How to TR offers work for someone who has a pretty low level of play/history? Do they throw offers at me until I take one? Or will they keep sending me the same offers unrelated to which ones I've used, as long as my theoretical loss level stays in the same range?

I've got a comped room (3 nights) offer for Vegas that I could use this month, but I would probably get more value out of something similar later in the year. Should I just go ahead and use it and hope that something similar will be available to me later? Or save it for a time when it will do me more good? (The earlier trip I'm fine to stay in a cheap room somewhere, but the later trip would be more important to be at a nicer property)

I don't have any TR status, but I played some high-limit video poker last year in an aborted attempt to make Diamond-in-a-Day, which is I assume why they are now sending me low-level comp offers.

thanks for any guidance...

If you use an 'offer' it will be spent (as opposed to just booking through Total Rewards without an offer). But, I 'think' you are asking if you will get another offer for the next quarter/period. That can be a bit of an unknown. Harrah's tends (in a general sense) to work on previous 6 months with regard to future offers. But, it's a bit YMMV; sometimes they continue, sometimes they don't.

Personally, since you did the play (and I'm guessing took a loss, due to the 'aborted' attempt at DIAD) you should grab what you can while it's out there.

There really isn't much firm data people can give you; and marketing criteria is always changing, which also complicates things a bit.

My 'usual' advice, is if you are looking for COMP rooms during a certain period is to do that play around 3-4 months prior to the period in which you desire to get the offers. It can often take as long as 2 months for the Total Rewards system to update your account with new offers (since previous play).

Thanks b_k ... you may or may not remember that you gave me significant guidance about making a DIAD run last year. In the end I went for it on my last day in Vegas in February, and knew I would bail if I hit much of a downswing - got near $1000 down and decided to pack it in. I may try again some time - more likely next year, since I'm getting some offers now I'll just see how long they last, and I may not be making my usual long pilgrimage to the World Series of Poker this year, so I might not have as much need for Rio room offers as in the past. Anyway, thanks for your help in the past and present - even though I lost money, it looks like I'll get some decent value out of it.

Yeah, I probably could have phrased my question better - I was wondering whether using an offer (without a lot or any play while you're in Vegas for the offer) makes it less likely that you'll get a similar offer in the next period, and it sounds like you're saying that that's just an unknown.

A more specific question is whether one can combine offers - I've got an offer that gives me 3-4 nights free (including weekends, ending 3/31), and another trio of offers (ending 1/31, 2/28 and 3/31) offering a few weeknights at a discounted rate. My question is whether I could combine those to get, say, 3 free nights Friday-Monday at Paris, followed by a couple of discounted weekday nights at Paris, to make up a 5 day visit. Or better yet, would they be likely to go for it if I called up and said "I've got 3 nights booked at Paris on your generous offer ... would it be possible for you to add on a little weekday night or two so I could stay longer at your glorious casino?". Obviously I'm about as far as you can get from a big whale they're going to drool over, and also obviously these are questions I could just call up TR and ask ... but I'm trying to get an idea of what I can expect in trying to maximize the value of my offer.

Looking at just the free nights offer I would probably choose a three-night weekend in a Premium Palace Tower room at Caesars ... is there anything else I should be looking at that might be better/more fun? I can get four nights at the cheaper properties, but I'd rather have three nights in a nicer room. I've never stayed at Paris or P.H. before - could get a Premier room at Paris or Hollywood Hip room at P.H. (can't even get Hip room with strip view).

For the sake of completeness, I could also get 4 free nights at Bally's in a North Tower Deluxe room, or at Flamingo in a (get this) PetStay GO Deluxe room (regular GO Deluxe not available!?), Rio in a Premium Studio suite, Harrahs in a PetStay Premium room (this time a non-PetStay Premium is not even mentioned in the list), and bringing up the rear, Imperial Palace won't even spring for a freaking "Luv Tub" for me - I'M INSULTED!

I'm guessing none of the 4-night options would be as nice as Caesar's, but if anyone has good experience with Paris or P.H. that might tempt me away, let me know...

thanks,
-Huge (but only a small minnow in the Vegas comped room ocean)

Caesars would be first choice. Followed by Paris (if it's a Renovated Red Room) and Planet Hollywood.

You can 'often' combine as long as you do NOT exceed 5 nights in a row. You can book the first 3 nights online, and then you will probably have to call to add the other two nights. Of course, they will often offer you a casino rate for the nights over 5; which at some properties can be as low as $49 (probably NOT Caesars).

You can also book multiple offers, but need to have a gap between reservations (IIRC, that has usually been 4-5 nights).

Thanks! Between flights and Mrs Huge's schedule, it's looking like I might have to spend this offer on a midweek stay, which seems like kind of a waste value-wise, but the room will be just as nice. Thanks for the confirm on Caesars being top choice - that was my assumption but I've been curious about Paris.

I really like Paris, since it's 'small size' by relative Vegas standards can be an advantage. Paris also has a very nice cafe/coffee shop, and my favorite diamond lounge in Vegas. The problem, is if you don't get a renovated (Red Room) in 2006/2007 room; you will NOT be happy with the older rooms, which are definitely showing their age.

Caesars has renovated most of the property, and has a LOT more room choices; so chances are (unless you are there on a sold out weekend), you probably won't be stuck in an awful (circa 1999) room.

Yeah, it looks like Paris doesn't offer their "red" rooms as part of the offer I'm getting. Luxury and Premier, but not red room luxury or premier. I could always hope for a $20-trick upgrade, but for this offer I'll stick to Caesars, where I can lock in a Palace Tower Premier room and then hope to get upgraded to something better. ("Augustus Tower Deluxe" shows up as theoretically available on the offer, but usually only one or two nights price out as free, whereas Palace Premium is usually good for three nights)

I would play six months before you want your comp. For example, I did the Harrah's passport offer last summer, and I didn't get any offers from Horseshoe Hammond until this month. If you play at a property that sends out offers after three months, generally they will just resend the offer if you didn't use it the first time around.

I never have offers listed (and they never mail me about anything as I'm overseas) but whenever I check online logged into TR the comped rooms are there -Two trips booked for this year so far Casears and Flamingo and had three last year as a lowly Gold.

Not sure I understand their logic but it works for me.