What’s with that Harrah’s offer for $3000 cash on Jan. 2-5? Apparently thousands got them yet few can actually book it. I did talk to Management at the Rio and they confirmed all the offers were the same to everyone who got one, and that there was no snafu—which I highly doubt. I do know 2 Platinum card holders who booked it successfully, and I also know two Seven Stars who were turned down as I was, and two more who didn’t even receive the offer! Confusing to say the least. Someone who puts more than a million dollars through the machines gets stiffed with “the offer’s all sold out” while someone with 4700 points (or $47,000 through) gets to book it successfully? This has helped set my plans for 2009. I’m already qualified for diamond for another year, and I’ll continue to go for their offers and take their free trips to wherever. But I won’t play a dime at any of their properties even though I’ve had decent luck at a few of them. I’ve already mailed the letter and shot off the e-mails on this to HET. And that $40,000 Royal flush I got at Caesar’s 2 months ago feels that much better now...

Last Friday night Sam’s Town came to Phoenix (as they do around the country) to take its best players out to dinner at a very classy Steakhouse: Donovan’s Chop House. Everything is always free at these and it is well worth the time. There was an executive there who talked about that new project Echelon Place and why it’s on hold for a year. Financing deals are tough along with a host of other “administrative” problems. That’s what he says anyway. Smart money bets the suits can’t justify another mega-resort right now and want to see how long before Wynn’s new Encore crashes financially.

Along the same lines is that new and gaudy MGM City Center. I’ve watched as this place keeps growing up and it seems to be the talk of the Strip. Only problem is, so far NO ONE understands where the people will come from and what the need for such a massive property is for. My opinion is they will send out desperation offers to get gamblers like myself and a host of other types in. I can handle the freebies. But I’m betting on progressively deteriorating service throughout, layoffs galore, and just plain trouble for the joint. It makes no sense to be building such a place at times like these, regardless of when the plans went into place. They should cut their losses right now and save a lot of service-worker heartache down the line.

I also don’t understand the purpose of ANOTHER high-rise/high-priced condo - like the one going up at Planet Hollywood among others, for example. First, who’s stupid enough to buy something near the Strip when if you’re a gambler—and who isn’t that comes to LV—you can stay for free at the resort hotels ANYWAY!? Next, who’s STOOPID ENOUGH to want to come home and have to wait in line to get on an elevator to go to the 26th floor!! Grocery shopping ought to be a dream come true. And they’re gonna have to re-write the book on how to walk your dog every day.

After the dinner with the Sam’s Town crowd in Phoenix, on Sat. morning I took another of my “scooping up the freebies” trips. It began by stopping for $100 in free-play at the Edgewater, and if you’re not familiar with my methods, I play it through ONCE and then cash out. Naturally the casinos expect and want the player to be roped in and hit the ATM’s or play all day – and that’s what the vast majority of players do. Not yours truly though. I understand winning involves doing exactly the opposite what the casinos expect, so I just take the offer, accept whatever I win, and I’m gone.

At the Egdewater I played 10 hands of $2 Bonus Poker (BP). I left with $160. Next I went next door to the Aquarius and played 20 hands of $1 DDB. I left there with $285 thanks to a quad early on. After that I went to Las Vegas and checked into Sam’s Town for the free $100 cash and a Gold Card for free meals at Billy Bob’s, and that’s where I ate. Then I drove to the Palms where I stayed for the night. The next day I turned my $300 in free-play into just $60. Did that bother me? HA! I’ll take a free $60 over losing $5 ANYDAY!

The next day I checked into Paris where I collected a $300 HET Discover Card. It’s only good at Harrah’s properties but I’ll take it. I also trained a player who came in from Pittsburgh in the high limit room at the Palms, and Rich won $6105 with four Aces on $10 DB after player a 4-level ARTT strategy at $1/$2/$5/$10. He actually won all three of his sessions: $505/$1100/$4500. Not bad. He learned why not to keep every hand optimally, and why using special plays that deviate from expert strategy do make a difference in the short term…in this case, a BIG difference. And a big THANK YOU for inviting me to a great dinner at Antonio’s over at the Rio!

The Presidential race? HA! What a joke. These two guys spend lots of time and a bunch of money saying nasty things about one another when they’re miles and miles apart, yet get them together in a debate and they chicken out like kids running from big waves on the beach. I don’t understand how so many voters can allow Obama to simply make them ignore his radical ideals that never go away and are ALWAYS held deep down inside, yet they accept his arrogance and lack of experience because he has a very eloquent delivery! But by the same token, I just don’t get McCain and his taking the proverbial “high road” even if it means losing—which it very likely will. Time and again in the last debate, he had the opportunity to ask Obama why he always alters his position on his radical associations ONLY AFTER HE’S BEEN CAUGHT! Why...and HOW voters trust someone like this I’ll never know. But again, OTOH, who wants a weakened old man with no remaining spine to run this country? He’s surely seen MUCH better days, and that epilog will mean we’re headed into dangerous territory with a character like Obama at the helm. Sure there’s the much more important aspect of ISSUES to talk about, but are either really going to make any real difference based on the history of Presidents? I’ll bet most of what both these guys say either won’t happen or is just another pile of BS created to get votes.

Aloha!