Category: Lifestyle & Travel Tips

A reader asked me to “show him the way” to easy play. Then he wouldn’t listen. I was frustrated, but kept on.
What brings me great satisfaction? Turning just one newbie away from the dark side of foolish wasteful gaming. This is a calling, my friends. We are but seekers of the truth, hunters of the mathematical epiphany manifesting as a royal flush.

That slim chance of deliverance is a 40,000-1 redemption. We soldier on, knowing it’s coming if we just learn to play the Good Game.

Really, it’s okay to just play. Heck, I have a profound desire — no, a need — to play, to dance and imbibe like any of us in this one-of-a-kind adult Disneyland, even at my advancing age and maybe even more so. It keeps me young and fresh and alert.

But as they say, “You can’t keep it if you don’t give it away,” so when I was corresponding with “Joe,” though frustrated, I kept insisting this neophyte do what for many these days seems a rare commodity: THINK!

Read “The Best Video Poker on the Strip,” learn the games, and walk away from anything under 99.5%. Avoid the siren call of the Strip — the bright lights enthralling you as your wallet is vacuumed clean — and your intense regret on the flight home, hungover and broke. “Why did I go to the (dark chapel of) ATM again, and again?”

It’s okay. You’ll get another chance at redemption. As long as you didn’t actually sign a marker for your home, car, and first born.

But even Joe, after pleading “I want to play at Caesars,” saw the light. “I didn’t realize even at quarter level I’d need a $1,000 bank and at $1/$5 many times more than that.”

Though he’d danced along the edge of the bad-gaming precipice, he turned away! That satisfaction, turning one player and toward the light of advantage play? Excellent.

This is not a game for everyone. It requires patience, skill, and dedication, while frivolity reigns and surrounds you like a waterfall. Witnessing people plied with free drinks, pouring dollar after dollar down the rat hole, hoping against hope, is downright tragic, especially knowing that if they just looked at the pay schedule and understood what they were seeing, their future would be nicely laid out for them and they could’ve avoided all the sucker traps. Maybe 3% do. Is that you?

Here’s the kicker. Once they see us coming, then observe us for a time, the Big Houses don’t like us at all.

“Don’t give that guy a room, a meal, free play, or a damn dime. He actually knows what he’s doing and we can’t have that!”

And like a lonely Dirty Harry (“Do I feel lucky?”), I ride on down the road. No worries, there are 100 more casinos right down the road.

And since he read the guides, is learning the good games, and will be on the search for the better way of advantage play, I, having converted one more soul, for that today I’m content.

Did you say get paid to win free gas, Bobby?

How many ways do I love Rainbow? Let me count the ways. Like five. Should you drive way out to Water Street in Henderson? Do bears …? From all my previous flag-waving, guess. It’s a resounding yes.

I never thought it possible, but Rainbow/Emerald Island’s monthly contests just got even better. With so many simultaneous promotions going on (often three at once), now they’re paying you to win free gas.

Rainbow’s Monthly drawing is for eight $250 gas cards. It’s just 100 points per day ($100 coin in) to get your daily entry. Then they give you $10 in free play for it. All month long, every day. Drawing at EOM. That’s not just crazy, it’s crazy good. There’s more.

At Anthony’s favorite, Emerald Island, (I’m more a Rainbow/Triple B guy, but play both), I swear I heard Judy Garland singing “Somewhere … over at Emerald Island …” Yep, their June 19drawing is for eight pairs of tickets to The Wizard of Odds. Oops! Sorry (they’re not giving away Michael Shackleford). I mean the Wizard of Oz at Sphere.

These promos are base points only, but no ticket limit of one a day for Oz like on the gas cards, so as Prince tells us “Let’s go crazy!”

Now about those stacks.

Both casinos have super points multipliers spread throughout the day every day —  regular 25x periods, along with 50x, 75x, and even two 100X periods. They’re good on all games except DDB. But no worries, mate, 9/6 JOB, etc., are still positive EV with even the “lowly” 25x multipliers.

Hmmm, maybe try out the new LVA advantage slots? Ya think?

You’re also in for daily free spins, free gifts, free food, and some other damn freebie (so many freebies, so little time). Pick up all the promo sheets at the cage. Try keeping track of it all. When are the XXX periods? MY GOD! What a burden. Call the casino and ask. We need a spreadsheet. Anyone?

 I concentrate on 75x, bouncing from Rainbow to EI earning boatloads of points.

 Hungry after all that frantic button tapping? Try any of the excellent daily specials starting at $10. Or Emerald Island Grille’s Saturday filet mignon & lobster tail dinner for $29. Or Rainbow’s four-course prime rib at Triple B. for $24.

But hold your horses, cowboy. That’s before paying with points and combining your LVA MRB coupon for 50% off or 2-for-1 with points. Can you spell S.T.A.C.K?  All while playing positive-expectation video poker.

I died. This is heaven.

Vanna? Guess there really is a Wheel of Fortune gold at the end of Water St.’s Rainbow So? Go.

And downtown off Fremont, Downtown Grand’s got a great July 4^th deal: $125 a night for two nights, plus $25 in free play and $25 in food. FOR THE 4^th!

 God bless America. No one else will.

A reader asked about the best games to play at Caesars. My four-letter answer? NONE.

Wanna play 9/6 JOB? You can — for $25/$125.

At the Rio, just behind Caesars and across the freeway, its $.25. That’s a buck twenty-five max play. One percent the level at Caesars. Play while Rome burns? Or Samba at the Rio?

I’m a dancer. Guess where I play?

Our reader, let’s call him “Joe Player,” also wanted to know whether my Frugal Video Poker Strategy Guide ebook, combined with my “Best VP on the Strip” booklet, which I value together at $50, are worth my price of $19.88. (Pssst! Hey! Yeah, you. The coupon code is: advantage 10 at BobbyVegas.com.)

My answer? Place open palm to forehead. Slap repeatedly.

I’ve personally won over $3,500 with info gleaned from my worn-out hard copy of Jean Scott’s FVPSG. I actually used it so much, I had to buy bought a second copy before I ended up republishing it. Now it’s on my phone. Yours can be too, kids.

Gold doesn’t come close to the value of Jean’s guide. It’s worth 100 times the price.

Progressive breakevens at a glance? For ANY SCHEDULE? Where NOT to PLAY? It’s not just how much you MAKE, it’s how much you KEEP.

Now, Joe Player was 1150 tier credits away from Diamond and wanted to get to “waived resort fees” at Caesars. According to VPfree2, Caesars’ resort fee is $62.50.

Here, just take my wallet.

Over the bridge at Rio, use the AWESOME NRF (that’s NO RESORT FEE) coupon from LVA’s Member Rewards Book and get the RF waived for nothing.

BTW, Rio has a VERY nice pool, 9/6 JOB EVERYWHERE, Penn and Teller, KISS, and Star Wars Burlesque. (The Palms and Gold Coast across the street combined have nearly two dozen restaurants, all good. Also, there’s a Walgreen’s nearby for water, snacks, and meds — and the Strip is a short ride away; you can even walk it, if you dare.)

Back to playing for Diamond.

Joe Player had a 10x-points offer, which would make the Triple Double Bonus 99.68% or the 99.54% JOB $25/$125 games at Caesars positive expectation.

Again, at VPfree2 under the Players Club tab (which I always check; thank you, VPFree2 people; you’re the best!), you can check the points comp levels at any casino.

So, risk thousands to waive the resort fee or use a coupon for NRF? Conclusion? NO BRAINER.

Remember, people, “Play where you want to play and stay where you want to stay.”

PS. Go see the biopic Michael and if you don’t think Jafaar Jackson (Michael’s nephew) is incredible as MJ, I’ll give you a free ebook. Just save your ticket.