Mike
Tourist
Since many of you do not frequent the "other" board, here's my trip report from last month.
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“Crapsfest 2006â€
It has been 7 months since my last Vegas trip, which is my biggest drought in years. This was due to the combination of the divorce issues, my sports, bankroll, and general lack of interest in Vegas. Anyhow, all divorce matters have been settled, the first half of my baseball season just ended so I didn’t have to miss any games (except for softball, which is no big deal), the in-laws were in town, and my tax return was huge. Talk about an opportune time for a mind-clearing trip and to take care of a minor case of the jones…
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jones (jOnz) n, vt. A habit of an activity, a craving or urge to perform an act often to the point of excess. An addiction, esp. to drugs, sports, gambling, and other enjoyable actions. Borrowed from the cartoon “Fat-Albert†and the drug-ladened 60’s and early 70’s.
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In a nutshell, I stayed (for free) at Sam’s Town, Luxor, Fiesta Henderson, and Paris, I gambled a lot, hit a royal, had a great time at Crapsfest, went to a meet at Barbary Coast, and came home on the good side.
WEDNESDAY July 5, 2006 (Day 1)
I wanted to head out of town by 4am to beat the traffic. Overslept and ended up heading out at 7am. Even with a little bit of traffic, the trip still took around 4 hours. First stop was South Coast to use their 4OAK buffet coupon. Good thing because I had to go really bad and SC was the first casino in town! I can’t remember what I played, but I did get my 4OAK and buffet voucher rather quickly and played it down to tip money (+2).
SOUTH COAST GARDEN BUFFET (Standard weekday lunch):
Standard prices are $6.45 for breakfast, $7.45 for lunch, and $12.95 for non-specialty dinner (-2).
This is my first time at this buffet. It’s very comparable to the other Coast buffets. In other words, it’s slightly above average and a very good value if you’re a paying customer.
(10/10 is perfecto, 7 = good, 5 = edible, 3 = not fit for human consumption)
Atmosphere/layout/clientele = 8.0 (bright and open)
Service = 9.0 (rapid removal and drink replenishment)
Quality = 7.5
Selection = 7.5
Value = 8.5
Overall experience = 8.0
1. Baked Swordfish (6.5)
2. Blackened Scallops (6.5)
3. Seafood Olympia (8.0)
4. Beef with Green beans (7.5)
5. Vegetable Egg Roll (7.5)
6. Generals Chicken (8.0)
7. Vegetable chow mein (7.0)
8. Beef tips (8.0) Nice and tender
9. Meat lasagna (8.0)
10. Vegetable lasagna (7.0)
11. Carved Brisket (7.0)
12. BBQ Brisket (8.5)
13. Onion rings (5.0)
14. Cranberry juice (8.0)
15. Pasta Primavera (6.5)
16. Baked Cod (7.0) (Good flavor, but a bit dry)
17. Salmon Veracruz (6.0) (Can’t seem to find good Salmon in Vegas)
18. Chile Verde (6.0) (Very dry meat)
19. Chicken Angelo (4.5) (What the hell?)
20. Italian sausage with peppers (4.5) ( ditto )
21. Popcorn shrimp (7.5) (There was actually a shrimp in there)
22. Mixed Chinese vegetables (8.0) (Not overcooked)
23. Peach Cobbler (8.5)
24. Apple Cobbler (9.0)
25. Blueberry Cobbler (9.0)
26. Vanilla Soft serve (7.0)
Next stop was Sam’s Town to check in. Since this was sort of an extended trip, I planned on stiffing them for one day. In fact, I really don’t care if I get any more free room mailers from ST. I ended up playing like usual. Started off on FPDW (-100). Moved over to 10/6 DDB (+100). Played about 30 minutes of craps and got bored (+40), so I decided to do a little bit of Wi-Fi reconnaissance in the area and check my email. Even on vacation, it’s hard to get away from work.
Nearest free wi-fi spot was the neighborhood just behind ST, but the signal was weak. A better, more plentiful spot was in a neighborhood right off of Cabana Drive (on Yorba Linda Drive). There is a rather dense senior-living area right across the street, but no free signal was found. Same with the nearby trailer park. Doing stuff like this is sort of fun and it preserves the bankroll at the same time.
Back to the some more VP to wrap up the night. I wanted to stay conservative so the single line 8/5 Bonus progressive was my main game here (+50). I know, I know. It’s sort of a boring game, but it sure beats 9/6 JOB. Got greedy so I took at shot at the 10/6 DDB (-100). Bad idea.
And that was it for the day. I’m looking forward to getting more than my usual 5-6 hours of sleep tonight.
DAILY TOTALS
VP: -8
MISC (Food, accommodations, gas, transportation, tips, etc): -2
THURSDAY, July 6 (Day 2)
Plans for the day included a little play at ST, checking out the locals scene, ST buffet, and moving to the Luxor.
Started off with some coffee and 9/6 DDB progressive, where I hit quad 2’s with a kicker for $241 (+201). That was a good way to start out the day. The threshold for ST free room mailers is approximately $1k coin-in (CI). Since I was already near that, I decided to move over to the more conservative 9/6 JOB & 8/5 Bonus slant-top progressives (+20). Ended up playing more like 2k CI for this session.
Stopped over by the craps table to watch some rich older gent playing craps by himself. He was placing over 5k across, hitting a few numbers, and coming down. That’s a lot for a place like ST. I was tempted buy in, but I didn’t want to wreck his mojo. Plus, he didn’t seem too fun. I always wonder if guys like him are truly wealthy and how they accumulated their wealth. Even if I was a billionaire, I don’t think I’d change my gaming habits very much, nor would I be taking it so seriously. It’s supposed to be fun.
Time to do a mini-run. Played 2 MP’s at Longhorn (+10). Wasted a 20 on the lone 8/5 Bonus at Nevada Palace (-20). Drove around the corner and checked my emails.
Since there was nothing else to do and it was hotter than snot, I headed back to Back to ST for some more 9/6 JOB and 8/5 Bonus. While playing 9/6 jacks, I was dealt A’s with a kicker. Crap! Anyhow, I played 5 straight hours with a minor gain (+40). Finished with 5k CI. It was good therapy. I hit plenty of quads, but not many via dealt trips. I ended the session going zero for 40 something with dealt trips.
Time for a quick craps session on their nice $5 w/ 20x table (-80). Played for only 30 minutes, got bored, and colored up with a minor loss. Good thing I left. I returned shortly after, and all the players who were there earlier got tapped out.
James Stungazed came by to join me for the ST buffet. Last time I ate this one, it was horrible. Let’s try it again.
SAM’S TOWN – FIRELIGHT BUFFET (Pacific Rim Dinner):
Standard prices are $5.99 for breakfast, $7.99 for lunch, and $11-18 for specialty dinners (-2, used a $25 food voucher).
This is my 3rd or 4th time at this buffet. For those of you who think this is a good buffet, let me tell you right here and now that you have no clue. The last time I ate here was in 2004 and it was horrible. Here is clip from that TR:
“In between item 16 and item 17, I made the following note on my pad. “What the heck is going on around here? Am I judging unfairly? Objectively? I’m pretty hungry and my taste buds are 100% perfect†I just couldn’t believe how bad this buffet was. It used to be good. They should fire the F&B director or something. That was really horrible.â€
I wiped the slate absolutely clean and rated this objectively . Again, it disappointed. They just don’t get it. In addition to many of the foods tasting really bad, they still don’t have onions & cilantro for their Mexican cuisine, the soups had some nasty after-taste, and their sushi was dry, poorly & raggedly prepared, and sort of thrown together into a boat-looking platter (unacceptable presentation).
(10/10 is perfecto, 7 = good, 5 = edible, 3 = not fit for human consumption)
Atmosphere/layout/clientele = 7.0 (a little dark and closed in.)
Service = 7.0 (average with no interaction; might as well be a bus boy)
Quality = 6.0
Selection = 6.5
Value = 5.5
Overall experience = 6.5
1. Vegetable Chow Mein (6.0) (dry like before)
2. Vegetable spring roll (6.0)
3. Marinated mushrooms (7.0)
4. Broccoli raisin salad (7.5)
5. Korean Kalbi ribs (8.0) (This was actually pretty good)
6. Fried Chicken (3.0) (Believe it or not, the same as last time)
7. Carrot raisin pineapple mix (6.0)
8. Beef Enchilada with sauce and cheese (6.0)
9. Mexican rice (6.0)
10. Roast Beef (7.5)
11. Chinese pork ribs (8.5) (This was the best item offered)
12. Sushi, various (5.0)
13. Grilled Talapia (7.5)
14. Manicotti w/ pesto cream sauce (4.5)
15. Swordfish with Teriyaki sauce (5.0) (Fish isn’t usually good at a buffet)
16. Adobo Chicken (5.0)
17. Chicken and pork nuggets with sauce (6.5)
18. Garlic Pasta with Alfredo sauce (6.0)
19. Chinese Vegetable soup (4.0) (How can you screw up soup?)
20. BBQ pork dumpling (4.5)
21. Mashed potatoes with gravy (6.0)
22. Pork wonton soup (4.0) (Same nasty broth as the other soup)
23. Beef with broccoli (5.0)
24. Bread Pudding (7.5)
25. Hand scooped ice cream, Vanilla and bubble gum (9)
After that sub-par meal, I packed my bags and headed over to the Luxor. James had a two bedroom suite, so I decided to use the empty one. The last time I stayed at the Luxor was in 1995. Nice room, but no better than any nice locals joint.
We walked all throughout Luxor and Mandalay Bay to find anything playable. Believe it or not, we couldn’t find anything. There is suppose to be quarter 8/5 Bonus in the Luxor, but couldn’t find it, so we just walked around and people watched all night. Sure, there is much better talent on the strip, but the penalty is the lack of playable games, which is ok. It could be viewed as “bankroll preservationâ€.
I’m barely up for the trip and was happy to turn in early.
DAILY TOTALS
VP: +241
BJ: +10
CRAPS: -80
MISC (Food, accommodations, gas, transportation, tips, etc): -2
Friday, July 7 (Day 3)
Plans for the day included checking in at Fiesta Henderson and playing VP on “5x Fridayâ€.
Since James sleeps in later than I do, I went down to play some $5 craps (+30). Yes, there is $5 craps at an MGM-owned mega resort. Since I had no reason to play at this property, the session only lasted maybe 10 minutes.
James can down and we started off with free breakfast at the Pyramid Café (-2). Wasted $10 on slots while waiting (-10). Gary (GVNV) was supposed to join us, but our schedules didn’t jive. James had something like $100 food credit, so we did the best we could. It’s incredible how much a standard “2 eggs, bacon, and hash brown†breakfast costs on the strip. 10 freaking bucks! Thank God for free food. I think I had some sort of 10 dollar sandwich.
After breakfast/brunch, we headed over to the craps table (-175). I didn’t want to play, but James had to get some play in, so I bought in also. Bad move. The table started off choppy and took a dive in rapid fashion. Oh well.
Time to head over to Fiesta to check in. Took a back way and found a nice 3 car garage neighborhood off Warm Springs that had plenty of free Wi-Fi. I’ve concluded that all 3 car garage neighborhoods will have Wi-Fi.
The 215/95 interchange is finally finished, so that whole mess at the Fiesta intersection is as smooth as silk.
While checking in at Fiesta, I ran into some friends of mine from church at the registration. They were staying at the Fiesta for their daughters dance competition at GVR. It’s a small world.
Time for some VP action (S293) (-200). Started on triple play 8/5 Bonus and pretty much played this all night. James shows up, we play a little more VP and then hit the craps table for a horrible session (-200). To slow things down a little, we hit Baja Beach café for dinner (-2 with comp). Good Chinese grub.
Back to more 8/5 bonus triple play (+200). James gets dealt a straight flush and hit a top row royal progressive while only holding one card. I got dealt Aces for a nice win and bailed me out of a horrible gambling day.
DAILY TOTALS
VP: 0
CRAPS: -345
SLOTS: -10
MISC (Food, accommodations, transportation, non-gambling tips, etc): -4
SATURDAY, July 8 (Day 4)
Today’s agenda included some errands, VP therapy, and Crapsfest!
Up early to get some gas and to do some more Wi-Fi reconnaissance. (-25) It didn’t take long. The nearest neighborhood behind Fiesta was loaded with strong 802.11 frequencies.
Back to some more 8/5 Bonus therapy (+100). Hit quad aces early on. On those same banks of triple play progressives, they have NSUD, so I switched over to play with the ducks (+200). After a few hours, I ended up getting quad ducks 2 times. I should have quit earlier, but what else am I going to do? Go play craps?
OK, over to the craps table to do a warm up session for Crapsfest (-35). Got in about an hour of decent play for a minor loss. I forgot to use my $50 free play coupon, so I had to come back for more (+50). Took a break and I saw my friend Chad from back home was playing, so I joined him (+245). We played for a little more than an hour. Good session!
James and other Crapsfest folks started showing up. The craps table was full, and they only had ONE TABLE because of the construction. Two tables is bad enough, but one table is simply unacceptable for any decent casino. If things don’t radically improve here, there would be absolutely no reason to hold another Crapsfest at Fiesta Henderson/Lake Mead Station. Because of the crowd situation, we couldn’t dominate a whole table like in previous Crapsfests. We were all sort of scattered about and it was hard to figure out who was actually there for the event. Anyhow, from my recollection the following players showed up:
1. James Stungazed
2. LV Norm and Andrea
3. Tinhorn Gambler
4. Ahh Craps
5. Koala
6. Nate (Martini4nate)
7. Dead Cat (DC Phelippe)
8. Harley Horn
9. Yahtzee
10. Double-down Joe from Cleveland, Ohio
Thanks to all who attended. I hope you all had a good time.
A few quick comments about this year's Crapsfest:
1. I had no idea they were down to ONE stinking table
2. $3 min with 3x4x5x is simply ridiculous for a locals joint which is that far away from the strip.
3. The bounce factor was uncontrollable.
4. Choppy was the rule.
5. We had one excellent dealer (who also deals at Luxor) and one below-average dual-rate dealer.
6. I think I was the big winner (+36)
The post-craps food at Baja Beach was excellent and comped by my host. Next year, I think I’ll make it a pre-craps lunch instead of post-craps dinner. Also, for next year, I’m considering changing the venue to either Boulder Station, The Cannery, or Silverton. Downtown is still a consideration if we can have a whole table to ourselves at MSS, which is a real good possibility. Did somebody say Elco? Just kidding!
Time for some post-craps dinner VP for relaxation (+900). So far, this has been a good gambling day. After less than an hour on the 3-play 8/5 bonus, I hit a ROYAL FLUSH, BABY!!! It was in diamonds on the top line and drew 2 cards. Now I’m really up for this trip.
We met up with my host, who loaded us up with a lot of free goodies. While waiting for her, I wasted $5 on some stupid Atronic slot machine (-5).
I ended the day in the bingo room (-5). Yes, I said bingo. The people next to me were heading over there, so and they asked me to join them. Why not? I wanted to slow things down anyhow. What a boring game. No skill at all.
DAILY TOTALS
VP: +1200
CRAPS: +296
BINGO: -5
SLOTS: -5
MISC (Food, accommodations, gas, transportation, tips, etc): -25
SUNDAY, July 9 (Day 5)
Up early to check out and check my emails. Plans for today were quite loose. Just check in at Paris and roam around. Since James had $50 left over in food comps at Luxor, I headed over there to meet him for brunch (-2). No crowds at all. Just the same old expensive strip food.
After brunch, we decided to hit the Pinball Hall of Fame Museum (-3). It’s at 3330 E. Tropicana (on the N/W corner of Pecos). There is no admission fee. Just a schitload of old pinball machines (over 200 of them) like the one’s I used to play in the pool halls back in the early 70’s. They had Top Card, Atlantis, Jacks Open, Sky Jump, King Pin, etc.. All my favorite Gottlieb machines were all functioning perfectly. This place is in a strip mall next to the Tropicana movie theater. Boy, did this place bring back some memories. 3 games for a quarter!!! For the next 3 days, the muscles for my middle fingers were toast. I don’t have to tell you what you use your middle finger for, and it’s not for picking your nose.
Used the Diamond check in at Paris. No line, whatsoever. That Diamond card thing is pretty cool. I had room 2301 overlooking the Bellagio fountains, the pool, and the Eiffel Tower. When I went up to the room, I entered 2301P. I didn’t know the difference. The door wasn’t closed all the way and opened right up. The first words out of my mouth were “Holy Scheit!!!†To make a long story short, it wasn’t the right room. Mine was next door. Damn! Nice room, nonetheless. When I spoke to a host later in the trip, she said that she could arrange for me to have a P suite if I called her. Right on. I’ll save that ace for my next girlfriend.
Time for some VP (0). There is absolutely nothing playable at Paris. It was reported that they had some quarter 8/5 bonus scattered around, but the best I found was $1 8/5 Bonus triple play. No can do. Since the play at Paris is tied together with Bally’s, I went to check them out. I found some real nice flat-panel slant-tops with quarter 3-5 play. The seats were very comfortable and the machines were fast. By the end of the trip, I think I found my new favorite game. After playing 5 play, it’s hard to go back to single line and triple play. I cycled about 5k in just a little over an hour and cashed out EXACTLY even. Incredible.
Time for some grub. The Diamond Lounge (DL) at Paris is pretty nice. I asked the hostess if that triggered a trip. She said no, it’s only for a separate database to track abusers. I watched the Cards beat the Astros, 7-5 on their nice plasma TV’s. Hardly anyone in the DL; maybe 10-15 people total.
PARIS – DIAMOND LOUNGE: (I can’t believe I’m rating a Diamond Lounge)
(10/10 is perfecto, 7 = good, 5 = edible, 3 = not fit for human consumption)
Atmosphere/layout/clientele = 8.5 (a nice refuge from the chaos only 30 feet away)
Service = 8.0
Quality = 7.5
Selection = N/A
Value = N/A (it’s free)
Overall experience = 8.0
1. Coconut Shrimp (8.0)
2. Chicken wings with sauce (6.5)
3. Wraps with Ham, Turkey, cheese, tomato, and lettuce (7.0)
4. White Chocolate covered Strawberries with nuts (7.5)
5. Assorted fresh fruits - Kiwi, black raspberries, canned peaches (canned?) (7.5)
6. Chocolate mocha coffee moose thing (9.5)
NOTE: That 9.5 is one of the highest ratings I’ve ever given any single item. Not sure a 10 exists.
7. Chocolate coated cream puff (7.5)
Walked over to Caesars Palace to check out their Diamond Lounge. It’s a little larger than the Paris DL. Both are nice with the advantage to CP because of their free internet terminals. They have 5 terminals. Ran into James abusing the free grub, so I joined him. Hey, it’s free.
1. Turkey and bacon wrap (7.5)
2. Tuna wrap (6.5)
3. Roast beef wrap (6.5)
4. Mini lemon pie (5.0)
5. Fresh fruits – Cantaloupe, honeydew, pineapple (8.5) (This was better fruit than at Paris)
We wanted to kill some time, so we headed over to do some casino hopping and to visit Carol (in WI, now LV) at Harrah’s. It was good to see her again. She totally digs her job.
By now, it was getting late so we called it a day.
DAILY TOTALS
VP: Exactly ZERO
MISC (Food, accommodations, gas, transportation, tips, entertainment, etc): -3
MONDAY, July 10 (Day 6)
Plans for the day included play at Bally’s/Paris, free lunch buffet at Gold Coast, a trip to downtown to cash in on points before they expired, a trip to the Cannery for 5x points, and dinner at Caesars DL.
Started off on the 8/5 bonus 5 play (+3). I couldn’t believe that I walked away pretty much even again after a couple of hours on these nice machines. A couple of sets of aces helped. When I got up 1-200, I’d switch over to 9/5 DDB to try and catch some lightening. I should have just stuck with 8/5 Bonus.
Walked over to Caesars Palace to meet up with James. Played 5 hands of 9/6 JOB 3 play (+5). From there, we headed off to Gold Coast to use a 2 free buffet coupon. But there was one catch. The coupon stipulated “must be a guestâ€. So we needed to find a room key. I asked a couple of guys ahead of us at the buffet to borrow their room key for a few minutes. They were cool. No problem.
GOLD COAST – PORTS O’ CALL BUFFET (Standard Weekday Lunch):
Prices are $6.45 for breakfast, $7.45 for lunch, and $12 for standard dinners (-2).
I’ve eaten at this buffet at least 6 times. In the past, it rated better than average. But as always, I start off with a clean slate.
(10/10 is perfecto, 7 = good, 5 = edible, 3 = not fit for human consumption)
Atmosphere/layout/clientele = 7.5 (very slow time, bright and airy)
Service = 7.5
Quality = 7.0
Selection = 7.5
Value = 8.5 (even at full price, you’d pay more for a sandwich on the strip)
Overall experience = 7.5
1. Jambalaya (6.5)
2. Seared Salmon (6.0) (Dry and overcooked)
3. Cauliflower and cheese (6.5) (Overdone)
4. Backed Swordfish (6.5) (I can never seem to find decent fish in the desert)
5. Pot Stickers (7.0)
6. Black bean ribs (7.0)
7. Schezuan Beef (8.0) (Nice and tender)
8. Orange Chicken (7.0)
9. Pork Chow Mein (8.0) (That’s some darn good chow mein)
10. Egg roll (7.5)
11. Smoked Sausage (7.5)
12. Meat Loaf (6.5)
13. Cream of Turkey (8.5) (That’s some daing good soup)
14. Chicken Macha (7.0) (Never heard of a “macha†)
15. Beef Ribs (7.5)
16. Beef Brisket (7.0)
17. Beef Enchilada (7.0)
18. Rotelli and Spinach (6.5)
19. Ratatouille Vegetable (6.0)
20. Meat Lasagna (7.5)
21. Chile Verde con pollo (7.0)
22. Egg Foo Young (5.0)
23. Turkey Lorraine (6.5)
24. Bread Pudding with vanilla ice cream (7.5)
25. Apple Cobbler (7.5)
26. Pecan Pie (7.0)
With full tanks, we headed for downtown. Stopped off at the Plaza and picked up some cash back (+50) and played a few hands of 9/6 JOB 50 play (+5). Stopped off at LVC to pick up some cash back (+30). Stopped off at the El Cortez to pick up some cash back (+10) and to pick up some free ice cream and mini bottle of liquor. Stopped off at Binions to cycle a dollar (-1). Stopped off at Four Queens to cycle a dollar (-1). And that was it for downtown. That was a nice profitable trip.
We then headed off to the Cannery for some 5x play. First stop was the 8/5 Bonus 3 play (-270). I wasn’t getting dealt jack and I was pretty pissed off. Normally, the Cannery is reliable as an ATM machine. Not this time.
Time to head back to the Caesars DL for a quick bite. This works out great when you’re not hungry enough for a full meal, but need something just to cap you off. A brief note about the computers at Caesars DL. There always seems to be some low-life eccentrics who use them to play on-line poker and other games. Just ask the CW to remind them that there are people waiting to get on. They’ll get the hint. Why are they playing on-line poker anyhow in Las Vegas?... bunch of nerds.
Back to our respective home casinos to give them some more play. James had to play the 9/6 JOB at Caesars, and I headed straight for Bally’s 8/5 Bonus 5 play (+450). After hitting aces a few times, I was up a few hundred pretty quickly. Switched over to 9/5 DDB to take my chances. I was getting back close to even and then I got dealt quad 2’s! Held the deuces and got a kicker on only one of them! Dag nabit! Nevertheless, it was a cool $600 hit. I kept playing the DDB and quit while I was still ahead. Total CI for the day at Bally’s was 8330.
Another good day in paradise.
DAILY TOTALS
VP: +193
CASH BACK: +90
SLOTS: -2
MISC (Food, accommodations, gas, transportation, tips, etc): -2
TUESDAY, July 11 (Day 7)
Finally got a full 8 hours of sleep. Almost had to force myself to stay asleep. I think I may need some professional help with this problem. Since I’ll be checking out tomorrow, this was to be my last day of playing. I was supposed to stay until Thursday morning, but I messed up my reservations. I could have gotten another free room, but I was ready to go home.
Plans for the day included more 5 play VP at Bally’s and a trip to Le Village Buffet.
Started off on 5 play 8/5 Bonus at Bally’s (-400). There goes my previous day’s winnings. Damn! I hate it when that happens. Session CI = 5720. You wouldn’t believe how many times I was dealt 4 to a royal on this trip, as well as ending up with 4 to a royal on the draw. On 3 and 5 play, it’s that much more painful. Even with that royal I hit a few days ago, I’ve still got to be at least 5-10 royals in the red.
James came by later in the afternoon to do the Paris buffet.
PARIS – LE VILLAGE BUFFET (Standard Weekday Dinner):
Standard prices are $13 for breakfast, $18 for lunch, and a whopping $25 for standard dinners (-2). I had a $10 off coupon and James had a $20 voucher. I used points to cover the balance.
This is the first time at this buffet, and I was surprised to see how small it was. Size isn’t everything, right gals?
(10/10 is perfecto, 7 = good, 5 = edible, 3 = not fit for human consumption)
Atmosphere/layout/clientele = 8.0
Service = 8.0 (our waiter’s name was Andrew. What a sweet guy (Wham!))
Quality = 8.0
Selection = 7.5
Value = 5.0 (at full price, it’s NOT a very good deal at all)
Overall experience = 7.5
1. Seafood filled puffed pastry (6.0)
2. Steamed Clams (6.0) (Where are my tweezers?)
3. Prime Rib (8.5)
4. Spinach and Asiago Quiche (8.0)
5. Sole Dieppoise (7.5)
6. Roast Pork Loin (7.5)
7. Beef Bourguignon (8.0) (Good meat)
8. Salmon with Leek Fondue (7.0)
9. Fillet Medallions (8.5) (You can’t go wrong with Medallions)
10. Veal Marengo (6.0) (I forgot that I don’t like veal)
11. Pesto Farfalle (5.5)
12. Leg of Lamb (4.0) (that was nasty)
13. Roast Beef (6.5)
14. Creamed Spinach (6.5)
15. Alaskan King Crab Legs (7.0) (I’ve seen larger snow crab legs. What a joke!)
16. Penne pasta with Scallops and Shrimp (8.0) (hardly any scallops at all)
17. Sushi, variety (7.0) (The rice just wasn’t right, but presentation was ok. Weak wasabi)
18. Chicken Chasseur (6.5)
19. Tomato Provencale (6.0)
20. Corn Chowder (8.0) (Daing good soup)
21. Grilled Asparagus (8.0) (nice big stocks)
22. Chicken Coq Au Vin (6.5)
23. Chocolate mocha coffee moose thing (9.5) (I had 4 of these. They’re freakin tasty as hell)
After dinner, we headed off to check out the Aladdin before the major changes occur. It was fairly new the last time I was there. Boy, has it aged a lot in 6 years. The next time you go in there, take a look at the ceilings. They’re all blackened.
The next stop was Bellagio to relax and watch the MLB All Star game in their sports book. It’s a pretty small sports book.
Back to Paris/Bally’s for the gaming finale. Of course, I went straight for the 5 plays (+400). It took a while, but I went up pretty good on 8/5 bonus. Switched over to 9/5 DDB and started to give it all back. Whatever the case, I was determined to have a good time. After all, this is considered vacation. I was ready to call it a day and that’s when it hit. I held one single ace and the other 3 with a kicker shows up on line 5. Hell yeah. I played it down to be even for the day and got out of there with over 20k cycled for the day. This is easily my record CI for any single day. I went to look for a host to talk about discretionary comps. Met Temeka Colbert, who told me that she can’t do any discretionaries if I have points in my account. In fact, since the HET takeover, Temeka told me that she rarely comps table players at all. That’s just wrong.
On my way back to the room, I stopped at Napoleons Bar for about an hour to check out the dueling piano guys, David and James. They’re pretty talented.
DAILY TOTALS
VP: 0
MISC (Food, accommodations, gas, transportation, tips, etc): -2
WEDNESDAY, July 12 (Day 8)
No gaming today. I had a meet at Barbary Coast at 2pm and $25 free food to use up at El Cortez. We started off with lunch at the Elco coffee shop (-2). Believe it or not, it’s better than average coffee shop chow (better than The Luxor). We ate like kings with the $25 voucher. Also redeemed another set of coupons for free ice cream and mini liquor.
After lunch, we headed to BC for the Big Elvis meet. It was a bad idea to have a meet at the same time as a performance. It’s just too noisy and crowded. The following folks were in attendance:
1. Koala
2. Norm
3. Andrea
4. Tom T in WI
5. Yahtzee
6. Stungazed
7. ILuvToTravel
8. Carol in WI/LV
9. Jeff in WI/LV
10. Becky “Pocket Aces Princessâ€
I hit the road at 3:30 to avoid traffic and to get home to mow the lawn before it got dark. Trash day is Thursday. Thought you would like to know that.
GRAND TOTALS
VP: +1626
BJ: +10
CRAPS: -129
MISC (Cash back, food, accommodations, gas, transportation, non-gambling tips, etc): -42
BINGO: -5
SLOTS: -17
CASH BACK: +90
FREE GIFTS: Hardware Caddy (As seen on TV!!!), Stainless Pizza cutter/can opener/peeler/melon baller set, Colander and bowl, Tupperware set, 2 coolers, 2 leathermans (nice!), door/window alarm system (As seen on TV!!!), 8 piece slicer-dicer, 2 clip-on radios with headphones, cordless powered scissors, 2 coffee mugs, two 30 piece storage hook sets, a set of jumper cables, a bunch of toiletries, etc, etc..
GRAND TOTAL: $1509 NET GAIN
SUMMARY and FINAL THOUGHTS
- The whole Crapsfest atmosphere was dampened by the single table situation. That won’t happen next year.
- I finally found something somewhat playable on the strip; 3/5 play 8/5 Bonus.
- Free Wi-Fi can be found just about anywhere. You just need to be smart about it.
- Ate and played a lot. This was a well-deserved trip and the final results were favorable.
- It’s incredible how fast a week goes by in Vegas. There’s so much to do. Not sure if I want to do them all.
Thanks for reading.
God Bless America.
Mike
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“Crapsfest 2006â€
It has been 7 months since my last Vegas trip, which is my biggest drought in years. This was due to the combination of the divorce issues, my sports, bankroll, and general lack of interest in Vegas. Anyhow, all divorce matters have been settled, the first half of my baseball season just ended so I didn’t have to miss any games (except for softball, which is no big deal), the in-laws were in town, and my tax return was huge. Talk about an opportune time for a mind-clearing trip and to take care of a minor case of the jones…
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jones (jOnz) n, vt. A habit of an activity, a craving or urge to perform an act often to the point of excess. An addiction, esp. to drugs, sports, gambling, and other enjoyable actions. Borrowed from the cartoon “Fat-Albert†and the drug-ladened 60’s and early 70’s.
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In a nutshell, I stayed (for free) at Sam’s Town, Luxor, Fiesta Henderson, and Paris, I gambled a lot, hit a royal, had a great time at Crapsfest, went to a meet at Barbary Coast, and came home on the good side.
WEDNESDAY July 5, 2006 (Day 1)
I wanted to head out of town by 4am to beat the traffic. Overslept and ended up heading out at 7am. Even with a little bit of traffic, the trip still took around 4 hours. First stop was South Coast to use their 4OAK buffet coupon. Good thing because I had to go really bad and SC was the first casino in town! I can’t remember what I played, but I did get my 4OAK and buffet voucher rather quickly and played it down to tip money (+2).
SOUTH COAST GARDEN BUFFET (Standard weekday lunch):
Standard prices are $6.45 for breakfast, $7.45 for lunch, and $12.95 for non-specialty dinner (-2).
This is my first time at this buffet. It’s very comparable to the other Coast buffets. In other words, it’s slightly above average and a very good value if you’re a paying customer.
(10/10 is perfecto, 7 = good, 5 = edible, 3 = not fit for human consumption)
Atmosphere/layout/clientele = 8.0 (bright and open)
Service = 9.0 (rapid removal and drink replenishment)
Quality = 7.5
Selection = 7.5
Value = 8.5
Overall experience = 8.0
1. Baked Swordfish (6.5)
2. Blackened Scallops (6.5)
3. Seafood Olympia (8.0)
4. Beef with Green beans (7.5)
5. Vegetable Egg Roll (7.5)
6. Generals Chicken (8.0)
7. Vegetable chow mein (7.0)
8. Beef tips (8.0) Nice and tender
9. Meat lasagna (8.0)
10. Vegetable lasagna (7.0)
11. Carved Brisket (7.0)
12. BBQ Brisket (8.5)
13. Onion rings (5.0)
14. Cranberry juice (8.0)
15. Pasta Primavera (6.5)
16. Baked Cod (7.0) (Good flavor, but a bit dry)
17. Salmon Veracruz (6.0) (Can’t seem to find good Salmon in Vegas)
18. Chile Verde (6.0) (Very dry meat)
19. Chicken Angelo (4.5) (What the hell?)
20. Italian sausage with peppers (4.5) ( ditto )
21. Popcorn shrimp (7.5) (There was actually a shrimp in there)
22. Mixed Chinese vegetables (8.0) (Not overcooked)
23. Peach Cobbler (8.5)
24. Apple Cobbler (9.0)
25. Blueberry Cobbler (9.0)
26. Vanilla Soft serve (7.0)
Next stop was Sam’s Town to check in. Since this was sort of an extended trip, I planned on stiffing them for one day. In fact, I really don’t care if I get any more free room mailers from ST. I ended up playing like usual. Started off on FPDW (-100). Moved over to 10/6 DDB (+100). Played about 30 minutes of craps and got bored (+40), so I decided to do a little bit of Wi-Fi reconnaissance in the area and check my email. Even on vacation, it’s hard to get away from work.
Nearest free wi-fi spot was the neighborhood just behind ST, but the signal was weak. A better, more plentiful spot was in a neighborhood right off of Cabana Drive (on Yorba Linda Drive). There is a rather dense senior-living area right across the street, but no free signal was found. Same with the nearby trailer park. Doing stuff like this is sort of fun and it preserves the bankroll at the same time.
Back to the some more VP to wrap up the night. I wanted to stay conservative so the single line 8/5 Bonus progressive was my main game here (+50). I know, I know. It’s sort of a boring game, but it sure beats 9/6 JOB. Got greedy so I took at shot at the 10/6 DDB (-100). Bad idea.
And that was it for the day. I’m looking forward to getting more than my usual 5-6 hours of sleep tonight.
DAILY TOTALS
VP: -8
MISC (Food, accommodations, gas, transportation, tips, etc): -2
THURSDAY, July 6 (Day 2)
Plans for the day included a little play at ST, checking out the locals scene, ST buffet, and moving to the Luxor.
Started off with some coffee and 9/6 DDB progressive, where I hit quad 2’s with a kicker for $241 (+201). That was a good way to start out the day. The threshold for ST free room mailers is approximately $1k coin-in (CI). Since I was already near that, I decided to move over to the more conservative 9/6 JOB & 8/5 Bonus slant-top progressives (+20). Ended up playing more like 2k CI for this session.
Stopped over by the craps table to watch some rich older gent playing craps by himself. He was placing over 5k across, hitting a few numbers, and coming down. That’s a lot for a place like ST. I was tempted buy in, but I didn’t want to wreck his mojo. Plus, he didn’t seem too fun. I always wonder if guys like him are truly wealthy and how they accumulated their wealth. Even if I was a billionaire, I don’t think I’d change my gaming habits very much, nor would I be taking it so seriously. It’s supposed to be fun.
Time to do a mini-run. Played 2 MP’s at Longhorn (+10). Wasted a 20 on the lone 8/5 Bonus at Nevada Palace (-20). Drove around the corner and checked my emails.
Since there was nothing else to do and it was hotter than snot, I headed back to Back to ST for some more 9/6 JOB and 8/5 Bonus. While playing 9/6 jacks, I was dealt A’s with a kicker. Crap! Anyhow, I played 5 straight hours with a minor gain (+40). Finished with 5k CI. It was good therapy. I hit plenty of quads, but not many via dealt trips. I ended the session going zero for 40 something with dealt trips.
Time for a quick craps session on their nice $5 w/ 20x table (-80). Played for only 30 minutes, got bored, and colored up with a minor loss. Good thing I left. I returned shortly after, and all the players who were there earlier got tapped out.
James Stungazed came by to join me for the ST buffet. Last time I ate this one, it was horrible. Let’s try it again.
SAM’S TOWN – FIRELIGHT BUFFET (Pacific Rim Dinner):
Standard prices are $5.99 for breakfast, $7.99 for lunch, and $11-18 for specialty dinners (-2, used a $25 food voucher).
This is my 3rd or 4th time at this buffet. For those of you who think this is a good buffet, let me tell you right here and now that you have no clue. The last time I ate here was in 2004 and it was horrible. Here is clip from that TR:
“In between item 16 and item 17, I made the following note on my pad. “What the heck is going on around here? Am I judging unfairly? Objectively? I’m pretty hungry and my taste buds are 100% perfect†I just couldn’t believe how bad this buffet was. It used to be good. They should fire the F&B director or something. That was really horrible.â€
I wiped the slate absolutely clean and rated this objectively . Again, it disappointed. They just don’t get it. In addition to many of the foods tasting really bad, they still don’t have onions & cilantro for their Mexican cuisine, the soups had some nasty after-taste, and their sushi was dry, poorly & raggedly prepared, and sort of thrown together into a boat-looking platter (unacceptable presentation).
(10/10 is perfecto, 7 = good, 5 = edible, 3 = not fit for human consumption)
Atmosphere/layout/clientele = 7.0 (a little dark and closed in.)
Service = 7.0 (average with no interaction; might as well be a bus boy)
Quality = 6.0
Selection = 6.5
Value = 5.5
Overall experience = 6.5
1. Vegetable Chow Mein (6.0) (dry like before)
2. Vegetable spring roll (6.0)
3. Marinated mushrooms (7.0)
4. Broccoli raisin salad (7.5)
5. Korean Kalbi ribs (8.0) (This was actually pretty good)
6. Fried Chicken (3.0) (Believe it or not, the same as last time)
7. Carrot raisin pineapple mix (6.0)
8. Beef Enchilada with sauce and cheese (6.0)
9. Mexican rice (6.0)
10. Roast Beef (7.5)
11. Chinese pork ribs (8.5) (This was the best item offered)
12. Sushi, various (5.0)
13. Grilled Talapia (7.5)
14. Manicotti w/ pesto cream sauce (4.5)
15. Swordfish with Teriyaki sauce (5.0) (Fish isn’t usually good at a buffet)
16. Adobo Chicken (5.0)
17. Chicken and pork nuggets with sauce (6.5)
18. Garlic Pasta with Alfredo sauce (6.0)
19. Chinese Vegetable soup (4.0) (How can you screw up soup?)
20. BBQ pork dumpling (4.5)
21. Mashed potatoes with gravy (6.0)
22. Pork wonton soup (4.0) (Same nasty broth as the other soup)
23. Beef with broccoli (5.0)
24. Bread Pudding (7.5)
25. Hand scooped ice cream, Vanilla and bubble gum (9)
After that sub-par meal, I packed my bags and headed over to the Luxor. James had a two bedroom suite, so I decided to use the empty one. The last time I stayed at the Luxor was in 1995. Nice room, but no better than any nice locals joint.
We walked all throughout Luxor and Mandalay Bay to find anything playable. Believe it or not, we couldn’t find anything. There is suppose to be quarter 8/5 Bonus in the Luxor, but couldn’t find it, so we just walked around and people watched all night. Sure, there is much better talent on the strip, but the penalty is the lack of playable games, which is ok. It could be viewed as “bankroll preservationâ€.
I’m barely up for the trip and was happy to turn in early.
DAILY TOTALS
VP: +241
BJ: +10
CRAPS: -80
MISC (Food, accommodations, gas, transportation, tips, etc): -2
Friday, July 7 (Day 3)
Plans for the day included checking in at Fiesta Henderson and playing VP on “5x Fridayâ€.
Since James sleeps in later than I do, I went down to play some $5 craps (+30). Yes, there is $5 craps at an MGM-owned mega resort. Since I had no reason to play at this property, the session only lasted maybe 10 minutes.
James can down and we started off with free breakfast at the Pyramid Café (-2). Wasted $10 on slots while waiting (-10). Gary (GVNV) was supposed to join us, but our schedules didn’t jive. James had something like $100 food credit, so we did the best we could. It’s incredible how much a standard “2 eggs, bacon, and hash brown†breakfast costs on the strip. 10 freaking bucks! Thank God for free food. I think I had some sort of 10 dollar sandwich.
After breakfast/brunch, we headed over to the craps table (-175). I didn’t want to play, but James had to get some play in, so I bought in also. Bad move. The table started off choppy and took a dive in rapid fashion. Oh well.
Time to head over to Fiesta to check in. Took a back way and found a nice 3 car garage neighborhood off Warm Springs that had plenty of free Wi-Fi. I’ve concluded that all 3 car garage neighborhoods will have Wi-Fi.
The 215/95 interchange is finally finished, so that whole mess at the Fiesta intersection is as smooth as silk.
While checking in at Fiesta, I ran into some friends of mine from church at the registration. They were staying at the Fiesta for their daughters dance competition at GVR. It’s a small world.
Time for some VP action (S293) (-200). Started on triple play 8/5 Bonus and pretty much played this all night. James shows up, we play a little more VP and then hit the craps table for a horrible session (-200). To slow things down a little, we hit Baja Beach café for dinner (-2 with comp). Good Chinese grub.
Back to more 8/5 bonus triple play (+200). James gets dealt a straight flush and hit a top row royal progressive while only holding one card. I got dealt Aces for a nice win and bailed me out of a horrible gambling day.
DAILY TOTALS
VP: 0
CRAPS: -345
SLOTS: -10
MISC (Food, accommodations, transportation, non-gambling tips, etc): -4
SATURDAY, July 8 (Day 4)
Today’s agenda included some errands, VP therapy, and Crapsfest!
Up early to get some gas and to do some more Wi-Fi reconnaissance. (-25) It didn’t take long. The nearest neighborhood behind Fiesta was loaded with strong 802.11 frequencies.
Back to some more 8/5 Bonus therapy (+100). Hit quad aces early on. On those same banks of triple play progressives, they have NSUD, so I switched over to play with the ducks (+200). After a few hours, I ended up getting quad ducks 2 times. I should have quit earlier, but what else am I going to do? Go play craps?
OK, over to the craps table to do a warm up session for Crapsfest (-35). Got in about an hour of decent play for a minor loss. I forgot to use my $50 free play coupon, so I had to come back for more (+50). Took a break and I saw my friend Chad from back home was playing, so I joined him (+245). We played for a little more than an hour. Good session!
James and other Crapsfest folks started showing up. The craps table was full, and they only had ONE TABLE because of the construction. Two tables is bad enough, but one table is simply unacceptable for any decent casino. If things don’t radically improve here, there would be absolutely no reason to hold another Crapsfest at Fiesta Henderson/Lake Mead Station. Because of the crowd situation, we couldn’t dominate a whole table like in previous Crapsfests. We were all sort of scattered about and it was hard to figure out who was actually there for the event. Anyhow, from my recollection the following players showed up:
1. James Stungazed
2. LV Norm and Andrea
3. Tinhorn Gambler
4. Ahh Craps
5. Koala
6. Nate (Martini4nate)
7. Dead Cat (DC Phelippe)
8. Harley Horn
9. Yahtzee
10. Double-down Joe from Cleveland, Ohio
Thanks to all who attended. I hope you all had a good time.
A few quick comments about this year's Crapsfest:
1. I had no idea they were down to ONE stinking table
2. $3 min with 3x4x5x is simply ridiculous for a locals joint which is that far away from the strip.
3. The bounce factor was uncontrollable.
4. Choppy was the rule.
5. We had one excellent dealer (who also deals at Luxor) and one below-average dual-rate dealer.
6. I think I was the big winner (+36)
The post-craps food at Baja Beach was excellent and comped by my host. Next year, I think I’ll make it a pre-craps lunch instead of post-craps dinner. Also, for next year, I’m considering changing the venue to either Boulder Station, The Cannery, or Silverton. Downtown is still a consideration if we can have a whole table to ourselves at MSS, which is a real good possibility. Did somebody say Elco? Just kidding!
Time for some post-craps dinner VP for relaxation (+900). So far, this has been a good gambling day. After less than an hour on the 3-play 8/5 bonus, I hit a ROYAL FLUSH, BABY!!! It was in diamonds on the top line and drew 2 cards. Now I’m really up for this trip.
We met up with my host, who loaded us up with a lot of free goodies. While waiting for her, I wasted $5 on some stupid Atronic slot machine (-5).
I ended the day in the bingo room (-5). Yes, I said bingo. The people next to me were heading over there, so and they asked me to join them. Why not? I wanted to slow things down anyhow. What a boring game. No skill at all.
DAILY TOTALS
VP: +1200
CRAPS: +296
BINGO: -5
SLOTS: -5
MISC (Food, accommodations, gas, transportation, tips, etc): -25
SUNDAY, July 9 (Day 5)
Up early to check out and check my emails. Plans for today were quite loose. Just check in at Paris and roam around. Since James had $50 left over in food comps at Luxor, I headed over there to meet him for brunch (-2). No crowds at all. Just the same old expensive strip food.
After brunch, we decided to hit the Pinball Hall of Fame Museum (-3). It’s at 3330 E. Tropicana (on the N/W corner of Pecos). There is no admission fee. Just a schitload of old pinball machines (over 200 of them) like the one’s I used to play in the pool halls back in the early 70’s. They had Top Card, Atlantis, Jacks Open, Sky Jump, King Pin, etc.. All my favorite Gottlieb machines were all functioning perfectly. This place is in a strip mall next to the Tropicana movie theater. Boy, did this place bring back some memories. 3 games for a quarter!!! For the next 3 days, the muscles for my middle fingers were toast. I don’t have to tell you what you use your middle finger for, and it’s not for picking your nose.
Used the Diamond check in at Paris. No line, whatsoever. That Diamond card thing is pretty cool. I had room 2301 overlooking the Bellagio fountains, the pool, and the Eiffel Tower. When I went up to the room, I entered 2301P. I didn’t know the difference. The door wasn’t closed all the way and opened right up. The first words out of my mouth were “Holy Scheit!!!†To make a long story short, it wasn’t the right room. Mine was next door. Damn! Nice room, nonetheless. When I spoke to a host later in the trip, she said that she could arrange for me to have a P suite if I called her. Right on. I’ll save that ace for my next girlfriend.
Time for some VP (0). There is absolutely nothing playable at Paris. It was reported that they had some quarter 8/5 bonus scattered around, but the best I found was $1 8/5 Bonus triple play. No can do. Since the play at Paris is tied together with Bally’s, I went to check them out. I found some real nice flat-panel slant-tops with quarter 3-5 play. The seats were very comfortable and the machines were fast. By the end of the trip, I think I found my new favorite game. After playing 5 play, it’s hard to go back to single line and triple play. I cycled about 5k in just a little over an hour and cashed out EXACTLY even. Incredible.
Time for some grub. The Diamond Lounge (DL) at Paris is pretty nice. I asked the hostess if that triggered a trip. She said no, it’s only for a separate database to track abusers. I watched the Cards beat the Astros, 7-5 on their nice plasma TV’s. Hardly anyone in the DL; maybe 10-15 people total.
PARIS – DIAMOND LOUNGE: (I can’t believe I’m rating a Diamond Lounge)
(10/10 is perfecto, 7 = good, 5 = edible, 3 = not fit for human consumption)
Atmosphere/layout/clientele = 8.5 (a nice refuge from the chaos only 30 feet away)
Service = 8.0
Quality = 7.5
Selection = N/A
Value = N/A (it’s free)
Overall experience = 8.0
1. Coconut Shrimp (8.0)
2. Chicken wings with sauce (6.5)
3. Wraps with Ham, Turkey, cheese, tomato, and lettuce (7.0)
4. White Chocolate covered Strawberries with nuts (7.5)
5. Assorted fresh fruits - Kiwi, black raspberries, canned peaches (canned?) (7.5)
6. Chocolate mocha coffee moose thing (9.5)
NOTE: That 9.5 is one of the highest ratings I’ve ever given any single item. Not sure a 10 exists.
7. Chocolate coated cream puff (7.5)
Walked over to Caesars Palace to check out their Diamond Lounge. It’s a little larger than the Paris DL. Both are nice with the advantage to CP because of their free internet terminals. They have 5 terminals. Ran into James abusing the free grub, so I joined him. Hey, it’s free.
1. Turkey and bacon wrap (7.5)
2. Tuna wrap (6.5)
3. Roast beef wrap (6.5)
4. Mini lemon pie (5.0)
5. Fresh fruits – Cantaloupe, honeydew, pineapple (8.5) (This was better fruit than at Paris)
We wanted to kill some time, so we headed over to do some casino hopping and to visit Carol (in WI, now LV) at Harrah’s. It was good to see her again. She totally digs her job.
By now, it was getting late so we called it a day.
DAILY TOTALS
VP: Exactly ZERO
MISC (Food, accommodations, gas, transportation, tips, entertainment, etc): -3
MONDAY, July 10 (Day 6)
Plans for the day included play at Bally’s/Paris, free lunch buffet at Gold Coast, a trip to downtown to cash in on points before they expired, a trip to the Cannery for 5x points, and dinner at Caesars DL.
Started off on the 8/5 bonus 5 play (+3). I couldn’t believe that I walked away pretty much even again after a couple of hours on these nice machines. A couple of sets of aces helped. When I got up 1-200, I’d switch over to 9/5 DDB to try and catch some lightening. I should have just stuck with 8/5 Bonus.
Walked over to Caesars Palace to meet up with James. Played 5 hands of 9/6 JOB 3 play (+5). From there, we headed off to Gold Coast to use a 2 free buffet coupon. But there was one catch. The coupon stipulated “must be a guestâ€. So we needed to find a room key. I asked a couple of guys ahead of us at the buffet to borrow their room key for a few minutes. They were cool. No problem.
GOLD COAST – PORTS O’ CALL BUFFET (Standard Weekday Lunch):
Prices are $6.45 for breakfast, $7.45 for lunch, and $12 for standard dinners (-2).
I’ve eaten at this buffet at least 6 times. In the past, it rated better than average. But as always, I start off with a clean slate.
(10/10 is perfecto, 7 = good, 5 = edible, 3 = not fit for human consumption)
Atmosphere/layout/clientele = 7.5 (very slow time, bright and airy)
Service = 7.5
Quality = 7.0
Selection = 7.5
Value = 8.5 (even at full price, you’d pay more for a sandwich on the strip)
Overall experience = 7.5
1. Jambalaya (6.5)
2. Seared Salmon (6.0) (Dry and overcooked)
3. Cauliflower and cheese (6.5) (Overdone)
4. Backed Swordfish (6.5) (I can never seem to find decent fish in the desert)
5. Pot Stickers (7.0)
6. Black bean ribs (7.0)
7. Schezuan Beef (8.0) (Nice and tender)
8. Orange Chicken (7.0)
9. Pork Chow Mein (8.0) (That’s some darn good chow mein)
10. Egg roll (7.5)
11. Smoked Sausage (7.5)
12. Meat Loaf (6.5)
13. Cream of Turkey (8.5) (That’s some daing good soup)
14. Chicken Macha (7.0) (Never heard of a “macha†)
15. Beef Ribs (7.5)
16. Beef Brisket (7.0)
17. Beef Enchilada (7.0)
18. Rotelli and Spinach (6.5)
19. Ratatouille Vegetable (6.0)
20. Meat Lasagna (7.5)
21. Chile Verde con pollo (7.0)
22. Egg Foo Young (5.0)
23. Turkey Lorraine (6.5)
24. Bread Pudding with vanilla ice cream (7.5)
25. Apple Cobbler (7.5)
26. Pecan Pie (7.0)
With full tanks, we headed for downtown. Stopped off at the Plaza and picked up some cash back (+50) and played a few hands of 9/6 JOB 50 play (+5). Stopped off at LVC to pick up some cash back (+30). Stopped off at the El Cortez to pick up some cash back (+10) and to pick up some free ice cream and mini bottle of liquor. Stopped off at Binions to cycle a dollar (-1). Stopped off at Four Queens to cycle a dollar (-1). And that was it for downtown. That was a nice profitable trip.
We then headed off to the Cannery for some 5x play. First stop was the 8/5 Bonus 3 play (-270). I wasn’t getting dealt jack and I was pretty pissed off. Normally, the Cannery is reliable as an ATM machine. Not this time.
Time to head back to the Caesars DL for a quick bite. This works out great when you’re not hungry enough for a full meal, but need something just to cap you off. A brief note about the computers at Caesars DL. There always seems to be some low-life eccentrics who use them to play on-line poker and other games. Just ask the CW to remind them that there are people waiting to get on. They’ll get the hint. Why are they playing on-line poker anyhow in Las Vegas?... bunch of nerds.
Back to our respective home casinos to give them some more play. James had to play the 9/6 JOB at Caesars, and I headed straight for Bally’s 8/5 Bonus 5 play (+450). After hitting aces a few times, I was up a few hundred pretty quickly. Switched over to 9/5 DDB to take my chances. I was getting back close to even and then I got dealt quad 2’s! Held the deuces and got a kicker on only one of them! Dag nabit! Nevertheless, it was a cool $600 hit. I kept playing the DDB and quit while I was still ahead. Total CI for the day at Bally’s was 8330.
Another good day in paradise.
DAILY TOTALS
VP: +193
CASH BACK: +90
SLOTS: -2
MISC (Food, accommodations, gas, transportation, tips, etc): -2
TUESDAY, July 11 (Day 7)
Finally got a full 8 hours of sleep. Almost had to force myself to stay asleep. I think I may need some professional help with this problem. Since I’ll be checking out tomorrow, this was to be my last day of playing. I was supposed to stay until Thursday morning, but I messed up my reservations. I could have gotten another free room, but I was ready to go home.
Plans for the day included more 5 play VP at Bally’s and a trip to Le Village Buffet.
Started off on 5 play 8/5 Bonus at Bally’s (-400). There goes my previous day’s winnings. Damn! I hate it when that happens. Session CI = 5720. You wouldn’t believe how many times I was dealt 4 to a royal on this trip, as well as ending up with 4 to a royal on the draw. On 3 and 5 play, it’s that much more painful. Even with that royal I hit a few days ago, I’ve still got to be at least 5-10 royals in the red.
James came by later in the afternoon to do the Paris buffet.
PARIS – LE VILLAGE BUFFET (Standard Weekday Dinner):
Standard prices are $13 for breakfast, $18 for lunch, and a whopping $25 for standard dinners (-2). I had a $10 off coupon and James had a $20 voucher. I used points to cover the balance.
This is the first time at this buffet, and I was surprised to see how small it was. Size isn’t everything, right gals?
(10/10 is perfecto, 7 = good, 5 = edible, 3 = not fit for human consumption)
Atmosphere/layout/clientele = 8.0
Service = 8.0 (our waiter’s name was Andrew. What a sweet guy (Wham!))
Quality = 8.0
Selection = 7.5
Value = 5.0 (at full price, it’s NOT a very good deal at all)
Overall experience = 7.5
1. Seafood filled puffed pastry (6.0)
2. Steamed Clams (6.0) (Where are my tweezers?)
3. Prime Rib (8.5)
4. Spinach and Asiago Quiche (8.0)
5. Sole Dieppoise (7.5)
6. Roast Pork Loin (7.5)
7. Beef Bourguignon (8.0) (Good meat)
8. Salmon with Leek Fondue (7.0)
9. Fillet Medallions (8.5) (You can’t go wrong with Medallions)
10. Veal Marengo (6.0) (I forgot that I don’t like veal)
11. Pesto Farfalle (5.5)
12. Leg of Lamb (4.0) (that was nasty)
13. Roast Beef (6.5)
14. Creamed Spinach (6.5)
15. Alaskan King Crab Legs (7.0) (I’ve seen larger snow crab legs. What a joke!)
16. Penne pasta with Scallops and Shrimp (8.0) (hardly any scallops at all)
17. Sushi, variety (7.0) (The rice just wasn’t right, but presentation was ok. Weak wasabi)
18. Chicken Chasseur (6.5)
19. Tomato Provencale (6.0)
20. Corn Chowder (8.0) (Daing good soup)
21. Grilled Asparagus (8.0) (nice big stocks)
22. Chicken Coq Au Vin (6.5)
23. Chocolate mocha coffee moose thing (9.5) (I had 4 of these. They’re freakin tasty as hell)
After dinner, we headed off to check out the Aladdin before the major changes occur. It was fairly new the last time I was there. Boy, has it aged a lot in 6 years. The next time you go in there, take a look at the ceilings. They’re all blackened.
The next stop was Bellagio to relax and watch the MLB All Star game in their sports book. It’s a pretty small sports book.
Back to Paris/Bally’s for the gaming finale. Of course, I went straight for the 5 plays (+400). It took a while, but I went up pretty good on 8/5 bonus. Switched over to 9/5 DDB and started to give it all back. Whatever the case, I was determined to have a good time. After all, this is considered vacation. I was ready to call it a day and that’s when it hit. I held one single ace and the other 3 with a kicker shows up on line 5. Hell yeah. I played it down to be even for the day and got out of there with over 20k cycled for the day. This is easily my record CI for any single day. I went to look for a host to talk about discretionary comps. Met Temeka Colbert, who told me that she can’t do any discretionaries if I have points in my account. In fact, since the HET takeover, Temeka told me that she rarely comps table players at all. That’s just wrong.
On my way back to the room, I stopped at Napoleons Bar for about an hour to check out the dueling piano guys, David and James. They’re pretty talented.
DAILY TOTALS
VP: 0
MISC (Food, accommodations, gas, transportation, tips, etc): -2
WEDNESDAY, July 12 (Day 8)
No gaming today. I had a meet at Barbary Coast at 2pm and $25 free food to use up at El Cortez. We started off with lunch at the Elco coffee shop (-2). Believe it or not, it’s better than average coffee shop chow (better than The Luxor). We ate like kings with the $25 voucher. Also redeemed another set of coupons for free ice cream and mini liquor.
After lunch, we headed to BC for the Big Elvis meet. It was a bad idea to have a meet at the same time as a performance. It’s just too noisy and crowded. The following folks were in attendance:
1. Koala
2. Norm
3. Andrea
4. Tom T in WI
5. Yahtzee
6. Stungazed
7. ILuvToTravel
8. Carol in WI/LV
9. Jeff in WI/LV
10. Becky “Pocket Aces Princessâ€
I hit the road at 3:30 to avoid traffic and to get home to mow the lawn before it got dark. Trash day is Thursday. Thought you would like to know that.
GRAND TOTALS
VP: +1626
BJ: +10
CRAPS: -129
MISC (Cash back, food, accommodations, gas, transportation, non-gambling tips, etc): -42
BINGO: -5
SLOTS: -17
CASH BACK: +90
FREE GIFTS: Hardware Caddy (As seen on TV!!!), Stainless Pizza cutter/can opener/peeler/melon baller set, Colander and bowl, Tupperware set, 2 coolers, 2 leathermans (nice!), door/window alarm system (As seen on TV!!!), 8 piece slicer-dicer, 2 clip-on radios with headphones, cordless powered scissors, 2 coffee mugs, two 30 piece storage hook sets, a set of jumper cables, a bunch of toiletries, etc, etc..
GRAND TOTAL: $1509 NET GAIN
SUMMARY and FINAL THOUGHTS
- The whole Crapsfest atmosphere was dampened by the single table situation. That won’t happen next year.
- I finally found something somewhat playable on the strip; 3/5 play 8/5 Bonus.
- Free Wi-Fi can be found just about anywhere. You just need to be smart about it.
- Ate and played a lot. This was a well-deserved trip and the final results were favorable.
- It’s incredible how fast a week goes by in Vegas. There’s so much to do. Not sure if I want to do them all.
Thanks for reading.
God Bless America.
Mike
We're planning our 2nd trip this yr for late Sept. Right now we have res's at 