Yank-less, coin-less,
clueless, staff-less, tip-less, hapless.
Is player-less a-coming?
Dear Mark,
Why are so many slots today being converted to coin-less
machines? Are you a fan of them? Beth R.
No aficionado in these shoes, Beth. I treasure the
clanking sound of coins falling into the tray. I wonder
about the rationale behind the switch to coin-less
machines. Casino operators of my acquaintance have long
understood the value of "the sounds of
winning," so much so that they install "loud
drop bowls," those metal trays that catch the slugs
in a payoff and give clangorous voice to someoneıs good
fortune.
The song of these deeper pans implies that people are
winning big. Hmmm... well, personally, the fun factor of
yanking a handle and the happy-finger scooping up of the
loot somehow tends to obscure its meagerness.
Today, approximately 20% of the 700,000 plus slots in
North America are now coin-less. Casinoıs marketeers
claim players want the coin-less machines because they
are weary of waiting for slot personnel to pay off their
jackpots. They also reckon standing in the cashierıs
line with 30 pounds of winnings in a cup ainıt any fun.
Yeah, right. ...still, many of us find it downright
blissful to have that problem.
In actuality, the backroom guys with the green eyeshades
point out that casinos are cashing in big-time on the
cashless machines. They reduce the labor bill to repair
the jam-ups, fill hoppers, empty the machines of coins
and bring them to the count room, and to count the
playersı winnings at the cashierıs cage. In addition
to the resultant higher slot machine uptime, these coin-less
electronic marvels can keep track of how much money is
in play at any time.
And feel, like I do, for the cocktail waitress, Beth,
exiled to the Nickel Hell section of the casino. Dollars
to donuts her tips are down, with no nickels clattering
into the tray. Definitely another column for another
day.
Dear Mark,
While watching either the World Poker Tour or the World
Series of Poker, on the screen they identify each playerıs
chances of winning after they receive their first two
cards. Do you know what software they use to figure
those percentages out? I figure something like that
would help my play. John H.
Specifically, what software do they use...? Havenıt
a clue. But, John, there is one slick program, Pokalyzer,
they could be usingas could anyone with a home PC
using Windowsto figure out those same percentages.
Pokalyzer allows you to derive the exact odds for any
Holdıem situation. You simply input up to ten playersı
Holdıem starting hands (optionally, flop and turn cards
can also be added), and out come the exact odds for each
player. You specify the cards, John, and the Pokalyzer
analyzes all possible remaining board card combinations
for the true mathematical odds. Also, by using the Heads
Up Analysis feature, you can see how any two cards
perform against all other two-card combinations.
Other options are the "Hand Hits" analysis,
showing which cards make which hands and how often; and
the "Pokalyzer Quiz", a randomly generated
poker quiz that will continually test your (improving)
knowledge. Because it is randomly generated, no two
quizzes are ever the same.
"Pokalyzer" retails for $29.95 and is worth
every penny of it. Their web site is:
http://www.any2cards.com. (No, Iım not on their
payroll, donıt even know anyone there. Maybe I should.)
Hope to see you, John, a cum laude graduate from using
this program, at the final table.
Online Gambling quote of the week: "The only decent
people I ever saw at the racecourse were the
horses." James Joyce
-------------------------
|
