Author: Bobby Vegas

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“Dreams do come true in Vegas”

Bobby Vegas: Friends Don’t Let Friends Play Triple-Zero Roulette

People come to Vegas often wanting to fulfill a fantasy, such as winning a million, living the high life, or experiencing their favorite celebrity. Well, here’s mine.

Let’s dream big — like hanging out with superstar Bruno Mars in a posh bar and lounge he curated. One that feels like some luxe fantasy-penthouse sunken living room in the round, saturated with some out-of-this-world live and DJ music and then (heck, let’s go for broke) toss in dancing with Janelle Monae and her friends on an intimate carpeted dance floor.

Oh wait. I did that. On a Monday night no less. With a few close friends —
maybe a couple of hundred of them.

This is Vegas, baby! At. Its. Best.

Monday wasn’t just the day after the Super Bowl. It was opening night of Bruno’s ultra-lounge, the Pinky Ring, at Bellagio. And as a major Bruno fan, I had to be there. No matter what.

For those not in the know, “Pinky Ring” is from Mars’ iconic worldwide smash hit “24K Magic” and the now-unforgettable line, “Players, put your pinky rings up to the moon! Girls, what y’all tryna do?”

You can go rock with the Super Bowl champions and Marshmello. Fine with me. This, however, is my fantasy come true and as Bruno declared on Monday, “This is it! And you’re never gonna hear anything like the Hooligans. I’ve traveled all around the world with these guys and they are tight!”

No doubt.

I was shocked and incredibly excited to learn that Bruno Mars was going to bring his own personal style to a venue that’s so special and intimate, it’s hard to believe that the Master of 24K Magic was sitting a mere 30 feet away, while we mortals got down to some fantastic beats blasting out of his killer band.

The super-tight Hooligans run the gamut from jazz-infused funk jams to epic covers, from Curtis Mayfield and Michael Jackson to Motown classics or Cheryl Lynn’s “Got To Be Real.” And man, do they lay down the groove.

The pre-opening Saturday night was a private star-studded event with Janelle Monae singing “Tightrope” in a duet with Bruno, all while Lady Gaga, T Pain, and others rocked along.

Oh, did I mention all his Grammys are on display as you walk in?

Though there’s no guarantee Bruno will sing, he did two numbers on Monday, including Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It on.”

So beat feet to Bellagio and be sure you catch this stellar experience. The Hooligans are playing for two weeks, through Sunday the 25th. Other guests drop in, like Lady Gaga’s bandleader and horn player Brian Newman, sometimes even Bruno.

The Pinky Ring opens at 5 p.m. and closes at 2 a.m., 3 on the weekends. The music starts around 9. Arrive early for the great DJs and dancing, where you’ll find me. Tables for two or four go quickly. Seatings are for two hours and minimum spend is a ridiculously low $75 per person. And like his show, no phones or videos. What happens in the Pinky Ring stays in the Pinky Ring.

There’s some standing room only. And that, for now, is free.

Be there. You’ll never forget it.

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The Greatest Coupon I Never Used

Bobby Vegas: Friends Don’t Let Friends Play Triple-Zero Roulette

In Vegas, there is literally a coupon for everything.

Meanwhile, it’s been a great week for this scuffler.

I just discovered the hilarious Kristen Bell movie Queenpin, about two extreme couponers who sell stolen coupons on the web and make millions. Okay, they go to jail, but still … they totally capture the couponer zeitgeist.

Of course, this is the kind of thing that drives Anthony crazy and “ruins it for the rest of us.” Agreed. Last year, in one example of this, a bar released a coupon that was too good to be true. Anthony warned them it would be a problem and sadly, it’s not always fun being right.

Still, Queenpin is a very fun movie with the ever-perky Kristen Bell and a small part for Vince Vaughan, who just looks … tired.

Bringing it back around to Vegas, some buds were there for CES. One called, then said he’d get back to me after dinner; they were eating at some Gordon Ramsey place. I knew I wouldn’t hear from them again, being their big night in Vegas. I did receive a “Sorry, I’ll text you later.”

I replied, “Everyone’s drunk or getting there, you’re trying to decide what strip club to go to, and you’ve lost your buy-in twice at the tables. It’s okay, John — you’re in Vegas. Enjoy yourself.”

I was, not surprisingly, right on all fronts. But things really took off when his buddy’s wife said, “Let’s go see some titties.” Why couldn’t I have married a girl like that? You’ll find out in a hot minute.

Did you know lap dances at Sapphire are now like $300 for 15-20 minutes? Well, John Boy paid for three. No wonder Vegas is making so much money.

That reminds me of one of my only other strip club stories. I’m not a strip club guy, but a client demanded I take him to Spearmint Rhino. There, he proceeded to tell the girls he was a plastic surgeon from New York City, thinking of relocating to Vegas. He had a lot of interesting “interactions” with the ladies, asking him to evaluate their boob jobs.

And this, in a way, brings me all the way back to the greatest coupon I never used.

It was years ago and I saved it, but couldn’t find it when I was writing this post. I know it wasn’t from the Member Rewards Book. It might’ve been from American Casino Guide. Wherever it came from, it was for a free lap dance! No kidding.

I just love the absurdity of asking some lovely for a lap dance and handing her a coupon! OMG!

And that’s the beauty of … Well, there are many things about this concept that are beautiful. But really, if you look hard enough, in Vegas there’s a coupon for everything.

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Super Bowl Vegas update

Bobby Vegas: Friends Don’t Let Friends Play Triple-Zero Roulette

What I’ve learned? AFGE. AFGE? That’s “Another Effing Growth Experience.”

So we’re sitting at the bar at Circa last March and my client, a national sales manager, tells me my Encore Villa gig (see previous post) was the best corporate event in the company’s history.

I already knew that. I saved them $100,000 and launched their new EV-charger line, selling a million simoleons’ worth in 90 days. But I’m cool, so I say, “Let’s do it again. For the Super Bowl! Upstairs at Stadium Swim.

He’s cool too. “I’m in for fifty K.”

“Great!” (Lesson One: Stop talking after you close the deal.) And we go to dinner at Barry’s Prime.

Lesson Two: Get it in writing.

Lesson Three: Get my fee upfront.

A month before the event, he cancels.

Now, I’m a guy who grew up in very unstable environments, so I always have back-up plans. Yes, plural: sometimes back-up plans to my back-up plans.

So it was good I’d made a completely separate set of reservations and, since I’d been greasing palms, I flip the deposit. Phew. But wait! What?

My casino host quit? Ruh roh.

Okay, but are my reservations still good? Yes? Pass the CBD, please.

See, I still have a dozen folks flying in and those rooms I booked last August? They’re gold today, literally half-price for Super Bowl weekend. Should I have resold the cancels? Hmm.

Then the corporate guys are on the fence. “Well, we might go.”

Lesson Four: Bang head on desk. Repeatedly. ’Til numb.)

“Wait. The other sales manager is going and he wants two extra rooms.”

Oh! The ones I cancelled because of you? ARGHHH.

Well, it’s a good thing I’m on a first-name basis with the entire reservations department, so I take three back and they give me my original rate. How good? $875 for Super Bowl weekend Downtown Grand Gallery Tower kings, Friday through Monday, taxes and resort fee included. Today those rooms are $1,600. And I still have 11 reservations.

And did I mention that I employed my Super Bowl futures strategy? (Lesson Five: Hedging is a good bet.) I’ve won on the Super Bowl three years in a row (Bucs, Rams, Chiefs). I expected to blow this year, but guess what? Even though I had the Lions and Ravens, I’m still carrying the 49ers and am a 100% Brock Purdy fan. I am, however, nervous about the Taylor Swift effect and the very dangerous Chiefs juggernaut. Well … we’ll see.

To be continued …

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Bobby Vegas: What to do while waiting for your MRB

Bobby Vegas: What to do while waiting for your MRB

If you’re an LVA MRB coupon-crazed scuffler like me, you’re probably chomping at the bit waiting for this year’s coupon book, which will be available in a couple of weeks.

Most of us don’t have a problem with the delay early in the year. Myself, I was in Vegas in December (and gave away my unused coupons to a bartender at Downtown Grand). I won’t return until the Super Bowl in February.

But what about those of you coming between now and when the books arrive? Hang on, Uncle Bobby’s gonna give you some ideas to keep you scuffling, munching high or low, whatever your taste.

First up are the good folks at American Casino Guide, who’ve gotten their 2024 online coupons out, so you can snag them right now. They’re a great complement (did someone say “stacking”?) to the MRB and my fave is the Downtown Grand matchplay!

Here’s the ACG link.

ACG has 14 Vegas coupons, including a 2-for-1 burger at Binion’s, 2-for-1 entree at Four Queens’ Magnolia (I get two entrees and take the second for a snack), and a discount at the Mob Museum. (See if you can find the Speakeasy bar. Easey peasy.)

Also big money! Use Jean Scott’s Southwest boarding-pass matchplay strategy at
Golden Gate and the D. “Mention Mike” at Circa for another. They’ll give you either a $50 coupon or two $25 matchplay chips.

At El Cortez, you can also get a matchplay; it’s less money, but you get some slot free play and a free drink.

That’s five totaling over $200 with an EV of over $100. Nice!

Heck, there are so many sign-up opportunities on Fremont. Vegas virgins can do those now and when the MRB comes out and you’re coming back in town (you are coming back to Vegas more than once this year, right?) you can do them too.

Then there’s the Plaza’s slot tournaments every Wed., Thur., and Fri. and the Downtown Grand’s Thur. VP and BJ tournaments. So many casinos, so little time.

Still looking for something to do? Wander over to the Arts District downtown and all the cool antique, clothes, and knickknack shops, brewpubs, and even the Gamblers Book Store. Or head past El Cortez to some cool bars like Container Park, Atomic Liquor, and the Pirate bar.

There’s even a great vinyl shop down Fremont. Yes, vinyl is cool again. Are you?

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At the Rainbow, a Pot of VP Gold

Giving Good Gamble

I was in town for my annual December Golden Week trip — though it was more dirty brown and dusty, as Golden Week follows the NFR when the 100,000 cowboys leave town. I was there for the last few days of cowboy hats and everything country.

In conversation with Jean Scott, I realized I’d completely forgotten to do all the Fremont matchplays using my Southwest ticket, but I’ll be back for Super Bowl in six weeks, so I’ll have another shot then. Can’t get enough matchplays!

It was a really great trip. Final tally: up more than $1,200 in cash, $200 in comps, some gifts, and free meals for five days. Winner winner steaks for dinner.

It was all about video poker. I won at the Four Queens and Rainbow, lost money at the Downtown Grand, and crashed and burned at the Thursday VP tournament there. I saw a royal flush and high 4-of-a-kind with a kicker — just not on my machine. This seems to be a theme, but I still love the DTG, now comping me a minimum of two free nights a month; my six-night stay there, including the last weekend of NFR, ran $240. Total. Parking is free and the Grand is super convenient.

Then I rented a car, as I practically lived out at Rainbow, eating for free there and winning, winning, and winning. I started asking myself, how long can this go on? More on that.

The car cost $250, including with gas. Since I left with more than five times that, most won at the Rainbow, it was well worth it.

I was on a free Southwest flight on points. I used my Southwest card for an A1-15 upgrade and was reimbursed. I love getting that seat in the emergency row with no seat in front of me, what I call Southwest first class.

Then I found a progressive that I analyzed it using my handy-dandy Frugal VP Scouting Guide. When I reviewed the return, plus the value of the progressive, it was at 100%! I played it exclusively during the 25x-point periods, adding 2.5%, earning me oodles of comps and some gifts; I was eating so much at the Triple B diner, I got chummy with the waitresses. Hi, Janelle.

All that said … sigh … It seems my lot in life is to rarely hit a royal. I really tried, at one point investing $800 of my winnings (applying the Kelly Criterion and using 50% of my bank). Still, though I’m bereft of the royals, man! I seem to be king of 4-of-a-kind, hitting two for $600, two at $250, two more at the Four Queens, and a straight flush for way over $2,200 in winnings. Between my “investing” $800 and some of the inevitable bleed, I still left up $1,200-plus in cash.

And that’s what I call a good trip.

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Let’s Go on a Fremont Street Coupon Run! Part 2

Book the Super Bowl NOW

My last post was Part 1 to the coupon run. All the information in this post is as of late November.

There are more opportunities than I can cover in this post. Please read the expanded version on my website.

Again, I highly recommend www.VPFree2.com for finding the location of the best video poker at each casino.

I also strongly encourage you to run through your free play first. Play 9/6 Jacks or Better, cash out (EV $9.95/typical $9.75), then use that money to partially fund your matchplay.

Okay, here we go!

Plaza
Signup bonuses: $5-$50 free play, $10 matchplay
MRB coupons: $10 free play, $25 matchplay
The Plaza has good VP, single-zero roulette. and 3-2 BJ, a $10 slot tournament with a $750 first prize (Wed., Thurs., Fri. at 10 a.m., noon, and 2 and 4 p.m., up to 4 entries).

Golden Gate
MRB: $25 matchplay (and 2-1 on blackjacks)
Signup bonus

Circa
Circa is cool, but very loud, and the games aren’t great. If you haven’t, check out the amazing sports book and come back late to use the MRB coupon up at the Legacy Club.

Binion’s
The million-dollar display is back; get your free photo in front of the display, and a free spin for coupons at the door.
MRB: 2-for-1 at Binion’s Café or 25% off at Top of Binion’s Steakhouse

Golden Nugget

Though the GN is cool and has a great pool, the gambling is crummy (triple-zero roulette, for one). The signup bonus awards between $5 and $1,000 in free play.

Four Queens
Four stars: Gives Good Gamble
My second favorite downtown casino — cool, old school, great comps and cashback.
MRB: $10 free play and 2-for-1 at Magnolia’s coffee shop
Excellent video poker (100.17% DB, 9/6 JOB)
Earn 500 points and get $30 free play and $30 comps.
VIP Note: This is a positive EV play using 9/6 JOB or DDB (details at www.BobbyVegas.com).

Downtown Grand
Five stars: Gives Good Gamble
Signup: $10 free play, $50 matchplay
MRB $5-$50 and $50 matchplays; $25 off $100 bill at Triple George
American Casino Guide $50 matchplay (you can use only one or two matchplays per day)
Hotel check-in: $50 matchplay
VP Progressive at Furnace Bar: positive EV at $1,944 (4-of-a-kind lowers it more)
Tournaments: Tues. and Wed. slots; Thursday blackjack and video poker

Bar: Joe’s special $3.50 Evan Williams Bourbon and Pabst Blue Ribbon; $2 dogs
Food specials: prime rib at Freedom Beat ($15 with 25 points earned, $50 coin-in on VP); lunch special at Triple George or MRB dinner coupon; Pizza Rock is excellent.

Fremont
Craps specials
Lanai Express: $2 shrimp cocktail

The D
MRB: $25 matchplay; 2-for-1 Coney dog

El Cortez
Signup: $10-$100 free play, matchplays, etc.
MRB: 2-for-1 at Siegel’s (or Super Siegels Wed. senior 50% off)
The good video poker is gone, but if you like coins, play the real coin-in machines in the front and the back room behind Siegels

So? How did you do on your coupon run? Best monthly win gets a free Bobby Vegas T-shirt! Email me [email protected].

Now head back to Circa for free Champagne for two at the Legacy Club and to see 1,000 ounces of gold and a killer 60th-floor rooftop view.

Thanks for playing.

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Prepping for the Fabulous Fremont Coupon Run

Book the Super Bowl NOW

Scufflers, advantage couponers! Sharpen your … oh heck, no one uses pencils anymore. But now that it’s the end of the year, those coupons are expiring. So let use ’em! Never forget, a coupon is money in another form — until you cash it. Then it’s real money, your money, money in your pocket.

Why are coupons important? Time is money. And time is most often your enemy when gambling. Using coupons allows you to play on their dime as much as possible. That’s the why of a coupon run. It’s gaming the game, tilting the odds, squeezing as much good gamble out of your time as possible. And winning is much more fun than losing.

This will be a multi-part presentation consisting of the 6 P’s: Proper Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance (actually, that’s a guiding principle for every great gaming trip) and eight tools:

  1. LVA’s Member Rewards Book (MRB)
  2. other coupons (ACG, etc.)
  3. www.VPfree2.com (very strong VIP tool)
  4. swag bag (like Zack G in Hangover, “It’s a satchel”)
  5. bankroll (cash no cards)
  6. Frugal Video Poker Scouting Guide by Jean Scott
  7. pocket notebook and pen
  8. good shoes

Then I’ll review exactly where to go and what to do and give you my personal Gives Good Gamble awards for best Fremont casino.

We can start from either end (the Plaza or El Cortez) of Fremont, though I prefer starting at the Plaza and you’ll see why.

First, a word about the MRB. For years, I tore out the Vegas coupon section of the American Casino Guide and grumble, as the MRB’s slim profile was so easy to slip in a pocket. Since the printed ACG book is no more, LVA’s MRB is our big play.

I’d also like to give a shoutout to www.WizardofOdds.com. Whenever I have a question about a game I can’t answer, particularly strategy, Michael Shackleford is king.

To prepare, always visit the casino websites at least two and preferably four weeks before you go on your trip. Sign up for a players card if allowed and to receive their newsletter. Also look for special events, slot and VP tournaments, and point promos for the dates of your stay. These are huge additions to your coupon run.

Stay tuned for the coupon run and Gives Good Gamble awards.

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I Don’t Like To Gamble

Bobby Vegas: Friends Don’t Let Friends Play Triple-Zero Roulette

A gambler is in it for being in action. The risk, the thrill, the roll of the dice, the turn of a card where fate is suspended and luck hopefully prevails.

Me, I don’t like to gamble. I like to win money. Those are completely different desires and goals.

I like researching new opportunities, practicing games, learning to play correctly or even bringing my strategy cards. I like building my gambling bank from different strategies at home and from earned funds in Vegas. When I don’t know the answer, I like to contemplate and figure it out. That’s why I like VP. I can stop and start when I want. It’s not a fastest-wins game.

When I come to town on a free flight earned with points and stay in a nice resort-casino at a very low rate or on a comp, I’m already ahead $750 to $1,000.

My average out of pocket for a five-day stay is $500 to $750. And that includes airfare, rental car, hotel room, restaurant meals, a show or two, and 20 to 30 hours of advantage play.

I like to learn, plan, and take advantage of all edges — coupons, come-back offers, sign-up bonuses, bonus-points play, etc. I execute, analyze and adjust. I set win goals and loss limits. When I win it’s satisfying, a confirmation. When I lose, I either examine my play or stop.

Attitude and intention are everything. If you come to Las Vegas expecting to lose, you will. If you play to win you have a better than average chance of doing just that.

And the proof is in the wallets of you, me, and legends like Bob Dancer, Jean Scott, Anthony Curtis, and many more.

I was once told, “If you want what I have, do as I do.”

And if in the end you don’t win, you’ve had a great time and spent a quarter of what others did.

As we head into the end of the year when all those juicy LVA MRB coupons expire, I’m going to focus on ways to maximize their value in play and outline one of my favorite plays, the Fremont Street coupon run, the chance to hit as many casinos as possible in a few hours and walk away with a pile of cash. It will take more than one blog post to cover the whole run, as well as the techniques used, so hang in here. I also have a lovely Christmas coupon-karma story to end the year.

Finally, here’s to Jean Scott, who’s decided after a legendary run to step back. I in no way feel I’m filling her shoes, but I sure am grateful to be following in her footsteps. Happy trails, Jean!

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Is That F1 or FU?

Giving Good Gamble

“If you build it, they will come.”

So whispered the voices of Shoeless Joe Jackson and the other baseball players in the baseball diamond in the sky (in Field of Dreams), and come they did. But that was the movies.

This is Vegas. Build it they did. And boy, did we come.

And for decades, Vegas has created one more outrageous chart-topping spectacle after another: stars, tigers, stars with tigers, volcanos, pyramids, dancing fountains, the Eiffel Tower, jumping off 1,000-foot-tall buildings, shooting machine guns, men and women in all states of undress, $10,000 drinks, magicians, Allegiant, and now … Formula 1.

My only question is, have they gone too far this time? Did they maybe bite off more than we could chew, let alone swallow?

Well, they sure fouled up the traffic and for an auto-race event, that seems … kind of auspicious, just not in a good way.

Okay, forget for a moment the incredible disruption to anything near the Strip for the past months and look, I was excited too! I mean, did you see the movie Grand Turismo? On IMAX? I did. Amazing. Incredible race action, the camera work is Oscar worthy. Incredible true story, too, about a young gamer, the best in the world, who becomes an F1 driver and places third at LeMans in his first year.

And maybe $30 with the popcorn.

But today from Vegas, I got an offer for a free room at the Mirage during F1. Wow!

Wait. What? I need to buy two $4,000 (plus “fees”) tickets to the Mirage F1 VIP experience to get my “free” room? Um … I’ll pass. In the slow lane.

Sometimes even Vegas overestimates the disposable income of a large group of people. There is a word for this: “greed.”

Yes, I want to see F1, but you won’t find me ponying up $10K for a weekend. And I don’t know about you, but to me, it seems like the rush to be a part of this history isn’t exactly roaring down Las Vegas Boulevard. In fact, we’re stuck in traffic for an hour on the Strip while they try to construct the track and grandstands so they can drive hundreds of miles an hour. A double order of irony, anyone?

Really, F1, I wish you well. I hope I’m wrong and once again you’ve found another spectacle to draw in the folks. Well, maybe not “ folks,” but like the type of people for whom spending $10,000 on a weekend is no big deal. But excuse me if I add that the Sphere, the one that’s not rolling or going anywhere, has got you beat. By a mile. By a mile.

Sphere: Five Stars.

F1: TBD.