Laughlin over the Holidays

[mikenlea]

We visited Laughlin over Christmas and New Years and had a great time. Stayed at Harrah's as we have Diamond ratings at their properties. We gambled mostly at Riverside and Aquarius as they have better VP play. We hit two royals, both on .25$ machines. At Harrahs, Lea hit on the Super Time Pay (9/5) and I hit one at the Aquarius on their 100% games.

Lea has hit several over the last two years that we have played video poker, but this was my first. We've studied and practiced to learn the correct play and I was beginning to think all the talk of hitting royals was just that, TALK!!! Then I finally got one and "broke the ice". Hear is to the year 2011 and may we all hit royal after royal.

We love Laughlin by the way!

Mikenlea

[bluestreak5016]

Congrats Mike of Mikenlea on breaking the ice for a royal flush. I had a long dry spell June 5, 2004 to March 16th, 2010 without a royal myself. It was less than three royal cycles in the number of hands, but still a long time. Snagged it on the Pioneer bartops. Got another on the Boiler Room bartops in July.

Some of us have not been welcome in the Harrahs Diamond Lounge since April Fools 2007. What are they doing nowadays? Is Carol, Carrie or Joe still minding the store?

What did you find to play at the Riverside? I don't think the vpFREE2 database is quite right for them.

Laughlin used to be a lot more fun and playable, but it still is my only Nevada destination.

Bluestreak

···

--- In vpFREE_Laughlin@yahoogroups.com, "mikenlea" <mikenlea@...> wrote:

We visited Laughlin over Christmas and New Years and had a great time. Stayed at Harrah's as we have Diamond ratings at their properties. We gambled mostly at Riverside and Aquarius as they have better VP play. We hit two royals, both on .25$ machines. At Harrahs, Lea hit on the Super Time Pay (9/5) and I hit one at the Aquarius on their 100% games.

Lea has hit several over the last two years that we have played video poker, but this was my first. We've studied and practiced to learn the correct play and I was beginning to think all the talk of hitting royals was just that, TALK!!! Then I finally got one and "broke the ice". Hear is to the year 2011 and may we all hit royal after royal.

We love Laughlin by the way!

Mikenlea

[hrdiane]

Bluestreak -
I am heading to Laughlin in two days on a free air & hotel charter Will be staying at Harrah's as we have done this several times before.

The downgrade of the VP at Harrah's is a disappointment but I bounce between there, Riverside and Aquarius. WIth living in Green Bay, the benefit of a free charter and freedome from the hassles of multiple connecting flights makes it easier to tolerate lowered pay tables. I like the laidback relaxed atmosphere of Laughlin compared to Vegas or Reno.

Diane

···

-----Original Message-----
From: bluestreak5016 <bluestreak5016@yahoo.com>
To: vpFREE_Laughlin <vpFREE_Laughlin@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Tue, Jan 11, 2011 1:04 pm
Subject: [vpFREE_Laughlin] Re: Laughlin over the Holidays

Congrats Mike of Mikenlea on breaking the ice for a royal flush. I had a long dry spell June 5, 2004 to March 16th, 2010 without a royal myself. It was less than three royal cycles in the number of hands, but still a long time. Snagged it on the Pioneer bartops. Got another on the Boiler Room bartops in July.

Some of us have not been welcome in the Harrahs Diamond Lounge since April Fools 2007. What are they doing nowadays? Is Carol, Carrie or Joe still minding the store?

What did you find to play at the Riverside? I don't think the vpFREE2 database is quite right for them.

Laughlin used to be a lot more fun and playable, but it still is my only Nevada destination.

Bluestreak

--- In vpFREE_Laughlin@yahoogroups.com, "mikenlea" <mikenlea@...> wrote:

We visited Laughlin over Christmas and New Years and had a great time. Stayed at Harrah's as we have Diamond ratings at their properties. We gambled mostly at Riverside and Aquarius as they have better VP play. We hit two royals, both on .25$ machines. At Harrahs, Lea hit on the Super Time Pay (9/5) and I hit one at the Aquarius on their 100% games.

Lea has hit several over the last two years that we have played video poker, but this was my first. We've studied and practiced to learn the correct play and I was beginning to think all the talk of hitting royals was just that, TALK!!! Then I finally got one and "broke the ice". Hear is to the year 2011 and may we all hit royal after royal.

We love Laughlin by the way!

Mikenlea

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[bluestreak5016]

Bluestreak -
I am heading to Laughlin in two days on a free air & hotel charter Will be staying at Harrah's as we have done this several times before.

The downgrade of the VP at Harrah's is a disappointment but I bounce between there, Riverside and Aquarius. With living in Green Bay, the benefit of a free charter and freedom from the hassles of multiple connecting flights makes it easier to tolerate lowered pay tables. I like the laid back relaxed atmosphere of Laughlin compared to Vegas or Reno.

Diane

···

--- In vpFREE_Laughlin@yahoogroups.com, Diane Biersteker <HRDiane@...> wrote:
**********

So you get the three day weekend junket out of Green Bay? I remember camping in Potowatame State Park in Door County as a kid.

But where is the nearest casino to use your Total Rewards card, Joliet? Those Laughlin fly-ins are a deal. So what VP machines get your Harrahs action?

As a drive-in visitor my Total Rewards card gets dusty nowadays. You should have some great weather this weekend...mid-70's and sunshine.

BS

[hrdiane]

Thanks for the note back. I don't play any of the Harrah's properties in the midwest. I just play at our local Oneida Indian reservation, 9/6 JOB.

We do most of the free charters to Laughlin, Reno, Tunica and AC. We fly out of either Green Bay, Mosiness, or Milwaukee. As you said its a great deal with the direct flight, free flight, free hotel, and then I always have enough points to cover our food. Most are 4 nights like this one is with a sprinkle of 3 nite trips as well. AC seems to be the hardest to get free unless they get close to departure and then we get invited.

Generally I will play the 50 hand JOB or DDB iwth some regular slots thrown in to break it up. I also play several of the live poker tourneys when I am there.

Glad to hear there will be good weather. We need a break from the cold and snow..

Diane

···

-----Original Message-----
From: bluestreak5016 <bluestreak5016@yahoo.com>
To: vpFREE_Laughlin <vpFREE_Laughlin@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Wed, Jan 12, 2011 5:57 pm
Subject: [vpFREE_Laughlin] Re: Laughlin over the Holidays

--- In vpFREE_Laughlin@yahoogroups.com, Diane Biersteker <HRDiane@...> wrote:

Bluestreak -
I am heading to Laughlin in two days on a free air & hotel charter Will be staying at Harrah's as we have done this several times before.

The downgrade of the VP at Harrah's is a disappointment but I bounce between there, Riverside and Aquarius. With living in Green Bay, the benefit of a free charter and freedom from the hassles of multiple connecting flights makes it easier to tolerate lowered pay tables. I like the laid back relaxed atmosphere of Laughlin compared to Vegas or Reno.

Diane

**********

So you get the three day weekend junket out of Green Bay? I remember camping in Potowatame State Park in Door County as a kid.

But where is the nearest casino to use your Total Rewards card, Joliet? Those Laughlin fly-ins are a deal. So what VP machines get your Harrahs action?

As a drive-in visitor my Total Rewards card gets dusty nowadays. You should have some great weather this weekend...mid-70's and sunshine.

BS

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[haaljo_haaljo]

Ahhhh, the Laughlin Junkets out of Manchester, NH (about an hour from Boston). Last one about 8 months ago. AirTran with a stop for fueling in Witchita. Many on flight paid about $300 for trip. Old farts like us but not big gamblers.

Wife and I valued the "free" trip at $200/pp and you could combine other offers as well. Gave them ~$100K action/trip on FPJB MS - so much fun. Alas, it's now below 99% - so not worth the "free" trip.

At least one of us go to Laughlin 6 times/year flying into McCarran from Boston on Jet Blue; rent car and do the rounds including Hilton $200BB, MSS $150BB, Red Rock $100BB and Aquarius $200BB. It's a week trip. Planned correctly several offers can be doubled but still a breakeven proposition.

The highlight of the trip is the ride to/from Laughlin at sunrise AND at least two hour back-roading in Black Mountains behind BullHead City at sunset.

Also drive around looking at beautiful homes for 30 cents on the dollar. We should buy a future retirement home but these are homes with over 50% of the neighborhood empty or being rented out by speculators. Very sad.

Last year, my wife did 7*. The plan was to do mostly in Laughlin. Changed plans because of paytables with focus on AC and New Orleans. 7* effort ended up costing us >$10K due to "bad" luck in AC. Last year was the first year we gambled in AC. Tough crowds in those joints.

But AC or New Orleans are not places to retire and Reno weather kind of sucks like Boston's. Mississippi is not our cup of tea. We want to get out of New England in 2012 (for most of the year) but where?

We need a place that has no snow, a lake, "fair bet" casinos, and a Costco. A hospital would be a good idea as well. You start thinking of the last item when your in your 60's :-).

Dave in Boston

···

--- In vpFREE_Laughlin@yahoogroups.com, Diane Biersteker <HRDiane@...> wrote:

Thanks for the note back. I don't play any of the Harrah's properties in the midwest. I just play at our local Oneida Indian reservation, 9/6 JOB.

We do most of the free charters to Laughlin, Reno, Tunica and AC. We fly out of either Green Bay, Mosiness, or Milwaukee. As you said its a great deal with the direct flight, free flight, free hotel, and then I always have enough points to cover our food. Most are 4 nights like this one is with a sprinkle of 3 nite trips as well. AC seems to be the hardest to get free unless they get close to departure and then we get invited.

Generally I will play the 50 hand JOB or DDB iwth some regular slots thrown in to break it up. I also play several of the live poker tourneys when I am there.

Glad to hear there will be good weather. We need a break from the cold and snow..

Diane

[hrdiane]

Reno would be my choice. Close enough to drive to Laughlin, Vegas or CA as you choose or AZ. Reno has 4 mild seasons but not intolerable in any of them. Even winter is mild and yes there is snow but it rarely stays long. Certainly not like WI or NH.

I am very familiar with Manchester NH fly in and out of it regularly visiting a little label company in Wilton......

Laughlin is great right now 65-70 and sunny with dawn breaking as I write this...

No $$ though so far on VP.

···

-----Original Message-----
From: Dave <haaljo@yahoo.com>
To: vpFREE_Laughlin <vpFREE_Laughlin@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Sat, Jan 15, 2011 2:30 am
Subject: [vpFREE_Laughlin] Re: Laughlin over the Holidays

Ahhhh, the Laughlin Junkets out of Manchester, NH (about an hour from Boston). Last one about 8 months ago. AirTran with a stop for fueling in Witchita. Many on flight paid about $300 for trip. Old farts like us but not big gamblers.

Wife and I valued the "free" trip at $200/pp and you could combine other offers as well. Gave them ~$100K action/trip on FPJB MS - so much fun. Alas, it's now below 99% - so not worth the "free" trip.

At least one of us go to Laughlin 6 times/year flying into McCarran from Boston on Jet Blue; rent car and do the rounds including Hilton $200BB, MSS $150BB, Red Rock $100BB and Aquarius $200BB. It's a week trip. Planned correctly several offers can be doubled but still a breakeven proposition.

The highlight of the trip is the ride to/from Laughlin at sunrise AND at least two hour back-roading in Black Mountains behind BullHead City at sunset.

Also drive around looking at beautiful homes for 30 cents on the dollar. We should buy a future retirement home but these are homes with over 50% of the neighborhood empty or being rented out by speculators. Very sad.

Last year, my wife did 7*. The plan was to do mostly in Laughlin. Changed plans because of paytables with focus on AC and New Orleans. 7* effort ended up costing us >$10K due to "bad" luck in AC. Last year was the first year we gambled in AC. Tough crowds in those joints.

But AC or New Orleans are not places to retire and Reno weather kind of sucks like Boston's. Mississippi is not our cup of tea. We want to get out of New England in 2012 (for most of the year) but where?

We need a place that has no snow, a lake, "fair bet" casinos, and a Costco. A hospital would be a good idea as well. You start thinking of the last item when your in your 60's :-).

Dave in Boston

--- In vpFREE_Laughlin@yahoogroups.com, Diane Biersteker <HRDiane@...> wrote:

Thanks for the note back. I don't play any of the Harrah's properties in the midwest. I just play at our local Oneida Indian reservation, 9/6 JOB.

We do most of the free charters to Laughlin, Reno, Tunica and AC. We fly out of either Green Bay, Mosiness, or Milwaukee. As you said its a great deal with the direct flight, free flight, free hotel, and then I always have enough points to cover our food. Most are 4 nights like this one is with a sprinkle of 3 nite trips as well. AC seems to be the hardest to get free unless they get close to departure and then we get invited.

Generally I will play the 50 hand JOB or DDB iwth some regular slots thrown in to break it up. I also play several of the live poker tourneys when I am there.

Glad to hear there will be good weather. We need a break from the cold and snow..

Diane

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[mikenlea]

Bluestreak -
I am heading to Laughlin in two days on a free air & hotel charter Will be staying at Harrah's as we have done this several times before.

The downgrade of the VP at Harrah's is a disappointment but I bounce between there, Riverside and Aquarius. WIth living in Green Bay, the benefit of a free charter and freedome from the hassles of multiple connecting flights makes it easier to tolerate lowered pay tables. I like the laidback relaxed atmosphere of Laughlin compared to Vegas or Reno.

Diane

From: bluestreak5016 <bluestreak5016@...>
To: vpFREE_Laughlin <vpFREE_Laughlin@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Tue, Jan 11, 2011 1:04 pm
Subject: [vpFREE_Laughlin] Re: Laughlin over the Holidays

Congrats Mike of Mikenlea on breaking the ice for a royal flush. I had a long dry spell June 5, 2004 to March 16th, 2010 without a royal myself. It was less than three royal cycles in the number of hands, but still a long time. Snagged it on the Pioneer bartops. Got another on the Boiler Room bartops in July.

Some of us have not been welcome in the Harrahs Diamond Lounge since April Fools 2007. What are they doing nowadays? Is Carol, Carrie or Joe still minding the store?

What did you find to play at the Riverside? I don't think the vpFREE2 database is quite right for them.

Laughlin used to be a lot more fun and playable, but it still is my only Nevada destination.

Bluestreak

>
> We visited Laughlin over Christmas and New Years and had a great time. Stayed at Harrah's as we have Diamond ratings at their properties. We gambled mostly at Riverside and Aquarius as they have better VP play. We hit two royals, both on .25$ machines. At Harrahs, Lea hit on the Super Time Pay (9/5) and I hit one at the Aquarius on their 100% games.
>
> Lea has hit several over the last two years that we have played video poker, but this was my first. We've studied and practiced to learn the correct play and I was beginning to think all the talk of hitting royals was just that, TALK!!! Then I finally got one and "broke the ice". Hear is to the year 2011 and may we all hit royal after royal.
>
> We love Laughlin by the way!
>
> Mikenlea
>

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

···

At the Riverside we found one bank of slots that paid out in coins that were still full pay. They were all $1 games. If memory serves, there were two JoB and two BP games. There was also one full pay BP .25 game that paid out in coins near the high limit area. We didn't walk the entire casino, so there may have been more good games. It seemed however that the better payouts were the machines that were older. All of the "ticket in/out" machines that we saw had lower pay scales. We enjoyed the Riverside because it has a "good old days" atmosphere, and felt like a family owned and operated business. It was friendly and a nice change from the "corporate" vibe at Harrah's. We'll be back after Superbowl weekend and am hoping for another Royal!! --- In vpFREE_Laughlin@yahoogroups.com, Diane Biersteker <HRDiane@...> wrote:

-----Original Message-----
--- In vpFREE_Laughlin@yahoogroups.com, "mikenlea" <mikenlea@> wrote:

[markhaslem]

Yeah if you lived in Reno you could practically winter in Laughlin. They are very generous with the free rooms if you established with all of them you could make a winter trip down there last for ages. And the play requirements just for a free room are quite modest. Doing the same thing in Vegas would require non stop gaming the whole time. So you could get lots of nice winter breaks but you wouldn't have to contend with the summers. People who move to L.V/Laughlin are in for a shock in regard to how brutal the summers are.

···

--- In vpFREE_Laughlin@yahoogroups.com, Diane Biersteker <HRDiane@...> wrote:

Reno would be my choice. Close enough to drive to Laughlin, Vegas or CA as you choose or AZ. Reno has 4 mild seasons but not intolerable in any of them. Even winter is mild and yes there is snow but it rarely stays long. Certainly not like WI or NH.

I am very familiar with Manchester NH fly in and out of it regularly visiting a little label company in Wilton......

Laughlin is great right now 65-70 and sunny with dawn breaking as I write this...

No $$ though so far on VP.

-----Original Message-----
From: Dave <haaljo@...>
To: vpFREE_Laughlin <vpFREE_Laughlin@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Sat, Jan 15, 2011 2:30 am
Subject: [vpFREE_Laughlin] Re: Laughlin over the Holidays

Ahhhh, the Laughlin Junkets out of Manchester, NH (about an hour from Boston). Last one about 8 months ago. AirTran with a stop for fueling in Witchita. Many on flight paid about $300 for trip. Old farts like us but not big gamblers.

Wife and I valued the "free" trip at $200/pp and you could combine other offers as well. Gave them ~$100K action/trip on FPJB MS - so much fun. Alas, it's now below 99% - so not worth the "free" trip.

At least one of us go to Laughlin 6 times/year flying into McCarran from Boston on Jet Blue; rent car and do the rounds including Hilton $200BB, MSS $150BB, Red Rock $100BB and Aquarius $200BB. It's a week trip. Planned correctly several offers can be doubled but still a breakeven proposition.

The highlight of the trip is the ride to/from Laughlin at sunrise AND at least two hour back-roading in Black Mountains behind BullHead City at sunset.

Also drive around looking at beautiful homes for 30 cents on the dollar. We should buy a future retirement home but these are homes with over 50% of the neighborhood empty or being rented out by speculators. Very sad.

Last year, my wife did 7*. The plan was to do mostly in Laughlin. Changed plans because of paytables with focus on AC and New Orleans. 7* effort ended up costing us >$10K due to "bad" luck in AC. Last year was the first year we gambled in AC. Tough crowds in those joints.

But AC or New Orleans are not places to retire and Reno weather kind of sucks like Boston's. Mississippi is not our cup of tea. We want to get out of New England in 2012 (for most of the year) but where?

We need a place that has no snow, a lake, "fair bet" casinos, and a Costco. A hospital would be a good idea as well. You start thinking of the last item when your in your 60's :-).

Dave in Boston

--- In vpFREE_Laughlin@yahoogroups.com, Diane Biersteker <HRDiane@> wrote:
>
>
> Thanks for the note back. I don't play any of the Harrah's properties in the midwest. I just play at our local Oneida Indian reservation, 9/6 JOB.
>
> We do most of the free charters to Laughlin, Reno, Tunica and AC. We fly out of either Green Bay, Mosiness, or Milwaukee. As you said its a great deal with the direct flight, free flight, free hotel, and then I always have enough points to cover our food. Most are 4 nights like this one is with a sprinkle of 3 nite trips as well. AC seems to be the hardest to get free unless they get close to departure and then we get invited.
>
> Generally I will play the 50 hand JOB or DDB iwth some regular slots thrown in to break it up. I also play several of the live poker tourneys when I am there.
>
> Glad to hear there will be good weather. We need a break from the cold and snow..
>
> Diane
>
>

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]