Comments on: Over-the-top Comps

By: Kevin Lewis

Kevin Lewis — Sat, 20 Jun 2015 22:05:52 +0000

Perhaps the best thing I ever got from a casino wasn’t technically a comp, but, close enough. I got an invite from the Palms to a combination VP/poker tourney. you played a session of each and your credits were added to your chips to give you a final score. Best overall was $10,000, second best was $5,000, and the winners of each half were given $5,000 each as well. I absolutely crushed the VP (AAAAkicker twice at DDB, plus about five other quads), so I won $5,000 right there. I then determined to simply fold every hand at the hold ’em game so as to preserve my chips, and wound up taking second place overall, for a total haul of $10,000. The funny thing is, I was “only” a dollar player back then and furthermore, had been consistently winning; yet, I got the invite. Anybody playing decent machines and/or failing to lose (not just winning) these days doesn’t get a juicy tourney invite; in fact, he’s lucky if the casino doesn’t send a team of hitmen to his house.
A few months later, I also qualified for a drawing at the Palms wherein twenty people won prizes varying from $1,000 to $5,000. You got tickets for your play, and I was a relatively puny entrant: only two tickets in the drum (of about 200 total). One fellow told me he had nineteen tickets in the drum. They drew both my tickets, for $2,000 and $1,000, respectively. They didn’t draw a single one of Mister Nineteen’s tickets. He didn’t take it well. (I wonder if Bob Dancer, often having 50% or more of the drawing tickets in play, takes it with the proper equanimity when his name isn’t drawn. Probably so–a $10K prize would add maybe 0.000000000000003% to his bankroll–it would be like you or I finding a nickel on the floor.)

By: Roger Leggitt

Roger Leggitt — Sat, 20 Jun 2015 18:47:09 +0000

Write that book and put me down for a copy. I have all the rest of yours.

By: Joan & Tom in AZ

Joan & Tom in AZ — Sat, 20 Jun 2015 00:32:16 +0000

We have learned so much from you, Jean, and we have wonderful suite memories. Our favorite was the Flat Iron Suite at the “M” several years ago. We got that — not because of extreme high level of play — but because we were kind and friendly to the check-in host. It was just one night, but we’ll always remember it as one of our favorites. We’ve had suites in Laughlin, at Caesars, at the Orleans, at the South Coast. But, that suite at the “M” was truly amazing. We’d love to read a book about all your “Sweet” experiences.

By: Jane Goldberg

Jane Goldberg — Fri, 19 Jun 2015 10:18:26 +0000

I have a very much the opposite story, from one of your often spoken about casino chains, Harrah’s. I’ll always think of it as Harrah’s as that name is how I knew it when I first started gambling. Three things really have made me hate the chain and their corporate stinginess toward their Diamond and Diamond Aspirations customers. Please let me share what they’ve done. In 2015, I earned at a huge loss, 80,000 tier credits at VP ($10/credit). so I could get a free flight to Atlantic City. My family is from NJ and my niece was getting married on April 11, 2015. What I didn’t see anywhere in the Aspirations literature was that my free trip had to be taken by 3/31/15. It was in there, somewhere, apparently. They wouldn’t give it to me so I could go to NJ courtesy of Harrah’s-11 days past the cutoff. I would have not even tried, had I known. OK; that’s on me, I guess.

Then, a couple months ago at Rio, I go to cage to get an Electronic Funds withdrawal. It was free for Diamond menbers-now they (I), too have a $4.00 service charge. Nice, right? And Last week, I get an offer for an event with a caveat-if you make your own reservation online, you won’t be dinged with the service charge we’re assessing if you dare speak to an agent to make the reservation. This is for a Diamond, comped, invitation. A service charge. WTF? Seriously? This is how they treat their Diamonds? Unbelievable!

By: Mo LA

Mo LA — Fri, 19 Jun 2015 01:32:06 +0000

Jean , just request that the butler give you a crash course on the “electronic” switches in the suite and then give him the night off!!!
MO

By: Gino

Gino — Thu, 18 Jun 2015 23:50:17 +0000

Great memories… Great stories… Hope you do write a book… Would love to hear all all the stories

By: ken orgera

ken orgera — Thu, 18 Jun 2015 23:19:10 +0000

pretty nice !

By: Jerry McEwen

Jerry McEwen — Thu, 18 Jun 2015 20:58:00 +0000

You go girl, you are our role model and we all strive for those kind of comps. Just not the Butler Suite.