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April 27-May 2

Discussion in 'Vegas Trip Reports' started by Darreningreenwood, May 8, 2014.

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  1. Darreningreenwood

    Darreningreenwood Low-Roller

    Joined:
    Jun 13, 2013
    Messages:
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    Location:
    Indiana
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    28

    My Trip Report

    Well, after spending the past year busting my butt going back to school, I finally got a chance to head back to the town I love. Here's the story of my first trip in almost a year; this is definitely going into multiple posts. I'll give details, plus a bit of a summary at the bottom of each post if needed.

    Background: As I mentioned above, I spent the past year back in school, and hadn't gotten to make a trip in a long time. I usually try to spend a night or two downtown, with another couple days on the strip. For this trip, I was arriving on Sunday the 27 for a night at the Plaza, 3 nights at the Quad (for a VP tournament), and a night at MGM Grand (My Vegas). It's a little more moving than I liked, but it is what it is. And since I would have six total days in Vegas, I made sure to budget my money according to only $X a day (this is important later). So let's get going with this story...

    Sunday: Sunday involved a direct flight from IND to LAS on Southwest. Movie of the flight was "Now You See Me" (two thumbs up), and drink of the flight was scotch. Nothing major about the flight, other than the pilot decided to take his own sweet time in getting there. One of the longer non-stop flights I've taken.

    Got my bags just after 4pm, so I missed the WAX; a shuttle to the Plaza it is! Unfortunately, this was one of the longest shuttle trips ever; with stops at Harrah's, Venetian, Encore, Riviera, Strat, and Golden Nugget, it took over an hour to get to the Plaza. I understand that you give up some time and convenience to save money with a shuttle, but that was a bit ridiculous.

    I have a goal of staying at every major hotel on the strip/downtown, and that is one reason I chose to pay for a night at the Plaza. That and I was hoping if I spend some money and did a bit of gambling, I can get some offers for future stays. The room was in the north tower, third floor. So no view, though if I looked over the electrical boxes on the roof outside my window, I could see the top of the dome over Oscar's. The room was nice though; good shape, comfy bed, no smells. It's the little things like that which are important.

    OK, time to get moving: went to the Golden Gate to get my $15 food and beverage for April, and treated myself to a shrimp cocktail and chicken pot pie. Good as ever. Played a bit of BJ at the Plaza, lost $100 kinda quick, so I decided I needed a Black Chip Porter to make myself feel better. $100 in a 9/6 JoB machine got me 4 of my favorite beers, though at $25/beer they were a bit expensive. Since I was on a budget, and didn't want to violate any of my self imposed rules, it was back to my room at the Plaza to stream Game of Thones over the WiFi my resort fee bought me. Not a bad episode, though not the most memorable, either....

    After a TV break, back down to the Plaza for more gambling. Since I've already gone through two quick losses, it was just $5 BJ for me. Made it last for about 3 hours, and had a good time drinking and BSing with a couple people at the table. Even got a couple shots of Patron out of it. Alas, my money finally disappeared at 1am, and I decided to hit the sack, since it was 4am to my body. I learned a while ago that trying to stay awake on the excitement of being in Vegas for the first night is no match for my bad attitude when I've gone without sleep.

    OK, that's enough for now. A few quick observations and I'm done:

    *Plaza is pretty nice; a bit more people in the casino than I expected, which was cool. Rooms complement the casino, which is nice, clean, convenient...and not much else. I still think the Plaza could be something nice if done right.

    *I'm about done with shuttles, especially to downtown. It's either cab or bus.

    *If you haven't had the chicken pot pie at Dupars, you're missing out.

    *Barely came in under budget for gambling. Not a good start, as my last trip I hardly ever won and had to find things to do to distract myself. But there are many days left.
     
  2. The Furry One

    The Furry One Low-Roller

    Joined:
    Jun 30, 2011
    Messages:
    236
    Location:
    Ireland
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    11
    Thanks for the TR. Wishing you better luck in gambling on the remaining days, not nice when you don't feel the love on day #1 of a trip.

    We gave up on shuttles fairly quickly after sitting on one for a full half hour before the driver deemed it was full enough to warrant starting the journey. Nowadays we stay off-Strip which means a cab anyway.

    Furry
     
  3. TheCanoe

    TheCanoe Low-Roller

    Joined:
    Apr 2, 2013
    Messages:
    256
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    5
    Hope you did a lot better in the next days, but congrats on not going over budget. Sounds like it wasn't you night and still held it together.

    Most of my first nights I lose my budget for 3 nights
     
  4. tringlomane

    tringlomane STP Addicted Beer Snob

    Joined:
    Jan 21, 2013
    Messages:
    31,301
    Location:
    Chicagoland
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    28
    I think I usually do below average on day 1 of a Vegas trip as well. Not sure why except worse luck.

    Hope to hear better days ahead! :)
     
  5. casinokid68

    casinokid68 Caesars Diamond Member

    Joined:
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    brooklyn, ny
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    great trip report

    Thanks for sharing your trip with us. I am sure it will turn around for you. I also lose more on the first night I am in Vegas probably because I am so excited to finally be there, that I go overboard a little. Then when I get back to my room and count my money I realize that I better slow it down. :nono:
     
  6. Darreningreenwood

    Darreningreenwood Low-Roller

    Joined:
    Jun 13, 2013
    Messages:
    338
    Location:
    Indiana
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    28
    Monday

    Thank you, jet lag, for waking me up at 6:30am after a night of Patron shots with my friends at the blackjack table.

    Monday was moving, day, but I had a little bit of work to do downtown, first. It started with a trip to the craps table, as I still had a little bit of my Sunday money left over. A couple of quick rolls, though, put an end to that. After heading back upstairs for a shower and to pack, I left my bags with the Plaza bell desk, and headed down to the D. I had a mailer that had two $5 match plays. After going to the desk for a new card (where I learned I had $10 F&B, and about $8 in comps), it was off to the roulette. My first match play was black; and was a winner. Second match play was odd, which I also won. My first win of the trip!

    Down to the Downtown Grand to sign up and see if just a little bit of play would return some offers. I noticed on the walk there that they have removed a lot of the old neon signs that were on the 3rd street walkway off Fremont. I was a bit disappointed as I always enjoyed that, especially at night. Hopefully they will show up elsewhere soon. The DT Grand wasn't bad; like the Plaza, I thought the casino was nice, in good shape, but not very busy. My free play ($3) for signing up went nowhere, so it was some $5 blackjack. I left there up $50 (second win!) and decided I was hungry. Used my F&B back at the D; a stack of pancakes that I didn't finish, along with some bacon, used up the credit plus some of my comps. So far, two meals and $0 spent.

    It was about 1 in the afternoon, so it was time to head to the Quad to check in. Cab from the Plaza took me there, and I didn't even have to tell him to avoid the interstate. It's the little things like that which make my day. At the Quad, I had three free nights with an entry into a VP tournament down at Planet Hollywood. I decided prior to my trip that since this vacation was celebrating my MBA, I would upgrade to the suite I was offered via email. Alas, I was a bit early, so while I got checked in, my room wasn't ready. No problem, I had to check into the VP tournament anyway, and get some MyVegas monorail passes.

    I am a big monorail fan, so I used some MyVegas points for a 2 day BOGO, with the intent of using one for two days, then the other the next two days. Worked like a charm.

    As I said, the VP tournament was at Planet Hollywood; unfortunately the monorail pass doesn't really help hear. You can ride it down to Bally's, but then you still have a long walk to PH. Or you can just take a long walk down the Strip. I ended up doing the former, which was fine by me.

    Got to the PH about half an hour before registration started at 3, so I decided to play a little VP to kill the time. $20 in an 8/5 JoB machine it was. Hit a four of a kind, which helped my credits. Just after that, a guy sat down next to me and started playing DDB. I knew the tournament was going to be DDB, and this guy looked like he knew what he was doing...so I switched over as well. Not ten hands in and I was dealt quad 3's, but failed to get the kicker. Cashed out after turning my $20 into $150 and went to registration.

    Registration was fine; they asked when you wanted your first session the next morning to be, and I naively choose 10am (the earliest). There was also a $25 gaming credit for signing up, and they offered it in either slot play, or table play. I again naively choose table play, and they printed a $25 voucher (this comes up tomorrow).

    Back to the Quad, where I learned my suite was ready. Now, I had never stayed at the IP/Quad before, and I knew it's reputation, but I wanted to say that I stayed (and survived) there. Well, my room was in tower 3, 2nd floor. Second floor? Really? Needless to say, the reputation of the Quad/IP was accurate. As I walked down the hallway to my room, the dirty floors, torn walpaper, and nasty smell made me very leary. But I had gotten a suite partly for the reason I hoped it would make up for it. Getting into the suite, I was at first impressed; I big sitting area with couches and chairs, and the bedroom area was huge.

    It may be the IP in all but name, but if you have a gigantic love tub and mirrors on the ceiling, you know you've made it in life.

    So I'm settled in, and here's one of the highlights of my trip: I learned a week before leaving for Vegas that my sister, who lives in L.A. and I've only seen twice in 14 years would be at Mandalay Bay Sunday thru Wednesday of the week of my vacation. She's not big on Vegas; only been there a few times for work, and never did much. I offered to take her to LOVE over at Mirage, and got the tickets using the 50% off offer someone posted on this board.

    I had her meet me at KGB's at Harrah's for dinner. She ordered the fried pickes as an app, since she can't find them in L.A. When they brought them, they were actually dill spears dipped and fried, not fried pickle chips. They were still damn good though.

    Then we walked over to the Mirage. This was my second time seeing the show, and it was as good as I remembered. She's a huge music fan, so I knew she would like the music. Wasn't sure about the other stuff. But she had no fears of clowns (thought he "Blackbird" portion creeped her out a little), and she loved the show. So much that she decided she is bringing her husband to Vegas just for that.

    After the show, we went over to the Quad casino for some drinks. I pointed her to the main bar to have a seat, but she didn't think they'd let her sit down since she wasn't playing. Considering there weren't many people there, she had nothing to worry about. Plus I put $20 in her machine, and taught her to play JoB for one credit, and that she could drink all she wanted. We had a great time catching up, and the bartender was wonderful (don't remember his name, but he rocked. Black guy, shaved head, keeps a zippo in his belt buckle). We would order beers when needed, and every half hour or so a random drink would appear in front of us. Good times.

    As it was Monday night, the monorail stopped running early, along with the trams on the west side of the strip. She didn't want to walk back alone (don't blame her), so I walked with her. She kept saying "oh, there's Mandalay Bay, it's not far" and I just had to laugh. Been there, done that. Anyway, eventually got her down to Excalibur, where she was cool walking by herself as it was all inside from there (via Luxor). Me, I grabbed a cab from MGM and turned in for the night.

    So for the day, with my little wins downtown, and my nice win at PH, my money was actually looking pretty good. Other than food, cab, some tips at the Quad bar, I was pretty much even for the day; looks like I had some carry over for the rest of my trip!

    Quick observations:

    *Still love downtown, I wish I could have spent a bit longer there Plaza was nice, but kind of dead. Downtown Grand looks like a nice casino, but I doubt they'll send me any offers.

    *I may like what they've done at the Quad for the casino, but damn...I really hope they do a good job on those rooms this summer.

    *Mirrors on the ceiling...interesting. I will neither confirm nor deny that there are pictures.

    *Fried dill pickle spears a KGBs: better than you'd think.

    *LOVE is a great show. I know some people aren't that into it, but I could still just sit back with my eyes closed and enjoy the music.
     
  7. Darreningreenwood

    Darreningreenwood Low-Roller

    Joined:
    Jun 13, 2013
    Messages:
    338
    Location:
    Indiana
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    28
    Tuesday

    Remember from my last post how I naively signed up for the 10am session in the VP poker tournament? Yeah, not the smartest thing I've ever done. I don't like having to set my alarm clock when on vacation, and that's pretty much what I had to do every day, whether it was for VP or checking out.

    Anyway, the VP tournament was nothing major. I have pretty good JoB skills, and I am able to understand the variations to that strategy when playing DDB. Plus I understood the need to try and swing for the fences in a tournament by going for royals and quads. But my first session saw neither of those, though I was able to score 730; not bad, but wouldn't wouldn't get me in the money, either.

    After the tournament, I took a slow stroll back to the Quad to regroup for the afternoon. Gave the Cromwell a good walk through. I definitely like the casino; by extending the casino all the way to the back of the building, they've definitely given it a much larger feel, but it still felt cozy. I like the bar/lounge on the north side of the floor as well. It definitely looks like a nice place to sit and relax with friends with a few overpriced drinks. I also saw the fabled 3:2 blackjack tables. One was open, but at a $15 minimum. But it was there, said it on the felt and everything.

    Got back to the Quad and decided it was time to use the $25 voucher from the VP tournament. Good on even money only bets, I took it to roulette. It was there I learned I had to play the voucher whole; no splitting it up. Makes sense, but still a bit of a disappointment. I set the voucher on the bottom half bet, and held my breath...winner! Sweet. So I got a green chip, and kept the voucher. Moved it to odd....winner! Another green chip, and this time a move to black...winner! Up $75, and still going....but even did not win. But I turned $25 of free play into $75. I'll take that.

    Now on to the craps table, buying in for just $100. As soon as I got there, I was joined by a family on vacation; Mom, Dad, Uncle, and two sons, one of which just turned 21. As we were placing our initial bets, Dad, Uncle, and one son placed $5 fire bets, while the other son placed $1. I looked and though "I know it's a sucker bet, but what's $5? I'm doing alright...". Alas, I did not place the bet. I then watched (and won some money) as Dad hit 5 numbers before rolling a seven. I saw three payouts of $1250 and one of $250. Whoops. So when the next roller was up (Birthday Son), I couldn't drop $5 on my fire bet fast enough. Watched him roll 4 numbers in a row. So I at least got $125 out of that one! Played some more, and stopped when I was up my firebet winnings. That plus roulette put me up $200 for the day.

    A quick bite to eat at the Mexican place in Bally's and it was back to Planet Hollywood for my 2pm VP session. Again, no royals or quads, and I only scored a 680. Damn. I'll need a good run the next day to get in the money.

    As I was leaving the tournament, I got a text from my sister: Her and a coworker were skipping the last part of their conference and going to the Titanic exhibit at Luxor at 4pm; would I like to join? Uh, yeah! Lost at quick $100 at three card at PH, then I started walking to Luxor.

    Met her right at 4, and bought our tickets. I'm a history buff, so I definitely enjoyed the exhibit. Though it seems like most of the "artifacts" on display were dinner plates and other food dishes. I also held my tongue and did not make any (ok, only a few) Leonardo DiCaprio jokes (they both could have fit on that door, damn it!). Good exhibit; maybe not full price worthy, but nice if you can find a deal and enjoy things like that.

    Had a drink with sister and her coworker, and arranged to meet later for another evening of drinks (sister only). Back to the Quad for a nap and shower, and a quick bite at Chipotle (I usually hate eating at places in Vegas that I can eat at while at home, but I was hungry and didn't have much time).

    I had arranged to meet my sister at the Tropicana, as I did not want a repeat of the previous nights long walk. Sat at the lounge bar playing VP as we did the night before at the Quad. Had a good time catching up, though the bartender was not as friendly, and the casino very dead. We ended up moving to the bar by the sports book for our last couple of drinks.

    My sister had an early day, so she called it a night by about 12. I monorailed it back to the Quad; I don't think I did anything else, and just called it a night. It had been a long, long day.

    To sum up:

    *VP tournament was interesting. They are only 10 minute sessions, but considering that amount of time to travel, check in, etc...you're looking at over an hour of vacation per session. Not bad, but a little inconvenient.

    *Titanic exhibit was cool, especially for a history buff like me. From a museum/display perspective, they did a pretty good job with some of the room designs and signage (yes, I'm a dork that way).

    *Gambling was good to me again; with my couple of wins offsetting expenses, I was again about even for the day. My bank roll was looking pretty good. I may not have to go on a very strict budget for my remaining trip.

    *I like the casino at the Trop, but it was pretty dead. The bartender on Tuesday wasn't that great, though. But I would be back later in the week to sign up for a card and take advantage of the new member promotion, and hopefully get some future offers.
     
  8. queentata

    queentata VIP Whale

    Joined:
    Sep 20, 2005
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    1,012
    Location:
    Crosby, TX
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    More please.:) Hope you continue to win.
     
  9. Darreningreenwood

    Darreningreenwood Low-Roller

    Joined:
    Jun 13, 2013
    Messages:
    338
    Location:
    Indiana
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    28
    OK, let's try to knock this one out. A slightly abbreviated version:

    Wednesday

    Another morning of setting my alarm clock to make the 10am VP tournament at PH. My first two sessions were nothing to write home about; I needed to swing for the fences on this last session if I wanted to place. Unfortunately, three aces (twice) and four to a royal (twice) don't pay that well. Third session was my worst, somewhere around 580.

    Instead of going back to the hotel right away, I wandered south, stopping at the tourist shop just north of Fatburger, and Walgreens, where I got a flask, the most expensive suntan lotion ever, and the second most expensive chapstick ever. Then down to Excaliber to get the MyVegas $50 off a bill of $100 at the Camelot Steakhouse put on my MLife card.

    Back to the Quad where I was planning on enjoying some much needed pool time. I tried to grab a quick bite to eat at the Harrah's cafe, but a server not appearing at my table caused me to get up and head to Toby Keith's. Sat at the bar, and played a little VP while waiting and eating. Managed to turn my $20 into $60 with a four of a kind and a couple full houses, so my meal was paid for, along with my suntan lotion and chapstick.

    Went over to the pool at Bally's since the Quad's under construction. Nice pool, nothing too exciting for a Wednesday. A bucket of beer and my headphones were a great way to spend three hours. After a year of school, and running around Vegas for the VP tournament and other errands, it was nice to do absolutely...nothing.

    Wednesday evening was a very slow night; did some wandering and sipping of beer here and there, just enjoying being in town. Bellagio fountains, Mirage volcano...all helped to add to my day of relaxation.

    Finished the night playing some $5 BJ at the Quad. When I first sat down, I just floated a bit, while another guy at the table was taking things a bit too seriously. The table finally got on a nice run; about that time, a young lady appeared at the table and wanted to sit down. The way to serious guy asked her to wait, and she did for a few hands. Started playing, and it turns out she was there with friends for a 30th birthday and had just come from Britney Spears. Anyway, after Mr. Serious left, we all started having a fun time; one of the young lady's friends sat down to play too, while her friends just hung out. Had a good time talking and sharing some Vegas knowlegde, and I managed to leave there up $200.

    It was 2ish, so I just took a bit of a walk around the mid strip area one last time. It's always amusing to see the different people out and about: the drunk batchlorette parties, drunk frat guys yelling, the prostitutes trying to reel guys in...ah, Vegas.

    *Like the Bally's pool; nice and laid back, seemed liked there were plenty of chairs. I will keep that place in mind for my next trip when I'm planning on some pool time.

    *According to the friends I made at the BJ table, Britney is an OK show, but not worth the $150 they paid.

    *With my couple of wins, I wasn't doing too bad money wise. Down maybe 1/5th of my total roll for the trip, and I had completed 4 of my 6 days in town. Definitely a good feeling I hadn't had in quite a few trips.
     
  10. Darreningreenwood

    Darreningreenwood Low-Roller

    Joined:
    Jun 13, 2013
    Messages:
    338
    Location:
    Indiana
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    28
    Thursday

    Thursday was checkout day at the Quad, so once again I was setting my alarm. I really don't like having to set my alarm on vacation. Left my bags with the bell desk and went to grab the SDX to downtown. Since it was May 1, I had another $15 F&B credit at Golden Gate I needed to use. Played some BJ first, and managed to win $150. Rewarded myself with a shrimp cocktail and some pancakes. Went over the Grand to try and get some more play in, too. Ended up losing $100.

    Unfortunately, I was feeling a bit sluggish and started to make my way back to the Quad so I could check in at MGM for my last night. Took the SDX to the Sahara/SLS stop, and monorailed it back to the Quad. Love the SDX; unfortunately the stops on the strip are not convenient for the Quad/Harrah's area. But the monorail combined with the bus is a good combination.

    Monorail to the MGM to check in. It seemed a bit busy, but I didn't think much of it. Got a west wing king room. I was a little surprised that the west wing was so...tight, but knowing the history of the place it made sense. The room itself was pretty nice, but once again I was relegated to a low floor (3rd). So for my 5 nights in Vegas, not one good view from my room. But otherwise, I liked the room. First time at the MGM, and I was very happy with it.

    I had decided for this trip I would try to do a bit of gambling at the Tropicana, in hopes of getting some offers down the road. Plus I wanted to take advantage of the new member promo of a rebate of losing your first $200. Went to the Trop and signed up, and found a VP machine that I could lose my money in. And since I was planning on losing, why not play a bit higher than used to? So it was 50 cent DDB for me. Well, to make a long story short, I went through about half my money, when the four of a kinds started rolling in. No aces, twos, threes, or fours, but still about five 4OAK's in about 5 minutes. Guess that means I won't be getting a rebate. Turned my $200 into $500.

    Stopped by the BJ table to play a little bit. A $10 table, I won another hundred pretty quick. Over to craps; didn't pay attention, and it turns out it was a $10 table, but decided to play anyway. Had a really good run, and cashed out another $100 profit. So in one hour of play at the Trop, I was up $500; I was just a few dollars short of even for the trip! Time to celebrate!

    Over to the Excalibur steakhouse. Not only did I have the $50 credit, but I was doing pretty good on cash, too. It's very nice to be able to sit down at a restaurant and not have to worry about the prices on the menu. A glass of Macallan 18 year old scotch and a half dozen oysters led to a filet mignon, sauteed mushrooms, grilled shrimp, and a second glass of scotch. I sat at the bar, and Wayne the bartender was great; any man who can notice a scotch bottle out of place on his shelves is OK in my book!

    Went back to the Trop to try and figure out what to do next. Sat at the bar in the lounge poking at some VP and sipping a drink, just enjoying myself. Started conversing with a neighbor lady at the bar and had some fun just chatting for a few hours while playing VP. Ended up losing a bit at VP, but had a good time, including a late night snack at Wolfgang Puck's over at MGM. I had a few drinks, so things got a little fuzy....

    *It was nice to get back downtown, though if you're there during the day without a room, it can get pretty old pretty quick. But constantly moving around was a theme of this trip, unfortunately.

    *Tropicana was very good to me, I think that was one of the better hours I've had in a casino.

    *Excalibur's steakhouse is great. It's most definitely the best steak dinner I've had in Vegas so far. And I'm not just saying that because of the discount and winning.

    *And no, the lady at the bar in Tropicana did not like me for my bankroll; she was a tourist as well!
     
    Last edited: May 13, 2014
  11. Darreningreenwood

    Darreningreenwood Low-Roller

    Joined:
    Jun 13, 2013
    Messages:
    338
    Location:
    Indiana
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    28
    Friday

    Last day; my flight isn't until 6pm; even though it means I don't get back to Indiana until very late I like having a full day to do whatever I want in Vegas. I figure no matter what, I'm going to sleep when I get home, so why not get all I can out of Vegas?

    By this time on Friday, MGM is a madhouse. I didn't know there was a fight the next night, and the fight crowd was definitely pouring in. After barely checking out in time, I left my bags at the bell desk (a 15 minute wait!). Played some $15 BJ and lost a hundred at MGM; played some VP and lost $100; played some $25 BJ and lost $100. Looks like my lucky streak had finally ended.

    Walked back to the Tropicana. I had to continue my goal of gambling and getting some play with them. Played a bit of $10 blackjack, lost $100. Walked around, checked out the pool area. Grabbed a slice of pizza (I was not impressed with food options). VP won me another $100.

    OK, so I had about 2 hours to go until my flight. I had all that money I was intending to lose, and decided I needed to put it to work. $25 BJ it is (Hey, I'm usually $5 or $10 BJ; $25 is big for me!). Well, I managed to float for a while, having a relaxing time at a not very busy but nice casino. Then something happened.

    Now, when I play BJ, no matter what the denomination, I always do the same thing. If I get a BJ, win a double down, or win both hands on a split, I will put another chip on my bet. On a $5 or $10 table, I'll add another red chip. If I get a BJ/Double/Split with that higher bet, I'll add another chip. Well, this was a $25 table. Get any of those winners, and it's another green chip....

    After couple good hands, I found myself with four greens in the circle; the dealer had a 7, and I was dealt two 8's. Gotta split them! First 8, I get a 2...double down! And then I got a 4 to make 14. Shit! Second 8, dealer gives me a 3...double down again! I get a 2 for 13. Double shit! Dealer turns over a 5 for 12...and then a 4 for 16...and then an 8...bust! $400 winner, right there. I know some people here think that's nothing, but that is honestly the biggest hand of BJ I've ever played. Felt kinda nice. And of course, my next bet I added another quarter, and won. :)

    All told, I bought in for $200, cashed out $1350 as I headed towards the airport; I was officially up for my trip!

    Fought my way through the crowd at MGM to get my bags; the bellhop who brought my bags saw me waiting with a tip in my hand, and offered to get me a cab without having to wait in line. It's amazing what having a tip out and ready will get you. Walked past Shaq as I went to the cab, too.

    I couldn't resist playing a bit at the airport, so that plus tips plus the cab took my winnings; I ended up flying home with exactly the amount I took with me. Definitely a first for me.

    To Sum Up

    *I don't mind changing hotels, but 3 hotels in 5 nights is a bit much, especially since I only spent one night in two of them.

    *Quad cannot update their rooms fast enough. Even getting a suite didn't make up for things.

    *MGM has the most comfortable bed I have ever slept in.

    *Downtown Grand has a nice casino; games weren't expensive, but the VP isn't anything to write home about. If they send me an offer, I'd stay there instead of the GG and maybe instead of the Plaza.

    *After losing at everything I tried on my first night, I probably had one of my best extended gambling runs ever. I didn't win all the time, but I left a table a winner more than I left a loser. That last session at the Trop was the icing on the cake.

    *I did not get to gamble as much as I wanted, especially when my bank roll was healthier than I had budgeted. Maybe that's for the best, though.

    *I liked the Tropicana; I hope they send me some offers, but I doubt it. I didn't play there for long, and when I did, I mostly won.

    *MGM was very nice, but it was a madhouse on the Friday before a fight. I didn't even get to play Lion's Share; there was always a line.

    *The steakhouse at Excalibur is very nice; even though I really don't like the Excalibur, I'd go back for a meal there in a heartbeat.

    *LOVE was very good as well; I'd definitely go again with someone who hasn't seen it before.

    *We'll see when my next trip is; I usually go late every July, but I may have to go out west for work in August, which could mess things up.

    Hope you enjoyed my rambling; I tried to list a few moments of fun in a general recounting of my days. Hopefully I helped get you through some long afternoons at work!
     
  12. firstkill

    firstkill High-Roller

    Joined:
    Mar 22, 2013
    Messages:
    805
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    30
    nice hit on the split with doubles. that rush is the slippery slope of upping your play/buy ins.

    may the cards always be in your favor!

    fk
     
  13. The Furry One

    The Furry One Low-Roller

    Joined:
    Jun 30, 2011
    Messages:
    236
    Location:
    Ireland
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    11
    Thanks for the TR and grats on the turnaround in gambling, going home even is definately a win in my book.

    Furry
     
  14. Sam in Ut

    Sam in Ut High-Roller

    Joined:
    Jun 18, 2003
    Messages:
    932
    Location:
    SLC, Ut
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    45
    Congrats on the big bj win! Always love to hear people's new gambling experiences and yours was written well.... Felt like it was me that won the $1300! Thanks for sharing.
     
  15. Suekel

    Suekel VIP Whale

    Joined:
    Mar 11, 2010
    Messages:
    1,986
    Location:
    SW Florida
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    25
    Great TR, I really enjoyed reading it. You've given me a couple ideas on things to try that I might not have otherwise (Titanic exhibit and the MyVegas Reward for Excalibur steakhouse). Congratulations on the great gambling luck, especially that BJ hand!!!
     
  16. unomas

    unomas High-Roller

    Joined:
    Sep 17, 2009
    Messages:
    800
    Location:
    South Jersey
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    12
    Great report!!!!

    "After couple good hands, I found myself with four greens in the circle; the dealer had a 7, and I was dealt two 8's. Gotta split them! First 8, I get a 2...double down! And then I got a 4 to make 14. Shit! Second 8, dealer gives me a 3...double down again! I get a 2 for 13. Double shit! Dealer turns over a 5 for 12...and then a 4 for 16...and then an 8...bust! $400 winner, right there. I know some people here think that's nothing, but that is honestly the biggest hand of BJ I've ever played. Felt kinda nice. And of course, my next bet I added another quarter, and won. "

    I know that feeling, well not with that much $$ but just to have to split, double down, have shit cards and still pull it off! well done!!!! :beer:
     
  17. Rookies11

    Rookies11 High-Roller

    Joined:
    Oct 23, 2011
    Messages:
    778
    Location:
    Canada
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    12
    First 8, I get a 2...double down! And then I got a 4 to make 14. Shit! Second 8, dealer gives me a 3...double down again! I get a 2 for 13.Dealer turns over a 5 for 12...and then a 4 for 16...and then an 8...bust! $400 winner, right there.

    As a BJ player, I've developed a line for that situation (which happens often):

    "ANYONE can win with 21. It takes a real man to win on 12!":beer::thumbsup:

    Use it. People love it!
     
  18. wellmel

    wellmel Low-Roller

    Joined:
    Mar 18, 2014
    Messages:
    356
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    17
    Awesome, detailed report! Thanks for sharing!
     
  19. breanna61

    breanna61 Super Moderator

    Joined:
    Aug 6, 2008
    Messages:
    17,816
    Location:
    Ontario, Canada
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    130
    Congrats on a successful trip. I was in Vegas Apr 29 to May 6th....too bad you missed our meet on the 30th at the Cosmopolitan. A few of the board members who came to the meet were in the tournament at PHo too. I spent 3 of my 7 nights at Trop....we may have been in the Trop Lounge playing VP at the same time Thursday. Trop sends out continuous offers; I always seem to have one so hope you start getting them. I have a pool villa with terrace booked for July. Looking forward to staying in one. My host gave me a tour when I was there two weeks ago and it seemed like a great spot poolside to host my hubby's birthday party in July. I enjoyed your TR....great BJ session at Trop!
     
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