George Girard just couldn't believe that he was a winner in the Foxwoods 9th Anniversary Celebration sweepstakes so he called the resort casino to make sure the certified letter he had received was real. And it was!

He had a choice of one of the eight prizes or $50,000 cash. Girard chose a Harley Davidson Motorcycle and truck package. Girard was so excited that he had his wife, Suzanne, listening on another phone to make sure what he was hearing was not a dream. Girard visits Foxwoods several times a month and prefers to play slots.

Dear Mark,

Another gaming columnist recently advised a reader that splitting 10s is always appropriate when the dealer's up card is a 5 or 6. He was using the advice of author John Scarne. You, on the other hand, recommend never splitting 10s in the standard version of blackjack. Whose advice is right? Bill S.

I must say, I, like Bill, was surprised that the columnist used John Scarne as his point of reference for blackjack hitting rules. John Scarne's book, Scarne on Cards, was first published in 1949, well before computers could analyze blackjack with multi-million hand simulations. Consequently, since 1962 when Edward Thorp, the first blackjack specialist using a computer (IBM 704), published his book Beat the Dealer, no blackjack author recommends splitting 10s-under any circumstances. Scarne stands alone. Also, since Bill's letter, I took his question one step further and ran a 20 million hand simulation test using a piece of software called BJ Trainer. The results clearly favored leaving those 10s alone versus splitting them against a 5 or 6. Should a computer be trusted over a highly acclaimed author like Scarne? Not always. I don't have a baseball bat alongside my computers ready to inflict a mortal wound for nothing. But for crunching numbers to compare the variables of blackjack, I am in favor of using computer results over advice written in 1949.

For more expert tips, visit Mark's site, Deal Me In

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This week, Park Place Entertainment Corporation, owners of Caesars Palace, will ask Las Vegas municipal planners for approval to build a new 30-story, 864-room tower at Caesars Palace. According to the planning application, the new tower would also include restaurants, shops, meeting rooms, showrooms and underground parking. The new tower would open onto Flamingo Road and connect to the existing pedestrian bridges, linking it to Bellagio and the Flamingo-Barbary Coast.

Construction would get under way later this year and be finished some time in 2003.

IGT announced this week that it will develop a new slot machine based on the classic television show, "I Love Lucy". The new game, featuring the voices of all the stars from the series, will be introduced at the Global Gaming Expo in Las Vegas next October.

WMS Gaming Inc. has introduced Monopoly Money Grab, a nine-line, five-reel video slot featuring featuring the Mr. Monopoly character and his dog. A booth filled with Monopoly money sits on top of the machine. During bonus rounds, it lights up and the game money swirls around. Players get a special base game bonus when three Chance cards align on an active payline. Players choose a Chance card and are awarded credits or one of the three additional bonus features.

Las Vegas casinos featuring the new game include Mandalay Bay, Caesar's Palace, Monte Carlo, Luxor, Excalibur, The Rio Hotel and Casino, Paris Resort Hotel and Casino, Sam's Town, The Orleans, Gold Coast, Fitzgerald's, Sunset Station, Texas Station, Boulder Station, and Palace Station.

Casino Player's March issue has hit newsstands with 62 pages of information on Internet casinos, sportsbooks and gaming resources, including their readers' picks for Best of the Web.

Among the big winners was the Sands of the Caribbean with awards and honorable mentions in 13 categories including Best Game Selection, Best Video Poker, Best Multiplayer Games, Best Payout Program and Best Reputation.

Get the complete list at WINNERonline

Passengers were successfully evacuated February 26 off the Mississippi Belle II on the Mississippi River after the support barge to which it was moored sank. The Coast Guard ordered the evacuation because support lines connecting the riverboat to the barge were damaged and the riverboat's engines were under maintenance. The exact cause of the sinking isn't known; however the Coast Guard said there was a four knot current and heavy ice in the river.

The wildy popular illusionists Siegfried & Roy and their white tigers have just signed a lifetime contract with the Mirage. "That means you have to bear with us for the rest of your life," Siegfried told the audience at Monday night's show. The duo will perform eight shows a week. Their paychecks remain a secret but ticket prices aren't. They've tipped over a hundred bucks a pop, $100.50 to be exact, joining "O" at Bellagio as Las Vegas's most expensive shows.

If there's anything a casino hates, it's someone who plays strictly for a bonus.

Granted, they bring it upon themselves for offering the bonus in the first place - but inevitably the reason for offering this bonus is for you to try out their games, and hopefully become a regular customer. Besides which they must surely be hoping you'll lose it all back and more...

However, there are many players out there who can make a decent living simply by playing for the bonus - meeting the minimum wagering requirements and playing only those games which offer close to a 50-50 win/lose rate. And if these players give the casino even the smallest excuse to disqualify them, you can be sure that the casino will exercise that option - sometimes fairly, sometimes unfairly.

Read the full article at Got 2 Bet.

We went to Las Vegas from February 8-12 and stayed at the Aladdin Hotel. Published rates ran from $140-$200 but Travelocity came through with $79 per night. I had requested a high floor and Strip view but wasn't counting on much. We opened the curtains and the Bellagio fountains were there front and center. It was absolutely beautiful to see the water show at night from this vantage point. The room had 2 phones, computer, 27 inch TV, soaking tub with separate shower, and an extremely large bathroom area.

The casino is nicely laid out and is heavy on the new video slots versus reel type. There were harem girls and turbaned men throughout the casinos assisting with information and directions. A parade of performers with drums and cymbols frequently wove their way through the casino. The slot club is worth signing up for as with limited play we were still able to receive some cash back. The Desert Passage shopping area is not to be missed. The buffet is highly rated and was very good. There are numerous food stations from different countries with authentic foods being freshly prepared in front of you. This is a class property that we will be visiting again! - R. Arts Charlotte, NC

Send your trip reports to .

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Fifty issues old, that is. And a big thank you to readers of Casino Player Magazine for voting us into an Honorable Mention in the Best Gambling E-Newsletter category. One more thanks goes out to all the readers who answered our request last week and sent us trip reports. Keep 'em coming!

Your editor, Steve Johnson,

See you next week!

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