Spivderman #13 | March 10-13, 2016 | Gold Coast

T-10 Days

My Vegas buddy (SB) and I are exactly ten (10) days away from an early spring trip. Since 10 is my roulette number, this makes a perfect time to get this report going. The countdown days are in single digits now!! SB has accompanied me on Vegas trips 1-6 and 11 and we have had some great times. My last trip (12) was with my brother only and I gave the live trip report a try. I used Tapatalk on my iPhone 5s and it worked well. Uploading pics was easy. It was a little challenging typing accurately, especially as AM became PM but it wasn't too bad. I would like to provide a more complete and comprehensive trip report this time around.

I am spilling into year three as a registered user of this site, although I read it for over a year before I registered. One of the very best features of this site is being able to follow along as others live trip and it's kind of cool to re-read and relive ones own trip so I will take a shot. I like to do a lot of prep work before a trip so over the next several days I will share what I have done and planned and see what you think.

 

Hotel Preview - Gold Coast

T-9 Days

When I was beginning to plan this trip, I deviated from my normal order of planning. Usually, the first thing I book is the flight (ATL to LAS; non-stop) and then the room and then the rental car. For this trip, my CET offer included two free nights and two discounted nights so I made a reservation for four nights at the Rio through the TR web-site and then I booked the flights. A few days later, I checked and my Boyd offers had updated so I called the reservation line and the agent worked with me and my BConnected number and SB's BConnected number. I had two weeknights free and he had two anytime nights free so we ended up with three free nights (Th, F, Sa) and a casino rate for Sunday. I was happy with that so I then cancelled my room at the Rio and then booked the rental car. I really enjoy staying in the Gold Coast, Palms, Rio triangle. Access to downtown and the M Resort is good as is strip access and easy paths to Koval and other side streets. In addition to the fact that Gold Coast is very smokey and you do have to keep your eyes peeled for out-of-control scooters, it has lots of stuff I like including $3 roulette, $5 craps, decent VP, a convenient coffee shop and beverage store, lots of greyhound racing to bet on, and the Rio and Palms within a 5 minute walk. I have not liked the fact that the hotel rooms were without safes but I believe some rooms may have safes installed now so I will report out when I get there.

 

Hotel Pondering

T-8 Days

As a quick aside to this particular trip report (which I fully intend to blast live non-stop once it starts) I am already scheming for my next trip. My second count-down timer references a trip for me and my wife (G). This will be a birthday trip and I have already purchased the flights (8/25-29) with SkyMiles. What I am trying to figure out with any VMB advice is how best to get Wynn to thrown me one of their 3-night teaser offers. I have eaten at the Wynn buffet once on a guy trip (decent but not any better than Bellagio to me) and my wife and I have enjoyed Parasol Down and La Cave on a couples trip and she loved it. I have never gambled there or even gotten a red card. I would really like to be able to stay there for our trip to treat her to the luxury. I recall several other posts on this board where people have received a 3-night offer from Wynn but I am not sure how best to sort of manufacture that -- (a) sign up for a card online; (b) get a red card on this trip and gamble with some high limit slots and hope to score enough coin-in for an offer for August; (c) promise to buy my next car from Packer if he can connect me with his host; etc. I would enjoy hearing from anyone who might have some insight. Tomorrow's installment will be back to regular pre-trip build-up.

 

Transportation in LV

T-7 Days

On all 12 of my prior trips to Vegas, I have had a rental car. I like the flexibility of being able to go anywhere. I enjoy visiting the M Resort and smelling the fig oil aroma they have. I like being able to go downtown for my El Cortez (Who said sweaty Spaniard?) fix. And I like bouncing between the Bellagio and Ellis Island and from my Rio - Gold Coast - Palms triangle to the Red Rock Resort. I feel sure that there will be some trip in the future where I don't have a rental car...but trip 13 ain't it. I have used three different car rental companies in Vegas and I have become a loyal Budget customer. I usually pre-pay which saves many of the up-sell hassles and it is cheaper. For this trip, I have a small SUV for me and SB and the 'all in' price for the entire trip is under $89. With the gas fill-up on the way to the airport upon leaving that will be about $50 each for 3-4 days of transportation to and from all of the places mentioned above and more. Heck, the one time I took a taxi from the M to the Venetian, it was $42. I don't find the shuttle to and from the rental car center to be a hassle. I usually tip the driver a buck if (s)he helps with my bag and it's a 7-8 minute trip. I usually take a small flashlight in my backpack and one use is to fully inspect for dents and scratches before signing the vehicle out.

 

Meal Plans

T-6 Days

What a difference age makes! On my first few trips to LV, I would usually eat a full breakfast, lunch, and dinner every single day of my trip. The breakfast was usually a buffet. (My first trip was in 2005 and I could not get enough of the Bellagio breakfast buffet. I think it has decreased in quality and value since then.) Lunch was usually a medium-sized meal (e.g. Four Kegs). Dinner was often a classic Vegas steak meal (e.g. Golden Steer, Cut, Top of the World, etc.). I can not do all that anymore. I find that my current sweet spot mirrors the regular Disney Dining Plan -- one nice sit-down meal, a quick service meal, and a snack. (Of course, when we do WDW, we usually do Deluxe Dining which, again, is just too much food.) For this trip I have toned down my 'plan every meal' approach and I have only planned some of the meals. Here is an outline by day:

Date -- Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
3/10 -- normal / ATL airport before flight (maybe P.F. Chang like last time) / open
3/11 -- open / rm Seafood (3-course lunch) / open
3/12 -- Baby Stacks / open / Charlie Palmer (Cut of the Week)
3/13 -- open / open / LAS airport

I have not eaten at any of these three restaurants before and I am looking forward to all three. I had reservations at CP on Trip #12 but I was on a Crazy 4 Poker run and "You don't leave the table when you are on a heater!".

I would enjoy any suggestions to fill the open spots if you have them.

 

Gambling Preview Part 1

T-5 Days

My 'gaming' (sounds less degenerate that way) on this trip will resemble prior trips. From most frequent to least, I will play (a) roulette (b) craps (c) video poker (d) Crazy 4 Poker (e) slots and (f) miscellaneous (hopefully to include one cash game of poker). Like Packer, I get really frustrumarated when my 19's and 20's in BJ get beat by 20's and 21's. That is SB's single game of choice so I do root him on but I rarely play. If I do decide to go on a JDVegas run, you will know from the subsequent posts. I think we all know Nate's roulette strategy (17 & 20 complete) and I have my own version based on my number (10) as well. When people play with me and they see me primarily dedicated to one single number they kind of start pulling for that one too -- great camaraderie ensues. Especially when my brother is with me laying heavy on his number (14). There are several VMB'ers in Vegas when I am there and I am up to 'game' with anyone if we can work it out.

 

Have a great trip!

 

Thanks breanna! If you can remember, please move me over to the Trip Reports section on Day T-1.

 

Gambling Preview Part 2

T-4 Days

On most of my trips I have the LVA and the ACG coupons with me. I will use a few MP and FP coupons but I only do that for casinos I am going to visit anyway. There are a number of 'new member' promotion coupons I have not used (e.g. D, DTG, etc.) because I have never played at those casinos. However, on my last trip I did sign up for the new member promotion at the Tropicana which offered a $200 'on us' promotion. I lost the first $100 on ten spins of $5 (x2) WOF and the next $100 much more slowly (~80 minutes) playing 25 cent (x3) WOF. I was able to immediately access the first $100 of freeplay and I spied a $1 DDB machine immediately next to the high limit area where I lost the first c-note. The premium hands were metering upward so I started playing. About 12-15 spins in, I was dealt quad 3's. I missed on the kicker but TITO'd my largest payout to date ($417) surpassing the 1600 quarters I once won on a WOF machine. I played it down to $437 and cashed out. I really hope I am able to play through my second $100 of FP before the Trop fully converts to their new players club. I have read in several places that April 1st is the effective transition date. My plan is to arrive Thursday night, get the rental car, hit a Smith's for some supplies, check in at the Gold Coast, and then go play my second $100 on the exact same machine I played above. You will know if I am successful. In addition, I fully plan to take advantage of the Plaza's current $500 promotion. I do think I had a card from one of their member clubs 2-3 iterations ago but I am hopeful that I am not in their current system. My ultimate plan is to play hard there Friday and go big or come back...for the first $250 either Saturday or Sunday and then redeem the second $250 when my wife and I make our birthday trip in August. Wish me more of these...

 

Good luck!

 

Thanks Tring! I have been dreaming of a dollar royal for the last several weeks so we will see what happens...

 

Media Preview

T-3 Days

There are a number of threads on VMB which discuss Vegas movies and I like many of those that are mentioned there. I especially like The Hangover and Ocean's Eleven. The second version of each movie is my least favorite and the third version is my middle favorite but the original of both tops the list for me. I try to watch one before I leave and load the other onto my iPad for the 4-hour plane ride. I also like to bring along some reading material. Luckily, the newest editions of Cigar Aficionado and the Las Vegas Advisor both arrived within the last 3 mail days so I have both of those to bring and read as well.

 

To-Do List

T-2 Days

For an advance planner like myself, I have a list of some things I know I want to do and a list of some things I hope to be able to do. I have compiled them in a list (where the order matters not) below and, as other VMB'ers have done, will do an accounting during the final write-up.

1) Cash in my second $100 of FP at the Tropicana on Thursday night.
2) Enjoy Whiskey Down for some wet video poker.
3) Meet one other VMB member and say "hello".
4) Participate in the Plaza's $500 loss rebate promotion.
5) Get my first ever handpay.
6) Eat the Charlie Palmer "Cut of the Week" special on Saturday evening.
7) Win my first ever 'banana'.
8) Hit 10 back to back (consecutive spins) in roulette.
9) Play live poker at the Aria.
10) Take a picture at the famous LV sign.

 

Good luck!!!
(P.S. I am aka DirtyShirley )

 

Thanks. Hope to meet you and Mr. Shirley downtown.

 

One more sleep!

 

Best of luck to you on your trip. I stayed at the Gold Coast a couple weeks ago and found the "premier" rooms all have in room safes. The upgrade is about $9 per night, but the host on duty wrote all mine off anyhow. I am more comfortable with a safe in my room, and the safe deposit box routine is a bit outdated.

Go get em tomorrow.

 

Thanks Vette. I'll try for the upgrade upon check-in.

 

Let's Roll

T-1 Day

Say hello to my little friends...

 

Nice group of cigars you got there, I especially like the AB Prensado.

Good luck on the trip! Im really looking forward to following along. [emoji41]