February 28, 2020
**Before I begin today’s report, I’d like ask a favor. Needless to say, pictures add a lot to the reports on this board and I used to always include them. However, since the revamp of this site, I can’t seem to get them into the report. I click on the “add picture” icon and I get a box asking for the source and the size. I have no idea how to find the source of the pictures. So, will someone please let me know the best way to add pics. I have plenty and if I can learn how, I will go back and add them to the reports in the past and my current ones. Thank you!**
Day 3
Well…today is one for the books. Read on.
I packed up my things at Sam’s Town and checked out and drove to my next stop, the Golden Gate. It was far too early to check in, but I left my bags in storage and they’d call me when my room was ready (wish all hotels would do this).
I met Terry for breakfast at 8 AM and we chose the Golden Nugget Grill. I have a lot of unused comp points here and if you don’t use them within a year, you lose them. Most the items are all $10. And I will say, all of them are excellent values. The food is cooked fresh and the quality is wonderful. Highly recommended.
Today is the second day of the 1000 points for $100 free play and this time it’s my turn. As I’m staying at the GG, I turned in my American Casino Guide coupon to the slot club (you must do this before you begin play). I gave Terry one my cards as we’re both going to use my card today each putting on 500 points ($5K in video poker each). Of course, we played the 8/5 BP progressives.
Before Terry even sat down, I was dealt quad 4s. I won’t go into the whole session but I went on one of the best runs I can remember. Within the first two hours, I had hit quad 2s twice, quad 3s, quad 9s, quad Aces, and quad Kings. Terry, who wasn’t going as well, said to me, “Geez, you’re playing on fire, all you need now is the Royal.” Honestly, on the VERY next hand I held A/J/10 of hearts and the Q and K popped up for the progressive $1077 win.
After a while longer, we took a break from playing and I got the call my room was ready. To my surprise, my host got me a suite. Believe me, there is a huge difference between the regular rooms and the suites at the Golden Gate. This being a weekend, I was very pleased. I’ve never met my host. All of our communications have been through emails, so I wanted to make a point of finding and thanking her.
We went down to the Golden Nugget and played poker for a little over an hour. We both booked wins (another rarity). It was time to head back to the GG to finish the final 400 points. This time, Terry’s luck picked up and he began hitting the quads including Aces and 4s. My hot streak also continued and by the time we reached the 10,000 points (or so we thought), we both cashed out well ahead.
When I went to the slot club, the boothling told me I was 4 points short. Ahh! I went over to a Zeus machine and put the points on and the $100 free play was added. We went to the bar where they had 8/6 Poker Deluxe (the 8/5 BPs don’t accept free play). I counted out 80 hands hoping to catch any quad but none came and I cashed out $67.
Some might say it’s crazy to risk that much for just $100 free play; however, playing 10K in a day not only adds more comp dollars along the way, but goes a long way in my standing in room and free play offers down the road.
I went over to the host station and introduced myself to Vicki and thanked her for the suite. She said she was happy to oblige and if I chose to add any expenses, to add it to my room and she’ll take them off. I have more than enough comps and I didn’t want to press it, so I won’t be doing that. But I appreciated the offer.
Terry and I went to dinner at Nacho Daddy’s (recently added to the One Slot club so points can be used). It was my first time there. We split a Golden Nights nachos plate. The food was good, but honestly, nothing special.
The Fremont Experience was jammed on this Friday night. The costumed beggars and scantily clad showgirl hucksters were out in force. The smell of marijuana is everywhere these days and you have to bob and weave your way around the throngs of people to get from one place to another. I have no doubt this zoo is very entertaining to the casual visitor but for these old Las Vegas veteran’s eyes…well…(insert your own adjectives).
I still had $30 in match play chips from the D to use, so I flipped a coin (heads-black; tails red) and it came up heads. I put up the $30 and the match play chips on black on the roulette table. Black came up and I was paid $90. Score!
I go to bed very early and get up early so I was going to call it a night. I had $6.50 left on my food voucher, so I bought a Coney dog and a soda and took it to my room for a little TV and bed.
As I noted at the top, this was a day for the books. I won every session I played, and won big (well—big for my low-roller ways). There are days I can’t catch a quad to save my life. I’ve gone as long as three days not hitting one. However, today, I hit them time after time after time. I’ve been doing Las Vegas now for almost 40 years and I am very much aware of the highs and the lows, so I know I’ll stink up the joint sometime down the road, but for now I just want to bask in the wonderment of a lucky day.
I understand these reports are short on the “Las Vegas” sounds and scenes. But this trip was set out to be a video poker playing trip and most the days are just going to be that. Later trips will be far more interesting and hopefully…with pictures.
More tomorrow
