The Adventures of MDawg II
Quote: SOOPOOQuote: EvenBobQuote: SOOPOOAre you a big enough player that can ask to have friends/relatives comped?
Story…. walking dog, everyone wants to pet him/play with him. New woman on my street asks me my name, I tell her first name, she asks me if I’m an anesthesiologist, she then blurts out my last name and reminds me we worked together at XYZ hospital. I haven’t worked there for 20ish years. She told me which surgeon she worked with, and he was a big gambler. He would arrange for 6 of his favorite nurses to be flown out to Vegas, picked up in a limo, spend 3 nights free in a hotel, have unlimited access to the limo, comped dinners. He would have dinner with them once or twice but otherwise they just were on their own. If they gambled I’m sure it was negligible.
This was 30 years ago or so. I did ask him once how much he gambles. He said he averages around $400 a hand for 4-6 hours a day on blackjack.
Is that level of play enough to justify the $$$ the casino laid out for the nurses? At the time, it seemed like not enough play for me.
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I'm such an idiot. I'm just realizing that you throw so much cold water on what I do because you're jealous. It never even occurred to me till now. You can't believe it because if you did it would drive you insane. It didn't occur to me because you are obviously a hardcore gambler and I'm not a gambler at all. I don't get gamblers, I don't understand how they think.
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I am the least hardcore gambler you have ever met. I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve lost in a day of gambling more than I made for 2 hours of work.
I am also one of the least jealous people you would ever meet. I enjoy other people’s successes for them, not for me. I think you misinterpret ‘interested’ or ‘fascinated’ to be jealous.
My gambling, if that is what it is to be called, is a slow, inexorable upward climb. I have no illusions that the sportsbooks might end it for me at some future point.
My -EV Pai Gow is a social event. I’ve won multiple trips in a row. Just lucky.
And what you do is make stuff up. I’ve refrained from mentioning it recently in your drivel roulette thread, but you decided to interrupt MDawg’s thread with your nonsense.
You started your post with ‘I’m an idiot’. Then you continued posting to give evidence of such. Should have just stopped.
On my way to spa with Wifey. Then will stay at Del Lago. Will let you know how my trip goes.
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LOL, whatever you say. I should rent my services as a psychic because your answer is exactly what I thought you'd say. Just more blah blah blah. You're jealous of what I do and you just can't stand it so you are going to degrade it and mock it whenever you can. It's so obvious.
Quote: EvenBob
LOL, whatever you say. I should rent my services as a psychic because your answer is exactly what I thought you'd say. Just more blah blah blah. You're jealous of what I do and you just can't stand it so you are going to degrade it and mock it whenever you can. It's so obvious.
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Yeah, he's jealous of the $20 a month you occasionally make gambling on roulette.
Quote: darkozThere's so many things to do it can be overwhelming.
Enjoy.
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Our approach has been as follows:
Lightning multi passes, maxed out at 3 experiences booked up to a few days prior, and basically going nonstop with adding another lightning immediately after using one. Also added an additional single pass lightning for Tron at Magic Kingdom and Guardians of the Galaxy at Epcot. Will have gone to Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios as well by the end of the Orlando trip.
By nonstop I mean literally constantly either walking or inside an experience. We did eat lunch, but brought sandwiches, turkey one day, Florida salmon another, plus fruit and vegetables, and bottles of Kombucha (glass not allowed, but no one noticed). We did occasionally stop to shop and bought all kinds of Disney stuff from rain jackets to socks and everything in between.
Occasionally my wife would suggest stopping at a restaurant for a nice meal, but the way I was booking lightning passes there was pretty much no time to spare. We did end up at more events than most would have experienced in a day, and avoided any long lines. We are both in good shape, and walking, for even hours nonstop in hot or humid weather is not an issue.
Is that the way to do Disney? Well I suppose it's the difference between the European approach to skiing which involves leisurely runs interrupted by drinks and espressos, versus the American approach of up and down the slopes nonstop until past closing.
We did do the dessert event at Magic Kingdom,
not so much for the desserts but for the roped off uncrowded private fireworks grassy area.
Epcot has its own combination of lights and fireworks too at park closing time.
Golden-era Hollywood versus Disney’s Hollywood Studios – a side-by-side comparison
We ate at the Brown Derby partly just because, and also to get reserved premium seating for the park's Fantasmic! show. The show did not go off without a hitch, and like many Disney attractions this week, failed at some point and then after a long pause, resumed.
Brown Derby food was excellent, although eating there in shorts is not something that would have happened in the Golden Era of Hollywood. I did remove my baseball cap, wouldn't want Tony Soprano to have to approach me.
The level of detail and thought that has gone into these Disney World theme parks is appreciated.
What is not appreciated is how many out of shape people are walking around. Granted this isn't southern California, but visitors at Disney are from all over the world. Is this what the world is coming to almost every person here has a belly, even many of the teens?
Quote: MDawg. Is this what the world is coming to almost every person here has a belly, even many of the teens?
Sadly, it is.
tuttigym
Made it. Did not walk back! (Rainstorm hit about then anyway, about an hour after we stopped walking and were eating dinner. Which caused this sort of damage.)
Quote: MDawgA five mile walk down a beach boardwalk is nothing - unless the sun is beating down and it’s August in Miami Beach humidity.
Made it. Did not walk back! (Rainstorm hit about then anyway, about an hour after we stopped walking and were eating dinner. Which caused this sort of damage.)
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Just a little wind and rain. Welcome to Florida.
I went swimming in that in the morning, when it was even choppier than when this picture was taken. No one else was in the water.
It'd be easy to get yourself in trouble, the waves and currents are pretty strong. I am a good swimmer and the water is warm though!
They have an affiliation with Fontainebleau in Vegas, so a junior suite with direct ocean view
may be had for a song (a short, Sinatra one).
Definitely like the spa,
which has a huge steam room, the largest I have ever been in. Fitness center is nice too, with a great view of the pools and partials of the ocean.
I don't keep track of where celebrities and athletes live, but quite a number do and have lived around the water, as pointed out by our guide. Including Al Capone.
Replacement revealed for longtime Las Vegas Strip restaurant
Really loved their billionaire burgers
which include foie gras before I quit the red meat a year and a half ago. Still used to buy them, and chicken sandwiches for the Cosmo staff on occasion, but I suppose once I stopped buying them for myself, their sales plummeted 😁 and they just couldn't stay afloat!
Or maybe they just wanted to skip out on that order of fries they forgot to include and owed me from the last take out.
Actually I should have known something was amiss when the general manager moved on last year.
A Mexican restaurant is in the works. Might be needed as China Poblano isn't even as good as Taco Bell across the street. Not a fan of Jose Andres as he tends to over do over spice or over accompany his creations.
Quote: darkozQuote: MDawgIf you're not in purplish red shortly, then that will be sufficient answer.
Every topic offers its own merits, even discussions of what diet affects your goat.
Or throwing money down on countless dead shows, there is an audience for that too.
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Basically "The Show Must Go On" even when no one is in the audience
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Foie gras may be a definite killer. No billionaire burgers for you or it might bring up your goat.
Quote: MDawgIn the Keys now as we wind up this trip.
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I don't know why people like Key West so much as it is to touristy and crappy beaches. The other Keys have a lot more to offer.
Quote: DRichQuote: MDawgIn the Keys now as we wind up this trip.
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I don't know why people like Key West so much as it is to touristy and crappy beaches. The other Keys have a lot more to offer.
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I would rather have the Key West that Hemingway had when he was there a hundred years ago. It was laid back and slow moving with a moderate amount of tourists. He would go out on his boat almost every day into the Gulf Stream and bring back gigantic fish that are all gone now because of course they overfished them since then. It was a totally different place. If you take the tour of Hemingway's house in Key West you can get a feel of what it was like, plus the place is covered in cats. Hemingway loved cats.
Quote: EvenBobQuote: DRichQuote: MDawgIn the Keys now as we wind up this trip.
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I don't know why people like Key West so much as it is to touristy and crappy beaches. The other Keys have a lot more to offer.
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I would rather have the Key West that Hemingway had when he was there a hundred years ago. It was laid back and slow moving with a moderate amount of tourists. He would go out on his boat almost every day into the Gulf Stream and bring back gigantic fish that are all gone now because of course they overfished them since then. It was a totally different place. If you take the tour of Hemingway's house in Key West you can get a feel of what it was like, plus the place is covered in cats. Hemingway loved cats.
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Honestly, the cats were the only thing I liked about Hemingway house.
We visited the Everglades too.
Weather all seems to be about the same down here.
Quote: KeaCRecently found this forum and specifically your first thread Adventures of MDawg and now this part 2. It has been wonderful following your life as a baccarat player, can't believe that this thread has gone on for 5 years. Like yourself I was also a baccarat player 2 decades ago, used start playing at midnight and end at 6-7am everyday, one day after a nice big win at the table I decided to leave Vegas and gambling for good, have not been back since. But reading your forum threads brings back good memories of playing baccarat and the lifestyle that I used to live and the treatment from my host in the various casinos, just turned 60 so now retired and considering getting back into the game again, thank you for your adventures threads.
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Welcome to the forum. That’s a pretty depressing tag line…. ‘Retired and surviving as best I can’! Mine would be ‘Retired and loving it’!!!!
When you played bac, why did you stop? When you left Vegas, where did you go?
Retiring the Champ is definitely one way to go. I thought that is what I did last year, but I have already had two successful trips this year. Between work and quite a lot of travel to non-gaming locations (with at least another full month that will be spent in the tropics later this year, something we do almost every year), there won't be a whole lot more casino play for me this year, at least not until maybe mid-Fall.
I've also never been one for middle of the night play, and actually prefer playing during daylight hours.
It sounds like you stopped playing a decade ago? Or was it two? Some things have changed in Vegas. Many things are just the same. I myself took a decade or so hiatus and during that period went to Vegas somewhat frequently, but never played. Started up again, as you know from my chronicles, six years or so ago.
If you are at a crossroads as I was six years or so ago and are deciding whether to resume playing in Vegas, I'd suggest playing as a visitor only as it seems like when you are living in Vegas you get carried away. Even during extremely long Vegas stays, up to nine months long straight, I never played every day!
Quote: MDawgGot around to visiting Fontainebleau. Very nice, elegant property.
Over all - mid week, the place was definitely busier than say, Resorts World on the same day, so it does actually seem to be drawing some crowds. Not as dead as people have been saying, there might be hope for the property yet.
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Fontainebleau is buying the back 5 acres of a 10 acre portion of the former Riviera that was purchased in 2023 for $125M, for $112.5, leaving the original developers with 5 acres adjacent to the Las Vegas Strip for only $12.5M.
Talk about paying top dollar for "landlocked" land, this makes AxelWolf's planned purchase seem like a great idea. Fontainebleau plans to build high roller villas with access via a connecting bridge to the main resort. They are trying to compete with Wynn villas and MGM mansions.
It also shows how if you buy something near where something big is going to be built, you may make out like a bandit even if you never develop the land.
So that $112.5M spent on high roller suites land, may be good money after bad. But, I think Jeffrey Soffer has pretty deep pockets so if things turn around Fontainebleau will do fine. If.
Got me Ambassador Elite at Marriott Bonvoy, which in turn got me President's Circle at Hertz (I was already Gold Circle via Platinum AMEX) - Once you reach this level, you'll enjoy a free additional driver, the widest selection of vehicles available, guaranteed upgrades and a dedicated customer service line.
Not sure what Ambassador Elite is good for, but with President's Circle I may rent a less expensive basic car I believe, and then just pick up about anything in the President's Circle area.
Or at least that is the way it works with Caesar's Seven Stars match that got me Executive Elite at National Car Rental.
However, I typically just use HotWire to find the least expensive rental anyway which is strange that even the least expensive car at National or Hertz (which I may use free to upgrade to any vehicle) still winds up more expensive than just paying straight up for a mid sized SUV at HotWire.
I received an email advertising a free Yeti Hopper in exchange for completing a survey. I don't (or rather didn't) even know what a Yeti Hopper is but the email came to my primary business email and seemed legitimate so I completed the survey. At the end the company wanted nine bucks to ship the item. I actually didn't want to proceed because I assumed the Yeti Hopper isn't even worth nine bucks,
but at the end after giving a secure address of mine (not home address, just a mail stop I maintain - yes I was suspicious), shortened faked name for myself and a fake 555 1212 phone number to avoid spam, I did give a virtual credit card number that I may change or cancel anytime (yes suspicious I wasn't going to give them a hard plastic credit card). If the order had been legitimate, I still would have received the Yeti as all that matters is that the address is mine and may receive mail for any named recipient.
AVAST tried to warn me away from the payment site, blocked it, but I overrode. And then my card company declined the charge sent me a message saying it was suspicious, but I overrode that too.
Anyway, after I paid I googled it and realized it was something like this
No, You Haven’t Won a Yeti Cooler From Dick’s Sporting Goods
The future of email spam utilizes a coding trick that evades the most sophisticated detection tools.
although in my case it wasn't Dick's but some other outfit that purported to be offering up the Yeti.
Anyway, I already disputed the charge, easy to do using this particular card.
Apparently these Yeti's retail for around $200. Shows how frugal I am that I hesitated to pay even nine bucks for one.
Having merchant processing accounts myself, I'm aware of chargeback fees that average $25. This phishing scamming outfit must figure they may stay one step ahead of all disputes and drain the bank accounts before their merchant processors come after them. From what I read, the scam isn't over just nine bucks but recurring future charges of 10X that - luckily all stopped with the modern technology of, on this particular credit card, the ability to delete and reissue a new virtual card number instantly with just a keystroke.
Quote: MDawgMDawg gets scammed!
I received an email advertising a free Yeti Hopper in exchange for completing a survey. I don't (or rather didn't) even know what a Yeti Hopper is but the email came to my primary business email and seemed legitimate so I completed the survey. At the end the company wanted nine bucks to ship the item. I actually didn't want to proceed because I assumed the Yeti Hopper isn't even worth nine bucks,
but at the end after giving a secure address of mine (not home address, just a mail stop I maintain - yes I was suspicious), shortened faked name for myself and a fake 555 1212 phone number to avoid spam, I did give a virtual credit card number that I may change or cancel anytime (yes suspicious I wasn't going to give them a hard plastic credit card). If the order had been legitimate, I still would have received the Yeti as all that matters is that the address is mine and may receive mail for any named recipient.
AVAST tried to warn me away from the payment site, blocked it, but I overrode. And then my card company declined the charge sent me a message saying it was suspicious, but I overrode that too.
Anyway, after I paid I googled it and realized it was something like this
No, You Haven’t Won a Yeti Cooler From Dick’s Sporting Goods
The future of email spam utilizes a coding trick that evades the most sophisticated detection tools.
although in my case it wasn't Dick's but some other outfit that purported to be offering up the Yeti.
Anyway, I already disputed the charge, easy to do using this particular card.
Apparently these Yeti's retail for around $200. Shows how frugal I am that I hesitated to pay even nine bucks for one.
Having merchant processing accounts myself, I'm aware of chargeback fees that average $25. This phishing scamming outfit must figure they may stay one step ahead of all disputes and drain the bank accounts before their merchant processors come after them. From what I read, the scam isn't over just nine bucks but recurring future charges of 10X that - luckily all stopped with the modern technology of, on this particular credit card, the ability to delete and reissue a new virtual card number instantly with just a keystroke.
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Frugal is buying a watch for $9 so it tells the time.
Quote: MDawg
Having merchant processing accounts myself, I'm aware of chargeback fees that average $25. This phishing scamming outfit must figure they may stay one step ahead of all disputes and drain the bank accounts before their merchant processors come after them. From what I read, the scam isn't over just nine bucks but recurring future charges of 10X that - luckily all stopped with the modern technology of, on this particular credit card, the ability to delete and reissue a new virtual card number instantly with just a keystroke.
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Yep. I got hit about 2 years ago, thanks to someone else on the account just blindly entering the card information into a link sent by text message to collect some postage due on a package she hadn't ordered.
17 minutes and $1300 later, the bank started declining out of country card absent gift card purchases...
These emails came from some outfit other than the one from which I ordered the Yeti, but it is all connected they addressed me by that same fake name I gave out.
But I also received a fourth email that implies that my free ($8.95) Yeti is only a phone call away! If I did make the phone call I'd call only from some VOIP I don't use for much.
Quote: MDawgThe spam already started. Luckily along with the fake abbreviated name, fake phone number, I gave a disposable email I reserve for this sort of thing attached to a fake name.
These emails came from some outfit other than the one from which I ordered the Yeti, but it is all connected they addressed me by that same fake name I gave out.
But I also received a fourth email that implies that my free ($8.95) Yeti is only a phone call away! If I did make the phone call I'd call only from some VOIP I don't use for much.
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I don't believe I have ever had the need to open fake accounts.
Imo, people who commit scams need them. Since I don't do scams, not necessary for me.
Clocking casinos at table games at least the way I do it is big time.
As far as protecting yourself from Phishing and SPAM with easily changeable virtual credit cards, VOIPs and lesser used emails, I'm not surprised that you have no experience with this.
Quote: MDawgFree play off slots is a low end scam. You need a combined army or at least full platoon to make it add up to anything much.
Clocking casinos at table games at least the way I do it is big time.
As far as protecting yourself from Phishing and SPAM with easily changeable virtual credit cards, VOIPs and lesser used emails, I'm not surprised that you have no experience with this.
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Obviously I have an army. At least 1500 and growing.
When I can't go to the casino my crew does.
When you can't go, say la vie. End of your scam.
Quote: MDawgVia Tier Match, MGM Noir
Got me Ambassador Elite at Marriott Bonvoy, which in turn got me President's Circle at Hertz (I was already Gold Circle via Platinum AMEX) - Once you reach this level, you'll enjoy a free additional driver, the widest selection of vehicles available, guaranteed upgrades and a dedicated customer service line.
Not sure what Ambassador Elite is good for, but with President's Circle I may rent a less expensive basic car I believe, and then just pick up about anything in the President's Circle area.
Or at least that is the way it works with Caesar's Seven Stars match that got me Executive Elite at National Car Rental.
However, I typically just use HotWire to find the least expensive rental anyway which is strange that even the least expensive car at National or Hertz (which I may use free to upgrade to any vehicle) still winds up more expensive than just paying straight up for a mid sized SUV at HotWire.
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You get your own personal Ambassador rep who can help book rooms. I book the cheapest room and with the Ambassador Elite status will get upgraded to their better suites.
+9100
Note: Lately, for security reasons, session reports are not necessarily presented in real time corresponding directly to the day played.
And this is the MDawg challenge.
+2200
Note: Lately, for security reasons, session reports are not necessarily presented in real time corresponding directly to the day played.
And this is the MDawg challenge.
+200
Note: Lately, for security reasons, session reports are not necessarily presented in real time corresponding directly to the day played.
And this is the MDawg challenge.
Quote: SiegfriedRoy
You get your own personal Ambassador rep who can help book rooms. I book the cheapest room and with the Ambassador Elite status will get upgraded to their better suites.
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My ambassador told me that there is no guarantee that this will happen, and you won't really know until check in if it is going to happen. In other words, depends on availability.
Quote: MDawgDay 3 play. It happened, The major downturn and then recovery. Down as much as -15K or so at one point. Quit right after back to even.
+200
Note: Lately, for security reasons, session reports are not necessarily presented in real time corresponding directly to the day played.
And this is the MDawg challenge.
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These types of ‘sessions’ are amongst my favorite and most memorable. If I buy $300 in chips but go and cash out $308 I savor that $8 more than a quick up $200 and finish up $100. Kind of like the 2 separate $2 bills I’ve won from the Wizard on silly bets.
I don’t know why you are suspended here but I guess I’ll have to wait for your daily reports. Save em up….
You mention my suspension it was my suggestion that D.Oz and I both be suspended after a little back and forth. Naturally
Quote: Wizarddarkoz committed the greater sin.
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We’ll be traveling to through the tropics for at least the next full month and deciding on possibly extended that to two months so there will be no further casino play for a while. MDawg pretty much doesn’t bother with other than Vegas casinos
Quote: MDawgThis short Vegas trip is coming to a close (or might have already). I won’t post all the session results but the net trip was a Win.
We’ll be traveling to through the tropics for at least the next full month and deciding on possibly extended that to two months so there will be no further casino play for a while. MDawg pretty much doesn’t bother with other than Vegas casinos
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I am a pretty well traveled old guy, but I think ‘the tropics’ is quite vague! You can mean a Caribbean Island, the Amazon, Central America…. Or just south of Naples, Florida….
On travels to such places I rarely set foot in a casino. I got one 25 minutes from me….
for security reasons, session reports are not necessarily presented in real time corresponding directly to the day played,
so shall MDawg’s exact location sometimes be kept secret.
Quote: MDawg
so shall MDawg’s exact location sometimes be kept secret.
It is probably okay to be vague and just say the Caribbean or the Greek Islands. I am a big fan of the Caribbean as I have spent a lot of time in St. Maarten, St. John, St. Barts, and Aruba.
