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Presidents Day Weekend in Atlantic City 2/16 -18 Funkhouser presidental trip report

Discussion in 'Non-Vegas Trip Reports' started by Funkhouser, Feb 19, 2013.

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  1. Funkhouser

    Funkhouser In Charge of the Big Door

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    My Trip Report

    Presidents Day Weekend in Atlantic City 2/16 -18 Funkhouser winning trip report

    This was the first Funkhouser junket trip. The marketing department at CET was kind enough to gift me with an offer for two comp nights at Harrahs AC, airfare, and some free play. Since the martial bedroom had been feeling around 5 degrees more chilly then the rest of the house lately, It was time to get Mrs. Funhouser out of town if I was going to get out to Vega$ again this year without divorce papers being served.

    The folks at CET Total Rewards Travel were quick and efficient, I booked our two seats, and only had to give my credit card to pay our "$20 Experience fee" which I was assured could later be paid with comp dollars or adjusted based on play, I was also informed that Gov Christy will be charging me a $13 a night NJ tax to keep the state goverment running.

    Republic Airlines would be ferrying us to AC Saturday afternoon. This was a quick trip 40 hours end to end. Plan was to bring 1K for some VP / Slot play, and send the wife over to the Red Door Spa Sunday for some pampering.

    Drove down from Cincy to SDF for our flight. We were early so we dropped our bags, got our boarding passes. CET hooks you up with a free cocktail on the plane, but Mrs. Funkhouser is a nervous flyer so we were starting at the lounge with margaritas and woodford reserve bourbon.

    Flight was delayed a few minutes, and we arrived quickly and safely in AC. It was a balmy 23 F and snowing. Tour buses dropped us off, and after a short wait in the checkin line we got our room keys to a dated but clean room in the Marina Tower. This room was on 4th floor and not remodeled but had a view of the bay. We snap a few pics dropped the laptop bag / coats and hit the casino.

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    We check the diamond lounge line and it was packed! We sit down and play some penny slots. I dump $150 quickly on various slots, but wife gets lucky on a pumkin penny slot (what I call it) and scores a quick hundy on $20. Drink service was quick via Total Touch, so I bump up to $1 slots and manage to win back my $150 plus another $250 on a triple 7 slot.

    We are hungry so we head over to Mccormick and Schmick's and score a high top in the bar area. We have a couple of cocktails, app, and some seafood. I had the Crusted Rainbow Trout and wife had Bronzini. Fish was much better than the local Red Lobster (sorry Beejay) Desert was Creme Brulle. All Drinks, App, Entre, and Desert came out to $150 with tip. Food and service was excellent.

    I was planning on low playing this evening since wife would be at Spa tommorow, and was planning some heavy play tommorow. Tried some quarter VP, but paytables were unplayable. Mostly 6/5 Job and 6/5 DDB. Ran $100 thru VP quickly with nothing higher than a 3 of a kind.

    Hit a .01 Power Spin Golden Apple slot and trigger the bonus on 4th spin at $2 bet. Managed to net $240 win. Wife and I hit the sack around midnight. Net profit for the night $400, including money spent for tips and dinner.
     
    Last edited: Feb 19, 2013
  2. Funkhouser

    Funkhouser In Charge of the Big Door

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    More AC Trip Report and Pics.

    Wake up around 4:30am and head down to the Casino. Saw a surprising number of hookers and undesirables hanging around the casino. Casino security was all over the place walking around. Never saw anything crazy, but witnessed a hooker coming up to a BJ table and give her trick money to a pimp playing single deck BJ with me.

    I started out at a $25 single deck BJ with dealer hits S17 and stands on S18 rules. BJ was bad pay 6/5. Bought in with my $400 profit from last night and quickly lost 8 hands in a row loosing half my buy in. I jumped off the table and moved down to a $15 min 8 deck shoe with full pay BJ. Things got off to a good start, I was in third base position. and started off with a $15 bet and 5 dollar side bet on 3 card hand. First hand comes out KQ off suit and dealer pulls an Ace. Get paid $50 on the straight, take $5 insurance and dealer turns over Jack for BJ.

    I double up the next hand, and pull a blackjack. I manage to win the next 7 hands and pull a three of a kind on the side bet for and extra $200. Next shoe runs hot, and I have doubled up to $800. I deceide to head over to $1 VP JOB. Again the paytables are crap, and I burn thru $200 very quickly. I move over to the bartops at .25 level playing DDB and burn thru another hundy with best hand being a full house.

    At this point I figure out that VP is unplayable this trip, and will regulate my self to slot play and some table games. Good thing too! I head back up to the room and shower. Wife wakes up and we deceide to head to Sammy D's for breakfast. This was the first time dinning at this resto, line was short, and we were seating quickly. I had steak and eggs while wife had bagel and lox. Steak and eggs where cooked perfectly. Service was excellent. The resto sits across from pool area in waterfront tower and reminds me alot of Aria with its dark woods and decor. Plenty of tv's and people watching to keep you entertained. Total with tip came out to $54.

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    We walk around a bit and I drop $50 in a power spins .01 slot before we head up to room.
    Wife showers and I walk her over to the spa, Vday present for the wife was a spa package. I am impressed with how nice this property (Casino and Waterfront Tower) look.

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  3. Funkhouser

    Funkhouser In Charge of the Big Door

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    Presidents Day Weekend in Atlantic City 2/16 -18 - Hitting Roulette and mini slot JP

    After dropping wife off at the spa I head back into the casino for some roulette.
    I buy in for a hundred and play my usual spots. I am spreading $50 across the board, and an outside bet to cover me. Third spin I am out, so I buy in for another $100 and deceide to layout a couple of $25 inside bets. Play 4, 22, 11, and split 14 and 17 Boom!! 17 hits and I collect $450. I leave the bet out there and take Black outside for $50. Boom!! 14 hits for another $450. I color up $850 ahead and deceide to hit the diamond cove HL room.

    I spot a .25 Geshia slot machine and buy in for $100. I am betting $2.25 a spin and around 10th spin I hit this!

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    I get pretty excited thinking that I won a ton of spins, but unfortunately its only 15 spins.
    get a couple more hits, but luckly slip under the hand pay amount.

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    I move over to a $1 progressive slot and order a redbull and vodka via total touch. Unfortunately the cocktail servers either must be confused or were told to let the players wait for drinks. It took 15 minutes till I finally flagged down a cocktail server, and then I sat another 10 waiting for a drink. It wasn't even that busy. After buring thru $150 in the dollar slots. I move over to a quarter 20 line Cleopatra slot and turn $40 into another $300. Finally I gave up on getting a drink and walked out of the HL limit room. I deceide to head back to the room and drop off some of the cash, but not before throwing $20 into a Jade Palace .01 slot and hitting for this 5 minutes later.

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    At this point I am up around $2900 dollars, and have gambling on winnings all morning / early afternoon Wife would be getting out of spa in an hour, so a quick trip to the jewlery store for gift for wife, and up to the room to count out the winnings.

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    I get to the room and deceide I am going to book this as a winning trip. I seal up 2k in a manilla envelope and pack away in my laptop back. I set aside $700 for playing money the rest of the trip. Up next dinner on boardwalk and some Caesars / Ballys play.
     
    Last edited: Feb 19, 2013
  4. Buddha

    Buddha VIP Whale

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    WOW !!! You must have brought along that famous "golden Horseshoe " !!!

    Congrats on those nice hits, and a good decision to squirrel away that 2K ... and also to get the wife a nice trinket. We all know, luck comes, and luck goes away. Ride the wave .....
     
  5. Funkhouser

    Funkhouser In Charge of the Big Door

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    Thanks man! I was really surprised at the run of luck I had over the weekend. I will be anxious to see what offers come after this trip. I managed to add around 4K tier points in two days, sunday I put alot of coin thru and managed to hit close to 2K points.
     
  6. Funkhouser

    Funkhouser In Charge of the Big Door

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    Presidents Day Weekend in Atlantic City 2/16 -18 Continued

    Met up with the wife back at the spa, and we deceided to check out pool area.
    Harrahs AC pool is really a nice set up. When you walk in the door they have an attendant checking room keys and id. Place is a warm 82 degrees and smells of tropical scent and chlorine. Lots of cabanas, palm trees, and chaise lounge chairs. This pool is adults only, no under 21 allowed. Drink service was quick and efficient and we were greeted by a server almost immediately after sitting down.

    Wife and I sat for awhile and had two $25 dollar cocktails (sound familar?!).
    I slip out of my pocket the braclet I picked up at the jewelry store nicely wrapped and discretly slip it to the server asking her to bring it over on drink tray. Mrs Funkhouser was very surprised, and lets just say we headed back to the room where she could thank me properly.

    Around 5pm we changed, cleaned up, and deceided to cab it over to the boardwalk. Cab fare was $14 from Harrahs to Caesars. Threw the driver a $20 and we headed into the casino. Spoted a pelecan pete .02 machine. Stuck in a $20 and on third spin caught the bonus. though we didn't get many wild symbols, I managed to cash out with $122. We walked around a little paying a little here and there on dollar and .50 slots getting some small hits. All and all we ended up winning another $250. Wife and I walked out on the boardwalk and it was freezing 22F with a 15 mph steady wind.

    We snapped a few pictures and quickly headed into pier shops for dinner. We ducked past the time share guys and headed up to third floor where we got a table next to winow in Souzai Sushi and Sake.

    Now I have to say the dinning at Pier shops is pretty awesome, its worth going up to third floor just to see the restaurants. Budakan, The Continental and Phillips Seafood looked awesome. Anway we sat down for Sushi and drinks.

    Wife was drinking patron margaritas while I had a couple of drinks called Red Bloosom which was loaded with Rum and triple sec. We loaded on Sushi and chilled out for a hour or so watching the ocean and boardwalk light up. Very romantic setting. Would definitely do it again. Total check with tip came to $150 with a 30% tip for great service.

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    After dinner security started directing people not dinning towards the door. All the shops closed up at 7pm and I guess they want to make sure to kick all the vagrants and non spenders out. We quickly zip across the boardwalk to Ballys wild west on our way to Ballys. Both properties looked pretty worn, but the wild west theme was pretty cool. We dumped a quick $100 at WWW, and I managed to drop $200 in Ballys on a dollar slot, before I managed a turn around on a penny gold fish slot for $270 getting close to even.

    Ballys has some really cool Boardwalk history and old travel posters. Since I am a huge Boardwalk Empire fan I found this all pretty interesting.

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    We cabbed it back to Harrahs hit Eden lounge for some music and drinks. I walked wife up to room, since I planned on hitting BJ tables for one last run of gambling. Bought in for $500 on $25 min table and managed to play for a couple hours. Had two really good shoes where I doubled up, but gave back half of that 30 mins later. Colored up around 12 midnight up $250 from my buy in.

    Wife and I woke up around 8am and cleaned up since we had to make the bus around 10am. Ate at the deli / desert shop in the morning and played some penny slots. We played some penny slots and I hit on Power Spins Pirate game for $683 getting an awesome bonus round and retriggering 3 times. Cashed out and hurried to make the bus to airport. All and All a really good weekend trip.

    Weekend broke down as follows:

    Airfare and Hotel -$40 Experience fee.
    -$590 - Meals and tips
    - $270 Spa
    - $240 Jewelry store
    + $3100 Gambling profit. (1k bankroll, never dipped into after saturday night and played on winnings all weekend.)

    Net profit of $2550 for a two day trip! and 4k tier credits.

    Final observations,
    - AC is alive and well. Employees I encountered we friendly and eager to help or provide good service, except one cocktail server.
    - Cocktail service and gambling was great. Good odds on tables just no really good VP tables where I gambled.
    - Spa and dining options were great. We chose not to do the buffet.
    - Airport and charter flight was efficient.

    I would highly recommend anyone who gets an AC charter offer to do it. If I get more offers like this, I expect the wife and I to make another trip to boardwalk this year.
     
  7. gongoman

    gongoman MIA

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    Wow sounds like a great Trip

    Thanks for sharing:beer:
     
  8. chess

    chess VIP Whale

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    Funk awesome report....

    I love WWW because of the drinks they are cheap... 2 dollar miller lights, 2 dollar jack and cokes.. you cant beat that...

    When you were playing slots do you do max bet ? Just curious... you racked up some tier credits Congrats
     
  9. Srvanwyk

    Srvanwyk Low-Roller

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    Nice report don't hear much about ac!
     
  10. broncobilly

    broncobilly Low-Roller

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    great report. thanks for sharing and congrats
     
  11. Huddler

    Huddler VIP Whale

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    Sweet! Love to hear about winning trips!! When you heading back to Vegas?
     
  12. KyleB

    KyleB Low-Roller

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    Good wins, sounds like a great trip. How long is the drive from where you are if you didnt get the flight offer?
     
  13. Smo

    Smo Mr. Las Vegas

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    Had I not seen all the pics, I never would have known where you were staying. I don't think you ever mentioned it!

    Anyways, thanks for sharing. I'm supposed to do my 1st AC trip this year, but not really sure if I'm going to or not.
     
  14. Funkhouser

    Funkhouser In Charge of the Big Door

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    Hud, probally in April. Work is pretty busy right now with the Good Humour convention, replacing the freezer in the Funkhouser ice cream truck, and reviewing the summer product selection for those young loney single mothers who like Ice Cream.


    Right now I have two pretty good offers from CET for R and limited FB upfront, and $300 in free play for select dates in April. The other offer is for 200K free play drawing and $300 in free play for April 26th thru 29th. The D also sent me some promo offers for free room and match play. March offers are okay with Nascar tickets or March Madness party.

    Watching airfare rates to see what is available, but all signs are point towards April / May.
     
  15. Funkhouser

    Funkhouser In Charge of the Big Door

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    Way to long, easily 600+ miles or 9 hours.
     
  16. Funkhouser

    Funkhouser In Charge of the Big Door

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    Yes, I try to vary my bets between max and just below max on pennys. Anywhere between 1.60 to 4.00 a pull. If bankroll allows I will move up to higher denoms when gambling by myself. at $1 level I play between 3 and 10 dollars a pull. 1K of tier credits was bonus for hitting 2K on Sundays play. I liked WWW we ere going to have a drink at the mountain bar, but it was pretty full when we arrived.
     
  17. Jerseyguy

    Jerseyguy MIA

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    Great Report,nice win also

    Enjoyed the pic's ,almost like you came into our house and took photos.
    Surprised they didnt put you in one of the newer towers ,being Diamond.
    Glad you enjoyed the Eden Lounge ,if I knew you were coming on Friday I would have told you to definitely check out the band Friday night. Local group from my area,Shorty Long and The Jersey Horns ,hope you caught a little bit of them,anybody named Funk would have to love them.
    Also trip to Caesars and the Pier was great,you really captured the essence of the place.
    You mentioned the Gold fish machines ,I bet it was the ones in a quad type of arraingement near the front of Ballys.
    Report got me so excited we booked Harrahs for 3/7
     
  18. Pattie

    Pattie Low-Roller

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    Thank you for sharing some good information on AC! My daughter & I are heading there this Sunday for her birthday, comped at Harrah's (WaterTower!) and hopefully we will have some good luck as well. It is encouraging to read about good service, nice clean rooms, and good food in AC. And your description of the pool and atrium sounds inviting! We will def plan to soak up some alcohol there!

    Congratulations on a winning trip!
     
  19. Funkhouser

    Funkhouser In Charge of the Big Door

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    Yeah, I had hoped for a better room, or at least not the Harbor tower. The Restos were crazy insane on saturday. What I heard from one of the bartenders is that presidents day weekend is one of their most busy dates. I think the dollar value of the airfare and transportation was such that it is difficult to get a room bump. Diamond players are a dime a dozen in AC (pardon the pun). I noticed if you are not Seven Stars the level of service is not as high as other CET properties.

    Regarding the pictures, I took them with my Samsung Galaxy Nexus phone running Jelly Bean 4.2. Google really update the phone features in this release.
     
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