Global Internet Gaming Summit and Expo 2005 -- July 11, 2005

The Wizard's News

July 11, 2005

You may have overlooked our previous newsletter!

A number of our subscribers missed receiving the last newsletter as it was mistakenly classified as spam due to one of our former advertisers being listed as a spammer. (Just to clarify, they are no longer associated with us!) So, if you didn't see the June 11 newsletter regarding social security , read it now It's truly insightful! The Wizard provides an in-depth analysis of the ongoing social security debate, and he’s quite knowledgeable on the subject, having previously worked as a key analyst for the Social Security Administration. ( read last issue.. )

From the Wizard..

All about Montreal

I've just returned from the 2005 Global Internet Gaming Summit and Expo, which took place in Montreal from June 13 to 15. This was my fourth visit to Montreal in the last five years, so I feel quite accustomed to the city by now. The event itself was fairly uneventful for me, leading me to question whether the time and money spent were justified. The highlight of the trip was winning a $500 ATM card from Pay Spark. In addition, I secured a week’s stay in a Cabo San Lucas condo through a charity auction courtesy of the Gambling Federation. When I shared this with Bluejay, his response was that he wasn’t aware Starfleet permitted gambling. (sigh)

While everything is still fresh in my mind, I thought I would dedicate this newsletter to my recommended activities in Montreal. First off, don’t stress if you don’t know any French. Almost everyone in Montreal appears to be bilingual, and I noticed that about half the conversations I heard were in English anyway. I believe that when visiting a foreign nation, it can be incredibly beneficial to learn a few basic phrases—like hello, good day, good evening, and thank you. It demonstrates respect for the local culture, and it is usually met with a smile or enhanced service. Last year in Shanghai, I surprised quite a few locals by expressing myself with a few words in the local Shanghai dialect instead of the standard Mandarin Chinese.

The heart of Montreal's tourist activity is centered around Saint Catherine Street, stretching from Crescent Street to Saint Laurent Boulevard. This area is bustling with shopping malls, cinemas, souvenir shops, restaurants, and cabarets. The cross street, Crescent, is lined with numerous nightclubs, particularly appealing to the younger crowd. Personally, I prefer Saint Laurent Boulevard, located to the north of Saint Catherine. In my experience, this area tends to be closed to vehicles during the day, making it a popular spot for locals to stroll. It also features an abundance of charming small shops, pubs, and eateries. Throughout the day, various vendors set up stalls, offering everything from food to jewelry along the street. To the east, Saint Denis Street is similar yet smaller and has a distinct ethnic ambiance.

Old Montreal is situated close to the waterfront and showcases a wealth of historic architecture, including the renowned Notre-Dame Basilica. Extending out into the water is a sizable science museum with an IMAX theater. While this institution is an interesting visit, I find it to be overly touristy, filled with repetitive souvenir shops. In the public square, you can often catch jugglers and musicians during peak tourist hours. I must highlight the Les Rampart restaurant, located in the basement of a small hotel. It serves truly authentic French cuisine and ranks among the best meals I've had, not just in Montreal but anywhere. Their location is at 97 Commune East. I invited several fellow webmasters to join me there during the event, but they seemed to prefer a more casual dining experience (and Bluejay lamented the lack of vegetarian options), so we opted for another restaurant. I regret not being able to experience Les Rampart during this trip.

Every visit to Montreal includes at least one trip to Mont-Royal Park. This expansive park situated on a hill is a short walk north of downtown. It boasts numerous paths for jogging, biking, and hiking, along with smaller trails. There is a grand staircase leading to the top, but unfortunately, it was closed for repair on this occasion. The viewpoint at the summit affords a stunning view of the city, and the hike to it provides a great workout. However, my experience at Olympic Park, which I visited during a previous trip, was far less enjoyable. Guided tours are available for the various facilities, but the park itself felt quite isolated and lacked activity. I recommend prioritizing other attractions instead.

Of course, I have to mention the Montreal Casino. Although I’m sure I've covered this in an earlier newsletter, it's worth revisiting. The casino boasts a very contemporary split-level design and is situated on an island in the Saint Laurent River. To get there, you can use the subway followed by a short bus ride, or take a taxi. While the gaming conditions are competitive, expect it to be crowded. During peak periods, finding a blackjack table with a $25 minimum can be a challenge. The casino focuses primarily on gambling, which may be limiting, but for those with a passion for gaming, it satisfies that urge well.

I'd also like to commend the modern art museum located on Saint Catherine Street. The museum features a variety of quirky and intriguing exhibits in its temporary section, while the permanent collections seemed less captivating to me. My favorite part was a room illuminated solely by bicycle lights powered by individuals completing community service. I find this type of engagement far more fascinating than the common practice of displaying abstract paintings featuring solid colors and erratic splatters, which are prevalent in many American modern art museums, a concept I still struggle to understand.on exercyclesI could keep going, but I realize I may have already exhausted your interest. Until we meet again, may fortune favor you.

What the Wizard didn’t mention about his time in Montreal is that he spent $100 per night for a hotel, while I opted for a hostel just three blocks from the convention center that only cost me $20 per night. Sure, I had to share a room with five other guys, but since I only used the space for sleeping, it didn’t bother me. Here’s

From Michael Bluejay..

a snapshot of me with some of the CasinoPays team . That’s Sammy on the left and Liat on the right. You are already aware that the Wizard of Odds does not feature any pop-up windows. However, you might not know that we also prohibit our advertisers from having pop-up ads. If a site wants to partner with us for advertising, they must ensure that no pop-ups appear when users click through to their site. We prioritize your experience on our platform, and that extends to when you navigate away to other sites.

Popup-free wonderland

Nevertheless, there are instances where an advertiser might attempt to mislead us and introduce unwanted pop-up ads after we have already approved their site. If you come across any advertisers behaving in this manner, please inform us! This situation is quite rare because we carefully select only trustworthy advertisers who are known for their integrity. It’s also worth noting our new policy that advertisers will lose their ad space without a refund if they attempt this kind of deceit. Still, if you notice pop-ups while clicking on one of our advertisers’ links, let us know. The first individual to report any specific offending advertiser will receive a free copy of the Wizard's latest book.

Speaking of free books, for the foreseeable future, one fortunate subscriber will win a free copy of the Wizard’s newly released book Gambling 102 in every edition of this newsletter. Today’s proud winner is subscriber #458 (out of 8018), Bill Blackburn! Bill's copy of Gambling 102 is on its way to him through time and space. Gambling 102 .

Free book by the Wizard

Bluejay’s Internet tip of the month: How much electricity does your computer consume?

Ever find yourself wondering about your computer's electricity usage? I’m sure you have! (Yes, you have; no need to argue). First, let’s clarify how electricity is measured. It's simple: in kilowatt-hours. If you operate 1000 watts for one hour, that amounts to a kilowatt-hour. So, for instance, if you have ten 100-watt light bulbs lit for an hour, that's a kilowatt-hour. Or using one 100-watt bulb for ten hours also equals a kilowatt-hour. To make things simpler, let’s use the abbreviation kWh because I’m getting a bit weary of typing out kilowatt-hour repeatedly.

In the United States, the average electricity cost is roughly 10¢ per kWh. A standard computer typically consumes about 65 watts, and an additional 80 watts for a 17\" CRT monitor, or 35 watts for an LCD monitor. (Laptops use anywhere from 15 to 45 watts). So, with an LCD monitor, we’d be looking at a total of 65 + 35 = 100 watts. If you run your computer for three hours daily, that sums up to about 90 hours a month, equating to 90 hours x 100 watts = 9000 watt-hours = 9 kWh, which costs about $0.90. That's not much at all. However, beyond saving money, reducing electricity consumption also helps minimize pollution, as power generation can be detrimental to the environment. To conserve energy, it's advisable to set your computer to automatically enter sleep or standby mode when not in use, which can drop usage to as low as three watts depending on the model. In Windows 98, you'll find this option under Start > Settings > Power Management, while Mac OS X users should access it via System Preferences > Energy Saver.

While conserving electricity with your computer is important, you can save far more by focusing on heating, cooling, and lighting. You can find more detailed insights on that in my

Utilizing Google to search within a particular website Guide to Saving Electricity .

Previous tips:

• Instructions for disabling bothersome animated advertisements
• Firefox offers tabbed web browsing
• The www is optional
• Here are some updates from Wizard of Odds:

What's new on the website

Introducing a \"Search our site\" feature You asked for it, and here it is: Now, you can effortlessly search all of Wizard of Odds using a convenient search box located in the sidebar. A quick search reveals that the only mention of the word \"sex\" on Wizard of Odds appears in an article I wrote for the newsletter a couple of years ago.

• . The Wizard has analyzed a new variant of video poker.
• Pick 'em Poker . Discover insights into a new poker-based table game currently being trialed at the Bellagio.
• All-in Holdem This is all for now. Until next time, keep your expectations elevated.

Written by: Michael Shackleford