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.

TR to Reno 8/142015-8/16/2015. More of a casualty report.

Discussion in 'Non-Vegas Trip Reports' started by DaiLun, Aug 17, 2015.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. DaiLun

    DaiLun R.C., L.C., and A.A.N.G.

    Joined:
    Apr 24, 2014
    Messages:
    13,085
    Location:
    San Jose, CA
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    100

    My Trip Report

    So, it's a VERY good thing that I started out the year ahead. This has gotten more difficult the closer I get to 7*

    I was able to make three 2500 TC days and now I'm about 14,000 TC short of Seven Stars.

    Some things that I've noticed.

    $250,000 in action (the minimum amount for a slot player using maximum bonus) is a BIG number at my level of gambling. I expect to be below the expected actual loss by the time I make 7*
    Making the first 1000 TC and only being down $300 doesn't guarantee anything for the next 1500 TC in a day.
    "Grinding" tends to produce less of a potential loss, but also less potential gain

    I will be writing a report on how I made 7* and what it cost me in case anyone wants to pursue this in the future.

    So, about my trip. Not much good to tell. No hand pays. The largest payout that I got was $700 from a penny progressive. I got a few other $500 payouts, but this was after I was down about $1000 do all it did was shorten my losses.

    The $5 machines were all pretty tight.

    I did take some movies of the bonus rounds from new machines

    I did meet an "aunt" that I hadn't seen in 45 years, completely by accident. She was there for the same tournament as I was.

    We were sitting at 4 sit down slot machines arranged in a cross, we were talking and she detailed facts about her life that were "ringing a bell". She was Asian, older then me, lived in the same town as me, in the rough geographical area where my aunt lived, and her daughter was a physician whose father had died when she was in her teens.

    Now one of these would have been a coincidence, but this was going on 4 or 5 significant facts. As I made my 2500TC, I told her that I was "done". As I got up to leave I asked her "By any chance is your daughter "------- ----"?

    The look on her face was priceless. I then told her my name and who my father was. My father and her late husband grew up together, and I always knew them as "Uncle Willie and Auntie Doris", even though I knew that we weren't blood related. I made sure that we swapped phone numbers, and I explained to her that I was on a 7* "quest", she told me that she visits Reno once a month and Tahoe once a month, taking the bus. I hadn't seen her since I last stayed with them for a tennis tournament about 43 years ago.

    As far as the slot tournament, my Friday bonus round was pretty dismal (138000 Points, and I was 9th in my squad of 10), my first round score wasn't much better, and my second round score was about the same as my first, so I didn't need to stick around for the awards ceremony.

    I did get picked for the "Monopoly Money" promotion. You get to stand in a glass booth and you have 30 seconds to "grab" as much monopoly money that is flying around. You cannot grab any money on the ground or any money that's stuck to the ceiling.

    45-50 years I watched a similar promotion at Sahara Tahoe where it was real money. The first two contestants flailed away, grabbing money through the air. The third person stood calmly with his hands in from of the slot (for that promotion, you had to put the money through the slot). He closed his hands around whatever money came to his hands, folded it, and put it through the slot. I had always remembered that strategy and told myslef that were I ever in a promotion like that, that is the strategy I would use.

    Well, it pretty much "worked". Payout was in free play and $100 was guaranteed. I ended up with $140 in free play.

    Had dinner at Ichiban AYCE sushi on Friday night with Les. He came up to get his diamond companion card. I guess they don't do too many comp

    Had dinner at Harrahs Steak House Saturday night. I hadn't been there in 35+ years. I was told that the sous chef who serves us then (at that time we were traveling on Les' comps. he has since "quit" gambling at that level), still worked there but had the weekends off. It was still as nice a restaurant as I'd remembered. Had the 18 oz. prime rib and took it and the Lobster mashed potatoes back to the room for home (the rooms have refrigerators)

    So, I am now two 2500TC days away from 7*.

    I am very tempted to go to to Tahoe this weekend (change of scenery and my host still gets credit for my play, just to get it "out of the way" I have a $200 FP coupon to use as well.

    The way I figure it, I'm going to have to put in two 2500TC days before the end of the year (4.5 months left) anyway. Once I have 7* "in pocket, I can "relax" a little. Since I would be good until 12/2016, getting it sooner than later would be to my advantage. Besides, I need to stop my "no hand pay" streak at two trips.

    We'll see. I also took a side trip to Carson City at Les' suggestion to inquire about "entertainment alternatives" and the current prices. I did meet someone who interested me, so I may take a side trip if I go this weekend.
     
  2. meyers67

    meyers67 VIP Whale

    Joined:
    May 30, 2013
    Messages:
    1,742
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    30
    FYI - you may want to get 7* as soon as you can so you can book your annual trip, use your celebration dinner, and take an ncl cruise prior to 3/31. Also, I'm assuming you've already used your diamond aspirations 2 trip when you got 80,000 points.

    After 3/31 you can get another annual trip, celebration dinner and a cruise again. You will be seven stars until 3/31/17 so you can decide how much you want to play in 2016.
     
  3. meyers67

    meyers67 VIP Whale

    Joined:
    May 30, 2013
    Messages:
    1,742
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    30
    Deleted duplicate post
     
  4. DaiLun

    DaiLun R.C., L.C., and A.A.N.G.

    Joined:
    Apr 24, 2014
    Messages:
    13,085
    Location:
    San Jose, CA
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    100
    That does make sense. It's the first year that's the toughest, especially since I have two trips in December planned yet don't want to play "too much" since the addl. TC won't help me. Haven't used my DAL2 trip yet. That was going to be to LV for NYE. I was also thinking of using my 7* to go to the Signature event in Atlantic City, but someone mentioned that if I didn't use the travel portion, I might be able to convert it to FP. I'll skip on the cruise. I was in the USN and sailing on the ocean isn't my idea of a good time . . . .
     
  5. DaiLun

    DaiLun R.C., L.C., and A.A.N.G.

    Joined:
    Apr 24, 2014
    Messages:
    13,085
    Location:
    San Jose, CA
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    100
    Corrected my total . . . I forgot the 5000TC bonus for Sunday. Now just over 11000 TC short of 7*. Maybe this weekend??
     
  6. Claire

    Claire Newbie

    Joined:
    May 6, 2014
    Messages:
    75
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    8
    No Dailun...chill out....never chase comps and a bit worried your gambling problems...
     
  7. tringlomane

    tringlomane STP Addicted Beer Snob

    Joined:
    Jan 21, 2013
    Messages:
    31,303
    Location:
    Chicagoland
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    28
    Nice writeup. I'm amazed with the amount of people I have randomly run into when I'm in Vegas. Hope the next trip goes better!
     
  8. DaiLun

    DaiLun R.C., L.C., and A.A.N.G.

    Joined:
    Apr 24, 2014
    Messages:
    13,085
    Location:
    San Jose, CA
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    100
    Thank you for the worries. I'm still within budget . . . .I'll explain once I post my report on making 7*.
     
  9. Claire

    Claire Newbie

    Joined:
    May 6, 2014
    Messages:
    75
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    8
    [emoji2] as long as you strictly follow the budget...7* means nothing if you are losing tons of $$
     
  10. SandsFan

    SandsFan VIP Whale

    Joined:
    Aug 12, 2010
    Messages:
    3,037
    Location:
    Texas
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    125
    Screwed up on my math. Thought I hit 7* last weekend but 337 TCs away. Still have a couple trips this year so will hit it and probably switch to my wife's card. The next level is no longer worth the effort.
     
    The 3 P trip (Paris, Palms and ??)
    The 3 P Trip (Paris, Palms and ??)
  11. newmans

    newmans VIP Whale

    Joined:
    Jun 30, 2014
    Messages:
    1,648
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    65
    You have until June 30, 2016 to use your Diamond Aspiration 2 trip earned in 2015. The 7 Star retreat that you earn in 2015 has to be used by March 31, 2016. You can use the 7 Star retreat for the AC Signature event (assuming there is one there). So, essentially, you earn 7 Stars this year, you'll have 2 7 Star retreats to use......one by March 31/16 and another by March 31/2017.
     
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.