Today’s new gamers usually play games like poker, blackjack or slots. Many don’t play the older games like roulette or baccarat. These games have been around a long time, and some of the best odds in the house can be found while playing them.

Roulette has bets that are near even odds. Outside bets like red/black or odd/even give you over 48% to win. If you play, make most of your bets outside bets and play around with a couple of the higher odds bets. Roulette is a social game that’s a favorite with the ladies.

Baccarat is a simple game where you either bet on the bank or the player. The dealer handles the rest. You can bet on a tie, but it puts you at a disadvantage to do so. Bank bets hold a small edge, but you have to pay a small commission when you win one.

The death of filly Eight Belles in the Kentucky Derby has hit the horse racing industry hard this year. Animal rights activists have been up in arms over the cruelty that horses endure to become racers. This is not a new thing; animal lovers have been putting pressure on the racing industry for years. Horse racing has attempted to correct and improve whatever they can, but the dangerous Sport of Kings still has to improve a great deal if it’s going to continue to be accepted in mainstream society.

Improvements have been made to running to surfaces, although this technology is only in its infancy with only a handful of tracks now running synthetic surfaces. But that’s only one aspect of the industry that needs to be addressed. More concern is arising over the breeding practices in thoroughbred racing. Many believe they are leading to degenerative problems in new offspring.

If you’re up to the challenge, Big Brown is attempting to make history at the Belmont Stakes by becoming only the 12th horse in the history of American thoroughbred racing to win the Triple Crown. Bet on Big Brown to win.

This Saturday is Big Brown Day at Pimlico. That’s the plan, anyway. The Kentucky Derby winner is 1-4 to win the 133rd running of the Preakness Stakes. The second favorite in the current field of 12 horses is Behindatthebar at 10-1.

Or you can get all 11 of the underdogs in a package deal. The props market has a bet that asks if the Derby winner will double up at the Preakness. “Yes” is priced at –330, which is actually a deal compared to 1-4. “No” is priced +230.

These odds may have already changed by the time you read this. The field was still in flux at press time; Gayego’s trainer, Paulo Lobo, has been making preliminary moves toward getting his horse ready for the Preakness. A firm decision is pending results on bloodwork tests. Gayego finished 17th at the Derby, but he’d still be the only horse besides Big Brown to make the trip from Louisville to Pimlico.

So I was on the internet the other day, as always, reading blogs and I stumbled upon one that mentioned gambling as a path to hell. I must admit, this made me laugh right out loud. Anyone who believes that there is an actual place that you can go to called hell has a few screws loose.

They did bring up some good points however on gambling addiction which is defined as gambling when it becomes compulsive and the person is no longer thinking rationally about what they are doing. The way I look at gambling it’s not a bad thing, a ‘sin’ or something to be ashamed of. I believe, like many modern day philosophers, that as long as I am not hurting my self or others there should be no problem. From here we can debate what the definition of ‘hurt’ is but no matter how you look at it casual gambling using a rational mind, there is nothing wrong with it.

Taking a quote from this article: As the time passes, lying becomes a characteristic feature of the gambler and the family persons learns not to trust the individual. Gambling is always associated with physical symptoms like anxiety, headaches, and depression leading to smoking and alcohol consumption.

I feel that this statement is misleading. It is not the gambling that is wrong, it is the person. Do we not have control over our own actions? Do we not have a choice to make in every second of our lives? If you really think hard about these questions the only answer you have left is yes. These ‘symptoms’ of gambling are just mere choices that the person is making. Gambling does not have the power, the people do and they make the choice to throw it away.

If you feel differently about this, I’d like to hear your thoughts.