Just homke from Las Vegas and two great events, The Palms inaugural strikes and the Global Gaming Expo. The Palms staff was terrific and very interested in the strikes. The slot manager said there will be 250 of each 200 (sorry to contradict Gene).

The new silverstrike machine, or at least the first version, was in play at the Expo. It is on the IGT S2000 pedestal and has great lights and sounds. This machine seems like it's the same as those new machines which have a top area which allows a rotation to create a character from several choices of head, torso and lower body as they all spin around. It has a completely new concept in delivering the strikes. You have all heard about the puck, but the strikes are held in six rotating tubes. The IGT folks said the tubes hold 02 pucks but that isn't divisible by six, so I think it's actually 96. The machine has the three paylines, but no multiple pays. When the silver strike symbol is lined up three across one of the paylines, the music starts, the tubes rotate and lights go off. Then there is a drum roll and the strike is dispensed from the top of the machine, just above the windows which show the three lines.

As I understand it, the tubes rotate, an arm slides out and pushes the puck into the dispensing area while blocking the next strike from dropping.

The sides of the machine display six strikes in individual lighted windows, and the dispenser shows which strikes are in each tube. Some IGT people said there is talk of letting the winner select which tube they want which means no more five in a row of the same design. The machine fill was a little more timepconsuming and required removal of the upper glass and hand filling the tubes with two or three pucks at a time.

IGT also seems to realize that we would like to see both sides of the strike, and they have plans to allow that.

There are currently 200 of the old version of the strike machine in play. These were originally Sigma Gaming machines. There is no current plan to simply remove those machines and we were told that a parts inventory would remain in stock, at least until the new machines were in ample supply.

Just a guess from me, but I expect modifications to make the new machine a multi-use machine, The puck could contain jewelry, watches, Zippo lighters or any similarly sized collectible or casino souvenir. Think of the possibilities-gold pieces, silver coins, Mont Blanc pens, free show tickets. Our strikes are only a small part.

IGT reps seemed very happy to hear what we thought They hoped to put the machine in play within 7-8 months. I was there three days and only saw two malfunctions despite constant play.

I hope I haven't confused the picture for you all.