CZR Reward Credit Program – Part 5

Posted on August 8, 2021 by queen of comps

In my last post, I talked about the Tier credit part of the CZR players club program. Now for the second part, the Reward credit part. If you’re confused about all this, you’re not alone. In fact, if you go to the CZR website and check the “Overview” page , you’ll see the complexity of the system, with 15 footnotes and a whopping 33 internal links for more information.

After reviewing all that material, I feel a little foolish trying to write about this, but I guess I’ve had enough practice over 20 years of trying to explain complicated casino information that might help a player lose less money. So here goes.

When you play a game in a CZR casino, you routinely earn Tier credits and Reward credits at the same time and at the same rate, but in separate “banks,” so to speak. But there are some instances where you can earn at a different rate.

Example: If a casino is running a short-term Tier-credit bonus promotion, you earn only the normal number of Reward credits, but a larger number of Tier credits. That daily Tier-bonus promotion, which I’ve often recommended, will up the balance in your Tier bank, but you get only Reward credits for your base play, not the bonus. (Another wrinkle to watch here: Only game play credits are counted for the bonus, not non-gaming reward credits earned.)

More often, there are instances where the reverse is true. If you’re doing a Reward-credit promotion (like 3x points, which means 3x Reward credits), you’ll earn only the normal number of Tier credits, not 3 times as many.

Both categories earn credits at the same time and usually at the same rate when you spend money in a casino on non-gaming expenses, like dining, shopping, and amenity experiences (although what is offered in these categories differs from casino to casino).

One recent benefit upgrade (one of the few these days, I’m sorry to say) is that you now earn 5 Tier credits for every $1 spent on hotel rooms and resort fees. It used to be only one Tier credit for every dollar spent, and it’s still that 1-for-1 for earning Reward credits for most non-gaming, including spending with CZR partners, like the Visa credit card.

Now for redeeming credits. You never “redeem” your Tier-credit balance. The credits you earn in one year put you in a specific tier, higher ones as your Tier-credit balance goes up. You qualify for more benefits as you proceed higher. I talked about these in my last blog. You can’t “save up” tier credits; you must re-qualify every year.

On the other hand, Reward credits can be redeemed – and in many different places and for many different benefits. See the list here at the bottom of the page. Again there are the usual exclusions, exceptions, and limitations, so be sure to click on the “Learn More” links for each benefit. You can “cash in” your Reward credits, but only for free play, at the rate of $1 for 200 credits. You must do this in person at a Caesars Rewards Center.

However, many players prefer to use them for dining, hotel, shopping, entertainment, or amenity comps. You need to compare the redemption choices carefully, because some of the comp-item prices are much higher than the usual outside retail price, and/or the credit-to-comp ratio is much higher than the free-play option. It’s often a personal choice, with more to do with psychological reasons rather than purely math ones. I hear a lot, “I always choose shopping, because I want something to show for my efforts; I always lose my free play by the time I leave the casino.”

And just in case you think the CZR benefit program isn’t complex enough already, you can earn Great Gift Wrap Up (GGWU) points that accumulate in a third separate “bank.” I don’t have the energy to explain the details of what CZR calls a holiday shopping event or “promotion.” I think of a promotion as something that goes on for a limited amount of time: a few days or even monthly. But this goes on all year long and seems just like another benefit program, with details almost as complicated as in the Tier and Reward credit programs. If you’re new to this benefit, you need to read all about it here. Basic details have you earning one GGWU point for every one gaming Reward credit you earn (not for tier credits and not for reward credits you earned for non-gaming spending, like dining).

For those of you who have participated in this program in past years, a few details may have changed. It used to be, when we used this benefit a few years back, that this program was only available in casinos in Las Vegas and some other NV locations. Limited participation casinos is still the case for tier levels of Diamond Plus and below. You can check the above link for a list of those specific casinos. Once you’re Diamond Elite or Seven Stars, you can earn these points at any CZR casino. Another change – thanks to the pandemic – is you can redeem the points online instead of having to be at Caesars Palace during specific dates to shop in person. That link above gives specific dates for both online and in-person redemption.

Note: The above website is a mess. Not only is it impossibly complex, they have 64 (!) “program rules.” But when they changed the program, they forgot to update some of those rules that were impacted. (Sigh!) I did phone them, but they refused my kind offer to edit and clarify those rules. However, they did verify those details I wrote about above, so ignore anything on the website that differs from my information.

This is the end of my current series about CZR properties, although I’m happy to answer your questions about playing in one of those casinos. However, I still need to talk about marketing benefits, such as free play, dining and hotel comps, and other goodies that come in your mailers. But I want to give information that you can use to help increase those benefits, not just at CZR properties, but at any casino. Stay tuned.

Posted in Caesars, Casino Player Benefits, Casino Promotions, Comps, Non-gambling Activities, Non-gambling Promo, Online, Slot Clubs, Web Sites | 3 Comments

CZR Tier Credit Program – Part 4

Posted on July 30, 2021 by queen of comps

I’m still getting so many comments and questions about playing at a CZR property. However, I have a problem. So many of them are coming from video poker advantage players. Although I want to help that category of gamblers as much as I can, conditions for them at CZR casinos – in fact, at any casino – are getting more and more difficult by the day. The biggest category of my readers, and that includes many former advantage players, seems to be recreational players looking to play as smart as they can so they can make their bankroll and their casino entertainment time last longer. And to be truthful, I’m getting very close to that gray area between advantage and recreation.

Reduced casino benefits for all players is not a new problem I just decided I need to write about it, and it isn’t just the pandemic to blame, although that has speeded up the down-the-hill plunge. I did some searching in my past blogs and was surprised how far back I had to go to find a serious detailed discussion of this subject. In March 2015, I started a series called “When Casinos Cut VP Benefits” and continued it off and on through April of that year, with 3 more posts discussing how all kinds of players were coping with the downgrading of the casino environment.

Actually, today, new players probably are faring better emotionally than we old-timers are. We’re shackled by the memories of how good it used to be. But player moaning and groaning don’t change things in the casino world. Some players are leaving casino play completely, but for many it’s still a favorite recreational choice. So my goal here is to help you with the little details that can help you lose less and thus stretch your casino fun time. The key word there is “little.” People want 25-words-or-less magic bullets. Never was such a thing in smart gambling!

In my last post, I promised to talk about free play – and I will in the near future. However, I need to discuss it in general terms, about casinos everywhere, and not just specifically CZR properties. But now I need to help you understand how to navigate the CZR tier system.

First, I don’t want to scold any of you, but I’m getting questions that indicate that some of you don’t want to bother with learning even the basics of the CZR players club. Pleeeeeese go back to the links I gave you at the beginning of this series. Study the difference between Reward credits and Tier credits. Don’t ask me what it takes to earn one Reward credit or one Tier Credit. It’s right there on the Earn and Redeem website. It’s like any game: You need to know the rules before you can play it well.

In this post, I discuss the Tier half of the CZR benefit system, saving the other half, the Reward credits, for the next. I want to give you tips on how to apply some of the information given on the company websites. The more details you know and how to take advantage of them, the longer your bankroll can provide casino fun. I guarantee that!

First, study the benefits of the different tier levels; they’re listed right there on the website. Then decide what they’d be worth to you. Don’t go for a higher tier if you think you don’t want or wouldn’t use most of the benefits. And even if you’d like the benefits, be sure you don’t overplay your bankroll and lose more than they’re worth.

Slot players do earn tier credits faster than VP players. Just look at their much lower coin-in requirements – one-half as much as that for VP. Why the difference? Overall, casinos know that slot players will lose more money on the machines than will VP players, so they give them a quicker ride to the higher tiers and more benefits. However, the big problem VP players face so often is (a) all the VP games at their level of play have extremely low EV paytables or (b) the casino has put a little sign on the better-paying machines, increasing their coin-in requirements for earning credits, sometimes as much as 5 times the regular VP rate. You can see why some VP players feel they might as well play the slots, rather than crappy VP, so they’ll get to higher tiers and better benefits faster. (In my next post about Reward credits and free play, I’ll talk about this same slots-vs.-VP issue.)

However, whatever you play, you can boost your tier score faster by timing your daily play to take advantage of their Tier Credit Bonus promotion. Those details are explained in the same link I’ve given above.

Here’s an example: You want to do a 4-day trip to a CZR property, your first visit. Your gambling bankroll will support your earning 5,000 tier credits, whatever you decide to play – slots or video poker or a combination. Maybe your schedule would look like this:

Day 1 – Arriving late so you don’t play long, getting just over 500 tier credits. You’ll earn a bonus of 125 credits.

Day 2 – You put in some major playing time and get about 1,700 tier credits. You earn a 1,000-credit bonus.

Day 3 – You’re really ready to play a long time and you earn 2,600 credits. Hurrah! You get a max % bonus of 5,000.

Day 4 – You’re leaving in the afternoon, so you pack up in the morning and have time to earn only 200 credits before you go out the door. So you get no bonus credits that day, because the minimum number that qualify for a daily bonus is 500.

But you’re happy. Your bankroll lasted, albeit just barely. Adding up all your earned tier credits and the bonus ones, you have a total of just over 11,000, well over the 5,000 needed to reach the Platinum tier. That’s good progress!

But now, let’s see how this player could have earned the next level up, perhaps winning or losing the same amount but playing no more hours and risking no more of his bankroll.

Day 1 – He was tired after a long drive and decides not to play and instead to have a relaxing drink and leisurely dinner with his spouse that evening and an early bedtime.

Day 2 – Awake early and feeling rested, he plays two long sessions, getting just over 2,500 tier credits with that good % bonus of 5,000.

Day 3 – He does the same as he did on Day 2, again earning 2,500 tier credits with that good % bonus of 5,000.

Day 4 – He wakes up and packs, realizing that he now has, adding the earned credits and the bonus ones, a total of 15,000+. Double hurrah! He’s reached another level – to Diamond – and he didn’t have to play a minute more than his original schedule. He just had to organize his play!

Being organized is one of key factors that made Brad and me such successful gamblers over the years and it would help anyone, no matter their level of play, be able to achieve whatever tier goal they’re shooting for with the least bankroll risk.

You also need to watch for other ways to boost your tier credit balance. Sometimes a casino will run a promotion during which there is a tier-credit multiplier for play during that time. You also get credit for other gaming besides slots and video poker, including table games, live keno, bingo, and sports and race betting. And there are multiple ways you can earn tier credits when you’re in a casino without any play at all. You get credits for your spend at dining and entertainment venues; for paying hotel expenses, including resort fees; and for what you spend for leisure experiences like shopping, spa treatments and golf.

Again, I point you to the same website to get details, because not every CZR casino has the same amenities and there are sometimes limitations at certain outlets. Use the “Learn More” links for specific details and exceptions. Be sure to read all the fine print. CZR is known for lengthy footnotes in all of their verbiage.

In my next post, I’ll discuss the other half of the CZR benefits program, Reward Credits. In the meantime, here’s another link you might want to check to review the difference between Reward credits and Tier credits and the details of both programs, how they are are similar and how they are completely different. It’s complicated and you might need to go over all the information more than once. Stay tuned for more hints!

 

Posted in Advantage Play, Bankroll, Caesars, Casino Player Benefits, Casino Promotions, Cherokee Casino, Comps, Slot Clubs, Slots, Video Poker | 6 Comments

A Triple Purpose Casino Visit – Part 3

Posted on July 23, 2021 by queen of comps

Having talked at length in previous blogs about the Family and Friends element and the Gambling aspect of our last trip to Harrah’s Cherokee Casino, now it’s time to tackle the Research purpose. Obviously, since the Cherokee Casino is a CZR property, most of the information I gleaned is CZR-specific. However, down through the years I have found that what I learned from one casino experience often transferred to understanding situations in other casinos.

I’m not going to cover the basics of the CZR player benefit programs here. In my June 11th blog, I gave you several links to check if you needed help with those. But many issues arise that are much harder to find details on, especially for new gambling students or even experienced players who want to expand their casino choices. Some of you have asked for more detailed explanations about subjects that I have briefly mentioned in past casino reports here.

One of these is the question about what is a casino “day.” You often need this information when you are trying to reach certain daily point goals.  Casinos often do not run on a midnight-to-midnight timetable. Actually, I need to point you back to a 2013 blog I wrote about this subject. My explanation there is still valid, but some of the examples are out-of-date. In fact, if you read the comments on that blog, you’ll see there were even some immediate updates needed. That is a problem I always face when writing about casinos: Their policies, rules, and procedures can change before the ink dries on my words. (I’m still so old-school. In this digital age, I need a new metaphor for that idea! 😊) One reader commented that some of that original CZR casino info in that old blog is still usable, but obviously the list is very incomplete, especially since the merger with Eldorado, and it is always wise to double-check for changes and updates at any casino.

Another subject that generates frequent questions is about the CZR tier system, including whether I think it pays to try for the higher tiers. For many years Brad and I were both at the Seven Stars level and we enjoyed the many benefits it provided: free cruises; the $500 Celebration dinners; the annual retreats to CZR properties all over the country, including up to $1,200 in airfare to get there; special parties, tournaments, and other events; and Brad’s favorite, VIP exclusive – thus shorter – waiting lines for check-in, restaurants, etc. He hates standing in long lines.

Now that we are no longer frequent visitors to casinos as we were when we lived in Las Vegas, we are looking at the tier system from a different perspective, one that is probably shared by many of the readers here. To get to that highest tier, we would need to put in many days of play even if we stayed at the $5 level, and we aren’t healthy or energetic enough to do that. Furthermore, we can no longer take advantage of most of the benefits of Seven Stars. We’ve been on 17 cruises and they no longer interest us. We are not able to travel far or frequently to take advantage of many of the special perks all over the country.

I have decided perhaps getting to Diamond Elite (75000+ tier credits) might be the better option for us. As I talked about in earlier blogs, I thought we could do that in two three-day visits to Cherokee, but found that was too much like a job. Fortunately, I have a supportive family who love the mountains, and Angela just made reservations for the four of us to go back for a watch-the-leaves-turn-color October visit (14-16). That will allow us to leisurely get the 20,000 tier credits I need to become “elite.”

Actually, I have been able to gather a lot of data on the Diamond Elite tier level over the last two years. Brad got to that level back in early 2019 with heavy play at Harrah’s Tahoe, and he is still there and will be until the end of January ’22, thanks to pandemic extensions. Now, perhaps, this is a short-term effort to ramp up customer play quickly after the casinos re-opened, but he has been getting super offers although he hasn’t played any these last two years. Some of the offers have been specifically for Tahoe, his “home” casino, but many have come through the CZR air programs.

Many of you may not know about theses air programs, especially if you live in Las Vegas where they do not operate. I learned of them years ago, because I had friends in Lubbock, TX, who often came to Harrah’s Laughlin on charter flights. When we drove down there from Vegas, we met people from all over the country, pouring in by the planeloads. Now, stuck in GA, we are becoming well acquainted with this air charter program.

Some leave from a large city, like Atlanta, but some come and go from smaller airports, like Macon, GA. We have received offers to fly to Atlantic City and Tunica. All included 4-night comped rooms and air for two people. We have had an invitation to fly to Laughlin, leaving from Birmingham, that also included free play. I don’t know the play requirements to first get and then keep eligibility for these completely comped packages. Brad’s offers, at Diamond Elite, were always free, but I have started getting them, fully comped, at the lower Diamond Plus level. It seems that I remember someone saying once that lower-level players sometimes can get the package at quite reasonable prices if there are extra seats left. But that information might be outdated.

No baggage or resort fees, straight-thru flights, transportation provided straight from plane to casino – great travel benefits, especially for seniors. We haven’t been in a position to use any of these air offers yet, but they are an option for us in the future. And that is one reason why I am planning to reach the Diamond Elite level, which also has a basic benefit of a $600 airfare credit to Las Vegas.

Go to the Caesar Air webpage and get all the details, finding out all the airports in the U.S. this program uses (search by your state) and which CZR properties are included. If you find one or more in your area, you could also check with a host about these charter trips and the eligibility requirements.

This discussion of tier benefits brings us to the questions about an important benefit we all love – free play. And that is not a tier benefit. You can reach that lofty Seven Stars level and get into all the shorter VIP lines you want to. But if you don’t keep playing after you reach that level, don’t expect your free play to stay the same as it was during your heavy-play period. Free play is based on your ongoing play, not your tier level. Quit playing and your free play will go into free fall. You can still get all the brochure benefits you earned – the free cruise, the retreat, perhaps even comped rooms for a limited time. But if you stay and don’t play, your account may be quickly red-flagged and comped room benefits will disappear. And don’t assume you can try to play up fast again at the end of the year to get to Seven Stars the next year. That is a “By Invitation Only” level and soaking up benefits for a year without continued play will often see that level invitation not extended in the future.

I need to discuss free play more at length – how to get more, how to keep it from falling, and when you can’t do anything about either. Tune in next time.

 

Posted in Caesars, Casino Player Benefits, Casino Promotions, Cherokee Casino, Comps, Harrahs Lake Tahoe, Laughlin, Non-Vegas Casinos, Travel, Web Sites | 5 Comments

A Triple Purpose Casino Visit – Part 2

Posted on July 11, 2021 by queen of comps

This week I’m continuing, as promised, my report about our recent Harrah’s Cherokee casino visit. Maybe I left you guessing whether I’d change my earlier plan after a too-tiring first late-night session.

A note here:  Perhaps the following, which contains a lot of personal details, will be considered TMI or not useful information for most gamblers.  I know that not all of my posts appeal to every kind of casino player.  However, by the questions and comments I receive, many readers here, especially those in the “frugal family” who have followed Brad’s and my pathway for years, are still interested in our life, even if we aren’t in casinos as often as in the past. And earlier I did write that I wanted to show that I practice what I preach!

I am happy to report that I woke up on Day 2, remembering my promise to myself that I was going to stop “pushing” so much.  After a snuggle with Brad and a short discussion about my promise to relax more, his response was short and to the point, “It’s about time!”

Then we had our usual “hotel morning” in bed, Brad enjoying a break from our healthy oatmeal breakfast at home with a bowl of Fruit Loops and milk and I with my usual banana-and-walnut thing, while watching Headline News as we have done in the morning for years – and still do – whether at home or on the road. Then Brad went back to sleep for his usual long morning nap while I got up to get dressed, ready to go alone to the casino for my next session.

Much to my delight, Brad woke up early from his nap with an enthusiasm I hadn’t seen for a long time, “Are we getting ready to go to the casino?” And there was no dilly-dallying in his getting dressed. His continued eagerness was obvious when we went down to the casino and reached our favorite VP machine area. Usually these days, he tells me to play and he watches, but this time he was ready to do the playing. I was amazed. He was playing fast and quite accurately, quickly seeing those “hiding” inside straights and straight flush draws with no pause to look for them. That “second sense” I’ve talked about in the past that comes from long-time experience is evidence of one of the facts of dementia: One’s long-term memory is usually so much stronger than the problematic short-term one. I knew this burst of mental acuity wouldn’t last, but I’m so appreciative of what I call these precious The Notebook-style interludes.

After about an hour of play, his energy level and mental concentration were fading and I could see he needed a long afternoon nap. I knew this was a wise move, since Angela and Steve were coming to get us this evening for a cookout at their campsite and he needed to regain his strength for that.

I looked at the four hours of play that I’d planned for Day 2 and immediately knew I should cut it, probably down to about two hours. We’d already put in about an hour and I could do another hour while Brad was napping. I even might have time for a little nap myself. And we could spend a relaxing evening in the warm fresh mountain air with our family. No, I didn’t want to cut short that beautiful plan, rushing back to the hotel to settle Brad in bed so I could have another tiring late night two-hour session that my original plan had called for.

So remembering the value of being flexible, I now made a new gambling plan for Day 2:  Play about two hours and earn 2,500 tier credits, still getting the max % bonus of 5,000 credits.

When Day 3 came, I was pleased that Brad wanted to join me for short periods in the casino, so I was remained flexible about my goals. With the slower play, we ended up with only about 1,000 tier credits that day. However, that still earned us a 1,000-credit bonus.  Settling for a reduced % tier bonus was well worth the financial downgrade in order to enjoy the super bonus of having a wonderful casino day with Brad just like in the olden days! We did lose this trip, about the amount the math said we might without any big jackpots, but the happiness I felt certainly balanced my books!

At the beginning of this series, I said that I had three purposes for this Cherokee trip. I’ve covered the Family and Friends aspect and the Gambling element. In my next post, I’ll talk about the Research part, which hopefully will give you additional information if you already play at CZR properties or some introductory help, if you’re deciding whether to add it to your casino choices. And if some of you sharpies noticed that the new revised plan did keep me from fulfilling one of my earlier goals, reaching the Diamond Elite tier level, well … stay tuned.  I’ll talk about when tier level is important and when other factors may trump it.

Posted in Advantage Play, Brad Stories, Caesars, Cherokee Casino, Health, Non-gambling Activities, Travel, Video Poker | 8 Comments

A Triple Purpose Casino Visit – Part 1

Posted on July 4, 2021 by queen of comps

Down through the 30+ years I’ve been a gaming writer, I have always stressed the importance of a balanced life. Never let casinos and gambling interfere with relationships with friends and family or your physical and mental well-being. Don’t ever let them put you on the path to financial ruin.

In almost everything I’ve ever written, my goal has been to give you information to help you avoid these risks. And this report about a recent Cherokee casino trip will give you an example of how I personally put into practice what I write about.

The Friends and Family Factor

In my last blog, I explained how my daughter Angela and son-in-law Steve were driving Brad and me the 5-6 hours to our Smokey Mountains destination in their big truck pulling their camper. Angela drove and I rode shotgun, enjoying the opportunity for long conversations. Steve and Brad were in charge of the two dogs in the back seat, keeping them happy with long naps on their laps. We stopped several times for gas, eating, and bathroom and leg-stretch breaks for dogs and humans! Once in Cherokee, the first stop was to offload Brad and me and our luggage at Harrah’s.  Then Ang and Steve went 3 miles down the road to their campsite at the Happy Holiday Park.

For the next 3 days, Brad and I divided our time between indoor casino play and outdoor activities when Angela and Steve picked us up and took us back to their campsite. We enjoyed a wonderful grilled steak and corn-on-the-cob dinner, with baked potatoes perfect from the air fryer, and then a juicy watermelon finish. We loved sitting by the lake, watching the ducks, and in the evening listening to good band music from the nearby gazebo stage. This was such a welcome break from the indoor air of the casino, although it was healthier than in most casinos as it is still completely non-smoking. There are steps being taking legislatively to extend this pandemic rule permanently and that would be a wonderfully healthy decision.

Adding to the family-and-friends part of this trip, we were pleased to meet new-to-us frugalites, a couple that had been following my frugal writings for many years. They were aware from reading my blog that we were going to be at Cherokee, but with such a huge casino floor, they didn’t think they’d see us. While they were playing in an area with popular video poker games, Brad and I arrived and unknowingly sat right next to them! The next thing we knew, we were hearing a common comment, “You’re Jean and Brad Scott, aren’t you?”

Many people have said they didn’t make themselves known to us because they didn’t want to bother us while we were playing. It has never been a bother to either of us. We love to make new friends, especially those who share our love of casino life. And that’s why we have made hundreds of friends over the last 37 years we’ve spent in casinos. We miss seeing so many of you in person like we did when we were playing regularly in Vegas casinos, but I still keep in communication with so many of you, since you’re friends on my Jean Scott Facebook page. This has been such wonderful support especially for me during this time of Brad’s failing health.

The Casino and Gambling Factor

A few people stay in a hotel-casino and never spend any time in the casino. Perhaps they came for business in the area or for a convention. Or they were attending a wedding or family reunion. However, most people hit the casino at least some of the time, whatever other activities are planned. And for many, gambling in the casino is a major goal and interest, the description of our Cherokee visit.

As usual, whenever I’m going to a casino, whether for the day or on a longer trip, I always have a plan in mind. On this 2½-day visit, I knew it would be wise to space out play as much as possible to maximize the tier credit bonus for each day.

Day 1, arrive in evening: Earn 2500 tier credits, which would give me 5000 bonus credits, with a total of 7500 tier credits.   About 2 hours of play.

Day 2:  Earn 5000 tier points, which would give me 10,000 bonus credits, with a total of 15,000. About 4 hours of play, done in several one- or two-hour sessions.

Day 3:  Same as day 2.

This 37,000 total would allow me to go from the Diamond Plus tier level (25,000+), which I had more than surpassed on our last trip in March, and achieve my goal of reaching the Diamond Elite tier level (75,000+).

This seemed like a very workable plan. Brad sleeps a lot in the daytime and I could go to the casino during his naps.

The first evening, I did make the 2500 tier credits as planned, but just barely by midnight.  (Wasn’t sure whether that was the end of the “casino day” for tier-credit calculation.)  The truck/camper trip from Columbus, GA, took a bit longer than we’d experienced in our usual car trips. Plus we were slowed down even more for multiple delays from wrecks and detours.

I’ve never liked playing at night when I’m tired, even back in my younger days. But this two-hour session after a long day on the road was now the definition of “total exhaustion.”  And at the midnight witching hour, while dragging myself along the long long walk from the casino to the hotel room, I promised myself that I’d never push myself this hard again, no matter what my original plans were. Brad, who’d been peacefully sleeping all evening, woke up when I came back to the room. I told him the promise I had made to myself: “This was not fun gambling. Tonight it was a hard ‘job’!”

And after sleeping in on Day 2, I reevaluated my plan for the rest of the visit.

Tune in to my next post where I’ll describe how being flexible can be so relaxing, a review of a lesson that I too often forget. And yes, I will give you the results of our VP play.

Posted in Advantage Play, Caesars, Cherokee Casino, Family News, Health, Non-gambling Activities, Non-Vegas Casinos, Slot Clubs, Travel, Video Poker | 3 Comments

Back to the Mountains and Video Poker

Posted on June 19, 2021 by queen of comps

Last week I gave you website links to help you learn the basics of the Caesars players club program, but I told you this was just the beginning step in determining whether a CZR casino might be a good choice for you. I am going to write about that in detail, but in a future post, since I’m still doing some more research to be sure I have the most current information.

In fact, I’ll be doing some of that research first hand! My dear daughter and son-in-law are very aware of the stress that caregivers can experience and are committed to helping me cope. So what can they do to give me a break? You guessed it – take me to a favorite casino that has good VP games!

The four of us will be going back to Harrah’s Cherokee on June 24th for 3 nights. Brad and I will be staying in a comped room, thanks to my play on the last trip there. In times past when Brad and I both played, we could get two comped rooms, but that’s no longer possible — unless I play more often and at a much higher level. But this is not a problem, since Angela and Steve have a camper to pull behind their big truck and they (and their two dogs) love the out-of-doors. They’ll stay at a campground just 3 miles from the casino, on a lake and a trout stream where Steve can enjoy fishing. And granddaughter Kaitlynn will probably join them part of the time and she always organizes long family hikes.

Of course, they’ll all join us at the hotel for some meals and casino play, plus staying with Brad when he tires of the casino. And he and I will probably join them at the campground for a cookout in the fresh mountain air.

On this second trip to a CZR casino this year, I plan to play enough each day to maximize my tier-credit bonuses and therefore reach my goal of Diamond Elite. I’ll talk more about this in a later report, but I think that this will put me at a much higher free-play level and I’ll see even more offers than I’ve been getting at Diamond Plus. I’ll let you know.

For now, I do want to mention one CZR item that seems to be a problem since the pandemic hit and many players can’t get to casinos as often as they used to: How do you keep your benefits from expiring?

I did address this issue in a recent QOD. (I hope you’ve found that section here on the website and check it regularly. It is a constant fountain of gambling knowledge!) In my answer there, I warned about players club benefits in any casino, not just at CZR properties, and the danger of hoarding them. Life and casinos have a way of unexpectedly changing your plans.

But for CZR, you’ll find information on the website I mentioned in my last post, specifically in the “Partners” section, which will give you ideas about how to keep your points from expiring without visiting one of their casinos. Then check the long summary list here for exact details; earning just one credit will keep your reward credit balance safe from expiration for another 6-month period.

Now remember, the above is for reward credits, not tier credits. CZR spells it out plainly on their website:

TIP: Your Tier Credits always reset to 0 on January 1 since Tier Status must be earned each year to maintain your status for the following year. 

However, in that QOD I mentioned earlier, I did give some ideas how you might recover the value of some lost tier benefits. And you will be happy to read this on their website:

NOTICE: Due to COVID-19, we extended 2020 Tier Status and unused 2020 benefits through January 31, 2022. More details can be found in the Caesars Rewards FAQs.

Now for some news I wanted to share with you about another casino, the Wynn/Encore in Las Vegas. I’m always happy to learn of new players club benefits and this tier-match one may be popular with many of the readers here. Go to their website where you will find a list of casinos that Wynn will match their higher-tier players cards with theirs. (Not all casinos are eligible for this match.)  This benefit is good until the end of August.

Also, here’s a link to an interesting article by one of my favorite gaming writers, Frank Legato. It gives you a glimpse into the future and how the way casinos are rapidly and drastically changing their systems for rewarding their players. It’s making old-timers’ heads spin! But I’ll continue to soldier on and try to stay on top of things.

Maybe I’ll see some of you in Cherokee next weekend? Email me at [email protected] if you want to set up a meeting time.

 

Posted in Advantage Play, Caesars, Cherokee Casino, Family News, Gambling Resources, Good Reads, Non-gambling Activities, Non-Vegas Casinos, Online, Slot Clubs, Web Sites, Wynn | 2 Comments

Choosing to Play at a CZR Property

Posted on June 11, 2021 by queen of comps

My recent 6-part blog series about a visit to Harrah’s Cherokee Casino generated many questions, not just about this property but general CZR play all over the country. In this post, I’ll try to describe and explain the many factors that need to be considered before a player chooses this large casino company.

It depends on what game you want to play – slots, video poker, or tables. It depends on your bankroll size and whether you’re a low or high roller. It also depends on your primary goal, i.e, whether you’re a purely recreational gambler, a strict advantage player, or somewhere in between those two. Finally, it depends on whether you’re looking for mostly local opportunities or you’re able to travel to other parts of the country.

One caveat here: Casino conditions are changing so quickly these days that it’s difficult to keep up. I’ve visited only one CZR casino, Cherokee, since the pandemic started. I do read extensively to stay abreast of what’s happening in casinos all over the country, especially from players reporting on their current personal experiences. This helps me to be aware of conditions and factors that impact all types of players at all levels.

I don’t want to spend a lot of time here giving you the basics of the Caesars Rewards players club, but I will point you to the place where you can find the nuts and bolts you need to build your understanding of this very complex program. Once you’re at this website, click on the “Benefits” and “Earn and Redeem” tabs, which will give you a wealth of details.

One of the most important is the clear explanation about the difference between reward credits and tier status credits, a concept that can be hard to understand at first. You’ll also learn the many ways to earn reward credits and to redeem them. It pays to read all this carefully, even if you’re already a CZR player. I must confess that although we’d played at CZR properties for many years, I needed to review this detailed discussion, which reminded me of some of the benefits I’d forgotten. It was my main go-to resource when, after being out of action for some time, I needed to review things like tier categories and bonus options, checking that they hadn’t changed after the merger with Eldorado.

Speaking about this merger, if you were a former Eldorado casino player, you may have many questions about how to transition your players club account to Caesars Rewards, which became the one players club program for all the casinos in the new company.  You will need to check the “FAQ” tab at that same link I gave above for instructions how to do this.

Then, staying on that same main homepage, you’ll certainly want to check out “Promotions.”  If you’ve read most anything I’ve ever written, you know I live and die for these. I think I can say with assurance that Brad and I have made more money and enjoyed more benefits by taking advantage of promotions than by actually playing the base games. Ignoring them is like driving to and from a casino and throwing hundred-dollar bills out the window both ways!

The last tab I want to recommend on that homepage is “Partners.” That’s really connected to or often could be considered a promotion, something of value you can add to whatever game you like to play.

In my next post, I’ll give some examples of and personal experiences about how we used the material from the resources I just described to become more successful gamblers.  Hopefully, it will show you how to put general website information into action, not only in CZR casinos, but in any casino. I’ll also explain how a casino website isn’t the end-all.  There are certainly many additional ways to educate yourself. But it is the place to start, especially if you’re considering a new casino. Never go into a casino blind; it’s full of stumbling blocks for the unknowledgeable.

And something for even long-time CZR players, I want to give you another resource that can help you after you’re familiar with the basics, one I found to be a continuing well of information that I visited often while we were playing at CZR properties. It is the Seven Star Insider. Don’t be misled by the name and think it’s just for the higher tier-level players at CZR. Although it does discuss the benefits for them, there are monthly updates that keep players at all levels informed of important news from CZR casinos all over the country. And it’s a valuable resource for players of all games, especially slots and video poker.

Posted in Advantage Play, Caesars, Casino Promotions, Cherokee Casino, Gambling Resources, Non-Vegas Casinos, Slot Clubs, Slots, Video Poker, Web Sites | 6 Comments

Cherokee Report – Part 6 – Q+A

Posted on May 28, 2021 by queen of comps

A few more questions have come in from my Harrah’s Cherokee Casino trip report. A couple pertained to the other Cherokee casino in North Carolina.

Q: Did you ever consider switching your play to the Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River Casino in Murphy, North Carolina?

Q: Have you tried the other Cherokee casino, in Murphy, NC? I have had little to no real wins at the casino in Cherokee, NC, since they started the massive ongoing building project.

A: I would have liked to switch our play to Valley River, since it’s about an hour closer to our home in Columbus, GA. However, with research on vpFREE2 and questions on the vpFREE forum, it seems that no video poker games there have an EV (expected theoretical value) as high as the 99.7% I could find in Cherokee, and most of the lower denominations have the same low-EV paytables in both casinos.

I don’t know if the player who asked the second question was playing VP or slots. You can find out the theoretical return of any VP machine and compare them at both properties by checking the paytables. You can’t do that by studying the slot machines. However, I doubt that the losing streak was due to the building projects, since the same tribe owns both casinos and slot returns at both are probably similar. Losing streaks will come to all players – it’s just the universal volatility of gambling!

Q: After not playing for a while, was it easy to remember NSUD strategy or were you a little rusty?

A: I wasn’t a little rusty. I was extremely rusty! And this really surprised me. For the last couple of years that I lived and played in Las Vegas, NSUD was my main game choice. I used to say that I’d played it so much and for so long, I could probably play it in my sleep. In fact, I had even played it in some of my dreams! 😊

But I did know I should brush up a bit before I left for Cherokee, so I pulled up the software to practice. I started playing at my usual fairly fast speed and was astonished to see error messages come up – not once in awhile, but frequently. I carefully analyzed every error and found out that it wasn’t because I’d forgotten the strategy, but was the result of not immediately seeing the correct play as I scanned the hand on the screen.

In that last year and a half of not playing, I’d lost an important skill that I really hadn’t been fully aware of in the past: the difference between looking and seeing. Oh, I sometimes said that when I was tired, my fingers refused to hit the draw button after I’d held a play and that alerted me to the fact that I needed to look again for a different, correct play. But I hadn’t realized that this “seeing” was like a second sense that was an unconscious inner guide the whole time I would be playing. I’d read some scientific writings about this phenomenon, but hadn’t really connected it to playing video poker.

This internal guide was something that developed by doing the same thing over and over until it became almost automatic. Although I really didn’t consciously conceptualize this idea, I see now that I understood that it was not a perfect guide. It would become inoperable when I was tired or worried or upset. It didn’t work at all when my surroundings were chaotic and distracting.  So when these circumstances were present, I instinctively knew I should slow down and use extra care in choosing my holds.

This sudden illumination of the difference between just looking and actually seeing prodded me to undertake long practice sessions on my computer before we left for Cherokee. I deliberately played extra fast for a short time, then went back and checked what kind of errors I was making. That helped me “train” my inner regulator to look for those. But a few days’ practice wouldn’t get me back to that former power that had been building up for years during thousands of hours of play.  That’s why it took me longer than planned to get up to the higher-tier levels for which I was aiming. Nothing like playing a $5 machine and knowing the cost of errors to slow down your play, making you almost paranoidly careful!

——

This ends the very long Cherokee trip report. However, I always appreciate comments and questions related to past blogs. In fact, my next blog will discuss some of the questions I received about CRZ casinos, not just Cherokee, but generally about play in that whole huge kingdom: their tier system, the players club benefits, the differences between high-level and low-level play. Let me know if you want me to cover other often puzzling areas!

 

Posted in Advantage Play, Caesars, Cherokee Casino, Non-Vegas Casinos, Q+A, Slots, Video Poker | 3 Comments

Harrah’s Cherokee Trip Report – Part 5

Posted on May 14, 2021 by queen of comps

A big thank you for all who have used the comments section here or on my Jean Scott Facebook page, or written private e-mails, to express their appreciation for the detailed Cherokee trip report. I see a pent-up desire to hear more casino stories, while so many are impatiently waiting to get back to begin their own.

And yes, you’ve had many questions for me, all of which I’ll try to address!

One of the biggest issues that was brought up was the high denomination I was playing: $25-a-hand video poker. I realize that most readers here don’t have the bankroll or relish the risk for this kind of play. Because of that, when I first started writing this report, I considered giving just a general description of the trip with no math details. However, sometimes I’ve been accused of being just a sunshine girl, only talking about the winnings, jackpots, and positive adventures. In fact, I’m pretty much a tell-it-as-it-is person. And I’ve always tried to show the lows as well as the highs of gambling. No gambler, no matter how knowledgeable or skilled, wins all the time.

So I emphasized with details how you must check the math of your play, be aware of what the risk is, and be absolutely sure that your bankroll and risk tolerance was strong enough. And in spite of a nice last-minute jackpot, we did lose.  Those are lessons you must learn, even if you’re playing dollars or quarters. If you’re a dollar player, go back to the previous parts of this report and divide all the numbers by 5 for an idea of how much you’ll need and what can happen if you’re playing NSUDs at $5 a hand instead of $25.

Many of you wanted to know if you could do what we did at a lower denomination, specifically at this casino. In a word, “No.” I didn’t make a complete check, but it seems there are no video poker games at Cherokee at a lower denomination with as high an EV as the 99.7% we were playing. If you go to vpFree2, the next best game listed under $5 is a $2 game of what is called “Illinois Deuces” (1-2-3-4-4-9-15-25-200-800), with an EV of 98.91%. And the few quarter VP “fun” games I checked out in the All Star machines (Ultimate X, Spin Poker, multiline, etc.) had scary low-pay schedules. My advice would be to accept the fact that you’ll be doing recreational, rather than advantage, play if you want to play VP at your more comfortable lower-denomination level and that’s all right. You might want to cut down your time in the casino and enjoy more of the glorious outdoor activities.

This is a good place for me to temporarily stop talking about Cherokee and do a little venting. Recently, I’ve heard some podcasts and have read some gaming writing – in various blogs, gambling forum chats, and even in the comment section here – that actually made me mad. I just hate it when long-time skilled and professional gamblers put down other players. They question others about whether they’re playing with an advantage. They’re rude when newbies ask “stupid” questions. They mention their own “superior” methods to judge other’s “inferior” actions.

Have they forgotten the steep learning curve back when they didn’t “know it all”? And most of all, have they not learned that not everyone in a casino has the same goal? Those who plan to make money, much less make a living, are in an extremely tiny category. The majority of players are simply looking for fun; they’re recreational gamblers. It’s a good thing that most gaming writers are experienced gamblers and they have valuable information to share with us to help us gamble smarter. But no one wants to be insulted or ridiculed for a basic question or put down for their differing gambling goals and choices.

I’ve tried to remember this, though perhaps I’ve been guilty of some of these failings in the past. I’m a born teacher and sometimes that can be a bad thing. I want to help people so badly that sometimes I become pretty forceful. (Ask my younger sisters, my daughter, and my grandchildren about that! 😊)

Actually, before I started writing my last book, The Frugal Gambler Casino Guide, I re-read all my previous books and realized that they were too “narrow” for the current casino climate. I needed to help all gamblers, not just those wanting to be “gambling students.” So I got rid of the gambler pyramid, a ranking which seemed a bit too judgmental. Instead, I promoted a new goal that would include almost every casino visitor: losing less! This would be a worthy goal no matter what game or denomination you played.

And this Cherokee report gives an example of how I’ve put my new outlook into personal action. I still work hard to lose less, but I’m not ashamed to admit that the recreational part of this trip was just as important as the gambling part.

Stay tuned for more questions to be answered ahead.

 

Posted in Advantage Play, Cherokee Casino, Comments, Video Poker | 13 Comments

Harrah’s Cherokee Trip Report – Part 4

Posted on May 2, 2021 by queen of comps

Gambling is always like riding a rollercoaster. I can’t think of any gambling activity that is like a slow drive down a straight road through a park. The ups and downs are what make roller coasters such thrilling rides. And if you think about it, the volatility is a big factor that makes gambling thrilling.

You disagree? What if you went to a casino and could play a game that paid you $2 every hour no matter how you played or how any hand turned out? Never less than $2, but never more. No holding your breath when you draw to four to a royal. No suspense when the wheels spin and 2 symbols come up and you are praying for the 3rd matching winner. No heart-stopping anxiety when the dice are thrown and one is wobbling toward a 7-out number.

Now, not everyone wants to ride a roller coaster and not everyone should; the park usually displays cautioning signs that often impose strict age, height, weight, and health restrictions for riders.

All this leads me to the question about which so many of you have been wondering: How did my ride go in Cherokee? Here are the details, in round numbers.

I played VP about 10 hours over 3 days, with a goal of earning the max number of bonus tier credits each day. I figured I’d lose about an average of $1,000 an hour if I didn’t hit 4 deuces or a royal. At the end of 9 hours and 55 minutes, I was down about $8,500, with only about 35 more tier credits to reach the max bonus tier credits for that day. After that, I was ready to call it quits for the trip.

I wasn’t thrilled to be losing that much, but it was slightly less than expected and certainly a lot less than it could have been if I’d been further on the side of short-term bad luck. I’d drawn to two or three deuces off and on for those 9+ hours and been discouraged every time. So almost time to quit, I held one deuce, with little thought except that I was tired and would be glad when I reached my requisite tier credit goal and could go and join Brad in a comfy hotel bed. And that was exactly when the unexpected happened – the volatility thrill. The other 3 deuces made their appearance.

So now I would go home only $3,500 down instead of $8,500. Most VP players will understand why I felt like a winner!

I’ve already been questioned about what my bankroll was for this trip. I could look up the math and give you exact numbers – and perhaps some expert can put them in the comments. But I simply drew on my past math knowledge and experiences to arrive at ballpark figures for this trip.

Brad and I played a lot of NSUD over the years. Although I figured my average loss – probably, hopefully –  wouldn’t be over $10k, I knew one’s play results can stray far from the average. So I took $15k in cash. I’d also set up a credit line of $20k, but that was more to re-establish myself as a high-limit player, as I’d been in the past. I didn’t want to tap into that. However, the last 10-15 years, we’ve always had plenty of back-up bankroll money we can access. Except for the gifts we gave our families, all of our past gambling winnings are still sitting quietly, growing in various investments.

And here’s some advice for even very successful gamblers, many of whom have been learning this during the pandemic. Keep as big a nest egg as you can. One can live and play like the good times will last forever, but you can never predict how gambling conditions will change, sometimes slowly, while other times at warp speed. And you may be healthy now, but you never know when medical issues will take you down.

Brad and I never expected our life would change so quickly, but we ‘re so thankful we stayed frugal during those heady golden gambling years, never viewing a big jackpot as an opportunity to be extravagant. Retirement options are unbelievably pricey, but it’s fun to say that video poker is now footing our bill!

Keep sending me your questions. I will be answering more in my next blog.

Posted in Bankroll, Cherokee Casino, Video Poker | 4 Comments