Some casinos provide non-smoking tables or games but Detroit's MotorCity Casino has taken that one step further and set aside one complete floor for non-smokers. MotorCity expects the new non-smoking floor, the third floor, to be popular with at least 10% of its gamblers. MotorCity Casino is operated by the Mandalay Resort Group, which also operates the Mandalay Bay Resort in Las Vegas.

Once you have learned how to play blackjack using a counting system, deck penetration becomes one of the most important aspects of the game. It is defined as how many cards of a deck or shoe the casino will dispense to the players. To the basic strategy player it does not have any serious consequences. To the knowledgeable card counter it is a powerful bit of information.

In blackjack, "all things being equal," single deck is the most advantageous game for the counter. Double deck being next and followed by multiple deck (4,6,8 decks). The problem is, all things are not equal in blackjack. For example if the dealer in single deck is shuffling up after 3 rounds with 2 or 3 players at the table. The counter will not see enough cards that enables him/her to place the top bet which is how the counter makes money. Betting large when the count favors the player and betting small when the count favors the casino. A 4,6,8 deck game can therefore be a better situation than the single or double deck game.

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Once again, Congress is trying to take away your right to gamble online. The Republican leadership of the House of Representatives, at the request of the Christian Coalition and other elements of the religious right, is considering bringing H.R. 3125, the Internet Gambling Prohibition Act, to the floor of the House of Representatives for a vote sometime next week.

You can stop them. Let your Member of Congress know that you value your right to gamble online. Here's how.

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Ch-ching, Ch-ching! That's the sound of $15 dropping into your pocket. When you open a real money account at Colo$$eum Casino, they'll give you $15 free within 4 hours - no purchase required! You can cash in any winnings in excess of $15, as long as you've wagered the full $15. With no risk, why not try it? You could be the next Colo$$seum player to win over $100,000 with one spin at the slot machine!

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Q. My question is what are the top four games to play with the highest return (medium difficulty level)? I am a fair Blackjack player and a fair craps player. What other games would you suggest -- mini baccarat and what? P.S. I'm going to Las Vegas come mid July and staying downtown.

A. The games you mention all offer a fairly reasonable house edge when played correctly. The one game I would suggest adding to your repertoire would be Video Poker. It's possible to find full-pay Video Poker machines that offer a return of 100% when played with optimal strategy.

My husband and I went to Vegas for the first time in April. Unfortunately, we had tried to prepare ourselves for the trip by getting all the brochures and travel information we could through agencies and online websites. Why this was unfortunate was mostly because these brochures and websites are worthless 'hype' that won't truly help you figure out what you want to do or where you want to go once you're there! Post-vacation, we realized that if we could just SHARE this information with other people, then perhaps others wouldn't have as many trials and tribulations as we endured during our vacation.

My husband and I stayed at Excalibur, which, had we known it was at the VERY end of the Strip, and thus, extremely FAR away from everything, we would have chosen differently, but alas, we were stuck there.

If you stay at the Excalibur, be prepared for children! This resort/casino is like Disney World. The entire downstairs section of this hotel is practically dedicated to kids. Upstairs you'll find a McDonald's, the house buffet restaurant, a mediocre, yet overpriced, coffee shop, a Krispy Kreme donut shop (expect a long line here), and a few miscellaneous shops, as well as the Tournament of Kings show.

Tournament of Kings, Excalibur's dinner show, is great if you like child-like plotting and silly antics. For $34.95 you'll get a little chicken (I don't mean a little bit of chicken, I mean a tiny Cornish hen type chicken that's probably been under a heat lamp for about four and a half hours, which would explain the rubbery consistency of the meat), a twice-baked potato, some hard, overcooked broccoli, and a plastic mug full of Pepsi while you hack and squint through the smoke and dust kicked up by the horses.

Gambling at Excalibur is ok. The dealers and hosts are nice, but not as nice as some of the other places we went to. We didn't do too much gambling there. Just enough to get ourselves a few comped meals in the Café.

I'm always looking for ways to refine my Video Poker play and have found a couple of Web sites to be particularly helpful.

One of my favorite Video Poker sites is Jeff Lotspiech's Video Poker Page at http://members.aol.com/lotsie/poker.html. This no-frills Web site serves up solid strategy advice and free cheat sheets for Jacks or Better, Deuces Wild and all common varieties of Video Poker.

Another Video Poker page I like is at The Wizard of Odds. As always, the Wizard delivers reliable facts, figures and strategies, free of charge and yours for the taking. Go to http://www.thewizardofodds.com/game/vidpok.html

Finally, if you want to practice your Video Poker skills for free, here's a free Java game you can play.

With one phone call to the Golden Nugget, golfers can book a Golf Vacation Package that includes room accommodations, golf, and everything in between, other than lost balls.

Eight Las Vegas golf courses are part of the packages that include room accommodations, green fees, cart, range balls, confirmed tee times, bag storage at the hotel, and all taxes. Packages start at $119.50 for one round of golf and a room for one night; one night for 2 golfers begins at $183.15.

"Our resort has many loyal golf customers, including PGA and LPGA pros who regularly stay with us during their Las Vegas tournament stops," said Bob Sheldon, President of the Golden Nugget.

Further information and reservations can be made by calling (800) 634-3454 or by visiting the Golden Nugget website at http://www.goldennugget.com

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A last minute change of plans forced me to reschedule my trip to Las Vegas, so I'm leaving today! Get the dice ready, baby, ' cause Papa's comin' home! I'll bring you a trip report detailing my experiences at Paris Las Vegas plus assorted other gambling info next week when I return, hopefully a little bit richer. Your editor, Steve Johnson, .

See you next week!

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