Blog

It is widely known that gambling in general and sportsbetting in particular can degenerate into psychological addiction under certain circumstances. Unfortunately, many people are suffering from this affliction. We will discuss the story of one of our friends we met when we were activating in the romanian market, we`ll call him Mike, a romanian in his late 20`s that has struggled with sportsbetting and gambling addiction for almost a decade before finally putting an end to it. It`s a common turn of events for many addicted gamblers, except maybe the  ‘putting an end to it part’.

Betting recreationally since he was 15, Mike says that “it was only three years later when things started to get bad, when I was under a lot of stress before the pre-college national examinations. I was dumped by my girlfriend and had some trouble at home”. It`s usual for gambling addiction to enter one`s life in a time of personal crisis, when you are looking for an activity that will help you channel your emotions. While he was previously wagering exclusively on sportspetting, Mike began hitting the casinos with a couple of classmates, and that quickly took a turn for the worst. “I was losing a lot of money for my age, and I began to return to sportsbetting in order to chase my losses. Now I was betting in the morning, and playing roulette in the nights. I began stealing money from my parents and school was the place where you always knew you won`t find me. I was so much in debt, for the first time in my life”. Eventually things sorted themselves out, with help from his parents. Being a smart kid, Mike passed his national examinations and got into a good college, so everything seemed fine. But only for now … it was his fist descent into the valley of addiction.

“If it`s one thing I learned, it`s that addiction never stops. If you have been a gambling addict, you will be one until you die. Everyday is a chance for relapse. I wish I would have known this when I was younger”. Mike relapsed, but now he was on his own feet, so he could afford to wager more, and of course lose more. He never turned back to casinos, but sportsbetting was enough to get him broke. Like many gamblers suffering from addiction, Mike had the skills to win, he won a lot but he lacked discipline and ended up losing it all and more. That is a common obstacle for a person to admit he has a problem.

Broke and in debt, Mike started drinking to cope with his problems, another usual thing for people who suffer from psychological addiction. Betting was not enough for him anymore, so he needed another vice. That`s when his personal life started to go downhill as well. “I never let betting interfere with my job, my friends and my social activities, but when I started drinking, I lost contact with the outside world”. “I lived this self-destructing life for years. I was miserable. Working hard to make money, then drinking and betting, losing my money and money that were not mine. At one time, I was only meeting with my friends to pay them back. I was always stressed and hungover at work but I had to work in order to be able to bet and drink.”. Like most addicts, Mike wasn`t even looking to win, he just wanted the action. He was looking to win in order to have what to lose.

He lost friends, girlfriends, hurt his family, and was close to rock bottom, closer than he expected. “One alcohol-soaked night, I bet everything I had. All my money, that were destined for my livelihood. Actually, I never even held that amount of money in my hand, never in my life. I bet it all on one game! Like a nightmare coming true, I lost in the last seconds … I`ll never forget it, Mavs at Lakers 96-94 with Lakers leading until the final seconds … I was devastated and so angry, throwing things around the house. That was the moment I realized that my life would go down the drain if I continued like that. I already lost almost everything I worked for. It was pretty hard at first, but then I met this girl, and from that moment I never really felt any pressure to go back to gambling or drinking”. He always knew that what he is doing is not good for him, but this time he finally realized the real, devastating impact of gamblong and alcohol addiction. The recovery was not easy. “There was just so much debt”. It took Mike almost two years to pay-back everything he owned and return to a normal life. But things have a way of sorting themselves out when you are determined to do the right thing.

Despite all the things he has done, Mike didn`t hit rock bottom. He didn`t lose his home, he didn`t lose his closest friends. His family still doesn`t know the extent of his drinking and gambling. “For how stupid I was, I have to admit I really had it easy in the end. I was lucky to have great friends and family”.

But there are many people who lose everything because of gambling addiction. Some never recover from addiction, unfortunately. For those who do, the trigger is usually a rare clear-minded moment or a personal crisis (just like the one which made them start gambling). It may sound pathetic, but it`s not: a romantic relationship is also something that can determine someone to stop.  It`s never too late to recover, but the sooner you do, the better.

Be sure to check out our Gambling addiction section if you are experiencing any kind of trouble.

It`s been a crazy first week at Wimbledon, that`s for sure. Thanks mainly to the “Wednesday carnage”, we were left without some of the biggest names in both the men`s and the women`s draw at a very early stage. Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Jo Wilfried Tsonga, Maria Sharapova or Viktoria Azarenka were sent home by way lesser opposition.

Nadal, with his bad knees, lost in the first round to Steve Darcis in three sets. It was his first ever Grand Slam first-round exit. Roger Federer had an unbelievable series of 36 consecutive grand-slam quarterfinals, and to be sent home in the second round on his “home turf”, at Wimbledon, was a huge shock. Given the fact that his executioner was ukrainean journeyman Sergyi Stakhovsky, ranked 116 in the world, made this one of the biggest surprises in tennis history. Sampras suffered something similar in 2002, losing to then no. 145 swiss George Bastl before retiring three months later after winning the US Open title. Could it be history repeating itself?

Still, the fact that all this surprise winners, and others like Dustin Brown (who beat Hewitt with an amazing serve&volley display), lost big in the next round speaks volume about the consistency of the mentioned champions. Nadal and Federer should return again next year as favorites here.

We also saw a huge number of retirement and walkovers, and if the trend continues, Wimbledon 2013 will break a record in this department. The surface has been modified a little this year, being faster than usual. A very interesting fact is that a number of players (like Benoit Paire) openly criticized the condition of the courts. Others (like Tsonga) blamed the humidity for this wave of retirements. This is something to keep in mind when betting in the second week.

So what can we expect from now on? I won`t dwell much on the women`s draw, as Serena Williams is a huge favourite to lift this trophy for a seventh time, and she should do it without any problems as the competition is just too weak. Also, her power-game suits the grass perfectly. Look for Bartoli to make some noise here, as she loves these courts at Wimbledon and has an accessible draw, with only Kvitova and Stephens as worthy opponents (on paper).

The men`s tournament has an obvious potential final, and that is Djokovic – Murray. It could happen, though I`m not so sure. Nole is not a lover of grass, and he has a tough side of the draw, with Haas in the R16 (what bad luck for Haas), probably Berdych in the quarters. We won`t go as far as semis, as surprises could happen, but Ferrer (plays Dodig in R16) or Del Potro (plays Seppi in R16) could wait him there, though none of them really likes grass.

The lower half of the draw looks more like an ATP 250 tournament after all the retirements and surprises we have seen in the first week. One of these players will reach the semifinal: Kubot, Mannarino, Janowicz, Melzer. The pole, Janowicz, did not lose a set so far and he looks a good pick to break in the last 4, but Melzer is a player with Grand Slam experience and on his day he could beat any of the three players in his quarter. One of these two should reach the semis, as Kubot and Mannarino mainly benefited from circumstances and the poor draw. This is ironic, because this quarter of the draw was considered the toughest in Grand Slam history, with Federer and Nadal. Andy Murray is playing some great tennis at this year`s Wimbledon and should hold his own against opponents like Youzhny and Verdasco (both dangerous) and reach the semis. Melzer or Janowicz could challenge him there, but Andy should reach the final, where he will have the first chance against any opponent.

My picks would be a Serena Williams – Marion Bartoli women`s final, with Serena winning easily. In the men`s tournament I`m looking for a Djokovic – Murray final, with Andy winning in 4 sets and becoming the first brit to triumph here after 77 years. He beat Nole at US Open, he challenged him on his favorite court, at Australian Open. At Wimbledon, with this kind of form, Murray can`t be an outsider against a Djokovic that never liked grass, did not look to impressive so far and will struggle to reach the final.

For a profitable Wimbledon second week, let`s see a few tips and suggestions for punters to look for.

Betting tips for Wimbledon second week

• Keep your stakes low if you had an unsuccessful first week, and look to build patiently, going with high stakes on the semifinals and finals after thorough analysis.

• Look for fast players, hard hitters and serve&volleyers to continue their success on this fast grass.

• With more matches played on centre court, beware that the roof slows balls down.

• Do serious research about the fitness of the players before betting. Retirements, or worse, injuries carried until the end of a match, could still happen in the current conditions.

• Expect the tournament to go into an overall state of normality in these final rounds, without too many upsets.

• There has been an unexpected amount of three setters in the men`s tournament. Expect more tight matches, everyone who got to the second week is playing well. 48% of matches went beyond three sets in Wimbledon history.

• Haas will challenge Djokovic on these fast courts, and if the serb beats him, so will Berdych. A surprise from this two matches is not out of question.

• Don`t bet on Serena to win the tournament at 1.25. She could injure herself, or (less probable) a huge surprise could happen. It`s not worth it. Instead, look for her to cover the spread against players with no shot-power.

• Marion Bartoli to reach the final could be a value bet. She did it before. You can get odds around 10 for this bet.

• Murray to win the tournament – 2.50 @ Unibet.

Oh, the smell of grass … Boris Becker and Youwin (read review) have some of the best Wimbledon bonuses and promotions available. Besides the 100% first-deposit bonus up to 10€, you get a freebet of 10£ if you lose your first live Wimbledon bet, plus accumulator bets bonuses reaching as high as 1000£ (depending on the number of selections). Youwin also currently offers the best odds for this year`s Wimbledon (both for the mens and womens competitions) and brings you this nice infographic with some intersting stats and facts. Bet on Wimbledon now with Youwin! Game on!

He was 30 years old. Once ranked second in the world, he had three Wimbledon finals under his belt, all lost. After the last one, against Pete Sampras, he refused to talk to anyone for six months. He had 21 trophies to show for in his impressive career, but no Grand Slam title to highlight his achievements and to fulfill his life-long dream.

For Goran Ivanisevic, time was beginning to run out, and the flamboyant croat was preparing for a rather undeserving retirement. He had dropped out of the top 100 and he was playing tennis “just because I don`t have anything else to do”. He barely won 4-5 matches the whole year. “I`m just banging shit, I`m playing like an idiot, just serve and forehand and then I miss”. He had just lost to Hyung-Taik Lee at Brighton, by disqualification, after breaking all the racquets he had at his disposal.

The old-school british, lovers of serve&volley and respectful to the past tennis greats, maybe softened by Goran`s love for Wimbledon, decide to give the croat a wildcard for the 2001 tournament. A chance for him to say good bye to the tournament he always dreamed of winning, without being able to do so. Nobody expects anything, and McEnroe says that Ivanisevic is a one dimensional player. “I`m a genius”, replies the charismatic croat. He`s ready to give it his all, again, but does he have anything left to give? His odds before the tournament? Over 250. He wasn`t even supposed to have odds, but his name requested prices, just for the fun of it.

With a bad shoulder, no form and no confidence, Goran thinks he could pass the first round by the luck of the draw. Even in his condition, the modest swede F. Johnsson should be no match for him. And he isn`t: 6-4 6-4 6-4. But the kindness of the draw ends here, as Ivanisevic needs to challenge Carlos Moya next, and then potentially young superstar Andy Roddick. Out of nowhere, the croat masterminds two close 4 sets upsets and then easily dispatches home favorite Greg Rusedski in the 4th round for a surprising chance to compete in the quarter finals against world no.3 Marat Safin. His achievement raises eyebrows, and the tennis world almost remembers his existence … but in the same 4th round, 7 time champion Pete Sampras is defeated by a young, rebel, long-haired swiss, Roger Federer – taking all the attention and basically announcing a legendary tournament.

Ivanisevic is serving like a madman in the quarter finals and he is on track for another upset. Safin can`t believe Goran is beating him, and is throwing racquets left and right, on a background of russian bad language. Ivanisevic wins, and Ion Tiriac decides to charge Safin with 100$ for every racquet he will break from now on. The croat writes history, he is once again in the spotlight, but in the semifinals he will have to take on the “son of Wimbledon”, Tim Henman. This would turn out to be the third of the four semifinals played by Henman at Wimbledon, and his biggest chance to reach the last act.

Goran is serving ace after ace and wins the first set, but Henman quickly recovers to tie the score and proceeds to pinpoint the croat`s weaknesses by winning the third set 6-0. Goran is missing every shot, from every position. It seems over, but rain postpones the outcome. Play resumes, and Tim is shocked by the reinvented man in front of him. The englishman can`t touch Goran`s serve and Ivanisevic reaches the final, breaking the trembling british hearts with 35 aces. Henman will never have a bigger chance to win his home tournament.

Goran`s story is spreading fast, and the final against Rafter quickly becomes a point of interest around the world. The australian, world no.10 but 3rd favorite on the Wimbledon grass, had just beaten Andre Agassi and was a huge favorite against the old and shaky Ivanisevic. Nobody would have thought Goran could win this, but at the same time who would have thought he could reach the final? The game provides a sublime spectacle, with Goran acting like a caged animal, ready to give his very last breath on the court. Rafter seems to play better, but Ivanisevic manages to obtain a 2-1 set lead, mostly thanks to sheer determination. But everything has an end. Rafter wins the 4th set and Ivanisevic goes insane, starting a fight with the net and threatening the umpire. That`s it, it`s over. Or is it? Goran recovers and starts to bury the ball in the court on his serve. The set is tied until 7-7, when the croat invents three winning returns, breaks, and celebrates like he already won the title. The next game is one of the most dramatic ones in tennis history, showcasing desire and emotion like never before seen on the tennis court. Twelve points are played, but no more than 7 strokes are exchanged. Ivanisevic serves with over 200km/h both the first and the second serve, becoming the only player in tennis history to miss two match points with double faults. He clings to anything, praying, looking for lucky balls. He starts crying at 40-30, but he needs three more Championship Points to finally be able to tumble on his beloved Wimbledon grass.

His 25 year work and ambition gave him what he wanted the most. After three lost finals, Ivanisevic is running in the stands to his family, leaving behind a trail of tears and the chanting of the crowd: “Goran, Goran”. He won. His dream came true.

“If I`d had lost again, I would have gone to the North Pole or hanged myself from a bridge” – Goran Ivanisevic

“Thank god he missed the return, otherwise we`ll be playing `till tomorrow” – Goran Ivanisevic

“I hope this isn`t a dream and somebody will wake me up and tell me ‘You didn`t win Wimbledon again’.” – Goran Ivanisevic

“I have three personalities: bad-Goran, good-Goran and emergency-Goran” – Goran Ivanisevic

“I don`t care if I win another match ever again” – Goran Ivanisevic (he didn`t win another tournament)

“God sent the rain so I could beat Henman” – Goran Ivanisevic

“There always has to be a loser, and I am the one once again” – Patrick Rafter

“All in all, I`m happy Goran won, otherwise he would have probably killed himself” – Patrick Rafter

“Grass is for cows, I`m never coming back here again. I reached the 4th round based on luck” – Marat Safin

“I don`t know, I went golfing” – Tim Henman about the final

“I don`t know if anybody will ever dominate tennis like Pete did. It`s very hard.” – Roger Federer

“I really hope I will win a Grand Slam someday … maybe here at Wimbledon, or at the US Open” – Roger Federer

“I was always second. People respected me, but 2nd place wasn`t enough. At last, now I have the Wimbledon trophy” – Goran Ivanisevic

Phoenix Mercury`s Brittney Griner is thought to be the best thing that happened to the WNBA since … well, since nobody. Griner is a 6’8″ (208 cm) center with a good degree of athleticism that can run the floor and dominate anyone under the paint. What she can do on the court is unprecedented. Oh, and she can dunk the basketball like no woman could ever do before. Arguably, not even Lebron James had such an impact to his league when drafted.

With the 2013 WNBA draft considered to be the best in the league`s history, and with Griner as it`s no.1 pick along with fellow top three draftees Elena Delle-Donne and Skylar Diggins (and don`t underestimate some other potentially young stars), interest started to surround women`s basketball not only in US, but also throughout the world. And for good reason! How`s this for a fact: after a single professional WNBA game, Griner was already tied for the most career dunks in the league`s history!

High school

At Nimitz High School, in Houston, “the great H” as she names it, Griner was already starting to show her strong play and insane dunking abilities, beginning to realize that she won`t be the professional skateboarder she dreamed to be. But High School was not the first place where Brittney encountered rejection and insult. Yes, Griner`s story is not only sports-related as it should be. I`m guessing this is the first and only time gossip and sexuality find their way on our website, but sometimes a sports story must embrace the hero`s character and personal struggles that helped him/her achieve greatness. Rarely is this truly needed … we think that it`s needed now.

A tall girl with deep voice, guy-like hobbies, wearing guy-like clothes (like shirts and bow-ties), she was prone to be word-bullied by her classmates. “You`re a man”. “Look at her flat chest”. She tried to fit in, but the fight was lost from the beginning. At times, when her close ones thought she was sleeping or just minding her own business, she was crying and contemplating suicide. “Why am I not ‘normal’? I`m all alone. What`s the point to continue?”. But no, she wouldn`t hurt her family. That`s when she started looking up some things and finding out who she is: a “strong, black, lesbian woman”. Fuck it, I will be who I am, I will act how I like and I will wear the clothes that I want (not actual quote). She did it. High School gave her hell at some points, but she got through it with a smile on her face (her motto, ‘laugh now, cry later’, is artistically imprinted on her skin). She wasn`t openly gay, but she knew it, people knew it, and she had no problem with it. She was on an ask and tell policy: “If you ask me, are you a lesbian?, I will tell you: yes”.

Baylor

A high-school sensation, Griner was highly expected to succeed at Baylor University. And she did exactly that. With numerous personal records, but most of all a record 40-0 season in 2012 and a NCAA Champion title, it`s safe to say Brittney achieved and surpassed the expectations … although in her final season, Baylor lost the title by being stunned at home by Louisville in a huge upset. She holds the record for most dunks (18) in women`s college basketball and most blocks (748) in both women`s and men`s college basketball. Also, how about a 50 point game in her final regular season game, rounded off with a dunk? That`s crazy!

The Louisville loss wasn`t the only downside in Griner`s Baylor career. While she was balling the hell out of college opponents, and finally being confident about her sexuality, Brittney was forbidden to express it, as Baylor had a low-tolerance for gay athletes. She even had to wear sleeves on the court to hide her tattoos. “I wasn`t alone, I can tell you that. There were many gay athletes at Baylor” said Brittney in an ESPN interview. Talk about USA being the most open-minded country in the world.

Life as herself

Come WNBA draft, where the Phoenix Mercury picked her at no.1, Brittney finally came out and stated what she and her close ones had known for a long time: “I`m gay, I`m a lesbian. I`ll be who I am and nobody can tell me otherwise”. The reactions were mixed, but appreciation and admiration had to be the main consensus.

At the moment, Brittney is facing the challenges that professional basketball brings. Her team is 0-3 to start the season, with solid performances for Griner, including 2 dunks in her first professional game, but also some lapses in concentration from her part. It`s a long road but she is ready to embrace it.

Lebron James openly stated his admiration for Griner`s play. “You know, she`s like Wilt (Chamberlain), she`s dominating out there. We have guys on our team that can`t do what she does. Some of her moves, I haven`t done them”, stated James, who then quickly ego-ed his way into a joke: “I mean I CAN. I can. Let-s not get out of control”.  Kareem Abdul Jabbar had training sessions with her in order to teach Brittney his famous sky hook, a thing that Brittney enjoyed greatly and, according to former Lakers superstar, could be repeated. Griner became the first openly gay athlete to sign an endorsement deal with Nike. A new first, she was also allowed to wear men`s apparel.

By far the most controversial basketball-related story involving Griner started when Mavericks` flamboyant owner, Mark Cuban, said he is considering drafting her in the second round of the 2013 NBA Draft. Brittney embraced the idea, saying that she would love to give it a try. Could she compete in the men`s game? Now, probably not, actually almost certainly not. She`s a force in the women`s game, but in the NBA she would face the likes of Dwight Howard, how could she compete with that? The men are taller, much stronger then her, and she doesn`t have the ability to switch positions and play, let`s say Small Forward – only there would she meet men her size, but still, more powerful then her. Right now, she probably should develop her game in the women`s league, to become the destructive force that she showed she can be. In the future though, as she develops her game, who knows? And after all, as she says, “all you can do is give it a try and give it your best”. That won`t hurt anyone. You know, 10 people who don`t stand a chance try, and maybe one of them succeeds. And that`s progress.

People usually reject everything that is not ‘normal’, but there is no such thing as ‘normal’. Society is a mess and Brittney still encounters adversity, especially on social media. “Play like the man you are”. “You wear long shorts so you can tuck it in”. “Griner is a bust”. But at this point, who cares? It`s always possible that one still hides his/her sorrow with a happy face (‘laugh now, cry later’), but apparently she`s worked her way into happiness, both mentally and physically. That`s right, she didn`t have only basketball skills to work on in order to succeed. She had to tough it out mentally too.

Griner`s ambition and skill got her through. Now a well-deserved role-model, she is supporting the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community. She encourages young people to be who they are, or even approach her for support. But one question arises: will the ones that can`t manage to earn a place in the spotlight forever face the blame of society? Will they forever hide in the shadows? We wouldn`t be writing about Brittney now if she wouldn`t have made it, would we? We wouldn`t have known about her. But this is another topic, for someone else to dwell on.

Sports can bring both salvation and remarkable stories. Leaving aside all the gossip, Brittney Griner is a WNBA player that can forever change the game of women`s basketball. If she can do exactly that, it remains to be seen. But with that kind of display that she puts on, you must be a fan. Expect Brittney to be the best that women`s basketball has ever had to offer. After all, that`s who she is: a tough WNBA rookie who works to be the star that she can be. And she really seems to be a nice girl.