I just wanted to chime in with my experiences this past week. I had planned on heading to Joliet w/my mom on Tuesday evening just to hit Paula Deen’s (had $30 in comps) and pick up my free play. In light of the impending snowstorm, we decided to head there Monday instead and spend the night (I had a snow day on Tuesday, but my mom played hooky!). So, we didn’t even arrive to Joliet til around 9 p.m.
I’m currently Platinum and really didn’t have any intentions of striving for Diamond in 2013. I had an inkling that I might hit 1000 pts but never did I dream I could get to 2500 without losing my a$$. I’ve been playing higher denoms lately ($5-$15 a spin) so I figured getting to 1000 tier points would not be a problem. What I didn’t count on would be how *easy* it would be to get to 2500 pts!! Granted, I did stay awake til almost 5:30 (the gaming day ended at 6 a.m. and the casino closed too so I would have been kicked out!!) but it wasn’t because I was chasing the 2500, it was because I was having so much fun!! I brought $1000 with me and by the end of that first day I was down maybe only fifty bucks and managed to earn 3000 (hence, 8000) tier credits!!
Then Tuesday, we didn’t wake up til almost 11 a.m., and headed down to the casino around noon. I put another 1000 pts on my card that day. So now, with the 4000 pts earned and the 6000 in bonuses, I have over 10000 points! I’m 2/3 of the way to Diamond!
The best part was that right before we were heading home, I won a $2000 bonus hit on Lil Lucy Wild Panther (betting max, which was $6 on that machine). I had to pick a chest in the Lil Lucy bonus - I got 5 free spins x 10 so of course I initially was upset because I hate only getting 5 free spins!! And the first three spins were busts. But then on my fourth spin I got four pitchforks and a wild panther, and it said “Scatter Pay pays 200000”!!! I had no idea it would pay that much!! Then the very next spin after my hand pay, I hit another $800! Crazy stuff. I ended up heading home about $1900 up than what I came with.
There was also a multiplier madness promotion going on where on Mon, Tues, and Weds you automatically earn 5x reward credits, but you can opt to try for a higher amount and if you’re successful, you can get either 7x, 8x, or 10x. I attempted the 8x and I made my basket!! So my $40 in comps earned on Monday night will turn into about $320 once it’s adjusted! (they said it would take up to two weeks) Unfortunately Tuesday my shot “missed,” so I only ended up with the minimum of 3x reward credits, but that was a lesser play day anyway. Great trip all around!
So now my plan is to head back to Joliet on a day while this multiplier promotion is still going on, and try to hammer out another 2500 pts which would then put me at 17500 and comfortably Diamond! I’m heading to Vegas in September and would love to have Diamond by then!