I was at L'Auberge June 11 and the full pay $1, $2 and $5 machines with all the different games were still there. I checked at least 15 different machines. None of the games for less than $1 have ever been full pay. Jacks or Better 9/6 99.54 Double Bonus 9/7 99.11% Bonus Poker with 175 4Kind 99.66% Deuces 99.73% White Hot Aces 9/5 99.57% Super Double Double 80/50/8/5/4/3/1/1 Double Double Bonus Plus 80/80/50/9/6/4/3/1/1 Royal Aces Bonus 80/50/9/6/4/3/1/1 Triple Double Bonus 9/7/4/2/1/1 99.58% Double Double Aces/Faces 80/50/9/6/4/3/1/1 99.46%

LDL has been adding new VP machines. Since New Year's many new MultiStrike and multi-denominational machines have been added along the center aisle to the left of the host station. New $1/$2 VP have also been added along the center aisle left of the host station. I think it was 10-12 new ones. I'll check the count. Pay scales are the same as their previous $1/$2 machines. Rumor also has it that LDL has bought Harrah's Lake Charles gambling license and will be adding a second boat exclusively for poker and VP. The hotel has already announced an additional wing with 120 new rooms to be built.

Under the old system at L'auberge, you earned points that could be redeemed for either cash back OR comps, per your choice. For VP, the cash back rate worked out to 0.33%, but if you used the points for comps (meals, rooms, etc.), they were worth twice as much, so the comp rate was effectively 0.66%. Under the new system, which goes into effect April 4th, you will earn separate cash back points and comp points. For VP, the cash back rate works out to 0.20%, and your cash back point balance will be displayed on your machine. Comp points will accumulate at some unspecified rate, and you'll have to ask at the player's club to find out what your current comp balance is. For myself, being full RFB at L'auberge meant I had no need for comps, so I always redeemed my points for cash back. This made some of the better VP games essentially full pay. Under the new system, I'll earn cash back at a much lower rate, so none of the games will be full pay anymore. On top of that, I'll accumulate a bunch of comp points that will be essentially useless to me. Needless to say, I'm not happy with the new system. By the way, a brochure I picked up at the player's club specifies the point totals that must be earned within a six-month period to qualify for the various card levels: Classique - 0 points Gold - 3,000 points Platinum - 30,000 points I got a Platinum card at the end of February, and it has an 8/31/06 expiration date printed right on the face. After 8/31, I assume I'll be issued a new card, whose level will be determined by my play between 2/28 and 8/31. The brochure doesn't really say, but I would guess the point totals above are for points under the new system ($10 VP coin-in = 1 point), rather than the old system ($3 VP coin-in = 1 point). In my opinion, all of this makes L'auberge a much less attractive destination.

Since the place is brand new, so are the machines. The VP seems to all be in tito mgmd game king slant-tops. Many machines scattered in groups throughout the casino, and they all seem to have the same games and same paytables. I found no full pay anything below $1. At $1, $2 and $5 there was 9/6 JOB, NSUD, 9/6 DDB, and 8/5 Bonus Poker which paid 35 for all quads. There may be other full pay games available, but these are the ones that I know. $.25 JOB was 8/5 and $.50 was 8/6. $.25 Dueces were downgraded NSUD at 12/9 and $.50 was 12/10. $.25 DDB was 7/5 and $.50 was 8/5. The JWKB were not full pay, paying 18 for quads and 4700 for the Royal. (I get 99.3) There was also TDB, but I don't think it was full pay either. Someone who plays the game will have to look at it and report. DB was 9/7. Saw no multi-line games of any kind. Slot Club takes $3 for 1 point at VP, and 100 points=$1 (.33).I don't know how comps work. The BJ game looked like it might be pretty good. $25-5000 shoe game dealing down to the last deck. DDAS, Double any two cards, Resplit aces 3 times, Dealer stands on soft 17, BJ 3:2.

The new L'Auberge du Lac Casino owed by Pinnacle opened in Lake Charles, LA two weeks ago. Cashback is .66 for slots and .33 for video poker. No machines under $1 have any full pay games. The games and locations: In front of bar the buffet entrance: 52 slant-top multigame machines multi denom 25 cent, 50 cent, $1. JB 9/6 99.54% Bonus 8/5 w/175 4/kind 99.66% Deuces Wild 99.73% Bonus Poker Deluxe 9/6 99.64% White Hot Aces 9/5 99.57% Double Double Bonus Plus 9/6/5/4/3/1/1/ Triple Double Bonus 9/7 99.58% Royal Aces Bonus 9/6/4/3/1/1 Joker Poker 50/18/7/5/3/2/1/1 Double Bonus 9/7 99.11% Double Double Bonus 98.98% On the bar at the buffet entrance: 13 bartop 25 cent, 50 cent, $1 - location details unknown. White Hot Aces 9/5 99.57% Bonus Deluxe 9/6 99.64% Joker Poker 50/18/7/5/3/2/1/1 Jacks or Better 9/6 99.54% Bonus Poker w/175 4Kind 99.66% Deuces Wild 99.73% Aces$ 8/5 99.40% Double Aces and Faces 9/6 Super Double Double Bonus 8/5 Double Double Bonus 9/6 98.98% On the bar to the left of the cashier cage: 9 bartop machines 5 cent, 10 cent, 25 cent and 50 cent. Nothing over 99%. Between the high-limit Room and the Parking Garage: 16 slant-top $1/$2 IGT Game Kings with: Jacks or Better 9/6 99.54 Double Bonus 9/7 99.11% Bonus Poker with 175 4Kind 99.66% Deuces 99.73% White Hot Aces 9/5 99.57% Super Double Double 80/50/8/5/4/3/1/1 Double Double Bonus Plus 80/80/50/9/6/4/3/1/1 Royal Aces Bonus 80/50/9/6/4/3/1/1 Triple Double Bonus 9/7/4/2/1/1 99.58% Double Double Aces/Faces 80/50/9/6/4/3/1/1 99.46% Just Outside the high-limit Room: 5 slant-top $5. IGT Game Kings with the same games as $1/$2 above except has Aces$ 99.40% instead of Double Triple Bonus poker. At the high-limit Room Bar: 5 bartop $5. IGT Game Kings with the same games as the 5 - $5. games above. At the Round Bar in the center of the floor: 15 bartop $1/$2 multi denom machines with the same games as the $1/$2 above except all machines have Aces$ 99.40% instead of Double Double Bonus poker. Outside the Round Bar in the center of the floor: Row of 9 $1/$2 - location details unknown. Row of 7 $1/$2 - location details unknown. Row of 7 $1/$2 - location details unknown. All 23 machines have the same games as the $1/$2 above, but some have Aces$ 99.40% and some have Double Triple Bonus poker.