starts with the 1st game of a 4 game series between the Pirates and the Phillies.  The starting pitchers in the game are as follows: taking the mound for the Pirates will be G. Cole who was the teams 2011 Draft selection at 1st overall is seek to comeback from this worst season start as in his 5th game he lost to the Cincinnati Red 3-0 as he allowed some 8 hits and 3 runs scored against his Pirates in five innings. Prior to that 5th game he had 4 good games in which he dominated pitching a minimum of six innings each game, as he struck out 29 batters and only allowed 3 runs against him. Taking to the mound and pitching on Monday for the Phillies will be right-handed J. Williams who, is 2 and 2 this season and with an ERA of 5.18 and in the last game he pitched he pitched some 5 1/3 innings against the Braves of Atlanta in which he allowed 6 runs in that game.  Now here are a few facts you should  know about this Keystone State game on Monday night the 11th of May 2015. The start at pitching in this game for G. Cole of the Pirates of Pittsburgh will be his very 1st start in his career at Citizens Bank Ball Park and in his 2 starts prior to this game he has went 1 and 1 and has 10 strikeouts and with a 2.61 ERA. A match-up or duel to watch in this game between the Pirates and the Phillies, is that of pitcher Williams of the Phillies and A. McCutchen the center fielder for the Pirates as McCutchen is lifetime 3 and 6 against Williams including 2 home runs. The only MLB Players with more home runs of Williams than McCutchen are Josh Hamilton and N. Cruz. This 4 game series for bragging rights in the Keystone State of Pennsylvania will put the defensive power of the Pirates of Pittsburgh up against the Phillies of Philadelphia’s offensive powers.

So if you Bet on MLB at a Sportsbook then you need to know that the Pirates of Pittsburgh come into this 4 game series as one of the best teams in the MLB this season and throwing out base stealer s in the infield base paths, as this season they have tagged out 13 coming into Monday action. Whereas, the Phillies rank 3rd in the National league with the third least stealer s caught off base this 2015 season to date.

To place your bet simple go to a trusted online sportsbook and let the MLB action begin! 

CRsportsBet and BetMayor Saga

Since I have a sports betting account with BetMayor.eu, I was obviously concerned when I was told by Jeff about a 60 day payouts delay due to BetMayor being bought by a company in Panama called Media-Tech, Inc.  Since I only have about $200 in my account, I wasn't too worried since I can afford a loss but still, no one likes to lose money.

Today, Kennedy whom I have known for about 5 years and is actually the one that introduced me to BetMayor, called me.  He basically told me that he now works for CRsportsBet.ag.  He told me that he left BetMayor because he was not certain about their future.

He said he felt responsible to his players because he recommended them to BetMayor and since they are currently in a financial crisis, he wanted to offer me a deal that his CrsportsBet allowed him to make.  I would get an account with CRsportsBet with my current BetMayor balance in it for free and I would just have to roll it over 10 times.

Obviously, I took him up on his offer since Kennedy has never steered me wrong and I never say no to free money. 

After I had signed up with CRsportsBet and gotten my money in my account, I decided to do a bit of research about the book since I never heard of them.

Well, they are a new book for sure since there is not a lot about them.  I did run into an interested article by SportsbookSOS where the CEO of CRsportsBet talks about whether or not they have a relationship with BetMayor or not.  Their CEO, James Chu pretty much says that they do not and that they have been around since 2013 as a private sportsbook and became open to the public this year.

Click on the link to read the CRsportsBet interview

In any case, I'll keep you guys posted when I finish my rollover and ask for a payout.  Since they are a new book, I would suggest to anyone who is thinking about getting their NBA 100% cash bonus to only send $100-$300 to start with since they are a recreational sportsbook.

Super Bowl XLIX Betting - Catching the Early Line

Super Bowl XLIX is here which is an exciting time of the year as we get to see the best NFL teams of the season go head to head for the title but at the same time, it means that the NFL season is over.

This year's Las Vegas early line was a definite screw up on their part as most books had the Seattle Seahawks as the clear favorite giving them a spread of -2 to -3.

Once I saw that I put some big money on the Patriots for several reasons:

1. Historically, its pretty rare for an NFL team to win back-to-back SuperBowl.  The last one took place 10 years ago with the Patriots.
2. Russell Wilson of the Seahawks, was struggling during the Playoffs and unless he can get it together by SuperBowl time, the Patriots will take it.
3.  The Patriots are in tip top shape and ready to win as seen last Sunday when they destroyed the Broncos 45-7
4. Sherman has an injured arm
5. The Patriots have Tom Brady!

Last night, I checked the lines and I saw that every major book out there had changed their likes to PK and then switched to a line that favored the Patriots running from 2-5 points.

Here are some of the Super Bowl Betting Odds so far(just keep in mind that the odds will change a lot until Super Bowl time!)

Sportsbook	Team	Spread	Total	Money Line
1Vice	Patriots	-2.5 -105	o49 -105	-150
	Seahawks	2.5 -105	u49 -105	+130
BetOnline	Patriots	-1 -110	o48 -110	-116
	Seahawks	+1 -110	u48 -110	+104

Beware of Jeff Hamstra and his Sports Handicapping Service

Streaksmarts Review - A Fraud and a Rip Off

A month ago a friend of mine purchased a month's worth of picks from this website, streaksmarts.com and sftchq.com for the low price of $50.  He was a bit skeptical because lets be honest, more sports handicappers online are not very good and you will be lucky if you can find someone that has a win percentage over 55%.

Since it was cheap, he went ahead and bought it on the off chance that this guy might be for real.

He was wrong as Jeff Hamstra the owner of the website was full of it.  My buddy used all of his picks on a weekly basis and he ended up with the biggest losing streak he has ever experienced losing a total of $3,500  for using his picks.

The guy had an average win of 36.43%!!!!  How in the world can he call himself a handicapper.  Most people just by guessing at random can get a higher percentage than that.

So as stated on his website, he asked for his money back.

The answer was that he would never see his money back and that it's just tough luck that he has a bad month.

The moral of the story is do a search before you decided to buy picks from sports handicappers.

So to end this review of Streaksmarts and Jeff Hamstra, stay away from that guy and his so call handicapping service.

Here is his information so you know that this is the person to stay away from:

JEFFERY HAMSTRA

3875 EMBASSY PARKWAY

AKRON, OHIO 44333

Phone: 330 612 4498

streaksmartsdotcom@gmail.com

NFL Week 5 Picks

Alright people, it's time for my NFL Week 5 Football picks and I hope everyone is ready to make some money this week!

Detroit Lions Will Destroy the Buffalo Bills

This year, the Lions have a definitively better team then the Bills and Detroit's defense is second in the league against the pass, allowing 186.5 yards per game

Predicted Score: Detroit 28 Buffalo 21 so take Detroit at -7.5

Atlanta Falcons will take the Spread Against the NY Giants

I'm going on a limb on this one and it will make or break my reputation but even though Atlanta has had a bad streak on the road and are short handed with 3 starters on the injured list, the NY Giants will not cover the spread.

Predicted Score: Giants 24 Atlanta 21 so take Atlanta at +5.5

On another note, right now is the time to shop around for your backup sportsbook as all of the sportsbook right now are fighting to get you to play with them!  Right now, I've been doing a bit of shopping around on the internet and have found some great sportsbook promotions ranging from 50% to even 300% bonuses from some excellent sportsbook.

My personal recommendation right now is to go open a sports betting account at 1Vice since they are currently offering up to 300% bonus if you deposit $800 or more.  For some it may be too much but its not a problem because you can still get a 200% bonus with a $500 or more deposit.

If you are looking for a Cash Bonus, open an account with BetMayor as they are offering up to 100% CASH Bonus!!!

Betmayor Sportsbook Review

For those of you out there who have just one sports betting account.

You probably know that once your name is out there, you become the target of every other sportsbook out there.
Yes, its true, your name get's sold around by employees of the companies and you become a gambling commodity.

So it was no surprise when I received an email asking me to join the Betmayor.eu sportsbook.

Since I had just gotten a payment and am always on the lookout for decent bonuses, I thought I would look into it.

Betmayor appears to be a fairly new book as I did a search online for betmayor review and only found a few entries about it ranging from good to be careful.

Since they are currently offering 100% cash bonus, I thought I would give it a try.  I opened an account and within minutes someone from their sales department called me.  I told them I was interested in depositing to get the 100% cash bonus.

He wanted me to deposit $500 to get it.  I ended up depositing $300 to get it with a 10x rollover.

So far so good.  I sent them the deposit and started betting right away.  After a couple of weeks, I had met the rollover and had doubled my money.

Now came the time to get a true feel of this book.  I requested a $500 payout...

The process was fairly smooth and they told me that I would receive my payout within 48 hours.  Two day passed and nothing...

I was starting to sweat a bit but since I had requested the payout around 4pm ET, I figured that it wasn't going to get processed until the next day.

Day 3 arrived and as I was beginning to think I got ripped off, I received an email with payout info.  What a relief!

Right now, my balance with them is currently a bit over $400 and since I have been winning with them, I am wondering if they will close my account like many small books do when a winner signs up with them.  I will keep you all posted when I ask for my next payout.

Would I recommend them to a friend?  I would but only to my friends that are weekend bettors since I do not yet have a good grasp on whether this company will stick around for the long run or not.

If you are interested in opening an account with the just go to, www.betmayor.eu

Great Pre NFL and College Football Sportsbook Deals

As the American football season is rapidly approaching, many online sportsbooks have begun to offer pre NFL and Pre College Football promotions.

Here are 2 promotions from bookmakers that I am using that might be worth taking  look at:

1vice Early Bird Special

This sportsbook is known for three things.  ALWAYS giving out payouts in a fast and efficient manner, awesome bonuses and having a strong sense of ethics.

This year, they are having an amazing 100% Cash and 100% Freeplay bonus or a 200% Freeplay Bonus when you deposit $500 or more before August 3rd, 2014.

Click here to receive this bonus


BetOnline 50% Bonus

Betonline.ag is one of the most reputable sportsbook in the industry and even though they have no need to give out large bonuses, they keep surprising us with their 50% NFL Bonus.

2014 World Cup Bracket Tournaments are in Abundance

For those of you out there who are soccer/football fans and are eagerly awaiting the start of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil you might want to check out the numerous World Cup Bracket Tournaments available out there.

I was looking for a tournament to participate in and did a quick Google search and wow. I was blown away at the number of bracket contests out there.

Here are the World Cup Bracket Contest that caught my attention:

The Big Prize World Cup Bracket with a Catch

The one with the biggest prize is the $160-$175 million contest at http://www.megajusto.com/en/index.php.  The prize money is an estimate as the prize is actually 280,000 bitcoins and the catch is that a minimum of 99,000,000 tickets will have to be registered before the start of the World Cup or the contest will not be held. Deposits made would be refunded upon request in that event.

The $10,000 Betonline World Cup Bracket

This is one is from a known sportsbook that often have large contests and have a good reputation to boot.
Click here to Register for it

The 1Vice $2,000 World Cup Bracket Contest

This is the first time that 1vice, a medium size book has started it own bracket contest instead of sponsoring one.  This world cup contest is a one person wins it all contest where you just need to make a $250 deposit(your deposit is yours to play wager with) into your account and you are entered in the contest.  You can also purchase additional contest entries for $25.
Click Here to Register for it

The NFL Draft is Over and Only MLB, NBA and NHL to Bet On

So the NFL Draft is over and we had some nice draft surprises like Shayne Skov the linebacker from Stanford who was expected to make it in round 4 who ended up signing up as a free agent with the Oakland Raiders.

One of the interesting tidbits that probably only a few people noticed is that no one from the Texas Longhorns were picked in this year's NFL draft.  Something that hasn't happened in 77 years.  On the other side of the coin, Baylor had the most players drafted with a total of 5.

To be honest, I can't wait for the NFL season to be back as I've tried my hand at doing some MLB picks and I can honestly say that I am struggling to stay with a 24-30 record.

The Benefits of Foreign Investment - Real or Not

So recently I decided to expand my investment portfolio because I am not getting any older and one day, I will completely retire, it was time to make sure my future was set.

Sure, I have some pretty good(or at least I think I do) real estate investments abroad and have a pretty steady gig with my sports betting picks but it never hurts to be prepared.

So I decided to try my hand in investing in foreign markets as I was reading that it's a great way to diversify your portfolio.

I am currently looking at a few of the top foreign investment companies and I have to say that I am overwhelmed with all of this information and am starting to wonder abut how safe is investing abroad.

Any help would be much appreciated as to what is the best way to invest abroad and which companies are safe and secure but also have the best ROI.

Gaming Company to Help the Jamaican Bobsled Team

So I just read this press release from 1vice.ag.  I normally would think that a press release from an online sportsbook would be just a way for them to get some free advertisement but in this case, I think that their heart is somewhat in the right place.

you be the judge as here is the press release:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 20, 2014 Gaming Company to Help the Jamaican Bobsled Team San Jose, Costa Rica – Sports entertainment and gambling company 1vice S.A. has created a financial campaign to help the Jamaican Bobsled team to help them with the cost of going to the 2014 Winter Olympics Games in Sochi, Russia. As two-man bobsled team, led by 46-year-old Winston Watts, has earned itself a place in the Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia, they still have one obstacle to face, an $80,000 bill to cover travel and equipment cost.

If the Jamaican Bobsled team can come up with the money, it will be the first time in 12 years that Jamaica will have a presence in the Winter Olympics.

Unfortunately, the Jamaican team led by 46-year-old Winston Watts is not supported by Jamaica and are asking the public and companies for help.

President of 1vice S.A., Johnathan Griffin is a long time supporter of the Olympic Games and what they represent and has taken the initiative to help the Jamaican Bobsled team by offering his gaming client the chance to help out.

For every deposit made between January 20th, 2014 and January 29th, 2014, Mr. Griffin will give donate $5 to the Jamaican Bobsled team. In addition, any of his players who wish to make a contribution from their 1vice betting account; Mr. Griffin will match that donation.

“Ever since I saw the movie Cool Running with John Candy about the first Jamaican Bobsled team, I have been a huge fan of theirs and have been following them throughout their history.” said Mr. Griffin. “I strongly believe in what the Olympics represent and about underdog teams that have heart and high hopes which is why I want to do everything I can to help out.”

Winston Watts and brakeman Marvin Dixon of the Jamaican Bobsled team advanced through qualifying races in St. Moritz and now only have two more weeks to come up with the money.

###

1vice.ag is one of the fastest growing sports betting company in the world that offers sports betting on all major sporting events as well as free sports betting content. 1vice is licensed in the Caribbean with offices around the world and backed by over 50 years of experience in the online gambling industry. Visit www.1vice.ag or e-mail us at support@1vice.ag for more information.

Safe Harbor Statement: Statements in this announcement that are not strictly historical may be “forward-looking” statements, which involve risks and uncertainties. These include risks and uncertainties relating to customer and supplier relationships and prices, competition, market demand, litigation and other contingent liabilities, the integration and operation of acquired businesses, and economic, political, governmental and technological factors affecting 1vice S.A’. operations, markets, products, services and prices, among others, as set forth in public filings.