Dear Mark,
What are the chances of hitting the lottery twice in one lifetime? Has it ever happened?
Milton G. Mackinaw City, MI

In a perfect world we all would win the lottery once, shoot scratch golf and drive a Mercedes. But that wasn't perfect enough for divorced convenience-store manager Evelyn Marie Adams of New Jersey when she won her state's lottery twice within a four-month span in 1985. The odds against Ms. Adams winning the double bonanza were 15 trillion to one. Fifteen trillion, Milton, is three thousand times the number of people on this planet. Since then, seven others have joined the elite fraternity of repeat lottery winners.

Dear Mark,
I am planning a week long trip to Las Vegas in June and will solely be playing poker. Any recommendations on where they offer some low limit play?
Buddy C. Libertyville, IL

Try the "World Famous" poker room at Binion's Horseshoe. They have 14 tables with buy-ins starting at $25. They offer Texas Hold'em at $1-$4-$8, Omaha $4-$8 and Seven Card Stud $1-$5. Don't forget to ask about the special room rates for poker players; 800-93-POKER. Also, to prove to your kitchen table poker comrades that you're a half-way decent player, get your picture taken alongside a hundred $10,000 bills. It's FREE daily from 4 p.m. till midnight.

Dear Mark,
How much edge does the casino have in blackjack?
Bert B. Internet

It strictly depends on the skill level of each individual player. Against the average Joe the casino has about a two percent edge. A hunch or superstitious player can easily give back eight percent. Depending on the rules of a particular casino, a Deal Me In reader who uses perfect basic strategy has only a half of a percent disadvantage. They also get rated and work the casino over for comps. Because many casinos give back between 20 to 40 percent of the expected win-not the actual win-in player gratuities, the Deal Me In player actually shows a positive expectation when playing blackjack.

Dear Mark,
If I use my slot players club card, does the machine let me win more or less?
Linda C. Carson City, NV

The magnetic reader that tracks your slot club points is a separate device from the random number generator that governs winning combinations. One has absolutely nothing to do with the other.

Dear Mark,
On the weekends when the table limits get prohibitively high for my bankroll, I retreat to video blackjack. There used to be a few video blackjack machines on the riverboats but now they're all gone. What's the low limit player to do?
Jason M. Evanston, IL

Even though live blackjack is the most popular table game in the casino, video blackjack slots were some of the worst performing machines on the riverboats. Most have been replaced by other machines that feed the casino coffers more. They still exist if you find a Bally's Game Maker multi-game machine. On the Game Maker, of all the assorted video games, blackjack tends to get the most play. Go figure.

Dear Mark,
Where do you like to stay and play in Las Vegas?
Sandy R. Mt. Pleasant, MI

To stay, always the Rio. To play, any casino that offers favorable rules in blackjack, a $5 mini-baccarat table and full pay video poker machines. Because casinos always change their playing conditions, no one casino stands out. Currently my requirements are met at either Binion's Horseshoe or the Stratosphere; but that could chance tomorrow.

Gambling Thought of the Week: "Gambling is the future on the internet. You can only look at so many dirty pictures." -Simon Noble, an Austrian-based internet bookmaker