The first and last time I put out
this newsletter was over two years ago. I
just have more things to do than time to do
them. But you didn't pay for this newsletter, so
consider it a bonus when you do get it. :)
So what motivated me to finally get
another newsletter out? Simple: I just
bought the domain name VegasClick.com,
because I thought it's nicer-sounding than
VegasReference.com. So should I move all
the site over to VegasClick, or should I keep
everything at VegasReference? You get to help me
decide, and could win $50 in the process.
Help
me name the website and win $50
I recently spent a gajillion dollars
to get the domain name VegasClick.com,
thinking that readers would prefer that name
to VegasReference.com. But would you actually
prefer it? How the hell should I know unless I
ask you? So I'm asking! Let me know your
preference, and I'll pick a random voter to win
$50.
Your email address is automatically recorded
with your vote so I can contact you if you
win.
There are only 417 people on this
list, and most of them won't enter, so your
chances of winning are pretty good.
Don't even think of trying to stuff the
ballot box by subscribing a bunch of new email
addresses; only people already subscribed when
this newsletter goes out are eligible.
Contest:
Win $50 in free
chips
Last
time I ran a drawing for $50 in free casino
chips, where all you had to do was sign up
for a free account at an online casino, go to
the blackjack table, and send me a screenshot of
the screen. And guess who won?
Nobody. Not one reader sent in a
screenshot. One person sent a screenshot from
the casino's website, not the actual live game,
which didn't count. Had anyone entered,
they would have won. I was tempted to title this
article, "You are all a bunch of losers." :)
Because there wasn't even one winner.
Okay, so let's try it again. It's
really simple.
Sign up for a free
account at Bodog
if you don't already have one.
Log in.
Go to the "real
money" blackjack table and take a
picture of the screen. You don't have to make
a deposit or play the game, just go to the
blackjack table.
Send me the
picture at
.
That's it! When I put out the next newsletter
I'll pick one entrant randomly to get the $50
in chips. It could be you.
Now you might be thinking, "Hey! I don't
have a digital camera! How the heck do I
take a picture of the screen?" Not to worry,
Windows lets you take a picture of the screen
just by pressing the Print Screen key on
the keyboard. Bet you didn't know that, huh?
From there just paste the picture into the
Paint program, save as Monochrome, and
email me the file. If you're a Mac user, it's
even easier: Just press Shift-Command-4, and
drag a rectangle over the part of the screen you
want to capture. Your Mac will save the file to
your desktop. Here are detailed
instructions if that went too fast for
you.
By the way, this is not one of those B.S.
deals where you have some ridiculous
playthrough requirement before you withdraw
your winnings. In fact, if you want to withdraw
the whole $50 before making even one bet, that's
totally fine. I defy you to find any other deal
where you get free chips that you can withdraw
right away.
Some quick
rules: This contest is open to current
newsletter subscribers only! One entry per
person, void where prohibited, you must be old
enough to gamble legally in your jurisdiction,
contest may be discontinued without notice, you
disavow us of any liability, no purchase
necessary, batteries not included.
What's
new on the website
I switched to Bodog.
For years I promoted only one
casino: Casino.net. Rather than plugging lots
of different online casinos (like most
sites), I decided to just find the very best
casino and promote just that one and no one
else. I liked Casino.net because they were
just about the only casino site on the net
that didn't insult you with popup windows,
they don't spam, and they let you play with
real or fake money on the same account. But I
recently started promoting Bodog instead,
because Bodog has all that and then some.
First, you can play the free-play games
without registering for an account.
That's the very definition of no-hassle play.
Plus, you can play their games right in a web
browser with no download, even on a
Mac. Mac users had pretty much been out
of luck for casino gaming until Bodog came
along. Finally, Bodog offers integrated poker
and sports betting, something that Casino.net
can't match. I still think that Casino.net is
a decent casino, they just sat still while
the competition leapfrogged them. So now my
recommendation is Bodog.
Texas Holdem beginner's guide
This has been on the site for a
while, but if you haven't visited the site
since the last newsletter, then it'll be new
to you. Poker has been surging in popularity
for the last few years, so I finally broke
down and learned how to play so I could write
the article to show beginners the basics.
Check it out: How
to play Texas Holdem.
Real Jacks or Better primer
I'd been feeling guilty that I had
the #1 match in Google for a search on "video
poker lessons", because my page didn't
actually have any lessons on it, it was an
"under construction" kind of thing. I had
always intended to put a lesson up there, I
just hadn't gotten around to it. That
wouldn't have been a problem, except with the
#1 Google ranking I was getting a lot of
visitors expecting to actually get some video
poker lessons and then being disappointed
that there was nothing there when they got
there. So I finally got around to writing a
nice tutorial. And whee, the guilt is gone!
So if you want to learn how to play Jacks or
Better, check out my video
poker lesson.
My various tips about Vegas have
always been sprinkled throughout the site,
but it finally dawned on me that they would
be most useful if I compiled the top ten tips
and put them right on the front page. Why
didn't I think of that before? This is also
good for the site, because now we rank on the
front page of Google for a search on "Vegas
tips".
What's
new in Vegas
New buses on the strip
The bus system got a little worse.
They still run buses up and down the strip,
and from the strip to downtown, 24/7, every
5-10 minutes. The bad news is they got rid of
the Express. Used to be, you could take the
regular bus, which stops at every casino, or
the Express, which stopped at just a handful
of them. The Express was way faster, and
especially appreciated by casino employees.
But there's no more express. Now there's just
the Deuce, which is a shinier version
of the old, regular strip bus that stops at
every casino. It's a double-decker bus and
costs the same as the old one: $2, or $5 for
a 24-hour all-you-can-ride pass.
Also, take the frequency times with a
grain of salt. I've waited 20 minutes for a
bus that was supposed to run every 6. With
the mad traffic on the strip, it's just
really hard for them to time the buses well.
The only way that's going to improve is if
they ban private cars from the strip during
peak hours, or give buses a dedicated
lane.
FYI, it took me 1 hour, 23 minutes to take
the bus from Fremont Street downtown to
Mandalay Bay, the last casino on the strip.
It would take me only about 12 more minutes
to walk that far. And when I did the Vegas
marathon, I did the same distance (in
reverse) in about 50 minutes total. Speaking
of that....
Vegas Marathon re-launched
There's been a Vegas-area marathon
for years, but until recently it started
way outside of town and didn't even
get close to the strip. Well, last year they
did it right: It started at the Mandalay Bay,
went all the way up the strip, through the
Fremont Street Experience, and then through
the west side of town before looping back to
the Mandalay Bay. I ran it myself and I can't
recommend the experience enough. I'd never
run a marathon before, and wasn't even a
runner, but I started training in late August
and was ready to go by early December. I
actually finished in the top 17%, and won
$320 from my friends by finishing in less
than four hours. My final time was 3:59:56 --
just four seconds to spare! Check it out at
LVMarathon.com
The Boardwalk is history
Did you like the Boardwalk casino?
Too bad, it's been imploded. Another one
bites the dust.
The High Roller is being replaced
The High Roller was the first thrill
ride on the top of the Stratosphere tower, a
surprisingly tame coaster that circled the
tower a few times. Earlier this year it was
dismantled to make way for an as-yet unnamed
new ride. I'm a little nostalgic for the old
High Roller, which I rode a few times,
including right before they shut it down, but
I'm interested to see what they come up with
next.
We believe everything
printed in this newsletter to be accurate but
sometimes mistakes happen. We're not responsible
for any errors or omissions. Any play you make
is at your own risk -- that's why they call it
gambling. :)
a d v e r t i s e m e n t s
Online Casino Guide
Guide to gambling online features casino reviews, game guides, payout percentage information and a guide to online casino bonus offers CasinoChecklist.com
