I agree 100% -- while I used to get 2500 tier points (and thus the 5000 tier point bonus) with $1 single line play in a 24 hour period on occasion in 2013, after what is (for me) a long session (several hours), that was when $10 of action earned a point. With $25 needed for a point, the 2500 tier point days are going to be few and far between for me if I generate them at all.
If my calculations are correct, getting 5000 tier points in a day (for 10,000 bonus tier points making diamond in a day), at 1000 hands an hour, will require 25 hours of $1 single line play. Obviously, this means I'd need to move up in denomination or go to multi-play (or both) to get diamond in a day. While I'm considering it, the chance of course exists that if I'm not adequately bankrolled (which I'm not) for that kind of action, I might lose my bankroll without getting the required amount of play in for diamond -- all the cost and none of the rewards -- so I'm not sure it's worth the risk.
And, of course, diamond in a day by getting 5000 points in a day has absolutely no advantage over diamond in two days with 2500 points on each of those days! The "new" benefit is really nothing "extra" except allowing you to put all the play into a single day if you choose to do so. If 4000 points in a day generated 11,000 bonus points, that would be a real benefit and an incentive to give it a try. With an inadequate bankroll for play higher than single-line $1, two days of 2500 points makes more sense for me.
I've discussed this already by email with several friends who are diamond, all of us ranging from 20,000 to 60,000 tier points in 2013, and (whether it's done in two days or one) none of us are sure we want to put through the amount of money necessary to continue our diamond status. The cost doesn't seem to be justified when you consider the meager benefits that seem to be attached to diamond status anymore.
Is there anywhere remaining in the TR system that still gives a point for $10 of play? If so, I'd consider traveling there to do Diamond in a day at that level, which is within my means, as I can afford to play 10 hours of $1 VP at 1000 hands an hour, either in a single day or divided into two days.
I just got a mailer from Horseshoe Southern Indiana proudly announcing 200 new video poker machines -- which I'm anticipating will be the same as the new machines recently installed at Horseshoe Hammond, almost all of which (and I mean 98% of them!) now have reduced pay tables at the $1 level and below (and sometimes for higher denominations too). I'm also not sure if they've gone to $25 per tier point at Southern Indiana like most everywhere else (it was not the case in November, but that's a long time ago with the changes that are happening).
--BG
===================
5b. Re: New Total Rewards daily tier status bonus
This seems to be beneficial for some 7* (the low end of 7*) who will choose to play at the optimum level. Doing 10 sessions of $50k coin in on VP would net you the 150k points to qualify.
The bonus at the 2500 point level, which started in 2013, was great for us as low diamonds. Two $25k sessions - fairly large for us but doable - and the card is earned for another year.
