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Dec 21 - 28

Discussion in 'Vegas Trip Reports' started by KingArgyle, Dec 31, 2003.

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  1. KingArgyle

    KingArgyle Tourist

    Joined:
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    My Trip Report

    Work is very busy right now, so I don't have the time to give a full detailed trip report but I will try and do some bullet points that I think would be of interest.

    Gambling budget going out: $500
    Penny Slots and Video Poker: -$175
    Blackjack: +$95
    Total Loss: $80
    Returned with $420
    Trip - 7 days.

    1. For those flying out of Columbus, OH and looking for an alternative to Southwest and America West for direct flights, check out Southeast Airlines. We booked a round trip flight for two people including taxes and fees for a total of $414 ($207 a person). Flight arrives in the Charter terminal at LAS, and getting through security there is no problem (took less than 5 minutes). Only negative I have with them is that both flights were late leaving the gate.

    2. The spread of the virus known as 6/5 Single Deck black continues. Almost every place I went had it. The exception being the Orleans.

    3. Recommended hotels for the price that you pay are Bellagio (if you get it around $150 - $160), Mirage (around $75), and Orleans for $75 on a weekend. All these places were class acts, and worth the money and time spent.

    4. Could only find one place that had $5 blackjack with a shoe that STOOD on all 17s and that was Monte Carlo. Mirage, TI, and Bellagio had these rules also but were always a min of $10 or more.

    5. $5 Double Deck hand delt blackjack can be found anytime at the Orleans! [​IMG]

    6. If you rent a car and you use Thrifty, make sure you join the Blue Chip program. I know some people have had problems with the Las Vegas thrifty but both times I've used them I've had no problems. Car rental was $135 for 7 days. Walked up to the counter, told me to go and pick a car in a certain row, and we were out of there in less than 5 minutes. No problem returning the car either. [​IMG]

    7. American Casino Guide coupons. Buy this book. It's worth the $10 price alone to get the 2 for 1 for the Orleans buffet.

    8. For some excellent food, I highly recommend visiting the Peruvian/Latin restaurant on Maryland Parkway called Inka Si Senor. Excellent food, and at a good price. It is located just north of the Boulevard Mall on Maryland Parkway.

    9. Multistrike Video Poker - Is very hard to find as there aren't very many machines yet. The only places I found it were TI, Mirage, Bellagio, Monte Carlo, MGM, and Orleans. Of these places the only place that even had close to good pay tables was TI. They had 9/5 Jacks or Better, all other places had horrible 6/5 Jacks or Better.

    10. Speaking of Multistrike...it's a good game to play, especially at the Orleans where they pay for money won not money put in, on a double or triple points day. Secrete is to play at least 800 credits at 4 to 20 credits. On a nickle machine you are playing a $1.00 a game at max credits. You can accumlate a lot of slot points quickly on this machine for about a $40 investment. Make sure you follow optium strategy for whatever game you play on Multistrike to make your money last (remember there are different strats for each pay line).

    11. A Nuclear Daqurai from Mermaids, $7.00 tall glass, will get you hammered in less than an hour. [​IMG]

    12. Las Vegas Wranglers should be the envy of any minor league hockey team that plays them. I can only wish the Columbus Chill had as good a place to play when they were here. Highly recommended.

    13. Most annoying thing...slow people that travel in packs so that you can't walk through a casino with out stomping on them. [​IMG]

    14. Oddest thing...seeing Shopping Malls open on X-Mas day.

    15. Machines I didn't find but wanted to: Cash King Checkers. Did not see this game anywhere. :(

    16. The boo award goes to the Orleans for using a pseudo European No-Peek rule when the dealer has a 10 showing. Cost me a couple of bucks.

    17. The Yeah award goes to Monte Carlo for two things...not only do they have low limit Stand on 17, but they also offer Surrender (which can help let your money last longer). Now only if I could have remembered to use it when it was appropriate I would have an extra $15 bucks.

    18. Valley of Fire - Highly recommended and worth the 35 mile drive north of Vegas to see.


    That's about it. This was my third trip, and my wife's second trip. Lots of penny slots were played because it is one thing gambling wise that we can do together (she doesn't enjoy blackjack or video poker). I hope Multistrike spreads more at the better pay tables. Its a great variation of Video Poker and can keep you occupied and earing points for hours at a greater rate of return.

    [ December 31, 2003, 10:59 AM: Message edited by: KingArgyle ]
     
  2. jack_retired

    jack_retired Tourist

    Joined:
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    Trips to Las Vegas:
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    Good Trip Report.

    Thanks for sharing.
     
  3. Bobby

    Bobby MIA

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    WOW Great Trip Report. This should be a outline for all trip reports. I didn't have to read about what time you got up and how long it took to get your first cup of coffee and all the other BLA BLA BLA.....

    JOB WELL DONE
     
  4. HoyaHeel

    HoyaHeel Grammar Police & Admin

    Joined:
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    Please be polite in your comments! Everyone has different styles of trip report writing, and there are readers who enjoy reading all different types of reports--no need to disparage the kind you don't want to read.
     
  5. Bobby

    Bobby MIA

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    I beleive I was polite in my comment. [​IMG]
     
  6. YoungGun

    YoungGun VIP Whale

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    I saw the Cash King Checkers at the Palms. I looked at them for a while and was down for the night thanks to the craps table at the Palms, so I decided not to try. How does one bet on checkers?
     
  7. NEON

    NEON Tourist

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    Good report for a "brief" one!

    I found that Gold Coast too was using the no peak rule as well...
     
  8. KingArgyle

    KingArgyle Tourist

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    Young Gun...the Palms is one of the places I didn't get to this trip. You can play Cash King checkers at www.cashkingcheckers.com. It's by the same group that created Multstrike Poker. Basically, you can bet on 1 - 9 checkers, Bob Dancer has a good article on the game. It like Video Poker can return over 100 percent depending on the pay tables. It does take a bit of thinking at times as sometimes you have multiple choices on jumping, and can short change yourself if you don't make the correct play. You are payed based on the number of checkers you jump. The more you jump the more you win. There is also a Gold checker that takes you to a bonus round. It sounds like a dumb game, but it gets addicting.
     
  9. Falcon_Rob

    Falcon_Rob Flying Winnebago

    Joined:
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    Great report King! Glad to hear you had a good time at the hockey game. Did the Wranglers win? The game that I went to (which was the game right before yours) extended their unbeaten steak at that arena.

    Neon and I noticed that no-peak rule that you spoke of at the Gold Goast, and I noticed it when I played at the Orleans. Is it at ALL Coast properties, or just these two.

    One question I have for you is how does that "no-peak" rule raise the house advantage? It was explained to me that even if you split and double down against the dealer's face card, only your ORIGINAL bet will be taken from you if there is an ace under there! Therefore, I can't think of ANY situation where this rule raises the house advantage! You'll lose your bet no matter what if the dealer has a blackjack, so what difference does it make if they play out the hand or not?

    I've emailed a Gold Coast casino host this question, but haven't heard from them yet.
     
  10. NEON

    NEON Tourist

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    Rob,
    Don't qoute me on this but I think when you get a Black Jack yourself on the deal, you cannot take even money before they flip, so you would lose those winnings.
    That has to be where the house edge comes in. [​IMG]
     
  11. KingArgyle

    KingArgyle Tourist

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    The problem with the Pseudo-European no peek rule is that if the deal has a 10 showing they don't check to see if there is an Ace underneath. So even if you are dealt a blackjack, which you would normally would get paid for right away after they check and didn't have the ace, you have to wait until the hand is complete. Thus you are sitting with 9 - 2, and double down, and draw to a 20, the dealer flips it up and they have black jack, you not only loose your bet but the double down bet. Happened to me 3 times at the Orleans. [​IMG]
    The disadvantage with no peak is that you are betting blindly by not knowing ahead of time if the dealer has the blackjack or not. According to the WizardofOdds.com, the house advantage is the following:

    No-Peek with 10 showing: .10% (for the house)

    The Wranglers came from behind (down 2 - 0 in the first period) to win 5 - 2, so their unbeaten streaked continued. Great time. Definitely if I'm back during hockey season I'll attend another game.
     
  12. Jimbo338

    Jimbo338 VIP Whale

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    Seven days with an $80 loss! I'm proud of you.

    Jimbo
     
  13. KingArgyle

    KingArgyle Tourist

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    Jimbo, my secret was that I really only played BJ at the Orleans or Monte Carlo. The only Video Poker I played was MultiStrike, and that was at Orleans and Treasure Island.
     
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