I tip my hat to “Craig” who recently posted the correct solution on how a 4-6-5 trifecta can hit the board in a 6 post Jai Alai game, using Spectacular 7 rules.
When I wrote my simulation program, it was 1988, written in BASIC, and ran on a Commodore 64. Can you say S-L-O-W ? Maybe a better word would be STOPPED, at least by today’s standards. As a result, I chose to run what I considered to be a reasonable statistical sample of around 400,000 games, even though I was aware that in a 8 post game a number such as 5-8-7 was only expected to appear once in every 142,856 games (W.R. Clow Associates). Somehow, I didn’t image having such a statistical oddity
happen In 6 posts, so given the circumstances, running 400 K games would be okay. Obviously, and unfortunately, that resulted in not enough of a sample to show all possibilities. Not that you ever want to play 4-6-5 in that situation, but at least you now know, thanks to Craig, it can come in.
Oh, I forgot to mention my little machine ran a couple of days. Given today’s hardware, those same calculations would run in minutes, if not seconds, and the few million or so simulations needed would be a piece of cake.
Perhaps the irony in this story was that the State of CT did not know 4-6-5 could hit the board either, and argued that it was okay if your number couldn’t hit the board because you still could win via a consultation payoff. Guess they had slow computers, too.
Thanks to all, and my apologies to Jeff “Laca” Conway who gave me the opportunity to write that erroneous, but written in good faith, article. Bobby D.
Cancun, Mexico: The Cancun Amateur court, called Fronton Salas, is up and running after multiple delays in construction and COVID-19 issues. The courtside bar was under construction at the time this video was taken – something all courts need! We will get more details and more images soon from our good friends Arturo and Javier Salas.
Magic City Jai-alai has a new bet this year called the Mighty Ocho. The Mighty Ocho is a Jackpot type wager for $1 where one picks the winners of games 1 through 8. It has a guaranteed jackpot of $2,000 to a single winner. Currently, the jackpot is at $1,753.20 which is still under the $2,000 guarantee. Thus, if one picks all 8-winners now, they would get a $2,000 payoff. The Mighty Ocho works exactly like the “Jai-ly” popular Jai-5 wager which was introduced to Magic City Jai-alai customers after the start of the 2019 season. The breakdown is as follows: 20% takeout for the house, 40% goes to the bettor(s) with the most winners, the other 40% goes to the jackpot carryover pool.
Is the Mighty Ocho wager as bad as one of the oldest Jai-alai blog site says it is? Let’s explore the truth on this with some simple facts from the Mighty Ocho history. Granted the Mighty Ocho is not for everyone, but one thing for sure, the Mighty Ocho is more popular than betting on Win tickets, Place tickets or Show tickets at Magic City Jai-alai and even Dania Jai-alai. Therefore it’s certainly not in the bottom 3 least popular wagers in recent Jai-alai history for sure, so SayHiLi doesn’t understand what all the Mighty Ocho “whining” is all about. Is the Mighty Ocho wager impossible to hit? Apparently not at Magic City! Recently on August 22 at the 4-pm performance one talented bettor came very close by selecting 7 of the 8 winners. Now the Mighty Ocho gross pool was only $39 for that performance, and the consolation payoff is 40% of the pool, so the winner received $15.60 for their winning ticket (there was only one winning ticket with 7 of 8). Another time earlier this year, on the May 17 Sunday matinee performance, one bettor had the first 6-winners selected correctly, and had two numbers onto one number to complete their ticket. That must have been pretty exciting for that bettor with a cool $2,000 within their grasp. This tidbit of info was found out by SayHiLi with their numerous connections with Jai-alai bettors supporting Magic City Jai-alai. So, apparently, it’s not as difficult of a Pick 8 as the Pick 8’s in the past (i.e. Palm Beach Jai-alai had a guaranteed $50,000 Pick 8 in the 1992-93 era, see the referenced photo of a Palm Beach Jai-alai program cover touting the $50k Pick 8 wager).
Handicappers at Magic City Jai-alai are among some of the best and handicapping at Magic City Jai-alai isn’t as difficult as Jai-alai handicapping in the past since there is more disparity between player’s records at Magic City. Win records over 40% in singles for players like Douglas make wagers like the Mighty Ocho and the Jai-5 a lot more attractive and interesting that’s for sure. We’ve never seen win records like this before in our lifetime! Let’s take a look at the statistics on the Mighty Ocho for the first mandatory payout that occurred on the June 28 Sunday matinee performance. We understand the Mighty Ocho is up for grabs again very soon with another mandatory payout at the end of the Edgewater meet at Magic City. This is on Sunday, August 30. This is an important date for anyone wanting a shot at a BIG PAYOFF. Both the Jai-5 and the Mighty Ocho will be mandatory payouts at the end of the Edgewater meet on Sunday. The first Mighty Ocho mandatory had a jackpot carryover of $1,631.60 going into the Sunday matinee (Note: currently the Mighty Ocho jackpot is $122 higher than this). There was $4,293 wagered into the first mandatory payout. There were (2) winners that correctly selected 6 of the 8 winners and each winning ticket paid an impressive $2,533. That’s pretty damn good for a days work. Had only (1) person selected 6 of 8, they would have scored a payoff of a whopping $5,066! This next mandatory payout coming up could easily pay even more than $5,066. Keep that thought in your mind as these bets only cost $1.00 each. There have been 93-total Mighty Ocho opportunities this year. Let’s exclude the mandatory payout event and take a look at the results for the other 92-events (# of Winners Correct, How Many Times (of 92-events), Average $1.00 Payoff). The average Mighty Ocho betting pool for these 92-events was $92. What is usually seen when bettors hear about an upcoming mandatory payout is a drop in wagering activity as they are waiting for the mandatory payout to make their investment, and a larger investment too. Perhaps that is the part of the reason for the recent drop-off in the Mighty Ocho wagering activity? Here is the real scoop on Magic City’s Mighty Ocho statistics: x/8 Correct: # Winners & Average $1.00 Payoff 7/8: 1x $15.60 (pool was $39 for this one event) 6/8: 12x $56.90 5/8: 24x $21.50 4/8: 29x $21.80 3/8: 18x $6.40 2/8: 8x $3.20 So, is this “Mighty Ocho” really “mighty meager” as someone has been saying on one of the Jai-alai chat posts? Not exactly true that’s for sure, LOL. Get real and give Magic City and Scott Savin a break, enough of this BS and Magic City “bashing and trashing” at every chance and trying to tell Magic City how to run their business model. Good grief, Magic City Jai-alai has made a boatload of great decisions in every area and the short-court version of Jai-alai is rapidly growing in popularity! They are to be commended for what they have accomplished. Keep in mind, a $1.00 investment on a Mighty Ocho wager is for a sequence of 8-games, so effectively it’s costing 12.5-cents a game (pretty cheap entertainment). The Mighty Ocho can be a fun and challenging wager! It’s pretty amazing that Magic City has been able to provide Jai-alai sports fans with this great opportunity to watch and wager on Jai-alai games from the comfort of one’s home during this awful covid mess! They even offer a FREE Weekly Fantasy Jai-alai League and last week’s cash prize was $150 to the weekly winner. As previously stated, not all bets are for all customers. Casinos have Penny Slots all the way up to a High Limit Slot area, so why shouldn’t Jai-alai be able to offer an array of various options to try and satisfy more of their fan base? SayHiLi applauds Magic City Jai-alai for offering customers a wide variety of wagers on their wagering menu. Time to stick a fork in this “Mighty Ocho whining”……is the whining ever going to stop?……it’s getting pretty old and repetitive! Do you actually think that Magic City Jai-alai fans or management cares that it “really bothers you?” Have you even spent a $1.00 on the Mighty Ocho yourself? Like a famous Jai-alai fan we all know has often said “You know who you are.”
Can you imagine buying a Jai Alai trifecta that couldn’t hit the board?
Think that is impossible? If you do, you better think again because it really happened. This occurred at Berenson’s Hartford Jai Alai during the infamous strike in the Spring of 1988. Because of the player strike there was a lack of quality players (few!).
Both the State of Connecticut, Division of Special Revenue, and Buddy Berenson, owner and president of Hartford Jai Alai, devised a way to continue by allowing 6 posts in a game, while still maintaining Spectacular 7 rules, where points doubled after the first round of play.
Realizing the obvious change in the mathematics of a 6 post game, I ran hundreds of thousands of game simulations only to find some numbers never won (example 4-6-5). I also performed a series of hand calculations with the same results.
Not only was there a lack of concern for striking Jai Alai players, and fairness to them, but now it was the bettors turn, and the overall integrity of the game itself.
I made a call to the Division of Special Revenue to report the problem, and told them that the games being run should not be allowed, citing the fact that certain numbers could not hit the board. They said they would get back to me. A week went by and nothing, no call back. So, I called again, and the answer I got back was incredible. Their position was that a bettor could still win on any 3 numbers! of course, but only by way of a consolation, say a 4-6-All, for example. Unbelievable, but true.
I will say that something finally sunk in because the State discontinued those games several weeks later, but not a word was ever published about it.
So there you have it, the day your number couldn’t hit the board!
“Do you want to go see Joey?”, said my buddy Tim Suitum, as he passed by my dorm room in Donnellon Hall at STU.
I accepted, thinking we were headed over to the Rathskellar for a few cold ones, never having met Joey. No “Rat” that night, instead we’re in his girlfriend’s car, I believe he had just taken her keys and not asked as we raced up the Palmetto and then ’95. Not many words were spoken until I finally looked up and then saw the infamous sign atop the Pirates Inn on the corner of US 1 and Dania Beach Boulevard – “Dania Jai-Alai” in fluorescent lights lit up with its yellow arrow pointing towards the fronton. “Jai-Alai?!”
Sitting down for my first game, listening to the march, watching the Players Parade, seeing all the flags from various countries adorned above the upper padding, hand-woven cestas made of reeds from the Pyrenees Mountains with leather gloves sewn on each for the players right-hand to fit into and cinta used to wrap around and tie to the pelotaris hand, the crisp white pants, red fajas – I was just like a little boy watching in amazement. Then the “crack” of the pelota against the frontis to begin the game and with the light crowd on a Tuesday evening you could hear the whipping of the cestas, view the athleticism of the players, the wall-climbling of Lavell – the Merry Festival had hooked another. A fan of “action” at the window, from visits greyhound and thoroughbred tracks, it took a few games to figure out the points and Spectacular 7 and 9 Scoring, but the pari-mutuel wagering I had down. Then the man we went to see, Joey, came out for the late, feature games and went 0-for….just my luck, but an experience, I remember like yesterday. Although I don’t recall cashing a ticket, the quicksand of Jai-Alai had captured another fan for life.
Fast forward four years later – after a number of visits to the Palace and just one to Miami Jai-Alai which I thought was an absolute zoo (a huge tournament night, I could barely see the action as the place was absolutely packed and we were standing three-deep watching in General Admission) – I’m working as a P.R. Intern at MJA thanks to fellow Grad School classmate at STU, Dan Licciardi, then Assistant General Manager, but has been the Patriarch at the “Home of Jai-Alai” for well over 20 years now.
Two weeks later, it’s a Friday, so I leave early to meet a friend for the special late afternoon post-time which Calder Race Course ran back in ’94. My buddy and I enter and quickly buy The Form, grab a beer each and head towards the doors further down leading outside. One problem! All I say is “f#@%!”. There is only one person headed straight towards us. I believe the second race had not yet started; it was absolutely quiet being early on the Friday card. My buddy asks me what’s wrong. I said that’s my boss heading for us, “I just started this job, I left early, I’m f****d!” So…we are getting closer, and he says “Jimmy!” I thought I was going to piss my shorts (I had actually gone home first and changed). “You want to split the next race?” I’m like “What?” He says, “I apologize, Mr. Rico gave me a winner the other day and I had to come in to cash a ticket; I have to get to the card game at work or else I would stay”. Here I think I’m out of job and my boss is apologizing for not staying and wants to split a bet with me. “Ok, I’m in!” Even after he left, I was still shaking my head trying to process what occurred and it didn’t slip my mind that he had to get to the fronton not to get to work, but the card game, which I had already heard was legend in just the few weeks of employment at MJA. That man was Tommy Contreras – and those who knew him probably aren’t surprised. The Late TC was a true Jai-Alai ambassador, a great friend, whom I deeply miss – the beers, laughs, and ball-busting shared would span from that one day on the first floor of Calder for another two decades. For some reason, I still have his number in my cell; I often tell our mutual friend Randy Macarella, Top-Shelf Mutuel Manager at Dania forever, one day I’m going to call him for a horse selection.
I am thankful to Jeff for the invite and opportunity to share stories from the past and present, pertinent features on the Pelota Press platform. Grateful to Martino (who I believe hired TC and has been a great friend, mentor since my start in ‘94), the Actuary, Al Q., and Benny Bueno for your continued support, and recommending me to Jeff!
Magic City Jai-alai has a surprise for you. Instead of college football this fall, FOX TV will be televising a tournament one hour every Saturday afternoon for 8 weeks! This unbelievable news is just what jai-alai needed. There will be 8 players for singles, to 20 straight points for $1,000 and 6 teams in a doubles partido with the winning team getting $2,000.
The teams:
Kubala/Anderluck
Douglas/Jeden
RonRon/Legend
Bradley/Bueno
Ben/Carballo
Ikeda/Tennessee
The fact this is on FOX TV is amazing news. We will get more news as soon as we get it, or look for announcements on the Magic City site.
Owner and builder Art Silvester Sr. looking over plans for the for the jai-alai fronton in Newport in May, 1976. The fronton was open from 1976 till 2003.
By Steve “Straymar” Martin
I recently had the opportunity to reach out to a Jai-alai acquaintance from the past, Art Silvester Jr, on Tuesday morning on the 4th of August. Art Jr. was General Manager of Palm Beach Jai-Alai from the 1980’s until closing in 1994 and was also involved in the family’s Newport Jai-Alai as General Manager and Executive VP.
I had not yet met Art Jr. when I graduated college with a BSME degree and accepted a job at Pratt & Whitney Aircraft in West Palm Beach in June of 1978. I was able to attend the original Palm Beach fronton about a half dozen times during the fall before the old fronton building burned down in December 1978. The building was rebuilt and opened again in January 1981. I was living in Lakeland, Florida at that time working as a project engineer in the Florida phosphate industry (at one of those many giant chemical complexes with the mountains of gypsum), but was able to visit the new Palm Beach fronton on a few occasions in the first few years after re-opening. I met Art Jr. for the first time in the mid-1980’s after the Florida phosphate industry downturn when I had returned to work again at Pratt & Whitney Aircraft in West Palm Beach. I attended the Palm Beach fronton every chance I could after after moving back to the area and was a “systems player” mostly focused on trifectas and also on superfecta wagers when those began a few years later.
I had previously mailed Art Jr. a list of my questions and he was most gracious in calling me to set up a phone interview and agreed to answer my questions. My wife and I have both been very interested in the restaurant at Palm Beach Jai-Alai, having dined there dozens of times. It was our favorite restaurant in town and we especially loved the Teriyaki Marinated Chicken Breast and the Key Lime Ice Cream Pie and still talk about it to this day. We always made sure to take any family members there for dinner when they visited from out-of-town.
Art Jr. was an exceptional host and one of my favorite memories was when Palm Beach had opened for Sunday matinees and offered a Sunday Brunch in the restaurant. Art Jr. had stopped by our table and asked me if I had ever had eggs Benedict. I said no, and he then offered to have his chef make one up special for me. Ever since that Sunday brunch, I always think of Art Jr. when I hear mention of eggs Benedict. The restaurant at Palm Beach was fine dining for sure and Art’s answers to my questions will shed some more light on that topic among others related to the fronton, its history and operation.
Art’s early adulthood:
Art Jr. was born in 1946 and is currently 74 years old. Many people probably don’t know this, but Art Jr. was in the service from age 19 to 23 and was stationed in Okinawa during the Vietnam War. Okinawa was a vital island for the Pentagon to support US forces in the Vietnam War. While in the service for four years, he served in the Air Force and the Armed Force Police and left the service in December 1969.
Here are the Questions and Answers from the phone interview:
Q: Can you tell me how you learned the trade and perhaps some history on that?
A: I worked in all areas of the fronton operation, doing everything except in the foodservice area. That work even included security and maintenance.
Q: Who were some of the famous visitors to the Palm Beach and Newport frontons?
A: In the early days, in the 1960’s, the King of England and his wife visited the Palm Beach fronton. There were so many, Errol Flynn, Joe DiMaggio to name a few. Betty Hutton worked as a greeter for us at Newport. She was a 1940’s and 50’s star and appeared in The Greatest Show on Earth and Annie Get Your Gun.
Q: What was the largest attendance you remember?
A: It was the last day of the 86/87 season when there was a million dollar Pick 6 jackpot mandatory payout on a Saturday night. Palm Beach had seating for 6,000. The following Monday when attendance figures were tallied, there were 10,000 people. The place was packed. The computer system even failed that night.
Note: for comparison purposes, Newport had seating for 3,200.
Q: I remember you for being such a great Jai-Alai host, standing inside the doors and greeting customers as they entered, being all around the building, very involved in ensuring the place ran like a “well-oiled machine.” It looked like you loved your job. Can you expand on that and what did you like the most about your job?
A: I always had good managers which was a big help. I felt I needed to spend at least half the night at the front door greeting customers and buying regulars a drink at the bar. I enjoyed talking to the customers.
Q: I know managing a business like Palm Beach Jai-Alai had to be difficult as it was such a complex business with all the regulations, the restaurant/food options/bars, mutuel clerks, money room, security, players, union, support staff, and much more. Roughly how many people were on the payroll at the height of the business?
A: Before the recession and the player strike we had around 800 employees. Two thirds of those were part time or seasonal and the other one third traveled back and forth between Newport and Palm Beach, supporting both operations.
Note that when the word “strike” came up, Art Jr. was quick to mention that they did not have the police support at Newport like they did at Palm Beach. He mentioned how some striking players at Newport were pounding on the cars crossing the picket lines and that shouldn’t have happened. Art said the police in Newport should’ve been impartial. “We didn’t have that problem at Palm Beach,” Art said.
Q: I’ve always been fascinated with the restaurant at Palm Beach. I always got the impression you were quite the restaurateur and highly involved in running it. How were you able to operate such a successful restaurant? Great managers, chefs? Did you have a favorite chef?
A: The first restaurant opened in 1971, the “Sala-del-Toro” restaurant which was located in the basement of the old fronton. We found it best to go back at least 20-years on references with people that we hired, we wanted highly experienced chefs.
We picked up a lot of restaurant ideas when traveling. There was a famous high-end restaurant in Tampa where we got the idea for shrimp on ice and we began offering that on the menu. We had two kinds of sauce with our shrimp cocktail; the traditional cocktail sauce and a mustard sauce which was very popular. In 1977-78 during the shrimp shortage, most restaurants cut back on the number of shrimp offered, but we kept ours at six.
One of my favorite chefs was Roger Brown who started in 1977-78 and worked at both Palm Beach and Newport. Art did say the restaurant at Newport was a different type of restaurant but used the same head chef.
Q: What are you doing these days to keep occupied? Has the covid situation been a big impact to your retired lifestyle?
A: A little golf, stay around the house, and doctor visits…… Art mentioned it’s pretty shocking when you hear the doctor say the “cancer” word. Art has been struggling with leukemia which is a form of cancer.
I appreciated this unique opportunity to visit with Art Jr. over the phone. I had last spoken with him about 20-years ago when our paths crossed at the University of Arizona’s Global Race Track Industry Symposium held at the Rio in Las Vegas. That was probably the only year that annual convention wasn’t held in Tucson.
Art Jr. still lives in Florida, but not in the Palm Beach area, and I wish him the best in his retirement and health struggles.
