Informative question/answer on the term "suckout" in poker (QoD 3/22). But there was no mention of a "bad beat." Would a suckout basically be the same thing?

Have the casinos/manufacturers tightened the hit ratio on video poker? While the pay schedule on top of the machine may be attractive, it seems winning hands occur less often than in the past. Have the machines gotten tighter?

With Herbst Gaming, owner of Primm Valley Resorts, Terrible’s and 11 other casinos, filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Ownership of the casinos will revert to creditors, while the Herbst family retains majority ownership of the slot routes. What are slot routes?

After a truck driver was caught stealing MGM Mirage and Harrah’s customer information both Players Club and Total Rewards changed their websites within 24 hours of each other? Was the security breach worse than reported?

What is the philosophy with the "Daily Average" you mentioned in the 3/16 QoD? As an out of towner, when I visit, is it more advantageous for me to play heavily on two or three days instead of spreading the same amount of play over four or five days? I played more on our last visit than my friend, but he’s getting more offers and I suspect that that is the reason. Thanks!

Tax time is rapidly approaching. Do I need to claim gift cards, free credits, or mailers offering cash or free play as income?

Leading into the NCAA Basketball Championship, ESPN Radio’s Freddie Coleman said, "Pittsburgh could be a chalk pick." From the context of the dialogue, I’m guessing that "chalk pick" means an "overwhelming favorite." Is that right?

Can you please supply the definition and origin of the poker term "suck out"?

What is the reason behind the practice of laying cash on the table instead of handing it to the dealer?

The February 2009 issue of the Las Vegas Advisor points out that the super-fancy and elitist Encore casino has severely restrictive and ungenerous rules for gambling, but the Eastside Cannery will have much looser and gambler-friendly rules to be revealed soon. Explain to me what I'm not understanding, but in the section under "Encore Gambling," LVA states that in 6-deck blackjack games, the dealer stands on soft 17, and the player may double after splitting, resplit aces, and surrender. Aren’t these blackjack rules so liberal and loose as to be comparable to Atlantic City rules? Is there any casino in or around Las Vegas that has such loose blackjack rules as the Encore?