Here is a picture of Brad being transferred from the military hospital at Fort Benning to a civilian one in Columbus, the latter one having a better cardiac department.

Brad is still a little weak, but with strong meds kicking in and the help of a walker (and a wheelchair which is complimentary at the casino), he feels he is up to a short 4 ½-hour road trip from Columbus, GA to Harrah’s Cherokee, with Angela and me and tough ex-Ranger Steve as his “nursing assistants.”

This trip is my Harrah’s 7* retreat that we had to cancel for last weekend.  So, for those of you on property this weekend who might want to stop and chat, we will be on the casino floor or at the buffet or the Laurel Lounge (Formerly called the Diamond Lounge) on this Friday evening (20^th), off and on all day Saturday, and Sunday until early afternoon when we will be driving back to Columbus.

I don’t want to clutter up this blog with personal details but if you want to follow more of our “real life,” as opposed to our casino one, you can join us on my Jean Scott Facebook page for updated news.  I’ll be happy to friend you if you are not there already.

Now for some details for those who don’t know much about this beautiful Indian casino, managed by Harrah’s.  We have visited here once or twice a year for many years.  In my opinion it is located in one of the prettiest areas of the U.S, the Smoky Mountains.  (Tied with Lake Tahoe at the top of our casino favorites.) We especially like to visit in the fall to see the leaf-changing spectacular – something we miss in Las Vegas.  And it is always a good place to take the family, with many non-gambling options, like sightseeing, hiking, and fishing.  It also has our very favorite casino buffet, bar none.

Cherokee has many advantages for those in the Harrah’s 7* players club tier.  Unlimited comped movies.  Free Internet access for 5 devices.  Large selection of free beverages at check-in.  Opt out of daily housekeeping and get $20 free play per night stay.  A special set-aside room in the Laurel Lounge, with additional food selections.  And very valuable, you can get cash instead of free play when you cash in your Reward Credits.  If you are on your 7* retreat, you can use your $500 folio money in the many shops, not just for food and beverage.

A friend recently sent me this good hint, one which I didn’t know:

You can use Celebration “vouchers” for room service.  Before we used ours, I checked at the Rewards Center and was told that I could use the voucher for room service, but I needed to tell the room service people when I placed our order.  I did and it worked perfectly.

Perhaps this will work at other CZR properties?  You could check.

If you want more hints about this property and extra benefits, go to the Seven Star Insider,  where you will find tons of very detailed information about Cherokee and all other CZR properties.  Although this website zeroes in on 7* benefits, there is much information that would help lower-tier players maximize the value of their play.

The main drawback for many VP players is that there are not good paytables at the lower denominations.  The best ones are at the $5 machines.

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If Brad continues to gain his strength back, we plan to return to Vegas on September 28th – and I can be back here with more Las Vegas casino frugal information.

For complete information about this fun and informative event go to ZorkFest. There you can scroll down and find schedules, pictures and bios of the speakers, preliminary session subjects, host hotel rates, and registration details.  Of course, I want to tell you about all the ways you can reduce the cost of this educational and entertaining event – talking about how to get more bang for your buck is what I do!

First, remember this valuable code:  zorklva.  This will give you discounts for many parts of the registration fees.  And second, remember this still-wise cliché – the early bird gets the worm.  The Super Early Discount rate available if you register before March 20, coupled with the LVA code, will be the best bargain.  But there are other discounts for add-ons and combo offers.

Then there are special LVA promotions. Use the code zorklvaroller for $25 off the High-Roller ticket, offer good until April 30.    And here is one Brad and I are excited about because we love to chat with our fans:

ZorkFest will provide three (3) Friday VIP dinner tickets to raffle off for LVA members. Potential winners will be any LVA member who buys a Zorkfest conference ticket (with the LVA code). Those three winners will sit with Anthony Curtis or Jean and Brad Scott at dinner Friday night.  If the winner of the LVA contest for dinner already has purchased a dinner (or High-Roller ticket which includes dinner) they will get a $100 Treasure Island Casino chip, at registration.  Those who purchase the dinner (or High Roller Ticket which includes dinner) will also get a chance to sit with AC or Jean and Brad Scott, on a first- come- first basis.

I am really enthusiastic about this event because it covers such a large range of subjects of interest to people who work at being thrifty.  Of course, my niche is frugal gambling, but we spent a lot of time over the years making our travel budget smaller – think of those many airplane bumps we chased –  so we would have a bigger bankroll when we got to the casino.   And we are really looking forward to chatting with many of our frugal readers, some we have met in person in the past but many have wished for such an opportunity as this May event will bring.  Hope to see you there!

Jean, I received an e-mail promotion from Total Rewards (CZR) that your readers might find interesting. If you’re an Emerald at Boyd, Total Rewards will upgrade you from Platinum to Diamond. I believe they will do it for other card holders from other properties, but I’m only high-tiered at Boyd’s.

Good info, since this frugal trick is sometimes usable at other casinos than those mentioned above. If you have reached a high tier at any one casino, it pays to check at the players club at other casinos to see if they have a matching program. Although you probably won’t immediately get all the benefits of that higher tier at a new casino until you have put in the requisite play requirements, you will usually be able to enjoy some of the perks right away, i.e., VIP lines or discounted food comps.

We generally try to find a bar-top video blackjack machine to play our free play through once. It’s a much lower variance play than any VP game, and you can generally get a free drink in the process.

This won’t work for all players in all casinos, but might be an option you want to remember.

Q: Free play isn’t worth its full value because you usually have to play it through on a game that has an under-100% payback, am I not right?

A: You are right. So to keep the free play value as high as possible you look to play it through on the highest EV machine you can find. Playing it on slots will reduce its value significantly because of the high house edge there. So to keep more of it many will choose a VP game, looking for the highest EV paytable.  However, you will need to consider your bankroll so you might have to choose a lower-EV video poker choice at the lower denomination you can handle. And many consider volatility for short-term play and would choose a lower-EV game that has lower volatility – like 9/6 JoB (99.5%) – instead of, for example, NSUDs (99.7%), that is more volatile. However, players who look at gambling with a long-term view often choose the highest EV, knowing all those short-term plays blend together for the higher long-term results.

Q: Did I understand correctly from one of your previous blogs that if my wife and I each received free room offers from the same downtown casino/hotel it is possible for each of us to individually reserve a room and allow other family members (who did not receive the free room offer) to use the second room? This without risking our status with the casino/hotel?

A: As with almost all casino subjects, this answer must be qualified with a “usually.” You can usually do this with no problem, but you need to register at check-in for each room under the invited player’s name; you can add non-playing family names to the room as needed so they could be given keys. Then who sleeps where is a private matter. You definitely would need to do play under both names to continue getting invitations in both names. We do this all the time where we both play at high levels and have a long-term relationship with a host who can arrange for adjoining rooms. If you play at a lower level and are uncomfortable about this situation, you and your wife might want to check in at different times and thus avoid any questions. But in any case, you are not doing anything illegal or even unethical, and I have never heard of this being against any casino policy if you give enough play to cover the comps for each room.

I don’t believe in luck — I  believe in preparation. 

Bobby Knight, former Indiana basketball coach

A favorite quote of mine.

I had mentioned in Part 1 how we loved its beautiful green setting in the Smoky Mountains, and on this trip we planned some out-of-casino activities to enjoy nature. On one day we took a road trip over the mountain to Gatlinburg, although we did not actually spend any time in that too-commercialized town, except to stop for some ice cream. However, the scenery along the route was worth the trip, with stops at look-outs that afforded spectacular mountain views. However, I would suggest that you try to pick another time that we did, to avoid the heavy crowds that also liked to have a beautiful summer Sunday afternoon drive.

The highpoint of our stay was taking in the drama “Unto These Hills,” a professional production in a stunning outdoor theater that was built right into the forest. It told the moving historical story of the Cherokee Indians and how they suffered under the government’s cruel policies for so many years. It was a sad story and almost made me forget our losses in the casino this trip, especially when we saw the wonderful big school and other improvements for the local Indian population paid for from the casinos profits. (However, on past trips we had not been so generous and don’t plan to be in the future!)

Here are a few more comments about the casino experience itself that I hadn’t mentioned in Part 1:

• It is the rare – and perhaps only – Harrah’s property with no limits on the number of free room movies Seven Star tier players can enjoy.
• The buffet is one of the best we have ever eaten in a casino, but the hours are sometimes limited, closed some days during slow seasons and mostly serving dinner only.  Check the schedule to avoid disappointment.
• There is a wide choice of food options besides the main buffet.  We liked the Selu Garden Café off the lobby for breakfast, where you could order from the menu or choose the small buffet set up there.  We also liked the convenience of the food court on the casino floor for quick eats.  And the Diamond Lounge had light snack and meal offerings, with even more selections in the Seven Star room within that lounge.

I have often mentioned that we always like to combine casino stays with family visits, and this trip was the usual combo. It was special because a new member to our family had been added and we got to meet 3-month-old great-grandson Bowen for the first time. You can leave the blog now – and my feelings won’t be hurt – if you aren’t interested in some proud-great-grandparent photos!!!

   July 4 Celebrations

 Big brother, Asher, always taking care of Bo

So here is my best effort at a Strip parking guide for the frugal although I make no guarantees. I encourage corrections – you won’t hurt my feelings!

Free Strip self-parking

Caesars Entertainment Properties – (free only for those with a Nevada driver’s license which they can swipe)

Treasure Island

SLS Las Vegas The Venetian / Palazzo

Tropicana

Circus Circus – (Valet charge only)

Stratosphere

Wynn/Encore – (Valet Charge only)

Trump Tower

Casino Royale

Free Parking Close to Strip (short walk)

Tuscany

Westin

Hooters

Hard Rock

Royal Resort

Ellis Island

Free Parking off-Strip (long walk)

Rio

Gold Coast

Palms

The Orleans

Outlying Casinos with Shuttles to the Strip

Palms ( for hotel guests only)

Rio

Gold Coast

Orleans

Sam’s Town

Silverton

M Casino – Shuttle to the Tropicana

J W Marriott (Rampart Casino)

Shopping centers with free parking in walking distance of casinos

The garage for the Miracle Mile shops provides just a short window-shopping jaunt into Planet Hollywood.

The Fashion Show Mall

The Shoppes at Mandalay Bay

The Shops at Crystals

NOTES

Check my last blog entry for details on casino credit card benefits that include free parking.

Check casino websites for players club high-tier parking benefits. Also look for casinos that give the first hour free to anyone for quickie errands into their property. Both MGM and Caesars CET) properties have this benefit.

As usual, and especially on this constantly-changing subject, put in the “Comments” or e-mail me any additional details or changes you personally come across.

And to close on a negative note: I just heard that some casinos in Reno are starting to charge for parking. I don’t know any details yet.

This disease has spread fast!

The corner suites we get in the new tower are spacious and luxurious, with a large patio which is the perfect place to enjoy a room service breakfast while taking in the mountain view on two sides.  And a Jacuzzi is always a welcome feature when we need to relax in the evening and loosen up tired shoulder muscles after some hours of play on a video poker machine.

We love the spa.  Brad usually only gets a facial, but I go all in – a full body scrub followed by a clay cover treatment, a facial, and then a massage for every muscle that is even thinking about hurting.  I come out of there a regular Raggedy Ann, my skin so soft and limbs so relaxed I can barely make it up to our room!

And before I forget it – I was asked after our last trip what was in the small pretty shopping bags 7* players are given when they check in.  They are a nice amenity package:  2 bottles of water, 2 bottles of soda (your choice of regular or Diet), and many small packets of snacks (various kinds of nuts and candies and other munchies).

This last trip was a special VIP event organized by our regional host – formerly from the Chicago area, meeting her back when we used to go to the Hammond Horseshoe, but now working out of San Francisco.  On Sunday she had arranged for her group (mostly from Chicago but a few “strays” like us) to attend the Pacific Classic at Del Mar Racetrack.  We were bussed to the track – an hour-plus ride – and taken to a VIP Suite in the Turf Club, where we were wined (Cokes for us!) and dined for 7 hours while we watched – and bet on – the races.    I was getting pretty exhausted by the end of the day, but Brad loved every minute of it, a 30-year throwback to the time before he and I met and racetracks (dog and horse) were his beloved form of gambling.

The dress code for the Turf Club was very strict – all the men had to wear a jacket and women had to “dress up.”  Big hats for the ladies was THE style!

Betting was fun although it wasn’t an “advantage” play by any means.  My girlfriend who was also in this event and I pooled our money and bet every race – a whopping 11 of them– using a couple tout sheets to be half-way informed.  But my strategy was to never bet on the favorites.  If I was going to win, I wanted a bigger payoff.  At first we would pick long shots and exotic bets, but when that wasn’t getting us any winning tickets, we switched to “medium shots.”  That worked out better with some encouraging wins.  Brad pulled up some of his old handicapping skills and scored a couple of good hits early on.  Then we would ask him for some help and he would give us some “good jockey” advice.   Good thing though that the results of the last race didn’t happen early or we would have never gleaned any advice from our “expert.”  The girls’ horse beat out Brad’s horse by a nose and caused him to lose one of his bigger bets.

However, the girls  lost only $60 of their pool money.  And Brad lost only $20.  Plenty cheap entertainment for 7 hours!

A highlight of the day was a chance to go down trackside where you could feel the swish of the horses as they raced by right in front of you.  Harrah’s was the sponsor of one race and we were invited for this up-close view of it.  It’s amazing how much bigger and more powerful the horses look here than on TV or even in the stands.

Needless to say, when the bus ride back to the hotel was over, Brad and I weren’t able to even contemplate sitting up at a video poker machine.  We hit the Jacuzzi and then the bed!

Getting older changes you, and the been-there-done-that makes you become a little jaded.  We often have a suite, sometimes with more square footage than our cozy condo.  Recently we stayed in a suite that had a baby-grand piano in it!  The toiletries are luxury branded.  The frig is often filled with free soft drinks.  The goodies on the table may include gourmet cheeses and crackers and expensive candies or even chocolate-covered strawberries.  You can open and close drapes with just the touch of a button. You can watch the TV in your bathroom mirror while you are primping, choose from a variety of water experiences in the shower, or lounge in the Jacuzzi complete with a bight yellow rubber ducky friend.

So what do we do most days now when we have a free room in Vegas?  We often put in our several hours of play first and then wander up to the room about 5 or 6 p.m. We gather up the toiletries and amenities that are portable and put them into the small nylon expandable bag I always carry in my big purse.  We sample the food items that are too messy to put in a bag and leave the rest for a hungry maid.  And then we are back down the street in a few minutes to our cozy condo where we will take a swim in the pool right outside our door, eat a light heathy meal, and then snuggle down in our own comfortable bed.

We do like to check out rooms in new or remodeled casino hotels.  And sometimes we do stay all night or at least lie down and take an afternoon nap there to see how comfy the beds are.  Recently we had a couple of nights at the new Cromwell.  We wanted to compare this to our stay in that corner building, perhaps 25 years ago.  Then we loved the dark red heavy fabric décor of the Barbary Coast.  It was like sleeping in a Roaring 20’s movie set – so romantic!  Although the Barbary Coast building seemed to be completely gutted while we were watching it being rebuilt, the Cromwell rooms seem to be about the same size as we remembered them so long ago, quite small compared to some we have had in newer Strip hotels.

The size of the room didn’t bother us.  Friends have said they felt claustrophobic in them but we like small and cozy.  And the décor reminded us a little of the old Barbary Coast.  There weren’t the heavy tapestries, but it gave the same low-light elegant feeling.  This time it was dark wood and dark leather – what I call the classic-library look, with a checker-board set up on the table in front of the sofa.  It’s definitely a change from the light and airy atmosphere of many of the updated casino hotel rooms these days, but I sometimes tire of modern décor that seems almost hospital- sterile.  It was nice to be surrounded by warm and comfy, not old-fashioned to us but pleasantly nostalgic.

We also had a “drama dip” – but not one we would exactly choose.  At about 11 p.m. one night there was a fire in a room on the 2^nd floor in the tower where we were staying and everyone had to evacuate.  Of course the elevators were shut down so we had a long trek down the stairs from our 15^th floor suite, with many in their nightclothes, and out to the pool area where we found two empty lounge chairs.  The night air was only slightly chilly, and employees were passing out water and blankets, so the 90-minute wait for the All Clear was not uncomfortable.  But the episode did bring home to me a forgotten lesson:  Always read the “In Case of Fire” instructions on the back of a hotel room door.

We also had another “dip” for our basic ice  cream cone this trip – but not a gambling one.  Brad was due to have his driver’s license renewed.  This had to be in person and going to a DMV is definitely not a fun activity for Vegas locals.  However, the little DMV office in Laughlin is a wonderful alternative.  No line and Brad was in and out in about 10 minutes.

A special note about this trip:  We learned of a new green program.  Caesars Entertainment (new name for Harrah’s) helps fund “Clean the World,” a nonprofit that collects and sanitizes discarded soap and shampoo products to distribute to impoverished people worldwide.  There was this note in our room:  “You can help.  Leave your unused shampoo and soaps in the room when you check out.”

It’s time!  After 27 years I just bought – with real money! – two big bottles of shampoo.  Nobody has to feel sorry for me any more because I have run out of little hotel shampoo bottles.

So here is a news item for animal lovers who can’t bear to leave their dogs at home when they visit Las Vegas.  I found this tidbit in the excellent monthly newsletter put out by the Seven Star Insider.  (Here is a note from the editor:  While this newsletter was originally designed exclusively for Seven Stars members, there is useful information for anyone who has a Total Rewards^® player’s card and/or plays/stays at a Harrah’s property.) 

Harrah’s Going To the Dogs!

Atlantic City and other areas of the country may not be “pet-friendly”, but in Las Vegas three Harrah’s casinos are welcoming guests who travel with their dogs.  “PetStay”, available at Caesars Palace, Rio All Suite Hotel & Casino and Imperial Palace, includes several canine-friendly in-room amenities including a mat, food and water dishes, disposable waste bags, and dog treats.  There also are welcome packets that direct guests to outdoor relief areas and dog walking routes.  Here are the details:

• Dogs staying at any of the three hotels must weigh 50 pounds or less and be present at time of check- in.
• Up to two dogs per room are allowed.
• Dogs are permitted to walk through designated common areas while on a leash and accompanied by the owner.

Hotel room rates for owners traveling with a dog are priced at a $25 per night upgrade for designated pet-friendly hotel accommodations in the Augustus Tower at Caesars Palace; $20 per night upgrade applies to similar accommodations at Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino and Imperial Palace.

I have had some e-mail on this subject, wondering whether you have to pay this fee if you have a comped room.  Unfortunately there is no one general casino policy on this.  In fact, the answer may not be the same from one visit to the next at the same casino.   You will need to ask each and every time you make a reservation and verify when you check in. 

This is one area where a host can often make fees disappear if you have given some substantial play.  Even if you are paying for your room, you could ask your host – nicely –  if you “qualify” for having the resort fee taken off your bill.  I recall a  famous saying:  “It never hurts to ask!”

One last hint:  There is often a disconnect between casino departments and even if you have been told there will not be a resort fee added, it may mysteriously make its way onto your hotel bill.  So a good rule of thumb is to always check your bill BEFORE you leave.  It is much easier to get it corrected then than after you get home and check your credit card charges.