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The Flexible Gambler

The Flexible Gambler

I’ve been reading over some of the blogs I’ve been writing recently, in which I’ve been trying to give practical hints for players coping with the difficult casino environment we’re up against these days. And it occurred to me that one word can sum up all that information: “flexibility.”

The most successful gamblers are flexible. Flexibility is so important, I’m moving it way up on my list of descriptions of an effective gambler, right up there with “self-disciplined” and “hardworking.”

Someone looking for the best plays rarely sticks exclusively with a “favorite” casino. When I’m asked the most frequent question by people who know we came from Vegas — “What’s your favorite casino?” — my stock answer is, “Wherever there’s a good game or juicy promotion!”

Back in my early writings, I recommended having a “core” casino before branching out to others. That was good advice 20 years ago. And it can still be a good start or a firm foundation on which to build. But a good gambler these days is always a searcher, looking across the street, down the road, in the next city. And those whose personal lives give them wider freedom, you may find in casinos anywhere across the country looking for good-value plays.

A flexible gambler is not just looking for value in various venues, but also exploring games other than their usual ones. Many live poker players add video poker to earn more comps. Brad and I gave up blackjack in our early casino days because we were getting more abundant rewards from the players clubs from video poker. And today there are game possibilities you might have never considered in the past.

Bonus slots is a recent major opportunity. I had just a taste of that way back when with Piggy Banking, one of the first slot machines that you could watch in order to step in for the bonus when the bank was almost full. These new bonus slots require some fairly complicated math to figure out when they’re playable with an advantage. The problem, which I can’t help you with, is knowing which machines to play and when to jump in and play them. There’s some help on the Internet, but not all of it is math-trustworthy. Most players find these opportunities by talking to their math-proficient friends, many of whom are in skilled-gambler groups who share such information with one another, but not with the general public.

Another new possible game opportunity (though like bonus slots, with an advanced-math requirement) comprises the new electronic table games, particularly craps and blackjack. If, like me, you aren’t a math expert, you need one as a friend! Recently, I ‘ve stressed how important it is to cultivate relationships with other players. In my conversations with skilled players over the years, I find that they almost always mention getting valuable information from a friend or acquaintance.

Another technique many players use to find good plays, more accessible to more players without being an Einstein, is watching for things that change in a casino. I won’t disagree that many casino changes aren’t good for the player. But it’s a little like panning for gold; sometimes, when you shake out all the dirt and debris, you’ll find something of value. Look for a change of marketing executives; a new one just might be more player friendly and loosen up the mailers, at least for a while. Look at a newly revised players club system. Some changes might work in your favor, even if others do not. Watch for a change of owners; don’t assume everything will be downhill. New owners sometimes run we-are-now-better promotions. (Thousands of us are hoping this for the Palms in Las Vegas!)

When a new casino opens, it’s a given that a flock of savvy players will be there, checking out the machines, the table games, the players club. There is always a chance that in the hustle and bustle of getting the casino open quickly, the casino will make mistakes that will provide a good player opportunity. But these players don’t limit themselves just to the big Vegas openings. They travel anywhere to look for new opportunities, big or small. In fact, sometimes gems will be found in the smallest and/or out-of-the-way gambling locations. They might not even be bona fide “casinos,” but instead, small slot parlors, or a few slots in a truck stop or convenience store, or games in a local bar. (The Las Vegas Advisor, for example, tracks the local-bar scene day in and day out.)

And not surprisingly in this digital age, many players are checking out online casinos. Obviously, you have to live in or visit a state that has legalized them. But if you do, you can explore them for possible advantage plays. Some have generous bonus programs – I call them “players clubs in space” – that can give you good value for online play on various games. I’ve never played online, so I can’t give you specific details. But I’ve had reports from readers. One was about some good VP games on a CZR-branded online casino where you can build up tier and reward points. On another, some are earning points to add to their M life players club account at MGM. The Wynn Rewards program is being integrated with its online platforms, so you can earn rewards both through mobile and desktop platforms, in addition to in-person play at the brick-and-mortar casinos.

A gambler committed to finding good plays is flexible in where or what he or she plays, but also when. A promotion starts at midnight? It doesn’t matter. A flexible gambler never expects a 9-to-5 schedule. He doesn’t set his hours; the opportunities dictate his timetable.
And when one opportunity goes away, you don’t find the successful gambler sitting around and crying about “greedy casinos.” He knows no good play lasts forever. He’s learned to stay flexible, so he can adjust to change.

The most successful gamblers are scramblers!

CZR Reward Credit Program – Part 5

CZR Reward Credit Program – Part 5

In my last post, I talked about the Tier credit part of the CZR players club program. Now for the second part, the Reward credit part. If you’re confused about all this, you’re not alone. In fact, if you go to the CZR website and check the “Overview” page , you’ll see the complexity of the system, with 15 footnotes and a whopping 33 internal links for more information.

After reviewing all that material, I feel a little foolish trying to write about this, but I guess I’ve had enough practice over 20 years of trying to explain complicated casino information that might help a player lose less money. So here goes.

When you play a game in a CZR casino, you routinely earn Tier credits and Reward credits at the same time and at the same rate, but in separate “banks,” so to speak. But there are some instances where you can earn at a different rate.

Example: If a casino is running a short-term Tier-credit bonus promotion, you earn only the normal number of Reward credits, but a larger number of Tier credits. That daily Tier-bonus promotion, which I’ve often recommended, will up the balance in your Tier bank, but you get only Reward credits for your base play, not the bonus. (Another wrinkle to watch here: Only game play credits are counted for the bonus, not non-gaming reward credits earned.)

More often, there are instances where the reverse is true. If you’re doing a Reward-credit promotion (like 3x points, which means 3x Reward credits), you’ll earn only the normal number of Tier credits, not 3 times as many.

Both categories earn credits at the same time and usually at the same rate when you spend money in a casino on non-gaming expenses, like dining, shopping, and amenity experiences (although what is offered in these categories differs from casino to casino).

One recent benefit upgrade (one of the few these days, I’m sorry to say) is that you now earn 5 Tier credits for every $1 spent on hotel rooms and resort fees. It used to be only one Tier credit for every dollar spent, and it’s still that 1-for-1 for earning Reward credits for most non-gaming, including spending with CZR partners, like the Visa credit card.

Now for redeeming credits. You never “redeem” your Tier-credit balance. The credits you earn in one year put you in a specific tier, higher ones as your Tier-credit balance goes up. You qualify for more benefits as you proceed higher. I talked about these in my last blog. You can’t “save up” tier credits; you must re-qualify every year.

On the other hand, Reward credits can be redeemed – and in many different places and for many different benefits. See the list here at the bottom of the page. Again there are the usual exclusions, exceptions, and limitations, so be sure to click on the “Learn More” links for each benefit. You can “cash in” your Reward credits, but only for free play, at the rate of $1 for 200 credits. You must do this in person at a Caesars Rewards Center.

However, many players prefer to use them for dining, hotel, shopping, entertainment, or amenity comps. You need to compare the redemption choices carefully, because some of the comp-item prices are much higher than the usual outside retail price, and/or the credit-to-comp ratio is much higher than the free-play option. It’s often a personal choice, with more to do with psychological reasons rather than purely math ones. I hear a lot, “I always choose shopping, because I want something to show for my efforts; I always lose my free play by the time I leave the casino.”

And just in case you think the CZR benefit program isn’t complex enough already, you can earn Great Gift Wrap Up (GGWU) points that accumulate in a third separate “bank.” I don’t have the energy to explain the details of what CZR calls a holiday shopping event or “promotion.” I think of a promotion as something that goes on for a limited amount of time: a few days or even monthly. But this goes on all year long and seems just like another benefit program, with details almost as complicated as in the Tier and Reward credit programs. If you’re new to this benefit, you need to read all about it here. Basic details have you earning one GGWU point for every one gaming Reward credit you earn (not for tier credits and not for reward credits you earned for non-gaming spending, like dining).

For those of you who have participated in this program in past years, a few details may have changed. It used to be, when we used this benefit a few years back, that this program was only available in casinos in Las Vegas and some other NV locations. Limited participation casinos is still the case for tier levels of Diamond Plus and below. You can check the above link for a list of those specific casinos. Once you’re Diamond Elite or Seven Stars, you can earn these points at any CZR casino. Another change – thanks to the pandemic – is you can redeem the points online instead of having to be at Caesars Palace during specific dates to shop in person. That link above gives specific dates for both online and in-person redemption.

Note: The above website is a mess. Not only is it impossibly complex, they have 64 (!) “program rules.” But when they changed the program, they forgot to update some of those rules that were impacted. (Sigh!) I did phone them, but they refused my kind offer to edit and clarify those rules. However, they did verify those details I wrote about above, so ignore anything on the website that differs from my information.

This is the end of my current series about CZR properties, although I’m happy to answer your questions about playing in one of those casinos. However, I still need to talk about marketing benefits, such as free play, dining and hotel comps, and other goodies that come in your mailers. But I want to give information that you can use to help increase those benefits, not just at CZR properties, but at any casino. Stay tuned.

Back to the Mountains and Video Poker

Back to the Mountains and Video Poker

Last week I gave you website links to help you learn the basics of the Caesars players club program, but I told you this was just the beginning step in determining whether a CZR casino might be a good choice for you. I am going to write about that in detail, but in a future post, since I’m still doing some more research to be sure I have the most current information.

In fact, I’ll be doing some of that research first hand! My dear daughter and son-in-law are very aware of the stress that caregivers can experience and are committed to helping me cope. So what can they do to give me a break? You guessed it – take me to a favorite casino that has good VP games!

The four of us will be going back to Harrah’s Cherokee on June 24th for 3 nights. Brad and I will be staying in a comped room, thanks to my play on the last trip there. In times past when Brad and I both played, we could get two comped rooms, but that’s no longer possible — unless I play more often and at a much higher level. But this is not a problem, since Angela and Steve have a camper to pull behind their big truck and they (and their two dogs) love the out-of-doors. They’ll stay at a campground just 3 miles from the casino, on a lake and a trout stream where Steve can enjoy fishing. And granddaughter Kaitlynn will probably join them part of the time and she always organizes long family hikes.

Of course, they’ll all join us at the hotel for some meals and casino play, plus staying with Brad when he tires of the casino. And he and I will probably join them at the campground for a cookout in the fresh mountain air.

On this second trip to a CZR casino this year, I plan to play enough each day to maximize my tier-credit bonuses and therefore reach my goal of Diamond Elite. I’ll talk more about this in a later report, but I think that this will put me at a much higher free-play level and I’ll see even more offers than I’ve been getting at Diamond Plus. I’ll let you know.

For now, I do want to mention one CZR item that seems to be a problem since the pandemic hit and many players can’t get to casinos as often as they used to: How do you keep your benefits from expiring?

I did address this issue in a recent QOD. (I hope you’ve found that section here on the website and check it regularly. It is a constant fountain of gambling knowledge!) In my answer there, I warned about players club benefits in any casino, not just at CZR properties, and the danger of hoarding them. Life and casinos have a way of unexpectedly changing your plans.

But for CZR, you’ll find information on the website I mentioned in my last post, specifically in the “Partners” section, which will give you ideas about how to keep your points from expiring without visiting one of their casinos. Then check the long summary list here for exact details; earning just one credit will keep your reward credit balance safe from expiration for another 6-month period.

Now remember, the above is for reward credits, not tier credits. CZR spells it out plainly on their website:

TIP: Your Tier Credits always reset to 0 on January 1 since Tier Status must be earned each year to maintain your status for the following year. 

However, in that QOD I mentioned earlier, I did give some ideas how you might recover the value of some lost tier benefits. And you will be happy to read this on their website:

NOTICE: Due to COVID-19, we extended 2020 Tier Status and unused 2020 benefits through January 31, 2022. More details can be found in the Caesars Rewards FAQs.

Now for some news I wanted to share with you about another casino, the Wynn/Encore in Las Vegas. I’m always happy to learn of new players club benefits and this tier-match one may be popular with many of the readers here. Go to their website where you will find a list of casinos that Wynn will match their higher-tier players cards with theirs. (Not all casinos are eligible for this match.)  This benefit is good until the end of August.

Also, here’s a link to an interesting article by one of my favorite gaming writers, Frank Legato. It gives you a glimpse into the future and how the way casinos are rapidly and drastically changing their systems for rewarding their players. It’s making old-timers’ heads spin! But I’ll continue to soldier on and try to stay on top of things.

Maybe I’ll see some of you in Cherokee next weekend? Email me at [email protected] if you want to set up a meeting time.

 

Harrah’s Cherokee Trip Report – Part 3

Okay. Time to give you the casino-play details for which you’ve been waiting.

All five in our family group hit the casino, but with various goals. Steve and Kaitlynn roamed around together, tracking down the penny slots that look like fun, playing one until they hit a fair-size jackpot, then going to another. Frugal Kaity, who is saving for her Appalachian Trail adventure, had budgeted $40 and she tried to stretch it out as long as possible by playing the minimum bet per hand. However, when her bankroll was gone, Steve financed their fun with his larger one.

Angela sometimes caught up with them in their hit-and-run slot activity, but she also liked to join me at the video poker machine, where we took turns playing. I kept a close watchful eye when she played, slowly; she wasn’t familiar with the strategy and we were playing at a high denomination on my bankroll!

The three of them spent a limited amount of time in the casino, mostly in the evenings. When it was warm and sunny in the daytime, they preferred to be outdoors enjoying recreational activities.

My goal was different from theirs. I also wanted to have fun, but my “fun” was going to be tackling advantage video poker, something I’d done for many years, but not for a while. I was definitely excited to be back to it.

I knew in advance that Brad would no longer be able to join me much in this endeavor. He is very frail and spends much of his time napping. He did enjoy Steve pushing him around the casino and watching slot play, but his cognitive skills are in just too much of a decline to process complex thoughts like video poker strategy. That said, one time he was able to sit at a VP machine with me and play for a short time. Although his short-term memory isn’t good at all, I was surprised how his long-term memory kicked in and how well he played, actually quite fast just like he used to. I only had to correct his holds a few times. But after about a half-hour, it seemed his brain got tired and he said he needed to go back to the room to take a nap. And he showed no interest in doing this again the rest of the trip. He seemed very happy to peacefully spend most of the time in his comfy hotel bed.

Since Harrah’s Cherokee is a CZR property, I decided to use their players club to organize my video poker game plan. Brad was in the Diamond Elite tier and was the one who got the comped room offer for this visit. Because of the way offers come – we didn’t always get the same one – we had played a good promotion heavily on his card the last time we had visited a CZR property. I was only Platinum, since I had less recent play. Knowing Brad wouldn’t be playing in the future and I might be, I played enough to get me to Diamond and probable better mail offers.

One advantage technique we’d used for years at CZR was timing our play to maximize their tier credit bonuses. You can find details about the tier levels and the benefits of each on their website, as well as the bonus information I have given below:

There are four levels of Tier Credits bonuses. These bonuses are based on the total number of Tier Credits you earn in one day.

  1. Earn 500 Tier Credits and get an additional 125 Tier-Credit bonus
  2.  Earn 1,000 Tier Credits and get an additional 1,000 Tier-Credit bonus
  3. Earn 2,500 Tier Credits and get an additional 5,000 Tier-Credit bonus That earns Platinum status in one day!
  4. Earn 5.000 Tier Credits and get an additional 10,000 Tier-Credit bonus That earns Diamond status in one day!

Since I chose to play a $5 VP game, at just a medium pace to be sure of best accuracy, I could earn 2,500 tier credits in about 2 hours. That’s what I did the first evening, since it was a travel day and I was tired. The next 2 days, I got 5,000 in about 4 hours each day. This gave me a total of 12,250 earned credits and the max allotment of 24,500 bonus credits. This totaled 36,750, which got me not just Diamond, but to the next higher, Diamond Plus, level.

I hear your questions already: Why did you play at such a high denomination?
Several reasons:

  • I needed a denomination that would give me the maximum tier bonus each day and not tire me out. At 82, I don’t need to give an excuse for why I don’t have the energy to play for longer periods each day. 🙂
  • Higher tier levels will bring better future benefits.
  • I like the challenge of higher denominations.
  • Because of long-time frugal careful play, I have the bankroll to comfortably support play at this level.
  • And most importantly, this was the only denominational level where I could find the highest EV game – NSUD (Not-So-Ugly-Ducks) at 99.7%.

And the next question most of you want answered: Did you win?

Short answer: I lost, but I felt like a winner.

That’s an answer that takes a lot of explanation. In fact, I will need a whole post to describe my rollercoaster ride. While you’re waiting for that in Part 4 of this series, you might have some questions of your own you’d like me to answer about this trip. Put them in the “Comments” or shoot me an e-mail at [email protected]. I’ll be glad to answer them in future blogs.

35 Years of Advantage Play – Part 10

Last week I left you with a photo of 23 DayMinder planners. Yes, in 1997 I finally began to keep organized records, after 13 years of scribbling in a journal some sketchy details of our gambling activities.

1997 was the year I finally jumped onto the online highway, buying my first computer.   I had resisted for years.  “I’m almost 60 years old and never was good with technical stuff.  Back when I taught school, I had to depend on students from the AV Club just to show movies to my classes.  Besides, I’m retired and why would I need to bother learning how to use some complicated machine.  All I plan to do is play video poker.”

Well, we can see that I had no idea what my future would be like!

After I did get my first computer and learned the basics, my friends told me that now I could keep good gambling records.    My problem was that I tried to teach myself to use Excel, but not being  technically savvy, it seemed to take more time than keeping hard-copy records.  I should have taken some computer lessons, but I was too busy taking advantage of juicy casino promotions. So, I stuck with my DayMinder planners, never thinking that I would need to buy one every year for the next 23 years!

Fortunately, I did learn to use Word.   Back in 1996 I had started jotting down in long hand copious notes “in case I might want to write a book sometime.”  This book idea became strong in my mind, so I asked daughter Angela if she could help me out.  I was too busy in the casinos to spend long hours on my typewriter.    But on some of Brad’s and my road trips to visit casinos I could talk on tape, and then send them to Angela and she could organize and type out my thoughts.  I spent hours talking into the tape recorder and she spent many more transcribing.  She had a difficult task since I did a lot of “revising” on the fly: “Skip that last sentence and add this new one.  Go back and rewrite that whole paragraph.”  On and on it went.  But finally, she handed me a nicely typed rough-draft book manuscript.

Of course, the English teacher in me took out a red pen and the “bloody” manuscript looked like a major crime scene. I had always written in extremely small script so as I made changes – hundreds – maybe thousands of them – it looked like armies of mice with tiny dirty feet had waged war on every page.  And this was the way The Frugal Gambler got to the editor desk of Deke Castleman.  He “cleaned it up” – like he would do for my writing the next 22 years, but it would be the last time he would have to deal with my never-ending tiny handwriting revisions.  So, he joined Angela in rejoicing that I had finally jumped on the information highway.

By the way, if you have come lately to the world of video poker advantage play, you might want to read this first book and perhaps also the second one, More Frugal Gambling, both majorly discounted here on this website.  Of course, the information in both of these  has been updated in my newest book, The Frugal Gambler Casino Guide, but they not only would give you more interesting details about “how it used to be” but you might find some techniques that could be used even in today’s Covid casino world.  There are some wise building blocks for smart gambling that never change.

I haven’t mentioned much about our families in this series, focusing on the casino details.  However, from the get-go, our casino pursuits never took away from our family activities.  In fact, casino comps allowed us to plan luxurious family vacations we could have never been able to afford otherwise.  When Angela graduated from high school, we flew her and a girlfriend for a celebration in Vegas where they spent much of their time flirting with the lifeguards at the Riviera pool when they weren’t ignoring my warnings about underage gambling and sneaking out to play the nickel slots.  When she attended BYU, she would invite a carload of her friends to drive down to Vegas where they were amazed that they could stay and eat for free all weekend. When we still lived in Indianapolis we could see Brad’s family who mostly lived locally.  Once we gave up our condo in Indy, no one was sad because then they could come see us for an exciting free Vegas visit.

Once Angela married an Army Ranger and the two grandkids came along, there was no keeping us from seeing them grow up, no matter where the Army moved them.  I always said, “That’s why God created airplanes.” Many of the trips were comped by a casino, but occasionally we would actually pay for one of these.  That was the situation when Steve was stationed in Hawaii, one of the few states with no gambling, not even on the cruise ship we took around the islands.

 1998

A major change for us is coming up in 1999.  Next week I will tell you about us doing something we had said we would never do!

Beyond Video Poker

When I write here about specific casino games, I usually am giving video poker information, natural because that has been Brad’s and my primary game for the last 30 or so years.  But if you have followed us from the beginning, you know that when we started out, blackjack was our main game for the first 4-5 years.

I am sometimes asked if we ever play blackjack or any other casino game besides VP these days. We rarely do, but you might see us at a blackjack table for just some recreational play on a cruise ship that has no good VP.   We occasionally hit some slots when we are entertaining our family in a casino.   And, no surprise, we might play any other casino game if we have a coupon for it.   (This is why I put a chapter called “The Casino-Game Buffet” in my recent book The Frugal Gambler Casino Guide. I cover most any table game you might find, giving you suggestions on how to play it with a better chance for financial success.)

I do read a lot about gambling, especially online, since I like to keep up on all the changes in the casino world, not just those that affect our video poker play.

 

A Resource for Vegas Table Players

Recently I came across what might be helpful to players of blackjack and other table games. I don’t follow online betting opportunities so I don’t know which of these websites are legit or the best, but this survey of Vegas blackjack and other table games seems very thorough and up to date and looks like a valuable resource for casino table game players.

 

“2019 Blackjack Ball: The Inside Scoop”

Here are some links if you have heard of the “Blackjack Ball” and would like more information about it.  Henry Tamburin has written a two-part article summarizing its history and giving a very detailed description of the 2019 event.  Part 1 lists the 21 difficult test questions that face everyone and Part 2 gives the answers. You might want to take the test to see how you stack up to the experts!

 

The Frugal Gambler Audio Book

If you have been roaming around the Internet, particularly checking out gambling websites, you may have seen a Google ad with a picture of the cover of my recent book The Frugal Gambler Casino Guide.  However, if you click on that ad, you will be taken to information about getting an audio version of one of my books, but it is not this recent title but the 2nd edition of my first book, The Frugal Gambler. Fortunately, the page to which this ad takes you has the correct (green) cover and there is no charge to listen to a sample of this book.  Be aware this is the book that came out in 2005; although a lot of the basics of gambling haven’t changed, the casino conditions have drastically changed.

 

 

My Basic Resource List

Off and on I mention good resources for gamblers and Las Vegas casino visitors, but I am still getting a lot of questions from readers that the answers could be found by anyone in the same resources I use.  So, I thought it might be useful if I compiled a list of the resources that I check frequently to find helpful up-to-date information. Of course, you already know you need to regularly check individual casino websites!

This list is not in any order of importance and not all-inclusive by any means, and I welcome input in the “Comments” about other resources readers find valuable.

vpFREE – [email protected] – Valuable forum for video poker players where I pick up little gems of money-making and money-saving information.

vpFREE2 – This free site not only has an extensive database base where you can find the best VP, but information on every casino in the US. This includes host lists and players club details that will help you figure those valuable extra benefits.

Vegas4Locals – One of the best places to find free and/or inexpensive things to do in Vegas, with tons of information for frugal locals and visitors alike.  

Seven Stars Insider –   From this website, you can subscribe for a free monthly newsletter and read former issues. Originally designed exclusively for Seven Stars cardholders, I find that there are plenty of new and valuable details here for any player who is trying to squeeze more value from their play at a Caesars property.    

Mark’s Las Vegas – This has unique coverage with information you might not readily find elsewhere, including a great “Players Club Comps and Tier Advancement Cheat Sheet” that shows how you can spend/buy your way up to a higher tier in many casinos! Mark also covers social gaming programs.

https://wizardofodds.com/ – I go to the Wizard for the math of anything in a casino.

https://www.lasvegasadvisor.com/ – I’ve saved the best for last. Yep, that’s the website here where my blog lives. But I am wondering if you have explored this site since it was revamped some months ago and where there are just so many interesting and helpful pages.  Start out by checking the “Top Links” on the homepage.  “Bonus Point Days” will give you the schedule for the month where you can find extra benefits for your play.  And then there is the list of blogs (besides this one!) and I can’t emphasize enough how valuable they can be in helping you become a more successful gambler and also enjoy your time more frugally in Las Vegas.  Check the tabs at the top of the homepage for tons more information.

What other resources do you check regularly?

Vegas News Briefs

I would like to encourage my readers to read the “Comments” that appear after I post a blog.  They often contain valuable information on promotions and other money-saving techniques, some that is news to me and perhaps also to many of you. For example, one of the comments on my last blog gave good details about a shuttle available for travel between Las Vegas and Laughlin.  Sometimes a spirited discussion will ensue among the commenters, and I sometimes answer questions that have come up from readers.  This sharing of helpful casino information reminds me of the phrase “It takes a village….”

It is easy to keep up without going back and forth between blogs and scrolling to the bottom of each one for possible comments.  When you are on my blog page, look for the section titled “Recent Comments” on the right side of the page and you can click on those you would like to read.   Not everyone reads my blogs or comments on them the day I post them.  But that list on the right side of the blog page will keep you up to date on current comments and those that may appear later.  (Other reasons to check on the right side of my blog page:  you can “Subscribe” so you will get an e-mail when I post a new blog, and you can also search in the “Archives” and find every Frugal Fridays and Frugal Vegas blog I have ever posted – from way back in April 2000!)

BRIEFS

The usual free slot tournament South Point runs on senior Mondays will not be held on Monday, March 19.  Also remember the all-day Monday $4 movie promo for seniors is “not valid on holidays or special events.”

Hooters Casino Hotel has opened the world’s largest Steak’n Shake location – and with a bar and slot machines to boot.  We old-time Midwesterners would never have believed those would ever be added to their juicy hamburgers or thick milkshakes!

Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino is the latest casino company to offer a room discount to active and veteran military, police, fire fighters, teachers, and other service personnel.  Also, their new players club will give all active and retired members of the United States Military Gold Tier status, with extra benefits.  As with all casinos and players clubs, you will need to check their websites for specific requirements to get extra benefits, and more importantly, you will need to check the limitations.  Many of these special programs have tons of fine print to wade through!

THE ZORKFEST

My March 4 blog gave you many of the details about this fun feast of frugal information to help you save money on travel expenses and casino visits.  (I like alliteration!)

I also gave you the link to complete details of the Zorkfest event which is sponsored by TravelZork, a website covering airlines, hotels, casinos, Vegas, and loyalty programs.  There you will find the pictures, bios, and subject material of the many experts who will be speaking, and details of event schedules and registration fees.

However, I am writing about it again because the deadline to take advantage of the lowest registration fee is coming up fast – in fact it is this coming Tuesday, March 20.  You will be able to register later, of course, but the cost will be higher.  And you know me – I like to be sure my readers are aware of the most frugal options!  I truly believe that many – even most – attendees will learn a few new frugal techniques that will save them more money in the future than they invest in the registration fees.  (And when you register, be sure to add the code zorklva for extra discounts!)

The seminar speakers are experts in a variety of travel and casino fields, and more subjects have been added to the wide range that were initially listed.  Here are some of them:

-Learn the Best Travel Award Redemptions

-Expert Tips to Book Travel and Credit Card Strategies

-Casino Comps, VIP Status and Offers

-Miles & Points – Tips and Tricks

-Family Travel and Cruise Promotions

As I said in the earlier blog, Brad and I will be there most of the time during this event, both before and after I speak, and we look forward to meeting new and long-time fellow frugalites.

A Vegas Frugal and Fun Travel Festival

Many of you are probably already familiar with the TravelZork website as a resource for tons of frugal hints to save you money on travel – covering airlines, hotels, casinos, Vegas, and loyalty programs.  Now they are sponsoring a “travel festival” in May where you can immerse yourself in 3 days of travel frugality at the ZorkFest at Treasure Island in Las Vegas.  Brad and I are happy to announce that we have been included in the group of experts who will be sharing their practical money-saving information for all aspects of travel.

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!

Early March Promos and News

A new holiday!  From a press release from the Rampart Casino:

Celebrate National Blackjack Day with Free Lessons and Special Offers at Rampart Casino

 March 2 (3/2) Brings Recognition to the Centuries-Old Game and a Celebration of the Few Casinos Which Still Boast the 3:2 Odds

WHAT:

National Blackjack Day was created to bring attention to one of the biggest casino games – Blackjack! Not only the game, but the declining number of casinos who still offer a 3:2 payout – hence the day falling on March 2nd (3/2)!

Casino guests can join the team at Rampart Casino who will be offering the following to celebrate National Blackjack Day:

  • Free Blackjack lessons throughout the day: 8 a.m., 10 a.m., Noon, 2 p.m., and 4 p.m.
  • A special Black Jack Cocktail will be featured at all casino bars for $3.20 – a mix of Jack Daniels, Kahlua, and Grand Marnier with a splash of Lemon Juice that can be served as a shot or cocktail
  • Clubhouse Deli (which is currently in its first phase of opening), will offer a $3.20 pastry selection

 WHEN:

Friday, March 2, 2018

Activities beginning at 8 a.m.

WHERE:

Rampart Casino

221 N. Rampart Blvd.

Las Vegas, NV 89145

Social Gaming News

From Mark’s Las Vegas:  myKonami Slots is part of the myVEGAS family. In addition to all of the usual myVEGAS Rewards, they have their own special myKonami Freeplay Reward.

Bargain Movies for Seniors 50+

(Check websites for details and exclusions.)

The Orleans, Gold Coast, Suncoast, and Sam’s Town – Part of the Wednesday Young at Heart (YAH) senior promotion:  One (1) $4 movie voucher valid on the Wednesday that the voucher is printed. Valid for movies prior to 6 p.m. at properties with theaters only.  The kiosk voucher must be claimed by 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday.

Station Casinos (excluding the Palms) – Part of the MyGeneration senior promotion – $4 Movie Matinées.  Present your Boarding Pass at Regal Cinemas or Century Theatres to redeem your offer. Valid Wednesdays before 6pm.

South Point – Mondays – part of their Prime Time senior promotion – and Wednesdays.     $4 all day both days.  (This seems to be a rather recent change for their senior movie discounts.)

Movie theater note:  Cinemark Theaters on March 1 will put in a “security and safety” measure, banning all bags or packages that measure over 12″by 12″by 6″, a maximum size limit at many sports and entertainment arenas.    Most other theaters who don’t have a specific size ban will inspect or reserve the right to inspect oversize bags.

 

 

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