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Card Room Action Pai Gow Jackpot Hit! Arizona Lottery News Casino Entertainment Boyd’s Eye View of Video Poker Women’s St. Poker Champ Crowned www.arizonaplayer.com
Vol. 19 No. 10 • October 2011
WWW.ARIZONAPLAYER.COM
PO Box 33393 • Phoenix Arizona 85067 • 602-373-8728 • azplayer@cox.net
Contributing Photography Contributing Writers Kevin Cummings Linda Boyd Melody Hudson Cindy Esquer Production Assistants David Ramsey TJ Jorgensen Charlie Scheeler Justin Sullivan David Ramsey John Olson Editor Phil Scudella
Graphic Design CommuniGraphics
Special Thanks to the marketing departments and management at all three Gila River Casinos
The Arizona Player is published the first weekend of each month. All claims or guarantees are the sole responsibility of the advertiser. All comments and views of contributing writers are their own and do not reflect official policy of the Arizona Player which assumes no liability for any advertisement not supplied camera ready by the advertiser. Reproduction or use in whole or in part without written consent from the publisher and Copyright owners is prohibited.
Contents
news Vol. 19 Nogaming . 10 •October 2011
Gaming News Tucson Casino Resort Gets the Approval to Open
4
Entertaianment
6
Cover Story Quechan Casino Resort “Play & Win $1,000,000 at Gila River”
8
Gaming News Pai Gow Jackpot Hit at Wild Horse Pass & Ghosts Return to Prescott
10
Lottery News & Draws
12
Boyd’s Eye View Linda Boyd “Whistling Past the Graveyard”
14
Gaming News Ladies State Poker Championship
16
Card Room Action
18
Blackjack Corner TJ Jorgensen “You Call it Luck – I Call it Standard Deviation” 20 Reel Reviews Kevin Cummings “Sea Tales”
22
Bingo Directory of Games
24
Gaming News Wheel of Fortune Winners
26
Gaming News Big Butte Burger Binge
27
David at the Snack Rar David Ramsey “Movie Reviews”
28
Astrology, Jokes of the Month, & Casino Directory
30
ARIZONA PLAYER October 2011 3
gaming news NEW TUCSON RESORT GIVEN OK TO MOVE IN Sol Casinos receives certificate of occupancy for Casino Del Sol Resort, Spa and Conference Center
As the biggest opening to hit Tucson since Sol Casinos launched Casino Del Sol a decade ago, Casino Del Sol Resort, Spa and Conference Center has received its certificate of occupancy and is now allowed to officially move in and begin resort operations. “Receiving the certificate of occupancy is a huge milestone for this project and the Pascua Yaqui Tribe. We can now move in and make final preparations to start serving our guests beginning with the grand opening
4 ARIZONA PLAYER October 2011
celebration on 11-11-11,” said Wendell Long, CEO of Sol Casinos. “This nearly-two year construction project has boosted the local economy providing hundreds of construction jobs. The opening of the resort will provide an additional 350 jobs in the southern Arizona market.” Approved for occupancy by the development’s inspectors, resort operations staff is making final preparations for opening. Cooking in the new kitchens and on the floor training of food and beverage staff for its new bars and restaurants including PY Steak and Prema Lobby Lounge may now begin, as well as detailed training for housekeeping, front desk and Hiapsi Spa staff. This training effort will ensure a successful grand opening celebration on Friday, Nov. 11. The Casino Del Sol Resort, Spa and Conference Center is a 215-room, 161,000-square-foot resort and entertainment destination that features more than 65,000 square-feet of indoor and outdoor meeting and convention space and is certified green by the Arizona Hotel & Lodging Association. For more information or to book a reservation, visit www.CasinoDelSol.com/ resort. Located in southwest metropolitan Tucson, the Pascua Yaqui Tribe is a federally recognized tribe with more than 17,000 enrolled members. The Tribe owns and operates two casinos: Casino of the Sun and Casino Del Sol. Non-gaming enterprises include the Anselmo Valencia Tori Amphitheater (AVA), a 5,000-seat open-air concert venue; and the Del Sol Marketplace, which includes a gas station,car wash, convenience store and smoke shop.
ENTERTAINMENT Apache Gold Casino Resort
5 miles East of Globe on Hwy 70 1-800-272-2438 In the Pavilion: Nov 12 – Clay Walker and the Eli Young Band Cabaret Lounge: free live entertainment: 10/14 & 10/15 – Chaka & Friends, 10/21 & 10/22 – Grey Wolf, 10/28 & 10/29 – Stateline
BlueWater Resort and Casino
11300 Resort Dr., Parker 1-888-243-3360 At the BlueWater Amphitheater: Nov 12, DJ Quik & Warren G Dig Lounge: live bands, Deejay or Karaoke nightly
Tim McGraw, 11/18 – Jenni Rivera Paradiso Bar: Free live weekend entertainment & “Tribute” bands Thursdays Bingo Hall: Cosmic Bingo Saturday nights featuring Bingo, deejay music, light show, wacky games and giveaways
Cliff Castle Casino
I-17 at exit 289 in Camp Verde 1-800-381-SLOT Dragonfly Lounge: Free weekend entertainment w/Arizona’s top bands
Desert Diamond Casino Hotel
7350 South Nogales Hwy, Tucson Toll Free 1-866-DDC-WINS Monsoon Night Club: Live bands or Casino Arizona 101 at McKellips, Scottsdale 480-850-7734 deejay Thurs-Sun In the Showroom: Wed-Sun, “Showstoppers Desert Diamond Casino Live” A musical tribute to Elvis, Natalie 1100 W. Pima Mine Rd., Tucson Cole, The Four Tops and Whitney Houston 520-294-7777 or1-866-DDC-WINS Pima Lounge: Free entertainment nightly Diamond Center: 10/29 – Chris Young w/bands like: Powerdrive, Smooth Groove, Fort McDowell Casino True to Life, Srt8up Band, & JJ’s Band N of Shea off Hwy 87, Fountain Hills The Arizona Room Piano Lounge, free 1-800-THE-FORT entertainment nightly Outdoors - Under the Stars: Oct 21 at 7pm, Bad Boy Fight Night Lucky 7 Saloon: Free live entertainment Fri – Sun featuring: Furious George, Cowboy Floyd and the Kenny G project In the Bingo Hall: Saturdays, Oct 15, Nov 19 & Dec 17 - Lunar Bingo – Music, dancing, crazy games and giveaways For updates: fortmcdowellcasino.com
Lone Butte Casino
202 loop at the Kyrene exit – Chandler, 1-800-WIN-GILA Cascades Lounge: Free live entertainment nightly Mon-Thurs (4-7pm) Fri & Sat (9pm-1am) with: Vinny DiJohn, Michael Corollo, Jadi Norris, Chuck E baby, Otis & the Beat, Rags Allen, New Frequency, Taddeus Rose, Jasmine, Smooth Groove and Apex band Thursday Nights: Season 6 of “Lucky
Lucky Break
Oct 27, La Cage Oct 29, Raven’s Halloween Masquerade Ball Nov 3, Purple Reign (America’s Greatest Prince Tribute) Nov 16 – Dec 17, Motown Memories Dec 8-10, Thunder From Down Under (Male Revue) Degree 270 Lounge: live entertainment, dancing nightly + a spectacular view of city.
Vee Quiva Casino
Break” singing competition Verona Chophouse: Talia (Fri & Sat), Bridget & the Aug (Sun) Bingo Hall: 11:30pm Saturdays - B.A.D BINGO (Bingo After Dark) DJ “Rockin’ Rob” music, light show, bingo & giveaways
Mazatzal Hotel & Casino
1/2-mile S. of Payson on Hwy 87 1-800-777-PLAY www.777play.com Nov 4, Comic Roy Wood Jr
The West Valley’s only Casino 51st Ave, 4 miles S. of Baseline – Laveen 1-800-WIN-GILA In the Bingo Hall: Every Friday at 11pm – Deejay music, light show & dancing Oct 22 at 11:30pm – BINGO ECLIPSE - Deejay music, light show, bingo & fun giveaways
Wild Horse Pass Hotel & Casino
I-10 at Wild Horse Pass exit - Chandler 1-800-WIN-GILA In the Ovations LIVE! Showroom: Paradise Casino Oct 22, Rage in the Cage (Cage fighting) Harrah’s Ak-Chin Resort and Casino 450 Quechan Drive, Yuma 1-888-777-4946 Oct 31, Joe Walsh Sharky’s Bar: Free entertainment, Karaoke 15406 Maricopa Rd., Maricopa Nov 11, Melissa Etheridge on Wed, DJs on Thurs, plus live bands 480-802-5000 Nov 12, MAZE featuring Frankie Friday & Saturday nights Oasis Lounge: Free live entertainment Beverly Quechan Casino Resort every weekend Nov 18, Rick Springfield 525 Algodones Rd, Winterhaven CA Bingo Hall: Oct 21, Nov 18 and Dec 16 at Joe Dec 2, B.B. King 11pm - Disco Bingo, deejay music, bingo, (5 mi West of Yuma) 1-877-783-2426 Encore Lounge: Free Walsh Casino Del Sol food and drink specials and fun giveaways In the PIPA Event Center: Oct 22, Battle at entertainment (Thurs-Mon) 5655 W. Valencia Rd., Tucson 520-838-6506 For updated schedule: harrahsakchin.com Paradise (Full contact cage fights) with: Route 66, Hamptons, Eagleheart, AVA Amphitheatre: 10/14 – Godsmack, Sidewinders bar: Free live entertainment Hon-Dah Resort and Casino Powerdrive, Vinny DiJohn and JJs Band 10/15 – Evanescence, 10/18 – Judas on weekends Highways 260 and 73, Pinetop Yavapai Casino Priest, 10/21 – Snoop Dogg, 10/23 – 3 Talking Stick Resort 1-800-WAY-UP-HIGH 928-778-7909 Doors Down, 10/27 – WFF+MMA Event, Loop 101 and Indian Bend Road Free live entertainment In the Timbers Hwy 69 at Heather Heights Rd, Prescott, AZ 10/28-10/30 – Bluegrass Festival, 11/4 Scottsdale 480-850-7777 Lounge: Monday Comedy Night In the Cantina: karaoke on Friday nights – Daughtry, 11/11 – Pepe Aguilar, 11/12 – Talking Stick Showroom: Tuesday-Saturday: Arizona’s top bands
6 ARIZONA PLAYER October 2011
cover story
$1,000,000 App Match At Any Gila River Casinos
What’s your favorite app? Is it a map app? What about a music app? Does your favorite app include a game with a certain group of unhappy birds? It seems these days that no matter what you do, there really is an app for just about everything - but what about an app that could make you a millionaire? Gila River Casinos is now offering an exciting $1,000,000 App Match promotion with drawings 6 days a week! Drawings take place every Sunday and Thursday at Lone Butte Casino, every Monday and Wednesday at Vee Quiva Casino and every Tuesday and Friday at Wild Horse Pass Hotel & Casino. 8 ARIZONA PLAYER October 2011
Two winners every hour from 6pm to 10pm will have the opportunity to win up to $1,000,000 now through November 18. To enter the $1,000,000 App Match promotion, visit the Players Club at any Gila River Casino and sign up for your free Players Club card. Get free daily entries and earn additional entries each time you play. Increase your odds by playing on the 5x entry days. Each game night, ten contestants will be drawn and asked to pick an app game piece from a touch screen display representing a Smart Phone. With every touch, the app will reveal a prize. Cash prizes of $200 to $1,000,000 and Apple iPADs are among the symbols waiting to be revealed. Once the contestant matches three prize symbols, the game will end and the prize will be awarded. Visit any Gila River Casino today for your chance to win!
To find out even more about this and other exciting promotions – just go to wingilariver.com Vee Quiva Casino, the valley’s only west side casino is located just off 51st Avenue, 4 miles South of Baseline Road. Lone Butte Casino is located just off the SANTAN 202 at the Kyrene exit in Chandler Wild Horse Pass Hotel & Casino is located just off the I-10 at Wild Horse Pass Blvd. in Chandler
gaming news Huge Pai Gow Jackpot hit at Wild Horse Pass
Steve D. of Maricopa had one very good day at the tables at Wild Horse Pass Hotel & Casino in Chandler. The local card player won over $109,000 when he hit a progressive jackpot on the Fortune Pai Gow Progressive game at the east valley casino. He collected the nearly $110,000 jackpot when he was dealt a seven card straight flush consisting of the two through eight of hearts. The hand triggered a side bet and resulted in the progressive strike. The lucky winner was ecstatic when he realized the remarkable hand he had been dealt. “Wild Horse Pass is the greatest casino in Arizona,” shouted the elated winner.
10 ARIZONA PLAYER October 2011
Pai Gow is a popular variation of an Asian game played with tiles that has been adapted for use at modern casinos. Players are dealt seven cards, which they split into the best possible five card combination and the best possible two card combination. The dealer in the game follows the same pattern and if both of the player’s hands are better than the dealers the player wins the game. Pai Gow is one of several popular table games offered at Wild Horse Pass Hotel & Casino. Other games include; Three Card Poker, World Poker Tour All-In Texas Hold ‘em, Bonus Let It Ride and several variants of Blackjack. The Las Vegas style hotel and casino also offers over 1,000 slot machines, 242 modern hotel rooms, 12,000 square feet of conference space, 7 dining options headlined by Shula’s Steak House, Airia Nightclub and a 1,400 seat showroom. Gila River Gaming Enterprises, Inc. owns and operates three casinos within the Gila River Indian Community including Lone Butte Casino, Vee Quiva Casino and Wild Horse Pass Hotel & Casino. For additional information on these and other events, call 1-800-946-4452, or go to their website www.wingilariver.com
GHOSTS HAVE RETURNED TO PRESCOTT! This year, due to sell out shows in 2010, Prescott Ghost Talk has been expanded to two nights, with two spooky shows each evening at 6 and 7:30pm on October 28 and 29. Experience Arizona’s past during this kick-off event for the state’s Centennial Year Celebration when famous and infamous “spirits” enact historic ghostly folklore. This is a collaborative fundraiser with the West Yavapai Guidance Clinic Foundation, and children throughout our community will benefit. Remember - These dramatic performances are designed for adults, and not recommended for youngsters under 8 years of age - It can be pretty scary! Buy your $10 tickets at the Prescott Center for the Arts, 208 N. Marina Street, on line at tickets@pca-az.net or call 928-445-3286.
lottery news Newlywed Wins $3.1 Million Jackpot! A Scottsdale resident and newlywed, who chose to remain anonymous, claimed the $3.1 million The Pick jackpot from the September 28 drawing. The winning ticket was purchased at Safeway on North Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd., in Scottsdale. As a loyal Arizona Lottery player, the winner plays $3 on each drawing of The Pick, each time playing one Quick Pick and two lines of her own lucky numbers. Her own lucky numbers were the winning numbers. Those numbers were 3-10-2324-27-37 The Pick jackpot winner, who’s been playing her favorite game for 15 years checked her numbers the morning following the draw and realized she’d won $3.1 million. She and her husband had just returned from their honeymoon when she discovered her win. The newlywed couple chose the cash option and received $2 million before taxes. “It was a thrill to award the newlywed with an amazing wedding gift at the Arizona Lottery
Phoenix office,” said Jeff Hatch-Miller, executive director of the Arizona Lottery. “As Arizona’s own jackpot game, it was especially rewarding to meet the lucky winner and hear how this win will significantly impact this new couple’s lives.” Winning numbers for The Pick are broadcast Wednesdays and Saturdays during the 10pm news on Channel 13 (CBS) in Tucson and posted on www.ABC15.com in Phoenix. Players can check their numbers by logging onto www.ArizonaLottery.com or by calling the winning numbers hotline at 480-829-PICK in Phoenix and 1-800-499-3798 in all other Arizona areas. Players can also opt-in to receive winning number text alerts by texting “AZLOT” to 411247. Players must be 21 years or older to purchase or redeem tickets. Overall odds vary by game. In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, these materials may be made available in an alternate format. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-NEXT STEP. Please Play Responsibly.
I Can Keep a Secret The $100,000 Fantasy 5 jackpot winner from the draw of June 20 - did not redeem his ticket for one month. The reason was - he wanted to surprise his wife with the check on her birthday, July 22. He’d returned from his vacation just in time to buy his tickets, using his own numbers as usual. The next day, he checked his numbers and then took the winning ticket to the store to be scanned. The winning ticket was purchased at a Circle K on
West Cactus Road in Glendale. It’s hard to imagine anyone keeping that big of a secret for so long, but he did. He planned to take his wife out to dinner and surprise her with the check. With regard to how they will use their winnings, some of it will be donated to the Westside Food Bank, and the rest will be invested. As to his playing strategy, he said, “I don’t believe there is any strategy to winning – it’s just pure luck.”
Perfect Timing
Enjoy the Game
A Scottsdale woman got the surprise of her life when she remembered she had a Powerball ticket from the July 9th draw in her purse. She took it to the store to be scanned and got concerned when the terminal began spewing forth long slips of paper. The clerk told her, “I think you won $200,000.” At that point, she became nervous as other customers came around, so she took her ticket and claim form and left the store. The winning ticket with two lines of her own randomly chosen numbers was purchased at Fry’s Food Store on East Indian School Road in Scottsdale. Her husband was out of town for a business meeting, and when she reached him that evening, he could hardly believe it when she told him the news. The couple plan to pay off some bills (including her school tuition), take a vacation, and bank the rest. Her advice to other players, “Don’t give up – keep playing.”
A Gilbert man, who plays Scratchers almost every day, finally got his wish – he won the top prize on one of his favorite Scratchers games. He purchased two of the Cool 5’s, and the first one he scratched displayed a $50,000 win! The ticket was purchased from Circle K on West Chandler Blvd., Chandler. He’s been playing the Lottery for about five years, mostly Scratchers, but occasionally he plays Powerball. He feels the Scratchers have better odds with a better chance of a return. He has some simple, common sense advice for players; “Always be sure to recheck your tickets – it’s easy to miss a number or a letter.” The winner is a retired businessman, but works in a different area, “not because I have to, but because I want to.” He plans to pay off some bills and put the rest in his money market account.
12 ARIZONA PLAYER October 2011
THE PICK Date Numbers
October
15-16-25-28-34-35 07-15-16-22-26-31 14-16-17-20-33-44 01-14-21-36-38-43 03-23-28-32-35-42 14-23-35-38-39-43 17-19-24-27-28-32 03-10-23-24-27-37
03 07 10 14 17 21 24 28
October
01 02 03 05 06 07 08 09 10 12 13 14 15 16 17 19 20 21 22 23 24 26 27 28 29 30
POWERBALL Numbers
15-25-52-53-54 03-05-18-27-54 04-19-22-32-53 16-41-42-50-59 06-20-22-32-43 12-47-48-52-55 03-04-12-27-44 30-41-50-51-53
PICK 3 CASH 4 5-4-4 0-6-0 7-0-1 3-2-3 8-8-1 4-9-3 9-5-5 6-9-5 5-5-9 3-7-6 4-3-4 2-5-3 7-0-2 6-8-5 3-8-0 0-9-2 4-5-6 0-4-7 4-6-8 0-3-7 8-6-3 9-2-5 3-7-1 1-5-0 3-0-6 8-5-3
03-05-11-26 08-11-18-24 01-08-10-14 08-11-16-23 02-07-15-20 11-16-23-25 03-05-08-22 01-06-10-18 07-08-11-19 06-10-11-12 05-09-14-22 03-05-06-09 06-08-13-18 02-10-11-16 08-10-13-23 04-07-22-23 04-13-14-18 12-16-21-24 04-14-18-25 08-18-22-24 01-06-07-19 02-03-23-24 10-14-18-21 03-11-15-24 05-07-11-18 01-14-21-25
PB PP
02 13 24 05 11 13 26 08
05 04 04 03 02 04 05 02
PICK 5 08-11-13-27-41 04-09-16-17-37 04-06-12-18-27 15-26-28-30-32 28-30-36-37-39 10-24-28-32-37 03-08-11-21-34 03-12-14-19-34 08-16-20-30-32 03-11-19-36-37 01-06-17-26-39 16-23-25-34-40 03-07-14-26-34 02-08-10-12-19 02-10-13-14-27 01-07-10-13-22 06-24-26-30-33 14-17-34-35-37 01-20-21-28-29 08-14-25-31-38 11-21-22-35-40 07-09-12-13-28 04-07-11-14-22 07-15-20-27-32 05-06-9-17-24 12-13-14-35-40
October
MEGA MILLIONS
MB
MP
02 06 09 13 16 20 23 27 30
25-44-48-49-55 01-36-38-42-49 07-12-19-23-31 22-31-43-48-56 06-23-41-45-56 06-29-38-50-51 21-27-32-40-52 02-20-28-36-45 03-19-21-44-45
20 19 45 45 24 39 36 37 29
3 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4
In Phoenix catch the winning numbers first on ABC Channel 15 at 10:25 nightly. You can also call the Lottery Hotline at (480) 829-PICK (7425) in Phoenix or (520) 325-9141 in Tucson. For outlying areas in Arizona call 1-800-499-3798. Visit our website at arizonalottery.com or see a participating Lottery retailer for the winning numbers.
A BOYD’S EYE VIEW OF VIDEO POKER
by Linda Boyd
Whistling Past the Graveyard
ot long ago I witnessed a twenty-something burn through over $1,000 on a slot machine in record time. He said, “I just won that money and now it’s gone; easy come, easy go” This guy had a forced smile on his face but it was obvious that he was glossing over a painful situation. He was talking himself into ignoring a probable hazard, hoping for a good outcome, during his play - Mumbling things like, “well, it’s their money” or “I wish I had quit while I was ahead” and so on. If you spend enough time in a casino you’re sure to see lots of whistling past the graveyard. From experience I’ve learned to keep my mouth shut, as should you. Once people decide to make bad choices while gambling it’s best to stay mum; you’ll only exasperate the situation with obvious platitudes. But - what if, horror of horrors, the whistler is you? Is this something you can and should avoid? Without a doubt! Scared Money: It doesn’t matter whether you’re playing a table game or video poker; never ever use money needed to pay bills. Especially in table poker, you’ll be an easy target for those who are good at reading “tells” (quirks that give hints as to the quality of your cards) and they’ll chew you up and spit you out. Good players can quickly home in on those playing over their head. With video poker, slots or any wager for that matter continuing to bet after you’ve blown your budget can be frightening. Quitting Time: Frequently I’m asked when it’s a good time to stop playing. There are several indicators. Too Much Alcohol: There’s an adage for serious video poker players “Don’t drink and derive”. For those who aren’t into mathematics it’s a play on words. To derive is to deduce after a series of logical steps, as in “deriving” the quadratic formula. Sounds like the well-known slogan “Don’t drink and drive” so it’s a double entendre as well. In short, video poker and other games with a skill component require clear-thinking. How about slots? If you’re drunk it’s unlikely that you’ll make 14 ARIZONA PLAYER October 2011
good decisions about when to say “when” increasing the probability that you’ll leave with nothing in your pockets but lint. Bankroll Loss: As I’ve said in the past, you must stop playing once you’ve reached your predetermined limit. Even if it’s a good play, like a video poker game with a positive ER (expected return), you have no guarantee that you’ll be ahead in the short run. My friend Steve Bourie (American Casino Guide author) jokes “I told my wife that I lost all our money, but not to worry because it was a good play”. Tired: Even if you haven’t been drinking, it’s not much fun when you’re so tired your head is spinning and your back aches. (You could request a massage during poker play at some Arizona casinos, but it will cost you a dollar a minute) More importantly, you’ll miss hitting the machine’s buttons properly while playing video poker, fail to read your opponent’s cards logically during poker and make counting errors playing blackjack - All costly mistakes. Ahead on a Negative Game: This is one of the most overlooked indicators that’s it’s time to call it a day. Anytime you’re ahead in a game with an ER less than 100% is a good time to stop playing.
When you include both the cash back for play added to the game’s theoretical return - there are still some positive plays. The casino can well afford to have a couple with video poker since you must have computer-perfect holds, which few can do. However, casinos aren’t charitable organizations so most games have a house advantage. It you’re winning - it’s a good time to walk to your vehicle with a smile on your face and a song in your heart. Summary: I could be smug and say I never whistle past the graveyard while playing, but I’d be lying. All gamblers have done it from time-to-time and the ride home was long and miserable. The real problem is when you go out on a limb and justify your own foolish behavior with predictable regularity. When you’ve just spent several hundred for a “free” Thanksgiving pie it’s time to take a break and make sure there’s money left for the turkey.
Linda Boyd - a long-time table games player before turning to video poker, also writes for Southern Gaming and Midwest Gaming and Travel in addition to Arizona Player. Her book, “The Video Poker Edge”, includes free removable pay schedules and her free strategy cards for the most popular games. Look for her story in the 2011and 2012 Editions of “American Casino Guide”. The 2010 Second Edition of her book is available in both paperback and kindle.Available at amazon.com, bookstores www.squareonepublishers.com or Toll Free 1- 877-900-BOOK
gaming news
From Laid off to Paid Off
By Phil Scudella
LeahHodge went from one extreme to another within 3 days of her life. From being laid off unexpectedly from her job at a local window company on a Friday September 10th and wondering what do I do now? To being level headed enough to clearly think “Hey, I’ve got the time now to do whatever I want” So Leah decided to go for a long shot - she scraped up enough money ($25) to enter a satellite tournament at Talking Stick Resort in Scottsdale to try to win a $225 seat into the 6th Annual Arizona State Ladies Poker Championship Tournament that Saturday and Sunday.Leah made that first step pay off by beating nine other women at her table that Saturday to win a seat to join a group of nearly 300 ladies to compete over the weekend. She played with a group of about 150 women on Sunday September 11 and played well enough to make the cut into the finals on Monday, September 12th featuring 30 of the best women poker players in Arizona.This final group consisted of quite a wide range of players, from amateurs, some in their very first tournament to regulars at the Talking Stick poker room to seasoned pros from all around the state who preyed on the inexperienced players to add to their huge chip count as they made their way to the final table. Those ladies who fought hard but did not make the final table are listed here with the prize money they took home. Places 26 – 30 $450 - Kat Gatelis, Mary Hallquist, Raena Janes, Mary Gruzinski and Michelle Gibson Places 21 – 25 $509 – Barb Rugolo, Deborah Caples, Michele Reese and Wendy Cordiner Places 16 – 20 $590 – Tammie Summers, Sombat Miller, Nicole Fan, Donna Delahanty and Maria Ule Places 11 – 15 $725 – Barbara Siefur, Vanessa Sciarra, Yvonne Young, Brenda Tamillo and Vicki Oxman 16 ARIZONA PLAYER October 2011
That brings us to the final Table: Seat #8 - 10th Place: Marcella Hinojos - Peoria, AZ – With the blinds at the final table now at 15,000 / 30,000 – Marcella had little choice but to go all-in with her short stack holding (9s4d) She was dominated by Kelly Minkin holding pocket 9s and was the first out at the final table. She made her exit with $984 and a big smile on her face. Seat # 4 - 9th Place: Angela Singer - Phoenix, AZ, a former Arizona State Ladies Champion, was knocked out in 9th place and pocketed $1,349, you could see she was noticeably disappointed in her finish and the different strategy she was forced to play throughout the tournament when she remarked “I really hate to play against women” Seat #5 - (8th Place) Barbara Holland Wittmann, AZ, She was hoping to bring home the championship to her little town in the far northwest part of the valley, but her micro stack of chips at the final table were not enough to scare anyone off when she went all-in as the big blind and finished a respectable 8th place with $1,827 to the delight of her friends in that tiny Arizona town. Seat #10 - 7th Place: Oliva Smith - Paradise Valley, AZ - In the short answer Olivia played well enough to do better than where she finished. Early on at the final table with a short stack, she caught pocket 10s and went all in against the eventual Tournament winner Leah Hodge who had Ace and deuce of spades and caught an Ace on the flop to end Olivia’s day. This 2005 Harvard Graduate and Paradise Valley resident pocketed $2,389 for her weekend of fun. Seat #1 - 6th Place: Jill Fabian - Sahurita, AZ (Tucson area) “a proud employee of the Pascua Yaqui Tribe” as she put it and a regular in the poker room at Casino del Sol - Took home $3,035 for her very respectful 6th place finish Seat #2 - 5th Place: Kelly Minkin - Scottsdale
and a regular poker player at Talking Stick Resort took home $3,906 and finished 5th in her first ever appearance for this Wisconsin native in the Arizona State Women’s Championship - YOU BETCHA Seat #7 - 4th Place: Linda Raffino - Sun City, AZ a seasoned blackjack player, who had won as much as $15,000 in blackjack tournaments - but was playing in her first ever poker tournament! Linda must be a very aggressive blackjack player because she definitely was firing early and often and taking down pot after pot on the way to building an enormous chip lead. She got into many head to head battles with several players who were also very aggressive - and more times than not, Linda came out on top in those confrontations. Some of those players who came up short in several attacks were: Angela Singer (Former Women’s Champion) Kelly Minkin, and Andi Theriault. Through most of the tournament Linda held the chip lead by leaps and bounds and played the “Bully” role time after time. And just when you thought someone would call her down - They would not or they would go all-in confident they would win, only to lose most of their stack or get bounced out of the tournament. Linda’s aggressive play was her downfall because she could have just sat back with such a huge lead and let the rest of the table knock each other out. Her demise came against the luckiest player at the table Bonnie Jaeger who was able to double up against her and triple up against Linda and Andi in a 3 way confrontation. The end came suddenly when after a swing in momentum put Leah in the lead with about half a million in chips, followed closely by Linda with nearly half a million and “Lucky Lady” Bonnie with a little over 300,000. A short time later, the hand that cost Linda any shot at the championship was again a face to face battle with Bonnie as she shoved all-in from the
gaming news small blind with (Ac6c) and Linda called from the big blind also going all in with (Qd9d) the flop gave Linda hope (7dKh5d) possible flush, straight and lots of outs - but to no avail as Jaeger’s Ace held and Linda headed home to Sun City with a nice payday of $5,002 Seat # 3 - 3rd Place: Andrea “Andi” Theriault - Phoenix, A regular at Talking Stick Resort and one of the more aggressive and savvy players in the tournament got into a real battle with other aggressive players, and went one on one with Linda Ruffino several times while everyone else got out of their way. And time after time came out on the short end. Andi also battled the unbelievable luck of Bonnie Jaeger one on one several times, being way ahead till lightning struck (again no surprise to those watching the final table) on the turn or river card - only to once again lose a sizeable portion of her huge stack to Bonnie. It was understandable to see Andi being nervous (she had just lost a huge pot to Leah that left her with a short stack) as she watched the flop of (6s7d8s) and both her and Bonnie checked - the turn card was (4d) without hesitation Andi pushed in a $200,000 bet - that was answered of course by yet another All-in response from Bonnie Yaeger. Andi had no choice but to push the rest of her stack - after all, she had caught the low straight with the turn card as she showed (2d5h). Finally, she thought “REDEMPTION”! Well, you’re right, that 4 of diamonds was the unluckiest card Andi could have gotten - any other card and she folds for another hand - but when Bonnie turned the (9h10s) for the nuts - it was time to think about playing in a live game or maybe another tournament or just celebrating! After all she took a stunning trophy and $6,182 in cash! Seat #6 - 2nd Place: Bonnie Jaeger: - Carefree, AZ - not only was this her hometown, it was also her style of play. Nothing phased her “Carefree” strategy of playing whatever she holding…and push “all-in” in a micro second - This style of play was driving some of the seasoned “By the Book” players crazy. She was one of the short stacks at
The top 3 lady poker players in Arizona (L-R) Addrea “Andi” Theriault, Bonnie Jaeger and 2011 Ladies State Champion Leah Hodge
the final table, but with a series of “way behind” all-in bets that took down pot after pot, she also knew when to “get out of the way” when others went head to head. Because of this uncanny ability to make the right decision, she found herself holding one of the bigger stacks as the field was cut in half. At one point towards the end of the tournament, when Bonnie went all-in and took down yet another big pot, I turned to Dave Smith the tournament director and said “Dave, Isn’t that like 8 straight all-in wins’? He corrected me and remarked “No, that makes 9 in a row”! Her unbelievable streak ended when she called Leah Hodge on that fatal final hand, when Leah flashed her Pocket Rockets (As Ad) against Jaeger’s (Kd 10s). When the flop of (2s,3c,7c) came - Bonnie started to nod her head, then the turn card an 8 of diamonds sealed her fate as she congratulated Linda on her big win. Bonnie Jaeger headed back to Carefree with a beautiful 2nd place trophy and $7,477 richer!
The winning hand – “Pocket Aces” brought home the championship for Leah Hodge Seat #9 - 1st Place: Leah Hodge - Gilbert, AZ - You have to believe in miracles, or timing or having the right attitude or just the luck of the draw. Whatever it was, Leah Hodge had it for at least 3 fabulous days in the poker room at Talking Stick Resort in Scottsdale. As the story unfolded at the start of this article, she went from being unexpectedly laid off from her job on Friday to winning a seat into the Arizona State Ladies Poker Championship that Saturday to making it into the finals on Sunday to be one of the last remaining 30 players to compete for the Arizona State Ladies Championship on Monday September 12. In the finals, Leah played very confident and conservative and made the final table with just an average stack of chips. I watched as she rarely played even her blinds. She was quick to fold any big raise. I mistook this for weakness when in reality she had a plan to play only the very best hand - no risk. I
even mentioned her lack of playing many hands to Kent Odekirk - Director of Poker Operations and David Smith the tournament co-ordinator, both remarked that might not be a bad strategy since there were several very aggressive players at that final table. Leah averted disaster early on when she caught (As2s) and tried to steal the blinds but Olivia Smith went all in with pocket 10s (10c10d) Leah called and was noticeably relieved when the flop included an Ace - Olivia was out and Leah’s stack got bigger. Leah watched as players got very personal with each other, firing big raises only to have others go over the top and knock each other out. I don’t think any of the seasoned pros or really aggressive players took Leah very seriously - Shame on them. Because when the air cleared, there was the unassuming presence of Leah in the final five. She did not play many hands like most of the others, but when she did have good cards - she did not let anyone push her around. Of the final five, the two unlikely candidates for the last duo standing were the 2 short stacks, Leah Hodge and Bonnie “All-in” Jaeger who ran an incredible 9 all in wins in a row to get to the chip lead with Leah. I was very impressed with Leah’s play throughout the final hours of play - she was un-fazed by others, no matter what the call had to be - either fold or go all-in, she seemed to always get it right. In the end, the astonishing luck of Bonnie Jaeger came to an end when Leah went all-in against “All-In” Jaeger with her Pocket Aces that held up when Bonnie called - And Leah took home the prestigious Arizona State Women’s Championship Trophy and $12,729 in cash that will help her find another job….or maybe she might just have found a new career! Special thanks to David Smith (Tournament coordinator) and Kent Odekirk (Director of Poker Operations) and his entire staff for making me and all the rest of the media feel welcome at Talking Stick Resort during this entire tournament.
Leah Hodge with David Smith (L) and kent Odekirk ARIZONA PLAYER October 2011 17
Apache Gold Casino 800-272-2438 Dealing blackjack, daily at 3pm
BlueWater Casino 1-888-243-3360
Poker Room is open daily at 4 pm Tues, 7pm, No-Limit Texas Hold Em - $30 buy-in and one $20 re-buy Thurs, 7pm, No-Limit Texas Hold Em - $60 buy-in, no re-buys Wed night 4pm-close (first 3 each night) – Quads pay $50, Royal Flush $75 and Aces Cracked $25 - same color Aces $50 Dealing blackjack daily starting at 9am
Bucky’s Casino 928-771-6779
Sun, 2 pm, Bounty No-Limit Hold Em Tournament - $60 buy w/ $15 Bounties Mon, Thurs & Sat at 10am, and Mon, Wed & Thurs at 6pm - NLHE $40 entry fee w/ optional $10 re-buy, top 5 in the money and earn points toward $250 Player of the Month award Tues, 6pm, Ladies Only Texas Hold Em Shootouts - $15 buy-in “Aces Cracked” ($50) and “Kings Conquered” ($25) Mon-Thurs 10am-10pm & Fri 10am-4pm, details in poker room Progressive “Aces Cracked” Sat 11am-11pm - Starts at $ 50, increases till hit FREE Sunday buffet for seated poker players Dealing blackjack 24/7 - Now playing 3 card poker & Triple Attack Blackjack
Casino Arizona 101 & McKellips 480-850-7777
Dealing blackjack 24/7 $ 5,000 “Wild Wednesdays” Blackjack Tournament every other Wed, 7pm - $100 buy-in
Casino Del Sol 520-838-6565
$20,000 Free Roll – November 17 & 18 w/ finals Sat Nov 19 - Qualify w/40 hours “Live Play” Sept 13 – Nov 15 (First 160 players) Mon-Fri, 10 am, $800 guaranteed No-Limit Hold Em, $15 buy-in w/ optional $15 add-on Mon 7pm & Sat noon – $1,200 Guaranteed, NLHE - $35 buy-in, $6 entry fee Sun & Tues at 7 pm – $15 buy-in – Optional $15 addon, $1,000 guaranteed Wed, 7pm, NLHE, $1,200 Prize Pool (w/40 players) $35 buy-in, $5 re-buys $10 add-on Thurs, 7pm, $3,000 Guaranteed NLHE, $85 buy-in Sat, 9am, $200 added Omaha Hi-Lo, $15 buy-in w/$5 rebuys $5 add-on Sun, 11 am $1,500 NLHE, $20 buy-in, $5 re-buys
Cliff Castle Casino Hotel 928-567-7952
Mon, Wed, Fri & Sun, 10am, No-Limit Texas Hold Em Shoot-outs, $25 buy-in Tues & Thurs, 10am, Limit Hold Em Shoot-outs, $25 buy-in Wed, 7pm – NLHE $60 buy-in w/$20 re-buy Sat, Noon, $2,000 added – NLHE $120 buy-in, no re-buys 1st place “Shootout” winners qualify for Free Roll Shootout the last Sunday of each month Aces Cracked wins a $100 rack – Sun-Fri - See poker Room for details Also dealing blackjack 24/7
Sat at Noon and Tues, Wed & Thurs at 7pm, $1,000 Guaranteed NLHE - $5 buy-in Sat 9pm, $3,000 Guaranteed NLHE tournament, $20 buy-in, $10 re-buys Mon 7pm, NLHE $50 entry fee & $20 optional add-on “Aces Cracked” win a rack – 24/7 See poker room for details “Spin the Wheel” with Quads or better - win up to $400 cash “Easy way Jackpot” Aces full of anything beaten by Quads or better wins Jackpot Also dealing blackjack 24/7
Lone Butte Casino 800-946-4452
Dealing blackjack 24/7 – with $5 games
Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino 480-802-5138
CARD ROOM ACTION
Oct 15, 10am - Super Turbo/Super Bounty/Super Big Stack Tournament w/ $100 Bounties - $200 buy-in w/ $25 s/c Oct 29 & Nov 26 at 10am – $20,000 Last Saturday NoLimit Hold Em Tournament -$125 buy-in + $25 s/c Nov 13, 10am – Ladies No-Limit Hold Em - $60 Buy-in + $15 s/c Oct 30, Nov 6 & Dec 3 - 9am – Jack & Jill Couples Tournament - $50 Buy-in + $15 s/c Mon - Fri, 11am - No-Limit Hold Em, $60 buy-in Tues & Wed, 7pm - No-Limit Hold Em, $115 buy-in + $15 s/c Daily, 2am-10am “Aces Cracked” Win $100 rack Jackpot Extravaganza! – 15 Progressive Jackpots daily, Win up to $10,000 Also dealing blackjack 24/7 $ 5,000 “Wild Wednesdays” Blackjack Tournament every other Wed, 7pm - $100 buy-in
Pro Football “Splash Pots” last game on Sun & Mon nights - $50 TD & &25 FG Tues, 7:30pm, Limit Omaha H/L, $25 buy-in, $10 rebuys + $10 add-on Thurs, 7:30pm – NLHE, $10 Buy-in plus two $10 rebuys & $10 add-on Fri, 7:30pm, Sat, 12:30 & 5:30pm - NLHE, $40 buy-in, no re-buys Sat, 12:30 & 5:30pm – NLHE, $40 buy-in, no re-buys Sun, 12:30pm – NLHE, $25 buy-in, one $10 re-buy $ 25 Daily Splash pots on ALL tables every ½ hour from 9am-10pm $ 25 early morning Sat & Sun Splash pots on ALL tables every ½ hour from 6am-8:30am Progressive High Hand, daily 5pm-5am, thru September, Plus 2nd chance “Spin” Daily, Omaha & Pineapple Royal Flush pays $100 and straight flush $50 Also dealing blackjack 24/7
Vee Quiva Casino 800-946-4452 – Ext 1042
Mon, 6pm, 50/50, Hold Em & Omaha Hi-Lo, $25 buy-in + one $25 add-on Tues, 2pm – Mid, “Aces Cracked” pays $80 (first 5) Wed, 6pm, No-limit Hold Em, $40 buy-in, no re-buys Thurs, 6pm, Omaha Hi-Lo, $40 buy-in, no re-buys Sat, 4pm, No-limit Hold Em, $30 buy-in, $10 re-buys + $ 10 add-on Sun, 4pm, Crazy Pineapple $30 buy-in, $10 re-buys + $ 10 add-on
Wild Horse Pass Hotel & Casino 800-946-4452 ext 7375
Hon-Dah Casino 1-800-929-8744
Mazatzal Hotel & Casino 800-777-7529
Live Poker Wed-Sun - see poker room for details Sun, 1pm, NLHE Tournament, $25 buy-in, no re-buys $50 added per table Wed & Sun, 6pm, NLHE Bounty Tournament, $50 buy-in High Hands - win up to $500 Dealing blackjack 10am-1am - Blackjack tournament, Mon at 6pm, $40 buy-in
Paradise Casino 888-777-4946
Sun - Thurs, 11am, No-Limit Hold Em, $1,000 Guaranteed - $30 buy-in Wed at 7:30pm, No-Limit Hold Em Tournaments, $15 buy-in, $10 re-buys & $20 add-on “ACES CRACKED” wins a rack – daily from 6am - max 10 per day Big Money Royals, Any Royal Flush wins $500 Progressive Rolling Cash Fever drawings during live play every other hour - 24/7 D-Backs (& selected Baseball games) Splash Pots – $50 splashed on 4 tables when D-Backs score Mon- Fri, 2am-6am -“High Hand” Promotion, Top 3 hands win $100, $75 & $50 Thursdays 4pm-8pm – “Match your stack” drawings every hour – 1 lucky seat at 3 tables wins up to $100 College & Pro football “Splash pots” Thurs-Mon, $300 TD, $200 safety & $100 FG – see poker room for schedule Also dealing blackjack 24/7 – with $5 games Oct 29th - $25,000 “Free Roll” tournament – First 200 players with 120+ documented hours (thru Oct 25th) qualify Mon & Thurs Noon, No Limit Hold Em, $30 buy-in, no re-buys - $150 added per table Tues & Wed at 7:30pm, NLHE Freeze Out - $50 entry fee w/ $10 optional add-on, with $1,000 added to prize pool “Big Hand – Big Money” High Hands Daily, Bonus Aces Cracked, “Splash Down” Splash Pots plus posted MLB Games $50 Splash Pots ALL Tables - Tues, Wed, Fri & Sat 10am-2pm - Plus Sun – Thurs, 10pm – 1am “Hot Seat” Drawing - Win up to $200 “Aces” & “Faces” cracked, Mon-Fri, 1-4am win up to $200 $50 NCAA & $100 PRO Football “Splash pots” Thurs - Mon posted games – at coin flip, ½ time and final – ALL tables splashed Big Money Royals - Any Royal Flush wins $200 Also dealing blackjack 24/7 – with $5 games and “Triple Attack Blackjack”
Cocopah Casino 800-237-5687
Dealing Blackjack 5pm-1am
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Desert Diamond Casino I-19
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Nov 5th & 19th at 1pm - $5,000 Guaranteed Tournaments, $60 buy-in, $15 entry fee w/ optional $5 high hand & two $10 re-buys Mondays 10am-10pm“Aces Cracked” wins $50 Wednesdays, 10am-10pm “Faces Cracked” wins $30 “Splash Pots” 10am-10pm, ALL Live tables get splashed, Mondays $25, Tuesdays $25 & Thursdays $50 Special $59 room rates for poker players. Poker Room Hours: Wed – Sun open at 10am, Mon & Tues at 5pm Dealing blackjack 24/7
Sat, Sun, Mon & Tues at 10am - No Limit Hold Em, $40 buy-in Wed & Thurs, 10am, NLHE “Bounty” Tournament, $50 buy-in Fri, 10am, Wed & Thurs 7pm, NLHE, $60 buy-in Sun, Mon & Tues, 7pm, NLHE, $40 buy-in Fri at 7pm, NLHE, $100 buy-in w/ $50 add-on Sat at 2pm, Monster Stack Texas Hold Em, $160 buy in, no re buys Sat at 7pm, NLHE, $60 buy-in Sun at 2pm, “Bounty” NLHE, $70 buy-in
Nov 12 at 9am – Super Bounty Big Stack Tournament w/ $100 Bounties - $200 buy-in w/ $25 s/c
Please send updates to azplayer@cox.net
Dealing blackjack, Fri & Sat, 10am-3am; Sun-Thurs, 10am-2am Mon & Thurs at 9:30 am “Cup of Coffee” NLHE ($35 buy-in) Max 40 players Tues, 7pm, $100 added per table NLHE, $75 buy-in, with one $60 re-buy Also dealing blackjack 24/7 Dealing blackjack 24/7
Fort McDowell Casino 480-789-4284
MEGA Stack Bounty Tournament, Sun at Noon & Fri 7pm, $120 buy-in, $50 Bounties Mon-Fri, Noon, “Bounty” Tournaments $30 buy-in, $5 bounties Sun at 7pm & Sat 4pm $1,000 Guaranteed NLHE - $10 buy-in 18 ARIZONA PLAYER October 2011
Quechan Casino & Resort 1-877-QUECHAN
Talking Stick Resort 480-850-7777
PREFERRED LAUGHLIN POKER ROOM
Harrah’s Resort Casino 702-298-8529
CARD ROOM MANAGERS
TJ’s Blackjack corner
You call it Luck? ... I call It
Standard Deviation
f a person goes to the casino and plays by TJ a negative expectaJorgensen tion game for a few hours and walks out a winner, they usually will tell you they had a lucky day - However I would describe what they experienced as “Standard Deviation”, in that they did not achieve the expected mathematical outcome - a loss. Let me explain. If I randomly flip a coin there are only two possible outcomes, a head or a tails. On any given flip there is a 50% chance that a head will be the result and a 50% chance that a tails will be the result. So if I flip a coin 100 times your expectation is to get 50 heads and 50 tales, but the reality may be different, the measure of that reality is called “Standard Deviation”. Standard Deviation is a term used in mathematical probabilities to predict the outcome of an event. In our coin flipping trial of 100 flips you would expect to get 50 heads and 50 tails, but two-thirds of the time you will get between 45 heads and 55 tails or just the reverse, or something in between, and that would not be unusual. This would occur 68.3% of the time, that measurement is one standard deviation from the expected outcome of 50 tails and 50 heads. Simply put, if you did a thousand trials of flipping a coin 100 times and recording the results, most of your results would fall between 45 and 55 either way. What
20 ARIZONA PLAYER October 2011
average win would be $22.50 - however, like getting 50 tales and 50 heads in our coin example it would be rare to get an exact win of $22.50 after three hours of play. Two-thirds of the time you would wind up somewhere between a win of $191 and a loss of $147. In the name of good journalism I decided to conduct my own trial and report the results here. Over the past few weeks I have played sixteen, three hour blackjack sessions at our local casinos would be unusual is to get a lot of trials where the using a 1 to 12 betting spread against a six deck result was actually 50 heads and 50 tails. game. Any game in the casino can be mathematically Sixteen sessions would be considered a very broken down and a house edge can be calculated. short trial so I do intend to keep playing to see if For example if a Blackjack Player plays perfect the expected outcome will be close to the actual basic strategy at a six deck game the house has outcome. In the Graph, the Blue line represents around a .55% advantage depending on the rules. - dollars in my bankroll after each session and So the casino’s expectation is to make 55 cents for the purple line, the expected results. Apparently every $100 wagered. If the casino’s expectation Standard Deviation has been riding shotgun with was always equal to the actual outcome the player me because my results are higher than expected. would never win, but thanks to our good friend I will continue to update my results in upStandard Deviation, the player does win.... somecoming articles. Until then remember if you had times - In fact if you do play perfect basic strategy a winning day at the casino it wasn’t luck, it was you have a 25% chance of being ahead after playing standard deviation. 25,000 hands. T.J. Jorgensen has been a professional Blackjack player for over 20 years. He is well known for his live tournaTo overcome the house edge on a six deck game ment play. He has competed against, and beaten, some you would have to count cards and use a 1 to 12 of the top tournament players in the world and has won the prestigious World Series of Poker. His book, betting spread, so at a $5 table your bets would “Beating the Casino at Their Own Game,” is available be between $5 and $60. If you played this way and through his web site www.freewebs.com/tjsblackjackcorner or by e-mail TJ4justice1@msn.com played several hundred three hour sessions your
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Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino
15406 Maricopa Rd Daily 11:30am, 2:30, 3:30 & 6:30pm Disco Bingo at 11:30pm on 3rd Friday of the Month
Lone Butte Casino
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gaming news Wheel of Fortune Hits at Wild Horse Pass
“Wheel of Fortune” Hit in Tucson
The Wheel of Fortune Mega-Jackpot slot machine proved to be lucky once again at Wild Horse Pass Hotel & Casino on September 22. This jackpot of over $300,000 marks the third jackpot the popular progressive slot machine has produced this year at Gila River Gaming Enterprises which operates Wild Horse Pass Hotel & Casino, Lone Butte Casino and Vee Quiva Casino. Epigmenia M. of Carlsbad, New Mexico hit the progressive jackpot valued at $386,724 at the Chandler casino. Since 1998, Gila River Casinos has awarded over $10 million in prizes won on the slot machine themed after the popular television game show. Wild Horse Pass Hotel & Casino is located at 5040 W. Wild Horse Pass Blvd. In Chandler, AZ For more information about this, other big winners and special promotions – go to wingilariver.com
Lights were flashing, bells were ringing even more than usual at Casino Del Sol on July 13, when a frequent guest at the casino sat down to play a $1 Progressive Wheel of Fortune Triple Diamond slot machine. The lucky Tucson man, who asked to remain anonymous, was playing one of his favorite machines when it hit the statewide progressive jackpot awarding him over $431,000! “Casino Del Sol is raising expectations of our guests every day with fantastic games, promotions and amenities,” said Wendell Long, CEO of Sol Casinos. “When a big jackpot hits, it creates a unique level of excitement on the floor and we are thrilled to have had the jackpot hit at Sol Casinos again. We are proud to have awarded more than $1.6 million in progressive jackpots on our $1 Wheel of Fortune machines alone.” The lucky Tucsonan said he plans to pay off his house and wants to become debt free, but continue working. Located in southwest metropolitan Tucson, the Pascua Yaqui Tribe is a federally recog-
26 ARIZONA PLAYER October 2011
nized tribe with more than 17,000 enrolled members. The Tribe owns and operates two casinos: Casino of the Sun and Casino Del Sol. Non-gaming enterprises include the Anselmo Valencia Tori Amphitheater (AVA), a 5,000-seat open-air concert venue; and the Del Sol Marketplace. Casino Del Sol is the future home to Casino Del Sol Resort, Spa and Conference Center, scheduled to open 11/11/11; a 215-room, 161,000-square-foot resort and entertainment destination that features more than 65,000- square-feet of indoor and outdoor meeting and convention space. For more information, visit www.CasinoDelSol.com/resort
gaming news Big Butte Burger Binge - Enormously Exciting Event! FASTEST BURGER EATER The first heat pitted the contestants against one another to see who could consume the massive 10” Big Butte Burger in the fastest time. As the beef and buns began to fly, the eaters raced to chew down each bite. As the time ticked away, several competitors began to separate themselves from the pack. In the end Stephanie proved too fast for the rest of the field of burger eaters. The deceptively diminutive five foot Stephanie took home the title of fastest Big Butte Burger eater. She put away the entire sandwich in a stunning time of just 5 minutes and 20 seconds. The first annual Big Butte Burger Eating Contest at Lone Butte Casino was a terrific success. Guests were treated to quite a show as contestants were split into two heats and the competition to crown the biggest burger eater began.
EAT THE MOST BURGERS
Mike Dini – Director of Casino Marketing with Big Butte Burger Champ (most burgers) Naader Ali Reda
Emcee John Gambadoro – KTAR Sports Talk Host interviews Heat #1 winner Stephanie
The second heat of the competition provided thirty minutes of timed eating to see who could consume the most Big Butte Burgers. For the entire thirty minutes a field of more than twenty-five competitors battled bite for bite as each struggled to conquer as many Big Butte Burgers as possible.
John chats with 3rd place winner & the Champ When the final bell tolled three competitors had qualified by eating more than one Big Butte Burger. The winner was determined by weighing the remnants of the second Big Butte Burger with the title headed to the contestant who ate the most. With the weights tallied and the damage assessed - Naader Ali Reda was awarded the belt. Reda had finished off 126.95 ounces of Big Butte Burgers, which was just shy of two complete sandwiches. Amazingly, the second place prize in the most consumed competition went to the aforementioned Stephanie. A little over an hour after eating in the fastest time competition - Stephanie was able to put away an additional 126.70 ounces of burger in the second heat. Stephanie proved that big eaters can come in small packages. The winners for each competition were awarded $1,000 and the title of Big Butte Burger eating champion. If you want to compete in next year’s event, you can start practicing now at the Café 24/7 location inside Lone Butte Casino. The 10” burger is available all year long. It is a great way to feed a party of four or one very hungry future competitor in the Big Butte Burger eating contest. Lone Butte Casino is located in Chandler - just off the Santan 202 at the Kyrene Road exit
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DAVID AT THE SNACK BAR The Way
Tom (Martin Sheen) learns his son, Daniel (Emilio Estevez), died while travelling in Europe. Tom travels to St Jean Pied de Port, France to bring Daniel’s remains home. There he learns that Daniel was killed in a storm by in the Pyrenees while walking the Camino de Santiago, David Ramsey an 800 kilometer trek also known as the Way of Saint James. Tom decides to complete the pilgrimage to honor his son’s memory and spread his ashes along the way. Tom meets other pilgrims from around the world all dealing with their own issues and reasons for walking the Camino. The scenery is beautiful and the people along the way are welcoming. Tom ends up walking with a Dutchman (Yorick van Wageningen), a Canadian (Deborah Kara Unger) and an Irish writer (James Nesbitt). As they walk they create a lasting bond and learn about themselves. ‘The Way’ is a wonderful, insightful experience for the entire family.
Real Steel In the near future robots have replaced humans in the boxing ring. Charlie (Hugh Jackman) has just had his one remaining robot destroyed in the ring meaning he owes some shady people a lot of money. Then to his surprise he gets temporary custody of his eleven-year-old son, Max (Dakota Goyo), and enough quick cash to buy a new robot. After another loss he introduces Max to the underbelly of robot boxing and while they are scavenging spare parts Max finds an old sparing robot named Atom. They get Atom working and before long they are winning bouts. Atom has a unique ‘shadow’ feature that allows him to learn by following what he sees. Charlie, a former boxer, teaches him moves that surprise opponents. Max manages to talk his way into a title bout with all the drama of ‘Rocky’. ‘Real Steel’ is a family film that will have you cheering in your seat.
David’s Video Details Fast Five
Brian (Paul Walker) and Mia (Jordana Brewster) break Dominic (Vin Diesel) out of prison and they all head to Brazil. During a caper there they are framed for the murder of three DEA agents and an elite team of agents from the U. S. is sent after them. The team’s leader, Luke (Dwayne Johnson), is determined to bring them in no matter what it takes. Dom decides to rob the local drug lord of $100 million and puts together his own team. It gets a little “Ocean’s Eleven” as the team arrives but it’s cool to see almost everyone from the previous four films in the series. There is a lot of action, spectacular car chases with lots of crashes and gigantic plot holes. If you are fan of the “Fast and Furious” series you will want to see “Fast Five” and wait for the startling scene during the credits.
Green Lantern
Hal Jordan (Ryan Reynolds) is a cocky test pilot whose latest antics have cost his boss a huge contract. On his way home after being fired he sees something fall from the sky and land on the beach. He finds a spacecraft with a large dying alien in it who tells him he has been chosen to be the new Green Lantern. Before he knows what is happening he is taken to the planet Io where he finds out about the Green Lantern Corps and begins his training. The ring’s powers are willpower based reflecting his thoughts so when he uses it sometimes it’s comical but more often juvenile. The main villain is silly, the build-up takes too long and the writing is weak. I was really looking forward to this film and haven’t been so disappointed in years..
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) is back. He has been captured and is brought before the Governor where he learns that someone is pretending to be him and is recruiting a crew to go after the ‘fountain of youth’. He manages to escape in a spectacular fashion and with the British army after him finds the imposter. It’s not long before he and Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) are on their way to find the fountain of youth but the legendary Blackbeard (Ian McShane) and his daughter (Penelope Cruz) are already there. The fourth film in the Captain Jack Sparrow series is a huge disappointment. It is needlessly long with boring pointless subplots involving a hunky crewmember and a mermaid. While the cast is good the story goes from boring to stupid. As much as I like Captain Jack he needs better writing David is the President and co-founder of the Phoenix Film Critics Society and a member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association (The Critics Choice Awards). Watch for him on KPHO CBS 5 Morning News every Friday and on KNXV ABC 15's "Sonoran Living Live" every other Friday at 9 AM. Read more of his DVD reviews at WildAboutMovies.com. Contact him at David@ TheSnackBar.net
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ASTROLOGY & Joke
Libra Sept 24 to Oct 23
Capricorn Dec 22 to Jan 20
Aries Mar 21 to April 20
Cancer June 22 to July 22
Scorpio Oct 24 to Nov 22
Aquarius Jan 21 to Feb 19
Taurus April 21 to May 21
Sagittarius Nov 23 to Dec 21
Pisces Feb 20 to Mar 20
Gemini May 22 to June 21
Virgo Aug 24 to Sept 23
Oct 7–14 Oct 15–22 Oct 23–31 Nov 1–6 Oct 7–14 Oct 15–22 Oct 23–31 Nov 1–6 Oct 7–14 Oct 15–22 Oct 23–31 Nov 1–6
Plan that needed trip Strange, but great experience Cards prove to be the answer Better get ready for big news Favorite spot is best Exciting weekend Call from the past Small trip pays big
Prime time fun Cool trip coming You make great choice Favorite numbers hit
Oct 7–14 Oct 15–22 Oct 23–31 Nov 1–6 Oct 7–14 Oct 15–22 Oct 23–31 Nov 1–6 Oct 7–14 Oct 15–22 Oct 23–31 Nov 1–6
Old friend returns Unexpected adventure A terrific idea really works Beyond your wildest dreams Make plans for that trip Smilin’ fun weekend Great new acquaintance Unexpected adventure Cards flop in your favor Old friend re-appears Being nice pays off Celebration is near
Oct 7–14 Oct 15–22 Oct 23–31 Nov 1–6 Oct 7–14 Oct 15–22 Oct 23–31 Nov 1–6 Oct 7–14 Oct 15–22 Oct 23–31 Nov 1–6
Profitable adventure Crazy fun weekend Your golden opportunity You make right decision Nice time and win too Screaming great time Needed trip ahead Cork poppin’ fun Nice win near-by Play favorite game Risk pays off big Friend has good idea
Oct 7–14 Oct 15–22 Oct 23–31 Nov 1–6
Nice time and win too Scary great time Nice turn of events Go with first hunch
Leo July 23 to Aug 23
Oct 7–14 Oct 15–22 Oct 23–31 Nov 1–6 Oct 7–14 Oct 15–22 Oct 23–31 Nov 1–6
Great things are near Thrilling, chilling fun Never underestimate luck New best pal was right Changes are coming Out of town excitement Keep thinking positive You are on your way
Jokes of the Month Grandma’s Boyfriend Six year-old Timmy was visiting his grandmother while mom and dad were shopping. He was playing with his toys in her bedroom while grandma was cleaning. Timmy looked up and said, “Grandma, I got a question - how come you don’t have a boyfriend now that Grandpa went to heaven?” Grandma thought for a second, then replied, “Well Timmy, I guess you could say, my old TV is my boyfriend - I can sit in my bedroom and watch it all day long. Religious programs make me feel good and the old comedies make me laugh, I’m happy with my old TV as my boyfriend.” Grandma then turned on the old TV, but the reception was terrible.
CASINO DIRECTORY
1. Apache Gold Hotel Resort Casino • (Globe) San Carlos Apache Tribe–slots bingo & blackjack. (800) 272-2438 2. BlueWater Resort Casino • (Parker) Colorado River Indian Tribe–slots bingo blackjack & poker. (888) 243-3360 30 ARIZONA PLAYER October 2011
She started adjusting the knobs, trying to get the picture in focus. Frustrated, she started hitting the side of the TV hoping to fix the problem. The little boy heard the door bell ring, so he hurried to open the door and there stood Grandma’s minister, Reverend Abernathy, he looked down at the young lad and said “Hello Timmy, where is your Grandma?” Timmy looked up and without hesitation replied, “she’s in the bedroom bangin’ her boyfriend.” The minister fainted.
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12. Wild Horse Pass Hotel & Casino • (Chandler) Gila River Indian Community–slots keno blackjack & poker. (800) 946-4452 13. Gila River Vee Quiva Casino • (Laveen) Gila River Indian Community–slots bingo blackjack & poker. (800) 946-4452 14. Gila River Lone Butte Casino • (Chandler) Gila River Indian Community–slots bingo & blackjack. (800) 946-4452 15. Golden Ha’ San Casino • (Why) Tohono O’Odham Nation–Slots 16. Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino (Maricopa) Ak-Chin Indian Community–slots keno poker bingo & blackjack. (480) 802-5000 17. Hon-Dah Resort-Casino • (Pinetop) White Mountain Apache Tribe–slots blackjack & poker. (800) 929-8744 18. Mazatzal Hotel Casino • (Payson) Tonto Apache Tribe–slots keno bingo poker blackjack (800) 777-7529 19. Paradise Casino • (Yuma) Fort Yuma Quechan Tribe–slots keno bingo poker & blackjack. (888) 777-4946 20. Spirit Mountain Casino • (Bullhead City) Fort Mohave Indian Tribe–slots. (888) 837-4030 21. Yavapai Casino & Gaming Center • (Prescott) Yavapai-Prescott Indian Tribe–slots (800) 756-8744
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