East Coast Gambler

It’s possible that Trump Taj Mahal will be getting their own Scores strip club soon.  The two parties are currently negotiating a deal to lease about 10,000 square feet of space.  Of course, New Jersey does it’s strip clubs “classy”,

New York law does not prevent adult club entertainers from baring their breasts, Silver said. But in a New Jersey casino, or in any state business dispensing alcohol, nothing a bikini covers can be exposed. Starlight’s application mentions a bare minimum of pasties and thongs, or G-strings.

Customers, too, would be subject to a dress code, though Starlight’s application doesn’t elaborate on that.

This could be more beneficial to Trump properties than I initially thought.  Atlantic City is a cheap alternative to Las Vegas for dudes in NY, NJ and PA to have bachelor parties.  While, casinos typically don’t have strip clubs, the laws in New Jersey make this possible.  A strip club would make Trump a good destination for bachelor parties.

Image: Gothamist

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Here’s the latest edition of Seven Stars Insider.  This is an easy read and an excellent resource for Harrah’s players.  Head over to Seven Stars Insider to sign up for the newsletter.  There is lots of information in this edition, so read on for all the goods.

NOTE: While this newsletter was originally designed exclusively for Seven Stars members, there is useful information for anyone who has a Total Rewards® player’s card and/or plays/stays at a Harrah’s property.  Please feel free to pass this on to your friends.  Back issues of the Seven Stars Insider newsletter are available online at http://sites.google.com/site/sevenstarsinsider.

Rio For Sale – Maybe
It’s been in the news for months, but several media reports – chiefly Bloomberg News, whose story August 20 was then picked up the following week by the Las Vegas Review-Journal – claim the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas is for sale.  Harrah’s continues to deny it.  I know it’s popular with a lot of Seven Stars players who read this, but I like to be a little closer to the “action” on The Strip.  Plus, it’s just a little too noisy for me with all those “flair bartenders” and “bevertainers” (most of whom should stick to delivering beverages and stay away from microphones).  I guess I’m just getting too old!

Question Of The Month
I have a companion card and tried to go with a friend to the special Seven Stars weekly Sunday brunch at Showboat in Atlantic City.  I was told that the primary cardholder had to be present, and he/she could invite only one guest.  I thought I had all the privileges of the primary cardholder.  Well, yes, sort of.  Think of it in terms of other offers your husband gets, e.g., three complimentary nights at Paris.  Only he could claim it – you could accompany him, of course.  Same with a free coffeepot or blender.  The offer is for the cardholder, not the companion.  In terms of the brunch, do I think it’s fair?  Once again, Harrah’s is being short-sighted and causing unnecessary irritation for its best players (and their companions).  As long as the brunch is limited to two people per card, what difference does it make if you and a friend take advantage of the brunch, or you and your husband attend?  In the overall scheme of things, this is a very low-cost benefit that Harrah’s [Showboat] is offering.  What they might be gaining in loyalty and customer satisfaction for some, they are losing as much – or more – by alienating others.

Planet Hollywood Page Added To Seven Stars Insider Site
Thanks to a Planet Hollywood “veteran” who has stayed there on a number of occasions, there is now a page on the site with details about this latest addition to Harrah’s Total Rewards casinos in Las Vegas.  Some of the more interesting “highlights” are a rumored Seven Stars Club that may open there, and the fact that the staff hasn’t really grasped the Total Rewards concept, and isn’t sure what to do when they see a Seven Stars or even a Diamond card.  Check it out by clicking here.

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Resorts, in Atlantic City, has been flailing for a while now but it now has a new owner and possibly a savior in new owner Dennis Gomes.

The sale saves Resorts amid predictions that the aging and undersized Boardwalk property simply would not have survived much longer unless it came under new ownership. The announcement gives some lift to a gaming market stuck in a four-year economic slump and dealing with growing competition from rival casinos in surrounding states.

I don’t like Resorts as it is currently operated.  I feel dirty just walking into the casino.  Gomes has been trying to get into the Atlantic City casino market for a while as he was trying to gain control of the Tropicana.  I’m looking forward to seeing what he’ll be able to do with this grand old building.

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Last week was a lot of looking back at my trip to Las Vegas.  There will be a few more in the coming weeks.  Unfortunately ECG is having some problems, which I’m working on getting fixed but that won’t stop the goods from going up.  I’m back home for a week before I take off again for another adventure.

Speaking of adventures, football season starts this week with some NCAA games.  I’ll be sharing my picks on my tumblr and twitter once again this year if you’re interested.  I’ll also have JMP back with his NFL picks.  So get ready!  Here are the highlights in the past week on ECG.

• Thoughts on the Venetian
• Camp Vegas
• Trump Marina Making Bank on $1 Blackjack
• Mary Connell v1.0 vs. v2.0
• Grazie Upgrade, Upgrade
• Why I Play Video Poker
• Union Not Helping Atlantic City
• Venetian Suite Review – Meh

Buy “Las Vegas” – Season One

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Two years ago I realized that a friend of mine was getting better comps than I was by playing video poker in Atlantic City.  I was appalled by this.  I never thought that a game that grannies played would be given better treatment by the casinos than the table games I played.

This was the catalyst for me learning more about advantage play, payouts and percentages over two years ago.  It’s also partially the reason I started ECG.  Hopefully people can learn from my experiences – good, bad, drunk and over-caffeinated.

Since my $15 bets in blackjack weren’t accumulating comps in the way they I wanted them to, I devoted that money to learning how to play video poker.  I thought that maybe this would help my comps a little while making me a more efficient gambler.  I still play $25 hands when I play blackjack, but I tend to stay away from low limits for reasons beyond comps.

Since I began playing video poker, my comps have certainly gotten better and I’ve been able to extend my gambling day as I enjoy playing video poker in the morning before the rest of the casino is awake.  I’ve also come to learn what I like and dislike with all games and I’ve learned a lot about my own tendencies when I gamble.

This blog started as an into into my video poker play during my recent trip to Las Vegas, but was a little too long for an intro.  Look for my video poker play later this week and why I think video poker in Vegas is lame.

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Revenue at the casinos in Atlantic City have been dropping monthly for over two years.  The dealers union doesn’t care about that and was able to get dealers at the Tropicana a raise of 18% over the next 5 years.

As part of the agreement that was reached today, dealers will receive an eighteen percent raise spread out over the next five years. It was the first union agreement that dealers have ever completed in Atlantic City, and residents are commending the arrangement.

“With all of the negativity that has surrounded us (Atlantic City) here in the past couple of years, it was nice to see that the casino and their employees could come to an agreement on fair pay,” said Lillian Bell. “Hopefully, the other casinos can follow suit and create new deals with their workers.”

I’m all for getting what you can, when you can but at face value this seems as if it’s trying to get blood from a stone.  In the short term this may be good for the dealers, but if things don’t pick up in Atlantic City the raises won’t matter because there won’t be a need for dealers and hours will be cut because of increased cost.

The Tropicana did what they had to for business today and they’ll do what they have to for business tomorrow…for better or worse to the dealers.

Photo: Flickr: Brian G. Wilson

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