Album Description
Heavy rock outfit that featured Michael Bolton on vocals. Considered a highly collectable AOR classic. Also features Bruce Kullick on guitar who later joined forces with Pat Travers. Contains exclusive interview with guitarist Bruce Kullick as well as extended sleeve-notes and new artwork with full discography. 20 tracks. Cherry Red. 2006.
The game of blackjack is one of the most popular games in the world. Everyone has heard of it and millions of people play it in live casinos, with friends and even on the Internet. But the question is: how did the game of blackjack become what it is today?
The origins of the blackjack game go back to 17th century France to a game called Vingt-et-Un, which means twenty-one in French. The French game of Vingt-et-Un was played with rules that were incredibly similar to modern day blackjack rules, with the exception of larger payouts for 2-card hands with a value of 21 points. The game of Vingt-et-Un was pretty popular in France. However, when it was first introduced in the United States it was not popular at all.
In order to attract customers to the new game of Twenty-One, casinos began to offer extremely high payouts for specific hands. A 2-card hand consisting of the Ace of Spades and a Black Jack, known as the “blackjack” hand, had a payout of 10:1! Of course this high payout brought the gamblers running and soon blackjack was one of the most popular casino card games around. Over time the payout for a blackjack hand has been lowered to 3:2, as opposed to the 1:1 payout for a regular win. However, the popularity as well as the name “blackjack” has stuck. Additionally, the blackjack hand of today’s game doesn’t necessarily include an Ace of Spades or even a Jack! Today any 2-card hand with a value of 21 will do.
In recent years, blackjack gambling has become even more popular with the advent of Internet blackjack. Before online blackjack you would have to travel hundreds, or even thousands of miles to your nearest casino if you wanted to play blackjack for money. Today with blackjack online all you need is a computer and an Internet connection. It’s easy to download blackjack software and play blackjack online. When you play blackjack online you can choose to play for fun or for real money. Millions of people from all over the world play online at low-limit, middle-limit, high-limit and no-limit blackjack tables—just like in live casinos!
The advent of online blackjack is also exposing a huge number of amazingly skilled blackjack players. As players are reading about blackjack tips online and gaining the knowledge and practice that they need to perfect their blackjack strategy a new door is being opened up in the blackjack world! With so many skilled blackjack players, blackjack tournament play is growing in popularity as well. In blackjack tournaments players compete against each other for phenomenal prizes to see who can win the most at blackjack.
As you can see, blackjack has come a long way from its simple origins in 17th century France. Today the blackjack and casino industry is growing by force as millions of people are joining the blackjack community. Could you be the next new addition?
The dream of capoting a casino is as old as the notion “casino” itself. Every gambler wants to win. Every other invents his own “system”. Every hundredth attempts to carefully analyze the game. And only the few of millions succeed.
The most famous achievement in the sphere of “system” game against the casino was the so called “card counting” at blackjack mathematically based methods of game allowing to get some advantage over the casino. The casinos, surely, knows about the existence of “counters” and are trying to oppose them from changing the rules to banning the game. Sometimes even exceeding the limits of reason and legality. In fact, all the history of the blackjack is the struggle between the gamblers and the casino which is more clever.
More than half a century passed since the first attempts of beating the casinos in blackjack, based not on the marked cards and intuition. There has been a peck of salt eaten since then, but the struggle is still going on….
Mammoth.
Probably the first person in history who applied mathematic analysis to the game blackjack was Jess Marcum (originally Marcovitch) was born on 30th December 1919.
It happened at the turn of 1949 and 1950, when Jess, being an excellent mathematician and physicist-theorist got to Las Vegas. Then his mathematic flair prompted him that most possibly not everything depends on intuition in blackjack.
Marcum started analyzing blackjack. First, the uniqueness of his attempt is that he performed absolutely all calculations with his pen on the paper, on principle without using any technologies whatever weak they might be at that time. Second he had found the solution!
Jess manually developed what is now called basic strategy and counting systems ten years before someone else has done that. He counted that theoretically he had an advantage over the casino of about 3% under the conditions of that time it was quite real. Moreover, Markum had been playing blackjack in all known to him casinos- both in the USA and abroad. His name appeared on the pages of the newspapers as an example of “lucky man” who managed to hit the jackpot.
Jess Markum also went down to history as probably the first man thrown out from the casino because of cards. Though at that time casinos did not understand that such system existed. Jess lived in Las Vegas for about a year. The casino owners exchanged the information when they gathered at the general meeting. And they were terrified. After that Markum was not admitted at all Vegas casinos. He went to Reno. The same story- in half a year after unbelievable “luck” the casino owners started making inquiries about the incredible gambler. Then other states and cities. Then Cuba, the Bahamas. Nobody knows how much money he has won during that time. One thing is known for sure- in fact, Jess Markum started the war between the gamblers and casinos in blackjack, that is still going on and getting more and more strained.
He did not share his calculations with anyone, and completely gave up playing against casino after a wide public publication of blackjack methods by other authors.
Jess Markum died in 1992, at the age of 72.
The four of Neanderthals.
The next effort of great influence on the blackjack math was made in 1956 by the group of four mathematicians- Roger Baldwin, Wilbert E. Cantey, Herbert Maisel and James McDermott.
These people had never played in casino before, having spent a great number of m/hr, they created basic strategy of playing blackjack according to the most popular at that time rules and published it together with the calculation methods in the specialized math journal for statisticians Journal of the American Statistical Association entitled “The Optimum Strategy In Blackjack”.
They made several slight mistakes in calculations which is nothing serious taking into account their enormous contribution. A year later they issued a small book Playing Blackjack to Win, which is now a bibliography rarity.
In fact their book and the article did not spark much furor, and remained almost without attention regardless of their innovative approach. However, the word almost turned out to be the key for all the gambling industry, as someone did paid close attention to the research of the excellent four.
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Situated in the western region of the United States, Nevada is known as the silver state, not because of its rich gambling history but originally because of the large silver lodes discovered there in the late nineteenth century. A state that is largely comprised of desert, it is an interesting fact that more than eighty percent of Nevada’s land mass is controlled by the US military, and there are some immense bases there. When you consider that the total population of Nevada is less than two and a half million and the land mass is almost three hundred thousand square kilometers, then you will understand that the average Nevadan has a lot of space, and most of it empty, surrounding them.
Although Nevada has its share of industry and agriculture, by far and away the largest share of its income is in tourism, and particularly from those people who flock to the vast gambling centers in Reno and especially Las Vegas. Over 85% of the population of Nevada lives in and around these two centers, and the majority will be involved directly in the gambling industry or in the services surrounding it. One wonders what would have been the fate of Nevada if their early legislators had not possessed the vision and foresight to legalize gambling. In truth, gambling was illegal in Nevada from 1909 till 1931. Legal gambling was reintroduced, not really due to public demand, but because the state’s government felt that they had nothing to lose, such was the sorry state of Nebraska’s economy due to the grim depression era of that time. It would be unfair to say that the gambling industry in Nevada was an overnight success and in fact it wasn’t till the post war boom years of the fifties and sixties that gambling in Nevada began to make the massive step forward that it did.
This was due to the foresight and daring of a few pioneers of the gambling industry in the state, who were prepared to invest in the long term future of the state and the gambling industry that they believed could be established there. The state of Nevada played no small part, and their liberal laws based around many forms of popular entertainment acted as a major incentive in drawing visitors to the state. These visitors brought with them valuable tax dollars as well as much needed jobs.
Initially Nevada attracted gamblers from its neighboring states, Oregon, Idaho, Arizona, Utah and most prominently California. People would catch an early flight from Los Angeles to spend a long weekend in Las Vegas or Reno and enjoy all the latest entertainers as well as spending time gambling at their table favorites such as blackjack, craps and roulette. For those who loved to watch the slot wheels spin, there were rows and rows of machines available wherever you went, even at the airport when you arrived. Not that gambling was illegal in any of these states, just that it was nowhere as well developed as it was in Nevada.
Over the years the gambling industry has developed to such fantastic proportions that the state has become a global tourist attraction. In recent years, the casino resorts and hotels have fought to exceed themselves both in the luxurious surroundings they provide as well as the innovative attractions they provide for their visitors.
Some of the major attractions Las Vegas has provided over recent years are the huge live televised Texas Hold’em poker tournaments, with the jewel in the crown being the final of the World Poker Tour, with a first prize of one million dollars in cash. Many of the contestants taking part have won their seat at the table through winning a major online texas hold’em poker tournament, and some of them have even taken home one of the major prizes that are there to be had. Gambling in Nevada continues to go from strength to strength and there is no reason to expect that it will ever go backwards. Nevada is an example of a forward thinking state that realized that gambling is entertainment to the majority and should be encouraged.
Reno’s homeboy, and equal opportunity annoyance to government, Jack Cafferty has written his first book, It’s Getting Ugly Out There: The Frauds, Bunglers, Liars, and Losers Who Are Hurting America.
Tom Cafferty had come to Reno in the 1930s. At 6′ 2′, 175 pounds, Tom started out in Reno racking chips around the roulette wheel at the Palace Club. He left, got married, had two sons and returned to Reno in about 1950.
Tom Cafferty soon had his own hugely popular four-hour show at Reno’s KOH radio that reached all of northwestern Nevada and parts of Eastern California. He acquired a ranch south of Reno, a convertible, and sparkly custom made Western suits by the Hollywood tailor Nudie. The crankier he got the more people loved him, a formula his son later employed. Tom Cafferty was “off-the-cuff, a cracker-barrel muse, philosopher, and gadfly with a fierce temper,” his son later described him in his first book, It’s Getting Ugly Out There. Jack was raised Catholic and grew up in the Eisenhower 1950’s in Reno, Nevada where he learned the code of the west; a person was in charge of taking care of themselves.
In Jack’s senior year at Reno High School, he got a part-time job at Reno’s radio station KBET. He was later promoted to DJ for a new nighttime radio show. Upon graduation from Reno High School, Jack enrolled at University of Nevada, Reno and then started at KOLO TV as Ranger Jack. The draft then called up Jack, and he enlisted in the Nevada Air National Guard
In 1963, Jack was at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas for 12 weeks of boot camp for six years with the Air National Guard. Upon returning home to Reno, Jack worked at KCRL-TV, anchoring newscast and directing. Jack emceed the annual Miss Reno Pageant that his Reno High School classmate, Judy Walker, had entered. Judy worked at the Reno Press Club in the Riverside Hotel. They married, and two children, Julie, then Jill, later were born
In 1968, Jack, Judy and their two daughters were pulled out of Reno by the United States Air Force’s orders for active duty when the North Koreans captured the USS Pueblo. Jack wrote for the then Reno Evening Gazette.
Jack Cafferty grew up to be Lutheran and have his daily “Cafferty File” which was a segment on CNN’s The Situation Room. There, Reno’s homeboy equal opportunity enemy combatant came into his own pushing people’s buttons, and sticking pins into things that needed pricking. As Jack wrote, “I don’t need a bumper sticker to let fellow citizens
In the Autumn Lake Tahoe is frighteningly fun for everyone.
For the adult tourist that wants to have fun with real live entertainment to festivities for the kids there is so much to see and enjoy in the Californian foliage around Lake Tahoe.
In September there is the Autumn Food and Wine Festival. Enjoy the dry taste of wine in wine tasting as well as seeing the cooking contests and special dinners. Then take a day trip over to Reno where you can enjoy the family-friendly theatre of Oliver!
In October there is Oktoberfest at Camp Richardson. Children will enjoy the games and hay rides as you enjoy the live music along with the dark and deliciously satisfying flavor of German beer.
On the 11th of October send the kids up into the sky with the free-airplane-rides-for-kids at the Truckee airport. Later that day it’s time for the adults to have fun at the chocolate and wine tasting at Tahoe Women’s Service festival. You will drink and dance to the music of Mumbo Gumbo. Dart on over to Reno for live music starring Reba McEntire and Kelly Clarkson.
In November you have your choice of a Balloon Race, an Airplane Race, and a Kayaking Race. However if you want sand under your feet and a party all around you then try the MontBleu volleyball competition.
You’ll have ghoulishly good fun at The Great Pumpkin Festival & Haunted House in October. There will be scavenger hunts and pumpkin carving contests, a haunted house and more.
The weather gods dump snow unexpectedly on the roads around Lake Tahoe. So always pack your snow chains.
There are a number of spooky day trips you can take. Such as to Robb Canyon near Reno the site of a unsolved murder. Many people have reported paranormal phenomena there. Also the Sacramento Library, Graveyard, and Theatre have all experienced unexplained phenomena and ghost sightings.
For more conventional day trips there is the Peppermill in Reno. This is one of the most fun casinos in the nation. Enjoy dining combined with live entertainment. If you are in the mood for fine dining then San Francisco is a few hours away. Enjoy upscale dining at Roots or go cozy and minimalist at the Mission Beach Caf. Beretta and Aqua are also popular.
From live theatre to boating Lake Tahoe has it all. Whether you stay for the Shakespearean Festival or leave for day trips to San Francisco or Reno you will find Lake Tahoe is a worthwhile Autumn destination.
- Two game modes: Vegas or Face Up
- Smart photo cell light for night and indoor play
- Larger screen and cards for easier viewing
Product Description
Play Classic Blackjack anytime anywhere! Press your luck – hit stand, split, double down! Score big points – parley betting, let it ride action! Two ways to play – Vegas – classic style 21 & Face Up – dealer hole card is showing!
Product DescriptionI thought it must be the fairest picture the whole earth affords,
wrote Mark Twain of Lake Tahoe. Countless other visitors have agreed, and since the turn of the century the lake’s clear, pure waters and breathtaking natural surroundings have made it a national treasure and an international vacation destination. As one of the deepest and largest of alpine lakes in the United States and the world, Lake Tahoe is said to be one of the most photographed spots on earth. In the clarity and vivid detail of black-and-white photography, Historic Photos of Lake Tahoe showcases nearly 200 images and two centuries of the lake and its surroundings, along with the people, places, and events that have shaped its unique history. Journey with researcher and writer Ellen Drewes as she visits the remarkable past of this scintillating American hideaway.
If you have been looking for the best way to improve your blackjack game then blackjack gambling software is just the thing! When you download blackjack software you can play online, on your mobile phone, on your blackberry or palm pilot or just about any mobile device. There is no better way to improve your blackjack strategy than with blackjack gambling software.
You can download blackjack software from any online blackjack website that will allow you to play blackjack online twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week from the comfort of your own home. If you have a computer and an Internet connection than you can play Internet blackjack any time the urge strikes and you are by your computer!
And if just playing blackjack on the Internet isn’t enough for you, you can even download software that you can install to play blackjack on your mobile phone, blackberry, palm pilot or other mobile device of your choice! Now you can play blackjack while you ride the bus to work, wait in the doctor’s office or even while you are at work (just don’t let your boss see)!
With all of these opportunities to play blackjack you are sure to see your game improve in no time. After all, practice makes perfect and the more you play blackjack the better you will become. You will come to understand odds and probabilities. You will know when to hit and when to stay for the best odds of winning. You can even research blackjack tips online and practice implementing them in your game! The rules of online blackjack and mobile blackjack software versions are the same as blackjack rules in live casinos so the more you play with your blackjack software the better equipped you will be the next time you visit a live casino. You may even begin to play blackjack like a professional and you will see your wins increase in no time at all!
When you use blackjack software you even have the choice to bet real money on your games—even when you play on your mobile phone! You will get used to knowing how much to bet, when to double and when to split. You will even become familiar with strategies that will help you to decide when to hit and when to stay. For instance, if the dealer shows an 8, 9, 10 or 11 then you should always hit when you have a hand that is valued at less than 17. On the other hand, if the dealer shows 4, 5 or 6 then it is safer to stay if you have a hand of 12 or higher. You can implement this and other strategies and you will be playing like a pro in no time!
As you can see, playing with blackjack gambling software is not only a fun and exciting hobby. It is also a fantastic way to improve your blackjack skills and strategy. Practice with blackjack software and you will be playing like a pro in no time!
While I was in college, I read and saw the movie based on Hunter S. Thompson’s Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. There were few actions in the story that a contributing member of society could mimic, but I always did want to go to Las Vegas and rent a red convertible.
A handful of years later, I found myself leaving the Advantage Rental Car in Reno, Nevada driving a Chrysler PT Cruiser. If I wasn’t in the area because of my brother’s wedding in Tahoe in a few days, I think I might have felt gypped.
As you’ve no doubt heard Reno is “the biggest little city in the world” and they won’t let you forget it with two signs that hang over two parallel streets in the small downtown section. In fact, it’s almost as if the inhabitants of Reno came up with that catchy slogan and stopped trying.
It’s an ugly city, dry with too much glitz even by Atlantic City standards. Unlike Atlantic City, it looks like the placement of lights and signs are not thought out in any kind of logical fashion. Then again, is there ever a logical place to hang an advertisement for a Michael McDonald show?
The thing that makes Reno worth a second glance is that it has potential. Reno, with fewer than 200,000 people, is remarkably easy to get around with nice suburbs and easy shopping. It’s the opposite of most destinations: I could live there, but I wouldn’t want to visit. For a poor looking downtown, it’s not intimidating due, in large part, to the fact that most people that walk around are gray haired or college students. Meanwhile, one could get a beer and a hotdog for $2.50 while waiting for this potential to be meant.
There is one casino, the Sienna, which is trying to help speed up the process. The Sienna is built on the Truckee River and from across the waters, on the right angle, it looks like it could be Europe. From this same position, if you were to turn completely around, you would see in a fenced-in area protecting only what appears to be weeds. This is the dichotomy of Reno.
Tahoe City, California is about a 45 minute drive from Reno on Route 89. On this road at night you can capture a good view of Reno in your rearviews. The bright lights framed by the mountains are captivating. One should never trust a town whose best view come on the way out.
It’s off-season in Tahoe. All of the road construction will confirm that for visitors real quick. If that weren’t enough, try to find a bar after 9 o’clock or so.
My introduction to the immediate Tahoe area came to me in the form of Squaw Valley which hosted the Olympics in 1960. To enter the valley, there are torches on each side of the road commemorating those games. At night, to the unassuming, the torches could very well be the link to some pagan society; as that is unique in Americ
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