Former New Orleans Saints coach Mike Ditka has been banned for three months from Harrah's casino for throwing a cigar and cursing a pit boss, according to an Associated Press report. Apparently Ditka was upset with the pit boss for a ruling that cost him thousands of dollars at a craps table.

I often receive the question "what makes a good gambler?" If I had to choose one quality that is a must for a good gambler then it would be discipline. More specifically, the discipline to stay on the right side of the 100% line. Let me explain.

In gambling, the 100% line is everything. It is the line between heaven and hell, between success and despair. It is the line between Ferrari and Lada. And the secret is to only make bets where you think you get more than 100% back in the long run. If you get an average of $97 back from each $100 you bet, you are a LOSER. If you get $101 back, you are a WINNER.

Here is where discipline is so important. The good bet comes rarely and you have to be able to wait. If you can't wait, choose another game and not sportsbetting. For example, if you play poker instead the good bets come more often. Not that I am saying that you do not need discipline in poker, on the contrary, you need a lot of it in all kinds of betting. In poker, however, you play many hands in one evening, therefore the number of betting objects is much greater.

So far, so easy. The big question is how do you know when bets are on the right side of the 100% line? More about that next week.

Visit Carl-William's Web site for lots more sportsbetting info

Q. I am looking for information about a specific game and I'm not sure where to go. I am located in Israel and we play a gambling game like gin rummy with 14 cards that can be played with 2-4 people. I'm looking for theory.

A. I'm not familiar with the specific game you describe but I can point you to a couple of free sites that have tons of card game info. Try The House of Cards at http://www.thehouseofcards.com and John McLeod's Card Games Web site at http://www.pagat.com. Both are excellent resources.

Q. Can you tell me if there is any place on the Net that I can find out about the history of the horses that will be running in upcoming races at Santa Anita? I tried the site for Santa Anita but they only give information on the jockeys.

A. The best resource on Net for this kind of info is Cindy Pierson's horseracing site at About.com http://horseracing.about.com. It's my first stop whenever I'm looking for horseracing links.

Lately, I find that my dreams of generous slot jackpots while carrying buckets of coins around my favorite casinos are at odds with the dreams of casino management. The "sound of rain", as my Mom says -- coins falling into the metal holder -- going, going, gone? Listening for that familiar winning sound around you to determine if you selected a winning casino -- going?

The news bandied about for the last year; and in some cases implemented, is that casino management dreams are focused on "cashless" slots. What nonsense!

Click for the rest of Gayle's article

If you enjoy the fast-living, high-fashion style of the Roaring Twenties, then you'll love InterContinental Casino. Come aboard and enjoy the luxury of multi-player games and seductive music. And why not invite your friends to join you as you sail the oceans in your own High Society. Style, glamour and impeccable quality set InterContinental Casino in a class of its own.

Click here to visit InterContinental Casino

Harrah's has begun the rollout of its new customer-loyalty program, Total Rewards, which offers major enhancements to the only nationwide player-card program in the gaming industry. Starting immediately, Total Gold cardholders playing slots at Harrah's casinos will earn Reward Credits. Cardholders' Reward Credits will be conveniently displayed at slot machines and on all primary direct-mail offers.

"We listened to our customers and delivered what they requested -- a great loyalty program that's easy to understand. Total Rewards provides fantastic card benefits, generous comps and valuable hotel, food and cash offers at our local and destination Harrah's casinos in locales such as Las Vegas, Lake Tahoe and our newest casino in New Orleans," said Gary Loveman, Harrah's Entertainment Chief Operating Officer.

In 1999, Harrah's Entertainment's loyalty-card holders earned more than $250 million in cash and comps. Get details at http://www.harrahs.com

It used to be that if you wanted to participate in a handicapping contest you had to fork over between $50 and $350 or more, make travel plans and then stay a couple of nights in a hotel room. If your spouse came along, you were torn between putting in long handicapping sessions and entertaining your spouse, and probably both suffered as the result of you dividing your time. If you still get on a plane or otherwise travel to a handicapping contest, my first advice is to go it alone, or at least with another handicapper, but no spouse. With the event of on-line handicapping, that is no longer necessary, but strategies need to be in place just the same.

I have won prizes from handicapping contests at Delaware Park, Philadelphia Park and participated in the World Series Handicapping Contest at Penn National, once by invitation. The strategies required in these types of contests are different from the on-line contests, and I will cover those in some detail as it is these types of contests that you will see most often now and in the future.

Click to read the rest of P.D.'s column

You'd think Customer Support would be one of the simplest issues to deal with at an online casino. I mean, what's the big deal? A knowledgeable service rep, a toll-free phone, and that's about it, right? Yeah, you wish.

The truth is that good online support and service doesn't come easy. The question is what should you expect -- or demand -- in Customer Support options from your casino? I'll use a few examples I've found at online casinos to illustrate the issues involved.

Click to read Max's article

• Las Vegas - Stay at the Hard Rock next weekend for $89!
• Las Vegas - Exclusive Packages at the MGM from $75 per night!
• Las Vegas - The Rio Suites now from $109 per night!
• Las Vegas - Super Specials at the Luxor for $69 per night!
• Las Vegas - WOW! Hurry to Harrahs for just $65 per night!

"I'm superstitious about gambling... I won't gamble against adverse odds!"

-- John Scarne, Scarne's New Complete Guide to Gambling

A1 Handicapping - The Premier Web Site for learning to Handicap and learning to WIN.
VIPcasinos - The Way the World Wagers. The fastest, most entertaining games available on the Internet!
WINNERonline's Guide to Online Gambling - Number one source for online casino information. Free games, expert strategy tips and much more.

Special thanks to those of you wrote in with comments and questions. It's appreciated. Next issue we'll bring you ten tips that will make you a better gambler. Until then, Steve Johnson, .

See you next week!

Gambling Newsletter is published weekly by ALI Online Inc. It is sent only to people who have subscribed to receive it via our Web site or one of our partners' Web sites. To unsubscribe, go to https://enewspaperbd24.com

© 2000 ALI Online Inc. All rights reserved.