If you tool around the Internet or get a massive number of mailings from casino gurus (as I do) trying to sell their foolproof betting systems, you will note several common denominators. The pitches are long, with paragraph after paragraph extolling the virtues of their products. The pitches will have anecdotal evidence by rather strange-looking people saying that these betting systems have made them rich beyond their wildest dreams. They will usually have an explosion of color as well.

Many of these pitches will explain that the seller of the system has retired from playing and now wants to share his secret betting system with the world – for a decent fee, of course. That fee can range from $39.99 to hundreds of dollars. Some will claim that they want to destroy the casinos once and for all.

Naturally, this selling technique is no different than any extended pitch by even reputable companies since a company has to break down the initial resistance to the product, then sell the individual the reasons why the product must be bought by anyone intelligent enough to see how great the product is, and then the pitch leaves you with the question, "Shouldn’t I buy this?"

Just check out all the drug advertisements on television and you can see that the pitches are all geared to you wanting to use this drug because it might save your life. Unfortunately for drug advertisements, they have to state the side effects as well. Weirdly enough one of the side effects of one of the sleeping pills being advertised is drowsiness. Huh? Isn’t that the purpose of a sleeping pill?

Now back to the phony gambling systems sellers. Boy do they use bold lettering and CAPITALIZATION to try to get their points across. The idea behind this method of writing is to emphasize the positive things that the product possesses because some people don’t bother to read the whole advertisement but will be drawn to the capitalizations and bold lettering. These alone can almost sell the product.

All of us in the gambling industry know that there are no foolproof betting systems that can make people millions of dollars for a small investment – or any investment for that matter. Betting systems can’t give you an edge at casino games – period.

But I thought it might be instructive to see how a system seller might launch a campaign for another area of human endeavor using the same tried and true methods. So here goes:

It would be nice if you could become a fully qualified doctor in one day. It would be nice if you could win bundles of money by charting craps tables, using progressive betting methods both negative ones and positive, watching the flow of the cards, and having stop-loss and stop-win methods. Unhappily, none of these can give you the edge.

Okay, that’s that; now on to the rest of our report.

It looks like Donald Trump might be looking to unload his Atlantic City casino empire (Trump Plaza, Trump Marina and Trump Taj Mahal) – at a massive profit of course – and this has us worried. What if the Harrah’s empire is allowed to buy the three Trump properties? Ugh! The New York newspapers were filled with stories about Trump wanting to get rid of his controlling shares in order to team up with Steve Wynn to build the ultimate casino on the shore.

Atlantic City revenues seem to be still declining. AC is still the Queen of Resorts but those competitors are starting to nip at her heels. The closing of the Sands, a dump, has actually hurt the overall revenues of the entire city. One wonders if some of the Sands’ crowd just doesn’t like clean casinos.

Frank and Alene,

When you spoke of the competition Atlantic City faces from the slot parlors in Pennsylvania, you didn’t mention the other new option that’s even closer to New York City gamblers. Yonkers Raceway. It’s been open since November and will eventually have 5000 slots machines. I’ve been there three times since December and with each visit more sections were opened. I would guess that more than 3000 machines are available for play right now. Most of the machines had unfamiliar names, which I can’t recall. But the video poker pay tables were good (i.e. 9/6 Jack or Better, 8/5 Bonus Poker, 9/7/5 Double bonus). As a Blackjack player who also plays a little video poker on the side, I found the place to be just okay. But a 15-minute drive from my home turns an okay facility into a place I will go back to. And I think as more people from New York City discover that slot machines are available just over the Bronx borderline, this place will do very well and this would hurt the AC Casinos.

Joseph P.

White Plains, NY

Dear Frank and Alene:

Atlantic City has had it too easy. Now they face competition and I love it. They will definitely have to come forth with the comps to keep their players playing. I think the slot players will benefit the most because a lot of the casinos that are opening elsewhere are slot casinos. Atlantic City will have to make it great for slot players to play and I think that means loosening the machines and giving more points and comps.

You two are doing a great job and I love to read your reports every month. Keep up the good work.

William F.

New York City

In 2007, Frank Scoblete’s Casino Killer College is opening – and our first advantage play weekend of seminars will be in April in Tunica, and in October in Las Vegas taught by some of the biggest names in casino gambling. There are slightly different formats for the two venues as follows:

Advantage Slot Machines and Video Poker, Other Good Machines, Maximizing Cashback and Comps: This class is given by two experts in the field – gaming columnists Jerry "Stickman" and Street Dog. They will explain which slot machines can give players an edge over the house and which are the best video poker machines to play – and what optimum strategies to use. They will also discuss the best non-advantage slot and video poker machines that are close contests between the house and the player. Includes excellent information on maximizing cashback and comps. Class is two hours, from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM on Saturday, April 21. Cost is $199. Call FRED 1-800-944-0406 to sign up. Limited seating.

Advantage Pai Gow Poker: Many players don’t realize that Pai Gow Poker is a beatable game – if the players know what they are doing – playing the right games with the right strategies. This class will teach you how to expertly play your hands and how to use the banking element of the game to get the edge over the casino. The instructors of this course are Frank Scoblete and Dominator. States Frank Scoblete: "This class will be hands on instruction. Pai Gow is a great game and it can be beaten." Class is two hours, from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM on Saturday, April 21. Cost is $199. Call FRED at 1-800-944-0406 to sign up. Limited seating.

Golden Touch Dice Control Class: The only way to beat craps is to learn how to control the dice. Learn how to do this from the World’s Greatest Dice Control Experts in a two-day class that teaches you the art of Golden Touch dice control taught by Frank Scoblete, Dominator, Stickman, Rock ‘n Roller, Mr. Finesse, Chip, Billy the Kid, No Field Five, Street Dog and other great GTC instructors. Class is from 9AM to 4:30 PM on Saturday, April 21 and from 9 AM to 3 PM on Sunday, April 22. Two price packages available. Call DOM at 1-866-SET-DICE or FRED at 1-800-944-0406.

9AM to 11:30AM:

Winning at Casino Poker, Low-Limit Tournaments and at Internet Poker with Bill Burton and Dominator. Two instructors who have made the final tables over 20 percent of the time when they play. These guys are winners and know what it takes to make you a winner. Let them teach you their methods. This seminar is 2 ½ hours long and will show you how to win in all versions of today’s Texas Hold’em games. $295. Call FRED 1-800-944-0406 to sign up. Limited seating.

12Noon to 2:30 PM:

Winning at Blackjack with New Advantage Techniques with Henry Tamburin and Frank Scoblete. Yes, Henry he’ll talk about Speed Count, the Optimum Basic Strategy and several other advantage techniques to help you improve your edge over the house. Frank will show you his "big fingers" technique that he used for several years to hammer the MGM-Mirage properties at face-up two-deck games. This has never been revealed before! Seminar is 2 ½ hours long and is $295. Call FRED 1-800-944-0406 to sign up. Limited seating.

3PM to 5:30PM:

Winning at Video Poker and the Cashback and Comp Game with Jean Scott and Henry Tamburin. Video poker is beatable. Even if the game might slightly favor the casino on some cases, with comps and cashback you can do to the casinos what they are doing to all the other players who don’t have the winning edge. Two giants of casino gambling will teach you the ins and the outs of how to get the edge at Video Poker. Seminar is 2 ½ hours long and is $295. Call FRED 1-800-944-0406 to sign up. Limited seating.

9AM to 11:30AM:

Advantage Slot Machines, Other Good Machines, Maximizing Cashback and Comps with Frank Scoblete, Stickman and Street Dog. Strictly for slot players looking to get the mathematical edge or to maximize their expectation through good machines, comps and cashback. This class is given by three experts in the field – gaming writers Frank Scoblete, Jerry "Stickman" and Street Dog. Read Tunica information above. There is added material for special Vegas slot machines in this seminar, which is 2 ½ hours long and $295. Call FRED 1-800-944-0406 to sign up. Limited seating.

12Noon to 2:30PM:

Advantage Pai Gow Poker: Yes, certain Pai Gow games can be beaten. Advantage play taught by Frank Scoblete and Dominator. See Tunica info above. Seminar is 2 ½ hours long and $295. Call FRED 1-800-944-0406 to sign up. Limited seating.

3PM to 5:30PM:

Best Strategies and Money Management for Roulette, Let It Ride, Three Card Poker, Caribbean Stud, and Four-Card Poker with best-selling author and radio show host John Grochowski. Even though these games can’t be beaten, you don’t have to have your head handed to you when you play them because there are optimum strategies to cut the house edge and increase your comp worth to the casinos. Seminar is 2 ½ hours long and $295. Call FRED 1-800-944-0406 to sign up. Limited seating.

The class costs for Vegas are as follows:

If a person takes 1 class = $295

If a person takes 2 classes = $495

Every class over 2 is $100 for each additional class.

Call FRED 1-800-944-0406 to sign up.

* * * *

* * * *

***********************************************************************

Or buy our new book Golden Touch Blackjack Revolution! and learn the easiest advantage-play method ever developed for blackjack.

************************************************************************

Here are our ratings for April 2007.

Rating system:

***** = Excellent

**** = Very Good

*** = Good

** = Fair

* = Poor.

BALLY’S PARK PLACE: Halt! With the selling of Harrah’s, some in the business world are wondering if Bally’s will dump the Claridge. While the Claridge won’t be torn down, it might just become an independent hotel – perhaps without a casino. How will this affect Bally’s bottom line? Some analysts think it will be good for the property. Sadly we are still getting very bad reports about the actual hotel rooms. All 8-deck games except for the high roller room action, which is always $100 to $200 table minimums. For craps players, this is still a good casino for the game. There is one 5X odds table, usually a $25 minimum; the rest are 2X odds. Crews are friendly. Tables are somewhat high so short shooters get your platform shoes. There are many more carnival games than ever before. Looks like Three-Card Poker rivals blackjack! Two stars: * *

BORGATA: By far this is still the best casino for blackjack in Atlantic City. Always at least one or two $5 tables available and there are sometimes seats at these as well! Hotel rating is an A. Penetration is good. Casino is all six-deck games, which is great – for AC, that is. Penetration on games varies between 75 and 80 percent so you can get some good games here. Match the Dealer bet is available on many tables. Craps has long tables, 14-footers, and very bouncy. This is a happening place and caters to a young crowd. Great casino for Golden Touch Blackjack. Four stars: * * * *

CAESARS: The shopping mall which used to be Pier One has made Caesars a really happening place. The table limits are going up, up, up. Excellent restaurants but you have long walks to find them. Cheerful place and worthy of the name it bears. Hotel/casino rating is A. They are going deeper in blackjack too. You can expect about 80 percent penetration with most of the dealers. The main floor of eight-deckers has some of the upper-limit tables ($25 and $50) with no mid-shoe entry. All the games in the high roller pit are also no mid-shoe entry with $100 minimums. Table game action has improved and that is very noticeable in the blackjack pits – which are all 8-deck games. Six-deck games in high roller room have 80 percent penetration, as do the eight-deckers on the main casino floor. Good casino for Golden Touch Blackjack. The craps games here are good with 12-foot tables and friendly crews. The tables are a little high so smaller controlled shooters should wear their "special shoes." Three stars and one-half stars: * * * ½*

CLARIDGE: No change from last issue. The regulars that I know are beginning to flee this casino. The blackjack games are becoming fewer and fewer. Penetration has improved to 75 percent. Does anyone play here anymore? Two stars: * *

HARRAH’S: No change from last issue. Harrah’s Atlantic City properties are excellent but what will happen when the new owners take over? Hotel/casino rating is A. In the casino you will find very friendly dealers and pit personnel. Penetration now ranges in the 75 percent area. Resplitting allowed except aces. No midshoe entry. High roller room is 6-deck action, the rest of the casino was 8-decks. Play here and at Showboat and your play counts all across the nation. For those of you who like to go to Vegas you can get some good comps from your AC action in the desert! A room that would be discounted for $80 in AC would be free in Vegas based on the same play – this is not official but based on our calculations of the offers we’ve received. Good casino for Golden Touch Blackjack. Friendly crews and decent tables at craps. We haven’t played there but reports are good. But we must warn you; this is a big slot place too. However, Harrah’s properties in Las Vegas are getting very bad reports about how some of the boxmen treat customers who practice a careful shot. Three Stars: * * *

HILTON: No change from last issue. Is this the worst place for comps in AC? Some reports say it is. We’ll wait for further reports but a word of caution is advised. Those 6 to 5 blackjack games are now here as well. The blackjack games here are getting good reports from some of our correspondents but you must pick the game based on the dealer because the penetration is dealer dependent. Resplitting allowed except aces. High roller room is 6-decks, rest of the casino is 8-decks with a few $25/$50 6-deckers on occasion. No mid-shoe entry on the six-deckers. High table minimums, especially on weekends, a lot of $25 tables, rare $10 tables. Penetration about 75 percent, sometimes up to 80 percent. Good casino for Golden Touch Blackjack. For craps, we are dealing with 14-foot tables and a couple of 12 footers. Three Stars: * * *

RESORTS: The nationalization of the Resorts brand name might affect some positive changes here. Their Tunica casino has gotten some very good reports. Match the dealer bet has been added to some of the tables. Resplitting is allowed at all tables but penetration barely makes it to 75 percent now. Casino also offers multiple-action blackjack and Spanish 21 at $10 minimums. Avoid the single-deckers that pay 6 to 5 for blackjacks. Excellent place for craps. Mostly small tables, with some games 5X odds. Two Stars: * * ½*

SHOWBOAT: No change from last issue. We have always liked this casino and it is still a great place to stay and play. Here’s praying the new Harrah’s management doesn’t ruin it. Excellent blackjack in high roller room and sometimes the game is just $25 minimums. The penetration is about 80 percent now. A game worth looking at. Rooms are all full-sized and spacious; suites are great. Hotel/casino rating is A. Resplitting now allowed up to three hands. No mid-shoe entry. Eight-deck games have 80 percent penetration and allow mid-shoe entry, although there is not that many tables available. We remember when this place had great table-game action. Can now find $25 games in high roller room at those very good 6-deck games. You can get great deals in other venues by using your card, as it’s a part of the Harrah’s Total Rewards program. Good casino for Golden Touch Blackjack. Craps is fine here too. All the tables are now 12 footers. There are 5X odds on all tables. Three and a half stars: * * * ½ *

TROPICANA: No change from last issue. Some good reports starting to come in on this place. Is it a fluke? Time will tell. We didn’t see any real change on our visits but who knows? Hotel/casino rating is A. Blackjack games are now decent and so is the new "Quarter" shopping area. Those main-floor six-deck games are now gone. High roller room is 6-decks with no mid-shoe entry. Penetration is about 75 percent on all games. Big improvement here in all areas of play. Craps tables are 12-footers. Good casino for Golden Touch Blackjack. Three stars: * * *

TRUMP MARINA: No change from last issue. Six-deck games in high roller room and 8-deck games on the main floor have penetration of 70-75 percent mark, but you won’t find any dealers going much deeper. Games are mostly $15/$25 and up, especially on weekends. No mid-shoe entry on the 6-deckers but you can jump in and out on the eight-deckers. Craps tables are 12-footers with 2X odds. Haven’t played here in years.

Two Stars: * *

TRUMP PLAZA: No change from last issue. This place might be going out of business. It also might be torn down if the partnership between Steve Wynn and Donald Trump comes to fruition. Gee, it was just renovated. Getting good reports on this property’s face lifting too. Some of our Golden Touch craps players love this place – they will be unhappy to see it go. The eight-deck games have penetration at 75 percent, depending on the dealer. No midshoe entry on eight-deck games outside high-roller pit but you can find $25 (a few) to $50 minimums on these. Allows resplits, except aces. Most eight-deck tables are $10 and higher. High roller room is six-deck games. Craps tables are 12-footers. Very friendly crews. Good casino for Golden Touch Blackjack. Three stars: * * *

TRUMP TAJ MAHAL: No change from last issue. The mighty has fallen. Really bad reports coming in about the blackjack games but all reports about hotel and restaurants continue to be good. Those great six deckers outside of the high roller room are a thing of the past; now they are eight-deck games with so-so penetration. Good game with 75-80 percent penetration, dealer dependent, throughout the casino. Some writers have said that the Taj staff – one floor woman in particular – are a little paranoid. That would be a sign of insanity on the part of this woman! In the high roller room all games have $100 minimums. Still a good casino for Golden Touch Blackjack. This is still the best casino for craps in AC as well. All 5-X odds tables. The crews have been universally pleasant in our experience. Tables are all 12-footers. Three stars: * * *

WILD, WILD WEST: No change from last issue. All 8-deck games with about eight tables now offering H17 games. This is a part of Bally’s Park Place. Penetration is about 75 percent on all games. For craps this is a fun place to play with one 5X odds table and one 2X odds table. I remember when this place had many more tables. Crews are very friendly. Two Stars: * *

THE BEST BLACKJACK IN ATLANTIC CITY: Borgata

The Best Craps in Atlantic City: Taj Mahal

The Best Hotel/Casino in Atlantic City: Borgata and Showboat

Alene Scoblete is the CEO of Paone Press, which sells gaming books and tapes at discount prices. She also writes for www.scoblete.com. Her husband, Frank Scoblete, is the #1 best-selling gaming author in America. Frank’s books and tapes have sold over a million copies. His newest book is The Golden Touch Blackjack Revolution. His newest DVD is Golden Touch: Beat Craps Using a Controlled Throw!