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look forward to the expansion of sportsbooks at
is overwhelming to think about all of the changes in the gaming industry over the years. When we started in 1999, there were less casinos, the only place to bet on sports was in Las Vegas (or with your local bookie) and playing poker meant going to your favorite casino card room, or to your buddy’s basement. Today, there are nearly twice as many casinos spread throughout the country, sportsbooks are opening daily at casinos around the region, and
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casinos throughout the region. One of the biggest
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wagering events of the year is the Super Bowl. With
Frank Scoblete
the big game right around the corner, we thought
embark on our twenty-first year of publishing, it
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When it comes to sports betting, we are ‘all in’ and
gaming enthusiasts throughout the region. As we
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choice. There is also an online ballot on our website Good luck!
Happy New Year to all of our loyal readers and
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it would be fun to look back at some of the betting
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Opinions of columnists are those of
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CONTENTS ON THE COVER
6
Super Bowl Surprises:
Five Fantastic Finishes
FEATURE ARTICLES
10 Finding the Edge:
Three Card Poker VS. Mississippi Stud Poker
14 Travel Aficionado:
Planning your trip
WINNING TIPS AND STRATEGIES
HIGHLIGHTS & HOT SPOTS:
18 Slot Strategy:
9
Super Bowl City:
See what Atlanta is all about
on the world’s biggest stage.
Math-based slot strategy based on over a million spins!
20 Video Poker:
Get the most out of your play
21 Poker:
Trapping and playing low pairs
22 Craps:
Marty & Marvin...comparing craps strategies
23 Casino Strategy:
6
Short-Run Decision:
26 Casino Directory:
Our preferred properties and attractions.
28 Sports Wagering:
Future Odds on major sporting events
30 2019 Readers’ Choice Awards: Vote & Win! Cast your vote for a chance to win big!
24 Pai Gow Poker:
Learning the Game
25 Casino Knowledge:
12 Gambling Secrets
30
14
9
10
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FACTS & FUN STUFF
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WHO WAS THE FIRST TEAM TO WIN FIVE SUPER BOWLS? A . Green Bay Packers B. San Francisco 49ers
4
WHERE IS THE FARTHEST NORTH THAT A SUPER BOWL HAS EVER BEEN HELD? A . Minneapolis, Minnesota B. Des Moines, Iowa
C. Kansas City Chiefs
C. Lansing, Michigan
D. Miami Dolphins
D. Madison, Wisconsin
IN THE 1980’S, WHAT WAS THE GROUND-BREAKING “1984” SUPER BOWL AD, WHICH SPARKED A CREATIVE REVOLUTION AMONG ADVERTISERS AND GAINED MASSIVE MEDIA ATTENTION?
5
WHAT TEAM HAS THE RECORD FOR MOST SUPER BOWL WINS, WITH SIX TITLES? A . Seattle Seahawks
A . Wheaties
B. Cleveland Browns
B. Volkswagen
C. New England Patriots
C. McDonald’s
D. Pittsburgh Steelers
D. Apple
THESE DAYS, WHAT IS THE AVERAGE COST OF A 30-SECOND SPOT DURING THE SUPER BOWL?
Answers: 1.) B 2.) D 3.) C 4.) A 5.) D
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Amount of degrees Fahrenheit at the coldest open-air Super Bowl in 1972 at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans.
39
7
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Number of pounds The Lombardi Trophy weighs and costs $50,000 to make
lime vodka, Sierra Mist, and a splash of cranberry juice. 2. Fill with ice and shake. 3. Pour drink over ice. Garnish with a slice of lime.
40,000 Cost for 30-second commercial spot during the first Super Bowl.
4
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Amount of chicken wings typically consumed on Super Bowl Sunday
Number of Super Bowl rings the NFL pays for at $5,000 per ring
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Courtesy of the New England Patriots/David Silverman.
SUPER BOWL SURPRISES THE BIG GAME’S BIGGEST UPSETS by
F
rom its inception, the Super Bowl has been prominent on the American sports wagering calendar. It has grown from a lopsided spectacle, to by far the most gambled on event in America. Through the first 52 Super Bowls played, the favorites hold a distinct advantage, compiling a 3517 record straight up, and a 27-23-2 record against the spread (there is some dispute over the line for SB 49, here we are treating it as Seattle -1). However, a strange phenomenon has occurred in recent years. Dating back to 2002, favorites are a mere 7-10 straight up, and an alarming 4-13 against the spread. As the games get more recent, the trend is more striking, as nine of the last eleven 6
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DAV I D S C U L L
underdogs covered the spread, with eight out of the last ten actually winning the Super Bowl outright.
At this point, I’m not sure if the pendulum
I have struggled to explain this trend. It may be that it’s simply cyclical. Give it a few years, and we may see the results swing back towards the favorites. It may also be a reflection of a more open and competitive league, a reflection of parity. Or, it may be something a little stranger. Consider this: when New England participates in the Super Bowl since 2002, the favorite is only 1-7 against the spread, and 3-4 straight up. Is it causation or correlation? We will probably never know. I do know this: if the Patriots are in the Super Bowl, I’m betting the underdog.
have made for some excellent games. With
is due to swing back the other way, but I do know the recent rash of underdog plays
the exception of a few blowouts sprinkled
in here and there (notably SB 48, Seattle 43 – Denver 8), most every Super Bowl has been a close game. In fact, eight out of the last eleven have been decided by a score or less. I’ll take that every time, even if it leads to the occasional sweat.
Ultimately this conversation led me to reflect on the biggest upsets in Super Bowl history.
Here they are, ranked according to size of the spread overcome by the winning team.
5. Super Bowl XXXII
Broncos 31 – Packers 24
Super Bowl 32 featured a battle of future Hall of Famers, as John Elway and the Wild Card Denver Broncos faced off against Brett Favre and the defending Champion Green Bay Packers. Green Bay came in to the game as eleven point favorites, powered by Favre’s third straight MVP performance. While the Broncos were technically a Wild Card team, they had compiled a 12-4 record in the regular season and bolstered the league’s best offense, led by the dynamic Terrell Davis. The game was closely contested, with the score being tied at three different junctures, including late in the 4th quarter. The Broncos pulled ahead for good with 1:42 left in the game on a Davis TD run to make it 31-24. Elway finally had his Super Bowl ring. The Denver win broke a remarkable streak of 13 straight Super Bowl victories for NFC teams, and marked the second time a Wild Card team had won the Super Bowl. The 11 point spread also reflected the largest championship upset since 1970.
4. Super Bowl IV
Chiefs 23 – Vikings 7 In the last Super Bowl played before the AFL and NFL merged into one league, the Kansas City Chiefs took on the Minnesota Vikings in New Orleans. Despite the victory by the upstart Jets over the Colts the previous year, most fans and media still believed the NFL to be a vastly superior league to the AFL, and the line reflected that. Lines and betting information from that era are slightly less reliable, but most sources had the number at Minnesota minus 12-13. The Vikings were a dominant force during the entire regular season. They led the NFL in both scoring offense and scoring defense, dropping only two games all season long. The Chiefs were led by colorful coach Hank Stram, future Hall of Fame QB Len Dawson, and a very good defense. From the opening kick, the Vikings could not seem to get traction. Every time the Minnesota
Quarterback John Elway celebrates Super Bowl XXXII.
offense threatened to gain momentum, the Chiefs’ defense was up to the task. The Chiefs used three first-half field goals and a touchdown (set up by excellent field position) to build a 16-0 halftime lead. Kansas City ended up forcing five Minnesota turnovers on the way to a dominating 23-7 victory. This result brought the fledgling series to a 2-2 tie, and went a long way to establishing the AFL/AFC as a legitimate league.
3. Super Bowl XLII
Giants 17 – Patriots 14
While the Patriots had been a juggernaut all season long, these two teams played in the final game of the regular season, and it took a 2nd half comeback for the Patriots to maintain their perfect record. The Pats and Giants combined for 73 total points, and most experts expected more of the same in the Super Bowl. However, the Giants took the air out of the ball from the jump, with Eli and company orchestrating the longest drive in Super Bowl history (nearly ten minutes) which resulted in a field goal. After New England answered with a touchdown, the game remained 7-3 until the 4th quarter. After a Giants TD early in the 4th, the Patriots drove the field and took the lead 14-10 with 2:39 left in the game. On 3rd and 5, Eli Manning eluded several rushers to complete the famous “helmet catch” to David Tyree for a 32 yard gain, then followed that with a touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress. Tom Brady was unable to answer in the waning seconds, resulting in the first of two Super Bowl wins for Eli Manning. The Giants win prevented the Patriots from claiming the first undefeated NFL season since the 1972 Miami Dolphins, and remains one of the greatest upsets in professional sports history.
In one of the most famous upsets in modern sports, the New York Giants beat the previously undefeated New England Patriots 17-14 in Super Bowl 42. The Patriots were driven by one of the most explosive offenses in NFL history, with Tom Brady putting up 50 TDs and nearly 5,000 yards on the way to his best season ever. Randy Moss and Wes Welker both had career years, combining for 210 receptions and over 2,600 yards, with Moss accounting for 23 receiving touchdowns on his own. New England was unstoppable, and seemed destined to win another ring. The Giants were led by the younger Manning brother, Eli, and had become the first NFC team to win three road games on their way to the Super Bowl. They were the clear underdog, with New England being favored by 12 points.
Eli Manning led the Giants to a victory in Super Bowl XLII.
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Tom Brady has five Super Bowl victories with the Patriots. Courtesy of the Shutterstock
2. Super Bowl XXXVI
Patriots 20 – Rams 17
It’s hard to imagine now, but there was a time before Tom Brady was a superstar and surefire Hall of Famer. A time when he was still the replacement for the franchise quarterback. Back in 2001, Tom Brady took over for an injured Drew Bledsoe during the second game of the regular season, and the rest is history. Brady led the hard-nosed Patriots to an 11-5 record and a berth in the Super Bowl against the “Greatest Show on Turf”, the Kurt Warner-led St. Louis Rams. Warner was fresh off his second MVP season in three seasons, and the Rams potent offense had become the first NFL team to score over 500 points in three consecutive seasons. The Rams were a two touchdown favorite come game day. What looked like a lopsided matchup turned out to be a dog fight. At halftime, the Patriots actually led 14-3, before extending the lead to 17-3 on a 3rd quarter field goal. But the high powered Rams offense answered with two 4th quarter touchdowns to draw even with a minute and a half left on the clock. Bill Belichick ultimately chose to put the ball in his young quarterback’s hands, and Tom Brady led the Pats down the field to set up Adam Vinatieri’s game winning 48-yard field goal. Although the win was largely driven by 8
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defense, Super Bowl 36 announced the arrival of Tom Brady and the Patriots as players for years to come, and effectively ended the reign of “The Greatest Show on Turf”.
1. Super Bowl III Jets 16 – Colts 7
In the days leading up to Super Bowl III, most of the buzz was around the powerhouse Baltimore Colts, who represented the more established and seemingly superior NFL. Three days before the big game, New York’s brash young quarterback Joe Namath changed that narrative with his now infamous words: “We’re gonna win the game. I guarantee it.” The Jets had reason to be confident. They had recently completed an 11-3 regular season, and avenged one of those losses against the Raiders in the AFL Championship game. New York boasted a strong, balanced offense led by the colorful Namath, who while prone to mistakes, was a natural leader. Meanwhile, the Colts were coming off a blowout win over the Cleveland Browns, 34-0. On game day, the Jets’ defense was the story, forcing Colts’ starting quarterback Earl Morrall into three interceptions. On offense, the Jets were led by 120 yards on the ground from Matt Snell, and the steady hand of Joe Namath, who managed not to turn the ball
over despite throwing more picks than TDs during the regular season. After a 2nd quarter score by Snell, New York added three field goals by Jim Turner to extend the lead to 16-0. Johnny Unitas replaced Morrall and was able to lead the Colts to a late touchdown, but Baltimore ultimately lost the game 16-7. The victory announced the AFL as a force to be reckoned with and as an equal to the NFL, and remains quite possibly the greatest upset in professional sports history. From Broadway Joe to Tom Terrific, the Super Bowl has transformed underdogs to superstars over and over again. Will it happen again this year? Nobody can say. But if recent history is any indication, all signs point to yes.
Joe Nameth delivered on his ‘Guaranteed win’ in Super Bowl III.
Courtesy of the New England Patriots/David Silverman.
SUPER BOWL LIII 2019 AT L A N TA O V E R V I E W by
MICHELLE BAIR
Atlanta is ready to show everyone that gorgeous and charming southern hospitality. The city itself, coupled with the brand-new Mercedes Benz Stadium, sets the perfect stage for Super Bowl LIII. In fact, Atlanta has already coined itself as “the world’s biggest stage,” which is quite a title to live up to. According to the Super Bowl committee’s website, “we are changing the game,” literally and figuratively it seems. “We listened to what our fans desired most and responded with a fan first, world-class experience in the Heart of Atlanta.” It appears that the stadium already has a rock-solid reputation as “the best venue in the NFL,” according to Keith Flamer in Forbes Magazine, all paving its way to the opportunity that dreams are made of. Super Bowl LIII will be played in Atlanta, Ga. on February 3, 2019 at the spectacular Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The city couldn’t be more excited for this opportunity to showcase Atlanta to the rest of world. Mercedes-Benz Stadium is designed to create an unparalleled fan experience, as reflected on atlsuperbowl53.com. Taking the guest experience to an unmatched level, Mercedes-Benz Stadium has elevated and enhanced the downtown landscape and is leading the industry in design, technology and sustainability. This stadium
will contribute to the long-term advancement and success of the city and state. Fan Experience: Every stadium feature was designed with the fan in mind. Mercedes-Benz Stadium offers fan-friendly food and beverage pricing and options, plus several other awesome amenities. According to the website, they offer “best-in-class service; state-of-the-art audio and visual systems; 71,000 seats with scalability up to 83,000 offering expanded legroom; 860 points of sale for concessions for shorter lines and a better experience; expanded concourses and 360 degree circumnavigation on each level allowing increased access and walkability; 20 elevators; 25 escalators; 190 suites; 7,600 club seats; seven exclusive dining and entertainment club areas and skybridges - standing only gathering places on all three concourses.” Along with the actual game taking place in the amazing new stadium, there are several big events going on around the city during Super Bowl week to celebrate this historical moment in time. The Super Bowl Breakfast and Taste of NFL will both be taking place on Saturday 2/2, and be sure to check out the event calendar on atlsuperbowl53.com for more festive happenings...and if you happen to be attending both events listed above, be sure to bring a gigantic appetite that day! G A M I N G A N D D E S T I N AT I O N S . C O M |
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Photos courtesy of Shutterstock
TABLE EDGES by
T
hree Card Poker and Mississippi Stud Poker are two of the hottest table games around. Their popularity doesn’t challenge long time player favorites blackjack and craps, but in some states they draw more players than baccarat or even roulette.
JOHN GROCHOIWSKI
The house edge can be expressed as a percentage of the ante that starts either game, or it can be expressed as a percentage of the average total wager, once subsequent bets are considered.
HOW GOOD IS YOUR SHOT TO WIN AT THOSE GAMES? WHAT IS THE HOUSE EDGE?
Some people refer to these as “house edge vs. the ante” and “house edge vs. total action.” At wizardofodds.com, Michael Shackelford refers to first as the house edge and the second as the “element of risk.”
Those are questions that need to be answered in multiple steps, because both are games with more than one round of betting.
Both figures are useful. They just tell us different things about the games. Let’s take Three Card Poker first, since it’s the game that has been around
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longer. It offers both an ante-play option and a Pair Plus option. It’s the ante-play portion that concerns us here, because it has multistage betting and a house edge that can be expressed in different ways. In that portion of the game, you’re trying to beat the dealer. You open with an ante. After you see your three cards, you may either fold or stay in the hand by making an additional bet equal to your ante. If you stay, there are three possible outcomes:
**The dealer does not have a qualifying hand of a Queen or better. When that happens, your ante is paid at even money and your second bet is returned to you.
than Three Card Poker’s house edge on the ante, but higher than the edge on total action. For equivalent-sized total wagers, your average outcome will be better in Three Card Poker.
**The dealer does have a Queen or better and a hand that outranks yours. You lose both ante and bet.
WHAT ABOUT MISSISSIPPI STUD? The situation is more complex in that there are three rounds of betting after the ante. You get two cards face down and three community cards are dealt. After you look at your cards, you may bet one, two or three times the ante. You have the same opportunity after the first community card is exposed, and again after the second community card.
**The dealer has a Queen or better and your hand outranks his. You win even money on both ante and bet. In addition, you are paid an ante bonus of 5-1 if you have a straight flush, 4-1 with three of a kind or even money with a flush.
and should make the maximum bets all the way through to the end. So if you start with a $10 ante and have favorable cards from the start, you’ll add three $30 bets for a total of $100. Strategy is lengthy because it must be divided into three parts because there are three different optional betting points. Let’s look at a sample of how strategy works after you’ve seen your first two cards.
WHAT ABOUT THE HOUSE EDGE? IF YOU PLAY THE BASIC STRATEGY MAKING THE ADDITIONAL BET WHENEVER YOU HAVE QUEEN-6-4 OR BETTER, THE EDGE IS 3.37 PERCENT OF THE ANTE OR 2.01 PERCENT OF TOTAL ACTION.
At any step, if you do not bet, you fold and lose what you’ve wagered to that point. There is no dealer hand to beat. You’re paid according to a pay table that starts at getting your money back on a pair of 6s or better and runs up to 500-1 for a royal flush.
You start by assigning points to card denominations. Deuces, 3s, 4s and 5s bring no payoff if paired up, so for strategy purposes, those are zero-point cards. One-point cards are 6s, 7s, 8s, 9s and 10s -- the cards that will get your money back if paired. Pairs of Jacks, Queens, Kings and Aces bring 1-1 payoffs, so faces and Aces are twopoint cards.
The house edge vs. the ante give you a baseline on the average cost per hand. If we assume a $10 ante, that average loss is 33.7 cents.
The possibility of making 3x bets three times, in addition to the ante, means you can wind up with a total wager of 10 times your ante. In fact, that’s exactly what should happen any time your first two cards are a pair of 6s or better. You’re in a can’t-lose situation
Then, after you’ve looked at your cards, optimal play is to wager 3x your ante if you have a pair of 6s or better and to bet 1x your ante if you have at least two points in the hand or have two cards of the same suit ranking 6-5 or higher.
But once the second bet is factored in, your average total wager is about $16.77. The average loss remains 33.7 cents per hand, or 2.01 percent of your total action. A couple of things of note: Players need to understand that the ante isn’t the end of the bet. If you ante $10, you’re not a $10 player. You’re nearly a $17 player. And the 2.01 percent house edge on total action gives us a good comparison to other games. It’s not quite as good as the 1.52 percent edge on placing 6 or 8 in craps, but better than the 5.26 at most double-zero roulette bets. An interesting case is single-zero roulette. The 2.7 percent edge is lower
G A M I N G A N D D E S T I N AT I O N S . C O M |
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There are separate strategies after you’ve seen the first and second community cards: 3x bets after one community card: Any paying hand; three parts of a royal flush; or three parts of a straight flush with either no gaps and 5-6-7 or higher, one gap and at least one high card, or two gaps and at least two high cards. 1x bets after one community card: Any other three suited cards; three parts of a straight 4-5-6 or higher with no gaps or at least two middle or high cards with one gap; or hands with at least three points. 3x bets after two community cards: Any paying hand; any four cards of the same suit; any four consecutive cards, 8-high or better. 12
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1x bets after two community cards: Any other four-card straight, including inside draws; any low pair; at least four points; three middle cards and at least one previous 3x raise. For those who play optimal strategy, the house edge is 4.91 percent. That may seem high, but players should understand that with the raises at appropriate times, you’ll actually wind up wagering 3.59 times your ante, according to Shackelford’s calculations. For a $10 ante, your average loss is 49.1 cents. But your actual wagering total will average $35.90, with the average loss remaining at 49.1 cents. That’s a house edge vs. total action of 1.37 percent. The house edge vs. the ante looks high, but if you play the game well,
you won’t just have an ante at risk. Keeping in mind your total action and comparing to similar-sized bets on other games, the house edge is lower than the 1.41 percent on craps pass without odds or the 1.52 percent for place bets on 6 or 8, and not far off baccarat’s 1.06 percent on banker and 1.17 percent on player. As with Three Card Poker, the different edges are telling us different things about Mississippi Stud. House edge against the ante tells us the average loss per hand. House edge against total action is better at evaluating shot to win as compared to other games. Use that information with the understanding that the ante is just the beginning of your total action.
G A M I N G A N D D E S T I N AT I O N S . C O M |
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TRAVEL AFICIONADO PLANNING YOUR TRIP by
I
n some ways, taking a vacation today is more troublesome than ever. Long security lines at airports, the prevalence of airline delays (customer satisfaction with America’s airlines continues to nose dive), the rising cost of fuel, a weakened dollar and the need for passports even to fly from the U.S. to Canada have all conspired to make travelers grumble. According to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, 24.3 percent of flights in the United States arrive late; 21.3 percent register a late departure. However, all hassles aside, Americans still love to travel — even if we receive and take fewer vacation days than other industrialized nations. Whether it is a gambling trip to Las Vegas or a romantic getaway to New
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C I N DY M U LR O O N E Y
England, many of us long for the road (or, more aptly in many cases, the sky.) The good news is that while actually taking the trip can be distressing, planning it is easier than ever thanks to a plethora of online resources.
ground transportation and the cruise at one convenient price. What once took multiple phone calls and a lot of time is now achieved with a few clicks of the mouse in mere minutes.
In the old days, planning a vacation either required a visit to a travel agency or spending lots of time on the phone requesting rates, asking for directions, making reservations, etc. The process was laborious. Today, thanks to the wonder of the Internet, booking a trip is both painless and fast.
Here are 10 tips that will be beneficial when planning your 2019 excursions.
A number of online travel agencies, such as : Kayak, Expedia, Hotwire and Orbitz, allow users to search multiple airlines, hotels and car rental companies for the best rates, flight schedules and lodging locations. Want to take a cruise? No problem. Bundle airfare,
Be Safe — By and large, online shopping is a safe venture. That said, identity theft is very real and credit card numbers can be stolen online if the proper precautions aren’t taken. Before you use your credit card to book travel online, be sure you are on a reputable Web site and that it is a safe place to do business. The Federal Trade Commission (www. ftc.gov) recommends if it is your first time shopping on a particular site, that you should call the seller’s phone number to make sure
you can reach them later if necessary. If there is no phone number available, move on to another site. Additionally, look for a sign the site is secure, such as a closed padlock on the browser’s status bar, before entering personal and financial information. Furthermore, says the FTC, when you are asked to provide payment information, the beginning of the Web site’s URL address should change from http to shttp or https to indicate the purchase is encrypted or secured. Lastly, print and keep records of your online transactions, confirmation numbers and any other important information. Shop Around — When looking for the best rates, don’t just visit one site. Try several. While many of the large online travel agencies will have the same prices for hotels, for example, they often contract with the lodging companies to offer special discounts for their users. The only way to know which hotel or car rental is “on sale” on a given web site is to check it out for yourself. Taking the time to shop around will take a little longer, but you could save substantially in the long run. If you are a gamer — and we know you are — you might be interested in visiting www. gamblingresort.com. This site, designed specifically for gamblers, allows you to book your travel to any gaming city around the world. Need a flight to Reno or a hotel in Macau? No problem. GamblingResort. com partners with Expedia, Hotels.com, Orbitz and Travelocity to allow you to conveniently compare prices. It also allows you to book cars, shows, cruises and package deals. Todd Lewis, GamblingResort. com founder, says: “We created a site that is specialized for the traveler who wants to go to the casinos. It is a niche that allowed us to combine the two things we were interested in: gambling and travel.” According to Lewis, site users can also learn about player clubs, the size of a given casino, its number of slots and more on the site. “You can search by city or by hotel name if you already know specifically where you want to stay. Or, you can locate a casino and then
search for a hotel nearby if you don’t want to stay in the casino’s hotel.” Book Early — Yes, great deals are available at the last minute. By and large, though, your best deal is often made when you book 30 days in advance. Besides, it is much less stressful when you are not trying to pack and find a hotel at the same time! Be Flexible — No matter where you look for counsel on booking online travel, this particular piece of advice will come up. That is because it has legs. Booking a Wednesday afternoon return flight, for example, can save a hundred dollars or more versus flying home from vacation on Sunday night. Not to mention, hotel rooms typically are cheaper through the week than on Friday and Saturday. If you really need to take that quick getaway Friday to Monday, fine. You will have a great time but you might enjoy a greater value if you can take that same trip Monday to Thursday. Stay Grounded — With your attention understandably focused on air travel and hotels, it is easy to forget how you are going to get from point A to point B once you are on the ground. This is where booking in advance can really pay off. If you wait until you get to the airport to secure ground transportation you are going to get to the
rental counter only to find out all the less expensive vehicles are already rented out. Of course, you could take taxis or shared rides, which don’t require advance planning. If you want to rent a car or limo service, however, it is best to secure your reservation early. Research Your Destination — Not only can you book your trip online, but you can learn all you need to know about your destination before you ever get there. In fact, it is downright silly not to do so. From checking the weather reports to finding the best restaurants in the city, the Internet allows you to plan every last detail of your trip, whether it is how to pack or how to spend your Friday night. One of the best resources for learning about your destination is the city’s local Convention and Visitors Bureau. Every major city has one, and they are easy enough to find online. Just go to Google and enter the city name followed by the letters CVB (example: “Tunica CVB”) and you are on your way. Many CVB’s provide information on hotels, weather, attractions, restaurants and more on their sites. Some offer discounts to restaurants, theatre tickets or theme parks. A particularly helpful section on most CVB sites is the calendar of events, which will let you know if there G A M I N G A N D D E S T I N AT I O N S . C O M |
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Photos courtesy of Shutterstock
are any local festivals or headlining acts of note coming through town during your stay. Pam Scott, Communications Manager for the Spokane Regional CVB in Washington State, says: “The great thing about CVB Web sites is they will tell someone right away the most important things going on in a city. That is basically what the CVB is paid to do — to market the city and the most important events.” Another good reason to use a CVB site is for the savings, says Scott. “If you book things through a CVB site you often can get deals that you can’t find somewhere else. For example, on our site (www. visitspokane.com) you can book ski packages and hotel rooms or golf packages and hotel rooms for one low price, depending on the season. Many restaurants offer drink specials or other seasonal discounts through our site and I know a lot of other CVBs around the country do the same thing.” Scott, who says she always books her trips online for the convenience, adds: “I always start with the CVB site to see if they have any special deals. I am a comparison shopper, so then I like to go to other sites, such as Expedia or somewhere else, and price 16
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compare. I will take the best price I can get, but I often find it hard to beat the CVB site. If they have local specials, they are usually the best.” In addition to CVB sites, www.fodors.com and www.frommers.com are good places to research a given city. Consider Going Direct — Just because you can book everything in a package deal, don’t forget to go directly to the airline or hotel web site, too. Perhaps the most glaring example is with Southwest Airlines. You will not find their flights on travel sites. Other times, pricing may be the same, but you will receive extra bonus miles for booking directly with the airline if you are a member of their rewards club. It all goes back to point No. 2: shop around. Read the Fine Print — When you do book travel online, be sure to pay attention to dates, times and passenger names. If you make a mistake and need to change something, there is a good chance you will have to pay a penalty fee. Be a Weather Watcher — Will you need to pack shorts or sweaters? Do you need a raincoat? Will you be able to ski? Don’t forget to check the weather before you
go. Contrary to popular belief, Seattle isn’t always rainy and Florida isn’t always hot. Your best bet is to visit www.weather.com or another weather site and simply enter the city name or zip code for a 10-day forecast. Heed the Dinner Bell — Some of the most enjoyable moments of any vacation are captured at the dinner table. A restaurant can make or break your day, so plan accordingly. There are several good sites where restaurant reviews and ratings can be found. We like www.zagat.com and www.citysearch.com. The venerable Zagat is good because its scores are based on thousands of visits by real consumers, not food critics. Citysearch, meanwhile, offers both consumer reviews and editorial overviews — plus the site allows you to read about the restaurant’s pricing, dress code and other important information. Of course, if you have a particular restaurant in mind it’s best to Google it and find its homepage, if it has one. Most restaurants have their menu online and can take reservations over the Web. So, there you have it, a quick guide to booking your 2019 travel plans. Now put down the magazine (after you read it all!), turn on the computer and plan your next vacation.
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MATHEMATICALLY-BASED SLOT MACHINE METHOD by
ALEX SECTER
“MY EXCEL DATABASE HAS GROWN TO INCLUDE OVER 2,500 MACHINES PLAYED, REPRESENTING OVER 1 MILLION SPINS OF SLOT MACHINES!”
I am a mathematician living in Wausau, Wisconsin, with a career of over 30 years as a senior actuarial analyst and quantitative analyst. Originally, I knew little about slot machines, except that they were revenue generators for the Native American tribes. Eventually, I decided to purchase some documents on slot machines, to learn how the authors suggest the machines should be played. Over the next several years, I learned that:
> The slot machine methods varied greatly from author to author, and > None of the methods accounted for the wide range in machine multipliers.
By the end of 2006, I concluded that the best way to determine how slot machines should be played was to capture data on each machine for each casino trip I attended. I used Microsoft Excel to capture this slot machine data. Since then, my Excel database has grown to include over 2,500 machines played, representing over 1 million spins of slot machines! The volume of data I collected allowed me to develop a mathematically-based slot machine method that accounts for the wide range in slot machine multipliers. It is my hope that this article may help gamblers improve their results – and win more money, more often! THE METHOD – TERMS AND DETAILS In developing this mathematically-based slot machine method, I want to emphasize the following:
> This method is designed for single-line, 3-reel slot machines. It is not applicable for video slots, video poker, keno, or multi-line slot machines.
> The data volume I collected over the years does not include much
data for machines with no multiplier, machines with a unity multiplier, or four times multiplier machines. Given the volume of my data, I felt it best to group the data into the following four machine multiplier groups:
> None – 2X group (machines with no multipliers, or multipliers of one or two) 18
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> 3X group (machines with three times multipliers) > 4X – 5X group (machines with four or five times multipliers) > 7X+ group (machines with seven times or higher multipliers) Please note the following about these multiplier groups:
> Several machines have more than one multiplier. In cases like these, use the mu ltiplier group w ith the highest machine multiplier.
> Strike machines have become more popular recently. Strike
machines feature multiplied symbols that could appear on all 3 reels. The Double Strike machines (also called Double Gold, Double Diamond Strike, Double Dollars Strike, or Pink Diamond) include symbol combinations with 3 doublers. In these cases (also including Wild Double Strike machines), the addition of the third doubler symbol results in some hits multiplied by 8. The 3X group strategy should be used for these double strike machines.
Strike, Triple Dollars Strike, Triple Gold Bars, or Triple Hot Ice) include symbol combinations with 3 triplers. In these cases (also including Wild Triple Strike, Wild Double Triple Strike, and Triple Double Strike machines), the addition of the third tripler symbol results in some hits multiplied by 27. The 4X-5X group strategy should be used for these triple strike machines.
some casinos feature Seven Strike machines. These machines include symbol combinations with 3 seven-times symbols, allowing for hits multiplied by 7 * 7 * 7 = 343!
> Similarly, the Triple Strike machine (also called Triple Diamond
> Today,
This mathematically-based slot machine method includes the following statistics for each machine multiplier group:
> A target profit amount per dollar played. (This is based on the
average profit size per dollar implied by the method.)
the starting amount of money to be committed to the machine at the start of play.)
dollar played.
> Machine loss limit amounts per dollar played. (This represents
> Four-hour, two-day, three-night, and four-night trip budgets per
THE MATHEMATICALLY BASED METHOD BY MULTIPLIER GROUP FOR PLAY LEVELS FROM $0.50 TO $4.00 PER SPIN Here is the strategy for slot machines played $0.50 per spin. Machine Multiplier Group Target Profit / $1 None-2X $45 3X + Double Strike $50 4X-5X + Triple Strike $55 7X+ $100
Machine Loss Limit / $1 $40 $43 $58 $100
4-HOUR Trip Budget / $1 $238 $270 $270 $360
2-DAY 3-NIGHT Trip Budget / $1 Trip Budget / $1 $565 $665 $575 $695 $630 $800 $680 $870
4-NIGHT Trip Budget $ / $ $850 $850 $935 $1,155
Here is the strategy for slot machines played $0.75 per spin. Machine Multiplier Group Target Profit / $1 None-2X $68 3X + Double Strike $75 4X-5X + Triple Strike $83 7X+ $150
Machine Loss Limit / $1 $60 $64 $86 $150
Here is the strategy for slot machines played $1.00 per spin. Machine Multiplier Group Target Profit / $1 None-2X $90 3X + Double Strike $100 4X-5X + Triple Strike $110 7X+ $200
Machine Loss Limit / $1 $80 $85 $115 $200
4-HOUR Trip Budget / $1 $356 $405 $405 $540
2-DAY Trip Budget / $1 $848 $863 $945 $1,020
3-NIGHT 4-NIGHT Trip Budget / $1 Trip Budget / $1 $998 $1,275 $1,043 $1,275 $1,200 $1,403 $1,305 $1,733
4-HOUR Trip Budget / $1 $475 $540 $540 $720
2-DAY Trip Budget / $1 $1,130 $1,150 $1,260 $1,360
3-NIGHT 4-NIGHT Trip Budget / $1 Trip Budget / $1 $1,330 $1,700 $1,390 $1,700 $1,600 $1,870 $1,740 $2,310
4-HOUR Trip Budget / $1 $950 $1,080 $1,080 $1,440
2-DAY Trip Budget / $1 $2,260 $2,300 $2,520 $2,720
3-NIGHT 4-NIGHT Trip Budget / $1 Trip Budget / $1 $2,660 $3,400 $2,780 $3,400 $3,200 $3,740 $3,480 $4,620
4-HOUR Trip Budget / $1 $1,425 $1,620 $1,620 $2,160
2-DAY Trip Budget / $1 $3,390 $3,450 $3,780 $4,080
3-NIGHT 4-NIGHT Trip Budget / $1 Trip Budget / $1 $3,990 $5,100 $4,170 $5,100 $4,800 $5,610 $5,220 $6,930
4-HOUR Trip Budget / $1 $1,900 $2,160 $2,160 $2,880
2-DAY Trip Budget / $1 $4,520 $4,600 $5,040 $5,440
3-NIGHT 4-NIGHT Trip Budget / $1 Trip Budget / $1 $5,320 $6,800 $5,560 $6,800 $6,400 $7,480 $6,960 $9,240
Here is the strategy for slot machines played $2.00 per spin. Machine Multiplier Group Target Profit / $1 None-2X $180 3X + Double Strike $200 4X-5X + Triple Strike $220 7X+ $400
Machine Loss Limit / $1 $160 $170 $230 $400
Here is the strategy for slot machines played $3.00 per spin. Machine Multiplier Group Target Profit / $1 None-2X $270 3X + Double Strike $300 4X-5X + Triple Strike $330 7X+ $600
Machine Loss Limit / $1 $240 $255 $345 $600
Here is the strategy for slot machines played $4.00 per spin. Machine Multiplier Group Target Profit / $1 None-2X $360 3X + Double Strike $400 4X-5X + Triple Strike $440 7X+ $800
Machine Loss Limit / $1 $320 $340 $460 $800
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PLAYER STRATEGY
VIDEO POKER: Lemonade I can remember my mom saying that when life deals you lemons you should make lemonade. Beyonce even had a blockbuster album called “Lemonade”, so I guess moms everywhere (and grandmothers in Bey’s case, since she passed the adage and recipe on to the star’s mom) have some of the same feel-good maxims. It’s not just true about life in general, but also applies to the world of gambling. You might logically assume that with all the competition for players, casinos would be offering better odds than before, but that’s not the case at all. Instead, there are more greedy hands stuck out for pieces of the pie than ever before and our legislative regulators are merrily lowering the minimum ER (expected return) on a state-by-state basis. You may have sworn that if house odds were increased at your expense, then you’d never again enter a casino, but that’s like an ultimatum when angry with your partner; it may not happen. In the mercurial case of casinos your best bet may be to make lemonade. Lemonade: Regardless of your game, slots, video poker (VP) or tables the odds seem to be getting better for casinos and worse for their players. In fact, the rakes for some of the poker games, especially low stakes ones like $1/$2 or $2/$4 Hold ’Em are downright embarrassing. Still, people continue to stream through the doors and there’s often a waiting list for tables on holidays or weekend nights. (The lower stakes games may disappear, but the high rakes remain in place and are increased along with the betting amounts.) Instead of ignoring the dismal odds you need to find the most lucrative deals on the gaming floor. Entry Tickets: Casinos have wisely figured out that they can be generous with things like contest tickets that cost them nothing extra but they’re valuable to their players. Best VP Games Available: You will be told by staff that it only takes one ticket to win, but the truth is equity, or number of entries, determines your odds. One important way to increase your entries is to select a low variance game, like 9/6 JOB (9/6 Jacks or Better, ER 99.5439%, variance 19.51468) instead of 9/6DDB (9/6 Double-Double Bonus, ER 98.9808%, variance 41.98498). In this case both the ER and variance are better with 9/6 JOB yet I notice many given the choice select the 9/6DDB game. Even those that know the difference will tell me they think the 9/6JOB game is boring. You will play longer in the long run, assuming similar or better ERs, with a lower variance game. You’re getting double your wager for two pairs with 9/6JOB and just even money with the same hand for 9/8DDB. Best Slots Available: Some players stick with traditional slots and they, too, can be more selective to earn more contest entries. Instead of choosing a 20
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by L I N D A
B OY D
game that’s volatile, like many versions of China Shore (you can earn 900 games or more plus retriggers if you’re sitting on a horseshoe, but it’s as rare as a blue moon), select a game with more frequent but smaller payouts. Information Please: Never get information from anybody but the person in charge of that department. Often hosts, other players and even management unwittingly give out incorrect contest or policy rules. More than ever casinos compartmentalize everything so that employees are only well-informed about their own division. Gift shop: The latest trend is to offer top-notch merchandise in casino gift shops and to allow you to use your comp points for purchases. Go directly to the gift shop or ask your host about their policy. Tournament Rules: Ask the MC at the event for clarification because your host or management may not know. For example, “The TournEvent of Champions” has weekly contests at participating casinos with a grand finale and million-dollar grand prize tournament in Vegas. When the trademark guy pops up during play (it’s only happened to me once) you jump to the top of the round. I thought you won the round, but in reality, you jump to the top score of that moment and if it’s early in the round it’s not such a big deal. Be sure to touch the icon and continue playing as though it hasn’t even happened. In addition, the casino can and will change the rules and payouts for the same event so pay attention and ask questions. Casino Rating: It’s disappointing but not unusual to be chomping at the bit to play a game, say FPDW (Full Pay Deuces Wild, ER 100.7620%, variance 25.83462), only to find it’s not there. Don’t panic because it may have been moved; on the other hand, if it has been removed the locals won’t give the casino such a high rating. Make sure you’re current on VP games and pay schedules because it’s more important than their reputation. Final Thoughts: Using your great-grandmother’s recipe works literally for making wonderful lemonade, but only does so figuratively when it comes to gambling decisions. That’s because the house constantly changes their policies and you have to stay current on the latest rules to make sure you’ve made the best possible casino choices. It’s not going to be as sweet a deal as it was twenty years ago for VP advantage players because the pay schedules have since been downgraded. Still, you can have a good time and spend little or break even by staying informed and playing smart.
Linda Boyd, a long-time table game player before turning to video poker, writes for “Southern Gaming and Destinations”, “Arizona Player” and the latest edition of “American Casino Guide”. You can see her videos on YouTube or view them on American Casino Guide’s web site and her radio interviews are on iTunes. Boyd’s book, “The Video Poker Edge”, includes free removable pay schedules and her free strategy cards for the most popular games. The latest edition is available from amazon.com, Square One Publishers and book stores. Kindle edition now available.
“REGARDLESS OF YOUR GAME, SLOTS, VIDEO POKER (VP) OR TABLES THE ODDS SEEM TO BE GETTING BETTER FOR CASINOS AND WORSE FOR THEIR PLAYERS.”
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PLAYER STRATEGY by
PHIL HELLMUTH, JR.
POKER: Trapping & playing low pairs and A-Q Let’s examine three ways these eight hands (8-8,
7-7, 6-6, 5-5, 4-4, 3-3, 2-2 and A-Q ) might be
played in No Limit Hold ‘em (NLH). These are the kinds of hands you want to take a flop with and
are hands worth one raise before the flop, or even making the first raise yourself. If you are going to
raise with one of these hands, raise about the size of the pot and hopefully win when everyone folds. Phil Hellmuth Jr. is an eleven time World Series of Poker Champion leading all poker players in the world. He has two New York Times bestseller books-Play Poker Like the Pros and Bad Beats and Lucky Draws both of which can be found at Amazon. com. This column is an excerpt from Phil Hellmuth’s Texas Hold ‘em. Phil’s books, blog, tips and more can also be found at PhillHellmuth. com. Chat and play with Phil at UltimateBet.com and learn about his new cell phone game at HellmuthHoldem.com
“CALL A SMALL RAISE OR MAKE A POT-SIZE RAISE BEFORE THE FLOP…”
Ideally, you want to call a small raise (or the initial blind bet) or make the pot size raise before the flop,
and then hit the set on the flop to win a huge pot.
Again, my theory is that you want to call a small
raise or make a pot-size raise before the flop to try to win the pot before the flop.
So, we have three different NLH theories for
playing these hands. I rarely play the megalo theory because my opponents expect me to play
that way…unless there is a table of mice. Rather,
I play the theory I laid out above and Frank Henderson’s theory. In other words, most of the time I will put in the first raise with these types
of hands, but sometimes I’ll just call with them before the flop.
BEGINNERS: TR APPING W ITH THE TOP FOUR HANDS
The Trapping theory for NLH applies mostly when
Frank Henderson, a noted player on the poker
you have A-A or K-K. Some players like to just
one raise before the flop (on this we both agree.)
in the hope that the move will trap someone into
the flop with these types of hands by raising the pot
dangerous theory, with a risk-reward hazard that
the flop and hope to win a big pot when he flops
Most of the time you should go ahead and reraise
these hands when he misses them, and win big if
moves all-in right there with something like J-J or
before the flop. The only downside is that he doesn’t
his hand. Reraising is the safe way to play because
OK, because the pots you win with a raise before
situations but you’ll get less action on these hands.
circuit, has a theory about this type of hand to call
call someone else’s raise or reraise before the flop
But Frank doesn’t like to try to win the pot before
giving them all his chips after the flop. This is a
before the flop. Rather, he likes to just call before
any expert in game theory would love to look at!
his set. So Frank wants to try to lose small with
with A-A or K-K and hope your opponent either:
he hits them, by keeping other players in the pot
Q-Q (which makes you 4 ½-to-1 favorite) or folds
win as many pots before the flop but maybe this is
it prevents you from losing all your chips in some
the flop tend to be pretty small anyway.
When trapping works out, you look brilliant; but
The megalomaniac theory of playing these types
look like an idiot!
of hands is always to raise or reraise before the
when you bust yourself trapping someone, you
flop. These megalo players are super-aggressive
The trap works like a charm when you have A-A or
flop. If a megalo gets a hold of some chips, he can
the flop is 2s-2h-Jh. You may force your opponent
and will try to win every pot they play before the make the other players at his table miserable with
his constant raising and reraising. I would rather
back a megalo player than a supertight player any day in a NLH tournament. The megalos tend to do
well because they’re always picking up chips; but
in side games they tend to get crushed as the more patient pros sit back and wait for the megalos to FOR MORE FREE TIPS, VISIT GAMINGANDDESTINATIONS.COM
because they steal a ton of antes in NLH tourneys.
overplay their hands against them. Megalos tend to do better in NLH tournaments than in side games
K-K and your opponent has a hand like A-J, and with A-J into losing all his chips in this scenario
because he may think you have K-J or a flush draw. Trapping with aces can go badly for you, however,
when your opponent hits his flop, as when he raises
with Qd-Kd and you just call and the flop is K-Q4: now you can kiss your chips good-bye. I rarely trap with any big hand, but some circumstances encourage me to try it.
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PLAYER STRATEGY
CRAPS: Deconstructing Marty and Marvin Last issue I offered to our readers a few players who articulated their craps strategies – some of these strategies were good, some were mediocre and some were awful. I didn’t comment on these strategies because I wanted our readers to savor them without my own strategic articulation – meaning “Hey, I’m right but I’ll let most of these poor souls have their moments in the sun.” The next two issues will have me offer my opinions about these various strategies. My first player is Marty, our model of a smart player. Marty said that he makes a $10 pass line bet and he backs that with up to 10 times in odds. He also makes two come bets and will back those with odds as well. If he plays a 5X odds game he makes a $15 pass line and only one come bet and these with odds of $75 on the 4 or 10, and $100 on the 5 or 9 and $125 on the 6 or 8. He only makes two bets on a 5X game, a pass line and one come. He makes no other bets at the game. Marty’s strategy is indeed a good one. He has selected the best bets as pass line and come betting is only fractionally worse than darkside “don’t” betting and most players refrain from being darksiders for emotional reasons. The placing of full odds is a wise choice as this bet can be made with no extra house edge added to the bet. If Marty bets his $10 on the pass line and two come bets he will face a 1.41 percent house edge against him on them. In terms of money that means he will have a losing expectation of 14 cents per $10 wagered, making that 42 cents against those three bets, which is not bad at all. In fact, this is one of the best bets offered in the casino. The $100 in odds on a 10X game is a break even proposition and while the game will have Marty experiencing many ups and downs, if he plays long enough those odds will be close to evening out. Years of playing once a week will give him plenty of decisions and the more decisions the better the math works itself out. If he plays a lot during his sessions, we can see that the math of reality should come close to the math of theory. (At least he and we can hope so!) Marty is also smart in keeping his overall risk the same in a 5X odds game by increasing his bets to $15 on the pass line and come but only making two bets on these. That means in a 5X odds game he is betting $30 combined on the pass line and 22
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by F R A N K
SCOBLETE
come bets, the same amount he is betting at the 10X odds game by making three $10 wagers. The odds bets on that 5X odds game will come out to be somewhat more than on the 10X odds game but the difference (hopefully) will be something of a washout over time. Making the odds bets at the 5X odds game based on $15 allows the dealers to pay $165 per win – a flat $15 on the line and on the come, with $150 on the odds bet. Now Marvin has a decent strategy as he too is a traditional bettor of the pass line and come; but he is throwing too much money on the layout. He makes the lowest bet on the pass line and come, and backs these with full odds or the odds he can afford at a given game. So far, so good. But here is where he goes wrong: Marvin likes to just keep making those bets, one after another even if he winds up on all the box numbers without many or any wins being recorded. A seven-out can cripple him with so many bets hanging out there waiting to be lost.
Visit Frank’s web site at www.frankscoblete.com. Frank’s latest books are Confessions of a Wayward Catholic!; I Am a Dice Controller and I Am a Card Counter. Available from Amazon.com, Kindle, Barnes and Noble, e-books and at bookstores.
Keep this in mind; the more bets you make the more money you are wagering against the house edge and you must realize that each bet should be considered a totally different game against the casino. One bet is one game. Marvin is opening himself up too much with too many wagers. Marty is doing it somewhat more conservatively by making just three wagers. I have to say that I will make just one pass line or one come bet with full odds more often than not. That gives me one game against the casino. My number against their number; me against the dreaded seven!
“EACH BET SHOULD BE CONSIDERED A TOTALLY DIFFERENT GAMES AGAINST THE CASINO.”
One issue I did not cover with my fellow players was their comps. Suffice it to say that Marty will get minimal comps, a buffet, perhaps a café meal, a reduced price or maybe a free room midweek. Marvin will probably get more since he is betting more. It is rare that comps can make up for one’s losses so I would not consider these in relation to a proper playing strategy. Keep the house edge low, don’t make too many bets, these are the way to go!
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PLAYER STRATEGY by F R A N K
SCOBLETE
CASINO STRATEGY: Short-Run Decisions When you read gambling books and articles, you
the overwhelming majority are. Yes, it is true
run” (tonight, this weekend, this week, this month)
and, maybe, you’ll have a week of incredible good
sometimes see a distinction made between the “short of a few hundred or a few thousand decisions, and
the “long run” (a few years or more) of millions
of decisions. In the short run, anything can (and does) happen. Players can go on incredible streaks
Visit Frank’s web site at www.frankscoblete.com. Frank’s latest books are Confessions of a Wayward Catholic!; I Am a Dice Controller and I Am a Card Counter. Available from Amazon.com, Kindle, Barnes and Noble, e-books and at bookstores.
made and the greater the number of decisions
you face, the more likely it is that your winning streak will come to a halt and you start a slippery
slide down that icy mountain called “ loss”.
The long run is a very long time. Usually, it
The types of streaks you have in all negative-
of decisions, necessary for the probabilities to
end, monetarily speaking, than on the winning
will be, in the long run, faster than a roulette
when games are 50-50, such as a coin flip, the
decisions and a roulette wheel has 37 or 38,
take out a tax on the winning bets. While a
the long run, the math of a game will win out
likely, if the player won, the casino would take
can be stated as the amount of time, or number
expectation games will be longer on the losing
be within a given range of results. A coin flip
end. The games are structured that way. Even
wheel because a coin flip has only two possible
casino will (if it offered a game called “coin flip”)
depending on the type of wheel. As I stated, in
streak of three heads and three tails are equally
over any aberrations that take place tonight.
out “vig” or tax his winnings. If he bet $10, he’d
strategy decisions for the game of his choice? Some gaming writers suggest that since most
players will never truly get into the long run, that strategies based on long-run results are
fundamentally flawed, if not irrelevant. Some will suggest that you go for a guaranteed shortrun win, (i.e. taking insurance when the dealer
shows an ace and you have a blackjack.) In the
short run, applying strategies based on the math
of the games will only work if you intend to hit the casinos weekly, or daily. Many players buy into this notion. They prefer to play for here and
now and they tend to forget about tomorrow. “I play for tonight,” a gambler once told me. “I have
no interest in learning strategies for craps. I just
hope my luck will hold out and I can make some money. I have had some great evenings at the craps
tables when everything went my way. I’ve also had very bad evenings as well. Overall? Overall, I am
a loser. But so is everybody who goes to casinos.” FOR MORE FREE TIPS, VISIT GAMINGANDDESTINATIONS.COM
fortune. But, the bigger the house edge on bets
of improbable wins or equally improbable losses.
So what is a gambler to do when mak ing
“THERE ARE TWO WAYS TO PLAY CASINO GAMES, THE BEST WAY AND ALL OF THE OTHER WAYS.”
that tonight you can have a string of great luck
Although it is definitely not true that “everybody who goes to casinos” is a loser, it is certainly true
win $9.50. However, when he lost, he’d lose the
whole $10. So a winning and losing streak of
three in a row would see the player down $1.50. Is it wise to forgo what we know about the proper long-run strategies at games such as blackjack craps, Let It Ride, Caribbean Stud, and others, to take a chance on “luck” in the short run? Obviously, no. In fact, it is silly. There are only two ways to
play casino games, the best way and all the other
ways. The best way is to make the proper decisions
each and every time. In games such as blackjack, that means following basic strategy to the letter,
even if certain hands (such as 8:8 vs. a dealer’s 10; or 12 vs. a dealer’s 2) seem intuitively, almost
suicidal. In games such as craps and baccarat, it means making the low house-edge bets. Likewise,
with card games where your strategy choices matter, such as Let It Ride, Caribbean Stud, Pai
Gow Poker, and Three-Card Poker, the longrange strategy should be your short-range strategy. So keep these ideas in mind when you play. The
long run is just made up of a lot of short runs and the math, not “luck,” will usually win out
in the end. So to get lucky, stick with the math!
G A M I N G A N D D E S T I N AT I O N S . C O M |
23
PLAYER STRATEGY
PAI GOW POKER: Learning the Game If you are looking for a new game to play in the casino that is easy to learn and can be very profitable, you should consider Pai Gow Poker. It is a combination of American poker and the Chinese domino game that shares its name. Similar to blackjack, it is a slow-paced table game with plenty of player interaction and dealer assistance. With a 5% house vig on your winnings, this game provides the player with a huge advantage which is why the house has to take a cut. The actual house advantage is 2.3 percent. The object of the game is to beat the dealer in two hands, a two-card hand (Low Hand) and a five-card (High hand). On a table similar to a blackjack table, up to six players are each dealt seven cards from a standard 52-card deck plus a single joker that can be used as any ace or to complete a straight or flush. All other hands rank the same as in American poker. With the roll of the dice or a randomly generated number at the table, determines who goes first and every seat is always dealt regardless if anyone is playing or not. Once the cards are dealt (facedown), players sort them into two hands, a five-card high hand and a two-card low hand. These are also referred to as the hand “in front” or “on top” and the hand “behind” or “on the bottom”, respectively. To set the cards, the high hand must rank higher than the low hand and is considered a foul to arrange cards so that the low hand ranks higher resulting in a forfeiture of the bet. Players must determine their highest hand of the seven cards then move it to the five-card hand. To win his or her bet, a player must beat the dealer on both the high hand and the low hand and the dealer wins ties. Most hands in Pai Gow poker are pushes. As with blackjack, don’t be afraid to ask the dealer for help setting up your hand as they will always recommend the “House Way”. The dealer may not look at his or her hand until all players have set up theirs, so feel free to ask for help.
1. If a player has no pairs, straights or flushes,
he can set the second- and third-highest cards in his two-card hand.
2. If a player has nothing but a single pair, he can
set it in his five-card hand and put the two highest remaining cards in his two-card hand.
3. Two pair is the most common case where
strategy isn’t obvious. A player can either play
else two pair behind and high cards in front.
high pair behind and small pair in front, or The smaller the high pair and higher the
remaining cards, the more inclined he should be to play two pair behind. If his side cards are
small or his larger pair is large, he should split the pairs. He should always split the pairs if
his high pair is of aces, and should almost always split if his high pair is of kings or queens: they are high enough by themselves.
4. Three pair is a very good hand. A player should
always play the highest pair in front with no exceptions.
5. If a player has three of a kind and nothing
else, he should play three of a kind behind and
are aces. He should always split three aces,
the remaining high cards in front unless they
playing a pair of aces behind and ace-high in front.
6. If a player can play a straight or a flush or both,
he should play whichever straight-or-better five-card hand makes the best two-card hand.
7. With a full house, a player should generally play
the three of a kind behind and the pair in front.
8. With two three of a kinds, a player should play
With fewer hands per hour, Pai Gow is a game for players who want to spend some time at a table. . If you’re looking for a highly exciting game that can pay off big at the casinos, Pai Gow may be the game for you.
| G A M I N G A N D D E S T I N AT I O N S . C O M
FOX
Ten Basic Strategies for Pai Gow:
Players also have the option of “co-banking” with the house. To deal, a player must have enough chips on the table to cover all the other players’ wagers if they were all to win their bets. Since the rules are in favor of the house or dealer, it is in the player’s interest to bank as often as possible.
24
by A L L I S O N
the higher as a pair in front and the smaller three of a kind behind.
“IF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR A HIGHLY EXCITING GAME THAT CAN PAY OFF BIG AT THE CASINOS, PAI GOW MAY BE THE GAME FOR YOU.”
9. With four of a kind, a player should play as if it
were two pair, but should be slightly less inclined to split.
10. With three pair and a straight or flush (only
possible with the joker), a player should play his hand as three pair (with aces in front).
FOR MORE FREE TIPS, VISIT GAMINGANDDESTINATIONS.COM
PLAYER STRATEGY by B I L L
BURTON
This column is an excerpt from Bill Burton’s book, “1,000 Best Casino Gambling Secrets.” Bill is a regular contributing tip columnist for Southern Gaming and the Internet portal About.com found at casinogambling.com. He is also an instructor for Golden Touch Craps seminars. For information on the seminars, visit www.TheCrapsClub.com
CASINO KNOWLEDGE: 12 Gambling Secrets General: True Odds are determined by the probability of an event occurring. The casinos pay
you less than true odds when you win. The house
edge is the difference between the true odds and the odds that the casino pays you when you win.
General: Many players win when they are playing
and then give it all back. They rationalize that they were playing with the casino’s money. Once you
win a bet, it is your money, not the casino’s money. You should treat it accordingly.
Video Poker: To determine the payouts on a video slot machine, you will need to look at the help
screen. If you are playing a game you have never
played before, it is a good idea to spend a minute looking at the help screen so you understand the
game. It will show you what each symbol is worth and how they need to be aligned for you to win. It will also explain if there is a bonus screen for the game.
Video Poker: The chance of hitting a royal flush
when playing Jacks or better is about one in forty thousand. That does not mean that you are
guaranteed to hit a royal if you play forty thousand hands. The odds are the same each time you hit the
button. You could hit a royal in one hand or go two hundred and fifty thousand hands without one.
“TRUE ODDS ARE DETERMINED BY THE PROBABILITY OF AN EVENT OCCURRING.”
Blackjack: If you are dealt a pair of aces, you are
allowed to split them but you only receive one card on each Ace. This is because there is a good chance
that your Ace could turn into a twenty-one with
the probability of getting a ten. If your split Aces make twenty-one, you are paid even money, not the standard three to two odds, because the twenty-
one was not made with your first two cards. Many casinos will not allow you to re-split Aces.
Blackjack: Your two starting cards will fall into one
of three categories: hard hands, soft hands or pairs. A soft hand in blackjack is a hand that contains an
Ace. An Ace is worth one or eleven. A hard hand FOR MORE FREE TIPS, VISIT GAMINGANDDESTINATIONS.COM
is a hand without an Ace or one for which adding a ten would put you over twenty-one.
Blackjack: You have A-A: This hand actually falls into both the soft hand and pair categories. You should always split this hand. Aces are very powerful and even though you only receive one card on your Ace, it is to your advantage to split this hand. Blackjack: Splitting pairs is either an offensive move or a defensive move depending on the pair and the dealer’s up card. You split to win more when the dealer has a bust card showing. You split to lose less when splitting can turn a very bad hand into a potential winner, such as a pair of sevens or eights. Craps: The opposite sides (top and bottom) of the dice always add up to seven. One is opposite six, four is opposite three and five is opposite two. Adjacent sides never add up to seven. A die can be rotated so the one, two and three appear in succession, then turned to so the four five and six come in rotation. This is a quick way to make sure the dice are legitimate. Craps: An alternative to betting the pass line is to place bets on the six and eight. These numbers have a low house edge. There are five ways to roll a six and five ways to roll an eight, so you actually have ten ways to win. There are only six ways to roll a seven so the odds of hitting one of these numbers is in your favor. A hedge bet involves making two offsetting bets, one of which pays off slightly more than the other. Hedging a bet means taking a second bet on the table that will win if the first bet looses. Roulette: Roulette is the oldest game in the casino. It originated in France and the modern layout we use today was developed around 1842. Roulette dealers are sometime referred to as croupiers (the French word for dealer.) Roulette: All the numbers on the roulette wheel add up to 666. Two adjacent numbers of the same color add up to thirty-seven most of the time. A perfect arrangement is not possible because the even numbers add up to 342 and the odd numbers add up to 324. G A M I N G A N D D E S T I N AT I O N S . C O M |
25
MIDWEST
CASINO DIRECTORY WEBSITE
Below is a list of our preferred properties of the Midwest showcasing some of the great things that each property has.
PHONE NUMBER
*CC PARTNER
TABLES
MACHINES
KENTUCKY DERBY CITY GAMING
DERBYCITYGAMING.COM
502-961-7600
900
INDIANA BELTERRA CASINO RESORT & SPA
BELTERRACASINO.COM
800-472-6311
RISING STAR CASINO RESORT
RISINGSTARCASINO.COM
INDIANA GRAND CASINO
•
40
1,600
812-438-1234
29
1,000
INDIANAGRAND.COM
877-386-4463
50
2,000+
HARD ROCK HOTEL & CASINO, SIOUX CITY
HARDROCKCASINOSIOUXCITY.COM
712-226-7600
25
839
RIVERSIDE CASINO & GOLF RESORT
RIVERSIDECASINOANDRESORT.COM
877-677-3456
32
1,150
RHYTHM CITY CASINO RESORT
RHYTHMCITYCASINO.COM
844-852-4386
35
824
SOARINGEAGLECASINO.COM
888-732-4537
79
4,200
IOWA •
MICHIGAN SOARING EAGLE CASINO & RESORT MGM GRAND DETROIT
MGMGRANDDETROIT.COM
877-888-2121
98
4,000
ISLAND RESORT AND CASINO, HARRIS
ISLANDRESORTANDCASINO.COM
800-682-6040
14
1,200
GUN LAKE CASINO
GUNLAKECASINO.COM/
269-792-7777
33
1,600
BLACK BEAR CASINO RESORT
BLACKBEARCASINORESORT.COM
888-771-0777
14
1,800
TREASURE ISLAND RESORT & CASINO
TICASINO.COM
800-222-7077
44
2,200
GRAND CASINO HINCKLEY
GRANDCASINOMN.COM
800-472-6321
44
3,500
GRAND CASINO MILLE LACS
GRANDCASINOMN.COM
800-626-5825
30
3,100
AMERISTAR CASINO HOTEL KANSAS CITY
AMERISTAR.COM/KANSAS-CITY
816-414-7000
115
2,300
LUMIERE PLACE CASINO AND HOTELS
LUMIEREPLACE.COM
877-450-7711
55
1,600
RIVER CITY CASINO & HOTEL, ST. LOUIS
RIVERCITY.COM
888-578-7289
54
2,000
JACK CASINO CINCINNATI
JACKENTERTAINMENT.COM/CINCINNATI
513-252-0777
100
2,000
HOLLYWOOD CASINO COLUMBUS
HOLLYWOODCOLUMBUS.COM
614-308-3333
76
2,200
JACK CASINO CLEVELAND
JACKENTERTAINMENT.COM/CLEVELAND
216-297-4777
100
1,600
HARD ROCK HOTEL & CASINO, TULSA
HARDROCKCASINOTULSA.COM
800-760-6700
40
2,600
WINSTAR CASINO & RESORT
WINSTARWORLDCASINO.COM
580-276-4229
97
7,400
HO-CHUNK GAMING, WITTENBERG
HO-CHUNKGAMING.COM/WITTENBERG
715-253-4400
HO-CHUNK GAMING, BLACK RIVER FALLS
HO-CHUNKGAMING.COM/BLACKRIVERFALLS
800-657-4621
HO-CHUNK GAMING, TOMAH
HO-CHUNKGAMING.COM/TOMAH
866-880-9822
HO-CHUNK GAMING, WISCONSIN DELLS
HO-CHUNKGAMING.COM/WISCONSINDELLS
800-746-2486
HO-CHUNK GAMING, MADISON
HO-CHUNKGAMING.COM/MADISON
608-223-9576
HO-CHUNK GAMING, NEKOOSA
HO-CHUNKGAMING.COM/NEKOOSA
800-782-4560
50
650
NORTH STAR CASINO RESORT
NORTHSTARCASINORESORT.COM
800-952-0195
16
1,200
ST. CROIX CASINO TURTLE LAKE
STCROIXCASINO.COM
POTAWATOMI HOTEL & CASINO
PAYSBIG.COM
800-846-8946 800-729-7244
22 100
1,095 3,000
MINNESOTA
MISSOURI
OHIO
OKLAHOMA
WISCONSIN
26
| G A M I N G A N D D E S T I N AT I O N S . C O M
517 10
634 96
50
1,832 1,200
* CC Partner means the property provides coupons and special offers to members of the Comps Club. For more information, visit Thecompsclub.com
# OF ROOMS
ENT. VENUE
GOLF
SPA
POOL
689
•
•
•
•
294
•
•
54
•
201
• •
•
•
328
• • •
408
•
•
788
•
•
•
•
967
• •
•
•
• •
•
INDOOR
•
• •
116
517 400
967
294
• •
200
•
184
•
•
•
• •
• INDOOR
• • •
• • •
INDOOR
184 294 200
454 1,500
• •
• •
86 140
•
302
• •
129
•
161 391
• •
• •
•
•
• INDOOR G A M I N G A N D D E S T I N AT I O N S . C O M |
27
FUTURE ODDS Check out the latest odds for major sporting events. For the latest up-to-the-minute odds, visit GamingandDestinations.com NFL SUPER BOWL LII – FEBRUARY 3, 2019 MERCEDES BENZ STADIUM – ATLANTA GEORGIA
NCAA BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP-APRIL 8, 2019 U.S. BANK STADIUM-MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA
Team
Team January November Duke 5/2 5/1 Kansas 8/1 8/1 Gonzaga 10/1 8/1 Virginia 12/1 18/1 North Carolina 12/1 10/1 Michigan 12/1 35/1 Nevada 14/1 12/1 Kentucky 16/1 5/1 Tennessee 20/1 22/1 Villanova 25/1 10/1 Michigan State 33/1 35/1 Oregon 50/1 5/1 West Virginia 50/1 30/1 UCLA 50/1 35/1 *All other teams are higher than 50/1 odds.
New Orleans Saints Los Angeles Rams Kansas City Chiefs New England Patriots Los Angeles Chargers Chicago Bears Pittsburgh Steelers Dallas Cowboys Minnesota Vikings Seattle Seahawks Baltimore Ravens
January November September July 2/1 5/1 7/1 9/1 10/1 15/1 20/1 30/1 35/1 45/1 60/1
10/1 7/2 7/1 7/1 16/1 25/1 20/1 N/A 12/1 N/A 25/1
16/1 12/1 25/1 7/1 20/1 N/A 10/1 N/A 10/1 N/A 25/1
*All other teams are higher than 60/1 odds.
16/1 12/1 N/A 6/1 20/1 N/A 12/1 N/A 10/1 N/A N/A
KENTUCKY DERBY - MAY 4, 2019 CHURCHILL DOWNS RACETRACK - LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY Horse January
Field Game Winner Instagrand Coliseum Improbable Code of Honor Maximus Mischief Signalman Roadster Vekoma Magic on Tap Knicks Go Mucho Tale of the Union Mucho Gusto Uncle Benny King for a Day Cairo Cat Network Effect
6/5 5/1 10/1 10/1 17/1 18/1 26/1 30/1 32/1 36/1 43/1 44/1 44/1 46/1 47/1 53/1 53/1 59/1 59/1
*Odds based on Kentucky Derby Future Wager - Pool 1 (November 25, 2018) **Pool 2 - February 8-10; Pool 3 - March 8-10 - Available at KYDerby.com
GOLF MASTERS – APRIL 11- APRIL 14, 2019 AUGUSTA NATIONAL GOLF CLUB - AUGUSTA, GEORGIA Golfer Jordan Spieth Tiger Woods Dustin Johnson Justin Thomas Rory Mcllroy Brooks Koepka Justin Rose Rickie Fowler Jon Rahm Bryson DeChambeau Jason Day Bubba Watson Patrick Reed Tommy Fleetwood Francesco Molinari Paul Casey Phil Mickelson Hideki Matsuyama Sergio Garcia Tony Finau *All others are higher than 40/1.
January 9/1 9/1 12/1 12/1 12/1 12/1 15/1 18/1 18/1 25/1 22/1 25/1 28/1 30/1 33/1 35/1 40/1 40/1 40/1 40/1
For the latest sports odds, updated every 5 minutes, visit GamingandDestinations.com 28 | G A M I N G A N D D E S T I N AT I O N S . C O M
G A M I N G A N D D E S T I N AT I O N S . C O M |
29
WIN THE
ULTIMATE
GAMBLING
GETAWAY 2019
Each year, Midwest Gaming and Destinations gives you the opportunity to reward the properties that take care of you the most with our Readers’ Choice Awards. You get to cast your vote for everything from rooms to restaurants, as well as have the chance to win the Ultimate Gambling Getaway to the casino of your choice. Simply fill out the voting ballot and mail it in for your chance to win...Good Luck!
THIS YEAR’S PRIZE PACKAGE INCLUDES: • • • • • •
A ONE-NIGHT STAY AT THE CASINO OF YOUR CHOICE DINNER FOR TWO AT THE PREMIUM RESTAURANT AT THE PROPERTY. (EXCLUDES ALCOHOL) $100 CASINO PLAY $100 GAS CARD 2 BUFFETS YOUR TRIP RECAP PUBLISHED IN SOUTHERN GAMING AND DESTINATIONS MAGAZINE
IT’S EASY TO ENTER!
Choose your favorite casino from each category. Mail in your ballot and you will be entered to win the getaway! Or, complete the ballot online at GamingandDestinations.com to also be entered into the drawing. Don’t miss out – the voting deadline is February 28, 2019.
*One vote per person. Duplicate entries will result in disqualification. Faxes and copies are not accepted. All field required. Mark N/A if a category is not applicable to you. If you do not have an e-mail address, please provide a phone number. All entries must be postmarked by February 28, 2019.
30
| G A M I N G A N D D E S T I N AT I O N S . C O M
VOTE! MAIL! WIN! Pick your favorite Midwest properties from each category below, mail it in and you will be entered for the getaway! Or, vote online at GamingandDestinations.com
First Name:
Last Name:
Address: City:
E-mail:
State:
Zip:
Phone Number:
Date of Birth:
What are your favorite states to play? (Circle all that apply) Illinois | Indiana | Ohio | Oklahoma | Iowa | Kansas | Michigan | Minnesota | Missouri | South Dakota | Wisconsin | Other: __________________ Do you subscribe to Gaming and Destinations?
Yes
No
Are you a member of The Comps ClubTM?
Yes
What games do you like to play the most? Blackjack
Craps
Slots/Video Poker
Poker
Pari-mutuel (Horses)
Other:
What kind of comps do you typically receive from casinos? None, they are stingy
Free Buffet
Match Play Offers
Free Rooms
Whatever I want, I’m a high roller!
TELL US YOUR FAVORITE CASINOS IN THE CATEGORIES BELOW. CATEGORY:
Your Favorite Property:
1. Best Overall Property: 2. Best New Casino/Casino Renovation: 3. Best Racetrack/Racino Facility: (Horse Racing/Greyhound Racing) 4.
Best Suites:
5. Best Rooms: 6. Best Casino Floor: (Game Variety/Options) 7.
Best Poker Room:
8. Best Restaurant: (Include Name of Restaurant and Property) 9.
Best Buffet:
10. Best Amenities: (Spa, Pool, Shopping, etc.) 11. Best Golf Course: 12. Best Entertainment: 13. Best Entertainment Venue: 14. Best Nightlife: (Night Club, Lounge, etc.) 15. Best Theme: 16. Best Casino Personnel: (Dealers, Slot Attendants, Hosts, Waitresses, etc.) 17. Best Customer Service: 18. Best Advertising: (Radio, Television, Billboards, etc.) 19. Best Players Club: 20. Best Slot Machine Game: 21. Best Sportsbook: *One vote per person. Duplicate entries will result in disqualification. Faxes and copies are not accepted. All fields required. Mark N/A if a category is not applicable to you. If you do not have an email address, please provide a phone number. All entries must be postmarked by February 28, 2018.
State:
No
2019
A
RDS
G& D
R
S' C H O I C E
WA
E
ER AD
WIN THE ULTIMATE GETAWAY TO THE
Casino of Your Choice! MAIL IN YOUR BALLOT
TODAY!
FOLD HERE AND TUCK IN FIRST
POSTAGE REQUIRED POST OFFICE WILL NOT DELIVER WITHOUT PROPER POSTAGE
2019 G&D READERS' CHOICE AWARDS 136 St. Matthews Ave. #300 Louisville, KY 40207
FOLD HERE
Want Casino Comps?
Join The Comps ClubTM by Gaming and Destinations and we’ll send you coupons and special offers to casinos and racetracks throughout the region! Don’t delay, join today!
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32 |
SOUTHERNGAMING.COM
G A M I N G A N D D E S T I N AT I O N S . C O M |
33
$89
HOTEL
STAY Discover your very own private island for just $89 a night at Minnesota’s second largest hotel! Treasure Island Resort & Casino has two luxurious new hotel towers, a full-service salon & spa, an action-packed gaming floor and an indoor water park. Book a room in the new Wolf Tower, Sunday-Thursday now through February 28 and enjoy a special $89 a night room rate when you mention offer code MWG89. Call 1-888-867-STAY (7829) to make your reservation.
TIcasino.com | 1 - 8 0 0 -2 2 2-707 7 All cash, coupon and complimentary rooms are subject to a $10 resort fee per night and all applicable lodging taxes. A credit card is required for reservation and check-in. Failure to cancel your reservation by 4pm the day of the arrival will result in a charge to the credit card. Based on availability. Blackout dates apply. Must be 21 years of age or older. Management reserves all rights. Offers are made at the sole discretion of Treasure Island Resort & Casino and are subject to modification and/or cancellation at any time without prior notice. Employees of Treasure Island Resort & Casino are ineligible. Other rules and restrictions may apply. Š 2019 Treasure Island Resort & Casino .