10th Trip to Vegas: G/f's 30th Birthday with “born-again” Vegas Virgins!

Earlier this month, we went once again to one of my favorite places, Vegas! This time, however, partly thanks to getting my g/f's parents to play myVegas too, they came with us and went back to Vegas for the first time in decades!

Tues. Sept. 2nd: Hope to see a Royal(s) Win!

Unfortunately, Southwest flights where we currently live (St. Louis suburbs) have been terribly priced this spring and summer (often about $200 each way). In KC, however, Southwest has priced flights under $100 per leg to compete with Spirit Airlines adding KC to Vegas service. So when we booked, we thought it was worth the 3.5 hour drive for us to save over $200.

We initially planned to get up real early on the 3rd to catch our 1:20 PM flight. But my g/f was called off of work on the 2nd. So we decided to make a mini-trip to KC instead. She had enough reward points from Drury Hotels for a free room and the KCI Airport Drury offered “Park and Fly” for $15/week with a one night stay, so that was the plan. I also bought Royals tix in the lower deck for $9/each off of StubHub.

Get to KC, check in, and take advantage of their “free” drinks and food they offer from 5:30-7pm. Then head to Kaufman to watch most of the game. Since it was a Tuesday, we figured we could sneak up a few sections/rows.

View from the seat we chose:



Got one of these at the stadium for $11.50 for 22oz. Pretty good, but definitely not $11.50 good.



Unfortunately, 45 minutes after the game started, the people that actually bought the tix showed up. Instead of sitting in the empty row in front of us, they asked us to get up, which we do of course. And the usher notices this runs down there and asks us where are tickets are, we brush it off and say we were in Row X, and actually sit there as there were more empty seats. But it wasn't our section.

30 minutes after that, another group doesn't even bother confronting us and goes straight to the usher instead...who does that? The usher insists leading us to our seats now, which were here:



Mild annoyances were a bit of a theme this trip. We bail on the game early to go to Ameristar for a bit. For the 2nd Royals game in a row, we miss a rally in the 8th inning, oops. Get to Ameristar within one-half inning. Royals won 2-1.

Played for a couple hours at Ameristar with a mix of things, but mostly cheap VP because it's there slash we want to save most of the roll for Vegas!!!

My first ever quad playing 8/5 Boner Deluxe w/“Extra Draw Frenzy”:



G/f hits Aces... at the 2-cent level...d'oh!



We couldn't hit much else, so I'm -$22 and she's -$5 when we quit. But in reality, we're down $40 and $35 respectively because we were stupid enough to not cash out our tickets when we leave. Oops!

Wed. Sept. 3rd: A Rough Finish to One of my Favorite Games and a Taste of Hollywood

We check out of the Drury without issue and take their shuttle to KCI. We were baffled by the size of the airport. I know it's not a major hub, but...yeah smaller than we would have guessed. Not many bathrooms in the secured area either. As we approach Vegas, g/f snaps these of the Hoover Dam area.





A bit of a bumpy landing thanks to winds in 100+ degree weather, we've made it baby!



The g/f goes to pick up the rental car while I wait for her parents to arrive from Chicago Midway. We rented a car from Avis via TR Getways because it was a lower price than what you can normally find for Orbitz, etc. even better than places like Fox and EZ. The booking worked perfectly and she got the car within minutes. She was done booking the car just when her parents arrived and was able to pick us all up from McCarran. Her mother has trouble with walking long distances so we also rented a lightweight wheelchair from “Las Vegas Wheelchairs” for a little over $50 for the week that was delivered to the hotel. Worked out very well!

Drive to Planet Hollywood as her dad was able to get Wed./Thurs. comped there. G/f mentioned to the guy at the front desk that it was her b-day coming up, and he gave us a pool/strip view on the 29th floor.

Room was pretty nice, but not sure if it is our speed. We got a “Backdraft” room:









Daytime views:







After checking-in, we head off to the Gold Coast to grab some buffets using American Casino Guide (ACG) coupons, and Boyd's “Young at Heart” promo. To earn the buffet via the casino guide, you had to earn only $200 coin-in on VP. How was I going to do that? 9/6 JoB w/Super Times Pay (STP) (99.82%) of course!

I got off to a fairly good start with my first twenty.



It went all downhill after that though...ugh $60 hole when everyone finished earning their buffets. My total coin in might have been $400 tops. And unfortunately, that may be the last time I play the game in any US casino. Gold Coast downgraded the next week. :( :( :(

Buffet was decent, but missing fried chicken at dinner...found that odd. Then run off to the Rio to play off some freeplay. Find some Ultimate X multipliers, but I blow $30 on trying to play them off. I blow another $30 playing poorer games for beer/degeneracy. This close to $1000...but another “pity flush” instead.



Had a couple of these, a CET staple now:


And at the All American Grille I noticed this:



A Double IPA brewed with juniper berries. The bartops there FORCE you through a programming option to bet at least 3 quarters. Hopefully that's not a trend. But this trip, I decide to say screw it anyway and max bet everything. The bartender whose it's her first day on the job makes up for it though by pouring me a 22 oz. one of these that retail for $12. It didn't follow Sierra Nevada well, but tasted pretty good after the palette adjustment. Unfortunately, I lost $15 at the bar while drinking it.

Leaving the Rio, I'm down $120 on Day 1. Not the start I hoped for. We decide to gamble at Planet Ho for a bit. I head to the Heart Bar for more beer. Find 7/5 Bonus w/STP (98.29%) and ask for a Bud. She asks me for $7.07. I shove $100 in the machine to signify I'm playing. I hold my own for awhile when the Britney Spears show lets out. They all flood the Heart Bar for the “after party”. Now I see many people my age or younger hand the bartenders their tickets, so they can get this grapefruit looking shot. Only about half of the people are tipping them...jerks. Eventually, I ask a couple to verify that you get the shot for free with the ticket. They said yes, I said, “that's nice of them”, and then said “cheers”, which they may not have heard. But “cheers” to myself as I hit my first Vegas quad for the trip at that moment.



Then 13 minutes later...even better:



I was able to run it up to a $60 profit before I cash out. Blow another Ultimate X chance, and they want to go up to the room. I reluctantly submit, thinking that I had 5 days to go. Down about $70 for the day. Good night Vegas!

Thurs. Sept. 4th: Strip Errands, Meet Up w/aaisack, and Fremont Pick 'em!!!

Get up and head to the pool for a bit. Typical pool; nothing mind blowing. I assume it would be more fun during the bikini contest. The view from the pool area:







Her parents went to eat breakfast and gambled at PHo for a bit. Her dad hit $250 on a “Pinball” machine for a good start of the day! Now we run off to Mirage to print off our myVegas show tickets. If you pick up your show tickets more than 24 hours in advance, you can do it at any MGM Box Office.



We play at Mirage for a bit, nothing doing for me at nickels...-$8.

Eat PHo buffet for a late lunch/early dinner. Her dad had a $10 food credit and we had $5 off each person coupon from the ACG to make the price more reasonable (~$15 per person). The buffet was pretty good, but they weren't making Tandoori Chicken that day, so that was disappointing as I really like it there. Their fried chicken was better than I remembered.

Then the g/f and her parents plan to run off to the outlet mall while I was scheming to meet aaisack. We had been discussing our plans for the day, and he was planning to watch his hometown Seahawks on the Strip. So I wiggle out of going to the outlet mall, and meet up with him at CP's Galleria Bar. Not a mind blowing TV setup, but this on tap for quarter VP players...IN!!!



Was planning to play my typical game on CET bartops, 7/5 Triple Bonus Plus (97.67%), until I saw that it was 6/5 (96.62%) at that bar. D'Oh. I choose the best available game 6/5 Bonus (96.87%) instead. aaisack has a little more gamble in him and plays 8/5 DDB (96.79%). aaisack is really good guy and chatted about all kinds of things. Had a great time watching the game. As the Seahawks built a lead and we got more beers in us, his cheering started to build up. The bartender was a Seahawks fan too, so he probably overlooked my particularly snailish pace of play for my 4 pints worth of Dogfish Head. We also had to deal with a drunk Broncos fan who was yelling at us while rooting against the Seahawks. She and aaisack were going back and forth a bit. But the Seahawks started to pull away which meant my under bet was screwed. A $8 win at the bar covered it for me. I let aaisack tear it up for me:



His bet did much better, and helped cover his bartop loss as I was a total cooler for him there:



During this time, my g/f and her parents went to Wynn, signed up for the players' club. All got $10 freeplay, and she got $10 more since it was near her b-day. Also got a CD from Garth Brooks. I had to listen to it in the rental car for the rest of the week...fml

Now it's past sunset and we had plans to go to Fremont. Park here but actually didn't play here...bah.



Didn't play here either, but I never noticed that Oscar's offered “broads” before...lol



One of the places we did play at was at Golden Gate where we signed up her parents for the players club. Mainly to get the $25 match play out of the ACG. Her dad gets a 16 v 10, and decides to hit and bust. I get a soft 18, which I hit a 3 for 21! So at least we got one of the bets. They also had “Free Bet Blackjack” for double deck there as well.

After that we walk past “La Bayou” and my g/f points out to them that they are all coin-droppers, so her mom is amused by that thought. I have done the coin-dropper thing, so I'm looking to bail. I check the VP paytables for a good laugh (mostly 94% garbage), and I tell the g/f that I am going to run to Fremont to check the bartops and play some 99.95% Pick 'em Poker.

Check the main bar at Fremont and was terribly disappointed; best game is 6/5 Bonus (96.87%). So after pulling teeth to get a beer, I run to the machines with Pick 'em on them plus a multitude of other good quarter games. Last trip I doubled my money in 15 minutes with a good run. Soon after I sit down, I see another lady at the end of the bank hit 6 of 6 on keno for $400 from just one quarter. I mutter, “I wish I was that lucky”. I wasn't quite that lucky, but two flushes within a minute help push me more in the black for the night.





Then it dries up for about 15 minutes, and the g/f is texting me about deep fried oreos at Mermaids. I think about joining but the gambler in me doesn't quit. Apparently they were one of the last people to get them after waiting in line for ~30 minutes. This gets me back ahead:


Now I've played this game sporadically since late 2002 when I found out that Harrah's St. Louis offered this paytable for quarters until they trashed it in Jan. 2004. Never got one of these at quarters til now...



Finally! Two more queens were under the pile, and those ladies look particularly lovely when they're worth $150! That was pure profit as well.

We reconvene at Binion's to take pictures with the million dollars. Hit the bar for a beer, end up losing $20 at Binion's. Now it's getting closer to midnight, so we catch one last light show.

“You've arrived at the Glitter Spot” LOL



Did you ever notice football teams banners hanging up on Fremont? J-E-T-S...JETS, JETS, JETS!!!



No tears tonight for me!!!



We get back to the hotel. Her parents call it a night, but I convince her to go to Cosmo for a bit. I go to the Bond bar to check paytables and get this. The g/f was not amused by my 5 minute wait to get it.



Found my favorite Cosmo penny game (98.91% Deuces) open and give that a whirl. I toss away standard Deuces Wild garbage and get this:



4 Deuces with the Ace of Spades on the redraw! Too bad it was on the penny unit... as that only let me break even there. G/f is getting bored/tired, so we call it a night a little before 2am. And I'm up about $115 for the day.

Quote: tringlomane

4 Deuces with the Ace of Spades on the redraw!

Thanks for the mention!!!

Excellent trip report ( I hardly know anything about VP but your report made it very easy to follow with the photos )
I hope your in-laws had a good time and happy birthday to your g/f!

Quote: tringlomane

we were stupid enough to not cash out our tickets when we leave. Oops!

Been there, done that. I hate it when that happens!

Nice report

as always tring, really like your reports.

Quote: tringlomane

We couldn't hit much else, so I'm -$22 and she's -$5 when we quit. But in reality, we're down $40 and $35 respectively because we were stupid enough to not cash out our tickets when we leave. Oops!

The nice thing is there is no longer an expiration on Missouri tickets so you can cash them at any point in the future.

Quote: aceofspades

Thanks for the mention!!!

Haha, you're welcome! And that is one plus of machine wins, much easier to take pictures! Always nice to read your TRs too!

Quote: vetsen

The nice thing is there is no longer an expiration on Missouri tickets so you can cash them at any point in the future.

Yeah I think all states should follow this lead. We thought about not cashing them in when we flew back from KC because we were pretty sure we would be back eventually, but we ended up taking a 10 min. detour back to Ameristar.

At first glance I thought the Britney poster on Planet Hollywood said Pierce & me. Somebody was gonna have some splainin' to do. :-)

Fri. Sept. 5th: Red Rock Casino and Canyon, Fantasy/Jabbawockeez, and Last Minute Mix Game Poker Degeneracy!

Get up and check out of Planet Hollywood, and immediately check-in to the Monte Carlo. No issues checking-in at 11:30am on Friday. Unfortunately, for the first time in our myVegas history, they actually dinged us with the resort fees...bah It was a good run.

Before knowing that Station casinos would add myVegas stuff, we bought a Groupon for Fatburger at Red Rock casino for 50% off $32 worth of food. We spent just that amount, and it was pretty tasty, but the burgers could have been a little more evenly seasoned.

After this we gamble there for a little bit. First I try 8/5 Bonus w/Dream Card (99.27% w/DC) or one line dimes. Nada. Although I just hit deuces last night for peanuts, I decide to try it again as they have “full pay” deuces (100.76%). Nada again. I lose $50 in less than an hour. I got so degenerate I didn't even check the bartops, bah. My g/f won a bit though.

$20 bonus round hit:



Now we decide to go to Red Rock Canyon for the $7 driving tour. I'm not much of a nature guy, but for the price, I definitely recommend it. Even if you only spend ~90 minutes there like we did, it's worth the money. The first half of the tour is much prettier than the second though, imo.

Lizard greeting you at the Visitors' Center:




The route:


Native American Artifacts:


View from Visitor Center with her awesome zoom:




Now head out on the road!

















Decide to give up on the Canyon tour. It's about 100 out for the 3rd day in a row, and we can tell her Dad is pretty beat. He's probably not drinking enough. Probably none of us are. Something about Vegas that sneaks up with you. He seems better after getting him a soda. Hit the Monte Carlo pool for a bit, mostly a drunken party zone in the lazy river. I haven't had a drop to drink yet, dammit.

We go to eat at Outback before our respective shows. Standard stuff. The girls were going to “Jabbawockeez” and the guys were going to “Fantasy” tonight. After a near valet fiasco, where her mother's handicap tag bails us out (valet is supposed to never refuse disabled people, even if it's technically “full”). We go our respective ways. Our show started an hour later, so it gave us a chance to gamble and drink a bit. I look for good machines, and the “Playbar” bartop where I get a beer. After a little play though, I told my bartender where I was going. The bank in front of it. The highest quarter progressive jackpot I have ever seen in my life I believe.

When I start playing:



Most of my neighbors are playing 9/5 DDB because they love DDB crack even though it pays almost 0.6% less. I have a half hour before the show. I hold my own sans quads, but no taxform. :( In for $60, out for $40. The game I was playing was about 102.37% optimal return when I quit. Meter could be as high as 1% from a rough estimate of 8 players of 10 units. Definitely a good game on the Strip!!



Now it's time for “Fantasy”, I told her dad to meet me at 10:10, just so we had a cushion. Good thing I did. It took about 20 minutes to get into the place! Terribly designed access to the theater. Multiple times we were in a standstill in the theater trying to get in. After that annoyance, the show was great! Wonderful looking girls, good choreography, and good supporting cast to keep the energy up. My favorite was Mariah... although big smiles aren't generally seductive, it drew my attention...

She's up front in this pic:



But to be honest, the man that rivaled the girls in talent is the main “comic relief” of the show, Sean E. Cooper. He was hilarious!!! He pulled off a good interactive bit in the front row, were this 40-ish guy was on a family trip with his brand new g/f (like a month) in Las Vegas. You could tell he was embarrassed, so he seeked out the possible future father-in-law instead! He got to go up on stage and dress up as Elvis with the girls. LOL And teased both of them a good bit the rest of the night, mostly rubbing it in that the FIL had the balls to do it. He also dressed up as Michael Jackson and also danced with the girls in drag, playing stereotypes perfectly. After the show, both my g/f's dad and I shook his hand on the way out as he was by the door. Excellent performance!!!

My g/f and her mom were waiting for our arrival. Since she is smarter than I am, she took a couple of snaps of the area:





Unfortunately, while the girls were waiting for us, some jackass decided to steal my g/f's USB cord in our empty frozen drink cup because that was the only place she thought of placing it in. To add insult to injury, the thief or someone else decided to toss a used cigarette in it. I think we were more pissed over that than anything, particularly me. By the time we got back to Monte Carlo, I really wasn't in the mood to do anything. But we decide to go to Cosmo anyway, even though her parents stayed at Monte Carlo. We have a misunderstanding, and I continue to spew money with another quick $20 loss at Cosmo, so I suggest we just go back to the room. Neither of us are thrilled, and we actually beat her parents back.

I can't sleep now, and eventually her parents come back to the room at about 2am. I look at Bravo Poker Live, and at about 2:30am, I see that a $4/$8 limit mix game has just started at Aria. That made me snap into gambler mode because last trip I didn't get to play any live poker, and the day I was originally planning to try to play live poker was her birthday on Sunday (probably a bad idea). So after some internal debate, I jumped at it and went to Aria. I got there to play shortly before 3 am. I send her a message where I am, but she doesn't read it until 7am...doh.

The game itself had a lot of Aria dealers that just got off working the peak shift. This made the game quite juicy. The mix itself was quite extensive and included things like:

Super Texas Holdem (Texas Holdem with 3 cards, where you can use all 3 if you wish)

Crazy Pineapple 8 or better (discard one card on flop, play like Texas Hold 'em, except the lowest hand that has 5 ranks 8 or lower can get half of the pot)

2-7 Triple Draw Lowball (75432 no straights or flushes is the best hand)

A-5 Triple Draw Lowball (A2345 is the best hand, straights and flushes okay)

Badugi (lowball game where A234 of different suits is the best hand)

BaDeucey (split pot game where half the pot goes to 2-7 lowball hand and half the pot goes to the best badugi is high (where ace is high in both hands)

BadAcey (split pot game where half the pot goes to A-5 lowball hand and half the pot goes to the best badugi is high (where ace is low in both hands)

A-5 Triple Draw Hi/Lo 8 or better (split pot game between high hand and best low hand 8 or lower)

5 card Omaha 8 or better (Omaha hi/lo split but you get dealt one extra card)

Double Flop Omaha (2 boards of limit Omaha High that split the pot)

Super Stud 8 or better (Stud 8, but deal four cards down initially and discard two down cards)

And a few other games...lots of split pot games if you didn't notice.

Unfortunately, early on, I was quite card dead. It doesn't help I'm a nit either...d'oh. I bought in for $200 and bled off over $40 before my first pot. But looking at my opponents the initial table was playing tons of hands and having a good time, so I'm totally cool with that. Considering I didn't drink much today, I mostly was drinking 2 Buds every hour while folding. While the 2 weakest players were at the table, I bled away almost $100... still fun people to play with though. The guy nicknamed “Crazy Mike” was better than the 2 weakest ones...lol One of the weakest clearly stated they were terrible at all of these games but Omaha (truth), but warned people that they would win at Omaha games (truth, but they still played trash hands in that game too).

Eventually I got a couple of “scoops”, one was in a Super Stud 8 hand where I made a low hand on 5th street and raised the high only bettor. I rivered an Ace high flush to beat his King high flush for the entire pot. At one point a few hours in, I was at $180 of my $200 stake. I pretty much told myself I'd quit if I would return to the break even point. The next pot I was involved with I lost though, so I kept on playing.

Later, I had a pretty significant cold streak going on, and found myself with 7272 in Badugi. I decide, “f it”, and attempt to “snow” (aka “bluff” in draw games). I am the aggressor the entire hand and never draw, hoping everyone will eventually fold. I get the hand heads up quickly. But after the last draw, the villain (likely one of the best players at the table) bets $8 into me. I pause for a little bit and again decide “f it” and announce raise to $16 (it's limit). After about a minute of debate, he folds, and I show the bluff. He obviously was 2nd guessing himself after that. He claimed to fold a 9 low (one of the few hands you should ever consider a fold with in this spot). He told me he didn't think I could bluff like that. And I truthfully said...”Well I'm 10 beers in”...LOL

After that, time rolls on, the sun comes up, and I don't do too well because the guy to my left (off-shift manager at Aria) runs good and plays good. Eventually its 9 am?!?! And the manager next to me sees the day shift come in and realizes he needs to work later tonight, so he eventually leaves. So now it's me and two of the toughest players in the game. I am probably stuck $150 of the $200 initial stake at this point... am I smart enough to quit?

No!!!

One of the guys convinced me to stay until he had his Bailey's Coffee...lol I agree to it even though the sun is coming up. I never like to quit when stuck, ugh. I was a terrible shortstack, and went “all-in” a couple of times. One of the hands was KKx in “Super Texas Hold 'em”. I double up there as well as the other times.

Holding on by a thread with about $30 of my initial $200. The rotation switches to a game I like: A-5 Triple Draw 8 or better. So I buy-in for $40 more and go for it. The heater continues with me getting half of a sizeable 3-way pot with 23456. Then “Super Texas Hold 'em” comes back around, and I raise it up with 997 three handed. Flop comes 97x and I hold on to win. One of the other guys pointed out I flopped the boat...I forgot you can use all 3 cards in the game...whoops. I see my alma mater (Mizzou) play on TV for the “early game”... and feel like a total degenerate. I also regret betting on them as they easily cover.

Nevertheless, I slowly keep chipping up as I get better than my fair share of hands, and it's almost noon. One of my opponents requests a couple more games one last time before quitting. Works well for me because I have now recovered to a minor peak of about $165 out of $240 in which includes all dealer and waitress tips. Would have rather won, but for 9 hours, it could have been a worse result.

Down about $165 for the day.

Saturday Sept. 6th: Visit Orleans as a Zombie, Hershey's Chocolate World, Ka, and South Strip Action

Well, after the game broke up...I had actually been up for 28 hours straight, and I was really feeling it in my eyes. I don't think I have been up this long in a row in over a decade! By the time I got back to the room they were shopping for a replacement USB cord. I attempt to take a nap, but before I fall asleep, my g/f comes in, and says they are going to the Orleans for lunch. We talked a bit; I apologized for being a degenerate, and she is a lot less angry than she should be. But I think it's a good idea for me to rejoin the group again. So I go with them to Orleans even though my body is basically saying “F YOU!!!”

We eat Fuddruckers which was good as usual, and then even though I could fall asleep at any moment, I try this:



It wasn't bad, but I wasn't that impressed either. Maybe because I was struggling to stay awake? The g/f notices that they have a blue frozen lemonade mix at the bar, which could be turned into a “Blue Hawaiian” with some rum. That tasted a lot better than the beer.

Some random Orleans pics:

$1 comp prize for g/f's b-day...


The gator mascots


While I was poking at the bar, my g/f and her parents were trying to redeem some stuff from the ACG. But when they got to the Bconnected Desk, they told her parents that they only had 42 slot points ($0.04 of cash) total. Her Dad has over $250 in cash thanks to the Blue Chip in Indiana. My g/f had to log them into Bconnected online and show the employee they had more...lol Eventually, the fiasco got fixed after about 20 minutes. But at least she did give us 3 free buffets good for either today or tomorrow for the inconvenience! So we decide we'll be coming back tomorrow.

After way too much time at the Orleans, we get back to the Monte Carlo at about 4pm. G/f wants to go Hershey's Chocolate World and to the pool, but after being up 32 hours straight at this point, I make it clear I'm not going. I beeline to bed for a 3 hour nap. It may have been the best sleep I ever got in Vegas.

Although it might have been fun to see Hershey's Chocolate World slash scope out NYNY (never been a big fan of that place):





Her Dad hits the “minor” jackpot with a minimum bet:




She returns to the pool a little before 7 after a drunken guy nearly drowned according to her and one girl's bottoms fell off...lol At this point I think her Dad and I were both napping. Took him awhile to get going, so we didn't have too much time to eat before “Ka”. So we decide to use the BOGO coupon from “Original Chicken Tender”. Very good chicken tenders, especially for half price. But the tenders aren't that big though, fyi.

Pics on the way to MGM:











Get to MGM for Ka, and I have about a half hour to try to find an open bartop and get a drink. Easier said than done as MGM was very busy for Saturday at 9pm. I would have hate to see it one week later! I did find an open seat at Whiskey Down, and order this since I'm not really a whiskey guy:



Confirm that they have 9/5 DDB (97.87%) for quarters, one of the better bartops you'll find on the strip at that level and before I know it, it's 9:20. Go watch Ka for the 2nd time. It's a decent show, but the video recreation of the battle scene where the performer died is a joke. They should just ditch the scene completely instead, imo. I regret not seeing the show before the tragedy happened. Her Mom muttered during the show a couple of times...”this isn't what I expected”...I guess we didn't describe it well to her. I think my g/f and her dad brief dozed off at times...whoops...lol

As the show let out the place was somewhat a mess and we slowly make our way to the front entrance where this guy is:



On our way toward the entrance though, we see an opening on Sigma Derby, so we jump on that. Three of us are pretty amused by the game, while her dad ran off to a slot machine. He supposedly hit on “Wizard of Odds: The Enchanted Forest” for $175 though. As for the Sigma Derby, we were slowly chipping up with some good picks. A good number of longshots seemed to be coming in too. On one race there were 2 100+ for 1 longshots, including the 200 for 1 biggest longshot. We put a quarter on the other one. And sure as shit, the 200 for 1 hit. We and one other person missed out on a $50 payout. DAMMIT!!! One person got $200 because he bet a dollar on the 200 for 1. He had so many credits (800) a slot tech had to unlock the machine before he could play again. Last trip we saw the 200 for 1 hit walking by the D. I didn't think I would see it again in less than an hour of play. I was even stupid enough to not take a pic of it...maybe because I'm still a little steamed about it...lol

Now it's after midnight and we take the tram from Monte Carlo to Bellagio.

The Halloween display at Jean Phillippe Patisserie:







Unfortunately, the conservatory was changing seasons, so couldn't get any pictures of that.

So we also gamble here briefly. I check out the Baccarat Bar and order a Sierra Nevada. The poor lady next to me orders a Blue Moon and pays $9.73 for it. I'm only getting paid in “6-card Charlies”, thank you very much.



Sneak away from Blackjack a $5 winner when I notice more Spin Poker w/”Dream Card” for nickels. They have 8/5 Boner Deluxe at that level (98.11% w/DC) and even 9/5 for quarters thru $2 ($180 per round max bet sounds nuts though), which is VPFree2 worthy (99.05% w/DC). I wish I would have manned up for quarters as I finally cracked my mini quad drought.



Then we run off to Cosmo again with her parents this time for once.

Some shots taken from the Bellagio “people mover”, it's a good place to take them:









I'm behind on my drinking pace, so I belly up to the Book and Stage to try to move things along. At first there are so many people standing and chatting in front of the bar, I have to take the wheelchair unit to order one of these:



As least this was a progressive unit I guess at about $1300. But no royal or other pretty pictures to show from my 6/5 Bonus game. So I lose about retail on the beer and move over to the Double STP units. Hit this to keep me going.



Get back to the room about 3am. So in the end was up roughly $10 total I think, I keep terrible records...definite low roll today.

Nice report and pictures!
I always enjoyed reading your reports ( and your posts in general).
Wish you better luck next trip!

Thanks, pokerface! But not done yet...lol

Sun. Sept. 7th: G/f's Luxor B-Day Surprise! Move to Mandalay, Sam's Town, and TAG Lounge w/grosx2

Check out of MC, make a $5 bet on Caroline Wozniacki vs. Serena Williams in the US Open Final at -375. I meant to bet her in 2011, when she would have won, but I didn't. Thought it was a sign... FYI, she's generally cuter than this...but look at the gestures plus caption:



Go back to Orleans for their Champagne Brunch buffet.

G/f's favorite wall, on the way to the MC garage.


Wait in line at Orleans for about 20 minutes because they only have one cashier at 11:45am...bah Eat it, was pretty good (better than Gold Coast) but nothing to blow me away, but still leave pretty full. Go back to the Bourbon St. bar for another Blue Hawaiian, and now the progressive was over $1700 so 7/5 Bonus was over 99.6%. Was able to hit this to double my $20 buy-in.



Check-in to Mandalay Bay, ask for a room near the elevator for her mom and no adjoining door. We got the adjoining door, but at the dead end of the hall. We thought about going back down immediately for another room, but her mom insisted it would be fine. Considering we were locked out the next day because she didn't tie the reservations together correctly and our a/c didn't do a ton even set at 60F, yeah we should have immediately switched.

G/f eagerly wanted to hit the pool since she loves the pool and that is definitely MB's highlight. But skies were questionable. I flip on CBS (in HD!!!) and see that Caroline is losing...dammit. So we decide to go to Luxor for the moment instead to get her birthday freeplay. Unfortunately the Milfe desk at Luxor is quite busy for 3pm on a Sunday, and only 4 of 6 desks are open. So that meant another 20-minute line. While she waited, I decide to check how low the poker progressive was that I played on Friday night.

Did I say low? I meant HIGH!!!


Apparently the royal didn't hit yet. I couldn't get on it though. All ten units were full...Big Shock!!!

So go back to wait in line with the g/f and her dad. At this point he is getting annoyed we had to wait so long. He rips into the lady at the desk about how it's ridiculous that not all the spots at the desk are open. She pretty much listens to him with a deaf ear (don't blame her), and after he leaves, I apologize to her. She said it was no big deal (she probably gets it a lot). So she sets up the wheel on the $100 spot (1 wedge of roughly 80, maybe 76?). There are 3 $50 wedges, and 4 branches with 3 each of $25, 12 of 3 of $10, and 8 of 3 of $5. If that's the case from my fuzzy memory, the “average spin” is about $13.50. She spins the wheel real, real hard. It makes about 8 revolutions. As it slows down it's approaching a $50 wedge...so it's either $50 or $5. Tick, tick, tick...Bam!!! Lands on $50!!! So at least it was worth the wait!

After that I run back to the VP, just in case someone quit. I do see an open seat or two...because of this:





Lucky guy, not me, is the one standing under the sign. Probably the highest quarter progressive I'll ever see in my life!!! If played optimally, 9/5 JoB is 107.8%. The game he played, 9/5 DDB, was 107.3%. I would have tried to snap a pic of the royal, but suits were around, and it wasn't my royal. He just needed one card. Clubs, I think? The Royal was worth over 12% in either variant.

So then check on my g/f and how she's doing with the freeplay. Holding her own.

Go to Aurora bar to get a beer. This one in particular.



I watched a guy play deuces with 4 quarters per hand...ugh. He also was dealt three deuces once and I think he held a royal card too...ugh. I think I lose $5 at the best quarter option, 6/5 Bonus. Then go back to the g/f. No big hits, but converts $50 into $35 on the penny slots. Not terrible.

Now we go back to MB, weather still looking questionable, so we hang around the room for a bit. By about 5:45, it looks to be letting up, so we go down there even though it's dreary. They let us bring in our own cheap innertubes like MC did, so that was a plus. We stay until closing (7pm), and the lifeguards were collecting the innertubes they sell. They ask us if we want them. Um...yes!!! Standard procedure is they trash them if you leave them behind. Well, at least that well help cover the resort fees they charged!

After this we decide on Fridays at Sam's Town for dinner. Definitely wanted to hit Sam's Town on the trip, but it seemed like a timesuck here. Mainly because we had issues at Friday's, slow service, got our order wrong, etc. Took almost 90 min. to eat...yikes!

We stick around Sam's to play for a bit, I grab a beer at the Winchester bar, and scurry to the Full Pay Deuces (100.76%) units. I see aaisack from Vegas Message Board again banging away at the Deuces game, so I plop into the seat next to him and say hello again. He informs me that he's hit another Royal, having a great trip, and was excited about the extra cash he would have for the “old school” video games convention. And I resume to being a cooler for him. He makes 3 natural quads while playing deuces, and misses a 4 to a Royal in front of me I think.

I get a decent amount of Deuces play in because my g/f drags her mom to the laser show.



The best I could do:


Overall $8 loss at Sam's for 2 Buds, it'll do, and then we run back to the Strip to go to the Linq area. At first I suggest parking at TI because she wanted to show them Venetian too, but then we realize that's just too far. Now she wants to park at Harrah's. I worry because of rain chances. But I relent, and it was the much better choice since it didn't rain. She shows them Venetian, Harrah's, Linq, Flamingo, and Quad while I run off to meet grosx2, another VMBer, at TAG lounge.

We've talked about meeting several times in the past year or so when I visited Chicago, but it never worked out. So when I learned he was in Vegas when I was, I definitely wanted to meet up. He was in for a bachelor's party, but he stayed in Vegas longer than his buddies did. So he was pretty much solo Sunday evening. I suggested TAG lounge because I am a craft beer snob slash I hadn't had the chance to drink there yet.

Some of the beers I remember trying...I was only smart enough to take a pic of one of them before grosx2 arrives.



Then I had this, apparently brewed with hemp seed from...Utah! LOL


Then I really think I forgot what was my next choice was...dammit.

Then grosx2 suggests that I try something from Ommegang Brewery. I'm not usually a fan of Witbiers, but it's pretty good.



Some of the pics the g/f snapped while showing her parents around:














grosx2 and I had a good time chatting and trying some new beers, but no quads for either of us playing 7/5 Triple Bonus Plus (97.67%). Ugh! My g/f has a little better luck playing VP with her dad on the Margaritaville floor.





Almost her first Royal ever...but just a “pity flush”



grosx2 suggests that we move over to Ballys as they have 25-play 7/5 Bonus w/STP (98.29%) for pennies (no mininum bet)! I agree...but then I run into the g/f and her family. Since she is driving, I thought it was a better idea to go back to the hotel with them. But I tell them to wait about 15 minutes to wrap things up with grosx2. But he has exhausted his stake for the bartop and ready to move. So we exchange goodbyes, and I order this to slam real fast.



But without grosx2 there to BS with, I play faster than my super snail pace and can't hit anything!!! I might have lost a dozen hands in a row, and I think this beer cost me $25 in play alone! D'Oh!

Final Tally for the day...minus 40ish.

Monday Sept. 8th: Final Full Day...Try to Tie Up Bunches of Loose Ends

We sleep in later than we ever have this trip as at least her Dad has shifted to late nights in Vegas. We finally get moving just in time for lunch. We are indecisive about where to eat, but we decide to eat near the Premium Outlets – South as there are a few food options, but first, we stop by the “Welcome to Las Vegas” sign.

It's gonna pour...


We get to Premium Outlets – South. I typically just have a Coke at this hour. But I note Smashburger's beer selection is particularly “crafty” and "local". One is a Double IPA (9.3% ABV) from Henderson, and I inquire about the price, figuring it's more than I'd want to spend. He says $3.50?!?!?! Sold!!!



Near the end of lunch, it starts coming down...hard. I suggest we go to SLS via I-15 North, avoiding the Linq area completely, apparently that was a smart move.



We get off on Spring Mountain because the GPS said it was faster, but the intersection definitely had a few inches of water. But we make it through and valet.

The crappy weather and the backside of the mascot.


The main bar...only has 10 VP units, grrrr...



I run off on various VP searches, get a Bud, and eventually find the “good, cheap VP”. I figured it was initially worth a stab at quarters:

When DDB pays 50 credits for a full house “it's a good thing” (40(SF)/10/6 DDB - 99.96%):


Unfortunately that's the best it could do with that game at quarters, so I move to 99.95% Pick 'Em for dimes (the game that kept me afloat this trip):



Got tired of that slash losing more money, move to “Almost Perfect Deuces Wild” (99.96%) for nickels.



I text my g/f where I was about 2:45 as we were supposed to meet at 3. At 3:10 I remembered she left her phone in the hotel room. Oops. So I look thru the casino to find them, took me longer than it should have considering the size. Then I suggest a tradition we've had from Tunica, a $5 “video poker challenge”. Play nickels for 20 minutes or you bust, whichever comes first. Her Dad joined in too. I always seem to win these things.



Then with a little under 10 minutes to go, I hear a loud beep on my phone announcing a flood warning, so I suggest maybe we should cut this short and head back to the hotel (again avoiding Linq/Quad), just in case. Of course with the VP paytables there, I would have been okay if we were stranded...lol And I would end up doing something to get my way anyway...

So we get back to MB, and we chill out for a little bit. Around 5:30 or so, it is lightening up, and we decide to go to midstrip, and suggest to park at bally's as we have some freeplay there and at Quad. But I misdirect her, and we are forced to park at Cromwell instead.



We go to Flamingo to get everyone Margaritaville cards:



We leave her parents to gamble there a bit more (they liked it there last night), and we run off to the Quad for the freeplay. We try to get a seat at TAG lounge, but there aren't two consecutive seats open because of Monday Night Football. We go over to the Catalyst Bar instead. I get this while she gets a Sierra Nevada.



This beer costs me though. Over retail I think. And it was my only 90-minute IPA of the trip! :(

Then we head to O'Sheas, and both get a Lagunitas IPA.



Poor bartender is swamped though as it's O'Shea's and no one is helping her. Takes like ten minutes, but I win in the process. Lots of trips dealt...no quads though! :( I lose about $5 net between the places.

Still gloomy but the Linq is dry now:






Now we're getting hungry and I suggest that we have Five50 Pizza at Aria. I partly suggest this because my degenerate poker play on Friday night earned $22.62 in Aria comps. Poker earns $2/hr and $3/hr between 5 and 10 am (which I had covered...lol). So we head over to Aria about 8, and I redeem my poker comps while picking up a copy of “Bluff” magazine. Generally I never read this, but a girl in my private poker forum since 2005 was on the cover this month. Nice girl, and great no-limit player, and met her in 2012 during the WSOP.

Room of my degeneracy to earn a ~free Pizza...


Random Flowers:



My poker comps cover most of the pizza. A sausage pizza was $25, Yikes! Buttttt....it was one of the best pizzas I've had in a long time!!! The only drawback is it wasn't that big for 4 people for dinner. More like 2 to 3. But we figured we'd have another snack later if needed.

Bail on Aria after that (no 8/6 Boner Deluxe w/DSTP (98.99%)!!! :( ), park at Paris. Her dad loves Paris because they have a bunch of old reel slots. We run over to Bally's for free play.

“Bally's: Center of the Action”


Play the freeplay on the 7/5 Bonus w/STP for pennies. Don't get much. A few bucks returned. Go back over to Paris. I get some beers at Gustav's. Also realize the “error” I found in February had been “fixed”. Dammit!!! In February, one bartop unit at Gustav's was misprogrammed to be 10/6 DDB (100.07%) instead of 8/5 DDB (96.79%). Oh well, at least I profited over $100 on it last trip I guess.

I tried to get Lagunitas IPA at Paris, but the keg exhausts. I settle for Sierra Nevada. But the tap was off and it was tough to swallow. It probably hasn't been cleaned in a long while... I gave my g/f a sip and she agreed. She gets a virgin strawberry daiquiri and the machine was set to one quarter. She might have done that, not sure. But the bartender notices it right away and tells her to bet max (and “consistently” to boot). First time we have ever heard that at a CET property (even it if is technically “the rule”). If she ordered alcohol, fine, but she didn't even ask for booze!!! Ugh! Bartenders seem to love her like that...*shakes head*

Getting closer to midnight, so we wrap things up at Paris. At that hour, that place is a pain to get out of. Hate to see a weekend. Au revoir!!! À bientôt!!!





We drop her parents off at Mandalay Bay about midnight, but I have more energy and an “Ace in the Hole”. I forgot to cash out a ticket at SLS worth about $2.80. It's just enough to be able convince the g/f to drive us back there. This time we self park.

Pool from parking garage elevator. Looks better than a CET pool I guess...


Hotel Entrance:


Weird Mascot Says: “Yay!!! I win moneys!!!”


After midnight the Sportsbook bar is closed, and the main bar is swamped. I want beer dammit! But we take our chances on the waitresses on the floor, and I was pleasantly surprised with the speed. Even though she forgot one of my orders. We settle once again at the “flea's video poker paradise”, obviously.

The bank in question with the goofy mascot sticking his tongue out as a centerpiece:

Settle in at about 12:30am, G/f settles in to her favorite game, DDB, and I do the same for awhile.

12:42am...Bam!!! G/f's biggest hit of the trip. Yes, she is a super flea...lol



Three minutes later, I catch up!!



G/f decides to quit when she gets down to $35 ($30 profit), so I switch to 99.95% Pick 'em so g/f can still be “involved”. In this game, there are often decisions where either choice is equivalent. And of course, if that's the case, I'd let her pick. Unfortunately, no real big hits to show, but I don't lose anything either. We stay another 30 minutes or so until 1:15. I cash out ~$50 with $12.85 initially.

Now with the upswing, plus last night in Vegas...I have lots of energy. My g/f cuts me loose at Mandalay Bay now. I do a bartop check on the two “open bars” Mizuya Lounge was full when I first looked. Unfortunately, those 2 other bars are dollar minimums. But I settle in the main bar near eyecandy, where Lagunitas IPA was available. I play $1 Blackjack, and here they actually let you double down on 10, 11 and split! Sounds pathetic but this is good for bartops! To slow down my roll, I was checking up on forums a bit while playing. They also have the odd rule of the dealer must stand on 6 cards, but it didn't help me here:



The bartender was really friendly though, and I was able to get a few beers in quick order. He closed the bar at 3am and asked if I would want a fourth even though I barely started the 3rd...haha I politely declined since I was planning to still check out the previously crowded Mizuya Lounge (which would still remain open).

But on the way to Mizuya Lounge, I got distracted by this (the best VP quarter unit at MB: “Loose Deuces” (99.20%), but unfortunately, this was my best hand in a tiny run at it.



Then I found this slot I like (8?.??%), I won $5 on it:



Then finally get to Mizuya Lounge. Glad I don't ask for another Lagunitas from the other bar, because I think this Oatmeal Stout was the best beer I drank the whole trip!!! FYI, best quarter VP bartop at MB shown, 97.06% Deuces with max bet.



Why couldn't I get the King of Clubs?!?!?!?!



Instead I lose $10 dollars or so I think.

Now I'm drunk. Bad picture of empty pit at 3:45am



I find a Hexbreaker 2 game. My phone is unfortunately so weak it doesn't take pics anymore. But I got a $24 hit on a 50c bet to recover a bit. But I spew about $10 in the original game the Wizard “deconstructed”. After it's all said and done at MB...ugh...minus 20 or less?

Total tally for the day... “gambler's even”

Tue. Sept. 9th: We gotta go home!!! :(

Get up a little before ten, even though I went to bed past 4, I'm in decent shape with my week-long drinking/lack of sleep workout. We pack up and check out and drop her parents at McCarran as they have a flight a little after 1. We don't have our flight til 5:45 and have the rental car til three, so we hit two places we wanted to hit, but didn't squeeze it in. M Resort and South Point.

We wanted to hit M Resort so we could use some of the comps we have from Hollywood St. Louis, and for me to drink some of the awesome beer there at the 32 Degree bar. Problem: M Resort doesn't immediately recognize that I have comps from St. Louis. They have supposedly been connected for almost 6 months now. Not “that connected” obviously. It took a visit to the VIP office, a couple of phone calls, and over 20 minutes for them to hand-issue a $25 comp from my reward points. I wasn't too thrilled, but it was “fixed”.

The first beer I had before the comp fiasco playing 7/5 Bonus w/a slow progressive:



Our food is ready to go (and possibly under a heat lamp for a bit) when we return. It's still pretty hot though, and the BBQ chicken sandwich we ordered was one of the best I ever eaten! I wish we ordered two instead! Because we split that and the “Philly Cheesesteak” which was just “okay”.

Now after the “comp fiasco”, two problems. The damn royal was hit on the network progressive for the 2nd trip there in a row...lol And they began to “clean” half of the taps in our absence. But I wasn't too mad over these because the progressive sucked anyway, and I rather they clean the taps in front of me instead of serving me the crap Paris did the night before. So here I just settle for Sculpin IPA as it was on the other set of taps (see Day 5 for a pic).

With the progressive so low, and me losing a bit, I slide over to a Superstar machine that has 7/5 Bonus w/STP. I was able to get 2 pair with a 5X multiplier for $12.50, to make up my losses and scoot out a $3 winner.

We just have enough time to hit up South Point as it's on the way back toward the airport. This place is a “gimmick” VP player's paradise at the quarter level. Full Pay Ultimate X, full pay Double STP for example. Something I didn't realize until that day: Also a bartop player's paradise!!!

I initally find a bartop with a 8/6 Boner Deluxe Progressive w/a $1300+ royal at quarters. Good enough I thought! Get a Fat Tire and play that for a bit. Win a few bucks. But then wander over to the Lobby Bar (which was closed at the time). No progressives, but great paybacks for quarters! So many people complained on the forum about 9/6 Boner Deluxe being taken off at Suncoast bars...but it's there at South Point!!! These are the games they offer for 25c-$2 at their other 3 bars: “Not So Ugly Ducks” (99.73%), 9/6 Boner Deluxe (99.64%), 8/5 Bonus (99.17%), 9/7/5 Double Bonus (99.11%), and surprisingly lastly 9/6 DDB (98.98%).

Unfortunately, nothing doing at the Lobby bar, and now I'm even after 9/6 Boner Deluxe:[IMG]http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u4/Vman96/20140909_134744_zps11363579.jpg[/IMG]

And then I scamper off to the Double STP machines, one problem. I NEVER cashed out!!! I walk about 100 feet to the next bar, walking by a giant Ultimate X machine for couples (a first for me) and realize it. I hustle back. The credit is still there, thank God. But when I hit the cash out button, it says “Paper Out”...d'oh. So then I have to wait for an attendant at an empty bar.

I patiently wait for about 5 minutes, and then I see some pit bosses just chatting, so I ask them to speed it along, and they do. They get a slot tech over. Unfortunately, she can't fix it. They get another guy over. He can't do it either and the machine just wants to print a blank ticket. Me and her chat awhile to pass the time, she was very nice. Then they have someone remotely check the payout codes, and make sure my $20 credit hasn't been cashed. They verify, and tell her to hand pay my $20. I insist on tipping her a dollar even though it's “their fault” with the paper issue. She resists a bit, but takes it eventually.

I run to the 8/5 Bonus w/Double STP machine (99.67%) with that $20 bill and turn it into $40:



At this point it's 2:10, and we need to go.

Hit the airport, ask if the flight is possibly oversold because we could stay another day if needed. No dice. No gambling at McCarran on the way out for once. Plus $23 on the day. Flight was okay until KC area as 20+ MPH winds makes it a bit bumpy. Could have been much, much worse though. Severe T-storms stretched across Missouri about 30 miles north of I-70 and we had to drive back on I-70 from KC for 3+ hours. Landed at 10:15PM Central time. Get back to Drury to pick up the car and on the road by 10:45. Cash out at Ameristar, and get a quick bite at McDonald's. Had to wait for fries...sweet!!! Ride home wasn't too bad at first because we were chatting away about we plan to do next trip...lol But near the end, we were wearing out on the drive home. We made it back safely at about 2:30AM Central. Her parents safely returned home in Chicago by 8PM or so.

Final Results: Me: $90 in my wallet from $360 before KC ($320 arriving in Vegas). I calculate $130 losses in Vegas, but considering the wallet, it could be more than that, or I tipped more than I thought (probably both). But I did plan for an ATM hit, so I'm quite good without one! G/f did okay, lost less than $100...maybe close to even. Not sure about her mom(0/-200 probably). Her dad...meh, probably about $450 in the hole. Slots didn't treat him well in the end. But both of her parents loved the trip!!!

Until next time Vegas!!!

That was a fantastic trip report with great pictures and details. Your reports are always top notch, and I really enjoyed this one!

You also seem to have a real appreciation for a variety of good beers, and it looks like you lean towards the IPA's. Have you always preferred the IPA's or did you have to "acquire a taste for them"? They are obviously more hoppy, and I haven't been quite able to embrace that yet myself.

Thanks again for the trip report!

Quote: blount2000

That was a fantastic trip report with great pictures and details. Your reports are always top notch, and I really enjoyed this one!

You also seem to have a real appreciation for a variety of good beers, and it looks like you lean towards the IPA's. Have you always preferred the IPA's or did you have to "acquire a taste for them"? They are obviously more hoppy, and I haven't been quite able to embrace that yet myself.

Thanks again for the trip report!

Thanks! I probably went all overboard on this one though...I documented all of it for my own records too. But not sure if everyone wants to read nearly everything that we did that trip. lol

As for the IPAs, I think I pretty much liked them right away from what I can recall. The ones I like the least are those with the most grapefruit character, or any with heavy "Belgian" character. I don't remember drinking many of them before 2008 though. I really got my feet wet with them, and a lot of other beer for that matter, when I lived in Atlanta.

There is a bar/grill chain called "Taco Mac" there, and they give you an incentive to try different beers. Most I tried were good, but I definitely realized fast that I liked IPAs the best. There were plenty to choose from there too, there were 100 taps at the location we frequented the most. :)

Excellent report! Got me thinking again that I should really take the time to learn how to play VP well. Maybe it would help keep me away from the craps tables in between blackjack sessions. It also reminded me that I should try and experiment a little more with my beer drinking. Thanks for all the great pics and for taking the time to do this.

Excellent report - enjoying all the photos.
When you play VP, do you play the optimal strategy, was it difficult to learn?

Quote: aceofspades

Excellent report - enjoying all the photos.
When you play VP, do you play the optimal strategy, was it difficult to learn?

I try to play close to optimal, and I am really, really close to optimal with Jacks or Better (probably the easiest game to learn) and Bonus Poker (strategy is very similar). I definitely don't have every strategy down cold, but I'm pretty close with most games other than Joker Poker (I avoided playing that at SLS as they had 99.9%+ versions of those games too). With something like a training app, it doesn't take too long to get "pretty close" to optimal with the "most popular" variants. I'm pretty bad for not practicing though; the real thing is more fun slash I hate getting big hands with zero money on the line. But when I do test myself, I might cost myself 0.1 to 0.2% of total return due to errors and less than that for JoB or Bonus poker. For what I'm trying to mostly accomplish (~cheap entertainment and drinks), it's acceptable to me.

tring,
it seems to me that you like to play VP at the bars, even though most VPs at the bars have inferior pay tables.
Why don't you just play at the best machines and order a drink from a cocktail waitress ? I assume you pay the same amount of tip either way.
Just curious.

Quote: pokerface

tring,
it seems to me that you like to play VP at the bars, even though most VPs at the bars have inferior pay tables.
Why don't you just play at the best machines and order a drink from a cocktail waitress ? I assume you pay the same amount of tip either way.
Just curious.

Service speed and drink selection mostly. A lot of the craft beers the waitress won't get for you as they aren't available at their main service stations (they definitely won't at cosmo). A quad bartender on a previous trip said the waitresses could get the craft beers for me. But at cet properties sadly, I was playing pretty close to the best quarter game in the entire casino at the bar. At planet hollywood, I probably was, 7/5 bonus w/STP (98.29%).

The way I tend to play poorer bartops is like a snail, and 1% or so less return is worth the snobbier beer to me due to a low hands rate. My biggest problem with playing great video poker in vegas is my g/f is less interested in downtown/off strip and I can't afford anything higher than quarters.

Quote: tringlomane

I try to play close to optimal, and I am really, really close to optimal with Jacks or Better (probably the easiest game to learn) and Bonus Poker (strategy is very similar). I definitely don't have every strategy down cold, but I'm pretty close with most games other than Joker Poker (I avoided playing that at SLS as they had 99.9%+ versions of those games too). With something like a training app, it doesn't take too long to get "pretty close" to optimal with the "most popular" variants. I'm pretty bad for not practicing though; the real thing is more fun slash I hate getting big hands with zero money on the line. But when I do test myself, I might cost myself 0.1 to 0.2% of total return due to errors and less than that for JoB or Bonus poker. For what I'm trying to mostly accomplish (~cheap entertainment and drinks), it's acceptable to me.

Thanks :) I wonder if I should expand my gambling repertoire

Quote: aceofspades

Thanks :) I wonder if I should expand my gambling repertoire

Depends on your goal and possibly your gaming location. Video poker games can be near 100% (or even more) just like blackjack with good rules, but the game is much more volatile. For a rec player, I play a reasonable amount of hands in video poker...but haven't hit a royal in 2 years, probably ~60k-80k hands total since then. A Royal "should" come about 1 in 40k hands on average for most games. So the payback I have realistically experienced in the last two years is generally a few percent less than 99-100% that the best VP machines tend to offer.

Also a plus about table games is they can be more sociable. VP players can be sociable sometimes, but chat with the wrong player, it's a probably worse experience than a bitter blackjack player. lol

As for AC, there are a lot of 9/6 JoB out there if you are looking for a "change of pace". But even with a perfect strategy, still a losing game in the end (without finding some comp loophole). You may possibly lose more than your BJ play, probably will if you don't hit a Royal over a decent stretch.

Keep in mind, me and you are quite opposite on gambling swings...lol The largest amount I have won in a casino in one day..about $400. The largest amount I have lost in a casino in one day...about $400...lol +200/-200 are "good/bad" days for me.

Great report tring. I liked that you actually put the percentages with the names/VP you played. I wish I knew a little bit more about which VP machines to pick, their strategies, and payouts. Of course I could read up on WoO, but it's nice when I can get a little info here/there from experienced players about hunting the right machines!

I've started trying more craft beers because of you. You make them look and sound so good...

Quote: Dnalorailed

I've started trying more craft beers because of you. You make them look and sound so good...

Thanks! And a lot of them are good! Price tags aren't definitely as nice as normal beers though. But as you can see, you can get a lot of them comped in vegas now!

Quote: tringlomane

Thanks! And a lot of them are good! Price tags aren't definitely as nice as normal beers though. But as you can see, you can get a lot of them comped in vegas now!

I used to drink craft beers a lot, like what you do, but no more.
Nowadays I only drink juicy, either fresh squeezed orange juice or fermented grape juice.

Quote: pokerface

I used to drink craft beers a lot, like what you do, but no more.
Nowadays I only drink juicy, either fresh squeezed orange juice or fermented grape juice.

And you didn't add the amount of pounds you lost with this post?? lol And I'm actually drinking this right now: http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/flying-dog-double-dog-double-pale-ale/39287/

Actually the 2nd query on "google" was "Flying Dog Double IPA calories"...D'Oh!!! Estimated Calories: 345...damn that alcohol being energy.

Quote: tringlomane

And you didn't add the amount of pounds you lost with this post??

haha. It's no secret that drinking (too much) beers increases your weight and your waist line.
Yeah, I can say that now I am not over weight by any standard

Quote: pokerface

haha. It's no secret that drinking (too much) beers increases your weight and your waist line.
Yeah, I can say that now I am not over weight by any standard

Good for you! As I obviously figured ;). I'm thinking I should cut back soon myself (now 6'1" 205 lbs.)...but quitting altogether...bah, they taste so good...

Quote: tringlomane

Good for you! As I obviously figured ;). I'm thinking I should cut back soon myself (now 6'1" 205 lbs.)...but quitting altogether...bah, they taste so good...

Well, if you drink at home as much as you did in your Vegas trip report, then I would say you do need cut back. But I don't think that's the case.
When people in Vegas, they all do something out of ordinary. after all, why not? It's Vegas.

Quote: pokerface

Well, if you drink at home as much as you did in your Vegas trip report, then I would say you do need cut back. But I don't think that's the case.
When people in Vegas, they all do something out of ordinary. after all, why not? It's Vegas.

True...and it's easier to drink more when the only thing you pay for is a tip... ;) Unfortunately for the casinos, it doesn't generally change my gambling attitude enough to make up for those drinks they give me. :D