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Riviera - March 30th, 2013 dog show and lots of slots.

Discussion in 'Vegas Trip Reports' started by acoluzzi, Apr 7, 2013.

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  1. acoluzzi

    acoluzzi Low-Roller

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    My Trip Report

    Wife and I bought a new car and being the nice friend I am I decided to sell my old car to my buddy in Vegas. Naturally I needed to drive it there and fly back, and of course stay the night.

    Set out from SF Bay Area 7:30 AM Saturday morning. I was horrified quickly when I watched a stray dog run into traffic and get killed instantly. This was in Gilroy. Made it down I-5 cut over to 99 then the 58 over the mountains. Hit Barstow after a 5.5 hour drive. Finally on 15 I took a picture of that last downhill portion where you can see Primm in the distance.

    My friend was getting antsy and starts calling as he knows I'm close. I decide to F with him and stop at Primm for some gaming. Walk in and sit down at a Let It Ride table. I love this game but it's brutal. I made a whole 40 dollars as I was playing the 3 card bonus which is usually the only thing that pays for me.

    I went to a Wizard Of Oz slot playing max bet and went through 100 without a bonus. Put in another 100 and got a bonus which gave me 150 or so, lots of wilds and some witch doing something or other. May have been some monkeys flying around as well. I kept playing and played down to zero. Put a ton of points on the card.

    Next went to 3 Card Poker and make about 50. It was like 10 hands in a row that I won every single one until the dealer beat everyone with a straight flush so I said bye. Tried to go cash my 150 (buy in plus profit) in chips at the one cage and the line was across the casino. I turned around and went back to play.

    I've never ever thrown craps and spotted an empty table and said now's my chance. Put up a pass line bet and 5 on each of the 2,3,11 and 12, is that called horn? First roll a 5. I put up odds. Then rolled a hard 10. I then rolled an 8. I then rolled a 7 and thus ended my craps career. I did tip the dealers for putting up with me.

    I had two reds left so went to roulette. Put them on my sons birthday 10 and 19. Wheel goes around pops into a slot then pops right out to the number next to it, 10!!! Get my 175 tip the dealer the original 5 and head to the cage as I'm now even for my stop at Primm. Line is even longer then before at least 30 people waiting. I go back to roulette and ask the pit boss if there's anything he can do. He says "you have a plane to catch right?" I said of course. He walked me over to the cage cutting the entire line and says this gentleman has a plane to catch please help him. Lady cashes me out I tip her and the pit boss and say see you next time. Get back in the car for my final drive to Vegas. My buddy has called 13 times during my stop at Primm he's getting drunk and pissed.

    Summary: roulette is a fantastic game when you win :peace:

    Next portion: drunk buddy, sell the car, Riviera overrun by doggies.
     

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  2. acoluzzi

    acoluzzi Low-Roller

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    Damnit how do I delete a post.
     
  3. Tammy58

    Tammy58 Frugal Slot Jockey

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    Can't wait for the next installment, enjoying this :)
     
  4. acoluzzi

    acoluzzi Low-Roller

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    Sorry about the sideways picture it's right side up on my computer, grr.
    Another installment coming up.
     
  5. LV_Bound

    LV_Bound VIP Whale

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    I stopped play Let It Ride as this game was fun but a complete drain on my funds. Never able to come away with a win.

    Waiting for part 2 from your Vegas experience. :beer:
     
  6. acoluzzi

    acoluzzi Low-Roller

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    Anyways it's around 5pm when I pull up to the palatial trailer park where my buddy lives with his aging mother. It's actually her place and my pal sleeps on the couch since the government cut off his social security after he "forgot" to correctly report how much money he made working side jobs. He's not very bright. He's fuming mad that I'm late so I almost just kept driving.

    We head off to the Riviera, stopping at a bank along the way so that I may deposit the money he's paid me for the car. I keep 500 for myself bringing my bankroll total to 1400.

    Self park at the Riviera and head to invited guest check in. They've actually removed the invited guest check in line but after asking I'm allowed to cut in front and check in. I see a pattern developing here. I spend $80 to upgrade my comped room to a one bedroom suite with two queen beds, a wet bar, and a balcony that I love so much. We get 2519 on the north side of the Monte Carlo tower facing the unfinished Fountainblue and an excellent view of Circus Circus. Once again I forgot to take pictures inside the room but believe me it's nothing like the pictures on the website. Think stuck in 1975.
     

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  7. acoluzzi

    acoluzzi Low-Roller

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    I don't understand why in the God damned hell my pictures are sideways. Of course I work in audio, not video so that may explain it.

    Having stowed our non existent gear and had a couple toasts, I mean tokes, I mean toasts, on our balcony, we head down to play. I've been bored to death with video poker lately and want to play some slots. I start playing some old style reel slots, Top Dollar, some WOF and whatnot, not hitting shit so I'm down a quick couple hundred. I love the Riviera because the Queen Vic Pub there serves Blackthorn Cider, i.e. God's drink of choice. Wouldn't you know it they're completely out and the guys gives me some Irish cider that tastes like chilled piss, not that I spend a lot of time drinking chilled piss. I buy my buddy a drink, double vodka cranberry that and my chilled piss $21, ouch.

    We decide it's time to head over to Circus Circus and drink up an appetite for the Steak House. We go directly to the bank of Aces and Eights where I hit my one and only royal flush two years ago. I know I said was bored with VP but this bank of games has sentimental value. Plus Aces + Eights pays double your bet on two pair, seems to make your money last longer. I played for about an hour amassing many points but not hitting anything interesting, just breaking even on my twenty. Drink service was so poor I had to send my buddy to drag the waitress over and take our order.

    Bored once again with VP we walk and I spy a Michael Jackson slot machine. I can't say enough great things about this game. Although it costs a shitload, 3.20 max bet, there is surround sound built into your chair and the bonuses are a blast if you hit the Beat It or Smooth Criminal Bonus. Basically plays the videos to those songs with Michael dancing around kicking WILDS all over the place. Played this game for the first time in California two months ago and left up $250 after hitting one Beat It bonus. http://youtu.be/kkOgX1SkW2Q if you're interested in seeing what it's about.

    Anyways I start playing and start hitting bonuses. There is a little old black lady sitting at another bank of slots who gets up and starts dancing away every time a bonus with music hits. My now drunk buddy was egging her on and after a little while there's a small group of people watching me play and having a dance a thon when the bonus hits. The machine is in a main walk way so there's no missing it. Plus I start hooting and hollering for wilds when Michael shows up so I'm sure I was causing a scene.

    I must have played the game for a good hour and hit a dozen bonuses, over half of those being Beat It or Smooth Criminal, so it was quite a party. Even the cocktail waitresses started noticing us so before long I had a Budweiser in each hand. I decided to cash out finally up a solid 500. Cashed my ticket in the machine and gave my buddy 50 and we headed to the Steak House.
     
  8. acoluzzi

    acoluzzi Low-Roller

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    Got seated in the Steak House it was pretty busy as it was Saturday night at 9:30 or so. No drinks for us we brought ours, double fisted, from the casino floor. We each had a Caesar salad, mine with anchovies, filet mignon medium which still looked rare to me, baked potato, and green beans. Nice break basket to start with. Just like the last time we at this place five years ago we got halfway through our meal and were done. Took the rest to go and a slice of cheesecake. Should have just split damn steak and saved some cash. Bill was 125 for the two meals, desert, and salads. Tipped well for allowing gentlemen like us into a fancy place.

    Back to the Riviera to stow our leftovers in the fridge in our suite and downstairs for more slots. Saturday night being in full effect the pole dancer was out at the Riv's stripper pit or whatever they call it. Being happily married I didn't pay too much attention but my buddy was slobbering all over himself.

    Speaking of slobbering I forgot to mention there was a dog show at the Riviera on this day. When we'd arrived earlier we noticed one of their parking lots was full of RV's which had dog cages out in front of them. The convention center was teaming with dogs and people were walking dogs all over the damn place, through the casino, you name it. After seeing the poor dog horribly killed just that morning it was nice to see so many canines in the prime of their lives and groomed to the hilt. SO many beautiful animals everywhere. Show was free for all so we walked through both Saturday and for a few minutes Sunday morning. I have two chihuahuas and am a huge dog lover.
     

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  9. acoluzzi

    acoluzzi Low-Roller

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    OK so it's Saturday night I'm playing slots again at Riviera playing all sorts of games and hitting at pretty much everything. I did some Top Dollar and hit bonuses almost immediately. Dollar level but was only offered 40 dollars a few times. I remember playing the Mummy which is an awesome video slot. I hit a bunch of bonuses on that, one of them being where you shoot the heads off the skeletons to reveal how many steps you take on a path to the progressive. I shot enough heads to get the grand progressive which was only 97 dollars but was 3 steps away from the super duper progressive which was at 2 grand, would have been nice. Only games I did not hit at were Sex In The City, that game sucked, and Hangover, also suckage. What's with 4 tiny screens on one panel?

    At one point I walked over to a Michael Jackson which they've got stuck way in the back of the casino. Put twenty in, first spin nothing, second spin, BONUS. I asked the lady in the machine next to me to do the swipe to spin the wheel, hoping to land on the Beat It or Smooth Criminal bonus. It lands on 4000 pennies, OK, then a fucking 5X multiplier wheel comes out of nowhere and bumps me to 20,000 pennies. Fuck yes I'm out of here. I gave the lady a 10 dollar bill and said thank you for your time. She was stoked, I was stoked, I cashed that ticket out pronto!

    Now I'm having all this fun hitting all these bonuses but what I've been failing to mention is I'd be taking slot breaks and going to the tables. Roulette, Let It Ride, Three Card Poker, and giving back all my slot winnings. But I'm continually even for the night. I don't remember what the last thing I played was but I think I did another Michael Jackson session and we went up to pass out around 2 am.
     
  10. acoluzzi

    acoluzzi Low-Roller

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    Shit I forgot about the Peppermill. At some point we went over there to the Fireside Lounge. Parked ourselves at the bar and played some video poker. I have a credit card charge of 32 dollars from that experience but also know I hit a Wild Royal and cashed out up 40 so we left. Picture of their fireplace area and the drink she made me below. That's a Whiskey Sour, I asked for a strong one and she made it in a margarita glass, looked more like a punch bowl to me.
     

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  11. acoluzzi

    acoluzzi Low-Roller

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    We go back to the suite at 2 am and attack our leftovers. I took my leftover steak, potato, and cheese cake to the room, leaving my buddy on the couch watching TV. Yeah I'd gotten him a bed and he slept on the couch like he's used to in the living room. I think I passed out mid cheese cake and woke up 3 hours later with the biggest kink in my back ever. I knew I was in trouble. Tried to doze for another two hours, my wife and 2.5 year old son called me on Facetime to say good morning. I felt anything but good, although seeing my son's little face put me in great spirits.

    Checked my wallet I had 350 or so and then remembered I'd put 1000 in the safe so I'm only down 50 for an entire night of gaming. Got a shower and washed down 4 Vicodin with Gatorade and started to feel human again. That was the hardest, shittiest bed ever. What a joke. The following week it took me two trips to the chiropractor to get my neck back into alignment.

    One last trip the Michael Jackson slot machine and hit a mother of a Smooth Criminal bonus for a cool 170 profit. Picture below.

    Took a last ride in my car to the airport where my buddy dropped me off. I started playing more VP and WOF, totally missing the boarding call for my flight so I wound up sitting in a dreaded middle seat.

    When I landed in San Jose I checked the wallet and came home with $46 dollars more than I took. Nevermind the money spent on dinner, hotel, Peppermill, and at least a half dozen chilled piss ciders.

    Looking forward to going back this summer but I need to find a more comfortable bed this time.....

    Thanks for reading!
     

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  12. gerry53

    gerry53 VIP Whale

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    that was a great read,

    thanks
     
  13. sabrina

    sabrina Low roller

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    thats a lotta fun in a short time, thanks for sharing!
     
    Seinfield
  14. Outsider

    Outsider Tourist

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    Nice report acoluzzi. Fun to hear something about the Riv. That was the first place ever to give me comp rooms and such about 30 years ago. I like how you included your old friend, despite the disparity between where two are now. Sounds like you could use a little craps coaching, but you did well on the machines. Sweet.
    Outsider
     
  15. breanna61

    breanna61 Super Moderator

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    Sounds like you had a lot of fun. I really enjoy the Michael Jackson machine too and have had some good bonuses. I used to try to make it to the Riv at least once every trip, but I've missed it on my last few outings.....it was pretty dead there on my last visit. Is it picking up any? Any of the newer machines there?:eek:
     
  16. split10's?

    split10's? Low-Roller

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    great TR thanks! smart move having leftover steak for munchies!
     
  17. acoluzzi

    acoluzzi Low-Roller

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    As it was a Saturday night it was pretty hopping. The strippers really pack them in. Seem to be the same slot machines you find elsewhere, but I'm no slot expert and don't play that many, so YMMV.

    Circus Circus was also packed, with kids, and their idiot parents pushing their tiny ones around in strollers through casinos billowing with cigarette smoke. It depresses the ever loving shit out of me to see a mom and two little kids sitting on the side of the casino floor, waiting for deadbeat dad who is obviously off blowing mortgage payment and juniors college fund at the poker slots. I really wanted to shoot myself when I saw that.
     
  18. acoluzzi

    acoluzzi Low-Roller

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    Ha ha ha ha I love your avatar. R.I.P. Rodney.
     
  19. dawnnut1

    dawnnut1 Tourist

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    Nice report!
     
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