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(LIVE) Slam and I Linq Up | 2/7 – 2/11

Discussion in 'Vegas Trip Reports' started by NPLV, Feb 6, 2018.

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  1. NPLV

    NPLV VIP Whale

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    My Trip Report

    Greetings everyone!

    It is with great pleasure that I bring you my second live trip report to the Promised Land: Las Vegas, Nevada. I will be headed out there tomorrow, arriving at 12:50 PM and staying through late Sunday afternoon. I will be solo for my first 24 hours before being joined by one of my very good friends – we’ll call him Slam – who will be flying in from Minnesota.

    This will be my third Vegas trip in the past few months after a couple-year hiatus. I went in September, back when I had no electricity at home due to Hurricane Irma, and had an absolute blast, so I booked a trip for November which ended up being solo and may have been even better. These last two trips made me realize that now that I am a functioning adult with the ability to go to Vegas regularly, it’s high time I start doing so!

    In that spirit, I quickly booked two more trips, first for June with my friend Rocky who I went with in September. However, that seemed like a mighty long time to wait. Fortunately, my friend Slam mentioned to me that he had a few weeks at the end of January/beginning of February that were less busy than usual. That was very significant news because Slam is a busybody, one might say. He is wise beyond his years and has become prominent in his industry in a relatively short time. He’s always either working or traveling around the country doing speaking engagements. He and I have been friends for almost 20 years, but we haven’t seen each other in a few years despite talking almost everyday, so we have been meaning to do a trip like this for some time. It just so happens that this time of year tends to be an easy period in my job too, so this trip was basically meant to be.

    In terms of logistics, we chose the week after the Super Bowl since we figured it’d be economical and not crowded. I ended up getting comp offers from most CET properties for Wednesday and Thursday, and after considering Linq, Flamingo and Harrah’s, I chose the Linq for the modern rooms and ideal location. The price was very reasonable for Friday and Saturday and the total was under $300 all in for four nights. Slam is not a Total Rewards member but he got a good rate through Expedia. As usual, I am flying Southwest and got Early Bird check-in to guarantee a good seat – did mobile check-in earlier and I’m A44.

    So what’s on the agenda? Gambling-wise, I would consider myself a low-roller but this will be my highest-rolling trip yet. My total “sin bankroll” will be $2,000, which includes up to $500 allocated for the legal marijuana that is so beautifully located in Vegas. Whatever I don’t spend on ganja will be for gambling, with a hard limit of $300 my first day and $400 for each of my three full days in town. Whatever I have left over on my last day, I can have fun with before leaving. I will be playing a lot of Craps and Ultimate Texas Hold’Em. You can also expect moderate amounts of slots, blackjack and college basketball betting. On my first day in town before Slam arrives, I will be participating in my first ever poker tournament and I could see doing more than one if I have a good time. Slam is also a low-roller ($1000 bankroll) and we will be spending a good deal of time Downtown. Slam is a bingo fan and has convinced me to play at least one game, so I’m thinking Plaza’s bingo hall. He also likes Pai Gow Poker so I could see giving that a try. We were initially planning to hit up off-Strip places like Gold Coast, Orleans and Sam’s Town, but I think we’ll be sticking with the Strip and Downtown. It’s just so nice to be able to casino hop.

    Outside of gambling, we will be seeing Absinthe and we will be doing a lot of eating. Let me put it this way: I’m 6’3”, 240 lbs. and Slam makes me look like a bean pole. We like to eat, and you can expect everything from $2.49 hot dogs at Casino Royale to steaks at Old Homestead. We’re also going to be generally exploring a bit since Slam doesn’t get to Vegas as often as I do. We plan to hit the High Roller on Thursday night after Slam gets in. I also will be riding the New York-New York roller coaster at some point – I have done so every trip since I was 8 and I will be keeping that tradition alive. Aside from that, casino hopping is the name of the game. Slam and I definitely won’t be joined at the hip and don’t be surprised if he goes one way and I go another and we meet up for dinner later that day.

    I look forward to having you all along for the ride!
     
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  2. charlestfuller

    charlestfuller Low-Roller

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    Sounds like it will be a good one! Best of luck!
     
  3. Slidey1

    Slidey1 Low-Roller

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    Subscribed! Have you seen Absinthe yet?
     
  4. NPLV

    NPLV VIP Whale

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    Never seen Absinthe, heard it’s great.

    I’ve just returned from an excellent BBQ dinner at one of my favorite joints down here in South Florida. I’ve done most of my packing so not much to do now other than relax and enjoy the calm before the storm.

    I am perhaps unreasonably averse to carrying huge amounts of cash on me, so below is my bankroll to get me started:

    [​IMG]

    I’ll take out more as need be. I know the fees are high, but I figure it’s a great way to keep exact track of my losses....if I lose, that is ;)

    I will be up bright and early tomorrow morning. My mom has volunteered to drive me to the airport which is always a great sendoff. Next time you hear from me will be from the airport before my 10:15 AM flight.
     
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  5. amk121

    amk121 VIP Whale

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    Have fun!
     
  6. hotreds

    hotreds Illegitimi non carborundum!

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    Best of luck and have fun!
     
  7. Kobra2848

    Kobra2848 VIP Whale

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    Have a great trip and I look forward to following along.

    Mark
     
  8. Freezer

    Freezer Tourist

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    Have a blast, I will be following along
     
  9. NPLV

    NPLV VIP Whale

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    [​IMG]

    Good morning friends!

    I was up bright and early (2:45 Vegas time) full of excitement. I had a full, energizing breakfast and my wonderful mom drove me to the airport. I used a mobile boarding pass for the first time via the Southwest app and between that and TSA Pre Check, I got to my gate in no time. My flight looks like it’s been delayed 15 minutes. Hoping we make up that time in the air!
     
  10. NPLV

    NPLV VIP Whale

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    [​IMG]

    So flight was a tiny bit delayed and then the gate got moved. I ended up in a part of the Fort Lauderdale airport I had never seen because it’s brand new. There’s hardly anyone walking around here. I came across this big room with a ton of seating and chargers everywhere so I am sitting here waiting for boarding. I will be catching up on college basketball to make some slightly more informed wagers upon arrival.
     
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  11. QuaDxAceZ

    QuaDxAceZ High-Roller

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    Looking forward to following along with your trip, have fun and win big!
     
  12. Hoofy7

    Hoofy7 VIP Whale

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    Good luck! [emoji256] Can’t wait to read all about the big wins and shenanigans! Lots of photos please! ;) Bingo is fun and you can actually walk away with a lot of money for what you spend to play. I’m calling it now, you are going to be waiting for B-14 and it’s going to come out! I checked my crystal ball and everything. Lol
     
  13. NPLV

    NPLV VIP Whale

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    On the plane! A44 was enough to get me a Row 7 window seat. Now time to enjoy the ride and the building anticipation. Assuming WiFi works, my next update will be from 30,000 ft up.

    [​IMG]
     
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  14. emmas

    emmas VIP Whale

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    Good luck and have fun. I've been in FLL and have never seen that area of the airport. Looks very nice.
     
    I need all the luck I can get!
  15. NPLV

    NPLV VIP Whale

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    Hello from over the Gulf of Mexico!

    My watch has been set to Vegas time and the clock is ticking down to my arrival. The first win of the trip: despite a delay getting out, we are projected to arrive 20 minutes early! That would put me on the ground just after 12:30 PM. I figure now is a good time to discuss the plan for today…

    Upon arrival, I will be heading straight to the Linq. I did the online check-in earlier and it seemed to work smoothly. Ideally my room will be ready for me, considering it shouldn’t be very busy on this fine Wednesday. Provided my room is ready, I will quickly unpack. If it isn’t ready, I’ll leave my bags with the bellhop.

    Item #1 on the agenda is to stop at the Total Rewards desk to verify that I am signed up for the double tier credits promotion they were running this month. I also want to make sure that I am getting points for my stay since I’m doing the self-check-in and I don’t think the kiosk scans my TR card. Once that’s taken care of, I have an even more important task: the purchase of a large quantity of marijuana. I will be headed over to my trusty dispensary The Apothecary Shoppe right in between the Rio and Gold Coast. I have a very good idea of what I am looking for but will ask the budtender if there is anything new they recommend I try.

    Once that’s done, I’ll head back to the hotel to drop the bulk of the weed off, and of course I’ll begin to partake. I’ll then place my college basketball parlay for tonight – still researching and figuring out exactly who I will include. This won’t be a huge amount bet on basketball, at least not compared to when I’m here during college football season, but it will still be fun and maybe I’ll have better luck than I do at football! The final thing I want to take care of is going to the 2-for-1 ticket kiosk and buying Absinthe tickets for me and Slam. I might also need a snack at that point, so maybe In-N-Out or something else right on the Linq Promenade.

    If you can bear with me through all of that, then at that point, we will be ready for the gaming to commence! As I mentioned in my first post, I’ll be participating in my first poker tournament. I got some feedback on the best tournaments for a newbie and Planet Hollywood was one that kept coming up. On my last couple trips, I didn’t get down to that area and I love Paris, PH and Cosmo. So the plan is to make my way down to PH to sign up for the 7 PM tournament. On my way down, I am sure a slot or table may catch my eye. I am not quite sure what my first Vegas bet will be…

    After signing up for the tournament, I’ll cross the bridge to Cosmo. I love the vibe in there and the Chandelier Bar is beautiful. I’ll have a drink or two and enjoy being in Vegas while dabbling in some video poker or slots. Then, around 5, it’ll be time to go back across to Strip House at PH for my official Welcome to Vegas dinner. I think a 12 oz. filet will be just the fuel I need for the tournament. For dessert, I plan to consume a very potent marijuana chocolate bar to get me right in the zone. Assuming I have time before the tournament, I’ll find myself a nice Ultimate Texas Hold’Em or Craps table to play.

    For me, the tournament is the biggest unknown of the entire trip. My poker experience is limited to casual games with the guys. I played live only once and was done in 10 minutes, though that wasn’t a tournament. I do not know what will happen. Chances are I’ll be eliminated pretty quickly. But friends, don’t misunderstand me: I am playing to win. It’s an $80 buy-in with a guaranteed $1500 prize pool with the top three getting paid. I’ll be happy making my buy-in last more than an hour, but a win would be real swell.

    No matter when I finish with the tournament, afterwards is going to be a blast. The plan is to slowly make my way back up the Strip towards Linq. I’ve heard that Cromwell has some excellent gaming, and I’ve had a great time there in the past, so I can definitely see spending some quality time at the Craps table there. But who knows….I’ll be stopping in a bunch of places and at that point I will be in Vegas mode and whatever seems fun to me will be what I do. If I somehow end up winning money in the poker tournament, then the night could really get wild.

    The live map shows us nearing New Orleans. We’ll be over land again soon. Three and a half hours till Sin City!
     
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  16. ju5tagt

    ju5tagt Low-Roller

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    Good luck to you and here's hoping you win BIG!!!
     
  17. NPLV

    NPLV VIP Whale

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    On the ground 20 minutes early despite leaving 20 minutes late. Hopefully a sign of luck to come!

    As those of you on the East Coast know, there’s nothing quite like the final descent into Vegas. Farmland turns into desert which turns into mountains and finally, towards the West, an oasis emerges...

    Viva Las Vegas!

    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
     
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  18. NPLV

    NPLV VIP Whale

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    Quick ride to the Linq where express check-in was a breeze. Room is as modern and convenient as I remember from a couple years ago. Just straightening some things out then getting a move on!

    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
     
  19. 5betlight

    5betlight Low-Roller

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    land the 9th at harrahs let me know what games your in, maybe we can play some cards or a tournment
     
  20. tringlomane

    tringlomane STP Addicted Beer Snob

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    On the strip, it will be cheaper at Casino Royale. Hopefully you won't need it. Good luck!
     
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