Project ideas
It's to my understanding if you take a limo or taxi they charge a cover because the club gives the driver a finder fee. Obviously that's cheaper than the alternative.Quote: FleaStiffwhy? any limo will take you to such a club for free. any taxi will pick you up there real cheap. why risk a dui?
I always wondered if anyone can bring people and collect a finders fee? They get up to $40 per person. I have been in situations where large groups were asking for suggested strip clubs.
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: KewlJ
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.
Now you see KewlJ, that's just not nice!
The Forum wouldn't be the same without EB.
At this point if he quit posting
the Forum would have to go out and hire another EB.
For all I know he's already on the payroll,
and perhaps so are you.....
If things get slow round here
ya'll can just throw some barbs at each other, chuckle, chuckle.
At that is a compliment to you both!
And just how do I accomplish the double and triple quote thing I see here so often?
The above was just a cut and paste job.
Quote: AxelWolf
Drich may know some of the answers to this stuff, bars are his 2nd home (-;
You are underestimating the amount of time I spend in bars. I am not aware of a law that prevents bars from closing. We generally require the bars we work with to stay open because we don't want the slot machines unattended. Too much opportunity to break in and steal the cash out of them.
Nevada Gaming passed a statue a few years ago allowing locations to charge a cover charge even if they have gaming. It requires a special exemption from the Gaming Control Board. The only place I remember getting the exemption was the Playboy Club at the Palms. They have since closed.
served them right, if you have gambling you shouldn't have to pay, no exceptions. I should've have to pay to gamble at a location I choose.Quote: DRichYou are underestimating the amount of time I spend in bars. I am not aware of a law that prevents bars from closing. We generally require the bars we work with to stay open because we don't want the slot machines unattended. Too much opportunity to break in and steal the cash out of them.
Nevada Gaming passed a statue a few years ago allowing locations to charge a cover charge even if they have gaming. It requires a special exemption from the Gaming Control Board. The only place I remember getting the exemption was the Playboy Club at the Palms. They have since closed.
The casinos in Netherlands charge to enter - although I've been told if you visit often enough (probably three times a year) they give you membership - but then they are all run by the government. I've also come across some in Germany that charge - but they split the fruit machines (free) from the casino (tie and jacket as well). Quite a while ago some UK casinos charged (I suspect up-market London ones might still do, but I don't know) but I haven't come across one recently.Quote: AxelWolf...if you have gambling you shouldn't have to pay...
Yes I hear some places charge. I just want it to be either you do or you don't in NV.Quote: charliepatrickThe casinos in Netherlands charge to enter - although I've been told if you visit often enough (probably three times a year) they give you membership - but then they are all run by the government. I've also come across some in Germany that charge - but they split the fruit machines (free) from the casino (tie and jacket as well). Quite a while ago some UK casinos charged (I suspect up-market London ones might still do, but I don't know) but I haven't come across one recently.
I like the tie and jacket Idea.
I can only imagine how much more money would've been available by excluding hustlers and people who refused to adhere to a dress code. Especially all the bonus games and easy money promotions. It would've eliminated 70% of the competition.
Nowadays Imagine if all the UX hustlers had to dress up in a tie and jacket. 75% of them wouldn't even know about UX 10% of them wouldn't bother. I can imagine a guy could snap up $300 a day in value and still do other stuff..
Quote: MahmoudHello wizard. I really like your site sir.
Welcome to the forum, Mahmoud! I'm glad you like the site.
Quote: kewljIs there ever a situation that you don't jump to the worse possible conclusion.
So your experience is all the ones you
talk to are Ivy League school drop outs who
are out in the world having some real
experiences? The ones I've known were
from a different background than that..
Quote: AxelWolfYes I hear some places charge. I just want it to be either you do or you don't in NV.
I like the tie and jacket Idea.
I can only imagine how much more money would've been available by excluding hustlers and people who refused to adhere to a dress code. Especially all the bonus games and easy money promotions. It would've eliminated 70% of the competition.
Nowadays Imagine if all the UX hustlers had to dress up in a tie and jacket. 75% of them wouldn't even know about UX 10% of them wouldn't bother. I can imagine a guy could snap up $300 a day in value and still do other stuff..
Our casino (Dublin, Ireland) charges €25 joining fee, that you then receive back in chips, one time only bets with these chips, cant cash them in. I think the fee is charged due to legal reasons, as casinos here are private members clubs, so its kind of a legal loophole until (if they ever do!) regulate the casinos here.
Wizard, how about a trip to Ireland, and do a review of the casinos here as a project? If you came to Dublin, i'd be happy to show you around.
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.
YES YES YES !
Wiz:
You have the talent, the credibility, and the creativity to make this work !
How 'bout some articles on:
- Pinball Musuem and their contributions to Charity causes ?
- Interviews, interviews, interviews !
Who wouldn't want to know about the Day in the Life of.....the following ? ? ? Get a 1 or 2 day gig as a:
- Dealer
- valet parker
- luggage lugger
- hotel front desk worker (talk about the polite, the rude, and the entitled)
-housekeeping maid
- and EVEN a bevertainer at RIO !
Thing MIKE ROVE except cooler, Wizard Gagnum Style !
- Have one of the models you worked with explain how hard/easy it is to be a cocktail waitress.
- TAXI driver ?
- Forum Members, and their approach to getting What THEY want out of Las Vegas.
- Also, do some of the TIMESHARE schemes undercover ! I'm talkin' PULITZER, baby, PULITZER !
( Yes, I've done them. Technically speaking, it is an advantage play, if you can deal with the high pressure tactics. I would ALMOST be willing to do another one for ABSINTHE tix. )
Would you consider having a look at my math problem?
https://wizardofvegas.com/forum/gambling/betting-systems/22593-changing-the-house-edge
I'd like to contribute more details during a developing discussion. Could that be a (small) project?
Betting systems have been discussed to death.Quote: ThomasKDear Wizard,
Would you consider having a look at my math problem?
https://wizardofvegas.com/forum/gambling/betting-systems/22593-changing-the-house-edge
I'd like to contribute more details during a developing discussion. Could that be a (small) project?
Quote: AxelWolfBetting systems have been discussed to death.
The discussion there currently is more about how to calculate ev and advantage (house edge). I invite you to check out the thread and join that discussion.
I prefer not to. It's obvious betting systems don't work. I see no reason to discuss something in depth that doesn't work. Everyone from mathematicians to the average Joe has been attempting to come up with a winning betting system since the beginning. Anything you can come up with is just some variation of something that's been already debunked.Quote: ThomasKThe discussion there currently is more about how to calculate ev and advantage (house edge). I invite you to check out the thread and join that discussion.
There are methods that work in casinos, methods that actually gain an advantage, but the advantage can be proven mathematically.
If someone has a betting system that they believe works they should just head to the casinos and use it. If its accolades and notoriety they seek. Head over to http://vegasclick.com/gambling/betting-system-challenge.html and take the challenge.
Quote: ShineyShineOur casino (Dublin, Ireland) charges €25 joining fee, that you then receive back in chips, one time only bets with these chips, cant cash them in. I think the fee is charged due to legal reasons, as casinos here are private members clubs, so its kind of a legal loophole until (if they ever do!) regulate the casinos here.
Wizard, how about a trip to Ireland, and do a review of the casinos here as a project? If you came to Dublin, i'd be happy to show you around.
I'm not the Wizard, but I'll be coming to Dublin August 8 and 9, then touring around the country. I'd be happy to buy you a pint at the Guinness Storehouse on the night of the 8th. PM me if you are interested.
Lottery Scratchers.
Bad-Beat Poker Jackpots.
So basically everything that's big -EV 99% of the time.Quote: TortoiseThoroughbred, Harness and Greyhound racing including online betting.
Lottery Scratchers.
Bad-Beat Poker Jackpots.
Sounds good to me.
FalseQuote: AxelWolfEveryone from mathematicians
No mathematician would waste their time on something so stupid as trying to find a system that works.
While there are some interesting questions related to betting systems, none of them are about whether such systems give an edge.
Because we can prove that no system "works." No point in looking for something that you know isn't there.Quote: teliotNo mathematician would waste their time on something so stupid as trying to find a system that works.
How about a crusade to get rid of hotel "resort fees?"
Just about everyone believes that hidden, non-negotiable fees on top of the advertised/contracted room rate are an abomination and a business practice that is shady at best, and outright extortion at worst. I think you could get a lot of traction with this. I realize that it would, in all likelihood ultimately, take legislation to get this to happen, but hasn't the precedent already been set in the airline industry? They used to advertise low fares, but then add taxes & fees when you went to check out. Now, they have to show the full fare, inclusive of all fees.
If you could do this, you would have the undying gratitude of everyone who ever paid a "resort fee," myself included!
Quote: JoemanWizard, not sure if you are still monitoring this thread, but I was reading about your push for honest casino advertisement in the Misleading Slot Ad thread, and it got me thinking of a possible project you could tackle:
How about a crusade to get rid of hotel "resort fees?"
Just about everyone believes that hidden, non-negotiable fees on top of the advertised/contracted room rate are an abomination and a business practice that is shady at best, and outright extortion at worst. I think you could get a lot of traction with this. I realize that it would, in all likelihood ultimately, take legislation to get this to happen, but hasn't the precedent already been set in the airline industry? They used to advertise low fares, but then add taxes & fees when you went to check out. Now, they have to show the full fare, inclusive of all fees.
If you could do this, you would have the undying gratitude of everyone who ever paid a "resort fee," myself included!
While a noble effort, I think this practice is here to stay in the world of internet travel sites. It is more important to show the "lowest price" or "best value" for a potential traveler because the average person doesn't read the fine print. That is the reason baggage fees and food on a plane is extra as well when at one point it was merely part of the cost of a ticket. Unfotunately if United started charging $50-75 more for a roundtrip than American (both have hubs at O'Hare here in Chicago) but didn't charge checked baggage fees and went back to including a meal on the flight, numbers show that business will suffer as a result of being perceived at a higher price point. If MGM got rid of all resort fees and upped the cost of each room by $25-30 to compensate it, Caesar would possibly reap a windfall of new guests, or perhaps those guests that might have previously stayed at MB, Bellagio or Aria, might be going to Wynncore or Venetian/Palazzo now.
Quote: Gabes22Quote: JoemanWizard, not sure if you are still monitoring this thread, but I was reading about your push for honest casino advertisement in the Misleading Slot Ad thread, and it got me thinking of a possible project you could tackle:
How about a crusade to get rid of hotel "resort fees?"
Just about everyone believes that hidden, non-negotiable fees on top of the advertised/contracted room rate are an abomination and a business practice that is shady at best, and outright extortion at worst. I think you could get a lot of traction with this. I realize that it would, in all likelihood ultimately, take legislation to get this to happen, but hasn't the precedent already been set in the airline industry? They used to advertise low fares, but then add taxes & fees when you went to check out. Now, they have to show the full fare, inclusive of all fees.
If you could do this, you would have the undying gratitude of everyone who ever paid a "resort fee," myself included!
While a noble effort, I think this practice is here to stay in the world of internet travel sites. It is more important to show the "lowest price" or "best value" for a potential traveler because the average person doesn't read the fine print. That is the reason baggage fees and food on a plane is extra as well when at one point it was merely part of the cost of a ticket. Unfotunately if United started charging $50-75 more for a roundtrip than American (both have hubs at O'Hare here in Chicago) but didn't charge checked baggage fees and went back to including a meal on the flight, numbers show that business will suffer as a result of being perceived at a higher price point. If MGM got rid of all resort fees and upped the cost of each room by $25-30 to compensate it, Caesar would possibly reap a windfall of new guests, or perhaps those guests that might have previously stayed at MB, Bellagio or Aria, might be going to Wynncore or Venetian/Palazzo now.
Southwest doesnt charge baggage fees, and most travelers know that, and thus can compare flights from Southwest and United, for example. Ithink that Joeman is correct, the only way to stop this practice would be through legislation similar to what was done to the airlines. I can see many legislators being happy to get their names on such a consumer friendly bill; I think it would have a reasonable chance of passing.
But I see what you are saying. If resort fees were no more, hotels will still find a way to get their money somehow. Extra pillow/towel fee? Pool fee? Elevator fee?
Re: Midway, yeah, you do get pretty darn close to those rooftops when landing. But that's part of the fun! :)
Quote: JoemanElevator fee?
Followed by a significant uptick in people collapsing from heat exhaustion in non-air-conditioned hotel stairwells because they're trying to avoid that fee.
If you want a strange visual experience, go to the top of the Luxor on an inclinator, find a stairwell, and walk down.
I did that once (well, not from the top, but from my room) back in my "I'll take the stairs -- it's faster than the elevator" thinking days. What got to me was not so much the visual, but the fact that you have to turn in opposite direction on each landing -- left, right, left, etc. In every other stairwell in the world, you turn the same direction, left or right, on each landing. I remember it kind of weirded my body/mind out a little.Quote: MathExtremistIf you want a strange visual experience, go to the top of the Luxor on an inclinator, find a stairwell, and walk down.
Quote: JoemanGabes, my biggest problem with resort fees is that they are non-negotiable. You must pay them whether you use their "benefits" or not. Whereas if you only carry-on your luggage (although, it seems even this will incur a fee in the future) or don't need to reserve a particular seat, you don't have to pay the extra fees. (This is not to say that I am happy with these fees, either.)
But I see what you are saying. If resort fees were no more, hotels will still find a way to get their money somehow. Extra pillow/towel fee? Pool fee? Elevator fee?
Re: Midway, yeah, you do get pretty darn close to those rooftops when landing. But that's part of the fun! :)
I am of the mind that I would rather my transactions take one transaction. Personally, I don't fly for business. My family is all within a 3 hour drive unless you get to cousins and crap. Every time I fly it's for a vacation and I am packing for 5 days or a week, perhaps more. However, my concern with resort fees and baggage fees is that this wasn't always like it was. There were times when you flew that you were never charged for a checked bag. You were given a meal on a 2.5 hour flight (albeit a crap one, but they at least acknowledged you were a person and might need to eat 2-3 times a day). Now they have taken it away and now are charging you for it. Personally I would rather pay my extra $75 for a round trip ticket, and not have to drop $25 to check a bag for me and for my GF, and furthermore wouldn't mind having a meal served to me on the plane. Resort fees, same thing. It's not enough that in many states hotels charge you double the normal sales tax rate, but now instead of raising the room rates, they charge you for stuff that used to be free.
--------------------------------
I'd also like to see an analysis of the midway games like those at Circus Circus, MGM, or NYNY, and the tickets for redemption games like those found at Dave and Busters or Chuck E. Cheese. House edge, optimal strategy, best values, etc. Break it down just like the casino games. The kids could help with this project.
____________________________
I think it would be fun if you organized a "gaming conference" of sorts with three levels of speakers/presentations:
-- "Now that you're 21" An introduction to gaming and Las Vegas for newbs. Includes a walking tour and escalator challenge.
-- "Gambling 102" Advanced strategies for minimizing the house edge, how to identify advantage plays, Advanced Sports Betting, "Comps for Fun and Profit", Online Opportunities / Pitfalls
-- "In the Pit" Game design workshops/feedback, patents, international opportunities.
Of course the usual WoV Con festivities/activities can be scheduled around it (or vice versa). Corporate sponsorship should be solicited to defray costs and increase swag value.
I agree with this. Resort fee creep was one of the worst things I saw during my last trip to Vegas. Worse than 6:5 blackjack (which is not as endemic as I was led me to believe). I paid $33.60 per night in fees for the Cosmopolitan, and that was on a comped room!Quote: JoemanWizard, not sure if you are still monitoring this thread, but I was reading about your push for honest casino advertisement in the Misleading Slot Ad thread, and it got me thinking of a possible project you could tackle:
How about a crusade to get rid of hotel "resort fees?"
Just about everyone believes that hidden, non-negotiable fees on top of the advertised/contracted room rate are an abomination and a business practice that is shady at best, and outright extortion at worst. I think you could get a lot of traction with this. I realize that it would, in all likelihood ultimately, take legislation to get this to happen, but hasn't the precedent already been set in the airline industry? They used to advertise low fares, but then add taxes & fees when you went to check out. Now, they have to show the full fare, inclusive of all fees.
If you could do this, you would have the undying gratitude of everyone who ever paid a "resort fee," myself included!
Quote: teddys...I paid $33.60 per night in fees for the Cosmopolitan, and that was on a comped room!
I paid less than that per night for the outright cost of the room I stayed at, ($270 for 7 nights/2 people). Naturally I had no resort fees either. Of course I didn't have the view you did either!
Here's an article about resort fees from a local reporter..
http://www.markpilarski.com/
Quote: AxelWolfI prefer not to. It's obvious betting systems don't work. I see no reason to discuss something in depth that doesn't work. Everyone from mathematicians to the average Joe has been attempting to come up with a winning betting system since the beginning. Anything you can come up with is just some variation of something that's been already debunked.
There are methods that work in casinos, methods that actually gain an advantage, but the advantage can be proven mathematically.
If someone has a betting system that they believe works they should just head to the casinos and use it. If its accolades and notoriety they seek. Head over to http://vegasclick.com/gambling/betting-system-challenge.html and take the challenge.
Quote: teliotFalse
No mathematician would waste their time on something so stupid as trying to find a system that works.
While there are some interesting questions related to betting systems, none of them are about whether such systems give an edge.
The discussion has come to an interesting point and this point is purely mathematical. My question is:
If I have two mathematically equivalent random experiments in terms of their outcomes and corresponding probabilities why shouldn't the expected value and the house edge be equivalent, too?
My concrete arguments have developed throughout the discussion and can be found in the more recent posts.
Here's one:
"R-rated" Haunted House in Vegas.
Quote:Trilogy of Terror, patrons must accept their fate.
They will be touched, groped, verbally assaulted, emotionally disturbed and electrically shocked.
Quote:"We are able to scare a 45-year-old man. We are pushing the envelope."
http://www.reviewjournal.com/entertainment/attractions/inside-las-vegas-only-rated-r-haunted-house-photos
