HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: ed@weir.pa.dec.com (Ed Gould)
Subject: Re: Head Up Hold'em
Reply-To: ed@pa.dec.com
Organization: DEC Network Systems Lab, Palo Alto
Date: Thu, 30 Jul 92 00:24:54 GMT

> You are one of two final players in a Texas Hold'em tournament ...

> Should you change your hand?

Yes.

> If so, what two cards do you choose to maximize the probability of
> beating the aces?

Replace KS with AC.

--
Ed Gould	  ed@pa.dec.com		Digital Equipment Corporation
+1 415 688 1309	  Network Systems Lab	505 Hamilton Ave, Palo Alto, CA  94301

"Unison is only one form of harmony." -- LW
From: mgm@clipper.ingr.com (Mike Marfell)
Newsgroups: rec.gambling
Subject: Re: $1 tables?
Date: 21 Jul 92 16:36:30 GMT
Organization: Intergraph Advanced Processor Division - Palo Alto, CA


> >Hi all,
> >	I was at Vegas during Labor Day weekend, my friends and I were
> >searching for $1 tables in couple casinos and we couldn't find any.
> >My friends told me because it was weekend, if we had gone there on weekdays,
> >we surely will find some $1 tables...  Could anybody verify this?

      Well, at north shore Tahoe, the Tahoe Builtmore has $1 craps during
the week and $2 on the weekends. So consider this a hands on verification.

                                                             -Mike
                                            
-- 
            "Just a little knowledge can be dangerous"  ....Burmashave

Mike Marfell                                      mgm@clipper.ingr.com
Newsgroups: rec.gambling,ont.forsale,misc.forsale
From: ahmcs@world.std.com (Alan H Mintz)
Subject: Rabbit Hunting?
Keywords: sickening
Organization: The World Public Access UNIX, Brookline, MA
Distribution: ont
Date: Sat, 25 Jul 1992 21:21:36 GMT

From the Bicycle Club Diamond Jim Brady Tournament "General Rules for 
Satellite Games":

13. No rabbit hunting.

So, are rabbits out of season in August or what?
-- 
< Alan H. Mintz | alan@mq.mq.com      | ...!uunet!ahmcs!mq!alan  BEST PATH >
<            OR | ahmcs@world.std.com | ...!uunet!world.std.com!ahmcs      >
Newsgroups: rec.gambling
From: jacko@cbnewsl.cb.att.com (Jacko)
Subject: Re: Negative Expectation for Baccarat
Organization: AT&T
Date: Tue, 28 Jul 1992 02:55:37 GMT

In article <1992Jul23.153603.20485@sei.cmu.edu>, weinstoc@sei.cmu.edu (Chuck Weinstock) writes:
> 
> Anyone who ever doubted that their expectation for baccarat was negative
> should read an article on page B8 of today's Wall Street Journal.  The article
> is entitled "Mirage Resorts Had Loss in 2nd Period Against 1991 Profit".
> Mirage reported a second-quarter loss of $9.7 million as compared to a $12.6
> million profit last year.  They attribute most of the reveral to a falloff in
> their baccarat business, largely because of economic weakness in Japan that is
> affecting some of its best customers.  The company also had bad luck at the
> tables (meaning a lower than usual hold).

This doesn't tell half the story.  Their #1 baccarat player, who lost
$66 million there last year, is a Japanese golf promoter named Mizuno who is
currently *in prison* because his company sold 50,000 memberships for a new
country club in Japan that was only supposed to have a few hundred.  They say
the IRS and the Yakuza are after him too.

Another big baccarat player is said to have been AXE-MURDERED.  He died owing
the Las Vegas Hilton $5 million.  They probably miss his action more.

Jacko.
Newsgroups: rec.gambling
From: jacobs@cs.utah.edu (Steven R Jacobs)
Subject: Re: video poker simulations
In-reply-to: jka@ece.cmu.edu's message of Wed, 29 Jul 1992 19:59:46 GMT
Organization: University of Utah CS Dept
Date: 29 Jul 92 14:54:50

In article <1992Jul29.190008.22307@fs7.ece.cmu.edu> jka@ece.cmu.edu (Jay Adams) writes:
>
> I'm running a few hundred million hands of video poker to figure out
> optimal strategy and expected return.  So far I have been able to get
> results similar to those that Steve Jacobs included in the FAQ for
> machines that pay 5/8 (5 for a flush, 8 for a boat) with a progressive
> royal flush jackpot of 2500.

I would hope your results were similar, since the info in the FAQ is
from exact computations rather than simulations.

> Here are the other runs I would like to
> do:
>
>     1. 6/9 with a non-progressive royal flush jackpot

The optimal strategy for 9/6 machines is almost identical to the
optimal strategy for 8/5 machines.  The same strategy can be used
with no significant loss to the player.

>     2. single joker
>
>     3. that funny double card thing that someone mentioned
>
>     4. anything else that shows up in casinos
>
>
>   What I need to know is this:
>
>   - What do 6/9 machines pay for a royal flush (1000?, 800?)

Most of the 9/6 machines that I've seen pay 800 for the royal flush.
This results in an expected return of 99.5% with optimal play (pretty
much identical to the strategy for 8/5 machines).

>  - What are the payouts when a joker is included?

Can't help you here, I haven't done much with wild cards yet.

>   - Any such thing as progressive w/ joker?  What are payouts?

Sure, you can find progressives with just about any type of machine
(although I've never seen 9/6 progressives).  I've seen progressives
where several different types of VP machines were tied to the same
jackpot.

> Final question: how do progressive jackpots grow?  Is it a percentage
> of the take?  What percentage?

I believe 1% of each bet is added to the progressive jackpot, but
I could be wrong -- not sure about the percentage, and I don't know
if anything is added when bets smaller than the max. are made.  Also,
it gets more complicated when there are multiple progressive jackpots.
--
Steve Jacobs  ({bellcore,hplabs,uunet}!utah-cs!jacobs, jacobs@cs.utah.edu)
"Never teach a card counter to sing.  It wastes your time and gets the card
 counter barred."
Newsgroups: rec.gambling
From: moscatel@granite.ma30.bull.com (Joseph Moscatelli)
Newsgroups: rec.gambling
Subject: Re: Hampton Beach?
Date: 23 Jul 92 16:53:21 GMT
Organization: Bull HN Information Systems Inc.

In article <14mi4dINNabo@network.ucsd.edu> erwin@bend.ucsd.edu (Sean Erwin) writes:
>Now that I am in the Boston area, I am hearing a lot of mention on the radio,
>etc, about the Hampton Beach casino in New Hampshire.  What is this place?
>What games are offered?  Any info would be appreciated...

Forget it, it's not a casino. It's an entertainment type ballroom which 
features shows like Peter, Paul and Mary etc. No casino gambling in this 
neck of the woods except for the recently opened Foxwood in Lepyard, Conn.

-- 
 == Joseph A. Moscatelli                ==
 == Bull HN Information Systems         ==
 == j.moscatelli@granite.ma30.bull.com  ==
Newsgroups: rec.gambling
Subject: 2 people & 1 bankroll
From: jfeldhouse@miavx3.mid.muohio.edu (Jim Feldhouse)
Date: 30 Jul 92 20:02:20 EST
Distribution: world
Organization: as little as possible

Picture this situation:
mine girlfriend and I and $500 dollars go to Las Vegas.

We have taught ourselves the basic strategy and a simple
counting system (say Hi Opt 1).  We both will be playing
blackjack with the 1 bankroll of $500.  Doubling the number
of hands and hopefully the number of wins.

Would it be bad to sit at the same table?  With the same
dealer...  It seems that all the hands wouldn't be as much
independant events as if one person played twice as many hands,
since the outcome of every 2 hands would be related to each other.

Seems like it might not make any difference, sitting
at 2 tables or together at one.  I am just curious for
a more informed answer.

thanks
jim
Newsgroups: rec.gambling
From: dmak@bnr.ca (Darrell Makarenko)
Newsgroups: rec.gambling
Subject: Re: Ontario Lottary  6/49
Date: 30 Jul 92 15:33:37 GMT
Organization: Bell-Northern Research, Ottawa, Canada

Here is my favorite strategy for selecting 6-49 lottary
numbers to maximize your return.

Everyone (almost) knows that each set of numbers has the same
chance as every other set of being a winner - and so the most
that you can do is to minimize the number of other people
who win as well - and thus with whom you might have to share a prize.

Stay away from numbers <31?  Forget it.  Everyone knows that.

The strategy is to pick the one number that no-one else in their
right mind would select.  Last weeks winning number.  I mean, only
an idiot would bet that the same number would come up twice in a row.

And last weeks big winner - It is more likely that he is out shopping
than playing his numbers again.
Ps. If you use my strategy and win - feel free to send me $7.95  :-)
Newsgroups: rec.gambling
From: hall@kronos.arc.nasa.gov (Michael Hall)
Subject: Vegas rental cars
Organization: NASA/ARC Information Sciences Division
Distribution: na
Date: Fri, 24 Jul 1992 01:19:21 GMT

Here are some economy car prices for this weekend in Vegas:

COMPANY   PRICE/DAY
Alamo     $24.99
Budget    sold out
Dollar    $24.95
General   sold out
Hertz     $27.95
Payless   $23.95
Thrifty   sold out
Value     $25.95

These seem a bit higher than usual, with prices under $20 a day being common.

-- 
Michael Hall            \ I'm sorry sir, but you can no longer play coupons
NASA Ames Research Center\ in our casino.  Feel free to play slots, craps,
hall@ptolemy.arc.nasa.gov \ blackjack, or any other game.  But no coupons.
Newsgroups: rec.gambling
From: jack@freezer.cns.udel.edu (Jack Seltzer)
Subject: Probability of Ruin as a Function of Bank Size
Reply-To: jack@freezer.cns.udel.edu
Organization: University of Delaware
Date: Fri, 31 Jul 1992 20:21:02 GMT

In Wong's book, Professional Blackjack, there is a table of factors to apply to 
your bankroll which is supposed to yield an optimal betting system.  The factors
depend on the casino (Atlantic City, Reno, Las Vegas) and the number of hands.
For example, for Atlantic City the factor for one hand is something like 
.8.  Thus, given a bankroll of 200 units, your bet should be advantage x 160.
For example at a true count of +2 with a .5% advantage the bet would be approximately
1 unit (.8).  Does anyone know the associated ruin % for Wong's numbers as a function
of bankrool size.  By ruin, I mean the probability of losing your bank (or perhaps
it is losing your bank before doubling your bank).  I am assuming
that you bet only in situations of advantage >= 0.  In several books, I have 
read that the probability of doubling you bank before ruin is 90% + for a 
200 unit bank where the bet is advantage x bankroll.  I would assume that using
advantage/variance x bank would result in a higher probability.  I have pretty 
mucn not worried about this in the past, but happily my bank has increased 
substantially (for me, that is) and I want to be pretty precise in my betting now.

Note the reason that I stipulate betting in positive advantage situations only is
that is pretty much my betting style currently (i.e., leave the table or take a break
if the count goes negative).  


Thanks in advance,


Jack Seltzer


 






Newsgroups: rec.gambling
From: hall@kronos.arc.nasa.gov (Michael Hall)
Subject: Re: Maxim in LAV
Organization: NASA/ARC Information Sciences Division
Distribution: na
Date: Fri, 24 Jul 1992 20:05:31 GMT

In article <1992Jul24.154436.5043@athena.cs.uga.edu> tedr@athena.cs.uga.edu (Ted Kalivoda) writes:
>Does anyone know about or have experiece with the Maxim hotel in Las Vegas? 
>I'm considering their 22.50 rooms for the weekdays in August.
>
>BlackjacK:
>		1)  Single deck  games?

For a little while last year they had single deck blackjack dealt down
to the last card (literally.)  I guess the single deck is gone altogether
now, since Blackjack Forum lists only 10 double deck tables (75% penetration)
and 6 four deck tables (85% penetration).  In my not-so-recent experience
there, the penetration on the double deckers is inconsistent but generally
if half a deck remains, you'll still get another round to a full table,
so 75% is usually the absolute minimum portion of the cards you'll see.
I can't remember if they use a "shuffle now" card or not, but if they do
it's placed at around 75%.

>		2)  Rules?

The shoes and double decks both have strip rules (S17, DOA.)

>What type of people generally stay there? 

Cowboys?  George Bush?  (They sometimes run a promotion for Texas residents.)

Overall, it's sort of a middle-class casino; it's not the Mirage, but not the
El Cortez either.  Probably not a bad place to stay and to play, and it's
within easy walking distance of a bunch of other casinos.

-- 
Michael Hall            \ I'm sorry sir, but you can no longer play coupons
NASA Ames Research Center\ in our casino.  Feel free to play slots, craps,
hall@ptolemy.arc.nasa.gov \ blackjack, or any other game.  But no coupons.
From: jjvbl@lhdsy1.lahabra.chevron.com (John V. Blzka)
Newsgroups: rec.gambling
Subject: Laughlin trip this weekend
Date: 24 Jul 92 16:21:35 GMT
Organization: Chevron, La Habra, CA

Organization: Chevron Oil Field Research, La Habra, CA.



I'll be making a trip out to Laughlin this weekend.
I'm just wondering if any rec.gamblers will be there.
I also would like to know where the best BJ games are
in Laughlin.
Thanks in advance.
The Blitz
From: kubey@sgi.com (Ken Kubey)
Newsgroups: rec.gambling
Subject: Re: Question about those quarter games in archades
Date: 21 Jul 92 20:05:50 GMT
Organization: Silicon Graphics, Inc., Mountain View, CA

About the pusher or sweeper machines...

During my last trip to Reno, I was playing some nickel slots and watched
as a couple casino guys openned up a quarter sweeper machine to empty
out the quarters that had fallen into the no-return areas.  There were
*thousands* and *thousands* of quarters in there.  Pretty enlightening.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Name:       Ken Kubey  or  QB   |  Reading, editing or printing of this text
Address:    kubey@sgi.com       |  without the express written consent of
Disclaimer: the usual           |  Major League Baseball is prohibited.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Xref: sparky rec.gambling:4076 ont.forsale:740 misc.forsale:21959
From: frampton@vicuna.ocunix.on.ca (Steve Frampton)
Newsgroups: rec.gambling,ont.forsale,misc.forsale
Subject: Re: Lotto 6/49 Analysis - Ontario
Keywords: sickening
Date: 25 Jul 92 19:24:50 GMT
Reply-To: frampton@vicuna.ocunix.on.ca
Distribution: ont
Organization: Vicuna Systems, Kingston, ON (613) 547-5066

pmfusari@undergrad.math.waterloo.edu (Paul Fusari) writes:

> For anyone out there who is interested in spotting trends in the winning Lott
> 6/49 numbers, I have just completed a study on 10 years of 6/49 draws. 
> It includes analysis on number occurrences (how often each number is drawn),
> how often certain numbers come up together, as well as range analysis (how
> often the numbers fall within a certain range).  I've also included the 
> winning numbers for the past 10 years and some tips on combining.  I've 
> put all of this into a book and I would like to offer it to anyone who is
> interested.  In order to cover the cost of the copies and binding, I am
> charging a fee of $7.95 per copy.  Satisfaction is guaranteed.  If you  
> would like a copy, send cheque or m/o to P. Fusari, P.O.Box 26094
> King Value Station, Kitchener, ON N2G 4V8.

Gosh.  Advertising on the net.  Are you going to reimburse those people 
who have to *pay* for traffic to subsidize your advertising?

Just a quick question -- if your analysis of the numbers is so great why 
aren't *you* a millionaire yet?

----------------------------------------------------
frampton@vicuna.ocunix.on.ca (Steve Frampton)
Vicuna Systems BBS - 613/547-5066 [9600 v.32/.42bis]
Newsgroups: rec.gambling
From: sethb@fid.morgan.com (Seth Breidbart)
Subject: Re: Samuelsen
Organization: my opinions only
Date: Thu, 23 Jul 1992 00:15:19 GMT

In article <JACOBS.92Jul16184945@cells.cs.utah.edu> jacobs@cs.utah.edu
(Steven R Jacobs) writes:

>With (X**a)/a as utility, it appears that negative 'a' implies negative
>utility for any magnitude of 'a' and any positive X, so won't the optimal
>bet always be "don't play"?

With a= -1, utility is -1/X.  That's an increasing function of X, so
you want to make favorable bets (if they're favorable enough).  The
fact that utility is negative is irrelevant; it's the expected change
in utility caused by a bet that matters.

In particular, if you change your utility function by adding an
arbitrary constant to it, that shouldn't change your behavior at all.

>Yup, and if you don't like the results from optimizing your utility
>function, then you need to change utility functions (and the corresponding
>optimal strategy).

I'd give a bad grade to a statement like that.  If you don't like the
results from optimizing a function, then that function _isn't_ your
utility function.

Seth		sethb@fid.morgan.com


Newsgroups: rec.gambling
From: hall@kronos.arc.nasa.gov (Michael Hall)
Subject: Re: Computers in casinos
Organization: NASA/ARC Information Sciences Division
Date: Thu, 30 Jul 1992 20:36:07 GMT

In article <1992Jul29.222518.23417@synapse.bms.com> gopstein@helix.bms.com (Rich Gopstein) writes:

>What is the legality of computer use in AC [Atlantic City]?

A use-a-device-go-to-jail law went before the New Jersey legislature about
a year ago.  I assume it passed, but I don't remember for sure.

-- 
Michael Hall            \ If devices are outlawed,
NASA Ames Research Center\ only outlaws will have devices.
hall@ptolemy.arc.nasa.gov \
Xref: sparky rec.gambling:4100 ont.forsale:754 misc.forsale:22144
From: smlacke@isrc.sandia.gov (Scott M Lackey)
Newsgroups: rec.gambling,ont.forsale,misc.forsale
Subject: Re: Lotto 6/49 Analysis - Ontario
Date: 27 Jul 92 22:35:55 GMT
Organization: Sandia National Labs, Org. 1600, Albq., NM

From article <1992Jul27.164918.11610@dragon.acadiau.ca>, by 900073s@dragon.acadiau.ca (Donald Smith):
> donald@sq.sq.com (Donald Teed) writes:
> 
>>pmfusari@undergrad.math.waterloo.edu (Paul Fusari) writes:
> 
>>>For anyone out there who is interested in spotting trends in the winning Lotto
>>>6/49 numbers, I have just completed a study on 10 years of 6/49 draws.
>>...
>>>interested.  In order to cover the cost of the copies and binding, I am
>>>charging a fee of $7.95 per copy.  Satisfaction is guaranteed.  If you
>>>would like a copy, send cheque or m/o to P. Fusari, P.O.Box 26094
>>>King Value Station, Kitchener, ON N2G 4V8.
 
 Donald Teed's comments and Donald Smith's questioning of
 Donald Teed"s motives deleted.

>  If you have ever actually, LOOKED at some of the statistics from 6/49 themselv
> you would see that some numbers *DO* fall more than others, quite signifigantly
> so as well!!  I make it a habit never to play a game with odds higher than
> 400 to one for a $10 payoff, but these statistics are what some people would
> love to have...  If you are so concerned about what this fellow has done, you
> should have sent him mail, not this...
> 
>  Jerk.
>  
> -- 
>  My .sig file was too long so I canned it.  Mail me if you want it. *grin*

  Did it ever occur to you that some of us might consider this
  to be garbage not because Mr. Fusari  is going to get some
  horrendous profit, but because past occurances have no effect
  of future occurences?  I would not pay a tea leaf reader 7.95
  not because 7.95 might correspond to too high an hourly wage,
  but because reading tea leaves is useless.

	What does "quite significantly" mean anyway?   Anybody,
  out of ignorance or fraud, can find patterns in any random
  data after the fact.  Example: Take all of the lotteries and 
  look for significant occurances of any number in any single
  one of them.  Then determine the odds of that particular
  number coming up in a single lottery.  The odds will probable
  be thousands to one at least.  This would sound great to the
  average person with no background in statistics, but it will
  also be completely useless information, unless the lottery
  operators are criminally inept.  You could find the same type
  of pattern in a table of random numbers and if your
  stastical analysis assumes only a small section of the tables
  were used, then the results will be garbage.

	Please define your method of determining significance when
  you say something like this so that readers can determine if 
  what you say is valid.

  Scott Lackey
Newsgroups: rec.gambling
From: EGG9EJS@MVS.OAC.UCLA.EDU (Eric J. Splaver)
Subject: Re: BJ Surrendering at LV Casinos?
Reply-To: eric@hup.ucla.edu
Date: 20 Jul 92 23:58:50 PDT

In article <#lqx#2a@rpi.edu>, on 20 Jul 1992 19:40:37 GMT,
kinosr@rs6106.ecs.rpi.edu (Roy Kiyoshi Kinoshita) writes:

>
>Does anyone know which LV casinos let you surrender your hand in BJ?
>What are their rules?  Are you giving up some of the other advantages
>(i.e. splitting, doubling, etc.) to play with the surrender rule and,
>if you are, is it worth it?
>
>Please respond soon via email or posting.  Thanks.
>

Cesar's allows surrender and you don't give up any other rules either.
You will have to play against a shoe or at least two decks unless your
willing to sit down at a $25 min table, too much for my bankroll!  I've
had consistently winning sessions there in spite of the fabulous roman
outfits that the cocktail waitresses wear.

Eric J. Splaver
eric@hup.ucla.edu
Newsgroups: rec.gambling
From: gopstein@helix.bms.com (Rich Gopstein)
Subject: Re: Rules of the Games
Organization: Bristol-Myers Squibb PRI
Date: Wed, 29 Jul 1992 12:07:01 GMT


I have the complete Blackjack section of the New Jersey Administrative
Code which I can scan in, if there is sufficient interest.  Obviously
this only has the AC rules...

Rich
-- 
Rich Gopstein

gopstein@bms.com
rutgers!bms.com!gopstein
Newsgroups: rec.gambling