Eating Out & Indulging in Games

There was a time when my family would eat out every weekend, usually after hearing mass. This was when we had no house help and cooking just wasn’t one of my strong points. Since I hold the budget, I would always justify eating out once a week, reasoning out the kids need to go out, I need to go out, after being cooped up at home all week (Yes, we really do not go out). We don’t eat at fancy restaurants, we eat at the usual places kids love to eat – Jollibee, KFC, Pizza Hut – but since my family eats a lot, our bill always remains high. When my son discovered Japanese food, he would request we go to Teriyaki Boy, Tokyo Tokyo or Pepper Steak. Of course, after eating, if Starbucks is near the area (which it almost always is thanks to my great planning and foresight!), I would squeeze in my favorite caramel macchiato (iced if it’s hot, like these days).

As you can see, eating out can put a strain to one’s budget most especially if you do not have a big budget to begin with. Imagine spending 500-800 bucks on one meal every week, multiply that by four and you spend 2000-3200 bucks a month. For us, that would be enough to pay a monthly electric bill!

So when the new year rolled in, we decided to limit eating out to once a month. We also avoided any instances wherein we would be taking out food. For example, if we are going out for errands in the afternoon, we make sure there will be dinner once we arrive at night, so we don’t need to order food on the way home. It also helped a lot that we had house help so cooking became a regular thing for us. We do our best to entertain ourselves at home, that is why we had cable installed, bought a media player to store movies and TV series in and bought an XBOX Kinect 360. There is of course online games for the husband. He loves a good round of poker and it’s too bad I don’t even know how to play so he usually plays online and sometimes even plays in slot tournaments. I don’t really regulate him since he knows how to control himself.

The Different Poker Rakeback Methods

If you are an online poker player then you must be very knowledgeable when it comes to rakeback. However, if you are just a beginner at online poker then it is very important to learn more about poker rakeback.

Poker websites collect rake from every winning pot, this is how they make money. Some websites offer rakeback deals where they give a portion of the rake back to the players. There are several ways that a website may do this and before playing in a poker website, make sure to find out how they distribute the rake. Below are some of the methods that a lot of poker websites use.

  • Dealt rake calculation method. This method benefits those that are tight and passive because it divides the rake equally among the players who are dealt into a hand.
  • Contributed rake calculation method. This method is similar to the dealt rake calculation method except that it only divides the rake equally among the players who contributed to the pot. This way, only those who actually put in money gets to rake back.
  • Weighted contributed rake method. This method benefits the loose and aggressive players because rake is distributed among the players based on how much they actually contributed to the pot. So the more you bet, the bigger rake you get back.

WSOP Player Spotlight: Phil Ivey

Phil Ivey is the record holder for total tournament winnings as of 2010, but this is just a snapshot of the many accomplishments that he has had over his impressive career. Ivey is seen as the best all around poker player by many in the industry, including a large number of the people who have played directly against him. The reason, they say, is that Ivey isn’t just a one trick horse. He can play online poker or live poker. He can player large table games, tournaments, or head to head. Whatever he does, he’s likely to come out on top.

For Ivey, it started in New Brunswick with telemarketing. He and a group of friends, whom he met through a telemarketing company, began a regular poker game which allowed Ivey to get some practice while he was still too young to gamble. He continued to get experience by taking trips to Atlantic City, but did so before he was 21 years old. His nickname "No Home Jerome" comes from the fake ID that he used to get this valuable experience.

Ivey has some of the most impressive numbers for a WSOP player. In addition to his high all time winnings, he has won seven bracelets. This was all done between 2000 and 2010, and he set or broke various records along the way. In 2000, he began by becoming the only player to beat the famed Amarilo Slim heads up. He won three bracelets in 2002, tying with two other players for the record of most bracelets won in a single year. He has reached the final table in WSOP events on 22 occasions, and passed the money point a full 36 times. He’s famed for his skill at the table and his philanthropy off of it, and continues to make an amazing impression in the poker world each year.

Fun for the Whole Family

If you and your family are tired of not having anything fun to do, why not check out online games? The wonderful thing about online games is that they are family-friendly. You don’t have to worry that your children are doing something online that you don’t like. Not only will your children be doing something kid-friendly, you can take pleasure in the fact that games help with motor skills, concentration, memory, and strategy.

Games for Everyone

Don’t think that games are just for children. There are many games that adults will enjoy as well. From running a business to hidden object searches and strategy games, there’s something for you to enjoy as well. Games give us a sense of accomplishment and healthy competition. You can even make a family night of it by having online game night. Create a friendly competition or rewards for completing a game or level. With everyone participating, it might become a tradition in your house; a tradition that is healthy and rewarding for everyone.

Learn Something New

Trivia games are another way of sharpening our skills and keeping our brains active. There are all types of trivia challenges and some games are a fusion of other types of games where you can for instance, answer trivia questions then find hidden objects or compete on a new level.

Enjoy the Show

Gaming has become so technologically advanced that most online games have stories with beautiful graphics and backdrops. With many games having sequels and more, you may even become addicted to the plot and its future stories.

The best thing about online games is that it is something your entire family can enjoy. You don’t have to worry about your kids getting into trouble or being socially apart from the family when you make it game night.