Features
New novel set in 1968 Winnipeg Beach will certainly set off sparks…of amusement, perhaps annoyance
Reviewed by BERNIE BELLAN “The Renter” represents the fourth novel written by former Winnipegger Michael Tregebov, all of which have been set either in Winnipeg or, as is the case with this book – Winnipeg Beach.
I’ve reviewed all of Tregebov’s previous books, including “The Briss” (2009). “The Shiva” (2012), and “Shot Rock” (2019). To say that Tregebov enjoys skewering the Winnipeg Jewish community in which he grew up would be an understatement, but just as Mordecai Richler used his own boyhood growing up on St. Urbain Street in Montreal as rich fodder for what later turned out to be a devastating series of satirical novels about Montreal Jews, Tregebov has been mining his own boyhood for some time now.
“The Renter”, however, represents a clear departure in style for Tregebov – and one which is most welcome. Instead of filling the pages of this book with endless conversations among various characters, almost always to the confusion of the reader wondering who exactly was speaking, this time around the author takes the time to use descriptive prose to set the stage for what turns out to be a terrific story.
The hero of “The Renter” is named Bret Yeatman. Here is how he is described on Amazon: “a young man sporting a summer tan, Keds and crisp short-sleeved white shirts, and toting a transistor radio. Bret Yeatman is out to recoup the social position his father lost through financial ruin, and is determined to realize his fantasy by marrying up and into the well-to-do family of his first perfect love, Sandra Sugarman, and renouncing his easy, promiscuous life in the drug trade. But his fantasy collides with Sandra’s own — stars are crossed, and the fates will have their day.”
Sandra Sugarman, by the way, is a “south end” girl – and for anyone familiar with the long history of north end versus south end rivalry within Winnipeg’s Jewish community, Tregebov plays to the stereotype of the rich south end girl being the fantasy object of Jewish boys of a certain era.
Bret Yeatman himself is not worldly in the way that Sandra Sugarman is, although he is certainly street smart –and, as Sandra and other female characters remark throughout the book, he’s “gorgeous”.
Bret’s looks seem to offer him entrance into a higher social circle into which he would likely be admitted, given his dubious background as a major pot seller around town. That social circle, however, is within Winnipeg Beach’s young Jewish crowd where, as Tregebov notes, in 1968 the favourite pastime was to spend hours at one of the arcades in downtown Winnipeg Beach (where a young Jack London was also fostering his own talent for assessing the character of anyone who spent time at Mrs. London’s-owned Playland arcade).
The allure that Sandra holds for Bret though, and which was sparked by one very short encounter at the end of a beach pier when they were both 12, is something that preys upon him all through his teenage years.
One summer he decides to rent a cottage in Winnipeg Beach – not with the deliberate intention of drawing Sandra’s attention, yet it is clearly on his mind when he happens to wander into a party going on at her own family’s cottage.
For anyone familiar with Winnipeg Beach the precise descriptions that Tregebov offers of the geographic layout – which hasn’t really changed much from the time in which the novel is set, will certainly be totally recognizable. One wonders though, how compelling it will be for anyone not familiar with Winnipeg Beach to be reading vivid descriptions of Bret riding his bike down Prospect every evening?
More than the way Tregebov evokes memories of fishflies and mosquitoes – too constants that one always associates with Winnipeg Beach though, what might really draw readers to this book are the wonderfully described sex scenes. (Is it appropriate in an ostensibly Jewish newspaper to mention that hormones were apparently flying in late 1960s Winnipeg Beach?)
Bret Yeatman certainly has no problem attracting girls in their late teens and early twenties. (It seems that all those stories we north end boys heard about those wild south end girls find amplification in “The Renter”.)
But when Sandra Sugarman’s vile cousin Marty describes how much he likes taking his boat out to BB Camp to pick up 15-year-old BB Camp girls, Tregebov might be going too far in besmirching the reputations of not just south end girls, but BB Camp girls, too. (I invite readers to chime in with their own stories of naughty escapades – send them anonymously if you like. Hey, if Michael Tregebov had enough material drawn from his own youth spent at Winnipeg Beach to produce a rollicking – and highly salacious novel, there’s no reason that someone else couldn’t take a crack at mining similar material?)
I mentioned that “The Renter” differs in so many respects from Tregebov’s three previous novels, not just in terms of how dialogue is presented, but also in how compelling the story itself is.
There’s nothing inherently original about poor Jewish boy chasing after rich Jewish girl – or, as is more often the case, Jewish boy chasing after fantasy non-Jewish girl (and I won’t use the “sk….eh” term because that is so politically incorrect), but since Bret Yeatman is such a likeable hero in “The Renter”, it’s hard not to be pulling for him to win over Sandra Sugarman.
I won’t spoil the ending by telling you what happens. Suffice to say that it’s a great ending.
Let’s see now: Michael Tregebov has written satirical novels about Brisses, Shivas, Jewish curlers, and now Winnipeg Beach. What’s next? How about taking a run at high school students who dallied with Trotskyism, Michael, or would it be too difficult to poke fun at yourself? You’re a terrific writer, but I’d like to see you make fun of yourself for a change – just because you’re so adept at satirizing others from a period in Winnipeg’s Jewish history with which many of us are familiar.
“The Renter”
By Michael Tregebov
Published by New Star Books, 2021
163 pages
Available on Amazon in both paperback and Kindle format
Uncategorized
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.
Features
They Deserve the Very Best”: The Doctors Bringing Specialist Care to Holocaust Survivors at Home
Features
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.
