Are any of you guys able to get comped rooms on Sat. nights

[FLASH1296]

You can catch an Academy Bus out of Port Authority Bus terminal in Manhattan and the buses are pretty comfortable.
They are not quick, taking about 2:20 to 2:30 for the trip - each way.

Considering the Casino coupons they give you, the $35 spot-fare is really about $10.

I went recently - having bought a ticket online via MegaBus.com

It cost $5 round trip - having bought the ticket more than a week in advance online.

It was positive equity alright as it included a $25 cash coupon. Not a match play. Cash.

MegaBus is a great way to travel for trips between major cities on the East Coast and, especially, the Midwest.

The fares - if bought well in advance, are sometimes as little as $1 - and I even got a total freebie trip recently.

 

[mjbballar23]

From what i hear the people on the MegaBus are the shadiest characters of all fwiw.

 

[FLASH1296]

Lies and vituperation !
Slander and Libel.
High Crimes and Misdemeanors.
Stuff and Nonsense.

I never wear shades on a bus !
​

 

[Thunder]

Yeah it essentially costs me $10 depending on which casino I get dropped off at. The best place to get dropped off at is Resorts because they give me $26 in slot dollars which I then use to play VP, so I get about $25 on average back. The new buses do have power outlets too I've gotten to ride on them twice now and they are far nicer than the older buses. See (Dead link: http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS96833+07-Apr-2009+PRN20090407)

 

[FLASH1296]

Better is $25 cash at the Tropicana and Trump Plaza.

Bally's gives $21 in slot dollars (playable at V.P.)

 

[nonstop]

Whats with everyone playing the Video Poker, am I missing out on some solid returns? I have never really got into slots but if there is some sort of strategy to the vido poker machines ill give it a whirl? Someone want to fill me in?

 

[kewljason]

Whats with everyone playing the Video Poker, am I missing out on some solid returns? I have never really got into slots but if there is some sort of strategy to the vido poker machines ill give it a whirl? Someone want to fill me in?

Full pay jacks or better video poker has a 99.54 return. (house edge of .46) The game is still a long term EV loser, but is a good way to cheaply earn extra comps, as most casinos value slot and VP player much more than table game player and comp them better. You should be warned though that this 99.54 return is based on perfect strategy play and playing max coins on each spin. To realisticly be a winner, you are going to need to hit the royal flush, which supposedly happens every 40,000 hands or so. I say suppossedly because personally I have never a royal flush in what I would guess is about 100 hours of play. Therefore I decided the extra comps earned were not worth my efforts.

 

[Automatic Monkey]

Full pay jacks or better video poker has a 99.54 return. (house edge of .46) The game is still a long term EV loser, but is a good way to cheaply earn extra comps, as most casinos value slot and VP player much more than table game player and comp them better. You should be warned though that this 99.54 return is based on perfect strategy play and playing max coins on each spin. To realisticly be a winner, you are going to need to hit the royal flush, which supposedly happens every 40,000 hands or so. I say suppossedly because personally I have never a royal flush in what I would guess is about 100 hours of play. Therefore I decided the extra comps earned were not worth my efforts.

On my last 3 AC trips I have 2 RF's. It feels like it takes forever! But when it hits there is nothing like it. Hence, the addictive potential. I suppose as long as you are addicted to something that is +EV it's not a problem, and as long as you only play during auspicious promotional periods it will be +EV. My last VP campaign I was making about $40/hr cash EV, plus tier status, plus discretionary comps, plus the cover you get from playing anything other than BJ.

 

[Thunder]

Better is $25 cash at the Tropicana and Trump Plaza.

Bally's gives $21 in slot dollars (playable at V.P.)

Flash, where I come from, they only give $20 in cash for Tropicana. I'd imagine it's the same for TP. You should see how much Resorts gives you from where you come from.

 

[Thunder]

Full pay jacks or better video poker has a 99.54 return. (house edge of .46) The game is still a long term EV loser, but is a good way to cheaply earn extra comps, as most casinos value slot and VP player much more than table game player and comp them better. You should be warned though that this 99.54 return is based on perfect strategy play and playing max coins on each spin. To realisticly be a winner, you are going to need to hit the royal flush, which supposedly happens every 40,000 hands or so. I say suppossedly because personally I have never a royal flush in what I would guess is about 100 hours of play. Therefore I decided the extra comps earned were not worth my efforts.

I agree with you Kewl. I have yet to ever get a royal flush playing J o B and have probably played about 100 hrs worth too.

 

[bjcount]

BJ, the new greyhound buses that go to AC are faarrrr better. They have leather seats, cup holders and wifi no joke! I don't necessarily like the type of people who go on those buses, but it saves about $50 in gas and tolls each trip and you don't have to worry about driving when tired so it's +EV for me.

Go to Mo-Sun and you can use your points to fill the tank at their gas station. At MGM/FW you can buy Mobil gas cards 87.50 in points for a $50 gas card. So your just stuck with the tolls.

If your playing large enough or alot of slots/VP you can get a limo and pass on the bus.


BJC

 

[FLASH1296]

I was at Trump Plaza the other day.

It was a cash voucher for $25.

All that is needed is a player's card and a trip to the cage.

 

[Thunder]

Flash, I think you misunderstood me. I was trying to say that depending on the location you're coming from, the casino rebates may be different. For example Trump Plaza may give NYC greyhound riders $25 but Baltimore riders only $20. The bus company you choose also may have an impact on the rebates you get.

 

[shadroch]

Around 2000, Taj was offering $50 in free slot play with a same day Cape May ferry reciept. A phone call showed the cost of the ferry was less than half that. Problem was the ferry was about three hours round trip, so the value just wasn't there.
Around 2004, I took a China Express bus from Flushing to AC. $20 and you got $27 in cash on arrival. When we arrived the rep insisted on stamping my hands. Seemed that some folks would ride all day and simply pocket the $7 profit. Turned out some NY social agency was putting 10-15 seniors on the bus, doing two round trips a day and then billing the city for Senior Care while the workers pocketed the extra $70- $130 a day.

 

[nonstop]

Assuming i had the strategy down pat and wanted to give the VP a try, what casino offers the best machines and how do I know which one to play or are they all the same rules? Just trying to find something other than blackjack so I can recieve some comps quicker.

 

[FLASH1296]

Ahhh Yes.

I was referring solely to the Academy Buses from gate 1 at Port Authority -

near the 9th AV & W. 41st ST entrance.

 

[shadroch]

Why do you use Academy instead of Greyhound? I no longer take either, but the few times I tried Academy, they were always late, and stopped at Cheesequake along the way. Greyhound went direct and the chances of getting an empty seat seemed higher. Also seemed a good bit quicker.

 

[shadroch]

Assuming i had the strategy down pat and wanted to give the VP a try, what casino offers the best machines and how do I know which one to play or are they all the same rules? Just trying to find something other than blackjack so I can recieve some comps quicker.

Thats not as easy a question to answer as it may seem. Jacks or Better is the standard game, and you'd want a machine that pays 9 coins on a fullhouse, and 6 on a flush. Thoase machines are few in AC. Games like Double Bonus, Double Double Bonus, Dueces Wild and such can provide better pay schedules but are much more complicated to play. As an example- You are dealt- Ace, Ace, 2, 5 9. In Jacks or Better, you'd hold the Aces and lose the rest. In another game, you might get a bonus for four Aces and a 2, so you'd end up keeping A,A,2. These games have better payback but the swings are nuts.
Like any game, start by searching the internet and read everything you can.
http://www.wizardofodds.com/ is a good starting point. Bob Dancer has very very helpful
insites. Be aware there are any number of charlatans out there,Rob Singer being the biggest. If they claim there system can't be proven by numbers, avoid them.

 

[Automatic Monkey]

Assuming i had the strategy down pat and wanted to give the VP a try, what casino offers the best machines and how do I know which one to play or are they all the same rules? Just trying to find something other than blackjack so I can recieve some comps quicker.

JoB is a good choice, and also the Triple Bonus machines at Hilton and Taj. The house edge is a little lower, and I believe the medium-term swings aren't as rough because you don't need to hit that many quads to have a decent session.

Don't just play them though, make sure there is some kind of promo going on to make it worth it, or that you know how much play you have to get in to get the comps you need. Talk to a host.

 

[FLASH1296]

I used Academy, simply because the tickets were almost free online via MegaBus.com.