The six $5/$25 games are back near the 2nd floor elevator. 8-5 Bonus, 9-5 TP+, 9-6 Jacks, 9-7 DB, 8-5 SA and 9-6 DDB (10-6DDB at $25). The bad news is that all normal 250 coin pays are shorted to 239. The new card tier has been delayed to at least March. The buffet contract is up on 2/1/07 and it surely cannot get any worse.

With the recent news of Fitzgeralds LV trashing their VP inventory I would be really worried that the same will be in store for this Barden property as well. With this now being part of Majestic Star, it takes $10 per point with points still being worth 1c. Bounceback has become weekly which was very strong at the beginning of July but steadily getting worse.

Majestic Star Closes on the Trump Indiana Acquisition

Majestic Star buying Trump Indiana .   Pretty big news for Chicago area vp players. I tend to look at this as a positive --The hands down best vp option in the area having the success to purchase their competitor. I suppose you could take the opposite view and worry at the loss of a strong competitor and the dynamic this creates in the marketplace.

Earned 1700 points one evening. According to the boarding ramp information poster, $8 = 1 point in vp. Received a $25 cash coupon, 2 free buffets and a hotel room good any night of the week 2 weeks after earning the points. Mailings always seem to come on Saturdays.

There are eight $5/$25 MD machines just off the elevator in the main VP area. The DDB is 9-6 for $5 and 10-6 for $25. (Not 10-6 for both as reported by John Grochowski.) Super Aces is 8-5 for both. Jacks are 9-6 for both. DB are 9-7 for both. Triple Pay Plus is 9-5 for both. There is one other game on these. I think it is 8-5 bonus but I am not sure. In ALL cases, ALL hands that would normally pay 250 coins for a 5 coin bet actually pay 239.

Actually since they have gone to mostly MD 25c/50c/$1 you have to search especially at the 25c level as only a few of the 25c games have either TB+ or NSUD. The good 5c games (NSUD and 9-5 TB+) still have at least 4 out of 5 still there at the left rear of the VP room. (Counting the entrance as the front.) One major change this week. The left middle corner that had the three 25c and two $1 games with Triple Play NSUD and 9-6 Jacks along with some short pay multi-hand games has been replaced by eleven 25c 3/5/10 plays with NSUD, 9-7 DB, 8-5 bonus and 9-6 DDB. The deal and draws are instantaneous! Also one short pay 5c Spinpoker in that corner. 1/8% cashback by itself makes no game a positive play unlike the MS.

I just got the mailing on Trump's same day cash. 500pts = $5; $8 = 1pt NOT $10, except pt mutiplier days Trump is actually slightly more generous than M/S on same day cash. Evidently the fairly lousy weekly mailings are unaffected, so this is an actual improvement and not just a money swap from one form of cash back to another.

Trump has completely reorganized their VP room. The three 25c triple plays and two $1 games that included NSU deuces are now in that room. The $1 9-6-5 DB progressive is also now in that room (no big deal!!). The only new game I saw in there was eight $1 9-5 White Hot Aces games. Seems silly since many of the Game Kings have 25c and $1 9-5 Triple Bonus Plus.

Trump at Gary IN now has two Five Play Multi-Strike machines (one to the left of the three good 5c single-line games and the second is back to back of the first one. These are multi-denominational (5c/10c/25c). The best games at all levels are Bonus Poker Deluxe followed by Jacks or Better. At the 5c level they are both 8-5 at the 10c level they are both 8-6 and at the 25c level they are both 9-6. Bonus is 6-5, 7-5 and 8-5 respectively. DDB is 8-5, 9-5 and 9-6. Deuces are 12-9, 12-10 and 15-9 with the rest of the tables the same as NSUD. DB is 9-6-4, 9-6-5 and 9-7-5. Some new 5c/10c/25c single line games too but mostly weaker and no better games than other product on the vessel.

The single 25c, 9-5-80 SDB (#10271 J09 06), 25c 9-6 jacks and the good $1 MD games have moved to the other side of the third floor to the right rear of the new good 25c and $1 games. Also saw one MD game with 8-5 Aces and Faces at all denominations (#10267 J08 20).

Trump has added some new machines. found one 25 cent 3/5 play that contains full-pay super aces. also one machine with single line 25 cent full-pay super double bonus. several of the quarter machines have 9/6 DDB. there could be more but many of the machines were occupied. The 25c (3/5 Play) 8/5 SA on the third level and many/most of the 9/6 DDB pay 200 rather than 250 for 5 - K quads.

Trump at Gary IN has added 30 single line quarter and 10 single line dollar "Game Kings" near the elevator on the second floor. All of these contain 9-5 Triple Pay Plus and NSU deuces. They also contain 9-6-4 DDB which is the first under $5 for them. (The 9-6-4 DDB on the 25c triple play is counterfeit as four 5s through Ks only pay 200). The three other games on this bank of machines are inferior (8-6 BP Deluxe, 9-6-5 DB and 7-5 Bonus.) The one $1 3/5/10 play Super Times Pay is shorted (9-6-5 DB and 9-5-4 DDB on triple, five and ten play - the "feature adds about 0.32%" to these games.) The one $1 Trade Up poker is also short pay (7-5-4 DDB). Also, there are two 50-play .05/.10/.25 machines with 9-6 Bonus Deluxe, 8-5 Bonus Poker, and 9-6-4 DDB, and a couple of .25machines with 8-5 Aces and Faces.

It has been reported (and experienced by me) that Cashback has been declining. Percents vary based on whether you win or lose and (supposedly although not confirmed) based on whether you use comps. Nothing is documented so alot of guess work is going on here. A few good games 99.5+% exist although Cashback no longer even provides a positive opportunity in most cases. The rooms are declining, the food opportuities are limited (although they now have Starbucks coffee and Krispy Kreme doughnuts.)