I'm from Northwest Indiana and now the Pokagon Tribe in South Bend is starting construction on their casino. Apparently they will have class 2 gaming machines. My question is what are the odds on class 2 compared to class 3? I've played class 2 video poker in Wisconsin and am not impressed with a bingo card on the screen, just really throws the enjoyment out the window thinking i'm playing computer bingo. So are the payout odds much different?

I've just encountered a blackjack variation called "Top 3." It looks like an extension of the "21+3" game, offering a large payout for hitting any of three unlikely hands, like suited trip-aces. A dealer, who claimed that she'd done the math, told me that the "Top 3" is a good bet, pretty much guaranteed to pay off, especially if you're playing with a less-than-full table. I'm skeptical that the casino would ever offer a bet that's favorable for the players. What say you?

What do you know about the new casino opening in Kansas next year? It is supposed to be in the process of being built.

You said [in the November 25 QoD] MGM only sold one of the former Mirage resorts [Treasure Island], but what about the Golden Nugget? I'm pretty sure that was included in the MGM sale and was sold within four or five years of the original transaction.

Concerning the QoD on December 8 [about casinos aimed specifically at a Latino market]. My wife and I make the drive from Fresno to Las Vegas twice a year and we like to go through Death Valley. We often pass by a big sign for El Sueño, in Beatty, Nevada, and wonder about it. It appears to be an abandoned casino project. Was that aimed at Hispanics?

As Nevada is an open-carry state, where are you NOT allowed to carry a non-concealed handgun?

My wife and I just toured the MONA Museum of Neon Art in Glendale, California. Searching the QoD archives, we came up with the early, pre-Las Vegas history of neon, but we're wondering when neon became the dominant signage in Las Vegas. Also, what happened to it? It's not so prevalent anymore.

Happy New Year!

I asked this a few years ago and want to see if anything has changed. Are there any behind-the-scenes tours of hotels, shows, Las Vegas underground? Took one tour about eight years ago underneath Caesar's Palace. It was great.

In your discussion of the Flush table games [QoD December 10], you used two terms that had different percentages, but seemed to be the same thing to me: "house edge" and "element of risk." What is the difference between the two terms?