From at least the 1980s in SoCal “86” meant “off the menu”. Typically, but not always, because they were out of it. A lot of restaurants had a white board where they’d write “86 Meatloaf”/etc. Or bars would have a board with “86” brands of alcohol, usually wine, which they were out of.
The most common origin story was “back in the old west, if the bar wanted to get rid of a customer, they’d serve him 86 proof whiskey, he’d pass out, then they’d toss him”. Which doesn’t really make any sense.
At that time, “86” also meant being banned from a location. As in: “Joe got kicked out of the bar/etc last night”… “Was he get 86ed?”… “naw, he can come back in”.
The common origin story was that this was a newer usage which was derived from the earlier “86 off the menu” usage. Which also doesn’t make any sense.
I used to go pretty often on TDY in 1998-2000. Always stayed at the Luxor because they had a government rate and it was within walking distance (across LV Blvd) to the air terminal I used to get to where I needed to go.
You’re right, Vegas back then was fucking great. The gambling was better and the food and shows were affordable. I usually tried to time my trips so I could have an extra half day or so all to myself. So thanks taxpayers, you helped give birth to my degeneracy!
The June 28 email to the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was ominous: A senior adviser to a top Health and Human Services Department official accused the CDC of “undermining the President” by putting out a report about the potential risks of the coronavirus to pregnant women.
The adviser, Paul Alexander, criticized the agency’s methods and said its warning to pregnant women “reads in a way to frighten women . . . as if the President and his administration can’t fix this and it is getting worse.”
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The latest clash between the White House and its top public health advisers erupted Wednesday, when the president slammed the agency’s recommendation that schools planning to reopen should keep students’ desks six feet apart, among other steps to reduce infection risks. In a tweet, Trump — who has demanded schools at all levels hold in-person classes this fall — called the advice “very tough & expensive.”
“While they want them open, they are asking schools to do very impractical things. I will be meeting with them!!!” Trump tweeted Wednesday. Within hours, Vice President Pence had asserted the agency would release new guidance next week.
“The president said today we just don’t want the guidance to be too tough,” Pence told reporters. “And that’s the reason next week the CDC is going to be issuing a new set of tools.”
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During a May lunch with Senate Republicans, Trump told the group the CDC “blew it” on the coronavirus test and that he’d installed a team of “geniuses” led by his son-in-law Jared Kushner to handle much of the response
I felt like Vegas crossed the line when all the Strip casinos changed blackjack to 6-5 unless you could afford $50 a hand. That was just blatantly telling the customers they didn’t matter except as figures on a balance sheet.
Instead of blackjacks paying 3-2, they pay 6-5. This changes the game from a reasonable gamble (and potentially beatable) to no better than single-zero roulette in terms of house edge.
Even worse is that it’s not apparent to the player unless you look closely at the table, so you won’t know what you’re playing until the first time you get shorted on a blackjack.
You used to get paid 3 to 2 for blackjack. They cut it to 6 to 5 and also took out other rules favorable for the player to increase their bottom line. I think only a small minority of players actually care. Do 3-6 limit stud players care about rake reductions?
haha no. the vast majority of tourist droolers who gamble in vegas don’t even know what odds are, much less how 6-5 is worse for them.
the best place to play blackjack nowadays is in tribal casinos. The vast majority still have player-friendly rules, and most even have $25 double deck, which is the best for those of us who aren’t super high rollers but still know how to count.
I was also late to the poker boom. Prior to my first adult trip to Vegas, i read Ed Miller’s Getting Started in Hold 'Em and, never having played before, sat down and promptly won several hundred dollars at 1/2 Limit.
The bean counters took over and it was death by a thousand cuts. $20 to park. $40 resort fee. 6-5 blackjack, triple zero roulette, major cuts in comps, outrageous food prices, very unfriendly sports betting environment for anyone with a clue. Meanwhile everyone except Wynn completely stopped investing in their properties. Bellagio 20 years ago was a legit 5 star resort, now it’s completely unremarkable.
I still remember the first time I got offered a free room…after playing $10 blackjack for a few hours. I felt like a fucking baller. (It’s because $5 blackjack was still the most prevalent)
Those were the days. I remember doing weeklong Vegas trips and doing nothing but table games, video poker and sports bets. No poker. I got killed of course, but had fun. Have only gotten one trip in last ten years or so, and was much more reluctant to play but I had to do a little since the poker room was dead as a doornail.
The house edge is the advantage the casino has on the game. Changing the payouts on blackjack from 3$ for every $2 wagered to a 6-5 ratio increases the house edge. Depending on the rules, it might increase the house edge by 3x, possibly as high as 10x.
The poker analogy is to imagine if a poker room increased its rake, by something like doubling it instead of going up by a dollar.
