Featured Articles Archive - Page 525

Dancer is on target with new video poker book

His name is almost legend in video poker circles, and Bob Dancer, who has created software, books and strategy cards, has begun the new year with a solid, fresh book on the games. Titled Video Poker for the Intelligent Beginner (237 pages, paperbound, $24.95), the book does not cover advanced strategy for any one game, but Dancer says if you follow his advice in his newest work you'll have an easier time with his Winner's Guide series, which offer that extra material. Few books have been written on video poker in recent years, possibly because of the ever-changing variations and paybacks that appear on casino floors, so this title is quite timely...read more

Vanessa Rousso to be left out of SI swimsuit edition

LAS VEGAS -- It looks like an appearance by Vanessa Rousso in the Sports Illustrated's swimsuit issue next month just isn't in the cards this year. Rousso announced in her PokerStars video blog on Jan. 4 that she was going to be photographed in the Bahamas that day by SI...read more

Basketball legends to host TV show at Wynn sportsbook

LAS VEGAS – The venue has changed dramatically, but Billy Packer will once again be providing analysis for the NCAA men's basketball tournament this spring. Packer, 68, abruptly left his television job at CBS last year following the tournament, ending a string of 34 years in the booth...read more

Wine entrepreneur takes center stage at Affiliate Summit

LAS VEGAS, Nevada -– Wine entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuk was making his keynote address at the sold-out Affiliate Summit West in Las Vegas Monday morning when in the midst of his spirited speech he began dropping a few expletives. "There's no editor of a magazine out there today that can look at your content and say, 'You're writing sucks,'" said the 34-year-old, who has developed a cult-like following to his daily WineLibraryTV.com...read more

One week in Costa Rica for a wedding, one week in Bahamas with Pokerstars and…YOU'RE BANNED!

Beautiful Costa Rica I leave the office for two weeks and look what happens?! Banned from all CAP Euro events, Warren says. I mean, what the...why me? Great question!! I have done nothing to bring this on except for the fact that I work for Michael Corfman, the GPWA Executive Director and Casino City CEO who is trying to clear up the confusion around Card Spike ownership management and payouts...read more

Penn National dispels Mirage deal talks

LAS VEGAS, Nevada -- Penn National Gaming sources said Tuesday the regional casino operator is not buying The Mirage, a hot rumor that has been circulating around the Strip much of the past month. For now. Penn National's management is committed to acquiring a Strip resort, potentially in 2009, giving the casino and race track operator, with 19 facilities in 15 jurisdictions, a foothold in the Las Vegas market. Reports of a potential deal between MGM Mirage and Wyomissing, Pa.-based Penn National surfaced soon after MGM Mirage signed an agreement Dec...read more

Lanni leaves on his terms

LAS VEGAS, Nevada -- Terry Lanni didn't take a victory lap. He didn't stop for the applause and he didn't wait for the accolades. Instead, Lanni told the world on Nov. 13 he was retiring as chairman and chief executive officer of gaming industry giant MGM Mirage after 13 years at the helm...read more

Murren making his mark on MGM Mirage

LAS VEGAS, Nevada -- Clearly, MGM Mirage is now Jim Murren's company. Fifteen days after taking over as chairman and chief executive officer, Murren helped engineer the sale of Treasure Island to Phil Ruffin for $775 million, which will reduce the company's Strip holdings to nine casinos when the deal closes in June...read more

Gambling executive gets post on Federal Reserve

LAS VEGAS, Nevada -- Boyd Gaming Corp. Chief Executive Officer Keith Smith will become the first casino company representative on the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco's board of directors. The announcement is being made today. Smith, 48, will join six other directors on the Los Angeles branch board in providing economic information about the region to the Federal Reserve System. Smith, who has been Boyd Gaming's president since 2005 and who has been with the company for 19 years, said he will be able to offer economic data about the gaming and tourism industry, which has been hit hard during the recent economic recession. "This position will allow me to provide the Federal Reserve with a great deal of information about the discretionary spending habits of our customers in the current economy," Smith said...read more

Deal Me In: While all liars figure, some figures can lie

Dear Mark: I need to settle this argument. I play pai gow poker, and to me, other than a copy hand, I see it as an even game, since there have been many times where I did not have a copy hand all night, or very, very, few of them. So from a dealt hand, I would say it is a 50/50 proposition on who will win. My buddy, Tom, plays three-card poker, with the ante only bet, no pair plus...read more