It was approaching midnight recently as I played a progressive at a Las Vegas casino. This was a casino that changed multipliers every day, and today I was receiving the highest possible multiplier. Tomorrow my multiplier was likely to be smaller. It didn’t have to be, but I wouldn’t know what it would be until I swiped after midnight. It was not a casino where you had to swipe for your multiplier before you started playing, but rather one where you just had to swipe before you left.
The progressive was high enough that it was worth playing whatever the multiplier was, but obviously, the bigger the multiplier the better.
With my card left in the machine, I didn’t know if the system would be smart enough to figure out whether my play changed from “today” to “tomorrow” at midnight, but I didn’t figure it was in my interest to make it easy on them. So, I left my card in and kept playing.
I knew eventually the system would know it was tomorrow — either by me hitting a taxable, the hard count team coming through and pulling everybody’s cards as they replaced the bill acceptor boxes, or perhaps some other reason. I’d find out.
At about 3:30 a.m., I decided it was time to leave. I was exhausted and even though the progressive was high enough to still be playable, I was no longer thinking clearly. My TITO ticket was around $2,600, so that I had to go to the cage to get it cashed.
On the way there, I stopped by the kiosk and activated my multiplier. As expected, it was smaller than the maximum multiplier I had received yesterday. If I had no play for that day, it would be multiplying zero. I still might come back later after I slept some, but I might not. It showed I had about 1½ hours of play, which indicated that “today” becomes “tomorrow” at 2 a.m. there whether you pull your card or not.
When I went to the cage to cash my TITO ticket, I figured they might ask for ID (some casinos do). This time they didn’t (perhaps I was recognized), but after my ticket was cashed, I showed my player’s card and ID and asked how many points I had played yesterday. I was given a figure that was consistent with how much I had played until 2 a.m.
Good to know. I filed that information away for later usage.
I still want to know what happens if I start playing at, say, 12:05 a.m. and I swipe. Do I get single points until 2 a.m. and the multiplier kicks in at that time? It’s at least possible. I’ll test it someday starting at 1:50 so I don’t lose too much with only single points.
If that’s the case and I want to play before 2 a.m., I’ll make sure to start at 11:50 the night before, so my “yesterday’s” multiplier is active until 2 a.m. Other than that one test day, I won’t ever begin my play between midnight and 2 a.m. unless I had also played previously in the day. Right now, it seems like the multipliers take effect at 2 a.m., but you can activate them before or after midnight.
These aren’t the kind of questions you want to ask at the casino. First of all, whomever you ask will probably not know the answer since the IT guy who programmed the system is not likely to be available for questions. Second, even if you do get the right person to ask, this kind of question labels you as a sharp player. Normal players do not think of these things. Many casinos do not want sharp players as patrons, so try not to do or say things to make them think you are such a person.
Every casino does these things differently. If you’re ever playing during these hours, you have to accumulate the information as you go (or perhaps learn from somebody else). However, if you’re always tucked in and asleep by midnight, you don’t need to worry about such matters.
There are so many factors in playing video poker at a profit. It is a complicated business.
So true. I find scouting and trying to figure out the nuances of the different slot clubs just as fun as hitting a royal.
If you test it at 1:50 am and discover you’re wrong, you’ll lose 130 minutes of credit. Shouldn’t you start at 1201 just in case?
Another reason you SHOULDN’T ask, is that they might label you as someone who is trying to skirt Money Laundering laws / Title 31.
They would be able to generate a Suspicious Activity Report – and that’s a whole different can of worms.
That would make it ‘easier’ on their end to boot you out, because you might be a criminal liability.
So never ask when the gaming day starts / ends. You can pretty much figure it out on your own, but asking questions can get you in trouble.
Every casino is different! Also,the computers are unpredictably slow to update.
Would it matter if you had 2 player player cards?One in the machine and one to swipe?
Yeah, money laundering, if you ask what time of day the gaming day starts and ends. OK. Be a little more paranoid, will you?
Considering that I just went through the mandatory Title 31 training at the casino I work at, and one of the things they stressed was that asking about the end of gaming day was something that could raise a red flag.
Hawaiian Gardens casino paid a $2.8 million fine a few years ago because of Title 31 violations.
But what do I know…
He was correct. I teach anti-moneylaundering classes for casinos and asking about the time the casino day starts is a red flag.
If I walk up to the slot club and ask what time the casino day starts and don’t show an ID or DL, how is that a red flag?
I agree……what do you know?
Let’s see – what do I know…
I’ve been in the casino business for about 20 years, done everything from dealing to running the place at various casinos up in the Puget Sound area.
Most of my time has been spent on the poker side of the house – designing and running poker tournaments, scheduling dealers, running the floor, (making floor calls, running chips, cashing players out, awarding jackpots) and back of house stuff like ordering food, maintaining inventory, designing casino promotions, general building maintenance.
Never have been a supervisor on the pit side of the house, but have dealt blackjack, Spanish 21, Pai-Gow, some carnival games, and dice. Granted, the last time I dealt dice, I had hair…
Granted, I need to learn baccarat and roulette (from the house side) and should practice my dice press moves just I’m case my current employer is desperate enough to put me on base.
are you the famous mooski from the iowa minnesota area??
Fair enough. Yeah I was more on side of David as if I simply ask without providing ID it isn’t like they are going to follow me and figure out who I am.