Ted Loh -- RIP
I've just heard that Ted Loh has died, which takes me completely by surprise. For those of you who don't know the name, Ted founded the site got2bet.com, which was one of the best player advocacy sites for Internet gambling. He was also an avid poster at various online gambling sites, and knew both the players and casino operators well. About five years ago he sold got2bet, which is about the time I started to lose touch with him. He told me was going to start a travel agency in Bangkok.I've known Ted Loh for about ten years. He was one of the few people who genuinely cared about ethical business practices in Internet gambling. We all have to make a living, including Ted, but he always put doing the right thing far above making a dollar. He also knew the business as few other have. If there was any kind of dispute or story, he always seemed to have the scoop on it.
Ted was not just an outstanding player advocate, but a truly warm and friendly human being. He brought fun and energy to every gathering he attended. Often laughing, and seldom angry, is how I will remember him. If I may take a friendly jab, despite being in the gambling business, he was often not on the sharpest of bets. He gambled to have fun, and put that far above fighting for the odds possible. However, that is how most gamblers are, and I think he connected to many of them for that reason.
So long friend. If there is life after death, you will have earned quite the bonus in whatever comes next -- fully cashable, with no play-through requirement.
Much of the above was copied and pasted from a thread about the sad news at Casinomeister.
Casino Photography
Yesterday I had to go to Sam's Town. I hardly ever make it to the Boulder Highway casinos, and avoid it as much as possible. However, in this case, it almost couldn't be helped. As long as I was out that way, I used the occasion to take some photos for my hotel reviews, and to update my rule surveys for Sam's Town, Boulder Station, Eastside Cannery, and Arizona Charlie's East. Actually, I already have a Sam's Town review, so didn't need to bother with pictures there.Normally, I like to have a pretty model with me when taking casino pictures. However, it just wasn't convenient this time, and besides, models cost money. So I took them solo. I know the casinos don't like it when you take pictures indoor, which I never did yesterday. However, I encountered heat just taking outdoor pictures of the buildings.
The first encounter was at the Boulder Station. You can see the pictures I took in my review. A guard at the front door saw me take the two on the right side of page: one of the sign and one of the building from a distance. Then I proceed to go inside to check on the blackjack rules, and put in some football bets. The guard was nice but firm in the following conversation, and I'm paraphrasing:
Guard: Get any good pictures?
Me: Yes, I'm happy with them.
Guard: Nice weather.
Me: Yes, perfect weather for pictures.
Guard: Are you taking them for yourself, or for someone else.
Me: They are for myself.
Guard: Okay then, have a good day.
No complaints there. I didn't understand what harm it could for anybody to snap some outdoor pictures, but no big deal.
Then it gets worse at the Arizona Charlie's -- Boulder. Again, click the link for the actual photos. After taking the two in the middle of the page I start walking back to my car.
Half way there a guard on a bike comes racing up to me and barks out "Who are you with?" Here is the full conversation, and again, I'm paraphrasing.
Guard: Who are you with?!
Me: Nobody.
Guard: Why were you taking pictures?
Me: I like to take pictures in Vegas of ordinary things.
Guard: No more photography!!!
Me: Fine, I won't take any more.
Then he proceeded to follow me until my car left the property. I wanted to turn left onto Boulder Highway, but couldn't so made a U turn and snapped one final picture from the road, the one on the right in the review. Hah!
Can anyone tell me who are these guards so worried about? Who are these other people taking pictures of the outside of casinos, and what harm could it to do to the casino itself?
After that I went to the Eastside Cannery, and felt I was being watched, but was never approached.
NFL picks week 2
I'm in a handicapping contest with five other guys. We all chipped in a certain amount of money and the person with the best record at the end wins the pool, except second place gets his entry fee refunded. So, these are my picks for week 2. I had no picks for week 1. I document them just in case they do well then I'll have some evidence. Please don't bet on these picks because of any faith in me. My previous attempts at handicapping have ended in dismal failure.Week Pick Odds
2 StL +3.5 -110
2 NYG +5.5 -110
2 Phil -4.5 -110
2 NO -5.5 -110
Comments
You want me to track them with the rest of us schmoes in the Sport Betting Thread I started?
I like the "Please don't bet on these picks because of any faith in me" line. Which begs the question... What is the opposite of a tout?
"You want me to track them with the rest of us schmoes in the Sport Betting Thread I started?"
Sure!
I stink at golf
I'm horrible at golf. I don't know why I even try. Yes, lots of golfers say they are horrible, but most of them are Jack Nickolas compared to me. There are few things that annoy me more on the golf course than to hear other golfers complain, "I'm just playing bogey golf today." I would LOVE to be able to play bogey golf...heck, double bogey golf would make my day. However, if I had to play strict rules of golf, i.e. no Mulligans or maximum strokes, then my handicap would be about 100. That is not a misprint. Most golfers would bitch about shooting 100 total strokes, I shoot that many ABOVE par.Everyone tells me I should take lessons. I hate to bring it up to people who know how bad I am, but I did! For about two years from 1999-2001 I took a lesson every week from a golf pro named Gary Marlow in Baltimore. It helped at the time. Before I might have been a 150 handicap, as I often swung at the ball and didn't even hit it (I hear that counts as a shot). Now I can at least contact the ball most of the time, although usually somewhere on the edge of the club face. My distance is awful too. My best shot with a Big Bertha would go about as far as a good golfer could hit with a loft wedge.
The thing is, I would love to be able to just hold my own in golf. I'd love to play a game with friends and enjoy the game. I wouldn't ask to win, just to have a score worthy to write down on a card. Instead, I spend half my time looking for my ball, or hitting it all over the dang place. I don't understand why everybody else is so good. It is probably because I'm lousy at every game that involves a ball. I believe that golf ability is 90% genetic. In the bell curve of innate golf ability, I'm three standard deviations south of the mean.
The last game I played was at the Sandpiper golf course in Santa Barbara, a lovely course along the beach. I played with the UCSB Family' rel='nofollow' target='_blank'>http://familyvacationcenter.com/]Family Vacation Center. In the pre-arrival forms they asked me what level of golf I was. There were three levels, and I chose the worst. In the comments I emphasized that I really was truly lousy, and to please put me in the worst foursome. However, they didn't. They put me with two strong golfers and the young guy on staff "Bam Bam" who helped to organize the day. It was horrible playing with people I didn't know and taking twice as many strokes to bet the ball in the hole. Nobody knew what to say about it, so nobody said anything. Imagine you're a 250 average bowler, and you're stuck playing with somebody with a 50 average. It is f**king awkward. What is worse is I could see afterward that the FVC foursome behind us were true hackers like me, and there were only three of them. In other words, there was room for me to play with them.
Another thing I don't get about golf is why is it so hard to just swing a dang club. You only need to know one thing, how to swing a dang stick. You can adjust distance with club selection and force. I recently saw the remake of the Karate Kid. Much like the original, the student started out doing a mundane task thousands of times. When he was done, the muscle memory came in perfectly handy for martial arts. Why is there no secret or gimmick to perfecting a golf swing like that? Like pushing a broom a certain way. One of these days somebody is going to invent something that will save golfers like me, and that person will rightfully make millions.
So, that is my rant. Thanks for listening. I wish somebody would just steal my golf clubs so I could have an excuse to quit playing.
Comments
I have the same results with golf. I'm 21 years old and I haven't golfed since I was probably 17. I can never hit the ball square. I either top it, slice it, or on the occasion that I do hit it square, it turns out that I was aiming the wrong direction.
For this very reason, I never golf. My friends ask me to go with them all the time. I always have to decline, otherwise I would embarrass myself.
Glad to know I am not the only one - I know my problem (I always stand up when I swing the club) - I have rarely played since I was in my early 20's - only occasionally play a scramble format. Even then, my drives rarely crack 125 yds. Good thing they only need two of em. When people at work ask me why I don't play, my answer is simple - someone has to be here when the other 10 people go out golfing on a nice day. :)
-B
Thanks for the support, guys. If I had any sense I would turn down invitations to play too.
you have to see Charles Barkley try to play golf to feel better!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s50K65PNeBU
I hope that "every game that involves a ball" doesn't include roulette.
Anyway, poor golf ability is pretty common. Most people play like Jack Nicholson.
Thanks, that video did make me feel better.
>> I'm lousy at every game that involves a ball.
Does that include roulette?
But seriously, I feel your pain.
The only golf I will play is if the course has windmills and loops. And I suck at that.
I've golfed since I was about 3 yrs old. Like a lot of things, golf is a game that is about 1000x easier for kids to pick up than adults. Most anyone that I know and have played with that are decent/good players started prior to age 15. Most players that pick up the game as adults are solidly on your side of the bell curve. My father has played the game constantly for 40+ years and he is worse now than ever. Like you, he'll only play with people he is very comfortable with, out of fear of embarrassing himself. On the flip side, when I played in junior golf events around the state, I'd see 8 yr olds that could shoot par.
As far as training devices there are literally thousands of them, but most of them are pretty worthless. Probably the closest thing to what you describe is the SuperSwing Trainer. What makes hitting a golf ball so difficult, is that that the swing must be on the proper plane throughout the swing. Most high handicappers swings are WAAAY off plane, thats why they spray the ball all over the place. Of course, none of this helps with the short-game, which is where most of the strokes add up.
I'd be glad to steal your clubs. Just bring them on the next coffee around May 2011. I swear I'll find a high bidder to give them a good home ;)
I am not an awful golfer, and my handicap is probably around 35. If you took lessons from a golf pro, you should be playing decently enough to not upset your partners. So I would just stop playing. You're not good at it. But you won't give up on it, will you?
Which actually surprises me. You know math, so you should know something about physics. Maybe your head is too much into the game. Try the driving range for awhile and get some practice. There's no one counting strokes, nobody behind you, nobody in front of you, no rough to hit out of. You just practice your swing there. Once you get to the point where you are hitting the ball consistently (either short and straight, or long and wild), you should try the course again. When you are at the range, try all of your clubs out. And, make sure that you work out a stroke that works for you, not the one that Tiger Woods uses, just one that will get you enough distance and enough consistency to work.
Good luck. You're not going to get any better if you play less than once a week, as your body doesn't remember what worked and what didn't.
I'll take you golfing next time we come to town. It'd be a great diversion from the casinos.
Last time I golfed I was happy I could finally get the ball through the windmill!
My handle, "niblick," probably accurately indicates that I am a golf nerd.
For the folks who speak of their games like you just did, I tell them this:
"If you look at the drawings done by the Golden Age Architects (guys prior to the Depression), you'll note that very few of them make reference to par. Why? Because for them, golf was about the journey--they felt par set a benchmark for failure."
These guys had it right.
Pro's who practice constantly screw up; so just go out and have fun and forget about how you play. Enjoy the company and the course and to Hell w/the score.
You'll be a lot happier for it.
I'm not a great golfer (I usually shoot 55-60 per 9 holes.) I used to be much worse, like the Wizard, even after taking lessons. One thing I eventually figured out on my own is that I wasn't warming up enough. Now I make sure to hit at least a small bucket of balls on the driving range prior to teeing off. It's helped a lot. I find that I have increased consistancy from it. I also tend to get more distance on my shots too.
UCSB Family Vacation Center
I just returned from a week at the UCSB Family Vacation Center. This is my third year, and as always, my whole family had a great time. There is always a lot to do for the whole family, but nothing is mandatory. Take it as easy or busy as you like. The best part is they have activities for the kids much of the day, so it is a great chance of the parents to do their own thing.The staff are very enthusiastic college students. The other vacationeers are in general a very well educated and fun group. You see the same faces year after year, if you stick to the same week, so close friendships are often formed. Here is a summary of what I did this week:
Saturday: Long drive from Vegas & settle in.
Sunday: Sea kayaking lesson. The evening was "casino night."
Monday: Surfing lesson.
Tuesday: Golf at the Sandpiper golf course (which is along the ocean, and probably the most scenic course I've ever played). Adult "night on the town" in the evening, where we had a lovely dinner in Santa Barbara.
Wednesday: This is "family day." We do Sterns Warf and State Street this year.
Thursday: 27-mile Santa Barbara bike ride, and BBQ lunch at Goleta beach. The evening was trivia night.
Friday: Swimming races during the day. My relay partner dislocated his shoulder after diving in the pool (ouch!). The evening was karoake night.
Saturday: Head home.
During all this time I did a fair bit of petty gambling with a friend on trivia, gin, and blackjack.
For familes with kids, especially young ones, I can't recommend the FVC enough. If you're thinking about going, let me know.
Comments
Very nice. The University of Michigan has a similar program -- Camp Michigania, in northern Michigan. I went there for about 12 or 13 years, until we all got too old for it. Fortunately, my brother is graduating from there so we can utilize his "membership" in the future. I believe UC Berkeley has one, too, somewhere in the Sierra Nevada. I take it this center is open to everyone, not just UCSB alums?
Yes, I've heard of some other schools doing it too. I can't make any comparisons, but I think the concept is a great idea. While I am a UCSB alum, you don't have to be. However, if you are, it is a lot of fun to revisit the ol' campus and relive memories. I've been known to give a lot of unsolicited advice to the staff on classes and majors, most of who go to UCSB.
Comments
A few years ago I had to take photos of about 100 different products for work (don't ask). Easiest thing to do was go to the nearby Walmart and snap away. I also had a security guard tell me I couldn't take pictures. I put the camera away, but I took the pics with my cell phone.
the local Costco warehouse has a very prominent sign on the entrance warning against taking pictures or even taking notes inside. I've never tried photography there, but I've written down prices and specs from time to time. So far no guard has tried to confiscate my notepad.
Photographer's Rights Page
Photography is not a crime
This is my hobby, and there is a lot going on. There is a war against photography happening right now in America, fueled by fear; fear of anything that is not "keep your head down and your feet moving". People have been conditioned to confuse photographers with terrorists... high quality images on the internet and Google Earth notwithstanding.
You can take pictures of whatever you want to, within reason. You might be prohibited from setting up a tripod (blocking public access), but generally speaking you are allowed to photograph anything you can normally see. You can't take a 400mm lens and shoot into windows, but you can take pictures of buildings.
Here is the extant law on photography, excerpted from USA Today:
I've only been hassled once, and I talked my way out of it; I was on private property, but they let me continue shooting, tripod and all. I wish the shots'd been better, though.
Heck, the solution is obvious: win enough money that you can open your own casino where you can offer single zero roulette, 3:2 pitch BJ, a 100x craps table with 12-triples the Field ... and free disposable cameras for those who want to take photographs of an exterior sign that is seen by thousands and is there in the hopes that it will be seen by thousands!
Can you imagine if the VP of public relations just happened to have been passing by at the time... those dumb security guards would get some common sense put into their brains on the spot!
Mosca -
Are those rules just for personal use photos? I was told that I can't take photos at event where I'm the DJ to use on my promotional materials. I can't get the client to give me permission. I'd need to get permission from everyone in the photo before I could use it.
Wiz -
Maybe the problem was that, since you didn't use a model, that it was obvious that this wasn't for personal use...
DJ, also from the USA Today article, (bold added, commentary to follow),
I'm not a lawyer, but I think that "photo of people dancing" is different from "photo of John and Mary Smith dancing". If the idea is showing the shot of the event, I would think you wouldn't need individual releases. And furthermore, there are numerous cases where "stock photos" have been used in advertisements without the subject being aware, and said subjects were then SOL when they tried to collect. But I think you should consult with someone in the know.
I think what they are worried about is out of place behavior, and in a way they are doing what a good security person should do. Ever watch "The West Wing" where CJ is receiving death threats? One Secret Service guy was with her and another charachter (her niece?) at a dress shop, buying a prom dress or something. The younbger girl asks, "what are you doing and looking for?" to the agent. He shows her how he is sanning the entire area and just checking everything. She again asks and his answer is, "I will know it when I see it." He was looking at someone dressed too warm in the summer, meaning possibly carrying a weapon. Or someone taking a little too long loitering. Or a guy looking at stuff mostly only women would care about.
The guard at Boulder Station handled it right IMHO. You were alone and taking pictures but not of what most people take pictures of, thus he investigated. You were polite back to him and he saw no reason to hassle you. But he was letting you know you were being noticed. Probably happens a few times a week.
The Guard at Arizona Charlies INHO overreacted. But again, he was doing hid job, checking things out.
BTW: If the NTSB did this kind of profiling instead of wanding 5 year old kids traveling with clearly traveling on a family vacation I'd feel more safe. It is simply good police work. A hassle, yes.
Thanks for all the comments. The piece that is still missing for me is what is the common way to abuse exterior casino pictures? Or do guards just hassle anybody doing anything out of the norm? When the AZ Charlie's guard asked "Who are you with?!," I got the impression that it is a common and organized thing to take such pictures. But why? Somebody sent me a message suggesting concerns over terrorism. However, what terrorist is going to target Arizona Charlie's on Boulder Highway?
There is a similar story at ' rel='nofollow' target='_blank'>http://pokergrump.blogspot.com/2009/02/i-got-backroomed-by-casino-security.html] pokergrump.blogspot.com about a patron who was back-roomed for taking a picture inside the Cannery. Good reading.
My sister in law collects Halloween stuff. A couple years ago she was taking pics of kids in unusual costumes who came to her door. A mother got irate and called the cops. She stood on the sidewalk till they arrived and they told her you have a right to take pics of someone who comes on your property, even kids. These are paranoid times we live in. Casinos obviously feel pictures can be used to compromise them in some way. They aren't smart enough to think of it themselves, I'm sure some lawyer told them to do it.
Nevada casino security guards illegally detain man after taking photos
