Don't swim in the pool at Cosmopolitan
http://www.lasvegasweekly.com/news/2011/sep/25/heads--dont-try-swimming-cosmo-pool-concerts/
http://www.lasvegasweekly.com/news/2011/sep/25/heads--dont-try-swimming-cosmo-pool-concerts/
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Monday, September 26, 2011
Orleans Gaming
However, in our enthusiams, we do need to remind people that these games simply make the Orleans playable. They don’t make the gambling stand out. We would not search the place out as a hidden gem of gaming.
If we check this survey, we can see that this sort of craps is the median for Vegas
http://wizardofvegas.com/guides/craps-survey//
If we check these comparisons, we can see that with all the rules figured in the computation, Orleans comes out again pretty average for Vegas. Perhaps it will more often deliver a $5 game.
http://wizardofvegas.com/guides/blackjack-survey//
At 040% it is playable, especially compared to some strip properties or abominations like 6:5 , but not outstanding, like the El Cortex single deck game with a house advantage of 0.19% Huge difference between these two games.
And while 8/5 Bonus Poker may be considered “full pay” and may be welcome in this current trend to downgrade VP, it is also pretty average in Vegas and nothing compared to the advantage once possible in their signature game, 10/7 DB which they downgraded to unplayable. I would not call 8/5 Bonus “best” in any sense. "Basically playable" comes to mind. “Average” again comes to mind. We would not go out of our way to search out the 8/5 Bonus at the Orleans. And while it may be a bit more rare to find it at a bar, there are plenty of places that have it and some that have it better at the bar. The Vue Bar at the Fitzgerald’s, for example, has it and tops the low full pay off with three progressive lines.
And when they did downgrade the DB in December 2006, they made it 9/6, a game you really should run from.
So, just looking at the math, the Orleans gambling is just okay. Nothing to stand up and cheer about, but if you enjoy the ambiance, the gambling is endurable in short sessions.
Live poker too is average because the fine ambiance and friendliness of the room is often offset by the dominance of local folks who play and play well there everyday with each other; their experience grouped together around your table can makes the game tough to beat. For softness of game, strip live poker is better.
If we check this survey, we can see that this sort of craps is the median for Vegas
http://wizardofvegas.com/guides/craps-survey//
If we check these comparisons, we can see that with all the rules figured in the computation, Orleans comes out again pretty average for Vegas. Perhaps it will more often deliver a $5 game.
http://wizardofvegas.com/guides/blackjack-survey//
At 040% it is playable, especially compared to some strip properties or abominations like 6:5 , but not outstanding, like the El Cortex single deck game with a house advantage of 0.19% Huge difference between these two games.
And while 8/5 Bonus Poker may be considered “full pay” and may be welcome in this current trend to downgrade VP, it is also pretty average in Vegas and nothing compared to the advantage once possible in their signature game, 10/7 DB which they downgraded to unplayable. I would not call 8/5 Bonus “best” in any sense. "Basically playable" comes to mind. “Average” again comes to mind. We would not go out of our way to search out the 8/5 Bonus at the Orleans. And while it may be a bit more rare to find it at a bar, there are plenty of places that have it and some that have it better at the bar. The Vue Bar at the Fitzgerald’s, for example, has it and tops the low full pay off with three progressive lines.
And when they did downgrade the DB in December 2006, they made it 9/6, a game you really should run from.
So, just looking at the math, the Orleans gambling is just okay. Nothing to stand up and cheer about, but if you enjoy the ambiance, the gambling is endurable in short sessions.
Live poker too is average because the fine ambiance and friendliness of the room is often offset by the dominance of local folks who play and play well there everyday with each other; their experience grouped together around your table can makes the game tough to beat. For softness of game, strip live poker is better.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Lite beer
What I like about lite beer is it is all pretty organic and easy to make.
We make it here on the farm.
All you need is a bucket of beer, a thirsty horse, and an empty bucket.
http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1809/is-light-beer-made-by-watering-it-down
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-light-beer.htm
And I guess I am wrong on the drink issue at El Cortez. Just out of my league I guess.
http://lasvegascitylife.com/articles/2011/09/22/eat_and_drink/crawl/iq_47466226.txt
We make it here on the farm.
All you need is a bucket of beer, a thirsty horse, and an empty bucket.
http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1809/is-light-beer-made-by-watering-it-down
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-light-beer.htm
And I guess I am wrong on the drink issue at El Cortez. Just out of my league I guess.
http://lasvegascitylife.com/articles/2011/09/22/eat_and_drink/crawl/iq_47466226.txt
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Orleans pros and cons
pros
* Rooms are probably the best in that price range.
* Always quiet.
* Location is away from noise and confusion, but well connected to the strip. There is the free shuttle that goes to the Flamingo corner and the city bus that goes down Tropicana to theNYNY corner or farther to pinball hall of fame. shuttle to Gold Coast with Palms and Riothrown in the ride.
* McMullen's Irish Pub (click)is right across the street. Can you say Smithwick's? Great potato chips and dips.
* Great pool in season. Great hot tub anytime. Clean workout room.
* Free wifi in the coffee shop near the check in, and even places to plug in.
* Resort fee has not been charged when I book on B Connected or for comped room specials.
* 9/7 nickle three play Double Bonus with progressives.
* great oatmeal at the Cafe with lots of stuff to add
* Buffet- good all day deal that lets you skip the line and pop in and out as many times as you want. Grazing then replaces overeating.
* Al's Oyster place where oyster chowder is off the menu, but will be made for you if you ask
* comfortable and friendly poker room
* I can wheel my luggage to a laundromat. It is a long walk, but safe down Arville.
* I can wheel my luggage to the Gold Coast. Longer walk,but great for booking those two back to back.
* great aligator door handles
* good shows at good prices for guests and sometimes free
cons:
* $6 resort fee
* gutted the great 10/7 DB they once had and replaced it with 9/6 DB that suckers in those who don't know there is 9/6 DDB.
* no other really decent VP unless some progressive is high
* Not many places to walk to after dark.
* tough local competition in the poker room.
* eliminated silver strike machine
more comments here:
http://www.vegasmessageboard.com/forums/showthread.php?p=554636#post554636
* Rooms are probably the best in that price range.
* Always quiet.
* Location is away from noise and confusion, but well connected to the strip. There is the free shuttle that goes to the Flamingo corner and the city bus that goes down Tropicana to theNYNY corner or farther to pinball hall of fame. shuttle to Gold Coast with Palms and Riothrown in the ride.
* McMullen's Irish Pub (click)is right across the street. Can you say Smithwick's? Great potato chips and dips.
* Great pool in season. Great hot tub anytime. Clean workout room.
* Free wifi in the coffee shop near the check in, and even places to plug in.
* Resort fee has not been charged when I book on B Connected or for comped room specials.
* 9/7 nickle three play Double Bonus with progressives.
* great oatmeal at the Cafe with lots of stuff to add
* Buffet- good all day deal that lets you skip the line and pop in and out as many times as you want. Grazing then replaces overeating.
* Al's Oyster place where oyster chowder is off the menu, but will be made for you if you ask
* comfortable and friendly poker room
* I can wheel my luggage to a laundromat. It is a long walk, but safe down Arville.
* I can wheel my luggage to the Gold Coast. Longer walk,but great for booking those two back to back.
* great aligator door handles
* good shows at good prices for guests and sometimes free
cons:
* $6 resort fee
* gutted the great 10/7 DB they once had and replaced it with 9/6 DB that suckers in those who don't know there is 9/6 DDB.
* no other really decent VP unless some progressive is high
* Not many places to walk to after dark.
* tough local competition in the poker room.
* eliminated silver strike machine
more comments here:
http://www.vegasmessageboard.com/forums/showthread.php?p=554636#post554636
First time playing live poker
I play mostly limit, so some of my responses may be geared toward that game.
Many places you play will have a different set of bonus awards. Some have bad beat jackpots. Some have high hand awards. Some have cracked Aces or even Cracked kings. Some have so many hours for a free tournament.
At Flamingo last year I was in a $2000 tournament with just 4 hours of play. We split at two tables and everyone got a black chip.
Because in limit you are trying to overcome the rake, you need to never miss a high hand or other bonus payout.
Ask about these bonus awards, so you know before you play. The most common one to miss is cracked Aces, where you are beat and just toss in your cards rather than show that you are beat with pocket Aces, and so you lose $100 from the house.
This bonus in limit even changes how people bet. Pocket Aces won't raise preflop to push out anyone since the award might be more than the pot and will require a minimum in the pot to be awarded.
In no limit I make certain every new player knows about Cracked Aces. If the bonus is $100 and they follow you to the river and you bet $50, they will call just to get the bonus. I have had guys fold the Aces rather than call my river bet, show them, and then they learn they just lost $50. And I lost $50 too.
Unless you have some complicated comp formula combining slot play and poker play, always swipe your card.
At any Harrah's now Caesar's place they will track you and you can get free rooms for the next trip. You can play at O'Shea's and still get a choice of free rooms at Harrah's. I did that. Next trip I have two free nights and one at $30 just due to poker play. And a look at the credits I have right now tells me that I have $15 to put toward the last night so it will end up being free as well.
Some places you have to be certain to swipe out when you leave or you get nothing. Even the dollar an hour comps add up over time.
Don't talk about possible hands unless you hold cards and then watch what you say. Don't read the board. Don't say, "Wow, someone could have a straight flush."
Don't act out of turn.
Don't be afraid to ask if you are unclear what a player did. Don't shout to the player. Ask the dealer. It is the dealer who has to know what is what and will make any calles in a decision. The player needs to make certain the dealer knows when there is a raise. Say you are in a limit $2 round and someone ahead of you pushes out a red chip and mumbles. Ask if that is a raise before you act.
"Did he raise or just call?"
Watch string bets. Say what you are doing before you do it. "Raise, fold, call" are great words. Raise is the most important of the three. If you say, "raise" in limit it is clear how many chips you are putting in the pot. If you say "raise" in no limit then you must announce how many chips are going to be bet or move them all at once. A great habit is to set up your bets and then move them in one motion.
Use a card protector. Some players will by accident or on purpose toss cards on your cards. If they are covered, then the dealer can sort it out. If not, you lose your hand. This is especially important when sitting either side of the dealer. S/he may pick up your hand easily by accident if it is unprotected.
Protect your hand. Develop a way to look at your cards that blocks your neighbor from getting even a glance at the suit. This is one of the biggest differences between on line and live poker. So many times players reveal their cards because they look too often and don't cup their hands over the cards. You can't pull the cards back from the table so you need a way to look. Watch the other players.
When you win a pot, turn your two cards over and make sure the dealer understands you are the winner. I usually put one finger on each card until the losing hands are mucked by the dealer. If the dealer tries to take them before taking other hands, I say, "I have the straight flush" and push down on the cars, holding them in place for a reread.
Otherwise your winning hand can be misread by even the best of dealers, swiped up quickly, and then, oh, well... the best you can do is protest a bit and see if the buy collecting the chips will split the pot.
You can change seats usually fairly easily. You ask the dealer and most places they give you a button that says seat change. You may want to do that for some strategic reason, like getting to the left of the wild raiser. In limit don't play immediately right of a habitual straddle player. Basically, this will kill your bid blind. You will never see a free flop.
You can change tables some places as long as they can keep them fairly even.
You can request to play with a buddy and some places will try to make that happen. Let folks know what you want.
If you have a problem, don't argue a lot. Ask the dealer. If you don't like the dealer answer, ask that the floor be called. Again, just present your case or questions calmly and whether you get the ruling or not, say thank you. Don't tell the dealer or the floor how the rules ought to be. But don't be afraid to ask for clarification. At worst, you then know what not to do next time.
If you play limit and like kill pots, great. You may find them in some casinos.
Make certain you know in a kill pot who acts last. Patterns change. And if you don't like kill pots and are playing in a no kill game and you are the only one who does not want to change. Tell that to the dealer. Yes, you will be unpopular, but in most cases the game can't change to a kill game unless everyone wants a kill pot. consider your bankroll, not just peer pressure.
When you are on a seating list waiting for a game you can often watch the game you hope to join. Sometimes the dealer does not communicate an empty seat to the floor. You can do that. Just walk back to where you signed in and let them know there is an empty seat on table number XX. If you are next in line, this can save a ten minute wait.
You can call ahead to get on seating lists at some casinos. You might like carrying a list of poker room numbers and calling to ask what is being spread and if they can put you on the list.
Watch for free food. They might bring in cookies at the Imperial Palace but they might not tell you, and you can have one while you wait for a seat too. You should never, ever be shy about cookies
Many places you play will have a different set of bonus awards. Some have bad beat jackpots. Some have high hand awards. Some have cracked Aces or even Cracked kings. Some have so many hours for a free tournament.
At Flamingo last year I was in a $2000 tournament with just 4 hours of play. We split at two tables and everyone got a black chip.
Because in limit you are trying to overcome the rake, you need to never miss a high hand or other bonus payout.
Ask about these bonus awards, so you know before you play. The most common one to miss is cracked Aces, where you are beat and just toss in your cards rather than show that you are beat with pocket Aces, and so you lose $100 from the house.
This bonus in limit even changes how people bet. Pocket Aces won't raise preflop to push out anyone since the award might be more than the pot and will require a minimum in the pot to be awarded.
In no limit I make certain every new player knows about Cracked Aces. If the bonus is $100 and they follow you to the river and you bet $50, they will call just to get the bonus. I have had guys fold the Aces rather than call my river bet, show them, and then they learn they just lost $50. And I lost $50 too.
Unless you have some complicated comp formula combining slot play and poker play, always swipe your card.
At any Harrah's now Caesar's place they will track you and you can get free rooms for the next trip. You can play at O'Shea's and still get a choice of free rooms at Harrah's. I did that. Next trip I have two free nights and one at $30 just due to poker play. And a look at the credits I have right now tells me that I have $15 to put toward the last night so it will end up being free as well.
Some places you have to be certain to swipe out when you leave or you get nothing. Even the dollar an hour comps add up over time.
Don't talk about possible hands unless you hold cards and then watch what you say. Don't read the board. Don't say, "Wow, someone could have a straight flush."
Don't act out of turn.
Don't be afraid to ask if you are unclear what a player did. Don't shout to the player. Ask the dealer. It is the dealer who has to know what is what and will make any calles in a decision. The player needs to make certain the dealer knows when there is a raise. Say you are in a limit $2 round and someone ahead of you pushes out a red chip and mumbles. Ask if that is a raise before you act.
"Did he raise or just call?"
Watch string bets. Say what you are doing before you do it. "Raise, fold, call" are great words. Raise is the most important of the three. If you say, "raise" in limit it is clear how many chips you are putting in the pot. If you say "raise" in no limit then you must announce how many chips are going to be bet or move them all at once. A great habit is to set up your bets and then move them in one motion.
Use a card protector. Some players will by accident or on purpose toss cards on your cards. If they are covered, then the dealer can sort it out. If not, you lose your hand. This is especially important when sitting either side of the dealer. S/he may pick up your hand easily by accident if it is unprotected.
Protect your hand. Develop a way to look at your cards that blocks your neighbor from getting even a glance at the suit. This is one of the biggest differences between on line and live poker. So many times players reveal their cards because they look too often and don't cup their hands over the cards. You can't pull the cards back from the table so you need a way to look. Watch the other players.
When you win a pot, turn your two cards over and make sure the dealer understands you are the winner. I usually put one finger on each card until the losing hands are mucked by the dealer. If the dealer tries to take them before taking other hands, I say, "I have the straight flush" and push down on the cars, holding them in place for a reread.
Otherwise your winning hand can be misread by even the best of dealers, swiped up quickly, and then, oh, well... the best you can do is protest a bit and see if the buy collecting the chips will split the pot.
You can change seats usually fairly easily. You ask the dealer and most places they give you a button that says seat change. You may want to do that for some strategic reason, like getting to the left of the wild raiser. In limit don't play immediately right of a habitual straddle player. Basically, this will kill your bid blind. You will never see a free flop.
You can change tables some places as long as they can keep them fairly even.
You can request to play with a buddy and some places will try to make that happen. Let folks know what you want.
If you have a problem, don't argue a lot. Ask the dealer. If you don't like the dealer answer, ask that the floor be called. Again, just present your case or questions calmly and whether you get the ruling or not, say thank you. Don't tell the dealer or the floor how the rules ought to be. But don't be afraid to ask for clarification. At worst, you then know what not to do next time.
If you play limit and like kill pots, great. You may find them in some casinos.
Make certain you know in a kill pot who acts last. Patterns change. And if you don't like kill pots and are playing in a no kill game and you are the only one who does not want to change. Tell that to the dealer. Yes, you will be unpopular, but in most cases the game can't change to a kill game unless everyone wants a kill pot. consider your bankroll, not just peer pressure.
When you are on a seating list waiting for a game you can often watch the game you hope to join. Sometimes the dealer does not communicate an empty seat to the floor. You can do that. Just walk back to where you signed in and let them know there is an empty seat on table number XX. If you are next in line, this can save a ten minute wait.
You can call ahead to get on seating lists at some casinos. You might like carrying a list of poker room numbers and calling to ask what is being spread and if they can put you on the list.
Watch for free food. They might bring in cookies at the Imperial Palace but they might not tell you, and you can have one while you wait for a seat too. You should never, ever be shy about cookies
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Monday, September 19, 2011
How I pack
I start making lists when I start booking, at least 6 months in advance.
Often I pack for Vegas while unpacking from some other trip, even with a month or so inbetween. I do laundry, and repack Vegas clothes right then. This precludes me forgetting the kinds of things I want to pack for every trip. I especially want to set aside certain shirts that are easy to wash and will dry quickly and are light against the Vegas heat.
And it saves last minute laundry.
The travel steamer takes out the wrinkles well enough for me. And they are going to be there even with stuff packed last minute.
I am going to pack the largest suitcase the plane allows.
I have a good sense of what 50 pounds is, and I weigh at home, but in the bag goes an empty light bag and if I have gotten too heavy and have to, I repack at the airport as SW still lets me take 2 bags free. Usually I weigh in at 49 lbs.
The light bag will be good for anything I buy or win in Vegas, so my plan is to keep it empty until I come back. Generally, I finish my trip with ACG coupon at the El Cortez and shop for souvenirs downtown. The free shuttle eliminates the hassle of the extra bag for a bus ride to the airport. Next trip I ended at Harrah's, so things will be different.
I carry-on my computer and my sleep apnea machine, drugs, some coupons, kindle and maybe change of underwear /socks.
Since I am going on one plane with my luggage, I don't expect it will get lost. It never has on SW to Vegas. On other travels I once was up to lost luggage 5 trips in a row as well as stolen stuff going into Mexico.
The lost stuff showed up, but a couple days later.
Once, flying into Madrid for a month in Spain, it was good that I had changed from driving immediately out of Madrid North, to staying a few nights first as they delivered the next day easily since I was still in Madrid.
Anyway,
After I arrive in Vegas, I put my carry-ons into the extra suitcase space and have one bag to roll on the buses or between hotels.
I am alwasy going for at least 14 nights. My next trip is 22 nights. And I am moving from freebie to freebie or cheapo place and either rolling luggage or taking the bus.
It has to be easy. I found the large bag easier than packing light because the wheel base is wide and rolling never twists my wrists.
If SW starts charging I'll give up luxuries and go super light. One advantage to that would be using the Deuce/SDX to go between hotel and hotel.
However, for now, having the computer and apnea machine in the rolling bag rather than strapped on my back makes the longer rolls, say from Orleans to Gold Coast, much easier.
I make sure to unpack and repack my wallet so I have my senior bus ID and American Casino Guide ID, but I don't have my local grocery store advantage cards.
Things I pack include:
I have given up taking shaving cream. It seems to make messes. I use a mixture of soap/ shampoo and lotion and it seems to work fine. I don't shave much anyway, just a bit above the beard.
Often I pack for Vegas while unpacking from some other trip, even with a month or so inbetween. I do laundry, and repack Vegas clothes right then. This precludes me forgetting the kinds of things I want to pack for every trip. I especially want to set aside certain shirts that are easy to wash and will dry quickly and are light against the Vegas heat.
And it saves last minute laundry.
The travel steamer takes out the wrinkles well enough for me. And they are going to be there even with stuff packed last minute.
I am going to pack the largest suitcase the plane allows.
I have a good sense of what 50 pounds is, and I weigh at home, but in the bag goes an empty light bag and if I have gotten too heavy and have to, I repack at the airport as SW still lets me take 2 bags free. Usually I weigh in at 49 lbs.
The light bag will be good for anything I buy or win in Vegas, so my plan is to keep it empty until I come back. Generally, I finish my trip with ACG coupon at the El Cortez and shop for souvenirs downtown. The free shuttle eliminates the hassle of the extra bag for a bus ride to the airport. Next trip I ended at Harrah's, so things will be different.
I carry-on my computer and my sleep apnea machine, drugs, some coupons, kindle and maybe change of underwear /socks.
Since I am going on one plane with my luggage, I don't expect it will get lost. It never has on SW to Vegas. On other travels I once was up to lost luggage 5 trips in a row as well as stolen stuff going into Mexico.
The lost stuff showed up, but a couple days later.
Once, flying into Madrid for a month in Spain, it was good that I had changed from driving immediately out of Madrid North, to staying a few nights first as they delivered the next day easily since I was still in Madrid.
Anyway,
After I arrive in Vegas, I put my carry-ons into the extra suitcase space and have one bag to roll on the buses or between hotels.
I am alwasy going for at least 14 nights. My next trip is 22 nights. And I am moving from freebie to freebie or cheapo place and either rolling luggage or taking the bus.
It has to be easy. I found the large bag easier than packing light because the wheel base is wide and rolling never twists my wrists.
If SW starts charging I'll give up luxuries and go super light. One advantage to that would be using the Deuce/SDX to go between hotel and hotel.
However, for now, having the computer and apnea machine in the rolling bag rather than strapped on my back makes the longer rolls, say from Orleans to Gold Coast, much easier.
I make sure to unpack and repack my wallet so I have my senior bus ID and American Casino Guide ID, but I don't have my local grocery store advantage cards.
Things I pack include:
- small bag clips to clip window shades closed
- small travel one cup coffee maker, my own coffee, tea bags
- ceramic coffee cup- I like my own
- small travel clothes steamer.
- trail mix for plane, but mostly for room.
- 3 mil plastic bags for clothes in case I encounter undetected bed bugs and need to seal up stuff before decontamination.
- plastic bib and clip to keep my shirts free of stains
- blinders for a nap on airplane
- airplane noise reducing earphones for airplane and sometimes hotel naps and for computer
- ear plugs for loud music concerts or swimming.
- Old CD movies or short stuff, like George Burns old shows.
- small jar of Louisiana hot sauce.
- Cheese and cut apples for the plane ride. cheese keeps pretty well and leftovers will be great in the room.
I have given up taking shaving cream. It seems to make messes. I use a mixture of soap/ shampoo and lotion and it seems to work fine. I don't shave much anyway, just a bit above the beard.
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Booking.com and hotels.com thoughts
I have used them. I like they do not take all the money upfront. So they are the only discounter I use to book early deals. Usually I end up cancelling and rebooking as I find better deals or free offers. They support easy cancellation.
This year I booked the El Cabana suites for November, making a five night reservation and another 3 night reservation. It was just as the El Cortez was starting the "resort fee after 7 nights" policy.( ya know, to get rid of all those cheapskate, brokeass, small potaotes, flea gambler like me as well as the flocks of homeless crowding into the Cabana rooms for the $34 dollar a night specials)
So I was booked with confirmation when someone at the El Cortez told booking.com that the EC would not honor my second booking. I liked how booking.com got in touch with me, offered explanation, gave me people to follow up with a phone call, and were clearly as annoyed as I was with this midstream change in policy and reversal of a confirmed booking.
Then the EC was just limiting booking to 7 nights. Soon afterwards, I guess they decided that they had to do too much oversight and they just passed the extra fee of $25 on for any booking over 7 by a person or a spouse in a single calendar month.
That way they did not set adrift any person's bookings that slipped through the net, but they still did not have to honor the original agreement of price.
Booking with a discounter always adds a middle man, but in my view booking.com passed the middle man test.
Oh, also they had a problem with a calendar on one of their pages. I wrote them. They wrote me back, wondering if I was making the mistake. So I walked them through the problem, and very soon it was fixed and they thanked me.
In contrast, I have written about 8 emails and made phone calls to Hotels.com/Expedia in reference to the way they handle the Gold Spike. Basically, they collect the "resort fee" up front, but won't admit it. They call it a "service fee" Then in the fine print it says that the "resort fee" (equal exactly to the "service fee") will be collected by the hotel. Well, I have asked Gold Spike over two years about that at least a half dozen times. The Gold Spike does not collect any resort fee from Hotels.com or expedia booked people because that fee already has been collected.
I trust the Gold Spike version of reality. It actually hurts the Hotel.com sales because if booking.com matches the same price, it looks cheaper.
So when compared with Hotels.com (and I like their service fine in most cases) booking.com also does not collect the $9 a night resort fee up front either. So you can book for insurance of price, and then look for direct booking deals, but not have hundreds of dollars tied up in the first booking.
Also, I may be imagining this, but every call to booking.com has me taking to someone who might even speak English as a first language. I would never book at Hotels.com on the phone. Once they canceled one booking, made another for the wrong month, and then I booked what I really wanted. Meanwhile they held up a thousand dollars and told me that it might take a full billing period for my credit card to be credited. Hey, it takes a few seconds to be charged.
Now here is the disadvantage of all these discounters. You may be able to cancel without a fee (not so by the way at i4vegas, they charge you) However, you can't catch a sale one month for say 7 days and then drop 2 of those days and keep the same price. You must cancel and rebook at what then will probably not be sale prices.
So I quickly switched to the Gold Spike when I caught a better deal I booked 9 nights in a row (take that El Cortez bean counters) and then I got 2 free nights at the Orleans. I wanted to drop to 7. The rooms I booked for $12 plus resort fee on that day were $80 and on a sale day later were $45. But after a bit of a hassle, the Gold Spike dropped the last 2 nights but let me keep my rate. In May I did the same with Sam's town. Booked on B -connected for 9 nights at $10 a night, and twice dropped nights to end up with just 6 when I got free rooms in other places.
So, whenever you can book directly.
Even then, the best strategy for long bookings is to book in bits of 2 or 3 nights and have a few connecting reservations. Then you can cancel one of those easily, right on line, with no confusion, if you get late free offers.
Finally, if you use any discounter, call the hotel directly a few days before you are going to arrive and confirm they know you are coming and confirm the dates so that they agree with what you booked. This means that if they have to communicate with the discounter because the paperwork has been mixed up (three mix ups in my experience) it will not be done in line at the check in when you are tired and waiting for a room, but while you are still home. Once I was in the middle of the desert driving to the Stratosphere from California and I called from there to confirm. Good thing. They had no record of me coming. Three hours later when I got to the Stratosphere all the paperwork was clear and check in was easy. The lines were huge. It would have been a nightmare.
Actually, I try to confirm a couple weeks after booking and I confirm again just before I go to see that my confirmation phone calls have not been confused
This year I booked the El Cabana suites for November, making a five night reservation and another 3 night reservation. It was just as the El Cortez was starting the "resort fee after 7 nights" policy.( ya know, to get rid of all those cheapskate, brokeass, small potaotes, flea gambler like me as well as the flocks of homeless crowding into the Cabana rooms for the $34 dollar a night specials)
So I was booked with confirmation when someone at the El Cortez told booking.com that the EC would not honor my second booking. I liked how booking.com got in touch with me, offered explanation, gave me people to follow up with a phone call, and were clearly as annoyed as I was with this midstream change in policy and reversal of a confirmed booking.
Then the EC was just limiting booking to 7 nights. Soon afterwards, I guess they decided that they had to do too much oversight and they just passed the extra fee of $25 on for any booking over 7 by a person or a spouse in a single calendar month.
That way they did not set adrift any person's bookings that slipped through the net, but they still did not have to honor the original agreement of price.
Booking with a discounter always adds a middle man, but in my view booking.com passed the middle man test.
Oh, also they had a problem with a calendar on one of their pages. I wrote them. They wrote me back, wondering if I was making the mistake. So I walked them through the problem, and very soon it was fixed and they thanked me.
In contrast, I have written about 8 emails and made phone calls to Hotels.com/Expedia in reference to the way they handle the Gold Spike. Basically, they collect the "resort fee" up front, but won't admit it. They call it a "service fee" Then in the fine print it says that the "resort fee" (equal exactly to the "service fee") will be collected by the hotel. Well, I have asked Gold Spike over two years about that at least a half dozen times. The Gold Spike does not collect any resort fee from Hotels.com or expedia booked people because that fee already has been collected.
I trust the Gold Spike version of reality. It actually hurts the Hotel.com sales because if booking.com matches the same price, it looks cheaper.
So when compared with Hotels.com (and I like their service fine in most cases) booking.com also does not collect the $9 a night resort fee up front either. So you can book for insurance of price, and then look for direct booking deals, but not have hundreds of dollars tied up in the first booking.
Also, I may be imagining this, but every call to booking.com has me taking to someone who might even speak English as a first language. I would never book at Hotels.com on the phone. Once they canceled one booking, made another for the wrong month, and then I booked what I really wanted. Meanwhile they held up a thousand dollars and told me that it might take a full billing period for my credit card to be credited. Hey, it takes a few seconds to be charged.
Now here is the disadvantage of all these discounters. You may be able to cancel without a fee (not so by the way at i4vegas, they charge you) However, you can't catch a sale one month for say 7 days and then drop 2 of those days and keep the same price. You must cancel and rebook at what then will probably not be sale prices.
So I quickly switched to the Gold Spike when I caught a better deal I booked 9 nights in a row (take that El Cortez bean counters) and then I got 2 free nights at the Orleans. I wanted to drop to 7. The rooms I booked for $12 plus resort fee on that day were $80 and on a sale day later were $45. But after a bit of a hassle, the Gold Spike dropped the last 2 nights but let me keep my rate. In May I did the same with Sam's town. Booked on B -connected for 9 nights at $10 a night, and twice dropped nights to end up with just 6 when I got free rooms in other places.
So, whenever you can book directly.
Even then, the best strategy for long bookings is to book in bits of 2 or 3 nights and have a few connecting reservations. Then you can cancel one of those easily, right on line, with no confusion, if you get late free offers.
Finally, if you use any discounter, call the hotel directly a few days before you are going to arrive and confirm they know you are coming and confirm the dates so that they agree with what you booked. This means that if they have to communicate with the discounter because the paperwork has been mixed up (three mix ups in my experience) it will not be done in line at the check in when you are tired and waiting for a room, but while you are still home. Once I was in the middle of the desert driving to the Stratosphere from California and I called from there to confirm. Good thing. They had no record of me coming. Three hours later when I got to the Stratosphere all the paperwork was clear and check in was easy. The lines were huge. It would have been a nightmare.
Actually, I try to confirm a couple weeks after booking and I confirm again just before I go to see that my confirmation phone calls have not been confused
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Senior Bus Passes after 9-11
Current information saved and updated here:
http://vegasonthebus.blogspot.com/2011/09/senior-bus-pass-rates-and-issues-after.html
http://vegasonthebus.blogspot.com/2011/09/senior-bus-pass-rates-and-issues-after.html
email to Vegas bus company after 9-11
Please be careful to research the details of your answers. I will be sharing them with discussion boards, with the press, and with AARP.
My concern is exactly how the RTC affects senior tourists.
In particular:
1. Which reduced fares are no longer accepted on the Deuce, SDX. The website says the 30 day pass is still all access. Information on your Facebook site recommended I buy the 5 day pass and use it with no ID requred, and anecdotal traveler data suggest that the 5 day pass is all access and recommended tourists use that pass and no ID would be required. Did that change yesterday?
2. How does a tourist get from the airport on the WAX and then down the strip? Is s/he required to buy two passes? Will the WAX bus driver sell a 24 hour pass that is not residential only and good on the SDX as well?
3.. Since these changes apply only to tourist travelers, what can you say about the RTC intention to create two classes of senior riders, locals and tourists? Since stimulus funds are being used to overhaul the Las Vegas bus company, how is it fair to charge out of state users twice the price of locals? How does it promote the use of the buses by tourists?
4. What route would you suggest for the tourist who will now ride the buses from downtown, but want to ride on a residential pass? What would be the safest bus stops at 1 am in the morning?
Any other light you might throw on this issue would certainly be helpful as I inform my readers and others of these new changes and their affect on trourist seniors.
Thanks
Sunday, September 11, 2011
laughlin notes
This day trip includes Hoover Dam
http://freevegastours.com/ - Laughlin free trip includes the Hoover Dam.
Destination.com has a coupon I printed for a free trip just to Laughlin.
More possibilities here:
http://vegasonthebus.blogspot.com/2011/07/laughlin-bus-tours.html
More possibilities here:
http://vegasonthebus.blogspot.com/2011/07/laughlin-bus-tours.html
general boilerplate
Watch the water taxi. It is not the same old ride for $5. Reports lately have the driver adding extra fees depending on where he is going. So a person I know gets on (when Tony is driving) with a handicapped person, boarding at the Golden Nugget and off for Harrah's. Tony charged $16 because he went to Riverside before turning around. Then he charged another $8 to get back to the Edgewater. He claimed he was charging so much due to the huge crowds and big demand. There were two people on board. River Palms is still a wasteland. They ripped out a whole floor in anticipation of an upgrade involving other businesses and the deal fell through. The beds there, however, have improved. VP has been downgraded most places. The Aquarius is an exception. They are trying to market as not changing value or getting into the room price wars. Many people like this spot. I found it nice, but I hit an unvacuumed room and did not like the isolated pool in the hot sun with no chance for shade. At Riverside I love the Watchman store and am addicted to buying watches there. This week I was wearing the one that looks like turquoise and silver, but is not. I saw this for over $100 in Zion. Good deals on unique watches, especially if you buy 4. The live poker is both very good and very tough. Often you are playing the same players. There are lots of bonus awards because they rake $2 to give back in promotions. The rake itself caps at $3, so it is the same as Vegas but better value. There are few no limit opportunities. The popular game is a 2-6 spread limit game that is a lot of fun. I've encountered the most tourists late at night in the 2-4 at the Colorado Belle.
Cracked Aces are a favorite and the bonus changes depending on place and time. The Riverside had $500 bonus for blacked Aces cracked for a few hours on Sunday afternoon. Because of the downgrading of VP I won't give them a week anymore, but I go up on the free bus for a day. Destinations.com has a coupon that makes it completely free for the direct to Laughlin and back, one day only. Others charge $5 or $10 and you may be on the same bus. There is one route that includes 20 minutes at the Hoover Dam. I may try that one this time. [URL="http://freevegastours.com/"]http://freevegastours.com/ [/URL]- There is an Inn and Out Burger joint across from Colorado Belle. I know you are driving out. Others reading may want a bus. Rivercity runs one and you can go round trip from Terribles or the airport for about $100 and drop or pick up from any casino in Laughlin. Stay away from their competitor as they will cancel if you are the only passenger. Rivercity often gets their leftovers. The driving is easy, however, once you get away from Vegas except for Searchlight where there is a speedtrap. I think it goes down quickly (one sign) to 30 miles an hour. Don't coast;brake. The cop is waiting to boost the local coffers. Having a car is a definite benefit. Walks can get very long. Some speculate that the nearby Indian casinos are giving better value and helping the Laughlin recession. At any rate those casinos are hurting. I saw rooms at the Colorado Belle for $7.77 this past month. 2 for 1 buffets all over the American Casino Guide. Many are new. Most do not split for solo at 50% but Harrah's used to allow that. Have you card with you as they do look. Gandma's Sunday buffet, one of the best meals in the World, is gone. The upscale restaurant is still there, but pricy. Watch the dress code if you are too casual. I always liked the free dixieland band that played in the casino near the door of the Colorado Belle. It was hard to find a seat, but no one bothered folks sitting on machine chairs and the music was just great. Comedy is the same as it is in Vegas. Often they get the same acts. This is an easy free ticket for a host to give out. Okay, that is all I know.
Cracked Aces are a favorite and the bonus changes depending on place and time. The Riverside had $500 bonus for blacked Aces cracked for a few hours on Sunday afternoon. Because of the downgrading of VP I won't give them a week anymore, but I go up on the free bus for a day. Destinations.com has a coupon that makes it completely free for the direct to Laughlin and back, one day only. Others charge $5 or $10 and you may be on the same bus. There is one route that includes 20 minutes at the Hoover Dam. I may try that one this time. [URL="http://freevegastours.com/"]http://freevegastours.com/ [/URL]- There is an Inn and Out Burger joint across from Colorado Belle. I know you are driving out. Others reading may want a bus. Rivercity runs one and you can go round trip from Terribles or the airport for about $100 and drop or pick up from any casino in Laughlin. Stay away from their competitor as they will cancel if you are the only passenger. Rivercity often gets their leftovers. The driving is easy, however, once you get away from Vegas except for Searchlight where there is a speedtrap. I think it goes down quickly (one sign) to 30 miles an hour. Don't coast;brake. The cop is waiting to boost the local coffers. Having a car is a definite benefit. Walks can get very long. Some speculate that the nearby Indian casinos are giving better value and helping the Laughlin recession. At any rate those casinos are hurting. I saw rooms at the Colorado Belle for $7.77 this past month. 2 for 1 buffets all over the American Casino Guide. Many are new. Most do not split for solo at 50% but Harrah's used to allow that. Have you card with you as they do look. Gandma's Sunday buffet, one of the best meals in the World, is gone. The upscale restaurant is still there, but pricy. Watch the dress code if you are too casual. I always liked the free dixieland band that played in the casino near the door of the Colorado Belle. It was hard to find a seat, but no one bothered folks sitting on machine chairs and the music was just great. Comedy is the same as it is in Vegas. Often they get the same acts. This is an easy free ticket for a host to give out. Okay, that is all I know.
Board Discussions on Laughlin here:
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowForum-g45964-i292-Laughlin_Nevada.html
update: Just heard the great Dixieland band is gone from the Colorado Belle and that the poker room at the River Palms is being moved to the Tropicana. Edgewater no longer has a room. All the games are at the Colorado Belle.
update: Just heard the great Dixieland band is gone from the Colorado Belle and that the poker room at the River Palms is being moved to the Tropicana. Edgewater no longer has a room. All the games are at the Colorado Belle.
Thursday, September 08, 2011
And speaking of small potatoes- Newest coupon deal
http://www.rtcsnv.com/transit/tiyot.cfm
Okay, coupon lovers. This is a real deal. I have not called every place on the list, just the Four Queens, but they have been working on this for about a year and it is just now implemented.
Good for locals and tourists.
Good for any pass, from 24 hour pass on up.
Of course, you need to be 21 and have a Four Queens player's card. You go to the promotions booth with your bus pass to get all that taken care of.
Good at even the most expensive eateries at the Four Queens or at Binions.
And while it is not good with other offers, it may work when you charge the bill to the room and then write it off with a food comp and in that way stretch a food comp. I did not ask this.
I'd still call ahead to other places before I went just to be sure and it can be cancelled at any time.
I talked to Vinny at food and beverage at the Four Queens, a most delightful woman. She invited me to stop in and say hello when I am there in October.
Monday, September 05, 2011
Friday, September 02, 2011
Sunday, August 28, 2011
room numbers and notes
Seems like a good idea to collect room numbers of the good, the bad, and the ugly.
Just starting. Comment if you have one to share.
Fitzgeralds
******************************
***********************************
Just starting. Comment if you have one to share.
Fitzgeralds
I recommend Rm 3427 - the beds are decent, not a long walk from the elevator, very quiet, and everyone will think you're staying in the penthouse suite since it's the top floor!!!(Pokernutt)
******************************
Super 8
I like 3045. However it is the only room I have tried there. When I first booked there. (dewey)
***********************************
Orleans
Sailor likes rooms on 20-21 floor. Rarely used. Nicer. However, these are all king beds. If you want one when you reserve a room have it be a king. Then they might put your there.
865 reported serious plumbing problems in sink and shower on 8/19/11
*****************
Sam's Town
MAIN STREET STATION
#1519. Facing FSE and Rio, Stratosphere, etc.
kept one poster out of the noise.
He suggested odd numbered room on high floor.
Another agreed after staying in odd number on the 18th
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
865 reported serious plumbing problems in sink and shower on 8/19/11
*****************
Sam's Town
The check in clerk listened when I said, "the quieter, the better" and gave me a room at the end of the hall, ROOM 463 which also meant I was free to play my television during sleepless late hours because it was on an outside wall.
At first I found it annoying to run my extension cord behind the television, and later I saw that this was unnecessary because the lamp on the table has a hard to see plug in its base. A handy plug along the wall near the bed made my sleep apnea machine plug in easy. In the other places I have had to put in an adapter to make more room on the light and clock outlet. I am constantly unplugging the lamp to plug it into my adapter and not having enough light to see to do it. Oh well, small annoyances. Here it was easy.
I had read some complaints about the cooling system. I seem comfortable, but it is a mild time of year. I could change the settings on the thermostat and turn off the fan at least for a short while. I did not actually get the hang of it, but none of this seemed bothersome.
The curtains here were thick and the best of my trip for keeping out nap time sunlight.
But as well as being a bit dusty in those obscure places that I look for bedbugs, or behind things I move to plug in my sleep apnea machine, this room was just boringly dull. The art was the most tacky. This country photo in the lobby would make sense and add enjoyment to the ambiance, but there was nothing like this. What I had was photos of fall leaves. This was May.
Bed bug inspection was helped by places being poorly vacuumed because it was clear that were they there, I'd see them. It was hurt, however, because these mattresses are so wrapped up in layers of this and that and covers and such that I could not really see the mattress itself. I have not seen anything like this sort of mattress wrapping.
The poor vacuuming left the black chair distastefully covered with lint or something. I did not want to sit there.
++++++++++++
#1519. Facing FSE and Rio, Stratosphere, etc.
kept one poster out of the noise.
He suggested odd numbered room on high floor.
Another agreed after staying in odd number on the 18th
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Saturday, August 20, 2011
noncomputerized electromagnetic slots
From this site:
http://www.slotmachinesdaddy.com/slot-machines/how-works/
bucket notes
As for the machines at El Cortez, they are a dying breed. To recap a bit of our conversation at Bighorn, there has been an evolution of slot machines over the years. The early machines were purely mechanical devices (until recently there were playable examples at Pioneer in Laughlin). Today these are not to be found in commercial operation, but can be seen in display cases in the lobby of Main Street Station, and outside of cases at New Life Games in Laughlin. These machines had no 'spin' button... The energy to run the mechanism (from reel spin to payout) was provided by the player's pull of the handle to charge an internal spring.
The next generation of slot machine was the electro-mechanical slot. These had lights inside, and a motor that provided the energy to work the machine. The handle was still there, but technically unnecessary to provide the motive power to run the machine. These machines, compared to modern slots, were very low-variance devices, since the win/loss function of the game was dictated by pins falling into slots (thereby the name slot machine) which would correspond to symbols as the reels stopped.
In the modern era, nearly every machine is nothing more than a computer which notes your buy-in for the spin, spits out a bunch of random numbers, and compares the resulting number to a bunch of virtual-reel-strips to determine the outcome. This allowed for much higher variance (and much bigger jackpots) to bring the players in, but the upshot is that a slot machine could eat your bankroll faster than anything else in the casino unless you had a statistically-unlikely big hit or abnormally high ratio of medium hits. This technology has enabled things like Wide-Area-Progressives (i.e. MegaBucks) offering top prizes that would be casino-killers in the days of mechanical and electro-mechanical slots.
All that said, the mechanical machines, as far as I know, are now completely out of commercial operation since the Pioneer took theirs out of service (Doc Holiday, the slot manager there, is an old-school-machine wizard, and it must have been truly nearly impossible to continue to maintain them for him to drop them from active inventory).
That said, there still exists the opportunity to play a non-computerized slot in Las Vegas, where your luck depends on a pin dropping into a slot rather than some bizarre coincidence of numbers in a computer chip. There are two electro-mechanical slots in operation (2-coin, $1 denom) at El Cortez downtown. You can recognize them by their old-school appearance (faceplates may remind one of 1970s era transistor radios), and the total absence of bill acceptors (just use a nearby coin-dropping IGT dollar slot as a bill changer - throw in a bill and cash it out for $1 coins to feed 'em with). They are on the wall next to the parking garage elevators at El Cortez, and are the last of the non-computerized electromechanical slots I know of in operation today. One of these days, I'd like to meet the back-of-house guy(s) (and/or ladie(s)) who keep 'em going. From what I have read, keeping a pair of those machines alive may involve literally manufacturing long-discontinued replacement parts, similar in may ways to what it takes to keep a Hudson on the road today.
"To learn how slot machines work first we review the old school slot machines. Slot machines from twenty to thirty years ago were called “electro-mechanical”. Players pulled a lever and the reels positioned inside the machine spun until a mechanism stopped the reels at a random symbol. The central piece inside the machine was a metal shaft that the reels spun on. Once the wheels were in motion, then a brake system would stop the reels. Sensors inside the machine determined the payout according to the position of the reels. Eventually the electro-mechanical slots gave way to electric slots where the reels were spun by a motor. These old slot machines didn’t have the high jackpots that today’s machines have but they were apparently just as random."
These machines, according to board friend The Bucket are still operating at El Cortez on the wall next to the Pavilion elevators. Dollar machines.
http://www.slotmachinesdaddy.com/slot-machines/how-works/
bucket notes
As for the machines at El Cortez, they are a dying breed. To recap a bit of our conversation at Bighorn, there has been an evolution of slot machines over the years. The early machines were purely mechanical devices (until recently there were playable examples at Pioneer in Laughlin). Today these are not to be found in commercial operation, but can be seen in display cases in the lobby of Main Street Station, and outside of cases at New Life Games in Laughlin. These machines had no 'spin' button... The energy to run the mechanism (from reel spin to payout) was provided by the player's pull of the handle to charge an internal spring.
The next generation of slot machine was the electro-mechanical slot. These had lights inside, and a motor that provided the energy to work the machine. The handle was still there, but technically unnecessary to provide the motive power to run the machine. These machines, compared to modern slots, were very low-variance devices, since the win/loss function of the game was dictated by pins falling into slots (thereby the name slot machine) which would correspond to symbols as the reels stopped.
In the modern era, nearly every machine is nothing more than a computer which notes your buy-in for the spin, spits out a bunch of random numbers, and compares the resulting number to a bunch of virtual-reel-strips to determine the outcome. This allowed for much higher variance (and much bigger jackpots) to bring the players in, but the upshot is that a slot machine could eat your bankroll faster than anything else in the casino unless you had a statistically-unlikely big hit or abnormally high ratio of medium hits. This technology has enabled things like Wide-Area-Progressives (i.e. MegaBucks) offering top prizes that would be casino-killers in the days of mechanical and electro-mechanical slots.
All that said, the mechanical machines, as far as I know, are now completely out of commercial operation since the Pioneer took theirs out of service (Doc Holiday, the slot manager there, is an old-school-machine wizard, and it must have been truly nearly impossible to continue to maintain them for him to drop them from active inventory).
That said, there still exists the opportunity to play a non-computerized slot in Las Vegas, where your luck depends on a pin dropping into a slot rather than some bizarre coincidence of numbers in a computer chip. There are two electro-mechanical slots in operation (2-coin, $1 denom) at El Cortez downtown. You can recognize them by their old-school appearance (faceplates may remind one of 1970s era transistor radios), and the total absence of bill acceptors (just use a nearby coin-dropping IGT dollar slot as a bill changer - throw in a bill and cash it out for $1 coins to feed 'em with). They are on the wall next to the parking garage elevators at El Cortez, and are the last of the non-computerized electromechanical slots I know of in operation today. One of these days, I'd like to meet the back-of-house guy(s) (and/or ladie(s)) who keep 'em going. From what I have read, keeping a pair of those machines alive may involve literally manufacturing long-discontinued replacement parts, similar in may ways to what it takes to keep a Hudson on the road today.
"To learn how slot machines work first we review the old school slot machines. Slot machines from twenty to thirty years ago were called “electro-mechanical”. Players pulled a lever and the reels positioned inside the machine spun until a mechanism stopped the reels at a random symbol. The central piece inside the machine was a metal shaft that the reels spun on. Once the wheels were in motion, then a brake system would stop the reels. Sensors inside the machine determined the payout according to the position of the reels. Eventually the electro-mechanical slots gave way to electric slots where the reels were spun by a motor. These old slot machines didn’t have the high jackpots that today’s machines have but they were apparently just as random."
These machines, according to board friend The Bucket are still operating at El Cortez on the wall next to the Pavilion elevators. Dollar machines.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Questions about the new El Cortez personalized promo site?
I had some.
call directly at 702.385.5200 and ask for Jack.
I would be more than willing to look into it further, or you can e-mail me at jthalgott@elcortez.net
call directly at 702.385.5200 and ask for Jack.
I would be more than willing to look into it further, or you can e-mail me at jthalgott@elcortez.net
Gold Coast
I'll do mostly pros:
* American Casino Guide - as well as a small matchplay, free buffet with 200 points, no points lost. Buffet in general is one of the best low priced buffets going. Eggs cooked to order
* While they took the full pay JOB 9/6 from the bartops, they still have it scattered about in the casino.
* Lounge music in the afternoon is free and just great. Play a bit of poker, get a beer, buy a cheap hotdog at the sports book, carry it in for the music and there you have lunch with entertainment for a bit over 2 bucks. including tips. I often combine VP with lounge music, playing on the breaks. Makes great diversion.
* Location for folks with a car is fine. Flamingo is easier to navigate than the strip.
* Location is ideal for bus/shuttle riders. The stop in front of the Palms lets us ride the 202 to the strip, to Ellis Island, to Terribles, to Sam's Town, to Eastside Cannery. The free Gold Coast shuttle to Orleans puts now only Orleans close, but then the 201 Tropicana bus which hits the strip at theNYNY corner, or can be used to go to the Pinball Hall of Fame.
* A short walk to the Rio lets you play there or take one of those free shuttles to Harrah's on the strip. So you basically have the center strip, from Harrah's to NYNY covered. A free tram goes from Excalibur toMandalay Bay and the Deuce is a lot less crowded from Harrah's north.
* wifi is not free unless you take your computer to the coffee place at the Orleans. Then it is. You can plug in too.
* The pool is heated and adjacent to the workout room. It is small, but there is a jacuzzi. Also there are free semi shaded seats, a great place to read and dry off. Rarely crowded. This is not a party pool so that has to make the water fresher. Cold water in the workout room is a fine drink even if you don't work out.
*If you don't mind a walk to do laundry, take your dirty clothes in a rolling suitcase and head up Arville to a laundromat. About 20 minutes walk. All safe and easy. In fact, I've taken all my stuff and rolled it from the Orleans to the Gold Coast along Arville, but there is a bus on that road as well that runs about once an hour and planning makes check out at the Orleans and check in at the Gold Coast easy even with no car.
* Play a little and there may be free rooms although lately the Orleans seems better on comps. However, go on the B Connected site and room prices are often below $30. Booking there will suggest a $3 resort fee, but I've never paid a resort fee on any B Connected booking.
cons
* TGIF is a terrible excuse for a casino diner. Breakfast with coffee is more than the entire breakfast buffet. Hopefully, that will soon be pulled out.
* No poker room. That closed. However, the Palms is right across the street with one of the lower rakes in Vegas $3 plus high hand rake. Cracked Aces is usually paid as well as high hands
* American Casino Guide - as well as a small matchplay, free buffet with 200 points, no points lost. Buffet in general is one of the best low priced buffets going. Eggs cooked to order
* While they took the full pay JOB 9/6 from the bartops, they still have it scattered about in the casino.
* Lounge music in the afternoon is free and just great. Play a bit of poker, get a beer, buy a cheap hotdog at the sports book, carry it in for the music and there you have lunch with entertainment for a bit over 2 bucks. including tips. I often combine VP with lounge music, playing on the breaks. Makes great diversion.
* Location for folks with a car is fine. Flamingo is easier to navigate than the strip.
* Location is ideal for bus/shuttle riders. The stop in front of the Palms lets us ride the 202 to the strip, to Ellis Island, to Terribles, to Sam's Town, to Eastside Cannery. The free Gold Coast shuttle to Orleans puts now only Orleans close, but then the 201 Tropicana bus which hits the strip at theNYNY corner, or can be used to go to the Pinball Hall of Fame.
* A short walk to the Rio lets you play there or take one of those free shuttles to Harrah's on the strip. So you basically have the center strip, from Harrah's to NYNY covered. A free tram goes from Excalibur toMandalay Bay and the Deuce is a lot less crowded from Harrah's north.
* wifi is not free unless you take your computer to the coffee place at the Orleans. Then it is. You can plug in too.
* The pool is heated and adjacent to the workout room. It is small, but there is a jacuzzi. Also there are free semi shaded seats, a great place to read and dry off. Rarely crowded. This is not a party pool so that has to make the water fresher. Cold water in the workout room is a fine drink even if you don't work out.
*If you don't mind a walk to do laundry, take your dirty clothes in a rolling suitcase and head up Arville to a laundromat. About 20 minutes walk. All safe and easy. In fact, I've taken all my stuff and rolled it from the Orleans to the Gold Coast along Arville, but there is a bus on that road as well that runs about once an hour and planning makes check out at the Orleans and check in at the Gold Coast easy even with no car.
* Play a little and there may be free rooms although lately the Orleans seems better on comps. However, go on the B Connected site and room prices are often below $30. Booking there will suggest a $3 resort fee, but I've never paid a resort fee on any B Connected booking.
cons
* TGIF is a terrible excuse for a casino diner. Breakfast with coffee is more than the entire breakfast buffet. Hopefully, that will soon be pulled out.
* No poker room. That closed. However, the Palms is right across the street with one of the lower rakes in Vegas $3 plus high hand rake. Cracked Aces is usually paid as well as high hands
Sunday, August 14, 2011
On playing advantage games
My last play was in Atlantis in the Bahamas. I was really there to spend some time with a 14 month old grandson and his parents. But the casino was there. The best VP I found was 9/6 DB, but I played just three short sessions. I ended $54 ahead. What is interesting in VP is we can see just how long the "long" run is.
In my last session I counted the number of times I hit a full house. Each time, compared to the Four Queens experience, I was short payed $2.50 (10 max quarter game) and when I quit it added up to $15 they had taken just because of the way they established house advantage. I did not count the flush underpayment.
I don't mind losing the gamble. However, I just can't gamble very long for fun knowing ultimately I'll be ground down no matter what.
Live poker helps. No house edge. Just luck and a constant reevaluation of strategy to see where the leaks are. There we pay the casino a tip out of our winnings. At a good table, some fish will toss enough in our pot to cover even that expense.
Comps help. If I'm playing a 9/6 JOB with so much cashback, free rooms, free food that it becomes positive, well then the fun comes back.
Playing for small comps works too. John Growchowski discusses that in his recent article.
Say I just want to have a couple pints of Black chip porter and I go to Boars Head and put in a $20 and play slow and concentrate on the beer as well as the poker. After two I quit. Since the beer is figured in the EV, I hope at least to quit even with the beer free.
Matchplay hit and run works well too. There we have the advantage and we don't need a "long" run to realize it because it is so huge.
And this may seem like a rationalization, but I think of my bankroll as the difference between what a normal vacation would cost me and what I actually pay for Vegas. So my 22 nights coming in Oct /Nov at now $26 on average, give me $60-$80 a day for gambling just on saved accomodation charges. Figuring in the food adds more to the bankroll. I've been keeping track and comparing my trips to my wife's trips. She thought it was terrible on my worst trip when I lost about 2 grand. I try to tell her that I could have won 2 grand, but the best argument was simply to figure what her last trip to Greece cost. It was twice what my trip cost, and she shared a room with a friend while I had gambled solo. Why the cost of one night's room at Atlantis even with my son's Edward Jones deal is about what I pay for 10 days in Vegas. And you don't want to know the restaurant bill. Outrageous even with our foodplan deal.
A good way to get a handle on this is to keep track of what the hobby costs over time. I have a lifetime gambling score and every bet I make is figured in it. I want to know if the hobby is costing me money, how much, and then decide whether it is worth it.
In Atlantis the bad pay tables just turned me off.
So I sat and watched my wife play a fish slot at 20 cents a pull. She won a few dollars. But she was playing the "short comp game" as well. At home she drinks a cognac before bed. In Atlantis the bar price was $13 a drink. Her playing and me watching this cheap slot game meant we both were served. Once served it was time to quit. I combined my cognac with hers, and off we went to the room, her $26 nightcap part of her winnings.
She could play that game every night until she was served and then quit and she clearly would be playing a game of positive expectation. And it was fun to watch the fish turn and come up with little bonus cartoons and such. It did not have to be for a lot of money to be fun to watch.
I remember years ago I used to walk from casino to casino and "wong" the firecrackers off that slot that featured the honeymooners and shots to the moon (I forget the name) It was in an advantaged position if it had a lot of firecrackers, and I played just one nickle. I played all week in Vegas and I won $12 on this wonging, got a good bit of walking exercise, saw a lot of Vegas. Seem like nothing. But I kept track of all my other gambling and at the end of the week I was ahead exactly $12 total.
Once there used to be a lot of lobbying to try to get folks to just play the advantaged games. I think 6:5 blackjack killed any expectation that mathematics would make a difference. And as local casinos developed we all got the picture. Folks who would drive 5 miles to save two cents on gas prices would stand in line at Foxwoods to play 6/5 JOB.
I thought increased competition would make gambling better and it made it worse.
VP in New York Racinos is not even VP. It is a lottery game disguised as VP and should be illegal. It is akin to an old carnival game rigged in ways that can't be seen against the player. I'm ashamed to have it in my state. It would be illegal if it were a food offering as it has no honesty in labeling. Instead, the Gov is talking about expanding even more casinos. China has made it so we can't make anything to sell anymore, so I guess redistributing the wealth with the State getting its Soprano taste is the best we know here. Sad.
Okay, sorry. Too much ranting.
As Old Gherig on the Hack Attack board a couple decades ago used to say, "Somebody has to pay the light bill."
Tuesday, August 02, 2011
resort fee joke
While checking out of a Las Vegas hotel, a couple receives a bill with charges they didn’t expect.
The husband says to the front desk clerk, “That’s ridiculous. We were quoted a much lower rate. I want to speak to a manager.” The desk clerk calls the manager over, and the couple pleads their case.
“I’m sorry,” says the manager. “The additional amount is resort fees. Our hotel has an an Olympic-sized pool and a huge conference center available for guests to use.”
“We didn’t use them!” says the wife.
Well, they’re here,” says the front desk manager, “And you could have.”
Before the couple can speak, the manager continues, “We also have a spa.”
“We didn’t go to the spa,” the couple protests.
“Well, we have one, and you could have,” the manager replies. “We also have Internet access. And an in-room safe.”
“We didn’t use those!” the husband states.
“We delivered a newspaper to your room,” says the manager.
“We didn’t use it!” the wife states.
“Well, you could have,” says the manager.
The husband, anxious to get on the road, says, “Fine. Nevermind. Honey, write the man a check.”
When the manager gets the check, he says to the couple, “Excuse me, but that check is for only $20.”
The woman replies, “Exactly. I charged you $500 for sleeping with me.”
The shocked manager says, “But I didn’t!”
“Well, too bad. I was here, and you could have,” the wife replies.
The husband says to the front desk clerk, “That’s ridiculous. We were quoted a much lower rate. I want to speak to a manager.” The desk clerk calls the manager over, and the couple pleads their case.
“I’m sorry,” says the manager. “The additional amount is resort fees. Our hotel has an an Olympic-sized pool and a huge conference center available for guests to use.”
“We didn’t use them!” says the wife.
Well, they’re here,” says the front desk manager, “And you could have.”
Before the couple can speak, the manager continues, “We also have a spa.”
“We didn’t go to the spa,” the couple protests.
“Well, we have one, and you could have,” the manager replies. “We also have Internet access. And an in-room safe.”
“We didn’t use those!” the husband states.
“We delivered a newspaper to your room,” says the manager.
“We didn’t use it!” the wife states.
“Well, you could have,” says the manager.
The husband, anxious to get on the road, says, “Fine. Nevermind. Honey, write the man a check.”
When the manager gets the check, he says to the couple, “Excuse me, but that check is for only $20.”
The woman replies, “Exactly. I charged you $500 for sleeping with me.”
The shocked manager says, “But I didn’t!”
“Well, too bad. I was here, and you could have,” the wife replies.
Monday, July 25, 2011
On baccarat
This is an aside from this Vegas message board thread on craps:
[QUOTE]Originally Posted by Ben Jammin
Baccarat carries a very low house edge, and requires no thought.
You can sit down to play, and drink on!
Then they can take you back to your room in a wheel chair if you request it.[/QUOTE]
Ah!!! If only there [B]was[/B] no thought required. On the few occasions I use a matchplay on baccarat because the craps tables are packed, my mind works all the while:
Ah.... let's see............ here is the backgammon game.....oh, wait, I guess the correct term is baccarat. Backgammon is that dice thing that Gayle always seems to win.
So how does this work again? Something about a nine and the number of cards to get to it or around it or over it or on it.
Who decided nine, anyway?
Should I put it on player or banker?
Oh, yeah, banker can win and then get taxed.
Well, who wants to be taxed after winning? Is this a casino or an IRS office? And how would I possibly know if the tax was correct, anyway?
I read about the fellow who tipped the baccarat dealer by making a dealer bet, and the same dealer [B]taxed the tip[/B].
That is just wrong!
He called the floor, and the floor agreed, but
how would I know?
I do know that in spite of that James Bond movie where 007 decides to take one more card, in Vegas baccarat there are no such decisions to be made.
Good thing for me, too.
Okay, too much thinking.
Here, I'll put my matchplay bet on Player and then just leave, up or down.
Plenty of thinking, but no gambling suspense.
If I matchplay at craps, at least I get the exhilaration of the roll, sometimes of many.many rolls.
I feel a part of [B]that [/B]game.
Oh, why is this fellow ripping up all losing cards? And why do they let him so abuse the decks? Why if he did that at the poker table, he'd be banned. Even tossing the cards whole is impolite enough there, but here he can rip them right in half and the dealer just shuffles a new deck.
Ah, what does it mean that the dealer is looking at me now. Did I win?
Yes, that must be the case because the money is coming toward me and not away from me.
And what were the cards that came out?
I should at least have those for my trip report? Ah......who am I kidding.....I am[B] not [/B]going to remember a bunch of random cards.
Perhaps someone should invent a "wheelchair" for the old age memory or a cerebrum rub.
Okay, I need to stop thinking now, and walk away.
No wheel chair at least for this trip.
Now let's get to a prime rib; I can fully understand a prime rib and unlike baccarat, playing with it and eating it requires no thought.
***********************************************************
[I]“ Baccarat is a game whereby the croupier gathers in money with a flexible sculling oar, then rakes it home. If I could have borrowed his oar I would have stayed. "[/I] Mark Twain ...
the full thread is here:
http://www.vegasmessageboard.com/forums/showthread.php?p=534543#post534543
[QUOTE]Originally Posted by Ben Jammin
Baccarat carries a very low house edge, and requires no thought.
You can sit down to play, and drink on!
Then they can take you back to your room in a wheel chair if you request it.[/QUOTE]
Ah!!! If only there [B]was[/B] no thought required. On the few occasions I use a matchplay on baccarat because the craps tables are packed, my mind works all the while:
Ah.... let's see............ here is the backgammon game.....oh, wait, I guess the correct term is baccarat. Backgammon is that dice thing that Gayle always seems to win.
So how does this work again? Something about a nine and the number of cards to get to it or around it or over it or on it.
Who decided nine, anyway?
Should I put it on player or banker?
Oh, yeah, banker can win and then get taxed.
Well, who wants to be taxed after winning? Is this a casino or an IRS office? And how would I possibly know if the tax was correct, anyway?
I read about the fellow who tipped the baccarat dealer by making a dealer bet, and the same dealer [B]taxed the tip[/B].
That is just wrong!
He called the floor, and the floor agreed, but
how would I know?
I do know that in spite of that James Bond movie where 007 decides to take one more card, in Vegas baccarat there are no such decisions to be made.
Good thing for me, too.
Okay, too much thinking.
Here, I'll put my matchplay bet on Player and then just leave, up or down.
Plenty of thinking, but no gambling suspense.
If I matchplay at craps, at least I get the exhilaration of the roll, sometimes of many.many rolls.
I feel a part of [B]that [/B]game.
Oh, why is this fellow ripping up all losing cards? And why do they let him so abuse the decks? Why if he did that at the poker table, he'd be banned. Even tossing the cards whole is impolite enough there, but here he can rip them right in half and the dealer just shuffles a new deck.
Ah, what does it mean that the dealer is looking at me now. Did I win?
Yes, that must be the case because the money is coming toward me and not away from me.
And what were the cards that came out?
I should at least have those for my trip report? Ah......who am I kidding.....I am[B] not [/B]going to remember a bunch of random cards.
Perhaps someone should invent a "wheelchair" for the old age memory or a cerebrum rub.
Okay, I need to stop thinking now, and walk away.
No wheel chair at least for this trip.
Now let's get to a prime rib; I can fully understand a prime rib and unlike baccarat, playing with it and eating it requires no thought.
***********************************************************
[I]“ Baccarat is a game whereby the croupier gathers in money with a flexible sculling oar, then rakes it home. If I could have borrowed his oar I would have stayed. "[/I] Mark Twain ...
the full thread is here:
http://www.vegasmessageboard.com/forums/showthread.php?p=534543#post534543
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
The real reason Vegas is called Sin City
This luscious dessert is described in chocolate detail here in this blog post.
http://www.hayleysmomonvegas.blogspot.com/
It is on my list for next visit.
And I won't be splitting it, either.
Center of the Strip
I like this CET blog very much for the great photographs and the upbeat celebration of Vegas. I know it is focused mainly on CET properties, but what the heck, Harrah's gave me two free nights in November and a third at $30 just on live poker play.
http://lasvegasblog.harrahs.com/las-vegas-casinos/flamingo/where-exactly-is-the-center-of-the-las-vegas-strip/#disqus_thread
http://lasvegasblog.harrahs.com/las-vegas-casinos/flamingo/where-exactly-is-the-center-of-the-las-vegas-strip/#disqus_thread
Sunday, June 26, 2011
El Cortez Cabana rooms
from the booking.com site:
Please note, the hotel has a policy restricting the length of stay for each guest to 7 days per month.
Please note, the hotel has a policy restricting the length of stay for each guest to 7 days per month.
While currently I am distanced and put off by the restriction in the number of rooms that can be rented in a calendar month, I loved these rooms in my May 2011 trip and reviewed them as my best places for the trip:
This includes some photos.
Discussions of rooms (some with photos or videos):
http://roadjournals.viamagazine.com/2011/06/02/las-vegas-chic-hotel-stay-off-the-strip/
http://www.vegastripping.com/features/feature.php?feature_id=218&page=1
note that there are 8 pages in this article and lots of photos. Page numbers appear at the bottom.
http://www.vegasmessageboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=66950
http://www.vegastripping.com/features/feature.php?feature_id=218&page=1
note that there are 8 pages in this article and lots of photos. Page numbers appear at the bottom.
http://www.vegasmessageboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=66950
Videos of the rooms:
http://blonde4ever.yuku.com/reply/120029/El-Cortez-Cabana-Suite#reply-120029
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHHaM2zSr3E&feature=related
Kinds of offers to look for:
http://blonde4ever.yuku.com/reply/120029/El-Cortez-Cabana-Suite#reply-120029
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHHaM2zSr3E&feature=related
Kinds of offers to look for:
I took this offer and it worked great:
It is only good for certain dates. Check the website.
I searched here for the best discount broker price:
and I booked at
where they don't take all the money upfront for the booking. They were great when the EC changed its policy, and book.com let me know what I needed to do.
In June 2011 the El Cortez limited purchased rooms to 7 in a calendar month. Later they decided to honor booking of more than 7 nights, but to charge $25 a night at check-in for additional nights. This is a ripoff more egregious than resort fees, especially if it comes as a surprise at check-in.
from i4Vegas discount broker site:
The El Cortez has instituted a new policy of a 7-night maximum stay during any one calendar month. Guests staying longer than 7 nights during a calendar month will be charged a daily fee of $25 plus tax beginning on the eighth (8th) day. The fee will be collected by the El Cortez and is NOT included in the i4vegas room rates.
In June 2011 the El Cortez limited purchased rooms to 7 in a calendar month. Later they decided to honor booking of more than 7 nights, but to charge $25 a night at check-in for additional nights. This is a ripoff more egregious than resort fees, especially if it comes as a surprise at check-in.
from i4Vegas discount broker site:
The El Cortez has instituted a new policy of a 7-night maximum stay during any one calendar month. Guests staying longer than 7 nights during a calendar month will be charged a daily fee of $25 plus tax beginning on the eighth (8th) day. The fee will be collected by the El Cortez and is NOT included in the i4vegas room rates.
Saturday, June 25, 2011
An Answer to the guy who dislikes 20 somethings
I find them fun, but not at the pool.
I search them out at the poker tables if they are not talking about "outs" and arguing about hands or hidden in hooded caves of sunglasses and walkman.
What they have over my peer group is I never find their conversation cluttered with every single doctor visit they have experienced in the last ten years and a detailed whine about aches and pains. Sure, we old ones are all sick and falling apart and preparing with the rest of our peers to die as soon as we have some free time in our schedule of funeral and wake visits, but so we go out to party to be reminded of that?
And once the youngsters find they can tease me, I delight in the banter that happens at a poker table.
My last group were perhaps even under 20 at Turning Stone (18 and up allowed) at 2 am, and in between good humored poker remarks they talked about their plans to be up and out by nine to go rock climbing the following day.
Nice. Life was still a delight for them, not an ordeal.
Not to mention those two young Minnesota blonds at O'Shea's who hugged me every time they won a hand and whose boyfriend came around a bit tipsy and put me in charge of seeing they got on the bus safely.
Or that girl Vanessa from Houston at the Flamingo last May who told us her name when I asked, but looked at me with a coquettish smile and said in the most sultry voice, "But I love it when you call me Texas."
Once at El Cortez I had a partially senile 80 plus woman rub her hand along my leg, and she wasn't looking for her walker either.
"You should just rub your own leg, Ma'am."
Somehow that was not quite as pleasurable as flirting young twenty somethings.
I search them out at the poker tables if they are not talking about "outs" and arguing about hands or hidden in hooded caves of sunglasses and walkman.
What they have over my peer group is I never find their conversation cluttered with every single doctor visit they have experienced in the last ten years and a detailed whine about aches and pains. Sure, we old ones are all sick and falling apart and preparing with the rest of our peers to die as soon as we have some free time in our schedule of funeral and wake visits, but so we go out to party to be reminded of that?
And once the youngsters find they can tease me, I delight in the banter that happens at a poker table.
My last group were perhaps even under 20 at Turning Stone (18 and up allowed) at 2 am, and in between good humored poker remarks they talked about their plans to be up and out by nine to go rock climbing the following day.
Nice. Life was still a delight for them, not an ordeal.
Not to mention those two young Minnesota blonds at O'Shea's who hugged me every time they won a hand and whose boyfriend came around a bit tipsy and put me in charge of seeing they got on the bus safely.
Or that girl Vanessa from Houston at the Flamingo last May who told us her name when I asked, but looked at me with a coquettish smile and said in the most sultry voice, "But I love it when you call me Texas."
Once at El Cortez I had a partially senile 80 plus woman rub her hand along my leg, and she wasn't looking for her walker either.
"You should just rub your own leg, Ma'am."
Somehow that was not quite as pleasurable as flirting young twenty somethings.
__________________
Thursday, June 23, 2011
El cortez establishes new limit on rooms
Just when you thought resort fees were a huge rip off, along comes this new angle.
It now costs an extra $25 a night for bookings over 7 nights in a calendar month booked at the El Cortez.
And what do you get for that fee?
Well, on your 8th night you get just what you got on your 7th night, only it costs you an extra $25.
Are they telling people?
I don't know. I saw it in the very fine print of hotels.com. Hey, its in the fine print so everyone should see it, huh?
My advice is just do 7 nights. Anything over that risks this fee.
I'm not yet saying to abandon this place, but the Gold Spike (with resort fee figured in )is about the same price as an EC Cabana room and has free wifi and a pool.
I think the bean counter theory is that after about 4 days or so, our bankrolls are fleeced, so they want us to move on and not take up space in their hotel. Actually on the Wizard of Odds board where I also posted to inform any readers, quite a few answers supported that casino/hotel policy as a good one, I suppose as opposed to me immorally using the hotel without being fleeced even comparing me to one of the homeless on an SRO handout program.
It now costs an extra $25 a night for bookings over 7 nights in a calendar month booked at the El Cortez.
And what do you get for that fee?
Well, on your 8th night you get just what you got on your 7th night, only it costs you an extra $25.
Are they telling people?
I don't know. I saw it in the very fine print of hotels.com. Hey, its in the fine print so everyone should see it, huh?
My advice is just do 7 nights. Anything over that risks this fee.
I'm not yet saying to abandon this place, but the Gold Spike (with resort fee figured in )is about the same price as an EC Cabana room and has free wifi and a pool.
I think the bean counter theory is that after about 4 days or so, our bankrolls are fleeced, so they want us to move on and not take up space in their hotel. Actually on the Wizard of Odds board where I also posted to inform any readers, quite a few answers supported that casino/hotel policy as a good one, I suppose as opposed to me immorally using the hotel without being fleeced even comparing me to one of the homeless on an SRO handout program.
I'm more steamed about that than about the EC itself, although letting this sit for a while has pretty much turned my emotions around.
What it is really about for me is the El Cortez was one of the places where we did not have to play those games, and I was just at the point of deciding to pay for rooms there and just do my whole 17 nights in one spot.
Almost anywhere else it might make sense. We had come to the idea that the El Cortez was managed to treat the customer rather than just compute the beans. Jackie set that standard. And most of the other folks follow it or at least they appear to follow it. No resort fees in spite of getting kicked around by the practice in press rankings. Pretty easy interpretation of that freeplay/freefood deal, a poker room brush who writes me a food comp without me asking because he hears I might wander over to Mamacita's for some horchata and sopa 7 Mares.
At the same time that they are doing this pull back on rooms allowed to rent, they offer for up to five nights at certain times of certain months a deal that makes rooms virtually free, and when I did that deal my last trip, it did what it was supposed to do. It opened up the Cabana rooms to me for the first time, and I liked them so I was willing to pay in November to stay there.
It also softened me up, and I played well beyond anything I have played in years there, and thought I might make that a pattern, start staying downtown again for my full trip, stop hopping from place to place. They had me.
And now they don't.
I find it strange that the emotional part of this does affect my reason, but I see it does.
I'm thinking about South Tower Vegas Club because the Plaza pool should open next year, and if renovation does not start at the Vegas Club there still will be deals there and i can use the pool at the Plaza. And part of feeling open to that place is they let me play my Vegas Club and Plaza ACG coupons back to back on my last trip at the same craps table and on the same day.
That craps dealer roped in an emotional part of me that I always deny is there.
Jackie knew that if he offered people a place where they felt comfortable, where instead of having to watch for every trick, folks could let down their guard and relax and not expect to be tricked except by the slot machines, that he would build a loyal and supportive customer base that could feel good about losing money. This trick disrespects everything that Jackie was as a man and might be still as legend if the EC wanted that to happen.
So I wonder if anyone will book a week in the beginning of a month, then book a few days at the end of the month and at check in find out they are to be charged $25 a night for the second booking, and shown the fine print to explain the charge. Anyone in that situation is going to feel tricked and angry, just as those paying resort fees without knowing they might pay them have felt.
As for me. Well, they may lose me for most of what I've booked already. If I am going to hop around, I might as well hop from free place to free place, and I won't be thinking about seeding the EC with play for a few free nights to add to my paid nights because I can't build enough nights there to really settle in and stay. I'll just use them as 7 nights where I can stay cheaply and not have to worry about my daily gambling average falling off.
I'll be playing in the places with better odds and offering free rooms. I'll be paying in places I have not yet seen, like the Suncoast that is now open for casino hopping with the new WAX running from downtown to there and a place that for the summer shows room prices less than El Cortez prices. I read there is great VP there. There is a shuttle to the airport so it might make a good place to start or end my trip.
EC will lose me because this new strategy of theirs makes my frugal hairs bristle. I won't be softened; I'll be alert and in the poker game of frugal room renting.
But maybe me and my kind don't matter to them in the long mathematical run and the uninhibited tourist with four days and $200 to gamble away in slots is better meat. I don't know how they figure my emotions in the mathematics. Jackie knew how to figure them in, but he is gone into the senility of old age now without the ability to add his thoughts on the matter.
One other thing they lose when they lose me is an advocate. I have written thousands of words in the past year praising the El Cortez, including a long justification on why a guy should book there rather than the Golden Nugget on their promotional Facebook page. They lost not only my meager play, but my free promotional prose.
All to force me out of their casino a few extra days a year
******************************************
Another of my responses to this question.
I made a one week reservation.
Then I made a separated three day reservation.
All through booking.com.
Booking.com accepted the reservations, but two days later called and said the the EC would not honor the second one.
That was before they started honoring all the reservations but simply charging $25 a night for any nights beyond 7 in a calendar month, even if the first 7 were 1-7 and the other nights 28-30.
I talked to the hotel manager three times.
The one way to get around this is if your "play" is good enough when you go to check out, they will drop this charge, which is basically a resort fee with no pretend amenities and another carrot on the stick to keep your gambling up there or else pay more for the room.
I asked if husband and wife (I know some trying this) could book back to back in different names, but the hotel manager told me in most cases they know these folks are connected and would charge the fee.
My play was live poker for the most part until last trip when I started seeding for the next trip with VP, but I'm not putting myself in a position to be constantly wondering if I'm good enough for day 8 at the EC. I want firm upfront reservations, not genuflection to a host for favors. If I get drunk and drop a few hundred, they win. If I remain disciplined and frugal, I win, but they still make profit on the room at those rates. If I get sick and need days in bed, I have the comfort that it did not cost me anything extra.
Meanwhile there are still a few days a month when you can stay free on their popular promo. I'll pay $60 a night for Cabana in October and get back $35 in freeplay and $25 in food each night I pay it. Then the ACG coupon still gets you 2 Pavillion for $34 with tax or $50 plus tax for Cabana. So, I did that. My 8 nights or more that I intended to book at $34 average a night evolved into just 4 nights, 2 on the free deal and 2 Pavillion on the $34 deal.
My other nights I booked at the Gold Spike at $12 plus $9 resort fee for weekdays and $27 plus $9 for weekends. I have not stayed there, but I have been curious.
Last trip the EC promo pulled me out of a Gold Spike reservation, and my play gave them a few hundred dollars profit. This trip I have no incentive to play a dime in VP and slots beyond my freeplay run through just once. The way I do the math, EC lost. And the way I do the math, they lose by not paying attention that I pay rakes for maybe 10 hour of live poker. I'm not saying they should comp me rooms like Harrah's does, but they might guarantee no latent acting resort fee for that sort of play.
Don here on the board said it is all, "Who you know." I don't know anyone.
English Dave after calling his travel folks a few times did manage to get assurance that his 2 week stay is still okay.
So there are exceptions.
I'm just soured by the whole hassle. I know the casino wants to fleece us and get us out of there quickly and the bean counters have figured that we take up space after a few days, but to be so blatant about it and so unwelcoming is just against all EC images I know, the kind established by Jackie and followed by most staff there.
Gold Spike has no such limitation. I have 9 nights booked there. I may shorten those if I get freebie come ons from other places.
Stratosphere charges a $7.50 resort fee and that includes tower access, but after 5 nights it caps "as a convenience to our customers" and you can book 28 nights in a row there and pay just 5 nights of resort fee.
For much less money I got an open pool and free wifi at the Gold Spike. Their gambling is not very good. (Well, I guess the BJ is not so bad and I'll probably play a bit of that. I hate staying at a spot and playing nothing there) However, there is nothing to make me play anything. If I get sick and have to stay in bed for a week, I will still have my wifi and not be pressured to play for some resort fee that will kick in if I do not.
I will have a dawn to dusk open pool. Unheated. But I'm pretty brave about cold water and I may just bring along a wetsuit.
I am currently booked 22 nights (Oct/Nov) at an average expense of under $21 a night fees and taxes included. How the EC expects to attract folks like me and soften us up for a kill in this market I can't speculate.
However, I will say that board posts where I thought I was just informing folks of this new hidden and renamed resort fee to avoid having them find a surprise at checkout, have elicited plenty of support for the [B]casino's side of the issue.[/B]
I'm amazed at that.
Much of it is from folks who don't stay at the El Cortez or can't imagine anyone staying for more than 7 nights. Some of it is rather naive suggestions that the EC is swamped with the near homeless and so must keep them at bay. Why would anyone suffering a financial setback book a Cabana room for $34 a night when they could rent a three bedroom apartment in Vegas for that by the month and get a laundromat in the basement or when they could for $110-$125 get a week right down the street at the Eden Inn and in both cases not have to worry about their rent increasing when the next convention comes to town?
However, like the inflation of drink prices at the new glitzy bar, this sort of move indicates that the EC is moving on up along with the whole Fremont East neighborhood. I celebrated this until I remembered again that it just eliminates one more frugal alternative as the clientele evolves into the "its only money" folks.
The only way around the fee is to book 7 nights at the end of one month and 7 at the beginning of another which the hotel manager admitted I could "technically" do.
But I suppose they are working on that loophole as well.
Or perhaps saner minds will emerge. One post on the Facebook page said that for now they had to abide by this new restriction which meant the person writing it thought it was a bad idea too. It is a bad idea. Perhaps they will rescind it.
Almost anywhere else it might make sense. We had come to the idea that the El Cortez was managed to treat the customer rather than just compute the beans. Jackie set that standard. And most of the other folks follow it or at least they appear to follow it. No resort fees in spite of getting kicked around by the practice in press rankings. Pretty easy interpretation of that freeplay/freefood deal, a poker room brush who writes me a food comp without me asking because he hears I might wander over to Mamacita's for some horchata and sopa 7 Mares.
At the same time that they are doing this pull back on rooms allowed to rent, they offer for up to five nights at certain times of certain months a deal that makes rooms virtually free, and when I did that deal my last trip, it did what it was supposed to do. It opened up the Cabana rooms to me for the first time, and I liked them so I was willing to pay in November to stay there.
It also softened me up, and I played well beyond anything I have played in years there, and thought I might make that a pattern, start staying downtown again for my full trip, stop hopping from place to place. They had me.
And now they don't.
I find it strange that the emotional part of this does affect my reason, but I see it does.
I'm thinking about South Tower Vegas Club because the Plaza pool should open next year, and if renovation does not start at the Vegas Club there still will be deals there and i can use the pool at the Plaza. And part of feeling open to that place is they let me play my Vegas Club and Plaza ACG coupons back to back on my last trip at the same craps table and on the same day.
That craps dealer roped in an emotional part of me that I always deny is there.
Jackie knew that if he offered people a place where they felt comfortable, where instead of having to watch for every trick, folks could let down their guard and relax and not expect to be tricked except by the slot machines, that he would build a loyal and supportive customer base that could feel good about losing money. This trick disrespects everything that Jackie was as a man and might be still as legend if the EC wanted that to happen.
So I wonder if anyone will book a week in the beginning of a month, then book a few days at the end of the month and at check in find out they are to be charged $25 a night for the second booking, and shown the fine print to explain the charge. Anyone in that situation is going to feel tricked and angry, just as those paying resort fees without knowing they might pay them have felt.
As for me. Well, they may lose me for most of what I've booked already. If I am going to hop around, I might as well hop from free place to free place, and I won't be thinking about seeding the EC with play for a few free nights to add to my paid nights because I can't build enough nights there to really settle in and stay. I'll just use them as 7 nights where I can stay cheaply and not have to worry about my daily gambling average falling off.
I'll be playing in the places with better odds and offering free rooms. I'll be paying in places I have not yet seen, like the Suncoast that is now open for casino hopping with the new WAX running from downtown to there and a place that for the summer shows room prices less than El Cortez prices. I read there is great VP there. There is a shuttle to the airport so it might make a good place to start or end my trip.
EC will lose me because this new strategy of theirs makes my frugal hairs bristle. I won't be softened; I'll be alert and in the poker game of frugal room renting.
But maybe me and my kind don't matter to them in the long mathematical run and the uninhibited tourist with four days and $200 to gamble away in slots is better meat. I don't know how they figure my emotions in the mathematics. Jackie knew how to figure them in, but he is gone into the senility of old age now without the ability to add his thoughts on the matter.
One other thing they lose when they lose me is an advocate. I have written thousands of words in the past year praising the El Cortez, including a long justification on why a guy should book there rather than the Golden Nugget on their promotional Facebook page. They lost not only my meager play, but my free promotional prose.
All to force me out of their casino a few extra days a year
******************************************
Another of my responses to this question.
I made a one week reservation.
Then I made a separated three day reservation.
All through booking.com.
Booking.com accepted the reservations, but two days later called and said the the EC would not honor the second one.
That was before they started honoring all the reservations but simply charging $25 a night for any nights beyond 7 in a calendar month, even if the first 7 were 1-7 and the other nights 28-30.
I talked to the hotel manager three times.
The one way to get around this is if your "play" is good enough when you go to check out, they will drop this charge, which is basically a resort fee with no pretend amenities and another carrot on the stick to keep your gambling up there or else pay more for the room.
I asked if husband and wife (I know some trying this) could book back to back in different names, but the hotel manager told me in most cases they know these folks are connected and would charge the fee.
My play was live poker for the most part until last trip when I started seeding for the next trip with VP, but I'm not putting myself in a position to be constantly wondering if I'm good enough for day 8 at the EC. I want firm upfront reservations, not genuflection to a host for favors. If I get drunk and drop a few hundred, they win. If I remain disciplined and frugal, I win, but they still make profit on the room at those rates. If I get sick and need days in bed, I have the comfort that it did not cost me anything extra.
Meanwhile there are still a few days a month when you can stay free on their popular promo. I'll pay $60 a night for Cabana in October and get back $35 in freeplay and $25 in food each night I pay it. Then the ACG coupon still gets you 2 Pavillion for $34 with tax or $50 plus tax for Cabana. So, I did that. My 8 nights or more that I intended to book at $34 average a night evolved into just 4 nights, 2 on the free deal and 2 Pavillion on the $34 deal.
My other nights I booked at the Gold Spike at $12 plus $9 resort fee for weekdays and $27 plus $9 for weekends. I have not stayed there, but I have been curious.
Last trip the EC promo pulled me out of a Gold Spike reservation, and my play gave them a few hundred dollars profit. This trip I have no incentive to play a dime in VP and slots beyond my freeplay run through just once. The way I do the math, EC lost. And the way I do the math, they lose by not paying attention that I pay rakes for maybe 10 hour of live poker. I'm not saying they should comp me rooms like Harrah's does, but they might guarantee no latent acting resort fee for that sort of play.
Don here on the board said it is all, "Who you know." I don't know anyone.
English Dave after calling his travel folks a few times did manage to get assurance that his 2 week stay is still okay.
So there are exceptions.
I'm just soured by the whole hassle. I know the casino wants to fleece us and get us out of there quickly and the bean counters have figured that we take up space after a few days, but to be so blatant about it and so unwelcoming is just against all EC images I know, the kind established by Jackie and followed by most staff there.
Gold Spike has no such limitation. I have 9 nights booked there. I may shorten those if I get freebie come ons from other places.
Stratosphere charges a $7.50 resort fee and that includes tower access, but after 5 nights it caps "as a convenience to our customers" and you can book 28 nights in a row there and pay just 5 nights of resort fee.
For much less money I got an open pool and free wifi at the Gold Spike. Their gambling is not very good. (Well, I guess the BJ is not so bad and I'll probably play a bit of that. I hate staying at a spot and playing nothing there) However, there is nothing to make me play anything. If I get sick and have to stay in bed for a week, I will still have my wifi and not be pressured to play for some resort fee that will kick in if I do not.
I will have a dawn to dusk open pool. Unheated. But I'm pretty brave about cold water and I may just bring along a wetsuit.
I am currently booked 22 nights (Oct/Nov) at an average expense of under $21 a night fees and taxes included. How the EC expects to attract folks like me and soften us up for a kill in this market I can't speculate.
However, I will say that board posts where I thought I was just informing folks of this new hidden and renamed resort fee to avoid having them find a surprise at checkout, have elicited plenty of support for the [B]casino's side of the issue.[/B]
I'm amazed at that.
Much of it is from folks who don't stay at the El Cortez or can't imagine anyone staying for more than 7 nights. Some of it is rather naive suggestions that the EC is swamped with the near homeless and so must keep them at bay. Why would anyone suffering a financial setback book a Cabana room for $34 a night when they could rent a three bedroom apartment in Vegas for that by the month and get a laundromat in the basement or when they could for $110-$125 get a week right down the street at the Eden Inn and in both cases not have to worry about their rent increasing when the next convention comes to town?
However, like the inflation of drink prices at the new glitzy bar, this sort of move indicates that the EC is moving on up along with the whole Fremont East neighborhood. I celebrated this until I remembered again that it just eliminates one more frugal alternative as the clientele evolves into the "its only money" folks.
The only way around the fee is to book 7 nights at the end of one month and 7 at the beginning of another which the hotel manager admitted I could "technically" do.
But I suppose they are working on that loophole as well.
Or perhaps saner minds will emerge. One post on the Facebook page said that for now they had to abide by this new restriction which meant the person writing it thought it was a bad idea too. It is a bad idea. Perhaps they will rescind it.
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