Resorts Mailer!

And just in time, because I no longer receive an AC Hilton mailer. Now, I do have to earn 3 points to receive my gift offers (and I'd love to know how much coin in a "point" takes) but I'm pleased just getting the mailer.

This was triggered by about an hour of quarter 8/5 BP play in April with Harv and Cath.

There's nothing I want to earn in June, but I'll probably keep receiving the mailers.

I've decided to give my Total Rewards and Trump cards a rest for the summer. My theos at both places are in the garbage and I want to take a shot at redeeming myself, especially since I no longer go to AC ten times a month. If I don't start to get Friday night comp rooms at TP in the fall, I'm going to let my Chairman's Card lapse. That is THE ONLY perk that Trump gives me above Harrah's. Trump did really well marketing to me: I was bumping up in denomination and starting to play short games during an entire year of losing there. Even with this escalation in play they still cut my offers for the summer. The last straw was finding out that Lydia receives THE EXACT SAME OFFERS AS I DO, after she played there casually a few times. Give me a damn break. It's time for me to wise up.

I'll give my Borgata and Resorts cards some use for the summer.

- The New Improved Bigfus!

I Think I Love Trump Plaza

I looked at my "Center Stage" monthly offer booklet from Trump Plaza today and they may have convinced me not to bother making a run at the Harrah's Diamond Card for next year. Of course, there's a lot of "year" left, as I've only made one trip to Atlantic City thus far this year, but the Plaza has a huge leg up on their competitors now, as they've actually offered me free rooms for "ANY DAY OF THE WEEK" next month. I circled that when I read it, because I wanted to make sure I actually read that phrase right. Of course, this could have been a misprint (I even checked that that booklet was actually addressed to me - it was), so I checked the web site right away and I've already booked three different dates that Harrah's was ready to charge me over $150 night (or more) for. This makes me want to run out and buy a toupee, just so I can let it flap recklessly in the spring breeze.

The room offers were enough to make Trump Plaza worthy of praise, and I find their newly redesigned web site much easier to navigate than what they offered in the past, but that wasn't the only thing that pleased me about the April offers I received. Here are some highlights:

• April 1 - May 10, Complimentary Overnight Stay ANY DAY, Valid Two Times Per Week
• $30 Bonus Cash (I had been receiving $5 offers, though mine used to be for $20 about 2 years ago) on 4/8, 4/12, 4/16, 4/19, 4/24, and 4/28 (this includes two Saturdays)
• I've been put back on the "Gift" list, after an absence of several months, and there seem to be 2-3 gift days every week
• $100 Comp Dollars with 3X or 4X Multiplier on additional points earned on 4/10
• $50 Macy's or Dick's Sporting Goods Gift Card on 4/14
• $50 Cash on 4/15
• $50 Cash on 4/20 (A Sunday) and 4/30

So, did the Plaza up the ante with anyone else for the month to come? Or, did my neglect in playing there very often pay off with The Donald trying to woo me back?

Mattress Poker Tour 2008 Schedule In the Works

Poker players and fans rejoice! The discussion around the Mattress Poker Tour's 2008 schedule is finally taking place. Take a look at this item from the MPT blog to express your opinions now.

What do you look for in a hotel room?

As folks return to the "New Atlantic City" they often ask where they should stay. Rarely do they specify what THEY really like in a hotel room. Is a big bathtub a must? In room coffee-makers? A good firm mattress? A feathery pillow? How about a refrigerator? There are so many things that can make our break a room for individuals that it is impossible to determine the "best" rooms in town, or at least what the "best" room for that person might be. However, it is quite possible to make a list of these important amenities and rate the rooms where we stay.

My long-term goal for the site is to have a grid the details what each class of room offers at each property in town (with the possible exception of the Tropicana, where I don't think any of us would admit to staying). We also have a reasonably large collection of photos of rooms in the Harrah's properties that could be a very useful guide to prospective visitors about what room best suits their needs.

So, what factors do you think people care about when selecting a hotel room? What is important to you?

Toll Refunds for AC Surf Games

Good news for value-conscious folks who want to see minor league baseball in Atlantic City this upcoming summer. According the Philadelphia's KYW Newsradio, the Surf will refund $1.00 to individuals who purchase tickets to games this season to pay their Expressway tolls. Not specified in the article is whether you will be required to produce toll receipts or whether those of us with EZ-Pass will be able to collect this refund.

Click here for the complete article from KYW.

Also, thanks to Jesse O. Kurtz, from The Atlantic City Scoop, for this article that brought this discount to my attention.

HET ups Diamond to 11K Points!

It's on the HET site. (I went to look after Rob told me that it was official. They posted it on the web).

How odd, eh? $110,000 in VP action for Diamond. It does make it more difficult for non-locals to attain Diamond, and that's a bummer. Add that to the fact that they are now sending different offers to people who have the same Tier status. (It messes up group play if everyone's premium offers are different. Hmm, we'd better go to quiet hand signals. :-)

TP - Need Host for Weekend Rooms?

Friday's were just added to my comp room offers at TP. Yipee! But the problem is that no Friday's are available. Flip? JM? Do I need a host to book a weekend? I'm thinking that maybe hosts book up all the weekends in advance and it's not really possible to get one if you wait for your online offer.

I'm losing consistently at Trump, so maybe this is the time to meet a host.

New Links from Flip

We've added two new links to the site, thanks to Flip. They are to Atlantic City Tripping and Casino Connection: Atlantic City Edition. Casino Connection has feature articles on Atlantic City and general gambling topics. Atlantic City tripping is more of a general travel information site, with resources, reviews, and pictures about various properties in town. There is also a discussion forum.