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Question of the Day — 11 Oct 2019

Who are Candy Wright and Kevin Lewis? I always look forward to their comments.

We do too! Thanks for the recognition of two of our most frequent and colorful contributors. It was fun reaching out to both to hear what they have to say about themselves. 

Here you go.

Candy:

I'm a retired RN from Arkansas and have been a Las Vegas visitor since 1987, first staying at the original Aladdin. Around that time, I saw an ad for the Las Vegas Advisor while playing slots at the Sands. A friend and I split the cost of a subscription, only the paper version being available at the time (and six pages at that!). 

I also recall being able to hit every casino on the Strip in one afternoon, walking, from Vegas World to the Hacienda, once in a heavy sandstorm! That was when max coin for slots was five for nickels, three for quarters. Only Little Caesars had a penny machine, with 80 pennies being the jackpot. My first handpay jackpot occurred at the Dunes, $300 -- a fortune! 

A favorite tour memory is of an airship (blimp) flight over Las Vegas, October 14, 2000, a birthday gift for my husband. Shortly afterward, this was discontinued, and as far as I know never reinstated. I still have the commemorative certificate (Airship Tours). Glad I caught it while it ran. Hoover Dam and the raft trip down Black Canyon come in a close second.

A favorite Vegas celeb sighting occurred while playing blackjack at Bellagio. A sudden hubbub of voices arose. I didn't see it (my back to it), but the dealer said, "James Woods just walked through." OK. Well, next day at a video poker bank, the guy next to me was being a little chatty, nothing big, just friendly conversation. I finally noticed it was James Woods! I didn't go all crazed-fan on him, though. He wasn't having luck on his machine, so I suggested he switch to DB. He immediately hit four aces for $800. He jumped up and hugged me big time. I didn't tell him that I recognized him. I should have said I liked him as the sleazy Lester Diamond in Casino.  

Speaking of movies, my favorite gambling-themed movie (of many), is A Big Hand for the Little Lady. 

I admit that I'm a confirmed Strip snob, which I blame on my husband, who dragged me from the video poker pit at Harrah’s to “come and see” Lake Como being hulled out for the new Bellagio. In addition to slots and VP, I like blackjack. I also love to read everyone’s Trip Reports and enjoy lively "conversations" in response to QODs, the forums, and blogs. 

Regarding the kitchen sink, I'm not much of a political animal and don't claim a position on either side of the aisle, though like driving by a wreck on the highway, I just have to look and occasionally comment. I enjoy the lighter side of things, because life is too short to be mad all the time.  

Which brings us to Kevin:

I was an advantage player in the late '80s and all of the '90s: first blackjack, then video poker. I lived in Vegas for most of that time. I sold my house and left Vegas in 2005, when I perceived that advantage play was drying up (especially video poker), the housing market in Vegas (and everywhere else) was about to implode, and the Dubya recession was coming. All that came to pass, unfortunately.
 
I'm now a seasonal visitor to Vegas rather than a resident. Many people have remarked how "negative" I am about Vegas. Well, that's because I was here when Vegas was a fantastic place to live in and visit. It's now turned into one giant ripoff -- but the skills I learned during my advantage-play years can still be used to sniff out bargains and make my time here essentially free of charge. LVA definitely helps with that!
 
My politics are also well known and I'm similarly unapologetic about them. I believe in universal health care, aggressive initiatives to mitigate climate change, and a restructuring of the system to address rampant economic inequality. (And yeah, I loathe Trump, but who doesn't?) That makes me a moderate on most of the West Coast, but a flaming leftist in Vegas, which is yet another reason why I no longer live there. But I still like to go to buffets. :)

 

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