Jean Scott's Frugal Vegas

Moving Day Has Arrived.

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 12:37:00 -0800

This is the last entry on the old blog system.

Please alter your book marks to reflect the new WordPress site:

jscott.lvablog.com

H1N1

Sun, 25 Oct 2009 20:14:00 -0800

President Obama just declared an H1N1 Emergency. I had predicted weeks ago that was coming!

And I am starting my 8^th week fighting whatever-it-is. Last week I spent 3 days in the hospital with lots of testing that eliminated a lot of maybe-this-is-the-problem issues. And I have more tests tomorrow (Monday) but that will be as an outpatient. Thank goodness. It’s hard running our “life command center” from a hospital bed – although I kept my calendar and cell phone by my side.

I was in Spring Valley Hospital – same hospital where Brad has been in the past - and just a few minutes from our condo so it is very handy. Nice facility - all rooms there are private ones and at night you have a beautiful view of the Strip lights. I had to laugh during an only-in-Vegas moment when I was being admitted. They gave me a list to check off all my belongings and under the Money Column one of the items was “Casino Chips.”

I just have not been able to answer all your nice e-mails, but I do really appreciate all the kind words.

In the meantime, here are a few tidbits about driving around Vegas that might be helpful to some of you:

•Dean Martin Drive (formerly known as Industrial Road) is a very handy way to avoid I-15. You can pick it up near Downtown, at Wyoming (between Charleston and Sahara) and go south on it almost all the way to the M Casino (turning left onto Southern Highland at the south end to actually get to M). Along the way you can turn onto Rio Drive to get to the Rio/Palms/Gold Coast; turn onto Trop to get to NYNY/Excal; turn into a little connector (forget the name) to get up onto Hacienda and get to the back garages of Excal, Luxor, and Mandalay Bay; stop at Silverton; get off on Silverado to go to South Point: and then continue south to M. This street is almost never crowded, even when I-15 has become a parking lot.

•Koval is a construction nightmare from Trop to Flamingo. Avoid at all costs. It might be longer to use Paradise/Swenson but it is quicker.

•The Airport Connector, our favorite shortcut from the west side of town to the east, is in construction mode and will stay there for about a YEAR!

Health Update

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 14:34:00 -0800

No, I didn’t die – but for the last few weeks I thought that this bug-that-is-going-around (whatever name they give it) was trying to kill me! When I was talking about the swine flu in my September 11 entry, I didn’t realize that I would still be talking about it on October 16. Wow – this bug can be one nasty enemy. I tried to fight it by using my usual technique of iron mental determination – ignore it and it will go away. It didn’t.

Fortunately, however, when I finally used some good sense and went back to the doctor, she figured that I probably have a shot immune system and developed a secondary bacterial infection. Hurrah – not much you can do about viruses but now I can take a pill! So I am on a strong antibiotic and hopefully will soon be good as new – or as “new” as a 70-year-old lady can be!!!!

So, within a few days, I plan to be back blogging more regularly and giving more gambling hints that will help you keep and/or put more money in your pocket!

Thanx to all of you who wrote, concerned about my absence. I feel very loved and that is very healing!

Swine Flu Revisted

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 16:58:00 -0800

Back in my September 11 entry I wrote about my battle – and then Brad’s - with flu-like symptoms since early in that month. I never got tested to see if I had the swine flu since my symptoms weren’t severe and I figured I’d feel better in a week or so. Brad did have more severe symptoms in the beginning and, since he has heart problems, his doctor did test him. We were a little surprised at the results. The nasal swabs came back negative for swine flu, but the throat culture they took came back positive for a staph infection. He was put on antibiotics and in another week or so, he had seemed to regain his strength and was able to go about his normal routine.

On the other hand, although I mostly got over some of the initial symptoms quickly – sore throat, achy body – some of the other symptoms have remained, now 5 weeks later, including eye problems, chest discomfort, cough. The most debilitating problem, however, has been constant severe fatigue that doesn’t respond to rest.

You might ask what all this has to do with gambling and/or Las Vegas?

Perhaps not as much as the subjects I usually cover here. Or - perhaps more so. I’m not an extremist about anything or a perpetual worrywart, but I do think casinos can be a definite threat this winter in the war against the swine flu. For one thing, a place where groups of people congregate is always a hotbed for viruses. Another problem is that the recession has caused casinos to cut their workforce numbers, including those that clean. I have noticed a definite decline in the general cleanliness in many casinos - dirty bathrooms, grubby machines.

There is another issue if the swine flu becomes extremely widespread. Casinos are not “necessary” businesses. Would health departments ever shut them down during an epidemic? Or, might some casinos have to shut down if there are not enough healthy employees to run them?

I guess this whole subject has captured my attention more because I have been dealing with it personally for over a month. Actually I didn’t connect some of my long-lasting symptoms with the swine flu. I have struggled off and on with fibromyalgia for over 30 years and it can have some of the same symptoms, especially extreme fatigue. However, results of all my Googling point to the opinion that I am probably still fighting the swine flu.

Some people I talk to say they are afraid to get the swine flu vaccine. I think I am in the camp that says you should be afraid not to get it!

Bonuses for Slot Play

Fri, 02 Oct 2009 23:01:00 -0800

Going through our October casino mailers the last few days, a couple of unusual bonuses for “slots” caught my eye. I am used to seeing ongoing promotions for bonus-point days that give more points for slot play than for video poker play, often twice as much (6x vs.3x at the Cannery Casinos) or even better (5x vs. 2x at Silverton). However, in October, South Point is offering no bonus-point days for video poker but 5x points every day for slots. And Ellis Island has added three 12x-point days just for slots, on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursday.

Some people use the word “slots” to refer to all machines in a casino, whatever the game. When I use the word, I am always excluding video poker from the slot category - and casinos are doing a better job these days in spelling out what they mean. For example, in the above-mentioned promotions, South Point says you get 5x points on “slots and video reel machines.” Ellis Island says you get 12x points on “all reel and video reel machines.”

But these definitions can be confusing and open to interpretation, particularly when casinos talk about “slot machines” in connection with a bonus promotion. Sometimes all machines are treated the same, i.e., if the bonus is awarded on all W-2G jackpots. If it is a royal flush bonus, obviously that would refer only to video poker machines. Where one might need to check details would be on a multiple-points bonus – are keno or blackjack machines considered “slots”?

Most people know that Brad and I play video poker almost exclusively. However, you might see us playing a little social blackjack on a cruise ship or notice us at a crap table or another casino table game when we have coupons.

But down through the years you might have been surprised to see us occasionally at a slot machine and wonder why we have strayed from video poker. It could be that a promo a casino is running is “juicier” on slots than on video poker. Or, there is some script or coupons that can only be redeemed in slot machines. (That happened in a casino in Venice, Italy.) Or, the slot machine has a progressive or it is a bonusing machine that has gone into positive territory. It could be that we know a casino may give much better rewards (like higher bounce-back) to a gambler who “mixes up” his play than to someone who only sticks to the best video poker games.

However, on rare occasions we might just be in the mood for some recreational play and see a new slot machine that looks entertaining. I could just call it “research” – but there is no sin in just having fun! We need to relax more in our golden years anyway!

What is a Day?

Sun, 27 Sep 2009 00:30:00 -0800

After I wrote about daily average earlier in the month, I received this e-mail from a reader:

One thing you might warn your readers about is “what is a day?” for the computation of a daily average. I’m a night person so I like to play all night when I have the full range of VP machines to pick from and no distractions. I have been tripped up on the what-is a-day question enough times to make it my business to
TRY to find out the answer. I have quite a lot of experience trying to extract information from players clubs, hosts, marketing departments, and whomever else I can grab, but it isn’t easy to find the answer to this question.

Some casinos start their player day at midnight. Many, many start at 2:00 AM. (It took me forever to find out Fitzgerald’s starts at 4:00 AM.) If you’re in a casino that starts at 2:00 AM and play from 10:00 PM ’till 3:00 AM. You have played for TWO player days, thus diluting your daily average. 95% of the time, if you ask at the player’s club, they will tell you midnight, but for the sake of computation of daily average, thist isn’t always true. To make matters even more complicated, if a casino is offering point multiplier days, these almost always start at midnight. Anyone starting to play at midnight in the hopes of getting lots of points is running the risk of ruining their daily average.

I personally make it a point to start any new play after 2:00 AM (the
Fitz after 4:00AM) and hope for the best.

Good advice! And if you want learn more secrets on how to play the comp game smarter, check out More Frugal Gambling, which contains a long section – 4 chapters in fact – called “Comps – The Game within the Game.”

Frugal Lists

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 18:50:00 -0800

I love lists, especially ones that have frugal ideas for having a good time in Las Vegas without hurting your pocket. Here are a couple of lists I have seen on the Internet recently and they point you to even more lists!

1. Vegas Budget Extenders

2. In Las Vegas, 21 ideas -- all under $21 – This LA Times article, by Steve Friess, fellow Huntington Press author, has some budget ideas that were new even to me! Thanx to SaveLV.com Daily Update, itself a thrifty powerhouse, for steering me to this article.

There is so much information packed in the above links, one could keep busy every waking moment in Vegas without gambling at all!!!!

Let's Get Together

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 16:07:00 -0800

Many of you have written to ask whether Brad and I would ever be at some public function where people could meet us – to exchange coupons, to have me autograph your Frugal books, or just to chat about frugal gambling.

Well, this coming Saturday, September 19, is just such an opportunity. Since we both are feeling better - finally over the flu (or whatever we had), we plan to be at the monthly luncheon at the Gold Coast buffet organized by vpFREE. The group meets in front of the buffet and enters together promptly at 11:30 a.m.

Haven’t signed up to vpFree yet? No problem, you can subscribe at vpFREE-subscribe@yahoogroups.com. This is free site. Duh! Maybe you guessed that by the name! I predict that if you play video poker, you will wonder how you ever got along without the information you find there. And even if you only play slots, you will find it a good resource about slot clubs, comps and other related subjects.

Hope to see a lot of you all Saturday. Bring your coupons and be prepared to make some new frugal friends!

Daily Average Revisited

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 18:20:00 -0800

I got a lot of questions after my September 7th blog entry, most of them about the subject of casinos using daily average to determine what rewards and offers to send you in the mail. Here is a sample:

How do we, the players, know if our play is based on daily average? Will the players club disclose that information? What about a host?

Do you by any chance have a list of casinos in Vegas that use daily average? It would sure help us to know.

I wish that there were simple answers to these questions, but there aren’t. I’m forced back, as I am so often, to my old standby statement, “It depends on the casino.” And in this matter, I must also answer, “And it’s not easy to find out.

Occasionally, you can find out at the slot club as you can at the South Point Casino. Ask them what the requirements are for the various mailers they send out (to locals only) and they will give you the figures that you can write down and tell you what the qualification period is. (See my September 2 blog entry for more details.) This is one casino that does not use daily average; you can play as much or as little in any one day of the month. Only your monthly total counts.

However, the front-line slot club personnel usually are not privy to marketing department policies and details. But it is worth a try to ask to speak to a slot club supervisor, who can occasionally be knowledgeable and helpful.

What about hosts? Sometimes they can enlighten you and sometimes they just shake their heads and say that marketing is as much a mystery to them as to you!

One of the ways I find out about puzzling casino policies is to peruse gambling forums, particularly vpFREE and/or one of its regional forums. Lots of people reporting on their experiences sometimes give one enough information to put the puzzle together.

I do have some specific information, Harrah’s – they do worship the God of Daily Average but they have lots of more minor gods, including Theo. I study them constantly and still can’t exactly figure out why they do anything!

It used to be true, in Vegas, that Strip casinos mostly used daily (or trip) average – and that is still the way it is. Locals casinos almost always used monthly or quarterly totals. However, that is changing. The Stations seem to be tinkering with their system and sometimes (always?) include daily average as a factor. The Palms has always used daily average – a major frustration for me and many locals who want to go in and play more often. But if we can’t play big on some day, we just don’t play at all there. We will go to another locals joint where we don’t have to worry about ruining our daily average.

A rule of thumb I use if I don’t know for sure whether daily average is a factor in a particular casino: I assume it is and try to give as much play as I can in as few days as possible. When I want to establish myself in a new casino, I play big one day and try not to be tripped on any other days. Then I have a high average whether that is important or not.

So no, I can’t put a list of casino here to help you. I wish I could but the way casinos change, it would be out of date before I finished typing it!

Flu - Is It Swine?

Fri, 11 Sep 2009 23:39:00 -0800

Brad and I have been fighting flu symptoms for a week. First time I noticed anything wrong, I was sitting at a video poker machine with a game that required the JoB strategy, one I have played for almost twenty years and I can practically play in my sleep. Suddenly, I am seeing five cards and I have no idea what I am supposed to do with them. I concentrate really hard and it comes to me – I should hold the pair. I play for about 10 minutes, concentrating hard on each hand, hoping I won't make a silly mistake. Finally I tell Brad, who is sitting beside me, “I know I am getting Alzheimer’s – I just can’t think. And besides I am getting a terrible sore throat. I want to go home.”

When I got home, I was feeling really lousy – but I figured I was just having one of my sinus infection episodes. I get these every once in awhile so I took some sinus medicine and went to bed. The next day I was achy and feeling exhausted so continued to rest.

My doctor sister happened to call and I told her my symptoms and she said it sounded like I had “what was going around – the swine flu.” My daughter called within the hour and was telling me about my granddaughter, Kaitlynn, being down with the swine flu – that it was going around her high school and many students were out.

Hummmmm……what had I been doing on the previous few days. Back to begin another year as a volunteer in a kindergarten in the school down the street. Twenty-three little ones with the usual number of coughs, grubby hands, and runny noses. I guess it was inevitable.

I Googled “swine flu” and found there were 38 million references, but I picked a few and found these possible symptoms: high-grade fever, chills, muscle aches, headaches, sore throat, dry cough, vomiting, diarrhea, and confusion. No one has all of the symptoms, usually just two or three and they last on average 3 or 4 days and most swine flu cases are mild. You can’t positively diagnose swine flu without a lab test but they are assuming that if you have some of these symptoms you probably have it since it is “going around” and it is too early for the regular flu season. I just heard on the local news that there was a sudden jump in the number of swine flu cases here in Vegas – 300 reported in the last few days.

On the 3^rd day I was feeling much better and we were happy that I must have had a mild case and I hadn’t given whatever I had to Brad. I worried about his getting the swine flu because most of the deaths reported from it were because of “underlying medical problems.”

Well, our happiness about the situation didn’t last very long. A couple of days later Brad got very sick very suddenly in the middle of the night, spiking a high temperature. Unfortunately we happened to be in a hotel in Laughlin at the time so decided to wait it out. And the next morning he said he felt fine – had sweated out whatever bug or virus had attacked him. However, by the next evening he was running a fever again and feeling achy and exhausted so we drove back to Vegas the next day and saw the doctor today.

At the doctor’s office they took a throat culture for strep and nasal swabs for the swine flu, but by the time the results are back, hopefully he will be well. But if he would have any further complications, they would know better how to treat him.

They say, like for the regular flu, that the tiredness and cough may linger for a couple of weeks after the other symptoms are gone. Seems like the wisest plan of action for us now is to continue with lots of liquids, Tylenol, and a sensible rest schedule.

Card Pulling

Mon, 07 Sep 2009 15:10:00 -0800

I don't understand how this Tuscany thing works. Why do players pull
their cards out? What do they have to gain from this?

I have been questioned about this since my last entry here. The short answer is that casino bugaboo called “daily average.” I dislike this casino policy probably more than any other. Here is part of the section in More Frugal Gambling where I discuss “The DAILY AVERAGE TRAP”:

Be especially careful when any casino benefits are based on your daily average. This can be a huge danger area not only for the player who uses the host system to get comps but also for someone who is depending on bounce-back cash from the slot club or room offers through direct mail offers.

The obvious meaning of daily average is the amount of action (coin-in or slot club points earned) you give on the machines in one casino divided by the number of days you played on their machines. If you are staying in the casino-hotel where you are playing, this might be figured as a whole trip average. But whether it is called a daily average (for a day visitor) or a trip average (for the multi-day tourist), it is quicksand territory.

The main problem comes in determining what a casino considers a “day” or a “trip.” We have a high-roller friend who is an expert in avoiding this problem. Writing under the nom de plume of Royal Cat, he gave a long list of ways you can run afoul of being “tripped,” meaning doing something that the casino might count as a “day” or a “trip” even if you don’t actually put any money into a machine.

1. Sticking your slot club card into any casino machine or kiosk, even to merely view your point balance.

2. Presenting your card in the pit.

3. Any slot club transaction, including checking point balance, redeeming cashback, having free play put on a machine, or getting a comp for your points

4. Use of ANY coupon that has your account number on it, including gift shop or buffet discounts

5. Playing on your card later in the day after checking out from the hotel, triggering a second trip rather than a continuation of the first one.

6. Inquiring about or paying off a marker

7. Making a reservation for a hotel stay or event, even if you later cancel it.

8. Signing in to a VIP lounge

There are ways that a savvy machine player can avoid being punished by an unreasonable use of technology (and hopefully some casino executives will read this and see how irrational rules keep gamblers from playing as much as they would like in their casinos). NEVER give “walk-through” play in a casino that worships the God of Daily Average. If you can’t give a substantial amount of play in this casino, don’t give any. You get in from the airport late your first night for a 3-day stay at this casino or you have only an hour on the last day before you have to check out and go to the airport, don’t ruin your average by playing for a short time. Sometimes a host is authorized to take these short periods into consideration, but you can’t talk to a computer to “explain” when they send out your next room offer based on a “ruined” daily or trip average. Instead play next door where they welcome your play, whether for long or short periods of time. Some couples with individual slot club accounts, as I always recommend, solve this problem by using one person’s card for their major comp play in a casino and the other card for these short sessions in the same casino.

With all my experience in this area, I still can’t avoid this problem completely. A new casino opened quite near our condo here in Las Vegas. It would be handier for us if we could establish ourselves there and perhaps drop playing in a couple of casinos much further away. But we would have to see whether this new casino could offer the same benefits we had been getting elsewhere. There was no cashback so we would have to depend on bounce-back cash and there were no brochures on this to help us know what it took to get what. So we would have to “experiment.” After our early play, they started sending frequent “free play” coupons, sometimes 3, 4, or 5 times a week. Okay, we wouldn’t be pikers; we wouldn’t just play out the free play and then run. Every time we used a free-play coupon, we would play for an hour or two – so we were putting in some serious weekly coin-in. What happened? Our free-play coupon amounts started decreasing. We had friends who were putting in the same coin-in as we were each week, but all in one day. They were getting much bigger free-play coupons. Oops, we were caught between getting “tripped” for using a coupon without playing and having a low daily average.

At some casinos, if you pull your card after you download your free play, the software used does not record a “play day.” That would be the reason why you might want to pull your card if you don’t plan to do any play that day except running the free play through once and then cashing out. However, this will not work at casinos with more recent software and all “action” is recorded in the machine records.

In any case, casinos definitely frown on card-pulling - and sometimes take severe measures against players who do this, including cutting them off from getting all mailers. You are taking a risk if you do this.

The Devil is in the Details

Sat, 05 Sep 2009 19:34:00 -0800

Palms

A clarification to this question about the Palms slot club change I talked about back in June: Does this mean that whatever points I now accumulate, I can ONLY
use them for gambling (free play) and NOT for free meals, etc.??

“Old” points (earned before June 1) can only be used for comps but they don't expire as long as you play at the Palms once a year. You must go to a kiosk to get a paper comp in order to use these old points. Now if you swipe your card at an outlet to pay for something, this accesses your “new” point account and redeems new points. So, yes, “new” points can be used for comps OR free play.

Casino Royale

Cashback earned at Casino Royale expires after 48 hours!!!! Collect it fast or lose it.

Tuscany

Tuscany monitors carefully whether you collect mailed bounce-back free play and pull your players card to play it off so you don’t earn any points. Some do this thinking that this will keep your daily average higher. This may work at some casinos, but even though Tuscany software doesn’t seem to catch this, Marketing manually goes through their database to weed out these “tricky players” and they will be taken off their promotional mailer list.

South Point Slot Club Info

Wed, 02 Sep 2009 00:59:00 -0800

Most casinos will not tell you the requirements for receiving bounce-back cash/free play. However, I applaud the South Point for making this information known. At one time they even had a sign at the player’s club with bounce-back information.

A few months ago they did make a major change to the requirements, greatly increasing the amount of coin-in for many of the tiers. There were so many complaints that they lowered the requirements some. Here is the present information you are given if you ask at the players club. These are monthly coin-in requirements for their skip-a-month system. For example, if you put $10,000 coin-in through the machines in September, you will receive the “B” mailer in November, 3 free-play periods for $15 each.

A+   $60,000   --   4 x $50
A     $20,000   --   4 x $30
B     $10,000   --   3 x $15
C      $2,000    --   3 x $5
D      $1,000    --   2 x $5

Remember, these numbers are coin-in, not points. Although $1 coin-in does earn one point, on double-points days you will earn twice as many points but your coin-in will be your base points. Base points (and therefore coin-in amounts) are accumulating and displayed on the card reader as you play and give you your balance for that day, no matter how many times you take your card out. However, when you take your card out, the points will be doubled and reflected in your total point balance.

South Point has some good promotions this month. But remember to check the details. Don’t assume they are the same as in previous promos – casinos love to change things around! You are limited to earning only TWO gas cards on Mondays. And double points on Friday are only from noon until midnight.

Interesting Internet Links

Sun, 30 Aug 2009 17:19:00 -0800

Those of you interested in the working of RNGs and hacking may enjoy this excerpt from the book The Art of Intrusion: The Real Stories Behind the Exploits of Hackers, Intruders & Deceivers.

http://www.ethicalhacker.net/content/view/22/2/

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“A Change in the Law” – A discussion by Bob Dancer about the expansion of the power the Gaming Control Board has over disputes in a casino.

http://tinyurl.com/449wsr

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I found the above links myself. Below are some that others found – ones that I can only say are..... “interesting”?

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http://www.cocktaildoll.com/ - “The Real Vegas from a Real Vegas Cocktail Waitress”

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“Here's what you leave on your seat in a casino to assure that no one will touch your machine until you get back”:

http://www.brownfido.com/product_2.html

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That last one is just what I needed today - I am so tired of trying to figure out
casino stuff. I needed a belly laugh!!!!

He's At It Again

Sun, 23 Aug 2009 14:23:00 -0800

When hearing about my 4K mistake for not giving Brad the Silverton sequential royal coupon, a friend remarked, “With that luck box, you should have sent two coupons with him!”

And it does seem as if Brad might be the luckiest gambler on the planet. Case in point. A few days ago, while I was getting a massage at the Palms, he was picking up some free play and just killing time. He usually plays the quarter full-pay Deuces Wild progressive when he is just “messing around,” but this day the bank was full. So he played for a little while on 9/6 Jacks or Better. Then a seat opened up on the Deuce bank and he moved there and started playing. However, he temporary forgotten the admonition I often write about, to play slowly at first and remain alert when you change games. So he held a lone Ace, as he would in Jacks or Better but not in a deuce game.

You guessed it - his usual luck held - and up popped four deuces!

He was embarrassed - and hoped no would notice the hand while the $250 in credits racked up. But the guy next to him looked over and loudly proclaimed, “You held just an Ace,” so then everyone on the bank came over to look - and question his hold.

Brad decided to take the comedian tack, hoping that no one would recognize him and say that Jean Scott wouldn’t approve of that hold, “Well, sometimes I like to give the casino a handicap.”

After the excitement had mercifully died down and Brad had gone on to the next hand, one guy came over and took the seat beside him that had become vacant. “I want to sit beside you, Brad, and see if some of your luck will rub off onto me.”

What can I say? I worship at the shrine of Skill – but sometimes Luck decides to grab power. And probably the luckiest day of my life was the day Brad fell in love with me!

In My INBOX

Fri, 21 Aug 2009 13:17:00 -0800

From SaveLV.com: Printable coupon sheets for the Fremond Street Experience are now available at www.VegasExperience.com/coupons. Simply enter your email address as the Username and “RealVegas” as the Password to download and print.

From M Resort Spa Casino: End of Summer Festival 09 at the M Pool, September 6, from 3-8 p.m. FREE admission. Fun for the whole family. Kids Corner, with face painting, temporary tattoos, and balloon art. Food and drinks for sale. Free entertainment by Loveshack and Nitro. Fireworks at 8 p.m. Click on link for more details.

From the Palms: “ Not so ugly deuces are back at the Palms in the High Limit room. Come Play Big and Win Big!” (Unusual to see a casino use a term so specific, one mostly used by knowledgeable VP players. NSUD is a name coined by Skip Hughes many years ago for a deuce game with the following paytable – 1,2,3,4,4,10,16,25,200,(4000 for 5 coins). It is better than many “ugly” paytables, but not as good as the “classic” original Deuces Wild game.

My Readers Help Me Out

Wed, 19 Aug 2009 20:46:00 -0800

From Martin, a helpful Palms hint:

Even as an out-of-towner, I always go down that little hallway on the right side of the Club Palm booth and on the wall there are usually all the current promotions listed. Also there are “hard stock” flyers with detailed rules (covering their butts) on all such promos.

Thanks, Martin, for reminding me to publicize this. The Palms has many good promotions but they are also often VERY complicated. I make it a point to pick up these flyers and read them VERY carefully. It’s a job because there isn’t just a little fine print – the complete flyer rules and regulations are in fine print!

Derek caught an omission in my August 1st blog entry about “Taxing Changes.”

I just read your blog about states that do not allow deductions to offset your W2G winnings. Please add Massachusetts to your list. We have to claim the winnings but cannot deduct any gambling losses. That's why we call it "Taxachusetts."

Oops, I missed this naughty state when I copied that list from Chapter 9 of Tax Help for Gamblers: “How All 50 States Handle Gambling Wins/Losses.

From a reader who wants to stay anonymous, about my “beef” with Station casinos:

If you try to make an argument for sending the same mailer to two players with the same coin–in, one who plays only Optimums and one who plays penny slots, not only are you wrong, you will never move Station management on anything. You need to see their side of it - they are a business and they need to make a profit.

This raises a valid point. Actually I have never said that skilled players should get the same from a casino as unskilled players. I understand and accept the difference. My main concern in the August 14^th blog entry was that in a Stations promotion that seemed to be for all 50+ seniors it was not clearly stated that you were excluded if you didn’t get the monthly mailer.

I notice that I am not the only one who is bothered about many casino promotions and advertising. A recent article in the Las Vegas Sun says that “some casino customers are taking their complaints about ambiguous or deceptive promotions to the Gaming Control Board” and that the Board is taking them seriously.

Thanks, Westie, for pointing out that Sun artcle and another one that talks about the theft of slot club points. A warning for all of us to monitor our slot club accounts closely and frequently.

I Feel So Much Better

Mon, 17 Aug 2009 22:12:00 -0800

From a really helpful Internet friend, about our $4000 coupon loss:

Take solace in the fact that if you had spent the extra 6 seconds to give and explain the sequential royal coupon to Brad, that the RNG in the machine would have been completely different! Probably no royal at all. It's good you didn't give him the coupon!

Thanx, Mike!

Station Mailers

Fri, 14 Aug 2009 00:50:00 -0800

Brad and I don’t play at any Station casinos at the present time, but I have been listening to the buzz about them among my friends and on the Internet forums. Many skilled players (including Bob Dancer) who had been playing there regularly are no longer receiving monthly mailers. This is especially true for those who play only the games with the highest EVs and/or for those who put in long hours pounding the best machines, particularly during promotions.

And a recent surprising development is that most (all?) players who have been cut off from the monthly mailers have also been cut off from participating in the Wednesday Senior Day events, including 5x points. This is a particularly disturbing development – and some think unethical if not actually violating the Gaming Commission regulations about promotions – since there is no mention of this exclusion in the rules.

Casinos have all sorts of “rights” – and I know times are hard for them – but I am wondering if they are considering the public reaction to many of their aggressive moves.

Spiritual Inspiration in Sin City

Mon, 10 Aug 2009 02:32:00 -0800

I just saw a wonderfully spiritual and exceedingly inspirational show today. Did I have to travel to another city for this? No, I saw it right here in Las Vegas – yes, right here in so-called Sin City. And in a casino no less!

It was “Praise,” on stage at South Point, which I attended this afternoon with my sister, Starr. It is advertised as “An Irreverently Reverent Gospel Experience” so you might think this might be too “religious’ – too narrow in its viewpoint to appeal to anyone but a small niche of evangelicals. But that fear was addressed and allayed in the first few minutes when Larry Hart, the producer and main performer, emphasized the universality of the spiritual search. “Faith is the fabric of humanity,” he said.

“Praise” had many of the elements that make a Vegas variety show entertaining: skillfully staged musical numbers; well-choreographed dancers, lavish costumes. But what set this show apart was the spiritual message throughout. It was front and center in the serious songs, like “God’s Watchin’ Over Me” and “Amazing Grace.” But it was there in the comedy too – “Big Hair Gets You Closer to God” and “Gonna Stomp my Prada.” The audience laughed and clapped their hands with the music and many times spontaneously rose from their seats during the two-hour celebration of faith.

It was indeed an uplifting afternoon and I would recommend it to anyone who treasures special spiritual experiences. PBS was filming today’s show and there is the hope that this show can be expanded to one that will make it to Broadway. In the meantime, there are plans in the works for “Praise” to return to South Point, perhaps on a regular basis in the future. Starr and I will be watching for it - and look forward to experiencing it again!

And a special note of love for you who are nonbelievers, a quote from Larry Hart: “Remember, if you don’t believe in God, God still believes in you.”

BIG Mistake

Thu, 06 Aug 2009 19:11:00 -0800

The statue of the Queen of KuPon has fallen to the ground and crumbled into dust.

Actually I had lost this crown some years ago, as I no longer had the energy to chase coupons all over town. But I do try to keep up with the best coupons these days. However, if I miss a matchplay or don’t feel like going out of my way, even for a $25 one, Brad just says that one of the perks of getting old and financially secure is being able to not do what we don’t want to do.

But this sad story is about my mind slipping a cog: We had received a valuable Silverton coupon book in the mail. I looked over the coupons and pulled out the ones I thought we might use. Brad didn’t look over the booklet – he depends on me telling him when and where he is to use a coupon. So one day last month, I wasn’t feeling well so I sent him to Silverton to play alone, giving him several coupons I thought he might use – hitting natural quads or a taxable, and even the one for $200 if he got lucky and hit a royal.

I did not send with him the coupon for a sequential royal. I didn’t tell him to wear rubber clogs either, in case he got hit by lightning in the Silverton parking lot.

Well, you know what happened. He didn't get hit by lightning in the parking lot, but in the casino, hitting a sequential royal. He didn’t even know about that special coupon – he just handed over his $200 coupon for a royal and was happy for the bonus. Someone came along and saw the sequential and ask him if he had that $4000 coupon. Poor Brad – he didn’t even know about that coupon. He called me up and gave me the sad news. I could have driven quickly to Silverton and brought him the coupon, but he had already given them the $200 coupon and the powers-that-be said it would be too late. They were enforcing the rules very vigorously.

At first I was really bummed out about my mistake – why didn’t I send him with the whole book? Well, he hates to fill his pockets with heavy stuff and this coupon book was thick. But I really couldn’t think of any excuse that would make me feel better.

Brad wasn’t as bummed out as I was. He reminded me that at the higher levels we play now, we could (and have done so) lose $4000 in an hour or less on high-denom machines. And then he reminded me that we have had a lot more good luck in our gambling life than bad luck.

Yes, that is true. Just a few weeks before we had found a good play on a $1 Fifty Play Deuces machine. Although we don’t usually play $250 a hand, we decided to take a short-term shot on it. And Brad was dealt 4 deuces for a nice 50k.

I think I will give Brad a crown for being the King of Jackpots!

Senior Promotions

Mon, 03 Aug 2009 19:45:00 -0800

Here is an updated Internet resource list for details about Las Vegas senior promotions:

1. Station and Fiesta casinos – Senior 50 Plus Wednesdays

2. M Resort – Seniors Plus

3. Silverton – Seniors Club

4. Club Coast Movie Specials – Orleans, Suncoast, and Sam’s Town Theaters

5. South Point Senior Movie Special

6. Ellis Island – 50+ Club – (No details given on Web site – check at player’s club)

Note: Many of these sites will be useful in giving you details about general promotions, as well as those just for seniors.

Taxing Changes

Sat, 01 Aug 2009 17:16:00 -0800

Hawaii residents who gamble are facing a law just passed that says they will no longer be able to offset their winnings with their losses for Hawaii state income tax purposes. And to add insult to injury the law is retroactive to the first of this year.

New Hampshire also recently went from not taxing gambling income at all to a 10% tax on gross wins (“gross” means no deduction for losses). The law is not clearly written, according to some experts, and there will need to be court case to determine just which wins will need to be reported on state returns and thus incur this heavy tax. Will this impact professional gamblers? What is the minimum reportable win and does it depend on the game? Many questions need to be answered about this new state law.

Increasing taxes on gambling is not an unusual tactic used to increase state revenue. Following is a list of states that also do not allow deductions for gambling losses. (This list is from Tax Help for Gamblers, where there are more details on this subject of state taxation, including exceptions and possible ways to avoid this problem. None of this should apply to professional gamblers as they have their own separate schedule where they can net out income and expenses.)

Connecticut

Illinois

Indiana

Louisiana

Michigan

Ohio

West Virginia

Wisconsin

I predict that more states will look at gambling as the economy worsens. "Sin taxes" are the easiest to get passed!

More input on this subject from Marissa Chien, co-author with me of Tax Help for Gamblers:

What makes the Hawaii law super lousy in comparison is that in states like Indiana and Illinois where there are no below- the-line deductions to begin with, the top income tax rate is 3-4%. But because Hawaii allows other below-the-line deductions like mortgage interest, property taxes, etc, their top marginal rate is almost 10%. Therefore a high roller who may have a couple of million in W-2Gs would owe the state of Hawaii over 200k!!

If you want to read more about the recent state gambling tax changes in Hawaii and New Hampshire, Google the two subjects. You will find heated discussions!

Sinning Downgraded in Sin City?

Thu, 30 Jul 2009 19:26:00 -0800

Suddenly it’s all over the news – on TV and in newspapers: Maybe Sin City should try being a little less sinful?

Metro Makes Prostitution, Drug Arrests at Rio's Topless Pool

Regulators to casinos: Clean up act

County to Prive: Time to call it a night

Hummmmmm. All this after my July 6th rant about debauchery at the Hard Rock’s Rehab Pool party. Do the city fathers or gaming regulators (are they the same?) read my blog?

Aw…probably not!

Does Player Input Work?

Mon, 27 Jul 2009 19:01:00 -0800

Sometimes it seems that it is a waste of breath for players to complain to casinos when they change their policy or do something “stupid.” However, once in awhile I see an example where a casino really listens to its customers.

A couple of months ago South Point instituted a huge raise across the board in the coin-in requirements for the various tiers of their bounce-back mailers. They also did this so quickly and without publicity of the change that players weren’t given a chance to meet the higher requirements if they wished to do so. An uproar ensued when the mailers came out – local players don't like negative surprises. To give the casino credit, they did listen and cut down on some of the more severe raises, and you could ask for the new requirements at the slot club.

Another recent example was the Palms, when they changed their comp system for a free play one and gave just a year to use up old points. A few heavy players who had a large comp bank complained and the casino changed the rule so that old points wouldn’t expire as long as there was play on the card once a year.

The most surprising example just came last week, from Eastside Cannery, in the form of a letter from the casino’s new General Manager – to me and many other players who had been put on their no-mail list last fall:

Upon my arrival at the Eastside, I was made aware of a situation that adversely impacted your relationship with our property and is inconsistent with our guest service standards. As I understand the situation, you were invited to play on a 10x bonus point promotion in September of 2008. You played and you were then removed from the Eastside database and treated with service that is inconsistent for our organization. For this situation, I would like to start by offering my sincere apology. Therefore, I would like to reactivate your C.A.N. Club membership immediately as a High Flyer member.

The rest of the letter gave details of many bennies that awaited us since we were now VIPs again.

WOW!!! A casino is admitting – in writing - that they made a mistake! I am so shocked that I may not be able to blog for several days!

Back to the Busy Vegas Routine

Thu, 23 Jul 2009 23:56:00 -0800

Brad and I had a wonderful visit with our family in Columbus, GA. It was great to forget about fuzzy casino promotion details and complex Free Play schedules – and I barely touched a computer keyboard. We mostly just plugged into the family’s busy routine. It was fun to celebrate Zachary getting his driver’s license, which Angela and Steve viewed with mixed emotions – help with the family taxi duties, but a little more worry too. And they won’t get a break from worry - Kaitlynn is counting the days until she gets her learner’s permit in August.

Their household is rich in friends who stop by, from Angela’s work and especially Steve’s old military buddies. And I especially enjoyed the teenage friends who hung around. They can run up a grocery bill big time, but Ang and Steve have always wanted their house to be a welcoming haven for their kids’ friends. So when Steve fires up the grill, you never know how many will show up! It was always fun bedlam.

But after a week of living in “Grand Central Station,” we were ready to come home to a quieter environment, albeit almost as busy. I had a stack of mail to go through – lots of August casino offers coming in already so there is intense calendar work to be done. (I like it when casinos plan ahead because I like to plan ahead!) Advance planning and organizing is probably one of the most important keys to successful gambling. Although I imagine most gamblers now make up their schedule on a computer calendar, I do mine the old-fashioned way – on a hard copy monthly DayMinder. I do it in pencil and go through a lot of erasers as things change throughout the month. I guess I’ve just been doing it this way too many years to change.

Brad had a busy day today, with 6 casino stops to pick up free play that would be expiring tonight. And then came a quick stop at our nearby Food For Less, the store (along with Wal-Mart) with the overall cheapest grocery prices. Contrary to what many people think, we don’t eat in casinos all the time, so grocery trips are a part of our routine.

We plan to go swimming in our condo pool tonight, unless predicted showers interfere.

LEAVING LAS VEGAS

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 16:52:00 -0800

I’m leaving town!

I had just about recovered from the hullabaloo caused by my analysis of the unclad and un-classy at the Hard Rock Rehab pool party when I came across a news release from the downtown Vegas Club casino:

[We are introducing] a new, low-limit “Fetish Pit,” where your dealer will be dressed as a naughty nurse, sexy school girl, risqué female cop or leather-clad biker chick while pole dancing go-go girls shake their money-makers [their words, not mine] on a raised platform. The sexy fun begins at 7 p.m. every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night.

Seriously, I need a break from “Sin City”!! And I am getting one when Brad and I leave tomorrow for Columbus, GA for a visit to the Frugal Princess family home. I’m sure there is a lot of “sin” in Columbus, as there is in any city, but it isn’t in your face 24/7.

Maybe I’ll blog while I’m gone, but maybe I won’t have time. So much wholesome fun to do with Angela and Steve and the kids. We’ll watch Zachary chop/chop at the karate studio where he works, takes advanced black belt lessons, and practices with the demo team. We will watch his tumbling lessons at the gymnastics studio and then just maybe join him on the trampoline in the back yard – if he will let us. He is very protective of the old bones of his Poppy Brad and Grandma Jean.

We probably won’t get up soon enough to take Kaitlynn to her early-morning cross-country runs with the school team, and no soccer games are scheduled - but she is ready for a rest after two intense soccer camps this summer. So she is looking for me to give her some cooking lessons. (Don’t laugh – everyone knows I don’t cook in Vegas, but I was actually a pretty good cook before I discovered casino comps 25 years ago!)

We are also looking forward to family swims in their backyard pool and impromptu parties with their teenage friends when they drop by. Zachary has a girlfriend now but both sets of parents are big on chaperoned dates right now, so Brad and I can take on “guard duty” sometimes. And there can never be a dull moment because a wii competition always beckons.

Talk to you when we get back - if not before!

My Response

Sun, 12 Jul 2009 22:02:00 -0800

Okay, I can’t delay any longer in responding to the many comments about my July 6th blog entry.

I wish I had stuck to my report on the Hard Rock pool party and not mentioned rape because it did not clearly or accurately reflect my real feelings and beliefs. I am sincerely sympathetic to rape victims. I know rape is usually a crime of violence and power, not a sexual one, and the victim is not to blamed for any reason.

However, I feel there a type of sexual encounter, especially among young people, where the female is giving out all sorts of “Yes” messages by her actions right up to a certain “hot” point that the male can’t pull back when she suddenly says, “No.” Is that rape or consensual sex? Or, is there something in-between?

I appreciated everyone’s input, no matter what the views were. It was pointed out that many of the girls at the Hard Rock pool party are “professional” girls, many who work at strip clubs in the city, and their reputations weren’t at stake. Some pointed out that every generation has shocked their elders - and that there were ambulances at Woodstock. In fact, my sister gently reminded me that all of us have sowed some wild oats and that some of my actions when I was younger would have shocked our parents if they had known about them! Then there was one very smart wag, trying to get on the good side of me, that tried to convince me that the Rehab pool party was really a frugal option for him. So much free merchandise that one didn’t need to go and pay at the Chicken Ranch.

There was much discussion about risk and blame. I liked this one from a poster on vpFREE: Consider these other scenarios - you walk down the street by yourself in a bad part of the city flashing a lot of expensive jewelry. If somebody robs you, people would certainly say you were asking for it. Does it mean that it was OK for the person to rob you? Of course not - it is morally and legally wrong. But do you deserve some of the blame? I think so. Would you park somewhere, leave your windows down and your purse on the front seat? If you did and the purse was gone when you came back, would you deserve some of the blame? Again, it doesn't excuse the criminal action at all - whether it's rape (which granted is much more personal and traumatic than many other crimes) or any other violation, the person committing the act is undeniably wrong. But there are things that we all do to try to decrease the chances of something bad happening to us.

Ah, so many viewpoints about the same subject.

I think it might reveal more accurately some of my true feelings if I give you here the advice I would give my beautiful 15-year-old granddaughter:

1. Don’t dress in a way that will flaunt your body. You want to attract a boy who is drawn to your charming personality as well as your beautiful body.

2. Don’t put yourself in risky situations. Don’t go alone to a hotel room or an apartment with someone you don’t know well. This is no time to be naïve!

3. Be very careful about drinks at a party. It is a popular “trick” to add the “date rape” drug. Choose sealed bottles or cans and guard them while you drink.

4. Remember that boys have all sorts of lines to get a girl to go to bed with them. Don’t fall for them, even if they include the word “love.”

5. Don’t lead a boy on, with encouraging sexy actions for so long, that when you want to say “No,” he will find it difficult or impossible to accept that “No.” (And I will give your teenage brother the same advice – stop before your girl’s “Yes’s” become so tempting that you will not be able to control your actions if she suddenly says “No!”)

A Hot Topic

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 20:57:00 -0800

I have waited for several days to return to the subject of my July 6th “hot” entry. I have been reading and re-reading and pondering the many comments I have received, many more by private e-mail than even the unusually high number that got posted on the blog page. I did not want to respond in haste less I overreacted and I wanted time for all sides to get in their opinions on this controversial subject.

First, I want to thank everyone who entered this fray, no matter what your opinion. Of course it is always satisfying when people applaud your point of view, but some of the most negative comments have been the ones that have made me think the most. I like ideas that make me think!

Next, I want to get in some technical facts. Some of you complained that your comments didn’t appear on the blog page and it seemed suspicious if they were negative ones. I’m not sure why that sometimes some people have difficulty with the “Comment” function. Perhaps a browser problem? Some accused me of deleting negative comments. Again, there must be computer gremlins in action because I deleted only two comments, and those not because they were negative. The guys involved decided to describe some of their sexual escapades in more graphic detail than I thought the general readership would be interested!

So to give everyone their shot, please re-post any comments that haven’t appeared on the blog page and you want them entered into the discussion. If they don’t appear within 6 hours, send them to my personal e-mail (queenofcomps@cox.net) with a note and I will put them in a subsequent blog entry.

Then in a couple of days, I will tackle a response to this hot potato!

Blog Comments

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 19:49:00 -0800

You can post comments at the end of each blog entry.

You can read comments written by others, in the order they come in no matter on which entry they are commenting, by scrolling down on the left side of the blog page. However, the easiest way to read comments, especially if you are looking for one particular subject, is to click on the title of the entry that interests you. There, at the end of the entry, will be a complete list of all the comments.

I'm In Shock

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 17:25:00 -0800

Good thing I already had a blog entry written for today, because I am in shock by the record number of responses, both in the comments and private e-mails, to yesterday’s entry. When I recover, I will return to that fiery subject .

In the meantime, here are some odds and ends I had planned to share today.

From some fellow frugalites:

You can add The Orleans French Market Buffet to join the ranks of all-day eats. ($21 all days but Friday when it is $25 to include the Seafood Dinner Buffet) Being teachers are we gearing up for our annual low rollers trip in three weeks. We are so excited! (as always) Last trip we ate for $34 for the entire week thanks to LVA and your tips.

Keep up the good comp work, Rob and Karen.

And from Westie, an antithesis of the all-day buffet deal: I just read of the following locals only discount at the Four Seasons.

Too complicated to be frugal for me.

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And here is some totally useless information about July 8 if tonight you are up in the middle of the night: At exactly five minutes and six seconds after 4:00am it will be 04:05:06 07/08/09.

Perhaps Im Old-fashioned

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 17:47:00 -0800

Yesterday I was at the Hard Rock and I felt sorry for my daughter, the Frugal Princess, and anyone else who is trying to raise a girl to be a lady with class and high standards.

Such a lack of class at the Hard Rock’s Sunday pool debauchery called Rehab. I can take the bikinis at a pool or on stage at a beauty contest. But since when is it appropriate to strut around a public place (like in a casino or a restaurant) in a swimsuit without a cover-up. And just what is the new fashion statement girls make when they unzip their shorts or jeans a couple of inches and then fold back the two sides to make an “opening”? I get tired of hearing that a female rape victim is NEVER to blame. There is more than one way to say “Yes” than with words out of your mouth.

We have noticed many Sunday afternoons that there are always a couple of ambulances standing by when we visit the Hard Rock. But when we were leaving later than usual yesterday, just after 6 p.m. when the pool party was winding down, there were FIVE ambulances in the parking lot. Would you want your son or daughter to attend a party where it would take that many rescue vehicles to scrape impaired and unconscious people off the beach?

I used to be able to tell in Vegas when I saw a cheap prostitute by the way she dressed. Now the casinos are swarming with girls dressed like that.

I guess I am just too old-fashioned!

A Casino Listens to Its Customers

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 12:51:00 -0800

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!

Eating Frugally????

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 03:15:00 -0800

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!

Frugal Meals at Silverton

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 15:38:00 -0800

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!"

Frugal Doesnt Mean Cheap

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 15:18:00 -0800

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 13^th 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.

Extreme Frugal

Sun, 21 Jun 2009 01:25:00 -0800

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

Back in Vegas

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 20:44:00 -0800

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 2^nd and 3^rd generation representatives from almost all of his siblings.

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

Back Home to Indiana

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 06:49:00 -0800

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.

Freebie Poker Lessons

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 19:17:00 -0800

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).

Clarification About M Casino Bonus Points

Sun, 07 Jun 2009 16:48:00 -0800

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

Fresh Off the Press - M Casino Bonus Days

Sat, 06 Jun 2009 22:15:00 -0800

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 10^th, 21^st, and 24^th

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.

Senior Promotions

Thu, 04 Jun 2009 15:38:00 -0800

Recently I received this comment from a reader:

Please tell me more about "senior" status in Vegas. Where can I find info about being 55 and finding some deals? Out East, we are only "seniors" after 65.
My next trip is in December. I am doing some homework on deals. I believe airfare "senior" is still 65?

A timely question as we are all getting older all the time!

First, most everyone could snag some frugal discounts beginning at age 50 by joining AARP. Many places, especially motels/hotels and better restaurants, don’t have an age-specific requirement but an organizational one – and that often includes AARP. Be aware that you’re eligible for this membership whether you are retired or still working.

Vegas is no different than any other city anywhere in the U.S. – if you see a senior discount posted, you can ask for it and ask about age requirement. If you “look old,” you might get this without asking about the exact details. This will often work in fast-food places, where you might score a percentage discount or a bargain-price drink. Those young kids working behind the counter think anyone over 40 is “old.” In fact, one of my rare pleasures these days are the times someone asks for my ID if I ask for the senior discount!!!

Some Vegas casinos follow the AARP lead. Both the Station and Silverton have strong 50+ promotions. Check out their Web sites to see the food specials, point bonuses, and/or drawings that are offered. Both have chosen Wednesdays as their “Senior Days” for some months now.

The last time I saw a movie at the Palms, I noticed their senior prices kick in at age 60. At movies always check – matinee prices might be cheaper than senior ones. But after 6 p.m. senior prices are always a big bargain. Speaking of movies, South Point Theater is still running a senior special and it is better than ever. Just $3 cash (can’t use slot club points for this price) EVERY DAY for movies starting before 3 p.m. They don’t state a senior age requirement on their Web site or posted at the ticket office and they waffled when I asked them for this information.

They seemed pretty loose about this so if you look even “somewhat old,” just ask to buy senior tickets. Maybe slide your AARP card in with your three bucks? Or, if they question your age, just say that you “feel old” that day! And if you don’t meet even their loose standards, anyone can get into the first showing of any movie that day for the early-bird price $6.50, discounted from the regular matinee price of $7.75. (Brad hates inflation – he used to see his cowboy movies for a dime - unless he crouched down and slipped under the ticket window and got in free!)

The Century Theatres at the Coast Casinos (Sam’s Town, Suncoast, and The Orleans) continue their “Senior Discount Day” on Tuesdays – all movies all day are $3. Their requirements are listed in the newspaper ad: You must be 60 and show your ID and Club Coast players card. (Not 60 yet, go on Wednesday and you get a small popcorn free with a ticket purchase.)

There are probably more senior deals I have forgotten. Shoot me an e-mail if you know of some I missed: queenofcomps@cox.net.

South Point Promotions

Mon, 01 Jun 2009 14:34:00 -0800

In June South Point is bringing back one of our favorite promotions – gas cards for half-price. It’s like getting 2x points every day all month!

It takes 8334 points to earn one Chevron $50 gas card in this “pump with your points” promotion. (Ordinarily that would be worth only $25 in cashback.) There is a limit of 20 cards per player. For you out-of-towners, be sure you have Chevron stations in your hometown. However, the cards don't expire so even if you don’t have any locally, you might be able to use them when you travel in other parts of the country. If you live in Vegas, there is no problem – plenty of Chevron here.

There is also a new senior movie promotion at South Point. Now you can see any movie starting before 3 p.m. for $3 if you show your club card. This is good 7 days a week!

And so that I won’t be criticized as being narrow-minded and not appreciating diversity, I offer you information about two events at South Point coming up:

Tattoos-Days in the Pool - $5 cover – contests with prizes – June 2, July 7, August 4, and September 1. Show off your ink poolside!

Bull-fighting – Fiestas Patrias – Sept 14 and 15. They advertise this as bloodless bull fighting. I hope the bulls get this message!

More about these money-saving promotions and "exciting" events at the South Point Web site.

Major Change at the Palms

Thu, 28 May 2009 21:28:00 -0800

This was totally unexpected - as it was when the same thing happened at the Stations. On June 1 the Palms is going from a comp-only point system to giving free play for points. And to my surprise, they are keeping the redemption value the same – 400 points = $1.

Some of the details of the new program:

You can earn points for your purchases at the Palms - $1 cash purchase earns one point. (This point-for-purchase is also available at the Venetian/Palazzo and Harrah’s and perhaps other casinos.)

What about points you have in your account June 1? These are called “Original points” and can be redeemed for comps only just as before. They must be used up by May 31, 2010 or they will be “forfeited.”

Another feature of the new program was mentioned in an e-mail news release I received: “As an added bonus Palms is also ending its practice of having caps on point multipliers.” Hurrah!

In the original printed rules describing this new Palm program, it said that “designated” machines were excluded from earning any points. But a friend of mine who gets good “inside” information has said that they were rethinking this and would be permitting points to be earned on all machines. “ However the ‘better’ machines will not be eligible for any point multipliers. Stickers will be put on the machines indicating this. Exactly WHICH machines has not yet been officially determined, but for sure all 100% machines will have the stickers, and maybe the NSUDs. Those are currently under discussion.”

So look for those dreaded stickers starting June 1 before you start playing!

A Different Point of View

Sun, 24 May 2009 13:56:00 -0800

From a reader, commenting on my last blog entry:

Jean:

“First off, let me say I have enjoyed your writings and cherish your latest autographed book. However…[Oops, I know the other shoe is going to fall]… times change, as we know very well, living in Michigan. We have had to give up certain benefits to keep jobs for the better of the auto companies. Las Vegas is in as bad shape as Michigan, if not worst. Therefore wouldn’t you expect some “benefits” to be changed to allow others to keep their jobs? Isn’t it better for club members to receive fewer kickbacks rather than let employees lose their jobs? After all, check the stock market and the price of Las Vegas Sands, MGM or Wynn stock. These companies are hurting and deserve support not criticism. You and your following should support and emphasize the positive or Las Vegas attendance will continue to decline. Remember if you paint a negative picture, why would anyone want to come to Vegas?

“I look forward to my visit to Vegas, at the end month, and I look forward to reading your POSITIVE comments.”

First, I must say I always appreciate input from my readers, whether they agree with me or not. However, sometimes I must defend my own views.

I’m not an expert on the automobile industry, but I do know that if an automobile company doesn’t have any customers, it will go out of business. So if it, for example, decides to raise prices above the competition, it will start losing customers, even those long-time loyal to the brand. The same thing will happen to a casino company; cutting benefits (that’s like raising the price of entertainment) will cause a loss of customers.

That part of Vegas is negative. But there are many positive things in Vegas right now that make it a wonderful and frugal place for gamblers to visit or live. Many casinos are running the best promotions I have seen in years. Room rates are at rock bottom. Many casinos have not cut basic benefits.

So to the reader who wrote above and all others, I give this advice: Seek out the promotions. Consider your many options and pick the best!

Slot Club Benefits Cutback

Mon, 18 May 2009 22:32:00 -0800

Yes, some casinos are fighting the economic downturn by increasing promotions. Good way to keep old customers and attract new ones. After all, customers are the lifeblood of all casinos. Yet, some casinos are fighting the economic downturn by decreasing slot club benefits, the one thing that will drive away even many long-term loyal customers.

Here are some specific details:

The Venetian is continuing its on-going practice of frustrating customers by trying to micro-manage their slot club system. Go to their Web site for their new ironically-named “Resort Loyalty System” which cuts point values the biggest percentage I have even seen since slot clubs began!

Some casinos are now basing their bounce-back (BB) mailers on whether you win or lose, i.e., Hard Rock and Gold Coast. They have every “right” to do this, but it does not make their customers happy. In fact, many will play about the same amount every month (or every quarter, depending on the qualification period) and then when one time their mailer amounts take a big plunge, they are given a because-you-won answer. Many vow they will never play there again. The old timers will remember the time, and not that long ago, when casinos just looked at your action and rewarded you accordingly. They figured everyone wins at least part of the time, and they knew that if they cultivated the customer and encouraged him to continue to play, they would usually still make money on him in the long term. Bean counters are big on looking at the short term!

Some casinos go to even more extreme measures. Sometimes Wynn doesn’t just cut your BB amounts; marketing will cut off your mailer completely and disqualify you for any events like drawings and tournaments. Casinos sometimes try to identify skilled video poker players but they often have no idea just how to do this. Looking at short-term results can have them making a lot of misjudgments. A drunk who doesn’t know a paytable from a coffee table can win more on some days than the most skilled player on earth. Actually someone who is unknowledgeable about video poker strategy will usually get more royals than a knowledgeable player. And the biggest example of casino ignorance – and one I have seen more than once – is 86ing someone who gets dealt a royal on a multi-line machine – as if there is any skill involved in this.

Cool Thoughts for Vegas Hot Days

Thu, 14 May 2009 02:39:00 -0800

Triple digits coming this weekend – earlier than usual. Maybe thoughts about a winter holiday promotion will cool you off!

All Las Vegas MGM Mirage properties are offering 2x Holiday Gift Points during June, July, and August. And to make it more convenient for you to plan to be in Vegas during this holiday shopping event (and you MUST redeem these gift points IN PERSON), they have extended the dates this year. You can shop anytime from November 28 through Dec. 13^th.

This event offers a wide array of products you can order with your Holiday Gift Points, but Brad and I like the Free Play option – we have left the accumulation years of our life and our family has been gifted so many casino comps that we prefer money to “things” in most cases.

For more information, go to their players club site.

Our Style of Life

Mon, 11 May 2009 22:35:00 -0800

(I hate the word “lifestyle”!)

Many people have asked Brad and me whether we play video poker every day and are surprised at our answers.

No, we don’t play every day. Actually if you count driving time in traffic-choked Las Vegas, we spend more time going to and being in casinos doing non-gambling (albeit gambling related) activities than actual hours on a video poker machine. Picking up free play (playing it through once when we aren’t going to play any more than that) takes up the biggest chunk of time. We have around 50-70 different pickup times a month, for one or the other of us or both, depending on how many casinos in which we are active players – and how many casinos keep trying to lure us back with free play when we decide to be inactive! Fortunately Brad likes to “run around” more than I do so he does the lion’s share of free play pickup when there is no extra play to be done at that time. That means he is out in casino most every day.

On the days I am in a casino with Brad, we usually eat our main meal wherever we will be stopping anyway and have comps to a restaurant we both like. We eat more at buffets because we can get more vegetables and generally eat more heart healthy. We do most of our major high-level play when Brad and I are together (so we have someone to sympathize with when we have big losses!), although Brad sometimes does some lower-level play when I am tied up in my office with writing projects. I spend a good bit of time organizing and trouble-shooting when I am in a casino. Brad hates details (“just let me play”) so it’s up to me to see that points are credited correctly, to find all the fine-print details of promotions and slot club benefits, to record all the necessary details of our play that the IRS will need, and to talk to the host to see what off-account comps for which we are eligible.

What do I do on the many “nightgown” days when I never leave the house? Well, in the last 12 or so years I have written 4 books and hundreds of articles. I answer every e-mail I get – and I get tons of them. I read almost everything about gambling I can get my hands on or can find on the Internet. I am on many gambling forums and read most of the messages although I don’t have the time to post as often as I would like. And planning our gambling schedule so we will have the maximum chance for profit takes many many hours a month.

And then we have all the real-life (non-gambling) matters any family has. Although Brad and I work together on our broad financial picture, I take care of the never-ending details. We keep in close touch with both of our scattered families by e-mail and phone – and as many visits back and forth as I can organize. We have a cleaning lady every two weeks, but we still have the usual household duties. Brad helps out with the laundry and fixes our yogurt-Grape-Nuts-fruit-almonds and green tea breakfast every morning and our simple dinner when we don’t go out to eat – soup/sandwiches, Lean Cuisine, or leftovers from our last too-big casino restaurant meal.

Today is a nightgown day and that means I had time to write this blog. But I must go now – it is almost 100 degrees this week and I desperately need to go clean out my walk-in closet that is so jammed with winter clothes that I can’t find a sundress to wear! I must be brutal and ruthless and throw away beloved but outdated outfits and anything size 10 or smaller – I am never going to naturally be skinny again – and if I get cancer and waste away, I can go out and buy mini-sizes!

Frugal Resource

Thu, 07 May 2009 18:21:00 -0800

I subscribed to the SaveLV.com Daily Updates a few weeks ago and I am amazed at the wealth of frugal information they provide. Free food giveaways, free entertainment offerings, so many ways to make your dollars stretch further if you live in or visit Las Vegas.

Today’s Daily Update e-mail contained a good example of the unusual frugal offers this Internet site digs up – Harrah’s has teamed up with romance novel publisher, Harlequin, to offer two free Vegas novel downloads.

These daily frugal finds (and much more) can be found on their Web site but I find it handy to receive their daily updates by e-mail.

Frugal Book Shopping

Sat, 02 May 2009 22:25:00 -0800

Have you been to the “LVA Store” recently, just a click from here at http://www.shoplva.com/?

If not, you might not realize some of the new frugal options. For example, we now offer 18 titles as e-books, with prices well below their hold-in-your-hand brothers (or sisters!). Of course you will have to decide whether the book you want is one you might read just once or one that you will study over a long period of time. E-books are great for that one-time read or as a resource that you will consult just once in a while. Also you can print out small sections that you might want to use more frequently. Of course, you can print out a complete e-book if you don’t mind the expense of paper and ink.

I have two books now in e-book form. The first is Tax Help for Gamblers, which many people have downloaded as an e-book that they will consult when they are dealing with tax issues, both when filing their initial returns and if/when they receive scary letters from the IRS. Frugal Video Poker is also available in e-book form. Many experienced gamblers have downloaded it to read through one time to glean some possibly new kernels of information and then use as a resource when special gambling circumstances arise where they need more information, i.e., video poker tournaments or quad promotions. The beginning video poker student or infrequent recreational player may opt to pay a little more for the paperback because they will be referring to it frequently, especially if they have the companion Frugal Video Poker software and they want to practice using the lessons in the back of the book.

Another great frugal option you might have missed in the LVA Store is the “Bargain Bin.” Some of these are damaged copies, returned unsold from bookstores, but usually just the cover is imperfect. The text inside is complete. For example, you can order a damaged copy of More Frugal Gambling for only $3 and get the information inside that has helped thousands of video poker players earn/save thousands of dollars. You can also get a damaged copy of The Frugal Gambler for $3. This is the green cover completely updated edition that replaced the original red-cover edition.

With the economy the way it is these days, gamblers need all the information they can dig up so they can stretch their bankroll further, winning more/losing less. Hopefully the above will give you some new ideas as to where to dig.

Casino Extra Charges Revisited

Wed, 29 Apr 2009 14:29:00 -0800

My discussion about a “resort fee” a couple of days ago generated a lot of comments, both here and in emails to me privately. This is a bigger hot point than I had originally thought.

Many responders wondered why I didn’t call out the casino where this incident happened to me. As a rule, I like to give general advice about a subject as much as possible. I didn’t want people just to be careful about this one casino, but to always go over their bill before they check out of any hotel. Another factor is that I hate to give negative publicity to one person or company when it might be just an isolated honest mistake.

However, this time I am going to mention the casino. It was Green Valley Ranch. Now I like the Stations casinos. They run some great promotions. Brad and I have played at a Station casino for many years and plan to continue doing so as long as they have good video poker games and good promotions. But I hope someone with decision-making authority there will read my blog entries about this situation and also take note of the comments and realize that dinging players with extra charges is negative PR that is pushing customers away.

Speaking of reader comments here, there is a lot of helpful information in them. When you read my blog, you may be missing them. You have to scroll down below the blog entry on the left side of the page to see a list of “Recent Comments.” However, some people don’t comment on a particular blog entry right away. So if you are interested in a specific subject, click on the title of a particular blog entry and at the end of it you will be able to see all the comments that have been written.

It Does Pay to Check

Sat, 25 Apr 2009 14:07:00 -0800

I just had an experience that reinforced my strong belief that you need to keep a very watchful eye on all business you conduct with a casino. Actually this is true for any business matters, but sometimes it seems that casinos may have more tricks up their sleeves – or maybe I just have more business matters with casinos than with other businesses.

Whatever the case, here is the snafu I just faced. I made a reservation at a locals casino for a relative who was going to be in town for just an overnight stay. I usually make reservations through a host, but this time I just went through the regular reservation system to use a one-night-free offer that came in my monthly mailer. At the time I made the reservation, I asked if there were any extra fees. No, they said, it would be completely free. When I checked in, I asked this same question, specifically mentioning a “resort fee” that I had heard some upscale local casinos sometimes charge. No, that would not be charged.

You guessed it – what was on the bill when ready for TV checkout the next morning? A $27.49 “resort fee.”

A simple call to the front desk and this charge was “waived.” But I wonder how many people would just leave their keys in the room and assume that a “free” room night would not have a charge so they wouldn’t check the bill. How many people might not closely check their credit card bills and see the charge for a “free” room?

Did the casino make a simple mistake – or was it a “trick”?

Blackjack Legends

Sun, 19 Apr 2009 23:39:00 -0800

I would like to recommend an e-Book I just read, Legends of Blackjack: True Stories of Players who Crushed the Casino by Kevin Blackwood and Larry Barker. I have met many of the blackjack legends featured in this book and I’ve been personal friends with some of them; yet, I still discovered new and fascinating details about their rise to fame that I didn't know about prior to reading this book. (Including a few new details about our boss around here, Anthony Curtis!)

If you love to read, as I do, about players who have been very successful at winning money gambling in a casino, you will love reading this book. I find inspiration in such stories, and especially enjoy reading how their early life and non-gambling activities show the kind of personality and skills needed in their gambling craft,

You can go to the publisher’s Web site, http://www.bjinsider.com/LOB.shtml, to read more information about the book, including the Table of Contents and the list of the blackjack legends covered in the book. You can also read a sample chapter from the book that describes the true life-story of George Hascik, who later became the leader of the famous Czech blackjack team that won a staggering quarter million dollars from Resorts International Casino in Atlantic City when they first opened. I predict that once you read this chapter, you will be hooked and want to read the entire book.

The book is only available digitally. As soon as you order the e-book, you can download it to your computer, and either print it or read it directly. The book costs $14.95.

Frugal Sightseeing

Tue, 14 Apr 2009 15:51:00 -0800

Tomorrow, Wednesday, April 15th, is the 30^th anniversary of the Liberace Museum and it is celebrating by offering admission tickets for only 30 cents. This is a bargain (especially for out-of-towners) since admission is ordinarily $15 for adults and $10 for seniors 65+ and students with a valid school ID. Locals do have one other frugal option: Second Sundays are free to Nevada residents.

The Liberace Museum is located in the Liberace Plaza at 1775 E. Tropicana Ave. (at Spencer Avenue). The Museum occupies two buildings separated by the parking area. It is open Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday from noon to 4 p. m., and is closed Mondays.

Except for the second Sundays mentioned above, admission price includes a one-hour guided tour on Tuesday-Saturday at 11 a.m. or 2 p.m. and on Sunday at 2 p.m.

Got Overdue Library Books?

Mon, 13 Apr 2009 16:55:00 -0800

In celebration of National Library Week, the Las Vegas-Clark CountyLibrary District is having an amnesty program beginning Monday, April 13 through Sunday, April 19. The program is intended to encourage the return of library materials by library users whose overdue fines are keeping them from coming back to the library.

A cardholder must pay their outstanding balance in full in order to take advantage of the program. Fines and fees for lost, damaged or overdue materials owned by the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District will be waived up to $25, upon payment in full of any remaining balance on the account. Simply stop by any of the Library District’s 24 convenient branches to take advantage of amnesty week. Fines and charges will not be waived over the telephone.

Lost library cards will also be replaced free of charge.

--I found this information at http://savelv.com/, a resource you might want to bookmark. I have mentioned this Web site before as full of money-saving ideas for Vegas locals and tourists.

Tournament Fun

Fri, 10 Apr 2009 22:48:00 -0800

Brad and I don’t do tournaments as often as we used to. They are too often very time-consuming, with too many entrants chasing too little prize money. But to tell you the truth, we are probably getting a bit jaded. It has been 25 years since our first trip to Las Vegas and we have been in a lot of tournaments since that time. Pounding those buttons and all that screaming and hollering just doesn’t seem to get us very excited any more. (Of course some cynics may say that after you win a half million in a tournament, it’s all downhill from there! :)

Anyway, we recently were in an invitational tournament at Excalibur where we were put into three teams, headed by three hosts. Individual prizes weren’t huge – each person on the winning team won $1000; those on the two losing teams got nothing. But it was a fun event because of the enthusiasm of the hosts, who got in the spirit with a prize fight theme, dressing the part. Our host is Marcy, the fighter on the right. We didn’t win but we pounded those buttons fiercely, defending our pride and supporting our brave leader.

Bonus Days at the M Casino

Tue, 07 Apr 2009 17:56:00 -0800

The rest of April at the M Casino you can earn 3x points on slot machines and 2x on all video poker except the Optimum Play 100% games. Since single points are worth .3% to add to the EV of a video poker game, double points adding .6% will make some negative games a positive play.

Correction about Construction on Tropicana Avenue

Sat, 04 Apr 2009 21:57:00 -0800

On March 31 I wrote about our “crawl” through construction from Valley View to east of the Strip. I mistakenly said we were traveling west; obviously we were going east. Last night we came home (which is west of the Strip) from the airport via Trop and there was no problem traveling west. Right now at least, most of the delay is when you are traveling east.

Again, I recommend using the DI Arterial as much as possible, especially during high traffic times, to miss the congestion and delays crossing the Strip.

Back From New Orleans

Sat, 04 Apr 2009 20:37:00 -0800

Just spent 3 nights at Harrah’s in the Big Easy. Some people we talked to on our trip thought it was pretty funny that people who lived in Vegas would make a trip to New Orleans to gamble. One joked about carrying coals to New Castle and a busman’s holiday. Although we do just like the atmosphere in New Orleans, to tell you the truth, we went this time because Harrah’s made us an offer that we just couldn’t refuse, one to the tune of $2100.

Brad is regaining his strength, albeit slowly, but took the travel very well, his first trip since he “died.” It was his first time to cope with security measures since he got his pacemaker. Although he can go through the security arches (just no security wands), on his way home they insisted on a hand pat down instead – but they didn’t find any weapons except a big fat bankroll with which to fight casinos. This was thanks to his 20k dealt royal on a $1 Five Play machine plus two more singles. 7 royals in two days – I guess he has his game back on!

However, I am sad that I must bring some bad news from Harrah’s New Orleans. On April 1 they changed the Reward Credit redemption schedule for their partner restaurants. Although you can redeem your RCs on a one-to-one basis for all the restaurants in the casino and in the hotel (Gordon Biersch, Ruth’s Chris Steak House, and Grand Isle), the redemption for other partner restaurants is now on a two-to-one basis. That means it takes $2 in Reward Credits to pay for every $1 you spend at “outside” restaurants.

Reducing benefits is a sign of the tough times casinos are facing. And don’t be surprised if there is going to be a lot more of this. On the other hand, some casinos are ramping up the promotions to get more customers into their properties. So, cherry-picking is the name of the game, as it always is whether good times or bad!

Read in the R-J

Tue, 31 Mar 2009 07:44:00 -0800

From the Road Warrior column: “Motorists can expect delays and lane restrictions through September on Tropicana Avenue, from Paradise Road to Interstate 15.” We experienced this first-hand, an almost-an-hour crawl going east on Trop from Valley View to the east side of the Strip. This construction delay is a 24-hour event. And switching to Flamingo isn’t a good alternative if it’s after 9 p.m. since there is lane closure there all night. Thank goodness for the DI Arterial, which is the best way to avoid traffic jams crossing the Strip.

From Norm’s “Vegas Confidential” column, quoting Bill Maher: “The Federal Reserve says Americans last year lost $11 trillion dollars in household wealth. You know, that is our own stupid, greedy fault for putting money in banks. If we’d lost it in Las Vegas, they would have at least comped the room.”

April Senior Bonus

Sun, 29 Mar 2009 17:59:00 -0800

We seniors (50+) are getting some love from the Station and Fiesta casinos on Wednesdays in April. 5x points are offered all day on all machines and bingo. They are giving ½ off points on food at all restaurants from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. (excluding buffets). All casinos are holding drawings every Wednesday at 4 p.m. – see players club for details.

Stop by any Station or Fiesta players club desk for a “50 Plus” Senior Wednesdays sticker.

Useful Web sites

Wed, 25 Mar 2009 14:29:00 -0800

http://www.videopoker.com/ – Play all the IGT video poker games, including new ones like Quick Quads Poker and Ultimate X Poker. Practice when there is no risk to your gambling bankroll.

http://savelv.com/ - “Save Money on Las Vegas Hotels, Entertainment, Dining & Fun Things To Do.” You can subscribe to get daily updates by e-mail.

www.lasvegasgamblingedge.com - Charles Lund has always been good at collecting information and putting it into lists that are helpful to gamblers who want to play smarter, especially video poker players. After being on various sites on the Internet, he now has his own Web site and information you might not find anywhere else, at least in such an organized fashion. As well as lists about casino promotions and benefits, he also has categories for detailed Las Vegas information, like Free Attractions. I have added it to my “Favorites.”

And if you want a comprehensive list of links to video poker information, subscribe to vpFREE at vpFREE-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.

New IRS Information

Sat, 21 Mar 2009 01:51:00 -0800

Recently the IRS has put out two memos that are of special interest to gamblers.

The first you can read at http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-utl/am2008011.pdf. This seems to legitimize what Marissa and I discussed in our book Tax Help for Gamblers about using the session method in reporting gambling wins and losses.

This memo does include an admonition: “This advice may not be used or cited as precedent.” However, Marissa says it can still be used when dealing with the IRS at the administrative levels.

The second memo is at http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-utl/am2008013.pdf.

On this one Marissa has these comments: “As the memo points out, there have been two divergent tracks of court cases pertaining to whether a professional gambler can deduct expenses in excess of gambling wins. (In our book we cite the Praytor case that does not allow expenses in excess of gambling wins.) I think eventually we will see a court case, maybe even at the Supreme Court level, which will try to resolve the differences between these cases.

”For right now, it's a use-at-your-own-peril concept since this memo is just the opinion of one researcher at the IRS. And as with the first memo it says, 'This advice may not be used or cited as precedent.'"

Station and Changing Mailers

Mon, 16 Mar 2009 14:23:00 -0800

Today on the “LVA Question of the Day” I answered a question about mailers sent out by Station Casinos and how the bounce-back amounts seem to be lower than usual. (You can read this QOD for free today only at http://www.lasvegasadvisor.com/qod.cfm if you aren’t a LVA subscriber – once it goes into the archives the next day, only subscribers can read it.)

I need to add one note to this subject. The information I gave in the QOD was correct for Green Valley Ranch at the time I wrote it, but I have heard that the Stations are "experimenting" with various bounce-back options, including using daily average and various qualification periods. And they may do one option only at one or some of their casinos and not at all of them. So it may be hard to track this until they settle on one option for all their casinos, something they might never go back to!

Oh dear! I may never be able to retire!

Odds and Ends

Sun, 15 Mar 2009 13:04:00 -0800

Gambling Podcasts

Steve Bourie interviews many well-known gambling names on his monthly podcasts, Anthony Curtis, Max Rubin, John Grochowski, to name a few. This month he and I talk about getting the most for your money when visiting a casino. Also last March we talked about gambling and taxes. You can see the list at http://americancasinoguide.com/podcasts.shtml and click on any to listen.

Mini-slot Tournaments

Excalibur is starting midday mini slot tournaments Thursdays through Sundays. I know there are others held at Ellis Island, Terrible’s, NY-NY, to name a few. There are more listed at http://lasvegasadvisor.com/tourneyresults.cfm. However, for up-to-date information on any of these, you might want to call the casino near the time you plan to participate. These mini-tournaments have a habit of coming and going with little or no publicity. Some are free; others have a small entry fee, typically $20.

Shuttle To/From New M Resort

There is a shuttle between the M and the Fashion Show Mall, 7 days a week. Call for schedule near the time you want to ride for up-to-date information.

Machine Stickers

For years on all video poker machines at any Harrah’s property it took $10 to earn one point. Recently in Atlantic City, a few of the video poker machines with better paytables (mainly 9/6 JoB) were changed to give one point for $20 coin-in. Fortunately the machines have a sticker informing the players of this change.

In fact, putting stickers on video poker machines is a relatively new development that players must watch for. The Palms and the new M sticker machines that aren’t eligible for promotions. Stations casinos sticker their Optimum Play machines stating that they require $4 to earn one point (versus 1 for 1 on other machines).

I’m all for stickers on bad-schedule video poker machines. What about this sticker: “You cannot win on this machine!"

New Video Poker Database

Thu, 12 Mar 2009 15:58:00 -0800

I recently received this post after I wrote a rather glowing blog entry about the video poker at the new casino M:

“My dear Mrs. Scott,

It's quite obvious that you are no longer in touch with the nickel/quarter players. From the information you've supplied on the video poker schedules [at M] I would never consider playing there. Marnell [owner of M] did the same thing to the Edgewater/Colorado Belle that he's done at M Resort. He took out every 9/6 machine and put in inferior 8/5 bonus. Most players aren't professionals like you, Brad, Bob Dancer and all the other writers. We're merely looking to play the longest and get good slot club benefits.

The Boyd properties: Gold Coast, California and Main Street Station, all have significant 9/6 in quarters and comp meals for play without the use of points. Gold Coast offers many 4x, 5x, and 6x points during the month. I'm equally certain that most of these casinos have full pay games in far more abundance than M Resort. The Boyd properties offer very good mailings as well. The Four Queens offers the same cash back and has eight 9/6 machines 5¢ to $1 MD MG and quite a few 8/5 bonus progressives. The Plaza downtown is showing a great many quarter 9/6 on vpFREE2, which I'll be checking out next trip.

According to vpFREE2 the Las Vegas Hilton has a ton of 9/6 in nickels and quarters. I believe the vast majority of casual video poker players have done at least some investigating of strategy and know what a decent pay table is. For us the better game is 9/6 since that is the strategy most of us use. For nickel/quarter players that are only going to gamble a couple of days and nights, the M Resort doesn't have great pay tables!!!!

Other than this little disagreement I think your blog is great. Hope Brad and you keep getting royals wherever you play. Thanks!"

First, I am so glad you still seem to “like” me in spite of the one criticism you have. And I appreciate your pointing out your disagreement in a polite and gentlemanly manner.

To your main point, I have been noticing that many casinos are cutting down on offering 9/6 JoB at the lower levels, even if they keep it at the higher ones. Sometimes they offer it only at the $5 or higher denominations and this cuts out even the numerous $1 players as well as the quarter ones.

I do realize that many players know only one VP schedule strategy and that is usually 9/6 JoB. I guess I had temporarily forgotten that fact because I was so excited that M offered a game that had a higher EV than JoB (99.5%), even on the quarter level – a deuce game we call NSUD (Not So Ugly Deuces) with an EV of 99.7%.

What is the answer to these problems? First, you had one good answer within your own post: Play somewhere else where there is JoB and good extra benefits. And I was so glad you mentioned vpFREE2 since I was needing to write about this new database anyway. For years I had been recommending the vpFREE Web site and its good database as THE place to get valuable information on the location of good video poker machines. However, that database is no longer being updated because there is now a new database at vpFREE2 (http://www.vpFREE2.com/).

This new database is still experiencing some growing pains as they transfer data from the old one. And there is some delay in inputting new information, like on the M Resort VP inventory. But when the kinks are all straightened out, this will be a much better database, with more features than the old one. Right now you can sign up (for free) and go into the “ADVANCED” section where you can input the game you want to play. So whether you are a nickel/quarter player or a high roller, you will be able to find where you can play any particular game, in the particular format you prefer (Multi-Strike, multi-line, etc.), and at the denomination your bankroll can support.

A second suggestion I can give is that if you want to become really serious about playing VP, you might want to learn a second game, in many cases this might be the NSUD I mentioned above. In today’s VP world, it is getting very difficult to have only one game in your arsenal to use against the casino.

More M Casino News

Mon, 09 Mar 2009 00:06:00 -0800

We spent several hours checking things out and playing at M last Friday. It was VERY busy and the lines at the slot club are still much too long. The owner has said they are hiring 250 new employees right away to cope with the unexpectedly large crowds, but if you don’t have a players card yet and hate lines, you might want to wait a week or so. Also the buffet was a zoo Friday night, with even the comp line too long for us to endure. We left to go to another casino to have dinner. Hopefully with more employees, service will improve soon in all areas of the casino.

This next M item of news makes me feel a little inadequate. I know that many savvy players have found great playing opportunities when a casino first opens, so I should have scouted a bit more carefully when I was at the VIP pre-opening party and I might have found this quarter progressive with a $10,000 royal. Of course, it would have meant waiting around until the machines were turned on at 10 p.m. and jumping on it ready to play into the night until it got hit. So since we went home and were in bed by 10 p.m., some smart gambler did take advantage of this casino mistake. I don’t know how long he/she had to play, but it was a nice payoff, and one the casino graciously paid off in spite of it being a mistake of an extra zero!

You can read all about it at http://www.thebeargrowls.com/?p=314, which, by the way, is a very interesting gambling news site.

In spite of opening problems, we really like the M Casino, and the employees are very friendly even if they are scrambling to give good service when they are very busy.

We also find it easy to get to the M. You can just go south on Las Vegas Boulevard until you get to St. Rose Parkway, or you can travel south on I-15 and get off at the St. Rose Parkway exit, which is just one exit past the Silverado exit where South Point is located. I-15 south of Flamingo is usually fast and fairly so even during rush hour. Coming back north, however, is another story. We avoid I-15 North at almost any time except late at night. It really becomes just a slow-moving parking lot.

My Fellow Bloggers

Thu, 05 Mar 2009 19:27:00 -0800

I’m not being lazy – I always have plenty of things to write about. But I can’t be everywhere and cover every gambling topic that I’d like to. So for that reason I want to point you to another blog that today is covering a topic that is dear to my heart – What It Takes to be a Very Successful Gambler. This is the subject in the blog of David Matthews, at http://lasvegasadvisor.com/blogs/dmatthews/. Although David’s blog is titled “Gambling in Space,” you can find him writing about almost any gambling subject in heaven and on earth – and maybe sometimes in a little corner of “hell.” After you read his blog entry of today, you might want to scroll down and read some of his past ones – you will find a lot of interesting and helpful gambling information.

While I am on the subject of blogs, I would also like to tell you about the other two on this LVA site. David McGee talks about what’s happening in the casino-business world at http://lasvegasadvisor.com/blogs/dmckee/. And Robin Camacho talks about what’s happening in the real estate world at http://lasvegasadvisor.com/blogs/rcamacho/.

You can access any of these blogs from the lasvegasadvisor.com homepage or at http://www.lasvegasadvisor.com/blogs.cfm. And what you might not know is that you can “subscribe” to any of our blogs and you will be notified by e-mail when there is a new entry. To do this, go to the specific blog you want, and down at the bottom left of the page there is a place to put your e-mail address and then click on "Subscribe" You will receive an e-mail right away asking you to verify that you indeed want to subscribe. After you "verify," you will automatically be alerted by e-mail when there is a new posting.

And, remember, you can always go back and read old entries in any of our blogs. Some of the information might be outdated, but much of the gambling information I give is timeless.

The New M Resort Spa and Casino

Sun, 01 Mar 2009 23:43:00 -0800

Just got home from the VIP Grand Opening gala, before the M opens to the public at 10 p.m. We got our invitation through a host who used to work at another property where we played. (This is one of the good reasons why I recommend cultivating a relationship with a host. We have followed some hosts through several property changes!) And one comment about this party besides the great food offered as we traipsed from one restaurant to another. I have not seen so many dressed-up people in a casino for a long time – and so many men wearing ties! It was stylishly fun!

This new property is stunning, especially the arrangement of the restaurants so that most have terrace dining that overlooks the large pool complex. This will be the place where much of the entertainment action will take place, including concerts, themed pool parties, festivals, and other events.

But no matter how beautiful a casino resort may be, many of you will be like Brad and me: Show us the video poker! Although the machines were not open for play at this VIP party, we could check out the paytables – and they were VERY good. NSUD (a 99.7% deuce game) was available from single-line quarters to $25 Five Play! Lots of 8/5 Bonus in many denominations. There is one bank of 10 machines with 100%+ games on the quarter level – Full Pay Classic Deuces Wild (100.7%), a 100.6% Joker Poker game, 10/7 DB (100.1%), and 10/6 Double Double Bonus (100%). Be advised there is a sign on this bank: “Not included in any casino promotion.” (These machines also take 4 times the coin-in to earn a point, $4 in to earn one point.)

The slot club pays .3% on all slots and most VP. (1 point for each $1 coin in and 333 points equals $1.) You can redeem your points for free play right at the machine or for cash by going to the slot club. You can also redeem your points (at the same redemption value) for meals, drinks, retail purchases, pharmacy purchases including insurance co-pay and prescriptions, spa and salon services, hotel stays, gasoline and car wash purchases.

As locals, we will be waiting to see what mailings we will be getting after we put in some significant play one day this week! That and what promotions they run will determine whether M will be a casino we will add to our playlist!

Casino-Sponsored Cruises

Thu, 26 Feb 2009 02:54:00 -0800

For many years now cruises have been a popular casino give-away. Some of these can be a benefit anyone could have if they earn a specified number of points during a specified period. Others can be “comps” given to a casino’s “best” customers, with the exact requirements unknown.

However, if you can earn or are offered one of these “free” cruises, the definition of “free” is something you must investigate. Some include “everything,” including airfare to and from the casino city and the embarkation port, tips, ground transportation, port charges, government taxes and fees, and even on-board credit for such things as alcoholic drinks. On the other hand, some of these comped cruises don't cover any of these things and your “free” cruise might cost you more than it is worth to you. Or, you might be able to book a cruise at some online bargain rate that would be cheaper in the long run.

Brad and I have been on 14 cruises since we met in 1984 and 5 of those, in the last 7 years, have been sponsored by casinos. It has varied considerably how much the casinos provided beyond the basic cruise cost, but one thing every experienced cruiser knows is that you better plan on extra expenses. There are shore excursions that sound so interesting, photographers at every turn who want to sell you expensive pictures, and daily specials on cute tropical drinks that look so refreshing.

One frugal hint for cruisers: I just read in the newspaper today that ships make most of their profit through gambling and alcohol. It helps to be a non-drinker and able to shun the bad-payoff machines that are so common in shipboard casinos.

Brads Health Update

Mon, 23 Feb 2009 21:52:00 -0800

Brad is gaining back his strength, albeit slowly. This is probably due as much from the “bug” as the pacemaker since I also am having trouble regaining my normal energy.

But we are trying to be a little more active each day. In fact, today we got our exercise by walking into the Palms to collect free play, use a food coupon, and do our two free pulls on Megabucks. We got lucky and each of us won $15 on one of our pulls.

And then we went to Wynn to collect some free play - and decided to sit down and “rest” and play for a little while. Brad evidently didn’t forget the point of video poker during his cardiac arrest. Within five minutes he had hit two W2-G jackpots – and yes, one was a royal flush.

You can’t keep a good man down!

Health Bumps

Thu, 19 Feb 2009 20:57:00 -0800

I wrote on the 12^th that Brad’s angioplasty, with stent #7, had gone well and he would be discharged from the hospital on the 13^th and would probably soon be back to his regular “job” of having fun in a casino.

Well, he was discharged from the hospital on the 13^th and was resting on the 14^th when he was suddenly hit by violent vomiting and unrelenting diarrhea. Since this was the same scenario as just before his first heart attack years ago, I immediately called an ambulance to take him to the hospital. In the emergency room he was going in and out of A-fib and then suddenly went into cardiac arrest. After 5 minutes of CPR his heart started up again. (I didn’t learn of this until after the crisis was over. Probably a good thing I wasn’t there at the time or I might have gone into cardiac arrest myself!)

After being stabilized, he was admitted and went through extensive testing. It was determined that he had problems with a slow heart rhythm (in addition to A-fib) so a dual-chamber pacemaker system was implanted.

The day after Brad was hit with the vomiting/diarrhea situation, I came down with the same thing so we must have been attacked by the same “bug.” This was inconvenient to say the least since I couldn’t be at the hospital overseeing - bossing? - Brad’s various doctors and nurses, seeing that he got the best attention in a caring but understaffed facility. However, in spite of my forced absence (although I was doing a lot of phone management) Brad seems to be okay now and came home last evening. He always has said that hospitals try to kill him, by freezing and sticking him to death and waking him up so often he never is allowed to get rested. So he is feeling much better to be warm and cozy at home with no needles in sight and able to sleep when he wants and as long as he wants.

We both are still plagued with slight nausea and dizziness and all-over soreness – we feel like we’ve been run over by a truck. That “bug” that hit us both must be a wicked one and doesn’t want to leave the body easily. (We have heard from others in Vegas and other parts of the country that this “bug” is going around and leaves you weak for quite awhile.) But hopefully we both will be feeling better in a few days.

We want to give a big thanks to all who have stepped up to help us during this medical emergency. It is wonderful to have so many caring friends.

Bonus Point Bumps

Sun, 15 Feb 2009 03:40:00 -0800

As you all know, I recommend play on days when a casino offers bonus-point multipliers. But you must be careful that you know the details of any these promotions. Each casino’s system has its own quirks and here are some of the things you need to watch for:

--Just what is multiplied? For example, Harrah’s multipliers only add to the base Reward Credits, not to the bonus Credits or to the Tier Credits. And if a casino is running another promotion at the same time, like the one at the Palms this month in which you can earn cash or free play instead of comps, those benefits can be earned only on base points, not on any multiplier points.

--What are the limits? Some casinos set no limits – you can play for bonus points until your fingers freeze up. However, you need to check. For example, Silverton usually sets a limit of 60,000 bonus points (on top of the regular single points). This means that if you play there tomorrow, President’s Day, you can get their 5x points only on the first 15,000 points you earn; after that you are earning single points. The Palms usually (not always – read rules for each promotion carefully) has a limit of 40,000 bonus points.

--What are the hours the bonus will be given? Often bonus promotions run from midnight to midnight, but there are exceptions. Silverton ran a 9x promotion this last January 1^st from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m.

--Are all machines included in the promotion? Tuscany, Cannery, and Ellis Island exclude some machines from their multiple-point days. Fortunately, they do have labels on those machines so you know this before you start your play

--Are the multipliers for everyone? Station Casinos sometimes sends out cards to individual customers with a promotion only for those that get the mailer. Green Valley Ranch has a multi-point promotion for only seniors on Wednesdays this month. Harrah’s multi-point promotion is only for players with Platinum cards and above.

As I warn over and over again when I talk about promotions – the devil is in the details!

Lucky Number 7

Thu, 12 Feb 2009 22:05:00 -0800

During Brad’s angiogram today the cardiologist found one place in the right coronary artery that had an 80% blockage so he did an angioplasty and put in one stent – the 7^th one in that artery. We figured he wanted to match stents with Brad’s royals!

But this is good news, perhaps pushing the need for bypass surgery further into the future. Brad is chafing under the orders to lie flat for so many hours, but he should be discharged from the hospital tomorrow and able to pretty much go back to his regular “job” of having fun in a casino, hopefully with Lady Luck still at his side.

We thank everyone who was praying and thinking good thoughts and wishing Brad well today.

Those Tricky Royal Flushes

Wed, 11 Feb 2009 18:50:00 -0800

Royals flushes - you never know when they will hide for seemingly eons. And then when you just about give up ever getting one, they pop up to surprise and please you.

After a particularly bad start to 2009, deep in a gambling hole, Brad hit a royal on Feb. 5. It certainly didn’t get us even for the year, but it surely made our spirits rise. We are used to losing streaks, but we are human and winning is always more “fun” than losing. Then the next day Brad hit another royal. Great, we are quickly climbing up out of that big hole.

The next day, Feb. 7, we are in shock when Brad hit his 3^rd royal in 3 days, all in different casinos. We are out of the hole and extra cash on hand! Time to pay off one of the markers we had taken out during our January drought. So on the 8^th Brad (who always takes care of the money) was supposed to take along some of that extra cash to pay off that marker, but he forgot. I teased him about his forgetfulness and said that I guess he would just have to hit royal #4 and part of that could pay off the marker. So that is what he did!!!!!! (Isn’t it nice he is so easy-going and does what I suggest?)

On the 9^th my calendar tells me that we are scheduled to play at Casino #5. We joke on the way. Should we think about the common concept that maybe we have “used up” all our luck – or the opposite, we’re on a roll and keep it going. Anyway Brad does hit #5. I joke with the floor people about men having all the luck and I haven’t had a royal in ages. All the gals applaud when soon after I say that I hit a royal that is a lot bigger than his.

The rest of the story is really a “cheater.” Yesterday we were scheduled to play just a short time on 100 Play, which is no guarantee by any means of getting a royal. But Brad was dealt four to the royal and connected on two, numbers 6+7. To keep him from hogging all the glory, I hit one too.

We aren't going to try to extend this already-over-the-top royal streak. We aren’t playing in a casino today – Brad is resting up for an angiogram scheduled tomorrow. Need to find out why he is “dragging” these days and gets chest pain on exertion. As I write in books about video poker I autograph – we are hoping for “skillful luck.” We are counting on a little luck in the hospital tomorrow and a lot of skill on the doctors’ part to make a good diagnosis. They say maybe more stents although he already has 6 from the last two angioplasties and there could be a limit to this option. And for the first time they mentioned the possibility of bypass surgery.

I’ll report back here when the doctor tells us what he advises.

Good Moves by Silverton

Sun, 08 Feb 2009 11:52:00 -0800

I am no authority on how casinos could/should run their business during this severe economic downturn, but it seems as if they shouldn’t be making cuts that say to old loyal customers, “We don’t want your business any more.” And it looks like they should be doing more to attract new customers.

Among the casinos that are making a good effort to keep existing players and attract new ones, Silverton stands high. You see their advertisements every time you turn around, in the newspaper, on TV, and on billboards. Here are some of the promotions they are running in February:

--A good no-risk signup bonus. Join their players club and they will give you $50 in free slot play - $25 on the day you join and $25 on your next visit within the next 30 days.

--Earn a “Snuggie.” You know you have seen these advertised on TV and wished you had one! I had! Earn just 250 points on reel slots or 500 on video poker and you can feel warm and fuzzy on your couch in one of these. And the casino doesn’t even take away those points – so they stay in your account and add to your comp balance. You can earn only one Snuggie a day, but you can do this promo every day –a chance to work ahead on your holiday gift list

--Two-for-one restaurant deal (4-10 p.m.). This promotion has been running for a couple of months, but it proved too popular and the lines became impossible. So this month they have changed it and you can get this discount only if you have a players card at the silver or higher level. However, this is not a big hurdle if you plan to put some play on your card anyway. Ordinarily it takes 5000 points to reach the silver level but this month you can get there with only 1000 points.

--Nightly drawing at 8 p.m. Big plus here over past drawings – the entries are generated electronically. And another convenient feature of Silverton drawings: You don't have to be present to win; they give you 3 hours to collect your prize!

As I always warn, you need to check at the players club for the details of any of these promotions. And another warning, especially during these bad economic times, don't gamble with money you need for life’s necessities.

HBO - Friend or Foe

Mon, 02 Feb 2009 02:47:00 -0800

We usually don’t see enough interesting offerings on HBO to justify paying for it, but we do cough up the extra money to subscribe when “Big Love” comes back with a new season. We love to watch every Sunday night the joys and trials of our favorite polygamous family. And this season the big question is will they be able to buy Weber Gaming and run a Native American casino that will be a “wholesome place where even Mormons will be comfortable playing video poker.” I am not holding my breath, however, that it will be one with good paytables! (Oops, I’m confusing TV with reality.)

HBO did not provide great entertainment for us tonight, however, after “Big Love.” Looking for some light amusement after losing our Super Bowl bet (we had a $100 parlay on the Cardinals and Under), we decided to watch “Snakes on a Plane.” Brad thought the title sounded interesting and I temporarily forgot I hate snakes. It had only 2 stars – but sometimes we don’t agree with the critics! BIG MISTAKE! They should have warned us by giving it a minus 2 stars. We decided it was the worst movie we had ever watched. In fact it was so bad we had to watch it to the bitter end to see just how bad it would get.

I just hope I can go to sleep tonight and not have nightmares – not about snakes but about bad movies!

SIN as a Marketing Device

Mon, 02 Feb 2009 02:10:00 -0800

Seen recently in the Las VegasReview-Journal, an ad for the newly-opened party place at the Santa Fe Station: “Stoney’s North Forty, A New Place to Sin in the Northwest.”

Never mind that I didn’t ever like my hometown referred to as “Sin City.” And in my book, sinning is not a major goal that makes a life worthwhile - but if it is done, it is best to keep it as private as possible.

But I have tolerated the emphasis on public sinning in Vegas for a couple of years, like you tolerate the wild behavior of teenagers. You figure they will eventually outgrow such childish and superficial behaviors.

But suddenly advertising like the aforementioned is getting to me. GROW UP, Las Vegas!!

How We Chose our Plays

Sat, 24 Jan 2009 12:34:00 -0800

Some of the most common questions I get are about our choice of casinos, why we play – or don’t play - at a particular one. It is difficult to “explain” many of our plays because there are so many factors that go into them and some of the “advantage” benefits are not generally known or readily apparent. Here are some of the factors that influence what and where and why we play at a particular casino:

--We live in Vegas and are able to get certain benefits in casinos here not available to out-of-towners. But remember, often out-of-towners get benefits that locals can’t get – it works both ways!

--We play mostly at quite high denominations these days and there are benefits that come from that which won’t be available or even known to those who play at lower levels. But before you get too envious of this, remember that you may be able to find higher-EV plays at the lower denominations and you won’t need to have such a large bankroll or suffer such severe losing streaks!

--We sometimes find out about a game or a casino promotion that isn’t known to the general public. Some of this information comes through our wide network of friends but a lot comes from constant research. I scour through many Internet forums and Web sites for kernels of information that we can use to grow our gambling profits.

--Brad and I been doing this for many years and have a long history with many hosts – some who have moved – perhaps several times - from the casino where we originally met them. They know that we will give good play where we take high-level comps and that we will never abuse the system. Most importantly, they also know that we go for long periods without asking for any comps so they are happy to provide them, even “special” ones, the few times we do ask for them. In fact, we have some hosts who “beg” us to eat at their gourmet restaurants when all we want is a buffet comp!

--Although we don't count the value of comps when figuring out the EV of a video poker play to be sure it is an “advantage” play, we will occasionally do a play with a smaller edge than we usually like IF the comps are valuable to us. We are always careful, however, to be sure that we have the bankroll to cover this low-edge play.

--And last, but certainly not least, Brad and I work together, with much bigger gambling success than either of us could achieve alone – since we don’t want to “work” full time. Brad does not like to plan ahead. However, I love to “organize” so I spend a lot of time in my office keeping track of all casinos offers and promotions and combining them into “super” plays. I hate to run around town every day, in and out of casinos picking up free play. However, Brad loves to have an excuse to go out most days, so he enjoys getting “casino pickup assignments” from me. And then on those days that we are scheduled to put in some time actually playing video poker, we enjoy going out together for this pleasant “job.”

These are some of the many reasons I can’t give specific advice to players who ask where would be the best play for them. It is such a personal decision with so many complex issues.

Okay, I Changed It!!!!

Tue, 20 Jan 2009 12:45:00 -0800

I am sorry I overlooked beer and whiskey drinkers by featuring wine imbibers in my last entry. I have fixed that!

Seriously, that was not a caring statement and it certainly didn't properly convey Brad's super-generous nature. (Sometimes he reverts to "old school" talk that covers a heart of gold, a la Clint Eastwood in Grand Torino.)

From here on in Brad will look for down-and-outers on which to shower his generosity!

Karma Maybe?

Sun, 18 Jan 2009 02:25:00 -0800

Today I did a charitable deed that “cost” me $125. Brad said that this was nice of me and that probably something good would happen to us as a result of it. Brad is big on this bread-upon-the-water thing. He is always very generous but if we are in a losing streak he will look for a down-and-outer who will appreciate a dollar bill – or a five-dollar one if the losing streak has lasted a long time!

Anyway, this evening we were going to the Reba concert at the Orleans, thanks to some tickets given to us by friends, and we had a little time to spare before it started. We don’t play at the Orleans anymore, but I had a $25 matchplay coupon from the newspaper so I stopped by a blackjack table. I was dealt a fourteen against a dealer’s face card and had to risk busting twice with two hits. I was lucky - now I had twenty. Maybe a tie? But, no, the dealer busted and I was $50 richer. I told Brad maybe his bread-upon-the-water idea was working? (I didn’t figure he meant I would get the whole $125 back.)

After I cashed in my three green chips, it still wasn’t time to go to the concert, so I told Brad that since he still had a Club Coast card, he ought to put one point on it and get his birthday bonus. And let’s just pick a fun-looking slot machine instead of VP for such a fiddly play.

I saw a penny one that said “Quick Hit.” That sounded suitable. Brad put in a five-dollar bill. Should he play max coin? No, that would be 90 pennies – maybe 30 lines but only one penny per line. He played several hands – not much happened – either winning a few pennies or none. We couldn’t even figure out what it took to win. Then it looked like we had a pretty good hit and a bonus screen came up and we had to pick squares until we got 3 matches. Okay we could do that. Then we got a bunch of free plays – just sit and watch the reels go round – that is fun and no risk to our $5 investment. Then suddenly we saw the number 60000 come up. What did that mean? If we ever played this game again – which we wouldn’t - we’d read the Help screen and see what in the heck we were trying to get.

The woman next to us started clapping and congratulating us on our good hit. We said we didn’t understand the machine so didn’t know what we had won because the credits were still adding up.

We still didn’t understand the machine but knew how to cash out the ticket for $604.80.

Happy 77^th birthday, Brad!

MGM Mirage Players Club Computer System Still Down

Wed, 14 Jan 2009 18:49:00 -0800

Just got this e-mail from an Internet friend, reporting on a message she received when she tried to log on to her online MGM Mirage players club account:

“The site is currently under maintenance. We are improving our Players Club system and playersclub.com is currently down. We apologize for the inconvenience; we expect to be fully functional by Friday, January 16.

”If you are visiting playersclub.com to do any of the following, please come back on Friday:

Join Players Club
Update account information
View slot or Holiday Gift Shoppe point balances
Request or view a tax information statement
Set marketing preferences

”If you are visiting the website to book a promotion, make a reservation, communicate with your host, or for any other immediate needs, please contact your preferred property casino marketing department at the appropriate number. Thank you for your patience and we look forward to being able to better service you.”

Harrah's 7 Star Visit in New Orleans

Wed, 14 Jan 2009 17:50:00 -0800

My sister, Starr, has beaten me to this subject. (See her post in the “Comments,” down further on the left side of this Web page.) I have mentioned earlier that we had a family reunion in New Orleans between Christmas and New Year’s but I haven’t given many details. Too busy catching up after being gone for almost two weeks.

But now I do have the time to tell you more about this visit. I worked through my long-time host at Harrah’s in Las Vegas to plan this free 7 Star Trip although we did most of our Harrah’s play in Laughlin last year. We have done the majority of our play in Brad’s name in the past in order to keep 7 Star status, but enough in my name to keep at the Diamond level.

Our Vegas host made the initial room reservation, but put us in touch with a host at Harrah’s New Orleans for subsequent service. This was the first time we had been in New Orleans since Harrah’s had built their own hotel, conveniently joined to the casino by an under-the-street tunnel. We had one suite, with a pullout bed in the couch in the living room, plus an adjoining room for a second bedroom. A third room nearby completed our needs to sleep nine – all comped for 3 nights.

It was a wonderful place to be during the holidays, with the beautiful Fulton Street Holiday Festival right out the door of the hotel.

Kaitlynn and Zachary at the Fulton Street Holiday Festival.

All of the food for the nine, plus sometimes for four more family members who lived locally, was comped. This was covered by the 7 Star $500 celebration meal credit, the extra $500 credit you get on your annual 7 Star free trip, coupons both of us had received in multiple mailings from Harrah’s, with the balance paid using Reward Credits. Shopping in the gift shop for family members was also comped using Reward Credits.

$500 Celebration Jazz Brunch at Ruth Chris's Steakhouse.

7 Star players (and to a somewhat lesser degree - Diamonds) have many perks in New Orleans: a free carriage ride through the French quarter (worth $190, which is what we paid – with Reward Credits – when we needed a second carriage for our gang); 2 complimentary tickets per 7 Star or Diamond player for the Imax theater and Aquarium. (You can also get comped riverboat tickets and Haunted History tours but we didn’t have time for those activities.) If we needed more tickets than our comped ones, we could get more, at a reduced price at the players club, by using Reward Credits.

Brad and I enjoying a carriage ride through the French Quarter with our grandchildren.

Son-in-law Steve with his daughter, Kaitlynn, at the Aquarium.

Highlight of our visit was a visit to Mardi Gras World – the one thing we couldn’t get comped, but was really worth the admission price. (And there are discount coupons you can find on the Internet.) First there was a free ferry trip across the river. Then a free shuttle was waiting to take us to the Mardi Gras World complex, where we were taken on a fascinating tour through a huge warehouse full of former parade floats and props, some being reworked for the upcoming Mardi Gras festivities. The tour price includes a film telling about this booming business that is busy the year around. But the most interesting part includes plenty of free time to try on Mardi Gras costumes and take pictures with your own cameras – no commercial photographers bugging you!

The Three Sisters - 70, 65, and 60

Yes, that's Angela and Steve!

Angela looking like a real princess, not just a frugal one.

It was a wonderful – and frugal – reunion but I know many of you will have questions about it, the main one being “How do you make playing at Harrah’s a positive play?” So, if you hold off on your questions, I will write about this subject another day soon!

(PS -If you can't see the photos right away, check again the next day. Sometimes it takes a few hours for them to show up. If you don't see them after 24 hours, please send me a private e-mail - queenofcomps@cox.net - and tell me what browser you are using.)

Warning - Computer Shutdown at MGM Mirage

Sun, 11 Jan 2009 18:18:00 -0800

My host at a MGM Mirage property just called me because Brad and I had scheduled play at her casino tomorrow (Jan. 11) and she was going to upload some free play on both of our cards for that day. She said that there would be a company-wide upgrade of their computer systems beginning at midnight tonight and it was scheduled to be shut down for two days, Jan. 12 and 13.

I would recommend not playing at any MGM Mirage property on those two days if you want your players club points to accrue accurately, no matter what you are told about backup systems. I might even give them an extra day and not play until Thursday! I don't trust casino computer systems completely!

Internet Radio Appearance

Thu, 08 Jan 2009 02:33:00 -0800

I will be live on HoldemRadio.com today, Thursday, January 08, at 7 p.m. Eastern (4 p.m. Pacific), discussing my book, Tax Help for Gamblers, and answering those thorny questions many of you gamblers will be having in the coming months as you ponder how you will handle all those W-2Gs you collected in 2008.

Photo Problems

Tue, 06 Jan 2009 21:06:00 -0800

I'm getting frustrated about the photo problems. Sometimes you can see them; sometimes you can't. If I can't get the problem solved soon, I am going to go to photobucket.com and post a bunch of pictures and I think anyone can go in there and see them.

Hang in there!

A New Year

Tue, 06 Jan 2009 18:00:00 -0800

Well, I'm finally back here in Blogville after surviving the last three weeks:

A Wii-filled holiday with the Frugal Princess family in Columbus, GA. The Wii game Brad and I gave as a family gift this year was a wonderful way to bring together family and friends of all ages, not only for group fun but healthy exercise at the same time - I can't believe how winded you can get virtually bowling! (I read that Wii is becoming THE thing in nursing homes and I can see why.) Below is a photo of grandson Zachary and me giving Brad some encouragement in virtual baseball.

The backyard trampoline didn't get as much action as the Wii, but Brad and I wanted to show the young whippersnappers that we still had some adventure and energy left!

A family reunion in New Orleans, where I arranged hotel accommodations, meals, and/or entertainment options for up to 13 people, from babies to seniors. It kept me so busy I forgot my shock and dismay at turning 70. Besides people said I didn’t look that much older than my 60- and 65-year-old sisters, left to right, Starr and June.

When Brad and I flew back to Vegas on the 30^th, we hit the runway at top speed, phoning to make plans before we even deplaned and organizing to be sure none of our bounce-back expired, stopping at Ellis Island to collect some on the way home from the airport. On the 31^st there is no time to unpack completely or unwind. In the morning free play awaited us at NYNY and Hard Rock, and we did some play at the former. Then the annual New Year’s Eve Huntington Press party was our next stop in the afternoon. By 5 o’clock the Strip was being closed so we had to use the Desert Inn Arterial under it to get to the Eastside and pick up more bounce-back cash at Ellis Island, an every-year extra offer for after 4 p.m. to lure customers to spend New Year’s Eve in their casino.

However, we were bushed so picked up our $25 apiece and immediately headed back to our west-side-of-the-Strip condo, again via the DI Arterial. There will be plenty of time to play at EI another time when it is not so crowded and smoky! And then it was to bed early to sleep the new year in as we were still suffering major jet lag. We had invitations to parties at almost every casino we had ever played in during the last 10 years or so (casinos are desperate for warm bodies so are digging very deep in their databases). However, we had tired of that comp long ago after we had our own place in Vegas and weren’t staying in casinos very often anymore. At our ages sleeping in our own bed is high on our Best Activity in Vegas list.

January 1 didn’t bring a rest day - holidays in Vegas never do for us. Bonus point promotions are still one of our best techniques for extracting money from casinos. We don’t have the stamina to play as many hours in one day as we used to do but we managed to max out the 9x points at Silverton (they only gave the bonus on 10K earned points) and do the 10K points at South Point that would be doubled and qualify us for the $30x4 mailer in March. There is a higher mailer there - $50x4 –that requires 45K points, but we usually opt for the second level down because we like the more comfortable playtime length. And it does have a higher EV.

The busy schedule continued on January 2 and 3^rd: To the Palms to use comps in the Salon – haircut and style, fill for acrylic nails, pedicure – so I looked presentable at the infamous Blackjack Ball on Friday night. A tournament at Excalibur, with free play pickup and some major play. Pickup and play at NYNY. Bounceback pickup and play for 5x points at Hard Rock. Pickups at Palms and Green Valley Ranch.

On the 4^{th and 5th} we crashed, the first days in a month I didn’t have to comb my hair, put on makeup, get dressed, and go out among people – I call them my nightgown days . We finally got completely unpacked and I could attack the stack of paperwork that had accumulated while we were out of town.

Today, after I finish this blog entry, I am reviewing all our past-year casino play, double-checking the EV (game plus extras), and looking for casinos to drop since I am resolving – for the umpteen time – to cut down on our busy schedule. Although all of our plays are over 100% - that’s what being an advantage player means – I am going to drop some where the edge is lower and step up play where the edge is better. I will take other things besides EV into consideration: whether I like the game we have to play or it seems more like a duty, or whether the casino has good air circulation or is very smoky.

A big issue is travel time. Although we like to play Multi-Strike at Green Valley Ranch, our January mailers (Brad and I just can’t get the same one although we play about the same amount of time on the same machines) require 14 trips to do all the play on bonus-point days and pick up all the free play. 14 trips of 25 miles round trip. Even with gas prices down, the expense of this play and the time involved cut down the hourly rate and/or EV to an unacceptable level. So out it goes – and I feel more relaxed already!

Correction for South Point Triple Points Date

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 20:29:00 -0800

Just got another e-mail from South Point apologizing for the mistake in the last one. Triple points celebrating their 3^rd anniversary will be offered on December 26, NOT December 22. Double points on Christmas Day remain the same as previously announced.

Brad and I will not be able to partake of either of these promotions, but we are not sad. We will be in Columbus, GA celebrating the holiday season December 18-30 with the Frugal Princess family – my daughter, Angela, her now retired Army Ranger husband, and our two beloved grandchildren, Zachary, 15, and Kaitlynn, 14. And after we open presents on Christmas Day, the 6 of us will pile in their van and drive to New Orleans where Harrah’s will be helping us have a wonderful family reunion for 3 days using our 7 Star annual comped trip benefits.

Other members of our family will be joining us, including my two sisters. This will give us a chance to take our every-five-year birthday photo together. My youngest sister, Starr, the retired attorney, is 60. The middle sister, June, the still-practicing psychiatrist, is age 65. And then there is the oldest sister, 70 on December 29, who is so shocked that she is arriving at such a ripe old age that she has gone temporaryily speechless!

December Promos

Mon, 15 Dec 2008 01:43:00 -0800

Last week we stopped by Silverton, the first time we had been there since the new expansion had opened. It was nice to park the Frugal Plum in the new parking garage, but we will appreciate that even more during the blazing heat come July and August.

When we walked into the casino, we definitely got the “Wow” feeling. Instead of narrow aisles where you had to turn sideways to get between the machines, they have opened up the atmosphere with nice wide aisles with no crowding of machines. But although we had been a frequent player at this property down through the years, even back when it was Boomtown, we were a little “lost” when we first walked in. Because of the re-arrangement and additions we couldn’t immediately get our bearings and know which way to find the old familiar places.

Silverton is running a good food offer through December 30 – Buy one, Get One Free at all their restaurants (except Starbucks, Johnny Rockets or Luciano). You don't need a coupon.

Station Casinos has been running an ad in the local newspaper, Buy One, Get One Free, for buffets at all Station Casinos and Fiestas. You do need the coupon.

South Point has been running a promotion that runs through Dec. 24, 50% off when paying with your club card. This includes not only all bars and restaurants, but also the hotel, gift shop, liquor store, bingo, spa, salon, showroom, movies, bowling, Prestige Travel, and all New Year’s parties. Plus I just got an e-mail from them announcing they are offering triple points on Dec. 22, celebrating their 3^rd anniversary. This is in addition to double points on Dec. 25.

As usual, you should stop in the slot club to get the official rules of all these promotions.

Oops!

Sun, 14 Dec 2008 02:27:00 -0800

So much for my computer skills!!!

I'll have to get some expert help in solving my photo problem - but that probably won't be until after the weekend. So check back here early next week.

Photos from our European Trip

Sat, 13 Dec 2008 21:35:00 -0800

I'm not a "picture person": We have trouble finishing one 27-photo throwaway camera on a two-week European vacation. But I just learned how to insert pictures here in my blog and I want to show off my new computer skill!

The first two are in Venice, the one showing the entrance we used when the water taxi stops at our hotel.

The second one proves that finally, on our third visit to Venice, we paid to ride in a gondola.

This next is my favorite sign on the whole trip.

And this last one was taken by the ever-present ship photgraphers, this time on Italian night in the dining room.

Gambling Adventures on our European Vacation

Sat, 13 Dec 2008 20:43:00 -0800

I promised you a report about the gambling adventures on our European trip but it is not a long report because our idea of a vacation is a change from our normal routine – and that means a rest from our gambling “work.”

Our first stop in Europe was Venice, and one of the attractions listed in the guidebook was the Casino Municipale (pictured below). We didn’t expect to find any good gambling there, but our friends agreed that it would be fun to at least look around. The men had to put on their sport coats (a requirement at most European casinos) and we had to show our passports and pay 10 Euros for admission, but they gave us each a 10 Euros slot machine ticket.

It was early afternoon when the four of us visited so we only got to see the part of the casino that had machines. The separate table game part did not open until later that afternoon. We wandered around, noticing that slot machines were abundant, but we did finally find a few video poker machines. And much to our surprise, we found familiar IGT machines, with Triple and Five Play, that at first glance seemed to have amazingly good paytables. The Jacks or Better were 9/6 and they had the Not So Ugly (NSU) deuce version. But a closer look at the WHOLE paytable – always a must – we found the fly in the ointment: The royal on all the games was a measly 1500 credits (instead of the usual 4000).

We tried to use our free 10-Euro tickets on the VP, but found it only worked on the slot machines. So the four of us played through our 40 Euros and pull out a tiny profit for us to split. We decided to throw a few Euros at the VP machines, but soon found that it wasn’t any fun and quit – we were afraid we would hit a measly royal!!

The only other gambling we did on the trip was in the ship’s casino. The video poker schedules were horrendous, just as we expected, but the blackjack rules were better than we had found on other ships. The game was dealt from an eight-deck shoe, but the dealer did not hit a soft 17 and you could double down on any two cards, split to four hands, and double down after split.

So most evenings you would find us at a BJ table, meeting old friends or making new friends from the Treasure Island contingent. We no longer count cards – rusty from a lack of practice for many years – but on cruises we depend on basic strategy and $5/$10 limits to keep our losses low on this negative-expectation pastime while we just relax and enjoy the game and the camaraderie. However, on this cruise there was an extra that turned this blackjack game into a positive-expectation gamble. Treasure Island funded a drawing every evening with nice prizes of $250-$3000 free play for when we got back to the TI casino. So it was fun to celebrate with the table every time someone got a blackjack and earned a ticket for the drawing.

Quote of the Day

Tue, 09 Dec 2008 19:57:00 -0800

Recently the Palazzo temporarily put back some 9/6 Jacks or Better on a few higher-denomination video poker machines after having decimated the total VP inventory a couple of months earlier.

A friend e-mailed me: “I was lucky enough to snag one of the good machines and play for awhile. An unofficial waiting line for the five playable machines had formed by the time I left. Sort of reminded me of one of those National Geographic specials on TV where the vultures are waiting for the lions to finish devouring the antelope before they get a chance to pick the bones clean.”

(Don’t make a special effort to come in and be certain that you will be able to play these machines. They appear and disappear on no particular schedule that you can count on!)

Rodeo Freebie at Silverton

Tue, 02 Dec 2008 14:09:00 -0800

I have often recommended Vegas4Locals as a Web site jam packed with resources for the frugal Vegas fan. Although much of their information will usually be helpful for out-of-towners, despite the local name, here is one of their freebies for the rodeo time coming up (December 4-13) that requires a local ID. If you attend any of the Silverton events described below, you can get 2 free drinks just for showing local ID and mentioning Vegas4Locals.

Silverton Casino Lodge serves as Wrangler National Finals
Rodeo (WNFR) party headquarters with nightly pre-parties, concerts and live viewing celebrations.

Head to Shady Grove Lounge for nightly pre-parties and live viewing celebrations. Dec. 4 – 5 and Dec. 8 – 12, pre-parties will be held 3 – 5:30 p.m. followed by viewing bashes 6:30 – 9 p.m. On Dec. 6 – 7 and Dec. 13, pre-
parties will run 2 – 4:30 p.m. followed by live viewing parties 5:30 –8 p.m.

WNFR after-parties every evening at 10 p.m. inside Silverton Casino Lodge's 13,000 square-foot entertainment pavilion will feature mechanical bull riding, DJ spun music and cash prizes. Each night, partygoers with a WNFR event ticket will have a chance to win a $10,000 cash grand prize or one of ten nightly $1,000 cash prizes. Fans must be 21 years or older to attend.

Station Casino Information

Sun, 23 Nov 2008 22:12:00 -0800

There are hundreds of things I do in order for Brad and me to be successful playing video poker – that is, making money at the activity – but the one that may be the most important – it certain is the one that keeps me the busiest – is staying on top of casino information. I feel like a large sponge that demands constant moisture, and I spend hours a day feeding this demand, soaking up information in the casinos, on the Internet, in magazines, books, and newspapers, and from fellow gamblers.

Case in point is the information I have learned about Station Casinos just in the few days since I got back from Europe.

1. The Stations may be switching back and forth their qualification schedules for figuring their mailed free play. I found this out by reading a recent Bob Dancer’s article from CasinoGaming.com. (If you don’t read this column every week, you are missing out on a valuable source of information. You can go back to the archives and catch up on this rich resource from the last three years.)

2. I was reminded of the cold hard bankroll facts about the Deuces Bonus Multi Strike game that we love/hate at Green Valley Ranch, again in a recent Dancer article, this time at another Internet site, Video Poker 365. (This also is a rich resource for VP players where Dancer and I both write articles on a regular basis.)

3. I received this post about our recent European trip: “I am fairly new at the comp game. It would be great to learn how you applied the Stations points to your trip expenses. According to their Web site I am eligible for "travel bucks." Is that what you used, and how does it work?”

Yes, that is what we used – and you have learned one good comp game hint, that of going to a casino Web site for information. Casino Web sites vary greatly in how much information they give, but I’ve noticed a welcome trend toward their being more player friendly and helpful.

Station travel bucks are only available to players on the Platinum, President, and Chairman levels. We used them only because we have “old” points, those accumulated before they changed their system and you can redeem points for free play. Although you can use new points for travel bucks, this would not be a good use if you were Platinum since it takes 1200 points for one travel buck and you can redeem for free play at the 1000 to 1 ratio. At the two higher levels, the ratio for each option is the same, 1000 to 1, but we would not bother using our new points for travel since Prestige Travel, which handles the travel arrangements you make for Station travel bucks, charges a fee for each reservation.

4. Friday I noticed there was no Jumbo Jackpot at Green Valley Ranch. I asked about this at the slot club desk. They said that when all the individual casino jackpots have been hit, they plan to go back to a Station-wide progressive. No further details on what this would be, whether it would be like it was before. I’m guessing it will be cut, but who knows the minds of casino executives!

Back in the US

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 22:38:00 -0800

And very happy to be home. We had experienced about all the fun our old bodies could endure!

If this blog entry is disjointed, blame it on jet lag after an exhausting 24-hour travel day yesterday from a Rome hotel to our comfortable bed in Vegas. I hope our grandchildren never move to Europe – Brad and I have said we will never go back to Europe again unless it moves between Las Vegas and Pahrump.

Venice – we loved the city – no cars – friendly residents – beautiful Murano glass - and we finally took a gondola ride, something we were too overly frugal to do on our previous 2 visits there.

Cruise – Seas were astoundingly calm most of the time, but even when there was gentle rolling I did not get seasick. A welcome surprise since on our previous 13 cruises I got queasy when I looked at the lapping water at the pier before we even sailed. At first I took my ginger pills but soon realized I didn’t need them.

Cruise Tours – Our favorites were in Turkey, especially Ephesus, an outstanding “city” of amazingly extensive ruins. We enjoyed seeing the evidence of Istanbul’s rich history but were disappointed in the Grand Bazaar. Instead of it being the colorful open-air market I saw in wild adventure movies, where spies lurked and chased, it was a huge indoor “mall” of small shops, where the only “danger” was aggressive salesmen trying to pull you into their lair. I must confess I fell prey to a “Genuine Fake Prada” purse.

Rome – After 10 days of exhausting sightseeing, and since we had already “done” Rome in depth on our last two visits here, the high point was finding a McDonalds for some good old American fast food.

After I get caught up on some pressing paperwork that piled up during our two weeks away, I’ll tell you in my next blog entry about the gambling we did on the trip.

Vacation Time

Tue, 04 Nov 2008 03:53:00 -0800

This will be my last blog entry for a couple of weeks as I am going to turn off my computer and cell phone while Brad and I head off to Europe. Friends of ours had earned a Treasure Island Mediterranean cruise and wanted us to go along. We hadn’t played much at TI in recent years so didn’t qualify for this high-level comp, but we were invited to join the group at a reduced rate. And we could use our Station points for much of the trip expense. (This was fortunate since Brad says I turn deathly pale when I have to put out real money and he fears for my well-being!)

We are flying to Venice, where we will stay for 3 nights. We’ve been there a couple of times before, but our main purpose this time is to try to get our bodies used to the big time difference before we board the ship. And I need time to figure out new ways to psyche myself up to avoid being seasick. I have been seasick on every one of our last 13 cruises – but I am determined to get my sea legs (sea stomach?) this time. I have tried patches behind my ear, pressure wrist bracelets, a various assortment of drugs – to no avail. Either they put me to sleep or just didn’t work. This time I am armed with ginger capsules and hope this is the ultimate answer.

We have taken two other Mediterranean cruises but this is our first one to the eastern area. Our first ports of call are Bari, Italy; Katakolon/Olympia, Greece; and Izmir, Turkey, with a tour to nearby Ephesus. Then there is Istanbul, a city I have always wanted to visit. I look forward to exploring the storied Bazaar that has fascinated me in so many adventure movies.

Turning back south, we will stop in Dubrovnik, Croatia and then disembark back in Venice. From there we take the train to Rome, where we will stay 3 nights before flying back to Las Vegas.

We’re not sure we are really able to take this much fun – and when we get home, it might take us awhile to get rested and back into our Vegas routine. But I know this blog will be one of the first things I will return to. I love chatting with you all!

Last Day in the Army

Fri, 31 Oct 2008 03:28:00 -0800

Many of you have been keeping up with the activities of Steve, my Army son-in-law who came home from Iraq last May – safe and sound, to the relief of his family and wide circle of caring friends, many of whom are readers here.

Steve’s unit is already scheduled to go back to Iraq after it has been back at Fort Benning for one year, so Steve was glad that he had his 20+ years in and his retirement was approved. Today is his last day in the Army!

Now comes the task of finding a job as a civilian. The Army is contracting out a lot of the instructional programs for its soldiers, so this may provide opportunities for a job right back at Fort Benning. Steve also wants to finish college, needing less than a year to get his degree.

How is he celebrating his last military day? Well, the official retirement ceremony was held last week and he has been on leave since then, so he will have all day to put the finishing touches on the “Haunted Trail” in the woods back of their house, a project that he and the family have been working on almost all month!

I wish I could be back in Georgia to celebrate Halloween with them, but a visit there will have to wait until the Christmas holidays. So Brad and I will be out today doing what we have always done on holidays when we are in Las Vegas – taking advantage of casino bonus points!

Jean Scott's Frugal Vegas

Moving Day Has Arrived.

H1N1

Health Update

Swine Flu Revisted

Bonuses for Slot Play

What is a Day?

Frugal Lists

Let's Get Together

Daily Average Revisited

Flu - Is It Swine?

Card Pulling

The Devil is in the Details

South Point Slot Club Info

Interesting Internet Links

He's At It Again

In My INBOX

My Readers Help Me Out

I Feel So Much Better

Station Mailers

Spiritual Inspiration in Sin City

BIG Mistake

Senior Promotions

Taxing Changes

Sinning Downgraded in Sin City?

Does Player Input Work?

Back to the Busy Vegas Routine

LEAVING LAS VEGAS

My Response

A Hot Topic

Blog Comments

I'm In Shock

Perhaps Im Old-fashioned

A Casino Listens to Its Customers

Eating Frugally????

Frugal Meals at Silverton

Frugal Doesnt Mean Cheap

Extreme Frugal

Back in Vegas

Back Home to Indiana

Freebie Poker Lessons

Clarification About M Casino Bonus Points

Fresh Off the Press - M Casino Bonus Days

Senior Promotions

South Point Promotions

Major Change at the Palms

A Different Point of View

Slot Club Benefits Cutback

Cool Thoughts for Vegas Hot Days

Our Style of Life

Frugal Resource

Frugal Book Shopping

Casino Extra Charges Revisited

It Does Pay to Check

Blackjack Legends

Frugal Sightseeing

Got Overdue Library Books?

Tournament Fun

Bonus Days at the M Casino

Correction about Construction on Tropicana Avenue

Back From New Orleans

Read in the R-J

April Senior Bonus

Useful Web sites

New IRS Information

Station and Changing Mailers

Odds and Ends

New Video Poker Database

More M Casino News

My Fellow Bloggers

The New M Resort Spa and Casino

Casino-Sponsored Cruises

Brads Health Update

Health Bumps

Bonus Point Bumps

Lucky Number 7

Those Tricky Royal Flushes

Good Moves by Silverton

HBO - Friend or Foe

SIN as a Marketing Device

What is a Day?

Perhaps Im Old-fashioned

Frugal Doesnt Mean Cheap

Brads Health Update

SIN as a Marketing Device