Attended opening of Thunder Valley Casino (TVC) on Mon.
It took 3 hrs for me to drive 200 mi to the 65 exit off 80 & another 2 hrs to
go 10 mi to the casino. Local radio reported 7000 people in the 1st 3 hrs (&
probably twice that much trying to get in).
Just the facts:
--About 30/70 mix of vp/slots
--Best vp: $, $2, $5 9-6 DB in 3-play, 5-play, 10-play bank of 10 next to
inner pit or $5 7-5 BP in same bank (changes to 6-5 at $ & $2). Also have a bank
of 10 25c, 50c & $ 3-play, 5-play, 10-play also close to inner pit but could
not check out schedules due to crush of people
--High limit & Asian games area not open yet
Comments:
--Best play: buy STN, sell RNO. If 1st day is any indication of future to
come, Stations/Auburn tribe has it good here as people were lined up to play.
Smart move by Stations as this will whet appetites to visit Stations casinos in
LV. Stations is also working on a deal to help another tribe open a casino in
Sonoma (wine country N of San Francisco).
--VP/slot mix seems lower than other CA casinos that I've visited (6 total).
Probably because they've learned people in CA will play anything that's in
front of them.
--4 VPs are employed by Stations. Everyone else is employed by Auburn tribe.
--Pts can transfer from here to LV Stations upon request. Forgot to ask if it
can go the other way.
--Was sent a slot card & invite to RSVP for grand opening but did not call as
I wanted to check it out first to avoid getting tripped. Didn't work as an
ex-Reno host recognized me & asked for my card so I asked her to be my host in
place of the one assigned me. Fair trade as she invited me to come to the
Fleetwood Mac concert when they hit Sacramento.
--Did not gamble due to no FPVP (that I could see) & the crowds. Left after 2
hrs.
--Leaving was much easier due to a back route my host referred to. As I
didn't know the area, I didn't ask for directions, just turned the opposite
direction of how I came in & used dead reckoning & hope to get me back to 65 or 80.
Anyway, the back route involves heading N on Fiddyment & turning right on
Athens & casino will be about 1 mi on left. Another customer who used this route
said it took her only 10 min vs the 2 hrs I took.
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