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?

You've really confused me [with the answer to the QoD on 9/30 about getting new side bets to table games approved by Gaming authorities]. If table games have a 10%-20% hold for Nevada casinos, how are they better for a player than the 5%-7% average hold on slots? I used info from UNLV to compare the two. What am I missing here?

I recently went to The Cosmopolitan and saw a new table game based on flushes, which I think was called Flush or Better, and it seemed to be played similarly to Three Card Poker. Can you give a rundown on the rules and what kind of odds are expected on this game?

We would like to visit Vegas and see Christmas decorations in all the casinos. Do you know when they’ll be done, especially the Bellagio? Are there any "special" shows just for the Christmas holiday?

I lived for a year in South Korea and found the idea of gaming in South Korea to be, well, impracticable. Could you give some background on current gaming, and "expanded" gaming sought?

My wife and I used to visit Slots A Fun when it still paid out in coins. Are there any slot environments that still pay in coins or have they all adopted the paper-redemption coupon?

Are there any websites that keep jackpot payout statistics by casino? Particularly jackpots in the million-plus range?

We've seen a number of progressive slot machines in Nevada where the casino limits the jackpot to a certain amount. For example a 2 $1 Ten Times machine where the jackpot which started at $20,000 stopped increasing when it hit $85,000 and a $100 Red White & Blue machine where the jackpot which started at $100,000 stopped increasing when it hit $300,000. Is there a reason for this other than casino greed?

An article in the business section of the R-J on Saturday, October 1, about the grand opening of the American headquarters of the Australian slot manufacturing company Ainsworth, called its founder Len Ainsworth "the father of video poker." I was under the impression that that title belonged to Si Redd of IGT. Please explain the discrepancy.

This is a question for your legal department. First the scenerio: My wife and her brother were in a Michigan casino (Soaring Eagle). My wife, who never plays the slots, sat down at a machine next to her brother, put her card in, put in a twenty, and began playing. She was winning, finally looked at her credits and saw she had $110. She cashed out. Now comes a casino employee with two security guards. They did not identify themselves, were very rude, and accused her of stealing $98 from an old man who was playing that machine and left the credits on it. My wife did not notice the credits and asked to see the man. Now comes another employee with two more security guards. They threatened prosecution. They produced a printout of the machine’s activity from the office and said they had the proof. My wife, 68, has cancer, is very timid, paid the money, and they went away. She never did see the old man. Is this normal procedure? Does this happen in Vegas casinos? Is it legal?