Last night I got a wild hair up my ass and decided to go to the Rincon for a "3 in 1" video poker trip.
I call it "3 in 1" because you can show up at Rincon late at night, play 2.5 hours to earn 2500 tier credits (at $5 video poker), go to sleep, play again sometime after 6am when you wake up, earn 2500 tiers again, go to sleep at night, wake up in the morning, play 2500 tiers again in the morning (after 6am), and go home.
Doing the above, you will spend less than 36 hours at the Rincon, yet will have earned 22,500 tier credits when you include the 5000-per-day bonus.
Thursday this month is 5x RCs, so that's an added bonus (though it only works for one of the sessions).
I haven't run well in video poker lately. Playing mathematically perfect strategy on the best machine available (here it's Ace$, which is 99.40%), but just not hitting many big hands.
I have NEVER hit a royal (seriously), and again I came close several times tonight but failed.
Finally hit quad 2s ($1000) near the end of the session, but then lost $250 back before I quit at 2500 tiers.
Overall lost $2125 in first session. Not good.
Got dealt 3 aces three times, one of which was almost qualifying for ACE$ ($20,000 if it hits), but it was A-x-C-E-x, which wouldn't have counted even if I hit. Did not get the 4th ace in any of them. Got dealt 4-to-royal once, and didn't get it. Also got about four other 4-to-royals after drawing.
Maybe one day I'll finally hit my first royal. I just can't get them.