Gaming Gurus: Strategy Expert Article Archive - Page 825

Internet and Interactive Gaming

It is difficult, at least for me, to get a "handle," pun intended, on Internet gambling.    Bills to prohibit it come up in each session of Congress but have yet to pass.  The major banks and credits cards have stopped processing "gambling" charges.  Several major groups have retreated from licenses in the UK.  Australia is reconsidering its regulations.  And yet, all of the published numbers show an industry growing dramatically.  Certainly it is a maturing industry.  There are lobbyists, a formal standards group and some interesting new applications bubbling to the surface.  Somehow this feels like the Prohibition Era to me.  Whatever tactics government uses only further illustrates an underlying principle: people like to gamble; the Internet helps satisfy that desire. For five years, they helped New Jersey enforce its laws on gambling at Atlantic City casinos.  Now Frank Catania and Keith Furlong are fighting for a far less esteemed segment of the gambling industry...read more

Park Place Entertainment Watch - April 2003

As Michael Pollock says in the April 28th issue of the Gaming Industry Observer, "size looms increasingly large as a decisive factor in gaming profitability."  The largest gaming corporations have the best chance to enter a new jurisdiction; they can leverage their size in purchasing slot machines, health care or recruiting top management.  This month Park Place did a little of each.  One of the biggest coup d' `etat may have been in recruitment.  Bobby Yee has had a very successful career, but he has really honed his skills in the last couple of years, while managing Casino Windsor, competing against Detroit's casinos while terrorism, SARS and a bad economy kept the players on the southern side of the border.  The move to cashless is another move that will contribute to profitability, as current estimates put the labor reduction at 30-40 percent.  Park Place also lined up on the side of the post-Enron good guys and reduced the severance agreements of top executives. Firm Offering Health Program.  Park Place Entertainment Corp...read more

Quick-takes: The month's trends in a glance - April 2003

Wars and SARS are still with us, but there is some light in the tunnel.  The stock market is the highest it has been at the end of any month this year, proving that we would rather dream than face the realities of war, disease and recession.  Steven Wynn's stock, without a casino or any revenue, has out paced the market.  The Dow closed at 8053 in January, dropped to 7800 in February, climbed a little to 7900 in March and jumped to 8400 in April.  Wynn's stock progressed steadily form $13.75 a share in January to $14.22, $15.40 and finally $17.37 and that without a shovel in the ground.  I wonder if Bush has considered Wynn for a cabinet position?  The war in Iraq was quick, gas prices are recovering, consumer confidence is on the rise and Greenspan is going to stay on to keep mortgage rates driving the economy.  The economy looks brighter than any time this year. Stocks in Asia opened weaker and the dollar was steady on Wednesday, as markets began shifting focus to what might happen to the U.S...read more

Karnes Cops $60 Grand At Bally's

Calm and confident Robert Karnes, enjoying the experience of playing on a final table in a big stakes blackjack tournament for the fourth time, withstood a late charge by an opponent to win first place money of $60,000 in Bally's Ultimate Blackjack tournament. Karnes, from Cherry Valley Arkansas, had previously collected $7,500, $12,500 and $17,000 in prior events at Bally's but never finished higher than second place...read more

Casino Play and Brand Loyalty

When it comes to visiting casinos in the Chicago-area, how does "brand loyalty" come into play for gamblers? For the majority of average recreational players who make occasional trips, it really isn't a factor...read more

Internet Gambling

Internet gambling is not my cup of tea, for many reasons. If I'm going to play, I prefer it to be in a social situation rather than alone on a computer. Too many online casinos are either unregulated or barely regulated, leaving the question of whether the games are random...read more

Should You Stay with the Standbys or Try the New Table Games?

Every so often, a new table game appears at your friendly neighborhood casino. Assuming your favorite den of iniquity still spreads more than token games to bettors who prefer table to slot action, that is. And "new," as in "different," not "additional." Fresh table games are not meant to move existing players "up" or to divert newcomers from slot machines per se...read more

Dealers do bust, really, with a little help from you

Dear Mark,When the dealer is showing a bust card (2, 3, 4, 5, 6), how often does shereally bust? Dan A. Never, as in "When I'm playing, they never bust," overstates it, Dan, thoughwe've all had that feeling...read more

Craps A to Z - "S is For Setting"

If you have ever experimented with dice setting, you've probably discovered that many casinos frown on this procedure. In fact some resorts will prevent you from setting the dice, as they actually have regulations on how the dice should be tossed...read more

Advanced Basic Strategy

In one of my recent newspaper columns, we were discussing how blackjack buffs tend to adjust the play of their hands when they see a barrage of big cards or little cards come out. I gave the example of a player who was about to double down with his 6/4 against an 8, then changed his mind when the person just in front of him hit and caught two consecutive 10s...read more