Trip Report October 2023

Trip report

Day 1

Arrived very late Wednesday 10/7/23 at midnight. Lots of flight delays. Delayed planes on united all day. Used turo for my car, so much cheaper than trying to use Hertz. Car was exactly where the host said it was. Stayed at South point. Great place to stay. Room was very spacious. However the valet there even though its free, not the greatest even after tipping. In would recommend to take your bags to the room by yourself. If you use the bellhop, you’ll wait a while.

Day 2

My dad was getting married so we spent alot of time going back and forth between south point and Rampart at JW Marriott. learned that 215 route is so much better than 15 to 93 to 95. Went to the downtown grand and played in the blackjack tournament and the video poker. Using my skills learned at blackjack apprenticeship and what Ive learned from AC (anthony Curtis), I made it to the semi-final round. Told Anthony about it, one of his many mentees. Thanks. Then between rounds I played several rounds of 9/6 JOB. Love the $2.00 hot dog stand. So many people there from LVA. Not so much good luck on the crap table. Got my name called and pulled my bet off the pass line in the middle of a roll. Yea, thats my fault. I returned to the table and gave the pit boss back the $5.00. Luckily he was a raiders fan and very cool about it.

Then back to the blackjack tournament. Faced off against a guy who bet big and was getting blackjacks and 20’,s. He was in 4th position and I was in 6th position. Both of us were getting good hands. So I didn’t have to count as much, which I still am a long way away from keeping the running count and true count. Even though in tournament play it doesn’t matter as much. Chip count is really what matters. In the end it was me and Frank who now has $5,000 and with 4 of them in yellow chips(1,000). In the end at round 10 he put up his $5,000 against my $5,100. And of course cards come out and gets an Ace. i get a 8. Next cards come and out comes the King of spades to make blackjack for him andfor me I get a 7 and take a hit for a 3 for 18. Dealer winds up with 18 and I tie. Oh well, great finish to the semi-final round.

Then onto Video Poker tournament which was a little crazy with who was listed.  My name was crossed off and then I handed the lady (who was very nice) my yellow slip and said, oh yea, I don’t know what happened, and put my on a 5:55 time.  Then she called me back two minutes later to play.  Played for 4 mintues and got a low score and was out.  I was headed for a re-buy and then was called back at 5:55 p.m. to play again and the same lady had me sit down to play again(for free, I think they messed up, but I kept quiet). This time I was getting good hands, you have to move fast in this tournament and got a high score of 275 beating out AC with a score of 265.  Listening to AC’s advice has been helpful, move quick on those keys and you get 1 second to make decision on your hand.  I moved to the semi- final round where again I was getting good hands and sat next to AC’s girlfriend Jennie who was great to talk with, nice lady.  Going through my round, I got 4 of kind with a deuce and ran my score up to the thousands, 1065, I believe.  The ladies I were playing against were fast. 

Then onto the final round, I was put back in my seat again where I had the worst score, I should of asked to be reseated, I’ll have to remember that for next time.  While my wife was watching me, she said the ladies who play that game move super fast.  Almost like playing a musical instrument, you know exactly which notes to play without thinking about it, you are just playing music.   I know this after playing my saxophone since 5^th grade and still play today. 

Then onto get my sister at the airport, the southwest pickup area is crowded, so I parked in short term parking and walked into the terminal.  After that had dinner at the JW Marriot casino Earl Grey Café.  All in all a great day. 

Day 3

Had breakfast at the Brass Fork at Palace Station.  Food was ok, waitress was stressed, limited staff working, so took a while, but that club sandwich never disappoints. So strange, I’ve been going there since I was kid, when there was a Denny’s in the parking lot that is long gone.  That place has really gotten much better. First time I’ve seen the electronic large craps tub table, guess the casino is trying to cut costs by not having a stickman, two dealers and a Boxman, now there is only one stickman at those tables, and you place your bets electronically like many other electronic craps games.  Also played VP Ultimate X where I hit 4 of a kind, after that I walked away up as I didn’t want to give it back.

My wife went shopping at the outlets and I played craps at Rampart with a guy who was rolling the dice ok.  Lots more COME bets, so I get the true odds of the bet.  I was also teaching my cousin how to play.  Asked for the 8 to be placed on, during the come out roll.  Dealer kind of looked at my funny and I place the bet and it hit.  Dealer shook her head.  Kinda funny.  Also played Ultimate X, did ok, walked away when I was up.

Lots of stress during a wedding, so I sat with my dad in his room watching the Texas A&M game but got beat out of my under bet.  Oh well, onto the next one.  Then onto the rehearsal dinner where my nephew slipped and fell and caused quite the ruckus.  Glad he is ok and now on crutches for six weeks, but it will heal.  He is Autistic, so took a lot of my sister to calm him down.  Rehearsal dinner was good, great service at the Hawthorn Grill.  Good drinks and good service.  Drove back to Southpoint, end of day.

Day 4

Wedding Day.  Spent the morning again driving back to Rampart and having breakfast at the Earl Grey Café.  Food was pretty good.  Most of my family were there.  After that since It’s Saturday, I watched college ball and made out pretty good on my football bets.  Love the sportsbook at Rampart, if you can get chair, it’s a great experience.  Waited around for the wedding which went great, my dad asked me to be the ring bearer, almost like a best man, just carrying the ring.  Beautiful wedding on the back lawn of Marriot.  Quite the problem of Marriot checking my dad out his room 3 times and for the price paid for the wedding there, had to talk to the manager and be discounted for many inconveniences.  Still working on that.  Had the reception, my step-mothers family is great, much better than my dad’s last choice, great excitement.  Then back to southpoint, dead tired.

Day 5

Tried to sleep in as best I could, got up and played some VP at the Southpoint bar, 9/6 JOB, made my football bets early.   Of course, had three of $1.50 hot dogs at the cart there by the USBC lounge at Southpoint.  While playing Deuces wild at the bar, according to the “Frugal Video Poker Scouting Guide” by Jean Scott is 100.76% return according to page 26.  I hit not one Royal flush with duces, but two.  I’ve almost finished with “Frugal Video Poker by Jean Scott” and working my way through “Video Poker for the Intelligent Beginner” by Bob Dancer.  So the strategies really do work.  My first RF on Video poker.  Really cool, this pay table paid out 100 $1 coins or 100 dollars.  I hit not one Royal flush with duces, but two.  I’ve almost finished with  “Frugal Video Poker by Jean Scott” and working my way through “Video Poker for the Intelligent Beginner” by Bob Dancer.  So the strategies really do work.  My first RF on Video poker.  Really cool, this pay table paid out 100 $1 coins or 100 dollars.

Played craps at the $5.00 table at South Point where the shooter made 3 passes.  Instead of trying to hit high/low which is a terrible odds bet, every time I want to do that I should press my COME bets instead and place more on the pass line and free odds bet.  I’ll have to do that next time, keeping my emotions in check. Walked away with another $105 up.  Also played keno and hit my three numbers 72,73,74 three different times with $4.00 in.  Keno is 30% disavanage game, but sometimes I like to play it, paid off for me this time.

Ended the trip with dinner at Don Vito’s at SouthPoint.  Had the crab ravioli, very tasteful, good wine and good food and excellent service.   Well worth the money paid for the cost of the meal.

Thanks for the great trip report!

Just a side note--South Point doesn't have fullpay Deuces, and especially not at the bar, so the version you played must have been something else. I assume that the royals you hit were what we call "dirty royals," or royals using one or more deuces, correct? Well, assuming you were playing five coins, your $100 payoff meant you got paid 20 to 1--which is terrible. That hand "should" pay 25-1 and does on the better schedules, of which South Point has many. But not at the bars! That short payout is one of many on the DW schedule for the bar games. My guess is that they were about 98% return or worse.

Jean talks about picking a game you want to play and then learning to evaluate the paytables. The best games at South Point pay 25-16-10-4-4-3-2-1; they're colloquially known as "Not So Ugly Ducks." That game returns 99.73% with optimal play, and their slot club pays 0.3%, so the game is breakeven.

And Jean doesn't mention this as far as I remember, but bartop game paytables are almost universally terrible everywhere. There are a few exceptions.

Some bars at SP have 99.73%.  

Yeah, VPFree2 says "most bars"--without mentioning which particular machines. It's kind of ironic, they have so many NSUDs, there are too many to list. But the one the OP was playing wasn't, not if his wild royal only paid 100 coins. Ive gotten into the habit of not even bothering to check bartop pay schedules any more. But SP is a different animal in many respects.

I'd say 60-70%% of the bar machines for deuces at SP are the poor paying version.  For sure the bartops that are linked up to the $0.25 progressive are poor.  But I can tell you for sure the registration desk bar and the bar on south end by the poker room have a lot of NSUD mixed in there.  I'll play those bar tops when I'm trying to keep an eye on a game. (plus drink service is excellent at them)  Or when I'm there with my wife as she likes sitting bar top.  

kevin,

i'll remember that for next time.  I like to sit at the bar and watch the football game, but your right, the bar VP really is terrible, much better to play VP on the floor.  But southpoint is good place to stay, great atmophere and felt like older vegas where your money last's you a long time.

Dave