What I learned last night about booking a Harrah's casino

My next trip is in April. Generally I go in August  and December.  I avoid conventions.  I stay downtown or slip away to Laughlin where the VP is still full pay.
However, I am changing my gambling focus, dropping intense VP play and concentrating on live poker.
For live poker the strip is a better place to play.  And conventions are very good things. Casinos don't change the odds at the poker table.  People and their quality of play do.

Now, I play no one armed bandits.   Generally I go unnoticed by casino marketing.   But my Harrah's poker play around the country apparently has attracted some attention, and I am getting my best deals on their Rewards site using my card.

So I booked there a month ago. 
Now here is the weird thing about that site.  Once you make a booking, you can't book again on line for that month in any Harrah's properties.  They don't want you to get two rooms at your special rate.  You have to call.  You don't have to pay the $10 processing fee for the call because it is the fault of the computer.  They waived that when I asked. 

You also can't see what they call your "offers."

When I booked there were no "offers" for April.  I booked too early.
But I am a book and rebook frugal guy even when staying on the strip, so last night I decided to call and see what was what.  I had to change my dates anyway. 

I had booked Flamingo for five cheap nights, ($40)
I explained my dilemma to the booking operator.  She agreed that I could not see rates to decide if I wanted to rebook to save money.  She was surprised I could not see my offers, but I suggested that she could see my offers so would she mind looking to see if I was missing any good deals.
Since I booked, the rewards rates had gone up $25 over the five nights.  But my offers included two free nights.  So she rebooked me. I saved $80-$25 or $55 plus 12% =$62

And for this call I did not have to pay the $10 processing fee either.  Apparently changing a reservation entails no fee, so the frugal way to book is to book something on line, wait a while, and then call.

I also had three nights booked at the Imperial Palace, but I could only use my "offers"  in one Harrah's property.

So, it seems that early booking on the Rewards site saves money.  Then it seems that just as the "offers" show for the dates booked, a call to Harrah's may save more money.
What surprised me most was the two comped nights.  Poker play does not often generate many free nights.