Gaming Guru

Judging the Laughter in Reno!

I had the best opportunity to get out and laugh my socks off this past week in Reno... JUST FOR LAUGHS...the comedy club at the Sands Regency hosted the 28th Annual San Francisco Stand-up Comedy Contest and Wednesday night I had the honor of being appointed as a judge for the event. It was a laugh riot on and off stage... the comedians were as funny as they come, and our job as judges was to judge them on seven different categories... as well as pay attention to the audience responses and duration of applause. I haven't laughed like that in years, and would be honored to attend every chance given... for those of you looking for a great time (and a really funny time) I highly reccommend Just For Laughs which is open every Wednesday thru Sunday. They have different headliners and feature acts each week, appearing with their recent host, David Iannaci...who is one very funny guy... The quality of the shows and David's enthusiasm make Just for Laughs the best kept secret in town. So go. If you happen to be on the Sands Beach Club mailing list, you know that they are offering special room nights for as low as $13 a night mid-week and that the other coupon includes a 2-4-1 deal on Just For Laughs... so take them up on it and don't miss the show. We all need laughter in our life and this is a heckuva great place to go get it!

BOOMTOWN RENO had another lucky winner.... Boomtown Casino and Hotel Reno has paid out a big $20,000 to lucky Double Jackpot winner Donald Overman. The Casper, Wyoming retiree was enjoying his very first visit to Boomtown on a $25 Double Jackpot slot. After just ten minutes, he reeled up three Double Jackpot symbols and a $20,000 jackpot! Overman couldn't believe his good fortune at first, but soon made plans to use his biggest jackpot ever toward another vacation.

Coming up on October 11-12 is the Eldorado's Great Italian Festival full of food, aromas, tastes, sights and sounds of Italy... and The Eldorado Hotel Casino is pleased to announce that this year's Great Italian Festival is the focus of a Food Network production to be aired on the cable channel in early 2004 as part of Food Network's "All American Festivals" series.

Each episode of "All American Festivals" takes viewers behind the scenes at food festivals across the country, showing off regional food with flair. Recent episodes have featured the Gilroy Garlic Festival, The Maine Lobster Festival, and the National Buffalo Wing Festival.

"All American Festivals" airs Tuesdays at 10:30 pm and 2:30 am, Thursdays at 10 pm and 2:00 am, Saturdays at 7:30 pm, and Sundays at 2:30 pm; all times ET/PT. So if you can't make it this year, at least you can watch it on the tube and plan to make it next year!

There's all kinds of new things going on at Harrah's Reno. They have a new stage show... THE PRICE IS RIGHT, which is played like the popular game show on the Harrah's Reno stage and awards prizes like the game show...The primary difference between "The Price is Right Live!" and the television show is that members of "The Price is Right Live!" audience can win their way on stage. So everyone in attendance has a chance to take home prizes...and what's more...audience members who don't make it on to stage still have a chance to win by playing along with electronic keypads.... In all, thousands of dollars in prizes are up for grabs during each show...according to the producers. And the list goes on and on... it sounds great.... it is a great concept in entertainment fitting a gambling region like Reno.... Harrah's Reno and FremantleMedia are proud to present "The Price Is Right Live!" Stage Show, an interactive entertainment experience that captures the excitement of the longest-running game show in television history. Just like the show you'll have the chance to win fabulous prizes, plus compete in the famous Showcase Showdown.

To add to the fun, daytime television star Jeff Trachta, of The Bold and the Beautiful fame, will act as the show host; while Daniel Rosen, best known for his work on Nash Bridges, will be the show's announcer. And, of course, The Price is Right Live! would not be complete without two lovely models to present the prize items.

WHEN: Opening Thursday, September 25, 2003 and running for 11 weeks!
Time: 7 pm

WHERE: Sammy's Showroom at Harrah's Reno

Ticket Price is $29... to make reservations call 1-800-HARRAHS.

Circus Circus Reno is having a "Spook-tacular" tournament coming up...More than $15,000 is up for grabs at Circus Circus Reno's spook-tacular Cauldron of Cash slot tournament happening October 31 through November 2, 2003. Entry into this event is only $69 per person and includes a "costume" cocktail reception, three 10-minute rounds of tournament play, a continental breakfast and an awards reception featuring gourmet hors d'oeuvres.

Ghosts, ghouls and goblins from far and wide will converge upon Circus Circus for this scarey-good slot tournament featuring more than $15,000* in cash prizes (*based on a minimum of 110 entries) including seven $100 prizes awarded to "mystery winners" and a bonus $25 reward to the winners of each session.

The player who racks up the highest combined score from the three tournament rounds will walk away with the Cauldron of Cash - a grand prize of $5,000. Second place receives $2,500, third place receives $1,500 and the fourth placed contestant gets $1,000. Prizes will be awarded to the top 40 contestants, and even the lowest scoring player will receive a $100 prize.

For more information about the Cauldron of Cash slot tournament, visit the One Club booth or call the One Club at 888-682-0147.

I've done a lot of changing-around the way things work and/or don't work out for me... I'm moving from an RV Park attached with a casino to a more "residential" setting... one where I don't have to change my location every 28 days... one where I can install a regular phone line and have total internet access... and I've taken a part time job to support what the casinos are not (yet) supporting... The Reno Gaming Guide... and I'm having to shave down some of the things I've done for free... admittedly not the most pleasant thing... but I'm really excited about one thing I found in my wanderings... and that is the new "Supermarket Coupons" which I'm offering through the RENO GAMING GUIDE. Something I can offer to the loyal supporters and readers of this article and the weekly newsletter...something that allows everyone to support the Reno Gaming Guide and get something back...without having to revert to maybe charging a subscription fee to the newsletter...without having to beg and not be able to give something back... I think it is a win-win thing, and several readers have supported the effort so far (but not enough to get where I'm going) so I thought I'd put a blurb here... yep... I'm offering a book of 20 coupon certificates for $24.95... you can do it by credit card, check, or money order for that matter. You have a list to choose from that covers 1200 products....the coupons are manufacturer's coupons which is a real plus... redeem each certificate with a buck for mailing per certificate... you choose your bargains...each certificate is worth $10 in coupons (more if you have a store that doubles or triples them) and since you do the choosing you don't wind up with a million bucks off of some crappy product you don't use... and hopefully I will be saved from extinction, you will be happy, and I won't have to ask anyone to help me out again! Anyway... it's worth a shot. If you like the Reno Gaming Guide, want to see it grow, and the newsletters continue...and you are into a good deal... order up. I thank those who have and implore the rest to join in. That's a savings of $200 or more per book... and the more you save the more you have to gamble with!

Now that I have better internet access than I have had in a long while you should see more constant updating of the web site... I'm sorry that it slid a little there... the timing was bad when I broke the arm in five pieces in July... and I guess I whopped it good enough to have some residual nerve damage in the right hand that has had me being really slow and constantly visiting those hair-raising costs-bucks doctors... but I'm working through it and think that the worst is behind me now (unless some surgery-happy doctor nabs me) and things can only get better and better from here. I have two ten-hour days per week where the computer is my best pal when it is slow in the office... so you'll be hearing more and more and more from me about Reno! What a great place it is to be! If you haven't been here, come. If you've been here...come back. If you live here... lucky you!