Video Poker Forum

This past week I surpassed the required points needed for the top tier in the slot club at my local casino ( a PNG property in Ohio ). I will have this status for July 1 thru Dec 31. In the past I have always kind of planned how much I played so I hit the required number close to the deadline date. But this period I got there very quickly , 3 months early. I feel there is nothing for me to gain by continuing my play. My bankroll is intact , very healthy. What will I lose ? $100 a week free play, but I have to go twice a week to get it. As a dollar player 50 bucks lasts about 3 seconds. I think I am just going to cool it and work on sharpening my game on the VP software. If a promotion pops up where I am guaranteed something, I will probably change my mind and go pound away at it. I am just a rec player looking to break even or use the "quality of life" items from the casino to help make up the difference. Been playing just a couple , maybe 3 years . Any comments on if my planned strategy will hurt me in the casinos eyes ? What should I tell my host if he calls and asks if everything is okay ? Should I tell him there is no incentive to play again until July 1 ?   Anyone ever in the same situation ? Bob Dancer, I would love to hear what you have to say.

Taking a 3-month break --- not even picking up your free play --- will not hurt you --- although you might have to build up your free play there again in 3 months. Often this is based on some sort of recent average of recent play. .Picking up your free play and doing nothing else would hurt your status there. But when you start again you can build that up beginning in July. I don't know that property well enough to know whether picking up your free play and not playing (compared to shutting down completely) will end you up ahead of the game overall or all.If your host calls, just say your bankroll took a big hit recently (you don't need to be specific) and you need to recover a bit before you start playing again. They'll be happy to get you back in July.

Thank you. I appreciate all you have done for my game, here and elsewhere. Much appreciated, thanks again.

$100 a week free play, but I have to go twice a week to get it. As a dollar player 50 bucks lasts about 3 seconds.

Unless it was a 10 line dollar game, $50 should last more than a few seconds. A little surprised the highest tier gets only that amount of free play considering the high volume of play needed to get into ICON. Without tier score multipliers, getting into ICON as a video poker poker is quite a grind at PNG for dollars. Great achievement you were able to achieve it in 3 months. Hope you enjoy the Carnival Cruise trip and $500 trip reimbursement to Vegas (or other locations) that comes with it.

I'm ICON who averages 3 visits a week and because, living 30 miles away, am considered a local I only receive $35 every 10 days in Freeplay. Thanks to a wonderful winning streak the first 2 months I will have enough points to requalify by the end of this month. A 3 month break sounds like a great idea and then I will then have the time and money (winning streak is over) to actually take the cruise.

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Unless it was a 10 line dollar game, $50 should last more than a few seconds. A little surprised the highest tier gets only that amount of free play considering the high volume of play needed to get into ICON. Without tier score multipliers, getting into ICON as a video poker poker is quite a grind at PNG for dollars. Great achievement you were able to achieve it in 3 months. Hope you enjoy the Carnival Cruise trip and $500 trip reimbursement to Vegas (or other locations) that comes with it.

Thanks alpax. I never let the free play bother me because it is what it is and I have no control over it.

As for playing, I don't consider it a grind at all, I like the game. I played single line for dollars all last year and it came out to something like 7-8 hours a week I had to play through the 26 week period . I get 8 weeks vacation every year so there were times I played much more, and times where I played less. I played a lot of 5 play the last couple months and that got me there really fast this time.
Icon comes with much more than is advertised . Sure , the cruise and trip are nice, but there is a whole lot more to it at my place.

I'm curious as to what your ICON status gets you. We have a VIP Lounge with private parking and entrance & no fee ATM but Executive Producers also have access. There are give always exclusively for our level such as Samsonite luggage and a Michael Kohrs purse but they also gave away a Michael Kohrs watch that I wasn't offered and both ICON & EP were included. My host explained I didn't receive one because it was based on average play. After the average play was explained, I stopped playing the morning after I stay because I would just play for an hour or so. I do get a very nice suite when I decide to stay over. I know people traveling 60 miles or more and go less often get much more Freeplay even though their average is less than mine.

I'm curious as to what your ICON status gets you.   

I had a similar situation last year where they had a catered event for some Icons and EP's Where they gave away 5 $1000 cash prizes . I got wind of it from another Icon who also wasn't invited. I questioned my host and was told the event was based on average daily theoretical. It is a term that I don't concern myself with. All I need to remember is to not swipe my card and not play, which is why I won't be going to get anything while I am on my little break.
Every renewal here we get $1000 loaded on a gift card for use at any casino restaurant or the gift shop ( no alcohol). Its nice, no need to contact a host for dinner comp. $500 gift card or free bet/play and dinner event every renewal. They have taken us to outside venues in the past for this event, but last time was just in the private room at the buffet. I got a department store card for my wife. $500 dinner comp @ the 5 star restaurant once every renewal. Limo service for a 50 mile radius of the casino once a month. Free unlimited car washes. Parking in the " Icon Lane " just outside the door or express valet if you choose to use that. $2000 cash advance fee reimbursement ( I never used it). Convert Marquee comps to free play 1 for 1. EPs only get 50 cents on the dollar. They have an outdoor concert series (8 or 9 acts approx.) here every summer and Icons receive 4 primo tickets to every one. I have never been beyond 20 rows away from the stage. Some great acts too. Worth quite a bit of money. They used to give 8 meal tickets with those 4 seats, but they cut that the middle of last year's concert series. They had about 12 chaperoned trips to watch a major league baseball team in a suite, catered with food and booze. I went to a couple, that was fun. Also a chartered fishing trip, golf outing, strip club adventure. Also got to check out a college football game in a suite, catered, 4 tickets. They also have icon exclusive promos on occasion. Also got a comped New years Eve dinner at the 5 star. Quite a bit of stuff. That's about all I can remember. They keep their information about how many icons they have close to the vest, but one time last year at an Icon dinner I overheard one host say they had 80. This period I think its closer to 50 from what I could see at icon events. Hope you didn't have trouble reading all that...lol

Edited to add...We also get the giveaways, but nothing exclusive for Icons , really. I was at the M in Vegas for my free trip 2 weeks ago and they were giving away the same portable air compressors there that we got at my casino a few weeks earlier.

You get so much more! We get nothing for renewal, no free meals, no gift cards and definitely no outings. I've heard it was a state law but geez you would think they could make it up to us in different ways. Yours is worth it - ours is lousy. We get $5 for every 4000 points and VP is 5 points for every 2 hands. You have a much better deal and I'm happy for you. 😇

Thanks ! You are very gracious. I would be steaming mad and looking for another casino to play at if I was in your shoes. Good luck to you, I hope you hit another long winning streak soon.