If you think of it logically, the chances are that Disney World’s prime target of visitors (read: kids) aren’t going to be rushing off to play blackjack instead of riding the rollercoaster. But I think if three massive entertainment resorts were being planned in my own back yard, I’d start flexing my muscles as well.

Disney employs something like 60,000 people in the area and contributes hundreds of millions to state tax every year.  They are also big contributors to political causes – all which means that the group’s power shouldn’t be underestimated.

I think, however, that Disney and the planned casinos could work side by side and actually complement each other rather well.  The casinos could attract a different kind of visitor who may have not considered Florida as a destination since they weren’t traveling with kids, but would then visit the parks anyway since they were already in the area.

In the meantime, I’d love to see online software companies develop slot games based on Disney characters.  That would show true cooperation between these two worlds.  It might not happen in my lifetime, since Disney is always spouting its family-friendly image and is the only company running cruise ships in the Florida area that doesn’t offer gambling services, but hey, a guy can dream, can’t he?

The great thing about Las Vegas is that it caters to all types of women and your group will definitely find something that everyone enjoys.

Here are few suggestions for the Ultimate Vegas Hen Night:

• Rent a Limo. There are plenty of car hire companies in Las Vegas who specialize in luxury cars, and the bride-to-be definitely needs to be pampered on the night before her Big Day.  Rent a limo that is big enough to transport the entire group for a fantastic bonding experience!
• Hit the Clubs. You don’t need to be a party animal to enjoy the clubs and lounges in Las Vegas.  There are plenty of classy locations where you will be able to have a great time with excellent music and lots of refreshers.  Try out the nightclub at the Carnival Court at Harrahs, or  the Bellagio’s Fontana Lounge.
• Interactive Entertainment. There are some great venues for you to take part in the fun, such as the Masquerade in the Sky at the Rio or the Eyecandy Sound Bar for an unbelievable experience for you and the rest of the group.
• Hit the Casinos. What would Las Vegas be with the casinos on the Strip? You’ll be amazed by all the options available to you in terms of gambling entertainment, with casino open 24/7.  From slots to video poker, from blackjack to roulette, casino partying is a great way to bond.  Some hen parties see the girls pool their winnings and go out to dinner and drinks with the proceeds.
• Gourmet Delights. Las Vegas is just as big on fine dining as it is on gambling. Girls out on the town will find a host of options to choose from, ranging from pre-dinner snack bars to five course gourmet gems with high listings.  Treat the bride to after dinner drinks for a hen night you’ll never forget!

Here is a list of stones worth stocking up on:

Diamonds – They may be a girl’s best friend, but diamonds are said to inspire courage in a man.

Emeralds – These guys have plenty of different powers, but the one applicable to gamblers is that which summons powers of victory. Good to remember next time you want to beat the blackjack dealer!

Opals - People from the East consider opals to be extremely lucky, especially black ones.  Other parts of the world believe it to be “the stone of tears”.  I guess you’ll have to take your chance on that one.

Agate - This semi precious stone is said to offer protection against the Evil Eye, so if you think your poker pals are jinxing you, put one in your pocket during your next game!

Jade – Another semi precious stone which is considered to be extremely lucky to the wearer.

Topaz – A stone that’s fit for the gambler! Not only does the topaz symbolize money, it also makes the wearer courageous and wise and offers the power of making sound decisions.

Turquoise – This stone also symbolizes prosperity, bringing good fortune and happiness to anyone who wears or carries it.

Amethyst – This is a stone you may want to wear if you like to mix drinking and gambling.  According to folklore, wearing an amethyst prevents drunkenness.  I wouldn’t try this out to see if it works if you are planning to get behind the wheel of a vehicle, but it would make a cool experiment if you were staying home to play at online casinos!

Carnelian - Prevents the wearer from experiencing losses.

Here are a couple of my favorites:

Don’t play on an uncovered surface. You shouldn’t play card games such as poker on a smooth table, but rather one which is covered by a cloth, as this could bring bad luck.

Don’t pick up your cards with your left hand. Tradition has it that the left hand is associated with the devil, and by holding cards in your left hand, you’ll be allowing evil forces and bad luck into your game play.  Of course, if you’re already left handed, you may have a problem with this one….

Don’t sit cross legged while playing cards. You’ll be making a hex sign out of yourself by sitting cross legged, and we don’t want more of that evil energy, do we?

Do avoid singing or whistling while playing cards. These acts are said to draw misfortune and make you lose your card game.

Don’t play cards in a room where a dog is present.  Apparently poochy in the corner there brings bad luck. Give him a bone and send him out into the garden if you want to advance in your game of poker.

Don’t drop a card during your game, especially a black one. OK, this obviously can’t be helped if it happens, and you’re certainly not able to predict which card is going to fall! But IF this happens, you should be worried, apparently, as it’s a sign of bad luck.

Do touch your favorite card. If you want good luck during your game session, search out your favorite card and touch it with your index finger on your right hand.  It is said to bring good fortune.

Whenever Premier League season rolls around, I’m like a kid in a candy store.  I pore over the news relating to all the teams and read up on what analysts are saying about their chances of winning the title.  I have a couple of great sports betting sites that I stick to religiously, such as Ladbrokes, Sportsbook.com and William Hill,  because I know that their odds are great and their reputation is sterling.   Another thing I like about these sites is the fact that they provide me with an analysis about upcoming matches.  This means that I don’t have to stick to outright bets on the winner of the tournament overall; I can also make educated decisions about individual matches and wager on a wide range of markets, from the final score to the first player to kick a goal.

If we’re already on the subject of sports betting, I don’t stop at Premier League betting only.  The best sports betting sites offer such a wide range of sites that it’s amazing that you don’t find Japanese ant races or other obscure sports.  The great thing is that you aren’t limited to the sports in your own country and you can bet on sports events that are happening around the globe.  While I wagered on Saturday’s Premier League football match, I also placed a couple of dollars on the South Africa vs Australia cricket one day international session, and horse races being run in the States.

The great thing about sports betting is that you can really win through this form of entertainment. If you take some time to learn your markets and weigh the odds, you have a real chance of taking home cool cash!

And then my brilliant other half came up with an idea that changed the way our poker team operated. She introduced us to the idea of virtual poker nights via internet.  Our little group signed up with a top online poker site and arranged a private poker session on a specified date.  The five of us ‘met’ in the poker room and managed to enjoy a three hour session, without any interference.  Granted, one of the guys got up to burp a baby, but returned a while later to complete his hand.  Now, once a month, without fail, we guys meet online to enjoy a couple of hours of Texas Hold ‘em, and even the ladies join in or have their private games.

Online poker sites have recognized the need for players who know each other but are physically far from each other to play in virtual poker rooms.  The idea is for the player to sit in his or her own living room or office and play poker against friends or family members, without the need to make their way to someone else’s home.  More and more online poker rooms are offering their members this service and are even offering top bonuses to players who invite their friends and play poker games with them.

I know that this method has worked for me and my buddies, and it’s definitely worth a try!

In a personal interview in 1993, Sting said about the poker themed song that he wrote: “I wanted to write about a card player, a gambler who gambles not to win but to try and figure out something; to figure out some kind of mystical logic in luck, or chance; some kind of scientific, almost religious law. So this guy’s a philosopher, he’s not playing for respect and he’s not playing for money, he’s just trying to figure out the law – there has to be some logic to it. He’s a poker player so it’s not easy for him to express his emotions, in fact he doesn’t express anything, he has a mask, and it’s just one mask and it never changes.”

These are some of the exceptional words of the gambling song Shape of My Heart by Sting (and which proves why the song is considered a classic even today).

He deals the cards as a meditation
And those he plays never suspect
He doesn’t play for the money he wins
He doesn’t play for the respect
He deals the cards to find the answer
The sacred geometry of chance
The hidden law of probable outcome
The numbers lead a dance

I know that the spades are the swords of a soldier
I know that the clubs are weapons of war
I know that diamonds mean money for this art
But that’s not the shape of my heart

He may play the jack of diamonds
He may lay the queen of spades
He may conceal a king in his hand
While the memory of it fades

I know that the spades…

He may play the jack of diamonds
He may lay the queen of spades
He may conceal a king in his hand
While the memory of it fades

Here is a list of common nicknames used for single cards in a regular pack of 52 cards:

Ace – As Nas, Mastercard, One Spot, Spike

King – Cowboy, Knight, Monarch, Sergeant

Queen – Cowgirl, Bitch, Lady, Painted Lady, Hen

Jack –  Boy, Fishhook, Knave, J-Boy, Jackson

10 – Bo Derek, Sawbuck, Dime

9 – Nina Ross, Pot Hook, Neener, Niner

8 – Fat Lady, Snow Man, Time Travel

7 – Candy Cane, Hockey Stick, Salmon

6 – Sax, Sex, a Boot

5 – Pedro, Nickel, Five Spot

4 – One Legged Ace, Broken Ace, Sail Boat, Four Spot

3 – Butts, Trey, Crab

2 – Deuce, Swan, Dewey

Sometimes specific cards are given a nickname. Some of the more common ones are:

Ace of Spades – Death card, Tax Card, Spadille

King of Hearts – King without mustache, Suicide King, Charles

King of Diamonds – Julius Caesar, One Eyed King

King of Spades – David

King of Clubs – Alexander

Queen of Spades – Black Maria, Calamity Jane, Fanny Kaplan, Pallas Athena, Molly Hogan

Queen of Hearts – Helen of Troy, Judith

Queen of Clubs – Argine

Jack of Spades – Eunech, Ogier

Jack of Clubs – Lancelot, Pam

Jack of Hearts – La Hire

Ten of Diamonds – Big Cassino

Nine of Diamonds – Course of Scotland, Scourge of Scotland

Seven of Diamonds – Beer Card

Six of Hearts – Grace’s Card, Loyalty at the Risk of Death

Four of Spades – The Devil’s Bedpost

Two of Spades – Little Cassino, The Curse of Mexico

Before you run off searching for online slot games with pictures of Madonna and Child, relax.  You won’t find that type of slot game at top online casinos – they know their boundaries as well! But what you will find are slot games that have been inspired by mainstream religious holidays such as Easter and Christmas, for example.

Some of the most popular online slots come with an Easter theme such as Rival Gaming’s Eggstravaganza or Microgaming’s Lucky Eggsplorer.  These games carry huge jackpots, fantastic entertainment features and lots of bonus extras that keep players happy and in the spirit of the holiday.

However, Christmas is the religious holiday that has triggered the best and most entertaining slot games in the industry.  You just have to check out games such as Santa Strikes Back and Rudolph’s Revenge to understand just how huge these titles are.  They are actually so popular that they are enjoyed right around the year because players can’t wait to play them only over the Christmas period.

Besides the games mentioned above, here is a list of my favorite religion inspired slot games, in no particular order:

Christmas Slot Games

• Naughty or Nice
• Winter Wonders
• Santa Surprise

• Deck the Halls
• Winter Wonderland
• Ho Ho Ho
• Santa Paws
• Gift Wrap
• Jingle Bells
• Scrooge

Easter Slots

• Easter Surprise
• Special Guest

All these slot games have been created by top software groups, such as Rival Gaming, IGT and Playtech, ensuring that players are offered some of the best graphics and payouts in existence.  So the next time you hear someone preaching about the evils of gambling, send them a link to your favorite online casino and show them the fun, religious themed slot games available out there.  You may just have a convert on your hands!

In my depressed state, I decided to do some sports betting to cheer myself up and landed up at the Bodog site.  Imagine my surprise when I saw that the NBA season debate had reached there as well! Bodog is offering odds on the season starting and if this site is anything to go by, we won’t be seeing a season at all!  Talk about adding fuel to the fire!

So here are the odds for anyone interested:

The best odds are set at 5/4 that the NBA won’t be happening at all this season, which did nothing to placate me.

Odds on how many games will the NBA play this year? All 82 – 8/5.  If you’re optimistic and believe that the season will start on time, that’s a pretty good bet with relatively safe odds.

If you think that one to fifty games will be played, you’ll find odds of 3/1.  Not a good bet if you ask me.

But if you bet on 51- 81 games being played, you’ll be safe with odds of 4/1.  It’s reasonable to expect that some games will be cancelled if the lockout continues and the opening is delayed by a couple of weeks, but there’s still a good chance to see around 75 games being played even if this happens.

So here’s another desperate call from a die-hard NBA fan: Come on guys.  Get your act together.  Sit down and talk until you can send out white smoke, but before then don’t move from the negotiating table. There are too many good things that we can see this season to risk cancelling it altogether.  And if nothing else speaks to you, think of the millions of dollars going down the drain.  NBA all the way!