After a week full of speculation regarding Greg Norman’s possible chance at a victory, thirty-six year old Irishman, Padraig Harrington emerged as the winner of the British Open last Sunday.

Harrington managed to beat out both Norman and Ian Poulter for a four-shot victory due to an excellent performance at the par 5s and finished with a 1-under 69 despite enormous winds. Even though Harrington was suffering from a sore right wrist (which stopped his practice after only nine swings at the Royal Birkdale earlier in the week) he managed to combat both disagreeable gusts and a late-game charge by Poulter. Greg Norman and Ian Poulter’s losses may have given Harrington the consecutive European record but it also meant the end of two other milestones in the making. Norman, fifty-three was set to become the oldest major champion and Poulter the first English champion since 1992 saw Nick Faldo take the British Open.

Perhaps most surprising is the credit Harrington gives to his injury in winning the British Open and becoming the first European to take the title two years straight. The Irishman credited his sore wrist as the reason he was able to relax and lower his personal expectations which eventually led to the victory.

Tags: golf, Open 2008

Manchester City Manger, Mark Hughes doesn’t seem to be bothered by the potential shortage of strikers as the team prepares to enter the Premier League opener against Aston Villa on August 17th. Most notably, Benjani Mwaruwari’s injuries, Jo’s decision to join Brazil in Beijing and significant trades have left City with a notable absence of the strikers necessary for a strong team.

The 2008 Beijing Olympics and a set of injuries may have left Manchester short on the strikers they’ll need to get off to a good start at the Premier League but Hughes has been maintaining confidence. Although external forces may have removed some key players the manager is determined to make up the losses and provide a good showing as the games kick off. The youthful, ambitious team line-up and the promise of solid, new blood on the field may end up being enough to counter the lack of strikers currently listed on the Manchester City roster.

A meeting between Manager, Hughes and Executive Chairman, Garry Cook took place on the weekend and the acquisition of quality strikers is surely at the top of the list. Lens’ Aruna Dindane has been in high demand among European clubs and Hughes has expressed interest in bidding the player onto City as well which could mean good things for the team.

Tags: Football

Driving for McLaren, Lewis Hamilton won the German Grand Prix at Hockenheim last Sunday. Beyond the title of champion at the Grand Prix, Hamilton now also enjoys a four point lead as the driver at the front of the Formula One standings.

Renault’s Nelson Piquet Jr. placed second and Ferrari’s Felipe Massa came in third behind Hamilton who managed a 5.6 second margin by the race’s end. The twenty-three year old Hamilton had a grim start when he was forced into a delayed pit-stop which eventually had him rejoining the circuit significantly behind competitors. Luck and skill won out however and the McLaren driver was able to close the gap and emerge triumphant despite the very present possibility of failure. Hamilton reported that he would have much preferred staying out in front as much as possible but was set on taking first place despite the setback. Ron Dennis, McLaren’s Team Principal defended the strategy and praised Hamilton’s skills as part of why they were able to take such a risk.

Just the same, the McLaren team is hard at work learning from the mistakes which accompanied the pit strategy and are determined to come out on top of the F1 races this season. Hamilton is next set to race at the Hungarian Grand Prix in Budapest, scheduled for August 3rd.

Tags: Formula One

After injuring her left knee and attempting to play through the strain, Serena Williams has decided to pull out of the Bank of the West Classic semifinals. Her decision was reached on Saturday which makes Williams the third singles player from the American woman’s Olympic tennis team to sustain a knee injury.

During her match against Aleksandra Wozniak, Williams was forced to retire after trailing desperately behind. Despite determination to play out the rest of the match with a heavily taped knee it would appear that the pain was too much for the determined player to bear. After stretching for a backhand at the beginning of the second and further provoking the injury Williams had to walk off court and forfeit the rest of the game. Wozniak is currently ranked 85th and will play in this Sunday’s final against the winner of a match between Ai Sugiyami and Marion Bartoli.

Now with Serena Williams out for recovery she joins two other Olympic contenders with knee injuries; sister Venus and fellow professional singles contestant Lindsay Davenport. The debilitation stems from a 2003 surgery which forced Serena out of ten tournaments and later forced her back into the hospital in 2006. Hopefully the players’ injuries will be sufficiently improved to allow their showing for the US Olympic team in the Beijing games.

Tags: Tennis

The growing industry of online gambling has been working hard to branch all available markets and with portable gaming the biggest corporations are attempting to create viable methods so that fans can enjoy playing while on the go. The announcement of a partnership between developer, Rapid Mobile Media and publisher, Gamesys is set to further revolutionize the manner by which gamblers play through their cell phones.

Rapid Mobile Media have been able to provide a software platform that can be safely accessed from all cell phones within the service area which means that all sorts of cell phone users can hop into games at their own convenience. Their partnership with the Gamesys Group (whom owns the Jackpotjoy brand, the UK’s leading online bingo/instant win/slots site) has meant that their innovative work will be able to put to good use in the near future. Users are set to enjoy all of the same gameplay that proper websites offer through their cell phones with the quality graphics and easy navigation that players expect.

As data access charges have been decreasing for mobile phone users in recent years accessing online casinos through this platform has become an increasingly viable market for business growth. With the report of this partnership players should expect even better options to come for their phones in the future.

Tags: News

Although Phil Mickelson is certainly no slouch on the links the absence of Tiger Woods at this year’s Royal Birkdale may provide just the opportunity he needs to win the competition and finally take the title. The Birkdale course marks the location where Mickelson made his amateur debut in 1991 and holds a special place in his heart.

Tiger Woods is unable to play the game because of a knee surgery which leaves Mickelson as perhaps the top contender for the prestigious event. In spite of an unremarkable showing at the Scottish Open the golfer maintains that the three week break allowed him more than enough time to properly prepare for the Royal Birkdale. Mickelson reported that a chance to play the course and acclimatize to the British time zone has gone a long way toward adjusting his body and mind for the task at hand and he feels ready to take a real shot at the challenge.

Of course only time will tell how well Mickelson is able to fare but punters and fans alike are putting a lot of faith into the player as he readies for Royal Birkdale. He has been working hard at preparing to counter the British oceanic breezes which have wreaked havoc on his game in the past and feels that the time has been well spent and should help ensure a solid performance.

Our 2008 British Open betting partner is Paddy Power. They have some Fantastic Betting Offers for the 2008 British Open so be sure to give them a try.

Tags: golf, Open 2008

The number one Asian player, Liang Wen-Chong has his eyes set on making history as he becomes the first golfer from mainland China to enter the British Open. Aside from aspirations of personal success in the sport, Liang is also excited to increase national support from his country by becoming a golfer for the Chinese population to follow.

Liang, twenty-nine years old, has only played one other links course during the Dunhill Cup (in St. Andrews, Scotland) but is preparing hard to adjust to the geography, climate and style of play during his practice time leading up to the event. At his previous two appearances during the US Masters and PGA tournaments last year Liang narrowly missed the halfway cut and is anxious to make bigger waves this time around. He should have some extra practice when playing at the Barclays Scottish Open this week however and this time alone could go a long way toward fully tempering his style toward British courses.

The golfer currently enjoys the title of China’s first citizen to rank first in the Asian Tour 2007 but wants to go further with his talent in the sport. Liang is confident that his game has improved through playing against tough competitors and hopes that his abilities will be enough to truly compete in the British Open.

Our 2008 British Open betting partner is Paddy Power. They have some Fantastic Betting Offers for the 2008 British Open so be sure to give them a try.

Tags: golf, Open 2008

In final preparation for sending off British athletes to the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, UK Sport has announced perhaps the most comprehensive anti-doping testing ever carried out. Through unannounced and rigorous methods the UK is hoping to be able to ensure legitimate competition as national contenders participate in the Games.

A partnership between UK Sport, the British Olympic Association and the British Paralympic Association has been established in order to send the athletes off clean. The companies have stressed the importance of having true physical ability represented rather than any artificially induced performances especially in light of the role model status that many Olympic competitors enjoy. Tests will be set up sporadically but centered on crucial times when the participants are preparing for events, just about to start or during the mentally intense training period. Both blood and urine testing will be employed by the program with the inevitable goal of providing an international example of a successful anti-doping model.

Part of the program seeks to educate British athletes by educating them regarding what may constitute doping so no mistakes are made during times of temptation by promising Olympic contenders. Gerry Sutcliffe, Minister for Sport has endorsed the program and commended UK Sport, BOA and BPA for their excellent work toward a drug-clean showing in Beijing.

Tags: News

WorldPay represents one of the foremost online payment companies and their recent agreement to partner with anti-fraud software and e-security experts at 192.Com will soon mean even better standards for both gamers and companies involved in online gambling. Among the projects to be taken on by the team, the information surrounding a new ID checking code for internet retailers emerged as the most buzz-worthy.

The first announced project taken on by the new security team has been detailed as a comprehensive ID checking system which will keep website logins quick and simple while providing a tough defense against hackers and fraud artists. The program promises to have no visible effects on the general user experience but will greatly improve existing industry standards when fully adopted. 192. Com’s Marketing Director, David Pope was pleased with the deal and the recognition his company is enjoying as leaders in the field of ID checking and general electronic security.

WorldPay’s affiliation with the Royal Bank of Scotland give the company a great degree of credibility and financing for their operations and this partnership only goes to show the possibilities allowed by their innovative thinking. As the team gear up to launch their system merchants will soon be able to ensure better internet gaming security than ever before.

Tags: News

Being an avid Poker Player and also iPhone fan, I couldn’t wait for the new Apple iPhone 3G to be launched along with the ability to install Apps to it via the App Store.

Well, one of the apps which I have really missed on my iPhone is a good Poker application. Now, on my Blackberry I had a great Texas Hold’Em game which I used to play quite a lot.

I had heard that the iPod Texas Holdem game ws getting ported from the iPod to the iPhone so this was great news to me.

As soon as I got my iPhone, one of the first applications that I bought was the Texas HoldEm Poker application.

The application has fantastic graphics and they really show the iPhone off to its full potential. There are the options for Single Player or Multiplayer. In Single Player you play against the computer and with Multi Player you can play with other iphone players over WiFi and have mini tournaments courtesy of the iPhone Application.

One really cool aspect is that you can tilt the iphone int landscape mode and gt a landscape view of the table, similar to most online Poker clients. Then, if you switch back to portrait mode, the screen swaps back to the view of the payers and dealer in high-res graphics.

Gameplay is fantastic as you would imagine I will be keeping a close eye on various gaming applications on the iPhone and I cannot wait for the first brave company to produce a real-money Poker application, now wouldn’t that be just great!

Enjoy the screenshots below.

Tags: iphone, poker

Titan Poker is the most popular destination on the iPoker Network and with a series of ‘June Rewards’ which culminated in the June 30th ‘Day of Freerolls’ they set about giving a hearty thanks to their fan base. Aside from the complimentary buy-ins Titan was able to provide great cash prizes and a trip to the Asian Poker Tour Macau for lucky winners.

New additions to Titan from April and May who had made a first deposit and amassed a minimum number of loyalty points were automatically qualified for the initial freeroll games (which saw $4,400 awarded). The next event was for players who stockpiled two thousand loyalty points between June 12th and 28th and ultimately rewarded them with entry into the hefty June Rewards $10,000 Freeroll. The most desired prizes were travel based however and the most skilled Titan players eagerly battled it out for the chance to win a seat at the APT Macau which is estimated at a value of $9, 000. Through the Asian Poker Tour Macau VIP Satellite serious Titan devotees were able to try for the grand prize after accumulating ten thousand points between June 21st and 25th.

Not to rest on their laurels, Titan Poker has promised further events set to reward their users with cash and travel prizes. Among other planned incentives this September will see a $2,500,000 Guaranteed Prize Tournament taking place early in the month so Titan players should start practicing their skills now.

Tags: poker

PaddyPower.Com’s first official European Championship of Bingo saw British contestant, Robert Robinson take home the title (and cash prize) and emerge triumphant among the enormous volume of players. Over six hundred Europeans vied for first place during the games which went above and beyond the participation which Paddy expected for their first try at such a large event.

Robinson hails from Nottinghamshire, England and told press that he spent a lot of time trying to qualify for entry into the European Championship. PaddyPower originally conceived the idea of a massive bingo tournament as a way to divert punter’s attention during English absence in the Euro 2008 football games.

While diehards may still have been watching feeds from the final games in Austria and Switzerland, Robinson was busier working toward the June 29th championship. He now views the Euro outcome as a blessing in disguise and is quite happy that his attention was diverted away from football matches to bingo.

The grand prize rewarded Robinson a Chevrolet Aero while other contestants received weekends in Paris, France, home makeovers, laptops, flat-screen televisions, or a year of free flights and bingo play. PaddyPower also announced that the European Championship of Bingo would be making a return next year due to wide-scale demand for the event.

Tags: bingo

A recent advertisement for National Lottery operator, Camelot was banned after claims of denigration by the Bingo Association. Camelot attempted to assert the claim that they were merely trying to poke fun at their gaming competitors instead of attack the already injured bingo industry in a reputation damaging or insidious manner.

The advertisement depicts an elderly woman on a mobility scooter driving by a closed bingo hall during a dreary, grey day and shaking her head in dismay. A scratching (meant to mirror an instant card) transitions to her moving a fancy, flame-throwing scooter up a sunny beach and smiling while she wears fancy new jewelry and clothing. The Bingo Association claimed that the advertisement was taking advantage of the hard times that clubs are already facing and showed players that their new option was to switch to National Lottery cards. As mentioned above, Camelot tried to reverse the notion that they were unfairly damaging bingo’s reputation by promoting claims that their ad was merely showing an early morning hall which hadn’t opened yet.

The Advertising Standards Authority ultimately sided with the Bingo Association and concurred that the advertisement was an unfair indictment of bingo halls. With padlocked doors and the depressing atmosphere of the television spot they determined that the National Lottery was indeed trying to put forth the idea that bingo is a dying industry and banned the ad as misleading and unfair to businesses.

Tags: bingo

The previously discussed Polaris II computer won out over seasoned poker professionals last Sunday at the second “Man Versus Machine” Competition. The University of Alberta created system was further developed to come back from its loss last year and proved that its improvements were enough to snag a narrow win against human opponents.

The competition was hosted at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada and saw the new Polaris computer face off against seven poker professionals. After being defeated by the flesh-and-blood players last year the University of Alberta programming team adapted their system with features that allowed it to adapt to the style of opponents as the match went on and it seems that this difference was enough to eke out a win. Matt Hawrilenko was the pro up against Polaris II in the final Heads-Up, Limit Texas Hold ‘Em match and found the competition both entertaining and unnerving. He and the other human players commented that the possibility of a machine to best live professionals is a fairly frightening one.

Michael Bowling, head of the Alberta team behind Polaris II was excited by the win but also quick to note that his team would be back at work to further develop the system. Now that the computer is garnering even more attention from real-world poker pros it may prove even more difficult to continue the artificial player’s winning performance. A rematch is tentatively planned to take place next summer around the same time.

Tags: poker

Bet365 has been making waves with their impressive showing in the top 100 private UK businesses this summer and aren’t putting forward any signs of slowing down as the company now launches their bingo client. The premier sports betting company has been branching out into different aspects of the online industry since closing physical shops in recent years and with the embrace of Britain’s favourite game they hope to offer yet another service for fans to enjoy.

With the enormous rise of online bingo within the UK, Bet365 are almost behind on the trend in a certain sense but the current environment is still perfect for another large brand to enter the market. With the immense finances and adept business minds behind the company their entry into the field should emerge as one of the foremost for players and Bet365’s bingo client will no doubt establish itself as nothing short of fantastic. The company announced their partnership with Virtue Fusion in developing the interface for their bingo client and have promised a high level of quality which should see their site come out as a worthy competitor to other, existing large options.

Bet365 Managing Director, Steve Ibberson has spoken to press regarding the type of fare to be expected through the service as well. The client promises to host all of the typical bingo action that devotees of the game expect along with unique features and enormous jackpots to keep players logging on.

Tags: bingo

It should come as no surprise that an examination of business trends have shown UK bingo players as the most devout fans of the game worldwide. The explosion of internet bingo even in light of physical bingo hall crises has maintained Britain’s title of the number one bingo playing nation.

A recent report shows that the UK hosts the greatest industry growth (going from some seventeen online halls in 2004 to the present day establishment of 234 options for bingo fans) and holds the largest interest in the game internationally. The same study suggests that British ties to the population frequenting bingo halls as a favored pastime during war and economic hardships have lingered through generations so that the game continues to maintain such popularity today. Modern day bingo fans are often made up of a female demographic (between the ages of twenty-five and fifty) as advertising makes clear and the study explains this aspect of the trend by examining online bingo as an excellent pastime for stay-at-home mothers and wives.

With online bingo being the most profitable area for online gambling in Britain now it seems that there is no real slowing to this trend in sight. The easy rules and relaxing style of play present in bingo aren’t going to change anytime soon and with internet options multiplying every day there are constant venues for UK fans to enjoy.

Tags: bingo

Although for many politicians the support of poker players may be the furthest demographic from their minds American presidential hopeful, Senator Barack Obama is proving that having the gamblers on his side may prove an enormous help. Due to Obama’s stance on US legislature concerning the game he is drumming up a lot of interest from the masses of poker enthusiasts across the nation.

Although Senator John McCain is also a fan of gambling he frequents craps tables while Obama has identified himself as a Texas Hold ‘Em and Seven-Card Stud buff. The Democrat also seeks an end to the illegality of certain poker games within the United States and hopes to offer restrictions rather than outright bans. The Poker Players for Obama maintain consistent blog postings on his website and even former die-hard Republican, Doyle Brunson has announced that his vote will go toward the Democratic candidate in November. Perhaps the most striking sign of support comes from the million strong Pokers Players Alliance as their number alone shows great potential for favorable voting.

Considering that McCain supports the Republican bid for banning internet poker many fans of the game see Obama as the only correct candidate if they wish to continue enjoying their hobby or livelihood online. Regardless of other policies and campaign promises, Obama’s stance on poker and personal regard for the game has gained him a strong following as US elections grow ever closer.

Tags: poker

California has long been one of the premier destinations for poker players across the world and in light of recent legal battles regarding the right to host money games or allow private card-game businesses, Poker Pro magazine has announced an eleven-issue series based on exploring the state legislature and gambling culture.

Beginning in September the notable publication will begin the massive undertaking and hope to educate many of their readers about the troubles facing the game in the Golden State. Currently, legislature only allows licensed card rooms, tribal casinos and private homes to host a game which effectively makes a large number of the population criminals unbeknownst to many of them. As recent pushes by concerned citizens grow the magazine focus may be coming at just the right time to create even further attention toward the cause. California is currently maintains the highest population in the United States and has always been a desirable poker locale for players across the globe.

Poker Pro Editor-in-Chief, John “Johnny Quads” Wenzel has stated that the series will aim to explore the issues at hand as fully as possible, hence the almost year-long examination. Aside from legal discussions, Poker Pro will also feature detailed guides toward the best venues and events around as they launch their extensive coverage this fall.

Tags: poker

The release of last week’s Sunday Times saw notable gambling company, Bet365 emerge as the 16th top private corporation within the UK. Bet’s high spot in the rankings is notable as a showing of the immense potential available for premier gambling corporations branching off and fully taking advantage of the booming online market.

Bet365 is among a number of companies which have made waves by successfully releasing online translations of their betting services. Since Bet365 established their website traffic and money has been high which has further allowed for expansion into the other enormous businesses of virtual casinos, poker and bingo. An internet iteration of the Bet365 franchise allowed the Stoke-On-Trent company to eventually branch out to 140 different nations (and a user-base of 1.5 million people). After the initial opening of the Bet365 website the company intelligently closed all physical shops to completely concentrate on their growing internet market in 2005.

The Sunday Times list sees Bet365 move from their position last year as 32nd in the top companies, ultimately demonstrating impressive growth and the prosperous state of the online gambling industry in general. The founder and owner of Bet365, Peter Coates is set to further increase his position with the future expansion of his other football betting group, Stoke City F.C..

Tags: News

We are happy to announce that the Findabet review of Everest Poker is now online and ready for you all to read.

Everest Poker maintains a reputation for being one of the best international sites in the business.

Their focus on providing service in an enormous number of languages makes the client a premier destination for many poker fans across the globe.

Feel free to read our review of Everest Poker or go straight ahead and play at Everest Poker.

Tags: poker

We have just released a document on the History of Craps here at Findabet.co.uk.

Craps is a very popular Casino game that involves dice, and it goes back a good few years. Craps is also a very popular game at Online Casinos and we would hope you find our article on the History of Craps useful.

Tags: casino, Craps

We are happy to announce that Findabet has been awarded the Member Site of the Month, for July, at the Gambling Portal Webmasters Association.

Findabet brings you the best reviews and news from the world of Online Poker, Online Casinos, Online Bingo, and Online Sports Betting.

We are happy to achieve this award and look forward to many more.

Tags: News

The recent and drastic arrival of summer in North America has seen a larger than average volume of gamblers heading for online poker sites in the last week. Combined with the already high fever of the excitement surrounding the World Series of Poker player traffic is set to climb even further.

Wass Poker, a part of the Merge Network recently launched their business into the intense competition of pre-existing and already established sites within the industry and was delighted to find that high temperatures and the WSOPs have meant a lot of attention. The new site launched on June 1st and found an audience hungry for more online play due to a desire for new forms of poker play and a reluctance to venture out into the heat. American players are usually unaccounted for by British poker sites but the spillover of air-conditioned card sharks should see the entire business benefiting overall by virtue of the heatwave.

UK and European Poker sites who allow North American players have also seen their player traffic soar in direct relation to heat and humidity across the ocean and clients can expect to see a continuation of this trend. As the summer kicks into full gear the online poker industry is set to profit from an exaggeration of the already busy season.

Tags: poker

The corporation behind the largest physical casino network in the UK, Genting International has finally announced plans to launch an online version of their services in order to stay competitive with fellow industry leaders. Genting’s upcoming CircusCasino is set to shake up the business by a heavily financed and well-managed new entry.

Genting International’s Managing Director, Justin Tan described the move as a strategic one which is no surprise considering that modern casino players are as drawn to their computers as any land-based business. The project will be headed up by Genting Stanley Alderney Ltd. and can be expected to offer a service that many existing fans will find desirable. Combining brand-based trust with storied years of experience in the physical casino industry, Genting International may have a hit on their hands by the time CircusCasino is fully ready for launch. The website directors have stated a dedication toward providing a service which seeks to emulate the fun and excitement of brick-and-mortar casino play from the comfort of home.

An online iteration of their service seemed inevitable and industry observers will be interested to watch exactly how well Genting manages to make the transition. Considering that the company owns forty-four clubs across Great Britain (including many esteemed brands and upper-class venues) there should be no shortage of finances put toward making CircusCasino a major internet player.

Tags: casino