Project ideas
This purpose of this post is to ask for project ideas. Are there any areas of gambling you think I should write about or write more about?
Thanks in advance for your suggestions.
What will the gaming floors look like. Will table games still be manned by human people or will many be replaced by electronic versions of games with virtual dealers.
What changes do you see coming to the city that always seems to renew itself. Will a new monorail down the center of the strip (which should have been the original plan) materialize or just be talk. Ditto for proposed light rail as well as high speed rail connecting to southern California. Will a monorail, new or current ever connect to airport and downtown, also as it should have originally.
Let's see what the wizards vision for future LV looks like.
https://wizardofvegas.com/forum/gambling/tables/21993-new-table-game-player-power-poker/8/#post466180
It wouldn't be hard to turn what's already on your site into a historical reference if you wanted to. That'd probably end up as a book deal.
Got tkts to Ka and Zarkana in a couple months through myvegas :-)
Surprised no Zarkana review.
Seen it?
The 6th most busy thread on this forum 2016 election.
A look at it from a gamblers perspective.
No politics, just look at it examining gambling edges.
If you could predict the Republican nominee, a lot of money can be won.
Do stats from past elections help predict or is each election unique.
Is there a way for an American to bet with a British bookie?
A comparison between betting on sports and betting elections dealing with stats.
You need to find your passion. Many entrepreneurs find it difficult to transition into the position of fulfilling another persons dream.
You know gambling. You know what gamblers want. How about finding an avenue to deliver another enhancement to the gamblers experience. People love the practice games you have created. What about a Wizard online casino?
Quote: kewljLet's see what the wizards vision for future LV looks like.
How would I know? My vision has always been to just present the facts about gambling to my readers and let them choose to follow them or not. I could offer my predictions of the future -- but who cares? If predictions of the future were any good we'd all be living in bubble houses by now and being served everything we want by robots.
"Live in the now." -- Garth
Quote: MathExtremistThere's always this:
https://wizardofvegas.com/forum/gambling/tables/21993-new-table-game-player-power-poker/8/#post466180
It wouldn't be hard to turn what's already on your site into a historical reference if you wanted to. That'd probably end up as a book deal.
Thanks. I'm proud of the wealth of information on this forum. However, it isn't mine any longer.
About books, that is a tough way to make money. Unless you're a big name -- that is a tough business. A book about the history of obscure casino games would be certainly something I'd enjoy reading or writing. However, I think I count myself in a very small group who would pay money for a book on that topic.
Quote: WizardThanks. I'm proud of the wealth of information on this forum. However, it isn't mine any longer.
About books, that is a tough way to make money. Unless you're a big name -- that is a tough business. A book about the history of obscure casino games would be certainly something I'd enjoy reading or writing. However, I think I count myself in a very small group who would pay money for a book on that topic.
That's why it would make a good research project rather than a commercial project. UNLV might fund it. And the new owners of WoO couldn't do any better than have an affiliation with UNLV to bolster credibility. Let's face it, they didn't buy the site because of the content per se (which is widely copied all over the place), they bought it because of the traffic that content generates. If building more traffic with content is the goal, I could help you (or them) do that in spades. I presume that's why you're asking in the first place -- because you have some contractual obligation for a period of time to produce more content?
Quote: kewljWrite about what Las Vegas and gambling in Las Vegas will look like in 10 years, 2025.
-The future is plastic (and bitcoins.)
-The first "Lego" casino, instead of Imploding everything they will manage to come up with a reusable façade and build new ones all the time.
-First underground casino.
-First levitating casino
-First all bots casino
-"New" retro casino, circa 1950s
-Tube travel (like guinea pigs) but you'll be blown along by pressurized air
-Virtual Sinatra, Presley and other acts will be regular "free" features.
- Light shows above the Strip in the sky using special as yet undiscovered property.
- Porn slappers (just can't get rid of those mofos)
Did you actually do it with an air sampler? I saw a young man on a subway car doing samples fairly indiscreetly with a backpack and air tube. He was time and location indexing with a palm held voice recorder.
Is it out of the question to ask for a budget from the new owners to pay a few people to do the leg work for any kind of big survey? For example walk the Strip at noon and 7pm and get table minimums for craps on a Friday night?
Maybe you will feel the need to get into the gritty underbelly of the city. I liked your interview with the costumed street performers. Will someone try an in-depth examination of the Porn-Slappers? Like, does it pay anything or actually generate significant "sales"?
Or collect data on pit boss reaction to certain repeatable events in different properties:
1) pick up dice with both hands and let "companion" blow on them for luck.
2) touching chips during payouts with dolly still on roulette felt.
3) excessive comp hustling with X$ in play.
4) observe from a distance how long slot machine "reserving" (with a tipped chair or such) can last on a Sat night.
you when when you were much younger.
https://wizardofvegas.com/forum/off-topic/general/2490-new-project-ideas/#post23352
Quote: HornHighYo11How about revisiting your "air quality" survey.
I'd actually like to do that. I am still looking for a good portable air-quality tester to use for it. If anyone has any suggestions, I'm all ears.
You could read and enjoy something and then discuss its merits from both artistic and gambling viewpoints.
For example, you might review the book as highly entertaining but point skepticism to its gambling claims or point out how much info the book got correct but was a pretty boring read or not well written.
This should supply you with a long supply of topics.
This would keep you in the game. You might come up with some ideas for future research.
Put it on video and disguise the counter if requested. Use your own decks of cards of course and off casino site.
I predict it will attract some attention if you can pull it off or even get multiple contestants at the same time.
Horse Racing (big events) Derby, Triple Crown, Breeders Cup, NTRA championship in Las Vegas.
Las Vegas gambling parlors: Dotty's, BJ's, Wildfires (Station owned) etc.
William Hill - review of services and presence in Las Vegas.
Mobility issues with Las Vegas casinos. The baby boomers continue to retire and mobility is a large concern for these visitors IMO.
The demolition of the Riviera. IIRC, you plan on attending/watching. Do a write up on your experiences.
You might want to pick up and run with the ball that dr. schwarz dropped a few years ago. He started to muse on an "average cost index" for a trip to vegas. the idea was that if a hotel announces "20 percent off rooms" its meaningless to the guy who is comped and its a drop in the bucket to the guy who is going to have to pay for his wife's spa and shopping bills. You just might find the "average" visitor is in the same "dilution" state as a dealer who has to share tokes. a dollar toked to a dealer can be viewed by him as sixteen cents; a free buffet can be viewed by the visitor as illusory "chump change" when you add in movies for kids, limousines, etc.
You might write about the number 124plus 1.... its for a forthecoming scholarly article in a math journal. sorry about my keyboard but it wont type a numeral five.
Beyond that, some of us have urged you to go more into the area of evaluating games on the basis of the variance vs the HE, instead of just HE only. Your response [in some thread somewhere that would be hard to find] as I recall was that you have always urged players to use HE as their guide, that it was your 'thing', and you didn't want to contradict yourself.
However, I think it would be easier than you are contemplating. You could say the simple approach for new players is HE as a guide, and for a more sophisticated view, variance vs HE. I've never heard you contradict someone stating that variance is also a big factor for them.
What do you think? I certainly would highly value such analysis from the Wizard and don't fully trust my own.
The general public's number one gambling question is (probably).......What's the best casino to play at?
Perhaps an article explaining why this question is a tough question to answer and why. Explain it's not where you play, but what you play that counts.
Personally I would like to see a study and article exploring if and why better odds on machines and tables keep customers coming back.
Do local casinos that offer better odds have more loyal customers?
I think pounding the idea of better odds into everyone's heads is beneficial to everyone, including you, casinos, tourists, locals, and AP's.
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I noticed the members here (perhaps the lurkers to) love the spicy and underground stuff in Vegas. Ladies of the night, strip clubs, "social" clubs.
What's really going on over there in the Las Vegas commercial center?
What the hell, there a 99% + VP game at the strip club and I can get comped drinks while I watch the girls dance and occasionally they squirm right in next to me?
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More Video interviews
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PS Someone should reach out to aceofspades. It's been long enough.
I would like to second this idea. It is so hard to find unbiased, personal but professional reviews of Vegas hotels. There used to be Cheapo Vegas, but it looks like they have sold out. IMHO, this is one of WoV's most valuable features for a Vegas traveler.Quote: Gabes22Las Vegas is such a transient city, and the hotels and casinos are getting so many new features as far as shows, restaurants, attractions, remodels etc, I wouldn't mind a new round of current reviews for many. Obviously you would need help from board members in doing so and I am sure many of the people here would be willing to help you out in that endeavor on their trips or excursions to Las Vegas
Something else I would like to suggest is a "Comps Guide." I have read and enjoyed Max Rubin's Comp City. I assume (but could very well be wrong) this was a definitive guide to maximizing comps. However, it appears that its latest printing is 14 years old, and so much has changed in the industry since 2001.
Quote: Wizard
This purpose of this post is to ask for project ideas. Are there any areas of gambling you think I should write about or write more about?
First off, what you should not write or write more about. Table games, comps, and slots. You have done well in the past, but they are all done to death. The games of craps, roulette, BJ, TCP, Let it Die, and all the others in reality there is not much more that can be said about them. Bet the Pass, take full free odds, budget your money, yadda, yadda, yadda. In 1995 this was all new what with casinos just starting the modern boom. Today there are 100 books on each and every game in the place.
What should/could you write on? If on gambling I would say do a book 100% on sports handicapping. There is very little info on betting on baseball, which should lend itself huge to a math-based approach. Baseball bettors are natural squares for math and stats, so you do not have to spend the so much time explaining things that do not matter, like "taking the dealer's bust card" in BJ.
I would love a book that shows the most followed stats in MLB and how they affect outcome, mathematically. I don't know your budget or research staff, but it might be a cool idea to get say a minor-league pro or even an everyday MLB ballplayer to be a minor co-author or interview subject to put a player's prospective on it all. I doubt you could get Pete Rose involved, but if you could then that would be a best seller for sure.
My other suggestion would be to not do a gaming book but a math-in-daily-life book. This may be a harder sell, but could be a nice airplane book. "Why the lottery is a WOFT to play," "Did you know your spark plug will fire one billion times?" That kind of stuff.
Quote: AZDuffman.
My other suggestion would be to not do a gaming book but a math-in-daily-life book. This may be a harder sell, but could be a nice airplane book. "Why the lottery is a WOFT to play," "Did you know your spark plug will fire one billion times?" That kind of stuff.
I would love a freakonomics-style book on gambling and statistics.
One thing i read a lot on this site before moving here was the reviews on individual casinos. It gave me an unbiased opinion of the casinos and i used to browse it while planning my next vegas vacation. It would be nice to see an update on the reviews.
Interviews with vegas characters. Every street performer, cocktail waitress, dealer, pit boss, etc has a story. It would be fun to find out how they ended up here and how they ended up in their professions.
Quote: AxelWolf
What the hell, there a 99% + VP game at the strip club and I can get comped drinks while I watch the girls dance and occasionally they squirm right in next to me?
I don't know from personal experience but I have been told that if you tell them you came to the strip club to gamble, they can't charge you a cover charge or admission fee. There is some law or regulation that a business can't charge you to enter a gambling place. Perhaps the Wizard could check it out for us.
Quote: AxelWolf
What the hell, there a 99% + VP game at the strip club and I can get comped drinks while I watch the girls dance and occasionally they squirm right in next to me?
.
This caught my eye too.
This true? If so where?
Hitting Vegas in a month. I generally don't get a rental car but would for this :-)
You've often noted particularly good paytables in the body of a write-up on a game, but not really done head-to-head comparisons about where the best games are by casino.
Quote: djatc
Interviews with vegas characters. Every street performer, cocktail waitress, dealer, pit boss, etc has a story. It would be fun to find out how they ended up here and how they ended up in their professions.
That's brilliant!!!
Can I borrow that idea when I go to Vegas in December? Those would make for really great Articles!
Quote: Mission146That's brilliant!!!
Can I borrow that idea when I go to Vegas in December? Those would make for really great Articles!
Send all proceeds to my wells fargo account, or make a check out to cash, or the equivalent in royalties in chicken mcnuggets.
Ill never tell.Quote: terapinedThis caught my eye too.
This true? If so where?
Hitting Vegas in a month. I generally don't get a rental car but would for this :-)
Yes I believe this to be true and I have told many people this. I have used it many times(true or not, when you tell them its a gaming law they usually let you in).Quote: cyberbabbleI don't know from personal experience but I have been told that if you tell them you came to the strip club to gamble, they can't charge you a cover charge or admission fee. There is some law or regulation that a business can't charge you to enter a gambling place. Perhaps the Wizard could check it out for us.
I used to use it it often to bypass the club line and cover @ the beach nightclub when we went out with friends(they had a sports book to).
I used it at pinkies often, but they gave you gaming coupons if you paid, so it was worth paying.
I have used it at bars charging covers for bands and strip clubs (most strip clubs don't charge locals, so that's rare I need to use it)
I have had a few situations where they say you can only gamble and not participate in any extra activities but that has been rare.
bu can they just kick you out under the private establishment law?
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I always thought there was a NV law that a gaming establishment can't shut down at night and must remain open for 24 hrs. I think it may depend on your licence or something. Or it may depend on where a majority of your income comes from.
I was told by a bar owner he was not allowed to shut down at night even though he wanted to. Mermaids shuts down at night, but perhaps they were grandfathered in.
I know a few bars (mainly restaurants with a gaming bar) that in spite of being told they had to stay open, they closed anyways.
Drich may know some of the answers to this stuff, bars are his 2nd home (-;
The notion of "intermittent reinforcement" in particular.
Quote: sodawater
I would also be interested in knowing the exact answer for the number of players in Pai Gow Tiles like the Wizard's chart for PGP:
Wizard? JB? Anyone?
Quote: JBSaying that the other players will be using optimal strategy is vague; optimal against what? The house way? Your strategy? What is your strategy optimal against?
All of the strategies you are playing against need to be absolute (like the house way), otherwise a circular situation appears:
#1: Dealer uses house way
#2: You use optimal player-banker strategy against the house way
#3: Other players use optimal strategy against your strategy ---> now your strategy is not optimal against the players
#4: You adjust your strategy to account for the strategy the players are using ---> now their strategy is not optimal against yours
#5: repeat #3 and #4 ad infinitum
It would be best to specify precisely what strategy the other players will be using, as well as how much you and they are betting per hand. Then the question would best be answered via simulation, because there are too many combinations to do an exhaustive analysis in a timely manner.
Quote: sodawaterIn my experience, most other players do not stray very far from house way.
I think the most useful simulation would be:
1. You bet table minimum when dealer is banking. You play optimal against the dealer's house way.
2. You bank every other hand. You play optimal against house way. Dealer and other players play house way.
3. The dealer and N other players all bet the table minimum against you.
You could also manipulate #3 to have the players betting more than the table minimum against you as that happens frequently.
Quote: djatcInterviews with vegas characters. Every street performer, cocktail waitress, dealer, pit boss, etc has a story. It would be fun to find out how they ended up here and how they ended up in their professions.
I've heard and read a lot of stories about how back in the day....before my day, like back in the 70's and 80's, half of the dealers where people that had come to the desert pursuing the dream of 'professional gambler' and/or gambling riches and ended up on the 'other' side of the table, sometimes off and on, sometimes permanently. Today, I get the feeling it is just a lot of working Joe's and Jane's putting in the hours and collecting a paycheck just like most other jobs.
I talk to both street performers and homeless people (who didn't make your list) regularly. Sometimes they are one and the same. Sometimes the street performers just a hair away from the homeless situation, but other times they are supplementing some sort of assistance. In many of these cases there is some drug/alcohol addiction present, although that is rarely acknowledged. You are right...everyone has a story to tell. Some interesting, some not so much, some pretty outrageous. Common element is they have found or gotten themselves into this temporarily bad situation, and just need a break and a little luck to get going.
Quote: kewljSome interesting, some not so much, some pretty outrageous. Common element is they have found or gotten themselves into this temporarily bad situation.
My experience is, these are not the brightest
people on earth. Their stories are not interesting,
they are all the same. Got into drugs and
alcohol, dropped out of school, family kicked
me out, too addicted and stupid to clean up
my act, here I am. This is one of the most
common stories on earth, Vegas is full of them.
Quote: EvenBobMy experience is, these are not the brightest
people on earth. Their stories are not interesting,
they are all the same. Got into drugs and
alcohol, dropped out of school, family kicked
me out, too addicted and stupid to clean up
my act, here I am. This is one of the most
common stories on earth, Vegas is full of them.
Is there ever a situation that you don't jump to the worse possible conclusion of, Mr. Negativity? To quote that kid from the 'Ricky Bobby' movie, "Someone didn't love you enough as a kid did they?". Just like in the movie, I suspect the answer is "good call". lol.
Quote: kewljI've heard and read a lot of stories about how back in the day....before my day, like back in the 70's and 80's, half of the dealers where people that had come to the desert pursuing the dream of 'professional gambler' and/or gambling riches and ended up on the 'other' side of the table, sometimes off and on, sometimes permanently. Today, I get the feeling it is just a lot of working Joe's and Jane's putting in the hours and collecting a paycheck just like most other jobs.
I talk to both street performers and homeless people (who didn't make your list) regularly. Sometimes they are one and the same. Sometimes the street performers just a hair away from the homeless situation, but other times they are supplementing some sort of assistance. In many of these cases there is some drug/alcohol addiction present, although that is rarely acknowledged. You are right...everyone has a story to tell. Some interesting, some not so much, some pretty outrageous. Common element is they have found or gotten themselves into this temporarily bad situation, and just need a break and a little luck to get going.
The dealers that still are working from the old mob days would be interesting.
Maybe a "dark side" of vegas might be interesting as well. Gambling addicts, reformed addicts, those homeless guys that live underground, etc.
Trip reports would be nice too. The cheapo vegas TRs were pretty funny. Low roller gambling with some shenanegans mixed in. As axel mentioned aceofspades's trip reports are good too, a glimpse into the life of a high roller. High limit gaming, expensive comps, steakhouse dinners, all that.
I hate to sound like a cab driver against uber but i dont think AP stuff is worth the risk/reward to write about. Many forum posters and readers just want to get vegas and gambling info as they plan their next vacation here. The saavy tourist who come here to count cards or play +ev video poker for a few days can get their AP info elsewhere. Dont get me wrong, i liked missions articles about getting max value from coupon books, but myself as other pros wouldnt like to discuss our plays with any random person asking how to make a bunch of money. The more people know about a play the less money we can extract out of it in the long term. I like to milk the cow as much as possible without killing it if the play calls for it. Even a play that will get burned out cannot be revealed, unless there is maximum value obtained by getting more people involved.
Quote: djatcThe dealers that still are working from the old mob days would be interesting
I highly agree with this. I actually know an old female dealer that still works a few nights a week. She has some good stories. If they're all true she might be a good candidate.
Quote: kewljI've heard and read a lot of stories about how back in the day....before my day, like back in the 70's and 80's, half of the dealers where people that had come to the desert pursuing the dream of 'professional gambler' and/or gambling riches and ended up on the 'other' side of the table, sometimes off and on, sometimes permanently. Today, I get the feeling it is just a lot of working Joe's and Jane's putting in the hours and collecting a paycheck just like most other jobs.
I talk to both street performers and homeless people (who didn't make your list) regularly. Sometimes they are one and the same. Sometimes the street performers just a hair away from the homeless situation, but other times they are supplementing some sort of assistance. In many of these cases there is some drug/alcohol addiction present, although that is rarely acknowledged. You are right...everyone has a story to tell. Some interesting, some not so much, some pretty outrageous. Common element is they have found or gotten themselves into this temporarily bad situation, and just need a break and a little luck to get going.
I wouldn't mind hearing some stories about what kind of advantage play there was in the 70's and 80's.
I know only one guy who was doing it in the 70's and 80's and is still doing it today and he's still sharp and playing hard. He played mainly slots until the advantage dried up and VP showed up. Hes very successful.
why? any limo will take you to such a club for free. any taxi will pick you up there real cheap. why risk a dui?Quote: terapinedHitting Vegas in a month. I generally don't get a rental car but would for this :-)
I'd second that motion. What is the use of a great game opportunity in Henderson if I'm in the downtown area at the moment. Or as one female blogger put it several years ago "I had to drag it all the way from the parking lot through the casino, in high heels, and they gave me one friggin' dollar." we would like a directory of good deals that are nearby instead of great deals that are spread all over town.Quote: beachbumbabsI would like to see a feature that puts together current info on game offerings at named casinos. For example, the best 5 games offered at each casino (based on paytables, inherent EV), sorted into areas of Las Vegas. Add to that any insights on comps, amenities, "hidden" gems at each property.
