Trip Report - Harrah's Ak-Chin

[BillyJoe]

I thought I would share my experiences of last week in the Phoenix area. staying at the AK-Chin Resort for my Seven Star Golf Experience. The golf part was phenomenal, playing four days at the Southern Dunes course. The wind blew about 35 MPH two of the days, but I was told that if you could still see the mountains through the dust, which I could, then it really wasn't that windy.
 
To call Ak-Chin a "resort", however, is a bit of a stretch. We had a nice suite, but there is no spa, no exercise room, no breakfast buffet, and one "premium" restaurant, The Range, which looked a little like an Applebee's. The food there was very good, though. For exercise, you can walk across the parking lot to the Bingo Hall.
 
The property is comfortably nestled between a dairy farm and a chicken ranch  (the kind with eggs, unfortunately ), so depending on the wind direction, you get to experience nature at it's finest. The casino is nice, with a surprisingly large amount of VP, but no High Limit Area or banks of progressives, and pretty "Vegas Strip-like" pay tables. The wife had a nice few days, with an RF and several AWAKS playing TDB. I was not as fortunate, so we were down overall for the trip.  
 
I would have a hard time recommending this as a gaming destination, but they are planning to add additional amenities in the future, so who knows.   

[backsider]

You went to a casino run by Indians for a vacation in a state bordering all the wonderful resorts in Nevada? I dont see how you could have expected anything super duper.

The most glaring point you made however was that your better half hit a royal along with several four aces with the kicker top jackpots on the TDB game, and you were still losers! Boy, Harrahs sure knows how to handle their seven stars superstars.

[mammajamma]

The most glaring point you made however was that your better half hit a royal along with several four aces with the kicker top jackpots on the TDB game, and you were still losers! Boy, Harrahs sure knows how to handle their seven stars superstars. Well, I don't think Harrah's can just give out extra jackpots to their 7* players so they don't go away losers, but the rest of the 7* program isn't too shabby, at least during the years I was one. Plenty of other superb perks and items like full RFB, suites, other comped trips and cruises and many other free passes for golf, spas, etc. which can be be quite pricey.

[edog743]

Good to see there is no racial bias in you backsider. By the way we prefer to be called Native Americans

[BillyJoe]

You went to a casino run by Indians for a vacation in a state bordering all the wonderful resorts in Nevada? I don't see how you could have expected anything super duper.

The most glaring point you made however was that your better half hit a royal along with several four aces with the kicker top jackpots on the TDB game, and you were still losers! Boy, Harrah's sure knows how to handle their seven stars superstars.
Actually, while it is a Native American location, Caesars (Harrahs) runs the casino operations, and Troon Golf runs the golf operations. The casino selection was not mine, but rather part of a Seven Star Tier II Signature Golf Experience. We received first-class airfare for two from FLA, limo transportation all week, full RFB in a suite, and four rounds of golf, two of them with the wife. I also received two playing lessons with the golf pro, a custom club fitting, a complete new set of clubs made to order, staff bag, golf shoes, windbreaker, golf shirt, gloves, towels, a dozen balls and most important, a hat . Oh, and the casino had one of their coupon offers while we were there - a 19' HD TV. Although I did not have an offer coupon for it, the casino was kind enough to give me one, AND ship it home for me.   
Now, if I had my choice of locations to receive this package, I probably would not have chosen Ak-Chin. But, hey, they giveth - I taketh. 
 
As for my better half, money management is not her strong suit when it comes to casino gaming.   We are still working on that.

[BobDancer]

 
As for my better half, money management is not her strong suit when it comes to casino gaming.   We are still working on that.  
  If one or both of you were really playing TDB at a Harrah's property, your game selection skills need some work as well  BTW, at the Signature Experiences, no play is required. If it's possible for you to enjoy the golf and the other amenities while avoiding gambling altogether, that's the max EV play there. Bob

[Dealt4oak]

Hey Bob, Im not much of a TDB player because its a ridiculous game. The only time I gave the game any play was the Bob Dancer machines(9/7 pay scale) at Fiesta Henderson. Remember those? They even had a pad in front of the buttons to rest your hands on while playing.

[BillyJoe]

[QUOTE=billy joe]
 
As for my better half, money management is not her strong suit when it comes to casino gaming.   We are still working on that.
 
 
 
If one or both of you were really playing TDB at a Harrah's property, your game selection skills need some work as well
 
 
BTW, at the Signature Experiences, no play is required. If it's possible for you to enjoy the golf and the other amenities while avoiding gambling altogether, that's the max EV play there.
 
Bob[/QUOTE]
Yeah, Bob, but what is the fun in that? I know that I already earned all the Signature Experience amenities, but we live in FLA, a non-casino state, so we enjoy playing when we travel to a casino. It is much tougher to get to Seven Star when you don't play. 
 
As far as TDB is concerned, I know it is a low EV game, and highly volatile. But if I have a limited time to play, and enough of a bankroll, I prefer the game in that I may catch a high value hand.

[backsider]

Good to see there is no racial bias in you backsider. By the way we prefer to be called Native Americans

Who really cares?

[edog743]

I truly do not know how to respond to that. But I will get back to you on this.