Monday 6 October 2014

36 Casino Gambling Tips: Ivey's Baccarat Edge Sorting Case with Crockfords

REBLOG> 36 Casino Gambling Tips: Ivey's Baccarat Edge Sorting Case with Crockfords:
SavySeph's Original Blog

Professional Gambler's Tips

Three Tips from a Professional Gambler is base on quotes taken from Ivey versus Crockfords. Phil Ivey sued London casino Crockfords Club for denying him £7.7m which he won in 20-21 August 2012. The casino withheld the money on the grounds that Ivey cheated.

Ivey and Kelly

Edge Sorting

Ivey used a system known as edge sorting to win the money at the baccarat table. The casino claims that this method is not a legitimate strategy because it defeats the premise of the game to nullify the gaming contract.

Kelly Cheung

Cheung Yin Sun (Kelly) assisted Ivey to edge sort the cards by asking the dealer to turn the key cards for baccarat upside-down. The casino referred to Cheung as the unidentified woman.

Casino's Case Unsustainable

Justice Mitting was impressed by that professional conduct Ivey maintains that he said the casino's case was "plainly unsustainable". The case is still on going. At this juncture the case points favorably to Ivey.


My Comments

Discipline is important for professional gamblers.

Saturday 4 October 2014

Jack of All Trades: Non-smoking Policy Chokes Macau's Casino

REBLOG> Jack of All Trades: Non-smoking Policy Chokes Macau's Casino:
Jack Omnitrade's Original Blog

Smoking Complements Gambling

The Ravel Casino in Atlantic City did not believe that smoking is a complimentary product for gambling. Macau is following this footstep to put this consumer preference to test. Market Watch warns investors in their 3 Oct 2014 report that strict curbs on smoking laid out in a recent statement by Macau's government information bureau will have a negative impact on share prices for casinos in Macau.

The Streets of Macau

No Smoking Ruling

This recent announcement would completely ban all smoking in "mass areas," although some VIP lounges will still allow it. According to Barclays Research's latest forecasts the smoking rules are stricter than most economists had expected. Barclay initially interpreted the ruling to allow smoking at partitioned premium mass areas on the mass floor. "While previously we had expected just a low-to-mid-single-digit percentage impact to overall gross gaming revenue from the smoking ban (if premium mass areas can still smoke), we would now expect a higher mid-to-high-single-digit impact to overall Gross Gaming Revenue if smoking is not allowed in all premium mass areas as well," the firm said.

The Ravel Story

The Revel Casino opened in April 2012 and had struggled since it started operations. It started out by trying to achieve its niche market by branding itself as an upmarket resort-class casino. This posh concept of no smoking, expensive food and drinks did not appeal to the typical gambling crowd of Atlantic City. The $2.4 billion resort suffered badly from poor patronage. After operating for 10 months, it incurred a debt of $1.5 billion. It filed for bankruptcy on March 2013. In May 2013 the casino got out of bankruptcy by clearing $1.2 billion of debt in exchange for an 82% equity to its lenders. It is unfortunate that Macau had not learned from Ravel.


My Comments

Smoker can steal your right to a smoke free environment in Macau.

Monday 29 September 2014

Light and Easy Talk: Casino Regulators Ruled Unshuffled Cards in Mini-b...

REBLOG> Light and Easy Talk: Casino Regulators Ruled Unshuffled Cards in Mini-baccarat Legal:

Golden Nugget Casino

An unshuffled card game for mini-baccarat at the Golden Nugget Atlantic City on 30 April 2012 was ruled illegal under state casino rules because the cards had been unshuffled. Superior Court judge James Isman had vindicated the Golden Nugget in his ruling on 14 June 2014. It should be noted that the New Jersey's Division of Gaming Enforcement fined the casino for the unshuffled cards.

The Incident

Gamblers capitalized on the unshuffled cards by increasing their bets from $10 to $5,000 per hand after seeing the same sequence of cards being dealt over and over again. Gamblers rode on a forty-one consecutive winning streak on this day. They were surrounded by casino security that was eager to find evidence to show that they were cheating. The security personnel was unable to spot the unshuffled cards because they were all focused on the wrong thing.

Golden Nugget owner Tilman Fertitta

New Jersey's Consistency

The New Jersey casino regulators recently ruled that the game in which gamblers won $1.5 million did not violate any rules or laws, the Associated Press reported on 24 Sep 2014. The consistency with the New Jersey casino regulators and the Division of Gaming Enforcement should be applauded.

Timely Ruling

The call by the New Jersey case had been timely as the case had been reinstated the CBS Philly reported on 4 Sep 2014. Isman recently retired and a different judge granted a motion to reconsider the decision. Judge Allen Littlefield said that the gamblers can continue the discovery process and argue their case at trial this fall.


My Comments

Isman must have vested interest to steal gamblers' winnings.

Carpe Diem: Seize the Day: States Use Gambling to Save Economy

REBLOG> Carpe Diem: Seize the Day: States Use Gambling to Save Economy:
Phil Andows' Original Blog

Gambling Addiction

Policymakers in USA is starting to see gambling as a panacea to be the cure for all economic ills but gambling addiction it the ugly side of the coin. USA Today is in the view that gambling states are addicted to easy money in its report dated 25 Sep 2014. The Editorial Board cited New Jersey are the prime example of the worst offenders in the world of gambling. "They are both addicts and pushers. They throw temper tantrums and upset settled policy when their fix of gambling revenue runs low."

anti-gambling protest, picture USA Today.

Save the Economy

New Jersey began offering online gambling last year to bring in more tax revenue as Atlantic City casino revenue took a sharp dive. Since the revenue from the online gambling was not much of a help, the state will come up with more gambling products. Governor Chris Christie has given the green light for casinos and racetracks to offer sports betting. A federal judge will hear Christie's argument on Oct 6 as a 1992 federal law banned the practice in all but four states where it previously existed.

Gambling Expanded Widely

The good days are gone. Christie can't expect gambling to be the savior. New Jersey is no longer the gambling mecca of the East Coast. Adjoining states - Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York and Delaware - have all opened casinos recently. As of 2012, America had 513 state-licensed casinos, plus 466 on tribal lands. With more players, it is obviously going to be less share for the same pie.

Gambling Destroys Lives

There is a deadly social cost for gambling. Compulsive gambling habits from 1% to 2% of gamblers are known to destroy lives. People lose their jobs, families and self-confidence due to heavy losses. A study done by Baylor University in 2011 estimated the cost of gambling ill at $9,393 per compulsive gambler per year. The state should explore alternatives instead of always relying on gambling to bail them out.


Veronica Glowsome Commented

It is like a gambit in chess. A small piece is sacrificed to gain advantage. The gambit here is 1% to 2% of gamblers who will turn into rotten gamblers.

My Comments

Pathological gambling steals away your livelihood. Gamblers should steer off this path.

Sunday 28 September 2014

The Disappearing Thief of Las Vegas

Unsolved Crime

Gambling Tales had a good collection of gambling stories. All the tales - such as, gambling addiction, violence in the casino, crimes against gambling outlets - were not mysterious. They were reported cases in which lawbreakers were brought to justice. This story about stealing from the casino published by 8 News Now on 27 Sep 2014 had an uncanny twist. It took place at the Stardust Hotel and Casino 22 years ago and the whereabouts of the thief remains unknown today.

Stardust Hotel and Casino

Bill Brennan

The thief was an employee of the casino named Bill Brennan. He worked for the casino as a sports book cashier. After being on the job for four years he decided it was time to leave. On Sep 22, 1992 Brennan simply walked away with $507,361 in cash and chips in the morning. He did not use force or violence. "It appears he left the casino without being filmed by the surveillance cameras," Metro Police Lt. Joe Greenwood said in an interview in 1992.

Bill Brennan

Brennan's Character

Race and sports writer for "Gaming Today," Richard Saber said, "He was basically a total complete loner. He lived alone with his cat." Saber was former sports book manager at the Stardust when Brennan worked there. Judy Pope, manager of Brennan's apartment said during a 1992 interview that he was "just a nice kid, that's all." When police got to the apartment, Brennan and his cat was long gone. "They never found a trace of Bill Brennan anywhere. Never a trace," Saber said.

Bad Company

Hanging around with the wrong company could be the reason this "nice kid" undergone a change of character. Brennan was known to be hanging out with a big bettor. "This was a bettor that we didn't trust. He was a shady character. He disappeared from the face of the earth too just a few months after Bill had gone," Saber said. Scotty Schettler, who hired Brennan during the boom years, said, "He got influenced by outside sources, and his attitude changed, and he wanted desperately to be a supervisor, but with his change in attitude, I couldn't put him in charge of all that money."

Tracking Brennan

Being on the FBI's most wanted fugitive list never turned up leads. Authorities said they never saw any sign of Brennan show up in his native Pennsylvania. Metro Police Sgt. John Sheahan said if new leads come in this cold case could be reopened. Perhaps after 22 years someone knows something and Crime Stoppers is taking tips. "Nowadays, we're able to track someone with their cell phone down to within feet of where they're standing," Sheahan said.

Saturday 27 September 2014

Anything Under the Sun: China Corruption Blitz Hits Macau Junkets

REBLOG> Anything Under the Sun: China Corruption Blitz Hits Macau Junkets:
SavySeph's Original Blog

Laundering Money

Corruption

Rotten gamblers, especially the whale bettors, could be mistaken for money laundering. This may be the assumption of Chinese President, Xi Jinpin. His crackdown on corrupt officials and tycoons is starting to drain China. This almost 2 years blitz had caused the sale of luxury good to dwindle and the VIP rooms at Macau casinos to slow down. It had driven rotten gamblers to other gambling destinations. This is like sending away the goose that laid the golden egg to your fellow neighbors. The claim of coming by a windfall from the casino is not that easy to justify with the generous amount of surveillance camera covering the casino. Coming up with the bankroll to make the amass the extraordinary win would be a great question mark.

Macau's Casino Junket Squeeze

The prolonged crackdown is now starting to squeeze the junkets in Macau. As the Chinese economy dragged its feet, the whale gamblers shy away. In Macau, whale gamblers will punt HK$1 million without second thoughts. Junkets who lend them money and settle their debts are not longer as flexible as debt recovery is not as easy. Authorities are digging junkets for information on Junkets are had left the industry. Chinese officials suspected of corruption who may be laundering money through Macau. The pressure is too much that, "I can't sleep at night. There are just too many problems," said one 54-year-old junket operator who didn't want to be named because of the sensitivity of the issue. "I'm not optimistic for the future of the VIP junket industry here." Of Macau's 220 licensed junket firms, at least 15 have shut up shop in the big casinos this year the Reuters reported on 24 Sep 2014.


My Comments

I think the repercussion will affect many industry related to gambling.

Wednesday 24 September 2014

Filling Bottles: Restaurateur Drugged Customers with Poppy Laced No...

REBLOG> Filling Bottles: Restaurateur Drugged Customers with Poppy Laced Noodles...:
Sue DaJi's Original Blog

Addictive Noodles

A restaurant owner in Yan'an, Shaanxi province cunningly added an addictive ingredient into his noodles to keep his customers coming back. Zhang uses poppy buds, which he crushed up into powder and mixed into meals as his secret recipe. An anti-narcotics police agent said that chemicals from poppy, even poppy seedpods, could build up in the body to be tested positive for opiates on a drug test. When ingested over long period, it could cause addiction. Zhang was detained for questioning for 10 days. He confessed that he purchased 2kg of poppy shells for 600 yuan.

Poppy plant

Poppy Laced Noodles Exposed

Zhang's plot was exposed when Liu Juyou was tested positive for drugs during a routine urine test under an anti-drink-driving check. The 26-year-old patron of the restaurant was shock by the test result because he never touched illegal substances. He was detained for 15 days. To clear himself Liu asked his family members to do a urine test after eating noodles from the restaurant. After confirming Liu suspicion, the authorities investigated the restaurant.

Poppy Users

Being an unconscious user and victim of Zhang's unscrupulous profiteering practice, Liu appealed against his detention. The police dismissed the case on the ground that laws were design to detect drugs and punish drug users. Opium, heroin, morphine, marijuana and any other anesthetic and psychotropic drugs which can be addictive are illegal in China. "Poppy shells used to be an ingredient in a popular hot pot sauce until the product was banned", the South China Morning Post reported on 24 Sep 2014.


My Comments

The restaurateur who drugged multitudes is detained for 10 days while the innocent consumer gets held up for 15 day. Something in the figures is just not right.

Jack of All Trades: iPhone6 Bends in Your Pocket

REBLOG> Jack of All Trades: iPhone6 Bends in Your Pocket:
Jack Omnitrade's Original Blog

Warped iPhone6

Being the first to use the iPhone6 turns out to be a disadvantage. The launching of the new Apple product was greet with the same enthusiasm. People were willing to camp overnight to get a good spot in the queue to buy it. Others would pay an exorbitant premium just to be early user of the product. These users are not complaining that the phone warped under pressure.

Warped iPhone6

Design Flaw

The unexpected design has been widely reported on the Internet and has already been dubbed "bend-gate." Users complained that the metal is too soft and it bends under pressure after being carried around in their pocket for long periods of time. With a thinner and larger aluminum body, the phone just don't stand up to the wear and tear of staying in a pocket, the CBS News reported on 24 Sep 2014.


My Comments

Apple sure knows how to make a sucker out of their loyal fans for this one.

On Empty Thoughts: Alcohol Ban at Stratford Supercasino

REBLOG> On Empty Thoughts: Alcohol Ban at Stratford Supercasino:
Guerrilla Gamblers' Original Blog

Violence at Gambling Outlets

p>I will update Gambling Tales Facebook and Google Plus Page with this article on Violence at Gambling Outlets. Alcohol never ceases to cause trouble for Aspers Casino in Westfield Stratford City. Since they have so much trouble handling their drinks, it had been taken away from them.

Alcohol Ban

A recent news dated 23 Sep 2014 from the Newham Recorder the Supercasino has had its alcohol license revoked by Newham Council after security staff allegedly "beat up" a punter. A Newham Council spokesperson said: "The decision was made in view of the seriousness of the incident and the police and licensing sub-committee’s concerns about the casino’s ability to prevent crime and disorder. The suspension will remain in force until a full licensing review hearing." Aspers Casino will not be able to serve alcohol or food from 23:00 to 05:00.

Aspers Casino

The Incident

The incident took place on Saturday night of 20 September. CCTV footage of the assault on the customer by a security staff showed that the customer sustained "severe injury". The involvement of alcohol in the attack was not mentioned by the press. Aspers Casino did not comment on the incident.

Banning Use of Glasses

Two week ago the casino was banned from using glasses to serve drinks and the casino resorted to using plastic cups. This was following two serve cases of glassing. One resulted in an inch long cut to the victim’s head which required gluing. In the other case, the glass used to commit the crime was thrown away by casino staff, leading to the loss of vital evidence (see Newham Recorder's report on 9 September).


My Comments

There is more to it than meet the eye for this place. Concealing evidence is one of it.

Tuesday 23 September 2014

Taxi Fares Lowest in Beijing

Highest Taxi Fares

Taxi fares for Beijing is the lowest in the cheapest among international cities. Survey shows that Tokyo had the highest taxi fares in the world the China Daily reported on 23 Sep 2014. A man takes a taxi near Beijing Railway Station

International cities highlighted by the daily are a per table below.

International Cities Fare for 10km in Euros
Tokyo 25.39
Hamburg 22.60
London 22.39
Dortmund 18.10
New York 13.98
Paris 12.20
Beijing 3.78

Pest in Midst: Laggard to the Casino Industry

REBLOG> Pest in Midst: Laggard to the Casino Industry:
XingCai's Original Blog

Casino Industry in Asia

Singapore is considered a laggard to the casino industry in comparison to her neighbor, Malaysia. To make up for being half-a-century late Singapore decided to have two casinos. Other Asian countries - Vietnam, Korea, Sri Lanka, Cambodia and Japan - are joining the bandwagon to intensify the fight for gamblers patronage. Like good foodies, gamblers will travel the extra mile for a wager.

The Singaporean Stunted Growth

Macquarie, a leading financial services provider in Australia, "think the Singapore gaming market cannot grow." They noted that the gross gaming revenue (GGR) for the nation had plateau around $6 billion a year since 2011. "After three big years, tourist arrivals in Singapore have started to decline (down 3 percent year-to-July) and most importantly, Chinese visitors who form more than 50 percent of Singapore VIP volume have fallen by 29 percent year-to-date," Macquarie said. VIP volumes make up around 80 percent of the city-state's total gaming volume, it said [CNBC 23 Sep 2014].

Resort World, Singapore

Singaporean Senseless Optimism

Carey Wong, an analyst at OCBC, is optimistic about the situation. He sees the drop in overseas visitors to be temporary as it is partly due to China's economic slowdown and corruption crackdown. He said, "Once things die down, we'll see the return of these high rollers," he said. "From an Asian perspective, Asians will gamble regardless of good times or bad. It's different from a Western perspective, where gaming is more for leisure." Wong does not seem to make much sense when he claimed that economic slowdown was the cause of decline in Chinese visitors yet advocating that bad times will not stop Asian gamblers. Singapore's strong currency and lack of tourist attraction in their tiny island is more likely the cause for their failure to attract foreigners.


My Comments

Some laggards may not even cover the cost of entry.

Sunday 21 September 2014

Jack of All Trades: Ben Affleck Admits Counting Cards in Casinos

REBLOG> Jack of All Trades: Ben Affleck Admits Counting Cards in Casinos:
Jack Omnitrade's Original Blog

Advantage Players

Savy Seph gave a good explanation of advantage players. "The advantage players have an edge over the house given that they tend to win more than they lose. While cheating at casinos is a criminal activity, advantage players use legitimate means to beat the house. Since they play by the rules, they deserve to pocket their winnings. The casinos may frown on the advantage players but they are not able to use legal means to throw advantage players in jail. This shows that the law recognizes advantage players to be a different kettle of fish from the unethical cheaters." Card counting, a form of advantage play, was used by Ben Affleck at the Hard Rock Casino in Vegas to win $800,000 in May 2014.

Ben Affleck Admits

Sky News had a few interesting quotes from Affleck in their 18 Sep 2014 article. "That is a true story. I mean, that took place. I took some time to learn the game and became a decent blackjack player," he said. "And once I became decent, the casinos asked me not to play blackjack. I mean, the fact that being good at the game is against the rules at the casinos should tell you something about casinos."

Casino as a Sore Loser

Blackjack is the only casino game that is vulnerable to a good system. The casino is a sore loser and they will reject your patronage. "They don't even want you to have a sporting chance, really. There's a lot of hospitality, backslapping, when they think you're gonna come in and dump money, and if they think you might leave with some money, it's like, 'You know what? Why don't you try craps or roulette?'."

Affleck and Garner

Dispelling Rumors

Affleck dispelled the rumors surrounding his visit to the Hard Rock Casino in May. With respect to being kicked out of the premises he said, "I wish I could say they were afraid of me in every capacity, but they only said, 'No blackjack'. That would be awesome [if they threw me out]. 'Get him outta here! He's a magician!' Unfortunately, they just came up and said: 'We can't let you play blackjack. But we have other table games. We have Chinese poker'." Affleck also rejects reports that his blackjack playing was affecting his marriage to actress Jennifer Garner.


My Comments

Besides stealing, card counting is one sure way to get money from the casino.

Light and Easy Talk: Man Commits Suicide after Ramming Truck into Casin...

REBLOG> Seeking Enlightenment: Man Commits Suicide after Ramming Truck into Casino
Sophia Logica's Original Blog

Suicide Attempts

Ryan Brown ramped a pickup through the glass front doors of the Stratosphere Casino on Sep 10, a Las Vegas police arrest report showed. The 40-year-old electrician was arrested on suspicion of reckless driving and possession and use of cocaine, the Reuters reported on 19 Sep 2014. Brown was released without restrictions after prosecutors failed to file criminal charges on 15 Sep. Toxicology reports were required to pursue charges and the judge set a status hearing in October. On 18 Sep Brown was found dead at the Rio All-Suite Las Vegas Hotel and Casino. The Clark County coroner’s office reported that Brown died of asphyxia and hanging, police spokesman Larry Hadfield said. According to arrest report, Brown was fired due to a domestic dispute with his wife. He told the police in a drug-fueled diatribe that he had been on cocaine and speed for six days and had smoked crack about two hours before deliberately crashing into the casino. Brown said, “He intended to run up to the top of the Stratosphere and jump off.

Stratosphere Casino

Doubtful Released

Brown was preoccupied with Suicide. He thought of jumping off the Stratosphere Casino but ended up crashing into it instead. He contemplated on an idea that would hurt himself but performed an act that could hurt others. “Darren Richards, assistant Clark County public defender, whose office was not involved in the case said, “I don’t know what the District Attorney was thinking, why they didn’t file some charges against someone who had been caught driving through the lobby of a casino.” The Clark County District Attorney’s Office, which provided the arrest report, did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Brown’s release. “It is not against the law to be mentally ill,” Hadfield said when asked why Brown was not arrested after his release.


Veronica Glowsome's Comments

Gambling Tales had a good collection of gambling stories. This is good stuff for the Bizarre Section. My guess is he blown a fortune, quarrel with his wife, felt miserable and thought of suicide.

My Comments

Stealing from the casino is one sure way to make money from the casino. Losing cause noting but trouble.

Friday 19 September 2014

Mohegan Sun Bickers about Wynn Stealing Their Gambling Liscense

Crying over Spilled Milk

After losing the state’s most remunerative gambling license, the Mohegan Sun blasted the license competition as "defective" and "unfair,". It urges the gambling regulators to reconsider their choice of Wynn Resorts, the Boston Globe reported on 18 Sep 2014. Mohegan Sun complained that Wynn was given more opportunities to address deficiencies in its proposal in the final day of deliberations.

Wynn’s senior vice president Robert DeSalvio (left) and general counsel Kim Sinatra

Filling Bottles: Gamblers Go to Vegas to Avoid Macau Corruption Bli...

REBLOG> Filling Bottles: Gamblers Go to Vegas to Avoid Macau Corruption Blitz:
Sue DaJi's Original Blog

Nations Bow to Gambling

Gambling Tales claims that banning casinos would cause black market to flourish or drive gamblers to casinos in a neighboring country in the article "Nations Bows to Gambling". On Chinese soil, gambling is legal only legal in Macau but China would not sanction their own citizen gambling on their soil. Corruption blitz had been carried out at Macau to rid the activity on their sovereignty.

Corruption Crackdown Affected Gambling and Luxury Malls

SavySeph's blog on Tumblr covered the news on the Chinese anti-corruption crackdown of gambling in Macau and shopping outlets specialized in luxury good in Hong Kong to rid the stench of corruption from the land. Here is a reblog of SavySeph.

Reblog Savy Seph

Beijing’s intensifying crackdown on corruption is hitting the VIP rooms at Macau casinos and luxury shopping malls in Hong Kong hard, the Wall Street Journal reported on 1 Aug 2014. “This anticorruption crackdown in China is much more widespread and deeper than the VIP community had anticipated and as a result there could be prolonged weakness in the market,” said Union Gaming Research analyst Grant Govertsen.

A dealer spreads a deck of cards on a baccarat table during a gambling expo in Macau on May 20. European Pressphoto Agency

Sales of luxury goods fell by nearly a third in the second quarter, including a 40% decline in April. With Beijing monitoring conspicuous consumption and capital flight closely, it would not be kool to be seen buying diamond-encrusted watches or punting millions at a baccarat game.

A New Playground

XingCai a tumblr user commented that these Chinese gamblers will find a new play ground soon. I have just found the news about their new playground as reported by Sidney Morning Herald on 17 Sep 2014. Junket operators, which organise casino trips for wealthy Chinese VIPs, are bringing those gamblers to other locations such as Australia, Europe or the US, according to Credit Suisse analysts Kenneth Fong and Isis Wong.

Viva Las Vegas

Casinos' revenue on the Las Vegas Strip has increased 3.7 per cent to $US3.7 billion ($4.1 billion) in the year to end-July, driven mainly by a 14.4 per cent jump in baccarat revenue, according to Robert Shore, a Las Vegas-based analyst at Union Gaming Group. This indicates "an inverse correlation" with the weaker performance from high rollers in Macau, he said in an e-mail. "Las Vegas is a brand that is clearly world-renowned and that people continuously want to come to," Dan D'Arrigo, Chief Financial Officer of MGM, said via telephone when asked about Chinese gamblers.

baccarat, the Chinese gamblers' favorite game, is boosting earnings at Las Vegas.

My Comments

People will not stay unfulfilled for long. They will eventually find substitute.

Anything Under the Sun: Ohio Approves Preshuffled-cards

REBLOG> Anything Under the Sun: Ohio Approves Preshuffled-cards:
SavySeph's Original Blog

Green Light for Pre-shuffled Cards

Ohio Casino Control Commission (OCCC) has approved the use of pre-shuffled cards in the state’s casinos. It made me reflect on the unshuffled cards causing a casino millions and Brogata accusing Phil Ivey for collaborating with the card manufacturer to mark cards to be used in play. While the unshuffled card at Golden Nugget Atlantic City may be a one in a lifetime affair, Brogata’s wild accusation could possibility become a regular affair with this new regulation.

Casinos Wants Red-tape Cut

Dealers would spread out all 312 cards in the six-deck stacks to carefully inspect before use. “It can take 30 minutes to get the first table going and up to 90 minutes to get all six tables going,” said Tosha Tousant, Horseshoe Cleveland’s director of table games. With such procedure to ensure fairness, casinos need to cut down the red tape as the Horseshoe Cleveland uses a total of 16,000 decks a month. Hollywood Casino uses about 20,000 decks a month, the Columbus Dispatch reported on 16 Sep 2014.

Protecting the Integrity of the Games

For Matthew Schuler, executive director of OCCC, the integrity of the games would be his main concern. He was skeptical when Ohio casino executives requested permission to use pre-shuffled decks. He sent his staff to inspect the United States Playing Card Co. in Erlanger, Kentucky. He was convinced as cards were shuffled so thoroughly and randomly that there’s no way for dealers or players to know what card will come up next. The company became the only card manufacturer the OCCC has approved to supply pre-shuffled cards. The application of other card factory are being processed, Schuler said.

Preshuffled-cards, picture by Columbus Despatch

United States Playing Card Co

United States Playing Card Co is equipped with a fully automated production line. “We load sheets of printed decks at the front of the production line. They are cut and then shuffled automatically by our approved equipment, and then we load finished and secured, pre-shuffled cartons of cards into a shipping carton,” said company spokesman Scott Madding.

Human Intervention

Schuler’s investigation was based on the machines ability and credibility. The machine can mechanically and methodically shuffle the cards thoroughly and randomly but the aspect of human intervention is ignored. For the right price a motivated individual will make the necessary alteration to the advantage of any players who will pay the price. Schuler made no remarks on the security procedures of the factory that monitor the intervention of these motivated individuals.


My Comments

There is always a price an individual's greed.

Carpe Diem: Seize the Day: NFL's Absurd Marijuana Policy

REBLOG> Carpe Diem: Seize the Day: NFL's Absurd Marijuana Policy:
Phil Andows's Original Blog

NFL Pain Management

Former Denver Broncos tight end and writer, Nate Jackson said, “Virtually every single player in the NFL has a certifiable need for medical marijuana,” [New York Times, 8 Sep 2014]. He confessed that he was medicated by marijuana for most of his career as a tight end from 2003 through 2008. He blasted the NFL who issues pain killers as the prescription. Almost 17,000 Americans overdosed and died from prescription painkillers in 2011, according to the most recent figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Changing in Laws

Jackson see a change in the social outlook on marijuana. He expects the NFL, who is engaged in a violent trade, to exercise some forward thinking.

Status of Marijuana Laws


My Comments

The NFL is robbing players' health.

Tuesday 16 September 2014

Colombian Women's Cycling Team Naked Jersey Design

Getting Attention

The Colombian women's cycling team stole the attention from the crowd with naked jersey design. Although the women's cycling competitions in Italy are not usually watched, the team managed to cause excitement with what seemed to be a very revealing outfit. It must have took a lot of practice to look natural wearing this jersey.

Perverted Taste

The jersey had a large patch of flesh-colored section across the women's lower torsos and groins. The crotch was deliberately designed to look like a cut-out revealing bare flesh at the public area. It is unimaginable that this outrage was endorsed by the South American nation's ministry of sport. The team came under the sponsorship of the capital city of Bogota.

Colombian women's cycling team jersey, picture by Independent.

Insignificant Sports Event

The outfit for non-cyclists did not to feature the same design. Only the women's cycling sport this jersey. The reason for this design to be worn only by the women's cycling team gives the impression that the Sports Minister is a pervert. The Independent did not report the winners for the event. I guess that was not the highlight of the event.

Anything Under the Sun: Watchdog to Named and Shamed Bookies

Allowing minor into gambling establishment is disgraceful. It is like stealing candy from a baby.

REBLOG Anything Under the Sun: Watchdog to Named and Shamed Bookies: Saving the Gaming Industry Bookies who break promises on advertising will be "name and shame" by a new watchdog. This watchdog should also penalize those who admit minors. This ruling is often violated and never taken seriously...

Friday 12 September 2014

Hedge-Fund Managers Are Overpaid

Hedge Fund Managers

Nicolas Rousselet, Managing Director and Head of Hedge Funds at Unigestion

Being overpaid is theft you can get away with. It would certainly be nice to be grossly overpaid for a change. According to Unigestion Holding SA, which invests $2 billion in hedge funds, nine out of ten hedge-fund managers are overpaid because management fees do not reflect falling interest rates. The fees, which still make up as much as 2 percent of a fund’s assets, represent a disproportionately high share of the total remuneration unrelated to performance, Nicolas Rousselet, head of hedge funds at Unigestion, told Bloomberg News in a phone interview on 11 Sep 2014.

The Industry's Practice

According to a Deutsche Bank AG survey published in February 2013, the industry traditionally charges about 20 percent on performance and 2 percent on the total assets. The fees are coming down as investors paid an average 1.69 percent last year almost unchanged from 2012. Singaporean data provider, Eurekahedge Pte, said global hedge funds returned 8.6% in 2013 and 6.9% in 2012, compared with 10% to 21% in nine of the 11 years through 2010.

Consideration for Fees

Based on Rousselet's comments, interest rates had been the basis to set the fees for fund managers. If fund managers can't do better than the going interest rates, investors had a risk free alternative. Conversely, fund managers should not be taking a haircut if interest rates are declining. Manager who can out perform the risk free interest rates should continue to be paid according to their performance.

Thursday 4 September 2014

McDonnell Guilty of 11 Corruption Counts

Virginia governor Robert F. McDonnell and his wife, Maureen, were found guilty of public corruption by a federal jury. The seven men and five women jury found that they lent the prestige of the governor’s office to Jonnie R. Williams Sr. golf outings, lavish vacations and $120,000 in sweetheart loans.

The verdict means that Mr McDonnell, who was already the first governor in Virginia history to be charged with a crime, now holds an even more unwanted distinction: the first ever to be convicted of one. He and his wife face decades in federal prison, though their actual sentence could fall well short of that. U.S. District Judge James R. Spencer set a sentencing hearing for Jan. 6, 2015. [The Washington Post, 4 Sep 2014]

Out of the 14 counts of corruption, Mr McDonnell was guilty of 11 counts. His wife, Maureen, was guilty of 8 counts (see graphic illustration). The former first couple were indicted in 21 Jan 2014, 10 days after Mr McDonnell concluded his four-year term in office. The defense attorneys noted, Williams was testifying with generous immunity agreements. Williams spilling the beans, indicates that Mr McDonnell had not deliver his part of the bargain.

Tuesday 26 August 2014

Poker Players Robbed at Gun-point

Cards and casino chips

Around 15 people, most of them Norwegians, were robbed at gunpoint as they played poker in Strömstad, Sweden last week.

A gang of four masked men armed with guns forced themselves inside Hogdal Bygdegård farm and robbed the poker team in the early hours of Friday morning, around 1.30am. The poker players were forced down onto the floor by the robbers.

Head of police investigation in Strömstad, Tore Lomgård, told Swedish newspaper Bohusläningen: “It is quite obvious that the criminals knew the poker game was playing for money and they planned to rob it.” Nobody has been arrested in connection to the robbery yet.

Playing poker with money is forbidden in Norway, but allowed in private parties in Sweden. The Norwegian government has proposed allowing poker games in private parties where there is a maximum pot up to 5,000 kroner ($800). The Local reported.