No 1 in Gambling

Casinos in Colorado

nicolae — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 09:16:31 +0000

List of casinos in the U.S. state of Colorado
Casino	City
Black Diamond Casino and Saloon	Cripple Creek
Brass Ass Casino of Cripple Creek	Cripple Creek
Bronco Billy's Casino	Cripple Creek
Bull Durham Saloon and Casino	Black Hawk
Bullpen Casino	Black Hawk
Bullwhacker's Black Hawk Canyon and Grand Plateau Casino	Black Hawk
Century Casino	Central City
Colorado Central Station Casino	Black Hawk
Colorado Grande Casino	Cripple Creek
Creeker's Gaming Hall	Cripple Creek
Dan Cooper's Eureka! Casino	Black Hawk
Doc Holliday Casino	Central City
Dostal Alley Brewpub & Casino	Central City
Double Eagle Hotel & Casino	Cripple Creek
Double Eagle Hotel & Casino & the Gold Creek Casino	Cripple Creek
Easy Street Casino	Central City
Famous Bonanza	Central City
Fitzgeralds Black Hawk	Black Hawk
Fortune Valley Hotel and Casino	Central City
Gold Rush Hotel & Casino/Gold Digger's Casino	Cripple Creek
Golden Gates Casino	Black Hawk
Golden Gulch Casino	Black Hawk
Golden Mardi Gras Casino	Black Hawk
Imperial Casino	Cripple Creek
Isle of Capri Casino and Hotel	Black Hawk
J.P. McGills Hotel & Casino	Cripple Creek
Johnny Nolon's Casino	Cripple Creek
Midnight Rose Hotel & Casino	Cripple Creek
Mountain High Casino	Black Hawk
Red Dolly Casino	Black Hawk
Riviera Black Hawk Casino	Black Hawk
Scarlet's Casino	Central City
Silver Hawk Saloon & Casino	Black Hawk
Sky Ute Lodge and Casino	Ignacio
The Gilpin Casino	Black Hawk
Teller House	Central City
The Lodge Casino at Black Hawk	Black Hawk
The Richman Casino Wild Card Saloon & Casino	Black Hawk
Uncle Sam's Casino	Cripple Creek
Ute Mountain Casino Hotel & Resort	Towaoc
Wild Horse Casino	Cripple Creek
Womacks Casino & Hotel	Cripple Creek

Jennifer Harman SPCA Charity Poker April 13

nicolae — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 12:45:29 +0000

photo by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com
Jennifer Harman, poker pro

Poker pros, Hollywood celebrities, and fans will be joining the world's most feared female poker player, Jennifer Harman, at The Venetian Poker Room in Las Vegas Tuesday, April 13, for the Fourth Annual Charity Poker Tournament benefiting the Nevada Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Nevada SPCA) No-Kill Animal Sanctuary.

A Red Carpet is planned for 4PM and the $300 + $30 buy-in No-Limit Hold'em tournament is set to get under way at 5PM. Win the tournament and walk away with a $10,000 seat in the 2010 WSOP Main Event along with a nice Curtis & Co. watch. Additionally, the top ten finishers will share donated prizes worth $30,000.

But the best part is doing something to help with the tough problems facing abandoned pets in Nevada. The economic hard times have resulted in thousands of pets being left behind on the mean streets to fend for themselves.

Complete event information is available at the Fourth Annual Charity Poker Tournament website.

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Jordan Close to Bobcats Ownership

nicolae — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 11:33:01 +0000

The NBA has already signed off Michael Jordan’s bid to buy the Charlotte Bobcats. Commissioner David Stern expects the approval from the league’s board of governors to be attained by the end of next week.

Final steps for the deal

Once approved, Jordan will be the first ex-player to own an NBA team and also the second black majority owner. He will be replacing the first, Bob Johnson, who has been losing tens of millions of dollars every year. Jordan is putting up all the cash, which is less than the $300 million that Johnson paid. While he is at present the sole investor in the ownership of the team, Jordan may look for local partners.

In an interview with the Associated Press, Stern says that he is expecting the vote to pass easily. The league has updated the background and financial checks on Jordan and nothing was found that would stop the deal.

What’s in it for Jordan

Jordan has been a part-owner of the Bobcats since 2006. Being the majority owner this time will make his return home to North Carolina complete. He grew up in Wilmington and brought North Carolina to the national championship before gaining basketball superstardom with the Chicago Bulls.

In terms of financial implications, Jordan will have more than $150 million in debt. He will also be expected to cover future losses and put in more capital for improvements to make sure that the team will make a turnaround.

This season, it is estimated that the Bobcats will be losing around $30 million.

For Johnson, this will be the end of his money-losing run with the Bobcats. The value of the team declined since its return to Charlotte, after the Hornets left for New Orleans in 2002. The team has been struggling to sell tickets and secure sponsorships since then.

Optimism for Jordan to turn things around

Nevertheless, Stern expresses optimism that the NBA’s presence in Charlotte will be successful once again. He notes that Jordan has the necessary determination and business skills necessary to make the turnaround.

Since buying into the team in 2006, Jordan just kept a low profile in Charlotte. But since the deal was announced, he has become more visible. Jordan has been seen sitting courtside next to the Bobcat’s bench during the most recent home games.

A lot of Jordan’s friends assure the public that Jordan will be doing everything to meet the challenges.

Los Angeles Lakers coach Phil Jackson, Jordan’s coach in Chicago Bulls, says that Jordan’s familiarity to the community will bring people to watch the team’s games.

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban adds that he is positive that Jordan will be a great owner, one that will push the Bobcats to be a winner both on court and at the box office.

Aside from being touted as perhaps the greatest basketball player of all time, Michael Jordan has also been a minor league baseball player, a movie star, a professional basketball team coach, a product endorser, and a restaurateur.

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Stamkos Touted as NHL’s Next Star

nicolae — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 11:25:47 +0000

Former Sarnia Sting sniper Steven Stamkos is showing signs of being an NHL superstar in the making as early as his second season.

On to the 50 goal club

Stamkos has joined Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin in the exclusive 40-goal scorer club this season aside from being named one of the NHL’s three stars of the week last week.

In the event he goes on and joins the 50 goal club this season, at 20 years old, Stamkos will be the third youngest player to reach that mark in one season. Jimmy Carson, who made 50 goals as a 19-year old for the LA Kings in the 1987-88 season is the youngest followed by Wayne Gretzky who scored 50 goals before turning 20.

Stamkos expresses confidence that with the way things are going, that achievement can be reached.

Coach feedback

Lightning coach Rick Tocchet only has nice words for Stamkos. Tocchet expressed that Stamkos is a pleasure to coach as he does everything right.

According to Tocchet, the first overall pick in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft is showing maturity and professionalism more than most 19- and 20-year olds. His performance reflects that those traits are serving him well. Stamkos has scored at least one point in each of the past 16 games. During the game against the Atlanta Thrashers, he scored his 39th and 40th goals.

Tocchet played Stamkos with winger Steve Downie and five-time NHL all-star Martin St. Louis. Despite all this success, Stamkos is keen on keeping a level head. He credits it to how he was raised and in not taking anything for granted. Nevertheless, he expresses amazement at how productive his sophomore year at the NHL is becoming.

Plans this season

Stamkos’ performance comes as no surprise to most CHL (Canadian Hockey League) fans. He has scored 100 goals and 197 points in his two seasons with the Sting. More than the impressive scoring numbers, Stamkos is focusing on winning and contributing to bring the Lightning into the playoffs.

This week, the Lightning had a match with the Motreal Canadiens on Tuesday and will be facing the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday. A native of Markham, Stamkos declares he is looking forward to playing in his hometown. He says playing in Canada and especially in Toronto is making it easy for him. He doesn’t dwell on that part though and says that it is more important for him to focus on his team’s performance.

At present, the Lightning sits four points behind the Boston Bruins, for a spot in the final playoff in the Eastern Conference.

Stamkos acknowledges the pressure, saying that it is definitely crunch time for the team. He notes though that, as a team, they are focused, confident, and have a sense of calmness to win their next games.

Background on Stamkos

Stamkos can be considered somewhat of a protege as he is only currently 20 years old. He started his professional career with the Lightning at age 18. Even when he was younger, his talent was already apparent in his elementary and high school days in Markham, Ontario.

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Las Vegas Strip to Commemorate Earth Hour

nicolae — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 10:50:10 +0000

On the evening of March 27 The Las Vegas Strip will switch off lights, in a collective effort to commemorate the Earth Hour. This is the second year that Las Vegas has participated in such an event.

Awareness on climate change

The Earth Hour is an initiative of the World Wildlife Fund, and is created to solicit worldwide awareness on the effects and perils of climate change. The event is commemorated the world over, and is estimated to reach the Las Vegas Strip by 8:30. For 60 minutes or approximately an hour, hotel casinos and government agencies will turn their lights off or at least dim their exterior lights.

Managing director of Earth Hour, Leslie Aun has stated how the involvement of Las Vegas in the event last year had been crucial, especially since this required the collective cooperation of businesses, business executives, and government officials all over Las Vegas. This is contrary to the relative ease involved in the participation of the Eiffel Tower in Paris and Mount Rushmore in the Earth Hour event. Leslie Aun has added how the crucial cooperation of Las Vegas best represents the significance of the Earth Hour.

According to Aun furthermore, the involvement of Las Vegas the previous year spurred an even bigger momentum and popularity for the event, with Las Vegas being an ideal metaphor for the efforts of the organizers to spread the message to the entire country and to invite everyone in participation.

Businesses and casinos to join the event

In a press conference on Tuesday, the plans for Earth Hour this year was disclosed by the World Wildlife Fund.

The event was attended by the Mayor of Las Vegas, Oscar Goodman and Clark County Commissioner Larry Brown. Goodman was quoted as saying that the Earth Hour is an ideal reflection of the city and its initiative for efforts of sustainability. Mayor Goodman has called on businesses, companies, and residents all over the Las Vegas Valley to celebrate Earth Hour along with resort owners and government agencies.

Some of the casinos and gaming establishments which have agreed to switch off their lights outside of their buildings during the event include Harrah’s Entertainment, Las Vegas Sands Corp., MGM Mirage, Boyd Gaming Corp., and Wynn Resorts Ltd. Other establishments such as the Trump International, the Imperial Palace, Treasure Island, the Tropicana, the Stratosphere, and the Riviera have already pledged their participation as well.

Beyond The Strip, other participants include the Las Vegas Convention Center, Clark County, Las Vegas Springs Preserve, and the city of Las Vegas.

Increasing number of participants

The demand for power in Las Vegas was cut down by 65 megawatts during its commemoration of the Earth Hour in 2009. This report was sourced from NV Energy, a power utility after the event’s conclusion.

Aun has stated how an improved interest in climate change awareness is already underway. The number of governments willing to participate in the event has already tripled in number, beginning its inception in 2009. From 88 participating countries last year, a total of 92 countries are participating this year. Organizers of the Earth Hour meanwhile are still accepting bookings from various participants.

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MGM Mirage Selling 50 Percent Stake in Atlantic City’s Borgata

nicolae — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 10:44:54 +0000

It was announced this morning by MGM Mirage that an agreement made between MGM Mirage and gaming regulators at New Jersey will permit the company to trade 50 percent of its stakes in Borgata resort, located in Atlantic City.

End of a dispute

A dispute has erupted as to the suitableness of Pansy Ho, Hong Kong-based businesswoman as a joint venture partner of MGM Mirage in Macau. The New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement has judged Ms. Pansy Ho as an inapt partner for the company. Now with the settlement made between MGM Mirage and New Jersey gaming regulators, the dispute is expected to reach a much-awaited settlement.

The matter however is still pending hearing, as it has been scheduled for a recent court appearance. The agreement furthermore is yet to be approved by the New Jersey Casino Control Commission, which will hear the issue on the aforementioned date.

30-month sale period

The settlement terms will govern the sale of the stake in Borgata, which include placing the interest of the company in the Borgata in a divestiture trust. The settlement moreover authorizes the sale of the trust property within a period of thirty (30) months.

MGM Mirage will have full rights in directing the trustee to put the trust property up for sale during the first eighteen months, as long as it has already been approved by the Casino Control Commission. If no sale has been completed during that period, the trustee will have the responsibility in putting up for sale the interest of the MGM Mirage in the Borgata and associated leased land within the period of 12 months following the first 18-month term.

The other 50% stake of the Borgata resort is owned by Boyd Gaming Corp. The same company currently operates the resort. The right of refusal on the prospective sale is maintained by the company.

Official statement

Jim Murren, MGM Mirage Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, has released a statement on the subject matter. “We at MGM Mirage maintain our respect for the Division of Gaming Enforcement but we do not necessarily agree with their estimation on our Macau-based partner. In other areas where we operate casinos, regulators have evaluated this matter as well and have concluded on the appropriateness of the relationship.”

Gaming regulators in Nevada and Mississippi have both approved the appropriateness of Pansy Ho as a business partner. She is the daughter of Stanley Ho, a foremost name in Macau casino, and alleged by international law to be involved in organized crime triads in China.

Murren furthermore added that the settlement of this matter is important, especially that the Division of Gaming Enforcement maintains a diverse viewpoint on the issue. According to the CEO of MGM Mirage, the best route would be to pursue the advancement opportunities offered in Macau.

MGM Mirage will no longer have a gaming license in New Jersey, although the divestiture trust will maintain any cash flows coming from the Borgata before conclusion of the sale.

The settlement has governed furthermore that MGM Mirage will be allowed the reapplication of a New Jersey gaming license 30 months after the sale has been completed.

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MLS Players Strike Likely If No Deal by Start of the Season

nicolae — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 10:32:39 +0000

Major League Soccer (MLS) players have voted 350-2 to support a strike unless a new labor agreement is reached in time for the March 25 start of the new season.

Negotiation updates

Negotiators for both sides met this week with a federal mediator. However, the players’ goals of more guaranteed contracts and greater free agency opportunities were not met prompting the vote results.

Nevertheless, MLS president Mark Abbott declared that the meetings were productive and that they have scheduled additional meetings after.

Players’ side

The possibility of a strike happening just two weeks before the 2010 season is slated to start is growing, considering the results of the strike vote. In a statement, union executive director Bob Foose said that the results of the strike vote reflects how unified the players are with what they want and that the new season will not begin if a new agreement with the league is not achieved.

The MLS is a single-entity structure since it started in 1996. This means that all deals are made with the league instead of with club owners or franchise holders like in other sports. This structure was done to avoid relocation of teams.

The five-year deal between the league and the players expired last month after the union didn’t agree to a second extension.

Consequences

A strike will definitely affect a lot of events that are planned to take place prior to or during the season opening. Here are some of the events:

The Philadelphia Union is set to debut at Seattle in March 25. It is the 16th and newest MLS club.

The New York Red Bulls are scheduled to open their new stadium on March 20 with an exhibition game against Santos of Brazil. A week later, they are set to play host to the Chicago Fire, the stadium’s first MLS match.

On the other hand, a strike could allow Galaxy’s Landon Donovan to remain on loan at Everton. Galaxy coach Bruce Arena expects that Donovan will be back after the loan ends but a labor shutdown could change plans.

Many analysts say that, as with all labor disputes, this strike will not benefit anyone. Should the MLS decide to go ahead with the strike, its American fan base would suffer, but not in the long run. After all, there are still so many sports and so many leagues to follow.

Strike and the World Cup

Having a strike will also damage the US team’s World Cup hopes. The US has already qualified for the World Cup finals in South Africa. The team will be facing England, Algeria, and Slovenia during the first round. It is likely that American fans will be distracted by matches between the world’s best national teams during the World Cup and cheering for their top MLS stars to be following closely the MLS labor dilemma.

While Major League Soccer has not been a big mainstream event in America since it started, the league has a steady number of supporters. Having a labor dispute will hurt the league’s chances of expansion.

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MLB Predictions: Boston Red Sox 2010 Season Preview

nicolae — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 08:40:34 +0000

For the 2010 MLB season, the Boston Red Sox is one of the teams favored to add another world title to their name. One of the biggest-spending teams in the major leagues, the team has already made a lot of preparations not to disappoint their many baseball fans. The following is a rundown of the elements that will define the team this coming season.

The lineup for offense, outfield, and infield

For offense, Kevin Youkilis and Dustin Pedroja are the top men to count on. Both are the type of gritty players that Boston fans love, and both are solid .300 hitters as well. As for David Ortiz, he had a terrible first half last season but in the end came up with 28 home runs and 99 RBI.

For the outfield, the Red Sox men to count on are Jacoby Ellsbury in left, Mike Cameron in the center, and J.D. Drew in right. Cameron is a new addition, while Drew is often injured so these will factor into the team’s performance this season.

Other new additions to the team round out the infield. Adrian Beltre was brought in to play third. Marco Scutaro from Toronto joins the team to play short. Mike Lowell has remained with the team and will fill in at first or third. Though none are at the world-beater level, they’re still solid players.

Pitchers

The team has made one of the deepest and best rotations so far in the league. During the off-season, the Red Sox signed in John Lackey at a reported amount of $82.5 million for five years. His signing up is an addition to an already stacked rotation, which includes Jon Lester and Josh Beckett.

Lackey marked his three-year stint pitching for the Angels with a 3.78 ERA or better every year. Lester is slowly rising up the ranks with a 16-6 with a 3.21 ERA in 2008 and 15-8 with a 3.41 ERA in 2009. Beckett, on the other hand, floundered a bit in 2008 but bounced back immediately to 17-6 with a 3.86 ERA in 2009.

Other starters for the Red Sox this season are Daisuke Matsuzaka and Clay Buchholz. Tim Wakefield is also going to fill out the rotation. Completing the team is Jonathan Papelbon who is a good closer, and Daniel Bard, a hard-throwing setup man. As for Dice-K, he was fantastic in 2008 but was plagued with health issues in 2009.

With this setup, fans wouldn’t worry about the Red Sox bullpen falling short.

Prediction

For the 2010 season, the average over/under win predictions for the Boston Red Sox is at 94.5 games. Some are even confident that the Boston team will go over that number and that their chances are great for another shot at the World Series.

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University Poll Reveals Majority in US Oppose Online Sports Betting

nicolae — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 08:28:31 +0000

Results from a recent poll reveal that most Americans are not in favor of Internet gambling and sports betting but have gambled in casinos.

Not gambling per se but how

The poll conducted by Fairleigh Dickinson University found out that two-thirds of the respondents oppose legalizing Internet gambling and 53% oppose betting on sports, whether at the university or professional level.

Interestingly, 62% of the survey respondents admit to have gambled at a casino at least once. Additionally, one in three said that they or someone in their household visited a casino within the year, while one in five admits to have placed bets in an office pool.

More than a thousand people were chosen randomly from across the country to participate. Conducted through telephone, the poll has a plus or minus three percentage point-margin of error.

The case for and against

Those who are against the legalization of sports betting fear that it could promote excessive gambling aside from corrupting sports. Meanwhile, those who are in favor of it reason that since the number of people who illegally bet on sports have risen, the government might as well allow it and collect taxes from it.

Those who oppose the legalization of Internet betting says that gambling on the Internet is hitting bottom compared to gambling in casinos.

On the other hand, those who are in favor of sports betting say it’s fun and a good exercise for the brain. An Atlantic City resident even said that sports betting makes one get into the games more since it will make people follow their favorite sports and teams more closely.

Other details

Peter Woolley, the poll director, says that public opinion on sports betting may change the moment some states allow sports betting. When these states profit from it, other states will soon follow suit. Currently, New Jersey has filed for the law that restricts sports betting to only four states (Delaware, Montana, Nevada, and Oregon) to be overturned.

When it comes to gambling, the poll found out that Las Vegas is the first place that comes to mind (54%), followed by Atlantic City (7%), and Reno, Nevada and Connecticut (2% each).

Another result revealed by the poll is that 46 percent think that casinos negatively affect their surrounding communities, while 38 percent think otherwise.

However, when asked specifically about gambling resorts, these resorts seem to be perceived positively. Las Vegas had a 49% positive rating versus a 23% negative. Atlantic City had a 46% positive rating versus a 26% negative. New Orleans followed next with a positive score of 43% compared to its 25% negative. Only Detroit rated negatively in terms of the respondents’ perception of its casinos at 32% negative versus 17% positive.

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Dominated hands

nicolae — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 07:57:07 +0000

When evaluating a hand before the flop, it's useful to have some idea of how likely the hand is dominated. A dominated hand is a hand that is beaten by another hand (the dominant hand) and is extremely unlikely to win against it. Often the dominated hand has only a single card rank that can improve the dominated hand to beat the dominant hand (not counting straights and flushes.) For example, KJ is dominated by KQ—both hands share the king and the queen kicker is beating the jack kicker. Barring a straight or flush, the KJ will need a jack on the board to improve against the KQ (and will still be losing if a queen comes on the board also.) A pocket pair is dominated by a pocket pair of higher rank.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia.

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