Las Vegas Review Journal story, and my response

The Mayor

Well-Known Member
(Dead link: http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2002/Dec-01-Sun-2002/living/20002578.html)

Here is my response (sent to the editors of the LVRJ):

===========================================================

Dear Sir,

In response to the comments of Alan Feldman, senior vice president of public
affairs for MGM Mirage, that appeared in the December 1 story: "CARD
COUNTING: Creating Their Luck", in which Feldman is quoted as saying: "We
view card counting as manipulation of the game, much in the same way a
person who marks cards is manipulating the game."

I find Alan Feldman's remarks highly insulting, and typical of the
propaganda war waged by casino executives, floor men, and detective agencies
against proficient gamblers of all kinds. There is simply no sign posted in
any casino that requires us to leave our brains at the door, although the
casinos would prefer that every gambler do so. We train and practice to
become skilled enough to beat these games, we follow the rules posted,
promoted, and allowed by the casinos. We do not cheat, mark cards, or
otherwise gain an illegal edge over the games. Everything we do is strictly
in accordance with the rules.

The casinos respond by calling us cheats and liars, by harassing us,
detaining us, arresting us, illegally searching us and seizing our winnings,
and in some cases roughing us up. Casinos give away free drinks,
decorate their hotels to focus our attention on the games, and use every
other subliminal trick in the book to get people to lose more money. And
while they are busy manipulating people's minds, these same casinos hire
private detective agencies who work hard to catch us, we the skilled ones
who only want to play a fair game, following their posted rules.

This shows who the real cheats are. The casinos are the ones who are lying
here, and Feldman's remarks are typical of the war being waged against those
who are skilled enough to beat the casinos at their own games.

Signed...
 

Rob McGarvey

Well-Known Member
Re: Las Vegas Review Journal story, and my respons

A very strong letter in support of knowledgeable players. The pen is mightier than the sword, but only for those who are left alive to read after the battle is over.
 

learning to count

Well-Known Member
Re: Las Vegas Review Journal story, and my respons

Mr. Feldman is a typical casino management bean counter who is worried about the bottom line: the greed and legal theft of the money from fools. Casinos are there because of the addiction to gambling; that is part of our culture. It is a strange relationship based on greed, addiction, and the so called "entertainment" from gambling.

It is amazing when I watch the travel channel and see "whales" who are finaciel genuises in thier own right. They made billions in thier own prospective businesses yet they go to Vegas get drunk, laid and drop millions at the baccarat table. It is beyond me why this takes place. They are proud that they have created financiel empires but then can come and drop 20 million at the tables and write it off to a fabulous time in Vegas. Big sports figures dump 100's of thousands if not millions just to look good at the H*rdr0#k or at the P3lms casinos.

In the early 80's Vegas started to change. The family unit was the new target. "Hey why not attract the millions who spend thousands for four or five days of riding roller coasters and taking pictures with a rat." A day in Disney world for four will cost you $500: Gas, parking, tickets, food, souvineers, hotel, etc.. That same $500 could be sucked down the throat of a slot machine.

Black jack is like a decoration for the casinos. Look at the revenues of slots versus table games. Scairy! The table games, thank god attract the suckers. Table games give a classic casino its mystique. Hey could you see James Bond sitting at a back of wheel of fortune machine with his latest fling on his shoulder while his arch nemisis is on the other side trying to out spend him by force feeding hundred dollar bills into the machines' bill chomper. Given the tables still give a good showing for themselves even better than the days of the green felt jungles. Slots are king these days.

We get to play because Black Jack exists. It exists because of its longevity due to its historical significance in the gambling culture/environment. If they took it away they would lose casino tradition and a great mythology: THE GAME THAT CAN BE BEATEN! So they keep it. Plus it does add some what to the bottom line. I believe the casinos did try to change the tastes of gamblers when they started with the oceans of slots that were desigend into every new casino: MGN, LUXOR, Treaure Island, etc.. It failed the suckers want a choice on how they will lose/be entertained.

Now to get to the heart of the matter. Casino management wants to make money by putting the illusion that you have a chance to become rich by just pulling the arm or pushing the button. They need to attract the crowds. the public loves to gamble and is accustomed to seeing and playing table games.

So when a group comes along and beats that table game the casinos despise this. It has gotten so bad that the casinos think that they have a right to "steal" your wagered moneys. They use every tactic to take it including attacking your five senses, lusts, and thoughts. I think that more work has been done on the psychology of luring suckers into the casino and parting them with thier money then the actual provision of entertainment that they are protraying gambling as. "Wow I just dropped six grand and wow; oh I had such a great time; I am so happy; Its only money!" I heard this from two suckers a man and wife slot team that they had just lost six thousand dollars in three days of slot play. They do this three times a year. It was Fun for them.

So any attack on the casino money making system is obviously going to get what we are getting as advantage players, harassment barrings, illegal arrests, kidnapping (yes I mean kidnapping; every time they drag a person down to the security office against thier will, in handcuffs, with out legal criminal probable cause it is is kidnapping).

Yes it is wrong and yes they are wrong and do violate the so called laws that they themselve lobbied to get in Nevada to protect themselves and somehow protect the LOSING tourist. Solution: whew I really dont know except to be careful and have a good lawyer on retainer if you are pro.

The only thing that worries me now is the effect that the MIT book will have. Uston's MIllion Dollar Blackjack" scared the shit out of the casinos. He was able to change the world of gambling as well; But look at the state of Blackjack in AC. SAD! The MIT book is interesting in that it shows the level they played; that big wins are there if you have it all together. The only thing that bothered me was the amout of boasting and bitch slapping they were giving the casino industry. Some good things need to be kept quiet sometimes. Keep on countin and beware the bean counters in the sky are watching recording and digitally evaluating. LTC
 

easyrider

Member
Re: Las Vegas Review Journal story, and my respons

Long Live this great board, and the principles on which it is founded, Mr. Jacobson...

Just to comment on this thread a bit...

The foundations of the whole casino industry are unethical at best, criminal at worse. And I have certainly met people in the industry who I wish I hadn't. But I don't believe it's necessary to villify people for wanting to make a legal living. There are certainly other glaring examples of institutionalized fraud in American business. Now, I'm not endorsing or rationalizing unethical or immoral practices but simply calling on the "Caveat Emptor" principle of any Captalistic system.

Casino owners are just trying to turn a profit from this human phenomena called Las Vegas, just as I am. If people are stupid enough to give their money away to casino games they can't win, let them. And if others are stupid enough to offer a game that a savvy player can regularily beat, let them. In fact, if it wasn't for the unskilled "recreational" player, advantage blackjack wouldn't exist. Do I enjoy watching players get swindled out of a month's pay without any hope of return? No. But it's not for me to decide what people do with their lives, and I'll take advantage of the house's ensuing hospitality.

I feel lucky that a window of opportunity still exists. Conditions could change tomorrow, forever ending beatable 21 games, for gambling houses owe me nothing by the way of favorable rules, hospitable environments, kind treatment, or even the right to play. I take what is measured out and ask for nothing more, and fortunately at present, that's enough to consistently win. When that window closes I'll quit.
 

learning to count

Well-Known Member
Re: Las Vegas Review Journal story, and my respons

Your right ER but the problem is that the casinos in thier capitalistic endeavor have a monopoly and use this to get away with illegal activities such as false arrest, illegal detentions bordering on kidnapping, physical abuse/battery, illegal search and seizure/theft, illegal use of personal financiel information...the list goes on. But you are right about the choice they give the suckers.....LTC
 

easyrider

Member
Re: Las Vegas Review Journal story, and my respons

Yes, LTC, point well taken...casinos have no right to break the law, and shouldn't assume this priviledge.

I also agree with your observation that the proliferation of slots is scary. I owe this to two factors. First, Vegas is no longer catering solely to gamblers. The vast majority of tourists these days aren't going necessarily for gaming, but for the spectacle of Vegas. These people aren't gamblers and wouldn't even know how to approach a blackjack or craps table, but slots is easy, any idiot can put a quarter in a slot. Second, we live in a society growing intensely impersonal, heck sometimes I wonder if people even realize there's a human being in the car ahead of them while laying on the horn. Slots is appealing to people who don't want to interact with other dealers and players or don't want to risk embarrassment. Sure there will always be those who just love to whoop it up loudly at the craps table, but how many more sit quietly behind a slot machine?

Blackjack will always have a place in Vegas though, partly because of slot revenue. So let the ploppies plunk their change down the drain if they like. And if the masses ever wise up to realize the whole thing is a scam...even better, the world will have progressed into a more intelligent state...but I doubt it.
 
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