The online poker site where I play claims to take VISA and MasterCard as deposit options. However, every time I've tried to use a credit card to make a deposit, the charge has been denied. One of my card companies' fraud department even called me once to make sure my card hadn't been stolen; they then informed me that they never honor charges for online gambling. I know there are other payment options, but I'm not real keen on giving a third-party payment company my bank info just to play poker. Are there any credit-card companies that honor an online gambling transaction?

Is there a rule in poker that if you show your hand to one player, you must then show to all at the table? Thanks for your help — it will settle a bet.

I recently visited The Gamblers Book Club for the first time. It looks like it's been around since forever. How did it get there? Who started it?

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?