vpFREE2 Forums

Am I adding this up right?

#1

Harrahs Atlantic City often has RC multiplier days. Many of them seem
to be "mystery multipliers" -- you don't know if it's 5x, 7x, 9x, 15x,
or 25x until you get there. They are valid on 9/6 JoB, which is
plentiful enough in most places in AC.

I play pretty much perfect basic strategy for 9/6 JoB, so that puts me
at about a 99.46% return. Harrahs seems to have a comp rate for video
poker of 0.1%, and from experience, a bounceback of about 0.1% - 0.2%.

Even at the lowest multiplier, and assuming bounceback isn't affected
by the multiplier, that puts 9/6 into 100.155%, right? (99.46 + (0.1 *
5) + 0.15) Or 100.235% with perfect strategy, I suppose. And at the
25x level, that puts you up over 102%!

Am I looking at this right, or is there something I'm missing?

#2

I would say you are looking at it wrong; although some will probably disagree with me since I do not value comps.

You are putting a value on the comps to determine the game return. The only way that will work is if you replenish your gaming bankroll with the value of those comps otherwise your bankroll will disappear since the base game plus cashback is negative.

Even if you value the comps at 50% of their value since that is what you can get in cash or in gifts for them (unless it is a special promotion), you have a game that is still slightly negative and will eat up your bankroll.

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#3

Even at the lowest multiplier, and assuming bounceback isn't affected
by the multiplier, that puts 9/6 into 100.155%, right? (99.46 + (0.1

* 5) + 0.15) Or 100.235% with perfect strategy, I suppose. And at the

25x level, that puts you up over 102%!

Am I looking at this right, or is there something I'm missing?

On the surface, you appear to be correct. What you are missing is:
What is the REAL value of comps from your earned reward credits to you
in cash? Or alternatively, at what rate can you convert your reward
credits to actual cash? The answer to both questions is generally
going to be somewhat LESS than the stated face value of 1 cent per
point.

Here's something to consider: If you earn a bunch of reward credits,
then you use them for something like an expensive gourmet meal that you
normally would not eat, and where you wind up tipping $30, you're not
really earning any money. In this example, the comps might actually
have negative value to you in terms of your overall cash flow, although
you do get a nice meal out of the deal. On the other hand, suppose you
were all set to purchase a new high definition TV for $1500 from the
local electronics store, but instead you use your reward credits to
purchase a similar TV from the Harrah's catalog (probably at around
240,000 + reward credits!). In this second example, I think it would
be realistic to say that those 240,000 reward credits were worth about
$1500 to you.

Harrah's points can occasionally be converted into real, actual cash by
various methods - some of which probably should not be discussed on a
public board. One obvious method occurs when a local Harrah's casino
runs a promotion allowing you to convert your bank of points directly
into cash. This is normally done at a rate of 1/2 cent per point,
typically with a cap such as $1250 maximum, making the value of reward
credits = 0.05% (not counting bonus credits). If you happen to get the
25x multiplier, this becomes fairly attractive if you have decent games
available :-).

EE

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--- In vpFREE@yahoogroups.com, "Will" <will@...> wrote:

#4

Here's something to consider: If you earn a bunch of reward credits,
then you use them for something like an expensive gourmet meal that you
normally would not eat, and where you wind up tipping $30, you're not
really earning any money. In this example, the comps might actually
have negative value to you in terms of your overall cash flow, although
you do get a nice meal out of the deal.

EE

I value comps at what I would pay for them. I have 100 times as much
free food as I can eat available to me, so I don't value any of it at
all. When the tip costs me more than the meal is worth to me or when
overeating makes me fat, it's theoretically negative, but, since how I
use them is my responsibility, I wouldn't account for that negativity
as a "cost" of the comp, so it's back to 0.

#5

It looks like once every few months, Harrahs AC has a "turn your
rewards credits into cash" day that gives you "even money" for them --
100 credits = $1. That's what I was basing it on; that, and the fact
that 50,000 RCs equals a round-trip Vegas ticket, and from here it's
typically $200-$250 each way to buy 'em with cash unless you can get a
Southwest DING fare.

On the surface, you appear to be correct. What you are missing is:
What is the REAL value of comps from your earned reward credits to

you

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--- In vpFREE@yahoogroups.com, "eecounter" <eecounter@...> wrote:

in cash? Or alternatively, at what rate can you convert your reward
credits to actual cash? The answer to both questions is generally
going to be somewhat LESS than the stated face value of 1 cent per
point.

#6

100 credits = $1.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

If they let you convert points into cash at a penny per point - that's
a pretty good deal. At the Harrah's casinos in my area, the conversion
rate for these special promotions is always 1/2 penny per point.

EE

···

--- In vpFREE@yahoogroups.com, "Will" <will@...> wrote:

It looks like once every few months, Harrahs AC has a "turn your
rewards credits into cash" day that gives you "even money" for them --

#7

Even at the lowest multiplier, and assuming bounceback isn't

affected

by the multiplier, that puts 9/6 into 100.155%, right? (99.46 +

(0.1 *

5) + 0.15) Or 100.235% with perfect strategy, I suppose. And at

the

25x level, that puts you up over 102%!

Am I looking at this right, or is there something I'm missing?

It depends on how you value the Reward Credits. Many players
consider them worth 50% or less. However, for me, the Reward
Credits are worth at least full value. Sometimes, becoming more
frequent lately, there are days where they can be exchanged for cash
for full value. I also use them for massages (which I would get and
pay for anyhow), meals -- particularly on my trips to Vegas, where
the restaurant choices are extensive, tickets to the Improv
(Harrah's LV) -- all activities I would otherwise pay cash for. For
the massages in AC and meals, by paying with Reward Credits, I end
up not paying (or paying reduced) sales tax -- this makes the Reward
Credits worth more than 100%. By the way, your math is slightly
off -- the multipliers are the amount of bonus credits you get --
that is in addition to the .1 Base Credits, making the game even
better.

···

--- In vpFREE@yahoogroups.com, "Will" <will@...> wrote: