For decades, the Four Queens in downtown Las Vegas has had dollar single-line 10-7 Double Bonus. A few years ago, they cut the slot club in half on those games (leaving players with a 0.16% cash and 0.3125% comps), along with monthly mailers and promotions. Still, with a game that started at 100.17%, it was a decent play for dollars. It was the only single-line dollar game I still played.
A few months ago, they downgraded the last four 10/7 machines to unplayable pay schedules. The highest returning video poker games they have now are single-line quarter and fifty cent 9/6 Jacks or Better — with full slot club benefits meaning 0.3125% cash back and 0.625% comps. They still have mailers. They still have promotions. There are some advantage slots there and sometimes I can find one that is playable.
The thing is, I’ve been playing games for $25 up to $125 a hand for a long time. Switching to a game that requires $1.25 or $2.50 a hand to play really doesn’t float my boat. I’ve heard it said that for gambling to be interesting, it has to hurt when you lose. There is no reasonable loss at fifty cents or lower which will affect my bankroll or well-being at all.
So, will I still play there?
Yes, but not for the reason you might think.
At the current time, Bonnie and I together have more than $6,000 comp dollars, which can be used at either Four Queens or Binion’s, located catty-corner across Fremont from the Four Queens. Magnolia’s is a decent-enough coffee shop for when I’m downtown, and Hugo’s Cellar is an excellent old-fashioned steak house where we enjoy taking friends. There are a few other food options and they are building more.
If I quit playing for six months (or possibly it’s for one year), our comp dollars will evaporate. But so long as I continue to ti give them some play, the comp dollars will last until we use them up. So, I will continue to play some.
This summer, for example, you could play 400 points ($3,200 coin-in on video poker; half that on slots), and get $40 in free play. You could do this up to four times at Four Queens each month, and four times at Binion’s, where the best game is $1 8/5 Bonus. This is a 1.25% promotion, which is decent, but it’s for low stakes. I earned some of the bonuses for Bonnie and me in June and July, but not all four at each place. In August, I’ll be out of town for almost half the month, so I’ll probably do similarly.
Although we currently each earn $80 per month in free play, that amount could be reduced or even disappear because I’m not playing as much as I used to when they had dollar 10/7.
This is the one casino where I can say I’m not playing for the money — I’m playing for the comps. And it’s not so much to earn additional comps (which I will do to a minor degree), but mainly to retain the comps I earned previously.
Even if I give up gambling at the first of the year because of the new tax law, I’ll retain this play until the comps are gone — which could easily take three or more years.
Well, I have about fifty bucks in Four Queens comps, and I’ll just adopt your rationale if anybody asks why I’m hanging out there. LOL. I like Mike Hammer — another reason. And I really like Magnolia’s, not so much for the food, which is fine, but for the old school vibe. Magnolia’s closed for some spiffing up a few months back, and they moved the Magnolia’s morning food service to Hugo’s. I hadn’t been in Hugo’s in more than a decade. Maybe two decades. But now that I’m reminded what it’s like, I’ll probably have dinner there next visit.
I’m sorry to see the DDB go, and I’m sorry to hear that August may be the last month for the earn points/added comps offers. But even if everything goes south gambling-wise, I’ll still eat at Magnolia’s for the vibe.
4 Qs food
And, don’t forget, some of the best wings and thin crust pizza around up in the 2nd floor brew pub. Only drawback is it’s a cigar bar so I always try to time it when no smokers are around.
If you’re 55+, you’ll get 10% off 1 item with a players card.
ND
The 8/5 Bonus @ Binion’s is now $16 or $20 coin-in to earn a point, when it used to be $8 per point like most of the other video poker. Unless that has changed back recently… sometimes there are nice surprises, but usually not (oh and they ratcheted up the price @ Magnolia’s and their other restaurants, some items by 50 percent or more… I know lots of other Vegas restaurants have increased prices but now some are offering promotions/discounts). 4Q and Binion’s need to realize that just because they *did* offer comparatively good value doesn’t mean they can just rest, let alone cut back. Frankly, they’re not nice enough properties to think they can try it…
I played some 8/5 BP at Binions earlier this month, and points were accrued at $8 per point.
If you are playing the machines in the row not far from the old deli, those machines offer a dollar denom. At 4Q’s they removed all the dollar denom 9/6 a while back. And I believe at the same time, they increased the play required to earn a point on the Binions 8/5 BP–presumably because it offered a dollar denom.
I have not physically tracked my play on those machines, but VPfree currently lists them at $20/point. 4Q’s does offer 8/5 BP at the normal $8/point rate, but only for quarters.
Where is the quarter-only 8/5 Bonus? My experience testing some of the machines by the Deli is that it takes $20 coin-in per point playing dollars; maybe it’s possible that quarter play can be rated differently but I’ve never experienced a machine doing that before. AFAIK there are no quarter-only machines with 8/5 Bonus (the machines in the center of that long row adjacent to the Deli used to have it as a progressive I think but now the best game listed for those machines is 9/7 DB). With Bob saying what he is saying about 8/5 Bonus I wonder if there are other machines not listed on vpFREE2 that have it 🧐
The only 8/5 Bonus that might be $8 a point is 30/8/5 Bonus, so notably lower EV…
The quarter 8/5 BP I was referencing was at 4Q’s, not Binions. Those machines also offers a $.05 denom. There are a few upright machines not far inside the entrance by The D.
Was this for quarters or dollars?
So just to make sure, you played true 8/5 Bonus (not 30/8/5 short-pay) on the long row of machines by the Deli (somebody checked recently and found no other true 8/5 BP at Binion’s just to confirm inventory), and you confirmed you were earning at the rate of $8 coin-in per point? If so, that is definitely a good and unexpected change 🙂
That is a fine plan for local players, keeping and using those Comp Dollars.
For infrequent visitors like me (a Strip-er..LOL), 2-4 times a year, it does require keeping up with when portions of your Comp Dollars expire and try to use them before you leave for home. I often forget I can use them for dining in certain of ‘their’ restaurants, and in specified stores that redeem them for soft drinks, candy bars, greeting cards, logo-ed clothing, other items (no minimum purchase).
One problem: Comp Dollars don’t show on the machines like your Free Play and Point Play balances do as you play, and certainly not their expiration dates. For that info you must go to the Players Club desk and have them look it up, which takes a few minutes for them to figure your total, and the amount that will first expire and that date; then you need to write it down, as in my experience there hasn’t been a way for them to print it out. Then you need to go use up that amount or a little more if you know you won’t be back to Vegas before then.
Actually O2B, your comp dollars are displayed when you first insert your card — and you can check the balance by hitting the “account” button. As you say, though, the expiration date of those dollars is not displayed.
OK, I’ll try that next time in. Thanks, Bob.
Downtowns tightening has poor timing. 4Qs VP cut back, El Cortez table game cuts, and GG killing table games is a poor idea for old properties when the market is slowing
The 4 Queens is evolving into another strip clone. They have removed most of the real gambling, with just a few video poker games that are worth playing left. The table games long ago morphed into requiring a mandatory side bet or 6/5 blackjack. More and more “entertainment” games hit the floor all the time. The food prices have become borderline outrageous. The room rates have escalated and don’t be surprised that a rip off “resort fee” will be implemented in the near future. On the plus side, the employees are great and the renovated North tower rooms are nice. Any semblance to the 4 Queens of old will soon be erased.
Even with the downgrade, 4Q’s still has some of the best return to the player around when you factor in promotions/bounce back, cashback, and 99.54% JOB-albeit for relatively low stakes. And pretty good comp. Unfortunately, they are also starting to more aggressively factor in what you play into their offers. Currently I’m also at the $80/month offer level, which I believe is Sapphire in 4Q’s system. On a recent trip I played about 3,300 points, or $26K in playthrough and was told that was not enough play to retain my current level if I did it all on 9/6.
Fairly often you can find a progressive on the bar machines with a return as good or better than 9/6. But after that returns drop a good bit, at least at the $.50 level. Which is about minimum stakes to try to rack up enough points in a three of four day trip to try to keep your status.
We have been playing at 4Q’s for about 20 years, sometimes as many as four trips a year. It’s been hands down our best consistent opportunity in LV over most of that period. But like all the others, they are starting to target those who they believe are playing at an advantage, even if it’s a small one. We will continue to stick with 4Q’s, and try to diversify with some bartop play and see how that goes.
You know, I’m starting to think that “playing with an advantage” is not the right label for what casinos dislike. It’s more philosophical than that. They don’t want anybody in their space who has any control over their own behavior. A couple hundred advantage video poker players descending upon the Four Queens quarter machines is not going to put much of a dent in their bottom line. I mean, really, half of any profits probably get spent at Magnolia’s or the pizza joint. The whole gestalt is more insidious. They want patrons who can’t monitor, much less control, their own behavior. They want space cadets.
I just read a study stating that a third of Gen Z is taking prescribed meds for psychological issues. If this is the case, nuts is the new normal.
I checked the 8/5 Bonus machines near the Binion’s Deli and they were all giving one point per $20 coin-in. I do not think there is other full-pay 8/5 BP at Binion’s, contrary to Bob’s assertion; I’ve checked in several banks on the floor and the best BP offered anywhere than near the deli is short-pay 30/8/5.
When I said “Bob’s assertion” I meant his stating thay the full-pay 8/5 Bonus was giving one point per $8 coin-in. I do not know of a machine where this is the case at Binion’s.