San Diego via Vegas

Ok, here's the set-up...

So my rugby team Worcester wins 2 huge playoff games and thereby makes it to the final 4 of the national championship in San Diego, and everyone has to be there in 12 days. By the way, I haven't played in over 3 years.. I am simply a fan at this point.

The flights to San Diego from Boston are very expensive on such short notice, and my pregnant wife is not keen on me buying a $500 plane ticket. I have enough miles for a free flight on Northwest... But they won't let me use the miles for any flights near San Diego.

Damm, what's a guy supposed to do? Well as the days dwindled down, everyone was getting really excited about the upcoming National Championship... and I was going insane that I was gonna miss it.

Then my friend Mike Tags (an ex teammate from Worcester ) calls me from Vegas. He moved there last August (see my August 2004 trip report). He says he's driving to San Diego, and to get to Vegas and ride with him. I check with Northwest and they will give me a free trip if I fly out Wednesday night and return Monday afternoon. Hummm, that will mean I spend an extra few nights in Vegas.. in exchange for a free flight.. let me think about it.. ok, Let's do it.

So Sunday night I book the Flight, and Wednesday afternoon I fly to Vegas. I booked 2 nights at the Stardust for $39 total from some post card they sent me. Everything came together nicely.

I landed on time, took the shuttle to the Stardust.. This is not the option to take if you have 3 or more people, it's slow.. fortunately, the driver let me off first. I threw my bags in the room. checked out my view of the strip and headed out on the adventure.

First stop, the Ho for two .99 cent Coors lights. Lovely.. now to the Slots a hell Craps Table.... $40 frugal buy in.. two capn'n and cokes later.. My money is gone. Ok.. let's checkout Wynn Resorts.

Wynn Resorts...

It's nice, And yeah it's good... but from Steve Wynn, the man the myth.. Well, I decided then, that there was no way he could live up to any expectations... I mean the place is great.. but.. let's just say I was under whelmed. There were mostly $15/min tables and up... the waitresses look yummy, the waterfall fountain show is kinda ho-hum. But, the sportsbook sucks. Really just a race book. don't waste your time for a game here.. Bellagio rules in this department. Anyway.. I left, I didn't gamble there, didn't even buy a drink there... I did take a wizz there.. and yes it's a very nice place to take a wizz.

I left and walked to Casino Royal where I battled my way towards a $43 profit and decided to get a few .99 michelobs and keep walking. I had a few drinks and played a little here and there before attempting another $40 at Casino Royal.. (lost easily) and finally went to bed about 4:00am
Thursday morning I wake up.... crawl out of bed.. take a look at my view and realize I am in Vegas baby... Then I realize, in my zest to go out last night.. I never changed out of my work shoes, had stupidly worn them while I walked all over the strip and now had a giant blister on my foot. What a fricken rookie mistake.. damm.. my 28th trip to Vegas, and I get blisters from walking in bad shoes... pure stupidity.... Hopefully, It's not gonna slow me down to much.

I hit all the casinos in that part of the strip and play every advantage play i can. You see, I'm a math guy and on a frugal budget, so.. I play every casino's "matchplay" offer that I can find. This gives me a huge mathmatical advantage over the casino.. but it takes discipline and determination.. fortunately, it can be accomplished while supporting my other favorite past time.... alcoholism.

I start to head south on the strip towards the ESPN zone at NY NY. I had signed up online, and they sent me a free $20 gift certificate.. hey great deal. I figured I would watch game one of the NBA finals and spend my Gift Cert. on dinner. Well, as I am walking gingerly on my blister down the strip. I start talking with a friendly couple at the bus stop.. while we are chatting for a moment, the bus pulls up. Now, I have been to Vegas 28 times.. but I had never ridden the bus. It was going the way I was going.. my blister was killing me.. I got on the Bus. $2 and I was rolling down the strip in a nicely air conditioned bus. Now, I could have stayed on it all the way to NY NY.. but as we got to the stop across the street from Casino Royal, I decided to jump off and throw the dice.

So, I buy in for my usual $40 and start to play. The dice are choppy, but the drink service is quick.. so, I continue to play.. not making much.. not losing much.. then these 3 smoking hot girls show up at the craps table. They buy in at the other end, just as the dice are heading that way. Well, I tell all the fat, drunken losers (including myself) at my end of the table.. "let's bet on these Hot, Hot Shooters".. so, when the first establishes the 10 as the point.. I decide to throw a $5 "hard ten" on her. Sure enough, she hits the hard ten.. nice one.. well, instead of collecting the $35 pay-off.. I tell them to Parlay it.. meaning, I want to add it to my original wager, and now I have a $40 hard ten. Well, to the guys at my end of the table.. I am a huge High Roller with this type of bet. Most of them were loudly cheering for her to hit it for me. Well, she threw and threw and threw... made several more points.. was making me some good cash... but no sign of the ten. Then finally.. BAM... 5, 5 .. she hits the hard ten... as the pitman slid my $280 pay out over .. many high fives were exchanged... Alrighty. this trip is looking up !!

When the last girl finished shooting, I colored up and was $407 to the positive... alrighty.. that's a good return on my $40 investment. I happily headed down the strip to ESPN. I caught part of the game, had a free dinner.. then set off for the Hard Rock to meet up with my buddie Mike. We had a few drinks then went to Mulligan's pub.. the local watering hole for the Vegas rugby team. We had a few more drinks, and eventually he dropped me off back at the Stardust. I bounced around playing craps and drinking until about 5am.

Friday

I woke up about 11.. and my blister/foot was really throbbing.. I checked out of the Stardust and went to the pool. I sat in the pool for awhile drinking frozen margarita's until the pain from my foot had subsided. Then, It was back to the gaming.. unfortunately for me craps is a standing game.. and the damm blister on my foot was crushing me. I eventually decided to play a slot machine just so I could sit down for a few minutes. I tried the "Young Frankenstein" game. It's pretty funny, .. you get some movie quotes depending on what characters come up on your spin. I doubled my $10 investment, had a few drinks and decided to cash out a winner. As a craps player... slot machines are just not that exciting to me.

Mike picked me up after he got out of work, and we went to his house (around 7pm). I was staying the night at Mike's as we were leaving to drive to San Diego at 7am sat morning. I was pretty beat up from partying the first 2 days, so after a quick stop at Sam's Town.. I went to bed early.

The San Diego part..

So, we made the 5 hour drive.. watched the semi final of the division 1 rugby national championship. My old team Worcester was leading 8-0 at the half.. but ended up losing 20-13 to Santa Monica.. a real heart breaker. After the game, there was a guy who was wearing a Hawaiian shirt, shades, and flip flops with a similar build to mine (he dressed and looked just like me). My rugby buddies call me "Slim".. although I am not Slim at all... anyway they dubbed this guy "West Coast Slim" ...Well, I started drinking with my West Coast twin.. and truth be told, he was a funny guy with many similarities to me. We got way too drunk.. had an arm wrestling match on the beer table.. ( I Won.. yeah, East Coast) and had a good beer drinking time... Eventually I made it to the team hotel.

The next day, Worcester crushed Charlotte, N.C. 35-3 to take 3rd in the country.. Santa Monica went on to win the National Championship easily. Ohh well, 3rd is a great accomplishment.. but still, very disappointing.

We drove back to Sin City.. Well, I didn't drive. I drank .. as we came over the hill and saw the city lights.. I decided I needed to spend my last night in Vegas on Freemont Street. I had Mike drop me off at the Lady Luck.. grabbed a room for $25 and went for one more crack at the cash.

I went right to La Bayou. to get on the Grain Train... Although, I didn't need much more.. I couldn't resist.. I threw the bones at the usual haunts.. LV Club, Golden Gate and El Cortez.. but I just couldn't get it going. I finally grabbed some steak and eggs at the Horseshoe about 5am and went to bed.. Hammered and about $150 lighter in the wallet.

Monday

Mike picked me up at 11:00 and we went to the hard rock for a quick lunch... and one last chance at some cash. I cashed out $30 ahead and decided to leave town on a winning note. Got back to Boston around midnight and home exhausted around 1am.

Final summary

I came home with only $200 less than I went with.. including everything I paid for.. that's a pretty good trip.

Going to Vegas alone was interesting, I always wondered what it would be like.. and although it was fun.. I would rather go with my wife or a group of friends.

My friend Mike say he loves living in Vegas and wishes he made the move 10 years ago.

Thanks for reading,

Rugbysteve

 

"I'm a math guy and on a frugal budget" lol
Great Report!