Betting Pool

Betting Pool

A betting pool, sports lottery, sweep or office pool if done at work, is a form of gambling, specifically a variant of parimutuel betting influenced by lotteries, where gamblers pay a fixed price into a pool from which taxes and a house take or vig are removed, and then make a selection on some outcome, usually related to sport. In an informal game, the vig is usually quite small or non-existent. The pool is evenly divided between those that have made the correct selection. There are no odds involved; each winner's payoff depends simply on the number of gamblers and the number of winners. True parimutuel betting, which was historically referred to as pool betting, involves both odds calculations and variable wager amounts.

Contestants predict the outcome of sporting events that take place at a later time. The concept was introduced in 1923 by Littlewoods Pools where it was known as totoclarification needed and based on football soccer matches. Today in England, sports lotteries are more commonly referred to as football pools. American sports lotteries often do not require contestants to purchase a lottery ticket or make an initial wager. Hockey pools are common in North America, and footy tipping in Australia.

Dead Money

In poker, dead money is the amount of money in the pot other than the equal amounts bet by active remaining players in that pot. Examples of dead money include money contributed to the pot by players who have folded, a dead blind posted by a player returning to a game after missing blinds, or an odd chip left in the pot from a previous deal. For example, eight players each ante $1, one player opens for $2, and gets two callers, making the pot total $14. Three players are now in the pot having contributed $3 each, for $9 live money; the remaining $5 representing the antes of the players who folded is dead money. The amount of dead money in a pot affects the pot odds of plays or rules of thumb that are based on the number of players.

The term dead money is also used in a derogatory sense to refer to money put in the pot by players who are still legally eligible to win it, but who are unlikely to do so because they are unskilled, increasing the expected return of other players. This can also be applied to the player himself: Let's invite John every week; he's dead money. The term dead money also applies in tournaments, when many casual players enter events with virtually no chance of winning.

Video Poker Slots

Video Poker Machine

Video Poker is a draw poker in slot machine form. Players Hold or Discard from five cards showing and get a second deal, or stand with a pat hand. It has become the most popular game of chance among casino players in the U.S. It seams that every machines has a different payout. Supposedly California Video Poker machines follow Nevada video poker rules.

There are important differences between Video Poker and Table Poker worth noting as follows:
1. In Video Poker the House is represented by a machine not a dealer and the video machine does not attempt to beat you.
2. You don’t have to figure out what the other player's hand could be like when playing against other players.
3. You cannot bluff.
4. You do not run the risk of being beaten by another player. If you have a strong hand, you win. In Table Poker, you could have a strong hand like three of a kind and lose to another player who has a better hand.
5. A good decision in Video Poker may be a bad one for Table Poker. What is advantageous to hold in Video Poker may prove disadvantageous in Table Poker and vice versa.

Based on classic Five Card Draw, Video Poker challenges players to build the best possible five-card hand. The player is dealt five cards and has the option of discarding any or all of the cards. New cards are dealt to replace the discards.

Payoffs are based on a scale, paying players for hands as low as a pair of tens or Jacks all the way up to a Royal Flush. Like slot machines, Video Poker machines are available in many denominations, with 25c and $1 machines being the most popular. Many casinos also offer progressive payoffs or bonuses for Royal Flushes or other special hands. Video Poker provides variety too, with versions ranging from 'Jacks or Better' to 'Deuces Wild' and 'Jokers Wild'.