InsIde thIs IssueBlackjack CornerCard Room Action

Casino Entertainment Boyd’s Eye View of Video Poker

Reel Reviews by Kevin CummingsHorsin' Around with Brian Mulligan

www.arizonaplayer.com Vol. 19 No. 2 • February 2011

Cover Story On Page 8

101 & MCKELLIPS • 101 & INDIAN BEND • 480-850-7777 • CASINOARIZONA.COM • TALKINGSTICKRESORT.COMProudly owned and operated by the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community. Please gamble responsibly. ©2011 Casino Arizona

SPRING TRAINING IS HERE. BE A PLAYER.Baseball fans have two great places to play – right off the 101. With an

outstanding lineup of dining, gaming and entertainment, Casino Arizona

and Talking Stick Resort are always home runs. Play your favorite games

through March and take a swing at your share of $100,000 during our

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ARIZONA PLAYER February 2011 3

Vol. 19 No. 2 • February 2011WWW.ARIZONAPLAYER.COM

PO Box 33393 • Phoenix Arizona 85067 • 602-373-8728 • azplayer@cox.net

The Arizona Player is published the first weekend of each month. All claims or guarantees are the sole responsibility of the advertiser. All comments and views of contributing writers are their own and do not reflect official policy of the Arizona Player which assumes no liability for any advertisement not supplied camera ready by the advertiser. Reproduction or use in whole or in part without written consent from the publisher and Copyright owners is prohibited.

Special Thanks for all the help on this February issue goes out to:

Michael Kintner, Nicole Gilotti, along with the entire Marketing Staff

and Management at Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino Resort

Editor Phil Scudella

Production Assistants Charlie Scheeler

John Olson

Graphic Design CommuniGraphics

Contributing WritersLinda Boyd

Kevin Cummings Cindy Esquer Lisa Garcia

Nicole Gilotti Tina Holt

T.J. Jorgensen Marianne Minneci

Brian Mulligan David Ramsey Melody Walcott Shanna Wolfe

Contributing Photography Cindy Esquer

Lisa Garci Nicole Gilotti David Ramsey Justin Sullivan Melody Walcott

ContentsGamiNG News Casino del sol “Topping off” Ceremony 4

eNtertaiNmeNt 6

CoVer story HarraH’s ak-CHin Casino resorT “The Fun keeps GrowinG” 8

GamiNG News gila river sloT Winners & d-BaCks aT Wild Horse pass 10

Card room aCtioN 12

lottery News & draws 14

GamiNG News Cliff CasTle is #1 12 years running 16

boyd’s eye View Linda Boyd “AddinG spice To Video poker” 18

womaN’s PoiNt oF View Marianne Minneci “hold em For hope” 20

tJ’s blaCkJaCk CorNer TJ Jorgensen “6-5 BlAckjAck – A BAd deAl” 22

reel reViews Kevin Cummings sloT mAchine reViews 24

HorsiN' arouNd Brian Mulligan ”eArly look AT The kenTucky derBy” 26

traVel Brian Mulligan ”The FAr eAsT ....... VAlley” 27

daVid at tHe sNaCk rar David Ramsey “moVie reViews” 28

biNGo direCtory oF Games 29

astroloGy, Jokes oF tHe moNtH, & CasiNo direCtory 30

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4 ARIZONA PLAYER February 2011

GAMING NEWSTOPPING OFF CEREMONY - A GRAND OCCASION!

More than 500 spectators – many curious and many proud - witnessed a breathtaking event at Casino Del Sol Hotel, Spa & Conference Center on Wednesday February 9. It was the “Topping Off” ceremony, involving the copper-colored dome which was placed on the soon-to-be-completed hotel adjacent to Casino Del Sol.

There were cheers as the dome was lifted and put into place as music blared in the background. Fireworks

were set off once the dome was set.“It was such a great event,’’ said Casino Del Sol

CEO Wendell Long. “Not only was it a milestone in the development of our hotel but it was a milestone for the Pascua Yaqui Tribe.’’

For years, many of those in the Tribe and its council have envisioned a hotel on its land. Now, it is just nine months away from its target date of 11/11/11.

“We can’t wait.” Long said. “We are looking forward to opening our grand facility. We are sure those who visit our venue will love it and enjoy it.’’

The next big event, with respect to construction, will take place on Wednesday Feb. 16 at 5:30pm when Sol Casinos’ marquee will be put in place - And once again there will be a fireworks display and a ceremony for the event.

The striking Casino Del Sol Resort marquee spans 102 feet. The center of the arch is 33 ½ feet with the height at both ends at 28 feet. Each of the end displays has a five-foot in diameter copper dome with a high resolution 16mm LED display.

The Pascua Yaqui Tribe is a federally recognized tribe with more than 17,000 enrolled members. The reservation is located in southwest metro-politan Tucson. The Tribe owns and operates two casinos: Casino of the Sun and Casino Del Sol.

Non-gaming enterprises include the Anselmo Valencia Amphitheater, a 5,000-seat open-air concert venue, and the Del Sol Marketplace, which includes a gas station, car wash, convenience store and smoke shop. It is also the future home to Casino Del Sol Hotel, Spa & Conference Center, a 215-room, 161,000-square-foot facility that includes and meeting and convention center.

For more information, visit www.solcasinos.com.

Celebrating the “Topping Off” Ceremony (L-R) Arcadio Gastelum, Tribal Council; Jesus Osuna; Tribal Council; Francisco Valencia, Tribal Council Secretary; John Escalante, Tribal Council Treasurer; David Ramirez, Tribal Council;

Peter Yucupicio, Tribal Council Chaiman, and Wendell Long, Sol Casinos CEO

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6 ARIZONA PLAYER February 2011

ENTERTAINMENTApache Gold Casino Resort 5 miles East of Globe on Hwy 70 1-800-APACHE-3Cabaret Lounge: free live weekend

entertainment with bands like: Grey Wolf, Jaded, Chaka & Friends, Heartbreak Alley, Stateline, All Axcess, XS Band, Andrea & Los Guys and AZ Rhythm

BlueWater Resort and Casino 11300 Resort Dr., Parker 1-888-243-3360March 19, Ramon Ayala (Outdoor

Amphitheater) Dig Lounge: live bands or DJ nightlyCasino Arizona101 at McKellips, Scottsdale 480-850-7734 In the Showroom: Tues-Sun,

“Showstoppers Live” A musical tribute to Elvis, Natalie Cole, The Four Tops and Whitney Houston

Pima Lounge: Live entertainment and dancing nightly

The Arizona Room Piano Lounge, free entertainment nightly

Casino Del Sol 5655 W. Valencia Rd., Tucson 520-838-6506 FREE live entertainment at The

Paradiso Bar on weekends w\bands like: Rainy Daze & Angle De Oro plus Tribute bands on Thursday’s, 2/17-Rick Lenzi (Buddy Holly), 2/24 – Freebird (Lynyrd Skynyrd)

Cliff Castle Casino I-17 at exit 289 in Camp Verde 1-800-381-SLOTStargazer Pavilion: April 16, Reo

Speedwagon – May 21, STYX – June 11, Bill Engvall

Dragonfly Lounge: Free entertainment weekends with bands like: Tattoo, Los Guys, Backstage Crew, Heartbreak Alley and Greywolf

Desert Diamond Casino Hotel7350 South Nogales Hwy, Tucson Toll Free 1-866-DDC-WINS Monsoon Night Club: Live bands or

DJs Thurs-SunDesert Diamond Casino 1100 W. Pima Mine Rd., Tucson 520-294-7777 or1-866-DDC-WINS Diamond Center: Feb 26 – Tracy

Lawrence (Tucson Rodeo Dance)Fort McDowell Casino N of Shea off Hwy 87, Fountain Hills1-800-THE-FORTLucky 7 Saloon: Free live

entertainment Fri – Sun featuring bands like: The Real Tones, Furious George and Cowboy Floyd

New updates at fortmcdowellcasino.com

Harrah’s Ak-Chin Resort and Casino 15406 Maricopa Rd., Maricopa 480-802-5000Oasis Lounge: Free entertainment

weekends, including Feb 19 - Jack Ingram, Feb 23 - The Diamonds, and Mar 30 – The Platters

Call for updated schedule or go to harrahsakchin.com

Hon-Dah Resort and Casino Highways 260 and 73, Pinetop 1-800-WAY-UP-HIGHIn the Timbers Lounge: Mon, Comedy Club - no cover Tues-Sat, live bands like: Tony Marques

Feb 15-19 and Groove City Feb 22-26

Lone Butte Casino202 loop at the Kyrene exit –

Chandler, 1-800-WIN-GILA Free live entertainment Mon-Sat in

the Cascades Lounge with bands like: Torres & Company, Route 66, Chuck E baby, Otis & the Beat, The Hamptons, Lounge Katz, Cody Gibson, The Needham Twins, Powerdrive and Marty & the Party

Thursday nights, now thru April 30th – Season 5 of “Lucky Break” singing competition

In the Verona Chophouse: Fri & Sat nights, singing sensation Talia, Sunday: Bridget & the Aug

Mazatzal Hotel & Casino 1/2-mile S. of Payson on Hwy 87 1-800-777-PLAY www.777play.comMar 5 & 6, Western Collectibles and

Firearms Show – featuring guns of lawmen & Outlaws

Mar 12, Country Superstars TributeApr 1, Satisfaction (Rolling Stones

Tribute)Paradise Casino 450 Quechan Drive, Yuma 1-888-777-4946In the Event Center: Sharky’s Bar & Bites: Free Live

Entertainment on weekendsQuechan Casino Resort525 Algodones Rd, Winterhaven CA(5 mi W of Yuma) 1-877-783-2426In the PIPA Event Center:Feb 17, Crystal

GayleSidewinders:

Free Live entertainment on weekends with bands like: Checker’d Past, Gruuve Masters and Tropic II

Wild Horse Pass Hotel & Casino I-10 at Wild Horse Pass exit - Chandler 1-800-WIN-GILAIn the Ovations LIVE! Showroom: Feb 20, Comedy of Hal Sparks – Feb

24, George Jones – Feb 26, Debbie Reynolds - March 5, Louie Anderson – March 25, Dokken / Great White – Mar 26, Mitzi Gaynor – Apr 14, Foreigner

Encore Lounge: live entertainment with bands like: The Hamptons, Route 66, and JJs Band, Rhythm Edition, Come Back Buddy, Smoke Stack Lightning, Western Fusion, Needham Twins and Eagleheart

Talking Stick Resort Loop 101 and Indian Bend Road -

Scottsdale 480-850-7777Talking Stick Showroom:March 10, Huey Lewis & the News“Degree 270” Lounge: live

entertainment, dancing nightly and a spectacular view of the city.Reo Speedwagon

Mitzi Gaynor

Louie Anderson

8 ARIZONA PLAYER February 2011

COVER STORY

Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino Resort, owned by the Ak-Chin Indian Community and oper-ated by Caesars Entertainment Corporation, is completing its hotel expansion. It is expected to open in July 2011. The new five-story, 152-room hotel tower will double the available rooms on property, bringing the number to 300 from the current 148. It will include 15 ADA-accessible rooms and five guest suites. All 152 rooms will include upgraded amenities such as granite countertops, 50-inch flat screen televisions and large showers. The building and opening of this hotel expansion will accommodate more visitors, and the increase in room availability will also provide an opportunity to host conventions and other meetings. Hotel guests can enjoy lush hotel grounds including an idyllic courtyard with an exotic swimming pool and swim-up bar.

The hotel expansion comes on the heels of the recent remodel of the buffet at Harrah’s Ak-Chin. The remodeled 8,000-square-foot buffet features live-action food stations. Guests can choose from a wide array of culinary delights, such as sautéed pasta, grilled steaks, rotisserie chicken, wok items and hand-served gelato. Its well-known Friday and Saturday Night Seafood Buffets are very popular, as is the Sunday Champagne Brunch which features made-to-order omelets.

Harrah’s Ak-Chin also recently added the Ak-Chin Southern Dunes Golf Club to its list of amenities. In July 2010, the Ak-Chin Indian Community purchased Southern Dunes Golf Club, located just a few miles from Harrah’s Ak-Chin in Maricopa. Southern Dunes is managed

by Troon Golf, the world’s largest golf management company. The course, spanning more than 320 acres, boasts undulating greens, magnificent mountain backdrops and the new Grille 109 restaurant. Ak-Chin Southern Dunes Golf Club was named the 20th best casino course in the 2011 Golfweek rankings. The club is open to the public but is offered as an amenity to Harrah’s Ak-Chin guests.

At HArrAH’s - tHe Fun Keeps GrowinG!

Not only does Harrah’s Ak-Chin have new hotel, dining and golf offerings, it also just welcomed Robert Livingston as its new Vice President and General Manager on January 17. Robert had previously served as the Assistant General Manager at Harrah’s Rincon in San Diego. Robert has also held various positions at other Harrah’s properties including Harrah’s New Orleans and Harrah’s Tunica. His wealth of experi-ence will serve Harrah’s Ak-Chin well.

continued on page 25

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10 ARIZONA PLAYER February 2011

GAMING NEWS

let the tsr games begin.

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Daily No Limit Hold ‘Em TournamentsMonday – Friday, 11:15 am • Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 7:15 pmFor complete details, visit the Poker Room.

Proudly owned and operated by the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community. Please gamble responsibly. ©2011 Talking Stick Resort

3418-4_TSR_effect_poker_azplyer.indd 1 1/18/11 5:04:44 PM

BIG WINNER TO START THE NEW YEAROn Monday

January 3, at Wild Horse Pass Hotel & Casino - Raymond Norman hit the jackpot on a Triple Double Red Hot 7’s slot machine for over $130,000.

This recent jackpot winner was thrilled when he saw the reels stop to reveal the big win. “What a way to start the New Year,” exclaimed Norman. “I just can’t believe that it happened to me.”

Mr. Norman is a resident of Corinth, TX and he did not have any immediate plans for the pro-ceeds from the jackpot.

Wild Horse Pass Hotel & Casino is located just off I-10 at Wild Horse Pass exit in Chandler.

Gila River Gaming Enterprises, Inc. owns and operates three casinos within the Gila River Indian Community including Lone Butte Casino, Vee Quiva Casino and Wild Horse Pass Hotel & Casino.

For more information call 1-800-946-4452, or go to their website www.wingilariver.com

D-BACKS VISIT WILD HORSE PASSThe Arizona Diamondbacks visited Wild Horse

Pass Hotel & Casino on Friday, February 11 for a “Meet & Greet” Autograph session in the Octillo Ballroom from 6pm to 7pm.

Diamondback Pitchers, Joe Saunders, Sam Demel and Jarrod Parker as well as Catcher Konrad Schmidt participated in this special event that was open to the general public and fans of all ages showed up to see some of the new faces on this 2011 team.

Attendees were provided an opportunity to have one item signed by each player. In addition, free autographed player photos were also available.

Wild Horse Pass Hotel & Casino is located at 5040 Wild Horse Pass Blvd. in Chandler.

“WHEEL”HITS AT LONE BUTTEIda Salinas won just over $122,000 dollars while

playing a Wheel of Fortune themed slot machine at Lone Butte Casino. The big prize came when Ms. Salinas hit the progressive jackpot which links together all of the Wheel of Fortune machines in the state.

Ms. Salinas thrilled as she watched the slot reels stop to reveal the big jackpot.

“I love to play at Lone Butte Casino and I especially love the Wheel of Fortune machines. I feel so lucky and I just can’t believe this is actually happening.”

Lone Butte Casino is located at Kyrene and the San Tan 202. It is part of Gila River Casinos, which also includes Wild Horse Pass Hotel & Casino just off the I-10 at Wild Horse Pass Blvd. and Vee Quiva Casino located on the west side of the Valley just north of Baseline on 51st Ave.

For information on these and other events at Gila River Casinos call 1-800-946-4452, or go to www.wingilariver.com

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12 ARIZONA PLAYER February 2011

CARD ROOM ACTION

CARD ROOM MANAGERS

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ApAChE GOlD CASiNO 800-272-2433Dealing blackjack, daily at 10am

BluEWAtER CASiNO 1-888-243-3360All new Poker Room is now open!New hours: Open daily at 4 pm

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BuCky’S CASiNO 928-771-6779Mon, 10am & 6pm, Hold Em, $30 - win-

ners advance to “free roll”Tues, 6pm, Ladies Only Texas Hold Em

Shootouts - $15 buy-inSat 10am, Hold Em, $30 buy-in, Pays 3

places, winners advance to “free roll”Sun, 2 pm, Bounty No-Limit Hold Em

Tournament - $60 buy “Aces Cracked” wins $50 – Aces of

same color wins $100 – Various hours Mon - Thurs

Progressive “Aces Cracked” Sat 11am-11pm - Starts at $50, increases till hit

High Hand: Mon – Fri, see poker room for details

FREE Sunday buffet for seated poker players

Dealing blackjack 24/7 - Now playing 3 card poker & Texas Shootout in blackjack pit

CASiNO ARizONA 101 & MCkEllipS 480-850-7777Dealing blackjack 24/7$5,000 “Wild Wednesdays” Blackjack

Tournament every other Wed, 7pm - $100 buy-in

CASiNO DEl SOl 520-838-6565Mon-Fri, 10 am, $200 added, No-Limit

Hold Em, $13 buy-in, $5 re-buysMon 7pm & Sat noon – $1,500 Guaran-

teed, NLHE - $35 buy-in, $6 entry feeSun & Tues at 7 pm – FREE ROLL,

NlHE – Optional $10 add-on, $1,225 Guaranteed

Wed, 7pm, NLHE, $1,500 Prize Pool (w/50 players) $35 buy-in, $5 re-buys $10 add-on

Thurs, 7pm, $3,000 Guaranteed NLHE, $85 buy-in

Sat, 9am, $200 added Omaha Hi-Lo, $15 buy-in w/$5 re-buys $5 add-on + $15 entry fee

Sun, 11 am $1,500 NLHE, $20 buy-in, $5 re-buys

March 4 - $10,000 Free Roll – see poker room for details

Cliff CAStlE CASiNO 928-567-7952Mon, Wed & Fri, 10am, No-Limit Texas

Hold Em Shoot-outs, $25 buy-in Tues & Thurs, 10am, Limit Hold Em

Shoot-outs, $25 buy-in Wed, 7pm, No-Limit Hold Em, $60

buy-in w/$20 re-buySat, Noon, $1,000 added No Limit Hold

Em, $80 buy-in, no re-buysSun, 10am, Omaha shoot-out, $25 buy-in1st place winners in the $25 Shootouts

qualify for Free Roll Shootout the last Sunday of each month

Aces Cracked WINS $100 rack – Mon-Fri, See poker Room for details

Also dealing blackjack 24/7

COCOpAh CASiNO 800-237-5687Dealing blackjack, Fri & Sat, 10am-

3am; Sun-Thurs, 10am-2am

DESERt DiAMOND NOGAlES hWy 520-342-1810 $500 Added Morning Hold Em Tourna-

ments – Mon & Thurs at 9:30am, $30 buy-in w/$5 sc

Tues, 7pm, $100 added per table Hold-Em, $75 buy-in, with one $60 re-buy

Wed, 7pm, $10,000 guaranteed* Hold-Em, $110 buy-in, no re-buys (*w/100 players)

Sun, Noon, $5,000 guaranteed* Hold-Em, $50 buy-in, $15 re-buys- (*w/ 50 players)

Also dealing blackjack 24/7

DESERt DiAMOND CASiNO i-19 866-332-9467Also dealing blackjack 24/7

fORt MCDOWEll CASiNO 480-789-1424MEGA Stack Bounty Tournament, Sun

at Noon & Fri 7pm, $120 buy-in, $50 Bounties

“Bounty” Tournaments, Mon-Fri at Noon, $30 buy-in, $5 bounties, BONUS, with 1 – 3 hours of live play before tournaments, Bounties increase to $10 $20 and $50 (Tournaments are NLHE except Wed, Limit Omaha Hi-Lo)

Sun & Mon, 7pm, $1,500 Guaranteed NLHE - $10 buy-in

Tues & Thurs, 7pm, $1,000 Guaranteed NLHE - $5 buy-in

Wed, 7pm, $1,000 Guaranteed, No-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo - $10 buy-in

Sat at Noon, also Sun & Mon at 7pm, $1,500 Guaranteed NLHE - $10 buy-in

Sat 9pm, $3,000 Guaranteed NLHE tournament, $20 buy-in

“Pocket Aces always win” - In live games - lose with Pocket Aces – wins same amount as the winner (except river raises)

“Play More to Cash More” Play live to win up to $80 daily!

“Spin the Wheel” with Quads or better - win up to $400 cash

Also dealing blackjack 24/7

lONE ButtE CASiNO 800-946-4452Dealing blackjack 24/7 – with $5

games

hARRAh’S Ak-ChiN CASiNO 480-802-5138Tues, 7:30pm, Limit Omaha H/L, $10

buy-in, $10 re-buys + $10 add-on Thurs, 7:30pm – No-Limit Hold Em,

$10 Buy-in, Two $10 re-buys + $10 add-on

Fri, 7:30pm, Sat, 12:30 & 5:30pm – NLHE, $40 buy-in, NO RE-BUYS

Sun, 12:30pm – No-Limit Hold Em, $25 buy-in w/ one $10 re-buy

$50 Daily Splash pots on ALL tables, on the hour Mon – Fri, 9am – 4pm & Sat & Sun 6-8am

Progressive High Hand, daily 5pm-5am - see poker room for details

Daily, Royal Flush (9am-5pm) pays $100 and straight flush $50

Aces Cracked wins $50 (In a NLHE game – up to 6 per day)

Aces Cracked wins Pot Match (Mid-4am) and 6-4 hi/lo wins a rack – see poker room for details

Also dealing blackjack 24/7

hON-DAh CASiNO 1-800-929-8744Mon, 6pm, 50/50, Hold Em & Omaha

Hi-Lo, $25 buy-in + one $25 add-onTues, 2pm – Mid, “Aces Cracked” pays

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in, no re-buys Thurs, 6pm, Omaha Hi-Lo, $40 buy-in,

no re-buys Sat, 4pm, No-limit Hold Em, $30 buy-in,

$10 re-buys + $10 add-onSun, 4pm, Crazy Pineapple $30 buy-in,

$10 re-buys + $10 add-on

MAzAtzAl hOtEl & CASiNO 800-777-7529Live Poker daily - see poker room for

detailsSun, 1pm, NLHE Tournament, $25 buy-

in, no re-buys - $50 added per tableWed & Sun, 6pm, NLHE Bounty Tour-

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buy-in

pARADiSE CASiNO 888-777-4946Dealing Blackjack 5pm-1am

QuEChAN CASiNO & RESORt 1-877-QuEChAN New hours, menu and new games! Call

poker room for detailsThru Jan 28th, “Splash the Pot” – Live

tables get splashed every hour – Noon till 10pm - 32 pots in all

Special room rates for poker players.Dealing blackjack 24/7

tAlkiNG StiCk RESORt 480-850-7777Mon - Fri, 11am - No-Limit Hold Em,

$60 buy-in Tues & Wed, 7pm - No-Limit Hold Em,

$115 buy-in + $15 s/cMar 5, Apr 2, & May 7, 10am - $60,000

“Big Stack” Tournament (based on 200 entries) - $300 buy-in + $30 s/c

Feb 20, Mar 13 & Apr 10 at 10am – Ladies No-Limit Hold Em - $60 Buy-in + $15 s/c

Mar 12 & Apr 9 at 9am – Super Bounty Big Stack Tournament w/ $100 Boun-ties - $200 buy-in + $25 s/c

Feb 26 & Mar 26 at 10am – $20,000 No-Limit Hold Em Tournament -$125 buy-in + $25 s/c

Feb 13, 9am – Jack & Jill Couples Tournament - $50 Buy-in + $15 s/c

Mar 19 & May 21 10am – Omaha Hi-Lo Limit 8 or Better - $120 Buy-in + $30 s/c

Mon-Fri, 3am-9am “Aces Cracked” Win $100 rack

Also dealing blackjack 24/7 $5,000 “Wild Wednesdays” Blackjack

Tournament every other Wed, 7pm - $100 buy-in

VEE QuiVA CASiNO 800-946-4452 – Ext 1042Sun - Thurs, 11am, No-Limit Hold Em,

$1,000 Guaranteed - $30 buy-inWednesdays at 7:30pm, No-Limit Hold

Em Tournaments, $15 buy-in, $10 re-buys

“ACES CRACKED” wins a rack – daily from 6am - max 10 per day

Big Money Royals, Any Royal Flush wins $500.

Progressive Rolling Cash Fever draw-ings during live play every other hour - 24/7

Also dealing blackjack 24/7 – with $5 games

WilD hORSE pASS hOtEl & CASiNO 800-946-4452 Ext 7375Mon & Thurs Noon, No Limit Hold Em,

$30 buy-in, no re-buysTues at 7:30pm, No-Limit Freeze Out -

$50 entry fee – no re-buys Wed at 7:30pm, No-Limit Bounty Tour-

nament, $10 0 buy-in“Big Hand – Big Money” High Hands

Daily, Bonus Aces Cracked, “Splash Down” Splash Pots plus Basketball

Splash Pots – See poker room for details!

Big Money Royals - Any Royal Flush wins $200

Also dealing blackjack 24/7 – with $5 games

PREFERRED LAUGHLIN POKER ROOM

hARRAh’S RESORt CASiNO 702-298-8529Sat, Sun, Mon & Tues at 10am - No

Limit Hold Em, $40 buy-in w/ $5 Bonus buy

Wed & Thurs, 10am, NLHE “Bounty” Tournament, $50 buy-in w/$5 Bonus buy

Fri, 10am, Wed & Thurs 7pm, NLHE, $60 buy-in w/$5 Bonus buy

Sun, Mon & Tues, 7pm, NLHE, $40 buy-in w/$5 Bonus buy

Fri at 7pm, NLHE, $100 buy-in w/ $50 add-on

Sat at 2pm, Monster Stack Texas Hold Em, $160 buy in, no re buys

Sat at 7pm, NLHE, $60 buy-in, w/ optional $5 Bonus buy

Sun at 2pm, “Bounty” NLHE, $70 Buy-in w/$5 Bonus buy

Is In the Cards

Join us at any Gila River Casino for the hottest Vegas-style table games. Party Pit from 6pm to 2am every Thursday at Vee Quiva.

We have limits for all types of players ranging from $5 to $1,000 and the best comps around when you join our Players Club.

*at Wild Horse Pass Hotel & Casino and Lone Butte Casino

BlaCkjaCk | Fortune PaI Gow ProGressIve 3 Card Poker | let It rIde & world Poker tour*

an exCItInG tIme

see Players Club for details. owned and operated by the Gila river Indian CommunitywinGilariver.com 800-wIn-GIla

14 ARIZONA PLAYER February 2011

it about 20 times, as she was sure she’d made a mistake somewhere. Then she signed the back of the ticket right away and then called her daughter and her son.

The reason she didn’t redeem her ticket right away was that she wanted time to meet with her financial advisor to find the best way to work with her winnings.

LOTTERY NEWS

January PICK 3 CASH 4 PICK 501 4-1-0 03-12-16-23 05-13-20-25-34 03 3-5-4 01-12-15-22 02-06-09-24-36 04 8-6-5 12-15-17-23 05-08-29-31-35 05 8-5-2 01-06-15-17 09-11-18-23-25 06 7-1-4 01-12-17-26 04-06-15-37-38 07 1-7-3 03-05-14-26 07-18-27-32-39 08 7-9-1 03-11-16-22 01-11-12-24-32 10 7-1-9 05-15-20-26 01-16-20-22-28 11 5-6-7 09-13-16-21 01-02-06-20-22 12 9-8-0 02-03-12-18 02-04-24-34-38 13 2-9-6 05-12-13-25 05-09-14-16-26 14 1-4-9 01-04-10-16 17-27-29-34-38 15 5-2-9 13-15-23-25 02-09-16-20-25 17 0-9-2 05-13-17-23 03-11-17-18-35 18 6-4-2 03-07-11-24 01-05-25-27-29 19 0-2-6 07-10-12-17 05-17-24-29-34 20 9-3-2 01-18-22-26 25-32-34-35-37 21 0-2-9 06-15-18-26 02-05-17-29-30 22 8-6-9 01-05-12-16 08-22-23-30-31 24 4-4-0 04-06-08-14 13-24-30-34-37 25 9-2-0 05-13-21-22 02-12-13-17-37 26 4-0-4 03-06-13-20 01-08-13-19-35 27 5-4-1 03-04-06-15 14-18-29-36-38 28 7-9-5 01-04-05-14 01-12-14-33-34 29 5-5-4 02-07-20-21 01-03-14-23-34 31 4-4-6 13-14-16-21 05-06-20-26-35 31 5-2-4 05-12-21-25 13-23-24-34-35

THE PICK Date POWERBALLNumbers January Numbers PB PP

14-20-24-26-31-39 01 18-22-37-47-54 05 0205-15-16-19-39-43 04 22-26-32-38-40 07 0502-17-18-32-34-41 08 06-07-26-33-52 24 0207-15-16-23-24-30 11 19-21-23-40-48 27 0415-18-21-29-33-35 15 09-13-22-23-37 31 0307-14-15-17-20-33 18 22-36-51-56-59 01 0306-08-09-16-19-29 22 30-31-34-45-51 23 0202-12-36-41-43-44 25 04-05-36-47-58 06 0304-17-24-28-29-34 29 24-28-45-49-52 02 04

In Phoenix catch the winning numbers first on ABC Channel 15 at 10:25 nightly. You can also call the Lottery Hotline at (480) 829-PICK (7425) in Phoenix or (520) 325-9141 in Tucson. For outlying areas in Arizona call 1-800-499-3798. Visit our website at arizonalottery.com or see a participating Lottery retailer for the winning numbers.

January MEGA MILLIONS MB MP

04 04-08-15-25-47 42 407 04-22-42-46-53 20 211 01-04-11-16-45 37 414 02-15-17-33-35 8 218 04-27-29-38-45 5 421 05-09-21-35-38 20 425 05-08-31-46-50 4 428 14-33-48-49-50 18 431 10-12-13-35-56 9 4

“WE’VE ALWAYS PLAYED MEGA MILLIONS”A former East Coast resident, who has since

moved to Arizona, discovered that her loyalty to “Mega Millions” really paid off. She and her husband always played “Mega Millions” back East, and when they moved here, they continued with their tradition. They won the second place prize of $250,000 on the Dec. 31, 2010 drawing. The winning ticket was pur-chased at a Fry’s Food Store in Queen Creek.

The quarter million dollar winner enjoys playing Mega Millions because she, “usually always wins a little something on it.”

The day after the drawing, she went online to check her numbers and ended up rechecking

PICK WINNER KEEPS IT QUIETThe winner of the $2,900,000 The Pick jackpot

of Dec. 29, 2010 didn’t redeem his ticket until Jan. 18, 2011. The reason – he had out-of-town company and didn’t want anyone to know he’d won. He chose the cash option, which was a little over $1,729,000 before taxes. The winning five-line Quick Pick ticket was purchased at a Safeway in Lake Havasu City.

Our winner plays The Pick because he likes the odds, and he plays it every Wednesday and Saturday. He purchased his tickets for the December 29 draw, that same afternoon. He didn’t check his numbers in the local paper until some-time on Thursday.

Then he really got confused – the winning num-bers matched his numbers, but the local paper

$100,000 RAFFLE WINNERNorman Ambrose and his wife each bought one

ticket for the fifth Arizona Millionaire Raffle. They were both standing in line at the Valero Corner Store located on South Ellsworth Road in Mesa to purchase their tickets; he was just in front of his wife. And as luck would have it, his ticket was the $100,000 winner.

Norman and his wife have been regular Powerball and Mega Millions players even before they began spending their winters in Arizona. Once they realized that they actually held a win-ning ticket, they began thinking about how they would use their winnings.

Norman and his wife spend a lot of time with their friends while basking in the sunny winters here. They also occasionally hit some of the local casinos, enjoy the wonderful Arizona destinations, and plan to keep playing the Lottery.

When asked if he had any advice for players, Norman said, “Treat the Lottery as entertainment - Only spend what you can afford to lose.”

had the draw date listed as Dec. 25, 2010. After discussing it with his wife, he took the ticket to the store to be scanned to be sure that it was a winner, and it was. The clerk who scanned it didn’t realize that it was the winning jackpot ticket, which is just as well - as far as the winner is concerned.

The couple plan to invest their winnings and continue traveling, which is a favorite pastime of theirs. They are presently considering a short cruise to Mexico. The winner is now retired from the communications field.

?

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16 ARIZONA PLAYER February 2011

GAMING NEWSCliff Castle

Casino-Hotel is pretty unique because it pro-vides a “family friendly” atmo-sphere. These family related amenities include The Alley, an arcade for kids of all ages, offering more than 30 of the most popu-lar high-action video games. Next door to The Alley is Shake Rattle & Bowl, a 20-lane bowling alley that offers open play and league play, a snack shop and more.

Cliff Castle Casino-Hotel is also one of the only casinos around to house a supervised childcare center, Kids Quest, with over 5,000 square feet of games and activities for kids.

The Yavapai-Apache Nation, a sovereign Native American tribe, proudly owns and operates Cliff Castle Casino-Hotel.

For additional information - Call Cliff Castle Casino-Hotel at (928) 567-7900, or go to www.cliffcastlecasino.net.

CLIFF CASTLE #1 - TWELVE YEARS IN A ROW!

Cliff Castle Casino is now officially Arizona’s number one casino for twelve years! Once again, the casino has been voted best casino in Arizona in Ranking Arizona: The Best of Arizona Business, 2010, Arizona Business Magazine’s statewide, popular business opinion poll edition.

The Team at Cliff Castle Casino-Hotel would like to thank all their guests and visitors for making them the number one casino in Arizona for twelve years running – And look forward to providing you with the best gaming and enter-tainment experience possible for many more years to come.

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“This is a great honor and we are very appre-ciative of what this award means to us. Our Guests have given us a vote of confidence, and we aim in every possible way to succeed in our role as Arizona’s #1 gaming destination,” said Tony Averitt, Marketing Director.

Cliff Castle Casino-Hotel’s 12 Years-Years-in-a-Row Celebration will commence February 12th on the floor of the casino with complimentary cup-cakes for all guests and complimentary T-shirts as gifts for team members.

Cliff Castle Casino-Hotel, an 114,000 square-foot multi-amenity facility, is frequented by visitors from Northern Arizona and the Phoenix area, along with thou-sands of others from around the country each year. The casino

offers live-action poker, blackjack, state of the art slot machines and video poker.

*Active participants shall be defined as participants who, at the time of a drawing, have a live bet and/or have been playing at their table for at least 10 minutes prior to the applicable drawing. The Pit Supervisor or above shall have sole discretion in determining if an individual is “active.” Drawings held randomly, once during each hour. Not valid on live poker. See Pit Supervisor for full details. **Free Slot Play™ is not redeemable for cash. Buffet offer must be redeemed within 30 days from the date of issue. Please see Total Rewards for full details. Must be 21 or

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18 ARIZONA PLAYER February 2011

byLinda Boyd

A BOYD’S EYE VIEW OF VIDEO POKER

Variance: adding Spice to Video poker

Linda Boyd ,a long-time table game player before turning to video poker, also writes for “Southern Gaming” and “Midwest Gaming and Travel” in addition to “Arizona Player - her book, “The Video Poker Edge”, includes free removable pay schedules and her free strategy cards for the most popular games. The 2010 Second Edition of her book is available in both paperback and kindle at amazon.com, bookstores or Square One Publishers. www.squareonepublish-ers.com Toll Free: 877-900-BOOKYou’ll find more information on Linda in the 2011 Edition of “American Casino Guide”

t’s not really too important to know all the mathematical terms experts like to use when talking about video poker. As long as you understand the key concepts and you’re able to play better and have

realistic expectations it’s good enough.Take, for example, the word “variance”, as it applies to video poker. The

term refers to the likelihood the actual results will resemble the theoretical expectations. Probably it doesn’t seem too significant when you read the defi-nition, but once you realize it relates to the risk of losing your bankroll you will want to think about it before finding a seat.

VARiANCE: Some video poker choices are far more exciting

than others because there are more possibilities for jackpots. An example is Double-Double Bonus (DDB), a game with several big payouts. Assuming a 5-coin wager, you get a 2000 coin return for aces with a kicker (2,3 or 4), 800 coins for two’s, three’s or four’s with a kicker (ace, 2, 3 or 4) and several other high payouts for special quads (four-of-a-kinds).

So what could be wrong with that? The fact that you’ll be paid less for winning combi-

nations at the bottom of the scale, like two pair - In short, games with a high variance are risky business and you may run out of bankroll in a hurry.

I’m not suggesting that you avoid playing them--they’re lots of fun and sometimes you’ll win big. I definitely play DDB and other volatile (high risk) games.

You do need to tread lightly, meaning not spend more than you budgeted, and to select carefully.

pAy SChEDulE: You can spot a risky game by checking the pay schedule before you deposit

money into the device. If you’re paid even money (a return of your bet rather than double your wager) for a frequent hand, like two pair, then you’ll notice there are more opportunities to earn big payouts. Each of the large jackpots, however, will require an infrequent hand, like a special quad. This is what is known as a high variance game and can be very costly if you fail to get one of the rare winning combinations.

On the other hand, if you choose a game, like 9/6 jacks or better, the pay table shows that you’re paid double your wager for the same hand mentioned above, two pair. This game is less risky and you’ll be able to play longer on a given bankroll. It’s true that many consider the game boring and are upset when they are paid 125 coins (5-coin wager) for any four of a kind. They fail to remember that they were paid double for every two pair hand along the way.

BuDGEt: Not too long ago I read an article informing players to just consider

denomination (nickels, quarters, dollars and so on) when they budgeted for a video poker session. This information was incorrect. You must consider the total bet (some machines are multi-hand) as well as the volatility of the game you’ve selected. In addition the all important theoretical return of the game you’ve chosen is a major consideration. Even if you are math oriented and use a risk of ruin table (Sorkin-type RoR) exposure to losing all of your bankroll is based on the pay schedule.

You should understand that the greater the variance the greater the risk of running out of money. You may want to blame the quick demise of your budget on the casino, but it’s not “rigged machines” but your game of choice that’s the culprit.

fiNAl thOuGhtS: Although I love plain cheese pizza, sometimes I

want to spice it up with anchovies, olives, onions and lots more. Video poker and other casino games for that matter are no different. Start with a favorite and add some new chances for jackpots and you’ve got more potential for adrenalin rushes.

Just like recipes heavy on the jalapeños they taste great going down but could cause indigestion later. There will always be a price to pay for extra opportuni-ties to win. In the game of video poker high variance

games have a downside appearing on the bottom of the pay schedule. That’s less coins for frequent hands in order to be paid big returns for infrequent hands at the top of the pay chart, like special quads.

“the greater the variance the

greater the risk of running out of

money.”

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20 ARIZONA PLAYER February 2011

FROM A WOMAN’S POINT OF VIEW

by Marianne Minneci

Hold-Em For HopEfter many months of plan-ning and prepa-

ration “Hold-em for Hope” benefitting Easter Seals Southwest Human Development is only a few short weeks away. I felt the relevance of it all when I stopped in at Fort McDowell recently and I saw our banner placed strategically on the back wall of the poker room for everyone to see.

I have been very active with my company’s fundraising efforts over the past few years. Last year at one of our planning meetings, I suggested having a poker tournament as a way to raise money for Easter Seals. At first the idea was shelved, but after a lot of lobbying on my part, “Hold-em for Hope” came into fruition.

So now the thought process began, and I remembered that Fort McDowell has been host to so many successful charity tournaments over the past several years, I reasoned – contacting poker room manager at the Fort to tap into his experi-

ence and expertise with these matters would be a terrific idea.

Now, there have been times when my poker playing decisions have been suspect – like know-ing when to “Hold Em or Fold Em” in a tourna-ment…but this was a no brainer – A “Slam Dunk”

because Mike and his ever competent staff laid out the ground work for the event and our committee took his advice and ran with it.

No one realized the amount of work involved

with this endeavor, but everyone stepped up to the plate to get the job done. I hope that all of you will join us for our inaugural event to be held at 11am Saturday March 19 at Fort McDowell Casino.

Easter Seals Southwest Human Development is such a deserving organization. They work dili-gently to help children and adults with disabilities. By playing in this tournament you will help to fund these efforts allowing them to help those in need. I hope I can count on you for your support.

The buy-in for the charity event is $75 for $3,000 in tournament chips with $20 re-buys for the first 2 hours of play. An additional add-on (If you want it) will be available at the second break for $30 and will get you an additional $5,000 in tournament chips. Prize pool will be based on the number of participants.

I hope to see many of you on March 19th. If you have any questions, need additional information or would like to be a sponsor of this charity event please contact me at azpokerlady@cox.net.

Until next time, have a lucky month

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*Reservations required; days of operation are subject to change; this schedule may not apply on holidays. Travel is subject to road and weather conditions. You must be a Gold Rush Club member to receive free play or a lunch vouch-er. Membership is free and easy. See the Gold Rush Club for Details. All passengers must be 21 years of age and provide valid picture I.D.

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22 ARIZONA PLAYER February 2011

TJ’S BLACKJACK CORNER

T.J. Jorgensen has been a professional Blackjack player for over 20 years. He is well known for his live tournament play, both locally and internationally. He has com-peted against, and beaten, some of the top tournament players in the world. He is the author of the book, "Beating the Casino at Their Own Game," available through his web site www.freewebs.com/tjsblackjackcorner or by e-mail TJ4justice1@msn.com

6 to 5 Blackjack - a Bad deal

by TJJorgensen

was in Las Vegas recently and made a surpris-ing discovery. Apparently Casinos on the strip got together and decided that they now are

only going to pay 6 to 5 on Blackjack instead of the traditional 3 to 2. I was even more surprised to see the blackjack tables still full of foolish players eager to give the Casino their money. Here is why you should avoid playing 6 to 5 blackjack.

70% of all the money you make at Blackjack comes from the hand of twenty, and Blackjack. You will get a Blackjack about every 21 hands in the long run, or a little less than 5 for every 100 hands played. For instance if you are at a $10 table, five blackjacks at 3 to 2 for a $10 bet pay $15 each for a total of $75. Five Blackjacks at a $10 table paying 6 to 5 pays $12 each for a total of $60, $15 less than what they should pay. If you are a $10 per hand player, the Casino is skimming $15 for every one hundred hands you play. It is hard enough to beat the game without the Casino trying to gouge the player for even more money.

A normal house edge for the perfect basic strategy Blackjack Player play-ing a game with decent rules and Blackjack paying 3 to 2 is around .-6%. When the Casino changes Blackjack to pay 6 to 5 the players disadvantage increases by -1.39%. The Casinos on the strip have also added a lot of single deck games with Blackjack paying 6 to 5, don’t play them, they have a bigger house advan-tage than the worst 8 deck game you will ever find.

Why I would bring this up? After all, what can just one player do? We as blackjack players can ban together and say no to 6 to 5 blackjack - refuse to play those games. If enough players stop playing these games - casinos will quickly change them back.

I refused to play the 6 to 5 Blackjack and went off the strip to the Orleans, where I found a double deck game with liberal rules and more importantly Blackjack paid 3 to 2. This game was much easier to beat and well worth the cab ride.

Before you put your hard earned money into play look at the rules and do not play the 6 to 5 Blackjack games. Go off the beaten path - it is well worth the effort. It is always much more fun to win than to lose. To help you calcu-late the house advantage over the player on any Blackjack game, here are the important rules.

ChANGES thAt ChANGE iN hElp thE plAyER thE EDGE

Double after split +.14%Re-split Aces +.07%Single Deck +.50%Two decks +.20%Four Decks +.05%

ChANGES thAt ChANGE iN huRt thE plAyER thE EDGE

Dealer hits Ace-6 -.20%Double on 11 only .46%Double on 10,11 only -.09%Double on 9,10,11 only -.09%No re-splitting pairs -.04%6 to 5 Blackjack -1.39

To determine the casinos edge over the basic strategy player at the begin-ning of a randomly shuffled shoe, just add or subtract the rules variations from the “base game listed above. For example, if you play a double deck game which has the same rules as the base game, the casino advantage is computed as follows:

Base Game -.54% 2 decks +.20 Players disadvantage -.34% If the casino is paying 6 to 5 on Blackjack and doesn’t allow some of the

favorable rules for the player - the house advantage can get very large making the game unbeatable, even for me. Before sitting down at any Blackjack game do yourself a favor, read the rules and calculate the house advantage, trust me the Casino has. We as players can get the Casinos to remove the 6 to 5 Blackjack games if we all refuse to play them. Until next time I hope you play winning Blackjack.

REEL REVIEWS BY KEVIN CUMMINGS

24 ARIZONA PLAYER november 2010

REEL REVIEWS BY KEVIN CUMMINGS

ARIZONA PLAYER February 2011 25

If you’re not a Total Rewards member, sign up today - Membership is free, and new members receive $15 in Free Slot Play and a free buffet now through March 31, 2011.

Be sure to visit Harrah’s Ak-Chin on Saturdays in February when superhero “Captain Moolah” returns! Every 10 minutes between 11am and 5pm, one slot machine will be randomly selected to win from $100 to $1,000 in instant Free Slot Play. And if “Captain Moolah” appears, the prizes double. Every wallet needs a hero, and “Captain Moolah” is ready to come to the rescue!

Harrah’s Ak-Chin’s 40,000-square-foot casino has video poker and slot machines, as well as blackjack, keno and bingo. Between the resort’s four restaurants, there is something to please every palate. If you’re in the mood for a juicy steak or some fresh seafood, The Range Steakhouse offers a superb selection of tempt-ing entrees, not to men-tion legendary desserts.

Cover Story continued from page 8

Harrah’s Ak-Chin participates in Caesars Entertainment’s award-winning Total Rewards player loyalty program. Guests earn comps based on their casino play as well as non-gaming pur-chases at nearly 40 Caesars Entertainment casinos in Las Vegas and across the country. Reward Credits earned at one Total Rewards casino can be used at any other Total Rewards casino for lodging, dining, entertainment and more. Total Rewards members may qualify for exclusive offers at Harrah’s Ak-Chin and other Caesars Entertainment properties, based on their play. Agave’s Restaurant is the perfect way to start

your day with beautiful pool views and fluffy omelets. Quick meals and delicious snacks are always the order of the day at the Copper Cactus Grill, open 24 hours per day. The Buffet has gotten rave reviews, so be sure to check it out. The Oasis Lounge offers free entertainment, fea-turing country, variety, top 40, nostalgia, rhythm and blues and jazz.

Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino Resort is located at 15406 North Maricopa Road in Maricopa, Arizona.

For additional information, visit harrahsak-chin.com or call 480-802-5000.

Like Harrah’s Ak-Chin on Facebook at Facebook.com/HarrahsAkChin

and follow on Twitter at Twitter.com/Harrahs_Akchin.

26 ARIZONA PLAYER February 2011

HORSIN’ AROUNDEarly look To ThE kEnTuck y DErby

by BrianMulligan

Brian Mulligan was the main West Coast line-maker for 17 years for the Daily Racing Form writing under the non de plume of “SWEEP.” He continues to contribute to the Daily Racing Form writing “A Closer Look” analysis daily.

efore we get into analyzing the up and

coming stars that will point to the Kentucky Derby this year, a shout out has to go

to Scottsdale resident John Doyle. The phrase ‘according to Hoyle’ came to the fore because of the knowledge of Edmond Hoyle - best known for his works on the rules and play of card games, but Mr. John Doyle has his own legend now to live up to.

The former IBM account executive retired to become a professional horseplayer and he used a steed named “Dapper Gene” to record the winning score in the National Handicapping Championship in Las Vegas to win a nice little prize of $500,000.

The Bronx native came from 19th place as final day’s action began - to rally and lead the pack, much like his final winning horse.

Well done, and here’s hoping for continued good luck in the future....Now - on to the Blue Grass.

Since we are less than 11 weeks away from the Kentucky Derby, now is as good a time as any to take a look at the major contenders at this point in time to win the Run for the the Roses.

Churchill Downs will once again host the one and a quarter mile Kentucky Derby on May 7 and although so much can happen from now till then, there are several runners that should be moni-tored and put on the rader screen.

“Uncle Mo” comes into 2011 as the unbeaten 2-year-old champion and off a clever victory in the

Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. His style suggests he will get the classic distance and his final time of 1:42 3/5 in the Juvenile stands up very well to the clock-ing recorded by the brilliant “Arazi”. That meteor won the 1992 Juvenile at Churchill in 1:44 3/5. Trained by Todd Pletcher, this guy will be put in a position for success and he will only need to stay healthy, have a little luck and be good enough.

To Honor and Serve” is not only a slogan for the police, but also a highly-talented runner that won 3 of his first 4 starts and ran 2nd once. By Macho Uno and trained by world-class condtioner Bill Mott, this runner’s game and this Remsen winner looks like he will thrive as the distances stretch out. This son of Afleet Alex could have a say in the outcome in Kentucky. Elite Alex has only run twice but he has been impressive and he has the blood to go long as his lone sibling to win cashed thrice all, routes.

Steve Asmussen did a pretty nice job with Horse of the Year Curlin a few seasons ago and he has an up and comer in Tapizar.

By stamina sire Tapit, this guy had some event-ful trips early in his career but he did something that is not easy and that was beating winners directly after winning his first race. He accom-plished that feat winning the Grade 3 Sham Stakes at Santa Anita and he did it despite losing concen-tration in the stretch.

One horse that rates consideration but may be overlooked is Casper’s Touch. By Touch Gold, he has shown an affinity for the Churchill surface and could have much more than a ghost’s chance.

You don’t know what you have till it’s gone is

one true adage. This can be true of a former love gone by the wayside, a great friend that is now no longer around or a job or situation that one never took advantage of. In my case it was voting for the Eclipse Awards. For over 2 plus decades I had that honor but when the Racing Form went to New York, I temporarily lost the privilege.

Now back voting for the year-end honors, it has to be said that Zenyatta truly deserved Horse of the Year.

I voted for her last year and this year and the feeling is if she raced against Blame 10 times, she would win more often.

Both horses lost once this year, but Blame was beaten when another horse got loose on the lead and he could not rally in time.

That scenario was constant with Zenyatta as she always conceded her field tons of lengths - We may never see another like her.

PGP-PlayerThird pdf maker:Layout 1 8/8/10 9:38 AM Page 1

Zenyatta

ARIZONA PLAYER February 2011 27

TRAVEL – THE FAR EAST….VALLEYYou do not need a passport to time travel to the

annual Arizona Renaissance Festival

Put your daily cares aside and escape to the Arizona Renaissance Festival, located just east of Apache Junction on US Highway 60, near the Superstition Mountains. You will find life in the 16th century is festive and fun in a 30-acre medieval playground with five great attractions all rolled into one.

There are twelve Stages of con-tinuous live entertainment, each stage setting packed with a unique mix of comedy, music, and mischievous antics. Don Juan & Miguel brandishing whips and swords will have you laughing till your stomach hurts. The Ded Bob Sho is a real trip too – but you better think before you heckle this guy, or you’ll find yourself on stage as part of the act.

Just some of the other hilarious acts include; Tartanic, Dextre Tripp, Bathos The Muse, London Broil, The Tortuga Twins along with many, many more.

This is an Outdoor Circus of acrobats & mer-rymakers, where you never know what will happen next, on stage or off.

A Medieval Arts and Crafts Fair with over 200 storybook shops, charming tents, and carts plus artisan demonstrations of the fine skills of weav-ing, woodcarving, blacksmithing, glassblowing, pottery and jewelry.

Jousting Tournaments, three performances daily with armored knights on noble steeds chal-lenging one another, re-create history’s original Super bowl bash in the 5,000 seat arena.

A Day-Long Feast with hearty foods to satisfy your appetite plus beer and wine to quench your thirst. You can also make reservations for The Pleasure Feast - a one and a half-hour extrava-ganza! Savor five courses of fine food and drink with a side order of raucous live entertainment - Admission ticket and souvenir goblet is included with Feast price.

Kids love the interactive games and people-pow-ered rides: Da Vinci’s Flying Machine, the Slider Joust, Piccolo Pony - a rocking horse bigger than an elephant - the Dragon Climbing Tower, Castle Siege, a Maze, Archery Range and much more.

One of the special features of the Festival is that entertainment takes place throughout the day right in front of your eyes on the streets of the village, as a costumed cast of 900 medieval com-

moners, knights and royalty celebrates a 16th century day of play.

Hours: Every Saturday and Sunday, February 12 – April 3 including Presidents’ Day Monday, Feb. 21 from 10 am-6 pm. Advance discount tickets are available at Fry¹s or online - print at home. Prices are Adults $20 and $10 for ages 5-12.

Tickets at the gate are $2 more. Parking is FREE courtesy of FRY’S Food & Drug Stores.

INFO LINE: 520-463-2700 or go to the website: www.RenFestInfo.com

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28 ARIZONA PLAYER February 2011

The Mechanic «««Arthur is a hired killer who is very good at his job. After a successful job in South America he takes his mentor’s son, Steve, under his wing to train him to be an assassin. Steve is hot-headed and reckless while Arthur is cool and calculating. It’s not long before Arthur is taking Steve on assign-ments even though his boss is not happy about

it. Arthur finds out something is not right at the company causing them to come after him. There is a lot of action and it gets very violent, graphically so.

SancTuM ««An expedition in Papua New Guinea is exploring one the world’s largest cave systems. They are deep into the earth looking for where the underwater river empties into the ocean. When a storm arrives early - they are trapped and forced to find an alternative way out underwater. The leader has a strong

driven personality who is at odds with his son. The man funding the expedition and his new girlfriend befriend the son. This is just an over wrought father son reconciliation melodrama that is badly written and badly acted. It looks beautiful but there is no reason to pay the extra fee to see it in 3D, it is another missed opportunity to WOW the audience with this technology.

DAVID AT THE SNACK BAR

byDavid Ramsey

David Ramsey is the President and co-founder of the Phoenix Film Critics Society and a member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association (The Critics Choice Awards). Watch for him on the CBS 5 Morning News every Friday just after 6am and on ABC-15’s “Sonoran Living Live” every other Friday at 11am. Read more of his DVD reviews at WildAboutMovies.com. Contact him at David@TheSnackBar.net.

DaviD’S viDeo DeTailS

NEVER lEt ME GO «««««Ruth, Kathy and Tommy spend their childhood at a charming seemingly perfect English boarding school. As they get older they have to deal with how they feel for each other so when Ruth and Tommy pair up Kathy feels left out. When they leave the school they are not prepared for the predetermined reality that awaits them nor the moral dilemma it represents. The acting is superb and the writing is brilliant. Everything about this film is perfect - you will remember it for a long time.

lEt ME iN ««««Owen is a lonely boy who meets a reclusive girl and they become friends. This is a unique vampire film with lots of texture and an unsettling mood. The cast is brilliant but it’s the writing, cinematography

and direction that sets the feel and holds the suspense and horror without becoming a slasher-type film. This is a thinking and feeling person’s vampire story but don’t worry there is enough action and blood to satisfy everyone.

uNStOppABlE «««« After a mistake in the train yard a half-mile-long freight train takes off at full speed with no one onboard. To make matters worse there are deadly toxic materials in some of the cars and it’s headed for a populated area where it will derail if it hits a curve without slowing down and could kill thousands. Nothing that the company tries works so it is up to an engineer and conductor on another train on the same track to catch up with it and stop it. The action gets very intense and the suspense is edge-of-your-seat at times.

ARIZONA PLAYER February 2011 29

FREE BOWLING!

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One coupon per visit.EXPIRES 4/1/2011

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Postal Worker’s Social Club3720 w. grEENway rd.tuEs & suN 6:30pm

casino games – Phx areaFort McDowell CasinoFountain Hills AreamoN, wEd, tHu, Fri:9am, 12:30pm, 6:30pm

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MORE REASONS TO PLAY AT THE ELKS

Mary Ann (L) and Paula Shepard

Sure, the Phoenix West Elks is a great place to play bingo every Tuesday night and Sunday after-noon. First you have a $1,000 Jackpot both days, and arrive early on Sunday and you can play 25 cent bingo starting at 9:30am.

Combine this with a fun atmosphere, a profes-sional staff and nice payouts and you have plenty of reasons to want to be playing bingo at this west valley location – Now, you can add two more reasons – Terrific food at bargain prices! Because in January, Mary Ann Bowlin entered into a lease agreement with the BPOE to run their snack bar – what a great move!

Mary Ann brings honest to goodness home cookin’ to the Elks snack bar every Sunday from

9:30am - 4pm, this includes a Sunday Lunch Special. On a recent Sunday the special included a generous portion of baked chicken breast, mashed potatoes, gravy, plus mixed veggies and a roll and butter, all this for just 4 bucks! Bingo players seem to be enjoying Mary Ann’s new menu. You can even add a salad, dessert or a drink (coffee, tea or soda) for just $1 each.

The snack bar is open Tuesday’s from 7pm – 10pm, and yes Mary Ann will have a $4 dinner spe-cial during that bingo session also. Stop by and say hello to Mary Ann and her assistant Paula Shepard – enjoy lunch, dinner or just dessert and coffee.

Phoenix West Elks is located at 5525 West Colter – That’s just ¼ mile North of Camelback.

30 ARIZONA PLAYER February 2011

ASTROLOGY & JOKE

Joke of the Month

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12. Wild Horse Pass Hotel & Casino • (Chandler) Gila River Indian Community–slots keno blackjack & poker. (800) 946-445213. Gila River Vee Quiva Casino • (Laveen)Gila River Indian Community–slots bingo black-jack & poker. (800) 946-445214. Gila River Lone Butte Casino • (Chandler)Gila River Indian Community–slots bingo & blackjack. (800) 946-445215. Golden Ha’ San Casino • (Why)Tohono O’Odham Nation–Slots16. Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino (Maricopa)Ak-Chin Indian Community–slots keno poker bingo & blackjack. (480) 802-500017. Hon-Dah Resort-Casino • (Pinetop) White Mountain Apache Tribe–slots blackjack & poker. (800) 929-874418. Mazatzal Hotel Casino • (Payson)Tonto Apache Tribe–slots keno bingo poker blackjack (800) 777-752919. Paradise Casino • (Yuma)Fort Yuma Quechan Tribe–slots keno bingo poker & blackjack. (888) 777-494620. Spirit Mountain Casino • (Bullhead City)Fort Mohave Indian Tribe–slots. (888) 837-403021. Yavapai Casino & Gaming Center • (Prescott) Yavapai-Prescott Indian Tribe–slots (800) 756-8744

CASINO DIRECTORY

Aquarius Jan 21 to Feb 19 Feb 10–16 Persistence Pays off Feb 17–23 Go with family plans Feb 24–28 Get set for an adventure Mar 1–7 Very lucky week

Pisces Feb 20 to Mar 20 Feb 10–16 Plan needed trip Feb 17–23 Great opportunity soon Feb 24–28 Take friends advice Mar 1–7 Now, you get it right

Aries Mar 21 to April 20 Feb 10–16 Believe – it will happen Feb 17–23 Old friend returns Feb 24–28 Nice streak of luck Mar 1–7 Lucky place due to hit

Taurus April 21 to May 21 Feb 10–16 Fun memories this week Feb 17–23 More fun than expected Feb 24–28 Good things happen Mar 1–7 Play smart on the tables

Gemini May 22 to June 21 Feb 10–16 Take that earned trip Feb 17–23 Amazing flop for a win Feb 24–28 Careful – use your head Mar 1–7 Friend wins and so do you

Cancer June 22 to July 22 Feb 10–16 Working hard pays off Feb 17–23 Big excitement ahead Feb 24–28 Nice win near home Mar 1–7 Great time with new friend

Leo July 23 to Aug 23 Feb 10–16 Luck is holding up Feb 17–23 Go with gut feelings Feb 24–28 Best is yet to come Mar 1–7 Stick with your decision

Virgo Aug 24 to Sept 23 Feb 10–16 Profitable adventure Feb 17–23 Fun time with friend Feb 24–28 Why not try it? Mar 1–7 Your numbers come in

Libra Sept 24 to Oct 23 Feb 10–16 Fun is just beginning Feb 17–23 This time you get it right Feb 24–28 Lucky is your new name Mar 1–7 They will be stunned

Scorpio Oct 24 to Nov 22 Feb 10–16 Old friend returns Feb 17–23 Plan needed trip now Feb 24–28 Unexpected pleasure Mar 1–7 Trust yourself – it will work

Sagittarius Nov 23 to Dec 21 Feb 10–16 Help comes in strange way Feb 17–23 Late night excitement Feb 24–28 Right place – right time Mar 1–7 A well deserved rest

Capricorn Dec 22 to Jan 20 Feb 10–16 Unexpected windfall Feb 17–23 Flop stuns everyone Feb 24–28 Big surprise coming Mar 1–7 Really fun outing

Sitting by the window of her second floor room at the con-vent one cold rainy night, Sister Margret began to read a letter from home. Inside the letter from her parents was a $100 bill - She smiled at the gesture.

As she read the letter, she noticed a shabbily dressed stranger shivering under the street lamp just outside her window crying. Quickly, she wrote, “Don’t despair. Sister Barbara,” on an

Don’t Despair – Things will get betterenvelope – Then she put the $100 bill in it, got the man’s attention and tossed it out the window to him. The stranger picked it up, opened it and with a puzzled expression and a tipped his hat, went off down the street.

The next day, Sister Barbara was told that a man was at her door, insisting on seeing her. She went down, and found the stranger waiting. Without a word, he

handed her a huge wad of $100 bills. “What’s this?” she asked. “That’s the $8,000 you have coming Sister,” he replied. “Don’t Despair won the 7th race at Hollywood Park and the long-shot paid over 80-to-1, I took my standard 10% vig…the rest is yours Sister - Good call!”

Thanks and a tip of the propel-ler beanie to a good ole former radio buddy of mine, Lee Murray for sending me this.

GOT A FUNNY STORY OR JOKE? Send it to:

Arizona Player, Now-that’s Funny - PO BOX 33393, Phoenix AZ 85067 – or e-mail it to: good-guyphil@yahoo.com

If we use it, we’ll not only give you credit- we’ll send you back a prize from our prize closet! Could be; concert, sports tick-ets or a gift card – so include an address, phone number or e-mail address.