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Quickie report from Mem Day wkend

Discussion in 'Vegas Trip Reports' started by jefferson66, Jun 6, 2005.

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  1. jefferson66

    jefferson66 Tourist

    Joined:
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    Location:
    Phoenix, AZ
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    7

    My Trip Report

    We drove up from Phoenix, the drive is so easy. It took us 4.5 hours, but felt like less. It's really a beautiful drive, through the Joshua Tree forest (feels like you're on another planet for 10 minutes), then through Laughlin across the river. We bypass the Hoover Dam (don't need the traffic or the aggravation) and made good time w/o going mach 2.

    We stayed at the Aladdin, mostly because when we got married in LV in Sept. 2003, it's where we and all our guests stayed. Our wedding was at Silverstone Golf Club, and they did an amazing job. Pics from it are on our website wedding page at www.clayhawk.com/wedding.htm. Pics start on http://www.clayhawk.com/wedpics_1.htm. Anyway....

    We got there, showered and dressed quickly and headed to RumJungle at Mandalay for dinner. (had our rehearsal dinner there) Man, if you're hungry, the Fire Pit is it. People just keep bringing meat to your table. (Did I just say that out loud???) The food is amazing, as is the drink selection. We stopped next door at Red Square for some drinking.(such cool decor in there, and a bar made of ice) Gave us a good start, then it was back to the Aladdin for gambling.

    We're really not big gambler types, but we hit the poker machines and the slots, and proceeded to win big....then lose big. Couple hundred gone. Poof.

    The next morning, it was off to our favorite meal spot, the diner at Ellis Island on Koval. Gigantic delicious breakfast for a few bucks. Gambled there, old school style, for a bit, came out just a few bucks down, no biggie. We just love the old-school crowd there.

    Went back to the Aladdin and hung out and drank by the pool. They have dual pools, there, and a good crowd. After cleaning up and a quick nap, we tried the sushi place at Caesar's, and I have to say, it might have been the best sushi we've ever had. I highly recommend it. Not crazy expensive, either, and a fun crowd at the sushi bar.

    We did a little strip-walking (sounds like a fun game, but no, we just walked and people-watched down the strip) and ended up back at the Aladin for some more gambling. Now, I love to watch poker on tv, but haven't played in years. So I sat down at a table with basically no clue what I was doing. It was a 3-6, which I found out means your bets have to be in quantities of 3 until fourth street, then in quantities of 6.

    I did really well right off the bat, winning a couple big hands. My hands were literally shaking as I piled up my chips. I kept doing well for the next 4 hours, and was up $280. Since we had won back all we lost and more, the wife was pretty happy. But, after waaaay too many vodka/red bulls, the time (4:45 a.m.) and alcohol (too many to count) had a big stake in me losing the last two hands big. But, we still walked up over $100, so I still had a small smirk on my face. At least I know where to go next time - straight to the poker tables. If I ever did 4-5 hours at slots or BJ, I'd be panhandling the next morning.

    It was a quick weekend, drove back to Phoenix Sunday after the Aladdin brunch (now over $30!! - still great, but not worth the price anymore), and got to relax all day monday. Now just gotta pick a weekend to come back.
     
  2. Coaster Kikky

    Coaster Kikky Tourist

    Joined:
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    Great trip and great report!

    One thing to keep in mind - if you plan on playing poker you can often book a room for a reduced rate. Aladdin has a poker room rate, as do Mandalay Bay, Mirage, Wynn and Golden Nugget, among others. Most require a certain amount of play a day (4 to 6 hours usually) but it seems from your report like you might be able to do that without problem... poker is VERY addictive!

    For our next trip to Vegas, we're booked at the poker room rate of $129 weekends, $99 weekdays. Not exactly cheap, but much less expensive than paying rack rate or hoping for a discount or comp!
     
  3. jefferson66

    jefferson66 Tourist

    Joined:
    May 19, 2005
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    Location:
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    Trips to Las Vegas:
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    Wish I knew that...

    ...I woulda played more!!! Thanks for the tip, I'll definitely look into that for the next trip. When you're only a short book-on-tape-drive away, it makes it easy...

    Thanks.!
     
  4. krisoxbro

    krisoxbro Tourist

    Joined:
    Sep 29, 2003
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    Location:
    pittsburgh,pa
    Sounds like you had a good time!! My boyfriend is looking to try poker this time around too. I plan on hitting the spa at the Golden Nugget while he plays.
     
  5. LV Terry

    LV Terry Captain Flop'N Fold

    Joined:
    Sep 30, 2001
    Messages:
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    Location:
    Santa Barbara, CA, USA
    You have discovered the secret....poker is Easily the best gambling deal in Vegas...you can actively gamble for half a day or night on $100. Plus you get to handle chips, chat with other people at the table.... all good. I would enourage everyone to try it out. It's only intimidating for the first few minutes... you'll be glad you did.

    p.s. I love that shakey hand feeling when trying to stack chips!!
     
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