On a recent visit to the Las Vegas Hotel and Casino -- formerly the Las Vegas Hilton -- I couldn't help but notice a new game just inside the entrance to the race and sports book (I also saw this game downtown at the Four Queens). Called "Triple Towers Greyhound Racing," It's a two-sided big-screen TV surrounded by betting stations. Every few minutes an animated dog race is run on the TV. It's fun to watch, but I wouldn't think of playing unless I had the answers to these questions:
How is the order in which the dogs finish each race determined? If it's random, how is randomization achieved? If it's not random,what factors are involved? The game designates some dogs as favorites or underdogs, based on the results of their past five races. But if the race results are random, this information means nothing.
What is the casino's takout from the bets made? In other words, what is the average percentage return on each bet to the players? How does this compare with what actual dog tracks take out?
Triple Towers is an offshoot of the trend toward electronic table games, including blackjack, roulette, craps and three-card poker. Judging by their increased presence on casino floors, these games appear to be popular with players, possibly in part because of their usually lower minimum bets than their real-like counterparts. But do these games offer players a good value?
My concern in this regard, which also applies to the greyhound race game, is that the house edge (or track takeout) on the "real" games (or race bets) reflects the cost of operating those games, particularly paying the dealers, pit clerks, supervisors and other employees involved. These costs should be much less for the electronic versions, so the odds should be better for the players, right?
I haven't done any systematic study, but my casual observation suggests that this is not usually the case. The craps and roulette set-ups I've seen offer the same payouts as their real-life counterparts. In the case of roulette, this means a double-zero game (exception: some upright slot-like rouletter machines I've seen are single-zero). The blackjack games have varying rules, some paying 6-to-5 for blackjack, which is to be avoided in all manifestations of the game. Some of the blackjack games have very good rules, including surrender. The one downside is that they cannot accommodate re-splitting of hands, so players are limited to splitting each hand once.
Another downside is that at some casinos craps and roulette machines don't take players' cards, meaning no comps for playing these games. One casino worker explained to me that this is to prevent people from making offsetting bets such as both black and red on roulette and racking up lots of points while losing little money.
On the other hand, there is no dealer to tip, which saves some players money.
At one small casino, Monte Lago at Lake Las Vegas in Henderson, what had been a live table games pit under previous ownership now consists entirely of electronic games. I don't expect to see this happen soon at larger casinos, but the electronic versions are likely to replace some of the lower-limit (and less profitable) table games.
Particularly with the blackjack games, players should review the rules carefully before playing. And they should play the other games only if they're willing to give the house the same edge its gets on the live versions. In most cases, that's too much for me.
Monday, February 27, 2012
Palms update
At the Palms the other night I bumped into a slot manager and started what became a lengthy conversation between him and my wife and me about the recent changes at the Palms. First, the good news: According to this particular executive, the removal of good video poker games is over. But like anything else said by any casino employee, this must be taken with a grain of salt. Everthing in a casino is always subject to change, and from my outside perspective, internal communication within casinos and casino companies appears to be generally terrible, so employees are not always aware of what is going on or coming down the pike.
This manager admitted that many customers have complained about the changes and that the Palms has recently lost some business to the Gold Coast, a casino across the street that now has a generally stronger video poker lineup than the Palms. He also said that many of the complainers are still coming to the Palms, out of habit, if nothing else. Significantly, while defending the changes from a business point of view, he admitted that they were handled poorly from a public relations point of view. I'm not sure what the best way is to handle a situation where you're taking something away from people, but the Palms has done little to soften the blow, making at least some longtime customers feel their business is no longer appreciated (the executive made it clear that concerning some customers, this is in fact the case).
He also said that machines have been removed because too many were underused. Casinos pay a state fee for each machine on the slot floor, and of course have many other expenses, so a machine that doesn't get enough play is less valuable than empty floor space (maybe that explains the open prairies at the M Resort). Separted from the issue of the types of games and pay tables offered, this strikes me as simply good management and was an aspect of running a casino I had been unaware of. Of course, players don't care if machines they don't play are removed.
But there's no question that games many serious video poker players played are now gone, including the 25-cent full-pay deuces wild progressive, the 10/7 double bonus progressive and, now, all the 16/10 deuces wild on triple play/five play machines. The Palms was the last casino in Vegas to offer the latter, and they were what I usually played. I mentioned this, and my disappointment, to the slot manager, and he replied that some players had "hammered" the casino on these games. I pointed out that they are negative-return games (to the players), even with perfect play and taking into account the value of slot club points. Further, play on these machines has long been ineligible for qualifying for promotions, and for point multipliers. A few players might have been able to gain a very slight edge if you included the value of their mailers and promotions such as free pulls on Megabucks and Wheel of Fortune, but I can't see how anyone could have "hammered" the Palms on these machines. He really didn't have an answer when I pointed this out. In my opinion, the value to the Palms of continuing to be the only casino offering these enormously fun-to-play games would have been worth any small losses the casino might have incurred as a result of the play of a very few people.
One interesting thing the slot manager shared was his view of the difference between slot (reel) players and video poker players. He described slot players as seeking entertainment and excitement, and not concerned about coming out ahead in the long run as long as they get the excitement of chasing after (mostly small) bonuses and jackpots and occasionally winning. Video poker players, on the other hand, he clearly saw as economic adversaries -- people who expect to win and to get everything they can from the casino. For example, he said that many, many more reel players play without a players' club card, giving away any comps and marketing offers they might be entitled to. Many more video poker players use a card, he said, and use all the points they accrue. I think his views may be colored by the Palms' history as a mecca for serious video poker players. What he says is undoubtedly true for a segment of video poker players, but they are probably a small minority in most casinos. Many, many video poker players don't use players' cards, don't know much if anything about pay tables or game strategy, and believe that winning is just as much a matter of luck in video poker as it is in playing reels.
Still, his attitude is one that seems to reflect the thinking in the industry, which has become less generous to video poker players in the six or so years I've been playing that game. Video poker players used to get the same benefits as reel players -- the same point multipliers, the same coin-in requirements to qualify for gifts and benefits, etc. This has changed at most casinos, and I can't say it's entirely unfair. Even bad video poker players playing bad games lose less than most reel players, and video poker machines are generally faster than reel machines, meaning players can accumulate points faster. But casino mangers should keep in mind that the reel players who lose more may lose interest in gambling -- or run out of gambling money -- sooner. To the extent that the industry squeezes video poker players it jeopardizes a part of its customer base that is likely to provide a more stable, long-lasting source of income.
So what am I going to do now about the Palms? Barring further changes in the video poker lineup, I plan to continue playing there. The Palms still has a couple of games I'm interested in playing -- 16/10 deuces wild at $2 and 9/6 jacks or better at 25 cents on 10-play machines. Both of these games return more than 99.5 percent (the Palms' slot club points add 0.25 percent), and play on the jacks qualifies for promotions. At least one positive game is still available -- 10/7 double bonus. Compared to what the Palms used to have, it's current lineup is very disappointing. Compared to what most other casinos offer, its lineup is still competitive, especially combined with its promotions, even just those available to players of "non-promotional" machines. And I was surprised to find in my March mailer that my free play and dining offers had doubled in value from February. Of course, it doesn't hurt that the Palms is only a short walk across the street from the Gold Coast, a casino I usually visit several days a week.
However, just about any further cuts to the video poker at the Palms could change my plans. The slot manager I spoke with pointed out that players have a right to vote with their feet. That's a right I reserve, but hope not to have to use, concerning the Palms.
This manager admitted that many customers have complained about the changes and that the Palms has recently lost some business to the Gold Coast, a casino across the street that now has a generally stronger video poker lineup than the Palms. He also said that many of the complainers are still coming to the Palms, out of habit, if nothing else. Significantly, while defending the changes from a business point of view, he admitted that they were handled poorly from a public relations point of view. I'm not sure what the best way is to handle a situation where you're taking something away from people, but the Palms has done little to soften the blow, making at least some longtime customers feel their business is no longer appreciated (the executive made it clear that concerning some customers, this is in fact the case).
He also said that machines have been removed because too many were underused. Casinos pay a state fee for each machine on the slot floor, and of course have many other expenses, so a machine that doesn't get enough play is less valuable than empty floor space (maybe that explains the open prairies at the M Resort). Separted from the issue of the types of games and pay tables offered, this strikes me as simply good management and was an aspect of running a casino I had been unaware of. Of course, players don't care if machines they don't play are removed.
But there's no question that games many serious video poker players played are now gone, including the 25-cent full-pay deuces wild progressive, the 10/7 double bonus progressive and, now, all the 16/10 deuces wild on triple play/five play machines. The Palms was the last casino in Vegas to offer the latter, and they were what I usually played. I mentioned this, and my disappointment, to the slot manager, and he replied that some players had "hammered" the casino on these games. I pointed out that they are negative-return games (to the players), even with perfect play and taking into account the value of slot club points. Further, play on these machines has long been ineligible for qualifying for promotions, and for point multipliers. A few players might have been able to gain a very slight edge if you included the value of their mailers and promotions such as free pulls on Megabucks and Wheel of Fortune, but I can't see how anyone could have "hammered" the Palms on these machines. He really didn't have an answer when I pointed this out. In my opinion, the value to the Palms of continuing to be the only casino offering these enormously fun-to-play games would have been worth any small losses the casino might have incurred as a result of the play of a very few people.
One interesting thing the slot manager shared was his view of the difference between slot (reel) players and video poker players. He described slot players as seeking entertainment and excitement, and not concerned about coming out ahead in the long run as long as they get the excitement of chasing after (mostly small) bonuses and jackpots and occasionally winning. Video poker players, on the other hand, he clearly saw as economic adversaries -- people who expect to win and to get everything they can from the casino. For example, he said that many, many more reel players play without a players' club card, giving away any comps and marketing offers they might be entitled to. Many more video poker players use a card, he said, and use all the points they accrue. I think his views may be colored by the Palms' history as a mecca for serious video poker players. What he says is undoubtedly true for a segment of video poker players, but they are probably a small minority in most casinos. Many, many video poker players don't use players' cards, don't know much if anything about pay tables or game strategy, and believe that winning is just as much a matter of luck in video poker as it is in playing reels.
Still, his attitude is one that seems to reflect the thinking in the industry, which has become less generous to video poker players in the six or so years I've been playing that game. Video poker players used to get the same benefits as reel players -- the same point multipliers, the same coin-in requirements to qualify for gifts and benefits, etc. This has changed at most casinos, and I can't say it's entirely unfair. Even bad video poker players playing bad games lose less than most reel players, and video poker machines are generally faster than reel machines, meaning players can accumulate points faster. But casino mangers should keep in mind that the reel players who lose more may lose interest in gambling -- or run out of gambling money -- sooner. To the extent that the industry squeezes video poker players it jeopardizes a part of its customer base that is likely to provide a more stable, long-lasting source of income.
So what am I going to do now about the Palms? Barring further changes in the video poker lineup, I plan to continue playing there. The Palms still has a couple of games I'm interested in playing -- 16/10 deuces wild at $2 and 9/6 jacks or better at 25 cents on 10-play machines. Both of these games return more than 99.5 percent (the Palms' slot club points add 0.25 percent), and play on the jacks qualifies for promotions. At least one positive game is still available -- 10/7 double bonus. Compared to what the Palms used to have, it's current lineup is very disappointing. Compared to what most other casinos offer, its lineup is still competitive, especially combined with its promotions, even just those available to players of "non-promotional" machines. And I was surprised to find in my March mailer that my free play and dining offers had doubled in value from February. Of course, it doesn't hurt that the Palms is only a short walk across the street from the Gold Coast, a casino I usually visit several days a week.
However, just about any further cuts to the video poker at the Palms could change my plans. The slot manager I spoke with pointed out that players have a right to vote with their feet. That's a right I reserve, but hope not to have to use, concerning the Palms.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
A solution to smoke?
After spending most of the past two-plus years in Southern Nevada casinos, I can tell you without a doubt that the worst thing about it has been the smoke-filled air in most of them. Nevada casinos are among the few business premises left in which smoking is tolerated. In fact, it is encouraged, by cigarette comps, ever-present ashtrays and a culture that accepts smoking as the norm, rather than the exception. Many casinos, especially smaller ones, have ventilation systems inadequate to the task of keeping the air breathable. Some have established nonsmoking areas, but these are usually too small to be effective and/or they contain a limited selection of machines, rarely including the best in the casino (One notable exception is Green Valley Ranch Station Casino, which has an entire nonsmoking wing that contains some of its best video poker machines.)
Casino owners must know they're losing business from nonsmokers who either won't put up with the smoke or who gamble less than they would if the air were clean. But almost unanimously they have shown that they fear more the loss of business that would result if they were to bar smoking in large areas. Given the number of gamblers who seem to chain smoke as they plan, that may be true. But it does often lead to unpleasant and unhealthy conditions for employees and nonsmoking customers.
This weekend I experienced what may be the solution to this dilemma. A locals' casino in Henderson, Club Fortune, has installed what it calls "an innovative system from Moleculair Technologies that removes second hand smoke and other odors from the indoor environment." A blurb in the casino's monthly mailer invites players to "experience our natural, clean-smelling environment."
In the past, this casino has been one of the smokiest I've experienced. On Saturday night I stopped in to pick up my wife's and my free play, and my initial impression of this new system is that it works as promised. I made it a point to walk the entire casino floor, and the air throughout was clean and fresh-smelling. The casino was not at its busiest -- this was after the drawings had ended at 11 p.m. -- but there were quite a few people playing and smoking. I will visit during a different, and I hope busier, time of day this week to test the air again. But based on my experience Saturday, I'm very hopeful that Moleculair Technologies has come up with a product that will improve greatly the experieces of casino customers and employees.
Club Fortune's mailer gives a phone number for information on Moleculair Technologies: (702) 566-5555, extension 128.
Casino owners must know they're losing business from nonsmokers who either won't put up with the smoke or who gamble less than they would if the air were clean. But almost unanimously they have shown that they fear more the loss of business that would result if they were to bar smoking in large areas. Given the number of gamblers who seem to chain smoke as they plan, that may be true. But it does often lead to unpleasant and unhealthy conditions for employees and nonsmoking customers.
This weekend I experienced what may be the solution to this dilemma. A locals' casino in Henderson, Club Fortune, has installed what it calls "an innovative system from Moleculair Technologies that removes second hand smoke and other odors from the indoor environment." A blurb in the casino's monthly mailer invites players to "experience our natural, clean-smelling environment."
In the past, this casino has been one of the smokiest I've experienced. On Saturday night I stopped in to pick up my wife's and my free play, and my initial impression of this new system is that it works as promised. I made it a point to walk the entire casino floor, and the air throughout was clean and fresh-smelling. The casino was not at its busiest -- this was after the drawings had ended at 11 p.m. -- but there were quite a few people playing and smoking. I will visit during a different, and I hope busier, time of day this week to test the air again. But based on my experience Saturday, I'm very hopeful that Moleculair Technologies has come up with a product that will improve greatly the experieces of casino customers and employees.
Club Fortune's mailer gives a phone number for information on Moleculair Technologies: (702) 566-5555, extension 128.
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Slot tournaments, big and small
One of the staples of casino promotions is the slot tournament. This involves a group of people playing, for a specified time, slot machines set up to record scores rather than pay out money. The participants might play one session or several, all at the same time or spread out over a number of sessions. The winner is usually the player with the highest score or the highest combined score for all his sessions, though there are variations. Many tournaments are free, giving players the attractive option of playing to win the casinos' money without risking any of their own.
Slot tournaments may be part of larger promotions, such as the senior days that have proliferated in Las Vegas-area locals' casinos. Station, in particular, advertises the $30,000 in slot tournament prizes it gives away to senior each week. So how excited should we be about this, and are these tournaments worth the time they take?
Station's $30,000 is broken down among 10 properties, which award $3,000 each. First prize is $1,000 and it drops off precipitously after that. Purses and prizes at the Coast properties that have senior tournaments are not radically different.
The formula for determining how much a tournament is worth to each player is simple (in theory): Total prize money divided by number of entries. Determining the prize money is usually easy; determing the number of entries can come down to a guess. I have asked the attendants at one tournament I used to attend regularly how many people that casino typically got and was told it was often more than 1,000. And many of those people earned as many as two additional entries with a minimal amount of slot play. So I figured this tournament might typically have 1,500 entries or more, making its mathematical value about $2. I used to go to this tournament at a Station property when that company's senior days also included a point multiplier and drawing, a package that make it worthwhile to spend several hours there. Now the point multiplier and drawing are gone, and so am I from Station casinos most Wednesdays.
Now just because the mathematical value of this tournament -- the average amount each player will win each time in the long run -- is only about $2 doesn't mean the tournament wouldn't be worth more than that to some people, even if they knew the mathematical value (my guess is that the vast majority don't). The first prize is an amount that's meaningful to most people, even if their chances of winning it are slim. It's a free roll, a reason to get out of the house and go somewhere nice for lunch, maybe meet friends, etc., etc.
As a professional, I'm more interested in the monetary value, and $2 just doesn't cut it, especially considering that there's also a time expediture involved. Although senior and other small slot tournaments seem to draw people in, at least one Vegas locals' casino has come up with what I think is a better option for both the players and the house. At the Orleans, earning 50 points on Tuesdays gets seniors a chance to spin a virtual wheel on a promotional kiosk. The prizes I've received include 10,000 slot club points (worth $10 in cash back or free play), two free buffets (worth about $20 taking into account the discount I receive as an Emerald-level player) and two tickets to Big Al's Comedy Club (which probably would be available to me and many other players as a comp). So the average is probably about $10, which combined with seven times points makes the Orleans' senior day a worthwhile stop for any oldster who plays there anyway. And the casino doesn't have the expenses of setting up and running a slot tournament, and the players save the time it would take to play. A proverbial "win-win," it seems to me.
Although the Orleans has found a good alternative to small slot tournaments, I don't think the wheel spin would be an acceptable replacement for the bigger tournaments, which often are part of a weekend package and require each participant to play in several sessions, making sure they'll all be in the casino at least a minimum amount of time. And there is genuine excitement and anticipation when a player scores well in one or two sessions and faces one more to determine his fate. Count me in, as long as the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow makes it worth my time.
Slot tournaments may be part of larger promotions, such as the senior days that have proliferated in Las Vegas-area locals' casinos. Station, in particular, advertises the $30,000 in slot tournament prizes it gives away to senior each week. So how excited should we be about this, and are these tournaments worth the time they take?
Station's $30,000 is broken down among 10 properties, which award $3,000 each. First prize is $1,000 and it drops off precipitously after that. Purses and prizes at the Coast properties that have senior tournaments are not radically different.
The formula for determining how much a tournament is worth to each player is simple (in theory): Total prize money divided by number of entries. Determining the prize money is usually easy; determing the number of entries can come down to a guess. I have asked the attendants at one tournament I used to attend regularly how many people that casino typically got and was told it was often more than 1,000. And many of those people earned as many as two additional entries with a minimal amount of slot play. So I figured this tournament might typically have 1,500 entries or more, making its mathematical value about $2. I used to go to this tournament at a Station property when that company's senior days also included a point multiplier and drawing, a package that make it worthwhile to spend several hours there. Now the point multiplier and drawing are gone, and so am I from Station casinos most Wednesdays.
Now just because the mathematical value of this tournament -- the average amount each player will win each time in the long run -- is only about $2 doesn't mean the tournament wouldn't be worth more than that to some people, even if they knew the mathematical value (my guess is that the vast majority don't). The first prize is an amount that's meaningful to most people, even if their chances of winning it are slim. It's a free roll, a reason to get out of the house and go somewhere nice for lunch, maybe meet friends, etc., etc.
As a professional, I'm more interested in the monetary value, and $2 just doesn't cut it, especially considering that there's also a time expediture involved. Although senior and other small slot tournaments seem to draw people in, at least one Vegas locals' casino has come up with what I think is a better option for both the players and the house. At the Orleans, earning 50 points on Tuesdays gets seniors a chance to spin a virtual wheel on a promotional kiosk. The prizes I've received include 10,000 slot club points (worth $10 in cash back or free play), two free buffets (worth about $20 taking into account the discount I receive as an Emerald-level player) and two tickets to Big Al's Comedy Club (which probably would be available to me and many other players as a comp). So the average is probably about $10, which combined with seven times points makes the Orleans' senior day a worthwhile stop for any oldster who plays there anyway. And the casino doesn't have the expenses of setting up and running a slot tournament, and the players save the time it would take to play. A proverbial "win-win," it seems to me.
Although the Orleans has found a good alternative to small slot tournaments, I don't think the wheel spin would be an acceptable replacement for the bigger tournaments, which often are part of a weekend package and require each participant to play in several sessions, making sure they'll all be in the casino at least a minimum amount of time. And there is genuine excitement and anticipation when a player scores well in one or two sessions and faces one more to determine his fate. Count me in, as long as the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow makes it worth my time.
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Bad news at the Palms
Since founder George Maloof lost control of the Palms, things have been going downhill, video poker-wise. First the full-pay deuces wild progressive came out; the $1 10/7 double bonus progressive was downgraded to 9/7, then removed; the $2 10/7 double bonus -- to my knowledge, the only positive game available in Vegas for more than $1 -- bit the dust. The $2 jack or better between the high-limit room and the Mint high-limit lounge, gone -- along with all the other video poker in that area, all replaced by slot machines.
On Wednesday I visited the Palms and went to play what has become my favorite game there, the $1 five-play "not so ugly" (16/10) deuces. For at least a couple of years, the Palms had been the only place you could play this good version of deuces on triple play/five machines. There was a group near the center of the casino and a couple more in the high-limit slot room. After playing my free Megabucks pulls on Wednesday I went to one of the triple play/five play machines on the main floor. Seeing the "this machine does not qualify for any promotions" sign still on the machine, I assumed the deuces were still 16/10 and began playing. Soon I noticed the deuces had been downgraded to 15/9, a reduction of about 0.9 percent to the players' return. In video poker this is a big deal.
I immediately cashed out and headed to the high limit room, where I was shocked to find an empty space where the last two triple play/five play machines had been. I asked the slot attendant what was going on and found here unsually forthcoming. She said she didn't know whether the triple play/five play machines were coming back but speculated they wouldn't, given the direction the new management was going. She said their focus was on penny slot players -- among the most helpless, pathetic gamblers (my words, not hers) -- and noted that all signs were that the Palms was headed toward becoming something like another Caesars Entertainment property. She said so many regular video poker players had left -- many of them in anger -- that she was surprised to still have a job.
It will be interesting to see what else the new management does to what had been one of the best places in the world to play video poker. If they stop the negative changes now, there's a good chance the Palms will still be worth visiting, though maybe not as often as before. But given what I've seen and heard, I can't be too optimistic that six months from now the Palms will still be on my dance card.
On Wednesday I visited the Palms and went to play what has become my favorite game there, the $1 five-play "not so ugly" (16/10) deuces. For at least a couple of years, the Palms had been the only place you could play this good version of deuces on triple play/five machines. There was a group near the center of the casino and a couple more in the high-limit slot room. After playing my free Megabucks pulls on Wednesday I went to one of the triple play/five play machines on the main floor. Seeing the "this machine does not qualify for any promotions" sign still on the machine, I assumed the deuces were still 16/10 and began playing. Soon I noticed the deuces had been downgraded to 15/9, a reduction of about 0.9 percent to the players' return. In video poker this is a big deal.
I immediately cashed out and headed to the high limit room, where I was shocked to find an empty space where the last two triple play/five play machines had been. I asked the slot attendant what was going on and found here unsually forthcoming. She said she didn't know whether the triple play/five play machines were coming back but speculated they wouldn't, given the direction the new management was going. She said their focus was on penny slot players -- among the most helpless, pathetic gamblers (my words, not hers) -- and noted that all signs were that the Palms was headed toward becoming something like another Caesars Entertainment property. She said so many regular video poker players had left -- many of them in anger -- that she was surprised to still have a job.
It will be interesting to see what else the new management does to what had been one of the best places in the world to play video poker. If they stop the negative changes now, there's a good chance the Palms will still be worth visiting, though maybe not as often as before. But given what I've seen and heard, I can't be too optimistic that six months from now the Palms will still be on my dance card.
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