How the Casino Checks on a Player's Action
If you only want to play the electronic games such as video poker or slot machines, it pays to inquire about the comps and credits before making reservations at a particular hotel. Check various hotels, and find the one that best will compensate you for your action.
Just because you play video poker, for example doesn't foreclose you from playing table games such as blackjack where your skill can beat the house. Not only check on the membership clubs, but the comps available to you when playing a table game such as blackjack. Can you get a better rate on your room? Will it be difficult for you to get your meals chomped? Don't be afraid to ask questions. It's much better to know just what to expect, rather than pick a hotel at random and find yourself unhappy with what awaits you.
On the other hand, if all you want is a bed, it might pay to get a cheap room somewhere, and to use the hotel as base or center, roaming around whatever gambling city you're in and looking for action where it suits you.
For example, I recommend that you play progressive video poker games in the section on video poker. And I further recommend that these progressive machines have a payoff of at least $2,200 before they're worth playing. Stretching that figure, play nothing with less than a $2,000 payout. Now suppose you make a reservation at Hotel X.
You join its membership club and receive a card, and you find that there are four areas where progressive quarter video poker machines are located in the casino. The first has a jackpot of $1,048.50, the second $1,236.70, the third $1,098, and the fourth $1,400.60. None are worth playing. What should you do if you want to put in some serious hours playing video poker?