Video Poker Forum

Many, many years ago, I won a drawing at the now extinct Barbary Coast. It was a drawing where you obtained entries by hitting a certain hand ( I think it was a natural quad). I secured and submitted an entry just before the cutoff time for the contest, and, lo and behold, a few minutes later, they spun the drum a few times, and pulled out my name! It was for $1000.

In order for me to be in the casino when the bigger evening raffles are held, I would have to drive home nearly two hours at midnight.   This is not an option for me.  Not everyone lives near a casino or in a town where casino raffles are as common as blue light specials.   Most players also have a life outside of the gambling and don't wish to hang out in a casino for hours waiting for their name to be called.  If it's your job, I can understand it.  It's not mine.

I often wonder if my name has been called after I leave. I know I hear so many called that don't claim so they move on to another and another and so on when I am there.
I disagree with the must be present policy they all follow. I just feel its not right that if a person earns entries all month or sometimes multiple months usually spending hundreds or thousands but they can't make it that day or stay (and play with card in a machine for many promo's) for the duration of the drawing event they are DQ'd. It is a snub to their loyal customers as far as I'm concerned. I'm sure that if a non present person was notified they won the resulting enticement to play there would not be hurt. Especially due to your entries being earned according to the amount you play over a specific time period. And I'd be willing to bet when that person returned to claim the prize they wouldn't just grab it and go without playing while they were there. Many are free play prizes so what is the difference if you take it and play it that day or some other day.

I couldn't agree more with your post Paco. That policy is counter-productive particularly when drawing entries are based on play. How often have life events preclude our being at a casino for a monthly drawing. Same day ones as well. When we were regular patrons, this policy actually deterred our visits/play at times.

It isn't about "refusing" to go, it is being unable to go. As mentioned above, VP is not many peoples day job.
If I were to miss work to attend drawings I would then have less money to gamble with or maybe no money when I got fired. Don't think that would be very helpful to the casino's bottom line either. Going after work to a night drawing is not an option either when it is a 4 hour one way drive to casino. I play when I play because that is when I have the time.

One of the VFW type lodges I play at has a raffle for everyone who hits 4OAK during the month.It's held the fourth Friday of the month and is generally well attended. Last summer/ fall we had two straight months with five Fridays and this caused the Fourth Friday drawing to be much less busy.
Instead of the usual close to a hundred people there were only about a dozen.
In fact, there were more prizes than people to choose from. I won a $250 gift certificate, and a $25 gas card.
The next month, there were a few more people but I won $100 cash, which I traded for a $200 certificate to a grocery chain with a guy who lived in assisted living and had all his meal done for him. Also won $25 free play from a casino .

It is frustrating to say the least OTABILL.
I actually think if they awarded non present patrons they might actually get more people to play throughout the month, year or whatever since there would actually be value to the entries they earn.

Billy, I certainly would be taking advantage of all the "benefits" of living in/near LV if I were. Maybe someday.
Nice wheelin' and dealin'.

[quote=BillRyan]One of the VFW type lodges I play at has a raffle for everyone who hits 4OAK during the month.[/quote]Video poker in a VFW?   If the VFW lodge near us had video poker everyone in the lodge would be arrested and carted off to jail.Years ago I was in North Dakota on a business trip.  They had legal black jack in the hotel I was staying in.  The bet limit was one dollar.  All the profits went to the local charity that was posted on the wall.  As I remember the charity was a local children's hospital.  I thought that was a great way to use gambling to help a good cause.

Most players who have played a lot of VP get a lot of drawing tickets and opportunities. During my heavier AP days, I won my share of drawings and considered it an important part of the advantage to playing the games.

But my best play was not in a casino. I took my teen nephews on a Black Friday shopping trip to the local music store. Every customer was given a drawing ticket/entry as they entered the store. Drawing were held every hour. Not being musically inclined, I decided to hold my entry and watch how the drawing was conducted. The store was very busy. On the hour, a hurried assistant manager type thrust his hand in a small cardboard box, grabbed a ticket, and read the name. A few minutes before the next drawing, I dropped my entry into the box and let it settle right on top. Two minutes later, I was the proud owner of a Led Zepplin box set, book, T shirt, + stickers and such. On the way home, my nephews divided up the winnings (I kept the records!). "Man, Uncle, you were lucky!" "Well boys, it wasn't all luck". And that's how I became part of the family gambling lore.

Great story.  I have won my share of raffles, just never one in a casino.   Back in the Miami Dolphin hay days we had season tickets and attended many dinners with Dolphin players and Coach Shula.  To raise money for charity they always had a raffle of some kind.  One day my wife and a few of my employees attended a dinner meeting at Dolphin training camp.  The raffle prize was Dolphin season tickets and a plane ticket to any Dolphin game you chose to go to.   I won the raffle and gave the season tickets to one of my managers.  I gave the plane tickets to my wife and son and they flew to Foxborough to see a Dolphin and Patriots game live.   The Dolphins won the game and my wife said the New England fans were great to them.   Good memories.