Visitreno

[Wolfdog]

Is there any casino that gives back more than any other, to the video poker player? I'm mainly after the comp'ed rooms, though other benefits are valuable, as well. It just seems some of them cater more to the table players. And with some, it's hard to figure out their point and tier structure.
Thanks.

[JD]

I COULD give you my take on ez comps, World Fog, but it would not likely stay that way long.

SOME casinos go way out of their way to keep points & comps a deep dark secret. Then they appear to change their rules and make it all transparent.... BRIEFLY.

Atlantis NOW makes it ez to see your POINTS, (for food comps) but never makes it clear on room comps. They've been sending me a quarterly giant postcard with dates I can claim a comped room (NO WEEKENDS). That post card used to require a BOGO, but recently changed (at least for me) to two nights on most midweeks.

Eldo gives ONE NIGHT comp pretty easily, but they make their point system hard to track.

Silver Legacy makes points ez to track, but all I get from them is discount casino rate rooms.

OH... Sands Regency is very easy to get free rooms. And they are worth every penny. FREE But they too have moved the goal posts on their other offers.

Whatever you think the rules are... they will change.

[Wolfdog]

[Mammothgambler]

Hi Wolfdog,

Yes, agreed with JD, most places remain a mystery. I actually did a lot of asking around and investigating on this during my time in Reno.

Keep in mind that a general rule of thumb is that the comps are usually slightly less overall for tables and video poker vs. slots, but you'll get that anywhere.

Here were my findings during my year and three months living in Reno getting the local offers, and what's current since I'm back to out-of-town status:

Harrah's (Diamond Aspirations Level II) - 1 tier credit for every $5 of coin in on slots, 1 tier credit for every $10 on video poker, not sure about tables, but the few people I've talked to that have done excessive table play there have been a bit disappointed on the comp returns. Anywhere from $20-$60 per week in Reel Rewards or Chips depending on your play level, free buffets, rooms comped for a max of three nights with a three day breather (for Reno & Tahoe, its up to 5 nights per visit for Vegas), insanely cheap airfare deals, Baccarat Crystal, jewelry, free slot tournaments, clothing, celebration dinners, free Diamond Lounge access, free gift cards to Sears and the 999 Ranch Market, free admission to the health club and spa (bring a little bleach water for the tubs though, the place is a little shoddy) and miscellaneous, random junk that furnished my apartment. Shoot, every three days during that time duration, Harrah's WAS my apartment! You always have the option to trade reward credits for free play, but it's kind of a ripoff, as you usually only get half the amount.

Eldorado (Gold Plus) - Free buffet every Wednesday for locals, one free buffet per visit for out of towners, anywhere from $20-$50 weekly free play depending on your play level, three free rooms any night of the week at no charge to the comp account, free slot tournaments, free credit and gifts at the Swarovski outlet, and let's not forget about the tons of free beer, food, and miscellaneous junk you acquire playing Treasures of the Eldorado (gotta say I never had one trip to the beer store during my time there, I'd just slide my card six times per day and usually get at least a couple!) No cold hard cash back offers that I know of, and no option to convert comps into free play. I did notice that the offers really started piling up once I reached Gold Plus level, but there was nothing really substantial before that.

Silver Legacy (Celebrity) - I boycotted them last March due to a dangerous, inept security guard, but before that, the offers were next to nothing even after a substantial amount of slot play. I never received any room offers, maybe $15-$20 of food credit and $5 of free play per month. I will give them credit in the fact that they allowed comp to free play conversion, usually half the amount, where the Eldorado didn't. I did speak directly to two different players club employees who pretty much told me that unless you're an Elite or Five Star over there, hang it up on getting anything major. That was evident at all the live drawings and promos they had (such as the Plinko board and the car giveaways). I think I saw one Premier member get called up to the podium during that timeframe, and everybody practically keeled over that a peasant got called! haha

Grand Sierra Resort (Legend) - free buffet each Wednesday, anywhere from $5 to $20 per week in free play, up to 3 free nights comped every two weeks (although you'll still have to pay resort fees, taxes, and pet fees, even if it's comped - that factor alone made it not worth it. I got better service at the various Motel 6 locations around town!) I think I got one free slot tournament invitation during my time living in Reno. WARNING about this comp system and the way they rate your tier level, which of course controls what you get as comps/offers/freebies: You can go blow a million bucks in a day, but it won't show up in their system until the next evaluation quarter. There are 4 quarters per year. The up side is that you get a different response from each different staff member that you ask a question to, so if something's not to your liking, keep on asking until you score. Have fun at the "Cesspool on Second Street!" I've seen nothing from them since I moved, except for a few free nights here and there that are only popping up in my online account, no mailers have come.

Siena (Diamond) - I had very little play here last year but got a few free decks of playing cards, a few weird contest entries, and a few $5 food comps.

John Ascuaga's Nugget (I think they only have one level) - 2 free nights any day of the week, reduced rates for holidays and events, $15 of food credit every two weeks, $5 in free play per week, free entries to the Lightning Loot contest.

Peppermill (Bronze) - 2 free nights per week, anywhere from $5 to $20 per week in free play depending on play level, $10 per week in food credit. I unfortunately haven't seen any paper mailers from them, but just did get an online offer for $49 tower rooms any day of the week.

Atlantis (Preferred) - 2 free or reduced nights per comp period, miscellaneous food credit, and $20 in free play every month. Seemed like all the "freebies" there came with a cost - example, earn 75 tier credits in a day for a bottle of vodka or a pumpkin pie, where the Pep was always giving that kind of stuff away with no play needed. I did get a paper mailer for free entry to the Wilson Phillips concert since I moved, and got two free T-shirts once by sliding my card at the kiosk, but that's about it.

Circus Circus (I think they only have one level) - seems like they're good about giving 2 free nights with just a bit of play, but I haven't played there in years - there's only 2 Blazing Sevens machines in there and they're the scatter pay ones, so I never really bothered. If you can stomach the Courtyard Buffet (call an ambulance ahead of time!), go just for the free scratchy card they give you, which is anywhere from $5-$50 in free play.

Cal Neva (I think they only have one level) - free slot tournaments, up to 3 free nights any night of the week with a 5 day duration between stays, $40-$50 in free play per week depending on play level, and I'm noticing that they just started a "double free play day" every Friday, where they give double the amount that's allotted to you each Tuesday. Jeez, how come they never did this when I was a local?

With all of these places, I seemed to benefit just by always checking out what each casino had going on any particular day before every play session by either asking the players club or sliding my card at the kiosk. I think I benefitted best doing this at Harrah's, as there were always 7x point multiplier days that weren't directly advertised. There were a few times where I learned I had missed out on some major promo, multiplier, or offer by NOT sliding my card beforehand, so I learned pretty quick. I had seen a lot of offers to have the casino match your current tier level at competing casinos by showing them that players card when signing up as a newbie, but I unfortunately only got to take advantage of that at the Siena, where I didn't really play (only a few Blazing Sevens there too, and they were the fixed vs. progressive models - it just wasn't meant to be!)

Out of all the places I played at, there was only one person that gave me a hard time when I asked how their point system worked, and it was at the GSR. But then again, EVERYTHING there was a hard time!

Hope this helps.

Mammothgambler

[spdmrcht]

Just to clarify. Slots 20 tier credits for $100 in.
VP 10 tier credits for $100 in.
Keno 60 tier credits for $100 in.
This why I play Keno!

[Wolfdog]

Terrific write-up, mammoth. I'll start checking for un-publicized daily point multipliers at each place, and doing some similar research before we get there, including calling the player clubs.
I just can't justify doing what it takes to get to Eldorado's Gold Plus level. It may be worth keeping the Gold level, if we can get there on the multiplier days.
Even worse for the Silver Legacy. Doubt I'll ever get anything from them, given the good paytables we'll keep playing. Just a very tight place, in many ways.
Really like the Atlantis, but if I play more there, I'll have to play less at the Pepp, which won't happen.
I'm going to give the C-C and Harrah's a hard look on our next trip.
Thanks.