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Epic 5 Day 4 Night Trip: Flamingo and Golden Nugget

Discussion in 'Vegas Trip Reports' started by DoubleDsTriple7s, May 19, 2013.

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  1. DoubleDsTriple7s

    DoubleDsTriple7s Tourist

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    My Trip Report

    This was my first trip to Vegas, and it really set the bar high for future trips. No words can describe how wonderful the experience was, but I'll give it my best shot. I spent 1 night (but 2 full days) on Strip and the remainder at the Golden Nugget. Most of my winnings came from Caesars/Flamingo, but Golden Nugget brought the most enjoyment. Below is an outline of all the important stuff in case you do not feel like reading a story:

    Flamingo/Caesar's
    Comps.......................1 out of 10 Less than worthless
    Room Quality..............10 out of 10 Very good
    Odds.........................3 out of 10 Abysmal
    Dealer Competence.....10 out of 10
    Overall Experience.......5 out of 10 Good
    Surrounding Area........10 out of 10 BEAUTIFUL
    Would I Go Again........Absolutely not.

    Golden Nugget:
    Comps.....................10 out of 10 AMAZING
    Room quality.............10 out of 10 Unbelievably clean, quality exceeds cost
    Odds...................... 10 out of 10
    Dealer Competence... 8 out of 10
    Overall Experience.....10 out of 10
    Surrounding Area.......I prefer the Strip, hands down. Nothing for me on Fremont. DO NOT go to Girls of Glitter Gulch. Nasty joint.
    Would I Go Again.......Already booked for August :)

    I was very relieved to finally roll into the Flamingo parking garage after the ridiculous 18 hour drive there. Parking was easy to find - good first impression. Second impression was crappy though...a 75 minute wait in line just to check into my room. I hadn't slept in nearly 48 hours, so I was beyond peeved. I did eventually, however, make it to the front desk, check in, and find my room. I stayed in the cheapest room available ($23 + resort fee) and for the money I was highly impressed. Very clean room, some interesting furniture, easily worth the money. Nap time!

    I woke up and immediately went down to the casino to do what I came to Vegas to do: Craps Craps Craps Craps Craps. The first 2 rolls of the dice after Coming Out resulted in a $2640 loss for me ($440 Iron Cross + $2200 Iron Cross). Again, I was beyond peeved. Not quite suicidal, but my hopes of paying for my trip through gambling faded away instantly. Then, my luck turned, and I don't remember how, but my $2600 loss turned into a $3300 profit in a matter of hours. The night had only begun.

    The Craps odds at the Flamingo are absolutely awful. 30:1 for Aces/12, 15:1 for Ace/Deuce and 11, and the Field 12 pays only 2:1. I took my bankroll+winnings to Caesar's Palace for better odds. Caesar's pays Downtown Odds and the Craps tables there were packed and lively. I found a table where some guy was shooting who appeared to have been professionally trained in the art of dice control. I bet high, took advantage of about a dozen solid rolls, and sevened out with nearly nothing on the table. Perfect. The table was rather uneventful until it was my turn to roll. I shot stick right and didn't roll a single 7 for 57 straight minutes. By the time I finally did seven out, I had $350+ Come bets on every single number, $2700 profit in my chip bay, and a $500 Come on the line. So that 1 hour roll turned into a $3200 profit. Everyone made crazy cash off of me, most made more than I did, those who bet hardways made the most. That was the liveliest table I've ever seen, with the exception of one story I will share momentarily. The dealers were VERY professional at Caesar's, very sociable, and willing to help if I had questions. They caught on to my system after about 5 dice tosses, and when I forgot to make any bets or collect winnings, they happily pointed it out to me. The dealers were a quarter of the fun at the table, always making jokes, payouts were quick and smooth, no one ever questioned them, and there were never any issues.

    Total loot from my play at the Flamingo and Caesar's was over $12,000. I must have played 12+ hours with an average bet of $500 or so (I only checked my average bet with the Pit Boss every other time, this is a conservative estimate). I don't know what kind of f%$*ed up kind of equation the Total Rewards system uses to calculate comps, but for all of my play I got a $10 slot free play and a free $20 buffet. WHAT!!?!?!? COME AGAIN!!? That's right. I tossed around upwards of $60,000 at their tables in 2 days, took them for 20% of that, and their thank you is $30 in comps. Never again will I set foot in one of their casinos to gamble - they don't deserve a chance to get back their loot.

    I spent several hours that night walking the Strip, checking out casinos, and being awestruck by the Bellagio fountain. I wont go into detail on my Strip adventures because likely no one cares, and you all already know that the Strip is amazing.

    On to the Golden Nugget. I checked in late (after midnight) after a very full day on Strip. All check-ins were closed except for one, so even though only 3 families were ahead of me, it still was a 15 minute wait. Not bad, especially relative to the Flamingo check in. I reached the front desk and the staff there was very courteous and competent. From there I proceeded to my room and was again highly impressed. I stayed in the cheapest room again, but it was of even better quality than the Flamingo I would say, and equally clean. The king size bed was the most comfortable bed I have ever had the privilege of sleeping in. I wasn't in that room long...

    The next morning I woke early (good luck sleeping in Vegas) and proceeded immediately to a $5 Craps table skipping breakfast. The morning was fairly uneventful. I turned a $3000 buyin into $4000 over the course of 2-3 hours. It seemed like a good idea to play a $4000 Iron Cross for a grand finale to double my winnings, so I did...and the asshole shooting rolled a 7 first shot. It wasn't the first time that I lost a good deal of cash in one roll, but this moron was showing a 7 when he rolled!! Who does that? Worst juju ever. My net loss for the session was $3000. I calmly stormed off, heart racing, in search of some relaxation.

    I found myself outside at the pool and was pleased. There were plenty of lounge chairs to go around, no one messed with my stuff (the horror stories I heard previously were wrong - or maybe I just went during light tourism?), the weather was absolutely perfect, and I just chilled and unwound. The slide was even better than I expected, no line. The shark tank was legit. Some of the poolside waitresses were gorgeous while others were average; no fuglies. I left the pool fully recharged, ready to 'make back my $3000.'

    I freshened up and hit the $5 Craps table again. New crew there, very nice bunch. I threw down a decent buy-in (don't remember how much) and bet minimums until the dice came to me. This is where sh!t got real.

    It didn't take long for me to get the dice at the half-full table. Everyone sevened out quickly with slim luck. I immediately laid down an $8,200 Iron Cross after the Come Out and couldn't hit the Field to save my life. I kicked the living crap out of the 5s, 6s, and 8s though, most of them hard tosses, so I made $350 each toss, while everyone did well on the hardways. I was determined to hit the Field before reducing my bet, and finally hit the Field on my 4th or 5th toss. I halved my Iron Cross and pressed on, hitting the Field once more. By now several others have bought in, everyone is on the hardways, and a crowd is forming. Again, I dropped my bets to 500/600/600/500 and tossed a 12 for a $1500 payout and lost my mind. Having made back my losses so quickly, I bought a celebratory round of hardways for everyone on the table, dealers included. It cost me about $75 (and caused a great deal of confusion), but it energized the table like you can't even imagine, and it was called for. I dropped my bets again and rolled several more times, hitting one or two more hardways. Everyone was stoked, no one moreso than myself. I finally sevened out with an average aggregate bet of $6,000 over the course of a 45 minute roll (according to the Pit Boss, you know I checked up on that one!) and a solid profit putting me in the green for the day.

    I called my host who had introduced himself earlier and informed him of the insane session. He had me meet him back at the Pit and guided me to his office. We sat down, he asked me where I was staying, and I replied, "In the cheapest room I could find." He laughed and said, "Not anymore." He hooked me up really nicely: Rush Tower Gold Club Room for the remainder of my stay, $200 dinner at the steakhouse that night (welcomed reward, I hadn't eaten all day), $125/day per diem for food/drinks, the list goes on. He offered to have someone help me between rooms, but I passed. I reached the new room just fine, and it was amazing, no complaints at all. He texted me to make sure the accomodations were fine and offered to bring up some complimentary wine or beer, but again, I passed because I don't really drink. He said that if I thought of anything that I needed, text and he would send it up.

    WOW. See the contrast between the GN and Flamingo? Granted, I dont get out as much as some others, but this is the best treatment I have received ever, from anyone, in my entire life. He inspired loyalty in me, and I will be going back very very soon.

    Back to the Craps tables...
    Overall, the dealers were very pleasant and competent. They were very willing to help, always thanked me for tips and house bets, and payouts were again smooth and quick. There were a few exceptions, however. In one instance, there was a young lady who had obviously never played Craps in her life, just learning, and tossed the dice without much coordination. One of these dice happened to hit him in the hand, and he had the audacity to look at her and start cussing at her. I was pretty irritated with that (he was a humbug to begin with) and I left the table as soon as we sevened out. In another instance, the dealers had 2 different points showing (ON puck was on 9 on my side and 8 on the other). I rolled a hard 8 and the dealers paid out the other half of the table. Someone raised a 'wtf' question, the dealers realized their error, then decided that the point was indeed 9, and proceeded to have everyone but one person pay them back for the point. That guy lucked out; everyone else was PISSED, as you can probably imagine. They refused to pay the dealers until the Pit Boss made the final ruling. Additionally, I got wrong change once (short $100, Pit Boss corrected it), got paid on the Field on a seven out once (hey, I'll take it), and there was one girl in training who had to be helped through some of the payouts, but she did well and was very nice (gotta learn somehow). Keep in mind, those were exceptions, and for every foible the dealers did 1000 things that made me happy.

    The Hosts are easily accessible at GN and ready to help you if you've earned comps. They are what made my stay so enjoyable. My host in specific stood out above the others by leaps and bounds, and although I don't know if he would mind me giving out his name, Ill refrain. He is the young, highly energetic male though, if you see him you'll know the one.

    Long winded, I know, but GN deserves a badass review because it is a badass casino. The Caesars family deserved the kick in the nuts too. Thanks for reading, check out the GN!!!
     
    Last edited: May 20, 2013
  2. Film-Noir

    Film-Noir High-Roller

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    Nice TR

    Wow, Nice DoubleDsTriple7s;

    One of our Favorite restaurants is the, Vic & Anthony's @ Nugget,
    you gota try them next time.

    Love Monster Rolls, & Agree w/lack of consideration from many CET properties.

    Your Juicy tale of hot tosses make me want to throw,,,, hard 8!~

    Thanks for the TR
     
  3. PokerFaceNJ

    PokerFaceNJ Low-Roller

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    This has to be a first for me to read on any Vegas forum. Betting avg is about $500 per bet but you stayed at the Flamingo at the cheapest rate you can find? Sounds like you are a High Roller...why settle for such a cheap room. Why not hit the Bellagio, Wynn, Cosmo, etc? Just sounds weird to me.
     
  4. DoubleDsTriple7s

    DoubleDsTriple7s Tourist

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    It was weird to just about everyone who saw me. I'm only 24, and I'm the biggest cheapskate you've ever met in your life, so my gambling habits are a perfect 180 from my every day life habits. That's also why I enjoyed it so much I'm sure - massive step up from the norm. I stayed in all of the cheapest accommodations, refilled a single water bottle from the restrooms, and drove to Vegas from San Antonio, Texas to save money on airfare (awful idea I realize now, I will never do that again, the time is worth more than 100-200 in savings) preparing for the worst case scenario (losing my entire bankroll). That obviously changed when the endless comps kicked in.

    I didn't expect the trip to turn out the way it did. Also, I am not wealthy by any means. My bankroll was a sizable percentage of my entire yearly income, so it is fortunate that I didn't lose it.
     
  5. DoubleDsTriple7s

    DoubleDsTriple7s Tourist

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    @Film-Noir:
    I did eat at Vic and Anthony's the night that my host started me on the comps. He gave me $200 credit there, and that meal was amazing :) I got the crab cake appetizer, and it was so unbelievably good that I just kept getting more crab cakes until I couldn't stuff myself anymore. Nothing else!
     
  6. Joe

    Joe VIP Whale

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    Nice report and wins:thumbsup:
    I play craps, not as much as I used to, but what is "Iron Cross"?
     
  7. DoubleDsTriple7s

    DoubleDsTriple7s Tourist

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    Iron Cross is the ancient 'win on everything but a 7' system. You place roughly equal amounts of money on the 5, 6, 8, and Field. The Field covers 2,3,4,9,10,11,12, and the Place bets cover everything else but 7. On a hot table, you perpetually rake in the money. On a bad table, you'll lose your ass.
     
  8. DoubleDsTriple7s

    DoubleDsTriple7s Tourist

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    Thnks

    I lied, Film-Noir, I guess I went to Landry's. Is Vic & Anthony's that much better? Thanks for the recommendation, Ill try it next time!
     
  9. Nick

    Nick Newbie

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    Nice trip report. Great way to start with a good win.

    I'm not sure whether to be impressed or scared for you that on your first trip to Vegas you put out over $2500 in your very first two bets.

    Good luck in August!
     
  10. gguerra

    gguerra High-Roller

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    First I hear of this as an Iron Cross. It could make you or break you and way too risky for me especially early on in the trip. I prefer to get a "feel" for the table and shooter/s.

    I assume you like to do the Iron Cross when you are the roller?

    As for the CET comps they are well known to not give good comps to craps players. It has also happened to me.

    You said you drove from San Antonio?? How much in gas? I don't think you saved much if any over the airfare.
     
    Last edited: May 20, 2013
  11. undathesea

    undathesea Grandissimo

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    Awesome trip report. Iron Cross is the old "Anything but 7" like he said. That's been around forever.

    I've used it many times before, but never with the "halving your bet" on a field hit. That one really got me thinking and I'm definitely planning to use that next time.

    Also, playing that big at a nicer casino on the strip will certainly get the proverbial red carpet rolled out as well.

    CET properties are notorious for double 12 on the field. Not advisable to play any of their tables when using the iron cross.

    Are you a dice setter?
     
  12. Vegas Lover

    Vegas Lover Low-Roller

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    I like the iron cross for a couple of rolls if I want to bet big, & hope to god the field rolls :) I don't keep these bets working very long. I usually try the iron cross when the point is 5 because I play the pass line mainly.
     
  13. KyleB

    KyleB Low-Roller

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    Congrats on the nice wins! You have a next trip in the works yet?

    As others have said, I would imagine any non CET property would also offer you some nice comps. Craps is unfortunately a game that doesnt get rated by the casinos as it probably should be
     
  14. breanna61

    breanna61 Super Moderator

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    Since you prefer the strip, I suggest you wait for your Golden Nugget offers then approach Wynncore, V/P, Cosmo to see what they will offer.
     
  15. vegasqc

    vegasqc VIP Whale

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    You mentionned waiting 75 minute to check in a the flamingo

    Did you notice the total rewards check in line? theres only a small sign and you can go in it even you are just a gold member
     
  16. DoubleDsTriple7s

    DoubleDsTriple7s Tourist

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    Yes, I always bet higher when I am rolling because for some reason I shoot consistently well. It almost did break me, that was pretty scary no joke.

    I paid about $275 in gas, maybe closer to $300. Savings of $100 or so....not even remotely close to being worth it. I'll never repeat that trip.
     
  17. DoubleDsTriple7s

    DoubleDsTriple7s Tourist

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    I do not consider myself a dice setter, no. I have never had any training in dice rolling. I just show 11 on top when Coming Out (and a 7 on the left) and 12 on top otherwise (never show any 7 on any sides). It worked unbelievably well.

    Thanks for reinforcing information on CET properties. I will stay clear. For my next trip I may try some upper class casinos on Strip like you mentioned, I would love to establish a relationship with the Bellagio.
     
  18. DoubleDsTriple7s

    DoubleDsTriple7s Tourist

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    I did notice a second line serving the same front desk. I thought Diamond was the prerequisite...maybe I should look closer next time? :) That would have been so nice.

    Many thanks! I have a 4 day weekend this weekend, so I may actually do another solo trip to the Golden Nugget in just a few days if I can find reasonable airfare :) Regardless, I will go in August with my girlfriend.

    Yea, that's exactly what I use it for also, actually, making back losses with a quickness. The larger bets I take down quickly generally, but I leave a low Iron Cross up almost all the time. I flank it with Pass Line bets and Come bets (to hedge 7-outs) sometimes, and when the table is hot or I am feeling confident in a particular shooter, I buy all hard ways as well.
     
    Last edited: May 20, 2013
  19. Tellafriend

    Tellafriend MIA

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    Was your host Steven or zack?
     
  20. OnetimePLZ

    OnetimePLZ Tourist

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    Nice report and gratz to your win. But did CET really not event take care of your 23$/night room? Hard to belive a they only give u 30$s in comp for theses kind of action!
     
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