Southwest Airlines, Online Poker Vs. Sports Betting, and Vegas Dining | Ep. 39

Norman Chad delivers a heartfelt eulogy to Southwest Airlines as we once knew it. The budget carrier that revolutionized air travel with free checked bags, drink coupons, and remarkably affordable fares has completed its transformation into just another airline charging premium prices. For travelers like Norman who relied on Southwest as their lifeline between cities like Los Angeles and Las Vegas, this evolution marks the end of an era characterized by value and accessibility.

Chapters

• 0:00 Introduction and Southwest Airlines Farewell
• 6:14 Sports Betting vs Online Poker Legality
• 9:14 Tiger Woods, Crime News, and Presidential Break
• 15:15 Las Vegas Restaurant Price Insanity
• 18:32 Mount Rushmore of Hollywood Film Actors
• 24:44 Rewards Programs and Final Thoughts

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

$66.95 for a baked potato, unless this dish includes a lap dance by the server and the tater. I ain't shelling out three Ben Franklins, norman Chad, norman Chad I am Norman Chad Coming up on the program today. Why is sports betting legal and online poker not? Why is Denzel Washington on the Mount Rushmore of actors and De Niro's not? And why am I an idiot and an imbecile? I'm not Gambling Mad.

Speaker 1: 0:50

As always, brought to you by Fritos Picked fresh off of Central California trees every morning, delivered directly to your local retailer every afternoon, and by the refreshing taste of Fresca. Fritos and Fresca, it's a meal. When I moved to Los Angeles half a lifetime ago, southwest Airlines became my lifeline. Today, I must say goodbye to Southwest. Not completely, but we have gone from BFFs to I'll see you when I see you. This year, southwest will finally charge most customers for checked bags, marking the final stage from the old Southwest to the new Southwest.

Speaker 1: 1:39

The only thing I ever hated about Southwest was its cattle call boarding process. But Southwest was the great equalizer All coach, no upgrades and, of course, incredibly expensive. If you're on a budget, this was the place to be. The first year I moved to LA, I saw Jimmy JJ Walker from the 1970s hit sitcom Good Times. On a Southwest flight, dino might. But the first thought that leapt to mind was not man, that's Jimmy Walker. No, it was damn. Jj Walker's career has really gone into the dumpster. What's he doing on a Southwest flight with me? But how good was Southwest at its best? Check bags, fly for free, free drink coupons, low fares, a great on-time record. They pull into the gate and the doors open almost instantly. And plus, you got bad jokes from the flight attendants. Southwest's frequent flyer program operated by flights flown, not mileage flown. Eight round-trip flights earned you a free one, and they had an unbelievable promotion for several years. If you booked online, you got double credit. So for four round trips just four round trips from, say, los Angeles to Las Vegas, and that might cost you just $400 total for all those trips. If you booked them early enough For those four round trips, you got a free ticket anywhere in the USA.

Speaker 1: 3:18

When the founder of Southwest, herb Kelleher, passed away in 2019, southwest regulars knew dark clouds were on the horizon. Change was a coming, and none of this change was going to be customer-friendly. Many of the fares increased, the drink coupons disappeared, the frequent flyer program switched to miles flown. Even the flight attendant jokes got worse and now bags don't fly free on Southwest anymore. They also, finally, are going this year to assigned seating, which I prefer, but Southwest will use it as a revenue generator, charging more for priority seating.

Speaker 1: 4:02

So I wave a fond farewell to Southwest. Bye-bye, bye-bye, and I'll just see you when I need you. You know I'm going to miss those LA to Las Vegas flights. They were a party bus. I used to hand out drink coupons to my fellow passengers, like Trump, throwing out rolls of paper towels to hurricane victims in Puerto Rico. I was the man. Now I'm just another Shamil on Delta. You're fired.

Speaker 1: 4:35

Actually, my fondest memories of Southwest, when I moved out West in the 1990s, I was between marriages common occurrence. I didn't know anybody. I had no social life. I would take the last flight out from Los Angeles to Las Vegas at night, like a 1030, 11 o'clock night, get in around midnight and then I would play blackjack all night long and take the first flight back to LA at six in the morning. I'd be back in my bed by 730 and I would sleep the rest of the morning and the afternoon. It was so much fun to do that overnight and when I won the greatest thing about Las Vegas then, about an hour before my flight, I had to go to go to my flight. I go over to the Barbary Coast. They had like a $2.99 steak and egg, junior breakfast with hash browns and toast and coffee $2.99. You lived like a king back then and then I'd go to the airport. On the other hand, once in a while when I lost, I would lose my whole roll and I have to say the saddest side in gaming is you got about two hours to kill before you go back to the airport to go home and you got a $20 bill and you got to make that last playing 25-cent video poker until you get a cab back to the airport. Okay, those were the depths that I was at back then and now look at me now. Okay, at a new depth here on Gambling Mad, what goes around comes around.

Speaker 1: 6:14

If you like to play poker, you likely are exasperated by the following facts 38 states, plus Washington DC, currently allow legalized sports betting, but only eight states allow online poker. Now why is one form of gambling acceptable while the other isn't? Logically and intellectually, it makes no sense. As I have stated repeatedly, gambling should be legal, but most people are better off not gambling, and those who do need to be vigilant about the dangers of this habit. When we're talking about the downsides of gambling, sports betting is potentially much more destructive than poker.

Speaker 1: 6:57

When you're wagering on sports, any one bet can make you a million dollars. Any one bet can get you back to even In poker. You've got to sit there for a long time trying to grind out a profit, and that's only if you're skilled enough to beat your opponents. Sports betting is the much more harmful vice. Sports betting holds out the hope of a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. It's just one phone call or a click of a button on your smartphone and your money is in play. That pot of gold, though, is more mirage than reality.

Speaker 1: 7:35

Sports betting is much more habit-forming and addictive than playing poker, but most states allow you to bet on games, and most states don't allow you to play online poker. It's odd. I understand when communities are opposed to casinos or card rooms because they associate crime and drugs and other nefarious activity with that type of business, but there is no physical property, there's no neighborhood being violated when it comes to online poker. People just play from the comfort of their home or their office. It doesn't bring an uptick of bad elements into the community. It's a bad deal if you like to play online poker. Only eight states nationwide allow it legally.

Speaker 1: 8:24

Now I live in California perhaps the libertarian, free, free-spirit capital of America, and we don't have legalized sports betting or online poker, but that's another story for another day. Involving one of the state's most powerful moneyed political lobbies, the tribal casinos, protecting their massive revenue flow. I don't mind, I just go bowling. I gamble a little there. You know 10 cents a pin, 25 cents a pin. I find a mark. You know older man doesn't know what he's doing Pays for my games.

Speaker 1: 9:01

Let us check in on my March Madness gambling advice. You know, if you Google the words idiot, imbecile and moron together, you'll discover there is a pecking order there. Don't Google them right now. I cannot afford to lose a single viewer or listener. But considering I took St John's at plus 650 to make the final four and I took St Mary's at plus 2,500 to make the Final Four, well it's safe to say I am an idiot, an imbecile and a moron rolled into one. St John's and St Mary's each lost in the second round. So sue me no more March Madness picks. For me at the moment, the less I bet, the less you lose. That's our gambling mad credo and guarantee.

Speaker 1: 9:53

Anyway, later on, after we are done here on the podcast, go ahead and Google idiot, imbecile and moron, and you'll find an article online explaining to you which of those three is actually the lowest on the totem pole. Any guesses out there? Which one do you think is the worst of the three? Idiot, imbecile or moron? We have a guess. We don't have a guess. Idiot, would you say. I'm not going to tell you, you've got to look it up. Idiot, imbecile or moron One is stupider and another one is less stupid and I qualify for all three. Another one's less stupid and I qualify for all three.

Speaker 1: 10:34

Now, I don't care about Tiger Woods' personal life, but here's the thing. Tiger went on to X and Instagram this week announced his relationship with Vanessa Trump. Donald Trump Jr's ex-wife posted two photos of the couple together and wrote at this point, we would appreciate privacy for all those close to our heart. Okay, let me see if I understand this line of thinking. Publicly announced to your six and a half million ex-followers that you are in a relationship. Many of them might not even been aware of and then ask everyone to please respect the private nature of your relationship. Frankly, tiger has now left me no choice but to hound him and Vanessa night and day. I never would have thought of doing this until he brought it up. It reminds me when we were kids, when my parents went out for a little while, my father would tell my siblings and me not to play with the electricity why would I? But since he mentioned it, the moment my parents drove away I started flicking the light switches on and off, on and off, on and off for like 20 minutes until I got bored. Anyway, go ahead and check my ex account. Starting today, I'll be updating Tiger and Vanessa's whereabouts as often as possible so you can stop by while they're eating dinner and say hi to the happy couple. Okay, let's go from a relationship on the uptick to one that appears to be on the downtick, and this is a weird one, so strap in.

Speaker 1: 12:11

It involves a 46-year-old husband and his 36-year-old wife. The man allegedly tried to murder his wife by pushing her off the edge of a hiking trail in Hawaii. The man, gerhard Koenig, is described as a renowned anesthesiologist. I knew there were rich anesthesiologist. I knew there were rich anesthesiologists. I didn't realize there were renowned anesthesiologists. His wife, arielle Koenig, is a prominent nuclear engineer. They've been married since 2018, and they live in Maui. They were in Oahu at the Pali lookout. According to the victim, gerhardt asked her to take a photo with him. She declined. He then allegedly punched her several times, hit her with a rock and tried to push her off the cliff. Police believe the attack might have been premeditated. As it appears, the renowned anesthesiologist poked his wife with two syringes containing an undisclosed substance. Arielle is in critical condition. She is stable at a nearby hospital with head wounds.

Speaker 1: 13:18

Gerhardt started to run away from the scene of the incident and was arrested by police after a brief chase. That is it, folks, not to make light of it and, as I said, ariel is stable and doing better. But on a side note, if I ever flee the scene of a crime by foot, I got to imagine I'm apprehended within 15 seconds. I am slow, I cannot run. By the way, in the National Football League, every team gets a bye week during the regular season. This is a week in which they do not play. We are borrowing from that and taking a bye week from the current president of the United States. I mentioned him once briefly earlier, but no other stuff. On the 47th president this week. Enjoy it. I needed the rest, you need the rest. I feel better already.

Speaker 1: 14:19

I spend a lot of my Las Vegas time at the Horseshoe and Paris Casinos, which host the World Series of Poker every summer. In the last couple of years I have passed the Bedford by Martha Stewart restaurant dozens, if not hundreds, of times, and when I glance at the big menu that's flashing in front of the joint and see the roast chicken for two, carved table side for $89.95, I scoff. I scoff every time I see it. You know a scoff like okay, there is a rotisserie chicken chain here in LA called Zancou where you can get a whole roasted bird for $16.99, and I promise you it crushes that $89.95 version at the Bedford. Plus, it comes with this game-changing garlic paste. Yum.

Speaker 1: 15:15

Anyway, just when I thought the roast chicken was the most overpriced item at Martha's restaurant, she now comes along with her smashed baked potato. Like the chicken, it is prepared table side A baked Yukon potato seasoned with creme fraiche, butter, chives and bacon, lardons, plus four ounces of golden Osetra caviariar, all for $266.95. I am assuming the caviar drives up the price here. That's $266.95 for a baked potato. Unless this dish includes a lap dance by the server and the tater. I ain't showing out three Ben Franklin's, it's a potato.

Speaker 1: 16:13

We have talked a lot lately of Las Vegas' mad grab for more cash from its now very suspecting visitors. They are reaching into all of our pockets for all of our change. As I've mentioned before, it starts at the resort fee and the parking. That's about $75 a day on top of your hotel room rate, and it's actually more if you take your car to other casino properties, which you often do, and then you're going to just pay more parking fees. I just spent the last several days in Las Vegas and was struck again by the insane cost for the simplest of items.

Speaker 1: 16:50

Take your basic fast food burger At the Horseshoe and Paris Casinos. If you go to Bobby Flay's Bobby's Burger or you go to Johnny Rocket's, a burger, french fries and a soft drink is $30. They're good burgers, but it is a friggin' burger fries and a drink for $30. They're good burgers, but it is a frigging burger fries and a drink for $30. Now if you decide you want to sit down in a real restaurant, in a casual restaurant there, like Cafe Americano or Guy Fieri's Flavortown Kitchen, otherwise known as Forgettable Kitchen. A not-as-good burger fries and a soda will go for $40 with tip $40. Let me show you this is $40, gone like a fart in the wind.

Speaker 1: 17:40

Then there is the most American of foods pizza. My friends at Casinoorg turn me on to pin-up pizza at Planet Hollywood. A single slice of cheese pizza $12.99. The whole pizza $79.99. Which makes the whole pepperoni pizza look like a bargain at $84.99. Think about that $85 for a pizza plus tax, and if you tip even minimally, you have reached $100. I just feel like handing them my credit card to serve as a $5,000 retainer so I can eat there comfortably every day. For the next month.

Speaker 1: 18:29

It is Mount Rushmore time. This week it's the Mount Rushmore of Hollywood film actors. Down the road we will have the Mount Rushmore of film actresses, but these are impossible, impossible Mount Rushmores. It's not like the Mount Rushmore of soft drinks, you know, where something like Coca-Cola is a stone cold, mortal lock. Or the Mount Rushmore of old school snacks, where Fritos and Ruffles are automatics. There are dozens and dozens of actors who could occupy this Mount Rushmore.

Speaker 1: 19:06

I simply don't want to pick four. It's impossible, but I am paid to promote Mount Rushmore, so promote Mount Rushmore I must. What I'm going to do is this I am simply picking four of my personal favorite actors. I assume a lot of you, a lot of you, are going to disagree with my choices, but I don't give a damn what you think. All right, let's do it. The Mount Rushmore of Hollywood film actors Marlon Brando he's Marlon Brando, no one else is. He's the greatest American film actor ever. End of story. Many of you know him from the Godfather, but you should reach back and watch On the Waterfront. Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's in black and white and yeah, it was before you were born, but it was worth it. Okay, go watch it. Hey, it was made even before I was born and I watched it, you punks. Humphrey Bogart bogey another black and white sensation. He gets onto my Mount Rushmore alone off of Casablanca in 1942. There are more quotable lines in Casablanca than in all the Rocky films and Fast and Furious films combined.

Speaker 1: 20:21

Next, denzel Washington. Denzel is one of the finest of his generation, but he holds a really special place in my heart for his TV work. Before he became famous it was the early and mid-1980s. He was on an NBC medical drama called Saint Elsewhere. I'll put Saint Elsewhere up against any doctor show before or after. The show had an incredibly large and talented ensemble cast. Denzel didn't really shine on it that much, but he was the one who became the biggest star in the years that followed. So I get to watch Denzel pretty much as an acting toddler. 40, 45 years ago it was sort of like watching Shohei Ohtani when he played t-ball. Who knew? Denzel and Shohei both dominate their professions. Finally, paul Newman.

Speaker 1: 21:24

I'm just going to list a dozen of his better films and let it stand right there the Long, hot Summer Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. The Hustler Hud, cool Hand, luke, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. The Sting Slapshot. Absent of Malice the Verdict. The Color of Money. Absent of Malice the Verdict the Color of Money. Road to Perdition. There you have it, folks. You're Mount Rushmore of Hollywood film actors Marlon Brando, humphrey Bogart, denzel Washington and Paul Newman.

Speaker 1: 22:06

Now, as a postscript, I must apologize to one Robert De Niro. At one point De Niro was my favorite film actor of all time, but something happened. There's a huge difference between his work in the final 25 years of the 20th century and his work in the first 25 years of the 21st century. What exactly happened? We'll get to that in a moment. First century what exactly happened? We'll get to that in a moment. In the 20th century? We're talking him just acting lights out in the Godfather, part two Taxi Driver 1900, new York. New York. The Deer Hunter, raging Bull, once Upon a Time in America, the Untouchables, midnight Run, goodfellas A Bronx Tale. He used to pick his projects carefully and he would make maybe one film a year. So what happened? Meet the parents is what happened. So help me, god. Meet the parents. Meet the fuckers, little fuckers, are you kidding me? It appears he suddenly needed money because he started making movies every 15 minutes. In the last 25 years, de Niro has starred in 55 films. Plus he has those unfortunate Sunday Night Live appearances as Robert Mueller, and I'm guessing Meet the Focker Grandparents is just around the corner.

Speaker 1: 23:25

Before we wrap up, I'm going to say this one time and one time only I am tired of rewards programs. Supermarkets, drugstores, pet food, coffee shops, fitness clubs. If they really want to reward us, lower your prices or at least offer the same price to all your customers without having to show a rewards card or type in a phone number or say the magic word that gets you through the secret door. Grocery chains are the worst. There are rewards card deals. There are digital-only coupons downloaded from your smartphone. There are items that are only discounted if you buy four or more. There are items that are limited to only four if you want the lower price. It's one big unsavory three-card Monty Shell game. And how about the airlines? They have their own set of rules. It's their world, it's their ball. It's all in the fine print. We can decide. Your points expire if we wish. We can suspend the frequent flyer program anytime. We can sleep with your husband or wife and take custody of your firstborn. I am done, done with rewards programs. In fact, I have come to realize that virtue is its own reward. That'll do it for another edition of Gambling Mad with Norman Shad. Hope to see you again next time.

Speaker 1: 25:00

And remember, if you're going to roll the dice, make sure they're loaded. If you vandalize a car, that's a crime. You should be arrested, convicted and probably serve a little jail time. But with the recent unfortunate rash of Tesla attacks, the charges happen to ratchet it up to domestic terrorism. That's a more serious category of crime.

Speaker 1: 25:33

So let's lay out the current scenario. If you take a baseball bat and smash the window of a Tesla or a Tesla dealership, that is domestic terrorism and you will be in prison several years or longer. But if you take that same baseball bat and smash a window at the US Capitol building in an attempt to overthrow an election and you also take that baseball bat to attack a police officer protecting that building, that is not domestic terrorism, rather it's trespassing or maybe an assault charge in which you do a bit of prison time before being fully pardoned. I am somewhat beflummoxed here. You key a car and you are a domestic terrorist. You're part of a riotous mob chanting hang my pants and you are a patriot. I, I, I, I, I, I. I am going gambling mad. Thank you.