34 ~ Sunday, October 9, 1988 - North Shore News

lots

THE BAD news is that I won’t be able to retire on my win-
nings from my recent visit to Nevada.

The good news is that I didn’t
have to hock my watch and rings
to get home, and that’s quite an
achievement when you spend nine
days near casinos.

What’s new in the “Green Felt
Jungle’’?

Lots!

Here’s perhaps the scariest bit of

But, the majority of the cheating
doesn’t involve the machines — it
comes with the money changers.

Mike showed us some examples
of dollar bills, crudely doctored
with extra zeroes and passed to
unsuspecting employees.

When a casino is busy, money
changers can be rushed by mobs of

travel
wise
Barbara McCreadie

Money! Where do you change it
and how do you get more of it
when you're broke?

Stay away from the banks if you
want to change Canadian money
~~ they give the poorest exchange
rate and also charge a commission
— we were quoted six per cent at
the Bank of America in Lake
Tahoe. They wanted to give me
$72 US for $100 Canadian. 1
declined.

By far the best place to change
money is at the tables at either the
Cal-Neva or the Eldorado in Reno.
Their exchange rates are 10 per
cent but you must be playing at the
time.

But the biggest cheat of all-

comes with the cash machines that
have sprung up like skunk cabbage
in every casino.

I was curious to see if my Visa

card would work so I followed the.

instructions On one of the

Nugget (formerly Jim Kelly’s) —-
has ended.

The restaurant is gone —
teplaced by more rows of slots.
We've been going back for sen-
timental reasons for 25.years —
the menu didn’t change and nei-
ther did the staff.

van

I'd heard that the Nevada Club
had had a- face lift so we went to
have a look — not much has
changed except a door has been
punched through to Harold’s
Club.

I was told that these two clubs

and Fitzgerald’s are now owned by
the same syndicate.

wae

This visit, in the name of pure,
unselfish research, I donated a lot
of money to some of the newer
games around — baccarat, Red
Dog and Pai Gow Poker. More
about those vices next week.

CHANCE OF A LEFETIME

dephont safari beautiful most meats and
mare, Limited space avetlable, Contact 266-1965.
In sevectation with Renshaw Travel.

HASTINGS TRAVEL

YOUR TRAVEL CENTRE WITH
“SWISS EFFICIENCY”

machines — pushed in my. card
and requested $10. The machine

news to come out of Nevada for a
long . time: Credit -card slot
machines. °

Just to get the gamblers used to
the notion, several casinos have in-
troduced in-house plastic.

The visitor is lured to the ‘‘Wel-
come’’ booth with a coupon entitl-
ing them to a chance at a free gift
— you know, the old slot machine

. ick — nine million key chains
and one mink coat on the reels.

You fill owt a coupon and before
the ink is dry you’re presented with
a plastic card.

This is to be inserted in the side
of the slot machines you play, and
as you pump in money a computer
racks up bonus points for you, en-
titling you to various levels of
merchandise.

It is estimated that within 18
months, slot machines will be pro-
grammed to accept your Visa;
MasterCard, Amex or whatever

brand you carry — isn’t that a-

shortcut to the poorkouse?

More on slot machines: We

spent an interesting hour with

Mike Whitemain, general manager
(Slot Machines) at the Eldorado
Hotel Casino. |

“What's new in cheating?” I
asked.

The new models of solid-state
computerized machines are mighty
hard to cheat “but not impossible
—- there’s always someone who can
figure out a way to beat any

te ey
SAdventur
| presents

GREECE |

TRAVELOGUE FILM
NARRATED IN PERSON BY

CLINT DENN
TWO LOCATIONS

North Van. CENTENNIAL

Thu. Oct. 13 — 6:00pm & 8:30om
Res. $10.50, Stu. 0

VAN. CRPHEUN
Wed., Oct. 12 — 6:00pm
Res. $11.00, 9.75, 9.25, Stu. $7.50
TKTS. AT ALL VIC/CBO OUTLETS
INFORMATION end CHARGELINE

280-4444

{ticket prices subject to service charge)

‘of “Jacks -or better”.

people and fake money can be
overlooked.

Mike also gave us a few tips on
choosing a winning slot machine.

The Eldorado uses a salt-and-
pepper approach to distributing its
machines ~- the extra good ones
are scattered at random.

Every machine is programmed
to give a certain percentage of,
pay-out ~— some give almost every
cent back. Look around a club and
see where the most people are
playing — chances are that’s where
the best machines are.

He also recommends that dollar
machine players look for
jackpots-only slots that accept only
two coins per play, rather than
three.

Poker machines are the rage in
Reno — the player is dealt five
cards on a screen and he has the
option of keeping any or, all of
these and: pushing a button for a
set Of replacement cards.

Read. the ‘front of the machine
before investing your money.
Never play a machine that doesn’t
pay its minimum payout on a pair
Some
machines pay out starting with
three-of-a-kind — leave these
alone.’

Study the pay-out table and
remember the six to nine rule: A
flush should pay six coins’ and a
full-house nine. Many clubs have
payouts of five to eight, reducing
the player’s chances.

printed out instructions to collect
my money at the nearby cashier.

Fortunately, the cashier inform- _ |
ed. me that there was’a minimum. °

$9.75 service. charge that would
appear on my next Visa bill! He
voided the transaction for me.

I went back to the machine —
sure enough, on 4 label. no larger
than a postage stamp, in printing
almost impossible to read, was a
scale of user fees.

So, what does a person do if
they run short? Establish cheque

‘cashing privileges with a casino .

and vow to use it for emergencies
only. :

I’ve had a card on file with the
Eldorado for 10 years and have
used it only ence,

Food — I can’t imagine why
anyone in Reno buys groceries ~
it would be far cheaper to- eat in
the casinos.

The Cal-Neva still has the 99-
cent breakfast, Harold’s club has
monstrous buffets: $2 for brunch,

$3 for dinner, Circus-Circus the

same. .

Just for curiosity, we tried the
$6.99 prime rib (or steak) dinner at
the: Onslow — don’t go nnless
you’ve got an appetite like a
wrestler —- the smallest cuts they
serve are one full pound.

One tradition of ours — eating
at least one meai at the tiny little

‘

“ART TOUR TO LOS ANGELES

November 18 - 20

See the outstanding exhibition
“The Figure in Early Greek
Art’? at the L.A. County
Museum. The 67 artifacts of
marble, bronze, and clay.from -
Greek Museums show the
evolution of figural art from
the 10th to 5th c. B.C, before
arriving at its famous
classical perfection.

The 3 day tour includes a visit to the beautiful J. Paul Getty
Museum by the sea. This Museum is a replica of the an-
cient ‘‘Villa of the Papyri’ discovered near Pompeii. It is sur-

rounded by authentic Roman

gardens and fountains. Inside

is J.P. Getty's fine collection of Greek and Roman treasu:zs.
There will be time for (Xmas?) shopping, other sights, and

having fun.

COST: $579 includes air, hotel, transfers and entrance fees.
REGISTER NOW as airline space is critical. Call North Shore
Continuing Education 986-8888 (Course no. 4300). FOR
MORE INFO. call Tour Leaders: Storey 922-0689. An income
tax receipt will be available for part of this educational tour

cosi.

744. HASTINGS
VANCOUVER, B.C.

-TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS - WORLDWIDE | -
~~ FOR BUSINESS OR PLEASURE —
* Prompt ~~ Personalized — Multilingual Service '

cru: 689-0461 = "owner—

CAMEL WHIP?

When | made The Hat as a sort of hobby

in ‘80, and The

Shorts in ‘81, ! had tmeant them oan for sailing. Never

did limagine. .

Aug. 3, 1988
Northem Frontier District, Kenya

Barsaldi, Nort!
. my Tiley Hat so far has been used as

i @ came! whip. 2. a frisbee. 3. protection
irom sunstroke. 4 a pillow.

Several natives have offered to trade my hat
for spears and arrows. My oy? No bloody

way! Meanwhile, my Tilley Shorts have
acquired a life of their own as I've wom thom
for 26 days straight. .

Stephen E. OKeele, ‘Operation Raleigh Venlurer

Joanie & Gary McGutiin's exciting book
“Where Rivers Aun!” will recount their
adventures canoeing right across
Canada. Our store wil provides it inthe
autumn,

Drop in,
Phone or Write

From my hobby emerged Tilley Endurables. We make the
best travel and adventure clothing in the word,

Barbara Tilley
1537 West Broadway

Vancouver, B.C. V6J 1W6

” Hours:
Mon.-Sat. 10-5:30

Ai Only prices are per person. Hotel
Package prices acy based on per
Person, double occupancy, Treasure
fours is Ci nati Airlines

WEST VANCOUVER
320-1425 Marine Drive

226-4304

Ph. 732-4287
or SEA-HATS

Prices
from
Oct. NO Nov. 6,.7 —4 Nights

SANDS MOTOR INN

RENO HILTON
2.34 HALLOWEEN SPECIAL!”

Oct. 31 - 4 Nights
AIR ONLY

SANDS MOTOR INN .....- daeees

PALM SPRINGS

Oct. 22, Nay, 12,19, 26, Dee. 3, 10 - 1 Week
Paln Springs Golf &

‘Tennis Club (Studio)

INCLUDES CAR RENTAL!

MAZATLAN

Oct, 23 — 1 Week
AIR ONLY

SANDS HOTEL. 0... cce eee ee ees $499

. new 7 location
NORTH VANCOUVER
221-1433 Lonsdale

980-8664 _