A friend e-mailed me privately to ask if I'd seen CoachVee's "Harrah's Shocker Part Deux" post (which I had) & below is the reply I sent. I don't generally like to speculate on "hypotheticals" - but when it comes to CET's track record with Video Poker, I'm inclined to be pessimistic.
Reply to friend:
I did see CoachVees's post while having my morning coffee. I've since noticed a response from Larry - and have to say that he & I have similar thoughts & misgivings. First, if the guy did say, "Do you like that 9/6 crap?" then he needs a lesson in customer relations. He's either ignorant, condescending - or both; as well as insulting of some of his customer base who take the time to educate themselves to the idea of advantage play. Also, like Larry, I'm inclined to think that there will be more to come about this that will not be "positive" news. There are a lot of other "payouts" that could be adjusted downward (I'm thinking of those "9/6" machines I've seen that have a 2,500 Royal Flush payout); or a substantial increase of coin-in to earn points (I mean, the triple-plays in the high limit section of Bally's have been $20 coin-in for years already; and they've got some 9/6s at Harrah's & Ballys that only pay a 4000 unit Royal if you're betting 10 quarters - which to my way of thinking isn't "true" 9/6). Or they may make them ineligible for multiplier promos; sweepstakes; etc., etc. Don't you find it interesting/ironic that Coach's apparently positive A.C. v.p. message was followed later by a doom-invoking message regarding v.p. in New Orleans? And remember, this is all part of a nationwide, switchout of 7,000 IGT video poker machines by CET.
See article:
http://www.reviewjournal.com/ business/igt-strikes-deal- video-poker-machines-caesars- entertainment
How optimistic can one be that "the player" is going to benefit from "the largest gaming re-investment Caesars has made in 10 years" when they're up to their hairlines in leveraged debt? God only knows! But in my gut I can't see CET making a major change in v.p. inventory that will be a true "benefit" to knowledgeable players.
---In vpFREE@yahoogroups.com, <vpfree@yahoogroups.com> wrote:
Some very interesting happenings Saturday night at Harrah's AC.
Hedy and I went to a party in the ballroom and near the end Rick Mazer, the new GM, announced that he was "upping the ante" for the giveaways that night. Instead of five winners of $1,000 in free play he was going to choose 10 winners.
Then he said, "and that's not the only way we're upping the ante. Are there any video poker players out there? Do you like that 9/6 crap? Well, soon we will have 50 machines on the floor with 9/6 video poker!"
Yep, he said FIFTY!
Then, Mazer went on to say that Harrah's is "upping the ante on other things, too ... entertainment, dining, everything." He closed his remarks by saying that he was giving ALL invited guests to the party $200 in free play, creating chaos at the main cage where the resulting line wound back through the casino.
The only real change we saw this weekend was on the pod of three machines in the middle of the casino that previously had 9/6 JOB. Those machines now have the same seven games on them as the 9/6 machines in the Diamond Cove. Those seven games all have pay tables that return over 99%. They can be played at the quarter, half, dollar and two dollar levels.
Hedy and I played them over two days (mostly the Double Double Aces and Faces with its 99.45% return) and did well with Hedy getting aces and a king for 2K and me hitting several bonus quads, including aces three times.
Many, many VP machines are being replaced at Harrah's with a number of them still turned off so it will be very interesting to see if Mazer's boast comes true in the coming weeks. Then, we have to see if any negative moves are made in other areas.
Whatever the case, a significant upgrade in VP inventory at Harrah's can't be a bad thing!
Regards,
CoachVee and Hedy
Sent from my iPad
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