The four 5c 100 play MG/MD games that were in the Don and Mike bar are now in the 3rd floor deli on the MS2. At least one 25c 9-5 TP+ and two 25c 9-4-4 bonus deuces. Host Karen no longer with the MS.

The two 25c/50c/$1 games (3678 & 3710) near the left rear of the main vp room have been downgraded in all denominations. No single-line game under $1 better than 9-6 jacks on either boat.

Still more downgrades! The six $5/$25 machines at the front of the main VP room have downgraded games other than 9-6 jacks which is the only 99%+ game on the machines. Only know of two 25c NSUD and 9-5 TB+ and only a handful at $1. Not surprisingly, the 1c game has been removed.

The two 50 plays with 9-6 BP Dlx and 8-5 Bonus are now 1c only. Fewer 25c single lines with NSUD and 9-5 TB+ but some still do exist as my mom played NSUD and I played both games yesterday (Machines 3693 and 3694 on the right wall, 2nd and 3rd from the rear in the 2nd floor main room).

More pulled games and downgrades! 25c 3/5/10 play downgraded. Five Play Multi-Strike not found. 25c & $1 White Hot Aces downgraded. BP Dlx on 1c 50 and 100 play downgraded. Fewer 25c machines with 9-5 TP+ and NSUD. I did not see 9-6 BP Dlx or 9-4-4 Bonus Deuces. I also did not see full pay 50c & $1 games but I did not do a complete check so they may still be there. Please let me know. There is a single line 1c game with NSUD!

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 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.

Majestic Star Closes on the Trump Indiana Acquisition

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.

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.

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 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.