Did you capitalize on Brian Hoyer starting for the Cleveland Browns once Brandon Weeden got hurt? Or have you been riding Peyton Manning’s incredible performances so far this season. You might think I’m referring to typical conversations for fantasy football, but with the explosion of daily fantasy sports games, millions of dollars are legally changing hands as websites and now even apps try to capitalize on these games of skill. This has completely changed the landscape of sports betting as players now have the option of risking cash on daily fantasy games as opposed to the traditional method of picking games against the spread. Now with SideDraft being added to the Apple app store we might see the games become even more popular.

The key revolves around the notion that picking lineups in a fantasy game makes these games “skill” games that are not prohibited by various state and federal laws. With the popularity of fantasy football and other sports, these new sites just add the cash element and suddenly we have a new niche exploding around the web. The key difference from a game point of view is that you pick different players each week, so you’re not stuck with a crappy like regular fantasy football if you have a bad draft or have key injuries on your roster.

Most of these games have salary cap of course, so you’ll pay a price for using Manning or someone like Adrian Peterson. The key is finding cheap bargains who can have big games, like Hoyer of course. Even veterans like Philip Rivers of the San Diego Chargers can help you win, as he’s having a huge year but wasn’t in great demand in typical fantasy leagues.

These games can be just as addicting as regular gambling or regular fantasy football, so the popularity isn’t surprising. I am surprised however that some lawmakers have tried to stop everyone from having so much fun.

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Online poker is a fun and entertaining hobby. If you like to play poker at the tables, try your luck at some online poker with these five tips.

Manage Your Bankroll

One of the most frustrating aspects of online poker, or gambling in general, is that one day you’re up, the next day you’re down. Keep loses to a minimum and maximize your winnings by properly managing your bankroll. Improper bankroll management is a key mistake for amateur poker players, so watch your bankroll to avoid a rookie mistake. A good rule of thumb is to never put more than five percent of your total bankroll in on any game.

Don’t Play When You’re Bored

If you only play online poker when you’re bored, then you’re likely to lose. You’re likely to experience more drastic swings when you’re feeling bored. For most people, if you’re playing poker while you’re bored, then you’ll probably play too many hands or risk higher stakes to try to escape boredom. Plan your play time and you’ll be much more successful.

Take Notes

Whether you’re playing online poker at Sportsbook or just practicing the game, you’ll want to take notes. Take note of what your opponents are doing and their style of betting. This will help you spot weak points and discover how you can get the upperhand with your opponents. If you take notes on enough showdowns, you will be better prepared to make an educated decision with your play.

Learn from the Professionals

Most pro poker players only play at higher levels, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t still learn from the professionals. Online poker is different from live poker, so you’ll want to know how the best in the game actually play. There are websites dedicated to showing online poker tournaments so you can learn more and see the more advanced techniques.

Play Multiple Tables

Playing more than one table at a time will ensure that you don’t put all your money on just one table. Multiple tables also helps you keep your focus, which is easy to lose while on the internet. Start with two tables and see how well you can manage. If you can still play a good game and take notes at the same time, then you are in control. Once you lose the ability to take notes while you play, then you are at too many tables and need to cut back.

What are some of your best techniques for online poker?

Some players believe that you have a fair chance against the house at blackjack, unlike other casino games. Common blackjack tactics involve the use of mathematics, but not always in the way most people think. The idea behind these tactics is to for the player to gain a mathematical edge over the house, which may involve a complex system or simply getting the casino to alter its rules.

Creating an Edge

Both famous gamblers, Nick the Greek and Don Johnson used the same type of method to get a mathematical edge over the house. By getting ahead of the house, the gamblers increased their odds of bigger and more consistent wins.

In Las Vegas during the 1950s and 1960s, Nick used a system designed to get the house to change its usual rules and make concessions on the blackjack table. He would play purposely to break close to even on many blackjack games in a row.

The tactic earned Nick a high roller status, making the casinos accommodate him to keep his business. By making consistent concessions to keep Nick gambling in the casino, such as pushing an extra bet each hour, Nick began to earn a mathematical edge over the house.

Don Johnson used casino loss-rebates in Atlantic City in 2011 to a similar effect. In order to get Don’s business, a one million dollar deposit in the casino’s cage, a casino would have to give him a 20 percent rebate on his losses and raise the blackjack table limit to $100,000.

Don would not receive the rebate until his losses totaled at least $500,000 as part of the arrangement, but these concessions gave Don an edge over the casinos mathematically speaking. Don could quit after a few hands and take very few losses, depending on how he bet and played.

Card Counting

A common, more simple mathematical model in blackjack is card counting. The player keeps track of the cards played from the deck, allowing him to determine when the deck has cards that will work in his favor.

In most card-counting systems, the player keeps track of all low and high cards he has seen come out of the deck during the game. The player uses the information to temper bets, limit losses and change playing strategies during the game based on the remaining cards in play.

A player does not need superior math skills to count cards, but he must be observant and able to remember what he’s seen. The player will not want to draw unwanted attention by writing items down or doing other things usually not permitted at a table.

There are many distractions during live blackjack, including background casino noise. Being able to keep track of the drawn cards without attracting the dealer’s attention is vital for a card-counting tactic.

Using a card-counting strategy online may or may not work. If the player doesn’t have a live dealer online, he can still base his tactics on how the virtual dealer is dealing.