Visitreno

[jerry]

Well, no TR on my recent visit as it was the same losing experience. I don't seem to be able to take anything out of the Pep. They have always recognized this by rewarding me with pretty decent offers to lure me back.

Until now, that is. So guess it is off my list and I will be visiting/staying/losing elsewhere. At least until the Pep reconsiders what a great investment I was.

My last offer (used TWICE) was for FOUR nights in Tuscany Suite and $175 in free play (which lasted about 20 minutes). No comps.

After the last losing debacle, they have sent me their newest offer. Again it can be used TWICE.
Offering TWO nights in a Standard Tower Room plus $50 in free play. Wow!! Am I supposed to be greatful?

I will NOT be using this offer. Others offer much more.
Eldo with 2 room nights often, a bit of free play and very good comps and meal deals. Also free show tickets.
Atlantis: Entire month free from Thanksgiving until Christmas -- use multiple times. Plus free play, comps. And one of the smokiest casinos (I can't think of one that is worse) in the Reno area.
However, they do have TWO non-smoking areas whereas the other two places have NONE. They are busy too.

As a TR aside: I did visit the Grand Sierra again after reading recent comments. I was not impressed. I did not win there. I spent virtually all of my time in the non-smoking area which is fine but small. Once I tipped the waitress, I practically had my own "personal" waitress. Guess they don't have a lot of tipping customers.
Sounded like their card program and promotions are, like most, geared to the locals market. We'll see if I receive any mailings/offers from them.

I figured, during our last trip to Nevada, that we two dropped close to $1500 in tips into the local economies. I wonder if that contributed to my gaining 10 pounds during the trip.

Weather is not looking good for my return this year. Unless I quickly make a new friend with a 4X4.

[remano]

You're right about GSR now catering to locals. I don't know how they market themselves outside the area, but all their billboards and newspaper ads here follow the "It's all about the locals" theme. The irony is that this was the largest hotel/casino property in the entire world when it first opened. Oh, how the mighty have fallen when what once was the world's largest now bills itself as a locals joint. I guess that puts a place like the Bonanza into the same category as the neighborhood 7-11.

As for the no smoking areas at the Atlantis, you know what they say -- "A no smoking area in a casino is like a no peeing area in a swimming pool." The side effects are merely diluted, not avoided. But then, every completely non smoking casino that has ever been tried has failed so I guess there's no getting around it.

[stan_allen]

Not to get too deep into the smoking debate, but I saw an entire smoke-free casino in the Reno area!

We'll have to define "Area" loosely - this was in beautiful Fernley, Nevada, where my professional travails took me at one point - I stopped for lunch at the local Black Bear diner, and there was a casino attached to it that was SMOKE-FREE! Don't recall the name, though.

So if you don't mind hopping in the car and driving East for a half-hour to forty-five minutes, you're in for a delightful session of machine-only, smoke-free play!

Jerry, sorry your efforts at the Pep have been met with such unrewarding rewards - I guess they've gotta pay for that expansion somehow; maybe they've decided only to fleece players named "Jerry" for this purpose.

[CaSwede]

Hey Jerry... I enjoyed reading your no trip report- trip report. Did you say you gave out $1500 in tips? I hope that was not at the rate of one dollar tip per beer.? I guess that could explain the 10 pound of weight gain.

The smoking deal--- The " beautiful Fernley, Nevada" place is the Fernley Nugget, and it is Fernley (fairly) new. However, If you want to go to a place not as scenic as Fernley for a non smoking casino, you can travel to the south shore Lake Tahoe and play at Bill's. I played in there during the week about 10 days ago and was the only non employee in the place. --------- so much for all the non smoking gamblers.

[jerry]

Really, I need to see some better efforts from the Pep to lure me back. I haven't enjoyed playing there (except for spending time with John) for quite awhile. The lack of comps really bothers me.

What kind of offers have the rest of you gotten from the Pep lately? Mine, as mentioned above, is in line with what CaSwede mentioned earlier.

Funny thought here: In Laughlin, I tried to play smart (as suggested by my friend, Chris) and put mucho points on card, etc. My wife played very little. Today, we got offer from Belle/Edge with HER NAME on it for 20 free nights in Dec/Jan plus free play. Nothing for me so far.
As a matter of fact, I haven't received an offer from them for about 6 months. And, no, our cards are not linked.
Go figure!!
Whatever, I can't get back there before spring.

[BC Dave]

Sorry Jerry, I think I sat at your VP machine on November 5th just before midnight. Guess I owe you a beer next time we meet....at the Fireside, on a Tuesday, between 4 and 7pm of course!

The good machines are still out there. A divining rod helps and it doesn't hurt to mind meld with the random number generator either. And if that doesn't work try a Coors and a cigarette.

[CaSwede]

My Peppermill offers have been upgraded since I have not been there for awhile (due to poor offers). My lastest offer was three free nights- $75 free play (two periods) and $30 dining. Yesterday I got another mailer that said my "gold" status is expiring at the end of the year and an offer of $50 bonus free play and two free nights. I never figured out what that gold status did for me. One time saw some parking spaces that said for gold members and above (me), so I parked there. I was leaving and found a note on my truck with a warning that if I parked there again I would be towed away because I did not have a decal or something. ??? Then on my last trip I saw a special check in line for gold and above (me). Mistake- as people in the standard line were long gone to their rooms and gambling while I was still standing there. My plan is to go sometime next month with my daughter to the Peppermill, as she wants to go too.

Jerry- I got a Colorado Belle Laughlin offer today for free rooms forever (Feb.1 cut off), $75 in free play X 2 and a $20 gas card. I am sure your enhanced offer is on the way north.

And not to venture too far off the topic of this thread. I got an offer today from the River Palms in Laughlin offering me free rooms all month.... For November! How nice of them to send it to me now and letting me know of all the events of November that I missed.

[alison]

Jerry-
I feel you pain.

This last trip tp the Pep was the worst ever! In a week, i only cycled thru about $14,500. Usually im at least double that. I could not win on anything. My offer was good though for that time period. $175.00 free play.

I was really disapointed in the game variety too. Too many of the same 40 and 50 line penny machines. Lame!

I haven't recieved any new offers yet. Once i do, i will let ya know. Im curious if mine will go down since my play was so low.

Ali

[john]

Hey Ali,

The Peppermill may lower the value of their offers to you, but your offers from me will just keep getting better and better.

[BC Dave]

Delete, Delete, Delete!!!!

[jerry]

Swede: As to Bill's: well, there are likely a few other reasons to not play there, I would conjecture. Been awhile but I was not impressed with it nor anywhere else in Tahoe. As for the lake, I prefer the beauty of Crater Lake here in my home state of Orrygun.

Funny that Pep increased your offer whilst taking away your gold card "privileges". And you won last time, at that.

still no word from Belle/Edge in Laughlin.

Yeh, Dave, you did take my machine. I was in my Tuscany room at the time thinking about coming down to play it. Wow, musta been those Canuck vibes a'talkin' to me.

Ali, you haven't "really' felt my pain for awhile. Please ignore the feeble efforts of our esteemed board leader to distract you. You should read the offers he sends to me. I sent them on to Remano for advice.

And, finally, Swede, I gotta admit that a bunch of those 1500 bucks went for "tall cool ones". Course two of us were drinking on that money.

And "that's Thirty" for Thanksgiving. Hope everyone is having a great one.
Just as we sat down to our quiet dinner alone, my handyman came by. Since he is also a friend, it was hard to push him back out the door. But, after all, he was coming FROM his T dinner.
And now back to the Sauvignon Blanc.

[CaSwede]

While we are talking about casino offers---- Check out this offer from the generous folks at Harrah's Reno.

http://img240.yfrog.com/i/xpo.jpg/

This was sent to me by a friend, and I had to laugh.

[hawk]

That is a very funny offer. Reminds me of the Pep rescinding their offers earlier this year. If you called in response to the mailing, you were told, "Oh, that was a mistake. We really didn't mean that."
Suddenly my birthday offer left me feeling that I was left standing on a street corner "in my birthday suit".

I remember when businesses used to honor such mistakes in the interest of good public relations.

Happy Black Friday to all.

[hawk]

John wrote: "your offers from me will just keep getting better and better."
Did you mean to say, "BIGGER and better"?

Or perhaps, being ignored is making you "bitter not better".

[remano]

Jerry,

"You should read the offers he sends to me. I sent them on to Remano for advice."

Well, I wasn't too impressed with his offer that he would take the "free" end of every "buy one get one free" coupon you brought along, but the complimentary "Charlie and Higgins Do Christmas" CD was really nice. You just haven't heard "Silent Night (Squawk)" until you've heard it performed by these guys.