I figured I ought to post a report from our last trip before we head out for our next one Sept. 9.
Our trip started July 8, on the last non stop SWA flight out of Austin. We checked in at the sky cap and were told our 7:40 flight was delayed to 8:00, no biggie. There is no line at TSA and we're through pre check quickly. As we're walking toward the gate I get a text, it's 6:40, and its SWA saying our flight is delayed to 11:10. Seriously? We head to the gate and I get in line to ask the agent what was up. There had been an equipment issue but the flight from Lubbock was on its way to Dallas, then to Austin to take us to Vegas. They were giving everyone $100 vouchers, so that was nice. Once we were on the plane, drinks were free too. They did hustle the plane in the air and we were there in less than 2.5 hours.
Diamond check in was closed at Paris but not a long wait at Platinum. We had a nice room on the 27th floor with a great view. It's just after midnight so we couldn't go to bed without gambling some, plus it was officially my birthday. We head to Ballys for some slot play in the HL slots. Several hours of no luck, we go back to Paris and run a few hundred through the $5 top dollar in the champagne slots, no luck. Not a good start for my birthday. Hubby was only down $100 for the night....me, well a bit more. The nice thing about staying up til 4 a.m., the thump thump of Chateau has stopped.
Up pretty early, quick buffet breakfast at Spice Market, used our MRB coupon from LVA. We hit the HL slots and I ran a little through my $5 top dollar friend that was so kind in February, not so friendly today. Next stop, the $1 4x double wild cherry. Nothing, I'm sensing a theme here. We decide to go to Caesars to their HL room and we have absolutely no luck. Maybe Bellagio? Hubby goes to the $5 top dollar and I head for the $1. I put my card in and it says Hello....Happy Birthday. I say thank you, now give me a present. Nope. We wander through the conservatory then decide to go to Cosmo. We really like the new HL slot room. Hubby heads for top dollar and I head for the 4x double wild cherry. Cocktail service was the best, I hadn't even sat down when I was approached. I had one of the best lemon drop martinis ever. It ended up being a $200 lemon drop, since that's what I lost in a few short minutes. We decided to go to PHo again and go to the diamond lounge. Our host came over to say hello while we were there. After that went back to Paris to rest a bit since we really hadn't slept much.
We had tickets for the 7:00 Paul Zerdin show at PHo, he's the ventriloquist that won America's Got Talent last year. They were our free Diamond tickets. We were in the center, 5th row. The show was great, I would have actually paid for it! This was the FIRST show my hubby has ever been to in Vegas (we've been going to Vegas together for 13 years). He really enjoyed it too.
After the show we were hungry so we wandered around the Miracle Mile and ended up at Oceans One. Our waitress, Amy, was terrible. We ordered an appetizer and iced tea to start, she brings the tea and walks past us 3 times as our glasses sat empty. When our appetizer showed up, they didn't bring plates. When our burgers and fries were served, they didn't bring condiments. They seemed put out when I asked for them. We finally got mustard and mayo but by the time it came we had already eaten half our meal. Needless to say, her tip reflected her service, and we are usually generous tippers. I can understand the level of service we received if they were busy, but they weren't even remotely busy.
We went to Ballys to play slots again and decided to call it a night around 1:30. When we got back to the room I counted my $$ and I was officially down more than I've EVER been down in 24 hours. So much for a profitable birthday! We did both put 1000 TC's on our cards for the day. I'm wondering if I should institute the "daily envelope" thing. Oh well, tomorrow is another day.
Sunday we decided to go to Cafe Bellagio for a late breakfast. I love their pancakes with berries, but they are way too big to finish. After breakfast we were walking back to the $5 slots but stopped by the roulette tables near the players club. The table minimum was $100 so we just watched awhile. Hubby went and played the $5 top dollar while I went to the $1 ones. He ended up coming over and playing $1's with me. We pretty much broke even. We decided to go to the HL room at Flamingo. I sat down at a $5 top dollar and $100 in I hit a bonus and won $860. Cash out at $700, I'm a happy camper. We walked out of the HL room and walk around the corner and saw a $1 4x double wild cherry machine, I put $100 in and ended up cashing out at $300. My day was improving! We decided to go to the Linq but couldn't find any machines we wanted to play so we played high card flush awhile. When we lost our buy ins we decided to head back to Paris, stopping at Cromwell on the way back. There's a $1 dtriple double wild cherry machine that I like. I played quite awhile on my $100 and ended up cashing out with my $100. We went back to Ballys and played a bit then went to the room for awhile.
My birthday dinner was at Gallagher's. We hadn't been to Gallagher's since MLife decided they didn't love us anymore. Dinner was wonderful, service was great too. We even had the cheesy photo taken. We've forgotten how good Gallagher's is. I'm glad we went back. We stopped at the bar in front of the Hershey store to redeem my MyVegas sweet shot. I figured it would be some chocolate-y thing....no, it wasn't and it was nasty. Save your points! Apparently the shot is based on either watermelon, green apple or raspberry jolly ranchers. It was so sweet it hurt my face!
Needless to say, a sip was all I could handle. We walked to Monte Carlo, stopping first at The Park to listen to this girl playing the violin. It was amplified and she was really good. We went to the mlife desk to have the MyVegas reward for BLVD creamery loaded (boozy milkshakes) for Monday. We found some $1 top dollars and played awhile, then took the tram back to the Bellagio. As we were walking through we stopped to watch the same roulette table as earlier in the day but the limit had been raised to $1000. We watched a few minutes then left....a little too rich for my blood! We crossed back to Ballys and played awhile, then finished the night in the champagne slots at Paris. We both ended up the day with 1000 TCs.
A little back story....my niece in Michigan was pregnant and due on the 10th of July. I've been telling her for months that Aunt T sure would like a baby for her birthday. Well, the 9th and 10th pass with no baby. I get a text Monday morning and she tells me they're headed to the hospital to be induced. I'd say a a baby born on 7/11 might be a lucky little guy!
Monday morning we went to Bellagio to redeem the 2-4-1 breakfast buffets from MyVegas. This was our first time at their buffet and we really liked it. I see us using MyVegas rewards for this more often on trips that we don't go home til Tuesday since it's only good Mon-Thur. After breakfast we went back to Cosmo, for another lemon drop martini, I mean to play slots in the HL room. Still not having luck so we go back to Ballys. I decided it was time for a new strategy. When my niece goes to Vegas with me she generally brings $300-400 with her. We spend a lot of time by the pool, but she knows Aunt T has to gamble a certain amount of $$ to keep the free rooms coming. She's good with that and will sit by me and run $20 through the $1 machines as I run $100's through. 2years ago I was sitting at a $1 top dollar betting max bet (2 coin) and she put $20 in the one next to me and was playing $1 at a time and she hits the three double diamonds and wins $800. She was thrilled and went home with all $800 whereas all I could think was had she been betting max she would have won $2400. Anyway, every trip my niece goes home with all the $$ she brings with her and she pays for meals, tips etc. SO I start thinking maybe she's on to something so while hubby feeds the $1 machines $100 at a time, I start with a $20, fully willing to pump a full hundy into the machine. That afternoon I put $20 in a wild cherry machine and I play on it for an hour and a half and racked up 350 TC's. I put another $20 in and soon lose it. $20 #3 I play an hour on and rack up 200 TC's. $20 #4 lasts 5 minutes. #5 almost an hour. I like this.
While we're at Ballys I get a text with a picture, the baby is here! I tell the hubby I want to go buy in for $100 at roulette. I needed to start a college fund! I play my normal numbers and put $1 each on 7 and 11. In hindsight I should have put one on the 4 corners of 7/8/10/11, I'll do that next trip. The first number I hit was 11. I played for an hour and a half and in that time I also hit the 7, so he had $70 to start. My phone battery was almost dead so I suggested that we go to the room and charge it up awhile. I also said I wanted to stop in at Napoleons for a glass of GOOD champagne to celebrate. The plan was to grab one and run. We go in and noticed the place was pretty packed, there was some guy singing, he was pretty good. I grab my champagne and hubby says lets just sit at the bar a few minutes. The guy singing finishes his song and the other guy introduces him as Bucky Heard. Well he should be good, he's the new Righteous Brother! Then the other guy starts singing and I realize that it's Cook E. Jarr. After he sings he points out all these people In the audience, one being Bill Medley! There was some WSOP player and I think a nascar driver and also the global president of Caesar's entertainment. Hubby ordered a beer, I ordered a second glass of champagne and we watched the show. Cook E came out in the audience and did the twist with me. He went back to the stage and put on the music for 'You've Lost that Loving Feeling' and started to sing, then he said there were better people in the audience to sing it so Bill and Bucky get up and sing. I had taken some pix on my phone but with 2% battery left I wasn't thinking so I didn't start to tape them singing til the end. How COOL is that? Stopped for a drink and get an impromptu Righteous Brothers concert! After the show ended I went over and spoke to Bill telling him I didn't think my day could have gotten any better after the news of my first (and probably my only) great nephews birth, but hearing them sing made it better......but it does get even better.
Up to the room to charge the phone for an hour. We realize we still had free play to use so we head to the champagne slots and ran it through the 2 $5 top dollar machines. We got some play on it, won about $300 or so on it. I decided to put $100 in the double top dollar and I hit the 7 double diamond double diamond for a $1600 hand pay! Nice way to end the trip.
I think I'm going to start playing my nieces $20 at a time strategy this next trip. I'm 4000 TC's away from diamond aspiration level 1 again, so I need 2 1000 TC days to achieve it (with the 1000 TC bonus each day). We arrive on a Friday at 4 but leave Monday at the crack of dawn so I should be able to do it.
Our trip started July 8, on the last non stop SWA flight out of Austin. We checked in at the sky cap and were told our 7:40 flight was delayed to 8:00, no biggie. There is no line at TSA and we're through pre check quickly. As we're walking toward the gate I get a text, it's 6:40, and its SWA saying our flight is delayed to 11:10. Seriously? We head to the gate and I get in line to ask the agent what was up. There had been an equipment issue but the flight from Lubbock was on its way to Dallas, then to Austin to take us to Vegas. They were giving everyone $100 vouchers, so that was nice. Once we were on the plane, drinks were free too. They did hustle the plane in the air and we were there in less than 2.5 hours.
Diamond check in was closed at Paris but not a long wait at Platinum. We had a nice room on the 27th floor with a great view. It's just after midnight so we couldn't go to bed without gambling some, plus it was officially my birthday. We head to Ballys for some slot play in the HL slots. Several hours of no luck, we go back to Paris and run a few hundred through the $5 top dollar in the champagne slots, no luck. Not a good start for my birthday. Hubby was only down $100 for the night....me, well a bit more. The nice thing about staying up til 4 a.m., the thump thump of Chateau has stopped.
Up pretty early, quick buffet breakfast at Spice Market, used our MRB coupon from LVA. We hit the HL slots and I ran a little through my $5 top dollar friend that was so kind in February, not so friendly today. Next stop, the $1 4x double wild cherry. Nothing, I'm sensing a theme here. We decide to go to Caesars to their HL room and we have absolutely no luck. Maybe Bellagio? Hubby goes to the $5 top dollar and I head for the $1. I put my card in and it says Hello....Happy Birthday. I say thank you, now give me a present. Nope. We wander through the conservatory then decide to go to Cosmo. We really like the new HL slot room. Hubby heads for top dollar and I head for the 4x double wild cherry. Cocktail service was the best, I hadn't even sat down when I was approached. I had one of the best lemon drop martinis ever. It ended up being a $200 lemon drop, since that's what I lost in a few short minutes. We decided to go to PHo again and go to the diamond lounge. Our host came over to say hello while we were there. After that went back to Paris to rest a bit since we really hadn't slept much.
We had tickets for the 7:00 Paul Zerdin show at PHo, he's the ventriloquist that won America's Got Talent last year. They were our free Diamond tickets. We were in the center, 5th row. The show was great, I would have actually paid for it! This was the FIRST show my hubby has ever been to in Vegas (we've been going to Vegas together for 13 years). He really enjoyed it too.
After the show we were hungry so we wandered around the Miracle Mile and ended up at Oceans One. Our waitress, Amy, was terrible. We ordered an appetizer and iced tea to start, she brings the tea and walks past us 3 times as our glasses sat empty. When our appetizer showed up, they didn't bring plates. When our burgers and fries were served, they didn't bring condiments. They seemed put out when I asked for them. We finally got mustard and mayo but by the time it came we had already eaten half our meal. Needless to say, her tip reflected her service, and we are usually generous tippers. I can understand the level of service we received if they were busy, but they weren't even remotely busy.
We went to Ballys to play slots again and decided to call it a night around 1:30. When we got back to the room I counted my $$ and I was officially down more than I've EVER been down in 24 hours. So much for a profitable birthday! We did both put 1000 TC's on our cards for the day. I'm wondering if I should institute the "daily envelope" thing. Oh well, tomorrow is another day.
Sunday we decided to go to Cafe Bellagio for a late breakfast. I love their pancakes with berries, but they are way too big to finish. After breakfast we were walking back to the $5 slots but stopped by the roulette tables near the players club. The table minimum was $100 so we just watched awhile. Hubby went and played the $5 top dollar while I went to the $1 ones. He ended up coming over and playing $1's with me. We pretty much broke even. We decided to go to the HL room at Flamingo. I sat down at a $5 top dollar and $100 in I hit a bonus and won $860. Cash out at $700, I'm a happy camper. We walked out of the HL room and walk around the corner and saw a $1 4x double wild cherry machine, I put $100 in and ended up cashing out at $300. My day was improving! We decided to go to the Linq but couldn't find any machines we wanted to play so we played high card flush awhile. When we lost our buy ins we decided to head back to Paris, stopping at Cromwell on the way back. There's a $1 dtriple double wild cherry machine that I like. I played quite awhile on my $100 and ended up cashing out with my $100. We went back to Ballys and played a bit then went to the room for awhile.
My birthday dinner was at Gallagher's. We hadn't been to Gallagher's since MLife decided they didn't love us anymore. Dinner was wonderful, service was great too. We even had the cheesy photo taken. We've forgotten how good Gallagher's is. I'm glad we went back. We stopped at the bar in front of the Hershey store to redeem my MyVegas sweet shot. I figured it would be some chocolate-y thing....no, it wasn't and it was nasty. Save your points! Apparently the shot is based on either watermelon, green apple or raspberry jolly ranchers. It was so sweet it hurt my face!
Needless to say, a sip was all I could handle. We walked to Monte Carlo, stopping first at The Park to listen to this girl playing the violin. It was amplified and she was really good. We went to the mlife desk to have the MyVegas reward for BLVD creamery loaded (boozy milkshakes) for Monday. We found some $1 top dollars and played awhile, then took the tram back to the Bellagio. As we were walking through we stopped to watch the same roulette table as earlier in the day but the limit had been raised to $1000. We watched a few minutes then left....a little too rich for my blood! We crossed back to Ballys and played awhile, then finished the night in the champagne slots at Paris. We both ended up the day with 1000 TCs.
A little back story....my niece in Michigan was pregnant and due on the 10th of July. I've been telling her for months that Aunt T sure would like a baby for her birthday. Well, the 9th and 10th pass with no baby. I get a text Monday morning and she tells me they're headed to the hospital to be induced. I'd say a a baby born on 7/11 might be a lucky little guy!
Monday morning we went to Bellagio to redeem the 2-4-1 breakfast buffets from MyVegas. This was our first time at their buffet and we really liked it. I see us using MyVegas rewards for this more often on trips that we don't go home til Tuesday since it's only good Mon-Thur. After breakfast we went back to Cosmo, for another lemon drop martini, I mean to play slots in the HL room. Still not having luck so we go back to Ballys. I decided it was time for a new strategy. When my niece goes to Vegas with me she generally brings $300-400 with her. We spend a lot of time by the pool, but she knows Aunt T has to gamble a certain amount of $$ to keep the free rooms coming. She's good with that and will sit by me and run $20 through the $1 machines as I run $100's through. 2years ago I was sitting at a $1 top dollar betting max bet (2 coin) and she put $20 in the one next to me and was playing $1 at a time and she hits the three double diamonds and wins $800. She was thrilled and went home with all $800 whereas all I could think was had she been betting max she would have won $2400. Anyway, every trip my niece goes home with all the $$ she brings with her and she pays for meals, tips etc. SO I start thinking maybe she's on to something so while hubby feeds the $1 machines $100 at a time, I start with a $20, fully willing to pump a full hundy into the machine. That afternoon I put $20 in a wild cherry machine and I play on it for an hour and a half and racked up 350 TC's. I put another $20 in and soon lose it. $20 #3 I play an hour on and rack up 200 TC's. $20 #4 lasts 5 minutes. #5 almost an hour. I like this.
While we're at Ballys I get a text with a picture, the baby is here! I tell the hubby I want to go buy in for $100 at roulette. I needed to start a college fund! I play my normal numbers and put $1 each on 7 and 11. In hindsight I should have put one on the 4 corners of 7/8/10/11, I'll do that next trip. The first number I hit was 11. I played for an hour and a half and in that time I also hit the 7, so he had $70 to start. My phone battery was almost dead so I suggested that we go to the room and charge it up awhile. I also said I wanted to stop in at Napoleons for a glass of GOOD champagne to celebrate. The plan was to grab one and run. We go in and noticed the place was pretty packed, there was some guy singing, he was pretty good. I grab my champagne and hubby says lets just sit at the bar a few minutes. The guy singing finishes his song and the other guy introduces him as Bucky Heard. Well he should be good, he's the new Righteous Brother! Then the other guy starts singing and I realize that it's Cook E. Jarr. After he sings he points out all these people In the audience, one being Bill Medley! There was some WSOP player and I think a nascar driver and also the global president of Caesar's entertainment. Hubby ordered a beer, I ordered a second glass of champagne and we watched the show. Cook E came out in the audience and did the twist with me. He went back to the stage and put on the music for 'You've Lost that Loving Feeling' and started to sing, then he said there were better people in the audience to sing it so Bill and Bucky get up and sing. I had taken some pix on my phone but with 2% battery left I wasn't thinking so I didn't start to tape them singing til the end. How COOL is that? Stopped for a drink and get an impromptu Righteous Brothers concert! After the show ended I went over and spoke to Bill telling him I didn't think my day could have gotten any better after the news of my first (and probably my only) great nephews birth, but hearing them sing made it better......but it does get even better.
Up to the room to charge the phone for an hour. We realize we still had free play to use so we head to the champagne slots and ran it through the 2 $5 top dollar machines. We got some play on it, won about $300 or so on it. I decided to put $100 in the double top dollar and I hit the 7 double diamond double diamond for a $1600 hand pay! Nice way to end the trip.
I think I'm going to start playing my nieces $20 at a time strategy this next trip. I'm 4000 TC's away from diamond aspiration level 1 again, so I need 2 1000 TC days to achieve it (with the 1000 TC bonus each day). We arrive on a Friday at 4 but leave Monday at the crack of dawn so I should be able to do it.
