Anyone wear contact lenses?

[Sonny]

I currently wear glasses but have been thinking about switching to contact lenses, mainly for casino use. I understand that things like smoke and dust can irritate contact lenses and was wondering if anyone had any experiences (good or bad) with contacts in casinos. I'd LOVE to be able to have crystal clear peripheral vision but am worried about irritating my virgin retinas.

-Sonny-

 

[zengrifter]

I know counter who wear contacts...

... without problem. Notwithstanding, you should consider natural eye rejuvination as researched by Dr. Bates -
(Dead link: http://www.mbsevents.co.uk/therapy.asp?therapy=Bates+Method)
http://www.seeing.org/intro/index.htm

 

[suicyco maniac]

contacts

A teammate of mine wears contacts and we have played in some of the grimiest smokiest casinos imaginable and he seems to be OK....or at least I should say I never hear him complain about it although he always has something else to complain about AM

 

[Automatic Monkey]

Why?

Eyeglasses make it a lot harder for a cam to see your eye movements. But I guess you could switch between glasses and contacts to fake out facial recognition software.

By the way contacts go on your corneas, not your retinas.

 

[Geoff Hall]

Contact Lenses

I wear contact lenses and have had no problem since using the monthly disposables.

Easy to get used to as well.

 

[Ohio_Jones]

glasses vs. contacts

I have worn contacts and glasses and haven't had much problems with either one. The smoke, depending on the casinos ventilation and the dry air could irritate the eyes. Now instead of poking your finger in your eye to "readjust" your lense please go to the restroom and make sure to wash your hands thoroughly first. And then, in a finishing shoe length of time, you should be able to take care of all the contact problems.

 

[gorilla player]

one answer...

My wife wears them. Smoke bothers her eyes. I wear glasses. Smoke bothers mine too. She keeps some sort of "Visine for contact wearers" or something in her purse, which seems to help. When we were in Vegas in June, it was way hot and dry. A few minutes outside and my eyes were feeling very strange. Finally figured out it was just dryness and those same visine drops helped me as well. I suspect the best eyewear for a counter is glasses (I wear progressive lenses myself) that have some sort of tint or something to make watching your eyes a bit harder...

 

[schmoe]

Glasses make you look smarter.

If you want to look less smart in a casino, wear contacts. And they may have the added benefit of giving you a new look. This works better as cover than putting a red chip on top of your bet or something.

 

[phantom007]

Easier to start Smoking.....

Once you get above 1-PPD (One Pack per Day) you will find that second hand smoke is a minimal nuisance....and sometimes welcome if you are out and the House will not comp. you any smokes.

The following is a rehash of a previous post or two, but for the sake of new readers, I have always thought it wierd that:

1. I have NEVER been declined a Buffet/Coffee Shop comp. after 1 hour of Red action. Retail value $10-20., and PC always asks, "For one or two?"...therefore, retail value $20-40. Since I almost always "play solo", I always say "for two", then order expensive stuff!

2. I have NEVER been declined a Steak House comp. after 3-4 hours of Green action. Retail value $50-100., and PC always asks, "For one or two?"...therefore retail value $100-200. Again, since I almost always "play solo", I say "for two", then order the REALLY EXPENSIVE STUFF!

3. I have NEVER been declined a Room Comp. after 3-4 hours of Green Action...in fact, have often gotten "THE TAP" from the Executive Host..."Hello Mr. Phantom....can Casino X buy you dinner, and are you staying here? We can put you up at No Charge!"

Once in a "smaller" Tunica property, where I was playing Medium Green, PC asks me about my trip....I stated something to the effect that "I am staying at Casino Y, but they will not let me check-in until 3pm. Heard you guys had a good DD game, so I came here to check it out". Next thing I know, PC had cancelled by other reservations AND put me up in HIS property!

And, he personally, brought me not one, BUT TWO packs of smokes!

4. However, USUALLY, ask for a pack of SMOKES free, and you'll get "We have to check." PC goes to the (usually) girl punching stuff into the computer in the BJ pit, she punches up stuff, PC reviews same, then makes a call "upstairs". While waiting for the return call, PC comes back over and pulls you card, i.e., the one that shows buy-in(s) at the BJ table, reviews same, and usually makes another phone call. Several more calls go back-and-forth and usually then, one gets a SMOKE COMP.

But, about 2 years ago, I was DECLINED a SMOKE COMP at LVC...after 2 hours of Green Action....PC told me I needed "4 Hours of Green Action" to get a free pack of smokes!

The VERY NEXT MORNING at LVC, different PC granted my wish after about 30 minutes of similar action!!!

So simply START SMOKING! Even if you do not, you can still get the Comps., then sell them to us Smokers! +EV!

Otherwise, if you are a candidate for Lasik (laser) vision correction, then YOU WILL STILL NEED GLASSES! Helps fool FRS (Facial Recognition Software)...just look at the Mayor's Hippee Glasses to the left upper quadrant of this screen! While I do not KNOW for sure, I doubt coloured contacts will fool FRS.

phantom007.

 

[eyesfor21]

serious players

serious players do not drink
serious players do not smoke
serious players rarely use players cards
serious players pretend to do all of the above but do NOT!

 

[Sonny]

LVC denied me too!

> But, about 2 years ago, I was DECLINED a SMOKE COMP at LVC...after 2 hours of
> Green Action....PC told me I needed "4 Hours of Green Action" to get a free
> pack of smokes!

After about 2 hours of red/light green action I asked the PB if he could get me some smokes. He said "Ask the waitress, you can buy some from her." Ever since then I just assumed that casinos didn't comp smokes anymore. I'll have to try again!

-Sonny-

 

[schmoe]

serious players

"serious players rarely use players cards"

See how long someone betting purple+ lasts without using a players card. It all depends on the play.

 

[eyesfor21]

privacy invasion is not good

More and more people these days are tired
of their privacy being invaded with:
>banks our selling info
>high rollers know casinos get too much information from these
players cards and many are saying no!
>even supermarkets obtaining too much info with supermarket
cards.
>cell phone companies sell loads of info on U
>telemarketing calling at all hours,made many so upset the
government set up a do not call list
>mortgages on homes and investment properties being
done all the time now as stated income since consumers do not
want to disclose taxes.
etc..
do not put phone/tv/anything in your real name...and always
use a po box..unless you love this privacy invasion.
>

 

[gorilla player]

interesting question...

I have a couple of "counter-measures" for places that really insist on player's cards. However, I have generally had good success with this:

"I'm sorry, but I refuse to even apply for a player's card. I get too much SPAM email, I get too much SPAM US Mail. And I do not want anyone knowing when and where I choose to gamble, nor which games I play, nor how often I play them. If that violates the rules for playing here, then I'm perfectly willing to take my play elsewhere. But I'm not giving out a lot of personal information, such as my driver's license, so that it can be mis-used, or stolen, or whatever..."

I've yet to have more than a couple of pits tell me to leave. however, I don't bet purple and rarely play black. I play mainly red/green. red for 6d where a big spread is needed, green for 4d where such a wide spread isn't needed.

If the pit boss wants to make a conversation about it, I simply tell him "hey, my local grocery store wants the same information and offers me a discount on my groceries if I get one of their cards. But I refuse because I do not want them tracking my purchases, and selling my purchasing history to businesses that might want to target me for specific product promotions." What would be their logic in telling someone without a player's card to leave? For the places that are paranoid, I give 'em a card. But it won't track back to me...

 

[schmoe]

those concerns are minimal

They only get the information you choose to give them. When you get a player's card, you can even tell the person that you moved and give a mail drop or something. Or if it is a throwaway name, you give the address of a starbucks or something.

That "I don't want spam" talk only flies for red to short black. Because the pit really doesn't care. They are just trying to do their job. Once the bigger chips start flying they start to care more. It is a VERY common practice for places to call surveillance the second a purple chip hits the felt. Once that happens, surveillance is also giving them some crap about your being anon.

Getting to play more than 10 minutes in a few stores has more weight to me than privacy concerns on information I give them.

It all depends on the play. The Grosjean/Russo model of always being anonymous is not correct for all players. But it is correct for those guys.

Concerning grocery store cards, I always trade mine with out of state friends when I am visiting and tell them to do the same in the future. Or I ask the cashier for the card she has behind the counter. Unless they actually mail me coupons or something that makes it worth my while to give up the info.

 

[eyesfor21]

schmoe

when betting large 100 - 1000 per hand.
I will respond I am having a very bad day,
I will give you the card latter on Iam not in
the mood now!

 

[schmoe]

so you give that excuse while blasting away for 8 hours?

 

[Automatic Monkey]

Another reason

When I play at the shops near home I want the card because comps are a significant portion of my EV. And I'll always get to spend them. They're exchangeable for gasoline which is as good as cash.

But if I'm playing in some Midwest venue, just passing through, the comps will probably expire before I'm ever here again so I don't want the card. Being my act is compulsive gambler/alcoholic, I drunkenly tell them that my wife (I'm single) doesn't know I'm gambling again and she'll divorce me if she finds out. Then come the sob stories, and the pit doesn't want to hear it and they leave me alone.