Texas Calculatem and Poker Office Blog

That Corgi is so cute!

As we near the end of the month I'm checking my records...

Poker has been flat as usual. No change there.

Work has been pretty dire too. Equity volatility is at historical lows an the big funds are not hitting into the depth of the order book. Subsequently there are few opportunities for me to exploit. But while the equity markets have still been fairly steady (depite the low vol), the German Bonds have totally raped me. I was trying out a new fairly naive strategy, and chose to double up at the wrong moment. SMT SMT. All this has lead to discussions about volatility and new strategies. New strategies are always hard to find, and people are very tight mouthed about them for obvious reasons. But volatility is something that all short term traders pray for. However, the causes for volatility are pretty negative for other people, predominantly being uncertainty and fear. For example, if someone were to suddenly put the White House onto every news channel around the world, I'd be odds on to make some cash. But saying that on a crowded tube can draw undesirable stares.

Anyway, that's enough of my rambling. Here are some footy tips...

West Ham and Newcastle were meant to be challenging for Europe this season, but find themselves heading for a relegation battle. With both at home this weekend, can they get back to winning ways? With nearly 60 football markets available in-running, why not have a bet that's a bit different at Sporting Index? We've taken a look at some of the weekend prices (see preview below) - new clients can claim our biggest ever bet:

£200 Football Bet for New Clients**

Open a Sporting Index account*, place five sports bets and claim a £200 per goal bet on any live Premiership, Championship or Champions League match. Each qualifying bet must be able to win or lose you £20.**

*Credit and suitability checks, **terms and conditions apply. See site for further details about an account with Sporting Index. Sports spread betting involves a high level of risk and you can lose more than your original stake. It is not suitable for everyone so please ensure that you understand the risks involved and only bet with money you can afford to lose.

For full details of these offers, and to apply for your Sporting Index account, click here.

Premiership Preview

Sheffield United v Chelsea (Saturday: 12.45 PremPlus)

The champions visit Bramall Lane for the first time since 1993 and are slightly different to the outfit that lost on their last two visits. The Blades will be after some long overdue revenge after the men from Stamford Bridge sent them down on the final day of the 1993-94 season. Mourinho's troops arrive in Sheffield on the back of a seven game unbeaten run and have been in the goals recently averaging over two a game. They could be back on the Premiership summit if only for a few hours if they win, and Sporting estimate victory by 1.4 to 1.6 goals. The Blades have struggled in front of goal, with Rob Hulse not yet firing on all cylinders, and have managed only four goals so far this season. It will be tough against a mean Chelsea defence which has only been breached five times in the league. The first meeting between the two sides in 12 years could be a tasty affair with both accumulating 28 bookings and three red cards between them so far this season. Referee Martin Atkinson has tended to urge on the side of caution, and Sporting predict only three bookings.

Newcastle United v Charlton (Saturday: 17.15 PremPlus)

Charlton know a win will lift them off the foot of the table, but it won't be an easy task - they haven't won away from home all season. The Addicks recorded their second win over Bolton this season and in the process another clean sheet. However their defensive frailties are proving costly and apart from lowly Watford last week, they've conceded in every game. Roeder's men don't have much to shout about when it comes to defensive solidity with one clean sheet in eight. With such leaky defences on show, Sporting Index estimate between two or three total goals, although last season's fixture did finish goalless. Newcastle also impressed in the Carling Cup rattling three past Pompey. Dyer looked sharp in his first appearance since April, and his pace coupled with Duff's will be on show for the first time in the Premiership. It could be tough for the Charlton full-backs and Sporting have Roeder's men to win by 0.6 to 0.8 goals. However Newcastle will need to improve their recent form against Dowie's underachievers - they haven't beaten them in their last four games.

West Ham v Blackburn (Sunday: 16.00 Sky Sports 1)

West Ham are experiencing their worst run of the form in 70 years. With no wins in their last eight games in all competitions, they have just one solitary goal to their name in that period. Rovers are unbeaten in their last three away games, however they haven't picked up a single point in their last six league visits to Upton Park. Given West Ham's precarious situation, Sporting see a tight contest and can't envisage anything other than a draw. Maintaining their discipline will be the key thing for Blackburn as they have the worst league record. Paul Dickov was sent off in last season's corresponding fixture and Alan Wiley doesn't shirk from reaching for his top pocket - Sporting predict him to show five yellow cards. There are always goals aplenty when these two teams meet, with 15 goals in the three meetings they had last season. Sporting Index picture less goalmouth action this time around, with a spread of 2.3 to 2.5 total goals predicted.

Hopefully that's given you something to think about. For all the latest prices and to apply for your Sporting Index account, click here.

Sporting Index is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. Please note that all prices are correct at the time of writing but are subject to change.

The information contained herein is for your general information and use. In particular, it does not constitute any form of advice or recommendation by Sporting Index Ltd and is not intended to be relied upon by users in making (or refraining to make) any specific decisions.