"It's getting tough to make a living," I said to the video poker player in the chair next to mine. His laugh showed that he appreciated the joke, but what was gallows humor to him was, to me, a simple statement of fact.
Unless I have a hell of a day today (12/31), I will make only about two-thirds of my average annual income for the past half-dozen or so years. In the past, I would have taken this in stride, gambling being characterized by ups and downs. But now I'm pretty well convinced this is the new normal for what I've been doing.
Most of what I have been doing is playing video poker. In the past few years, games have gotten worse, my mail offers from several casinos have been cut off, and ancillary earning opportunities, such as invitational tournanents and drawings, are not what they used to be. My other game, blackjack, hasn't changed as much, but there are fewer places where I'm allowed to play.
And, I'm tired. Gambling professionally is a notoriously time-consuming pursuit. I've basically been working seven days a week for the past several years. It is not as enjoyable as it used to be.
I've thought about doing other things, inside and outside the casino. A guy I used to work with makes his living betting golf, I sport I enjoy watching. I've done a little research on this and it seems hard, but it might be worth pursuing. I've also thought about playing more blackjack for as long as I can get away with it. And I've considered taking up live poker.
I've also thought about getting a job, but there are problems with that. What's left of the profession I worked in has changed a lot, and not in any good ways. I've been out of the job market entirely for half a dozen years.
I would like to to do more writing and have a concept for a book about my experiences in Las Vegas.
I'm going to be travelling for a few days early in the new year. I've got a lot to think about while I'm gone. Things have got to start changing when I get back. At this point, I'm just not sure how.
Saturday, December 31, 2016
Monday, November 28, 2016
A better way to run a slot tournament
In the casino world, a tournament is an event that gives players an opportunity to compete against one another for a flat entry fee or on the casino's dime. Tournament formats include just about all the major casino games, including slots, live poker, video poker, blackjack, craps and other table games. In the Las Vegas area, many locals casinos offer small slot, video poker and blackjack tournaments on a regular basis, mostly weekly, often as part of their seniors' day programs. "Destination" casinos and some locals casinos sometimes offer bigger tournaments, often to attract out-of-town guests during slow weekends.
The latter used to be a significant source of income for my spouse and me. It seemed that we had at least one tournanent opportunity on many weekends and sometimes had to scramble to participate in two on the same weekend. For us, the entries to these tournaments we always free, based on our play. Prize pools of $50,000 or more were fairly common, and I was able to play in a few blackjack
tournaments at what was the Las Vegas Hilton (now the Westgate) with prize pools of $100,000. Alas, many of those tournaments have dried up since the recession of 2008.
From the players' point of view, the main problem with playing in a tournament has been the time commitment involved. Typically, you would get an invitation in the mail, to which you would have to respond by phone or e-mail to reserve a place. Then you would have to go to the casio during a specified time, usually a couple of hours during the day before the tournament, to register. At registration you would be assigned your times to play, usually in from two to four sessions during the weekend. Sometimes you would get some choice of when to play (but often sessions were linked so you could pick your morning times but the afternoons times would be set at, say, two hours later in an attempt to keep you in the casino). Sometimes you would have to take the times you were given. Often it was difficult to plan other activities, such as playing in another tournament, around these times.
The M Resort in Las Vegas has come up with what to me is a better tournament format that makes things easier not only for the participants but also for the casino's special events staff. About once a month the casino invites both local and out-of-town players to a slot tournament worth about $35,000 with a $10,000 first prize. The first great thing about these tournaments is that you don't have to call to reserve a spot, which means you also don't have to call if you need to cancel. Your plans can remain flexible right up to the first day of the tournament.
The next great thing is that you don't have to show up in person to register. In fact, you don't have to register at all. But wait, there's more! There are only two sessions, one each on Saturday and Sunday. You can play them any time you want, from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. Before playing, you print out a ticket at a special tournament kiosk. I sure wish this format had been in effect when we were trying to play in two or more tournaments on some weekends.
Given that the traditional tournament format requires players to spend a lot more time in the casino, you might be wondering why the M would allow players to "hit and run." There are, I think, a couple of anwers. First, players know they won't be invited to these events if they don't maintain a certain level of play. They just don't have to do it on the tournament weekend. Second, the M provides some incentives to get people play during the tournament and on the day before. Starting Friday, players can earn up to two extra entries for Saturday and two for Sunday by earning 1,500 base points on slots or 3,000 on video poker for each extra entry. During the same period they can earn entries in a $5,000 drawing at 5,000 base points per entry. The same base points can count towards the extra tournanent entries and the drawing entries.
The M also has slot or video poker tournaments Tuesdays as part of its seniors' day and Thursdays for everyone. Seniors get one free entry on Tuesdays. On both days, a maximum of five entries can be earned for 250 base points each. Also on both days, you can use these same points toward a free dinner buffet, which requires 1.300 same-day base points on video poker, fewer on reels (you keep the points).
Monday, November 14, 2016
A long day at work on a huge progressive
I've written before about video poker progressives, games in which a small percentage of the money played through accumulates into an ever-growing jackpot that is paid out to the first player who hits a royal flush. Progressives can become positive for the players when the jackpot reaches a certain amount, which depends on the paytable of the game. Most progressives have such tight paytables that the jackpot has to be so huge for the game to be positive that they rarely reach that point, and even if they do, you are going to lose so much money if you're not the winner that they just aren't worth playing.
Fortunately, there are still a few progressives that I check regularly and play when they reach a certain point. The best of these is a seven-machine dollar progressive at a small casino far from the Strip and downtown Las Vegas. The best game on the multi-game machines is 16/10 NSU deuces wild, with a maximum payback at reset (when the meter goes back to $4,000 after the jackpot is hit) of 99.7 percent. (When the meter reaches about $7,000, it's actually better to play a lower-payback game, 9/6 jacks or better, because royal flushes come more often in that game.) This progressive also has a fairly fast meter, taking one-half of one percent of the money played through for the jackpot. The only negative is that the casino doesn't have a players club, so you aren't earning any points for playing.
I usually check this progressive pretty regularly but had let it slip a recently. On Thursday night, I stopped in and was surprised to see the meter at well over $7,000. My strike point on this progressive is around $6,000, so I sat down and began to play. Only one other player was there, a friendly acquaintace of mine. I played until about 1:30 a.m., losing $1,000. Because he was still playing, I knew I was taking a risk by leaving.
Whether an when to stop playing a good progressive is always a difficult decision. There is simply no way to predict when it might hit. The chance of a player hitting a royal flush on a particular hand is exactly the same, regardless of how long it has been since the last royal flush for that player or on a particular machine or group of machines. That is why there is no basis for belief that a progressive is "overdue" to be hit.
I was willing to take the risk that one player would hit the jackpot late at night to avoid possibly spending all night at the casino and not being able to play until late the next day. That turned out to be the right decision, but it just as easily could have turned out to be wrong.
Before returning to the casino the next morning, I went to get some money out the bank. Unfortunately, it was Veterans Day and the bank was closed, something I hadn't considered. I got my limit of $500 from the ATM. I could have gone to a nearby casino and cashed a check but I wanted to get back to the progressive, and hoped that, with the $500 I had left from the night before, I would have enough to play until the jackpot was hit.
As I walked into the casino, I reminded myself that I was facing three possibilities: 1. The progessive had been hit; 2. It was still there, but all the machines were taken; and 3. It was still there and a seat was available. I knew that of the three, the last was by far the least likely. If it had been hit, at least I could get some breakfast, cash a check and go about my other business. If all the seats were taken, I would ask the players about their plans and make a decision about waiting for a seat to open up.
I was surprised to see both the meter at close to $8,000 and one seat open. I practically jumped into it and began shoving $100 bills into the machine. Of course, it was the slowest machine of the group, but I was glad to get it.
It was about 10:15 in the morning. At first things went well, but then I began to lose. A few hours in, it looked as if my $1,000 might soon run out. I called my wife, but she wasn't in a position to be able to get money to me quickly. The acquaintance who had been playing the night before heard the gist of the conversation and offered to lend me some money. I was very appreciative but wanted to avoid that if at all possible.
When I did run out of money, I took a bathroom break and stopped at the cashier's cage to see if I could cash a check. They didn't take my check cashing card but said I could get a cash advance off a credit or debit card. I had never done this -- in my mind, it was something done only by the worst degenerate gamblers -- and I knew the cost would be high. But I slso knew this play was worth hundreds of dollars an hour. Under the circumstances, taking the advance was a good business decision. At least I could use a debit card and avoid having interest start accruing immediately on a credit card. I also hoped that by using a debit card I could avoid a report that might affect my credit.
The cashier asked me how much I wanted. I thought $500 should be enough but asked for $1,000, just to be safe (I thought). She said the fee would come up on the keypad screen -- $27. I tapped "accept," got the money, and went back to play.
And play and play and play. Afternoon turned to evening and the meter reached $9,000. The casino manager announced that the progressive was setting a record for that casino, and every time a seat opened up, he made an announcement, noting the amount on the meter and saying a couple of times that the jackpot was overdue to be hit.
As the night wore on I ran out of money again and took another $1,000 advance, paying another $27 fee. Except for a few breaks to go to the restroom and get money, I hadn't been out of my increasingly uncomfortable seat all day. A few times I stood up for relief, continuing to play. At about 9:30, standing in front of my machine, I was dealt three cards to a royal flush in diamonds. I hit the draw button and the other two cards popped up. The meter was at $9,920.
The other players murmered congratulations and slinked away. A few minutes later a slot attendant showed up, called the security manager over, and began the half-hour long process of doing the paperwork by hand and getting me paid. While I was waiting, a woman playing one of the old coin dropper machines behind me asked me how much you tip on that kind of a jackpot. I had asked some of the other players the same question earlier. One had said $50, another $10, saying the work involved was the same regardless of the size of the jackpot. Normally I tip one-half of one percent, but I decided to go to $100. The smaller the casino, the bigger a jackpot of a given amount seems to the employees, and I wanted them to be happy to see me the next time I came in.
In addition to the money I won, I was given 100 paper tickets to casino's cash drawing and a chance to spin a prize wheel, which got me a dinner comp for two.
Most gamblers would be ecstatic to win $9,920. I was more relieved than excited. It was a slog, and I had lost $3,600 before it hit. Normally I don't feel it much when I don't win -- losing is a big part of the business -- but in this case it would have hurt more than usual. I have had a pretty tough year, particularly on progressives, and losing this one would have made for an unusually bad streak.
But win or lose, I did the right thing. I only wish I had checked the progressive earlier. If I had, I might have hit it earlier, making less money but saving myself a lot of time and stress.
But maybe not. The thing about progressives is, you just never know when they're going to pop.
Fortunately, there are still a few progressives that I check regularly and play when they reach a certain point. The best of these is a seven-machine dollar progressive at a small casino far from the Strip and downtown Las Vegas. The best game on the multi-game machines is 16/10 NSU deuces wild, with a maximum payback at reset (when the meter goes back to $4,000 after the jackpot is hit) of 99.7 percent. (When the meter reaches about $7,000, it's actually better to play a lower-payback game, 9/6 jacks or better, because royal flushes come more often in that game.) This progressive also has a fairly fast meter, taking one-half of one percent of the money played through for the jackpot. The only negative is that the casino doesn't have a players club, so you aren't earning any points for playing.
I usually check this progressive pretty regularly but had let it slip a recently. On Thursday night, I stopped in and was surprised to see the meter at well over $7,000. My strike point on this progressive is around $6,000, so I sat down and began to play. Only one other player was there, a friendly acquaintace of mine. I played until about 1:30 a.m., losing $1,000. Because he was still playing, I knew I was taking a risk by leaving.
Whether an when to stop playing a good progressive is always a difficult decision. There is simply no way to predict when it might hit. The chance of a player hitting a royal flush on a particular hand is exactly the same, regardless of how long it has been since the last royal flush for that player or on a particular machine or group of machines. That is why there is no basis for belief that a progressive is "overdue" to be hit.
I was willing to take the risk that one player would hit the jackpot late at night to avoid possibly spending all night at the casino and not being able to play until late the next day. That turned out to be the right decision, but it just as easily could have turned out to be wrong.
Before returning to the casino the next morning, I went to get some money out the bank. Unfortunately, it was Veterans Day and the bank was closed, something I hadn't considered. I got my limit of $500 from the ATM. I could have gone to a nearby casino and cashed a check but I wanted to get back to the progressive, and hoped that, with the $500 I had left from the night before, I would have enough to play until the jackpot was hit.
As I walked into the casino, I reminded myself that I was facing three possibilities: 1. The progessive had been hit; 2. It was still there, but all the machines were taken; and 3. It was still there and a seat was available. I knew that of the three, the last was by far the least likely. If it had been hit, at least I could get some breakfast, cash a check and go about my other business. If all the seats were taken, I would ask the players about their plans and make a decision about waiting for a seat to open up.
I was surprised to see both the meter at close to $8,000 and one seat open. I practically jumped into it and began shoving $100 bills into the machine. Of course, it was the slowest machine of the group, but I was glad to get it.
It was about 10:15 in the morning. At first things went well, but then I began to lose. A few hours in, it looked as if my $1,000 might soon run out. I called my wife, but she wasn't in a position to be able to get money to me quickly. The acquaintance who had been playing the night before heard the gist of the conversation and offered to lend me some money. I was very appreciative but wanted to avoid that if at all possible.
When I did run out of money, I took a bathroom break and stopped at the cashier's cage to see if I could cash a check. They didn't take my check cashing card but said I could get a cash advance off a credit or debit card. I had never done this -- in my mind, it was something done only by the worst degenerate gamblers -- and I knew the cost would be high. But I slso knew this play was worth hundreds of dollars an hour. Under the circumstances, taking the advance was a good business decision. At least I could use a debit card and avoid having interest start accruing immediately on a credit card. I also hoped that by using a debit card I could avoid a report that might affect my credit.
The cashier asked me how much I wanted. I thought $500 should be enough but asked for $1,000, just to be safe (I thought). She said the fee would come up on the keypad screen -- $27. I tapped "accept," got the money, and went back to play.
And play and play and play. Afternoon turned to evening and the meter reached $9,000. The casino manager announced that the progressive was setting a record for that casino, and every time a seat opened up, he made an announcement, noting the amount on the meter and saying a couple of times that the jackpot was overdue to be hit.
As the night wore on I ran out of money again and took another $1,000 advance, paying another $27 fee. Except for a few breaks to go to the restroom and get money, I hadn't been out of my increasingly uncomfortable seat all day. A few times I stood up for relief, continuing to play. At about 9:30, standing in front of my machine, I was dealt three cards to a royal flush in diamonds. I hit the draw button and the other two cards popped up. The meter was at $9,920.
The other players murmered congratulations and slinked away. A few minutes later a slot attendant showed up, called the security manager over, and began the half-hour long process of doing the paperwork by hand and getting me paid. While I was waiting, a woman playing one of the old coin dropper machines behind me asked me how much you tip on that kind of a jackpot. I had asked some of the other players the same question earlier. One had said $50, another $10, saying the work involved was the same regardless of the size of the jackpot. Normally I tip one-half of one percent, but I decided to go to $100. The smaller the casino, the bigger a jackpot of a given amount seems to the employees, and I wanted them to be happy to see me the next time I came in.
In addition to the money I won, I was given 100 paper tickets to casino's cash drawing and a chance to spin a prize wheel, which got me a dinner comp for two.
Most gamblers would be ecstatic to win $9,920. I was more relieved than excited. It was a slog, and I had lost $3,600 before it hit. Normally I don't feel it much when I don't win -- losing is a big part of the business -- but in this case it would have hurt more than usual. I have had a pretty tough year, particularly on progressives, and losing this one would have made for an unusually bad streak.
But win or lose, I did the right thing. I only wish I had checked the progressive earlier. If I had, I might have hit it earlier, making less money but saving myself a lot of time and stress.
But maybe not. The thing about progressives is, you just never know when they're going to pop.
Monday, October 31, 2016
A claim worthy of a politician
This being election season, we are hearing all kinds of partial truths, statements taken out of context, and outright lies. Unfortunately, politicians aren't the only ones who engage is various degrees of prevarication. So do gaming establishments.
The Rampart is a casino in Summerlin, a high-end suburban area west of downtown Las Vegas. One of its advertising slogans is that its points "are always worth 5X more." At the Rampart, 1,000 points = $5 cash back.
Presumably, the word "more" refers to the competition. The casino nearest the Rampart is the Suncoast, part of of Boyd Gaming's Coast Casinos group. Not far away is Station Casinos' Red Rock Resort. The Coasts and Stations are, by far, the two leading groups of locals' casinos in the Las Vegas area. The Coasts share a players club, B Connected, with Boyd's three downtown Las Vegas casinos (as well as a number of properties outside of Nevada). The rules for earning and redeeming B Connected Points are the same at all of these properties.
Fortunately for purposes of simplicity, base points at the Boyd and Station properties are earned and redeemed at the same rates, and 1,000 points = $1 cash back at both. So, at first glance, the Rampart's advertising appears to be correct; 1,000 points at the Rampart are worth five times more than 1,000 points at its main competitors.
But that isn't the full story. To know how much points are worth, you must know how much they cost, not just what you get when you redeem them. That cost is usually expressed in terms of how much coin-in it takes to earn a point. Here's where the Rampart's claim begins to fall apart. At both Stations and Boyd casinos, base points are earned at a rate of 1 per $1 of coin in. At the Rampart, it takes $2 of coin-in on video poker to earn one point. Beacause the Rampart's points cost twice as much, it would be more fair at this point to say its points are worth 2-1/2 times the competitions'.
But this is not the full story. At Stations, all players earn 3 times points every day. At Boyd casinos, Sapphire players earn 2 times points every day and Emerald players earn 3 times points every day. So a top-level player at Suncoast and everyone at Red Rock earns six times as many points per dollar played as a video poker player at the Rampart.
To make a fair comparison, we need to look at the cash back per dollar of coin-in, not per point (because Rampart video poker players get fewer points per dollar of coin-in than players at the other casinos). As we have seen, the Rampart gives $2.50 cash back per $1,000 of coin in, based on 500 points earned. At Stations and Boyd (for Emerald players), the rate is $3 cash back for $1,000 coin-in, based on 3,000 points earned.
So, taking into account the cost of earning the points (up to six times as high at the Rampart as at the other casinos), the Rampart's points not only are not worth 5 times as much as much as the points at the other casinos, they are not even worth as much (for all Stations players and Boyd Emerald players).
The bottom line is that cash back as a percentage of coin in at the Rampart is 0.25. At Stations and Boyd (Emerald players), it's 0.3. And that is the standard way of expressing the value of points, which allows a relatively easy comparison between systems at different casinos. (Sometimes the rate at a given casino varies by game or other factors). The value of points for most casinos can be found on VPfree2.
In deciding which casino offers the best deal, the value of points is a major factor. Another is the return from the game you plan to play, also available on VPfree2. Both the Suncoast and Red Rock have video poker games with signficantly higher returns than the best game at the Rampart, the cost of playing at the latter can be more than just the difference in the value of the points. Of course, casino promotions and offers to individual players can alter the comparison on any given day, but discounting these factors, the Rampart doesn't stack up to its competition in Summerlin.
In the spirit of the campaign season, I'd given the Rampart's advertising claim "four Pinnochios" or a "Pants on Fire."
The Rampart is a casino in Summerlin, a high-end suburban area west of downtown Las Vegas. One of its advertising slogans is that its points "are always worth 5X more." At the Rampart, 1,000 points = $5 cash back.
Presumably, the word "more" refers to the competition. The casino nearest the Rampart is the Suncoast, part of of Boyd Gaming's Coast Casinos group. Not far away is Station Casinos' Red Rock Resort. The Coasts and Stations are, by far, the two leading groups of locals' casinos in the Las Vegas area. The Coasts share a players club, B Connected, with Boyd's three downtown Las Vegas casinos (as well as a number of properties outside of Nevada). The rules for earning and redeeming B Connected Points are the same at all of these properties.
Fortunately for purposes of simplicity, base points at the Boyd and Station properties are earned and redeemed at the same rates, and 1,000 points = $1 cash back at both. So, at first glance, the Rampart's advertising appears to be correct; 1,000 points at the Rampart are worth five times more than 1,000 points at its main competitors.
But that isn't the full story. To know how much points are worth, you must know how much they cost, not just what you get when you redeem them. That cost is usually expressed in terms of how much coin-in it takes to earn a point. Here's where the Rampart's claim begins to fall apart. At both Stations and Boyd casinos, base points are earned at a rate of 1 per $1 of coin in. At the Rampart, it takes $2 of coin-in on video poker to earn one point. Beacause the Rampart's points cost twice as much, it would be more fair at this point to say its points are worth 2-1/2 times the competitions'.
But this is not the full story. At Stations, all players earn 3 times points every day. At Boyd casinos, Sapphire players earn 2 times points every day and Emerald players earn 3 times points every day. So a top-level player at Suncoast and everyone at Red Rock earns six times as many points per dollar played as a video poker player at the Rampart.
To make a fair comparison, we need to look at the cash back per dollar of coin-in, not per point (because Rampart video poker players get fewer points per dollar of coin-in than players at the other casinos). As we have seen, the Rampart gives $2.50 cash back per $1,000 of coin in, based on 500 points earned. At Stations and Boyd (for Emerald players), the rate is $3 cash back for $1,000 coin-in, based on 3,000 points earned.
So, taking into account the cost of earning the points (up to six times as high at the Rampart as at the other casinos), the Rampart's points not only are not worth 5 times as much as much as the points at the other casinos, they are not even worth as much (for all Stations players and Boyd Emerald players).
The bottom line is that cash back as a percentage of coin in at the Rampart is 0.25. At Stations and Boyd (Emerald players), it's 0.3. And that is the standard way of expressing the value of points, which allows a relatively easy comparison between systems at different casinos. (Sometimes the rate at a given casino varies by game or other factors). The value of points for most casinos can be found on VPfree2.
In deciding which casino offers the best deal, the value of points is a major factor. Another is the return from the game you plan to play, also available on VPfree2. Both the Suncoast and Red Rock have video poker games with signficantly higher returns than the best game at the Rampart, the cost of playing at the latter can be more than just the difference in the value of the points. Of course, casino promotions and offers to individual players can alter the comparison on any given day, but discounting these factors, the Rampart doesn't stack up to its competition in Summerlin.
In the spirit of the campaign season, I'd given the Rampart's advertising claim "four Pinnochios" or a "Pants on Fire."
Friday, September 16, 2016
Sam's Town no longer feels like home
From my earliest days in Vegas, Sam's Town has been one of the casinos I have played at regularly. It offered good video poker, progressives in particular, and strong promotions. Recently, a lot has changed.
Like most Vegas casinos, Sam's Town has been graduatlly removing or downgrading its best video poker games for a long time, but very gradually. Until quite recently, it still offered 9/6 jacks or better for $2 and $5, games rarely found at locals casinos. Two bars offered a $1 9/6 jacks or better progressive, which occuasionally turned positive, especially with point multipliers.
In the past couple of years the big attraction for me at Sam's Town has been senior days. Each Wednesday there is a mystery point multiplier and drawing for those 50 and older. The point multipliers, limited to 10,000 base points a day, range up to 30 times for video poker (50 times for slots). (Boyd Gaming's other Coast and downtown Las Vegas Casinos have similar programs.)
Getting 30 times points was rare -- I think it happened only once at Sam's Town -- but for quite a while I was reglarly getting 10 times point and occasionally 15 times points. Ten times brings the return on 9/6 jacks to 100.5 percent without a progressive. That's an expected $50 profit on the $10,000 coin in needed to earn 10,000 base points, the maximum to be multiplied. On $2 jacks, that takes a little over an hour, for a pay rate (not including any winnings in the drawing) of about $40 an hour. Plus a free lunch and dinner buffet.
The first big blow, a few weeks ago, was the removal of all four of the machines that had the $2 and $5 jacks on them. Around this time, the point multipliers took a noticable dip not only at Sam's but at the other Boyd properties. Instead of 10 times or more, they become mostly 5 or 6 times, making jacks or better break-even or a smidge better. Still, the $1 progressive could be an attractive game, depending on the jackpot amount. And there was the drawing.
The final blow, a couple of weeks ago, was the downgrading of the jacks progressive to 8/5, making it unplayable, even with a huge jackpot. There are still a few machines with $1 9/6 jacks and a couple of $1 8/5 bonus poker progressives that occasionally become attractive, but nothing else for the $1 and up video poker player.
At the same time this was happening, Sam's Town closed its Mexican restaurant, Willy & Jose's, and its Billy Bob's steakhouse, one of my favoriites. At the new steakhouse, called the Angry Butcher, the menu is a la carte, where Billy Bob's threw in a salad and potato with your steak.
My read on the video poker situation at Sam's Town is that marketing game away too much in points, and the slot director fought back by taking out the games on which players could easily earn their maximum multiplied points on Wednesdays (and other days Sam's Town offered 7 times points to the public, in most recent months once a week). Of course, the casino is now losing the revenue from the higher-denomination games when there is no point multiplier and the return to all players is negative.
Whatever the reason, the combination of lower point multipliers, lower denomination games and the loss of a good progressive makes Sam's Town a much less attractive place to play. I'm now spening most of Wednesdays at Stations properties, which offer a better $1 game and no limit on the number of points you can earn with a multiplier.
Like most Vegas casinos, Sam's Town has been graduatlly removing or downgrading its best video poker games for a long time, but very gradually. Until quite recently, it still offered 9/6 jacks or better for $2 and $5, games rarely found at locals casinos. Two bars offered a $1 9/6 jacks or better progressive, which occuasionally turned positive, especially with point multipliers.
In the past couple of years the big attraction for me at Sam's Town has been senior days. Each Wednesday there is a mystery point multiplier and drawing for those 50 and older. The point multipliers, limited to 10,000 base points a day, range up to 30 times for video poker (50 times for slots). (Boyd Gaming's other Coast and downtown Las Vegas Casinos have similar programs.)
Getting 30 times points was rare -- I think it happened only once at Sam's Town -- but for quite a while I was reglarly getting 10 times point and occasionally 15 times points. Ten times brings the return on 9/6 jacks to 100.5 percent without a progressive. That's an expected $50 profit on the $10,000 coin in needed to earn 10,000 base points, the maximum to be multiplied. On $2 jacks, that takes a little over an hour, for a pay rate (not including any winnings in the drawing) of about $40 an hour. Plus a free lunch and dinner buffet.
The first big blow, a few weeks ago, was the removal of all four of the machines that had the $2 and $5 jacks on them. Around this time, the point multipliers took a noticable dip not only at Sam's but at the other Boyd properties. Instead of 10 times or more, they become mostly 5 or 6 times, making jacks or better break-even or a smidge better. Still, the $1 progressive could be an attractive game, depending on the jackpot amount. And there was the drawing.
The final blow, a couple of weeks ago, was the downgrading of the jacks progressive to 8/5, making it unplayable, even with a huge jackpot. There are still a few machines with $1 9/6 jacks and a couple of $1 8/5 bonus poker progressives that occasionally become attractive, but nothing else for the $1 and up video poker player.
At the same time this was happening, Sam's Town closed its Mexican restaurant, Willy & Jose's, and its Billy Bob's steakhouse, one of my favoriites. At the new steakhouse, called the Angry Butcher, the menu is a la carte, where Billy Bob's threw in a salad and potato with your steak.
My read on the video poker situation at Sam's Town is that marketing game away too much in points, and the slot director fought back by taking out the games on which players could easily earn their maximum multiplied points on Wednesdays (and other days Sam's Town offered 7 times points to the public, in most recent months once a week). Of course, the casino is now losing the revenue from the higher-denomination games when there is no point multiplier and the return to all players is negative.
Whatever the reason, the combination of lower point multipliers, lower denomination games and the loss of a good progressive makes Sam's Town a much less attractive place to play. I'm now spening most of Wednesdays at Stations properties, which offer a better $1 game and no limit on the number of points you can earn with a multiplier.
Gambling goes national -- is that a good thing?
My, have public attitudes toward gambling changed during my lifetime (62 years).
I can remember when New Jersey became the second state to legalize casino gambling, and only in Atlantic City, not a major population center.
Then Indian gaming took off, and other states began legalization. Now, just about every state has some form of legalized gambling. The exceptions are Hawaii (a major source of customers for Las Vegas casinos) and Utah, which borders Nevada.
Gambling was promoted as a way to boost local economies, increase tax revenues and provide relatively well-paying jobs.
Now, the latecomers to the game are playing defense. According to my brother who lives in New York, the industry's argument in that state was not that gambling would provide a huge boost, but that establishing casinos in New York would keep money and jobs in that state that were going to neighborhing states and Canada.
In the 21st century the United States has entered a new era concerning gambling. It is no longer a scarce commodity. Is this a good thing?
I would say yes and no. But mostly no.
First the yes part: Gambling has helped the economies of many states, cities and Indian tribes. The economy of Las Vegas, where I live, is still based almost wholly on gaming and related industries. Tunica, Mississippi, was part of one of the poorest, most backward regions of the country before gambling arrived. Atlantic City never realized the revival it had hoped for, but gambling has provided many good jobs for people living in towns along the Jersey Shore.
But in recent years gambling has become an unstable industry and more jurisdictions allowed it. Atlantic City went into decline as Pennslyvania legalized casinos in the Philadelphia area. Reno has suffered from competition from California.
An industry that traditionally thrived because of scarcity is now operating in an environment of competition and, in some cases, oversupply of its product. At the same time, it is having trouble attracting younger customers -- a combination that can lead only to disaster for some operators. As we have seen with Atlantic City, contraction of gambling centers can and will happen.
I believe the more recent expansion of gambling has been due mostly to one factor: anti-tax sentiment. Gambling is seen as a form of voluntary taxation. Politicians get more money to work with, without rasing taxes and losing votes.
As noted concerning New York, this is no longer likely to work in many areas.
I believe in legalized gambling, just about everywhere. But it seeing it as a cash cow or engine of economic development isn't realistic.
So why should casinos be allowed? For one thing, people will gamble anyway. Legalization offers a degree of protection to gamblers and casino operators.
For those who can gamble responsibly, its a legitimate form of enteratainment. For those with certain disabilities, gambling may be one of the few recreational activities they can participate in fully. For those who work odd schedules, most casinos are open 24 hours a day. And casinos are among the few entertainment venues to which people can feel comfortable going by themselves.
On the negative side, gambling is not a productive activity (except for the miniscule number of professional gamblers). Banging away at a slot machine is not good excercise, physically or mentally. Even though very few gamblers are considered addicted, many spend more time and money in casinos than is good for them or their families.
As someone who as observed gamblers for a decade, I believe most of them would be smarter, healthier and happier if they spent some of their gambling time doing just about anything else.
I can remember when New Jersey became the second state to legalize casino gambling, and only in Atlantic City, not a major population center.
Then Indian gaming took off, and other states began legalization. Now, just about every state has some form of legalized gambling. The exceptions are Hawaii (a major source of customers for Las Vegas casinos) and Utah, which borders Nevada.
Gambling was promoted as a way to boost local economies, increase tax revenues and provide relatively well-paying jobs.
Now, the latecomers to the game are playing defense. According to my brother who lives in New York, the industry's argument in that state was not that gambling would provide a huge boost, but that establishing casinos in New York would keep money and jobs in that state that were going to neighborhing states and Canada.
In the 21st century the United States has entered a new era concerning gambling. It is no longer a scarce commodity. Is this a good thing?
I would say yes and no. But mostly no.
First the yes part: Gambling has helped the economies of many states, cities and Indian tribes. The economy of Las Vegas, where I live, is still based almost wholly on gaming and related industries. Tunica, Mississippi, was part of one of the poorest, most backward regions of the country before gambling arrived. Atlantic City never realized the revival it had hoped for, but gambling has provided many good jobs for people living in towns along the Jersey Shore.
But in recent years gambling has become an unstable industry and more jurisdictions allowed it. Atlantic City went into decline as Pennslyvania legalized casinos in the Philadelphia area. Reno has suffered from competition from California.
An industry that traditionally thrived because of scarcity is now operating in an environment of competition and, in some cases, oversupply of its product. At the same time, it is having trouble attracting younger customers -- a combination that can lead only to disaster for some operators. As we have seen with Atlantic City, contraction of gambling centers can and will happen.
I believe the more recent expansion of gambling has been due mostly to one factor: anti-tax sentiment. Gambling is seen as a form of voluntary taxation. Politicians get more money to work with, without rasing taxes and losing votes.
As noted concerning New York, this is no longer likely to work in many areas.
I believe in legalized gambling, just about everywhere. But it seeing it as a cash cow or engine of economic development isn't realistic.
So why should casinos be allowed? For one thing, people will gamble anyway. Legalization offers a degree of protection to gamblers and casino operators.
For those who can gamble responsibly, its a legitimate form of enteratainment. For those with certain disabilities, gambling may be one of the few recreational activities they can participate in fully. For those who work odd schedules, most casinos are open 24 hours a day. And casinos are among the few entertainment venues to which people can feel comfortable going by themselves.
On the negative side, gambling is not a productive activity (except for the miniscule number of professional gamblers). Banging away at a slot machine is not good excercise, physically or mentally. Even though very few gamblers are considered addicted, many spend more time and money in casinos than is good for them or their families.
As someone who as observed gamblers for a decade, I believe most of them would be smarter, healthier and happier if they spent some of their gambling time doing just about anything else.
Tuesday, July 26, 2016
Parking at an MGM property
On Saturday my spouse and I went to the Luxor, one of the MGM Resorts properties on the Strip where parking charges have been instituted. I knew I wasn't going to have to pay -- locals can park free through the end of the year, and I have a pearl-level players card, which also allows free parking. Belt and suspenders.
I had never played or parked at the Luxor before. Finding the garage entrance, which is behind the hotel, required a fair amount of guesswork. The signage is terrible. Strike one.
Three empoyees were stationed at the entrace/exit to the garage. This in itself indicates that the process is not self-explanatory. I showed one of the employees my players card. He stuck it in a slot in a machine and gave it back to me. No ticket, which concerned me a little. I asked what I would have to do to get out. Just stick the card in the machine, he said. Later I would find out that there is more than one machine.
After leaving the casino, approaching the garage, I saw a machine and a sign saying, "Pay for parking here." I didn't know whether this was the machine a should stick my players card in (there was a slot, apparently for credit and debit cards). I did insert my card, and the little screen said something like "card fully debited." I don't know what that meant. Maybe it thought it had a debit card and couldn't find any money in the account. Maybe it took all my points.
At the exit, I asked the empoyee if I had to use the "pay for parking here" machine. He said no, I would just have to insert my players card in the machine at the exit. He did it for me and we were allowed to leave.
I don't think it's possible to tell based on my experience whether the parking charges have reduced the number of people parking at the Luxor. The first floor of the garage had lots of cars, but was not full. I have no basis for comparing this to when parking was free.
One more thing: Throughout the garage, there are now signs hanging from the ceiling saying, "Have you paid for parking?" Besides seeming vaguely threatening, they are likely to be confusing, especially to drivers who have just entered the garage and might be wondering if they were supposed to pay at the gate.
For people are parking in that garge for the first time, the whole process is likely to be confusing. With "pay to park," MGM has managed to institute a policy that is both substantively and procedurally annoying.
I had never played or parked at the Luxor before. Finding the garage entrance, which is behind the hotel, required a fair amount of guesswork. The signage is terrible. Strike one.
Three empoyees were stationed at the entrace/exit to the garage. This in itself indicates that the process is not self-explanatory. I showed one of the employees my players card. He stuck it in a slot in a machine and gave it back to me. No ticket, which concerned me a little. I asked what I would have to do to get out. Just stick the card in the machine, he said. Later I would find out that there is more than one machine.
After leaving the casino, approaching the garage, I saw a machine and a sign saying, "Pay for parking here." I didn't know whether this was the machine a should stick my players card in (there was a slot, apparently for credit and debit cards). I did insert my card, and the little screen said something like "card fully debited." I don't know what that meant. Maybe it thought it had a debit card and couldn't find any money in the account. Maybe it took all my points.
At the exit, I asked the empoyee if I had to use the "pay for parking here" machine. He said no, I would just have to insert my players card in the machine at the exit. He did it for me and we were allowed to leave.
I don't think it's possible to tell based on my experience whether the parking charges have reduced the number of people parking at the Luxor. The first floor of the garage had lots of cars, but was not full. I have no basis for comparing this to when parking was free.
One more thing: Throughout the garage, there are now signs hanging from the ceiling saying, "Have you paid for parking?" Besides seeming vaguely threatening, they are likely to be confusing, especially to drivers who have just entered the garage and might be wondering if they were supposed to pay at the gate.
For people are parking in that garge for the first time, the whole process is likely to be confusing. With "pay to park," MGM has managed to institute a policy that is both substantively and procedurally annoying.
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