Boyd tier points?

I enjoy the block feature very much.  Hope you are and your wife are doing well. 

block feature makes it  comfortable  for us  to come   and read all

Totally agree. 

I am not a VP player (bracing for the backlash lol) but if anyone is into slots maintaining Sapphire at Boyd is fairly easy.  I generally have comped rooms and a little freeplay/food credit and the previous statement is true for me as well: i have 500 tier points that carry over into the next year and need to earn 250 to maintain Sapphire.  While I understand completely slots are a losing proposition in all aspects, they can still be pretty fun especially if you can manage your bankroll fairly wisely and know when to walk away or take a break :)

love the discussions about tier credits and different companies' ratings.  I'm always looking for ways to expand my value when i come up to the valley and all of this is super interesting!

This is very true, StevieB.  I play mostly VP, but will dabble in some slots, while my wife is strictly a slots player.  I don't get any room or food comps, and very meager $10/$15 Freeplay, while she gets multiple day room comps and food comps, as well as higher freeplay.  Heck, she just got an invite to come pick up a free cruise voucher from the Orleans in June.  Did I get one....Nope!

Jean Scott at one point recommended tossing a small amount of slot action in with your VP in order to be better rated. Anecdotally, I can say that that does work, though the theoretical loss is always more than whatever additional bennies you receive. It's always far cheaper to just buy that cruise rather than "earn" it.

I've stated this before, but the one policy that does seem to elevate your rewards is the "love 'em and leave 'em" appraoch. Do NOT practice "player loyalty"; do the opposite. Bounce from casino to casino, scattering your action. If you stick with the same joint/company, at some point, they'll conclude they have their hooks in you and don't need to put any more bait on them.

I hear this 100%! 

I will say, i have had comps at Boyd since the early 00s, and moved to strip properties for about 15 years.  When MGM started falling off, moved to Caesars, then one trip the Flamingo had their staff come uninvited and unannounced into our room 3 times in 12 hours (right after we checked in).  Front desk referred me to security, security referred me back to front desk, finally got to a manager who basically told me i'll like it or i can go.

I went.  And my Boyd comps were still there and they welcomed me back with open arms.  I don't know if its the Cal specifically (where i've stayed and played most of my Vegas life) or Boyd in general, but they seem to have a more collective (and softer) approach and thus far i haven't felt robbed or cheated just by walking into the place.  But hey it is what it is.  Definitely agree with the 'throw some slot play' in.  Maybe even stick to low volatility stuff like Double Diamond or Triple Stars and cash out when you break even or something.

Agree with the tier points comments regarding Boyd.  I'm in a similar situation where they give me 500 carry-over tier points each year and I usually have to play some slots to bump it up above 750.  Video Poker doesn't move the tier points needle much.  I've been 'with them' since the '00s as well.
I get free rooms from them monthly and a small amount of FP and food credit.
All that being said, I am trying to make the move over to Stevens' properties, Plaza and 4Q as my play (mainly VP) seems to be better appreciated there.  You can't beat the 4Q comp and Free Play along with their monthly promotions.