Posts filed under 'General Banter'
Well if you’ve not checked up on Paddy Power bookmaker’s charity betting on hatching eggs, you’re a sad bastard! Really.
What with live streaming video and the odds on first hatchling and other fun betting markets changing all the time, the BookieLabRat.com team, like a whiole heap of punters, are in eager anticipation of chicks. .. and they’re probably due tomorrow! One day to go!
Four of the ten eggs were removed from the hatchery as infertile a week or so back, but the news for the remaining six eggs is good…here’s Paddy’Power.com’s latest posting…
I moved egg7 and it chirped!!! – Wed 6th August 2008
Just 30 mins ago Duncan popped in to prepare for the final stage of Eggycam. This involved turning off the thingy that rotates the eggs (they are now in the positions they will hatch in), adding water (to make the incubator even MORE humid) and lowering the heat to 37.0 degrees Celsius (they’ve been living at a balmy 37.7 for the past 19 days)…
Paddy Power’s Yoke of the Day!
How did the wealthy rubber chicken cross the road?
In her Cadillac stretch limo
Remember, it’s for charity (Downs Syndrome Ireland) and the results guarantee to be eggstremely cute! Check out PaddyPower.com now. [Look for eggycam]
For more on the top rating bookie in Ireland, check out the latest Paddy Power sportsbook review here
August 6th, 2008
Here’s the latest update on the Formula 1 Hungarian Grand Prix from the friendly team at Bodog Sports.
Lewis Hamilton is the form driver of the world championship and the next race, the Hungarian Grand Prix, is traditionally a happy hunting ground for his team, McLaren. The omens couldn’t look better for Hamilton as he contemplates his next challenge, but will it all go to plan in Budapest?
Hamilton has fought back brilliantly in recent weeks; just as the critics were sharpening their knives (or pens) following a couple of disappointing races, he responded in perfect fashion. Victory at the British Grand Prix, victory at the German Grand Prix, a race dominated so often in the past by Ferrari. Once again, the Brit is back at the top of the driver standings and, though Ferrari are so close he can literally feel the heat from the immaculate red engines, he has a points advantage. A win in Hungary would be his third straight success, scoring psychological as well as actual points.
Last year, Hamilton won here, ahead of Raikkonen, Heidfeld and Alonso, though it was also the calm before the storm. In qualifying, he clashed with team-mate Alonso as the uneasy relationship simmered to boiling point. As a result of that incident, McLaren were denied points in the constructor’s championship and, after his victory, Hamilton won only one of his next six races, a sequence which eventually cost him the world title. Whatever happens in Budapest, Hamilton will know there is plenty of hard work ahead.
Having finished third (Massa) and sixth (Raikkonen) in Germany, Ferrari’s drivers are very much in contention, but they need an improved showing here to put Hamilton under sustained pressure. BMW Sauber continue to go well – Heidfeld and Kubica were both in the points – and have a realistic chance of finishing ahead of McLaren in the constructors’ championship if their drivers carry on performing.
There may be another challenge from Nelsinho Piquet, who drove superbly in Germany. Hamilton’s former GP2 rival came from 17th on the grid to finish second, putting his better-known Renault team-mate, Alonso, to shame. He’ll be greatly encouraged by that, but will find it difficult to repeat the feat at the Hungaroring.
Driver Standings
1. Lewis Hamilton (McLaren) 58
2. Felipe Massa (Ferrari) 54
3. Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari) 51
4. Robert Kubica (BMW) 48
5. Nick Heidfeld (BMW) 41
Constructor Standings
1. Ferrari 105
2. BMW Sauber 89
3. McLaren-Mercedes 86
4. Toyota 25
5. Red Bull-Renault 24
Bet on the Hungarian GP at Bodog Sports (Bettors from around the world are welcome to join Bodog, sorry, no Canadian punters. US OK!). Check out the latest Bodog Sportsbook Review here at BookieLabRat.com.
July 31st, 2008
We regularly list the best sportsbook cash cack offers and bookie free bet specials on this blog. Unfortunately we’ve been slacking a little lately, and did not list last week’s ones (but you can always catch the latest bookie offers here at the GoonersGuide.com Bookie Bulletin Board. These guys update it most days).
We refer to this stuff as “betting insurance” as you get 3 possible outcomes instead of two (ie win, lose or get your stake back). Generally the bookies are smart enough to make the offers obscure or unlikely enough that they do not often payout…well, only once in a while (or in Paddy Power’s case something most weeks – as they’re just crazy!). However, this week another popular Irish sportsbook, BoyleSports.com took a real pounding. A roasting actually…
If you had a bet on the British Open, the German Grand Prix or on Armagh v Fermanagh at BoyleSports we recommend you check your account for your stake refund!
British Open – Padraig Harrington’s second British Open title in two years could be good news for you. Boylesports are refunding all losing single bets on the outright market. This applies to bets placed prior to the start of the tournament only. The maximum refund is €300/£200 per customer. Applicable to win singles and win part of each way bets only.
German Grand Prix – Kimi Raikkonen’s failure to make the podium at Hockenheim on Sunday means that Boyle Sports will refund all losing single outright winner bets on this race. This applies to bets placed up until 12:30pm on the 20th of July 2008. The maximum refund is €300 (or currency equivalent). Applicable to win singles and win part of each way bets only.
Ulster SFC Final – Fermanagh’s powerful comeback against Armagh in Clones will see the Ulster final replayed. As Fermanagh’s number 13 scored the last goal of the game, it will also see Boylesports refund all single losing bets in the following markets: First, last and anytime goalscorers. Winning margins. 1st scoring play. Score first-lead H/T – win F/T. This applies to win singles and 70 minutes only. The maximum refund is €300 (or currency equivalent) per customer. Applicable to bets placed before kick-off.
There’s more great betting action this week including the Tour De France (BoyleSports and Paddy Power both have cash back offers in place), ATP Masters Series Tennis (Will the Fed Express get back on the right track at Toronto? BetFred.com has a free bet offer on the Rogers Cup), The World Matchplay Darts is worth a look with James Wade ready to defend his title this week.
For more on Boyle Sports read the latest BoyleSports.com Sportsbook Review. You can get up to £200/€200 in free bets as a new customer (sorry, no USA or Canadian bettors).
July 21st, 2008
Off season wagers and beating that boredom
Ever wonder what the marketing team at sportsbooks do in the off season? (And by that I really mean when there’s no football on… so don’t whinge at me via email about all the great golfing, cycling, tennis, poker and other non-football related betting opportunities currently in play!) I’m still missing my football…
It IS the off season when footballers play musical clubs, dump their girl friends, get that “new look”, recover from knee ops, etc.
The crew at Ireland’s top online bookmaker PaddyPower.com have come up with yet another new series of betting market to fill in time – and provide a modicum of entertainment…it’s called EggyCam.
You can watch ten numbered eggs hatch live – and of course, in true Paddy Power style, bet on a range of markets. These include: Which egg you think’s going to hatch first, second, third, last; Chick out odd or even; a midday hatch; the sex of the chick; spread betting (e.g. the first chick out will be from an egg numbered 6-10), etc.
The “first to hatch” odds for all ten eggs are currently at 8-1 except egg seven, at 7-1, and poor old egg five at 9-1… obviously deemed the runt.
The live streaming video lets you watch your egg (24×7 if you like!) to check that no Leprechaun jumps out and juggles them or whatever… the eggs do rock around a bit so it’s actually not quite as boring as I thought it would be!
Paddy Power’s crew are not taking this new betting market too seriously (although I bet they watch the eggs almost as much as I watch my Roomba robotic vacuum cleaner do his thing). They’re donating all profits from Eggycam betting to the Down Syndrome Ireland charity.
When hatched, the chicks will apparently return to a farm in County Wicklow, Ireland rather than join Paddy Power’s marketing team on a permanent basis.
Paddy Power says “All the chickens will live happily-egger-after in the old-yolks-home. No chickens were harmed during the making of this eggstravaganza”
>>Check out this (cute? fun? ridicuous?) little distraction at PaddyPower.com
>>Compare Paddy Power to other popular online sportsbooks in detailed reviews here at BookieLabRat.com.
July 19th, 2008
Ladbrokes Poker is inviting all UK based poker players to try their luck at winning “The Ultimate Silverstone Driving Experience“.
The prize is a day’s racing at Silverstone and sounds a lot of fun. Oh yeah, it’s free to enter, so you’ve really got nothing to lose!
Ladbrokes operates Europe’s busiest online poker room (powered by Microgaming Poker software). It’s very popular with European and UK poker players as Ladbrokes offers some of the best cash games on the net, great tournament poker as well as regular player promotions and competitions. Free sports bets and VIP Sporting Event passes are regular prizes.
In their latest promotion you can win a day of racing at Silverstone (the famous British Grand Prix circuit) in a selection of ‘really cool’ cars. Fancy doing handbrake turns around a purpose-built gravel rally stage? Want top try a unique off-road course in an ATV?.
If you win this free-to-enter poker tournament you’ll experience all of the following*: Ferrari 360 f1™ Modena, Porsche 911 Carrera 4, Formula Silverstone single seater, Lotus Exige, Ford Fiesta Street Group ‘N’ Rally car, Caterham 7, Peugeot 206 GTI rally car, Land Rover Defender, Honda TRX 350 ATV
* N.B. the activity line up may be subject to change, but equally amazing alternatives will be available! This is Ladbrokes, they won’t rip you off!
So how do I enter?
By playing poker in free-to-enter qualifiers! Each day from 20th July to 31st July, there are free 1 Hour Qualifying Sessions that lead on to the main event on August 3rd – “The Ladbrokes F1 Poker Tournament“. Here’s how it works:
Qualifying Session: Each night at 20:00 BST, from 20th – 31st July, there’ll be a free-to-enter F1 Poker Qualifier tournament. After 1 hour of play, the tournament will be paused, and if your chip stack is within the top 20% of the field at that time, you will qualify for the Main Event. If you don’t make it through the qualifier, don’t worry – you can enter as many qualifiers as you want until you get through!
Main Event: On August 3rd at 12:00 BST, during the Hungary Grand Prix, all successful qualifiers will be able to play in the Ladbrokes F1 Poker main event. Your chip stacks from qualifying will be re-set, and the “race” will not stop until there is a winner. Play poker online while watching all the action from the Hungary Grand Prix on TV!
$5,000 of Prizes!
Win the F1 Poker Main Event and you will win the driving experience of a lifetime (list of activities above). There will also be runner up prizes as follows:
1st: Ultimate Driving Experience at Silverstone PLUS $600 into your poker account!
2nd: $600, 3rd: $400, 4th: $300, 5th: $200, 6th – 10th: $100, 11th – 20th: $50, 21st – 40th: $25
Check out Ladbrokes Poker and register for a F1 Qualifier today!
For more info read the latest Ladbrokes Poker Review
Compare Ladbrokes Poker to other top rated poker sites popular with UK and European players.
July 19th, 2008
If you’re into Rugby then check out the latest promotion at Dublinbet Card Club & Casino. DublinBet has a reputation for amazing player competitions with prizes generally with a sporting twist. Their May and June giveaways were VIP packages to the Grand Prix in Silverstone and Monza – and July and August offers some great Rugby prizes.
DublinBet Summer Rugby Madness
This summer DublinBet is celebrating the sport of Rugby, a truly Irish passion! Every day during July and August they’ll award one lucky player with an official Irish Rugby Ball, weekly they’ll be awarding official Jerseys, and at the end of the summer, one lucky player will win an all-inclusive paid trip for 2 to watch Ireland and New Zealand battle it out on the turf in Dublin!
Summer Rugby Madness Promotion Details
Every day from July 1st through August 31st, 2008, DublinBet will draw the name of one lucky depositing casino player, who will be awarded an official Irish Rugby Ball.
Each Friday another depositing player will win an official Irish Rugby Jersey.
All players making a deposit between July 1st and August 31st will be entered into the grand prize draw of a trip for 2 to Dublin to watch the Irish take on New Zealand at Croke Park Stadium on November 15th, 2008.
The prize includes
1. Hospitality package :
– Reserved Seated Match Ticket provided by the IRFU
– Official Match Programme.
– Ref Talk
– Pre-Lunch Drinks Reception
– Superb 4 Course Meal with Wine
– Colour Television Facilities with Video replay
– Post Match Reception with Canapés
– Full Complimentary Bar
– VIP Guest Wallet & Invitation
– Guest Speaker
– Entertainment
– Attendance of Irish Players during post match reception
– Experienced Event Managers in attendance throughout
2. Two night’s hotel accommodation (double room)
3. Dinner with DublinBet VIP Host Cécile (who we’ve not met but she sounds rather saucy!)
4. €500 travel credit to be added to your Player’s Account
5. €500 in casino chips at the Fitzwilliam Card Club in Dublin
Terms and Conditions
To qualify for any of the following prizes, you must be a depositing player at DublinBet.com. Make any initial or reload deposit from July 1st through August 31st to be eligible to win the daily or weekly prizes, and the grand prize trip to the match. Players may only win one daily or weekly prize, but will still be entered into the grand prize draw for the trip to Dublin. The prize draw will take place live, on camera, from the Texas Holdem Bonus table at the Fitzwilliam Card Club in Dublin. The draw will be held on Friday September 5th at 8 pm GMT. All winners will be posted on the DublinBet.com website. Please allow 4-6 weeks delivery for prizes.
>>Check out DublinBet Casino here
>>For more about DublinBet read the detailed DublinBet Casino Review here
>>Compare DublinBet to other top rated Live Dealer Casinos here
ABOUT DUBLINBET.COM
DublinBet Card Club & Casino, is owned and managed by VueTec (Guernsey) Ltd, and operated in association with The Fitzwilliam Casino, Dublin Ireland. They offer some of the best Live Dealer casino play on the net including a hugely popular Early Payout Blackjack, Roulette (European rules), 8 deck Baccarat / Punto Banco and Texas Hold’em Bonus Poker.
July 7th, 2008
Several online bookmakers are fleshing out their Euro 2008 sports betting offerings with a live stats mini-site developed by sports content provider Enetpulse.
So what? Well…the aim of the mini-site is to provide you, the punter, with free detailed live commentary and match stats that apparently will be available on every Euro 2008 game. Very cool for those of us too lazy to go trawling the web ourselves and there is nothing like making informed bets to improve your bank balance! 🙂
Each Euro2008 mini-site is basically a template (ie they’re kinda the same) but provide in-depth analysis, statistics, news, fixtures, results, tournament guides and team pages.
Enetpulse’s Euro 2008 mini-site partners include, Ladbrokes, Victor Chandler, Betfred and Pinnacle Sports, each rated and reviewed in detail at BookieLabRat.com.
I suggest you check a Euro 2008 Mini-site out soon!
Mike
June 3rd, 2008
Well, I hope you had YOUR money on the Champions League Final at Paddy Power. Paddy Power bookmaker’s latest daring (crazy?) cash back offer is costing them dearly, like, quizillions… well, an expected payout of almost €1.5 million!
What’s this all about?
In a cash back offer called “Russion Roulette”, as Ronaldo scored in normal time, Paddy Power are refunding ALL losing single pre-match Win-Draw-Win, Correct Score, 1st/last/anytime goalscorer and Half-time/Full-time market bets on this match.
It was limited to a maximum refund of €300/£200 stake-back per customer, but still, wow!
I wonder if Paddy is now regretting refunding the €100,000+ in bets placed on the “poultry puppet” Dustin the Turkey in Eurovision betting? It was just a good will gesture…
As Paddy’s marketing team would, and indeed did say: Stuffed, cooked and served up on a big plate of loser salad.
We’re looking forward to more of PaddyPower.com’s great cash back deals next football season and hope they come to the party with a few “investement options” during Euro 2008!
If you don’t have an account yet with this great Irish bookie you should! Get online to Paddy Power now and sort it out!
(Here are links to the latest reviews of PaddyPower bookmaker and the excellent Paddy Power Casino in case you need more encouragement!) Sorry, no USA residents can be members at Paddy Power.
May 22nd, 2008
Here’s a couple of May Promotions that may be of interest to online gamblers…
First up popular Australian online sports betting and gaming site Canbet is offering punters a trip to EURO2008. Canbet’s May Giveaway is a £1,500 travel voucher to Austria & Switzerland and you can use it while Euro2008 is on 🙂
Register by entering Promotional Code: EURO before June 15. You earn an entry into the lucky draw each time you bet £50/€65 at Canbet Casino or Canbet Sportsbook or Racing – ore play 50 raked poker hands at Canbet Poker! Winner drawn 17 June 2008
PS: Ah, nope… sorry, no TICKETS to games are included!!
DublinBet online casino and card room has just announced 2 great lucky draws for motor sports fans.
You can win a trip to a top Grand Prix event just for playing your favourite online casino games – like an awesome Early Payout Blackjack (our favourite game) and you get an entry to the lucky draw for every €50 you deposit.
For every €50 deposited between now and May 31, 2008, you will earn one entry* into a draw for a trip for 2 to the Grand Prix at Silverstone!
For every €50 deposited between June 1st and June 30th, 2008 you will earn one entry* into a draw for a trip for 2 to the Grand Prix at Monza!
Each trip includes race tickets, accommodation, transfers, and €1,000 total cash for air travel and spending money. Watch the Live Draws from the Fitzwilliam Card Club in Dublin on June 9th and July 4th, 2008.
>>You can earn a 100% Initial Deposit Bonus up to €100 if you’re not already a member at DublinBet.com.
>>For more info on DublinBet (including currencies, payment methods and mopre on the casino games on offer) check out the latest DublinBet Casino Review here.
*Note: Maximum 10 entries per player account per draw. One times play through required (€50 in action per €50 deposited for each draw entry.) Please see the DublinBet.com website for full bonus terms and conditions. This promotion ends June 30, 2008 at midnight GMT.
May 2nd, 2008
Popular online sportsbook PaddyPower.com is letting punters share their views on the Premier League season.
The good, the bad, the truly ugly – the best comment received at Irish bookie Paddy Power will win a £/€50 Free Bet.
Nominations have closed (if indeed Paddy’s marketing team ever opened them – they’re good like that!) and now it’s your chance to vote for:
– The Flop of the Season
– Video Nasty of the Season
– Moaner of the Year
– Least Insightful Pundit
– Most Baffling Decision… and more.
Visit the Paddy Power BLOG and get your comments in to win.
The closing date for consideration in this competition is 4pm Friday April 18th. The winner will be chosen as usual in a totally subjective manner by Paddy Power 🙂 so no whinging.
These images are examples only: click through to VOTE ONSITE AT PADDYPOWER.COM
For more about Paddy Power read our latest sportsbook review here at BookieLabRat.com.
April 14th, 2008
Next Posts
Previous Posts