This was the 12th trip to Las Vegas for my wife (Sheila) and me since making our first trip there in December, 2003. We have gone at least once per year since then and managed to make two trips each in 2007 & 2010. In the past, we have stayed at the LV Hilton (many times), Sunset Station (3 times), Sahara (1 week) and Riviera (1 night). With the exception of our first trip, when we stayed at the Hilton and walked our asses off, we now rent a car and travel around to many of the off-strip casinos, Boulder Highway, downtown, etc. We are very low-rollers and try to maximize the use of coupons for gambling/food/entertainment whenever possible. I usually allot $300 a day for my gambling/food/tips, etc. Show tickets are usually purchased on-line in advance. Sheila usually brings about $400-500 for her play and rarely uses even a fraction of that. She is very risk-averse and, while she gets very excited when she wins, she hates to lose. She's a very reluctant gambler. The truth is that I usually bankroll a lot of her play, so I look at our combined totals to determine our wins or losses. We usually end up bringing home most of our bankroll and, on several occasions, have returned with more than our starting amounts.
MONDAY, 12/3:
Southwest Airlines (booked direct at Southwest.com, $754.40 total, round-trip for two) from Bradley airport (Hartford/Springfield), departed at 8:35 a.m. thru Denver to Las Vegas at 12:55 p.m. Long lines going through Security for departure (appeared to be a shortage of TSA staff). First disappointment of the trip was finding the McDonald's inside the airport to be closed for renovations. Damn! No Egg McMuffins to start the trip, had to settle for an extremely stale bagel from another airport vendor. The very full flight (they offered free airfare & $300 for anyone to take a bump) left on time. We had just enough time between flights in Denver to grab a quick burger & fries at McDonald's. Arrived about 15 minutes early at McCarran. Took the tram to baggage claim and our luggage was just coming out on the carousel when we got there. Sweet! I haven't even placed a bet yet and I'm already a winner. Took the shuttle to the rental car center. I booked a compact car from Payless (thru Priceline.com) for $13.30/day. With taxes and fees, the total was $113.93 for the trip. Of course, the rental agent tried to sell me an upgrade and all of the other add-ons, but I just smiled and declined everything that she tried to pitch. We were give a Suzuki SX4, to which we added 80 miles during the course of our stay.
Drove directly to Terrible's, where we would be staying for our first 2 nights. I used an ACG coupon offer of $49 for the first night & second night free (total was $54.88 with taxes). We had never stayed there before, but had played there many times. I actually wanted to stay the entire 5 nights at the LVH, but their mailed offer was for a maximum of 4 nights and they wanted too much for the 5th night, so I took a chance on Terrible's. The room pretty much lived up to their name. We had room # 2012, and this was certainly the worst room that we've ever had in Vegas (although the Sahara was a close second). The room was small, the furniture old, the "view" was of a wall (although there's not much of a "view" from anywhere at Terrible's) and the carpet in the hallways & our room was heavily stained & filthy. Haven't they ever heard of rug shampoo or steam cleaning? I should mention that the first-floor carpet was newer & cleaner and there were renovations in progress, so maybe they are going to change the carpet throughout the hotel. I hope so. The rest of the room was clean, however, and the maid did a good job in cleaning each day, although there was nothing that she could have done about the carpet. I have to remember to pack bedroom slippers or sandals in the future.
After unpacking, we walked to the Hard Rock to use our ACG $10 MP's. We wanted to use them on craps, but there was only one craps table open and it was full. We didn't want to try to muscle our way in and we didn't feel like waiting, so we used them on roulette. Sheila bet on black & I bet on odd and #6 came in, so she won & I lost. We then played some slots & video poker and I lost another $20. We walked back to Terrible's and played a little bit there. I played an ACG $10 MP there on blackjack and lost that, too.
From there, we drove to Ellis Island for dinner. And, yes, I did see the "Dirty Dining" report that was posted here recently, but I figured that they would have corrected their erroneous ways and been on their best behavior since then and I wasn't afraid at all to eat there. It didn't seem to affect their business, as we ate here several times this trip and it was always crowded. We both played some video poker to qualify for the ACG $10 slot-match and both won a little. Using an ACG "2fer" coupon, we both had prime rib dinners ($12.99, including soup or salad and a choice of micro-brewed beer or root beer). The food was prepared exactly as ordered and it was fantastic!
Drove to Tuscany's to use ACG $5 MP's, which we played on craps and won. We played craps for a while and both cashed out with a small profit. I also played 25-cent, 8/5 bonus poker and won on that, while Sheila played some penny slots and also won a little. From there, it was back to Terrible's and bed.
TUESDAY, 12/4:
Even though I work a night shift (11 p.m. to 7 a.m.), I always have difficulty adjusting to the 3-hour time change from Eastern to Pacific time and, regardless of how tired I am when going to bed, I almost always wake up after 4-5 hours of sleep in Vegas. Sheila seems to adjust much better than I, so I let her sleep while I go down to the casino for some solitary play (usually blackjack or video poker). Well, today was no different, so I was awake & up at about 4:30. so headed down, grabbed a cup of coffee at the gift shop/convenience store, and played some $5 blackjack. I used the MRB, "blackjack pays double" coupon and won on a $5 bet (whoopie!). I played for quite some time and ended up losing a little, went back to the room to shave & shower. We wanted to have the breakfast buffet at Terrible's but it was closed until 11:00 a.m. this morning for some kind of maintenance/renovation, so we ate at the cafe instead. I had an omelet and Sheila had over-easy eggs & bacon; all was excellent. I used whatever points I had on my card and the balance of $7.00 in cash.
After breakfast, we made a "coupon run" to use ACG & MRB coupons at the Orleans (slot match play & table games MP), the Palms ($40 for $25 SlotPlaycoupons.com & $10 ACG MP's) and Gold Coast (slot MP & $5 free bets). We won at each of these places. I don't remember the exact amounts, but I do remember that, in qualifying for the $10 slot match play, I played quarter video poker (either JOB or BP) and hit a 4OAK at the Orleans and a straight flush at Gold Coast, so it was a very profitable morning. we then drove back to Terrible's to rest a bit before heading out to see "Beatleshow" (Groupon, $45 for two tickets, less $15 for new membership, net of $30) at Planet Hollywood/Miracle Mile Shops. We parked at Bill's and walked to PH, getting there about 45 minutes before show time. We saw this show a few years back when it was "Fab Four Live" and really enjoyed it. Some of the cast ("John" for sure and possibly "Paul") are the same, but some have changed ("Ringo" for sure and maybe "George"). Anyway, they are all very talented musicians and some of their renditions were "spot-on." We really enjoyed the show.
After the show, we had sandwiches at "Earl of Sandwich" in the Miracle Mile Shops; very tasty. We then walked down the strip and across to the Cosmopolitan. We had never been inside there and we wanted to see it and also take advantage of their $100 loss rebate offer for new members. We both got player's cards and I activated the loss rebate for myself. I had been thinking about how I wanted to play this. In 2010, I used the MRB coupon for the loss rebate at Terrible's, played the $100 in a dollar, 8/5 BP machine and hit a Royal Flush for $4,000. I knew that the Cosmopolitan would not have full-pay video poker, so I decided to try for a big payout on a $5.00 slot machine. I found a $5, 3-reel, Double-Diamond machine in the High-Roller room, fed in a $100 bill and played it one credit per spin. I didn't connect with anything substantial and quickly lost the $100. I went back to the Player's club and had the $100 free play loaded onto my card, then won back $93 on 25-cent, 7/5 BP.
I then convinced Sheila to give the loss rebate a try. She was reluctant but, after seeing my results, she agreed to do it. We went back to the same $5 Double-Diamond machine and, after playing a few minutes, she got ahead $40 and decided that a $40 profit was good enough and cashed out. Now, the beauty of the Cosmopolitan loss rebate, unlike others, is that you can go back and try again another day if don't use it. Since Sheila hadn't lost, she was still eligible for the loss rebate on another day.
After walking back to Bills', we go the car and drove to Ellis Island to use our $10 free slot play, on which we both won. After using the free play, I played quarter, 9/6 JOB, hit a 4OAK and won some more. We used the ACG "free drinks at the bar" coupon and had a couple of frozen margaritas each. From there, back to Terrible's for out last night there.
WEDNESDAY, 12/5"
I was up very early again. I went downstairs, got coffee, and started searching for full-pay video poker. I had been checking the machines on the floor near the table games and the cashier's window, and the best that I could find was 7/5 BP and 8/5 JOB. I finally found what I was looking for the the "Video Poker Corral" that was in a room by itself, behind the bar/sports book. There was a lot of construction going on in that area, which is why I hadn't noticed it before. I played 25-cent, 8/5 BP and did well. After some play, it was time to shave & shower and head to the buffet for breakfast. I know that I have read many people's comments about the poor quality of the buffet at Terrible's, but I have never found that to be the case. We usually only eat at buffets for breakfast - never at lunch and only rarely at dinner and the breakfast buffet has always been fine for us. Maybe we're just not that hard to please, but I find their breakfast to be fresh and tasty.
I used an ACG "2fer" so it was $3.99 plus tax for two people. A steal! Besides the usual scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, home fries, etc., they also had a delicious ham at the carving station, made-to-order waffles and fried chicken wings. Even though I had a traditional breakfast of eggs, sausage, etc., I couldn't resist an order of chicken 'n waffles. They were great! We waddled out of there and back to the VP corral for more quarter, 8/5 BP, where I hit a straight flush (9-10-J-Q-K of hearts). I do wish that they paid more.
We checked out of Terrible's, but it was too early to check in at the LVH, so we drove to Bill's, parked the car and walked through the Bellagio to see the Conservatory, then on to Cosmopolitan so Sheila could take another shot at the same $5 Double-Diamond machine. This time, she worked it up to a $65 win and was happy with that & cashed out a winner again. Walked back to Bill's to get the car, then drove to the Palm's. When we were there the day before, we checked out the movie show times, but were unable to see one then because we had the Beatleshow tickets and didn't want to be late for that. Today, though, we had plenty of time, so we decided to see "Flight." The senior price for the matinee show was about $14 for two. The movie was excellent. We both enjoyed it, although it's probably not the best movie to see when you know you're going to be flying home in a few days...
While waiting for the show, and for a little while after, I played some VP. The day before, when searching for a machine to use the $40 "Slotplay.com" promotion, I checked a bunch of machines on the main floor and the best that I could find was 7/5 BP, which is what I ended up playing and winning on. I knew that Palms was supposed to have full-pay machines, but I didn't know where they were. I finally found some full pay games (8/5 BP and 9/6 JOB) on, of all things, a bank of 50-play, multi-denomination machines near the side entrance, between the food court and the sports book. I played the one-cent, 9/6 JOB, 20 lines X 5 credits, or $1.00 per spin. It was a lot of fun playing them and I made a small profit.
From there, we drove to the LVH to check in. As I mentioned, we had stayed there many times in the past when it was the Hilton and didn't know what to expect with the change in ownership & management. We were staying on a mail offer of one free night, $30 for Thursday night & $40 for Friday night, which I believe is the least that we have ever paid for a 3-night stay here. We found every thing to be exactly the same as in the past. Our room (#10-104 in the North tower) was spacious & clean. All of the furniture & fixtures were in good condition & there was a large, flat-screen TV. The maid service was top-notch each day. I would stay here again in a heartbeat (I don't think that I would stay at Terrible's again, even if they gave me the room for free).
We unpacked and went down to the casino to walk around and see what had changed. While they used to have full-pay, 9/6 JOB throughout the casino floor, everything in the front area was short-pay. There were, however, many full-pay machines, from nickels thru dollars, in the sports book area.
We then drove to Ellis Island and used the MRB "2fer" for the BBQ. We both had combo-platters of chicken & ribs and they were delicious. The total for two was just under $15. We then drove to the Riviera to use our ACG $10 MP's. This place was almost devoid of customers when we arrived. We both had the sense that there's no way this place can stay in business much longer. I hope that they find a way to survive, because it's one of the last "Vegas as it used to be" casinos still in existence. Anyway, there was one craps table open with one guy, playing the "dont's." I was hoping for a nice, long craps session, but it didn't look promising. I bought in for $100 and gave Sheila $10 in chips so she could do her match play. She doesn't like to play craps unless there are a lot of people at the table and she especially doesn't like to play when there are "don't" players at the table, so she did not buy in. We both won our MP's and continued to play. After a while, a couple of young guys came to the table. They didn't know how to play, but watched for a while, then bought in and played a bit. I was holding my own, but never got ahead more than a few dollars. After an hour or so, I had to leave the table to use the restroom. When I got back, the dice came to me and I put a dollar on the "fire bet" and bet the pass line and $6 each on the 6 & 8. I proceeded to make 5 passes (4 different point numbers) before the eventual 7-out. I was paid $25 for the winning fire bet and walked away with a $125 profit. Back to the LVH & bed.
THURSDAY, 12/6:
Woke up early (again!) and down to the casino for coffee & VP. Found a nickel, Super Times Pay, Multi-Strike machine and fed in $100. Played all 4 lines @ max (6) credits per line, total bet of 24 credits per spin. The pay table was lousy (6/5 BP) but I didn't care that much, as I was playing more for the entertainment value that trying to squeeze out a profit. I played for quite some time, was down to less than half of my buy-in, when I caught a (non-bonus) 4OAK on the top line & cashed out with a little profit.
After a shave & shower, it was back to Terrible's for another $3.99 "2fer" buffet (MRB). Once again, a very satisfying breakfast (more chicken & waffles).
Today was to be another "coupon run" to North Las Vegas and Downtown. We hit the Silver Nugget (lost both $5 ACG MP's and dropped $50 playing BJ), Jerry's Nugget (won both ACG $10 MP's and also played some $1 BJ - fun!), Bighorn (won both ACG $10 MP's and played $2 BJ - more fun!). Drove to downtown and parked at the El Cortez, where we both used the ACG coupons for $10 free slot play. I played mine on VP and Sheila played a slot machine. We both won.
Walked to 4 Queens, used MRB coupon for $10 free slot play. Sheila used it on quarter VP and won $6.
Went across to the Vegas Club for ACG $5 free slot play and $5 table games MP's. When I downloaded my free play, instead of $5, I had $20 available. I don't know how that happened, but I wasn't about to complain. I don't remember the exact amounts, but we both did well on the free play, Sheila on a slot and me on VP. We then walked up to a craps table to use the $5 MP's. I bought in with $40 and gave Sheila a $5 chip to use with hers. The shooter made his point so we won both MP's and also on the odds bets that I made behind both of our pass line bets. This shooter was hot! He was throwing numbers and hard-ways like there was no tomorrow. He made over $500 on the hard ten alone. The funny thing was, he was only playing the pass line and not taking the free odds. He could have really made a bundle if he had taken the odds. He made at least 5 passes, with a lot of numbers in between. I got in on the action a little too late and left a lot on the table, but still walked away with at $125 profit. Unfortunately, we then walked across the street to the Golden Gate, where I managed to lose $100 between BJ & craps. I did use the MRB "BJ pays double" coupon, but it wasn't enough to offset the many lousy hands that I got.
There was then a long, sorrowful walk to Main Street Station, while Sheila berated me for being so stupid for blowing $100 in such a short time. I made up for it a MSS, however, when I hit a 4OAK on a 50-cent, 9/6 JOB machine and then 4 Aces on a quarter, 8/5 BP machine. Walked out of there with a profit of about $130.
Walked across the skybridge to the California, where I played $5 BJ and walked away with a $5 profit.
Back to the 4 Queens for dinner at Magnolia's, using an ACG "2fer" for 2 prime rib dinners. The cut of prime rib here was a little smaller than at Ellis Island, but was cooked to perfection and was very tender & delicious. Another excellent meal.
Back to the El Cortez, played & lost $40 at a 3-dollar craps table. Got the car and drove back to the LVH & bed.
FRIDAY, 12/7 (Pearl Harbor Day):
Up early, again. Down to the sports book area for more VP. Decided to try the Multi-Strike/Super Times Pay again (6/5 BP). Again, all 4 lines & max (6) credits per line. After a short while, I held the 10 and King of diamonds on the second line and was stunned to see the A-Q-J of diamonds fill in for a Royal Flush! Sweeeet! 4,000 credits X 2 = 8,000 credits = $400.00. I was down a little when it hit, so the TITO was $471.00. I stuck it in my wallet so I could show it to Sheila when I went back to the room. This was the third royal that I have gotten on Multi-Strike machines. The first was on the first line of a nickel machine at Trump Plaza in Atlantic City and the second was on the third line of a penny machine at the old Nevada Palace (now Cannery East). Maybe I have to play Multi-Strike more often...
After a shave & shower, we had to wait until 9:15 so that I could use a computer in the business center at LVH to check in for our return flights. We got "B" positions for the first leg and "A" for the connection to Hartford.
Once again, it was a trip to Ellis Island, this time for breakfast using another "2fer" coupon (MRB, I think). Sheila had 2 eggs & bacon, I had the cinnamon french toast. We shared so that we could sample some of both. Another very tasty meal, no complaints. I convinced Sheila to take another shot at the Cosmopolitan's machines. She agreed, so we decided to leave the car at EI and walk there. We went to the Player's club and confirmed that she was still eligible to the loss rebate (she was), then to the high limit room & the $5 Double Diamond machine. I fed in $100 and Sheila proceeded to play. She wasn't getting any hits and was down to about 8 credits ($40) and I could tell that she was getting a little nervous. She then hit mixed bars for 5 credits, so she felt a little better. A couple of spins later, she hit two doubles & a cherry for 40 credits ($200). She cashed out with a profit of $170, for a total of $280 in profit on her three attempts on this machine. She was quite pleased with the results.
We then walked to Planet Hollywood/Miracle Mile and bought two tickets for "Vegas - the Show" for the 7:00 p.m. show that night. Using an ACG "2fer" coupon, it was a total of $103.36.
We walked back to EI, go the car and drove back to the LVH for a much-needed nap. Left there at about 4:30 and drove back to EI (again!) for dinner. No "2fers" tonight; it was the $7.99 steak special for us both. Cooked to perfection, tender & juicy. Another great meal. We won't be able to eat red meat for a month now. After dinner, drove to Bill's and parked, walked to PH. Got there at about 6:15 and lined up for the show. We both really enjoyed this show, which is mostly a musical tribute to Vegas throughout the years (the Rat Pack, Elvis, Tom Jones, etc) but also had a juggler/comedian (very funny), a guy that did pratfalls and acrobatics on a trampoline and the amazing Tamara, who twirled hoops but also had more flexibility than I thought was possible. She could twist her body and her legs into positions that I'm certain would result in serious injuries to anybody else foolish enough to attempt it. This was a very good show and well worth the price of admission.
From there, it was back to the LVH for a little bit of play before bed. Since I had been doing to well here on the nickel & quarter machines, I decided to risk $200 on a dollar, 9/6 JOB machine. Well, that didn't work. The good hands that I had been getting on the lower denomination machines decided to take a hiatus and I lost the $200 in pretty quick order. What to do? Not wanting to end the trip on such a down note, I took $40 out of my wallet and moved over to a quarter, 9/6 JOB machine. I built that up to $75. I cashed out and took the TITO over to another 9/6 dollar machine and proceeded to play. I was down to my last 5 credits when I finally started getting some decent hands; trips, flushes, full houses and finally a 4OAK. I cashed out with $155 and called it a night.
SATURDAY, 12/8:
Up at 5:00 a.m. for a 9:15 flight. No VP play this morning. Shave, showered, dressed & finished packing. Couldn't do express check-out, using the TV (system not working). Down to front desk to check out. Stopped at McDonald's on Sahara Ave. for breakfast; shared a Big Breakfast with hotcakes - going to be a long flight, need something substantial to hold us over 'till evening. Got to the rental car return at 7:00, shuttle to airport & baggage check-in. Southwest Airlines thru Baltimore/Washington to Hartford. All flights on or slightly ahead of schedule. Touchdown in Hartford at about 6:30 p.m. and home at 8:00. I can't wait to go back!
Thanks for listening.
Jim
MONDAY, 12/3:
Southwest Airlines (booked direct at Southwest.com, $754.40 total, round-trip for two) from Bradley airport (Hartford/Springfield), departed at 8:35 a.m. thru Denver to Las Vegas at 12:55 p.m. Long lines going through Security for departure (appeared to be a shortage of TSA staff). First disappointment of the trip was finding the McDonald's inside the airport to be closed for renovations. Damn! No Egg McMuffins to start the trip, had to settle for an extremely stale bagel from another airport vendor. The very full flight (they offered free airfare & $300 for anyone to take a bump) left on time. We had just enough time between flights in Denver to grab a quick burger & fries at McDonald's. Arrived about 15 minutes early at McCarran. Took the tram to baggage claim and our luggage was just coming out on the carousel when we got there. Sweet! I haven't even placed a bet yet and I'm already a winner. Took the shuttle to the rental car center. I booked a compact car from Payless (thru Priceline.com) for $13.30/day. With taxes and fees, the total was $113.93 for the trip. Of course, the rental agent tried to sell me an upgrade and all of the other add-ons, but I just smiled and declined everything that she tried to pitch. We were give a Suzuki SX4, to which we added 80 miles during the course of our stay.
Drove directly to Terrible's, where we would be staying for our first 2 nights. I used an ACG coupon offer of $49 for the first night & second night free (total was $54.88 with taxes). We had never stayed there before, but had played there many times. I actually wanted to stay the entire 5 nights at the LVH, but their mailed offer was for a maximum of 4 nights and they wanted too much for the 5th night, so I took a chance on Terrible's. The room pretty much lived up to their name. We had room # 2012, and this was certainly the worst room that we've ever had in Vegas (although the Sahara was a close second). The room was small, the furniture old, the "view" was of a wall (although there's not much of a "view" from anywhere at Terrible's) and the carpet in the hallways & our room was heavily stained & filthy. Haven't they ever heard of rug shampoo or steam cleaning? I should mention that the first-floor carpet was newer & cleaner and there were renovations in progress, so maybe they are going to change the carpet throughout the hotel. I hope so. The rest of the room was clean, however, and the maid did a good job in cleaning each day, although there was nothing that she could have done about the carpet. I have to remember to pack bedroom slippers or sandals in the future.
After unpacking, we walked to the Hard Rock to use our ACG $10 MP's. We wanted to use them on craps, but there was only one craps table open and it was full. We didn't want to try to muscle our way in and we didn't feel like waiting, so we used them on roulette. Sheila bet on black & I bet on odd and #6 came in, so she won & I lost. We then played some slots & video poker and I lost another $20. We walked back to Terrible's and played a little bit there. I played an ACG $10 MP there on blackjack and lost that, too.
From there, we drove to Ellis Island for dinner. And, yes, I did see the "Dirty Dining" report that was posted here recently, but I figured that they would have corrected their erroneous ways and been on their best behavior since then and I wasn't afraid at all to eat there. It didn't seem to affect their business, as we ate here several times this trip and it was always crowded. We both played some video poker to qualify for the ACG $10 slot-match and both won a little. Using an ACG "2fer" coupon, we both had prime rib dinners ($12.99, including soup or salad and a choice of micro-brewed beer or root beer). The food was prepared exactly as ordered and it was fantastic!
Drove to Tuscany's to use ACG $5 MP's, which we played on craps and won. We played craps for a while and both cashed out with a small profit. I also played 25-cent, 8/5 bonus poker and won on that, while Sheila played some penny slots and also won a little. From there, it was back to Terrible's and bed.
TUESDAY, 12/4:
Even though I work a night shift (11 p.m. to 7 a.m.), I always have difficulty adjusting to the 3-hour time change from Eastern to Pacific time and, regardless of how tired I am when going to bed, I almost always wake up after 4-5 hours of sleep in Vegas. Sheila seems to adjust much better than I, so I let her sleep while I go down to the casino for some solitary play (usually blackjack or video poker). Well, today was no different, so I was awake & up at about 4:30. so headed down, grabbed a cup of coffee at the gift shop/convenience store, and played some $5 blackjack. I used the MRB, "blackjack pays double" coupon and won on a $5 bet (whoopie!). I played for quite some time and ended up losing a little, went back to the room to shave & shower. We wanted to have the breakfast buffet at Terrible's but it was closed until 11:00 a.m. this morning for some kind of maintenance/renovation, so we ate at the cafe instead. I had an omelet and Sheila had over-easy eggs & bacon; all was excellent. I used whatever points I had on my card and the balance of $7.00 in cash.
After breakfast, we made a "coupon run" to use ACG & MRB coupons at the Orleans (slot match play & table games MP), the Palms ($40 for $25 SlotPlaycoupons.com & $10 ACG MP's) and Gold Coast (slot MP & $5 free bets). We won at each of these places. I don't remember the exact amounts, but I do remember that, in qualifying for the $10 slot match play, I played quarter video poker (either JOB or BP) and hit a 4OAK at the Orleans and a straight flush at Gold Coast, so it was a very profitable morning. we then drove back to Terrible's to rest a bit before heading out to see "Beatleshow" (Groupon, $45 for two tickets, less $15 for new membership, net of $30) at Planet Hollywood/Miracle Mile Shops. We parked at Bill's and walked to PH, getting there about 45 minutes before show time. We saw this show a few years back when it was "Fab Four Live" and really enjoyed it. Some of the cast ("John" for sure and possibly "Paul") are the same, but some have changed ("Ringo" for sure and maybe "George"). Anyway, they are all very talented musicians and some of their renditions were "spot-on." We really enjoyed the show.
After the show, we had sandwiches at "Earl of Sandwich" in the Miracle Mile Shops; very tasty. We then walked down the strip and across to the Cosmopolitan. We had never been inside there and we wanted to see it and also take advantage of their $100 loss rebate offer for new members. We both got player's cards and I activated the loss rebate for myself. I had been thinking about how I wanted to play this. In 2010, I used the MRB coupon for the loss rebate at Terrible's, played the $100 in a dollar, 8/5 BP machine and hit a Royal Flush for $4,000. I knew that the Cosmopolitan would not have full-pay video poker, so I decided to try for a big payout on a $5.00 slot machine. I found a $5, 3-reel, Double-Diamond machine in the High-Roller room, fed in a $100 bill and played it one credit per spin. I didn't connect with anything substantial and quickly lost the $100. I went back to the Player's club and had the $100 free play loaded onto my card, then won back $93 on 25-cent, 7/5 BP.
I then convinced Sheila to give the loss rebate a try. She was reluctant but, after seeing my results, she agreed to do it. We went back to the same $5 Double-Diamond machine and, after playing a few minutes, she got ahead $40 and decided that a $40 profit was good enough and cashed out. Now, the beauty of the Cosmopolitan loss rebate, unlike others, is that you can go back and try again another day if don't use it. Since Sheila hadn't lost, she was still eligible for the loss rebate on another day.
After walking back to Bills', we go the car and drove to Ellis Island to use our $10 free slot play, on which we both won. After using the free play, I played quarter, 9/6 JOB, hit a 4OAK and won some more. We used the ACG "free drinks at the bar" coupon and had a couple of frozen margaritas each. From there, back to Terrible's for out last night there.
WEDNESDAY, 12/5"
I was up very early again. I went downstairs, got coffee, and started searching for full-pay video poker. I had been checking the machines on the floor near the table games and the cashier's window, and the best that I could find was 7/5 BP and 8/5 JOB. I finally found what I was looking for the the "Video Poker Corral" that was in a room by itself, behind the bar/sports book. There was a lot of construction going on in that area, which is why I hadn't noticed it before. I played 25-cent, 8/5 BP and did well. After some play, it was time to shave & shower and head to the buffet for breakfast. I know that I have read many people's comments about the poor quality of the buffet at Terrible's, but I have never found that to be the case. We usually only eat at buffets for breakfast - never at lunch and only rarely at dinner and the breakfast buffet has always been fine for us. Maybe we're just not that hard to please, but I find their breakfast to be fresh and tasty.
I used an ACG "2fer" so it was $3.99 plus tax for two people. A steal! Besides the usual scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, home fries, etc., they also had a delicious ham at the carving station, made-to-order waffles and fried chicken wings. Even though I had a traditional breakfast of eggs, sausage, etc., I couldn't resist an order of chicken 'n waffles. They were great! We waddled out of there and back to the VP corral for more quarter, 8/5 BP, where I hit a straight flush (9-10-J-Q-K of hearts). I do wish that they paid more.
We checked out of Terrible's, but it was too early to check in at the LVH, so we drove to Bill's, parked the car and walked through the Bellagio to see the Conservatory, then on to Cosmopolitan so Sheila could take another shot at the same $5 Double-Diamond machine. This time, she worked it up to a $65 win and was happy with that & cashed out a winner again. Walked back to Bill's to get the car, then drove to the Palm's. When we were there the day before, we checked out the movie show times, but were unable to see one then because we had the Beatleshow tickets and didn't want to be late for that. Today, though, we had plenty of time, so we decided to see "Flight." The senior price for the matinee show was about $14 for two. The movie was excellent. We both enjoyed it, although it's probably not the best movie to see when you know you're going to be flying home in a few days...
While waiting for the show, and for a little while after, I played some VP. The day before, when searching for a machine to use the $40 "Slotplay.com" promotion, I checked a bunch of machines on the main floor and the best that I could find was 7/5 BP, which is what I ended up playing and winning on. I knew that Palms was supposed to have full-pay machines, but I didn't know where they were. I finally found some full pay games (8/5 BP and 9/6 JOB) on, of all things, a bank of 50-play, multi-denomination machines near the side entrance, between the food court and the sports book. I played the one-cent, 9/6 JOB, 20 lines X 5 credits, or $1.00 per spin. It was a lot of fun playing them and I made a small profit.
From there, we drove to the LVH to check in. As I mentioned, we had stayed there many times in the past when it was the Hilton and didn't know what to expect with the change in ownership & management. We were staying on a mail offer of one free night, $30 for Thursday night & $40 for Friday night, which I believe is the least that we have ever paid for a 3-night stay here. We found every thing to be exactly the same as in the past. Our room (#10-104 in the North tower) was spacious & clean. All of the furniture & fixtures were in good condition & there was a large, flat-screen TV. The maid service was top-notch each day. I would stay here again in a heartbeat (I don't think that I would stay at Terrible's again, even if they gave me the room for free).
We unpacked and went down to the casino to walk around and see what had changed. While they used to have full-pay, 9/6 JOB throughout the casino floor, everything in the front area was short-pay. There were, however, many full-pay machines, from nickels thru dollars, in the sports book area.
We then drove to Ellis Island and used the MRB "2fer" for the BBQ. We both had combo-platters of chicken & ribs and they were delicious. The total for two was just under $15. We then drove to the Riviera to use our ACG $10 MP's. This place was almost devoid of customers when we arrived. We both had the sense that there's no way this place can stay in business much longer. I hope that they find a way to survive, because it's one of the last "Vegas as it used to be" casinos still in existence. Anyway, there was one craps table open with one guy, playing the "dont's." I was hoping for a nice, long craps session, but it didn't look promising. I bought in for $100 and gave Sheila $10 in chips so she could do her match play. She doesn't like to play craps unless there are a lot of people at the table and she especially doesn't like to play when there are "don't" players at the table, so she did not buy in. We both won our MP's and continued to play. After a while, a couple of young guys came to the table. They didn't know how to play, but watched for a while, then bought in and played a bit. I was holding my own, but never got ahead more than a few dollars. After an hour or so, I had to leave the table to use the restroom. When I got back, the dice came to me and I put a dollar on the "fire bet" and bet the pass line and $6 each on the 6 & 8. I proceeded to make 5 passes (4 different point numbers) before the eventual 7-out. I was paid $25 for the winning fire bet and walked away with a $125 profit. Back to the LVH & bed.
THURSDAY, 12/6:
Woke up early (again!) and down to the casino for coffee & VP. Found a nickel, Super Times Pay, Multi-Strike machine and fed in $100. Played all 4 lines @ max (6) credits per line, total bet of 24 credits per spin. The pay table was lousy (6/5 BP) but I didn't care that much, as I was playing more for the entertainment value that trying to squeeze out a profit. I played for quite some time, was down to less than half of my buy-in, when I caught a (non-bonus) 4OAK on the top line & cashed out with a little profit.
After a shave & shower, it was back to Terrible's for another $3.99 "2fer" buffet (MRB). Once again, a very satisfying breakfast (more chicken & waffles).
Today was to be another "coupon run" to North Las Vegas and Downtown. We hit the Silver Nugget (lost both $5 ACG MP's and dropped $50 playing BJ), Jerry's Nugget (won both ACG $10 MP's and also played some $1 BJ - fun!), Bighorn (won both ACG $10 MP's and played $2 BJ - more fun!). Drove to downtown and parked at the El Cortez, where we both used the ACG coupons for $10 free slot play. I played mine on VP and Sheila played a slot machine. We both won.
Walked to 4 Queens, used MRB coupon for $10 free slot play. Sheila used it on quarter VP and won $6.
Went across to the Vegas Club for ACG $5 free slot play and $5 table games MP's. When I downloaded my free play, instead of $5, I had $20 available. I don't know how that happened, but I wasn't about to complain. I don't remember the exact amounts, but we both did well on the free play, Sheila on a slot and me on VP. We then walked up to a craps table to use the $5 MP's. I bought in with $40 and gave Sheila a $5 chip to use with hers. The shooter made his point so we won both MP's and also on the odds bets that I made behind both of our pass line bets. This shooter was hot! He was throwing numbers and hard-ways like there was no tomorrow. He made over $500 on the hard ten alone. The funny thing was, he was only playing the pass line and not taking the free odds. He could have really made a bundle if he had taken the odds. He made at least 5 passes, with a lot of numbers in between. I got in on the action a little too late and left a lot on the table, but still walked away with at $125 profit. Unfortunately, we then walked across the street to the Golden Gate, where I managed to lose $100 between BJ & craps. I did use the MRB "BJ pays double" coupon, but it wasn't enough to offset the many lousy hands that I got.
There was then a long, sorrowful walk to Main Street Station, while Sheila berated me for being so stupid for blowing $100 in such a short time. I made up for it a MSS, however, when I hit a 4OAK on a 50-cent, 9/6 JOB machine and then 4 Aces on a quarter, 8/5 BP machine. Walked out of there with a profit of about $130.
Walked across the skybridge to the California, where I played $5 BJ and walked away with a $5 profit.
Back to the 4 Queens for dinner at Magnolia's, using an ACG "2fer" for 2 prime rib dinners. The cut of prime rib here was a little smaller than at Ellis Island, but was cooked to perfection and was very tender & delicious. Another excellent meal.
Back to the El Cortez, played & lost $40 at a 3-dollar craps table. Got the car and drove back to the LVH & bed.
FRIDAY, 12/7 (Pearl Harbor Day):
Up early, again. Down to the sports book area for more VP. Decided to try the Multi-Strike/Super Times Pay again (6/5 BP). Again, all 4 lines & max (6) credits per line. After a short while, I held the 10 and King of diamonds on the second line and was stunned to see the A-Q-J of diamonds fill in for a Royal Flush! Sweeeet! 4,000 credits X 2 = 8,000 credits = $400.00. I was down a little when it hit, so the TITO was $471.00. I stuck it in my wallet so I could show it to Sheila when I went back to the room. This was the third royal that I have gotten on Multi-Strike machines. The first was on the first line of a nickel machine at Trump Plaza in Atlantic City and the second was on the third line of a penny machine at the old Nevada Palace (now Cannery East). Maybe I have to play Multi-Strike more often...
After a shave & shower, we had to wait until 9:15 so that I could use a computer in the business center at LVH to check in for our return flights. We got "B" positions for the first leg and "A" for the connection to Hartford.
Once again, it was a trip to Ellis Island, this time for breakfast using another "2fer" coupon (MRB, I think). Sheila had 2 eggs & bacon, I had the cinnamon french toast. We shared so that we could sample some of both. Another very tasty meal, no complaints. I convinced Sheila to take another shot at the Cosmopolitan's machines. She agreed, so we decided to leave the car at EI and walk there. We went to the Player's club and confirmed that she was still eligible to the loss rebate (she was), then to the high limit room & the $5 Double Diamond machine. I fed in $100 and Sheila proceeded to play. She wasn't getting any hits and was down to about 8 credits ($40) and I could tell that she was getting a little nervous. She then hit mixed bars for 5 credits, so she felt a little better. A couple of spins later, she hit two doubles & a cherry for 40 credits ($200). She cashed out with a profit of $170, for a total of $280 in profit on her three attempts on this machine. She was quite pleased with the results.
We then walked to Planet Hollywood/Miracle Mile and bought two tickets for "Vegas - the Show" for the 7:00 p.m. show that night. Using an ACG "2fer" coupon, it was a total of $103.36.
We walked back to EI, go the car and drove back to the LVH for a much-needed nap. Left there at about 4:30 and drove back to EI (again!) for dinner. No "2fers" tonight; it was the $7.99 steak special for us both. Cooked to perfection, tender & juicy. Another great meal. We won't be able to eat red meat for a month now. After dinner, drove to Bill's and parked, walked to PH. Got there at about 6:15 and lined up for the show. We both really enjoyed this show, which is mostly a musical tribute to Vegas throughout the years (the Rat Pack, Elvis, Tom Jones, etc) but also had a juggler/comedian (very funny), a guy that did pratfalls and acrobatics on a trampoline and the amazing Tamara, who twirled hoops but also had more flexibility than I thought was possible. She could twist her body and her legs into positions that I'm certain would result in serious injuries to anybody else foolish enough to attempt it. This was a very good show and well worth the price of admission.
From there, it was back to the LVH for a little bit of play before bed. Since I had been doing to well here on the nickel & quarter machines, I decided to risk $200 on a dollar, 9/6 JOB machine. Well, that didn't work. The good hands that I had been getting on the lower denomination machines decided to take a hiatus and I lost the $200 in pretty quick order. What to do? Not wanting to end the trip on such a down note, I took $40 out of my wallet and moved over to a quarter, 9/6 JOB machine. I built that up to $75. I cashed out and took the TITO over to another 9/6 dollar machine and proceeded to play. I was down to my last 5 credits when I finally started getting some decent hands; trips, flushes, full houses and finally a 4OAK. I cashed out with $155 and called it a night.
SATURDAY, 12/8:
Up at 5:00 a.m. for a 9:15 flight. No VP play this morning. Shave, showered, dressed & finished packing. Couldn't do express check-out, using the TV (system not working). Down to front desk to check out. Stopped at McDonald's on Sahara Ave. for breakfast; shared a Big Breakfast with hotcakes - going to be a long flight, need something substantial to hold us over 'till evening. Got to the rental car return at 7:00, shuttle to airport & baggage check-in. Southwest Airlines thru Baltimore/Washington to Hartford. All flights on or slightly ahead of schedule. Touchdown in Hartford at about 6:30 p.m. and home at 8:00. I can't wait to go back!
Thanks for listening.
Jim
