Video Poker Forum

Sweet C and I did a Sunday/Monday Get Away to take advantage of the GNLC Covid Promotional. Due to closing for several months GNLC is offering 2X points including VP until August 31. This is such a great opportunity for us VP player who never get double points and who work on a $10/1 coin-in Tier Points. Double-teaming one account until both of us are at Chairman (25K) we then focus on getting one, then the other to Elite (100K) to keep at least one of us at Elite status.

We like the Sunday-Monday run. First, we can get two weeks of free play and two weeks of food comps. Second, and as important we don’t have the weekend crowds. This trip like many we were the only two playing the 4 available All Stars and 1-hundred play most of the time. Crowds were even lighter on Sunday evening due to the Hurricane Hannah that gave the SE Texas-La. coast a drenching.

Deuces Sunday
With our normal $400-$500 bankroll we began our assault shortly after got checked into our room at 3:30 Usually we rest and wait until later.
4:15 Playing 5 play 50¢ DWB (my timing on 25¢ had been spot on so I moved to 50¢ since the machine had the same chip) and I caught 4 Deuces on hand #4. Cashed out a $700 ticket.
5:56 Starting with $200 in and I again caught 4 deuces on 5 play DW 50¢ on hand #2. Cashed out $600. I’m feeling it now!
$100 in and lost my timing as did Sweet C so we changed machines.
6:15 Starting with $200 I started with 50¢ DWB. Three hands in at $175, I catch a dealt 5 ACES on 5 hands. Play down and cash out a $1002 ticket.
7:18 Sweet C gets into the act and catches 4 deuces on DWB 50¢ on 3 hands.
I lose my timing around 7:45 and move to the next All Star and play 5 hand 25¢ DW.
8:20 I’m dealt 3 deuces on 5 hands and catch 2x4 deuces. I take a picture, Sweet C comes over and the very next hand I catch 4-deuces again holding 1 deuce on hand #3. Back to back 4 deuces. I’ll take it!!! Cash out another $600 ticket.
Put my last $100 in and can’t seem to catch two cards the same color. I cash a ticket and chase cards for the next hour.
We go to a late dinner and and come back to try again.
Cashed in another ticket and can tell I’m getting tire (besides the pinched nerve in my left shoulder-I knew that “honey do” list would get me). So I play my free play on slots. Come back with the remainder of my ticket and hit random good hands and cash out $802 at 1:30.

Royals Monday
Sweet C and I discuss that we not only didn’t catch a Royal we had not even seen 4RF the night before. This highly unusual with all the hands we play combined. I told her tonight we were due Royals.
6:01 My night began with my timing on again. I’m dealt 3 deuces and catch 2x4 deuces again on hands #1 & #4. Then things go cold for both of us.
We eat dinner around 8:15 after playing the new weeks free play and pulling $200 that gets me back to a $300 bankroll. I’m holding that first $1k ticket to take home. During dinner we discuss our play and I remind Sweet C one of us needs to catch a Royal and I’m counting on her. Down to her last $40-50 she’s playing 10 hand 5¢ and catches a Royal. Yeah Sweet C!!! I begin play on the 100 play 10¢ starting with 10 hand and moving up each big hit. This particular machine (I know) appears to like frequent changes in speed, and Turbo off/on, and # of hands. So I’m constantly adding a hand or making a change after a couple of non-paying hands. Switching between DW and DDB I catch 4 deuces twice within 30 hands.
10:44 I finally catch 4RF on 27 hands DDB. Last hand catches the Royal. So now we have a 5¢ and 10¢ Royal. Get the ticket to $1000 and cash out. Putting back ½ and splitting with Sweet C I begin again. I go cold again and get frustrated. I’ve been dealt trips on DDB 20+ hands 6 times and not one quad. I move back to All Star.
11:36 I catch 4 deuces on hand #2 of a 5 hand DW 25¢.
12:32 I hear Sweet C next to me exclaim, “OMG”. She’s caught a 25¢ Royal on 3 hands DWB holding an A-10 and she’s laughing.
12:44 Still sitting next to her I catch 4 deuces on hand #1 of 5 hands/DW 50¢.
Lost my timing again I move back and forth from DW, DWB, DDB, Bonus and finally JOB.
1:12 I sit quietly as she playing and I watch my flush 7-A-10-9-Q and hold of A-10-Q hit a 25¢ Royal on JOB on hand #4. We both laugh as I send her a text with the picture. Shortly after two we both head up tired and satisfied with the night’s play and with bankroll to come again during the 2X points.

Be positive, be safe and wear a mask. Deuces and Royals to you!!!

Nice trip LL and Sweet C. Congrats.

Congrats Larry. Be safe. The covid cases are out of control right now in both Tex and La. I hope you and your wife don't have any preexisting conditions and are taking extra precautions. We are still sitting it out a little while longer. We started to go Monday for my wife's birthday but we are both feeling a little bit nervous with the covid in the Shreveport / Bossier City area.

Quick question Larry. As you know Czr and ElDorado just merged. Once the players clubs are combined we are thinking of checking out some of the El Dorado properties close to the area where you frequent. I think they have a Belle in Baton Rouge and an Isle of Capri in Lake Charles. Do you have an opinion of either of them? Have you played at either in the past few years? If so how are they in terms of hotel, dining choices, and cleanliness. Are they closer to being at the level of Horseshoe BC or are they places that would be better off avoided?

Congrats to the both of you Double L.

Ditto. Stay safe and well. Prayers on the way too

seemoreroyals,
We used to play the Isle Lake Charles a lot before they gutted VP and continued to downgrade. We've not been there in over a year when we just stopped by to check it out. According to the Isle news the site had plans to rebuild the boat casino on land. The boat was pretty run down. It will be interesting to see how the acquisition impacts those plans. A new casino would help it compete with the two mammoth money collectors - La Buerge du Lac (LDL) and Golden Nugget both down the river from Isle. Isle would probably be currently rated a 4-5, LDL a 7-8 and GNLC a 9-10 as it compares to most of Vegas in quality and amenities. That Houston/Texas access will probably force Ceasars to rebuild big and with quality if they want to compete with the big Texas $$$. It might become a good option for you if you want to make a south run. If you haven't played Coushatta, I'd recommend a stop there on the way. Best VP odds in the state with machines still offering 98-99% pay tables on 1¢-$5 VP and no state tax.

Yes, we are being very careful especially because of our health. Non weekend trips, the casino is taking great safety measures and the VP section is by itself and generally has few players. Just how we like it!!! At this point I'm more concerned about my return to school campuses working for the University. I've ordered a special transparent silicone mask with N-99 filters to use when i'm required to be on campus otherwise my observations will be online.

Thanks for the kind thoughts. We've been surprised at the recent runs of great timing. We know the losing streaks can be long and happen anytime.

Thanks too for the prayers. The local Houston leadership has been incredible but constantly frustrated with the state lack of leadership. But, when you have one state leader who says, "old people will be willing to die to reopen the economy." what can you say.

Everyone stay safe, wear a mask to protect your loved ones and other fellow Americans.

Thanks for the info on Isle of Capri. I heard from a reliable source a while back as the merger was getting started that El Dorado was planning on building a new casino in the Lake Charles area. Rebuilding the Isle of Capri was probably what they are referring to. The main benefit that Eldorado brings to us are the two casinos it has in Blackhawk, Co. We like the Blackhawk area and it will be nice to have those two casinos to visit once they finish merging the players clubs and once it makes sense to get on a plane again. Hope your good luck continues. Do you think HISD is going to open on time this year?

I assume you mean Houston ISD. Harris County (Houston) has 23 school districts in the area and 2 HISDs: Houston and Humble ISDs. Humble area is north of Houston but Houston annexed part of the area in Humble ISD where Houston Intercontinental Airport is located. Most of my assigned districts (north and east of Houston including Humble are starting with online learning until after September.

Of course the Texas Attny Gen. ruled yesterday without any request that schools can't legally abide by local/county health advice and will lose funding if they go against the state's recommendations.

Personally, I would not send any student to school for the next 8-12-18 weeks depending on the COVID situation. We don't know enough about the long-term impact on children. We do know the less infectious annual flu often closes down local schools or runs rampant exposing staffs, families and support staff. I like one of the educators responses. "When my school board is meeting by Zoom, it tells me all I need to know about how safe it is to open school with kids". Secondly, I believe that in this crucial situation I rather err on the side of caution. If baseball, the NBA, and NFL can't get it right with unlimited funds and testing schools surely can't. If you've ever seen or been in a class of 4-5 year olds you know the answer. There will be no social distancing or safe way to educate. In 47 years of education, IMO, it is better to go with the first statement from every school district in a crisis, "The safety and welfare of our students is always our highest priority...." Schools and students, and families face tremendous obstacles -hungry kids, day care, lack of technology resources, parental involvement, and academic loss. The last issue can be covered partially by online and then hybrid situations as the community COVID case load is under public health recommendations. Also, I been in long enough to know that we can accelerate learning when we return to in person learning. We can not however; allow our country's most precious resource our children to be sacrificed or endangered. What type of country would be willing to do that?

Wow Larry. Sounds like you are going to be tied up dealing with higher ups who know next to nothing with dealing with this pandemic. Thank you for trying to do the right thing. Those kids and those teachers teaching those kids should not be made pawns in the political games that are currently going on. They deserve better. In a way I kind of like Abbott but I was disappointed in him in opening up Texas too soon. But in Texas the Attny Gen and the Lt Gov seem to have more power in running the State. Now would be a good time for politicians at every level to listen to the experts like yourself in education and Fauci and others in dealing with the pandemic.

By HISD I did mean Houston Independent School District. I forget how much the Houston are has grown since I left the area in 1981.