Over the last few weeks, nearly all the good (99.5% or higher)
single-line VP has been removed from the Lodge. Prior to these
changes, they had Triple Deuces, Two-Pair Joker and 9/5 Triple Bonus
Plus in 25c/50c/$1, 16/10 Deuces in 50c/$1, and 10/6/200 Double Double
Bonus in $1. Over 50 machines and over 150 combinations of games and
denominations were downgraded.
A couple of weeks ago a VP-playing friend of mine who is a Gold-Tree
level player ($400k coin-in in 6 months) was approached by an
Executive Host and told, "We are putting the highest legally-allowable
payback video poker in the East Bar (the one nearest Mardi Gras)."
And indeed, that bar has $1 Triple Deuces. But little else except $1
2-coin 9/6 JB(!). And few players could stomach a steady diet of
Triple Deuces due to its volatility.
A similar message to the aforementioned Executive Host's is being
parroted by other hosts and even floor attendants, leading us to
believe that the staff were schooled in an attempt to protect them
from the inevitable backlash.
The Lodge used to be one of the choices I recommended when asked where
to play VP. But no more.
CP