Poll : 11 March - 24 March 2009

Analysis

Thank’s so much to everyone – all 120+ of you – who took the time to write in with memories of your best time ever in Las Vegas. From very personal to highly amusing, the feedback’s been so prolific that there’s no way we can do justice to it in the space afforded by this column, so we’ll be bringing you the ‘best of the rest’ in the near future – possibly as a follow-up QoD. For now, here’s just a taster:

• "In 1996 my wife won a Harley-Davidson Fatboy motorcycle at the slot machines in the Stratosphere. It was my lucky day, because she gave it to me and she kept the £1,250 cash that came with it. We have been riding motorcycles ever since, and she has her own now. We still have the 1996 one that she won. I think it actually changed our lives, for the better, of course!" (Adrian, Kalamazoo, MI)
• "Two weeks before Christmas 2005, it was my third trip to Vegas on business. Prior to this eventful trip, I did a little .25 slot-machine gambling (money was tight at the time) – typical bankroll for a trip was about $200. I practiced VP intensely before this trip and arrived at Palace Station the day before the conference at the Rio. Sat down to play and within 5 minutes hit 4 deuces on Loose Deuces. Next morning after breakfast, hit a royal on $1 JoB. Went to the conference at the Rio, then about an hour into my evening session, hit another royal on $1 JoB. Back to Palace Station and next morning hit another royal on $1 JoB. Total win for the trip was +$12,500. My kids had a great Christmas that year. It was the kind of trip every gambler dreams about: Everything I touched turned to gold. I haven’t had anything close since." (Joe D.)
• "The best time in Vegas had nothing to do with gambling, seeing celebrities, or getting married. It was about true romance. I and my (now) husband were on our first trip to Vegas together. One night we walked down to TI to watch the original pirate show, then we went inside to the piano bar they used to have and talked and listened to the music. After, we walked down to Bellagio and stood watching the fountain show. The whole night was one of simple romance. That is why we come back to Las Vegas every year: We fall in love all over again. And FYI, we’re not a couple of spring chickens! We are both retired and this is the second marriage for both of us. And it all started in Las Vegas!"
• "NASCAR and Vegas together? Woo-hoo! Can’t beat it!"
• "Why isn’t March Madness a category? I was there five years in a row, five days each time, so personally, while my bachelor party is close, I think I have to go with March Madness, with various Super Bowl weekends coming in third."
• "The best time I ever had in Vegas was when I went with 11 of my friends about 20-something years ago. We were staying at the Imperial Palace, but when we checked in they said good news and bad news: The hotel was over-booked, so they gave us suites with mirrors over round beds and hot tubs in the middle of the rooms. We had four rooms, all on different floors, and about 4 a.m. myself and two other friends wanted to visit one of the other rooms. We had our PJs on, so instead of taking the elevator, we took the stairs. Bad move: The doors didn’t open on any floor, so we were there for three hours, but laughed about it the whole trip!"
• "My best time in Vegas might not be that exciting to some, but I got to fulfil my dream of gambling all night. I was with some friends on a weeknight that was winding down at a too-early 10 p.m. We were staying at Caesars and it was as dead as I’ve ever seen it. They decided to call it a night but I wanted to keep going, so I went across the street to O’Shea’s and sat down at a blackjack table with $100 and played and drank through the night. Leaving after I dropped my last $5 bet around 7 a.m. (I’d been up $200 at one point), there was something cool about walking out into the sunlight after playing cards all night." (Peter A.)