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Since You Asked — The Rat Pack Is Back

Usually, when a show bounces around from venue to venue, it’s a bad sign. It can mean that attendance is insufficient, or the casino isn’t promoting it well, or the space doesn’t work for the show. None of these reasons is usually overcome by moving to another venue — if the show actually does move. More times that not, when a show closes, the producers state that they say they’re “looking for a new home.” Then, it’s never heard from again.

One exception is The Rat Pack is Back. Before the shutdown in mid-March, it ws playing at the slightly off-Strip Tuscany. Previously, it appeared at the Plaza and the now-defunct Greek Isles, among other places. If that doesn’t seem like a stellar resumé, don’t be misled. It’s a really fun and enjoyable show.

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Not My Thing

I was beginning my play at the South Point for their July “Spin 2 Win” promotion, playing, for variety, the 25¢ Good Times Pay version of NSU Deuces Wild. This is a Triple Play game where you get multipliers from 1x to 7x on each of the three lines (averaging exactly 2x). This uses the same strategy and has the same EV as regular NSU.  Although it is slower to play than the $2 single line version that I would play were I in more of in a hurry, in my opinion it is more enjoyable to play. At least sometimes.

Two machines over (the one between us was turned off for social distancing reasons) was an Ultimate X machine that goes up to 25¢ Triple Play. The 9/6 Double Double Bonus version of that game has basically the same return as NSU  and is much more difficult to play correctly, but is far more exciting. 

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Since You Asked — Wings Over Vegas

I’m a wings aficionado. It’s my favorite food by far. I once flew from New York City to Buffalo and back in one day, just to go to the Anchor Bar and have wings for lunch. Then I married a girl from Buffalo! Even before I did, I spent plenty of time there, so if you’re from Buffalo, I submit the following to establish my street cred:

  • My favorite wings are Big Tree Inn, Buffalo Brew Pub, and Amherst Pizza and Ale House. 
  • I prefer Anchor Bar to Duff’s.
  • Bleu cheese. Period. Don’t even mention ranch.
  • Wings shouldn’t be breaded or baked. Those might be wings, and they might be chicken, but they’re not wings.
In Buffalo, NY, they have their priorities straight.

Las Vegas has lots of great food, but sometimes you’re just looking for good wings. They’re there, but you have to know where to find them. Here are my reviews and recommendations.

Best Wings on the Strip

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A Somewhat Closer Look at Gambler’s Bonus

In my last two blogs, I mentioned the Gambler’s Bonus system that was attached to games I played long ago. I received a lengthy post (which you may find in the comments to the July 21 post on www.gamblingwithanedge.com ) asking me lots of specifics about that particular slot club system.

I’ll respond where I can. I don’t have inside information on how it worked, and it’s been a long time since I played it, but I’ll tell you what I remember. It’s possible that the system has changed some since I actively played it.

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Gambler’s Bonus Reminiscences – Part II of II

Last week I wrote about a juicy game that lasted for several years in 15-machine pubs in greater Las Vegas. If you read that article first, this one will make more sense.

Near the end of the time when this game was available, the manager of one of these pubs asked if I could meet him for lunch away from the pub. Sure. No problem. He had been to some of my classes and we were friendly.

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Gambler’s Bonus Reminiscences – Part I of II

For a five-year period ending about a decade ago, I played a lot at certain 15-machine pubs in the southeastern section of the Las Vegas valley. Places such as Village Pub, Raye’s, Doc Holliday’s, and Franklin’s. Most of these places have changed owners and names since then. All have removed the game I played. 

My game of choice was a version of Deuces Bonus in the Gambler’s Bonus system called Deuces Plus. Today, the best IGT version of this game pays 45-20-20 for straight flushes, quads, and full houses with a return of 99.45%. The version at the pubs paid 50-20-20 with the royal returning 1,000-for-1 rather than 800-for-1. This made it a 100.35% game. Plus slot club. Plus bonuses. And all these places had the game for ten-coin $5 — meaning $50 hand.

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Two Simple Applications of the Binomial Distribution

A month or so ago I answered the Question of the Day for the Las Vegas Advisor and I answered it in terms of the Binomial Distribution. There were some comments posted after that QOD indicating that people wanted to know more about it. This is a lightly edited version of a 2012 article that I published should be sufficient to respond to those questions.

I receive a lot of mail asking such questions as, “If I am dealt four cards to the royal flush (such as A♥ K♥ Q♥ T♥) and I am playing Fifty Play, how many royals will I usually end up getting?” or, “I played more than 200,000 hands of Jacks or Better and only received three royal flushes. How unlucky was this?”

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Two Sucker Bets

“S-U-R-P-R-I-S-E!” sixty people shouted as my wife Bonnie entered her sister’s house. Her 75th birthday party was off to a noisy beginning.

I sighed in relief. We had pulled it off. All the invitations and such had been sent out and responses received with Bonnie having no clue. I had ordered a cake from BabyCakes, the bakery within the M Resort, where I had a large number of comps.

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