Some of you guys said I should do TRs even for non-Vegas trips. I'm not one to detail them like you all do, so I'll just tell some quickies.
Charter trip (flight, 3 nights) to AC, we stayed at Caesars. I like Caesars for their table games. But we also played in Tropicana.
TSA at home airport must have been short staffing. We have TSA Pre-check, usually very quick, this day they had one guy checking both the Pre-check line AND the regular line, creating back ups for both. Don't know if they'd had call outs or if their pay is affected or anything. I'd have asked in a friendly chatty way, but none looked like in a mood for questions. The officer pulled five people from the regular line to process before doing me. He did say, because I had walked up thinking it was my turn, "I have to pull more from [the regular line] because it is so much longer." Eventually a second person came to man a station. Don't know if that helped, probably did.
BFF and I had our usual Presidente′ Margaritas and egg rolls at Chilis at the airport. Best part of the trip often.
Charter was a "double stop", meaning we started at our home city and picked up passengers in Baton Rouge. That was said to be a 'quick stop' but we stayed on the ground a long time. Don't know why. I know Obama was stumping in New Jersey, but don't know if that affected other flights.
Finally got to ACY. Busses to Caesars, Harrah's, and Tropicana were long time leaving for the hotels. They apologized but gave no reason why.
At hotel they had our room assignments and keys waiting as usual with the charters. Luggage would be in room in a couple hours. At least you can go up, freshen up, dump any carry on bags, etc. and go on for playing. My room was great, refrig and coffee, elevator very close to casino. Shower, no tub, but the shower is great, big with regular shower head and a hand held. Friend had a 'suite' due to Seven Stars, but her suite was nothing more than my room, same size, extra couch. I like the rooms there a lot. Made her feel special to know she rated a suite. Silly, IMO, but I said nothing. Who needs a real suite when you are the only one?
BFF always goes straight to machines, no going to room until much later. I did my thing in the room then met her at some Dragon Links. She had already, in less than 15 minutes, hit a "hand pay" (she calls them) for some $1300.00+. I got nothing from the DLs which is all I played that night. But I hit a six card flush with four of them being a straight flush on High Card Flush for $1700. BFF didn't have any more hits, and she ONLY plays slots.
I think I called it a night pretty early, had leftover egg rolls from the airport Chili's and whatever beverage I managed to get for a dollar tip, took a shower, turned on Forensic Files and quickly faded off to sleep.
Around 9 the next morning we cabbed over to the Trop, actually a better casino, IMHO. Many more machines, way more DLs, I had one hit for $1375.00 on a DL, had fed taxes taken out, can't remember how much but a lot. Did well otherwise for a while but tired of that. Went to 3/5 hand Video Poker machine, playing 50 cents on five play instead of dollars, that treated me exceptionally well, hit all kinds of bonus hands on Bonus, Double Bonus, and Double Double Bonus. One hand dealt 4 OK threes or something on five play for $400 on four hands, a kicker on the fifth hand for $800. Had fed taxes taken out. Stayed at that machine for I think 3 hours, cashed out some $4000.00+, no tax on any of that as no one taxable level hit. I usually play dollars, but needed to conserve hence the 50 cent play. I think of how much it would have been, but then might not have hit at all and didn't want to jinx it while it was good.
Went back to Caesars for dinner, ate at the Gordon Ramsay Pub and Grill, something like that. She had 5 celebration dinners to burn (!!!) so treated both of us. I had Chicken Pot Pie, very good. We shared sides of grilled asparagus and brussels sprouts, exceptionally good. My lemon drop martini was exceptionally good also. She had some other drink that wasn't great. Took leftovers to room, at some the next morning.
Next day I played tables, HCF and 3 Card Poker. On 3 Card I was dealt trip 9s for a lot of money, I forget how much. But then the fourth 9 turned up in the Community Cards for 4 of a kind on the progressive meter. Would have been big money there, 10% of the mini jackpot, except that a lady at next table, LIR, had gotten the same thing and hour earlier, meters were connected of course, and she took down over $1000, which was reset to $300. So I only got $300+ for four 9s "on the light", but no complaints.
I played until almost 9 pm when I stopped to get Chicken Lettuce Wraps to go from a something Noodle place to take to the room. Excellent.
Sufficient to say the trip was one of the best financially for me. Of course I played with abandon that last evening which is what one should never do. Haven't calculated it yet but came out very nicely ahead. BFF didn't have her usual horseshoe-up-her-butt luck. There was a DL bank that had the Giant jackpot at $888,888.88, the one you have to fill in 15 spots to get. It was hit by somebody on our charter plane, but not either of us. Oh, well.
Trip home was on time, no delays, got home a little early. I'd had an excellent chocolate martini at the airport the last time, so couldn't wait to have that for lunch this time before flight home. It wasn't nearly as good. But thankful to arrive safe and sound.
Thanks for reading.
Candy
