Slot Tournament, Irish Houligans & Batgirl Vegas TR 7/9-7/12

PROLOGUE:
After my late April trip to say goodbye to the Riviera I had set my sights on organizing my annual September marathon trip. CET sent me an e-mail inviting me to a slot tournament at Paris with 3 free nights of lodging...hmmm. I checked the dates and it turned out that it fell at the end of my scheduled vacation time. I have a ton of miles banked with Sun Country Airlines & a RT fare would only cost me 34,000 miles. CET would throw in an extra free night...hey, I'm going back to Vegas! Booked flight and 4 free nights at Bally's..purchased a 3 day bus pass on line for transportation. I also upgraded to Diamond level after my last trip so I was excited to start enjoying the perks of the "beautiful" people.

THURSDAY 7/9:
Unlike my usual Vegas trips, my flight left in the early morning (8AM) and I did not have to pull a night shift at work beforehand. I upgraded to 1st class the night before and arrived early for my flight. There was a long line at security, but I breezed thru with no waiting using the line reserved for 1st class passengers...score. My usual pre-flight hangout (center bar) was closed, so I had to walk down to the far end of the terminal for my pre-flight cocktail. Unfortunately, they don't stock Hendrick's gin at this bar so I had to settle for a Bombay Sapphire and tonic(I know, it's almost criminal). I had another gin and tonic on the plane before we pulled away from the gate( I told the flight attendant that it was 5 o'clock somewhere). There were several empty seats in first class including no one sitting next to me. I was served a nice omelet for breakfast washed down with another G & T. I had started to read the autobiography of Benjamin Franklin before my trip, so after breakfast I pulled it out of my backpack and read another chapter before the effects of my early morning drinking took hold and I slipped into sleep mode until shortly before landing.

I was the first one off of the plane and after taking the tram and picking up my suitcase I walked out into the southern Nevada sunshine and DRY heat....choke. Since it was only 09:30 and I was in no particular hurry, I took the Bell Trans shuttle....a little over an hour later I was deposited outside of Bally's. I strolled in the Diamond check-in area like I owned the joint with my $20 sandwich in hand. I explained to the desk clerk that I would appreciate a quiet room, facing away from Flamingo Rd. Since I was staying over on a weekend, the noise at night from Drai's can be a problem for a light sleeper like me. She checked out Prez. Jackson winking at her from beneath my ID, punched the keys on her computer and asked me if I minded a room at the end of a hall. "No problem", I replied and soon I had my room keys and a couple bottles of water to send me on my way. She mentioned that if I dropped by in about a half hour that they would be serving free beer and champagne...I think I'm going to like this Diamond status thing.

I got off of the elevator on the 21st floor of the Indigo Tower and made the long, long trek to the very end of the hallway to my room. What a room.....floor to ceiling windows, a large living area with a coffee table and couch, flat screen TV, king sized bed and a sunken spa tub to add a finishing touch! If I had know that I would have had this room, I would have tried to get some female companionship to come out to Vegas with me. My room view was of Paris next door and a partial view of the Bellagio fountains. The tub has some dirt and grit on the bottom which kind of erked me at first, but found out the reason later on.

I unpacked and then went back to the Diamond check-in area and grabbed a free MGD and then headed over to the Paris promotions desk to register for my slot tournament. The layout for the tournament was: I was given two tournament times of my choosing so I picked 09:50 for both Friday and Saturday mornings. I would be pitted against 15 other contestants in my time slot with the highest score being sent into a bonus round that would be later in the day. First place would also receive $75 in free play and 2nd place would receive $25 in free play...the rest of the players....see you tomorrow.

I grabbed a seat at Sully's bar, ordered up my 1st Heineken of the trip and checked out the VP...yikes...6/5 bonus poker. Gritted my teeth, slipped a $20 and started to play while sipping my beer and watching baseball on TV. Two Heinekens later I cashed out with my original 20 bucks. Time to take a mid afternoon swim in the pool. Bally's pool area is adequate although lacking a lot of shade. Like the Riviera pool, Bally's has a deep end. Plenty of lounge chairs were available and the music wasn't too loud. I alternated baking in the sun and swimming in the pool for the next couple of hours...very relaxing and the eye candy was not too bad either.

I showered and then played some BJ down in the casino with a couple of guys who were pretty funny. It was a $10 minimum game, 6 decks, DAS, H17, offering surrender and no CSM. I had a good time joking with my tablemates and a great dealer, finally cashing out $50 ahead. I caught the shuttle to the Rio and had a drink and some snacks in their Diamond lounge and then settled into my stool at the Wine Cellar. Jose and Lita were there to greet me and I enjoyed sampling some white wines tonight: Four Graces pinot gris, a French sauvignon blanc and a California chardonnay called Dumol...very buttery. I ended the evening playing 3 card poker at Bally's and hitting 3 of a kind (5's) to put me up $75 when I called it quits. I had walked down to Walgreen's earlier in the day and purchased a can of Comet cleanser ($1.49). I gave the spa tub a thorough cleaning before filling that sucker up with hot water, climbed in and let the water jets loosen the knots in my shoulders. I polished off the last Heineken of the day and it was lights out as soon as I hit the "sheets".

FRIDAY 7/10:
I arose, refreshed at 07:30 and prepared for the day. While I was shaving I heard a gurgling sound coming from the spa tub. There was clear water coming up from the drain in the tub and filled about an inch deep before it slowly drained away, leaving some dirt and grit around the drain area...weird. I had some in-room coffee while I watched ESPN and then headed down for the slot tournament at Paris. I was about 20 minutes early, so I found a place near the slot area where I could watch the action. While I was standing there, two good looking hookers with a tumbler of tequila in both of their hands walked past me and gave me the "eye". "Are you winning, sweetie?" one of them asked me. I pointed to the slot tourney area and replied, "Come back in 10 minutes and I will let you know." They didn't stick around....I must of looked like a poor financial risk. My slot time arrived and I sat down to my assigned machine. You had to hit the play button with your right hand and then touch the screen with your left hand when various bonus point symbols appeared. I pounded away diligently for two minutes but alas I placed 12th out of 16....I suck. Oh well, I have another shot at fame tomorrow.

I was able to hit the Paris buffet for breakfast, using their Diamond entrance..no waiting. There was a form on my table when I sat down. You could fill out the form to build your own "to order" omelet and hand it to your waitress. She would place your order and bring it back to your table while you pillaged for other buffet selections....very nice touch and a great omelet. While I was eating I was entertained by an elderly Asian couple sitting at the table next to me. The wife was mad about something and was giving her husband an earful...all in Chinese. She was not a happy camper. I think his repeated reply to his wife's tirade was "Yes, dear"...in Chinese of course.

I walked down to Bally's sportsbook to place a bet on my Twins vs the Detroit Tigers. My mission now was to make the trek to the Fashion Mall to pick up an item for one of the other LVA members, Timberwolf. He and his friend Julie had been in town a couple of days earlier...I just missed them...damn. Anyhow, Timberwolf had related to me that our favorite dealer, Tina, at the Golden Gate had been enthralled by his Batgirl lego keychain that he uses for his players cards. It was a long, hot walk to the Mall(side stop there and back at Casino Royal for a beer) but the clerk at the Lego store didn't blink at my request and I was soon on my way with my BatGirl keychain. I played some more VP at Sully's and then caught the bus in front of Paris for downtown.

I walked over to the Tez and cashed in my NBA sportsbet...Warriors to win the championship. Then it was a short BJ session at the Gate. The female Asian dealer was pretty friendly and wanted to know all about Minnesota where I live. Pulled up a picture from my I-phone, showing her my house after an early May snowstorm from a couple of years ago...we got 15 inches of snow...on May 7th!! She asked if I lived alone and I told her yes, that I had been divorced for a very long time and that my kids were all grown and on their own.
She then offered to come live with me in Minnesota. I asked her if she knew how to run a snowblower....she blinked and we had a big laugh. I told her if she was going to live with me she had at least be able to shovel snow.....no freeloaders....pretty funny stuff. I finally bid my new "room-mate" goodbye, cashed out $50 up. Next stop, Hogs and Heifers.

Hogs and Heifers is a biker bar located just north of FSE, across the street from the Downtown Grand. This place has turned into my favorite mid-afternoon respite. I ordered up a draft beer and a shot of Jameson...and bought a shot for the lovely and wild female bartender. I didn't stay very long...long enough to watch the 3 female bartenders dance on the bar above me and then share a round of red snapper shots before leaving..good times. I'll be back.

I hopped back on the bus for the Strip, got off at the Mirage, walked over to Harrahs and caught their shuttle to where else... the Rio wine cellar. Jose, Lita and Mary Ann were working tonight; Mary Ann fixed me up with a flight of pinot noirs. Duckhorn, a pinot from Oregon, a French pinot and a California pinot called Emeritus....very, very nice. There were a couple of ladies sitting next to me and we soon struck up a conversation. Susan and Joyce were nurses who worked in Alaska, north of the Artic Circle...wow. They had ordered a plate of food consisting of various cheeses, sausage, nuts and some dried fruit which they insisted that I share with them. Another great night at the wine cellar. Mary Ann and I talked for quite a while....seems that she has left a lot of her health problems behind her and is making progress. Nice lady...tough old bird. I finished my wine flight, bid adieu to Joyce and Susan and headed for the shuttle.

The Irish rock band, The Dropkick Murphys were playing tonight downtown..my son told me that they were a pretty good band and very popular...news to me....but let's check it out. Wow, I have never seen the FSE so jammed packed with people...most of them holding a cup of beer. It was wall to wall craziness. The band was going full tilt and the crowd was loving it. There was a bunch of young guys standing in front of people who were really enjoying themselves. All of a sudden this group starts to jump up and down in unison and them all hell broke loose. They started to charge into one another, falling down, then getting up and ramming into someone else. I had all I could do to avoid this melee, but there was nowhere to go because of the packed in crowd. I needed Timberwolf's friend Julie to give these guys one of her certified "hip checks". After a great struggle I was able to squeeze my way over to the D and take the outside escalator up to the Vue bar and out of harms way.

I played VP at the Vue bar for a while and had a couple of Heinekens before working up enough courage to brave the crowds and work my way over to the Golden Gate. Walked a block north of FSE then west over in back of the Vegas club and then back onto FSE and to the Gate. Tina was dancing on a platform in the BJ pit area when I walked in so I called over a Pit boss and told him to give my Batgirl keychain to her. She looked puzzled when he handed to her, but then broke out into a big grin when she realized what it was and then she winked and blew me a kiss. I settled into a blackjack table for the next several hours. Initially I played one on one with a lovely dealer and then four people asked if they could join my table...no problem. They sat down, got their chips and then all of them lit up their cigarettes....gag, choke, cough. I would have moved to another table, but I was having fun with the dealer and was winning, so I stuck it out for a while. I finally cashed out with a $75 profit and headed for the Strip.

I hadn't eaten anything since mid afternoon...a half sandwich, soup, fries and a slice of pie at Dupar's using my free food voucher from the Gate, so I grabbed a couple of slices of greasy pizza at the Flamingo food court...pizza was filling but not much else. By this time it was close to 0200 and I had run out of gas...bedtime for this Bonzo...got to have a clear head and steady hand for the slot tournament in the morning.

Will finish this up tomorrow......will I win the slot tournament....another hooker encounter??.....stayed tuned kiddies..........

Thanks for your posting the first two days of report so far, Larry! That's nice that you were able to get in another trip to LV in July instead of just having to wait for your September trip.

As for the Slot Tournament, that's quite something that in this one you have to use both of your hands in different ways in addition to having to watch the machine's screen carefully every second for these bonus amounts that could show up.

Nice going on getting what sounds like a great room with a nice Jacuzzi. I'm happy that you're reporting that you're either at least mostly breaking even or leaving with profit -- any kind of positive ending is definitely good (so far) and that's nice that you had the nice time in the Wine Cellar with the employees and the nurses.

As for that Irish band and the goings on with the people in the audience on Fremont Street, I know that anything could happen out there at any time and so people just need to be careful no matter what they do. I'm happy that you were able to escape the wildness out there and that you got to play for a while at the Vue Bar at The D where some nice VP resides.

As for Las Vegas Club, with my last visit in there, I was surprised and saddened to see what has happened in the back on the way out to the parking lot -- there's nothing at all there. I definitely liked staying there previously and was sorry to see their hotel rooms go away.

And that was very nice of you to get the Batgirl Keychain for Tina plus I'm now looking forward to reading more of your adventures during this visit!

RecVPPlayer

Getting old reading trip reports all the time where people buy Comet cleanser - lol.

Nice going on the gambling (so far). Didn't know you had bet the Warriors to win the NBA Championship, what were the odds when you bet? I know in December they were 28-1.

Tina will now forever like you more than me, how can I top a Batgirl keychain.

Timberwolf-----Actually it was my daughter's idea to bet on the Warriors. She lives in Calistoga and is a big Warriors fan. I picked up the ticket during my March trip; I can't remember the odds at that time....certainly it had come down quite a bit from 28:1. My $20 bet netted me $52.50 which I split with my daughter. No worries about Tina, she always did like you best. Thanks for all your advice about the Diamond lounges....especially about Jessie.

SATURDAY 7/11:
I'm up and ready for the day by 08:30 and had a couple of cups of coffee in my room while watching the news before heading over to the slot tournament. After yesterday's total bust, my expectations were pretty low. I sat down at my machine, the countdown began and I started punching away. To my surprise the bonus symbols kept popping up on my screen...great! There was a lady sitting next to me and her husband was standing right behind her chair cheering her on. About half way through, he got pretty excited because she had a good point lead and was in first place. I kept hitting the bonus symbols and with about 20 seconds left I had jumped into the lead! The husband starts screaming at his wife, "He's beating you, he's beating you! PUNCH FASTER!" Time expires and I look up on the overhead screen and I am in first place, WINNER! I pumped my fists over my head....YES! The husband is shooting daggers with his eyes at me. The wife is happy that she won 2nd, but is really pissed at her husband for screaming in her ear for the past two minutes. Well now I am in the bonus round and have to come back at 6:30 PM. I took my $75 in free play via 3 x $25 play until you lose vouchers on the table games. What a difference a day makes. If you haven't noticed, so far I have been on a winning streak this trip. I have been hitting consistent small wins and they are starting to add up...all right!

The restaurants at Paris were crowded with long lines, so I walked over to the Pho and had breakfast at the Planet Dailies. The place is not fancy, but there was no waiting and the breakfast menu had a lot to choose from. I ordered up another omelet, cranberry juice, coffee and a side order of grits. The food was good, the cranberry juice was weak, but the coffee was excellent. The waiter was by several times to check on me and to refill my coffee. I think I found a new place for breakfast mid-strip now that the coffee shops at Bally's and Harrahs have folded.

I walked over to the Bellagio in order to check out the summer display at their conservatory. I must say, they really have outdid themselves this time. I've seen most of their seasonal displays over the past ten years and this one is one of the best....very creative and colorful...if you are in town you should really swing by and check it out. I walked back to Bally's and picked up a free ticket to see tonight's performance of Jubilee!, another nice Diamond level perk. Then it was a day of gambling downtown.

It was business as usual this afternoon at Hogs and Heifers with a different female bartender crew. There was a small group of people sitting at one of the tables who were celebrating someone's birthday. She climbed up onto the bar with the bartenders and danced with them to the music. I must say she did really well...for an amateur. Another round of shots with the bartenders and I was out the door...be back in the fall, ladies.

I hadn't played any craps as yet this trip, so I went over to the Gate to see if Steven, one of the pit bosses that works the craps tables in the afternoon was there....nope. Oh well, I bought in with 4 other guys at the table. I took my usual position at stick left and the dice were placed in front of me. I declined to roll and passed the dice...since I just bought in, I thought that was only fair to the other players who had been at the table for a while. Well it was point, 7 out for the next three shooters...ouch...my buy-in took a good hit. Let's see if I can do better. Well, I had one of my best rolls in a long time. I hit five points in a row, nailed inside numbers like crazy in between points and hit several hardways. The guy at the other end of the table put down a $25 hard ten bet and two rolls later I hit it for him. Point is four, he puts down $10 on the hard four and I hit that sucker too. I was setting the dice and was very pleased that the boxman and the crew never complained about my throwing technique. I walked away from the table with a tidy profit even though I was the only guy making points....hit two more points on my next turn with a lot of 6's and 8's in between. I had $10 in FP so I played my favorite slot at the Gate and made a quick $20. It sure is nice to be winning for a change. I would have liked to play longer, but I had to catch the SDX back to the Strip for the slot tournament.

Lady Luck had been smiling upon me this trip, so I was brimming with confidence that I could place in the money. Well they say fate can be fickle at times and so Lady Luck decided to take a powder. The machine that I played was dead as far as bonus symbols; I barely saw any. I placed 13th out of 16 in my heat....I suck again. I was 40,000 points behind the winner. I stuck around to see if the next contestant that played my machine did any better. He placed 16th out of 16 and his score was more than 10,000 points less that my score....what a loser of a slot machine. But, hey, I was able to play in the bonus round and had $75 in free play, so I was satisfied with the experience.

I went over to the Flamingo Diamond lounge, but I was too late for any hot food...lesson learned...get there early. I munched on some chips and the raw veggies with some kind of dip and had a couple of cocktails. I went over and had a draft and fish tacos at the bar at Margaritaville and chilled for a while on their balcony watching the crowds while I finished my Landshark. I went back to Bally's and had some time to kill, so I picked a random slot machine by the show entrance, stuck a $20 in and four pulls later I hit $100 jackpot...sweet. I've seen this show a couple of times, but it's been several years since the last time. Never gets old enjoying the showgirls and the over-the-top costumes. The part I enjoyed the most was at the beginning of the Titanic scene with the two baggage handlers....their dance routine was definitely a crowd favorite.

After the show I sat at the bar and played some more VP and drank a few more Heinekens, cashing out even again, and retired to my room. I had bought a bottle of wine earlier in the day and had it chilling on ice. I fired up the hot tub, enjoyed the bright lights of the Strip and enjoyed my Kim Crawford. I had no problem sleeping tonight.

SUNDAY 7/12:
I could have very easily stayed in bed to relax this morning, but I wanted to have breakfast at Bouchon today. You have to get there before 09:00 if you don't want to wait for a table. The outdoor dining area was full, but I thought it was already too hot to sit outside, so indoor seating was fine by me. I had the waffles topped with caramelized bananas and the country sausage. Another delicious and relaxing breakfast at Bouchon. As usual my waiter was terrific. I played some VP in Harrah's sportsbook while I watched my Twins go about beating the Tigers again. I was 100 % on my sports bets this trip. I lost $60 and drank a couple of Heinekens before wandering thru the Flamingo only to sit and lose 40 more dollars playing the new Mad Men slot machine. I took a tour of the Grand Bazaar shop area...how will these places be able to stay in business? Most of the clerks had their heads buried in their smartphones and looked totally bored. Most shops were devoid of customers....middle of Sunday afternoon...lots of foot traffic on the Strip....not good.

My free play vouchers were burning a hole in my wallet so I sat down at a $25 BJ table and that's when things started to unravel for this trip. The sweet looking young female dealer absolutely kicked my ass over the next hour. I not only lost my free play, but $400 of my own money. She looked so sweet and innocent, but dealt BJ like Attila the Hun. Halfway thru the session, the CW came by and asked if I wanted a drink. "Yes" I said, "A tall glass of Hemlock, please". Wow, what the hell did just happen? Maybe I would have better luck back downtown...yeah that's the ticket.

Nope...... I played VP at the Vue bar and could not hit a thing....it then dawned on me that I hadn't hit a quad since the first night in town....3 days without a quad! Over at the Gate I lost my $200 buy-in playing BJ in 30 minutes.....what a nightmare of a day. Took the bus back down to the Strip and collected my winning baseball bet...the highlight of the day. I then sat down at a 3 card poker table at Bally's and lost another $200 dollars...my head was starting to spin. I need a break...I need a drink.

I sat down at a table in the Planet Ho Diamond lounge and ordered a side car....delicious and then ordered one of their specialty drinks which was okay, but won't order again. There were two gentlemen sitting at the next table...I have no idea who they were, but one of them was wearing one of those poker bracelets on his wrist...talk about bling. After almost four full days in Vegas I was ready to go home. I packed up my bags, left a note for housekeeping to check out the plumbing problem with the spa tub and checked out downstairs. Cabbed it to the airport and upgraded to first class for the flight home. I had a great tasting club sandwich and a double Hendricks and tonic while I waited for my redeye flight. Shortly before we boarded, I shoved a twenty into one of the slot machines by my gate and a few spins later cashed out winning $30...I'm leaving Vegas on a winning note.

The flight home was quiet; no one sitting next to me in first class. A couple more G & T's put me to sleep for most of the flight, until we started to make our approach at MSP. There was a severe storm front that had just rolled thru and the airport was closed for over an hour because of the severe winds. The turbulence was significant when we came in, cinched my seatbelt up a notch. The drive home went quickly and I turned into my driveway around 07:00. Nick, my cat was glad to see me and curled up at my feet when I crashed on the couch. I slept until mid afternoon, unpacked and then headed for my night shift at the hospital...back to reality.

EPILOGUE:
Sunday's gambling loses turned my winning trip into a losing one....down $400....what a train wreck of a day. I had fun playing in the slot tournament; will look forward to doing that again sometime. The weather was very hot and sunny; I am not used to the weekend crowds on the Strip...hard to walk anywhere. Oh, I almost forgot to tell you about my other hooker encounter this trip. Saturday night when I was out walking south back towards Bally's, I was just about to pass a middle aged couple who were walking slowly. Just as I got even with them a hooker, dressed to the Nines, walked by me going in the opposite direction. She greeted me with a "Hey, sweetie" and squeezed my arm as she passed by. The guy next to me turned his head around to look at her and then gave me a puzzled look....so did his wife. I told him that she was talking to me, not him. He still had a perplexed look on his face, so I said "What, you've never seen a Las Vegas hooker before?" His wife gave him a elbow to the ribs and they kept walking.

My September trip is almost set, Aug 31 thru Sept 11th. My oldest son and his wife are coming out for a week during my stay. My flight, rooms (mine and theirs) are booked, got a great deal from Enterprise....full sized car...$281 all in for the entire trip. I'll have to sit down with them and see what shows that they are interested in seeing. I'd to take a day trip up to Zion National Park....I know that they would be impressed with the scenery. I came back with most of my bankroll and I left some of my gambling money at home this trip...so I should be cocked and loaded for September.

RANDOM THOUGHTS:
Thanks Timberwolf for all of your advice and suggestions....hope to meet up with you and Julie on a future trip.
Don't understand what CET was thinking when they built the Bazaar shops....what a waste of real estate.
Pretty soon there will be a Pharmacy every 100 feet on the Strip.
Got to remember to eat dinner when I am in Vegas
Dealers and pit bosses treated me like royalty when I flashed my diamond card at the gaming tables
Still didn't get over to the Stage Door yet.
Hope Tina likes her Batgirl key chain
The D casino had sent me an e-mail with a $10 MP so I printed it off and used it one afternoon. When I handed it to the roulette dealer, he looked at me like I had two heads. He gave it to the pit boss who looked clueless and asked me where I got the MP from. I told him that casino promotions had e-mailed it to me like they do every month..dude it has my name and players card number on it. He checked with another suit before he said it was okay to use it. I placed it on black, rubbed Helen for luck....33 black...winner...why are these people clueless...I am sure I am not the only one that they send these things to.

It's a wrap, folks. Sorry, but I really didn't take any photos this trip. I have a few that I took on my phone at the Bellagio conservatory. I'll see if I can download them on my laptop and post them later. Thanks for reading this long and sometimes rambling report....see you in September....when I turn 65.......say what?

Great Report, enjoyed it, we've gone to Stage Door our last 3 trips, interesting place to people watch and inexpensive beer, wife hit a .50 Royal Flush for $2000 there in June 2015.

Thanks Larry for posting the finale to your report!

Great going on the Slot Tournament (as I said -- you never know what can happen) with them. That's great that you could get play till you lose $25 vouchers since at least as far as I know, they are worth their face value.

But sorry to read about all of your subsequent losing! How many decks and what other rules did you deal with where you lost the Freeplay plus an additional $400? That certainly could have further contributed to your losing.

Well I'm happy that you made it home safe and sound and I'm looking forward to reading about your rapidly approaching new adventures with your big trip!

RecVPPlayer

Thanks for the great trip report! I love all your detail. Hopefully you make up the 400 bucks in Sept.

It sounded like a fun time. How wonderful to win your session in the tournament. Thank you for taking the time to write your entertaining trip report.