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Pregressive Pai Gow Jackpots Grow

2012-05-12T16:55:27Z

If you love playing Pai Gow, things may be looking up for you as more properties add linked jackpots to their game mix. I've enjoyed playing Pai Gow since Washington State legalized mini-casinos (15 table games max) about a dozen years ago. Each little casino around Seattle had $5 games and seats available during the two years I lived there, ruining my life by becoming a Mariner's baseball fan, but that's just another bad-beat story.

As for Pai Gow, many casinos now offer the game with a $1 bonus bet on a progressive jackpot, and I always get interested in those when the numbers get over $200,000. I figure that's just high enough for me to really scream about my tax bill ( a few years back, a player at Northern California's Thunder Valley Casino hit a 7-card straight flush for over $500,000). Recently the Gila River casinos in Arizona linked their Pai Gow tables (Vee Quiva, Lone Butte, and Wild Horse Pass) and now their jackpot is $252,000. That's worth a shot!

In Las Vegas, Cannery Casino Resort Properties (CCR), including The Rampart Casino, Eastside Cannery Casino & Cannery Casino, has also linked their tables. Last month they had a $262,000 winner! In addition, the CCR (No, not Creedence Clearwater Revival) group offers a new Pai Gow version called EZ Pai Gow .

EZ Pai Gow is a game with no commission. Instead of taking the extra time to collect commission, EZ Pai Gow uses another revenue source to get the same edge in the game. Each time the dealer makes a queen-high Pai Gow, all bets are a push! It's a great idea, and you'll get more hands per hour. It's win-win as far as I'm concerned.

Got a high progressive jackpot at a casino near you? Drop me a line. Pai Gow players have to stick together!

Pregressive Pai Gow Jackpots Grow originally appeared on About.com Casino Gambling on Saturday, May 12th, 2012 at 16:55:27.

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My What Nice Poker Etiquette You Have

2012-05-09T18:32:25Z

I was waiting impatiently for a playable hand in an Omaha-eight game the other day and my mind wandered off without me. I started thinking of the way things have changed over the past decade or so in poker rooms. The best thing I could think of was that many poker rooms are non-smoking now. After spending the previous decade sucking-up second hand smoke and having my eyes continually bloodshot from the perpetual cloud of toxins around the game, my body is much happier now! That's progress.

I'm not sure I like having TV's all over the walls, because I get distracted by them, and I can't figure out why. I mean, how many times can I watch the same highlights on ESPN? Many times, apparently. I am happy the chairs are better now though. Some joints used to have the worst little chairs, no padding, and they didn't roll around or anything. The horror!

Poker terms have changed, but it really doesn't matter whether you spike a set on the turn, or catch trips, it's still three of a kind. And, it's still nice when players exhibit some manners. That's what I thought when my mind returned from wherever it went to. Probably because there was a young lady playing in my Omaha game who smiled, spoke pleasantly, and even showed down some obvious losers when calling.

She didn't fire her cards into the muck with disgust when she lost. She just tabled her hand and congratulated the winner. I got to say, "Thank you," and rake the chips on several occasions myself, and you know, when I got counterfeited on a big hand and she scooped a monster pot, I just showed my hand and smiled. It only hurt a little.

It never hurts to show some poker etiquette, and, players don't mind losing so much when the game is lively and friendly. And, if you spend your life on the green felt playing table coach, knock it off. Nobody on the game cares how much you know. The dealer is likely to be able to handle any situation, give 'em a chance.

Which reminds me, as much as today's new players might think they are different than yesterdays, they really aren't. Why? Because no matter how experienced and well-read (within the realms of poker strategy books) new players are, the percentages haven't changed any since twenty years ago. The hands are still made just as often, the pot odds are calculated the same, and......... somehow there is still the same percentage of good players and bad.

That's right. Amazingly, the game still produces the same number of winners and losers once the year ticks past and New Year's Eve ends. So, as always, you have to put your best game on the table to take down the chips. And, there's nothing wrong with being polite. It only hurts a little.

My What Nice Poker Etiquette You Have originally appeared on About.com Casino Gambling on Wednesday, May 9th, 2012 at 18:32:25.

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Is Anything Simple about Card Counting?

2012-05-05T15:56:19Z

Is anything really simple when it comes to card counting? Sure. It's simple to think you know what you are doing when you don't, and it's simple to lose your money. And that's just the beginning, because beating blackjack at your favorite casino is never a simple task. It is, however, likely to be more fun than you've ever had in a casino!

When I was 17 years old I got a copy of Gambling Times, and decided I should start playing blackjack in casinos. There were all kinds of books offered about how to beat blackjack and I already knew how to play (I thought), so why not. It was a tough road, but by the time I was in college I knew more about blackjack than most casino personnel. The cloak and dagger, hiding from the pit boss, and pulling the wool over the dealers' eyes part was so much fun!

And now, with the internet, you don't need a bunch of books. You can learn how to beat blackjack with a simple plus minus count for free! The count is simple, but your success will hinge on how well you know how to play blackjack.

If you know the game, you know you need to play perfect basic strategy to start with. It's a long learning process, but well worth it. The average player loses about 1.5 percent of their average bet over their lifetime at blackjack. So, depending on the speed of the game, they probably lose $15 an hour. Would you take five hours out of your life to learn basic strategy to get that number down to just $5? It's a skill you'll always have!

The Fun Part

Then, the fun part starts. Would you be willing to step up your practice sessions to include a little simple math (can you add, subtract, and divide by six?) and memory skills to turn the tables and actually win $15 an hour playing blackjack? Would you work harder if you knew you could make a even more? I did, I have, and I've never had a losing year at the casinos.

I will admit that the first month I employed my new skills (after many, many hours of practice) I only made $1.98 an hour, but I did win. And, I've never looked back, never had a losing month! And, the casinos give me free rooms, free meals, and even free slot play to reward me for playing at their places. Sweet!

So, learn to play, learn to count, and practice, practice, practice, until you are perfect. Then, you'll have more fun than you ever thought possible in your favorite casinos!

Is Anything Simple about Card Counting? originally appeared on About.com Casino Gambling on Saturday, May 5th, 2012 at 15:56:19.

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Say What? Heard at the Poker Table

2012-04-30T18:43:46Z

A fellow told me a story last night about ordering a drink from the cocktail server at a poker table. She was cute and quick, but she spilled his drink on the way back from the bar, so she said, "Gee, I'm sorry, I spilled half your drink here." She set down his drink and a very wet napkin, smiled, and added, "Now don't you worry, I'll get you another." She then disappeared for ten minutes. When she came back she smiled and said, "You thought I forgot about you, huh? I didn't, here's your clean napkin!"

Now that's funny. But that's not all, because a floor supervisor had heard both discussions and he said, "Hey, let's get this guy a new drink, all right." But the server said, "No, I'm sorry, it's after 2am now and we already had last call, give me your glass." Now that's a bad beat story. And, it's the first bad-bead story I ever heard that was funny, or I was actually interested in.

If you don't know what a bad-beat story is, consider yourself lucky. There are plenty of poker terms that every player should learn, but all those lucky player bad-beat, suckout, and tournament bubble ones should go straight to the trash bin. Sure, I've told them myself, but I'm not sure why. Probably because I like to hear myself talk.

On the other hand, there are plenty of funny things that happen on games that should be repeated. I thought it was funny when a young player begged several times for a pretty woman at the table to show him her hand after she made a large reraise and he pondered and tossed his cards in the muck. She also pondered, then tabled her cards, showing a busted flush. He looked at her with such a hurt look I almost felt sorry for him as he said, "Girls aren't supposed to lie!"

Oh yeah? Welcome to the new world! There are plenty of ladies out there who can knock your socks off with their poker playing. And, most of those ladies have a pretty good sense of humor! Enjoy.

Say What? Heard at the Poker Table originally appeared on About.com Casino Gambling on Monday, April 30th, 2012 at 18:43:46.

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Goodbye Amarillo Slim!

2012-04-29T17:49:45Z

Photo Courtesy (Harper Entertainment)

Goodbye Amarillo Slim Preston! You will be greatly missed by the poker community.

Amarillo Slim, World famous gambler, 83, died overnight in hospice care in Amarillo. He leaves a legend bigger than Texas when it comes to tall tales and tall mountians of chips he won in poker games, ping pong matches, pool halls and dance halls. The man never met a bet he didn't want to find a way to win. He bet on everything and anything, as told in his memoir, Amarillo Slim In a World of Fat People.

A long-time pool hustler and poker player (who partnered with Sailor Roberts and Doyle Brunson in the 1950's), Slim was well known in the poker world when he won the WSOP Championship in 1972. He wasn't known much beyond the Texas circuit of poker games and Las Vegas, however. But after the championship win, the never-at-a-loss-for-words Preston became a favorite on TV shows after stories of his championship ran in Parade magazine, which was inserted in millions of Sunday newspapers across the country.

Afterwards, Preston was a regular on The Tonight Show and was seen on 60 Minutes, Good Morning America, To Tell The Truth and even What's My Line. He was colorful, brash, funny, and a perfect ambassador for the poker world. He will be missed.

This year's WSOP starts on Sunday May 27, 2012 with the $500 entry Casino Employee, No-Limit Hold'em tournament. It's a great kick-off for the summer.

Besides the WSOP, I'll be heading to Lake Tahoe for a few weeks of R&R, and maybe back east for the Atlantic City Food and Wine Festival. If you haven't been to Caesars Entertainment's properties during the last week of July to drink down your share of the wine and feast on dozens and dozens of food station goodies, you just don't know what you are missing.

The festival starts July 26.............don't miss out!

Goodbye Amarillo Slim! originally appeared on About.com Casino Gambling on Sunday, April 29th, 2012 at 17:49:45.

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My Favorite Place at the Casino

2012-04-28T15:05:00Z

Ever go to a bad movie? When I don't like a movie I walk out. Same with the "vibe" in a bad casino - out I go. When I find a place I'm comfortable gambling I'm ready to play plenty of hours. In fact, once during a points/hours poker tournament I played 38 hours straight. Of course by the end of the tournament the dealer had to wake me up between hands.

Now I love playing table games, but I still have one favorite place at every casino: the Casino Cashier. If you haven't gotten friendly with the cage, you simply aren't cashing out often enough. That's a problem. I even heard a floor person answer the question, "Where'e the cage?" with the response, "I'm sorry sir, I don't know. Nobody has ever won here before." Whoops.

Personally, I tend to take trips to the cage in-between sessions. Sure, I color-up my chips to higher denominations, but when I stop playing a video poker game and have a ticket or extra chips in my hand I like to get cash. That allows me to head out the door at any time, but it does something else. It forces me to keep track of where I am for the day with my gambling.

I don't write every play down on paper like I used to (cough - what a geek - cough), but I do make a mental note of how I'm doing. That helps me budget my gambling bankroll and also forces me to slow down and be smart with future decisions. Occasionally I'll find that I've reached a pre-set goal and then I'll go to movie or have a meal. There's nothing more satisfying than finding my wife and saying, "Lets take a break and go to a nice restaurant."

During that timel I'm on an emotional and bankroll high, and even if I take a beating later, that meal or movie is always very nice. You should try it, even if you don't stop at the cashiers cage first! A night at the casino should include more than gambling. Enjoy.

My Favorite Place at the Casino originally appeared on About.com Casino Gambling on Saturday, April 28th, 2012 at 15:05:00.

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As a Last Resort - Hire An Expert

2012-04-25T22:53:11Z

I spent some time today with Bill Zender, gaming consultant and previous co-owner of the Aladdin casino in Las Vegas. After several decades working in the casino industry and writing books, Bill spends most of his time doing private consulting and seminars for gaming managers. His firm, Bill Zender and Associates and Last Resort Consulting have developed a strong reputation as more than a last resort; they teach all types of gaming protection, but specialize in the finer points of card counting and advantage play. That's something he knows very well after working as a dealer, learning to count cards, and spending hundreds of hours practicing and playing.

Bill learned early how much you can make counting cards, and realized that for his bankroll size there was more money on the casino side of the table teaching casino owners how to protect their most precious assets, their bankrolls. I was surprised when he said he felt there are less than 100 truely professional card counters who spend all of their time playing blackjack now in the US.

He bases this on several issues, but I have to agree with him that many card counters moved over to the poker rooms when the boom started in about 2003. For ex-counters there is something quite refreshing and relaxing about playing in a game where you don't have to worry about being thrown out for exhibiting skill.

Ace Tracking

Zender also feels that most of the remaining counters have moved on to forms of advantage play (to earn even more money than they ever could following the count) such as ace tracking, a system of following clumps of cards that include one or more aces and taking advantage of poor shuffling techniques by sloppy dealers. This type of advantage play may be overlooked by casino floor supervisors because the trackers' large bets often take place on the first hand of a deck or shoe. Otherwise, the large bets may involve spreading to two hands in what appears to be a random fashion in the middle of a shoe. Clearly not moves made by a card counter.

Of course if you can manage to play as a competent card counter at the same time you are tracking aces and playing perfect basic strategy, well, that's the old triple threat. You'll have to master each phase of your blackjack play individually, but if you learn any part of it you'll likely retain it your whole life and will only need a few minutes retraining before you hit the tables in the future. It can certainly be rewarding, if you have the desire, drive, and the ability!

As a Last Resort - Hire An Expert originally appeared on About.com Casino Gambling on Wednesday, April 25th, 2012 at 22:53:11.

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Trip Report - The D in Las Vegas

2012-04-22T16:05:07Z

I mentioned recently that Fitzgerald's casino in Downtown Las Vegas was going through a major refurbishing and a name change to The D. Well, fortunes are looking up for the new owners!

I have to admit that on my last trip I stayed down the avenue at the Golden Nugget. But it appears I missed out on $27 room rates Sunday through Thursday. Bummer!

My friend Emma did stay at The D and found the rooms to be clean and nicely furnished, especially for the price. Apparently the room fees included a free breakfast. That's a nice extra.

What we both experienced was a very large crowd in the downtown area Friday and Saturday night. Unlike years ago, Downtown Vegas is now a happening place on weekends. There are live bands, kiosks with souvenirs, margaritas, and lots of twenty-somethings.

Unfortunately, that also means that inside the casinos the music is loud (very) because a heady crowd of young gamblers are there to party. It's kind of like Spring Break with no beach. That's good for the small casinos that need the play.

As a more sedate gambler, I could do without the dancing girls on platforms, but of course I've seen the same thing in a pit outside the poker room at Caesars on the Strip. So, as Emma mentioned, it's not likely to be our first choice to play craps since it's impossible to hear the call of the dice.

One of the things I love about craps is the occasional stick-person who has a personality that completely transforms the game into Craps Land where the calls are colorful, the jokes flow, and the dice run hot. That's a gambler's heaven.

Heck, even choppy dice are tolerable with a good craps crew! So, don't be afraid of the new D. Just be ready to party more than gamble.

Trip Report - The D in Las Vegas originally appeared on About.com Casino Gambling on Sunday, April 22nd, 2012 at 16:05:07.

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A Day in Prescott, Arizona

2012-04-20T16:28:54Z

Photo Courtesy (Shannon Moe)

I just spent the day in Prescott, Arizona. It's a laid-back country town in central Arizona with a population of 40,000. Part of the Old-West, Whiskey Row was it's most famous attribute, but today the town boasts four golf courses, an airport, and a couple casinos.

The Yavapai casino is a tiny spot along highway 69 (1505 East), but big brother Bucky's at the top of the hill includes a 162-room resort with a nice mixture of slots and table games.

Prescott is about an hour and a half from Phoenix. If you travel along US highway 17 to Flagstaff it's a half-hour drive in along Arizona Highway 69 or 169 to the town.

When you get there you can have a nice sandwich at Bucky's Cafe for $3.99 (with a player's club card) and then wash it down with $1 drafts.

Once slated, you can head to the pit and play a little blackjack for as little as two-bucks a hand. Yeah, that's the Old West!

Bucky's also features a spacious poker room on the third floor. If you're in town, take a drive over to the casino and check it out. The games are lively and friendly. Expect the Texas Hold'em games to be $3/6.

A Day in Prescott, Arizona originally appeared on About.com Casino Gambling on Friday, April 20th, 2012 at 16:28:54.

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Down to My Case Bet

2012-04-18T15:51:39Z

Do you gamble for the overall fun of it, or do you really enjoy the danger and anticipation when you get down to your case bet?

The case bet is one of my favorite casino terms and means the same thing as being down to the felt. If you play poker, I'm sure there are plenty of times when you have been all-in with every chip you have in the pot. That's really an interesting feeling, isn't it.

If you don't have the nuts (unbeatable hand), then there is that roller-coaster ride feeling in your stomach that makes the anticipation of the turn of the next card a lifetime in itself. Crazy!

For me, that's the point I'm always trying to get to. I want to have all my money in action when I know I've got a nice edge. At blackjack, that comes when I manage to get a good bet out and can split my aces, or when I've got a double down 11 and the dealer has a 6 showing.

Nick The Greek said the only thing better than gambling and winning, was gambling and losing, because he just wanted the action. For me, I want as much action as possible, but only when I have the edge!

As for the case bet term, it comes from the Old-West game of faro. The case-keeper used an abacus-like device to keep track of the cards played. Players looked carefully at this device before making their last bet of the deck - their case bet.

Down to My Case Bet originally appeared on About.com Casino Gambling on Wednesday, April 18th, 2012 at 15:51:39.

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