Memorial Weekend Trip Report Caesars Palace

[Alan Mendelson]

I had no plans to go to Vegas this weekend, but Saturday morning my phone rang and it was the cashier at Caesars asking me if I had mailed my marker payment in from my trip last month. The marker was due today -- Monday.

"Are you mailing it?" I was asked. (Oops, I forgot to mail it.)

I've never been late with a marker so I said "I'm driving up there tonight (Saturday). I went to the bank (open Saturday morning) and got a cashier's check and Saturday evening when I thought traffic would be light I hopped in the car for a quickier roundtripper to Caesars. I've done this before and I thoroughly enjoy the ride.

I got to the cage, paid my marker, and was amazed at how jammed the place was. I had called my host who said there were no rooms available for Saturday night which was okay with me because I had no plans on staying.

I went to a craps table and got the dice right away and on my hand I turned a $550 profit. I was ready to go to the valet and drive home when that little bug bit me and said "try video poker, sucker."

The video poker machines were jammed -- all filled up -- but the only $5 Bonus machine in the high limits Palace Court slots area was open. I took out a $1,000 marker (uh oh, here we go again) and played. In short order I got quad aces for $2,000 and a dealt straight flush for $1250 -- and then in short order I lost it all.

I took out another $1,000 marker (uh oh, here we go again) and played. Nothing much, a couple of lower-paying quads and it dragged on and dragged on, and then that marker was gone.

So, I took out another $1,000 marker (uh oh, is Rob Singer going to call me an addict?) but this time I started to hit and hit and soon had a nice little profit showing when--

Bam!! Royal #2 of 2015 playing $5 8/5 Bonus. Photo below.

By this time I'm exhausted. I went to the host's office and they found me a room in the Palace Tower. It's been years since I stayed in the Palace Tower and I forgot how nice the rooms are. But my room was the smallest of the smallest and was on the the floor with a rooftop view of machinery, and the drains in the sinks and the shower were slow. But I didn't care -- I had a bed and I ordered room service and watched a couple of movies.

I sent the photo of the royal to Rob and he made me aware that it was a sequential royal. I hadn't noticed until Rob told me. Rob also said "keep that photo, you'll never get another sequential royal in your life.) Unfortunately there is no "bonus" for a sequential at Caesars.

I played a little more craps after my sleep and the craps tables were full but the table limits were never above $25. Most of the time I played at $15 tables. There were a lot of don't bettors there -- in fact I've never seen so many "darksiders" before. Where did they all come from?

I also asked -- out of curiosity -- what the room situation is at Caesars for next weekend and the WSOP Colossus event and I was told that even 7 Stars can't be guaranteed rooms. The room rate for Friday night is $500 and is lower for Saturday night.

[arcimede$]

One of my two sequential royals was in hearts. Always a nice touch. Congrats on saving the RF for a big jackpot.

[Rob.Singer]

Three questions: What's a darksider? What amount of profit (or loss, I must also ask, based on how the machines love to PULL you back to them) did you return home with? And, could you have paid that marker in any other way (over the phone or online maybe?) without having to show up in person?

[Alan Mendelson]

In craps a a darksider wants the shooter to "seven out."
After hitting the royal I got a room and went to sleep. Paid off the new markers and came home with the rest.

I should have mailed the check a few days prior.

[redietz]

Well done!

I did not know Caesars was jammed for WSOP. Those are steep rates. Do they run shuttles over to the Rio?

One of my fave things in all the world: the Caesars head swizzle sticks at the coffee shop near the showroom.

[Chimp]

Sweeeet Alan! Congrats!
FYI....I think there are progressive sequential royal machines at Ballys.

[Count Room]

I should have mailed the check a few days prior.

If you had mailed the check, you wouldn't have driven to Caesars and won the $20K, would you? Sounds like a fortunate happenstance there. Congrats, Alan!

[Alan Mendelson]

Redietz yes there are shuttles among all the Caesars properties. A taxi can't be more than $7 (guess) and walking from Caesars to Rio though a hike is possible.

[Alan Mendelson]

By the way the machine I played was $25 coin in for 1 Tier Point and 1 Reward Credit. I did not earn enough RCs to cover the two light room service meals and had to pay with my credit card at check out. That's sad: playing $5 video poker and $25 craps and still had to pay for meals.

First meal was oatmeal, a side of avocado (doctor's orders) and side of lox and two small bottles of diet Pepsi.

Second meal was grilled cheese sandwich and bowl of chicken soup and bottled water.

At checkout after all RCs were used: $67.

[Dan Druff]

Great hit, Alan.

Hitting a royal at a $5 machine is huge, because you get $20k. While I was thrilled with my 6 royals at the Rincon earlier this year, it sucked that they were at a 50c machine, and that I only got a multiplier (2x) for one of them.

I remember you saying that you needed a $5 royal to be even for this year, so looks like you got it.

I have a room booked at the Rio for the Colossus event. I booked it immediately upon being approved for Seven Stars this year, knowing it would sell out.

[Alan Mendelson]

Dan: yes, this $5 royal brought me back to the "even range" but not quite "even." I am still down a few thousand. But the truth is, the first few months of this year were a disaster for me. Even when I went to Caesars or Rincon and found myself up a few thousand dollars -- I lost it and came back either "even" or showing a real loss.

I can count SIX times I went to Rincon or Caesars in 2015 and at some point during the trip I was up at least $1000 -- and kept playing and lost it back plus more.

I did hit one royal earlier in the year but it was a 25-cent royal for $1,000. I did hit quad Aces at Rincon playing Royal Aces Bonus (same as a royal) and twice it was on 50-cents for $2,000 and once at 25-cents for $1,000.

More importantly: I don't know if I can actually afford to go back to Caesars because of the "reward credits situation."

In 2014 those $500 gift cards went a long way in paying for dining -- Nobu and other restaurants. This year that promotion is restricted, point requirement is higher, and I don't have the "wins" to finance more play.

My offers at Rincon have been cut dramatically so I can't even go to Rincon to swipe my card to get U-Choose reward credits, and some months I am not getting the Friday "scramble" which includes reward credits.

Nobu for 2 can easily cost $250. Lunch at Bobby Flay's can cost $150.

Now, I do have the $500 (5 X $100) 7 Stars Dining but that would be gone in one weekend.

When there are promotions for folio credits which can be used to offset dining, my new limit is $150 or just $75.

The bottom line is that casino trips are starting to be very costly outside of the actual cost of gambling. In the past it was only the cost of gambling that I was concerned with.

[regnis]

Nice hit. It is pretty sad that the type of play that you describe does not even cover meals anymore. What about the dreaded request for discretionary comps??

We need to bring back the mob to operate the casinos. They understood the gambler mentality.

[Rob.Singer]

It's really a shame that a $1000 net win isn't enough to go home with. That's something I don't understand about players. Another point is what you brought up about getting those markers, and you're right, if you heard me verbally clobbering you as you made those repeated trips to the cage. In a world of self-control, since your sole purpose was only to show up to pay off a marker, the correct approach would have been to leave after you recovered trip expenses plus a $100 profit. I think you had that accomplished from playing craps. What made you go to the vp machines, and why would you ever keep playing after hitting four Aces? I guess by this point the bug was biting hard.

Still the question: could you have electronically paid off the marker without showing up in person? I know everyone's booing me right now because of that $5 royal. But I'm believing that had you stopped while a certain win goal amount ahead since the start of 2015, you'd be ahead of where you are now. I guess I just don't understand the "modern" way of people playing these days, where points and comps are more important than winning money, playing around with markers somehow helps, and looking for any excuse to go gambling at CET holds water when their benefits system is now far below most others.

[Alan Mendelson]

Rob lets go back to win goals and loss limits: $1,000 is too low for my win goal. Sorry. I need more than $1,000. Yes, in retrospect had I taken those thousand dollar wins I would not have been in a hole. But that's part of the risk I accept.

On the other hand, my loss limits are pretty tight. You will never see me carry around $53,000 like you.

regnis regarding discretionary comps: Yes, I think I got some but my Reward Credits were used first for the first room service. My host was gone for the day when I had the second room service and I wasn't going to bother another host who probably would have had to call my host at home.

[redietz]

Alan, I'm slightly horrified that you cannot pull in more discretionary comps by simply calling host services rather than a particular host. Don't they have some jack-of-all-trades host concierge who can rubber stamp things for Seven Stars? I would throw a fit to play that much and get tagged for low-end meals.

CET has no idea what they're doing, and they have demonstrated that for years. It's time for a Las Vegas strip extinction event for CET, and a reset of how casino companies should be run. CET has provided a good model of how to not do it.

Regnis, I'm waiting for an old-fashioned retro casino, like Clooney was rumored to want to do a decade ago.

[FABismonte]

regnis regarding discretionary comps: Yes, I think I got some but my Reward Credits were used first for the first room service. My host was gone for the day when I had the second room service and I wasn't going to bother another host who probably would have had to call my host at home.

Alan:

When I check out and have not previously worked it out with my host, the desk clerk always clears my RC balance and I simply ask if there is enough discretionary comps to wipe the rest of the balance off. If there is a small amount, then the desk can take care of it either on her own discretion or by a brief discussion with the host on duty. If there is a larger amount they cannot instantly wipe out, I subsequently touch base with my host. He looks at the action and rights off the balance with discretionary comps - even if they are already on my credit card as charges. So unless you want to get stuck with a credit card charge (albeit small), you can still contact your host and get it cleared as long as you do not wait to act.

FAB

[Rob.Singer]

For the record, having to pay $67 on the way out after a decent amount of play, is chickens**t of them. I'd never go back, and I'd have both rubbed the $5 royal in their face as well as cut up my 7-stars card right in front of some big cheese in the VIP office after being refused.

And Alan, I don't carry more than a few thousand to casinos any more. My typical win goals for leaving are usually between $100 & $500 but more toward the lower end. It CAN be done. I don't get why you "need" more than $1000. Is it because of S. Cal gas prices, food, taxes, and being forced into paying for everything under the sun for the illegals or something?

[Alan Mendelson]

I never asked anyone to comp the $67. Some of that was tips on the room service which can't be comped.

[redietz]

It may be time to shop around, Alan. I'm not sure about alternatives. Dan did the analysis last year of the MGM versus CET scenarios. I know you love Caesars (so do I), but it may be time to test the waters. Caesars was my favorite property back in the 80's and 90's, but the things I liked about it took a hit when Harrah's took over.

You seem like a Mirage kind of guy. Have you stayed there often? Is Treasure Island now independent? I have some friends who stay there for horse handicapping tournaments, and they seem to like it. Plus those places keep you near Caesars geographically, so you'd still be in a comfort zone. I think those two places take craps seriously enough.

[regnis]

I am not a TI fan. Nowhere decent to eat in the hotel. Coffee shop and buffet mediocre. Terrible place for craps. To someone used to Caesars, I'd say no.

The Mirage, on the other hand, I find to still be a great alternative. Still clean and some class; good selection of restaurants; good craps games; nice race and sports. All the years I stayed at caesars I could spend an afternoon playing horses at the Mirage and get dinner for 2 at any of their restaurants. Usually, without asking--it was offered to me.

I don't know if the comp situation has changed.