October 31, 2009
Wizard of Vegas Pre-Launch
Since June I have done blog entries about casino reviews here in Las Vegas. These were meant to whet the appetite of my readers for my upcoming new website WizardOfVegas.com. My webmaster "J.B." and I have been working hard on the site for months. The purpose of the site will be a travel guide about Las Vegas, with reviews and pictures of every property. There will be an emphasis on the game rules at the various casinos, although this feature is not ready yet. Forums about a variety of Vegas topics is central to the site.
There is still tons more to do, but I feel there is enough there to get started. On October 19 I sent out an announcement to about 300 people in my address list, and nobody found any major bugs. The next step is telling you, my newsletter subscribers, about it. There you will find new reviews by me on the Tropicana, Riviera, and the Sahara. Many properties I don't think I could give a fair review to, because of existing relationships, so I get friends to review those properties. At the moment I have outside reviews of the MGM, Orleans, Monte Carlo, and New York New York. There are many more to be added soon, I just need to format them from text to PHP.
So, please have a look at the site. If you wish, register for an account, and post away. This is a chance to enjoy it before advertising is added. If you find anything in error, or have any suggestions, feel free to use the "contact" form at the bottom of the site. Assuming the site survives the scrutiny of my fans I hope to make a public announcement in mid November.
Hidden Message Redux
Is California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger reading my blog? If you read my Sept. 18, 2009 entry, you will remember my quest to find a tombstone in a Montreal cemetery with hidden message on it. The web site for the California governor's office contains a memo from the governor (link removed) with the same message hidden in the same way. To see the message, just look at the first letter in each line, starting with the first paragraph.
I'm surprised this is not good material for the late night talk shows. This is discussed a little bit on the Bodog Beat (link removed). I tried to research the possibility that this is a hoax, and didn't get any evidence that it is. Be careful about searching on this subject. Most hits on a search of the title of the memo were to sites infested with viruses.
What's new on WizardOfOdds.com
- Card Craps: Details on the craps game at the Viejas casino, which has a small player advantage (Oct 31)
Ask the Wizard
Here's an excerpt from the most recent Ask the Wizard, #239.
(Q:) I've been told that if a casino's selection of video poker can be a good indication of their slot looseness. The idea behind it is supposed to be that if a casino is willing to put a lot of full play poker on their floor then they well also likely put more loose slots. Does this hold any truth or is it just a myth? — Omer from Fremont, CA.
(A:) I think that theory holds water. When I did my Las Vegas slot machine survey, I found the looseness of a casinos slots and video poker was highly correlated.
Until next time, set your expectations high.