This week on my new weekly installment of “Casino Beat” I’m going to talk about player’s cards. For those tourists and locals that find themselves stepping inside a casino every once in a while, it’s important to know what the various casino player’s cards are worth, especially these days.
Photo by Eric James Miller
All Player’s Clubs vary, but I’ve found that most of them are usually worth enrolling in and using, whether you’re a frequent or infrequent player. And face it, whether you live in Vegas or are just visiting, on some level you are a player if you’re reading this.
I am going to endeavor to mention as many of the player’s clubs as I’m currently familiar with and hope that this article (and others like it) will lead to an on-going discussion and resource about casino promotions for both locals and tourists alike.
sportsbook, but the numbers usually don't
Photo by Eric James Miller
As a sports fan, sports bettor and regular Thursday contributor to Living Las Vegas, I’m also going to endeavor to report on trends and opportunities in the various sportsbooks around town. Unless it gets too embarassing, at the end of each article I’ll even be so bold as to say who I like (and don’t like) in the upcoming week-end games. My running tally of wins and losses will also be posted so that you can make your own decisions about the veracity of my picks. If I’m wrong more than I’m right then bet against my picks. My feelings won’t be hurt and you can buy me a beer whether you win betting with me or win by betting against me.
CASINO PLAYER’S CARDS: (a brief introduction)
Player’s cards look like credit cards but make no mistake about it they are sophisticated tracking devices. You earn “points” for play and points translate into different dollar values depending on house rules and promotions. You build up points by sticking your card inside every slot machine you play, swiping it every time you place a sports bet or by handing it over to your favorite table game dealer with your stake money.
The best way to earn points is by watching the promotion calendars and showing up on Free Point Days or Points Multiplier Days. Point Multiplier Days are days when the points you earn playing slots or table games are multiplied by 2x, 3x, 5x or even 10x.
It’s important to always keep in mind that these special days are designed by marketing experts to attract players. If you’re losing your bankroll don’t stick around just because you’re earning big points. For you, it should be like any other day. Don’t give back more than half your winnings and if you’re on a bad losing streak get up, walk away or go home to live to fight another day.
Out-of-towners can apply their points against the cost of their room, but generally it takes 1,000 points to knock $1 off a standard room rate. Not great. For locals and frequent Vegas visitors, earned points are best redeemed inside casino restaurants. At Station, Fiesta, and Boyd casinos, along with a host of indie casinos like South Point, M Resort, Treasure Island, the Palms and even the Eldorado and the El Cortez, the best value for your points is at their top quality restaurants. My wife and I earn about two “free” meals a year at Michael’s at South Point and Hank’s at Green Valley Resort. At South Point for example, 333 points = $1. At GVR, which is a Station Casino’s property, 1,000 points = $1, but sometimes it’s only 600 points = $1 so it’s important to keep an eye on the promotions.
At all the resorts, buffets are even cheaper because they usually offer players club members price breaks even before you redeem any points.
OK, that’s an intro to Player’s Cards. Next week I should have the August 2009 promotions calendar from Station Casinos, Fiesta, Southpoint, the M Resort and Eastside Cannery.
EJM’s Personal Week-end Sports Picks:
Friday July 31, 2009
Rockies (run line), Brewers, Phillies
Saturday August 1, 2009
Dodgers, Red Sox, Rockies
Sunday August 2, 2009
Rockies, Pirates, Cardinals, Dodgers
YTD (MLB): 0-0
Good Luck and Happy, Responsible Gaming!
Very interesting, I lived here for nearly a decade, but I’ve never really looked at the promotions as anything beyond a come-on for tourists. It seems a bit too much like a job — it will be very interesting to see you pick perform over the next few weeks!
Mark
That’s quite a lineup of casino cards there! I’m wondering what it takes to rack up enough points for dinner at Michael’s. That’s one restaurant that could actually turn me into a gambler. As it is, the biggest payoff I ever got from a player’s card was when I first arrived here and lost my wallet in a Starbucks on the north side of town. I hadn’t yet acquired local ID, but I did have a Stations card. A very nice person from Palace Station called to tell me that a clerk at a linen store had my wallet, and I could go there and pick it up. I’m still amazed and grateful.
Megan – actually I got real lucky at South Point. I only played a couple of small $40 poker tournaments there and then got about 40,000 points for filling out an online survey they sent me.
It was right when they were changing from South Coast to South Point. Not only did I get to keep my points at the new South Point, Boyd Casinos, the former owners of South Coast, gave me an equal # of points at their casinos. Laura and I feasted on New England Clam Chowder at Boyd’s Orleans Casino in-between the trips to Michael’s!
Special Note for Locals: If Station Casino does another one of their “Swipe & Win” promotions that’s a great way to rack up points without having to gamble a single $.
They’ve done it twice so far this year and it’s been wildly popular. Mostly you win points, point multipliers and entries in the Saturday night grand prize drawings. But there’s also cash, free play and other rewards too.
All you have to do is swipe your player’s card to see what you’ve won that day.
I expect Station to run a “Swipe & WIn” promotion again by the end of the year (despite their bankruptcy filing last week) because it pulls players into their favorite Station or Fiesta casino every single day during the promotion period. They figure that once you’re in the casino breathing that oxygen enriched air you’re pretty likely to try your luck or catch a meal at one of their restaurants.
It’s kind of win-win for the casino and the (smart) casino club player.
Eric, That’s a pretty intriguing Gravatar image you are using!
I think bad beats are good… But only when you are the winning player 🙂