Who Else Longs for the Good Old Days 10 + Years ago

Easy Comps from the Pit bosses without impacting current available comps- Remember my first trip to vegas with the wife and we were playing 25 dollar chips and the pit boss just offered 2 lobster buffets at cesars

Amazing slot tourny offers. Palms used to provide 100k slot tournies with Less than 200 people along with free rooms and free play. Manadalay bay used to put on the most amazing slot tournaments with catered dinners and entertainment. I used to get invited as well for my level of play but no more.

WInning!! I used to hit a hand pay or two but not anymore.


Creative offers- I used to get really cool offers from Palms about Golf with Playboy Playmates or other various unique things

 

My play has gone up and hand pays have gone down.

I spend more on dinner tips now than I paid for dinners in the past.

 

I used to check into Mandalay Bay. I would by the end of the trip earn cash back. I often had a few hundred dollars on my last day that did not impact my comps. This was when it was not an MGM property. I recall my first trip to Monte Carlo and I had paid for the room already with some online deal. My GF(Now wife) and I had a very limited budget. When I checked out they had covered 600 of my charges. In todays vegas that does not happen. I ordered liqour to the room for room service and had a nice dinner at whatever the steakhouse was and some other stuff but it was all free. Also Harrahs used to comp stuff without having to use all your rewards points.

 

That!

 

I dont notice any real difference from then to now to be quite honest.

Not the last of the big time gamblers so do not care about 6:5 black jack or anything like that. Also dont care about comps as I just pay my own way and dont gamble enough to get anything other then cocktail service and that has always been hit or miss.

The biggest difference for me is no beer cans or bottles on fremont street but thats not the end of the world.

I can gamble at any one of about 10 casinos in my area if I want.

What i cant do is walk down the street drinking beer which is what I love about Vegas.

 

I think the real difference is with 25-30 years ago.

 

I don't, because 10+ years ago I wouldn't have the E.I. to be playing at the level I do now.

Everything adjusts according to time.(Inflation)

When I used to fly regularly with Delta, 120K miles would get two business class arifares to Asia. By the time I was ready to go, it was only one seat to Asia.

 

10 years ago I was sitting in my dark apartment waiting out Hurricane Katrina. Couldn't leave for a couple days.

 

Sounds horrible bayou

 

I was very lucky.

But on topic, while comps might have been easier then I was in no position to take advantage. Two months out of college = no gambling money. All I knew back then was roulette.

 

This.

 

I miss the slightly cheaper airfare and MGM giving free play for the tables, but that's about it. I actually like now. I enjoyed Vegas ten years ago also. I guess I try to focus on the positive, even as things change

 

This thread is also going to pop up ten years from now. I like to think we're always in The Good Ol' Days. I feel like The Good Ol' Days are based on my age rather than what is going on around me. I am in my mid forties and have more money to spend in Las Vegas than I did in my thirties. In ten years, will I be complaining about the Good Ol' Days when I could drink all day and night? Probably not. I will probably be going to more shows than I do now, renting cabanas by the pool, and staying in the Strip Plaza or Resorts World or Echelon (whatever it's going to be).

More specifically to your post, I don't wish or "long for" the past. Or the past Las Vegas. I'm not going to 2005 Vegas. I'm going to 2015 Vegas. Comparing the past to today is a waste of my time. I want to embrace my life NOW. Life is good, no matter what I was doing ten years ago or what others were doing to me.

Full disclosure: I still hate the remodel on New York New York. They took away the charm of the casino.

 

Well said. Vegas is always changing. There are always going to be things we miss from the past. But I prefer to focus on what is good now and enjoy it. Maybe even look forward to what changes may come in the future. And if vegas has changed to the point where is nothing left there to enjoy, then why go or talk about it. Those things from the past are not coming back

 

10 years ago was the heyday of the Palms.

 

Wait: there's no beer CANS allowed on Fremont? I understand bottles...

 

Ten years ago, I think it could still find a cheap charter fare. It was nice not having to work so hard on airfare. The Rio was also in much better shape and it was my go to hotel. There were more 24 hour restaurants, too, along with graveyard specials. But even then, that stuff was starting to disappear.

 

One thing that I am glad disappeared are coins. I know some people like the sound of the coins, but I don't miss the dirty fingers, waiting for the slot attendant to reload the machines with bags of coins to cash out or lugging around large cups of coins and then waiting in the cage line to redeem the coins.

 

The Video Poker prime was about 15 years ago. I saved a few web pages from back then from the then premier VP site. I might have to edit this down, but here was the top 10 places to play VP back then. This probably deserves its own thread. Note that despite this state of the VP world back then, that it was said that "things are going to hell" regarding the VP conditions.

Read it and drool! I've bolded some key numbers and added some comments in bold as well.

CATEGORIES RATED

Video Poker - Best Play:
The highest-paying machine. The availability of progressives, 4700-coin royals, or $1 denominations may raise a rating to the next level.
*****...= Loose Deuces @ 101.6% or Big E at 102%+
****.....= Deuces @ 100.7% to 100.9%, FP Jokers @ 100.6%, FP Flush Attack, or AA @100.7%
***.......= 10/7 DB
**.........= 9/6 jacks
*...........= 8/5 Bonus or worse.




RESERVE---updated 10/19/99
Video Poker - Best Play..****
Overall Inventory........*****
Benefits.................**
Food.....................*****
Casino...................****
Current Promotions.......*****
Trend....................steady
This new African/Safari themed casino has quarter full pay 10/7 db , 9/6 double-double, FP deuces, , and some $.25 and twelve $1 FP (9/6 jacks) Triple-Play. Some FP nickel deuces. $.25 ( bank of them next to Funky Monkey bar--also a few at the bar itself) and $.50 Triple-play machines with 10/7 DB. $.05 five-plays and ten-plays with 10/7 DB.
Slot club pays .2% comps (or .1% cashback - your choice), which can be obtained right from the machine. Coupons for cash are mailed to regular players, amounting to about an additional .1% cashback. New members get a 1500 point bonus ($3 worth). $1 coin-in = 1point.
Good buffet and restaurants. Usually has great promotions.
Many of their $1 9/6 jacks now pay $5000 for royals, adding .5% to their payout. $2 10/7 DB.
Terrific nickel inventory: FP Deuces (6), Triple-, Five- and Ten- Plays w/FP Jacks and FP Double Bonus (over three dozen!) FP Big E (8/20/50/250).
Triple points Mon all day. Often has quad points on weekends. $5000 in drawings every Wednesday starting at 6pm. Additional drawings on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
The Reserve is continuing those great food promos they've had for the last 6 weeks thru the end of the month. 250 pts. for a buffet comp, 500 for Serenghetti's, and just 750 for Tusks. This was one of the all time great comps. $750 coin in on over 100% VP earned you a $30 comp to the steakhouse!
Now making good room offers.
Additional comps possible thru slot hosts? Rarely. Hosts are very inconsistent.
Comments: If your idea of a great vacation is round-the-clock playing VP and eating great food, you can't do much better.

MAIN STREET STATION---updated 8/16/99
Video Poker - Best Play..****
Overall Inventory........***
Benefits.................****
Food.....................****
Casino...................****
Current Promotions.......****
Trend....................steady
Beautiful, roomy casino with $.25 10/7 DB in the gamemakers, 9/6 jacks (at the main bar), and 8/5 Bonus. There are eight (8) Game Makers north of the east side center doors that pay 10/7 with 80 coins for the straight flush (100.5%), and another bank of regular $.25 10/7 DB just north of them. $.25 fourplays with 8/5 bonus. $15,000 sequential royal 9/7 db (99.4%)
Current promotion gives out scratch cards with every 4-of-a-kind or better (no wild cards)(or for slots: $300 jackpot or better), adding about .8% to the payout when playing quarters; the cards usually pay $2, $3 or $5, but can also pay $50, $100, $500, or even $1000. *** Note the then more generous scratch cards, addiing .8% to the return! **
Slot club pays out only .10% cash. Easy room offers. $10 play = 1 point. Total payback when playing their best machine is (100.5% + .8% + .1% =) 101.4%.
Slot club has similar silver/gold card policy as Sam's Town, but requires somewhat higher play, and is very insconsistent about it.
Great room offers.
Additional comps possible thru slot hosts? maybe - somewhat inconsistent
Comments: it's scratch cards and Silver/Gold card comps ostensibly make this an even better mid-roller play than Sam's, but their hosts are extremely inconsistent.

SAM'S TOWN---updated 9/28/99
Video Poker - Best Play..****
Overall Inventory........****
Benefits.................*****
Food.....................****
Casino...................****
Current Promotions.......
Trend....................steady
Perennial favorite of quarter VP players. Has excellent inventory of quarter 10/7 DB, 9/6 jacks (some are progressives), Full-Pay deuces (about a dozen, scattered), and bonus deuces (101%) (two banks of about 10 each). Also has $1 and $5 9/6 jacks (some are progressives), and $1 10/7 DB (in the high-rollers area outside Diamond Lils) . Two $.50 10/7 DB by the craps tables. $.25 Fourplay machines with 9/6 jacks at the top of the escalator across from Mary's as well as on the main floor about midway between the Country Western lounge and the live keno area.
The cashback on the slot club is a paltry .093%, but traditionally has excellent room comps and good food comps.
Additional comps possible thru slot hosts? sometimes: the veteran host are gods, the new ones clods. Best comps are for visitors with a room: $2500 play/day gets a room comp. Comps increase once you've established yourself.
Comments: establishing a history over three trips of $4500/day will get you Silver Card status, which means free rooms any day of the week, and free food+drink at all but two of their many restaurants, and no begging/hassles: just show your card and get your food. Suites are exceptionally nice and can be had with a history of as little as $6000 play/day. On the other hand, newcomers may find the don't-ask-won't-tell slot club somewhat annoying. **** Gold card and suite for $6000 a day play on even 100% VP ***

LAS VEGAS CLUB---updated 9/2/99
Video Poker - Best Play..*****
Overall Inventory........*****
Benefits.................****
Food.....................***
Casino...................***
Current Promotions.......***
Trend....................up
Features Full-Pay Jokers (100.6%): 6 quarter machines and two $1, as well as several $.25 FP jokers that pay 4700-coin royals (101%). Two $1 FP deuces (but they are slow, and coin-droppers). Gamemaker with $.50 FP deuces (also slow). Also has $.25 9/6 jacks with 4700-coin royal (99.9%). $.25 triple plays with 9/6 jacks. 10/7 DB in .25, .50, and $1.00. Two $1 9/6 jacks with 5000-coin royal by main cashier. One $5, 3-coin 9/6JB with a $15000 royal. FP 50 cent joker's wild. $.25 16/13 double deuces with 4700 coin royal (100.8%)
Winning any sort of jackpot $200 (on ANY machine, regardless of denomination) or greater gets you a "Season's Pass": 3 free nights in any 3-month season, 4 times in the coming year (12 nights a year!), as well as dinner for 2 in their "Great Moments" restaurant, a Zagat Award Winner (Worth over $60). Any Royal Flush gets you a "Great Moments" comp, too, with dinner and 2 drinks per person. Season's Pass has been increased to 2 per address from 1, so, husband and wife can each get 12 free nights. They are good with food comps and coupon books to their guests. So, despite their lack of a slot club, benefits are very good.
Current promotion: Race for Space, free 3 nite stay New Years Eve if ticket drawn. 25 rooms for July 31 drawing, 50 rooms August 31st drawing, and 75 rooms Sept 30 drawing. Don't have to be there for this one. 150 rooms total for the Millennium New Year Celebration. Earn drawing tickets with Hand pay of $200 or more and if already seasons pass owner will get two tickets. I got 2 tickets for this one for Royal on .05 5-play machine on 17th July. Free New Year's Eve rooms is for out of town quests only. Locals will be drawing for $2,000 cash prize. Out of town winners only "need not be present to win."
Slot Manager, Rick Ronca, is very friendly. New floor person, shift slot host, Ernie Sosa, was also very good. Get to know them. Excellent and cheap snack bar next to the Sports bar (20 good beers on tap). Closes at 10:30PM. Good food. Newer North Tower rooms are very satisfactory.
Additional comps possible thru slot hosts? yes
Comments: The Season's Pass is a low-rollers dream.

GOLD COAST---updated 9/25/99
Video Poker - Best Play..****
Overall Inventory........*****
Benefits.................****
Food.....................**
Casino...................***
Current Promotions.......**
Trend....................steady
Similar Slot Club to the BARBARY COAST, except that you get merchandice instead of cashback. 9/6 jacks and 10/7 DB at quarter and $1 levels. $.25 10/7 DB Triple Play and Odyssey fourplay machines. 117 FP $.25 deuces *** that is not a typo, 117 machines!!! . $.25 five-plays with 10/7 DB (some of these are 10 coins per hand).
Has a non-smoking section with FP deuces.
Triple points Mondays 6pm-midnight.
Additional comps possible thru slot hosts? yes - easy room, show and food comps for visitors thru excellent hosts.
Comments: If you're not fussy enough to be bothered by the casino and room's age, and so-so eats, and can talk to a host, it's for you. Easy walk to the Rio, good shuttle buses to the strip, and easy access to I-15 make the location better than it looks.

LAS VEGAS HILTON--- Updated 8/26/99
Video Poker - Best Play..****
Overall Inventory........***
Benefits.................****
Food.....................****
Casino...................****
Current Promotions.......
Trend....................steady
Good $.25 inventory: 13 10/7 double bonus (8 of which have those annoying spacequest graphics) and two loose deuces by the (awesome) sports book. Full-Pay All-American (100.7%) in the slant-top gamemakers (which are disguised as "Spacequest Double Bonus Poker") along the railing at the spacequest casino (I don't recommend these particular machines for serious play, though, as the hearts and diamonds look too much alike). (Why all the deception? Some sort of Ferengi ruse?)
20 gamemakers at the bar near the sportsbook all with $.25 pickem (99.9%). FP $.25 and $1 pickem at the Spacequest bar. **** That's 99.9% pickem with .5% cashback, at a bar! ****
BJ Blitz, single deck, BJ 3:2, DOA, S17 = 100%. (These machines do not accept slot cards).
While this is hardly an overwhelming amount of FP VP, this is a good variety and it's not hard to find open machines. The Hilton is the ONLY true "megaresort" to offer any sort of FP deuces or AA. Furthermore, their room offers are among the best and easiest to get, the amenities are first-rate, and the cashback is excellent.
Your best play is the 15/10 loose deuces (100.9%). This, combined with the slot club's .5% cashback comes to a total cashback of 101.4%...use the LVA coupon, and it's 101.9%. *** Yes, a 101.9% return!! ****
Food comps for guests of the hotel are no longer issued at the booth, but "will be adjusted when you check out" (UH-OH!). Usually about .5% comps in addition to the cashback.
Additional comps possible thru slot hosts? yes - although the slot club is rather disorganized.
Comments: a personal favorite, largely owing to their tendency to mail room offers good on weekends.


ORLEANS---updated 9/30/99
Video Poker - Best Play..****
Overall Inventory........****
Benefits.................**
Food.....................****
Casino...................****
Current Promotions.......**
Trend....................steady
About 20 Quarter Full-Pay deuces, some $1 and $2 10/7 DB. $.25 9/6 jacks progressive at the piano bar. About 20 $.25 10/7 DB Triple Play machines. Crawfish Bar has some multi-games with FP Deuces.
Slot club pays .2% cash plus .1% comps.
Triple points Mondays 6pm-midnight.
Tight with room comps and room offers.
Additional comps possible thru slot hosts? sometimes - must give them some serious play first - are very inconsistent
Comments: Locals heaven. Would be a great play for visitors, but it's too hard to get room comps (and their rooms are NICE).

GOLDEN NUGGET---updated 8/14/99
Video Poker - Best Play..**
Overall Inventory........**
Benefits.................*****
Food.....................****
Casino...................****
Current Promotions.......

Trend....................steady
$1 (9 of them, big and purple: 6 lining the hall to the elevators, and 3 more beside the washroom, next to the coin redemption counter and the elevators - also three gamemakers have them as well) and $5 and $25 9/6 jacks (99.5%) plus one of the best slot clubs (but it benefits only $1 and up players) offering .67% cashback and .67% meal comps equals 100.84%.
It takes $2250 play to become a slot club member (on their temporary card), but doing so gets you two buffets and $15 cashback. Great buffet (save room for the bread pudding), line passes free for the asking to active slot club members, but bring a friend, as food comps are issued for two or more.
Additional comps possible thru slot hosts? yes (high rollers only)
Uniquely classy hotel juxtaposed with your usual raucous downtown casino. Strong room offers and a great slot club staff.


RIO---updated 6/27/99
Video Poker - Best Play..***
Overall Inventory........***
Benefits.................***
Food.....................****
Casino...................*****
Current Promotions.......
Hotel....................*****
Trend....................steady

$1 10/7 DB (7 machines by the buffet) can be found as well as$.25 9/6 jacks are in four of the new Fourplay machines (between the buffet and the restrooms near Mambo's lounge) , and eight $.25 10/7 DB have reappeared near entrance to new Rio Bamba Lounge. Now has some $1 9/6 jacks as well.
Their buffets and restaurants are still among the best, the Masquerade-in-the-Sky show is an instant party, and the cocktail waitresses can still turn an old man's head away from 4-cards-to-a-royal. Slot club pays .28% (for quarters play) and .37% (for $ play) cashback, or as much as .57% in comps. Room offers are improved from terrible to so-so.
Everyone who has a PlayRio card and/or is a hotel guest can enter the buffet in a special line at the far end of the buffet near the door to the outside of the building.
Additional comps possible thru slot hosts? yes - $8000+ play/day players will do well.
Comments: the sexiest of the luxury casino/hotels. Until a couple of years ago, and undiscovered gem; now too trendy and crowded for its own good. The buffet is so big that it's sort of a tourist attraction in its own right.

HARD ROCK---updated 10/3/99
Video Poker - Best Play..****
Overall Inventory........***
Benefits.................****
Food.....................****
Casino...................*****
Current Promotions.......

Trend....................down
Any joint with a bar named "The 10/7 poker bar" is OK with me. Especially when it actually contains 10/7 DB.
$.25 10/7/80 DB in some gamemakers at the 10/7 bar $1 10/7/80 DB in five Ballys gamemakers just outside the bar in the middle of the casino. A few $1 9/6 jacks and 10/7 DB. Two $.25 Lucky Draw fourplays with 10/7 DB and 9/6 jacks by the Peacock lounge.
The slot club pays $1 comps for every point earned ($100 play = 1 point for VP, $100 play of reels = 2 points), which means 1% comps for VP, 2% for reels. Comp points earned thru slot or VP play can be saved and will not expire for one year, but table play points only last three months. Comp points can be redeemed for merchandise, but only at 33% of their nominal value.
Usually have some sort of drawings.
Additional comps possible thru slot hosts? Rarely: persistent whining required.
NOTE: The slot club is going to be completely revamp on Jan. 1. All comp points must be used by then or lost.
Comments:
Rock and rolling baby boomers rant about the memorabilia, but what I really like about the casino is its open, easy-to-navigate layout, and the fact that it's just plain gorgeous. Baby-boomers (I know, am one) will be made to feel old by a clientele that looks to be about their children's age ("Look, Dad - I have a disposable income!").
It's not just for kids. Their luxurious rooms are comped for only 75 points/weekday, and 100 points on Fridays, Saturdays, and holidays. Great music acts and excellent food are also there for the comping.

 

"The Video Poker prime was about 15 years ago. I saved a few web pages from back then from the then premier VP site. I might have to edit this down, but ..."

You saved it fifteen years?
You edited this down?