Question of the Day - 27 April 2017

[Editor's Note: First, in response to a question, JOB 9/6 means the payout on a video poker Jacks or Better machine in which the full house returns 9 coins on a one-coin bet and the flush returns 6. DW 44 refers to the payout on a Deuces Wild machine in which the 4-of-a-kind and full house return four coins on a one-coin bet.

For anyone unfamiliar with these terms, especially the shorthand, $12.71 (plus shipping) on Jean Scott's new book, The Frugal Gambler Casino Guide, would be money well-spent. In it, she lists all the common paytables for all the common VP games -- and goes into an incredible amount of detail about how to couteract the situation brought up in the question. Now to the answer.] 

Not getting offers from a casino, especially one where you've played for a long time, is always a painful blow. And with good playing opportunities being diminished on a regular basis, this can really impact your lifestyle, especially if you’re local and play frequently, with or without an advantage. Fact is, the current casino environment that’s seeing cuts in all areas isn’t hitting just the skilled players. Recreational gamblers are feeling the pain in their pockets too.   

According to Jean Scott, “Sometimes we know why we’re no longer welcome customers at a particular casino. When we inquire, an employee will actually tell us. But most of the time we have to guess -- or just wonder.”

There are any number of reasons for casinos to put players in the crosshairs: only playing the best video poker schedules; only playing on multiple-point days; playing so many hours that you look like a pro; hitting a big jackpot; only playing progressives when they’re positive; or even just winning too much and too often (the same in blackjack: “Your play is too strong for us”).

We suppose you could try to counteract a casino’s perception of you by losing more — playing short-pay VP or even slot machines, using imperfect strategies (for example, always going for the royal, though that might backfire when you hit more than your share and you’re no-mailed for that!), or not taking advantage of all the comps at your disposal. But that seems to us to be cutting off your nose to spite your face; “Honey, let’s go to the casino tonight and lose more so maybe they’ll start letting us win again.”

Short of that kind of deal, often there’s no way to get better mailers and offers. In that case, you can try waiting out the casino, hoping there’s a change in management, marketing, or policy. But failing that, you simply have to ex that casino off your list and start scouting for better plays. And if you can't find any? Then you either have to become a recreational player — not losing on purpose, but playing negative-expectation games for the fun of it — or quit going to casinos, period.

On the one hand, it seems to us to be kind of illogical, not to mention short-sighted on the part of the casinos. Getting rid of players also chases away revenues earned from rooms, food, and entertainment; frequently, a good player’s gambling companions are in it for the recreation and don’t play so knowledgeably.

On the other hand, as we like to point out at times like these, Las Vegas casinos are breaking records year in and year out, so they can and do pick and choose who they let play their games.