NBA Playoffs Selection Conference Finals

The Final Four is set!  I 'm 7-1 with my selections. You can confirm that by looking at my previous

blogs.

Spurs against Thunder. I 'm taking the Spurs in 6 games. I like the Spurs to control the pace of the 

game. They have the edge in coaching and a deeper bench. Spurs should be able to control the tempo 

and not let the game turn into a track meet.Durant and Westbrook will play well but Duncan and Parker

will prevail.

Miami against Boston. Boston struggle against the Sixers. The mountain of Wade and James is too much to climb. Games with one day of rest do not help. Miami in the finals and ends the Big Three run. Heat should win series in 5.

Beyonce Concert at Revel Review

Last night, I was able to enjoy a total evening of entertainment. Most times when you go out there is one thing that keeps the evening from being perfect. Beyonce's concert was close to perfect as you can get.

The show started on time. How often does that happen?  Luke James opened for her and sang several songs. He closed with his single "I want you". He showed class by acknowledging his opportunity to open

for Beyonce.

After a quick stage change of about 20 minutes, Beyonce took over Ovation Hall. The venue seats over 5,000 people. You wouldn't know that because no one sat down once she came out. That did not matter since there are no obstructed views from the seats. Kudos to Revel for design.

Beyonce did not disappoint anyone. She sang some Destiny Child (Jumping,Jumping) and gave us Crazy in Love. I was hoping Jay Z would join her but this was her night to shine. She sing the chart topping "Love on Top" near the top of her set. Most artist save their hit for the finale but not Queen "B". She drove the crowd into a frenzy by stopping and starting the chorus at the end of the song. 

Most of the selections she sang came from "I am Sasha Fierce" and "4".She ripped "Halo" and "Countdown". At one point the crowd was chanting her name. She did several costume changes

and look exquisite in each of them. The light show was awesome and kept the audience's attention. Her use of video thru the show gave intimate looks at her and glimpses of motherhood. She knows how to connect with her fan base. She closed with "Single Ladies and "Who Run the World". 

Beyonce saw fit to pay tribute to other artists as well. She sang the intro to "Last Dance" by Donna Summer. Later, she hit Lauren Hill's "X Factor". Finally she stuns the crowd with her beautiful rendition of Whitney Houston's "I'll Always Love You". She was on stage for approximately 2 hours. It seemed like

forever but that's what the crowd wanted. She delivered!  It was worth the money. 

East Coast Gaming Congress Review and Recap

I attended the 16th Annual East Coast Gaming Congress this week. It was held on 5/16 and 5/17

at Revel Resort in Atlantic City. Although I have been to this conference now for the past several

years, this one had my highest level of anticipation. The fact that it was being held at Revel has

a lot to do with that feeling.

This year, the conference was a two day event with vendors and trade show businesses featured in

a separate area. The seminars and presentations were held in a showroom called "The Social".

The highlight of the first day was the presentation by Liza Cartmell, CEO, Atlantic City Alliance.

Ms. Cartmell cited all the marketing opportunities available to Atlantic City. The largest growth

area is in the leisure customer. The DO AC marketing plan highlights non gaming activities.It also

targets New York City,Philadelphia and Baltimore. These 3 cities have a large population and are 

within drive time of Atlantic City.

The panel "It's Not Just About the Slot Machines" gave a look at how non gaming amenities can

serve as drivers of revenue. It examine the latest trends of pool parties,nightclubs and signature

chef restaurants.

On day two,there was the official welcome to Atlantic City by Mayor Lorenzo Langford. The CEO

presentations, notably by Gary Loveman ,Caesars Entertainment, Scott Butera, Foxwoods Gaming

Enterprise, Robert Griffin of Trump Entertainment and Kevin DeSanctis, Revel, were outstanding.

The panel, "Understanding the I-Gaming Frenzy" took center stage. Although the Wall Street

Panel gave financial insight to investment projections involving gaming, the future points to

an online casino experience. Everyone left the room with a feeling that I-Gaming would be part of

the industry soon. It is considered to be the game changer for Atlantic City.

I recommend this conference to any gaming professional and business that want to follow the current

trends of the fast pace casino industry.

NBA Playoff Selections /Conference Semi Finals

At the time of this posting, I 'm 3-0 with my 1st round selections. Since both of the pending series
went seven games, I am going with the teams that are waiting
.
The Spurs should handle the winner of the Memphis /Clippers series. Spurs were playing sharp and
are well rested. They can beat a banged up Chris Paul or a turnover plagued Grizzlies squad.

Oklahoma City is ready to take the next step against the Lakers or Nuggets. Bynum appears and disappears.Bad blood because of Metta World Peace is motivation for Durant and Westbrook. Nuggets don't have enough fire power to match Thunder.

Miami will have a tougher series than it looks. They will advance pass the Pacers. Lebron James is
having a phenomenal year. Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh in Supporting roles make this team tremendous. Miami in 5 or 6.

No selection on the Sixers and Celtics because of my rule of picking 3 games or series. Emotionally,
I would love to say 76ers. But other than being the faster and younger team, they have nothing on Boston. Celtics go to the glass better, play defense as well and are not prone to offensive droughts.
This series should have low scoring games.Watch the unders.

                                                                Enjoy the Semi Finals!

Xfinity Live Recap and Review

I finally made it to Xfintiy Live yesterday. It is located in the middle of the sport stadium

complex between the Wells Fargo Center and the Lincoln Field. Parking is free when

there is not an event at Citizen Bank Park, home of the Phillies or the other aforementioned

venues.

They have radio broadcast from the outside of the facility. They include 97.5; Fanatic Radio

Sports station and 107.9; Hip Hop and R&B.

The first person I see as I'm about to enter is Julius (Dr. J) Erving. He is there attending a

private party inside one the restaurants, the Spectrum Grill. Thia appears to be the  most upscale

dining place on site.

There are several places to eat that are fast food by design. They include Chickie's and

Pete's,The Original Philly and Tim Horton's Cafe Express. 

The sit down dining and drinking areas are Victory Beer Hall, Broad Street Bullies Pub and

PBR Bar and Grill. 

There is a Mitchell and Ness Jersey Shop. There is no food or drink allowed.  In the middle of

the room is a gigantic screen call the NBC Sports Arena. This give the place the style of  a

Las Vegas sportsbook. There are exclusive lounge areas where you pay 100 to 200 dollars.

The good news is the money you pay goes to your tab. This make you feel like a VIP and still

a part of the crowd. No one was in either area because it was early.

There is an outside area that is family oriented and  not as expensive. They have a stage area

where live bands could perform. There are seats and areas where you can play bean bag games.

This is where I saw the owner of the Sixers,CEO Adam Aron. He was just walking around and

blending in.

I enjoyed my Xfinity Live experience. They seem to have thought of everything. It's a great

place to watch the game and hangout with friends. If there is a home game, it will be packed.
You can dress casual and be perfect. There have been some reported issues concerning fights
and underage drinking. At the time of my visit, it was announced that a new security plan was
in place. Each of their security staff appear to be body builders so you will feel safe.

I would give it a look and recommend it for families during the day.

NBA playoffs selections

I decided to make a selection in 5 of the eight series. One of my gaming rules is never have
action or an opinion about each event on the board. Takes too much time and you'll invest
too much "paper".  Normally I would only go with 3 picks but I 'll amend that rule today.

Take Indiana over Orlando. Magic limps into the playoff and were not playing well with
Dwight Howard. No Dwight, No Advance! Pacers playing well and have home court advantage.

Take San Antonio over Utah. Tim Duncan is playing like he has one more title run in him and
Tony Parker has been solid. Coaching advantage to the Spurs.

Take Boston over Atlanta. Boston came on strong to take division championship and develop
a bench along the way. Rondo is the key. Hawks will do their usual cameo playoff appearance.

Take Lakers over Nuggets. Lakers will dominate inside and ride Bryant at the end, if they need
it. Too many weapons.

Take Memphis over the Clippers.I struggle with this pick. I like Chris Paul and love the dunks,
but Grizzlies style is better suited for playoffs. They are better in half court sets and can run if they
have to.

You got my picks! Now Follow back and tweet me with your's.  Enjoy the Games!

Pennsylvania Gaming soars in March 2012

The Pennsylvania Gaming Board reported that the month of March was outstanding for Table Games and Poker. The revenue was at an all-time high. The amount was $7,257,927 million dollars. This is
an increase of 13.3% over March 2011. It should be noted that the amount of table games in operation
rose from 854 in 2011 to 1,028 statewide.

I selected Sands and Parx Casino to compare numbers and measure growth.

Sands increase the amount of table games ,including poker,from 100 to 152. This resulted in an increase
of 3,582,527 million dollars. The win per unit average fell from 85,373 to 79,736 but the revenue rose by 42%.

Parx increase the amount of table games, including poker, from 150 to 183. This resulted in an increase
of 1,197,099 million dollars. The win per unit average increase to 68,482 from 66,505. Exponentially, the result was a 11% rise.

The data substantiates that Pennsylvania is an expanding market and with smart growth, prime for greater numbers.