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Bob Dancer's CasinoGaming Column - 5 JUN 2007

#1

A Visit to the Real Monte Carlo

http://www.casinogaming.com/columnists/dancer/2007/0605.html

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#2

A Visit to the Real Monte Carlo

http://www.casinogaming.com/columnists/dancer/2007/0605.html

<a

href="http://www.casinogaming.com/columnists/dancer/2007/0605.html">

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I was offered a cruise from Harrah's New Orleans but it was just to
Mexican coast or Bahamas. I know many players who have earned much
more than Bob Dancer at Harrahs in baseline reward credits. None of
them to my knowledge were offered a cruise to France. I am talking
about players who put through 10 million coin in a year at Harrahs
properties. I am curious if he won this trip or if it was an offer.

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--- In vpFREE@yahoogroups.com, "vpFae" <vpFae@...> wrote:

#3

vpKing asked: I am curious if he won this trip or if it was an offer.

It was an offer. To take advantage of the offer you needed to come in to
New Orleans for three days on a particular weekend in March (I think),
and then pay your own way to Europe. The 10-day cruise itself
(Concierge Class Suite on Celebrity Millenium) was complimentary. A lot
of invited players decided the extra trip to New Orleans plus paying
your own airfare to Europe were showstoppers. I don't know the total
invitation requirements as I played $9 million coin-in at Harrah's
properties last year and Shirley only played about $3 million. The other
players from Las Vegas (five of them that I'm sure about) are also
fairly large players, but only one of the players was a "whale". The
largest player was discussed on this site a few days ago as being one of
the players "interviewed" by one of our members during the Caesars $100
3-coin FPDW machines.

The Harrah's New Orleans executive in charge of this was Kennedy Smith.
Contact him if you think you should have been invited but weren't.
Perhaps you'll make the cut next time. At least part of getting invited
to things is to make yourself known to the relevant people.

Bob Dancer

For a 3-day free trial of Video Poker for Winners, the best video poker
computer trainer ever invented, go to //www.videopokerforwinners.com

#4

14 bucks just to walk through their precious casino, what a rip off!
There is a casino near Chicago that does that, or at least used to
though I think it was like $7.50 if memory serves. And no I did not
pay.

A Visit to the Real Monte Carlo

http://www.casinogaming.com/columnists/dancer/2007/0605.html

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#5

Hi Mark,

I have been in many casinos in various European cities, as well as
casinos on other continents. I have never found a casino overseas,
that did not charge at least a modest entrance fee. I believe the
least expensive was approximately $5.00.

There is nothing much to play in these casinos either. The VP
machines frequently contain incomprehensible pay schedules and
strange games. Furthermore, I am not convinced that the games are
random.

The slots seem to be the most popular games abroad. There is no way
to tell what the payback is on these either.

BJ tables are often inhabited by very noisy, frequently beligerent,
chain smokers. If all the spots at the table are taken, would-be
players are allowed to stand behind your seat (blowing smoke up your
nose) and betting in your betting circle. They are not supposed to
criticize your play or tell you how to play, but no one pays the
least heed to this. If they don't like the way you've played a
hand, they'll yell at you. If you don't understand their language,
they shout even more vociferously! This can make for a most
unpleasant session.

One evening, when EH & I were playing BJ at the largest casino in
Australia, some idiot who was playing at our table, and who we had
already observed did not know even the rudiments of basic strategy,
began to yell at me for hitting 14 against the dealer 9. This caused
the player to bust, and, of course, that was my fault. I got so
aggravated at this verbal assualt, that I smacked my hand as hard as
I could, down on the table, while telling him to shut his mouth! I
guess I didn't realize my own strength. This hand smack caused his
freshly ordered drink (for which he had been charged!) to topple
over onto his cards and chips. EH and I beat a hasty retreat! ((O:

To get back to the Casino at Monte Carlo. If any casino in the
world is worth an entrance fee it is this one. If only for the
fabled stories of kings, captains of industry and soldiers of
fortune, who, through the centuries, made and lost fortunes and
Empires, in this edifice.

Certainly, some of the gilt and glitz has faded over the years, but
still the romance of the glamour years of old at Monte Carlo, is
very much in evidence. IMO, none of the new palaces of marble and
gold in Nevada can touch this particular ambiance.

BTW, if one wants to partake of Nevada style gambling in Monte
Carlo, there is a modern casino, attached to a popular restaurant,
directly across the street from the old casino. The payoffs are
nothing special, and the charm is completely missing, but the
machines are more comprehensible to non-French speaking tourists.

Regards,
~Babe~

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--- In vpFREE@yahoogroups.com, "markhaslem" <markhaslem@...> wrote:

14 bucks just to walk through their precious casino, what a rip
off!

There is a casino near Chicago that does that, or at least used to
though I think it was like $7.50 if memory serves. And no I did not
pay.

#6

Many Euro casinos do not charge if you're coming in just to play
machines. Tables require both a dress code and a charge.

I am really loath to give plays out, but I imagine this one will do
little harm. Gran Casino de Barcelona has a 20c 20-5 Joker Kings or
Better (I can't remember 5 coin or 10), this is 95% at reset, but
there are meters on the royal, the joker royal and the 5K, and the
total meter is 8%. There's also a slot club on top of it. These are on
new Unidesa machines. Since Unidesa is licensed in NV, I assume the
game is random. There's also a couple 7-5 Jacks 5-coin .50 and E1
denoms, with 2% meters. So, you have something with really high
variance, but at least the ER is usually ok. There is also no charge
to get in, provided you present your room key and a passport on
admittance.

A couple of other casinos in Spain several years ago had good
progressives on the royal. I didn't make a royal, but hit the 5K 3x.

I've also found plays in Germany and France (Dancer's 4500 coin royal
machine used to be 5000 coins), and know of at least two others in the
Southern Hemisphere. There's also an "Urban Legend" 101% Joker game
somewhere in Central or South America (good luck finding it, good luck
getting on and really good luck getting the $$$ out should you hit).

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--- In vpFREE@yahoogroups.com, "jackessiebabe" <jackessiebabe@...> wrote:

Hi Mark,

I have been in many casinos in various European cities, as well as
casinos on other continents. I have never found a casino overseas,
that did not charge at least a modest entrance fee. I believe the
least expensive was approximately $5.00.

There is nothing much to play in these casinos either. The VP
machines frequently contain incomprehensible pay schedules and
strange games. Furthermore, I am not convinced that the games are
random.

_______________________________________________________________________

paladingaming.net

#7

Fascinating article, Bob! I enjoyed it. Hope the rest of your trip goes well.
   
  So the Monte Carlo didn't have any $100 FPDW machines? They won't be seeing me any time soon then =)
   
  JD

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vpFae <vpFae@Cox.net> wrote:
  A Visit to the Real Monte Carlo

http://www.casinogaming.com/columnists/dancer/2007/0605.html

http://www.casinogaming.com/columnists/dancer/2007/0605.html

---------------------------------
Don't pick lemons.
See all the new 2007 cars at Yahoo! Autos.

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

#8

I bow to Paladin's more recent and, I'm sure, more accurate Euro
casino information.

We have not visited a casino in Europe for 5 years, and some things
have changed during that time.

Outside of the "Vegas type" casino, attached to the restaurant in
Monte Carlo, which waived the modest fee if you ate in the
restaurant, we did have to pay some kind of entrance tab in every
other casino. Of course, we also played table games (BJ) in every
casino as well. So that would account for the different experience
which we encountered.

The dress code in the table game areas of the casinos, is strictly
enforced. Jackets for men are mandatory. After the first time that
EH wore a loner jacket, tailored for a 5'6" man, on his 6'2" frame,
he brought his own jacket along on future casino forays. For some
reason he objected to my laughing at the sight of the jacket sleeves
ending just below his elbows!

The last overseas casino that we visited was in Djerba, Tunisia, in
December, 2005. We spent less than an hour in an empty casino, in
this lovely seaside resort city.

for both the "machine room" and the table game part of the casino
was two Dinar. (Approximately $1.48 at that time). I found a
1/2 Dinar (.37c) Joker Wild VP, with very odd looking payoffs. To
compound the mystery, all the pays were written in French. After
losing the equivilant of $15.00 US, I gave it up as a bad idea.

I wondered into the table game area just as EH was making his exit.
He had decided against participating in the BJ game, which featured
unattractive rules. His decision not to play was corroborated when
he was informed that, because he was the only player in the casino,
he would have to play TWO hands with a minimum bet of 20 Dinar on
each. O/W, if he only wanted to play one hand, he could wait until
another player showed up!

We have never visited a casino in Spain, though we have been in
Barcelona. I'm sorry that I missed Paladin's good play, though I
suspect that I might not have recognized it anyway.

Good luck to all those stalwart players who venture into casinos
outside of the US and Canada!

~Babe~

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From my travel report of that trip, I noted that the entrance fee

In vpFREE@yahoogroups.com, <paladingamingllc@...>wrote:

Many Euro casinos do not charge if you're coming in just to play
machines. Tables require both a dress code and a charge..........

In vpFREE@yahoogroups.com, "jackessiebabe" <jackessiebabe@> wrote:

I have been in many casinos in various European cities, as well as
casinos on other continents. I have never found a casino overseas,
that did not charge at least a modest entrance fee. I believe the
least expensive was approximately $5.00.

#9

--- In vpFREE@yahoogroups.com, "paladingamingllc"
<paladingamingllc@...> wrote:

I am really loath to give plays out, but I imagine this one will do
little harm. Gran Casino de Barcelona has a 20c 20-5 Joker Kings or
Better (I can't remember 5 coin or 10), this is 95% at reset, but
there are meters on the royal, the joker royal and the 5K, and the
total meter is 8%. There's also a slot club on top of it. These are

on

new Unidesa machines. Since Unidesa is licensed in NV, I assume the
game is random.

I will restrain myself from burning the play out.

Chandler

#10

Prince Albert in Monte Carlo?

Thought he was in a Cannes.

TC

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

#11

<smile>

(...only for you really old pipe smoking types...)

.....bl

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--- In vpFREE@yahoogroups.com, "Tabby Cat" <tabbycat@...> wrote:

Prince Albert in Monte Carlo?

Thought he was in a Cannes.

TC

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

#12

Belgium has a lot of casinos and admittance to both the slot parlours and the table gaming
rooms are free except that you must have a valid passport to gain entrance. The slot
machines are weird and wonderful and are very popular. The casinos themselves do not
enforce dress codes as they used to so one can wear casual wear. The casinos themselves are
quite nice, especially the ones on the coast (which are also popular for their upscale
restaurants) such as Middelkerke,Ostend,Blankenberge and Knokke-Heist and there is an
especially nice one in the beautiful city of Namur inland. All are worth a visit for a bit of fun
but will have nothing for the serious VP player.

MO

#13

I always thought that people of Belgium were among the most
enlightened in all of Europe! They've not only adopted the best of
French cuisine, but have relaxed the rules in their casinos as well.

Thanks for the heads-up!

~Babe~

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--- In vpFREE@yahoogroups.com, "mofromto2" <mike69tigg@...> wrote:

Belgium has a lot of casinos and admittance to both the slot parlours
and the table gaming rooms are free except that you must have a valid
passport to gain entrance. The slot machines are weird and wonderful
and are very popular. The casinos themselves do not enforce dress
codes as they used to so one can wear casual wear................
MO