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Last October, the San Francisco Giants were big underdogs in their playoff matchup against the Washington Nationals. The Nats had a much deeper pitching staff, young slugger Bryce Harper and home-field advantage. But the Giants had a few things going for them too: a strong veteran presence, a couple of recent championships and a shrewd manager in Bruce Bochy. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

If you've watched NFL football games during the first month of the season, you've seen lots of ads for DraftKings, FanDuel and other fantasy sites that give people the chance to earn money by picking the week's top players. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Cache Creek Casino isn't on the way to anywhere - it's a destination in its own right. Located in Brooks on Highway 16, about a 40-minute drive north of Vacaville, the casino resort draws two-thirds of its visitors from "west of us," primarily from the Bay Area, said spokesman Mike Traum. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In California, you can't legally bet on the game, but soon you may be able to bet at the game. A bill approved by the California State Assembly earlier this month would allow "50/50" charity raffles at sports events, including baseball, football and basketball games. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

What a difference a suspension - or the overturning of one - makes. When Tom Brady, the New England Patriots quarterback, won his appeal against the NFL, which had ordered him suspended for the season's first four games, it changed odds across the board. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

After winning the first three major women's tennis tournaments of 2015 - the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon - Serena Williams goes for the Grand Slam at the U.S. Open in New York, which starts Monday, Aug. 31. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The Bay Area's biggest tournament of the year, the Shooting Star at San Jose's Bay 101 Casino, with a $1.2 million top prize, airs this month (Aug. 16, 23, 30 on CSNBA at 11 p.m.) and will showcase the skills of Northern California player Taylor Paur. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The flurry of deals before Major League Baseball's July 31 trade deadline made some teams so much better that it was reflected in changes to their odds to win the World Series. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

These days Texas Hold'em is king of poker, but other games, such as Omaha high/low, have their allure. In the game, often called Omaha 8-or-bettter, players receive four face-down cards but can use only two of them with the community cards. (You can use different cards in your hand for the high and the low.) The pot is split between the best high and best low hand - for the low, straights and flushes don't count against you, so the best low is A-2-3-4-5. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This weekend marks the start of the World Series of Poker's newest tournament, which is expected to draw thousands of players, many of whom hope to use winnings to enter WSOP's Main Event. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The world's most popular set of poker tournaments, the World Series of Poker, is planning to spread the money around. Starting May 27 at the sprawling Rio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, the WSOP will hold 68 bracelet events, including a couple with buy-ins under $800. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In recent years casinos have become destinations in their own right, and when they're in a place that offers much more than gaming, that makes for an ideal getaway. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Howls of protest greeted the selections for the inaugural College Football Playoff that starts Jan. 1, when Ohio State routed Wisconsin and moved ahead of TCU into the final four, along with Alabama, Oregon and Florida State. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

When the Graton Resort & Casino opened in November, some visitors were surprised that you could smoke on the gaming floor. For many smokers this was welcome - they didn't have to go outside - but for others it made the casino less appealing. Several Yelp reviewers in the casino's opening weeks said they liked Graton but were unlikely to return because of the secondhand smoke. (At Graton, you can smoke on the majority of the gaming floor, but not in the poker room or restaurants.) [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The no-limit hold'em table in the VIP room of Petaluma's 101 Casino on a recent Saturday night was an utter train wreck. A middle-aged man who said he was a military veteran kept acting out of turn. Another player, an off-duty casino employee who sounded just like actor Steve Buscemi, said he was drunk and acted like it, spraying his chips all over the table. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Casinos throughout Northern California are kicking off the summer entertainment season with special events to celebrate the July 4 weekend, heralding a summer of top-shelf performances. Following is a roundup of casinos noting their entertainment options for this weekend and beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Bay Bridge World Series, when the contest between the Giants and A's was jolted by the Loma Prieta earthquake. Before the 2014 season started, the odds of a World Series rematch a quarter century later were greater than 100:1. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The World Cup, which begins Thursday in Brazil and features 32 national soccer teams, may be the world's most popular sporting event in terms of global interest. But in Las Vegas, bookmakers say, it garners a small fraction of the money wagered on the NBA playoffs or even a typical Sunday during the NFL season. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The return of online poker in Nevada has added a new wrinkle to the World Series of Poker, with dozens of players qualifying for the Main Event via online satellites. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

When I first heard about slot tournaments, I thought: That sounds about as challenging as Casino War, regarded as one of the easiest card games to play in the casino. But slot tourneys can be exciting ways to play against fellow slot enthusiasts and can yield nice payoffs. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]