Most of us–unless we’re Phillip Pullman–would like to think that God, or Divine Providence, is on our side. It’s comforting to think that, in the words of Pharaoh Sanders, “The Creator Has a Master Plan,” and that you are part of it. But we usually keep our mouths shut about it. Apparently, this year’s WSOP
Jesus and the WSOP Read More »
gambling & cultureOne of the best parts about teaching is grading papers. Well, if you replace “best” with “worst” or “most tedious,” that’s true. I’m celebrating Nevada Day by finishing grading the midterms from ECON 411, Social and Economic Aspects of Gaming. What, you might wonder, would be on such a test? Here are some examples: TRUE/FLASE:
Thoughts on grading Read More »
what's newThe Tropicana is one of the biggest casinos in Atlantic City, and it’s been the scene of massive layoffs. And Local 54, the local (pardon the pun) branch of the UNITE-HERE union, isn’t too happy about it. From the AC Press: Tropicana Casino and Resort’s wholesale layoffs under its new owner have decimated the casino
It’s not that often that I read something in a major East Coast paper promoting the cause of running in Las Vegas, so I’ve got to link to this Bill Ordine piece in the Inquirer: I have a daily ritual when I’m in Las Vegas that’s probably a little different than that of most visitors.
Marathon publicity Read More »
life in vegasLast night, the FBI raided David Copperfield’s warehouse. No one’s saying exactly what they were looking for, but it sounds serious. From KLAS: David Copperfield, famed illusionist and Las Vegas regular, appears to be the target of a late night FBI raid. A dozen FBI agents stormed Copperfield’s warehouse near West Russell and Valley View
Watching the Fontainebleau go up lately, I’ve had two thoughts: “wow, that’s a big structure at the back of the property” and “I bet those people in Turnberry Place are pretty mad.” Turns out I’m right on both counts. From the LVRJ: Aventura, Fla.-based Turnberry Associates started building Turnberry Place in 1998, constructing four 38-story
Working with lightning speed and a rare determination, I managed to totally revamp the Neon Survey exhibit in less than 24 hours–with not a minute of overtime, no less. I’ve already started reworking the Xanadu exhibit. In general, I’m making all of the exhibits conform more readily to the UNLV web standard, but I’m also
No story links today, because I’m busy remodeling the Virtual Museum over at gaming.unlv.edu. The place looked great in 2002, but it’s definitely do for a revamp. I’m generally making it look less like the place where I learned to do web design, and more like a streamlined academic resource. One casualty: the picture of
I’ve been getting a number of questions about MGM Mirage’s plans to build a mega-project next to the Borgata. If you are interested in my opinion, you might want to check out this piece in the LV Business Press: But MGM Mirage’s plan to build a CityCenter East next to the Borgata makes it clear
As promised, here’s information about the latest Author Event sponsored by UNLV Libraries and the Center for Gaming Research. Steve Friess, who you might know as one of the most famous Vegas podcasters around, will be speaking at UNLV November 8. From the CGR website: WHAT: Steve Friess, author of GAY VEGAS, will speak, answer
Steve Friess speaking at UNLV Read More »
life in vegas, what's newI was going to write a lengthy post about the proliferation of public art in my neighborhood, but I’ll save that for another day, when I have the pictures to prove my point. I’ve also got a major announcement about an author event at the Center for Gaming Research, but I’m doing that later. I
I just am linking to this because I like the headline…and I want to make a point about American casino evolution. Along the way I’ll go off on a tangent that no one will find comprehensible. From the Des Moines Register: The Wild Rose Casino of Emmetsburg has never been a genuine riverboat, and state
If you like to read and also like poker, Tim Peters, who writes for Card Player (among other venues), has a great site here: The literature of poker… Tim has links to his articles, his reviews of several books, and a blog that details his adventures–and commentary on–the world of poker. Best of all, he’s
Poker literature website, blog Read More »
gambling & cultureIf you love John Ascuaga’s Nugget so much that you want to bring it home with you, you are in luck. You no longer have to worry about getting busted smuggling towels or pilfering soaps from you room–you can now buy genuine casino hotel furniture for a fraction of its true worth. From the RGJ:
Great news for Atlantic City: it seems that City Center East–a Strip-style condo/casino/retail development–is one step closer to happening. From the AC Press: No longer content with building a mere casino, gaming giant MGM Mirage Inc. plans to develop a mini-city of gambling, hotel towers and luxury condominiums that would dramatically redefine the Atlantic City
City Center East announced Read More »
atlantic cityA university study says the Vegas music scene is lame–it must be true! From the LVRJ: A recent study contrasting the music scenes of the top 50 markets in the United States finds some mixed results for this city. Done by the University of Chicago, the report, “Chicago Music City,” shows that Vegas still is
Bright lights, bland music Read More »
life in vegasI was looking at a brochure for the Las Vegas Marathon when I noticed something: even though we’re not running under the Fremont Street Experience this year, part of the course takes us through East Freemont. Yeah, that’s how it’s spelled. You can see it on this course map. Some people will say it’s just
The well-oiled media machine that is Gotham Books publicity is gearing up again, now that Roll the Bones is nearly available in paperback. Yes, all of you dedicated readers who were too cheap to spend $30 on 566 pages worth of gambling history (or you were saving your money for keno) now only have to
It took a big story to get me back into gambling. From the Telegraph: Yudhisthir lost Draupadi gambling. Centuries on, another woman of Malipada village in Khurda, about 20km from here, was put on bet. Binodini Moharana (19) was hurriedly married off to 28-year-old Kailash Moharana, a carpenter, on September 19 after her brother-in-law lost
If you are in Reno on Monday, October 1 at 4 pm, I really urge you to stop by Schulich Lecture Hall on UNR’s campus for what promises to be a great talk by Aaron Santesso, a UNR English professor. The lecture is presented by the Core Humanities Program and is called “Dickens in the
Surveillance and Dickens Read More »
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