Well, the Palms is shit

To no one's surprise, or at least not mine:

Exactly three slightly positive .25 VP machines and four $1 9/6 Jacks. Everything else is 8/5 Bonus (99.17%) or worse. (I suspect drastically lowered point returns on the decent machines, but haven't verified that.)

Slot club returns a pathetic one-twentieth of one percent (0.05%). For perspective, this means that $10,000 coin-in will earn you $5 in free play/comps.

Buffet is $36.99 for dinner--sometimes. On Wednesday nights, it's $64.99 because of the gold-plated lobster, or something. Friday nights, it's $42.99, because prime rib (God forbid you should get that for the regular price).

They has a gas card promo, 2500 points ($10,000 coin-in, @ $4/point) gets you a $50 gas card. So that's an 0.5% bonus. Friday and Saturday, which is unusual for a promo. Month of May.

They have four players' club tiers. The lowest tier gets you an "attaboy." The second lowest tier, which it will take you $200,000 coin-in to achieve, gets you...a 4X point multipler. So for that two hundred grand, you rocket upwards to an 0.2% return. The third lowest tier gets you to 5X and resort fees are waived. That tier will take you $500,000 coin-in to get to.

For now, at least, self-parking and valet parking are free to club members. THAT won't stick, I'm certain.

Checking the online menus, I saw things like a $17 club sandwich and a $19 bowl of ramen. So I doubt there'll be any bargains to be found. Meh.

Hotel room rates for May: $79-129 Mon-Thu and $219-519 Fri/Sat. Sundays are in the $169 range. And of course, that's plus resort fees (my guess would be around $35) and room tax, resort fee tax, because-we-can tax, and tax tax.

I don't know what the table games are like, but my expectation is that even $10 games will be hard to find. I don't think they'll do 6:5 BJ--I hope I'm wrong.

I see no reason whatsoever to set foot in the Palms. I hope I've saved some of you the trouble.

LVA did a brief video on the Palms opening in their weekly,update.    They do have 3:2 blackjack....but not much else looked good.    

lets see what kind of mailers they send out to low level players.    Sometimes places with shitty players clubs make up for it with generous offers....sometimes they don't.

      I am looking forward to checking out the Palms when I am in Vegas next week. The 3/2 Blackjack sounds interesting. I am fine with 9/6 JOB and 8/5 Bonus seems to be the standard for new casinos - not great, but not that bad. Three "slightly positive .25 VP machines - I wonder what games are found on those machines and what does "slightly positive" actually mean? I'll have a better idea once I check out the games.

10/7 DB and 10/6 DDB are the +EV games found on those machines.

As PJ says, sometimes, shitty slot clubs send good mailers. There MIGHT be some tiny tiny +EV in climbing up to the highest tiers, hitting all the promos, etc. a la Bob Dancer. But one thing we don't know is how long your tier status will last.

      Full pay 10/7 DB and 10/6 DDB -  nice.

Oomph. As far as buffets, seems like while people cheer their re-opening other than South Point buffets are no longer loss leaders they are re-opened as for profit restaurants. 

I expected nothing else with the Palms.  Did you guys really think the tribe was coming to be a locals casino with some good games?  They came in to kill the gambler just like just about all the other casinos are right now.  But Vegas is packed and people are going despite the prices to get there and the bad gambling.  Even the best places in town have reduced their promotions.  

Used my Cosmo gold status to get a double upgrade in the player's club.  Diamond at CET would have only got one level upgrade (sorry I don't have the names of the tiers in front of me).

Was there for the first time last week and will make Palms part of our regular rotation.  Still waiting for the first mailer after signing up.  Concerts are back at the Palms too.

They do have a daily lounge for third tier players (what I got for Cosmo gold).  Open at 3:00 everyday.  Looked inside, but didn't venture in...looked nice and will give it a try.  (comped food and drinks according to the manager there)  Sportsbook is bigger/better, but no horses.  Converts to a live music area at night.

Layout, feel and spacing is exactly the same as the old Palms.

For those with Caesars Diamond (or MGM Gold) status, the bank-shot is to match Caesars to MGM Gold, match MGM (not Caesars!) to Resorts World, and match Resorts World to Palms. There, you just got 15% off food and lounge access - if Robert Hirst is correct about that.

We'll, the Palms VP is now officially shit. Looks like they downgraded all the good games, best thing I could find was 8/5 BP. Blackjack appears to be all 3/2, but they had absolutely zero tables open today at 11:00 AM. $15 craps was running, along with baccarat and carney games. I wasted a little of my precious Vegas time there today...