B-Connected Summary – So Far! (Part 2)
This is going to have to be a very quickly-written blog since I am madly racing around trying to get ready to fly out of Vegas tomorrow morning for a much-needed vacation. It will be our favorite kind of get-away, a visit to family in Georgia. However as usual, for part of the time we will combine family and casino time when we will take all the adult children and grandchildren to help us use our Harrah’s 7* retreat in Cherokee.
Here is some information – very unorganized – I have in my notes about the new Boyd players club that I want to share before we leave.
- When talking about credits, the term is spelled “tier.” However, “tear credits” is being used as a sarcastic reference to how sad so many players feel, crying “tears.”
2. Many reliable VP players who are tracking their play are agreeing that this is the “best estimate” of how VP players are earning tier credits, since it depends on what game you are playing:
99.73% NSUD requires $185 coin-in to earn one tier credit.
99.17% BP requires $60 coin-in per tier credit.
I haven’t seen a figure for DDB and lower-EV games, but the lower the EV of the game the less coin-in it will require to earn one tier credit. What can’t be figured by most people is whether the theoretical loss while playing lower-EV can be made up by the benefits they can use at the higher tier levels they can attain. The math-savvy might be able to put a dollar value on some of these benefits and see whether they are worth more than their game losses, and a few might be very high bankrolled to try this. But most players would go broke long before they are able to reach the new extremely high tier requirements.
- Here is a warning for slot players and VP players: Your journey to reach a certain tier level can be slowed down if you frequently pull your card or change machines or even change games within one machine. The tier credit countdown stops whenever you do any one of those things, and then starts back at zero whenever you start back to play again. This might not be such an important consideration for slot players since it takes only $5 in to earn one tier credit. But as you can see from the above item, it would seriously affect the VP player.
4. The double-tier credit multiplier for Ruby players is only good for September (unless they extend it but no word on that yet) and is limited to the first 100 tier credits you earn each day. (Remember Ruby players can earn tier credits but NOT B-Connected points which are redeemable. Since they earn no points, they can not earn multiple points, like the 11x on Young at Heart Wednesdays.)
5. Some have commented that other Vegas local casinos probably are jumping for joy because they will get some – even a lot – of these disgusted Boyd players. I’m sure this is happening! Rampart has wasted no time sticking it to the neighboring Suncoast. Here is some text I read in their recent newspaper ad:
Don’t buy into all the buzz…we’re still the best player’s club on the Boulevard! Video poker players always know their point standings at our club. At our club, 1 point =1 tier credit. At the club down the street, 5 points = 1 tier credit.
- And finally -PLEASE – I can’t tell you what you personally should do about all this. These new changes will affect each player differently. A few casual players tell me that they don’t play enough to worry about all the details. But many regular customers are saying they are going to cut down on their play and/or play only on multiplier days. Many are leaving and hunting other casinos where the benefits are better. If you read the comments on my last 4 blogs, you would find good specific suggestions for this option. Just always remember that a wise player will look at a combination of factors, trying to get the best total EV of good games AND benefits.
If you want to voice your complains to me in person, you can find Brad and me at Harrah’s Cherokee September 27-29!