Player's Club Update

Was there 11/6/10 . there is full pay Bonus Poker in triple play on a machine. Can't remember exactly the location, but it was some sort of cove area. It was multi-denomination quarter to dollar.

My observations from last weekend at Trop Exp. Laughlin: I was hunting for 8/5 bonus poker with triple payouts for 4 sevens, at any denomination. There are none at the Grand Junction bar. What a shame. I'm going to miss Felix. There are none at the north end of the casino on either the east (river) or west (hotel) sides of the "block" formed by the cashier/hotel desk. So I think that the 5 locations currently listed at vpfree2 can be deleted. But, There are about 26 slant-tops in the Grand Junction high-end area surrounding the bar, at $1, $2 & $5 levels. And there are about 15 slant-tops in front of the main cage, in the 2nd and 3rd rows of back-to-back machines (counting from the cage), at $1 level. Some face the cage, some face the other way. All these games are clearly marked with "Triple Payout" signage, but many short-pay machines also have these signs, so watch those paytables.

Tropicana has added some machines back into the fold for the $1 players. IN THE NON-SMOKING AREA (none in other areas), not only did the 4 8/5 BP slant tops that employees thought might be downgraded survive, but 8 others have been upgraded at the $1 level to full 8/5 BP. Eight of the machines DO HAVE the sevens promo signs ... the other four are on a bank with big "no smoking' signs on the top. Unclear (since they are back to back with four of the other machines with the sevens promo) if they do or do not honor the sevens promo on these 4 additional machines.

I just left Laughlin and can verify that both Trop and River Palms have pulled their 100% machines.

We have not been to the Trop Express in over two years. After reviewing the VP data base, we decided to take a trip down for the weekend. The 6 machines with full pay DW, AA, JW and JOB are gone. Only the Bonus Poker machines remain. They have wiped out half of their inventory of machines. They put in many more gaming tables which were pretty empty all weekend.

Tropicana has .25 FPDW, DDB, AA on six machines near cashier. Sign on top of bank real easy to find.

The uprights with 8/5 BP that WERE near the buffet have now been moved to just between Sportsbook counter and VIP room. Near that 'side' door (or is it casino drive) pedestrian entrance, along the 'TrainTrack' pavillion with open bar stool seating in front? At least still a number of 8/5 BP with 4-7s paying triple at .25 and higher denom. Cut in slot club benefits to .25% TOTAL (.083333 cb and .167 comps) is now in the 'middle range' of Laughlin's offerings.

TROP (Still a favorite of mine, nice rooms, plenty of decent places to eat, relax, and otherwise hang out): VP goes from $3/pt to $6/pt, in effect, cutting benefits in half by requiring TWICE as much coin in.

*** MIA - *** (1) 25c old IGT 10/7 DB slant-top in "Antique Junction" area.

*** MIA - *** (3) 50c 10/7 DB bartops @ BF&B Conductor Bar (2) $1 10/7 DB near main cashier. $1/$2 10/7 DB in high-limit area. 25c 9/6 JoB near Cashier. (2) 50c 9/6 JoB bartops @ high-limit bar. 25c 8/5 BP near Cashier. 25c 8/5 BP PROG (RF) bartops @ Caboose Bar. 25c/50c/$1 8/5 BP (Quad 7's pay triple) bartops @ Caboose Bar. (3) 50c 8/5 BP bartops @ BF&B Conductor Bar $1/$2/$5/$10 8/5 BP (Quad 7's pay triple) in high-limit area.

*** MIA - *** $1 9/6 JoB in high-limit area.

*** MIA - *** (2) 25c (1-100-coin) 10/7 DB near main cashier. (2) $5 ($1199 for SF and 5-K quads - 99.8%) 10/7 DB in high-limit area.

The casino's name has been changed from Ramada Express to Tropicana Express. They removed many of the vp machines near the main cashier. I asked about some other missing machines and the slot person said if it was a coin dropper than it will not be replaced.

Ramada Express /Tropicana Express does have $5 BP (8/5) which is over 100% (100.057%) because of the triple pay on 7's and the $5 BP 7/5 is a progressive and many times is very high which puts it over 100% because it also pays triple on the 7's.