Category: Lifestyle & Travel Tips

Life is chaos. Everyone’s “Kung Fu fighting.” Feeling assaulted by AI? $5 gas? $6?! Me too.

I did have a great birthday, though. Friends showed up, big time. Cards, letters, songs, CAKE! (by the ocean), meals, gifts — it’s really nice being appreciated.

And for a kid who was surprised to make it out of high school alive (remember the very unPC term “juvenile delinquent?” Yeah, honors in THAT class) and survived two years of hell recently (including five surgeries) seven-oh’s a big number for me. Okay, they haven’t named a street after me … yet.

Then there are all the fab birthday deals spanning days and nights of free food, play, and fun to tickle my scuffler fancy.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t make Vegas for this year’s birthday. I just wanted to play some VP and go dancing, but I broke my toe banging into a coffee table leg, so no
“breaking” for this dancer.

Even when I’m not IN Vegas, I monitor email offers, mailers, etc. and was happy to see all the deals going on at Four Queens (and elsewhere). However, the cost of their Silver Slots tourney seemed a LOT higher. Signing up for the $12K event was 360 smackolas. They do give a $75 one-ounce silver token, so call it $285. Still didn’t it used to be $99 or $149?

During December and again now, Wynn’s standard offer to me, $174 a night (includes the $55-per-night resort fee), $25 each free play and food credit got very good by adding two tickets to Awakening. Two nights minus all that is, as Anthony counts it, $28 a night at Wynn. Winner winner XS Nightclub for dinner.

Then I almost had a heart attack (bad joke; been there). My new Rainbow Emerald Island mailer came without their super points multiplier pay schedules. Noooo!!

Called in … still in place … phew! And being their top-notch “Rainbow is customer service,” she wanted to know, “Do you play at the bar? Different schedules.” And “Do you want me to READ the multiplier schedule over the PHONE?” Wow. Some casinos won’t even answer the phone. Oh, I can also “pick up the printed schedule at the cashiers booth.”

Besides amazing monthly food deals, you can now use your points for Lyft to and from the casino and at many nearby Water Street venues. Innovative.
There still is gold at the end of Water Street’s Rainbow.

Last question. Timeshares? Ever done the deed? In a fit of lunacy, I took the $200 offer.
Let Hilton try to close me — heck, why not? True story: Years ago, my ex and I went on a timeshare weekend on the Outer Banks. I just said, “Honey, in the presentation, I have THE LAST word.”

She chatted on and on about curtains and colors so much that the salesman was already spending his commission. Then he finished. I looked him in the eye and said one word. “No.” He got it.

Keep scuffling.

Once again, MGM is doing a tier-match promotion, this one through June 2026. These promos usually give you tier status for three months and you need to meet the actual tier requirements to continue at that tier level after the three-month period.

This one is different. At MGM, I had about 100,000 tier points when I applied for the tier match. 75,000 is Gold and 200,000 is Platinum. I used my Caesars Diamond Elite card and was given Platinum status. But on my card, it shows Platinum status for the entire year.

Here is a link to the status-match program.

Here are the challenge rules.

Here is a link to all the MGM Tier match offers by state.

You don’t get the really good benefits (airfare, cruises, etc.) until you actually get to the point level required for the given status.

So what does Platinum get me that Gold doesn’t? Lounge access (but only for one person). 30% slot point bonus (20% for Gold). $100 in cruise ship free play ($75 for Gold). There are also some gift shop bonuses, expedited valet and taxi service, etc., but these are minor benefits.

The rules say only one status match lifetime, but this is the third one I’ve done with MGM.

Is it worthwhile to do? You should consider the following factors.

• How much do I use MGM properties?
• What is free parking at MGM worth to me?
• If I am a current MGM player, does moving up a level really benefit me?
• Should I use it now or save it for next year?

Now, I don’t know what the lounges in Las Vegas are like. The lounge in Detroit is functional. The food is good, but the lounge is small and alcoholic drinks are about the same price as on the casino floor. I’ll be checking out the Las Vegas lounges at the beginning of June and will report back.

I’m using the match as a stopgap until I get full Platinum status. There is enough value in that for me and there is enough to play in Detroit. Your situation will vary greatly based on your state and situation.

Also see my Las Vegas Savings Tips page for more ideas.

“Vegas is dead! There’s no hope. I brought $1,500 and I’m going to party till it’s all gone!”

OMG. Go eat some worms

What’s your Vegas trip goal? Be a high roller? Tuck dollars in G-strings at Spearmint Rhino? Ecstasy at Sphere or Zouk? Hit the Deuces Wild royal? A legendary 30-minute craps roll? It’s all good.

For me it starts with the Six Ps: Proper Planning Prevents Piss-Poor Performance

Planning and preparing my Totally Free Vegas Trip start with Southwest and Chase points for flights. Then I search Priceline or Turo for my car hack. I’ve even rented $20-a-day U-Haul pickups. Of course, I take advantage of LVA’s no resort fee coupons and a great hotel rate.

Result? $500 out of pocket for a week in Vegas.

Then there’s a pretty good chance that with matchplay runs, positive-expectation video poker, and most food and entertainment comped, I’ll cover my nut. So rather than being $1,500-$2000 out, I’m ahead by $1,000, before I even land at Reid.

Good friends risk more and score more. $25 VP. Black-chip BJ. $50 craps. Have at it. This scuffler wants to have fun. Being 100% commission my whole life, I’m just not thrilled about losing money. Making money in Vegas is not my number one goal. Relaxing and having a good time for as little as possible are.

It’s okay. Choose your poison. That’s not one of the Six Ps, but perhaps it should be number seven.

Your goals, games, and wins may be different, but with planning and preparing, you’ll know your goals cold, so when opportunity knocks, you can grab it.

One of the lessons I’ve learned in Vegas is respecting my intuition. When to double down on a streak, when it’s time to walk away a winner. Hello Kenny Rogers.

Yeah, I quote Elvis, the Grateful Dead, Bruno Mars, AND Kenny. That’s why I call myself a Renaissance Neanderthal — well-read, well-rounded (in more ways than one) and occasionally, I even take a shower.

What are your goals? What are your successful techniques? Do you play at comp levels? My bud Carolina Mike rolls around town on comp nights and good VP. He knows his advantage games cold and winner winner free steaks for dinner. Ct Rob does it too and has a blast doing it.

What is winning for you? What do you do to win?

You may not get excited about coupon runs as I do. Fine. Maybe your highlight is a gourmet meal or buying your sweety or yourself something nice.

To quote Ed Harris from Apollo 13, “Failure is not an option. No on my watch, people. Work the problem.”

Knowing what winning is before you arrive, setting yourself up to win, even dealing with bad breaks and losing streaks will make for a better trip than the other 125 squares on the plane home. Plan to win you’ll have a good shot at it. Plan to lose and Vegas’ll be happy to accommodate you.