Dear Mark: As a fairly new
slots player, I have made certain
observations, as well as heard things from
other players. Is it true that once you have
inserted your "players club" card into a
machine, it knows how you gamble and can be
the determining factor in whether you win or
lose? I have observed in my most recent
visits, that my chances of winning are
greater, as well as the amount I win, if I
do not put in my player's club card. Is that
just a fluke? Geri L.
There is a darn good reason for you to be
inserting your “player’s club” card into a
machine, that is, if you want to get your
slice of over a billion dollars’ worth of
comps that casinos nationwide give away each
year. You get your goodies by using one of
their player’s club slot cards, whose only
purpose is to register the number of coins
you cycle through a machine. What the
machines are not programmed to do, Geri, is
stiff you of jackpots because you’re using
one.
Slot machines are only preprogrammed to pay
out a certain percentage on a random basis,
notwithstanding all kinds of “fluke”
streaks—good and bad—appearing. Because its
decisions are random, it doesn’t give one
iota whether your player’s club card is
inserted or not. All the casino operators’
care about is that after millions and
millions of such decisions, “X” amount of
money will be retained by the casino and
lost by the players.
Dear Mark: I've written you in the
past and you always answered and were most
helpful. I was hoping to pick your brain on
a Las Vegas question. In my past five visits
to Vegas, I never tipped the parking
attendant when I arrived at the casino, but
always tipped the valet $5 when I left. Are
you supposed to tip on both ends of the
deal? Also I was reading the tipping advice
from a Vegas commerce site and their advice
was to tip the valet attendant two bucks. So
have I been doing it wrong and have I been
over tipping. I use about 40 valets over a
5-day period for one reason or another. Any
insight would be appreciated. Still
faithfully reading your column and enjoying
it. Steve B.
Valet Parking is a free service offered not
only in Las Vegas, but also pretty much at
every casino nationwide. Along with knowing
that valet parking is a complimentary
service, it should also be known that casino
employees work in a service-based industry
and cannot survive on their salary alone.
Their livelihood is based almost entirely on
tips.
So how much makes you look like a cheapskate
and how much makes you seem like a chump?
Well, Steve, a friend of mine – who would
like to remain unnamed -- who makes a tidy
sum at one of the larger -- he’d like to
keep that undisclosed, as well -- casinos on
the Strip says that at least $2 for both
dropping your car off and picking it up
elevates you above el cheapo, $3 to $5 each
way puts you in the generous category, and
$20-and-up coming in will get “VIP” marked
on your ticket, which gets your car up front
and out a whole lot faster. Oh, and he also
said, “Wave a buck in your hand on the pick
up, and you’ll be waiting for your car
longer than it takes GM to build it.” If all
this tipping seems a bit too philanthropic
for your liking, his reply was, “Hey, it’s
Vegas baby.”
Gambling Wisdom of the Week:
"I got cigar boxes full of bad checks from
Square John Businessman, but not one from a
gambler." --Amarillo Slim Preston
