Why the big differences on paytables?

[olds442jetaway]

Hi Phil and Mrs. Phil. Though Mohegan has a simple mall and shops, it has so many machines and areas to play that at least for me, it still feels like a casino. If you guys make it back up this way this year, it would be good to hook up again for a little coffee and. I still find from about 4:30 to 8:00 or so AM, the best time to play. Weather and stuff at home permitting, hope to run into DB early next week too. Anyone else from the forum heading up to Mohegan give a shout here also.

[alpax]

Casinos in general never cease to amaze me in the ways they find to spend money that unfortunately we have lost. There is a wall with glass flowers on it out of the way in the High Limit section of Mohegan Sun that nobody sees or cares about. An employee told me a few years ago that it cost somewhere between 100k and 200k just for the glass flowers. It would be nice if they kept a huge rainey day fund for bad times so they wouldn't have to cut employee pay, befefits, or bonuses. I don't ever see that happening though. Falling employee morale not only affects those lives and families, but some of it has to rub off on the patrons giving them maybe less incentive to go more often or stay longer. Just my opinion anyway, but I have been around long enough to get a feel for things like this.
     One more minor but representative example. Starting a couple of weeks ago, Mohegan Sun cut the usual Senior Monday nominal gifts to all senior patrons with a player's card to one thousand from several thousand. They used to run out about 1 pm and people got used to this. That day they ran out before 11 am. I missed mine too not that I needed it. I stood and watched as disgusted seniors piled into the elevators and went home without dropping a dime at the casino. These gifts usually had a value of only 5 bucks or so and who knows what the casino paid for them if anything. Most of the seniors I shared coffee with or chatted with while in the lines waiting for the gift, dropped anywhere from fifty bucks to several hundred on those trips and I'm sure some a lot more. People will do strange things for something free or really cheap. Lines around the block to save a few cents on gas, crazy lines and customers at Christmas time at Walmart, etc. etc, just to name a few.

It is just horrible to hear where the budget is going with these large casinos. It is usually the seniors are that are the most targeted age group that many casinos try to attract since they are able to play during the weekdays when operations are at its slowest. What incentive is there for them to play if they cannot enjoy it at a lower cost or provided benefits?

I still think Mohegan/Foxwoods might be the best spots for the smart gamblers since both MGM and Wynn will both be billion dollar giants with all the unnecessary overhead like its Vegas counterpart. I was told by some people that these outlets are there for when someone wins big and needs a place to spend their money, only for them to fall into a deeper hole.

[alpax]

[quote]I started disliking Vegas when Bellagio started that trend of high end shopping outlets Amen! We don't go to Vegas anymore and we used to stay at the Bellagio for a week once a year.  They've built so many shops, condos and just plain stuff that you can't even see the casinos anymore.  It's a concrete jungle covered up with foreign tourists and partying kids.   We wish them a lot of luck, but we prefer casinos where you can play in peace and not feel like a bunch of cattle.

[/QUOTE]

I was in Vegas last week to catch the last day of the Consumer Electronic Show. I used probably one of my last free hotel stay offers at the Rio but I've played at The Palms and Gold Coast for the first time. My VP play is not worth sharing much (might write a report), I won some on JoB but lost mostly on NSUD.

I would never consider playing at the Strip again, I saw bunch of 7-5 JoB and 6-5 Bonus at The Rio/Caesars Palace, but I came away with a better impression of playing at Vegas if I limit my sessions at Palms, Gold Coast, and South Point.

I think you will enjoy the Gold Coast, it is peaceful and has no nonsense architecture. and they have good paying games as well (25cent Airport Deuces, 50 cents NSU Deuces and 9-6 Jacks or Better). They have point multipliers for seniors for Monday and Wednesday which will give around 0.50% cashback for up to the first $10k coin in on video poker.

The South Point is isolated from the strip (south of the LV Airport) and you will probably enjoy it there also, plus you will get to attend one of Bob Dancer's classes if you are there on a Tuesday.

[olds442jetaway]

I know a senior couple that travel back and forth between Mohegan Sun and South Point. They like South Point very much but also like Mohegan. They said they do better at South Point though especially on Royals. They only play 9/6 job and always play right next to each other. That way they can easily average 1,000 hands per hour total and hit a Royal on average every 4 sessions. They have managed to stay just about even the last 10 years not counting comps. Both admit though that at least for the last 5 years, the machines just feel different than 5 years ago and the stretches between quads and full houses are much longer. They they seem to hit all bunched up together. I find that true expecially on full houses. I am finding it common on job this year to hit 3 full houses just a few hands apart and maybe not hit any quads for several hours.

[FloridaPhil]

The wife and I enjoy Biloxi and Blackhawk Colorado. The pay tables in Biloxi aren't very good, but you can find quarter airport deuces and 9/6 jacks if you look.  The VP odds in Blackhawk are much better and the scenery is wonderful, especially for someone from Florida.  We love the mountains and the clean air.  We just booked our Mother's Day trip.  This year we are going a little early so we can see snow again.  I know you northern guys think this is weird, but we never see snow in Florida so it's cool (no pun intended...)   Both places treat quarter players like Kings and all the Colorado casinos are nonsmoking.   We'll be staying at the Beau Rivage in Biloxi the first week in February.  Very classy hotel and they'll give you free rooms on weekdays if you get a players card and put a little money through their machines.  Can't wait to get on the road.

[olds442jetaway]

That sounds like a great trip and something right up our alley too. When I am able to stray from home a little more, that will definitely be on the agenda.