Science Horizons

Located in Englands Gloucestershire county, there resting in the Cotswolds hills is a town known as Chipping Campden. The town was beginning to form some time before the thirteenth century as a market area. Chipping Campden itself translates to market valley with the fields. The word chipping supposedly originates from the old English word ceping meaning market or marketplace. The word Campden is accepted as being a Saxon word meaning valley with the fields. This is a fitting name.

The most famous landmarks in the town are the broad, long high street buildings. They are of unusual appearance all being a honey mustard yellow and having a terrace; nearly unbroken and in varying styles, wrapped around the whole of them. The high street buildings are all made from the same type of limestone which gives them their unique color. The limestone is a type of limestone that is referred to as oolitic and is quarried near Chipping Campden, which gives it the name Cotswold stone.

The town is also home to a few historical landmarks, such as the Saint James church which had ranked among the most beautiful churches of England in Simon Jenkins book Englands thousand best churches as well as being home to many extravagant tombs. In 1627 the ancient market hall of chipping campden was built by Sir Baptist Hicks with the purpose of creating a home for the local market.

This market area in the Cotswolds was beginning to merit itself a name in the early thirteenth century; it was earning the name Cepyne Caumpedene which translates to market campden. Chipping is a word that comes from the old English word ceping which means a market or a market place. The name picked up in popularity and the town continued to grow into its new title. People began raising sheep all around the cotswolds and then in Chipping campden the wool was sheered and sent to London, soon chipping campden was a town full of wealthy wool merchants in the middle ages.

There was a large migration of craftsmen in the early twentieth century, who decided to bring their crafts to the town. They were led by a man named C R Ashbee. The craftsmen moved into an old dilapidated silk mill and soon began the guild of Handicrafts.

Another event happening in the small town was being set in motion by a man named Lawrence Johnston. He was a self taught horticulturalist that found himself a home in the village at Hidcote Manor and laid roots that would remain with not only Chipping Campden for ever but with all of England as well. He began his garden project based on the idea of outdoor rooms made of flowers and trees and began working in 1907, he spent forty years finishing what is now considered to be one of the greatest gardens in England.

The Town Chipping Campden still stands strong and elegant as she has for many decades, even though the people who inhabit her are different and the shops that line her are new, she manages to retain the old time rustic feel that a historic town should.

For accommodation in Chipping Campden check this list of Chipping Campden hotels.

Frederick Hoymer Travel Travel, travel and leisure

Whether you have taken air flights for business, or vacations and holidays, you may have lost luggage or know someone that has. Here are a few travel tips that can help you reduce this risk.

It’s estimated that there are more than a million bags that are lost by the airlines each year in the U.S. alone. How many get lost in the whole world is anyone’s guess. Here are a few tips that may help you recover your bags if they should they get lost.

Attach two or three tags with your name, home address, and phone number to the handle and the zipper-pulls of each bag that you are checking. There is less of a chance that all of the tags could get torn off during transit. You should make sure that you have removed any old airline tags that are still attached to the luggage you’re checking as they could confuse the baggage handlers.

Be sure to place the same contact information, including a copy of your itinerary and your destination address inside each piece luggage. That way, if they do get lost and are found in time, they could be forwarded to your hotel.

Pick luggage with preferably a bright or odd color that will stand out among all black and brown bags. Know which brand name of the luggage that you are using and attach a small colorful scarf or ribbon to the handle to make identification easier. Stick decals or a contrasting colored tape to each side of the bags so they are easier to find as it goes around the carousel. Remember these details, or better still, take a digital photo of your luggage just before you go and bring it with you. This will help the lost luggage staff at the airport locate your bags if they get lost in transit and turn up at their office. It will also help if you do have to make a claim.

It helps to make a list of what you have in your luggage and carry that list in you carry-on bag. The chance of your luggage getting lost in transit increases dramatically when you have connecting, or delayed flights. Always pack all of your valuables, including your laptop or Blackberry, travel documents, prescriptions, etc., in your carry-on bag. It makes sense to pack only the things you can afford to lose in your checked baggage. Most analysts believe that the airline industry’s problem of lost luggage is not going to be resolved anytime soon.

What should you do if the airlines lose your luggage?

Go immediately to the baggage claim office and file your claim. Many airlines have a twenty-four hour window of time starting from when your flight arrives to file a claim and be eligible for compensation. Get a claim receipt and check the tracking of your luggage with the airline by phone, or on the airline’s website. Make sure you keep all your flight documents until the lost luggage problem has been resolved.

How can you guarantee that your luggage will not be lost by the airlines?

There are a number of companies like FedEx, DHL, or UPS, that will send your luggage in the United States, directly to your hotel or destination address for a very reasonable cost. If you are staying in a hotel or resort, your luggage will be taken to your room by a bellboy. When you consider that in the U.S. alone, over a million bags are lost by the airlines each year, this service may be well worth considering. If you are planning to travel by air to and from the countries inside Europe, First Luggage, at First Luggage.com, is one of the companies that can provide this service

To quickly get cheap flights and luxury cruises at really great discounts, whenever you want to enjoy a fantastic, fun-filled holiday, visit Travel Tips Guide for more information.

Dorothy Yamich 1 air flights, air travel, airline flights, airlines, business travel, charter flights, flights, flying, Holiday, Holidays, luggage, Travel, vacation, vacations

In the days when train travel was the standard means of transportation, luxury train travel was available to those with the money and time to enjoy it. Today, you don’t have to be rich or famous to experience the same time of luxurious appointments when traveling by rail. In Europe, North America, Australia and Asia you can choose private railway cars for your trip. The reason for the trip doesn’t have to be earth-shaking, some people choose a birthday, anniversary or business meeting with a unique location.

Private rail cars are available in various styles. The restored cars can date back to the 1900s, but the restored in everything from Victorian to the the 1950s. Typically, the cars provide nostalgia but are also exceptional in including all the comforts of a moving hotel suite.

Even though the railway cars are fully restored, they include the necessary amenities to make your travel by rail comfortable. Some cars have bedrooms and showers. You cay select from full kitchen facilities or a catered meal. Cocktails can be served in a lounge or a second-story viewing car. Listen to music on a CD or tape player. Maybe you would prefer television or a movie.

Another popular way to hold a conference or business meeting is by chartering a rail car with a fully appointed kitchen, complete with a chef who presides over the facilities. A group of executives can concentrate on the business at hand while enjoying food equivalent to a five-star kitchen. Think about holding your next business conference in a unique and exciting boardroom on the rails.

European travelers enjoy chartering a private railway car to get to a sports event as a group. They get the luxury of roomy accommodations and can add food and comfortable seating. Consider this option in the U. S. When you want to take your hometown fans to an away basketball or football game in another city.

How long do you have to spend in a private rail car? You can schedule a dinner trip that lasts an hour or two. All day trips or even overnight travel works well for a weekend jaunt or a business conference. If you are ready to go long distance, a family vacation in your own private railway car is a great way to see the country.

Perhaps the most well-known luxury train travel from history is a trip on the Orient Express. Whether or not you get a chance to make a similar trip, the idea of luxury in a train trip is intriguing. It may be echoed with trips today on railways around the globe.

Vacationing is a pleasure that all of us love to do. We normally will go by airplane to an exotic destination but have you ever thought of luxury train travel? We’ve got the ultimate inside scoop on Rovos The St James Guest House

Neil Ryberg 1 luxury train travel, Rovos Rail The Train, rovos train, Rovos Train On Board, train, train travel, Travel

If you’re thinking about a self drive holiday to France never forget to take the necessary papers along with you in case you get stopped by the French police. It is not unusual for police in France to set up random road checks to make sure people are driving lawfully.

An official ID card, papers confirming car ownership, insurance papers and driving license are the proofs which should be produced to the police if asked to during driving in France. Car crimes in France is a growing menace and so the periodical checks.

Passport or a national card can be shown as the proof of identity. A period of one year from your entrance into the country is the validity period for the foreign driving licenses which are also accepted. Grey card or ‘cart gris’ and the green card or ‘cart vert’ are the documents supporting car ownership and insurance respectively.

Make sure you get both of these from the former holder if you’re buying a pre-owned car in France. Anyone caught driving in France without these papers is subject to an instant fine at the preference of the police officer involved.

Keep Photocopies of these car related papers and do not ever place them anywhere in the car so that they could be found by others. This is because of the fact that the thefts related to car are ever increasing in France and take care you should not fall a prey to these thefts. Besides you should not be caught by the police in France.

While driving in France, remember that you are outside your own country and the rules certainly are dissimilar. For instance it is a traffic error in France if you turn right at red light, while it is legal in the US. Otherwise it should be a pleasant experience for the drivers on the roads of France.

While driving in France be especially aware of the fact that all drivers coming from the right have priority. This is irrespective of the sizes of the two roads and even applies on T junctions. French drivers are accustomed to this so will often pull out of smaller paths onto busy main roads expecting you to slow down. The exception to this rule in France is when you are on traffic circles. In such cases preference goes to the person already on the circle.

50km p/h is the speed limit permitted in the built up roads of France. Do not exceed this limit and decelerate further when you are driving on busy roads. A white sign with red borders containing the name of the place in black indicates that you are entering a built up area. Similarly you can accelerate once you leave the built up area indicated by the same sign with a red diagonal line.

130 km p/h is the speed allowed on auto routes in France which are the largest motorways. The speed permitted on dual carriageways is of course 110km p/h where the limit is 90km p/h while driving on smaller district highways. These speed limits are not to be displayed on the roads and this is a defect and hence you are supposed to be conscious of these rules.

Motorway driving in France is generally a manageable experience. If you are unsure, then you might be interested in looking at alternatives such as Trains in France.

Pierre Fontaine 1 cars, Entertainment, europe, Family, France, Health, sport, transport, Travel

Peter Pan’s father came from Dumfries – Dumfries and Galloway

Burns died in Dumfries, July 21, 1796, after a lifetime of ill health caused by childhood malnutrition and poverty. His work, however, left a lasting legacy that led to the founding of the Burns Howff Club in 1889. Established at the Globe Inn, Burns’ favorite “howff” (“house”), the club includes a program of events developed to encourage Robert Burns enthusiasm among children. The club also works to promote Robert Burns, Dumfries and the historic value of the contribution of Robert Burns to Scotland’s national heritage.

In fact, during Scotland’s “Homecoming” in 2009, Dumfries celebrated the 250th birthday of Robert Burns on January 25, 2009, with “Burns Light.” The event involved lantern processions through Dumfries that met at the Whitesands for live entertainment. The program featured a spectacular fire show centered on a wicker sculpture of Tam O’Shanter, the central figure of Burns’ epic poem of the same name that was considered his finest work.

J. M. Barrie’s relationship to Dumfries is only one of the many surprises awaiting visitors to this charming city in southwest Scotland and its surrounding countryside. The region is known for an impressive combination of agriculture, woodlands, light industry and tourism. Dumfries and Galloway offer many splendid opportunities for walking, hiking, cycling, fishing and other outdoor pursuits as well as local history with global connections. What’s more, the residents are a well-read lot quite versed in local lore.

For instance, the Rev. Henry Duncan founded the world’s first savings bank at Ruthwell in 1810. The site is now a museum. Not far way, Britain’s oldest working post office sits in Sanq’uhar, dating back to 1763. The region of Dumfries and Galloway can even lay claim to being the site of Scotland’s first Christian Church. Candida Casa was founded at Whithorn around AD 400, with St. Ninian as the first bishop.

Another Dumfries inventor was Patrick Millar of Dalswinton. He designed the “Carronade, ” an armament that later helped repel the French Navy. Millar also introduced the threshing mill and drill plough to Scotland.

Speaking of military machines, the world’s first submarine was made in a factory at N. E. 1, Cochrane, Newbie, near Annan in the region. And while we’re underwater, let’s not overlook the contribution of James Anderson of Dumfries, who was the first man to lay transatlantic cables in 1866. On top of the water, Dalswinton Loch near Dumfries was the site of the world’s first steamboat voyage in 1788. Scotland’s famed bard Robert Burns was reputed to have been a passenger on the vessel’s lone voyage.

The best way to see these sights and more around Dumfries and Galloway is to avail oneself of the many charming accommodations around the region. There are dozens of bed and breakfast inns, guesthouses and first-rate hotels waiting to welcome weary travelers. Any of these inns would make a fine base from which to strike out by car, bicycle or on foot to savor the natural pleasures and manmade achievements of the region around Dumfries and Galloway.

Discover your next hotel in Dumfries or select somewhere to stay from these UK hotels

Frederick Hoymer Travel Travel, travel and leisure

The Mapes Hotel in Reno, Nevada met its demise on Superbowl Sunday of 2000 when 75 pounds of explosives packed inside the structure’s support columns brought it to the ground. The controlled demolition came despite years of effort by a number of groups within the community to preserve the building with lawsuits, redevelopment proposals, and grass roots lobbying efforts. The National Turst for Historic Preservation even took up the cause, challenging the destruction in a lawsuit that eventually reached the Nevada Supreme Court.

While the efficacy and justification of demolishing the Mapes is debatable, one thing that is not is the glorious history of the hotel. It was built in’47, and signaled the start of the modern era of casino gambling. Despite the notoriety of Bugsy Siegel and the Flamingo in Las Vegas, it was the Mapes that became the first building in the nation to have a hotel, casino and live entertainment under one roof. It also became the hotel of choice for celebrities staying in Northern Nevada. Clark Gable and Marilyn Monroe stayed at The Mapes during the filming of ‘The Misfits’. Joseph McCarthy, America’s famed anti-Communist crusader, admitted to a reporter over cocktails in the Mapes Lounge that he really didn’t have a list of Communists in the US despite his frequent and vitriolic insistence to the contrary.

In the 50s and 60s it became, along with Lake Tahoes Cal-Neva Lodge the place to be seen in Northern Nevada. The top floor, window-walled Sky Room showcased performances by the legends: Sinatra, Louis Prima, Mae West, Milton Berle, Sammy Davis, Jr., and the Marx Brothers among others. Subsequent years were not kind to downtown Reno but the Mapes prospered during the 60’s and 70’s. The hotel finally closed in’82, due more to financial difficulties experienced by the Mapes family caused by one of their other Northern Nevada gaming properties than anything else.

Reno never experienced the massive growth that occurred in Las Vegas and southern Nevada, and for that reason the destruction of the Mapes is more open to debate than the hotel demolitions to the south. Even the demolition of The Sands–perhaps the most historically significant casino in the state–is hard to argue against given the inability of such a small property to compete in the current Las Vegas marketplace and in light of the value of the mid-strip real estate. The old properties may have historic value to pop culture historians, but their survival doesn’t make economic sense. They’re simply ‘analog players in a digital world’.

This is not the case in Reno, where land and buildings for development in virtually every casino area are abundant. The official reason that the Mapes had to come down was that the city needed the land–which sits along the banks of the Truckee River–to expand its riverside district of art galleries, restaurants and shops. The revitalization of downtown Reno is definitely needed and a legitimate goal, but at the same time it is hard to think that the Mapes was a barrier to this. Indeed, a number of proposals for redevelopment including office space, artists lofts and upscale senior housing would have probably served to enhance the livability of the downtown area. For whatever reason, the City Redevelopment Authority wouldn’t approve any of the proposals and the fate of the Mapes was sealed.

The role of the City Redevelopment Authority was questioned throughout the process. Overlooking the Truckee River, the hotel was on a prime location between the downtown casino area and the riverfront district. A number of sound financial proposals were presented that would preserve the integrity of the structure including condominiums, office space, and perhaps most viable, upscale senior apartments. Oddly, all of these proposals were turned down by the citys Redevelopment Agency which continued to maintain that demolition was the only viable option despite copious evidence to the contrary.

After the demolition of The Mapes Hotel, the lot remained vacant for almost a year until a temporary ice skating rink was constructed in the winter of 2001. The site now houses a permanent ice skating rink which, while not a bad use for the land, brings into question the insistence by the City Redevelopment Agency that none of the proposals to preserve the building were viable. Clearly, they had no specific plan or even general idea of what to do with the land but for some reason wanted to see the hotel come down. This has led to all manner of speculation, ranging from financial self interest to a rumor that the structure was ‘haunted’ and needed to be destroyed to forestall future paranormal activity in Washoe County. Whatever the reason, the city of Reno lost a valuable landmark of a more civilized era.

Ross Everett is a widely published widely published freelance sports writer and respected authority on sports betting odds comparison. He writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sportsbooks and betting odds portal sites. He lives in Northern Nevada with three Jack Russell Terriers and a kangaroo. He is currently working on an autobiography of former energy secretary Donald Hodell.

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If you can’t afford travel insurance then you can’t afford to travel. With the market of travel insurance being so competitive and the costs regularly reviewed and improved, what has always been a necessity when travelling can now be viewed in a pleasant light and no longer considered as a burden for the average traveler and holiday-maker. It is liberating to know that, just in case you’re out of luck, most traumatic events while travelling can be remedied or assisted by the cover you purchase before you leave. This far outweighs the disappointment of wishing you had spent a little extra on travel insurance. The potential risks encountered when travelling or leaving home for a length of time with only a few bags to hold your previous belongings can be daunting especially when you are surrounded by strangers who do not speak your language!

When buying travel insurance remember that the policy wording can be very involved and specific and underwriters are quick to refuse payment should your policy not cover even a single aspect of your insurance claim. There are certain precautions you need to take to ensure that any travel insurance claim you may have will be paid out and these are standard precautions that should keep you and your belongings safer in any case.

These are some of the mistakes that might render you unworthy of a claim: having a different name on your travel documents to those on your passport (for example if you still have your passport in your maiden name and have booked your flight in your married name); not getting a police report to back up your claim; injury incurred while under the influence of alcohol and leaving baggage unattended in a case of theft.

Something that’s even more important than getting travel insurance is making sure that you purchase the correct policy and you understand exactly what is and is not covered in your policy. Do not hesitate to voice any queries and always read your policy wording carefully before purchasing your travel insurance. You will find countless reviews online sent in by holiday makers who have lost money because they either didn’t have insurance to start with or neglected to familiarise themselves with the fine print on their policy meaning they thought they were covered in certain situations when in fact they were not.

Travel Insurance today is affordable and reassuring but the traveler must take time to understand what they have purchased. The potential risks encountered when travelling or leaving home for a length of time with only a few bags to hold your previous belongings can be daunting especially when you are surrounded by strangers who do not speak your language! Always consider buying travel insurance for your travels, whether international or domestic.

Before you purchase your cheap travel insurance on the internet, check out our competitive and reliable travel insurance packages.

Roc Selly Insurance backpacker, backpacker insurance, competitive travel insurance, explore, gap year, Holidays, Insurance, Travel, travel insurance, Travel Tips

After a controversial no contest in their first matchup, there was no doubt as to the winner of the DREAM 2 rematch between Shina Aoki and JZ Calvan. Aoki controlled the fight from the opening bell and used a wide repertoire of submission attempts to keep his opponent off balance and on the defensive.

Aoki scored early with a takedown and controlled Calvan on the ground, working a heel lock attempt before taking his opponents back and attempting a rear naked choke. In the second, Aoki put on a submission clinic and demonstrated his ungodly flexibility as he spun from an armbar to a triangle choke and back again. Calvan was able to counter or escape, but looked completely out of sync as he generated almost no offense whatsoever over the 15 minutes.

Aoki was very emotional in his postfight speech to the crowd, while JZC just looked disgusted with himself for losing such a one sided contest. JZC had grumbled about the no-contest in their DREAM 1 matchup, and the one sided decision made this an even more bitter pill to swallow.

With the victory Aoki advances to the semifinals of the lightweight GP tournament. Thats the plan at least, as Aoki made some statements in the Japanese press leading up to the fight that win or lose there would be no way hed be ready for the next round with only half the preparation time as the rest of the field.

The rest of the card was devoted to the opening round of the middleweight GP tournament. Taiei Kin defeated Minowa-man Ikuhisa Minowa in a very closely contested and entertaining fight. Minowa was clearly tired in the 2nd, and that likely sealed the deal for Kin.

Korean judoka Yoon Dong-Sik also advanced with a unanimous decision victory over Shungo Oyama. Most of the damage in this fight came from Yoons ground and pound from full mount, and he controlled the tempo from the outset. Two one sided contests followed, with Zeleg Galesic submitting Magomed Sultanakhmadov via arm bar in a minute and a half of the first round. That was followed by the MMA debut of former Pac 10 wrestling standout Ian Murphy, who had a worst case scenario draw against BJJ specialist Ronaldo Jacare. From the opening bell it was clear that Murphy was in over his head, and the result was as one sided a contest as youll ever seen on a major MMA show. After withstanding a beating and several arm bar attempts Murphy finally tapped to a rear naked choke.

Ross Everett is a freelance sports writer and respected authority on sports betting odds comparison. He writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sports news and betting odds portal sites. He lives in Las Vegas with three Jack Russell Terriers and a kangaroo. He is currently working on an autobiography of former energy secretary Donald Hodell.

Ross Everett Sports dream, Entertainment, Hobbies, leisure, mixed martial arts, recreation, reference, Sports, Travel, ufc

Though it is sometimes overshadowed by more famous tracks back East like Churchill downs and Belmont Park, Del Mar Racetrack in Southern California has a rich and fascinating history. Located 20 miles north of San Diego and known for its iconic slogan “Where The Surf Meets the Turf”, Del Mar has not only hosted the best horses and jockeys on the planet but a ‘who’s who’ of show biz elite.

The Del Mar Thoroughbred Club was founded by a group of well heeled enthusiasts in the mid’30s, and they immediately turned their attention to building a world class horse racing venue. The names that were instrumental in the creation of Del Mar include a whos who of American entertainment–most notably Bing Crosby, Oliver Hardy (of Laurel and Hardy) and Jimmy Durante. At the time the facility opened thoroughbred horse racing was the second most popular sport in America behind major league baseball, and Del Mar quickly gained a reputation for being a player in the industry.

The show biz legends that have been Del Mar regulars could fill a book. Bing Crosby was one of catalysts behind the building of the facility, and he personally greeted guests on opening day. During the late 30’s/early 40’s it hosted stars such as W.C. Fields, Edgar Bergen, Red Skelton, Ava Gardner and Paulette Goddard.

In’38, Del Mar hosted an internationally anticipated match race between Seabiscuit and Ligaroti. This event drew a record crowd and gained worldwide notoriety for the track. Seabiscuit won the $25,000 winner-take-all duel by a nose, and would forever be enshrined in the annals of American popular culture. Horse racing at Del Mar continued to be a smash until the facility went dark in’41 due to World War II. It would remain closed until’45, and for a time was used as a training facility by the military.

After the war, Del Mar reopened with a bang. Following the surrender of Japan, President Harry S. Truman declared a national holiday for August 15,’45 and on that day Del Mar attracted over 20,000 fans through its gates who wagered what at the time was a record $958,476. The postwar prosperity was also a boon to Del Mar, which also benefitted from the Santa Fe Railroads daily Racetrack Special that brought bettors down from Los Angeles to enjoy a day at the track. During the latter part of the decade a new crop of Hollywood glitterati would flock to Del Mar, including Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, Mickey Rooney and Jimmy Durante. Durante would become such a regular that the turf course at Del Mar would later be renamed in his honor.

Del Mar remains a viable part of the thoroughbred community to this day. Theyve updated their facility, with a state of the art grand stand and most recently a synthetic polytrack surface that was installed in 2007. The racing season at Del Mar begins in mid July, and hosts crowds of 20,000+ on a daily basis throughout.

Ross Everett is a freelance sports writer and respected authority on sports betting odds comparison. He writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sportsbooks and betting odds portal sites. He lives in Las Vegas, Nevada with three Jack Russell Terriers and an emu. He is currently working on an autobiography of former interior secretary James Watt.

Ross Everett Sports celebrities, Entertainment, History, horse racing, leisure, recreation, reference, Sports, Travel

Sports betting futures wagers can be an entertaining and profitable investment, but there are a number of pitfalls. These are some things to avoid:

Search for the best price: A common mistake is to assume that the price on a specific futures wager position will be the same at every sportsbook. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, you’ll often see a greater degree of difference between futures prices from book to book than any other form of bet. This is because that books aren’t as worried about what price other outfits are offering as they are about keeping their own financial position balanced.

Don’t fixate on picking the winner from a competitive field: This may sound like strange advice, but from a theoretical standpoint it makes perfect sense. As with every other element of sport wagering its crucial to always focus not on winners and losers, but on the value you’re getting on individual bets. For example, in most years there are several teams with a realistic shot of winning at the start of the NCAA basketball tournament. The problem is that these top teams invariably offer low paybacks that are less than their ‘true odds’ of winning. Every team is subject to the same variables like injuries, slumps, bad matchups but backing teams that are ‘under the radar’ at higher prices offer more compensation for these ‘risks’.

In mathematical terms, we’re simply not being offered odds on a favorite that offer a good value in comparison with the ‘true odds’ of the event occurring. Let’s say we bet Duke at +200 to win the NCAA tournament. If we could magically play the NCAA tournament over 100 times, would Duke come out on top more than 33 times? If not, they’re a poor value at the price. At a higher price, I might be interested but at +200 the value is simply not there.

In a less competitive field, there can be instances where even a big favorite is a good value. For example, lets say a book was to take action on a bikini contest between a Victoria’s Secret supermodel and three members of the Pittsburgh Penguins. The model would essentially be a 100% probability to win the contest, meaning that even a high chalk price would be a good value. Risking a lot of money to win a little is a tough thing to justify, however, even if the math makes sense.

Don’t try to make a huge profit with little risk: Sports betting provides few opportunities to make a ‘big killing’. It may happen occasionally, but even the big payouts when it occurs doesn’t make chasing big longshots a good value. If you’re serious about sports betting it is crucial to maintain your focus on the underlying numbers and look for value at all times. If you want to take a longshot at a huge jackpot, play the lottery but don’t try to do it at a sportsbook.

Wagering value is just as important at the bottom of the barrel as it is at the top. Just because you’re getting a huge potential payback on a big dog doesn’t make it a good value. Make sure that the payback you’re getting presents an overlay situation–even on a huge underdog.

Don’t bet one sided props: Sometimes sports books will offer silly bets just to get publicity or in some cases just to be funny. While there may be life on other planets, the ‘true odds’ of a Martian being named to President Obama’s cabinet wouldn’t justify a +5000 line that it would occur.

Ross Everett is a freelance sports writer and highly respected authority on sports betting odds comparison. He writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sports news and betting odds portal sites. He lives in Las Vegas with three Jack Russell Terriers and an emu. He is currently working on an autobiography of former interior secretary James Watt.

Ross Everett Sports Entertainment, Finance, Gambling, Hobbies, Marketing, recreation, reference, Sports, sports betting, Travel