Time for the wife's annual entertaining shindig in Vegas. I like these trips as we stay in super fancy digs and eat at the best restaurants and it's all paid by my wife's account.
I also get to log quite a bit of flight time ferrying clients from SF and Reno to Las Vegas all on someone else's dime. Travel went mostly uneventful but for one little incident with a Korean Air 777. While holding for permission to cross a runway this ginormous behemoth rolled up over us with it's front nose gear missing our wing by about 3 feet. I probably would not have noticed but for the ground controller's voice changing from complete boredom to utter disgust. My reward for doing as I was told is 30 minutes of reports to file and a FAA phone interview that has already been postponed twice.
This year the wife is double billing (my little joke, she NEVER double bills) as she is a speaker at a conference and schmoozing clients. The conference is at the Westgate so she decided to get a nice suite there. We had not been to the property since the Hilton/Star Trek Experience days and we have never stayed there. The Star Trek area is gone but there are still a few reminders remaining.
We checked in to a "hospitality suite" which is a slightly oversized room with a seating area and wet bar and two beds in plain view. This would not do for the Queen of boutique hotels and she was immediately on the phone to her assistant and the hotel staff at the same time. While the matter was being sorted out the bellman and I had a nice conversation and it turned out that his father had worked for me (indirectly) before retiring to Henderson. Small world.
Next we were taken to a "themed" room, the Park Avenue suite. The manager told us that they had rooms that would be more accommodating but that they were not available. I thought the room was very nice. Two bedrooms, very nice bathrooms with spa tubs and showers, separate 1/2 bath in parlor, a nice room sized parlor with wet bar, all decorated like a Park Ave. apartment. I'll take their word for it, I've never been in a Park Ave. apt. The wife said that it was very nice and she appreciated everything they were doing to accommodate her but she was afraid it might be a little small for the entertaining she was doing. The manager said she would see what she could do.
Later we were shown to the Tuscany Sky Villa. WOW! This is over the top. This place is way nicer than the Sky suites at the MGM where we usually stay for this event. I believe it is even nicer, definitely bigger than the villas at the Bellagio that we got to enjoy with friends a few years ago. We were not going to be able to stay in this suite but my wife could use it for the two parties she would host. I do not know what this cost her but it had to be a bundle.
Three huge bedrooms with enormous bathrooms, each with it's own multi person (like 5 to 10) spa tub, an office larger than any I have ever had, a workout area, a full kitchen, a full bar, a dinning room with seating for 12, two large seating areas one with a grand piano, a huge fireplace. Marble flooring everywhere. Very high domed ceilings with elaborate paintings. This place is larger than our house, and we have a big house. It also has an outdoor area it shares with an other villa that has it's own full bar, a small pool and fake grass area with lot's of comfortable seating. Misters kept the heat bearable in the evening. Everything is very lavishly and tastefully decorated
The parties were very well received and the hotel catering staff did an excellent job with food and drinks. Except for the bartender Jim who took instruction from my wife and did not allow me to get drunk.
You would think that would have been the highlight of the trip, but no. That comes later.
The casino at the Westgate was a big disappointment. We remembered the Hilton as being a good sized casino with lots of table games and good fun atmosphere. Not anymore. They had one pai-gow table, one craps table, a couple of black jack tables (BJ pays 3 to 2 at least) and a smattering of other games like 3 card poker, ultimate hold 'em and such. It doesn't even look like there are as many slot machines as before. It seemed like the players were just at the tables as an after thought. Just killing a little time between convention meetings. They did have a craps slot machine thing I was interested in but the bets you could choose were not exactly like a live craps table and there was a time limit to make your bets. I did not fully understand it and gave up.
So, with the depressing reminder that the Star trek Experience is gone, the lousy casino and time share salespeople everywhere you look I will not be looking forward to a return. Despite the really nice suite to stay in and the over the top villa for her parties the wife said she does not want to return either. It must have been "really" expensive.
On Wednesday it was time to return to our roots. "Hey baby, lets get outta here and go downtown"
We checked into the Golden Gate for two free nights in a suite. OK, after our last digs this is not a suite, but it's a nice room. It's comfortable and clean and just a couple of floors up from what has become our favorite casino.
The young 'dealertainers' know our faces and greet us with a smile. The pit bosses know our names (after glancing at our cards) and ask us how we've been. The craps dealers wave to me across the room. I really like this place. Where else can a relative low roller get treated so well.
We took a stroll down the Fremont experience just to see what's new. Everything seems to be the same but the hucksters might be a little more desperate. The KISS guys have decided to lose their pants and pose in jock straps, above the belt costumes and full face make-up.
We only had one "nice" restaurant meal on this trip. We went to Andiamo at the D. We have been before and it is still great. We started with a glass of Leroy-Duval champagne and then a bottle of Stag's leap cabernet with our steaks. The wife had a filet and lobster tail. The tail was slightly overdone (the lobster tail boys, the lobster) but the filet was perfect. I had a ribeye which was also perfect. We had all three of their house sauces. The cabernet and the balsamic are very nice but I don't care much for their house blend, a personal taste.
Our waiter also brought us a couple of their signature meatballs because we just had to try them (we didn't tell him we had them last time) and also a small slice of veal to try. I had never had a sample of steak brought to me before. I hope it wasn't left over from someone's plate. We charged it all to our room at the GG and it was later comped.
This still wasn't the highlight of the trip.....it's coming.
At the GG casino the wife parked herself at the Let it Ride table and proceeded to pay their light bill. Despite it being such a huge edge game for the casino my wife usually does OK at it. This trip however it came out pretty much as the odds dictate.
I on the other hand was doing great. I made money on almost every "session" I played. $20 here, $50 there. even a couple of $100 wins at black jack and craps.
As part of our usual routine we walk down to the El Cortez to play "Dabo!" (a prize if you know the reference) 50 cent chip roulette. This trip the wife's feet were hurting and it was very, very hot so we stayed at the GG and played with dollar chips. More than I like but it won't break the bank. It was fun, I won $40 and was crushing the wife in our who wins the most/loses the least contest.
Still not the highlight.
Monday, Wednesday and Thursday nights I played poker at the golden Nugget. Starting about 11pm or midnight till about 5 or 6am. there was a good crowd. A lot of poker players in town for the world series and the Golden Nugget is having their month long Grand series of tournys. With a good amount of players we were able to have one table of $3-$5 no limit. This seemed to bring a little more serious player out and fewer "wild ones" than at the $1- $2.
I had 3 winning sessions. Nothing big but several hundred each night.
This was still not the highlight of the trip.
A long time ago I worked out a lot of different betting "techniques" and amounts for craps. after much trial and refinement this is what I came up with.
I start with a pass line bet so that I can take at least $30 odds.
After the point I place the inside for $110. $25 5 and 9. $30 6 and 8. (unless one of the inside numbers is the point, then I take the free odds)
I track each number individually and take the first pay then double the second and continue to double every other hit.
I said double, not press. For example on the 6 and 8
Start with $30. First hit it pays $35, take it, same bet.
Next hit, pays $35 give dealer a $1 and make it look like $66
Next hit pays $77, take it.
next hit pays $77, give dealer $1 and make it look like $144
Etc. etc.
I do this for each of the four numbers individually till seven hits.
This was the betting style I was using when the best craps roll of my life happened.
I was playing Wednesday night. was doing ok, holding around even as the dice made their way around the table several times. That in itself is pretty good. 40 plus minutes of play without losing my buy-in of $300.
Then the dice came to the young kid on my right. He rolled, and rolled, and rolled! I don't know how many passes he made. I don't know how long he held the dice. I do know that he rolled the 6, 12 times and the 8, 6 times. Sticking to the style I described I had $1800 placed on the 6 and $300 on the 8. I don't even know how much I had on the other numbers. I even had money placed on the 4 and 10 which I usually skip.
I would give a pretty good yell as each heavily placed number would hit and there was quite a bit of cheering but the table wasn't really that loud. The other table was much rowdier with people trying to squeeze in, though I think ours had an empty spot the whole roll. We did have the floor manager come over, watch everything and whisper a lot to the boxman.
The dice hit the dealers hand and sevened out. I had just short of $7000 in my rack! I took a look around the table and was quite surprised that the other racks looked so empty. The shooter probably only had $300 or $400. Though there were a couple props bettors with a grand or so.
I flipped the shooter a green chip (I know, but he needs to learn to play the game himself) and two black chips to the dealers. I had also been making pass line with odds bets for the boys, they did pretty good that night.
THAT was the highlight of the trip!
I also get to log quite a bit of flight time ferrying clients from SF and Reno to Las Vegas all on someone else's dime. Travel went mostly uneventful but for one little incident with a Korean Air 777. While holding for permission to cross a runway this ginormous behemoth rolled up over us with it's front nose gear missing our wing by about 3 feet. I probably would not have noticed but for the ground controller's voice changing from complete boredom to utter disgust. My reward for doing as I was told is 30 minutes of reports to file and a FAA phone interview that has already been postponed twice.
This year the wife is double billing (my little joke, she NEVER double bills) as she is a speaker at a conference and schmoozing clients. The conference is at the Westgate so she decided to get a nice suite there. We had not been to the property since the Hilton/Star Trek Experience days and we have never stayed there. The Star Trek area is gone but there are still a few reminders remaining.
We checked in to a "hospitality suite" which is a slightly oversized room with a seating area and wet bar and two beds in plain view. This would not do for the Queen of boutique hotels and she was immediately on the phone to her assistant and the hotel staff at the same time. While the matter was being sorted out the bellman and I had a nice conversation and it turned out that his father had worked for me (indirectly) before retiring to Henderson. Small world.
Next we were taken to a "themed" room, the Park Avenue suite. The manager told us that they had rooms that would be more accommodating but that they were not available. I thought the room was very nice. Two bedrooms, very nice bathrooms with spa tubs and showers, separate 1/2 bath in parlor, a nice room sized parlor with wet bar, all decorated like a Park Ave. apartment. I'll take their word for it, I've never been in a Park Ave. apt. The wife said that it was very nice and she appreciated everything they were doing to accommodate her but she was afraid it might be a little small for the entertaining she was doing. The manager said she would see what she could do.
Later we were shown to the Tuscany Sky Villa. WOW! This is over the top. This place is way nicer than the Sky suites at the MGM where we usually stay for this event. I believe it is even nicer, definitely bigger than the villas at the Bellagio that we got to enjoy with friends a few years ago. We were not going to be able to stay in this suite but my wife could use it for the two parties she would host. I do not know what this cost her but it had to be a bundle.
Three huge bedrooms with enormous bathrooms, each with it's own multi person (like 5 to 10) spa tub, an office larger than any I have ever had, a workout area, a full kitchen, a full bar, a dinning room with seating for 12, two large seating areas one with a grand piano, a huge fireplace. Marble flooring everywhere. Very high domed ceilings with elaborate paintings. This place is larger than our house, and we have a big house. It also has an outdoor area it shares with an other villa that has it's own full bar, a small pool and fake grass area with lot's of comfortable seating. Misters kept the heat bearable in the evening. Everything is very lavishly and tastefully decorated
The parties were very well received and the hotel catering staff did an excellent job with food and drinks. Except for the bartender Jim who took instruction from my wife and did not allow me to get drunk.
You would think that would have been the highlight of the trip, but no. That comes later.
The casino at the Westgate was a big disappointment. We remembered the Hilton as being a good sized casino with lots of table games and good fun atmosphere. Not anymore. They had one pai-gow table, one craps table, a couple of black jack tables (BJ pays 3 to 2 at least) and a smattering of other games like 3 card poker, ultimate hold 'em and such. It doesn't even look like there are as many slot machines as before. It seemed like the players were just at the tables as an after thought. Just killing a little time between convention meetings. They did have a craps slot machine thing I was interested in but the bets you could choose were not exactly like a live craps table and there was a time limit to make your bets. I did not fully understand it and gave up.
So, with the depressing reminder that the Star trek Experience is gone, the lousy casino and time share salespeople everywhere you look I will not be looking forward to a return. Despite the really nice suite to stay in and the over the top villa for her parties the wife said she does not want to return either. It must have been "really" expensive.
On Wednesday it was time to return to our roots. "Hey baby, lets get outta here and go downtown"
We checked into the Golden Gate for two free nights in a suite. OK, after our last digs this is not a suite, but it's a nice room. It's comfortable and clean and just a couple of floors up from what has become our favorite casino.
The young 'dealertainers' know our faces and greet us with a smile. The pit bosses know our names (after glancing at our cards) and ask us how we've been. The craps dealers wave to me across the room. I really like this place. Where else can a relative low roller get treated so well.
We took a stroll down the Fremont experience just to see what's new. Everything seems to be the same but the hucksters might be a little more desperate. The KISS guys have decided to lose their pants and pose in jock straps, above the belt costumes and full face make-up.
We only had one "nice" restaurant meal on this trip. We went to Andiamo at the D. We have been before and it is still great. We started with a glass of Leroy-Duval champagne and then a bottle of Stag's leap cabernet with our steaks. The wife had a filet and lobster tail. The tail was slightly overdone (the lobster tail boys, the lobster) but the filet was perfect. I had a ribeye which was also perfect. We had all three of their house sauces. The cabernet and the balsamic are very nice but I don't care much for their house blend, a personal taste.
Our waiter also brought us a couple of their signature meatballs because we just had to try them (we didn't tell him we had them last time) and also a small slice of veal to try. I had never had a sample of steak brought to me before. I hope it wasn't left over from someone's plate. We charged it all to our room at the GG and it was later comped.
This still wasn't the highlight of the trip.....it's coming.
At the GG casino the wife parked herself at the Let it Ride table and proceeded to pay their light bill. Despite it being such a huge edge game for the casino my wife usually does OK at it. This trip however it came out pretty much as the odds dictate.
I on the other hand was doing great. I made money on almost every "session" I played. $20 here, $50 there. even a couple of $100 wins at black jack and craps.
As part of our usual routine we walk down to the El Cortez to play "Dabo!" (a prize if you know the reference) 50 cent chip roulette. This trip the wife's feet were hurting and it was very, very hot so we stayed at the GG and played with dollar chips. More than I like but it won't break the bank. It was fun, I won $40 and was crushing the wife in our who wins the most/loses the least contest.
Still not the highlight.
Monday, Wednesday and Thursday nights I played poker at the golden Nugget. Starting about 11pm or midnight till about 5 or 6am. there was a good crowd. A lot of poker players in town for the world series and the Golden Nugget is having their month long Grand series of tournys. With a good amount of players we were able to have one table of $3-$5 no limit. This seemed to bring a little more serious player out and fewer "wild ones" than at the $1- $2.
I had 3 winning sessions. Nothing big but several hundred each night.
This was still not the highlight of the trip.
A long time ago I worked out a lot of different betting "techniques" and amounts for craps. after much trial and refinement this is what I came up with.
I start with a pass line bet so that I can take at least $30 odds.
After the point I place the inside for $110. $25 5 and 9. $30 6 and 8. (unless one of the inside numbers is the point, then I take the free odds)
I track each number individually and take the first pay then double the second and continue to double every other hit.
I said double, not press. For example on the 6 and 8
Start with $30. First hit it pays $35, take it, same bet.
Next hit, pays $35 give dealer a $1 and make it look like $66
Next hit pays $77, take it.
next hit pays $77, give dealer $1 and make it look like $144
Etc. etc.
I do this for each of the four numbers individually till seven hits.
This was the betting style I was using when the best craps roll of my life happened.
I was playing Wednesday night. was doing ok, holding around even as the dice made their way around the table several times. That in itself is pretty good. 40 plus minutes of play without losing my buy-in of $300.
Then the dice came to the young kid on my right. He rolled, and rolled, and rolled! I don't know how many passes he made. I don't know how long he held the dice. I do know that he rolled the 6, 12 times and the 8, 6 times. Sticking to the style I described I had $1800 placed on the 6 and $300 on the 8. I don't even know how much I had on the other numbers. I even had money placed on the 4 and 10 which I usually skip.
I would give a pretty good yell as each heavily placed number would hit and there was quite a bit of cheering but the table wasn't really that loud. The other table was much rowdier with people trying to squeeze in, though I think ours had an empty spot the whole roll. We did have the floor manager come over, watch everything and whisper a lot to the boxman.
The dice hit the dealers hand and sevened out. I had just short of $7000 in my rack! I took a look around the table and was quite surprised that the other racks looked so empty. The shooter probably only had $300 or $400. Though there were a couple props bettors with a grand or so.
I flipped the shooter a green chip (I know, but he needs to learn to play the game himself) and two black chips to the dealers. I had also been making pass line with odds bets for the boys, they did pretty good that night.
THAT was the highlight of the trip!
