Vegas trip report
Here are some thoughts, observations and expereiences.
I stayed downtown and am a video poker player and no limit TX holdem player. Basicly a low roller, quarter video poker 1-2 holdem cash and cheap holdem tournaments.
Stayed at the 4 queens, I love their video poker.
At the bar by the Freemont exp 2 wild 98.91% plus a 2222.00 jackpot to make it a over 100% game.
I played that game alot. I don't normally play 2 wild but I played alot this trip.
2wild can be a fast game due to simple strategy.
I find it frustrating throwing away so many initial hands but thats 2 wild.
Eventually that 2222.00 2 wild jackpot got hit so I moved over to Dbl Bonus 100.17 machines.
What I like about Dbl Bonus is you almost allwys keep something from initial hand.
What I dont like is strategy is often to hold 3 cards to a flush with 1 or 2 high cards, which essentially helps hit a flush but kills your chances of the royal.
Took the free shuttle to Sams town to play 100.7 2 wild video poker and hit the buffet which was pretty good.
Another day took the deuce bus to Ceasars, transferred to bus to Rio. Had their buffet, it was great. Allways wanted to try the Rio buffet but never got there before due to being off strip. Walked over to Palms to play 2 wild 100.7. Took the bus back to the strip and decided to play the .50-1.00 cash holdem poker at Bills gambling hall. Sad this is closing in Feb. Hopefully it will keep cheap poker when it reopens under a new name. checked out the Aria. Those cocktail dress outfits at the aria are close to being a neglegee. wow. Did the Aria Buffet, another great buffet.
All these casinos that have 2 wild 100.7, allways put them in out of the way low traffic areas. I get to the point of simply saking slot workers where they are.
Most casinos do have signs on 2 wild 100.7 but of course they are usually at the end of a casino rather then entrance or high traffic area.
Walking around the strip, seems the porn slappers have dropped in numbers. Used to be there were about 8 of them at a corner. Rediculous, You had to go through a gauntlet, now its just a couple of them at a corner.
I rented a car and checked out a bunch of locals casinos, The M, Southpoint,Silverton, Green Valley. Had a great buffet at M. So many items to pick from to eat. it was great. It was late afternoon, decided to hit a gentlemans club since I'm in vegas. Stopped by one club, 2 for 1 lap dances till 7pm. I had a 2 for 1 lap dance, had my fun and left. Drove out to Red Rocks to check out 2 wild 100.7 and had their buffet..
Did the Davinci exhibition at the Venetian. I passed by those Vegas show ticket brokers tix4tonite. They were selling davinci tktsfor 17 instead of 27 at the exhibition. Great deal. The money I saved paid for my roundtrip bus ride to strip and back plus bus ride following morning to Airport. 8 bucks gets you a 24 hr pass.
I tried a few games I doont normally play, 1 buck on keno. picked 6 numbers, hit 3, got my buck back. Played 1 hand of blackjack, got A 8, dealer showed a 10, I stuck, dealer flipped over 5, then busted, collected my 5 and that was it for BJ. Walked through Binions at 10am, saw a tournament starting, I bought in for 60. 32 entrys, finished 9th, out of the money. Even though lost, great expereience playing poker at the historic binions poker room. Played craps for the 1st time and got to throw the dice. Only played about 10 min just for the experience. Was down, got back to even and quit. Not a big fan of craps. Not a lot of thinking involved. Video poker or live poker, I am allways thinking.
Walking around Vegas, I'm a little disturbed by all the beggers. I understand times are hard but I'm still a little disturbed by there begging and where they are. Alot are on the pedestrian bridges so they cant be avoided. Vendors on the pedestrian bridges is getting rediculous.Its allready crowded and vendors are setting up tables to sell sunglasses. I dont mind someone playing guitar and playing for change. It bothers me that begars just want money and are camped out in places like Vegas, right in the middle of the strip or downtown action, where it costs me money to get to and stay.
My last nite at 4 Queens, besides playing video poker, bet on Mich St on the final bowl game of the nite. I won. Sportsbook closed and leaving 7am following morning back to Tampa. I'm now mailing the sports bet in, following instructions on back of betting tkt.
Had alot of fun. Gambled alot of money away playing video poker, never got that big hit, but only lost what I could afford to.
Hope to be back next holidays, maybe sooner.
Quote: kewljNice report. I love to read reports where folks enjoyed themselves and it sure seems you did. For future reference, when the sportsbook is closed, you can cash winning sports tickets at the main cage.
4 queens uses William Hill for sports book. When I asked them how to cash my tkt if game ends after they close and am leaving following morning, they never told me about the main cage cashier, they told me tkt is good for several months and mail intructions on back.
Quote: kewljFor future reference, when the sportsbook is closed, you can cash winning sports tickets at the main cage.
Great tip; did not know that. Thanks!
I always hang on to winners and cash them on my next trip since I visit frequently.
Quote: 1arrowheaddrThe only options for cashing William Hill tickets after hours are The D (formerly Fitzgeralds) and Terribles. All the locations have a sign indicating this.
Thats interesting. Had a winning sports bet Christmas nite at the 4 queens, Went to cash in, guy said he just closed but If I go over to Binions, They'll cash it, which is what I did that nite. He never mentioned the D.
Quote: terapinedJust got back from Vegas.
Played craps for the 1st time and got to throw the dice. Only played about 10 min just for the experience. Was down, got back to even and quit. Not a big fan of craps. Not a lot of thinking involved. Video poker or live poker, I am allways thinking.
Walking around Vegas, I'm a little disturbed by all the beggers. I understand times are hard but I'm still a little disturbed by there begging and where they are. Alot are on the pedestrian bridges so they cant be avoided. Vendors on the pedestrian bridges is getting rediculous.Its allready crowded and vendors are setting up tables to sell sunglasses. I dont mind someone playing guitar and playing for change. It bothers me that begars just want money and are camped out in places like Vegas, right in the middle of the strip or downtown action, where it costs me money to get to and stay.
My last nite at 4 Queens, besides playing video poker, bet on Mich St on the final bowl game of the nite. I won. Sportsbook closed and leaving 7am following morning back to Tampa. I'm now mailing the sports bet in, following instructions on back of betting tkt.
Had alot of fun. Gambled alot of money away playing video poker, never got that big hit, but only lost what I could afford to.
Hope to be back next holidays, maybe sooner.
I guess it is tweech their own, because I think poker can be a boring grind without a lot of thinking involved, while craps is exciting while you try to manipulate your bets to maximize bets on every roll. I think video poker is especially mindless.
BTW, already has one 'l', and ridiculous does not have an 'e' in it. You kept making the same mistake, so I don't think it was a typo. Pet peeve.
Great report otherwise.
Quote: terapinedStopped by one club, 2 for 1 lap dances till 7pm.
Where's that?
You bring up an excellent and important point about vendors and beggars on the pedestrian bridges. That should not be permitted. It really is a safety hazard. You never know if they are "kindly beggars" or "kindly vendors" or if they are going to mug you or kill you. I would think the Vegas authorities might want to consider some loitering law for the pedestrian bridges.
Regarding putting the better slot games out of the way. That, I am told, is a relatively new strategy for casino design. Twenty years ago the thinking was to put "the best games" in the front and make them the most visible. But now they put them in the back to force players to walk through the casino to get to them.
Its just the opposite of the supermarket business where aisle caps (end displays on shopping aisles) have the promoted merchandise to make it easy to see. Supermarkets want you to get in and get out fast. Casinos, on the other hand, want you to come in and never leave.
Quote: AlanMendelson
You bring up an excellent and important point about vendors and beggars on the pedestrian bridges. That should not be permitted. It really is a safety hazard. You never know if they are "kindly beggars" or "kindly vendors" or if they are going to mug you or kill you. I would think the Vegas authorities might want to consider some loitering law for the pedestrian bridges.
There is a law on the books concerning vendors and last summer there was a pretty significant crack down on the water vendors, which was kind of ironic because of all the strip sidewalk and pedestrian bridge nuisances, I rank the water vendors at the bottom. There is a sense of entrepreneurship involved which sure beats the beggars (need money for beer). Also, the availability of water in the desert doesn't seem like a horrible idea to me. Unfortunately some of these vendors abused the opportunity by refilling of bottles and scamming which led to complaints and the crackdown, which only lasted about a month during the hottest part of the summer when it is needed most, then it was back to business as usual. lol
Ironically this crackdown and fines did not include, beggars, nor the street performers, who block the sidewalks with 'performance art', nor those costumed movie characters who want money to have a photo taken with them. It also did not include the porn snappers. Oh the porn snappers, who often form an intimidating gauntlet for patrons to navigate, while slapping porn in the face of women and children, are somehow protected by the first amendment of free speech. lol
Quote: AlanMendelsonYou bring up an excellent and important point about vendors and beggars on the pedestrian bridges. That should not be permitted. It really is a safety hazard. You never know if they are "kindly beggars" or "kindly vendors" or if they are going to mug you or kill you. I would think the Vegas authorities might want to consider some loitering law for the pedestrian bridges.
The cops must of been instructed to stop moving people off there, because that possibility existed for a long time, and for a long time there weren't any vendors on crossways. I'm sure there have always been some panhandlers as that is prohibited everywhere, but is enforced when encountered mostly.
Quote: AlanMendelson
Its just the opposite of the supermarket business where aisle caps (end displays on shopping aisles) have the promoted merchandise to make it easy to see. Supermarkets want you to get in and get out fast. Casinos, on the other hand, want you to come in and never leave.
You couldn't be more wrong about this. Supermarkets want you to linger as long as possible, as average check is highly correlated with time spent shopping. That is why you will often find essentials like milk in the corner of the store furthest from the entrance.
Supermarkets do use end caps for promotions but you will rarely find staples there.
Paco Underhill has written a couple of great books about the layout strategy of supermarkets and other retailers. Highly recommended for a fascinating look at places we visit almost every day.
I would think casinos would have a few well paying and loud machines at the front to show patrons that "they can win" while keeping a well advertised bank of good paying machines towards the back (to draw you in, and keep you in).
Quote: kewljThis crackdown and fines did not include, beggars, nor the street performers, who block the sidewalks with 'performance art', nor those costumed movie characters who want money to have a photo taken with them. It also did not include the porn snappers.
Even worse are the time-share leeches. Especially around Flamingo and Harmon. They actually step in front of you while you're walking and then curse you out. Porn slappers and buskers tend not to do that. Why the time-share sellers think that angering people helps them sell their wares is a huge mystery.
Quote: AlanMendelson
Its just the opposite of the supermarket business where aisle caps (end displays on shopping aisles) have the promoted merchandise to make it easy to see. Supermarkets want you to get in and get out fast. Casinos, on the other hand, want you to come in and never leave.
Having worked PM floor manager at a supermarket, I respectfully disagree with your comparison. The reason that we use endcaps for the best sales items is because it would be nearly impossible to keep them full with the regular shelf space when there is a really good sale going on. The supermarket also wants to make sure you walk through the entire store (and potentially see more items you want to buy), which is why common items such as milk, cheese, bread and eggs are typically found relatively far from the store's main entrance.
