Page 14 - August 2008 • Southern California Gaming Guide

Bob Dancer: Video Poker
IAs a Joint Players Club Account a Good Idea?
t some casinos, players club joint accounts are mandatory for people with the last surname sharing the same address—unless you can really convince them you are brother and sister, mother and son, or some other non-married state of being. At the other extreme,
at some casinos there are no such things as joint accounts, sometimes because it is mandated by state law. Everyone is considered separately at these places.
Most casinos, however, are somewhere in the middle. You may have a joint account if you wish. Sometimes you need to be actually married, sometimes you only have to both agree that you want such an account, married or not. For this article, let’s look at the parameters for you to choose whether to sign up jointly or separately, given the choice.
How much do you play?
Generally speaking, if you play a lot, you’ll get more invitations in the mail if you have separate accounts. If you play only a little, being on one card and adding your play together makes sense. At casinos with tiered accounts, if you are both going to play enough to get up to the top level, whatever that is, you’re giving up bene ts unless you have separate accounts.
Do you both play similar amounts?
add the play together, they’ll do that too. To have this option, you need to sign up separately.
If you need to show ID to collect the cash back, and you do not always go to the casino together, then having a joint account de nitely makes sense. If the casino allows you to pick up the cash at a machine by using a pin number, having separate accounts and knowing each other’s pin numbers might work well.
In Shirley’s and my particular case, this was never a close decision. We were always going to have separate accounts. By the time Shirley and I met, I was already regularly playing $5 machines and was planning on pursuing the life of a professional video poker player as long as I was successful at it. ere was no doubt that we’d play at a high enough level on both accounts to make it worth our while to do so.
Before we were married, we had Shirley get players club cards in as many casinos as possible so we wouldn’t be forced to have a joint account against our will. She didn’t take my last name when we married so casinos wouldn’t automatically force us onto the same account.
Today, for health reasons (sinus problems), Shirley doesn’t spend as much time in casinos as she used to. Since we have separate accounts, I play on both of our cards su ciently to maintain top status. One casino I play at tells me I must only play on my own card, but other casinos don’t care so long as they know it’s my wife. If I earn a W2G on Shirley’s card, I simply say that Shirley is my favorite wife and everything is cool.
is might not be the case everywhere.
Bob Dancer is America’s best-known video poker writer and teacher. He has a variety of “how to play better video poker” products, including Winner’s Guides, strategy cards, his autobiography Million Dollar Video Poker, and his two novels, including Sex, Lies, and Video Poker. Dancer’s products may be ordered at www.bobdancer.com or at 1-800-244-2224 Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Paci c Time.
If one of you is a very
occasional player, it’s “If you need to show ID to collect the
If you nd the right partner for this, and it’s allowed by the casino, it might make sense to become a joint account holder with a friend who isn’t related at all, and perhaps even without a romantic involvement. If a casino will allow an account to be between any two consenting adults, why not consider whether
probably better to have cash back, and you do not always go a joint account. After all,
small amounts of play get you very little in bene ts.
Do you trust each other?
to the casino together, then having a joint account definitely makes sense. If the casino allows you to pick up
Either party can withdraw
all of the accumulated cash
back and spend all of the
accumulated comp points.
In some relationships there
are trust issues about this
sort of thing. For those folks, separate accounts are a must.
Are you good at dealing with hosts?
At some casinos, hosts will treat separate accounts in an “either or” manner. If it makes sense to treat the accounts separately, they will. If it makes sense to
this works for you?
If the casino o ers a nice gift for signing
up for a players club,
the cash at a machine by using a pin number, having separate accounts and knowing each other’s pin numbers
mightworkwell.”
you should lean more towards separate accounts in order to get two gifts instead of one. Beware though. Some casinos like to play with you on this one. A local casino in Las Vegas advertises: Join our players club and receive $500 guaranteed. Of course, in microscopic letters before
the oversized “$500” is a microscopic “up to”. In fact, over 95% of the players signing up receive only $5.
Page 14
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA GAMING GUIDE
AUGUST 2008
Video Poker with Bob Dancer