April 2009 Archives

May 3 - 6, 2009

Monday, May 4
Celebration Lounge
$10,000 in Cash Drawings

Tuesday, May 5
Cinco de Mayo Party
$20,000 in Cash Drawings

Horseshoe Hammond presents Jo Dee Messina on Sunday, May 3rd.

Jo Dee Messina is an award-winning, multi-platinum recording artist that has given her heart and soul to find success. She's had nine #1 singles, been honored by The Country Music Association, The Academy of Country Music and The Grammy Awards and was the first female country artist to score three multiple-week #1 songs from the same album.

Messina made her country music debut back in 1996 with the single "Heads Carolina, Tails California".  Her album was certified Gold by the RIAA. Her second album, "I'm Alright" produced five Top 10 Country hits and sold over a million copies in America.

More than 100 high school seniors who live in Iowa have been awarded college scholarships of $6,161 each from revenue from Diamond Jo Worth Casino. This is a continuation of the program that started last year, with an increase of recipients. The money is given to local juniors and seniors.

Full article over at Globe Gazette - $659,000 in scholarships from casino

Be a part of Tesla's "Forever More" tour on Saturday, May 2nd!

Whipping up contemporary blues and '70s-style hard rock riffs, Tesla's sound is one-of-a-kind.

With three consecutive platinum-selling albums, and an incomparable rock legacy, Teslas continues to play to packed houses.

Fat Saturdays at Showboat, where every Saturday feels like Fat Tuesday!

Every Saturday in May on the Casino Floor from Noon-6pm. Winner announced at 6:30pm in the Hotel Lobby!

Swipe your card at any Promotional Kiosk to print out a scorecard. Pick your lucky machine in the tournament area. Then it's Winner Takes All!

Horseshoe Hammond presents Joel McHale on Saturday, May 2nd!

Joel McHale is currently host of E!'s hit news show The Soup. Additionally, you may have seen Joel sleepwalking his way through such TV staples as C.S.I.: Miami, Will & Grace, Pushing Daisies, as a guest on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Countdown with Keith Olbermann and, on radio's The Adam Carolla Show.  Next up, catch Joel starring opposite Matt Damon and Scott Bakula in the Steven Soderbergh directed film The Informant.

Join us for the KENTUCKY DERBY on Saturday, May 2nd!
Watch & Win!! Make your reservations EARLY for the Derby by calling 603-267-7778.
Free Continental Breakfast at 9 AM
Derby Day Buffet Served 1 PM - 6 PM, $17.95 per person

Free Drawings for Door Prizes!
Don't miss the first jewel in the Triple Crown!

Special Post Derby Poker Tournament at 7 PM
$150 Entry; No-rebuy; 10,000 in Starting Chips!

On May 1st at 7:30 pm at Horseshoe Hammond, Ramon Ayala is performing live!

Norteño artist and three-time Grammy award winner Ramon Ayala is one of the most popular and esteemed personalities in Regional Mexican music. In the four decades that Ayala has been an active performer, the innovative accordionist/vocalist/producer/arranger has been at the helm of two of the most successful conjuntos in the history of the genre. Ayala and the late bajo sexto guitarist/vocalist Cornelio Reyna teamed up to form Los Relampagos Del Norte in the 1960's. At the time, Ayala was just 18 and Reyna was 23.

Saturday, May 2, 2009 at 7:30 p.m. & 10 p.m.

Jerry Seinfeld, creator, producer and star of his own Emmy and Peabody Award-winning comedy series, has enjoyed critical acclaim and success as a stand-up comic, TV actor, best-selling author and advertising pitchman.

For his work on "Seinfeld" he has received numerous industry honors, among them an Emmy Award as producer of the series (Outstanding Comedy Series, 1993), in addition to three nominations in the Best Actor/Comedy category; a Golden Globe Award as Best Actor in a Television Comedy Series (1993); and a Television Critics Award. In addition, he won the American Comedy Award as Funniest Male Performer in a Television Series - Lead (1992 and 1993) and was named Best Lead Actor/Comedy at the American Television Awards in 1993.

May 2, 16 & June 6

8AM - 4PM * Any Rewards Center Kiosk

Visit Trump Taj Mahal on May 2 for the Kentucky Derby, on May 16 for Preakness and on June 6 for the Belmont Stakes.

Each day, stop by any Rewards Center Kiosk, press the Triple Crown button, and you will automatically be issued a race ticket with a randomly selected horse for that day's race.

If your horse wins, you'll win your share of $10,000!

Come see the fastest growing sport in the world for the first time in Metropolis.  Fifteen Major League Eating Competitors will attempt to eat 6lbs of ice cream.  Enjoy the FREE entertainment on Saturday, May 2 from 1 PM- 4 PM in the Riverfront Event Center.  You won't be able to take your eyes away from every pulse-pounding moment.

Saturday, May 2

4th Floor Exhibition Room -- 3 p.m.

Enjoy great food and drinks as you cheer the winner to the finish line. Admission ticket includes Mint Julep cash bar and a scrumptious buffet with desserts and much more.

Betting terminals will be available for your convenience.

Wear your most creative Kentucky Derby hat and receive a FREE Churchill Downs program. Three guests with the most creative hats will win an additional great prize, and the top winner will also receive one dozen roses!

Tickets are $25.  Contact VIP Services at 800-711-5882.

Must be 21 years or older to attend.   

May 1 - May 31, 2009

Come celebrate with us!

Throughout May, Seneca Allegany is celebrating five outstanding years by giving away over $50,000 in cash and prizes! From specials in our restaurants and shops to Hot Seat Drawings and a daily Swipe & Win, there is a reason to celebrate every day! Starting on May 1 with an amazing fireworks display, right through May 31 when they will be giving away a 2009 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon. Come in and celebrate with them, and go home a winner.

On May 1st, 8th, 15th and 29th - guests get a chance to spin the Money Wheel for a cash prize between $250 - $2,500 at Belterra Casino. Three winners every 30 minutes from 7:00 pm - 10:00 pm each day. Swipe your card each drawing day at the Promotions Area from 5:30 pm - 10:00 pm.

Earn entries for your chance to win May 1st - May 29th. One entry will be earned for every 25 points earned on your favorite slots and table games.

Since we started this blog, we've noticed a decline in great promotions and offerings happening at casinos. Turns out we're not the only ones noticing, the APP agrees with us.

Last month casino comps in AC dropped 12.4%, with similar amounts in Las Vegas and in the midwest. The co-owner of Resorts AC, Nicholas Ribis, said, "[we gave away] too much food, too much drink, too much everything."

Last year over $9 million were given away in March in comps, this March only $6.3 million were given away. So it's not you if you think the casinos are being tighter with giveaways, they're being that way with everyone.

APP - Recession sees fewer comps for A.C. patrons

We have been seeing a trend in the past six months with a new element that Casinos have been adding to their list of player club amenities.

PlayAway is a collection of free online games that a casino uses to extend your player club experience. So it means when you're home, you can still reveal comp points, sweepstakes entries and other great rewards and prizes. We have found that as you play these games, you reveal credits which can be exchanged for prizes, sweepstakes entries and other comps at the casino. For instance, at Foxwoods last week, a guy won a home theater system. Pretty sweet, huh?

So, we decided to do some digging to find out how wide spread PlayAway truly is. Turns out there is a rapidly growing list of casinos offering PlayAway to their player clubs. In many of these instances, you can play FunPlay, which just lets you play games for fun. With FunPlay, you do not earn credits or win prizes, but offers a great way to learn how to play the games. It is BonusPlay, however, that requires you to have a rewards card to participate to reveal reward points and comps.

We have found that there are plenty of games offered through PlayAway and they tend to vary from casino to casino. All the table games are offered, baccarat, blackjack, craps, hi-lo, pai gow poker, red dog, roulette, Spanish blackjack. Slots are also offered, ranging from 3 reel single line all the way up to 5 reel with 20 pay lines. Texas Hold 'Em and other video poker is offered along with dice and card games.

It took a fair amount of searching, but we have assembled a list of all the casinos PlayAway as part of their member services.

Date: Wednesday, April 29th, 2009
Time: 9:00 AM - 8:30 PM
Venue: Promotions Kiosks

Guaranteed instant cash prize (guest will spin wheel on touchsreen).  You could instantly win a chance to win up to $1000!

Plus drawing winners will get a chance to spin for a million!

Drawings at 1pm, 5pm and 9pm - Three winners

Florida's senate has reached a new agreement with Seminole tribe about the possibility of adding table games: craps, roulette and blackjack to the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. In exchange for greater game offerings, the tribe will pay the state an additional $400 million a year, which will go towards education. This money alone is enough to pay the salaries of 27,000 teachers.

Now the challenge will be to see if it will pass in the House.

Article from South Florida Sun-Sentinel - Senate votes to allow full casino gambling

In an odd piece of news, Pennsylvania State Police are currently looking for a man who licked the arm of a waitress at Hollywood Casino in East Hanover.

The man is described as having short brown hair, a mustache and glasses. On Wednesday at approximately 5:50 PM, he spoke to a waitress and then kissed and licked her arm.

Police were immediately notified but the suspect could not be found when they arrived. If you have any information, please call 717-469-1791.

If you have any information, please pass it along to the proper authorities.

Article from PennLive - Police seek man who licked Hollywood Casino waitress's arm

Don't miss your chance to walk away a BIG WINNER in the $5K Slot Tournament! They're giving away $5,000 every Tuesday in April. That's $20,000 in prize money! No buy-in required. Register on the 3rd Floor from 12:30 PM to 8:45 PM, the tournament is from 1 PM to 9 PM. Tournament is open to everyone, but space is limited!

From April 23rd to May 9th on Thursdays to Saturdays, you could win $500 cash!  Drawings will be done on the hour from 4 to 8 pm!

For more information, visit Casino Queen.

This Friday the 24th at 9 pm, Ben Folds will be performing at the House of Blues at the Showboat.

Ages 18+, tickets start at $35.

Tickets can be purchased through Ticketmaster.

FireKeepers Casino is a new casino in Michigan, located less than 30 miles east of Kalamazoo, that will be opening this summer, but just because they're not open yet doesn't mean they're promotionless! Players can register for the Red Hot Rewards Club in preparation for a few of their upcoming sweepstakes!

There are plenty of games to play on their FunPlay site: blackjack, craps, roulette, Texas Hold 'Em, and more! This is a great way to learn to play some new games without the pressure of the casino. By simply signing up for their rewards program, you can play games online from your home for free! You'll be given 1,000 Free Points to start and can earn more credits for upcoming promotions!

Go to FireKeepers Casino to register!

On Saturday, April 25th at Mohegan Sun swipe your Player's Club card in Earth or Sky Promotions between 6:00am and 4:00pm for your chance to win $50,000! Swipe before 10:00am to receive double entries and be entered into all three drawings! If you claim your prize within 2 hours of winning, you win double the amount!

Drawing will be held at 11:00am, 2:00pm and 5:00pm in the Spring Gateway located next to the Box Office.

Get your $15 gift card this Friday, April 24! Play Slots. Play Tables. Earn Additional Gift Cards.

Earn Times: 6am - Midnight

Redeem Times: 2pm - 2am

Earn hundreds of dollars more just by playing slots or table games at the Trump Taj Mahal. Visit any Rewards Center Kiosk to view your gift card dollars earned. Pick up your gift cards at Trump One Services.

Last week at 69-year old man was caught trying to play blackjack with counterfeit hundred dollar bills. After trying to pass off $500 on a single hand, all of which were counterfeits, he was arrested and is currently held with a $50,000 bail.

This got me thinking, how are counterfeit bills discovered? Sure, there are some easy give aways like the wrong color, shape or denomination. Head over to WiseBread.com to read about their methods to spotting a counterfeit.

On Saturday, May 23, 2009, the hottest spot in town is The Pool at Harrah's Resort for the best entertainment and nightlife with Kim Kardashian! Tickets will be available at the door and are $25.

Robin Hood 702 is back, lending a helping hand to those in need once more. An anonymous individual, Robin Hood 702 uses his skill at blackjack to help out those less fortunate than himself. Last summer was when he showed up and offered to help families get through the financial crisis, this time he's using his skills to help those fighting the Somali pirates.

After earning $55,000 for two different families last summer, Robin Hood 702 is now giving a reward to the crew of Maersk Alabama and their significant others for their bravery after the recent incident. As a reward, Robin Hood 702 is offering to fly them, put them up in one of Las Vegas's nicest hotels and feed them as soon as they're ready to get back on their feet. "Maybe they don't need financial help, but I want to recognize them as heroes," Robin Hood 702 said to Fox News.

A few days ago we mentioned that Trump Plaza got rid of their automated poker tables and will be replacing them with dealers. It turns out that people prefer the skill of the dealer over the cold, calculating automaton of the machine. But being a dealer is more than just dealing the cards, there's an art to the presence and character the dealer adds to the game.

7. Knowledge of the Rules
This is the most basic of requirement for an excellent dealer. The dealer not only gives out the cards, they are also the referee of the game. A dealer who is unsure of the rules will ruin the game for the players. Successful dealers memorize the rules, payouts to the point where it becomes second nature.

On Monday, April 20th you can swipe your Player's Club card in Earth or Sky Promotions between 6:00am and 7:00pm to activate your entries. Swipe before noon to receive double entries! If you are present and claim your prize before 9:15pm on April 20th, you will win an additional $500 in Free Slot Play Bonus!

Drawing will be held at 8:00pm in the Spring Gateway located next to the Box Office.

Cash Prizes Awarded At Each Drawing!

Every Thursday in April 16, 23, & 30, you can enter Seneca Allegany's Best Bets Blackjack tournament for $25 Cash or $50 Seneca Players Club Points

Registration is from 3:00 p.m. - 6:45 p.m.
Session 1 at 6:00 p.m.
Session 2 at 6:30 p.m.
Session 3 at 7:00 p.m.
Semi-Finals at 7:30 p.m.
Finals at 8 p.m.

Prize Structure:
1st Place - 50% of pot
2nd Place - 30% of pot
3rd Place - 20% of pot
4th - 6th Place-entry into the following week's tournament

At Majestic Star casino Alexis Robinson was arrested after gambling for three days straight. She never took a break at the hotel and continued to play. She was finally told by a guard she had to leave, but she refused and was arrested. When taken to court, the follow exchange happened between her and the judge:

"You have a gambling problem," the judge said.
"If I do, then I have to change," Robinson said.

If you're at a casino for three days straight, that may be a sign to get help.

Read the full article over at CBS2Chicago.

When playing blackjack, the most difficult hand you can be dealt is a hard (no ace) 16, that means you have either a 10 and a 6 or a 9 and a 7. Do you hit? Stand? Surrender? It's a tough choice, but here's some advice that might help.

For all of the following scenarios, assume you have a hard 16 hand.

Dealer is showing between a 2 or a 6, you should stand. You should always assume the dealer's other card is a 10. The reason you should stand when the dealer is showing a 6 is because the dealer must hit on 16 or lower.

It gets more difficult after this. If the dealer is showing a 7 or an 8, you should hit. Some people claim that the 16 versus anything higher is a no-man's land, but here are some general parameters on what to do.

When the dealer is showing a 9, 10 or an Ace, you should surrender if that option is available. If you are not allowed to surrender, you've already lost and might as well hit.

Check out the table below for what to do when you have a 16:

                Dealer's Card   2     3     4     5     6     7     8     9     10     A
Your Hand
     16                             S     S     S    S    S     H     H    SR   SR   SR

S = Stand
H = Hit
SR = Surrender


Do you agree? Disagree? Let us know!

Every now and then a promotion comes along that even we think is weird. There's a new promotion being offered at a video poker bar called O'Aces. Within the course of a month, anyone who hits more than one royal flush while playing will get a 9mm Smith and Wesson handgun.

Jason Woywod, the owner, says he's just trying to come up with new and different ways to get people to come in. As for the people who think he's sending the wrong message. "[Those that] don't agree with our promo can go somewhere else to play," Woywod said.

There is a catch though, anyone who wins has to pass a background check before getting the prize.

Story reported by KSDK.com.

Forbes recently published a list of their 15 Best Casino Golf Courses. What's great about the article is that they don't just favor courses in any one geographic area. Odds are pretty good at least one of these golf courses will be near where you play. Highlights include five courses in Nevada, two in Mississippi, Turning Stone in New York, Idaho, Arizona, Lake of Isles at Foxwoods in Connecticut, California and the Atlantic City Country Club in New Jersey.

Overall, it's a good read for any golfers looking to find some great courses at a low price. Remember, a lot of casinos use golf to get people to gamble so that means finding great bargains is easier than you think! Did Forbes miss any of your favorite courses? Let us know in the comments!

Qualifying rounds for Mohegan Sun's $700,00 0 Spring Showdown begin today, Monday, April 6th! There is a guaranteed prize pool of $700,000 during the 6 days, with the tournaments beginning on April 26th at 11 am.

Sunday the 26th, the tournament begins at 11 am with a prize pool of $100,000. The same thing happens again on Monday. But on Wednesday, the three day main event begins with a prize pool of half a million dollars!

Check out the full press release after the break.

To draw in more customers, Seneca Niagara Casino has cut the cost of playing blackjack in half! What used to be $10 minimum for hands has now been reduced to $5 in hopes of getting more players.

This is all part of a new campaign at Seneca Niagara called "Best Bets." In addition to the $5 blackjack tables, they're also offering penny and nickel slots! This man not seem like a big deal to some, but this is the first time slots of any denomination below a quarter have found their way to the Niagara region of New York.

For more information, head over to BuffaloNews.com.

I'm not sure how many of you have heard about MGM at Foxwoods social networking site, Connect. The network launched back in November and four months later, there isn't much happening on the site. The discussion section of the site is a basic forum and currently boasts 7 whole threads, the last one was posted on over a month ago. The blog section, which should be a prime place for MGM to connect with customers hasn't been updated in almost two months. Even direct questions to MGM are left unanswered.

WINNING IS "FANTASTICO!" WHEN IN ROME... JOIN US IN THIS TOURNAMENT WHERE IF YOU FINISH LAST, YOU STILL WIN BIG!

Registration Date: Thursday, May 7
Event Date: Friday, May 8 and Saturday, May 9

Prize Structure:
1st Place......$15,000
2nd Place......$8,000
3rd Place......$5,000
4th Place......$2,000
5th - 10th Place ......$500
11th - 20th Place......$200
21st - 50th Place......$100
Middle Scores......$75
4th from Last Place......$1,000
3rd from Last Place......$3,000
2nd from Last Place......$5,000
Last Place $11,500

March was a busy month, here are the highlights!

• M Resort Opens Outside of Las Vegas
• "The Bomb" Burrito Unleashed!
• Pumping Oxygen Myth Debunked!
• We called out Las Vegas on their blackjack tables
• The Top 5 Most Outrageous Drinks
• Indiana Live has been accused of a promotional hoax
• A guy in Atlantic City tried to steal almost 100 pounds of lobster meat
• Treasure Island changed owners
• Optical Illusions at casino hotels
• Empress Casino in Joliet closed because of a fire
  

When people think of Las Vegas, "family friendly" isn't the first phrase to jump into anyone's mind, but the city has made some changes over the last few years. Different casinos have taken great strides to shed the image of just being a place to play games, drink and smoke. More are offering arcades for children, and more family friendly shows.

After the break, we've listed the top six hotels in Las Vegas for kids, based on arcades, room sizes, food choices, shows, and ability to avoid casino floors.