Question for KingBB, Pokeraddict or any one with knowledge:

This weekend I'm taking advantage of an offer from TI that comes with free 3nights stay and $200 in free slot play. Question is how to I approach the free play. I've read your previous posts but they're based on play after losing the inital $$. I just want to know what your thoughts are re: type of machines and amount per each play.

For those wondering, I received this free offer after signing for a player's card in January and playing hours at the poker room trying for the 40 hour promo they had going. The offer expired in May but since I wasn't able to use it, they let me use it this weekend.

Thanks in advance

Be ready to complain about the nightly resort fee that they will, no doubt, try to make you pay when you check in.

WHAT???
Lol. Thx for the headsup. I'll make sure to make the loudest noise

Unless they strictly forbid it, which its extremely unlikely they do, you should use your slot play at low limit video poker, either .25 at the best possible pay table or else 100 play .01s, you should be able to cash $190 or so out of it.

Most hotels/casinos don't charge the resort fee on a comp stay.

I agree with acesover, play .25 denom Video Poker. I prefer Double Double Bonus Poker.

You might get lucky and hit Aces w/kicker for $500 or a 4 OAK w/kicker for $200. Even if you don't hit one of those hands you should still come out of it with at least $175 or so.

They gave you three free nights and the slot play for just poker play and no other action? Did you stay there?

With regards to video poker, playing 50c level looks to be much more +EV. I would assume that you can use free play for VP, but you would definitely want to double check.

http://www.vpfree2.com/casino/treasu...d-hotel-casino

Otherwise play multiline pennies or nickels because at that point, play low denominations and more hands if you want to guarantee to pull out most of the $200.

Once I was given 2 weekend night and $300 free play at Encore, and I had only ever played poker, and even then not for very long sessions.

Yup, just poker over weekend. It was the first week of their poker promotion and maybe it's because it was also the first time I got their players card. The free promotion was available till May 31 2012 but they let me use it this past weekend.

Quick TR:

I got to TI late Friday night and checked-in. I inquired about resort fees and was told the casino marketing was picking up the whole tab. I then proceeded to go the the players club to pick up my $200 slot play. Since it was already expired, this kind lady loaded my card with the current promotion in the amount of $250.

I then located the double double video poker and made $198 and change. In hindsight, I think I would have made more. I made some newbie mistakes i.e. playing 1 quarter in the beginning, instead of max play.

Thanks guys for all your help.

The only time the number of coins comes into play is on the progressives. I'm assuming you didn't hit any 4OAK or better with your cashout amount, so the error did not affect you. Only cashing out about 80% of your coin in, however, tells me that you probably don't know proper video poker strategy. Beginners tend to draw to flushes and straights when they shouldn't, and hold kickers when they are unnecessary. In any case, $198 free and clear is a hell of a deal and I congratulate you.

Not necessarily true. I had $175 in FP at Mandalay Bay last monday, I was playing DDB VP and after the play through I had only cleared $115! I know proper strategy and probably play 100,000 or more hands of VP a year. That's not the first time my clear through rate was that low either. Sometimes you just hit the bad luck streaks, a streak i've been on for the last 2+ years :{

Also matters with royal flushes. But yeah, error didn't affect him.