Featured Articles Archive - Page 364

Should you lay odds on Don't Pass and Don't Come bets at craps?

Say you bet on Don’t Pass or Don’t Come at craps. Your chances are 47.9 percent of ecstasy and 49.3 percent of agony; the remaining 2.8 percent is the probability of pushing. Although the come-out involves just one roll, it’s the dark underbelly of Don’t Pass and Don’t Come wagers...read more

Deal Me In: The courteous sidestep demonstrated and explained

Dear Mark: I liked your response to David last week regarding sports wagers but you forgot to mention parlay bets. For one small wager you get to bet multiple teams with a decent payback if you win. Did you accidentally ignore this wager? Justin B.I purposely snubbed it for two reasons: Primarily because David did not inquire about a parlay wager, and, more to the point, because the exorbitant house edge on parlay bets stifles any rational enthusiasm.A parlay bet is a way of simultaneously betting multiple football games with a hope of a much larger payoff than offered by a straight single-contest bet -- that is, if you hit them all...read more

Attorneys: Nevada taking right track on Internet poker

LAS VEGAS, Nevada -- Attorneys from one of Nevada's largest law firms said Wednesday that the state is taking the correct approach by getting into the game early should the federal government legalize Internet poker.Nevada gaming regulators will consider the first set of proposed online poker regulations during a public workshop later this month...read more

Vegas takes Christie's criticisms in stride

LAS VEGAS, Nevada -- Anti-Las Vegas comments by New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie apparently carry less weight than those by President Barack Obama. Speaking at a news conference Wednesday in Atlantic City to introduce the new head of an agency working to revive the downtrodden seaside gaming market, Christie questioned why anyone would travel to the desert when temperatures soar past 100 degrees. "There is no reason people should go to Las Vegas in the summer," Christie said...read more

Heard it on the River: Pearl River continues to thrive

With all the gloom and doom surrounding the gaming business, (unless you own a Macau casino) Pearl River Resort continues to buck the bad economy with some strong projections for 2012. Here is a thumbnail summary of what the Mississippi Band of Choctaws forecast for the coming year, according to GENERAL PAUL HARVEY, president and CEO of the Resort in southeast central Mississippi.The Tribe is bullish and anticipates a 20 percent increase in earnings from gaming operations with net profits increasing from a projected $83.3 million to $100.4 million next fiscal year...read more

Momentum grows for regulated U.S. online poker

LAS VEGAS, Nevada -- Based on headlines alone, 2011 has been a bad year for Internet poker.Federal indictments in April shut down three of the largest online poker sites that catered to Americans. Other popular Web portals cut their access to U.S...read more

Why faith in the law of averages is misplaced

Gamblers enduring cold spells in their action often put their faith in the law of averages to restore balance and get them out of trouble rather than cut their losses and run. This faith is misplaced. One reason is that averages – which may also be pictured as theoretically expected values – reliably indicate performance only for large numbers of samples...read more

Deal Me In: Let the games begin

Dear Mark: Now that the NFL football season is finally under way, please explain the differences between making a point-spread wager and betting the money line. Also, any thoughts regarding a Super Bowl futures bet? David D. With one billion plus on the line, sportsbook operators are very pleased that the NFL lockout of 2011 is resolved, especially since wagering on college and pro football accounts for approximately 43 percent of their sports action...read more

Macau casino revenues top $3 billion in August

MACAU -- Macau's booming casino market shows no signs of slowing.The Chinese special administrative region's 34 casinos shattered single-month gaming revenue figures in August, collecting $3.09 billion from gamblers during the month. The figure was a 57 percent increase over August 2010 and 2 percent higher than July.Analysts said the monthly year-over-year comparisons continue to reflect the May opening of Galaxy Cotai, along with growth in high-end business.The results also halted any worries that a softening in the world's economy or attempts by the mainland Chinese government to slow wagering will keep gamblers away...read more

Top-10 ideas to improve poker programming

Televised poker is always evolving, and my last top-10 list showed just how much it has changed, thanks to ideas that have improved the quality of the programming. Today, I'll offer up another list, this time of the ideas that I think could be used to further enhance the viewer’s experience...read more