Las Vegas Casinos Lower Gaming Table Minimums to Lure Players, Is That a Good Bet?

You’ve seen bargain-basement hotel rates and coupons for meals, show tickets and retail purchases — even volume discounts on bottle service in nightclubs and lounges. But what are Strip casinos doing with their main attraction in the economic downturn?

Gambling games, priced in terms of how much players will lose over time, aren’t like products on a supermarket shelf. Or are they?

In fact, several Strip casinos have lowered table minimums on games in an apparent attempt to attract more customers during tough economic times. For example, Wynn Las Vegas offers some $25 double deck blackjack games on weekdays, down from a $50 per hand minimum. On the other end of the spectrum, and for a vastly different clientele, the Sahara is offering $1 blackjack.

Players view the moves as a retreat from the high minimums of years past, during the tourism boom. At the time, table minimums at many Strip properties rose sky-high, along with hotel room rates, mixed drink prices and restaurant checks.

Anthony Curtis, publisher of the Las Vegas Advisor newsletter, says many major casinos are lowering minimums to lure players. Curtis calls it a rare sign of player-friendliness by casinos loath to offer games that don’t make enough money to justify free drinks for gamblers and staff salaries.

High minimums “never made a lot of sense,” Curtis says, because they cause gamblers to burn through their bankrolls more quickly and leave.

Strip casinos in the downturn have become aggressive pitchmen for non-gambling discounts, plastering the Internet with offers for tourists as well as locals. Not so for gambling games.

Casinos — mindful of the competition, which can quickly adopt similar games or rules, unlike, say, shows, restaurants or other major attractions — are especially sensitive to details of their games.

For example, Curtis says the lower minimums have been reported everywhere, including at Harrah’s and MGM Mirage casinos. But when Harrah’s Entertainment Western Region President Tom Jenkin is asked about any changes in limits, he says his company’s seven Las Vegas casinos “have not nor are we planning to lower table game limits.”

Caesars Palace, for example, which raised limits last year, offers “a wide range of betting limits, including the highest available in the city,” Jenkin adds.

So maybe when Jenkin says Harrah’s has not lowered game limits, he means it hasn’t lowered its maximums as opposed to the minimums. And MGM Mirage spokeswoman Yvette Monet avoids using the word “lower” in her answer. “We adjust our table game limits based on daily visitor volume,” she says.

Another aspect of the games also comes into play — the rules. The more favorable the odds of a particular table game, the higher the minimum bet requirement — a strategy that limits the number of players who can take their shot against the casino. Lower limits almost always mean worse rules for players, says Al Rogers of Pi Yee Press, which publishes blackjack rules and odds by property in its Current Blackjack News newsletter.

Players may think they’re getting a better deal with a lower-minimum game when the opposite is typically true, he warns.

Rather than tempting players by reducing their house edge, Strip casinos, Rogers says, have continued a trend that began before the recession, to lower the odds for blackjack and related games by worsening rules.

Blackjack wagers on the Strip fell by nearly $1 billion for the 12 months ended April 30 after peaking the previous year, according to the Gaming Control Board. Strip casinos kept 10.9 percent of those wagers, a fraction of a percentage point less than in the previous period.

Rogers contends that casinos have sacrificed profit in their attempts to thwart card-counters, a small segment of players relative to the masses who are also turned off by games in which the odds are more favorable to the house.

For example, many Strip casinos offer games paying 6-to-5 for blackjacks instead of the customary 3-to-2 and those where dealers hit “soft” 17s, meaning they must draw another card on hands containing an ace valued at 11, giving the house a chance to improve a relatively weak hand. Both strategies increase the house edge.

“They know they’re offering a worse product. Their own math will tell them that. But lower minimums make it look like the customer is getting a better value,” Rogers said.

Curtis is more accepting of cheap games with unfavorable rules, even the Sahara’s $1 blackjack, which pays only even money on minimum-bet blackjacks.

“It’s only a dollar,” Curtis said. “Players like the idea that they can retreat back to that point if they want. And it gets people in the door.”

Thanks to Liz Benston

WAC Moving Basketball Tournaments to Las Vegas

The Western Athletic Conference announced that the 2011 and 2012 WAC Basketball Tournaments will be held at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas.

"We are extremely excited about bringing the WAC's most prestigious event back to the city of Las Vegas and the Orleans Arena," said WAC Commissioner Karl Benson. "Over the last couple of years, it has become more critical and important to find a neutral site to satisfy the concerns of our men's and women's coaches. WAC fans have shown that they enjoy traveling to Las Vegas and I am certain the Orleans Arena will create a great tournament atmosphere."

The 2011 WAC Men's and Women's Basketball Tournament will be held March 9-12 and will include the top eight teams in the regular-season standings.

The move to a neutral site was approved by the WAC Board of Directors which is currently chaired by the President of the University of Nevada, Milton Glick. "We were delighted to have been selected to host the 2009 and 2010 tournaments in Reno in partnership with the Reno Sparks Convention and Visitors Authority," said Glick. "However, more tournaments are moving to neutral locations. The decision to move the 2011 WAC Basketball Tournament to Las Vegas is positive for the fans, the conference and the tournament. All of the WAC university presidents and athletic directors toured the Orleans Arena and believe it will be an excellent facility which will attract our fan base to attend the tournament.""

"We are excited to build on our relationship with the WAC by hosting their championship basketball tournaments," said Darren Davis, Orleans Arena Executive Director. "As we saw last year, these tournaments are significant tourism draws for our community, and we are excited to welcome another major conference in Las Vegas."

In April of this year, the conference announced that the 2009 WAC Volleyball Tournament will be held at the Orleans Arena. The venue is home to the Las Vegas Invitational and Las Vegas Classic annual collegiate basketball tournaments, and has hosted several other sporting events including AVP Volleyball, Las Vegas Wranglers hockey, Las Vegas Gladiators arena football, the West Coast Conference's basketball tournaments and several boxing and mixed martial arts events.

"WAC head basketball coaches have been pushing for a neutral site for a number of years," said Utah State men's head coach Stew Morrill. "Las Vegas will be an exciting location, The Orleans is a great venue, and most importantly no team will have home court advantage."

This marks the second time that the WAC Basketball Tournament will be played in Las Vegas. From 1997-99, the tournament was played at the Thomas & Mack Center when UNLV was a member of the WAC.

"I believe for the WAC to continue growing and take its place among the top leagues in the country, we do need to play the tournament on a neutral court," said New Mexico State women's head coach Darin Spence. "Las Vegas should attract more fans from all schools and be a positive experience for all of us."

The 2010 tournament will be played in Reno, Nevada at the University's Lawlor Events Center. This past year, Nevada also hosted the tournament which was won by Utah State on the men's side and Fresno State on the women's.

Mike Matusow's Mantra is Don't Worry, Be Happy

Mike Matusow has mellowed, which may disappoint the legion of poker fans who have come to cherish his well-documented profantity-laced meltdowns, verbal tirades and constant chattering at the table which earned him the nickname "The Mouth."

They may also be surprised to know that Matusow is a happier person because of the change.

Matusow, 41, has earned more than $6 million playing poker since the mid-1990s. That includes winning three World Series of Poker individual event championship bracelets and more than $3.1 million going into the 2009 tournament.

He reached the World Series of Poker's main event final table in 2005, but finished ninth and won $1 million.

His success at cards came despite suffering from Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and being diagnosed as bipolar. Before the illnesses were identified, Matusow self-medicated and he became addicted to numerous illegal drugs, including methamphetamine and cocaine. His troubles peaked in late 2004, when he spent six months in the Clark County Detention Center after pleading guilty to buying drugs for a friend who turned out to be a Las Vegas police undercover officer.

Today, Matusow is off illegal drugs and is taking two types of medication for his disorders. And he's a better poker player because of it. "I'm twice the player I was. I'm more well-rounded and not as out of control and crazy," Matusow said. "When I take my medication, I'm more subdued at the table. I'm really focused and really quiet."

Matusow spelled out his poker career in an autobiography, "Check-Raising the Devil." He and co-authors Amy Calistri and Tim Lavalli explain in graphic detail his addictions, his battles with depression and mental illness, and his verbal diatribes, including his 2004 manhood-questioning lambasting of eventual World Series of Poker champion Greg Raymer during the tournament's main event. The meltdown was shown worldwide on ESPN.

He is selling copies of the book in a booth outside the World Series of Poker room at the Rio. He said the public relations push for the book will begin in earnest after the tournament. "We haven't even done the major stuff and we've sold 14,000 copies," Matusow said. "I want to sell a million copies."

Lavalli is hopeful the book will lead to a movie script. "Check-Raising the Devil" is a different type of poker self-help book. "I don't want to see some of these young kids make the same mistakes I made," Matusow said. "There are a lot of good young players who are making a lot of money but are falling into that lifestyle with drugs and strippers. A person who parties like that is going to lose everything. I've been there and I've lost everything."

Matusow said he now wakes up happy, thanks to psychoanalysis. Even when he was making millions, Matusow said he would awake crying with suicidal feelings.

It might seem surprising that Matusow would turn his attention toward helping other poker players avoid some of his pitfalls. However, when he was in jail, he was visited by several members of the poker community who helped him get his life in order. "There are thousands of these young kids who are really good poker players," he said. "If I find a way to change one person's life, then maybe I did something right."

Of course, Matusow is still Matusow. No amount of ADHD medication can keep him from speaking his mind. Peter Eastgate, the 2008 world poker champion who Matusow refers to as "the kid," earned his respect. He called another player at the final table "a complete idiot."

Matusow won his third World Series of Poker gold bracelet a year ago. His other wins were in 1999 and 2002, when he was hallucinating due to an attempt to quit drugs.

The book recounts the ups and downs of Matusow's poker career, including a 2003 trip to Paris fueled by drugs in which he slept twice in seven days, high stakes tournaments in Aruba, Atlantic City and Las Vegas and his World Series of Poker exploits. He also wrote about the millions of dollars he lost in the Ultimatebet.com cheating scandal in 2006.

Another reason for writing the book was to explain his 2004 arrest for buying cocaine. Matusow said he was set up by an undercover police officer who befriended him over 18 months.

Even though he struck a plea deal with prosecutors, Matusow maintains he was coerced into buying the drugs. "I wanted to set the story straight. I wanted people to understand exactly what I did," Matusow said. "I wanted people to know what (the police) did to put me in jail step by step."

Once out of jail, he returned to the poker room. He was disappointed by his ninth-place finish in the 2005 World Series of Poker's $10,000 buy-in no-limit hold'em world championship, an event he still believes he should have won.

Matusow can recite in vivid detail the hands the cost him the tournament.

He can also name, card-by-card, other poker hands over the years that sent stacks of tournament chips to other players.

Today, Matusow's demons are in control. The challenge is to stay on his medications during marathon poker games that sometimes last 24 hours. "That's when I need to sit out for one or two days," Matusow said. "I do believe I'm playing my best poker ever."

Thanks to Howard Stutz

Las Vegas Added to British Airways Routes

British Airways has announced a new daily Las Vegas route, launching 25th October 2009, which increases the airline’s services to the US to nineteen direct non-stop flights daily.

The new Las Vegas flights will be operated exclusively from Heathrow’s Terminal 5 by a three-class Boeing 777, which will offer World Traveller (economy class), World Traveller Plus (premium economy class) and the award-winning Club World (business class), which features seats that convert to 180-degree flat beds.

Las Vegas calls itself The Entertainment Capital of the World, with huge hotel complexes lining the world famous Las Vegas Strip. British Airways’ range of Las Vegas hotels varies from simple 2-star accommodation up to opulent 5-star hotels. From the fountains of the Bellagio Hotel, to the world famous shows at the MGM Grand and the full-size golf course and luxury shopping mall situated at the new Wynn Resort - visitors to the city can enjoy a wealth of Las Vegas sightseeing.

As part of a British Airways fly-drive, travellers can book a car rental with Avis and take a drive from Vegas to Arizona through desert scenery and towering mountain ranges. For the more adventurous Nevada visitor, Las Vegas tandem skydives or Lake Mead kayaking trips are also on offer.

British Airways is proud to add Las Vegas to its already extensive route network of US cities (which already includes major city destinations such as New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Seattle and Houston) as well as providing holiday makers with hotels, car rental and tours across America, to help ensure travellers experience great USA holidays.

A Short Battle with Phil Ivey at a Texas Hold'Em Table

Earlier this year, Phil Ivey became the youngest player to win his sixth World Series of Poker bracelet by capturing Event No. 8 ($2,500 no-limit deuce-to-seven lowball) for $96,361.

As an encore, Ivey won his seventh WSOP gold bracelet in Event No. 25 ($2,500 Omaha eight-or-better/seven-card stud eight-or-better) for $220,538.

This victory put him in a tie for sixth place all-time. He has won a WSOP bracelet in Omaha eight-or-better/seven-card stud eight-or-better, pot-limit Omaha, S.H.O.E., seven-card stud, seven-card stud eight-or-better, and no-limit deuce-to-seven lowball events.

Amazingly, he has never won a WSOP bracelet in no-limit hold ’em. However, I’m sure this is just a matter of time.

Many fans and players feel that Ivey is the best poker player today. From his steely stare to his killer instinct at the table, he has even been nicknamed the Tiger Woods of Poker, as he also has a passion for golf.

However, the beauty of poker is that an amateur can compete against the best players in the world and potentially beat them.

The following hand, which occurred at the 2009 WSOP Event No. 4 (the $1,000 no-limit hold ’em event, aka the Stimulus Special), is a perfect example.

In all my years on the tour, I had never played on the same table with Ivey. But during this event I had the privilege of playing against the legend himself.

The experience would be short-lived.

With the blinds 25 and 50, I was sitting under-the-gun and looked down at a measly 9d-2h. After quickly tossing my hand into the muck, a player in early position raised to 600.

Sitting in mid position, Ivey called the raise, which was enough to scare the remaining players to fold.

After the dealer flopped Ac-Jc-7c, the original raiser bet 600.

Starting with only 3,000 chips, Ivey quickly re-raised all-in.

His opponent called, flipping over Js-Jd for a set of jacks.

However, Ivey revealed 10c-8c for a flush.

Ivey was a 67:33 favorite, but would still have to fade numerous outs.

After the dealer turned over the 8d, the poker gods proved they do not play favorites at the table. The dealer delivered a tournament-ending As on the river, giving Ivey’s opponent a full house.

After shrugging his shoulders, Ivey quipped, “Well, time to go play some golf.”

Ivey has definitely made up for this initial performance in spades.

Thanks to Bernard Lee

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