Mr. Vker

First, I would like to say how great it is that we have this forum. Thanks to everyone for their hard work in making it a reality.

Mrs. Vker and I play pretty decent stakes in AC. Bally's was our place for about 7 1/2 years. I play Pai Gow Poker and some craps, DW plays slots. We continued to play at Bally's after the Harrahs merge. I liked TR. Points=dollars you know where you stand. Ballys really needs to update their rooms. I know the other HET properties have expanded and/or updated.

This past summer we started visiting Borgata. (After some conversation with Concierge Mike ^)

We stay at the Water Club. I love the rooms and the comp system is even easier. You simply earn dollars which are easy to see-put your card in any slot machine. I also like that there is only the comp dollar value to monitor. Earn $1000 comp dollars in a year and you move up to the Black Label card. Harrahs Total rewards has both Tier Credits and Reward credits. One for status and one for comps.

I wish the restaurants were better at Borgata. (Havent tried them all yet.) Our last visit, we did room service for every meal. Its nice to put on some shorts, stretch out and still enjoy a top notch meal.

I also like that they work with MGM properties in LAS. Haven't used this yet, but hope too soon.

The casino drinks are, IMHO, better than the other casinos.

They have really taken good care of us. Many places don't rate Pai Gow Poker too high. It doesn't hurt that our luck has been pretty good there!

baccarat_king

I have heard that Borgata is pretty good to their table players.

Is most of your action from Pai Gow Poker? (and not slots?) And, if so, would you care to share (in a general sense - range) your average bet and hours versus the comps (rooms etc.) received.

Do you feel Borgata is treating you better than Harrah's with regard to your table play?

baccarat_king

FWIW, We enjoyed a lovely dinner at SEABLUE with friends, but it was a little while ago.

I've been meaning to comment, that ConciergeMike is an incredible resource, and we are quite fortunate to have a great industry person contributing to threads on FlyerTalk. ^^

Mr. Vker

Responding to the previous poster and adding one more thing about the Borgata System.

1) Your comp dollars are spent by you on food, bar tabs etc. Comp rooms do not count against your comp dollars. They will also match your premium status of another system immediately.

I would say 90% of my play is Pai Gow. I play slots with my wife or if I need a break. I play two hands (which they combine for comps). I bet a min of $140/hand-$280 total plus Fortune Bet. I will get as high as $550 combined when things are going well.

I have only been to Borgata twice-over night each time. First time, they upped me to Black Label with my Harrahs Diamond card. On that trip, they comped my room and all food.

Second trip, room comped in advance. In fact, they told me I was eligible for a room two nights a week for one year. (Ha, Ha-I'd be divorced!)

On second trip, total play time about 9 hours. I earned $852 comp dollars.

As far as how I was being treated. I used to play at Harrahs (marina) pretty heavy in the late 90's and early 2000's. had a great host-was RA etc. Then they got very tight on the number of table games and the comping of those games. I went to Ballys. Treated very well. I probably still would be. The people were nice. They just don't have Fortune Pai Gow and upgraded rooms.

Based on your play, you would be treated VERY well at Borgata and have connections at MGM properties in LAS including Bellagio.

I'll be back to Borgata for post-surgery recovery on Nov 8

Stop by one time. I think you will like it.

anonplz

The Borgata reputedly has the loosest slots and the best poker games in AC. Personally, I don't like Borgata - it's inconvenient, the staff is snooty (and I don't understand what they have to be snooty about) and it just has a cold character about it. But I'm in the minority, as many people seem to love it.

As to room comps, Harrah's gives those out like candy, but at Borgata, it is reputedly difficult to get rooms comped, but I believe I read this elsewhere (or maybe it was here, I can't recall) that there is a trick to getting rooms comped, or at least, this is what one woman did - actually as i think about it, it's kind of complicated to recall precisely, but she would go and play $100 worth of slots and couple times a month, and after 4 months, she got rated as room-worthy and started getting offers. I will try to find that information and post it here in this thread, if I can find it again.

ConciergeMike

Thank you, gentlemen. Much appreciated. Mr. Vker is a concierge's dream client - he stops and says hi and asks if I'm on FT while I'm working.

baccarat_king, OTOH, forgot to tell me he was in town back in July. I have yet to meet him and really would like to at some point.

Loose slots = true.
Best poker = true...largest room, most celebrity sightings, very likely the best variety of game availability.

Inconvenient = perception-based. Exit 1 off the Expressway dead-ends to Borgata, and for whatever reason the signage doesn't make that clear. People that call and are lost have a hard time believing that it's that easy.

Snooty staff = I can't safely touch that one. Having worked at other AC properties, all I'll say is that it's nice to work at a place where the product can be defended, as opposed to service failings leading to a guest just getting a from the Front Office staff.

Mr. Vker

Thanks Mike. We will see you this weekend!

baccarat_king

OK, sorry, my bad I get a bit overwhelmed sometimes.

My plan for my next AC visit is to arrive in the AM on Thursday, 20th November, departing in the late afternoon on Sunday, 23rd November.

Other than possibly catching Madonna on Saturday night, and a social poker thing (I hate poker, BTW) with my AC friends.... I'm totally free that weekend.

But, I will most definitely try to stop by to say hello -- I really do want to meet you, ConciergeMike. ^^

ConciergeMike

No sweat, sir. I should be there that weekend, since I'm not traveling again until Christmas. I actually want to pick your brain on things local to you - I'd like to get up to MHT for the SigSauer school, and I could very much use a local's lay of the land.

Mr. Vker

Being from BWI, I fly SWA alot. I know they have many flights from BWI-MHT non stop, but they have many PHL-MHT non stops as well. (If you didn't want to drive.)

ConciergeMike

Oh yeah, absolutely no driving. I don't drive more than about 3 hours unless I absolutely have to, and the PHL-MHT fares are usually so low that flying would (!!!) work out to be cheaper. It'd also be my first trip on WN.

I really want to get up to the SigSauer plant for one of their training weekends.

baccarat_king

MHT to Epping (I think?) shouldn't be a big deal. Lots of things to do in NH, and close to Boston, if you need the big city thing.

MHT is an easy airport. No crowds, no issues. Yes, PHL-MHT and BWI-MHT are quite the bargain (on WN); and lots of convenient flights.

Mr. Vker, this confirms what I've heard with regard to Borgata treating table players well. Looks like you are on your way to Top Tier Borgata Status. Very glad to hear you are being well taken care of. ^^

ConciergeMike

Yes, the school/plant is in Epping. But the range days are typically 0800-1600, so I doubt I'd be going into BOS for anything nightlife-ish unless it was just for dinner.

I think PHL-MHT is something like 6-7x/day, and it's a great schedule for me: fly out Friday afternoon, have dinner up there, shoot Sat/Sun, fly home Monday morning.

nrr

Since I only play slots (not video poker), Borgata has two numbers to keep track of comp dollars and slot dollars, cd's are used for restaurants and other non gambling activities (merchandise is at a 2:1 rate at the shops)--cd's do NOT cover tips; slot dollars are used for "free" slot play in the machines, for the slots I play they are earned at 1/2 the rate of cd's. Right now (October and extended into November and hopefully into December) you earn sd's at 5X rate. CD's expire if unused after 6 months.
Since Borgata is linked with Mgm and Boyd casinos in LV, you can redeem Borgarta certificates (minimum $50) for use there--these cover anything you can charge to your room (including tips) and merchandise is at 1:1 ratio. Excess value on the certificates is forfeited (so I you use a $50 and charge $40) you are not supposed to get the $10 back--Bellagio has been nice and in some instances credited my cc with (even) small excesses.
PS: The lowest level is Red Card and Black Card (requiring 1000 cd's in a year) is next. There is a Titanium level, but info on this tier is not published.

works2r

My friend who is Titanium got his around the 6k cd mark.. i don't know if that is the bogey, but he's got it.

Does ConciergeMike know? Is it an action issue or just points? (IE can i just get 6k cd and get it, or would one get it if their action/line was big enough?)