I posted the first version of this about a week ago. Wanted it to be anon &
didn't realize that I had posted it to the group addresses. Since I don't
check email much when I'm on a trip, I was surprised when I checked email today
& found several private emails about it.
So I outed myself because I was too tired to check where I was sending it
too.
Now that I'm home & have had time to review the stats, here's some more fuel
for the fire.
--Initially thought the cb rates had changed as the slot club had given me
what they thought was current data. Discovered the next day that cb had not
changed but the computer can take up to a day to update.
--The tournament I was in was a baccarat tournament. Qualifying was $2500 in
theoretical. Earned $800+ theo on Pick'Em, played first rd & got 0. Next rd
must get enough chips for a good score or it's the end of the tournament.
Best bet is to stop playing & go home as many do but it's not my style on
invitationals. So earned $2000+ theo on $5 triple-play 9-7 DB as I didn't have much
time left. Lost $2K. Played 2nd rd & accumulated 70,000 in chips (starting
from 25,000) which was not enough to get into semis.
--Wise-guy method of playing tournaments where qualifying play is required:
1. Go as many rounds as possible without doing any play.
2. See if your score has a chance to be in the money.
3. If not, don't play at all & go home.
4. If it's got a chance, provide the qualifying play.
--During my 2+ hrs on the $5 triple-plays, I received a half-dozen W2Gs. I
had this disturbing habit of forgetting to put my card back in & know that I
lost about $15 K of play as I was counting every hand. The whole time I played
no one but one slot player came in to play in High Limit. When I checked on
my play with the slot club, I gave them the machine #s & times & they said
they couldn't help me. Through my host, I asked the slot director, Jason, to
add the play back to my records. He said without a slot card there's no way to
verify my play. I told my host that was not a good answer with cameras &
employees around who could verify my play. Also other casinos have done this for
me especially when it was significant play.
--I did give feedback to be communicated to the tournament organizers. On
the same two weekends of LVH Baccarat Tournaments #1 & #2, TI & Mirage also had
Baccarat Tournaments with much bigger prize funds & a limited invite list.
Current LVH play levels would have been more than enough for the TI tournament
& close to the Mirage tournament. When play levels get close to the Strip
levels & equity is better on the Strip, then the choice of where to play
becomes obvious.
--For now I think LVH is still a good value, but you must choose your events
carefully. Don't go to every shopping spree, take every cruise, etc. Start
doing events that you really enjoy & go to shopping sprees where you can get
items that you really want, otherwise build yourself a trophy case where you
can display all those gift cards & items that you've never used or photos of
trips that you didn't enjoy. This is good general advice as we need to wean
ourselves from the trophy-hunting stage. Remember if you're in this stage,
you're playing their game.
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