11/2/2001
Are you busy making out your monthly casino play schedule for November, as I am? I put down all the promotions on my calendar as I get the information, i.e., double points at Coast properties on Nov. 11. (Early in the month is a good time to check the free Slot Club Promotions list on the www.advisor.com homepage, although I make additions and changes all month long as I continue to get new information.)
We don’t play every promotion, but each day we can look at the calendar and see what promotions are available and decide on the best place to play—or perhaps decide that this is a good day to do other things. We don’t play every day. We do schedule our non-gambling activities around casino promotions as much as possible, so we can play at the best advantage at all times.
Our life is full of non-gambling activities: cleaning house, running errands, talking to our grandchildren on the phone, attending parties, seeing the doctor and the dentist, watching TV, going to movies, shopping, answering e-mail, attending shows and conventions, getting together with friends—and, of course for me, writing, writing, and more writing.
That’s one of the reasons why we enjoy living in Vegas so much. When we were tourists, we had to “play for our room comp,” so we sometimes had to pass up some better promotions in order to play in the casino where we were staying. And since we didn’t have the opportunity to play every day at home, we wanted to play more when we were here on vacation. Now that we could play every day if we wanted to, we don’t want to!
This detailed calendar planning has probably been one of the most important contributors to our casino success for almost 18 years. When we came to Vegas on a three-day visit in March 1984, we knew absolutely nothing about casino gambling, except that we needed money to do it. We had $3,000 and we lost it all. Still, we thought we’d “done well,” since it lasted the whole three days. We’ve had losing trips since then, of course, but that was the last time we were in Vegas and weren’t knowledgeable.
We started studying right after that trip, and I initiated my casino planning calendar soon after when we got our first free-room offer, from the Westward Ho. The calendar had entries only every few months for the first several years while Brad was still working, but when he retired, it filled up fast. Now it’s jam-packed with entries on almost every day.
Get organized—and I bet you’ll be a more successful gambler. It’s the frugal thing to do!
Speaking of frugal, I think some people think I’m too frugal ever to splurge. That’s not true. I splurge when I think I’m getting good value for my money. I used to value money mostly for the feeling of security it gave me (saving it for the unknown future), but Brad’s healthier “”live-for-today” philosophy has helped me learn to enjoy the fruits of our labor more. Getting old is helping too—I think the future for which I was planning all my life is HERE!!
One last frugal note: If you see a silver van tooling around Las Vegas with a license plate that reads FRUGAL, give us a honking hi.
11/9/2001
Murphy’s Law is always alive and well in casinos, but this last week Murphy outdid himself!
Brad and I have played in invitational tournaments for years. Some were blackjack and video poker tournaments that involved a degree of skill, but most were plain old slot tournaments where luck is the only deciding factor. And even though these tournaments are “free —we do have to put in a certain amount of play to keep getting the invitations—Lady Luck has not been nice to us. We were getting a little tired of attending award dinners where we were fortunate to get $50-$200 if not $0. Once we got $500, but our names had never been called for those big top prizes.
So last week, when someone asked us if we want to buddy up and pool any of our winnings in a Hard Rock tourney, I said, “Why not? Maybe I can get a part of someone else’s luck.” We’d never partnered before on any gambling endeavor, but I was getting discouraged that we were never having any good results in tournaments.
Well, you can guess what happened: I came in on top at the Hard Rock, for a whopping $20,000 first-place prize. Was I happy? Of course I was happy in my head, but I couldn’t get rid of that feeling in the pit of my tummy that I had “lost” $10,000 instead of winning $10,000.
Will we ever partner again? You can take this bet to the bank: NEVER AGAIN!
From the Question and Answer Department
“Jean, do you know if the Palms casino will offer cashback?”
With the Palms slot club, you’ll earn comp points on video poker, slots, and video keno at a rate if .25% ($1 coin-in = 1 point; 400 points = $1). However, you’ll be able to use comp points the same as cash to pay in all Palms retail outlets: the spa, seven restaurants, the theater and showroom, bars, food court, childcare, etc. They also will be sending cash offer letters (bounce-back cash), based on your level of play. I wouldn’t be surprised if they run an occasional promotion where you earn cashback instead of comps, the same as George Maloof offered occasionally when he owned the Fiesta.
In other Palms news, we got our charter member cards in the mail this week. They’re good for a 10% discount at some (not all) restaurants until March 31. And they’ll automatically give us double points for the first month. Charter member cards will be issued the first 10 days that the casino is open.
One neat thing about this slot club is that you can earn points in other ways than just playing the machines:
$1 wager on keno = 5 points
$1 wager on sports = 1 point
$1 wager on pari-mutuel race = 5 points
$1 wager on race = 2.5 points
$1 cash purchase in restaurants, hotel, spa, salon, and gift shop = 1 point
And one of the things Brad will like best is that you won’t have to wait in line at the slot club desk to get a food comp slip. Go to the restaurant where you want to eat, give them your player’s card, and they will redeem the number of points you need to cover your meal. Brad doesn’t even mind paying for a meal—I, of course, don’t go that far—but he hates lines.
Let’s Meet!
There’s another informal LVA get-together brewing at the 777 Brewpub in Main Street Station downtown Vegas. It’s planned for Friday, Nov. 23rd, at 7 p.m. We had a great time at the last one there: lots of eating, drinking, and just plain friendly conversation. Brad and I are looking forward to chatting with old and new friends alike. Come along and join in the fun.
11/16/2001
Some of my friends were complaining that their favorite casino had taken out all their favorite video poker games they liked. I’ve felt that same pain many times through the years, but I’ve learned you have to be flexible. You’re setting yourselves up for inevitable disappointment if you expect anything connected to a casino—the game inventory, a promotion, a comp policy – to stay the same.
If I ever write a dictionary, under “”change”” I would put just this one-word definition, “”casinos.”
Remember: You never marry a casino; you only have temporary affairs with one!
BRIEFS
Arizona Charlie’s is now extending its Rewards point redemptions to include bingo and live keno. Charlie Rewards Club members have the option of redeeming points at the rate of 500 points for $1 in wager credit. This is the same higher exchange rate as it is for comps. Also, in December they’re starting a new “monthly special” that allows club members to earn and redeem Rewards points for gift cards for a special retail store of the month. In December it’s Walmart, a frugal choice for holiday shopping, and in January it will be Target. The rate will be 750 points per $1 in value and the increments will be in $25 denominations. As with all promotions, be sure to check at the slot club for specific details.
I encourage people to exercise while on vacation in Vegas, even if you think, “”I don’t have time.”” Brad and I have always been big on long walks all over town. Exercise isn’t only good for your body; it also helps your head. Break up those too-long marathon sessions of video poker or blackjack and you’ll find that your accuracy and enthusiasm will increase. How do you get some? Check to see if your hotel has a spa and/or exercise room. Most charge a daily fee, sometimes a bit pricey. The Suncoast, however, charges no fee for its facility, and the Orleans charges a low $2.
A frugal change for The Frugal Gambler cruise Feb. 17-22. Holland-America has dropped the prices for that cruise and the travel agency has extended the booking deadline to December 1. So now you can enjoy sun, sand, a gambling seminar, and a free slot tournament at a bargain price. Call 800/659-2662 for the details. All aboard!
If you stay at the Plaza in downtown Vegas, you automatically get a free entry into their daily slot tournament. Don’t want to stay there? No problem. Every $500 of play also gets you a free shot in it.
Terrible’s has put back some 9/6 jacks or better video poker machines that they recently removed. Never underestimate the power of customer complains to casino management!
So many readers have kindly asked about my son-in-law’s deployment recently. Steve is finally in Kosovo, much to our relief that it’s not Afghanistan! The new family-friendly Army is trying to keep most overseas deployments to about six months, so he’s scheduled to return to Fort Drum in May, unless his unit’s replacement is busy in some other world hotspot. To help my daughter, Angela, and the two kiddies not miss Hubby and Daddy so much over the holidays, we’re flying them out of the upstate New York icebox to sunny Vegas Dec. 23-Jan. 4. Grandma is very excited and isn’t a bit concerned about cutting out most VP play during that time! Poppy Brad won’t admit to being excited, but you might not see him in casinos so often these days. He’s starting to haunt toy stores; he loves an excuse to buy the playthings he never got, growing up during the Depression years.
11/23/2001
Okay, I’ll admit it. I got a lot of flack about my report a couple of weeks ago, in which I detailed my human frailty after winning a Hard Rock slot tournament. Some of it was friendly criticism; some of it was, well, not so friendly: “Would I write an article … whining about winning ten thousand dollars? I don’t think so.”
In my own (feeble) defense, I try to write about personal experiences that show I’m just an ordinary human being who tries to “”play expertly”” most of the time, though I’m certainly not immune to making mistakes. I was trying to make a point that psychological factors are often as important as mathematical ones. I didn’t want to think about the irony of the results in the HR tournament, but I just couldn’t help that the thoughts came into my head. Of course, I was also happy in my heart to share with friends.
However, my reaction to these events did vividly show me at least one reason why I like casino games. I enjoy the rewards I get for taking a risk; I don’t want to decrease the risk if it means the rewards will be reduced. Another issue here is that we always look at long-term expectation and we don’t get the opportunity to partner up very often. Therefore, we probably won’t do it again for the same reason that we try to stay in a fairly narrow range of VP denominations. It’s easier to get to that long-term positive result the more times we do the same thing.
Anyway, I quickly got over the circumstances at the Hard Rock and have enjoyed the risk of playing that profit through a lot of VP machines since then! And one poster on Skip’s VP List pointed out something that made me feel much better. “If you’re still feeling any remorse, you should focus on the fact that had you not taken on partners, it’s highly unlikely that you would have won the tournament. Remember that a slot machine is basically a random number generator and that any variation in timing, down to the millisecond, produces entirely different results. Did Brad [who played my sessions for me] stop for a second before he sat down to get a handshake for “”good luck”” from his partners? Did he hesitate and think, at ANY point during his play, ‘my partners are counting on me’? Did he glance up, even for a fraction of a second, and smile or nod to any of you? That’s a whole new ballgame!”
BRIEFS
A last-minute reminder about the Palms: You have to join the slot club by Nov. 24th in order to be a charter member and earn double points through December 14.
I’m hearing reports of people getting good room offers by signing the guest book at casino Web sites or applying for a player’s card there. Doesn’t hurt to try!
Hope everyone had a Happy Turkey Day! Now, let the holiday shopping begin—unless you’re like us and have a garage full of presents the casinos have given us that we have no room to put in our small retirement condo. If we want to give a gift to you when you come to our home, we march you out to the garage and let you pick your own!
11/30/2001
Someone e-mailed me, expressing surprise I hadn’t given a report on the big private party at the Palms just before the casino opened to the general public at 11 p.m. on Nov. 15. Sorry to have kept you waiting. I’ve been busy with another Travel Channel shoot (to air sometime in April or May), there was the LVA get-together at the Brew Pub, I’m trying to get Frugal 2 finished and into Anthony’s hands, and there is still a little something called gambling in Las Vegas that beckons, especially in these days of super casino promotions. But here’s the scoop, better late than never!
First of all, I think this was the first party Brad and I had ever walked into on a red carpet with celebrity watchers behind the barriers eyeing each person arriving. Of course, our arrival did not cause any ooohs and ahhhs, but at least I didn’t hear anyone say with a sneer, “Who are THEY?”
Of course, after we got in we turned into celebrity gazers ourselves. Celebrities are pretty common in Las Vegas, but it was the first party we had ever attended in Las Vegas (or anywhere) that had so many of what the newspaper called the A-listers: Pamela Anderson, Samuel L. Jackson, Mike Piazza, Tony Curtis, Robin Leach, Gov. Kenny Guinn, Paris Hilton (wearing a dress covered with high-denomination Palms chips, necessitating a personal bodyguard), Phyllis McGuire, and an assorted group of local politicians, famous movie and TV types, and well-known sports figures that I wouldn’t recognize if they ran right into me.
Mind you, I didn’t see all these people—I just heard they were there. I did see Dennis Rodman at a table at one of the bars, surrounded by some unusually dressed friends. But he looked pretty ordinary—must have decided to dress down that night. Speaking of dressed, or more accurately undressed, the most eye-stopping figures were the “human statues” scattered around, dressed mostly in body paint.
I read that 6,000 to 10,000 attended. I felt like it was at least 10,000! How crowded? We had planned to meet friends there at 7 p.m. when the bash started, but we didn’t find each other until almost 11 p.m. So we wandered around, peeking into everything—the restaurants, the spa, the pool area (I hear they’re going to color the water lavender in the pools and spas — neat!), the nightclub/bars. We picked tidbits of food from the trays with which waiters were constantly circulating. Brad can always find the best sweets — these were in the high-limit slot room. The bars were packed three to five deep for the free drinks. We ended up at the food court where we could find a place to sit down and rest our weary feet. Cash registers were not yet opened—food and drinks were on the house everywhere.
George Maloof, the owner, was circulating just like the rest of us, looking as unassuming as ever, with absolutely no “I’m the-big-man” airs. I spoke to him early in the evening, saying that the best part of the party so far was at the everything-free movie-theater area, where I actually ordered concession-stand food with a smile for the first time. “You know how unfrugal those prices are. I’m the one who used to smuggle in my own popcorn from home.” He got a good laugh out of that! Then a few minutes before the doors were to open he saw me at the $1 full-pay dollar progressive video poker machines and said, “I knew you’d find those.”
Yes, Brad and I were seated at that bank when they were turned on, as was Anthony Curtis, Bob and Shirley Dancer, and many of our knowledgeable VP friends. The quarter full-pay deuces wild progressive bank by the front door was also full right away, as were almost every other machine in the house, slot and video poker. We played for about an hour and realized it was midnight and we were in danger of turning from being two young hearty partiers into two exhausted old people who just wanted to go to bed.
I’m glad we left then; that might have been you waiting patiently in line outside the door until security, enforcing maximum-oc