Can we list 50-100 men who had a big effect on Las Vegas?

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December 22nd, 2010 at 8:24:37 PM permalink

Bill Zimmer, currently the GM/VP of Planet Hollywood, Paris, and Bally. Anyone know why?

"In my own case, when it seemed to me after a long illness that death was close at hand, I found no little solace in playing constantly at dice." -- Girolamo Cardano, 1563

rxwine

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December 22nd, 2010 at 8:57:42 PM permalink

The Mormons.

For arriving.

And then for leaving.

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aahigh

aahigh

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December 22nd, 2010 at 9:19:35 PM permalink

Elvis Presley
Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel

rxwine

rxwine

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December 22nd, 2010 at 9:30:25 PM permalink

Also, no one's mentioned Carrot Top.

Because there was no reason to.

Ha ha.

Don't hate me Mr. Top.

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EvenBob

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December 22nd, 2010 at 9:41:34 PM permalink

How come nobody ever talks about Howard Hughes?

"It's not called gambling if the math is on your side."

pacomartin

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December 22nd, 2010 at 11:19:37 PM permalink

Quote: EvenBob
How come nobody ever talks about Howard Hughes?

Probably for the same reason nobody mentioned Gary Loveman. They both had big impacts, but people don't necessarily feel good about those impacts.

EvenBob

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December 23rd, 2010 at 2:05:08 AM permalink

Quote: pacomartin
Probably for the same reason nobody mentioned Gary Loveman. They both had big impacts, but people don't necessarily feel good about those impacts.

So Hughes had a bad impact? Worse the Bugsy? Worse than the Mob? Please fill me in..

"It's not called gambling if the math is on your side."

JerryLogan

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December 23rd, 2010 at 4:34:42 AM permalink

Danny Gans, and Chesty Morgan.

JohnnyQ

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December 23rd, 2010 at 5:24:17 AM permalink

Edward Thorpe - Author of "Beat the Dealer" on Blackjack counting

I didn't see that name yet.

Any volunteers to consolidate everything into one list ?

There's emptiness behind their eyes There's dust in all their hearts They just want to steal us all and take us all apart

JerryLogan

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December 23rd, 2010 at 5:30:00 AM permalink

Quote: JohnnyQ
Edward Thorpe - Author of "Beat the Dealer" on Blackjack counting

I didn't see that name yet.

Any volunteers to consolidate everything into one list ?

I nominate mkl6543210 to do that. There won't be any spelling errors, it'll be in chronological order, he'll correct any and all mistakes he feels anyone's made in context, and he'll write his own essay up on each and every character.

JohnnyQ

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December 23rd, 2010 at 6:18:00 AM permalink

Quote: JerryLogan
I nominate mkl6543210 to do that. There won't be any spelling errors, it'll be in chronological order, he'll correct any and all mistakes he feels anyone's made in context, and he'll write his own essay up on each and every character.

Now see how easy that was to give a nice little complement to mkl ?

I just KNEW you 2 would become the best of friends !

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FleaStiff

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December 23rd, 2010 at 6:34:23 AM permalink

I'd elevate Benny Binion to the number one spot here.... for picking up the sawdust and peanut shells and putting down the carpets, being the first to offer free drinks and for when a bindle of cocaine hit the felt on the craps table, having had the courage to yell out "Book it".

I'd eliminate that Mayor Goodman guy as a stuffed-shirt puppet.

And for female entries: Martha Hyer and Mia. Martha was the first to show the casinos how to pay a fortune to Hollywood stars and get it all back again. When one guy Short-Sticked her she took one out and said if you want to look, go ahead and look, but send me the dice! And then she finished her entire roll that way. Mia was the one who drank boilermakers for breakfast, never wore panties but always threw the dice under an upraised leg and who once, when tapped out and needing credit at the casino, utterly disabled an entire dice-crew and each and every player at the table with laughter by trying to put her virginity on the PassLine.

Ibeatyouraces

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December 23rd, 2010 at 7:34:29 AM permalink

Quote: JohnnyQ
Edward Thorpe - Author of "Beat the Dealer" on Blackjack counting

I didn't see that name yet.

Any volunteers to consolidate everything into one list ?

Also James Grosjean and anyone else who devise legal advantage play techniques.

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JerryLogan

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December 23rd, 2010 at 9:03:33 AM permalink

I also nominate Rob Singer. Has there EVER been anyone as controversial, yet published by such well known LAS VEGAS entities for so long, that has held his own with his adversaries for so many years and caused more commotion among advantage players, and who has made such a bold public bet by putting $600,000 IN CASH up as escrow in a casino to back it all up?

MathExtremist

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December 23rd, 2010 at 9:32:17 AM permalink

Quote: JerryLogan
I also nominate Rob Singer. Has there EVER been anyone as controversial, yet published by such well known LAS VEGAS entities for so long, that has held his own with his adversaries for so many years and caused more commotion among advantage players, and who has made such a bold public bet by putting $600,000 IN CASH up as escrow in a casino to back it all up?

Controversy != effect. Singer hasn't had any effect on Las Vegas because he's wrong. Kazuo Okada, who actually did intentionally program non-randomness into his gaming machines, had a very big effect on Las Vegas. He's the reason it's illegal now.

I suppose that means I nominate Kazuo Okada, formerly of Universal Distributing, now of Aruze, for leading to the regulations around near-miss programming.

"In my own case, when it seemed to me after a long illness that death was close at hand, I found no little solace in playing constantly at dice." -- Girolamo Cardano, 1563

JerryLogan

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December 23rd, 2010 at 10:30:45 AM permalink

Quote: MathExtremist
Controversy != effect. Singer hasn't had any effect on Las Vegas because he's wrong. Kazuo Okada, who actually did intentionally program non-randomness into his gaming machines, had a very big effect on Las Vegas. He's the reason it's illegal now.

I suppose that means I nominate Kazuo Okada, formerly of Universal Distributing, now of Aruze, for leading to the regulations around near-miss programming.

I've never heard of that other guy. You say Singer's wrong but other, more important people than you have shown support by publishing him.

Ayecarumba

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December 23rd, 2010 at 12:10:43 PM permalink

Quote: pacomartin
Gaming Hall of Fame Inductees do include two women. Elaine Wynn and Debbie Reynolds. Debbie Reynolds did own a casino before she went bankrupt.

1992
* John Ascuaga
* Sol Kerzner
* Claudine Williams

I'm pretty sure Claudine Williams was also a woman. hehe

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Ibeatyouraces

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December 23rd, 2010 at 12:13:17 PM permalink

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appistappis

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December 23rd, 2010 at 12:13:17 PM permalink

john c freemont

MathExtremist

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December 23rd, 2010 at 12:42:35 PM permalink

Quote: JerryLogan
I've never heard of that other guy. You say Singer's wrong but other, more important people than you have shown support by publishing him.

Turns out this thread is about people who have had a big effect on Las Vegas, not people you've heard of. And anyone can get published these days, Jerry, even someone who's only claim to fame is having lots of children (Kate Gosselin, Jim Bob Duggar, etc.) You should see the reviews on Amazon.com of Singer's book - hilarious.

"In my own case, when it seemed to me after a long illness that death was close at hand, I found no little solace in playing constantly at dice." -- Girolamo Cardano, 1563

Kelmo

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December 23rd, 2010 at 3:17:54 PM permalink

Jimmy the Greek - sportsbook
Chris Moneymaker - Poker
Ed Thorpe - Blackjack

dm

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December 27th, 2010 at 2:36:18 PM permalink

Bob Dancer
The Wizard

JerryLogan

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December 27th, 2010 at 2:54:26 PM permalink

Quote: Ibeatyouraces
Books of fiction get published every day. I, by no means am saying he is wrong... or right for that matter.

He gave me both books and I read both. Neither are fiction. The 1st is about how not to play, the 2nd is about a long trip he took to every nook and cranny throughout Nevada.

ME, he covered those reviews long ago in his Gambling Today column. They were ALL written by the same person: Skip Hughs, and I'm sure that's one of the reasons RS mocked him non-stop when he died of some kind of cancer this year. I belong to videopoker.com but do not post because of the hate they have for Singer over there, and Hughs was one of the worst who told lie after lie about him and mocked his family non-stop, but who never got it back from RS because he is banned from posting there. If you read RS then you'd know his favorite saying is "what goes around always does come around, and in such righteous ways". I kind of like that and use it myself now, because he is right on with it.

MathExtremist

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December 27th, 2010 at 3:32:43 PM permalink

Quote: JerryLogan
RS mocked him non-stop when he died of some kind of cancer

...

"In my own case, when it seemed to me after a long illness that death was close at hand, I found no little solace in playing constantly at dice." -- Girolamo Cardano, 1563

JerryLogan

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December 27th, 2010 at 3:52:54 PM permalink

Quote: MathExtremist
...

I don't know what your response means, but I think I understand why you selectively quoted only that part of my post.

If you were around to watch the hateful lies and rants input by a few of the posters, most notably from the one referred to, you would right now be saying "Good for you RS, good wins out over evil in the end, always". I'm not one who would ever say some of the things RS wrote, but it's even less probable that I would have ever been able to contribute to the disgusting things said about him that started it. What goes around....

OneAngryDwarf

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December 28th, 2010 at 8:48:50 AM permalink

So getting back to the topic at hand...

Bob Stupak-built the Stratosphere, one of the most colorful casino moguls
Jay Sarno-built Caesars Palace
Ken Uston-one of the most successful card counters of all time
Antonio Morelli-conductor of the Copa Room orchestra at the Sands, music director for the Rat Pack, founded the Las Vegas symphony

and one that may not be immediately obvious...Jerry Lewis, who broadcast his Labor Day telethon live from Vegas for many years.

"I believe I've passed the age/of consciousness and righteous rage/I've found that just surviving was a noble fight... I once believed in causes too/I had my pointless point of view/And life went on no matter who was wrong or right..." --Billy Joel

Ibeatyouraces

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December 28th, 2010 at 9:37:27 AM permalink

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lucy

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December 30th, 2010 at 12:14:59 PM permalink

Good choice! What is your reason?

lucy

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December 30th, 2010 at 2:20:38 PM permalink

Quote: MathExtremist
Bill Zimmer, currently the GM/VP of Planet Hollywood, Paris, and Bally. Anyone know why?

Agree with your choice! No-brainer - he's a natural at his job. What is your reason?

MathExtremist

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December 30th, 2010 at 2:38:17 PM permalink

Quote: lucy
Agree with your choice! No-brainer - he's a natural at his job. What is your reason?

It is my understanding that Bill was the one who first introduced the "blackjack pays 6:5" rule to Las Vegas, a rule which is basically universal for at least single-deck games today in Las Vegas (non-local markets). I consider that a pretty big effect.

"In my own case, when it seemed to me after a long illness that death was close at hand, I found no little solace in playing constantly at dice." -- Girolamo Cardano, 1563

lucy

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December 30th, 2010 at 7:19:20 PM permalink

Quote: MathExtremist
It is my understanding that Bill was the one who first introduced the "blackjack pays 6:5" rule to Las Vegas, a rule which is basically universal for at least single-deck games today in Las Vegas (non-local markets). I consider that a pretty big effect.

Yeah - definitely big effect for the casino bottom line!

JohnnyQ

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January 1st, 2011 at 6:30:11 AM permalink

Are the coupon guru's Anthony Curtis and Steve Bourie on the list ?

Certainly worth at least an honorable mention ?

There's emptiness behind their eyes There's dust in all their hearts They just want to steal us all and take us all apart

Ayecarumba

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January 6th, 2011 at 1:27:21 PM permalink

Quote: boymimbo
I would add Hoover for the Hoover Dam for without the Dam you wouldn't have Lake Mead or the drinking water required for Vegas.

Interesting article about Elwood Mead (Lake Mead's namesake) here

Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication - Leonardo da Vinci

JohnnyQ