MGM Grand Inc., which is controlled by billionaire Kirk Kerkorian, has agreed to buy rival Mirage Resorts Inc. for $4.4 billion in cash. Mirage Resorts, which owns Treasure Island, Bellagio and other hotel-casinos, is headed by Las Vegas casino magnate Steve Wynn. Reports have described the buy-out as ultra-high-stakes poker, with Kerkorian the winner.

Thinking about taking your first trip to Vegas? Been there before but need to get in touch with your favorite restaurant? Or maybe you're curious about the shows that will be playing during your visit? Check out Las Vegas 24 Hours for a wealth of information for the newbie or Vegas vet alike.

Of course there's the standard stuff, like the Hotels/Motels page where you can get contact info for over 200 places offering accommodations on and off the Strip, Downtown or in the surrounding area. And it's searchable by hotel name or area. How about Show and Events where you can search by dates, venue, performer or even the type of entertainment you're looking for. Want to know where to catch Ray Charles while you're in town? He's at the Orleans March 15 through 19th. Up for a little Monster Truck action? You can catch the Finals at Thomas & Mack on the 25th for $17-$20. This type of information can take days to dig up by traditional means.

You can check the Weather, find out how to get married in Vegas, learn the gambling basics, or see the 1996 implosion of The Sands in the Multimedia section. There's lots more here including RV Park Guides, Tours and Sightseeing directories, Restaurant guides and on and on. All of this at the "Nice Price": totally free. Definitely recommended.

Trying to get an edge and keep your money in Caribbean Poker (a.k.a. Caribbean Stud) is no small feat. The house has a solid edge backed up by a couple rules that will prove frustrating if you play for very long or for serious money.

Despite its name, Caribbean Poker is a table game, more akin to Blackjack than Poker. But don't think that Caribbean provides the same opportunities for the shrewd player that Blackjack does, 'cause it most certainly does not. The house has a solid 5.2% edge over the player and that's close to the worst odds you'll find in the casino. As to its relation to Poker, the only thing they have in common is that Caribbean uses the Poker hands for scoring.

There are only three decisions a player needs to make in Caribbean Poker. The first is how much to bet. The second is whether to Raise or Fold after the dealer's one-card flop. And the third is whether take the Side (a.k.a. Progressive) Bet.

Click to read the rest of Max Drayman's article

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Three MotorCity Casino patrons became members of the MotorCity Millionaires Club over the past week -- and two of them struck pay-dirt within hours of one another Sunday afternoon!

Sunday's first winner, Robert, was playing a $.25 "Game King" draw poker machine when the MotorCity Millionaires celebration began. Less than two hours later, Detroiter Angela was rewarded for her efforts on a $.05 "Top Banana" slot machine.

"The million dollar progressive is geared to award around one hit every 25-35 days, but there is a reason that they call this game gambling. Sometimes the house gets on a hot streak, and sometimes the patrons hit it big," explained Craig Ghelfi, MotorCity Casino's General Manager.

So what's Angela going to do with the cash? "I want to fix up my house first and then maybe buy a new one. I have two kids and a husband and we could use a new car."

The Royal Match is a popular side bet in blackjack based on the player's first two cards. The bet is simple, often wins, and the house edge is not outrageous (as is usually the case with side bets) which may explain its popularity. During my last trip to Las Vegas I saw more players taking the bet than declining it. The rules are simple, if the player's first two cards are suited the player is paid 5 to 2 unless the player has a royal match. A royal match is a suited king and queen and pays 25 to 1. Even if the dealer has a blackjack the player still gets paid on winning royal match bets.

The odds of this bet depend on the number of decks used, the more the better for the player. Lets look at a six deck game for example. The probability of getting an easy match is 0.24462 and the probability of getting a royal match is 0.002968. The house edge in a six deck game is 6.7%. The house edge for other numbers of decks are as follows:

In addition to the payoff table above I have seen single deck games where an easy match pays 4 to 1 and a royal match pays 10 to 1. Given these rules the house edge is 3.8%. In the unlikely event you see this alternative payoff table on a game using four of more decks the player would have the edge.

Although this is one of the better side bets I still stand by the 9th of my 10 commandments of gambling, "avoid the side bets and gimmicks." This article is not meant to encourage you to play the royal match but to show you why you shouldn't.

Michael Shackleford is better known as the Wizard of Odds. Visit his Web site at http://www.thewizardofodds.com.

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Thanks for reading! We'll have lots more gambling info for you in next week's issue, plus a special focus on sportsbetting. As always, if you have a question or comment, contact me, Steve Johnson, at .

See you next week!

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