I recently returned to the Riviera with my wife to play the remaining $500 in credits I had from their $1,000 loss guarantee for new players club members. I headed to the machine I had played during my first visit, which had what appeared to be $1 8/5 bonus poker on it, which would be the best video poker game in the casino with a long-term payback of 99.17 percent with maximum bets and perfect strategy.
Except that, as my spouse noticed immediately, this game wasn't really 8/5 bonus poker, even though the pay table showed payouts of 8 per coin for the full house and 5 for the flush. What my spouse saw was a very unusual change near the bottom of the pay table. Instead of paying 2 for a full house, this game paid only 1. Because two pair occur very often in bonus poker, this change makes a huge difference in the game's theoretical payback, bringing it all the way down to 86.31 percent -- yes, that's 86, not 96 -- and making it by far the worst video poker game I have ever seen.
This alteration is perfectly legal, as long as it's disclosed on the pay table, which this was. The main lesson here is to look at all the numbers on the pay table before playing any game at any casino for the first time. Most of us are in the habit of looking at certain numbers on the pay table to determine what version of a game is in front of us -- in bonus poker, what varies is typically the payouts for the full house and flush -- but any number on the pay table can be changed. Also of note is that the same change in payout will have a bigger effect on the return of the game the farther down the pay table they are. That's because the closer you get to the bottom of the pay table, the more frequently the hands occur. One coin less for two pair hurts a lot because two pair is a very common hand in bonus poker.
I was glad I was able to avoid playing this awful game but couldn't help wondering if the pay table was the same during my first trip to the Riviera, when I played the same machine. I know I didn't check the bottom of the pay table, but I would hope I would have noticed the short pay for two pair as I played. Maybe the payout for two pair at that time was the standard 2; maybe I didn't notice the short pay. Either way, I hope I'll never fall for something like this in the future.
Since this happened, I've given a bit of thought to the ethics of it. It's standard for casinos to offer different versions of the same video poker games, but usually with the common variations in the pay table. For example, 9/6 jacks or better and 8/5 jacks or better, the first numbers referring to the payout for the full house and the second numbers for the flush. Video poker players with any level of sophistication know about these "standard variations" and look for them before choosing a game to play. The ethics question posed here is whether it is fair for a casino to make a highly unusual change in the pay table, one that most players would never think to look for -- especially one that makes an enormous difference in the payback of the game. In my mind the Riviera's pay table raises the question of what other ways it might try to take advantage of the people who play there (I have seen absolutely no evidence of anything else at all questionable). I'm not sure whether people who would do this are the kind of people I want to do business with.
Incidentally, I got the information on the payback of the Riviera's version of 8/5 bonus poker from the invaluable "Frugal Video Poker Scouting Guide" by Jean Scott and Viktor Nacht. That the Riviera's version of 8/5 bonus poker was in the book indicates that it has been found in other casinos (the book predates the current management regime of the Riviera). That doesn't make it any more fair, but it does reinforce the message of buyer beware when playing any video poker machine for the first time.
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Follow-up on HRH point confiscation
I'm happy to say that my host came through and restored the points the Hard Rock Las Vegas took to pay for a comped room. He indicated that the policy may change but as for now it is still in effect, so Hard Rock customers are advised to use up all their points each session and ask for comps for anything they want.
This story won't be over until the HRH changes its system so points aren't seized for comped hotel rooms. If and when I become aware of any change, I will report it.
This story won't be over until the HRH changes its system so points aren't seized for comped hotel rooms. If and when I become aware of any change, I will report it.
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Follow-up on the Palms
As predicted, the 50-cent full pay deuces have been removed from the Palms.
This violates the general rule that it's better for a casino not to offer something attractive to players and yank it away, then never to offer it at all.
One clue that the 50-cent deuces wouldn't last was that there were a number of them adjacent to one another, making it possible for several people at once to play two machines at a time. And these machines were fast! The set-up was a magnet for advantage players.
When new management took over from founder George Maloof at the Palms, it removed the 25-cent full-pay deuces progressive (and other potential advantage plays). Why the new management thought the 50-cent deuces wouldn't hurt the bottom line as much as the quarter deuces is beyond me.
I was told a few months ago the new management's changes in video poker at the Palms were over. Apparently that wasn't true.
This violates the general rule that it's better for a casino not to offer something attractive to players and yank it away, then never to offer it at all.
One clue that the 50-cent deuces wouldn't last was that there were a number of them adjacent to one another, making it possible for several people at once to play two machines at a time. And these machines were fast! The set-up was a magnet for advantage players.
When new management took over from founder George Maloof at the Palms, it removed the 25-cent full-pay deuces progressive (and other potential advantage plays). Why the new management thought the 50-cent deuces wouldn't hurt the bottom line as much as the quarter deuces is beyond me.
I was told a few months ago the new management's changes in video poker at the Palms were over. Apparently that wasn't true.
A rude shock at the Hard Rock
My monthly mailer for May for the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas offered two free midweek room nights, with an upgrade to a suite if available. Near the end of the month I called my host there and asked for a room if one was available. Despite the hotel's hosting a gigantic meeting, he came through not with a room, but with a pool villa. Sweeter than a suite!
A couple of days after checking out, I went to the HRH to play video poker, I stuck my players' card in the machine and the reader said I had no points. I checked my records and confirmed that I should have been shown a substantial points balance. I went to the players' club expecting to be told there was some technical problem and my points would be restored.
Instead, I was told that when the Hard Rock revamped its players' club, it went to a system in which there are no longer comps -- everything must be paid for with points. I had taken advantage of room offers in the past and never was charged, and was not given notice of this alleged change when I made the room reservation, when I check in, or at any other time. I later reviewed the brochure describing the new players' club benefits and didn't see anything there indicating such a drastic change in policy. The only thing that might have been a hint something was amiss came when I tried to check out using the TV in the suite. Usually when you have a comped room the charges come up as $0.00, but what looked like a normal hotel bill with charges for each night, taxes, etc., came up instead. I have had mistaken charges show up in the past and they have always been removed with a call to the front desk. I did that at the HRH and the clerk confirmed that my room was comped and I owed nothing.
After my points disappeared, I called my host and told him everything that had happened. He said this was wrong, my points should not have been taken, and he would try to get them back. He also said, however, that he is advising his local players to use up their points at every visit. This indicates to me that other people also have experienced disappearing points.
In the past few years I have seen casino executives do some pretty stupid things, but this is probably the worst. It's hard to imagine anything more certain to piss off a casino's customers. I'm not an expert on the gaming regulations, but it is my understanding that Nevada authorities don't allow the confiscation of points a player has earned. Given the lack of any advance disclosure in this case, "confiscation" is a mild word to describe what happened.
I'll post again with further developments.
A couple of days after checking out, I went to the HRH to play video poker, I stuck my players' card in the machine and the reader said I had no points. I checked my records and confirmed that I should have been shown a substantial points balance. I went to the players' club expecting to be told there was some technical problem and my points would be restored.
Instead, I was told that when the Hard Rock revamped its players' club, it went to a system in which there are no longer comps -- everything must be paid for with points. I had taken advantage of room offers in the past and never was charged, and was not given notice of this alleged change when I made the room reservation, when I check in, or at any other time. I later reviewed the brochure describing the new players' club benefits and didn't see anything there indicating such a drastic change in policy. The only thing that might have been a hint something was amiss came when I tried to check out using the TV in the suite. Usually when you have a comped room the charges come up as $0.00, but what looked like a normal hotel bill with charges for each night, taxes, etc., came up instead. I have had mistaken charges show up in the past and they have always been removed with a call to the front desk. I did that at the HRH and the clerk confirmed that my room was comped and I owed nothing.
After my points disappeared, I called my host and told him everything that had happened. He said this was wrong, my points should not have been taken, and he would try to get them back. He also said, however, that he is advising his local players to use up their points at every visit. This indicates to me that other people also have experienced disappearing points.
In the past few years I have seen casino executives do some pretty stupid things, but this is probably the worst. It's hard to imagine anything more certain to piss off a casino's customers. I'm not an expert on the gaming regulations, but it is my understanding that Nevada authorities don't allow the confiscation of points a player has earned. Given the lack of any advance disclosure in this case, "confiscation" is a mild word to describe what happened.
I'll post again with further developments.
Saturday, June 2, 2012
No points may not mean no comps
A disturbing trend I've noticed in some casinos is eliminating some machnines from eligibility for earning slot club points. The first time I saw this was at the Gold Coast, maybe a year and a half ago. Labels were placed on the 100 percent-plus payback machines saying something like "This machine does not award slot club points." Soon after that, the machines were gone. A while back player at Mohegan Sun in Connecticut told me that casino had stopped awarding points for play on the full-pay pick 'em poker machines, which return just under 100 percent. We discussed the situation and decided he would try to find out if no points meant no comps at all. He spoke with his host and learned that the casino would still track his play if he used a players' club card, and he would still get free play and other offers. This has turned out to be true, and the benefits have proven to be fairly substantial.
I recently noticed that the virtual blackjack games at Casino Monte Lago at Lake Las Vegas were labeled as not awarding points. Previously, craps and roulette machines at that casino had such labels. I was told that the reason was that offsetting bets could be made on those machines, allowing players to amass lots of points with minimal risk. That's not possible with blackjack, but the house edge on the games offered is slight enough that the casino couldn't offer points and make the profit it expected from those machines. I was told by a casino executive, however, that the casino would still track rated play on the blackjack machines and award appropriate benefits through players' mailers.
Not being able to earn points is a big deal. At Monte Lago, unmultiplied points at 0.25 percent to the return of the game. The casino awards double points several days a month, which made the blackjack game a hair over break-even for a perfect basic strategy player, not counting the mailer and promotions. It's possible but unlikely this game will be worth more than 100 percent without points.
One of the advantages of points is that they're easy to put a value on. It's not always possible to predict how much free play a casino will give you for a particular amount of play, so that benefit, though real, can be hard to figure in. The value of other benefits, such as drawing entries, can be even more difficult to pin down. The bottom line is, if you're looking to get the most value for your gambling dollars, figure out as best you can the total return of the games you're interested in and play the one that offers the best total return, regardless of whether players' club points are part of that return.
I recently noticed that the virtual blackjack games at Casino Monte Lago at Lake Las Vegas were labeled as not awarding points. Previously, craps and roulette machines at that casino had such labels. I was told that the reason was that offsetting bets could be made on those machines, allowing players to amass lots of points with minimal risk. That's not possible with blackjack, but the house edge on the games offered is slight enough that the casino couldn't offer points and make the profit it expected from those machines. I was told by a casino executive, however, that the casino would still track rated play on the blackjack machines and award appropriate benefits through players' mailers.
Not being able to earn points is a big deal. At Monte Lago, unmultiplied points at 0.25 percent to the return of the game. The casino awards double points several days a month, which made the blackjack game a hair over break-even for a perfect basic strategy player, not counting the mailer and promotions. It's possible but unlikely this game will be worth more than 100 percent without points.
One of the advantages of points is that they're easy to put a value on. It's not always possible to predict how much free play a casino will give you for a particular amount of play, so that benefit, though real, can be hard to figure in. The value of other benefits, such as drawing entries, can be even more difficult to pin down. The bottom line is, if you're looking to get the most value for your gambling dollars, figure out as best you can the total return of the games you're interested in and play the one that offers the best total return, regardless of whether players' club points are part of that return.
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