The Wizard's News October 30, 2003

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What's new Sorry the time between newsletters has been long. I haven't added much to the site lately so I didn't know what to write about. But I have been hot gambling on the Internet lately, winning about $7000 between Casino Kingdom, Miami Beach Casino, Casino.net, and Casino on Net. However it was mostly luck and using the same kinds of strategies I have written about before.   SHOW REVIEW: Skintight It has been a long time since I did a show review, because I haven't been to a show in ages. However a friend from out of town came to visit and I took him to see Skintight at Harrah's. I was planning to see X at the Aladdin with my 2 for 1 coupon but when I went to purchase tickets they informed me that it was canceled just last week. So I picked up an entertainment guide at the Aladdin bell desk and found a 2 for 1 coupon to Skin Tight. I almost never see shows unless I have a coupon, preferably a 2 for 1. Skintight is your basic Vegas topless show. It features one dance routine after another, about half of which are topless. There are a lot of male dancers too, I guess to keep the ladies entertained. Unlike other shows I have seen this one has a good emcee to bring a sense of continuity to the show, as opposed to going through several unconnected acts. Former Playboy model Shannon O'Keefe was the center of some of the acts, although I had never heard of her before so her star power was lost on me. Mid way there was a comedian who was pretty good and not overly raunchy. No juggler or magician unfortunately. The total running time was only 70 minutes. Tickets to Skintight are $49.95 plus the hefty taxes that come with any show. It plays in a fairly small auditorium so the views are good. Personally I was in about the fifth row but to the side. I would say the show is marginally worth it if you have a 2 for 1 coupon. My overall grade is a C+.   CONSUMER TIP: Don't rent your cable modem From time to time I pass on some non-gambling related consumer tips. This time it is about cable modems. I have been using Cox Cable for my Internet provider ever since I moved to Las Vegas almost three years ago. Unknowingly I have been paying $10 per month to rent a cable modem the entire time. The fee was not listed separately in my bill so I had no idea I was paying a rental charge. So when I threatened to leave Cox for cable TV in favor of satellite TV they suggested returning the modem and buying my own to cut my total bill down. While I was thankful for the suggestion I wasn't happy it took three years for me to learn of this. So I went to Best Buy and bought a modem for about $50 and installed it with a little help from Cox technical support and quickly returned the Cox modem to their offices on Rancho Blvd. My point to this whole story is that if you use a borrowed cable modem you may want to inquire if you are actually paying a secret rental charge. No sense renting when you can own for much less.   SPECIAL PROMOTION: City Club Casino This newsletter I'd like to put in a little plug for City Club Casino. Here is what I say about them in my advertiser review on the website. City Club Casino offers either a 100% bonus on a $100 purchase or 20% bonus on a $501 to $1000 purchase. The bonuses are automatic. The play requirement on the 100% bonus is 20x and on the 20% bonus is 8x, both based on deposit plus bonus. Blackjack, roulette, baccarat and craps do not count towards the wagering requirement. Fear not, 9/6 jacks or better is still allowed, which has a house edge of 0.46%, compared to 0.52% in blackjack, plus the double up feature counts towards the wagering requirement and that has 0% house edge. If you don't like volatility then play the 4-play jacks or better with a smaller coinage. The standard deviation of 4-play quarters is just 37% that of 1-play dollars, per dollar bet. Personally I deposited $1000 and the $200 bonus was given immediately. Playing jacks or better, taking the double up feature liberally, I bet through $25,700. Along the way I was given four more surprise bonuses, totaling $160, which was very nice of City Club. I also earned $25 cash back. In the end I cashed out $530. Thanks for reading. Until next time, set your expectations high. City Club Casino