Main Street Station or California?

Thanks for that input, JDC. I played for "score with four" on a NSUD game and it was a little extra although the denom was only with quarters. Still a little extra as you hit naturals from time to time.

They have a similar thing going on at the Emerald Island in Henderson. I think it's 2 days per week. I played it once and noticed a very intereting phenomenon:  You may hit one natural, another one, after a while another one...but strangely...the last natural is the hardest to hit. Sometimes it can get expensive.  A slot attendant confirmed this phenomenon. People sitting there with 5 stamps on their card and one 4-of-a-kind missing...and it just won't show :((((((

Well, I'm sure you know that's horse pucky; you have the same chance of hitting a quad in every hand, and the status of a little punch card or the malevolence of the VP gods or whatever doesn't affect that at all.

This particular promo gives you the best low roller play in town. Near the east entrance, there's a bank of machines with .05 10/7 DB with a progressive (!!). So you hit one of those machines during the promo. You can play pretty fast. A quad hits every 425 hands or so, so it takes an average of about 2500 hands to get the bonus. What you get is a wheel spin, which has an EV of $15. So divide that by the six quads you need, and that's a bonus of $2.50 per quad. That's adding TEN BETS to the payback for quads. Figure on ten extra bets paid to you every 425 hands, and that's over a 2% boost.

Since that game is single-line, it counts for the 25x points periods, so I'm also earning 1.6% in points. The game itself is a little bit better than breakeven, so it's a +4% play overall!! The Plan: go there, have lunch, hit the 10/7 game at 2 pm. Play like a maniac for the next two hours. You'll earn enough points for dinner. I hit 1200 hands an hour, so I'm usually finished with the card when the points return to normal at 4pm. I can go have dinner (4 pm is when the dinner specials start, and it's less crowded then). If my card is incomplete, I can finish it off when the 25x points resumes at 7 pm.

Running a bit over $1000 through those machines with a 4% edge nets you $40 in EV for a couple hours' play. And then you use your earnings to feed your face at their great restaurant.

I'm almost afraid to detail this. It's a terrific promo/opportunity.

summary: Rainbow and Emerald are probably the best places for gamblers in Las Vegas. I mean, the low roller players. Amazingly, there are also players willing to risk 5  dollars per spin on regular slots and that's why sometimes you see big jackpots there. The places are so small but at the same time so successfull. I really love it there. Whether I win or lose. I couldn't accept the fact that I lose 2000 or 3000 in a bad night of 5-8 dd bonus poker on the strip and face arrogant staff and in the end i would have to pay for my parking and if  i'm hungry it costs me 55 dollars plus tip for a small sandwich with a soda.

And just to add to that, both places make you feel really welcome. The people who work there are obviously happy. You sign up for the players' club, you get goodies immediately, like a free meal, and a sincere welcome from the staff. The drink service is great, if there's a problem with your machine, the tech is right there, and the wait staff in the restaurant is top-notch and really hospitable.

As you say, even if you drop several grand on the Strip, they treat you with disdain and act like you should be grateful to breathe their air. EI and Rainbow welcome the low roller with open arms. Even if you only spend something like $40, you're a valued customer. That sort of vibe went away everywhere else a long time ago.

Bonus tip: go there Saturday afternoon, get into the restaurant for Steak Night at 4 pm (before the crowds hit). Complete steak dinner: soup or salad, veggie, potato, steak, and dessert. Price from $20 to $27, and it's really good. And you can use your LVA coupon for that!!

Which casino is it that's doing the steak night? Rainbow or Emerald  or both? We'll be there in November and that meal with the LVA coupon is a steal!

Yes I did the Sat afternoon Steak Special several times. The big dessert is a bit too much for me so I tell them to bring me just the ice cream, without the browny. Food service is extraordinary fast. I spoke to the chef the other day when I saw him outside. I told him that I noticed what a great job he's doing. It surely isn't easy to handle his kitchen crew under this enourmous stress on a Sunday evening or so. It put a smile in his face. They are doing a great job there, no question.

add-on: Kevin, do you think they deliberately don't change the carpet at the Emerald? From the outside the place looks fantastic, like a mysterious world  , apart from the rest of the world. With the trees and all those birdies making noise early in the morning before sunrise. It's really special. I just think perhaps a carpet change would help reducing the island style smell inside the building. But then again, I think it fits perfectly and the overall gaming experience at Emerald and also the Rainbow are something that's unique.

The Steak special was available at the Triple B restaurant inside the Rainbow Club Casino. However, I think the Emerald Grille also has a great special on Saturday. Both casinos have good restaurants. With or without the LVA coupon, it's always worth visiting. Friendly staff, affordable food, and good gaming. That's exactly what we want, right?

Both restaurants do it. The EI version is a little more extensive, but if you arrive there and there's already a long waiting list, the play is to walk over to Rainbow 

Well, every inch of space in there is utilized, and it's always busy, so the only way they could change the carpet would be to shut the whole place down for as long as it would take. Since the place is essentially one big L-shaped corridor, you block one part, you block everything.

I asked if there were expansion plans, and they did mention that they had bought the auto shop across the street, razed it, and turned it into a parking lot. There may be plans for a second building. That's pretty much why the EI and Rainbow have merged. The Rainbow lacks parking.

Those birds are a fairly unusual variety--i forget their name. They're apparently very social, so when a few decided to meet in those trees, the word spread quickly. You're right, it's an unique stmosphere--in every way, the antithesis of a Vegas casino megatoilet.