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.

Friday Night in Vegas

Discussion in 'Vegas Trip Reports' started by HurricaneMikey, Apr 23, 2005.

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

    HurricaneMikey A-List Buffoon

    Joined:
    Jan 25, 2002
    Messages:
    5,865
    Location:
    Southeast of Sin City
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    25

    My Trip Report

    Hey Gang!

    I'm in the middle of a very tiring stretch of days, but I wanted to give a quick update on the latest. I had the pleasure of a little March Madness Redux yesterday, so I had to share! [​IMG]

    First of all, I was crashed out hard on Friday morning, having not gotten home from moving more stuff from the 'old' house until almost 2 am the night before. At 10 am, while sound asleep and probably not looking my best, my gal Laura (the one I met at school) came busting into my bedroom and woke my lazy ass up, saying she had a burst of energy and we needed to get stuff done.

    So I rolled out of bed, put on some shorts, (SpongeBob on the inside this time), some sandals, and two minutes later we were on our way to the Starbucks over on Maryland Pkwy across from UNLV. A venti Hazelnut latte later, and I was bright-eyed and bushy tailed! We got back to the house and attacked the bathroom with much gusto. The former roommate had basically trashed the place, so we filled a Hefty bag full of old crusty toiletries and went to work on the place with a pipewrench, a blowtorch, and a bottle of bleach. We went Medieval on it's ass! After that, it was the kitchen. I needed shelf space, freezer space, and fridge space, so we blasted through that, filling up more garbage bags and scrubbing the place down. After about three hours, we could see that we'd made amazing progress and the house was almost a respectable place to live once again. We unpacked a bunch of junk, hung pictures on the walls, and got my room somewhat organized. It felt good to get it all done.

    Since we both needed to use the internet, and I didn't want to take a chance on going back to the old house to use the computer and running into the scuzzy-ass loser roommate (and of course Laura wants to kick her ass on general principle, thus ensuring my presence on an upcoming episode of COPS), we went to the Cyber Zone--a great internet cafe with about fifty workstations that only charges two bucks an hour.

    We spent an hour catching up on emails and taking care of business before going to lunch. And what did we see across the parking lot? Yep--another Robertos Taco Shop!!! [​IMG] Since I have a better command of Spanish (at least with menu items), she stayed in the car while I ordered us a great lunch of burritos, tacos, and a quesadilla, and we were on our way just a few minutes later.

    After lunch we were wiped out, so we decided to take a 'nap' for a few hours. ;)

    ~Tantra, baby!~

    Of course, our peaceful afternoon was interrupted by my cellphone going off--It was Vegas Jer! He was calling to tell me that he was on his way to Vegas for the night and was sitting in traffic in Corona California (my birfplace, by the way, so it has that going for it, which is nice...) Anyhow, we talked for a bit, made plans to meet up later that night, and he said he'd call me once he saw the lights of the city.

    Laura took off around six, and I showered, changed into a decent Hawaiian shirt, and lounged around looking at a coffee-table book full of sailboat pictures for an hour waiting for Jer to call.

    He finally called when he got close enough to see the Mandalay Bay off in the distance, and I told him I'd meet him down at the snack bar at Binions for a bowl of chili, a greaseburger, and a beer. I raced all the way downtown, but it seemed I hit every stoplight between Tropicana and Charleston, so I thought I was gonna be late [​IMG]

    I parked the Sled at Binion's valet, and wandered into my old second home. While it wasn't as busy as it should've been for a Friday night, I could tell that it was coming back to life. A quick pass by the snackbar told me that Jer still hadn't made it, so I wandered down to the pit to see what the table games were like. They had three craps tables going with $5 limits and 5x odds...none of this 3x4x5x stuff that Harrahs tried to pull. They also had a $10 table with a few players, but it certainly didn't have the action that the lower-limits were generating. All of the blackjack tables were full, and there were plenty of $5 and $10 double-deck pitch games available. I didn't notice any single deck or any 6-5 tables, but then again, I spent more time checking out the conditions at the dice tables, so I might've missed some details. But I'd like to think that there were none of those garbage tables present.

    I also noticed that the three 'circus game' tables that Harrahs had up front had also been converted back to normal blackjack. Seems like MTR or whoever owns the joint now remembers how good it used to be and are trying to bring the place back to it's former glory. They are certainly making noticable progress in that direction.

    After my investigative mission to the pit, I went back to the snack bar area to wait for Jer. He showed up about five minutes later and we had another T2V reunion right there at the slot machine...High Fives were exchanged and It Was ON.

    Unfortunately, the snack bar was packed solid at the time, word having gotten out that they brought the grill back, so we had to go to Plan B. We didn't actually have a Plan B, but after deciding that the Plaza wasn't sounding good, and taking into consideration my personal aversion to the Upper Deck with it's sub-par food and work-release waitstaff, we decided that we had to uphold tradition and we headed off to the Golden Gate for shrimp cocktails.

    Of course, when we arrived, the line was typically long and moving about as fast as the DMV on a Saturday afternoon. We made friends with the couple behind us and pretty much got everyone's life story out there in the open before we got to the point where you pick up your tray and plasticware.

    I don't know what it is about the place, but for whatever reason, they just cannot serve the food in any kind of timely manner. We finally got to where we could see the light at the end of the tunnel, so I ordered a hotdog, bowl of chili, a shrimp cocktail, and a Bud Light on tap. Jer ordered the chili, shrimp, and a beer himself.

    We grabbed a table near the piano and yelled a conversation over such jazzy selections as Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy, In The Mood, and Georgia On My Mind. Actually, it was quite enjoyable--I wish I had half the musical talent as the folks that do that night after night. Since I don't, I'm content to sit in the bar and put bread in their jar and say Man, what am I doin' here???

    After dinner, we were at a loss as to what to do next. We wandered outside to enjoy the scenery--both man-made and God's Own Handiwork--plus a few examples of their collaboration lurking about outside of Glitter Gulch. We didn't get far before we saw the Mother Ship Calling Us Home...

    Yep, it was time for a ride on the Grain Train!!! [​IMG] We shuffled a few feet down the street into Le Bayou and got in line for a yard of liquid Special Olympics. I wanted the banana concoction, but sadly they were out. So I went with Old Reliable and got a mudslide. Jer opted for the Brainfreeze. When she asked if we'd like an extra shot of the Grain, we both got that confused look on the face, like a dog hearing surround-sound for the first time, and Jer replied with "Of course, what do we look like, a couple of rookies?"

    Nice. She fixed us up good for being smartasses, and filled the whole bowl at the bottom of the glasses with Everclear. My mudslide had the consistancy of cold coffee, but the kick of a pissed-off mule. Woooooweeeee!

    I can't speak for the flavor of Jer's drink, but he sure was grinning a lot...

    We found our way back onto the street, wondering where to go next. Wherever it was, it was gonna be on foot. Luckily the City Fathers had planted the Las Vegas Club right there across the street, so we stumbled over there.

    I told Jer that I had absolutely no bankroll for gambling, but I'd help him scout the tables and watch him for a few minutes. One time around the casino, we found a good double-deck pitch game with $5 minimums and three open seats. Jer sat down and bought in for a hundy, while I prepared to just stand there and entertain. Next thing I know, Jer is telling the dealer "Fifty for both of us..." and a stack of red chips found their way to the rail in front of me...

    Thanks Jer! [​IMG]

    So I decide to play, conservatively of course, and wouldn't ya know it, my first hand is a Blackjack! Just like that, dinner was paid for! But the luck didn't end there my friends. Whatever we did for the next hour was absolutely right, while the poor schmuck at third base playing with green chips got absolutely crushed. Not that we were doing stupid stuff like splitting tens or standing on 14 against an eight, but I found myself actually doing a true count, out loud, and we were hitting everything. [​IMG]

    At one point, I said something like "nothin' but little cards in the deck, gang", and the dealer of course had a ten showing. I drew a six-card sixteen and said "I've got to stand here folks, the next card is a ten, and my boy Jer just doubled on his 5-6". So I stood, and Jer made his 21, the dealer showed a five for a hole card, busted, and the table went nuts. Good times!

    Just playing $5 and $10 hands, I turned my $50 buy-in into $175, colored up, and gave Jer back his original fifty bucks. He did even better and colored up for over two hundred!

    One thing I've finally learned is to lock up a good win instead of chasing the BIG win, so tripling up was enough for me.

    By that time the Grain Train had run it's course, so it was time to find water. We went to the cage first to take care of the important business, and just as we were heading for the bar I ran into my favorite cocktail waitress Dora!

    She ran up, gave me a hug and said "Mikey! What are you doing here?!?!? You were just here a month ago!"

    So I told her the story of my adventures and that I was working right across the street from her. Then I pulled a mini-Terry and said "I will give you TWO DOLLARS for a bottle of ice-cold water for me and my buddy here!" She laughed and said she had some on ice with our names on it. Thirty seconds later we were breaking the seal on the sweetest water I'd had in a month. That Grain Train really does a number on ya...

    We said goodbye to Dora and headed for the front desk. It seems that Jer wasn't coming to Vegas for a weekend of fun, but was actually heading to Arizona for a funeral, and just stopped in Vegas for the night. And he didn't have a hotel room reserved. The Plaza had told him earlier that they were sold out, so we went to try at the Vegas Club. No dice, also sold out. So we walked outside and across the street to Binions. No room in that Inn, either. They suggested the El Cortez, and we started laughing...So I suggested the couch at Casa de Mikey. Jer was up for that, so he said he'd run back over to the Plaza, pick up his car, come to Binions, then follow me back to my place.

    So I killed a few minutes people-watching while waiting for him to get over to the Plaza. Just as soon as I handed in my ticket at the valet, my cell-phone was ringing. Jer was calling to tell me that the Plaza had a cancellation and they held it for him, so he was just going to stay there.

    No problemo. We said goodbye and a few minutes later I was home in bed with another bottle of water and a big grin on my face for having experienced a spontaneous 'Vegas Trip' with a T2V buddy, even if I didn't have to travel cross-country or deal with the anticipation for months on end.

    We still had a great time.

    Mikey [​IMG]

    [ April 24, 2005, 12:28 AM: Message edited by: HurricaneMikey ]
     
  2. ebuzz7

    ebuzz7 Low-Roller

    Joined:
    Mar 7, 2005
    Messages:
    217
    Location:
    Oregon
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    20
    Nice win when you weren't expecting it, not only paid for dinner but a nice profit risk free, you gotta love it.
     
  3. kristin

    kristin Guest

    Sounds like a great time was had by both! Great update!

    [​IMG] Kristin
     
  4. Smarra17

    Smarra17 Poker Queen

    Joined:
    Jul 28, 2002
    Messages:
    1,810
    Location:
    Brooklyn, NY
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    7
    Wow that sounds like a fun Friday! Good call to take the winnings and get out of there. I have lost more chasing the big win then I care to tell. I guess living in Vegas teaches you to be a bit smarter.
     
  5. Bosco

    Bosco VIP Whale

    Joined:
    Apr 4, 2002
    Messages:
    1,366
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    17
    Thank God they took those carnival games out of the Black Jack pit at Binions. That was the most depressing thing I saw on my March trip.
     
  6. vegasbound

    vegasbound VIP Whale

    Joined:
    Mar 3, 2002
    Messages:
    5,550
    Location:
    Las Vegas
    Sounds like a great time! Nice ride on the tables, too.
     
  7. doctor_al

    doctor_al VIP Whale

    Joined:
    Nov 25, 2002
    Messages:
    11,670
    Location:
    Twin Cities
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    18
    Snubbing the El Co? Cake-eaters, the lot of ya.
     
  8. RamBill

    RamBill Tourist

    Joined:
    Jun 8, 2004
    Messages:
    2,468
    Location:
    west hartford, CT
    One word to the both of ya: SWEET!!!

    Why oh why do I have to live 2300 miles away!

    PS: There's ALWAYS room at the Luxurious Days Inn! [​IMG]

    [ April 24, 2005, 08:15 AM: Message edited by: RamBill ]
     
  9. sunni

    sunni VIP Whale

    Joined:
    Feb 6, 2003
    Messages:
    1,620
    Location:
    Sunshine State
    Mikey,
    good time had by all !

    How's your new roomie working out ?

    sunni
     
  10. Dougie

    Dougie I am IN!

    Joined:
    Sep 18, 2002
    Messages:
    6,360
    Location:
    Idaho
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    14
    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [ April 24, 2005, 02:15 PM: Message edited by: bazootch ]
     
  11. blackjack

    blackjack Monkey!!

    Joined:
    Mar 28, 2003
    Messages:
    4,843
    Location:
    North Coast
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    14
    Thanks for another great update. If it weren't for the freakin snow outside my window, I can almost imagine that I'm right there with ya. I liked my burger last time at Upper Deck - must have been a fluke.
     
  12. Dougie

    Dougie I am IN!

    Joined:
    Sep 18, 2002
    Messages:
    6,360
    Location:
    Idaho
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    14
    I eat often at UD, due to the buy 1 get 1 free coupons...
     
  13. LearningVegas

    LearningVegas Tourist

    Joined:
    May 2, 2004
    Messages:
    506
    Location:
    Arizona
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    6
    A wise decision. Big wins don't happen often enough to justify the money lost in chasing them.

    ....

    [ April 25, 2005, 01:31 AM: Message edited by: LearningVegas ]
     
  14. Jack21

    Jack21 Guest

    "One thing I've finally learned is to lock up a good win instead of chasing the BIG win, so tripling up was enough for me."

    Sounds like you did a hell of a lot more than merely triple up, Mikey- isn't anything divided by ZERO an infinite numer?" [​IMG]

    Sorry man, with all the cheerleaders out in force with their pom-poms on your threads, there's gotta be one zinger in the bunch...

    Nuthin' but love...keep 'em comin' [​IMG]

    [ April 25, 2005, 02:46 AM: Message edited by: Jack21 ]
     
  15. Buckeye Bob

    Buckeye Bob Low-Roller

    Joined:
    Apr 30, 2002
    Messages:
    466
    Location:
    Chicago
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    27
    Okay, I'm sorry if this is a stupid question but it sounds like from your comments that Harrah's is no longer running Binion's. Is that right and if so, how did I miss it?

    Thanks,

    Bob
     
  16. HoyaHeel

    HoyaHeel Grammar Police & Admin

    Joined:
    Feb 24, 2002
    Messages:
    26,507
    Location:
    North Carolina
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    16
    Harrah's kept the Binion's name but MTR owns/runs the Horseshoe now--there was a bunch of stuff posted a while back on that if you look around. I'm pretty sure it was always planned to be that way--Harrahs just wants the name & the poker tourney....
     
  17. Buckeye Bob

    Buckeye Bob Low-Roller

    Joined:
    Apr 30, 2002
    Messages:
    466
    Location:
    Chicago
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    27
    Thanks Hoya. I guess I have to hang out here more often.

    Bob
     
  18. HoyaHeel

    HoyaHeel Grammar Police & Admin

    Joined:
    Feb 24, 2002
    Messages:
    26,507
    Location:
    North Carolina
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    16
    While we ALWAYS encourage people to hang out here more often, [​IMG] it wasn't such a huge change that anyone other than the obsessive Vegas addicts here would pay any attention to. I think they took down the obvious signage and made some other changes like getting the grill working again. Here's one of the posts: http://www.travel2vegas.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php/topic/15/356.html


    And Mikey--speaking of the snack bar--do they have the ham & beans back too?? I prefer that to the chili....

    [ April 25, 2005, 06:15 AM: Message edited by: HoyaHeel ]
     
  19. HurricaneMikey

    HurricaneMikey A-List Buffoon

    Joined:
    Jan 25, 2002
    Messages:
    5,865
    Location:
    Southeast of Sin City
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    25
    Actually, Harrahs kept the Horseshoe name and the World Series of Poker. The casino is now known as Binion's Gambling Hall, or just plain Binion's, and is run by MTR gaming.

    /Clarification is my middle name ;)

    Hurricane Clarification Mikey--Just rolls off the tongue, doesn't it?

    Edited to add--I don't know about the ham and beans, I missed it if it was there. Next time I'm in there I'll take a look, and maybe take a closer look at the blackjack tables, too.

    Mikey

    [ April 25, 2005, 06:46 PM: Message edited by: HurricaneMikey ]
     
  20. Dougie

    Dougie I am IN!

    Joined:
    Sep 18, 2002
    Messages:
    6,360
    Location:
    Idaho
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    14
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.