196 Points to a $500 Total Rewards Gift Card

It takes 50,000 tier points under the Caesars Total Rewards system to "earn" a $500 gift card.

I just checked my account and I am 196 tier points away from another $500 Total Rewards Gift Card. I am less than one-half of one percent of the way there in casino play. Should I go for it?

Playing video poker, it means I would have to play through $1,960 to get the $500 gift card. That's not a deal.

If I wanted to use only free play to do it, I could only use the free play that I get in Vegas since free play in Vegas does earn tier points. At Rincon, free play does not earn tier points.

The other option is to run my free play through at Rincon, hoping to get real cash and use that real cash to earn the points for the gift card -- but that would be counter-productive, wouldn't it?

Unless I want to use real money -- or wait for an offer in Vegas -- I will remain 196 points away from the $500 gift card. It does not "pay" to play to get it.

Any suggestions?

Alan: Even if you completely removed the royal possibility and played a 95% VP game (sans royal) in hopes of hitting anything more immediately realistic, you're still only looking at approximately a $100 cost to run $1,960 through the

machines to "earn" the $500 card. I'd play it out in cash with the only caveat being that having a trip with only 196 tier points earned may count against your overall trip averages for future freeplay offer amounts.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Alan Mendelson

It takes 50,000 tier points under the Caesars Total Rewards system to "earn" a $500 gift card.

I just checked my account and I am 196 tier points away from another $500 Total Rewards Gift Card. I am less than one-half of one percent of the way there in casino play. Should I go for it?

Playing video poker, it means I would have to play through $1,960 to get the $500 gift card. That's not a deal.

If I wanted to use only free play to do it, I could only use the free play that I get in Vegas since free play in Vegas does earn tier points. At Rincon, free play does not earn tier points.

The other option is to run my free play through at Rincon, hoping to get real cash and use that real cash to earn the points for the gift card -- but that would be counter-productive, wouldn't it?

Unless I want to use real money -- or wait for an offer in Vegas -- I will remain 196 points away from the $500 gift card. It does not "pay" to play to get it.

Any suggestions?

---

My suggestions is just to wait until you are going to play anyway. What's the rush?

Oh, and you can earn tiers at Rincon freeplay last I checked. Just load in the freeplay, pull your card, and then reinsert your card.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Count Room

Alan: Even if you completely removed the royal possibility and played a 95% VP game (sans royal) in hopes of hitting anything more immediately realistic, you're still only looking at approximately a $100 cost to run $1,960 through the

machines to "earn" the $500 card. I'd play it out in cash with the only caveat being that having a trip with only 196 tier points earned may count against your overall trip averages for future freeplay offer amounts.

---

Is this correct? At what denomination? There is 8/5 Aces and Faces, and 8/5 Bonus at Rincon starting at 25-cents per coin.

But I've played those games when I've had 20 losing hands in a row (doesn't happen often, but it's happened). And I've also sat down and hit quad aces or a royal within five plays. I am really curious how you came up with this estimation? Thanks.

Dan: I've used the "pull the card trick" before at Rincon. I think sometimes it's worked and sometimes it didn't. I was once told that whether or not you get points on your free play actually depends on what kind of free play you are playing.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Alan Mendelson

Is this correct? At what denomination? There is 8/5 Aces and Faces, and 8/5 Bonus at Rincon starting at 25-cents per coin.

But I've played those games when I've had 20 losing hands in a row (doesn't happen often, but it's happened). And I've also sat down and hit quad aces or a royal within five plays. I am really curious how you came up with this estimation? Thanks.

---

Alan: I was using some quick "napkin writing" calculations here. The $100 cost per 196 tier credit earning is a very rough theoretical average.

We all know anything can happen in the short term and it's not necessary for me to go into the long-term math/short-term session results arguments today.

I don't have Rincon's games or paytables handy, but isn't the Aces & Faces 99.25% when including the royal? I was trying to explain that even if you throw out the royal and knock off a whole 4% from the theo, you still have a roughly 95% return where it would be theoretically slated to cost roughly $100 each time you went for 196 RC's even if you never, ever saw a royal again for the rest of your natural life.

I'm surprised you would even bother worrying about whether you can grab those 196 RC's from freeplay. Even on a strictly cash (or in your case, marker) basis this is a no-brainer.

EDIT: I'd almost dare you not to go earn those 196 needed tier credits, LOL.

Thanks Count Room... but I've reached a point where I don't really need to or want to play any more for the rest of the year. My next planned trip is for the Great Gift Wrap Up.

I have never been one to play for comps. It's like throwing good money after bad. I just think it's a "shame" that after using all of the multipliers and bonuses that I came up 196 points short of the next 50,000 tier point level. Maybe the remaining free play I will get this year will do the trick.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Alan Mendelson

I have never been one to play for comps. It's like throwing good money after bad. I just think it's a "shame" that after using all of the multipliers and bonuses that I came up 196 points short of the next 50,000 tier point level. Maybe the remaining free play I will get this year will do the trick.

---

Well, you've already earned 49,804 tier credits towards that extra $500 gift card. To me, this situation sounds very similar to the term "pot committed" in live poker where a potentially bad value on an objective basis (ie. chasing after a $500 gift card with $500,000 worth of play) suddenly becomes a good value (ie. finishing the gambit with only $1,960 worth of play).

So yes, you're right it's a shame you won't be attempting it if the offer expires down the road for some reason.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Alan Mendelson

Thanks Count Room... but I've reached a point where I don't really need to or want to play any more for the rest of the year. My next planned trip is for the Great Gift Wrap Up.

I have never been one to play for comps. It's like throwing good money after bad. I just think it's a "shame" that after using all of the multipliers and bonuses that I came up 196 points short of the next 50,000 tier point level. Maybe the remaining free play I will get this year will do the trick.

---

As far as I know, the card-pulling trick at Rincon always works. You should get enough freeplay offers before December 31 to get this done and earn your 196 tiers.

If you still aren't interested, I will play your 196 tiers for you (risking my own money) if you will sell me your $500 TR card for $300.

Dan bids $300. Do I hear $350 ?? ;)