After my last Cherokee trip report, as usual there were reader questions, which I’m always happy to answer.
Q: Did it work out that your granddaughter could take a break from her Appalachian Trail thru-hike and meet you all?
A: Amazingly, the timing was perfect. Angela and Steve had to drive only about 20 miles to pick her up. In fact, they arrived at the meeting point a little early, so Steve could walk about a mile down the trail where he met her and they could walk back together to where Angela was waiting in the car. It goes without saying that Kaitlynn enjoyed a comfortable bed, hot food, and lots of hot showers the next day and a half at the hotel before being dropped back at the trail. If you’re interested, you can subscribe to her YouTube vblog .
Q: Do you ever plan to play at other casinos or go back to Las Vegas to visit?
A: Right now, Brad’s health limits how much we can travel. The only reason we can go to Cherokee is that Angela and Steve can help us with the travel and his care. However, at the urging of Angela (and my doctor), it seems that I need a break. So Angela and Steve are going to take over his care for four days in May and I am planning a trip to Harrah’s Tahoe and meeting with an old gambling friend I haven’t seen for over two years. Needless to say, I’m excited! And although I don’t miss living in Las Vegas, I look forward to a short visit there if circumstances ever make that a possibility.
A couple of trip notes: A big positive I forgot to mention in my trip report was how nice it was to be in a totally non-smoking casino. A negative was a new thing to which I had to adjust, for the first time: paying a resort fee. We’d always been at a high enough tier level for this not to happen. And Brad’s and my comped room did not get charged this fee since I am Diamond. However, Steve is only on the Platinum tier level and he did have $26.88 added for each of the 3 nights, even though two of the nights were comped, based on his rather light play in the past. “Comped” doesn’t always mean completely free.
From the comments:
I was at Cherokee when you were there. I sat down on a VP machine and commented to a lady beside me, “Has anybody ever told you that you look just like the Queen of Comps, Jean Scott.” To my great surprise, it was you!
It’s always great to meet “frugalites” who introduce themselves and such a pleasure to have a chance to chat with kindred souls. If you ever see us in a casino, please stop to say hello. I look forward to breaks in our play to meet new friends.
Now for some casino news.
Boyd Gaming has changed the name of its players club system, from B Connected to Boyd Rewards. Evidently, it did not cut benefits at the same time – I guess they figured their earlier massacre was enough.
This change in loyalty-club names seems to be the current “good idea.” CZR changed Total Rewards to Caesars Rewards. Wynn went from Red Card to Wynn Rewards. MGM went from M Live to MGM Rewards early this year and they did do a benefit massacre at the same time.
An important hint is to always check the casino website for possible changes (usually downgrades) in their player benefits whenever they change anything about their players club – the name, tier levels, etc. You should also check it carefully when their tier level “year” is up and especially at the beginning of a new year. Often, when they drop a benefit, there is no public announcement or player notification. That benefit is just not included in the new/revised tier-benefit section of the website.
Speaking of changes, sports arenas get name changes all the time to whatever company will pay the biggest bucks for that privilege, but airports not so frequently. I never did routinely say “McCarran” Airport, so I don’t think I will ever say “Harry Reid” airport. It has always been just the “Las Vegas Airport” to me.
And finally, it’s probably crazy that I’m so excited about the Palms reopening at the end of the month when I may never enter those doors again. But just seeing the name Palms Casino brings back so many happy memories for me. Brad and I were there the first day it opened and, living very close, we spent a lot of time there. It wasn’t just at the video poker machines, either, although it was one of our favorite places for that. We had comps for everything, the nice restaurants when we wanted to entertain fancy, the food court when we wanted a quick snack, and the buffet when everyone in our party wanted something different. Also a play place with a free dance machine when the grandkids were young and they could run up a comp bill that rivaled their frugal grandma. Free movies for years and free car washes until that popular perk broke down and to our sorrow was finally removed. (I kept those free coins for years, hoping I could someday use them!) And gifts, gifts, gifts! Someday I’ll walk around the apartment and list everything I see that came from the Palms. I go to Ang and Steve’s house and even sometimes spot something there!
So even if I never get back there, I’m excited for all of you who live in Vegas and the out-of-towners who will visit the new Palms. Maybe you can bring me joy by writing about it in the Comments. I’m hoping hoping hoping that you’ll find positive things to write about!
I have to agree wiht Kevin. It will be very close to the strip in table minumums, slot hold (most all of it) and VP pay tables. If the players keep coming and play the lousey odds, they will only make them worse until people stop coming, then back up. If the Palms popularity wanes, they will make it more local friendly and better the odds and pay tables to get more people in. If that happens, we may see the return on 3/2 BJ at $10 minimum, better slot and VP odds. But not until then, and the novelty wears off on everyone. Wish the rest of the strip would go the same way, but that may never happen.
It’s good to see that you’re getting a well deserved break. Brad is fortunate to have such a great family to care for him. I’m curious as to what game you’ll be playing at Harrah’s Tahoe. Will you be going back to 9/6 JoB?
I never did play more than a couple times at the Palms. I am positive that the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians will open it with great video poker pay tables, excellent food at really cheap prices and a slot club that returns 3%. This last was to offset any potentially negative responses and besmirching of the indigenous people that now own the Palms. Thanks for all you post for us to benefit by and may the royals be with you.
Tuscany also changed card names but I have no details about any club changes.
Jean – love your postings. Keep them coming.
I spent a lot of time at the Palms, for the same reasons you did, though I didn’t soak the various promos as assiduously as some people I know. For years, it was the BEST place to play. But then Stations slowly squeezed the life out of it. Whatever it’s like when it reopens, it’ll be no more than a mere shadow of its former self.
One silver lining is that it may continue to be operated as a quasi-locals’ property (from Day One, management was never clear on whether they wanted it to be a glammed-up semi-Strip property or a Fiesta-style video poker, movies, and buffet joint), at a time when both Boyd and Stations have pretty much destroyed the entire concept. The new operators (the Sockitoomee Band of the Hooka Pooka Sovereign Nation, or some such) might have a different mindset. I’m sure that literally the minute the doors open, swarms of locals will descend on the VP machines, looking for decent paytables.
Which they won’t find. And the slot club will return 0.05%. And the price of everything will be a la Strip. I hope I’m wrong, but I doubt it.