Newsletter Vol. 1 Issue 3 Jan. 11/97 *************************** Jan 11/97 Vol. 1 Issue 3 Vegas report "The gamblers choice" ********************************* What to expect when you get off the plane at Las Vegas ****************************************************** There are a number of tour companies flying into Las Vegas every day of the year, some are good and some are so so. The better ones will inform you at every step of the way as to what is going on and what to expect. You land at Las Vegas and taxi to the Terminal where a tour Rep will greet you on the airplane and inform you of where to pick up your luggage if you are flying air only and what bus to take to your hotel. Package tours are usually treated to free bus fare to and from the airport with luggage brought to your room and picked up in your room on departure. Rooms are usually ready for occupancy by 3:00 PM local time which gives you lots of trime to get familiar with the Casino. You might evem play a bit while waiting for your room keys, do you suppose this is planned that way? Once you're issued a key and settled in your room you're on your own till departure time. Things to see in Las Vegas "with apologies to those who have seen it." ********************************************************************** No tour to Vegas would be a total experience without seeing the two main attractions on the strip and the laser show downtown. The strip features a live volcano that errupts evry 15 minutes from the early evening to late at night. It's a spectacular site that should not be missed. A little further down the strip towards downtown is the "Treasure Island Casino" where, every evening an English ship moves slowly out of its mooring and glides out in front of the Casino and engages in a firey battle with a pirate ship, also docked in front of the Casino. The ensuing battle is so realistic you can smell the cannon fire and feel the heat from the burning ships. I can't tell you more it would spoil it for you, but it is an experience you won't soon forget. The laser show downtown is also a must see. An entire two block area is covered over with the backdrop technology for the laser show. It is an awesome sight even for the most jaded spectator. It lasts for about 20 minutes and like all good things is over all too soon. After the show of course you will probably visit the Casinos that line either side of Freemont street, they will be only too happy to see you. Payout and "hold" percentages on the slots ********************************************** Payout percentages on slot machines are determined, at least in Nevada, by State law, and similar laws probably apply everywhere on the North American Continent. What this means to you, the player, is that the slot machines are set to pay the legal minimum at the factory. Casinos can of course crank this payout percentage upwards to any amount they wish but the cannot legally payout less than the laws have decreed. In actual practise this works as well or perhaps even better than any other law in the land. Casinos would be foolish indeed to risk their license on a few percentage points advantage below the legal minimum, they can make enough legaly. The "Hold" in a slot machine is the amount the casino keeps out of every dollar played, which on a gross average basis is around 6.4% leaving an average payout at around 93.6%. Will you get 93.6 cents back on evry dollar you play? The short answer is no. However, consider the times someone walks up to a machine, plunks in a few coins and hits a jackpot. In these cases, which are rare indeed, the payout is far in excess of 93.6%. The payout is based on a long haul average which suggest that if you play a machine long enough and that could be for weeks, you will retain 93.6% and lose 6.4% of you bankroll. But you may have to play for a long long time. Jackpots go a long way to making up the 93.6% and if you have played slots for any length of time you know how hard it is to win a jackpot of any size. Casinos are sprinkled with machines of various payout percentages from the legal minimum to highs of 98.4% and even higher, the high percentage slots are few and far between and if you find one it's just plain dumb luck. You will find on most dollar carousels, percentage payouts posted as 98.2% payback. This simply means that there are "some" slots on that particular carousel that will pay 98.2% or whatever the posted numbers might be. There is no gaurantee that all machines on that carousel will pay 98.2%. Casino Mystique *************** What is that special magic that the more opulent Casinos seem to have in abundance? Could it be that the world of Casinos is so much different from your every day world? The busy, dizzy action in a Casino has a mesmerizing affect on the first time Casino visitor. All those machines, lights, sounds, bells and music, people shouting at the dice tables, somber faces at the black jack tables, people going back and forth with small plastic buckets filled with coins looking for the next machine that may hold that elusive Jackpot. Money cascading from this machine and that, the excitement becomes too much to bear and you rush to the nearest change girls, money in hand to trade bills for coins so you can join the fun and the action. For some the mystique is the action for others it's that chance of winning a jackpot and for some it's a chance to sit at the bar and order another drink oblivious to the surrounding madness. To some it's the headliners at the shows, the magic world of make believe, where for an hour or more you can lose your self in a world of fantasy. For still others there is no mystique, just the hard grind of gambling, trying to recoup losses that were not inteded and will not ne recouped. Video Poker *********** Another popular game and gaining in popularity is video Poker, especialy for those who want to have some decision in the outcome of a game. The decision in video poker is twofold, How many coins, up to the Max, will you play and, after seeing your cards, what will you keep and what will you discard. At least there is a feeling of some input from the player. In regular poker the players play against each other but in Video poker the play is against the house or machine if you will. The hand you finish with is either a winner or a loser, there is no chance of getting beat by a better hand as in regular poker. Video poker machines can be found in abundance in Las Vegas from nickle machines at the Imperial Palace to 1 and 5 dollar machines in many of the bigger casinos. The machines are quite easy to play and are usually well explained on the face. It's difficult to say which casino has the "best" video poker games because there is little difference from one casino to the next. You can probably get to play a bit longer for the same money on video poker than you can on the regular slot machines. A word about On line Casinos **************************** I received an Email just today asking about the number of on-line Casinos on the net and were there any operating out of the U.S. I don't believe there are any operating as U.S. Land based Casinos on the Internet. There are however an increasing number of off shore Casinos perhaps as high as 35 or 40 promoting their games on the internet. This is a great source for free casino games since almost all of them offer free downloads. You can get more information from my main web site which you can find at; http://www.netcore.ca/~billk/vegas_casino.html What can the government do about online casinos? *********************************************** Controversy is brewing in the US over the increase in the number of Internet gambling sites. Gambling is severely restricted in America, even off-track betting on horses is prohibited. However, over the past year at least 12 online casinos and virtual gambling parlours have appeared on the Internet, mainly originating in the Caribbean. Because of their location, gaming licences are easily obtainable, but they fall outside the legal jurisdiction of the regulators in the home countries of the majority of their users. Under US law, the transmission of wagers and wagering information via 'wire' is probibited. In the past 'wire' has meant telephone lines, however law enforcement officials believe this should be extended to include the Internet. It is claimed that the fears over Internet gambling are exaggerated, and that it is just as easy to bet outside the country via a telephone, for examplesomeone in the US could dial up a bookmaker in the UK to place a bet on a horse, even though it illegal in their home country. Despite the concerns of US officials, there is little they can do about it. Catching an Internet gambler would entail bugging private Internet transmissions, which would undoubtedly lead to further controversy. Rather than condemning Internet gambling, the state of New York is considering sanctioning off-track betting on the Internet, and Canada is deciding whether to legalise Intenet casinos. In Australia, TAB (Totaliser Agency Board) in New South Wales is considering putting it's horse racing operations on the Internet. The Australian TAB claims that it will be the first to accept transactions over the Internet. However, the TAB in New Zealand may beat them to it with an Internet site due to open in a few months. Original Source: The Financial Times Publication Date: 15/06/97 Play smart play fresh at the Black Jack table ********************************************** Probably the most popular Casino game, next to the slots is Black jack. Some of us like to sit and grind it out with the dealer but the dealer only deals for a short period of time compared to the hours that many players put in at the table. This is not a good thing to do. When you're tired you just can't play the way you do when your fresh. We start to make little mental mistakes as we begin to tire. The house has a large enough edge when your sharp, no point in adding to it by playing when you're beat up and tired. If you've ever seen the Movie "The Hustler" with Jackie Gleason and Paul Newman, you know how important it is to take a break and get refreshed. The casinos understand this, that's why they change dealers so often. Fresh dealers will beat tired players every time. How to maximize your winnings by Bob Trebor ******************************************** A great book on Casino Gambling by Bob Trebor. Bob treats the subject of gambling and money management in a no nonsense style telling it like it really is. Take his advice and you will, at the very least, get more bang for your gambling dollar, you may even wind up a winner. I have read this book and highly recommend it as a must for your gambling library. You can reach Bob at, Mention this letter with you order and get a $3.00 discount. The book sells for $23.00 S&h and all applicable taxes are included. Drop Bob a line and an order, you wont be sorry. On the next "Gamblers Choice" Web tv and on line Casinos. Cheers and good luck till next time Bill Konrad