If you already know, there is no need to wait, you can bet on who is going to win the elections and instead of waiting in vain, you will wait in comfort.

The 2012 elections are the event everybody is talking about and or those who are not familiar with the process of electing the US president, here we will give a brief description of it.

In the immense territory of the United States of America, electing a president might get a little complicated. As we all know, the US is a democracy, one of the oldest in the world but as mentioned before with its extensive territory, its multicultural composition, its constitutional structured based on a federation with partially self-governed states and its more than 308 million inhabitants the process of voting must be simplified a bit.

Even though every vote counts, not every single citizen is able to vote directly to elect the president. First of all the citizens must be registered to cast a vote for their delegates in the party of their preference that is Republican or Democrat. These delegates bound or not to vote for a particular candidate of their party cast their ballot and then the candidate to run for president is elected. Later the Electoral College has the responsibility of voting to elect the next president of the USA, to get this done the candidate must have at least 270 electoral votes.

It is not of our concern how those 270 votes are distributed in each state, this article, provides just a quick reminder that US territories do not have the possibility to vote in the presidential election.

Now that the Obama administration, with its ups and downs is about to finish, if he is not re elected, in the GOP the steam is starting to come out of the boiling room.

While the Democratic Party has its road well paved as no other candidate but Obama himself will be looking for the presidency, the Republicans are still struggling to find the right pick to get the job done.

The number of candidates to choose from in the GOP goes up to more than 20, between those declared and speculated ones, but when it comes down to possibilities to get to the White House the number decreases considerably.

Right now three are the names that sound more powerfully in the mainstream, Mitt Romney, Sarah Palin and Mike Huckabee, along with great new ones in the field such as Herman Cain, with an intelligent argument.

Romney is a successful businessman and has campaign experience. People criticize him because of his support to the Massachusetts health care law which gives Massachusetts residents a minimum level of healthcare insurance which has been compared to Obamacare during the race to 2012 elections, that and some say his religion is also an obstacle, he is Mormon when many republicans belong to Evangelical Christian congregations.

Although Sarah Palin has not confirmed she is actually running for president yet she is still strong among tea party conservatives. Many think she is weak to campaign side to side with Barack Obama though.

The last one to mention will be Mike Huckabee well known because of his show “Huckabee” on Fox news providing him enormous exposure. He is strong among religious conservatives being a pastor himself and is seen as a real contender for the next presidential elections.

This is the scenario, we just have to wait and see. So far Obama ranks 45% on a Pew Research Center poll released last march.

Some are crossing fingers, some others grinding teeth, but one thing is for sure, not one single of the candidates is blinking at this moment.

As said before, if you already have your winner, why not make some money out of it, you can bet on Bookmaker and give your candidate the chance to give you back some bucks!

Go online and place your bet, if you have followed the polls, you already know your 2012 election odds!

In the middle of a crisis the USA government is desperately looking for new ways to collect more taxes and the online poker industry is not exempted.

The Interstate Wire Act of 1961 leaves little room between online gambling, understood for this matter as sports betting and other types of gaming such as Online Poker. Later in history, on September 30th 2006 the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 was passed trying to stop the transfer of funds from American soil to online poker companies abroad and vice versa on the grounds that “gambling is providing a mechanism of criminal activity in order to facilitate money laundering, underage gambling or cheating” according to federal authorities.

The question all the poker players in the U.S. are asking is what if I do not fit in any of those categories? To regular and not so regular players, Poker has always been a great way to spend leisure time, whether it be friends, family or in some co-worker’s basement after long working office hours. Some of the arguments are based on Poker being a game of mere chance rather than skill, but to those who have taken part in it know that it is completely the opposite.

When, in a poker table, you are dealt your cards, this is all the luck you are going to get, beyond this point it is all a question of pure skill and tactic what is going to keep you “alive”. The dealer might be a flesh and bone guy sitting in front of you or a computerized one, the outcome is all up to you. Simple ways to prove this is by the fact you are actually playing to beat other players’ skills.

Play poker online at BookMaker!

The conversations turn a bit delicate when it comes to rights, though. If I have the right to play Poker in my home, with whomever it is I want, why am I not going to be able to play the same way using my Internet connection instead? The answer everybody knows is simple, if there is money involved and the government does not have its share, it will be illegal. The recent arrests of poker online businessmen are the latest example of how committed the Government is in obtaining some fresh bucks. In the meantime all accounts in the companies seized will be frozen; we are talking about 10 million players in the U.S. alone.

The only possible way to overcome this situation is, because people will keep playing poker, online or not, to make Poker Online legal and taxed. This will be achieved by licensing and regulating the Industry and at the same time provide the players with safe and reliable companies. Another advantage this action will carry is that it will create new jobs inside the borders, which is way better than sending them away.

It will not be an easy task. All actions must be undertaken by the Government and the Gaming industry together playing fair and square, all we can wish for them is to play their hands wisely.

Play Poker Online Now!

With so many options nowadays to where spend your vacation Las Vegas stands for itself when combining luxury, live entertainment and live gambling experience. High prices many times push eager vacationers away but Casino Resorts lures them with special room discounts, all you can eat fine restaurants and even cheap airfare deals. When thinking of Casino and fun who wouldn’t think of Vegas; Online players perhaps?

There is a growing trend in the online gambling industry. We all agree that vacations are great but airport connections, booking hotel rooms and, of course, the cost they carry seem too much hustle.  On the other hand the comfort of your house and the possibility of playing your favorite games online whether it is in your laptop or in your mobile phone make online gaming a much easier, more affordable entertainment option.

The first concern of online casino gambling players is if the site they just found is reliable, something that a real building provides just by walking through its foyer. Let’s face it; the entire casino is not just going to disappear with your chips and money while you are in there, something that in rare occasions has happened with online gaming sites. The way to avoid this is by thorough research on the sites that provide the gaming experience and their tradition in the field as well as an accurate reading of the terms and conditions not only of the site itself but of the country’s laws where the company is located.

Online casinos gambling give the player the possibility to sharpen his skills with players from all over the world and also offer them the chance of having live dealers who can interact in the session.

The online casino attracts players with bonuses and promotions that multiply their first deposits even up to five times and this just by clicking one single button. The speed of the games is as real as it gets and even special “fast versions” are offered.

One question comes up though, how legal offshore gambling is, at least for American citizens?

After the law passed in 2006 all Internet gambling was banned for Americans. With the change of the Congress some are working hard to overturn the ban and allow the business, after being able to tax the movements in the accounts.   As published in the New York Times “The taxes could yield as much as $42 billion for the government over 10 years” ( Congress rethinks its Ban on Internet Gambling, New York Times, New York, US,  July 8, 2010 digital Version.)

Some think that the government is taking the legislation too far off its borders and that the citizens have their rights to call to another country and place a bet. Deposits and payouts through credit cards are no longer allowed but systems as e-wallet have jump in to fill in the space and players find their way.

The arguments of the Government which include battle compulsive addiction and protect minors are fully understandable but so are privacy and freedom and many voices have been raised on this matter.

Play Poker Online Now!

We’re launching a new weekly feature on SaintPetersblog (in partnership with bmaker.ag) called Political Odds.  Each week, we’ll put together a line on a diverse array of topics including politics, finance, sports, entertainment and trends surrounding the media. This week, we look at the likelihood that Rick Scott will run for President in 2012.

While this bettor, err, writer does not think Scott will run for President in 2012, the St. Petersburg Times’ Adam Smith seems convinced this is a distinct possibility.

“…let’s say the field of Republican candidates still looks muddled and uninspiring come November. Let’s say no one has managed to persuade Jeb Bush or New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie to get in the race. Let’s say fed-up tea party activists still dominate the GOP primary electorate and show no enthusiasm for the “electable” Mitt Romneys, Tim Pawlentys and Jon Huntsmans of the world.

Enter Rick Scott, fresh off a year of slashing spending and regulation in Florida, and of infuriating moderate Republicans, independents, Democrats and newspaper editorial writers. By then a proven, uncompromising anti-government crusader, he may be the best sell among Republican primary voters in these turbulent times.”

With that in mind, Tony Harvey and his team of experienced oddsmakers at bmaker.ag, one of the leading sportsbooks, have calculated the odds on whether Governor Rick Scott will run for president in 2012.

Will Florida Governor Rick Scott Run for President?

Yes He Will Run +250 (28.60%)

No He Won’t Run -1000 (90.90%)

The +/- indicates the return on the wager. The percentage is the likelihood that response will occur. For example: Betting on the candidate least likely to win would earn the most amount of money, should that happen.

The public  relations folks who represent the odds maker bmaker.ag sent me a note saying the odds that Donald Trump would run for president are 65-48 that he won’t run. I don’t think he will run, never did, I think it was a stunt to promote his TV “reality show.” And if he were serious, that his birther crusade sent him to the bottom of the pack and his TV show went to No. 4 of the four major networks probably changed his mind. Trump was no surprise. So I asked them if Tony Harvey and his team of experienced oddsmakers could give me where the smart money is on Gov. Christie. No, problem, they said. When they got back to me they said the odds now that Christie won’t run are about 67-45. That’s close to the Trump numbers. I’m terrible at math so I can explain how it works but I can see right now the odds guys say he won’t go for the Oval Office.

The air-traffic controller who was fired last week after falling asleep at Seattle’s Boeing Field was the fifth U.S. controller to doze off on duty since March.

If you’re sensing a trend, you’re not alone. Vegas bookies have actually posted odds on which major airport will be next.

The frontrunner: New York’s JFK.

The folks at bmaker.ag say there’s a 28.6 percent chance that JFK will “win.” A $1 bet would bring you $2.50.

The next most likely spots for a snooze-fest: Atlanta (26.3 percent, $2.80); Dallas and Las
Vegas (both 25.5 percent, $2.90); Los Angeles (24 percent, $3.25); and Chicago (22.2 percent, $3.50).

I asked the bmaker.ag bookies to calculate the odds for Cleveland Hopkins and Akron-Canton. To my surprise, they did. Here’s the official Vegas line for our local airports:

• CLE: 20.5 percent chance, $3.60 return.

• CAK: 21.7 percent chance, $3.75 return.

This is one of those rare occasions when I will not be rooting for the home team.

Unfortunate typo

A group called the American Family Ministry sent us an alert about its National Day of Prayer event, which it said was going to be held in downtown Cleveland’s ”Pubic Square.”

Let’s pray the publicist learns to proofread.

Wrong trajectory

The Akron Aeros, named in honor of the space program, have a new mascot: Homer the Pigeon.

Huh?

TV misnomer

Did you know the PBS gabfest NewsNight Akron is actually taped during the day in Kent?

Flying high

I think my little bro’ has developed a galaxy fetish.

Steve Dyer — former Beacon Journal reporter, former state representative and a person who actually is not, I repeat, NOT, related to your favorite columnist — tends to get a bit flowery when he is within range of a microphone.

While urging the passage of a school levy at a Green Board of Education meeting last week, he said:

“I urge that we pull together so that the shining star of this community continues to shine.”

That quote is not to be confused with a 2006 declaration he unfurled on the heels of his victory at the polls:

”I look forward to the day that we can once again soar upon the wings of our innovation and take our rightful place among the stars.”

Somewhere, Carl Sagan is smiling.

Or barfing.

Without a trace

Until I met Rockney Lee, I had no idea that a person’s fingerprints can wear out.

I had read about thieves trying to sand off or alter their prints to avoid detection, and that those efforts don’t succeed. So I was surprised to learn that age can do the trick.

If you missed my column about Lee, he is a 77-year-old Akron man who drives special-ed kids to school. Every six years, school-bus drivers must submit to an FBI background check and fingerprinting.

Six years ago: no problem.

This year: problem.

Lee’s prints couldn’t be read electronically or with the traditional inking. As a result, he was tied up in red tape for seven weeks.

Lee will be back on the road Monday morning, thanks in part to the involvement of state Sen. Frank LaRose, who read my column and judged the situation to be the type of ”government nonsense” he’d like to stamp out.

As for worn-out fingerprints, an expert told me Lee’s case was unusual but not unique. And she was right: At least one other area resident has been stymied by disappearing prints.

Charles W. Stewart of Tallmadge, now 65, went through the same thing a couple of years ago while trying to become certified as a substitute teacher. He struck out with three different electronic readers and one inking.

Give him credit for looking at the bright side:

“My wife says I should become an international jewel thief.”

Nice try

A savvy public relations person knows that the more he or she can personalize a mass mailing, the greater the chance the recipient will pay attention to it and perhaps put it on the air or into print.

But some PR folks do it better than others. This one didn’t do it well.

Cassandra Okon works for a resort in New York state. We’re not going to publicize her resort because she botched her job.

Get a load of the missive she sent to the newspaper’s managing editor, Doug Oplinger.

”I know your readers of the Akron Beagle Journal would be interested in a vacation getaway that is affordable and still close to home.”

Yes, the Akron Beagle Journal. Apparently she figures we’re real news hounds.

A third air controller has been fired for sleeping on the job, this time at Seattle’s Boeing Field. Apparently, the man was already facing disciplinary action for falling asleep on two other occasions. While tighter regulations are now being enforced (i.e. controllers must have at least 9 hours between shifts instead of the typical 8), others are betting this disaster happens again.

No, literally. Others are betting that the event happens again.

Tony Harvey and his team of oddsmakers at bmaker.ag have calculated the odds on which airport will fall victim to the Sandman next. The results indicate New York City’s JFK Airport is the next to be hit, with a 28.60% chance that the incidence will occur (and, according to the team, a +250 return on the wager). Following are Atlanta at 26.30%, Las Vegas and Dallas both at 25.50%, Chicago at 22.20%, and Denver at 21.70%. In the gambling world, this means that if you bet on Denver and they actually are next to have a controller who falls asleep on the job, you’ll receive the biggest return over picking the one most likely to fall asleep.

Don’t worry though, bmaker.ag isn’t capitalizing on anyone else’s suffering—their main focus is horse racing, casino games, poker, and bingo. Just the same, you can bet on some areas of pop culture, and there’s a whole section dedicated to the Royal Wedding. Guess the color of Kate’s wedding dress, or whether or not Kate will include the word “obey” in her vows. The best bets, however, are placed for whether or not Prince Harry will get drunk at the wedding (perhaps feeling a little like the neglected sibling), or if Elton John will turn up to play a tune.

Proving that you can bet on anything, bmaker.ag has set odds on whether Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel will survive an NCAA investigation into his cover-up of his players’ acceptance of illegal benefits.

The website set odds on what will happen to Tressel in 2011. It also shows percentages on the likehood of four options occuring.

The bets:

Gets a suspension and $250,000 fine: +180 (35.5 percent)

Gets only a suspension: +120 (45.5 percent)

Gets fined more than $250,000: +200 (33 percent)

Gets fired: +180 (35.5 percent)

Ohio State has already announced it will fine Tressel $250,000 and suspend him for the first five games next season. The ‘Gets only a suspension’ bet would require the NCAA to remove the fine from Tressel’s penalty and just suspend him.

All the bets are based on the premise of wagering $100. For example, a wager of $100 that Tressel will be fired would net the bettor $180 if it happens.

Well, kids, if you’ve lost yourselves in NHL playoff mania—worry not, we have too—you have missed some exciting NBA playoff games! The Knickerbockers and the Celtics, the Pacers and the Bulls, and the Mavericks and Blazers all have fought some bloody duels. And, in a pair of Game Ones out West, the Grizz upset the Spurs, just like the Hornets did the Lakers.

Where the NHL playoffs are madness, with hot goalies and nearly absent refereeing, the NBA playoffs show less variance in the results. Yes, even with NBA refs. Smart bettors know this and descend.

We talked to Bodog head oddsmaker Adam Young, who said that bettors have been riding long shots going into the playoffs: the books took “quite a bit of money” on the Nuggets’ title odds at 100:1 after Denver sent Carmelo packing, pushing them all the way down to 25:1. More recently, gamblers were backing Portland as a 50:1 longshot, and taking the Blazers over the Mavericks in a series bet. With the Blazers down 2-0 to Dallas, getting ripped up by Peja and Kidd, perhaps bettors would have been better off looking elsewhere in the West.

And one of those West teams folks now ride, the Oklahoma City Thunder, won its first game against the once buzzier Nuggets.

“The Thunder and the Bulls, they both finished very strong,” Young says. “Their title odds have fluctuated a bit more throughout the season, depending on how the teams were doing, whereas the Lakers’ odds have held steady all season.”

The Lakers have been the favorite to win all year. They were at 11:4 going into the playoffs, and their Game 1 loss to Chris Paul’s point guard clinic only moved them to 10:3. Then again, that shift might mean something to you, if you’re convinced the night one loss means nothing. Now’s the time to ride the Lakers, if you plan on riding them at all.

What about the Heatles, that other title favorite? bmaker.ag‘s head oddsmaker Tony Harvey says that while the Lakers and the Heat have the biggest followings among bettors, those bettors are rooting against the Heat.

Young says that the Heat have been so streaky and pricy—at 13:4 to win the title, going into the playoffs—that most bettors haven’t wanted to ride them. And oddsmakers haven’t done much to make the Heat enticing. So Young says “it would be a very desirable situation if the Heat were to win the title.”

What about the other East teams? The Hawks and the Magic lull us to sleep, even though 4-5 series tend to draw more betting action than the 1-8s and the 2-7s. But the Knicks and Celtics have energized gamblers, Young says, even though most of the money has come in on one side.

“There’s more money on the Knicks,” he says. “People are definitely down on the Celtics since the Perkins trade—and you can see why, in their play.” Close as they’ve come, the Knicks haven’t quite rewarded the gambling public’s faith.

We’ll know a lot more after tonight, as the three 1-0 West series—Nuggets-Thunder, Spurs-Grizzlies, Lakers-Hornets—resume, with two big-time dogs up. (The Grizz were +340 to win their series, the Hornets were +1200.)

Tonight’s slate, with odds from Bodog, with dubious wisdom attached:
THUNDER (-5) over Nuggets, OVER 205
Grizzlies (+8) over SPURS, UNDER 195
Hornets (+11.5) over LAKERS

Hey, also: we like the Lightning at +185 to defeat the Penguins in that series. Lightning -1.5 (+210) is not a bad bet tonight.

It seems as if the folks at RIM are gearing up for a battle with Steve Jobs and his so-called “magical” iPad.

Problem is, the war is already over, except for some reason, the people at RIM didn’t get the memo.

Now, before you accuse me of being a rabid Apple fanboi, please remember that I am nothing more than an aging curmudgeon tapping away at a computer keyboard while pining away for my Remington and a more civilized age.

But I digress.

In any case, while the iPad is hardly “magical,” it has captured the hearts and minds of people all over this mortal coil of ours.

Yes, Google is still trying to tempt consumers away from the iPad by bribing them with stale Honeycomb cake, but it just doesn’t seem to be working, at least not yet, anyway. 

Because as far as most Americans are concerned, Android=smartphones and Apple = smartphones+tablets.

And where is RIM and its underdog BlackBerry Playbook in the above-mentioned equation?

Well, probably not in a very good place I would say, because the device currently lacks a number of native apps, including an e-mail program, contacts and calendar. 

Still, RBC Capital Markets analysts expect a “modest start” for the PlayBook – claiming the current problems “will become non-issues with subsequent enhancements and second-gen versions.”

Yes, it’s all fine and good listening to overpaid analysts prattling on about an uncertain future. But what I want to know is – what are the odds right here, right now?

Fortunately, Tony Harvey and his crack team of oddsmakers at bmaker.ag, have calculated the odds on how many Playbook units will be sold in 2011.

Shall we take a look?

1.9 MILLION UNITS OR MORE (2011)     +380     21.40%
2.9 MILLION UNITS OR MORE (2011)     +350     22.20%
3.9 MILLION UNITS OR MORE (2011)     +320     24.30%
4.9 MILLION UNITS OR MORE (2011)     +200     33.20%
5.9 MILLION UNITS OR MORE (2011)     +150     40.00%
6.9 MILLION UNITS OR MORE (2011)     +120     45.50%

Note: The +/- Indicates the return on the wager. The percentage is the likelihood that response will occur.

So if you were the betting type, where would you put your money?