Folks, I went to Las Vegas last week for business meetings, but during the evening I did take a little break from working on Layered Technologies and Woopra stuff for a few hours to go have dinner at the Bellagio Buffet, and then do a little gambling after dinner.

Had such a great time that I thought I’d share it with you guys.
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In keeping with my ongoing theme of posting casino games, I present for your entertainment the classic 3 Card Poker! (Don’t forget we’ve also got Blackjack and Roulette.)

3 Card Poker (or tri-card poker as it’s also called) is an American version of a British game called Brag. This game originated over three hundred years ago as a game known as Primero, a fast-moving betting game using only three cards. As the game evolved, it became known as Post-and-Pair and then again as Brag. This game made it to the States as Casino Brag and Brit-Brag, but eventually evolved again into the game we now know as 3 Card Poker.

The game is comprised of two different components and here is how they are played…
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Roulette is a casino and gambling game named after the French word meaning “small wheel”. In the game a croupier spins a wheel in one direction, then spins a ball in the opposite direction around a tilted circular surface running around the circumference of the wheel. The ball eventually falls on to the wheel and into one of 37 (in European roulette) or 38 (in American roulette) colored and numbered pockets on the wheel.

Albert Einstein is reputed to have stated, “You cannot beat a roulette table unless you steal money from it.” And indeed he was mathematically correct. Roulette is an absolute game of chance in which the house odds are stacked from 2-5% against you. Still, the little game I’ve embedded here is awfully fun to play!
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Cirque du Soleil is, without a doubt the most amazing circus on the planet. They find the most incredible performers on earth and assemble them on stage for shows that literally defy description and leave audiences gasping and begging for more.

I’ve seen a number of Cirque du Soleil shows in Las Vegas as well as in various cities when they travel. The bad news is that tickets normally run around $100 per person, and you have to buy them well in advance to get great seats. The good news is, you’ll never see anything cooler in your life, so the shows are worth every penny they charge. The even better news is that I’ve assembled 13 great acts here for you to see without having to pay to do it!
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Who loves ya’ baby? Yeah, that’s right - The Man Does! So, being a fan of Casino games it’s only fitting that the first one I share would be the king of all casino games (in my opinion), Blackjack!

Not only can you play it right here (skip to it already), but I’m going to teach you how! (You did see my previous Gambling Tips, right?)
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I first went to Las Vegas when I was 27 years old. Until that time I had no interest whatsoever in gambling - courtesy of one of my professors, Dr. Jargowsky, from UTD. He taught a class that dealt with statistical analysis in which I finally came to understand just how futile it is to bet against the odds.

So, when I finally decided to go to Vegas, I also decided to learn to count cards at Blackjack so that at least I’d lose my money slowly. I chose a book called Best Blackjack by Frank Scoblete, I memorized the tables, and then I practiced for weeks using Microsoft Casino (you can download a free trial here). This actually helped a lot as I found that if I played properly I could usually sit at a table all night and come away even or a little up or down (usually down).

Since that time I’ve had a lot more experience in the casinos and as a result I have three bits of advice to offer:
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Today began the second leg of my journey from San Francisco back to Dallas. I started in Bakersfield, CA with a destination of Las Vegas. The trip was roughly a five hour journey, not including stops. Incidentally, I’m averaging 24.5 MPG with cruise control mainly set around 77-80 MPH. Not bad for a 170 mile-per-hour supercar.
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This US Google Maps view claims to be an underground nuclear test site.

I kind of doubt it because it’s like 50 miles from Vegas. Still, even if it isn’t, it’s a pretty cool impact of some sort. Notice that according to the Google Map scale it is almost 800 feet in diameter. Whatever it was, it took quite a wallop to make that crater.

So, you’ve had a night on the town in Vegas and beyond all luck managed to hit the $Million slot! What’s a boy to do?

The only logical thing would be to wander over to the Palms Casino Resort and check into the Hugh Hefner Fantasy Room of course.

This 9,000 sq. ft. 2-story suite can accommodate up to 250 of your closest mooches, er… friends, and was modeled after the Playboy Mansion.
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