SnoozeD122

12 hours ago, DoomSlayer said:

By pennies, I do mean 1cent machines.  I do try to play at least 5cent machines because they are typically set with a slightly higher return to player.  I do still play 1cent machines sometimes but is usually not my preference.  I usually bet $3 to $5 per spin, so instead of doing it at 1cent, I sent the machine to a 5cent denomination if it supports it.

I have spent too much time as a developer, and even did some development work for a gaming company in Vegas, so I do not believe in hot machines vs cold machines or moving to another machine if I don't get a hit on the first few spins.  Each spin is a new independent event and has no memory of the previous or prior spins.  You have the same chance of spinning a jackpot or bonus on each spin.   There are a lot of superstitions people have about slot machines, that I typically shrug off and don't try to argue with people about them because they are often convinced that their beliefs are true.  But the reality is, your fate is set as soon as you hit the button, it does not matter if you wait for the animations to finish or hit the button again to stop the reals -- the spin will be the same.  If I do hit an unusually high line pay on a spin or a jackpot, I do usually cash out that ticket and put that money aside.  I save it to tip the steward and dining room staff at the end of the cruise, or just take it home and put it back in the bank.

The topic I have been addressing is about getting casino tier points to get to prime status as cheaply as possible.  This is not about trying to win jackpots or even coming out ahead in the casino.  At the end of the day, they casino will take your money over time if you play long enough.  There is no avoiding this fact.  But if we can get something in return for the money they take, like free cruises, then it becomes worthwhile as many times you will be able to pick these perks up at a lesser cost than if you bought them outright.  Prime is usually achievable with a smaller size bankroll, although you still stand a chance of losing your bankroll.  I personally would not go after signature or master status, because those tiers require you to put a lot of money at risk.

Thank you so much for your reply! I definitely don’t have it in my mind that I’m going to come home loaded. Or even a winner. I have a bankroll that I’m willing to spend to achieve my goal… and hopefully that happens with that amount. I’ve also decided that if I can’t hit an X amount of points by certain number of $’s (half my bank roll)  - that I will just stop there as I feel I wouldn’t achieve the goal going further and no sense in giving them the remaining amount.  I don’t know if that is a wise plan, or a dumb plan.  Even though I know I try to still achieve that on a later sailing, so I’ll still end up spending that amount at some point.  As you stated, the goal is to reach prime as inexpensively as possible, I have no desire to hit other tier levels. I just want the added benefits of comped/discounted cruises to achieve the next status level even faster, (as I would probably do those solo since hubby hasn’t retired yet and that gets to that goal faster) and the drinks is also I nice add, even when we do become diamond.  I appreciate your time and willingness to help all of us out! 

On 3/28/2023 at 1:18 PM, DoomSlayer said:

I just did it on my last trip in March, did it last December, did it last September... (I could keep going).  All on slots.  Broke even last September, won a hand pay that more than paid for the trip in December, and lost about $400 in March.  My wife and I are happy with free balconies, so to each their own I guess on that topic.  Our next comped trip is on Allure in May to Honduras.  I have another one in October on Voyager.  I should get my voucher in a couple of weeks and will use it in December, and I expect to get a comp for a summer trip on my May cruise.  Yes you cycle through money and get a multiplier -- the key there is to look for less volatile slots to play, stay away from pennies (PAR table changes with higher denominations), and play all features.

There was a couple sitting next to me on Adventure last month in the casino.  They must have had a huge bankroll because they were playing max bets and went from nothing to signature status in one sitting.  I am sure the floor staff was a little annoyed because with bets so big, they were constantly getting hand pays.  They were not US citizens, so they did not have the tax consequences with the hand pays.  I am not sure how much they won or lost, but it was funny watching them squirm when they were losing and dancing when they were winning.

@DoomSlayer I’ve been reading all of your replies on this thread a friend directed me to. I’m about to embark on my journey on trying to add casino benefits for future cruises while on my journey to get to Diamond by the end of 2023. I appreciate all the information you have provided - especially for someone like me who is new to this.  When you say stay away from the Pennies - are you saying not to play the 1c machines? And please excuse my naïveté, but what is a ‘play all machine’.  I googled and didn’t find an answer to that… maybe my key words are not adequate.

My last cruise last month I played a penny machine and was mostly doing the minimum 50c bet. Occasionally I bet $1 or $1.50 but mostly .50c. This was before I really understood the desire to earn points. I didn’t put a lot of money in, I wasn’t planning on gambling and I left with a whopping $75 in my pocket ahead. $75 I didn’t have, so not nothing and I was happy  But in my mind now, that seemed like the smart way to go, (low risk and hopefully longer play) but maybe I’m thinking about it incorrectly. My machine focus until coming here to this thread,  was to find the lower jackpot machines $4K/$5K range. My thought process was to chase Prime with a set bankroll on my next cruise - 6 days, I’m going solo, so thought it would be a good time to try it out. 

So do you personally have a rule of thumb in regard to sitting at a machine and moving if it’s not paying out? Like do you have a fiscal plan of staying vs moving? Example you sit at a machine and have put 10% of your entire bankroll for your cruise in a machine and you’ve hit nada  ( I know probably not realistic, but for argument sake) would you say time to move or do you sit it out. Do you break up your bankroll into amounts per day, or you’re not as regimented as that?  Is it worth playing during those different offerings they have like “hot seat” I believe one is called, or does that not matter in any way shape or form. 

I would love any ‘words of wisdom’, good or bad. Thank you for your time!