Multiplier madness

Thanksgiving is approaching, and many casinos are offering point multipliers for play on the holiday, meaning it will be a very long workday for me.

Point multipliers are one of the most common casino promotions. They can be quite valuable for both the casino and for players who know how to take advantage of them.

To understand point multipliers, you first have to know what points are, and that isn't as easy as it might seem. Basically, points are a form of reward for play given by casinos. But what they can be used for and how they are earned vary considerably among casinos.

What follows is a look at the Station Casinos point system, which is very similar to the Boyd Gaming casinos system. These are the to major chains of locals casinos in the Las Vegas area.

At Station properties, which include the Fiesta and Wildfire properties, points are earned (technically)  at a rate of one per dollar of coin in on most machines. I say technically because all players are entitled to three times points all the time. Chairman, president and platinum players get this multiplier automatically; gold and preferred players must swipe their player card at a kiosk to activate it. Points on 100 percent payback games are earned at a rate of $1 coin in per point. These games are inelgible for multipliers.

Points may be redeemed at a rate of 1,000 per dollar for comps, free play or cash. Players get a discount at the buffet when paying with points of up to 50 percent, depending on card level.

The video poker game I usually play at Station and Fiesta properties is "not so ugly" deuces wild, which pays back 99.7 percent. This game is basically break even with the usual three times points, which add 0.3 percent to the return.

Stations offers various point multipliers besides the every day three times. Some are available to anyone who shows up and swipes a player card; others are for invited guests only. Some are "mystery multipliers," the value of which is revealed when the the player's card is swiped at a kiosk.

In my experience, these multipliers range from four times to six times points on video poker. "Public" multipliers on reel slots range up to 10 times. I don't know what multipliers reel slot players get from their mailers, but I wouldn't be surpised if someone who plays penny slots exclusively were to get more than 10 times points. These games hold at least 10 percent of money played through, and 10 times points at Stations is worth 1 percent.

Any multiplier above the everyday three times must be activated at a kiosk. The multiplier is based on a 0.1 base, not on 0.3. So a six times multiplier is worth 0.6 percent. This makes the not so ugly deuces worth 100.3 percent instead of the usual 100 percent even.

What this is worth is dollars depends on the denomination you play and on how fast you play. Let's say you play dollars (the highest denomination of this game at Stations properties) at max coin, meaning you're betting $5 a hand. Let's further assume you play a fast 800 hands an hour, meaning you put through $4,000. Multiplying this amount by 100.3 shows that you're earning $12 an hour from this play, not counting other benefits the casino may give you, such as future free play in a mailer, gifts, food coupons, drawing entries, etc.

One good thing about Station multipliers is that there is no limit on the amount of points you can earn. The Boyd casinos, Station's main competitor, offers higher multipliers (as much as 50 times on reel slots and 30 times on video poker), but with limits. At Boyd downtown properties (the California, Fremont and Main Street Station) the limit is usually 100,000 total points, with the multiplier. At Boyd's Coast Casinos (the Gold Coast, Suncoast, Orleans and Sam's Town), the limit is usually 10,000 base points multiplied.

But the good news is that some of these properties offer games that can be positive with multipliers at much higher denominations than Stations, including not so ugly deuces at up to $5 at the Fremont and full pay jacks or better (99.5 percent payback) at up to $5 at the California, Gold Coast and Sam's Town.

At some other locals casinos, including the M, South Point and Silverton, base points are worth 0.3 percent. At these casinos, two times points is equal in value to six times points at Station and Boyd properties. South Point doesn't offer point multipliers very often, but when it does, there is no limit on points earned and there are some good games, including $2 not so ugly deuces, to earn them on. Tbe M offers very frequent multipliers of two times on video poker and, in my experience, 12 times on reels. The problem here is that the games are tight, the best return before points being 99.4 percent on Ace$ bonus poker. Silverton has not offered multipliers on video poker for some time but goes to at least 10 times on reels.

These casinos' point systems are all similar in that points can be used for cash back, free play or comps. In some other systems, points can be used only for cash back or free play, and comps are earned separately from points. Such systems are used by several downtown Las Vegas casinos, including the Golden Nugget, D and Four Queens. Also at these casinos, points are generally earned at a rate of one per $10 of coin in and redeemed at a rate of 100 points per dollar, for a rate of 0.1 percent.

Before taking up a casino's offer of a point multiplier, it's a good idea to read the fine print in your mailer or at the players club. Write down your points balance before you start playing, and the number of base points earned. Then check on the machine or a kiosk or at the players club to make sure you got the proper multiplier.

A final word of advice: Some casinos, including South Point, do not look kindly at those who play only on point muliplier days. Over the years, some who made that mistake at South Point found when they returned that their player card no longer worked.

Stations and Fiestas

If you don't live in the Las Vegas area, you may not have even heard of Station Casinos. But if you do live in Vegas, you know that Stations is as big in the residential areas as Caesars and MGM are on the Strip. Stations owns and operates seven major properties under the Station brand and two under the Fiesta brand. The same Boarding Pass players card program comprises all of the properties, as well as Stations' neighborhood Wildfire casinos.

If you live near either of the Fiestas, you also live near a Station. Fiesta Rancho is right across the street from Texas Station and not that far from Palace and Santa Fe Stations. Fiesta Henderson is near Sunset Station and Green Valley Ranch, and not a great distance from Boulder Station.

Since before we moved to Vegas we have played at both Station and Fiesta properties. Maximizing the benefits of playing at each is a bit of an art form. A big part of the challenge is knowing what you can get from both Stations and Fiestas, and what you can get from only one or the other.

Most important, you can get separate Stations and Fiestas mailers. The free play, point multipliers and dining and room offers on the Stations calendar can be used at any of the Station branded properties, but not at the Fiestas. Similarly, the offers on the Fiestas  mailer can be used at either Fiesta, but not at the Stations.

But some of the offers that appear on both mailers can be used only at one property. Both the Stations and the Fiestas have seniors days on Wednesdays, including a point multiplier. But you can use that multiplier only at one property, even though it's advertised in both mailers. When the same gift is offered on both mailers, you can generally get only one, at either a Station or Fiesta, but not both. Also, you can swipe your players card every day for free entries to the end-of-month drawing at either a Station or Fiesta, but not at both. The smart thing to do is to pick one or the other and concentrate your entries there.

But there's at least one exception to this rule. H-APP-Y DAYS offers appear on both mailers, and can be redeemed at both properties (these are for bonus points or drawing entries that can be redeemed only by using the Station Casinos smartphone app).

Incidentally, the mailers are usually different enough that it's worth it for many people to play regularly at both a Station and a Fiesta. Many free play and point multiplier offers are good for two or three days, so you might have a reason to go to either a Station or a Fiesta almost every day. And some promotions are at one type of property but not other other. For March, the Fiestas are having point multiplier days on both slots and video poker on two Mondays; Stations are having multiplier days on slots only on two Thursdays. The Fiestas are having drawing the first three weekends; Stations are not.

It's not always easy to figure out what offers are available at the Stations AND Fiestas and which are available at the Stations OR Fiestas. But if you play at both, eventually you'll get a feel for how the offers work, and you'll be able to maximize the benefits of your play at the Stations-owned properties.

South Point: Best video poker?

The staff of the R-J this year picked South Point as having the best video poker. (Readers picked the Fiestas). Both are places with good video poker, but the best? I'm not sure.

Part of my definition of good VP is lots of games with a long-term return to the skilled player of above 99.5, and South Point passes this test with ease. In particular, the casino is full of 16/10 "not so ugly deuces" in a variety of denominations, a game that returns 99.73 percent. With South Point's strong slot club, these games are break-even for skilled players without point multipliers or other considerations such mailers.

But many players want the opportunity to beat the casino on a cash basis by playing games with a 100-plus percent return. Numerous casinos have such games, which include full pay versions of deuces wild, double bonus, double double bonus and joker poker. I think the best casino for video poker would have at least some "positive" games, at quarter, 50 cent and dollar denominations. To the best of my knowledge, South Point no longer has any positive video poker.

Another consideration for me and many other video poker players is the availability of progressives with decent pay tables. A progressive is a video poker (or slot) machine or group of machines from which a percentage of the players' coin in goes to fund one or more jackpots. You've probably seen groups of machines with a sign above them with a dollar amount, or a sign above a bar with a dollar amount, representing a progressive jackpot.

My wife and I did a sweep of South Point for progessives a few months ago and while we found a fair number of progressives, all the games we checked had pay tables that we consider unplayable (anything much below 99 percent return). This is common with progressives; because part of the money going into the machines is siphoned off to fund the jackpot, the casino makes it up with a bad pay table. The best casinos for progressives put them on games that give players a chance to hold on to enough of their money to survive between royals.

The Palms is famous for its progressives on positive games, including full pay deuces wild. Unfortunately, the jackpot on this group of machines near the main entrance to the casino now accrues quite slowly, and the amount rarely reaches $1,100 and is often just a few dollars above the standard $1,000 for a quarters-game royal. Still, it's a highly positive game and you get full slot club points for playing it, making it one of the best deals in town. The Palms also has a progessive on $1 10/7 double bonus with jackpots not just on the royal, but also on the straight flush and "quads." Another fabulous opportunity. Downtown, the Four Queens has a $1 10/7 double bonus progressive. I'm sure there are more.

In judging which casino has the "best" video poker, other players might take into account which has the latest or most exotic games. This isn't my thing so I can't be of much help here. And, as with blackjack, a place that offers good games for high rollers ($1 and up video poker players) might not be so good to to the little guys. And those who play a particular game of family of games may find better tables and a wider choice of denominations at some casinos rather than others.

So it's hard to say which one casino is best for all video poker players. South Point certainly is good for many, but not for those who want to play a positive game or a progressive with a decent pay table.