Slot Slutting for TR Offers

darco77

Well-Known Member
#1
Back in October there was a great discussion on exploiting the Total Rewards system for free room offers (An easy way to get comped rooms at Harrahs). Like many of you, I consider Shadroch the local expert on this. Following the instructions he laid out in the link above, I tried the system for myself, and am sharing the details for those who are considering doing the same.

First off, I just received my first mail offer, hence this post. And it includes free room offers, which is what I was seeking when I started this. Regarding myself, I have a full time job, so the funds for the slot slutting did not come from the AP bankroll. As far as my TR status, I've never had a TR account. But I did have a dormant PH A-List card, and when I signed up for TR (which was after the acquisition of PH), they recognized my old account. This worried me somewhat, but my last heavy play on the PH card was in early 2008.

I've played four sessions since signing up in late October '10, at three properties, in LV and Reno (details below). I've accumulated 696 Reward Credits (RCs) over the four sessions, translating to $3480 in action. I've exclusively played dollar reel slots, including Double Diamond, Blazing 7's, and Red White & Blue, since experts like Shadroch, Machinist, and folks from other forums have indicated these have lower variance. I always bet max (two) credits, so as not to preclude myself from the jackpot bonus if I were to be so lucky. And yes, I've been getting killed in these games, as the house has been holding much more than the averages listed in ACG for these locations and denominations.

Code:
Date	Property	Pts	P/L	Cum Pts	Cum P/L		Action	Return	Cum Action	Cum Return	Machine			Denomination
10/25	Paris		220	-200	220	-200		1100	81.82%	1100		81.82%		Double Diamond Deluxe	$1 (2 max)
11/6	Plan Ho		125	-170	345	-370		625	72.80%	1725		78.55%		Blazing 7's 5 Reel	$1 (2 max)
11/25	Har Reno	121	-160	466	-530		605	73.55%	2330		77.25%		Double Diamond Deluxe	$1 (2 max)
1/9	Paris		230	-440	696	-970		1150	61.74%	3480		72.13%		DD, Red White & Blue	$1 (2 max)
My first mail offer arrived last week, from Harrah's Reno. It includes coupons for 3 free hotel nights in March, 3 free hotel nights in April, $20 freeplay for March, $20 freeplay for April, and a couple of 2-for-1 show ticket offers. It lists my Membership Status Update (Tier Score and RC balance) as of 11/25, so it does not reflect my most recent session at Paris.

I think this is pretty decent for a first offer (on the assumption that more offers are to come). The room offers are unrestricted as far as weekends or holidays. And $40 in Freeplay beats the hell out of nothing. I'm a bit disappointed I haven't received anything from LV yet, since downtown Reno has really deteriorated in terms of playable games and general safety. But slot sluts can't be choosers, I suppose. I'll be patient, and perhaps my most recent session will trigger an offer from an LV property.

I do have one question regarding the Freeplay. The FP tickets are good for VP or Slots, which is nice. However, they require you to insert your TR card into the machine first. From what I understand, this will trigger a "day" and if I want to keep my slut status up, I'll need to rack up a good 100 points before the day ends. This prevents me from cycling through the $20, cashing out the remainder, and walking away. Any tips on this? Do any of the other properties offer FP tickets that do not require using your TR card?

Thanks to those who have shared their knowledge in this field. I plan to continue to share my findings as I discover more. As an aside, during my most recent session, where I single-handedly paid for one of the CEO's caviar feedings, my GF gave about $20 in action and came up $380. Go figure :rolleyes:
 

ChefJJ

Well-Known Member
#2
Another Resource

Thanks for the details, darco. Another recommendation is to check Caesars' TR website...the calendar often gives you good deals all over the place.

For instance, I usually only get mailers for the AC properties, but the system still hooks me up with deals/comped rooms throughout the country. I'm getting 4 free nights next week in Vegas and haven't been there in a little over a year...the vast majority of my TR play is in AC.

good luck :joker:
 

Machinist

Well-Known Member
#3
Darco buddy!!!!!! Cant you find anything better than slots?? Alot of casinos have the Royal Match Bj machines now...thats only .6 or so against you....VPoker???
There has to be some VP of some sorts????
Granted slots will generate some good offers.....But even Shad i'm sure doesnt play a whole lot of slots unless they have some kind of a bonus that can be beaten...
God i hope you didnt lose to much....!!!!!!! Glad you stuck to the machines you did but even those can be brutal...
Very interesting though that you have posted this...looking forward to updates!!!

Machinist
 

Dyepaintball12

Well-Known Member
#5
ChefJJ said:
Thanks for the details, darco. Another recommendation is to check Caesars' TR website...the calendar often gives you good deals all over the place.

For instance, I usually only get mailers for the AC properties, but the system still hooks me up with deals/comped rooms throughout the country. I'm getting 4 free nights next week in Vegas and haven't been there in a little over a year...the vast majority of my TR play is in AC.

good luck :joker:
x2

Always check the website! I get offers in the mail from TR very infrequently but I use free room offers I have on-line several times a month!
 

shadroch

Well-Known Member
#6
Sounds like you are behind the curve so far, but playing $1 machines a decent hit for a few hundred will put you right back in the game.
My last trip to Ac, I played a $2 max bet Triple Damond Machine and had planned to cashout after I'd lost $50 of the $100 bill I put in. Wasn't hitting anything and decided I'd gamble the whole hundred. Long story short- with $5 left I hit Triple D-Triple D- bar for $270.
I'm not sure where you read DDiamond had low variance. I'm lmost positive I never said that, I dispise that game. The nickle reel machines tend to have low variance in that you win something almost every round- bet 27 coins, win 15 bet 27 , win 6, ect, ect, but lower overall EV. Dollar reels have greater variance but higher EV.
I can only say don't get discouraged. Keep playing and the math win even itself out.
BTW- the preferred term is comp sucker. Slot Ho is so last year.
 

WRX

Well-Known Member
#7
As far as I can tell, Harrah's Reno has exactly two 9/6 JOB VP machines. They're in the main casino near the keno lounge. If you can play at the $2 level and bang out the kind of action that would get you Diamond in a day, it should generate some direct-to-machine free play coupons much larger than what you got. That may assume that you haven't trashed your daily average too badly already.

Once you start harvesting the cash back, I doubt that it's practical to maintain a good daily average without giving back too much value. The offers should keep flowing for a few months, maybe a year. When they dry up, give the card a rest, then start over.
 

shadroch

Well-Known Member
#8
Its been my experiance that after you milk them dry and the offers dry up, it just takes one big trip for everything to go back to what it was.
Harrahs doesn't reward VPplayers nearly as well as they do slot players. VP players tend to use their brains. Not what Harrahs is interested in.
 

WRX

Well-Known Member
#9
shadroch said:
Harrahs doesn't reward VPplayers nearly as well as they do slot players. VP players tend to use their brains. Not what Harrahs is interested in.
The trouble being, of course, that the house edge on reel slots will be about 10 times worse than on a decent VP game. Exactly how much worse is anybody's guess, and typically with huge variance.
 

Shoofly

Well-Known Member
#10
WRX said:
The trouble being, of course, that the house edge on reel slots will be about 10 times worse than on a decent VP game. Exactly how much worse is anybody's guess, and typically with huge variance.
I recently attempted to shoot for Diamond with 9/6 JOB. Played $1.00 machines, max bet (5.00 per hand) for 12 hours over 4 days. 99.54% should cost $500-600 to reach Diamond, but understanding that variance could create a much higher cost. The variance was brutal and cost was $1300 and only reached Platinum level. Stopped there because of cost. The good news is that Platinum has generated $20 per week in Free Play, which I use at BJ tables. At about 1/2 of 1% house edge, that is close to full value. For a year that will get me most of my money back. Also, I now get comped rooms in Tunica and Las Vegas; and comped rooms for selected dates in Biloxi and AC.
 

Machinist

Well-Known Member
#11
Shoofly said:
I recently attempted to shoot for Diamond with 9/6 JOB. Played $1.00 machines, max bet (5.00 per hand) for 12 hours over 4 days. 99.54% should cost $500-600 to reach Diamond, but understanding that variance could create a much higher cost. The variance was brutal and cost was $1300 and only reached Platinum level. Stopped there because of cost. The good news is that Platinum has generated $20 per week in Free Play, which I use at BJ tables. At about 1/2 of 1% house edge, that is close to full value. For a year that will get me most of my money back. Also, I now get comped rooms in Tunica and Las Vegas; and comped rooms for selected dates in Biloxi and AC.
Good rule of thumb for JOB is a loss rate of 100 bucks an hour on dollars,, that's assuming a decent speed on the machines.
Fluxuations of VP suck most of the time....:whip:
Has anybody ever played the DONT and the PASS on craps??? I thought i read that somewhere, Should work pretty good with a smaller loss than JOB....

Machinist
 
#12
If you lose $1200 in VP but get nearly unlimited free rooms anywhere, it'll even out after staying 2 weeks.

If you get match play, you should bet it all on one number in roulette instead of blackjack in order to get the full value. You'll eventually hit the number you choose.
 

Shoofly

Well-Known Member
#13
alwayssplitaces said:
If you lose $1200 in VP but get nearly unlimited free rooms anywhere, it'll even out after staying 2 weeks.

If you get match play, you should bet it all on one number in roulette instead of blackjack in order to get the full value. You'll eventually hit the number you choose.
It's not match play, it's free play. It's like having four $5chips in front of you. I don't have any data to back it up, but my instinct tells me blackjack is a better play than roulette.
 

shadroch

Well-Known Member
#14
alwayssplitaces said:
If you lose $1200 in VP but get nearly unlimited free rooms anywhere, it'll even out after staying 2 weeks.

If you get match play, you should bet it all on one number in roulette instead of blackjack in order to get the full value. You'll eventually hit the number you choose.
If you had 36 $10 MPs and covered every number on a roulette table, you'd win one bet and lose 35. No variance at all.
Using a MP on 36 straight hands of $10 MP will give you what result?
 
#15
In Roulette the FREE PLAY COUPONS can only be bet on

LOW -- EVEN -- RED


I receive $20 in FREE PLAY COUPONS from the Caesars casinos in AC. I break it down and get two $10 coupons. This gives me two spins to try to walk away with some money.

The casinos are giving you a worthless piece of paper. It's worthless because you have to win your bet in order for it to be worth anything. They used to reward you by giving you $20 in chips. At least those chips were worth something. I would take those chips and cash them in. It covered my travel expenses. I can't cash in that piece of paper. I have to bet it and win in order for it to be worth anything.---IT'S ALL A GIMMICK
 

shadroch

Well-Known Member
#16
Can you use it for free slot play? If so, put it in a fifty play/100 play JOB machine and play four hands at $5 a pop.
Or bet $10 Red, $10 black on the wheel. They are not worthless. Just not worth face value.
 

ChefJJ

Well-Known Member
#17
Machinist said:
Has anybody ever played the DONT and the PASS on craps??? I thought i read that somewhere, Should work pretty good with a smaller loss than JOB....
Machinist
Won't get you any comps, so it's a pure loss.
 

sagefr0g

Well-Known Member
#18
Quote:
Originally Posted by Machinist View Post
Has anybody ever played the DONT and the PASS on craps??? I thought i read that somewhere, Should work pretty good with a smaller loss than JOB....
Machinist
ChefJJ said:
Won't get you any comps, so it's a pure loss.
Chefjj, wouldn't this work for comps if one had an unknown 'confederate' playing the opposite of your bet while you are playing rated?
what would the team stand to lose, percentage wise, errhh or what would the house edge be against such team play?
 

ChefJJ

Well-Known Member
#19
sagefr0g said:
Chefjj, wouldn't this work for comps if one had an unknown 'confederate' playing the opposite of your bet while you are playing rated?
what would the team stand to lose, percentage wise, errhh or what would the house edge be against such team play?
The "unknown confederate" approach could work...have never tried it, but have heard of it being used.

This play (whether played by a team or an individual) is often referred to as the Doey-Don't. Once the point number is established, you are essentially looking at a push once the bet is resolved. Where the house generates its edge with this play is during the come-out rolls...because the 12 is a push for the Don't and a loss for the Pass, each come-out roll has a 1/36 chance (2.78%) of turning out this way.

good luck :joker:
 

Machinist

Well-Known Member
#20
ChefJJ said:
The "unknown confederate" approach could work...have never tried it, but have heard of it being used.

This play (whether played by a team or an individual) is often referred to as the Doey-Don't. Once the point number is established, you are essentially looking at a push once the bet is resolved. Where the house generates its edge with this play is during the come-out rolls...because the 12 is a push for the Don't and a loss for the Pass, each come-out roll has a 1/36 chance (2.78%) of turning out this way.

good luck :joker:
I've thought about this approach to a card and where i heard of it being done. I definitely remember some guys doing it to get the new 7star cards when Harrahs was changing their ratings.... They played at a pretty high level black or better...for 3 hrs and you got the card...Now wether that was a 7 stars or it was maybe the diamond...I would think it had to be the diamond... Basically these guys were looking for the lounge for food and the rooms across the country...
Its been a few years since i remember the talk about this...soooooooo

Machinist
 
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