Wynn, Bellagio, Brooks&Dunn/Reba show

This was our "instead of Christmas week" Vegas trip, Dec. 7-13. Myself, husband Scott, and friend Connie.

We followed the comps and Free Play, and I'll just hit some highlights.

Our SWA flight was 2 hours late arriving due to heavy fog in Atlanta and Chicago. But, what are ya gonna do? We took our time with breakfast in one of the nicer eateries at the airport. Hey, we are on a Vegas vacation. How bad can it be? Plus we were on a non-stop, didn't have to sweat a connecting flight.

Connie was booked at Caesars and gave us her 2 comped tickets to Brooks & Dunn/Reba. Lucky us that she doesn't care about going to shows. She could have taken a different offer that included $350 in Free play, but she took this offer to give us the tickets since Scott really wanted to see this show. What a friend!

Fantastic show. Our seats were 3rd row way to the side, but that put me with nobody in my way/sight and we could practically touch the entertainers (if not for the security guards lined up at the stage, LOL). One good thing is that the audience didn't try to stand up the whole time. We are too old to enjoy standing through any show. Anyway, at certain times B&D invited everyone to stand and boogie for a song, then everyone sat down afterwards. They all sang all their old hits and a few new songs. All in great voice, great backup singers and musicians, stage effects. Reba changed outfits (shiny and tiny) so many times I lost count.

One highlight: Scott was wearing his shiny red ARKANSAS shirt (Connie had found it at a thrift shop, but very good looking actually). During their last song, all three moving up and down the stage front, Ronny Dunn stopped in front of us, pointed to his shirt, asked "Y'all from Arkansas?" and gave Scott a thumbs up. Have no idea if Dunn has an Arkansas connection.

Wynn-Two free nights with a slot tourney. Met up with CLV there. She and I stunk in the tournament. Connie had a sore right wrist and conned Scott into playing for her. He got the best score of the three of us, but none of us came out in the money. We attended the post-tourney party in the XCESS night club room, where there was loud music (canned, I think, didn't see a band) and strong drinks. The MC begged folks to get up and dance the two-step. Only one couple was brave enough, but of course they were very good. I had on a Christmas sweat shirt that attracted the eye of the MC and he got me up on the floor to chat a bit. I was afraid he might deem the shirt a candidate for an "Ugly Christmas Sweater" contest, but he just told a story about his aunt who was nuts over Christmas sweatshirts and he knew she would like mine. It had black cats sitting atop red and green ornaments--old as the hills but I still drag it out to wear every December.

I visited a Host (mine was off duty) and asked why my offers started tanking a couple years ago despite my play not tanking at all, while Connie, who hadn't been to Vegas in 12 years, was getting offers like five nights, $700 Free Play. This Host said they had tightened things up but "they are marketing heavily to players who have not visited in a long time." Hmmm. Plus, she said they are going up on their Resort Fee...I think she said to $30 or $35. We didn't have to pay it since we were in on a comp.

Connie then went to Caesars (where she got the B&D/Reba tickets...I guess it pays to stay away for a while) and we checked into Bellagio, my favorite, for four nights. Nice corner Salon suite over the fountains, some new fountain shows/songs. Host gave me $500 Free Play which I used to play some 3/5 play VP, ended the session with $425 which I played in some $1 reels I don't normally play. No big wins there. CLV had moved over to Bel and we played some nickel, dime, quarter, etc. Ultimate X together. Later I managed to hit 4 Aces on dollar 3 play VP for a $2400 win (and a W2-G which I didn't really want). Food was good in the Bel Cafe, but found out they are closing the night shift (12 MN) after Christmas. No biggie for us 'cause we are seldom up that late, but some employees will suffer loss of work hours.

We haven't eaten in Bellagio Buffet in many years, as we didn't like it the first time. We decided to give it another try this trip, breakfast. Well, it is still the noisy chaotic place I remembered from the first time. Food just OK...melons were very good and the O'brian potatoes, otherwise nothing to rave about. Lots of ethnic food. Despite a remodel of the place a couple years ago, the acoustics are still terrible, noisy. I'm still mystified why this place gets such rave reviews, but, each to his own. Thankfully we had food comps to cover it.

Connie came over to Bellagio for her last two nights. We did our traditional breakfast at Mon Ami Gabi, blueberry French toast and their wonderful thick and crispy bacon. This is the best meal in all of Vegas, for us at least. We played a while at Paris, Connie on Quick Hits and me on Joker Poker and other assorted VP games on the same machine.

Well, that's enough. Somehow, I don't know how, I came out almost dead even on the money, maybe a hundred or so ahead. This is great, since I won't have to hit the bank before our next trip which is to Beau Rivage in Biloxi MS, our favorite. Free charter flight (Sun Country) and three nights, some Free Play. Then back to Vegas to stay at Paris for the first time ever. Some free nights and free play there too.

Thanks for reading.

Congratulations on a fun trip and hitting aces. Did you speak with a host at Wynn or Caesars? The next time you see CLV, please tell her hello from me.

Thanks for the report and congratulations on coming out ahead and your nice $2,400 hit!

As for this marketing, Las Vegas has been notorious for sending out "We Miss You" offers. They are definitely more looking for people who haven't been there in a while because they may become more steady players at least until the offers start tightening up.

I think that some of these places have the rationale of why send greater offers to people who they know will come back over and over again and give them the same level of play? Some are not looking for the captive audience, they want either newer blood or someone who they can really entice there. It's all a game!

RecVPPlayer

Thanks, Lisa. My discussion with the Host was at Wynn. I will certainly pass along your shout-out to CLV.

RecVP, thanks for your analysis, which I am convinced is a fact. They are trying to reel in previous customers, confident I'll still play there. I should dump them, but I honestly like the place and like playing there. Offers have improved a little by way of the free nights with slot tourneys.

I forgot to mention that at Bellagio I was SHOCKED, SHOCKED, (really) to find 6:5 blackjack at my level of play ($10-15) for the first time in all the years I've played there. There are still a few 3:2 hand shuffle games at the $25 level. Boo. I didn't check out the higher limit games as I don't play them, so some of those may still be 3:2.

Nice Trip Report, congrats on $2,400 hit, sounds your group had loads of fun.

Bobby

You're very welcome! I think that casinos know that they can give the consistent players fewer Carrots to entice the people who are going to go there anyway as opposed to those who have not been there for a while.

As for Bellagio, see the thread that I recently added onto about the Win Cards (which are in LV currently offered at MRI places only) that at least according to the Wizard of Vegas site says that CC and MB have 3:2 Blackjack at the $25 and higher level (although NYNY does/did [at the time of the report] had 3:2 Blackjack at the $10 Minimum level). And so players need to check more and more carefully on what Player 21s are paying.

Great trip report! Just wondering what part of Arkansas are you folks from? We live in Clarksville.

Hello Clarksville!

We are in the Little Rock area.

Hi Candy; enjoyed your report. I bet the Wynn is a great place to stay, i never made it there on my last trip in January, nor have i ever stayed there (but would like to!) I think i would of enjoyed Brooks and Dunn; i loved many of their songs! And congratulations on the Aces win!

Also, I see you are from the Little Rock area, which reminded me of growing up and listening to BEAKER STREET on a radio station out of Little Rock! Pretty good (and somewhat far out!) stuff for my sister and I listening from our shared bedroom in South Central Minnesota, as we were both huge music lovers!! As I recall it came on later in the evening. Did you listen? Gail

Gail, I certainly did listen to radio during my teen years, which was about all we had back then, other than 45's on the record player.

I'm sorry to say that I don't remember BEAKER STREET. Was that a song or a show? I can't believe you could get a LR station way up in Minnesota!