Palms tier matching

Back in June, I received my semi annual residential mailer from palms. This is a mailer mailed to all local residents with match plays and various other coupons, not the players monthly mailer. On the last page, was a tier matching offer. Show your higher tier card from another property and palms would match your tier.

At the time I was a All-star level (third of 5), so I showed my presidential from Stations and was upgraded to MVP (4th of 5). The upgrade process netted me 2 buffet passes and as a MVP, a shorter buffet line. I think there might have been some free play awarded also (can't remember). Today September 1, my 'temporary tier matching' expired, and I was downgraded back to All-star. That is 2 months they gave you to hit that new tier target play to remain at that level. That's not very long. I don't really see the benefit of a temporary tier matching if they aren't going to give you a full 6 months to maintain that level. Just seems strange. I guess it's about trying to trick you into playing more in those two months to maintain that higher level, but if someone wanted that higher level, they would just play that amount without this artificial temporary incentive.

Quote: kewlj

Back in June, I received my semi annual residential mailer from palms. This is a mailer mailed to all local residents with match plays and various other coupons, not the players monthly mailer. On the last page, was a tier matching offer. Show your higher tier card from another property and palms would match your tier.

At the time I was a All-star level (third of 5), so I showed my presidential from Stations and was upgraded to MVP (4th of 5). The upgrade process netted me 2 buffet passes and as a MVP, a shorter buffet line. I think there might have been some free play awarded also (can't remember). Today September 1, my 'temporary tier matching' expired, and I was downgraded back to All-star. That is 2 months they gave you to hit that new tier target play to remain at that level. That's not very long. I don't really see the benefit of a temporary tier matching if they aren't going to give you a full 6 months to maintain that level. Just seems strange. I guess it's about trying to trick you into playing more in those two months to maintain that higher level, but if someone wanted that higher level, they would just play that amount without this artificial temporary incentive.

Do you need to get the full amount of points to keep your tier level?

I just did something similar with Virgin America. They match my tier from another airline for a few months (3, I think). If I earn a certain number of points in those 3 months I get to keep the tier as if I had earned it normally this year, but that amount of points is a lot less than what would normally be required to earn it.

Quote: AxiomOfChoice

Do you need to get the full amount of points to keep your tier level?

I can't say for sure, Axiom. Maybe someone else familiar with the program will know. My partner and I have a predetermined amount of play that we do at each location to generate a certain level of mailers. At Palms we have a number of cards in play, so the amount is spread out, plus only machine play goes on the card. My BJ play at that property is unrated. I didn't see any real benefit to upping play amount to hit whatever target may have been in play to maintain this MVP level. The only real benefit to the higher level that I see is a shorter buffet line and we don't eat during the crowded times anyway. It just seems strange that they would have given such a short window to those that may have been interested in maintaining the higher tier.

I got the Hall of Fame card and no benefits above the All-Star level imo. Now that the car wash closed I see no reason to go there to pick up the tokens.

Every tier above the basic one seems to get line cutting privileges.

Quote: djatc

Now that the car wash closed I see no reason to go there to pick up the tokens.

The only reason I got to MVP or All-Star (whichever is the second from the top) is for the free car washes. I got 2 or 3 car washes, then the f*&^er broke or something and I haven't been able to get my car washed in MONTHS! :(

I got the Hall-of-Famer card too. I cut in line at the buffet the day I got the card, and I got the $50 in free-play to sign up. Since then, the only thing the card has done for me is a whole lot of nuttin'.

The dealers at the craps pit, after talking about how one table still pays triple on the 12 in the field, explained that Harrah's owns part of this property now. The other three tables are more like a Harrah's property now.

I haven't researched the ownership, but it does operate like a half-harrah's property. The _almost_ know what they are doing except that they are running off the high action gamblers. A top tier card with no benefits isn't going to fool anyone when the games and how you're treated at this pit sucks.

Quote: Ahigh

The dealers at the craps pit, explained that Harrah's owns part of this property now.

I haven't researched the ownership, but it does operate like a half-harrah's property. The _almost_ know what they are doing except that they are running off the high action gamblers.

Not exactly owned by Harrah's, but 49% is owned by TPG, which does own Harrah's or Ceasars or whatever the official name of the evil empire is. However Maloof, with only 2% interest in the property is under agreement to run the property. (another 49% is owned by a third party)

I have not noticed any changes, moving towards the way Harrah's/Caesars runs their casinos. Palm sort of has a duel personality in that it caters to locals during the daytime and the younger, tourist crowd in the evenings. They still have one of the better monthly mailers, have weekly give-away days, fullpay JoB video poker and no 6-5 blackjack, all which are VERY different from the Empire does things.

Quote: kewlj

Not exactly owned by Harrah's, but 49% is owned by TPG, which does own Harrah's or Ceasars or whatever the official name of the evil empire is. However Maloof, with only 2% interest in the property is under agreement to run the property. (another 49% is owned by a third party)

I have not noticed any changes, moving towards the way Harrah's/Caesars runs their casinos. Palm sort of has a duel personality in that it caters to locals during the daytime and the younger, tourist crowd in the evenings. They still have one of the better monthly mailers, have weekly give-away days, fullpay JoB video poker and no 6-5 blackjack, all which are VERY different from the Empire does things.

I've never been a big fan of the Palms if for no other reason than they seem to change stuff on that table way too often for my tastes. I never know what is going on there from one visit to the next. Last time I was there, they had just changed the max bets and were quizzing the dealers at the time what the new max bets were.

Interesting that the "CZR bought Palms" rumor has this much of a lifespan. I was hearing this going around like wildfire a couple of years ago from some of their (former) poker room staff. It reminds me not to listen to dealers when they are discussing whether today ends in a "y." They will get it wrong, even if the actuality is printed on their paycheck. Maybe especially if it involves something in writing.

Quote: kewlj

Not exactly owned by Harrah's, but 49% is owned by TPG, which does own Harrah's or Ceasars or whatever the official name of the evil empire is.

There you go, this is a lot more accurate than what the dealers are imagining that they "know." TPG is one of the private equity firms that did the Caesars buy-out and owns a significant stake in it (but not most of it), along with another PE firm named Apollo. And TPG now also has a big ownership interest in Palms, after buying up a bunch of the bonds when the Maloofs were defaulting on them. They also have done similar transactions involving many other recognizable names such as Petco and Burger King, among others, so it would probably be just about as accurate if the dealer's rumor was "Burger King owns Palms" or even "Palms owns pet stores." Both are non sequiturs, based on confusion about selective factoids of actual financial transactions.