So, this is intended for those CET players who are "on the fence" about achieving 7* status and: 1) what it took me to renew 7* 2) benefits I received 3) the approximate amount of $$$ it took me 4) strategies I used, and any (many) mistakes I made along the way Note that I am a 99% slot player, so VP and table games players adjust accordingly I made 7* back in June after the Q2 bonus. As it turns out, that was wwwaaaayyyy too early. (mistake #1) I had no strategy, other than to accumulate 1000 and 2500TC days. I also had a "down" year. In 2015, I had 19 W2-Gs, this year, to date I only have 8. Winning trips have also been down. OK, lessons learned as we go into Q4. My FY runs from 12/1 to 11/30. I have a "set" Entertainment budget for the year, and all fixed costs come out of the entertainment budget. I "borrowed" into next years budget, and I will estimate that it took 25% over my entertainment "budget" to regain 7* in 2016. Dollar amount was down significantly. However, I will estimate that I received over $23,000 in benefits from my play in making 7*, including: 1) over $2000 in GGWU points. 2) 40 free nights in CET properties (Reno/Tahoe, Atlantic City, and Las Vegas) including free premium wi-fi 3) Over 30 meals (for two) at 4-5 star restaurants 4) a 55" TV 5) tickets to entertainment (Absinthe, Celine Dion, High Roller, Eiffel Tower) 6) $4000 in promo chips with which to start 2017 My strategy for 2017 has changed with the passing of my father. I will no longer go just because I need a break from caring for him and my 14 year old. So my 2017 plan is to pace myself in making 7* for 2017 , and to have a more cohesive strategy to do so. My strategy for next year includes focusing on GGWU, the TC/RC bonuses that CET will offer, and the "comp" stuff that I earned from 7*. Also included is a change in home property. The reasons I'd been "in love" with Caesars Palace are: 1)Dedicated 7* valet on Flamingo Road 2)Proximity of that entrance to the Augustus Tower 3)Proximity of that entrance to the Diamond lounge 4)Overall great service and treatment at Caesars However, since the comp room "cost" of an Augustus Tower room has gone up significantly (was $120, now $150-200 per night), I am not finding it "as attractive". After a discussion with the Asian Marketing hosts in Las Vegas, there was no "need" to change hosts, since I am already on the "Asian Marketing List", and my current host can book me anywhere in Las Vegas. Granted, if I was taking a guest, it "might" be worth it, but since when I'm traveling solo, a room is just a place to lay my head, another (cheaper) CET property would do just as well. So, why am I making such a fuss over room comp costs? Because it affects the amount of "backend comps" that I can take. As an example, I need to do 1000TC a day just to make my "room" at Caesars. I have calculated that 7* can be made in fourteen 2500 TC days, if bonuses are optimized. Let's see how close I can get to that number. That strategy involved ramping up my play in Q2 and is dependent on CET offering a 50% Q2 bonus (up to 25,000 TC) I will start 2017 with 20,000 TC 15,000 by being 7* 5,000 for the 2016 incentive that brings the TC necessary to 130,000 IF they offer the Q2 bonus that would generate 25,000TC for 50,000 earned (seven 2500TC days) rounding up, a total of 72,500 (because seven 2500 point days would generate 52500 TC) That brings it down to 57,500, which is another 7 days and change So fourteen, maybe fifteen 2500TC days. So, what's that mean in cash outlay? Worst case $187,500, which assumes all coin in with no return, and it would never get that high, because I'd quit long before then. Best case is also undefinable because I could hit the Megabucks at any time and then I'd be ahead so much that I wouldn't need comps anymore. The number that I'm using is "around $1/TC or $2500 for a 2500TC day". I'm also looking at changing my secondary property. Venetian/Palazzo has really cut back on benefits for Gold Members, so I'm starting to look at Cosmopolitan or MAYBE back to mLife. Hopefully, I didn't ramble too much. My father's passing changed my strategy a little, and I'm going up to Reno/Tahoefor Christmas for more promo chips. I hope to start 2017 with about $4300 in promo chips. Hope this helps anyone who is considering achieving 7*.
DaiLun, sorry about your fathers passing, I also lost mine right before Thanksgiving. Always enjoyed your reports, really well written and informative. Great info on the 7*, thanks
Thanks for the details. I actually had the best year in the last 5 years of being a 7 star - thanks to all the handpays at Tahoe in October. So - the 15000 points - is that 5000 for making Diamond 1 and 5000 for Diamond 2 and then what is the other 5000 for - making 7 star? I also have 5000 points for the winter tier bonus for next year.
I was under the impression that 7* started with Diamond based on the above formula, but I may be mistaken. We'll see In a week and a half.
Are you saying that if you play, then play to get 2,500 every time? So on a 4-day trip for example, would you have two days of 2,500 and two days of no play?
Like I said, my "plan" is to make every day a 2,500TC day, but it probably won't happen. Making every day a 2,500 TC day is the "ideal", but far from realistic (for me). The only reason I target 2,500TC in a day is because of the premium on the bonus. I look at where I am once I reach 1,000TC in a day, and then determine whether I can "afford" to go for 2,500TC that day. Doesn't always work out, as it can take $1000 for the first 2,000TC, and then $2000 for the last 500. I would have to limit my trips or schedule my trips in 2017 accordingly. For instance, in January, I'm going to New Orleans. Play there doesn't award GGWU points, so I might limit my play to 500 or 1000TC days. I would also attempt to schedule 2 days at a CET property and two days at my secondary property. In Reno, I go for two days, but don't swipe my card or play on the second day. My goal is to spread my play out so that I make 150,000 TC in the November/December timeframe. I know what promotions I want to hit next year and am planning my play as such. Based on the 2016 schedule, I'm planning on attending: GGWU Bonus events - Las Vegas in February, April, June, August, and October October/November, the lift ticket event in Tahoe GGWU in December
On my last trip a couple weeks i saw something in the Bally's high limit area that might help you, they have a row of 10-20 machines with big signs on the wall that says you will earn x2 Tc on those machines. Earning 2500 a day on those should be a lot easier
You've made getting/achieving & maximizing comps into your very own personalized game. I absolutely admire how systematic you are about this process.
I know the sign you are talking about, over the machines that are just to the right of the entry to the back part of the HL room. I'm 95% certain that it states that those particular machines earn 2x reward credits, not tier credits.
You can take a Free Play offer in promo chips. These are part of the offers I get from Reno/Tahoe twice a month.
Could you expand on the $2000 in GGWU points? I have never actually tried that giveaway as it seemed expensive for the prizes. Maybe I am off on that thinking. Thanks,
Thanks for the background info. I had some carry over from 2015 and had a great Q2 trip. Actually, last weekend before it expired. I played 5000 tcs per day getting the bonus for 60000 tCs in four days.
GGWU points are awarded 1:1 to earned RCs, so the "big" earnings aren't exactly "made" that way. GGWU points are only earned by slot play. CET has 5 GGWU bonus events. You have to be playing at a certain "level" to be invited to those events. Also make sure that "shopping" is marked on your TR interests. The events are in February, April, June, August, and October. At each of the bonus events you "get" 42,000, 84,000 or more RCs just for showing up. I got 84,000 for the first event I attended last year, but my play dropped off and only received 42,000 for each subsequent event. If you attend multiple GGWU bonus events, you will gain additional GGWU points, from 25,000 for 2 events, to 100,000 for attending all 5 events. In 2016, there was a "special" multiplier event in which, by booking a Las Vegas trip in October (before 10/15) and earning 1 RC, all of your GGWU points would be doubled. GGWU points exchange to about 30-35K per $100 in value. I had 683K GGWU points to exchange this year thanks to bonus events and multipliers. 683K / 32.5K = $2100 in points for trade. I ended up taking $1600 of the that in Mastercard gift cards. Hope that sums it up. I know a guy on this board that had over 1.4M GGWU points.
You are correct. Those machines award double reward credits not tier credits. Bally's has several banks of machines scattered throughout that offer double RC's. Mark
Personally, I'd rather take a free play offer than the GGWU point offers. All of my CET offers are crappy since they cut everything in half when the bankruptcy began, so my free play offers are only $400 normally, but sometimes I'll get $500 or $625. My GGWU offers are always for 84,000 which would equate to $280 in free play if they didn't do the "double" offer later in the year. And you can never tell what they're going to do. So, I collected $6,105 in free play through offers throughout the year and cashed in GGWU points for another $450 which will be used in January when I go on another free play offer. I was also lucky enough to win $16,000 in free play in a drawing at Flamingo in January 2016.
Yes, I had considered that, but I want to make sure that I have "something" to show for my year's play. I travel enough to LV that it suits me, plus, my local casinos participate so I'm also earning points there. Good win on the $16,000 FP!!!!!!!
Thanks! That was the biggest shock of all my years gambling. I had never won anything in a drawing before! I understand that you want to make sure you have something to show for your years play. I'm just a freeplay hoe (joke) and won't go somewhere without having some of THEIR money to play with before I stick my own money in the machines. LOL
