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I’ve never been to Las Vegas. The closest I got was watch Hunter S. Thompson’s Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas. Plenty of friends have been there for stag parties. I’m not sure if they have a similar number of hen dos. Whether you have been there or not there is little doubt you have heard about Las Vegas. Such is the promotion machine which screams: ‘If you love gambling this is the place to visit.’ I guess I will get there one day. However, as I’m not a brainless gambler I really wouldn’t be sucked into the vacuum cleaner which disrobes so many of the last dollar in their pockets. I’ve written a few articles about Vegas including one titled 1100 Ways to Die in Las Vegas. Relating to the number of people who die there annually. This article will be different in detailing 5 Famous Sportsmen who died in Las Vegas. I guess that means people you would call celebrities. Lets take a look and see.

1) Joe Louis

Considered one of the greatest heavyweight boxers. The Brown Bomber competed from 1934 – 1951. In fact, he was world heavyweight champion for over a decade from 1937 – 1949. He was victorious in 25 consecutive world title fights. Louis died in 1981 of cardiac arrest at Desert Springs near Las Vegas just hours after his last public appearance viewing the Larry Holmes – Trevor Berbick heavyweight championship fight.

2) Bob Orton

An American professional wrestler and father of the famous Orton wrestling family including his son Bob junior. Orton, known by many as The Big O. Born in 1929, he died aged 76 in 2006. A good friend of Andre the Giant passed away after suffering multiple heart attacks while living in Las Vegas, Nevada.

3) Sonny Liston

A professional boxer who competed from 1953 – 1970 and gained his heavyweight companionship title in 1962 when he knocked out Floyd Patterson in the first round. Born in 1930, Liston was a tough fighter, with many considering him unbeatable. However he lost his title to Muhammed Ali in 1964. Ali was the underdog and given little hope. The following year they had a re-match and Liston was knocked out in the first round. Some considered the fight a fix. He dies in mysterious circumstances in 1970. He was 40 years old. He died in his Las Vegas home and buried in Paradise Memorial Gardens. From his 54 fights he won 50, with two losses to Ali, Marty Marshal & Leotis Martin. .

4) Travis Claridge

American football star. The offensive lineman played in the NFL for Atlanta Falcons and Carolina Panthers. A big man he weighed 300lb and 6’ 5’’ tall. He played 62 matches in his first four seasons at Atlanta before injuring his knee. He played just 6 games in 2003 and his contract wasn’t extended. He signed with Carolina Panthers but was cut during training camp. He died in 2006 after being found unconscious at his home in Las Vegas, Nevada.

5) Robert Wangila

Kenyan boxer Robert Napunyi Wangila was a welterweight boxer and gold medalist from the 1988 Summer Olympics. He turned pro in 1989. Sadly, Wangila died from his injuries received in the 1994 fight against David Gonzales in Las Vegas. He was just 27 years old.

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Clearly, this is written tongue in cheek. I don’t wish for anyone to become a gambling addict, not even my gran. It couldn’t happen as sadly both my grans have passed away. Nana Polo, passed away in her 60s, while Ivy Wales was in her 80s. Both lovely ladies who loved me. As children, or young adults, we often lack understanding, emotions and take things for granted. Perhaps that’s how it should be. Children act like children. Little terrors, all of them!

Did Your Gran Gamble?

To my knowledge, neither gran gambled. Or at least weren’t a regular gamblers. The only time I could imagine my grans betting would be on the housewives’ favourite, the Grand National. Nano Polo would have bet her 50p each way. I don’t think Nana Wales would have bet even if William, Hill had knocked on her door with a free bet. She’d have slammed it in his face and said: ‘You’re not turning me into a gambling addict.’ Certainly, my Dad’s side of the family [Nana Polo-Coote] were more gamblers. In fact, they loved a bet. Probably how it got in my blood. I’m thinking out of the two grans, Nana Polo would have been a potential addict.

What’s Your Fancy?

If my grans bet, it was for fun. Never once did I hear them say they had ambitions to be a professional gambler. I doubt many grandchildren have ever heard the words: ‘I’m an elderly lady but I want to become a professional gambler.’ I guess it can happen but not to me. I never remember my Dad saying his mum was a budding gambler. I know my mum’s mum never drank alcoholic. She liked a glass of bitter lemon which is harsher than most whiskeys. You need to be hardcore to drink bitter lemon. I’m thinking if someone drinks alcohol they are more likely to gamble. Who know whether that is true and I’m too lazy to see if I can find any research.

The Day My Gran Bet

Thinking about it, Nana Ivy Wales did gamble. I just remembered, so there may be a chance of getting two addicts rather than one. Obviously, that would need building a time machine and going back to the 1970s and 1980s. If such teleportation was available, I wouldn’t mention gambling in any form. Nana Wales enjoyed a game of bingo at the local hippodrome. It was a popular venue. I guess my nan had a few wins. I think she went with her neighbour Mrs. Wing. It’s good to think she got out because a large family of seven children was more than a full-time job. If I was her, I’d have drunk alcohol too. I am pretty sure Nana Polo had a bet on Red Rum who won the Grand National in the 70s. I’m sure that made her day.

How To Turn Your Gran Into An Addict

This is just the theory of turning your gran into a gambling addict. For all I know, your gran is addicted to slot machines, scratch cards, bingo. She may have an addiction to alcohol and crack cocaine. I hope for you and your gran’s sake she doesn’t. It’s a hard life which because of their aged nature they will most likely pass away. Deceased. The police, instead of using the piece of chalk to draw around the body, scribbled down the odds your gran died from gambling, drinking and sniffing drugs until the last. A quick check on their phone reveals an app which tells the story. That last meeting to Gamblers Anonymous missed. Sad times. 

Change The Future Of Your Gran

The moral of the story is to keep an eye on your gran. If you see her gambling too much then make an effort to take her out for a day and have a quiet word. You don’t need to gamble to have a good time. Sometimes drinking bitter lemon is the answer to all life’s ills.

God bless my nans.

Don’t get me started about my grandfathers.

Love you.

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Las Vegas. Sin City. What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. Especially if you die while on vacation. Not the most appealing thought. There’s you ready for your holiday. Flying to Nevada. Cash on the hip. Room with a view. Perhaps you have lost all your cash before your demise. You may be held up at gunpoint or beaten to a pulp by a pimp of a prostitute. It’s possible you lost your life’s saving and jumped to your death from the balcony view or blew your brains out with a gun. Some people live life to the full in Las Vegas, while others take their last mortal breath. Let’s take a look at the statistics of the great and the good of deaths in the place where gambling is a new religion.

How Many Deaths In Las Vegas?

In 2014 there were over 40 million visitors who headed to Las Vegas to gamble like never before, enjoy the strip, entertainment and all that stuff. I have images of Hunter S. Thompson’s Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas which taints my mind as a destination for those who want a quiet life. Almost a decade back, Clark County coroner’s office, about 1100 visitors die while in Las Vegas each year. What are the betting odds on that happening to you? In truth, 1100 from 40 million doesn’t sound too bad but it isn’t if you are one of the few who are deceased or leave your family behind wondering what happened. Perhaps these finding with help bring some light on the matter.

The Result Of Accident

I don’t know whether betting a lot of money makes punters clumsy, complacent or prone to falling over balconies but the number of accidents is set an incredible rate. In fact, 67% of the total 1100 died by accident. That’s 737 who died because of an accident. Isn’t a 737 a plane? Not sure if anyone crashed out in a light aircraft or a helicopter flying over the Grand Canyon. I guess that’s happened to a few. I wonder what the general average of deaths in the population is via accident because this seems incredibly high.

Self Inflicted

Sadly some 15% of annual deaths in Las Vegas come from suicide. That means 165 people take their life. We should take some time to consider how people find themselves in such a position they simply give up on life. Especially when they are on vacation, a time most people relax, enjoy life, perhaps with family and friends. But for whatever reason, and their may be many, they become overwhelmed, feel lost, disillusioned to their ultimate demise. This may be due to problem gamblers, substance abuse and financial problems. In the US the most common method of suicide is shooting, overdose, hanging and one of the least likely jumping to their death. Most suicides are impulse decisions and preventable.

Homicide

You don’t just need to worry about your own well-being but your safety. A scary 11% of deaths in Las Vegas are due to homicide. That’s 121 poor souls who lost their life a the hands of someone. Murder is a dirty word in Las Vegas and some researchers have suggested bad publicity is kept from the press. Even more strange, no cause of death could be found in 6% of deaths.

Conclusion

Las Vegas is a brilliant holiday destination for people across the globe. But along with the good times and possibility of winning there are, as all places, concerns with crime and the impact of gambling on your well-being. The vast majority of tourists have the time of their life and return raving about their experience. Sadly, over 1000 tourists every years do not come home through death whether accident, suicide or homicide. While others are a mystery with no cause of death.

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The font of all wisdom. The gambling man. He’s seen it all. The good, bad and ugly. It sounds like something from an old western. I can’t say I’ve ever played poker. I know what a full house looks like and I’ve heard of Dave Ulliot ‘’Devil Fish’’. I guess that’s because I am from the UK and watched a random episode on TV back in the late 90s called: Late Night Poker. It was a time when poker when mainstream and every Tom, Dick and Harry thought they could win the World Series of Poker if they learned the basics. I watched but didn’t really learn. Perhaps that was a good thing. I’ve never been lucky at cards and three card brag has been a thorn in my side. Every Boxing Day we’d venture round out cousins and the amount of times I cam back potless wasn’t good. As with all losses, you learn something along the way. But if poker could teach you 5 lessons in life what would they be?

1) Discipline

You know there’s a reason why the army teaches you to think and act in a certain way. I’m surprised they don’t teach new recruits how to play poker. So what does poker teach us? You can’t win every hand! It’s a basic but a certainty which helps us understand something quite profound. At any time things change. You could have the best hand only to be bluffed out of your winnings. But the best players use discipline to keep on the straight and narrow. Without that, you are like a leaf blowing in the wind.

2) Bankroll Management

Without good bankroll management you will undermine your play. It often happens to new players who have some success and push too hard against more seasoned players. They soon find their lack of skills point them out as a weak link and loser. You shouldn’t play with money you can’t afford to lose or over bet the money you take to the table. If you don’t have some understanding of bankroll you are likely to be out of sync to the game and it will only lead to you going home early.

3) Risk Reward

Another concept which most non gamblers fail to understand and ultimately based on skill. You know, the best players don’t simply wait for the best hands to make their money. That’s why a skilled player using a bluff when least expected. It often happens in tournaments when a players stack is limited. They know it’s their only chance to keep in the game. Sometimes it works.

4) Patience

My mother says: ‘Patience is a virtue possess it if you can, always in a woman but never in a man!’ Perhaps poker players of both sexes have it in abundance or at least they’re learning to gain this trait. I’m not a poker player but talked to a few players and it isn’t a short and sharp game. In fact, some of these games can last for hours and it’s a grind. You need a little bit of patience if not a bucket load. It takes a lot of patience and good decision making to win cash. Similar to life, short term gains may disappear long term. Patience give you an opportunity to make the most of your chance when it arrives. Basically, you need the odds stacked in your favour.

5) Decision Making

As we detailed above. Without good decision making you are doomed playing poker or in life. You cannot change the cards you are given but how you play them is your choice. To maximise your chance of winning you need to make the most of every hand. As with life, make the best of uncertainty with good decisions to maximise gains.

A couple of extra just to add to your knowledge.

6) Game Selection

As a decent poker player, you’re wish would be to sit at a table of recreational players. While a table full of pros and sharks would be a different story unless you know better. Like life, you have the option of picking your path and the games you play. These factors are important to having a decent career, business and happy life.

7) Dealing With Bad Luck

A good player can’t be afraid of a bad loss. They are dealing with odds to chance and they can change at any time. However, strength of mind keeps players focused and determined that long term their skill will show a profit. Life can be difficult but do you give up or carry on? If you are scared of losing you will never win. Bet to win rather than bet not to lose. What matters is how you deal with losses, get past them, and move forward.

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Who better to learn some tips than listen the author and editor of the American Casino Guide. Steve and Matt Bourie run a YouTube channel called The Jackpot Gents and have almost 200,0000 subscribers. To add to their clout, this particular video, which inspired me to write this post, has 1.8 million views in 2 years. Let’s get stuck into their top 4 secrets on winning on slot machines.

Introduction

Most people who go to the casino will play slots. In fact, almost 70% of the casino revenue comes from slots. Let’s face it we all know how slots work, but what we want to know is how to win more often. Basics: A slot machine is just a computer that’s made to pay out less money than it takes. That’s in the long run, as we know, anything can happen in the short run. In the long run you’re not going to win money unless you are a cheat. Learn these handy tips which will make your money last longer which means you have more chance of hitting the jackpot which is probably the difference between winning and losing when you play on the slots.

1) Always Join The Players Club

I must admit, I’ve never heard of this before. It sounds like a lot of people are against joining the Players Club. However, for all the bad publicity this isn’t true. The casino has the house edge so they know long term they will win. The good side to joining the Players Club is that you will get a lot of bonuses, which means you have better value and makes it worth it. This allows you to cut down the casino edge. If you love playing slots you need a way of cutting the house edge which steals all your money. They will often give you free spins which gives you an advantage and make your play last longer. The Players Club lets the casino know how much money you have played and they can rebate some of that back to you. In addition, you get gifts and other freebies, show tickets, buffet, hotel rooms, meals and all sorts of stuff. You won’t get this if you haven’t joined.

2) Set A Budget

Wise words from the father and son here. Let’s imagine you go to Vegas with the thought of gambling $1,000. The worst thing you could do is lose that money in the first day of your week on the Strip. It happens. Be realistic with the budget you set. You really don’t want to be playing $5 slot machines on a limited budget. Think about how fast your money will go. You may be better off playing nickel or penny slot machines. Remember gambling, for most people, is entertainment. Playing slots you have the thrill of the experience. On the good side, you might win money. Have some fun but be realistic about it and set a budget and stick to it like glue.

3) Don’t Bet The Max Coins

Being a novice, I have no idea what this means. You may want to bet the max coins if you are playing one of the progressive slots and it has millions up for grabs. If not, you are building up that pot for someone else to win. It could be the difference between winning $10M and $1000. Just for the sake of a dollar. Sadly it has happened to some punters. Imagine that happening to you. It would be pretty upsetting. Bet enough to be eligible for the bonus rounds. You might not need to bet max coin to get this but it’s worth remembering. If you cover the pay lines it’s usually enough to get the bonus rounds. Bonus rounds are good because you are not betting any money Also, you need this to get the highest payback on the slot machine. It differs from machine to machine how you get to these bonus rounds. If you are not sure, go into the game rules and look.

4) Speed Kills

The faster you player the machine the more you lose. So you need to find ways to slow the game down. That’s to do with your behaviour not the machine. Slowing down your game play is a good idea. As the young man in the video says: ‘Playing a slot machine is a negative expectation game.’ You shouldn’t expect to win but you can hope. In the long run, you are guaranteed to lose money. You may be playing a slot with 90% payback, which means when you run through your money you will lose 10%. That’s $100 if you go through your grand. The difference in the rate of play can be quite considerable. You could spend from $100 an hour to $500 on a dollar machine. You’re getting more spins but your money may not last so long. It won’t unless you get a few wins. If you think by pressing the button faster or slower makes a difference to your winning. It doesn’t. When you press the button the random number generator clicks into action. Just let the reels spin as it will slow your play and make your money last longer. The worst thing you can do is play two machines at once. Not only can’t to pay attention to both you are losing money fast. Also to slow the game down go partners with someone so you are rooting for each other. Half the winnings but double the time playing.

5) Caveat

Remember playing slot machines in a casino is for entertainment. It’s like going to a concert where you spend $200. If you see people in the casino they will be doing all manner of superstitious things like knocking before hitting the spin button, wearing their lucky tie or whatever you think works. In the long run, that’s not going to make any difference to your winning or losing. You really shouldn’t be in a casino playing slots and being miserable. You should have fun doing it. If you are having fun you should save your money and go home.