1. Welcome to VegasMessageBoard
    It appears you are visiting our community as a guest.
    In order to view full-size images, participate in discussions, vote in polls, etc, you will need to Log in or Register.

Old Memories of Lady Luck

Discussion in 'Downtown Hotels' started by Texas Gramma, Oct 29, 2013.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. Texas Gramma

    Texas Gramma Low-Roller

    Joined:
    Nov 19, 2011
    Messages:
    211
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    35
    Lots of other memories but these stand out...from 13+ years ago.
    ---
    My sister’s favorite part was in a not very good little coupon book... before cell phone days... it was for a free 2 min. long distance call to anywhere. You went into a little phone booth to make the call and as I remember, the connections were not very good... she used it to call home to let everyone know she was safe in “bad” Vegas... her small grandson thought all telephones in Las Vegas only let you talk for 2 min.
    ---
    It was the first place I ever got a comp... I had not read Jean Scott’s book and did not know comps were available for low rollers like me. I was playing $5 blackjack and a pit person approached me and asked if I would like free tickets to see their show... hesitantly, I said my sister is with me.. and she said 2 tickets is not a problem. We saw a magic act... don’t recall the name, but he became famous on the strip later... his act had a real plane with the motor running in it.
    ---
    Anyway it’s nice to see the old Lady Luck in business once again.
     
  2. dmr

    dmr Registered Abuser

    Joined:
    Feb 18, 2011
    Messages:
    19,790
    Location:
    Somewhere in Middle America
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    70
    Instead of cocktail waitresses they had portable bars on the floor. Mixed your drink right then and there.
     
  3. Joe

    Joe VIP Whale

    Joined:
    Sep 11, 2009
    Messages:
    16,023
    Location:
    Wisconsin
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    175
    I remember that.:beer:
     
  4. Jimbo338

    Jimbo338 VIP Whale

    Joined:
    Oct 8, 2000
    Messages:
    5,543
    Location:
    Laconia, NH
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    23
    Ticket to the variety show for the price of a drink. the show was in the back .,,,,,,looked almost like a tent attached to the hotel. Variety, comedy, a real kind of corny Vaudeville type of show that was fun. I went my first 2 years so it was 97 & 98 I guess. I'm glad they are open and wish them well.

    Jimbo338
     
  5. tvon

    tvon VIP Whale

    Joined:
    Jan 14, 2004
    Messages:
    1,756
    Location:
    Boston, Ma
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    15
    My first roulette win was at the Lady Luck. I think i won $26 or something like that.
     
  6. blackjacknut

    blackjacknut VIP Whale

    Joined:
    Nov 26, 2008
    Messages:
    3,410
    Location:
    Northeast Ohio
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    56
    I only saw it from afar never went into Lady Luck. Plan to visit the Downtown Grand when I'm there in November.
     
  7. raisingoo

    raisingoo Medium-Roller

    Joined:
    Jul 19, 2010
    Messages:
    622
    Location:
    Rochester, NY
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    30
    Didn't start going to Vegas until 2004 and though I hit some of the downtown casinos in 2004, I didn't end up going to Lady Luck until 2005.

    Now I'm a HUGE downtown fan and have been for a few years now. Glad to see the old girl is running again.

    Memories from the old Lady Luck, circa 2005-2006:

    1) Walking in and my friend noticing that have roulette and you can buy chips for a DIME each. When I say a "dime" I don't mean the high-roller dime ($100), I mean exactly ten cents.

    Normally I don't like roulette too much (too much house edge), but buying in for something like $20 or $30 and getting a huge stack of chips was fun.

    Can't remember my win/loss for the session, but it was fun to throw so many chips around.

    2) Getting a fun book upon signing up for a player's card and getting a free gift. I got a coffee mug. Still have it to this day. Also I think I got to spin a wheel and also ended up with a trucker's hat (gave that away, it was cheesy).

    3) The funbook had a coupon for "hot dog and a beer for $1." Heh, what a deal. Of course, the hot and the beer weren't exactly gourmet-- but, BOTH for $1!

    4) I remember playing blackjack and there was some special table where if your blackjack cards were suited, you got to spin a wheel and win something else (in addition to 3:2 your bet). I think I got to spin once and win another $5.

    5) One thing I didn't like is that we visited once in either late March or early April and they still had green beer left over from St. Patrick's Day, which they served us... and it was stale. My friend ditched his. I drank mine, even though it was sort of bad.

    Never stayed in the hotel, so I can't comment on that, but I always liked the casino for Fremont area casino hopping.
     
  8. BeeeJay

    BeeeJay President of The Red Lobster Hostess Satisfaction

    Joined:
    Aug 23, 2008
    Messages:
    9,150
    Location:
    Chicago & Scottsdale, AZ
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    100
    I stayed one night at Lady Luck around 1993-1994. I drove with 3 buddies to Vegas from Lincoln, Nebraska and we stayed at one guys aunt's house. Her husband was a bookie and she was a change girl at Lady Luck.

    The first night I slept on their couch, the second night I got the pool lounger---literally slept in the pool, and the third night the 4 of us split a room at Lady Luck for $5.

    I believe this was the first trip I ever won over $1,000 and first time I ever played a $50 hand of blackjack. I was so scared of losing that money back I quite playing and I remember buying my beers while watching my buddies slowly lose their bankrolls.

    The weirdest thing is I remember I was drinking Heinekein Dark, if they ever even had such a beer.

    Looking forward to re-starting that unfinished HOT STREAK in two weeks!!!
     
  9. mraudit

    mraudit I wear this on the plane!

    Joined:
    Mar 19, 2010
    Messages:
    168
    Location:
    Omaha, NE
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    59
    Stayed there once with my kid brother just after he turned 21. I remember the little guy key chains they gave you, and the trucker hat. I do remember the purple and pink décor they had as well. My mother and my late aunt always stayed there and swore by the place. I used to get offers in the mail for a limo, dinner, and a room at some very cheap price.

    Oh the good ol days of Vegas.
     
  10. Da_Nit

    Da_Nit Low-Roller

    Joined:
    Jul 19, 2013
    Messages:
    178
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    7
    I remember walking by the boarded up Lady Luck a few years back with my brother-in-law. My brother use to drive down here from Sothern California back in the 80s and would stay here. He mentioned how his hands would get stained from handling the coins in the slots.

    The most interesting part of the story was how when
    hin and his buddy would get into town the first thing they would do was fill up the gas tank. This way when they blew all there money they could at least get back home.
     
  11. xmarksx

    xmarksx VIP Whale

    Joined:
    Jul 16, 2010
    Messages:
    1,315
    Location:
    Bloomington, Illinois
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    38
    We used to play a bit of slots and VP every trip. I always liked the kind of retro feel of the place, like it was stuck in the early 1980's.
     
  12. wishman35

    wishman35 VIP Whale

    Joined:
    Mar 24, 2010
    Messages:
    1,461
    Location:
    Chitown
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    20
    Wow - does anyone have any pictures of the inside of Lady Luck? Casino pictures, or pictures of this so called portable bar? I think I searched for pictures once and couldn't find much... Sounds amazing!
     
  13. Electroguy563

    Electroguy563 Vegas Joker

    Joined:
    Apr 26, 2011
    Messages:
    8,195
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    21
    I think this is so cool!!:beer: I heard of this from all you veteran VMBer's and wish I was part of this experience.

    I was in Downtown Vegas in 2005; my first trip ever, but for some reason did not visit Lady Luck. Was the Lady already on it's last leg in 2005? I wish I visited the Lady Luck before it closed... shit!

    Portable bars on the floor... mix your drink right then and there... Holy shit I think that's awesome!! Didn't you folks mentioned that there were portable bar carts moving around making drinks for patrons? I think this is awesome.

    You think if I mention this to the Downtown Grand Mgt. they'll think about doing something like this? :evillaugh
     
  14. Brensan

    Brensan Low-Roller

    Joined:
    Sep 27, 2011
    Messages:
    367
    Location:
    Near Houston, TX
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    53
    Sadly, no I don't have any photos of those to show you - but they were also my favorite part of the old Lady Luck. The drinks were usually VERY strong too, and not at all watered down! Best I remember, they were very similar to the beverage carts they use on the airlines.
     
  15. dmr

    dmr Registered Abuser

    Joined:
    Feb 18, 2011
    Messages:
    19,790
    Location:
    Somewhere in Middle America
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    70
    My first memory of Lady Luck was the long line for the free phone. They had a free long distance phone open, supposedly a three minute limit. Line was LONG. I remember thinking I was not gonna wait on line for 45 minutes just to get a busy signal or a no-answer.

    I remember eating at the Lady Luck buffet twice. First was maybe 1990 and I thought it was surprisingly good. Tried it again a few years later and it was like totally 144 to the max ya know!
     
  16. nuggetboy

    nuggetboy Low-Roller

    Joined:
    Mar 31, 2010
    Messages:
    199
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    40
    Some of my memories

    1. That free key chain with the colorful jester on it. I still have one or two of those.

    2. The free 1/2 pound (may have been bigger) hot dog you got at the snack bar in the back. Plenty of relish, mustard and onions available. It was a meal if you could handle it.

    3. Stayed at the LL twice. First stay was an over-sized suite room. very nice and clean. Ran out of shampoo on the third night. Asked the maid for another bottle, she said it was against hotel policy. You got one bottle per stay. That was a first.

    4. Our second stay the elevator for the parking garage was broken. We complained and they gave us few buffet coupons. We filed those in the garbage can.

    Looking forward to checking out the new place over Christmas. :woohoo:
     
  17. zignerlv

    zignerlv VIP Whale

    Joined:
    Aug 29, 2006
    Messages:
    1,746
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    75
    You have to remember back then pictures taken in casinos were a big no no! So unless there are some pictures from a lady luck brochure or the like, it is likely that there are no pictures floating around.
     
  18. Jimbo338

    Jimbo338 VIP Whale

    Joined:
    Oct 8, 2000
    Messages:
    5,543
    Location:
    Laconia, NH
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    23
    They have been waiting just as patiently!!!!!! j/k, good luck to you!

    Jimbo338
     
  19. wrxrob

    wrxrob High-Roller

    Joined:
    Oct 13, 2009
    Messages:
    790
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    15
    First time we ever visited downtown just happened to be the only time we'd ever see Lady Luck in operation.

    I had an ACG Match-play coupon for $10. I played the craps, field bet. Dice roll 12- boxcars, TRIPLE the field. The dealer tripled both my bet, and the match play. So for $10, I got paid $60 on top!

    After that first visit downtown, we pretty much made downtown our home, but were sad that Lady Luck was never open again for us to enjoy.
     
  20. dmr

    dmr Registered Abuser

    Joined:
    Feb 18, 2011
    Messages:
    19,790
    Location:
    Somewhere in Middle America
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    70
    I remember airline magazines had big full-page ads for Lady Luck, which did have a number of photos. They talked about how you could get more perks and comps from Lady Luck than at the big Strip casinos.
     
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.