Wow – what a concept! 

When the Palms on June 1 changed its slot club system from comps only to free play for points, it was embraced enthusiastically by most players. However, a few higher-level players who had built up thousands of dollars of comps were upset that their “old” points had to be used by May 31, 2010. They complained to the management that a year was not long enough.  

Actually this was an unwise rule in the first place, but I will have to give the Palms credit for realizing this fairly quickly. They did not want to alienate some of their biggest players. So now your old points will not expire as long as you remain an active player, putting at least one point on your card once a year. 

Way to go, Palms!

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Thanks to my good friend, Westie, here is a list of the new Vegas gastronomical wonders, the one-price-and-eat-all-day buffet. 

==Excalibur $25
==Luxor $29.99
==MGM $29.99 (M-Thur)
==Palace Station $19.95
==Stratosphere $19.99 (Sun-Thur)

I give this information with some trepidation, fearing the wrath of gourmet foodies. And having to eat in some of these buffets for even one meal would be considered by some as cruel and unusual punishment. 

But if you aren’t a picky eater – or you have teenagers who will eat anything, this can be a frugal choice. To be sure, compare the total of the individual meal prices with the all-day price to see how much you are saving.   Then decide whether you really want to eat at the same buffet 2 or 3 times in one day!

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Just saw an ad in today’s Review-Journal for Buy-One-Get-One Free meals at Silverton, going on now through July 5. This is for all food outlets except Starbucks, Johnny Rockets and Luciano. You must be 21 years or older so don’t expect a 2-for-1 for children. 

There are some changes from similar offers in the past. Although you must still be a players club member, you don't have to have a higher-tier card. Any level card will work. (And if you aren’t a member yet, you can join – for free, of course -- and get a signing bonus of $10 in Free Play to boot.) The offer is also for 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. 

This offer makes all levels of dining “frugal” – meaning a good value for your money – from the buffet and coffee shop to the wonderful gourmet restaurant, TwinCreeks. 

A word of warning: From past experience with even more restrictions, you should avoid some time periods unless you want to wait in impossibly long lines. Dinner hours between 6-8 are extremely busy, especially so on the weekends. Sunday brunch is extremely crowded from 11-1. You won’t see as many long lines during weekday lunch hours. 

If you look closely, you might see Brad and me at the buffet today around 4-5 p.m. Stop us and say "Hi!"

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Last night Brad and I ate dinner at the Switch restaurant in the Encore casino. This is definitely an upscale dining choice, with prices to match. We don’t usually eat at fancy gourmet restaurants. Not because of their prices since we would have plenty of comps to cover them, but because we like to eat simpler. Sticking mostly with buffets allows us a better variety of healthy foods, including lots of veggies. 

But we made an exception last night in order to help our close friends celebrate their 13th wedding anniversary. And we really enjoyed the experience. The restaurant atmosphere is very unique, with the changing (switching – get it?) décor every half hour. Not only do the walls change but the ceiling with its moving chandeliers does a magical switch as well. Novel and romantic! 

Although both couples have comps to burn, we opted for the Pre-Theater menu. This is a one-price option available from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. that includes 3 choices of appetizers, 3 choices for the main course, 2 choices for dessert, and a glass of sparking wine. Both couples are big on sharing so we did a lot of that. One ordered shrimp cocktail and the other a salad. We rarely eat beef anymore but Brad ordered the petit 9-oz filet mignon and I ordered chicken. I had filled up early on their wonderful nutty wheat buns and the shared appetizers, so I ate a few bites of Brad’s steak and brought the chicken home to eat today.  

Fortunately I was full when they brought the regular desserts so I only “cheated” on my sugar-free diet with a couple of bites of the luscious chocolate-peanut lava cake and Crème Brule. Then I went back to my healthier dish of mixed berries. 

For someone who isn’t using comps, this Pre-Theater menu is a frugal option, only $59, much cheaper than if you order the same items from the regular menu. 

I never restrict the word “frugal” to “cheap” choices. To me, “frugal” mean getting a good buy or extremely good value for your money. This was definitely a “frugal” option for gourmet dining.

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In case you missed this item in “Today’s News” on our home page - Primm Valley Casino Resorts is offering Nevada locals a freecation at its resorts in Primm. You can’t get much frugaler than free! 

Get all the details for this offer, which runs through July 9, at their web site

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Indiana! Miles and miles of green – grass, crops, wooded areas. Happy times with family and old friends. A visit to a brand new casino riverboat with a definite Vegas look and feel. Even the rain was enjoyable – whether it was sprinkles, showers, or downright stormy. 

But it is nice to be home – to enjoy the dry heat of the desert instead of the ever-clinging humidity that made our clothes feel damp whether they were on our body or hanging in a motel wardrobe. Back to our own bed and where we can easily find our underwear in the right familiar drawers. 

I don’t miss having a laptop computer that I used to lug along in my travels. I like a vacation away from my desktop, which demands my attention from the time I get up until late when I finally go to bed.   But I was ready to come back to my constant companion and make it start working again! 

We spent a few days in Northern Indiana, visiting the Horseshoe Casino in Hammond. It is a beautiful property with no hints inside that it is “on the water” other than the beautiful view out the windows, of the lake and the many boats in the docks around us. It has one of the best buffets we have come across in our long experience of testing casino buffets. 

We met a few of our frugal friends in the casino, always a pleasure for us. The big joke during our play there was when people asked where we were from. When they found out it was Vegas, they usually laughed and asked if we couldn’t find any good casinos there. 

However, the highpoint of our trip was a reunion I had organized in our old hometown of Indianapolis for Brad’s former work cohorts and his relatives. His extended family tend to gather mainly just for funerals. But after Brad had that 5-minute cardiac arrest episode recently and then miraculously “came back to life,” I vowed that his next family get-together would NOT be a funeral, especially his! His son and daughter agreed that a reunion was a lot more fun than a funeral so they pitched in to help me with the planning. We had no idea who all could come – we are all getting older and many had passed away already, including his two older brothers. But we were amazed by how many showed up – 45 in all, including both of his younger siblings, a brother who lived some distance away and a sister who had just gotten out of the hospital 3 days before. Besides Brad son and daughter, almost all of the grandchildren were there, and all the great-grandchildren as well. There were 2nd and 3rd generation representatives from almost all of his siblings. 

It was a wonderful day celebrating the gift of family and friends. 

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Brad and I are flying to Indianapolis today for a visit with old friends and family. We are hosting a reunion for Brad’s extended family, many of which he hasn’t seen for many years. Then we will drive north to Hammond to visit the Horseshoe casino. 

This will be a needed vacation away from my computer, so my blog will be on vacation too. But I will give a report as soon as we return to Vegas.

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This comes from SaveLV.com, that valuable site that offers daily e-mails just full of free and frugal activities!

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This year’s 40th anniversary World Series of Poker runs through July 15 at the Rio.  There’s no charge for spectators and they are welcome.

Select Saturday and Sundays at 10 am through June 28th, Harrah’s will host exclusive free strategy seminars with Mike Caro.  At every seminar, poker icon, Doyle Brunson, will be available to answer your questions. 

Sunday, June 7th - no seminar

Saturday, June 13th - Mike Caro’s Best Hold ‘em and Tournament Advice (40 min seminar / 20 min Q&A) The legendary “Mad Genius of Poker” Mike Caro - the world’s foremost authority on poker strategy, psychology and statistics - focuses on powerful proven hold ‘em tips and tournament advice based on his research and latest findings.

Sunday, June 14th - Mike Caro’s Best Real-World and Online Poker Advice (40 min seminar / 20 min Q&A) The legendary “Mad Genius of Poker” Mike Caro - the world’s foremost authority on poker strategy, psychology and statistics - makes powerful, big-money techniques for both real-world and online play easy to understand and apply.

Saturday, June 27th - Mike Caro’s Tells, Psychology and Manipulation (40 min seminar / 20 min Q&A) The legendary “Mad Genius of Poker” Mike Caro - the world’s foremost authority on poker strategy, psychology and statistics - shares the most important secrets regarding the misunderstood psychology of poker based on time-tested research and latest discoveries.

Sunday, June 28th - Mike Caro’s Grand Poker Seminar: 50 Best-Tip Countdown (70 min seminar / 20 min Q&A) In this grand finale to the Power Poker Seminar series, the legendary “Mad Genius of Poker” Mike Caro - the world’s foremost authority on poker strategy, psychology and statistics - unveils a special collection of 50 high-powered tips and privileged advice - carefully chosen for players who are serious about winning.

No reservations required, just show up at the Rio and go to Pavilion 9 (in the Convention Center area).

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The M Casino bonus point schedule that I gave in yesterday’s entry is for everyone, not just for seniors. 

I was referring to an earlier entry when I asked for people to e-mail me with more senior promotions they come across that I didn’t mention earlier.   QueenofComps@cox.net

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We were at the M Casino today and our host gave us a  Multiplier Mania sheet that had just been printed with June and July bonus days – 7x points for slots, 2x points for video poker (full-pay VP machines excluded): 

June dates: every Saturday beginning the 13th, plus the 10th, 21st, and 24th 

July dates: 4, 5, 8, 9, 12, 13, 16, 17, 20, 21, 24, 25, 28, and 29

With 1/2 price gas cards at South Point, that far end of the Strip is the June promotion hot spot in Vegas!

By the way, I gave the wrong e-mail address in the last entry.  It is QueenofComps@cox.net.  Send me more senior promotions when you find them.

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