Everyone, here's a trip report from Bigfus. She did not re-up her LVA subscription, so I'm posting. I'll forward, at irregular times, all comments posted below, and repost if she has a response. She was part of the ECLVA Spectacular trip about which I've already posted. Enjoy, TB
I FINALLY finished it. The trip was so much fun and very lucrative but the TR doesn't seem too exciting. Oh well. Sometimes I can tell a story better than other times.
ECLVA SUMMER MEET
What a great week. I had fun, relaxed, had a lot of new experiences and won!
SATURDAY - JULY 28
I had a 6:25a flight, which got in half an hour early and Harv and Row were at the airport at 9a to pick me up and transport me to the Rio to check in. Woohoo! I don't like driving in LV and it was a nice treat not to have to. My buds gave me rides everywhere!
We walked around a bit and group played to put 25 points on my card and Row's card (for the Great Race) at $1 BP and ended up making $10 each. I couldn't check in early but I got room keys and we went to the pool. Pools, I should say as there are more than one at the Rio. This was the first time I took the time to use a casino pool and it was very nice. There's one with a sandy beach and all have waterfalls. The only down side was that there was nowhere to sit in the shade. Tennis Bum met us at the pool and we went to the DL, while we waited for everyone to get to the Rio for the buffet. They had the most delicious marinated veggies in the DL. I could have made a meal out of them.
I thought the Carnival World Buffet was going to be $18.99 for lunch but turns out it's a champagne brunch on Saturday and is $25.99. Maybe it's because I don't eat meat, but the food was just okay. The mimosas, on the other hand were delicious, so I used the food as a base for them
After the buffet I walked across the street and checked TB into the GC and we went down to the floor to play. The bulk of my gaming action this week was Multistrike. I played quite a bit between the GC, SP and the Elco. I was way up at times and then way down. It's such a volatile game. I didn't do exact calculations but I probably broke even on my MS play during the week, which is a good result. I played so much MS, that I may even be cured of the addiction. (I play MS at the Borgata at home). I am always chasing my losses. I know this yet it's one of the few full pay games left that I have access to, so I continue to pursue the elusive 8x RF! Even if it happens, it would just pay me back my life time losses. I did appreciate being able to play my fill of it during this trip though.
I had quite a lucrative first session of MS at GC! I hit four or five 2x 4oak and one 4x 4oak and netted $430 (playing 25c). Then it was time for the MPT.
I was knocked out first. I didn't play it very well, but even if I had, I probably would have still gone out first. I had pocket sevens and didn't raise pre-flop. The board comes 997, so I've flopped a FH. I think Row bet out (with trip nines) and I raised but did not go all in. The turn is a K and unbeknownst to me, Row has K9. We get all in and his FH beats mine. I wish I would have thought through the hand more. I will next time.
I was really tired by this point. I had only gotten one hour of sleep before my flight (I always get to puttering around the house when I pack for a trip). I offered to shuffle near the end of the tournament and the quick pace kept me awake. Mercifully, TB gave me a ride back to the Rio right after the tourney was done.
Even exhausted, I cannot go to sleep unless the room and my stuff is organized. I spend about 40 minutes doing that and then fell right to sleep in spite of being able to hear the Ultra Lounge Pool Party going at full force a building's length and 37 floors below my room.
SUNDAY - JULY 29
Amazon, who won the MPT and was staying at SP where it was held, was scheduled to move to the Rio with me today. I woke up relatively early (because my body was still on East Coast time) and saw I had messages but figured I'd get to them after I was fully awake and prepared for the day. I finally read my messages and Amazon had already checked out of SP and was on the Rio floor! She had played into the early morning and figured rather than get an hour of sleep and have to check out, she'd just check out and sleep once she got to the Rio.
I caught up with Amazon and she went to sleep in the Rio room and I walked over to the GC. My notes say that I netted $111 from playing MS. Yay! TB met me at the GC and then we went over to the Palms as we were scheduled to have a group meal at Garduno's at 11:30a. We had some time before the Margarita Brunch so we played FPDW. It makes me sad that the Palms got rid of KBJW just a day or two before last year's trip.
They brought back FPDW, but I don't really like FPDW. Funny how different people take to different games. I can understand how some people would think that MS is booooring and yet I love it. DW, not so much. I had purchased the $40 in slot play for $25 and had another $10 from my mailer but that $50 went in minutes. Before and after brunch I played DW and 50 play 1c JOB for a loss of $435. Ouch! Maybe this was an omen of bad luck: I had my lucky glitter hanging on my belt loop and when I went to the bathroom, the glitter fell into the toilet! (Eww but it was clean water). So, I washed it off and figured that some water probably collected in the tape on the bottle but what had actually happened was that the cap was cracked and the glitter was leaking out into my backpack! There was no way to get it to stop leaking and I did not have a ziplock bag (they were in my room, because who knew I'd have a glitter emergency) so I had to throw it out. On other occasions when I've had a glitter
explosion, it brought me good luck, but cracking the bottle cap on a toilet bowl doesn't seem to have the same magic. JM: I brought that little pull string baby Hello Kitty that you gave me and put it on an HK neck string that you also gave me and I did win on the trip overall, so the glitter luck was still with me!
Sionow was the only other person there for the brunch besides TB and I so we went in. Jon generously paid with his LVA coupon and his points. Thanks Jon! I hit the Margaritas hard because they taste so darn good! TB suggested a caramel/chocolate waffle that sounded really good but I wasn't in the mood for sweets. I had quesadillas and the excellent quacamole. Too bad Garduno's is closing. I'm glad I was able to go there one last time. Harv and Row met us there after we had been seated for a while.
I went back to the Rio, and then Amazon and I went to the SP, because the Bowling Championship was going to be held there at midnight. Amazon treated me to In and Out Burger before SP. Thanks Amazon! I get a cheese sandwich at In and Out. It didn't have the little chopped fried onions on it like I remembered from years ago but the french fries and vanilla milk shake were yummy.
The gaming didn't go too well for me at SP. I lost at BP, then NSUD, then MS. I got a little hit on MS at the end of the session which brought my loss down to $215.
I improved at bowling! Last year I had no bowling form at all and playing made my back hurt afterweards. This year, I tried to support my body more and not only didn't I hurt afterwards but I hit more pins! (This might be because Harv gave me pointers which I managed to implement better this year than last). I meant to bowl during the year, because it's a fun night out, but never got anything together. Maybe this year.
MONDAY - JULY 31
Even though I don't get much sleep in Vegas, I do try to sleep at normal sleeping times. I don't do well when I stay up overnight and sleep during the day. Even though I only got a few hours of sleep I was still up early, so I left Amazon to sleep in and walked over to the GC. I had $400 in at MS when I hit an 8x SF! If I had set a stop limit, I would have taken a profit but as it was, I gave it all back and ended the session down $400.
Then TB drove Amazon and me to Red Rock. We were scheduled for a group meet at the buffet at 5p and the Golf Championship was at Angel Park at 7p. I hadn't had anything to eat yet and it was early afternoon, so TB and I went to the Yard House for a beer and a snack. Yummy! I had a fish taco at TB's suggestion and we shared onion rings. The fish taco was fresh, flavorful and delicious. The onion rings were light, almost like tempura. I
had a Snakebite (beer and pear cider). Mmm. TB generously picked up the tab. Thanks TB! We went out to the floor to play, because RR has good games. So, we're walking along talking and like a moth to a flame, I spot DREAMCARD. Oh, how I love Dreamcard. It's never full pay and you pay 10 coins for each hand to pay for the Dreamcard. So I play nickels and since it's already a carnival game, I play TDB!
TB is a most excellent gaming companion. He'll just observe or take a small shot at a new game and since he wasn't familiar with Dreamcard, we were discussing it as I was playing. Actually, I think he played the machine next to me, made $20 and cashed out. I lost $20 then put a hundred in. The first decent hand I got was dealt quad sixes. The Dreamcard lady says different things depending upon the Dreamcard win. If you get a dealt hand, she doesn't say, "Dreamcahrd Winnn-Ner." I was hoping to get hands where she would say the special phrases so TB and I could hear them. Then, I got quad 2's with a kicker for 2000 nickels, then quad 4's with a kicker for 2000.
Now for triple play Dreamcard, I'm paying 30 coins at a time (10 coins per hand). The Dreamcard MUST pay in order for you to break even or better. I know this. That's why I play nickels and don't grind at DC, the way I do at MS (which, logically, I shouldn't be grinding on either). So I get dealt 3 aces, then, we see a 4 and before I can even ask for it, in pops the Dreamcard with the fourth ace for a top hand in TDB, equivilant to a RF - 4000 coins! It was so exciting! We sat and looked at it and high fived and then TB went off to borrow a camera from Amazon (I don't have a camera in my phone). I then cashed the ticket and put another $100 in to limit the amount I would give back. I ended up getting dealt quad queens before I lost the hundred and cashed out a profit of $610! That covered my losses and gave me $110 in net winnings for the trip to that point. Yay! Dreemcahhhhrd!
Harv and Row met the three of us at the buffet at almost exactly 5pm. TB paid for me with his points. Thanks TB! (There's a lot of comp sharing during our week in LV The RR buffet is decent, though I can't remember what I ate. Probably, because I was too excited about my recent jackpots.
I can't say enough good things about what a pleasant evening it is to play at the Angel Park Putting Course in Summerlin. We go before the sun sets and the place itself is just so pretty. We played the 9 holes 2x and got done before they turned the lights out this year! I had the top woman's score and Row won the tournament.
Afterwards we headed to Gordon Biersch, where Harv treated us to snacks and cocktails with his points. Thanks Harv! I had a very tart blueberry/lemon drink that I enjoyed. TB drove me back to the Rio. I believe the others stayed and played into the night.
TUESDAY - JULY 31
TB and I were going to walk in Red Rock, but it was raining this morning and was too dangerous so we walked the Strip. TB can walk for a long time! We walked for hours. I was okay physically, but my feet were screaming. Damn my sensitive feet! The walk went quickly though, because we were discussing the meaning of life and our place in it.
Thankfully, when Amazon got back to the Rio in the wee hours of the morning, she got us a 2pm check out! We packed up, checked into Caesar's and then Amazon dropped me downtown. I needed to check into The D and 4Q for my free play and food. Check in at both places was quick and easy!
TB met me downtown and we ate at the cafe at The D. I had lobster benedict from the Lobsterpalozza menu which I enjoyed. I have no plans to visit LV next year, so I have no play requirements and no reason to chase offers. So, I played through my $75 in fp at The D on 8/5 BP and netted $80! Then we went over to the 4Q and started to play JOB (me with $80 in fp). So, we're sitting playing and though I don't get any 4oaks, the $80 lasts. Then, I drop a pair of aces for 4RF and in pops the King of Hearts for my first ever free play RF! I cashed out $1020, without putting any money of my own in. Yeeha! Now I'm ahead for the trip.
I had wanted to go see Big Elvis at Harrah's at 3:30pm but there just wasn't time. We were then scheduled to meet at the Paris DL at 5, but ended up getting there at 6:30p and met Judy and Dennis and Harv and Row. Kettle One Dirty Martinis -- Yummy. I think I had four.
It was Harv's last night so we took a group shot at MS at Paris and each lost $20 and then said our goodbyes to Harv. Judy/Dennis and TB and I used free Diamond tickets to see Jubilee at Bally's at 10:30p. I had wanted to see a show girl show and jumped at the chance to see it for free. I'm really glad I got to see it, even though it's dated and seems kind of silly and contrived. Maybe when it first opened, it worked as a celebration of beautiful women and was on the cutting edge. I wish I was more alert for it though. The theatre was dark and I hadn't gotten much sleep so I was nodding off through the whole show. I couldn't help it. The same thing happened two years ago when I saw my first Cirque show.
TB and I said our goodbyes to Judy and Dennis since it was their last night. Time really does fly when you're having fun!
WEDNESDAY - AUGUST 1
Much as Amazon and I had wanted to sleep in, we ended up getting not one but THREE calls to our room (wrong number) in the morning. We finally just got up, got ourselves together and went to the Central Cafe at Caesar's for breakfast. It was good but overpriced and the service was a little weird but I had been saving up my comps though and had plenty to pay for it.
This was Spa Day at Qua for Amazon and I. Amazon had a massage scheduled for 1p, but I just got a day pass. ($20 for Diamond as opposed to $45. I paid cash because to pay with points, I would have had to print out a comp slip beforehand). Ahhhhhhh, nice! Whirlpools and snow rooms and saunas and heated lounge chairs, mint wash clothes and delicious citrus water. I floated, soaked, slept, day dreamed, cleansed and generally had hours of relaxation. The spa is open until 8pm and Amazon was really enjoying it so she decided to get another procedure, close the spa and make it an early night.
Much as I enjoyed the spa, Baby Bear's Chair (the Elco -- just right!) was calling my name. I decided to pack up and stay at the Elco that night. (I was originally going to stay at Caesar's with Amazon). TB came to get me (such a good bud! Thanks TB!), I checked into the Elco (got my first suite there, though an unrenovated one) and then we parked at 4Q to meet at Chicago Brewing Company at 5p. TB had run into Jon (sionow) at the Orleans so he met us at CBC and then Row came along later (he had to pack up and get ready for his flight in the evening). Pizza and Beer. So yummy and so reasonable (4 of us were covered by my $75 comp with money to spare).
I think it goes without mentioning every time that any time any peeps meet, it's fun and CBC was no exception. Stories and laughing and exchanging information!
We said our goodbyes to Row and then walked over to the Fremont so Jon could show us where the Pick'em was. FP PE, TITO. Nice! I played for a while on a $20 but then finally lost it. TB and I said our goodbyes to Jon and then we walked over to the Elco.
And so began my plan, my mission, my obsession with playing 10c MS 9/6 JOB and 10c MS STP 9/6 JOB (Crack!) at the Elco. It was quite the roller coaster ride but I was unable to give up trying for those elusive multiplied hands until three days later, a half an hour before I needed to leave for the airport to catch my flight! TB played penny VP next to me during much of my MS play (and he didn't do half bad!). It does seem a little ridiculous for me to invest so much time, energy and bankroll into this endeavor, but I was on vacation and in some demented way, I enjoy it.
I started with $75 fp from my mailer which went quickly into MS. I had an additional $220 in MS when I switched to Crack. It was late and TB went back to the Orleans. I've got $620 total in at MS and Crack and I'm thinking to myself, wow, I've got more than a single line RF in, with the beat down not seeming to slow up. No Higher Love. But then I'm like, this is what I do. I'm on vacation and I set aside a bankroll for this. I've severely curtailed my AC play and I'm probably not making an annual pilgramage to LV anymore. It can turn around at any time.
Sooooo, I get dealt KQJT suited on the 4x line. (No STP, even though I'm playing Crack) and in pops the Ace for a $1602 hand pay! I play for a little longer and net $1080 for the session. Wonderful and scarey at the same time. Dangerous, dangerous game! I have now gotten 1x, 2x and 4x MS RFs. I feel very fortunate to have gotten this multiplied, recovery jackpot. I may be able to let the quest for an 8x jackpot go now.
THURSDAY - AUGUST 2
The Elco gave me $50 fp for hitting a jackpot over $1200. Nice and smart on their part. I had a coupon for 2x points for this day as well. I played MS and Crack for a few hours and cashed out $50. That would be my last winning session of the trip.
Amazon checked out of Ceasar's and was checking into the GN for one night. I met Amazon on the GN floor and we chatted while she played and then we went and had a meal at The D. (I still had comps there). I had the lobster benedict again.
Amazon wasn't crazy about the game selection at GN and she was paying for her room so once we were at The D we stayed and played progressive BP at the Vue Bar. Amazon found a video keno game that she likes and played that for a while too. Horror of horrors, the Vue Bar has downgraded the alcohol that they'll comp! They no longer comp Kettle One. Booooooo.
We played for a while without too much luck. I came back at the end for a net loss of $40. I decided to move my itinerary around a bit and instead of going to Flame tomorrow with just TB, we decided that myself, Amazon and TB would go this night. But first, Amazon and I had to swim with the fishies at the GN pool. The GN room (on the Club Floor!) was very nice. Sort of like a small M Resort room. Also there was fruit, candy and water bottles at the elevator!
The pool is really cool but was really crowded! It was nice to see kids having as much fun as they were having though. You could stay out of the sun and see the shark tank. I hope that space isn't as small for the fishies as it seemed to me! We eventually stood in line to go down the tube that goes through the shark tank. It's a water slide. You don't see the shark tank as you go through. It's a blur. But the ride itself was fun. We hung out a little bit more on lounge chairs set in water about a foot deep. When we found open actual lounge chairs (in the sun) Amazon had wanted to get a pina colada but the machine was broken. Booooo. (We had a pina colada at The D though, so we did get one, just not in a cool pool.)
We had some time before dinner at Flame so Amazon and I walked over to the Elco, and met TB there. We played at the back bar near keno. I was a little confused about the happy hour, where I had hoped to order fancy drinks that Westie had recommended. So I asked Joey the bartender whether I could get the fancy 241 drinks at the bar. He told me they served them at all bars but pretty much let me know that there was no reason to pay for the drinks since we'd get them comped. I was like well, will it be the same quality? He said well, no, but a Toasted Almond
is a Toasted Almond. Amazon and I got one of those. But then Joey said, "What do you want? I'll make it for you." "Something fancy." "What fancy? You're not a drinker are you?" I had to laugh at this one. "Not a drinker? Ah, I wouldn't say that." Then he said, "What about a Rasberry Martini?" Yay -- that's one of the ones that Westie recommended. He put it in a big martini glass and made it strong and I was happy. Yum. Joey was messing with me but in a good way. He's a good bartender and I had hoped to drink more Rasberry Martinis at his bar but alas, I had a fun setback because I got sick this night and never made it back.
Flame was good though the portions weren't as large as they were last time I was there. I had salmon which was served over a tasty bed of delicate pan fried greens. Unfortunately, I haven't had dental work in a while and I bit into it in a weird way and experienced shooting pains in my mouth. My work schedule makes it very hard to make doctor and dentist appointments but I finally went to the dentist a few days ago. One of my molars was completely split in half. (I grind and clench my teeth at night). The bummer was that it didn't even have a cavity in it. I'm going to have to have a bridge made for that and then I have 4 other teeth that need to be taken care of and when all is done I need a night guard. I'm pretty stoic when it comes to dental work but the screams of pain are going to be when I pay the bill. Even after dental insurance it's going to be thousands of dollars. Bummer.
So, we go out to the floor and play and it turns out that Baby Bear's Chair is good for Amazon! And TB caught dealt penny dueces, 15 hands for a sweet $150 pay out! Yay! TB walked Amazon back to GN before heading back to Orleans and I was beat so I went up to bed down $330 for the day. I thought I was just tired and my head hurt a bit because of my teeth but I got up throughout the night to get sick. It could have been a bug or just too much overindulgence on my part. But, I was grateful that this happened at the end of my trip, at the end of the gaming day. I got up the next morning and walked to Walgreen's and got Gatorade and aspirin and I was fine.
FRIDAY - AUGUST 3
I drank Gatorade while playing MS and hit two 4x quads within five minutes of sitting down, but then lost it all. I was going to have breakfast with Amazon at the GN, but I couldn't eat so I played a little Pick'em at Fremont for a $5 win and then saw Amazon off at the GN as her flight was at 2pm. I walked back to the Elco and since this was the day I chose to use my 5x points from my mailer, I continued to persue the dastardly MS and MS STP jackpots to no avail though I ended the day with only a $60 loss.
At some point TB joined me at the Elco and we played this and that (including a Jade Monkey machine I had missed) before going to dinner at Cafe Cortez at about 5pm. Cafe Cortez is surprisingly good and they have made it better this year.
TB purchased tickets for us to see Clint Holmes at the Smith Center Jazz Cabaret. I'm not really one for live music but it was fun. The new Smith Center is beautiful. It's all art deco and seems as though no expense was spared in building it. The Jazz Cabaret is a small theater and we were on the second floor balcony. Clint Holmes sings very well. It's a little bit corny but I expected that. He sung a Doobie Brothers song that I have never before this time been able to figure out the words! It was a pleasant way to spend an hour and a half and I thank TB very much for treating me to the show and expanding my horizons!
TB had to get on the road early so we said our goodbyes and he dropped me back at the Elco.
SATURDAY - AUGUST 4
Flight at 4:15p. My last day I cashed in my points at the Elco for $79 in free play. I just couldn't cut back on the play to sit down for a meal so I grabbed a muffin from the gift shop and figured I'd eat in the airport. I had planned on taking the free Elco shuttle to the airport but when I went to make reservations I was told it doesn't run on Saturday. What? Not on Saturday? "Well, most of our patrons come in on Friday and leave on Monday." Bummer.
So, I spent my last hours in Vegas chasing a multiplied RF. I was playing two machines down from a lady who was inquiring when they were going to serve the free strawberry pie. I had seen them serving it in other areas and told her so. So, a little later she goes, "Wow, look at this." She had gotten a dealt 50 play 1c RF for $2000! It was her first W2G and all because she wanted a free slice of pie! She was a nice older lady. I was happy for her. It was a beautiful sight.
I was really hoping for a last minute come back but that was not to be. I ended the day's play with a $400 loss, rushed to pack and walked out of the Elco and saw a cab sitting there. It was a female cab driver a little older than me. We got talking about cab drivers taking you on a "long haul" meaning the tunnel. I can't be certain whether she was feeling me out to see if she could "long haul" me but she didn't and she mentioned she was going on vacation to Florida that night to see her daughter and grand daughter and that there would be a wheel chair waiting for her at the airport because of the COPD. Wow, rough life. I gave her a good tip.
I was through security and at the gate in under ten minutes. I kid you not. Damn, I could have played longer! And, I got an email alert from SWA that the flight was delayed 40 minutes. So, I sat down for an over priced margarita and a meal and lingered. I puttered around the airport a little and got to my gate at the original departure time for my flight, 4:15p -- only to hear my name called! I went up to the gate to ask what was happening and the gate agent tells me if I want to get to Philly I'd better board now. What?! The email alert had said to check the board and I did. My flight was supposed to leave at 4:55p. He said, no 4:30p now. I guess that's why they announced the names of people who hadn't boarded yet. I made the flight but SWA could have handled this better.
I came home with $1530 in winnings! The most that I was up during the trip was $2270 so Yippee! 3 distinct and exciting jackpots was exhilerating! If only all trips could go like this!
Gambling buds made the trip! Their company, generosity and intelligence can't be beat. The fun is multiplied when shared. For me personally, the group activities make a gambling trip into a vacation. I wouldn't have bowled, golfed, played live poker, went to shows, spas or probably even sat down for a meal each day if it weren't for my friends. These are all activities that I really enjoyed. It was a smaller group this year and peeps were missed but when you have a big family, there's always someone there! Thanks everybody!
May your jackpots be multiplied!
- Bigfus
I FINALLY finished it. The trip was so much fun and very lucrative but the TR doesn't seem too exciting. Oh well. Sometimes I can tell a story better than other times.
ECLVA SUMMER MEET
What a great week. I had fun, relaxed, had a lot of new experiences and won!
SATURDAY - JULY 28
I had a 6:25a flight, which got in half an hour early and Harv and Row were at the airport at 9a to pick me up and transport me to the Rio to check in. Woohoo! I don't like driving in LV and it was a nice treat not to have to. My buds gave me rides everywhere!
We walked around a bit and group played to put 25 points on my card and Row's card (for the Great Race) at $1 BP and ended up making $10 each. I couldn't check in early but I got room keys and we went to the pool. Pools, I should say as there are more than one at the Rio. This was the first time I took the time to use a casino pool and it was very nice. There's one with a sandy beach and all have waterfalls. The only down side was that there was nowhere to sit in the shade. Tennis Bum met us at the pool and we went to the DL, while we waited for everyone to get to the Rio for the buffet. They had the most delicious marinated veggies in the DL. I could have made a meal out of them.
I thought the Carnival World Buffet was going to be $18.99 for lunch but turns out it's a champagne brunch on Saturday and is $25.99. Maybe it's because I don't eat meat, but the food was just okay. The mimosas, on the other hand were delicious, so I used the food as a base for them
After the buffet I walked across the street and checked TB into the GC and we went down to the floor to play. The bulk of my gaming action this week was Multistrike. I played quite a bit between the GC, SP and the Elco. I was way up at times and then way down. It's such a volatile game. I didn't do exact calculations but I probably broke even on my MS play during the week, which is a good result. I played so much MS, that I may even be cured of the addiction. (I play MS at the Borgata at home). I am always chasing my losses. I know this yet it's one of the few full pay games left that I have access to, so I continue to pursue the elusive 8x RF! Even if it happens, it would just pay me back my life time losses. I did appreciate being able to play my fill of it during this trip though.
I had quite a lucrative first session of MS at GC! I hit four or five 2x 4oak and one 4x 4oak and netted $430 (playing 25c). Then it was time for the MPT.
I was knocked out first. I didn't play it very well, but even if I had, I probably would have still gone out first. I had pocket sevens and didn't raise pre-flop. The board comes 997, so I've flopped a FH. I think Row bet out (with trip nines) and I raised but did not go all in. The turn is a K and unbeknownst to me, Row has K9. We get all in and his FH beats mine. I wish I would have thought through the hand more. I will next time.
I was really tired by this point. I had only gotten one hour of sleep before my flight (I always get to puttering around the house when I pack for a trip). I offered to shuffle near the end of the tournament and the quick pace kept me awake. Mercifully, TB gave me a ride back to the Rio right after the tourney was done.
Even exhausted, I cannot go to sleep unless the room and my stuff is organized. I spend about 40 minutes doing that and then fell right to sleep in spite of being able to hear the Ultra Lounge Pool Party going at full force a building's length and 37 floors below my room.
SUNDAY - JULY 29
Amazon, who won the MPT and was staying at SP where it was held, was scheduled to move to the Rio with me today. I woke up relatively early (because my body was still on East Coast time) and saw I had messages but figured I'd get to them after I was fully awake and prepared for the day. I finally read my messages and Amazon had already checked out of SP and was on the Rio floor! She had played into the early morning and figured rather than get an hour of sleep and have to check out, she'd just check out and sleep once she got to the Rio.
I caught up with Amazon and she went to sleep in the Rio room and I walked over to the GC. My notes say that I netted $111 from playing MS. Yay! TB met me at the GC and then we went over to the Palms as we were scheduled to have a group meal at Garduno's at 11:30a. We had some time before the Margarita Brunch so we played FPDW. It makes me sad that the Palms got rid of KBJW just a day or two before last year's trip.
They brought back FPDW, but I don't really like FPDW. Funny how different people take to different games. I can understand how some people would think that MS is booooring and yet I love it. DW, not so much. I had purchased the $40 in slot play for $25 and had another $10 from my mailer but that $50 went in minutes. Before and after brunch I played DW and 50 play 1c JOB for a loss of $435. Ouch! Maybe this was an omen of bad luck: I had my lucky glitter hanging on my belt loop and when I went to the bathroom, the glitter fell into the toilet! (Eww but it was clean water). So, I washed it off and figured that some water probably collected in the tape on the bottle but what had actually happened was that the cap was cracked and the glitter was leaking out into my backpack! There was no way to get it to stop leaking and I did not have a ziplock bag (they were in my room, because who knew I'd have a glitter emergency) so I had to throw it out. On other occasions when I've had a glitter
explosion, it brought me good luck, but cracking the bottle cap on a toilet bowl doesn't seem to have the same magic. JM: I brought that little pull string baby Hello Kitty that you gave me and put it on an HK neck string that you also gave me and I did win on the trip overall, so the glitter luck was still with me!
Sionow was the only other person there for the brunch besides TB and I so we went in. Jon generously paid with his LVA coupon and his points. Thanks Jon! I hit the Margaritas hard because they taste so darn good! TB suggested a caramel/chocolate waffle that sounded really good but I wasn't in the mood for sweets. I had quesadillas and the excellent quacamole. Too bad Garduno's is closing. I'm glad I was able to go there one last time. Harv and Row met us there after we had been seated for a while.
I went back to the Rio, and then Amazon and I went to the SP, because the Bowling Championship was going to be held there at midnight. Amazon treated me to In and Out Burger before SP. Thanks Amazon! I get a cheese sandwich at In and Out. It didn't have the little chopped fried onions on it like I remembered from years ago but the french fries and vanilla milk shake were yummy.
The gaming didn't go too well for me at SP. I lost at BP, then NSUD, then MS. I got a little hit on MS at the end of the session which brought my loss down to $215.
I improved at bowling! Last year I had no bowling form at all and playing made my back hurt afterweards. This year, I tried to support my body more and not only didn't I hurt afterwards but I hit more pins! (This might be because Harv gave me pointers which I managed to implement better this year than last). I meant to bowl during the year, because it's a fun night out, but never got anything together. Maybe this year.
MONDAY - JULY 31
Even though I don't get much sleep in Vegas, I do try to sleep at normal sleeping times. I don't do well when I stay up overnight and sleep during the day. Even though I only got a few hours of sleep I was still up early, so I left Amazon to sleep in and walked over to the GC. I had $400 in at MS when I hit an 8x SF! If I had set a stop limit, I would have taken a profit but as it was, I gave it all back and ended the session down $400.
Then TB drove Amazon and me to Red Rock. We were scheduled for a group meet at the buffet at 5p and the Golf Championship was at Angel Park at 7p. I hadn't had anything to eat yet and it was early afternoon, so TB and I went to the Yard House for a beer and a snack. Yummy! I had a fish taco at TB's suggestion and we shared onion rings. The fish taco was fresh, flavorful and delicious. The onion rings were light, almost like tempura. I
had a Snakebite (beer and pear cider). Mmm. TB generously picked up the tab. Thanks TB! We went out to the floor to play, because RR has good games. So, we're walking along talking and like a moth to a flame, I spot DREAMCARD. Oh, how I love Dreamcard. It's never full pay and you pay 10 coins for each hand to pay for the Dreamcard. So I play nickels and since it's already a carnival game, I play TDB!
TB is a most excellent gaming companion. He'll just observe or take a small shot at a new game and since he wasn't familiar with Dreamcard, we were discussing it as I was playing. Actually, I think he played the machine next to me, made $20 and cashed out. I lost $20 then put a hundred in. The first decent hand I got was dealt quad sixes. The Dreamcard lady says different things depending upon the Dreamcard win. If you get a dealt hand, she doesn't say, "Dreamcahrd Winnn-Ner." I was hoping to get hands where she would say the special phrases so TB and I could hear them. Then, I got quad 2's with a kicker for 2000 nickels, then quad 4's with a kicker for 2000.
Now for triple play Dreamcard, I'm paying 30 coins at a time (10 coins per hand). The Dreamcard MUST pay in order for you to break even or better. I know this. That's why I play nickels and don't grind at DC, the way I do at MS (which, logically, I shouldn't be grinding on either). So I get dealt 3 aces, then, we see a 4 and before I can even ask for it, in pops the Dreamcard with the fourth ace for a top hand in TDB, equivilant to a RF - 4000 coins! It was so exciting! We sat and looked at it and high fived and then TB went off to borrow a camera from Amazon (I don't have a camera in my phone). I then cashed the ticket and put another $100 in to limit the amount I would give back. I ended up getting dealt quad queens before I lost the hundred and cashed out a profit of $610! That covered my losses and gave me $110 in net winnings for the trip to that point. Yay! Dreemcahhhhrd!
Harv and Row met the three of us at the buffet at almost exactly 5pm. TB paid for me with his points. Thanks TB! (There's a lot of comp sharing during our week in LV The RR buffet is decent, though I can't remember what I ate. Probably, because I was too excited about my recent jackpots.
I can't say enough good things about what a pleasant evening it is to play at the Angel Park Putting Course in Summerlin. We go before the sun sets and the place itself is just so pretty. We played the 9 holes 2x and got done before they turned the lights out this year! I had the top woman's score and Row won the tournament.
Afterwards we headed to Gordon Biersch, where Harv treated us to snacks and cocktails with his points. Thanks Harv! I had a very tart blueberry/lemon drink that I enjoyed. TB drove me back to the Rio. I believe the others stayed and played into the night.
TUESDAY - JULY 31
TB and I were going to walk in Red Rock, but it was raining this morning and was too dangerous so we walked the Strip. TB can walk for a long time! We walked for hours. I was okay physically, but my feet were screaming. Damn my sensitive feet! The walk went quickly though, because we were discussing the meaning of life and our place in it.
Thankfully, when Amazon got back to the Rio in the wee hours of the morning, she got us a 2pm check out! We packed up, checked into Caesar's and then Amazon dropped me downtown. I needed to check into The D and 4Q for my free play and food. Check in at both places was quick and easy!
TB met me downtown and we ate at the cafe at The D. I had lobster benedict from the Lobsterpalozza menu which I enjoyed. I have no plans to visit LV next year, so I have no play requirements and no reason to chase offers. So, I played through my $75 in fp at The D on 8/5 BP and netted $80! Then we went over to the 4Q and started to play JOB (me with $80 in fp). So, we're sitting playing and though I don't get any 4oaks, the $80 lasts. Then, I drop a pair of aces for 4RF and in pops the King of Hearts for my first ever free play RF! I cashed out $1020, without putting any money of my own in. Yeeha! Now I'm ahead for the trip.
I had wanted to go see Big Elvis at Harrah's at 3:30pm but there just wasn't time. We were then scheduled to meet at the Paris DL at 5, but ended up getting there at 6:30p and met Judy and Dennis and Harv and Row. Kettle One Dirty Martinis -- Yummy. I think I had four.
It was Harv's last night so we took a group shot at MS at Paris and each lost $20 and then said our goodbyes to Harv. Judy/Dennis and TB and I used free Diamond tickets to see Jubilee at Bally's at 10:30p. I had wanted to see a show girl show and jumped at the chance to see it for free. I'm really glad I got to see it, even though it's dated and seems kind of silly and contrived. Maybe when it first opened, it worked as a celebration of beautiful women and was on the cutting edge. I wish I was more alert for it though. The theatre was dark and I hadn't gotten much sleep so I was nodding off through the whole show. I couldn't help it. The same thing happened two years ago when I saw my first Cirque show.
TB and I said our goodbyes to Judy and Dennis since it was their last night. Time really does fly when you're having fun!
WEDNESDAY - AUGUST 1
Much as Amazon and I had wanted to sleep in, we ended up getting not one but THREE calls to our room (wrong number) in the morning. We finally just got up, got ourselves together and went to the Central Cafe at Caesar's for breakfast. It was good but overpriced and the service was a little weird but I had been saving up my comps though and had plenty to pay for it.
This was Spa Day at Qua for Amazon and I. Amazon had a massage scheduled for 1p, but I just got a day pass. ($20 for Diamond as opposed to $45. I paid cash because to pay with points, I would have had to print out a comp slip beforehand). Ahhhhhhh, nice! Whirlpools and snow rooms and saunas and heated lounge chairs, mint wash clothes and delicious citrus water. I floated, soaked, slept, day dreamed, cleansed and generally had hours of relaxation. The spa is open until 8pm and Amazon was really enjoying it so she decided to get another procedure, close the spa and make it an early night.
Much as I enjoyed the spa, Baby Bear's Chair (the Elco -- just right!) was calling my name. I decided to pack up and stay at the Elco that night. (I was originally going to stay at Caesar's with Amazon). TB came to get me (such a good bud! Thanks TB!), I checked into the Elco (got my first suite there, though an unrenovated one) and then we parked at 4Q to meet at Chicago Brewing Company at 5p. TB had run into Jon (sionow) at the Orleans so he met us at CBC and then Row came along later (he had to pack up and get ready for his flight in the evening). Pizza and Beer. So yummy and so reasonable (4 of us were covered by my $75 comp with money to spare).
I think it goes without mentioning every time that any time any peeps meet, it's fun and CBC was no exception. Stories and laughing and exchanging information!
We said our goodbyes to Row and then walked over to the Fremont so Jon could show us where the Pick'em was. FP PE, TITO. Nice! I played for a while on a $20 but then finally lost it. TB and I said our goodbyes to Jon and then we walked over to the Elco.
And so began my plan, my mission, my obsession with playing 10c MS 9/6 JOB and 10c MS STP 9/6 JOB (Crack!) at the Elco. It was quite the roller coaster ride but I was unable to give up trying for those elusive multiplied hands until three days later, a half an hour before I needed to leave for the airport to catch my flight! TB played penny VP next to me during much of my MS play (and he didn't do half bad!). It does seem a little ridiculous for me to invest so much time, energy and bankroll into this endeavor, but I was on vacation and in some demented way, I enjoy it.
I started with $75 fp from my mailer which went quickly into MS. I had an additional $220 in MS when I switched to Crack. It was late and TB went back to the Orleans. I've got $620 total in at MS and Crack and I'm thinking to myself, wow, I've got more than a single line RF in, with the beat down not seeming to slow up. No Higher Love. But then I'm like, this is what I do. I'm on vacation and I set aside a bankroll for this. I've severely curtailed my AC play and I'm probably not making an annual pilgramage to LV anymore. It can turn around at any time.
Sooooo, I get dealt KQJT suited on the 4x line. (No STP, even though I'm playing Crack) and in pops the Ace for a $1602 hand pay! I play for a little longer and net $1080 for the session. Wonderful and scarey at the same time. Dangerous, dangerous game! I have now gotten 1x, 2x and 4x MS RFs. I feel very fortunate to have gotten this multiplied, recovery jackpot. I may be able to let the quest for an 8x jackpot go now.
THURSDAY - AUGUST 2
The Elco gave me $50 fp for hitting a jackpot over $1200. Nice and smart on their part. I had a coupon for 2x points for this day as well. I played MS and Crack for a few hours and cashed out $50. That would be my last winning session of the trip.
Amazon checked out of Ceasar's and was checking into the GN for one night. I met Amazon on the GN floor and we chatted while she played and then we went and had a meal at The D. (I still had comps there). I had the lobster benedict again.
Amazon wasn't crazy about the game selection at GN and she was paying for her room so once we were at The D we stayed and played progressive BP at the Vue Bar. Amazon found a video keno game that she likes and played that for a while too. Horror of horrors, the Vue Bar has downgraded the alcohol that they'll comp! They no longer comp Kettle One. Booooooo.
We played for a while without too much luck. I came back at the end for a net loss of $40. I decided to move my itinerary around a bit and instead of going to Flame tomorrow with just TB, we decided that myself, Amazon and TB would go this night. But first, Amazon and I had to swim with the fishies at the GN pool. The GN room (on the Club Floor!) was very nice. Sort of like a small M Resort room. Also there was fruit, candy and water bottles at the elevator!
The pool is really cool but was really crowded! It was nice to see kids having as much fun as they were having though. You could stay out of the sun and see the shark tank. I hope that space isn't as small for the fishies as it seemed to me! We eventually stood in line to go down the tube that goes through the shark tank. It's a water slide. You don't see the shark tank as you go through. It's a blur. But the ride itself was fun. We hung out a little bit more on lounge chairs set in water about a foot deep. When we found open actual lounge chairs (in the sun) Amazon had wanted to get a pina colada but the machine was broken. Booooo. (We had a pina colada at The D though, so we did get one, just not in a cool pool.)
We had some time before dinner at Flame so Amazon and I walked over to the Elco, and met TB there. We played at the back bar near keno. I was a little confused about the happy hour, where I had hoped to order fancy drinks that Westie had recommended. So I asked Joey the bartender whether I could get the fancy 241 drinks at the bar. He told me they served them at all bars but pretty much let me know that there was no reason to pay for the drinks since we'd get them comped. I was like well, will it be the same quality? He said well, no, but a Toasted Almond
is a Toasted Almond. Amazon and I got one of those. But then Joey said, "What do you want? I'll make it for you." "Something fancy." "What fancy? You're not a drinker are you?" I had to laugh at this one. "Not a drinker? Ah, I wouldn't say that." Then he said, "What about a Rasberry Martini?" Yay -- that's one of the ones that Westie recommended. He put it in a big martini glass and made it strong and I was happy. Yum. Joey was messing with me but in a good way. He's a good bartender and I had hoped to drink more Rasberry Martinis at his bar but alas, I had a fun setback because I got sick this night and never made it back.
Flame was good though the portions weren't as large as they were last time I was there. I had salmon which was served over a tasty bed of delicate pan fried greens. Unfortunately, I haven't had dental work in a while and I bit into it in a weird way and experienced shooting pains in my mouth. My work schedule makes it very hard to make doctor and dentist appointments but I finally went to the dentist a few days ago. One of my molars was completely split in half. (I grind and clench my teeth at night). The bummer was that it didn't even have a cavity in it. I'm going to have to have a bridge made for that and then I have 4 other teeth that need to be taken care of and when all is done I need a night guard. I'm pretty stoic when it comes to dental work but the screams of pain are going to be when I pay the bill. Even after dental insurance it's going to be thousands of dollars. Bummer.
So, we go out to the floor and play and it turns out that Baby Bear's Chair is good for Amazon! And TB caught dealt penny dueces, 15 hands for a sweet $150 pay out! Yay! TB walked Amazon back to GN before heading back to Orleans and I was beat so I went up to bed down $330 for the day. I thought I was just tired and my head hurt a bit because of my teeth but I got up throughout the night to get sick. It could have been a bug or just too much overindulgence on my part. But, I was grateful that this happened at the end of my trip, at the end of the gaming day. I got up the next morning and walked to Walgreen's and got Gatorade and aspirin and I was fine.
FRIDAY - AUGUST 3
I drank Gatorade while playing MS and hit two 4x quads within five minutes of sitting down, but then lost it all. I was going to have breakfast with Amazon at the GN, but I couldn't eat so I played a little Pick'em at Fremont for a $5 win and then saw Amazon off at the GN as her flight was at 2pm. I walked back to the Elco and since this was the day I chose to use my 5x points from my mailer, I continued to persue the dastardly MS and MS STP jackpots to no avail though I ended the day with only a $60 loss.
At some point TB joined me at the Elco and we played this and that (including a Jade Monkey machine I had missed) before going to dinner at Cafe Cortez at about 5pm. Cafe Cortez is surprisingly good and they have made it better this year.
TB purchased tickets for us to see Clint Holmes at the Smith Center Jazz Cabaret. I'm not really one for live music but it was fun. The new Smith Center is beautiful. It's all art deco and seems as though no expense was spared in building it. The Jazz Cabaret is a small theater and we were on the second floor balcony. Clint Holmes sings very well. It's a little bit corny but I expected that. He sung a Doobie Brothers song that I have never before this time been able to figure out the words! It was a pleasant way to spend an hour and a half and I thank TB very much for treating me to the show and expanding my horizons!
TB had to get on the road early so we said our goodbyes and he dropped me back at the Elco.
SATURDAY - AUGUST 4
Flight at 4:15p. My last day I cashed in my points at the Elco for $79 in free play. I just couldn't cut back on the play to sit down for a meal so I grabbed a muffin from the gift shop and figured I'd eat in the airport. I had planned on taking the free Elco shuttle to the airport but when I went to make reservations I was told it doesn't run on Saturday. What? Not on Saturday? "Well, most of our patrons come in on Friday and leave on Monday." Bummer.
So, I spent my last hours in Vegas chasing a multiplied RF. I was playing two machines down from a lady who was inquiring when they were going to serve the free strawberry pie. I had seen them serving it in other areas and told her so. So, a little later she goes, "Wow, look at this." She had gotten a dealt 50 play 1c RF for $2000! It was her first W2G and all because she wanted a free slice of pie! She was a nice older lady. I was happy for her. It was a beautiful sight.
I was really hoping for a last minute come back but that was not to be. I ended the day's play with a $400 loss, rushed to pack and walked out of the Elco and saw a cab sitting there. It was a female cab driver a little older than me. We got talking about cab drivers taking you on a "long haul" meaning the tunnel. I can't be certain whether she was feeling me out to see if she could "long haul" me but she didn't and she mentioned she was going on vacation to Florida that night to see her daughter and grand daughter and that there would be a wheel chair waiting for her at the airport because of the COPD. Wow, rough life. I gave her a good tip.
I was through security and at the gate in under ten minutes. I kid you not. Damn, I could have played longer! And, I got an email alert from SWA that the flight was delayed 40 minutes. So, I sat down for an over priced margarita and a meal and lingered. I puttered around the airport a little and got to my gate at the original departure time for my flight, 4:15p -- only to hear my name called! I went up to the gate to ask what was happening and the gate agent tells me if I want to get to Philly I'd better board now. What?! The email alert had said to check the board and I did. My flight was supposed to leave at 4:55p. He said, no 4:30p now. I guess that's why they announced the names of people who hadn't boarded yet. I made the flight but SWA could have handled this better.
I came home with $1530 in winnings! The most that I was up during the trip was $2270 so Yippee! 3 distinct and exciting jackpots was exhilerating! If only all trips could go like this!
Gambling buds made the trip! Their company, generosity and intelligence can't be beat. The fun is multiplied when shared. For me personally, the group activities make a gambling trip into a vacation. I wouldn't have bowled, golfed, played live poker, went to shows, spas or probably even sat down for a meal each day if it weren't for my friends. These are all activities that I really enjoyed. It was a smaller group this year and peeps were missed but when you have a big family, there's always someone there! Thanks everybody!
May your jackpots be multiplied!
- Bigfus
