125515 460 Games Gambling General Gambling true Fri, 23 Jan 2009 04:05:25 -0800 /system/videos/5/15/55/12/125515.flv oscars, academy, awards, betting, winning, gambling, choosing, picking, stars, movies How To Win an Oscar Pool http://www.howcast.com/videos/125515-How-To-Win-an-Oscar-Pool http://www.howcast.com/videos/125515-How-To-Win-an-Oscar-Pool/edit approved 173 640 360 <object width="425" height="273" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" id="howcastplayer"><param name="movie" value="http://www.howcast.com/flash/howcast_player.swf?file=125515"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.howcast.com/flash/howcast_player.swf?file=125515" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="273" allowFullScreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" ></embed></object> 16 screamingpanda http://img.howcast.com/system/thumbnails/125515/oscar_pool_hd_1_xxlarge_maintained_aspect.jpg 1067 false false false 56082 1 17 Warning Several states officially bar all gambling, including pools in which the organizer does not profit. Know your local laws before organizing a pool involving money.

]]> 56083 2 25 Step http://img.howcast.com/system/thumbnails/125515/25.jpg Don’t trust your gut Forget about who you think should win. The Academy consists of about 6,000 industry pros, and figuring out how they are going to vote is the key to taking home the prize.

]]> 56084 3 35 Step http://img.howcast.com/system/thumbnails/125515/35.jpg Go with the flow For Best Picture, choose the film that has the most nominations overall. Historically, this film almost always wins Best Picture.

]]> 56085 4 44 Tip A Best Picture win doesn’t guarantee other victories. The same film has swept the top five categories – Best Picture, Directing, Lead Actor, Lead Actress, and Screenplay – only a few times in Oscar history.

]]> 56086 5 55 Step http://img.howcast.com/system/thumbnails/125515/55.jpg Pick the period piece When it comes to the Costume Design and Art Direction categories, always go with the period piece, assuming there is one. In the past 20 years, nearly all Oscars in the two categories have gone to these usually lavish productions.

]]> 56087 6 69 Tip If more than one period piece is nominated in these categories, go with the one based on a book or play.

]]> 56088 7 73 Step http://img.howcast.com/system/thumbnails/125515/73.jpg Play the odds For Foreign Language Film, pick a movie from western Europe, which has nabbed an Oscar in this category 15 of the past 20 years. Unless it’s getting a lot of buzz, skip anything from Brazil or China: They get nominated a lot, but rarely win.

]]> 56089 8 88 Step http://img.howcast.com/system/thumbnails/125515/88.jpg Go with the cash cow doc As the popularity of feature-length documentaries has risen steadily over the past decade, the Academy has usually given the nod to the highest grossing nominated film.

]]> 56090 9 97 Step http://img.howcast.com/system/thumbnails/125515/97.jpg Pick the “ugly” starlet If an actress had to look ugly in her nominated role, choose her. The Academy tends to reward beautiful women who dare to look bad on the big screen.

]]> 56091 10 108 Step http://img.howcast.com/system/thumbnails/125515/108.jpg Pick the “stricken” actor If a nominated actor played either someone with a disability or someone with an incurable illness, pick him. Eight of the past 20 Leading Actor winners played characters in one of these two categories.

]]> 56092 11 119 Step http://img.howcast.com/system/thumbnails/125515/119.jpg Go conservative for screenplay Choose a solidly middle-of-the-road film for best original screenplay. Some of the quirkiest films of the year are nominated in this category, but it’s often the less oddball – but not least oddball – scripts that win this Oscar.

]]> 56093 12 132 Step http://img.howcast.com/system/thumbnails/125515/132.jpg Look for an atonement opportunity If the Academy has overlooked a nominee in the past, especially in the supporting acting categories, chances are voters will make it up to them now. That goes double if the person is getting on in years.

]]> 56094 13 143 Tip If two people from the same movie are nominated in the same category, don’t pick either one. They tend to cancel each other out.

]]> 56095 14 150 Step http://img.howcast.com/system/thumbnails/125515/150.jpg Cheat a little When it comes to technical categories like Film Editing and Visual Effects, read trade journals for their expert opinions, and check out web sites that specialize in handicapping the awards.

]]> 56096 15 163 Fact The trophy got its nickname in 1931, when the Academy librarian remarked it looked like her Uncle Oscar.

]]> 464 2617 How To Win a Fantasy Basketball League HowcastGuide 1182 Thu, 20 Mar 2008 09:36:11 -0700 5 SheriffThompson ]]> 144 http://media.howcast.com/system/videos/6/17/26/2617.flv basketball, bet, betting, DIY, Do It Yourself, Essential Skills, gamble, gambling, games, Instructional, Learn to, money, pool, sports, Tips, tutorial, win, winning Games Gambling Sports Gambling 1 http://img.howcast.com/system/thumbnails/2617/ppn_rich_win_fantasy_basketball_sd_xxlarge_maintained_aspect.jpg http://www.howcast.com/videos/2617-How-To-Win-a-Fantasy-Basketball-League 464 170039 How To Pick a Horse At the Racetrack HowcastGuide 1040 Fri, 10 Apr 2009 08:35:46 -0700 6 Seaworthy ]]> 153 http://media.howcast.com/system/videos/2/39/00/17/170039.flv games, gambling, gamble, sports, horses, derby, horseraces, racetrack, Tips, picking Games Gambling Sports Gambling 1 http://img.howcast.com/system/thumbnails/170039/pick_horse_at_track_master_hd-640x360_nobug_h264_xxlarge_maintained_aspect.jpg http://www.howcast.com/videos/170039-How-To-Pick-a-Horse-At-the-Racetrack 1741 54 How To Play Five Card Draw HowcastGuide 1285 Mon, 03 Dec 2007 16:56:33 -0800 4 Poker_Johnny ]]> 176 http://media.howcast.com/system/videos/5/54/54.flv DIY, Instructional, tutorial, Do It Yourself, Tips, Essential Skills, Learn to, games, play, five, card, draw, 5, poker, recreation, playing, 5-card Games Gambling Poker 1 http://img.howcast.com/system/thumbnails/54/Games.How_to_Play_Five_Card_Draw_SD_xxlarge_maintained_aspect.jpg http://www.howcast.com/videos/54-How-To-Play-Five-Card-Draw 1741 73 How To Play Anaconda HowcastGuide 688 Mon, 03 Dec 2007 16:58:05 -0800 4 Poker_Johnny ]]> 142 http://media.howcast.com/system/videos/3/73/73.flv DIY, Instructional, tutorial, Do It Yourself, Tips, Essential Skills, Learn to, games, play, anaconda, 7-card, seven, card, 7, stud, poker, recreation, playing Games Gambling Poker 1 http://img.howcast.com/system/thumbnails/73/Games.How_to_Play_Anaconda_SD_xxlarge_maintained_aspect.jpg http://www.howcast.com/videos/73-How-To-Play-Anaconda 1741 83 How To Play Seven Card Stud HowcastGuide 782 Mon, 03 Dec 2007 16:59:27 -0800 3 Poker_Johnny ]]> 196 http://media.howcast.com/system/videos/6/83/83.flv DIY, Instructional, tutorial, Do It Yourself, Tips, Essential Skills, Learn to, games, play, seven, card, stud, 7, poker, recreation, playing, 7-card Games Gambling Poker 2 http://img.howcast.com/system/thumbnails/83/Games.How_to_Play_Seven_Card_Stud_SD_xxlarge_maintained_aspect.jpg http://www.howcast.com/videos/83-How-To-Play-Seven-Card-Stud 1741 87 How To Play Poker Basics Of Betting HowcastGuide 7351 Mon, 03 Dec 2007 17:00:12 -0800 10 Poker_Johnny ]]> 178 http://media.howcast.com/system/videos/3/87/87.flv DIY, Instructional, tutorial, Do It Yourself, Tips, Essential Skills, Learn to, games, play, recreation, playing, assess, hand, good, tell, know, bad, win, winning, hands, order, rank, strong, weak, strongest, weakest, betting, bet, money, chips Games Gambling Poker 2 http://img.howcast.com/system/thumbnails/87/Games.How_to_Play_Poker_-_Basics_Of_Betting_SD_xxlarge_maintained_aspect.jpg http://www.howcast.com/videos/87-How-To-Play-Poker-Basics-Of-Betting 1741 312 How To Assess Your Poker Hand HowcastGuide 4018 Mon, 10 Dec 2007 12:35:39 -0800 7 Poker_Johnny ]]> 151 http://media.howcast.com/system/videos/4/12/03/312.flv DIY, Instructional, tutorial, Do It Yourself, Tips, Essential Skills, Learn to, games, play, recreation, playing, assess, hand, good, tell, know, bad, win, winning, hands, order, rank, strong, weak, strongest, weakest Games Gambling Poker 1 http://img.howcast.com/system/thumbnails/312/Games.How_to_Assess_Your_Poker_Hand_SD_xxlarge_maintained_aspect.jpg http://www.howcast.com/videos/312-How-To-Assess-Your-Poker-Hand 1741 322 How To Play No-Limit Texas Hold 'Em HowcastGuide 6375 Mon, 10 Dec 2007 12:38:53 -0800 8 Poker_Johnny ]]> 221 http://media.howcast.com/system/videos/0/22/03/322.flv "em,hold-em,hold-", DIY, Instructional, tutorial, Do It Yourself, Tips, Essential Skills, Learn to, games, play, no-limit, no, limit, hold, em, poker, recreation, playing, texas Games Gambling Poker 3 http://img.howcast.com/system/thumbnails/322/Games.How_to_Play_No-Limit_Texas_Hold__Em_SD_xxlarge_maintained_aspect.jpg http://www.howcast.com/videos/322-How-To-Play-NoLimit-Texas-Hold-Em 1741 341 How To Play No-Limit Omaha Hold 'Em HowcastGuide 1114 Mon, 10 Dec 2007 13:28:00 -0800 5 Poker_Johnny ]]> 181 http://media.howcast.com/system/videos/5/41/03/341.flv "em,hold-em,hold-", DIY, Instructional, tutorial, Do It Yourself, Tips, Essential Skills, Learn to, games, play, no-limit, no, limit, omaha, hold, em, poker, recreation, playing, texas Games Gambling Poker 2 http://img.howcast.com/system/thumbnails/341/Games.How_to_Play_No-Limit_Omaha_Hold__Em_SD_xxlarge_maintained_aspect.jpg http://www.howcast.com/videos/341-How-To-Play-NoLimit-Omaha-Hold-Em 1741 342 How To Improve Your Poker Hand HowcastGuide 3102 Mon, 10 Dec 2007 13:28:10 -0800 9 Poker_Johnny ]]> 136 http://media.howcast.com/system/videos/6/42/03/342.flv DIY, Instructional, tutorial, Do It Yourself, Tips, Essential Skills, Learn to, games, play, recreation, playing, assess, hand, good, tell, know, bad, win, winning, hands, order, rank, strong, weak, strongest, weakest, improve, better, strengthen, get Games Gambling Poker 4 http://img.howcast.com/system/thumbnails/342/Games.How_to_Improve_Your_Poker_Hand_SD_xxlarge_maintained_aspect.jpg http://www.howcast.com/videos/342-How-To-Improve-Your-Poker-Hand 442 297 How To Play Checkers HowcastGuide 4599 Thu, 06 Dec 2007 20:43:12 -0800 8 Darlene212 ]]> 198 http://media.howcast.com/system/videos/3/97/02/297.flv DIY, Instructional, tutorial, Do It Yourself, Tips, Essential Skills, Learn to, checkers, games, kids, children, activity, activities, indoor, fun, play 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http://img.howcast.com/system/thumbnails/24582/double_lift_card_trick_hd_1_xxlarge_maintained_aspect.jpg http://www.howcast.com/videos/24582-How-To-Perform-a-DoubleLift-Card-Sleight 447 24636 How To Bring a Chosen Card To the Top Of the Deck HowcastGuide 7563 Sun, 17 Aug 2008 06:05:29 -0700 19 vinzfeller ]]> 80 http://media.howcast.com/system/videos/3/36/46/02/24636.flv games, cards, magic, trick, perform, shuffle, deal Games Card Games Card Tricks 1 http://img.howcast.com/system/thumbnails/24636/card_top_deck_hd_1_xxlarge_maintained_aspect.jpg http://www.howcast.com/videos/24636-How-To-Bring-a-Chosen-Card-To-the-Top-Of-the-Deck 447 25758 How To Find the Chosen Card in a Deck HowcastGuide 6369 Thu, 21 Aug 2008 06:01:05 -0700 11 vinzfeller ]]> 204 http://media.howcast.com/system/videos/5/58/57/02/25758.flv games, cards, tricks, magic, magician, deck, playing, psychic, illusion, hindu Games Card Games Card Tricks 0 http://img.howcast.com/system/thumbnails/25758/find_chosen_card_hd_3_hd01_xxlarge_maintained_aspect.jpg http://www.howcast.com/videos/25758-How-To-Find-the-Chosen-Card-in-a-Deck