If we didn’t have a dollar to our name, we would be super rich in friendships!

Many of you have responded to my call for questions you’d like me to answer before I close out my blogging here.  One friend who has kept track of our families remarked that I hadn’t posted a recent picture of my sisters.  Well, here is one that was taken recently when middle sister, from North Carolina, came to visit the two Vegas sisters and we were able to have one of our every-five-year pictures taken.  Here, right-to-left, is Starr, 70, then June, 75, and finally the 80-year old!

Others have asked questions about Brad’s health, with those seeing him in person remarking that he is “looking good.”  And he does get around pretty well, mostly with a cane and only using a walker when there are longer distances.  He has recently been diagnosed with the beginnings of heart failure (a heart pumping problem) and with vascular parkinsonism,  in which parkinsonian symptoms (slow movements, tremor, difficulty with walking and balance) are produced by narrowing or blockage of blood vessels, rather than by gradual loss of nerve cells as seen in the more typical neurodegenerative Parkinson’s disease. This is on top of his previous long-time heart problems after a heart attack in 2003 – A Fib and coronary artery disease – but thankfully modern medicine has had many answers for him – a pacemaker, 7 coronary stents, and an extensive menu of meds.  He is slowing down – but with lots of naps, he continues to get out and about.  As he says, he is probably doing better than most men coming up on age 88!

Many of the questions pertain to our future.  I have already mentioned that I will continue this blog through December and into January.  I may want to do some other writing but I don’t know what form that might take – I do love to write.  I will probably continue to read and contribute to the vpFREE forum whenever I come across helpful gambling information.  And I definitely plan to use my Facebook account to chat about Brad’s and my future activities.  Search for “Jean Scott” and ask to be my friend if you aren’t already.  But one thing I am pretty sure about:  I won’t tackle writing another book or take any writing assignment with a deadline.  I am retiring from stress!

And probably the most frequent query is about what gambling we will do once we leave Las Vegas.  And most people don’t believe this answer – very little if any!  It is hard to explain – but we almost never gambled in a casino just for fun after our first trip to Las Vegas in April 1984.  After that trip, we decided this was the fun-est time we had ever had, but we knew we wouldn’t be in a financial position to lose $3000 very often– as we had that time – for this kind of vacation.   So, I went to the library to start studying how we could have this fun without losing money.  And the rest is history.

Actually, we have been “practicing” for our retirement from casino gambling these last couple of months in Vegas.  First, we were learning to accept the reality that physical and mental limitations would majorly cut down on  casino visits.  And then, it had been very obvious for a long time that there are very few advantage plays that don’t depend on future benefits, like mailers with bonus-points dates and free play. So, we have played a few times just for fun since we would not be here to collect those future benefits.  For example, instead of playing the higher EV but more boring single line NSUD video poker game, we would choose an 8/5 Bonus Poker game on Spin Poker, with a lower EV but  more fun for us.  We never had played the very exciting Ultimate X at the higher denominations in the past because we didn’t want to study a new very complex strategy.  But finding it at 10-play nickels – or even pennies – paytables be damned – sometimes has provided us an hour or so of fun with just a small “entertainment fee.”

The closest casinos to Columbus, GA, are Harrah’s Cherokee and Biloxi, both a 4-5-hour drive away.  We probably wouldn’t make a special trip that far just for fun play, and with no comps.  Flying is getting very difficult for Brad so that rules out a trip to Vegas or any other casino city just for fun.  We’ve had about all the fun we can stand in the 35 years visiting casinos.  If we just happen to be in a casino sometime, perhaps on a family vacation, we probably would give the grands a few bills and watch them play the slots.  Or, we might find a new VP game that looks interesting in which to invest some of our fun money.  But we are definitely retiring from advantage play and leaving the casino lifestyle.  And with no regrets – it’s been a fantastic life that will give beautiful memories forever.  But now we are ready for a new  adventure – just perhaps one a little less busy and more peaceful.

Next week I’ll answer more of your questions.  Fire away!

And by the way, if you want to have a book autographed or just want to say good-bye, Brad and I will be at the Gold Coast on Wednesday, December 18, between 4-5 p.m.  We will be in the drawing area.

So…as I have done hundreds of times over the years when one casino advantage opportunity disappeared, I sat down when we arrived at the casino and starting figuring what our next best move could be.  Fortunately, this would not be a hard decision for Brad and me this time.  We had already decided, especially after Brad’s recent medical problems, that we were going to phase ourselves out of CZR after this Cherokee trip.  So, we would just call it quits a little earlier.

However, since we were already in Cherokee, we would keep this Seven Star retreat reservation, a benefit we had already earned.  In the past, we had always been careful not to “burn our bridges,” giving at least a little play whenever we were taking advantage of a casino benefit.  However, this time we weren’t going to worry about our “reputation,” having decided we weren’t interested in having any future offers anyway.  We were not going to play at all!

It was relaxing – Steve and Angela and we just using our $500 folio for lots of good food and in the retail shops looking for educational toys for our three great-grandchildren.  We had a nice balance of accumulated Reward Credits that we could turn into cash, something we couldn’t do at other CZR properties.

We all four had a bunch of coupons good for free play, including $40 for taking advantage of their no-housekeeping program, those from monthly mailers, and about $1100 in airfare reimbursement.  Angela and Steve got lucky on the slots and hit a jackpot that almost doubled their free play amount.  Brad and I used ours on electronic blackjack and felt lucky that we got back the full free play amount. None of us were interested in doing recreational (non-advantage) play after we had run our free play through the required one time. We all decided we would rather use our money later for other entertainment choices.  It was going to be so much more fun to come home from a casino with a fatter wallet!

This Cherokee experience also did something really important for Brad and me – and it may explain to some who have questioned why we are retiring within the next few months. I’ve already detailed the health reason, which is very important.  But there is another – one about which Brad and I weren’t yet 100% sure.  Was this something we really wanted to do?

But when we got the news about the Cherokee downgrades, instead of feeling sad and disappointed as we have reacted in the past, we both felt…. well… RELIEVED.  We have 36 years of gloriously happy casino memories – but smart gambling is “work” as well as fun.  We are ready to stop working!

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.

However, we had to dump the whole corrupted subscription list. (Just the list was corrupted; you cherished readers are the best people in the world!) But what this means is that if you want to be notified when I post a new blog, you’ll have re-subscribe. Take heart! It’s easy to do: Just go to the sidebar on the right.

Actually, while we’re on the subject of blogs, I want to recommend some others you may have missed here:

• If you’re a VP player, you probably already check the one written by Bob Dancer each Tuesday. He covers a far-reaching range of VP subjects, some general that are helpful to players at any skill level and some more technical geared to those at the more advanced levels.
• One of the more recent blogs that has been very informative for me is “Living Local” by Jeffrey Compton. This has valuable details not only for those of us who live in Vegas, but also for those who are thinking about moving here.
• Another new blog is “The Travel Game.” You can access it from the bottom of the homepage. It’s chock full of detailed information on how anyone who travels get the most value out of airline miles, hotel points, credit-card promotions, and other travel deals. Casino customers who want to combine their frugal gambling with frugal traveling will love “The Travel Game.”

Click on “Blogs” in the top navigation bar of the LVA.com homepage to see these and other blogs that might appeal to you.

And in the same sidebar where you subscribe to my blog, you can scroll down to “Join LVA’s Mailing List.” There, you can check those that interest you, including “LVA Weekly,” a weekly e-letter with highlights from the Las Vegas Advisor’s blogs and website pages.

But recently the mail brought Brad a surprisingly juicy promotional offer from Harrah’s Tahoe – too good to pass up.  We surmise that this might have been generated for former Seven Star players who had dropped down from that level in 2019, as Brad has done.  We figured this because I, who did make Seven Stars for this year, did not get that same good offer.  But who knows why casinos do what they do – after 35 years in the casino trenches I still don’t have a clue most of the time!

General CZR Information

While I am on the subject of Harrah’s Tahoe, here are some notes I have collected about CZR in general.

A common question: “Can your host at one CZR property make reservations for you at other properties?”

The general answer to this is “Yes,” and you will even probably get mail from your host promoting this benefit.  However – as you must always watch for – individual properties may have variations of this policy.  I had one player tell me her host said she could book any “event” at other properties, but not rooms.  But I have had success with cross-booking for years, both using regional marketing directors and individual-property hosts.

Another frequent question is concerning the amount of play you need to do when you use the complimentary Atlantis resort benefit that CZR offers at some tier levels. This fine print makes a lot of players nervous:  If you accept this offer and do not show any rated casino play, the Atlantis may charge you for some or all of your upfront complimentaries including rooms, food & drink, limos, etc.

Words like this make me nervous.  Brad and I are on a number of mailing lists for comped cruises and casino resort visits because of our heavy play in past years, and most have this kind of scary fine print.  Example is a recent invitation from an independent host for Live Casino in Maryland: All pre-comped offers and hotel arrangements are at the discretion of the casino.  You must qualify, based on your rated play history.

The problem with benefits like these and the Atlantis one from CZR is that it is extremely difficult to find out the play required.  There is almost never any printed information on “rated play.”  So, you must launch a thorough investigation on your own.  First you can check with a host – and hopefully that is one who is knowledgeable and knows your play history.  Then I would use my trusty ask-a-lot technique.  Talk to several hosts for a consensus opinion.   You could talk to other players who have used this benefit but remember their experience was based on their personal play and history, which may be quite different than yours.  And finally, the day before you leave, you should talk to a host at Atlantis to see how your play is being rated.  Then if not up to basic requirements, you can decide whether to play more or just pay the bill for charges that won’t be comped.  Sometimes that latter option is the cheapest!  But in any case, you won’t have a heart-stopping bill surprise when you check out.

______________________

Back  to the subject of our upcoming trip – Tahoe is just about our most-loved CZR property, so this will be a fun “working vacation” for us.  Stop by and say hi if you see us pounding away at a VP machine!

This may be the longest time ever we have not been around casinos since we moved to Vegas 20 years ago.  Our vacations have normally been planned around casino offers and comps – free hotel rooms, free cruises – and then combined with visits with friends and family.  And some people, hearing that we will be gone for 19 days, have already been asking whether we are getting bored and antsy to get back to VP.  And my answer is indicative of our change of attitudes and interests as we are getting older.  Yes, no matter how much one enjoys vacations, you are always glad to get back to your own home and a routine.  But we have not missed our casino life at all.

Yes, we will be back “in action” in April, but at the slower pace we had already embraced before this trip.  We no longer go out to a casino every day –just 3 or 4 days a week.  Of course, part of this is because of the decrease in good advantage-play opportunities, but more is based on our reduced energy level.   The days we do visit a casino our sessions are usually just 2-3 hours.

Now for answers to reader questions and some tidbits of information that I have found as I have had time to go through my files.

Q: My concern is a tax diary for my daily trips. Any chance maybe you and Bob Dancer can get together and collaborate on a diary to sell? At least we know it’s coming from highly reputable sources.

A: Thank you for your kind words! It would be hard to standardize a diary that would fit all gamblers’ need.  I put a couple sample diary forms in Tax Help for Gamblers, one an electronic example and one a hard-copy version.  If you aren’t skilled with electronic record-keeping, I think nothing beats a little calendar notebook in which you can, after each session, jot down all sorts of info you need/want to remember.

Q: Have you and Brad stopped playing blackjack?

A: We rarely play BJ unless we come across a coupon play or we are on a cruise ship and want to join friends in a purely social entertainment environment.

BRIEFS

I like it when casinos give detailed information about a promotion.  Here was the explanation from an Arizona Charlie’s about bonus points:

     7X Bonus Points: Every Sunday and Thursday in March, all players club members will receive 7X points on all same-day base slot points earned. All players club cards must be removed and reinserted no later than 11:59 p.m. on each promotional date to receive credit.

This is something you need to watch for.  At some casinos, when you are earning drawing entries, you need to remove your card before the stated deadline when the drum will close so your current play will count in figuring your virtual ticket total.

Something I don’t like casinos to do.  Give incomplete promo details that make you feel “tricked”:

SWIPE N’ WIN: Win up to $100 Free Slot Play!

And you win a scoop of gelato!

Frugal transportation hint:

Discount tickets for Nevada residents are available at all of the Monorail’s customer service ticketing offices upon presentation of your valid Nevada driver’s license, State of Nevada government-issued identification card or Nevada Sheriff Card. Local fare is $1 per ride.  Maximum purchase: two single ride tickets per person per day OR one 20-ride ticket no more frequently than every ten days.

Looking to learn how to play a new game?  Many casinos give free lessons, often during not-so-busy daytime weekday hours.  Here is a good one if you are in downtown Las Vegas:

Learn to play a new game or perfect skills with Golden Nugget’s free daily gaming lessons. Lessons are held on the casino floor.

• Three Card Poker, Crazy 4 Poker, Let it Ride, Pai Gow Poker, Ultimate Texas Hold’Em and Mississippi Stud Poker

Daily – 10:00 a.m.

• Craps Lessons

Monday-Wednesday at 10:00 a.m.; Thursday-Sunday at 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m.

• Blackjack Lessons

Daily – 11:00 a.m.

• Roulette Lessons

Daily – 11:30 a.m.

And in the I-hope-it-happens-but-I’d-bet-against-my-living-long-enough-to-see-it department:

The AGA (the American Gaming Association, which lobbies for the gaming industry ) recently highlighted six key policy areas that they were working on, one of which was “updating gaming tax policy, including an increase to the jackpot reporting threshold from $1,200 to $5,000.”

However, we could see that overseas travel would take many many years of scrimping and saving. Then up popped a wonderful opportunity just as Earl was finishing his schooling for a teaching degree from Malone College.  We learned that the Australian government was paying travel expenses for teachers – and their families – who would come there for two-year high-school assignments.  Their economy was growing so fast at this time that there weren’t enough local residents to fill all the jobs being created so they were bringing in workers of all kinds from many other countries.  Free travel to a faraway country and a job awaiting – for us it was a dream come true.

To add to this dream, actually it could be combined with fulfilling a childhood ambition of mine.  Living in a minister’s home, we entertained many missionaries who came to speak in our church, and I was totally absorbed in their exciting stories, especially their slide programs showing what I consider to be their adventurous life in the jungles of Africa or South America.

Now…going to Australia wasn’t living with natives in grass huts in the wild – we had a modern house in a suburb of the big city of Melbourne.  We weren’t missionaries in the sense that a church back home had raised money to support us and send us there to “convert the natives.”  Instead we were volunteers, often called “occupational missionaries,” supporting ourselves but working as laymen to assist ministers in small pioneer start-up churches which were popping up to serve the growing population of the country.

Combining our desire for service opportunities with the chance to explore a big country so far from home – it was a made-to-order adventure for us.  So as soon as Earl graduated from college, we sold our car and all our furniture and, with our 5-year-old son David, we were ready to embark on our world exploration.

The first leg of our journey was on a small passenger-carrying freighter from New York City to Brussels.  It sounded like a great adventure when I read the advertisements – the 10 passengers had the run of the ship and ate gourmet meals with the captain – and the fare was low low, frugal low. However, those 10 days crossing the Atlantic were without a doubt probably some of the worst 10 days of my life.  The ship had no stabilizers – and we were skirting hurricanes from day one.  I took to my bunk and stayed there for 5 days; when there was nothing left to get rid of in my stomach, dry heaves took over. In the meantime, Earl and 5-year-old son David were having fun roaming around the ship this whole time, coming back and telling me about the great meals they were having with the captain.  On the 6^th day, I thought I was feeling well enough to perhaps eat a bite so I went to dinner.  This was a Norwegian ship and I guess a Norwegian chef – raw eggs garnished the entrée.  That sent me back to my bunk until – thankfully – we reached European dry land!

Next came 2 months driving around Europe in a tiny rental car, thanks to our travel fund we had built up the last several years.  However, it was not large enough to make this a luxury trip; Europe on $5 a Day was our travel bible.  We stayed in simple guest houses and mapped our route to include mostly free attractions and simple activities that a 5-year-old would enjoy.

The last leg of our long trip to Australia was on a cruise ship from England to the port of Sydney.  This was an exciting first for us, just as glamorous as it had looked in the movies.  We were in first class, even invited one night to dine with the captain.  The 12-day voyage was not smooth sailing the whole time, but fortunately I had gained some sea legs since the earlier freighter nightmare. One night while during a dance the ship hit a big wave and everyone on the dance floor was thrown to one side, with handsome ship officers scrambling to help the ladies.  I thought that was a romantic event suitable for a steamy novel!

We soon learned that the lower-class decks below us had much simpler accommodations – this was before the movie knowledge we learned from Titanic.  Those lower decks were filled with hundreds of male Greek immigrant workers who had been offered free transportation and jobs when they arrived in Australia.  We actually had quite a bit of contact with them.  The first day of the cruise, the ship’s news sheet contained a call for teachers, who would be paid to conduct daily classes to help the Greeks learn some basic English.  Earl and I both signed up. Even little David went along with us and was learning how to teach common words with a lot of gesturing and acting.   We three knew no Greek and our students knew no English, but we all did a lot of laughing and found that was a good start for universal communication.

——-

Caesars has released some dates you might want to mark on your calendar:

World Series of Poker at the Rio – May 29 to July 17:

Great Gift Wrap Up (GGWU) Shopping

Nov. 1 to 5: at Caesars Palace

Nov. 28 to Dec. 2:  at Bally’s

I find articles about  artificial intelligence (AI) fascinating, and this one especially so since it discusses how AI  can be used to keep gamblers hooked.  It is specifically talking about bookies in the UK but sheds some light on how this could eventually affect players in a casino near you!

This article from the Vegas R-J is a little dated since it was written right after that October First horrific shooting, but I kept it in my to-share file because of the last section, “The future of loyalty cards.”  I may be able to get rid of my baggie casino file system and lighten my purse.

I can barely keep up with all the technological advances that are coming at us gamblers at such a rapid pace!

And if you are reading this, you are also lucky that you can get the best event and combo discount deals by using these LVA codes:

1. Zorklva – $10 off a regular ZorkFest Conference ticket
2. Zorkdinnerlva – $20 off the ZorkFest VIP dinner! (remember, VIP “High Roller” ticket INCLUDES DINNER)
3. Zorklvaroller – $25 off! ZorkFest VIP “High Roller” ticket which includes VIP dinner, breakfast, t-shirt, and VIP reserved seats at the podcaster event
4. Zorkcraps – discount for charity craps tournament

(Depending on your schedule and interests, you can register for individual events – like the VIP dinner or the craps tournament or the Award Travel Bootcamp – without purchasing the Conference ticket.)

Zorkfest is also running an exclusive contest for LVA members:

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.

So, check out the ZorkFest website and see what all will be offered, no matter what your interests are:  a crap tournament, smart casino gambling, travel bargains, credit card awards, podcasts.  It looks to be a cornucopia of money-saving information!

Brad and I hope to see a lot of our frugal friends!

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.