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On our "Vegas Gaming / Travel News" page http://alanbestbuys.com/id73.html is our article about video poker machines being added to the bar inside the Diamond Lounge at Harrah's Rincon near San Diego. Is this a good idea? Should the Diamond Lounge be a place to get away from gaming, or do you want the additional convenience and comfort of playing inside a Diamond Lounge? What about adding more gaming, perhaps blackjack? Tell us what you think.
I was told by a top executive at one of the big properties in Vegas that there are no plans to offer gambling of any kind in the Diamond Lounges in Las Vegas. I thanked the exec for the info. However, "never say never" in the gaming business, and Rincon is a "test casino" for Caesars (formerly Harrah's) so let's see what happens down the road.
Alan heard you on KFI again this morning and it gave me a smile. Made me think to ask you about these machines. Are these machines still there? Do you play them? Can you speak to the games offered and at what limits?
Yes there are still bar top machines at the bar in the Diamond Lounge at Rincon, including some multi-game, multi-denomination video poker machines. I think the only Triple Double Bonus game at Rincon is in the Diamond Lounge. When I spoke to a manager there recently he told me he was hoping that other managers would decide to bring TDB to the high limit gaming area since the Diamond Lounge is only open during limited hours.
If I recall the TDB game is on a multi line game. There might be a few other games in the Diamond Lounge which have better pay tables than can be found on the main casino floor.
Frankly, I don't like bar tops, and I am not a drinker. In fact, I rarely even take the time to drink a bottle of water while playing VP and the reason is (and this might sound silly) I was once distracted by a cocktail waitress delivering a drink to me and I did not make the proper hold on what would have been a decent winning hand. No, I didn't miss a royal or anything like that, but you don't want to miss any winning hand when you play.
Well I certainly do drink beer when I am playing, and yes it has cost me a few winning hands lol. Thanks for the information.
I don't want people to think I'm a jerk, but I've thought about hanging a sign on the machine top saying "no drinks, thank you" so that cocktail waitresses wouldn't come by and talk to me during a hand and when I am choosing cards. Habit tells me to respond to people by looking them in the eye -- and it's when I take my eyes off the display and keys that I make mistakes.
Also, this is how players get ripped off. Someone approaches you from one direction and asks a question or makes a comment, while from the other direction someone presses the cash out button and while you are distracted takes the ticket and runs. Don't deny it -- it happens.
So immediately when someone is talking to me, my left hand goes over the cash out button. This is one of the reasons why I like to sit at a corner machine with a wall to my right or left -- it gives me a less space for crooks to work their scams.
And while we are on the subject -- when playing craps my hand immediately goes over the chips in the rail when anyone approaches me, and I ask cocktail waitresses not to approach me when I am throwing the dice.
Great advice, Alan! I've known some people who have become victims because they did not pay attention to their surroundings. Remember to be on the lookout whenever any activity involving large amounts of money is involved!
I happen to like the idea of bartop games in a diamond lounge. I'm not diamond yet, but why not have videopoker in them? Just the fact that you're diamond means you never met a videopoker machine you didn't like. What better way to keep syphoning dollars from customer's pockets than to keep them liquored up and playing when they think they're taking breaks?
Gee Jatki, Rob Singer couldn't have said it better. LOL