A casual slot player hit a $9.6 million jackpot at Si Redd's Oasis Resort in Mesquite, Nevada last week. The Utah resident had been playing for about an hour on an investment of $20 when she hit Megabucks, the statewide network of slot machines.

The winner, who prefers to remain anonymous, said that she definitely planned to quit work. In the near future, she said that she and her husband hoped to adopt at least one child, perhaps two.

This is the fourth Megabucks jackpot for the year. On Jan. 26, a $35 million Megabucks jackpot -- a world record slot machine jackpot -- was won by a Las Vegas cocktail waitress at The Desert Inn Resort. For current totals on all Nevada MegaJackpots games, go to http://www.igtmegajackpots.com, or call toll-free 1-888-448-2946.

Part of what makes Baccarat a great game is that it's so simple. The Player's decision is limited to deciding what kind of bet to make. From there on it's in the dealer's hands and you collect or pay when it's over.

In Mini Baccarat, which is the only version most of us will ever see in play, you don't even get the option of handling the cards. In the "whale" games of European Baccarat they get to mangle the cards whenever they like just for personal entertainment. But then they're dropping $1000 or more a hand and you can bet that that buys a lot of replacement cards.

Bet on your own hand (Player) and you face a house edge of 1.24%. Bet on the Banker's hand and the edge is either 0.6% if there's a 4% House cut or 1.06% is their cut is 5%. Finally there's the Tie bet which at best gives the house almost a 5% edge (Pay 8:1) and at worst 14+% (Pay 9:1). Forget the Tie bet for obvious reasons. Unless you can find a game with 4% vig on Banker bets, betting Player or Banker is six of one, half a dozen of the other.

Click to read Max's Baccarat strategy

A special one-hour documentary chronicling the building of The Venetian Resort-Hotel-Casino will premiere to American audiences on Saturday, April 29, at 9 p.m. EST on The Learning Channel (see local cable guides for listings).

The documentary, titled "King of The Strip," takes a look at the $1.5 billion Venice-themed mega-resort from ground-breaking through grand opening. Owner Sheldon Adelson is followed through Venice, Italy, and Las Vegas as he finances, builds, and celebrates The Venetian.

Highlights of the show include a trip to Venice with Adelson to research interiors, as well as a visit to the art studios in New York to examine the hand-painted artworks.

For additional information, visit The Venetian Web site at http://www.venetian.com.

Travelzoo.com, an Internet portal site that guides people to travel specials and promotions in the offline and online worlds, has announced that two of Las Vegas' top hotel-gaming companies will promote their latest specials on the site. Travelzoo.com visitors will now find Las Vegas room and vacation specials from Mandalay Resort Group and Park Place Entertainment, including Flamingo Hilton, Las Vegas Hilton, Bally's Hotel Casino Resort, Caesars Palace, Paris Las Vegas, Mandalay Bay, Circus Circus, Luxor, and the Excalibur.

Check out their specials at http://www.travelzoo.com

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In 1962 Edward O. Thorpe's book "Beat the Dealer" appeared. Thorpe, through the use of computer trials, proved that certain cards were favorable to the player, and other cards favorable to the dealer. He proved that "depending" on what cards had been played, one could determine what cards were left. Therefore if more cards were left that favored the player, the player had an advantage and could now raise the bet according to this advantage.

There have been over 100 card counting systems published. This does not mean, because it is a mathematical valid counting system, that it is worth pursuing. The first counting systems were geared toward single deck, because at the time, the only legitimate casinos in the United States were in Nevada.

Click for The Silver Fox's card-counting recommendations

Q. I'm a real "low-roller". Is there an online casino that offers roulette at less than $1? I know that the Excalibur Casino in Vegas has a "Lightening Strikes" video roulette setup that uses quarters and was hoping that there is an online equivalent.

A. If I remember correctly, you can play roulette for dimes at http://www.casinodomain.com. You might want to check them out.

Q. Is it legal to bet on horses in the U.S.A.? If so what site?

A. The legalities around online horse betting in the US are not completely clear and vary from state to state. Youbet.com, the main force in online wagering, places certain restrictions on who can bet with them, based on their interpretation of state laws.

Here's what their Web site says: "The Youbet service is open only to legal U.S. residents, age 18 or older. Ladbroke does not accept accounts from residents of the following states: Alaska, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, North Carolina, South Carolina, Utah or Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Some states may have account wagering simulcast restrictions."

For odds to be good only one criterion has to be fulfilled: You get more than 100% back in the long run. But how do you know when you're on the right side of the 100% line?

Say you have a soccer match. Arsenal VS Manchester U, for example. Set your own odds in a percentage table. For example, if you think Arsenal is a slight favorite, your percentage table will then be something like 40-30-30=100%. When transforming to odds it will be 2,5-3,33-3,33. This is your 100% line.

When you have done your estimation it is time to check the odds. What are the highest odds for each outcome (home win, draw or away win)? Let's say the spread is 2,4-3,25-3,5. This means that the match is of no interest to you. You have made your estimation. This does not mean that you HAVE to bet if you get higher odds. You still need a margin.

The margin depends of your experience and skill. If you're good, your margin is low. Maybe as low as 5%. If you're a beginner maybe you need 20%. 20% on your estimation means that you get your betting spread at 2,68-3,8-3,8. The betting spread is what you are willing to bet if you get the odds. It is important to make the estimation before seeing any odds. Otherwise they might affect your decision.

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

I'm proud to announce that Post Parade has been born again and can be found at VegasInsider.com!

Post Parade, a free service, will feature a recap of the handicapping and betting recommendations made the day before, and the usual banter detailing the antics of J.T. Mahalik, and of course Dave's golf adventures. Other favorites include the Top Picks Section, and this will be drawn from horses that score 150 or better on Dave's PQS website maintained by Jim Kitt at TracStar.com. On some days, this section can exceed 20 different picks from a dozen different tracks.

The Featured Track Section will also reappear and the emphasis in this section will be major races from major tracks from around the country. New York, Kentucky, and California will be the primary emphasis, but the idea is to find the most important race of the day from the major tracks and write about them. No states are excluded. In addition, reader requests will be honored when possible if there is interest in a specific race at a specific track.

Check it out at http://www.vegasinsider.com/u/racing/horse/index.html

"To be successful, it is essential to have a complete and totally accurate knowledge of the rules of the game."

-- Ken Uston, Million Dollar Blackjack

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Hmmm, seems I mentioned we'd have a special feature on The 10 Commandments of Online Gambling this week. Stay tuned, folks. Max is putting the finishing touches on it and we'll bring that to you next week. Happy gambling! Steve Johnson, .

See you next week!

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