Circa ! Hand pay ! Pics !

I couldn't let my MRB/ACG coupons go to waste.   Thats against the law or something !   And I wanted to give a little love to my favorite places in Vegas by throwing some money their way - so off I went.

This was the security line at the Indianapolis Airport on a Saturday afternoon.    My plane ended up being about 1/3 full.   

My main residence in town was the Holiday Inn Vacation Club timeshare property..its located on Koval right behind the big Ferris Wheel.        They give you a nice little kitchen, living room, balcony, and full size washer/dryer right in the unit.   I've learned to apprecitate throwing a load of laundry in before leaving ...its not alot of work and makes packing a whole lot easier.

I also had some comped rooms /offers at El Cortez and Stratosphere which I utilized.

Next stop:  Circa !

Downtown's newest addition owned by the same people who run The D.    If you did not know that already you would within 30 seconds of walking inside Circa because that exactly what it is:  a newer, nicer, bigger version of The D.     

The D has a big long bar with giant TV's playing sports with Rave music in the background.   Circa has an even longer bar with even bigger TV's playing sports with Rave music in the background.   The highlight is a massive screen on par with the one at Westgate which offers multiple seating levels.    I went there to watch Thursday Night football...but so did everyone else.   Good seats were hard to come by and I wasn't able to hear the game because of the Rave music.    I ended up going back to El COrtez where I had the entire parlor bar to myself with the game on a 70 in screen and $5 margaritas.

Circa's long bar

The big screen 

There are three eateries at Circa - none of which are bargain diners.    They have an elevated burger joint, a NY deli, and a steak house.   I went to the deli and got a Reuben, chips, pickle, and soft drink.   Total price with tax :   $28.      Make no mistake it was an awesome sandwich - just not awesome enough to rationalize $28.     To put that in perspective thats 3 steak dinners at Ellis Island.

My $28 sandwich

overall impression of Circa:

I was underwhelmed.     They need to figure out who their clientele is.  I thinik they want to be a classy joint but their main crowd is men  wearing football jerseys drinking Buds.    There was a large crowd at Crica but most of them were only spending money to buy beers and watch the game.   It should concern Circa that El COrtez literally had 3X as many people playing machings and tables.   Circa has two floors of gaming with a table pit on each level.   The lower level was sparsely populatred with players and the second level had no players.    Machines were largely taken up by people trying to watch the game(s) and not playing.

I also question the stadium swim concept.    The biggest draw to the sports book is winter sports.  And even though the pools are heated - the air is not.    WHo wants to sit in the pool and watch FOotball in December?     And the SUmmer months only offer baseball - and thats just not a big draw.    I guess we'll see how it works out.    

Final criticism - put the volume on for the games instead of the Rave party.    That goes for the D too.    The sports fans want to hear the play by play - not the latest single from Kanye West.

Some other random Notes from the trip:

Ellis Island has the egg nog this time of year - but unlike previous years they did not allow me to use my MRB coupon to get one.    Nor would they allow my VP play at the bar to comp one.   I had to pay $7.    Thats a big, fat bummer !

Also go the steak dinner (of course).

The Strip was hurting for customers.    SOme places had an OK crowd....other places were a complete tomb.  Harrahs has a fair number of people while accross the streeet at the Mirage it was empty.       I got some fish-n-chips at GOrdon Ramsay's place near the Linq.  It was good...not amazing.  Its not really easy to elevate fish-n-chips.

You know who is not hurting for customers?  The locals joints.     I made the rounds to a whole bunch of places that were all jam-packed:  Boulder Station, AZ Charlies Decatur, Sunset Station, Rampart, Gold Coast, Orleans, Jerry's Nugget.     For the life of me I dont understand why Texas Station and the Palms are closed.     Look at the parking lot at GOld Coast below....you mean to tell me the Palms across the street doesn't think they can draw a crowd?

Slot Lady was filming at El Cortez all week.  I bumped into her at the Cashier and said hi.    And I took this stalker picture of her playing three-card poker.

The cosmo buffet is the only one open on the strip.  They onyl do breakfast/brunch.    You walk up and down the line and point to the little Ramakin of whatever it is you want and one of 30 attendants grabs it for you and puts it on your plate.     The result looks like below.    Its hard to get your $39 worth of eggs and bacon but you cant go to Vegas without getting a buffet..

Thanks for your TR, specificly info on Circa, it has caused our comp nights at The D to go from 6 nights 2019 & before   to 2 in 2021, time to explore other alternatives, but thanks to The D for past comps. VIVA LAS VEGAS

My wins ....all and all I did pretty well this trip.   After an abysmal record with my matchplay coupons for the last 3 years I had about an 80% success rate with them this year.   I was due !

This one was only $200 bucks but I got it while waiting for the hotel checkin line at El Cortez to die down.     Not bad for a two dollar bet.   "Its one-a-dem Money STorms !   A bigun too !"

This one was a little nicer.....

But my biggest hit came at McCarren Airport as Vegas gave me a big kiss goodbye.    Its become a tradition for me to drop a Benhamin at my departing gate ever since my mother hit a $500 win doing the same 5 years ago.   SHe was onto something there..    Buffalo !!!!      I almost missed my flight waiting for the handpay.

Thaks for reading.  Happy trails !

Wow, what a finish. Super

Circa strikes me as a ripoff joint that's trying to be something it never can be. The food prices in particular seem utterly ludicrous. VP is reportedly mostly very lousy, table minimums sky-high for downtown, and room rates through the roof. Also, is it true that you can't just walk into the sports book and have a seat--you have to pay for the privilege?

It's also a huge disappointment that the garbage music is so constant and so loud. I've stayed away from the D for that reason. Now, you can apparently be "D"eafened at Circa as well. Whee!

Strange that the locals' casinos are hopping. I guess living in Vegas confers immunity to Covid...? Anyway, thanks for the report. Nice wins, and awesome digs at the timeshare!

Wow. Great airport win!   Thanks for the details.

Good for you on your decision to do the game at The El Cortez!

The D and Circa? I don't think so.The tunes are too loud for me as well. It takes energy to fight off that audio assault.,PJ.

  I'll still buy that sandwich at Saginaw's. HOLD the pickle.Strip prices,geez!

Thanks, Derek.

I'm always hungry, but don't realize it.

Fantastic Mc Carran win!!!

No doubt you will continue the tradition of playing a C-note through that (or a) machine at McCarran!  Good job...congrats!   Excellent report.  Makes me feel less guilty if/when I don't make it to Circa any time soon to check it out.  Thanks for the TR.

Candy