11/3/2000
I love living in Las Vegas because it’s such an exciting city that it energizes me and makes me feel young. However, this last week I really felt old. First of all, I signed up for Social Security. Yes, Vegas has Social Security offices as well as casinos. I’m in shock that the government thinks I’m old enough “to be taken care of” — I certainly don’t feel that old.
Then, while I was trying to get over this blow to my belief in perpetual youth, I visited the Hard Rock on a Friday night about 11 pm and stopped in the restroom. Boy was I dated. All I could think was, “These girls need to go back home and finish getting dressed.”
But the final shock came last Saturday night. I was glad that we were to be at Mandalay Bay for a special promotion, because I knew that there was going to be a big Halloween party there. I’d heard that the costumes were spectacular at these events — and they were. We parked ourselves on a low stone wall that lined the walkways, then oohed and ahhed as gorgeously costumed gals came prancing out of the restroom. They must have spent a fortune on the yards and yards of satin and fur and sequins and feathers.
Then Brad interrupted my excited comments. “Honey, you do realize that these beautiful creatures are coming out of the MEN’S room.” I turned my head to the other restroom. Yes, THAT definitely was the women’s — the girls streaming out of there were definitely girls; you could see all the clues clearly. Those girls at the Hard Rock the previous night looked like nuns compared to these. Nightwear was definitely the style, but I can only describe it as “beyond Fredericks”: see-through ensembles, bandage-size tops, string-only bottoms. We noticed one cowgirl who, we commented, was bucking the trend, with thick sheepskin chaps modestly covering her in the front. However, when she turned around, we saw, that to compensate for the must-have-been-hot chaps on the front, she opted for a cooling nothing to cover the back.
Now I’m not a prude — and we weren’t offended. But I must say I was shocked. I guess I shouldn’t have been. The name of this annual party, Club Rubber, had been changed in order for Mandalay Bay to provide the venue. I had known the previous name had been Pimp ‘n’ Ho Ball. I couldn’t help myself; somehow all I could think was, “In my day…”
On the way home from Mandalay Bay that night, I thought about stopping by Walgreens and picking up some Geritol.
BRIEFS
Here’s a night-owl promo I won’t be taking advantage of this month. The California is giving 2X points from midnight-4 am.
A casino is not always the cold-hearted empty-your-pockets business we sometimes think. Charity benefits are sponsored by or contributed to frequently by many casinos in town. Silverton is running an unusual one every Wednesday in November, noon-10 pm, in the buffet. Bring in a canned-food donation that will go to HELP of Southern Nevada and get an all-you-can-eat prime rib meal for $1.99. Those under 21 or without a food donation will pay $6.99. I always love to see a frugal idea that does good too!
I hope you went to www.strip76.com when you first read about it and printed out all the $5 free-gas coupons you would need until Nov. 30. Because if you didn’t, you’re out of luck; they’ve changed the coupon. Now you must buy $15 worth of gas instead of just $10, and you only get a $3 gas bonus. Not worth the bother unless you happen to be there. You can still use the old coupons until the expiration date — glad I printed out a bunch!! Must have been a popular promotion. And don’t accuse us of abusing it — we only gas up once a week!
Want to get a free copy of Casino Player? Go to http://www.casinocenter.com/bow/main.tpl and vote for your favorite gambling-related Internet sites. The results will appear in a future Best of the Web issue of CP, which they will send to each person who participated in the survey.
Something to think about: Breaking even, compared to losing, is winning.
11/10/2000
My “Briefs” file is bulging. So this week I’m all “brief.”
Romantic place for lunch: The Stratosphere’s Top of the World revolving restaurant. From 11 am until 3 pm, they offer sandwiches and lower-priced meals than at night, and the view is stunning even in the sunlight.
One of my favorite and most profitable gaming tips: You can “piggyback” promotions and play in a casino where two are running at the same time. For example, a casino is giving triple points one day during the month when they’re giving out jackets for royal flushes. One time we were able to play four different promos in one casino in one day — monthly, weekly, daily, and out-of-towner deals.
Only in Las Vegas: The newest rage in luxury transportation — stretch SUVs. Some are as long as 36 feet and feature disco lights and a laser light show. In a Review-Journal story about these behemoths, they say that Shaquille O’Neal finally found a vehicle big enough for him.
Read in the Review-Journal: “For a typical [Vegas] hotel-casino, only about half of its revenues are derived from the casino. Five, six, seven years ago that was probably 75% to 80%.” It’s hard for me, an intense video poker player, to believe that people actually come to Vegas to shop and eat and see shows — and then just “happen” to gamble. Maybe that isn’t exactly how people would put it if asked why they come to Vegas, but the figures prove that this is how they are “voting” with their wallets.
“With the exception of the surrender rule in blackjack, Let It Ride is the only casino game that lets players take back part of their initial bet when their chances of winning don’t look good,”” writes Henry Tamburin, in an excellent article in the October Casino Player. He covers the basic rules of Let It Ride and explores why this is such a popular table game. I was surprised that there’s such a range in the paytables from casino to casino. For the basic game, the house edge ranges from 2.66% to 4.63%. The side bet (true of the side bets of almost all games) is where the casino “gets you” the most. The casino edge there can range from about 5% to 54%, averaging 25%. Ouch! Visit the author’s Web site at www.smartgaming.com
A frugal Vegas transportation tip from the Internet: “You can use a free transfer on the LV buses to go on another route (except between the #301 or #302) for up to two hours. I got a transfer when I got on the #108 (downtown) to the Stratosphere, and I got on the Northbound #302 (to go back downtown) an hour and a half later using the transfer, saving the $2 return trip. I also used this trick when I toured the Stratosphere tower on Sunday on the way to the Tropicana.” Ah, I remember the days, back when we were younger, that such a tip would have been music to my ears!
A warning on the Internet about bargain meals: “Arizona Charlie’s East or West has a graveyard special for 77 cents that’s decent. Note, however, that if you order tea or coffee, you will more than double your bill.”” This “drinks extra” is common all over Vegas, especially on late-night specials and coupon meals.
Something to think about: “In gaming, the anticipation of pleasure is pleasure itself.” (Mike Roemer, IGWB, April ‘98)”
11/17/2000
From the NO PLACE TO HIDE department: A company specializing in casino advertising has been given a patent for its concept of promoting brands with slot machines. Instead of Flaming Sevens, for example, you might have Flaming Burgers, with a McDonald’s Big Mac, Burger King french fries, or Wendy’s Frosties as the symbols on the reels.
I can see it now! On slots aimed at senior citizens, you’ll see a whole bank of blue-haired ladies screaming for three Depends or Ensure symbols to line up for the jackpot. Or a dozen grandpas in a row hoping for a line of canes or wheelchairs to activate that second screen.
Bonus screens could pay out in grocery credits. A jackpot might be good for a bottle of Dom Perignon, while an even-money payout might be two cans of Friskies cat food.
And what about the progressive jackpot — a complete funeral package, including a deluxe Batesville casket, tuxedo-clad undertakers from High, Flutey, and Costabunch Funeral Homes, and 25 professional mourners trained by Actors ‘R Us.
Applying for Social Security has definitely had its effect on me.
BRIEFS
My choice for the all-time best name for a slot club: Barley’s Ultimate Rewards Program, the new player’s club at Barley’s, a small brewpub-casino in Henderson. What’s so special about the name Barley’s Ultimate Rewards Program? The acronym is BURP. Pretty apt for a brewpub slot club, I’d say.
From an Internet friend: “I have an even more frugal transit suggestion than you suggested in the November 10 Frugal Fridays. What people can do is buy a bag of 40 CAT tokens for $20, and on bus lines other than the Strip 301 and 302, it costs two tokens (valued at $1) instead of the normal $1.25 fare. You can get a round trip from downtown Las Vegas for $1 (transfers are good for two hours). The tokens are good until used, so they never expire.”
A good hint I had forgotten. We bought tokens back when we traveled all over Vegas without a car. However, it turned out not to be a money-saving idea for us; Brad was always giving them out to poor people who were “stuck” at the downtown bus terminal. Sometimes there are more important considerations than saving money.
Downgraded promotion: Mahoney’s E-mail Buddy program has changed. Most of the offers now are for bingo. If there are any slot/VP promotions, they’re for earning drawing tickets. The weekly e-mail now seems more like an advertisement — friendly and down-home in tone but with little usable information for locals or out-of-town tourists.
Useful gambling tip: Don’t throw away your expired casino coupons. Ask the casino if they’ll still honor them and they will often extend the date. This doesn’t always work, but I’ve had good success with this by talking to a host.
Just got Steve Bourie’s new American Casino Guide, the 2001 edition. As usual for the last 11 years, it’s a resource I wouldn’t be without. No matter where you travel in the U.S., you can look up the nearest casino and get all the details you need, including directions, addresses, phone numbers, Web sites, lists of games offered, and much more valuable information. But this book is not just a directory. More than a third of its pages contain articles by most of the best gambling writers of today (and I’d say so even if I didn’t write four pages myself!). The last section of the book, of course, is my personal favorite — pages and pages of coupons for casinos all over the U.S. It’s for sale at Huntington Press’ www.greatstuff4gamblers.com bookstore.
Overheard: “”I go to casinos to visit my money.”””
11/24/2000
From the BAD TREND Department: Harrah’s Las Vegas no longer looks at your play over your last several visits to determine comps on your current trip. It’s a “spend-as-you-earn” comp policy. No more sitting down to a nice relaxing meal when you first get off the plane, tired and hungry, based on previous play. Now, no matter how much you played on your last trip, you must first fire it up at the tables or slots to earn a meal comp.
Harrah’s has taken a very “scientific” route, using psychologists to determine what will keep people coming back to their casinos. Cut the cashback. Cut the comps. Cut the paytables on video poker. The players are too unsophisticated (read: “dumb”) to notice. Give them a good time and they won’t feel the pain of bigger losses.
I’m not so sure the average player is that dumb. Sure, most gamblers are in a casino just to have a good time and they don’t mind “paying a price” — that is, losing — for this entertainment. But that cost must be reasonable. And all the make-you-feel-important moves a casino might make will not keep a gambler who feels he is just losing too much to call it fun.
I’m going to watch when the economy takes a downturn or Indian casinos start putting the hurt on Vegas. I’m guessing some of these Vegas casinos will fire some of their psychologists and abandon their slash-and-burn tactics. We “dummies” might not be quite as dumb as the casinos think we are!
BRIEFS
Brad and I adore playing at the Suncoast. Coinless machines are the “cat’s pajamas.” They save us time: no waiting for non-W2G handpays or hopper fills, no time-consuming scooping/racking of coins. (A useful hint: Cashing out a small amount that will be paid in coins? Feed a bill into the machine to get to the voucher-only level.) They save us money — lots of it — because the tipping occasions are cut WAY DOWN for our $1-$2 machine play. They save us aggravation, because there’s no more cashing out $1,000 at the end of a $3,000 losing session and being congratulated by hustling employees. They save us inconvenience: You can take a bathroom break, quit temporarily for a drawing, or meet someone for dinner without having to make major advance plans for cashing out. And they keep our hands clean and my nails intact.
The Sierra Leone poet who is being given “refuge” in Las Vegas, as the first person in a national program to provide international writers at risk in their homeland a safe place to write, lives in our condo complex, Opulence. Haven’t met him yet, but I hope to soon.
Add the Stratosphere to the list of the sadly growing list of casinos that dole out comps according to whether you win or lose. Numerous reports on the Internet indicate that those players who win, when they take advantage of the get-back-your losses promo for the first hour of play, do not get nearly as good future room offers as those who lose.
A trend I like: Many hosts now have e-mail addresses. This makes it so much easier to communicate with them than playing telephone tag.
I’ve already started getting holiday cards from casinos. And that means my biggest pet peeve about casinos is upsetting me again. Why do casinos name a department Player Development? Or, if they’re going to name it that, why do they have those people send me holiday cards. I don’t like ANY cheery card from someone I don’t know, but I certainly don’t want to get one from someone who is going to “develop” me!”