Summer of Tournaments – Day 6
It was time to check out of Bally’s and I waited right to the 11AM time (though one of the perks of 7 Stars is that you can always ask for a late check out at no cost). I needed to run a couple of errands and then I made a stop at Palace Station for lunch. One of my plans during this trip is to find “the best clam chowder” in Las Vegas. One of the trends in town is the recent proliferation of Oyster Bars in the casinos. I really love clam chowder and admittedly there are many different styles with the two most common being New England (white) and Manhattan (red). Like any soup based dish, there can be thousands of varieties based on the taste of the chef. So, rather than try to find a special blend I’ll just review the chowder by the place that sells it.
Palace Station, one of the older casinos in Las Vegas, was one of the first to add an Oyster bar many years ago and is so popular there’s always a long line at dinner time. I ordered a large bowl of their red, and though it’s my first review, it’s going to take a lot for any competitors to beat this one. It was a little spicy, but not overly so and had plenty of veggies and clams. It also had a wonderful texture and not too runny: Excellent chowder. Unfortunately, the only seat available at the bar (there’s only a bar, no tables) was next to an elderly lady who was leaning against the wall. I nodded and smiled as I sat down—a mistake. She began talking to me—mumbling really. I honestly could not understand one word she said. She continued this throughout my meal. I tried to signal to her I wasn’t interested by taking out my cell phone and texting, but she just kept mumbling. At one point, she tapped me on the shoulder and when I turned; she wanted a fist pump…okay. As soon as I finished my chowder, I left.
Wednesdays are Senior Days (50+) which included a free drawing and a slot tournament entry. Being that I needed to get in a tournament for the day, I signed up. Again, Palace Station has also incorporated this new tournament system. They simply swipe your slot card in a master station and your name appears on the machine you’ll play. There’s no more waiting around for you score to be certified with your initials. It does make things go much faster. In this round, I came in 2nd place; however, they don’t announce the winners (top ten) for the day until 8PM. I asked the attendant about how many people will end up playing by the end of the day and said they usually process around three to four hundred, but I suppose it won’t hurt to stop by tomorrow to see if I’m in the money (I highly doubt it).
The new slot tournament area much like the one in Laughlin.
Supposedly the new SLS hotel is going to open in the fall (the previous Sahara Hotel). All I can see from here is that they’ve repainted the same old building and I don’t see much at all in the way of new construction from the outside. I’m going to be very curious to see what they’ve done with the inside because when it was originally built, the hotel rooms at that time were all very small by today’s standards (the Silverton is a good example), so unless they knock down walls and completely redesign the rooms, I’m not expecting too much from the place.
The SLS Hotel taken from the corner of Sahara and Paradise Ave.
It was time to check into the Orleans, where I’ll be staying the next couple of nights. This isn’t a tournament offer (that’s next week), but simply a free two night stay. I was disappointed to find the parking garage in the back closed off, so I had to use valet. Check-in went well and as usual, I told the clerk that I didn’t care which floor I was on, just to give me a room close to the elevators. She found me a nice room on the 12th floor that was one of the recently refurbished rooms with new furniture and carpeting. It’s a nice room.
Room has new furniture and carpeting. Both night stands have electrical outlets on the side, a nice touch.
There is a small desk with a coffee maker.
Wednesday is also Senior Day at the Orleans that included 5X points and $4 movies. Needless to say, I had to use the movie discount and went to see A Million Ways to Die in the West. Yes, I knew the reviews were terrible and I was expecting the worse; however, I found it to be funny in a few spots and I “get” Seth McFarland’s sense of humor. I can’t recommend it but it certainly wasn’t as bad as most have written.
As I left the theater, I noticed that Gold Fish have a new version. I sat down to check it out. It’s pretty much the same as the earlier versions but it seems the bonuses come up a little more often, but aren’t as valuable. I had a nice round and won $35. I have friends who like Gold Fish, so I’ve added a picture for them.
The new Gold Fish machines. Not a bad game to check out.
It seems the chowder and the popcorn from the movie pretty much filled me up, so I just picked up a slice of pizza at the food court for dinner and took it up to my room for the night. I didn’t get much sleep last night, so it was early to bed tonight.
More tomorrow
Totals:
Tournaments: 3 Cost: 0 Won: $1000
It was time to check out of Bally’s and I waited right to the 11AM time (though one of the perks of 7 Stars is that you can always ask for a late check out at no cost). I needed to run a couple of errands and then I made a stop at Palace Station for lunch. One of my plans during this trip is to find “the best clam chowder” in Las Vegas. One of the trends in town is the recent proliferation of Oyster Bars in the casinos. I really love clam chowder and admittedly there are many different styles with the two most common being New England (white) and Manhattan (red). Like any soup based dish, there can be thousands of varieties based on the taste of the chef. So, rather than try to find a special blend I’ll just review the chowder by the place that sells it.
Palace Station, one of the older casinos in Las Vegas, was one of the first to add an Oyster bar many years ago and is so popular there’s always a long line at dinner time. I ordered a large bowl of their red, and though it’s my first review, it’s going to take a lot for any competitors to beat this one. It was a little spicy, but not overly so and had plenty of veggies and clams. It also had a wonderful texture and not too runny: Excellent chowder. Unfortunately, the only seat available at the bar (there’s only a bar, no tables) was next to an elderly lady who was leaning against the wall. I nodded and smiled as I sat down—a mistake. She began talking to me—mumbling really. I honestly could not understand one word she said. She continued this throughout my meal. I tried to signal to her I wasn’t interested by taking out my cell phone and texting, but she just kept mumbling. At one point, she tapped me on the shoulder and when I turned; she wanted a fist pump…okay. As soon as I finished my chowder, I left.
Wednesdays are Senior Days (50+) which included a free drawing and a slot tournament entry. Being that I needed to get in a tournament for the day, I signed up. Again, Palace Station has also incorporated this new tournament system. They simply swipe your slot card in a master station and your name appears on the machine you’ll play. There’s no more waiting around for you score to be certified with your initials. It does make things go much faster. In this round, I came in 2nd place; however, they don’t announce the winners (top ten) for the day until 8PM. I asked the attendant about how many people will end up playing by the end of the day and said they usually process around three to four hundred, but I suppose it won’t hurt to stop by tomorrow to see if I’m in the money (I highly doubt it).
The new slot tournament area much like the one in Laughlin.
Supposedly the new SLS hotel is going to open in the fall (the previous Sahara Hotel). All I can see from here is that they’ve repainted the same old building and I don’t see much at all in the way of new construction from the outside. I’m going to be very curious to see what they’ve done with the inside because when it was originally built, the hotel rooms at that time were all very small by today’s standards (the Silverton is a good example), so unless they knock down walls and completely redesign the rooms, I’m not expecting too much from the place.
The SLS Hotel taken from the corner of Sahara and Paradise Ave.
It was time to check into the Orleans, where I’ll be staying the next couple of nights. This isn’t a tournament offer (that’s next week), but simply a free two night stay. I was disappointed to find the parking garage in the back closed off, so I had to use valet. Check-in went well and as usual, I told the clerk that I didn’t care which floor I was on, just to give me a room close to the elevators. She found me a nice room on the 12th floor that was one of the recently refurbished rooms with new furniture and carpeting. It’s a nice room.
Room has new furniture and carpeting. Both night stands have electrical outlets on the side, a nice touch.
There is a small desk with a coffee maker.
Wednesday is also Senior Day at the Orleans that included 5X points and $4 movies. Needless to say, I had to use the movie discount and went to see A Million Ways to Die in the West. Yes, I knew the reviews were terrible and I was expecting the worse; however, I found it to be funny in a few spots and I “get” Seth McFarland’s sense of humor. I can’t recommend it but it certainly wasn’t as bad as most have written.
As I left the theater, I noticed that Gold Fish have a new version. I sat down to check it out. It’s pretty much the same as the earlier versions but it seems the bonuses come up a little more often, but aren’t as valuable. I had a nice round and won $35. I have friends who like Gold Fish, so I’ve added a picture for them.
The new Gold Fish machines. Not a bad game to check out.
It seems the chowder and the popcorn from the movie pretty much filled me up, so I just picked up a slice of pizza at the food court for dinner and took it up to my room for the night. I didn’t get much sleep last night, so it was early to bed tonight.
More tomorrow
Totals:
Tournaments: 3 Cost: 0 Won: $1000
