Arizona Gaming Guide - December 2011 - 03:05

FAST FACTS Indian Gaming

20 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2011 | azgamingguide.com

http://www.azgamingguide.com/

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Contents

04 EDITOR’S NOTE What’s on our mind

06 PLAYERS TALK What’s on your mind

27 ENTERTAINMENT Editor’s Picks

28 FUN & GAMES Sudoku & Riddles to keep your mind sharp

29 SAMI’S SMACKDOWN Rants, raves & reflections

30 CASINO SPONSOR DIRECTORY

REGULAR RESPINS

25 CASINO BUZZ New slots at Mazatzal in Payson.

26 NATIVE AMERICANS IN ARIZONA The IGRA & The ICA.

FAST FACTS

08 GHOSTBUSTERS BY IGT Invade Casino Arizona & Talking Stick Resort.

10 CASCADING REELS & 5X4 ANCIENT MAGICKE Brand new WMS slots at Hon-Dah Resort-Casino.

13 MICHAEL JACKSON KING OF POP BY BALLY One of a kind slot machine coming Summer 2012.

15 POKER Check out the poker room at Talking Stick Resort.

GREAT GAMES

DECEMBER

azgamingguide.com | December 2011 | Arizona Gaming Guide 03 Slot machine images courtesy of WMS Gaming. © Copyright WMS Gaming. All Rights Reserved. www.wms.com

FEATURES

16 LUNAR BINGO—FT. MCDOWELL CASINO DJ Ramses Ja takes us inside the phenomenon.

Slot machine images courtesy of Bally Technologies. © Copyright Bally Technologies. All Rights Reserved. www.ballytech.com

0808

20 VIDEO POKER Strategies to keep you playing.

22 QUICK GAMBLING TIPS If you want to win big—play these slots!

WINNING WAYS

1010

1313

1616 Ramses JaRamses Ja

Lunar BingoLunar Bingo

@ Fort McDowell Casino@ Fort McDowell Casino


http://www.wms.com

http://www.ballytech.com

VOLUME 03 • ISSUE 05

PUBLISHER

Chris Hoft

[email protected]

MANAGING DIRECTOR

Elizabeth Torma

[email protected]

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Alexandra Lang

[email protected]

ART DIRECTOR

Melanie Mueller

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Mark Novak

Alex Stewart

Samantha Becker

Lana Hartmann

Elizabeth Torma

ADVERTISING SALES

Nina Consiglio

[email protected]

Alex Stewart

[email protected]

MAILING INFORMATION

Arizona Gaming Guide

P.O. Box 20636

Mesa, Arizona 85277

INTERNET INFORMATION

www.azgamingguide.com

www.facebook.com/ArizonaGamingGuide

Copyright © 2011 The Arizona Gaming Guide.

All rights reserved.

The Arizona Gaming Guide (AGG) presents casino industry and

gaming related facts as well as personal opinions and expects the

reader to make his or her own decisions. All responses to reader e-

mails and letters are to be considered as advice only. AGG accepts

no responsibility and no liability for any actions of our readers

based on the articles and advertisements presented within this

publication. All pictures, images, logos, trademarks and trade

names, etc. are the sole property of their respective owners. You

must be 21 or older to gamble. Please play responsibly. Help is

available at 1.800.NEXT.STEP or www.problemgambling.az.gov.

EDITOR’S NOTE


Your Authority On Everything Gaming

Lunar Bingo At Fort McDowell Casino

Hot music, cocktail specials, laser lights and a great time is what you

can expect at Lunar Bingo at Fort McDowell casino presented by 101.1

FM The Beat. The spacious 1,700 seat state-of-the-art bingo hall is the

place to be every third Saturday of the month! Ramses Ja, the man be-

hind the music, gives us a glimpse at what happens when the lights go

off at this exciting event in this month’s feature story!

With the new 2012 year just around the corner, my team and I are re-

flecting on all of our achievements this year and setting even higher

goals for ourselves for the coming year. As always, we will continue to

deliver intriguing information on everything gaming to all of you

through our magazine. And, in addition to our print publication and

our social media outlets and applications, we are introducing our all-

new electronic newsletter this month. Hot casino deals, new game in-

stalls, dining, entertainment, and gambling tips delivered straight to

your inbox! We have a lot more exciting things planned for the new

year—additions to the magazine, a fun bus, and more! Stay tuned!

Please visit us at: www.facebook.com/ArizonaGamingGuide, become

part of our community and share your thoughts and experiences with

others who also love the same casino games you do. You can sign up

for our e-newsletter and find the current and back issues of the Ari-

zona Gaming Guide on our website at www.azgamingguide.com. For

your convenience, we have included the QR codes for both web ad-

dresses in our directory. Let me know what you think of our Novem-

ber issue and have fun!

Cheers!

Alexandra Lang

Editor-in-Chief

[email protected]

Alexandra

http://www.problemgambling.az.gov


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mailto:[email protected]





http://www.azgamingguide.com

http://www.facebook.com/ArizonaGamingGuide


http://www.azgamingguide.com

http://www.777play.com/

PLAYERS TALK Q&A On Everything Gaming


ASK THE EXPERTS and get a $25 gas card if we decide to print your question! Do you have a question for our staff of casino gaming industry professionals and slot experts? Write us with your questions

and comments in any area of gaming and we will make every attempt to publish a response in upcoming issues. Space is

limited so we are unable to print every letter or e-mail we receive. Please include your name and mailing address with all

correspondence. Mail to: Arizona Gaming Guide PO BOX 20636 Mesa, AZ 85277 or E-mail to: [email protected].

Q: CASINO EMPLOYMENT

I want to apply for a job at the casino. Can you tell me if

I will need to get a gaming license? If so, what is the

process involved? Thanks for your help with this.

Anonymous – Tucson, AZ

A: State Certification and/or a Tribal Gaming License is re-

quired by the Tribal-State Gaming Compacts before an individ-

ual may be employed by a gaming facility in Arizona. All

Tribes with gaming facilities have a Tribal Gaming Office

(TGO), as required by the Compacts, to assist in the regulation

of Indian gaming. The TGO issues the Tribal Gaming License

for the gaming facility; all gaming employees must have a

Tribal Gaming License to work in a casino. Additionally, the

Arizona Department of Gaming (ADG) issues the State Certi-

fication for non-tribal members or a Tribal Gaming License

Recommendation for tribal members. The process for individu-

als to obtain employee certification is summarized below:

- All prospective gaming employees must initiate the employee

certification process through the casino's TGO. The TGO col-

lects a fee from a potential employee and has him or her fill out

an application form and then forwards the application and the

fee to the ADG.

- ADG then conducts an investigation into the background of

the applicant upon receipt of the application and fee. At the

same time, fingerprint cards are submitted to the Arizona De-

partment of Public Safety and the Federal Bureau of Investiga-

tion.

- Within 20 days of receiving the completed application, ADG

issues temporary certification to the applicant. If temporarily

certified, the applicant can work in the gaming facility during

the official background investigation.

- If the completed background investigation reveals nothing

that would preclude the applicant, ADG issues a State Certifi-

cation and forwards it to the TGO. If the background investiga-

tion reveals that the applicant is not suitable for State Certifica-

tion, ADG issues an intent to deny the application. Of course,

the applicant has a right to protest the decision at a hearing.

- ADG makes a recommendation to the Tribe for Tribal mem-

bers seeking employment at his or her Tribe's gaming facility as

to whether the applicant should be licensed. ADG's recommen-

dation may or may not be accepted by the Tribe. However, if the

Tribe chooses not to accept a negative recommendation from the

ADG, the ADG may request a Tribal Forum to make its case

against the tribal member's employment.

This should give you an idea of what you can expect when you

apply for a job at a casino in Arizona. Many thanks to Talia

Otto at the ADG for her assistance with this answer. For more

information please visit their website at azgaming.gov.

Q: PLAYERS CLUB CARDS

I just turned 21 last April. I go to the casinos from time

to time and I was wondering if it’s worth signing up for

a card. Some people I know get free stuff, but I don’t

think I spend enough to get anything.

Natalie L. – Paradise Valley, AZ

Natalie, a popular misconception is that the players club cards

are only worthwhile to big bettors that spend a lot of money at

the casinos. This is absolutely not the case. You can’t forget to

take into account the aggregate total amount of ALL wins you

get during a play session. For example, it’s not uncommon to

put $20 in a machine and play through $200. The card reader

records all the money played through the machine and not just

the initial stake. Therefore, points do add up very quickly dur-

ing a play session, even when placing low bets.

The casinos are competing against each other for your business.

The incentives they provide you in the form of free merchan-

dise, rooms, food, entertainment, and cash back are just oppor-

tunities to entice you to come back and play at their casino. If

you’re not using a players card then you’re giving the casino

an even greater advantage. I would strongly suggest that you

sign up for a players card. It may take a few casino trips until

you begin to see the offers, but you will find that you don’t have

to be a whale to enjoy a free buffet or some free play money.

However, make sure you are using your players club card

wisely, be an informed player, shop around and see which ca-


mailto:[email protected]?subject=Reader%20Comment%20(Web%20Publication)

azgamingguide.com | December 2011 | Arizona Gaming Guide 07

sino is willing to give you the best deal and then choose where

you spend your entertainment dollars. All this means knowing

how much money you need to spend in order to earn 1 point,

how many points it takes to earn back $1, and which casino

games earn you points the fastest. All casinos have pamphlets

that describe their players clubs and the hosts are always more

than happy to answer any questions you may have.

Q: VIDEO POKER

My wife and I both play video poker and we have a lot

of fun with the game, but we can’t agree on when it’s

time to quit. I don’t continue playing after I get a really

nice win, because I don’t think the machine will pay out

anything else. My wife gets mad at me and tells me the

machine could be hot and I should keep playing. Some-

times I listen to her and keep playing, but then I’ll get

mad when I lose my money. What do you think? When

is a good time to quit?

H & M Alba – Phoenix, AZ

H & M, there’s absolutely no reason to believe if a machine has

“paid out” that it will not give another win for a while. All slot

machines, including video poker, undergo hot streaks and cold

streaks. Let’s consider the simple example of a coin toss. If we

define “heads up” to signal a win and “tails up” to signal a

loss, we know that the probability of either one occurring on

each coin toss is 50%. We also know that there will be “streaks”

of heads (wins) and “streaks” of tails (losses) during our coin

tosses. This is the same behavior exhibited by slot machines.

Even the random number generators in the slot machines be-

have in patterns and exhibit repetitious behavior. That is why I,

personally, don’t leave a game right after a big win. I continue

to see how it does for a little while if my bankroll permits.

I would suggest that you and your wife decide on an amount

that is acceptable to risk if you win before you start your play

session and stick to it. The other option is to play off your bank-

roll and still leave with your wins. And, by “leave” I don’t

mean leave the video poker machine you were playing and find

another machine. I mean, leave—literally. Take those wins

home and enjoy your good fortune!

Q: TOP AWARD FREQUENCY

How often does the highest jackpot usually occur on a

slot machine?

Tom McDonald—Douglas, AZ

Tom, by Arizona regulations, the highest advertised award on a

gaming device has to occur, statistically, once in every

50,000,000 spins. However, for most games (unless a wide-area

progressive) it’s usually between 100,000 and 1,000,000. $

Q&A On Everything Gaming PLAYERS TALK


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GREAT GAMES New Slots

he P.K.E. meters are going crazy at Talking Stick

Resort and Casino Arizona with the new Ghost-

busters™ Who Ya Gonna Call Spinning Reel Slots

hitting casino floors. The slots, manufactured by Interna-

tional Game Technology (IGT), premiered last month

during two special events that helped welcome the games

to the Valley. At the events, a 30-foot Stay Puft marshmal-

low man towered over Casino Arizona to welcome gam-

ers and die-hard Ghostbusters fans. Slurping down slime

green drinks to mark the occasion, fans posed in front of

the original Ecto-1 on display at Talking Stick Resort and

even enjoyed a visit from The Arizona Ghostbusters cos-

tuming fan club and their own Ecto-AZ car.

"We were thrilled to be the first in the Valley to debut

these fun and exciting slot machines. It’s events like these

that help us reach our goal of always providing exclusive

offerings to our guests at Casino Arizona and Talking

Stick Resort,” said David Chavez, director of slot opera-

tions at Talking Stick Resort and Casino Arizona.

T

Ghostbusters™ Invade Scottsdale at Talking Stick Resort and Casino Arizona

By Tessa Bajema at Allison & Partners with photography by Michael Jordan at mjpropics.com


New Slots GREAT GAMES


The Ghostbusters™ Who Ya Gonna Call Spinning Reel

Slots feature IGT’s new Center Stage Duo™ model, fea-

turing the mischievous and lovable character Slimer teas-

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vivid 55-inch overhead LCD screen and chest-pumping

MEGAfx Surround Chairs send players’ adrenaline rac-

ing during spectacular bonus rounds.

Bonus games include Ballroom Busters Pick Bonus where

players are awarded five proton shots to blow up the

ballroom to find ghosts; Stay Puft Free Games Feature

with marshmallows that fall from the sky, stick to symbol

and turn them wild; Are You Psychic? Bonus where play-

ers guess the correct card to win credits and advance to

the next round; and the Paranormal Pick Bonus that of-

fers five levels of Paranormal Pick Bonuses allowing play-

ers to select from phantasm clouds for a chance to win the

progressive jackpot.

“Memorable characters, a catchy song and many unfor-

gettable scenes have made Ghostbusters a pop culture

mainstay and I think we’ve captured the fun of the brand

in the Ghostbusters Slots,” said IGT Chief Operating Offi-

cer Eric Tom. “Players will be thrilled by the constant ac-

tion and our graphic and sound technology will make for

a ghoulishly good time.”

IGT (NYSE: IGT) is a global leader in the design, develop-

ment and manufacture of gaming machines and systems

products, as well as online and mobile gaming solutions

for regulated markets. More information about IGT is

available at www.IGT.com or follow IGT on Twitter at

@IGTNews or Facebook at www.facebook.com/IGT. $

Slot enthusiasts were having a blast playing the new video

slot game Ghostbusters™ by IGT at Casino Arizona.

Promotional items and slime green drinks were available at

both Casino Arizona and Talking Stick Resort.


http://www.IGT.com

http://www.facebook.com/IGT

GREAT GAMES New Slots


CASCADING REELS™ 5x4 ANCIENT MAGICKE™ Play now at Hon-Dah Resort & Casino!

Hon-Dah Resort & Casino recently installed these other great WMS penny products: Gems Gems Gems™, Silver Sword™, Great Eagle Returns™, Mystical Fortunes™, Kronos™, Queen of the Wild™,

Vampire’s Embrace™, Invaders™ Planet Moolah™, Invaders™ Planet Wombat™, Zeus III™, and Wild Shootout™!

Cascading Reels™ Feature

In place of traditional reel spins, the reel symbols cascade into

place as if dropped from above. All winning combinations pay as

normal, but then something extra happens. The symbols in the

winning combinations disappear, the remaining symbols fall and

new symbols cascade down from above to take their place. Four

or more consecutive cascades trigger the Free Play Bonus award-

ing up to 40 or more free spins and a chance at the MINOR or

MAJOR jackpots.


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The game is highlighted by the U-Spin™ Plati-

num Record Bonus in which the player touches

and spins a virtual wheel to win credits and

one of four Free Games experiences. The top

progressive jackpot award is won with five

scatter jackpots in the base game. In Beat It Free

Games, Jackson appears on screen before every

spin, sometimes awarding Locking Wilds

which remain in place for the duration of the

bonus. Billie Jean features the Big Bang play

mechanic, in which Jackson appears on the top

screen and awards wilds. And Jackson’s trade-

mark dance technique, “Moonwalk”, takes cen-

ter stage in Moonwalking Wilds.

Along with the unforgettable music that spans

all ages and his distinctive dance moves, King

of Pop uses favorite icons from Jackson’s career

including the famous white glove, signature

fedora, dance loafers, and sunglasses. Stunning

imagery and an unprecedented number of

movie clips from some of Jackson’s legendary

music videos make the game as irresistible as

the King of Pop himself. This game will be on

casino floors by the summer of 2012! $

Bally Technologies has unveiled a game that will have

players dancing in their seats! For the first time ever, one of mu-

sic’s most influential and biggest-selling stars appears on casino floors

with Michael Jackson King of Pop™. The legendary performer moon-

walks across the game screen to some of the most recognizable tunes in

history.

Michael Jackson King of Pop is a thriller of a game on Bally’s new Pro Se-

ries™ V22/32 cabinet. It combines Bally’s new life-changing Cash Connec-

tion wide-area progressive with six bonus events and a custom King of

Pop surround-sound chair. Sitting in front of this game, players will ex-

perience mind-blowing professional true cinema digital surround sound

and one of the world’s only Michael Jackson song mixes on a game.

Michael Jackson King of Pop offers an astounding suite of features. It

has mystery wilds bonuses and four Free Games bonus events based on

some of his most popular singles, including Don’t Stop Till You Get

Enough, Billie Jean, Beat It, and Smooth Criminal.


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December Tournament Schedule


Poker GREAT GAMES

Jack it upJack it up——Tuesdays and Wednesdays!Tuesdays and Wednesdays!

Hold‘em—$20,000 added to the Progressive Bad Beat

Jackpot posted amount at 2 AM on both days. This addi-

tional money stays until the Bad Beat Jackpot is hit.

Omaha/Stud—$5,000 added to the Progressive Bad Beat

Jackpot posted amount at 2 AM on both days.

Yes, you read that right! The $20,000 and the $5,000 are

added on each day! Jack it up!

he poker room at Talking Stick Resort offers a

variety of poker games to satisfy your appetite,

no matter what kind of poker player you are.

This amazing card room houses 47 non-smoking tables

and is home to the largest recorded bad beat jackpot of

$500,000 in the state of Arizona! Games include a variety

of Texas Hold‘em, Seven Card Stud, Omaha Hi-Lo, and

many others, plus a full tournament schedule.

T

JACK IT UP!JACK IT UP!

POKER You’re gonna wanna

Big StackBig Stack——Dec. 3, 2011 at 10 AMDec. 3, 2011 at 10 AM

$300 Buy-In plus $30 Service Fee. Sign-ups begin Monday

before the tournament at 12 PM at the Poker Cage.

Jack & Jill ChampionshipJack & Jill Championship——Dec. 4, 2011 at 9 AMDec. 4, 2011 at 9 AM

$100 Buy-In plus $15 Service Fee per couple. Sign-ups

begin Monday before the tournament at 12 PM at the

Poker Cage.

Omaha HiOmaha Hi--LoLo——Dec. 11, 2011 at 10 AMDec. 11, 2011 at 10 AM



Poker room at Talking Stick Resort

Super BountySuper Bounty--Super Big StackSuper Big Stack——Dec. 17, 2011 at 9 AMDec. 17, 2011 at 9 AM



Last Saturday of the MonthLast Saturday of the Month——Dec. 24, 2011 at 10 AMDec. 24, 2011 at 10 AM

No Limit Hold‘em $125 Buy-In plus $25 Service Fee. Sign-

ups begin Monday before the tournament at 12 PM at the

Poker Cage. $



Lunar Bingo is known for its huge payouts, free prize

giveaways, and its party-like atmosphere! It takes

place on the third Saturday of every month and is

presented by 101.1 FM The Beat! We caught up with

The Beat’s own Ramses Ja—the man behind the mu-

sic—to gain some firsthand perspective into Lunar

Bingo!

Often imitated, but never duplicated—The Fort

McDowell Casino’s Lunar Bingo still reigns supreme

for the nightlife/gaming experience! A nightclub-

worthy light show, the hottest music, and over a

thousand “Lunartics” ensures that The Fort McDowell

Casino’s bingo hall looks nothing like the one your

grandma is used to!

By Ramses Ja, with layout by Princess T. Taylor & photos by Mattlocks



9:15pm Setup—I

get all set up to

go, and map out

my set for the

evening! I also

take time to

cruise the casino

floor to find out

what else is go-

ing on at The

Fort! They usu-

ally have some-

thing exciting in

every room!

10:00pm Lights Off—This is usually my cue! The staff

will cut the fluorescent lights and start the laser/black

light show! This is when I play music that is closest to

my radio station’s format! I have the promotions staff

on hand from my station greeting people as they

come in for the Lunar session! They hand out glow

sticks and t-shirts for the next two hours! Once every-

one has found their seats, the Lunartics use this time

to take advan-

tage of the drink

s p e c i a l s a n d

dance to the mu-

sic!

1 2 a m S h o w -

time—Now it’s

official! The Lu-

nar Bingo games

start at midnight

and go until all

the prizes have

been awarded!

For the next few

hours, I am spin-

ning Hip-Hop,

House, Rock,

Dub Step, and

Old School music! I also do my best to hit every re-

quest that I can! We have a rule that if you win, you

not only yell out ‘BINGO!’ but you also get up and

dance! It’s cool to see the other Lunartics get in on the

celebration!

Tell us a little

about yourself!

Well, I am a radio

personality and

programmer for

101.1 The Beat! I

am on air Mon-

day through Fri-

day 10am until

2pm. I can be seen

on Channel 3 on

Fridays at 10am

on a show called

Your Life A to Z!

I am also a mem-

ber of the Bum

Squad DJs, The

DJ Vatican, and the R.E.D.Y. Set! I have worked in this

city for years now, but my favorite event by far has been

Lunar Bingo!

What makes Lunar Bingo so much fun?

Lunar Bingo really gives me a chance to flex my crea-

tive muscles when it comes to programming my play-

list! There are so many people from all over, and my

job is to make

sure they all

have a good

time! It’s so fes-

tive and colorful,

and the people

all have such

great energy!

Even after doing

it for so long, I

still look forward

to i t every

month!

For those who

have never

been, take us

through your

night at Lunar

Bingo!

9:00pm Arrival—When I get to the bingo hall to set

up, they are still playing the traditional bingo. The

lights are all on, and the room is very quiet! People

are being shushed—even me when I sound check!


http://www.buckyscasino.com/


Dates for Lunar Bingo for the year of 2012:

January 28th July 21st

February 11th August 18th

Valentine Lunar September 15th

March 17th October 27th

April 21st Halloween Lunar

May 5th November 17th

Cinco de Mayo Lunar December 22nd

June 16th Christmas Lunar

July 4th Lunar December 31st

Some Facts about

Lunar Bingo:

1276 Seating Capacity!

Minimum Buy-In-$5!

Maximum Payout-$150,000!

Only at Fort McDowell Casino!

1:15am Cupid Shuffle—At some point in your life, I

recommend doing the Cupid Shuffle with 1000 people!

This has become a staple for us at Lunar Bingo! We hit it

every time—and everyone joins in!

2:00am Potty Break—The Fort has free soft drinks.

Sue me!

2:30am Last Game—After the last game, we thank eve-

ryone for coming out and invite them to the next ses-

sion! I can tell that everyone has had a good time by

the smiles and praises that I get afterwards! The lights

come back on and I break everything down. They give

me a hotel room, so that’s where I end up…once I’m

done having a little bit more fun in the casino!

How can people keep up with you?

The best way is at www.ramsesja.com. I’m also on

Twitter @RamsesJa and at facebook.com/ramsesja.


http://www.ramsesja.com

THE BEST VIDEO POKER PROGRESSIVES

If you enjoy playing video poker then you will definitely

want to head right over to Desert Diamond Casinos in

Tucson, Arizona because they have some great games

connected to amazing progressives that reset much

higher than at other casinos - even for the Royal Flush!


WINNING WAYS Video Poker

Any video poker game that is connected to a progres-

sive will boost your long-term payback percentage!

Therefore, you should be aware of the fact that one

casino in Arizona may offer an 8/5 Jacks or Better pay

table (8 for the full house and 5 for the flush at bet one)

with no progressive and just a short drive away, an-

other casino may offer the same pay table with a pro-

gressive.

Using 8/5 Jacks or Better as an example, a common

pay table in most casinos across Arizona, the long-run

payback of this game is just over 97% using optimal

strategy. Since a common increment rate for a video

poker progressive is 1%, the long-run payback for the

8/5 Jacks or Better connected to the progressive can get

over 98%!

Let’s examine how the payback percentage increases

as the progressive values increase by taking a look at

the Royal Flush (when using optimal strategy):

5 Coin 25¢ 8/5 Jacks or Better Payback Percentage

Royal Flush is at least $1,000 97.30%




Playing video poker at the casino is the smartest bet on

the video slots, but make sure to shop around for the

best pay tables, find the games connected to a progres-

sive and then wait for those values to climb! $

Here’s A Hint On How To

Increase The Payback % On

VIDEO POKER

When playing Deuces Wild, it’s all about what you hold

with the Deuces. Here are some quick tips to remember:

If you are dealt three Deuces, keep only a Wild Royal

Flush and a Five-of-a-Kind. If you don’t have either of

these hands, then keep only the three Deuces and discard

the rest.

If you are dealt two Deuces, keep all 4-of-a-Kinds or bet-

ter and four to the Wild Royal Flush. Otherwise, keep the

Deuces only.

If dealt only one Deuce, then keep all the hands that pay,

four to a Wild Royal Flush and four to a Straight Flush.

Otherwise, keep only the one Deuce.

BANKROLL

Determine your video

poker bankroll before

your next trip based on

the denomination you

will play and then stick

to it! For pennies, try

$20 for a 5 coin max bet

per hand (for three or

five-play games you’ll

need $60 or $100).

For nickels—try $80.

For quarters—try $400.

For dollars—try $1,600.


http://www.playqcr.com/


WINNING WAYS Quick Gambling Tips

If You Want To Win BigIf You Want To Win Big

Play These SlotsPlay These Slots he penny video slots can be extremely enjoyable

however, they can also be very draining on your

bankroll. As volatile as these slots have become

over the years, their primary purpose is to entertain. If

you want to increase your chances of winning, and you

want to win BIG, then you have to play the mechanical 3-

reel stepper games in either quarter or dollar denomina-

tions. These “classic” slots are still on the casino floors for

a reason! Smart gamblers continue to flock to them and

jackpots of tens of thousands of dollars occur at each ca-

sino every day!

Think you don’t have the proper bankroll to play these

games? Think again! If you’re willing to play 75¢ on a

penny video slot, then you should be willing to play the

max bet of three quarters on a stepper game. A penny

video slot game at a 75¢ bet will not give you a $5,000 or

$10,000 hand pay the way that a stepper game will at the

same bet!

Here are some hints & tips to give you a slight advantage:

● Stick to the ‘tried and true’ favorites like Triply Lucky

7’s®, Double Diamond®, Ten Times Pay®, Blazing 7’s®,

Triple Double Wild Cherry®, Triple Butterfly Sevens®,

Sizzling 7’s®, and Red White & Blue®.

● Most mechanical reel slot games produce a win about

once in every 12 to 20 games. However, if you stick with

Double Diamond®, Blazing 7’s®, and Red White & Blue®

you will have a win every 7 spins on average!

● Come prepared to risk at least 300x your wager. And,

make sure you have documentation on you for those

large taxable hand pays!

● The jackpot on the Double Diamond® slot hits often (1

in every 50,000 spins). This translates to approximately

one jackpot every three days!

● You can find the best selection of stepper slots at

Apache Gold, Desert Diamond, and Cliff Castle casinos.

Give these games a try. Good luck! $

T


http://www.wms.com/battleship


Casino Buzz FAST FACTS


Slot machine images courtesy of WMS. © Copyright WMS. All Rights Reserved. wms.com.

The leader of the pack is back!

his exciting new slot game by WMS Gaming

brings the classic board game CLUE™ to life!

With six total bonuses (four unlockable) set

throughout the famous CLUE™ mansion, players will be

kept on the edge of their seats as they have a chance to

solve the mystery at the end of each bonus round to win a

Progressive award. Through a unique game play me-

chanic, if a player fails to solve the mystery the next

player attempting to solve it has better odds at the Pro-

gressive! E-mail us at [email protected] and

vote to have this game installed at your favorite casino. $

he new slot game Wolf Run 2 Into the Wild™ by

IGT is the sequel to the enormously popular,

Wolf Run®. An industry first, this video slot game

interface and the entire symbol set are composed of

award winning wildlife photography. The LCD screen on

top alternates among several wildlife scenes, and the en-

tire backdrop scene for the primary game changes every

five minutes with breathtakingly beautiful visuals.

In the Map Pick bonus events, players choose between

Arctic Free Games or the Animal Tracking Bonus, which

also includes a chance to multiply their wins. The Arctic

Free Games bonus changes the interface and symbols to a

snow covered theme. The Animal Tracking Bonus allows

players to pick from sketches of big and small game ani-

mals in search for credits. The most exciting feature of

this game that differentiates it from the original is the

Random Extra Wilds feature which appears frequently to

award even bigger awards!

Play Wolf Run 2 Into the Wild™ this month at Mazatzal

Hotel & Casino in Payson, Arizona. Other titles by IGT

being installed now are: Gameking 8.0, Super Times Pay,

Spin Poker Deluxe, Black Widow, Lobstermania 2, Sibe-

rian Storm, Golden Goddess, and Double Da Vinci Dia-

monds. While there, you’ll also want to try the recently

installed Cashman Fever™ by Aristocrat Technologies!

Good luck and have fun! $

T

Coming to Mazatzal Hotel & Casino this month!

Unlock bonuses by solving the mystery The classic board game CLUE™ comes to life!

T



FAST FACTS Native Americans


Indian Gaming Regulatory Act

● Only federally recognized tribes may operate gaming

establishments in the United States under the Indian

Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA). Indian groups that are

not officially recognized by the United States government

cannot operate gaming enterprises.

● There are 565 federally recognized tribes that have the

right to operate gaming establishments in the United

States, but only 237 of these tribes conduct gaming opera-

tions.

● Some tribes have chosen not to operate gaming estab-

lishments because it goes against their culture and tradi-

tions.

● Tribes may only use the revenue generated from the

gaming establishments as outlined in IGRA to advance

the tribe’s economic development and general welfare of

the tribe. For example, tribes can use gaming revenue to

fund government programs such as hospitals, schools,

police and fire departments or they can donate money to

charitable organizations. $

Indian Citizenship Act

● Before World War I, Indians living on Arizona reserva-

tions were not legal U.S. citizens. Although Indians were

exempt from the draft when the country entered the war

in 1917, more than 8,000 Indian men and women volun-

tarily served in the Armed Forces.

● Congress passed the Indian Citizenship Act in 1924.

Despite their being made U.S. citizens, Indians were not

eligible to vote in Arizona.

● Facing World War II and the need for a universal draft,

Congress again affirmed the citizenship of all Indian peo-

ple on or off reservation in the Nationality Act of 1940.

● More than 25,000 Indian men and women served in the

armed forces in World War II. However, in Arizona, Indi-

ans were still not allowed to vote.

● After a lawsuit filed by two Yavapai men, Frank Harri-

son and Harry Austin, the Supreme Court of Arizona fi-

nally ruled on July 15, 1948, that Indians had the right to

vote. $


http://www.talkingstickresort.com/

Editor’s Picks ENTERTAINMENT


Venues, times, dates, and ticket information may be subject to change. Please verify all details and any age restrictions with each venue as the event approaches. Photo copyrights belong to the artist. All rights reserved.

THE REFLECTION OF MICHAEL Showroom

Talking Stick Resort—Casino Arizona

December 29th & 30th—Doors at 8PM

Tickets start at $27—480.850.7734

Inspired by the biggest star to ever live, this incredi-

ble show promises to invigorate the crowd with the

live vocals, a live band, singers, dancers, and the

amazing Michael Firestone!

NEW YEAR’S EVE CELEBRATION Event Center

Mazatzal Hotel & Casino—Payson

December 31st—Doors at 5:30PM

Tickets start at $65—800.777.PLAY

Enjoy dinner, piano by Paul Penner, classic Las Ve-

gas Rat Pack music by The Dean-O-Holics, a cham-

pagne toast, and a party to ring in 2012! The menu

includes Prime Rib & Lobster Tail.

THE TEMPTATIONS Diamond Center

Desert Diamond Casino—Sahuarita

January 12th—Doors at 6PM


For over four decades, The Temptations have re-

mained a major force in pop music. Adapting to the

current music trends while maintaining their unique

vocal style they stayed true to their original formula.

DON RICKLES Showroom

Wild Horse Pass Casino—Chandler

January 28th—Doors at 7PM


He has no plans to retire as he recently said in an

interview: “I’m in good health. I’m working better

than I ever have! The audiences are great. Why

should I retire?”


SUDOKU Each of the columns, rows, and nine 3x3 grids must con-

tain all of the digits 1 - 9. None of the digits may appear

more than once in each column, row, and 3x3 grid. (Solution on page 30)

5

6 4

8

2

5

3 2

7

7 3

1 9

4

3

6

1

9

1

3 4

5

5

6

ODDS QUIZ

Gambling is mathematics, pure and simple. All games of

chance involve probability, so if you like to gamble you

should know some basics of probability. (Solution on page 30)

A mouse has two doors to choose from. The first door

has two tunnels behind it, one of which leads to cheese,

the other does not. The second door has three tunnels

behind it, one of which leads to cheese, the others do

not. What is the probability that the mouse will get the

cheese?

FUN & GAMES



http://www.problemgambling.az.gov/


SAMI’S SMACKDOWN

‘Tis The Season For Giving By Sami Becker

eep within the pockets of societal standards

lurk the frugal outliers that spoil it for all the

rest of us—the cheapskates. There’s nothing

that infuriates me more than watching the penny-

pinching tightwads of the world stiff hard-working ser-

vice employees.

To all the Ebenezer Scrooges out there I say, “Bah, hum-

bag” to you. If you pinch your penny too hard you

might just break it in half (gasp) and then what? Just

remember, Karma is a harsh mistress. Make just one less

bet at the blackjack table or on the slot machine and give

it to a well-deserving casino employee this holiday sea-

son. Put a smile on someone else’s face and see how a

small gesture can mean so much to a person. $

Tipping Guidelines:

● Give at least $1 to the

drink servers & bartenders

(Add a couple more bucks

for a round of drinks)

● Give 15-20% as a tip for

good service to wait staff

and buffet servers should receive $1—$2 per head.

● Give bellmen and doormen $1—$2 for each bag. The

concierge staff usually receives at least $5 for arranging

show tickets, tours or other special services.

● Give at least $1-$2 per day to the maid service

● Give at least 1% to the slot attendants

● Give the valet parking attendants at least $2

● Give at least $1 to the bus driver

D



Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation

Fort McDowell Gaming Center

Beeline Hwy (SR 87) and Fort McDowell Rd North of Fountain Hills

1-800-843-3678 fortmcdowellcasino.com

843 Class III Slots, 37 Class II Slots, Live Keno, 1,700 Seat Bingo Hall,

15 Poker Tables, 13 Blackjack Tables

Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community

Casino Arizona—Salt River

524 N. 92nd St, Scottsdale E of Loop 101 at McKellips Rd and 92nd St

1-480-850-7777 casinoaz.com

Over 900 Class III Slots, Live Keno,

54 Table Games

Casino Arizona—Talking Stick Resort

9700 E. Indian Bend Rd, Scottsdale 1 mile E of Loop 101 on Indian Bend Rd

1-480-850-7777 casinoaz.com

Over 800 Class III Slots, Live Keno,

47 Poker Tables, 54 Table Games

Tohono O'odham Nation

Desert Diamond Casino

7350 S. Nogales Highway, Tucson 1 mile S of Valencia Rd on Nogales Highway

1-520-294-7777 desertdiamondcasino.com

1089 Class III Slots, Live Keno, 270 Seat Bingo Hall



1100 W. Pima Mine Rd, Sahuarita S of Tucson at I-19 and Exit 80 (Pima Mine Rd)


890 Class III Slots,



Highway 86, Why 1½ miles E of Why, AZ on Highway 86


76 Class III Slots

Tonto Apache Tribe

Mazatzal Hotel & Casino

Highway 87, Payson S of Payson on Beeline Highway(SR 87) 1-800-777-7529 777play.com

413 Class III Slots, 6 Class II Slots, Live Keno, 280 Seat Bingo Hall,


White Mountain Apache Tribe

Hon-Dah Casino, Resort & Conference Center

777 Highway 260, Pinetop 3 miles outside Pinetop at Highways 260 & 73

1-800-929-8744 hon-dah.com



Yavapai-Apache Nation

Cliff Castle Casino & Hotel

555 Middle Verde Rd, Camp Verde 1 mile E of I-17 on Middle Verde Rd

1-800-381-7568 cliffcastlecasino.net



Yavapai-Prescott Indian Tribe

Bucky's Casino

Highway 69 and Heather Heights, Prescott N at top of hill next to the Prescott Resort

1-800-756-8744 buckyscasino.com



Yavapai Casino

1500 E. Highway 69, Prescott Hwy. 69 at Heather Heights on S side of SR 69

1-800-756-8744 buckyscasino.com

235 Class III Slots

Arizona Department of Gaming

1110 W. Washington Street, Suite 450

Phoenix, Arizona 85007

1-602-771-4263 azgaming.gov

Office of Problem Gambling (1-800-NEXT STEP or 1-800-639-8783 )

1110 W. Washington Street, Suite 450

Phoenix, Arizona 85007

1-602-542-8998 problemgambling.az.gov Source: Arizona Department of Gaming-Tribal Gaming Status-11/01/11

1 7 5

9 6 4

8 3 2

9 8 6

3 7 2

5 4 1

3 4 2

8 5 1

6 7 9

5 1 9

7 2 3

6 4 8

4 6 3

8 1 9

7 2 5

7 2 8

4 6 5

9 1 3

3 5 6

2 8 1

4 9 7

1 9 7

6 3 4

2 5 8

2 8 4

5 9 7

1 3 6

Solution to the Sudoku

Solutions to “Odds Quiz”

If we assume the mouse makes random decisions and

can’t retrace its steps, the mouse has a 1/2 X 1/2 + 1/2 X

1/3 = 1/4 + 1/6 = 3/12 + 2/12 = 5/12 = 41.67% chance of

finding the cheese!

The 1/2 is assigned to each decision point with two

doors (or tunnels), the 1/3 is assigned to the decision

point with three tunnels. We multiply the probabilities

for each decision point along both paths the mouse

could take, and then add the result.

DIRECTORY OF CASINO SPONSORS


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Arizona Gaming Guide - December 2011 - 03:05