Cyr Steve - Whale hunt in the desert: secrets of a Vegas superhost

Destined to become a classic of gaming literature, Whale Hunt In the Desert is a thrilling behind-the-scenes tour of Las Vegas most exclusive playgrounds.

Casino Player magazine

Super-cool an absolute must-read.

Inside Poker magazine

This is a book that the casino industry is going to love to hateand hate to love.

Global Gaming Business magazine

A fascinating, sophisticated, vaguely kinky book. A good story, well told.

Reno News & Review

Whale Hunt is required reading for Cornell Universitys Hotel School students taking the casino elective. Not only does the book give great insight into the inner workings of the gaming industry, but Steve Cyr is the students favorite guest lecturer.

Reneta McCarthy, School of Hotel Administration, Cornell

Dazzling brilliant sensitive. Castleman is a major talent. And Whale Hunt In the Desert is a major work.

Michael Konik, author of The Man With the $100,000 Breasts

Castleman has a way with words few gambling authors can match [His] style stands head and shoulders above most writers Ive seen in 25 years at Gamblers Book Shop.

Howard Schwartz

Deke Castleman

Huntington Press Publishing

Las Vegas, Nevada

Published by

Huntington Press

3665 South Procyon Avenue

Las Vegas, Nevada 89103

telephone: (702) 252-0655

facsimile: (702) 252-0675

email:

Copyright 2008, Deke Castleman

ISBN: 978-0-929712-79-6

Design & production: Laurie Shaw

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be translated, reproduced, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission from the copyright owner.

Whale Hunt in the Desert is dedicated to

Mim and Lou Castleman

and the memory of Susan Berman and Melissa Rubin

This book is the end result of nearly 15 years in the Las Vegas and gambling information business, encompassing dozens of sources (many of whom dont want to be identified). All who advanced the editorial cause of Whale Hunt will recognize their contributions within these pages, which will have to suffice as a thank you. The one contributor who probably doesnt want to, but must, be named is Dave Berns, the most connected business writer and skilled interviewer a word-processing hack such as myself could ever ask for.

A big thank you to the Boca BookiesSusan Christopher, Debbie Johns, Sandi Kitzes, Janice Lempereur, Kerry Lobello, Janice Reich, Harriet Rosenberg, Bonnie Sigel, Lynn Soreide, Jeri Wexelbaum, and especially Amy Kennethfor their comprehension and encouragement.

A way-big thank you to the fine friends of and stellar staff at Huntington Press, among them: Max Rubin, who came up in the old school and introduced us to Cyr; Dick Odessky, rest in peace; Ian Andersen, international whale in a class of one; Danny Holsten, casino consultant extraordinaire; Lora Shaner, brilliant and tough; Laurie Shaw, who always goes above and beyond; Bethany Coffey, whos putup with a lot since 1991; and, of course, Anthony Curtis, who through force of will and superior gamesmanship not only holds the whole thing together, but makes it grow and prosperand is a fine editor to boot.

The biggest thanks goes to Steve Cyr himself, for the proverbial without-whom-none-of-this-wouldve-been-possible.

A few people, places, and pieces in the chronology and narrative have been combined, compressed, or otherwise gently manipulated in the interest of flow and continuity.

Whales are big. At up to 100 feet long and 180 tons, the blue whale is the largest creature this planet has ever seen. Not all whales are monsters. Still, one of the smallest, the pygmy right whale, is 20 feet long and ten tonslonger than a giraffe and twice the weight of an elephant.

Whales are rare. The 45-foot-long humpback is one of the most common and it numbers only 35,000. Fewer than 5,000 blue whales are known to exist. The northern right whale population is estimated at 500.

Whales are intelligent. Roughly 50 killer whales in captivity in aquatic theme parks and aquariums around the world are trained to do elaborate tricks, including interact with young humans.

Whales are mythical. No lesser legend-spinners than the Bible, Melville, and Disney gave us Jonahs savior, Moby Dick, and Pinocchios Monstro.

Finally, for their valuable meat destined for exotic markets, whales are hunted to the ends of the Earth.

Somewhere along the line, the term whale was alsoinserted into the gambling lexicon to describe the biggest bettors in the casino universe. In the lingo, whale denotes the worlds richest men and women (but mostly men) who play casino games at the highest allowable stakes.

No one knows for certain how many of these highest of high rollers there are. The largest table-game bet currently taken in Las Vegas is $250,000, but only seven or eight human blue whales can handle that kind of action. The second stratum tops out at $150,000 per hand, a level manageable by up to 50 players worldwide. A hundred more can fade (afford) $100,000 a hand.

Theirs is a firmament of 35-person entourages, flown in to Las Vegas on business jets, private aircraft, or chartered jumbos. Theyre shuttled by fleets of stretch limousinesstocked with Dom Perignon and Beluga caviarto places such as the Mansion at MGM Grand, among the worlds most exclusive accommodations. There, concierges, VIP hostesses, casino hosts, casino executives, limo drivers, butlers, personal chefs, and hookers cater to their every whim.

Whales can receive as much as $250,000 in free play simply for walking through a casinos door, with the promise of up to a 20% discount on their gambling losses. If they dont feel like partaking in private dinner parties prepared in person in their 15,000-square-foot penthouse villas by flamb, salad, and pastry chefs, they can strut their stuff into five-star restaurants and scribble their names on $20,000 dinner and drink tabs.

For a quickie spending spree at the Forum Shops at Caesars or the Grand Canal Shoppes at the Venetian, theyre given $25,000 or $50,000in gift certificates, so they dont have to sully their hands with filthy lucre.

Cases of $600-a-bottle champagne. Boxes of $100 hand-rolled cigars. Thank-you cards attached to Beemers and Hummers and Vipers shipped direct to specified addresses or kept on hand for their exclusive use in Las Vegas.

Fishing trips to Alaska. Whitewater rafting in Costa Rica. Cruising the Greek Isles on private yachts. Annual courtesy calls by casino-corporation presidents, chief executive officers, or chairmen of the board.