East Cannery Promotion

Posted on October 1, 2008 by queen of comps

I was catching up on “Today’s News” on the LVA homepage and saw this September 24 item: “ECan Tops Market.  According to Majestic Research, which tracks "game usage" (i.e., number of bodies on the games) at Vegas casinos, Eastside Cannery is #1 in the locals market during the third quarter of 2008.” 

I was wondering when they took their survey. If it was on September 15, that was the first day of a 10-times-points promotion and I saw more skilled VP players than I had seen in one place since Tuscany had their 4-to-a-royal promotion several years ago. Some had driven in from Nevada border states and even flown in from points more distant. However, it is not just those players who live and die by their math calculations who are attracted to good promotions. There are hundreds of Vegas locals who may not be able to figure the math of a promotion but when they see 10x points, they will guess that it is good and make an effort to take advantage of it. 

So, if the newly opened East Cannery was wanting to plump up their database, this 10x promotion was a good idea that worked. However, it may have been more successful for the players than for the casino. What was to be a continuing promotion on Mondays and Wednesdays the rest of September was abruptly cancelled after that first Monday. So if the 3rd quarter survey was taken a couple of days later, the results would have been much different – you would have seen a much less crowded casino floor. 

A personal note here: Although this was a super promotion, with a strong EV (theoretical return), Brad and I lost about $4000 that day, even counting the $4000 we earned in bonus slot points. High EV does not guarantee short-term wins. However, after gambling with a good advantage percentage for 23 years, we have proved without a shadow of a doubt that it is the key to long-term profits.    

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Coupon Alert!

Posted on September 26, 2008 by queen of comps
The premiere edition of the "Coast Connection" appears in today's Review-Journal. This is a 20-page insert similar to the one Station has been offering the last few months. It contains property-specific coupons (including those valuable match plays!) and information about gaming promotions, food specials, and events for each of four Boyd casinos — Sam’s Town, Suncoast, The Orleans, and Gold Coast. A handy feature is the October Event Calendar for each casino that lets you see a lot of information with one quick glance.
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A Smiley Weekend

Posted on September 22, 2008 by queen of comps

Friday, Brad and I got lucky at the Palms. We scored a total of $48 on our six Megabucks free pulls (regular and check-cashing ones) – which is $48 more than we usually get. And when we cashed our checks, although Brad got a free Budweiser (that he can’t drink because of the meds he is on), for the third time in the last four months or so, I got $50 free play! Best results since I got the double-your-check swipe a couple of years ago when I cashed my Social Security check.

Yes, the government keeps encouraging us to use direct deposit. In fact, one government organization told Brad he MUST use direct deposit for one of his pensions (VA or civil service, I can’t remember which) unless it would “cause him financial difficulty.” So he signed and sent in the official request, checking off the “financial difficulty” square (but not explaining about casino check-cashing benefits) and they haven’t bothered him since.

Saturday brought another smile. A 30% coupon had come in the R-J insert from Savers, my all-time favorite thrift store (with branches in all parts of Vegas), and I spent a couple hours shopping, once again amazed at all the bargains you could find if you looked carefully.

Now, before you write any smartsy-fartsy comments, I have plenty of money to buy anything I want in the fanciest (and most expensive) store in Vegas. But that doesn’t give you any extra points in the frugal game that I love. I don’t shop as much in thrift stores these days as I did when my daughter and then my grandkids were little, because I’m into simplifying my life and that kind of shopping takes a lot of time and energy, neither of which I have an abundance these days. But it was fun to go with a frugalite girlfriend: Brad enjoys this game better in a casino. Dollars saved are dollars earned – plus we earned a bunch of frugal points,

Then Sunday brought a really lucky and surprising event. My mystery free play at Green Valley Ranch, usually around $20, plus or minus a few dollars, was a whopping $500!

Sure, we’ve had weekends with bigger wins – much bigger. But probably none that earned us more frugal fun points!

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Ethics in a Casino

Posted on August 31, 2008 by queen of comps

I just heard (from a skilled gambler who shall remain nameless) that a friend of his saw a well-known “promotion scrambler” get handcuffed and taken in the back at the 4 Queens casino sometime last month. “He was working several peoples’ cards on their promotion–the same promotion that you wrote about in your blog. Evidently he was paying people to use their cards.”

This report does not surprise me. There is a small number of players who not only feel that “all is fair in love and war” but in casinos too. And juicy promotions can bring out the greed big time. A big slot club signing bonus going on? Gather up some of the homeless and bring them to the casinos – pay them a little bit and take the biggest chunk of the bonus for yourself. A big check-cashing bonus promotion going on? Get your non-player friends to cash their paychecks at that casino and “buy” the valuable bonus coupon they get.

I have been writing about ethics and gambling ever since I had a whole chapter subtitled “Strange Bedfellows” on that subject back in my first book, The Frugal Gambler. Here’s what I wrote in the section called “The Casino as a War Zone”: “After I’d been gambling for awhile, I realized that very little in a casino is black and white, ethically speaking. Going into a casino is kind of like entering a war zone. It’s you against the house, and it starts to seem like the house has a license to steal. So if you get a chance to steal something back, you rationalize that it’s only fair. When I started thinking that way, I knew I had to formulate my code of casino ethics. I’m not going to tell you what that entire code is, because it’s a personal thing. You’ll have to come up with you own code if you intend to ‘fight’ in this battle zone.”

I went on to say that my code is always being tested — and that is still true today because gambling ethical issues are still in a large gray area. But I must warn you that casinos ARE taking measures to ferret out those that they feel are abusing the system.

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Playing On Another's Players Card

Posted on August 26, 2008 by queen of comps

I have gotten a lot of e-mail on this subject over the years, especially from couples. Many like to use one of their cards for their major play days and save the other card for when they are playing a shorter session and don’t want to ruin their daily average, which often determines their mail offers. Or, they want to both play on the same card so they will get to a higher comp tier faster. Or, one plays more than the other so after the frequent-player gets to the top-offer level, he/she plays to get the spouse’s account at the same level so both will get the top mailers. 

Although most casinos have a rule in their players club printed material that each person is required to play on his own card, this is often not strictly enforced, except for some promotions, like a marathon where multiple players on one account would give an unfair advantage.   However, playing on each other’s card is not usually a problem, especially if each has the same last name and/or shares the same address. 

Recently, however, one well-known video poker expert found that this issue could be a problem – a big one! Bob Dancer writes about it in a very interesting Internet column called “When the Rules Are Enforced.”   And you will also want to read his follow-up column, “Subtitle: Hoisted on my own Petard!”  

Bob’s experience does give one something to think about!

 
 

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Wheeeeeee!!!

Posted on August 15, 2008 by queen of comps

I’m back. I haven’t been sick and we haven’t been traveling so that’s not the excuse for being absent here for so long. It’s the recession! No, we haven’t gone broke or run into any financial problems. In truth we are having one of our better years in the gambling department. It’s the fault of the darn casinos! They are fighting the bad economy by revving up their promotion machines. And one of the hardest things for me to do is to ignore a juicy casino promotion! 

Although this is a glorious time for “advantage scramblers,” Brad and I find we still need to watch that I don’t plan too many video poker hours in our schedule. Our energy levels just aren’t the same as they were when we started 24 years ago. However, the last month or so I think we have tried to take advantage of a few too many promotions and we are tired – we still haven’t rested up from our 8-8-08 marathon playing sessions. So we are going to slow down now – and I will have more time to catch up on household paperwork and do more writing, including giving this blog more attention.  

(As an aside: I am also working on another book. I know – I know I said I wasn’t going to write any more books, but this time I am working with a co-author who is doing the lion’s share of the work. It is my long-time friend and editor, Deke Castleman, who is steering this new project, Frugal Vegas, a guide to finding value in all the things you do in Vegas besides gambling – rooms, meals, transportation, entertainment. The less you spend on all these the more you can save for your gambling bankroll – if you are a gambler. And if you aren’t a gambler, then the less your Vegas vacation will cost you.) 

Anyway, having so many promotions in town does allow one to pick and choose those that fit one’s bankroll and goals the best. We often use the ice-cream-cone model to decide where to play. An example would be our choice of Green Valley Ranch (and other Station casinos the choice of others). First the “cone” is a good video poker machine choice. Then the first “dip” is the gas/cash promo running Sunday through Thursday. Then we look at our mailer for this month to choose a day when we also have bonus points or we can use the 5x coupon from the Stations magazine we found in our local paper (or in the dumpster :). A third “dip” is that we will also be getting credit for our play that will determine what our future mailers will be.   Now add the “dip” of weekend drawings.   Then the “cherry” on the top is the BJ coupon (also from the Station monthly magazine) we will use to add value to this total play. 

We love it when we can stack up our casino treat.  You will too when you see the financial advantage!

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New Station Coupons

Posted on July 27, 2008 by queen of comps

In today’s R-J you can find the August edition of “My Station,” the glossy 23-page magazine full of information about and coupons for all the Station casinos. There are no longer any all-Station coupons; each property has a page of coupons specific for only its own casino. Although there are coupons for food, drink, and entertainment items, the most valuable ones are an up-to-$25 matchplay for table-game even bets and 5x points. 

These coupons are not as valuable as they were during the last two months. Besides the fact that each is property-specific, they have done a better job clarifying the details, especially whether you can print them off the Internet. You can’t. The fine print on the matchplay states: “Reproduction or copying of this coupon is strictly prohibited.” The 5x points is “available any day of your choice in the month of August” and is “valid any one calendar day.” To activate the 5x bonus, you must put your name and Boarding Pass number on the coupon and turn it in at the Rewards center. 

If you are from out of town and can’t pick up today’s paper and get this magazine, you might ask for a copy at the players club. Last month they had copies they would give out – perhaps they will continue that practice in August? Be sure you read the fine print on each coupon. For example, to use the Red Rock 30% spa discount, you must show a Nevada driver’s license. 

For a household that has more than one gambler, you might want to buy extra papers today to get more magazines. I might send Brad dumpster diving tonight to look for the extra copy we need. In fact I might even go with him – people throw away some really good stuff in our condo complex!!!

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The Bug is Lurking Around LV

Posted on April 28, 2008 by queen of comps

There seems to be a “bug” going around in Vegas recently, causing a short-term illness rather than the extended one which plagued us in the winter. They are calling it a 24-hour flu virus, but it usually floors you for three days. The first day you just feel bad and don’t know why. The second day you are flat in bed in-between the bathroom trips on which you don’t know which end has a more pressing need. On the 3rd day, the frequent bathroom trips are over, but you are so sore and exhausted you think you were run over by a semi.

I just finished with my three-day ordeal and feel okay, but Brad’s hit him when we were at Ellis Island this evening. He had been dragging all day and had felt a little nauseated but ate some chicken noodle soup and said he was feeling a little better. So we decided to do our monthly play because Sunday is a 6X point day. After about 20 minutes, Brad suddenly jumped up from his machine, took two steps, and then crumpled to the floor in silence. I was sure he had suffered another heart attack. I yelled for security. 

Then the most amazing thing happened – nothing. The customers kept playing their machines. The dealer at the empty craps table just looked at him …  like … people lying on the floor of the casino was just routine … like …  “Oh, just another Ellis Island drunk.” 

After a minute Brad did get up on his own and recovered enough equilibrium to stagger to the restroom. I went to the pit where I finally was able to find a couple of security guards — with no help from the crap dealer who was still just standing guard at his empty table. The guards were efficient. One went to the restroom to see if Brad was doing okay while the other helped me gather up my belongings –- and the couple of thousand dollars I almost forgot to punch out of our machines.

By now I was pretty sure Brad wasn’t having a heart attack but had probably caught the same “bug” from which I had just recovered. The guards said he was finished vomiting but too dizzy to walk so they brought him a wheelchair. They gave me his keys, one guard escorted me to the car, and then I drove around to pick him up at the door. 

I had driven a car my whole adult life, but when Brad retired 19 years ago I rarely took the wheel; he was a willing chauffeur wherever I needed or wanted to go. It’s our joke that Brad has to be dying to let me drive. I hadn’t been behind the wheel for years when in 2003 I drove him to the doctor’s office where he was found to be in the middle of a heart attack and was sent by ambulance right to the hospital. 

Anyway, I got us home all right – so I guess I haven’t forgotten that skill. Now I will get a chance to polish up my nursing skills to help Brad through the next couple days.

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Lab Tests Back

Posted on March 18, 2008 by queen of comps

I have good news I couldn’t wait to report, so I am writing this through foggy vision.  All my lab tests came back negative. Brad says dodging this bullet beats all the good luck we have ever had in a casino. 

One short frugal tip: If you haven’t ever got around to joining the Wynn players club, there is a great new-member bonus going on right now. Earn just 25 points and you get one free buffet; earn 50 points and get two. You can choose to use these at the most expensive meal offered. And there may be more perks with further points — just ask. One warning: Slot club-joining bonuses come and go with no warning, so you should always check in advance by phone before you make a special trip. 

I have the surgery on my left eye tomorrow and hopefully I will be seeing clearly enough to be back to regular blogging soon.

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Keeping Healthy in Las Vegas

Posted on March 7, 2008 by queen of comps

Hopefully you don’t know from personal experience that this year’s flu season has dished up some particularly nasty flu strains, some that weren’t included in this year’s flu shots. Brad and I have been lucky and missed it, but it seems that almost every visitor we have had from out of town in the last three months has reported being ghastly ill when they returned home. 

Who knows where they got the bug. In a casino? In a restaurant?Maybe they didn’t get enough sleep and their resistance was low. Maybe — even very likely — they caught it on the flight to here or back home. That re-circulated air can be a killer germ spreader!  

In any case, I recommend that everyone get a flu shot before they come to Vegas. No, it’s not too late. The flu season lasts right through March and the federal Centers for Disease Control have named Nevada part of a regional flu outbreak. I urge people to use good sense, even though Vegas temptations are not always healthy. Eat regularly and nutritiously. Get plenty of sleep. Take frequent breaks to get out of smokey casinos. Go easy on the free alcohol. 

However, if you do get sick while you are in Vegas, I would like to give you some resources that might make your visit more pleasant. There are now three Walgreens drugstores on the Strip, one just north of the Stratosphere, one across from the ghost of the Stardust, and one north of the MGM Grand.  

CVS has two stores, one near Circus Circus and the other just north of New York-New York. This last one might be particularly valuable to remember because it has a MinuteClinic, where you can see Board-certified practitioners, like physician assistants (PA's). They don’t require appointments and can diagnose and treat many non-emergency medical problems, including writing prescriptions. These mini-clinics are being added in many Walgreens and CVS pharmacies all over town. Check the Yellow Pages or online for their locations and hours.

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