East Coast Gambler -

On a recent trip to Harrah’s Resort in Atlantic City i was offered a handicapped room in the Waterfront Tower.  I love the Waterfront Tower because it’s the newest tower at Harrah’s and prefer to stay there.  I also don’t mind handicapped rooms as they are usually easy to get to and a little larger than normal rooms.  Both cases were true.

First, I had to get to Atlantic City.  I wasn’t sure how the trip would go because there was a “snowicane” which brought anywhere from 6-28 inches of snow to NY and NJ.  As the day progressed the roads were tended to and there was clear sailing with a cup of coffee in hand.

The trip took about the normal 2.5 hours and with one pit stop for overpriced wiper fluid about halfway through the trip

I finally arrived at Harrah’s Resort at about 6pm.  I love the lights on the outside of the Waterfront Tower.  This is a pretty awesome feature.

The main area of the room was about the same size as other Waterfront Tower rooms.  There may have been a little more space for wheelchair access, but I don’t think so.  Excuse the dark photo, it was overcast much of the trip.

The sitting area was as tight and, somewhat, comfortable as the other Waterfront Tower rooms.

Read the rest of this entry →

Share on Facebook

This was a slow week after a fun time in Atlantic City last weekend.  I waited outside of Harrah’s for a cab, without a coat for 15 minutes, and caught a cold.  Oh well, such is life.  I ended up about even and didn’t pay for a meal so the trip was good.  The next few weeks will be off and on since I will be away on business.  I’ll forward out any interesting articles I see on twitter, so follow me in you like.

• Meadowlands Begs New Jersey To Let Them Have Slots
• It’s Official: TropIcahna Approved
• Trip Notes In Pictures
• Sands Isn’t Killing Anyone Besides Itself
• Seven Stars Insider: Feb-March

Share on Facebook

Here are my trip notes in reverse chronological order via pictures on my tumblr page.  I caught a cold on Saturday night and it’s been slaying me and I don’t expect to get many more posts up this week.  For now, enjoy my trip in brief.

• Medicine
• Straight Flush!
• I found 1 of 3 quarter 9/6 Jacks or Better machines
• Time Machine Slot #2
• Time Machine Slot #1
• Handi-capable Toilet
• Club Cap Now Serves Lavazza Cofee
• Grey Goose + Soda + Lotsa Lime and Lemon
• Chillin in the 19th floor lobby
• View of Borgata from 19th floor lobby in Waterfront Tower
• Extreme Slots Winner!
• Cheeseburger with fried egg. Great Hangover cure, but looks nasty!
• Penny Slot.  No idea what was happening here.
• 4 of a kind! Good morning!
• Sign says up way too early
• Arriving at Harrahs
• 79 Miles to go!

Share on Facebook

Seven Stars Insider is a great resource for Harrah’s players looking for information and ways to possibly improve their Total Rewards experience.  The Total Rewards system is a little confusing so the more info the merrier.  As the disclaimer says in the newsletter this info isn’t only for Harrah’s top tier players.

Sign up for Seven Stars Insider on their site.

Seven Stars Insider – February/March 2010

[NOTE: While this newsletter was originally designed exclusively for Seven Stars Club 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.]

Planet Hollywood Becomes Part Of Total Rewards April 1

By now you probably know that a subsidiary of Harrah’s Entertainment Inc. has assumed ownership of the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.  As of April 1, Harrah’s Total Rewards program should be fully integrated, enabling guests to earn and redeem Reward and Tier Credits every time they play at the casino.  Points earned in Planet Hollywood’s loyalty program, A-List, will automatically convert into Total Rewards credits at the time of the Total Rewards integration.  This is similar to what happened when Harrah’s purchased Caesars several years ago.

Harrah’s Cherokee Now Serving Alcohol On Limited Basis

Alcohol is now being served at Harrah’s Cherokee from 7 a.m. to 2 a.m. Monday through Saturday and from noon until 2 a.m. on Sundays. Note, though, that only non-alcoholic beverages are complimentary and you cannot use comp dollars to purchase alcohol.

Aces Closes

In preparation for recently approved table games in Pennsylvania, Aces Diner at Harrah’s Chester closed in mid-February.  Not a big loss, in many guests’ opinions.

Snow Days In Atlantic City

Once again, Harrah’s angered its most valued customers by closing its Diamond Clubs the last Thursday and Friday of February “due to inclement weather.”  Meanwhile, the bars at Showboat Thursday night were packed to capacity, and most other Harrah’s food and beverage outlets around the city were open for business.  By Friday, there were no significant weather problems that should have delayed most guests or employees from getting to Atlantic City.  As a matter of fact, Trump Marina’s Chairman’s Club was open both Thursday and Friday, as was the Borgata’s Amphora Lounge.  Trump Taj Mahal’s Chairman’s Club was closed Thursday, but offered eligible players coupons for the buffet at a reduced rate (10 comp dollars for a lunch or dinner valued at $21).

Seven Stars Insider Site Updated

Google did a wholesale conversion of all its Web sites, and caused a number of sites – including Seven Stars Insider – to lose much of its original formatting.  This has since been fixed, some factual errors corrected, and information on several properties updated.  If you visit a Harrah’s property and find incorrect information on the site – or information that needs to be updated, please send an email to sevenstarsinsider@gmail.com.  In addition, as always, we are looking for reports on properties currently not represented on the site.  If you can provide any insights, again, please send an email to sevenstarsinsider@gmail.com.

Did You Attend A New Year’s Eve Celebration?

Not a big response to this question, but everyone who commented had “raves” (especially for the events at Harrah’s Resort and Bally’s in Atlantic City).  See specific comments below:

• “My husband and I attended the party at Harrah’s Resort in Atlantic City.  It had a Moulin Rouge theme in one of the upstairs ballrooms.  The dinner was wonderful – an ‘11’out of ‘10’.”

• “We attended the party at Bally’s in Atlantic City.  It was an excellent event, just as good as previous years’.  [The 12-piece band] played and sang everything from the ’40s through ’90s rap music.  The meal was lobster, shrimp and filet mignon.  We did not expect it to be that good.  Recent events at Bally’s had been very disappointing.  One previous dinner featured a chicken cutlet and one stuffed shrimp.”

What’s Your Recommendation For The Annual Seven Stars Trip?

A lot of new members, in particular, would appreciate your thoughts on where to take the annual trip.  Did you have an outstanding experience somewhere, or, conversely, is there some property you wouldn’t send your worst enemy?  Send me an email (sevenstarsinsider@gmail.com) and I’ll share your thoughts – anonymously, of course – with everyone in a future newsletter.  (Be sure to check out some tips for your annual trip by going to http://sites.google.com/site/sevenstarsinsider/yourannualsevenstarstrip.)

~Darryl

P.S.  Back issues of the Seven Stars Insider newsletter are available online at http://sites.google.com/site/sevenstarsinsider/.  You will need Adobe Acrobat to view them, but this is a free program available at www.adobe.com.

Darryl D. McEwen, Publisher

Seven Stars Insider

Share on Facebook

Maybe it’s an April fools joke.  Maybe it’s not.  According to @PHVegas on twitter Planet Hollywood will begin using the Total Rewards system on April 1.

We’re rolling out Total Rewards on April 1, so there are plenty of new perks and privileges coming to make our guests feel like celebrities!

Harrahs.com shows Planet Hollywood, but redirects you to the old reservation system and website for Planet Hollywood.  Unfortunately, this may take Planet Hollywood out of my plans for my next Vegas trip.  Oh well.

Share on Facebook

New rumor: Harrah’s is buying Palms next.  How can this be possible?  Steve Friess from The Strip Podcast was the first person I saw with this rumor.  After reading his blog and the accompanying Financial Times article it seems as if we have a repeat of how Harrah’s purchased Planet Hollywood.

The piece relies on anonymous sources, albeit more than one, and notes that “the investment points toward a systematic strategy by Harrah’s to acquire other casinos through their distressed debt.”

Friess followed up this with a call to George Maloof, owner of Palms, to get even more information on the subject.

I just hung up with George Maloof, who cast doubt on the Financial Times’ report that Harrah’s has been buying up Palms debt by saying, flat-out: “They’re not going to take over my company. It’s so far remote.”

Great job of digging for info here.  I love the Palms in the same way I love Planet Hollywood.  Maybe it’s the independent nature of those casinos that draws me or maybe it’s the youthful, energetic crowd that both casinos seem to draw.

Mass homogenization of casinos is boring and it seems as if that’s where Las Vegas is heading.  This will create a wider gap for casinos like Wynn/Encore from MGM-Mirage and Harrah’s properties.

There is part of me that will pay for great service and there is another part that loves the comps provided by “The Man.”  I will sit here torn a little as I ponder whether or not I’m going to make it to Harrah’s in Atlantic City.

ALSO: Props to Steve Friess for the info here.  Follow The Strip Podcast on twitter, read the blog for more info and check the podcast.  A great source for Vegas info from a person that’s actually in Vegas.

Share on Facebook

Doing a check of video poker inventory in Atlantic City on vpFREE doesn’t show much.  Harrah’s hasn’t been updated this year, while Borgata still has plenty of good machines to play.  Here are some of my findings.

If you’re not familiar with vpFREE, it is a database of video poker pay tables that are updated by video poker players.  It’s a great resource if you play a specific game like me.  I always check to see where the Jacks or Better machines are.

Bally’s (last updated: Feb 10, 10 04:35 AM UTC)

99.54% JoB 1-2-3-4-6-9-25-50-800 JoB (FP)
(2) 25¢ Up in Park Place Video Poker area
(4) 25¢ Up near poker area, towards cashier
(4) $1 Prog Up in Park Place to the right of the big six wheel
(3) $1 3 Play Slant in Diamond Pointe immediately to the left after entering
(1) $1 3 Play Slant in Park Place Video Poker area
(4) $1 1 Play Slant in Park Place Video Poker area
(4) $1, $2 Slant in Park Place Video Poker area
(1) $10 Up in Diamond Pointe
(1) $25 Up in Diamond Pointe

99.17% BP 1-2-3-4-5-8-25-40-80-50-800 BP (FP)
(3) $1 3 Play Slant in Diamond Pointe immediately to the left after entering
(1) $1 3 Play Slant in Park Place Video Poker area
(4) $1, $2 Slant in Park Place Video Poker area
(3) $5 Slant in back of Diamond Pointe
(1) $5 Up in Diamond Pointe
(1) $5 1/3 Play Slant in Diamond Pointe against opposite wall from doorway entrance
(1) $10 Up in Diamond Pointe
(1) $25 Up in Diamond Pointe
(1) 25¢ Slant in Park Place Video Poker area
(9) 25¢ Prog Slant in Park Place to the right of the Big Six Wheel
(7) 25¢ 3 Play Prog Slant in Park Place near Big Six Wheel
(4) $1 Prog Slant in Park Place Video Poker area

99.11% DB 1-1-3-5-7-9-50-80-160-50-800
(4) $1 Slant in Park Place Video Poker area
(1) $5 Up in Diamond Pointe

(3) $5 Slant in the back of Diamond Pointe
99.00% JWD 1-1-4-6-8-10-25-50-100-1000
(5) 25¢ Slant Game King bank in Little Joe’s (WWW) 2nd Row from back wall
(3) 25¢ Up non-smoking section of Park Place Poker just opposite the casino host desk

Borgata (last updated: Feb 10, 10 04:35 AM UTC)

99.54% JoB 1-2-3-4-6-9-25-50-800 JoB (FP)
(14) 25¢ Slant (Panel says Joker Poker) near the buffet
(6) 25¢ Up (Panel says Joker Wild Poker) between buffet & box office by the ATM
(4)  25¢ Slant in video poker area near the buffet
(8) 25¢ Up by high energy slots (one side of bank is 8/5, other side is 9/6)
(13) 25¢, 50¢, $1 Slant (various names on them – including Either way Royals, Triple Bonus Plus, Draw Poker) These are the next bank up from a huge sign that says Joker Poker – that bank is all 8/5’s between B-bar and the new section of the Borgata
(14) 25¢, 50¢, $1 Slant near buffet
(6) 25¢ Up just into new section of casino by change booth
(10) 25¢, 50¢ Slant (2 panels say draw poker, 8 say Joker Wild Poker) just outside of B-bar entrance
(11) 25¢, 50¢, $1 @ the B-bar
(6) 50¢ Slant (panel says Draw Poker) 2 Banks into the new section going from B-bar to Wolfgang Pucks
(10) $1, $2, $5 @ the B-bar
(4) $1, $2 Slant near the high-limit area
(6) $2, $5 Slant in high-limit area
(6) $5, $10 Slant in high-limit area
(4) $10, $25 Slant in high-limit area99.17% BP 1-2-3-4-5-8-25-40-80-50-800 BP (FP)
(3) $1, $2 Slant outside high-limit area next to roulette tables

98.98% DDB 1-1-3-4-6-9-50-80-160-160-400-50-800 DDB (FP)
(4) 25¢ Slant in video poker area near the buffet
(6) $1, $2 next to main cashier at ends of $1 bank

97.25% DJW 1-2-3-3-3-5-8-10-25-800-2000(11) 25¢, 50¢, $1 @ the B-bar
(10) $1, $2, $5 @ the B-bar
(5) 25¢, 50¢, $1 located between the Italian restaurant and The Salon ( High Limit Table Area )

Caesars (last updated: Dec 07, 09 03:39 AM UTC)

99.54% JoB 1-2-3-4-6-9-25-50-800 JoB (FP)
(7) 25¢ Prog Slant behind escalator near the Emperor’s Club
(3) $1, $2, $5 Slant about 3 rows past BJ tables as you walk towards Pacific Avenue
$2 Slant $2 Game Kings in high-limit room

99.11% DB 1-1-3-5-7-9-50-80-160-50-800
(2) 25¢ Up on the rear right wall near the race book. Some on this row are short pay

98.98% DDB 1-1-3-4-6-9-50-80-160-160-400-50-800 DDB (FP)
(5) $1, $2, $5 Slant in middle of casino near mens rooom on left

Harrah’s (last updated: Sep 14, 09 08:14 PM UTC)

99.54% JoB 1-2-3-4-6-9-25-50-800 JoB (FP)
(4) $1, $2 Slant in Diamond Cove
(3) $5, $10 Slant in Diamond Cove
(2) 25¢, 50¢, $1 Up near the Xhibition Bar (2 of three in group)
(1) 25¢, 50¢, $1, $2 Up near the Xhibition Bar (1 of three in group)

98.98% DDB 1-1-3-4-6-9-50-80-160-160-400-50-800 DDB (FP)
(8) $1 Prog Up around a circle to the left of Xhibition Bar (with your back to women’s bathroom)
(2) 25¢, 50¢, $1 Up near the Xhibition Bar (2 of three in group)
(1) 25¢, 50¢, $1, $2 Up near the Xhibition Bar (1 of three in group)
(10) 25¢, 50¢, $1 Third carousel down from Total Rewards booth w/”World Series of Poker” sign

97.30% JoB 1-2-3-4-5-8-25-50-800
(8) $1 Prog Up around a circle to the left of Xhibition Bar (with your back to women’s bathroom)

These are the casinos that I will probably visit on my next trip.  To see all of the pay tables at the east coast casinos, head over to vpFREE.

Share on Facebook