``PECOS PETE,' STAR OF CHILDREN'S SHOW, DEAD AT 73 JIM TUCKER PERFORMED AS A SINGING, ROPE-TWIRLING, TV COWBOY DURING THE '50S AND '60S. Producers moved the show to an earlier time slot. Raymond Hatton, Actor: The Three Musketeers. The son of a physician, Raymond Hatton entered films in 1909, eventually appearing in almost 500 other pictures. In early silents he formed a comedy team with big, burly Wallace Beery. He was best known as the tobacco-chewing, rip-snorting Rusty Joslin in the Three Mesquiteers series. He was also in the Rough Riders series and appeared as Johnny.
Introduction
Jackpot, Nevada, is a small border town in northeastern Nevada, just south of the Idaho state line. On June 29, 2014, I was driving back home to Las Vegas from Seattle and landed in Jackpot. I spent the night at Cactus Pete's. This page is about my one-day visit.Nevada has a lot of border towns that cater to gamblers from neighboring states. The main ones that come to mind are Laughlin, Mesquite and West Wendover. They all have the usual things you would find in a small town, plus casinos. There is also Primm, but that doesn't deserve to be called a town, since I don't think anybody actually lives there. However, when it comes to peculiar Nevada border towns, Jackpot is the nuts.
Speaking of the 'nuts,' I'm surprised it isn't a street name in Jackpot. Not only is the name of the town a gambling term, but so are most of the streets. To be specific, in Jackpot you'll find:
- Ace Road
- Double Down Circle
- Double Down Loop
- Keno Drive
- Lady Luck Drive
- Pinochle Street
- Progressive Drive
- Poker Street
- Slot Drive
What will you find in Jackpot?
- Five casinos
- Three churches
- A golf course
- An airport
- One school
- One library
- One post office
What won't you find?
The 2010 census puts Jackpot's population at 1,195. That strikes me as high, making me wonder if that includes ranch homes in the general area. There are several small apartment complexes in Jackpot, a smattering of trailer homes, and even a few single family, permanent dwellings. Based on just one conversation, the casino staff seem roughly evenly divided between living in Jackpot and Twin Falls, Idaho, 50 miles away.
Jackpot is also a geographical oddity when it comes to its time zone. Before this trip, I thought all of Nevada was in the Pacific time zone. However, Jackpot and West Wendover observe Mountain Time. Jackpot using Mountain Time makes sense, since the vast majority of Jackpot customers are from Idaho, as evidenced by the license plates in the casino parking lots, and southern Idaho is on Mountain Time.
Somehow I get a lot of perfectionists reading my sites and I'm sure if I didn't address this now then somebody would write to me saying that Jackpot is technically in the Pacific Time Zone. That would seem to be the position of the Federal Department of Transportation. However, as evidence that Nevada considers Jackpot to be on Mountain Time I submit the following:
- The Jackpot post office observes Mountain Time. If you don't believe me, call them and ask. Their phone number is (775) 755-2252.
- The highway sign saying 'Entering Pacific Time Zone' is just south of Jackpot. There is plenty of room on the highway to place the sign right by the 'Welcome to Nevada' sign.
- The official Nevada highway map shows the time zone boundary going around Jackpot. You can zoom in on Jackpot to see for yourself.
- The Federal Aviation Administration indicates the Jackpot airport is on Mountain Time.
- The clock in my hotel room was on Mountain Time.
- Everybody I bothered about it in Jackpot unequivocally said they are on Mountain Time.
For more on the Jackpot time zone debate, please see my companion site Diversity Tomorrow.
Both the clientele and the gaming machines are pretty old in Jackpot. Cactus Pete's gets some young bucks mixed in with the elderly, but otherwise I think all the old folks of southern Idaho get bused into Jackpot and plop down in front of a slot machine all day.
I shouldn't tease them too much. In less than a year I will join the ranks of the 'senior citizens,' as defined by how old you have to be (50) to get silver-haired benefits here in Vegas.
After that lengthy preamble, I think I'm ready to get to my visit. Since this is a gambling site, I will focus on the casinos of Jackpot. Here are my comments about each, in alphabetical order.
Barton's Club 93
The Club 93 is the second largest casino in town. Besides a casino, it has a small, three-story hotel and a single restaurant that does double duty as a buffet and cafe. Following are my comments on what you'll find in the casino.
Table game counts:
- Blackjack: 8
- Craps: 1
- Three Card Poker: 1
- Roulette: 1
- Let it Ride: 1
According to the Gaming Control Board's Nonrestricted Count Report for the first quarter of 2014, Club 93 had 464 total slots.
Here are my comments on some of the game rules.
Blackjack
- Single deck
- Blackjack pays 3-2
- Dealer hits soft 17
- Double on any first two cards.
- No surrender, double after split, nor re-splitting aces.
- Dealer evidently went on feel to reshuffle.
- Limits: $5 to $200.
According to my blackjack house edge calculator, the basic strategy house edge is 0.30%.
Craps
2x odds for line bets of $3 to $100 and 1x for $101 to $200. I've never seen such a split-rule before for the odds multiple in craps.
Men's bathroom at Barton's.
Roulette
Double zero
Video Keno
A randomly chosen 25-cent machine had a 350- 250 - 70 - 30 - 1 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 1 pay table, which returns 92.62%.
Video Poker
The following table shows the pay tables and returns for a randomly chosen Game Maker video machine.
25¢ Video Poker — Barton's Club 93
| Game | Pay Table | Return |
|---|---|---|
| Bonus Poker | 6-5 | 96.87% |
| Deuces Wild | 20-12-10 | 97.58% |
| Double Bonus | 9-6-4 | 96.38% |
| Double Double Bonus | 9-5 | 97.87% |
| Jacks or Better | 8-5 | 97.30% |
| Average | 97.20% |
Player Reward Program
The incentive program is called the Slotspitality Club. They gave me $5 in free play when I joined.
Cactus Pete's
Cactus Pete's is easily the biggest casino in Jackpot. At nine stories, the hotel towers over everything else in town. Nobody else is over three stories. The entire property was well maintained, modern and clean when I was there. The clientele were about split between the elderly and young men, most sporting cowboy hats and facial hair.
Besides the casino, the property has three restaurants, including a buffet, coffee shop and steakhouse. There was a nice pool area, including outdoor gaming tables. The showroom plays live music on weekends. I must admit I was surprised that I have heard of a couple of bands playing there this summer season, namely Joan Jett & The Blackhearts and, amazingly, Peter Frampton.
Here are my table game counts:
- Blackjack: 13 (including two at the pool)
- Craps: 2
- Three Card Poker: 2
- Roulette: 1
- Ultimate Texas Hold 'Em: 1
- Let it Ride: 1
According to the Gaming Control Board's Nonrestricted Count Report for the first quarter of 2014, Cactus Pete's had 670 total slots.
They also had a nice race/sports book (William Hill franchise), a poker room with six tables, and a keno lounge.
Here are my comments on some of the game rules.
Blackjack
When I was there most of the open blackjack tables had the following rules:
- Single deck
- Blackjack pays 3-2
- Dealer hits soft 17
- Double on 9 to 11 only.
- No surrender, double after split, nor re-splitting aces.
- Dealer evidently went on feel to reshuffle.
- Limits: $10 to $500.
According to my blackjack house edge calculator (https://wizardofodds.com/games/blackjack/calculator/), the basic strategy house edge is 0.45%.
There was also a six-deck game with the same rules, except double on any first two cards and re-splitting aces was allowed. Limits were $5 to $500. That would have a house edge of 0.71%.
Craps
Welding Machines Pecos Tx
3-4-5x odds. Stingy field (2 to 1 on both 2 and 12).
Roulette
Double zero
Video Keno
A randomly chosen 25-cent machine had a 10,000 - 1,652 - 98 - 12- 2 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 pay table, which returns 92.31%.
Video Poker
The following table shows the pay tables and returns for a randomly chosen Game Maker video machine.
25¢ Video Poker — Cactus Pete's
| Game | Pay Table | Return |
|---|---|---|
| Ace$ | 9-6-4-2 | 94.21% |
| Aces & Faces | 6-5 | 96.96% |
| Bonus Poker | 6-5 | 96.87% |
| Bonus Poker Deluxe | 8-5 | 97.40% |
| Deuces Wild | 20-12-10 | 97.58% |
| Deuces Wild Bonus | 10-4-3-3 | 97.36% |
| Double Aces & Faces | 9-6-4 | 96.54% |
| Double Bonus | 9-6 | 97.81% |
| Double Double Bonus | 9-5 | 97.87% |
| Jacks or Better | 8-5 | 97.30% |
| Joker Poker (kings) | 40-20-5 | 95.46% |
| Triple Bonus Poker Plus | 6-5 | 96.62% |
| Average | 96.83% |
Player Reward Program
Cactus Pete's, as well as the Horeshu across the street, participate in the Pinnacle Entertainment 'my choice' reward program. As of this writing, about 16 casinos participate in this program in Missouri, Texas, Louisiana, Nevada, Iowa, and Indiana.
When I was there they gave me $10 in free play for signing up.
Other Comments
I'd also like to give due praise for the self-serve soda/coffee bars in the casino.
Cactus Pete's is where I stayed in Jackpot, and I was very happy with my choice. My room, in the highrise, was large, comfortable, and modern. I have back issues and often have to sleep on hotel room floors because the mattress are too old and soft. Not so with Cactus Pete's. The mattress was nice and firm, allowing me a good night's sleep. The room came equipped with a big flat-screen TV and a stocked coffee maker.
I would also like to put in a great word for the staff. A friendlier casino in Nevada, I've never experienced, and I've experienced almost all of them. From the hotel registration, to table game dealers, to waitresses, to the gift shop saleswoman, everybody I met was genuinely friendly. The kind of friendliness you seem to find only in small towns. It was a very refreshing change to the, at best, fake friendliness often encountered in Vegas casinos.
I'm often one to gripe about casinos when something goes wrong, so let me be fair and tell a positive casino story. As I was walking about town taking pictures for this page, I passed a woman walking the other direction who asked me, 'Did you find the dogs?' I replied, 'What dogs?' She then explained how two chihuahuas escaped from somebody's RV parked at Cactus Pete's and evidently a bunch of volunteers were searching the entire town for them. Then the Cactus Pete's security vehicle pulled up next to the lady and gave her a lengthy progress report on the dog hunt. So, kudos to Cactus Pete's for not just looking around their own property but driving all over town looking for the dogs. Try to get that kind of customer service in Vegas.
In closing, very high marks from me for Cactus Pete's. If I'm ever in Jackpot again, I would be proud to return.
Four Jacks
This is a very small hotel/casino/restaurant.
According to the Gaming Control Board, the casino has 65 total slots. Zero tables. The restaurant looked like a simple cafe with a player piano playing Ragtime music. The hotel was two-stories and looked not unlike a big yellow house.
Here are the pay tables for a randomly-selected video poker machine.
25¢ Video Poker — Four Jacks
| Game | Pay Table | Return |
|---|---|---|
| Bonus Poker Deluxe | 6-5 | 95.36% |
| Deuces Wild | 20-10-8 | 95.96% |
| Double Bonus Poker Plus | 6-5 | 94.37% |
| Double Bonus | 8-5 | 94.19% |
| Double Double Bonus | 6-5 | 94.66% |
| Jacks or Better | 6-5 | 95.00% |
| Triple Double Bonus | 7-5 | 94.92% |
| Average | 94.92% |
Horseshu
There isn't too much to say about the Horseshu. First of all, I don't care for the spelling. I guess Binion's in Vegas has a trademark on the correct spelling of the word horseshoe. Otherwise, it seems like a nice, quiet, older property. I originaly wrote it has no hotel, but a reader wrote in to correct me that it does indeed have one. The only other amenity to the property was a Mexican restaurant.
I'll keep the casino section brief. There were two closed blackjack tables the Sunday evening I was there. According to the Current Blackjack Newsletter they follow the following rules:
- Six decks
- Blackjack pays 3-2
- Dealer hits soft 17
- Double on any first two cards.
- No surrender, double after split, nor re-splitting aces.
- Limits: $3 to $500.
According to my blackjack house edge calculator, the basic strategy house edge is 0.78%.
According to the Gaming Control Board, there are 111 slots. They are all reeled slots, no video poker or video keno.
The player reward program is the same Ameristar/Pinnacle program that Cactus Pete's is on.
Pecos Pete Tea
Pony Express
As I understand it, the name of the casino is the Pony Express and the name of the hotel is the West Star Resort. The casino is very small, with only 42 slots. Zero tables. The hotel was big by comparison. However, calling it a resort seems like an abuse of the word to me.
Here is my table for my 25-cent video poker survey.
25¢ Video Poker — Pony Express
| Game | Pay Table | Return |
|---|---|---|
| Bonus Poker | 35-6-5 | 97.36% |
| Deuces Wild | 25-15-9-4 | 98.91% |
| Double Bonus Deuces Wild | 9-4-3 | 98.61% |
| Double Bonus | 9-6-5 | 97.81% |
| Super Double Bonus | 7-5 | 97.77% |
| Average | 98.09% |
For 25-cent video keno, they followed the same pay table as Cactus Pete's for a return of 92.31%.
The Baptist Convention of New Mexico has given its Christian Life Committee the responsibility of mobilizing New Mexico Baptists in addressing moral issues of concern in our state and nation.
Legislative Breakfast (Mission Trip to the Capitol)
Every year, the Christian Life Committee of the Baptist Convention of New Mexico hosts a Legislative Breakfast and training in January. Every BCNM church is encouraged to send its pastor and/or a key layperson to the breakfast and to attend a meal and a training session the night before.
All state legislators and officials are invited to join leaders of New Mexico Baptist churches at the breakfast, which will be held at the Hilton Hotel, at 100 Sandoval Street, from 7-8:15.
The church leaders also are urged to attend a meal and a training session at 6 p.m. on Thursday evening at First Baptist Church in Santa Fe, which is located at 1605 Old Pecos Trail.
Contact us for more information by emailing jpittman@bcnm.com or by calling the Baptist New Mexican in Albuquerque at 505-924-2311, or 1-800-898-8544 ext. 311.
Regular Legislative Updates Available
The Baptist Convention of New Mexico’s Christian Life Committee networks with a number of allies in its work of addressing moral concerns of the state, including theTraditional Values Advocacy Committee, Voices for Family Values and Stop Predatory Gambling New Mexico.
Regular updates concerning moral issues being considered at the New Mexico Capitol in Santa Fe and the U.S. Capitol in Washington can be found at www.tvacnm.com,www.vffv.org and www.spgnewmexico.org.
Contacting State Legislators During Legislative Session
CALL—their direct extension (see “How to Find Your State Legislators” on page 7) or the Capitol switchboard at (505) 986-4300. Give the operator the name of your senator or representative, and ask to be connected to his or her extension.
WRITE—Address letter to: The Honorable (Name), New Mexico House of Representatives OR New Mexico State Senate, State Capitol, Santa Fe, NM 87501.
EMAIL: Individual email addresses can be found on the Legislature’s website. (See “How to Find Your State Legislators” on page 7.)
Remember, also involved in the legislative process is the governor. Gov. Susana Martinez may be contacted at:
www.governor.state.nm.us/Contact_the_Governor.aspx
You can read bills at www.nmlegis.gov/lcs and get information about their progress. A mobile site for smartphones, iPads and other devices can be found at www.nmlegis.gov/lcs/mobile.
Ethics & Religious Liberty Resources
FIRST PERSON: Casinos and Gambling
Pecos Pete Restaurant
By Joe Carter
WASHINGTON (BP)—The Council on Casinos, a group dedicated to fighting the spread of gambling in America, has released a report on “Why Casinos Matter.” Here are various facets of the report, released in late September, that you should know about casinos and gambling:
1. Throughout most of the 20th century, legal casino gambling in the U.S. existed in only two locations: Nevada and Atlantic City, N.J. Beginning in the 1990s, casinos spread across the nation at an accelerating pace. Today, 23 states have commercial casinos, a category which includes land-based, riverboat, dockside and racetrack casinos, not counting those on Native American lands. In the Northeast and mid-Atlantic states, nearly every adult now lives within a short drive of a casino.
2. Unlike the old Vegas-style resorts, the new regional casinos depend decisively on attracting gamblers who live in the region, who return frequently and who play modern slot machines. In 1978, outside of Nevada, there were virtually no legal slot machines in the United States. By 2010, there were about 947,000. In 2013, the percentage of casinos’ total gambling revenue deriving from slot machines is estimated at 62 to 80 percent, with racinos (racetrack casinos) getting 90 percent of their take from slots.
3. Modern slot machines are programmed for fast, continuous and repeat betting. Players insert plastic, not coins; they tap buttons or touch a screen rather than pull levers; they place bets in denominations ranging from a penny to a hundred dollars on multiple lines that spin across a screen with each rapid tap of the button. The laws of pure chance or probability no longer dictate wins and losses on slot machines. Modern slots are hooked up to a central server that collects player information, preferences and speed of play and has the capacity to program each machine to each player’s style. The trend in slot design is to provide a slow and smooth “ride,” with small wins that are less than the amount bet, but nonetheless encourage repeat bets and prolonged “time on machine.”
4. Problem gamblers account for 40 to 60 percent of slot machine revenues, according to studies conducted over the past decade or so.
5. A large-scale study in 2004 found that people who live within 10 miles of a casino have twice the rate of pathological and problem gambling as those who do not.
6. A study of members of Gamblers Anonymous found that upwards of 26 percent have gambling-related divorces or separations.
7. A study that looked at the spread of casino gambling in 300 Metropolitan Statistical Areas found that the presence of a casino reduces volunteerism, civic participation, family stability and other forms of social capital within 15 miles of a community where it is located.
8. Casino gambling once was a largely upper-class activity. Today, low-income workers, retirees, minorities and the disabled include disproportionately large shares of regional casino patrons.
9. States typically legalize casino gambling by changing state constitutions. They create regional monopolies for the casinos. They regulate lightly and often in ways that discriminate against other legal businesses. They rescue casinos from bankruptcy. In short, without the legal, administrative, regulatory and promotional advantages provided by state governments, casinos would not be spreading into mainstream American life as they are today and would likely still exist only on the fringes of the society.
Joe Carter is director of communications for the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention. The full text of the Council on Casinos report can be accessed at www.americanvalues.org/pdfs/Why-Casinos-Matter.pdf.
Gambling Offers a False Hope
By Lee Herring
Gambling is embedded in our culture. How often has someone said something like: “I bet.” “Wanna bet?” “I wouldn’t take that bet.” “All bets are off.” As an avid sports enthusiast, I’ll have frequent conversations about an upcoming game that will include the discussion as to which team is favored and by how many points, aspects of a sporting contest that are primarily determined by businesses that profit from gambling. I know I’m not the only pastor in New Mexico who has had church members recommend a concert performance, a quality buffet or the hotel accommodations offered by the numerous casinos in our state. We are surrounded by and suffused with the culture of gambling.
So what’s a good Southern Baptist to do about gambling? When our local and state governments promote it, our students believe they can profit from it (i.e., the state sponsored lottery), our friends and family members earn incomes because of it, and whole culture groups believe that gambling is a quick and legitimate way to deliver their people from financial hardship, should we continue to tow the traditional Baptist view that gambling is a sin? Isn’t it time to rethink our traditional ethic on gambling, suggesting that instead of avoiding it altogether, we can preach tolerance and sensible indulgence? I mean really, what are the odds that a little gambling can do any harm?
A great resource to the harm that gambling/lotteries/casinos create is the Stop Predatory Gambling website, stoppredatorygambling.com. Dr. Guy Clark is the chairman of SPG and is a longtime friend and fellow advocate of the Baptist Convention of New Mexico’s Christian Life Committee in regard to gambling issues. The website offers legitimate, well-researched facts about how gambling negatively affects individuals, families, culture groups and governments. The casino highway billboards and television ads may put a shiny gloss on “gaming,” but there is a higher physical and financial cost to gambling than most people are willing to admit.
Though the Bible does not directly address gambling, God’s Word clearly establishes ethics on financial gain and stewardship that would preclude a believer’s involvement in gambling. Scriptures like 1 Timothy 6:10, Luke 16:13, Ecclesiastes 5:10 and Proverbs 10:4 indicate that God’s desire is for His people to work legitimately for their income and to abstain from a lust for money. In contrast, gambling offers the false hope of getting lots of money quickly with no more effort than placing a chip or pushing a button. The Bible also demands that God’s people act to the benefit of our community. Scriptures like 1 Peter 4:9-10, Luke 12:33, Acts 4:34-35 and 1 Timothy 6:17-19 teach that Christians should help others instead of allowing or participating in opportunities that can cause great financial and psychological damage.
Too often too many individuals and communities bet on the false hope that gambling is only a harmless diversion that can offer numerous financial benefits to those who sponsor or participate in it. Instead of believing the lie, may we as Christians live lives of integrity and compassion, giving evidence by our faith and kindness that Jesus is the source and foundation for our security and well-being.
Lee Herring is pastor of First Baptist Church, Santa Fe, and a member of the BCNM’s Christian Life Committee.
Gambling—the Bane of Civilized Society
By Mark Burton
Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid (Matthew 5:14).
Webster’s 1828 Dictionary:
CIVILIZED, pp. Reclaimed from savage life and manners; instructed in arts, learning and civil manners.—Such sale of conscience and duty in open market is not reconcilable with the present state of civilized society.
SOCI’ETY, n. [L. societas, from socius, a companion.]
1. The union of a number of rational beings; or a number of persons united, either for a temporary or permanent purpose. Thus the inhabitants of a state or of a city constitute a society, having common interests; and hence it is called a community.
We call ourselves civilized. We make remarks like “back to civilization” after a camping trip. We use the phrase “entire civilized world” referring to shared resources, peaceful transactions and educational opportunities. Yet there is a dark side to so-called “civilized society.” 1 Timothy 6:10 says the love of money is the root of all evil. The love of money can lead even the otherwise righteous into evil.
Predatory gambling is the practice of using gambling to prey on human weakness for profit. For-profit gambling, or commercial gambling, is illegal unless the government makes it legal. Where you have legal gambling, the government has given its support and, in nearly every instance, operates in partnership with gambling interests, whether in the form of state lotteries, commercial casinos or tribal casinos.
Government predatory gambling programs are different than social gambling:
1) Faster games
2) Bigger prizes and greater losses
3) Greater frequency and time played
4) More sophisticated business practices
How does predatory gambling affect the economy?
1) In 2010, the Lehigh Valley Research Consortium released a report showing that 48 percent of those below the poverty line in the Lehigh Valley intend to gamble at the Sands Casino in Bethlehem, Pa.
2) At Creighton University, Ernie Goss, professor of economics, and Edward Morse, professor of law, used bankruptcy information to compare the roughly 250 U.S. counties with commercial or Indian casinos. “Our regression analysis on matched-pair counties indicates that those counties that legalized casino gambling during the 1990s experienced a cumulative growth rate in individual bankruptcies that was more than double the growth rate for corresponding non-casino counties.”
3) The “Consumerist” recently had an interesting post about a study that shows that poor households, with annual take-home incomes under $13,000, on average spend $645 a year on lottery tickets, which comes to about 9 percent of their yearly income.
4) Players who cannot pay back loans face criminal charges. Casinos send a demand letter and can refer the case to the local DA’s office bad-check unit which prosecutes such crimes. Sometimes casinos also file a civil suit. In addition, casinos do not have to abide by regulations of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.
Peco Machine Company
Be the light of the world Christ intended us to be.
Sign an American declaration on government and gambling at www.stoppredatorygambling.org/.
Mark Burton is a member of Eastern Hills Baptist Church, Albuquerque, and the BCNM’s Christian Life Committee.