Relive the City’s Heyday at Tropicana While You Still Can

Time is running out to visit one of the oldest hotels on the Las Vegas Strip. Bally’s Corp. is purchasing Tropicana Las Vegas for around $308 million. The sale of the 35-acre property is expected to be finalized in early 2022. The chairman of Bally’s Corp. told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that implosion is under consideration.

“We’re open to it all,” he said, adding that “demolishing the hotel-casino and building something from scratch could be one way to “maximize value.” The Tropicana’s days may be numbered, but the mychoice loyalty program will remain until further notice.

Types of Rewards

Mychoice offers two types of rewards. Tier points determine your player status at the resort: Choice, Advantage, Preferred, Elite and Owners Club. mycash, also referred to as comps, determines how much you have to spend at Tropicana or other mychoice properties. The mychoice loyalty program spells out the dollar value of a tier point, but the amount of mycash earned per $1 spent is not disclosed. Earn Tier Points and mycash for gambling, dining, shopping and when you purchase online credits to use in the virtual or land-based casino. In addition:

• Collect $10 in mycash for every 3,000 Tier Points earned. 

• Collect $25 in mycash for every 5,000 Tier Points earned.

• Collect $150 in mycash for every 25,000 Tier Points earned.

• Collect $500 mycash for every 50,000 Tier Points earned.

Enticing Offers in the Mail

You may get offers by mail or email for free nights and more based on your level of play from two or more months back. Players regularly report receiving free room offers from a variety of Strip casinos with a minimal amount of gambling. Ensure the rewards desk has your correct address so you don’t miss out. Accepting an offer you get through the mail has no impact on your mycash balance. 

Collect Rewards While Drinking and Dining

Earn comps and one Tier Point for every $5 in purchases at participating Tropicana restaurants including Robert Irvine’s Public House, Red Lotus Asian Kitchen and Oakville Tuscan Grille.

Shop and Earn

Does your dream vacation involve a little retail therapy? Start by picking up a souvenir at Essentials Gift shop. Earn mycash and one Tier Point for every $5 you spend at participating retail stores.

Relax and Earn

The water’s warm all year long in the Tropicana’s heated indoor pool, a rare find in the Nevada desert. In the Main Pool, a swim-up bar and blackjack tables are open seasonally. Approximately five and a half feet to the bottom, Tropicana’s main pool is one of the deepest on the Las Vegas Strip. The Lagoon Pool is for adults only and the Garden Pool is set apart from the others for privacy. Order lunch, a bucket of beers, or a tropical drink from the pool menu to earn Tier Points and mycash.

Accumulate Comps in the Casino

• Earn mycash and one Tier Point for every $5 of coin-in to a slot machine. 

• Earn mycash and one Tier Point for every $10 deposited into a video poker machine.

• Earn mycash and one Tier Point for every $40 of coin-in when you play electronic table games.

• Live table games payout based on type of game, length of play and average bet.

• Earn mycash and one Tier Point for every $10 wagered on a horse race.

• Earn mycash at the sportsbook where $10 straight bets, $10 barstool exclusive bets and

$5 bets on parlays are all worth one Tier Point.

• Earn two Tier Points for every $1 of purchased credits at the mychoice online casino.

How Comps are Calculated

In the long run, the house keeps a piece of every dollar a gambler puts at risk in a casino. That’s why employees at Las Vegas casinos are happy to offer rewards to loyal gamblers. Comps are based on the average dollar amount a player is expected to lose each day, known as average daily theoretical, or ADT. It’s the way a casino calculates what a player is worth. 

To calculate your ADT, the pit boss observes your play. He records how much you cashed in and out for, how long you stayed at the table, what games you played and how much you bet. Typically, an average bet of $25 per hand is required to have your play rated at a Las Vegas Strip casino. In the end, the casino comes up with a dollar figure representing how much it expects you to lose each day, and comps you around 20 – 30%  of that amount.

How to get More Comps

You can’t get points without a player’s card, but there are times it’s best not to use one. Primarily, when you don’t plan to gamble long or invest much money. Pretend you put $1000 into play Saturday, then in a rush to catch your flight the next day, you can’t resist tapping the spin button a few more times. Do that and the high rating you earned Saturday will plummet. In situations like this, go ahead and play Sunday, just don’t use your players card.

It may take some of the fun out of gambling, but you’ll earn the most comps by draining your entire bankroll for the trip in one day at one casino. Gambling $600 on the same day earns a player a higher rating and more comps than betting $200 in chips each day for three days.

Take Advantage of Promotions

From time to time, casinos offer point multiplier days. Before you start gambling, be clear on which games qualify for the promotion. Some are strictly for slots, while others include video poker. Some promos are restricted to table game players only. 

Inquire About a Casino Host

Think of your casino host as you would a concierge at a hotel. A host will remember what you like and get you the best comps to suit your wants and needs. This includes things like upgraded rooms, limo rides to and from the airport and show tickets. Pros at spotting gamblers with six-figure bankrolls, casino hosts aim to please. A guest can ask the person behind the rewards desk to check his play to see if he qualifies for a casino host.

Back-End Comps

Casino guests who gamble frequently can request comps, and many times they’ll be granted. Back-end comps can only be applied to items charged to your room. Before checkout, ask your casino host to evaluate your play and remove any charges possible. Don’t ask for back-end comps until you’re done gambling for the remainder of the trip. You don’t need your own casino host to qualify for back-end comps. Just go to the rewards desk and ask to speak to the host on duty. It takes courage to approach a casino host, but if you can work up the nerve, there’s no downside and you might be surprised by what you save.

Line of Credit

It’s common for casinos like Tropicana to offer players a line of credit, giving them the freedom to gamble without carrying cash or being limited by the constraints of daily ATM limits and fees. Tropicana allows players to request between $1000 and $50,000. If approved, the casino gives you a marker that can be traded to the dealer for chips. Typically, a player has 30 days to pay off a marker, but casinos usually prefer you settle up before check-out.

How do I Spend my Rewards Credits?

• For items at the online mychoice® mall

• Redeem mycash for Free Slot Play

• Redeem for purchases at the hotel, including rooms, meals and retail shopping. 

Protect your Rewards Credits

Your mycash will expire after six months of inactivity, but all it takes is one spin of the reels or a quick cup of coffee to stay active. Members have to start at the bottom, however, when it comes to accumulating Tier Points, which reset to zero every January.

Choice – up to 999 Tier Points

Guests automatically achieve Choice tier status by registering for a player’s card. Sign up to get low rates and special offers reserved for cardholders.

Advantage – 1,000 to 17,999 Tier Points

Advantage members get 10 million monthly bonus credits on mychoicecasino.com and a 5% discount on purchases at mychoice Mall. 

Preferred – 18,000 to 49,999 Tier Points

Free hotel stays and VIP Lounge access make the Preferred Tier worth striving for. 

Elite – 50,000 to 199,999 Tier Points

Achieve Elite status and get your resort fees waived. Enjoy conveniences such as priority lines at check-in and at restaurants, VIP seating at entertainment events and VIP parking. Members are awarded $200 in free SlotPlay and $200 in dining credits annually.

Owners Club – 200,000+ Tier Points

Owners Club members are guaranteed a comped room with no resort fees. Early check-in and late check-out are available upon request. Members are awarded $400 in free SlotPlay and $300 in dining credits annually. Guests at the highest tier are even treated to quarterly receptions with the general manager of the casino. 

Video Poker

Players who gamble primarily to earn comps can usually be found in the video poker aisles of the casino. If you’re looking for a game with a low house edge, you can’t do much better than video poker. The payback percentage on a video poker machine is 97% to 99%, but quite a few Las Vegas casinos still have machines that offer break-even odds, or a 100% payback percentage. The term payback percentage refers only to gambling machines. It’s the percentage of bets made on a machine that will be returned to any player, not you specifically. 

Start with a five-card poker hand and choose which cards to hold and which to discard. Touch the “hold” button corresponding to the cards you’re keeping. Finally, press “deal” and the cards you chose to discard are replaced by new ones. The cards that appear on the screen make up your final five-card poker hand. Payouts are based on poker hand rankings. Video poker strategy charts are available online and in casino gift shops. You’re guaranteed to play flawlessly if you follow these charts to the letter. 

Slots

Tropicana Las Vegas features more than 650 slot machines on its 50,000 square-foot casino floor. The casino has a combination of classic reel slots and the most popular video reel slots including Lightning Link, Buffalo Gold and Wheel of Fortune. 

Fashioned after the iconic game show that first aired 47 years ago, Wheel of Fortune is the most popular slot machine in Las Vegas. With 24 different versions, many progressive, the game offers bonus rounds where players get to spin the money wheel. It only takes one spin to become wealthy beyond your wildest dreams. Wheel of Fortune has turned hundreds of players into instant millionaires. A word of caution, however, branded slots like Wheel of Fortune have a lower payback percentage than unbranded machines. While a $1 branded slot machine typically pays back 88%, an unbranded one pays back 95%.

Find More Las Vegas Slots To Win Big »

Blackjack

The hand begins when wagers are made and two cards are dealt to each player, face-up in 6-deck and above. The dealer is dealt one card face down and the next face-up. The object of the game is to get a higher total than the dealer without going over 21. Players use hand signals to communicate their intended actions to the dealer. Tap the table with your finger to request another card. A player can hit as many times as he likes without going over 21. When another card is unlikely to improve your hand, wave your palm horizontally over the felt to signal to the dealer you want to stand. 

When the cards favor the player, he places a second bet to the left of the original to signal the dealer he wants to double down. The player holds up one finger, indicating that he will take one card, all he’s permitted to take. The player’s card is turned sideways, so it’s apparent that no more will be coming. 

Two cards of equal value can be split, turning one hand into two. Place a second bet next to the first and point with two fingers in the shape of a V. The dealer adds a second card to each of the originals to make two new blackjack hands. Under ideal playing conditions, surrender is an option. Draw a line across the table behind your bet and say the word “surrender” out loud to end the hand in exchange for half your bet back. Once he’s made his way around the table, the dealer plays the cards he’s been dealt. His hand is compared to each of the player’s and winners are identified. The players only need a higher hand than the dealer to win even money. They’re not competing with each other. 

Roulette

Each new spin of the wheel is a fresh start. It’s a chance to beat the odds and win the bet. Easier said than done when the house advantage on a double-zero roulette wheel is 5.26%, and 7.69% on a triple-zero wheel. You can get around the bad odds by sticking to outside bets. The house has the lowest edge, around 2.5%, when you bet on red/black, even/odd and low/high. Of course, because outside bets succeed more often, they payout less than high-risk wagers. An outside bet pays even money, or 1:1, while a single-number bet, or a straight bet, pays 35:1. The pay off is so high because straight bets win so infrequently, only 2.63% of the time. You can win and lose money fast playing this high-variance game, so if you find yourself ahead, experts say it’s a good time to call it a night.

Craps

Searching for a table of gamblers with the proven ability to let their inhibitions go and have a good time? Look no further than the craps table at your nearest casino. When the shooter rolls a winning number, all the players who bet with him win too. In a game where a dozen or more players can win on one roll, it’s easy to see what all the cheering’s about. 

Approximately 90% of players bet the Pass Line, or with the shooter. The only other option is to bet the Don’t Pass Line, or against the shooter. When the shooter rolls a seven or 11 on his first roll, called the Come Out roll, everyone who bet the Pass Line wins even money, players who bet the Don’t Pass Line lose and the shooter rolls again. Players who bet the Pass Line loose when the shooter rolls a two, three or 12, called craps. Players who bet the Don’t Pass Line win even money on a two or three, and push on a 12.  

Roll four, five, six, eight, nine or 10 and that becomes your Come Out Point. Roll that number again before rolling a seven to win the round. Additional bets become available once the Come Out Point is established, including the odds bet, the only wager in the casino with no house edge.

Baccarat

Baccarat is perfect for a gambler with great instincts. A player with a gut feeling about what’s to come. That’s because baccarat is essentially a guessing game. A player has to decide who will win the hand before the cards are dealt. He has three choices: the player, the banker, or a tie. 

A nine is the best hand in the game of baccarat. If the player or banker draws an eight or nine, he wins. If the totals are both nine or eight, it’s a tie. Draw any other number and the dealer consults the rule book. The highest hand under 10 wins the round. A bet on the banker gives the best odds at 1.06%, but players have to pay a 5% commission. The house edge is 1.24% on the player and 14.36% on a tie.

Mini-baccarat is making the game accessible to players in the mid-stakes crowd. With lower minimum bets than its namesake, mini-baccarat can often be found on the main casino floor as well as in the high-limit room. Mini-baccarat is played on a smaller table than the original, and players in the scaled-down version aren’t allowed to touch the cards. A stipulation that prevents players and the dealer from taking turns acting as banker as they do in the full-sized version of the game. 

Fortune Pai Gow Poker

Fortune is a side bet in Pai Gow Poker that pays based on the rank of the player’s final hand. The Fortune side bet pays out on a straight or better. As an added benefit, if another player at the table gets four of a kind or better, the side bet pays the player an Envy Bonus. 

Pai Gow Poker is a relatively low-risk game with the majority of hands ending in a push. The hand begins when the banker deals seven cards to himself and each player at the table. The cards are arranged into a five-card poker hand, called a high hand, and a two-card hand, called a low hand. The player has to beat both the banker’s hands to win. 

A Pai Gow Poker deck has 53 cards, including a joker that can be used as an ace or to complete a straight or flush. The best hand in this poker-based game isn’t a royal flush. Five of a kind made up of four aces and a joker, is the top-ranking hand in Pai Gow Poker. Unlike a royal flush, an ace – five straight, called a wheel, has moved up the ranks in Pai Gow Poker. The lowest straight in Texas Hold’em, a wheel is second only to 10 – ace in Pai Gow Poker. 

Ultimate Texas Hold’em

The amount a player is allowed to wager is reduced with each new betting round in Ultimate Texas Hold’em. Players make equal bets on the Ante and Blind, and an optional Trips bet, that pays three of a kind or better. Two cards are dealt face down to the players and the dealer. A player can examine his hand and check to see a free card, or place a Play bet 3x or 4x the size of his Ante wager. Players are required to make a Play bet or fold before the final round, but there’s a limit of one Play bet per player. The dealer turns over three community cards that can be used by any player or dealer to improve the strength of his hand. The player checks, or bets 2x his Ante wager. The final two community cards are revealed and players who haven’t made a Play wager must place a bet equal to the size of the Ante or fold and forfeit their bets. 

The hand proceeds to showdown when a wager is made in any of the betting rounds. The dealer turns over the cards, exposing the player’s and his own five-card poker hands. When the dealer doesn’t have a pair or better, the players win even money on their Play bets and their Ante bets are returned. When his final poker hand outranks the dealer’s, a player is paid even money on his Ante and Play bets. His Blind bet pays out based on the strength of the player’s hand. A straight or better is needed to win the Blind bet. When the dealer has the better hand, the player loses all three of his bets. The house edge in Ultimate Texas Hold’em is 2.185%.

Sportsbook

The William Hill Sportsbook at Tropicana has one of Nevada’s most expansive wagering menus. Place your bets at the sportsbook kiosk, or download the Cantor Gaming app and make wagers on your smartphone or tablet.

High-Limit Area

High-stakes blackjack and mini-baccarat players frequent the high-limit area at the Tropicana. When a player has a different table game in mind, the casino staff is happy to accommodate its high end clientele.

A secluded high-limit slot area with a selection of video poker machines gives players privacy without being walled off. The 2,215 square foot high-limit area at the Tropicana has a comfortable sitting area and a private restroom. 

Tropicana’s New Name

For the first time in nearly 50 years, the name Bally’s is on the market. Bally’s Corp. Chairman Soohyung Kim told the Las Vegas Review-Journal, “I think we absolutely will intend to use that.” Bally’s Corp. owns and manages 14 casinos across 11 states. The company’s acquisition at the corner of Tropicana Avenue and Las Vegas Blvd. spells the end for a Las Vegas Landmark. After 65 years on the Strip, Tropicana has become a permanent fixture in our city’s landscape. A cherished piece of history whose final days are coming soon.

Frequently Asked Questions About the Tropicana Casino