Deutsche Bank Championship Odds & Betting Tips

The Fed Ex Cup is down to 100 players this week as the tour heads to Boston for the Deutsche Bank Championship. Tiger Woods had 2 good rounds last week and heads the betting but there are value odds available as ever. Genie is here with his weekly golf betting tips guide.

Key Betting Information

The event takes place at the TPC Boston and has done since its inception in 2003. Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Steve Stricker and Adam Scott are the former winners in the field. The course is a par 71 and is 7,214 yards long. It was shortened by Brad Faxon by 200 yards 2 years ago. There is a 600 yard par 5 and a 485 yard par 4 but otherwise not being the longest of hitters should not affect your chances greatly.

Most bookmakers are paying a quarter the odds for the top 5 places.

Players To Watch

Tiger is slowly coming back to form but his inconsistency is still to great to consider the 8/1 on offer. Phil Mickelson is really struggling of late also.

Let’s move our attention to Jeff Overton. 5 top 3 finishes on tour this year have shown that this guy is the real deal. He underwhelmed last week at the Barlclays and at the PGA Championship. Jeff is available at juicy odds of 70/1 with Bet365 and Victor Chandler. Give Jeff a mid range iron and you won’t find many more accurate. Jeff ranks 3rd on tour in 2010 for ‘Par 4 birdie or better’ ranking. He is 7th on the money ranking list for 2010 despite not having a win to his name.

Genie’s second betting tip this weekend is Nick Watney. Probably the silkiest putting stroke on tour and we are looking at a player who has been in excellent form of late. A bad day at the office on the final day of the PGA Championship can be forgiven and let’s just hope it won’t happen again. Watney is available at odds of 60/1 with Paddy Power and is strongly fancied to contend this weekend.

Accuracy and good putting is the order of the day on this course and 2 Englishmen tick both boxes. Ian Poulter and Luke Donald showed glimpses of their promise last Sunday and expect the birdiefest to continue. Donald is the more consistent performer of the 2 and is having a fantastically consistent season. He has had his share of leaderboard time this year and is worth a look in the e/w market at 50/1. The 80/1 available on Poulter from Ladbrokes has turned my head here. Poults is starting to look like his old self after a poor Summer.

Jeremy Chapman Tips

Jeremy Chapman’s golf betting tips for the Deutsche Bank Champiosnhip are:

Tiger Woods 3pts @ 8/1 – PP, Bet365, Lads, VC Bet & Will Hill.

Dustin Johnson 1pt e/w @ 20/1 Bet 365.

Steve Stricker 1pt e/w @ 12/1 – General.

Angel Cabrera 0.5pt e/w @ 66/1 General.

Justin Rose 0.5pt e/w @ 66/1 Stan James.

Steve Palmer Tips

Steve Palmer’s didn’t publish any golf betting tips this week.

Betting Tips Summary

Genie is proposing a mixed bag of golf betting tips to perform well this weekend at the Deutsche Bank Championship. Odds are quite high but these players are primed to make a good run at victory.

€15 e/w on Jeff Overton at 70/1 with Bet365

€15e/w on Nick Watney at 60/1 with Paddy Power

€10 e/w Ian Poulter at 80/1 with Ladbrokes

€10 e/w on Luke Donald at 50/1 with Bet365

Check out the free bets available from the top online betting firms below. Claim your online betting sign-up bonus today.

Current Free Bet Offers

Open De France Odds & Betting Tips

This week Genie is turning his focus to Europe, specifically the Open De France from Le Golf National Golf Club near Paris. It is a strong European field but, as ever, Genie has fould some value in the betting. For a list of betting odds and free bets on the golf this weekend check out the tables below.

Betting Tips

The  event has taken place at Le Golf National course since 2002. We’ve had our share of surpirise winners with names like English trio Philip Golding, John Bickerton and Malcolm MacKenzie lifting the trophy.

Another Englishman who will be keen to do well this week is Ian Poulter. Having shown a glimmer of a return to form in the first couple of rounds of the US Open Genie thinks that Poults should do well in Paris this week. The course is no walkover and Poulter’s exceptionaly straight ball striking and solid putting will represent a significant advantage ofver most other runners.

Poulter has course form here, having finished 3rd, 9th, 30th and 3rd in is 4 appearance since 2006. He is a player that is improving with each passing year and he likes this course. The 28/1 available from Bet365 will offer you a good run for your money.

Another who deserves respect in the each-way betting is Soren Hansen. He has somewhat struggled with his game at times this season but having finished inside the top ten here in 4 of the past 5 appearances Hansen is worth a look in the each-way market at 40/1 with Paddy Power or William Hill.

Betting Tips Summary

For a quick revision of our golf betting tips for the Open De France here we go. For a €100 staking plan this week Genie is suggesting:

€70 on Ian Poulter at 28/1 with Bet365

€15 e/w on Soren Hansen at 40/1 with Paddy Power

The below table highlights the free bet sign up offers currently available with the top online betting companies.

Current Free Bet Offers

Best Irish Bookmakers

There are several renowned high street Irish bookies and most are now trying their hand at offering online betting. Irishness and betting are synonymous so it follows that Irish Bookmakers are among those challenging for market share in the, still relatively new, phenomenon of online bookies.

Guide to Irish Bookies

Paddy Power were first to market and are reaping the rewards of their boldness, heading the market with more than 4 times the business of all other Irish bookmakers combined.

Boylesports, with their impressive retail estate of 140 shops, have made some impressive online strides in recent years and will be hoping that a new website helps them to grow their market share.

Celtic Bookmakers, have the next biggest in terms of retail estate but they have no online offering worth speaking of; preferring to rely on their resource heavy call centre.

BetPack.com represents a joint effort by bookmakers Tully, Bambury, Hacketts, Mulholland, Terry Rogers and Track to compete with the other 2 main players in the market. They have just recently set up a white label website supplied by British bookmaker, Stan James. Marketing thus far has been done through the shops only but time will tell if they are willing to splash a bit more of the cash to really get their teeth into a hyper competitive market.

BetChronicle.com is the online representation for Chronicle bookmakers and act more as a Betdaq tracker rather than a traditional fixed odds bookmaker. Both Betdaq and Chronicle are owned by a certain Mr Dermot Desmond.

Betting with Irish Bookies

If you are new to online betting then we suggest that you sign up to Irish bookies, or any bookmaker, who is willing to offer you the best deal in terms of free bets for signing up. It is often advantageous to open several accounts so that you can shop around for the best odds available.

Current Free Bet Offers

Online Bookies and free bets guide

Knowing which online bookie to use is an important point of note for any punter.  As there are many to choose from this might seem like a daunting task. To help make your job of selecting a bookmaker easier Genie will be rating a number of online bookies and keeping track of each of their sign up offers.We’ll also provide the best free bets avaialable relating to each of our bookmaker partners.

A couple of points to note when selecting which bookmaker to use are the following:

• Customer service: It is essential that all online bookies should have an excellent quality of customer service. As with all online services there should be an offline form of contacting customer services. All our selected partners have a live chat facility and call centre to ensure transparency and immediate action for customers.
• Sign up offers: There is no point signing up to an online bookmaker if they do not offer you an initial bonus or free bet. Simply put, if you are not offered a sign up offer then you shouldn’t sign up as there is better value to be had elsewhere.
• Generous odds: As the online betting industry has become increasingly competitive, many bookies offer enhanced odds, moneyback specials and generous odds on certain markets. This is something that is not necessarily offered by traditional bookmakers. When selecting which online bookie to use it is important to select one that provides value for your money.

Current reccomended online bookies and their free bet offers are highlighted below

Current Free Bet Offers

Blakjack Betting Guide

Blackjack is a game of skill; when played properly it can result in the lowest house edge game. This is because Blackjack gives players too many advantages. Good players can gain an advantage over the Casino or “house” with the right information and strategy. However, bad Blackjack players are the reason that Blackjack is the most profitable of all casino table games.

Basic Blackjack rules

Blackjack can be played using one or more decks of standard playing cards. Players should not be concerned with the suit of the cards, as the card suit does not mean anything. Card value or rank is more important.

Blackjack is mainly about the number 21. Players play against a dealer to try and gain a hand that is closer in value to 21 but not over that amount otherwise they will forfeit their bet or “go bust”. Throughout the game players have the opportunity to “hit” or “stand” in order to try and gain a better hand than the dealer. To “hit” means that a player takes an additional card while to “stand” means that the player refuses to take an additional card. Once a player is finished hitting or has chosen to stand, it is the dealer’s turn to complete their hand. Unless otherwise stated, the rules require the dealer to hit on a sixteen or less and stand on a seventeen or more. The one exception to this is if the dealer has an ace and a six, which is referred to as a “soft seventeen”.

The dealer will finally compare their hand with the player’s hand.

• If neither hand has gone bust, then the highest total wins.
• If neither hand has gone bust and both hands are tied, this is called a push. This means that no money changes hands.
• If the player has gone bust then the player loses and the money is forfeit. The dealer’s hand is irrelevant to the player.
• If the dealer goes bust and the player has not busted then the player is the winner.
• If a player gets a natural, or blackjack¸ this generally pays 3:2 meaning for each $10 staked the player will get $15.

Blackjack card values

• Cards ranked from 2 to 10 are counted at the card number value.
• Picture cards (Jacks, Queens and Kings) are counted as 10.
• Aces can either be 1 or 11 (whichever the player prefers)
• Blackjack: A combination of a card valued at 10 and an ace. This hand will either win or be tied but will not be beaten.

A player with a hand less than 21 can ask for additional cards. This is called a “hit”. However, if a player exceeds 21 then they automatically lose, or “go bust”.

Playing Blackjack

Blackjack is played at a table like the one below.The most important rules are always printed on the table. You can generally find additional rules on an upright card on or behind the table. Most casinos use multiple deck games but some also offer single-deck games where the dealer actually holds the deck as they deal the cards. In multiple-deck games four to eight decks of cards are stored in a box called a “shoe”.

Blackjack Table

Players are dealt cards face down in a single-deck game or face up in a multiple-deck game. Either way the chances of winning are the same. When dealt face-up players are not allowed to touch the cards.

To start the game the dealer deals the cards from the shoe to the first player on their left and any other players that are playing. The dealer will then deal one card face-up to themselves. A second card will then be dealt to each player and the dealer will then receive another card face-down this time. This is called the “hole card”.

As players can only see one of the dealer’s cards they must decide to “hit” or “stand” in order to get closer to 21 than the dealer.

How to hit or stand

If playing Blackjack in a casino it is important to give clear clues to the dealer as to how you want to play. Generally if a player wants to take an additional card they should tap on the table to demonstrate this. If a player wants to stand then they should wave their hand when it is their turn. Playing online requires no such effort!

Insurance in Blackjack

The question of the hole card will be important if the dealer’s up-card is an ace. This is the case as players lose if the dealer has a natural and they don’t. In this case some players choose to take insurance against a dealer blackjack when the dealer shows an ace. Insurance is generally an additional bet of one-half of the original stake. Insurance pays 2:1 when the dealer has a natural. If the dealer doesn’t have a natural then the player loses their insurance bet.

Genie says:

Insurance might sound tempting but it’s generally best avoided and should be regarded as a bad bet. The probability of the dealer having a ten under their ace is approximately 31% and yet this only pays out at 2 to 1. All in all, this gives the house an edge of about 7%…..in short, avoid insurance! Once instance where you may want to take insurance would be if you have a natural. In this instance a 1:1 payout is guaranteed.

Hitting, Standing, Doubling or Splitting

The majority of dealers’ hands will not be naturals, so players will have the opportunity to either ask for additional cards (hit) or to refuse them (stand).

Another variation of a hit is called double down. A double down requires an additional bet of an amount normally equal to your original wager. You put the chips next to your original stake and the dealer will give you exactly one more card. You cannot hit further on that card in most cases.

If a players hand is made up of a pair (A, A; 10,10, etc) a player can then split these cards for an additional wager giving the player two hands. The player will then have to play the hands separately.

Genie says: Some casinos restrict re-splitting and doubling on splits so make sure to check the rules before you play! If you’re playing online you can normally check the rules by checking the game information or help files within each game. Most casinos require that you can only get one extra card on split aces.

The dealer’s hand in Blackjack

If a player doesn’t go bust, it is then up to the dealer to beat them by bettering their card value. The dealer will turn their hole card and draw according to the rules. Some casinos require the dealer to hit a soft 17 (Ace and a six) but this will be stated either on the table or in the additional table rules.

Surrendering

Some casinos will allow a player to take back half their bet and forfeit the rest if their initial hand seems hopeless. This term for this is to surrender and it is usually restricted to situations when the dealer doesn’t have a natural. This option is generally unavailable when playing online!

Genie’s summary:

• 21, 21, 21, that’s what Blackjack is about. Compete with the dealer to get a hand that is closer to 21 but not over that.
• Getting an extra card is called a hit, refusing cards is called a stand. Try not to go over 21 or you’ll go bust!
• Give the dealer visual cues if playing in a live casino. If playing online, no need to worry!
• Double down if a positive situation comes your way (see the strategy guide for this)!
• You can split when your original hand has two cards of equal point value.
• You can surrender if your initial hand seems hopeless.

Blackjack house edge and probability

Probability is hugely important in Blackjack as an effective Blackjack strategy is based on being able to predict certain outcomes based on the probability of that outcome occurring. Blackjack strategy is entirely about the cards in the deck. With Blackjack, the typical advantage is 1% or less when it’s pushed to the player’s side. However, this can also swing to a Casino or house edge of around 5%. Using basic Blackjack strategy without card counting, the house edge is generally reduced to .50%. With card counting techniques, this edge can be reversed to a player advantage of 1%. Despite this fact, Blackjack remains a highly profitable game for Casinos because the vast majority of players are unaware of the optimal strategy that they should use.

Genie says: Remember that by using the optimal strategy you will have a better chance against the house and over time will win more than you would without using optimal strategy. While having the edge doesn’t automatically mean that you’ll win the bet, it does guarantee that you’ll have an advantage every time you place your bet.

Find out more in our Basic Blackjack Strategy Guide!

How to play Baccarat

Baccarat is a popular Casino game that is often associated with Casino High Rollers. This is despite the fact that it is one of the easiest Casino games to play and is as simple as betting on Red or Black in Roulette! Baccarat is usually played in a separate Casino area on a playing table that is roughly the size of a craps table and occupies three casino dealers and up to about 14 players.

Baccarat rules

To play Baccarat two hands are dealt and the player decides which one will win. The object of the game is to have a hand total that is closer to 8 or 9 than the opponent’s hand. There are three possible outcomes that a player can choose to bet on. These two most likely outcomes are to bet on either the banker or the player. The third and less likely outcome is to bet on a standoff (a tie).

Each player will be dealt a minimum of two cards and a maximum of three cards from a six-deck or eight-deck shoe. The card suits are of no concern.  Each face card or 10 has no value while cards less than 10 are counted at face value. Aces are valued at 1. In Baccarat single digit values are important. If a player receives cards that total double digits then the first digit is dropped, e.g. 25 is counted as 5 or 16 is counted as 6.

To start the game players must place a bet on the banker, player or a standoff. Two cards are dealt to each player and the banker. The object is to bet on the hand that you believe will have the highest total value. If any hand has a total of 8 or 9 then it is called a “Natural” and no further cards will be dealt. If it isn’t a natural then the game must play out and the players must take a third card where they are obliged to do so. The rules for taking a third card are defined by standard Casino rules that oblige both the player and the banker to take a third card.

Once dealing is finished, the hand with the highest total wins. Losing bets are collected first and then winning bets are paid out.

Player’s third card rule

• When the player or the bank’s cards total of 8 or 9 on the first two cards then no further cards are drawn. This is called a natural and the hand is over.
• When the player’s hand totals 6 or 7 then the player must stand.
• When the player’s total is less than or equal to 5 the player’s will have to draw a third card.
• When the player doesn’t have to draw a third card then the bank must stand on 6 or above and take a third card on a total of 5 or less. If the player does take a third card then the Bank’s third card rule below comes into play.

Bank’s third card rule

• This comes into play when a player takes a third card

• If the bank’s total is 7 then the bank will stand.
• If the bank’s total is less than or equal to 2, then the bank must draw another card, regardless of the player’s third card value.
• If the bank’s total is equal to 3, then the bank must draw a third card, unless the third card that the player drew was an 8.
• If the bank’s total is 4 then the bank will have to draws a third card unless the player’s third card was a 0, 1, 8, or 9.
• If the bank’s total is 5 then the bank must draw a third card when the player’s third card is 4, 5, 6, or 7.
• If the bank’s total is a 6, then the bank must draw a third card if the player’s third card is a 6 or 7.

Baccarat card value table

Baccarat History

Some players like to know the past outcomes before choosing whether to bet on the bank or player. Generally this is indicated on a screen where “B” indicates a win for the bank, “P” indicates a win for the player and “-“ indicates a standoff. These are also displayed in consecutive rows until a new winning streak is started. A tie will be considered part of the same winning streak and will be displayed in the same row as the previous winner.

Baccarat House Edge and payouts

Betting in Baccarat is similar to betting on Black or Red in Blackjack. Overall, it is regarded that the Casino holds a house edge of 1.06%. The payoff is even money for betting on the Bank or the player with the only difference being that a win on a bet on the bank is generally subject to a 5% commission to the Casino. This extra commission is required, as over an 8-card deck of cards the bank will on average win three to four hands more than the player giving the Casino and in-built advantage or hold. The final option of betting on a standoff is paid out at 8:1 or 9:1.

Baccarat Strategy

Unlike with Blackjack, there is no optimal baccarat strategy that can result in a better chance of winning in Baccarat as the game plays out according to game rules. The most obvious of these would be to bet on the Bank and to avoid betting on a standoff.

Online Free Bets:

Genie’s current free bet partners are listed below.  We’ll have more to come shortly!

Free bets are offered by bookmakers, usually to encourage new account sign-ups.

They are also used frequently to reward loyal customers or as part of a reactivation campaign.

Current Free Bet Offers

Free bets come with some terms and conditions that usually include the following:

• Stakes on free bets are not returned.
  • This means that the punter is usually better advised to spend freebies on an outcome with higher than average odds.
    • Why: Because if you bet on Man Utd to win at 1/2 with your free 20 quid free bet you will only be returned the winnings (10) if they are successful.
• Free bets are excluded from other special offers on the event or market that the punter is betting on.
  • So if there is a cashback special on the event the bookmaker may not return free bets in the event of the cashback clicking.
  • The reason for this is often due to restrictions in the bookmaker’s backend systems that make it an extremely manual process to re-credit free bets.

GENIE SAYS: Punters should love free bets. Because almost all of the bookmakers these days give away free bets as part of sign-up offers Genie says when you see a good sign-up offer take it while it is available. Open as many bookmaker accounts as you can.

GENIE SAYS: Because free bets are not returned when using free bets the free bet is worth approximately 90% of its value in real money (stakes) terms.

Make sure to use our free bets guide to your advantage as we’ll constantly be updating the guide as and when new offers are available.

Betting in-running, or live betting as it is commonly known, accounts for about half of all betting on sports nowadays.

As the name suggests it involves betting on an event once the event has already begun. In a football match punters can now bet on the outcome of a game or if another goal will be scored right up until the final whistle. Most sporting events now have betting markets available right up until the result is determined.

Benefits of Live Betting

1. Bookmakers yield a much lower return on the average live bet than on the non-live which suggests that live betting is better for the bettor.
2. You can wait and see how an event is unfolding and offer a more educated opinion.
3. Things change fast and it can be very exciting.
4. You have many more opportunities to bet.
   1. You can bet on the next player to win a point in a tennis match or the next player to throw a 180 in darts. There is never a dull moment for the bettor.
5. You can lock-in a profit before the result is in.
   1. Take for example a tennis match. You have backed Nadal to beat Murray at 2/1 before the match starts. Nadal wins the first set and now Murray is 2/1 to win the match so you put some money on Murray at 2/1 to guarantee that whoever wins, you make a profit (This is how you would do it with a fixed odds bookmaker. With a betting exchange you can just ‘lay’).

Delayed Bet Processing

When placing a live bet you will notice a delay in processing the bet. Most bookmakers traditionally put a 7 second delay (5 seconds only on betting exchanges) on placement of a live bet. This is so that the bookmaker has a cushion in order to react to something happening and either suspend the market or adjust their prices accordingly. It also protects against the possibility that some punters may be getting their television pictures a few seconds ahead of the bookmakers – or even actually be a spectator at the event while they are betting.

If the odds get shorter in the 7 seconds while you wait for your bet to go through, it will not be accepted and you will be reoffered the same selection but at a lower price.

If the odds get longer during that 7 seconds then your bet will be placed and you will receive the higher (and better) odds.

Automated Trading

Some bookmakers manually adjust their prices in-running but most of the major bookmakers now run off pre-determined models. Every price on every market is linked to the starting prices of the competitors and the current score. This means savings for the bookmakers in resource overheads because 1 trader can trade several in-running events at one time.

A punter who is aware of this fact should be able to use it to their advantage. Bookmakers don’t always get the starting price correct so in a situation where you think they have obviously miscalculated the starting price you will be able to find excellent in-running value because the latest prices being churned out by the robot are all coming from the incorrect starting price.

GENIE SAYS: Live betting is booming and will continue to get more popular. It allows a more educated prediction of the outcome and a knowledgeable punter should be able to make a profit.

How to play Roulette

Roulette is one of the easiest Casino games to play and understand. The object of the game is to pick the correct outcome that will appear on the Roulette wheel. Players can bet on individual numbers, combinations of different numbers, the colour of the result (Red or Black), or whether the outcome will be an odd or even number. Roulette originated in France from where the modern day variant of the game can be dated back to 1842.

Roulette betting

There are two Roulette betting areas that players can choose to bet on. The inside betting area includes all the individual numbers. Players can bet on individual numbers or a combination of numbers. Inside numbers are arranged in rows of 12X3 numbers. The zero (0) is at the top of these columns. Outside betting areas has betting areas for selecting a bet on columns, red or black, odd or even and different groups of numbers.

Inside Bets

There are a number of different inside bets that can be made. Players are allowed to place a bet on a number “straight up” or to place their bet by covering the line between numbers to select a number combination of numbers.

Payouts for inside bets

Straight up: A Straight Up bet pays 35/1.
Split bet: This is a wager on two numbers and has a payout of 17/1
Street bets or line bet: This pays 11/1. To make this bet place your chips on the vertical line which separates the outside and inside betting areas. The chip will have to straddle the first number in the row you are betting on.
Quad bet/Corner bet: This pays 8/1. To make this bet  place your chips so they are touching the corners of the numbers you are betting on.
Basket bet: This pays 6/1 and is a five number bet on zero/ zero and double zero and the numbers 1,2 and 3.
Double Street bet: This pays 5/1 and is a wager on six numbers. To make this bet you need to place your chips on the line separating the outside and inside area as you do for the street bet but in a manner that it will also straddle the row above or below.

Outside Bets

The outside bets relate to any bet made in the boxes that surround the inside betting area (the numbers).
Red Black Odd and Even: These bets pay out at 1/1. To make these bets you place your chips in the boxes on the layout.
Dozens bet: A dozens bet pays out at 2/1 and is a bet made on 12 consecutive numbers. To make this bet you’ll need to place your chips in the boxes marked 1-12, 13-24 or 25-36. Dozens bets do not include the zero or double zero.
Column bets: Column bets also pay out at 2/1. Rather than betting on 12 consecutive numbers a column bet allows you to bet on one of the three vertical columns.

Roulette house edge

American Roulette house edge:

In American Roulette the house edge is 5.26%. This is based on the 36 numbers, zero and double zero. On a standard American Roulette wheel this results in the odds of you winning being 37/1. For a straight up bet the payout is 35/1 resulting in this high house edge.

European Roulette house edge:

As a European Roulette wheel has only one zero, the house edge is less than in American Roulette. For straight up bets the odds of winning are 36/1 while the payout is at 35/1. This results in a house edge of 2.7%.

Roulette Strategy

Unlike in Blackjack, there is no optimal strategy in Roulette that will reduce the house edge. Despite this, many players like to use a betting system when playing. The most famous of these is the Martin Gale system.

The Martin Gale Roulette Betting System

The Martin Gale betting system is a commonly used system in Roulette. It is based on progressive betting after a loss. If the player loses they double their bet. If they lose again they double their bet again and repeat this until they win. Once the player wins they return to their original bet. The Martingale system is traditionally used on even bets. Find out more in our Martingale betting system guide.

The Barclays is the main golf betting event of the week and takes place at the Ridgewood Country Club in New Jersey. Tiger Woods is in the field, as are all the big names. Genie looks at the odds and offers his golf betting tips.

Key Betting Information

The Barclays was only held once before at this course, in 2008, when Vijay Singh was triumphant, beating Sergio Garcia and Kevin Sutherland in a playoff. The winning score that weekend was -8. The course is quite long at around the 7300 yards mark. Sunshine and little wind is predicted by the weather man from Thursday onward. Withe the Ryder Cup on the horizon a few candidates will be eager to make a keen impression; Luke Donald, Paul Casey, Padraig Harrington and Justin Rose spring to mind.

Most bookmakers are paying a quarter the odds for the top 5 places.

Players to Watch

Il Pato, better known as Angel Cabrera is the dark horse this weekend. Cabbers was very unlucky not to be do better than 19th place in 2008, the only other time the event was played here. He had a bit of bad luck which cost him a treble bogey at the par 4  5th on day 3 and then 3 bogeys on the front 9 in the final round saw him finish 4 shots adrift in a very bunched field. Angel has been a bit of a mixed bag in 2010, recently missing the cut at the PGA Tour. He has shown glimmers of his talent this year with a 3rd place at Quail Hollow, top 10 at the SBS and top 25’s in the US Open and The Masters. The tough courses tend to bring out the best in Cabbers, particularly when his opponents find the greens as tough as he does and you can expect to see tough greens this weekend. Cabrera is available at odds of 125/1 with Ladbrokes.

Phil Mickelson should go well this weekend. Phil will be keen to rubber stamp his claim to the number 1 spot and will feed off a lively New Jersey crowd. Expect loads of high 5’s and lots of entertainment from Lefty this weekend. A win at The Barlays would put the shine on another good year for the most likeable man in golf. Mickelson is available at 12/1 with almost every bookmaker.

If my name was Corey Pavin then I’d have a place for JB Holmes on my Ryder Cup Team. He is a formidable fourball player and has had a very solid, if not spectacular year. I’m sure that J.B. Holmes is in Pavin’s thoughs and a fine finish at Ridgewood would do him the world of good. If JB can utilise his power at the right times around this course then he should go close. A final round 66 in 2008 was too little too late but it does show what he is capable of. You can back JB with most bookmakers at odds of 80/1.

Jeremy Chapman Tips

Jeremy has not published any tips in the racing post this week.

Steve Palmer Tips

Steve Palmer’s golf betting tips for The Barclays:

Paul Casey 2pts e/w @ 30/1 with Bet365 or Paddy Power.
Hunter Mahan 1.5pts e/w @ 35/1 with Bet365.
Adam Scott 1pt e/w @ 66/1 with Ladbrokes, Paddy Power, Will Hill, Bet365, VC Bet.
Stewart Cink 1pt e/w @ 80/1 with Paddy Power.
Ricky Fowler 1pt e/w @ 100/1 with Bet365.

Steve Palmer’s golf betting tips on the Johnnie Walker Championship are:
Ross Fisher 3pts e/w @ 16/1 with Bet365.
Nicolas Colsaerts 1pt e/w @ 40/1 with Paddy Power.
Gregory Havret 1pt e/w @ 40/1 with Ladbrokes.
Shane Lowry 1pt e/w @ 50/1 with Paddy Power or Bet365.
Thomas Bjorn 0.5pt e/w 80/1 with Bet365.

Betting Tips Summary

Genie is going for the bangers in the golf betting this weekend. There’ll be high odds, birdies a plenty and entertainment guaranteed at very good value in the €100 staking plan at The Barclays:

€20 e/w Angel Cabrera at 125/1 with Ladbrokes

€30 win on Phil Mickelson at 12/1 with VC Bet

€15 e/w on J.B. Holmes at 80/1 with Bet365

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The PGA Championship takes place this weekend at the Straits Course from the Whistling Straits country club in Wisconsin. Genie previews the betting and picks out the best odds and tips in his golf betting tips article for those that want to read them. Tiger Woods is playing but unusually is only second in the betting, as he faces a fight to hold on to his world number 1 spot.

This is the tournament that has given us winners such as Mark Brooks, Shaun Micheel, Rich Beem and YE Yang over the years so don’t be entirely surprised if it not a household name that get’s his mitts on the Wannamaker trophy come Sunday.

Key Betting Information

The PGA Championship has a handful of courses in rotation. Whistling Straits was the venue in 2004 and, since then, has not held a PGA Tour event so course form is somewhat hard to come by. In 2004 Vijay Singh came through after a playoff victory over Di Marco and Leonard. None of the 3 are large hitters but this is a long course, standing at 7507 yards. Phil Mickelson required a birdie on the 72nd hole to go to a playoff in 2004 but could only manage a bogey.

The course was designed to look like a links course from Britain or Ireland and it does just that. It is on the edge of a massive lake so and the wind can gust off the lake. The weather forecast this week is for quite a lot of rain and fair winds. If the wind does pick up look out for extremely straight hitters like Ian Poulter, Ross Fisher, or Sean O’Hair.

Bet365, Paddy Power and VC Bet are all paying a quarter the odds on 6 places at this year’s PGA Championship.

Players To Watch

Tiger’s form has been so bad that I just cannot have any piece of him. At the time of writing the prices for 3 ball tournament bets and mythical match bets have not been published but keep an eye out and, by all means, oppose Woods at will.

43 year old Steve Stricker is a resident of Wisconsin and has never received his overdue plaudits for his golfing prowess. The addition of a major championship would make him a hall of fame cert. He has had his barron spells in the past and does not have a picture perfect swing like an Els or a Singh but any player who relies so heavily on a strong short game can be expected to have some bad spells. Stricker did not take part here in 2004. He was in one of his dry spells and failed to qualify.

Steve has played 14 events this year, made 14 cuts, had 6 top 10’s and claimed victory in 2. Add this to the 11 top ten finishes from 22 starts last year, including 3 wins and you might just find yourself looking at some serious value at 28/1 on a golfer who is in his home state, playing a course that suits his straight shooting and his shortgame masterclass. The 28/1 is currently only available with Bet365.

Genie’s second tip is on the leader in the betting, Phil Mickelson. Phil came close last time out here and has all of the tricks to have a very good run again. A bad day at the office on Sunday can be excused for some horrible driving. He was as entertaining as ever with some of his trick shots to keep himself competitive but he tailed away in the end. Phil will be working with Butch Harmon this week and he’ll be straightening out that driver. The putts just never dropped for Phil last weekend but he is well capable of better. He is the best player in the world at present and 14/1 available from  VC Bet is a worthy value punt.

In a complete tipping list I am going to complete the wheel with possibly the best scrambler in the business (ranking of #1 on tour this year) is Luke Donald. There have been fair questions asked about his abilities to get over the finish line but Donald definitely deserves a look in the e/w market when there are so many firms paying 6 places. On top of a second and 2 thirds in the PGA Tour, Luke has amassed a win and 3 other top 5 finishes in a couple of months spent back in Europe. The boy’s got game and is perhaps the strongest link in the European team in a Ryder Cup year. 50/1 is readily avaiable and I’m having me some of that.

Jeremy Chapman Tips

This weekend Jeremy Chapman is going for:

Rory McIlroy 1.5pts e/w @ 18/1 – general

Padraig Harrington 1pt e/w @ 20/1 – general

Retief Goosen 0.75pt e/w @ 35/1 – general

Stev Stricker 0.75pt e/w @ 25/1 – general

Adam Scott 0.5pt e/w @ 66/1 – Ladbrokes

Steve Palmer Tips

Steve has not advised how much to bet on each but has made 5 selections. Steve Palmer’s golf betting tips this week are:

Stewart Cink @ 125/1

Sergio Garcia @ 90/1

Trevor Immelman @ 200/1

Geoff Ogilvy @ 100/1

Adam Scott @ 66/1

Betting Tips Summary

This week Genie has gone for the short game specialists in the betting. With great value in the odds available and 6 places being paid we’re going for our €100 staking plan:

€20 e/w on Steve Stricker at 28/1 with Bet365 (paying 6 places)

€15 e/w on Luke Donald at 50/1 with Bet365 (paying 6 places)

€30 win on Phil Mickelson at 14/1 with VC Bet

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The 3 Irish Open is being played at Killarney this week and and, Irish stars aside, this is a fairly weak field. Genie looks through the odds to pick out some value betting tips for the waiting punters.

Unfortunately there is no course form to speak of really. The course has not hosted any recent major events for male professional golfers.

Players to Watch

Looking through the form book it is easy to see why Justin Rose is high up in the betting, coming in at joint second favourite, alongside Graeme McDowell, with both a few points higher than Rory McIlroy.

This week though Genie is going for Harrington. Padraig is not having a good season and his performance at the Open Championship was forgettable. What gives me hope though is that Paidi is outwardly saying that he is playing well and that he thinks things are falling into place. A more honest sportsman you will never find and Padraig will call it in black and white more often than not.

Odds of 20/1 on the player with 25 career wins and about twice as many second places in this company is a must bet for Genie. To put this in perspective, he was 25/1 to win the British Open and goes into next month’s PGA Championship best priced at 33/1 against all of the best players in the world, while only a handful of the world’s top 100 players line up this weekend.

Padraig is not completely without form this season. 3rd place at Doral, 5th at the Travelers Championship, 7th at Quail Hollow and an 8th placed finish at the Transitions were all achieved against markedly better company than he is surrounded by this week. Ladbrokes are offering a standout 20/1 about Paidi getting back into the winners enclosure on home soil.

Jeremy Chapman Tips

This week Chapman is looking only at the Greenbrier Classic. His top tip is Nick Watney (1.5pts e/w @25/1). Next best is Brendon De Jonge (1pt e/w at 50/1) and his other selections include JB Holmes (1pt e/w @ 35/1) and Matt Kuchar (0.75pts e/w @ 20/1).

Steve Palmer Tips

Steve Palmer’s Irish Open tips are:

Top Tip: Rory McIlroy (3pts e/w @ 7/1)

Next Best: Ross Fisher (1.5pts e/w @ 20/1)

Other Selections: Darren Clarke (1pt e/w @40/1) and Shane Lowry (1pt e/w @ 45/1)

Betting Tips Summary

This week at Killarney Genie has only 1 player on the betting list. For a €100 staking plan Genie is suggesting:

€50 e/w on Padraig Harrington at 20/1 with Ladbrokes

Note: Paddy Power are paying 6 places and offering odds of 16/1 about the Dubliner reclaiming a title that he last won in 2007.

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The Open Championship is being held at St Andrews golf course in 2010. The odds and betting takes on a quite unusual shape this year, with Tiger Woods not the hot favourite of years gone by. Genie has checked out the form and has a few key tips to steer you in the right direction for making your picks in the British Open this weekend.

Key Betting Tips

St Andrews is a wonderful test of golfing prowess. As with all links golf, if the wind picks up then the low hitters and straight hitters should come to the fore. There are a few drivable par 4’s but power is not necessarily a requirement. Decision making is the key skill that will set apart the leaders this weekend. Tiger Woods barely took out his driver when winning around here in 2005 and an iron off the tee will be the weapon of choice for many of the field this week. The bunkers at St Andrews are infamous and an expert sand game, combined with a samll bit of luck, will be beneficial at soem stage this weekend. Lee Westwood is a below average bunker player among the pro ranks and he would be well advised to stay out of the pot bunkers at all costs. The winner will simply have to putt well and scramble tidily when called upon to get up and down from 20 yards.

The weather forecast for this week points to plenty of rain. Little wind is expected on Thursday but a gusty weekend is expected from Friday. Look for the straight shooters in the wind.

Another key betting tip is that Paddy Power are paying 7 places in the each way market so don’t be afraid to sacrifice a few points in the price for the extra place.

Players to Watch

Having won the Open on the last 2 occasions that it was held here, Tiger Woods is a deserving favourite. Having said that his form of late has been extremely poor by his lofty standards and this is not the course to forgive his swing imperfections. 11/2 is best avoided.

I expect a strong challenge from the Ireland and Britain this weekend. Padraig Harrington is in town and we all know how much he likes a British Open. He wears the label of ‘grinder’ as a badge of honour and Padraig will fight for every shot. If the wind starts to howl then Padraig could be your dawg. The 25/1 available from Ladbrokes and VC Bet is reasonable.

There is one man who tends to keep it together in the wind better than anyone else. The bad news is that he is not having a good season but the good news is that he finished 5th last time the Open was played at St. Andrews. The extra good news is that he has had 6 top ten finishes at the british open in the past 9 years. He has shown some glimmer of form at the US Open with a 22nd place finish. He steadily improved the more the wind blew. His name is Sergio Garcia and he comes into the tournament at odds of 100/1 with Ladbrokes. I’m absolutely having a piece of that.

An underestimated Open performer is Kenny Perry. The Kentuckian has turned down invitations to play in previous years because he is a creature of habit and likes to stay around Kentucky if he can. Kenny has played the tournament 5 times in the past 7 years and has finished in the top 20 on 3 of those occasions. The last visit to St Andrews resulted in a very respectable 11th place finish. Kenny has had some highly publicised eye trouble this year but he has no concerns over that and top 20 finishes in the states, coupled with a respectable 33rd place in Pebble Beach mean that at odds of 150/1 he could be worth a small e/w punt. Kenny hits the ball high which is not ideal in the wind but he does draw the ball which should be easier to control.

Camilo Villegas hits a low ball and putts well. Another whose form has tailed off of late but I have always seen this as his most likely major win, if indeed he is to claim one. Camilo should run close and is worth a look in the each way market at 80/1 with Ladbrokes.

Open Championship Betting Tips Summary

Here is the verdict of the Genie for those betting on the Open Championship at St Andrews. Odds quoted are at the time of publication. For a €100 staking plan:

€20 e/w on Sergio Garcia at 100/1 with Ladbrokes

€15 win on Padraig Harrington at 25/1 with Ladbrokes

€7.50 e/w on Kenny Perry at 150/1 with Bet365 (paying 6 places)

€7.50 e/w on Camilo Villegas at 80/1 with Ladbrokes

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The US Open hits the Californian coastline this weekend as Tiger Woods and co take centre stage at Pebble Beach. Genie is here to provide you with the latest odds, betting tips and need to know information.

The last time the US Open was played at Pebble Beach was in 2000 when Tiger Woods won by an extraordinary 15 strokes. This year there promises to be plenty more excitement on a tense Sunday in California. I must say that the expected winning scoreline of a few under par is a welcome break from the 20 under par type winning score that we are seeing each week on both sides of the pond.

Helpful Tips About the US Open

Pebble beach is a links course and, as such, can be a windy part of the world. Conditions this week are expected to be favourable with winds expected not to exceed 10mph. If the wind does pick up then look toward straight iron hitters such as Sergio Garcia or Ian Poulter.

The greens will be set up to be extremely fast at Pebble Beach this weekend. A good indicator of similar greens was at the Memorial Championship 2 weeks ago where Justin Rose putted exceptionally well. Rose won’t be playing this week though as he was not inside the world’s top 50 in sufficient time to make the automatic qualifying.

Driving a straight ball at the US Open is a must. The rough will destroy the chances of any loose hitters. For this reason I am going to have to rule out Tiger Woods, whose driving has generally been abysmal since his return.

The experts say that the best fit for the course is a player who fades the ball and can putt well, and is preferably long off the tee. Dustin Johnston has won the Pebble Beach Pro-Am in the past 2 years. Of course only 2 of the 4 rounds are played on the course but Johnston deserves respect.

Betting Tips

This week I am going to recommend the very brilliant Englishman, Luke Donald. Luke has had 3 top 3 finishes in the past month in Europe. He also has 4 top 10 finishes to his name from his 11 starts ion the USPGA tour this year. Luke is shorter off the tee than one would hope for around here but crucially he keeps the ball on the fairway and can scramble and putt as well as anyone. One concern that I do have is the worry that if he has and hangover from the wrist injury that ruled him out for much of last year it will be exposed this weekend in the super thick rough. Luke Donald at 40/1 with Ladbrokes is my first tip. He should win more often and hopefully his experience in Madrid a few weeks ago will give him the confidence to become a closer.

Secondly we are going for a longer hitter who tends to fade the ball. KJ Choi has rediscovered his form of late and is popping up on leaderboards again on a regular basis. K.J. will need to be on top form with his irons this weekend and fire some of those pinseekers that make him such an entertaining player to watch. His putting is the only thing that has been a little off this year. The faster greens can often work in favour of the lesser known putters and KJ is in with agreat shout this weekend. KJ Choi at 66/1 is my second tip.

Ryan Moore is, for me, one of the most exciting young prospects on tour. He has an excellent all round game and keeps the errors to a minimum, which is exactly the right type of game to win a US Open. He is one of the most accurate drivers on tour and is respectably long with a 287 yard average. A 5th place finish in his last outing at the Memorial Tournament indciates that the swing is in good order. My third tip this weekend is Ryan Moore at 100/1 with Paddy Power or Bet365.

Betting Tips Summary

The lazier among you will know to skip straight down to the end of the article for the US Open betting tips summary section. Here is the staking plan for a €100 bankroll:

€30 on Luke Donald at 40/1 with Ladbrokes

€20 e/w on K.J. Choi at 66/1 with Ladbrokes

€15 e/w on Ryan Moore at 100/1 with Bet365

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The Jack Nicklaus hosted Memorial Tournament has rolled around again and Tiger Woods is back in search of a 5th victory at the Muirfield Village course. Genie is here to assess the odds again and rescue his reputation after some bad betting tips last week.

Memorial Tournament: Players To Watch

4 time champion Tiger Woods goes off at 7/1 in one of his best courses. If you had told me this a year ago I’d have thought it could be true only if he lost his left hand. Woods is saying that he isn’t 100% after his recent injury. He will be keen to get back into the winner’s enclosure. There are many question marks over his recent form but 7/1 is too big a price. Old Eldrick is not a man to be rushed and if Tiger turns up then I am willing to accept his judgement that he is ready for action. Get on at 7/1 all day long.

Kenny Perry deserves a notable mention for having claimed this title no less than 3 times. Kenny is continuously underappreciated for his talent but at 35/1 I am going to steer away from Kenny, largely due to question marks over his eyesight.

Carl Petterson is another former champion who love this course. However, given that he normally goes off at about 400/1 in the exchanges these days I just can’t see the value at 90/1. Carl was in decent fettle at the Crowne Plaza last weekend but I am going to pass on him again.

Value seekers should look at the well priced Ryan Moore. This cool dude from Washington State can be admired for not taking any sponsorship deals but that shouldn’t take any attention off what a fine golfer he can be. Moore is having a very consistent season, with a win eluding him thus far. Moore has a 2nd placed and 10th place finish to his name here and should run well against a competitive field this week. As a young man with plenty of talent and plenty to learn he is an advisable each way punt at 90/1 with Paddy Power or Bet365.

Memorial Tournament Odds

Betting Tips Summary

The lazier among you will know to skip straight down to the end of the article for the Memorial Tournament betting tips summary section. Here is the staking plan for a €100 bankroll.

€70 on Tiger Woods at 7/1 with Bet365

€15 e/w on Ryan Moore at 90/1 with Bet365

Check out the free bets table below and claim your bonus from one of our online betting partners for betting on The Memorial Tournament.

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