First a food comp opportunity: You can earn a free buffet at Planet Hollywood or the Rio by earning 50 points (Reward Credits) in one day. (50 Points is $500 coin-in on most video poker or $250 coin-in for slots.) The promotion runs until December 31, 2015, and you can do it once per day. (I’m not sure if you can do it at both casinos in one day or must choose just one of the two.) After you earn your 50 Reward Credits, go to the Total Rewards desk for the voucher you can then take to the buffet cashier.
I like both of these buffets, and to get the most value out of this comp you might choose to use your voucher for the most expensive meal offered. However, remember what I always say – “Be careful about playing just for a comp.” If you are going to play (that is, risk – $500 – or $250) at some casino that day anyway, you could figure you might as well have the chance to get a good food reward, win or lose. But if you are playing just for this meal, it will taste pretty bitter if you lose more than the price you could have just paid for it.
Q: I may get a chance to be in Vegas in Dec, what is an NFR after party? ( I do know it’s the rodeo, but is it event- or party-related?)
A: These are parties after the rodeo ends each evening for cowboys and cowgirls and their fans who like to see those tight buns in tight jeans! 🙂 They used to be at the Gold Coast, but this year they will be held at the Orleans.
Q: Do you know what that last item on the MGM benefits changes is about? We can still room charge but it will not be a benefit?
A: When I read the notice about the changes on the MGM website, I said to myself, “A casino has finally put out the ultimate in confusing casino information. You can do something but it isn’t a benefit??” Check Mark’s Las Vegas where he does his best to summarize the important changes. I guess any of the confusing information may be clarified after December 15 – or not?
Q: So Jean, how was living at casino hotels for a decade? What was it like, every day a new buffet and each week a different hotel?
A: Well, it was fun but a lot of work too! We did stay for long periods, sometimes several months at a time, but we were always glad to get back to our home in Indiana for a “rest period.” We were younger then and were able to drag luggage up and down the Strip. We decided to buy a place in Vegas so we could sleep in the same bed every night and keep our undies in the same drawer so we could find them every morning. Now, thirty years later, we are quite happy to spend only a few hours several days a week in a casino – and eating healthier at home many days!
Q: If you wanted to play 25-cent 9/6 video poker, betting 5 coins each time, and there were two machines side-by-side with one a “new” multi-game selection and one older one-machine-one-VP-game, would you have a reason to prefer one machine over the other?
A: Many casinos base their comp or bounce-back criteria on the “theo” of a machine, that is, what theoretical return (profit) they expect. They don’t expect to earn as much from a machine that only has one “good” game, like 9/6 JoB. But if it is a multi-game machine, they may average the theoretical return of all the games contained in that machine, which usually includes games that are not as good as 9/6 JoB. That might raise the “theo” and thus the players might get more benefits. But learning the theo of any one machine is usually very difficult– actually almost impossible for most players.
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A Note: In my October Promo blog I referenced Scot’s article in Gaming Today: He wrote: The Circus Circus Players Club is a no-tier, two-bucket system allowing players to accumulate points for free slot play and comps for meals and rooms. $2 coin-in on slots equals one point and $10 coin-in on video poker equals one point. 100 points equals $1 in free slot play. In early 2016 Circus plans to roll out a new program for their Players Club that does include a tier system.
It was in the “Comments” section that there was some old tier information that included a link with outdated details. Casinos often are not good in taking down old info on their Websites! So the information in Scot’s article was correct. And we will need to wait until next year to see if there are changes in the Circus Circus players club.
Thanks as always for the info!
I hope they have enough people working the TR desk at Planet Hollywood and Rio. If you aren’t Diamond or Seven Stars, you can easily wait up to 15 minutes in line. I would think that kiosks which they could place near the buffet would be a better idea.