Midwest Gaming and Destinations - November 2017

HOLIDAY HAPPENINGS AND WINTER GETAWAYS PAGE 6 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017 - VOL. 19—ISSUE 6 GAMINGANDDESTINATIONS.COM

SUBSCRIBE TODAY & WIN BIG! PAGE 9

GAMING GETAWAYS:

7 WINTER RE TRE AT S PAGE 6

CRAPS:

BE S T BE T BA SIC S PAGE 21

HOWIE MANDEL:

TV STAR RETURNS TO LAS VEGAS’ ACES OF COMEDY PAGE 10

PLUS: TIPS ON BLACKJACK • CRAPS • HORSERACING • VIDEO POKER & MORE! Covering Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, South Dakota, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and the entire Midwest!

CHECK YOUR COAT AND YOUR EVERYDAY LIFE AT THE DOOR. Whether you’re ready to play, relax or make it a night unlike any other, MGM Grand Detroit satisfies any desire.

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GRAND TIMES AHEAD

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LETTER

from the Publisher

UP FRONT with G. DOUGLAS

PUBLISHER

Gaming Media Group Inc. PRESIDENT

G. Douglas Dreisbach

Why do we go to casinos? Is it strictly an attempt to win money? Or are there other reasons? Casinos serve as alternatives for everyday routines and conveniently provide premium experiences that just about anyone can take advantage of. Don’t get me wrong, throwing a few chips down on the Pass Line in craps is always a thrill, but when you also take advantage of the amenities and entertainment offerings of a premium property, your overall experience is certainly elevated and in most cases, becomes unprecedented. Gaming and Destinations serves as your resource to find those unprecedented experiences and our goal is to provide you with the information you need to set your journey off on the right foot.

In this issue, we are excited to highlight some of our favorite places to stay and play this winter that will keep you away from the cold weather blues. Check out page 6 for our rundown of properties that have great indoor amenities including luxurious spas, pools and more, as well as some fantastic holiday decorations and displays you will definitely want to check out. You deserve some rest and relaxation, so splurging on a massage and long soak in a Jacuzzi just might do the trick…enjoy!

Casinos are also known for their wide variety of entertainment options ranging from the biggest names in music to Cirque du Soleil style production shows, magic and more. Whatever it takes to draw customers to the property, they are sure to get the acts that will draw them in. So, when The Mirage Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas saw the popularity 2

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of stand-up comedians touring around the country, they knew they had something special. Soon after, the Aces of Comedy series was born. Featuring the world’s top comedians including Jay Leno, David Spade, Ron White and more, the series hosts over a hundred performances annually in the Terry Fator Theatre at The Mirage. The Aces series recently announced a two-day visit from Emmy nominated comedian, Howie Mandel on November 24th and 25th. Mandel has remained a constant force in show business for more than 30 years with shows like “Take It All” and “Howie Do It” for NBC. His most recent accolades include serving as a judge in the hit summer talent show, “America’s Got Talent,” as well as a host for the popular game show “Deal or No Deal”. Mandel’s versatile career has encompassed virtually all aspects of the entertainment spectrum including television, film and stage which has led him to become a mainstay of the American comedy scene and we are excited to feature him, among other top comedians you will see at the Aces of Comedy throughout the year. Check out page 10 for the full run down and add some shows to your Vegas itinerary.

FOUNDING PUBLISHER

Also in this issue, we pay tribute to Penny Chenery, the owner of Secretariat, one of the greatest racehorses of all time. Chenery recently passed away and on page 18, we are pay our respects and highlight her glorious career of long lasting contributions and accomplishments will forever be remembered in horseracing industry.

and to assist gamers in enjoying their

We hope you enjoy this issue that also has great property reviews, gambling tips, sports odds and more. Also, be sure to tell your friends to subscribe to the magazine for just $20 per year at TheCompsClub.com.

Inc. All Rights Reserved. This

If you can’t be good…be lucky!

Opinions of columnists are those of

Larry Bisig LAYOUT AND DESIGN

Hill Harcourt CONTRIBUTING AUTHORS

Linda Boyd Jody Demling Joseph Grove Phil Hellmuth, Jr. Terry Parrett Frank Scoblete Matt Willinger

GAMING AND DESTINATIONS

640 South Fourth Street Louisville, Kentucky 40202 (502) 583-0333 Fax (502) 583-6487 e-mail: editor@gaminganddestinations.com The goal of this publication is to help drive awareness of the ever-growing popularity of the gaming industry gaming experience to the fullest.

Gaming and Destinations is published for those who seek the best in gaming and in life, and is produced bimonthly

by Gaming Media Group Inc. of Louisville, Kentucky. Copyright 2015 by Gaming Media Group publication is printed by Publisher’s Printing Co., Inc. of Shepherdsville, Kentucky. Postage is paid in Lebanon Junction, Kentucky.

the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, nor does Gaming and Destinations assume liability for claims of advertisers.

POSTMASTER:

G. Douglas Dreisbach Publisher

Send address changes

to Gaming and Destinations, 640 South Fourth Street, Louisville, Kentucky 40202.

Cover photo courtesy of Shutterstock.

CONTENTS ON THE COVER

WINNING TIPS AND STRATEGIES

HIGHLIGHTS & HOT SPOTS

The Aces of Comedy:

20 Video Poker:

18 Penny Chenery:

Stars of Stand-up Comedy

10 Howie Mandel &

On the Down Low

FEATURE ARTICLES

21 Craps:

6

Winter Retreats and Holiday Getaways:

Our latest list of top spots for relaxing this winter.

14 Pigskin Profits:

23 TournEvent

of Champions:

Betting the Basics

22 Poker:

Pre-Flop Strategy

32 Sports Wagering:

Future odds on major sporting events

Owners of the NFL

Remembering the queen of the sport of kings.

$1 Million Winner Crowned

28 Property Profile:

New Faces at North Star

30 Casino Directory:

Our preferred properties and attractions.

24 Poker Forecasting:

31 Reader Review:

The business of poker.

10

6

14

Find us on Facebook

Hollywood Casino St. Louis – St. Louis, Missouri

18

28

@MidwestCasinos G A M I N G A N D D E S T I N AT I O N S . C O M |

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FACTS & FUN STUFF SIPS WITH GAMING & DESTINATIONS

DID YOU KNOW

1

?

WHAT IS THE AVERAGE VALUE OF AN NFL TEAM? a. $1 billion b. $500 million

4

c. $2.5 billion

TRIPLE CROWN? a. 1973 b. 1976 c. 1977 d. 1980

d. $1.6 billion

2

WHAT NFL TEAM IS THE MOST VALUABLE? a. Dallas Cowboys b. New England Patriots

5

c. Green Bay Packers

HOW MANY OF THE WORLD’S TOP 25 HOTELS ARE LOCATED IN LAS VEGAS? a. b. c. d.

4 15 18 22

d. New York Giants WARM APPLE PIE SPIKED CIDER in to full force, there is nothing better than kicking back and enjoying a tasty warm cocktail on a lazy afternoon. So, when we came across this tasty recipe from Milisa at MissintheKitchen.com, we couldn’t wait to give it a try! It is easy and quick to make so be sure to give it a try!

Cook Time: 15 minutes

3

IN VIDEO POKER, HOW MANY POSSIBLE DEALT HAND COMBINATIONS ARE THERE (GIVEN A 52 CARD DECK)?

ANSWERS: 1.C 2.A 3.D 4.A 5.B

As the leaves change colors and fall jumps

a. 780,456 b. 1,490,031 c. 1,998,931 d. 2,598,960

WHAT YEAR DID SECRETARIAT WIN THE

Serves: 8

Ingredients (1 drink): • 6 cups of apple cider • 4 cinnamon sticks • 6 whole cloves • 8 whole allspice

Height in feet of the Elf on the Shelf balloon in the 2016 Macy’s Day parade.

64

50

• 1 cup of rum • Whipped cream and ground cinnamon

Weight in tons of the bronze lion outside the MGM Grand in Las Vegas

for garnish.

Directions: Add the apple cider, cinnamon sticks, cloves, and allspice to a heavy saucepan and bring to gentle boil. Lower the heat and let simmer for 10 minutes. Strain out the spices and stir in the rum. Let heat

1:59

550

Number of possible two-card starting hands in blackjack

back up and pour into glasses and top with whipped cream and ground cinnamon.

Serve immediately and enjoy!

Secretariat’s stillstanding track record time in his Kentucky Derby victory.

190K

Est. cost of a first time balloon in the Macy’s Day Parade (Entry fee and construction cost)

ISLAND Set sail on a thrilling adventure just south of the Twin Cities at Treasure Island Resort & Casino. Try your hand at blackjack or any of our 2,200 slot machines. Then break for a juicy steak at Tado or an all-you-can-eat feast at our buffet. Finally, end your day relaxing at our luxury resort and spa. Find your escape today.

TIcasino.com | 1 - 8 0 0 -2 2 2-707 7 Š 2017 Treasure Island Resort & Casino

Treasure Island Resort & Casino (Welch, MN)

W I N T E R R E T R E AT S & HOL I DAY H A PPE N I N G S

T

he first mention of winter makes some people cringe and want to find their favorite blanket and settle in to catch up on their favorite television series. However, if you love to get away, it is no surprise that

some regional resorts offer great winter retreats that will keep you warm on a cold winter day and throw into the delves of the holiday season. Whether it is a visit to a sensational spa, holiday attraction or a fun performance, consider some of our favorite escapes.

So, as winter sets in, remember, it doesn’t have to be the ‘stay at home season’, view it more as the time to take advantage of all the season has to offer at these delightful destinations.

Hard Rock Hotel & Casino (Sioux City, IA) 1-712-226-7600 HardRockCasinoSiouxCity.com

Hard Rock Hotel & Casino (Sioux City, IA)

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Sioux City’s Hard Rock Hotel & Casino continues to provide the electric attraction that appeals to just about any gaming enthusiast. Whether you are staying in

one of the 54 rock’n’roll-inspired rooms

in the historic Battery Building or playing

in the casino chances are good that you hear good music playing and see fun and excitement all around you.

Our winter retreat starts here because if you aren’t warm with these vibes,

something might be wrong. There is great

live entertainment nightly, with a variety

of headliners announced nearly every day.

Also, be sure to sample global cuisine at

the World Tour Buffet, and nosh on pub grub at the British-style Main + Abbey,

both Award Winning dining options from the readers of Midwest Gaming.

Hot Happenings: O.A.R. (Nov. 9);

Jackyl (Nov. 17); Sawyer Brown (Dec. 8), Night Ranger (Dec. 9); Slaughter w/ Autograph (Dec. 16); Comedy Shows on Wednesdays at 8:00.

Treasure Island Resort & Casino (Welch, MN) 1-800-222-7077 TICasino.com Treasure Island is just a short drive from Minneapolis and every minute is worth it.

The resort annually wins several Readers’ Choice Awards from Midwest Gaming and offers a premium getaway with a contemporary hotel featuring a spa, indoor resort-style pool area with a lazy river, slides, a swim-up bar-for adults only- and more. Warming up is easy at Wave Spa where you will find facial treatments, massages including hot stone and Swedish Deep Tissue and more.

The casino has more than 2,200 slot, video poker, and video keno machines, several hundred of which are smoke-free, as well as traditional table games, and Minnesota’s favorite game: Pull Tabs.

You can’t go wrong at Treasure Island, and with the variety of live entertainment nightly, you won’t get bored anytime soon either.

Hot Happenings: Tracy Lawrence & John Michael Montgomery (Nov. 5); REO Speedwagon (Nov. 17); Lee Brice (Nov. 18); Loverboy & Night Ranger (Dec. 8); Oak Ridge Boys (Dec. 15); Terry Fator (Dec. 16); Boyz II Men (Dec. 29); Grand Funk Railroad (Dec. 31)

Ho-Chunk Gaming (Baraboo, WI) 1-800-746-2486 Ho-ChunkGaming.com Ho-Chunk Gaming has made a name for themselves in Wisconsin boasting six locations sprawling throughout the state. Ranging from Wittenberg and Nekoosa down to Wisconsin Dells and Madison, there is never a shortage of fun and entertainment. At the Wisconsin Dells location, you’ll find a hotel with 300 comfortable rooms, a spa and luxurious

North Star Mohican Casino Resort (Bowler, WI)

indoor pool for ultimate power relaxing.

New Year’s Eve rates starting at $299 per night so don’t delay in making your reservation! The casino has a wide variety of table games--including Poker, Blackjack, Craps, and Baccarat--as well as both mechanical and video slots and dine at any of the resort’s five restaurants and you won’t be disappointed. Make it a priority to make reservations at Copper Oak Steakhouse or the best in steak and seafood options. All of the locations either have their own hotel or partnerships with conveniently located partner hotels that will make you feel right at home, with most offering great Stay & Play offers starting at under $100 and some including casino free play and dining discounts.

North Star Mohican Casino Resort (Bowler, WI) 1-800-952-0195 NorthStarCasinoResort.com North Star is a casino resort gem located just over two hours north of Milwaukee and north east of Green Bay. Home to 1,200 slots, great table games, a poker room, bingo and more, this is surely a great spot for a gamers winter retreat. The hotel features 129 rooms fully equipped with in-room necessities including a refrigerator and microwave upon request.

This contemporary property is on our winter retreat list not only for the great casino and restaurants, but the Terradea

Salon & Spa is an ideal spot to rejuvenate and nourish your body for the relaxing retreat anyone would love. The full service salon offers include everything from your basic haircuts and coloring to waxing and other texturing options. The spa menu includes a variety of massages including a guest favorite called the Chakra™ Balancing Massage that is steeped in the tradition of Ayurveda, the healing art of Indiana. The merging of massages and guided meditation, and blending of aromas, will balance the Chakras, energy centers of the body. For $75, this is a bargain.

The property is also near outdoor activities including snow mobile rentals, hiking and more so pack accordingly for a great winter adventure!

Hot Happenings: Jokers Corner Comedy Club (Nov. 9); The Carbonaro Effect (Nov. 10); Hunks All Male Revue (Nov. 17); Lalas Burlesque (Nov. 25); Tracy Byrd (Dec. 15); Senior Day on Tuesdays; 3X Points on Sundays

MGM Grand Detroit (Detroit, MI) 1-877-888-2121 www.mgmgranddetroit.com/en.html The MGM Grand brings luxury and excitement to the heart of Detroit. Stay in one of the many upscale hotel rooms--or perhaps splurge on the 1,000-squarefoot sumptuous corner suite. Play in the

MGM Grand Detroit (Detroit, MI) G A M I N G A N D D E S T I N AT I O N S . C O M |

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casino, which is nothing short of giant--it boasts nearly 3,500 slots and video poker machines, as well as 121 of your favorite table games. Be sure to visit the premier Poker Room on the third floor, where tournaments are held every Saturday and Sunday.

The spa experience at MGM is surreal.

Guests can relax at the IMMERSE Spa, or take a dip in the indoor infinity-edge pool featuring poolside relaxing areas to enjoy a cocktail and light snacks.

Grand Traverse Resort & Spa (Acme, MI) 1-800-236-1577 GrandTraverseResort.com Grand Traverse Resort & Spa is one of the grandest destinations in the Midwest, and the fact the resort is affiliated with a casino makes it even better! The resort amenities include three championship golf courses, a fitness and tennis center, two indoor and two outdoor pools, an indoor water playground, five restaurants and lounges and a spa that is second to none.

French Lick Resort (French Lick, IN)

Rising Star Casino (Rising Sun, IN)

French Lick Resort (French Lick, IN)

1-812-438-1234 RisingStarCasino.com

1-888-936-9360 FrenchLick.com

The Rising Star Casino shines as much

French Lick Resort is one of the most spectacular gaming destinations in the United States. Stay in one of two historic hotels-French Lick Springs, built in 1845, or the West Baden Springs Hotel, built in 1902- that contain nearly 700 elegant rooms between them. This is the ultimate destination if you are looking for indoor activities including pools, spas, dining and more.

as its name. The hotel and lodge on the

banks of the Ohio River contain nearly

300 rooms and an indoor pool, sauna,

When the winter hits, Grand Traverse lights up with snowmobile rentals, snow shoe trailing, skiing and tubing, ice skating and more to keep you busy.

and hot tub. The casino features more

Hot Happenings: Breakfast with Santa (Dec. 2 & 16)

21. Catch stunning river views while you

than 1,000 slot games including video poker and keno, along with a variety of table games such as Craps and Spanish grab a bite to eat at the aptly-named River

View Buffet or take the steak and seafood route with the fine dining at Wellington’s Steak House.

When it comes to Christmas, there are

many casinos that celebrate it as much

as Rising Star. Beginning this month, the entire casino is transformed into a

Christmas Casino a twenty-foot Christmas tree, animated winter scenes and more.

Rising Star Casino (Rising Sun, IN) 8

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Hot Happenings: Kiefer Sutherland (Nov. 18); Christmas Casino (Nov. 2 – Jan. 2)

The Spas at French Lick is offers 27,000 square feet of everything you could imagine in a spa including an indoor pool. In addition, The Spa at West Baden offers guests more of a European style with the ultimate in elegance and décor.

There is also an indoor bowling alley and complimentary shuttle that will take you around town to visit everything the small community offers.

Hot Happenings: 50 Days of Lights (Nov. 17 – Jan. 7); New Year’s Eve Party (Dec. 31); Wine Tasting @ West Baden (Nov. 10, Dec. 29); Polar Express (Nov. 18 – Dec. 23)

Island Resort & Casino (Harris, MI) 1-800-682-6040 – IslandResortandCasino.com When you visit Island Resort, you will quickly learn that it is an all-in-one kind of place. You will find great gambling, awesome entertainment, mouthwatering restaurants and a spa that features the latest technology for insuring rest and relaxing.

Make sure to carve out time for Drift Spa and schedule a massage or other service with one of their trained professionals. The spa features the latest facial technology, the HydraFacial MD machine, a non-invasive, multi-step treatment that combines the benefits of next-level hydradermabrasion, a chemical peel, automated painless extractions (no pinching) and a special delivery of Antioxidants, Hyaluronic Acid and Peptides. It does all of this in

Island Resort & Casino (Harris, MI) one quick treatment without downtime or irritation and it only takes 30 minutes!

Add all of that to the Vegas-style casino and you’ve got yourself a fantastic weekend getaway!

Hot Happenings: Cocktails & Canvas (Nov. 15); Easton Corbin (Nov. 17 & 18); Martina McBride – Christmas Performance (Dec. 15 & 16)

Island Resort & Casino (Harris, MI)

Gift cards available

Indulge yourself with regionally sourced, botanically based treatments that nourish the mind, body and spirit, giving you the total Drift Spa experience.

1-877-ISL-SHOW to order a Gift Card

www.islandresortandcasino.com

1-844-ISL-DRIFT

to schedule an Appointment

G A M I N G A N D D E S T I N AT I O N S . C O M |

ISLAND RESORT & CASINO W399 HWY 2 & 41 HARRIS, MI 49845

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Howie Mandel will perform November 24 and 25 at The Mirage.

HOW I E M A N DE L

Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.

& L A S V E G A S ’ AC E S OF C O M E DY by

A

s any poker player can tell you, there are few things more satisfying than having a pair of pocket aces. While it’s not a guaranteed win, you wouldn’t trade those cards for anything, and you can be fairly confident that you’ll be happy with the end result.

The Mirage in Las Vegas has taken this concept to a unique conclusion, namely its “Aces of Comedy” series at the Terry Fator Theatre. As the name implies, the idea is to bring in a collection of unbeatable comedians; high-caliber, crowd-pleasing, can’t-miss talent. For audiences who may be hesitant to take a chance on an unknown comedian, worried about sitting

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TE R RY PA R R E T T

through yet another uninspired series of jokes about airline food or the differences between men and women, the Mirage’s “Aces of Comedy” series was conceived as a way of bringing a winning hand of comedy to audiences on a consistent basis.

In light of the recent tragic events, this is certainly a town that could use some of the healing power of laughter, and these Aces are ready to deliver.

HOWIE MANDEL Howie Mandel is one of those unique performers who means different things to different people, depending on how they were first introduced to him. For

fans of the seminal TV hospital dramedy “St. Elsewhere”, Mandel will first and foremost always be the fun-loving yet highly competent Dr. Wayne Fiscus; Gen-X’ers may remember him fondly as the host and voice star of “Bobby’s World”, which had a long run on the 1990’s. Of course, to others, he is most strongly associated with his most recent work, as the host of “Deal or No Deal”, and one of the quartet of judges on “America’s Got Talent”, where his supportive demeanor provides a good counterpoint to Simon Cowell’s stern countenance. But for many, Mandel will always be best-known as a standup comedian. For fans who

happened upon Mandel in one of his later endeavors, finding out that Howie first started as a standup may come as a surprise- as much of a surprise as seeing him with that full bushy head of hair in his earlier days. What’s even more surprising is finding out that through all of his other incarnations- as Dr. Fiscus, Bobby Generic, or his Deal/AGT days- Howie never stopped touring with his comedy. In fact, Mandel estimates that he still does 200 nights a year performing standup.

Aces of Comedy is excited to welcome his return to the stage on November 24th and 25th alongside the clown Puddles and his Pity Party.

Clearly, to maintain a 40 year career in show business, you need to love what you do; between the travel, the rejection, and the energy needed to keep going, a performer needs to be motivated by more than money, and Mandel loves performing standup. As Mandel himself revealed in his 2009 autobiography, “Here’s the Deal: Don’t Touch Me”, he suffers from severe OCD. Mandel’s particular form of OCD manifests itself mostly with a fear of germs, but he says that the condition can take other forms as well, and to hear Mandel discuss his thoughts about performing standup comedy, it’s not a stretch to think that he uses his comedy performance as a catharsis and a way of pushing back against his OCD. In addition, while some comedians obsess over their act, spending hours agonizing over a single word or bit, Mandel goes out every night with a very rough idea of what he’s going to do. He has the advantage of having 40 year’s worth of material to draw from, but it’s clear he uses his time onstage as a way of breaking through and living spontaneously. From night to night, he uses the energy and reaction of the crowd as a guide to what to do next, and he finds the excitement and unpredictability of live performance a welcome counterpoint to his offstage struggle with OCD. For those who will be seeing Mandel perform at the “Aces” tour at Mirage, one thing you can expect to be missing will be any political humor. Mandel astutely notes that one of the reasons for AGT’s popularity is that it gives audiences a

respite from the current divisive climate, and he plans to extend that atmosphere to his comedy. He notes that leaving out such material not only gives the audience a break, but it gives him a respite as well.

He does caution, however, that audiences who are only familiar with his genial g-rated person from AGT and “Deal” may be a little surprised at some of his antics onstage. His loose, free-from style of comedy often sends him down more adult tangents, and he suggests that it might be best to leave the kids home.

It’s not a cliché to state that many of the funniest comedians of our time had unhappy personal lives- doing jokes about failed relationships is a staple of many comics- and yet Mandel has managed to avoid that pitfall as well.

Being married to his wife Terry for 38 years, and raising three children, shows the balancing act it takes to have a high profile career and family at the same time. In fact, a recent Facebook post had a picture of his grandson with the hashtag #proudgrandpa, a testament to Howie’s successful life both on and off the stage.

As one of the judges on “America’s Got Talent”, Howie is in a unique position to see some of the finest variety performers from around the country, and being in that spot has allowed him to invite one of those performers to tour with him. For the past few years, a cult following has been building around performer Mike Geier, better known as “Puddles Pity Party”.

While viral videos of Puddles have been shared on Facebook for years, it wasn’t until his participation in the most recent season of AGT that Puddles reached a national audience. And while some weren’t quite sure what to make of a 6’8” baritonesinging whiteface clown, Mandel knew what to do, and promptly asked him to join him at the “Aces” shows in November at the Mirage. Tickets for the show start at only $39, and are available at the Mirage. com so don’t miss out!

There are other great comedians to grace the Aces stage including David Spade, Ray Romano, Ron White and Jay Leno, just to name a few. You really can’t go wrong with any of them as each has

David Spade Photo Courtesy of MGM

their own unique flavor and bring a nice lightness to any Vegas visit. We are excited to list a few others that you should check out on your next trek to Sin City.

RAY ROMANO AND DAVID SPADE Howie Mandel isn’t the only Ace The Mirage has up its sleeve. Sitcom veterans Ray Romano and David Spade will be teaming up once again to bring the laughter to the Terry Fator Theatre November 17 & 18, and then again December 1 and 2. Both performers spent years doing standup prior to their success on the small screen, and that experience shows onstage. Early on, Romano’s style of family-centered comedy caught the eye of David Letterman; a 1995 performance on “Late Night” led to a phone call from Letterman’s producer, telling Romano that Dave was interested in working on a sitcom development deal with Romano.

Many aspects of the show closely mirrored Romano’s own life experiences, which is one of the reasons the show rang true for so many viewers. And while they were never close friends, Romano credits his relationship with Letterman as crucial factor in the amazing success of “Everybody Loves Raymond”. By the time the show ended, Romano had become the highest paid actor in TV history at the time, pulling down an astonishing $1.7 million per episode. In spite of such dazzling financial success, Romano never lost touch with his standup roots, and will be doing some of his best solo material, along with some Q & A and banter with “Aces” partner, David Spade when they G A M I N G A N D D E S T I N AT I O N S . C O M |

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return to The Mirage. Spade is another familiar face from such shows as “Just Shoot Me” and “Rules of Engagement”, as well as his career-making stint doing his sardonic “Hollywood Minute” segment on Saturday Night Live, which skewered Hollywood celebrities on a weekly basis.

Spade, who has also appeared in a few dozen films, has a unique comic voice, and his sarcastic wit balances nicely with Romano’s more affable humor.

Daniel Tosh DANIEL TOSH

Photo courtesy of MGM

Daniel Tosh may not be as familiar to some readers as Howie Mandel, Ray Romano, or David Spade, but Tosh has been a popular standup comedian for years, honing his act on college campuses.

His dark, edgy humor was evident in his first Letterman appearance in 2001, but it wasn’t until his first Comedy Central special, “Completely Serious”, that the full spectrum of Tosh’s comic musings came to fruition. Based on the success of the special, Tosh landed his own TV show, “Tosh.0”, which combines Tosh’s acerbic point of view and viral internet videos. The result is hilarious, but at times a bit controversial. Tosh himself describes his act as deliberately offensive, and the videos featured on the show often push the boundaries of what basic cable will allow. Nonetheless, Tosh has gained a devoted following of fans, and his standup tours are nearly always sold out. Forbes Magazine estimated Tosh’s net worth to be $11 million, ranking him in the top ten of comedians whose income is derived mainly from live ticket sales. Tosh comes to The Mirage stage on November 10 and 11, be sure to check him out.

JOE ROGAN While Howie Mandel may have one of the most varied careers of the “Aces” comics, Joe Rogan can certainly give Howie a run for his money. Initially, Rogan followed the same career path as many standups - do a few spots, get seen by someone in Hollywood, and get a sitcom. In Rogan’s case, the sitcom was “NewsRadio”, where he played handyman Joe Garrelli, a role that was originally supposed to go to Ray Romano.

After Romano was unceremoniously booted from the show after only one rehearsal, Rogan got the part, and worked with writers to craft the character into what he called a “very dumbed-down, censored version of myself ”. When that show ended, Rogan continued pursuing standup, but then found himself hosting “Fear Factor” from 2001-2006, which helped boost his visibility and popularity as a standup comedian. His TV career took another turn in 2003, when he and fellow comedian Doug Stanhope took over hosting duties of “The Man Show” on Comedy Central from departing hosts Jimmy Kimmel and Adam Carolla.

Rogan’s and Stanhope’s sensibilities clashed with the producers at the show, however, and their stint ended in 2004.

All the while, Rogan kept returning to standup, and in 2009, he began a podcast called “The Joe Rogan Experience”, which has become one of the most popular free podcasts, with downloads in excess of 16 million per month. Rogan will be at The Mirage December 29.

Joe Rogan Photo courtesy of MGM

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John Mulaney JOHN MULANEY

Photo courtesy of MGM

John Mulaney may not be as wellknown as the other Mirage “Aces”, but his comedic observations are as wellpolished and on-target as any of the rest. He released two standup specials with Comedy Central, and his third, “The Comeback Kid”, was released in 2015 on Netflix. “The Comeback Kid” earned Mulaney an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special; he had previously received Emmy nominations for his writing for “Saturday Night Live” and ironically, the 63rd Emmy Awards. Mulaney’s onstage personality is very likeable; his comedy is accessible and often touches on pop culture touchstones like “Law and Order” and “Back to the Future”. Readers who want to sample some of Mulaney’s work should head over to YouTube, and search for a classic bit of his called “Salt and Pepper Diner”. Mulaney will be taking his act to the Mirage from January 19-21.

ACES OF COMEDY Tickets Available at The Mirage.com NOVEMBER 3-4 Tim Allen 10-11 Daniel Tosh 17-18 David Spade & Ray Romano 24-25 Howie Mandel DECEMBER 1-2 David Spade & Ray Romano 8-9 Ron White 15-16 Ron White 29 Joe Rogan 30 Jay Leno

“Our thoughts and prayers are with those affected by the cowardly random act of violence on October 1. Las Vegas is one of the best cities in the world and always will be.

Whether it is during times of celebration, or a period of mourning, we stand with you all.�

-Gaming and Destinations

Ways to Donate: National Center for Victims of Crime Attn: National Compassion Fund Las Vegas 2000 M Street, NW, Suite 480 Washington, DC 20036 NationalCompassionFund.org

GoFundMe.com Victims Fund Clark County Commission GoFundMe.com/dr2ks2-las-vegas-victims-fund

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PIGSKIN PROFITS: NFL OWNERSHIP by

T

o quote the late, great Tom Petty – “It’s good to be king”. Owners in the National Football League can certainly relate as not only are they the kings of their franchises, but the gamble to invest in each of their team acquisitions have turned out to be winning bets. With NFL team values skyrocketing in recent years, it only means the league’s wealthy owners are getting even richer with nineteen of them claiming the billionaire status. Ticket prices, concessions and merchandise sales are all trending up and the average professional football team is now worth $2.34 billion, which is up 22% from last year and double what the average team was worth just three years ago. Even

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M AT T W I L L I N G E R

the Buffalo Bills, the league’s least profitable team, had earnings of $26 million.

Now, don’t go looking for teams to purchase just yet, not just anyone can become an owner. First of all, you have to have a lot of money. The richest team owner is Paul Allen whose $20 billion net worth made his $194 million purchase of the Seattle Seahawks seem like a chump change. The highest price paid for a team was $1.1 billion for the Miami Dolphins by real estate mogul Stephen Ross, who is also one of the richest owners with a $12 billion net worth.

However, wealth isn’t the only qualifier to being an NFL team owner. Teams don’t tend to go up for sale very often so when they

are up for grabs, it becomes quite competitive for who wins the bid. Once the terms of the deal are agreed upon between the buyer and seller, the NFL requires a vote from all of the owners from all of the teams before the transfer can happen. Only after the transfer of ownership is approved by the league can the new ownership join the elite owners club and begin daily duties to operate a profitable business and dealing with everything that comes with it.

Despite sold out stadiums and soaring revenues, it’s not all touchdowns and celebrations in the world of NFL owners as they must tackle tough issues that if not handled correctly can have an impact to revenues and more. Hot button issues like

Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) and player conduct off, and on, the field have become more concerning in recent years. The latest issue, the National Anthem, has become a public relations nightmare for front offices around the league where no matter what the owner’s decision is, it won’t satisfy everyone.

The “kneeling movement” has become the top story of the NFL’s 2017 season. What started as a one-man protest by quarterback Colin Kaepernick when he played for the San Francisco 49ers, has exploded into one of the country’s most divisive hot button issues. It even escalated to President Trump himself weighing in on the issue with numerous public comments about the NFL and their actions, or lack thereof, in regards to players’ behaviors

towards the National Anthem. In addition, earlier

this season, Vice President Mike Pence walked out of an Indianapolis Colts game after what he termed “disrespect” for the country when several

players from the visiting San Francisco 49ers chose to kneel during the Anthem.

Teams handled the situation differently from

having their teams stay in the locker room during

the Anthem, to more direct actions such as Dallas Cowboys owner, Jerry Jones, who locked

arms with his team prior to the Anthem, knelt together as a team, and then requested everyone stand for the playing of the National Anthem.

He was clear with his position that ‘if you don’t stand for the National Anthem, you won’t play

The National Anthem issue has diverted attention away from the product on the field and instead become a major distraction for owners, players, media and fans. Television ratings have plummeted for games showing what the fan base thinks of the situation. What they do not want to happen is for their league and franchises to become a referendum on race, politics, free speech and patriotism.

But, once you peel back the politics of player communications and publicized platforms, we get back to why the owners got into the game in the first place, to make more money. Here is a look at the NFL’s most valuable franchise owners and how they got to be king.

for the Dallas Cowboys’.

SEVEN HEAVEN

Most Valuable NFL Franchises and their Owners.

JERRY JONES DALLAS COWBOYS Purchase Price: $150 million in 1989 Current Value: $4.8 billion

A man who is no stranger to the spotlight, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones purchased

the team in 1989 for $150 million. Today,

the team is worth an estimated $4.2 billion.

Jones made a name for himself as an oil

wildcatter and still invests heavily in drilling opportunities, as well as lucrative retail and residential real estate development projects in the North Dallas suburbs. As the former co-captain of the University of Arkansas 1964 national championship team, Jerry Jones also remains one of the Arkansas football program’s biggest donors. Of course, Jones was also the driving force behind the Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium. At $1.15 billion, the stadium in Arlington, Texas is one of the most expensive sports venues ever built.

Sometimes referred to as “Jerry World”, the stadium seats 80,000 and is home to the world’s 24th largest high definition video screen, which hangs from 20-yard line to 20-yard line.

DANIEL SNYDER WASHINGTON REDSKINS Purchase Price: $750,000,000 in 1999 Current Value: $3.1 billion Jerry Jones - Dallas Cowboys Photo courtesy of Shutterstock

Unlike many of his fellow NFL owners, Snyder did not inherit the team from his

family, nor did he grow up in the lap of luxury. His story begins in 1989 when he and his sister Michele founded a wallboard advertising company financed by his father taking out a second mortgage and his sister maxing out her credit cards. Just 10 years after the startup was founded, Snyder would sell Snyder Communications to a French advertising group, Havas, in a stock transaction valued at in excess of $2 billion.

At the time, it was the largest transaction in the history of the advertising industry.

The record-breaking sale allowed Snyder to purchase the Washington Redskins and FedEx Field for $800 million. At the time (1999), it was the most expensive transaction in sporting history. Snyder’s business success has yet to manifest itself on the playing field.

The Washington Redskins have hired and fired eight coaches in his 17 seasons and Rolling Stone most recently dubbed him “The Worst Owner in Sports”.

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JED YORK

PAUL ALLEN

Purchase Price: $13 million in 1977 Current Value: $3.05 billion

Purchase Price: $194 million in 1997 Current Value: $1.081 billion

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS

Robert Kraft - New England Patriots Photo courtesy of Shutterstock

ROBERT KRAFT NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS Purchase Price: $174 million in 1994 Current Value: $3.7 billion Thanks to his team’s wild success, New England Patriots’ owner Robert Kraft is one of the most recognizable owners in the NFL. Long before he purchased the Patriots in 1994 for a then record-setting $174 million, Kraft was chairman and chief executive officer of the Kraft Group - a diversified holding company with assets in paper and packaging, sports and entertainment, real estate development and a private equity portfolio. A fixture on the sidelines beside quarterback Tom Brady, Kraft has overseen unprecedented levels of success as the Patriots’ owner, as the franchise has won 16 division titles and five Super Bowls under his watch.

JOHN MARA & STEVE TISCH NEW YORK GIANTS Purchase Price: $500 in 1929 Current Value: $3.3 billion The Mara Family has held ownership of the New York Giants since 1929 when they purchased the franchise for a mere $500 when the league was trying to expand. What looked like a great investment, turned out to be a $40,000 loser in the first season when New York fans turned their interest to the college game. purchase didn’t look like a great investment. With New York fans showing more interest in the college game, attendance was so poor during the Giants’ first season that Mara lost more than $40,000. A lot has changed since then as the team has claimed NFL championships in 1927, 1934, 1938, and 1956 and divisional titles in 1933, 1935, 1939, 1941, 1944, 1946, and 1958. Under John Mara, the Giants have also won Super Bowl XLII and Super Bowl XLVI. 16

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As with most NFL owners, it helps to have a family member already in the business.

That was the case for San Francisco 49ers owner Jed York. York’s roots with the 49ers run deep. He is the oldest child of Denise and John York, the co-chairmen of the team and York’s uncle and godfather is Eddie DeBartolo, who owned the 49ers for 23 years and led the team to five Super Bowls. Jed was brought into the 49ers organization at a young age to prepare him for future leadership. He started as Director of Strategic Planning and then as Vice President of Strategic Planning.

In 2008, he was appointed by his father to become president of the 49ers. While Jed is the operating head of the franchise, his mother Denise is the principal owner, and both of his parents, as co-chairmen, are responsible for providing resources and maintaining their role of interacting with other owners and NFL executives. During York’s tenure, the team has experienced mixed results. San Francisco has won two NFC West Division titles, advanced to three consecutive NFC Championship Games and a Super Bowl. However, since firing coach John Harbaugh, the 49ers are just 7-32 over the last three seasons.

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS

Paul Allen bought the Seahawks franchise in 1997 for $194 million and in twenty years he has grown the team’s value by more than 11% annually. Of course, Allen didn’t acquire his wealth from the franchise, he got that from co-founding a little company called Microsoft with his buddy, Bill Gates. Regardless, Allen is the richest NFL owner, estimated at around $20.6 billion, as well as one of top forty richest men in the world.

SHAHID KHAN

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS Purchased Price: $770 million in 2012 Current Value: $840 million

While the Jacksonville Jaguars have consistently been one of the NFL’s worst-performing teams, it hasn’t stopped owner Shahid Khan from making a fortune. How about this for a good investment? Kahn bought the Jags for $770 million in 2012. Fast forward just 5 seasons and the team is now worth an estimated $1.95 billion. That’s nearly a 25% annualized return on his initial investment. The Pakistani-American autoparts billionaire is worth $5.6 billion, making him the fourth-wealthiest NFL owner. He acquired most of his wealth through his automotive manufacturing company FlexN-Gate. The company supplied bumpers for the big three automakers, including being the sole supplier of bumpers for the entire Toyota line in the United States.

The Mara Family purchased the New York Giants for $500 in 1929.

Photo courtesy of Shutterstock

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Penny Chenery with Triple Crown Winner, Secretariat.

PENNY CHENERY:

Photo courtesy of Secretariat.com

THE QUEEN OF THE SPORT OF KINGS

S

by

ecretariat became a national celebrity when he won the Triple Crown in 1973.

The horse racing superstar captured the Kentucky Derby and then rolled in the Preakness Stakes before turning in a dazzling performance in the Belmont Stakes, winning by an astounding 31 lengths.

The colt known as “Big Red” became the first Triple Crown winner in 25 years – setting records in all three legs - and ran himself onto the cover of Sports Illustrated, Time and Newsweek magazines.

Secretariat was the star attraction but the Triple Crown victory was the emergence of Penny Chenery – then known as Penny Tweedy – as one of the most prominent

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figures in thoroughbred racing.

Chenery took over her father’s thoroughbred farm when he became disabled and later passed away. She bred Secretariat and was listed as the owner of Meadow Stable when he won the Triple Crown. She was the public voice of the champion thoroughbred and became one of the few prominent women in the sport.

When Secretariat died in 1989, Chenery still carried on his legacy with words and emotions in interviews and appearances over the years. The story was portrayed in the 2010 Disney movie “Secretariat.”

Chenery lived the story for nearly five decades until she passed away on September 16 at age 95.

“This was one amazing woman,” Chenery’s longtime friend and business manager Leonard Lusky told the Lexington HeraldLeader after her death. “The racing world and all her friends and anyone who came across her path will miss her dearly. She was truly a pioneer and very much a part of the fabric of the thoroughbred industry.”

Chenery was truly a pioneer in the sport – especially for women – and a figure in the sport that media members liked to call for any – and nearly every – racing issue or big moment.

And what she meant to the sport was truly on display at her passing when nearly every major track and thoroughbred organization released a statement on her passing.

“Fans embraced her as the owner of

Secretariat, her legendary Kentucky Derby and Triple Crown winner and American sports icon, along with her ongoing role as the protector of his legacy and lifelong supporter of causes that promote the health and welfare of retired Thoroughbreds,” a statement from Churchill Downs read.

Keeneland also released a statement from president Bill Thomason: “Mrs. Chenery exemplified the very best of our sport, serving as one of its most beloved and passionate ambassadors. She was a generous owner, tirelessly sharing the legacy of her great Triple Crown winner with generations of fans that extended far beyond racing.”

Chenery did have an effect in generations of racing fans.

father was a New York utilities tycoon who had a successful racing stable in Virginia.

Chenery had a love for horses at a young age.

She grew up riding on her father’s farm – The Meadow - a thoroughbred racing operation and breeding center in Caroline County near Ashland, Va. Chenery’s life changed when her father was admitted to the hospital in February of 1968.

He remained there until his death in 1973 and Chenery talked her siblings into not selling the operation.

Instead, Chenery wanted to try and fulfill her father’s dream – winning the Kentucky Derby.

Because Secretariat was such a hit with racing fans, Chenery was always talking or hearing about her champion. Even after he died in ’89, Chenery said she received letters, poems and drawings from children paying tribute to Secretariat.

“What all these people are really saying is, ‘Boy, we love that horse’,” she said when he died. “I’m going to miss him terribly. He was not only a champion race horse but a cherished friend.”

And now, the sport of racing is going to miss Chenery.

America’s Best Racing called her a “gracious, resolute luminary” at her passing, noting there would be “no greater role model” in the sport than Chenery even to the time of her death.

She has also been called the “First Lady of Racing” and immediately after her death the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame named its Winners of the Triple Crown exhibit after Chenery.

“Penny Chenery was a remarkable person and a wonderful ambassador for our sport,” said John Hendrickson, the Museum’s president in a news release. “She was a champion for the thoroughbred and a role model for all. It is the Museum’s privilege to recognize her contributions to racing.

Secretariat was a Triple Crown champion and so is Penny. The Museum is honored to have Penny forever interwoven in the legacy of the Triple Crown within our institution.”

The youngest of three children, Chenery was born on Jan. 27, 1922 in New Rochelle, N.Y., to Christopher and Helen Chenery. Her

She told The Blood Horse in an interview that she “loved horses and I loved my dad.

He was failing and my brother and sister wanted to sell the stable and I said, ‘No, not while Dad is alive’.”

So Chenery – who had four children – was named president of Meadow Stud – the racing stable for the operation – and made all kind of changes within a few years. She fired the farm’s long-time trainer – Casey Hayes – in 1969 and hired Roger Laurin.

He left and in May of 1971, she hired his father – Lucien Laurin.

In 1972, Meadow Farm’s Riva Ridge won the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes and then two years later Secretariat took the racing world by storm and Chenery jumped into the forefront of the sport.

“Lucien Laurin trained and campaigned the horse, not me,” said in an interview in the

early 2000s. “I discovered I had the ability to communicate with the public, though, and as the horse’s spokeswoman I suppose people began to think of horses being owned by women.”

Chenery was a pioneer for women in the sport.

After Secretariat’s retirement from racing, Chenery became an ambassador for thoroughbred racing and remained so throughout her life. She served as the first female president of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association and president of the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation.

Chenery became one of the first women admitted to The Jockey Club, helped found the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation and created the Secretariat Vox Populi Award, annually honoring racing’s most popular horse, as well as the Secretariat Foundation, which assists and supports various charities within the racing community.

In 2006, Chenery was the first woman to win the Award of Merit at the Eclipse Awards for her lifetime contributions to the industry. But with all of the accolades and honors she collected, Chenery would make sure the spotlight never swayed too far from Secretariat and for what he accomplished on those three Saturday afternoons in the spring of ’73.

“In 1973, the country was in an emotional slump,” Chenery wrote in The New York Times. “It was the time of the Watergate and Nixon scandals, and people were looking for something wholesome to admire. I’ve always felt that because he was a chestnut horse and our stable colors were blue and white, he was running in red, white and blue.”

Secretariat.com was created by Penny Chenery as the official website for her great champion. Celebrating racing’s past to enrich its future, Secretariat.com offers an exclusive collection of unique merchandise and collectibles and is the official online source for photography, memorabilia and historical information chronicling the enduring legacy of the 1973 Triple Crown winner.

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PLAYER STRATEGY

VIDEO POKER: On the Down Low There are many instances when people choose to do something on the ‘DL’ (down low) but they always involve acting in secret. Sometimes it’s wise for astute players to apply this concept to specific VP (video poker) games or to unintended deals offered by a casino. That’s because gambling conditions have changed this year and I look for the same rationale to be mum at times in 2018. Truthfully, many great VP plays were known to just a few insiders before Dean Zamzow came out with the definitive software, WinPoker, in the nineties. Before then, even the wisest players had to use their intuition for some holds, especially if they involved penalty cards and remainder of the deck exceptions. Sure, some people claim they know all the proper holds without tutorial software even given that there are 2,598,960 possible dealt hand combinations (given a deck of 52 virtual cards) and a choice of 32 possible holds, including hold none and hold all, after the deal. There’s no guessing anymore regarding the statistically best hold once you match the game’s pay schedule on the software tutorial. You’ll, also, never again find 9/7 Jacks or Better (9/7JOB) with an ER of 100.9109% (that’s before cash back points are added to the ER) now that the cat is out of the bag and players as well as management know the exact theoretical return. Casino brass immediately downgraded VP games and have continued this trend up to the present.

Worth Broadcasting: In today’s VP environment there are some things worth advertising to others because you want them to remain in place, like good restaurants, casino games, computer apps and coupons. If casinos that are doing things right don’t turn a profit you can be sure they’ll change their policies and that’s bad for players.

1. Worthless VP: Honestly, I cringe when I see anybody playing games like 6/5JOB (ER, 95.1251%. and variance 21.19070) because anyone foolish enough to play certainly will be unfamiliar with correct holds. That means their actual ER will be lower than 95.1251% depending on just how bad they are at the game. If people refuse to play 6/5 or 7/5 JOB management won’t make a profit off these ripoffs and will upgrade the pay schedule.

2. Best Overall Casinos: Spread the word because if these venues get a big volume more will follow and that’s always good for players.

Management has to downgrade if they don’t get a lot of business since they must make a profit to stay in business.

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by L I N D A

B OY D

3. Free Links/Coupons: Educated players are a good thing for everybody. If you know a good VP web site or free app make sure you let others know.

Keep these on the Down Low (DL): Some things should be kept a well-guarded secret so they don’t disappear or have a negative impact on your own equity in the play.

1. Profitable Glitches: People may disagree on gambling ethics, but in my view, if the casino makes an error on a pay schedule that rewards smart players nobody should squeal. An example is a pay schedule that pays double your wager for two pair in 9/6DB (ER is 110.4753%, variance 30.96053) versus 9/6DB without the glitch (ER 97.8062%, variance 30.77813). This must be kept quiet or it will disappear faster than Houdini. You may think there are no such plays, but I’ve come across many through the years and once management was informed by some goofy player it always goes by the wayside. If you think management can catch this mistake on their own, think again. Most are on multi-game devices that include the ever popular and extremely low ER game of keno along with several pathetic VP choices.

2. Select Promos: If I have a large equity in a promo, which translates to a lot of virtual entry tickets, I keep both the drawing and ways to earn multiple entries to myself (I received 100 times the entries for playing on a Monday, for example). Others can and should read everything in their mailers, on the kiosks or at the slot club desk for themselves. By telling everyone and their uncle you diminish your own odds of winning and there’s no good reason to do so.

3. Advantage Plays: Even though good deals, like coupons, excellent restaurants and great casinos deserve to do a booming business and you should spread the news, there are some player-advantage offers to be kept mum.

I’ve personally participated in many and they are obvious to smart players. For example, 10 times points on a 9/6 JOB machine that brings the ER to 102.0439% (regular points at 0.25% x10 equals an additional ER of 2.5%) will end if you tell management or other players.

Final Thoughts: A worthy resolution for 2018 is to let others know about casino deals that are mutually worthwhile for the house and their players. On the other hand, if the play looks too good to be true it’s either an unintentional outstanding deal offered by the casino or, for VP, a glitch on the pay schedule. Both should be kept on the down low if you want the good times to continue to roll.

Linda Boyd, a long-time table game player before turning to video poker, writes for “Southern & Midwest Gaming and Destinations” and other well respected publications and web-sites. You can see her videos on YouTube and her radio interviews are on iTunes. Boyd’s book, “The Video Poker Edge”, includes free removable pay schedules and her free strategy cards for the most popular games.

The latest edition is available from amazon.com, Square One Publishers and book stores. Kindle edition now available.

“BY TELLING EVERYONE AND THEIR UNCLE YOU DIMINISH YOUR OWN ODDS OF WINNING.”

FOR MORE FREE TIPS, VISIT GAMINGANDDESTINATIONS.COM

PLAYER STRATEGY by

FRANK SCOBLETE

CRAPS: Betting the Basics Every craps player has his or her own philosophy of play. Some wild action players look to make as much money from each bet as possible. They will bet proposition bets such as the Any Seven, individual numbers such as 2, 3, 11 and 12, the Horn and the like.

Visit Frank’s web site at www.frankscoblete. com . Frank’s latest books are I Am a Dice Controller: Inside the World of Advantage-Play Craps, Confessions of a Wayward Catholic and I Am a Card Counter: Inside the World of AdvantagePlay Blackjack. Available from Amazon.com, Kindle, Barnes and Noble, and at bookstores.

“LUCK IS WHAT THE PLAYERS ARE HOPING FOR BUT CASINOS DO NOT RELY ON LUCK TO WIN.”

My mentor the late Captain of craps, the man I wrote about in my latest book I Am a Dice Controller, called all proposition bets “crazy crapper bets” and with good reason; the chances of keeping the game a close contest between the player and the casino was a longshot indeed.

Still wild action craps players evidently enjoy their style of play or they wouldn’t do it.

The middle-road for craps players would be those who make good bets mixed in with a somewhat smaller reliance on those longshot proposition bets. They will bet the Pass Line or Don’t Pass, take or give the odds but then add the whirl, the C&E, the Hardways, among many others.

They too want to experience the joy or sorrow of taking a bigger chance with their cash in order to make more money should luck favor them.

A word about luck is needed here: Luck is what the players are hoping for but in truth, the casinos do not rely on luck to win. They have structured their craps games to favor themselves by making payoffs on bets not reflect the true odds (placing numbers and propositions) or by creating bets that the casino wins a greater percentage of the time (Pass and Don’t Pass bets).

Given some long-time play by any individual craps player, the casino stands to grind that individual down. And “long-time” in craps is not all that long when you are making wild or semiwild playing decisions. Bets with high house edges reduce the actual “time” in longtime.

The best bets, based on the true criteria for giving one a decent shot at holding one’s own against the house, are the Pass Line and Come bets with odds for rightside players and the Don’t Pass and Don’t Come bets with odds.

can understand that as most casino gamblers are thrill seekers, but making a Pass Line or Come bet that has a house edge of 1.41 percent (translates into a loss of $1.41 per $100 wagered) gives you a better shot at a win than making an Any-Seven bet that comes in with a crippling house edge of 16.67 percent – an expected loss of $16.67 for every $100 wagered.

Given the math of craps, the best bets are the lowest house edge bets. I do not see any reason for debate about that fact – and it is a fact. The math dictates the game and that dictate becomes more and more obvious the more and more a player plays.

So here are two players explaining their strategies; guess which one I agree with?

JAMES: I play it safe in my life with my job, with my retirement finances but when I make my monthly trips to the casino I just want to let it all hang out. Craps is my game and I really get caught up in it. Before I go to the casino I think to myself, “Play it safe,” but when I start playing I get all caught up in the game and off to the races I go!

PETER: It took me many years before I woke up and started only making the best bets. I can’t believe I just threw my money out there with very little chance of winning. Now, I make just Pass Line and Come bets and place the odds. I have had many more winning nights. I don’t have too many spectacular wins as I did in the past but those spectacular wins ultimately came with a big cost on those “bad” bets.

Just like James and Peter, if you are a craps player, you do have to make the decision about how to bet. I agree that it is your money and you can bet it anyway you please. Still, Peter has the right attitude in my opinion. We all work hard to make money and we should not just throw it away on bets that really put us behind the eight ball.

Smart craps play is making the best bets.

The math clearly dictates that.

Now, I do know that many craps players don’t think the good bets are thrilling enough. I FOR MORE FREE TIPS, VISIT GAMINGANDDESTINATIONS.COM G A M I N G A N D D E S T I N AT I O N S . C O M |

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PLAYER STRATEGY

POKER: Pre-flop Strategy If you hold A-A, K-K, Q-Q, or A-K before the Flop, bet it all!

A-J, and the is 2s-2h-Jh. You may force your

When you have one of these top four hands in No Limit Hold ‘em (NLH) you can almost always justify shoving all your chips out there before the Flop. There are very few exceptions to this advice, and virtually no exceptions for the beginning NLH player. For the more sophisticated player, you will, once in a blue moon, be wise to fold Q-Q or A-K before the Flop. If you’re to do this, however, you should have some very strong evidence that your opponent holds K-K or A-A. The evidence might be that someone has made a big raise and then a ‘mouse’ (conservative player) has moved all in for a mountain of chips. A mouse re-raising someone with all his chips should set off an alarm or two in your head!

this scenario because he may think you have K-J

Beginners trapping with the top four hands

The trapping theory for NLH applies mostly when you have A-A or K-K. Some players like to just call someone else’s raise or re-raise before the Flop when holding A-A or A-K, in the hope that the move will trap someone into giving them all his chips after the Flop. This is a dangerous theory, with a risk reward hazard that any expert in game theory would love to look at! Most of the time you should just go ahead and re-raise with A-A or K-K and hope that your opponent either moves all in right there with a hand like J-J or Q-Q (which makes you a 4 ½ to 1 favorite) or folds his hand. Re-raising is the safe way to play A-A and K-K, it prevents you from losing all your chips and some situations. You’ll lose them all less often when you re-raise with A-A or K-K, but you’ll also usually get less action on these hands.

When trapping works out, you look brilliant; but when you bust yourself trapping someone, you look like an idiot.

The trap works like a charm when you have A-A or K-K and your opponent has a hand like 22

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by

PHIL HELLMUTH JR.

opponent with A-J into losing all of his chips in or a flush draw.

Trapping with Aces can go badly for you, however, when your opponent hits his flop really well, as when he raises with Qd-Kd and you just call and the Flop is K-Q-4: now you can kiss your chips goodbye. (However think of the chips you’ll win here when trapping with K-K on that same flop!)

Your trap could get uglier still if the raiser has 8c-9c, and now the flop is 5-6-7! In both these scenarios of trap gone bad, you would have won the pot had you re-raised before the flop, but instead of winning the pot before the flop, you have trapped yourself into losing all your chips! I rarely trap with any big hand, but some circumstances encourage me to try it. Trapping with aces is obviously safer than trapping with kings.

Phil Hellmuth Jr. is a 13time World Series of Poker Champion, leading all other poker players in the world.

He is the author of two New York Times best sellers, and his latest book, “Deal Me In” is also widely popular. Visit PhilHellmuth.com to check out his latest blog, clothing line and exclusive poker tips and stories. This tip column is an excerpt from his Best Selling book “Phil Hellmuth’s Texas Hold’em” found on Amazon and in bookstores around the world.

Re-raising J-J, 10-10, or 9-9 before the Flop

J-J, 10-10, and 9-9 are strong NLH hands, and you should re-raise with them when someone raises before the flop. With these three hands you really want to use the re-raise to win the pot before the flop, because you’re probably winning at that point and because these hands are very vulnerable to over cards on the flop. Sometimes when you smell weakness in your opponent’s, you can make a stand with one of these three hands and put in all your chips. In general, though, you want to re-raise someone else before the flop, and if he or someone else puts in another raise (a third raise) over the top of you, you should just throw your hand away. These three hands are usually in a lot of trouble when an opponent puts in the dreaded third raise! You’re roughly a 4 ½-to-1 underdog with an underpair against an overpair in Hold’em. (The exact odds depend on which two pairs you are comparing, but 4 ½-to-1 is close enough for most table estimations.

“RE-RAISING IS THE SAFE WAY TO PLAY A-A AND K-K, IT PREVENTS YOU FROM LOSING ALL YOUR CHIPS.”

FOR MORE FREE TIPS, VISIT GAMINGANDDESTINATIONS.COM

EVERI CROWNS 2017 TOURNEVENT OF CHAMPIONS ® $1 MILLION WINNER The largest, most successful slot tournament on the planet has once again crowned their main event champion. Following a thrilling tournament competition in October held at XS Nightclub in the Wynn/Encore Resort in Las Vegas, James W. representing Potawatomi Hotel & Casino in Milwaukee, WI, bested 172 competitors to win the 2017 TournEvent of Champions® grand prize of $1 million* and a cruise for two on a Norwegian Cruise Line® ship. It was truly a special night for the winner as his big win came on the eve of his 49th wedding anniversary.

Presented by Everi Games Inc. and now in its sixth year, the TournEvent of Champions and The Million Dollar Event™ final in Las Vegas is the gaming industry’s premier slot tournament featuring a championship round with $1.3 million in total cash prizes. This year’s event included more than 225,000 players at 107 casinos from across the U.S. and Canada who participated in qualifying

slot tournaments to earn a spot at the championship in Las Vegas.

“On behalf of Everi, our congratulations go out to James from Potawatomi Casino.

Last night was the culmination of months of work by our casino partners who host the TournEvent of Champions qualifying events and provide the growing excitement on which our event thrives,” said Ed Peters, Everi Executive Vice President, Sales and Marketing. “We are also grateful to the 2017 TournEvent of Champions finalists for their competitive spirit and enthusiasm which makes this tournament so memorable.”

The popularity of TournEvent of Champions continues to grow and was a huge success in 2017 thanks to the dedicated event team at Everi, our participating casinos, and the amazing staff at Wynn/Encore. The event is also made possible by a variety of sponsors including Southern & Midwest Gaming and Destinations, Norwegian Cruise Line,

Effinet, Quixant, Southern California Gaming Guide, Creative Surfaces, PC Promotions, Sparco, Columbus Data Services, and Sequel Data to name a few.

Linda Trinh, Everi Vice President of Marketing & Promotions, added, “TournEvent of Champions is a true team effort and we are delighted by the success of our 2017 campaign which was made possible by the support of our casino partners and generous sponsors. The Everi team is looking forward to our 2018 campaign which will again culminate in Las Vegas with a $1 million grand prize for one lucky slot player.”

So, be on the lookout for qualifying events at your favorite casinos across the nation and you could be the next $1 million winner!

For more information about TournEvent of Champions and future qualifying events, visit tournevent.com.

G A M I N G A N D D E S T I N AT I O N S . C O M |

23

BE T T E R BU S I N E S S T H RO U GH P OK E R F OR E C A S T I NG

H OW PRO BA B I LIT Y TH I N K I N G H E LP E D M A K E AN N I E D U K E A C H A M P IO N A N D H OW IT C AN H E LP B US I N E S S LE A D E R S S U C C E E D by

E

JOSEPH GROVE

ven before her second-place

If one were to find a list of top paying

Donald Trump’s “Celebrity

find near the top of the list, along with

f inish to Joan R ivers on

Apprentice” in 2009, Annie Duke was a legend among poker players. With a backstory as dramatic as any nail-biting tournament hand, the petite redhead

had claimed accolades and cash to match as she pioneered the game for women everywhere.

But it wasn’t luck that got her to where she

was then, or what has helped her retain her status as a poker champion. Nor was it even mere mastery of probability. It required a

far subtler skill, one famously taught to

college majors, he would most likely several different kinds of engineering, either “actuarial science” or “actuarial mathematics.” That is because being

able to plan ahead based on cold hard numbers is such a crucial component to

the long-range planning and success of

almost any meaningful endeavor, be it a

business, a political campaign or even in the case of Duke, a poker tournament. In

the 2004 Tournament of Champions of Poker, Duke steadily climbed her way to the top, and eventually beat all odds and

defeated poker champion and legend Phil Hellmuth.

How did she beat the odds? By knowing them, or at least by being able to forecast

them. Duke studied psychology in college and was fascinated by the science behind

how and why people make the decisions that they do.

her by her brother, who happens to be top

Acclaimed author Charles Duhigg tells

one also taught in psychology and business

“Smarter Faster Better: The Transformative

ranked pro player Howard Lederer — and classes across the country.

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| G A M I N G A N D D E S T I N AT I O N S . C O M

Duke’s story in his most recent book, Annie Duke Power of REAL Productivity.” He makes

skilled player can look into the future and consider the long term probability

of different outcomes, as opposed to the

novice player who only focuses on the certainty of the current situation.

That means that if the skilled player wins 20 hands out of 100, they will win $100 twenty times, resulting in winnings of

$2,000, a profit of $1,000 considering it Author of “Smarter Faster Better: The Transformative Power of REAL Productivity.” Charles Duhigg

cost $1000 to play 100 hands each for $10.

It may seem a bit reckless at first because

the odds do not seem to be in the player’s the point that most decision making is

really about analyzing different possible

favor. But over time the recklessness, which is really more of an educated

outcomes, and then choosing which

one is best and then making a decision about what to do in the present based on those outcomes and the probability of

each one. Duke was able to do that very well by considering the odds of different scenarios at the poker table. She could

never know what was going to happen, but she wasn’t focused on that. She was focused on what she did know, which was the probabilities.

In other words, being able to focus on the future as a range of different

possible outcomes and the probabilities of each, as opposed to a black and white

scenario based on what will or won’t

happen based on those odds, is beneficial.

Poker is a good example of this. Duhigg

cites a hypothetical scenario in which a player only has a 20 percent chance of

winning a hand; however, to keep playing,

about being able to make the best out of inevitable uncertainty.

In business, you need to look to the

future in order to be successful. Even people whose businesses have tanked completely could tell you that. But there

are a lot of factors that might separate the “winners” from the “losers” in business.

One of the first steps to plan a business

is to of course plan how money will be budgeted and spent. A problem for many business owners is that they might stop

here. Duhigg accounts in his book about

how Duke not only focused on the odds

regarding herself, for example the odds of getting dealt a certain card to give

If the skilled player wins 20 hands out of 100, they will win $100 twenty times, resulting in winnings of $2,000, a profit of $1,000 considering it cost $1000 to play 100 hands each for $10.

her a flush, etc. But she also used the

odds to gain an edge on her opponent by sizing them up.

“At the intermediate level, you want

to know as many rules as possible.

Intermediate players crave certainty,” Duke said. “But elite players can use

that craving against them, because

it makes intermediate players more predictable.” She also went on to say “Poker is about using your chips to gather information faster than everyone else.” This relates to competitive

advantage, a key characteristic of a

confidence, will pay off because in the long

lot of successful businesses. You need to

good money. To quote Duhigg, “It doesn’t

going to do next just as much as you need

run they know they will end up making matter that this hand is uncertain. What

matters is committing to odds that pay off in the long run.”

be able to predict what your opponent is

to predict what is going to happen to you.

In the business world you make decisions based on what your opponents might do.

the player only needs to match their last

The main idea here is that there is a key

Of course thinking probabilistically

$10, which had risen the pot to $100. A

losers in poker: Losers think in terms

nearly any situation. What are the odds

wager, which in this case Duhigg says is

good player knows that over time they will still make money over the course of

the game even by just winning 20 percent of the time, because each time they win

a hand they win $100, whereas a less

skilled player would fold due to the low chance of winning the initial hand. The

difference between the winners and

of certainty, while winners actually consider the odds and have the ability to know what could happen. They are

well aware that they can never be certain

what will happen, but they use that to their advantage. In their case it is almost

as if less knowledge is more. It is really

is advantageous to any company in we’ll be able to sell this? How often do companies like ours succeed? Should we

spread our business across the country or

even the entire globe? Or will we not be successful in those markets? What kinds

of advertisements will be effective? Being able to grasp the odds of what will

G A M I N G A N D D E S T I N AT I O N S . C O M |

25

happen, or in other words being able to answer these questions with numbers, helps businesses not only make better decisions but also cope with the fact that often times the honest answer is that they simply do not know.

up with ever changing trends in order to

But knowing that they don’t know is the key. If one accepts the fact that nothing is certain, he can use that in itself to make better decisions, because he can dissect the different outcomes that are possible instead of simply folding based on what probably will happen. Sometimes folding is the best decision, but there could be a better one. It’s all about the numbers and knowing the opponent.

a game of poker. Many great ideas have

Business is a competition, just as much as a game of poker, or even a war between two countries. Business is different because a lot of success in business comes by being able to gain a competitive advantage through innovation, and it is difficult to have statistics on when something that has never existed will be successful. Businesses need to keep

26

| G A M I N G A N D D E S T I N AT I O N S . C O M

stay on top. Entrepreneurs can never be

sure whether consumers will love or hate

a new product or service. But if history has shown anything it is that risks can pay off

in the business world, just as they can in been turned down again and again, just

Risks can pay off in the business world, just as they can in a game of poker.

Many great ideas have been turned down again and again, just like a poker player may lose a hand again and again, but when executives finally win one, it can pay off greatly.

like a poker player may lose a hand again and again, but when executives finally win one, it can pay off greatly.

It is important to note that Duhigg also makes the point that a loss isn’t a failure so much as an “experiment.” He also makes the point that “even the smartest players can be undone by bad luck.”

Earlier in the tournament of champions, Duke was facing a man by the name of Greg Raymer, nicknamed “the FossilMan.” Late in the round he had bet all his chips and despite his great cards, he lost the hand and was out of the tournament. Again, bad luck can overtake anyone, but without knowing a bit about how to manage uncertainty, a business person, or a poker player, will not be able to succeed.

You can always learn from loss but you can’t learn from doing nothing.

Hunter Grove was a contributing author to this article. –Ed.

DOWN HERE, THIS IS HOW WE PLAY. Come back to Paragon and see what’s new. Play in our completely redesigned and refurbished casino.

Relax at one of our three pools. And enjoy the area’s finest dining at Legends Steak House or down-home favorites at Big Daddy E’s. Whatever you love to do, Paragon has more ways to do it.

BEST VIDEO POKER BEST VIDEO SLOTS BEST 50-CENT SLOTS THE FEEL LUCKIEST CASINO THE FRIENDLIEST CASINO

ParagonCasinoResort.com MARKSVILLE, LA

G A M I N G A N D D E S T I N AT I O N S . C O M |

27

NORT H S TA R MOH ICA N CA SI NO R E SORT BOW LE R , W I S C O N S I N

K

now n as the “Midwest ’s

Extend your stay with amenities that

himself as a top-notch food & beverage

Star Mohican Casino Resort

Hills Golf Course, numerous casual and

focus is on always refining the customer

state-of-the-art entertainment venue that

continuous improvement” stated Busch.

Friendliest Casino,” North

is a premier destination nestled in the

breathtaking North Woods of Wisconsin.

Located within an hour of Green Bay and

minutes north of Hwy 29, North Star offers gaming enthusiasts everything they could imagine, and more.

The full-service casino is home to over 1,200 slots, table games, and Bingo in an

open and un-congested layout. The resort also has 187 rooms and suites all suited to be your home away from home as well as

one of the best RV Parks in the region with 60 pull thru spots located conveniently near the resort.

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| G A M I N G A N D D E S T I N AT I O N S . C O M

include the luxurious Terradea Spa, Pine

executive in the greater Atlanta area. “My

fine dining options, a fitness center and a

experience by creating an environment of

showcases nationally known acts.

“I am committed to integrating North

The property strives for excellence in both

surrounding community in ways that will

the guest amenities and gaming as well

as the friendly staff from casino greeters to top level management. Recently, the

property announced the appointment of

David Busch, new Hospitality Director, and William Sauer, new Marketing Director, to insure the continued success of the property.

Star’s food & beverage program with the both nourish and entertain our guests.”

Mr. Busch’s previous roles included Guest Services Director at Sky Ute Casino Resort in Ignacio, CO, Director of Food

& Beverage at Hilton Hotels & Resorts,

and General Manager at the Magnolia Room in Atlanta where he designed, built, and opened the restaurant.

David Busch brings to his new role a

William Sauer brings a distinguished

hospitality industry, having established

industry experience to his new role

background of accomplishment in the

track record of almost 20 years of gaming

as Marketing Director and will be

Both men are leaders with a proven

initiatives of North Star. Formerly from

General Manager. “Hospitality and

responsible for overseeing all marketing the Green Bay area, his most recent positions include Business Intelligence Manager at Seneca Resorts & Casinos in

New York and Business/Financial Analyst at Oneida Casino near Green Bay. Sauer

commented, “I am excited about this

track record.” stated Michael Bonakdar,

marketing are foundational to delivering

the friendliest service experience to our valued guests. Lending their leadership

and abundance of knowledge in their

respective fields to the North Star team will bring fresh ideas and new growth

opportunity to join the North Star team.

opportunities. We welcome David Busch

It’s ultimately about driving guest loyalty

and William Sauer to the team!”

by delivering the best offers, the most fun and the friendliest service to our guests!”

For more i n for mat ion or to make reser vations, v isit NorthStarCasinoResort.com or call

“We are proud to add David Busch and William Sauer to our North Star family.

David Busch - Hospitality Director

North Star is home to over 1,200 slot machines.

(800) 952-0195.

Michael Bonakdar - General Manager

The Groove Lounge at North Star

William Sauer - Marketing Director

G A M I N G A N D D E S T I N AT I O N S . C O M |

29

MIDWEST

CASINO DIRECTORY

Below is a list of our preferred properties of the Midwest showcasing some of the great things that each property has.

WEBSITE

PHONE NUMBER

TROPICANA EVANSVILLE

TROPEVANSVILLE.COM

800-342-5386

BELTERRA CASINO RESORT & SPA

BELTERRACASINO.COM

800-472-6311

RISING STAR CASINO RESORT

RISINGSTARCASINO.COM

INDIANA GRAND CASINO

*CC PARTNER

TABLES

MACHINES

40

1,000

40

1,600

812-438-1234

29

1,000

INDIANAGRAND.COM

877-386-4463

50

2,000+

HARD ROCK HOTEL & CASINO, SIOUX CITY

HARDROCKCASINOSIOUXCITY.COM

712-226-7600

25

839

RIVERSIDE CASINO & GOLF RESORT

RIVERSIDECASINOANDRESORT.COM

877-677-3456

32

1,150

MYSTIQUE CASINO, DUBUQUE

MYSTIQUEDBQ.COM

563-582-3647

22

1,000

SOARINGEAGLECASINO.COM

888-732-4537

79

4,200

INDIANA •

IOWA •

MICHIGAN SOARING EAGLE CASINO & RESORT MGM GRAND DETROIT

MGMGRANDDETROIT.COM

877-888-2121

98

4,000

ISLAND RESORT AND CASINO, HARRIS

ISLANDRESORTANDCASINO.COM

800-682-6040

15

1,200

GUN LAKE CASINO

GUNLAKECASINO.COM/

269-792-7777

33

1,600

TREASURE ISLAND RESORT & CASINO

TICASINO.COM

888-867-7829

46

2,200

GRAND CASINO HINCKLEY

GRANDCASINOMN.COM

800-472-6321

44

3,500

GRAND CASINO MILLE LACS

GRANDCASINOMN.COM

800-626-5825

30

3,100

AMERISTAR CASINO HOTEL KANSAS CITY

AMERISTAR.COM/KANSAS-CITY

816-414-7000

115

2,300

LUMIERE PLACE CASINO AND HOTELS

LUMIERE.COM

314-881-777

73

2,000

RIVER CITY CASINO & HOTEL, ST. LOUIS

RIVERCITY.COM

888-578-7289

54

2,000

MINNESOTA

MISSOURI

OHIO JACK CASINO CINCINNATI

JACKENTERTAINMENT.COM/CINCINNATI

513-252-0777

100

2,000

HOLLYWOOD CASINO COLUMBUS

HOLLYWOODCOLUMBUS.COM

614-308-3333

76

2,200

JACK CASINO CLEVELAND

JACKENTERTAINMENT.COM/CLEVELAND

216-297-4777

100

1,600

HARD ROCK HOTEL & CASINO, TULSA

HARDROCKCASINOTULSA.COM

800-760-6700

40

2,600

WINSTAR CASINO & RESORT

WINSTARWORLDCASINO.COM

580-276-4229

97

7,400

HO-CHUNK GAMING, WITTENBERG

HO-CHUNKGAMING.COM/WITTENBERG

715-253-4400

HO-CHUNK GAMING, BLACK RIVER FALLS

HO-CHUNKGAMING.COM/BLACKRIVERFALLS

800-657-4621

HO-CHUNK GAMING, TOMAH

HO-CHUNKGAMING.COM/TOMAH

866-880-9822

HO-CHUNK GAMING, WISCONSIN DELLS

HO-CHUNKGAMING.COM/WISCONSINDELLS

800-746-2486

HO-CHUNK GAMING, MADISON

HO-CHUNKGAMING.COM/MADISON

608-223-9576

HO-CHUNK GAMING, NEKOOSA

HO-CHUNKGAMING.COM/NEKOOSA

800-782-4560

50

650

NORTH STAR CASINO RESORT

NORTHSTARCASINORESORT.COM

800-952-0195

16

1,200

ST. CROIX CASINO TURTLE LAKE

STCROIXCASINO.COM

800-846-8946

22

1,095

POTAWATOMI HOTEL & CASINO

PAYSBIG.COM

800-729-7244

100

3,000

OKLAHOMA

WISCONSIN

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| G A M I N G A N D D E S T I N AT I O N S . C O M

517 10

634 96

50

1,832 1,200

READER REVIEW * CC Partner means the property provides coupons and special offers to members of the Comps Club. For more information, visit Thecompsclub.com

ENT. VENUE

GOLF

SPA

POOL

689

•

•

•

•

294

•

•

# OF ROOMS

Reader Rating: 94%

243

•

Hollywood Casino St. Louis 54

•

201

• •

•

•

275

• • •

•

• • •

496

•

•

•

967

• •

•

•

• •

•

•

•

• •

116

517 400

967

184 294 200

•

• • •

•

• • • • •

184 294 200

1,500

• •

140

•

302

• •

129

•

161

•

391

•

454

• •

•

•

•

•

•

• INDOOR

HollywoodCasinoStLouis.com 1-855-785-4263

Property Overview: Hollywood Casino St. Louis is located about thirty minutes West of the famous Gateway Arch and downtown St. Louis. Home to a casino with 2,000 slot machines, over 60 table games and a poker room, you are sure to find all of the action you’ll need. And with 500 newly renovated hotel rooms and suites, and several dining options including final cut steakhouse, 99 Hops House and Charlie Gitto’s Italian restaurant, you can settle in for a long weekend and never have to leave!

Casino Layout: 93 Cleanliness: 95 Slot Selection: 92 Table Game Selection: 94 Staff: 90 Casino Décor: 97 Did you win? YES Notes: Hollywood always treats us very nice when we go there. We like the free rooms and food offers the most. And, the free play money is great too! They rooms are always nice and clean and the maid service is always very nice as well. We like to go a couple times a month and always look forward to it.

Review by: Evelyn T. – Steelville, MO Want to review a casino? Let us know about your recent casino visits at GamingandDestinations.com G A M I N G A N D D E S T I N AT I O N S . C O M |

31

FUTURE ODDS FIND YOUR EDGE…PLACE YOUR BET!

Check out the latest odds for major sporting events. For the latest up-to-the-minute odds, visit GamingandDestinations.com 2017 NCAA HEISMAN TROPHY AWARD Player

Team

Opening Odds

November

Saquon Barkley

Penn St.

20-1

4-7

Bryce Love

Standford

100-1

2-1

Baker Mayfield

Oklahoma

7-1

10-1

J.T. Barrett

Ohio State

10-1

10-1

Mason Rudolph

Oklahoma St.

15-1

20-1

Lamar Jackson

Louisville

8-1

25-1

*All others candidates are higher than 25-1.

September November

Alabama

5/2 5/6

Ohio State

6/1

6/1

Penn State

16/1

7/1

Georgia

33/1

10/1

Clemson

N/A

11/1

Oklahoma St.

33/1

16/1

TCU

N/A

16/1

Wisconsin N/A 16/1 Oklahoma 12/1 25/1 Miami, FL.

N/A

25/1

Washington 33/1 33/1 Notre Dame

N/A

*All others are higher than 33/1.

Team

September

November

Philadelphia Eagles

N/A

7/1

Seattle Seahawks

8/1

New England Patriots Pittsburgh Steelers

33/1

13/4

10/1

7/2

8/1

10/1

Kansas City Chiefs

N/A

Minnesota Vikings

N/A

20/1

12/1

20/1

New Orleans Saints Los Angeles Rams

2017 NCAA FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP – JANUARY 8, 2018 MERCEDES BENZ STADIUM – ATLANTA, GEORGIA Team

SUPER BOWL LII – FEBRUARY 4, 2018 U.S. BANK STADIUM – MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA

Atlanta Falcons

Dallas Cowboys

N/A N/A

12/1

10/1

16/1

20/1

20/1

*All others higher than 20/1.

2017-2018 NCAA MEN’S BASKETBALL – APRIL 2, 2018 ALAMODOME – SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS Team November Duke 5/1 Michigan State

13/2

Arizona 8/1

Kentucky 10/1 North Carolina

12/1

Kansas 14/1

Missouri 16/1

Louisville 20/1

Villanova 20/1 Florida

25/1

Gonzaga 25/1 *All others higher than 25/1.

For the latest sports odds, updated every 5 minutes, visit GamingandDestinations.com 32 | G A M I N G A N D D E S T I N AT I O N S . C O M

MORE THAN JUST

GAMING

Dine at one of our award-winning restaurants or enjoy a drink at one of our three bars!

MONDAY-THURSDAY

5 BREAKFAST $ 7 LUNCH $ 9 DINNER $

SATURDAYS 12PM-9PM

1

$

BUD LIGHT

MONDAY-THURSDAY

5

$

DOUBLE BURGER BASKET

Show your Backstage Pass Rewards Club Card at any casino bar to redeem.

111 3RD STREET

I SIOUX CITY, IA 51101 I HARDROCKCASINOSIOUXCITY.COM

A M I N G A N D D E Scall T I N AT I O N S . C O M | 33 Must be 21 or older to gamble. If you or someone you know needs gambling Gtreatment, 800.BETS OFF.

MAKE MEMORIES THAT LAST A LIFETIME With six unique destinations to choose from, you are sure to have a location in your very own backyard. Experience top of the line gaming, dining, and lodging only with Ho-Chunk Gaming Wisconsin.

Visit ho-chunkgaming.com to Experience the Difference. Ho-Chunk Gaming welcomes anyone 21 or older to play at any of our locationss.

Ho-Chunk reserves the right to alter or cancel offers or promotions at any time without notice. Gaming & Accommodations vary by location.

34 | G AGaming M I N G A N D D E S T I N AT I O N S . C O M