There are many types of malware in circulation at any one time but ransomware – where your entire hard drive (or drives) is encrypted – has become a common, profitable weapon for online scammers.

The Good Old Days

In the early days of The Real Hustle, we decided to feature ransomware as it was beginning to feature in more and more reports of online crime; But it was still incredibly rare and in some cases, possible to defeat without paying up.

Our problem was how to demonstrate this form of fraud since the show was based on seeing how human beings interact with cons and scams and any computer scams were hardly thrilling to watch.

Our solution was flawed to say the least.

We entrusted a valuable laptop to someone who believed they were hired to do a simple job and in the process of doing that job (in a hotel business center) they had to use a USB stick that apparently locked all the laptop files then issued a warning to send/give money before the end of a countdown when it would all be deleted.

While the laptop, the USB and all the other elements were a setup, the on-screen victim believed all of it and their reaction was perfect for the show’s audience and overall, it helped illustrate what could happen under the right/wrong circumstances.

At that time, the scam was unusual but years later, it has become a much bigger problem.

Blissfully Unaware

One aspect of computer fraud that makes it both easy and profitable – even for less skilful hackers – is the fact that most people have no real idea how the internet (or the computer they use to access it) works and often feel perfectly safe because they installed anti-virus software six years ago.

An interesting illustration of this was the “shredder” scam we pulled on The Real Hustle.

Again, it was a difficult scam to illustrate since the “real world” goal would be to install the shredder into an office then sit back and collect as valuable data until the gaff is discovered or (more likely) the shredder was replaced.

In our version we had to complete the scam in one day then get reactions from people who had no idea they had been scammed!

It was a very clever device but in order to demonstrate it we had to deliver it to people as part of a “shredding service” complete with secret cameras (also inside the shredder).

Unlike most Real Hustle scams, there was no “sting” moment so instead we asked people how secure they felt after using the shredders before showing duplicate copies of the documents they destroyed.

All of our victims were baffled because to their mind the only way we could now have copies is if we reconstructed the papers with scotch tape!

The very idea that the act of shredding was also the way their information was captured didn’t occur to anyone.

The secret was a document scanner hidden inside the shredder that lit up as if to accompany the shredding paper but actually scanned both sides of any piece of paper before it was shredded.

This data was then transmitted via a cellular phone inside the device (constantly charged since the shredder was always plugged in).

This scam illustrated something that’s true to all forms of security that interact with technology: There will always be more precautions you could/should take and there always be new ways of defeating those precautions. 

Just like our scanning shredder, common steps that should protect users will eventually become corrupted or exposed to new methods.

Current Affairs

Ransomware is now a huge problem with thousands of new victims every day whose files are locked out by a bespoke cypher used to encrypt everything on a target drive.

On accessing their device, malware will notify the victim that their files have been captured and give details of how much they must pay to unlock their files and how/where to pay it.

Some criminals aim for smaller amounts from low-profile targets like private individuals or small companies but attacking higher-profile targets can earn a lot more money but with a much greater risk of being pursued.

Some ransomware attackers have targeted public services and even hospitals, locking out access to critical infrastructure and thereby getting the attention of multiple international agencies concerned that the tools of ransomware might also be used by nation states as a form of online warfare.

In fact, the methods created by these online blackmailers are powerful weapons that might open entire countries to life-threatening scenarios such as a nationwide shutdown of a power grid or essential communications.

Like many scams, the tools being used and created by the scammers can be re-applied with much more serious consequences.

An Expanding Toolkit

Many people still believe you need to open an executable file or start a program or app in order to activate a virus but these days there are many seemingly innocuous actions that can expose us to malware.

Just clicking a link in a rogue email can open the door to all sorts of problems*.

What’s more concerning is that ransomware criminals don’t even need to defeat whatever security you may have because there are other criminals who specialize in collecting passwords and existing vulnerabilities that are then sold to the hackers.

These access brokers might trawl thousands of exposed passwords, identify potentially lucrative victims and price that data accordingly or even take a share in potential ransomware attacks.

It’s like a little industry of symbiotic crooks, creating a functioning and effective network to steal more money.

Another tactic is to gain direct access via insiders who might be blackmailed but are most likely paid (sometimes as much as $1,000,000) to hand over the keys to their employer’s data.

Another “way in” is to gain access via network hardware (such as servers and storage devices) that are shipped with generic admin IDs and passwords.

Once found online, the malware can be easily applied and if the victim does not have up-to-date backups the ransom might be cheaper than any alternative measure.

And with modern encryption (a “feature” on most operating systems) there’s no need for a countdown or threat to delete – the data is just locked out (and useless) until you pay for the key.

No One Is Safe

One of the frustrating truths about modern computers that access the internet is that being online opens up thousands of potential different attacks from many different sources.

In fact, any type of connectivity exposes a device to problems and even cables bought from seemingly trustworthy sources can have tiny hardware hidden inside that will inject malware, reveal your identity/location or capture every keystroke.

It’s a game of technological whack-a-mole and no matter how many precautions you take or how clever you think you are, if targeted there’s almost no way to prevent being hacked or surveilled or having all of your data stolen or encrypted.

Seriously, if they want to get you, they’ll get you but for the most part, these crooks are fishing with wide nets and taking a few simple precautions (stronger passwords, two-factor authentication etc.) will keep you safe from lighting up as a potential target.

* For example, since the Covid pandemic, thousands of restaurants have switched from paper menus to online version accessible through a QR code. This is an enormous risk since I can think of several methods that could leverage this new habit and score millions of pounds, euros, and dollars with ease.

Lead image: Pete Linforth/Pixabay

This study digs a little deeper into the popularity of BookTok and highlights the impact that it is having on readership across The United States and Canada. We surveyed 10,000 TikTok users and asked them a handful of simple questions, including whether or not they are reading more because of the BookTok trend. Those that said yes were also asked to put a percentage on just how much more they are reading.

Keep reading for a more in-depth breakdown and explanation of the findings in this report and more regional data.

The ‘Revival of Reading’

Despite its flaws and bad press, it’s hard to ignore that TikTok has positively influenced reading and book sales through its #BookTok community. A 2022 Forbes article reported a 9% increase in book sales and highlighted TikTok and its influencers as being a driving force behind what’s been dubbed the revival of reading.

Our study revealed that 48% of TikTok users in The United States are actively reading more books because of their exposure to BookTok. This number was slightly higher with Canadians at 53%. What is maybe most surprising of all is exactly what this looks like in numbers, as reading ‘more’ can mean something very different from person to person. Americans reported a 60% increase in their reading activity, with Canadians reporting 58%. This means that a person reading an average of 12 books per year prior to BookTok is now reading 19.

#BookTok Influence By Region

For a more granular look into the influence of BookTok across the US and Canada, we also tracked survey responses by location. This has allowed us to pinpoint which regions have seen the largest increase in readership as a direct result of BookTok.

The conclusion? It’s happening everywhere. Every state or province we were able to collect data reported an uplift in reading among TikTok users. Some stand-out locations in the US include Maine, Nebraska, Idaho, Utah, and Kentucky, all over 60%. Over 50% of TikTok users in other states also reported more reading, including California, Nevada, Texas, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Illinois.

In Canada, Saskatchewan topped the charts at 63%, but 57% of TikTok users in Ontario, Quebec, and Alberta also stated they are reading more because of BookTok.

To recap, here are some of the key findings:

• 48% of American TikTok users are reading more books as a direct result of BookTok, reporting a 60% increase in how much they are reading.
• 53% of Canadian TikTok users are reading more books as a direct result of BookTok, reporting a 58% increase in how much they are reading.
• 65% of TikTok users in the USA & Canada have read a book because BookTok recommended it.

Our Methodology

In May 2023, we surveyed 10,000 US and Canadian TikTok users between the ages of 18 and 45. We asked them whether they are reading more because of the BookTok community. If they answered yes, we then asked them how much more. We asked all respondents if they had ever read a book as a direct result of a BookTok recommendation. We also collected location data which allowed us to populate the increase in each state and province.

You are free to use any of the information in this report, including the supporting imagery. When doing so, please link back to this article as your source. For media inquiries, please contact michaela.shaw[at]casino.org.

However, one of the strangest periods in Jordan’s career was when he ditched basketball ahead of the 1993–94 NBA season and tried his hand at baseball instead.

This choice perplexed basketball fans around the globe, but baseball fans, particularly those who collected baseball cards, rejoiced.

In this article, we’ll look at the top 10 most valuable Michael Jordan baseball cards from his stint in Minor League Baseball.

10. 1994 Upper Deck – Next Generation Electric Diamond – Parallel – #8

$898

The card coming in at number 10 on our list of the most valuable Michael Jordan baseball cards ever is a 1994 Upper Deck Next Generation Electric Diamond Parallel #8.

A PSA 10 of this card sold for $898 in May 2020, with PSA 8 currently available on eBay for $250.

9. 1994 Upper Deck – Next Generation Electric Diamond – Base – #8

$898.88

Number nine on our list is actually the same card as number 10, but the base version rather than parallel.

A PSA 9 of this card has an average sale price of $81.57, but the record price for a PSA 10 was $898.88 in April 2021.

8. 1994 Upper Deck – #19

$932.28

The average sale price for a PSA 10 of this 1994 Upper Deck #19 is $668.94, which wouldn’t have been close to this top 10 list of rare Michael Jordan baseball cards.

But, in May 2021, a single card of this type was sold for a whopping $932.28.

7. 1991 Ballstreet Hand Cut – #19

$999.99

The first Ballstreet card on this list is rare, and there has been just one recorded sale of a PSA 10 online, which went for a staggering buy-it-now price of $999.99.

You can pick up an ungraded version on eBay for just $14.99.

6. 1995 Collector’s Choice Special Edition – Gold Signature – #238

$1,125

This special edition version of the 1995 Collector’s Choice set featured cards with blue, silver, and gold borders.

The silver and gold versions also have Jordan’s facsimile signature, with the gold version naturally being the most valuable.

The record sale price for a PSA 10 of this card was $1,125 in April 2021.

5. 1994 Collector’s Choice – Gold Signature – #661

$1,878

This Collector’s Choice Michael Jordan baseball card was part of a “Rookie Class” which featured other big names, including Manny Ramirez and Carlos Delgado.

This card had parallel versions that came with Jordan’s facsimile autograph in either gold or silver, and the gold version PSA 10 fetched a massive $1,878 at auction.

4. 1994 Collector’s Choice – Gold Signature – #23

$2,005

Gold signature baseball cards are a hit with collectors, especially for baseball (or basketball) royalty.

The third card on our list to feature the golden MJ signature, this 1994 Collector’s Choice with Jordan’s famous #23 sold for a record $2,005 at auction in 2021.

3. 1994 Upper Deck SP – Holoview Red – #16

$6,400

The 1994 SP Holoview Red is number three on our list and sees a huge jump in price from number four.

It’s also the first Michael Jordan White Sox card on this list to be sold for north of $5,000.

A PSA 9 of this card recently sold for just $454.88, but the record paid for a PSA 10 is a massive $6,400.

2. 1990 SCD Baseball Pocket Price Guides – Hand Cut – #51

$16,993

Number two on our list also sees a massive jump in price, with the highest recorded sale price for a PSA 10 of this card clocking in at nearly $17,000.

Interestingly, this card is the first on our list to record Jordan as a basketball player, which he still was in 1990.

SCD decided to include MJ because, during the NBA off-season of 1989, he joined the White Sox for batting practice.

He impressed, performing well at the plate, and he joined early 90s MLB stars like Cal Ripken Jr. and Darryl Strawberry in the Pocket Price Guide.

1. 1991 Upper Deck – #SP1

$18,988

The number one most valuable Michael Jordan baseball card ever is another that predates his pro baseball days.

This 1991 card by Upper Deck featured a photo of “His Airness” taking some batting practice ahead of the “Windy City Classic” charity game between the Cubs and White Sox in 1990.

On average, a PSA 10 of this card sells for $650.75. So, why did someone pay nearly $19,000 for one?

Well, the record price for any Michael Jordan baseball card was paid for a rare black label pristine 10 version of this card, so it goes without saying it’s one of the rarest Michael Jordan baseball cards in the world.

Lead Image: Twitter/NinesPsa

Hoyle’s famous book of rules for many card games is far from comprehensive and there are games developed and played in scenarios most of us would rather not find ourselves.

One such game is “Tonk” (or “Tunk”), a fast-moving game for gamblers that deserves your consideration.

How Does It Play?

The secret to a good game is not in the rules but in the way it plays and how it engages the player.

The more addicting and fun a game is – and the easier it is to learn – the more it will be played and when played for money, the more opportunities will exist for cheating or advantage play.

Rummy 500 and its variations is a good example of games that – once learned – can be quite addicting whether played for money or not.

Tonk is similar in how it plays (without the running count across multiple rounds) but is played faster and has been fine-tuned as a gambling game.

Rounds of play can be surprisingly quick with outcomes that can be expensive when doubling or even quadrupling opponents’ initial stakes based on house rules and circumstances.

Tonk Basics

Some rules vary and change according to location so consider this a very basic description of how to play.

The game is mostly played for money with each player putting an initial stake into the pot, but certain situations require players to add to that stake.

The game is a variation on Gin with each player receiving five cards (seven card and nine card variations also exist) with melds and runs being laid down (“spread’) until a player is out of cards.

Alternatively, a player can lay down their remaining cards whenever they believe they have the lowest number of points.

The goal is to get rid of all your cards or lay down the lowest total value.

When cards are spread by players, other players can “hit” those spreads with their own cards so if one player spreads three kings and another player has the fourth king, they can hit the other player’s spread, often with a financial or tactical penalty to the player being hit.

During play, cards are taken from the top of the discards or the unseen stock as each player takes their turn. Players can only spread cards of identical value or a run of cards (in order) of the same suit.

If a player lays down six cards (their five-card hand plus a card they picked) that’s a “Tonk” or “Tonking Out” and will cost their opponents a multiple of their initial stake.

If a player spreads only five cards and throws away the discard, they still win the hand but in most variations, this does not score double from the other players.

Variations Of Tonk

Tonk is a fast game that is open to many variations and house rules.

“Hitting” another player’s spread can result in that player having to sit out for a round of play or for multiple rounds if they are hit several times.

Getting hit could increase a player’s stake or cost an agreed amount each time the player is hit and, in some cases, the player being hit has the option to pay to play and avoid missing the next round!

Sounds complicated? It gets worse.

In some places, you can only hit a run and not three of a kind but the penalty for getting hit can be more severe.

Another house rule might be that if a player Tonks out (demanding double the stake from each of the other players) but their spread cards allow another player to also Tonk out, then both players (or just the second player to Tonk) win a “double-double” meaning players have to pay four times their initial stake!

Additionally, if your initial hand totals 50 points you can immediately “drop” and claim double stake from the other players and if someone else also has 50 you either share the pot or the second player can claim it instead!

As you can see, even if you know the game it can take a few rounds to understand what variations apply.

It’s all about where you play and with whom.

Big House Rules

Tonk (often pronounced “Tunk”) may be played in many scenarios, but it is particularly popular in the North American penal system where players spend many hours playing the game for whatever passes as money in that “establishment.”

It is from this backdrop that I first heard of the game from my late friend, Lew Brooks, and it was my assumption he either learned it from a friend who spent some time “away” or that Lew himself had spent a little time at the government’s pleasure.

Truthfully, I don’t know which for sure and would not presume to say Lew had ever been caught doing anything illegal.

Lew was a dealer in Las Vegas amongst other things and a well-known member of the local magic community who he regularly baffled with brilliant pieces of card magic and a few mathematical miracles, including a truly ingenious keno prediction that I can’t resist performing to this day if I find tickets at a Vegas restaurant table.

Lew was a big man, gruff on the outside but an absolute teddy bear underneath.

His demeanor belied a wealth of knowledge and a razor-sharp intellect that paid close attention to any situation and could recognize a weakness or advantage in a heartbeat.

Lew’s friend Frank Zak told me Lew also worked in Casino Security and that Tonk was often played in the break room by casino staff so I prefer to think that’s where he picked up the game, though given Lew’s personal history (he told me he once roomed with William S Burroughs) anything might be possible.

Like many of my friends from that period, his knowledge of the gaming industry, the games being played and the ways they could be beaten dwarfed my own.

Lew lived in the very heart of the gambling world with a foot on both sides of the table but his eyes really lit up when he talked about how a game could be beaten.

Lew was a wealth of information but getting that information sometimes meant running a minefield of questions and challenges; Lew liked to toy with people a little and make them work for the knowledge that took him decades to obtain.

Yet to a few, he was generous with his ideas and eager to share his findings – especially with the game of Tonk.

The Brooks Advantage

Wherever it was that Lew stumbled onto the game, he quickly recognized it as susceptible to a mathematical strategy and set about analyzing the game, quickly realizing Tonk was rich pickings for smart players.

For example, “dropping” your hand at the beginning of play was a strong move if your hand had a certain number of points (or less) and Lew found he could clean up by dropping as soon as he received a low value hand and had a few ways to “encourage” that situation that were more sleight than strategy.

Lew wrote tables of possible outcomes and situations based on multiple versions of the game, each dictating the best decision or action and the best way to avoid penalties to give Lew – or anyone who had his method – the best chance of a win.

Lew was convinced he had the game beat and over time would always come out on top, but the problem was: What to do with this system?

The game is hardly common and getting sentenced to five years just so you can be the greatest Tonk player in cell block B is hardly a good strategic move.

Lew worked on a book but it was never published and may be in the hands of friends or family who received his library and notebooks after he passed away.

But would Lew’s book have killed the game of Tonk before it could become popular enough to be worthwhile?

Who would want to play a game that can be beaten with a little knowledge and absolutely destroyed with a modicum of (crooked) skill?

The answer is no, Lew’s book would not have had any impact on the game itself unless his system became so widely used that it dictated changes to the rules or made the game too easy to win (or lose).

Buried Treasures

Many games have been “beaten” to some degree or other and whether they need a Quantum Computer to play perfect strategy or for players to memorize a few statistics, there are plenty of people who will never consider or care about systems or methods that might give them an advantage.

Gamblers like to play and love to gamble and they are the vast majority of players.

If this game ever did take off (and I hope it does), Lew’s work may become a lost treasure worth thousands to those who can obtain a copy.

I always wonder how many other Lew Brooks are out there and how many other games have been beaten in theory and are only waiting for someone to put that theory into practice.

One important lesson is to realize that while you may play any kind of game for fun, if money is on the table there’s always a chance you might one day be swimming with a shark.

Lead image: Crystal Berdion/Unsplash

The goalkeeper most famously played for Liverpool for 13 years, making 628 appearances for the club.

He enjoyed massive success with the Reds, winning the European Cup (the precursor to the Champions League), six league championships, three FA Cups, and three League Cups.

He was also known for his larger-than-life personality and was even one of the original proponents of goalkeeping gamesmanship during penalty shootouts.

He famously did ‘spaghetti legs‘ in the 1984 European Cup final, which has inspired many a keeper since – we’re looking at you, Emiliano Martinez!

But the Zimbabwean shot-stopper didn’t always make headlines for the right reasons and, in 1994 was part of a match-fixing scandal. So, what exactly what happened?

Match-Fixing Allegations

In November 1994, while Grobbelaar was in his 14th year with Liverpool, The Sun newspaper ran a front-page story accusing him of being involved in match-fixing during his time at Anfield.

The Sun obtained video footage of Grobbelaar explaining that he lost £125,000 (~$152,000) because he “accidentally” made a save in a match against Manchester United that he was allegedly trying to lose.

The video was recorded by The Sun with the help of Chris Vincent, a friend and former business partner of Grobbelaar who was struggling financially.

Vincent contacted the paper in 1994, claiming he would be able to secretly record Grobbelaar confessing to fixing matches.

The paper ran a story claiming that in the match against United, Liverpool went 3-0 down but sensationally fought their way back into the game to draw 3-3, at Grobbelaar’s expense.

The keeper was charged with conspiracy to corrupt along with other top-flight professionals Hans Segers of Wimbledon and John Fashanu of Aston Villa (recently signed from Wimbledon).

They were said to be fixing matches for the benefit of Heng Suan Lim, a Malaysian businessman working on behalf of betting syndicates in Indonesia and Malaysia.

Trial And Verdict

Grobbelaar immediately protested his innocence and pleaded not guilty to the criminal charges brought against him in July 1995.

The case against Fashanu, Lim, Segers, and Bruce Grobbelaar went to trial 18 months later.

The defense for the goalkeeper claimed that he had actually been trying to trick Chris Vincent into thinking he had fixed matches.

Grobbelaar then allegedly hoped Vincent would act on this information in the future, and he would then report this to the police, catching Vincent out.

The video recordings showed Grobbelaar saying some pretty damning things in black and white, but his lawyers decided to call former Arsenal and Scotland goalkeeper Bob Wilson as a witness.

He had reviewed footage from matches Grobbelaar was supposed to have been paid to fix, including against Man United, and described his saves as “of the highest order at any level in the world.”

This showed Grobbelaar must have been trying in those matches and was a big win for the Zimbabwean’s legal team.

Heng Suan Lim admitted he had paid Segers and Grobbelaar significant amounts of money, but only for predictions in matches, not fixing.

This was against FA betting regulations but not illegal.

The jury in the trial could not reach a verdict, so a retrial took place in June 1997, nearly three years after The Sun ran their story.

In the second trial, the jury was once again unable to come to a verdict, and all of the accused walked free.

Grobbelaar vs. The Sun

Thanks to breaking betting rules and supplying Lim with inside information, Grobbelaar was fined £10,000 by the FA after the trial had finished.

But, this wasn’t the end of the affair for the now ex-Liverpool keeper, who decided to sue The Sun for libel.

After a 16-day trial in 1999, Grobbelaar won the case and was awarded £85,000 in compensation. The Sun would also have to cover the legal fees accumulated by Grobbelaar in both trials.

But this verdict wasn’t the end, and the newspaper appealed against the decision in the House of Lords. This time The Sun came out victorious, and the tables were turned on the Zimbabwean.

Grobbelaar’s payout would be reduced to just £1, and he was now ordered to pay The Sun’s legal costs.

The judge who ruled against Grobbelaar stated he had “acted in a way in which no decent or honest footballer would act and in a way which could, if not exposed and stamped on, undermine the integrity of a game which earns the loyalty and support of millions.”

Grobbelaar couldn’t afford this hefty legal bill, estimated to be around £500,000, so he was declared bankrupt.

Moving On From The Scandal

After the match-fixing scandal and ensuing aftermath finally settled, Grobbelaar returned to South Africa, where he was born.

He started a career in coaching, working for several clubs and the national team of his home nation of Zimbabwe.

He was married to Debbie from 1983 to 2008, so the marriage lasted throughout the peak of Grobbelaar’s playing career and subsequent match-fixing controversy.

They have two children, Olivia and Tahli.

The match-fixing scandal was incredibly hard on Grobbelaar and his family.

In a 2005 interview, he said he considered suicide around the time of the allegations before stating “that would have been the action of a guilty person who does not want to go through the consequences.”

Grobbelaar has featured in many charity matches and on various TV channels. He took part in ITV show Hell’s Kitchen in 2009 and has worked as a pundit for different soccer competitions, including the 2010 World Cup.

In recent years he returned to football coaching. He was the goalkeeping coach for Zimbabwean side Matabeleland and, later, Norwegian club Øygarden FK.

Grobbelaar’s Legacy

Despite the allegations made against “Brucie” and the damning video evidence that was recorded by The Sun, he is generally well-loved by football fans in England.

He is remembered for his on-the-pitch performances, not the controversy off it, which is a testament to how good a goalkeeper he was.

In 2006, he was voted 17th in a list of 100 Players Who Shook The Kop – effectively a ‘fan favorite’ list run by the official Liverpool FC website.

This is Grobbelaar’s legacy. One of the finest players to have played for one of the biggest football clubs in the world.

Lead image: Twitter/LivEchoLFC

We wanted to take a look at where Americans would move to if all barriers were removed. Our survey of over 5,000 US residents asked a handful of simple questions, starting with which state they would prefer to live in outside of their own. We then asked if they would leave the US entirely, and if so, which country would be at the top of their relocation list.

This report summarizes the results of that survey, identifying the most desirable states in the US. It also breaks down how each state voted. Finally, the report also identifies the most sought-after countries for American expats. Keep reading for the full results.

The Most Desirable States to Live in

The most desirable state to live in among Americans is California. The Golden State is home to some of the best beaches and national parks in the entire country. It’s multicultural, has great transport links to the rest of the world, and has mild winters, so it’s no surprise that 14% of Americans asked chose California as their dream destination.

In second place is another Western State. Over 9% of respondents said Colorado would be their state of choice to live in. The Centennial State has some of the most breathtaking scenery found not only in the US but in the world. Life in Colorado tends to come with plenty of outdoor activities, and the state is well-regarded as a great place to live.

On the other side of the country, and in a close third behind Colorado, is Florida. Of those surveyed, 9% said they’d move to the sunshine state with no hesitation. Good weather year-round, the cost of living, and beautiful beaches were cited as the main reasons.

In fourth and fifth place are Washington (5.8%) and New York (5.7%). Despite being on opposite sides of the country, both states offer some very similar benefits. Idyllic nature, plenty of outdoor activities, and a good quality of life can be found in both locations, and the difference in votes could come down to East or West Coast preference.

Other notable mentions in the rankings include Texas (4.9%), North Carolina (4%), Oregon (3.4%), and Arizona (2.7%).

How Each State Voted

Looking at the data on a more granular level, we were able to see how each state voted. For example, California was the top pick overall, but also the majority vote in much colder states like Alaska, Illinois, and Indiana.

Interestingly, two of the top states in the overall rankings voted for each other. New York residents would pick Florida as their next destination, and vice versa. In fact, there are many Americans willing to move cross-country in a bid for a better quality of life. Alabama and Michigan both choosing Colorado and North Dakota and Nebraska both choosing New York are prime examples of this.

There are plenty of residents in other states that wouldn’t want to move too far from home, including Louisiana, Mississippi, and Oklahoma, all of which voted for Texas as their preferred place to live. The same could be said for North Carolina, Virginia, and Georgia, all of which selected Florida.

The Most Desirable Countries Outside of The US

Going one step further than just switching states, we asked Americans if they would be willing to move out of the US and relocate to another country – 68% said yes. We wanted to know more, so we gave them the choice. The world was their oyster; they could have chosen from any of the 195 countries across the world.

The top answer? Canada – with over 16% of respondents choosing it as their first-choice country to move to. Canada is close enough to home that they don’t have to fly halfway across the world to visit. There is free healthcare for citizens and permanent residents, a lower crime rate than a lot of the US, and stunning nature and national parks. All of this appears to outweigh the high cost of living in some areas and the snowy winters in the mind of the Americans we surveyed.

In second place was The United Kingdom with 10.9%. The main reasons cited include the English language, the friendliness of the people, and the proximity to the rest of Europe. Japan is in third place, with 5.6% of Americans deciding that cleanliness, public transportation, and technological advancements make it a great alternative place to live. Italy (4.7%) and Australia (4.3%) were a close fourth and fifth.

Key Findings and Methodology:

• California, Colorado, Florida, Washington, and New York are the most desirable states.
• 68% of survey respondents said they would leave the US, given the chance.
• Canada, UK, Japan, Italy, and Australia are among the most desirable countries to live in among US residents.

In April 2023, we surveyed 5,000 US residents between the age of 21 and 65. We asked them which state they lived in, and which state they would move to if given the chance. We also asked if they would leave the US entirely, and if so, which country would they move to.

You are free to use any of the information in this report, including the supporting imagery. When doing so, please link back to this article as your source. For media inquiries, please contact michaela.shaw[at]casino.org.

This is far from a comprehensive list of cons associated with ride share providers but as always, whenever traveling, pay special attention to how much you are being charged and be aware you might fall into a well-practiced, inescapable trap without doing anything wrong.

The Taxi Tax

A friend once told me he expected to be ripped off at least once in any foreign city by crooked taxi drivers.

Perhaps he took a lot more taxis than I did but my experience is that it only happens from time to time and usually when I have failed to take precautions or pay attention to what’s happening around me.

Take Atocha railway station in Madrid for example.

A taxi from there to Plaza Mayor is not an enormous amount but one Sunday, with family, I got into a cab and on arrival was overcharged by more than double!

The driver used a technique I had experienced before, where he stopped traffic behind him to apply more pressure to me to act quickly.

The last time this happened was over 20 years ago and the scenario was identical but on that occasion, I was on my own and happy to put up a fight until local police intervened.

Thankfully, they sent the driver on his way once the police officer learned what he was trying to charge me.

This time, there were no helpful officers of the law, and I was with my kids who didn’t need to see me get into another argument with a scamming taxi driver (I once faced off with an aggressive New York driver who made a blatant attempt to take us on a tour of Manhattan instead of going directly to our hotel) so I paid up and spent the rest of the afternoon fuming.

That’s the problem with this type of con: It’s a trap that takes full advantage of your situation and offers almost no way out unless you are willing to cause a traffic jam, start a fight or in some cases, get arrested (local gendarmes are not always so helpful to out-of-towners).

Scams such as overcharging or taking tourists for a longer ride are not very sexy but are commonplace in many locations and we can all fall foul of a dishonest driver.

Sadly, there’s not a lot one can do unless you can prove the driver is scamming you.

? R. Paul Wilson On: How To Avoid Getting Scammed On Vacation

The Lisbon Switch

A more sophisticated cash scam in Lisbon took advantage of a well-engineered misunderstanding where the driver would receive a 20, passed from the back seat by unwary passengers.

The driver would then switch the 20 (unseen by his passengers) and hold up a 10 while saying something in Portuguese.

This caused tourists to either assume they handed over a 10 instead of a 20 and correct that “mistake” OR challenge the driver by asserting they gave him a 20 not a 10.

And here was the genius of this ploy: If the passenger corrected their “mistake” and handed over a 20, the driver made an extra 10 euros but if his passengers were certain they gave 20 from the outset, the driver (in broken English or French or German) would say “I only have this – no change!” as if he had been holding up the 10 to illustrate he only had large bills and no coins to make change with!

The result of this cleverly-engineered confusion was that people would often be embarrassed for suspecting the driver and let them keep the change!

Rideshare Risks

Personally, I use ride share services like Uber and Lyft all over the world and while I believe they are an excellent modern convenience for travelers, users must exercise caution whenever they use them in unfamiliar places.

Rideshare problems range from questionable (and annoying) practices to outright fraud and on rare occasions, real danger to passengers.

These are not the norm but from place to place, problems can be more or less common depending on multiple factors such as local laws and enforcement of ride share rules.

Removing cash from the equation and paying a large company through trusted payment portals would seem to protect us from many types of fraud but some drivers have found ways to add unwarranted fees or penalty payments that can be difficult to challenge.

Wet Seats And Dented Doors

Passengers in multiple countries have encountered the “damage scam” where they are sent a claim from the driver shortly after their ride with a photograph that claims the customer accidentally or willfully caused some damage to upholstery or bodywork.

I find this scam interesting since users who complain about it often seem credible and even report receiving photos of damage taken during the daytime when the ride happened at night and the claim was sent immediately after, while it was STILL dark!

I’ve seen enough of these to be sure some drivers may be taking advantage but how many times can one driver claim passenger damage or cleaning fees before the ride-share company flags them as suspicious?

Certainly if a driver’s door is dented, he or she could get away with charging a customer for the repair even if they had nothing to do with it and it is not easy to claim back funds deducted as the result of such a claim.

Multiple ride-share customers have reported being charged large sums for damage they didn’t do with scant or suspicious evidence provided by the driver and typically the ride-share company sides with the driver meaning claims are rarely refunded.

One victim was able to prove that a photograph of “vomit” used to deduct $150 from his credit card was taken at an entirely different time and location thanks to the geotag on the image file BUT the company still refused to respond until he took his story to the local news and the driver was suspended.

Some people recommend taking a photo of the seats before you leave a car to prove they weren’t soiled in any way OR to take a picture of any stains you might notice when getting into the car (after the ride, it’s already too late).

I’m not sure either of these precautions are practical or effective but any local authority that permits ride share companies to operate should ensure they police their own drivers to weed out any bad apples.

Rule Breakers

Less costly but no less annoying are the drivers who flaunt company rules with regard to cleanliness, speed, safety and pickup or drop-off of passengers.

For example, drivers can’t see their destination until the last minute and can only cancel a couple of times before being penalized but it seems to happen a lot in certain cities whenever I book a short ride.

If you’ve ever been to the impromptu nightclub known as the ride-share pickup zone at Las Vegas airport on a busy night, you can expect to have several of your booked rides cancel at the very last minute if your journey isn’t far enough.

In these cases, the driver would rather cancel and go around again in the hope of picking up a more lucrative fare.

There also seems to be a way that drivers can beat the system once they realize the ride isn’t worth their time.

I assume that on some apps the destination is revealed as the driver gets close to their pickup and at that moment they can veer in a different direction and cause the pickup time to jump on the passenger’s app.

If you’ve ever watched a driver get close and then turn off in another direction (increasing their arrival time) then perhaps they’re trying to dump your ride or force a cancellation.

In some cases this can incur a charge meaning the driver gets paid without having to give anyone a ride.

In other words, a rogue driver can make money purely by driving in circles AWAY from the pickup location!

The Other Side

There’s another side to this issue and it’s with you, the passenger.

Many drivers wisely employ dash cams that also record inside the vehicle and YouTube is littered with videos of nasty, petulant, entitled, and violent passengers who damage cars, attack drivers and act like assholes as if the driver isn’t another human being who deserves respect.

Driver’s scams do happen but if you suspect something or have a concern or a request (such as a particular route) for goodness sake, be polite, kind and patient.

An issue of real concern is driver behavior and driving style.

Always issue a complaint if the driver is needlessly aggressive to you or other drivers on the road and definitely complain if they drive like maniacs!

Even if the driver is rude or nasty or causes other problems, wait until you are safely out of the car and deal only with the ride share company when you have a genuine complaint.

Travel safe.

? R. Paul Wilson On: Street Scams

Lead image: Lexi Anderson/Unsplash

In this study, we explore which US states have the angriest gamers. On the flip side, we also look at which states have the most chilled. The data has been collected through a survey of over 5,000 US gamers across all consoles and locations. We also look at some national findings on gaming anger.

Key Findings:

• Oklahoma, Arkansas, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Louisiana have the angriest gamers.
• Idaho, Delaware, North Carolina, Nevada, and Illinois have the most chilled gamers.
• Xbox players report higher levels of anger than any other console/device.
• 16% of gamers have broken something out of frustration.
• 40% of gamers have sent an abusive message to an opponent.

Oklahoma Tops The Charts of Angriest Gamers

When asked to score their anger levels when gaming, residents of Oklahoma reported the highest numbers across the US. This was followed by Arkansas, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Louisiana. In fact, the large majority of the angriest gamers reside in the South, with the South East taking the crown.

The state with the lowest gaming anger levels was Idaho, followed by Delaware, North Carolina, Nevada, and Illinois. Gamers in these locations reported hardly ever experiencing anger when playing. The West and The North West regions are significantly more relaxed when it comes to controlling their gaming frustration.

The National Numbers

Cross-platform rivalry is alive and well within the gaming community. But which type of gamers are the angriest? Our study finds that Xbox players experience the most gaming frustration, but only just, marginally beating PlayStation gamers. Those that game on mobile tend to do so for fun and don’t report anywhere near as much rage quitting.

The good news is that only 16% of Americans admit to breaking something out of gaming frustration. However, 40% claim to have sent an abusive message to an opponent after losing, with FIFA and Call of Duty players ranking the worst for such behavior.

Methodology

In April 2023, we surveyed 5,000 MLB gamers. We asked them where they lived, and on a scale of 1-10, how angry they get when they play. We then used this data to identify the angriest (and least angry) states. We also asked other questions, including which console they play and whether or not they’ve ever broken something out of anger while gaming or sent abusive messages.

You are free to use any of the information in this report, including the supporting imagery. When doing so, please link back to this article as your source. For media inquiries, please contact michaela.shaw@casino.org.

Featured Image Credit: The MLB imagery, logos, and assets are owned and copyrighted © by Major League Baseball. They have been taken from mlb.com and casino.org claims no ownership.

And if a machine told you that you’d hit the jackpot you’d be ecstatic – your life would change forever.

So you can imagine the excitement when Katrina Bookman entered Resorts World Casino in New York and hit a win for almost $43 million. 

But when she came to withdraw her winnings, she was informed by a casino employee that the slot machine had malfunctioned, and she had won nothing.

What could have become the biggest slot machine jackpot in US history soon became an unparalleled ordeal for Bookman…

What Happened At The Casino?

On that fateful day over six years ago, Bookman headed to Resorts World Casino in New York.

She was playing Sphinx Wild, a popular slot game by a reputable software provider, and put just 40 cents into the machine.

It’s impossible to imagine how she must have felt when the machine alerted her to a jackpot win of $42.9 million.

Hitting the big time that day in late August 2016, Bookman saw the luck for her whole family change – earmarking $1 million for her aspiring barber son.

Envisioning his dreams of a family barbershop come to fruition, she could barely wait to tell him the news.

However, the slot machine’s alarm bells were no match for those in Bookman’s head when she joyously went to collect her winnings.

Turning her away empty-handed, casino management asked her to review the venue’s “official ruling” and return the following morning.

Disturbed, as she turned to return home, she overheard a staff member saying Bookman “didn’t win nothing.”

After a sleepless night, Bookman returned to Resorts World Casino clutching the winning ticket.

To her horror, she was instead offered a complimentary steak dinner and the alleged $2.25 Sphinx Wild winnings she was owed, thanks to a machine malfunction.

This would be a heartbreaking result for anyone, but it was particularly hard news for Bookman – raised in foster care, homeless as a teenager and later a single mom to four kids – to take, as she hasn’t had it easy in life.

“I kept thinking about my family. The struggle I’ve been through; it’s hard to cope,” she told WABC in a tearful interview.

For someone who could really do with a break, the machine’s malfunction seemed particularly cruel.

The Court Case

Bookman turned the casino down and instead took them up on a date at the Queens County Supreme Court, where she aimed to sue Resorts World Casino, partners Genting New York LLC, and software provider IGT for $42,949,672.76 in damages. 

What would have been the largest slot machine jackpot in US history was fast becoming a record-breaking nightmare.

Bookman, who was denied the full payout, cited that the torment of the saga affected her nervous system and left her “embarrassed, anxious and depressed.” 

Her attorney Alan Ripka challenged the accused, arguing that she was entitled to $6,500 (the maximum slot machine win) at the bare minimum. “The machine takes your money when you lose. It ought to pay it when you win,” retorted Ripka.

However, the defendant refused the claim, instead apologizing to Bookman for the inconvenience the ‘malfunction’ had caused. 

“You can’t claim a machine is broken because you want it to be broken,” Alan Ripka told CNNMoney.

“Does that mean it wasn’t inspected? Does it mean it wasn’t maintained? And if so, does that mean people that played there before [Bookman] had zero chance of winning?”

The New York State Gaming Commission said the machine had been displaying a disclaimer that read: “Malfunctions void all pays and plays.”

Checking out Resorts World’s casino floor games menu, the legendary Sphinx Wild machine is still earning its keep to this day amongst the thousands of titles in the New York complex.

Not only that – there are even updated variations of the slot now available, such as Sphinx and Sphinx 3D.

Where Is Katrina Bookman Now?

Though we have searched for any clue as to what became of the trial, as of 2023, there is no evidence to show who won the case.

It is entirely likely that the prosecution was either dismissed or is still ongoing (as many cases still are, thanks to COVID-19 delays).

However, using a historical example of a similar trial, Pauline McKee, a 90-year-old grandmother from Illinois, was spinning her way to slot heaven on the Miss Kitty game at the Isle Casino Hotel Waterloo. 

To her astonishment, she rang in a slot jackpot of $41 million. 

Enjoying casino games throughout her life, the seasoned gambler was skeptical but had high hopes of being proven wrong.

Much like Bookman, McKee was damningly told that she had not won a dime close to the supposed jackpot due to a slot machine malfunction, so the argument was taken to the Iowa Supreme Court.

Unfortunately, the defendant (Isle Casino Hotel) won the case, claiming that on-screen rules state that ‘Malfunction voids all pays and plays.’ 

Though devastating, real-life examples are sometimes necessary to remind gamblers that random number generators (RNGs) operate the wins of slot machines.

You can’t predict their outcome, with big losses just as likely (if not more) than massive jackpot wins.

Plus, with daily wear and tear, this makes occasional technical malfunctions just as likely as moderate jackpots that do pay out. 

Regardless, we hope fortune shines in Katrina Bookman’s favor and this high roller hell doesn’t taint her fighting spirit.

Lead image: Katrina Bookman via WABC

With the new season of Major League Baseball underway, we figured there’s no better time than the present to revive the age-old debate: Which MLB team has the best fans? The problem with this question is bias. Ask a Cardinals fan, and they will tell you that the Cardinals have the best fan base. 

Casino.org has surveyed over 5,000 MLB fans, and specifically asked, outside of your own, which other baseball team has the best and worst fan base? From this, we have been able to determine the most and least popular fans across the league.

The Results

The Fan Favorite: Chicago Cubs

The Chicago Cubs fans were chosen as the best by fans of 12 other teams (40%) in the league, including the Boston Red Sox, Kansas City Royals, Atlanta Braves, and New York Mets. Cubs fans are known for their loyalty and resilience after waiting over 100 years for a World Series win prior to the 2016 victory. So it’s no surprise that the main reason for selecting the Cubs fans was their team loyalty, closely followed by the atmosphere at Wrigley Field. 

Only two teams selected the Cubs as being the worst fans, they were Chicago White Sox and St. Louis Cardinals. Interestingly, the Chicago Cubs fans actually selected the White Sox as the best fans, while the White Sox called them the worst – ouch.

The Least Popular: New York Yankees

There were 14 other fan bases (47%) that selected the New York Yankees as the worst fans. The most common reason? They are apparently spoiled and entitled. With 27 World Series Championships to their name, it’s easy to see why the New York Yankees are disliked among other fans. This probably isn’t helped by their history of paying top dollar for star players, seen by some as ‘buying’ their success. 

Only one team listed the Yankees as the best fan base; the San Diego Padres. Despite being over 2,700 miles apart, Padres fans say they appreciate the Yankees for their passion. 

The 5 Best and Worst MLB Fan Bases

Fans of The Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Cardinals, Atlanta Braves, Seattle Mariners, and the Chicago White Sox were voted the best amongst other MLB fan bases. Cubs for loyalty, the Cardinals and White Sox for a great ballpark atmosphere, and the Braves and Mariners for their friendliness. The Seattle Mariners are the only West Coast team to be featured in this list.

On the flip side, fans of the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Philadelphia Phillies, LA Dodgers, and Houston Astros were voted as the worst fans in the league. The Yankees for being spoiled, the Red Sox for a bad ballpark atmosphere, and the Phillies and the Dodgers for being unwelcoming. Finally, the Houston Astros are considered the worst fan base in the entire MLB, with most referencing their denial of the 2017 cheating scandal.

Methodology

In April 2023, we surveyed 5,000 MLB fans. We asked them who their favorite team is, and then asked them to select their favorite and least favorite fans from other MLB teams. We compiled this report using the data from that survey.

You are free to use any of the information in this report, including the supporting imagery. When doing so, please link back to this article as your source. For media inquiries, please contact michaela.shaw@casino.org.

Featured Image Credit: The MLB imagery, logos, and assets are owned and copyrighted © by Major League Baseball. They have been taken from mlb.com and casino.org claims no ownership.

As a result, the public has become distrustful and confused about what to believe.

A symptom of this uncertainty is the sharp rise in pseudoscience, the art of giving products or ideas a scientific veneer without any real replicable or reputable “science” behind grandiose claims of efficacy or accuracy.

The trick to this type of con is to appeal to people’s hopes and wishes.

Fake Claims And Bogus Reviews

One feature of pseudoscience is the way it uses tropes of real science to appear legitimate, from white lab coats and pictures of people staring into test tubes to supposedly “peer reviewed” studies that bolster supposed benefits of something that is designed for profit.

Given that many people with genuine degrees participate in pseudoscientific promotional tactics for entirely bogus products, it can be incredibly difficult to distinguish between actual science and a pack of lies dressed in the same brand of lab coat.

There was once a time when online reviews might reward a little research with some sort of insight into the efficacy of products with lofty claims, but companies now smother real reviews with an avalanche of fake reviews written by an army of paid actors or, increasingly, by software managing a multitude of fake accounts.

Such practices are hardly ethical but are difficult to police as dishonest companies employ more sophisticated bots and proxies.

Often, the only real method for identifying a fake claim or bogus product is to go back to basics: if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.

Products That Are Too Good To Be True

The old joke goes: If you walk a mile in another man’s shoes, you’ll be a mile away and you’ve got his shoes!

Walking a mile in a potential scammers’ shoes is about thinking to oneself: “How would I create a scam like this?”

This can work well with pseudoscience but given that I often start from a point of ignorance, I tend to keep to the basics of deception and avoid getting tangled in matters I don’t understand.

This is the first factor I aim to consider: “What claims can I make in any given field that are hard to disprove and impossible for laypeople to question?”

Real results tend to be dismissed or willfully misinterpreted by all sides based on preferences and bias and this has eroded trust and reliability and left the door wide open for pseudoscientific claims and scams to flourish.

Many debates on many aspects of science are poisoned by unsubstantiated, impossible to argue claims or predictions.

I am always stunned and disappointed to see people argue based on models of what might happen or should happen or (worse) should have happened rather than studying past results to formulate future outcomes.

People have become accustomed to self-selecting ideas they prefer and to shore up psychological defenses against ideas they dislike.

Pseudoscience preys on this habit by offering ideas to which some people will gravitate and concentrating their claims on the susceptible.

This is how products appear to answer our wishes for weight loss, easy cures or short cuts to health, wealth or immortality.

I may not have the necessary knowledge to challenge a pseudoscientific claim but searching the internet for answers has become increasingly difficult now that search engines help optimize preferred results that some companies willfully distort through friendly review sites, influencers and tainted articles.

So instead, I ask myself: “How would I do this?”

And if I spot too many similarities between my imagined con game and the marketing or practice of a seemingly fantastic product, I begin to get increasingly suspicious.

The Hallmarks

As discussed, a key factor in pseudoscience is to make claims that are difficult for experts to disprove and impossible for the rest of us to challenge.

These often hone on belief systems or religion though most successful scams throw the widest possible net by appealing to common human desires.

These claims can be clumsily grandiose or well-crafted to target specific needs but with pseudoscience, claims are only limited by their imagination and the ability to overpromise without being so obvious as to attract easy criticism.

Once someone is engaged, the gloves can come off because once someone takes an interest, the peddlers of pseudoscience can ramp up their claims and even tailor them to anyone foolish enough to fill out forms in the process of engaging with a product or service.

Years ago, a friend who read palms for a living showed me how he easily homed in on people’s primary concern by explaining which lines on their hand referred to which aspect of their lives.

“This one is for health, this one is for money, this one is for relationships…” – and so on.

He would then ask them where the client would like him to begin, and this would tell him exactly how to tailor his cold reading (he also sensed a physical reaction as he raised certain topics and used that information to good effect).

Many pseudoscience websites employ similar tactics to get a better grip on their potential “clients” and if I was building a pseudoscience scam, I would try to collect as much specific data as I could and use that to tailor my claims just as my friend tailored his fortune-telling nonsense.

One important sign of pseudoscience is that it often uses stories rather than data to create a false image of proof and when actual data or apparent research is quoted, a little digging can sometimes find that the people who conducted that research – even if connected to an academic institution – are paid or employed by the company peddling the pseudoscience product!

Fake Your Own

I’m currently researching one company that has a remarkably strong product that, as yet, has not been disproven nor has it been properly tested (in my opinion).

At this moment it is making many millions of dollars providing an electronic device and a subscription service based on an idea that seems feasible but in practice may not be as reliable as the company claims.

Part of this product’s method is to have people give daily information about their activities then use a measuring device to advise them on how to improve those activities while measuring “results” on a daily basis.

It all seems to make sense but when formulating how I would devise a scam for a product like this, I hit upon multiple aspects of this system’s daily “method.”

Let’s say I wanted to create an entirely different product that helped people to lose weight thanks to a special light that is shined on the back of the user’s hand.

This magic light would be read by an optical sensor in my entirely made-up bullsh*t device and produce a result that would tell the user whether or not they were in – let’s say –  “weight loss mode.”

Now, remember, my device doesn’t actually do anything except activate a light emitting diode, register reflected light with an optical sensor and contains a processing chip filled with software designed to interact with an app on the user’s phone.

That app asks the user to constantly report what they are eating and how much exercise they are doing and to use the device before and after such events.

This means that, while my bullsh*t device is just a bullsh*t device, the app is collecting valuable data with which to adjust the results supposedly returned by that bullsh*t device.

If the user ate only lettuce yesterday and ran three miles, the bullshIt device can reliably report that the user is now in weight loss mode.

So it would continue as the user follows advice from the app, report food intake and activity then receive apparently accurate readings from my shiny, well-constructed piece of technological garbage.

Best of all, with my amazing bullsh*t weight loss device and app, many people WILL lose weight simply because I’m telling them to have salad days and to exercise more so more users will give me real reviews without the need to manufacture fake ones!

Damned If You Do…

This scam would work and the more my theoretical company continues to support people using my completely non-functioning magical device, the better and more useful my system will look to people who might buy it and then go on to recommend it on social media.

I’m not going to name the actual device I was testing or what it claims to do but it aligns perfectly with how I would create my theoretical bogus weight loss device.

I can tell you that I sent it back, taking advantage of their one month “no questions asked” return policy (they asked several questions, and the return procedure was less than simple) and reflected that the time I had taken to understand and assess the product was short; Therefore the company could claim I simply didn’t give it enough time.

And this is one of the great advantages of peddling pseudoscience: A variation on what carnival con artists used to call an “alibi joint” where there’s a reason or excuse for any outcome and as many products like to state, “Your experience may vary.”

Lead image: Shutterstock

Gambling is nothing new to Neymar, who is known to frequent poker tournaments and actually has some professional career earnings to his name. It’s also not the first time he’s streamed his online casino activity on Twitch either, but this is his biggest (and fastest) losing session that we know of.

In true Neymar fashion, the story isn’t just how much he lost, or how quickly he did it. What’s particularly interesting is his reaction. After pretending to cry to the theme tune of the Titanic, he can be seen laughing and playing the air flute with his hands.

What is $1m to Neymar, anyway?

Neymar’s earns over $3 million dollars per month with PSG. So losing 33% of your salary in an hour, regardless of how much it is, would probably be quite the shock. But the superstar forward earns significantly more than this with other deals and endorsements, which might explain the carefree reaction. Plus, it’s a lot less than the $2bn Drake reportedly spent within 2 months.

Due to an ankle injury, Neymar is expected to be out of action for the rest of the soccer season. Something tells me this isn’t the last we’ll hear of his gambling antics this year.

Evoplay celebrated its fifth anniversary in 2022. What have been your highlights so far?

I have been with the company for three of its five years and I’m amazed by our growth! The company is more than just a workplace; it’s a family with exceptional corporate culture, internal relationships, and processes. Looking back, I’m proud of our accomplishments and excited about the future. My dreams and expectations have come true and there are too many achievements but I’ll choose just a few.

1. We all know about the tremendous growth of Evoplay

The time when I joined the company marked a significant change. The company made a wise decision by hiring highly-qualified professionals, and the success we’ve seen since then is undeniable. All indicators have shown significant improvement, particularly in the number and quality of games produced, new mechanics, fantastic design, and great gameplay. Dungeon: Immortal Evil is the flagship that set our vector, loudly and confidently taking us to the market and securing our strong position.

On my part, I brought innovation to our marketing efforts by introducing a new approach to analytics and metrics. This laid a solid foundation for future marketing campaigns. Taking it a step further, I pursued an innovative approach to promoting games by focusing on uniqueness – a gamble that paid off. While it was a risk, the thought of bringing something completely new to the industry filled me with emotion and drive.

2. The Butterfly Effect

The return of the industry follows the active phase of growth. Multiple nominations, awards, and ceremonies. All this continues now and will continue, but the most pleasant thing was receiving the first awards. This is the best thank you for a job well done. This is a worldwide recognition that your actions are at the highest level of professionalism.

3. Rebranding

It was great to watch how the company matures and acquires an ideology, vision, tone of speech, tones and shades, and fonts. We are reaching a new level, and you are actively involved in this transformation; you see the “before/after”.

4. Star Guardians

The new flagship from Evoplay is a celebration in the industry and a sea of pleasant emotions for us. We put much effort into these projects and are delighted with their success. There are many critical moments in the history of Evoplay, and I could talk about them all day. However, we will continue to move forward.

What are your targets/predictions for the next five years at Evoplay?

Thanks to past achievements, we know our vector, confidently moving forward and boldly planning for years to come. We bring innovation to every aspect of the industry, from game production to game promotion. We set the level and trends and will continue to do so throughout the years. Our plan is to impress the industry time after time, and we have something to show you.

2023 is the year of tournaments for Evoplay, but we don’t plan to stop there. As early as March, the industry can expect to see a plethora of games in new genres, which were previously not part of the Evoplay portfolio. I’m looking forward to some releases, as the games are great and worth watching.

Soon, you will learn about a new game that is poised to shake the industry.

In the long term, I’m sure we can talk about using AI technologies in gambling, both in creating games and gameplay. The availability of VR helmets makes it possible for wider production of games with VR technology, let me remind you that we were the first to create a game using VR technology.

What are Evoplay most excited about bringing to players this year?

As previously mentioned, many of our upcoming releases will be genre novelties for our portfolio. Having already tried them, I can confidently say that they are fantastic games. It’s important to note that a new genre brings in new audiences for us, allowing us to cater to both our existing fans and those who have been eagerly waiting for such games from us.

In addition to our game releases, we are actively working on developing exciting tournaments to make our games more attractive to players. Our system includes a variety of interesting tournaments with incredible prizes. Furthermore, we are expanding into new markets and are eager to welcome new players. To engage with beginners, we have developed a unique content strategy on social networks where we share information about ourselves, our games, popular mechanics, and how they work.

What are your most popular slots titles, and why do you think players love them?

Great question. People often think about the “Formula for a Successful Game” in our industry. It is not possible to please everyone, but it is possible to satisfy the majority. With an excellent balance between mechanics, features, themes, styling, design and music, these games are the best:

• The Greatest Catch: Bonus Buy
• Penalty Shoot-out & Penalty Series
• Goblin Run

You should always have this excellent set of games on hand: handpicked soccer game, multiplayer runner, and top performer with Bonus Buy mechanics.

What are the most significant wins casino players have enjoyed on Evoplay titles?

Many players play in the casino for a pleasant pastime. Sometimes watching the reels spin is soothing and distracting, but occasionally this calmness is interrupted by incredible emotions.

How would you feel if you suddenly won €112,500 ($120,000/£99,000)  while playing Treasure Mania in the evening? But what if on New Year’s Eve, the notorious, previously mentioned The Greatest Catch: Bonus Buy would give you €750,000 ($800,000/£657,000)?

At Evoplay, we understand the excitement of these moments, and that’s why we have a section on our social networks called “Friday Megawin” where we showcase the events of our lucky players.

Fast forward to 2033 – what will the iGaming space be like?

By 2033, players will have the ability to wear an AR helmet and enjoy a stylish casino space right from the comfort of their own homes. At Evoplay, we are confident that we will soon contribute to the development of these technologies, allowing our players to fully immerse themselves in our game worlds. Just imagine being transported to the depths of the Egyptian tombs in our Egyptian titles, feeling the warmth of the desert night in the oasis with the heroines of Anubis’ Moon, or even finding yourself on a pirate ship in Treasure-snipes or a space station with the heroes of Star Guardians. The possibilities are endless, and we can’t wait to make this a reality for our players.

With a unified system, players would be able to hold tournaments and full-fledged competitions in multiplayer games between casinos. Game mechanics will develop so dynamically and reach such a level of development that the 2020s will seem like the last century to us.

This and some other topics deserve a separate dedicated time.

Thank you and your readers for taking the time to read my insights and knowledge. It is always a pleasure to share them. I wish you and your readers a successful year ahead.

Until next time!

Monopoly still a fan-favourite

Our research showed that Monopoly is still the most-loved board game despite being almost 100 years old. It was the clear winner in several provinces, including Alberta, British Columbia, Newfoundland and Labrador, Quebec, and Ontario. Monopoly was created in in 1935, and it continues to be a favourite among players of all ages. Its popularity is likely due to its simple rules, competitive nature, and being suitable for all ages.

In Manitoba, Scrabble took the top spot as the favourite board game. Scrabble has been a favourite since 1938, and with the rise of word games on smartphones and tablets, Scrabble has remained a popular choice.

In New Brunswick, The Game of Life is the most popular board game. This classic game has been around since 1960, and it allows players to experience the ups and downs of life as they move through the board. The Game of Life was also the top pick in Yukon.

The Game of Life has been a favourite for families and groups of friends, and its popularity is likely due to its ability to bring people together.

Nova Scotia’s favourite board game is Catan, a strategic game that has gained a cult following since its release in 1995. Catan is a game of resource management and strategy, and its popularity in Nova Scotia may be due to the province’s love of outdoor activities and exploration. Catan is also the favourite board game of residents on Prince Edward Island.

Saskatchewan’s favourite board game was Uno, a fast-paced card game that has been a favourite for families and friends since its creation in 1971.

Which provinces play the most?

It’s no secret that the increase in popularity of smart phones, streaming, and other technological advancements has reduced the popularity of traditional board games. In addition to determining the favourite game by province, we also surveyed residents to find out how often they play board games. Using this information, we were able to outline which parts of Canada still frequently enjoys the humble board game, and which doesn’t.

The province with the most active board game players was Alberta, where a large percentage of respondents reported playing board games on a regular basis. Newfoundland and Labrador was in second, and Ontario in third, with a significant portion of residents reporting that they played board games every couple of months.

Quebec, Saskatchewan, and the Yukon were further down the list in mid-table, admittedly only enjoying a board game a couple of times per year. On the other end of the spectrum, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and New Brunswick were the provinces with the lowest percentage of active board game players. These regions said they only play board games once per year, usually during the Christmas holidays.

Methodology

In March 2023, we surveyed 3,000 Canadian residents and asked their location, their favourite board game, and how often they play. We compiled this report using the data from that survey.

You are free to use any of the information in this report, including the supporting imagery. When doing so, please link back to this article as your source. For media enquiries, please contact michaela.shaw@casino.org.

Note: There are some Canadian provinces and territories that we did not collect enough data from, and so have been excluded from this report.

Main image photo credit: Unsplash.com

The best players in the world command huge wages and running a soccer club is big business.

Clubs can make astronomical figures from TV revenues, sponsorship deals, player sales, merchandise, and matchday sales. But which club has the most money?

Keep reading to find out the top 10 richest soccer clubs in the world.

10. Tottenham Hotspur (England) – $2.35B

Club Facts

Stadium: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London

Nickname: Spurs

Captain: Harry Kane

Head coach: Antonio Conte

Tottenham Hotspur have become a major force in European soccer over the past decade. They boast one of the finest stadiums in the world, a roster of top international talent and an appearance in the champions league final as recently as 2019.

It wasn’t always sunshine and roses for Spurs, though, as the club suffered a major trophy drought from 1991 to 2008. Now though, the club are firmly amongst the world elite and squeak into our list at no.10.

9. Juventus (Italy) – $2.45B

Club Facts

Stadium: Juventus Stadium, Turin

Nickname: La Vecchia Signora (The Old Lady)

Captain: Leonardo Bonucci

Head coach: Massimiliano Allegri

Juventus, arguably Italy’s most famous football club, are the only side from Serie A to make it into the top 10 richest clubs in the world.

Their famous black and white striped kit is world-famous, and the club holds serious clout in the boardroom, as well as on the pitch.

8. Chelsea (England) – $3.1B

Club Facts

Stadium: Stamford Bridge, London

Nickname: The Blues

Captain: César Azpilicueta

Head coach: Graham Potter

The second London-based club on this list, Chelsea became big hitters in the world of soccer finance after Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich purchased the club in 2003.

Before Abramovic was forced to sell the club following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Chelsea enjoyed a period of success never seen before in club history and are one of soccer’s major global brands.

7. Paris Saint-Germain (France) – $3.2B

Club Facts

Stadium: Parc des Princes, Paris

Nickname: Les Parisiens (The Parisians)

Captain: Marquinhos

Head coach: Christophe Galtier

Qatar Sports Investments (owned by the state of Qatar) purchased Paris Saint-Germain in 2011 when the club was valued at just €100m and instantly turned it into one of the wealthiest in the world.

The Parisians now boast the most star-studded attacking lineup in all of world football, with superstars Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, and Neymar all on their books.

Wages for that sort of talent don’t come cheap. PSG are good for it, though.

6. Manchester City (England) – $4.25B

Club Facts

Stadium: Etihad Stadium, Manchester

Nickname: The Citizens

Captain: İlkay Gündoğan

Head coach: Pep Guardiola

Like PSG, Man City take their position as one of the world’s wealthiest clubs thanks to investment from the Middle East.

The club was purchased by Sheikh Mansour, the deputy prime minister of the United Arab Emirates, and a member of Abu Dhabi’s ruling family.

The club has one of the highest wage bills in world football, with stars like Jack Grealish, Kevin de Bruyne, and Erling Harland each taking home multi-million pay packets each year.

Money talks, though, and City have paid back their wealthy owners on the pitch. They’ve won 6 Premier League trophies and counting since Sheik Mansour’s arrival in 2008.

5. Bayern Munich (Germany) – $4.275B

Club Facts

Stadium: Allianz Arena, Munich

Nickname: Die Bayern (The Bavarians)

Captain: Manuel Neuer

Head coach: Julian Nagelsmann

Bayern Munich, serial winners domestically and in Europe, are the only German team to make this list.

A notoriously well-run club on and off the pitch, they have reaped the financial rewards and currently have a valuation north of $4 billion.

They have consistently sat in the top five of the Forbes list of richest soccer clubs, and that doesn’t look like changing any time soon.

4. Liverpool (England) – $4.45B

Club Facts

Stadium: Anfield, Liverpool

Nickname: The Reds

Captain: Jordan Henderson

Head coach: Jürgen Klopp

Liverpool fans, look away now… The Reds come in at number four on our list, beaten by bitter rivals, Man United. But don’t despair for too long.

Liverpool FC has reestablished itself in the top five of richest soccer clubs in the world, doing so for the first time since 2009.

Winning the Premier League and Champions League under Jürgen Klopp has translated into financial success too, with the club being just one of a handful with a valuation over $4 billion.

3. Manchester United (England) – $4.6B

Club Facts

Stadium: Old Trafford, Manchester

Nickname: The Red Devils

Captain: Harry Maguire

Head coach: Erik ten Hag

English soccer clubs make up 50% of the list, but none can match the wealth and status of Manchester United.

One of the most recognizable teams in world football, the club has had unparalleled success in the English game since soccer became a giant corporate enterprise in the 90s.

The club have the highest wage bill in the Premier League and have invested billions of dollars to try and recapture former glory.

But, success has remained elusive, and the club have not won the Premier League since 2013.

2. Barcelona (Spain) – $5B

Club Facts

Stadium: Camp Nou, Barcelona

Nickname: La Blaugrana (The red and blue)

Captain: Sergio Busquets

Head coach: Xavi

Rivalries don’t come any bigger than Barca vs. Real, but unfortunately for Barca fans, they are beaten to no.1 by their Madrid rivals.

The fact that the Catalan club sits so high on this list is a testament to their brand power and global appeal.

The club’s day-to-day financial situation and debt sheet are enough to make your eyes water, but the Barca brand is strong, and the club still has a staggering $5 billion valuation.

1. Real Madrid (Spain) – $5.1B

Club Facts

Stadium: Santiago Bernabéum, Madrid

Nickname: Los Blancos (The Whites)

Captain: Karim Benzema

Head coach: Carlo Ancelotti

Fittingly, the most successful club in European competitions sits atop the list of richest soccer clubs in the world.

Real Madrid’s famous all-white kit is revered and respected around the world, and the club has won an unmatched 14 Champions League titles.

Star players, world-class managers, one of the most famous stadiums in the world, and unrivaled success separated the Real Madrid brand from any of its soccer rivals.

¡Hala Madrid!

For something similar, check out:
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At casino.org, we’re suckers for data, but Golf is a sport of many variables with a lot of data points. We’ve decided to go back in time and take a close look at the last 20 green jacket winners, looking at the profile of the victorious golfers, their equipment, and their performance.

After mining 20 years of data, we have been able to identify some recurring trends. We have also used previous outcomes to calculate the most likely profile of the 2023 Masters winner.

The standout trends at Augusta

Since the very first Masters tournament in 1934, only three debutants have won. This trend is likely to change, though, as the quality of elite golfers is increasing year-on-year. The average age of the last 20 Masters winners is 31 and ½  – which is relatively high for PGA Tour winners. This stat suggests experience is key around Augusta.

Another prominent theme for those looking to don the Green Jacket at the Masters is power off the tee, with a right to left shot shape dominating. This is a draw for most players, but Phil Mickelson and Bubba Watson have won 25% of the last 20 Masters renewals between them. What have they got in common? They are both lefties who can power fade the ball with that required right-to-left shot shape. This is a theme that will largely be neutralised at Augusta over the coming years as the players and their equipment evolves.

Power is vital for Green Jacket success

The last three Masters winners have all been bombers of the ball, and faders with a strong left-to-right shot shape. These guys can now launch it over the corners of the tree line from the markers on key driving holes at Augusta. Carry distance is further for those equipped with the baby fade or power fade. Dustin Johnson shed a tear after he bombed his way to the Green Jacket in 2020.

We can see from the data that power is still very much a prerequisite for Masters success. The season average driving distance of the last 20 Masters winners was 296.1 yards. This increases to 299.9 if we go from 2013 onwards. Sheffler and Dustin Johnson both eclipsed the 310 yards mark. It’s interesting to note that the Titleist pro V1 is the standout ball of choice. This is the ball renowned for giving players extra carry distance. Half of these Masters Champions had the Pro V in their bag.

What else do the stats tell us?

13 of the last 20 Masters winners have been US players and 15 have been players from the Americas. There have been two South African winners with Trevor Immelman and Charl Schwartzel donning the Green Jacket at the iconic Butler Cabin. Adam Scott delighted the Aussie fans when he finally got over the major hump in 2013.

It’s TaylorMade who is pushing for the most efficient brand in professional golf in recent times if we are to believe the small data. Four of the last six Masters winners used a TaylorMade driver, with Sergio Garcia and Dustin Johnson also using TaylorMade’s TP5 golf balls. Power hitters tend to be tall golfers and the average height of the last 20 Masters winners is around 6-foot.

Masters 2023 course fit guide: Key metrics for Augusta

Course history is vitally important at Augusta. Big data averages might suggest course history is worth less than 0.1 strokes per hole around this iconic venue but in reality course history and course knowledge at particular venues are worth more. Shane Lowry talked about this when battling to make the cut on the number back in 2020. He was desperate to make the cut to get another two “practice rounds” in at the weekend.

You just want to get into the weekend. I want to get two more rounds here just to learn, just to keep learning how to play this place because I don’t quite have it figured out yet. I’m going to get a few more chances to come back here. This weekend is all about learning for me

Shane Lowry

Former Masters winner’s Jordan Spieth and Phil Mickelson’s (3-time winner) course knowledge and figures are arguably the most notable examples of the course knowledge theme in recent years and we can add Bubba Watson (2-time winner) into the mix. Course management is vital if the players want to win the Masters 2023. There’s a premium on approaches and distance control with the mid-to-long irons, with severe elevations in play. Guys will be looking to hit the right segments of the tiered Augusta greens.

We’ve already said length off the tee is a big advantage at Augusta and par 5 performance is huge in terms of key metrics. I wonder if the new TaylorMade Stealth Plus and Stealth Plus 2 drivers will play a part down the stretch at Augusta in 2023? Of the Masters betting market leaders, Rory McIlroy, Scottie Sheffler and Collin Morikawa use this equipment, as does a certain Tiger Woods. Or will it be Jon Rahm’s Paradym Triple Diamond driver from Callaway Golf that gets the job done this year?

Who fits the profile for the 2023 Masters?

The data would say that the winner is likely to be from The United States, but the foreign talent is hard to ignore. Despite the Americans dominating the tournament over the last 20 years, we’re guaranteed to see a bigger variety in winners over the coming years. In fact, the same can likely be said for age and height, too. So we’re going to focus on equipment and skill instead.

Taking this into consideration, maybe it will be Rory McIlroy’s turn to win the Masters and finally complete golf’s major Grand Slam? Rory McIlroy uses the Stealth Plus driver and he launches the TaylorMade TP5X golf ball into orbit using the high draw from the tips that has been so successful at Augusta. He’s also added the fade into his armoury in recent times if needed. 

The Irishman is the perfect age for the winning Masters’ profile at 33 and he leads the PGA Tour in driving distance this season with a clip of 326.6 yards from the markers. McIlroy currently ranks 8th in strokes gained approach, 2nd in Par 5 birdies or better and 4th in overall par 5 performance. He rates a 10 out of 10 in my personal course fit PGA data model for approach iron shots from 150-200 yards. His Augusta experience is second to none. It definitely could be the Irishman’s year at Augusta for the Masters 2023 – will we finally see him in the Green Jacket?

Methodology

This analysis was created by mining data from the official PGA website and other official golf statistic sources. We looked at the tournament winners of the last 20 years, and calculated averages to create the likely profile of the winner.

You’re welcome to use this analysis, as well as the supporting infographics, but we ask that you link back to this page as a source. For media enquiries, please contact michaela.shaw@casino.org.

Image credit: The featured image in this article was taken from masters.com and is not owned by casino.org.

To get to the bottom of things, we asked 2,000 US residents about their sleeping habits. The results revealed which cities get the most rest, and which could use an extra trip through the Starbucks’s drive-thru.

Average Hours of Sleep Per Night in 50 Major Cities

It turns out, America’s best sleepers hail from Fort Lauderdale. Respondents living in this city just north of Miami reported a healthy average of 8 hours of sleep per night. Not far behind, Portland, all the way on the other side of the country, came in second at 7.5 hours of slumber each night.

A further fifteen cities, including St. Louis, Fort Worth, San Diego, Kansas City, and Las Vegas, enjoy more than 7 or more hours of sleep nightly; placing them comfortably over the minimum recommendation from the National Institute of Health. Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan be damned, Seattle residents aren’t so sleepless, averaging 7.1 hours of nightly shut-eye.

At the other end of the spectrum, America’s most sleep-deprived city is Virginia Beach, where residents report sleeping just 5.3 hours each night. Other cities suffering from  too little sleep include Jackson, Tulsa, Richmond, and Newark. 

State Overview

Looking at the average night’s sleep per state gives us a bigger picture, and a clearer indication of whether geographical location impacts rest. Some of the cities reporting the highest amounts of sleep don’t perform as well on a state-level. Despite Fort Lauderdale landing in first position in the city rankings, Florida is only in 19th for the amount of sleep on average per state. 

Oregon and Utah share the spoils at the top of the state overview, both with an average of 7.5 hours of sleep per night. Other honorable mentions include Kansas, Maine, Idaho, and Kentucky, all with over 7 hours. States falling below the recommended 7 hours of sleep per night include New Jersey, Illinois, Nevada and New York.

At the very bottom (bunk) of the state rankings is Mississippi, reporting only 5.6 hours of sleep on average per night. Iowa, West Virginia, Hawaii and Delaware all also landed among the bottom five states.

Reported Causes For Lack of Sleep

We went on to ask those who reported the lowest levels of sleep what they think the cause is. Of those asked, 54% said stress is the main reason they don’t sleep well. 

Work (12%), poor sleeping environment (11%), and children (7%) were other popular reasons for lack of sleep across survey respondents. Of all 5,000 people surveyed, 74% said they wish they got more sleep. 

Methodology

In March 2023, we surveyed 2,000 Americans across the country. We asked them which city they lived in, and how many hours of sleep they get per night. We were able to use this data to calculate sleep averages across US cities and states.

Fair Use Policy

You are welcome to use this study in your own content, but please be sure to link back to this page and use casino.org as your source.

Media enquiries: Michaela.shaw@casino.org

Photo credit: Gregory Pappas via Unsplash

Some are for playing from “the outside” but others were designed to cheat the players by giving the house complete control over who wins or loses.

But there was more to these devices than the ability to win every time.

Back To The Sting

Fans of George Roy Hill’s perfect con-artist movie The Sting will remember the scene where Robert Redford’s “Hooker,” who was flush with cash from a recent scam, bets it all on a spin of the roulette wheel.

After a large wager is approved and the ball released, the dealer reaches under the table to press a hidden button forcing the ball into a losing slot.

Hooker knew immediately he’d been had but had no recourse thanks to the “family” nature of that illegal gambling establishment.

I loved that scene as a kid and was fascinated to learn – later in life – that such “gaffed wheels” actually exist and were once used all over the world by all kinds of establishments from back-alley gaming rooms to large-scale casinos that needed a fallback option in case some whale took them to the cleaners.

A Different Kind Of Juice

Early versions of gaffed wheels benefited from “Drop In” style wheels that fit into a large hole cut into the table.

These allowed for a ring of electromagnets to be hidden inside the wheel (behind the ball track), which could influence a special ball containing a steel core.

Once the ball passed a number the house wanted to avoid, the magnets could be flashed on and off, stopping the ball in its tracks, forcing fall immediately into the rotor where it would be almost impossible for it to land in the number that just passed by.

These “juice tables” (where the ball was manipulated by “turning on the juice”) were so well built that players and dealers could spend years playing without ever suspecting there was a large electronic device hidden inside that could blow up someone’s pacemaker if they stood too close.

I had a friend who traded in both honest and gaffed collectable gambling devices.

About 20 years ago, he bought what he believed to be a completely legitimate wheel from a casino company but when he stripped the wheel for repair, noticed a “tell” inside the wooden interior.

Suspecting there might be more to this wheel than meets the eye, he had it completely deconstructed and discovered a ring of crusty, leaking batteries behind a continuous loop of coiled wires!

It had long since expired as a working device but was so well made, not even its most recent owner knew it had been a crooked wheel!

Dropping A Pin

Another variation that didn’t need batteries (or to be plugged into a wall socket) was the ingenious “kickoff wheel.”

This type of gaff was used in conjunction with a “dead ball” that bounced a lot less than ordinary roulette balls so would tend to drop straight into the nearest slot once it fell (or was pushed) out of the ball track.

The secret was a couple of invisible holes in the ball track, under the rim on the player’s side and impossible to see from that position.

When the wheel was “operated” a thin, stiff wire would push out of the hole to intercept the ball, sending it downward into the rotor.

As with the “juiced” wheel, this simply stopped the ball after a particular number had passed but gave the house an unbeatable advantage against the players.

Hiding The Switch

Unlike the dealer in The Sting, most staff were never required to activate these devices but simply played on the level until excused and replaced with a crooked dealer, or in some cases the mechanism could be activated by a manager or pit boss.

Early gaffed wheels had switches in the leg or far side of the table, but modern versions were activated by a remote-control garage door opener!

Operating these types of crooked tables took a little skill, not just in reaching the operating button or lever but in how and when to use that unbeatable advantage.

You can’t just beat every spin or the house would soon go broke; no one wants to play at the joint where nobody ever wins!

A gaffed table or wheel must be reserved for extreme situations where the house cannot afford to lose.

Sometimes all it takes is one bad spin to interrupt a player’s winning momentum and put them back on the right (losing) track and crooked dealers must learn to bide their time for the right series of bets by the target player to inflict maximum monetary and psychological damage.

That’s not to say every crooked gambling room operated that way.

A few needed to keep their gaffed tables well oiled because they used them so much, but in those cases, the clientele was either changing constantly or had no other place to exercise their gambling needs.

There’s an old joke about a gambler who is playing a bunch of notorious cheaters in the corner of a quiet saloon when a friend arrives and gestures for the gambler to join him at the bar.

The friend says to the gambler, “Don’t you know those guys are all cheaters? They’ll rob you blind!”

The gambler shrugs, swallows his whisky and says, “I know. But it’s the only game in town.” Then returns to the card table.

Do Modern Casinos Rig Roulette Wheels?

It’s very unusual to find a modern gambling establishment foolish enough to have a gaffed game on the premises.

Apart from being a 400-pound piece of evidence, it’s just not necessary when players keep coming and playing no matter how bad the odds are against them.

Unusual doesn’t mean impossible.

Some casinos have fallen victim to staff interfering with the ball track, changing materials in the wheel, or switching the ball for one that is easier to manipulate or predict.

Crooked maintenance staff have even been known to use pliers on older wheels to narrow the pocket on some numbers, or deepening or adjusting slots to make reds more likely than blacks.

A few years ago, I heard of an Asian casino that was caught dropping a wire frame into numbers on a wheel if those numbers were being over-bet or were popular with big money players.

You’d never think that a wire frame would be deceptive since it’s visible to the naked eye, even when placed in the slot.

When the wheel is spun, however, that wire frame is rendered completely invisible!

So, yes, gaffed wheels are extremely rare but like an ageing rock band, they’re always poised for a comeback.

? R. Paul Wilson On: How To Cheat At Roulette With Past Posting

We’re going to set the record straight once and for all by explaining the most commonly believed gambling myths – and why they’re not true.

MYTH 1: Casinos Pump Oxygen Into The Air

Some gamblers believe that casinos secretly add more oxygen to the AC on casino floors to make customers more energetic and therefore more likely to gamble, and some believe they even add pheromones.

This is false and there is a logical reason why.

Oxygen is not pumped into casinos since it would increase the flammability of the air and make it a fire risk. And no casino wants to burn itself to the ground. Think about it.

Oh, and it’s also illegal to tamper with air supplies in many countries. So if you’re playing in a legal, licensed casino, you should be good.

MYTH 2: Casino Games Are Rigged

Let’s make one thing absolutely clear: Casino games are not rigged.

Are casino games designed to give the house the edge? Of course, that’s how casinos make money.

But this edge plays out over a long period across thousands of players. It doesn’t mean you can’t win.

Many people accept that table games are fair, as they can see what the dealer is doing at all times.

But what about slots? How can you really know what’s going on inside a slot machine?

Every slot game uses a random number generator (RNG) to determine what symbols will land and guarantee random results. You have the same chance of hitting a payout on every spin.

Now you don’t just have to take our word on RNGs. You know when a legal casino describes itself as licensed and regulated? Part of that regulation involves third parties coming and testing the RNGs on slot games.

There is a pinch of salt in this myth, as games are built so the casino will win over time.

But games aren’t rigged, and you have as much a chance as anyone of walking away with a big win.

? No, Slot Machines Aren’t Rigged. A Casino Worker Explains Why

MYTH 3: Card Counting Is Illegal

There is nothing illegal about card counting, and you can’t be thrown in jail if you’re caught.

However, most casinos don’t want you to count cards because it reduces the house edge, so won’t take kindly to players doing it.

? How Casinos Catch Card Counters And Why You Should Avoid Trying It

The most likely punishment if you get caught is you’ll be asked to leave the casino. At worst, they may also notify other casinos about who you are.

You’re not suddenly going to find a court summons in your mailbox one day if you count cards.

This is a myth supported by casinos because it benefits them if you think there are severe repercussions for card counting.

MYTH 4: Gambling Isn’t Addictive

This one is crucial, as recognizing that gambling is addictive is a significant step towards preventing problem gambling.

You feel good when you hit a win while playing casino games because your brain releases chemicals like dopamine. The more you trigger this reaction, the more you need to activate that same feeling.

As gamblers chase down that buzz, they feel they need to risk and win more and more money, which can result in bad gambling habits.

There is no problem with enjoying gambling, but it’s essential to know when to stop.

Setting limits on how much to spend before you reach a casino, or enforcing time limits on how you play, can protect you from developing a problem.

? Top Tips For Responsible Gambling

MYTH 5: There Are Hot And Cold Slot Machines

The idea with this myth is that once a machine starts paying out, you’re more likely to hit wins frequently. This is known as a ‘hot’ slot.

Likewise, slots can go through long periods of not paying out, and they’re known as ‘cold’ slots.

Remember RNGs? Well, they put an end to this myth.

Every spin is equal, and you have just as high as chance of a win on one spin as on another.

Sometimes, slot machines will provide several payouts in quick succession. Other times, slots will go on for long periods without paying out.

It’s 100% random – don’t believe anyone who tells you otherwise.

? Top 10 Biggest Slot Machine Wins Of All Time

MYTH 6: You’re Due A Win If You Haven’t Had One In A While

Many gamblers believe that if you stick with the same game, eventually, you’ll get a big payout because you’ll be “due” a win.

This is sometimes called the Gambler’s Fallacy.

For example, if a roulette wheel hasn’t hit any wins on the previous 10 spins, a player might believe that on its 11^th spin that a win will occur because it’s time.  

However, this is a myth because each spin should be considered independent – its previous results have zero impact on the future.

Or if a slot has just paid out a big jackpot, players might avoid that machine as they believe it won’t pay out again soon – when really it could pay out an hour later!

It’s important to remember that past events do not have any impact on the present or future.

MYTH 7: Dealers Adjust Games If You’re Winning Too Much

Some gamblers have a lot of suspicions in casinos, and one of the most popular is that dealers will adjust games if you are winning too much.

Again, remember that casino games are designed to give the house the edge.

Dealers don’t need to rig games because they know that eventually the casino will make a profit across all players.

In addition, land-based casinos are regulated by independent bodies which are looking to protect player safety. Along with testing the RNGs of slot machines, regulators will also review the processes that dealers use.

If you don’t want to trust casino regulators, think about it another way.

It would probably cost the casinos far too much money to have to train dealers to rig games without people noticing. It takes years to perfect sleight of hand or other moves.

This training would cost the casino a lot more than just letting the occasional player hit big wins. And if no one ever won big at the casino, they’d soon get a reputation and be out of business.

MYTH 8: Casino Games Are Pure Luck

This myth is kind of true.

There are some games that are based on luck, like slots or roulette, however, there are a number of casino games that require skill and strategy to win, like poker or blackjack.

To use an example we’ve already talked about, if you know how to card count, you’ve theoretically got a better chance of winning in blackjack than someone who doesn’t.

Of course, luck still plays a huge part in the game, but there are ways you can give yourself marginal edges.

MYTH 9: You’re More Likely To Win Slots In A Busy Casino

Many gamblers believe if you visit a busier casino, you’re more likely to win when playing slot machines because more money is being pumped into them.

This is categorically untrue, as the winnings spins on slots are determined by RNGs.

No matter if you’re the only one on the casino floor or you’re struggling to find an available slot machine, the chances of winning are the same.

However, there are benefits to playing in busy casinos, especially if you’re a fan of progressive jackpot games.

Progressive jackpots increase as more players stake on that game. If there are more players in a casino, that prize total will rise faster, so you can hit a bigger jackpot if you land the right spin.

Likewise, land-based casinos often run tournaments on slots for players to enjoy. Busier casinos will have larger prize pools for these competitions. 

MYTH 10: Online Casinos Don’t Pay Out

Many people believe that online casinos are scam sites that won’t pay out. If a casino is licensed and regulated, then you will get your winnings (providing you follow the wagering requirements).

One of the reasons that the myth that online casinos don’t pay out is so popular is that many players claim welcome bonuses without understanding what they are.

However, these promotions have terms and conditions to prevent bonus abuse, like wagering requirements, which tell you how many times you need to use your bonuses before withdrawing.

You won’t be able to cash out if you make a transaction request without completing your wagering requirements. Many players don’t understand this and see it as the casino site scamming them.

So let’s make it as simple as possible. If you are using an online casino licensed by a respected regulatory body, accepting players from where you are, you will receive your payouts.

Sure, there are scam online casinos out there, but if you use a regulated platform, your payouts should be safe.

In games like high/low a strong, undetectable peek is like having a marked deck anywhere, anytime but in casino table games, the peek can be much more profitable.

I spoke previously about how cheaters can glimpse their own cards as they deal but in table games, a crooked dealer can “send” the top card or even multiple cards from known locations deeper down to players who use that information to have an unbeatable edge.

How “Flashing” Works

Hand dealt games have always been vulnerable to “flashing” where the dealer allows an outside agent to get a peek of what’s coming and act/bet accordingly.

Imagine playing blackjack for hours and often knowing the first card you will be dealt, or potential hit cards in the middle of a hand?

Such information would allow you to increase and decrease your bets based on the predicted value of your hand plus make some seemingly risky hits that are certain to make your hand.

The mechanics of this kind of player/agent scam are not difficult to learn but timing is a factor that can only be learned in practice.

Many scammers have played for years without detection by mastering how and when to flash cards to multiple “takeoff men.”

Perhaps the most powerful “flash” was accomplished by pushing the top card very slightly off the deck so part of the index of the top card would be revealed between the fingers of the right hand.

As the dealer picked up a completed round of cards or peeked at their hole card (or any typical dealing action) they could easily expose the next card.

The entire index was not necessary to show; Just a hair on the edge of the index would be enough to know if it was a 10-value or an Ace.

And if you spend a few minutes trying this yourself, you’ll quickly realize that any value can be recognized by a slither of its left-most edge.

This move may sound pretty blatant, but it can work for months or years without ever being detected, and several crews of dealers and players were caught only after years of skimming cream from the house.

Most likely, countless more have never been suspected because the move is incredibly hard to see unless you are being the flashed the card and the eye in the sky has almost no chance unless the card is moved too much and without a covering action.

Method Variations

The method used to flash often dictates where the takeoff man (or woman) would sit but clever cheaters bounced the flash around the table to further conceal their actions.

Pit bosses, security and the eye in the sky might try to see how a winning player might get cards flashed by the dealer and fail to see any possible glimpse because the flash was being sent to another player on the opposite side of the table who then signaled the information to the takeoff man making the big bets.

One such flash is accomplished by raising the top card just enough so a player to the dealer’s right can catch a peek as cards are dealt or guarded (some casinos teach dealers to hold the deck against their chest between deals, making several flashes possible).

In some places, dealers would deal the deck from a position almost at eye level so players could catch a glimpse of cards beneath those being dealt if the dealer had mastered a method to push one card out very slightly under another in the action of dealing.

All of these methods are relatively simple but when mastered and used carefully, they could steal hundreds of thousands from a casino without anyone being the wiser.

Unfortunately (for the cheaters) one of the smartest ways to use this is for a dishonest dealer to use multiple takeoff players so their bosses never see a pattern of player/dealer winning streaks.

But this strategy has a fatal flaw: The more people who know about your scam, the more chances someone will talk or trade that information to beat some other charges.

Another powerful strategy employed by these cheaters was to steer high cards to the dealer’s hand in order to bust the dealer and pay off the entire table.

This can be an easy way to make a lot of money if the cheaters have the table “locked” (every player is in on the scam) but it further exposes the crew when so many players are needed.

Before The Machines

Hand shuffling (without a shuffling machine) offered crooked dealers and their partners many opportunities to create memorized slugs of cards that could be dropped into play at a known point then used to fleece the house for one or two rounds of play.

I know of several shuffling procedures that were vulnerable to dealer/player scams where one player would sit on third base as six or eight decks were being shuffled, carefully watching the top of each stack as they were being interlaced with other cards.

From this position, the player could see a small number of cards that were dropped onto the top of the shuffled stack and memorize those cards.

Thanks to the prescribed shuffling procedure, the dealer would shuffle cards together from two larges stacks, each made up of half the decks being played.

By grabbing cards from each of the initial stacks, the dealer created a third stack that would grow until it consisted of all eight (now shuffled) decks.

What made the flash possible (and incredibly profitable) was that the dealer had to carry back a deck from the shuffled stack and then shuffle that with cards from either of the two initial halves of the eight-deck stack.

This carry-back rule seemed to shuffle the cards even more, but it allowed a crooked dealer to keep cards on top of the shuffled stack throughout the entire shuffle!

Initially, this might have been a good way to keep a memorized slug but there’s always a chance that playback (recordings from security upstairs) might reveal that a sequence of cards was repeated after a shuffle so instead, the cheaters simply flashed cards that went to the top of the shuffled stack and kept them there.

The player on third base would memorize the cards then calculate which hands to bet on for a surefire win or, more practically how to make sure the dealer busted.

With a locked table, crews could clean out the chip tray but too much and too soon will get the attention of the eye in the sky so smart teams balanced their surefire rounds with multiple rounds of honest play between shuffles.

There’s a lot more to this than I can share here and in fact, a crooked dealer capable of executing some clever shuffle strategies can reap a lot more with another scam I’ll discuss in the future.

Many of these methods are long dead in places that use shuffle machines but those devices are far from perfect and there are other ways of beating a machine either with technology or something surprisingly simple.

What’s for sure is that scams that seem to be killed off by modern technology often evolve and return with a new angle that beats whatever precautions the casino thinks it has.

If The Shoe Fits

Flashing or peeking doesn’t always happen when the cards are being shuffled or dealt from a dealer’s hand.

Special dealing shoes have been made to allow a glimpse of the next card to either dealers or players depending on the construction of a secret device that transmits that information without any electronics or moving parts!

We’ll talk about gaffed shoes another time but let me leave you with this: Some entirely legitimate dealing shoes could allow dealers to peek or flash the next card and completely crush the game of blackjack.

This is not a dealing shoe that has been tampered with in any way but an entirely legitimate piece of gaming equipment found in hundreds of casinos yet vulnerable to one of the simplest and most devastating scams in the casino industry.

More on that in a later article.

This mentality has trickled down into Sin City’s food culture where buffets, the ultimate in excess, have traditionally reigned supreme. 

Unfortunately, the Coronavirus pandemic has seen many of the city’s famous buffets like Aria Buffet, The Flamingo’s Paradise Garden Buffet, and Le Village Buffet, close.

To make matters worse the famous Las Vegas buffet pass, known as the Buffet of Buffets, is no longer operational. 

This means visiting more than a couple of Las Vegas buffets could become quite expensive. 

With that in mind, our advice is to pick your buffet carefully.

Luckily, Sin City still has a number of excellent buffets that you can sink your teeth into.

Here is everything you need to know about our favorites. 

Bacchanal Buffet at Caesars Palace

Where: Caesars Palace Las Vegas Hotel and Casino, 3570 Las Vegas Boulevard South.

Cost: Brunch is $64.99 (for adults) and $32.50 (for children aged 4-10); Snow Crab Brunch is $79.99/$39.99; Dinner is $79.99/$39.99; All you can drink is $19.99.

What’s unique? After a $2.4 million makeover Las Vegas’s biggest buffet is back and looking better than ever.

With nine kitchens and 15 changing daily specials, no two meals are ever the same at Bacchanal buffet.

There has been a real effort to bring different cuisines into Bacchanal and the results are an amazing array of options including Chinese dim sum and Laotian cuisine. 

Some highlights include fantastic carving stations with options including smoked brisket and prime rib. While at breakfast time you can help yourself to a number of freshly squeezed juices. 

Try the: Red velvet pancakes; Chipotle bourbon BBQ oysters; Snow crab legs (Snow Crab Brunch only).

Style of space: Designed and updated by Tetsuo Aoyagi, Bacchanal buffet is a glass and stone wonder. The gorgeous space feels less like a buffet and more like an upscale restaurant with plenty of light and space. 

Hours: 3:30pm – 10:00pm (Monday – Thursday); 9:00am – 10:00pm (Friday – Saturday).

A.Y.C.E Buffet

Where: Palms Casino Resort, 4321 West Flamingo Road.

Cost: Breakfast is $24.99 (for adults) and $12.99 (for children aged 3-11); Brunch is $32.99/$19.99; Dinner is $36.99/$21.99; Lobster Dinner is $64.99/$54.99; Crab Feast Dinner is $58.99/$48.99; Prime Rib Dinner is $42.99/$29.99.

What’s unique? A.Y.C.E is known for having the best seafood of any buffet in Las Vegas.

The Palms has doubled down on this reputation by hosting a hugely popular all you can eat lobster dinner on Wednesday nights. People also visit A.Y.C.E for weekend champagne brunches as well.

Excellent service is all but guaranteed with servers going above and beyond to make sure your meal is as enjoyable as possible. 

Be aware that Wednesday’s lobster dinner is extremely popular. Get down to the buffet well before A.Y.C.E opens to register for a table. You don’t have to wait in line all day; they will text you when you need to join.

Try the: Lobster dinner; Crab legs; Prime rib; Gelato.

Style of space: A homely design with clear signage. The tables and seating are well-spaced, making for a comfortable experience.

Hours: 8:00am – 11:00am, 4:00pm – 9:00pm (Monday, Tuesday & Thursday); 8:00am – 11:00am, 2:00pm – 9:00pm (Wednesday); 8:00am – 11:00am, 4:00pm – 10:00pm (Friday); 

9:00am – 4:00pm, 5:00pm – 10:00pm (Saturday); 9:00am – 4:00pm, 5:00pm – 9:00pm (Sunday).

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The Buffet at Bellagio

Where: The Bellagio Hotel and Casino, 3600 Las Vegas Boulevard South.

Cost: Brunch is $44.99 (for adults Monday-Thursday), $49.99 (Friday-Sunday); Dinner is $66.99; Children aged 5 and under eat free of charge; Children aged 6-11 eat for 50% off adult price; Beverage package is $24.99.

What’s unique? The Buffet at Bellagio is one of a few high-end buffets in Las Vegas. It is known for its live action cooking stations and a 600-seater dining hall.

As it only serves dinner three times a week, The Buffet at Bellagio is mainly seen as a brunch destination.

During brunch hours you can design your own omelets, help yourself to piles of crustaceans, and enjoy Asian specialties such as Hong Kong Barbecue buns. 

Try the: Eggs Benedict; Mini gyro; Rotisserie Chicken; Shrimp shumai.

Style of space: Not as grand as you might expect given it is in the Bellagio. The buffet and dining area is still a comfortable, clean space.

Hours: 8:00am – 3:00pm (Monday – Thursday); 8:00am – 3:00pm, 5:00pm – 9:00pm (Friday – Sunday).

The Buffet at Wynn Las Vegas 

Where: Wynn Las Vegas, 3131 Las Vegas Boulevard South.

Cost: Brunch is $46.99 (for adults); Dinner is $65.99; Gourmet Brunch is $50.99; Gourmet Dinner is $70.99; Children aged 3-9 eat for half price. 

What’s unique? It’s incredibly luxurious. Both the room itself, with 16 live cooking stations (including a pan roast station), and the food are of the utmost quality.

Many dishes are cooked fresh to order and the range of dishes is truly staggering. In other words, The Buffet at Wynn Las Vegas is the ultimate buffet dining experience.

Try the: Thai chicken wings; Unagi sushi; Truffle mushroom pizza; Key lime tart.

Style of space: The Buffet at Wynn Las Vegas is one of the grandest buffet dining rooms in the city – and probably the world.

White tiled floors and colorful drapes mix with palm trees and columns to create an exquisite atmosphere. 

Hours: 8:00am – 9:00pm (Daily).

Garden Buffet at South Point

Where: South Point Hotel, Casino & Spa, 9777 Las Vegas Boulevard South.

Cost: Breakfast is $14.95 (for adults); Lunch is $18.95; Prime Rib and Champagne Brunch is $26.95; Prime Rib Dinner is $26.95; Seafood Night is $44.95; Children three and under eat free; Children aged between four and eight eat half price; Club members get a $3 discount on all meals. 

What’s unique? As an off-Strip location Garden Buffet at South Point is a lot cheaper than some of the other buffets on this list.

While it might lack the grandness of some other Las Vegas buffets, Garden Buffet still boasts six live cooking stations, opportunities to create custom dishes at a Mongolian grill, and even bottomless Bloody Marys included with breakfast. 

Try the: Osso Buco; Shrimp ceviche; Apple strudel.

Style of space: Garden Buffet is a simple space with bright murals and carpets.

The tables are very well spaced, and the room is pleasantly lit. It won’t take your breath away but it’ll definitely do the job.

Hours: 7:00am – 10:00am, 11:00am – 3:00pm, 4:00pm – 9:00pm (Monday – Friday); 8:00am – 3:00pm, 4:00pm – 9:00pm (Saturday – Sunday). 

Wicked Spoon

Where: The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, South Las Vegas Boulevard 3708.

Cost: Breakfast is $38 (for adults) and $19 (for children aged 5-10); Brunch is $49/$24; Lunch is $45/$22.50; Children under four eat for free; Bottomless Beverage package is $24; Specialty Bottomless Beverage package is $40.

What’s unique? Wicked Spoon has become famous for elevating buffet dining.

Instead of food being available in massive dishes, each item is available on a small, single serving plate, improving both hygiene and presentation.

As one of the best buffets in Las Vegas, Wicked Spoon prides itself on its ever changing menu and deluxe dishes. This is the closest you can get to a fine dining buffet. 

Try the: Bone marrow; Shrimp and grits with bacon; Squid ink pasta.

Style of space: Wicked Spoon has a modern, suave style that is expected of premium hotel casinos like The Cosmopolitan.

Beautiful light fittings, artworks, and room design all combine to make the view inside almost as enjoyable as the food itself. 

Hours: 8:00am – 3:00pm (Monday to Friday); 9:00am – 4:00pm (Saturday – Sunday); Please note that Wicked Spoon is not currently open for dinner.

The Buffet at Excalibur 

Where: Excalibur Hotel and Casino, 3850 Las Vegas Boulevard South.

Cost: Weekday brunch is $28.99 (for adults) and $16.99 (for children aged 5-11); Weekend brunch is $31.99/$17.99. The Drinks Package is $14.99.

What’s unique? The Buffet at Excalibur is seen by many as the best buffet available in Las Vegas at this budget-friendly price point.

The buffet is packed full of traditional staples including pizza but where the buffet really excels is on the drinks front.

Drinks packages are cheap, and the cocktails are known to be some of the strongest on the Strip. 

Try the: Biscuits and gravy; Bread and butter pudding; Margaritas.

Style of space: A lot like the food, the design of The Buffet at Excalibur is nice but not incredible. Pretty light fixtures illuminate a simple space complete with both chairs and leather seating booths. 

Hours: 8:00am – 3:00pm (Monday – Sunday).

The Buffet at Luxor

Where: Luxor Hotel and Casino, 3900 Las Vegas Boulevard South.

Cost: Weekday brunch is $28.99 (for adults) and $16.99 (for children aged 5-11); Weekend brunch is $31.99/$17.99; Children under four eat for free; Bottomless Drinks package is $14.99.

What’s unique? The Buffet at Luxor does not serve the best food on the Strip. Like a lot of other MGM-owned casinos, the buffet serves simple classics which are better suited to people looking to fill up than enjoy an amazing culinary experience.

That being said, it offers great value and there are some nice touches including a homemade pizza station and a 30-foot salad bar.

The buffet is also known for having brilliant service with staff members being polite, competent, and eager to assist.

Try the: Pizza; Chorizo scrambled eggs; French toast.

Style of space: Like the rest of Luxor, the buffet has an Ancient Egyptian theme. Sarcophaguses, columns, and dark, dramatic lighting all create an atmosphere that children will absolutely adore, making this the place to go for families with young kids. 

Hours: 8:00am – 3:00pm (Monday – Sunday).

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Garden Court at Main Street Station

Where: Main Street Station Casino Brewery Hotel, 200 North Main Street.

Cost: Brunch is $23.99 (for adults, Monday – Friday); Brunch is $26.99 (Saturday – Sunday); Dinner is $32.99; Children aged 4-10 eat for half price; Children 3 and under eat for free; Loyalty club members with emerald status or above get $3-$4 off per meal. 

What’s unique? Just away from Fremont Street, Garden Court is more laid back than the buffet options found on the Strip.

This makes for a much more relaxing dining experience with smaller queues and better service. The food itself is relatively simple but executed to a very high level.

Try the: Hawaiian stew; Portuguese sausage; Coconut banana cream pie.

Style of space: Thanks to its Victorian decor,Garden Court is one of the most beautiful buffet dining rooms in Las Vegas.

It has incredibly high ceilings complete with illuminated metal arches. Exposed brick walls and a tree that sits near the center of the dining hall complete this stunning room. 

Hours: 8:00am – 2:00pm (Sunday – Thursday); 8:00am – 2:00pm, 4:00pm – 9:00pm (Friday – Saturday).

Market Place Buffet

Where: Rampart Casino at the Resort at Summerlin, 221 North Rampart Boulevard.

Cost: Lunch is $19.99 (for adults) and $12.99 (for children); Prime Rib Dinner is $30.99; Aloha Night Dinner is $30.99; Deli Night Dinner is $26.99; Weekend Champagne Brunch is $31.99; All You Can Drink Beer and Wine is $7.99; All dinners and brunches are $17.99 for children aged 12 or under. Those with members and players cards will receive a small discount. 

What’s unique? Market Place is the only buffet in Northwest Las Vegas.

It is known for its cheap prices and an abundance of themed nights including Aloha Night Dinner on Saturdays and Deli Night Dinner on Mondays.

Market Place is quieter than the Strip-based buffets but note that you can still expect to wait in line a while during peak times. 

Try the: Matzo Ball Soup; Lechón; Cannoli.

Style of space: White walls and wooden floors give the Market Place buffet a clean modern feel. Furniture is basic but the overall feeling is of a functional, well-designed room. 

Hours: 11:00am – 2:00pm, 4:00pm – 8:00pm (Monday, Thursday & Friday); 9:00am – 2:00pm, 4:00pm – 8:00pm (Saturday – Sunday).

Lead image: Julian Paefgen/Unsplash

In 2013, ESPN ran a story on “Bob” titled “Meet the world’s top NBA gambler” where they detailed how Voulgaris had earned a fortune in sports betting before he was even 30.

He has played in the World Series of Poker, worked for the Dallas Mavericks and is even the owner and president of the Spanish third-division soccer club, Castellón. Oh, and his current net worth is estimated to be $5 million.

So, we’re going to break down the story of one of the gambling world’s most exciting characters and look at his life in betting, sports, and beyond.

How Did Voulgaris Make His Fortune?

Haralabos “Bob” Voulgaris was born in Canada to Greek parents, who had moved to the country in their 20s.

His father was an entrepreneur in Winnipeg and had a real estate business and a Greek restaurant named after the Greek god Hermes.

In Greek mythology, Hermes is the god of several things, including games, sports, and sudden enrichment, which probably wasn’t coincidental because Voulgaris Sr. was a serious gambler who gave his son the bug.

Through his business ventures, Voulgaris’s father became a multi-millionaire, and after Bob finished high school, they traveled together to Las Vegas for a two-month trip spent almost entirely at Caesars Palace.

Bob was too young to go on the casino floor, so he spent most of his days in the sportsbook, where he watched countless NBA games.

He took notes on the games and the book’s adjustments and started gambling on them with his father at night.

It was by no means high stakes (his largest bet was for $100), but this Vegas education left a lasting imprint on Voulgaris, who said, “I learned at a young age that it’s tough to beat the house – unless you know what you’re doing.”

After returning to Canada and starting his studies at the University of Manitoba, Bob continued to bet and took what he’d learned on board. He would bet on NBA and CFL games, making tidy profits while studying and holding down a part-time job.

When he finished college, he decided to up the stakes, and ahead of the NBA season, he placed his life savings of $70,000 on the Lakers to win the 1999/00 NBA championship.

This was a massive gamble, as the Lakers didn’t make it past the previous season’s second round of the playoffs, but it paid off.

And when captain Shaquille O’Neal raised the Larry O’Brien NBA Championship Trophy above his head, Voulgaris cashed a slip for nearly $500,000.

Professional Gambling

This was the injection of cash and confidence that Bob needed to take things to the next level, and in the 2000/01 season, he made around 350 wagers on the NBA with a lot of success.

Sportsbooks were nowhere near as sophisticated as they are now, and Voulgaris spotted a weakness that he could exploit.

Different books would make projections for how many points they thought would be scored in a game but would also take bets on how much would be scored in each half.

Unbelievably the sportsbooks just divided their projected game total in half, which didn’t account for the fact that many close NBA games have lots of fouls in the fourth quarter.

Fouls mean free throws, and free throws mean points, so more often than not, teams would score more in the second half of games.

Voulgaris noticed this trend and took full advantage of it, but he knew this wouldn’t last, and eventually, the sportsbooks realized the errors of their ways.

So, Bob decided to move on to bigger and better things and had the idea to build a predictive betting model that could take the intuition out of betting.

The Model Student

Bob Voulgaris clearly had a talent for numbers, but he knew he needed someone genuinely gifted to make his dream of beating the bookies come true.

So, in 2007, he hired a math prodigy (who he has never named publicly) to help him build a predictive model that could be used on any NBA game.

This prodigy wasn’t just the smartest kid in class, by the way.

He scored a perfect 800 on the math SAT in seventh grade and won national competitions before becoming a teenager.

Eventually, after two years of trial and error, Voulgaris and his prodigy developed the model to a level he was happy with.

So, he used it heavily during the second half of the 2009 NBA season to significant effect.

He made up to 1,000 wages a season and made cumulative bets that would reach in excess of $1 million daily.

World Class Poker

After developing a model that any other bettor would kill for and making what must have been an incredible amount of money (he never confirmed numbers), Voulgaris started to appear in major televised poker events.

In 2012, he entered the World Series of Poker’s Big One for One Drop $1 million buy-in event where he played well but just missed out on making any money.

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But this didn’t deter Bob – professional bettors know that you win some and you lose some – so he continued playing in several World Poker and European Poker Tour events over the years.

In 2017, he returned to the WSOP’s One Drop event and landed the largest tournament win of his poker career.

He earned a whopping $1,158,883 for finishing in fourth place and has amassed a career total of over $3 million in live poker tournaments worldwide.

Move Into Pro Sports

After spending nearly two decades as a professional bettor, Haralabos Voulgaris formally moved into a role in professional basketball.

In 2018, he joined the Dallas Mavericks as Director of Quantitative Research and Development.

No doubt this appointment was made for his ability to analyze the game of basketball, use statistics, and predict outcomes of games.

This was a dream move for Voulgaris, who harbored dreams of being an NBA GM one day.

He even went on record saying, “I’d be able to put together a better team than almost any general manager in the league. If not, maybe all.”

Now, this might seem a bit arrogant, but when you consider his professional gambling record and deep understanding of the NBA, he probably has a point.

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This wasn’t Bob’s first foray into professional basketball.

In the 2009-10 season, he signed a contract with an unnamed NBA franchise co-owner to become a consultant on player acquisition and roster assembly.

His skill set matched perfectly with the goal of NBA front offices. They were both trying to understand the value of different players, and for NBA franchises, knowledge was power.

Ultimately, though, neither stint on the inside of professional basketball developed into a career.

He spent five months with the unnamed NBA team before feeling he was being excluded from decision-making and choosing to return to betting full time.

He also left the Dallas Mavericks in 2021, after less than three years with the organization.

It was reported that he had a rift with Mavs’ star guard, Luka Dončić, and player power obviously won out.

CD Castellon

In his 2013 ESPN interview, Bob Voulgaris said if he won enough money gambling, he would buy an NBA franchise.

But they don’t come cheap, so instead, he settled for a third-division Spanish soccer club.

CD Castellon was founded in 1922, has a loyal following, and a stadium with a 15,000 capacity – but a poor recent history.

In July 2022, Voulgaris purchased the club and was confirmed as its owner and president.

He insists buying the club – in a sport he is not associated with – was not a “vanity play” and he has set out a six-year plan for the club to reach the top division in Spanish soccer, La Liga.

Whether he can achieve his goals and turn the team into success on and off the pitch will remain to be seen, but he will take inspiration from neighboring team Villarreal.

Villarreal CF spent almost all of its history in the lower divisions of Spanish soccer, but after reaching La Liga in 1998, they have slowly developed into a powerhouse domestically and in European competition.

In 2021, the club won its first-ever major trophy, winning the UEFA Europa League and beating Manchester United in the final.

It is the stuff dreams are made of, and Bob Voulgaris will undoubtedly have similar ambitions for Castellon.

What’s Next For Bob Voulgaris?

Bob Voulgaris is one of the most interesting figures in the world of sports betting.

If he can translate his basketball knowledge into soccer, it’s undoubtedly a matter of time before he returns to the US and professional sports management in some capacity.

But, no matter what he does next, one thing is for sure – it won’t be boring.

If you want to keep a close eye on Bob Voulgaris’ life (he has a super cute dog) and get some fantastic betting insights, be sure to follow his twitter page.

Image: Twitter/tonymakethinks1

An adult’s playground it may be, but you’re just as likely to see a family walking down the Strip as you are a bachelor party.

Since the coronavirus pandemic Las Vegas has become very family friendly.

A recent survey by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) revealed that while only 5% of visitors brought their children with them to Vegas in 2019, a whopping 21% did in 2021.

If you are among those planning a trip to Las Vegas with kids, rest assured there are a lot of fun things to do.

Below we have listed our 10 favorites, five of which are completely free!

5 FREE Things To Do In Las Vegas

Watch the acts at The Midway, Circus Circus 

Many visit The Midway at Circus Circus to play some of the over 200 arcade games on offer.

But instead of paying to play, why don’t you enter the world’s largest permanent circus for free and watch some amazing shows?

Sitting in the center of The Midway is the Circus Stage which hosts performances from a number of acts including high flying trapeze artists, clowns, and much more. 

During the weekends, new acts come onto the stage every half hour and every single act is free to watch no matter the time or day. 

Acts start at 1:30p.m. Monday – Thursday and 11:30 a.m. Friday – Sunday.

Hershey’s Chocolate World

If any of you has a sweet tooth, then Hershey’s Chocolate World in the New York-New York Hotel and Casino is a must-visit destination.

Here, guests can customize their own chocolate bars, shop for some quirky chocolate gifts, and even star in their very own Reese’s peanut butter cup TV ad!

The store also stocks some exclusive chocolate flavors for those with adventurous tastes. 

If you don’t fancy eating chocolate, wandering around is still going to take your breath away as you’ll be able to feast your eyes upon an 800-lb chocolate carving of the Statue of Liberty. 

Fountains of Bellagio

One of the most famous sights in Las Vegas, the fountains outside the Bellagio Resort and Casino are an iconic attraction.

Watching the fountains dance in time to music is an awe-inspiring sight that the whole family is bound to love. 

In the evening, the show becomes even more dramatic with bright lights illuminating the beautiful jets of water.

Performances start from 3pm Monday – Friday and midday on Saturday and Sunday; the details of the shows can be found on their schedule.

The Grand Canal Shoppes at The Venetian Resort 

Las Vegas can get very hot. Luckily there are plenty of fun ways for everyone to cool down.

One of the best ways is to step inside The Venetian, as a short walk through the resort will lead you all the way to Venice!

A shopping mall with a difference, Grand Canal Shoppes is styled like Venice with a canal running down its middle.

Children are sure to love the iconic scenery and the sound of singing gondoliers as they travel down the canal. 

The shops are fantastic and there are plenty of restaurants nearby if anyone gets hungry. 

Watch the Mirage volcano erupt (while it’s still here!)

They say nothing lasts forever, and in Las Vegas this is doubly true. 

When it was announced that a guitar shaped tower block was going to take the place of the Mirage’s volcano there was an outcry.

Fortunately, Hard Rock Resorts have agreed for the volcano to stay open into 2023. 

At the moment, it erupts on the hour every hour from 7pm – 11pm every night.

Watch as fire and lava burst into the night sky, accompanied with a suspenseful soundtrack to complete the experience.

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Discovery Children’s Museum

A great destination for families with young children, the Discovery Children’s Museum is a brilliant hands-on, interactive experience.

Kids can play on a life-size pirate ship in the Fantasy Festival area or put their scientific skills to the test in Patent Pending. 

Thanks to the Discovery Children’s Museum’s huge size, every child is bound to find something they love. There is even a special toddler section for the young ones!

Cost: Nevada residents $13:50; General admission $15.50; Children under 1 go free.

The Tank at Golden Nugget Hotel

Most Las Vegas hotels have their own pool, so why pay to visit one? The answer to that is simple, The Tank at the Golden Nugget Hotel is unlike any other pool in Las Vegas. 

Children will love it because of the signature 30ft slide which goes through the middle of a 200,000-gallon aquarium. An amazing experience that no one could ever forget. 

The pools themselves are clean and spacious and you can even peer into the aquarium while you swim.

For adults, The Tank offers a chance to relax and unwind away from the chaos of the city. 

In our mind, that’s money well spent. 

Cost: Free for Golden Nugget guests; Free for Las Vegas locals on select days; $15 per person for the day.

Shark Reef Aquarium at Mandalay Bay

If The Tank doesn’t hold enough sea life for you then your only option is to visit the Shark Reef Aquarium at Mandalay Bay.

This beautiful aquarium is home to over 2,000 animals including giant rays and sea turtles.

Staff are extremely knowledgeable and will be able to answer any questions about the animals that you may have. Extra special experiences, like feeding stingrays or sharks, can also be purchased.

Cost: (Pre-booked tickets) Adults $29.00; Children aged 5-12 $24.00; Children 4 and under go free.

Circus Circus Adventuredome

While some attractions like the Circus Circus pool are a little dated, the iconic hotel and casino still has many features that visitors rave about. Among these is the Adventuredome.

Inside you’ll find adrenaline pumping rides like Chaos and Slingshot as well as classic attractions like bumper cars.

Kids must be over 48 inches tall to go on some of the rides, although experiences like the laser challenge and virtual reality rooms don’t have this height limit. 

While free to enter, tickets or wristbands must be bought for rides. As adults often have to accompany children, it can get quite expensive. 

Cost: Regular All-day ride pass (48 inches and taller): $60.00; Junior All-day ride pass (33 inches – 48 inches): $30.00

Tournament of Kings 

Since making its debut way back in 1990, Tournament of Kings – a show and dinner at The Excalibur – has become a Las Vegas favorite.

During the 90-minute show you can expect to see knights jousting and fighting while wizards cast frightful spells.

With 30 actors and nearly as many horses, the show is one of the most impressive in Las Vegas.

Adults as well as children will enjoy cheering for their king while a meal of Cornish Game hen and potatoes – that must be eaten without cutlery – only adds to the fun. 

Cost: Tickets around $70

Lead image: Lyle Hastie/Unsplash

Partly, this is thanks to Hollywood’s obsession with gambling as shown through movies like 21, Rounders, and Casino Royale.

Unfortunately, the reality is quite different.

Fast cars, perfect poker hands, and vodka martinis – shaken not stirred – aren’t always guaranteed. 

There are also a lot of steps you must take before becoming a professional gambler. These include decisions about what type of bettor you should be and how you are going to manage your bankroll. 

To help you understand all the steps we’ve put together this detailed guide. As you’ll see, there’s a lot more to being a professional gambler than Hollywood suggests…

Steps To Becoming a Professional Gambler

It will take experience, patience and time before you are ready to bet for a living. There’s no point in sugar coating it. That is what it means to be a professional gambler.

As you would work at a regular “proper” job, you must do the same with betting.

It will take experience, patience, and time before you are ready to bet for a living. There’s no point in sugar coating it, hard work is what’s needed. 

Most of your time as a budding professional gambler should be spent on developing the following three practices:

1. Learning And Studying

No matter how, where, or when you gamble, studying is extremely important.

If it’s sports, there is always another soccer match or horse race to watch. For poker players there are always opponents to study and odds to calculate. 

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Studying is so important because it is only with knowledge that you can make the best decisions possible and maximize your chances of winning.

For example, a certain racehorse trainer might always target a particular event at a certain track. Or there could be one football club that is a bogey team for another.

These are variables you need to know.

If you don’t have a full understanding of the odds behind every bet then you can’t make the best decisions. Poor decisions will ultimately lead to you failing as a professional gambler.

The learning will never stop throughout your career, so if you don’t like putting in the work you should abandon your dreams of being a pro gambler now.

2. Preparing For Total Commitment

Knowledge is only useful when paired with commitment.

Remember, this is professional gambling we’re talking about. You can’t expect to be successful if you are half-hearted with it.

For example, twin brothers Gavin and Alex Walker watch four or five matches a day when betting on soccer. This dedication to their craft saw them make £440,000 in an 18-month period.

If you want to have similar success you have to treat gambling as your full-time job. Turn up every day and put the work in.

No excuses. 

3. Learning How To Leave Emotions Out Of It

As a professional, your betting decisions must be based on cold, hard logic.

There is no room for sentimentality in successful gambling, so make sure to follow your head, not your heart. In other words, make the logical bet, not the emotional one.

Closely tied to logical decision making is avoiding superstition.

Lucky charms and rituals may be comforting to you, but even professional gamblers don’t win all the time.

The difference between a pro and the average bettor is that they get things right more often than they get them wrong. Being overly superstitious might prevent you from doing this.

Leaving your luck charms at home and not betting on your favorite sports team is one thing but when it comes to casino games, letting go of your emotions is even more important. 

After all, you can’t expect to be a successful poker player if you can’t keep your cool.

Leave your emotions at the door and focus on the job at hand.

The Types Of Professional Gambler

Not all professional gamblers are the same.

To succeed in the casino, you need to be able to count cards and bluff well, but those attributes won’t help you if you like betting on sports.

Here is a rundown of the types of professional bettors:

1. Matched Bettor

Almost every online gambling site has a sign-up offer or welcome bonus that acts as an incentive for you to join.

This has led to the rise of the matched bettor, gamblers who make their money through so-called “free bets”. The beauty with such bonuses is that you don’t risk any actual capital.

While stakes aren’t returned from any wagers placed with free bets, anything made off them is pure profit. 

Of course, the downside of matched betting is that it can’t go on forever; you can only be a new customer of sportsbooks once. 

What’s more, bookmakers who realize what you are doing may limit, restrict or even completely remove additional promotions, prematurely ending your run of free bets.

2. Horse Bettor

Long before soccer was the most popular betting sport, professional gamblers were seen on racecourses all around the world.

Horse betting is known for being incredibly statistical.

In fact, some of the richest gamblers in the world have made their money by building algorithms that analyze vast pools of statistics to determine who is the true favorite.

Of course, an understanding of how handicapping works is also important. This is because most horse races run are handicaps.

Thanks to both exchange betting and the widespread use of statistical models by today’s gambling syndicates, the average bettor can now see which horses are being backed and which are being bet on to lose. 

This presents alternative ways for professional gamblers to make money: Follow the syndicates or take on favorites – who typically lose around two-thirds of the time.

3. Sports Trader

Talking of the exchanges, that point about horse racing applies to sports betting in general.

As you can bet for or against sporting outcomes, it is often likened to financial traders playing the stock markets.

You can buy into the sports bets you like by backing them and sell the ones you don’t by laying them not to happen.

What exchanges allow you to do is supplement any bets you have made through fixed odds sportsbooks. That means you can cover all your bases. This is a wise move.

Clever professional gamblers are always trying to create scenarios where they cannot lose.

You can closely follow what is happening on the exchanges before choosing the exact right time to back or lay an outcome.

Developing this sense of timing is the key to sports betting success.

4. Arb Bettor

That brings us on to arbitrage betting, or “arbing” for short.

By betting across multiple platforms and sportsbooks, it’s possible to find mathematical differences in the odds offered by various sportsbooks.

Hunting down those margins allows you to back and lay the same outcome on a sporting event, guaranteeing you a profit regardless of the final result. 

As you are gambling across different websites and betting services, you need to keep very good records of your wagers. This prevents confusion.

Arbing, much like matched betting, is something that the bookies frown upon though, so you don’t want to get caught doing it.

5. Card Counter

Card games like blackjack are all about counting.

As each hand is dealt and played, you need to know which cards are on the table and which have yet to appear.

You’ll also need to keep track of all the cards that have been previously played as well as calculating future probabilities.

In other words, you need to be a math whizz.

Although not illegal, casinos will also ban anyone they think is card counting as it’s a form of advantage play.

If you are thinking of trying this virtually, you can’t. The deck is shuffled after every hand is played, preventing you from counting cards.

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Pros And Cons Of Being A Professional Gambler

As with any job, there are upsides and downsides to betting for a living.

You should carefully consider the pros and cons of becoming a professional gambler before trying it as a career:

Pros

• If you enjoy sports or card games, then it won’t feel like work.
• Satisfaction of beating the bookmakers.
• Life changing sums of money (only if you are fully committed and successful).

Cons

• Risk of being shut down by the bookies or thrown out of a casino at any time.
• You can always take your business elsewhere, but the marketplace has become smaller.
• Research and knowledge are needed and must be kept constantly up to date, which might turn treasured pastimes, like watching sport, into something of a chore.
• You can also lose a lot of money – there are no guarantees with gambling.

3 Top Tips That All Professional Gamblers Follow

On the road to betting as a pro there are some handy bits of advice you’d do well to follow.

These tips are ones that many professional gamblers have learned over the years.

1. Practice Good Bankroll Management

Although there should be more profits than losses, managing your betting bank balance is essential.

Smart bettors will withdraw some of their profits while leaving themselves something to play with for future bets. 

Failing to remove profits can see you wager and lose all your capital. This would spell the end of your gambling career.

2. Look At The Bigger Picture

It is well worth looking beyond the soccer match, horse race or sporting event you are currently betting on to see what is going on elsewhere.

Even though you’re not wagering on this other match, you might learn something or even find a potential punt for the future.

It’s the same with casino games. Try to see everything, listen to everyone. You never know when some valuable information might come your way.

3. Bet Within Your Means

Even as a pro, there is one golden rule: Never bet more than you can afford to lose.

Keep to your budgets and within betting limits. Sticking to these is vitally important as overstretching can lead to financial ruin.

We know it might be tempting to try and win your losses back after a bad day, but you will probably just dig a deeper hole.

Accept the loss, move on, and don’t overstretch. 

Fancy Being A Professional Gambler?

So, there you have it. Anyone who wants to bet for a living needs incredible knowledge and dedication.

Professional gamblers can’t take shortcuts and must study the sports or card games they play thoroughly. 

Ego and emotions must be left at the door when it comes to decision making. Logic and data should take their place.

There are several gambling professions to choose from. Each has its skills and attributes, not to mention pros and cons. Be sure to pick yours wisely. 

If, after learning all this, you are still set on betting as a pro, then all that’s left to do is wish you the very best of luck!

2023 sees you celebrate 17 years in business – what keeps Betsoft delivering?

The first answer is that we love what we do. We are a team of committed and imaginative professionals across all departments.

Betsoft’s ethos is for an open forum for discussion. This creates a sense of mutual trust between management and the team to keep communications clear and ideas free flowing.

The iGaming market and industry has also changed immensely since we began designing slots. The dynamism and constant innovation make it one of the most exciting industries to work in.

As a renowned brand, we are constantly engaged both in growing new and emerging markets and reinforcing our position in existing ones. That is an exciting challenge for us and one we relish across the business.

However, you are only as successful as your last release and so our focus is always on content. Quality not quantity is our driving force.

Based on a mixture of research, feedback, skill and imagination, our releases continue to create significant engagement with players and generate brand loyalty across the portfolio.

As award-winners for innovation and RNG in slots over the years, we were delighted to be recognised as Starlet RNG Casino Supplier of the Year 2022 and Wilds of Fortune as 2022 Starlet Game of the Year.

In addition, Alkemor’s Elements was voted Most Popular Slot 2022, plus Book of Helios – nominated for Most Electric Slot and Gemini Joker – nominated for ‘Wow’ Slot of the Year with each success built on the previous one; so 2023 has a lot to live up to but we are confident we will keep delivering.

What can we expect from your Roadmap in 2023?

We are well in to our Q1 Roadmap of fantastic new releases with highly innovative features and mechanics; plus Q2 is also now available to our clients.

January release Bounding Luck brought Multiplicative Multipliers for both big and frequent wins alongside a beautiful theme and mellow soundtrack.

We re-designed our jackpot mechanic for smoother play – as shown in the Halloween themed Rags to Witches and Christmas special Sleighin’ It – and February’s release Hearts Desire offered a progressive linked jackpot for some spectacular win potential from just one spin.

Although the Hearts Desire theme is hearts and champagne, this is a slot that gives year-round appeal in a visually beautiful take on a classic fruit slot.

Through linking themes to globally recognized dates and events, we add to our clients’ delivery of memorable campaigns.

However, the range of quality features and win potential ensure that the releases have longevity with players.

Other new feature designs include the Hold & Win Bonus, as shown in Golden Dragon Inferno, which gives a fantastically generous opportunity for unlimited winning combinations and will be used in future releases across 2023.

Another February release is Expansion – a truly mind-bending slot with a revolutionary Directional Wilds mechanic.

March will see Mr. Vegas 2 – Big Money Tower, a feature-rich sequel to 2012’s Mr. Vegas, which will take the Vegas Strip to a new level before our Q2 Roadmap slots are released. So a lot to look forward to!

You launched two player engagement tools last year: what does this mean for both Betsoft and for players?

‘Continuously giving a new experience’ was the working title we gave to engagement tool development for Take the Prize and Tournament as that was exactly what we wanted to achieve.

Differentiation in a crowded market enables both the slot and the slot provider to stand out.

Through building these network promotions and bespoke retention tools – with more in development – we have delivered tournaments, leaderboards and prize wheels.

Rewarding players both financially and emotionally creates extra connections to the game and the brands. This helps to solidify player trust.

From extended play sessions to increased wagers for bigger payouts, both players and operators benefit from these tools. Promotions can be designed and personalized for players to create the most experiential gaming available.

We are also working on a new engagement tool. We anticipate a positive response to this latest product as it will further reinforce the gamification of our slots, leading to even more immersive experiences for players.

“Follow us on social media to find out more!” is all we can say currently.

Betsoft launched two network promotions in 2022. What’s planned for this year?

The network promotions across 2022 saw bets up by 25%+ and player participation by 30%+ for the first promotion.

The second followed with an even larger prize pool and wider choice of Betsoft titles creating a staggering 50%+ and 60%+ uplift in the numbers for participation and bets wagered.

This success was reinforced through Take the Prize which offers a random cash drop on a fortune wheel, thus bringing in-game experiences with real-time notifications, instant rewards, and a highly inventive UI to players, alongside a constantly growing choice of game.

Subsequently we launched Tournament which enables participants to track their own and other players’ progress throughout the promotion via a real-time updated Leaderboard.

Our new ‘Cash Race’ Network Promotion will showcase both tools in a combined application.

Scheduled for February 23 – March 6, 2023, ‘Cash Race’ will give all players a chance to win a share of over €80,000 in cash prizes throughout a 12-day network promotion with a real-time updated leader board and Take the Prize daily cash prizes across 45+ games.

One lucky spin could be all it takes!

The ‘Cash Race’ details:

• Promo dates: Daily between 10.00am February 23 and 10.00am March 6, 2023
• Bigger prize pool: €80,000.00+ cash giveaway
• Better prizes:
  • Tournament: €50,000 cash across 200 prizes
  • Take the Prize: over €30,000 across 1,100 prizes
• More games: 49 award-winning slots to choose from
• In game tools: Take the Prize and Tournament run in parallel on the same games

NOTE: Italy, Sweden and Denmark are excluded from the Network Promotion.

What are you most excited about delivering next for your customers?

After the promotion, the key focus is on continued and continuous innovation.

All our slots and products come from that mindset of how to build better every time.

Our features support and enhance our narratives and, with quality as the key driver, we know that our players will be as excited as we are.

We are delighted that our current releases showcase these new innovations and offer more personalization within the games to create a bespoke feel.

As we work six months ahead, we know just what treats our players can expect over Q2. And there are some great themes and mechanics with big win potential coming up.

Our Mini Games are well under way and we believe our clients will be delighted by their impact on player sign up and retention.

Social tournaments are also part of the Betsoft calendar for 2023, so a lot of very good things coming.

What markets are you currently targeting and why?

Our focus is on regulated markets. Belgium, Holland, Italy, and Spain, in addition to Sweden and Romania are all very important to us.

A number of new operators as well as the extension of existing relationships opening in many European countries has seen significant reinforcement of the Betsoft brand over the last eighteen months.

Belgium and Holland’s tighter regulations have improved the gaming experience for players, and we were one of the first providers to be licensed by both official regulators.

We are equally well known in the Italian and Spanish markets. These are still growth areas and we have seen very satisfactory development across each country in which we are licensed, certified and accredited.

Working with new and existing operators, we will continue to grow our brand. We have long term partners in Sweden and newer clients in Romania, but each separate jurisdiction is equally important to us.

Certified releases are regularly delivered to all our clients. The latest high impact titles enjoying global success will shortly be available to players – translated and localized for maximum connectivity – beginning with Alkemor’s Elements and followed by Captain’s Quest Treasure Island, the Hold & Win Bonus Golden Dragon Inferno and Woodlanders.

What are you anticipating as the next trend in the industry?

Greater innovation in features and mechanics are always in demand, but more personalization and customization in slot design will be the big driver for 2023.

Our most detailed feedback came from two releases. The award-winning 2022 release Wilds of Fortune puts the player literally center action.

The reception of this game from release was astounding – and we have 17 years of slots to benchmark our releases!

Plus Golden Dragon Inferno. This was our first release to showcase the Hold & Win Bonus feature which created stratospheric levels of engagement.

Players want an experience that involves them directly; one that speaks to them. We aim always to fulfil that desire.

We have built the Betsoft brand on quality.

Over the years there have been some tall jockeys that have managed to find success on the track. In fact, some of the best horse jockeys ever were taller than you might think. 

But when it comes to the tallest of all time, jockeys need to be more or less six foot to break into the top 10. 

This means some very famous names from weighing rooms worldwide like Steven Arnold, Richard Hughes, Tony McCoy, Ruby Walsh, and Johnny Sellers – the tallest jockey ever to win the Kentucky Derby – didn’t make the cut.

Those that did prove the point that champion jockeys can come in all shapes and sizes.  

10. Ryan Mania

• Country: Scotland
• Height: 5ft 11iin (1.8m)

Auroras Encore sprung a 66/1 shock in the 2013 Grand National for north of England trainer Sue Smith under tall Scottish jumps jockey Ryan Mania.

The following day 23-year-old Mania suffered a broken vertebrae in his neck after falling from Stagecoach Jasper during a race at Hexham. 

After battling back from injury, Mania began to struggle with his weight and retired from professional racing at the age of 25. 

He soon became assistant to Scottish racehorse trainer Sandy Thomson, but improvements in sports nutrition helped him manage his weight more effectively. 

Mania returned as a jockey during the fall of 2019.

In December 2022, Mania pulled off an incredible feat winning nine races in a row when his horses finished the course. 

9. Andrew McNamara

• Country: Republic of Ireland
• Height: 6ft (1.83m)

Andrew McNamara stood six feet tall in his stirrups, but still had a fabulous career as a jumps jockey.

While brother Robbie and cousin John Thomas (JT) both suffered serious injuries, he won some of Ireland’s biggest National Hunt races.

They include the Gold Cup at Leopardstown, the John Durkan and Champion Chase around Punchestown, and the 2010 Irish Grand National.

In 2015, McNamara cited both back problems and weight management issues as reasons for retiring from the saddle aged 32. He later became a trainer.

Besides winning Northern Ireland’s most prestigious horse race, the Champion Chase at Down Royal, he also enjoyed Cheltenham Festival glory in 2006.

McNamara steered Newmill to victory in the two-mile Queen Mother Champion Chase.

8. George Baker

• Country: England
• Height: 6ft (1.83m)

The son of a farrier in the equine hub that is Lambourn, George Baker grew up in one of the leading horse racing communities in England.

Baker piloted Harbour Law to a sensational success in the St Leger of 2016 when odds-on favorite Idaho unseated Ryan Moore at Doncaster.

Overall, the 2016 season proved to be very successful with Baker taking home 114 wins and £1.7 million in prize money. 

The following year horsemen and women flocked to the Alpine resort of St. Moritz in Switzerland to take part in a White Turf meet. Here, races are held on a frozen lake. 

During one race, Baker suffered a terrible fall and was taken to hospital with a bleed on the brain. 

Thankfully, Baker recovered although he retired from competitive racing shortly after.

7. Donnacha O’Brien

• Country: Republic of Ireland
• Height: 6ft (1.83m)

O’Brien is one of the biggest family names in horse racing thanks to numerous wins over several generations.

Donnacha O’Brien was one of the family’s famous winners, earning two Irish Flat Jockey Championships during his short-lived career in the saddle.

There were some other major highlights, including back-to-back 2000 Guineas wins on Saxon Warrior and Magna Grecia. O’Brien delivered in the 2018 Irish Derby on Latrobe as well.

He retired just a year later at the age of 21.

Like his father and elder sibling, O’Brien is now a racehorse trainer and has wasted no time in developing a reputation for handling promising young fillies.

Fancy Blue won the Prix de Diane, regarded as a French Classic, after O’Brien had only been her trainer for nine months.

6. Louise Moeller

• Country: Denmark
• Height: 6ft 1in (1.85m)

The only female among our tallest jockeys is Danish rider Louise Moeller.

Competing on the Flat, she rode stateside at Gulfstream Park in 2002. Moeller took out an amateur license the previous year and was recorded as being over six feet tall.

By 2003 and following her trip to the US, she became an apprentice before turning fully professional the following year.

Moeller enjoyed at least 70 winners from almost 500 rides and, while that puts her some way off the best female horse jockeys today, she must be regarded as a trailblazer for tall women taking part in races.

5. Bruce Hobbs

• Country: USA/England
• Height: 6ft 1.5in (1.87m)

You probably didn’t know that the tallest jockey ever to win the world’s most famous steeplechase, the Grand National, was born in Long Island.

That was Bruce Hobbs, who partnered American horse Battleship to Aintree glory in 1938 after winning the US equivalent.

Hobbs was also successful in the Welsh Grand National at Chepstow that season aboard Timber Wolf.

Although he overcame a career-threatening back injury, he retired aged 25 and began training horses like so many of the jockeys on our list.

A decorated war veteran, Hobbs served the Queen’s Own Yorkshire Dragoons during World War 2, making the rank of Captain and receiving the Military Cross.

Hobbs died in 2005 at the age of 84. His Palace House stables in Newmarket are now the site of the British National Horse Racing Museum.

4. Stuart Brown

• Country: Australia
• Height: 6ft 2in (1.875m)

Australian national Stuart Brown may not have had huge success in the most famous horse races of Australia, but he was well known in his native New South Wales.

Brown had a racing career that spanned 20 years. During this time he clocked up more than 200 race wins and was even known to race camels on occasion. 

Like all the jockeys on our list, Brown struggled massively with managing his weight.

According to his mother, the jockey would starve and abuse his body just so he was able to race. A practice that is all too common in horse racing.

In 2015, Brown died from lung cancer at the age of 43. 

3. Jack Andrews 

• Country: England
• Height: 6ft 4in (1.93m)

The tallest professional jockey ever is 24-year-old Jack Andrews from Warwick, England.

Born and raised in a horse-mad family, Andrews was devastated when he had a growth spurt late in his teenage years. At the time he believed it was the end of his potential career as a jockey. 

However, Andrews managed to carve a career for himself, taking big wins at Cheltenham and the Tolworth Hurdles.

Andrews was also the Point-to-Point champion during the 2019/20 season. 

Having dabbled as a professional, Andrews has since returned to amateur racing.

Currently, he works at the yard run by his sister and brother-in-law and hopes to start pointing again soon with a repeat of the championship he won back in 2019/2020 being his main goal.

2. Patrick Sankey

• Country: Wales
• Height: 6ft 7in (2.01m)

Besides the professionals, there have been some exceptionally tall amateur riders. Standing at just over two meters tall, Patrick Sankey is one of them.

Even more impressive than consistently riding horses at 6ft 7in is the fact that Sankey won a Point-to-Point race at Bredwardine in May 2019.

Coming into the race 10lbs overweight did not prevent Galbally King from kicking on away from the other horses, leaving Sankey with a memory to cherish.

Sankey will probably never turn professional as a man of his size will have a clear and obvious struggle to make weight for horse racing under rules.

However, no one can ever take his pointing victory away from him. 

1. Manute Bol

• Country: Sudan/USA
• Height: 7ft 7in (2.31m)

The tallest person to ever enter a horse race was former NBA center, Manute Bol.

Bol was granted a license by the Indiana Horse Racing Commission for a charity event to raise money for the country of his birth, Sudan.

The ride took place at Hoosier Park just north of Indianapolis in the fall of 2003, although Bol reportedly didn’t race due to problems with his arthritis. 

Horse racing was just one way Bol used sports to raise money and awareness for his home country. He once signed for the Indianapolis Ice of the Central Hockey League, sitting on the bench for part of a game. 

Even more impressively, Bol also took part in a celebrity boxing match, beating ex-NFL player William “Refrigerator” Perry. 

Bol passed away in 2020 and is buried in South Sudan. He is fondly remembered as both an athlete and a political activist. 

? 10 Things You Never Knew About Horse Jockeys

Lead image: Twitter/si_vault

Alongside six NBA championship rings, he has six NBA Finals MVP awards, and has also appeared in 14 NBA All-Star games. 

Ultimately, Jordan won so many NBA MVP awards (five in total) that they renamed the MVP award the ‘Michael Jordan Trophy’ in honor of the eternal Bulls legend. President Obama even awarded Jordan the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016. 

Even while accomplishing all that, he still found time to revolutionize sneakers with his Air Jordan deal with Nike.  

He’s also known for his gambling exploits, a cause of much controversy. Keen-eyed fans caught him gambling in Atlantic City the night before Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals in 1993. 

In October 1993, he ‘retired’ for two years to play baseball, and rumors spread like wildfire, including that his retirement was, in fact, a gambling suspension. There are also rumors that his father was murdered over a gambling debt that same year. 

As MJ turns 60 on February 17, let’s look through Michael Jordan’s relationship with gambling.

Michael Jordan’s Early Years

Gambling seems to have always been a part of Michael Jordan’s life, with evidence from biographies (including Roland Lazenby’s Michael Jordan: The Life) that he was gambling as early as high school.

In college, there is also evidence that he was wagering. 

For example, a $5 check written by MJ in 1982 to a fellow student for losing a pool game shows us that betting was a feature of his life.

There are stories of him betting during practice with his teammates and coaching staff – but in small amounts that weren’t likely to break the bank.

Professional Career

By the time he joined the NBA, he wasn’t betting small amounts. He was known to play with the high rollers in the Bulls camp and frequently played cards with beat writers while on road trips. 

He even had a rolling bet with staff at the Chicago Stadium: He would bet on the Jumbotron cartoon races.

He wasn’t afraid of a little bet-rigging either, as he would always receive the outcome of the Jumbotron races from event staff before gameday.

Another story of him using questionable methods to win a bet occurred when the Bulls were heading to Portland. After disembarking, Chicago players waited for their luggage, and MJ bet $100 on his bag coming out first. 

Several teammates took the bet, and he laughed as his bag rolled out first. He collected the money but hadn’t told his teammates that he’d bribed the baggage handler to help him out.

Michael Jordan gambling was a common sight in the Chicago Bulls clubhouse, and he was a frequent bettor on his teammate’s high rollers table. His bets were a pivotal part of some of his most iconic moments. 

An example is his famous shrug after scoring his sixth three-pointer of the first quarter in the 1992 NBA Finals Game 1. Fans thought that it was a simple flex at his extraordinary ability.

Nope. He was shrugging at Magic Johnson in the crowd because Magic had beaten him at cards the night before.

He was also willing to take his habit anywhere he could find a game to play. In 1992, he was selected as part of the “Dream Team” preparing for the 1992 Summer Olympics. 

The team went to Monaco, home of the Monte Carlo Casino, amounting to a paradise for Michael Jordan.

He built a rolling late-night card game with major basketball stars like Magic Johnson, Charles Barkley, and Patrick Ewing.

Gambling Controversies

MJ was embroiled in controversy soon after his return from Olympic duty.

He was forced to testify in February 1993 over a $57,000 check to James “Slim” Boulder, a gambler and alleged drug dealer. The courts sentenced Boulder to nine years in prison over money laundering. 

Despite trying to argue that the check was for a business loan, he admitted that it was gambling debt accrued from games on the golf course when under oath.

Another golfing partner claimed he owed him $1.3 million but later settled for $300,000.

After these controversies, his biggest scandal would fall when basketball fans spotted him in Atlantic City during the 1993 NBA Finals.

The combination of this, his testimony in February, and the allegation that he owed $1.3 million in golf gambling debts made the scandal much greater. 

It affected him on the court as well – the Bulls lost the game the following night, and his 3-for-18 shooting was uncharacteristically cold in Game 3.

The NBA decided to investigate the matter.

Father’s Murder

The tragic death of his father just a few weeks later, in July 1993, spurred rumors of the connection between Michael Jordan’s gambling losses and his dad’s death. 

In the Orange County Register, Mark Whicker said, “For now, we just know that there is evidence of the son’s gambling problem, and there is suspicion of a son’s paying problem, the father of that son has been murdered. Coincidence, anyone?” 

It is important to note that many people debunked this myth, and the murder was a random attack.

His first retirement, in October, added more fuel to the fire. When asked whether he would ever return, MJ said he might “if the Bulls would have me, [and] if David Stern [NBA Commissioner] lets me back in the league.”

This choice of words was suspicious, to say the least.

Speculation began to emerge that Michael Jordan’s gambling problem was the real reason he was suspended, not due to the loss of his love for the game, as he had implied.

Despite this, many reasons exist to take what MJ said at face value.

He was emotionally drained after the death of his father, the concept of the NBA secretly suspending its most valuable player and brand is ridiculous, and the idea that the NBA would want Jordan to step away from the game is highly questionable.

Retirement wasn’t the only option for a player with a gambling problem leading to a suspension.

Two reasons stand above the rest when trying to debunk the “secret suspension” myth.

Firstly, David Stern flatly denied that the NBA had anything to do with MJ’s decision. 

“As far as the NBA is concerned,” Stern insisted, “Michael Jordan did nothing wrong, and I resent any implications to the contrary.” The league closed its investigation into Jordan two days after he announced he was retiring.

Secondly, the NBA Board of Governors voted unanimously to approve his candidacy as principal owner of the Charlotte Bobcats in 2010.

Before approval, new owners are subject to in-depth vetting, including their financial, personal, and business dealings. 

Any worries about his gambling would have seen his prospective ownership quashed by fellow NBA owners.

Instead, he was approved unanimously.

Gambling And Professional Sports

For some context on how his gambling was perceived at the time, it’s also worthwhile thinking about the status of gambling when Jordan’s stories broke.

Most people viewed gambling as a nefarious activity linked to the underworld. 

The Rose Scandal, where Cincinnati Reds manager Pete Rose had bet on thousands of MLB games while coaching, rocked Major League Baseball. The MLB banned him for life in 1989.

Similar scandals rocked the NFL and College Basketball during the 1980s.

The major leagues subsequently lobbied lawmakers to pass the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), which made sports betting illegal in 46 states.

Sports betting remained a touchy subject for all those involved in the major leagues until the Supreme Court ruled that PASPA was unconstitutional in May 2018. 

In 2007, 14 years after Jordan’s first retirement, the Donaghy scandal showed that points shaving and manipulation from the influence of betting were a severe concern.

The NBA beefed up its protections against suspicious betting and points patterns, and at the same time, it began to embrace sports betting.

In the early 2010s, new NBA Commissioner, Adam Silver, wrote an op-ed for the New York Times in which he argued an end to the federal ban on sports betting as long as operators met safeguards. 

In 2018, the US Supreme Court overruled PASPA, and by 2022, 36 states had legalized sports betting in some way.

Jordan’s exploits now would not only be wholly legal but wouldn’t raise any eyebrows. For most Americans, sports betting is a part of the experience of being a sports fan.

Post-Retirement

This is why it is interesting that Michael Jordan is now an NBA owner. Since he’s been an owner, the ties between sports betting and the NBA have grown.

The league has signed multi-year partnerships with several sportsbooks, teams now have retail facilities inside arenas, and the stigma of betting has lifted.

In 2020, Jordan became an investor in DraftKings. 

Ultimately, Michael Jordan’s gambling has less to do with an addiction to betting and more with an addiction to winning. 

A great example of this is his bet with Chris Paul at one of his summer camps for kids. When Jordan was visiting, “CP3” bet with him that if he missed three shots, he would have to pay for new Air Jordans for all the camp attendees.

He didn’t miss a single shot. Jordan isn’t bothered about the situation – he just loves to win. 

Lead image: mccarmona23/Flickr

From the genre’s heyday in the 1960s and 70s to the modern feature films produced today, there have been many brilliant movies about gambling. Here, we have selected our absolute favorites.

Some of these movies use gambling as a backdrop for intense storylines and thrilling action. Others focus on the psychology and satisfaction that comes with dominating the tables. 

But what do all these movies have in common? They will keep you on the edge of your seat until the closing credits. 

1. Casino (1995)

Starring the incredible duo of Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci, Casino is a classic that everyone should watch.

Like many other Martin Scorsese films, Casino is based on true events that occurred when the Mob dominated Las Vegas during the 1970s. 

? 7 Completely True Events The Movie Casino Is Based On

The film follows Sam “Ace” Rothstein (De Niro) who manages casinos for the Chicago Mob. He works alongside made-mobster Nicky Santoro (Pesci).

Together they master the cutthroat business of casino work and earn massive profits for the crime outfit, until Ace finds his attention distracted by Ginger McKenna (Sharon Stone). 

As Ace’s life begins to unravel and the Mob’s grip on Las Vegas loosens, Casino takes on a frantic energy.

This thrilling excitement is what makes Casino one of the best movies about gambling ever made.

2. The Gambler (1974)

A brilliant James Caan stars in The Gambler as English professor, Axel Freed.

Apart from a love of literature, Freed also has a debilitating gambling addiction. Faced with $44,000 worth of debt and a rich family that is ashamed of him, Freed travels to Las Vegas in the hope of winning big. 

The film was well received when it was released and has stood the test of time as a fantastic study in the damaging effects of compulsive betting. This honest, raw look at gambling has seen it become a classic.

Unfortunately, a 2014 remake starring Mark Wahlberg did not turn out so well.

3. Uncut Gems (2019)

Uncut Gems is one of the few recently made movies to feature on this list.

Despite only coming out a few years ago, Uncut Gems is already seen as one of the best movies about gambling thanks to its incredible pace and stressful soundtrack. 

Adam Sandler breaks away from his typically comedic roles to play Howard Ratner, a New York City jeweler who has an atrocious gambling habit.

A set of lucky circumstances sees Ratner develop a professional relationship with NBA star Kevin Garnett. With some insider information, Ratner sets up a bet on the NBA Championship Finals.

If this bet comes in, all of Ratner’s problems will be solved. But several loan sharks risk derailing it all.

4. California Split (1974)

California Split thrills audiences while also teaching them some important life lessons. 

Amateur gambler Bill (George Segal) becomes friends with a professional player called Charlie (Elliott Gould).

Their new friendship sees them both commit everything to a scintillating gambling trip to Reno.

The film also focuses on friendship, the psychology of gamblers, and that most important piece of gambling wisdom: When to quit.

This makes it an important watch for everyone, whether you fancy being a player at the poker table or not. 

5. The Hustler (1961)

As the only movie on this list that features pool as the main source of gambling, The Hustler is definitely a film of its time.

But just because pool hustling has fallen out of fashion in recent decades doesn’t make this film any less worthy of a place on this list.

This is because The Hustler is a story about grit and determination. What’s more, it’s backed up by brilliant performances from Paul Newman, Jackie Gleason, Piper Laurie, and George C. Scott. 

The Hustler was a huge success upon release and opinions have not changed.

In 1997, the movie was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the United States National Film Registry.

Six years later the Academy Film Archive preserved The Hustler to make sure future generations can enjoy it. 

If that’s not an indication of quality, we don’t know what is.

6. Molly’s Game (2017)

This list has been dominated by masculine films led by male stars, which unfortunately reflects the genre as a whole.

All too often women in gambling movies are limited to love interests, or that classic cliché – a prostitute with a heart of gold. 

However, this isn’t the case in Molly’s Game.

Instead, this refreshing film takes a different approach entirely, by telling the true story of Molly Bloom (Jessica Chastain), a lady who runs an underground poker empire for Hollywood’s rich and famous. 

Everything is going well until her multimillion-dollar business is put at risk when the FBI comes knocking…

7. The Cincinnati Kid (1965)

Steve McQueen plays a cocky upstart in this classic movie about poker.

His character, “The Kid,” wants to prove himself against “The Man” – the best player around. 

As the film is nearly exclusively about poker its popularity has continued to grow as the game itself goes from strength to strength. 

Tension, a classic storyline, and strong acting are only slightly affected by the near impossible poker hands that pop up during the film.

However, McQueen is electric and the penultimate scene, when the final hands are revealed, is one of the best ever filmed. 

8. Hard Eight (1996)

An excellent cast is led by Philip Baker Hall who plays Sydney, an aging, quiet gambler that takes a young homeless man, Jack, under his wing. 

After being taught the gambling ropes, Jack’s attention begins to be diverted by a cocktail waitress. A distraction that quickly transforms all the characters’ situations. 

Supporting roles from Gwyneth Paltrow, Samuel L. Jackson, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and John C. Reilly brilliantly highlight the range of strange and interesting characters that you can find in any casino.

In other words, no other gambling movie explores and portrays people who gamble quite as well as Hard Eight. 

9. Rounders (1998)

Rounders is a story of two friends: One a well-groomed law student (Matt Damon), and the other a loud ex-con (Edward Norton).

In an effort to bail Norton out of his debt the two friends go on a poker playing tear.

Many see Rounders as a classic representation of macho high stakes poker. Add to this some surprisingly feasible poker games and you have a film that most die-hard poker players will love.

But, it is the acting, which includes a brilliant supporting cast, that transforms Rounders into a film everyone can enjoy. 

10. The Card Counter (2021)

Rounding out our list is The Card Counter.

The movie was written and directed by Paul Schrader, the man who wrote iconic screenplays like Taxi Driver.

Interestingly, The Card Counter is equally gruesome and also has a theme of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Starring a restrained Oscar Isaac, The Card Counter marries both gambling and action in a film that never seems to take a breath.

Gamblers will particularly enjoy The Card Counter’s detailed recreation of the World Series of Poker tournament, and the final few scenes are sure to grab everyone’s attention. 

The NFL is a well-known global brand that has been the premier football league for decades. In contrast, the USFL was only established in 2022 and is trying to compete for a piece of the professional football pie.

In this article, we’ll break down the significant differences between the two leagues, so keep reading to find out more.

Major vs. Minor

In sport, there are major and minor leagues. Major leagues are considered the premier league or competition in a given sport in each country.

In the four biggest American sports, the NBA, NHL, MLB, and NFL are the major leagues.

Each sport also has minor or development leagues that can be affiliated with the major league (like the NBA G League) or not. This is the case with the NFL and the USFL.

The USFL is a competitor for the NFL. There is no affiliation or developmental aspect between the two leagues, but the level of competition is stark.

To make it to the NFL, players have to enter the NFL draft, which is one of the most rigorous selection processes in all professional sports.

Playing football at the college level isn’t a requirement, but the overwhelming majority of players drafted to the NFL have played for division 1 college teams.

While many USFL players also competed in division 1 at college, the NFL draft selects the best of the best. The USFL has to make do with the best of the rest.

The NFL is the undisputed biggest American football organization in the world. While the USFL tries to compete, they also have to contend with other leagues like the CFL or XFL.

And in the end, money talks.

Brand Power And Budgets

Every high school football player dreams of playing at college, then getting drafted into the NFL.

There’s no comparison with other leagues; even a mediocre NFL career can set a player and their family up for life.

Elite NFL players are some of the highest-paid athletes in the world, and on average earn around $2.7 million a year.

? Top 10 Richest NFL Players Ever

Playing in the NFL brings a huge amount of prestige and potential commercial opportunities off the field too.

Social media followers, sponsorships, and celebrity status grow if you become a prominent player in the NFL. The USFL can’t even come close to this.

To highlight the contrast in brand power and exposure between the two leagues, the NFL has over 26 million followers on Instagram. USFL has just 96,000.

League Organization

The NFL has 32 teams that play 17 times in the regular season. The USFL is much smaller and only has eight teams that each play 10 times in the regular season.

Due to the dominance of the NFL, the USFL season also runs at different times of the year. The NFL season generally starts in September and ends in February.

In contrast, the USFL begins in April and ends in July.

The NFL off-season is long, and by spring, many football fans long to see some gridiron action.

This is what the USFL is trying to capitalize on, rather than scheduling in direct competition with the NFL.

Difference In Rules

To compete with the NFL and attract new viewers, the USFL has tried to create an alternative rule set for football.

Instead of copying the NFL’s blueprint for professional football, the USFL has chosen a hybrid between NFL, college, and other minor league rules.

Here are the significant differences:

Overtime

Like in college football, the USFL has opted for a ‘shootout’ should games go to overtime. This seems like a great move from the league that hopes to create some viral moments to boost popularity.

If the teams are tied after regulation, they get alternate attempts at a 2-point conversion from the 2-yard line.

Each team gets three tries, and it’s scored as a best-of-three. If it’s still a tie after both teams have had three attempts, it goes to sudden death.

Kickoff And Onside Kicks

Another critical difference in the rule set between the NFL and USFL are kickoffs and onside kicks.

The USFL is taking inspiration from the XFL for kickoffs, and games will start with the kicking team at their 25-yard line, as opposed to the halfway line in the NFL.

This is designed to increase the number of kick returns in a game, something that will excite fans and players.

However, to minimize risk to players, the USFL has also introduced a ruling that the kicking team’s players mustn’t start any further back than the 24-yard line, so they can’t get a run up.

There is also a ‘set-up zone’ for blockers of the receiving team.

This means at least eight blockers from that team must be between the 35 and 45-yard lines, again reducing the chance of high-speed collisions.

Onside kicks may also be a thing of the past in the USFL because it’s not the only option if a team needs the ball back quickly.

Teams can opt to take a fourth and 12 from their 33-yard line (the same place they would kick from), instead of taking an onside kick.

They keep the ball if they succeed and convert on the fourth down. If not, they turn it over.

Pass Interference

Defensive pass interference will be called very differently by USFL refs than NFL ones.

Firstly, if a defender is judged to have intentionally interfered with a receiver beyond 15 yards of the scrimmage line, it is a spot foul, like in the NFL.

However, in the USFL, if defensive pass interference is deemed non-intentional, it will be just a 15-yard penalty, no matter where the infraction occurs.

Also, any defensive interference within 15 yards of the line of scrimmage will be spot fouls. So, if interference takes place 10 yards ahead of the line of scrimmage, it’s a 10-yard penalty, not 15.

Offensive pass interference is also different. In the USFL, OPI calls can only be made on passes that cross the line of scrimmage.

Game Clock

The USFL will have a 35-second play clock, whereas the NFL uses 40 seconds. This is designed to increase the number of plays in a game, as teams won’t be able to hang on to the ball as long.

Also, the USFL will stop the game clock after first downs in the final two minutes of both the first and second half.

Again, this is designed to increase the number of plays in a game, maximizing excitement for fans at the end of the halves.

Two Forward Pass Rule

Like the XFL, the USFL has allowed teams to throw the ball forward twice.

The first pass must be completed behind the line of scrimmage, and both passes have to be thrown from behind the line of scrimmage too.

Reviews

The USFL will give coaches just one challenge per game, unlike the two that NFL coaches get.

However, the ‘replay crew’ of officials will have the authority to overrule incorrect personal foul calls made on the field.

The replay crew will also judge whether pass interference was intentional.

Lead image: Mike Russell/Wikimedia Commons

Knowing just a single card can provide an unbeatable advantage; there are dozens of methods to get a glimpse of a card and in the hands of expert players, a simple peek can reap enormous rewards.

Secret Knowledge

I’m always suspicious when casinos use technology to know the order of a deck they’re about to deal and past systems that used cameras and computers in conjunction with automatic shufflers were subject to all kinds of shenanigans if the casino or developers were so inclined to make adjustments to how those machines worked.

I’ll get into the problems and possibilities of this kind of scenario another time but just having information that could lead to an unfair advantage is dangerous if it can inform or change game procedure.

The way I like to put it to my friends on the other side of table is: If players are not permitted to know what cards are about to be dealt, why should the house have that information?

Knowing what card is about to be dealt could make an enormous difference to a player sitting at first base on a blackjack table who knows for certain that the first card out of the shoe will be an ace.

Equally, if a machine were to change its procedure according to the order of the deck, this could give the house an unfair advantage against the players.

Shuffling and dealing procedures are so important to protect everybody from everybody else and one of the key considerations when shuffling or dealing cards in a gambling situation is to ensure none of cards are accidentally or deliberately revealed.

Imagine sitting at a table while a dealer shuffles eight decks by hand, then knowing exactly what the first 10 or 12 cards are going to be. Or playing Texas Hold ‘Em and knowing whether or not you’re about to hit the flop.

How big an advantage would you have if you could deal a good card to yourself and a bad card to your opponent?

All of this without the aid of a marked deck.

The following examples presume a crooked dealer (a mechanic) working with one or more players against the balance of the table but these same moves can be used in many situations including when a cheater is working “single-o”.

From Bubbles To Greeks

The following dealer peeks are used to either gain information that could be used against other players or in conjunction with a second deal to manipulate cards into the perfect position; here we’ll look at some of the most common (and most effective) methods to get that glimpse.

The heel or “Greek Peek” is used as the dealer gestures with the left hand, which is holding the deck.

The top card is lifted at the inner left side by pressure exerted from the base of the left thumb.

There is a distinct knack to this that takes a while to accomplish but once the muscle is trained and the action reduced to a minimum, it’s possible to make multiple peeks as cards are dealt from the top of the deck.

Continuous glimpses while dealing is truly limited to a handful of experts who both know the secret and have dedicated hundreds of hours to perfecting it.

Yet the easier, single peek has proven more dangerous to players and casinos, whether used by crooked dealers to avoid busting a partner’s hand or by bust-out dealers (in the bad old days) to make sure they killed a player’s hand!

The “Bubble Peek” is more appropriate for games where the dealer is required to necktie or guard their hand when not dealing, which both protects cards from some moves but makes them more vulnerable to others.

The Bubble is so called because the left thumb pushes the top card to the right against the tips of the left finger, which prevents the card from moving and forcing the card to buckle at the outer right corner, exposing the card’s index if the deck is held at the right angle (perfectly aided by many casinos’ dealing procedure).

This is an excellent way to peek a card, but care must be taken not to leave a distinct bend in the card and the peek happens in an instant, the “Bubble” popping up and down in just a fraction of a second.

Variations on the Bubble Peek bend the cards in different directions depending on game procedure and a particularly subtle version only bends the back of the card just enough to see if the dealer has a “paint” on top (a court card), which can be more than enough information.

Left-handed dealers have their own methods for these peeks since they tend to deal from the right hand and the techniques just described would only reveal a blank corner!

Down Into The Deck

Similar moves exist to peek the bottom of the deck with the cards being slightly buckled as they’re picked up, allowing a glimpse of the bottom inside index.

Another glimpse requires the bottom card to be squeezed backwards, buckling it until the dealer can see the index; this may seem crude but performed correctly it is completely invisible to everyone but the crooked dealer.

More advanced sleights allow the dealer to catch a glimpse of any card near the top or even a card in the middle.

Players can also glimpse cards during common table procedures with a particularly devious glimpse happening under cover of a cut.

In a loose game (in terms of procedure), when the dealer passes the deck, the cheating player cuts with two hands, estimating enough cards from the bottom for all the players plus one or two more.

If the bottom card is glimpsed before the cut, the player now knows a card that’s sure to hit the flop!

The danger with such a move is the bottom glimpse (which is hard to take when other players may be watching the cut), but there’s a little-known secret called the “Shutter Peek” where the top card is lifted at the inner end as the bottom half of the deck is being slapped on top of it.

Performed correctly, the previous top card is lifted at the very instant it becomes buried under the bottom half and is only exposed for a fraction of a second.

So long as the number of cards placed on top allow for all the players plus a burn card, the glimpsed card is sure to reappear with the community cards.

The “shutter” is a fantastic move and knowing one card that’s coming in the flop is a powerful advantage but games that allow players to cut – especially with two hands – are much rarer these days.

Deeper Deceptions

These are just a handful of the most powerful and common ways to peek cards before they are dealt but when a crooked dealer is working in cahoots with players there are many more sophisticated strategies that can beat almost any game.

These methods have stolen millions from casino table games and even more from players in private games.

In my next article, I’ll discuss how these simple peeks evolved to create an unbeatable advantage.

Lead image: Shutterstock

When betting on the US presidency at such an early stage of the marathon, the first rule is to remember the process is a multi-layered betting event.

A candidate must first declare, then win their party’s nomination, and finally win the general election. 

Backing the winner therefore effectively means winning a trio of bets, about which we can roughly calculate the odds. Keep these calculations in mind when choosing how and when to back your selection. 

1. Ron Desantis 3.75 (Bet365, William Hill) 

The favorite offers a perfect example. Ron DeSantis is merely second favorite for the Republican nomination at 2.5 behind Donald Trump, yet leads the general election market.

These odds imply he’d be a 1.5 chance to win the general election. Short odds for somebody who hasn’t even declared yet, is not certain to do so, and is untested beyond his own state.

That isn’t to deny his obvious chance. DeSantis has shrewdly positioned himself as the natural heir to Trump and polls remarkably well for a state governor at this stage of a national primary.

He’s just been re-elected as Florida Governor by a 20% margin. This in a state deemed marginal at presidential level.

If as reported, the Republican establishment are looking to unite around one alternative to Trump. RDS is the obvious choice.

He is three decades younger than Trump, much less erratic, and starts this race facing nothing like the same entrenched hostility. However at 44, relative youth might deter DeSantis.

A fight with Trump will be brutal, perhaps fatal to his reputation. No other Republican has thrived after taking on Trump these past seven years.

Whereas if he sits 2024 out, DeSantis is positioned to inherit the party base in 2028.

2. Joe Biden 4.0 (William Hill)

These are the biggest odds about an incumbent first-term president in living memory.

Whilst Biden is yet to confirm he will run again, the betting implies he will. Hills make him 1.57 to be the Democrat Nominee, which projects general election odds around 2.5.

That is a harsh assessment.

At the midterms, Biden led his party to a far superior outcome than either Trump or Barack Obama managed during their first term.

US economic figures are improving, and Biden can boast various legislative achievements.

In contrast, Republicans in Congress are in disarray. I’d rate him favorite to beat Trump again, if they are the nominees, but he would start outsider against DeSantis.

Regardless of the GOP nomination, I expect Biden to declare his candidacy soon in order to end speculation, and no serious rival to oppose.

At that stage, expect his odds to shorten by a third or more.

3. Donald Trump 5.0 (William Hill)

Trump’s odds have moved back and forth in recent months. The midterms were widely billed as a disaster for him and the high-profile candidates he endorsed.

The threat of indictment from Special Prosecutor Jack Smith looms large, along with a mountain of legal problems. That he is still in the race is further testament to Trump’s extraordinary Teflon quality.

Polls still have him leading the GOP nomination but they are underwhelming, with around half of respondents wanting somebody else.

His campaign has yet to take off as in previous elections, but that could transform quickly now he is now back on social media.

If DeSantis runs against Trump, I think the former president will be humiliated and drop out early. He may run as an Independent and thus ruin the GOP’s chances (providing another incentive for DeSantis to wait).

If not, we will likely see a repeat of 2016, with his ultra-loyal base ensuring 40% in each primary – enough to beat a divided field.

When it comes to the general election though, Trump is definitely the Democrats’ best chance of retaining the White House.

4. Kamala Harris 19.0 (William Hill)

The Vice President was the early favorite for 2024, based on the assumption that Biden wouldn’t run.

She has endured a bad press and doesn’t poll well but, if that turns out the case, Harris should still be regarded as strong favorite for the Democrat nomination.

It will be very hard for lesser challengers to take on a serving VP, backed by Biden and the party machine.

Plus, even assuming Biden does declare, Harris will remain in betting contention as the default alternative should something untoward happen to the president.

5. Nikki Haley 21.0 (William Hill)

The former UN Ambassador and Governor of South Carolina is expected to announce her candidacy on February 15.

It will be warmly greeted by the GOP establishment, who have long eyed her as a future leader. She may well be their most electable choice for the general election.

Haley starts a very long way behind Trump though. It seems likelier that she’ll run a solid campaign and be well positioned to be running mate to either him or DeSantis.

Indeed Betfair rate her clear favorite in their Republican VP market.

6. Gavin Newsom 21.0 (Bet365, William Hill)

The California Governor has made several eye-catching moves to build a national profile – taking on DeSantis and Texas Governor Greg Abbott – which were widely assumed to be the beginnings of a presidential bid.

The question is whether Newsom is planning a 2024 run, or merely positioning for 2028.

Newsom and Harris are old allies from California, so I doubt they will run against one another.

But remember these nominations will not be decided until July 2024, and the party can change rules in an emergency, at the convention.

If the polls are looking grim for Biden, Newsom’s name will remain part of the conversation.

7. Gretchen Whitmer 34.0 (Bet365, William Hill)

Another Democrat with a big future, having built her reputation as Governor of Michigan. Proven ability to win in the Midwest is a priceless quality for any would-be president.

Plus, Whitmer is battle-hardened, having won re-election in that key swing state following a siege of the state legislature and plot to kidnap her by fascist groups.

She’s unlikely to make any moves for 2024 unless Biden withdraws, but must be a frontline contender if the primary opens up.

8. Pete Buttigieg 41.0 (William Hill)

One of the defeated Democrat candidates from the 2020 primary and now Transportation Secretary under Biden.

At 41, age is very much on Buttigieg’s side, and he is clearly rated by the party establishment. If Biden doesn’t run, he will be touted as a rival to Kamala Harris.

However, his 2020 campaign failed due to inability to attract support from African Americans, who form a key part of the Democrat membership.

There’s little to suggest that has changed so Buttigieg’s career, for now at least, looks set to involve supportive, senior roles rather than the top job.

9. Mike Pence 41.0 (Bet365)

The former VP is reportedly set to announce his candidacy soon and even up for a fight with his former boss.

Pence has a deep following among evangelicals, which should give him a foothold in the primary, but whether he can win over the MAGA base (some of whom wanted him dead on January 6) is another matter.

I suspect that, like Nikki Haley, Pence’s chance relies upon DeSantis not running and Trump’s campaign imploding.

10. Glenn Youngkin 41.0 (Bet365, William Hill)

An interesting mover on the Republican side. Youngkin has a very strong profile for a general election, as the Governor of Democrat-leaning Virginia.

He’s become a regular on Rupert Murdoch’s Fox News, whose support would be extremely valuable if entering the primary.

The sizeable question mark over his chances revolves around the fact he has to govern as a relative moderate in Virginia, taking positions that won’t play well with the GOP base.

Nevertheless, he’s the type who could move forward in the betting with a good campaign that boosts his recognizability.

Recommended Bet: Back Joe Biden at 4.0 (William Hill)

Lead image: Robert Linder/Unsplash

We take a look at the top 10 in this article, as well as in the game that matters the most – the Super Bowl. Who are the top touchdown performers in the big show? Keep reading to find out.

Most Touchdowns By A Quarterback

Unsurprisingly, the top 10 touchdown scorers in the history of the NFL are all quarterbacks. Jerry Rice has the most career touchdowns for a non-quarterback with 208, but he’s not even close to beating the no.10 on our list.

Note: All stats in this article are for regular-season games only.

10. Eli Manning (2004-2019) – 373

Sorry to ruin the surprise; this isn’t the only Manning brother on this list (but more on that later).

Former 2x Super Bowl champ and no.1 draft pick Eli Manning sits at number 10 on the list of total career touchdowns. In his NFL career, he clocked an impressive 373 total touchdowns (366 passing, 7 rushing) and 57,023 yards.

9. Matt Ryan (2008-present) – 394

The NFL MVP from 2016, Matt Ryan has had an outstanding career despite never picking up a Super Bowl ring (don’t mention Super Bowl LI).

Up to the end of the 2022/23 season, he has a total of 394 career touchdowns (381 passing, 13 rushing).

8. Dan Marino (1983-1999) 420

Miami Dolphins legend Dan Marino is another who makes the all-time TD list without ever claiming football’s ultimate prize.

At the time of his retirement, Marino had a list of NFL records as long as your arm, but they have been slowly whittled away by the remaining QBs on this list.

In total, Marino recorded 429 career touchdowns (420 passing, 9 rushing).

7. Philip Rivers (2004-2020) – 424

In his time with the San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers, Phillip Rivers started an awesome 224 consecutive games (2006-2019).

This longevity and durability, combined with his passing skill, accounted for a total of 424 career touchdowns (421 passing, 3 rushing).

? How Many Kids Has Philip Rivers Got?

6. Ben Roethlisberger (2004-2021) – 438

“Big Ben” spent his entire 15-year career with the Pittsburgh Steelers and he enjoyed a lot of success.

Roethlisberger got his hands on two Super Bowl trophies and had great connections with his receivers. He has a career total of 438 touchdowns (418 passing, 20 rushing).

5. Aaron Rodgers (2005-present) – 510

Another one team man, Aaron Rodgers has had a glittering NFL career that includes a Super Bowl ring, a Super Bowl MVP, and 4 NFL MVP trophies.

Rodgers is still active, so he could add to his career total, but at the time of writing, he has 510 total touchdowns (475 passing, 35 rushing).

4. Brett Favre (1991-2010) – 522

Like no.5 on the list, no.4 is occupied by a famous Green Bay Packers QB, Brett Farve.

And like all of the other players on this list, the Super Bowl XXXI champ’s career touchdowns is in a large part thanks to his longevity.

In 20 seasons in the NFL, Farve recorded 522 total touchdowns (508 passing, 14 rushing).

3. Peyton Manning (1998-2015) – 557

The Manning brothers occupy the no.10 and no.3 spots on our list of all-time NFL touchdowns. Not bad for one family.

Like Eli, Peyton Manning was a no.1 draft pick when he entered the NFL and has two Super Bowl rings to his name. He has a career total of 557 touchdowns (539 passing, 18 rushing).

2. Drew Brees (2001-2020) – 596

Only a select few players have spent more time in the NFL than Drew Brees.

“Breesus” as he is affectionately known by New Orleans Saints fans, completed 20 seasons in the NFL and was consistently one of the best offensive players in the league for many years.

The Super Bowl XLIV champion and MVP led the league in passing seven times and in passing touchdowns four times, so it’s no surprise he sits so high on this list.

In his illustrious career, he had a total of 596 touchdowns (571 passing, 25 rushing).

1. Tom Brady (2000-present) – 677

The number one spot on this list surprises nobody who knows anything about football. If you’re wondering about any NFL record, chances are Tom Brady holds it.

The seven-time Super Bowl champ recently announced his retirement from the NFL for the second time in two years and this time it looks like he means it.

The GOAT is the only man in NFL history to have achieved more than 600 touchdowns.

With (statistically at least) a career total of 677 touchdowns so far (649 passing, 28 rushing), it’s unlikely that this total will ever be matched – especially not by another 6th round pick.

Most Touchdowns In Super Bowls

Quarterbacks also dominate the list of most career touchdowns in Super Bowls, but not exclusively.

Rob Gronkoswki is the only tight end on the list, and he recorded an impressive five TDs in five Super Bowl appearances thanks to his connection with Tom Brady.

Emmitt Smith, one of the greatest running backs in the history of the league, also secured five touchdowns in just three Super Bowl games for the Dallas Cowboys.

The final non-quarterback on this list is the consensus greatest wide receiver in football history, Jerry Rice. “World” caught an incredible eight touchdown passes in Super Bowls in just four games, coming out as champ in three.

And no prizes for guessing who’s no.1 on this list…

T-8. Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, Rob Gronkoswki, Brett Farve (5)

7. Steve Young (6)

6. Kurt Warner (6)

5. Roger Staubach (8)

4. Jerry Rice (8)

3. Terry Bradshaw (9)

2. Joe Montana (11)

1. Tom Brady (21)

Lead image: Dave Adamson/Unsplash

Each year, A-list performers put on the show of their lives to the NFL halftime crowd, bringing a bunch of memorable – and shocking – moments with them.

Global pop superstar and self-proclaimed ‘bad gal’ Rihanna has got the job for Super Bowl LVII, taking place in sunny Arizona in February 2023.

This got us thinking about some of the most iconic halftime shows over the years. One thing is for sure, they’re never dull.

Read our 10 most memorable Super Bowl halftime shows and get ready for the good, the bad, and the ugly.

10. Michael Jackson – Super Bowl XXVII

The standards are high when it comes to memorable Super Bowl halftime shows. That’s why the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, only makes it to number 10 on our list.

This performance stands out because for the first 90 seconds Jackson stood utterly still, staring out into the frenzied crowd. At first, it was cool, but after the first minute, many viewers began to wonder if this MJ was actually a waxwork after all.

Luckily, he eventually started his act and treated his adoring fans to classics including “Billie Jean” and “Black or White” before a finale of “Heal the World.”

He was joined by a choir of 3,500 children from LA – yep, this doesn’t age well…

It was certainly a memorable close to the show that took place less than a year after the 1992 LA riots.

9. Paul McCartney – Super Bowl XXXIX

Paul McCartney has done almost everything a musician could do. He had the call up for the Super Bowl back in 2005, cementing his now five-decade reign at the top.

The NFL wanted a controversy-free halftime show after the scandal in 2004 (more on this later), and Macca didn’t disappoint. He tore through the classics “Drive My Car,” “Get Back,” and “Live and Let Die” before closing with “Hey Jude.”

This Beatle took the crowd along for an epic show, and one we’ll never forget.

8. Madonna – Super Bowl XLVI

Unsurprisingly, this list is full of huge names, and Madonna can hang with the best of them.

The Queen of Pop has had many memorable TV moments over the years, including kissing Britney Spears at the 2003 VMAs and falling on stage at the 2015 Brit awards.

Still, it was actually one of her guests that caused a big stir at the Super Bowl in 2012.

Madonna was joined on stage by Nicki Minaj, LMFAO, Cee Lo Green and M.I.A., with the latter causing controversy for sticking her middle finger up to the camera during the song ​​“Give Me All Your Luvin’.”

Despite M.I.A. grabbing a lot of the headlines and making the performance particularly memorable, Madonna still broke viewing figures as the most-viewed Super Bowl halftime show at that point.

7. Aerosmith, Britney Spears, ‘NSync, Nelly, and Mary J. Blige – Super Bowl XXXV

If you didn’t see this halftime show, you could be forgiven for thinking there was a typo here.

Yes, Aerosmith, Britney, ‘NSync, Mary J. Blige, and Nelly (just for good measure) really did perform together.

Oh, and Ben Stiller, Adam Sandler, and Chris Rock got in on the act, too, as part of a pre-recorded sketch before the performance.

The cross-section of fans who love all these artists must have been pretty small, but somehow, they made it work. Or at least they made it memorable.

After ‘NSync kicked off the performance, rock legends Aerosmith took over and delivered a great rendition of their unforgettable ballad “I Don’t Wanna Miss a Thing.”

A short while later, things started getting pretty strange.

In a group performance of Aerosmith’s classic “Walk This Way,” ‘NSync, Britney, Mary J Blige, and Nelly paced around the stage and took turns strutting, screaming and shouting into the mic with varying levels of skill.

There was also a bizarre but thankfully short dance-off between Steven Tyler and Justin Timberlake.

I need to lie down just writing about it.

6. Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band – Super Bowl XLIII

What do you get when you combine an American rock legend with a packed stadium and massive TV audience? An unforgettable show for everyone, that’s what.

In 2009, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band rocked the Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, but the Boss wanted to ensure everyone at home was just as involved.

As the band started playing the intro to “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out” (including obligatory fireworks), Bruce grabbed the mic and told the TV audience, “I want you to step back from the guacamole dip! I want you to put those chicken fingers down! And turn your television all the way up!”

If the American public were going to listen to anyone, it would be the Boss.

The chicken fingers were promptly discarded, and people were rocking in their living rooms from Washington to Florida.

Apparently, Springsteen had previously turned the show down, so fans worldwide were ecstatic he finally came to his senses. His performance at Super Bowl XLIII will live long in the memory.

? 9 Stars Who Refused The Super Bowl Halftime Show

5. Beyonce – Super Bowl XLVII

Who runs the world?

Well, it was undoubtedly Queen B on Super Bowl Sunday back in 2013. The pop superstar took to the stage in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome New Orleans, racing through hits including “Love on Top,” “Crazy in Love” and “Baby Boy.”

She was then joined on stage by former Destiny’s Child members Kelly Roland and Michelle Williams to sing classics “Bootylicious” and “Independent Women.”

Finally, Kelly and Michelle left the stage and let Beyonce have the limelight again. She closed the show with her heartfelt anthem “Halo” which left fans in the stadium and at home reeling.

How can one person have that amount of energy, talent, and charisma? Who knows, but God, it’s fun to watch.

4. Janet Jackson, Justin Timberlake, P. Diddy, Kid Rock, Jessica Simpson, and Nelly – Super Bowl XXXVIII

You were promised there would be the good, the bad, and the ugly in this list – and here you have it.

This Super Bowl halftime performance by Janet Jackson is arguably the most infamous of all time. The fallout from an unfortunate wardrobe malfunction was extremely ugly and frankly ridiculous.

At the end of an otherwise regular halftime show, Justin Timberlake tore off part of Janet Jackson’s outfit as he sang the rather fitting lyric “better have you naked by the end of this song” from his 2002 hit “Rock Your Body.”

Whether intentional or not, this resulted in Janet Jackson’s nipple being revealed (for half a second) to the TV audience. Yes, 500 whole milliseconds.

Times were different in 2004, and this probably accidental reveal caused an epic fallout.

Jackson’s music was shockingly barred on several platforms, NASCAR, and the NFL tightened indecency rules.

CBS, the parent company of the production, was fined a record $550,000 for indecency, and just months later, the United States House of Representatives passed a bill to raise the maximum fine for indecency.

Many commentators also suggested that “nipplegate,” as it became known, even influenced the 2004 Democratic Party primaries. Jackson herself said the incident was used by George W Bush as a distraction technique.

With hindsight, the whole debacle was blown way out of proportion, but it was definitely memorable.

3. Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, 50 Cent, Kendrick Lamar, and Anderson Paak – Super Bowl LVI

Recency bias? Maybe. Hip-Hop fan? Definitely.

But those issues aside, this iconic Super Bowl halftime performance was memorable for the sheer amount of talent on stage, if nothing else. Some halftime shows have one fantastic artist. This show had seven.

It was also a perfect celebration of Los Angeles, where the Super Bowl was being held. The LA Rams completed the party when they closed out a 23-20 victory against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Dr. Dre was the headline act here, but the supporting cast and outstanding visuals were what really stood out and made the performance unforgettable.

2. U2 – Super Bowl XXXVI

America and the rest of the world were still in shock when U2 took to the stage at the halftime show of Super Bowl XXXVI in 2002.

Less than six months after the September 11 attacks, the Irish rock superstars delivered one of the most memorable live music performances ever.

In a moment of pure beauty, U2 performed their hit “Where the Streets Have No Name” while the names of the victims were projected behind them.

In the song’s climax, lead singer Bono revealed the inside of his jacket adorned with the star-spangled banner.

A truly memorable performance and an amazing tribute to the victims of 9/11.

1. Prince – Super Bowl XLI

What could be more memorable than the iconic and incomparable Prince performing an epic version of his classic “Purple Rain” as the actual rain hammered down onto adoring fans in Miami?

Well, in terms of Super Bowl halftime shows, nothing.

Widely regarded as the best Super Bowl halftime performance from one of the greatest performers ever, there was really only going to be one winner on this list.

Prince’s set included covers of Queen’s “We Will Rock You,” Bob Dylan’s “All Along the Watchtower,” and the Foo Fighters’ “Best of You.”

But the magic moment came at the end of his set when he played his most famous track, “Purple Rain.”

As the unrelenting rain came down, Prince did his thing on the guitar then whipped the crowd up into a sing-along crescendo that will live long in the memories of NFL and music fans alike.

The legend is gone but not forgotten.

Lead image: Twitter/PigsAndPlans

Every player, coach, and fan desperately want to win, and if you put a run together in the playoffs, you could go down in history.

Here are some of the biggest stories from the history of the NFL playoffs, including some all-time great wild card teams that will forever be in fans’ hearts.

New York Jets – 2009

If you’ve followed the NFL for any length of time, you’ll know that the New York Jets and the playoffs don’t exactly go together like a hot dog and ketchup.

The Jets have qualified for the playoffs just 14 times in their history, which is a pretty terrible record considering over a third of the other teams didn’t even exist when the Jets were founded in 1960.

But, that all changed in the 2009-10 season when the Jets and head coach Rex Ryan reached the AFC Championship game, only to be denied a Super Bowl spot by the Peyton Manning-led Indianapolis Colts.

Ever heard of him? Me neither.

The Jets reached the playoffs as wild cards after finishing second in the AFC East division.

They beat the third-ranked Cincinnati Bengals and second-seeded San Diego Chargers on the way to the Championship game, but no one even gave them a chance of making the playoffs when they slumped to a 4-6 record after 10 games.

Sportsbooks, commentators, and fans alike were equally shocked by the Jets’ performance.

Despite falling short, the Jets’ playoff antics went down in NFL folk law, and many fans still remember their run fondly.

New York Giants – 2007

Thanks to a poor season in 2006, expectations were low for the Giants in 2007. Head coach Tom Coughlin and starting QB Eli Manning were both under massive pressure.

Eli wasn’t helped by the fact that 2004 draft alumni Ben Roethlisberger and Philip Rivers were leading their respective teams with aplomb, while his older brother was reigning Super Bowl champion and MVP.

The season started badly, too, losing their first two games. However, the team recovered to an overall record of 10-6 and clinched a wildcard spot in the playoffs.

Again, no one gave the Giants a chance to go deep, with Eli Manning having never won a playoff game before.

That quickly changed when the Giants claimed a 24-14 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and were off to the races.

They followed this up with a win over the Dallas Cowboys and an overtime victory against the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship game to book their place in the Super Bowl.

Surely glory was a step too far, as the Giants faced the Patriots and Tom Brady, who already had three Super Bowl wins to his name.

But the Giants would not be denied, and following an incredible play by Eli Manning and David Tyree, which has since become known as the “helmet catch”’ (with just 1.15 on the clock in the final quarter), they secured victory.

This made the Giants just the fifth team in NFL history to win the Super Bowl as a wild card team and confirmed the greatness of the Manning football dynasty.

Baltimore Ravens – 2000

Defense wins championships; just ask Super Bowl XXXV winners, the Baltimore Ravens.

After qualifying as a wild card, the Ravens dominated their opposition throughout the playoffs with outrageous defensive prowess.

Remarkably, the Ravens’ defense gave up just 23 points to their playoff opponents in total across four games.

Their offense struggled throughout the season but did their job as they dominated the New York Giants in the Super Bowl, running out as 34-7 victors.

Regarded as one of if not the greatest NFL defense of all time, the Ravens were led by 13-time Pro Bowler Ray Lewis.

The hall of famer was named Super Bowl XXXV MVP and was inspirational throughout the playoffs.

He recorded 31 tackles, two interceptions, 9 pass deflections, one fumble recovery, and a touchdown during the run. Big game player.

The Baltimore Ravens rightfully take their place in NFL playoff history. Maybe one for the purists, though.

New England Patriots – 1985

The Patriots are synonymous with success over the last two decades in the NFL, largely due to the Belichick/Brady combination that brought no less than six Super Bowl wins to Foxborough.

Belichick (six) and Brady (seven) top the lists of head coaches, and quarterbacks with the most Super Bowl wins in history. Not too shabby.

But, before this dynamic duo changed the face of modern football, the Pats didn’t have a single Super Bowl win to their name.

This was despite the best efforts of the 1985 team, who, against all odds, made the Super Bowl, only to be outdone by another all-time great defense, the Chicago Bears.

Noticing a theme here?

The Patriots became the first team in NFL history to win all three road games on the way to the Super Bowl, beating the Jets, Raiders, and Dolphins, respectively.

No one in the league gave this a chance, especially because the Patriots were beaten by all of these teams in those stadiums in the regular season.

It wasn’t to be in 1985, but it was still an all-time great playoff run.

And it worked out alright for the Patriots in the end, too. Good things come to those who wait.

Pittsburgh Steelers – 1972

The greatest moment in NFL playoff history, and possibly NFL history in general, came between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Oakland Raiders in the AFC Divisional playoff game in 1972.

Widely known as the “Immaculate Reception,” a play of sheer madness saw the Steelers score a touchdown while trailing 7-6 with just a few seconds remaining in the game.

It was fourth down, and there were 22 seconds on the clock.

Steelers QB Terry Bradshaw was under huge pressure from the Raiders’ defensive line. He scrambled out of the pocket and dodged a tackle before throwing the ball toward his running back, John Fuqua.

The pass was overthrown, and the Raiders safety Jack Tatum broke it up, and that was game over. Or so it seemed…

The ball actually cannoned off Tatum’s helmet. It ricocheted up into the air and the grateful arms of the on-running Steelers fullback, Franco Harris.

He picked the ball up on about the 40-yard line, evaded the scattered Raiders defenders, and ran the ball home for a touchdown.

Although the Steelers lost the AFC championship game to the Miami Dolphins the following week, this game will always be remembered for this single play alone.

The play has to be seen to be believed and the shock on the faces of the Raiders’ defenders said it all.

They were incredibly unlucky to lose in such a way, but for everyone else, it was a play we’d never forget.

Lead image: All Pro Reels/Wikimedia Commons

So today I’ll cover some of the top skills you can learn by playing poker and how they can improve your life both personally and professionally.

1. Managing Your Finances

Your bankroll is your single most important asset in poker, so being able to manage your money is vital if you want to succeed in the long run.

Poor bankroll management, playing higher than you can afford, or taking too many shots are the fastest ways to lose all your money.

This is a lesson many poker players have to learn on their own before realizing there’s simply no way around it.

On the bright side, learning to handle your bankroll in poker will help you prepare for other life situations.

You will learn key aspects of planning and distributing funds in the most efficient way, and even taking necessary risks. Whether in business or on a personal level, this is a very good skill to have.

2. Making Decisions Under Pressure

When playing poker, you’re under constant pressure as almost every decision you make can have significant future consequences.

Sometimes you’ll have to play several really tough hands in a row, and you’ll need to make your best decisions every single time. You can’t take a timeout, skip, or get help from a friend.

Although it can be hard and draining, with practice you’ll learn how to deal with high-pressure situations both in poker and other areas of your life. It will become second nature.

This is why many poker players move to industries like finance and investments after they retire. They become so used to dealing with constant pressure that they’re well suited to this sort of career.

3. Patience

Anyone who has played poker for a while has learned to be patient.

You’ll often have to sit around for long periods of time doing virtually nothing but folding and waiting for good cards or a good situation to appear.

Once you learn how to be patient at the tables, you’ll definitely be better equipped to apply it in other life situations.

Even if it’s just standing in line or waiting for a check, you’ll save yourself from unnecessary frustration about things you can’t change.

While everybody around you will be on edge, you’ll be standing there calmly, simply waiting your turn – because what else can you do?

4. Dealing With Any Situation

If there is one thing you will surely encounter when playing poker, it’s losing.

If you’re a good player, you won’t lose in the long run, but every player will have many, many losing sessions. That’s just the nature of the game.

And when you sit through countless losing sessions and keep playing at your best, you learn to keep your concentration and focus on things that matter instead of losing your temper.

This can be tough at first.

When bad sessions come one after another, it can knock your confidence – and your bankroll. It will make you feel powerless and you might even question your poker playing abilities.

But, if and when you get over these feelings, you’ll come out on the other side much stronger.

Most people don’t have to deal with this daily, so when they have to face a loss of any kind, they are likely to overreact.

You, on the other hand, will be much better equipped to deal with tough situations as they inevitably occur in your life.

5. Reading And Understanding People

Poker requires you to understand your opponents, their motivation, and their reasoning.

I’m not talking about making movie-like reads where you make a call based on the fact they raised their left eyebrow.

Rather, you’ll constantly be in a position to assess other players and think about their actions.

After a while, you’ll become much better at understanding people and their motivations, and not just at the tables.

Poker certainly does a good job of imitating life in certain aspects, and it will teach you to recognize emotions such as fear, anxiety, excitement, and more in others.

Being able to recognize these emotions is a valuable skill to have in your personal life and it can also be an asset in business, when you have to decide on someone you don’t know that well.

6. Making The Most Of The Hand You Are Dealt

There’s an expression you’re probably aware of: “Play the hand you are dealt.”

In life, just like in poker, sometimes you have to make the most out of a bad situation, and you don’t get to change your hand at will.

Unlike most people who never played the game, you will learn full well what this means.

Sometimes at the tables, you won’t get that big hand you’re waiting for and you’ll be forced to find the best possible scenario with a mediocre holding and go with it.

While not ideal, it certainly beats sitting around as your stack turns into nothing as blinds and antes go up, and you keep folding your way into oblivion.

This skill of taking charge of things and making your stand will help you in many life situations.

Instead of accepting things are bad and can’t be changed, you’ll be looking for ways to make the best of bad situations, be it on a professional or personal level.

7. Understanding Risk vs. Reward

Poker will teach you what you need to know about the risk vs. reward principle.

While you may have heard the saying that “tight is right” countless times, the fact of the matter is that you need to take calculated risks to make money at the tables.

Whether it’s in a cash game where you put real money on the line, or in a tournament where you’re trying to climb the pay ladder, almost every single decision you make has certain financial consequences.

Understanding and developing this skill is invaluable in business.

Instead of being reluctant to take any risks, or blindly jumping to an unknown situation, you will learn to calculate your possible rewards.

Poker will teach you how to assess such situations and make them as profitable as you possibly can.

8. Learning To Be More Assertive

Depending on your character, you may or may not be aggressive enough in your life.

I’m not talking about physical aggression, of course, but rather the type of aggression that is sometimes required to get you where you want to go.

For example, in business negotiations, you’ll sometimes need to be aggressive and push for what you want if you feel you can get it.

If this doesn’t come naturally to you, poker is a great environment where you can learn how to be more aggressive when needed.

Pulling a well-timed bluff or going for a bit of extra value where you feel your opponent is reluctant to fold will give you the kind of edge you want to have at the tables.

These skills translate very well to real life.

Next time you’re in a situation where you need to make that extra push, you’ll be ready for it.

You’ll be able to assess the situation correctly and do the right thing instead of backing off with the fear of losing what’s already on the table.

9. Improving Your Focus

With all the mobile phones, tablets, TV screens, and everything else all around us, it’s hard to stay focused on any single activity in this world of distractions.

Poker can be a great training field for your focus.

Most players tend to zone out when not involved in a hand and do something else while waiting for the new deal.

If you want to excel, though, you shouldn’t be one of those players. Instead, stay focused on what’s going on at all times.

Even if you’re not involved in a hand, you can pick up on a valuable piece of information from a hand developing between other players, which could come in handy later down the line when you do get involved in a pot with a particular opponent.

Learning how to keep your focus at the tables will translate well into other life situations. It will teach you to ignore distractions and be present.

It will take some time, practice, and effort, but developing this skill is almost guaranteed to make you much better at anything.

Improve Your Poker Game, Improve Your Life

Poker involves so many strategic, mathematical, and psychological elements, all of which require a great deal of skill.

If you take it seriously, the game will challenge you on many levels and will require constant growth and development if you want to succeed.

This is what makes poker so hard in the first place, but it’s also what makes it one of the most valuable and useful games to learn. It gives you skills that you can take into other personal and professional situations.

You don’t even have to become a professional poker player to take advantage of the game.

Even if you play casually but think about your decisions and work on improving, you’ll develop many of the skills discussed in this article.

So, on top of having a lot of fun when playing, you also reap other benefits that will help you succeed in your day-to-day life.

NFL players, coaches, and staff often take home staggering paychecks, but what about cheerleaders?

The men and women that make up NFL cheerleading squads are a prominent part of the sport, but do they get paid anywhere near as well as the players? Keep reading to find out.

What Is The Average NFL Cheerleader Salary?

Unfortunately, cheerleaders are hugely underpaid compared with other jobs in the NFL.

It goes without saying that come game time, cheerleaders will have huge smiles on their faces. But the same might not be true when they check their bank balance.

NFL cheerleaders make, on average, $22,500 per year, which was less than half the average US salary of $54,132 in 2022.

Some squads get paid more. For example, America’s Sweethearts, the cheerleaders of the Dallas Cowboys, are one of the most well-known in the NFL and receive a reported salary of $75,000.

Still, the average number is shocking, especially when you compare it to NFL waterboy salaries, which average at around $53,000.

Cheerleaders’ pay also doesn’t reflect the work that goes into being on an NFL cheerleading squad.

Practice can take up to 30+ hours per week, they spend countless hours traveling to games, and have to be at the stadium five hours ahead of their performance time.

? How Much Do NFL Referees Make?

Why Are Cheerleaders Paid So Badly?

Cheerleaders are not employees of NFL teams. They are independent contractors and historically have always been paid incredibly poorly.

Several former NFL cheerleaders had reported that they were paid well under the minimum wage, and one even wrote in Cosmopolitan Magazine that in 2006 when expenses were taken into account, she made just $300 for the whole season.

This injustice eventually led to one cheerleader taking a stand. Lacy Thibodeaux-Fields was part of the cheerleading team for the Oakland Raiders, the Raiderettes, but in 2014, she brought a lawsuit against the team for infringing employment law.

Eventually, Lacy and another former Raiders cheerleader won the case and were paid a $1.25-million settlement.

The Raiderettes were also offered new contracts that included an hourly rate above minimum wage and compensation for overtime.

This case was the subject of the 2019 documentary, A Woman’s Work: The NFL’s Cheerleader Problem, and inspired dozens of other cheerleaders across the NFL to take their teams to court over poor pay.

In general, this has improved conditions for cheerleaders. They are now being paid at least minimum wage, despite this being a pittance compared to other NFL salaries.

How Much Do NFL Cheerleaders Make At The Super Bowl?

Unlike players and coaches, there is no evidence to suggest that NFL cheerleaders make big bonuses for Super Bowl or playoff appearances.

Following the lawsuit victory for Lacy Thibodeaux-Fields in 2014, it was confirmed that the Oakland Raiders cheerleaders ‘‘would be paid for all their work’’ and ‘‘entitled to overtime’’ – but this may just be at a minimum wage per hour.

So, it’s unlikely that NFL cheerleaders take home big checks for performing in the playoffs or Super Bowl.

How Easy Is It To Become A Cheerleader In The NFL?

Becoming an NFL cheerleader is very competitive and difficult to do, despite the relatively poor pay.

Before applying, you have to be:

• 18+

• A high school graduate or have a GED equivalent

• Able to commit to an entire season (August through February)

• Available for all home games, as well as any potential playoff games

• Willing to participate in weekly practices and required appearances

• Able to pass a background check

Once you’ve ticked all those boxes, the real hard work starts.

Tryouts for NFL cheerleading squads feature hundreds of athletes who are whittled down to a group of around 50-60 who make the final squad.

Judges assess potential cheerleaders on their dance technique, performance skills, personality, and more.

Every cheerleader who makes it to the NFL ranks will also undoubtedly have high school or collegiate cheerleading experience.

So, just like the players, it’s not easy to make it in the pro ranks.

To Cheer Or Not To Cheer?

Despite NFL cheerleader salaries being meager in such a lucrative business, thousands of hopefuls try to make squads yearly.

Many see it as an opportunity to further their profile and résumé for future work, and the prestige and fame that comes with making an NFL cheer squad is real.

? Top 10 Richest NFL Players Ever

Lead image: Rajiv Perera/Unsplash

So, it goes without saying there are some prominent personalities – and not always on the field.

Some NFL coaches are larger than life and have dragged their teams to Super Bowl success over their careers. Of course, coaches are not idolized in the same way players are, but the great ones are put on a pedestal quite unlike any other in the world of sport.

In this article, we’ll take a look at the greatest Super Bowl-winning coaches in the history of the NFL and why they deserve their status at the top of America’s game.

1. Bill Belichick

Bill Belichick is a name synonymous with success.

He holds the NFL head coach records for most Super Bowl wins (six), most playoff wins (31), tied most playoff appearances (19), and championship game appearances (nine), to name but a few.

Across a 30-year NFL career, his teams have had a ruthless streak, and his success has been based on building a unit of the right players, not necessarily the best ones.

After all, Tom Brady, his partner in crime and most successful quarterback ever, was not a hot prospect coming into the NFL. He was selected in the sixth round of the NFL draft but was molded into the GOAT by Belichick.

Love him or hate him, no one can argue with the facts: Bill Belichick is the greatest NFL coach of all time.

2. Vince Lombardi

If you’re going to name a trophy after someone, they better be good. It turns out Vince Lombardi was great.

The legend, who the NFL renamed the Super Bowl trophy following his death in 1970, won three NFL championships (pre-Super Bowl era) and the first two Super Bowls.

Lombardi had a 73.8% regular season win rate which was bettered by an outrageous 90% rate in the playoffs.

He’s widely regarded as one of the greatest coaches in the history of US sport and takes his rightful place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

3. Chuck Noll

The Pittsburgh Steelers have won the joint most Super Bowls (six) in NFL history, and that is primarily thanks to Chuck Noll.

His Steelers team won four Super Bowls in six seasons, from 1974-1979, dominating their competition.

Noll never lost in the Super Bowl, with his team winning on all four occasions, and was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1993 – the first year he was eligible.

Noll was also notably the first head coach in the NFL to start an African American quarterback and one of the first to hire Black assistant coaches.

His record and contribution to football development will be long remembered in Pittsburgh and beyond.

4. Bill Walsh

Bill Walsh was made head coach of the San Francisco 49ers in January 1979, but by the end of the 1980 season, he could have been forgiven for thinking a Super Bowl was one dream too far.

His team had finished the season with a 6-10 record, missing out on the playoffs.

Still, a certain Joe Montana was made starting QB midway through the season, and Walsh knew he was onto a winner.

The 49ers, led by Montana and Walsh, went on to win three Super Bowls from 81-88, changing the fortunes of this long-suffering franchise and creating one of the greatest offensive teams ever.

Like Chuck Noll, Walsh entered into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1993 and finished his career with an impressive 10-4 record in the playoffs.

5. Tom Coughlin

Tom Coughlin has the least Super Bowl wins of any head coach on this list (two), and there are several other coaches with more.

But “Colonel Coughlin” – as he was known by his players – deserves his place amongst the modern greats.

He took over as head coach of the New York Giants in 2004, following their 4-12 season in 2003. He didn’t achieve overnight success but eventually led the team to two Super Bowls in 2008 and 2012.

He makes our list for masterminding one of the biggest upsets in NFL playoff history when the Giants beat the Patriots (coached by you know who) 17-14 at Super Bowl XLII.

Many sportsbooks had the Patriots as high as -13.5 favorites on the points spread.

The “Helmet Catch” – widely regarded as the best Super Bowl play ever – saw back up wide receiver, David Tyree, catch a touchdown pass by pressing the ball against his helmet.

This followed some Houdini level escapes from quarterback Eli Manning.

Coughlin’s team shocked the football world with their victory against the unbeaten Patriots. The Pats were looking to become only the second team in history to win every game of the season, including the Super Bowl.

Thanks for the memories, Colonel.

Final Thoughts

It’s important to acknowledge that some all-time great NFL coaches were missed off our list.

We easily could have included Shula, Landry, or Gibbs but our selections sum up what we think it takes to be a Super Bowl champ.

These five head coaches had unprecedented success over several seasons, often winning against the odds (and sometimes against each other).

If that doesn’t summarize the spirit of football, we don’t know what does.

Lead image: Redspork02/Wikimedia Commons

But every now and again, a gambler comes along with so much skill, bravery, or money that they can turn the odds on their heads and make millions of dollars in the process.

Lots of people like the occasional flutter but there are a few individuals who have made beating the bookies their life’s work.

Read on to discover how they became the richest gamblers in the world and what they won in the process. 

1. Kerry Packer – $5 Billion

Kerry Packer might have become Australia’s richest man through his family’s business empire, but it’s gambling that he will always be remembered for. This is because Packer always played big.

Part of playing this way is losing huge sums of money and Packer was known to go on some astonishingly bad streaks during his gambling career. 

The most famous of these was over a 10-month period from September 1999 to July 2000 when he lost around $40 million playing in both Crockford’s casino, London and the Bellagio in Las Vegas. 

Fortunately for Packer, he also had the occasional hot streak. Perhaps his greatest gambling achievement came in May 1995 when he won $20 million in only 40 minutes by playing several games of $250,000 stake blackjack at once. 

2. Tony Bloom – $1.5 Billion

Like a lot of people who have made their money in the gambling world, Tony Bloom is a bit of a mystery.

What we do know is that he studied mathematics at The University of Manchester and started out playing poker for fun. 

Over the years this hobby has won him around $2.5 million and has seen him play in some huge tournaments including the World Poker Tour and Poker Million IX where he finished second. 

It was also at the poker table that Bloom earned himself the nickname “The Lizard” for his cold-blooded style of play. 

Most of Bloom’s fortune has not come from poker though. Instead, he has made millions by setting up his own betting consultancy firm, Starlizard.

Many reports say that Starlizard is one of the top betting firms in the world and that it wagers millions of dollars on soccer leagues across the globe. 

3. Bill Benter – $1 Billion

Another math whizz who has used his intelligence to earn a fortune by gambling is Bill Benter.

Like a lot of young gamblers, Benter started his career counting cards in Las Vegas before turning his attention to horse racing in Hong Kong. 

In partnership with another gambler, Alan Woods, Benter began building an algorithm that could predict a horse’s chance of winning with incredible accuracy.

After a few difficult years and some tweaking, his model eventually began to earn him tens of millions of dollars per year. 

Benter’s most famous win came when his model correctly predicted the Triple Trio, a famous bet in Hong Kong where you must predict the first three horses to cross the line in three separate races. 

Today, Benter is now a billionaire and spends his time giving lectures at universities and donating to charitable causes around the world. 

4. Edward Thorp – $800 Million

Coming in one place behind Bill Benter is the man who inspired him to gamble in the first place, Edward Thorp – the man who invented card counting.

Using his mathematical and technological genius, Thorp created a way of overturning the house advantage when playing blackjack. 

During his first weekend trying the technique he won $11,000 and after seeing that it was effective, he decided to publish a book explaining his techniques.

Published in 1962, “Beat the Dealer” was an incredible success with over 1 million copies being sold. 

Thorp followed his book by inventing the first wearable computer. This piece of technology gave him increased chances of winning roulette.

Taking his gambling skills to the stock market saw Thorp’s wealth balloon and he has been an extremely wealthy man ever since. 

5. Alan Woods – $500 Million

Alan Woods was a former partner of Bill Benter and made his money in a similar way.

They both started out counting cards, and even worked on the same team at one point.

Then, after being blacklisted from the Las Vegas casinos they turned their attention to the Hong Kong horse races.

After falling out, Woods made his own model every bit as successful as Benter’s.

However, he was forced to flee to the Philippines once his betting syndicate started being investigated by law enforcement. 

Still betting from his private property, Woods amassed a huge fortune of around half a billion dollars and worked in close partnership with former rival Zeljko Ranogajec.

6. Zeljko Ranogajec – $420 Million

Known as “The Joker”, Zeljko Ranogajec is another incredibly rich person who has made money for himself by being a so-called advantage gambler. 

After transforming a few hundred dollars into millions at the blackjack table, Ranogajec worked with Alan Woods before setting up his own betting syndicate known as the Bankroll. 

Mainly focusing on horse racing, Ranogajec’s syndicate is said to place bets worth over $3 billion per year.

Even if many of these don’t win, Ranogajec still makes money thanks to bookmakers giving him discounts and rebates on his incredibly large bets. 

While Ranogajec likes to keep himself to himself, the fortune he has built cannot be so easily hidden. He reportedly owns an apartment at One Hyde Park, the world’s most expensive apartment building.

Even more amazingly, bets placed by his syndicate apparently make up one third of Betfair Australia’s total operations.

7. Billy Walters – $200 Million

Billy Walters is perhaps one of the most successful sports bettors in history. Walters himself has gone on record saying he has only had one losing season in the 39 years he gambled on sports. 

Like many others on this list, Walters used analysis to produce more accurate odds than the bookies, allowing him to win between 56-60% of all bets he placed. 

According to ESPN, Walters found most of his success at collegiate level sports where the bookies invested less time and resources in calculating their odds.

Apparently, Walters used to bet huge amounts of money on these small teams with one employee recalling a $250,000 wager he placed on NCAA Division I basketball team, Old Dominion. 

Unfortunately for Walters his lucky streak came to an end when he was found guilty of insider trading on the stock market.

He was sentenced to five years in prison, only serving four thanks to pardon by former President Donald Trump. 

8. Dan Bilzerian – $200 Million

While most gamblers on this list have made their money through sports betting, Dan Bilzerian tends to prefer the poker table. 

Most people will have heard of Bilzerian thanks to his antics on social media where he flaunts a lavish lifestyle, which he says he earned through poker. 

What’s interesting is that Bilzerian hardly ever plays public games. In fact, one of his only recorded results was 180th in the 2009 World Series Poker Event.

Bilzerian maintains that he now only plays poker in underground, private games. And, if you believe him, Bilzerian can earn up to $50 million in one night. 

Of course, there is no way of proving this, but some professional gamblers think it is a possibility, given that Bilzerian has a reputation for only playing against super rich people he feels sure of beating. 

9. David Walsh – $200 Million

David Walsh first became involved in gambling when he counted cards during his time at the University of Tasmania.

Here he met fellow student Zeljko Ranogajec and the two of them soon decided to try their hand at playing blackjack in Las Vegas.

When Walsh moved back to Tasmania, he began building his own software to predict the outcome of horse races. This would end up being a key piece of technology for Ranogajec’s syndicate the Bankroll. 

According to Ranogajec, during these early days Walsh would be the one to do all the mathematical calculations for the syndicate because of his intellectual gifts.

Walsh matched this intelligence with bravery and once bought $11 million worth of lottery tickets to win a $60 million jackpot. 

Today, Walsh dedicates most of his time to an underground art museum that he has built in Tasmania.

The rumored price tag? Over $200 million. 

10. Phil Ivey – $100 million

Unlike Dan Bilzerian, there can be no doubting Phil Ivey’s poker playing ability.

A lot of people see him as one of the best players in the world and he has the trophies to prove it, including a World Poker Title and 10 World Series of Poker bracelets. 

These victories have come with millions of dollars in prize money, but Ivey has also made huge sums by playing poker against billionaires like banker Andy Beal.

According to some stories, Ivey is supposed to have beaten Beal out of $16.6 million in one single game. 

A few of these characters crossed between the world of gambling and cheating and magic.

Martin Nash was a legend in the conjuring world, and I was fortunate to spend many hours in his company.

In that time, Martin taught me a great deal and fooled me countless times with sleights and subtleties but on two occasions, I had the opportunity to the turn the tables on the old master.

It Was A Dark And Stormy Night…

It rarely rains in Los Angeles but when it does, many people choose to remain inside, especially at night.

On such a wet and windy evening at the Magic Castle in Hollywood – a private club for magicians, celebrities and wealthy supporters of the art – the showrooms were only half full and the (many) bars and corridors were mostly empty.

I found myself alone at the end of the Palace Bar, sitting at a green baize-covered table where members could perform for guests or trade secrets and ideas.

I took advantage of the quiet time to practice a move I had recently learned from a professional card cheat and was busy shuffling and dealing when Martin Nash pulled up a chair to sit down and chat.

Meet Mr. Nash

For most of you, Martin’s name will be unfamiliar but for magicians and sleight of hand enthusiasts, Martin was a legend – and deservedly so.

He was a magician and entertainer who performed under the name “The Charming Cheat” and could bring an audience to its feet with astonishing demonstrations of skill and expertise.

Martin himself was something of a mystery: In the world of magic and magicians he was a legendary figure, but he often hinted towards a shadowy other life that he rarely discussed, even with friends.

It’s possible he was nothing more than a performer who had adopted the methods of cardsharps but there was a note of guilt in his voice whenever he talked about making moves for real.

The Real Deal

I used to spend a lot of time with a gaggle of crotchety curmudgeons at the Farmer’s Market on Third and Fairfax, long before the modern Disney-like “Grove” carbuncle was built next door and the market filled with wannabes, posers, and fakers.

In the good old days, it was filled with a rogues gallery from all walks of life, including old crews from the bad old days of the Gardena Card Rooms.

Those guys thought Martin was just a pretender but when I asked if they’d even seen him in action, none of those retired railbirds had even seen a show.

Except one.

“Phil H” – a well-known former cheater (and illegal bookie) – would sometimes visit the Magic Castle to see friends and quietly enjoyed Martin’s Hollywood version of the crooked gambler and Phil once told me that Martin had “one shot” that would definitely get the money!

Sadly, I never got the skinny on what the move was or how and where (or if) Martin had ever played it.

One thing was for sure: After a career performing thousands of live shows and countless television appearances, Martin Nash’s playing days – real or imagined – were long in the past but his performing life continued until his death in 2009.

Shortly after Martin passed, magician Bob Farmer learned – while researching another project – that Martin had helped the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to catch card cheats who had been working the lumber camps in British Columbia.

Doctor Theatre

In his later years, Martin suffered multiple ailments including arthritis but whenever he stepped into the spotlight, he seemed rejuvenated and transformed and could perform expert moves effortlessly for a live audience despite being in pain.

At a convention in Sacramento, I snuck into the back of a showroom where I knew Martin would be closing the show and was surprised to find the Charming Cheat at the back of the theatre, watching the other acts.

He was clearly nervous about performing as he rubbed “Golden Touch” lotion into his hands to combat chronic dry skin and as I watched him prepare, I grew concerned that he wasn’t in any shape to execute expert sleight of hand under hot theatre lights for a room full of cynical magicians.

I needn’t have feared.

When introduced, Martin transformed before my eyes as he walked from the back of the room to the stage, smiling brighter than the light that followed him, eyes glistening and mind as sharp as a switchblade.

The show was fantastic and as always, ended with a prolonged standing ovation as Martin soaked every ounce of love from his audience.

Martin’s Challenge

There’s an enormous amount we can learn from old-school card men like Martin Nash, and the smart guys know when to stop and listen.

I was lucky to be very friendly with Martin and he would often share secrets learned over a lifetime of study.

As he joined me on that rainy night at the Castle, I was delighted to have him all to myself, but our privacy was short lived when a couple of young members – wisely spotting an opportunity to spend time with Martin Nash – joined us.

As we chatted, I continued to shuffle the deck in the hope Martin would take it and show us something but instead, he asked me to shuffle and deal a hand of five card stud to every player.

Unfortunately for Martin, I knew what was coming as I had seen him pull this trick before.

It was a few years earlier at some hotel, at some convention late at night when Martin asked someone to deal a round of stud before asking them to name the unseen hole cards.

When his victim admitted he had no idea what those cards were, Martin slammed his fist on the table and shouted, “Then what are you doing in the game?” before breaking the tense moment with that famous smile of his.

I knew I was Martin’s next victim but unfortunately for him, he couldn’t have chosen a worse time.

I did as I was asked, pitching a face down card followed by a face up card to each of the people around the table.

Martin asked me to name the cards and I immediately did so, calling all five hole cards, catching the old master completely by surprise!

He looked me dead in the eye and knew I had the jump on him – and he loved it.

He spent the next two hours sharing ideas generously but when the others were gone, he had to know how I knew those cards.

As it turned out, the move I had been practicing before he sat down was a way to peek cards as they’re being dealt; Martin literally couldn’t have chosen a worse time to “get me” with his favorite challenge and I’m glad he took it well.

This wasn’t the only time I managed to fool Martin Nash but the second time I wasn’t even in the room.

All Change

While making the film Shade where I was second unit director and expert consultant, I had developed a way to change a 5 Card Poker hand visibly while the cards were face up.

You can see the effect if you watch the opening titles of the movie, which I directed.

The method I invented allowed the performer to immediately hand the cards out for examination – a new development – and I shared it with a few friends at the Magic Castle.

Word of this effect reached Martin Nash who bumped into card expert Jason England sitting at “The Vernon Table” contemplating a terrible 5 Card Poker hand.

Martin joined him and after a few pleasantries, asked Jason if he’d seen my new effect.

Jason instantly transformed the five cards in his hand to a Royal Flush before passing the cards to Martin.

I had taught Jason the sleight earlier that week and he was practicing just as Martin arrived and asked about it!

Martin Nash was more than just a great card technician, a performer, or an expert in his field. Martin was a true gentleman cut from classic cloth.

Whether or not he was ever a cheat is moot, but he was charming to the end.

Lead image: Shutterstock

And the answer is, “Well, yes, but actually no.”

All slot machines will have a house advantage. This number is normally best defined as return to player (RTP). As the name suggests, it shows how much of each dollar wagered is returned to the player on average.

So perhaps the better question is how rigged are they?

Of course, the player is really asking if the machines are set to pay back some egregious amount on every dollar – or perhaps not pay back at all.

And the answer there is of course a resounding “no”.

Why Casinos Don’t Rig Their Machines

Casinos already basically have a license to print money issued either from the state or country they’re operating in.

Many of these licensing agencies will have a minimum RTP or payback amount that casinos will not be allowed to go under.

Not only would a casino with machines set below state minimum paybacks face huge fines or even losing their license, but they would face a huge reputational risk with the gambling public.

No one is going to want to play with a casino that has been cheating its players.

All the revenue in casinos is closely monitored by state or tribal agencies to make sure that they get their fair share in taxes; any odd variations in revenue outside what is expected will have regulators inspecting slot machines and their CPUs for irregularities.

Most of these jurisdictions publish a monthly breakdown of RTP, often by region and in some cases by the individual casino.

In these cases, a savvy slot player can get a glimpse of not only the variations in payout by different properties but even the different RTPs by bet denomination inside those properties.

While not every state or tribal venue will have a minimum RTP amount, two other factors also keep operators in these locations from setting their machines too tight.

The first is the psychology of gambling.

Players expect a certain amount of time on a machine, they expect entertainment for their gambling dollar.

A casino that doesn’t let its players win sometimes is a casino that won’t be open for long.

A good casino operator – whether limited by the law or not – will know that the longer they keep slot players in those chairs the more money they will make and the happier the customers will be.

And this goes hand in hand with the other limiting factor which is free market competition.

If a player feels they’re not getting the best value for their slot machine budget, they will vote with their feet and move to a venue that provides a better RTP.

Even casinos with little competition in their local market may lose player spend to Las Vegas or larger regional markets if they price their payback too tight.  

Nevada, which has fierce competition, has RTP rates between 90% and 94%.

Maine, which is somewhat isolated and only has two casinos, with long drives to other casino markets, has RTP rates of 89% to 94%.

This shows that even somewhat isolated markets still must price accordingly.

Why All Those Slot Myths You’ve Heard Are Really Just Myths

The other rigged slot machine question I often hear revolves around a sort of urban myth.

It’s long been believed in the slot machine community that machines in certain areas are set at a much different payback than in others.

For example, many slot players swear that machines by the front entrance or the casino cage pay better because the casino wants gamblers to see and hear people winning.

And the corollary is that machines by table games or the buffet line will have worse RTP numbers because the casino expects to be able to attract more casual players who are just playing for a few minutes.

In fact, if you talk to a dozen different serious slot players, you’re going to get 12 different PhD theses on slot machine placement and payback percentages.

But what’s the truth?

While there is not a lot of historical detail, there is no doubt that casino managers from 50 years ago placed slot machines at various payout levels, in different locations, depending on their own beliefs in what would lead to higher volume and higher hold percentage play.

But these early slots prognosticators were often dealing with only 100 machines or so; now even an average-sized casino has over 1,000. And, in some cases, as many as 4,000.

Most of these machines are ordered in large quantities, and while they may offer various pay tables, most will simply be set by the casino at the same payout as all the rest.

Not 1% higher for the end cap games and 1% lower for those in the middle of the aisle.

In speaking with slot directors today, most are far too busy to worry about individual machine placement based on even a few percent difference in RTP.

They may place certain banks of slots in certain high-visibility areas, but this is much more likely to be based on the volume of play rather than house advantage.

They will have a target RTP number for let’s say, all penny slots, and will order the machines with those pay tables that will help them meet that number.

Regulation also plays a role here. In some of the jurisdictions where I talked with slot managers, their penny games were already set at state minimum, in this case, 86% return to player.

They literally didn’t have a penny denomination game in the house that paid very much more than that.

They couldn’t very well alter machine location based on payback when almost all of them were within a percent or two of the rest.

Also, most casinos keep the difference in payouts between their highest denomination games and their lowest value denomination games in a reasonably tight spread.

5% is roughly the average between the average payback on a high denomination game vs. a penny slot, though some ultra-high denomination slots fall outside this range.

In Nevada, penny slots have an RTP of around 90%, while $5 dollar machines are around 94.5%.

This tight grouping of average payback percentages also indicates that there is little need to place machines in locations based solely on the house advantage.

All that being said, there are hundreds of slot directors just in the US. Every one of them will take a different approach to their slot floor.

Certainly, there are some that will feel placing dollar slots with higher payback, or even more likely high, high hit rates but lower jackpots near the front door makes economic sense.

But for the average gambler, the odds of there being enough of a percent difference in machines at different locations for them to even notice is a long shot bet.

It’s probably best to worry more about whether the ticket redemption machine is going to force you to wait in line for 30 minutes to get your change.

That truly does seem rigged.