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Bob Dancer writes a video poker column for beginners to experts. He also writes a column with Jeffrey Compton, "Player's Edge", featuring information on promotions at various Las Vegas casinos. Player's Edge is published each Friday in the Neon section of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Click here to send Bob Dancer an e-mail.

For more details and a schedule of Bob's free classes, visit www.bobdancer.com.

Dec. 16, 2008

Eastside Cannery Attempts to Get Back on Right Track --- Part I of II

In late August of this year, the Eastside Cannery opened up on Boulder Highway at Harmon. They had a competitive video poker inventory. They had one bank of 100% quarter machines, 5/10/25-cent Ten Play machines with good games including 8/5 Super Aces Bonus, plus some $1 (and one $2) Ten Play machines that included 9/6 Jacks or Better. They had a 0.167% slot club (you earn free play rather than cash back, but it's largely the same) and periodic 3x (0.50%) days scheduled. They had several days where you could earn various gifts or gift cards at numerous outlets. All in all, a pretty good deal for the players.

On September 15, however, this all changed. Somebody in management thought that offering 10x points (worth 1.67%) was a good idea to bring in more business. They got their wish. To video poker players, this was manna from heaven. This promotion was the equivalent of offering a pack of hungry dogs all the red meat they could eat. Numerous machines were worth more than $100 per hour with competent play. The $1 and $2 Ten Play machines were locked up at least eight hours before the promotion started at midnight. These players were basically sitting there killing time until the frenzy started.

(I came too late to get one of these machines. I ended up playing $10 8/5 Bonus Poker. In theory this became a 100.83% machines through which I could play about $40,000 an hour. This multiplies out to about $330 an hour for the knowledgeable well-financed player. I would have preferred to play either $1 or $2 Ten Play 9/6 Jacks or Better, which had a higher expected hourly return, but sometimes you're forced to take second-best. I played about sixteen hours that day. Some players lasted all 24 hours.)

At about 11 p.m. on September 14 (one hour before the promotion started), I was chatting with another knowledgeable player as we surveyed the scene. I was willing to bet that the casino would realize its mistake and kill the promotion by 2 a.m. He didn't take the bet because he believed the same.

The massacre lasted 24 hours. Perhaps the casino lost $250,000. Perhaps $500,000. I just don't know. But it was a lot. Clearly this was a big miscalculation on the part of the casino.

This promotion was originally scheduled to run three days a week for another two weeks. By Wednesday September 17 (the second day of the promotion), however, all video poker machines had a sticker on them that said the machines were no longer eligible for any multiple points. Even the machines where the loosest game was below 98% had these stickers.

The casino had rules where you could only redeem $2,000 in free play a day. So the players who earned $16,000 in free play could redeem their money over eight days. Not the best situation, but tolerable. Over the course of about a week, this $2,000 limit was reduced to $1,000, and then to $500, and then to $100, and then to $50. This was no longer tolerable for any players with substantial balances.

In addition, the casino decided to restrict any player who played a lot on September 15. While these players were allowed to play, they did not receive any monthly mailers. I don't know their definition of "a lot," but I know some quarter players who "made the list." At most casinos, the monthly mailers are worth a significant amount. I don�t know how much the mailers at this casino are because I was on the list as well.

Obviously the casino was blaming players for the 10x points fiasco as though players forced the casino to offer such an ill-conceived promotion.

Players have been largely staying away from the casino. Players, including me, have been taking the attitude that if the casino wants to eliminate all of the good opportunities there and institute Mickey Mouse policies on top of that, we'll just go play somewhere else. I figured that sooner or later they'll allow me to cash the rest of my free play in reasonable amounts, but until then there is no reason to go in there. For a brand new casino, so many players staying away is the kiss of death. They NEED new players.

One of the hats I wear is that of a casino consultant. I contacted the Eastside Cannery in mid-November and suggested that they were doing things wrong and I had a lot of suggestions if they were interested in turning around their video poker and bring in a lot of new players.

It turned out that my timing was pretty good. A new General Manager was hired the day after I sent my email. Sean Sullivan is a very competent manager who I've worked with previously at other properties. Yes he was interested in what I had to say.

There will be major changes in the way video poker works at the Eastside Cannery sooner rather than later. I'll tell you more about this next week. What I can tell you now is that these changes are enough to make me want to play there again.

In next week's article I'll outline how the casino will be a better place to play on an overall basis. Most of the changes will be well received by the player community. Some will not be. There will be a very few tightenings and a whole lot of loosenings. I'll tell you more about it next week.