Things to do in Laughlin, June 17 to June 22

[tedchee]

I'm joining this conversation late as I just restarted my subscription so I
didn't catch the earlier posts. There is a lot to do nearby so I'm
assuming that Larry did enjoy his trip.

However, I wish people would stop making demands on casinos "to have
machines that we like to play otherwise we won't come again". It doesn't work in
getting the machines back & it often validates their decision. A better
course of action is to learn what's available & take it from there or cancel
the trip & choose an alternative.

Their machine inventory choices are business decisions which may garner the
results they want in the short-term. However, if business falls off
dramatically, you can't reverse the process because former customers will have
already found more convenient alternatives. Case in point: many Californians
still haven't visited any California casinos. Once they do, many won't want
to make the much longer trip to Nevada if the product isn't much
different.

Unfortunately, Harrahs & most of its competitors are in a pretty weak
position right now & their owners are looking for short-term fixes since none
of them had any idea that things would get so bad.

In a message dated 6/30/2009 2:51:35 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time,
vpFREE_Laughlin@yahoogroups.com writes:

1a. Re: Things to do in Laughlin, June 17 to June 22
Posted by: "hrdiane" HRDiane@aol.com hrdiane

Larry,
How did your trip go? My sister and I will be there July 19-23 on
Riverside charter from Green Bay.

Are you still of the mindset that you won't take any more free trips?

Diane

--- In vpFREE_Laughlin@yahoogroups.com, "l_goch" <l_goch@...> wrote:>>
Hello Laughlin Group,> > My brother and I will be going to Laughlin from June
17 to June 22. We will be flown in from Chicago on a junket coutesy of
Harrah's Laughlin. We made the arrangements for this trip through our host at
Harrah's Laughlin before the downgrading of all machines that used to have
9/6 JOB. We have already expressed to our host our concern about the lack
of any machines that we normally play. > > With this situation in mind,
it is unlikely that we ever be in Laughlin again. You see, there are no
other direct flights from Chicago to the airport in Bullhead. And if such
flights were to start, I doubt the existance of shuttles from the airport to
the casinos in Laughlin.> > Anyway, we would like suggestions on activites
to do during the four full days that we will be in Laughlin. (Please keep
in mind that we will probably never return to Laughlin...so-o-o becoming
established at a casino other than Harrah's does not "look" like it would be
advantageous to us....on the other hand, if there is nothing elso to do,
we would be willing to give other casinos action. We usually play video
poker [9/6 JOB, FPDW, NSUD] on the quarter, half-dollar and dollar level.)> >
Thank you for reading this communication. Thank you in advance for your
positive responces.> > Larry>

**************Make your summer sizzle with fast and easy recipes for the
grill. (http://food.aol.com/grilling?ncid=emlcntusfood00000005)

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

···

Date: Mon Jun 29, 2009 5:05 pm ((PDT))

[dewey_hill]

I'm sorry. I fail to follow the direction of the thinking in that last post. Certainly we should communicate openly and honestly where we are going to play and why, share our choices, and that should encourage the casinos to accomodate us as much as they can afford to in order to make some profit from our business. they can't accomodate us if they don't know what we want and think. we don't need to be snotty about it, like they owe us a free ride. But we need to be clear.

Every casino is hurting right now. I'm not worried. Whatever happens there will be places to gamble. They may make less money for the investors. I'm not sad. I don't gamble to make money for investors nor do I consider the casinos my friend. I'm just trying to have some cheap fun and get an edge over either other live poker players or in the games I play with my friendly opponent, the casinos.

I am hoping that casinos include some full pay machines. Just as I suspect most people on this board are hoping happens.

I actually go to Laughlin attracted by the unique brand of live poker, a spread limit game. I use the VP to cover the rooms when I can. Hotel prices are dirt cheap right now everywhere so I don't push my bankroll to cover my rooms as I was once doing in Main Street Station and Four Queens.

However, in Laughlin I will use a host name Janella at the Edgewater. I used her last trip. I have friends who use her as well. I love her upfront attitude and easy manner. Using a host did temp me to play a bit of slots and Megabucks I guess, but generally I play 10/7DB and 8/5Bonus. The DB is in one bank of machines in both the Edgewater and the Colorado Belle. The bank earns no comps. But the cash flow does count toward free rooms.
Live poker does not count, but the Colorado Belle has the game I like as does the Tropicana across the street and the Edgewater has a 2-4 limit game with 6 on the river, also unique. so it is great location. Having the host at the Edgewater means all slot and VP play in both casinos counts. I just have to remind her I am playing at both when I check out.

I played a good bit of quarter VP. Most of it was in the full pay banks with no comps. Some however was at the Colorado Belle bar. That was the 8/5 bonus. I figure my speed makes that a game that pays me an EV of about $7.50 less. At the bar I can drink some very tasty microbrew and eat some good chicken wings which I charge to my room. so the play is about a wash and the music and friendly bartenders and tasty food beat the experience of the buffet.

Before I went I called Janella and was just totally upfront with why I never before had a host and my focus on live poker over VP but she was willing to let me have four nights and see what I did. Those four were comped up front, but if I did not play enough VP and slots then she could not help me a second time. Seemed honest and fair. I did not get a comp for my other two nights in Laughlin and went to the Tropicana for $11 a night. It was a great trip. Six nights for $22 and the price of one of those fantastic Sunday brunch meals at Granny's.

I found explaining exactly what kind of a customer I might be and the games I liked to play worked fine. A buddy went with me and did the same thing. We had riverview adjoining rooms and that was great. Now the rooms are not like Harrah's, but they were fine.

Once the River Palms gave free rooms for live poker play. When they stopped, I let them know that it affected where I played. They are not center strip. I had played most trips about twelve hours a day so they got their money's worth out of me both in rake and in the fact that I was available to keep games running.

I walked up to use up the last of my comps on their good seafood buffet my last trip and looked at the poker room. Dealers were playing each other with tournament chips and waiting for the customers to come back from supper so they could at least have one game.

I'd like the River Palms to know that may well be the result of their dropping the free room promotion. I want them to know that I won't be walking up there again and that otherwise I would have stayed with them the full six days. In fact, I had that booked when I changed and went with Janella.

I don't know if that solves the dilemma of searching for full pay VP. It seems most of the full pay is now at the Pioneer, but they are not as loose in their comps and I don't much like the smokey atmosphere. Their rooms are pretty basic, but that would not bother me. If things go sour with Janella, I'll go over and see what they offer.

But I don't think that things will go sour for me at the Edgewater. If you happen to talk to her, tell Janella Dewey said HI.