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Martin Gurvey: a very flexible guy
By GERRY POSNER One clear objective of a chiropractor is to improve flexibility. Well, Martin Gurvey has taken that concept well beyond his career and applied it to his own life. He had to be flexible to make the kind of major life change that he and his wife Brenda undertook in 2011, when he left his practice, friends, activities and history to move from Winnipeg to Toronto.
The good news is that Martin is the epitome of flexibility. He has adapted.
Born in Winnipeg in 1957, Martin grew up in the south end of Winnipeg as the oldest of three children to Evelyn and Harry Gurvey. Montrose, Herzlia Academy and Grant Park were the schools he attended. To say he was competitive would be somewhat of an understatement – a characteristic was evident as far back as elementary school. When you talk Martin Gurvey, you talk of the gold medal winner for 14 year olds in the 400 meters at Grant Park High School. Track and field was one of of many sports in which Martin competed. Others included football, baseball and hockey – both as a teenager and later as an adult. Gurvey not only played sports, he coached them as well. He can boast that his team, the Crescentwood Grizzlies, which also included his son, won a city football championship. Even to this day, living in Toronto for the last 10 years, Gurvey remains a steadfast and ardent supporter of the Winnipeg Jets and Blue Bombers.
Aside from his work, Martin Gurvey says that music is his passion, starting with the Grant Park High School orchestra, in which he played violin for six years, later focusing on voice. He starred as Conrad Birdie in “Bye Bye Birdie” and was a member of the barbershop quartet in the Rady Centre’s production of “The Music Man”. Gurvey can be described as a Barbershop fan… or is it a fanatic?
He got hooked in high school and joined the Golden Chordsmen quartet, with whom he sang from 1982- 2011. In fact, Gurvey lays claim to being the recipient of the Barbershopper of the Year, also the Dorothy Castleman Lifetime Achievement awards in 2010.
Upon his move to Toronto, Gurvey sang with the Megacity Chorus and later the Harbourtown Sound, a group that is the second ranked barbershop chorus in Canada. Gurvey also completed in two international competitions in Oregon and Florida.
And, not to be forgotten, Gurvey sings with both the Toronto Jewish Chorus and Resa’s Pieces (with whom I also sing, and where he is a booming bass while I am a trembling tenor). Finally, in a way that combines his vocation with his avocation, Gurvey sings with the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College Choir.
Gurvey has had a full career as a Chiropractor since graduating in 1982. Some readers might recall he had an office at the corner of Main Street and Cathedral Avenue for 29 years, and later a second office in Morris, Manitoba. Gurvey also led the professional regulatory body serving as the Registrar for the Manitoba Chiropractors’ Association for eight years. He was also a board member of the Canadian Chiropractic Research Foundation for 27 years – an organization is a leader of research in the area of (get ready for this one) neuromusculoskelatal health.
Moreover, Gurvey has contributed to the curriculum and taught at Robertson College, where he was honoured to deliver the keynote address to the graduates one year. He has been the recipient of the Canadian Chiropractic Association Award of Merit for outstanding service to the profession. Since his move to Toronto, Gurvey has taught at the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College, which takes up to about 75 percent of his time, he says. He also acts as a resource clinician, mentoring interns at the college clinics. As well, Gurvey is still in active practice with a small home-based office house call service. He also does locums for colleagues taking time away from their practice. In short, Gurvey is in the groove.
It is clear that Gurvey has made a success of his moving to Toronto. In addition to being close to the three children and their spouses, Martin and his wife Brenda are proud grandparents to three grandkids with a fourth on the way in June. He has adapted seamlessly to his new roles of father-in-law and his personal favourite, Zaida. Yes, Gurvey has adjusted well to Toronto. I recall vividly when Martin and I used to walk around the track at the Rady Centre in 2010 and we would discuss the possible move to Toronto for each of us. Martin made the first move and he has successfully shown to be as flexible in the making of this transition as is the flexibility which he promotes for his patients. I call him “Mr. Flexibility”.
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Volatility, Hit Frequency, and RTP: Why the Number Casinos Advertise Is the Least Useful One
The return to player percentage looks clean as a casino data point. It gives players a neat number, usually around 94% to 97% for many online slots, and that number feels easy to compare. A 96.5% game appears better than a 95.2% game. The problem starts when players treat RTP as a forecast for their next 50 spins or one evening.
You may find the RTP listed on slot pages on a leading online casino in Ontario, but the number only tells part of the story. Two games can share the same RTP and create different sessions: one may return small wins often, while the other may drain a balance before one bonus round changes everything.
The RTP Trap
Return to player (RTP) measures the theoretical share of total wagers a game returns across a very large number of rounds. In plain terms, a 96% RTP slot returns about $96 for every $100 wagered in the long run. That does not mean one player who deposits $100 should expect $96 back.
The trap sits in the word “theoretical.” RTP comes from the game’s math model. It works across huge samples, not personal sessions. A player can finish far above that percentage, far below it, or with nothing left after a short run of poor results.
Is it useless then? No, RTP can still help. It gives a baseline cost of play. Lower-RTP games cost more on average than higher-RTP games. Still, once a game passes a reasonable threshold, the next question matters more: how does it distribute that return?
Hit Frequency: The Number That Shapes Session Feel
Hit frequency tells you how often a game produces a winning outcome. This often misleads players because any win can count. A spin that returns $0.10 on a $1 bet may still count as a hit, even though the player lost $0.90 in real terms.
A game can feel active because symbols connect often, sounds play, and the screen keeps celebrating small returns. The balance may still fall. In many modern slots, “win” does not always mean profit on the spin.
Hit frequency answers one practical question: how much silence can you tolerate? Some players dislike long dry spells. Others accept quieter sessions because they chase bonus rounds or larger payouts.
The educational site Get Gambling Facts gives a useful distinction: RTP concerns the percentage of money returned over time, while hit frequency concerns how often a machine stops on a winning combination.
Volatility: The Risk Label Players Need More Often
Volatility, also called variance, describes how unevenly a game pays. Low-volatility games tend to return smaller amounts more often. High-volatility games hold more value in rare events: bonus rounds, premium symbols, multipliers, or jackpots.
Here is where RTP becomes less useful on its own:
- A 96% low-volatility slot may give modest returns and longer play from the same balance.
- A 96% high-volatility slot may burn through funds quickly unless the player hits a strong feature.
- A progressive jackpot game may look exciting, but it often places more value on rare top prizes.
The same RTP can hide very different risk profiles. Players who ignore volatility often blame the casino or the game when the session follows its math design.
Why the Same RTP Can Feel So Different
Picture two slots with 96% RTP. Slot A pays small wins on many spins, has a modest top prize, and rarely creates dramatic balance swings. Slot B pays less often but offers a large max win and volatile bonus rounds. The advertised return matches, but the experience does not.
Slot A may suit a player who wants a slower bankroll drop and more regular feedback. Slot B suits someone who accepts sharper losses in exchange for a shot at a heavier payout.
A Better Way to Read a Slot Page
Most slot pages give players more clues than they notice. The trick is to read the details together rather than chase the highest percentage.
Start with RTP. If two games look similar, the higher number has better long-term value. Then check volatility. If the game uses terms such as high, very high, or extreme variance, lower your bet size or expect shorter sessions. Next, look at the paytable. A huge max win usually means the game saves a lot of its value for rare outcomes.
A sensible pre-play check looks like this:
- RTP: What is the average long-term return?
- Volatility: How rough can the session become?
- Hit frequency: How often will the game show any wins?
- Paytable: Where does most value sit?
To Conclude
Casinos advertise RTP because it looks objective, tidy, and easy to rank. Players should read it, but they should not give it more authority than it deserves. For long sessions, volatility may matter more than a small RTP difference. For comfort, hit frequency may explain the feel better than the payback rate.
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The Popularity of Simpler Slot Games in 2026: Review From Casino Online CrazyTower Experts
Online casinos now fill their libraries with numerous video slots that have dozens of functions, long bonus rounds, complex mechanics, and so on. Interestingly, despite this huge range of modern options, many Canadian visitors at sites like Casino Online CrazyTower here https://crazytower.com/ca/ no longer want complicated gameplay that requires constant attention and long explanations.
Simpler slots now attract a wider audience because they save time and create faster sessions. So, let’s figure out why this change happened and reasons for the popularity of simpler machines.
Why Many Players Are Returning to Basic Gameplay
Modern websites like Casino Online CrazyTower pushed complex video slots for years, but many people now prefer classic formats again. Simple gameplay has fewer interruptions and is simpler in terms of budgeting, which is important when you gamble for fun.
These are a few potential reasons explain why simpler slots became popular again in 2026:
- Faster rounds. Symbols appear quickly, and rounds continue without long animations or extended bonus sequences.
- Easier controls. Most classic slots have simple menus and familiar layouts that don’t confuse new visitors.
- Smaller feature lists. Simple slots usually have standard wilds, scatters, and multipliers instead of dozens of random mechanics.
- Better session flow. People spend more time on gameplay instead of reading explanations about symbols and special functions.
- Lower visual pressure. Simpler slots use calmer designs and shorter effects that don’t overload attention.
Classic gameplay also suits mobile devices better because shorter rounds work well on smaller screens. Plus, many visitors now prefer games that start instantly and explain their mechanics within seconds.
Features That Make Simpler Slots Appealing
Simple machines at Casino Online CrazyTower and similar websites continue to attract attention because they have a high gameplay speed. Many classic titles also replicate older casino machines that people already know from physical casinos.
However, these aren’t the only factors that attract gamblers. So, check out this list:
- Short bonus rounds. Free spins and multipliers finish quickly instead of interrupting gameplay for several minutes.
- Common and standard paylines. Traditional layouts help people understand payouts without long explanations.
- Faster loading times. Simpler graphics reduce waiting time on phones, tablets, and older computers.
- Stable gameplay pace. Long cutscenes and constant pop-up notifications don’t interrupt the session.
- Traditional themes. Fruit symbols, bars, sevens, and classic casino designs still attract large audiences.
- Smaller menus. Important information appears immediately without complicated tabs or hidden sections.
Modern video slots often contain too many mechanics in a single game. Developers now combine expanding reels, random modifiers, mission systems, tournaments, and multiple bonus levels in one title. Many visitors lose interest because gameplay turns repetitive and overloaded with constant interruptions.
Compare this to a session when you get results immediately and aren’t interrupted. These still have free spins and even mini risk games, but not as loaded as innovative titles.
Conclusion
Simple slots usually create better replay value because people understand the mechanics immediately. Common and standard gameplay doesn’t cause frustration and allows faster decisions during casino sessions.
Many classic slots also function better during short breaks because rounds finish quickly without long bonus interruptions. That’s why simpler slots became popular again at many casinos, including Casino Online CrazyTower and such.
