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Hints and Pics from the Frugal Files

Hints and Pics from the Frugal Files

Some of you told me that my last blog was depressing.

I feel your pain. I realize that hearing about negative changes in the casino world is anything but uplifting. I also fear the future of downgrades, like when I just ran across this article that gave me more details about how artificial intelligence (AI) can be used in casinos.

I can’t give you one big piece of Pollyanna advice on how to cope with these changing times. I’ve never been able to do that on any gambling issue. However, I have written a lot  about how different kinds of gamblers might modify their play as the casino environment evolves. One of the most detailed discussions of this was a four-part series on this blog back in March and April 2015: “When Casinos cut VP Benefits.” See Part 1 here and you can click forward (using the link to the right above the comments on the Part 1 page) for Part 2. For Part 3 and Part 4, it’s easier to link from here.

I can’t believe that I’ve been writing about this for eight years. Even then, I probably would have found earlier blogs on the same subject if I’d scrolled back through the Archives (which you can also do right here on my site for any month I have been blogging since 2000). I’m not surprised that a lot of my old posts are still relevant today. Although specific details may be outdated, many of the basic concepts are still valuable keys to success.

Despite many negative factors these days, you can still come across some positives when  doing your casino scouting and research. Not all casinos are using the newest software. Smaller companies especially might not have the budget for them and still reward you in the more traditional ways. Some casinos might consider some of the “old ways” to still be a good fit for their market.

Here’s an interesting article that discusses the subject of free play and how not all casinos follow the same views on how it should be used.

Also, some casinos are still giving their hosts broader authority to extend comps, with a range of numbers and factors, rather than one can’t-be-changed schedule. Just asking, but doing it nicely, will always work better than a demanding attitude and you might land in the top of that range.

Another good host hint I’m finding out about in my own casino visits and from the experiences of others is that all properties under one big umbrella company don’t necessarily have the same policies. Therefore, don’t assume you already know all the details about getting comps, just because you’ve played at sister casinos. Check with a new host or, better still, have a chat with several hosts to get the big picture and/or more details. Sometimes you’ll find more generous territory!

If your personal circumstances are flexible, broaden your search to include casinos you haven’t considered before. Your long-time favorite casino may no longer be the best choice for you.

And here’s a new transportation option that might open up some new good casino opportunities for some of you readers out west, from a press release from ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­Megabus, one of the largest bus companies in North America. They have announced a new partnership with Salt Lake Express, a popular shuttle service along the northern I-15 corridor. This partnership will allow for expanded service options to and from 75 cities in the Northwest across Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Utah, and Wyoming, including daily trips between Las Vegas and Mesquite and Pahrump, Nevada.  Additional service will be offered from Boise, Helena, Salt Lake City, and Reno.

And now changing the subject: For some of you who’ve asked for current pictures of Brad and me, here they are. They also answer someone’s question about whether we do any non-casino gambling these days. These were taken recently when we attended two Kentucky Derby parties. One was here at Legacy Reserve, where we have a party for everything! The other was at the home of friends. Most at the party were spouses and retired Army and/or present government employees who work with son-in-law Steve at Fort Benning (recently renamed Fort Moore).

Now, our parties at the Legacy bar (yes, the only senior facility in Georgia with a licensed bar) are lively, fun, and full of noisy chatter, but sometimes it’s great to get together with the younger generation. Those Army guys really know how to party down and they swept these two oldsters right into the rowdy action. We’d never played Left-Right-Center before and didn’t know how boisterous 25 people surrounding a long table could get, while fiercely defending their $3 bets. Even Brad, who usually sits silently on game sidelines, joined in the action and was just as shocked as I was when, after being “out” for many rounds, I ended up winning the $75 final pot!

His surprising engagement in the activities lasted all evening, even after we got back home. And for a short time, he remembered what he’d had done for 35 years, but has forgotten these last four: counting the organized stacks of little bills, then giving me the total of our day’s gambling results.

I had to retreat to the bedroom to hide my tears.

This is a time of mixed emotions for me. Dementia is such a cruel condition. There are so many long days of silence when he’s in his own world, thankfully peaceful, but not “with me.”  And again, thankfully, I’ve been able to adjust and to make for myself a different but happy world.  However, I’m thrilled beyond words when his memory unexpectedly wakes up and we can, even just for a few hours, re-live some of those joyful times we shared in the past.

Fun Trip to Atlantic City – Part 3

Fun Trip to Atlantic City – Part 3

Back home after a relaxing Florida beach vacation, I continue the story of my first totally recreational-only casino trip. And once again, as I found when I was writing about this earlier, I realize that I’m constantly using frugal tips that I picked up during the many years of advantage video poker play.

One of my top recommendations for any casino player of any game is to constantly look for promotions. Especially strong ones are often bonuses for joining the players club and we found two very good ones on this Atlantic City trip. Both the Hard Rock and Oceans gave us each $25 in free play just for signing up. We had to run the $100 through a machine once, but whatever we won after that was free money we could add to our shared bankroll.

A couple of caveats about this kind of promotion. It’s for new members only, although some casinos clean out their member lists after some years and you may be eligible if you hadn’t used the players card for long time. However, we found out that some casinos never forget you. We checked at the Tropicana for Susan, but she was still on the CZR players card list, although she hadn’t visited one of their properties for 10-12 years.

There could be another reason why you wouldn’t take advantage of this promotion: You won’t put much play on the card that first time, but later you might want to establish yourself as a higher-level player and put in major play on your first day. However, we knew we wouldn’t be going back to either of those casinos in the future, so this was a great benefit for Susan and me.

This promotion also had an extra benefit for us. It was another way to use a popular frugal suggestion for stretching a small bankroll: find free interesting activities outside the casino. In fact, any player, no matter what their goal or bankroll size, will find leaving a noisy smoky casino environment an oft-needed mental and physical break. Susan and I wanted to sightsee the whole length of the Boardwalk anyway, so this promotion paid for our tram transportation when our feet balked at making the six-mile roundtrip trek.

I know many of you have been waiting to hear about our slot machine play. I’ve left it for last, because it probably provided more fun than any other single activity. And that surprised and puzzled me. But after analyzing my feelings, I realized that it had to do with goals. With skilled video poker play, I was enjoying it, but my goal was long-term financial profit. With slot play, my only goal was to have fun.

However, I knew that I wouldn’t be having fun very long if I lost too much money too quickly, though I didn’t have a specific loss-limit figure in mind. I also knew Susan was feeling the same way. So we each contributed $200 to our trip bankroll and added the $315 surprise free play I found in my account at the kiosk.

Then we set a new goal: to do everything to stretch that bankroll so we could have more fun time.

At first, we used the technique of doing a lot of looking around for machines that looked fun, jumping from one machine to another for short-term sessions. We concentrated on finding those with smaller top jackpots, since they generally give more frequent payouts than those with big ones. But then we ran across some “Wonder Woman” machines. I’d played them briefly a couple of times some years ago in Vegas and on hearing that catchy theme song again, I remembered they were fun machines.

Well … once we sat down and played a little, we were both hooked and didn’t want to look around for any other machines. They fit our stretch-the-bankroll goal better than any machine we could find. They had very small top jackpots compared to most other machines, just $2,000-$3,000, so they had frequent hits and bonuses. One bonus was 21 free spins and that gave us a long period of play without any additional cost. They also had a tiny minimum bet – just 50 cents. Of course, if you made bigger bets, like the top $2.50, your wins would be bigger, but your bankroll would disappear very quickly and your fun time would be shortened. Another plus on this machine was that unlike on many others, you’re eligible for the top jackpots on all bet levels.

Although we loved playing “Wonder Woman” slots, we didn’t play for extended sessions, usually about an hour, before heading out for other activities. I didn’t keep exact records this trip, but we played 8-9 sessions during the 3 days. And when on the flight back to Georgia we counted and divided the remaining bankroll, we were pleasantly surprised.  From all our gambling, including table games and slots, we found that all those hours of fun had cost us each just a smidgen over $50. We decided that was a very reasonable entertainment cost!

I want to close out this report with a mention of one of the highlights of the trip, the Frugalite get-together. The group that met us in the food court of the Tropicana wasn’t large, but represented a real cross section of our gambling friends. Some were long-time friends we ‘d previously met in person, while others were online acquaintances; some lived locally or just happened to be in A.C. on vacation; and some had made a special effort and traveled a long distance to attend.

We didn’t have any special agenda for the meeting; we just pulled our chairs close together and for over 2 hours chatted about our casino experiences. We shared past thrilling gambling moments and, of course, moaned over the recent decline of good plays. And when we finally broke up and went our separate ways, I think everyone would remember this as an enjoyable meeting of kindred souls.

Thinking about this recent happy event reminds me again about the importance of friendships. One of the most cherished benefits of Brad’s and my casino life these last 38 years has been the opportunity to make so many friends that shared our enthusiasm for being wise gamblers. We’ve met many in person, during organized get-togethers or often running across each other in a casino. However, there are hundreds more we never met in person, but who have become our Internet friends, some who have written to me that they have been following our casino life story since my first book came out in 2000. Many of these are getting old, as we are, and no longer can visit casinos, but still like to read about the frugal good ol’ days.

And recently, I’m surprised and very pleased that a new generation of casino lovers is looking for information on social media. I see gamblers of all ages enjoying my Jean Scott Facebook page. And it’s amazing how many are commenting whenever I appear in a YouTube video and then buying Huntington Press products. Yes, frugal gambling isn’t just for old folks!

Keep sending your questions. I’ll try to answer them in future posts and always feel free to post in the comment section here. I still want to hear from old friends and make new ones!

Harrah’s Tahoe Trip Report -Part 3

Harrah’s Tahoe Trip Report -Part 3

I appreciated all the comments about my recent Harrah’s Tahoe trip and I especially was happy for those who kindly gave me some corrections. You readers are good in helping me keep the information in my blogs up to date and accurate.

Writing about the Spin Poker jackpot I hit, I said:  I was dealt 4 cards to a royal in the 1, 2, 3, 4 positions. My 5th card could have come up in 3 different positions. One would have given me one royal – and I would have been happy with $4,000. However, it came up in a corner position, which produced 3 royals. $12,000 made me very happy!

I always have gotten confused figuring out which of those nine crisscrossing lines would produce the best outcome. Fortunately, a reader helped me out: “The middle position would have produced three royals as well. Only the 3rd column works as 2, 5, 2 (all three always have to add up to 9). When needing more than one card, the combined positions matter.”

 

This photo will puzzle some people. As you see here, on the screen it looks like I was paid for only one royal. However, on Spin Poker, the result for each winning line quickly cycles through and the winning amount is only briefly on the screen. You will see that the total credits of 12,000 do appear in the lower left-hand corner. Only after that cycling process does the total amount appear, like in the picture I posted in the last blog.

I was also happy to learn from readers that not all Laurel Lounges have disappeared. The ones in Atlantic City are still open, but only on weekends and with limited hours. Laurel Lounge is open at Harrah’s Joliet, but only Friday through Sunday. The one in Cherokee is open, but for drinks only, no food. Perhaps this is the situation in other non-Vegas properties. A phone call to check before your visit might be a good idea.

Now for your questions.

Q:  Please let me know how to get a good deal like yours at Harrah’s Lake Tahoe.

A: One of the basic cornerstones of casino deals is that casinos reward players based on their play. That’s the high concept of something I’ve explained, discussed, and written about for 35 years! It all starts with using your players card every time you play at a casino and then you begin a study of the casino comp system that you’ll continue the rest of your playing life if you want to be successful.

I got a good offer for this Tahoe visit, thanks to my play the last year or so at another Harrah’s casino, in Cherokee, NC. I put in a lot of high-denomination play and reached the Diamond Elite tier level, which generated many good benefits in my casino mailings.  However, people who play at lower levels will also see some offers in their mail and the more you play, the better mail benefits you will receive. Most players should start small; they need more study and experience. Thirty-eight years ago, we started with quarters and very slowly moved up to higher denominations as we became more knowledgeable. But I’ve never stopped studying to find the best plays.

Q: Do you play JOB in Tahoe and Deuces Wild in Cherokee? Where do you practice on the computer?

A: I’m so glad you asked that question. It reminded me that I wanted to talk about how hard it was for me to switch games when I went to Tahoe.

I was surprised about this. After all, Jacks or Better (JOB) is the first video poker game for which I learned the proper strategy – way back in 1984 – and I played it off and on for the next 35 years. However, for most of those years, I could find better games, with higher mathematical expected value (EV), like Deuces Wild and Double Bonus. At times, especially for high-denomination play when there were promotions and extra benefits, JOB was the best choice. (Remember, you don’t just look for a good game; you look for a good play. That means adding together the EV of the game and the value of the extras.)

The last few years we lived in Vegas, we played Not-So-Ugly-Ducks (NSUD) almost exclusively at local casinos. When we moved to Georgia, that was the game we played on our four trips to Harrah’s Cherokee. So, I knew I should brush up on JOB strategy; it’s always a rule for me when I am tackling a game I haven’t play for a while. But I figured this could be a quick review for this most basic VP “oldie.”

So, a couple of weeks before the Tahoe trip, I sat down at my desktop computer. (As it has been since I was a child, my desk is still the most important piece of furniture wherever I live, even in our present senior apartment.) I pulled up my VP software, set it for JOB, and clicked the choice to warn me of any errors.  I also turned up the TV very loud. I wanted distractions, like you do in a casino.

I dealt the first hand. Nothing to hold so I quickly hit “Draw.” Immediate pop-up message: “Major Error”!!!

Whaaaatttttt? The software said I should have held the lone king.

Oops! My sub-conscious was still in automatic Deuces Wild mode where you don’t hold single cards (except for deuces).

I’ve talked about this in the past, how your memory cells play such an important part in video poker play. I noticed this often in the past when I was playing while I was tired. I didn’t see a hold, but my fingers seemed to be held back from immediately hitting the Draw button. Then I gave the hand a second look and saw why. My subconscious was stronger than my tired consciousness.

I’d intended to play very fast in just a couple of quick practice sessions, but making error after error, I realized that I needed a lot of practice to reprogram my memory cells. I’m not sure whether my 83-year-old brain is just getting worn out; my body sure is. Or perhaps this can happen at any age after a long time away from former learning. But I wasn’t taking any chances, so I practiced almost every day until I left for Tahoe.

I also made a conscious decision to play more slowly than my usual pace when I got there.  I was playing mostly multiple lines and one mistake expands exponentially through all the lines. I wanted to play as perfectly as I could, since my advantage was already thinner than I prefer.

Actually, I was glad that I didn’t feel the need to rush through my play. I had a goal to get to a certain tier-point destination, but there was no hurry to get there. I had plenty of hours to reach this goal. After all, this was to be a relaxing vacation and I really savored the slower pace. It didn’t hurt that I hit a couple of nice jackpots along that leisurely path.

And now here’s a little surprise for people who had wondered if I would ever again do any public speaking about gambling. Actually, when we moved to Georgia, I planned to leave the casino life completely. But it has worked out for me to return, albeit on a much more limited basis than when we lived in Vegas. And Steve and Matt Bourie, who have made many videos with me down through the years, were eager to make an updated one.  Thanks to Zoom, you can see that new one which was  just posted. Looks like I haven’t lost the ability to talk endlessly about smart gambling — we chatted for almost 45 minutes! Click the arrow to watch.

Harrah’s Tahoe Trip Report Part 2

Harrah’s Tahoe Trip Report Part 2

Okay, okay, you can stop expressing your disappointment about Part 1. I will now talk about the video poker at Harrah’s Tahoe!

When Wilma and I walked into the High Limit Room, it was like looking for old friends. Of course, we’d checked the vpFREE2 inventory list and seen the list of “really good games” and “pretty good games.”  But we were looking for an old favorite. And yes! There it was, our much-loved Fifty Play with 9/6 Jacks or Better from quarters to $2 and the same two side-by-side slant-tops in the same location where we ‘d played together for many years. The two uprights had been moved across the room, but they were also still side-by-side as they always had been.

There is one “kink” in these Fifty Plays that you need to watch for: You have to play a minimum of 20 lines/$25. That didn’t affect Wilma or me; we were playing at a higher level than that, though not as high as in the past when we could play more often and there were multiple high-level opportunities. Back then, we often played $125 or even $250 a hand when it could be coupled with hefty players club benefits and/or a juicy promotion. Now we played around $50 a hand, 40 hands at quarters. However, we got tired of $1,000 royals that didn’t seem to come along often enough to make up for our losses fast enough, so we switched to 10-line dollars. To be truthful, hitting a $4,000 royal was just more exciting. However one has to make denominational choices by looking at both your emotional bankroll and the one in your pocket!

Wilma did get a couple 4k royals, which helped her cut her losses. I got one, plus a dealt straight flush for $2500.

I know someone will look at vpFREE2 and ask me why we didn’t play Triple Double Bonus, which was on our same machines. They remind me that I’ve said many times to go for the highest EV you can find,  and it does have a slightly higher EV than JoB – 99.58 vs. 99.54. We would have liked to play that game, because it has so many big jackpots that make it exciting. However, if you go to my FVP Scouting Guide, you’ll see near this game this quote, “The longer the name of a video poker game, the more volatile it is apt to be.”  And the dollar-sign code for volatility for TDB is $$$$, vs. the one $ for JoB.  If I could play this game many hours a month, I would choose it in a heartbeat. But I want to play a more volatile game when I have the long term to get closer to the actual EV. For this short-term play, I will accept a small second-decimal point decrease in EV.

Speaking of volatility, I do have a lucky and happy story to share on the subject. I knew that there were a couple of Spin Poker machines on the floor and they did have the same good JoB game I’d been playing on Fifty Play. However, I deliberately steered myself away from them to keep from being tempted. I know they’re extremely volatile.

Spin Poker was Brad’s and my favorite video poker version ever since it appeared on casino floors and we played it every time we could find it with a good game. We hit some nice jackpots down through the years, but we also suffered through many extremely long losing spells. We used to say it was the game we loved to hate! Still, for a considerable period of time, we could find a good game quite frequently and we hit enough jackpots that we survived the volatility and it added to the win column in our records. But as with all VP, casinos cut paytables and during our last few years in Vegas, we were sad we could no longer find a good Spin Poker game.

Now Harrah’s Tahoe has one that I could play. I longed to have Brad with me to discuss whether it was a good idea to tackle it here, in what would be very short-term play. I wavered, but since I’d been playing about even so far on this trip, I decided to play it “for a short time.” “Short time” on a risky play usually means I switch back to a less risky one when losing becomes “painful.”  I know – this thinking is not based on a strict mathematical foundation. But as long as I’m not losing EV, I sometimes let my emotions help me make decisions. And I really love to play Spin Poker.

If you’ve never played it, you may not understand how it works. It is multi-line, with 9 paying lines, but these lines crisscross, making it look a little like a slot machine. Also, it uses cards from only one deck, not a different deck for each line, like, for example, Triple Play, Ten Play, or Hundred Play. Fortunately, it doesn’t require a change in strategy or an increase in credits. For the $1 game, max bet is $45 ($5 for each of the 9 lines).  If you’re dealt all 5 to a royal, you make 9 royals for a $36,000 payday. Other deals and draws will give you pays or multiple pays, all depending on the position of the cards.  You can get anywhere from one to five royals in one hand.

And that is where my happy experience with volatility came about. After playing just a short time, I was dealt 4 cards to a royal in the 1,2,3,4 positions. My 5th royal card could have come up in 3 different positions. One would have given me one royal  and I would have been happy with $4,000. However, it came up in a corner position, which produced three royals. $12,000 made me three times as happy!

I’ve already received many questions and comments about this Tahoe trip and I’m sure there will be more after this Part 2 comes out. I also have more details that I haven’t covered. So fire away in the Comments and I will address your questions and concerns in the upcoming Part 3.

Scouring for Casino Info

Scouring for Casino Info

I’ve often written that if you need more info about a specific casino, you should check their website for details — about their promotions, players club, restaurants, amenities, etc. Most casinos do better than they did years ago, but it’s amazing how many still do not realize that for so many of their potential and returning customers, the website is their first go-to contact. Sadly, many casino websites are only a brief and unsatisfying resource starting point.

Where can and should you go next?

In this post, I discuss where I often go and give you some of the information I’ve learned recently, even though I can’t use another good technique I recommend, visiting a casino in person.

THE PALMS

I wanted to find details about the Palms the minute it reopened, so I checked their website. There was general information, mainly about food offerings, but very few details a serious player would need: the name of the new players club and a photo with partial views of all the various tier cards, but absolutely no details. You can sign up there for email updates, but you can’t actually sign up for a card.

So I went to vpFREE2, my usual first step for getting the nitty gritty  info I need: VP inventory, sorted by machines or games, with locations, players club details, names of hosts, and general helpful comments.

Then I went to one of my best friends, Google, and found an article titled “Palms Casino Resort Opens with New Rewards Program For Las Vegas.” Bingo! Loads of details to fill in some of my information gaps.

I always liked Vital Vegas, Scott Roeben’s blog. Scott is a man about town who worked in Vegas marketing for a long time and is very well connected and knowledgeable. So I checked his article about the Palms re-opening, which includes a lot of photos and interesting  personal opinions. He also gives a link to a Twitter message that gives a valuable tier-matching chart. Check your loyalty cards and see if you can score a higher tier level at the Palms. In fact, you can see there what other Vegas players clubs you might want to join for higher tier-matching benefits.

Now I’m waiting to hear from some you who are lucky to be able to do eyes-on research!

CZR Properties

Speaking of personal reporting I really appreciate, I recently received an email from a frugal friend giving some updates from his recent trip to Harrah’s Cherokee. The food offerings are still in a period of frustration and confusion as most of the food court, which was in the casino, is closing as the Gordon Ramsey Food Market, outside the casino, is in a slow-opening phase. Seems like they’re repositioning dining options so that they’re available to families, since you have to be 21 to enter the casino proper. However, you see many children in the hotel and other non-casino entertainment areas.

While I’m on the subject of Cherokee, I had several requests for a photo of our recent jackpot there. Some of you may have already seen it in a recent LVA YouTube (# 43).

Another way that I discover new information that sometimes doesn’t ever make it into a website is by carefully reading all casino mail, both hard copy and online. That is how I learned that a CZR player who becomes eligible for free rooms as they go up in tier credits can use these room nights in other locales besides Vegas, which is the old offer. I’m not sure whether this covers all over the U.S. or just specific ones; you would need to check with a host. You would also need to check the details; it used to be a free night every 5,000 tier credits, but I’m not sure of the limit, perhaps 6 or 7 free nights a year? Also, I’m not sure if this is a permanent benefit or temporary promotion. Again, check with a host.

MGM

Sometimes I find new information that might be mentioned on a casino website, but not for a casino where I regularly play, so I don’t check it frequently for any additions or change of benefits. That happened just this morning as I was beginning to edit and post this blog. I got an email from Southwest (my airline of choice, because there is no charge if you have to change/cancel a flight) informing me they have become a preferred partner of MGM.

MGM Rewards members who are also Rapid Rewards® Members can now earn 600 Rapid Rewards® Points for each qualifying stay at all Las Vegas MGM Rewards destinations: Bellagio®, ARIA™, Vdara™, MGM Grand®, The Signature at MGM Grand®, Mandalay Bay®, Delano™ Las Vegas, Park MGM Las Vegas, The Mirage®, New York – New York®, Luxor®, and Excalibur®.

Now to end this blog on a lighter note, some comments that made me smile when that 2016 YouTube interview “How She Made a Million” was recently re-posted.  Seems nothing goes away online and people are still wanting to give their opinions – 463  of them at last count! Yes, there are many positive reactions, but so many of them are darkly colored by their personal painful losing casino experiences.

Commenter #1: This interview was done in 2016? How are they doing today? Wouldn’t Brad be about 90 years old?

My Response:  Yep, it’s 2022 and Brad IS 90 years old.

Commenter #2:  When they become a little bit off their game mentally as they get older, they will give their life savings back to the casinos. It’s just a matter of time.

My Response: Brad is in mental decline and doesn’t play unless I’m beside him helping him remember. I’m 83 and maybe not quite as sharp as I was in 2016, but with some review play with software on my computer, the few times I get to a casino these days, I think I remember accurate strategy pretty well. And I don’t lose enough to put even a small dent in that million dollars talked about in the YouTube interview. What does put a bigger dent in life savings is paying for senior assisted living.  🙁

Today, I’m very glad we always kept on the path of frugal advantage play  and didn’t squander in our younger days those big video poker winnings!

Answers and News

Answers and News

After my last Cherokee trip report, as usual there were reader questions, which I’m always happy to answer.

Q: Did it work out that your granddaughter could take a break from her Appalachian Trail thru-hike and meet you all?

A: Amazingly, the timing was perfect. Angela and Steve had to drive only about 20 miles to pick her up. In fact, they arrived at the meeting point a little early, so Steve could walk about a mile down the trail where he met her and they could walk back together to where Angela was waiting in the car. It goes without saying that Kaitlynn enjoyed a comfortable bed, hot food, and lots of hot showers the next day and a half at the hotel before being dropped back at the trail. If you’re interested, you can subscribe to her YouTube vblog .

Q: Do you ever plan to play at other casinos or go back to Las Vegas to visit?

A: Right now, Brad’s health limits how much we can travel. The only reason we can go to Cherokee is that Angela and Steve can help us with the travel and his care. However, at the urging of Angela (and my doctor), it seems that I need a break. So Angela and Steve are going to take over his care for four days in May and I am planning a trip to Harrah’s Tahoe and meeting with an old gambling friend I haven’t seen for over two years. Needless to say, I’m excited! And although I don’t miss living in Las Vegas, I look forward to a short visit there if circumstances ever make that a possibility.

A couple of trip notes: A big positive I forgot to mention in my trip report was how nice it was to be in a totally non-smoking casino. A negative was a new thing to which I had to adjust, for the first time: paying a resort fee. We’d always been at a high enough tier level for this not to happen. And Brad’s and my comped room did not get charged this fee since I am Diamond. However, Steve is only on the Platinum tier level and he did have $26.88 added for each of the 3 nights, even though two of the nights were comped, based on his rather light play in the past. “Comped” doesn’t always mean completely free.

From the comments:

I was at Cherokee when you were there. I sat down on a VP machine and commented to a lady beside me, “Has anybody ever told you that you look just like the Queen of Comps, Jean Scott.” To my great surprise, it was you!

It’s always great to meet “frugalites” who introduce themselves and such a pleasure to have a chance to chat with kindred souls. If you ever see us in a casino, please stop to say hello. I look forward to breaks in our play to meet new friends.

Now for some casino news.

Boyd Gaming has changed the name of its players club system, from B Connected to Boyd Rewards. Evidently, it did not cut benefits at the same time – I guess they figured their earlier massacre was enough.

This change in loyalty-club names seems to be the current “good idea.” CZR changed Total Rewards to Caesars Rewards. Wynn went from Red Card to Wynn Rewards. MGM went from M Live to MGM Rewards early this year and they did do a benefit massacre at the same time.

An important hint is to always check the casino website for possible changes (usually downgrades) in their player benefits whenever they change anything about their players club – the name, tier levels, etc. You should also check it carefully when their tier level “year” is up and especially at the beginning of a new year. Often, when they drop a benefit, there is no public announcement or player notification. That benefit is just not included in the new/revised tier-benefit section of the website.

Speaking of changes, sports arenas get name changes all the time to whatever company will pay the biggest bucks for that privilege, but airports not so frequently. I never did routinely say “McCarran” Airport, so I don’t think I will ever say “Harry Reid” airport. It has always been just the “Las Vegas Airport” to me.

And finally, it’s probably crazy that I’m so excited about the Palms reopening at the end of the month when I may never enter those doors again. But just seeing the name Palms Casino brings back so many happy memories for me. Brad and I were there the first day it opened and, living very close, we spent a lot of time there. It wasn’t just at the video poker machines, either, although it was one of our favorite places for that. We had comps for everything, the nice restaurants when we wanted to entertain fancy, the food court when we wanted a quick snack, and the buffet when everyone in our party wanted something different. Also a play place with a free dance machine when the grandkids were young and they could run up a comp bill that rivaled their frugal grandma. Free movies for years and free car washes until that popular perk broke down and to our sorrow was finally removed. (I kept those free coins for years, hoping I could someday use them!) And gifts, gifts, gifts! Someday I’ll walk around the apartment and list everything I see that came from the Palms. I go to Ang and Steve’s house and even sometimes spot something there!

So even if I never get back there, I’m excited for all of you who live in Vegas and the out-of-towners who will visit the new Palms. Maybe you can bring me joy by writing about it in the Comments. I’m hoping hoping hoping that you’ll find positive things to write about!

A Few Words about the “New” Video

A Few Words about the “New” Video

I’m pausing my book-report series to address a subject that is causing some heated discussion online: a video that has popped up on YouTube, one in which I was interviewed by Steve Bourie.

The first problem is that many viewers didn’t read the explanation that came with that video, that it was an edited re-post from 2016. Steve has re-posted some of his older videos, since he has a new American Casino Guide website.

Many of you have been following Brad’s and my 39-year casino adventure for a long time, have seen this video before, and know many of the stories of our journey. Many of you are also long-time video poker advantage players, having been on the same path and dealing with the same problems I talked about in 2016. And you know that it has been a steady decline since that time, especially exacerbated by the pandemic.

To those who point out that what we did back then is impossible these days, I agree. However, many of the techniques I talked about in this video are still valuable for casino visitors today. Casino gambling has never stayed the same. However, most players have always entered the casino with the same unchanging goals: stretching their bankroll so they have longer fun time and, if they can’t always win, losing as little as possible.

I’m reading all the comments from those who watched this rerun from 2016 and there are an amazing number of them, way over 270 the last time I checked. I ignore all the negative rants, but many have posted thoughtful comments and honest questions that deserve an answer. I especially enjoyed hearing about the positive experiences of those who have been traveling with Brad and me on this path of wise gambling, validating the facts that this was something that could be and was done by many players back in the time period I described in the video. It always warms my heart to hear when my words have helped someone have a better casino experience. (I think this is the main reason why I keep putting off retirement! 😊)

First, some answers to technical questions. The white car we won at the Stardust was a Mercury Mystique. (Actually, we didn’t need a new car at the time, so we sold it back to the dealer.) And yes, you do need to take into consideration the tax implications of gambling. Once we started serious play, we filed as a business and that allowed us to deduct our losses and expenses and pay taxes only on the net win. Recreational players have never been able to do that and recent tax changes have made that even a more severe hindrance for many. The book Tax Help for Gamblers will help you navigate those treacherous IRS waters.

A couple of updating items. I actually didn’t revise the first two Frugal books, as I mentioned I’d do at the end of the video. I soon realized when I started that project that there were just too many changes in the casino environment, so I had to write a whole new book. In The Frugal Gambler Casino Guide, I suggested new paths for the wise gambler. Also, I no longer have my own website, but I am still continuing to look for helpful information to put in this blog.

Perhaps for some people the biggest problem with the video is that they misunderstood that flashy title, “How She Made a Million Dollars Gambling in Casinos!” That “million” did not happen on one lucky trip to Las Vegas. In 2016, we’d been playing in casinos for over 30 years, living in Vegas for the last 16 of them. Yes, we hit some big jackpots; anyone who plays a lot will have some lucky hits. But I was careful to explain that we also had to suffer through many long losing streaks. Almost all successful gamblers will talk about “grinding out a win,” sticking with the best mathematical plays through thick and thin, whether you’re winning or losing.

Some wondered whether Brad and I are still playing video poker or did we go broke. We rarely visit casinos anymore, because we moved from Las Vegas in 2020 when Brad’s physical and mental health was declining, and there are no casinos nearby where we live in Georgia. But not only did we not go broke, thankfully we remained financially frugal during all the years of our casino life and now our gambling winnings help support our stay in a lovely senior-living home.

We’re planning to go to Harrah’s Cherokee the weekend of March 24. And that answers one last question from a video viewer. “Are they dead?”

News and Views

News and Views

The mantra of the casino player is “the only constant is change.”

I found this quote online and it sums up the theme of my writings for the last 23 years. In fact, if all casinos had the same policies and never tinkered with them, if they always kept the same owners and management teams, and if they never never revamped their players clubs, I’m not sure I would have seen the need to write those first blogs in April 2000. For sure I wouldn’t still be writing one in January 2022. Change is the driver that has kept me on the gaming-writing road.

By the way, when I clicked on that 2000 archive link above just before I started writing this blog, I felt like I was in a time machine going backward. I hadn’t read many of these old blogs for years. A reader who just recently started casino gambling would probably think they were back in the Dark Ages. But if you’re a long-term gambler, it might bring back some happy memories, though tempered by a deep sadness as you’re reminded how good casino gambling used to be.

However, I did smile when I read some of the general advice I gave back then to help players gamble smarter. Yes, I’ve been pounding the same drums for over 20 years. Consider this excerpt from April 14, 2000:  Words I hate to read in a letter from a casino: “We’re improving our slot club.” I have NEVER, in 17 years of casino gambling, known the changes in a slot club to benefit me!  I could write and have written that recently, just changing the number to 39!

Okay, we must not dwell on the past so much that it keeps us from coping with the present as best we can. Here are some current news items readers have shared with me or I’ve read online.

Tuscany has changed its players club point system. Video poker now requires $2 coin-in to earn one point. Previously it was $1 per point. I could find no information about the players club on the website. On their page about promotions, they mention the DaVinci Rewards Players Club, but I could find no details about it. I finally found some info on vpFREE2, a valuable resource I go to frequently.

I don’t know whether Tuscany put the new information out on communications to players club members. It seems that this change took place at the beginning of the year. Good advice for players is to check casino websites at the beginning of each year. Sometimes casinos don’t notify their players club members when changes are made; they just put new rules up on the website. This may have happened with CZR. I wasn’t tracking this, but one of my readers said they reduced the number of tier credits you earned when paying for a hotel room. Seemed to me that I’d seen that they jumped it to 5 tier credits per dollar last year. Now I see it’s down to 1 tier credit.

It would be helpful if readers would post casino-change information. You can do it here in the comment section. And it would be great if more would post these sorts of details on vpFREE. This used to be such a great resource. but now there aren’t many members who post there. I’m not sure whether so many didn’t make the transfer when it had to find a new home  or whether so many have reduced their casino visits or completely abandoned VP since the pandemic struck. I do encourage players to post changes or other casino news they know about. Of course, we don’t expect “secret good plays,” but much helpful information can be shared.

Amidst all the bad news these days, occasionally there is some good news that many players will be happy to hear. The tribal leaders have voted to permanently ban smoking in both Harrah’s casinos in North Carolina, Cherokee and Murphy. For you smokers, the news is not all bad, since they did leave open the opportunity for Harrah’s to add dedicated smoking sections that employees could volunteer to staff.

Happy News: We all celebrated Brad’s 90th birthday on January 18.

Thinking about good casino news, I’m cautiously optimistic that after the pandemic effect is gone, casinos may have to start thinking that perhaps they will need to be more player-friendly to strengthen their bottom line. More promotions? More comps? More free play?

And perhaps some new owners will have some old-fashioned ideas about how to make their customers feel appreciated. I may not get to Vegas soon or ever, but I’m super excited — and hopeful —  about the reopening of the Palms.

I’m going to “steal” a great optimistic quote from my fellow blogger David McKee. If you want to read no-holds-barred casino news from all over the country, you need to read “Stiffs and Georges.” I love his tell-it-like-it-is attitude!

Quote of the Day: “Native American casino operators will undoubtedly bring their unique operating model, which focuses more on the long-term benefit of tribal citizens than quarterly results. I think they will give the big, corporate, publicly held companies a run for their money.”—Industry analyst Josh Swissman on the arrival of tribal-gaming operators on the Las Vegas Strip.

Comments and responses, questions and answers, fall colors and jackpots

Comments and responses, questions and answers, fall colors and jackpots

The Comment Folder

I love your comments here on my blog, whether they add valuable information, ask a question, express your feelings, or even disagree with my viewpoint. I never change their main ideas, although I do edit them a bit sometimes, especially spelling, punctuation, verbosity. I can’t control my inner English teacher; I’m afraid she’ll never retire!

Here are some samples (in italics) and my responses to them:

 It’s a time for advantage players to show the patience and discipline that led them to that designation in the first place. Use your feet – they’re the only leverage you have. Hustle around to look for something decent and if you can’t find anything decent, do not succumb to the powerful urge to just play a lousy game. The casinos will come back to us; they do need us, just not right now. Learn from this; it’s a big challenge; they are trying to get us to forget what we learned over time and sweat.

Tired of scrambling for a good play? That is one player’s advice. I hope the casinos will come back to us, but I’m not optimistic for a big move. Hopefully, maybe just a few small ones?

The interesting thing I’ve now noticed is if you have a nice winning month, do not expect a mailer the next month. Last year, I had a great month at Green Valley Ranch. Hit a nice royal and won almost every day that month. No more mailers for 3 months after that.

I used to write that it didn’t matter whether you won or lost, that the casino would reward you on a scale that tracked how much play you gave them. That time is long gone!

Don’t be afraid to use strategy cards in the casino.

I would have to add this warning: Be discreet if you do. Don’t set up the card (or an 8½ by 11 printed-out strategy sheet, which I’ve also seen) on the machine. Casinos may not be as paranoid about smart gamblers as they used to be, but it’s always best to stay below their radar.

I don’t always choose my casino game for its math EV (expected value). I have another EV I look for – “enjoyment value.”

Nothing wrong with either of those definitions!

When I lose in a casino, I just sing the Dire Straits song that goes, “Sometimes you’re the windshield, sometimes you’re the bug.”

😊

The Q+A Folder

I get a lot of questions about comps, which I’m always glad to answer. But sometimes a question has already been asked – and answered – in the Question of the Day section of this website. Here’s one example. And yes, sometimes that QOD guy (Deke) shoots me a question to answer!

Q:  What resources do you like for finding out about all the new technology we see popping up all the time in casinos, like cashless options and everything computerized, even comps.

A:  My favorite is “Frank Floor Talk.” These two Franks, Buddy Frank and Frank Legato, are super knowledgeable and write in a clear way to help players understand the new complex high-tech stuff you are seeing in today’s casinos.  You can check out their archives for a wealth of information they have covered over the years.  It’s fascinating stuff, some that amazes an old-timer gambler like me!

Q:  What is going on with the “Seven Star Insider”? No newsletter or website updates since July.

A:  I haven’t been able to contact Darryl McEwen to see if this is a temporary or permanent situation. This was my first go-to place when I wanted to learn details about CZR properties and benefits. It still has some good usable info, but be aware some will be quickly outdated. I really miss it.

And speaking of good resources, because of the pandemic, many are disappearing or changing their form. Here is the latest word about The American Casino Guide: 

 Due to the COVID-19 crisis, we were not able to publish a 2021 edition of our book. We were hoping to come back with a 2022 edition, but due to the uncertainty of the COVID-19 situation, we will be unable to do so. Therefore, after 29 years of continuously publishing our book, we have made the decision to discontinue the printed version. We will be transitioning all of the detailed casino information from our printed book into a digital format that will only be available on our website, or on our FREE iOS and Android apps. Using these platforms, we will also have the ability to offer coupons to our customers and we anticipate that those coupons could be either printed out, or displayed on a mobile device, for redemption at the casinos. We look forward to offering these coupons in the future, however, we don’t see that happening until the COVID-19 situation is less severe.

Now for a personal note. I’m sorry to share the sad news of the passing of one of our dear friends, Hedy Valledolmo. She and her husband Tom (CoachVee) were enthusiastic members of the large group of VP players who over many years became friends as we met in casinos all over the country – at the machines, at the casino parties and tournaments, and on the cruises. Our sympathies are with a grieving husband – Hedy and Tom were a real team! Here is her obituary and a place to leave memories and condolences.

Another note: Angela and Steve are taking us to Harrah’s Cherokee October 14-17 if Brad’s health stays stable. We are hoping to hit the prime beautiful leaves-changing period outdoors and maybe a jackpot indoors too. Also, always looking forward to seeing some frugalites. Email me and we can set up a time to meet: [email protected]

The More Resources the Better

The More Resources the Better

“How do you find out all that up-to-date casino information you put in your blog?” I’m getting this question frequently these days, since many players know I can’t now visit casinos very often.

There is a simple answer, really. I’m doing just about the same things I’ve done for the last 20+ years of writing. Yes, back when I visited a casino somewhere most days of the week, I collected general information I could share in my books and blog. However, specific details were mostly to guide Brad and me in our personal play at that specific casino. I always tried to remember that not every player is alike. Not everyone is a Vegas local or even plays much in Las Vegas. I have always written for players all over the country and for those who had differing goals and bankrolls. That is what I’m still doing. But these days, I need a lot more than just personal visits to a few scattered casinos.  I need other resources to find information. And especially in this new tough casino environment, I need them more than I ever did before.

The basic information source for me has always been – and still is – anything I can read. It used to be hard-copy books and magazines. And books about gambling are still being published that give new ideas and inspiration. You can check out the LVA shop for recent titles. And while you’re there, you can find some of the older books that contain valuable gambling advice that’s still usable and most of these books sell for very frugal prices. I used to say that I could find at least one hint in almost any gambling book that would make me more money in a casino than the cost of the book!

Nowadays, much of my reading is done online. I spend many hours a week searching for information from other gaming writers. Of course, I faithfully read the Las Vegas Advisor, but also all the blogs and other content on this LVA site. And here’s a hint I have found most valuable. I not only read the blogs, but also the comments on the blogs, going back a week or so. Not everyone reads and comments on a blog the same day it’s posted. I’m often amazed by the bits and pieces of helpful information I find in these comments, including those on my own blog.

I also check out industry news. The CDC site is a good place for this. Also David McKee gives some good details in his Stiffs and Georges blog.

If you google specific casino companies and search for their press releases, you’ll be astounded how forthright they sometimes are in revealing their “secrets.” In recent months, I’ve read quite a few quotes from casino executives who specifically say that they’re looking for “higher-value” players (translation: those who lose more and don’t need rewards to keep them coming), while they won’t cater to “lower-value” players (low-rollers, especially those who win). That might help you understand why your mailers are going downhill.

For other industry inside information, you can look for casino analysts reports. I recently read one that talked about new software coming out that will make things harder for players looking for an advantage. This one is particularly scary! “Acres Manufacturing envisions casino operators being able to increase offers to high-margin (or casual) players,  while reducing offers to low-margin or advantage players.”

I also regularly check into gambling forums. One of my favorites is vpFREE. Subscribe at their new home.  Although it’s video poker-centric, there’s often players club news that any machine player might find helpful. This long-term forum no longer has as many participants as in the past, partly because it had to change its location, but mainly because so many video poker players have dropped out of action during the pandemic. But even in this current rebuilding stage, I’ve found some useful information on video poker and players clubs.

An example is a warning one vpFREE member posted about the Rampart Casino in Las Vegas. Maybe some of you had been excited about this casino starting to have more multi-point days. Better carefully read the casino explanation of the new change in their players club:

We’ve also received feedback that our point multipliers are not competitive with other area casinos. Our goal is to offer the best promotional line-up for our players, and offering a competitive multiplier is very important to us. Therefore, as of September 1, 2021, we are rolling out an all-new Rampart Rewards Program.

Earning points will remain the same and there will be no change to the way players earn points in the system. You will continue to earn $1 of slot coin-in = 1 point and $2 of video poker coin-in = 1 point.

Our redemptions will change in the following way: Current redemption: 200 points = $1 in cash back, free slot play, or comps. New redemption: 1,000 points = $1 cash, free slot play, or comps – this will begin September 1. With this new change to our point multipliers, you will be earning points faster than ever at Rampart Casino!

The poster isn’t tricked and you shouldn’t be either. He says: “To try to sugar coat an 80% reduction in comps/cashback by saying it is being done to accommodate customer feedback asking for better multipliers takes a lot of guts. So far, only Labor Day had a multiplier, and for VP it was 5X, meaning that even on a multiplier day, the new program is FAR worse than the old program every day of the week!”

Some of you may think this forum doesn’t give you any helpful information about the outside-of-Vegas casinos where you play. You yourself can change that pretty fast. Just post a question about a specific casino anywhere and you will usually get input from other members. I have gotten a lot of help this way recently with our visits to Harrah’s Cherokee. And being on this forum can have an added bonus: You may have the opportunity to make new friends that share your enthusiasm for video poker and it will perhaps lead to private communication and the sharing of information about the casinos where you play. I have learned a lot of casino “secrets” this way!

Above, I’ve described some of the main resources I use, but I’m sure there are many more. I’m interested in learning how you get valuable casino info. Please feel free to share your experiences in the comments.

 

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