Tipping, games, slots ... (was Re: Las Vegas Faces ...)

[External Poster]

This posting is from: Gina Richards
----------

> Ironically, about the worst example of this is one of the
> DLVers' favorite bars, the Charles Bar in the Bellagio. It's

Yes but Charles is a DLV icon! And the drinks are really good!

Love ya,

Gina

President Charles Fan Club :-)

----------
(This posting was entered by Gina Richards, an external user of MyDLV.)

[External Poster]

This posting is from: annie
----------

>How are tips done in LV? Do the workers keep the tips for
>their individual selves in addition to their daily wages?
>Do the tips go into a pool and divided evenly amongst a

>From what I know it varies from facility to facility and
from job to job within a property.

Worst case seems to be at Wynn/Encore where the BJ dealers
tip pool includes some untipped first-level management
people, thus diluting the dealers' take-home tips.

Typically a tipped employee is "dinged" a certain estimated
amount for W2 purposes.

>Drinks too... yes its free if one is gambling, but pay
>highly if not. The worst for me was a $8 rum-coke,
>which was a 8 oz glass, full of ice and barely any
>rum in it. Basically $1 per ounce.

Ironically, about the worst example of this is one of the
DLVers' favorite bars, the Charles Bar in the Bellagio. It's
up to about $9 for regular bar drinks, with call brands
going for somewhat astronomical prices.

The Flamingo and Paris casino bars were more reasonable on
my last two trips.

>I was told that the gaming commission had changed
>the odds on machines from $1 down to increase the odds in
>the favor of the casino to bring in the casino more cash
>to cover for the lack of revenue.

There is a statewide regulation on the maximum hold of slot
machines, but competition keeps all but a few casinos from
even approaching the limit. Hold percentages are published
and LV Strip and Downtown casinos are still somewhat
competitive.

The newest thing to come, however, which could be a Bad
Thing<tm> for players, is one of the "features" in the
newer Server Based Gaming systems. It's unclear on exactly
how the Gaming Commission will support this feature, but
two new SBC systems include the ability to change the hold
percentage on the fly.

The two big systems are Dynamix from IGT and SBX from Wms.

SBX has apparently been deployed at Aria, and Dynamix at
Aliante Station. Promotional material from both companies
touts the ABILITY to "increase odds on slow weekdays and
increase hold on busy weekends" and such. The Nevada Gaming
Commission currently requires paperwork and administrivia
when a slot's hold percentage is changed, but speculation is
that it's only a matter of time before odds are able to
legally be changed on the fly.

An internal IGT white paper on this topic leaked into the
player community a few weeks ago, but has been taken down.
This outlined some of these features.

>I remember a time the minimum bet was only $1 or
>less. Now its common to see $5 and up.

I haven't seen $1 blackjack for several years, not since the
Sahara removed their $1 tables. Even on those tables, they
had some extremely fast dealers who were anticipating to the
point that they were almost playing for the player.

On my last trip when I had a free Friday evening, it was
very consistently a $25 minimum around the "Four Corners"
Flamingo-Strip intersection. No, I didn't play a single
hand! $25 per hand is too much like real money. :) I played
mostly penny slots and $.25 VP. I must admit that at Paris,
Flamingo, and Bally's, they were coming around consistently
with the drinks. Hey, that's how they make their $$$, keep
the players buzzed! :)

----------
(This posting was entered by annie, an external user of MyDLV.)

[External Poster]

This posting is from: bob
----------

Annie is right on about the tips, although in most case at restaurants
waiters & waitresses keep their own. I just happen to do payrolls for
the bookkeeping firm I work for. Not everyone is signed up for tip
compliance.

Besides why woudn't you tip people as you would always do. I usually tip
20%, because most workers make minimun wage and rely on their tips to
live.

Another thing I've noticed in your discussion is that no one seems to
talk about places off the strip. Their are many hotels and casinos away
from the strip. Most are considered local, but most are friendly. There
are the hotel/casinos downtown, where you will find the best deals for
food & lower table stakes.

Across from McMullans, where we have had much success with
dinners/entertainment is the Orleans. My tg friends and I go there
frequently.

They have several good restaurants, along with the Bourbon St. Lounge &
Brendan's Irish Pub. Penny & up slots.

I'm just trying to point out that there are more options than just Las
Vegas Blvd.

----------
(This posting was entered by bob, an external user of MyDLV.)