Strategic Default - What Happens If You Stop Paying Your Mortgage?

If you're reading this article, there's a decent chance you have a mortgage that is underwater and are considering walking away in a strategic default. i.e., you want to stop paying your mortgage, get rid of your property, and move on with your life without having your financial future destroyed.

There is a Process - That is a Bit Strained Right Now

Certainly if you are considering strategic default, you're not alone. Millions of homeowners are having the same conversation in their heads right now. Thus you may be wondering what actually happens if you stop paying your mortgage.

A process starts when you stop paying your mortgage. The exact details vary from lender to lender, but the general process is quite uniform. Of course, in the current real estate crisis the sheer volume of mortgage defaults has turned many bank policies upside down, so it is entirely possible that things will not follow the process that they generally do.

For example, banks are so far behind on their caseloads that often they do not take any action on non-payment for many months longer than they normally would. You cannot count on this, but a delay means that you can probably stay in the house and live mortgage free for many more months, all the while saving the money you would have spent on the mortgage or rent.

Generally speaking, if you miss a payment, the bank will let you know right away that you have missed it - oftentimes with the "nice-guy" attitude that there may have been a mix-up in sending the payment that caused them not to receive it. If you ignore this warning and continue not to pay, you will eventually start hearing frequently from the bank's collections department.

The collections department will be focused only on when and how much you can pay. If you have made the decision to stop paying altogether and seek a solution, you would typically inform the collections department that you cannot pay now, and that you do not anticipate being able to pay. i.e., that you want to seek a "workout" on the mortgage. They will likely inform you that you can speak to their "workout department" or "loss mitigation department."

Usually the collections department and the workout department are quite unrelated, so even while working with the workout department, you will likely be annoyed by continued calls from the collections department.

Won't They Just Foreclose on Me?

Foreclosure definitely will happen at the very end of the road if you just stop paying your mortgage and do nothing else. But as I will discuss in future articles, there are several other common options that may be available to you that will prevent foreclosure.

While you are working on a mutually acceptable solution with the workout department, the foreclosure process will be starting to move forward behind the scenes. Again, based on the enormous volume of delinquent payments at these banks, it may take MUCH longer than normal for this to happen - possibly not even for a year or more, in some cases.

You should typically assume that within about 2 to 4 months of missing your first payment, the lender will initiate foreclosure proceedings. You will start receiving formal looking documents, basically outlining that you are in default of the loan and that the bank has initiated a foreclosure suit against you.

The laws and processes surrounding how foreclosures are pursued vary from state to state, but it good universal advice to say:

DO NOT IGNORE THE FORECLOSURE NOTICE WHEN IT COMES.

Once you receive the foreclosure notice, you are well advised to have a foreclosure attorney take the case for you. By having an attorney take action on your behalf, you can generally forestall any truly negative actions on the foreclosure for many months - often long enough to get your workout handled, and keep you in the house for free in the meantime.

If you plan and execute your strategic default strategy well, then while the foreclosure suit is slowly plodding along, you will be coming to a successful workout agreement with the bank via, e.g., short sale or deed in lieu of foreclosure. If a successful workout cannot be arrived at, then eventually the foreclosure will grind on to a conclusion and you will lose the house. Foreclosure may turn out to be a successful conclusion for you as well, depending on your situation.

Top Reasons Why Facebook is So Popular

If you've been around the Internet for a while, even for a year or so, you have probably heard of one of the most popular social networking websites around called Facebook. To date, Facebook has over 64 million active subscribers worldwide - not including those subscribers who signed up this year. Most probably, you're one of them or some of your friends have been convincing you to join this social bandwagon.

Why are websites like Facebook so popular? Why does Facebook sell like hot potatoes to Internet enthusiasts? Here are four reasons why.

Upload unlimited photos. Facebook is the most popular website for uploading photos. In fact, more than 14 million photos are uploaded daily. Not only can users upload unlimited photos, you can also add tags and put comments on your friends' photos. With tagging, you'll know when your friends or your contacts add a picture of you in their album. Not just that, you can also embed and upload your videos through the web or through your mobile phone using Facebook Mobile. Sharing memorabilia has never been this fun and easy.

Be 'in the know'. Do you want to know what your friends are doing without using instant messaging softwares like Yahoo! Messenger or MSN? With Facebook's STATUS feature, you can see what your friends are up to without having to ask them - which can definitely save a lot of time and effort. This also works vice versa because Facebook users can also update their friends on what they are up to.

Not satisfied? You can also let your friends know if there are upcoming events like parties, conferences or social gatherings in your community. You can put all the details and send mass invitations. Plus, your friends can RSVP if they are attending or not. Is your party for girls only? Don't worry, you can also choose who to invite using Facebook's Events feature.

Interact with friends through games and other applications. Facebook changed the way people use applications for social networking websites. Applications like games and tests (Poker, Trivia Games, Get-to-know-yourself tests, "What does your birthday mean?" test, "Are you Normal?" test, etc) are being used to encourage more social interaction through the Internet. You don't have to meet each other face to face to be able to play Poker.

You can also join different groups and causes like anti-war or "Stop Global Warming". When joining these causes, you can contribute in any form such as online support or money.

Send gifts! What can make you smile on a bad day? - a gift! With Facebook's Gift feature, you can select from hundreds of icons from Facebook's virtual gift shop and add a message to send to your friends. You can send flowers, shoes or even a bone to your friend's virtual pet. If it's a more personal gift, you have the option to give it privately so others wouldn't know. You can get from the free gifts section or if you have money to spare, you can get virtual gifts for $1.00.

Beating Cherry Master Slot Machines - Beating Slot Machines Takes Knowledge But is Possible

Cherry master machines and fruit bonus machines are a line of back room slot machines that are usually played in back room locations. They are a version of a slot machine but not nearly as intricate as a Casino style slot machine. To beat cherry masters is as easy as picking the right system for the right machine. Some cherry master machines are not beatable so make sure the machine you find is on the list. I had a friend that did this and can say that I did see this work in person. It was hard to believe but very real.

To figure out the type of cherry machine you are dealing with you need to follow these guidelines. Sit back and watch the screens the game goes through while it is not being played. Determine the company that makes the machine. When the game screen flashes you can see the name in the upper left corner. It is either a "Dyna" or a "Game". These are two separate company's and make most of all cherry masters.

Then watch as the different screens show. The title screen will show the name of the program and sometimes the maker. The game screen will show you what program it uses. You need to look at certain aspects of that screen to determine how to play that particular machine.Also, this screen will usually tell you how high the Cherry and Bell Bonus go. You can usually tell whether or not the cherries go to 12, 9, 6 or 3, and also whether the bells go 7, 3 or 2. The best ones to beat are the ones that cherry's go to 3 and bells go to 2.These will take less time to play and less money to beat.

Now start playing as follow:

Bet one credit and press start. If you do not win, repeat. You want to repeat this until you spin 5 straight times without winning. Once this happens, change your bet to 8 credits and press start. You are looking to see if the program lines up any 3 in a row. It could be organs, plums, and bars, cherries, or bells. It could also give you two 7's any where on the screen. If it gives you any of the winners listed, then the program is beatable. You can now play out the system. But if it fails to do this by giving you a winner of some other type, like one cherry, or lined up two cherries, then you will repeat the system continually until either you have gotten a true winner (lined something up) or until you are reasonably certain that you won't. You may want to play off 4 or 5 dollars worth of credits. If it doesn't give you a true winner and you think that it has a burnt chip, then DO NOT play this machine. It probably has a fail safe added.

To beat cherry masters simply memorize the details and be patient. We will be writing a very interesting article soon on beating slot machines in Casinos. These beatable versions were more abundant back in the late 90's, but can still be found at over 70% of casinos.

Free Slots

You can find offers all over the Internet for playing various types of free slot games online for cash. What is there to gain in playing free slots? Some might say it's good practice. The truth is, there are a number of free sites that offer free slots where you can win prizes. In many cases, advertises promote these sites by donating their product to give away. The more people who visit and play free slots on a sponsored site - the more exposure the advertiser receives. Casinos also sponsor these sites, and the Casino will cover the cost of the prizes that can even include cash. These online casino sites also allow you to accumulate points that can be exchanged for entries into online casino drawings for some fabulous prizes. However, with these casino sites, there is a catch. They will repeatedly try to entice you into signing up with a credit card for real online gaming. If that's not what you are looking for, be prepared to say "no thanks" many times.

There are many online casinos that offer free slots including GalaxiWorld.com, casino.gambling.com and goldenslots.com, There are also game sites like Pogo.com and games.com that have free slot games where you can compete with other players for the highest score. These game sites usually offer tokens that can be redeemed for raffle tickets where you could win cash or other great prizes. Pogo.com gives players the opportunity to spin for a cash jackpot in all of their games.

Minnesota Casinos

Minnesota Casinos are located in the "Land of 10,000 Lakes," a Northern state known for its natural beauty, cultural attractions, and a prosperous economy. Minnesota, ranked as the "Most Livable State" in the United States, has a population of over 5,000,000 people and an area of 79,610 square miles. The capital of Minnesota, St. Paul, with a population of approximately 280,000, is located adjacent to Minneapolis on the Mississippi River. The two cities are often referred to as the "Twin Cities" of Minnesota.

There are a number of Minnesota Casinos scattered throughout the state, either located on Native American Tribal land or under Native American jurisdiction. Minnesota has 22 tribal-state regulations for Minnesota Casinos, which allow blackjack, slots, craps, and other video gaming machines, while separate tribal agreements allow Poker and bingo. The Mystic Lake Casino, in Prior Lake, is the largest in Minnesota, with 125,000 square feet, 4,000 slots, 84 table games, four restaurants, and a hotel. The Treasure Island Resort and Casino, in Welch, is another large casino, with 116,000 square feet of gambling area, 2,500 slots, 44 table games, seven restaurants, and a small hotel.

Another popular Minnesota casino is Jackpot Junction, in Morton, with 80,000 square feet, 1,650 slots, 28 table games, with blackjack and Poker, as well as nine restaurants and two hotels. In addition, Minnesota casinos include the Grand Casino Hinckley, with 54,800 square feet, 2,170 slots, 47 table games, six restaurants, and four hotels; and the Grande Casino Mille Lacs, in Onamia, with 54,800 square feet, 1,885 slots, 24 table games, five restaurants, and two hotels.

Some of the smaller Minnesota casinos include the Fortune Bay Resort Casino, in Tower, with 50,000 square feet, 686 slots, and 12 table games; the Northern Lights Casino, in Walker, with 40,000 square feet, 950 slots, and 12 table games; and the Fond-du-Luth Casino, in Duluth, with 20,000 square feet, 745 slots, and four table games. The Prairie Edge Casino Resort, a smaller casino in Granite Falls, has 27,000 square feet, 660 slots, and six table games.

Minnesota casinos do not provide any revenue in the form of taxes to the state of Minnesota. There are some fees, however, that compensate the state to some extent for inspections and other items in the tribal agreements. Minnesota is rich in natural attractions, a land of "sky-tinted" waters, with an economy that might be well be enhanced with the expansion and introduction of more casinos in the future.

I Bet My Wife in a Poker Game and Lost!

I'm sure you'll have heard Poker stories like this before...

A gambler is so much into a game but ends up having a bad streak. He loses his cool and is desperate to make a comeback, convinced that the next hand will be THE hand to make him. So there he is, with no more money to put on the table. What does he do? He bets something else of value.

Remember the latest James Bond flick, which I actually labeled a Poker movie in an article just recently? Remember that Poker game between that Greek guy and Agent 007? The other guy bets his car, sure that he would win. I think it was an Alfa Romeo, I am not sure, my memory is a bit hazy (all I can remember is Daniel Craig as James Bond). Anyhow, Bond wins the hand and the car, of course.

The question is, does this really happen in real life?

You better believe it does!

Check out this news clip from Avanova.com:

A Russian man lost his wife in a game of cards after putting her up as a stake instead of cash. Andrei Karpov, from Murmansk, had run out of money in a game of poker and offered his opponent his wife instead of cash to stay in the game.

When Karpov lost the game and his opponent, Sergey Brodov, turned up to claim his winnings, his wife Tatiana was so angry she decided to divorce her husband and started a relationship with Brodov.

She has since married Brodov, and said she does not regret leaving her first husband.

She said: "It was humiliating and I was utterly ashamed. But as soon as my ex-husband did that I knew I had to leave him.

"Sergey was a very handsome, charming man and I am very happy with him, even if he did 'win' me in a poker game."

Talk about crazy! In this day and age you would think that putting up a person as your stake wouldn't be possible! When you think about it, though, the whole thing sounds hilarious, doesn't it? I mean it irks me that a guy would bet his wife as if he "owned" her (as if a person can actually own another person). Then again, the wife leaving him and marrying the other guy - I'm sorry but this just sounds like something out of a soap opera, or something from the Middle Ages!

No wonder people who aren't into poker see it in a negative light most of the time. When they hear or read news such as this, their eyes probably pop out in wonder, or maybe they shake their head in dismay. Then again, this happened in Russia, where norms may be quite different from that of the US or other European countries. It makes me think of Borat, you know that "Khazakstan journalist."? It's like something he would do. I hope that I haven't offended anyone with my musings in this article. I just found it really hilarious.

So guys, next time you decide to put up your wife as a bet, make sure that you win. Otherwise, you might just find yourself in the divorce courts!

Do You Have to Guess Your Lotto Numbers in Exact Order to Win the Lottery Jackpot?

If you have never played the lottery, you might be asking yourself if you have to guess your lotto numbers in exact order to win the jackpot. Luckily, you don't have to; all you have to do is choose your numbers and as long as they all get drawn, in any order, you win.

I say luckily for a reason - The odds of winning the jackpot in a lottery are bad. If you had to guess your numbers in exact order, it would be impossible because the odds would be much worse. How much worse would it be? Read on to see the math.

Let's look at an example. One of the most popular lotto formats in the world is 6/49, where you must match 6 numbers out of a possible 49. To calculate the odds of winning the 649 jackpot, you must calculate the following equation: (49x48x47x46x45x44)/(1x2x3x4x5x6). The answer is 13,983,816. That means that the odds of winning are 1-in-13,983,816. Now, if you had to guess the numbers drawn, but also had to guess the exact order that they are drawn, this is how you would calculate the odds: 49x48x47x46x45x44. The answer is 10,068,347,520. That means that the odds of winning the jackpot would be 1-in-10,068,347,520. That's more than 1-in-10-billion. Now that would be virtually impossible to win.

As it is now, hundreds of people win lottery jackpots every year. If people had to guess lotto numbers in exact order, we'd be lucky to see just one big winner in a five year period. If this were the case, most people wouldn't even play any more.

How Much Do Super Bowl Tickets Cost?

America loves to spend money on the Super Bowl. From buying a new high definition television for game day to multi-million dollar ad spots during the game, the Super Bowl inspires super spending as much as it celebrates football. Actually going to the Super Bowl and watching it in person will cost a person several thousand dollars.

Super Bowl tickets as of January 16th are readily available on eBay. Auctions for Super Bowl tickets are getting plenty of attention and money thrown at them. For example, a pair of tickets for the lower level end zone area of the stadium in Glendale, Arizona where Super Bow XLII will be played on February 3rd recently sold at auction on eBay for $7,302.00 after attracting 16 bids. Another auction that closed on the same day at eBay saw 24 bids that topped out at $6,001.00 for two tickets in the upper level end zone area.

Auctions at eBay are not the only source of Super Bowl tickets. Any search at a search engine will produce dozens of ticket sellers where people can buy tickets without having the unpredictability of an auction's final price. Prices are high across the board. At Ticket Master's website, a deluxe four-night trip with hotel suite accommodations that includes two tickets at the club level to 15 yard line costs a whopping $15,384 for two people. At Stubhub.com a ticket for a seat at the Super Bowl in the terrace end of the stadium starts at $3,750.

Everything about attending the Super Bowl is expensive. Parking passes cost at least $150! That's enough to make even a New York City resident flinch. Someone actually attending the Super Bowl can cash out a little of its value with souvenirs after the game. Old Super Bowl ticket stubs from years past are auctioning at eBay for over $40. Not exactly big money, but if you see a ticket stub on the ground it is certainly worth picking up.

Because actually attending the Super Bowl is expensive, many sports fans choose to enjoy the event with home parties or a trip to Las Vegas. Because of its legal sports betting, Las Vegas has traditionally been a Super Bowl destination. That weekend is extremely busy in Las Vegas, but for even half the cost of attending the Super Bowl a person can have fun all weekend and enjoy the game in a lounge or nice hotel room without sitting on a hard stadium seat.

How to Pick a Lottery Winning Number - Lucky Winning Numbers

If you want to know how to choose lottery winning numbers, then read this article. It will give you some pointers on how to know the lucky winning numbers that are good for you to bet on.

People are always facing a problem in picking up combinations that they can bet on. This is because most people want to win big jackpots in lottery. Naturally, we all want to win. But we have to bear in mind that we all have the slimmest chances to win in lottery. It is suggested to make winning a second in priority. The most important thing in betting in lottery in the kind of fun that it can give you.

Betting in lottery is fun because you can feel what it is like to wait and anticipate what combinations will come out to see if you are winning or not. It fun and excitement be get intensified as you watch the draws yourself. It can really be thrilling. With lottery, you can have a better means of entertainment and recreation.

Most people find picking up a lottery winning number very time-consuming and stressful. On the contrary, it can really be fun. You can do a lot of things that will allow you to formulation your own combinations. Birth dates can be a good source for numbers. These can be lucky for you since these are significant in your life and in the lives of your family and friends. Superstitious people actually believe in this and this sometimes work especially when you maintain betting on that combination for quite some time. Patience is one important virtue that lotto players should possess because combinations will not come out on the moment you expect it. Remember that number combinations in lottery come out randomly.

You can also pick lucky winning numbers for lottery from the horoscopes that are published online. Horoscopes are the main places where most lotto players get their winning combinations from. They believe that these are lucky numbers that will allow them to win in lottery for as long as they keep on betting. If you may observe, some of the numbers suggested in horoscopes to be lucky are actually coming out in draws. They may not come out in exact order, but they really comes out.

Some people would also pick lottery numbers for forum sites and blog sites that features lottery results. Usually, these blogs and forum sites do not only give reviews on games and game results. These even features predicted results and suggested numbers. These can be a good source of numbers because chances are the combination featured here is a syndicated lottery winning number.

Send a Card Celebrating a Birth - What Do I Say?

When is it appropriate to send a celebration of a birth card? Of course you would want to send the card as soon as you hear the good news. Certainly if you sent a card within a 30-60 day window, that would be appropriate. And of course, the best way to communicate your feelings is with physical greeting card that the proud new parents can keep in a baby scrapbook of memories. An eCard is not recommended for the celebration of this life event.

Who should you send a congratulations card to? Any close friend, business associate or relative. Cards can be sent to new mothers, the couple, grandparents and even great-grandparents. Celebrating a new life in a family is big news. And, it is just as important to send a birth announcement to a couple that has just welcomed their second or next child as well. Each child is special to the family.

After selecting just the right card, you will want to add a little personal note. Here are some ideas to choose from:

" Congratulations on the birth of your ____ (son, daughter). We wish you the best."

" We were so thrilled to hear the great news of the birth of your child. Congratulations!"

" We join in you in welcoming a new member of your family. Blessings on you and yours at this special time."

If this is a second child, you might want to reference and acknowledge the first child as well with wording like:

"We welcome your new son to the world and hope that big brother Bob enjoys having a new baby brother."

"Congratulations on your new baby, she will benefit from having her big brother Bob to watch over her."

What if the birth is not a typical situation. Here are some ways to convey your thoughts to friends.

Adoption - This is a big event to the new parents. Sending a congratulations card is welcomed and appropriate.

" We were so happy to hear about the new member of your family. Congratulations on your new son."

" Best wishes to the new mom and dad."

Single parent - Rejoice and focus on the positive.

" Congratulations on birth of your daughter. We celebrate with you."

" Best wishes to you and your child, we are thinking of you."

Child with a birth defect. - The important thing to remember is that God doesn't make mistakes. You should celebrate this child as an important event.

" Congratulations on the birth of your son, Adam. We welcome him into world with love."

" We celebrate with you in the joy of the arrival of a new member of your family."

" God bless you and your family as you celebrate a new life."

A congratulatory card should be simple and heartfelt. This is a big life event and your friends will always remember that you took the time to show that you cared.

If you are having difficulty finding the right words, put yourself in the new mother's shoes and ponder on what she would want to hear. I hope this article was useful and that you will print and save it for future reference.

No Limit Holdem Poker Cash Game Strategy - How to Spot and Exploit Weakness In Poker Cash Games

Aggression in your betting is an important component of any winning Poker strategy. Being the aggressor means you have two ways of winning the pot - either showing down the best hand or having your opponent fold. The real key to developing a winning cash game Poker strategy is the use of selective aggression. Knowing when an opponent is weak will help you to get this right. This article looks at both obvious and disguised weakness from opponents.

Before we move on to the details there are two important factors to mention here. Firstly watch out for you very skilled opponents, they will be aware of how their actions are perceived and will try to mix up their play to deceive you. Secondly paying attention to the table, the betting patterns of all opponents and how different players react to different flops is important here. For example there is no point trying to push an opponent who always calls off of a 'weak' holding - he will call you anyway!!

Obvious weakness is the scenario where an opponent makes no attempt to show any strength. The first example of this is a pre-flop limp. Any opponent who limps from one of the later positions at the table when first to enter a pot is showing weakness. Re-raising from a later position will often take the pot down immediately. When called you will usually have position on the limper after the flop - when your opponent checks to you fire another bet to take the larger pot there. If called a second time you must slow down of course, however this works so many times that the rare scenario in which you are forced to fold will be more than made up for by the times you take down the pot without resistance.

Players who raise from stealing positions may also be weak. If your opponent raises the button when ever they are folded to you do not need to give them credit for a good hand. A healthy re-raise from the big blind will often take the pot pre flop. Remember to ensure that your opponent is capable of making the fold - no point bluffing a calling station here!

Many players who call raises pre flop will lead into the original raiser when the flop comes with a small bet. This is called the weak-lead and is usually a sign of a draw or vulnerable holding such as bottom pair. Firing a large raise will often take the pot down immediately in this situation. This is opponent specific - some players will make this same move when strong here so it pays to be aware of your opponents previous betting patterns.

Likewise some players bet very strongly from out of position after calling a pre-flop raise. Here the texture of the flop is a significant factor. If there are flushes or straights draws available then your opponent may be protecting a strong but vulnerable hand such as an over pair. If the flop is 'rags' the strong lead is more likely to be a weaker holding. How to react here will depend on your opponent, however a strong raise will usually take the pot in this scenario.

Finally, when attacking your opponents weakness it is important to have the discipline to give up when you encounter serious resistance. These plays will win enough pots when your opponents fold to make up for the times when they fail. Do not get tempted to follow up with a huge river bluff when called on the flop and turn!

GL at the tables,
Mark

How to Predict Winning Lottery Games in 30 Seconds

Were you surprised when your last lottery game flipped up some unusual winning number patterns? It happens quite often - even in the big games. Regardless of whether you play Powerball, Super Lotto Plus or a smaller lotto in your local city or town, every game gets some strange, unexplained number sequences at times.

This mismatch is quite common, and it's why you need a system that predicts skewed patterns and adjusts for them, to give you better winning odds. But maybe you haven't found such a system yet. So how can you be more selective in choosing when to avoid these number orphans?

The solution is fortunately quite easy, and you don't even need a calculator or pen! You can do it by just checking out the winning number sequence.

Here's the steps:

1. Check out the results of the last game in your area. You can find the results by entering "YourGame winning numbers" or "YourGame results" in any large search engine. Go back to the winning numbers on the last day of play. Doesn't matter if it's a mid-week game or a Saturday one - just make sure you view the LAST set of winning numbers available.

2. See if your game shows unusual number combinations, as in these examples:

- Three consecutive numbers together like 3, 4, 5, or 25, 26, 27, or even 41, 42, 43.

- Numbers concentrated together at one end of the play range, like 33, 35, 36, 38 or 2, 4, 5, 7, 8 (not those numbers you understand - just a pattern like that).

- Unusual patterns of close numbers of 3 or more that may be in or out of sequence. A pattern like 2, 4, 6, 8 in two areas of the winning numbers is another example.

Here's the secret.

3. If your game shows any of these patterns, then make sure you play the very NEXT game.

Your winning chances will improve because it's unlikely these unusual number pattern sets will appear again in the very NEXT game. Research has shown that the likelihood of certain patterns repeating consistently is very rare in the following game.

By watching out for the strange number patterns like the ones above, and by playing the NEXT game, you'll improve your winning chances a lot. Click the link below to discover how you can automate this crucial process.

Lottery Pick 4 Strategy Exposed!

The Lottery Pick 4 has been getting so much attention as there have been rumors that one can actually up his or her odds in winning this game. A great thing about rumors is that they have a certain grain of truth in them.

Thing is, one can actually increase his or her chances in playing the Lottery Pick 4 and there are a more than a handful strategies out there. Here is a condensed version of all the free Lottery Pick 4 tactics and advices that you may hear from friends and colleagues that are hooked in this kind of game.

1. Merely guessing and not having any strategy is as good as hoping against 10,000 odds that your one bet will miraculously pop up. The Lottery Pick 4 is a game of mathematical probability and statistics so if you have viable data, then it is advisable to use it than plainly relying on gut feel. If you use plain gut feel, might as well be throwing money straight to the dumpster.

2. As in all games, strategies may help you increase your chances of winning but there can be no way of getting 100% chances of winning every single time. So better think twice if a gaming shopping website offers you a promise or a guarantee that you will win the Lottery Pick 4 all the time. As they say, if it is too good to be true, then it is an internet scam. Although this may be the case, there are some paid strategies that do work, but they surely do not promise you the heavens and a seat next to the richest man in the world but they are very helpful and beneficial if you do plan to take your Lottery Pick 4 to the next level.

3. Be very observant. Tally the 30 day data of the Lottery Pick 4 results and see if there are numbers that seem to pop up in a relatively steady pace. This may take some time and it may be energy consuming but this extra effort can in fact, increase the chances of winning in Lottery Pick 4.

4. Do the box 25 method. All you need to do here is to think of a 4 digit combination. Let us say you chose to have your month and year of birth, 1278. Then you list down all the possible arrangements of this 4 digit combination. Make sure you do not repeat anything or else, the chance of winning once in 416 will be voided

5. Know that you would need to buy some books and magazines about Lottery Pick 4 to learn more and more about industry tactics. These magazines are fairly cheap so do not hesitate to fork out a few bucks for a higher potential return.

6. And most importantly, learn the ins and outs of the game. Talk to as much Lottery Pick 4 gamers in your community or in the office as they may know some "secret" tactics in Pick 4 playing.

I wish you the best of luck in winning the pick 4 lottery. It's no easy task but with the right strategy anyone can do it!

How to Win the Canadian Lotto 649 - A 30-Second Way to Predict the Next Lotto 649 Winning Numbers?

The official website calls it "Canada's favorite Lotto game." And with a past record jackpot of over $54 million, the Lotto 649 certainly seems to attract plenty of Canadian players.

So is there a way to predict the top numbers that will hit the jackpot? Here's a little-known method that may do the trick...

To play Lotto 649, you simply select six numbers from a field of 1 to 49 on your selection slip. The next part - working out a prediction method by picking lottery numbers that may hit the jackpot - is almost as quick.

If you check back through past 649 lottery results, you might notice that from time to time there are some unusual patterns in the winning numbers.

You might find there are consecutive numbers together in batches of three or four - like 3, 4, 5, 6. They can be contained in any numbers up to 49... like 26, 27, 28, or even 44, 45, 46, 47.

Also look for unusual sequential patterns like 2, 4, 6, 8 or 26, 28, 30, 32.

The important thing is to find patterns that are unlikely to be repeated because of their consistency. When you see a major pattern like that in the last batch of winning numbers, you've found the secret.

Immediately after those winning numbers with the consistent patterns appear, make sure you play the very NEXT game without fail. The reason is that it's unlikely that this pattern set will appear in the next game, and therefore your odds are far higher than at any other point. Research has shown that certain patterns repeating consistently is very rarely found in the immediate following game.

If you follow this rule, you're far more likely to strike the lotto 649 winning numbers than at any other point of play.

Poker Terms

Poker is a popular game that has a following of millions of ardent enthusiasts around the globe. The game involves players examining their own hands before making a wild guess as to what cards the other players might have. The different versions of Poker games are Texas Hold'em, Seven Card Stud, Omaha Poker, the Hi/Lo version, Five Card Stud, and Five Card Draw. There are poker forums that provide information about the various terms used in the game. These terms are very confusing and can take players quite to learn. However, knowing these terms is very important, as players have to use them constantly while participating in a poker game, whether they are amateurs or professionals.

The phrase 'aces up' refers to a pair of aces and another pair. 'Active player' generally means a player who is still very much involved in a hand. 'All blue and all Pink' means that a player has a set of five cards that are all spades, diamonds, aces, or clubs. 'Blank card' means that the card has very little value in the hand. The term, 'deal' refers to the act of distributing cards to players or keeping the cards on the boards. It pertains to the entire process from shuffling to dealing of the cards until the pot is finally won by the player holding the best hand.

Other common terms used in the game of poker include discard, drawing dead, flop, Fourth Street, kicker, lock up, loose game, and muck. It is important to refer to a comprehensive list of poker terms while learning to play the game. There are poker sites that are especially dedicated to providing information about commonly used poker terms. They have a separate section wherein the meaning of these terms is provided along with an explanation of the appropriate situation to use these terms.

How the New Euromillions Raffle Works

Since November 13th 2009, Euro Millions Lottery tickets purchased within the UK are eligible for the new EuroMillions Raffle draw. The draw guarantees that one of the tickets purchased will receive a raffle prize of £1,000,000

Let's Look at The Odds Of Winning

If we look at the average number of euro millions tickets purchased in the UK each week, which is approximately 6 million, your winning odds will on average be about 6 million to 1. Obviously, this is an average. One of the big influencing factors will be roll over weeks. The euro millions lottery rolls over on a regular basis and ticket sales experience large upsurges in sales during these times.

How Does The EuroMillions Raffle Work?

Each UK purchased ticket is allocated a raffle ticket number, this number takes the form of 3 letters followed by 6 numbers, the first raffle produced a winning number of KBF921587.
Raffle numbers are automatically allocated to each ticket in true raffle style. This means that, unfortunately, you cannot select your own raffle numbers.

There is no need to do anything different when purchasing your euro millions ticket, you are simply allocated the raffle number at time of purchase

Each week one random raffle number is drawn and the owner of the winning ticket receives the £1,000,000

Only players purchasing their tickets in the UK will receive entry into the raffle, but, it comes at an expense. Tickets in the UK used to be charged at £1.50 each, they're now charged at £2.00 each which means that a premium of £0.50 has been added to the ticket to cover the cost of the millionaire raffle.

How Can I Play The Lottery From Abroad?

One of the best ways to enjoy playing the euro millions in the UK while you are abroad is to join one of the UK based euro millions lottery syndicates. This not only increases your odds of winning a prize in the lottery, it will also increase your winning odds in the millionaire raffle.

Secret Lottery Winning Tips

Don't think lucky. Think smart. Some of these tips may seem obvious at first sight, but I bet you've made some of these common mistakes at one time or another.

1. You've got to be in it to win it - OK, that's not much of a secret, but it's amazing how many people forget to enter, arrive at the terminal too late, go on holiday, or it's too cold to go out - and a whole Host of other reasons. The best way to ensure continuity of entries is to join an automated system that takes care of everything for you.

2. Make sure you claim all winnings, even the smallest. You wouldn't believe winners would fail to claim even a tenner, but they do, and doesn't your heart just ache when you hear about the thousands of pounds that go unclaimed. What was the story behind it? Did the dog eat the ticket, was it lost? Imagine the heart-ache of knowing your regular set of numbers was the winner, but you couldn't find the ticket. Again, a centralised automated system will do all this for you.

3. Choose your numbers carefully - it's not that some sets of numbers are more likely to win than others. They're not. Each set has an equal chance. But if you choose the same numbers as many other people, should that series be drawn, you will be sharing your win with all those who chose the same number sets.

4. To maximise your winnings - you need to maximise the number of lines you buy. At one level this is obvious too, but common-sense dictates that you must stick within a budget. Buying extra tickets needn't be as expensive as you'd first think.

5. One simple way to maximise your number of lines is to join a lottery syndicate where you share in the winnings of a group of friends, but without increasing your own costs. For instance I am in one syndicate where entries start from just a tenner a quarter, and even if YOU don't win, you can win when your friends do.

6. Running a syndicate is hard work if you "do-it-yourself". Finding enough members to have a significantly better chance of winning, chasing them for money every week, replacing drop-outs, buying tickets, and dividing the winnings. Save yourself this hassle - automate it!

7. Spread your risk over different Lottery games. The syndicate I play in is so very affordable that you can do this without breaking the bank. Winning when my friends win means I can get a prize even from tickets someone else bought.

8. Minimise your cost of playing. My syndicate offers an optional way to play for free, or at least reduce the monthly cost, by introducing a few other players. Many people have no interest in this whatsoever and that's fine - but if you're playing for free and just accumulating wins, there's no reason to cancel your lottery syndicate subscription.

I hope you've found food for thought in those simple pointers.

Interesting Facts About Australia

Australia is a continent that many people are fascinated with, and for good reason. It is full of sites and places that thousands of tourists flock to each year.

But there is more to Australia than just a lot of things to see. There are many interesting historical and present day facts about Australia, including:

Australia was home to thousands of prisoners.

When the British began to settle Australia in the late 1700s, their main motivation for doing so was to establish a land to send their prisoners to. The common practice of that time was to send convicts and prisoners (typically those who owed money or defied the government in some way) to the American colonies to work for a period of seven to fourteen years. However, when the British lost control of the American colonies, they had no place to send their prisoners until James Cook, the first Englishman to chart and explore Australia, suggested it as a suitable place. As a result, thousands of British prisoners were sent to Australia, where they eventually were set free and allowed the colonies to prosper. Now, about twenty five percent of Australians have ancestors who were convicts.

There were originally over 200 languages in Australia.

Australia was first inhabited over 40,000 years ago by Aboriginal people. These tribes of Aborigines in the states and across the country spoke over 200 languages and dialects. However, more than half of these dialects are now extinct, as over ninety percent of the original Aborigines were killed when the British settled the continent, mostly as a result of diseases the Europeans brought over.

Australia is the smallest continent in the world.

Australia can claim itself as a country, continent, and island. While it is the smallest continent in the world, it is also the largest island in the world. In addition, Australia is the only country in the world that makes up an entire continent. The majority of the people in Australia live in the large coastal cities because over ninety percent of Australia is actually dry and flat, and about three quarters of the land can't support any type of agriculture.

Australia is famous for its sheep.

The population of Australia is more sheep than people; in fact, there are roughly ten sheep in Australia for every person. As a result, Australia is the largest exporter in the world of lamb meat and wool.

Australia's most famous animals are unique to Australia only.

When many people think of wildlife in Australia, they think of such animals as koala bears and kangaroos. Because Australia is an island and not connected to any other land, it has developed its own wildlife. The kangaroo, koala bear, emu, and kookaburra are animals that are only found in the wild in Australia.

Australia is a smart country.

Presently, Australia claims to have a 100% literacy rate, one of the highest in the world. Perhaps this is why they read more newspapers per capita than any country in the world.

Australians love to gamble.

Per capita, Australians spend more money on gambling than any other country in the world. And although they make up less than one percent of the total population of the world, Australia has over twenty percent of the world's Poker machines.

As you can see from these few facts, Australia is a country that is full of interesting facts, both from the past as well as the present. For more Australia visit Australia at "Surfing the Net with Kids."

Poptropica - Fun Websites for Kids

Poptropica is a fun website for kids that was launched in September 2011 by the Family Education Network. Poptropica is aimed at children from age 6 to 15 and exists in an educational format where children play games, travel and communicate with each other only at a safe level. Though the game's format remains the same, there is a new game (called an island) that changes every so often. Players are given advanced notice when an island will end and a new one is created.

Before 2010, membership fees did not exist. Memberships begin at $3.95 US per month for one month; $10.95 US for six months; and $19.95 US for an annual membership. Prices vary according to what country a player is from - simply click on the corresponding country and the price for that country will automatically be displayed. Paid members get free access to items in the Poptropica store (but do not own them). They also get early access to new islands. There is a free membership for children; however, their movement within the virtual world is limited. Players can also gain access to special costumes for their avatar and gain exclusive abilities by purchasing Poptropica credits. These credits can also be obtained by completing online games. Poptropica requires a broadband internet connection, at least 512MB of RAM and the installation of Adobe Flash Player. The game is played through Poptropica's website.

Features

The main focus of Poptropica is the avatar's travels through the islands that are released throughout the year. These are mini-adventures which follow a plot that usually involves players solving puzzles, riddles or clues from past historical events that are educational in some manner. Some of the plots may be too complex for younger players, but since there have been a myriad of islands created, there is no shortage of content from which to choose from. In July 2011, Poptropica made all older islands available to players to play again. There are now over 20 islands to choose from.

What's Good

Poptropica is an educational website that will appeal mainly to children from age 7 to 15. The wide range of appeal is mainly due to two factors: the absence of graphic violence and non-safe chat; and the educational component and above-average plots of each island. Creating an educational MMORPG that is a success is a challenge because it must be able to hold the attention of older players who are more than used to adult-themed games. For Poptropica to be a success, the educational component must use humor, light-heartedness and a sophisticated but understandable plot. Poptropica has succeeded in these key areas.

What's Bad

Acquiring merchandise for their avatars and toys outside the game may be an issue, but the positives far outweigh this minor negative.

Online Safety

The part of all virtual worlds that get negative marks is online chat. The owners of Poptropica have wisely decided not to go down this path. The only chat available is safe, pre-scripted chat. No personal information about children is ever collected and since there is no chat, it is never shared. A parent is in control when paying and renewing a membership. The safety policy is prominently displayed and written plainly.

How to Pick Winning Powerball Numbers

If you are looking for a sure way with which you can pick winning Powerball numbers, you've come to the right place. This article tells you how to pick winning Powerball numbers so you can come out successful in a Powerball draw.

Powerball has no doubt reached the peak of its popularity these past months. Internet searches for online sites that Host Powerballs have doubled in numbers. Moreover, more and more people are logging online to find out how to pick winning Powerball numbers in the hopes of winning the next Powerball draw and taking home the jackpot or any Powerball prize. But what is Powerball in the first place? How do you play it?

Powerball, the first game ever to use two drums in its core game, is an all-American lottery game that is being sold through United States lotteries as one of the shared jackpot pool games. The Multi-State Lottery Association or MUSL, which is a non-profit organization created by an official agreement understood by all member lotteries, coordinates the workings of Powerball, which includes the development of new games, management of finances, conduction of draws, and other services. Thus, there are several states - thirty-one all in all - that offer Powerball. Because Powerball makes use of not just one but two drums, it allows more flexibility as far as game design it concerned, attracting more players compared with other lotto games. It has a higher possibility of low odds for other prizes but high odds for the jackpot. This two-drum feature is now being used by the United Kingdom's EuroMillions and Thunderball, Australia's Powerball, and the United States' Mega Millions.

In order to know how to pick winning Powerball numbers, you must first know how to play the game. The first thing you have to do is to choose five numbers ranging from one to fifty-five. These are the white balls. Then you have to choose one number ranging from one to forty-two. This is the red ball, also known as the Powerball. Most Powerball Hosts offer a Power Play feature, which makes use of a random multiplier through the use of a special wheel. What can be multiplied are the prizes in all levels except the main prize or the jackpot.

People who play Powerball should know how to pick winning Powerball numbers because the chances of winning in this particular lotto game is higher compared to the chances of winning offered by other lotto games. In fact, the overall probability of winning a Powerball prize is one in thirty-six (35.1, to be precise), and this ratio is said to go higher in the coming year. In February of 2006, the jackpot was won by one ticket in Nebraska, and the amount was a stunning $365 million, shared by eight workers in a meat plant. If you want to have the same luck, you need to employ a good amount of logic first.

The most sound advice on how to pick winning Powerball numbers is to use a software package that analyzes the odds of winning according to the odds of certain numbers coming up in a Powerball draw. Many Powerball winners have expressed their support for this kind of strategy for a number of reasons. For one, using a software package deals away with any emotional attachment that may cloud your judgment in choosing possible winning numbers. Another reason is that using a software package allows you to see the history of all the draws and the numbers that usually come up. History repeats itself, so they say, and this really holds true in lottery games.

Finally, Powerball winners recommend this proven strategy because it worked for them - and there's no reason why it can't work for you too.

Caribbean Poker

Caribbean Poker is a Casino table game. It has rules similar to the five-card stud Poker and cannot be beaten in the long run. The uniqueness of the Caribbean stud is that it is played against the house instead of against other players. It is also free from any sort of deception or bluffing.

In this game each player places his 'ante' at the layout on the indicated points. Before the dealer announces 'no more bets' the entire ante wagers ought to be placed. The dealer and the players now receive five cards all face-down.

The essential rules of the Caribbean Poker that must be followed at every game:

o Each player can have only one hand. They are not allowed to hold or wage on multiple hands at the table.
o When a player chooses to play the Progressive Pay Out feature, he must insert the $1 wager into the slot and make sure that the indicator light is switched on.
o Players are strictly forbidden from communicating and exchanging information based on their hands with other players or the dealer. If a player is found guilty of violation his game will be called a dead hand and he will be forfeited of all his wagers.
o If a player is found to possess an incorrect number of cards his hand will be called a dead hand or push.
o The table/Casino supervisor's decision is final.
o When a dealer has dealt four cards of the five card hand he shall also deal the additional card in order to complete the hand. Any further misdeal to the dealer will result in all the hands being called void and the cards going for a reshuffle.
o Every player must hold his five cards in such a manner that it will always be on the full view of the dealer throughout the game. After the player has examined his cards and placed them face-down on the lay out, he will not be allowed to touch them again.
o Player happens to expose the 'hole card' before the dealer announces 'no more bets', it will result in all the hands being called void.

The player plays with a single deck of 52 cards against the dealer. A player wins when he has a higher 5-card Poker hand than the dealers.

o When the player raises and the dealer doesn't qualify.
o The player shows a higher 5-card poker hand and eth dealer manages to have a minimum of an Ace/King.
o The Progressive- the player places 41 in eth slot and receives a flush or higher.

There can be only five hands to qualify for the Progressive Jackpot:

o Flush - any five cards of one suit.
o Full House - 3 of a Kind with a Pair.
o 4 of a Kind - any hand of four like cards.
o Straight Flush - Five consecutive cards of the same suit in a row.
o Royal Flush - 10, Jack, Queen, King, Ace of the same suit.

The player loses when:

He folds or the dealer qualifies with a higher 5-card poker hand.

Where to Play Poker in Mexico Legally

Poker in Mexico has been growing in popularity at an astonishing rate over the last few years and the best example of this is the large number of automated Poker tables popping up in Casinos around the country. These state-of-the-art, 9-player, mistake-free tables and two-player, Heads Up-style tables allow Casino visitors to enjoy one of the most popular games in the world, legally.

The same technology that is used in the United States, Canada, Italy, Spain, Australia and cruise ships around the world is becoming a fixture in the many Casinos and Poker rooms of Mexico. Players can choose from popular Poker games like Texas Hold'em and 7-Card Stud with no mistakes, faster gameplay and no tipping like traditional brick and mortar poker tables.

Mexico's poker players can also enjoy online poker from the comfort of their own home at top online poker rooms such as Full Tilt Poker. One of the best offers going for new poker players in Mexico looking to build their bankroll is the one offered by the popular free bankroll program called Free Poker Cash Bankroll. This offer can be obtained by any poker player living in the country of Mexico, as well as online poker players from around the world.

Here is where you can play poker in Mexico on one of these unique and legal poker tables:

Caliente Casino
Tijuana

Caliente Casino Bosques
Mexico City

CasinoLife Del Valle
Mexico City

Emotion Casino
Chihuahua

Emotion Casino
Puerto Vallarta

CasinoLife Merida
Mérida

Royal Yak Hipodromo
Mexico City

Royal Yak Centro Magno
Guadalajara

CIE Cumbres
Cumbres

CIE Cancún
Cancún

Dubai Palace
Cancún

Win Roulette - 10 Essential Tips For Bigger Winnings!

The 10 tips below are all you need to win at roulette and win big.

Use them and you will have all the information you need to get the odds in your favour have some fun and win. Roulette is the perfect game for novices as well and fun for all.

Here are the only 10 tips you need to win at roulette:

1.Understand there is a house edge

This means that you cannot remove it; you can only get the odds in favour of yourself as much as possible, but their pretty good odds for a game of chance.

2.Don't buy a system

As a roulette ball has no memory and each spin is random you cannot apply a mathematical system.

Each is spin is independent of all others - There are better ways to win at roulette!

3.Play European Roulette

There is a choice the American wheel and the European wheel - The American wheel has an extra double 0 making the house advantage almost double the European wheel where the house edge is just 2.63%.

4.Know the odds

Use bets where the payouts mirror the stake i.e black or red, odd or even. You play at just below even with the house and your money will last longer and you will have staying power.

Good bets to place to win at roulette are bets with lower odds, and avoid single number bets.

5.Know the best bet of all

To win at roulette you need to know the best bet of all and this is the bet on the European table known as the en prison bet, which is available on all even-money bets.

When the ball lands on 0, your bet remains on the table, (captured), for the next play.

If you are lucky enough to win on the next spin, you aren't paid for the win, but you get to take your original bet back; so you only lose half your bet.

The House edge on even money bets with the en prison rule is only 1.35% - Making it the best bet to place.

6.Don't believe in streaks

For instance if the ball has landed on red for 20 times the chances of it falling on red next time are 50 - 50 and this is the same if it had landed on the same number 50 times in succession the odds are always 50 - 50.

7.Set your bankroll in advance

Once you have used up your bankroll that's it - Quit.

It is also a good strategy to win at roulette, to have a level that when you have reached a certain level of winnings to quit the table and enjoy what you have made.

8.Have fun

While the best bets are the ones we have said, occasionally it's nice to throw a different bet in for a bit of variety.

Roulette is probably the most exciting game in the Casino and if you're not having fun and just want to make money play a boring game like blackjack!

9.Don't get emotional

Don't try and win back losses and don't get too excited when you win. Treat it as a fun game and one where you can win and if you do it is a bonus.

Emotional players always lose. To win at roulette you must approach the game with the right attitude.

10.Where to play

The online gaming revolution has seen more players than ever discover roulette but while playing online is fun, its even more fun in a Casino!

Try and visit one and play in a real environment. Roulette is a glamorous thrilling, exciting game and nothing beats winning at roulette at the Casino in front of others.

The above tips are all you need to win at roulette so go and enjoy the game above all else and hopefully you will win at roulette - Good luck!

Is the Lottery Fixed? The Shocking Truth About Lottery Fraud You Must Not Miss

Is the lottery fixed? Are there lottery scams, shams and secret techniques that tips the odds in one person's favor? And with some many conspiracy theorists about lottery winnings and winners....is there any real PROOF that any lottery has ever been rigged? Any of these questions sound familiar? If they do....you are NOT alone! Most of the passionate players, gamers and lottery observers like to OPINE about the likelihood a given lottery drawing is fixed......and if you don't know the facts, the truth may shock you for sure! Curious to know more? Great....continue reading as we take a closer look below!

Filed Under: The Fix IS In!

Want to know the truth? While conspiracy theorists of all types and stripes have gossiped about the lottery being fixed for as long as it's been around, there have been very few cases where it's actually been true. But did you know that in Pennsylvania, in 2000, the daily number WAS in fact fixed? It's true...and was called the "Triple Six Fix" when the three digits "666" came up and CASHED in for 3.5 million dollars. But it turns out that the ping pong balls were WEIGHTED down, with the exception of 4's and 6's, making the outcome mathematically almost impossible to miss for players. 7 people were indicted.....and the inside job was exposed for what it really was: a FIXED lottery once and for all..:-)

Filed Under: A Legitimate Advantage

Honestly? You don't need a fixed lottery to turn the tables to your advantage. As many multiple winners already know...ALL you need is a SYSTEM! And while most people will never win any real money from the lottery....those smart enough to play a system ROUTINELY win big. (and a super small, secret SUBSET of them have won many multiple's of times....often winning in just about every lotto, drawing or game system there is!)

The Bottom Line?

Lottery fraud is not common. It doesn't happen often...and when it does, it's usually caught! Fraud is NOT the way to win big. Neither is cheating. Be smart. Be systematic. And be willing to exploit little known "loopholes" to MASSIVELY tilt the odds in your favor.

States With No Income Taxes & States With Low Property Taxes

Real Estate Investing & Property Tax Rates

In the United States, property tax is assessed by local government at the municipal or county level. The property tax assessment is based on two values--the value of the land, and the value of the building. Since property tax is calculated at a local-level--and since changes occur frequently--it's tricky to determine the exact spots where property tax is the lowest. However, the following information should help you locate areas with high appreciation AND low property taxes.

Which States Have the Lowest Property Tax Rates?

County tax rates are often averaged into a single figure, and this number is used when comparing property taxes between states. Surprisingly, Wyoming has the lowest property tax rates. Unfortunately, property values in Wyoming tend to be pretty depressed, due to low population influx and a lack of jobs. Also, Wyoming does not rank highly when it comes to appreciation rates for residential and commercial real estate. Just because an area has low property taxes does not mean it will be the best area to invest in (or relocate to).

What to Look For When Investing

Look for an area that has a consistent rate of real estate appreciation, combined with fairly low property taxes. Often, local property tax rates are low because real estate appreciation in the area is low--so you need to be careful. Cities located next to universities and areas where businesses are relocating are usually excellent spots to buy real estate. Paying attention to population growth can help you spot real estate trends and make wiser investments.

Medium-Sized Cities With the Lowest Property Tax Rates

According to data gathered by the Office of the CFO in Washington, D.C., the following cities have the lowest property tax rates in 2006, based on an annual income of $75,000. Assuming you earn $75,000 annually, here are the property tax amounts you would pay in each city...

Birmingham AL -- $988

Cheyenne WY -- $1,108

Phoenix AZ -- $1,248

Wichita KS -- $1,309

Denver CO -- $1,362

Charleston WV -- $1,395

Oklahoma City OK -- $1,538

Kansas City, MO -- $1,595

Little Rock AR -- $1,648

Louisville, KY -- $1,713

Jacksonville FL -- $1,744

Honolulu HI -- $1,781

Billings MT -- $1,864

Salt Lake City, UT -- $1,904

Virginia Beach VA -- $1,918

Jackson MS -- $1,971

Charlotte, NC -- $2,021

Boise, ID -- $2,176

Columbia SC -- $2,214

Las Vegas NV -- $2,225

Sioux Falls SD -- $2,228

New Orleans, LA -- $2,231

Wilmington DE -- $2,416

Memphis TN -- $2,501

Albuquerque NM -- $2,517

Houston TX -- $2,861

The Connection Between State Income Taxes & Property Tax Rates

States with no income tax (see list below) usually have high property tax rates in their respective counties (The state needs to get its revenue from somewhere!). However, the trade-off is that you will have zero taxes on all earned income. This can be a huge advantage. Instead of paying the state 7 to 15 percent (or more) of your income, you can keep your hard-earned money, and invest it back into real estate or other investments. There are currently nine states that do not tax income at the state level.

States With No Income Tax

Alaska

Florida

Nevada

South Dakota

Texas

Washington

Wyoming

New Hampshire*

Tennessee*

*New Hampshire and Tennessee do not tax earned income, but they DO tax capital gains (dividend and interest income).

How To Find the Best of Both Worlds: Low Property Tax & No State Income Tax

If you're looking for the best of both worlds (low property tax and no state income tax), you may want to consider the following cities:

Sioux Falls, SD

Houston, Texas

Jacksonville, Florida

Memphis, TN

Cheyenne, WY

Las Vegas, Nevada

You can also explore less well-known cities in the nine "no-income-tax" states. Smaller towns and cities generally offer "quality of life" advantages, and higher-than-average price appreciation and growth.

Conclusion

Now you know which states don't tax income, and which areas have the lowest property tax rates. Armed with this knowledge, you can focus on finding the best spot for your next home or real estate investment.

Arkansas Casinos

The state of Arkansas is a Southern state with a population of nearly 3 million. Arkansas' capital city is Little Rock, where one of Arkansas' Casinos is located. The state of Arkansas is the only U.S. state with an official pronunciation (ar-kan-SAW), and the only state where diamonds are found naturally. There are not a large number of Arkansas Casinos, but visitors to Arkansas can find gambling action in several places situated around the state.

One popular Arkansas Casino is Cherokee Casino in Siloam Springs. This 50,000 square foot casino is open 24 hours a day and features a restaurant and a bar with live music. This Arkansas casino boasts 813 electronic gaming machines and over 40 tables for card games, roulette, craps and more--including 19 Poker tables. One interesting feature of Cherokee Casino is that they offer Poker games that are played against other players rather than the house. Cherokee Casino is an Arkansas casino worth checking out.

Another Arkansas casino, located in Holiday Island, is Spinzz Casino. This Arkansas casino was closed down because of gambling law disputes but has recently reopened for business. Guests visiting Spinzz Casino can stay at the nearby Spinzz Casino Hotel to be close to the action.

Though there are not many Arkansas casinos, there is a town with a rich casino history, which also happens to be former President Clinton's boyhood hometown. Hot Springs, Arkansas, in addition to being celebrated for its naturally 140-degree mineral springs, was one of America's original "sin cities." The town was a meeting place for gangsters, but instead of shoot-outs and showdowns, crime families such as the Nittis and the Capones would come to Hot Springs to sit down and talk. Historic Arkansas casinos were rampant in Hot Springs, and despite their "illegal" designation, residents of the town insisted that the casinos were good for business. At its peak, Hot Springs served as a Mecca for gambling and tourists flocked to the colorful Arkansas casinos lining its streets.

Today there are fewer choices for Arkansas casinos. However, gamblers looking for great casino action can visit the exciting Cherokee Casino or the centrally located Spinzz Casino. Of course, online Arkansas casinos are always a great option for anyone! Despite limited availability, Arkansas casinos have a long and rich history and should not be overlooked by casino aficionados and casual gamblers. Visit an Arkansas casino today!

Two Player Card Games

Two player card games are played for fun and are easy to learn. There are classic two player games and specialty deck card games. Classic two player games can be played with a regular deck of cards. Classic two player games include Bezique, Cribbage, Speed, Crazy Eights, Go Fish and Piquet. Special deck cards are used in specialty deck card games. They include games such as Uno and Phase Ten.

Bezique is a two player card game played with 4 sets of 32 cards. The popular form of Bezique is the Rubicon Bezique. Each player receives nine cards and the remaining cards become the stock. Certain combinations of cards score various points. Pinochle is a two player card game derived from Bezique. Cribbage is a two player card game played with a deck of 52 cards. The scoring device in this game is known as the Cribbage Board. Each player receives six cards. The object of the game is to achieve up to 31 cards. Each player scores points for each series. Costly Colours is a two player game similar to Cribbage. Piquet is a popular two player card game with a deck of 32 cards. The points are given to most cards in a suit, sequence and highest set.

Go Fish is a simple card game popular among children. One player asks another for cards of a particular rank. The player has to place all cards of a particular rank. If the player has no cards of that rank, he says Go Fish. Uno is played with a specially printed deck of cards. Each player receives 7 cards. The player has to play a card that matches the special effect of the exposed card. The special effects in Uno are skip, draw two, reverse and wild.

Crazy Eights is another two player card game. It is played with a 52 card pack. Each player receives 7 cards. The aim is to get rid of the cards by matching the number of previous discard. Spit or Speed is a two player card game with a 52 card pack. Each player receives 26 cards. The aim of a player is to dispose of the cards as fast as possible. Physical speed and alertness is necessary in this game.

Online two player games are also available. The game is played against an online opponent or the computer. Online two player games have user interface, customizable graphics, sound and scoring options. Ecarte and Euchre are popular online games.

Pick 4 Lottery Odds and Payouts Information

Pick 4 is a lottery game that the vast majority of lottery corporations in North America offer for play. Some call it by another name, like Win 4 or Big 4, but it is the same game. To play, players must choose 4 digits, from 0 to 9. Essentially, it is like picking a number from 0 (0000) to 9999. To win, you must either match all four digits in exact order, if you played a "straight" game, or all four digits in any order, if you played a "box" game. If you are reading this article, you are probably interested in the odds and payouts information for the game. If so, read on.

The most basic way to play Pick 4 is to play a straight game, meaning that all four digits must be matched in exact order. This is like picking one number from 0 to 9999. That means that there are 10,000 possible numbers that can be chosen and, so, the odds of winning are exactly 1-in-10,000. The prize payout is usually around $5000 for Pick 4 straight play.

It gets a little more complicated if you play Pick 4 box play. There are four different ways to box your numbers on the game. The first is a 4-way box play. In this format, you choose three digits that are the same and only one digit that is different from the rest (For example 1112). You do not need to match all digits in exact order to win, any combination will suffice (In this example, you would win if, say, 1211 were to be drawn). The odds of winning on a 4-way box play are 1-in-2500 and the payout is usually around $1,250.

The second way to box your numbers is with a 6-way box play. With this, you choose two pairs of digits that are the same (For example, 1122). Again, you do not need to match them in exact order (In this example, you would win if, say, 1212 were to be drawn). The odds of winning on a 6-way box play are 1-in-1,667 and the prize payout is normally around $800.

The third way to box your numbers in Pick 4 lottery is with a 12-way box play. With this, you again choose for numbers, with two of the digits being the same (For Example, 1123). Again, you do not need to match the numbers in order (In this example, you would win if, say, 3121 were drawn). The odds of winning on a 12-way box play are 1-in-833 and the payout is usually around $400.

The last way to box your Pick 4 numbers are with a 24-way box play. With this, all four digits are different (For example, 1234) and can be matched in any order (In this example, 4321 would be one way to win). The odds of winning on a 24-way box play Pick 4 ticket are 1-in-417 and the payout is usually around $200.

As you can see, there are numerous ways to play the Pick 4 lottery game and each method of playing offers different odds and different payouts. As with most lotteries, the higher the odds, the higher the payouts are.

Casino Business Opportunity

There are really two main options to owning a Casino business. One is to purchase a Casino business for sale such as an online Casino. More and more people are gambling online. A start up of this business can run from less than $200 to over $5,000. It is all dependent on who you want to run it.

There are many franchises with a business plan already laid out for you. There are also pre-built Poker and casino rooms that can start your online business. Either way you will be set up with a web site and given all the tools you will need to succeed. However, you will be responsible for all marketing of your web site. Some franchise's offer you proven guidelines to help you market, and others don't. To market on the internet costs money, and the more money you put out the more hits on your web site.

This is truly a home business. You will make money 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Many online casino opportunities make 75% to 85% of the monthly deposits of your customers. Your good marketing can make this a very lucrative business.

There is also another option, and that is to start a casino biz opportunity that caters to employers, corporations, non-profit and civic clubs. It is a growing business that more people are using for fun and profit. You go to a location and create the atmosphere of a real casino. Many are willing to pay to have this outlet for their employees or as fund-raisers.

Before going out and purchasing cards, roulette wheels and tables, you should create a business plan. This will help you discover if you will need a license to operate the business, and what locations you cannot operate. But first call or log on to your local and state government web site, and ask about regulations and requirements for your business opportunity.

Once you have that information, go to your local Small Business Administration office or log on to their web site. You will find a sample business plan and other forms you will need, mentors, financing information, and other options to help you get your casino business opportunity started.

While working on your casino business plan, start pricing your equipment, and looking for employees. You may be able to contact a local temporary employee service for employees when you are first starting, but you may just want to explain to the employee that they are paid per event. This is an important decision and needs to be decided early on in the venture.

Now that your casino business plan is ready, start looking for financing. You can contact private individuals, banks, and the Small Business Administration. Prepare a proposal explaining your casino business opportunity and business plan. You may be turned away and turned down. Be persistent, you will get financing.

Once you have the financing start advertising your business and purchase your equipment. Get your employees ready to start working. You can send out fliers to corporations explaining your service, and focus on the use of it during conferences to relax and entertain the employers.

Contact Hotels and events facilities to sell your casino business opportunity as well. Many times the facility is required to offer entertainment to conference attendees. This will work in your favor and help you get clients.

Also, let local non-profit organizations know about the opportunity to use your service as a fund-raiser. You can create an exquisite casino business opportunity that is fun and different to help them raise money for their charity or cause. Any of these options or all of them can keep your casino business opportunity busy.

Review your casino business plan annually and make changes as necessary. You also want to subscribe to newsletters and periodicals in the industry to keep abreast of the industry trends. Read books and visit web sites. Most of all, watch your competition.

This is truly a great way to make money and have fun at the same time.

How to Pick Winning Scratch Off Lottery Tickets Unveiled!

Are you looking for ways on how to pick winning scratch off lottery tickets? If so then, just continue reading, for this article can be of great help to you. But before anything else, you should first be aware on the real meaning of a scratch off ticket. Simply put, the scartch card or scratch off is a simple token or ticket which is most of the time made of cardboard and contains obscured information which is typically being covered by a latex substance that can be scratched off. This is a lottery ticket game wherein all you need to do is to obtain a ticket and scratch it off to unveil the result.

Playing the scratch off lottery tickets is very exciting since you are unaware of your chances of winning. As a matter of fact, this sort of lottery game does not require for a great playing skill but rather for a great luck. Thus, if luck is on your side then, you can be certain that you have higher odds of winning. But of course, it is also not ideal to rely too much on your luck since it is somewhat unpredictable. Instead, the best thing which you can do is to select meticulously the scratch off tickets which you intend to play.

The following are some of the most outstanding ways which you ought to take into account on how to pick winning scratch off lottery tickets without much trouble at all:

Determine the state where you reside. It is in reality a common fact that each state has its own available lottery games. And this only means that each state will sell a diverse series of scratch tickets.
Locate your state's official lottery site on the web. You can in reality carry this out by simply utilizing the Google search engine. After locating the site, you then have to look for the scratch off information part on the site in order to figure out your needed budget for scratch off tickets, to determine your odds of winning, and to successfully pick the winning scratchcards.
Compare the accessible scratch off tickets. This is vital so that you can identify the scratch off tickets with better odds. In point of fact, you can compare the available scratchcards by plainly evaluating their actual costs. You have to remember that scratch off tickets which have higher costs usually have better overall winning odds than those tickets

One of the exciting lottery games in these days has something to do with scratch off tickets. It may require more of luck than skill, but it can definitely bring you huge winnings. You only need to be knowledgeable on how to pick winning scratch off lottery tickets. In fact, some of the most excellent and yet simple ways on how to select the winning scratchcards have already been unveiled above. It is now just up to you as to whether you are going to adhere to the aforementioned ways or not. After all, it is going to be your own lottery game and not anyone else's game of chance.

Video Poker Slot Machines - Jokers Wild a Perfect Game For Novices

If you are playing video Poker slot machines or looking to play them, then consider Jokers Wild - its the perfect introduction for novice players.

Video Poker slot machines, unlike standard slot machines allow you to get an edge over the Casino by playing correctly, you can therefore increase your chances of winning if you play correctly.

If all the video Poker slot machine games Jokers Wild is arguably one of the most fun. Below we will look at the rules and how you can win.

An easy and fun introduction

Jokers Wild is a hot new video poker slot game that is easy, has lots of winning hands, and with the wild Joker (good for any card you wish it to be), you can more often than other video poker slot machine game.

You can play as fast or as slow as you wish, and most machines accept small bets (even $0.01) to $10.

The Rules

Jokers wild on the video slot uses a 53 pack of cards.These are all the normal cards, plus one Joker. If the Joker appears in any hand, it can used as any card you wish it to be.

You begin by making a bet. Then five cards are dealt. Now you can discard as many of the 5 cards as you wish, or keep them all. After your decision on what to keep and what to discard new cards are dealt to replace the discarded ones.

The game at this point is essentially over, it only needs to see if you won or not.

Below is a list of the winning hands, from the lowest to the highest rank.

The Winning Hands (from the lowest ranking to the highest)

Two Pair / Pair of Kings or Aces - This is any 2 cards of the same values

Three of a Kind - This is any 3 cards of the same value.

Straight - This is any 5 consecutive cards, such as J, 10, 9, 8 and 7, but not in the same suit..

Flush - This is any 5 cards of the same suit, in no particular order.

Full House - This is 3 cards of one value, and 2 cards of another value.

Four of a Kind - This is a hand with 4 cards of the same value.

Straight Flush - This is 5 consecutive cards in the same suit, for instance 8, 9, 10, J and Q. Remember the A count as a 1 or after the K.

Joker Royal Flush - This is a royal flush where one of the five cards is the poker

Five of a Kind - This is four same-value cards plus the joker.

The Natural Royal Flush (without the joker) - A, K, Q, J, and 10 of the same suit.

How to Win

Firstly, in any Video poker slot machine game like joker poker, play a machine with the highest payouts i.e. a 7 / 5 machine.

Keep in mind you want to win the royal flush and you only get this by playing max coins so make sure you do.

Now here are some tips below to help you win that are statistically proven to help you win at Jokers Wild.

They are tried and tested rules of what to keep and what to discard, and each depending what in your hand. Follow these tips, and you will see yourself

If you cant memorize them then pre printed cards are available free on the net.

Here they are:

If you find a joker in your hand then keep all cards that are three-of-a-kind or higher, except hold four cards to the royal flush.

Keep any 4 card straight flush and a 4-card flush if it includes K, A or both.

Keep 3 cards to a royal flush

Keep any paying pair of high cards (K , A).

Keep any 3 cards to a straight flush.

Keep any 4-card flush without K or A.

If none of the above applies, keep the Joker only.

If there is no Joker in your hand, then,

Keep all paying hands, except hold a 4-card royal flush.

Keep any 4 cards to a straight flush and any 3 cards to a royal flush.

Keep 4 cards to any flush.

Keep any pair of 2's to Queens.

Keep any 3 cards to a straight flush.

Keep any 4-card consecutive straight.

Keep 2 cards to a royal flush if one of the cards is a A or K.

Keep unsuited K and A.

Keep K or A alone.

Keep 2 suited royal flush cards lower than K or A.

If you have no joker and no potential cards, its better to ask for 5 new ones. The odds are much better than keeping even one card - if you have junk throw the cards away.

An involving gaming experience fun and great odds

Video poker bridges the gap between games of pure chance such as other online slots and games of skill such as blackjack. Add in the fact that the graphics are normally fantastic and you have an involving slot game, that is great fun and good odds of success - if you play the right way.

Jokers Wild is a great intro to online video poker games but if you enjoy this one try Jacks or Better or Deuces Wild as well.

If you have never played video poker before you will find it great fun and with good odds of winning as well, its no wonder video poker slot machines such as Jokers Wild are so popular.

Biggest Casino Winners

Just who are some of the biggest Casino winners in Vegas? The answer might surprise you. It's not the professional Poker players or the people that are paying the $100 slots that are winning big. It is people just like you and me that are just keeping the seat warm and taking a chance on the slots. The biggest winners on record are all winners of the Megabucks jackpot. The jackpot starts at $7 million and goes up from there until there is a mega winner.

For one lucky man, lightning or rather a jackpot has struck twice. At the age of 92, Elmer Sherwin won his second Megabucks jackpot. Mr. Sherwin won $21 million almost 16 years after his initial win of 4.6 million in the same jackpot game. Both of Mr. Sherwin's jackpots were won in Las Vegas and were part of the Megabucks network of progressive slot machines. He will receive his winnings in annual installments but said that he had plans to donate his winnings to victims of Hurricane Katrina. His first jackpot win had allowed him to travel the world, now he wanted to give back.

Another big winner was Amy Nishimura from Hawaii. At 71, Ms. Nishimura was visiting Las Vegas on vacation and hit the $8.9 million Megabucks jackpot at the Freemont hotel after spending about $100 on the slots. Ms. Nishimura was another winner of the Megabucks network that is linked to over 150 Casinos across Nevada. More players mean a higher payout for the lucky winners. She said that she had had dreams about her win before she hit the jackpot.

The largest jackpot ever won in Vegas was $39.7 million and was won in March of 2003 at the Excalibur casino. The lucky winner was a 25-year-old man from Los Angeles that turned a $100 stint at the slots into the biggest win ever recorded. The instantly wealthy man was visiting Vegas for the NCAA basketball tournaments and just sat down at the slot machine to play for a while. He walked away with a whopping 1.5 million dollar payout for the next 25 years.

While we can all dream, the big winners are all just like you and me. They decided to sit down and take a chance and lady luck was on their side. As Mr. Sherwin has proven, lady luck doesn't always only strike once.

The Eyes Don't Lie - Reading People By Eye Movements

Your eyes will position themselves according to the thoughts that are in your head. By watching your eyes other people can often tell what you are thinking and if you are lying.

Professional Poker players know that your eyes can be a dead giveaway. Most professional players are very good at reading body language and are keen at reading them. They also tend to wear sunglasses, ball-caps and other accessories on their faces to hide their eyes.

The behavior of the eyes is fairly predictable, someone will make eye contact with you and during the conversation they take a moment to think. For this brief moment while they access information in their brain, and their eyes will move to a predictable position. Here are what the different positions mean:

- Eyes in the Upper Right (1st person upper-left) - When someone moves their eyes up and right it means that they are accessing the visual part of their memory. In this person's head they are visualizing objects, colors, movements, and other visual information that pertains to your conversation. If you want to see someone do this a good question to ask them is, "what color is your car?"

- Eyes to the Middle Right (1st person left) - Moving the eyes directly to the right is a sign that they are accessing the auditory part of their memory. The person could be remembering a song, the sound of a voice, or a particular noise. If you ask someone to think about the sound of their alarm clock they should look to the right.

- Eyes Down and Right (1st person down-left) - Someone that is talking to themselves or thinking about what they are about to say next will look down and to the right. Ask someone how a conversation went and they will look down and to the right.

- Eyes Up and Left (1st person up-right) - Looking up and to the left allows someone to access the visual part of their imagination. This person is constructing a picture in their head. If you ask someone to imagine a green sky with red clouds they should look up and to the left.

- Eyes to the Middle Left (1st person right) - A person looking directly to the left is constructing sounds in their head. They may be imagining what an unheard voice sounds like, or putting together a new melody. Ask someone to image the sound of a car horn underwater and they will likely look to the left.

- Eyes Down and Left (1st person down-right) - When thinking about their feelings someone will look down and left. Often when people say "I feel..." They will glance down and left, and you can know they are actually thinking about how they feel.

To detect someone that is lying it is important to understand how their eyes move normally and then take notice when the behavior of these changes. For instance your friend is telling you about his recent vacation and is looking up-right while describing the hotel and the places he visited. Suddenly his eyes move to the upper left and he tells you about this girl that he met while he was there. There is a very good chance that he is lying about the girl.

Many people have become good at lying by learning to mask the signals of a lie. If you watch their eyes, they will likely maintain eye contact while telling a lie, or will shift them away from you. Once again, notice how they were moving them when they were telling the truth and then compare this to when you think they are lying.

Knowing how read people's eyes can be a huge asset when communicating in person. You will know instantly when someone is lying and will be able to catch them before it slips by.

Used Mobility Scooters

Until a few years ago, the only market of mobility scooters comprised of the elderly and the disabled. However, in recent years, people of almost all age brackets are opting for mobility scooters given their convenience and comfort in getting around places. This has led to a wide expansion of the market, leading to several new versions and modifications in mobile scooting to be introduced. As the prices are increasing, a consequential secondhand market has also opened up.

In past years, mobile scooters had no resale values. The prime reason for this was most scooters were prescribed by doctors and hence they could be available to the buyer with coverage of the entire cost. Mobile scooters are also VAT exempt, and hence they are very cheap buys. But now, people wishing to buy scooters without prescriptions have the option of buying a used scooter.

There are certain precautions to be taken while considering a used scooter. The prime area of concern is the battery in electric mobility scooters. Though rechargeable lead batteries are used, it should be realized that batteries have a limited life. More often than not, new batteries may be needed while buying used scooters. Other electric features like the charging points and the motors need to be tested.

Mobility scooters are highly flexible vehicles. Major moving parts are the wheel axles, the tiller and the seat. All of these must be properly scrutinized, especially the seats. Scooters have cushioned plush seats that can swivel from 90 degrees to 360 degrees. The swivel must be checked. This is also true of the tiller, without which the scooter will lose its maneuverability.

Mobility scooters are generally companions for life and are not resold. People may consider selling them if they buy newer and better scooters, or in some other unfortunate circumstance. Though not necessary, it is advisable to know a bit about the history of the scooter. This would throw some light on how the scooter has been used and give an idea of the maintenance it would require.

The price of a used mobility scooter depends on the seller. It may range from $100 to $500, depending on the features and the brand of the mobility scooter.