Bitcoin Betting on Curling
Full moustache-bearers push can-shaped stones over the ice, suddenly gesticulate wildly and suddenly start to scrub hard. Curling is also a book with seven seals for many sports enthusiasts. News.de explains the sport to you.
Bet on Curling with Bitcoin
Every four years at the Olympics, curling becomes a topic of media interest. We explain the rules to you.
The goal of the game: two teams of four players compete against each other in curling. Each player plays two stones and tries to play his stone in the circularly marked target zone (house) as close as possible to the center (button/dolly) or to clear the opponent’s stones out of the way – similar to boules. The goal of the game is to have more stones placed near the center than the opponent. Points are awarded for this. The team with the most points after eight rounds wins.
Curling in a nutshell
A team consists of four players as well as usually a reservist. Each of the four curlers plays two stones alternately with the opponent in a fixed order. The beginning makes the Leads of each team, which play in each of the eight runs (Ends) the first two stones. Then follows the second, the third or vice skip and the skip, the captain of the team. A total of eight times eight pieces are played in a whole game. The playing device looks like a teapot and weighs up to 20 kilograms. International competition stones are made of granite, weigh 18.16 kilos and have a diameter of 280 millimetres. A set consisting of eight stones costs about 5000 euros. In order for the stone to glide optimally, its underside is hollowed and has to be stored cold one day before the competition.
It’s true that the brooms have earned curling its reputation as a housewife sport. However, no team would do without it; the device with the plastic bristles is as much a part of curling as the poles are for skiing. In principle, every player who is not playing a stone has the option of wiping. The command for wiping is given by the skip, which also does the finishing touches in the house area. Wiping heats up the ice, creating a film of ice on the surface and changing the direction and speed of the skip. The playing surface must be absolutely flat, because the smallest turn that the curlers give the stone on its way can be decisive. The curlers say so: The ice must be “pebbled”. National coach Oliver Axnick told news.de: “On a normal ice rink I couldn’t even explain how curling works”. There are only five real curling halls in Germany.
Curling – A Sport For Everyone!
Everyone, woman or man, young or old, family or single, curling is an ideal sport for everyone. Here not only tactics, technique and condition count, no also play joy, team spirit and comradeship stand completely above.
Curling is a hobby and leisure sport in one, but we also play nationally and internationally at the highest level. Either you play in the open air in front of a dreamlike scenery or in one of the numerous halls. If you would like to compete with other recreational athletes, there are numerous well-organised national and international tournaments and Swiss championships open to you.
Would you like to experience curling for yourself? Take the opportunity and simply stop by the open days, take an introductory course or knock at one of the clubs.
Curling As A Competitive Sport
Not only the 1998 Olympic gold team of Patrick Hürlimann, but also other Swiss curlers are among the world’s best. This is proved by countless world and European championship titles of the elite teams of our women, men and juniors.
The key factors for a successful team are strategy, tactics, playing technique, stamina and mental concentration. The top teams undergo year-round training with physical and psychological strain in order to be optimally prepared for top performances in national and international competitions.
Curling How Does That Work?
The playing field
Curling is played on an ice field 42.07 m long and 4.28 m wide. The Curlers call this field Rink. The house is located at each end of the Rink. It consists of three circular areas, the center line is called Tee Line. Behind it are the hacks, from where the stones are delivered.
The ice
Curling is played on different types of ice: Outdoors on flat natural ice consisting of several layers. In the hall on artificial ice, which is prepared on its surface with countless small frozen water droplets. These small water droplets are distributed evenly over the surface by means of a special shower. This special form of ice treatment results in an optimal surface for the conically cut granite stones.
The stone
This is circular and made of granite with the ideal dimensions: 19.96 kg, 91.44 cm circumference and 11.43 cm minimum height. The stone does not lie flat on the ice, but glides on a polished circle, similar to the underside of a plate. This cut curls the stone, i.e. it rotates around its vertical axis. The stone receives this rotation when it is delivered: Handle-in-turn (clockwise) and Handle-out-turn (counterclockwise).
The brooms
Brushes are used for wiping, but more and more brushes with plastic cushions and pads are used.
The players
Four players form a team:
- No. 1 (lead) opens every game and must be able to play good, correct lengths, i.e. a safe draw.
- No. 2 (second) is expected to have both draws and take-outs, i.e. slightly faster checkers to remove the opposing checkers.
- No. 1 and 2 decide on the use of the broom for wiping, i.e. they must have ice and stone speed under control.
- No. 3 (Vizeskip) is a real troubleshooter that should be able to do everything.
- The skip (no. 4) usually masters all situations and is strategically, tactically and playfully able to keep a game under control at all times. The skip is the boss in the rink and determines the tactics of a game.
Important: The best skip in the world has no chance without a good lead, who creates the conditions for victory and wipes the stones correctly; without a second, who builds up the advantages or iron out a mishap and, just like the lead, wipes the decisive stones with the last power to the destination; without number 3, who assists him with advice and action and takes the coals out of the fire, so that he himself (skip) has as simple a task as possible to complete in the end. There must be four players who go through thick and thin, because one cannot win alone.
The Game
This is played over eight or ten ends (runs). It takes about two hours. Each of the four team members plays two pieces per end, i.e. a total of eight pieces per end.
The goal
In curling, the aim is to place as many of your own stones as possible as close as possible to the centre, or to prevent your opponent from doing so. The stones lying in the house or touching the outer circle are counted. Only one of the two teams receives countable stones (points), namely the team that has one or more stones closest to the center.
The equipment
There is little need for curling, because stones and brooms are provided by clubs, halls and open-air rinks. The mandatory purchases are therefore limited to curling shoes with antislider, gloves, curling trousers and a comfortable warm sweater.
The History of Curling
Curling was first mentioned in the 16th century. The first stone finds come from Scotland and it is therefore considered the country of origin. For a long time the game was reserved for the upper class, which is clearly no longer the case today.
In the 18th century Scotland already knew 42 curling clubs. And in 1838 the Grand National Curling Club was founded in Edinburgh, which today is called Royal Caledonian Curling Club and is called the actual mother club of all curling clubs in the world. Curling was played in St. Moritz as early as 1898 and the first covered ice drink was served in Engelberg in 1913. The Swiss Curling Association was founded in Bern in 1942.
Around the globe, curling has become popular and has developed into a popular sport. Why? Because anyone, regardless of gender or age, can play curling. Many young people come to this sport because curling is something special that sets it apart from the usual football, ice hockey, etc.