What Do You Want?

[FloridaPhil]

On my desk right now are stacks of offers from casinos all over America.  When we first started playing VP, this would have surprised us.    Who would think a couple of quarter VP players would be so coveted?   As it turns out, it's pretty easy to get comped rooms even for a quarter player.   All you have to do is show your are willingness to run a decent amount of money through their machines over a period of time.  I don't think it matters to them if you are a computer perfect player or not.  Their games will pay for the rooms.When you have a choice of casinos, you pick the ones that offer what you want.   That's what this post is about.    If we want great odds,  we have the Red Rock in Vegas where we can play positive VP to our heart's content.  If we want beautiful mountains and crisp air, we go to Black Hawk Colorado where all the casinos are non smoking and the mountain views are spectacular.   If water views are your thing, the Beau Rivage in Biloxi can't be beat.This spring we have comped rooms at the Borgata in AC.  We have heard good things about this casino and are looking forward to our visit.  At least two of our members live nearby and we would love to meet them in person.When we pick a casino, VP odds matter, but they are not at the top of our list.   We hate crowds.  For this reason we stay off the Vegas Strip.  We like Vegas, but it has a hustle feel that we don't particularly care for.   We like quiet casinos with good music, no loud rap or grunge rock.  We want clean machines that work.  We like to be treated special, not like another person in a long line of suckers.We consider our casino overnights as romantic getaways.   One of the secrets to a long great marriage is never losing those feelings.We like playing in casinos that cater to active seniors and many do.   When I ask for a quiet room far away from the elevator, they accommodate me.  If that room is next to a room with 20 drunk kids partying all night, they move me.  We hate smokers.  It's not the people, it's the fact they are polluting the air forcing us to smoke along with them.Better VP odds are important, but we're not putting up with things we hate just so we can play them.  Video poker is a great couples activity.   For some people, casino gambling conjures up visions of a bunch of hustlers trying to beat the casino or old grey grandmas betting their Social Security checks.  That is not the VP we know and love.

[olds442jetaway]

Love vp...love the entire experience. Nice for longtime married couples too. Sometimes, a few things ruin it. Smoke is by far number one. Filthy machines number two. I now bring my own cleaning materials. Filthy smelly patrons number three. Luckily, that one does not happen too often. Awful music all day and night number four. Hmmm...somehow that seems to go along with unruly drunks as well. And if anyone can teach me to understand what some of the younger generation are saying I'm all in. They talk so fast, never end a sentence, slur or mumble too. Amazingly, many of them work at the conceirge desk or hotel check in. PS....its not my hearing.

[b74]

All I want when I play is a winning session or at least a fighting chance after painstakingly learning and practicing all of these holds.
Turns offs
Cigars, smokers are bad enough but a cigar can clear out several banks.
Idiots who physically abuse the machines. No wonder they don’t work half the time. At a casino that i formerly frequented, this one particular idiot would violently slam the buttons, shift around in his chair and take cheap shots kicking the machine. These are slant tops and I think that he feels he is getting away with it by kicking it under the tray. Any how I really wish the casino would crack down on this behavior.
I also learned earlier on not to give advice to people even when they approach you first. Sometimes they are looking for an argument even when you clearly know the strategy.
You’re reinterating a handful of things I don’t miss.

[FloridaPhil]

You've pretty much described our VP experience.  Nice resorts with some characters lurking about.  We dodge the bad and embrace the good.   Maybe they should ban all smokers, drunks and nut jobs?   No way, you just described 60% of the casino's customers!  Seriously, you have to pick your fun and ignore the rest.  I'm a Florida kid who grew up fishing and hunting the Everglades.   Gambling is like wresting an alligator.  Playing quarter VP is a 4 footer.  The worse thing that can happen is you lose a finger or two.  I don't need to get in a box with a 20 foot monster to get my kicks.  This keeps our expenses down so we can enjoy the casino experience for what it is... Entertainment.Traveling on our VP road trips adds another dimension to VP.  It's always fun to see a new casino in a new place.   You never know what you are going to find.   One day you walk into a giant like the Mohegan Sun and the next it's a small Tribal casino out in the woods.  Once in a great while we find some pretty decent VP odds in those smaller casinos.  The worst odds are usually in the Mega Resorts.  I don't fret over the odds any more.  If they stink I'll play, just not for long.We have great expectations for AC.  If the Borgata turns out to be good, we can get there pretty cheap.  

[FAA]

I really want to play mostly quarters. If only I could find a cooperative machine. They're down to five FPs at Caesars until a missing chair is replaced. I think that the best way to recover from a bad day is to halve BR next trip. Go lean and mean.

[FloridaPhil]

My current plan is to start out with quarters.  I sneak up to 50 cent play if I hit at least 2 quads.  I only play dollars if I have my going home money locked up.  I believe the most mathematically sound strategy is to play the same denomination all the time.  My wife does this and it's really annoying how cheap she plays.  I need more excitement, so I switch.   These days it takes a lot to get me to move up, but I do under those conditions.  Most of the time, it costs me.   On occasion,  it's wonderful.