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

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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.

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.

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My Comments

This case is about defending Ivey's reputation too.

Seeking Enlightenment: Disfigured Teenager Gets Chucky's Looks from Jealo...

REBLOG> Seeking Enlightenment: Disfigured Teenager Gets Chucky's Looks from Jealous Rivals...:
Sophia Logica's Original Blog

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Getting Chucky's Look

Julia Alvarez, 15, was left disfigured after jealous pair slashed her face. According to her statement two girls aged 18 and 16 pulled out knives and said: "Everyone says you are pretty. You won't look pretty when we have finished with you. People will call you Chucky (a heavily scarred horror movie character)."

Suicidal Post-Attack Effect

Alvarez was walking home after visiting her friends when the incident occurred. She was left on the ground covered in blood on the ground. Passers-by called an ambulance to her rescue. One cut on her back alone required 20 stitches. Yeni, Julia’s sister, said "She says she wants to kill herself because when she looks in the mirror she so ugly now."

Reluctant Police Involvement

The attackers were not named and it also not surprising that the police in the town of Juan Domingo Peron, in the northern Argentinian province of Formosa, initially refused to get involved. Yeni posted the images on facebook which quickly went viral. This caused a mass protest at the failure to act against the pair. The police interviewed two girls over the attack. They released the 16-year-old because she was too young. The 18-year-old is still in custody. The detained teenager claimed that they had been insulted by the Alvarez and had decided to get revenge, the Mirror reported on 1 Oct 2014.

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My Comments

Jealousy is such a powerful and destructive emotion.

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

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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.

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.

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My Comments

There is no need to endanger Macau's economy. Just let the gamblers smoke if that is what the want.

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.

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.

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

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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."

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.

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My Comments

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.

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

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Laundering Money

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.

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My Comments

Debt collection is most difficult at bad times. With debt collection being a critical survival factor, bad times will be rough on junkets. It is not surprising that 15 already folded up operation.

Funny and Confusing City Signs

City Signs are Fun

Guardian Cities asked readers to share photos of the most silly, confusing and dangerous signs. They posted the good ones on GuardianWitness. I have commented on some of the photos.

1) You will be the big garbage dump when that happens.


2) Berlin loves this park so much that they wanted everybody to know it!


3) I wondered about the source of the water.


4) They made one sign for the cats but these stray cats can't read.


5) This sign was intended for the police.


6) Tennis on this court is played without balls.


7) Car park with a penalty for parking: make up your mind!


8) Two linguistically independent ways to Brussels.


9) On this planet the pedestrians drive.


10) This must be the place for stress relieve.


11) Sign in a cave near Valletta, Malta.


12) Recyclables in the small bin. Dog heads in the big bin. Sign in Milford, Connecticut, USA.


13) The plants may catch you.


14) Carrying reptiles must be a common thing on this street.


15) A slightly puzzling street sign in Luxembourg.


16) This was painted on a road on the East Coast, Australia.

Pest in Midst: Laggard to the Casino Industry

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

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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].

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.

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My Comments

Singapore is a shopping haven. They could buy diamond studded Rolex there . I guess that will be offset but their appreciating currency.

Carpe Diem: Seize the Day: Sex Change Surgery in the 18th-Century

REBLOG> Carpe Diem: Seize the Day: Sex Change Surgery in the 18th-Century:
Phil Andows' Original Blog

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Hermaphrodites

Hermaphrodites is the biological term for an organism that has reproductive organs of both male and female sexes. Hermaphroditic plants are called monoecious, or bisexual. Hermaphroditic animals are mostly invertebrates and usually parasitic or slow-moving like snails. In humans, hermaphroditism is an extremely rare sex anomaly. A true hermaphrodite is an individual who has both ovarian and testicular tissue [Encyclopædia Britannica]. Today we have a rich knowledge on the subject but back in 1997 it was a different scenario.

Thomas Brand's Report

A 7-year-old girl came to the Soho Square Dispensary for the Relief of the Infant Poor with her parents for treatment. The doctors' opinions differs. The first doctor's opinion was hernia but the second doctor's opinion was hermaphrodites. This case was documented as "the case of a boy who had been mistaken for a girl; with three anatomical views of the parts, before and after the operation and cure." The paper was sitting in the college's rare books library in the University of Kansas. In the early 2000s, Carol Warren — then a professor of sociology of the university — stumbled upon the report.

Thomas Brand's Surgery

According to Brand's report, published in 1787, he noticed an "irregularity" in the patient’s "external parts." After further examination, he concluded that the child’s "part, which had the appearance of the labia pudenda, was in fact the scrotum," and suggested an "operation to free the penis from its confinement." He went ahead and made some alterations, enabling the child—whose name is unknown—"to urinate standing up, wear trousers, and enjoy the privileges of being a male." Brand, who practiced at the Royal Hospital at Greenwich, was "not a quack," according to Mary Fissell, a professor of the History of Medicine at Johns Hopkins [Alice Robb, New Republic]. This may be may describe one of the earliest instances of sex-change surgery. For Dr Brand he actually corrected the child's gender. Was it possible for Dr Brand to correct the child sex to female?

Gender Roles

The child that Dr Brand operated was a girl for the first 7 years of her life. After having his penis freed from its confinements, this child led a life of a boy and goes into manhood. It show that gender roles can be trained or taught. In am curious about the initial gender adjustment period that this child went through.

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My Comments

Why did Dr Brown choose to change this child to male and not female? Was it easier?

Seeking Enlightenment: Sugar Babies Meets Sugar Dadies at Seeking Arrange...

REBLOG> Seeking Enlightenment: Sugar Babies Meets Sugar Daddies at Seeking Arrange...:
Sophia Logica's Original Blog

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Internet Prostitution

Sugar Babies goes to Seeking Arrangement to meet Sugar Daddies. Seeking Arrangement is a website that brokers the meeting of pretty young women with rich older men under the guise of providing social escort services. Tammy Castle, a professor at James Madison University, said "[The administrators of the Seeking Arrangement] are trying to avoid the negative stigma of prostitution by advertising this as just another dating website, but money is exchanged for arrangements that may include sex," the Atlantic reported on 19 Sep 2014.

In High Demand

As in the case with any search engine, the most important part is to be listed on top of the page. Men with annual incomes of over $5 or $10 million get the most attention. The site encourages women in higher learning institution. If women register with a ".edu" email account, they receive a free premium membership, something the guys have to shell out as much as $1,200 for.

The Ideal Product

Some men use the site entirely for sexual services. Most of them wanted sex and something else. They want a companion who understands and appears interested in what they have to say. A suitable mate to tag along for business trips or company events, and even meet their friends. Most importantly, they want someone who will help them pretend that the relationship is not a transaction.

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My Comments

If I am hungry, I cry alone. Conscience, you say? This is a materialistic world.

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

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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?'."

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

The casino as a spoilsport is also seen in Gambling Tales which cover advantage players being banned.

USDA Buying Submachine Guns

Firearm

The right to keep and bear arms is an enumerated right specifically protected by the US Constitution. This had made firearms easily available to everyone. While this constitutional right was made with protection in mind, it can be used for malicious purposes. Since guns are so easily available, it more commonly being used by outlaws than the average citizen in need of protection. With bandits keeping up with firearm technology, law enforcers should not be left behind.

USDA Requisition

In May, the USDA's Office of Inspector General (OIG) filed a request for "submachine guns, .40 Cal. S&W, ambidextrous safety, semi-automatic or 2 shot bur[s]t trigger group, Tritium night sights for front and rear, rails for attachment of flashlight (front under fore grip) and scope (top rear), stock-collapsib[l]e or folding, magazine - 30 rd. capacity." Form the description, the adversary appears to be very sophisticated. It is hard to imagine the type of crooks they are dealing with.

OIG Operations

The justification for the weapons were the nature of their operations. "OIG Special agents regularly conduct undercover operations and surveillance. The types of investigations conducted by OIG Special Agents include criminal activities such as fraud in farm programs; significant thefts of Government property or funds; bribery and extortion; smuggling; and assaults and threats of violence against USDA employees engaged in their official duties," wrote a USDA spokesperson.

Farmers' Opinion

"What we have seen happen, with the FDA especially, is they have come onto small farms, raw milk producers, and raided the heck out of them with armed agents present," says Liz Reitzig, co-founder of the Farm Food Freedom Coalition. "Do we really want to have our federal regulatory agencies bring submachine guns onto these family farms with children?"

Source: Modern Farmer, 19 Sep 2014

Anything Under the Sun: Watchdog to Named and Shamed Bookies

REBLOG> Anything Under the Sun: Watchdog to Named and Shamed Bookies:
SavySeph's Original Blog

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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. The four biggest bookmakers in Britain pledged to set up an independent body to safeguard against any further heavy-handed clampdown on the gambling sector.

Exposing some Scapegoats

Big industry players - Gala Coral, Ladbrokes, Paddy Power and William Hill - came up with this self-policing measures to save their own hides. They want to toss the little guys out of the game so that they can glorify themselves. Humiliating a few small players to save the industry is a good strategy. In view of the increasing political and public pressure, particularly over the controversial “crack cocaine” gaming machines, a few scape goats would be sufficient to pacify public rage.

Independent Policing

This independent body is scheduled to be up and running in January with “multi-million pound” budget funded by the big four bookies. The promise of independent comes with an independent “standards commissioner”. The commissioner will adhere to the “Nolan Principles” - a set of standards for those working in public office - the Telegraph reported on 14 Sep 2014.

Responsible Gambling

Promoting responsible gambling is another feature of the voluntary measures of the new independent body. All advertising for fixed-odds betting terminals (FOBT) or any electronic casino games described by campaigners as the “crack cocaine” of gambling, will be removed. Responsible gambling messages will comprise 20% of advertising in betting shop windows.

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My Comments

It is good strategy to sacrifice a few small guys for the sake of the industry.

Anything Under the Sun: Ohio Approves Preshuffled-cards

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

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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.

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.

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My Comments

That is the problem with managing humans.

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

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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.

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.

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My Comments

Gamblers will need to get their fix somehow.

Man Commits Suicide after Ramming Truck into Casino

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

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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.

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.

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My 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.

ENDIes Populates London

The New Acronym

ENDIes are populating London due to the high cost of living. Back in the good times several decades ago, the acronym YUPies (Young Urban Professionals) dominates the streets of London. In bad economic times the acronym ENDIes (Employed with No Disposal Income) roam the streets disgruntled.

Politically Disenchanted

The Centre for London - an organization aimed at connecting, researching, influencing for a better London - report says a million workers can hardly make ends meet. They felt ignored and overworked. Charles Leadbeater, the authors of the report note: "While 'endies' don't complain, they are increasingly disenchanted with the political system. Unless London does better by them, the city's politics could easily turn sour." Leadbeater was a former adviser to former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair.

High Cost of Living

For households with incomes between £20,800 and £28,500 a year, rental costs have risen 4% in real terms over the last decade. Rent now accounts for about 41% of their incomes. Between 2008 and 2014 trips using pay-as-you-go Oyster cards rose in price by 61% for bus journeys and 47% for the underground. A zone four resident on an annual salary of £22,000 spends the first 55 minutes of their working day just paying for their commute to and from work. Between 2001 and 2011, the average London fuel bill rose by more than 50% above inflation. Nursery care for a child under the age of two is 25% more expensive in London than elsewhere in Britain. A London couple with one child need a second earner with wages of at least £17,000 to make full-time childcare cost-neutral the Guardian reported on 13 Sep 2014.

Zero Tolerance on Pot

It is hypocritical that nations who wants a casino would prohibit their citizens for using the services with some restrictions. This is the whimsical aspect of human nature. They would welcome the "bad stuff" as long as they are excellent money spinners but deny their people from consuming it. As the New York Times reported on 8 Sep 2014, "Even marijuana companies don’t want their employees stoned on the job".

Employers had maintained their zero tolerance policy for marijuana even though the state had legalized it for recreational or medical use. Brandon Coats was fired in 2010 for failing a random drug test, even though he carries a valid medical marijuana card. Coats had been paralyzed since a car crash at the age of 16, and smokes marijuana at night to relieve painful spasms.

One business council representing 3,500 companies in Colorado found that 71 percent kept their old drug-testing policies, and 21 percent actually made them more rigorous. "People were scared they were going to have a stoned work force," said a lawyer for the group, the Mountain States Employers Council.

Should the fear of a drunkard work force arise, these companies will prohibit their staff from consuming beer at home while watching a ball game or having a glass of wine with dinner. The National Football League is another double-faced employer. It generously dispenses prescription pain pills to its players and encourages beer drinking in the stands. It had the cheek to regularly suspends players — including Von Miller of the Broncos and two members of the Seattle Seahawks — for testing positive for marijuana.

Anything Under the Sun: Legalize Casino Gambling in Japan

If a nation wants a casino they will have to deal with gambling addiction. Putting a ban is an indirect way to deal with it. Counseling is the more direct approach.

REBLOG Anything Under the Sun: Legalize Casino Gambling in Japan: In light of the recent media reports that the health ministry is pushing to ban Japanese nationals from the legalize casino in Japan due to...

On Empty Thoughts: Pinoy to Pay Hefty Casino Entrance Fee

Every nation wants a casino to tap the super profits but they don’t want their citizens to gamble. This is just like robbers want to rob people but they don’t like it when they are robbed. XingCai Gambling Tales has interesting thoughts on gambling issue.

REBLOG On Empty Thoughts: Pinoy to Pay Hefty Casino Entrance Fee: A proposed bill in Congress will impose a P3,500 entrance fee for all Filipinos patronizing casinos. Addicts to Hell looks at the consequences...

Actresses for Spider-Woman

I like the 5 choices for Spider-Woman by Alisha Grauso. She also had included some animated gif to go with the article.

Kate Beckinsale

Olivia Munn

Jaime Murray

Emilia Clarke

Anna Kendrick

My Choice

My choice is Jaime Murray base on the resemblance to Jessica Drew in the picture below.