Your Input: Which way to go?

[Lucky Larry]

Wife and I are in Vegas now for a short trip. CET props here have really bad paytables. BP - 6/5, JOB - 7/5, DDB - 7/5. I normally do not play high volatility games but decided to make this a DDB trip. After first two days I am currently up a few hundred much to my surprise. No royals yet but several premium hands. Thankfully quads were coming more frequently than I was expecting. I did find a few 8/5 DDB machines but never hit a single 4oak on them.

Lucky Larry, I would gladly take any of the choices you are currently pondering if they were available here. However, I am grateful to not be losing my behind given the crappy choices CET offers for video poker in Vegas.

My best option is our old favorite Coushatta, 35-40 minutes away which has 9/6 JOB, 8/5 BP and 9/6 DDB but the comps and facilities are no longer worth the comparison to Golden Nugget. Both require $1M coin in/year for Elite/VIP status. But, the comps are so much incredibly better at Golden Nugget in most ways- especially rooms and restaurant options. All of the Landry's owned restaurants are available with our weekly GN food comp and comp $. Heck, our comp $ buys us dinner at all Landry's sites even off casino. And, Elite status gets us those corner suites and gated parking in the garage. No walk, no hassle, great rooms and great eats. We went back and forth for over two years trying to decide high returns vs comps. Comps and 40 minutes close won out. We do occasionally still play Coushatta but not enough for status. But, sometimes...I think about it again.

[Lucky Larry]

Hey everyone, I'm enjoying the conversation and thanks for the input. Been swamped closing out the the double-loaded semester. The last couple of weeks have been really bad. One of my students lost her dad to COVID Sunday of this week. All the family got sick except my student. Her brother had gone out partying came back, he and then mom and dad came down with COVID. Father sick for several days, went to hospital, ICU three days later, and then on ventilator, died three days later at 46. Nineteen year old is now making funeral arrangements and praying mom gets better. Then to to top it off, this is the last week for my students, one calls on Wednesday, their whole class is going home exposed to COVID. She's now in quarantine for 14 days. At least she can still remote graduate May 15. I hope we turn the corner and reach herd immunity before we start school next fall. Since last March 2020, I've had 13 students who have caught COVID and/or had to quarantine for 14 days. At least 5 other known family members (aunts, uncles, etc) of my students have died from COVID.

Everyone please stay safe and protect your loved one and everyone else's loved one.

LL

[olds442jetaway]

Yes, and same to you LL. And don’t I know what you are talking about first hand. I won’t retell the entire story, but my dad who was living in the cleanest and highest protolcol Assisted Living facility around, got Covid along with several other residents rom an asymptomatic PT worker from the outside. She even had a recent negative test and no fever etc. so she was allowed to come in and work at the facility. It was nobody’s fault. In my dad’s case, he was doing well, but the anti clot blood thinner caused a brain bleed and that was it. My prayers go out to your students and their families as well as always to yours. In my case, it is only now beginning to sink in. My dad is not by any means the only WW2 Veteran to survive that and be taken down by Covid.

[seemoreroyals]

Wife and I are in Vegas now for a short trip. CET props here have really bad paytables. BP - 6/5, JOB - 7/5, DDB - 7/5. I normally do not play high volatility games but decided to make this a DDB trip. After first two days I am currently up a few hundred much to my surprise. No royals yet but several premium hands. Thankfully quads were coming more frequently than I was expecting. I did find a few 8/5 DDB machines but never hit a single 4oak on them.

Lucky Larry, I would gladly take any of the choices you are currently pondering if they were available here. However, I am grateful to not be losing my behind given the crappy choices CET offers for video poker in Vegas.

My best option is our old favorite Coushatta, 35-40 minutes away which has 9/6 JOB, 8/5 BP and 9/6 DDB but the comps and facilities are no longer worth the comparison to Golden Nugget. Both require $1M coin in/year for Elite/VIP status. But, the comps are so much incredibly better at Golden Nugget in most ways- especially rooms and restaurant options. All of the Landry's owned restaurants are available with our weekly GN food comp and comp $. Heck, our comp $ buys us dinner at all Landry's sites even off casino. And, Elite status gets us those corner suites and gated parking in the garage. No walk, no hassle, great rooms and great eats. We went back and forth for over two years trying to decide high returns vs comps. Comps and 40 minutes close won out. We do occasionally still play Coushatta but not enough for status. But, sometimes...I think about it again.

LL, what are the pay tables like at Golden Nugget as compared to Coushatta? I usually play either single game $2.50 to $5 a push or multi-line $3.75 and up per push.

[Gronbog]

Her brother had gone out partying came back, he and then mom and dad came down with COVID. Father sick for several days, went to hospital, ICU three days later, and then on ventilator, died three days later at 46. ... Everyone please stay safe and protect your loved one and everyone else's loved one.

This is what those who are making the argument that "It's my body" are failing to consider. If you catch this virus, it's probably not just you who will be affected. Consider those you love and the loved ones of those you come into contact with.

The person who brought the virus to the party likely did not even know the father of Larry's student, but his/her actions played a part in her death.

[billryan]

Her brother had gone out partying came back, he and then mom and dad came down with COVID. Father sick for several days, went to hospital, ICU three days later, and then on ventilator, died three days later at 46. ... Everyone please stay safe and protect your loved one and everyone else's loved one.

This is what those who are making the argument that "It's my body" are failing to consider. If you catch this virus, it's probably not just you who will be affected. Consider those you love and the loved ones of those you come into contact with.

The person who brought the virus to the party likely did not even know the father of Larry's student, but his/her actions played a part in her death.

But it's his body and he can do whatever he wants with it, the public be damned. Isn't the right to infect everyone else prominently mentioned in the Bill of Rights?

[Gronbog]

There's no doubt that every American has the right to refuse a vaccine. However, every American also has the freedom to waive their rights in favor of the common good.

[Lucky Larry]

seemoreroyals,

Coushatta: 9/6 JOB 99.5%; 8/5 Bonus 99.18%; 9/6 DDB 98.98%; 15/9/4/4/3 DW; 13/4/3/3 DWB
Denominations: 1¢ and up including 50/100 multi-hand.
$4 Coin In / Point Free play available for slots and VP $500K Coin In/6 Months for VIP status
Free Play: Once a week amount for free play. Max I ever hit was around $100/week


GN: 8/6 JOB 98.4%; 7/5 Bonus 98%; 9/5 DDB 97.9%; 12/10/4/4/3 DW 97.6%; 13/4/3/3 DWB 97.4%
Denominations: 10¢ and higher; lower for 1¢ and 5¢ except on All Star 10 play 5¢
$10 Coin In / Point No free play on VP only slots; $1M Coin in for Elite status for entire year
Free Play: Generally, Monday-Thursday weekly amount; Friday same amount; Saturday same amount, Sunday same amount. My consistent max was $150 M-Th; Friday $150; Saturday $150; Sunday $150. This also varies based on how much the hotel is booked. On slow weekends F,S,Sun funds may increase $15-25.

[seemoreroyals]

Thank you LL

GN pay tables are similar to what we have available to us at Horseshoe BC. I think based on some of the jackpot pictures you have posted you have a wider variety of machines to play on than we do. Wife and I play together to get her to 7 star and focus on keeping her ADT high as possible. We also as a secondary goal usually get me to Diamond card level with no concern for my ADT.

It takes 150,000 tier credits to get to 7 star. At $5 per tc for slot play and $10 per tc for VP play to compare with GN we would need $1.5M coin in to reach 7 star on VP play only if not for CET's tc bonuses. We get 1000 tc bonus for any day we get over 1000 tcs, 5000 tc bonus for any day we get over 2500 tcs, and 10,000 tc bonus for any day we earn 5000 tcs. Because of the tc bonuses and the fact that my wife plays all slots I would guess we can reach 7 star with approx $500 -$750 thousand coin in. So it is probably a little easier to reach 7 star in a given year than it is Elite card status at GN.

Free play we receive is similar. Rooms I'm sure are much nicer at GN as Horseshoe opened in 95. They do have some suites on their top floor that we get on occasion but they are just like their regular rooms with a nicer bathroom, a separate living area, and butler service. Advantage GN.

Currently Horseshoe only has 2 restaurants open. A steakhouse and a 24 hour eatery. Before Covid and merger with El Dorado we had a Chinese restaurant that was very good that is now closed, and a buffet that is now permanently closed. Some time later this year they are supposed to be opening a seafood restaurant. For now dining options at Horseshoe are limited and the advantage clearly goes to GN.

Elite perks vs 7 star perks. The only reason we have continue to play at CET props is because of the 7 star perks. We get a 7 star trip once a year that consists of airfare up to $1200, limo back and forth to prop, $500 dining portfolio, and up to 5 nights free accommodations. We also get five $100 dining vouchers that we can use at any time of the year and at any property. Also a free cruise once a year with NCL. It's a balcony room and we have used this perk to go to Alaska, Europe, Mexican Riviera, New England / Canada Fall Foliage, and Caribbean out of NOLA. There are some other perks but these are the main 7 star perks.

How does this compare to Elite card perks? I ask this not in a way that I think 7 perks are better but in an effort to find out what other alternatives are available to us.

[Lucky Larry]

seemoreroyals,
Hotel: Advantage GN based on what I remember of Horseshoe BC when we'd make the run from Nacogdoches (SFA) when the kiddo was there compared to GN options. The standard extended room with soaker tubes and balcony are really nice. The 4 corner suites on each floor are super nice, two room suite with living area and nice bar area. Bath and a 1/2 which can sleep 4. This is our normal room, especially going over on non-Friday/Saturday nights.
Then come the show stoppers:
Penthouse/Presidential Suites (top floor- 22) are superb. Secured floor with private entry key. With grand pianos, wine dispensers, huge balconies, luxurious baths and living areas the 1,500 sq ft is really upper class. We've caught a Presidential several times usually during the dead of winter.
Lofts, 1/2 are facing the pools on the ground level of the Spa Tower, are 2,000 sq ft. two story delights with a fireplace, kitchenette, living area, upstairs bedroom with sunken TV and huge bath areas. Just outside your door is a nice private canopied, picnic area and a hot tub.
Villas. The Villas are the Creme de la Creme. I'm guessing around 2,000 sq ft. These diamonds are located on the bottom of the Rush Tower across from the pool with their own secure entrance. Each has a full kitchen, huge living room, fireplace, huge master suite with a walk-in closet as big as a small room and huge bath areas. Outside the entire area is outside porch with a outside fireplace and private hot tub. Oh and the private concierge. The whales love it.

Restaurants: (Currently open) Salt Grass, Landry's, Lillian's Asian, Chart House, Vic & Anthony's Steakhouse, Bill's Hamburger, and Claim Jumpers - a 24 hours quick food. Additionally, there is a general store open 2 hours which has prepared sandwiches and salads, chips, drinks including liquor/beer. The Chicken Salad and ham/cheese are really good.

Perks: GN made not be as good as CET. You can have a free trip to any GN with limo and meals annually-travel cost not included, free cruise voucher every six months. Pre-Covid the monthly gifts were really nice and based on play. One of our favorite perks is the ability to use our Comp $ at any Landry's restaurant nation-wide. This allows us take the family to eat locally and pay with our comp $. The top class is the Billionaire Class-invitation only. These whales have a one year leased vehicle given to them. The last group we saw waiting for pickup include Porsche, BMW, Mercedes, and a Maserati.

A couple of pictures of the Loft and the Presidential. I can't find the photos of Carries' Villa.