Could you find out which casinos will issue a commemorative $8 chip for Chinese New Year? The year begins on Jan. 29, 2005, and it will be the Year of the Dog.

There are plenty of lists of popular slot machines (Double Diamond, Blazing 7s, etc.), but I'm just curious about some of the not-so-populars: ones that made it to the casino floor but then were gone like a flash. I know the manufactures do a lot of research, but I'm sure they have had some flops.

I regularly read Frugal Fridays, by Jean Scott. In the article of 12/16/05 on VP, Jean Scott referred to "perfect strategy" and "penalty cards." Would you please explain these terms for a VP newbie?

Are keno lounges on their way out? On a recent trip to Las Vegas, I noticed that at least the Bellagio and MGM Grand have done away with their keno lounges, where I used to like to go sit, play a little keno with a cocktail, and relax awhile after walking around all day or having a big meal. Which casinos still have keno lounges?

In light of the legal threats by the NFL, are the Las Vegas casinos going to host any Super Bowl parties this year?

The other day I was in a casino and walked past one of those cash booths, the kind where the money blows around and the player has to try to grab as much as he can. The person in the booth seemed to be having a hard time grabbing the money. Which got me to wondering if there’s a basic strategy for maximizing your time in a cash booth.

What's the house advantage on a bet on a National Football League game?

A couple years ago, there was a big row over casinos wanting to add "private gaming salons" for the biggest whales. I remember that Nevada regulators did allow them with a variety of restrictions. The last I heard was that there were some mixed results and the casinos were not having the success they had hoped for. Do these salons still exist? What's the latest on them?

When did video poker machines first hit Las Vegas? I seem to recall playing nickel VP at the Sahara in late ’89 or in the early 1990s.

I’d like to get in on some of the Texas hold ‘em excitement. Would it be best to start online? Or to play in low-stakes games in a casino poker room? Or to try my hand at tournaments with small buy-ins?