The Negative Side of Promotions

Posted on July 13, 2019 by queen of comps

I had already started this blog when earlier this week I read Bob Dancer’s article on a closely related subject.  That article talks about why he would not like some casino promotions.  I – and most frequent players – could echo his sentiments and tell stories about their painful experiences with promotions that did not produce positive feelings or good results.

Recently I came across a promotion that reminds me why some promotional problems are caused by the casino itself.  It’s not just that “picky” players want everything their way.  Case in point:  Last month the Palms ran an earn-a-gift promotion that was advertised in our mailers to run all of June, with specific dates to redeem gift points.  Many of us, especially the oldsters who are in down-sizing mode, do not need more “stuff” so blew off this promo when they saw it described in their mailers.  However, some of us, through word of mouth, heard that there was a free play alternative to the gifts.  No mailings gave this information, but if you stopped at the players club and asked about details of this promotion you were given a booklet that spelled out the free play details.  Fortunately, a friend of ours heard about this from a friend of hers and passed the word on to me and I told every player friend I met.

I call this casino technique the lets-plan-a-party-but-not-tell-anyone-about-it.  There is not much a player can do about this kind of problem except to cultivate a lot of player friends.

Then within this same promotion I just described the Palms pulled another unwelcome surprise.  On Thursdays you could earn double gift points, but there was no printed notice anywhere that these double points could not be accumulated all month like the basic ones could.  So, there were a lot of unhappy players who lost those double points because they didn’t redeem them the same week that they earned them.  Again, the only way a few players avoided this promotional hazard was due to their networking.

Not picking on the Palms again – many casinos put up this kind of promotional roadblock – but this month they are running an earn-a-gas-card but have given few details in the monthly mailer.  A friend went to the players club to ask for details and the clerk said she didn’t have a flyer to give out that explained it and she didn’t know the details herself.  My friend is an old-time player with lots of experience with this kind of problem.  He said that perhaps she could check the “master book,” the loose-leaf tome that most casinos have behind the players club desk that has the official printed details of all promotions going on in the casino.  The clerk pulled out the book – reluctantly – and turned to the gas-card promotion and showed it to my friend, who calmly asked if she could make a copy of that page for him since the redemption chart was pretty long.  I wish I could tell you that getting this page copy solved my friend’s problem.  No, the details were not complete enough that he could decide whether this promotion was good enough for him to play.

I used to laugh at a casino – particularly Harrah’s – that would give you 3 sheets of paper about a promotion – full of single-spaced small font legalese – but that beats a casino who will not give you enough details so you can make an informed decision.

And when I was about finished with this blog, I was informed by a friend about a new Suncoast promotion he saw advertised in the casino that is an example of what he called “tricky” actions by a casino.  Some video poker machines have signs on them that state on these you can earn tier credits two times faster.  You can read the details here.  The catch is that the paytables on these machines are dismally worse than on other similar games in the casino.  Technically this is not untruth in advertising.  However, we could point out that this is bad public relations.  Casinos already have a reputation for seemingly having their hand constantly in your pocket or purse.  Players don’t like to think they are also trying to trick you so you will contribute even more.

Most promotions primarily only benefit the casino.  As a for-profit business this is not illegal.  I don’t disagree that they have a right to run whatever program or promotion they wish as long as they stay within legal boundaries.  They are within their rights to target promotions for certain categories, i.e., high rollers or locals.  They can choose details that encourage visitation during slow business days, even though those times may exclude some groups.

However, a wise knowledgeable player will know that, for whatever reason, only a few promotions can be of benefit for any one player. He will  accept that and spend more time scouting  and studying more details than complaining about the ones that don’t meet his/her individual wishes and needs.

And a final person comment here: Trying to help people make sense of promotions has given me fodder for my writing for almost 20 years.  If casinos started “doing everything right,” I just might finally get to retire!

Posted in Casino Promotions | 6 Comments

More July Information

Posted on July 7, 2019 by queen of comps

As usual, I learn more promotion and players club information after the first of each month.

GOLDEN ENTERTAINMENT

Golden Entertainment has been gradually introducing their new property-wide players club – True Rewards – into their many properties, taking the place of previous club names and structures. This is – or has been – taking place in the Strat Hotel and Casino and both Arizona Charlie’s in Vegas, and at their casinos in Pahrump, Laughlin, and in the Rocky Gap Casino in Maryland. It has also been rolled out to the 60 neighborhood pubs and taverns in the PT’s Entertainment Group and in the gaming  sections in CVS and the Albertsons and Smiths grocery stores.  This is what the company said about their new club:

It’s a hub-and-spoke model. Golden Entertainment is the hub, and our casinos, taverns, and gaming operations make up the spokes. True Rewards is what connects them all, allowing members to earn and use rewards at almost all Golden Entertainment properties.

I give them an A+ for originality in naming their tiers:  True, Loyal, Solid, Legit, and Epic.  No overused jewel or precious metal names!

I don’t play at any of these properties so I don’t have any personal details to add.  But I read that there is different earning requirement details for the casinos and the bars.  And I read this report from a player online: “We can redeem our True Rewards points from the Strat, Arizona Charlie’s, Aquarius, etc. for grocery gift cards to Smith’s and Albertson’s. But the rules I got from the players club say that the redemption rate is 1000 points =$1 with a $5 minimum. I’m going to keep redeeming points for free play since it has the better rate of 500 points = $1.”

So even though this is a company-wide program, like so many other umbrella companies, you need to check carefully specific details for each property.  Programs like Senior Days may not be the same.  The two Arizona Charlie’s have launched a new “50+ Perks Senior Day” on Mondays.  Some sketchy details are given on their websites, but I would suggest an in-person visit to get more details.  It seems that perhaps it is a slowly-evolving program.

 

BOYD GAMING

Today’s newspaper has 3 inserts for Boyd casinos.  One is exclusively for the Eastside Cannery, including a promotions calendar and a couple food coupons. One is a full sheet for 2-4-1 buffet coupons good for various July dates at the Orleans and Gold Coast.  The largest one – 2 ½ pages – prominently features details of the property-wide “Freedom to Roam” all-month promotion, the gift giveaway details, and the Monday “ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT BBQ dinner buffet.”  (Isn’t a buffet always all-you-can-eat?)  There is also a coupon for a Monday “All-You-Can-Bowl” special for those casinos that have bowling alleys.

This big section also has a ½ page description of July Point Multipliers.  Notably absent is any mention of any for the Orleans or Gold Coast.  Guess you have to get the local mailer to score point multipliers in those 2 casinos.  And one detail to remember:  Wherever multiple points are mentioned for July – in the newspaper or in our local mailers, for some unknown reason – at least to me – there will be no multiple points anywhere on Tuesday, July 23, even if there are on other Tuesdays.  And one more note:  Cannery and East Cannery have not yet been folded into the B Connected players club, so their multiple points are still at the value of their original C.A.N. Club.  Watch for the * in all promotional announcements!

Many former and present Boyd players received an e-mail recently asking them to fill out a survey, specifically asking about their opinions of the new players club.  I wonder how many gave it a big thumbs-up!!  🙂  But most of all I wonder what they will do with all the negative comments, especially with so many saying they are looking for greener casino pastures.  Will it lead to customer improvements?  I’m not feeling optimistic here!

A COUPON WATCH-IT

A good trend: I notice many 2-4-1 food coupons these days state that they can be used as a 50%-off for a single diner.  But not all do.  Many state they are not valid on holidays.  And most say that they cannot be used with other offers.   Read the details carefully.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted in Casino Promotions, Couponing, Senior Promotion, Slot Clubs | 12 Comments

July Promos–The Little Things

Posted on June 30, 2019 by queen of comps

“Little Things Mean a Lot” …and not just in love songs.

I recently read a comment on the Internet from someone who stated, after reading about all the hoops one had to jump through to take advantage of one casino promotion, that this was too much “bother.” Several successful gamblers chimed in immediately with their mantra, one that has guided Brad’s and my casino journey for over 35 years: “Bothering” with the details is an absolute necessity in order for a gambler to achieve financial success.

Back some 22 years ago, before I had ever thought about writing a book about gambling, friends were hearing us tell about our trips to Vegas and how we were able to make these vacations a low-cost – even free – recreational choice by choosing good games to play and using the comp system.  And of course, they wanted to know how they could do that.  The problem is they wanted the “secret” in 25 words or less.  I tried to explain that there was no “silver bullet” – it was hundreds of little things you had to do.

22 years later, it has taken multiple editions of 5 books to talk about the hundreds of thousands of little things one can – must? – do to be successful.  And it amazes me that there is rarely a time when I am writing a blog that I don’t have some “little” idea to share – either a new one or a reminder of one that is easy to forget.

Although I have been visiting casinos for over 35 years – and try to keep track in my head all the things I have learned over the years – I sometimes forget something important.  For example, Brad and I recently visited the Gold Coast and planned to play because it was a 11x-points day.  I usually visit the kiosk the very first thing and swipe both my card and Brad’s while he is parking the car.  But this day I was distracted because I had to go to the cashier to solve a big-money problem.  That took a long time so I immediately hurried to meet Brad at our favorite machines in the non-smoking area and forgot I hadn’t swiped our cards.

We played about an hour or so when my brain woke up to this distressing thought that we would not get credited with bonus points before we swiped in.  Long story shortened.  I talked to a players club supervisor and asked if there was any way we could get these bonus points put on manually.  She was nice but pointed out that this had happened to me back when this new system was first put in many years ago and they had “fixed” it for me– but they could not do it the second time.  The loss was not huge, but it was a reminder that one has to keep up with those “little things.”  Some properties – like South Point – give multiple points automatically while you play with no players club swipe needed.   Some properties – like the Stations – do require that you swipe but it can be any time that day, before or after you play.  Be sure you know the system, especially if you play at a casino you haven’t visited before.

For this month, as it has been for quite a while, it is important to stay aware of other little details connected with casino bonus points.  This is especially important when dealing with large casino companies that have multiple properties. This is confusing many players, especially with Boyd Gaming and the Stations.  Don’t assume multiple-point days are the same company wide.  And be aware with Boyd that sometimes there are bonus point days ONLY for those that get the monthly mailer promoting those days.  You need to check Scot’s Bonus Point List since his list includes only those that are open to everyone.

And this warning goes for all promotions at these casinos.  You have to read the newspaper ads and monthly mailers carefully to be sure you don’t make a special trip to take advantage of a promotion and find out you are at the wrong casino or there on the wrong day. As I have mentioned before, the Palms seems to be in a Stations category of its own.  That nice fat summer coupon book from the Stations is a perfect example of the need to carefully read the “little” details.  Some of those coupons are good at several properties but many are for only one specific casino.  Same with the list of promotions on the Stations website.  You must check the logo or casino name under each on there – and also in newspaper ads.

Have a great 4th of July!  There will be some gambling promotions but maybe you can fit in some non-gambling fun activities too!

 

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Casino Promotions, Couponing, Holiday Greetings, Palms, South Point Casino, Stations | 6 Comments

DIGGING INTO MY MAILBAG

Posted on June 22, 2019 by queen of comps

I field many questions about where to play now that casinos are cutting benefits and paytables right and left. I use this blog to help players cope with the new conditions, often citing my own experiences.  However, I don’t get around to every casino, and I am happy when I can share information from fellow players.

Recently I heard from one reader who told about a good June promotion at the Vegas downtown Four Queens Casino.  Unfortunately, they don’t put details of their promos on their website, but you could have found them if you had regularly checked this Vegas Values one I highly recommend.   The Four Queens is not a fancy place, but a top choice if you are looking for reasonable room rates, with NO resort fee; some good restaurants, including the classic Hugo’s Cellar; a nice selection of good VP; and free parking for hotel guests and free validation parking for players and restaurant customers.  Here at the LVA website, it is one of their TOP TEN bargains – and very high on my frugal list.

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Q:  Jean, have you taken advantage of the Atlantis Resort trip that Caesars offers to customers in their 3 top tiers.  I hear things are pretty expensive down in the Bahamas.

A:  Brad and I haven’t done this trip and all I know about it is from the Caesars website.   But I did hear from a reader who was looking for frugal hints.

The most common tip I hear is to find a cab from a good company and pick up lots of groceries on the ride from the airport to store in the fridge. I also saw some tips on how to cook on the room iron, but I don’t think we will go that far…

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Q:  I’d like to get to the higher tier levels at Stations Casinos, like President or even Chairman, but I am losing too much money playing at the higher-level machines to get more points faster.  Any suggestions?

A:  I strongly discourage playing beyond your bankroll or comfort level just to achieve a higher tier level.  In almost all cases it would be cheaper to just pay for those higher-level benefits.  However, during your normal play you could choose to play on multiple-point days.  These extra points don’t up your tier score (which is based on “base” points) but you can redeem them for cash or free play which will cover some of your losses.  And here is one player suggestion on how to get to the higher tiers faster and have a vacation at the same time:

Your spending on rooms at Stations are 50X, cocktails at bars 30X, food at restaurants ranges between 10X at the cafe/buffet and 20X at steakhouses. That can add up fast. So, for every $100 you spend on rooms you earn 5000 base points. A nice $100 steak dinner, 3000 base points. That can get you to President quickly without putting a single dime in a machine. Use a staycation to boost your points and get some well-deserved rest.

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Q:  Hi, as an out of towner coming to Vegas in July/Aug, I was wondering what newspaper and day I would look to see if there were any Boyd dining coupons that you mentioned for that time. Thanks.

A:  There is now only one newspaper in town – since The Sun is now a section in the Review-Journal.  But I can’t answer your 2nd question, since coupons flyers are slipped into the newspaper on no regular schedule.  In fact, I can’t count on checking casino ads on any particular day.  Most often they are in the front section of the newspaper on Sundays, particularly early in the month, but I never can depend on that.  And, as I have mentioned before, sometimes an ad with a new promotion will pop up mid-month!

If you want casino coupons, your best bet is to subscribe to the “Las Vegas Advisor” here at my blog home and you will get a whole book of coupons free.  You can also buy the American Casino Guide which has 182 coupons for casinos all over the U.S, including over 100 for Vegas.

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Not a question, but a comment.  A couple blogs ago I mentioned a July 4th promotion coming up at South Point.  I had given the details (which are still correct) but stated these differed from past multiple-point days.  Scot Krause, who is always on the ball about promotions, said this one had always had the same details.  I think my 80-year-old brain may be getting a little tired!!!!  😊

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I hope readers here regularly go to another part of my blog home – the popular QOD (“Question of the Day”).  That’s another place to get your burning questions answered – and sometimes the QOD guru asks for my input. As sometimes happens with all casino information, there are a lot of details and, in trying to summarize in a brief manner, we might miss some of them that would make the answer more complete.  That happened in a recent answer to a question about “crazy VP paytables.”  We mentioned my “Frugal Video Poker Scouting Guide” as a great resource to find the EV of almost 200 of the most common VP paytables.  I – and many other knowledgeable students of the game – won’t ever go to a casino without this small booklet in a purse or pocket.  But it should be mentioned that this booklet is not the only resource you need.  You might occasionally run into an unusual or rare “crazy” schedule that doesn’t appear in the “Scouting Guide.”  Then you need a second important resource – a software program that allows you to modify paytables AND, very importantly, provides a strategy chart so you can play any schedule accurately.

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Down through the years I have tried to answer all of the questions players ask me, whether these questions are posed in the “Comments” at the end of each blog, in private e-mails, or in person.  Sometimes my answers will come to you in an individual e-mail or on an Internet forum.  And occasionally you will find answers in the QOD or in a blog like today’s!

Posted in Caesars, Casino Promotions, Comments, Couponing, Four Queens, Gambling Resources, Q+A, Quotes, Stations, Video Poker | 6 Comments

This and That

Posted on June 15, 2019 by queen of comps

First, an important warning about getting bonus points at the Gold Coast.  Evidently their system has not been working correctly, since it is being reported that the 11x on the YAH senior Wednesdays the last two weeks, this bonus was not being automatically added as in the past.  You would have to go to the players club desk and they would take your name and they would tell you that it would be added manually later.  But some have reported they are still waiting for this correction to appear on their account.

Sooooooooooo……if you plan to play there tomorrow – Father’s Day – you better keep track of your starting and ending point balances to see if the 11X is being added.  This is a problem that Gold Coast has not been up front in letting their customers know about it.  You could have activated the 11x on a kiosk and just assumed that it would have been done.  No sign on the kiosk that there might be a problem.  The only reason I know about it is because I read Internet forum posts and talk to other players who are kind enough to share information.

Gold Coast already has a major PR problem after the Boyd burn-and-slash players club changes have chased away many customers.  You would think that they would jump at the chance to be extra transparent with those that have stayed.  System malfunctions do happen, but a casino should warn customers about them.  I guess that responsibility falls on me at the moment even though I am definitely not on the Boyd payroll!

Speaking of Boyd Gaming, I guess I am really tired of trying to help players deal with casino policies that no one I know can understand.  So, I’m going to leave that subject – at least for today – and go to subjects that are more positive – or at least don’t depress you.

Here is a link to an article, Moët and Silk Jammies, that might bring a smile to some of you old-timers.  It is one I could have written myself about Brad’s and my adventures when we first started gambling in Las Vegas.

And if you are bored with your home casino, go to this link to find some of the most unusual casinos around the world you could put on your bucket list.  I was in the Australian town of Coober Pedy almost 50 years ago and marveled at the underground homes cut right out of the earth, but there was no underground casino there at that time!

And I’ll end this blog with a press release that did not excite me one bit:

FLY LINQ is now the only zipline in the world to offer four ride styles that can launch simultaneously on 10 side-by-side lines.

FLY LINQ, which is also the only zipline on the Las Vegas Strip, now gives riders four ways they can fly:

  1. Prone or “superhero”– backward
  2. Prone or “superhero”– frontward
  3. Seated – backward
  4. Seated – frontward

We created an exhilarating experience that only FLY LINQ could deliver. For the first time, we are giving riders the option to fly seated or prone backward whereas before they were only able to fly frontward.

Definitely more options than most 80-year-women need!

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Casino Promotions, Non-gambling Activities, Non-Vegas Casinos | 10 Comments

More June Promotions – and Beyond

Posted on June 8, 2019 by queen of comps

I hope you took my advice last week to make it a habit to check Scot’s Bonus Point List, not just on the first of the month but periodically all month long.  As I have often mentioned, casinos are sometimes offering new promotions or more details about previously-announced ones later in the month.

Case in point this month, Boyd Gaming did not put their multiple-point information in the newspaper until June 2.  This is important especially for those who do not get monthly mailers.  Sometimes there are multiple-point days mentioned in our monthly mailers, but I can’t publish that information until a newspaper ad or marquee message confirms which days are for the general public and not just for those that get a mailer.

Another example is the Stations, which did not announce Palms multiple- point days until a June 3 newspaper ad.  And I almost missed that piece of information because it was added at the very bottom of a full-page ad for another promotion.

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This June might be called Coupon Month. Casinos might not be too interested in giving us better gambling opportunities, but they sure want to be sure we don’t go hungry.  Meal coupons, especially 2-for-1 buffets abound.  Boyd is including them in newspaper inserts for The Orleans and Gold Coast, and I have seen some for Sam’s Town in the past.

And the Station are going all out – with seemingly anyone who plays (or played in the past?) at any level receiving a super-fat coupon book mailed to their address.  Most of the coupons are for food, but there are some match plays and discounts for bingo, bowling, and arcades.  You always need to check the details on casino coupons, but this Stations coupon book is one that you better make a special effort to study.   Each coupon is dated – for June, July, or August.  The coupons at the front of the book can be used in more than one casino – but read carefully because each coupon covers just a few specified casinos.  After this front “general” section, there are color-coded sections for individual casinos.  One great thing is that none of the coupons are specific to a particular player (even though the books were addressed to specific names) so you can give away or trade at will.  It’s just that to redeem a coupon, you have to put your Boarding Pass# in the space provided.  So, if you want to share with a friend who isn’t a players club member, he/she would have to sign up and get a card before using the coupon. (Good marketing move, Stations, to recruit some new members!!!)

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Another food note, thanks to the Seven Stars Insider: Without notice, the Bacchanal Buffet at Caesars Palace has stopped serving king crab legs to Diamond and Seven Stars cardholders.  (Since I am not a seafood fan, I didn’t know this ever was a benefit!)

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And now for “the beyond” in my title.    Much to my surprise I received this majorly advanced news from a South Point Casino press release.  Not only was I surprised how early I was hearing this, but I was pleased to have bonus points on a holiday, something that hasn’t happened at this casino for a long time.  And the 3rd surprise was a promotion that differentiated between slots and video poker, something I don’t remember ever being done at South Point.  Sounds like a schedule borrowed from Boyd Gaming!

Double Points on Video Poker – Thursday, July 4

South Point Club members who play video poker machines will receive double the points on Thursday, July 4. Players who earn 1,000 base points in video poker will earn $6.

Five Times the Points on Reel Machines – Thursday, July 4

South Point Club members will earn five times the points on slots and video reel machines on Thursday, July 4. Players who receive 1,000 base points in reel play will receive $15.

10 Times Points on Penny Reel Machines – Thursday, July 4

In celebration of the holiday, South Point Club members will earn 10 times the points on Thursday, July 4 on penny reel machines. Players who receive 1,000 base points on penny reel machines will receive $30.

 

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Caesars, Casino Promotions, Couponing, Discounts, Food Review, Palms, South Point Casino, Stations, Video Poker | 8 Comments

JUNE NEWS AND PROMOTIONS

Posted on June 1, 2019 by queen of comps

The best promotion in June for many video poker players – both locals and visitors – will be going on at the South Point casino all month: “Half Price Gas & Goods.”  Earn and redeem $25 in slot club points and get a $50 Chevron gas card or a $50 Walmart gift card. It takes 8333  base points to earn each $50 gift card voucher and there is a limit of 10 total cards for each cardholder.  So, during the time you are earning these gift cards (83,330 points if you are working for all 10) that is the same as getting double points.  Since South Point rarely has double points on holidays as in the past, this is a welcome equivalent benefit this month.  See complete details here.

 

Holiday Multiple Points

There is only one holiday in June when you might find multiple points, Father’s Day on Sunday, June 16. That is not a major holiday and not all casinos “celebrate” it.  However, I did notice in my Gold Coast mailer that they promote 11x on reels and VP at some Boyd properties on that day.  Plus, some of their casinos are including a free beer for dad at their Father’s Day buffet.  Other casinos may promote specials closer to the date.  You should check casino websites for these.

As always, you need to check Scot’s Bonus Point List often as he adds information as soon as he gets it from the casino.  The last few months some casinos have been adding promotions mid-month, after their initial first-of-the-month details and after the mailers have gone out.

 

Other News

The former non-smoking casino room on the main floor at Arizona Charlies Decatur  now allows smoking.  There is still a non-smoking area on the 2nd floor.

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Both the Gold Coast and the Orleans have added a brunch on Saturdays, with the same prices as their Sunday brunch.  You  get players club discounts, depending on your tier level, and you can also use your LVA 2-for-1 coupon.  And much to our surprise, they did take our mailer food coupons that exclude “Specialty” dinners.  We were afraid they would consider this a special meal!

We love the one at the Orleans; and although we haven’t tried the one at the Gold Coast, we have heard good reports about it.  By the way if you look these up in the buffet section of the  R-J Neon magazine, you will find it hasn’t been updated to include these new Saturday brunches.  However, they are described on the two casino websites.

The Gold Coast price is $16.99 and runs from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.  Free Bellini Champagne and Mimosas for guests 21 years of age or older, your choice of flavors: Blackberry, Mango, Peach, Raspberry, Strawberry. The Champagne Brunch at the Orleans is $20.99 and runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

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One warning about all Boyd buffets:  you usually won’t get a specific tier discount by just waving your card in front of the cashier to show your “tier color.”  The new cards now have expiration dates on them and are supposed to be checked.  So even though your old higher-tier cards may still work in the machines, they might not pass an eagle-eyed buffet cashier!

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Casino Promotions, Couponing, Food Review, South Point Casino, Video Poker | 5 Comments

A Short Trip Report

Posted on May 22, 2019 by queen of comps

Actually this report may not be short.  It was the trip that was short, both in time and geographical distance – just a short drive across Flamingo Road from our condo to the Cromwell Hotel and Casino.

As I have mentioned in past blogs, we are planning to phase out our play at CZR, but it is a slower process than we expected.  They keep sending us good offers!  First, we had a monster offer in April from Harrah’s Tahoe.  And then we got a good offer if we checked into a Vegas Caesar property in May or June.

We hadn’t stayed or played locally for several years, so decided to choose the Cromwell, an old haunt of ours back when it was called the Barbary Coast.  We did have a room there once when it was first bought by CZR and renamed the Cromwell, and I had written how the rooms reminded us of a stately old library that was the scene of an English murder mystery – dark, with heavy old furnishings.  That was still our impression when we walked in our room this time, much the same historical romantic mysterious atmosphere of that old Barbary Coast.

We had chosen the Cromwell over other local CZR properties because it is easy in- and-out self-parking and you didn’t have to walk a mile to check-in and then to your room.  Brad and I are both having trouble walking long distances these days, a major change in our lives from when we would take long power walks up and down the Strip.  However, we had forgotten that going through and between casinos is always a longer distance that one expects.  So, our plan to walk down to Harrah’s for dinner and a show became a stop-and-go experience as we would grab an empty slot machine chair for a rest period every so often!

We enjoyed a return to Harrah’s buffet, one that we had visited many times in the past but not recently.  Not as fancy as some, but with a large selection of food we liked – as Brad remarks when we visit some of the new buffets and restaurants around town, “No weird food.”  The only lack for me was no-sugar-added ice cream, but they did have other SF desserts.

We rarely take advantage of shows in Vegas these days, even when we could have them comped.  After 35+ years we have seen most of the on-going big productions, and many of the new shows feature modern music that is not to our tastes.  We miss our “oldies” music, with so many of the stars we loved passing on.  But sometimes a “tribute” show can bring back some happy memories of by-gone days, and so we used the monthly free-show Seven Star benefit to go see the new Harrah’s show called “Heartbreak Hotel.”

I hate to review a show really, because it is like trying to recommend a restaurant.  So many different tastes!  But I really enjoyed this tribute to Elvis.  It was high energy with a live band of six guys and 3 gal singers – all very talented!  It concentrated first on Elvis’ early life, with biographical narrative and photos on 4 huge LED walls in-between the performances of his early hits, then covering many of his most well-known songs.  Here is a review that gives more details about the performance.

I talked earlier about the old-fashion atmosphere we liked about the Cromwell room.  So why am I writing this blog tonight from home when we are checked into the Cromwell.  Well, it’s hard to explain.  Maybe it’s because we are old – or maybe just jaded?  We have enjoyed staying in fancy casino hotels for 35 years.  But with this offer we could do just “down the street” we decided to skip the packing and lugging the CPAP machine. Just go for the day and do the little bit of play we needed to do, eat, and see a show.  Mess up the bed and gather up all the nice toiletries, and then return home to sleep in our own bed.

Some of you might understand.

Posted in Caesars, Casino Promotions, Comps, Food Review, Non-gambling Activities, Show Review | 15 Comments

Beyond Video Poker

Posted on May 14, 2019 by queen of comps

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.

 

 

Posted in Blackjack, Gambling Resources, Good Reads, Online | 3 Comments

Boyd Promos and Problems

Posted on May 5, 2019 by queen of comps

If you read my last blog, you know I mentioned that sometimes it is hard for out-of-towners and anyone who doesn’t get a local monthly mailer to find out about Vegas casino promos. And I promised to help out if I could.

This is what I have found out for the Gold Coast, first by actually being in the casino and seeing promo signage and then reading a big ad section in today’s Sunday R-J newspaper.  It is now also on their website – not sure how long it has appeared there. They are offering 11x for both reels and video poker EVERY Sunday through Thursday in May.  I verified that this was available for players whether they got monthly mailers or not.

However, there is one huge group of players who can not take advantage of this promotion – or ANY OTHER bonus multiplier promo – and this goes for ANY Boyd property.  Many places put this little detail in a fine-print warning: “For Sapphire Tier and above.”  But some do not; I did not see this on the large signage in the Gold Coast, just a generic “See B Connected for details.” In this Sunday paper ad for all Boyd Vegas properties, that fine-print tier restriction for Ruby players is also included in the details for the Young at Heart promo.

Speaking of that YAH senior program, there are new benefits that began May 1.  Check the new and changed details for the 3 downtown properties here.   For the other 6 properties, go here.

One note for those looking online for information about Boyd properties.  Here is one link that might be helpful.   However, you need to check each property website, and not depend just on the one for your home base where you go to check your individual account.  For example, I thought the royal bonus that runs every day, mentioned in my Gold Coast mailer and on the Gold Coast website where I check our accounts, was only offered at the Gold Coast.  But when I googled “Orleans casino promotions,” I found it was also going on at the Orleans.  I also found that googling each casino like I just described, adding the word “promotions,” seemed to take me to a better promotional page than just putting in the casino name and trying to search all over that website.

JUST MY OPINION

I’ve talked to a lot of Boyd property players since the company radically changed their players club last year to one that caters more to the “upscale” gambler – and received tons of e-mail expressing their dismay. Hordes of base-level Ruby players, many who have been loyal Boyd visitors for many years, are feeling betrayed and many are moving their business to other casinos.  I am still in amazement that casino executives would set up a system that gave nothing to a large segment of their customer base.  (I know of no casino that has that type of tier system.)   And at the same time Boyd has dropped benefits for the lowest tier, they have alienated many of those in the higher tiers by making benefits many times harder to earn.

They trumpeted the new luxury benefits of the newly-add higher tiers, those that the majority of their player base did not even want.  Those few gamblers that played enough to reach those lofty tiers could have – perhaps would have – come to the conclusion that they could go to the Vegas Strip casinos and for that same amount of play could score much better luxury benefits that most mid-level Boyd properties could  provide.

I found this recent Forbes article that interviewed 87-year-old Bill Boyd, the company’s cofounder and executive chairman, who talked about how his casinos were different than those fancy resorts on the Strip.  After his company’s entrance into more luxurious plans – the Borgato and the Echelon – and their failure – this article summed it up by saying “Boyd returned to what had made his company successful in the first place: cheap casinos serving low-stakes gamblers.”

I wonder, “Did the casino executives that thought up that new players club that I have never heard a Boyd player say a good word about – did they talk to Bill Boyd about it and he thought that was a good idea?”

 

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Casino Policy, Casino Promotions, Slot Clubs | 17 Comments