Category Archives: Roulette

In an effort to curb the rapid spread of COVID-19 in homes and throughout communities, Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley says that an effort to distribute masks across the island could be coming once deemed necessary.

it is serious and challenging because we are really playing COVID Roulette. We don't know who is going to be attacked with COVID

Speaking during a press conference called while in New York on Saturday, she said,"We know that the public is, where is it that the virus is causing us problems? It is not in our public spaces, it is in the homes regrettably and it is in the communities around the homes."

But she said that this is not a situation unique to Barbados. "Last night when we met with the prime minister of The Bahamas and when we discussed with the prime minister of Denmark that has been their experiences too though we take it from different points."

Therefore as it speaks to how Barbados will seek to arrest this situation, she stressed:

"The bottom line is that where we need to message or where we need to get the word around - call your neighbour and say, 'Darling, if you got these children coming in here all the time, remember to tell them to keep the masks on.'

"f you don't have masks, I'm going to ask that masks be distributed in every part of the country."

Looking at the new results of the epidemiological reports being conducted, the leader also said she is "bothered" bythe findings which show most of the children who are being affected now are under the age of 12 years old. She said that is a clear indicator COVID-19 is living in the household. She posited, "Children under 12 don't walk the roads. The majority of them are in the household, so I really want us to imply our hearts to wisdom as I have said over and over."

PM Mottley said that for the mask distribution she will call on and engage with the faith-based and non-governmentalorganisations in this fight on this note. "Working with the churches, working with civic groups, because we need, we need to make sure it is in that space."

Certain that "We will get through this. I am exceedingly confident," Mottley reminded Bajans to keep their guards up. She hammered home the point that only 2.57 per cent of Barbadians locally have caught COVID since last March. That is,more than 270,000 Bajans have not been affected, but who is next is unknown, she stressed.

"Barbados has had in the last 20 months, only 7,200 cases roughly of COVID. What does that mean? That more than 260,000 or 270,000 Barbadians have not had it. Now that does not mean that it is not serious, it is serious and challenging because we are really playing COVID Roulette. We don't know who is going to be attacked with COVID. Just as we put bullets in a chamber in Russian Roulette, you put in one bullet and you spin, you do not know who or what is going to happen to you when that trigger is pulled. And that can literally be the case with respect to COVID. We do not know who!"

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COVID Roulette: Mask distribution could be on the cards next | Loop Barbados - Loop News Barbados

The HSE is playing Russian roulette with the lives of dozens of severely disabled children by running a school with no therapists on-site, the father of one of the children has claimed.

Carmonas Special School in Glenageary, South Dublin, which caters for pupils between the ages of four and 16 with severe intellectual disabilities, welcomed their pupils back in late August.

However, the team of therapists which had always been on site and ready to deal with any life-threatening incidents since 2002 have been moved out of the school, the father claims.

The HSEs decision to move the much-needed clinicians flew in the face of direct promises made to the concerned parents by Minister for Disabilities Anne Rabbitte.

Minister Rabbitte met with parents in person at Carmona school in June and confirmed that the HSE had been instructed not to remove therapists from special schools, said Andrew Murnaghan, the official parents representative at Carmona School.

Yet, the HSE have continued to ignore this direction and took steps to remove these vital supports from the school.

Mr Murnaghan, whose daughter attends the school, said the HSEs actions were disgraceful.

He said: Their indifference to the plight of the children and these are the most compromised children you will ever meet is disgraceful. It is reprehensible.

Everyday there isnt a physiotherapist based on-site at the school the HSE are playing Russian roulette with those children and their lives.

Since 2002, there has been a team of speech and language therapists, occupational therapists and physiotherapists based on site at the school.

Many of the children are wheelchair-bound and are completely unable to speak. The therapists help them to communicate through sign language, advise on modified diets because the children can choke easily, and even drain mucus from their lungs because they are unable to cough.

As a result of the change, Mr Murnaghan said: My daughter has had no speech and language therapy. So that is horrific because they help her to communicate.

That causes extreme frustration for the kids and can cause them to have self-harming behaviours as well because they are not being helped to communicate.

Not only do the therapists do all this, Mr Murnaghan said there have been three incidents where they gave life-saving CPR to a child in the crucial time in between the child falling ill and the ambulance arriving.

The stressed-out parents found out about the decision to move the therapists through a letter sent on the last day of term.

Andrew said: They sent a letter on the last day of the school term to the parents. These are parents who are up the walls having nervous breakdowns looking after their kids.

Despite Andrew receiving confirmation from Minister Rabbitte that the clinicians would not be moved at a meeting in June, they came back to the school and found they had split.

He said: Unbeknownst to us, they were already moving files and following instructions from the HSE to move off site so we came back to school in September and there was nobody there.

Minister Anne Rabbitte said in a statement that the Childrens Disability Network Teams are in attendance on site at Carmona.

She said: I am informed by the HSE that since the reconfiguration into Childrens Disability Network Teams (CDNTs) on the 13th September last, the CDNTs are in attendance on site at Carmona as per the agreed existing allocation as was pre-Covid.

She added: To ensure parents are fully and accurately informed of this plan, I have sought for a meeting locally between the HSE and parents to discuss the issues and to assure parents that services will be provided on site by the Network Team to support their children.

Dublin Live has contacted the HSE for comment.

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HSE accused of 'playing Russian roulette' with severely disabled children in Dublin school - InTallaght

In Ottiyambakkam, on Karanai Main Road stands a lone palm tree bent down with the efforts and expectations of male baya weavers. The choice of this tree for a colony of nests suggests whimsicality, causing one to wonder if baya weavers live by the roulette.

While a legion of lakes in the region, watched over by palm trees that stand on their bunds like towering sentinels wilt under rejection by the baya weavers (Periya Eri in Siruseri with its arresting palm plantation clearly among the jilted), this palm tree is puffed up with pride. Imagine the good luck of a villa-based gated community situated diametrically opposite this tree. However one wonders how many residents would have noticed it, let alone recognised their fortune. Getting to the overwhelming question at hand, did the baya weavers veer away from the "rule book" of nesting site selection? If so, how much?

If one expected a copy-book approach, the baya weavers should have chosen a palm or any other tree that stands with the heels resting on the edge of a waterbody. It is a device to insulate the eggs and later the nestlings against predation. A tree that leans like a tower of Pisa into a waterbody can raise questions in a creature out for a bite.

Adding another layer of safety against predators would have meant that the mantle fell on a thorny tree in this attitude of penance.

A colony of baya weaver nests on a lone palm tree at Ottiyambakkam on Karanai Main Road, on September 22, 2021. Photo: Prince Frederick

This palm tree is parked a cricket pitch distance away from a waterbody.

When this writer shared this sighting and the questions around it, ornithologist V Santharam said the birds would have plumped for this tree, weighing three key concerns. One of the three uncovers the bane of pilferage in the life of the industrious and gallant male baya weaver. The male baya weaver collects 500 to 600 different strands of grass to craft a nest. To collect the nest material, it has to head out often, and if these trips are long, there is the risk of pilferage by a neighbour. So, the choice of a tree for a nesting colony would be partly dictated by quick access to nest material, explains Santharam.

Another major consideration probably the most important is the availability of food. The adult baya weaver eats all kinds of seeds with its beak specifically designed for cracking open hard seeds. However, the nestlings need to be fed the larvae of caterpillars. The choice of nesting site would factor in these considerations.

Besides, there is the factor of history, says Santharam.

A nesting tree along with others would have been traditionally used for community nesting. While other trees would have gone, a lone tree may be around, and the baya weavers prolong the tradition with this survivor.

(Field Notes is a column about the resident and migratory birds of Chennai)

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Do baya weavers spin the roulette for a nesting tree? - The Hindu

Dr. Joseph Ladapo speaks last Tuesday after being introduced by Gov. Ron DeSantis as Florida's new surgeon general. Image: The Florida Channel

Floridas surgeon general newly appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis has issued a new rule preventing schools from requiring that students exposed to COVID-19 undergo quarantine, unless they have symptoms.

Dr. Joseph Ladapo leaves it up to the parents.

People do spread the virus without symptoms, and the CDC recommends quarantine for close contacts who are unvaccinated.

WMFEs Joe Byrnes spoke with Wendy Doromal, president of the Orange County Classroom Teachers Association, about this new loosening of COVID-19 precautions.

DOROMAL: Were stunned and very concerned. We consider this really a reckless action by the newly appointed surgeon general, and it certainly will harm students, school employees and the community at large.

So, Orange County Public Schools this year weve seen 6,567 positive COVID-19 cases. Thats just in August and September. Thats more cases than the 6,530 positive cases that we were reporting for the entire first eight months of the last school year. Already we know we have more protections in place, not less. And thats just not what were seeing in our schools.

WMFE: I wanted to ask you about what youre hearing from the teachers themselves.

DOROMAL: So teachers are stumped. They are already dismayed because we dont have the enforceable protections with a signed memorandum of understanding we had last year, basic things. Not every child can be vaccinated. And to lower the standard this much and endanger people this much is stunning to them. So were worried that were going to see more teachers leave because they have compromised immune systems, or a medical condition or they have someone in their family to go home to with a medical condition. Were worried that more parents are going to pull their children out from school, but teachers think this is very dangerous.

WMFE: One of the thoughts I had about this is how stressful this must be for teachers. Are you hearing about that?

DOROMAL: We are hearing about that. And we just recently, two days ago, put out a new survey to teachers, to gauge whats happening related to COVID in the school where they are, how they feel. Do they feel safe? And were seeing a lot of concern.

WMFE: Whats the next step for the union, in dealing with this?

DOROMAL: So we are going to file a proposal. We are looking at legal action. We are at a loss because were in a state where the governor and surgeon general are playing Russian roulette with the health and lives of students, employees and the community at large. And this newly appointed surgeon general has not even been confirmed by the state Senate. Hes been licensed to practice in Florida for only two weeks. And its clearly a political agenda and that the governor are hired him to push his own political agenda, but we clearly do not believe we should be playing politics with peoples lives and peoples health. And we are investigating all the action we can take.

WMFE: Wendy, thank you so much for talking with me.

DOROMAL: Of course, thank you for having me. I hope it helps, because were really desperate,. We are parents are panicked, teachers are panicked, and its like the last straw.

That was Wendy Doromal, president of the teachers union in Orange County, speaking with WMFEs Joe Byrnes.

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President of Orange County teachers union says DeSantis and surgeon general are playing Russian roulette with the lives of students and staff - WMFE

A GRIP ON SPORTS Ever saunter past a roulette table and just have to stop? All the choices. Eye-catching. A bunch of numbers, colors and options. Maybe too many options. And none assured of paying back your bet.

We delve into such things today due to Washington State football. And the Cougars quarterback issues.

The house money is on Jayden de Laura, the second-year freshman who seems the most qualified at least after three games to lead coach Nick Rolovichs offense. But de Laura may not be ready this week as the Cougs travel to Utah, a school who also lost a gamble already this year at the quarterback spot.

De Laura left the USC debacle with a leg injury and Rolovich admitted in Wednesdays post-practice media availability hes still not available. Which leaves Rolovich, seemingly, picking between Jarrett Guarantano and Cammon Cooper as WSUs starter.

Red or black, basically.

In Guarantano, Rolovich has a grad transfer from Tennessee who actually beat out de Laura in the preseason, only to be injured in the season-opening loss to Utah State. And Cooper? The lefty has been in Pullman a long time and has only seen occasional action.

But unless de Laura gets healthy, one of the two will start as Rolovich said they have been taking the majority of the practice snaps this week.

There is another option, the 00 of this analogy, walk-on Victor Gabalis, who played more than either Guarantano or Cooper against USC.

No matter where Rolovich plops down his chips Saturday, the home team will probably have the edge.

Utah is also going with a new starting quarterback this week. The Utes, considered one of the South Division favorites before the season, have lost two consecutive games. And those two road losses, to BYU and to San Diego State in triple overtime, cost Baylor transfer Charlie Brewer his spot. He left Utah earlier this week, meaning Cam Rising, who led an ultimately unsuccessful comeback against the Aztecs, will start against Washington State.

The Utes were not happy after that loss, which led to a players-only meeting Sunday. Two days later, they had a new starting quarterback. Its a lot to process before the Cougars come to town.

There have been about a hundred times this season the Seattle Mariners could have packed up their equipment bags and mailed in the rest of the year. Adversity seems to have been as loyal a companion as the traveling secretary. But the Ms havent given in. Not even close.

They came into this weeks series in Oakland needing to sweep if they wanted to jump ahead of the As and stay within striking distance of the American League wild card playoff spots. So far theyve been perfect, including Wednesday nights 4-1 victory.

And yet if they dont win on Thursday, they very well could be in nearly as poor of shape relative to the postseason as they were starting the week. If New York and Toronto happen to win today, a loss would put the Ms in a tie with Oakland, three games behind the Blue Jays and 3 behind the Yankees. There would only be nine games left.

There is an answer, though. Just keep winning. And see what happens.

WSU: The quarterback issue dominates the news in Pullman right now. Colton Clark takes care of that in this story. But there have been other headlines as well, including basketball coach Katie Etheridge earning a contract extension, which was announced yesterday. Jim Allen has that story. There was a bit of a Twitter storm Tuesday concerning Rolovichs vaccination status, something the coach would not discuss once again. Colton has more in this piece. Theo Lawson talked Cougars (and Zags) with Larry Weir yesterday on the latest Press Box podcast. The volleyball team opened conference play by handing Colorado its first loss of the season. Elsewhere in the Pac-12 and college football, Jon Wilner has his picks for this weeks games. He also explains in the Mercury News why the conference has struggled in non-conference games. Its conference play only this week, with Washington facing a California program that has given it fits recently. The Husky offensive line needs to be at its best. Arizona State, with an NCAA investigation hanging over the program, has not played well this season. But if there is a team to get well against, it may just be Colorado. The Buff defense has been stout, though. USC is more like a broken-down Fiat than a Ferrari these days. The Trojans host Oregon State not sure who will be at quarterback. The Beavers are on a roll, especially on the ground. Oregon is getting healthier, which isnt something Arizona needed to hear. The Wildcats have one defender the Ducks might want to avoid. The best game of the weekend? That is probably UCLA at Stanford. The Bruins need to bounce back after their first loss.

Gonzaga: The fan events for the men Kraziness in the Kennel and women Fan Fest will be held on Oct. 9 and Oct. 16, respectively. Theo has more details in this story.

EWU: Sure, a huge showdown with Montana looms. But thats in a couple weeks. This Saturday the Eagles travel to Southern Utah. Dan Thompson has a preview of a game Eastern cant afford to overlook. Around the Big Sky, we meant to link this story yesterday but just forgot. Portland State coach Bruce Barnum paid $14,418 for fans beers last weekend. Cal Poly will give Montana a different challenge than it used to. Montana State is welcoming back a defensive back. Northern Colorados goal hasnt changed. Is the Big Sky too big?

Preps: Its Thursday, so there is a lot to process in this area. We start with Dave Nichols look at the weekends football games. The big matchup pits Central Valley and Mt. Spokane. There are a couple of feature stories, one from Justin Reed on the first family of Mead soccer, and one from Keenan Gray on Riverside High cross country runner Jamar Distel.

Indians: After two games of their best-of-five series with Eugene, Spokane is in a 0-2 hole. Jason has the game story from Wednesday nights 3-0 loss. The Indians have no margin of error left. Whenever the series ends, the Indians groundskeeping staff will begin a major renovation of the Avista Stadium field. Colin Tiernan has more.

Mariners: We mentioned the Ms 4-1 victory above but we didnt delve into what happened. Chris Flexen picked up his 13th win, Kyle Seager topped 100 RBIs with his 35th home run (both career highs) and the As Bob Melvin, the former Mariner manager, was ejected. A pretty good night all around. J.P. Crawford is headed for another Gold Glove. There is a chance Jarred Kelenic is headed toward success.

Seahawks: Tyler Lockett isnt underrated. So says Pete Carroll. The Hawks have injuries, of course. Bobby Wagners big game was keyed by Al Woods play up front. DK Metcalf has been something of a non-factor thus far. Same with Jamal Adams.

Sounders: Seattle scored early in the second half and then watched as Leon made subs and put in three goals, leading to the La Liga squad winning the Leagues Cup 3-2.

Storm: Will Seattle be able to survive if Breanna Stewart doesnt play?

Golf: So why does the United State seem to struggle in the Ryder Cup recently? We want answers.

This column may be on the website really early tomorrow. Ryder Cup play begins at 5 a.m. our time, so we will be up bright and early to watch. OK, early. Were never too bright. Until later

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A Grip on Sports: Due to de Laura's injury, Cougars playing quarterback roulette with no one knowing where the ball will land - The Spokesman Review

When you play roulette, you are taking part in a game of chance in which no one knows where the little ball will end up. However, you can improve your chances of winning by fully understanding the roulette odds and payouts that are involved.

The first thing worth mentioning here is that you will find both American and European versions of this classic table game. The main difference between them is that the American variant has two zero pockets instead of one (0 and 00). This means that the roulette table odds are lower in European games, making the decision to play European versions one of our top casino rules.

The second factor to take into account is that the odds vary according to the bet that you choose. If you choose a single number, then the chances of winning are 36 to 1 in European-style games, and 37 to 1 if you play an American version. The payout, in either case, is 35 to 1.

Yet, if you decide to put your stake on red or black, the odds of the right colour coming up are close to 50%, and the payout is on a 1:1 basis. It is the presence of the zero, or zeros in American games, that stops this being a straight 50% chance of coming up.

Therefore, you should consider, first of all, how adventurous you want to be. Do you want a bet that has the best chance of winning you a small amount, or would you prefer to look for higher roulette odds on a type of wager that is less likely to come up?

To help you make your decision, we can now look at all the roulette payouts and how they are different on a variety of bets.

Roulette payouts are affected by the odds we just looked at, as the wagers with the lowest chance of coming up also have the highest payouts. If you are using a roulette strategy, this will help you to see which kind of wager to use and where to place your casino chips.

For example, progressive strategies will often use the bets with the best possibility of winning and the lowest payout. On the other hand, someone who hopes to win a lot of money in few spins might decide to look for the biggest payouts, regardless of the high odds of this wager coming up.

Therefore, we can say that the best bet in roulette would be one that gives the odds you are happy accepting and a payout you feel is worth it. This will vary from one person to the next, and even the same person may feel like placing very different bets from one day to the next.

These are tables that show how much you would win if you correctly predicted the outcome of a spin of the wheel. The following roulette pay table shows some of the payouts you will typically find when playing roulette.

As you can see, the roulette payouts for each bet are slightly lower than the odds of the bet coming in. This is where the house edge comes from, as the zero pocket(s) skews the odds slightly in favour of the casino. It also allows us to work out the RTP in the same way as on slots.

More complex bets, such as called bets, are a little more difficult to calculate on a roulette payout chart like this, as you generally place several chips across a series of numbers. The payout varies on these wagers, depending upon which of the chosen numbers the ball lands on.

As shown in the roulette odds chart, the odds and payout of each bet vary by roughly the same amount in each case. What this means is that there is no single bet that is significantly better than others in terms of the return vs the odds.

It could eventually come down to whether you are comfortable going through a sequence of losing spins before winning, or whether you would feel happier with low odds that mean you should win a fairly small amount more regularly.

By understanding the subject of roulette odds and payouts, you can start to choose your wagers more wisely and find a strategy that works for you.

Did you know that the house edge in roulette has changed over the years? It first changed when Francois and Lois Blanc added a zero to the wheel in 1842. It changed again later in the century when American casinos added a second zero, taking the number of numbers from 37 to 38.

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Roulette Odds & Payouts - Improve Your Chances of Winning with Casino.com - blog.casino.com

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The Origin of Roulette: Everything You Need to Know About It - blog.casino.com

The origins of online gaming are shrouded in a mystery. Who was first to market? Who wrote the code for the online casino? Who developed the first game of online poker.

We dont have all the answers but here are some of the key players who set the roulette wheels in motion.

In 1983, computer studies student Ian Sherrington met Austrian bookmaker Detlef Train. Seven years later, on a fishing trip, they hatched a plan to use the fledgling Internet as a medium to make bets.

On January 17th, 1996, they launched the system and the worlds first online bet was made. The business rapidly took off and relocated to the Caribbean where it targeted the dormant US market.

At the same time that Sherrington and Train were bringing their sportsbook to the Internet, South African entrepreneur Martin Moshal was busy creating the worlds first online casino.

At one point, Microgaming was the software behind 35% of the worlds online casinos. Today, the business is more diluted and based in the Isle of Man. Moshal concentrates on philanthropic distractions, having sold his share of the business.

PartyPoker wasnt the first online poker room but it was the one that held all the best cards. Planet Poker and Paradise Poker developed the initial software but it was Ruth Parasol and her partners that took the business into the financial stratosphere.

Canny affiliate marketing, custom skins for partners, and clever software that really hasnt changed much in 20 years made PartyGaming the market leader. Since then, due to its legal withdrawal from the American market, the business has waned and is now a fraction of the size it was.

Today, Mitch Garber is the CEO of Caesars and appears on the Canadian version of Dragons Den. In the 1990s, newly qualified lawyer Garber was a key mover and shaker in the online gaming business.

He handled state legislation, as well as developing online financial services. He helped set up the worlds first online sportsbook in Antigua and kept the industry one step ahead of the regulators. He was also one of the highest paid executives in the world, when he was the CEO of PartyGaming, earning an annual package worth 17 million.

Ayres contribution to online gaming is stylistic. Ayre launched Bodog in 2000 and its cool look and aspirational branding made it an instant hit. Ayre wrote his own code, brought the cool, and Bodog bloomed.

Ayre was true to his creation and enjoyed the life of the rock star. Always living the dream, complete with yachts, supermodels, and all the playboy trimmings. Today, Ayre dodges the feds and commentates on the industry.

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5 Heros Who Set the Roulette Wheel in Motion - blog.casino.com

While he presumed she had been detained, there was never a trial, and he did not know whether she was dead or alive. That was until his phone rang on Saturday, September 4, just days before Red Roulette was due to hit the shelves. His ex-wife was on the line.

Whitney told me that shes on temporary release and could be redetained at any time. She asked me to cancel the books publication, Shum, 52, says in an interview with The Australian Financial Review from his home in Oxford, England.

It was a ridiculous request which could only be dreamed up by some bureaucrat in Beijing, where they can disappear a book off all the shelves in China overnight. But this is the rest of the world. The book was already on the way to the bookstores, contracts have been signed. I cant disappear the book even if I wish to.

With US and British newspapers already previewing the book, Shum says the authorities in China were desperate to kill off the story they did not want told. He believes Duan was calling him under duress to pass on a threat. In some respects it was a breakthrough. He knows she is still alive and his 12-year-old son, Ariston, spoke to his mother for the first time in four years.

Duan and Shum in Switzerland in 2004. Shum says the photo was taken while they were on a trip with Auntie Zhang.

Duans reappearance is another twist in Shums story which, if true, confirms suspicions about the lengths to which the Chinese leadership will go to cover up information about the privileges available to those in power. It comes at a politically sensitive time for Xi, who last month spoke out against wealth inequality and is stepping up a crackdown on the private sector.

A journalist said to me recently you will be a marked man for the CCP [Chinese Communist Party] for the rest of your life. I knew that when I made the decision to publish but when someone says it to your face, it still sends a chill down your spine, Shum says.

I was resigned to the fact that I was signing my life away. I dusted off my will to make sure things are in order. I perceived what my ex said on the phone as threats, so I notified the UK police.

While there is no way to verify much of what Shum has written, his memoir is being taken seriously by seasoned China watchers. His ex-wifes links with Zhang were the subject of an explosive New York Times investigation in 2012 which showed Wens relatives controlled assets worth at least $US2.7 billion ($3.7 billion).

A key moment in Red Roulette is his account of a dinner at Beijings Grand Hyatt Hotel in 2002, when Duan introduces him to Auntie Zhang a well-connected diamond trader in her own right, who was married to one of the most powerful men in the country.

Shum, who moved to Beijing in 1997 and had only met the charismatic Duan a year earlier, writes affectionately about his ex-wifes ability to insinuate herself into the world of the elite. In the book, he compares it to a Chinese soap opera about ladies-in-waiting vying for the attention of an empress in an ancient imperial court. My encounter with Aunty Zhang in the Grand Hyatt at the beginning changed everything for me, Shum tells me.

From that moment on, the doors opened.

Shum writes about the ministers, vice-ministers and the heads of powerful state-owned enterprises who flocked nightly to the private dining rooms they set up discreetly in the top floor of a Beijing hotel. Officials were wooed with private lunches where the fish maw soup would cost $US1000 ($1400) a pop, or a $US10,000 set of golf clubs or a $US15,000 watch. The couple travelled on private jets with members of the so-called red aristocracy, including the son-in-law of a top official who told Shum he had not completed his business training in China until he had spent time in prison.

The couple also spent lavishly on themselves. He writes that Duan spent $US200,000 on a special car licence plate for her Audi which exempted the driver from regular Beijing traffic rules. They enjoyed luxury holidays with Zhang, including one trip to the Australian outback, although Shum says they never did any business in Australia.

While Duan made her name setting up the investment vehicle for the Wen familys investment in insurance giant Ping An, Shum says their biggest deal was the countrys largest air cargo logistics hub attached to Beijings international airport. Shum writes that it took 150 different chops Chinese seals that act as a form of signature from officials within seven different government ministries to get the project approved.

My employees waited for months trying to curry favour with officials, bringing them fine teas, doing their errands, taking them to saunas, looking after their wives and kids. One of my employees accompanied so many people to so many bathhouses that his skin started peeling off, he writes. To seal the deal, he was only allowed to build the project after agreeing to include tennis courts, a gym, karaoke bar, theatre and other facilities worth $US50 million in the new customs building.

Under their arrangement, Zhang would get 30 per cent of any profits from their joint enterprises and they and any other partners would share the remaining 70 per cent, he writes. In theory, the Wens were responsible for putting up 30 per cent of the capital as well, but they rarely did, he adds.

Red Roulette depicts Wen as a workaholic who was oblivious to his wifes business dealings, an account that contradicts US State Department documents released by WikiLeaks that suggested he was not happy she used their relationship to build her diamond-trading empire.

Despite Xis anti-corruption crackdown when he came into power in 2012, Shum says the relatives of Chinas Party elite are still shielded.

It is baked into the system. Seven busloads of top princelings came to the 100th [Communist Party] anniversary party [in July] and joined Xi in Tiananmen Square. The only reason they were there was because of their bloodline. They are not even contributing citizens, but they are still the real powerbrokers, he tells me.

While he is now critical of a system he and Duan made a fortune exploiting, Shum says he is not ashamed of anything they did.

We were careful, and we never actually did hard-cash-on-the-table corruption. We did do influence peddling for sure, he says. He goes on to explain he was just trying to succeed in a system that many believed at the time was making China a better place.

Red Roulette: An Insiders Story of Wealth, Power, Corruption and Vengeance in Todays China (Simon & Schuster) was released this month.

The entire world, myself included, looked at China and thought whatever they are doing is making things better. They are becoming more free, they are becoming more prosperous. Press freedom is loosening up. People have more liberties. We are all contributing to that.

Shums view has since changed. Already angry about Duans detention and the direction China was heading under Xi, Shum says the final straw was the 2019 protests in Hong Kong, which prompted a security crackdown by the Chinese authorities on the city where he was raised. That prompted him to take a book he initially started writing for his son to the publishing houses in New York.

In June 2019, I flew back to Hong Kong to be in the protests. I was a couple of hundred metres from the tear gas at the frontline. I saw the police brutality. I thought maybe I can do something with my book.

He is not be surprised by Xis latest crackdown on Chinas technology giants and billionaires such as Jack Ma, saying the state started taking back control of the private sector as early as 2008 during the global financial crisis. This merely accelerated under Xi.

Shum says he and Duan had dinner with Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, in 2008 but he was not impressed. Xi, who was pegged as a potential successor to then president Hu Jintao, let his wife do all the talking that night. But he says Duans charms did not work on Peng. The couple were already too powerful, too guarded.

Shum, who says he is now retired and focusing on his son, concludes the interview by congratulating the Australian government on pushing back against Chinas economic coercion.

He paints a hawkish picture of a country where he spent most of his life but to which he can never return. I ask if he ever expects to see Duan again.

They may let her out of the dark cell while the spotlight is on her, but I dont think they will ever let her out of the country.

Read more here:

'Red Roulette' by Desmond Shum exposes the hidden fortunes of China's red aristocrats - The Australian Financial Review

Its true: casinos can be intimidating places for the uninitiated; the flashing lights, the impatient croupier, the grumpy guy at the Blackjack table. Do you split? Is it time to double down? Should you raise the ante or just bail out and head for the bar?

As with most things in life: knowledge is power. Fortunately for you, were bringing you some basic casino 101 on the secrets of the house edge. Our top five guide to the games to aim for when you are heading for the casino both online and offline.

First things first: lets explain what the house edge is. Casinos are businesses and they need to make money. The house edge is the mathematical advantage that any gambling game will have. It is the profit that the casino will make on each game.

One of the best examples of house edge, which makes it very easy to understand, is Roulette. On a Roulette wheel, there are 36 numbers. If you bet a single number and it hits, you win 36 times your stake. The odds of hitting a single number are 36 to 1.

However: on a typical Roulette wheel, there are 37 slots. The extra slot is the zero. When this number hits, the house wins. All odd/even, Red/Black, and number bets lose. The only bet that wins is a straight up on the zero. The zero basically represents the house edge. For a single zero table, that house edge is 2.70%. If the casino turned over a million dollars on the roulette table over a weekend, it would expect to earn $27,000.

Every game at the casino comes with a house edge. If youre nervous of the Baccarat and Blackjack tables, its time to wise up and overcome your fears. These table game classics come with a much better house edge than the slots, keno, and the wheel of fortune.

Calculating the precise house edge of Blackjack is tricky. There are a lot of different elements to factor in. Will the dealer hit on a soft 17? Can you split cards more than once? Is it a single deck game? Are you playing using basic strategy? Does Blackjack pay at 3 to 2 or 6 to 5? There are also dozens of different version of this classic card game. You can find scores of them at any online casino.

If you keep it simple, use basic strategy, and play a single deck with liberal Las Vegas rules, it is possible to get the house edge as low as 0.16%. That means you lose only 16 cents for every $100 gambled. In reality, you are more likely to end up with an edge of around 1.00%.

Heres the good news: online casinos are competitive and there is a lot of choice. Avoid games that offer big jackpots and seek out a Blackjack table with a low house edge. This is where you can max out your game play and unlock some real value.

Unlike blackjack, there really is no strategy to baccarat. James Bond might look pretty cool, with his shaken martini and a femme fatale in tow, but it is essentially a game of luck. What makes it appealing is its low house edge. If you are playing common rules, the house edge is about 1.09%.

In baccarat, you have the choice of three bets: player, banker, and tie. If you bet the banker, there is a commission to pay if the bet wins. Its normally about 5%. This creates the house edge. Look hard and you can find baccarat games with lower commissions.

Roulette is one of the most popular games at the casino. Easy to understand and simple to play. Just walk up, drop off your chips, and hope for the best. People talk of systems, track the wheel, and watch the numbers. In truth: if the table is balanced and fair, this is a game of pure luck. European roulette has a single zero and a house edge of 2.70%. American roulette has both a single and double zero, with a house edge of 5.26%.

However: there are some interesting twists. If you can find a roulette game that offers la partage, the house odds shorten dramatically to 1.35%. This is when a player loses only half their odds/even stake when a zero hits. Check out a few casinos to see if you can track down a Roulette game that offers this deal.

Read the small print. Check the Terms and Conditions. It may not be the first thing you do when you want to get stuck into the slots, but the house edge is critical when you play these popular games at any online casino.

With slots, the house edge is called the RTP (Return to Player). To find out what the RTP on any given slot, just click the question mark icon or rules link. The exact RTP should be displayed. One of the lowest RTPs on any slot is on NetEnts Mega Joker at up to 99%. This is a house edge of 1.00%. You do have to make the maximum bet to get the best RTP. Once again: shop around for the best deal.

Craps is one of the most fascinating games to play at any casino. Its complex and takes time to learn. Its also the croupiers favourite game with one of the only bets in the casino without any house edge. With so many betting options, the house edge varies from nothing to nearly 17%.

To get the only zero house edge bet in the casino, you have to play the odds bet. The odds bet pays 2 to 1 on points of 4 and 10, 3 to 2 on points of 5 and 8, and 6 to 5 on points of 6 and 8. Trouble is: its so tempting to take a punt on rolling snake eyes (1,1) or boxcars (12,12) with sucker odds of 33-1. Dont do it!

The secret: do your research. The house edge varies from game to game and from casino to casino. The basic rule of thumb is this: the easier a game is to play, the more likely it is that it will have a high house edge; scratch cards, keno, and the lottery all are very hard to beat.

Take the time to wise up and learn games like Blackjack and Baccarat. This way, you can get a lot more bang with every buck you bet. Get an education get the edge.

Read more from the original source:

Where Can You Find the Best Bet at the Casino A Top 5 - blog.casino.com