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Dave's Vegas Trip XII -- A Little Less Conversation...

Discussion in 'Vegas Trip Reports' started by Morpheus7272, Mar 27, 2005.

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  1. Morpheus7272

    Morpheus7272 Low-Roller

    Joined:
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    My Trip Report

    A Little More Action.....

    Overall, this was one of my best trips ever. In December, I traveled solo, thinking I'd have a ton of time to do what I wanted. However, I only stayed for four nights, and, as I learned, that's too short a trip for me. This time, I booked for five nights, which turned out to be almost exactly five full days. As it turned out, next time I'll book a week.

    On this trip, there was more gambling and less other stuff. I lost out on alot of Bell'agio fountain shows due to high winds, so I gambled instead Smile

    Also, I think I've found the home base I've been looking for at Terrible's.

    DAY 1: SATURDAY, 3/19

    Not a great deal to tell here. Flights were on time and smooth. Flying to Atlanta first sucked, but to save $200, it was worth it. I had an opportunity to get bumped in Atlanta, but I didn't take it, since it would have cost me a day in Vegas. As it turned out, Sunday was a key day, so it was good that I didn't take it.

    Arrival in Vegas brought the "rush" I am accustomed to, which is something I hope never goes away. What a feeling -- the realization that I am free for the next several days to do some of my favorite things in the world, whenever I want, and for however long I want, while being surrounded by beautiful scenery and immersed in the constant energetic vibe. That's Vegas for me.

    Upon arrival, I easily located Mike's car and we were off to Henderson. At the Fiesta, we had some good grub (the chicken dish was very good) and I commenced VP on the nickel fullpay Jacks. After a short session with no quads, I cashed out (-3) and joined Mike at the craps table. A choppy table netted a small win (+3) and I went back to the nickel Jacks. A couple banks over, a small group was arguing in some foreign tongue, presumably about whether or not to play a machine, for upwards of 15 minutes. After all the cacophony, they left, which made me wonder what it was about a VP machine that was worth arguing over for that length of time. In the session, I caught a straight flush and cashed out +8. Enjoy the 240 points, Mike, and don't spend 'em all at once!

    NOTE: As you have now noticed, this is an extreme low-roller trip report. If this bores you, feel free to mentally add some zeroes to my numbers -that'll make it better for you.

    DAY TOTALS: Food -16, Tips -2, VP +5, Craps +3.

    DAY 2: SUNDAY, 3/20

    Checked out of Fiesta Henderson and took a long and rather arduous bus trip to the Gold Coast. Ah well, if I wanted easy, I'd have rented a car. I arrived at the Gold Coast to discover the check-in line from Hell. I certainly could have used a cocktail in that line, and I considered checking my bags and coming back later. I decided against it, not wanting to get a room fronting trash bins. Ah well, the monster check-in line was handled efficiently, and I arrived at my room to indeed discover the World's Smallest Hotel Bathroom. I suppose the bathroom could have been smaller, but then one would have to stand in the shower to close the door. The room was clean, but the small TV and uncomfortable beds made it unlikely I'd book there again.

    After taking the Gold Coast shuttle to the Barbary, I grabbed a couple hot dogs and beers for lunch (thanks, ACG). I then grabbed the bus out to Terrible's for some VP on their 5x points promotion. I was surprised to find that my favorite bank of machines there (nickel full-pay Jacks) was partially unoccupied, and I settled in for some play. Now, to this point in my VP career, I had only played an hour or two at a time, and had never really put through much coin. Today was to be different.

    The drinks came quickly, the environment wasn't that smoky, and I was holding my own. After four hours of playing rather quickly, I was down $25. This was to be expected, since I had not hit a royal or straight flush, and I was a little behind the curve on quads. Starving, I went over to the slot club to cash in some points for dinner, selecting the three-item mexican combo plate for a mere 1000 points. For a paltry $200 coin-in on Sundays, I was very impressed with the amount and quality of the food. The Cafe at Terrible's would be my dining spot of choice for the trip.

    After dinner, I lost a Terrible's funbook MP on craps, but won the POV BJ MP with a blackjack, a $25 profit. After settling in to my machine, I noticed that the same guy playing video keno before I went to dinner was still there. During my three-hour after-dinner session, he had two $300 hits, but he put all the money back in, sixteen nickels at a time. He was a nice enough guy, but he sure didn't know when to quit. I caught a few quads, but was still behind the curve, and I was down another $23. My $48 VP loss wasn't a big deal, but at the quarter level, this would have been $240. That's why I can't play quarters -- things like that happen. Nonethless, that $48 loss netted me 4000 points for the day, and I would eat all week on these points. Not a bad deal at all!

    After tiring of video poker, I decided to look around the place. I lost another funbook MP on roulette, and settled in to try the new Monty Python slots. On my initial $10, I hit three bonus rounds and quit with a $20 profit. Unfortunately, I gave it back at the Gold Coast, playing Men in Black, Match Game, and Terminator slots. Of these, Terminator was the worst, with bonus rounds stolen from the Alien slots. These are a prime example of good marketing and bad product.

    DAY TOTALS: Food 0, Tips -13, VP -48, Matchplays W1, L2 for +15.

    DAY 3: MONDAY, 3/21

    Today was supposed to be a meet at the Orleans. I ate at the Gold Coast buffet for lunch, and it was pretty good, but it was a notch below the quality of last trip. I hope this isn't a trend. After winning $5 on Fortune Cookie, I headed to the Orleans shuttle in plenty of time to make the meet. Unfortunately, they had to track down another bus, since the normal shuttle broke down. This delay made me a few minutes late, and no LVTers were in evidence. After waiting 15 minutes, I headed back to Gold Coast. Sorry if I missed any of you.

    After returning, I decided to catch the Bell'agio fountain show of Con Te Partiro (my second favorite) which is always at 3 o'clock during the week. It's too bad that the schedule they currently give out isn't correct, as I liked being able to pick when to catch my favorites. Maybe they'll get the new pieces sorted out and re-do the schedule. After the show, I went on a mini-coupon run. At Aladdin, I played video blackjack at the bar using a $20/$10 free slot play coupon. After an hour, I cashed out +5 with a moderate buzz from four Crown and gingers. Then it was off to the Hard Rock for the $10 slot play and $10 matchplay POV coupons. My roll continued, as I cashed out the slot play (video blackjack) +10 and won the matchplay on roulette for +20. I could get used to this! As it was time for dinner, I headed back to Terrible's, cashing a $5 funbook MP on roulette on the way to another comped dinner. This time, I chose the "Madagascar Chicken", which they should have just called "Fettucine Alfredo with Chicken". It was tasty and filling, but there wasn't enough chicken in it. On a comp, I don't care, but I'd have complained if I was paying for it.

    After dinner, I headed back to the Strip with the intent of catching an evening of fountain shows. Alas, the high winds caused the cancellation of some shows, but I did meet a nice couple, Collin and Theresa. He was originally from Ireland, she from Minnesota, and he moved to the States to join her. We chatted for an hour, catching the occasional show (Rondine Al Nido, Your Song, This Kiss) and having an all-around good time. I found out they were paying full price for a lakeview room at the B for ten days. Apparently, ol' Collin was rolling in it, and I asked if they could adopt me for a week. They had other ideas on what to do with a romantic room such as that, and so I wished them well and departed. I decided to see if my favorite Press Your Luck slots were at the Excalibur. Indeed they were, but it would have been better for me if they had been replaced. Truly, this is the only slot machine I am addicted to, since I enjoy the bonus round so much. My first twenty went quickly, and I was well into my second when I hit a good bonus round, raising my total to $25. I should have quit -15, but I proceeded to lose it all, plus another ten. I hate when that happens, but what's worse is having a hard time quitting when i know I should. I hate getting out of control like that. At about -30, it ceased being fun, and I should have gotten up. Ah well, human frailties. Maybe I won't play it next time. Yeah, right.

    DAY TOTALS: Food -4, Tips -14, Slots -45, Freeplay +15, MPs W2 L0 for +30

    DAY 4: TUESDAY, 3/22

    Checkout at the Gold Coast was painless, but checkin at Terrible's was not. I was quoted a rate with a double discount and given a confirmation number, but the manager did not want to honor it. Fortunately, I stayed level-headed and got the rate I was quoted. I was actually surprised I did. What was potentially worse was that I didn't have the credit card I booked the room with on me. She didn't make a big deal about it, though she certainly could have. I also felt I was treated rather rudely, but I blew it off, considering the discount I was getting. I'd like to make this place my home base, so I have to be a little careful, too.

    After my problems at the desk, I was surprised at the quality of the room I was given. Clearly, it was one of the best rooms in the house, with a king bed, 27" TV, sitting area, and view of the Strip. I definitely liked this room, especially for $19 a night. After a little unpacking, I went to the Cafe for the Chinese lunch special (Mongolian Beef). Though the beef wasn't crispy, the quality was good, and a steal at 400 points.

    Terrible's has a coupon in the funbook for a free t-shirt or hat with every $20 in sports wagers, so I made two $11 NBA bets. I really wanted to go watch games at the Bell'agio, though, so I also made two wagers there and settled in to watch games.

    To me, the Bell'agio sports book, aka The World's Best Living Room, just rocks. If they served food in there, I'd stay for days and sleep on the floor. The only other thing that would make it better would be headphone jacks in the seats so you could select game audio. In addition to drinking too many free drinks, I met a group from Alberta, Al from Florida, and Doug, a Vegas local. We enjoyed several hours of fun and revelry, and I'm sorry to say, I missed a downtown meet because of this. I apologize profusely to those I was supposed to meet, but in my own defense, I was much too hammered to do much down there, for sure. What a good day this was!! To cap it off, I made an additional wager, and this allowed me to come out ahead. I stumbled out of the Bell'agio with my heaviest buzz of the trip and headed to the Aladdin to play another $10 freeplay, this time from Casino Player. Unfortunately the alcohol impaired my judgement and I lost the $10 freeplay plus another $30. I know better than to play in that condition, but I figured I could still come out ahead with the freeplay. Oh well, I guess not.

    I decided to walk back to Terrible's, to lessen the buzz a bit. The coldish air did its job, and I was ready to play when I arrived back. A quick and strange session of VP led to a $5 profit. During this session, I hit a quick quad and several full houses, two of them dealt. The gods of probability surely are inconsistent. I then headed to the Cafe, for another comped meal, this time a good bacon cheeseburger and fries. After all that alcohol, I needed something greasy, and this hit the spot. Before heading to bed, I cashed another funbook MP on the roulette table, betting red as always.

    DAY TOTALS: Food 0, Tips -18, Freeplay -30, VP +5, Sports +8, MP W1 L0 for +10.

    DAY 5: WEDNESDAY, 3/23

    The last full day is always a little sad, but I was determined to make it a good one. I decided on another Chinese lunch, this time an excellent Sweet and Sour Chicken. I also made two more $11 sports bets and scored a Terrible's hat. After that, I decided a North Strip coupon run was in order. I hopped the 202 to the 301 all the way to the Sahara. A side note here -- I have MPs for the Stratosphere , but I find the people there very rude, so I avoided it this trip. For the same reason, I avoided Ellis Island. I hate places who sweat coupons, and I had plenty for other places.

    Arriving at the Sahara, I scored $10 on their EZMoney promotion. This wasn't a straight $10 freeplay -- more like play $10, get $10 freeplay, since the freeplay was added in matching fashion after you made each bet, and you had to seed the machine with $1 in order to start the process. I cashed out $8 from a video blackjack bartop after receiving no drink service, and thus netted a $7 profit. After leaving Sahara, the intent was to head to the Bell'agio to catch Con Te Partiro again, watch some more sports, meet more people and catch another good buzz. Well, this wouldn't happen, thanks to the wonderful folks running the Las Vegas bus system. If I had known, I'd have walked back.

    No fewer than *eight* Strip buses came by, all flashing their "BUS FULL" signs. Most didn't stop, since no one wanted to get off at the vacant lot between the CC and Sahara (why not? It's beautiful!!). Several drivers, even after letting people off, wouldn't let people on. Also, I think being rude is a prerequisite to driving a Strip bus during the day. Yes, I know people are jerks, but if it sucks that much, get another job!

    To make a long story short, I decided to continue to the Riviera by foot, and took part in their $10 freeplay promotion. For existing members, this is actually play $20, get $10, as at Aladdin. For some reason, I eschewed the video blackjack and sat down at a "Cleopatra" machine. Someone at Terrible's had mentioned to me that these were good machines, so I thought maybe the hit frequency was a bit higher and I could cash out most of the freeplay. It's a good thing I played it, because I hit a couple good bonus rounds quickly, and I cashed out $40 to the good. I made the mistake of entering Circus-Circus and lost a $5 craps field MP. A stop at the always divey Slots-a-Fun netted me a free t-shirt, deck of cards, and, more importantly an ice cold Heineken. More frustration at the bus stop led to a walk down to the Frontier, but I wasn't feeling a good vibe, and I avoided trying an MP there. I finally caught a Strip bus, transfered to the 202, and had another comped dinner at the Terrible's cafe, this time another excellent Mexican combo.

    After a trip back to the Strip, another try to catch Bell'agio fountain shows was thwarted by wind, so I settled in to play keno for my bowling buddy, as I do every trip. He won nothing for the first 16 games, but hit two of the last four for a $4 profit. At this point, my stomach was becoming sensitive to alcohol, so I didn't drink much in the lounge. I hit one game out of five for a $7 profit. After taking Bell'agio for that huge sum (not exactly Danny Ocean here) I headed back home to Terrible's.

    After scoring a late checkout (1PM), I lost $10 as Mr. Cashman took instead of giving. I guess I misunderstood! I also played the Super Times Pay at five-play for pennies and lost a buck. A dealt quad saved me for the session. Since it was after 3am, I decided sleep was in order.

    DAY TOTALS: Food 0, Tips -16, Freeplay +47, MPs W1 L1 for +5, Keno +7, Slots -10, Sports -1, VP -1.

    DAY 6: Thursday 3/24

    I checked out of Terrible's, thanked them for the nice room, and checked my bags with the bell desk. After yesterday, I again ordered the Chinese S/S Chicken special, and it was excellent once again. I cashed another $5 funbook MP on roulette (red, always bet red) for +10. Since this was another 5x points day, I wanted to play more VP, but I also wanted to catch some more fountain shows and hang out at the Bell'agio a bit. Thus, my first VP session was short, but I caught a quad to come out ahead $3. I rushed to the Bell'agio to catch the 3 PM show, only to be denied once again by wind. Oh well, at least I saw Con Te once. No Luck be a Lady for me on this trip though. Bummer.

    Thursday was also a tournament day, so the book was crazy. No seats were available, but they were requiring drink tickets for service anyway. No go. I strolled through the Conservatory, walked out via the lobby, paying my respects to the Chihuly on the way. God, I love this place.

    I proceeded back to Terrible's for another comped bacon burger and fries, good as usual. After arranging for transportation to the airport, I settled in for my last VP session, which was remarkable for the number of flushes I received. In under an hour, I was dealt five of them, and drew to seven more. I ended +3 without seeing a quad, and left Terrible's with 600 points on my card. Also, another guy was playing the dime video keno next to me. He hit for $1612 (the largest win he could have with the way he was playing) and proceeded to keep playing. He had lost $200 back by the time I left. C'mon, people, how big a win do you need?

    DAY TOTALS: Food 0, Tips, -11, VP +6, MPs W1 L0 for +10.

    The trip back was unremarkable except for the fat b*stard who kept putting his seat back into my lap.....I love coach....

    TRIP SUMMARY: I came out up $31 on gambling, not including comps.

    Matchplays were 6-3 for a net +70. Freeplay was a net +32.

    VP was a net -33 on $1430 coin-in (97.69% return). With no royal, one SF, and only 14 quads on 7240 hands (16.5 expected), I imagine this is how it should be. My best coin-in day was Sunday -- $800 coin-in. I was playing at about 450 hands per hour.

    Comps: 8 meals, valued at $65. 2 t-shirts, a hat, two decks of cards.

    Room, food and drink coupons saved me about $56. Thus, my coupon total was +$158, easily paying for my Advisor and 3 ACGs.

    ***Total trip cost was $378 for five nights and basically five days.***

    Oh, and always bet RED on roulette. That's my system. You'll always win! (except for the times you lose)

    That's all folks....thanks for reading.....next trip in May or June....

    Dave
     
  2. JR Swift

    JR Swift VIP Whale

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    Nice to see another real "low roller" like myself on here. I start reading about $25-$100 bets and my eyes glaze over. Love the nickel video poker myself and the penny slots. Sounds like Terrible's really takes care of the little guy. Keep meaning to check it out but I'll have to make a special effort this trip. Glad you had a good time.
     
  3. JohhhnnyCash

    JohhhnnyCash Guest

    Good trip report, cant wait till I make it out there
     
  4. Jimbucc

    Jimbucc VIP Whale

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    Speaking of Terribles I just got another mailer today. April and May pay $39 for 1st night and receive 2nd night free Sunday through Wednesday or 5,000 points.

    Pay $69 1st night 2nd free Thursday, Friday or Saturday or 10,000 points.

    June, July and August pay $29 1st night 2nd free Sunday through Wednesday or 3500 points. Pay $59 for 1st night 2nd free Thursday, Friday or Saturday or 5,000 points.

    5 times points all day Thursdays and Sundays.

    This truly is a place where you can get comps without spending alot of money and the rooms are decent.
     
  5. Morpheus7272

    Morpheus7272 Low-Roller

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    Jim,

    If you don't mind sharing, how much coin-in generated this offer? Are you out-of-state or a local?

    Thanks -- just trying to figure out if they might send me an offer this summer...

    Dave
     
  6. Jimbucc

    Jimbucc VIP Whale

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    Playing 5 cent 10 cent VP for about an hour on a day when they have 5 times points. Never lost more than about 20 bucks. Mostly just having the players card and a previous stay will generate the mailings.
     
  7. Jimbucc

    Jimbucc VIP Whale

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    Sorry I forgot I'm out of state from Ohio.
     
  8. Morpheus7272

    Morpheus7272 Low-Roller

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    Thanks Jim....I should definitely receive a mailer then...I hope [​IMG]

    Dave

    [ April 03, 2005, 11:00 PM: Message edited by: Morpheus7272 ]
     
  9. doctor_al

    doctor_al VIP Whale

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    Nice coupon run. How was the Fiesta Henderson? I drove by the place, love the absolutely goofy fake african architecture (which I guess is supposed to be Mexican inside?).
     
  10. blackjack

    blackjack Monkey!!

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    Nice trip Dave, but I must disagree on your roulette philosophy as Mikey told me on Sunday 3/20 at Barbary "always bet black" & so I did - $300.00 cash play & it hit. That was only my second roulette wager ever. 1st was in Casino Windsor while not wanting to stand in a 20 minute line to cash out 2 greens (about $38.00 American [​IMG] ), I put them on red & hit (so much for the always play... theory). Anyway, sounds like you did OK & used your comps & coupons well.

    Ron
    (also from Ohio)

    [ March 30, 2005, 12:13 PM: Message edited by: blackjack ]
     
  11. Morpheus7272

    Morpheus7272 Low-Roller

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    Doctor Al,

    The Fiesta H. was very nice for VP and craps. Food very good in the cafe. Nice and quiet in the casino. Drink service didn't seem to be very good, if you're into that. You need a car to get to the Strip, though, since the bus trip was a serious pain.

    Blackjack/Ron,

    I can't believe you dissed my system. I'm hurt, and I just know you made up your "win". My system is infallible (except when it fails)! ;)

    Dave, sadly now T-plus 9
     
  12. JohhhnnyCash

    JohhhnnyCash Guest

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