John Grochowski
Encyclopedia
John Grochowski is a gambling
columnist and author. His weekly newspaper column began at the Chicago Sun-Times
and is now syndicated nationally. He published his first gambling book in 1996 entitled Gaming: Cruising the Casino
with a Syndicated Gambling Columnist. He then began a series of books all aimed at answering questions about a specific topic or game. The 1998 book The Casino Answer Book explained the basics of casino gambling for beginners. His other books include The Video Poker Answer Book 2000, The Craps Answer Book 2001 and The Slot Machine Answer Book 2005.
The author also contributes articles to magazines and internet publications. His articles can be found online at the Casino City Times website and in a number of magazines including Casino Player, Strictly Slots, Southern Gaming and Destinations and Midwest Gaming & Travel magazines for players. He also writes for a number of industry publications, including Casino Journal and Slot Manager magazines.
The author also has gone into broadcasting. His one-minute "Casino Answer Man" tips began airing on news-talk WLS-AM (890) in Chicago
in July 2010. Before that, he did one-minute "Beat the Odds tips" on all-news WBBM-AM (780) and a one-hour Casino Answer Man talk show on WCKG-FM (105.9), both in Chicago
. The WBBM spots aired from May 2005 through June 2010. The WCKG-FM talk show made its debut in February 2006, and last aired Oct. 28, 2007. It was canceled when the station changed formats.
Grochowski has been featured on three Travel Channel
specials, Las Vegas: What Would You Do If ..., Vegas: What's New 2005 and Vegas: What's New 2006. He also had a moment in the limelight as a game show contestant, winning $125,000 in July 2000 on ABC
's Who Wants to Be a Millionaire with Regis Philbin
.
Grochowski was born in 1952 in Aurora, Illinois, and grew up in the western Chicago suburb of Lisle. The eldest of five children, he graduated from Lisle High School
in 1970, then attended the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign. While at the University of Illinois, Grochowski joined the staff of the student newspaper, the Daily Illini, and served one year as its sports editor.
He then pursued a newspaper career, first working as a sportswriter for the Suburban Trib in Hinsdale, Illinois. From there, he moved to the Colorado Springs Gazette Telegraph in Colorado Springs, Colorado, before returning to Illinois as a sports copy editor for the News-Sun in Waukegan, Illinois. In 1982, he was hired as a copy editor by the Chicago Sun-Times, and it was there he started writing about casinos and casino games with a weekly column starting in 1994.
Gambling
Gambling is the wagering of money or something of material value on an event with an uncertain outcome with the primary intent of winning additional money and/or material goods...
columnist and author. His weekly newspaper column began at the Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Sun-Times
The Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois. It is the flagship paper of the Sun-Times Media Group.-History:The Chicago Sun-Times is the oldest continuously published daily newspaper in the city...
and is now syndicated nationally. He published his first gambling book in 1996 entitled Gaming: Cruising the Casino
Casino
In modern English, a casino is a facility which houses and accommodates certain types of gambling activities. Casinos are most commonly built near or combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships or other tourist attractions...
with a Syndicated Gambling Columnist. He then began a series of books all aimed at answering questions about a specific topic or game. The 1998 book The Casino Answer Book explained the basics of casino gambling for beginners. His other books include The Video Poker Answer Book 2000, The Craps Answer Book 2001 and The Slot Machine Answer Book 2005.
The author also contributes articles to magazines and internet publications. His articles can be found online at the Casino City Times website and in a number of magazines including Casino Player, Strictly Slots, Southern Gaming and Destinations and Midwest Gaming & Travel magazines for players. He also writes for a number of industry publications, including Casino Journal and Slot Manager magazines.
The author also has gone into broadcasting. His one-minute "Casino Answer Man" tips began airing on news-talk WLS-AM (890) in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
in July 2010. Before that, he did one-minute "Beat the Odds tips" on all-news WBBM-AM (780) and a one-hour Casino Answer Man talk show on WCKG-FM (105.9), both in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. The WBBM spots aired from May 2005 through June 2010. The WCKG-FM talk show made its debut in February 2006, and last aired Oct. 28, 2007. It was canceled when the station changed formats.
Grochowski has been featured on three Travel Channel
Travel Channel
The Travel Channel is a satellite and cable television channel that is headquartered in Chevy Chase, Maryland, US. It features documentaries and how-to shows related to travel and leisure around the United States and throughout the world. Programming has included shows in African animal safaris,...
specials, Las Vegas: What Would You Do If ..., Vegas: What's New 2005 and Vegas: What's New 2006. He also had a moment in the limelight as a game show contestant, winning $125,000 in July 2000 on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
's Who Wants to Be a Millionaire with Regis Philbin
Regis Philbin
Regis Francis Xavier Philbin is an American media personality, actor and singer, known for hosting talk and game shows since the 1960s. Philbin is often called "the hardest working man in show business" and holds the Guinness World Record for the most time spent in front of a television camera...
.
Grochowski was born in 1952 in Aurora, Illinois, and grew up in the western Chicago suburb of Lisle. The eldest of five children, he graduated from Lisle High School
Lisle High School
Lisle High School is a public four-year high school located in Lisle, Illinois, a western suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. It is the part of Lisle Community Unit School District 202.-History:...
in 1970, then attended the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign. While at the University of Illinois, Grochowski joined the staff of the student newspaper, the Daily Illini, and served one year as its sports editor.
He then pursued a newspaper career, first working as a sportswriter for the Suburban Trib in Hinsdale, Illinois. From there, he moved to the Colorado Springs Gazette Telegraph in Colorado Springs, Colorado, before returning to Illinois as a sports copy editor for the News-Sun in Waukegan, Illinois. In 1982, he was hired as a copy editor by the Chicago Sun-Times, and it was there he started writing about casinos and casino games with a weekly column starting in 1994.