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Harrah's Cherokee Semi-live 5/25-26

Discussion in 'Non-Vegas Trip Reports' started by g35girl, May 25, 2020.

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  1. g35girl

    g35girl Low-Roller

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    My Trip Report

    I've never done a trip report, but given the circumstances, I thought I would give it a try.

    A little background... My husband and I live 3hrs away from Cherokee and visit at least once a month and hit Vegas 3-4 times a year. He is the primary degen and I'm his cheerleader, but do wander off on occasion to win back some of what he lost, when necessary. I have to admit he is the luckiest gambler I've seen and normally does well. We are slot and blackjack players only. Sorry there will be no VP porn

    He's 7* so when he received an invite for the soft opening we decided burn some PTO and give it a try. Since we booked the trip there have been some changes to the initial list of restrictions including Ruth's Chris is now open for dine-in and although initially, they were temporarily non-smoking, they are now allowing smoking inside, in the Rotunda.

    We are about 1 1/2hrs away, just outside of Asheville so I will update when we arrive.

    Let me know if you have any questions, slot requests etc and I will do my best to address[​IMG]
     
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  2. Dr Nostron

    Dr Nostron VIP Whale

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    Good luck - hoping to stop by in a couple of weeks so am following with interest
     
  3. LB9

    LB9 PH Blackjack Degen

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    Always enjoyed my trips to Cherokee, looking forward to a lot of updates and photos.
     
  4. g35girl

    g35girl Low-Roller

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    I've always loved the drive-in to Cherokee. We drive in from the East so through Maggie Valley.

    When we arrived, we drove in through the normal casino valet in the opposite direction. They checked our temperatures and we were on our way to hotel parking. There are social distancing signs while you wait to check in and along with signs reminding you to be safe.

    like I mentioned we are frequent visitors to Cherokee but this was the first time we actually had a check-in agent that was quite surly. I would have thought it would have been the opposite experience given everything.

    So far it's the crowds seem to be really minimal but we haven't been to the casino yet.[​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
     
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  5. g35girl

    g35girl Low-Roller

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    Casino is pretty empty. Slots are ok... We are holding even...

    And a surprise hand pay![​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
     
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  6. Mad Dog

    Mad Dog Low-Roller

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    That last bonus was great! Congrats. We have plans to be at Cherokee in late June. We always enjoy Ruth’s Chris and Brio. Hope that you can have a nice meal there.
     
  7. g35girl

    g35girl Low-Roller

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    We had a great dinner at Ruth's Chris! They have limited menu but had the classics. Afterwards we continued playing slots. Had a couple of small hits that kept us going.

    Overall the casino is about 10-15% capacity at best. Mask wearing is strictly enforced.

    And btw, despite what cocktail servers tell you, Laurel Lounge is open normal hours for drinks only[​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
     
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  8. jdk

    jdk Low-Roller

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    Great to hear about Laurel, must have just happened because it was definitely closed when I was there. I'm sure everyone complained about the redonk priced casino floor prices
     
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  9. miniwhale

    miniwhale High-Roller

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    So are they still charging 1000 RCs per person to get in to the Laurel Lounge? And are they still only allowing one visit to the Lounge?
     
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  10. g35girl

    g35girl Low-Roller

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    Right? Much better drinks in the lounge at half price!

    The bartender told us that no one knows that they are open. He said that even the front desk when asked, will tell people that the Laurel Lounge is closed!
     
  11. g35girl

    g35girl Low-Roller

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    I think if you are Diamond with less than 25k TCs they do charge you if you want to eat. But I think that's at every property not just Cherokee.

    Normally, when they do have food, it's one visit for food, but you can come and go for drinks as often as you like
     
  12. redfury

    redfury Low-Roller

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    Well the hand pay looks good!
     
  13. miniwhale

    miniwhale High-Roller

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    So they charge those with less than 25TCs, even without the food? And unlimited trips for drinks? Is it usually unlimited for drinks?
    Do the tables have plexiglass dividers? Or just open but only 3 seats? Have the slots been crowded?

    We are going Thursday, this stuff is good to know!!
     
  14. g35girl

    g35girl Low-Roller

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    No, they never charge entrance for drinks only. You just flash them your card, tell them you there for a drink and walk right in!

    We focused on slots last night but are heading down shortly for BJ. I didn't notice any plexiglass at tables last night, but I will confirm shortly
     
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  15. miniwhale

    miniwhale High-Roller

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    Thank you so much!!

    Can you let me know what table minimums are for 3 Card Poker and Let It Ride? And if they change in the evening? (If you happen to notice)
     
    Last edited: May 26, 2020
  16. g35girl

    g35girl Low-Roller

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    I didn't see any this morning so I was unable to check the minimums. But I know they had some tables last night.

    I neglected to answer your earlier question about the slots... I would say about 1/3rd of the slots were online, but they weren't crowded. Even the more popular slots, like Dragon Link & Buffalo were available

    Good luck Thursday and have fun!
     
  17. SClinahoo

    SClinahoo Low-Roller

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    Quick follow up from a different perspective: I wake up way too early and like to play when it is quiet and no one is around. Yesterday, I drove to Cherokee and arrived around 6:00 a.m. for a play-only session. Just some additional observations from g35girl's observations from the early morning perspective. First, it was quiet as can be as I got there and went through the above mentioned process. I was the only vehicle on the road once I turned into the main casino entrance. This is not unique for an early morning session. The temperature check was swift and I asked for a mask from the casino even though I had one to compare. Actually like Harrah's mask better than my own because it is bigger and I have a wide head (not more brains, mind you).

    I guess it was reported on - can't recall - but what struck me was not only the number of machines turned off but also the removal of the chairs for those machines. I anticipated what it might look like with the machines switched to dark screens but the lack of chairs made be do a double take. I normally play video poker and blackjack but, for personal reasons with a family member, had promised to not sit that close, so I passed. There were the typical lower number of tables open for early morn. Looking at it now from the Covid perspective, I probably had not realized how close the dealers actually are to the players.

    The machines were clean and clearly they had done some maintenance to them such as fixing sticky buttons and replacing some screens. I carried Lysol wipes and wiped each machine as I sat down - hey, I know I fidget and touch my face so I figured I would help the with their routine sanitation. In fact, this was the one glaring promise I saw lacking; the people tasked with wiping down machines were walking around with spray bottles and towels and would occasionally squirt a little cleanser on the machine and halfheartedly give the towel a wave at it. They skipped most machines and were engrossed in discussing a personal relationship issues. Glad I carried in my Lysol wipes.

    Had one hand pay for a royal for $1.00 and learned for the time being that no second signature confirmation for a hand pay is necessary for a jackpot below $5,000. Sped things up considerably. The runner who paid me and I talked for a while - for a distance of course - and he is nervous about working but did not feel he should beg off.

    My host has not been brought back to the casino yet but I dealt with the host on call and she was great.

    I did not eat or drink and was treading water when I looked up and they were getting crowded around 11:00 a.m. Pre-Covid this might have been attributed to the arrival of tour buses but I don't know if any buses can run in NC, TN or SC? Regardless with more than half of the seats removed it started feeling crowded (strange, huh?). Having felt like my exploratory expedition was a success, I left. I may be back but not for a while. Today Harrahs opened to everyone - still with a 30% cap and I am guessing there is pent-up demand.

    Sorry this is so boring but I thought I would add to what is out there.
     
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  18. NickG

    NickG Low-Roller

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    Since Cherokee is now open top the public, I just checked to hotel prices, and they are absurdly expensive. Like at least $235/night for a random weekday. (I have no status anymore with CET, so I’m sure it’s lower for those with a lot of play.) But I guess this won’t be my first post-quarantine casino trip after all.
     
  19. tringlomane

    tringlomane STP Addicted Beer Snob

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    Nice report!
     
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  20. KnowItAll

    KnowItAll VIP Whale

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    Im sure they give status players better deals. I just reserved Friday/Saturday nights July 3 & 4th in Murphy Harrah's comped and I am a low diamond.
     
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