I suppose this is an obvious one but...should I join as many as possible? Which ones if not? I suppose many of them connected thru coporate ownership....correct? Thanks in advance!

I would guess that you are on the right track. If you join as many as possible, you will get some cool junk mail. If you stay on the strip, a Harrahs card and a MGM/Mirage card cover most of the lower strip.

If you were looking to maximize your dollars, many casinos run a special for new members. Sometimes a T-shirt, sometimes a coffee mug, sometimes it's food, sometimes it's gambling bonus. So you can watch for those specials. I know the Westin has a deal where you buy in for $10 and get $40 cash to spend on the games.

I'm not aware of any cards to not get.

There is also 2 schools of thought as to getting cards if you travel with a mate.
One way is to get one account and both use it. That way points and free-b's add up faster. The down side is if you become no longer attached to this other person. The one with the name on the card keeps the points, the other gets noting. The other is to each get account and double your free-B's. This is a great stradigy if you are each sent say, 2 nights free, for a total of 4 free nights.
I personally do everything seprate. If calling a host I always give both names and account numbers. They can combine them (look at both players accounts) for discounts or free-b's when you call.
I would also recomend getting a card at every place you play, no matter how little you intend to play. Because sometimes you get on a roll and what was once just a twenty, turns out to be several hours of play. But don't get cards at places your not going to play till another trip.

Lou - its also a good idea to wait until you actually get to the casino to sign up for the players card. Some casinos let you sign up online. But if you do that, you lose out on free gifts, or a funbook (book full of good coupons) because those are only for "new signing up members)

I know - I Iost out at Palace Station on a t shirt and $20 freeplay because I signed up online. Annoying!

Lee - what do you mean about don't sign up if you're not going to play there until the next trip. Do you mean - if you're just stopping by Barbary Coast, for example, one time on your visit - maybe put in$20 - and you know you're not going to be back there on that trip? Not worth it to join?

Kes, when I first started out, I'd go and sign up at the casino, then not play at all! Not one dime. I wanted to get on all the mailing lists. Funny though, I only got anything from places I played.

Oooooh. Okay I get it now. Not playing, don't bother signing up.

The other question is, do you use the card every time you play?

If you're normally a Dollar slot player, does running $5 worth of quarters thru a machine while you're waiting for something hurt your rating?

The ole lady has to throw in a few words of caution for Lou ... wherever you sign up, play your normal games there ... DO NOT get sucked into playing more just to get comps! The comp rate is important to a professional gambler, but it's gravy to me. For example, I'm comfortable at the quarter level of play - I'm not moving up to dollars so I can get a jacuzzi suite or "free" meals. There's nothing wrong with playing at the dollar level if that fits your comfort level, but you (and I<g>) would probably come out ahead if we paid cash for the extra perks we want, rather than trying to gamble our way to them.

Senator, I don't know for a fact that your $5 scenario would hurt my comp rating, but I think it would. I'll use Sam's Town as an example - you need to run $3-4K through on VP to get a room comp. If I play $3k the day I arrive and $4 k the next two days, my average play is $3.6k - good enough for future comped room offers. If I also play $500 through on my card the morning I leave town, my average for FOUR days drops down under $3k coin-in per day .. and I don't want to find out if those free room offers dry up<g>, so I just don't use my card that last morning.

Note to Lou - don't let those numbers fool you! There's no way I'm risking $3000 to get a $50 room<g>. Sometimes video poker machines will vacuum $20 out of my wallet quickly - other times, I have gotten $1000 of play out of $20.

Daisy....and on occassion you win too! Lets not leave that part out!
For what I'm "playing for" a comp room and limited food that 3K number works well at MSS. It doesn't seem to matter if I play dollars or nickles, so long as I make that 3K number. BTW, I think a suite at MSS is a tub with good drainage! LOL
Good advice Daisy! The perks are nice, but don't make them your goal....you'll go broke trying to win a tee shirt. Those sign up bonuses where you get 100 points on your slot card then go back to the booth for a free t-shirt, I've spent several hundred dollars for a "free t-shirt".

Daisy - I've always thought the same as you. I usually "play where I stay." I WON'T gamble at NYNY when I'm not staying there for fear of lowering my daily average play. I'm going to have to ask my casino host about this the next time I'm there to see if that's true.