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G am b l e r Celebrating 20 Years Serving Colorado’s Gaming Community www.coloradogambler.com coloradogambler cogambler y r Volume 20 • Number 36 HALLOWEEN Black Hawk, Central City, Cripple Creek offer a ton of spooky fun Pages 6-10 A JOB WELL DONE A tribute to Colorado casinos’ General Managers Pages 12-13 THEN AND NOW A look back at the history of Cripple Creek casinos Pages 14-15 TRAIL’S END Day of the Dead celebrates those who’ve passed on Page 21 COUPONS • COLORADO HISTORY • CASINO GUIDE •GAMING • MAP • ENTERTAINMENT October 25 - November 7, 2011 See Valuable Coupons on page 11

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Page 1: The Colorado Gambler 10-25-11

GamblerCelebrating 20 Years Serving Colorado’s Gaming Communitywww.coloradogambler.com coloradogambler cogambler

yr

Volume 20 • Number 36

HALLOWEENBlack Hawk, Central City, Cripple Creek offer a ton of spooky fun

Pages 6-10

A JOB WELL DONEA tribute to Colorado casinos’

General ManagersPages 12-13

THEN AND NOWA look back at the historyof Cripple Creek casinos

Pages 14-15

TRAIL’S ENDDay of the Dead celebrates those

who’ve passed onPage 21

C O U P O N S • C O L O R A D O H I S T O R Y • C A S I N O G U I D E • G A M I N G • M A P • E N T E R T A I N M E N T

October 25 - November 7, 2011

See ValuableCoupons on page 11

Page 2: The Colorado Gambler 10-25-11

W e need to be thankful for the great bus lines that have served the gaming towns so faithfully and

successfully for these past 20 years. The casinos and passengers should be very thankful for these reliable, safe, public transportation companies that just keep on rolling regardless of high fuel prices and winter blizzards.

A second huge development in gaming history has been the continual enhance-ment and enlargement of parking lots. Mountains have been moved and build-ings razed to provide parking for all of the vehicles that cruise into town daily.

Maybe you’ve noticed that the towns look very quiet on the outside, but inside the casinos, the slots are rocking, black-jack tables full, bars busy and people just having a great time. There is now ade-quate parking almost everywhere and va-let service at almost every gaming outlet. There are great valets who have a friendly greeting and certainly should be given a tip when you depart the casino. Tipping the workers will increase your mojo and that means much better luck, I’m seri-ous, what goes around comes around and if you want to be a winner take care of the people who are serving you!

Lastly, the food service has become so good; the buffets are great, open many hours, reasonably priced for the quality and abundance of the abundant bounty. Gamblers dine free with points and the food is the finest in the metro area.

Transportation, parking, and food and beverage are all first class. It’s no better in Vegas unless one wants to spend mega-bucks. The steaks around our mountain towns come from the finest U.S. beef. Watch for the ads and coupons in this newspaper.

Great holidays are ahead, so plan a Christmas party in your favorite casino and talk to a host about making arrange-ments. Check our website and make contacts using Gambler directory.

Leaving a casino recently I encoun-tered a lovely white haired lady in a wheel chair and her daughter who were waiting for the valet to bring a van to return back to Denver.

She accused me of being a winner and said, “You must have won today.” I said, “Yes, I did win a little bit today.” She said, “I came to lose $40 and I lost $80.” And then she roared, “I had a great time”

Her daughter laughed as well and Mom

got out of the wheel chair and climbed in the front seat of the van. She was happy and said, “You can’t take it with you.”

It was a day out for mother and daugh-ter and they were having a great time. It was easy to park and move into the ca-sino and they spent the day together.

Gambling is many things for many dif-ferent reasons, but for these two it was a day out that was filled with fun and fam-ily love.

That’s a winning hand for most people.

PAGE 2 THE COLORADO GAMBLER – Celebrating 20 Years October 25 - November 7, 2011

www.coloradogambler.com coloradogambler cogambler

Gambler

A winning hand is spending a day together

Publisher’s ColumnBy Robert Sweeney

Page 4: The Colorado Gambler 10-25-11

PAGE 4 THE COLORADO GAMBLER – Celebrating 20 Years October 25 - November 7, 2011

www.canyoncasino.com

Check it outCanyon Casino has deco-

rated for Halloween. Stop in and check out the spooky graveyard and pumpkin patch or just take your picture next to Franken-stein.

4X Points on Fridays and 2X Points on Sundays

Earn 4X Points every Friday and 2X Points every Sunday Oc-tober all slots and video poker, all day!

Jack-O-Lantern Cash Giveaway

Join Canyon Casino for the final Jack-O-Lantern Cash Give-away, Saturday Oct. 29. Nine lucky winners will be randomly selected to win up to $1,000 in-stantly, 6 – 10 p.m. It’s so easy to be selected, simply use your Canyon Club card while playing slots.

Hot Seats at Hot TablesPlay Table Games every Sat-

urday, 9 – 11 p.m., and be a lucky $50 Hot Seat winner. See table games for complete de-tails.

Canyon Grille is now serving breakfast

The Canyon Grille is now open for breakfast, served 8:30 – 11 a.m. The Canyon Grille will be offering a new breakfast menu Nov. 1. Enjoy a delicious break-fast burrito, three egg omelet’s or the Canyon breakfast that in-cludes two eggs, hash browns and your choice of bacon, ham, or sausage patty. Make sure to check out the coupon section of the Gambler for your 50 percent off coupon.

Luck PluckPlay your favorite slots ev-

ery Saturday in November for a chance to play Lucky Pluck and win up to $2,500. Drawing Start every Saturday at 6 p.m. Pluck a feather off Lucky the turkey and win up to 5 free spins for cash.

4X Points on Fridays and 2X Points on Sundays

Earn 4X Points every Friday and 2X Points every Sunday No-vember all slots and video poker, all day.

Grille SpecialsEnjoy these specials in the

Canyon Grille for only $3.99 in November:

Mondays – Beef StewWednesday – LasagnaFriday – Cheese Enchiladas

Game on GiveawayPlay table games every daily

to earn entries to win a Play-Station 3 Move Bundle and Pro Hockey tickets. Drawings take place every Saturday night in November. See Table Games for complete details.

Collectible Football Glasses

Enjoy your choice of draft beer in a Collectible Football glass for just $3. Ask your fa-vorite Cocktail Waitress how you can get yours.

www.black-hawk. isleofcapricasinos.com

Pumpkin Patch Match Isle guests can swipe one

time daily for a chance to win cash and prizes and receive an entry for the bonus drawings. $5,000 bonus drawings will take place on Fridays and Saturdays at 9 p.m. Additional entries can be earned on Friday’s and Sat-urday’s with each set of 25 un-adjusted points. Entries for the $5,000 bonus drawings must be activated each drawing day beginning at 6 p.m.

Leaves of GoldIsleOne club members will

have the opportunity to win up to $1,000 on Tuesdays and Wednesdays in October. Draw-ings will take place 4 – 9 p.m. If you pick the gold leaf from the tree, we will double your winnings. Guests will receive one free entry and additional entries for every 10 unadjusted points earned on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

$80K Mountains of Cash Be at the Isle every Friday and

Saturday in November for the $80K Mountains of Cash Pro-gressive drawings. Drawings will take place hourly 6 – 10 p.m., with each increasing the cash amount from $500 to $5,000. Any hourly unclaimed cash prize will roll into the next drawing. If the 10 p.m. drawing winners are not present, the cash prizes will roll into the Grand Finale draw-ing on Saturday, Nov. 26 at 10 p.m. Isle guests will receive one free entry daily and can earn additional entries for every 15 unadjusted points on drawing days. Remember to activate all of your drawings on drawing days beginning at 4 p.m.

Wheel of WinnersTuesdays and Wednesdays

in November, guests will have the chance to spin the Wheel of Winners. All IsleOne mem-bers will receive one free swipe each promotional day and one in three will win. Then from 4 – 8 p.m., lucky members will have

a chance to spin the Wheel of Winners.

Paradise 50 Plus All guests age 50 or better

can join the NEW Paradise 50 Plus club Sundays and Mon-days. You will receive 3X points on all slots, a free soft serve ice cream and a Free Calypso’s Buf-fet after earning five unadjusted points. For complete details, please visit the IsleOne club. Point multiplier is not valid on video poker games.

Proud to honor our troopsThe Isle is proud to honor

our troops. All Veterans and Ac-tive Duty Military that present a valid military ID car and have an IsleOne card, will receive a free buffet at Calypso’s on Veteran’s Day, Friday, Nov. 11.

Calypso’s has crab legs Calypso’s dinner buffet

serves up the biggest and best crab legs in all of Black Hawk, seven days a week. Enjoy the succulent buffet Sundays through Thursdays, 3:30 – 9:30 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 3:30 – 10 p.m.

Fantastic 40 Plus All guests age 40 or better

can participate in the Fantastic 40 Plus club. Guests will receive 4X points on their favorite slots, a free buffet after earning five un-adjusted points or earn 50 un-adjusted points and receive $40 to Farraddays’. Point multiplier is not valid on video poker games.

A m e r i s t a r Casino Re-sort Spa Black Hawk an-nounced that Travis Grode has been pro-moted to direc-tor of Market-ing and Player Development, overseeing the marketing and player develop-ment teams, as well as all mar-keting operations for the prop-erty.

Grode has six years of profes-sional experience and most re-

cently served as Player Develop-ment manager for Ameristar Ca-sino Resort Spa Black Hawk. He joined Ameristar as marketing coordinator and was promoted to marketing manager.

“Travis has a great relation-ship with our team members and guests. He will continue to enhance the marketing team at Ameristar,” said Andy Hamblen, senior vice president and gen-eral manager.

Grode graduated from South-west Minnesota State University in Marshall, Minn., with a Bach-elor of Science in marketing.Yo

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321 Gregory St., Central City • 303.582.0800

Fortune Valley Hotel Black Hawk

www.fortunevalleycasino.com

Oct. 28: Live Band Karaoke with Jammin’ 101.5

Oct. 29: The Nacho Men Oct. 29: Watch UFC 137 LIVE. Preliminaries start

at 6 p.m. Pay Per View starts at 7 p.m.

The Lava Room entertainment – all concerts are free, from 9 – 11 p.m.

Isle Casino Hotel Black Hawk 401 Main Street, Black Hawk, CO 80422 1-800-THE-ISLE

www.black-hawk.isleofcapricasinos.com

Oct. 28 – 29: Hot Lunch Band (High Energy and Contemporary Funk)

Nov. 4 – 5: Walker Williams Band (Country)Nov. 11 – 12: Boogie Machine (1970’s)Nov. 18 – 19: JV3 (Pop and Rock)Nov. 25 – 26: Wide Open (Variety)Relax to live entertainment on the Caribbean Cove bar stage Friday and Saturday from 9 p.m. – 1 a.m. and Sunday from 5 – 9 p.m.

YOUR ENTERTAINMENT HEREAdvertise your entertainment in this space

the second and fourth issue of every month. Call Sharon at 303-503-1388 for pricing .

Page 5: The Colorado Gambler 10-25-11

SundayS Noon: $65 Ladies NLH with a $2,000 tourney Bad Beat

7:00pm: $90 NLH with a $100 tourney High Hand

MondayS 10:00am: $45 NLH Free Buffet tourney

3:00pm: $55 NLH with a $2,000 tourney Bad Beat 7:00pm: $90 NLH with $100 tourney High Hand

$600 Monday Night Football Blitz

TueSdayS 10:00am: $45 NLH Free Buffet tourney

3:00pm: $55 NLH with a $2,000 tourney Bad Beat 7:00pm: $90 NLH with $100 tourney High Hand

WedneSdayS 10:00am: $45 NLH Free Buffet tourney

3:00pm: $55 NLH with a $2,000 tourney Bad Beat 7:00pm: $90 NLH with $100 tourney High Hand

ThurSdayS 10:00am: $45 Limit Omaha Hi/Lo

3:00pm: $55 NLH with a $2,000 tourney Bad Beat 7:00pm: $90 Pot Limit Omaha Hi-Only

FridayS 10:00am: $45 NLH Free Buffet tourney

3:00pm: $55 NLH with a $2,000 tourney Bad Beat 7:00pm: $90 NLH with $100 tourney High Hand

SaTurdayS Noon: $150 NLH tourney with $2,000 tourney Bad Beat

7:00pm: $90 NLH with $100 tourney High Hand

noveMber evenTS

401 Main Street, PO Box 777 • Black Hawk, CO 80422 • 1-800-THE-ISLE • www.theisleblackhawk.com

© 2011 Isle of Capri Casinos, Inc. There is an optional $10 Dealer’s Special for each tournament. All proceeds go toward the dealer’s gratuities for each event. Players will receive the specified amount of additional chips if they purchase the Dealer’s Special. Must be 21. Management reserves all rights. For complete details, please visit the poker podium. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-522-4700.

Page 6: The Colorado Gambler 10-25-11

PAGE 6 THE COLORADO GAMBLER – Celebrating 20 Years October 25 - November 7, 2011

118 Main St. • 720-253-1669

GRAND OPENING!Nov.17- 30

Cash PrizesLive Entertainment Daily DrawingsFree Food

Oct. 29 Halloween CONTEST

Winners decided at 8 pmMust be present to win cash prizes

1st Place $175 2nd Place $125

3rd Place $75

grand happenings

Visit us online:www.coloradogambler.com

and follow us on Twitter :COGamblerGambler

Halloween

Legendary Ghost Walk of Masonic Cemetery, Oct. 30 & Nov. 1

By Linda JonesShe came every year, year after year, on

Nov. 1, gliding over the crest of the hill be-yond the Masonic Cemetery above Central City. At John Cameron’s grave she knelt and tenderly laid fresh blue columbines. After lingering awhile she left as suddenly as she had come.

Finally in 1899, some of the townspeo-ple in Central City began declaring she was a ghost. More rational citizens loudly dis-agreed, insisting she was flesh and blood. A group of men from both sides decided to meet at the cemetery and see for them-selves and 14 men gathered at the gate on that Nov. 1. Before sunset, she came. She approached from the opposite side of the cemetery and was dressed in an outdated mourning style, but she was beautiful and according to reports, she always was. The transfixed onlookers watched as she laid a bouquet of columbines on John’s grave; they could hear her say something but could not understand her words.

One man came to his senses and start-

ed toward her, but she silently glided back in the direction from which she came. Although the man began running after her, and others followed, she was cresting Gunnell Hill. When they reached the hill-top, she was nowhere in sight and a strong wind began blowing at that instant so they returned to town to ponder and theorize.

This mysterious woman, forever beau-tiful and always wearing black satin bro-cade in a style popular in the 1880s, wore columbines and wildflowers in her hair. Some say they saw her at John Cameron’s grave on April 5, but she always came on Nov. 1, laying blue columbines on it. The first time she was seen at his grave was immediately after his funeral in 1887, and that winter she came daily and spent long hours lingering there. Several locals, in-cluding the gravedigger, saw her and told others.

She planted the yellow rosebush that bloomed every spring beside John’s tomb-stone. In late June 1888 she stopped com-ing, but two years later, on Nov. 1, 1890, the sexton saw her again placing a bou-quet of columbines on John’s grave and disappearing toward Bald Mountain. An-niversary after anniversary, she visited the cemetery on Nov. 1.

Nov. 1 was the date the young and handsome bachelor died. John was an only child, born in 1859 in Perth, Canada, to Robert and Catherine Cameron. They had emigrated from Scotland and the family would move to Wisconsin, Illinois, Nebraska and Black Hawk before settling for good in Central City in 1867 when John was 7 years old. Robert died on April 25, 1880, at the age of 47 and was buried in the Masonic Cemetery between Central City and Nevadaville, originally named Bald Mountain.

John developed into a generous, good-natured, charming and altogether popular young man, a favorite with men, women and children – and many young ladies. He joined the Central City Rescue, Fire & Hose Company No. 1, and became such a favorite with the men that he was elevat-ed to First Assistant Foreman quickly. In 1886 he received an award for valor for rescuing trapped miners from a cave-in.

Many a young lady in Central City set her sights on the handsome bachelor, but despite the best efforts of dozens of mothers, via countless dinner invitations, John seemed tempted by none of the lo-cal beauties. Because he spent many eve-nings walking to Bald Mountain, the gos-sips speculated that his chosen lady lived there.

The healthy young man be-came slightly ill on Monday, Oct. 31, 1887 – nothing serious. But on Tuesday evening, Nov. 1, at the tender age of 28, he called out to his moth-er and collapsed dead. “Paraly-sis of the heart” was the official verdict.

At the funeral the former Fire Chief Thomas Lucas eulogized, “John was a man loved by all, who cared for everyone he met.” But did he care most for one spe-cial someone? Who was the young lady? She was surely flesh and blood, although no one in Bald Mountain knew her. Per-haps John’s mother knew her identity, but if so, she kept it to herself. Catherine eventually moved back to Canada, where she lived to be 80 without ever talking about the beautiful woman in black satin brocade with wildflowers and columbines in her hair.

Photo: John Cameron’s tombstone is located in the Masonic Cemetery above Central City. Spooks Inc. will present a Legendary Ghost Walk in the Masonic Cemetery on Sunday, Oct. 30 and Tuesday, Nov. 1. Photo by Linda Jones

She still loves him – 124 years after his death

Page 7: The Colorado Gambler 10-25-11

October 25 - November 7, 2011 THE COLORADO GAMBLER – Celebrating 20 Years PAGE 7

www.famousbonanza.com

2X MondaysEarn 2X points all day on all

machines, including video poker. $1 = 1 Point

40 & Getting BetterFor those guests 40 and older,

earn 2X points all day on all ma-chines every Wednesday. $1 = 1 Point. Earn 200 base points and receive half off one menu item at Millie’s Restaurant.

New Players / Birthday’sEarn 2X points all day on all

machines on your first visit or the day of your Birthday. If you choose to come in Monday or Wednes-day, you could earn 3X points. $1 = 1 Point

The ParlourLocated on the second floor

of the Famous Bonanza Casino, we offer 2 deck pitch blackjack, roulette and 3-card poker. $5 minimum to $100 maximum on 2 deck pitch blackjack and $3 mini-mum and all shoe games. The Parlour also offers pool and darts.

2X MondaysEarn 2X points all day on all

machines, including video poker. $1 = 1 Point

40 & Getting BetterFor those guests 40 and older,

earn 2X points all day on all ma-chines every Wednesday. $1 = 1 Point. Earn 200 base points and

receive half off one menu item at Millie’s Restaurant.

New Players / Birthday’sEarn 2X points all day on all

machines on your first visit or the day of your birthday. If you choose to come in Monday or Wednes-day, you could earn 3x points. $1 = 1 Point

Fun for KidsBring your children to the lower

level of the casino to enjoy a wide variety of arcade games for our younger than 21 guests.

www.fortunevalley casino.com

Bingo BonusFREE BINGO every Monday

and Wednesday in November at 2 p.m. in the LAVA Room.

EntertainmentFree live entertainment every

weekend in the LAVA Room, in-cluding DJ’s, Comedy and sports viewings.

Watch UFC137 LIVE Oct. 29

Come to the Lava Room on Oct. 29 to watch UFC137 live. Preliminaries start at 6 p.m. Pay Per View starts at 7 p.m. Your first beer is free. Win Great Prizes.

Brand New Market Street to open in November

Featuring Java Express, Chef’s Kitchen and Pizza Pub. Get a slice of pizza and an ice cold beer for only $2.99 with Player’s Card.

Cash Wheel returns in November

Win up to $2,000 in cash on Fortune Valley Cash Wheel. Draw-ings held every Friday and Satur-day from 8 – 9 p.m. There will be 21 winners each night will spin the wheel. See Player’s Club for com-plete details.

Triple 7 TournamentThere will be a FREE Triple 7

Tournament at Fortune Valley, in-cludes slots, blackjack and video poker. $7,000 Slot Tournament – Win cash and prizes, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, 2 – 8 p.m. $7,000 Blackjack Tourna-ment – Win cash and prizes, Mon-days, Wednesdays and Fridays, 2 – 8 p.m. $7,000 Video Poker Tournament – Win cash and prizes, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, 2 – 8 p.m. Win up to $50,000 in cash and prizes. Final Tournaments are December 2, 3 and 4. See players club for com-plete details.

Central City Nuggets

Page 8: The Colorado Gambler 10-25-11

Halloween

By Jeffrey V. Smith

Consolidate your Halloween rev-elry with a visit to Central City and Back Hawk on Halloween and the weekend before. Experience every-

thing from traditional Halloween activities, including ghost walks and costume contests, to gaming-based events and promotions, as well as live music in a variety of venues.

Traditional spooky funFor the spookiest of Halloween activi-

ties, be sure to catch one of the Central City Creepy Crawl tours on Saturday, Oct. 29. Ex-plore Central City’s 150 years of history and its most infamous haunts during lantern lit tours of the town’s “ghostly hot spots” with Gilpin Historical Society members. The 60-minute walking tours include “creepier-than-ever stories,” haunted buildings and other “eerie destinations” as well as “sig-nificant walking, including steep hills and stairways.” Comfortable shoes are, therefore, suggested. Choose from the “not-so-scary” family tour at 6:30 and 6:45 p.m. or the “ex-tra creepy” adults-only tours between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. (a new tour leaves every 15 min-utes). Check-in is required at Century Casino 20 minutes before tour time. Tickets are $5 in advance from any King Soopers, online or by calling 866-464-2626. They are $10 at the door.

Families can enjoy the Gilpin County Family Fun Halloween Night on Thursday, Oct. 27, 6 - 8:30 p.m. at the Gilpin County Community Center. A costume contest pa-rade is scheduled for 6 p.m. and a trick-or-treat session is 6:30-7:30 p.m. Also, hayrides are offered every 30 minutes from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Call 303-582-1453 to pre-register a ride time. Tickets are $5 for adults, and $3 chil-dren 12 and younger.

Costume contests and partiesMany Halloween parties and costume

contest are also planned around Central City and Black Hawk.

The Famous Bonanza and Easy Street ca-sinos celebrate Halloween with a party, Oct. 31, at the Gold Coin Saloon. The party, which kicks of at 8 p.m., features “Creepy Karaoke”

and a costume contest with prizes for scari-est, most original, sexiest and best costumes.

The Crystal Palace Casino is holding a Halloween Costume Contest on Oct. 29 throughout the day and at 8 p.m. winners will be announced and rewarded with cash prizes. The casino reminds its patrons masks may be worn in the casino for the judging and photograph only.

The Red Dolly Casino in Black Hawk is holding a Halloween Costume Party on Oct. 31. The event includes a costume contest that includes $500 in cash prizes for costumes as well as point multipliers on penny slots.

Live musicThe Hot Lunch Band is featured at The

Isle on Friday, Oct. 28, 9 p.m. – 1 a.m. The Denver band is a danceable, high-energy, contemporary funk band. The act features five multi-talented and seasoned profes-sionals: Reggie Carter, Louie Chavez, Philip Weightman, Carl Kelly and Michael Thomp-son. The Isle also hosts the Back in the Day band, which keeps its audiences “jamming and dancing,” Saturday, Oct. 29, 9 p.m. – 1 a.m. The Denver act plays classic soul, funk and Motown hits and features Nelson Stroud on vocals, Mark Strivings on keyboards, Daniel Haymond on bass and vocals, Sugar Bear on electric guitar and vocals, Stan Cle-ments on drums and Jaye on vocals.

The Steve Thomas

Band, an ‘80s cover band that plays hits “ex-actly the way you remember it,” is playing for free at Ameristar’s Bar 8042 on Oct. 28 and Oct. 29. Denver’s premier classic rock, funk, and pop band Tickler, which plays ev-erything from the Beatles to Santana, Sting to Tom Petty and everything in between, brings its screaming guitar and explosive energy to the Ameristar Casino Oct. 29.

Fortune Valley Casino welcomes Colo-rado’s favorite musical performance group, The Nacho Men, to the Lava Room on Oct. 30. The band creates the unique combi-nation of dance music, costume changes, choreography and humor and has played from coast-to-coast in the U.S. and in Eu-rope. Each member the act is a versatile and multi-talented performer that combine vo-cal harmonies with a rocking back beat, solid rhythm and sizzling hot horns.

Catch Naked City at The Riviera Casino Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 28-30 from 8 p.m. to midnight. The band plays rock favorites from the ’80s and ’90s’ on the casino floor main stage.

Special casino promotionsIn addition to the parties, costume con-

tests, live music and other Halloween-relat-ed events, casinos are offering a wide-range of October and Halloween promotions.

The Riviera Black Hawk continues its

Batty For Benjamins promotion on Oct. 28 and 29. Drawings are held every hour from 4 – 10 p.m. One Riviera Players’ Club mem-ber winner per hour will pick a bat from the bat cave and win anywhere from $500 to $3,000. The Riviera also will give out 500 pink Breast Cancer Awareness bracelets Oct. 29. One dollar will be donated to the Susan G. Komen For The Cure Foundation for each bracelet handed out. Bracelets will be avail-able beginning at 9 a.m.

The Lady Luck Casino features the “Creepy Cash Match” where patrons can win up to $1,000 on Thursday, Friday and Sat-urday, Oct. 27-29 from 3 – 9 p.m. One win-ner, who matches any two symbols, will be selected every half hour. On Oct 31, take part in the casino’s “Cauldron of Cash” contest and win up to $250 from 1 – 7 p.m.

Fortune Valley Casino is offering a “Last Chance Luggage Grab” as part of its month-long luggage giveaway on Oct. 29 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Contact Fortune Valley for ad-ditional information.

Fitzgeralds Casino continues its “No Tricks, Just Treats” promotions on Oct. 30. Every 50 points in the day of the drawing earns you another entry. A lucky winner will receive $5,000. Additional details can be found at the casino.

On Halloween, “Trick-or-Treat Ghosts” gift bags can be won at the Gilpin Casino when patrons earn 200 points on Oct. 31. Some of the special Halloween gift bags may contain up to $100. See the Winners Club for details.

At Canyon Casino, on Oct. 29, patrons can win $1,00 instantly playing the “Jack-O-Lantern Cash Giveaway” between 6-10 p.m. Visitors can also win $50 instantly on any table game if chosen as the hot seat winner between 9-11 p.m.

The “Pumpkin Patch Match Giveaway” is featured at The Isle through Oct. 29 8 a.m. – midnight. Receive one free swipe daily to win cash, prizes and entry for bonus draw-ings and earn additional entries for the $5,000 bonus drawings with each set of 25 unadjusted points on Fridays and Satur-days. For complete details, see IsleOne. All entries must be activated each drawing day starting at 6 p.m.

However you choose to enjoy Halloween, there is a good chance it can be found in Black Hawk and Central City.

Central City, Black Hawk casinos offer Halloween fun

PAGE 8 THE COLORADO GAMBLER – Celebrating 20 Years October 25 - November 7, 2011

Back in the Day will play at Isle Casino Black Hawk on Oct. 29.

The Nacho Men will play the Lava Room at Fortune Valley on Oct. 30.

Page 9: The Colorado Gambler 10-25-11

October 25 - November 7, 2011 THE COLORADO GAMBLER – Celebrating 20 Years PAGE 9

at local casinos

Gilpin county

By Linda Jones

id you know ghosts are protec-tive of their residences? Ghosts often do strange or funny things, but usually it’s to pro-tect their “home” and remind

us mortals they’re watching us. Nearly every commercial “block,” as business buildings were once called, in Central City and Black Hawk has a protective presence, and the old-timers in the 20th century told many a weird tale.

There was the ghost in the Raynolds

Court building, built in 1863. When a family bought the building in the 1970s, they began remodeling the up-per level to be their residence. After all the years of tenants on that floor, the rooms were small and uncomfortable for a family of four. The wife/mother ran shops on the lower level and super-vised the remodeling on the upper lev-el, which wasn’t going well. One after another, the workmen quit, citing their annoyance with her for moving their tools whenever they were gone. She knew it wasn’t her hiding their tools and when yet another workman came back from lunch and declared he was leaving for good because he couldn’t find his tools, she decided to act. She gave him money and suggested he go get a beer while she “settled” this. She stormed upstairs and confronted the ghost she knew was there. In strong terms she reminded him that her fami-ly loved the building as much as he did; in fact, they were turning it into their home and planned to stay. She ended with a command to return the tools to where he found them and not tease the workman again and went back down-stairs. Sure enough, when the work-man returned, all was in order. He finished the job, and the ghost, now convinced his beloved building was in good hands, returned to shadows. This

building is now the Johnny Z’s Casino.Across Lawrence is the Century Ca-

sino. Several buildings were combined to create this casino and each one had a resident ghost. The corner of Main and Lawrence was the one-time home of Goldman’s saloon, and one of the most famous murders in Central City’s his-tory occurred above that saloon. At the other end of the block stood the Toll Gate Saloon, and a mischievous ghost lived on the second floor of that build-ing. He delighted in turning water fau-cets and light switches on and off. An old-timer who locked up the Toll Gate in the old days said he would make sure all the lights were off, lock the door and drive away – but only around the block. By the time he drove back in front of the Toll Gate, all the lights were blaz-ing. Sometimes he said he and the ghost played that game 2 – 3 times be-fore the man could drive home.

The old Glory Hole saloon, now part of Doc Holliday Casino, once had cribs on the second floor and a couple of the “girls” have stayed on. All pictures, on whatever camera, taken on that floor show orbs, energy fields of ghosts. A paranormal recently explained to me that ghosts are energy and consequent-ly they love the casinos because of all the energy they generate.

Black Hawk has its share of ghosts too. An extremely odd event occurred in Bronco Billy’s Casino, in a building now occupied by Sasquatch casino. In the 1990s, before tickets, slots took coins and paid out coins. During the mandated closed hours for casinos – 2 – 8 a.m., counters were hired by casi-nos to count the machine take and re-cord it and stash the coins in the vault. About 4 a.m. one morning the counters were working in one part of the casino when a machine in another section, not yet counted, signaled a jackpot; lights

flashed and bells rang. The startled em-ployees followed the noise to a slot with three 7s across it. They were dumb-founded; no one was in that part of the floor. The tapes were still running so they watched the tape of that area to try to unravel the mystery. The tape clearly showed the arm being pulled down and the 7s coming up and the money spill-ing out – but no human. Apparently the resident ghost decided to try his luck.

The building housing the Wild Card (actually only a wall or two now) be-came known as the place where the Nabisco Cracker Company was started. The Cracker Factory, as it was called, was home to the Heppbergers, who raised six children there and owned the building for many years, into the 1960s. When the building was remod-eled for a casino, the crews were often spooked by the ghost of Uncle John Heppberger. He was murdered there in the 1880s, and Uncle John was ir-ritated because his killer only served 18 months. Several witnesses, includ-ing the first bartender at the Cracker Factory casino, saw John’s ghost walk across the room in front of the eleva-

tor, which could be seen through him. Sometimes the ghost called the secu-rity guards on their radios.

The best-known ghost in Black Hawk is Lucy. The Gilpin Hotel casino named its restaurant after Lucy. Lucy Malone was a schoolteacher living in the Gilpin Hotel when her fiancé was killed in a freighting accident in Black Hawk. The distraught woman threw herself from a second-floor window of the hotel and died, but she never left the Gilpin. For several years in the late 20th century Jeri and Herb Bowles ran the Gilpin Hotel and Lucy’s room was normally not rented out because of her pranks. She moved suitcases and some-times dropped them on guests’ chests – you can see why guests would demand another room. Once the Bowles were asked by a couple to give them Lucy’s room, and they did because the couple were insistent. At the end of the week, the guests revealed they were both paranormal researchers and had taped Lucy’s voice in the room. When the present casino was built, Lucy scared away more than her share of workers.

Halloween

Page 10: The Colorado Gambler 10-25-11

PAGE 10 THE COLORADO GAMBLER – Celebrating 20 Years October 25 - November 7, 2011

By Jan MacKell

Being dubbed as one of the “most haunted towns in America,” Crip-ple Creek and its surrounding district are always up to gads of ghoulish fun at Halloween. And

because this year marks the 20th anniver-sary of gaming, local casinos are adding to the fun with a number of promotions and giveaways. Here is the scoop on activities to take advantage of through the rest of the month.

Casino promosBronco Billy’s Casino offers Table Time

Cash. This Oct. 29, use your player’s club card to win $50 every 30 minutes from 4 – 8 p.m. while playing table games.

Earn cash back 5X faster at Century Ca-sinos by using your player’s club card at any slot machine on Tuesdays and Fridays. Thursday Oct. 27 is Hoot Loot Hot Seats noon to 8 p.m. when $50 will be awarded every 20 minutes to gamblers using their player’s card. There’s also Pumpkin Patch Cash, a chance to win $1,000 every 30 min-utes between 11 a.m. and 11 p.m. on Satur-day, Oct. 29.

On Friday, Oct. 28, just earn 500 base points on your player’s club card for a bo-nus $25 in points at the Colorado Grande. Also, Oct. 25 is 5X Frenzy. Receive 5X points on all dollar and $5-dollar reel slot machines. The Frenzy continues on Oct. 26, when players can receive 5X points on all video poker machines. Last day of the Frenzy is Oct. 27, when players can receive 5X points on all penny machines. On Oct. 31, players can also receive $5 gas card on Oct. 31 for each 200 base points you earn. Then, be on hand and root for your favorite employee during the Halloween Employee Costume Contest at 4 p.m.

The Double Eagle Hotel & Casino is giv-ing away a brand new Mazda Hatchback on Oct. 29. It’s fire engine red, looks pretty fast, and it can be yours. Just use your play-er’s club card to earn entries daily for each $5 you cash out. Earn 500 points, and get a whopping 50 entries. Cash drawings will begin at 2 p.m. and last throughout the day,

with one final drawing for the car. Triple Crown Casinos is offering their

Smashing Pumpkins promotion. Earn en-tries each Friday, Saturday and Sunday for your chance to catapult a pumpkin and win cash. The October Gift of the Month is a snazzy J.P. McGill’s hat in yellow or green. Just earn 250 points in one day to claim your hat. Limit one per person per month and only while supplies last.

To commemorate the 20th anniversary of gambling, the Wildwood Casino is offer-ing three types of special, numbered gam-ing chips. Also, don’t forget to choose your weekly football pics for a chance to win $5,000. Finally, be sure to get in on the Pick A Pumpkin promo to win your share of a guaranteed $20,000 every day in Oc-tober. Earn entries daily through Oct. 30, with cash drawings every day at 8:30 p.m. The remainder of the $20K will be given away on Oct. 31 at 10 p.m.

Halloween partiesBennett Station, 429 E. Bennett Ave.,

719-689-2898 - Win a trip to Vegas. Wear a costume any time between Oct. 29 – 31 for an entry. Drawing takes place Halloween night at midnight, must be present to win.

Ralf’s, 411 E. Bennett Ave., 719-689-9195 - Kostume Karaoke with Caralynn starting at 8 p.m. $100 cash prize for best costume between 8 p.m. and closing.

Sally’s, 302 Victor Ave., Victor, 719-689-3120 - Halloween Costume Contest Oct. 29, Karaoke with Shelly Starzz at 8 p.m. Bring a

dish for Potluck beginning at 7 p.m. Contest 10 p.m. 1st place cash, 2nd & 3rd place T-shirts and other goodies.

Shows and ActivitiesCripple Creek Park & Rec will present

its annual BOOzar & Trunk or Treat on Oct. 31, 5:30 and 8 p.m. Bring the kids for a safe and fun Halloween. Prizes, candy and games galore. Bring your decorated trunk full of candy for Trunk or Treating, and win a prize for the best decorated trunk. Call Debbie Deboodt at 719-689-3514 or email [email protected].

The Thin Air Theater Company presents Vampire of Cripple Creek at the historic Butte Opera House through Oct. 30. Show times are Fridays at 7 p.m., Saturdays at 1 and 7 p.m., and Sundays at 1 p.m. Make your reservation by calling 719-689-3247, 1-877-689-6402 or from the website at but-teoperahouse.com.

Ghost Walks of downtown Cripple Creek, hosted by The Cripple Creek Dis-trict Museum. Museum docents will guide patrons through downtown Cripple Creek and introduce them to the town’s invis-ible residents. Tours begin at 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. at the Jail Museum at 136 W. Bennett Ave. and end at the Cripple Creek District Museum Gift Shop with hot chocolate and cookies. Tour is free, but donations are wel-come. Call 719-689-2634 for more infor-mation.

On Oct. 28 the Gold Bar Room Theatre at the Imperial Hotel presents Murder on the Pony Express, a murder mystery dinner theater. Bronco Charlie is hosting a grand

opening of a new Pony Express Station. The stagecoach is runnin’ but by the end of the evenin’ someone else might be runnin’ for their life too. Dinner starts at 6 p.m. with show beginning at 7 p.m. Dress in your best old west. Tickets are $15.

Then on Oct. 29, come see A Pirate’s Death For Ye. Riding the oceans with a bunch of pirates would be hard enough, but when a mutiny is planned the cutlasses are pulled. Dress as your favorite pirate, but keep your sharp swords at home. Dinner begins at 6 p.m. with show at 7 p.m. Tickets are $25. Reservations for either show can be made by visiting the website at gold-bartheater.com or calling 719-689-2561 or 1-877-5646-0925.

Night at the Museum at the Cripple Creek District Museum. Come take a spooky tour of the historic Depot to see who comes out at night. The Museum is open 6 – 9 p.m. Tickets are $4 for adults and $3 for ages 20 and younger. Children 16 and younger must be accompanied by adult. Call 719-689-9540 or email [email protected].

Join the ladies of the night at Old Home-stead Parlor House Museum on Hallow-een night from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. This is a rare chance to see Cripple Creek’s historic brothel museum lit up at night and meet the spirits of the shady ladies within. Ad-mission is free but donations are requested. The Museum is located at 353 Myers Ave. For more information, call 719-689-2485 or email [email protected].

For the fifth year in a row, the Cripple Creek District Museum will present “Night at the Museum” on Oct. 29 and Halloween night.

Photos by Jan MacKell

Halloween

October happenings bring out the spirits of the Cripple Creek District

Earn cash back 5X faster and play Hoot Loot Hot Seats and Pumpkin Patch Cash at Century Casinos in October.

Page 11: The Colorado Gambler 10-25-11

October 25 - November 7, 2011 THE COLORADO GAMBLER – Celebrating 20 Years PAGE 11

SASQUATCH CASINO125 Gregory St.Black Hawk, CO720-880-1616

1 FREE ENTRYwith this ad - See official rules andregulations at casino.Management reserves all rights.

dealsreal

Carolyn Bundy and Betty Harms won while playing at Fortune Valley Hotel and Casino in Central City.

Josh won $1,920 playing a Four Times Diamonds machine at Canyon Casino in Black Hawk.

Austin won $2,500 playing a Double Red White and Blue at Canyon Casino in Black Hawk.

Page 12: The Colorado Gambler 10-25-11

PAGE 12 THE COLORADO GAMBLER – Celebrating 20 Years October 25 - November 7, 2011

Tribute To GMs

I t’s not easy running a business, what with tens to hundreds of employees to supervise, sched-

ules to keep, promotions to pro-mote, books to track and all of the rules and policies that must be fol-lowed to keep things going smooth-ly. Throw gaming into the mix, with bars, restaurants, laws, compliance and keeping up in a highly competi-tive industry whose main draw is fun, and things can get complicated indeed.

These are the challenges faced daily by the general managers of Colorado casinos whose job it is not only to run their casinos with finesse, but also maintain a good relationship with their community.

Here are a look at some of the GMs who make sure our visits to lo-cal casinos are fun and enjoyable. If a GM is not listed, please make sure to look for them in an upcoming is-sue of the Gambler, as they were not able to respond.

Steve LambertBullwhackers

Steve Lambert’s experience in the casino business stretches over 31 years – his lifetime career. He worked first for Bally’s in At-lantic City, and then moved to the Sands casino. Next he worked in casinos in Tu-nica, Miss., and Aurora, Ill. He then headed north to Nova Scotia with ITT and left there as a Caesar’s Pal-ace employee. His next move was to a casino in Maine, where he was a senior director of Operations with Penn Gaming and was promoted to assistant general manager. After six years there, he arrived in Black Hawk at the Penn Gaming operation in late August. Lambert said Colorado is his first posting that isn’t by water.

For three or four years, Lambert managed the U.S. Navy Slot Pro-gram. The author learned that the Navy owns 2,500 slots at various Navy bases, all overseas. Lambert was a civilian employee but he saw the world thanks to the Navy that posted him to 15 countries to con-duct training and audits. Lambert’s favorite free time activity is biking.

Doug James (no photo provided) Bull Durham Casino & Doc Holliday Casino

Doug James began his casino ca-reer with Harrahs in Laughlin, Nev., in the early ‘90s. He worked his way up through financial analyst to hotel manager, over every department of the large hotel. In February 2002 he came to Black Hawk as GM of Bull Durham Casino and when the own-ers of Bull Durham purchased Doc Holliday Casino in Central City in March 2008, he assumed the top position in that casino also. He has a unique distinction; he’s the only GM to manage a casino in each town at the same time.

In his free time James likes to shoot pool with his wife Carol. The couple plays pool in leagues in the Denver area four nights a week and in tournaments in Colorado and Wyoming on weekends.

Both Doug and Carol play in in-ternational tournaments and win top places. Carol’s women’s team placed third in the recent interna-tional tournament in Vegas in 9-ball and fifth in 8-ball. Doug’s team placed 17th in the internationals, and – real bragging rights here – he and Carol placed second in Scotch doubles.

Dan IhmFitzgeralds Casino

Senior Vice President and Gen-eral Manager of Fitzgeralds Casino Black Hawk Dan Ihm has extensive casino and e n t e r t a i n -ment indus-try experi-ence.

Ihm, who has worked in the industry for more than 19 years, first took a gaming position in the Midwest working as the director of market-ing at age 24. He spent the last 18 years working in several different markets including Iowa, Indiana, New Mexico, Mississippi, Nevada and Colorado. He’s worked for both private and public companies and has marketed tribal gaming opera-tions, riverboat gaming operations, and land-based operations. He’s held positions at the property level and the corporate level.

According to Ihm, he has the best job in the industry because it allows him to spend time on the gaming floor and strategic time working with team members.

“I would not trade my job for

anything,” he said. “Overall, I have looked forward to going to work every day, and I feel grateful for the opportunities that I have had over the years.”

Away from the casino, Ihm en-joys a glass of wine to relax after a long day at work, and keeping up with his four dogs: two English bull-dogs, a boxer and a St. Bernard.

“My biggest interest is spending time with my three children and my beautiful wife,” Ihm said.

Brian WattsIsle Casino Hotel Black Hawk

Brian Watts had an enjoyable introduction to gaming – dealing on the first riverboat ca-sino to open in Illinois. After several promotions, he moved into slot op-erations, followed by a move into finance as the casino controller. In 2004 he was transferred to the Argosy Casino in the Kansas City area as the director of Casino Operations. Four years later he joined the Isle of Capri Corpora-tion as vice-president and general manager of their casino in Kansas City. He was transferred to the Black Hawk Isle of Capri, with the same title, in November 2009.

Watts, like many fathers, says he and his wife have very little free time with three children. They’re all active in sports and music and the family “really enjoys the out-door opportunities in Colorado.”

Watts said, “While I have worked in many different jobs during my career, what has sur-prised me is the fun and exciting environment in gaming. When I started as a table games dealer I was just looking for a job as I com-pleted college. What I found was a career that allows people to grow and learn in an industry that is full of interesting activities. Gam-ing is all about people, whether you mean customers or employ-ees. By working in the gaming in-dustry I have met wonderful and interesting people who always make coming to work fun.”

Nicholas J. PolcinoRiviera

Nicholas J. Polcino, Jr. was hired to the position of general manager of Riviera Black Hawk in March 2008. His career in the

gaming in-dustry at the time spanned almost 30 years, begin-ning as a deal-er at Bally’s in Atlantic City in 1978.

He got into gaming accidental-ly through the hospitality indus-try, but within two years, was su-pervisor at the Golden Nugget. He worked at the casino for the next 18 years through three name and management changes. In 1998, Polcino took a job at Colony Capi-tal as a casino manager. In 2004 he moved his family to Tunica, Miss., where he was director of operations and assistant general manager for a casino. The family then moved to Colorado when he took the job in Black Hawk.

For Polcino, being GM of a ca-sino is like being a “band leader” since he’s the person who brings all the casino’s departments to-gether: “the violins in finance, the drums in slots, the flutes in mar-keting and the saxophones in the pit [are brought] together to focus their direction and put together one piece of music.”

Outside the casino, the GM likes to run, hike and satisfy “his epicurean side” at one of his favor-ite restaurants. He’s most relaxed in the kitchen and takes great pleasure in chopping, preparing and presenting a beautiful dinner.

Ed and Shirley SmithWild Card, Black Hawk Station, Sasquatch casinos

Ed and Shirley Smith are long-time Black Hawk business owners who got into gaming on the first day it was legal. The couple opened The Wild Card Ca-sino on Oct. 1, 1991, the town’s first, in the Jenkins McKay Hardware building they leased in 1985 that formerly housed their grocery and coin laundry.

The casino later moved to its present location on Main Street and the previous location became a Bronco Billy’s, then an expan-sion of Bullwhackers. The build-ing is now home to the Sasquatch Casino, the third gaming prop-erty owned and operated by the Smiths who also purchased the

Black Hawk Station Casino in July 2004.

The Smiths, who grew up in nearby Silt and New Castle, went to different high schools. They fi-nally met at Colorado State Uni-versity on a blind date and mar-ried two years later. They have lived on Floyd Hill most of their married lives and have raised four children (and have 11 grandchil-dren).

The couple enjoys hunting deer, elk and bear and, before gaming, started a popular fish farm in Idaho Springs, which is still in the family. Ed, 70, worked for Gates until 1985 when they opened their Black Hawk busi-nesses.

Mickey RosenbaumCentury Casino

The current general manager of Century Casino has been working in the Colorado gaming industry since its start in 1991, and is one of the very few who has worked as a GM in each of the state’s gaming towns.

Rosenbaum was in the restau-rant business when gaming was legalized in Colorado, and opened a restaurant in one of the first casi-nos in Cripple Creek: The Turf Club Casino.

Rosenbaum quickly migrated into gaming operations when he opened the Old Chicago casino as the GM, but said he did OK because he “had a couple of great mentors that helped me learn the business.” He later moved into management at Bronco Billy’s Casino.

He moved to Black Hawk in 1994 where he was GM of Bronco Billy’s Black Hawk, The Gilpin and The Lodge. Although he moved to Arizona for a few years, Rosenbaum returned in 2006 to open Century Casino in Central City.

“As the GM, I try to keep every-one focused in the same direction and vision. We have a great man-agement team and staff at Century, and it helps make my job easier. I have been fortunate enough to work with some wonderful people

A tribute to Colorado casinos’ General Managers

Page 13: The Colorado Gambler 10-25-11

October 25 - November 7, 2011 THE COLORADO GAMBLER – Celebrating 20 Years PAGE 13

Tribute To GMsthroughout my career in gaming.”

When not at work, Rosenbaum enjoys being outdoor and driving his Miata, “when the time permits.” He also loves to play golf.

Dale BittnerCrystal Palace Casino

Crystal Palace only opened two months ago, and Dale Bittner is even newer in his position, but his casino work history is long. Begin-ning in 1998, Bittner has worked in sev-eral casino po-sitions: greeter, slot tech, slot supervisor and relief MOD (manager on duty). Readers may recognize him from the now-gone Colorado Cen-tral Station or Mountain High or the Mardi Gras, Ameristar or Wild Card.

Bittner and his wife and Bennie, their dog, live in the metro area. He likes to be outdoors and involved in sporting activities, such as pick-up basketball games. He spends a lot of time with his family of three daugh-ters and two grandsons.

Ann DobsonFamous Bonanza

Ann Dobson, general manager of Famous Bonanza and Easy Street ca-sinos in Central City, got into gaming when her fam-ily opened the Famous Bo-nanza Casino at the dawn of Colorado gaming. She moved her family to Central City from Califor-nia in 1991 to join her parents and siblings in opening the casino.

Dobson’s parents, Ross and Nan-cy Grimes, purchased the building in 1959 and opened a gift shop. When gaming was legalized, the family – including Ross’ son Reed, daughters Ann and Sue along with other fam-ily relations – renovated the historic block of buildings and opened a casi-no under the same name. When Ross Grimes retired from the business, Reed began managing the casino and Ann took over shortly after in 1992.

“Gaming was never what I thought would be my career path, but it was an opportunity and a challenge that was impossible to pass up,” Dobson said. “I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to learn the business from the beginning in Colorado, and to have worked with and known so many fine people over the years. I am proud of the historic preservation that we have been able to achieve in Cen-tral City, that many of our employees have chosen to work with us for many

years, and that we have been able to successfully compete with’“big box’ casinos while sticking to the spirit and intent of the gaming amendment.”

Before working in gaming, she was a teacher and then in social ser-vice, working for the California Dept. of Vocational Rehabilitation. Dobson, who was raised in Evergreen and at-tended college in Puebla, Mexico, likes to play tennis, create stained glass and hike with her husband and Golden Retriever when not at work.

Dean DiLulloFortune Valley

Dean DiLullo, COO of Fortune Valley and president of casino man-agement and consulting company M1 Gaming, has more than 24 years of experi-ence as a casino executive.

Prior to coming to Cen-tral City he was executive vice president and COO for Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino in Las Vegas. Before that, he was with Station Casinos for 12 years where he was the general manager for several of their properties and vice president of marketing for a few of the com-pany’s brands.

DiLullo has experience in both the West Coast and the Midwest and his expertise includes local, regional, air-port and resort gaming markets. He is an expert in casino database market-ing, special events and property op-erations. He has a Master of Business Administration from the University of Nevada and a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from Arizona State University.

When not at work, DiLullo is fam-ily oriented and likes to spend all his free time with his wife and kids. Oth-er interests include skiing, mountain biking and other activities “specific and famous” to Colorado.

Loralee LampingJohnny Z’s Casino

Loralee Lamping started at John-ny Z’s before the casino opened on May 1, 2010. Now she has new peak e x p e r i e n c e s that she’s excit-ed about - the new addition to the casino that opened re-cently and the hotel that will be added. This 26-room hotel will be above the original Granite House Ho-tel, built in 1874.

Lamping’s casino experience began 19 years ago, and all of the casinos she’s worked in are in Gil-

pin County; she’s been a blackjack manager, a cage manager, a compli-ance officer and a blackjack dealer. Her favorite leisure-time activities are golfing and shopping, so it fol-lows she loves to vacation in Mexico. She’s been married for 20 years and says her life is very ordinary, but she does have a tattoo. Lamping loves the casino business, which she says has defined her life, because “you get to meet so many people. I’ve had a good career and I’ve enjoyed every single step.”

Compiled by Jeffrey V. Smith and Linda Jones

V

Jim DruckBig Jim’s Saloon & Gambling Hall

What has gaming meant to you? A workday filled with fun after two boring careers.

What is your experi-ence in the ca-sino industry? I have flipped b u r g e r s , cleaned toilets, counted cages and BS’d with players in Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana, Iowa, South Da-kota, Minnesota, Colorado, the Do-minican Republic and other garden sports since 1992.

What do you like to do when you are not at the casino? Spend time outside with our dogs, fish, motor-cycle and play poker (badly).

What can you tell us that would surprise us about you? I was 6’4” before I got in this business.

Marc MurphyBronco Billy’s, Buffalo Billy’s & Billy’s casinos

What has gaming meant to you? Gaming was the beginning of a new career for me. I was in the hospital-ity business but this was a new version of the indus-try. It was a great career for me and I am so grateful for what it has done for me and my family. It’s allowed me to do a lot of things I wanted to do.

What is your experience in the casino industry? I had no gaming experience when I started, but now my career spans 20 years.

What do you like to do when you are not at the casino? I don’t let

any grass grow under my feet. I’m an avid distance runner and work out all the time. I do that to keep my sanity. I’ve been a runner for 40 years of my life. And I love to fly fish and play golf.

What can you tell us that would surprise us about you? I probably am less confident about my abilities than other people think.

Chad CarlsonCentury Casinos

What has gaming meant to you? It has given me an opportunity to work with and learn from a lot of truly great people over the past five years.

What is your experi-ence in the ca-sino industry? I’ve been with Century Casinos for a little over five years, and in that time had the opportunity to travel quite a bit and work on a lot of exciting projects.

What do you like to do when you are not at the casino? I love to hike with my wife and two dogs.

What can you tell us that would surprise us about you? I can ride a unicycle and juggle…but not at the same time.

Eric RoseThe Colorado Grande

What has gaming meant to you? Gaming is my life, my career, my passion.

What is your experi-ence in the ca-sino industry? My first job was graveyard shift waiter at the Carriage House Coffee Shop at Harvey’s Casino in Lake Tahoe. After three years of working my way up to su-pervisor level in the Food & Bever-age Department I moved to Colo-rado and switched to the marketing side of the industry. I spent 10 years in Black Hawk with Colorado Cen-tral Station Casino and Mardi Gras Casino, and now six years as GM at Colorado Grande.

What do you like to do when you are not at the casino? I love to snow ski, hike, watch movies, long walks with the dogs, watch football (Go Florida Gators and Tim Tebow), and spend as much time as I can with my wife, son and daughter.

What can you tell us that would surprise us about you? I graduated college to become a ski bum in Win-ter Park and lived there for three years.

Gilbert Sisneros (no photo provided)

Double Eagle & Gold Creek Casino

What has gaming meant to you? It really has been a new experience. I never intended to be in gaming. My whole purpose in coming to Cripple Creek was to help gather signatures to get gambling on the ballot. Peter Tedesco and I were going to buy up as much property as we could and sell it to the casinos.

What is your experience in the casino industry? I’ve been here since 1991. We began with “Little” Creeker’s [on the corner of Bennett where it turns into Highway 67), then Creeker’s downtown, and I be-came the GM here in 1996.

What do you like to do when you are not at the casino? Watch foot-ball games. I’m actually a New Eng-land fan. I like Tom Brady and how he controls the game.

What can you tell us that would surprise us about you? That I might be here in the next 10 years. My plan was to be here three years. And here I am, 20 years later.

Kevin WernerWildwood Casino

What has gaming meant to you? Gaming has given me and many an opportunity to make a good living working in a fun environ-ment. It has also given me and our em-ployees an opportunity to help many organizations with fi-nancial and in-kind donations. One cause near and dear to me is breast cancer awareness and research. My mom and oldest sister are both sur-vivors.

What is your experience in the casino industry? I spent many years in the hotel business before entering the casino industry. I think hospi-tality and guest experience is very important. My first job in the casino industry was as a director of food & beverage/hotel manager.

What do you like to do when you are not at the casino? Our business is very demanding, so when I am not working I spend time with my family.

What can you tell us that would surprise us about you? My first job in the hospitality industry was a dishwasher and I was an executive chef for several years.

- Compiled by Jan MacKell

Page 14: The Colorado Gambler 10-25-11

PAGE 14 THE COLORADO GAMBLER – Celebrating 20 Years October 25 - November 7, 2011

By Jan MacKell

For a little mountain town, the statistics on Cripple Creek’s casinos are actual-ly quite amazing. Only six

casinos opened on Oct. 1, 1991, for instance. Over the last 20 years, a total of 49 gambling houses have come and gone. Two of them, the Golden Eagle and the Mother Lode Saloon & Casino, never opened at all. Seven others closed and even-tually opened under new owner-ship. Another six were purchased, enveloped and evolved as part of an existing casino. Those hardy survivors include the 13 gambling halls in town today. Some of them stand alone as testaments to time. Others have grown to incorporate two or even three business licens-es. Here is the rundown on each place, complete with some fun facts about how they came to be.

Big Jim’s Gambling Hall & Saloon279 E. Bennett Ave., 719-689-2601, bigjimscasino.com

Big Jim’s origins be-gin with the Gold Rush Hotel & Ca-sino, which opened at 2nd and Bennett Av-enue on May 15, 1992. Southwest Casinos purchased the property in 1999. Earlier this year, the casino relocated to 279 E. Bennett Ave. and changed its name to Big Jim’s Gambling Hall & Saloon. No matter the name, the casino is known for friendly employees and a fun-filled atmosphere. Rockin’ J’s Café serves up excellent food including real baked turkey sandwiches. The new location is in the historic Rose-berry Block; during the 1950s a walk-way was installed connecting the building to the Imperial Hotel next door. With gambling the building be-came known as the Imperial Hotel & Casino, which closed 2010. Today the hotel, along with its Midland Depot Restaurant and the historic Gold Bar

Room Theater, is owned by former Cripple Creek City Councilman Gary Ledford.

The Brass Ass256 E. Bennett Ave., 719-689-0303, 800-635-LUCK, triple crowncasinos.com

A former tourist shop, the original Brass Ass opened on Oct. 1, 1991, but closed in 1994. Triple Crown Casi-nos, which also owns the Midnight Rose and J.P. McGill’s, was able to acquire the prop-erty in 1995. The Brass Ass is still known for its comfortable, casual gam-ing atmosphere and vintage Cripple Creek décor, including a wooden “brass” donkey from the Columbian Exposition at Chicago in 1893. The ca-sino has expanded into two other his-toric buildings, the former Iland Theatre and a gentleman’s clothing store once known as Glauber’s.

Bronco Billy’s, Buffalo Billy’s & Billy’s233 E. Bennett Ave., 719-689-2142 or 877-989-2142, bronco billyscasino.com

Bronco’s opened under its original name, Bronco Billy’s Casino & Sports Bar, on Oct. 1, 1991. As the casino expanded, Buffalo Billy’s Casino was established in 1998 and Billy’s Ca-sino in 2008. The crew has long been known as some of the friendliest staff in town. The casinos have three excel-lent restaurants: The Steakhouse, Baja Billy’s Restaurant & Cantina and The Home Café. All are housed in eight historic buildings. They include the Tutt Building, erected by Charles Tutt of the Broadmoor Hotel fame; the Turf Club, originally built as an elite gentleman’s club and the Coors

Building, purchased by Adolph Coors in 1897.

Century Casinos200-220 E. Bennett Ave., 719-689-0333, cnty.com

Century’s historic buildings are actually made up from several former casinos, including Wild Bill’s (opened 1991), Womack’s and Diamond Lil’s (opened 1992), and the Long Branch at 2nd and Bennett (also opened in 1992). Part of the casino was also once known as Legends and the whole shebang was renamed Century Casinos earlier this year. The casino is known for its mod-ern décor and the excellent Mid-City Grill run by the renowned Chef Paul.

Also, the casino generously promotes community events on their marquee at the historic Palace Hotel across the street. Century is housed in some of the most historic buildings of Cripple Creek’s downtown, including the Bi-Metallic Bank once owned by railroad tycoon David Moffat.

Colorado Grande300 E. Bennett Ave., 719-689-3517, 877-244-9469, coloradogrande.com

The Colorado Grande opened on Oct. 10, 1991. These days the casino is still known for its comfortable atmo-sphere, plus Jack’s that features black-jack and coffee next door. There is also Maggie’s, one of the few restaurants in town where you can eat away from

the bells and whistles of the slot ma-chines. The Fairley & Lampman block housing the Grande has been, amongst other things, the city morgue, attorney and doctor’s offices, a drugstore, two barber shops, realtors, several dry good and grocery stores, a hat maker, a mu-sic teacher, a dentist, a plumber, a lodge hall and even an “autocycle” shop. In later years the Sarsparilla Saloon was run by longtime building owners Ken and Katherine Hartz.

Double Eagle Hotel & Casino & Gold Creek Casino442 East Bennett Avenue, 719-689-5000, decasino.com

The Double Eagle was only the second newly built casino in town

Johnny Nolon’s still operates in the same building that the original Johnny Nolon’s was located in 1896.

Then and Now

Page 15: The Colorado Gambler 10-25-11

October 25 - November 7, 2011 THE COLORADO GAMBLER – Celebrating 20 Years PAGE 15

when it opened on Aug. 29, 1996. The casino also opened Gold Creek Casino opened next door in 2003. Winner of the Colorado Springs’ Ga-zette’s “Best of the Springs” for best casino six years in a row, the Double Eagle is still known for its beautiful barrel-shaped stained glass ceiling, Lombard’s Friday Seafood Buffet and Winfield’s fine dining restau-rant. The historic storefronts be-tween the Double Eagle and Gold Creek are also home to the Parrot Dice Grill, Prospector‘s Perk and Cripple Creek Outfitters. Histori-cally speaking, the Double Eagle was partly designed after a theatre once located on the site. In 2000, the ca-sino buried two time capsules on the property, to be opened in 2500. The company also owns the historic Old Homestead Parlor House Museum on Myers Avenue.

Johnny Nolon’s Saloon & Gambling Emporium301 E. Bennett Ave., 719-689-2080, johnnynolons.com

Johnny Nolon’s was amongst the six casinos that originally opened

Oct. 1, 1991. The casino is still known for cater-ing to lo-cals in a comfort -able, his-t o r i c a l l y decorated atmosphere. Johnny Nolon’s also holds the distinction as the only casino in town to oper-ate under its original name at its original location. Nolon opened his saloon and gambling hall on the site with partner Jacob Becker in 1893. The original building burned during Cripple Creek’s devastating fires of 1896, but was rebuilt as the stately structure we see today.

J.P. McGill’s Hotel & Casino232 E. Bennett Ave., 719-689-0303, 800-635-LUCK, triple crowncasinos.com

J.P.’s opened Nov. 26, 1997, on the site of the former Phenix House and three other historic buildings.

They include The Branch, a for-mer saloon where the Tom Collins cocktail was actually invented. The casino is known for McGill’s Pint & Platter, which features American fare in an Irish pub atmosphere. So who was J.P. McGill? In reality, for-mer Midnight Rose Hotel & Casino icons Bev Carlson and Bobby Cirin-con literally picked a name from Cripple Creek’s old city directories and landed their fingers on F.P. McGill. The former pharmacist also owned a saloon in town circa 1896. F.P. doesn’t roll off the tongue so smoothly, however, and so J.P. Mc-Gill was created as a pseudo-charac-ter and the casino’s namesake.

Midnight Rose Hotel & Casino256 E. Bennett Ave., 719-689-0303, 800-635-LUCK, triple crowncasinos.com.

The Midnight Rose originally opened Aug. 19, 1992, in a brand new building and has since ex-panded into the historic Schrad-sky block next door. Today the ca-sino is still known for its longtime Victorian charm, Dynamite Dick’s for casual dining, the Down Under Steakhouse for more upscale din-ing and fun, themed hotel suites. Pre-gambling folks will remember the shell of a building that once stood where the new structure was erected.

Wildwood Casino119 Carbonate St., 719-244-9700, playwildwood.com

Cripple Creek’s newest casino opened May 31, 2008. Four places within the casino offer munch-ables: Jazzy Java, the Saddlebar, the Fireside Kitchen and Ruby Tuesdays—Cripple Creek’s only chain restaurant. The Wildwood is newly built, but stands out for its beautiful inlaid wood roof in Ruby Tuesdays, and that it was con-structed by former Cripple Creek Mayor Dan Baader (before he be-came mayor, of course).

The Colorado Grande opend in 1991. The block the Grande is on at one time housed a morgue, an “autocycle” shop and a hat maker, among other things.

A vintage door greeter welcomes guests to McGill’s Pint & Platter restaurant. Photos by Jan MacKell

Play Wild. Live the Action.

Then and Now

Page 16: The Colorado Gambler 10-25-11
Page 17: The Colorado Gambler 10-25-11

CRIPPLE CREEK

Casino•Guide

CENTRAL CITY

BLACK HAWK

This information is subject to change without notice.

Ameristar - 24/7 BJ, P, C, R, VP over 1400 536 rooms B, D, SD, Starbucks free valet and self parking 720-946-4000/.ameristar.com/Black_Hawk.aspx

Black Hawk Station VP 120 No SD,SB city lot 303-582-5582/ blackhawkstationcasino.net

Bull Durham VP 188 No SB city lot 303-582-0810/.bulldurhamcasino.com

Bullwhackers - 24/7 Fri/Sat VP 400 No SD free valet and self parking 1-800-GAM-BULL/bullwhackers.com

Canyon - 24/7 Fri/Sat BJ, C, R, VP 415 No SD, SB free valet and self parking 303-777-1111/canyoncasino.com

Fitzgeralds - 24/7 Fri/Sat BJ, C, R, VP 700 No SD, SB on weekends free covered valet 303-582-6100 (1-800-538-LUCK)/fitzgeraldsbh.com

Gilpin - 24/7 BJ, C, R, P, VP 460 No SD free valet across the street 303-582-1133/thegilpincasino.com

Golden Gates - 24/7 BJ, P, C, VP 280 No D free valet and covered self parking 303-582-5600/thegoldengatescasino.com

Golden Gulch VP 140 No V free self/free valet 303-582-5600/thegoldengatescasino.com

Golden Mardi Gras - 24/7 BJ, C, R, VP 680 No SD,SB,D free valet and covered self parking 303-582-5600/goldenmardigras.com

Isle Casino Hotel Black Hawk - 24/7 BJ, C, P, R, VP 1308 238 B,D,SD free valet and self parking 1-800-The-Isle/theisleblackhawk.com

Lady Luck - 24/7 BJ, P,C, R, VP 500 164 SD,SB free covered valet and self parking 1-888-Lady-Luck/ladyluckblackhawk.com

Lodge - 24/7 BJ, C, R, P, VP 975 50 B, D, SD, SB free valet parking 303-582-1771/thelodgecasino.com

Red Dolly VP 149 No SD free self parking 303-582-1100/reddollycasino.net

Riviera - 24/7 BJ, C, R, VP 766 No B free valet and self parking 303-582-1000/rivierablackhawk.com

Sasquatch No 70 No D No 720-880-1616

Wildcard VP 220 No D city lot 303-582-3412/thewildcardsaloon.com

Century Casino - 24/7 BJ, P, C, R, VP 520 26 SD,D free covered self parking 303-582-5050/cnty.com

Crystal Palace VP 101 No D free city lot 720-253-1669

Doc Holliday VP 178 No SD free city lot 303-582-1400/dochollidaycasino.net

Dostal Alley - 24/7 VP 64 No SD free self parking 303-582-1610/dostalalley.net

Easy Street VP 205 No SD free self parking 303-582-5914/famousbonanza.com

Famous Bonanza BJ, P, R, VP 244 No SD , D free self parking 303-582-5914/famousbonanza.com

Fortune Valley - 24/7 BJ, P, C, R, VP 665 118 SD free valet and self parking 1-800-924-6646/fortunevalleycasino.com

Johnny Z’s BJ, C, R, VP 288 No SD, D free covered parking 303-582-5623/johnnyzscasino.com

The Brass Ass - 24/7 BJ, P, C, R, VP 250 No SD free covered self parking 800-635-LUCK/triplecrowncasino.com

Bronco & Buffalo Billy’s - 24/7 BJ, P, C, R, VP 750 23 SD free self parking 877-989-2142/broncobillyscasino.com

Century Casino - 24/7 BJ, C, R, VP 437 21 SD free self parking 719-689-0333/cnty.com/casinos/cripplecreek

Colorado Grande - 24/7 BJ, R, VP 211 5 SD, SB free self parking 877-244-9469/coloradogrande.com

Double Eagle & Gold Creek - 24/7 BJ, P ,C, R, VP 700+ 158 SD, SB free valet and covered self parking 800-711-7234/decasino.com

Johnny Nolon’s - 24/7 VP 255 No SD free self parking w/validation 719-689-2080/johnnynolons.com

J.P. McGill’s - 24/7 Fri/Sat VP 300 40 SD validated self parking 800-635-LUCK/triplecrowncasinos.com

Midnight Rose - 24/7 P, VP 400 19 SD, B validated self parking 800-635-LUCK/triplecrowncasinos.com

Wildwood Casino- 24/7 BJ, P, C, R, VP, TH 530 68 SD, D Climate controlled self parking 877-945-3963/playwildwood.com

Casino Table Slots Lodging Food Parking Contact Games

Table Games Key

BJ - Blackjack, P-Poker, C-Craps, R-Roulette, TH - Texas Holdem’, VP-Video Poker

Food Key

B-Buffet, D-Deli, SD-Sitdown, SB-Snackbar, V-Vending Machine

Page 18: The Colorado Gambler 10-25-11

PAGE 18 THE COLORADO GAMBLER – Celebrating 20 Years October 25 - November 7, 2011

Gaming

David Caruso of The As-sociated Press reported last week that full tilt poker, blocked from operating in the U.S. last spring on “Black Friday” as part of an online gambling crackdown, was “not a legitimate poker company, but a global Ponzi scheme,” federal prosecu-tors said.

The popular website ille-gally raided player accounts to fund operations and make lavish payments to its own-ers, Justice Department law-yers said in a revised civil lawsuit filed in New York. Over four years the company is accused of using $444 mil-lion to pay board members including well-known pros Chris Ferguson and Howard Lederer.

The poker site had prom-ised its players that their ac-counts were protected and wouldn’t be touched. But authorities say that, as of March, the company had only $60 million left in its bank accounts to cover the $390 million it owed to play-ers. It routinely mingled player money with its own finances and took cash from some customers to pay oth-ers.

FULLHOUSEBy Drew Chitiea

Humans are creatures of habit and poker players are no exception: We gravitate to a favorite place and after a time, become known to oth-ers and them to us. Thus, we have a goodly percentage of the table “made” (that is, we have a reason-able idea how certain people play) by the time we sit down. If our op-ponents indeed think about poker, our arrival and presence in the game is somewhat known to them as well. That has its advantages and disadvantages; if we understand both and the ramifications of each, we have a potential edge over the other players.

Occasionally we embark on a road trip and possibly (just “pos-sibly,” mind you) might find our-selves at a “foreign” casino or card room where we are an unknown entity. Our strengths and weak-nesses are a mystery, our playing and betting styles undetermined and we but a newcomer with an anonymous poker past. I like situ-

ations like that because a number of things are likely to occur and can be taken advantage of. First, you can really – and I mean really – change your style of play, almost with abandon. No one knows you; you have no history with these play-ers. No one knows if you are mix-ing things up or if this is your actual playing style. The opportunity to experiment with different styles and betting patterns exists without someone else announcing to the table, “Jeez, Drew, you’ve never played like this before, what hap-pened? You miss your medication, or what?”

I remember hearing Daniel Negreanu speak about this (he did admit this tactic I’m about to share was better used when he was an un-known entity, now that he’s so well-known people have come to expect it from him) when he addressed the topic of “Changing Gears” during a seminar. He said when he first sat down in a (not the home-town) ca-sino, he would automatically raise no matter what cards he held, no matter the position and no matter the game, for the first hour of play. After a period of this his opponents would go absolutely ballistic (“You raised with that?”) if they saw his cards at the hand’s end, they would aggressively play back to ‘teach this puppy a lesson’ or they would re-sign their hands to his raises until they got superb starting hands (“SO

easy to read at that point.”) so that by the first hours’ end, no-one had any idea of what he held when a raise came from him.

“After that first hour,” Dan-iel continues, “I could tighten my game, make raises with good hands which nobody respected, ‘cause they’ve seen me raise with any two cards, so for the rest of the night I could ride that reputation made in the minds of my opponents that I was a ‘loosey-goosey raising fool’ while I quietly changed gears and continuously raked in their chips, admitting that I just got lucky.”

Well, an opportunity to try this out – an amended tactic actually – arose when I flew my wife down to Sante Fe, NM for her birthday weekend. We stayed at the new Hilton resort “Buffalo Thunder” a few miles north of town (out past the opera house and the next exit north of Camel Rock Casino) and I can heartily declare that is THE place to stay. Service was great, food was good, facilities clean and fresh and each room ($99 per night weekend rate) has a patio where a Happy Hour can be served in pleas-ant surroundings. The poker room is clean, neat, friendly and QUIET. I played a $2-$6 spread limit until the $20-$40 dealers’ choice opened up, then moved there.

I did not have all day (I was there Saturday afternoon) as Sweetie’s big dinner was that night, but I got

five hours in. So as this ‘unknown player’ – they certainly made me for someone with poker experience, but little else – I decided I would raise before the flop with anything that had potential: All high cards, all low cards and any high-low sweeper possibilities. After the flop I would hit it again aggressively if I had a four-card draw to whatever holdings I had and hammer it again after the turn if the pot odds were with me. With this plan in place, I pulled the trigger on this tactic dur-ing my second hand.

While a lot of the days’ specific hands went unremembered (Dang! Those were three fine bottles of wine that night) I do recall recogniz-ing that most of the players went to resigning themselves to my raises; those who did play on made read-ing their hand for what they must hold got easier the longer I played. When I rose to leave for dinner preparation I figured to have about $250 per opponent profit in my jeans: Paid for the trip, the stay and the birthday dinner and then some.

So the next time you’re out at some foreign casino and you’re the unknown player, try changing gears to see what happens. Try playing the opposite of how you normally play AND incorporate your nor-mal style as well. Have fun with the change; experiment with it and ex-plore freely. You might be amazed at the results, have some new am-munition added to your arsenal, and have some fun as well.

Feds say full tilt poker a global Ponzi scheme

Matthew Dodd, poker room manager at Isle Casino Hotel Black Hawk, congratulates Chris

Tryba from Las Vegas who won first place in the WPT Regional Event: Colorado Poker Showdown,

Oct. 16.Photos courtesy of The Isle

Tryba wins WPT Regional at Isle Casino Hotel Black Hawk

Chris Tryba, a veteran poker player from Las Vegas, won the World Poker Tour Regional Colo-rado Poker Showdown Championship at Isle Ca-sino Hotel Black Hawk, Oct. 14-16.

Tryba earns his second tournament win of 2011 - he won the Borgata Deep Stack Double Play Open in March – and won $67,000 in the WPT Regional event at The Isle.

There was a buy-in of $1,600 and a prizepool of $310,500. The Isle event had 207 entries.

Thinking About Poker: Being the ‘new guy’

Page 19: The Colorado Gambler 10-25-11

October 25 - November 7, 2011 THE COLORADO GAMBLER – Celebrating 20 Years PAGE 19

Gaming

C a s i n o s have an edge or advantage over players because bets are struc-tured with offsets be-tween pay-offs and odds that must be

overcome to win. With $10 on the nine at craps, for instance, solid citizens are paid $14 when the dice show a nine and lose $10 when a seven pops. Other outcomes get no action. Nines are formed in four ways (3-6, 4-5, 5-4, 6-3) and sevens in six ways (1-6, 2-5, 3-4, 4-3, 5-2, 6-1). Odds against joy are therefore 6-to-4 (1.5-to-1). Pay-offs are 14-to-10 (1.4-to-1). On the average, for every 10 win-or-lose decisions on $10 wagers, players’ fortunes rise $14 x 4 = $56 and fall $10 x 6 = $60. The $4 difference is what the casino earns from the edge. For craps bets on nine, that edge is 4 percent of the $100 gross bet on the 10 coups – equal to $4.

This doesn’t happen on every particular run of 10 decisions. The principle works for the bosses

because they book so many wa-gers that, according to the laws of probability, frequencies of outcomes approach the theoreti-cal values. After, say, 10 million decisions, sevens and nines will have occurred roughly six and four million times, respectively. Were these the precise counts, $10 bettors would have raked in $56 million and given up $60 mil-lion, leaving the casino with $4 million of the $100 million put at risk. Even after 10 million coups, though, the take won’t normally be exactly $4 million. But the deviation will be by only a small fraction.

Players, in contrast, may suc-ceed despite the house advantage or lose far more than the edge would suggest. This, because they undergo few enough trials that ac-tual frequencies of outcomes may depart markedly from the theoret-ical values. After 10 decisions on the nine, for example, six losses and four wins is the most likely count. But it isn’t overwhelmingly more so than other tallies. The ac-companying table gives the out-looks for all possible sets of nines and sevens, along with the associ-

ated net player gains or losses, for 10 decisions with $10 bets.

Probabilities and net wins or losses for all possible outcomes of 10 coups on $10 Place bets on the nine at craps.

The “expected” four nines and six sevens, losing $4 on x $10 = $100 up for grabs, is the most likely upshot with 25.08 percent probability. The chance of five nines and five sevens, a $20 profit, isn’t far off at 20.07 percent. And the prospect for three nines and seven sevens, which will cost players $28, is similarly close at 21.5 percent. These figures indicate that the likelihood of departing from the theoretical amounts, up or down, is reasonably strong in the short run.

The bad news is that the prob-abilities in the table highlight an in-herent bias, even with relatively little play. Craps buffs have 39.69 percent promise of profit on the nine by doing better than four wins and six losses. But they have the complementary 63.31 percent chance of losing. This

includes the 25.08 percent chance of obtaining the theoretical numbers of wins and losses for a net $4 defi-cit, and the additional 38.23 percent threat of faring worse.

There’s good news, too. It’s true that, given sufficient action, casinos can be confident of a profit approach-ing the gross wager multiplied by the edge. However, subject to a critical ca-veat, few individuals will play enough to reach a point where their cause is hopeless. As illustrations, after 100 decisions, a player’s profit potential with Place bets on the nine drops only to 37.75 percent; with 1,000 coups, a player’s chance of triumph is still 14.35 percent – down but not out.

Oh yes, about that caveat. Bank-roll limitations are a sword of Da-mocles. Of course, dice doyens aren’t apt to bet exclusively on the nine. But, assume arguendo that some do

– betting $10 with $200 stakes. If a person could complete 100 rounds without going broke in the process, the chance of showing a profit is, as noted, 37.75 percent. But the player has over 15 percent chance of exhausting such a bankroll before completing this many rounds and accordingly being unable to recover. Likewise, if a person could complete 1,000 rounds, the probability of fin-ishing with a profit is 14.35 per-cent, but this ignores a greater

than 87 percent chance of running out of dough before bouncing back. Such premature busts increase the overall probabilities of losses. All of which contributes to the dilemma that the more you play, the more you might earn, but the probability keeps shrinking. As the poet, Sumner A In-gmark observed:

The greater the profit you want when you finish,

The faster your chance of suc-cess will diminish.

I’ve been writing columns about blackjack for more than nine years and I’m always surprised, myself, at how many new topics I find to discuss, even after having written 469 prior columns. It shows you how rich the game is, when seen from a state-of-the-art per-spective.

But now, looking back, I also re-alize how many topics there are that cannot be covered properly in a short-form column. And you haven’t read about these in the past nine years. Yet they’re topics you need to understand in order to be the best player you can possible be.

And, now that I think of it, there are also topics I haven’t been able to cover in my four books in nearly 15 years of writing all their various editions.

What are they? For one thing, neither I nor anyone

else could possibly show you or cover or even research every possible card situation a blackjack player could see at every type of blackjack game, involv-ing one, two, four, five (as in shuffle machine games), six or eight decks of cards.

You might recall that I showed you that there are 2 x 1063 number of possi-ble card situations in dealing just 44 of 52 cards just in terms of card order - not even counting the additional permuta-tions that would result if you looked at variables like the differing number of players there could be at the table. That’s the number 2 with 63 zeros fol-lowing it.

Imagine how many possibilities there are in dealing all manners of card totals in all types of blackjack games. It’s mind-boggling.

So nobody can claim to have in-vestigated every card situation. Just not humanly possible. Nor has anyone done it with a computer (nor is that pos-sible - given the drawbacks of using a computer’s random number generator

to simulate real-card blackjack action).Other topics I cannot cover in a col-

umn:How to analyze the cards in real

time, with each card that’s dealt. That’s something that can only be done in a video or at a seminar. I’d quickly end up with an encyclopedic tome if I tried to describe this kind of thing in words. Yet card analysis is an essential skill in winning big at blackjack.

How the cards stay in a very simi-lar order from shuffle to shuffle. This is a topic I can’t even cover in a book. I have spreadsheets from my several years worth of card shuffling research that could cover the floor of a small air-port, showing how the cards changed in order from shuffle to shuffle, before they are dealt and as they are dealt (taking into account what cards each player received, given the way cards are dealt at casinos, with one card dealt to each player and the dealer before the second cards). To do so in a print medium would quickly grow tedious - for me and the reader. And it would require a lot of space because it would be graphics heavy. Yet the conclusions

I drew from this research are important to understand if you want to play state-of-the-art blackjack. The conclusions I presented in Cutting Edge Blackjack. It’d be a lot harder to present in a short column and I haven’t yet attempted to do so.

My methods of identifying the players’ facedown cards at single- and double-deck games. And I could add the process I followed in creating these methods - that’s not possible to explain in a short column. Nor can I get into detail into my identification of vari-ous classes of facedown cards, which came after an intensive analysis of what kinds of cards players stand on in various card situations. Yet all of this is crucial to a player who wants to win big at single and double deck games. I can demonstrate some of this at a seminar but even then time constraints require that I do this at advanced blackjack techniques seminars only. Showing how this is done in real time is another topic that cannot be done in a column.

My shuffle tracking methods. Showing how each of the various types of casino shuffling procedures changes

the order of the cards is impossible in a short column. That requires many graphics and preferably a real-time demonstration. Showing you how to predict what cards are where and how to cut the cards to bring back good cards and avoid bad cards is also some-thing best done in real-time, although I was able to explain this well in Cutting Edge Blackjack. Nothing substitutes for real-time seminars and videos to show how incredible my techniques work, though.

How helpful my Probabilities and Imbalances Calculator is in showing you how to analyze the cards and dis-cover how the imbalances on the table reveal important information from which you can profit at the casino. This, again, must be done in real time, given that the revelations the Calcula-tor produces differ per card situation.

All of this, again, shows you the richness of the game of blackjack and why you must be proactive in seeking a complete education in the game if you want to become a consistent, big winner.

Have blackjack questions? Send them to [email protected]. For more info see http://www.blackjacktoday.com.

Do your chances of winning get better if you keep playing?

# of nines # of sevens probability net0 10 0.60% -$1001 9 4.03% -$762 8 12.09% -$523 7 21.50% -$284 6 25.08% -$45 5 20.07% $206 4 11.15% $447 3 4.25% $688 2 1.06% $929 1 0.16% $116

10 0 0.01% $140

There are just too many blackjack topics to cover

By Richard Harvey

Page 20: The Colorado Gambler 10-25-11

By Rosemary Fetter

Halloween has become America’s favorite holiday for both adults and chil-

dren, second only to Christmas. Halloween stores start popping up in shopping malls sometime in early September, and by the second week in October, parties, parades and pumpkin-carvings fill up calendars. Paper cutout witches and black cats creep across windows and scarecrows and plastic ghosts hover menac-ingly around front yards, while mini-superheroes, gory ghouls and fairy princesses gear up to haunt the neighborhood.

The strange celebration we call Halloween dates back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (sow-an), which marked the final harvest in Irish communities and a transition between summer and winter, light and darkness. Su-perstitious folk, which included almost everyone, believed that during this time the boundary between the earth and the spirit world was most fragile and the forces of darkness freely roamed the earth. To ward off unfriendly spirits, the Celts built huge bon-fires, performed mystic rituals and sometimes wore masks or costumes.

Centuries later, Christians at-tempting to stamp out pagan be-liefs instituted the Feast of All Saint’s Day on Nov. 1, and thus the night before the festival be-came Hallows Eve, or Hallow’en. Despite the best efforts of the church, the old customs prevailed and folks still barred their doors and blew out the candles early that night.

The practice of observing Hal-loween came to America in the late 1840s with the great wave of Irish immigrants escaping the potato famine. Along with St. Pat-rick’s Day and corned beef and cabbage, they brought stories of goblins, ghosts, witches, jack o’lanterns and other denizens of the underworld. By the late 19th century, Halloween had become ingrained in American culture.

It’s hard to say exactly how or why romantic love became so entwined with Halloween, but in the late 19th century, people were hanging mistletoe on Oct. 31. Strict Victorian mores re-laxed a bit for one night and young people were encouraged to flirt with romance – and one another. Halloween provided the perfect opportunity for singles to indulge their romantic fantasies with lighthearted fortune telling rituals, balls and barn dances and masquerade parties.

Even in those days, popular magazines like The Ladies’ Home Journal and Woman’s Home Companion provided tips on creating the proper atmosphere, from invitations and decorations to games and dances. Party deco-rations in the days before Target consisted of fresh cornstalks; large bunches of yellow and red ears of corn; carved jack o’ lan-terns; homemade cardboard ghosts and paper owls and fish-nets that were draped around hallways and stairwells. Strings of small red apples and nuts or phosphorus-coated popcorn might hang from the chande-lier, the latter more effective when enhanced by candlelight. Hollowed out crook-neck squashes filled with nuts and candied fruit could serve as party favors.

Apple-oriented activities like “bobbing for apples” were popular at Halloween parties. In a game called Snap-Apple, girls and boys with hands tied behind their backs would use their teeth to capture one of the many apples hanging from the ceiling. The person with the “first bite” would be the first to marry.

Tiny saucers could be used for party games. For example, four bowls might contain clear water, soapy water and tiny rocks, with a fourth left empty. Blindfolded

guests were asked to stick a hand in one of the bowls. Clear water meant a happy marriage, soapy water prophesized widowhood, the pebbles foretold a life of hard work and the empty bowl – a sin-gle and happy life. (The last was ironic in an age where girls were expected to marry before the ink had dried on their high school di-plomas.)

Another activity for young wom-en involved jumping over lit candles, like the fictional “Jack” in the nurs-ery rhyme. If the girl could make it over all several candles without ex-tinguishing any (or setting herself on fire) folklore ordained that she would be married before the year had passed. Every candle that blew out under the breeze of her long skirt meant another year without a mate.

The ubiquitous apple also could be used for fortune telling. A young

woman would pare an apple all the way around and flip the peeling over her shoulder. According to superstition, the peel-ing would land in the shape of the first letter of her future husband’s first name. Of course, the game was entirely subjective, particularly favoring the myopic.

Nuts were also plen-tiful around harvest time, providing other opportunities to foresee the future. One popular ritual involved throw-ing a pair of hazelnuts representing two differ-ent suitors into the fire. If one nut bursts, that lover will be unfaithful. The nut that burns steadily means a steady, faithful mate, or at least one who could take the heat.

Cabbage heads, possibly the unromantic of vegeta-bles, were used for divina-

tion and thus are often seen on Vic-torian postcards. In one test of true love, a couple would walk through a vegetable patch at midnight with eyes closed and pick the first cab-bage they encountered. If the cab-bage came out of the ground easily, it meant a smooth relationship. If the roots stuck in the soil, the pair could expect a troubled future, or possibly a cabbage shortage.

A ball of knitting yarn could also be used as a divining tool. As one old saying suggested:

“Cast a ball of yarn in a dark-some place.

Wait till the thread is caughtThen cry “Who holds? And a

voice will speakHis name who shall share your

lot,”The seeker might want to re-

evaluate her options if the voice simply replied “Meow!”

For more information on vin-tage Halloween, see Romantic Art and Customs of Yesteryear by Diane C. Arkins.

Marriage prediction themes were popular postcard images at the turn of the last century.

PAGE 20 THE COLORADO GAMBLER – Celebrating 20 Years October 25 - November 7, 2011

Halloween

The of

During the Victorian era, Halloween was a holiday for love and romance.

A young woman looks in the mirror on Halloween, hoping to see her true love’s face – a popular theme in vintage postcards.

Page 21: The Colorado Gambler 10-25-11

October 25 - November 7, 2011 THE COLORADO GAMBLER – Celebrating 20 Years PAGE 21

Trail’s End

A joyous occasion celebrating the memory of ancestors, continuity of life

ctober is the month of Hal-loween, of course. According to ancient Celtic traditions, Oct. 31 was the day when the threshold between living and

the afterlife was the thinnest. The dying sea-son of autumn reflected nature’s cycle: sum-mer crops har-vested, trees los-ing their leaves, days shortening, bitter cold soon descending, the luminous Har-vest Moon.

A similar tra-dition emerged in Mexico, root-ed in Aztec spiri-tuality. El Día de los Muertos, the Day of the Dead, originated as an Aztec ritual venerating the goddess Mictecacihuatl, the goddess of death who ruled over the afterlife. With the Spanish conquest of the “New World” of the Ameri-cas, the Day of the Dead became adopted into the Catholic Church calendar, melding Christian and pagan beliefs. The festive cel-ebration embraced the Catholic holy days of All Saints Day and All Souls Day, Nov. 1 and 2, to remember and revere the departed.

The ancient Mexican tradition is cel-ebrated today in many North, Central and South American countries. The Day of the Dead becomes a joyous occasion celebrating the memory of ancestors and the continuity of life. The Aztecs believed that spirits could return to earth and influence the living, thus El Día de los Muertos celebrates the souls of the departed as they return to visit their loved ones. This is not as a time of mourning because “the path back to the living world must not be made slippery by tears.” The cel-ebration eases feelings of grief and sadness, and it gives comfort to the living. On this fes-tive, mystical, once-a-year occasion the dead return in spirit to visit those they love.

Día de los Muertos is best known for the

vivid skeletal images. Folk art abounds, fea-turing the laughing skeleton with its grim grin. Skeleton figures prance, dance, work and play with all the gusto of the living. They represent the deceased, who want to be re-membered.

The skull, la calvera, and the skeleton, las calacas, prevail appearing in various shapes, sizes and materials. Skeletons of papier-mâ-ché, clay and colorful cut paper (called papel picado) pose whimsically in activities en-joyed by the living – dancing, drinking, sing-ing, loving, cooking, working, etc. Pan de muerto, “bread of the dead,” is a sweet baked treat in the shape of the skull and sometimes conceals a miniature skeleton. Decorated sugar skulls are enormously popular. People paint their faces to resemble a skull.

A favorite Day of the Dead custom is making elaborate tribute altars to welcome home the departed spirits. Called ofrendos, these are set up in private homes as well as in public places, and they represent the threshold between the afterlife and earth. A photograph of the deceased becomes the centerpiece, surrounded by ofrecetas (offer-ings) that include beloved mementos and the loved one’s favorite foods and beverag-es. Some altars have flowers, heaps of fruit, stacks of baked goods; others have cigars, beer and tequila, if the deceased was fond of those. Other altar items include burning candles, crosses, holy cards of saints, stat-ues of the Blessed Virgin Mary and scattered marigolds. Known as “the flower with 400 lives,” the orange-y flower symbolized death

for the Aztecs, who believed its pungent

scent created a path for dead to find their way “home” to the altar.

The fervor of the celebration escalates in some locales. Oaxaca, the Mexican state where the tradition originated, is famous for its extravagant Día de los Muertos celebra-tions. Festive preparations might go on for a month in advance: cooking favorite foods, decorating the domestic altars, sprucing up the graveyard. In some towns, on Nov. 1 and 2 masked partygoers dance from house to house, stopping and singing or performing a skit wherever the host offers a drink or a snack or a little money.

Cemeteries become a focal point in some places. Family members visit to clean, re-pair, pull weeds and decorate their ances-tors’ grave sites. On November 1 and 2, they burn copal incense to clear a path for the visiting dead ones. And they light candles on their beloveds’ tombstones until the grave-yard is ablaze with hundreds of flickering flames. The social evening might feature strolling musicians and masked costumed revelry-makers to add to the festive mood.

Día de los Muertos has flourished in U.S. cities with sizeable Hispanic populations, especially in the border states. Several Colo-rado towns and cities also have Day of the Dead festivities.

DenverMuseo de las Americas at 861 Santa Fe

Drive celebrates the ancient holiday with the Calacas Ball on Oct. 29, 8 p.m. – 1 a.m. The closing reception is part of the Art Dis-trict’s First Friday, Nov. 4. Other galleries in the Santa Fe Art District feature Day of the Dead exhibits on First Friday. Studio 12 at 209 S. Kalamath has its third annual Dia de los Muertos show that includes paint-ings, sculpture, fiber, jewelry and handmade dolls, as well as a “one-of-a-kind” altar.

Olinger Crown Hill Mortuary, Cemetery & Arboretum is hosting a free community

event that highlights Day of the Dead, El Dia

de los Muertos, from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m., Satur-day, Oct. 29, at 7777 W. 29th Ave. in Wheat Ridge that is also free and open to the public.

In North Denver, the Pirate Contempo-rary Art at 3655 Navajo St. celebrates the Day of the Dead, Nov. 4 – 20, kicking of the exhibit on First Friday with Aztec dances, a kids’ piñata, an adults’ piñata and displays of altars and artwork submitted by artists, local residents and schoolchildren. In its 25th year at the Pirate gallery, the evening festivities include a candlelight walk an eight o’clock from the gallery to Our Lady of Gua-dalupe Church at West 36th Avenue and Ka-lamath Street.

PuebloColorado State University-Pueblo cel-

ebrates the Day of Dead on Nov. 2, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. with a prayer service, dances, ex-planatory video, an altar contest and exhibit. The nondenominational prayer vigil, at 4 p.m. encourages people attending to bring photographs of their loved ones and place them on a designated prayer table. Student groups, campus organizations and commu-nity members create altars and Aztec danc-ers entertain at noon.

LongmontAt the Longmont Museum and Cultural

Center at 400 Quail Road, festivities include community altars, Day of the Dead artwork and hands-on workshops for making masks and sugar skulls, Oct. 1 – Nov. 6. People are invited to bring photos of deceased loved ones – including pets – to add to the Com-munity Tree of Life in the museum lobby. The Longmont Library has skeleton (calac-as) making workshops. The museum’s Fam-ily Celebration, Oct. 29 from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., that include dances, music and food; the event is free. It is the state’s largest Day of the Dead celebration, with as many as 5,000 festivalgoers each year.

By Cathleen [email protected]

A piano top makes a good setting for a Day of the Dead Altar. Traditionally these included a photograph of the deceased beloved one, mementos, favorite items, flowers, food and marigolds. Photos by Cathleen Norman

Day of the Dead merges with Halloween with the calacas skeleton costume.

Page 22: The Colorado Gambler 10-25-11

PAGE 22 THE COLORADO GAMBLER – Celebrating 20 Years October 25 - November 7, 2011

Horoscope

Contact Mary Nightstar at [email protected] and type “horoscope” in the subject line.

SCORPIO - (Oct. 24 - Nov. 22) Dreams may occur that have to do with past relationships or unfinished business. Notice and make notes on how to resolve the situation and move on to your greatest and highest good. Avoid conflict with authority figures. Be aware of their interest and hear them out – you don’t want to loose any progress you’ve made. Lucky Numbers:  2, 5, 7, 10, 12, 15, 17

SAGITTARIUS - (Nov. 23 - Dec. 21)Emotional contact with friends may be very important to you right now. Something may touch you in a very deep level; time to bring in a female friend into your life. Your support in friendship is appreciated and will be reciprocated. If you’ve had trouble recuperating, resolution is just around the corner. Lucky Numbers: 2, 5, 8, 52, 55, 58

CAPRICORN - (Dec. 22 - Jan. 20)Your business and professional life is in focus. You may be put to the test on what you are willing to do or put up with. You may find it difficult to hide certain facts pertaining to your life; but this is a good time for any kind of public relations. Prepare yourself, as this is a time of harvest.Lucky Numbers: 1, 4, 8, 11, 14, 18

AQUARIUS - (Jan. 21 - Feb. 19)This may be the time to withdraw from the chaos that circle around you. If there is travel on your calendar, you are highly likely to meet new friends or connect with others of a foreign background. This is a great time to build a reliable and predictable routine in your daily life, but keep yourself open to new opportunities. Lucky Numbers: 21, 22, 23, 32, 33, 36

PISCES (Feb 20 - March 20)You may be drawn to intense or powerful people who have a strong effect on you. You are ready for a challenge and a new experience of who you are and what you are capable of. Let go of any possessiveness that can get in the way of your personal growth. Expand on your idea of beauty. Visit an art museum. Lucky Numbers: 5, 7, 15, 55, 57, 68

ARIES - (March 21 - April 20)You are on a new journey in your life, one that may surprise you and those close to you. As you change your way of handling the world, you therefore become open to experiences that you would have never before allowed. You may soon be attracted to someone older or someone of a very different background than yourself. Lucky Numbers: 1, 14, 17, 18, 44, 45

TAURUS - (April 21 - May 21)You are in a good position for relationships and love affairs according to the planets right now. You are inclined to seek balance and harmony with those around you. Now is also the time to share the “peace pipe” and resolve any past conflicts. Take the time for a general reorganization concerning home and health care. Lucky Numbers: 1, 2, 3, 22, 33, 59

GEMINI - (May 22 - June 21)Detail in your surroundings is important to you. You may want everything to be as perfect as possible so work out the details before hand. Avoid being hypocritical by expressing what is troubling you. Find fun and excitement by doing healthy and up beat outings with friends and family. Meet ups are also likely.Lucky Numbers: 5, 6, 9, 15, 24, 30

 CANCER - (June 22 - July 22)The New Moon this week leaves you with plenty of excitement and stimulation. New romance is likely and just what you need. Kids will keep you on your toes and full of surprises. Creativity is flowing and can produce a new source of income for you. Quiet time comes around on the weekend; time to turn off the phone.Lucky Numbers: 13, 15, 20, 23, 25, 40 LEO - (July 23 - Aug 22)Whatever threw you a curve this past month quickly becomes a thing of the past. Nothing can hold you down. You are back on top of the world and it is a positive and happening place once again. More than usual, your home becomes your place of refuge and solitude; time to get ready for the change of seasons. Lucky Numbers: 2, 8, 32, 33, 38, 46

VIRGO - (Aug. 23 - Sept. 23)You may have lots of contacts with other people over the next few weeks - new friends in the picture, family issues and possibly travel on the agenda. This is not the best time to try to settle down and relax. Your environment is moving fast and you will most likely be in the middle of it all. Keep flexible and fun.Lucky Numbers:  5, 12, 15, 16, 21, 56

LIBRA - (Sept. 24 - Oct. 23)You may be inclined to keep your innermost thoughts to yourself. Avoid negative thinking. If you are a natural with handling finances, than this can be a lucrative time for you - difficulties may arise from being too extravagant if you are not. Invest in art or something beautiful.Lucky Numbers:  4, 9, 48, 49, 64, 66

in the

Buffalo chili

Pecan Pie

cornBreadQuantity Ingredient1 tbsp Blended oil¾ lb Yellow Onion, small diced1 oz Minced Garlic½ lb Green Bell Pepper, seeded and small diced2 ea Jalapeno Peppers, seeded and small diced2 lbs Ground Buffalo

Quantity Ingredient ¼ cup Chili Powder2 tbsp Ground Cumin1 12oz can Diced Tomatoes1 8oz can Kidney Beans1 pint Beer, Ale style like Fat Tire1 bunch Cilantro, rough chopped1 tsp Ground Black Pepper2 tsp Kosher Salt

Send usyour recipes!

To be featured in Rollin’ in the Dough: Send us a recipe, your name, a little about yourself, why you chose that recipe, a little about your cooking style, and of course your phone number in case we have questions. Email [email protected] or mail to 8933 E Union Ave., Suite 230, Greenwood Village, CO 80111. Questions? Call Sharon at 303-503-1388.

Add oil to stockpot. Cook onions, garlic and peppers in oil until translucent. Add buffalo and brown well. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 45 minutes.

Quantity Ingredient¾ cup Pure Maple Syrup½ cup Caramel Cajeta*¾ cup Brown Sugar3 ea Whole Eggs3 tbl Butter, softened1 tbl AP Flour1 tbl Vanilla Extract2 cups Chopped Pecans2 ea Raw Pie Crusts

ProcedureMix together all ingredients thoroughly. Divide mixture equally into pie shells. Bake in 350 degree oven for 25 minutes.*Cajeta is a Latin American caramel sauce made by cooking down goat’s milk. It has a rich flavor and texture and can be found at most any Latin American specialty foods store.

Rollin’ DoughQuantity Ingredient3 cups High Gluten Flour1 ¼ cups Cornmeal1 ¼ cup Sugar1 tbl Salt1 tbl Baking Powder1½ cups Milk¾ cup Vegetable Oil4 ea Whole Eggs

ProcedureMix all ingredients together thoroughly. Pour batter into a greased 9x9 baking dish. Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees and cool.

reciPes from

Page 23: The Colorado Gambler 10-25-11

October 25 - November 7 , 2011 THE COLORADO GAMBLER – Celebrating 20 Years PAGE 23

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