Gambling and Comps Question

OK folks how would you approach this.

I lost about $1500 on my last trip to Las Vegas. You can read about the carnage here: March Trip Report.

I lost that $1500 between several casinos and several different games -- blackjack at Bellagio and Wynn; craps at Wynn, Casino Royale, and LVH; Jacks or Better video poker at Wynn, TI, Aria, and LVH.

I stayed at the Wynn on a discount room offer and I've never gotten a comp beyond these discount offers.

My question is would I have a shot at actually getting comps if I concentrated all my gambling at one casino given my level of play? Should I narrow my gambling even further and only play one type of game at that casino?

--helpmespock

After establishing which casino gives the best comps(some of the more astute members will tell you how to do this) I would concentrate all my play at one casino to maxamize my comps. Note: make sure the casino has some games with favorible rules. Bottom line we play to win first, comps second.

A $1500 trip bankroll won't get you a second look at the casinos you mentioned playing at. Now,, if you played downtown or off-strip (stations / Boyd) you'd get stuff. But those ain't Bellagio. Play where you enjoy it.

From my experience, the Caesars properties have the best comps for hotel rooms. The actual points earned isnt great for table games as i think the wizard did a review on that. But it cant be beat for hotel offers. I gamble under $1,000 a year probably but I can get a free room anytime Sunday through Thursday at imperial palace, flamingo, ballys, rio, & harrahs. Occasionally I'll even get free rooms on weekends. Then most of the time the nicer places like Paris, Caesars, are anywhere from 27 to 57 bucks a night for weekday rooms. If we go on a weekend then the cheaper places are usually like 17 - 27 a night and the higher end properties are around 79 to 109 a night. Now I know these rooms don't even compare to bellagio, Venetian etc.... But if its for free, it's for me

only1choice has some sage advice in there. "Play to win first, comps second."

The casinos comp on time played x average bet. The size of your bankroll is immaterial. This seems totally unfair, but that is the way it works.

Four years ago I decided to 'only play where I stay', to maximize my comp potential. I was taking about $500/day, so 2K for a 4 day trip. This is not much! But, I play craps, and got lucky. I was able to play for about 8 hours a day (the casino looks for at least 4 hours of play/day for comps for people on junkets), and only lost about $500 the first trip. The next trip I broke even, but again logged quite a few hours. Then I had a nice $1K winning trip. followed by a $3500 winning trip. But, the key was not the outcome. The key was, although I was betting low to med, I was logging a lot of hours.

So, now I have had a good rating for a few years, but I have upped my BR to about 1k/day for the trip. And, when things go bad, like they have been recently, I am dropping 1k, and not getting 4 hours of play. I am not getting much in the way of comp offers. I still get the free rooms, and Beau Rivage is still willing to fly me and the wife down there, but the free play has gone from $400 per trip, down to $100. And yet, I have lost more money there in the past year than I ever did. The irony is, when I was willing to lose less money I ended up with better comps, because I was lucky and I was winning, which allowed me to play for long periods of time. Then, when I was willing to lose more money, I am getting less comps, because I am not lasting very long at the tables. Now when I could use $400 in free play, I am only getting $100. It seems backwards, but from the casino point of view, I understand why I am less valuable now.

The lesson here is beware of chasing comps. It can be expensive if you get chasing them for the wrong reasons. However, generally speaking, you will get your best comps by concentrating your major hours at one place. The different games you play do matter, but only in as much as the casino calculates how much they expect to win off of every $100 you bet on that game. So if you play a game with a high house edge (like the Big 6 wheel) and you bet the same amount as you would at baccarat, you will get a way better rating for playing the Big 6 Wheel (but you should lose a lot more money.)

I read your review and I may be wrong but what I took from it was that your playing sessions were relatively short. A lot of casinos will want to see 4 hours of play per day to comp rooms, which with your spread out play I'm sure you didn't do. If you concentrated on one casino I'm sure you could hit that threshold and get better comps, though you would need to go to a middle tier casino as the high end properties won't bat an eye at red or single green action. As others have stated I've heard that a little bit of play at Harrah's properties will get you room offers, so maybe if you play a lot there you can get the free rooms then continue to play where you choose throughout your stay. Best of luck!

Thanks for the information folks it is very illuminating.

Quote: winmonkeyspit3

I read your review and I may be wrong but what I took from it was that your playing sessions were relatively short. A lot of casinos will want to see 4 hours of play per day to comp rooms, which with your spread out play I'm sure you didn't do.

Indeed my sessions are short. It's a rare session that I play over two hours. Typically they're around an hour. Usually what happens is that I hit a bit of a winning streak sometime during the hour and I try to quit while I'm ahead or I wash out quickly before the hour is out and quit playing that game for the day.

Quote: only1choice

Bottom line we play to win first, comps second.

Keep in mind I'm a recreational gambler. I've used the Wizard Ace-Five count a couple times, but probably to no good effect because I don't practise enough. I gamble for fun, but on the other hand I don't want to give away a house edge of 6% either. Hence my choice of games -- blackjack, craps, and video poker. So only1choice's bottom line is a good one, but I don't really play to win. I play because I enjoy it.

Quote: RaleighCraps

The casinos comp on time played x average bet. The size of your bankroll is immaterial. This seems totally unfair, but that is the way it works.

Given RaleighCraps' formula and my play, it sounds like I don't really have a shot at comps beyond the discount room offers I get from the Wynn. My wife and I have stayed at the Golden Nugget, Harrah's, and Cesars Palace but we're pretty comfortable at the Wynn. We toyed with going to the Cosmopolitan this last trip because Wynn didn't give us an offer for March Break, but eventually a late offer came in from the Wynn and we took it.

If it's time on games that count, it looks like I'm better off with my current strategy of finding the games that cost me the least over the long run at the various hotels rather than attempt to concentrate my play at the Wynn. RaleighCraps' experience and my bankroll is such that it sounds like the Wynn's minimums will eat me alive and I won't reach the 4 hours per day required to generate comps.

--helpmespock

I'm a bit surprised to even see the Wynn and Casino Royale mentioned in the same post.
However, the over-riding rule is Have Fun!!

You have a wife. She likes the Wynn. Perhaps you enjoy it too but your wife does because ALL women seem to love the Wynn or other Top Tier casino-hotels.

So the first rule for you is to stay in a place that your wife will enjoy.

Frankly, I think of Casino Royale as if it were a sawdust and beer joint and the Wynn as if it were a deep carpets, table cloths and fine wine place. Its a bit of a contradiction. If you want a 3 dollar craps game I don't think Casino Royale lets you take high odds. They used to let you take 100x odds at a 3 dollar table but only if you were betting more. Current practices I don't know about. Casino Royale has rooms but I think any wife used to the Wynn would not want to stay at Casino Royale no matter what the Comps situation either was or might be.

Your play at the Wynn might be "invisible". So don't expect much in the way of Comps.

You are spending enough to get fully comped rooms at a good many casinos. Let's just take TI. IF you were to Stay and Play there, I think most people would agree that you would be RFB IF you are clever about it. Your style of short sessions suits you but it hurts your chances of tripping the computer programs that are all important in comp evaluation. Three hours and Four Hours are the magic numbers. Win, lose or draw... they want to see time. A place like TI would value your action, a place like the Wynn would not notice your action.

So let me say that even though the room is given to you at a "discount" you are really paying for that room by not getting significant comps anywhere in town. You are keeping the wife happy though. As you go off "slumming" at Casino Royale does she stay at the Wynn or does she accompany you? Blackjack at Bellagio and Wynn is not going to get comps unless you've got two greens in your hands every time you place a bet and stay like that for good long time. Even in the morning when limits are low you may enjoy playing there but you are not really earning any significant comps doing it.

I'd say: come down in your room quality (but not anger the wife), concentrate your play where you stay, play a bit longer sessions if you can do so without really dinging the bank roll... and see if offers get much better.

If you wife really wants the room at the Wynn ... then it is costing you your comps at other joints, but a wife who is happy on her vacation is part of your goal, not just some silly buffet comp or free room comp!

People associate the tier of the casino with the comps, and that is somewhat true. But I have a totally different perspective. I was comp'd for 4 days stay at Aria when it opened. One of the nights we went down to the Golden Gate, which is nice, but definitely not in the same tier level as Aria. I was betting $120 inside, and raising $30 on each hit, so I was getting 300 to 500 on the table easily on many rolls. The other end of the table had the dice for over 1.5 hours on one hot swing. It was obvious that I was giving them more action than they usually see, and the dealer was struggling with the payouts every time I got a single number over $100.
We played for about 2 hours, and I won over 1K. The next night we went back down, but no hot shooters and I gave it all back over another 2 hours of play.

You know what my offers are from Golden Gate? Wed. night free with the purchase of 2 additional nights at a discount! LOL. I was able to stay anywhere on the strip for free, but the Golden Gate would make me pay to stay there. Even though I was probably the biggest player they had for those 2 days, my total time was not the long, so in their eyes, I am not a desired player.

Quote: helpmespock

Indeed my sessions are short. It's a rare session that I play over two hours. Typically they're around an hour. Usually what happens is that I hit a bit of a winning streak sometime during the hour and I try to quit while I'm ahead or I wash out quickly before the hour is out and quit playing that game for the day.

This is what I was talking about, when I mentioned chasing comps. You need to play 3 or 4 hours, instead of quitting when you get up 1 hour into the game. Of course, you are likely to give back what you are ahead, and even more likely to end up losing your own money. All so you could get a better comp!
So, as you can see, chasing comps can become a negative expectation game as well, if that becomes the most important thing to you.

Based on what I'm getting from you it appears that you guys really enjoy staying at that particular resort, and you already have a discounted rate, so maybe you should stick there. If you do put in at least a few hours of play at another resort and you have your play rated the entire session, don't be afraid to ask the suit for a buffet comp or coffee shop comp for two. In my opinion, any casino management with any brains should give a player a meal (which costs them much less than the face value of the comp) if they have been playing at a decent level of play (15-25 minimum) for a few hours. It just shows that your play is valued, and I know at least for me it really increases brand loyalty. During my 3 years of playing I have probably asked for 50 discretionary buffet comps and I have probably gotten 40-45 of them, sometimes when I have only played an hour or two. The times that I have been told no, the pit manager politely comes over and says , "Sorry sir, we can't do that for you at this time, feel free to check again later on". Lesson to take from all of this is it never hurts to ask. There are some joints that don't give discretionary comps, but I still believe it never hurts to ask.

Quote: FleaStiff

I'm a bit surprised to even see the Wynn and Casino Royale mentioned in the same post.

I got a good chuckle out of this comment. What can I say? I'm mercenary in my play and I'm more comfortable with lower minimums.

I do play a fair amount at Casino Royale because of the $3 minimum table. It's 20x odds at $3, but the 100x odds still exists, but you must have a $5 minimum. As you can tell, my pattern of play is to try to keep the house edge low. As a result, I'm wandering through the various strip casinos looking for 9/6 JoB machines, or blackjack games with $10-20 minimums with OK rules -- which means the dealer is often hitting soft 17, but they give a little back with surrender, double after split, etc. I'd never gambled in TI prior to this trip, but vpfree2.com listed some $0.50 9/6 machines and it was an easy walk over for us from the Wynn rather than drive to LVH.

Quote: FleaStiff

You have a wife. She likes the Wynn. Perhaps you enjoy it too but your wife does because ALL women seem to love the Wynn or other Top Tier casino-hotels.

So the first rule for you is to stay in a place that your wife will enjoy.

FleaStiff you've hit the nail on the head. A co-worker has a saying, "A happy wife equals a happy life" and my wife does enjoy being in those kinds of hotels.

Quote: FleaStiff

So let me say that even though the room is given to you at a "discount" you are really paying for that room by not getting significant comps anywhere in town. You are keeping the wife happy though. As you go off "slumming" at Casino Royale does she stay at the Wynn or does she accompany you? Blackjack at Bellagio and Wynn is not going to get comps unless you've got two greens in your hands every time you place a bet and stay like that for good long time. Even in the morning when limits are low you may enjoy playing there but you are not really earning any significant comps doing it.

I didn't think about it that way, but yes I guess my discounted room isn't all that discounted. From the Wynn's perspective, they're giving us a hotel room for $139 a night when they want to charge $259 a night so in their mind they're giving us a comp of $120 per night. I don't buy that because they won't always fill the rooms at that rate.

My wife sometimes comes to Casino Royale with me if we're walking the strip and I stop in for a quick craps game, but generally my Casino Royale craps starts at 6AM Vegas time and she's sleeping in.

I'll chat with my wife about lowering her standards a little, but that probably won't go anywhere. Like I said earlier, we've stayed at some of the other hotels and my wife's happier at the Wynn/Bellagio/Cosmopolitan level.

--helpmespock

Quote: winmonkeyspit3

Based on what I'm getting from you it appears that you guys really enjoy staying at that particular resort, and you already have a discounted rate, so maybe you should stick there. If you do put in at least a few hours of play at another resort and you have your play rated the entire session, don't be afraid to ask the suit for a buffet comp or coffee shop comp for two.

Hmmm...this is another angle I never thought about. I will ask next time I put a couple hours in at craps or blackjack other than the Wynn. Thanks for this one.

I presume I'll have to sign up for the resort's player card first though before trying this one right?

--helpmespock

As annoying as it may be, for any property that you plan to play at you should sign up for a card. You can get comps or cash back on slots/VP, and you need to always give your card to the dealer when you play a table game. The supervisor will put you in the computer and you will earn points and (at some properties) be able to ask for discretionary comps based on your play, without having points taken from your players card. Let's say you played 3 hours of blackjack at 25 dollars a hand, you can ask the supervisor if you can have a comp for two to the buffet at the end of your session. I often justify a blackjack session saying, "Well, I gave up a 23.00 expected loss, but I just ate a buffet that would have cost me 20 dollars and I got 3 points on my players card that I can use anywhere in the resort.

Quote: teddys

A $1500 trip bankroll won't get you a second look at the casinos you mentioned playing at. Now,, if you played downtown or off-strip (stations / Boyd) you'd get stuff. But those ain't Bellagio. Play where you enjoy it.

I'm rather surprised by this comment. LVH is desperate to get people in the door that aren't conventioneers. Especially for weekend play, LVH is pretty generous. My VERY LITTLE play there has gotten me some nice 4-night offers, that while not comped, are such a great value. You might even find a room that is decent (not Wynn quality, but better than Casino Royale).

Also consider a trip to TI. Now that it's independent, they are trying to establish a customer base. A little play here at $25 level will get you some offers from what I've been told. I don't recommend Harrah's/Caesars properties because their game selection is terrible, but you should get generous room offers with a little bit of play.

Quote: helpmespock

I presume I'll have to sign up for the resort's player card first though before trying this one right?

It should not be much of an ordeal to get a card... go in with the data on a sheet of paper and have your license. If you go to the booth or desk involved you may learn of some special deals but you can, if you want, just give it to the PitBoss and he will send a Chip Runner or Pit Clerk to go get the card for you while you shoot craps.

As for comps, it used to be different but nowadays you have to go really high up the ladder to find someone who has the ability to give you a comp that doesn't start off with a computer entry for your account number.


One solution might be to look at official and un-official web sites that show room quality. I've no idea what 300 threads per inch means but it seems women know such things. What else about the Wynn is it that appeals to your wife? The M Resort and the Bellagio use identical sheets. Is it the views? The restaurants? What does the Wynn really offer?

Its a bit strange but to you the term "Vegas" means places like Casino Royale with the games and the booze, but to your wife "Vegas" means Wynn, Bellagio and Venetian with their reputations for luxurious rooms and fine dining. Frankly you may just find that a compromise is not worth it at all.

Quote: FleaStiff

One solution might be to look at official and un-official web sites that show room quality. I've no idea what 300 threads per inch means but it seems women know such things. What else about the Wynn is it that appeals to your wife? The M Resort and the Bellagio use identical sheets. Is it the views? The restaurants? What does the Wynn really offer?

Its a bit strange but to you the term "Vegas" means places like Casino Royale with the games and the booze, but to your wife "Vegas" means Wynn, Bellagio and Venetian with their reputations for luxurious rooms and fine dining. Frankly you may just find that a compromise is not worth it at all.

I talked with my wife about what she'd be willing to accept and her list is a bit nebulous but she likes clean well appointed rooms that are fresh. She wants to feel comfortable and safe on the property and let's be honest she likes a little opulence.

We stayed at Caesars Palace twice. The first time we got upgraded to the a Palace Tower Deluxe room because the room we were supposed to get wasn't ready and it was very well appointed. A sitting area, make-up area, king size bed and those nice marble bathrooms -- all very new and fresh. The second time we stayed it was in an older part in the middle of the resort -- I think it's called the Roman Tower -- and the room was huge. It had a bar, living room, dining room, two bathrooms, and the bedroom was in a separate section but had two twin beds. However it felt like it hadn't seen an update since the 1980's and my wife said she didn't want to stay at Caesars again. I agreed to skip Caesars too because the second time they'd taken away all of their low denomination 9/6 JoB machines and the best you could do for $0.25 was an 8/5 progressive.

We stayed at Harrah's the next time and the room was so old and tired. A chipped enamel steel tub, the safe was broken and we had to get security up twice to fix it, the hallways looked like no one had vaccuumed in a month and a couple nights featured drunk screaming college kids in the hallways at 3AM.

Our next time was the Wynn, because we got a discount room offer through the players card, and since that time we've never been anywhere else.

For me, yes Vegas is about the games. Not so much about the booze -- I tyically have a drink an hour when I'm gambling and never in the morning. I try to hit the best games, but I'm a bit lazy too. For instance, it's easier to walk over to TI and hit their $0.50 9/6 VP machines rather than us drive to LVH and hit their $0.25 9/6 VP. I could drive and get $5 blackjack with stand on 17 with fewer decks or $3 (or cheaper) craps off-strip, but Casino Royale has their $3 table and I typically go at 6AM when I first get up and leave my wife to sleep in. I generally get the table to myself and I shoot don'ts without hassel. I'll play Wynn's $15 or $25 blackjack on the way back from a craps trip rather than hit Bellagio's $10 CSM games even though I usually only drop $200 which is way undercapitalized to get an hour's play at 90% risk of ruin.

I enjoy gambling as a recreation. My wife only enjoys and plays VP but she often accompanies me playing blackjack and chats with the dealers or other players. I've told her not to chat up the craps crowd unless they initiate. She enjoys the shopping, the restaurants, and the shows. The price I pay to enjoy gambling in Las Vegas is that we stay at nicer hotels so that my wife is comfortable too.

Overall I started this thread because I was wondering if I could squeeze some comps given how I play and the parameters under which I get to come to Vegas. This thread has given me lots of ideas to work some angles. If nothing else I'll be signing up for a lot more players cards at the various places I play. Thank you all for the advice and tips.

--helpmespock

Quote: helpmespock

I talked with my wife about what she'd be willing to accept and her list is a bit nebulous but she likes clean well appointed rooms that are fresh. She wants to feel comfortable and safe on the property and let's be honest she likes a little opulence.

We stayed at Caesars Palace twice. The first time we got upgraded to the a Palace Tower Deluxe room because the room we were supposed to get wasn't ready and it was very well appointed. A sitting area, make-up area, king size bed and those nice marble bathrooms -- all very new and fresh. The second time we stayed it was in an older part in the middle of the resort -- I think it's called the Roman Tower -- and the room was huge. It had a bar, living room, dining room, two bathrooms, and the bedroom was in a separate section but had two twin beds. However it felt like it hadn't seen an update since the 1980's and my wife said she didn't want to stay at Caesars again. I agreed to skip Caesars too because the second time they'd taken away all of their low denomination 9/6 JoB machines and the best you could do for $0.25 was an 8/5 progressive.

We stayed at Harrah's the next time and the room was so old and tired. A chipped enamel steel tub, the safe was broken and we had to get security up twice to fix it, the hallways looked like no one had vaccuumed in a month and a couple nights featured drunk screaming college kids in the hallways at 3AM.

Our next time was the Wynn, because we got a discount room offer through the players card, and since that time we've never been anywhere else.

For me, yes Vegas is about the games. Not so much about the booze -- I tyically have a drink an hour when I'm gambling and never in the morning. I try to hit the best games, but I'm a bit lazy too. For instance, it's easier to walk over to TI and hit their $0.50 9/6 VP machines rather than us drive to LVH and hit their $0.25 9/6 VP. I could drive and get $5 blackjack with stand on 17 with fewer decks or $3 (or cheaper) craps off-strip, but Casino Royale has their $3 table and I typically go at 6AM when I first get up and leave my wife to sleep in. I generally get the table to myself and I shoot don'ts without hassel. I'll play Wynn's $15 or $25 blackjack on the way back from a craps trip rather than hit Bellagio's $10 CSM games even though I usually only drop $200 which is way undercapitalized to get an hour's play at 90% risk of ruin.

I enjoy gambling as a recreation. My wife only enjoys and plays VP but she often accompanies me playing blackjack and chats with the dealers or other players. I've told her not to chat up the craps crowd unless they initiate. She enjoys the shopping, the restaurants, and the shows. The price I pay to enjoy gambling in Las Vegas is that we stay at nicer hotels so that my wife is comfortable too.

Overall I started this thread because I was wondering if I could squeeze some comps given how I play and the parameters under which I get to come to Vegas. This thread has given me lots of ideas to work some angles. If nothing else I'll be signing up for a lot more players cards at the various places I play. Thank you all for the advice and tips.

--helpmespock

You're welcome! Might I suggest really trying to play 15 dollar blackjack as opposed to 25 with your 200 buy-in? You will find that you will weather the storm a lot longer and be able to keep playing and have more fun. By dropping to 15 you are now starting with 13 units as opposed to 8.

Quote: helpmespock

I try to hit the best games, but I'm a bit lazy too. For instance, it's easier to walk over to TI and hit their $0.50 9/6 VP machines rather than us drive to LVH and hit their $0.25 9/6 VP.

If you don't like to drive, you might want to consider the Golden Nugget. I've never stayed there, but it's reputed to be good, though perhaps not on the level of Wynn or Caesars.

There is plenty of good gambling nearby. 9/6 Job from nickels to dollars at the 4 Queens, 5X, 10X and 20X craps, 10/7 dollar and half dollar Double Bonus VP at 4 Queens and the Cal respectively. I don't know about BJ, but I ahve the impression Downtown has good rules overall.

And it's a much shorter walk ;)

Quote: helpmespock

I talked with my wife about what she'd be willing to accept and her list is a bit nebulous but she likes clean well appointed rooms that are fresh. She wants to feel comfortable and safe on the property and let's be honest she likes a little opulence.

If nothing else I'll be signing up for a lot more players cards at the various places I play.

Yes, you will get alot of mailers and other offers and perhaps wind up staying at the Wynn anyway.

Southpoint has large, clean rooms but not opulent ones and your miles away from anything but you've got a good game mix for yourself. Tuscany has large clean rooms but definitely not opulent and definitely not new. And of course its a bit of a trek.
Monte Carlo has very clean rooms, though not particularly large ones but nicely appointed ones.

Anyway, its been an interesting thread but I think the primary point might be that whatever "Comp Situation" you might or might not be getting elsewhere is not worth having your wife suffer through a less than spotless, safe and opulent room and the ability to sleep-in while you go off to Casino Royale.

So while the Wynn may not be giving you quite such a bargain on the room rate, they are giving you a happy wife.

Monte Carlo also has Hotel 32 - The Boutique hotel at Monte Carlo with secluded elevator in the high Limit area. Might make the wife feel extra imortant.

Another option for you if you really want to stay at Wynn, but don't think you have the gambling dollars to do it would be to learn a different game, namely Pai Gow Tiles. You can play up to a $50 average bet for a long time (unless the tiles turn against you in a horrific way) and that could potentially get you a bit of a discount on the room. I imagine you would still need a higher average bet to get free rooms, but I found at MGM with just a few hours of play between 25 and 50 that I got more comp dollars than I expected.

This isn't a guarantee of course, but could be fun and possibly worth the effort.

Quote: winmonkeyspit3

You're welcome! Might I suggest really trying to play 15 dollar blackjack as opposed to 25 with your 200 buy-in? You will find that you will weather the storm a lot longer and be able to keep playing and have more fun. By dropping to 15 you are now starting with 13 units as opposed to 8.

Yes I much prefer $15 over $25, but if I win a couple hands on a $15 table I increase to $20 just to make blackjack and surrender work out nicely. I'm not completely opposed to pulling out another $200 such that I can keep playing, but it's not normal for me. Typically if I'm doing $25 I'm doing it to see where the game will take me knowing that the trip could be very short.

I play a fair amount at the $10 minimum CSMs at Bellagio when I know I want a longer time at the table.

--helpmespock

Quote: Nareed

If you don't like to drive, you might want to consider the Golden Nugget. I've never stayed there, but it's reputed to be good, though perhaps not on the level of Wynn or Caesars.

We stayed at the Golden Nugget on our very first trip to Las Vegas. It was nice, but my wife got a really bad case of food poisioning on that trip and I thought I'd never get to go to Las Vegas again.

Then for our 15th wedding anniversary, I suggested Las Vegas as an inexpensive trip to celebrate, but she insisted we stay on the strip and she wanted to see Celine Dion. I agreed to her terms, but luckily Celine Dion was off the week we were there and we saw Elton John instead. His fill-in show was called "The Red Piano" back then. I think they call it "Golden Piano" now. That was our first stay at Caesars Palace.

I know the gambling is good downtown, but my wife has negative associations with downtown so we've avoided it since that first trip.

--helpmespock

Quote: Croupier

Monte Carlo also has Hotel 32 - The Boutique hotel at Monte Carlo with secluded elevator in the high Limit area. Might make the wife feel extra imortant.

I have heard of Hotel 32, but I've only been through the Monte Carlo once and didn't like it's casino much.

I like the $139/night room offers we get from the Wynn. I'm comfortable paying that price. I'm not comfortable paying their regular room rate of $259/night.

I imagine Hotel 32 prices run $400+ a night. If I'm paying that kind of price I'd better be staying in mid-town Manhattan.

--helpmespock

Quote: Tiltpoul

Another option for you if you really want to stay at Wynn, but don't think you have the gambling dollars to do it would be to learn a different game, namely Pai Gow Tiles. You can play up to a $50 average bet for a long time (unless the tiles turn against you in a horrific way) and that could potentially get you a bit of a discount on the room. I imagine you would still need a higher average bet to get free rooms, but I found at MGM with just a few hours of play between 25 and 50 that I got more comp dollars than I expected.

This isn't a guarantee of course, but could be fun and possibly worth the effort.

I've been reading about Pai Gow Tiles on Wizard Of Odds, but I've never been brave enough to try it. It looks fairly involved. I'd have to study way more before I try it at the casino.

Are there other games with a low house edge that have a slow pace too? Baccarat perhaps?

--helpmespock

One recent report on comp differences.

"5 hours of pai gow -$25. 1 hottie. 20 drinks. 8 minutes of craps -$175 dollars. No hotties. 1 drink."

Quote: helpmespock

I've been reading about Pai Gow Tiles on Wizard Of Odds, but I've never been brave enough to try it. It looks fairly involved. I'd have to study way more before I try it at the casino.

Are there other games with a low house edge that have a slow pace too? Baccarat perhaps?

--helpmespock

Baccarat is fun, and I have found that at my casino it has a very slow pace. Unfortunately, at many casinos the minimum bet for this game is $25. I find that the Asian games, with the exception of Pai Gow Poker, have higher table minimums than than classic casino games like blackjack, craps and roulette. At least where I play the high rolling asians (black action every hand all night or more) enjoy the exclusiveness they get in the asian gaming section. If they made it a 5 or 10 dollar table there would be people passing by and dropping in for a hand or two all night and neither these players nor the casino wants this as they are getting plenty of action from these players. Baccarat is a great game, and I have found the Asian players to be as friendly as anyone else, though they often think I am stubborn for always betting on the banker.

i need a gambling income w-2g form please because im filing taxes for my uncle i already have the numbers i just need a w-2g form the Payer name,street adrress city, state, zip code, and federal id number please!!!!!! asap!!!!!

Quote: richporter103

i need a gambling income w-2g form please because im filing taxes for my uncle i already have the numbers i just need a w-2g form the Payer name,street adrress city, state, zip code, and federal id number please!!!!!! asap!!!!!

Isn't a W-2G form what you receive FROM the casino in the case of big wins?
If you are declaring income from gambling, doesn't that just go on the IRS form, with no required paperwork? Just my impression from previous reading

yes it is i just need it

Tell him to call the casino and ask for it to be sent to him, if you need it faster, have him arrange to go get a copy.