Compounding money works only on Wall Street
-- Dear Mark,
On a certain 25¢ video poker machine that I like to play, the machine allows me to double up what I've just won by picking high or low against a pair of rolling dice. This really can't be a good bet, right? Nancy R... more »

Rip-off on the midway?
-- Dear Mark,
Your column Do two-year-olds gamble? You bet they do! was terrific. But 25¢ at the local supermarket for an egg with a cheap toy inside is nothing compared to the amount I spend on my grandchildren on the midway. Last summer I must have spent more than $40 at one carnival trying to knock down two coke bottles with a softball. I got nothing, I mean nothing. Talk about games being rigged. Harold C... more »

Casino management can't mandate cheerfulness
-- Dear Mark,
I have cut and collected every column that you have written. We really enjoy them here in Biloxi, Mississippi. My one complaint is that in a few columns you use the phrase "certified friendly" when it comes to dealers. To be honest with you, I've run across some real boorish ones. What constitutes, in your opinion, "certified friendly"? Raymond G... more »

Slot machines don't have synthetic reasoning capabilities
-- Dear Mark,
Does the slot machine know once I've won three or four small jackpots in a row to stop paying me because it has already paid me too much money? Roger B... more »

Putting gambling and "luck" into perspective
-- Dear Mark,
I am writing a paper on luck for a college logic class. You once wrote of individuals who had won the lottery more than once. Granted, that is lucky, but has there ever been an individual who was crowned the "luckiest person" in the world? Rachel G... more »

Casino loyalty deserves slot club compensation
-- Dear Mark,
I understand the latest rave in slot play is joining a slot club. Numerous casino slot hosts continue to approach me asking if I would be interested in participating. I don't want to waste my time filling out applications, but, I reward myself by searching out 9/6 video poker machines that pay a decent return. Am I missing something? George R... more »

A Nevada perspective from a chaise lounge
-- Dear Mark,
I have always enjoyed reading the history of the West and the free-spirited nature of its participants. Is there any one quote that best describes a Nevadan's attitude toward life? Gary H... more »

Crap wagers that put you in lollipop land
-- Dear Mark,
On numerous occasions you recommend only pass line bets with odds and placing the six or eight on the crap table. How about listing the worst bets in craps so us rookies can stop playing them? Larry J... more »

Bad checks, loaded dice and coin flips
-- Dear Mark,
Trick question. If a friend and I flip a coin in the air and bet on its result, would the coin be considered an unlawful gambling device? Josh L... more »

The legacy of The Gambler
-- Dear Mark,
Were you surprised when the Navajo Indians recently voted against casino gambling on their reservation? I thought that every tribe wants casino gaming. Why didn't the Navajos jump on the wagon train (pardon the pun). Brady M... more »