Hit ‘em All Nevada – Day 27
There are some nights I’m sleeping 10 hours and some nights (like last night), five is all there are going to be. I woke up a 3 AM and it didn’t matter what I did, I couldn’t get myself back to sleep. So, after watching some TV and getting updated on the silliness in Washington and the NFL agreement, I read for a good hour or so and finally got started on the day.
I’ll take a moment and answer some LVA member questions. Sarge06. Excluding Las Vegas or Laughlin, I’d say my favorite gaming place is Blackhawk, CO which Terry (dorianmac) has been kind enough to take me now twice. As long as it’s not winter, I really like it up there. However, when I took my National Casino Run last year, I was very upset that I couldn’t stay longer in Maine. There’s no question in my mind that I’d like to return and stay two or three weeks exploring that state—in the summer, of course. Favorite Las Vegas meal is a slam dunk for me (everyone has their preferences). I love the Jack Daniels BBQ Ribs at Roberta’s (now called, The Flame Steakhouse) at the El Cortez Hotel. Because I’m on these trips alone, I rarely eat in restaurants preferring to just have a meal in my room watching TV. I will occasionally have a buffet (when it’s free) or a café breakfast.
The place I’d say I’m most impressed with is the Station Casinos. Of course, there are swankier hotels and more luxurious digs all over town. But when it comes down to everything that I’m looking for in a stay, the Station properties (Red Rock, Aliante, Texas, Sunset, ect) not only give the gambler a good shot with their banks of full pay video schedules, but these places are like little cities. There are movie theaters, excellent restaurants and food courts, bowling alleys, Kids’ Quest, and excellent customer service. If I gave an overall Gold Star, it would be the Stations’ properties.
So why don’t I change my Caesar’s play (where I’ve maintained Diamond status for the past three years) and give it to Stations? Their one fault is that their slot club is too random. You never really know where you stand and quite honestly, they simply don’t give me room offers, even with some serious play. I know that other LVA members have experienced just the opposite, but for whatever reason, they just don’t like me.
Took this during my drive today...just thought it was cool pic heading into downtown on Freemont
Okay, back to the journal. I drove down Sunset to find Barley’s Casino and Microbrewery. . This is a nice little microbrewery that’s been here long before microbreweries were on every street corner. At one time they were a full service casino with craps and blackjack tables; however, like most of these smaller places, it just became too expensive to keep full time dealers on staff. For a long time, the offered a free personal pizza with a LVA coupon, but that also has fallen to the wayside. With no virtual blackjack dealer, I had to settle for the dollar video machine and played on hand of blackjack for $10. I lost. I did play LOTR and hit a great Prancing Pony Bonus for $62, so all’s well that ends well.
Barleys Casino and Brewery on Sunset in Henderson
I drove the rest of the way down Sunset, past Sunset Station to the Starbucks that I’ve been to a hundred times posting trips reports over the years. I mentioned a couple of weeks ago about an interview that was going on. Well, this morning there was not one, but two interviews going on at the same time in different corners and four people sitting around waiting next to be interviewed. Don’t these businesses have offices?
After filling up at Costco and stopping in to grab some long pants (all I brought was shorts and jeans and I thought I should dress a little nicer at the Celine Dion concert). This weekend promises to be a bit hectic. Not only are my friends Terry and Louise coming in and the concert to go to, but my sister and her family are arriving on Friday night and also the East Coast Las Vegas Advisor (ECLVA) gang will be coming in for the annual Mattress Poker Tournament. I’m glad I’ll have finished the casino search.
I headed now back to North Las Vegas past Jerry’s and the Silver Nugget because I had missed a couple of casinos down that way. The first was the Opera House casino. This is a very small slot joint and another that offers $1 beers, so the bar was busy with those who come in and squat for hours watching TV and drinking the cheap beer. Just why this is called the Opera House is a mystery. I was going to ask the lady tending bar, but she didn’t appear to be in any mood to be bothered. One again, I found a blackjack video and played my $10, and again, I lost it. However, I did win that money back when I played an old favorite, a Pharaohs penny machine and caught a bonus and I cashed out $30.
Opera House in North Las Vegas
Down the street a piece is the Poker Palace. I have visited this place in the past many years ago when I was just driving around. It’s a classic local’s hangout with a nice little restaurant and bar. There’s also a sportsbook that looks like the old days with all the horse race information is written by hand on sliding boards. There was a blackjack table here, but it was closed. However, they also had a virtual blackjack machine here. Unfortunately, there was the dude with a tux instead of the buxom lady dealer and sucked my money up with his 20 over my 18.
Poker Palace in North Las Vegas
I continued driving east on Las Vegas Blvd. I wonder if most people are aware that this street stretches much, much further than you might know. It goes all the way past the air force base and into the mountains. I didn’t venture that far but did turn on Nellis and headed back into Henderson. I stopped at an Arco that also had a car wash. I haven’t had a wash since I left home almost a month ago and all the driving through the desert left a thin cake of dirt and dust on the car just begging for someone to write “wash me” and the back window.
With my clean Saturn Vue I drove up Charleston and then over to Sahara and onto the Palace Station Hotel and Casino. This is the first and still the headquarters of the Station Casinos. It’s the oldest of their properties, but they do a good job of keeping it looking new and fresh. For the longest time, smoke was a big problem here because like many of the older casinos, the ceilings were built low. However, they’ve installed a much better ventilation system. I played my blackjack bet and this time I won.
It was still early in the afternoon, so I had plenty of time and thought I’d try to get my quad-less drought over and sat down at a single line bonus poker machine. Though I finally did get a quad (four 6s were dealt to me), I still had a very bad run and lost a hundred. I then tried to catch fire with the Triple Deuces—a bad idea because I lost again. Finally, I sat down at the Lord of the Rings machine. The first machine ate up $40 without as much as one power spin. I switched to another, and this one gave me a few very nice hits and bonuses so I cashed out a nice comeback win.
Palace Station was one of the first places to install an Oyster Bar (they’ve since become all the rage). I hadn’t eaten much today so I sat down and enjoyed a wonderful bowl of Manhattan clam chowder. On the way out I made the mistake of playing a Buffalo game. Since those two monster hits in Mesquite, this game has been a big zero, and this one was again. It’s time to swear off this game.
Palace Station off the I-15 on Sahara in Las Vegas
As I’m driving back I’m thinking that there are only two casinos left: The Rio and South Point. A reader did mention Danny’s Slots on Boulder, but that’s a slot house in the most strict sense of the word—a barn with only slot machines, and poor ones at that. How I managed to avoid the Rio this late in the game escapes me so I pulled into the parking garage. I’ve stayed at the Rio many, many times. It’s pretty much the same place it’s always been. However, I remember my last time here when I reported they had just opened a very different kind of Burger King called The Whopper Bar where you order your burger and then like a line at a Subway, you have them put whatever ingredients you want on it. The burgers are also more in line with a gourmet burger place with some exotic cuts. Anyway, I promised to get a pic this time around.
Have it your way
I played my blackjack bet and won again (2-3 for the day) and decided to go up to the Diamond Lounge for a drink and watch a ballgame for a few minutes. The DL here is located in the High Limit Slot area and after you show your diamond card and ID, you take a dedicated elevator up to the lounge. It’s a nice lounge with plenty of large screen TVs. I was too late for any of the hot food items (hot food is only served with a one hour window 5 to 6 PM—come on!). I did enjoy a cold drink and watched the Red Sox embarrass Kansas City. I headed back down to the casino and made the mistake of playing single line video poker again. I know it’s just a matter of time before things turn around, but these slumps can get ugly, and this one did as well with another long quad-less session leading to another loss. I feel like this trip has been an episode of Seinfeld, and I’m living in Bazzaro World. Most of my winnings have been with penny machines and most my losses have been with video poker.
The Rio
Entrance to the Diamond Lounge at the Rio
The Masquarade Village Casino area
It was getting late so I began heading back to the Silverton to call it a night. The only casino left in my Hit ‘em All Nevada is the South Point Hotel and Casino, which also just happens to be the next place I’m checking into tomorrow.
Trip Totals: Casinos visited 179; bets balance +$98
More tomorrow
There are some nights I’m sleeping 10 hours and some nights (like last night), five is all there are going to be. I woke up a 3 AM and it didn’t matter what I did, I couldn’t get myself back to sleep. So, after watching some TV and getting updated on the silliness in Washington and the NFL agreement, I read for a good hour or so and finally got started on the day.
I’ll take a moment and answer some LVA member questions. Sarge06. Excluding Las Vegas or Laughlin, I’d say my favorite gaming place is Blackhawk, CO which Terry (dorianmac) has been kind enough to take me now twice. As long as it’s not winter, I really like it up there. However, when I took my National Casino Run last year, I was very upset that I couldn’t stay longer in Maine. There’s no question in my mind that I’d like to return and stay two or three weeks exploring that state—in the summer, of course. Favorite Las Vegas meal is a slam dunk for me (everyone has their preferences). I love the Jack Daniels BBQ Ribs at Roberta’s (now called, The Flame Steakhouse) at the El Cortez Hotel. Because I’m on these trips alone, I rarely eat in restaurants preferring to just have a meal in my room watching TV. I will occasionally have a buffet (when it’s free) or a café breakfast.
The place I’d say I’m most impressed with is the Station Casinos. Of course, there are swankier hotels and more luxurious digs all over town. But when it comes down to everything that I’m looking for in a stay, the Station properties (Red Rock, Aliante, Texas, Sunset, ect) not only give the gambler a good shot with their banks of full pay video schedules, but these places are like little cities. There are movie theaters, excellent restaurants and food courts, bowling alleys, Kids’ Quest, and excellent customer service. If I gave an overall Gold Star, it would be the Stations’ properties.
So why don’t I change my Caesar’s play (where I’ve maintained Diamond status for the past three years) and give it to Stations? Their one fault is that their slot club is too random. You never really know where you stand and quite honestly, they simply don’t give me room offers, even with some serious play. I know that other LVA members have experienced just the opposite, but for whatever reason, they just don’t like me.
Took this during my drive today...just thought it was cool pic heading into downtown on Freemont
Okay, back to the journal. I drove down Sunset to find Barley’s Casino and Microbrewery. . This is a nice little microbrewery that’s been here long before microbreweries were on every street corner. At one time they were a full service casino with craps and blackjack tables; however, like most of these smaller places, it just became too expensive to keep full time dealers on staff. For a long time, the offered a free personal pizza with a LVA coupon, but that also has fallen to the wayside. With no virtual blackjack dealer, I had to settle for the dollar video machine and played on hand of blackjack for $10. I lost. I did play LOTR and hit a great Prancing Pony Bonus for $62, so all’s well that ends well.
Barleys Casino and Brewery on Sunset in Henderson
I drove the rest of the way down Sunset, past Sunset Station to the Starbucks that I’ve been to a hundred times posting trips reports over the years. I mentioned a couple of weeks ago about an interview that was going on. Well, this morning there was not one, but two interviews going on at the same time in different corners and four people sitting around waiting next to be interviewed. Don’t these businesses have offices?
After filling up at Costco and stopping in to grab some long pants (all I brought was shorts and jeans and I thought I should dress a little nicer at the Celine Dion concert). This weekend promises to be a bit hectic. Not only are my friends Terry and Louise coming in and the concert to go to, but my sister and her family are arriving on Friday night and also the East Coast Las Vegas Advisor (ECLVA) gang will be coming in for the annual Mattress Poker Tournament. I’m glad I’ll have finished the casino search.
I headed now back to North Las Vegas past Jerry’s and the Silver Nugget because I had missed a couple of casinos down that way. The first was the Opera House casino. This is a very small slot joint and another that offers $1 beers, so the bar was busy with those who come in and squat for hours watching TV and drinking the cheap beer. Just why this is called the Opera House is a mystery. I was going to ask the lady tending bar, but she didn’t appear to be in any mood to be bothered. One again, I found a blackjack video and played my $10, and again, I lost it. However, I did win that money back when I played an old favorite, a Pharaohs penny machine and caught a bonus and I cashed out $30.
Opera House in North Las Vegas
Down the street a piece is the Poker Palace. I have visited this place in the past many years ago when I was just driving around. It’s a classic local’s hangout with a nice little restaurant and bar. There’s also a sportsbook that looks like the old days with all the horse race information is written by hand on sliding boards. There was a blackjack table here, but it was closed. However, they also had a virtual blackjack machine here. Unfortunately, there was the dude with a tux instead of the buxom lady dealer and sucked my money up with his 20 over my 18.
Poker Palace in North Las Vegas
I continued driving east on Las Vegas Blvd. I wonder if most people are aware that this street stretches much, much further than you might know. It goes all the way past the air force base and into the mountains. I didn’t venture that far but did turn on Nellis and headed back into Henderson. I stopped at an Arco that also had a car wash. I haven’t had a wash since I left home almost a month ago and all the driving through the desert left a thin cake of dirt and dust on the car just begging for someone to write “wash me” and the back window.
With my clean Saturn Vue I drove up Charleston and then over to Sahara and onto the Palace Station Hotel and Casino. This is the first and still the headquarters of the Station Casinos. It’s the oldest of their properties, but they do a good job of keeping it looking new and fresh. For the longest time, smoke was a big problem here because like many of the older casinos, the ceilings were built low. However, they’ve installed a much better ventilation system. I played my blackjack bet and this time I won.
It was still early in the afternoon, so I had plenty of time and thought I’d try to get my quad-less drought over and sat down at a single line bonus poker machine. Though I finally did get a quad (four 6s were dealt to me), I still had a very bad run and lost a hundred. I then tried to catch fire with the Triple Deuces—a bad idea because I lost again. Finally, I sat down at the Lord of the Rings machine. The first machine ate up $40 without as much as one power spin. I switched to another, and this one gave me a few very nice hits and bonuses so I cashed out a nice comeback win.
Palace Station was one of the first places to install an Oyster Bar (they’ve since become all the rage). I hadn’t eaten much today so I sat down and enjoyed a wonderful bowl of Manhattan clam chowder. On the way out I made the mistake of playing a Buffalo game. Since those two monster hits in Mesquite, this game has been a big zero, and this one was again. It’s time to swear off this game.
Palace Station off the I-15 on Sahara in Las Vegas
As I’m driving back I’m thinking that there are only two casinos left: The Rio and South Point. A reader did mention Danny’s Slots on Boulder, but that’s a slot house in the most strict sense of the word—a barn with only slot machines, and poor ones at that. How I managed to avoid the Rio this late in the game escapes me so I pulled into the parking garage. I’ve stayed at the Rio many, many times. It’s pretty much the same place it’s always been. However, I remember my last time here when I reported they had just opened a very different kind of Burger King called The Whopper Bar where you order your burger and then like a line at a Subway, you have them put whatever ingredients you want on it. The burgers are also more in line with a gourmet burger place with some exotic cuts. Anyway, I promised to get a pic this time around.
Have it your way
I played my blackjack bet and won again (2-3 for the day) and decided to go up to the Diamond Lounge for a drink and watch a ballgame for a few minutes. The DL here is located in the High Limit Slot area and after you show your diamond card and ID, you take a dedicated elevator up to the lounge. It’s a nice lounge with plenty of large screen TVs. I was too late for any of the hot food items (hot food is only served with a one hour window 5 to 6 PM—come on!). I did enjoy a cold drink and watched the Red Sox embarrass Kansas City. I headed back down to the casino and made the mistake of playing single line video poker again. I know it’s just a matter of time before things turn around, but these slumps can get ugly, and this one did as well with another long quad-less session leading to another loss. I feel like this trip has been an episode of Seinfeld, and I’m living in Bazzaro World. Most of my winnings have been with penny machines and most my losses have been with video poker.
The Rio
Entrance to the Diamond Lounge at the Rio
The Masquarade Village Casino area
It was getting late so I began heading back to the Silverton to call it a night. The only casino left in my Hit ‘em All Nevada is the South Point Hotel and Casino, which also just happens to be the next place I’m checking into tomorrow.
Trip Totals: Casinos visited 179; bets balance +$98
More tomorrow
