I don’t care about how they look on paper, and I also don’t care about “curses.” I’m looking at it strictly from the point of view that these are the Cubs.

They’re the Cubs. End of argument.

They’ve had many chances to prove me wrong, but in the end, they’ll always fail.

Why? Right.

Current FlopNuts.com odds have them at 11/2 to win the World Series, too, which is a joke. Maybe not because they’re right under the Yankees, but because somehow they’ve convinced the gambling world to treat them as contenders, once again.

Makes me sick.

Without spending too much time dissecting their new and improved team, basically because they’re not worth it, I’ll rain on the North Siders’ parade with a few specifics.

First, the rotation is weak. Yes, it is. Zambrano is an unnecessary roller coaster. Harden, at best when healthy is a regular season pitcher, and at worst an IR liability come May or sooner. Lilly is getting up there. Dempster, despite impressive numbers, doesn’t scare anyone, and that becomes even more evident once he leaves the friendly confines.

Plus they’re subtracting Jim Edmonds and adding Milton Bradley to the mix. Yeah, he and Lou will really help stabilize that clubhouse chemistry.

So who’s a safe bet right now? I wouldn’t call them a lock by any means, but give me a few hundred on the Mets to climb out of the NL this year. At 5/1 to make it to the Fall Classic, and 10/1 to take the cake, I’m in.

They were a bigger disappointment last year than the sports betting Cowboys, but I’m looking ahead, and I see Johan Santana, Freddy Garcia (yes, he’s back, I’m calling it) Oliver Perez and others staring back at me. Plus I don’t see Scott Schoenweis anymore, which can only be a good thing for them.

I think this is the year the lineup gels and we get to see the other NY team play their way through some meaningful games come autumn.

Also, save your money to play poker rather than betting on the Phillies. They were a fluke and will prove me right, I don’t care how much confidence they’re bringing into 2009. Nobody arriving makes up for Pat Burrell departing, for one thing. Those 4/1 odds on them winning the NL is a sucker’s bet.

Everyone always says so. They’ll tell you “you’re crazy, it’s April” – as if you hadn’t looked at the calendar. But I’m telling you they’re wrong. And for me, 90% of the teams that looked shaky back in early April last year went on to suck it up through the summer and fall. Yes, sometimes a team needs to get it’s crap together, but more often than not, the wrong chemistry or lack of talent can become readily apparent by week 2 of the season.

Some will say August. Give me a break. Not only is that past the All-Star break (anyone’s final breaking point for online baseball betting and whether a team even has a chance), but if a team isn’t showing any signs of life up to that point, how are they going to turn it around down the stretch to become contenders, especially in a hard division?

Others say May or early June, just crossing the 1/3 mark of the season. This is more realistic. If you’re going to throw in the towel on the season before it gets too late, this is really the time to do it.

Let’s not be mistaken here. Sit back, grab a poker beer and let me educate you. I’m not talking about the division races being over by this point, just talking about a team that’s sputtered in neutral kicking it into high gear. If your team (cough, Yankees, cough) don’t show they want to win and/or can win consistently and against their stiffest competition, they won’t be there at the end, either. Games in April count just as much as games in September.

One more barometer I’ll throw out there. How the baseball universe believes a team should be playing could factor in to how long fans will go before panicking. Meaning, there’s no specific date and it’s all about play. If you’re team is dwelling in the cellar, but they’re hitting and pitching up to their expected ability, then you should panic. That spells trouble. But, if you’re team is losing, but the hitting is in a major slump, or the pitchers aren’t pitching well, then you expect that to turn around at some point if the team has the talent. One could say – cough, Yankees, cough – here, as well.

So I start panicking by the end of April, and often it’ll cause me to alter how I bet on games as a result.

What to Consider When Betting on Baseball

When betting on baseball, there are several statistics worth considering. Firstly, I like to look at the pitchers. Some pitchers pretty much assure a win every outing or two. I almost always bet on the teams starting an elite pitcher. Currently, pitchers such as CC Sabathia for the New York Yankees, as well as both Adam Wainwright and Chris Carpenter for the St Louis Cardinals are examples of such pitchers. I rarely go wrong when betting on a team with a quality pitcher.

Additionally, I look for value in online sports betting teams on the road who put up strong numbers. The Dodgers, Yankees and Angels put up some impressive numbers on the road as far as batting averages are concerned. Their winning record away from home supports the batting stats as well. Teams typically are less favored on the road, thus we can find value when betting on a strong road team.

Additionally, baseball teams tend to play rather streaky at times. When a big edge baseball team strings together a series of wins, it is wise to keep betting them until they lose. Additionally, slumping teams tend to carry on with their poor play. I like betting against teams in a slump until they prove they can dig themselves out of the slump.

We can also find value in betting on teams who have overall losing records, but get the job done at home more often than not. This year, the Toronto Blue Jays are such a team. They currently possess an overall losing record, yet are above the .500 mark at home. They play as if they are two different teams depending on whether they are home or away. I typically bet them at home, and bet against them on the road.

By examining some of these stats, I manage to find the edge when betting on baseball.

In terms of the value of these old cards, it is dependent on a few different factors. For example, which player it is and the demand there is for the specific card. It is also dependent on the supply of the card. These factors all tie into each other closely, and the value of an old baseball card is dependent on them.

Those who have kept their cards in mint condition using some type of card protector or inside a book will certainly see a much higher selling price than others might see.

If you still have old baseball cards in your collection, and want to hold onto them until they are worth an even higher amount of money, you should consider investing in card protectors and keeping them in a book to prevent bending. This will ensure the card’s value increases as no damage is done.

If you are young, or want to pass on a collect of cards to your children, consider purchasing a few of the current valuable cards. With the progression of the internet, it may not be long before baseball cards are hardly seen. If you purchase the right cards now, and hold onto them for sixty years or more, they could be worth thousands of dollars. Not a bad return on investment.

Just make sure you protect your baseball cards – whether they are old or new. You want them in pristine, mint condition. The simplest scratch, bend, or speck of dirt could result in the card’s value dropping significantly.

If you are searching to find the value of a specific card you own right now, you will need to look through the internet or visit a local pawn shop. A pawn shop certainly has contact with the right people to figure out how much the card is actually worth, and you will be able to get a great deal. The internet also provides efficient data on these figures. It may take awhile though before you find the correct sight. Often a monthly membership fee is required, though the prices are modest.

Whether you want to sell your old baseball cards or find out how much they are worth, or if you just want to start a collection that can be passed onto your children, you must start with some simple research and always provide efficient protection. By doing so, you will protect the cards and increase the overall value of the card. Just be careful when looking through the internet or going to a pawn shop, make sure you get a second opinion.

He is another baseball phenom that has been produced out of Puerto Rico. Pudge had played baseball his entire life and he was discovered by a high school scout at the age of 16. He soon signed his first Major League contract at the young age of 16, and he has never looked back since. He was only 19 when he came into the major leagues with the Texas Rangers in 1991 and set the record for the youngest catcher ever to play in a MLB game. Also in his first year he was selected for the Rookie All Team and was in close contention for the American League Rookie of the Year.

As soon as he came into the FullTiltPoker.net league, he established himself as a catcher that could do everything. He has been the most successful catcher at throwing out attempting base stealers in the past three decades. He has thrown out over 45% of those who have tried running on him. Rodriguez also could swing the bat with great success. In his third season in the major league he led all of the catchers in the American League with a batting average of .298. A few seasons later he broke Mickey Cochrane’s record for the most doubles by a catcher in a season. Cochrane set the record in 1930 with an amazing 42 doubles, but Pudge hit an even more amazing 44 doubles in the 1996 season, still as a Texas Ranger.

Despite suffering some serious knee injuries, and being forced to rehab in a less competitive single A league, many teams believed Pudge still could be a beneficial addition to their ball club. After he became a free agent, the Florida Marlins acquired Rodriguez in 2003. He played an integral part in UltimateBet’s surprising success that year and was even awarded the National League Championship Series Most Valuable Player. After the Marlins only made it into the playoffs by winning the National League wild card, no one suspected that they would go onto win the 2003 World Series that postseason. Surely having one the greatest catchers to ever play the game behind the plate had something to do with it.

That championship season was the only season that he played with the Marlins. There was speculation that he was involved with performance enhancing drugs and steroids around 2005, but nothing was ever proven. Ivan Rodriguez currently catches for the Washington Nationals.

Some of the descarga pokerstars rooms in our most popular listing below have nearly 2,000 active players while other larger establishments are known to have 70,000+ active player during their peak game sessions!! Amazing, isn’t it?

However, apart from the number of active players during a poker room’s popular sessions and learning about peak playing times, prospective poker room members need to know about other important factors that should be carefully considered in order to make online poker a safe, profitable and enjoyable choice.

Read through this handy guide to most popular poker rooms and you are sure to find at least a few that are solid, safe and customer friendly for amateur players!

We begin with Fulltiltpoker.com – a site that was designed and caters mainly to pro poker players and has regulars like Phil Ivey, Chris Ferguson and Howard Lederer. But when new players hear of 100% sign up bonus amounts (for $600 deposit limits) then working on improving game skills to avail full service benefits of great new software, unique calculators and insider tips newbies can easily pick up by mingling with professional poker players is all part of the attraction of signing up with Fulltiltpoker.com!

Next on our list is the big daddy of online poker rooms: Titan Poker! This site is colorful and eye catching with good visual impact that makes online gaming enjoyable. Their poker bonuses are big league too – 150% up to $500 deposit limit sounds good, doesn’t it? If you are a high limit player, their exclusive $25 free offer is sure to lure you right in, so do check out this reliable and safe membersite of iPoker network when you narrow down your list to top favorites in online poker rooms!

The next room on our list is Doyles Room, which is a great place to meet and learn insider secrets about poker celebrities including the owner – Doyle Brunson! A very successful online poker gaming platform, Doylesroom.com gives a solid deposit bonus and has regular promotion offers that are the best way to meet Poker’s Godfather, say advanced players!

Don’t forget to lookup Poker Stars – a site that has innovative and easy to use poker software, which are constantly upgraded to suit different computer programs. It also offers huge signup bonus amounts and lots of quick reload bonuses. There are approximately 15,000 players online during Absolutepoker.com’s peak gaming times, with the most popular poker rooms being Texas Hold’em, 7 Card Stud, the Poker Razz room and the Omaha poker room!

Finally, as the name suggests, there is Hollywoodpoker.com a site that gets the maximum hits in the OnGame network! There are a lot of poker babes here so only if you can really concentrate on your cards and keep your eyes off the poker hotties, is this room recommended for your online poker party!

Today most poker players prefer to play poker online since they find it easier and more convenient. There are several poker rooms online that the players can choose from. However, before selecting a poker room and signing up for it, players would have to be a little cautious and check the reviews of the rooms. Given below are the reviews of two very popular poker rooms so that the players would be able to decide for themselves.

Pacific Poker

Pacific Poker is an online poker site which has been very successful and popular since its launch. The vibe at this online poker site is very relaxed and for that reason, it is suitable mainly for beginners who just want to learn the game, practice it and have some fun. The players that are generally found at this site are usually not very skilled. The popularity of Pacific Poke and its image has been such that it attracts a large number of new poker players.

Pacific Poker has been recently updated in order to add a multi table environment to it. The site is also known to attract a large number of international players and for tight aggressive players, it would be quite easy to make money on this site. Pacific Poker is one of the very few poker sites that actually offers a cash deposit bonus to the players of 25% which is one of the biggest benefits. Currently, it is a tough competitor for the number one poker site spot online.

Titan Poker

This online poker site gained a lot of popularity in a very short time. New players seem to love this poker room. Titan Poker offers several impressive promotions including an exclusive 150% match to the players. This site is a part of the online network for poker which means that they gain benefits from increasing traffic that is brought to them through the poker network sites. The action within the site is actually quite loose. The pots are very large often compared to the blinds. Technically, the customer service is quite impressive and the payouts are very good which attracts a lot of players.

There are several dozens of online poker rooms that the players can choose from today. The two poker rooms discussed above are among some of the best and are considered to be very secure and reliable. Players should decide which poker room to pick based on their expectations, the bonus, customer service, security and various other features.

Normally, when one goes to play a poker tournament they pay a certain fee. This allows you to buy in. When you do this, you then get some chips in order to play the game with. Sometimes, they will take some of that buy in fee to help pay for things. Sometimes, you are allowed to re buy in or buy back. This will allow you to go about and get more chips as well.

There are two ways for which a poker tournament is won. One of the first ways is a fixed award. This says that when you pay this amount then at first place you will get this amount. Then second place will win this amount and so forth. There is also proportional as well. This instead of a certain amount is what you will get; you will then go about and get a certain percentage. These percentages are based upon how many people you have playing.

There are two types of tournaments as well. There is the public where anyone can pay the money to go about and pay to play. Then there are those where it’s by invitation only. These have to be invited by the league or whoever is hosting the tournament before they can go about and be a part of this.

There is also something called a multi table tournament. This is where they have a few tables going with people playing. Then the winners play the winners of the other tables. This is a long tournament as many games are played. Some have seen this last for one very long day while some have seen this last for a whole weekend. The earnings are usually higher than ever.

There are a few ways to bet as well. There is the fixed limit where you can only bet this amount. Then there are semi structured bets as well. This makes it where you have certain ranges for when you bet. Then, last of all is unstructured betting where you can bet whatever you wanted to bet. The way you bet tells you what sort of game you are going to have. You can tell how much bluffing you have and so many more elements that make up the game of poker as we know it.

Some wonder where these tournaments take place. Almost any place can be used for a poker tournament and have been used as well. It depends on how much people you have playing the game and so many other elements to know where the venue of such tournament will take place. As one can see though, there are many types to be a part of so you are not limited.

However, this did not faze Hanley Ramirez at all as he continued hitting a whopping .332 batting average in his second major league year and was in the race for the National League Most Valuable Player. By his third season with the Marlins, coupled with all of his success, Hanley had become a fan favorite that was counted on to produce in clutch situations. He had showed what he was capable of, and now was expected to be a consistent MLB star player. This was the year that he signed the largest contract in the Florida Marlins history, a 6 year $70 million dollar deal. Many believe the Marlins gave Hanley this grandiose contract in order to ensure the construction of a new baseball stadium in 2012. It was in 2008 that Ramirez was voted to the starting shortstop position for the National League All Star for the first time.

Before the start of the 2009 poker30 season, Hanley played for his native team, the Dominican Republic, in the World Baseball Classic. It was also in the 2009 season when the Florida Marlins manager, Fredi Gonzalez, switched Hanley from lead-off hitter to the third spot in the batting order. This was due to Hanley’s ability to bat runs in on a consistent basis. In the regular season opener, against the Washington Nationals, Hanley recorded his first ever major league grand slam. To add even more to Hanley’s extremely impressive resume, he was voted for the second season in a row as the starting shortstop for the National League All Star team.

Now it is about 30 games into the 2010 season, and Hanley continues to do what he has always done, his batting average is currently .309 with an on base percentage of just under .400. He is in contention for his third straight year as the starting shortstop for the National League All Star team. The Florida Marlins have a history of trading away every good player, but Jeffrey Loria, the team owner, has stopped this trend by guaranteeing that Hanley Ramirez will be a Marlin for years to come. Hanley has shown that he is the real deal when it comes to the game of Baseball and will continue to be in the highlight reels as a Florida Marlin for years to come.