Last Vegas trip before the baby arrives

Hi WoV pals. Long-time lurker.

I am happy to be able to get back to my favorite place on Earth once more before my little man arrives. I've been going to Vegas at least once a year since my first trip in '09. This will be #8, I think. I stay and play primarily at M-Life properties on the strip. I don't go to clubs or eat at fancy places (do have to make an exception for that one when my wife comes along). I drink heavily and I gamble and it's just the best.

This will just be a trip with the fellas, 2 of my good friends here in Chicago. It'll be the first time for one of 'em.

I primarily play table games. I will log a few bets at the book and play some slots and video poker in my down time. Craps and blackjack will comprise the overwhelming portion of my gaming time. I play mostly vanilla in both games. I hit on 16 vs the dealer high card and will be on the pass line and odds. I generally seek out $5 limits and settle for $10 when 'necessary'.

One new thing I'm gonna try on this trip is downtown Vegas. I've been down that way for a 51's game but didn't stick around to gamble. Looking forward to downtown and hopefully some $3 craps if I can find it.

The trip reports on this forum help stem the tide between trips and I always appreciate thumbing through them. I will chronicle the trip, though it is likely I won't be posting until I return from Vegas. I look forward to sharing.

Sounds like a good time indeed. Mostly craps and blackjack (at low limits), a man after my own heart =p. Casino Royal in the middle of the strip has $3 craps, but it's of course kind of crowded, and in my numerous experiences the dealers are dicks to players that don't know exactly what they're doing.

You should DEFINITELY go play downtown! It will be a game changer for someone like you who enjoys lower limits. El Cortez has one of the best, if not the best, blackjack games in Vegas (single and double deck) for $5. I take it from your post you're not an AP, correct? I'd love to see you winning at Cortez and start upping your bet (progressive or something) and get flat bet while not counting lol. They're pretty sweaty but if you're not counting then who cares just go have fun.

Look forward to your trip report upon your return, hopefully it contains lots of pictures! I think that's the secret to a fun trip report. Best of luck.

Thanks for the Casino Royale recommendation, Romes. I'm supposed to be the first of the three of us to land by a few hours, so after check-in I might head straight there.

Definitely not an AP. It would be a stretch to define me as anything but an intermediate gambler at this point. I spend too much of my free time playing video games instead of reading up on how not to lose so much money =]

A few more details. The trip is this weekend, 11/8 - 11/10. This is unusual for me as I prefer being there on a Mon-Thu since I purely gamble. However, need to save the time off to roll over for the pending fatherhood next year. Staying at MGM Grand, which is where I usually stay. I play a weird mental game with my bankroll. I bring $600 and call that my bankroll, but then I'm willing to make two withdrawals of $200, bringing my 'real' bankroll to $1,000. I've only hit that limit once in my 8 trips, thankfully. It's no fun.

New items on the docket for this trip:
- Downtown Vegas, as mentioned before
- Playing 'The Dark Side'. I'll definitely still be a pass line player, but I'll no longer limit myself to that. In years past I have definitely been one of the players to give the DP bettor the stink eye. This forum has absolutely changed my opinion on DP/DC bettors, though. They're playing against the house just like me. No hard feelings. I'm at peace with it (Or at least that's how I feel away from the tables. This theory will be tested the first time I'm shooting and I see a DP bet...).
- Playing Video Poker at the bars for 'free' drinks. Believe it or not I had no idea that this was an option. I'v been paying the 8 damned dollars for Miller Lite when my comps ran out all this time. My only question here is... is the max bet required? How much of a stickler are the bartenders on this kind of thing? Credit to tringlomane's latest for turning me on to this.

Quote: whathubris

- Playing Video Poker at the bars for 'free' drinks. Believe it or not I had no idea that this was an option. I'v been paying the 8 damned dollars for Miller Lite when my comps ran out all this time. My only question here is... is the max bet required? How much of a stickler are the bartenders on this kind of thing? Credit to tringlomane's latest for turning me on to this.

I know on the strip that they require max bet... I don't know about downtown, but it wouldn't surprise me.

For a good time, go to the Boar's Head bar at Main Street Station. They have 9/6 Jacks or better there, get free drinks while playing, and if you sign up for a player's card and have it in while playing, a 4oaK gets you a scratch card that could be worth up to $5000. (although realistically, it will be $2).

>Hi WoV pals. Long-time lurker.
Welcome.

>I stay and play primarily at M-Life properties on the strip.
That is fine... pluses and minuses to it, but if it suits you, its fine.
>I don't go to clubs or eat at fancy places
Good. Fancy in Vegas is always expensive and I think never worth it.
> I drink heavily and I gamble and it's just the best.
While gambling or do you also drink in the various casino bars.

>I primarily play table games.
Fine, but why "The Strip"? Craps is fastest on the strip, slower downtown and slowest along the "little strip" heading to Boulder.
Do you think Mlife comps you adequately?
> I will log a few bets at the book and play some slots and video poker in my down time.
If its just a little you don't have to hunt "the best bargain" but generally slots are worst on the strip, better downtown, best on the Boulder Strip and statistically invalid in North Las Vegas.
>Craps and blackjack will comprise the overwhelming portion of my gaming time.
Do you feel Mlife Strip stuff is the best?
> I play mostly vanilla in both games. I hit on 16 vs the dealer high card and will be on the pass line and odds. I generally seek >out $5 limits and settle for $10 when 'necessary'.
Good.
>One new thing I'm gonna try on this trip is downtown Vegas.
Slower craps, less "showy" buffets. Supposedly better BJ in some places but also supposedly high supervision.
> some $3 craps if I can find it.
You can but know how to best utilize it.

Casino Royale is a "bottle of Bud" type place and if it has 3 dollar craps you better know about because no one is likely to even hear much less respond to your questions on Saturday night. Loud, raucous, used to have different odds on the same table depending on size of your Line bet, but heaven help you if you didn't already know that when playing. Fast pace, know what you're doing attitude.

Early in the day the cheapie table at the Venetian can be a real bargain. Slower table than most, close to the biscuits, bagels and coffee nook and close to the credit desk. Waitresses bring free coffee and free water bottles and then leave you alone for awhile. Later on in the morning they open up two other craps table some distance away that will have higher limits and move faster and sometimes at least one of those tables is still going strong from the night before.

Quote: whathubris

- Downtown Vegas, as mentioned before
- Playing 'The Dark Side'. I'll definitely still be a pass line player, but I'll no longer limit myself to that. In years past I have definitely been one of the players to give the DP bettor the stink eye. This forum has absolutely changed my opinion on DP/DC bettors, though. They're playing against the house just like me. No hard feelings. I'm at peace with it (Or at least that's how I feel away from the tables. This theory will be tested the first time I'm shooting and I see a DP bet...).
- Playing Video Poker at the bars for 'free' drinks. Believe it or not I had no idea that this was an option. I'v been paying the 8 damned dollars for Miller Lite when my comps ran out all this time. My only question here is... is the max bet required? How much of a stickler are the bartenders on this kind of thing? Credit to tringlomane's latest for turning me on to this.

In terms of $3.00 Craps, Fremont always seems to have a game going on, but good luck getting on that table if it is other than the a.m. hours. I've been told (and seen on this board) that El Cortez often has $3.00 Craps, but I don't believe I've ever seen it personally, and I've played Craps there a handful of times.

I can't speak for free drinks with bartop Video Poker at any casinos on the Strip. I can say that, in my experience, some of the bartenders at The D care and some do not, but the ones that didn't care were probably because they recognized me and know that I'm a good tipper. On one occasion, I even said, "I'll play a few hands for a Heineken," when there were no cocktail waitresses on the floor of Vintage Vegas that hour, and she said I didn't have to play at all, but I played a few.

I think that one of the best values for free drinks is probably the live Keno (gasp!) at The D. The games run every three minutes, so you can buy ten draws at $0.40 per draw and sit there for a half hour and watch sports (William Hill sportsbook is in the same area as the Keno seating) and drink. Unless you're playing one of the +ER Video Poker games they have up there, your expected loss per hour is probably about as low as it will get doing that, unless you REALLY want to slow play a machine for drinks.

The Plaza (I think) was pretty hardcore about the bartop Video Poker for drinks. It was when Wizard, Axelwolf and myself were all there and the guy told me, in advance, that he wanted Max betting if we were to get free drinks.

Golden Gate was pretty lax about the Max Betting, I think I short-coined there for $0.25/hand and they kept me in free drinks. At one point, Rudeboioi and I were playing the same machine and both getting drinks, but (as stated) I'm a good tipper and I'd also been doing my best to charm the bartender.

Four Queens has never given me an issue about betting more than the minimum at the bar in order to get free drinks, sample size of three.

One bartender at El Cortez didn't care and another one (different occasion) said I had to bet at least three credits. Actually, Rudeboioi and I were admonished there for betting too little on the main floor, twice. The first time, she didn't actually see how much we were betting until we indignantly replied, "How much do you want us to bet!?" We were betting $0.75/game on that occasion. The other time, we really were betting a nickel a hand, or something.

Appreciate the info, Flea. My loyalty to Mlife is completely blind. It's fair to say I stake no claim to their superiority over CET. I stayed at Mlife casinos my first few times and have been staying and playing off of their room offers ever since. I think I am reasonably comped for my play, but I have very little evidence to support that claim. I'm surprised I am comped anything at all, as I see myself as an extremely small fish. 1-2 visits a year, probably 12 hours of play per day of play at $5-10 limit table games. Mlife has me at the Pearl level. What this gets me is free Excalibur any day, free weekdays NYNY, ~$50/night at MGM. I also usually have enough credit to grab a few free beers or a meal.

I'm sure it's obvious from my comments above, but my comp knowledge is fairly nonexistent. I haven't done a lot of reading in that area. I have a CET player's card as well since I play at the Horseshoe in Hammond, IN from time to time. Since that's my local casino, it kind of compounds the silliness of me playing Mlife in Vegas.

I have never considered the speed of my craps game before, but I would be comfortable with a slower pace. I expect downtown will suit me in that regard, and it will certainly suit my two travel mates who I will be introducing to the game.

You mentioned knowing how to best utilize a $3 craps table. Can you expand upon that or link me to the right place? I'd be very interested in ensuring I'm approaching those tables intelligently.

How edge times Table Speed is the "real" factor you face whereas your comp rate is the casinos house edge times their assumed speed. Its possible sometimes to play at a slow table and get comped at a higher rate. Its not "big" dollars involved, but its a "general trend" that dice fly the fastest at the day boats in Florida, then the Strip Casinos, then the downtown casinos and then the "locals" casinos along Boulder Strip. Not a firm fixed rule, but certainly a noticeable trend. Remember, the Strip's extra investment in decor and luxury has to be recouped somehow. Frankly I think your selection of casinos is pretty good and you probably could "push" your comps a bit too.

Craps games that move fast can still be fun but if you have pupils try the formal lectures and the early morning hours where tables tend to be slow anyway. After a formal lecture ends, playing usually begins but the dice dealers know you just took a lecture so he will try to keep things slow for awhile depending upon crowds, his boss, etc. I played three days at the Venetian and one of the instructors was surpized to see me at the lecture, but I enjoyed it and I think I gained from it too.

I've heard from others that three dollar craps tables need strategy adjustment for certain bets the math is beyond me. All math is beyond me. Alas.

Welcome to the forum, and I hope your weekend is much fun! Looks like a lot of good advice here already. If you find yourself at Casino Royale and want a free drink with bartop 25 cent VP , Harrah's (next door) offers that at the bar alongside the Asian games pit in the center of the casino. I expect it's other places as well, but I know that one for sure.

Quote: whathubris

1-2 visits a year, probably 12 hours of play per day of play at $5-10 limit table games. Mlife has me at the Pearl level.

"12 hours of play per day", in the casino' eyes, that's a hardcore gambler, even if you only play at their low limit table.
As long as the casino is not Wynn or Venetian, it will want you to stay for sure.

Appreciate the note, pf. Excal and NYNY have received the majority of my action on the last two trips, so it makes sense that they're the ones happy to have me stay for free.

I've been thinking a bit more about $3 craps. Scoured the web, but couldn't find for-sure payouts. I presume that I won't be able to make a $3 place bet on 6/8, as the casinos likely won't pay out in quarter-denomination chips, meaning I'll need to increment to $6 to ensure full pay on my winnings. I don't see any way around a $5 minimum place for the remaining numbers. Odds don't seem to present a problem except for 6/8, which I can just be sure to keep in increments of $5. All of this is probably obvious to the math whizzes, but I think I'm in Flea's boat in this regard. I have to think about it really hard.

I didn't mention it earlier, but I'll also be logging some notable -EV time on the roulette wheel. One of my buddies loves it. That damned game loves carving a hole in my wallet. I play the same 10 numbers every time and get feisty on outside bets if my winnings allow for it.