vpFREE2 Forums

Letter from MS dated 7/30/11

#1

Holy shit!
I just got a snail mail letter from MS on the "regarding changes we have made to our video poker over the past several months."
It's addresed to me and I am just a flee (but my wife is the advantage gambler). She didn't get a letter. I figure one per household; which really will piss her off).

It's a longish letter from Jeffrey Hartmann; President and CEO.
He's been there forever:
http://newsroom.mtga.com/about-mtga/executive-bios-investor-relations/

I'm impressed with the timing of the letter and how they tracked my play and saw only gamble at ..."some"(as he put it) of the vp games you have previously enjoyed will no longer award player's club points..."

I'm figuring you all are getting the same letter today so be prepared.

#2

I didn't get the letter - does that mean I'll still get points???

Seriously, does the letter specify which games will not earn points?

Thx

Certainly the game is rigged. Don’t let that stop you; if you don’t bet, you
can’t win. -Lazarus Long

In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice. But, in practice,
there is. -Yogi Berra
There is no such thing as luck. There is only adequate or inadequate preparation
to cope with a statistical universe. -Robert Heinlein

···

________________________________
From: Dave <haaljo@yahoo.com>
To: vpFREE_NewEngland@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Mon, August 1, 2011 3:22:42 PM
Subject: [vpFREE_NewEngland] Letter from MS dated 7/30/11

Holy shit!
I just got a snail mail letter from MS on the "regarding changes we have made to
our video poker over the past several months."
It's addresed to me and I am just a flee (but my wife is the advantage gambler).
She didn't get a letter. I figure one per household; which really will piss her
off).

It's a longish letter from Jeffrey Hartmann; President and CEO.
He's been there forever:
http://newsroom.mtga.com/about-mtga/executive-bios-investor-relations/

I'm impressed with the timing of the letter and how they tracked my play and saw
only gamble at ..."some"(as he put it) of the vp games you have previously
enjoyed will no longer award player's club points..."

I'm figuring you all are getting the same letter today so be prepared.

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

#3

It just says "some." From recent posts on this board, it's all machines with at least one "full pay" game(20% of inventory). That appears to be defined as ~98% machines or better.

The latest report from the field is there are an awful lot of VP gamblers with morose faces. I'm going tomorrow to hook up with my field monitor and we are going to foxwoods.

I'm going to take a bus arrive at MS at 11:00. Wife will have the car engine running. When we get back to MS, I'll use the matching bet and food coupons provided on the bus. $22.50 for the bus ticket with $30 of coupons.

···

--- In vpFREE_NewEngland@yahoogroups.com, GURU PERF <guruperf@...> wrote:

I didn't get the letter - does that mean I'll still get points???

Seriously, does the letter specify which games will not earn points?

Thx

Certainly the game is rigged. Don’t let that stop you; if you don’t bet, you
can’t win. -Lazarus Long

In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice. But, in practice,
there is. -Yogi Berra
There is no such thing as luck. There is only adequate or inadequate preparation
to cope with a statistical universe. -Robert Heinlein

________________________________
From: Dave <haaljo@...>
To: vpFREE_NewEngland@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Mon, August 1, 2011 3:22:42 PM
Subject: [vpFREE_NewEngland] Letter from MS dated 7/30/11

Holy shit!
I just got a snail mail letter from MS on the "regarding changes we have made to
our video poker over the past several months."
It's addresed to me and I am just a flee (but my wife is the advantage gambler).
She didn't get a letter. I figure one per household; which really will piss her
off).

It's a longish letter from Jeffrey Hartmann; President and CEO.
He's been there forever:
http://newsroom.mtga.com/about-mtga/executive-bios-investor-relations/

I'm impressed with the timing of the letter and how they tracked my play and saw
only gamble at ..."some"(as he put it) of the vp games you have previously
enjoyed will no longer award player's club points..."

I'm figuring you all are getting the same letter today so be prepared.

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

#4

We'll probably all get them within a week. I was really enjoying the Sun and had been playing there exclusively since May. I've used pts. for airfares, and some items from the stores. They overeacted. Let's be honest they are making money from VP players, but they are greedy and just want more. Hopefully no play on these machines will result in more revenue declines. Unless idiots( and some of them are on VP boards), start to play the poor games.

  I'll just use my points for more flights et al. and go to AC.

  Larry F.

···

--- In vpFREE_NewEngland@yahoogroups.com, GURU PERF <guruperf@...> wrote:

I didn't get the letter -

#5

"I'll just use my points for more flights et al. and go to AC."

AC is looking a lot better. Too bad Spirit is stopping service out of Boston. Our plan was to give up 7* but now will be revisited. Just got email on signature event at Harrah's New Orleans. NSUD is available.
Flight to New Orleans is rather painless on Jet Blue.
Might invest in the $2K unlimited travel for 3 months just offered by Jet Blue.

But I saw plenty of 7* players on 98% machines at the AC signature event. $3K/hour x 2% = $60/hour loss. Million dollars/year = $20K.
I'm not going to do that at Harrah's nor at Mohegan but there will be many that will at least until they bust-out.

#6

I went down today planning to play and stay over night. Instead I played my fsp, used my food coupons and left. Every FP and some short pay machines I saw had a sticker on it saying that you earned 0 points. Plenty of down graded 7/5 JOB without the sticker.

···

________________________________
From: "lfcmja@verizon.net" <lfcmja@verizon.net>
To: vpFREE_NewEngland@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Monday, August 1, 2011 6:17 PM
Subject: [vpFREE_NewEngland] Re: Letter from MS dated 7/30/11

--- In vpFREE_NewEngland@yahoogroups.com, GURU PERF <guruperf@...> wrote:

I didn't get the letter -

We'll probably all get them within a week. I was really enjoying the Sun and had been playing there exclusively since May. I've used pts. for airfares, and some items from the stores. They overeacted. Let's be honest they are making money from VP players, but they are greedy and just want more. Hopefully no play on these machines will result in more revenue declines. Unless idiots( and some of them are on VP boards), start to play the poor games.

I'll just use my points for more flights et al. and go to AC.

Larry F.

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

#7

.

Might invest in the $2K unlimited travel for 3 months just offered by Jet Blue.

Haaljo where did you read this ? Just went to Jet Blue site and don't see it.

But I saw plenty of 7* players on 98% machines at the AC signature event. $3K/hour x 2% = $60/hour loss. Million dollars/year = $20K.
I'm not going to do that at Harrah's nor at Mohegan but there will be many that will at least until they bust-out.

That's my reference in my post. Players on the VP sites plus others support this lousy play and that's why the casinos get away with it. It's not called gambling at that juncture ...it's an addiction( and the stupidity that goes with it.)
   These players anger me even more than the casinos do !

  Larry Feldman

···

--- In vpFREE_NewEngland@yahoogroups.com, "Dave" <haaljo@...> wrote:

#8

Every FP VP or Pick-em machine I saw had the sticker. Some short pay machines also. As soon as I sat down to play my fsp the woman sitting next to me pointed to the sticker. She had a few choice words about Mohegan. I will be there Sat for the Sachem event and Don Rickels and stiff them. I will take all of the comps, rooms, concerts I can get until it stops. Since they have opened I had considered Mohegan a top class resort and casino. Since they have been taken over by the suits they have become worse than Harrahs. Every word from my host these days is profitability.

···

________________________________
From: Dave <haaljo@yahoo.com>
To: vpFREE_NewEngland@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Monday, August 1, 2011 5:23 PM
Subject: [vpFREE_NewEngland] Re: Letter from MS dated 7/30/11

It just says "some." From recent posts on this board, it's all machines with at least one "full pay" game(20% of inventory). That appears to be defined as ~98% machines or better.

The latest report from the field is there are an awful lot of VP gamblers with morose faces. I'm going tomorrow to hook up with my field monitor and we are going to foxwoods.

I'm going to take a bus arrive at MS at 11:00. Wife will have the car engine running. When we get back to MS, I'll use the matching bet and food coupons provided on the bus. $22.50 for the bus ticket with $30 of coupons.

--- In vpFREE_NewEngland@yahoogroups.com, GURU PERF <guruperf@...> wrote:

I didn't get the letter - does that mean I'll still get points???

Seriously, does the letter specify which games will not earn points?

Thx

Certainly the game is rigged. Don’t let that stop you; if you don’t bet, you
can’t win. -Lazarus Long

In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice. But, in practice,
there is. -Yogi Berra
There is no such thing as luck. There is only adequate or inadequate preparation
to cope with a statistical universe. -Robert Heinlein

________________________________
From: Dave <haaljo@...>
To: vpFREE_NewEngland@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Mon, August 1, 2011 3:22:42 PM
Subject: [vpFREE_NewEngland] Letter from MS dated 7/30/11

Holy shit!
I just got a snail mail letter from MS on the "regarding changes we have made to
our video poker over the past several months."
It's addresed to me and I am just a flee (but my wife is the advantage gambler).
She didn't get a letter. I figure one per household; which really will piss her
off).

It's a longish letter from Jeffrey Hartmann; President and CEO.
He's been there forever:
http://newsroom.mtga.com/about-mtga/executive-bios-investor-relations/

I'm impressed with the timing of the letter and how they tracked my play and saw
only gamble at ..."some"(as he put it) of the vp games you have previously
enjoyed will no longer award player's club points..."

I'm figuring you all are getting the same letter today so be prepared.

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

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

#9

Here's the link to the Jet Blue offer. It is only from Boston and $1499 to select destinations and $1999 anywhere for 3 months of unlimited travel..

http://www2.jetblue.com/bluepass/?source=EM072711BOS_&ed_rid=C5X7S0X-IQZ9W-VYSDD-120WD5-NFHGC-v1&ed_mid=202672

···

________________________________
From: "lfcmja@verizon.net" <lfcmja@verizon.net>
To: vpFREE_NewEngland@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Monday, August 1, 2011 9:04 PM
Subject: [vpFREE_NewEngland] Re: Letter from MS dated 7/30/11

--- In vpFREE_NewEngland@yahoogroups.com, "Dave" <haaljo@...> wrote:
.

Might invest in the $2K unlimited travel for 3 months just offered by Jet Blue.

Haaljo where did you read this ? Just went to Jet Blue site and don't see it.

But I saw plenty of 7* players on 98% machines at the AC signature event. $3K/hour x 2% = $60/hour loss. Million dollars/year = $20K.
I'm not going to do that at Harrah's nor at Mohegan but there will be many that will at least until they bust-out.

That's my reference in my post. Players on the VP sites plus others support this lousy play and that's why the casinos get away with it. It's not called gambling at that juncture ...it's an addiction( and the stupidity that goes with it.)
These players anger me even more than the casinos do !

Larry Feldman

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

#10

Wow. How sad. I wish they had respected our intelligence enough to still allow us a decent gamble... no points at all is simply a slap in the face, and would alienate ANY VP player...

···

Every FP VP or Pick-em machine I saw had the sticker. Some short pay machines also. As soon as I sat down to play my fsp the woman sitting next to me pointed to the sticker. She had a few choice words about Mohegan. I will be there Sat for the Sachem event and Don Rickels  and stiff them. I will take all of the comps, rooms, concerts I can get until it stops. Since they have opened I had considered Mohegan a top class resort and casino. Since they have been taken over by the suits they have become worse than Harrahs. Every word from my host these days is profitability.Â

________________________________
previously
> enjoyed will no longer award player's club points..."
>
> I'm figuring you all are getting the same letter today so be prepared.
>

#11

What so comical about this whole thing is that I just received the August news lettter today boasting about Double Point every Tuesday, Any Slot, Any limit!
What happen to that?

···

--- On Tue, 8/2/11, carolenny2002 <carolenny@aol.com> wrote:

From: carolenny2002 <carolenny@aol.com>
Subject: [vpFREE_NewEngland] Re: Letter from MS dated 7/30/11
To: vpFREE_NewEngland@yahoogroups.com
Date: Tuesday, August 2, 2011, 2:31 AM

Wow. How sad. I wish they had respected our intelligence enough to still allow us a decent gamble... no points at all is simply a slap in the face, and would alienate ANY VP player...

Every FP VP or Pick-em machine I saw had the sticker. Some short pay machines also. As soon as I sat down to play my fsp the woman sitting next to me pointed to the sticker. She had a few choice words about Mohegan. I will be there Sat for the Sachem event and Don Rickels  and stiff them. I will take all of the comps, rooms, concerts I can get until it stops. Since they have opened I had considered Mohegan a top class resort and casino. Since they have been taken over by the suits they have become worse than Harrahs. Every word from my host these days is profitability.Â

________________________________
previously
> enjoyed will no longer award player's club points..."
>
> I'm figuring you all are getting the same letter today so be prepared.
>

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

#12

Nothing happened - you DO still get Double Points on those machines: 2 X 0 = 0

What so comical about this whole thing is that I just received the August news
lettter today boasting about Double Point every Tuesday, Any Slot, Any limit!
What happen to that?

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

#13

Holy shit!

Sigh.. I got the same letter, but, damn, it was not 100% unexpected, as it happened elsewhere already. Example: No points at Wynn/Encore for 99%+ games.

[In theory, they could have just withheld the points, and kept the theo.. or even increased it. The Wynn didn't do that, and nor did, I suspect, MS. I'll check with my host to make sure, though.]

#14

, but, damn, it was not 100% unexpected, as it happened elsewhere already. Example: No points at Wynn/Encore for 99%+ games.

  For the first time in four years we did not stay at the Wynn on our annual summer Vegas vaca. I know that the Wynn took out all 99+ games below the $5 level and on $5 or more they no longer give pts. but based on my previous play there, I interpreted that to mean no pts. =no free play not comps. Again based upon my experience at the Wynn comps not contained in a mailer are all on a discretionary basis( the "begging" system which I deplore).

  Wynn stock hit a yearly high this past week and he was gloating about the increase in his quarterly Vegas profits( of course Macau is his main money maker). However the Vegas profit was mostly due to baccarat.
  Players can be stronger than management just by their numbers. The problem is with the addicts who won't stay away till things get better. And of course contrary to what the casinos think the overwhelming majority of players who don't know what the hell they're doing.
  The casinos have decided that because their profits have declined the "tightening system" is better than the "let's get them through the door" system and we have only ourselves to blame

  My two cents.

  Larry Feldman

···

--- In vpFREE_NewEngland@yahoogroups.com, "cdfsrule" <cdfsrule@...> wrote: