Laughlin, Nevada

The spouse and I spent a couple of days this week in Laughlin, a gambling center about 95 miles south of Las Vegas on the Colorado River. We had two free room nights at the Golden Nugget as a result of some play by the spouse at the Nugget in Vegas. If you're going to Laughlin and want to stay at a nice place, I recommend the Nugget, despite an incident in the parking garage that I'll describe later.

Laughlin caters mostly to low rollers, and a few places offers some decent opportunities for quarter video poker players and $5 blackjack players. A friend who is a low roller and a frequent visitor says he has gotten very generous room and dining offers from some of the places where he has played. He served as our guide during our first trip to Laughlin, just for a day, earlier in the month.

Probably the best gambling overall in Laughlin is at the Colorado Belle and Edgewater, adjacent properties owned by the Marnell family. Both have $5 double deck blackjack games with good penetration and each has a bank of 100 percent payback video poker machines, with all games at the quarter level. We also saw positive video poker at the Aquarius, which is affiliated with the Stratosphere and Arizona Charlie's properties in the Las Vegas area. The Aquarius has a $1 10/7 double bonus progressive, with a jackpot for the four aces as well as the royal. The same machines, just outside the hosts' office near the main entrance, have 16/10 "not so ugly" deuces for $1 as well. These were the only good video poker plays for $1 or more we saw in all of Laughlin, except for one game of 10/7 double bonus (100.17 percent payback) that we think was a programming mistake because it was in a casino where all the other games were horrible.

With few exceptions, the video poker situation in Laughlin can be described only as deplorable. In most places we checked the prevailing pay tables were 9/6 for double bonus (97.81 percent payback), 8/5 for jacks or better (97.30 percent) and 16/13 for deuces wild (96.77 percent). This appalling version of deuces is known as Colorado deuces and I always assumed the name came from the state, not the river. After visiting Laughlin, I'm not so sure.

The blackjack in Laughlin is characterized by a prohibition against doubling after split, even in some shoe games. This gives the house an additional edge of .13 percent against a perfect basic strategy player. It also takes the most exciting moments -- when the big money is out on the table -- out of the game, and prohibits customers from doing something many know they can do somewhere else, which I'm sure most appreciate as much as I do. Further, this stupid rule is self-defeating for the casinos because so few people play perfect basic strategy. They should want most of the players I saw to split and double down whenever they want; it would be money in the bank. Such rule can be made only by executives who go by statistics and not by any real experience at the gaming tables.

A couple of more things about blackjack in Laughlin: The signs at many tables say "double after any first two cards." A dealer at one place told us that in the past, many places in Laughlin allowed doubling on first two cards totaling 10 and 11 only. These signs conveniently avoid the issue of whether players can double after splitting, which was barred in all the double deck games I played in Laughlin, though it was allowed in the six deck shoe games at the Golden Nugget. If in doubt, ask the dealer. Also, table minimums are low -- mostly $5, some $10. I found it disconcerting when, at a couple of places, I put out a $30 bet and the dealer called out "green action." Nothing came of it, but the pit needs to know if someone is betting $30?

In terms of atmosphere, most of the places in Laughlin are on the level of downtown Las Vegas. As noted, the Nugget is the classiest, though the Aquarius claims to have the best (newly remodeled) rooms (you can see a mock-up on the casino floor). Out room at the Nugget was pretty standard. One thing I liked was the honor basket of snack items that were so reasonably priced we actually went for a couple of them, something I have never done in a hotel. The Nugget also has a nice tropical forest inside the main entrance, on a smaller scale but along the lines of the one at the Mirage, but with some of the flowers plastic, along the lines of the foliage at the Fiesta Henderson.

The one disconcerting thing that happened during our stay: One evening we went to our car in the parking garage at the Nugget and found a man, passed out, lying on the floor between our vehicle and the one next to it. My wife went inside to call security. I approached him; he seemed to breathing and there were no signs of violence, so I decided not to do anything further. The two security guys who came were able to rouse him; he expressed surprise at being at the Nugget, but never said where he thought he was. While this conversation was taking place, I noticed a bunch of gaming chips on the roof of the car next to ours. The security guys pointed out the chips and he said, "I guess I'm a winner." "One of the very few," one of the security guys shot back. Pretty funny stuff, since it was apparent by this time the man was OK.

A horrifying possibility

I just became aware of reports that Harrah's Entertainment has taken over some of the debt of the Palms and may have its eyes on taking over the property, as it recently did to Planet Hollywood. The Financial Times published a fairly detailed story on Feb. 24 and the Las Vegas Sun Web site carried a brief summary the following day. Sun readers posted some interesting comments on the story. (Incidentally, the Sun failed to note that the Greenspun family, which owns the paper, also has a small stake in the Palms.)

To say the least, a Harrahs takeover of the Palms would not be good news. The Palms is a unique casino that serves a diverse group of Vegas locals and visitors in ways that no Harrah's property does or could.

Perhaps the most basic difference betweeen the philosophies of Harrah's and George Maloof, the Palms' owner, is their attitude toward locals. Maloof got his start in Vegas with what is now Fiesta Rancho, a locals' casino in North Las Vegas. Although the Palms is known for its trendy clubs and fancy restaurants, on weekdays it is filled with locals who come for good games, including some of the best video poker on the planet, as well as some of the best promotions in Vegas.

On the other hand, Harrah's, the owner of a number of Strip properties and the Rio, has consistently shown nothing but contempt for local gamblers. Its games are among the worst and its comps are among the stingiest. Most of its properties (Harrah's, Flamingo, Imperial Palace, the abominable O'Sheas) are second rate or worse. Harrah's uses Vegas largely as a reward for players at its casinos in other parts of the country, who fill its rooms here, paying little or nothing. They certainly don't come for the 6-to-5 blackjack or Colorado deuces.

If Harrah's takes over the Palms, the changes will come quickly, and they will be drastic. The result will be what a blackjack dealer at Caesars Palace told a player there after Harrah's changed the rules: "This used to be one the best places to gamble. Now it's one of the worst."

Updates

It appears that since my recent post about the Westin Casuarina, the casino has dropped 16/10 "not so ugly" deuces. On a happier note, nearby Ellis Island has added full pay deuces to a group of machines against the wall of the restaurant. Labels on the machines indicate that point multipliers do not apply. These are the closest full pay deuces machines to the Strip.

Also, Peppermill's Rainbow in downtown Henderson no longer has 10-coin full pay deuces wild, leaving the Skyline on Boulder Highway the only place I know of with full pay deuces for, in effect, 50 cents. This casino has something else I haven't seen anywhere else -- wild sevens video poker, with the same pay table as full pay deuces wild. You'd have to use a different strategy for this game because in deuces games, "proximity to the deuce" is a factor in determining whether some cards are held.

A different kind of casino

After almost three years living in Vegas, I've visited most of the casinos in the area's major tourist areas. Until recently, one of the few exceptions was the Westin Casuarina, on Flamingo Road just east of the Strip. I did duck in a couple of months ago for a few minutes but didn't play. The other night a good players' club sign-up offer and a $25 table games match play coupon in the American Casino Guide got me in the door again. The offer was a rebate in free play of up to $50 in first-day slot or video poker losses. When I signed up, I was also given a $10 table games match play coupon.

What's different about the Westin is that although it's a short walk from the Strip, it has the atmosphere of a business hotel rather than a Vegas resort. The casino is small by Vegas standards for the size of the hotel, and it was quiet and crowd-free. The only businesses in the casino are a restaurant called Suede, a gift shop and a Starbucks coffee. There's one bar in the casino, with video poker.

The best video poker in the casino is 16/10 "not so ugly" deuces wild, which pays back 99.73 percent, for 25 cents. According to vpFREE2.com, 9/6 jacks or better (99.54 percent) is also available for 25 cents. The best game at higher denominations (50 cents, $1 and $2) is 15/9/4 "pseudo not so ugly" deuces wild (98.92 percent). Playing the 16/10, I quickly lost $50 and went to the players' club booth (which doubles as the cashiers' cage) and got my $50 rebate in free play, which I managed to turn into $50 cash for a break-even session.

Then it was time for blackjack. Two tables were open, one with a continuous-shuffle machine, the other with six decks, hand-shuffled. The minimum at both was $5. I chose the latter. A sign on the table detailed the rules, which are pretty standard: Dealer hits soft 17, double on any two cards, double after split, no re-slitting aces, no surrender (for a house edge of .63 against a basic strategy strategy player. For you card counters, penetration is set by notch at about 67 percent -- two full decks cut off.

For the center-Strip area, and especially with a $5 minimum, this isn't a bad blackjack game. It's certainly a lot better than the horrific 6-to-five games at the nearby Harrah's places. It's not a game I would normally play, but with $35 in match plays, my chances of winning a little money looked good. Alas, I lost my bet with the big coupon and left a loser by $40.

For machine play, the Westin gives both points than can be converted to free play and comp dollars for use in the restaurant, gift shop and Starbucks. According to vpFREE2, it takes $10 coin in to earn a point, and 100 points equal $5 in free play, which adds 0.5 percent to the players' return. This alone makes the 16/10 deuces a positive game for those who play it well. In addition to points, comp dollars are awarded at rates ranging from 0.48 percent to 0.93 percent, according to vpFREE2. Presumably the lowest rate is awarded for at least the better video poker games, but even so the total value of free play and comps comes to almost 1 percent, with this caveat:

Through the conversation at my blackjack table, I learned that the restaurant prices are quite high. In many casinos, restaurant prices are low, to draw in potential gamblers. Apparently the Westin restaurant is more of a typical of a business hotel, where many customers are on expense accounts and more interested in convenience than value. So the real value of the comp dollars may not be as high as their nominal value, considering available alternatives. Still, the overall return of the players' club benefits is quite good.

How often I return to the Westin may well depend on the offers, if any, I get in the mail. It doesn't seem to be a place that targets locals, but if I were a visitor who wanted to stay or play near the center Strip, it's definitely a place I would consider.

Slippage at Hooters

One of the casinos we've tended to visit occasionally is Hooters, just east of the Strip on Tropicana. We've gotten room offers for our play and stayed there several times, always enjoying the experience.

No one is going to mistake Hooters for the Wynn, but it has its charms. It advertises itself as "the cure for the ordinary casino," and it is refreshingly self-deprecating. At the front desk, a sign guarantees same-day check-in. The hotel towers are the "ocean view" and "bayfront," and the "do not disturb" signs say "no knockers." Unless you're a women's studies professor, you'll probably find a lot to laugh at. The crowd is usually high spirited and a mix of the young, middle aged and even families. (I once encountered a couple with two young boys in an elevator and asked the kids how they liked Hooters. They grinned widely and said they loved it, but Mommy glared and said, "DADDY booked us in to Hooters.")

I play 16/10 "not so ugly" deuces, available in denominations up to $1 on one bank of machines in front of the cashier's cage, and double deck blackjack, available on one table with a minimum of $10 and maximum of $500, never on more than one table. My spouse plays double bonus deuces wild (99.81 percent payback), which is on only one of the machines that also have the 16/10 deuces. 9/6 Jacks or Better is also available.

The rooms at Hooters are basic but have always been acceptable. This weekend we had the room from hell. It was at the end of the hall, overlooking the airport, so we got that noise, plus noise from the adjoining room. It seemed like there was no soundproofing at all. The bathroom sink didn't drain; the toilet ran; the bathtub faucet dripped. One of the closet doors had been knocked in; the blackout curtains were missing a pull rod; the clock radio didn't work.

A sign on the check-in counter and in our room invited us to a manager's reception with free hors d'oeuvres at the Mad Onion, the restaurant that until recently was Dan Marino's. We went one day and found that the hors d'oeuvres were available only with the purchase of a drink, which could have been made clear by the signs but wasn't.

The room was comped, and some might think it's ungrateful to complain about something you get for free. In the casino business, though, room comps serve as a reward for previous business and an inducement to come back. A substandard room fails to accomplish these goals for the casino.

Saying goodbye

There are many reasons to play at one casino rather than another, but the bottom line for me is games I want to play -- games that give me a fair chance to come out ahead. For video poker, these include not just 100 percent payback games but games such as 16/10 "not so ugly deuces" with 99.73 percent payback that can be combined with players' club benefits to yield a positive return. Progressives can make games with otherwise unacceptable pay tables a good play.

In recent weeks and months, several casinos have downgraded their video poker inventory, making it diffuclt for me to continue playing there. A case in point is one of the few Strip casinos that has made a genuine effort to go after the locals' business -- the Sahara.

This aging Strip property has been doing many things right. It has a generous players' club program that awards comp points, cash back and free play. The mailers I've gotten for my video poker play have offered generous amounts of free play. It offers point multipliers, gifts to local players and invitations to special events.

The Sahara deserves compliments for its $1 blackjack. Many casinos that offer low-limit blackjack have only one table of it; the Sahara always has at least one full pit open. Players get paid only even money for blackjacks and don't get rated for comps unless they bet $5 per hand (in which cases blackjacks play 6-to-5). But it's the only place I know of in Vegas where you can play blackjack for $1, and at that bet level the average loss from the reduced payout for blackjack is about $1.50 an hour. (Normally any game that pay less than 3-to-2 for blackjacks is to be avoided like the plague; in this case the disadvantage to the player is mitigated by the small amount of the bets.)

For slot and video poker players the Sahara has a "Locals Lane" with video poker that used to be better than that in the main casino. Not too long ago the best game there was 10/7 double bonus (100.17 percent payback) for 50 cents; most recently it was 16/10 "not so ugly" deuces (99.73 percent payback), in denominations up to $1. I was happy to play this game there given the Sahara's slot club benefits.

A few weeks ago, I found that the deuces pay tables had been changed to 15/9/4 "pseudo not so ugly," aka "Illinois deuces," which pays back 98.91 percent. The best double bonus is now 9/7, which pays back 99.11 percent, and it isn't even in Locals Lane. Absent incentives such as a big progressive jackpot or point multiplier, there is no reason to play games with these pay tables. The Las Vegas Hilton, right across the street, offers better games, including 16/10 deuces and 9/6 jacks or better (99.54 percent payback).

Nothing's forever in the casino business, and it's possible the folks at the Sahara will realize they've gone too far. But until they bring back the better pay tables or something else worthwile, I'll be using up my free play and than spending my time at other casinos.

An all-too-common problem

Last night I went to a casino I will not name because the problem I encountered there is all too common. I had received a postcard from this casino offering me, among other things, $50 in free play during January. The month was almost up and I didn't want to let this free play lapse.

When I got to the casino I sat down at a machine and tried to download the promotional credits. They were not there. I was ready to play so I decided to download $25 worth of slot points, play for a while, then check at the players' club on my $50. I had the postcard with the offer but had left it in the car, in my accordion folder of casino coupons, calendars, etc.

When I went to the players' club, the attendant checked her computer and told me I didn't have $50, I had $25, and I had used it in a previous month. All of this information was incorrect. She apparently saw that I had downloaded the $25 worth of points but couldn't understand that was not promotional free play, even though I explained it. I have no idea where she got the idea that my offer applied in more than one month. Basically, she blew me off.

Fortunately, I had the card in my car and brought it in. Another attendant downloaded the free play. I asked why it was not on the machine even though the card indicated it would be. She said all such offers have to be brought to the players' club to be activated. I can't say whether it said this anywhere on the card because she asked me to surrender it to her.

This is far from the first time I have found a casino employee ignorant of an offer or promotion or the procedures involved. Failure to communicate necessary information to those on the front lines appears to be common, if not endemic, in the gaming industry.

What's more annoying to me is when an employee pretends to know something he doesn't or gives a wrong answer without making an effort to understand exactly what is going on. Years ago, when I worked in retail, I was trained to take all customer complaints seriously and, if I was unable to provide satsifaction, to call a supervisor. This seems to be the obvious way to deal with customers, but in many casinos, the philsophy seems to be: Give them an answer, any answer, and get to the next customer.

Why not train employees to say "I don't know the answer but I'll try to get hold of someone who does"?

The lesson from this incident is always to come to a casino with any evidence you have to support any offer or promotion you plan to take advantage of. If the notice was an e-mail, print it out. If it's from an ad in the paper, cut it out. You get the idea.

One other thing: Many casino offers contain fine print. Read it before you make a trip to take advantage of what the large print seems to promise. A particular discount may not be available on weekends or holidays, for example. Even if you have the ad with you, if the fine print says the offer doesn't apply, you're unlikely to get to use it.