PROLOGUE:
This was my 6th Vegas trip this year; a short getaway before the Minnesota winter starts in earnest. I was able to get a $98 RT airfare from Spirit Airlines- leave Tuesday afternoon & return on the redeye Friday morning. I checked their website a couple of days before my trip and discovered that I could get a one way fare from LAS to MSP on Saturday for just $38.....adding another full day to my trip....Sold. CET gave me three comped nights in a Bally's north tower room. Bally's rooms are nothing flashy, but they are comfortable, quiet and you can't beat the location on the Strip. I decided to opt out of a car rental and instead purchased a 3 day bus pass for $20. I had no specific itinerary while in Vegas; just kickback, forget about the outside world for a few days and relax.
TUESDAY: 12/10
Old Man Winter has arrived early this year; the temperatures have routinely been in the single digits, dipping down below zero at night..brrrrrr. I headed to MSP with the temp at 6 degrees above. I had printed by boarding pass beforehand and I had my American Tourister Atmosphere Tote bag which is small enough to qualify as a "personal item" thus avoiding any baggage fees. This tote fits slickly under the airline seat, but it is amazing how much stuff you can fit into it...2 pairs of slacks, 4 long sleeve shirts, a light jacket, socks, underwear, shaving kit, camera, & other misc. crap....no problem. It has a telescoping handle and wheels. Their was no line going through security and I soon found myself sitting comfortably on a bar stool sipping a delightful Hendrick's gin and tonic(a double).
Our flight left on time and it soon became apparent that the flight was only half full. The flight attendant said that we could find an empty seat, but only after we had taken off and the pilot had turned off the seatbelt light...something about weight distribution during takeoff?? I did find an empty row toward the middle of the plane and settled in for a comfortable flight. I ordered two Tanqueray gins and a can of tonic water ($13) but when the flight attendant came back a few minutes later she said that their credit card machine was not working...she then gave me my drink order and said that there was no charge...SCORE. I spent the remainder of the flight in a state of gin induced bliss and snuck in a little naptime.
I took one of the airport shuttles to Bally's; took about 40 minutes...made stops at PHo, Aria & Paris before depositing me at the hotel. I used the Platinum checkin line (no waiting) and was soon unpacking my bag in room 1782. The room faced south with a view of the pool area. The bed was comfortable, flat screen TV, in-room safe. My only minor complaint is the damn newfangled light bulbs in the bathroom...not bright enough for these tired old eyes of mine.
I played some VP at Sully's bar and was surprised to see my favorite Vegas bartender, Matt, behind the bar. Before I could say anything he had my usual bottle of Heineken sitting in front of me...what a pal. I ran $40 thru the machine and got zilch, so I decided to take a walk up the strip to see the sights and play some slots at the Flamingo and Harrahs...again, Zilch. They have started work out front of Bally's to change the area into some kind of shopping plaza. The former Bill's is completely gutted; will be interesting to see the final product. I took the shuttle from Harrah's to the Rio and ambled down the the Wine Cellar and was promptly greeted by Jose. He fixed me up with a flight of 4 different white wines: a Oregon Pinot Gris, a couple of California chardonnays and a French Savignon Blanc. I had a great time as usual sipping on some great tasting wines and talking with Jose. Just before I left I happened to look down to the other end of the bar and saw a guy that I knew from a previous visit....Terry from Montana. We had quite a lively conversation last year talking about Italian wines. I walked over and introduced myself...he didn't recognize me at first, but when I inquired on how his wine cellar project was coming along, the lights came on and he remembered me. Terry is a great person as is his wife. He is very knowledgable about wine..I think his cellar contains over 750 bottles when last we spoke.
I had $10 in free play at the Rio whick I quickly ran thru along with some of my own money and netted...nothing. I cashed my sportsbet from October(thanks Gophers for beating Indiana) and headed back to Ballys. I played some more VP and then called it quits at 11:30...end of a long day....down about $150.
WEDNESDAY: 12/11
I awoke refreshed and took a stroll down to the Venetian to breakfast at the Grand Lux cafe; they have great tasting eggs Benedict. Afterwards, I walked over to the Palazzo to cash in my other sportsbet(thanks Vikes) and ran a $20 thru my Star Trek slot...nada, not even a bonus round. I took a walk thru Casino Royale and grabbed a $1 Michelob. I noticed all of the Blackjack tables were either blackjack switch or that new game, Freebet blackjack. They didn't have any regular blackjack tables open...interesting. I had $5 freeplay from the Quad, that and my own $20 quickly was added to CET's bottom line....geesh.
I walked down and bought my bus pass in front of the Cosmo and then hitched a ride down to the Ex-Cal, walked over to the MGM and started my hunt for the elusive Lion's Share slot. It has been moved again. It is across the aisle from the Grand Wok restaurant right next to the high limit slot room. Some dork was playing the machine. He was yakking on his cell phone and would hit the play button once about every 3-4 minutes. I took a tour of the casino and came back about ten minutes later....same dude, still talking on his phone....later. I walked up the west side of the strip, lost $40 at the Aria and then took the tram to the Bellagio to check out the Christmas display in the conservatory. The place was packed with gawkers, so I decided to come back the next morning in order to take some pictures.
I walked back to Harrahs and used a coupon for a $30 VIP ticket to see Legends in Concert that night. I had to skip my daily trip to the Wine Cellar as they were hosting a private function tonight. I was seated in a booth with 3 couples for the show; one from St Peter, Mn, one from Kansas and another from southern Idaho. Legends is now playing at the Flamingo in the Donnie & Marie theater. I've seen the show before, but it still was entertaining. The Michael Jackson impersonator is spot on.
The show was over shortly before 9 pm and I had not eaten since breakfast. I rummaged thru my coupons and came up with one for 25% off the Harrah's buffet. I've eaten at this buffet several times..average at best, but I am famished and it's close. I was a little worried since it was so late, that the food would not be fresh. I used the Platinum entrance(no line) and used the coupon and paid the rest with TR points. They even threw in a free glass of wine with the buffet. My server was terrific; she took my drink order as soon as I was seated. My water glass and coffee cup was always kept full, and my plates were whisked away while I was helping myself to another plateful. I was really surprised with this buffet...a significant improvement in food quality and selection since my last visit. The lettuce was fresh and crisp, the prime rib was delicious and the crab legs were head and shoulders better than what I had at the Rio Seafood buffet during my Oct visit. I topped it off with a nice slice of apple pie..I'm stuffed. I played some VP back at Ballys. Because of the construction, they had turned off and drained the water from the pools out front of Ballys. While I was walking by, I saw some guy in one of the empty pools, picking up coins. He looked to be college age, and definitely not some homeless street person from the look of his clothes. Our eyes met as I walked past and I asked "Tough day at the tables?" He just shrugged and continued picking up the dimes and nickels. I called it quits around midnight....down another hundy for day #2.
THURSDAY: 12/12
I arose early today in order to get over to the Bellagio conservatory before the crowds. The Bellagio people really did an excellent job with this years display. I spent a solid hour enjoying the display and taking numerous photos, all without being impeded by the usual gawking tourists. Because I was so satisfied with the Harrah's buffet the evening before, I decided to use a $5 off coupon and avail myself to their breakfast buffet, paying the remainder with TR points...they threw in a free glass of champagne...woot! My server was on the slow side; had to wait a good 10 minutes before she crawled over and took my drink order. I had my usual breakfast buffet fare--eggs, hashbrowns, sausage and grits followed with some fresh fruit. I hitched a ride on the Deuce to the MGM and started my pursuit of the Lions Share. Please note that this machine does not accept the new $100 bills. I tried several times with several of the new bills and no dice. A CW came by and took my drink order as soon as I sat down. A few minutes later she came back with my Heinekens. I asked her about the machine not taking the new bills; she took the hundy and walked into the high limit slot area and returned 30 seconds later with an older bill. What a peach; tipped her $5 for the drink and the personal service. I played for a good 30-45 minutes on the hundy...had the machine up to $160 at one point, but ended up busting out.
I took the deuce back to Harrah's in time to take a shot on their Million dollar slot promotion. I ended up winning a free buffet...sweet. I walked down to the Wynn and got on the SDX for downtown. We got about halfway there when the driver stopped at one of the scheduled stops and turned the motor off. He got out and announced that he would be back in 5 minutes...WTF? When he returned he said that the bus had broken down and that everyone would have to get off and wait for a new bus. When all the passengers were off he started up the bus and drove away. What the hell is going on? A lady with a heavy New York accent asked me about the palm trees nearby. I told her that she could ask me anything about PINE trees, but I knew nothing about Palm trees. Her and her husband were amazed when I told them about how cold it can get in northern Minnesota. They were shocked when I pulled out my I-phone and showed them the 15 inches of snow in my yard from the storm that we had in May. The next bus arrived shortly and soon I was strolling on the FSE.
I ducked in and had a couple of coney dogs at the D to go along with my $2 Heineken from the Fremont...tasty. I played some VP at the long bar at the D.....no wins. I then went over to the players club and showed them my boarding pass from Spirit and they gave me two $25 matchplay chips....great deal. I had some free play coming from the Golden Gate which again I quickly lost along with my own money...man, this losing streak is really getting old. I took the SDX at Binions and headed back to the Strip. We stopped down by the old Sahara and again were told to get off the bus. Five minutes later the bus attendant said that we could get back on and we resumed our trek down the Strip. The Heinekens were catching up to me so I decided to relax and take a short nap back in my room.
Rested, I caught the shuttle to the Rio and made my way....where else...the Wine Cellar naturally. Mary Ann and Lita were glad to see me. Mary Ann set up a flight of California Cabs. The Caymus is Mary Ann's favorite; really a nice wine. The Shafer Cabernet was also very good. I spent a good hour enjoying the wine and chatting with the girls, then headed upstairs to use my coupon for the Rio buffet. The food quality and selection was outstanding as usual. I loaded up with a heaping plate at the Mongolian grill station. I finished the meal with a delicious cheesecake and waddled out in the casino to lose some more of my bankroll.
I took the shuttle back to Bally's and decided to play some 3 card poker. I sat down at a table with one other player. He had been there a while and had been steadily losing. His mood turned even more glum when my first couple of hands were winners. He finally threw in the towel after 15 minutes and walked away from the table mumbling to himself. He should have stuck around. The very next hand the dealer dealt himself a straight flush which would have been his hand...ouch. I played for the next 60 minutes one on one with the dealer, Steve; a rather pleasant fellow. I hit a cold streak and was down to my last $10 when I hit a straight flush and was instantly back in the chips. I ended up breaking even for the session after tipping generously...after two days of losing I considered this a win. I finished off the day by playing a dollar slot and promptly lost $100...bite me CET. I slunk back to the room around midnight....down $280 for the day.
FRIDAY: 12/13
I got up around 07:30 and prepared for my last day in Paradise. I had a huge breakfast at Ballys cafe. When I tried to pay with my TR credit card it came back as being rejected...WHAT??? I used another card and then called the credit card company when I got back to the room. They told me that they had put a hold on the card since they were getting charges in Las Vegas and I lived in Minnesota. Hey guys, I come out to Vegas several times a year...check your records. They asked my how much longer I was going to be in Vegas and took the hold off my card. I packed up my things and did the express checkout. I left my bag with the bell desk and headed out for more Vegas adventure. I had a free pass to the Auto Museum at the I.P.....err the Quad. I spent an hour taking pictures of some of the classic American cars, especially the Cadillacs. My Dad used to work as a mechanic years ago for the local Cadillac dealership. I'm sure he will get a kick at seeing some of those classic cars from the 40's, 50's and 60's.
I had a coupon for the Mac King show....$9.95 and a free drink. Mac had a lot of new material and it was a very entertaining show. He had a lady come up on stage for the usual card trick....just this time took a rather unusual turn. The 1st card she selected she showed the audience the card and then turned the card so that Mac could see it....oaky let's try this again. Next card, she was supposed to write her name on the card with a felt tip pen....only instead of writing on the face of the card, she wrote on the back of the card and handed it back to Mac.....okay, try one more time.....audience is roaring with laughter at this point. This is the 3rd time I taken in this show and it is great entertainment. A perfect show to take your kids to.
I played some VP at the bar at Harrahs and finally had some nice hits and left with a $40 profit. I took the Deuce downtown and won $20 playing VP at the long bar at the D and enjoyed several Heinekens. I then checked out the Elvis display at Binions; they have recently dropped the admission fee, so now it is free. I am not a big Elvis fan; I could care less looking at shirts and jackets that he wore....not my thing.
I hiked over to MSS and sat at the bar for a little 9/6 JOB action and enjoyed many, many Black Chip porters. This is where things started to get a little fuzzy. I played some slots at the 4 Queens...I must of played the Silver Strike machine because I found a silver strike coin when I emptied out my pockets going thru security at the airport. I also must of had a pizza at the Chicago brewing company....I found a receipt for the pizza in my wallet when I got home...don't remember paying for the pizza? I also came home with a TITO for $20 from the 4 Q's.
I stumbled down to the Gate and bought in at a $10 BJ table that had a couple of cowboys playing...Rodeo is still in town. They were a couple of fun guys, but the one was totally clueless on how to play the game. He made so many bonehead plays. I finally had to intercede when he wanted to split his fives vs the dealers six. Dude, just double down....he remained unconvinced, but finally took my advice...he won...duh. I knew that his bankroll would not last much longer the way he was playing, and 15 minutes later he busted out....grabbed his Bud light and strolled away into the crowd. Shortly, afterward my favorite dealer Tina came to the table and we had a blast. I finally had to pull myself away from the table as it was time to catch the bus back to the Strip and then to the airport. Left the table with a small win.
Took the SDX at Binions and headed back to Bally's. A guy and his girlfriend got on the bus after me and was she ever drunk/stoned. She could hardly walk. Her boyfriend had a hard time keeping her under control. She was talking very loud and yelling "Hurry up, I got to pee!" When we got to the Cosmo, he had to carry her off the bus. I claimed my bag at the Bell desk and then grabbed a cab for the airport.
The airport was a ghost town, very few people at security checkin. Our flight left on time and I slept most of the way back to MSP. I was greeted at the airport with single digit temps and snowfall. I had to take my time driving back to Rochester, the road was snow covered most of the way; saw several cars sitting in the median. I had a couple of inches of the white stuff to shovel out of my driveway and sidewalks before crashing on the couch for several hours. Another trip in the books.
EPILOGUE:
I think that six trips in a year is a little too much Vegas for me. I might have to space them out a little farther apart in order to keep that special "luster". Okay, I've already booked my flight and rooms for a March trip. Mikey and Fingers are on board for a trip sometime this summer....looking foward to that trip....those guys make a Vegas trip fun. The weather was on the cool side; upper 40's during the day and in the 30's at night. People walking around in heavy coats, stocking caps and mittens. I made allowances for the temps...I wore a T-shirt under my long sleeve shirt...didn't wear a jacket for the entire trip. Still, it beat below zero temps and snow back home. The cowboy crowd was pleasant, I expected Vegas to be more crowded, but I never really encountered long lines or problems finding an empty table. I took an inventory of my bankroll and I lost about $500 this trip, second losing trip in a row. I didn't play much blackjack as in previous trips and didn't play any craps either. The last couple of trips I've had to keep a tight watch on my gambling bankroll, but I should be in better financial shape come March...take another shot at the Lions Share. Thanks for reading.
This was my 6th Vegas trip this year; a short getaway before the Minnesota winter starts in earnest. I was able to get a $98 RT airfare from Spirit Airlines- leave Tuesday afternoon & return on the redeye Friday morning. I checked their website a couple of days before my trip and discovered that I could get a one way fare from LAS to MSP on Saturday for just $38.....adding another full day to my trip....Sold. CET gave me three comped nights in a Bally's north tower room. Bally's rooms are nothing flashy, but they are comfortable, quiet and you can't beat the location on the Strip. I decided to opt out of a car rental and instead purchased a 3 day bus pass for $20. I had no specific itinerary while in Vegas; just kickback, forget about the outside world for a few days and relax.
TUESDAY: 12/10
Old Man Winter has arrived early this year; the temperatures have routinely been in the single digits, dipping down below zero at night..brrrrrr. I headed to MSP with the temp at 6 degrees above. I had printed by boarding pass beforehand and I had my American Tourister Atmosphere Tote bag which is small enough to qualify as a "personal item" thus avoiding any baggage fees. This tote fits slickly under the airline seat, but it is amazing how much stuff you can fit into it...2 pairs of slacks, 4 long sleeve shirts, a light jacket, socks, underwear, shaving kit, camera, & other misc. crap....no problem. It has a telescoping handle and wheels. Their was no line going through security and I soon found myself sitting comfortably on a bar stool sipping a delightful Hendrick's gin and tonic(a double).
Our flight left on time and it soon became apparent that the flight was only half full. The flight attendant said that we could find an empty seat, but only after we had taken off and the pilot had turned off the seatbelt light...something about weight distribution during takeoff?? I did find an empty row toward the middle of the plane and settled in for a comfortable flight. I ordered two Tanqueray gins and a can of tonic water ($13) but when the flight attendant came back a few minutes later she said that their credit card machine was not working...she then gave me my drink order and said that there was no charge...SCORE. I spent the remainder of the flight in a state of gin induced bliss and snuck in a little naptime.
I took one of the airport shuttles to Bally's; took about 40 minutes...made stops at PHo, Aria & Paris before depositing me at the hotel. I used the Platinum checkin line (no waiting) and was soon unpacking my bag in room 1782. The room faced south with a view of the pool area. The bed was comfortable, flat screen TV, in-room safe. My only minor complaint is the damn newfangled light bulbs in the bathroom...not bright enough for these tired old eyes of mine.
I played some VP at Sully's bar and was surprised to see my favorite Vegas bartender, Matt, behind the bar. Before I could say anything he had my usual bottle of Heineken sitting in front of me...what a pal. I ran $40 thru the machine and got zilch, so I decided to take a walk up the strip to see the sights and play some slots at the Flamingo and Harrahs...again, Zilch. They have started work out front of Bally's to change the area into some kind of shopping plaza. The former Bill's is completely gutted; will be interesting to see the final product. I took the shuttle from Harrah's to the Rio and ambled down the the Wine Cellar and was promptly greeted by Jose. He fixed me up with a flight of 4 different white wines: a Oregon Pinot Gris, a couple of California chardonnays and a French Savignon Blanc. I had a great time as usual sipping on some great tasting wines and talking with Jose. Just before I left I happened to look down to the other end of the bar and saw a guy that I knew from a previous visit....Terry from Montana. We had quite a lively conversation last year talking about Italian wines. I walked over and introduced myself...he didn't recognize me at first, but when I inquired on how his wine cellar project was coming along, the lights came on and he remembered me. Terry is a great person as is his wife. He is very knowledgable about wine..I think his cellar contains over 750 bottles when last we spoke.
I had $10 in free play at the Rio whick I quickly ran thru along with some of my own money and netted...nothing. I cashed my sportsbet from October(thanks Gophers for beating Indiana) and headed back to Ballys. I played some more VP and then called it quits at 11:30...end of a long day....down about $150.
WEDNESDAY: 12/11
I awoke refreshed and took a stroll down to the Venetian to breakfast at the Grand Lux cafe; they have great tasting eggs Benedict. Afterwards, I walked over to the Palazzo to cash in my other sportsbet(thanks Vikes) and ran a $20 thru my Star Trek slot...nada, not even a bonus round. I took a walk thru Casino Royale and grabbed a $1 Michelob. I noticed all of the Blackjack tables were either blackjack switch or that new game, Freebet blackjack. They didn't have any regular blackjack tables open...interesting. I had $5 freeplay from the Quad, that and my own $20 quickly was added to CET's bottom line....geesh.
I walked down and bought my bus pass in front of the Cosmo and then hitched a ride down to the Ex-Cal, walked over to the MGM and started my hunt for the elusive Lion's Share slot. It has been moved again. It is across the aisle from the Grand Wok restaurant right next to the high limit slot room. Some dork was playing the machine. He was yakking on his cell phone and would hit the play button once about every 3-4 minutes. I took a tour of the casino and came back about ten minutes later....same dude, still talking on his phone....later. I walked up the west side of the strip, lost $40 at the Aria and then took the tram to the Bellagio to check out the Christmas display in the conservatory. The place was packed with gawkers, so I decided to come back the next morning in order to take some pictures.
I walked back to Harrahs and used a coupon for a $30 VIP ticket to see Legends in Concert that night. I had to skip my daily trip to the Wine Cellar as they were hosting a private function tonight. I was seated in a booth with 3 couples for the show; one from St Peter, Mn, one from Kansas and another from southern Idaho. Legends is now playing at the Flamingo in the Donnie & Marie theater. I've seen the show before, but it still was entertaining. The Michael Jackson impersonator is spot on.
The show was over shortly before 9 pm and I had not eaten since breakfast. I rummaged thru my coupons and came up with one for 25% off the Harrah's buffet. I've eaten at this buffet several times..average at best, but I am famished and it's close. I was a little worried since it was so late, that the food would not be fresh. I used the Platinum entrance(no line) and used the coupon and paid the rest with TR points. They even threw in a free glass of wine with the buffet. My server was terrific; she took my drink order as soon as I was seated. My water glass and coffee cup was always kept full, and my plates were whisked away while I was helping myself to another plateful. I was really surprised with this buffet...a significant improvement in food quality and selection since my last visit. The lettuce was fresh and crisp, the prime rib was delicious and the crab legs were head and shoulders better than what I had at the Rio Seafood buffet during my Oct visit. I topped it off with a nice slice of apple pie..I'm stuffed. I played some VP back at Ballys. Because of the construction, they had turned off and drained the water from the pools out front of Ballys. While I was walking by, I saw some guy in one of the empty pools, picking up coins. He looked to be college age, and definitely not some homeless street person from the look of his clothes. Our eyes met as I walked past and I asked "Tough day at the tables?" He just shrugged and continued picking up the dimes and nickels. I called it quits around midnight....down another hundy for day #2.
THURSDAY: 12/12
I arose early today in order to get over to the Bellagio conservatory before the crowds. The Bellagio people really did an excellent job with this years display. I spent a solid hour enjoying the display and taking numerous photos, all without being impeded by the usual gawking tourists. Because I was so satisfied with the Harrah's buffet the evening before, I decided to use a $5 off coupon and avail myself to their breakfast buffet, paying the remainder with TR points...they threw in a free glass of champagne...woot! My server was on the slow side; had to wait a good 10 minutes before she crawled over and took my drink order. I had my usual breakfast buffet fare--eggs, hashbrowns, sausage and grits followed with some fresh fruit. I hitched a ride on the Deuce to the MGM and started my pursuit of the Lions Share. Please note that this machine does not accept the new $100 bills. I tried several times with several of the new bills and no dice. A CW came by and took my drink order as soon as I sat down. A few minutes later she came back with my Heinekens. I asked her about the machine not taking the new bills; she took the hundy and walked into the high limit slot area and returned 30 seconds later with an older bill. What a peach; tipped her $5 for the drink and the personal service. I played for a good 30-45 minutes on the hundy...had the machine up to $160 at one point, but ended up busting out.
I took the deuce back to Harrah's in time to take a shot on their Million dollar slot promotion. I ended up winning a free buffet...sweet. I walked down to the Wynn and got on the SDX for downtown. We got about halfway there when the driver stopped at one of the scheduled stops and turned the motor off. He got out and announced that he would be back in 5 minutes...WTF? When he returned he said that the bus had broken down and that everyone would have to get off and wait for a new bus. When all the passengers were off he started up the bus and drove away. What the hell is going on? A lady with a heavy New York accent asked me about the palm trees nearby. I told her that she could ask me anything about PINE trees, but I knew nothing about Palm trees. Her and her husband were amazed when I told them about how cold it can get in northern Minnesota. They were shocked when I pulled out my I-phone and showed them the 15 inches of snow in my yard from the storm that we had in May. The next bus arrived shortly and soon I was strolling on the FSE.
I ducked in and had a couple of coney dogs at the D to go along with my $2 Heineken from the Fremont...tasty. I played some VP at the long bar at the D.....no wins. I then went over to the players club and showed them my boarding pass from Spirit and they gave me two $25 matchplay chips....great deal. I had some free play coming from the Golden Gate which again I quickly lost along with my own money...man, this losing streak is really getting old. I took the SDX at Binions and headed back to the Strip. We stopped down by the old Sahara and again were told to get off the bus. Five minutes later the bus attendant said that we could get back on and we resumed our trek down the Strip. The Heinekens were catching up to me so I decided to relax and take a short nap back in my room.
Rested, I caught the shuttle to the Rio and made my way....where else...the Wine Cellar naturally. Mary Ann and Lita were glad to see me. Mary Ann set up a flight of California Cabs. The Caymus is Mary Ann's favorite; really a nice wine. The Shafer Cabernet was also very good. I spent a good hour enjoying the wine and chatting with the girls, then headed upstairs to use my coupon for the Rio buffet. The food quality and selection was outstanding as usual. I loaded up with a heaping plate at the Mongolian grill station. I finished the meal with a delicious cheesecake and waddled out in the casino to lose some more of my bankroll.
I took the shuttle back to Bally's and decided to play some 3 card poker. I sat down at a table with one other player. He had been there a while and had been steadily losing. His mood turned even more glum when my first couple of hands were winners. He finally threw in the towel after 15 minutes and walked away from the table mumbling to himself. He should have stuck around. The very next hand the dealer dealt himself a straight flush which would have been his hand...ouch. I played for the next 60 minutes one on one with the dealer, Steve; a rather pleasant fellow. I hit a cold streak and was down to my last $10 when I hit a straight flush and was instantly back in the chips. I ended up breaking even for the session after tipping generously...after two days of losing I considered this a win. I finished off the day by playing a dollar slot and promptly lost $100...bite me CET. I slunk back to the room around midnight....down $280 for the day.
FRIDAY: 12/13
I got up around 07:30 and prepared for my last day in Paradise. I had a huge breakfast at Ballys cafe. When I tried to pay with my TR credit card it came back as being rejected...WHAT??? I used another card and then called the credit card company when I got back to the room. They told me that they had put a hold on the card since they were getting charges in Las Vegas and I lived in Minnesota. Hey guys, I come out to Vegas several times a year...check your records. They asked my how much longer I was going to be in Vegas and took the hold off my card. I packed up my things and did the express checkout. I left my bag with the bell desk and headed out for more Vegas adventure. I had a free pass to the Auto Museum at the I.P.....err the Quad. I spent an hour taking pictures of some of the classic American cars, especially the Cadillacs. My Dad used to work as a mechanic years ago for the local Cadillac dealership. I'm sure he will get a kick at seeing some of those classic cars from the 40's, 50's and 60's.
I had a coupon for the Mac King show....$9.95 and a free drink. Mac had a lot of new material and it was a very entertaining show. He had a lady come up on stage for the usual card trick....just this time took a rather unusual turn. The 1st card she selected she showed the audience the card and then turned the card so that Mac could see it....oaky let's try this again. Next card, she was supposed to write her name on the card with a felt tip pen....only instead of writing on the face of the card, she wrote on the back of the card and handed it back to Mac.....okay, try one more time.....audience is roaring with laughter at this point. This is the 3rd time I taken in this show and it is great entertainment. A perfect show to take your kids to.
I played some VP at the bar at Harrahs and finally had some nice hits and left with a $40 profit. I took the Deuce downtown and won $20 playing VP at the long bar at the D and enjoyed several Heinekens. I then checked out the Elvis display at Binions; they have recently dropped the admission fee, so now it is free. I am not a big Elvis fan; I could care less looking at shirts and jackets that he wore....not my thing.
I hiked over to MSS and sat at the bar for a little 9/6 JOB action and enjoyed many, many Black Chip porters. This is where things started to get a little fuzzy. I played some slots at the 4 Queens...I must of played the Silver Strike machine because I found a silver strike coin when I emptied out my pockets going thru security at the airport. I also must of had a pizza at the Chicago brewing company....I found a receipt for the pizza in my wallet when I got home...don't remember paying for the pizza? I also came home with a TITO for $20 from the 4 Q's.
I stumbled down to the Gate and bought in at a $10 BJ table that had a couple of cowboys playing...Rodeo is still in town. They were a couple of fun guys, but the one was totally clueless on how to play the game. He made so many bonehead plays. I finally had to intercede when he wanted to split his fives vs the dealers six. Dude, just double down....he remained unconvinced, but finally took my advice...he won...duh. I knew that his bankroll would not last much longer the way he was playing, and 15 minutes later he busted out....grabbed his Bud light and strolled away into the crowd. Shortly, afterward my favorite dealer Tina came to the table and we had a blast. I finally had to pull myself away from the table as it was time to catch the bus back to the Strip and then to the airport. Left the table with a small win.
Took the SDX at Binions and headed back to Bally's. A guy and his girlfriend got on the bus after me and was she ever drunk/stoned. She could hardly walk. Her boyfriend had a hard time keeping her under control. She was talking very loud and yelling "Hurry up, I got to pee!" When we got to the Cosmo, he had to carry her off the bus. I claimed my bag at the Bell desk and then grabbed a cab for the airport.
The airport was a ghost town, very few people at security checkin. Our flight left on time and I slept most of the way back to MSP. I was greeted at the airport with single digit temps and snowfall. I had to take my time driving back to Rochester, the road was snow covered most of the way; saw several cars sitting in the median. I had a couple of inches of the white stuff to shovel out of my driveway and sidewalks before crashing on the couch for several hours. Another trip in the books.
EPILOGUE:
I think that six trips in a year is a little too much Vegas for me. I might have to space them out a little farther apart in order to keep that special "luster". Okay, I've already booked my flight and rooms for a March trip. Mikey and Fingers are on board for a trip sometime this summer....looking foward to that trip....those guys make a Vegas trip fun. The weather was on the cool side; upper 40's during the day and in the 30's at night. People walking around in heavy coats, stocking caps and mittens. I made allowances for the temps...I wore a T-shirt under my long sleeve shirt...didn't wear a jacket for the entire trip. Still, it beat below zero temps and snow back home. The cowboy crowd was pleasant, I expected Vegas to be more crowded, but I never really encountered long lines or problems finding an empty table. I took an inventory of my bankroll and I lost about $500 this trip, second losing trip in a row. I didn't play much blackjack as in previous trips and didn't play any craps either. The last couple of trips I've had to keep a tight watch on my gambling bankroll, but I should be in better financial shape come March...take another shot at the Lions Share. Thanks for reading.
