Jeff Haney on one gambling author’s disillusionment

Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2006 | 7:23 a.m.

Like a Willie McCovey of the green baize, author John Gollehon's writings on gambling span parts of four separate decades.

He recalls sitting across the table from greats of the game such as Johnny Moss and Jack Straus in the 1980s, when downtown Las Vegas - rather than the Strip - was the place to play poker.

"The '80s was a cool time for gamblers, whether it was poker, blackjack or sports betting," Gollehon said. "You had guys like Lem Banker doing amazing things (in sports betting). With those guys, they had great technology, but it was all between the ears."

Times have changed, said Gollehon, whose Michigan-based publishing company has targeted an audience of recreational bettors since the 1970s.

Gollehon has become so turned off by what he calls a "new breed" of gambler that he said his latest book, "Attack the Casino's Vulnerable Games," will be his final effort in the gambling genre.

The new breed, Gollehon said, lacks qualities such as heart and imagination that were prevalent among his gambling heroes. (Oh, and they don't tip, he added.)

"The new kind of player isn't well-educated in casino games," Gollehon said. "They don't have a clue what the percentages are. They tend to be conservative, but not in a smart way. They'll go for the 5-cent slot machine, not the $1 machine, but they don't realize with the 5-cent machine, you have to put 45 nickels (per spin) in there" to get full benefit.

Gollehon's swan song in gambling writing marks the end of a long and successful run. Gollehon Books has more than 30 titles in print, down from a high of 47. You can find them in the gift shops of Strip resorts. Although they're aimed at vacationers trying to stretch a budget rather than the "Harrington on Hold 'em" crowd, Gollehon's catalog includes several poker manuals.

Gollehon remembers the words of a casino executive from the '80s: "He told me, 'We (rival casinos) end up tugging on high-rollers like dogs tugging on a piece of meat.' "

"Today, they'd rather have players who come in and bet small - because they know over time they're going to grind them out."

Bad beat

Pay no attention to the smooth-talking announcer on the local radio advertisement for the Fitzgeralds poker room.

There's no such thing as a "bad bet" jackpot. (The concept does sound intriguing, though, especially for someone who sees his stone-cold bluff attempt go down in flames when an opponent calls with the nuts.)

The correct phrase, of course, is "bad beat" jackpot, a promotion offered at the Fitz and elsewhere around town. The qualifications vary by property, but generally a bad beat jackpot hits when a hand of aces full or better loses to a higher full house or a stronger hand such as four of a kind.

Satellite tourneys

Single-table "satellites," or qualifying tournaments, for the Ultimate Poker Challenge are being offered from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily at Binion's downtown.

Ultimate Poker tournaments are held at 4 p.m. each Saturday ($340 buy in), Sunday ($340) and Monday ($660) through Dec. 11 at Binion's. All final tables begin at 2 p.m. the following day. The final tables are filmed for Ultimate Poker's syndicated TV show (WGN, Cox cable channel 16 in Las Vegas) and will air on dates yet to be determined.

There are four levels of satellites. As usual in poker the less you pay to enter, the more "vigorish," meaning the house's cut of the action, is charged. Satellites with a $45 entry fee award one $340 seat plus $20 in cash, based on 10 entrants. The $80 satellites award two $340 seats plus $15, or one $660 seat plus $30. The $150 satellites award two $660 seats plus $30.