10/3/2003
Editor’s Note: Here, Jean Scott provides a sneak preview of More Frugal Gambling, in the form of an annotated Table of Contents – the annotations being Jean’s comments on the chapters. The book itself is due back from the printer on Tuesday, October 7.]
MORE FRUGAL GAMBLING
SECTION I: INTRODUCTIONS — The Queen of Comps and the Frugal Princess
I So Didn’t Want to Write This Book: The title says it all!
Following in the Queen’s Footsteps to Become the Frugal Princess — Finally! The down and dirty on how it really is to grow up with a nutty-frugal mother.
SECTION II: THE CASINO GAME
1. The Pyramid Falls: Some people thought I was too judgmental when I used a pyramid graphic to classify gamblers in the original Frugal. This chapter contains a kinder and gentler discussion on the subject of the different kinds of gamblers.
2. The Name of the Game — Luck or Math?: Choosing games wisely is probably the most important issue for the casino visitor who wants to make his money stretch further and his entertainment last longer. I discuss the choices of available games — tables, bingo, keno, sports betting, machines — and make a strong case for looking at factors other than just the house edge.
3. Not Your Grandma’s Slots Anymore: The Frugal Princess persuaded me to experience the slots before I tried to write about them — and a miracle occurred: I loved it! Because of this hands-on slot research, I was able to pack this long chapter with hints on how to make your slot play last longer and be more enjoyable.
4. Video Poker — Getting the Best of It: This chapter threatened to take over the whole book. Though still long, I pared it down to what I consider the essentials. However, there’s enough information here that someone who’s never before played video poker will know how to get started, while experienced players will find many ideas to help sharpen their skills.
SECTION III: TOOLS OF THE TRADE
5. Slot Clubs — You Can’t Afford Not to Join: The Frugal Princess reviews the basics and I offer literally hundreds of tips and tricks I’ve learned since I joined my first slot club in 1989. You’ll get many many more benefits from the slot clubs you join after you finish this chapter.
6. So Many Promotions, So Little Time: The promotion train I discussed in the original Frugal is still chugging along, and actually gaining steam as casinos proliferate all over the country and competition heats up. Here, I discuss how you can take advantage of some of the best promotional opportunities.
7. Joining the Court of KuPon: Couponing is still the number-one way for most gamblers to beat the casino. And amazingly, it’s a technique that the casinos encourage! I describe the various types of gambling coupons and give detailed instruction on how to maximize each kind.
SECTION IV: COMPS — THE GAME WITHIN THE GAME
8. Welcome to the Casino Comp World: Anyone can enter this world, but be warned! It’s a constantly changing place. The more you know about the comp system and keep up with the changes, the better you’ll be able to get your fair share.
9. Comps From the Slot Club and In Your Mailbox: This chapter describes the two systems — basic and mostly no-hassle — through which most recreation gamblers earn comps. However, few gamblers get what’s coming to them, because they don’t understand how the systems work. I let you in on many of their secrets.
10. Do You Need a Host?: To this question, most people respond with another: “”How would I even know how to find one?”” I provide the answer to this question and hundreds more, on the way to telling you everything you ever wanted to know about hosts and were truly afraid to ask.
11. Finding Your Way Through the Comp Maze: In this chapter I cover the multitude of hurdles you’ll face when trying to get comps, not just the ones the casino offers but even the “”secret”” ones you’ve legitimately earned.
10/10/2003
The wait is over for Angela and me — and it was worth it, if I do say so myself. More Frugal Gambling is in the house — Huntington Press’ warehouse, that is. It looks great! Bethany Rihel, HP’s long-time designer and marketing director, and Laurie Shaw, HP’s graphic artist, outdid themselves with this book’s cover, which is full of color and energy. Thank you, Bethany and Laurie!
Meanwhile, Vince and Doug in the shipping room are working day and night to get out all the books on back order. If you pre-ordered a copy, you should have yours by next week. Thank you, Vince and Doug!
Now starts the fun part.
And if the response to the original Frugal Gambler is any indication, Angela and I will be fielding hundreds and hundreds of emails and letters from readers over the next several months (and years).
To make it easy to correspond with us, we’ve established dedicated email addresses. Please send your electronic messages to me at [email protected] and to Ang at [email protected]. We’ll try to personally answer as many of them as we can, but we get such a flood of them, and so many contain the same questions, that we simply can’t respond to them all.
However, if you don’t get a response (and even if you do), watch this space!! I’ll endeavor to compile the most frequently asked questions and, occasionally, I’ll answer them right here in my Frugal Fridays column.
Speaking of Frugal Fridays, for a sneak preview of the book, check out last week’s column, where I list the Table of Contents and give a brief explanation of each chapter.
If you don’t have email and want to drop one or both of us a letter, address it to: Jean Scott or Angela Sparks, c/o Huntington Press, 3687 S. Procyon Ave., Las Vegas, NV 89103.
Either way, do let us hear from you. Angela and I are anxious to incorporate your questions and criticisms into future commentary.
10/16/2003
Editor’s Note: This week’s Frugal Friday is penned by John Little, a guest writer who had something pretty good happen to him at Santa Fe Station. Here’s the whole story.
Little Man Hits Big Jackpot
It was a dark and stormy night. … No, actually it wasn’t. It was a hot and dry afternoon as the northwest part of Las Vegas “”enjoyed”” its last 100F day. My plan was to go out and redeem some cash coupons, then earn enough points at the Santa Fe to get the mailing I wanted. I usually don’t play on a single-points day, but this was the last day of the month and I needed the points by midnight.
I cashed my coupon ($20) at the Fiesta and drove to the Santa Fe for some video poker. Slightly surprised that my preferred full-pay VP machine was open, I slid in a $100 bill and, twenty minutes later, had the credit meter up to $240. I’d just finished the first of two black coffees I’d ordered when I heard a beeping sound. First, however, I need to explain something. …
A few months ago, Station Casinos, which owns Santa Fe Station, started a promotion called “”Jumbo Jackpot.”” They promote it as “”Win Without Winning,”” because it’s a random payout that can hit on any machine at any Station casino at any time. You have to have your players card in the reader, but the Jumbo Jackpot can hit on any machine … even video poker.
Anyway, I’ve had this beeping thing happen before … once. I was playing at the Santa Fe and my machine beeped and I read the little scrolling card display that told me that I’d just been awarded $20 in free play (run it once through the machine and cash out).
So, here I am, watching the scrolling words come out:
“”Please…wait…for…an…attendant…to…verify…a…Jumbo…Jackpot…of…$113,917.”
My heart stopped.
“No freakin’ way!” I thought. I quickly looked at the readers of the machines next to me and they were blank.
“No freakin’ way,” I thought again.
I read it two or three more times and my stomach tightened up. I looked for a change person, asked her what this meant, and she said, “”Oh my God! You hit the big one!”” She added, “”In a minute, you’re going to be surrounded by a whole lot of people.””
Sure enough, suits (and a couple of skirts) came from everywhere — beepers going off, all talking on their cell phones, people asking my name, it’s a fog now.
They said they had to verify the hit. They said that there’d never been a malfunction, but they still had to check the computer system, surveillance tapes, etc. They wanted my ID. They kept asking me if I was excited (I was totally quiet) and I said that I’d be excited when they told me it was a done deal. I also said that I needed a drink and paramedics. The Marketing Director fetched me a Bloody Mary. I had to reassure them that I was kidding about the paramedics. They said to call my wife, but I wanted to wait … until it was for sure. “”Mike”” made several cell calls, then shook my hand and said, “”It’s a done deal.”
One hundred thirteen thousand nine hundred and seventeen dollars. And a jacket. And a T-shirt.
I had to sign papers authorizing marketing to use my picture. I was asked how I wanted the money. I could have had it all in cash. I said, “”Cash would be cool, but my shorts will fall down.” I took $5,000 in cash and a check for $108,917. I tipped the change people $300 and made sure it was split up among everyone. I gave them an extra $100 and said I wanted that amount split among any single moms working. I posed for the quick pictures (after making sure that someone was watching the $240 in my machine. Hell, it was my money).
After a while everyone drifted off. I sat back to play, with that oversized check next to me. People kept coming up and asking me if I’d won, touching me for luck (yup, loved that, especially the old men). I called my wife Amy (“”Oh my God! Oh my God!””). I called other relatives and a friend in St. Louis.
Amy picked me up as soon as the kids got up from their nap
10/23/2003
So many people liked the Jumbo Jackpot story in last week’s column that I decided to give you another one. We never get too old for fairy tales.
A couple of weeks ago, Brad and I were doing a bounce-back collection run on the east side of the Strip, going around the block to pick up our rewards at Ellis Island, Tuscany, and the Hard Rock. I hadn’t been feeling well that week, so our plan was to head straight back to our condo without playing anywhere.
However, I suddenly realized that the Frugal Van was in need of gas and we were going right past Terrible’s casino where, using a coupon that we keep in the vehicle for just such last-minute change of plans, we could play for about a half-hour and get a comp for $25 worth of gas at a Terrible’s gas station. So we pulled into the casino parking lot.
We often play at Terrible’s, since they have very good promotions. I don’t know exactly how to put this politely — how about, Terrible’s isn’t the Mirage? — but we enjoy being with the colorful group of gamblers in their customer mix, all seeming to have such a good time. Hey, we’re all a little eccentric at times! And I like a place where I can fit in when I’m in grunge mode. Brad can wear anything he pleases without checking with me to see if it’s “good enough.”
Anyway, we got out of the van in the parking lot and immediately met up with a panhandler. Brad is always a sucker in this circumstance, so I wasn’t surprised when he pulled out a roll of small bills (careful not to make a mistake and pull out the roll of big bills he usually keeps in the other pocket) and peeled off a single to donate. I’ve quit trying to convert him to the idea that it’s better to give money to charitable organizations so they can give longer-lasting help to the down-and-out. He doesn’t think it’s a bad idea and we send a check to the Salvation Army frequently. However, he also believes in crisis management — the wino probably really needs a drink or a cigarette right now!
But this time, I didn’t chide Brad for being an enabler. I really felt sorry for this guy, who might’ve been the dumbest beggar in Las Vegas. The majority of the customers at Terrible’s are nickel bettors; quarter players are considered high rollers. We play $1 and $2 denominations and feel like whales. The pickin’s were probably pretty slim for this panhandler, so I felt uncharacteristically cheerful about Brad’s donation and agreed with him that it might do some good — maybe even help us break out of our recent losing streak. We hadn’t met a wino for far too long!
We entered the casino and picked our machines. Brad reached in his big-bills pocket, looked at me, shook his head, and said, “I didn’t think we were going to play tonight, so I didn’t bring our regular gambling bankroll.” At which point, we both searched our pockets and came up with a little over $600. We usually play $2 VP, but with this little bit of money, it would’ve been touch and go to last until we got the necessary points for $25 worth of gas. So we decided to play dollars and hope for the best.
As usual, my story is going to be longer than I expected, so I’ll stop now. But tune in next week to hear the rest of the story. (Hey, if Paul Harvey can do it, so can I!) I’ll answer these burning questions: Did fantastic luck visit us? Should you go out and hunt a panhandler? And why in the heck would someone lose $600 or more to get $25 worth of free gas?
10/30/2003
Okay, I played a dirty trick on you last week and wrote a cliffhanger. I won’t make you wait any longer.
You’ll remember that we ended up in Terrible’s casino, after giving a panhandler in the parking lot a dollar, trying to make our scrapped-together bankroll of $600 last for a half-hour in order to get the number of points needed for $25 worth of gas for the van.
I know many of you asked yourselves, “What’s wrong with this picture? Why would anyone risk $600, or even $100, to get $25 worth of gas? Why not just buy the gas and not risk any money? Wouldn’t that be a wiser move?”
The explanation for this involves a discussion of the various personalities and goals of gamblers, something I talk about at length in More Frugal Gambling. But most of all, it gives a concrete example of our acceptance and use of the mathematically correct concept of “long-term” advantage gambling. We know that anything can happen in any one session or series of sessions. Skilled players can lose and seat-of-the-pants players can get lucky and win. However, we believe strongly — and have proved the concept in actual experience — that if you gamble only when you have some kind of an edge, the longer you play the closer you will get to the long-term profit that the ER (expected theoretical return) holds out to you.
Therefore, we say to ourselves on any play, like this play at Terrible’s, “We will not look at one session loss to judge whether this was a good play.” It was, of course. The game return was less than 100%, but slot club points for gas put it well into positive territory and a promotion giving a bonus on a royal gave it extra value. So, although it’s never as much fun to lose as it is to win, we’re never surprised if we have a loss, even a big one, in any one session. We’ve experienced them many times and actually joked when we started playing at Terrible’s, “Well, how much is our $25 worth of gas going to cost us tonight?” But we were only joking, for we knew that this night’s play would just be tossed in the big bucket that holds the results of every session since we started casino gambling almost 20 years ago, a bucket that has been full of our original bankroll and overflowing with profit since 19 years ago.
So much for math talk and down to the rest of the story. We managed to play almost to where we would have had enough points for our $25 coupon for gas. But our $600 was almost gone and we were nervous. Would our smaller-than-usual in-our-pocket bankroll stretch long enough, even though we were playing a dollar game instead of our usual $2 one? Up to that point, Brad’s belief that helping the down-and-outer would reap some good wasn’t even helping us get one set of quads to assure we could get over the hump.
But suddenly, in the nick of time, his belief came through like a trooper and I hit a royal for $4,000 and was also given the $2,000 bonus.
Was this skill? Yes. By playing a good game, we would lose less in our numerous losing sessions, so when we did hit the royal, it would put us in profit territory and not just cover some of our previous losses.
Was this luck? Yes. You could say we were lucky that we hit a royal this particular session, since a royal comes around only about every 80 or so hours on average.
Did donating to a panhandler make us lucky that day? There’s no mathematical answer to this question. You decide what’s the “right” answer!
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