March 2011 by Arizona Player

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Card Room Action Casino Entertainment "Big Bass Classic" in Parker Boyd’s Eye View of Video Poker "Luck of the Irish" Tournament MLB Odds to Win 2011 World Series www.arizonaplayer.com

Vol. 19 No. 3 • March 2011

The Changing Face of

BINGO

From the Beginning to the 21 Century st

Cover Story On Page 8

B.A.D. Bingo (Bingo After Dark)

WWW.ARIZONAPLAYER.COM

Contents Contents

PO Box 33393 • Phoenix Arizona 85067 • 602-373-8728 • azplayer@cox.net

Contributing Photography Cindy Esquer Tina Holt Production Assistants David Ramsey Charlie Scheeler Justin Sullivan John Olson Melody Walcott Graphic Design CommuniGraphics Editor Phil Scudella

Contributing Writers Linda Boyd Kevin Cummings Cindy Esquer Tina Holt T.J. Jorgensen Marianne Minneci David Ramsey Melody Walcott

Special Thanks to all the folks at Gila River Vee Quiva and Lone Butte Casinos, Casino del Sol Casino and Fort McDowell casino for their help on the special “Changing Face of Bingo” issue 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.

4 ARIZONA PLAYER March 2011

Vol. 19 No. 3 • March 2011

Entertainment

Cover Story “The Changing Face of Bingo”

Gaming News Bluewater Dam to Dam Bass Fishing Classic

Card Room Action

Lottery News & Draws

Gaming News Baseball Odds for 2011

Boyd’s Eye View Linda Boyd “Risky Business”

Woman’s Point of View Marianne Minneci “What Makes A Winning Player” 20 TJ’s Blackjack Corner TJ Jorgensen “Donate that Money to a Charity”

Reel Reviews Kevin Cummings Slot Machine Reviews

Gaming News Luck of the Irish Blackjack Tournament

David at the Snack Rar David Ramsey “Movie Reviews”

Bingo Directory of Games

Astrology, Jokes of the Month, & Casino Directory

ENTERTAINMENT

Apache Gold Casino Resort 5 miles East of Globe on Hwy 70 1-800-APACHE-3 Cabaret Lounge: free live weekend entertainment: Stateline - 3/18 & 3/19, XS Band - 3/25 & 3/26, Michael Chain Band - 4/1 & 4/2, Platero’s 4/8 & 4/9, Grey Wolf - 4/15 & 4/16, Backstage Crew - 4/22 & 4/23 and Andrea & Los Guys - 4/29 & 4/30 BlueWater Resort and Casino 11300 Resort Dr., Parker 1-888-243-3360 March 19, Ramon Ayala (Outdoor Amphitheater) Dig Lounge: live bands or DJ nightly, Mar 15 & 16 – My Drunk Love, Mar 22& 23 – HWY 95 Casino Arizona 101 at McKellips, Scottsdale 480-850-7734 In the Showroom: Tues-Sun, “Showstoppers Live” A musical tribute to Elvis, Natalie Cole, The Four Tops and Whitney Houston Pima Lounge: Live entertainment and dancing nightly The Arizona Room Piano Lounge, free entertainment nightly Casino Del Sol 5655 W. Valencia Rd., Tucson 520-838-6506 Paradiso Bar: FREE live entertainment weekends with bands like: Rainy Daze & Angle De Oro plus Tribute bands on Thursdays Cliff Castle Casino I-17 at exit 289 in Camp Verde 1-800-381-SLOT Stargazer Pavilion: April 16 - Reo Speedwagon May 21 – STYX June 11 - Bill Engvall Dragonfly Lounge: Free entertainment weekends with bands like: Filabusta, Latin Touch, Southern Flight and Heartbreak Alley

6 ARIZONA PLAYER March 2011

Desert Diamond Casino Hotel 7350 South Nogales Hwy, Tucson Toll Free 1-866-DDC-WINS Monsoon Night Club: Live bands or DJs Thurs-Sun Desert Diamond Casino 1100 W. Pima Mine Rd., Tucson 520-294-7777 or1-866-DDC-WINS Diamond Center: Call for update Fort McDowell Casino N of Shea off Hwy 87, Fountain Hills 1-800-THE-FORT April 1, Ziggy Marley (Outdoor Concert Stage) Lucky 7 Saloon: Free live entertainment Fri – Sun featuring bands like: The Real Tones, Furious George and Cowboy Floyd New updates at fortmcdowellcasino.com Harrah’s Ak-Chin Resort and Casino 15406 Maricopa Rd., Maricopa 480-802-5000 Oasis Lounge: Free entertainment weekends, including Mar 19 – Darryl Worley, Mar 30 – The Platters Call for updated schedule or go to harrahsakchin.com Hon-Dah Resort and Casino Highways 260 and 73, Pinetop 1-800-WAY-UP-HIGH In the Timbers Lounge: Free live entertainment Tues – Sat Mar 15-19, The Creagles (CCR/Eagles tribute) Mar 22-26 – Earl Wear & Haywire Mon, Comedy Club - no cover Tues-Sat, live bands like:

Foreigner Lone Butte Casino 202 loop at the Kyrene exit – Chandler, 1-800-WIN-GILA Free live entertainment Mon-Sat in the Cascades Lounge with bands like: Torres & Company, Route 66, Chuck E baby, Otis & the Beat, The Hamptons, Lounge Katz, Urban Country, Matt Bigler & the Sophistics, Tumbleweed Junction, Saloonnatics, The Needham Twins, Powerdrive and Marty & the Party Thursday nights, thru April 30th – Season 5 of “Lucky Break” singing competition In the Verona Chophouse: Fri & Sat nights, Talia, Sunday: Bridget & the Aug Mazatzal Hotel & Casino 1/2-mile S. of Payson on Hwy 87 1-800-777-PLAY www.777play.com Apr 1, Satisfaction (Rolling Stones Tribute) Paradise Casino 450 Quechan Drive, Yuma 1-888-777-4946 Sharky’s Bar & Bites: Bling-Bling Karaoke on Wednesdays, D.J. Noriega on Thursdays and Bands like: Slick Nickel, Gruuve Masters or Tommy & the Drifters on Fri and Sat Quechan Casino Resort 525 Algodones Rd, Winterhaven CA (5 mi W of Yuma) 1-877-783-2426 In the PIPA Event Center: May 6, Roberto Tapia Sidewinders: Free Live entertainment on weekends with bands like: Checker’d Past and Frogman Down

Wild Horse Pass Hotel & Casino I-10 at Wild Horse Pass exit - Chandler 1-800-WIN-GILA In the Ovations LIVE! Showroom: BONKERS Comedy Series - every Friday, now thru June 24 Mar 19 – Rage in the Cage, Mar 25 Dokken / Great White, Mar 26 - Mitzi Gaynor, Apr 1 – New York Kings of Comedy, Apr 2 – Blues Traveler, Apr 14 – Foreigner, Apr 30 – The B-52s, May 10 – Diddy-Dirty Money Tour (featuring Sean “Diddy” Combs, Dawn Richard and Kalenna Harper) May 15 – Sinbad, May 20 – Gipsy Kings, June 2 – Al Jarreau Encore Lounge: live entertainment with bands like: The Hamptons, Route 66, and JJs Band, Rhythm Edition, Smoke Stack Lightning, Western Fusion, Eagleheart and The Needham Twins Talking Stick Resort Loop 101 and Indian Bend Road Scottsdale 480-850-7777 Talking Stick Grand Ballroom: Apr 10, Bill Engvall Talking Stick Showroom: May 5, Los Lobos Motown Memories (every Thurs, Fri & Sat) “Degree 270” Lounge: live entertainment, dancing nightly and a spectacular view of the city.

Bill Engvall

cover story

The Changing Face Of Bingo The origin of bingo dates back to the early 1500’s and was connected to the unification of Italy and introduction of a National Lottery System, held each week. And believe it or not - this lottery is still a major source of income, contributing millions each year to the budget in Italy. The French also developed a passion for “Le Lotto”, and the game that flourished in Europe back then has a strong resemblance to today’s version of bingo. But just how did Lotto metamorphous into Bingo?

On a summer night in1929, toy salesman Edwin Lowe was calling on clients in Georgia when he spotted a carnival and stopped. Just one very crowded booth was still open. The excitement revolved around a game consisting of a table covered with numbered cards and beans. When a pitchman pulled a numbered disk from a box and called that number, players used a bean to cover that number on their card. After they covered a line, up and down, across or horizontally, they would shout Beano and get a prize! The players seemed addicted to the game, and when it closed, Edwin chatted with the pitchman who saw a similar game in Germany and thought it would work on the carnival circuit here. So he renamed it Beano. And it became a huge money maker. Lowe invited friends to his apartment and introduced them to the game. They had a great time and one woman was so excited as she got close to winning, when they did call her final number - she jumped up and began to stammer...ba-ba “BINGO” instead of shouting “Beano”. From that moment Lowe knew he was going to introduce this new game to the public and call it “Bingo”.

What’s the biggest bingo jackpot in the history of session bingo? Planet Bingo awarded a record breaking $305,249 jackpot at Fort McDowell Casino in 2005. The Planet Bingo MPBingo jackpot had grown to record levels that year, and on Sept 3, Isabelle Tracey played bingo at The Fort and also bought into the MPBingo linked jackpots. After several “close calls” she realized she was “on” for the MPBingo jackpot! When she hit it, she was in total shock! “Are you kidding?” were the only words that came out of her mouth. Rick White and Dave Forman, founders of Planet Bingo, flew in from California to congratulate Isabelle and had Tim Davis Director of Bingo operations present her with the record-breaking check.

Bingo was successful, but since the game came out of the public domain, Lowe could not get it trademarked. When entrepreneurs came up with their own versions, Lowe asked them to pay one dollar a year to call their games “Bingo” as well. It seemed a small price to pay for all concerned and from then on “Bingo” spread throughout the country.

Lowe saw the fundraising possibilities of bingo at churches and social clubs - But to succeed; he needed a greater number of combinations for his cards. So he hired a mathematics professor to develop 6,000 bingo card combinations. It was a huge task and when completed cost more than anticipated. When the new card combinations were introduced – The game took off. Books were published, and bingo took its place in popular American culture along with other forms of gambling and entertainment.

Several decades ago Native American Tribes started playing High Stakes Bingo, with larger prizes. Then casinos and charity halls introduced electronic devices that could hold hundreds of cards play the game for you and alert you when you had a bingo! In some bingo halls you can now also play a progressively linked game like “Planet Bingo” that pits you play against players around the country for enormous cash prizes. And you do this while playing a regular session of bingo in the casino!

The latest and hottest bingo craze is the new late night games on Saturday nights. These games at all casinos draw a much younger crowd who love to play bingo to the thumping beat of current pop, R & B and disco music played by a DJ / emcee with killer light shows, black lights, glow sticks, cash and prize giveaways, cocktails and lots of craziness. Here’s the list of casinos where you can play the wild new games – And other casinos are in the process of putting these games together too. Cover Story continued on page 25

8 ARIZONA PLAYER March 2011

gaming news

Team with “Faith ” win s “Big Bass Cl assic” Over $7,500 Paid Out at BlueWater Tournament

By Tina Holt The weatherman nearly played a dirty trick on all the fishermen who were ready to participate in the “BlueWater Dam to Dam Big Bass Classic” tournament in Parker. The day before the big event, rain poured down and it continued thru the evening and over-night until just around daybreak on Saturday morning February 19 - Then the clouds parted, the sun made a brief appearance and the “first boat out” was sent off just a little after 7am. Registration for the event was held the day before at BlueWater Resort & Casino, as the 26 teams exchanged their “fish stories” and enjoyed great food provided by Executive Chef James Leach. 26 (teams/boats) entered the Dam to Dam BlueWater Big Bass Classic. Two teams did not finish at all and five teams did not declare any fish caught. It was a brutal day for fishing. Nineteen teams did declare a “Total Catch” but from those 19 two-person teams, 4 teams did not declare a “Big Fish” even though they bought into that option. The 4th & 5th “Total Weight” places tied and had to be determined by the weight of the “Big Fish” they declared, and just .001 of an ounce separated those two places. Joey Venegas of BlueWater Security was the events “Official” Weigh Master, Gilena Gillespie, Sales Manager In line for the weigh in

10 ARIZONA PLAYER March 2011

L to R - Joey Venegas - BlueWater, Tina Holt – BlueWater, Richard Sain 2nd Place Overall, Tom Graham “Big Fish” 2nd Place, Cody Martin 2nd Place Overall, Ken Phillips “Big Fish” 2nd Place, Joey Pena 3rd Place Overall, Faith Swisher 1st Place Overall, David Page 3rd Place Overall, Johnny Thomas 1st Place Overall, Steve Almquist 4th Place Overall, and Curtis Crecelius 4th Place Overall. at BlueWater was the “Official” record keeper at weigh-in. Scott Price; AV Engineer and Justin Carmona; Slot Shift Manager at BlueWater were, the “Fish” Guys. Jarrod Caswell with facilities, assisted in the set-up of the PA and the Ez-Up shelters for the spectators – since we presumed it might still be raining during weigh-In at about 3pm – Fortunately, the weather turned out to be beautiful. Phil (Taylor) Scudella, former Phoenix radio personality and publisher of the Arizona Player magazine for the past decade, was the Master of Ceremonies for the event. And yes the team with “Faith” or more precisely, Faith Swisher and Johnny Thomas were the winners of this year’s event.

continued on page 29

CARD ROOM ACTION

Apache Gold Casino 800-272-2433 Desert Diamond Nogales Hwy Dealing blackjack, daily at 10am 520-342-1810 HoldBlueWater Casino 1-888-243-3360 Tues, 7$ pm, $100 added per table $ All new Poker Room is now open daily at 4 pm Dealing blackjack daily 9 am – 3 pm

Bucky’s Casino 928-771-6779 $

Mon, 10am & 6pm, Hold Em, 30 - winners advance to “free roll” Tues, 6pm, Ladies Only Texas Hold Em Shootouts - $15 buy-in Sat 10am, Hold Em, $30 buy-in, Pays 3 places, winners advance to “free roll” Sun, 2 pm, Bounty No-Limit Hold Em Tournament - $60 buy “Aces Cracked” wins $50 – Aces of same color wins $100 – Various hours Mon - Thurs Progressive “Aces Cracked” Sat 11am11pm - Starts at $50, increases till hit High Hand: Mon – Fri, see poker room for details FREE Sunday buffet for seated poker players Dealing blackjack 24/7 - Now playing 3 card poker & Texas Shootout in blackjack pit

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

Mon-Fri, 10 am, $200 added, No-Limit Hold Em, $13 buy-in, $5 re-buys Mon 7pm & Sat noon – $1,500 Guaranteed, NLHE - $35 buy-in, $6 entry fee Sun & Tues at 7 pm – FREE ROLL, NLHE – Optional $10 add-on, $1,225 Guaranteed Wed, 7pm, NLHE, $1,500 Prize Pool (w/50 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 re-buys $5 add-on + $15 entry fee Sun, 11 am $1,500 NLHE, $20 buy-in, $5 re-buys Monthly $10,000 Free Roll – see poker room for details

Cliff Castle Casino 928-567-7952

Mon, Wed & Fri, 10am, No-Limit Texas Hold Em Shoot-outs, $25 buy-in Tues & Thurs, 10am, Limit Hold Em Shoot-outs, $25 buy-in Wed, 7pm, No-Limit Hold Em, $60 buy-in w/$20 re-buy Sat, Noon, $1,000 added No Limit Hold Em, $80 buy-in, no re-buys Sun, 10am, Omaha shoot-out, $25 buy-in 1st place winners in $25 Shootouts qualify for Free Roll Shootout the last Sunday of each month Aces Cracked WINS $100 rack – MonFri, See poker Room for details Also dealing blackjack 24/7

Cocopah Casino 800-237-5687 Dealing blackjack, Fri & Sat, 10am3am; Sun-Thurs, 10am-2am 12 ARIZONA PLAYER March 2011

Em, 75 buy-in, with one 60 re-buy Wed, 7pm, $10,000 guaranteed* HoldEm, $110 buy-in, no re-buys (*w/100 players) Sun, Noon, $5,000 guaranteed* HoldEm, $50 buy-in, $15 re-buys- (*w/ 50 players) $ 500 Added Morning Hold Em Tournaments – Mon & Thurs at 9:30am, $30 buy-in w/$5 sc Also dealing blackjack 24/7

Desert Diamond Casino I-19 866-332-9467 Also dealing blackjack 24/7

Fort McDowell Casino 480-789-1424

MEGA Stack Bounty Tournament, Sun at Noon & Fri 7pm, $120 buy-in, $50 Bounties “Bounty” Tournaments, Mon-Fri at Noon, $30 buy-in, $5 bounties, BONUS, with 1 – 3 hours of live play before tournaments, Bounties increase to $10 $20 and $50 (Tournaments are NLHE) Sun, Mon & Wed, 7pm, $1,500 Guaranteed NLHE - $10 buy-in Tues & Thurs, 7pm, $1,000 Guaranteed NLHE - $5 buy-in Sat at Noon, $1,500 Guaranteed NLHE - $10 buy-in Sat 9pm, $3,000 Guaranteed NLHE tournament, $20 buy-in “Aces & Kings Cracked” by pocket pairs Progressive payout – See poker room for details “Spin the Wheel” with Quads or better - win up to $400 cash 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

Sun, 12:30pm – NLHE, $25 buy-in, one $10 re-buy Sun, 5:30pm – WSOP $1,000 Satellite NLHE Tournament, $65 buy-in + 2 rebuys of $20 (min 15 players, max 60) Tues, 7:30pm, Limit Omaha H/L, $25 buy-in, $10 re-buys + $10 add-on Wed, 7:30pm, WSOP $1,500 Satellite NLHE Tournaments, $50 buy-in + 2 re-buys of $25 (min 20 players, max 60) Thurs, 7:30pm – NLHE, $10 Buy-in, w/ two $10 re-buys + $10 add-on Fri, 7:30pm – NLHE, $40 buy-in, no re-buys Sat, 12:30 & 5:30pm – NLHE, $40 buyin, no re-buys $ 50 Daily Splash pots on ALL tables, on the hour Mon – Fri, 9am – 4pm & Sat & Sun 6-8am Progressive High Hand, daily 5pm-5am - see poker room for details Daily, Royal Flush (9am-5pm) pays $100 and straight flush $50

Aces Cracked wins $50 (In a NLHE game – up to 6 per day) Aces Cracked wins Pot Match (Mid4am) and 6-4 hi/lo wins a rack – see poker room for details Also dealing blackjack 24/7

Hon-Dah Casino 1-800-929-8744

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 buyin, 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

Mazatzal Hotel & Casino 800-777-7529

Live Poker daily - see poker room for details Sun, 1pm, NLHE Tournament, $25 buyin, 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, 6pm, $40 buy-in

Paradise Casino 888-777-4946 Dealing Blackjack 5pm-1am

Quechan Casino & Resort 1-877-QUECHAN

New hours, menu and new games! Call poker room for details “Early Bird Mondays” First 9 players to sign up before noon get $50 in chips (min $30 buy-in) “Omaha Flush Tuesdays” Win chips for a straight flush “Flush Wednesdays” Win chips for straight or Royal Flush “Splash the Pot Thursdays” – Live tables get splashed – Noon till Mid Mon – Thurs, Win chips for Quads (must have pocket pair) See poker room for details on all the special events Special room rates for poker players. Dealing blackjack 24/7

Talking Stick Resort 480-850-7777

Mon - Fri, 11am - No-Limit Hold Em, $ 60 buy-in Tues & Wed, 7pm - No-Limit Hold Em, $ 115 buy-in + $15 s/c Apr 2, & May 7, 10am - $60,000 “Big Stack” Tournament (based on 200 entries) - $300 buy-in + $30 s/c Apr 10, 10am – Ladies No-Limit Hold Em - $60 Buy-in + $15 s/c Apr 9 & May 14, 9am – Super Bounty Big Stack Tournament w/ $100 Bounties - $200 buy-in + $25 s/c Mar 26, Apr 30 & May 28, 10am – $20,000 No-Limit Hold Em Tournament -$125 buy-in + $25 s/c Apr 17, 9am – Jack & Jill Couples Tournament - $50 Buy-in + $15 s/c Mar 19 & May 21, Jul 16, 10am –

Omaha Hi-Lo Limit 8 or Better - $120 Buy-in + $30 s/c Daily, 2am-10am “Aces Cracked” Win $ 100 rack Also dealing blackjack 24/7 $ 5,000 “Wild Wednesdays” Blackjack Tournament every other Wed, 7pm $ 100 buy-in

Vee Quiva Casino 800-946-4452 – Ext 1042

Sun - Thurs, 11am, No-Limit Hold Em, $ 1,000 Guaranteed - $30 buy-in Wednesdays at 7:30pm, No-Limit Hold Em Tournaments, $15 buy-in, $10 re-buys “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 Also dealing blackjack 24/7 – with $5 games

Wild Horse Pass Hotel & Casino 800-946-4452 ext 7375

Mon & Thurs Noon, No Limit Hold Em, $ 30 buy-in, no re-buys Tues at 7:30pm, No-Limit Freeze Out $ 50 entry fee – no re-buys Wed at 7:30pm, No-Limit Bounty Tournament, $10 0 buy-in “Big Hand – Big Money” High Hands Daily, Bonus Aces Cracked, “Splash Down” Splash Pots plus Basketball Splash Pots – See poker room for details! Big Money Royals - Any Royal Flush wins $200 Also dealing blackjack 24/7 – with $5 games PREFERRED LAUGHLIN POKER ROOM

Harrah’s Resort Casino 702-298-8529

Sat, Sun, Mon & Tues at 10am - No Limit Hold Em, $40 buy-in w/ $5 Bonus buy Wed & Thurs, 10am, NLHE “Bounty” Tournament, $50 buy-in w/$5 Bonus buy Fri, 10am, Wed & Thurs 7pm, NLHE, $60 buy-in w/$5 Bonus buy Sun, Mon & Tues, 7pm, NLHE, $40 buy-in w/$5 Bonus buy 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, w/ optional $5 Bonus buy Sun at 2pm, “Bounty” NLHE, $70 Buy-in w/$5 Bonus buy

CARD ROOM MANAGERS Please send updates to azplayer@cox.net

lottery news THE PICK Date

Ov ern ig h t Wait – No Probl em Chad Daily of Kingman purchased his “World Series of Poker” Scratchers ticket from the counter at the Station 66 on Thompson Avenue in Kingman. He scratched the ticket in the car before he drove to work. He knew right away what he thought he’d won, but just to be sure he was correct - Chad took it back to the store to be scanned. The clerk told him that he couldn’t cash the ticket and that he would have to go to the Lottery to get the ticket redeemed. When he told his wife, (she was at work at the time) She became so excited

– she told all of her co-workers about their good fortune. There was no keeping it a secret there, but plan to tell their immediate family later. He drove to the Arizona Lottery from Kingman to redeem his ticket, but unfortunately he arrived a few minutes after the office closed. He decided that there was no way he was going to drive back to Kingman that night and drive back to Phoenix at another time. Luckily, he had a friend in Phoenix who was able to put him up for the night; he came to the Lottery the next day to cash in his winning $50,000 ticket.

Vacation Bu ddies H it It Big ! Thomas Peltier and Shane Carver had a good thing going; the two friends were going to relax and spend four days at the Glamis Sand Dunes in Southern California riding their Quads and RZR’s. On their way, they made a stop and a deal; one would buy the refreshments and the other would buy the Lottery tickets. Between the two of them, they ended up purchasing $100 in “Mega Millions” tickets. This was the first time they’d played together. Shane plays on a fairly regular basis, while Thomas waits for the jackpot to get high. Thomas was the one who actually purchased the tickets, while Shane purchased snacks and refreshments. On their way back home, they decided to have their tickets checked. After the clerk checked the tickets, he handed two claim forms; apparently two of the tickets they purchased were winners! They bought some soft drinks and continued on their way home. Thomas was driv-

ALL NEW Fan tasy 5 Repl aces Pick 5 The Arizona Lottery announced the update of its popular game Pick 5 to a newer version, renamed “Fantasy 5” which is a draw game with a unique DOUBLER feature that is provided at no additional cost to the player. Approximately one in every ten tickets will be designated a DOUBLER ticket. If a player wins any non-jackpot play with a DOUBLER ticket - it will instantly double the player’s winnings. “We are thrilled to bring back “Fantasy 5”, with 14 ARIZONA PLAYER March 2011

Numbers

February

01-08-15-24-35-36 02-07-22-23-28-44 02-11-21-33-38-41 07-09-10-11-16-26 01-04-06-10-28-30 04-09-13-22-26-40 04-09-16-29-38-41 12-20-23-31-40-43

02 05 09 12 16 19 23 26

February

Chad, who works as a mechanic in the aeronautics industry, and his wife have some specific plans for their winnings. They plan to pay off his car and put the rest away to be used as a down payment on a house.

ing while Shane checked the tickets by using his cell phone to go online. The first winning ticket he found was the one for $10,000. They were both ecstatic, but then Shane said very quietly, “We have another winning ticket that’s worth $250,000.” At first Thomas thought he was kidding, since he has a habit of being a jokester, but Shane had him pull the RV over to the side and showed him. Even then, all the way home, both of them had a hard time believing it – grinning and shaking their heads. What is really interesting is that the unsigned tickets were placed in the visor of their motor home for four days, extremely visible, and the door was unlocked while they were out in the desert all day on their Quads - They were extremely fortunate. Regarding their good luck, they believe it’s simply the luck of the draw. Thomas intends to invest for college funds for his kids and maybe indulge in a new 900 cc RZR. Shane simply plans to invest his earnings. the new DOUBLER feature, to our selection of Arizona Lottery Games,” said Jeff Hatch-Miller, executive director of the Arizona Lottery. “The DOUBLER feature is a great way to surprise our players with a bigger prize and add a fun twist to the game. The fun and exciting DOUBLER feature is sure to be popular with our players.” Fantasy 5 game play consists of a selecting five out of 41 numbers, with the option to play Quick Pick. A player must match all five numbers drawn to win a jackpot, which starts at $50,000 and keeps continued on page 29

01 02 03 04 05 07 08 09 10 11 12 14 15 16 17 18 19 21 22 23 24 25 26 28

POWERBALL Numbers

03-14-33-53-57 15-37-41-56-59 07-11-39-42-51 11-32-36-48-52 09-13-21-23-48 03-12-34-37-42 29-32-36-39-49 04-13-17-21-45

PICK 3 CASH 4 8-3-2 7-2-4 6-2-8 7-3-5 6-1-6 5-2-9 6-6-2 9-9-0 6-7-5 4-4-6 7-2-9 0-4-0 8-8-3 4-4-1 4-7-0 1-9-6 1-3-6 3-8-2 8-1-1 6-6-0 617 9-1-8 1-6-0 0-1-4

02-16-18-19 06-13-15-20 08-14-23-25 08-09-14-20 05-11-14-18 01-13-14-23 03-05-17-22 04-06-14-20 02-05-20-22 04-19-20-22 10-19-22-26 03-06-07-16 02-15-19-20 09-18-23-24 07-11-17-25 12-17-18-24 03-11-14-19 06-13-14-21 08-19-21-25 04-12-14-21 05-10-14-22 07-17-21-23 01-15-17-25 03-05-14-17

PB PP

05 05 30 19 24 05 29 10

04 05 04 04 02 05 03 05

PICK 5 04-11-18-28-33 09-14-18-28-29 11-28-30-33-36 02-03-10-24-36 11-25-29-30-33 04-29-30-36-38 07-14-15-33-39 03-05-18-22-33 01-11-20-23-31 16-20-28-30-34 06-14-34-37-38 04-19-20-36-38 10-20-33-36-39 05-11-20-25-34 01-02-06-07-34 12-15-18-24-31 03-12-16-20-24 01-10-15-26-34 05-06-18-26-37 08-14-28-33-39 13-22-29-35-37 09-16-18-34-37 08-10-26-30-37 10-21-29-34-37

February

MEGA MILLIONS

01 04 08 11 15 18 22 25

16-22-23-26-35 06-20-29-48-55 25-35-36-47-48 08-09-17-32-34 17-18-24-35-39 05-06-07-30-45 15-22-23-48-55 04-05-17-19-50

31 6 18 13 18 42 31 7

4 4 2 2 4 3 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.

gaming news ODDS ARE: BASEBALL WILL RETU RN ! The “Boys of Summer” are back and being the gambler that you are – I suppose you were wondering “Just what are the chances my team will win the pennant or 2011 World Series?” Well, as in the past, there were “Free Agent” signings, big name trades, some players gave up the dream and retired, plus there were many unexpected injuries during the end of last season or recently in spring training. Here’s pre-season look at the odds – called “Baseball Futures” for the 2011 season - according to Vegas odds-makers. Remember these odds change daily based on trades, injuries to key players

ODDS TO WIN THE 2011 WORLD SERIES: Philadelphia Phillies Boston Red Sox New York Yankees San Francisco Giants Milwaukee Brewers Texas Rangers Minnesota Twins Los Angeles Angels Chicago White Sox Tampa Bay Rays Atlanta Braves Cincinnati Reds Detroit Tigers St. Louis Cardinals Colorado Rockies

9-2 9-2 7-1 14-1 16-1 20-1 20-1 22-1 22-1 22-1 22-1 24-1 24-1 24-1 25-1

Oakland Athletics Chicago Cubs Los Angeles Dodgers Florida Marlins New York Mets Toronto Blue Jays San Diego Padres Baltimore Orioles Washington Nationals Houston Astros Seattle Mariners Arizona Diamondbacks Cleveland Indians Kansas City Royals Pittsburgh Pirates

30-1 35-1 35-1 40-1 40-1 50-1 55-1 75-1 80-1 80-1 100-1 100-1 125-1 150-1 200-1

or the way a team is currently playing. Now, before you get too depressed - looking at your team’s odds (if they happen to be near the bottom)…keep this in mind, in recent history, the Tampa Bay Rays were one of the longest shots to win the World Series in 2008, and that team won the American League pennant and nearly beat the Phillies in the World Series. So get out there and cheer your team on! Finally, there are still no odds available on Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa or Pete Rose being inducted into Baseball’s Hall of Fame.

ODDS TO WIN THE 2011 NL & AL Pen n an ts N ation al L eag u e Philadelphia Phillies San Francisco Giants Milwaukee Brewers Atlanta Braves Cincinnati Reds St. Louis Cardinals Colorado Rockies Chicago Cubs Los Angeles Dodgers Florida Marlins New York Mets San Diego Padres Washington Nationals Houston Astros Arizona Diamondbacks Pittsburgh Pirates

8-5 4-1 9-1 10-1 11-1 12-1 13-1 16-1 16-1 20-1 22-1 25-1 40-1 40-1 45-1 99-1

American l eag u e Boston Red Sox New York Yankees Texas Rangers Minnesota Twins Chicago White Sox Tampa Bay Rays Los Angeles Angels Detroit Tigers Oakland Athletics Toronto Blue Jays Baltimore Orioles Seattle Mariners Cleveland Indians Kansas City Royals

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16 ARIZONA PLAYER March 2011

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5-2 3-1 9-1 9-1 11-1 11-1 12-1 13-1 15-1 25-1 35-1 40-1 50-1 75-1

A BOYD’S EYE VIEW OF VIDEO POKER

R isky Business

by Linda Boyd et’s face it, all forms of gambling involve risk, but they’re sure not created equally. Even a first-time player knows some pots of gold, those offering a chance at life-changing jackpots, have little likelihood of occurring. It’s difficult to pin down the degrees of vulnerability to your bankroll if you’re playing slots. The reason is that we have no way of knowing the percentage on the ER (expected return) chip, even with two identical slots, say, Mr Woo. One could be an 85% while the device right next to it could hold a 95% chip. Slot managers order the machines from a book that offers a variety of chips for each game; also, casino management can change chips down the road. Video poker players in Arizona, however, have the advantage of using pay schedules right on the machine to know their exact odds, assuming computer correct play. (Note that in some states, like New York, their video poker devices are video lottery terminals so they are like scratch tickets. Skill is not a factor.) Of course you can still lose all of your session bankroll, even if you’re playing statistically accurate, but you will definitely fare better over time if you play smart.

Degree of Risk: In last month’s column I discussed variance or likelihood that short term results would resemble long-term expectations. Briefly, the greater the variance the higher the risk of losing your session bankroll. To demonstrate this point compare tables 1.1 (Double Double Bonus, DDB) and 1.2 (9/6 Jacks or Better, 9/6 JOB). Table 1.1

H an d/5-Coin Bet Royal Flush Straight Flush

Table 1.2

9/6 DDB 4000 250

H an d/5-Coin Bet 9/6 JOB Royal Flush

4000

Straight Flush

250

2000

4 of a Kind

125

Four 2’s, 3’s or 4’s w/A-4

800

Full House

4 Aces

800

Flush

Four 2’s, 3’s, or 4’s

400

Straight

4 Fives-Kings

250

Three of a Kind

15 10

4 Aces w/2, 3 or 4

Full House

Two Pair

Flush

Jacks or Better

Straight

Variance

3 of a Kind

2 Pair Jacks or Better Variance 18 ARIZONA PLAYER March 2011

5 5 41.98498

5 19.51468

Using the figures in tables 1.1 and 1.2 you can see the variance for DDB is more than double that of 9/6 JOB. DDB is indeed risky business. (Note that other forms of JOB, like 8/5 or 7/5 still have a low variance, but should be avoided because the ER, expected return, is too low.) If you select a game that returns even money for two pair, like DDB, you’ll see some big jackpots for rare hands but they, too, will carry a high risk. In fact, a rule of thumb for determining the game’s risk is to check the coin return for frequent hands for downgrading. If hands are short-coined on the bottom of the pay schedule in exchange for large jackpots for infrequent hands at the top of the table you will be looking at a high risk game.

Information Not on the Device: By all means bring these pay schedule and variance tables with you, since you’ll find only the generic game name and pay schedule on the device. You won’t find the ER (expected return), the specific name of popular games (like Not-So-Ugly Deuces), or the variance. The game name on the machine, for example, lumps all JOB and DDB games together, instead of specifying 9/6 JOB or 9/6 DDB. For deuces wild games it’s even worse because there are dozens of versions and video poker devices simply say deuces wild. My book, The Video Poker Edge, has removable tables with game names, ERs, and variances for video poker choices you’ll find in casinos.

Final Thoughts: All forms of gambling involve short term luck. As my friend Steve Bourie (American Casino Guide author) likes to say: “I told my wife I lost all my money, but not to worry because I was playing the best game in the house.” If it’s not your day you’ll leave the casino while your money remains. Still, you want to go in with your eyes wide open and gauge the possible return in relationship with the risk of losing your bankroll. If you choose a risky game, like DDB, then don’t blame the house if your money disappears in a hurry. Linda Boyd, a long-time table game player before turning to video poker, also writes for “Southern Gaming” and “Midwest Gaming and Travel”, her book, “The Video Poker Edge”, includes free removable pay schedules and free strategy cards for the most popular games. Look for her story in the 2011 Edition of “American Casino Guide”. The 2010 Second Edition of her book is available in both paperback and kindle. Available at amazon. com, bookstores or Square One Publishers at 1-877-900-BOOK or at www. squareonepublishers.com

FROM A WOMAN’S POINT OF VIEW

by Marianne Minneci

What Makes A Winning Player

ver the last few months while working on the planning committee for our charity poker event, I’ve been working with a lot of individuals that have never played the game of Texas Hold-Em. Many of them have asked me “what makes a winning player?” I started to think about what qualities I see in a winning players and I came up with the following list of attributes that I see exist in these individuals. Obs er vat ion The ability to observe tops my list. The average player will just sit down and immediately jump into the action. The winning player will first feel out the table. What I mean by this, is they take time to observe the other players. These individuals have the ability to concentrate and pay attention to detail and hopefully, while doing this pick up on obvious tells. I was watching an older player at my table the other night. I have played with him many times over the years. He hardly ever plays a hand during the first few rounds. He just sits and watches. But come round three or four - watch out. He becomes a lion on the hunt playing to the weaknesses of others at the table. Pat ien c e This is next on my list. A good player will be a patient one. He or she has the ability to sit back when the situation warrants it. A really good player understands that patience is the key to success, especially at the early stages of the game. You have to be able to determine the right time to make your move and thereby build your chip stack. One woman player that I admire told me, “You have to think of your chips as your children - In the early rounds you let less of them go out. Once you have acquired a few more, you can be more aggressive in your play and let them go out with the hopes of bringing more chips home.”

20 ARIZONA PLAYER March 2011

A g g r es s ion This is a required attribute. At some point, you have to become aggressive to win the game. You’ll need to intimidate the short stacks at the table. Playing in a tournament with a large field demands an aggressive style of play. This especially holds true if you are playing against other aggressive players. If you cower like a scared rabbit, they will walk all over you. S t a m in a Do not underestimate this trait - it is important when playing in tournaments that can go on for many hours. The pressure sometimes can get intense at the table. You will need to maintain your energy level. When you anticipate playing in a long tournament – make sure you get enough rest, bring some healthy snacks to boost your energy, and take a short walk during breaks - it will keep you going. Ex per ien c e This is one of the biggest factors in making a good player, a great one. The more you play and study the game the better you get. Poker is like any other game you have to practice – practice practice.

Lu c k My final observation is that a winning player will factor in that unknown part of this game called luck. The person who ultimately wins a tournament will be lucky at some point during that game - Look, you can be the best player in the tournament, but if the cards aren’t falling your way - you’re just not going to win. I see this all the time in tournaments where one individual consistently plays the worst cards in that hand but wins time after time, prompting comments like, “I can’t believe you played those cards!” or “You must have a horseshoe, rabbits foot and 4 leaf clover in your back pocket !” In this case, I just feel the “poker cards” are asleep, allowing the “Jokers” take over. It has to be them playing a cruel joke. So, the next time your Pocket Aces lose to an inside straight on the river…Just remember… That’s “Luck” for you! I hope to see all of you at the final table. Until next time, “Have a Lucky Month”. Write me at azpokerlady@cox.net.

TJ’s Blackjack corner Donate

Wrong Play

Correct Play

WrongPlay Cost\Year

Stand w/12 vs 3 Stand w/A-7 vs 9 Hit 11 vs 10 Stand A-7 vs 3,4,5,6 Stand A-6 vs 7 Double 9 vs 7 Stand 16 vs 7 Stand 16 vs 10

Hit Hit Double Double Hit Hit Hit Hit

$10.20 $ 9.28 $99.00 $32.89 $21.89 $19.44 $37.00 $12.09

2 3 7 H H 8 H H 9 H D 10 D D 11 D D 12 H H 13 S S 14 S S 15 S S 16 S S 17 S S A,2 H H A,3 H H A,4 H H A,5 H H A,6 H D A,7 S D A,8 S S A,9 S S 2,2 P P 3,3 P P 4,4 H H 5,5 D D 6,6 P P 7,7 P P 8,8 P P 9,9 P P T,T S S A,A P P KEY: H=Hit

H a n d

Keep in mind that this is only a partial list of misplayed hands. Can you imagine the amount that is donated by a “hunch” player? These are also the players that complain that they never win and don’t know why. Well now they know. Hopefully this chart is a wake up call to those of you that know basic strategy, but play hunches and gut feelings some of the time. The difference between a player who makes money at blackjack, and those who don’t is simple. The perfect basic strategy player will double on 11 against a dealers 10 twelve times in a row and lose all twelve, but on the thirteenth time he will do it again, because he has complete faith in basic strategy. Hunches and intuition have no place in the game of Blackjack, while I’m a generous tipper, I never donate my money to the casino. You shouldn’t either. Just in case you don’t know, here is basic strategy for 6 decks, dealer hits soft 17. Learn it and know it as well as your name.

Dealer Upcard

Yo u r

f you are not playing perfect basic strategy when you play by TJ Blackjack you are donating Jorgensen your money needlessly to the casino of your choice. For example if you stand on twelve against a dealers up card of two, you will lose 29.3% of all the money you bet in that situation. If your average bet is $10 it costs you $2.93 to stand. By hitting, you reduce your loss by $.40 or $2.53 per hand. If you play just four hours a week the amount you donate in this situation may surprise you. Over the course of a year, you will play about 12,000 hands, and you will see 12 against a 2 about 75 times. Standing instead of hitting your 12 versus a dealer up card of 2 during that time period adds up to $30 a year. Do you really want to donate another $30 more a year? If you’re scared of busting or “taking the dealer’s bust card” - you’re giving the casino a gift each and every time you stand. This is only one example of what it costs you to misplay a hand. Each time that you deviate from basic strategy you are donating your money to the casino. How much? The chart below will demonstrate the amount you donate to the casino by misplaying your hand. This chart is based on 4 hours of play per week, and an average bet size of $10.

That Money To a Charity 4 5 6 7 8 H H H H H H H H H H D D D H H D D D D D D D D D D S S S H H S S S H H S S S H H S S S H H S S S H H S S S S S H D D H H H D D H H D D D H H D D D H H D D D H H D D D S S S S S S S S S S S S P P P P H P P P P H H P P H H D D D D D P P P H H P P P P H P P P P P P P P S P S S S S S P P P P P S=Stand P=Split

9 10 A H H H H H H H H H D H H D D D H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H S S S H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H S S S S S S H H H H H H H H H D H H H H H H H H P P P P S S S S S P P P D=Double

T.J. Jorgensen has been a professional Blackjack player for over 20 years. He is well known for his live tournament play, both locally and internationally. He has competed against, and beaten, some of the top tournament players in the world. He is the author of the book, "Beating the Casino at Their Own Game," available through his web site www.freewebs.com/tjsblackjackcorner or by e-mail TJ4justice1@msn.com

22 ARIZONA PLAYER March 2011

REEL REVIEWS by Kevin Cummings

24 ARIZONA PLAYER November 2010

Cover Story continued from page 8

“Cosmic Bingo” at Casino del Sol in Tucson, plays 2 sessions every Saturday night at 10:30 & and again at midnight. “B.A.D BINGO” (bingo after dark) at Lone Butte Casino is played every Saturday night at 11:30pm..

Vee Quiva Casino offers “Bingo Eclipse” twice each month - the next 3 games are scheduled for Mar 26, April 9 & 30. “Lunar Bingo” at Fort McDowell Casino is played on then 3rd Saturday of each month at midnight and Planet Bingo is offered at that session. These games bring in big crowds… so get there early to get a good seat… Good Luck and HAVE FUN!

ARIZONA PLAYER March 2011 25

gaming news “L u ck of th e Irish ” Tou rn amen t On St. Paddy’s Day, March 17th Gila River Casinos held its 7th Annual “Luck of’ The Irish” Blackjack tournament at Wild Horse Pass Hotel & Casino. The tournament has established a reputation in the blackjack community as one of the top annual events. This year’s competition was no different and players commented on the smooth game play and heightened level of strategy. The tournament was staged inside the opulent gaming area at Wild Horse Pass Hotel & Casino. Seven tables were used for the tournament, which included a maximum of 125 participants. As the blackjack competitors queued up for a spot at one of the tables, qualifying rounds began and cards left the shoes and hit the felts on all seven tables. Tournament competitors were to play 21 hands of blackjack in an attempt to rack up the highest number of chips at their table. Betting limits were set at a minimum of $10 and a maximum of $1,000 throughout the tournament. Competition was fierce from the start, as you would expect in a tourThe top five players

Genae Gucciardo

nament with a guaranteed first prize of $6,600. The enormous crowd of talented players included some of the most notable in Arizona and once again proved that if you put on a quality tournament, there is no shortage of experienced blackjack players who will seek it out. Players were eager to score a win to net a prize that included bragging rights for a year to go along with the sizeable jackpot for the winner. Players who did not qualify through their chip count were allowed to re-buy into the tournament for an additional $60, if the tournament was not sold out by the final qualifying round. As play went on in the “Luck O’ The Irish” blackjack tournament qualifying rounds gave way to the semi-final rounds and the struggle for the top chip count continued. The semi-finals also consisted of 21 hands of blackjack, just like the qualifying rounds. Stacks of chips rose and fell throughout the semi-final round as players took turns cheering for their blackjacks and lamenting the turn of card that resulted in a big loss. The sound of exasperated sighs could be heard over the din of slot machines throughout the pit area as players began

Richard Shipman

Jeff Berbes

to exhaust their supply of tournament chips and succumb to the agony of defeat. The atmosphere was electric and the struggle for the final table became more intense with each progressive shoe. The player with the highest chip count from each of the five semi-final tables, moved on to the Championship table. The Championship round was to consist of another 21 hands of blackjack - with $6,600 dollars in prize money for the tournament winner with the balance of $6,250 in prize money to be shared by the next 4 places. But before the first card was pulled from the shoe, the five finalists took the option of “Chopping” the entire prize fund equally – And each player took home $2,570 Every player seemed stoked about this event and many asked when the next big blackjack tournament might be coming to Wild Horse Pass – They hope…real soon Wild Horse Pass Hotel & Casino is located off the I-10 East at Wild Horse Pass Boulevard in Chandler - just minutes from Sky Harbor Airport and the bustling Phoenix metro area. For more information about all three Gila River Casinos; Vee Quiva, Lone Butte or Wild Horse Pass Hotel & casino - call 1-800-WINA-GILA or go to www.wingilariver.com

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DAVID AT THE SNACK BAR Battle: Los Angeles When meteor showers hit the Earth without warning in multiple locations they turn out to be ships containing alien invaders and it becomes all out war. With the alien invaders winning the military decides to bomb the by coastline but they want to get everyone out David Ramsey first. A marine unit led by SSGT Nantz is charged with rescuing a group of civilians trapped in the target area. They have to fight their way in and out. The action is good but the personal interaction of the marines gets melodramatic at times. This is an old fashioned war movie with aliens as the enemy.

David’s Video Details Tangled

A princess is stolen as a baby by an old hag who needs the special powers of her hair to stay young. She grows up believing her “mother” has kept her in a tower to protect her. She has never been outside or cut her hair. One day a charming thief stumbles upon her tower while being chased by the palace guards. The story is well written, funny and exciting. In typical Disney fashion there are a lot of great characters, some good music and a lot of fun and action. Rapunzel is the best animated character since Belle, her screen presence rivals many ‘real’ actresses. Everything about this film is terrific. The entire family will love it.

Black Swan

Limitless

Eddie has a book contract but is suffering from a terrible case of writer’s block. His job changes instantly when an old friend gives him a new drug, NZT. It enables him to tap into his full potential he can recall everything he has ever read, seen or heard. He can learn a language in a day, comprehend complex equations and charm everyone he meets. He completes his novel in record time and makes huge money as a day trader. It’s not long before he is making huge deals and winning. The only problem is he has to keep taking the drug and there are other people after his dwindling supply. There is some action in this thought-provoking film. If not for the annoying narration this would have been a very good film.

Nina lives for ballet, she is obsessed with being perfect. When the artistic director of her New York Ballet company replaces the prima ballerina he casts Nina as the lead in the new production of Swan Lake. She obsesses about the role and Lily, the impressive new dancer who appears to want her role. Nina is perfect as the White Swan but is having trouble with Black Swan, something Lily has down. This is a very well acted psychological thriller in the hands of a gifted director.

The Walking Dead:Season 1

Trooper Rick Grimes wakes up from a coma to find the hospital empty, in complete disarray and overrun by zombies. He collects he all the guns and ammo he can and goes searching for his wife and son. With zombies everywhere there is a lot of tension and a lot of action. Rick runs into other survivors on his travels and they have conflicting agendas whose resolutions keep the tension going. The series is about the survivors and their personal interaction while fighting zombies and occasionally each other. This is a short season with only 7 episodes and every one of them is intense. The violence is graphic and bloody, just like a good zombie story should be. I can’t wait for season 2. David Ramsey 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 the CBS 5 Morning News every Friday just after 6am and on ABC-15’s “Sonoran Living Live” every other Friday at 11am. Read more of his DVD reviews at WildAboutMovies.com. Contact him at David@TheSnackBar.net.

28 ARIZONA PLAYER March 2011

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12:30 & 6:30pm, Fri & Sat @ Midnight Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino 15406 Maricopa Rd Daily 11:00am, 2:30 & 6:30pm Lone Butte Casino SanTan Loop202 & Kyrene Noon & 6:30pm Daily Vee Quiva Casino 51st Ave. 10 mi. S of I-10 Daily: 12:30 & 6:30pm

Fort McDowell Casino Fountain Hills Area Mon, Wed, Thu, Fri: 9am, 12:30pm, 6:30pm Tue: 12:30pm, 6:30pm Sat & Sun: 6:45 & 9am,

Sun-Thurs noon; Fri & Sat 7pm BlueWater Casino • Parker 11300 Resort Dr Daily 6:30pm

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continued from page 14

Casino Del Sol• Tucson 5655 W. Valencia Mini Sessions 11:30am & 1:30pm Matinee 2:15pm & Evening 7:15pm Cocopah Casino • Yuma 15136 South Ave B Somerton Daily 1 & 6pm Desert Diamond • Tucson 7350 S Nogales Hwy Daily: 1:30 & 7:15pm Mazatzal Casino• Payson Hwy 87 at mile post 251 Mon-Thurs 12:45pm Mon & Tues 6:30pm Paradise Casino • Yuma 450 Quechan Dr. Daily at 1 & 6pm

Bingo Halls - To get your games listed call 602-373-8728 or E-mail Phil Scudella atazplayer@cox.net

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continued from page 10

Here’s a list of all the respective winners for this fishing tournament: 1st Place, $3,000 – Boat/Team #4 - Faith Swisher/Johnny Thomas from Parker, AZ “Big Fish Option” 1st Place $390 & Red Option $216.66 - Total Winnings $3,606.66 Big Fish 3.98 lbs, Total Weight 14.90 lbs 2nd Place Total Winnings $1,462.50 Boat/Team #23 Richard Sain/Cody Martin from Blythe, California Big Fish declared 3.52 lbs, Total Weight 14.45 lbs 3rd Place $812.50 & White Option $216.67 - Total Winning $1,029.17 Boat/Team #13 Joey Pena/ David Page from Parker, Arizona Big Fish declared 3.53 lbs, Total Weight 12.9 lbs 4th Place $650.00 & Blue Option $216.67 - Total Winnings $866.67 also the winner of the Optimum Blue Cap Gel Battery and first out boat Boat/Team #15 Steve Almquist/Curtis Crecelius from Blythe, California Big Fish declared 3.21 lbs, Total Weight 11.84 lbs 5th Place $325, Total Winning $325 Boat/Team #25 Shane Moline/Tina Kennedy from Kingman, Arizona Big Fish declared 3.20 lbs, Total Weight 11.84 lbs Big Fish 2nd Place $260.00 Boat/Team #26 Ken Phillips/Tom Graham Parker, AZ & Big River, CA Big Fish declared #3.60#’s, Total Weight 6.92#’s BlueWater Resort & Casino would like to also thank Sparkletts Water for their donation of over 700 bottles of water, so that no one went thirsty at this event. And even though the weather wasn’t perfect - nearly everyone seemed to have a great time and looked forward to next year’s event to be even bigger - which translates to bigger payouts! BlueWater Resort & Casino in Parker features river and mountain-view rooms and suites, the newest slots, table games, bingo poker, free entertainment in the Dig Lounge, a 164-slip marina and several restaurants, including River Willow, Parker’s most outstanding steakhouse. For more information or reservations, call 1-888-243-3360 or go to www.bluewaterfun.com ARIZONA PLAYER March 2011 29

ASTROLOGY & Joke Pisces Feb 20 to Mar 20

G emini May 22 to June 21

V irgo Aug 24 to Sept 23

Sagittarius N ov 23 to Dec 21

Aries Mar 21 to April 20

Cancer June 22 to July 22

L ibra Sept 24 to Oct 23

Capricorn Dec 22 to Jan 20

Taurus April 21 to May 21

L eo July 23 to Aug 23

Scorpio Oct 24 to N ov 22

Aquarius Jan 21 to Feb 19

Mar 7–13 Mar 14–20 Mar 21–31 Apr 1–7 Mar 7–13 Mar 14–20 Mar 21–31 Apr 1–7 Mar 7–13 Mar 14–20 Mar 21–31 Apr 1–7

Do it! It will work Leap into project Nice way to end month See – It’s working out

Make that call today Sort of surprising You were right, act now Time is right for idea

Make correct choice No better time than now Play it safe this week Late night surprise

Mar 7–13 Mar 14–20 Mar 21–31 Apr 1–7 Mar 7–13 Mar 14–20 Mar 21–31 Apr 1–7 Mar 7–13 Mar 14–20 Mar 21–31 Apr 1–7

Hunch works again Unusual end to project Believe, it will happen profitable trip

Old friend calls Persistence pays Just what you needed Never give up that idea Things are improving Wear green to win Exciting week The break you needed

Mar 7–13 Mar 14–20 Mar 21–31 Apr 1–7 Mar 7–13 Mar 14–20 Mar 21–31 Apr 1–7 Mar 7–13 Mar 14–20 Mar 21–31 Apr 1–7

At last, win you deserve Pretty good choice Great things ahead Weekend of fun

Thrilling adventure Lots of time for that New relationship ahead Fun trip coming soon Laughing fun time Green pays off Reward for being nice Very lucky all week

Mar 7–13 Mar 14–20 Mar 21–31 Apr 1–7 Mar 7–13 Mar 14–20 Mar 21–31 Apr 1–7 Mar 7–13 Mar 14–20 Mar 21–31 Apr 1–7

The plan will work Cards are the way to go Act quickly on idea Big surprise soon Old pal returns Unexpected pleasure Huge win coming Forget what happened

You’re right, stick to it Good advice from friend Rare chance – take it Back to basics

Joke of the Month Jacob, a teenage Amish boy and his father were in a mall. They were amazed by almost everything they saw, but especially by two shiny, silver walls that moved apart and then slide back together again.

The walls opened, and the old woman hobbled into the small room. The walls closed and the boy and his father watched the small numbers above the walls light up sequentially.

The boy asked, “What is this Father?” The father (never having seen an elevator) responded, “Son, I have never seen anything like this in my life, I have no idea what it is.”

They continued to watch until it reached the last number and then the numbers began to light in the reverse order.

While the boy and his father were watching with amazement, a seriously overweight older woman with a cane moved up to the moving walls and pressed a button.

CASINO DIRECTORY

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Finally the walls opened up again and a gorgeous young blond stepped out. The father, not taking his eyes off the young woman leaned over and whispered to his son.... “Jacob, Go get your Mother”

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