7/24-7/26/2017 Getting ready for a NGO Comp trip - Aria for two nights

Many people (including myself) post TRs that feature gambling and drinking.

This trip is on a myVegas comp, which I consider an NGO (No Gambling Obligation) comp. Since I am a CET player, comp offers from mLife aren't really that important, just level. I am Gold through 9/31/2018, so level is already set.

Leaving Monday evening after work, and returning Wednesday afternoon.

I took a two night comp at Aria ($88.00 resort fees)

I will be attending a GGWU event the following week, so this trip will focus on "stress relief", and gathering "seed" funds for next weeks trip.

I will be using "stored" comps" for most of my purchases.

So, as I've posted elsewhere on the board, my focus will be on things other than gambling, including:

1)Cashing in Sportsbook tickets from the Warrior's win in the NBA finals
2)Turning in several $300 Silver Strikes and $10 strikes at Mirage
3)An obligatory trip to Jinju Chocolates to wish one of her workers a Happy 21st birthday
4)Pinball Hall of Fame
5)Two comp breakfasts/lunches (myVegas comps)
6)Casino visits/chip collection to many non strip properties that I haven't visited before
7)Pick up a "free" 6 pack of iced tea at Eastside Cannery
8)A trip to Laughlin
9)A trip to the pool tournament at the Rio
10)Play "Spot the Hooker" at many of the strip casinos
11)Take a picture of the Aria Cafe menu
12)One of the Ziplines (probably downtown at night)
13)Take home dinner from Andiamo's at the D

I think that should keep me busy for most of the two days. My gambling budget is set very low (<$300).

It'll see be a good test to see how well I do. . . .

 

Good luck DaiLun!

 

Good luck on the trip. Good tip on the myVegas room, that its NGO.

 

OK, it is NGO, but with caveats. The stay does count against your mLife play. I will have two no play/low play days against my mLife account, substantially dropping my ADT, but since:

1)I don't "care" about getting any backend comps this trip (or ever), and
2)As previously stated, I have Gold until September 2018, so self and valet parking is free

I really don't care since this is a trip for "fun".

 

Have fun DaiLun and just enjoy your NGO holiday. If you do happen to win some money - well that's just all good.

 

OK, so my trip started out uneventfully.

Made it to the airport, and the flight ran a little late.

Arrived and the airport seemed "dead", I guess at 8PM it's like that. Got my rental car and on my way to Westgate to cash in my sportsbook tickets from the GS Warriors winning the NBA Championships. +$320 and haven't played any yet. . . . .

Oh, and the rental car was "only" $12.80+$19.95 AMEX LDW. I used points because Enterprise was $100 a day.

Decided to go to dinner, and wanted "cheap" Chinese food. Drove up Spring Mountain, intending to eat at Hong Kong Seafood BBQ. Both this restaurant and Ding's Garden are at 3407/3407 S. Jones St. off of Spring Mountain.

, but it was so crowded, they told me to "come back later". I decided to go next door to "Ding's Garden". They serve Shanghaiese food.

A little history

https://vegas.eater.com/2017/6/8/15760462/dings-garden-expands-from-california-to-chinatown




I had beef pan fried noodles



Very good and "cheap". Well, cheaper than the strip. $12.70 with tea.

Decided to set up my rendezvous for tomorrow night. "J" (as she will be known) tried to push me in to meeting up tonight, but I was too tired and also wanted to stop by the Mirage to turn in sone Silver Strikes.

Stopped by the Mirage and went in to cash in my $300 strike and 12 $10 strikes. Cha-ching!!! Another $420 and still no play.

Drove up the strip to Aria and now the crowds were out, but eventually made it to Aria. Oh the temptation. There are new Wonder 4 machines that were begging me to "try them". But, I resisted.

Checked in and took pictures of the room. 34th floor King room.





The safe

A little larger than 12" x 12" x 4.5" deep



Bathrooms are a comfortable size





"J" called me to confirm the room number. She has a very cute voice.

Wrote this TR and gonna hit the sack. A full day tomorrow . . .

 

Day 2

Got up at 6AM.

Went down to the QQQQ to turn in five $300 strikes. Went over to the craps table to attemt to "purchase" some $1 chips and the pit boss said "We don't sell chips. We're in the gambling business." It was slightly after that I made the decision to "collect" chips if I was going to have to go through that everytime.

Went to Golden Nugget, and down to the Golden Gate to take pictures of the construction. They're making headway quite fast and GG is expanding into the space down to La Bayou.




Went to the D to use my free play. Well, I won't feel bacd about redeeming my $50 food voucher, because they got their money's worth. Was down about $900 when I hit this:

Got a bonus with 25 spins and wilds in the first two reels. Ended up making back most of what I was down.



Immediately cashed out and left, plus or minus $50.

Returned to the QQQQ, and they had red/blue caps in the machines, Now as I've told you, I won't play unless there are reds/blues in the machines, so I sat down and on the third pull I got a clear cap to add to my 2018 collection.

Got my parking validated and got in the car to go to Jinju Chocolates. My friend apparently forgot to tell me that they had changed the opening hours and they don't open until 10AM. It was 9AM. Well, I decided to go over to Esastside Cannery to pick up my 6 pack of Iced tea. Play went pretty well, hit some bonuses, and won back what I had lost the last time I was there ($300).



Went to Jinju, and my friend was not her usual cheerful self. I didn't press the issue or dig deeper into her problem, because I'm old enough to be her Grandfather. So, I made my purchases, gave her the iced tea and her birthday present (you only turn 21 once, you know), and left for Luxor for brunch.

Now, as I've said all along, the buffet at the Luxor is "life sustaining". Nothing particularly bad, but likewise, nothing particularly good, hence, no pictures with the exception of the dessert plate that I had selected



Left to right,

Lemon Pannacotta, Tiramisu, and Red Velvet Cake with White Chocolate.

Stayed at Luxor and played, dropped back the $300 that I had won at EC, and went back to the hotel to check in for my return flight the next day and take a nap.

Checked in for my SWA flight. A47. Saved another $15.

Wasn't ready to sleep, so I went downstairs. Played and lost another $300, decided to quit and go back to the room for a nap.

Woke up at about 6PM and decided to go to Pearl ocean at Lucky Dragon for dinner. I was scouting this out as a possible dinner destination for my cousin and me during the August 7* Signature event.

1)It's almost "Strip Prices" for Chinese food
2)The ingredients almost justify the prices.
3)It's not a restaurant for "singles".






They have fish tanks, like a lot of upscale Chinese restaurants.



I ended up ordering the Seafood Pan Fried Noodles. I had a $10 food comp, but they charge for tea.



The food was good, but I doubt whether I'd pay full fare. Their Specialty is (apparently) abalone.

Lost another $300 at Lucky Dragon, and decided to return to wait for my "guest", and that's all I'm gonna write about that.

So, I'm down about $1000, more than I had targeted, but, oh well.

Stick a fork in me, I'm done.

 

Nice hit on the Bier Haus.......I really enjoy that game, but it does seem to be very volatile.

 

What a jerk! Just to spite him, I'd have bought in for $10, asked for one $5 and five $1s, and bet $5 on the field.

If I lost, I'd walk away saying "thanks for the chips".

If I won, I'd walk away saying "thanks for the winnings AND the chips!"

Don't know what he was trying to prove, but there's no need to put up with that kind of negativity.

 

Yay , another nice TR

 

UHHHH I completely get it, I'd be furious if someone came to a craps table to interrupt things to "buy" a $1 chip, especially if it was a heater someone was on. It's just proper edicate

 

That's a different situation. Obviously you would wait for the appropriate time. But based on OP's description of the pit boss's response, that's what he would have said no matter when he asked.

 

Post removed, wrong post quoted.

 

I have been gambling for over 40 years. I KNOW the etiquette and would NEVER buy $1 chips on a live table.

It was 6:30AM in downtown Las Vegas and the table was completely empty except for the dealers.

 

Nice trip report. A vegas trip without the gambling pressures can sometimes be better that a High Roller trip.

 

Great report, DaiLun! Thank you for sharing it!

Interesting to see prices ending in $0.88 instead of $0.99.
Is eight a luckier number than nine?

RICHARD

 

In Chinese culture yes. Many things incorporating 8 in Vegas to cater to those clients.

 

Thank you!
I learned something today!

RICHARD

 

Day 3

Got up at 6AM.

Went down to the host desk to see if my play warranted any "discount" on my resort fees. The duty host said that I could use "express Comps" to pay for them (which meant that my play wasn't sufficient to get them off".

Well, it was either that, or the remaining $200 in mLife gift cards that I had, but I'm saving them for another dinner at Emeril's or Craftsteak, so I used my EC to offset my losses (a little).

On my way out of Aria, I took a picture of the menu from the Aria Cafe and a picture of the Polar Bear Sculptures.






Also a picture of a statue in the North entrance. I haven't Googled it to get the backstory, I have just found it fascinating.


Decided to go to Lucky Dragon to get a bite of breakfast to "take the edge off" before 10AM Aria buffet brunch.

On of my goals on this trip was finding the "back way" to downtown from the Aria and Cosmopolitan. Las Vegas Blvd. can ber a nightmare at times, and it's often good to know the "back ways".

For instance, on the way back from the north part of town, if you're on Dean Martin Dr., when you get to Jerry Lewis (the key to remember is Martin and Lewis), you make a right on Jerry Lewis to get to Aldabaren, which leads you to Harmon. If you stay on Dean Martin, you will end up at Tropicana.

Had "duck" rice porridge (jook) and 3 duck "bao" (duck buns)




Note. It is more economical to order the plain jook rather than add duck, because for the extra $2.00, you get a few duck "scraps". Just flavoring is what it is.

For an extra $6, if you order the duck Bao, you can put one of the duck bao contents into your jook and get "real" flavoring.

Just another "cheap chinaman" food trick from Dai Lun.

Decided to drive for a couple of hours and visit some casinos that I had never visited before.

I went to

Jerry's Nugget,



I didn't see the Prime Rib special on their menu.

http://www.jerrysnugget.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/1-9-17-jfcs-web-menu.pdf

But they are proud of their Prime Rib.



Still, it's way out in North Las Vegas and unless you have a car and are brave enough to drive out there, it's really a small "locals" casino.

The second place that I went to was Arizona Charlie's (Decatur). Another "local" casino, but it had a hotel attached.






Drove back to the Aria to finish this trip report.

Have a nice brunch at the buffet, then off to the airport.

Another trip in the books, another 3 trips to go in the next 6 weeks. Next week, back in Las Vegas to Harrahs for another GGWU bonus event.

 

"Because Eight (Ba in Chinese) has the similar pronunciation with ? (Fa, meaning wealth or fortune), this number is very welcome among Chinese people. The popularity of 8 was obvious in relation to the Beijing Olympic Games which commenced at exactly eight o’clock eight minutes on the eighth day of the eighth month in 2008. When people choose telephone numbers, mobile numbers, house numbers, car identification numbers and important dates, 8 is usually the first choice."