From MIDWEST GAMING TRAVEL magazine
Ineterview with Mike Ditka, spokesperson for the Majestic Star Casion in Gary, Indiana
Q: What are your duties with Majestic Star? What do you hope to achieve?
A: I'm the spokesperson. I'll be making commercials, appearing in ads and making public appearances, getting to meet the players. I hope to make people more cognizant of the positive changes that are taking place. Majestic Star is a great place. The odds are fair and you have a legitimate chance of winning.
Q: What is your favorite casino game?
A: Craps. Everyone plays it differently and people hit highs and lows. But it's pretty simple really, you bet the pass line, get a number down, cover 3 numbers and hope the shooter hits your number. And, next to Baccarat, the odds are the best in the house. I play some Baccarat too. But not blackjack. I just have bad luck with blackjack. It seems that the dealer gets the better hand whenever I play. They tell me blackjack is as good as any game in the casino, but it doesn't seem to work that way for me.
Q: Why craps?
A: Why not? It's fun! I enjoy the time with my friends. We yell and scream. The one thing about craps is, unless you're betting the don't, you're all in it together. You win together and you lose together. That gives craps players more of a camaraderie than in other games. Rooting for the shooter with my friends is part of the excitement. Players just need to remember not to gamble more than they have because then it becomes a problem. Budget your money and stay with what you can afford.
Q: Does your experience as a coach help your Craps playing?
A: Nope.
Q: Do you apply any part of your ACE (attitude, character, enthusiasm) football philosophy for success in your gambling?.
A: Mostly the attitude part. You can't win unless you believe it. Stay positive; don't go in with a bad attitude and stay within your means. Go into the casino anticipating some fun and excitement, believing you have a shot to win. But when the win's aren't coming, don't bet money you can't afford to lose.
Q: When did you first start playing?
A: At age 21. A friend said, "Let's play." So, I did. And I lost every penny. It was 29 [degrees] and I had to walk home broke, and without my coat.
Q: How would you describe the high roller treatment you get at casinos?
A: I don't think I'm necessarily treated well in casinos because of who I am. Casinos are all about customer service. If your money is good, you are treated well. No matter what game you're playing, if the casino sees you're betting your money, they'll treat you well. The more you're playing, the better you're treated.
Q: You have a pretty exciting life. Does gambling in casinos add to the excitement?
A: Of course. After all, it doesn't make much sense to be in Las Vegas or Northwest Indiana or any other place where there's casinos and not gamble. That's part of grabbing the excitement life here has to offer. It's a fun thing to do with the guys, but it's something that should be done in moderation.
Q: Any tips for other players?
A: Everyone has their own system that they like to play. The most important thing is to learn about the game you want to play. Understand the rules, the good and bad bets. For me, I don't like to play against the pass line.
Q: You have been campaigning to improve men's health. What do you find fulfilling about this campaign?
A: I am telling men it's important to be proactive. See a doctor regularly and have your heart checked along with your blood pressure, prostate and whatever your doctor recommends. I believe that I would have prevented my heart attack if I were getting regular checkups. I probably would have only required an angioplasty. The body starts to tear down. Men are cowards and don't like to admit when there's something wrong, but prevention and early detection are important.
Ineterview with Mike Ditka, spokesperson for the Majestic Star Casion in Gary, Indiana
Q: What are your duties with Majestic Star? What do you hope to achieve?
A: I'm the spokesperson. I'll be making commercials, appearing in ads and making public appearances, getting to meet the players. I hope to make people more cognizant of the positive changes that are taking place. Majestic Star is a great place. The odds are fair and you have a legitimate chance of winning.
Q: What is your favorite casino game?
A: Craps. Everyone plays it differently and people hit highs and lows. But it's pretty simple really, you bet the pass line, get a number down, cover 3 numbers and hope the shooter hits your number. And, next to Baccarat, the odds are the best in the house. I play some Baccarat too. But not blackjack. I just have bad luck with blackjack. It seems that the dealer gets the better hand whenever I play. They tell me blackjack is as good as any game in the casino, but it doesn't seem to work that way for me.
Q: Why craps?
A: Why not? It's fun! I enjoy the time with my friends. We yell and scream. The one thing about craps is, unless you're betting the don't, you're all in it together. You win together and you lose together. That gives craps players more of a camaraderie than in other games. Rooting for the shooter with my friends is part of the excitement. Players just need to remember not to gamble more than they have because then it becomes a problem. Budget your money and stay with what you can afford.
Q: Does your experience as a coach help your Craps playing?
A: Nope.
Q: Do you apply any part of your ACE (attitude, character, enthusiasm) football philosophy for success in your gambling?.
A: Mostly the attitude part. You can't win unless you believe it. Stay positive; don't go in with a bad attitude and stay within your means. Go into the casino anticipating some fun and excitement, believing you have a shot to win. But when the win's aren't coming, don't bet money you can't afford to lose.
Q: When did you first start playing?
A: At age 21. A friend said, "Let's play." So, I did. And I lost every penny. It was 29 [degrees] and I had to walk home broke, and without my coat.
Q: How would you describe the high roller treatment you get at casinos?
A: I don't think I'm necessarily treated well in casinos because of who I am. Casinos are all about customer service. If your money is good, you are treated well. No matter what game you're playing, if the casino sees you're betting your money, they'll treat you well. The more you're playing, the better you're treated.
Q: You have a pretty exciting life. Does gambling in casinos add to the excitement?
A: Of course. After all, it doesn't make much sense to be in Las Vegas or Northwest Indiana or any other place where there's casinos and not gamble. That's part of grabbing the excitement life here has to offer. It's a fun thing to do with the guys, but it's something that should be done in moderation.
Q: Any tips for other players?
A: Everyone has their own system that they like to play. The most important thing is to learn about the game you want to play. Understand the rules, the good and bad bets. For me, I don't like to play against the pass line.
Q: You have been campaigning to improve men's health. What do you find fulfilling about this campaign?
A: I am telling men it's important to be proactive. See a doctor regularly and have your heart checked along with your blood pressure, prostate and whatever your doctor recommends. I believe that I would have prevented my heart attack if I were getting regular checkups. I probably would have only required an angioplasty. The body starts to tear down. Men are cowards and don't like to admit when there's something wrong, but prevention and early detection are important.
