Jean Scott's Frugal Vegas

First, thanks to everyone who says nice things about this blog. I find it a real compliment when people say they read it. A writer’s nightmare is when no one reads what they write! 

Now to your questions and issues.

Q:  A friend and I both play at Harrah’s properties. Which is most advantageous, one of us to be a higher Diamond or both of us to be just Diamond level?

Q:  We will be in Vegas in March. Where do you suggest the best slot play and bargains are?

Sorry to say it is almost impossible for me to tackle questions like these Read more… »

It’s time to answer some of the questions that have appeared in the “Comments” or come to me in private e-mails.

Where can I find out what casinos offer the best Video Poker Odds and what those odds are? Read more… »

Wow!  My last blog entry certainly generated a great discussion in the “Comments” – and I love that.  In fact, this is the very reason why I sometimes allow-to-be-published very negative comments or mention their content.  Being in the public eye for so long, I have had to develop very thick skin – and criticism doesn’t bother me at all anymore.  But I appreciate all your support.

Comments here have a wealth of information in them, Read more… »

I’m getting some flak from a few readers who think I have deserted the low roller since we now play at a higher level than quarters.  And some others complain that I am “too unrealistic” about playing skillful video poker.  (Remember to keep your comments civil even when you disagree with me.  I won’t “Approve” a comment that uses vulgar language or rants and raves endlessly on the same topic!)

Here are some of my random thoughts about each of these complaints, most of them just repetitions of things I have said….many times over and over…in the past.  First, “frugal” does not mean cheap and does not describe just low-level gambling.  “Frugal” means getting good value for your money anywhere and at any level of gambling play. Read more… »

Thanks to everyone who commented, both here and in private e-mails, on the report I gave recently about our last 15 years of advantage gambling. Many understood the reason I decided to share this personal information:  I want to encourage people who have similar goals but show that it is an up-and-down ride.  I did not give our own exact figures because….well first, that is a secret I share only with the IRS.  But more importantly, it would have taken too much explanation since we have played so many different games over those years and in greatly varying denominations.

In 1997, the first year of that report, although we were still playing some quarter games, we had pretty much gone to the dollar level.  And once multi-line games came on the scene, our per-bet amount rose considerably.  Slowly, as our bankroll grew, we went from $1 multi-line to $5  Triple and Five Play, quarter Hundred Play, and $1 Fifty Play.  However, as the good pickin’s have become slimmer in the last few years,  our per-bet-a-hand average has gone down drastically.  We play a lot of $1 and $2 single-line these days.  We prefer multi-line but the opportunities there for good plays are limited.  Because we don’t play at the higher denominations as much as we used to, volatility has risen considerably.  Have a couple of really bad sessions on high-bet machines and it takes a lot of hours to recoup the losses  on low-bet plays.  Playing within a large range of denominations takes nerves of steel – and a  very substantial bankroll.  It is not for the faint of heart and small bankrolls.

What about the future, some have asked us?  We are still finding enough positive plays to keep us as busy as we wish to be – but that means playing fewer hours than in the past.   As usual, Brad plays more than I do.  He likes to go out almost every day, but not always for major play sessions.  Sometimes it means just some small action as he runs through free play he is collecting in a couple of casinos.  I prefer to stay home and work in my office two or three days a week.  So we usually do our longer plays together only several days a week, mostly one- or two-hour sessions and rarely more than three.  Although our plays are all positive ones, many are with a smaller edge than we used to be able to find.  So, again, that adds to the volatility factor.  Less play, smaller edge – that may mean that it will take longer to see a plus  result.  Video poker EV doesn’t close up books on December 31st every year!

One  fellow Colts fan noticed that I mentioned sportsbetting in this report:  Jean, for sportsbetting, were you betting on the Colts? I have to say I was a Colts fan for years. That’s because I’ve been a Manning fan since the dad was a freshman at Ole Miss. I hated to see Peyton leave Indianapolis. But since he has, I understand why he went to Denver. He doesn’t have to compete against his brother in the NFC, or Tom Brady in the AFC East. And the AFC West is a nothing division where he is practically guaranteed to make the playoffs. I’m gonna be a big Bronco’s fan this year.

Yes, for many years Brad bet on almost all Colts games – after all he had lived in the Indianapolis area his whole life before we moved to Las Vegas in 2000! This was definitely NOT advantage gambling, but a recreational choice.  Brad is not a rabid sports fan, but enjoys watching some football.  On the other hand, I am definitely totally uninterested in sports.  However, on Sundays – or Monday nights – when the Colts were playing, having a hundred-dollar bet on the game made those few hours extra entertaining for Brad – and even got some of my interest.

However, Brad’s enthusiam for sport betting has steadily declined over the years.  He says he became tired of having his bet be good all through a game and losing it in the last two minutes.  “With a bad heart anyway, I don’t need to do something that gets my blood pressure boiling.”  So although he hasn’t completely stopped watching football, he hasn’t made a sports bet, even on the Colts, for the last couple of years.  When recreation gambling isn’t fun any more, that’s the time to stop.

I just went through my blog’s bulging “Spam File.” Most were generic innocuous comments, with the main purpose of getting attention for their commercial Web site that has nothing to do with gambling or Las Vegas. Some were inadvertently humorous. I liked this one: “Your blog is so interesting why don’t you write a book?” However, once in a while I find a legitimate post that, for some unknown reason, has been mistaken for spam. So if your comment doesn’t ever appear, you can e-mail me privately about this. Do remember that I don’t go to my blog every day, so give it a few days. I must “Approve” every comment before it shows up in the public comment column.

Another issue I find is that a lot of people who have “Subscribed” to my blog (so they get an e-mail when I post a new entry) must have changed their e-mail address or their Inbox is full, perhaps because that is an e-mail account they don’t check very often. So I receive many bounce notices. If you do want an immediate notification, be sure you subscribe with a current active e-mail address. And you might want to unsubscribe from any old inactive ones.

Unrelated to this blog, but a question I get off and on is about the chances of getting autographs for the books of mine you have purchased. I don’t have as many public appearances as I used to, but I am always glad to autograph your books wherever and whenever you see me. In a casino Brad and I are always happy to stop playing video poker and chat with frugal fans who want to meet us in person – and that is a good time for autograph signing. People also ask about buying books from me personally. We aren’t in the book marketing business anymore but there are many places on the Internet where my books are for sale. However, I usually do have a couple in my purse for frugalites who don’t want to pay postage! I always have at least one copy of the Frugal VP Scouting Guide, and right now, because it is new, I have a copy of the updated Tax Help for Gamblers. Just ask me for a “frugal price.”

And one last comment on O’Sheas closing. I just read in the newspaper that all their employees have been offered positions in other company casinos.

Wow!  I’m surprised that almost no one else wondered about the wisdom of the “Drink Us Dry” promotion to celebrate the closing of O’Sheas Casino.  I talked about this in my last blog entry and speculated that someone’s job might be on the line, perhaps even more than one.

Well, some wanted explanations of my viewpoint, so here goes: Read more… »

I must caution everyone not to take every piece of gambling information you read on the Internet as “gospel.”  That goes especially for gambling forums, where sometimes people post information about video poker games, or promotions, or casino policies that turns out to be erroneous.  These are usually inadvertent mistakes:  A poster doesn’t do a thorough scouting job.  Or, a casino employee gives out incorrect or incomplete details. Or, a casino makes a sudden mid-stream change.

This problem even exists in the “Comments” right here on my blog. Read more… »

Here are some questions asked of me recently, either in the “Comments” or in private e-mails. By the way my e-mail address is queenofcomps@ cox.net. I do try to answer all e-mails as soon as I can. However, please don’t ask me broad questions Read more… »

Yes, it is true Brad entered a new decade of his life.  He turned 80 on January 18 while we were at the Horseshoe in Hammond, Indiana.  It was a great time to use up a Harrah’s Seven Star Celebration Dinner at their fine steakhouse. Read more… »