Page 6 - January 2009 • Southern California Gaming Guide

Bill Burton: About Gambling
2A009: A Year of Opportunity
new year is here already. It seems like only a few months ago we were ringing in 2008 with much joy and anticipation, and now we can’t shu e it out the door fast enough. What a di erence twelve months can make. To say that 2008 was a challenging year would be
an understatement. A year ago we were enjoying an economic boom, a rising stock market, and many of us had plenty of extra money to pursue or favorite pastime, casino gambling.
e gaming industry has long been considered a recession-proof industry. Even in bad economic times in the early 2000’s when we su ered our last downturn in the stock market, casinos continued to grow and ourish. However, this time it is di erent, and as players cut back on their trips to casinos, the gaming industry is nally feeling the impact of the shortage of players. Many casinos are starting to o er more promotions and deals that may present a great opportunity for players.
Take Advantage of Promotions
Two or three times a week my mail box contains o ers from casinos that I have visited in the last year. I have also been receiving some o ers from casinos I have not visited in a few years. ey must be mining the data bases of their players clubs for anyone who previously signed up for a card. I’ve received o ers for free nights at some luxury casinos where I have not played enough to rate a free bu et, let alone three free nights in a mini- suite. Although I don’t have plans to visit them at this time, I put all of the o ers in a folder just in case the opportunity arises, and I will keep them until they expire.
e o ers I get from my local casinos are more valuable because I can easily get away for a few hours or a day if their promotions are worthwhile. I’ll consider promotional o ers such as triple points or cash back, but invitations to “special drawings” are usually not worth the time or fuel to make a trip to the casino.
Casinos have also been cutting costs by using e-mail to send out special o ers. You can get on the casinos’ e-mail lists by signing up on their web sites or supplying
your e-mail address when you sign up for a players card. During my last visit to Las Vegas, I noticed several promotions o ering bonus points simply for updating e-mail addresses in account information.
Planning Your Visits
Because of the economy, many of us may visit the casino less than we have in the past, so it is important to get the best value for your money. You can do this by shopping around looking for deals on casino web sites or in this newspaper.
If you plan to go farther than Southern California to play—and who knows why during these times—it may be possible to get some great bargains. Because travel is down, many airlines are joining with casinos to o er package deals that combine a hotel room and airfare to give you savings on both. ese packages sometimes include shows and other discounts that can save you more. In many cases you will be able to pick up a package for the price that you would pay for airfare alone.
If you only take day trips to the casino, it is still a good idea to plan your visits in advance. Some of the fun and excitement of a vacation, holiday or big event is the anticipation leading up to the special day. By planning your casino visits in advance, you will have something to look forward to hopefully enjoy the excitement as the day approaches.
Set Aside Money
Whether you are going for a day or several days, having your casino visits planned in advance will also allow
you to set aside a few extra dollars a week to spend on your trip. Whenever you go to the casino you should know in advance how much money you are going to spend on gambling. By planning your trip, you can calculate how much money you need to set aside each week to meet your goal.
Even if you don’t know when you will be visiting the casino, now is a great time to start saving a few dollars each week in a casino fund. is way you will have the money if you receive a great promotional o er or if you just want to get away for a day at the casino.
is coming year may be tough for many of us, but if we plan ahead and save a little money each week, we should still be able to enjoy our favorite pastime and even nd some great values along the way.
Until next time, remember: “Luck comes and goes.. Knowledge Stays Forever.”
Bill Burton is the Casino Gambling Guide and columnist for the Internet portal About.com, located at http://casinogambling.about.com. He is the author of 1000 Best Casino Gambling Secrets and Get the Edge at Low Limit Texas Hold’em available online at www.billburton.com. He is also an instructor for Golden Touch Craps, http://www.thecrapsclub.com.
January 2009 Table Game and Slot Tournaments
BARONA VALLEY RANCH RESORT AND CASINO TUESDAY, January 20th through THURSDAY, January 22nd Birthday Slot Tournament
Any Club Barona member with a birthday in January can participate in a free slot tournament held January 20th through January 22nd from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. The top-scoring daily player wins $1,000, with $500 for second and third place. Just present your id and Club Barona card to play. Winners will have one week to claim prizes.
Blackjack with Guaranteed PlayTM
Barona Valley Ranch Resort and Casino is the first casino to introduce Blackjack with Guaranteed PlayTM, where for one low buy-in price, players have the opportunity to play at least 30 hands, while the sky is the limit for how much they can win. Players can buy-in with $20 and receive $150
worth of Guaranteed Play Chips at the $5 table; $40 receives $300 worth of chips at the $10 table; and $60 receives $450 worth of chips at the $15 table. Players can take home anything over their Guaranteed Play Chip amount.
Barona’s Three Card Poker Jackpot
Barona’s ree Card Poker progressive jackpot keeps growing. When you place a small side bet of $1 on each hand, you are automatically quali ed to win all— or part—of the progressive jackpot.
Win a Share of $25,000 Cash!
From January 26th through February 9th, earn drawing entries with qualifying hands at select table games. Join Barona on February 9th at 8 p.m. for the Grand Finale drawing and take home your share of $25,000.
SANTA YSABEL CASINO
THURSDAYS at 7 p.m. and SUNDAYS at 1 p.m. Blackjack Tournament
Enter to win up to $500 in cash.
VALLEY VIEW CASINO
SUNDAY, January 25th at 12 p.m.
The Kings and Queens of Blackjack Tournament
$40 buy in, $20 re-buys, $5,000 guaranteed prize pool. Check-in begins at 11 a.m. All tournament participants receive $20 in Match Play if they are Players Club members. Entries may be purchased at the casino cashier. Tournament space is limited, so buying entries early is recommended. For more information, please call 1-866-view-win.
Page 6
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA GAMING GUIDE
January 2009
Tournaments
About Gambling with Bill Burton