Page 6 - December 2008 • Southern California Gaming Guide

Bill Burton: About Gambling
TGet the Most Slot Entertainment Possible: Reduce the Lines
here is no denying that over the last several years, the new video slots have become much more entertaining get the most enjoyment out of playing the slots and make than their reel type predecessors. e graphics for the main slot games, along with the addition of interactive our playing time last as long as possible.
bonus rounds, have made some of the new slot machines seem more like video games than slots. Some of the Unless you are playing a progressive slot, there is no
newest video slots even incorporate vibrating seats that contain speakers for stereo surround sound to completely immerse the player in the game. is can make games fun, but this high-tech sophistication does have a down side.
reason to bet the maximum on every available line. If you choose to play all of the lines without trying for the progressive jackpot then you should play a single credit on each line. ere really is no point in playing any number of credits between a single credit and the maximum, such as two or three credits per line.
Ideally, search for a machine that o ers the maximum number of pay lines that you can a ord to play. If you nd a game you really want to play that has more pay lines than you care to play, you can simply reduce the number of lines that you wager on. Take a look at the pay table on the help screen and look for the minimum pay out for a winning spin. If the minimum is ve credits then you can reduce the number of lines you play to ve. is will guarantee that you will break even if you have a winning spin.
When you play slots, you want to get the most entertainment as possible for your money and reducing the number of lines you play can help you achieve this.
Until next time, remember: “Luck comes and goes.. Knowledge Stays Forever.”
Bill Burton is the Casino Gambling Guide and columnist for the Internet portal About.com, located at http://casinogambling.about.com. He is the author of 1000 Best Casino Gambling Secrets and Get the Edge at Low Limit Texas Hold’em available online at www.billburton.com. He is also an instructor for Golden Touch Craps, http://www.thecrapsclub.com.
Lots of Lines
Some of the games have become so complicated that it can be di cult for players to understand the slot they are playing. e older reel type slot machines have one, two, or three pay lines that read straight across. e new video slots have pay lines that can zig and zag across several reels of symbols.
e addition of multiple pay lines along with a multiple number of credits that can be wagered on each line has made many of these games more expensive to play. It seems as though slot makers nd it necessary to increase the number of pay lines each year when they introduce new games.
When video slots rst appeared, they had ve to nine pay lines and you could bet a maximum of three to ve coins on each line. Many players found these machines too expensive to play at the quarter level so we saw the beginning of the nickel slot machine revolution.
As players accepted nickel slots with multiple pay lines, slot makers started adding more variety. e number of pay lines increased from nine to 20 or more. It soon
became too expensive to play these machines at the nickel level.
is is one reason we have seen the increase of penny slots on the casino oor in the last few years. Now it is common to see slots with 25 play lines that allow you to wager 20 credits on each line. At a penny a credit it costs ve dollars a spin to play the maximum bet. Some new slots even have up to 100 pay lines.
How Many Pay Lines Are Enough?
At some point you have to wonder how many lines are enough. With each additional line that you play, you increase your chances of lining up the right combination of symbols to give you a winning spin. But this does not necessarily mean that you will have a monetary win. Many times your initial wager is more than you will collect for a winning spin. If you are wagering 25 credits per spin but only getting ve or ten back for a winning spin, it won’t take long to eat up your credits.
Most of us realize that we will never get rich playing nickel or penny slot machines, so our main concern is to
December 2008 Tribes in the News
Page 6
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA GAMING GUIDE
December 2008
Viejas and Manzanita Tribes Support Imperial County Seniors
In October, the Imperial County Board issued a proclamation thanking the Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians and the Manzanita Band of Kumeyaay Indians for their ongoing nancial support of the county’s senior citizens, the Area Agency on Aging, and the agency’s Brown Bag Food Distribution Program.
e County Supervisors issued a proclamation of appreciation for the Tribes’ contribution of $6,000 to sponsor the Second Annual Senior Appreciation Event. e contribution follows an earlier donation of $5,000 for the purchase of a van for the Brown Bag program, which provides meals to the elderly in their homes. is is the third
BAarona Band of Mission Indians Awards over $600,000 to Schools
Band of Mission Indians continues to lessen the blow with its innovative Barona Education Grant Program. Barona has awarded a total of $610,000 to 122 schools statewide since the program’s 2006 inception.
Included are 15 Los Angeles-based Soledad Enrichment Action (SEA) schools, which were presented with $75,000 in grants from Barona on October 24th. SEA schools are designed to provide high-risk youth and their families with alternatives to gangs, drugs and violence through educational services, counseling, exposure to the arts and experiential learning.
e Barona Education Grant Program is the rst of its kind in California created and administered by
funding to purchase much-needed supplies and materials that promote academic improvement, including books and computers.
“We are encouraged by the overwhelming response of educational institutions and legislative o cials with regard to the Barona Education Grant Program,” said Rhonda Welch-Scalco, Chairwoman of the Barona Band of Mission Indians. “Giving children access to the vital tools of learning they desperately need right now is very rewarding. We are proud that we can continue our e orts, making education a priority.”
Government o cials and community leaders alike endorse the Barona Education Grant
including charter, public and private, are eligible to apply for the program once per year. One grant is awarded per state legislative district.
e goal of the Barona Education Grant Program is to create strong educational opportunities for the children of California, building upon the success of the Barona Indian Charter School, one of the top ranked California elementary schools in test score achievement. Applications for the grant may be submitted by a locally elected state o cial on behalf of the school, or the school may submit the application directly with an endorsement letter by the state legislator representing the area.
year in a row that the Tribes have supported the program. eir contribution allows the County to get State matching funds.
Viejas Tribal Chairman Bobby L. Barrett said,“We share the County’s commitment to support their senior citizens, and all citizens of Imperial County. We are very honored tohaveourcontinuinge ortsrecognizedbytheCountywiththisproclamation.”
e Viejas Tribe owns and operates Viejas Casino & Outlet Center and contributes millions of dollars annually to local San Diego and Imperial County charitable and civic organizations.
fter historically high statewide budget anIndianTribe. roughtheendorsementoflocally Program,includingStateSuperintendentofPublic cuts in education this year left programs elected state representatives, schools throughout Instruction Jack O’Connell, who commends Barona underfunded and resources sparse, the Barona California can apply for $5,000 in educational for its revolutionary work. All schools in California,
Tribes in the News About Gambling with Bill Burton