Bootstrap Financing Boot Camp – A Crash Course in Business Start Up Funding – Tactical Maneuvers

Attention! Are you ready to enlist in Bootstrap Financing Boot Camp? TODAY’S MISSION: Business Start Up Funding Tactical Maneuvers. Start Up Soldier, I’m going to be giving you a crash course in how you can start a small business, without BIG bank loans. Before you can get started, you must first pass through 3 check point pre-screenings.Check Point 1: Do You Have What it Takes?Are you willing to travel through rough and tough terrain, without going A.W.O.L.? Do you understand the risks involved with starting up a new business? Think carefully cadet — and remember, nothing worthwhile is ever going to be easy.Check Point 2: Are You Willing to Do Whatever it Takes?Are you ready for hand-to-hand combat with your bank book? You must be willing to make personal sacrifices to get the job done? Essentially, living with less to gain more. Will you do whatever it takes to get to where you want to be? Will you show no mercy and cut back on frivolous expenditures, like satellite TV?Check Point 3: Do You Know How to Take…?…Orders that is soldier! Can you take orders? Not for fries and a shake, but direction from others. Are you willing to learn something new, or to try unfamiliar ways of doing something quite ordinary? If you aren’t teachable, then bootstrap financing is not for you. You see, it goes against the grain — the established ways of doing things. Most “experts” will tell you that the only way to start a business, is if you have access to some major cash of your own; or if you’re willing to borrow from banks or investors willing to front you the business start up funding you need.Congratulations – You’ve Just Earned Your Stripes!You’ve made it. You are no longer a cadet, but a full fledged Start Up Soldier – and you have the battle scars to prove it. Now, onto the crash course in bootstrapping.Lesson 1: Start With a Highly Profitable Idea, Product or ServiceThis step is absolutely key to your success. If you were to tell me you’d like to start a café or restaurant business, I’d do my best to talk you out of it. If you were one of my soldiers, I’d order you to rethink your decision. It is next to impossible to bootstrap a restaurant or retail food business with very little money. However, if food was your passion, I would present you with some case studies of how others have bootstrapped and acquired the start up funding needed to grow successful food businesses. Some suggestions? How about a Personal Chef Service, or perhaps you could start up a company baking delicious energy bars and organic snacks, like the owner of Clif Bar & Company.A Case StudyThat’s exactly what Gary Erickson (owner and founder of Clif Bar & Company) did. He began trying out energy bar recipes in his mother’s kitchen. This is a definite bootstrap financing success story. In 1990, Gary lived in a garage with his dog. Two years later, he launched what would become one of the most successful natural and organic privately held snack food companies, with sales topping $150 million. The future for Clif Bar remains bright. Especially since they have me as one of their loyal customers. I’m munching on one right now, as I peck away on my computer. I would say my family goes through a case of the organic Z Bars in a week! :-) Lesson 2: Plan a Bootstrap Business Start Up Funding StrategyThis requires that you first have a streamlined personal budget in place. Once you have accomplished that goal, the next step is to create a bootstrap financing plan for your business. This will involve making a complete list of your start up and operating costs, and employing varied bootstrap finance tactical maneuvers to reduce and/or eliminate many of these costs. Lesson 3: Learn the Art of BootstrappingBootstrapping is not just self financing. It is the art of acquiring business start up funding sources that don’t put you into long term, or high interest rate debt.Did you know that you can find free sources of start up funding? Turn your dreams into a success story. Get on the road to success by starting your business TODAY – even if you have little money, poor credit, or don’t own a home.To learn more, request your free copy of “The Bootstrapper’s Business Start-Up Planner”, by visiting my website.©2009 Kimberly Kelly – All Rights Reserved Worldwide.Permission to reprint this article is granted strictly on the condition that it be reprinted in its entirety, with all live links and author bio in tact.

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Home Photography Studio Kit For The Keen Amateur Photographer

Before I get into the equipment I purchased for my “home photography studio”, I need to make it clear that I’m not approaching this article as a professional photographer – I don’t photograph people or charge a fee for taking photos of people or products. I’m very much an amateur photographer, doing this as more of a hobby, than as a professional career.The reason why I chose to invest in this sort of photographic studio equipment is because I did want to see if I could make my hobby pay for itself, by creating a website using my photographs as content, which would be monetized by Google adverts; and, potentially, by selling stuff on either eBay or Amazon, using my camera to take photos of products I might happen to sell. Due to my living situation at the time, there weren’t any rooms in the house where I could take photographs WITHOUT any of the background clutter getting in the way of the shot. I needed a way of being able to quickly set up my camera and have a nice, clean background without anything else in the house creeping into the photographs, and so this is how I ended up with the following array of studio equipment.My home photography studio setup is basically divided into:

Stuff for taking photos of small to medium-ish sized products (no larger than a typical desk lamp, for instance);

Stuff for taking photos of larger products (while I wasn’t necessarily thinking of photographing people, I made sure that I would be able to photograph things human-sized, just to keep my options open).
Okay, so here’s what my “amateur” home photography studio kit includes:Home Studio Kit… For Larger Stuff1. Professional Photography Background Kit… I toyed for some time as to which background kit to get. Prices varied from under £30 (US$43 approx.) to £200 (US$288 approx.). In the end, I opted for best quality – something that will be reliable and not start falling to pieces after a few uses. I felt that this is one of those purchases you only want to make ONCE. I ended up buying a kit from Creativity Papers (based in the UK), who also sell on Amazon (UK). The kit came with two tripod uprights; a multi-piece crossbar (allowing you to have different widths, depending on the size of your room – I only use two of the four bars, so it fits nicely in my 3 meter wide room); and one roll of arctic white paper. I also purchased a roll of ultra black paper and a cherry red color (this last one I’ve NEVER ONCE USED; I thought I was going to be all creative with using different backgrounds, but when it comes to taking the photos, I find I just want to get it done with the minimum of fuss, either using a white background for darker colored objects, or a black background for lighter colored stuff).2. “A Clamps”… The backdrop kit that I purchased actually came with a couple of metal A Clamps, which are used to secure the backdrop paper to tables, as the rolls of backdrop paper have a natural tendency to try and roll themselves back up. If your backdrop kit doesn’t come with them, you may need about four of them (at minimum). If I’m just hanging the backdrop straight down and not flowing it over a table, I will use a couple of metal A Clamps to weight-down the paper, so it can’t unravel. However, the weight of the metal A Clamps has a tendency to continue unrolling more paper; so, to fix this, I clamp two additional A Clamps into the roll of backdrop paper, where it hangs on the crossbar. I actually purchased a pack of about 8-10 of these A Clamps, “just in case” I need to use more. But, for the most part, I tend to only need a maximum of four clamps.3. External Flash / Speed Light… When using a DSLR camera for product photography (especially if you have access to a tripod), there is a temptation to try and get away without using an external flash, by just using a longer exposure time – just enough until the image isn’t either too dark, nor too bright, but somewhere in between. However, the problem you’ll soon find is that some detail, in most non-flat objects, will be lost in the shadows. If you’re taking photos of products for eBay or Amazon, for instance, you want to show off as much detail as possible, for your prospective buyers. Using flash DOES make a positive difference. There may be a temptation to try using the pop-up flash (if your camera has one), but things do look better if you can take the flash away from the central position and over to about a 45 degrees angle to your subject. Being able to move the flash about your subject helps to maximize the results.4. One OR Two Tripods… If you’re going to be using an external flash to illuminate your subject(s), you may need two tripods – one for the flash unit and the other for your camera (some of the time I find myself happy to take photos just handholding the camera; other times, I like to give my shoulders, arms and back a rest, and set the camera on its tripod). You don’t necessarily need a lightweight carbon fiber tripod for indoor photography work, as you’re not hiking about with the thing. Carbon fiber tripods cost more than the comparably heavier aluminium tripods. I have an aluminium tripod (MeFoto Roadtrip) for my external flash and, because I do take my camera outdoors, I have a carbon fiber 3LT “Brian”, which is very versatile.5. Portable Photography Reflector Kit & Tripod Stand… While having multiple external flash units is probably ideal, it IS an expensive route to go (if you can afford it, or believe you’ll be able to justify the cost, then it’s a great option). However, a more economical option would be to set up your single external flash unit (pointing at your subject from the front, albeit off at a 45 degree angle) and then, directly opposite the flash, have a reflector angled so that it will throw otherwise lost flash light, directly back into your subject, illuminating some of the detail on the side that the flash light can’t directly reach. For this task, I purchased a portable photography reflector kit that came with its own tripod stand (so I didn’t need someone else to hold the reflector – meaning I could get on with my photography projects, without having to nag a relative to do the job… I certainly didn’t have the funds or inclination to pay someone to do the job. This kit solved the matter).Home Studio Kit… For Small to Medium-size Stuff1. Otamat Photography Light Box (26″)… I purchased this “light box” after getting a bit narked about having to set-up the large photography backdrop kit for even relatively small products – which formed the majority of the stuff I needed / wanted to photograph. I hunted around on Amazon for something more compact and, like buying the larger backdrop kit, I stayed clear of some of the cheap and flimsy light boxes (and totally avoided those fiddly collapsible photo “cubes”) and plumped for one of the more premium light boxes. I must admit, when the 26″ Otamat Light Box arrived, I was expecting something that looked more robust – it’s made of some sort of plastic-like material, which you fold together like some sort of cheap Christmas nativity set. However, don’t let this put you off; the materials chosen, plus the way it has been engineered to fold and slot together, results in a super-lightweight light box, which is a doddle to take down from my shelf to put on a table, and then put it back when the photography is complete. What’s more, you don’t even need to use a flash to illuminate your subject, because this particular model has 4x bulbs incorporated into the front of the unit, which provides a nice, even light both directly onto the front of the product(s) and, indirectly, as the light is reflected off the walls and ceiling. This is one of the best photography purchases I’ve ever made.2. Epson Matte Paper (Backdrop replacements for the Otamat Light Box)… The Otamat Light Box came with a single sheet of paper to use as a backdrop – it’s large enough that it covers the entire back wall and the floor of the light box, with the paper curving up so that there is no hard line where the wall joins the base of the light box. When you photograph stuff with this backdrop paper, you just see a nice, seamless and uncluttered background (just what you want, so that your products take the starring role, with no background distractions). Unfortunately, the manufacturer of the Otamat Light Box didn’t create the box so that it would take ordinary sized A3 or A2 paper (it’s some other dimension). The best alternative, which works perfectly well for me with this 26″ Otamat Light Box, is a roll of 61cm x 40cm Epson Matte Paper (single weight). I just used the original Otamat paper as a template, rolled out the length that I needed and cut it off.3. Velcro Pads (To hang the replacement backdrop paper)… In case you were wondering how the backdrop paper is attached to the Otamat Light Box, it’s done via two sets of Velco pads – in with the kit, you get two large Velcro pads that have a sticky adhesive underside. These stick onto the rear wall of the Light Box. Then, you take the two smaller Velcro pads and stick them onto the backdrop paper at the corresponding height, so that you can press them onto their Velcro counterparts. Because of this, you will need to invest in extra Velcro adhesive pads, as I found out the original Otamat pieces aren’t really reusable. It’s only a relatively small extra cost and it’s really worth it to keep using the Otamat Light Box, for the simple reason of how speedy it is to set up and get on with the task of photographing stuff for eBay or Amazon (or wherever you intend to sell your wares).Home Studio Kit… Universal Equipment For Stuff Both Large & Small1. Height Adjustable, Portable Folding Table… Now, you might not need this. However, it wasn’t exactly convenient to lug my kitchen table all the way upstairs to my bedroom (where I store my photography equipment), and I didn’t fancy having to take all my photography equipment down to the kitchen every time I wanted to photograph something. So, I purchased a split-folding, compact, height adjustable table, which I’m able to store neatly out of the way in my room when not in use, and which is a doddle to set up quickly, so I can either plonk down the Otamat Light Box, or use it with the larger backdrop kit, by letting the backdrop paper flow down over it, before securing it to the table with a couple of A Clamps.And that’s pretty much it – I have kit to photograph all sorts of products, whether something small like rings or watches, and I have kit that enables me to photograph larger, people-sized things, if need be.

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Economic Effect of Gambling in the US

Gambling is one of the American people’s favorite hobbies, and the topic has amazed me since I read the book Bringing Down the House in 5th grade. On a recent college visit to California, I was surprised to learn that one course available for completing the math requirement was called “The Probability of Gambling”, and was a study of the probability behind various card games, including Texas Hold ‘em and blackjack. Gambling is also a popular venue in the media, as can be seen in popular movies such as 21 and Casino Royal. When I was younger, the concept of earning money while playing a game that I enjoyed fascinated me, but as I grew older, I realized the naivety of those beliefs. Casinos wouldn’t offer gambling if patrons were consistently putting the casinos in debt. Now, I am more interested in the effect gambling has had on society, specifically on its economic impacts. I believe that gambling has been beneficial for the US economy in the past and will continue to benefit the economy for years to come, but the stress gambling puts on society has greatly increased problems in communities with high profile gambling industries.Gambling in the Americas began when the first colonists came from England, and the Virginia Company needed a way to get some profit. They turned to a lottery, which was quite successful, except it was associated with settler’s laziness as well as the economic troubles faced by the colony. The Crown eventually shut down the lottery due to its impact on a royal lottery operated throughout the British Empire. Lotteries were used again by American colonists in an attempt to raise funds for the Revolutionary War without raising taxes. This was extremely successful, and the practice was continued into the 19th century in order to transportation improvements, especially as the Western frontier continued to gain attention and popularity. When gold was discovered in California, gambling became one of the most popular forms of entertainment for miners in the West. However, the economy slid into a recession after the gold rush, leading many people to associate gambling with economic depression. Lotteries were also becoming increasingly corrupt, with organizers fixing the results for a portion of the pot. These circumstances led to nationwide ban on gambling, with the exception being Nevada, where professional gamblers would flock to from across the country to create the foundation for modern day Las Vegas.The ban on gambling didn’t last long, as the Great Depression forced government leaders to revoke the ban in an attempt to stimulate the faltering economy. Gambling once again grew in popularity, although it only increased the divide between the rich and the poor due to the uneven payoff associated with casino gambling. State lotteries became popular during the Cold War, especially when Reagan became president, because he cut national funding for key aspects of the country such as education and Medicare in order to fund the war against the USSR. Tribal gambling also began to grow in popularity during this time, due to state’s inability to regulate prize money on reservations. Instead of going to state run lotteries or gambling locations, locals and tourists alike would flock to the reservations in the hopes of winning it all, although this rarely ever occurred. These various aspects of gambling have steadily become more popular, with casinos and lotteries providing support for various state economies.Gambling provides two main benefits to states: casinos bring in tourists while also paying tax to the state for gambling revenues. An influx of tourists means money flows into the state economy without any significant loss of money due to the low odds of winning at casinos. The state gets even more money from gambling because casinos are forced to pay a tax on all revenue earned, with tax revenue almost reaching $1 billion dollars in Nevada. The gambling industry has also created more than 500,000 jobs, lowering unemployment throughout the nation. However, gambling isn’t perfect, and there are other statistics that paint a much more worrisome picture about the industry.Crime seems to be strongly correlated to gambling, with cities introducing casinos seeing an increase of over 50% in crime rates. This forces states to spend more on the police force, diverting funding away from other projects in an attempt to combat a problem caused by gambling. Organized crime is also a very common issue due to the large amount of cash flowing in and out of casinos each day. Problem gambling also becomes a much larger issue when casinos are present, which in turn leads to a higher crime rate when people need to pay off gambling debt. There are some detrimental aspects of gambling in society, but for the most part, the gambling industry has helped keep the American economy from slumping.After reviewing the various statistics from my research, I believe that gambling has been beneficial for America. Whenever the country has faced economic hardship, gambling has been promoted or legalized to bolster a weak economy. Not only does it have a positive influence on the economy, but I believe that gambling also benefits the American people. Card games such as poker and blackjack are universal and can help bring people together in social environments. In a few short months, I will be able to legally experience the large attraction gambling has to a large number of Americans. Although there are some harmful side effects of gambling, these are outweighed by the benefit that the industry has displayed throughout history.

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101 Gambling Tips For the Avid Gambler

While many of the gambling facts you may have picked up in Las Vegas can be useful in online gambling it’s important that you realize there are some critical differences. But with a knowledge of the facts surrounding your chosen game, and armed with some gambling tips from experienced online players, you will find online gambling not only a fascinating and exciting adventure bit also an opportunity to turn your gambling hobby into a profitable venture.Critical Rules for Every Game1. Never chase after your losses. Don’t increase your bets because you’re losing and want to get even; only increase your bets as part of a pre-determined strategy.
2. Don’t gamble at any game that you don’t understand. Learn it first.
3. Don’t gamble and drink at the same. It’s hard enough to win at gambling even without dulled senses.
Money Management – General Guidelines
4. You will lose more often than you win and the longer you play the more likely that fact is. And it’s true whether you’re talking about hands of blackjack, rolls of the roulette wheel or throws of the dice.
5. The key to winning is to maximize your wins and to minimize you losses.
6. Learn and memorize the odds at the particular game you have chosen to play as well as the best strategies to use in an effort to maximize your winnings at that particular game.
7. Never gamble with “dear” money; only gamble with “excess” money. In other words, never gamble with money that you will need, or may need, to pay your everyday living expenses.
8. If you’re playing against other players online this is doubly important. The minute you start gambling with “dear” money the other player will sense your heightened stress and play accordingly – often bullying you out of a bet because they know you are more tentative with your “dear” money.
9. Set a stop loss amount and stick to it. Divide your total gambling bankroll into four separate amounts. Divide each of those amounts into four smaller amounts. If you lose one of the smaller amounts, change tables or games or just take a break. If you lose your entire first allotment, stop gambling for the day.
10. Be disciplined and avoid the gambler’s demise of going into your next allotment because you feel like your luck “just has to turn around.”
11. Plan ahead. When you start a gambling session determine the amount that you want to win (be realistic) and when you reach that point put the money away and walk.
12. When you are winning, draw some money occasionally from your gambling bankroll and put it into a “do not touch” bankroll to protect that portion from further risk.
13. No money management system will ever overcome the house advantage over the long term. You will always lose more often than you win. The key is that you must win more big bets and lose more small bets.Money Management – Positive Progression Systems14. A Positive Progression System is one in which you increase the amount of your bets when you win and decrease the amounts of your bets when you lose. To use this system properly you must establish a “standard” betting unit.
15. Your “standard” betting unit should be a comfortable percentage of the gambling bankroll that you will be working with for a particular gambling session. For example, if your session’s bankroll is $100, you might make your “standard” betting unit $10.00. This way you would be able to play at least 10 betting events before running out of funds even if you lost all 10 events in a row.
16. These systems allow you to win relatively large amounts during a hot streak while helping to minimize your losses during cold streaks.
17. A common example of this strategy is to add one-half of the amounts you win to your next bet. For example, at blackjack if you win a hand with your “standard” betting unit of $10.00 you would add $5.00 to the bet on the next hand for a total bet of $15.00. If you win that hand you would add $7.50 to the $15.00 for a bet of $22.50 on the next hand. When you eventually lose a hand, return to your “standard” betting unit of $10.00 on the next hand and start the system all over. Of course in practice these increases of 50% will be approximate.
18. Another more complicated system is to always keep your bankroll divided into a certain number of units and then bet one unit on each event. As you win, your total bankroll becomes bigger so each unit will grow and you’ll be betting larger amounts. As you lose, your units, and bets, become smaller.
19. Establish a system for drawing some of the winnings from your gambling bankroll occasionally to put it into your “do not touch” bankroll. For example, when you double your bankroll you might take one-half of the winnings to put into the “do not touch” bankroll. If you experience a long winning streak using a Positive Progression System the winnings can grow dramatically.Money Management – Negative Progression Systems20. A Negative Progression System is one in which you increase the amount of your bets when you lose and decrease the amounts of your bets when you win. Again, to use this system properly you must establish your “standard” betting unit.
21. The most common negative progression system is the Martingale System. Here you double the amount of your bet if you lose and return to your “standard” betting unit when you win. For example, at blackjack if you bet $10.00 and lose you would bet $20.00 on the next hand. If you win that hand you would then reduce your bet to the “standard” $10.00 bet for the following hand. In all gambling, the Martingale system will always fail in the long run.
22. This system can be very frustrating because during a hot streak you are winning only your “standard” betting unit. And during cold streaks you are continually losing bigger and bigger amounts.
23. Remember, draw some money occasionally from your gambling bankroll winnings and put it into a “do not touch” bankroll.Playing Roulette24. American roulette is one of the worst casino games that you can play because the house advantage under standard rules is 5.26% or higher.
25. European roulette offers a lower house advantage under standard rules of 2.7% because there are fewer slots with only one “0″ as opposed to the “0″ and “00″ in American roulette.
26. All bets on in American roulette give the house an advantage of 5.26% with one exception: the “0″, “00″, 1, 2, 3 combination bet gives the house a much larger 7.89% advantage.
27. All roulette betting systems rely on the inaccurate assumption that the result of previous spins can predict future results. Unless the system is defective or fixed, each spin carries the same odds as every other spin.
28. The most popular betting system at roulette is the negative progression system known as Martingale (see #17). As in all other games, the Martingale used in roulette will always fail in the long run.
29. Because of the heavy house advantage if you are playing not just for amusement but to win money you might as well take a shot at the higher payoff bets and hope that you get lucky.
30. Try a modified positive progression system at roulette. Divide the amount you are willing to lose at one roulette session into 35 “standard” betting units. Pick one number and bet one unit on that number (must be at least equal to the table minimum bet). Continue playing one unit on that same number until you either win or run out of your 35 unit bankroll. If you win, bet two units on the same number and continue betting two units on that number until you either win or lose your bankroll. If you win again, walk away!
31. Roulette is a relatively slow moving game compared to other online games, so it should take you a longer time to lose your bankroll.
32. Do not play roulette as a way to win money; the odds are too heavy in favor of the house. Play roulette only as a way to have fun and pass the time without losing a lot of money quickly.Playing Baccarat33. Baccarat is one of the easiest casino games to play and offers a relatively low advantage to the house of just 1.06%.
34. There may be as many as 12 to 14 players at a table, with the role as dealer passed around the table much as the dice are passed around a craps table.
35. All players may bet on each hand and the bets are either on the “player”, on the “dealer” or on a tie. With the exception of the tie bet, baccarat is much like betting heads or tails on the flip of a coin.
36. Neither banker nor player can make any decisions regarding play; the rules of the game stipulate what must be done with every hand and a house “dealer” supervising the game will direct the play accordingly.
37. Winning bets on the player or the dealer both pay even money, minus a 5% commission paid either at the time of the bet or when the player leaves the table.
38. Winning bets on a tie usually pay 8 to 1, again minus a 5% commission.
39. In an 8-deck game, the house advantage is slightly less for a “banker bet” and dramatically higher for a “tie bet”, so it seems most logical to bet only on the banker.
40. As in all online gambling, card counting is meaningless because the deck(s) is usually shuffled after each hand in baccarat.Playing Blackjack41. Blackjack offers one of the lowest house advantages at around .60%, but expert players can actually create situations where the player has an advantage.
42. For the serious player there are many complex strategies that require time and dedication to master.
43. Never just sit down cold at a table. Blackjack tends to be a game of streaks, so watch a table for a few hands to determine if it is a hot or cold table for the players.
44. A “soft” hand is a hand with an Ace that can be counted as either a 1 or an 11 in value and still keep the hand’s total at 21 or less.
45. A “hard” hand is a hand with an Ace that must be counted as 1 in value in order to keep the hand’s total at 21 or less.
46. A beginning or social player should stick to the generally accepted rules of the basic blackjack strategy.
47. Never be afraid to take a card that might bust you. Always play the odds; don’t let the fear of a bust stop you from taking a card when you know it’s the option with the highest probability of success no matter how small that probability may be.
48. Read one of the many excellent books on counting cards if you are serious about blackjack and willing to spend a lot of time practicing and perfecting your play. As in all online gambling, card counting is of little value because the deck(s) is usually shuffled after each hand. In blackjack, however, with many players at a table it may be beneficial for that one hand.Playing Blackjack to Win – The Best Moves49. Always split Aces and 8s as the odds are good that the two new hands will be dramatically better than either the soft 12 or hard 16.
50. Stand with a hard 12 or higher when the dealer is showing a 4, 5 or 6. The odds are good that the dealer may bust on the next card or that you will bust if you take another card.
51. Take a hit on anything below a hard 17 when the dealer is showing a 7 through an Ace. Don’t be afraid to bust!
52. Always double your bet when you’re dealt an 11.Playing Blackjack to Lose – The Worst Moves53. Never split 10s because you may very well be trading one excellent hand for two mediocre or bad hands.
54. Never take insurance since the odds significantly favor the dealer. Even if you’re holding a blackjack on the hand yourself you will be trading a high probability of winning a 1.5 to 1 payout in exchange for a guaranteed even money payout.
55. Never stand with a soft hand that totals less than a soft 17.Playing Craps56. Craps is an entertaining and fast paced dice game that offers some of the best odds for players, as low as a 1.41% house advantage and even lower for some bets.
57. Craps can be a very complicated game so if you are going to be a serious player read and absorb a good systems book.
58. Establish a “standard” betting unit that is lower than your “standard” betting unit in most other casino games because in craps it’s easy to get a lot of money on the table quickly during a long roll.Playing Craps to Win – The Best Bets59. If you just want to enjoy the game but play like you know what you’re doing, try a very simple strategy starting with a new roller.
60. The Don’t Pass line offers relatively good odds with just a 1.40% house advantage.
61. The Pass Line also offers relatively good odds with just a 1.41% house advantage.
62. Place a minimum amount of your “standard” unit bet on either the Pass Line or the Don’t Pass Line and save the majority of the unit to “take the odds” after the point is established. In doing this you will get true odds on that backup bet with no house advantage at all.
63. Place a bet on the six or the eight in dollar amounts that are a multiple of six. The house advantage on this bet is only 1.52% and if the number is rolled you’ll win $7.00 for every $6.00 you bet.Playing Craps to Lose – The Worst Bets64. All of these bets offer impressive payouts but even those high payouts are not enough to offset the big house advantage.
65. The “Any 7″ bet, where you bet that the next roll will be a 7, provides the worst odds on the table with a house advantage of almost 17%.
66. The “Any Craps” bet, where you bet that the next roll will be a 2, 3 or 12, also offers bad odds with a house advantage of just over 11%.
67. The “Hardway” bets and the “Big 6″ and “Big 8″ bets are also poor odds with a house advantage of from 9% to 11%.Playing Texas Hold-’Em Poker68. The more players there are at the table the higher the odds that at least one other player has a strong pocket hand, so be more cautious with your pre-flop betting.
69. Be careful betting a high pre-flop card unless you have a good kicker as well.
70. Determine early the types of players at your table – aggressive or cautious – and remember and adjust your determinations throughout the game.
71. At games where notes are allowed make a note on any player whose tendencies you identify. You may see them later at another table.
72. Bet or raise with a good hand; don’t let other players get free cards that might make their marginal hand into a strong one.
73. Don’t be predictable. Vary your play to confuse your opponents as to whether you are an aggressive or cautious player.
74. Don’t bluff often and try to establish a cautious reputation at the table so that when you do bluff your opponents will think you must have a good hand and be more reluctant to call your bluff.Playing Slots – The Facts75. The payback percentages for online slot machines are generally better than the payback percentages in live casinos.
76. The numbers revealed on a spin of the wheels on a slot machine do not show up in any order. The numbers are being selected constantly, not just when the handle is pulled. The numbers to be displayed on the wheels are randomly selected at the instant that the handle is pulled or the spin button is pushed.
77. It’s impossible to tell when a machine is about to hit.
78. A machine can go for very long periods of time without a significant jackpot or it could register several large jackpots in a row. It’s all random selection.
79. The number of coins you choose to play affects only the amount of your bet; it does not influence the selection of the numbers.
80. Slot machines can be set with different payback percentages as well as different hit percentages.
81. Payback is the percentage of the money bet that the machine will return to the players over the long term. It usually ranges from 75% to as much as 99%.
82. The hit percentage is the percent of the time that the machine will payout some money on a spin. This can vary widely, from under 10% to over 90%.
83. Machines that are set to pay off frequently will usually have more small payout amounts and fewer large jackpots.
84. Machines with a high hit percentage (those that are set to pay off frequently) are normally referred to as “loose” slots.
85. Machines with a low hit percentage (those that are set to seldom pay off) will usually have more large jackpots and few small payout amounts.
86. Machines with a low hit percentage (those that are set to pay off infrequently) are normally referred to as “tight” slots.
87. There is no universally accepted “good” slot machine; it depends on the individual player and whether he would prefer many small payouts or a chance for one large jackpot.Playing Slots – Strategies88. Because of the random nature of each individual machine no gaming strategy will work over the long run on slots.
89. Before you start a gambling session on slots determine the amount you want to win and resolve to withdraw your cash when you reach that goal.
90. Choose an online site that does not have a wagering requirement that must be met before you can withdraw your money.
91. With all other factors being equal, choose the online site that offers the biggest bonus to new players.
92. Because the house has an advantage in slots, playing with small bets for long periods is a sure-fire strategy to lose.
93. The key to improving your odds of winning lies in knowing which type of slot machine to play.
94. When selecting a slot to play, avoid those with huge jackpots; the best odds of winning lie in the machines with small jackpots because their most frequent payoffs will be of medium size.
95. Play only on small jackpot machines that offer as many beneficial bonus features as possible.
96. Look for machines that offer wild symbols as well as multipliers to improve your odds of winning.
97. Look for slots offering second-screen bonuses or free spins to improve your chances of winning.
98. Look for slots offering what is known as the “gamble” feature where your wins can be gambled for double-or-nothing for as many as five times.
99. When you reach your pre-determined target for winnings STOP and cash in your chips.Finally, there are two critical rules to all gambling, including online gambling, that you must follow and these rules bear repeating:100. Never gamble with “dear” money; only gamble with “excess” money. In other words, never gamble with money that you will need, or may need, to pay your everyday living expenses.
101. Set a limit to the amount of money you are willing to lose, and can afford to lose, and stick to it.

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Be A Success In Making Money Online By Using These Ideas

Many people dream of working from the comfort of their home. More and more people are getting fed up with the indignities of commuting and fighting traffic. They might desire to stay home and comfortably earn their income. This possibility is very real. These suggestions are a great place to begin earning money on the Internet.Watch out for scams. There may be many ads for making money online, but you need to keep an eye out for those that are a waste of your time. Do some research online to see what others have to say about any company or website that you are interested in working for.If you are a writer, consider writing on a revenue sharing website like Squidoo. You will be developing articles on topics that you like, and you receive a portion of the income that is made. They also have affiliate opportunities with Amazon, making it potentially even more lucrative.Start taking surveys. Lots of online survey opportunities exist. They can really help you earn extra money. Depending on where you are taking these surveys, they often won’t pay very much. However, you can easily do these things when you have some down time, and you can make quite a bit of money when things add up.Be prepared to prove who you are before you can make money online. Many places need validation and identification just like they would in the real world. Get a copy of your ID before you apply anywhere.Determine how much value your time has before you begin working online. What is the least amount per hour you’re willing to take for any given job? If you do not mind working for a lower wage, you will never raise your earnings. People will assume that’s all you are worth and never offer you more.It can take time to learn how to earn cash online. You will need to find what you are best at and stick to it. Find a mentor and learn everything you can from them. Keep your eyes open for new opportunities, as these are emerging daily. In this way, you will be an “online making money” success!Diversify your income for best results. Making a significant amount of money online can be tricky. Something you may make money with now might not be there tomorrow. Spreading your income streams out can help you get through it. Then when one stream starts to slow down or dries up, you have other options to pick up the slack.Most making money online ventures are legitimate, but scams are out there, so be careful. That’s the reason you have to investigate any opportunities before signing up. One of the best ways to check out a company is through your local Better Business Bureau.To generate income online, consider affiliate marketing. It does require a website with steady traffic. Find a topic you’re interested in to write about. Then locate a website with an affiliate payout program and apply to be a part of it. You then receive a percentage of the things visitors purchase.Publish a book to make some money online. You can sell it in digital form on a site such as Amazon. There are many people earning sizable incomes in this fashion.The things in which you excel in offline life can be great money makers on the Internet. Enjoy being in a book club? Write a blog about the books that you read and add links Amazon’s page for the book on your page. Do you love crocheting things? Those crafts are in high demand on etsy.com.When it comes to online income, hard work is what you should expect. You should definitely consider trying out the online opportunities that you read about here. When you start, it can take some work. You can succeed if you stay with it.

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How To Make Money Online Working From Home

Work from home jobs can become legitimate ways to make money online. Finding the right business opportunity that fits you is going to be your most difficult task. This is because there are so many work from home scams that make such outlandish claims such as, “push the button” and money will fill your bank account. You have to avoid these scams because the Internet is filled with these false “how to make money online” claims.This is what you have to keep in mind. To have a legitimate work from home job you must stay focused on the task of building your business from a proven Blueprint.This is the keys you want to look for:
*Does this internet business have Support to assist me if I have problems understanding how to set my business up…*Is the Blueprint newbie friendly?*Has this business model been around for a legitimate length of time?*Does it have a forum to discuss how well the other members are fairing with their own business?These are some really great points you need to keep in mind because as a newbie you are going to run into a lot of technical issues you have never seen before.Learning how to make money online is not easy. It takes time and a lot of commitment. You have to stay focused and concentrating on your goals at hand. What ends most people from succeeding online is over coming the shiny objects that show up in their inbox everyday.They want to try every make money online work from home biz opp that they see. You will never have any success online if you get lost in that video mode. All you will accomplish is information overload. This is devastating to anyone who is trying to build a legitimate work from home internet business. You will never make money online if you can’t remain focused and determined to make your internet business a success.Working from home is the best job you will ever have because it frees you up so you can have quality time with your family and friends. You must always understand that your business is your responsibility to maintain and keep up. You take care of it and it will continue to make money online for years to come.Your internet business will allow you to increase your income by allowing you to build multiple streams of online opportunities. You can begin to build your list to thousands of subscribers. Then you can set up your autoresponder so it can send out pre written emails on autopilot while you and your family is vacationing in another country.This is the opportunity that a legitimate work from home business is able to provide for you. Make money online while you are enjoying life with your family. An internet business is by far the very best way to make money online while working from home…

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N Is for Nutrition in Triathlon Training

Nutrition in triathlon training is probably one of the most important and yet overlooked aspect in amateur triathlon. Professional triathletes are hypersensitive to the need for nutrition both during training and during the race. Amateur triathletes however, tend to get lax in their nutrition or don’t plan their nutrition well enough and thus suffer the consequences of poor performance. To truly gain success in triathlon, you must focus in on your nutrition to get the best results.PERIODIZATIONThe first aspect of nutrition is periodization. It is very difficult to be in a strict diet in training year round. Personally, I have to have times where I “loosen the belt” and enjoy a good cheeseburger. So, understand that just as there is periodization in your training, there is periodization in your nutrition. For example, when you are narrowing in on race day you may become very strict in your diet about 8-12 weeks before race day. This gives you ample time to lose any extra weight you are carrying and to maximize your training days with quality foods. After the race, you may take a reward week to eat some extra food or enjoy a meal that just is not in your strict training diet. You shouldn’t feel bad about this cheat period and go enjoy a great desert. Once this cheat week or cheat day is over jump right back into your more strict diet to prepare for your next race. In the offseason, it is important to enjoy some not so strict foods, but be careful you can put on too much weight in the offseason.TRAINING NUTRITIONEach athlete is vastly different in terms of what they eat during training. Some of the base components of a good diet are quality carbohydrates (No McDonald’s), quality proteins such as fish, chicken, and lean meats, fruits (often overlooked) and vegetables. Some triathletes become so neurotic about these different aspects that they measure everything. As someone who is very busy this is difficult to do, however, once you find a pattern of good eating you will be able to implement a good diet for training. Do not go on a “diet” in that you minimize your calories so far that your training sessions end in weakness or “bonking.” Eat 6-7 times a day with quality snacks such as fruit, low-fat cheese sticks, or protein bars. Make sure to drink ample amounts of water as your training will require extra amounts of water to avoid dehydration. Finally, pick one nutritional pattern and stick with it instead of trying so many different fads.RACE NUTRITIONFor each triathlon race that you compete in, you will have certain nutritional issues that you will need to deal with. For Sprint and Olympic/International distance races, you will probably just need a pre-race meal. For long course races such as a half ironman or full ironman distance, you will not only need a pre-race meal but also need a nutrition plan for during the race. Currently, I take in 2 250 calorie Juices at around 2:30-3:00 am the day of the race. I eat a whole cinnamon and raisin bagel an hour before the race. I then use PowerBar Powergel Tangerine flavor gels before the race and during the race. I typically use a gel every:45 minutes on the bike and every:30 minutes on the run. I also use Hammer Nutrition Endurolytes before the race and at each of the intervals stated above for the gels. I also use Hammer Nutrition’s FIZZ in my water bottles for the bike. The process of me finding this mix of nutrition has take the last 6 years. Sometimes you discover things by trial and error such as my need for Accelerade during the race this last year.Nutrition is so important for overall performance. There is not a one-size-fits all approach. Find some best practices and begin the trial process for your own needs.

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Improving Your Memory and Mental Health

Memory is a large component of good mental health. Without it, we’d forget phone numbers, people’s names, or freeze up on a test. Of course, many of us do this anyway – I know I do quite frequently. So how can someone improve their mental health through memory? Here are some great ideas and exercises to get you started:Mental Health: RepetitionThe easiest and probably most well known way of memorizing someone’s name is to repeat it several times during a conversation. For instance, when meeting or leaving someone, use their name casually. By saying someone’s name out loud several times, while having that person right in front of you, your brain will connect the name with the person, and cement the information.Mental Health: VisualizationCreating images in your head that use the item that you are trying to remember is another mental health technique. Take someone’s name that you don’t want to forget, and imagine it being written in neon lights across that person’s forehead. The more outrageous the idea, the better!Mental Health: AssociationsMake a mental association to remember someone’s name. For instance, if your friend Lou has long hair, you could say her name over and over again in your head as “Lou with the long hair”. I find that picturing people doing something that they’ve discussed they enjoy helps, too. So, Bob the violinist, Sarah the gardener, or chef Alex are all good ways to try and remember someone.Mental Health: PicturesWhen attending large functions with a great number of people, take pictures, and make a note of everyone’s name. Then, once the pictures are developed, you can refer back to the evidence as required for your own personal mental health.Mental Health: Mnemonic DevicesMnemonic devices are a mental health game that allows the user to remember names, speeches, test information, or other items that need to be remembered. The most common of the mnemonic devices are acronyms. Acronyms are words that are created by using the first letter of a series of words. For instance, MADD equals Mothers Against Drunk Driving, and USA equals the United States of America. Both are acronyms. Make up your own to use to help with mental health memory.Mental Health: AcrosticsAcrostics are quite similar to acronyms in the mental health memory game, but instead they use the first letters in a sentence, such as “Every good boy does fine”, which is used to remember the letters in the treble clef in music. People with a bad memory can create their own acrostics to remember items they would normally forget.All of these methods can be used regardless of the situation – at work, home, business or school. The mental health skill of being able to recall places, things, people or events is a strong precursor to personal strength and intelligence.

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Short, Intermediate, And Longer – Term Impacts On Home Sales, When Rates Rise!

For many reasons, some, economic, while others, related to the pandemic – related, so – called, fatigue, etc, home prices, in most areas, have gone up, at, or, near, record amounts! Because of the prolonged period of artificially – created, low – interest rates, mortgage rates, have been at historic lows! Since, for most home buyers, using financing is essential to affording a purchase, when a low rate, causes cheap money, and, thus, the ability to afford more home – for – the – buck, prices usually rise! It permits qualified buyers to qualify for more money/ loan, because the ratio of monthly mortgage, to overall income, is artificially – reduced! How long will this trend continue, will it become the new – normal, will previous trends/ cycles return, and how will pricing be affected, in the immediate, intermediate, and longer – run, are, all factors, to consider! With, that in mind, this article will attempt to, briefly, consider, examine, review, and discuss, some possibilities, to consider, and understand.

1. Short – term: Since, the Federal Reserve Bank, announced, they planned to raise rates, three times in 2022 (of course, this was before the potential implications, and ramifications, from the Omicron variant), many feel pressure, to act quickly, to take advantage of today’s low rates, before they go up! Three increases will probably translate to, at least, a 0.75% higher rate, which will translate, for most mortgages, to hundreds of extra dollars, per month. Some things to consider, and pay attention to, is, this rate of increased home prices, will, probably, not continue, especially, at such a large degree! How longer one, expects to keep a specific house, is, one issue, to consider, thoroughly, and wisely, before proceeding!

2. Intermediate – term: Although, many believe, to – know, the precise timing of any projected rate – hike, is uncertain! The Fed has changed, and/ or, altered its strategies and approaches, in the past, What the intermediate – term, may bring, including potential inflationary pressures, how long the economic conditions, and unknown factors, related to the pandemic, etc, will determine, largely, what this phase, may bring! In addition, the attitude, and perceptions of buyers, and their confidence, etc, largely impact this real estate market!

3. Longer – term: In the longer – run, will things, restore, to what we have seen, so often, in the past, which is, alternating cycles, between, Sellers, Buyers, and Neutral Markets? The possibilities, include: a continued large escalation; a more – gradual, but persistent – one; some leveling; and/ or, will we see, at least, in certain areas, some sort of falling prices, for a period.

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Affiliate Marketing Coach – Speed Up Your Affiliate Progress With A Coach

An affiliate marketing coach is someone who can help you lift the invisible ceiling which may be holding your affiliate business back. So much in business it is the limits of our thinking which stop us from achieving the things we set out to achieve.

In affiliate marketing this is very much the case. You don’t know what you don’t know! You may even be running down a rabbit hole in the complete wrong direction. I did this for years before finding an affiliate marketing coach who helped me.

Before this point I was trying to do everything alone. Many affiliates are doing the same but don’t realise their actions aren’t aligned with their desired outcomes. For me, I was focusing only on the things I liked to do, not the things which would drive my business forwards.

A clear perspective from a coach who isn’t so myopic in their thinking can change everything. If you keep doing what you’ve always done as an affiliate, your results will likely be the same. But if you’re prepared to step outside your comfort zone, you can make far greater changes in a small amount of time.

Much of affiliate marketing is about trial and error. You try several things and focus on the things which work. This is Pareto’s principle, or the 80:20 rule. But if you have no results to draw from, you could easily be focusing on strategies which will take years to gain any traction.

A few of the small shifts I made in my affiliate marketing endeavours are: shifting to promoting products which offer recurring commissions, I stopped promoting small value, low commission products, and I started using high ticket digital products instead.

These steps alone hugely helped me start generating tactics in my affiliate business. But I also got coaching and mentoring, and decided to take affiliate marketing more seriously. In the beginning, it was just a hobby, and I treated it like a hobby. But if you look at your affiliate business like a hobby, you’ll earn a hobby wage from it. Treat it more seriously, and focus on building a sustainable income which can replace existing work, and you can achieve much more. You get what you focus on!

Goals are useful signposts for affiliates too. For such a long time I was without a rudder as an affiliate. A goal gives you a specific destination you can measure and work towards. If you don’t have either a goal, or a strategy you can stick to with affiliate marketing, it’s easy to lose purpose and drift off in another direction.

When you’re looking for results and don’t have any, it can become completely demoralising! You need to stoke the fire of your own enthusiasm continually or you’re likely to become disillusioned and drop out. This happens to around 95% of affiliate marketers.

But you need to be in the 5% who stick at it and eventually break through and start making consistent sales. When this occurs will depend on the actions you take and how long you keep going for. If something isn’t working, try something else. Focus on the small wins like a hit on a website, or an email lead. Keep your enthusiasm high and you’ll be able to surmount the obstacles which come with the territory. But if you allow yourself to become dissatisfied, it’s much more difficult to keep going.

Affiliate marketing isn’t easy. It’s performance related which means that if you don’t make a sale, you don’t make any money. This is tough in the beginning because you can do a lot of activity which is unrewarded. But once you make a sale, there’s some light at the end of the tunnel. This is the goal of many new affiliate marketers – to make their first sale.

Once you have some positive feedback in terms of success, you can focus on the activities which brought it about. But until this happens, you very much need to trust the process. If you’re also paying a membership fee while this is happening, there can come a point where you decide it’s simply not working! This is common, and people drop out. But if you have a coach you can trust, things are so much more sustainable.

An affiliate marketing coach can help you overcome negativity, indecision, hesitancy and self belief issues. A coach can help you see things in a different light and to notice limitations in your thinking.

For me this has been a complete game changer, and not just for affiliate marketing. When you notice your own self talk is talking away your success and happiness, you realise you are the creator of your own outcomes. As you remember to change your self talk and thinking habits, you realise without belief there is no action. So belief is everything.

The person we listen to more than anyone else in life is ourselves. We talk to ourselves in our head constantly. Re reaffirm what we think and believe about ourselves continually. If we can learn to tap into this power, and start giving ourselves more positive commands, then we can grow both personally and professionally in a much more congruent way than simply through thinking, planning and attempting things in only the physical aspect of our affiliate business.

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