slot loss rebate promotion

the promotion is they will give you back up to 50% of your losses up to $100 so if you lose $200 they will give you back $100.

whats the best strategy for taking advantage of this promotion?

denomination and game choice?

im thinking a $5 machine so $25/hand with extremely topheavy payouts like triple double bonus poker.

however its difficult to determine the point you should quit on if you happen to be up. it would be easy to determine the point you should quit on if you could bet it all at once but since youre cycling the money through multiple times, its hard to determine that correct point.

assuming youre playing triple double bonus at $25/hand, perhaps quit when you lose the $200 or hit 4ofakind or a bunch of smaller payouts that equal the payout on 4ofakind.

thoughts?

Your line of thinking is correct -- play as few hands as possible. I think a good stopping point is about +$1,000, but use your best judgment.

is my assumption that the bonus games with the topheavy payouts are the best games to play with this promotion?

im kind of treating it like a matchplay coupon and i understand the best place to play a coupon if allowed is a single number straight up on the roulette wheel.

so im making the assumption that the best game to play would be something similar to that.

is this line of thinking also correct?

Here is how a casino patron views the deal in her blog:
"Westin has this thing where if you are a new player and you get a card, you can gamble for the next 24 hours and they will reimburse you whatever you lose. Kinda cool right?"

Here are the actual terms: Players with newly issued cards can gamble for the rest of that day of issue (not 24 hours). If they have losses at slot machines, then the Westin will re-imburse them UP TO A LIMIT OF FIFTY DOLLARS. And that reimbursement is only in FREE SLOT PLAY, not cash.

Vegas casinos complain that they are hurting... well, if they treat their customers so bad, they deserve to be hurting.

Quote: FleaStiff

Here are the actual terms: Players with newly issued cards can gamble for the rest of that day of issue (not 24 hours). If they have losses at slot machines, then the Westin will re-imburse them UP TO A LIMIT OF FIFTY DOLLARS. And that reimbursement is only in FREE SLOT PLAY, not cash.

Vegas casinos complain that they are hurting... well, if they treat their customers so bad, they deserve to be hurting.

I understand the anger towards the bait and switch. Still, I'd take that deal if: 1)VP is considered slots, 2)there's a half decent paytable on a multi-line machine, 3) getting the "free" slot play doesn't involve a cumbersome procedure and 4) the free play can be used on a VP machine witha half-decent paytable and multi-line play.

Oh, the irony...

Redhawk Indian Casino near Sacramento has something similar to this, they call it a winning guarantee, check this out :

As a gift to you for joining the Red Hawk Rewards Club, we are giving you up to 25% back on your first trip’s play. You will receive a 25% rebate, up to $400 in Free Slot Play for your next trip. We’ll let you know by mail when your Free Slot Play has been added to your account. Once you’ve received your notice, come back to play all your favorite slot games on us.

If this worked for video poker, and their was a decent pay table, betting $1,600 through the machines even in the worst case scenario of a 97% return in ideal conditions seems like a good deal. $1,600*.97= 1552, then there is 400*.97=388, 1552+388=1940-1600 (original investment)= a profit of $340.

It seems like a lot of money to risk for such a small return, not to mention the gas to get up there and the fact Lake Tahoe is only 80 min more away. Also you have to comeback within 30 days after the freeplay is posted to your account, so most people probably blow the free play and a lot more!

Quote: Nareed

I understand the anger towards the bait and switch. ...

Yes. In a way its similar to those darned Resort Fees. People don't really care about the ten dollar resort fee, they care about the lack of honesty. Its the same way with these casino promotions. The casino has to be careful about them and can't word them in such a deceptive manner that they induce players to go off and spread false rumors.

Rebate (in the form of Free Slot Play) up to fifty dollars of your losses may or may not be a good deal, but whatever it is, Simple English, Bold Print, Large Signs, etc. Or the customers walk next door. I don't know the managers and publicity people want to quibble so much ... do they want the customers to endless quibble about what that blackjack hand adds up to? If the casino's advertisements and promotional offers don't set a proper tone, what sort of customers will that casino be attracting?

Quote: FleaStiff

Rebate (in the form of Free Slot Play) up to fifty dollars of your losses may or may not be a good deal, but whatever it is, Simple English, Bold Print, Large Signs, etc. Or the customers walk next door.

These discussions always remind me of a Porky and Daffy cartoon. Daffy is selling an insurance policy that will pay $1 million for a black eye. When Porky finally buys it, Daffy puts earmuffs on him and then reads the terms. These include stuff like "if it happens on the fourth of July, during a hail storm, and is the result of a stampede of circus animals and one baby zebra.

Anyway, I agree deceptive advertising cand rive away savvy customers. That is, customers who read the fine print. I'm also sure they must draw in a lot of other people, otherwise the casinos wouldn't resort to them. Liekwise the resort fees. I nearly picked the Monte Carlo over the Rio last trip, but the resort fees simply riased the per night price too much.

I did this promotion. It wasn't that difficult, as there is usually no one in the casino. The cashier doubles as the player's club rep. I think you have to play slots first. I played $1 WOF. After losing my $50, I took my card to the desk and got my free play. They had, I believe, full pay Bonus or Deuces at the time, so I played off the $50 (think it was quarter denom.) Can't remember how much I made back, but I didn't do too badly. The casino is a real snoozer. For the life of me I can't understand why it exists, or why they still run it.
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Arizona Charlie's did a better version of this promotion where they rebated $100 in loses, and you could use video poker. I played $1 Jacks and left after I doubled up to $200, so I didn't get to use the rebate. In retrospect I should have tried for more $$.