As if the stupidity of Harrah’s nitwits ejecting Richard Brodie from the World Series of poker (see following Growl) wasn’t bad enough, respected tournament professional Ken Smith reports on his blog about the absurd treatment he and another patron received from the incompetent Harrah’s executives at Grand Casino Tunica. It’s a good thing that Mississippi appears to have a legitimate gaming commission, unlike Nevada, where the casinos essentially are the government. How does Harrah’s continue to find such stupid, malicious people to run its casinos?

The recent $150,000 "Wild Bill Showdown" Blackjack Tournament held June 15th-16th, 2007 at Grand Casino Tunica left many participants shaking their heads in disgust at the way the event was handled by casino staff. The event truly displayed a level of ineptitude and arrogance that somehow managed to exceed this industry’s already normal "Screw the Customer" mentality. Just how did Grand Casino and its staff give themselves this black eye? Well, let us count the ways…

Read the rest of the story in Ken Smith’s article in this issue of BJI.

The Golden Nugget has unilaterally canceled all banked comps and has gone to a system where earned comps are good only for the current "trip." Comps no longer carry forward for a reasonable period. All comp balances on players’ cards have been wiped out. A player’s club supervisor stated, "With heavy play on a previous trip, we can comp you one meal at the start of a new trip." It isn’t clear yet how a "trip" is defined if you are not staying there.

Of all the stupid things present management has done to deliberately drive customers away, this might be the stupidest. This should enrage thousands of "good customers." I hope they will vote with their feet and send a message to the current group of bozos running the place.

Let’s see: About a year ago, there were mass 86′ings of everyone even remotely suspected of using his or her brain on the premises. The blackjack has been turned into stinking garbage, with most anyone who’s betting more than a few red chips made to feel unwelcome. Some carnival games have been slowed to a crawl by stupid procedures, fueled by paranoia. The sports book often welches on its posted lines, refusing bets at the posted line, but offering an inferior line (bait and switch?). A "bad service avoidance charge" was instituted *. Now, eliminating banked comps — how bad can it get?

Does this management group have some reason they actually want to eliminate customers and run the place into the ground? They have spent lots of money on facility upgrades and improvements, but don’t want customers? The present management style is truly baffling.

Note: Richard Brodie is the original author of Microsoft Word, was employee #77 at Microsoft Corporation, and is now a professional poker player.

Of all the arrogant things Harrah’s management has done, this is among the worst. It’s amazing that Harrah’s continues to be able to find such incompetent managers to hire, and that its business apparently continues to thrive in spite of this kind of rank stupidity. Green Chip member Math Boy posted, Hopefully Richard contacts ESPN so they can learn what happens in the "sport" of poker when casinos are involved. I agree wholeheartedly.

More on this topic:

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It’s nice that apparently at least one Harrah’s executive isn’t an arrogant jerk. I hope the clowns that made the original decision to bar Mr. Brodie have been fired.

Lynette Boggs, former member of Station Casinos’ Board of Directors, who has been dogged by scandal throughout her relatively brief career in Las Vegas politics, finally faces criminal charges.

It is ironic that DA David Roger, apparently long bought and paid for by casino interests, is the one bringing the charges against Boggs. Roger, then an Assistant District Attorney, along with present District Court Judge David Wall, handled the original sham prosecution of Sandy Murphy in the death of Ted Binion.