Las Vegas Visit 13-17 Dec 2021

On this trip, I splurged and stayed at a suite at Mirage.  It was kinda like a an expanded studio apartment, but for the $900 for 4 nights, MGM gave me, it was good.  MGM places a $450.00 authorization on your credit card.  So I saw a charge come in for about $1295.00.  Ok I can deal with that.  On this trip I stuck to my plan and played video poker and sportsbook.

When I landed in vegas, I tried to go to the MGM Sportbook app and make a bet for that day's game.  Said since I had not used my account in 16 months, it went inactive and the account had about $216.00 from the last trip I had made there.

So I went to the MGM desk and it took them a bit, but the sportsbook was able to fix it no problem.  I noticed that my MGM sportsbook virginia was tied to another saphire account, so after emailing them(chatting does no good), they were able to fix the problem.  There were a few ladies in front of the sportsbook who were promoting MGM Sportbook and they could have helped as well.  Either way, problem resolved.  I'm looking to get every tier credit I can. I also am a "george" tipper.  I try to "share the wealth" with housekeeping, valets, bartentenders, waitresses and tour guides. These are people who help make your trip well.  I am hoping that heps with luck at sportsbook, craps and VP.

On night 1 we went to Gallagher's Steakhouse.  There were 5 of us and the bil came to around $300.00, but the steak was excellent.  Real porterhouse steak.  Great mashed potatos.  Everything was al a carte.  Ok with me, another $300.00 in teir credits I can use.  I advise to stay away from the slots.  Nothing but on the slots.  Used to be you were able to play a little while.  Looks like you can go through $100.00 in 5 mintues with nothing back. 

Day 2  spent time at the breakfast spot at the bottom of the evelators.  by the way, if you are moblie checking in and get a suite you have to click around on your phone to find the floor attached to your rooom. the check in app will tell you about your room.  There is another link to the side that tells you what floor you are on.  Having mobile check in really helps not to stand in line.  Just another trick to avoid the crowds and the lines were still long.  $50.00 food and beverage credit helped a bit with the bill.  I started charging everything to my room to consolidate all my charges to get the max points on tier credits. 

Spa was good, my wife enjoyed her time there and so did I.  We went to the Leatherneck club in china town, that was excellent. Highly recommend that place to anyone and espically to my fellow veterans, you will feel right at home there.  The Marine Corps maintains different sections around the bar and restraunt, I thought very humbled by that.  Looking forward to returning there on my May 2022 trip.

Day 3 went to Hoover Dam using the Viatour "dam" tour.  Guide was great.  Picked us up right at the mirgage hotel.  (you have to go to the lobby and go to the left and go out to where UBER or LIFT picks you up. I'll know that for next time.  Saw lots of parts of the dam tour that I did not see before(moutain goats, tunnels, pill boxes) pretty cool.  www.viator.com › Las-Vegas-attractions › Hoover-Dam.

Went to the Mac King show at Excalibur.  Really cool, might see that show again.  Drinks are $15.00 to $20.00 and water is about $5.00.  However, worth it.  Really a next show, funny and imaginative.  Know that if you buy a show from other than MGM apps, no tier credits.  An example of this is buying tickets from Vegas.com.  No tier credits for that.  I tried going to the Mlife desk, answer was no.  I tried emailing MGM at [email protected].  Still the answer no.  Oh well, can't say I didnt try.

Went to visit Resorts world.  Parked instead of valet for free.  Large place, nice.  Lots of food court restraunts.  Ate at the https://www.dawghouselasvegas.com/.  Lots of tator tots to fill up on.  Beer was good and cost for the meal was about $45.00 for two people for burgers, drinks and tator tots.  Not too bad, just about what I would pay in DC.  Walked past the craps table, $50.00 mininum bet.  If put $50.00 on the pass line, $15.00 C/E, it's already a $65.00 bet.  A little too much for me. 

I miss the days of $3.00 craps at gold coast, when I used to put $18.00 accorss and have $5.00 on the passline and $5.00 on free odds bet.  could play for a long time doing that.  Proabably a few downtown casinos at freemont that may still have that, don't know.  I'll have to check on the May trip.

Day 4 spent time with family heading out to different parts of Nevada.  Saw a few different casinos north of Las Vegas.  Defintely not as elobrate as the strip, but still pretty cool.  First time I've seen a handpay on video poker with $25.00.  Drove past the different areas(area 33, 1). Area 51 is about 150 miles east of the highway, but cool to at least drive somewhat past it. Got a area 51 shirt.  Ended the trip with seeing the beatles show at Mirage which I've seen about 5 times as my wifes loves the 60's and 70's music.  Just super cool every time.

Morning day 5 went to SouthPoint as everyone in these forums and Anthony Curtis recommends.  Was not disappointed, buffet was great.  I wished I would have printed out the southpoint coupon.  By using my southpoint club card, costs me $21.00 for my wife and I.  If I had used the LVA print out coupon, would of only had to pay $12.00 for two.  Ok, learning experience.  Cool that my comment got mentioned on the you tube video. 

Last stop at Video Poker, my wife wanted to bet .25 cents, I said no, go $1.00.  Five dollar max bet and she hit the flush right off the bat.  $40.00 win. 

Pretty standard coming and going at the airport and car rental hertz location.  Flights were on time, but the planes were full and the stewardesses looked tired coming and going.  really on edge.  Oh well, I've learned when I'm on the plane, i'm no body, no special treatment, then everything is fine. 

Next trip in May 2022, hopefully I'll get to meet up with a few LVA'ers on this one.

Your fellow LVA'er,

Dave Miller

What was cool after my trip,I went to the local casino here in DC at MGM National Harbor and played DB VP.  Was not good odds as 6/5 (I think that means 6 coins for full house and 5 coins for flush).   Held the Ace and hit four of kind.  My very first one and I've been gaming since May 1991.  $240 win.  Hopefully that luck will keep going. 

You did lots of fun stuff during your trip, which is the way to do it...get away from the machines.  And I appreciate the tips.  We always learn something...a mistake or two made, our fault or theirs, on most trips.  Helps the next time.  Thanks for sharing.

If you think you were a 'nobody' on the plane, pray to God that you don't have to be hospitalized.  My husband 'came down with' pulmonary emboli (both lungs--no Covid, though) last Thursday, just before my charter flight to Laughlin last Friday, so of course had to cancel.  He had been seen in pulmonologist's office for SOB, had a CT done, they said get to the ER ASAP.  Ha. 14 hours in the ER waiting room (after they chased me away), though he did get some attention and care (I call it chair care).  Finally got a room on Saturday so I was able to visit. I was reminded how crappy the care can be...nursing.  It wasn't their "Covid floor" which may be why I didn't see anyone breaking a sweat, else I'd have had some sympathy.  I am a retired nurse; I'm so disappointed in how unconcerned they were, no hurry to help him disconnect everything so he could go to BR, for one example.  Just on the edge of disregarding anything you need.  Sorry to vent about this, but it was like being on the dark side of the moon and hoping someone would fly by with the help you asked for 4 hours ago.  I could fill a book, but anyway glad to be home and again apology for digressing from your excellent TR.

You probably got more respect and attention on that airplane than you thought...hope so.

Good luck during your May trip!

Candy

Candy,

I pray your husband gets better.  That's hard.  When all the issues we talk about here in LVA, when that happens, problems drop to zero.  Thank you very much for your service as a nurse.  Being on the front lines is big deal.  I just wanted to say I appreicate all the help you have given your patients over the years. 

If you and your husband are in vegas when i'm there, round of drinks or food on me. 

your fellow LVA'er and servicemember(LT, USN).

Dave

Sweet Jesus, $50 minimum craps? You could burn through $1000 in three minutes at those stakes. I have never wanted to visit Resorts, but now I think I won't come within 500 yards of the joint. What a ripoff. Scumbags. May the fleas of a thousand dogs infest their sweaty bodies. Feh. BOOOOOOOOO.

I think you've got the right idea. Visit the attractions, see the shows, have the nice meals, etc. on the Strip but save your actual gambling for the much better, non-Strip joints. I personally can find everything I want without ever visiting the Strip, but I realize the place's allure for many. Probably having worked at several casinos there (long ago) has made me more jaded than most. For example, having worked at Circus Circus, I can't drink Pepto Bismol (same exact color).

If you want the low-limit craps experience, well. that might be really really hard to find, but if there are going to be any such games when you visit in May, they'll be at places like Ellis Island or maybe Silverton, Jerry's Nugget, etc. Ask around when the time comes. I can't see any Boyd casino, or any downtown, with the possible exception of El Cortez, going back to low-roller territory

If you like to place the numbers when playing craps, DON'T bet $3. The house advantage on those bets is horrible, because they don't pay the proper odds. Rather than betting $3 on every number, bet $6 on the 6 and/or 8, and use the Come bet to get to other numbers, and take full odds. Place the 5 and 9 for $5 if you wish. Also, take at least double odds on your Pass Line bet.

Candy, anecdotally, the nursing profession is starting to fray at the edges. Job burnout is apparently a massive problem. And of course, there's the staffing shortages to deal with. Some of the best nurses are sidelined or have retired. Whoever replaces them won't be as good.

I was in the hospital twice, for different reasons, back in 2015. The nurses were 90% absolutely great, but the other 10%...it seemed as though they would poke their heads in the door, mentally file you under "probably not going to croak immediately" and then scurry off to do something else. It seemed like the patient's discomfort or pain wasn't any real concern. Sort of like interpreting the Hippocratic Oath to read: "Suck it up, buttercup."

I hope your hubby's OK. If you want one itty bitty silver lining, it's that the ER non-treatment he received notwithstanding, medical science re pulmonary diseases and conditions treatment has advanced greatly due to the pandemic. Sorta like how doctors got really good at treating gunshot wounds during the Civil War...

Kevin,

wow. you worked as a dealer.  You must have seen alot of stuff during that time.  Place bet 6 and 8 and come bet on other numbers, gotta.  Been using www.wizardofodds.com to practice.  Been playing craps for years.  What's your opinion on betting on the pass line say $15 on the pass and $5 or $10 C/E on come out roll?

Candy, sorry to hear about your hubby, and here's hoping for as speedy a recovery as possible.

Tommy

Thanks, everyone for the kind wishes for hubby's health.  He truly has had more than his share. 

I'd be honored to join in some rounds of adult beverages should we be fortunate enough to be in Vegas at the same time. 

And as Kevin said, Covid has certainly put emphasis on the pulmonary system which should end up being a blessing in disguise.  But for now, home oxygen (more of a pain in the butt than I ever thought) and expensive blood thinner pills are carrying the day, hopefully not permanent.   Thanks again. 

Candy

OK...first of all, leave all the prop bets alone. Maybe throw a buck on hard 8 or 10 or whatever. But otherwise...those bets have house advantages from 8 to 16 percent. Not worth spending significant money on them.

The trouble with making a C and E bet is that you're simultaneously making two prop bets. People who do this say, "Well, if I roll 2, 3, or 12, I'll get some money back." But the flip side of that is that if you don't roll a 2, 3, 11, or 12, you've lost that bet. To illustrate: you bet $15 on the Pass Line and $5 on C/E. Four possible outcomes:

1. Comeout roll: 2, 3, or 12. Win $15 but lose $15 on the Pass Line. Net gain: +$15. 4 chances out of 36.

2. Comeout roll: 11. Win $35 as well as $15 on the Pass Line. Net gain: +$35. 2 chances out of 36.

3. The shooter passes (comeout 7 or point is made). Net loss: $5 (you've decreased your win from $15 to $10).

4. The shooter doesn't pass (establishes a point but doesn't make it). Net loss: $5 (you've increased your loss from $15 to $20.)  These last two results will happen 30 out of 36 times.

So, to recap, 4/36 of the time, you gain $15. 2/36 of the time, you gain $35. The remaining 30/36 of the time, you lose $5. So, add it all up:

4 x 15 = +$60

2 x 35 = +$70

30 x 5 = -$150

Net result for every 36 $5 C/E bets: -$20. A loss of $20 for every $180 worth of those bets. 20 is 11.11% (1/9) of 180. So every dollar you bet on C/E costs over 11 cents.

The phrases I bolded, above, are to emphasize that an Any Craps bet is often thought of as "insurance," but it doesn't insure jack diddly. It doesn't keep you from losing your Pass Line bet.

thanks for TR, Candy you & husband are in my prayers ,Kevin thanks for info.