7.9 - 7.12 Trip Report (first time Vegas with GF)
July 14th, 2016 at 3:02:17 PM
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7/9 (Saturday) This was my first official weekend trip with the GF. She's been to Vegas before, but did not have the best experiences when it came to Vegas and gambling. Being a (1x-2x a year) recreational gambler and Vegas goer myself, I wanted to wet my GF's appetite on how fun Vegas can be once you understand how to navigate. We stayed 3 nights at the Venetian. As always the room was immaculate. We stayed on the Venetian side (not the venezia) because we did not want to get lost. I knew this trip was about her and her only. I made sure I stayed by her all weekend long and did not go off gambling by myself.
Once checked in, as expected she gravitated towards the easier and flashier slot games. I did not discourage her as I wanted to take a libertarian approach. After downing about $20 in $0.25 wheels of fortune (no wheel bonus) I told her we should quit while we were not terribly down. As I walked her away from the slots I told her tjat slots are about the worst odds in a casino because of the obvious reasons. She was receptive and told me she picked it becaue she didn't need an instruction. I acknowledged as well that I TOO am a sucker when it comes to the giant Buffalo slot, but it takes some control to resist bad games. I walked her to the gift shop at the flamingo and bought her the blackjack BS card. We walked, and walked, and walked the strip but I couldn't find any $10 or less BJ with 3/2 odds. I finally gave up and landed a spot in NY NY and sat down on the $5 BJ 6/5. Now, I know it's a cardinal sin to play a 6/5 game but I did the quick math and taking a cab to downtown and back to play 3/2 was going to be more expensive in the long run, so I raised the white flag and played.
We both bought in for $100 each. The dealer was quiet and dealt like a robot...zero expression what so ever. The game was slow and perfect because I had time to explain the game to her. I also realized a bunch of ploppys on the table were eavesdropping. I didn't mind as I was giving great tips that prevented them from making poor decisions. The pit was nice, but I did not see the PB once we bought in. I mean why would you? It's a low-limit table with a bunch of ploppys.
As we started playing, I made her read her strategy card to play best she can. Like a newbie, she was hesitant to hit on 16 against 7-A, but I was proud of her that she went through "playing by the book." Thankfully the BJ gods blessed me and her with some winnings. As we were leaving the ploppys wanted to know where i got the card. The too took a quick break to go buy the card. I felt good becaue i felt like i did a public service to the new players. I also mentioned WoO and WoV as we walked away with about $50 in winnings for about 1 hour worth of play. I could tell she loved getting 10s and 11s as she knew it gave her a chance to double down. Of course I swayed her away from doubling a 10 against a 10-K. With our winnings, we decided to celebrate each splurging $10 on slots! She played the Britney machine while I played the Buffalo. We both lost, but it sure was fun. We decided to call it a night as we wanted to go to start the morning sight seeing and shopping.
7/10 (Sunday) We woke up early to head to Ellis Island (my favorite breakfast joint). When we got to the host, she told us it was going to be a 15 minute wait so we played some $5 BJ 3/2. We bought in for $50 each and was able to squeeze in the table. Just like that the BJ gods were shining on my gf again. She got a blackjack on her first hand. She was surprised she got paid $7.50 instead of $6 like the night before. I told her that the table is much more favorable and she quickly realized why I made her walk block after block looking for a favorable table the night before. After 15 minutes of play our buzzer buzzed so we colored out. She was up $12.50 I was down $5. Our combines winnings were $7.50. We tipped the dealer $2.50 and cashed out. We proceeded to order the famous steak and eggs and left the Casino full and satisfied. As we were leaving we saw the wait was getting ridiculous. We then proceeded to go to the D in downtown. We sat down on a $10 3/2 table as the $5 tables were outfitted with chain smokers. For the third time the BJ gods shined down on my gilfriend. She got on a run like I haven't seen in awhile. I believe she won 7 hands in a row. I kept urging her to bet more, but she got scared. When she finally upped her bet to $20, the dealer got blackjack. My GF then gave me a evil playful (i told you so) look. Nonetheless, we had fun and won around $110 together after a quick 45 minute session. She joked that she now wants to quit her day job because winning was so easy. I told her she was getting lucky and not all sessions go that well. We then went to Binions and sat down on another $10 min table. This is where we got CRUSHED. We kept getting 15s and 16s with the dealer making hands every time. My GF' got a bit irritated and wanted to leave so we did. We then drove to Earl of Sandwich back on the strip because she didnt want to wait in line at the PAWNSTAR shop. Ive never been, but i hear it's pretty much a gift shop now. When we got to Earl's we split a sandwich. We then went back to the hotel and took a nap. We were going to go to dinner but we were still full, so we went to Caesars diamond lounge to snack and load up on some drinks. The bartenders were so nice there. There wasn't much to eat except salad and some finger food, but we weren't hungry so it was good. After a few drinks I felt the urge to go play some green and black action, but I quickly reminded myself why I was there. We walked all the way to the Excalibur becaue she's never been and I had previously told her it was my favorite hotel due to nostalgia. It was the first hotel my parents used to take me on our Vegas vacations. To my surprised, she didn't think it was that great. How dare she!! We then walked to luxor and took a cab back. We were really tired due to all the alcohol, walking, and the heat. We called it a night pretty early.
7/11 (Monday) We woke up early to get to red rock casino by 8AM to get their amazing $6.99 breakfast before we went to the Red Rock canyon. After a good breakfast, we decided to play $10 3/2 bj. We went on a Rollercoaster swing. At one point, we were both down $100 each and she wanted to sit out. I pulled out my last $100 in my wallet and went to town. I went on a binge and won most of my hands while averaging $20- $50 in bet. We set a time limit so that we could go to the canyon. By the end of our agreed time I had $325 with me. I colored up and gave my GF the $100 she lost. She later thanked me in bed with her own version of BJ. The Red Rock Canyon was breathtaking. It's hard to realize that this landmark exists only 30 mins from the strip. After the park we got a quick lunch in a Vietnamese place on spring Mt rd. We then went to the shark reefs because I knew she was a sucker for aquariums. We both enjoyed it, but for $20 we felt it was a bit short. Luckily I used my express comp, so it was essentially free. I just couldn't belief Mlife imposing parking and valet fees to lower-tier and non-tier customers. We came back to the Venetian and played some slots (lost $20 each). We decided to nap as we felt like we were running on fumes. When we woke up we ate dinner at Sushi Samba (good but super overpriced). We then walked the strip one last time and called it a trip. Overall, she said she found Vegas much more enjoyable and exciting, and that she wants to go again soon. I felt good because she got to see the town in a different ligjt. She understands there is tons of things to do, bargain foods to eat if you know how to navigate. She still didn't care for all the sleezy porn card handlers or pot smokers, but she changed her tune. Overall we went home slightly up in gambling and immensely up in spirit. I cannot wait until the next trip with my GF.
Once checked in, as expected she gravitated towards the easier and flashier slot games. I did not discourage her as I wanted to take a libertarian approach. After downing about $20 in $0.25 wheels of fortune (no wheel bonus) I told her we should quit while we were not terribly down. As I walked her away from the slots I told her tjat slots are about the worst odds in a casino because of the obvious reasons. She was receptive and told me she picked it becaue she didn't need an instruction. I acknowledged as well that I TOO am a sucker when it comes to the giant Buffalo slot, but it takes some control to resist bad games. I walked her to the gift shop at the flamingo and bought her the blackjack BS card. We walked, and walked, and walked the strip but I couldn't find any $10 or less BJ with 3/2 odds. I finally gave up and landed a spot in NY NY and sat down on the $5 BJ 6/5. Now, I know it's a cardinal sin to play a 6/5 game but I did the quick math and taking a cab to downtown and back to play 3/2 was going to be more expensive in the long run, so I raised the white flag and played.
We both bought in for $100 each. The dealer was quiet and dealt like a robot...zero expression what so ever. The game was slow and perfect because I had time to explain the game to her. I also realized a bunch of ploppys on the table were eavesdropping. I didn't mind as I was giving great tips that prevented them from making poor decisions. The pit was nice, but I did not see the PB once we bought in. I mean why would you? It's a low-limit table with a bunch of ploppys.
As we started playing, I made her read her strategy card to play best she can. Like a newbie, she was hesitant to hit on 16 against 7-A, but I was proud of her that she went through "playing by the book." Thankfully the BJ gods blessed me and her with some winnings. As we were leaving the ploppys wanted to know where i got the card. The too took a quick break to go buy the card. I felt good becaue i felt like i did a public service to the new players. I also mentioned WoO and WoV as we walked away with about $50 in winnings for about 1 hour worth of play. I could tell she loved getting 10s and 11s as she knew it gave her a chance to double down. Of course I swayed her away from doubling a 10 against a 10-K. With our winnings, we decided to celebrate each splurging $10 on slots! She played the Britney machine while I played the Buffalo. We both lost, but it sure was fun. We decided to call it a night as we wanted to go to start the morning sight seeing and shopping.
7/10 (Sunday) We woke up early to head to Ellis Island (my favorite breakfast joint). When we got to the host, she told us it was going to be a 15 minute wait so we played some $5 BJ 3/2. We bought in for $50 each and was able to squeeze in the table. Just like that the BJ gods were shining on my gf again. She got a blackjack on her first hand. She was surprised she got paid $7.50 instead of $6 like the night before. I told her that the table is much more favorable and she quickly realized why I made her walk block after block looking for a favorable table the night before. After 15 minutes of play our buzzer buzzed so we colored out. She was up $12.50 I was down $5. Our combines winnings were $7.50. We tipped the dealer $2.50 and cashed out. We proceeded to order the famous steak and eggs and left the Casino full and satisfied. As we were leaving we saw the wait was getting ridiculous. We then proceeded to go to the D in downtown. We sat down on a $10 3/2 table as the $5 tables were outfitted with chain smokers. For the third time the BJ gods shined down on my gilfriend. She got on a run like I haven't seen in awhile. I believe she won 7 hands in a row. I kept urging her to bet more, but she got scared. When she finally upped her bet to $20, the dealer got blackjack. My GF then gave me a evil playful (i told you so) look. Nonetheless, we had fun and won around $110 together after a quick 45 minute session. She joked that she now wants to quit her day job because winning was so easy. I told her she was getting lucky and not all sessions go that well. We then went to Binions and sat down on another $10 min table. This is where we got CRUSHED. We kept getting 15s and 16s with the dealer making hands every time. My GF' got a bit irritated and wanted to leave so we did. We then drove to Earl of Sandwich back on the strip because she didnt want to wait in line at the PAWNSTAR shop. Ive never been, but i hear it's pretty much a gift shop now. When we got to Earl's we split a sandwich. We then went back to the hotel and took a nap. We were going to go to dinner but we were still full, so we went to Caesars diamond lounge to snack and load up on some drinks. The bartenders were so nice there. There wasn't much to eat except salad and some finger food, but we weren't hungry so it was good. After a few drinks I felt the urge to go play some green and black action, but I quickly reminded myself why I was there. We walked all the way to the Excalibur becaue she's never been and I had previously told her it was my favorite hotel due to nostalgia. It was the first hotel my parents used to take me on our Vegas vacations. To my surprised, she didn't think it was that great. How dare she!! We then walked to luxor and took a cab back. We were really tired due to all the alcohol, walking, and the heat. We called it a night pretty early.
7/11 (Monday) We woke up early to get to red rock casino by 8AM to get their amazing $6.99 breakfast before we went to the Red Rock canyon. After a good breakfast, we decided to play $10 3/2 bj. We went on a Rollercoaster swing. At one point, we were both down $100 each and she wanted to sit out. I pulled out my last $100 in my wallet and went to town. I went on a binge and won most of my hands while averaging $20- $50 in bet. We set a time limit so that we could go to the canyon. By the end of our agreed time I had $325 with me. I colored up and gave my GF the $100 she lost. She later thanked me in bed with her own version of BJ. The Red Rock Canyon was breathtaking. It's hard to realize that this landmark exists only 30 mins from the strip. After the park we got a quick lunch in a Vietnamese place on spring Mt rd. We then went to the shark reefs because I knew she was a sucker for aquariums. We both enjoyed it, but for $20 we felt it was a bit short. Luckily I used my express comp, so it was essentially free. I just couldn't belief Mlife imposing parking and valet fees to lower-tier and non-tier customers. We came back to the Venetian and played some slots (lost $20 each). We decided to nap as we felt like we were running on fumes. When we woke up we ate dinner at Sushi Samba (good but super overpriced). We then walked the strip one last time and called it a trip. Overall, she said she found Vegas much more enjoyable and exciting, and that she wants to go again soon. I felt good because she got to see the town in a different ligjt. She understands there is tons of things to do, bargain foods to eat if you know how to navigate. She still didn't care for all the sleezy porn card handlers or pot smokers, but she changed her tune. Overall we went home slightly up in gambling and immensely up in spirit. I cannot wait until the next trip with my GF.
July 14th, 2016 at 3:38:48 PM
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Nice report.
How many decks for the room BJ?
How many decks for the room BJ?
Expect the worst and you will never be disappointed.
I AM NOT PART OF GWAE RADIO SHOW
July 14th, 2016 at 5:37:41 PM
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Hit 16 vs 7, A?
Not doubling a 10 vs a 10, K ?
Thx for the TR.
I like TRs.
2F
Not doubling a 10 vs a 10, K ?
Thx for the TR.
I like TRs.
2F
Youuuuuu MIGHT be a 'rascal' if.......(nevermind ;-)...2F
July 14th, 2016 at 5:51:57 PM
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Quote: TwoFeathersATLHit 16 vs 7, A?
Not doubling a 10 vs a 10, K ?
Thx for the TR.
I like TRs.
2F
Hit 16 vs 7 thru ace dealer upcard, yes.
You don't double 10's against a 10 value upcard, do you? I'm no expert, but you might want to check your strategy. I thought, with a few exceptions, that should be a hit.
If the House lost every hand, they wouldn't deal the game.
July 14th, 2016 at 11:03:15 PM
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SiegfriedRoy, great trip report! It's cool that you personalized the trip toward your GF. I like seeing the eyes of first-time Blackjack players light up when they get to use strategy moves such as double and split etc. Cool part about the Ploppies.
Wanda Wilcox: “I can’t stand people. I hate them.”
Chinaski: “Oh, yeah?”
Wanda: “You hate them?”
Chinaski: “No, but I seem to feel better when they’re not around.”
Barfly, starring Mickey Rourke
July 15th, 2016 at 4:49:46 AM
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Quote: beachbumbabsHit 16 vs 7 thru ace dealer upcard, yes.
You don't double 10's against a 10 value upcard, do you? I'm no expert, but you might want to check your strategy. I thought, with a few exceptions, that should be a hit.
I read it wrong last night.
Looked like they could see BOTH dealer cards!
I'm mostly sober this morning ;-?
Youuuuuu MIGHT be a 'rascal' if.......(nevermind ;-)...2F
July 15th, 2016 at 6:49:04 AM
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Glad you're mostly sober 2Feathers. LOL
July 15th, 2016 at 6:52:16 AM
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Quote: WinoSiegfriedRoy, great trip report! It's cool that you personalized the trip toward your GF. I like seeing the eyes of first-time Blackjack players light up when they get to use strategy moves such as double and split etc. Cool part about the Ploppies.
Thank you Wino. I 100% agree with you. After the trip, I was glad I did this for my GF. It wasn't the same tired Vegas trip I've always been on. She just about lost it when she split her 6s three times against the dealer's 6 with a one double down and won. It was very refreshing to experience Vegas through the eyes of my GF.
July 15th, 2016 at 7:29:18 AM
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The number of decks doesn't matter... The PENETRATION is always what's most important ;-)Quote: GWAENice report.
How many decks for the room BJ?
Great TR! Especially liked the service of teaching players and the apparent look on her face when she realized why you were hunting a 3:2 game the day before. Glad to hear you came out a bit ahead too!
Playing it correctly means you've already won.
July 15th, 2016 at 9:21:11 AM
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Quote: RomesThe number of decks doesn't matter... The PENETRATION is always what's most important ;-)
Great TR! Especially liked the service of teaching players and the apparent look on her face when she realized why you were hunting a 3:2 game the day before. Glad to hear you came out a bit ahead too!
LOOOOL Romes!!! Well said.
July 16th, 2016 at 6:24:19 AM
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SFR:
We were in Vegas about the same days you were, and in fact, were at EI for breakfast on Sunday (07/10) morning too. I think we might have gotten there earlier than you because we didn't have a wait to get seated. I even noticed that the service was significantly better than my last couple of visits there earlier this year.
After EI, we took the 202 bus out to PALMS since we didn't get a rental car this time (we have been to RR Casino, RR Canyon, the Pinball Museum, etc, on previous trips). I like the vibe at PALMS, and the FPDW. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to hit anything better than a WRF despite playing quite a bit over a couple of days and ended up down.
I try to do at least one "new thing" each Vegas trip. On this trip I managed several:
a) Saw Paul Zerdin the Ventriloquist ( Recommended )
b) Walked through the Diamond Lounge at PH ( Nice enough, I guess, but not great )
c) Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art (thanks, myVegas)
- BGFA was interesting, but the best mini-gallery I got to see was Steve Wynn's. He had a display after the DESERT INN had been torn down and before WYNN had been built. So this was quite a few years ago.
d) Saw the Revised Version of BEATLES LOVE at Mirage (got 1 free ticket from myVegas)
We were in Vegas about the same days you were, and in fact, were at EI for breakfast on Sunday (07/10) morning too. I think we might have gotten there earlier than you because we didn't have a wait to get seated. I even noticed that the service was significantly better than my last couple of visits there earlier this year.
After EI, we took the 202 bus out to PALMS since we didn't get a rental car this time (we have been to RR Casino, RR Canyon, the Pinball Museum, etc, on previous trips). I like the vibe at PALMS, and the FPDW. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to hit anything better than a WRF despite playing quite a bit over a couple of days and ended up down.
I try to do at least one "new thing" each Vegas trip. On this trip I managed several:
a) Saw Paul Zerdin the Ventriloquist ( Recommended )
b) Walked through the Diamond Lounge at PH ( Nice enough, I guess, but not great )
c) Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art (thanks, myVegas)
- BGFA was interesting, but the best mini-gallery I got to see was Steve Wynn's. He had a display after the DESERT INN had been torn down and before WYNN had been built. So this was quite a few years ago.
d) Saw the Revised Version of BEATLES LOVE at Mirage (got 1 free ticket from myVegas)
There's emptiness behind their eyes
There's dust in all their hearts
They just want to steal us all and take us all apart
July 16th, 2016 at 7:50:28 AM
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Quote: RomesThe number of decks doesn't matter... The PENETRATION is always what's most important ;-)
Great TR! Especially liked the service of teaching players and the apparent look on her face when she realized why you were hunting a 3:2 game the day before. Glad to hear you came out a bit ahead too!
now that was good.
Expect the worst and you will never be disappointed.
I AM NOT PART OF GWAE RADIO SHOW
July 16th, 2016 at 8:07:25 AM
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Quote: JohnnyQSFR:
We were in Vegas about the same days you were, and in fact, were at EI for breakfast on Sunday (07/10) morning too. I think we might have gotten there earlier than you because we didn't have a wait to get seated. I even noticed that the service was significantly better than my last couple of visits there earlier this year.
After EI, we took the 202 bus out to PALMS since we didn't get a rental car this time (we have been to RR Casino, RR Canyon, the Pinball Museum, etc, on previous trips). I like the vibe at PALMS, and the FPDW. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to hit anything better than a WRF despite playing quite a bit over a couple of days and ended up down.
I try to do at least one "new thing" each Vegas trip. On this trip I managed several:
a) Saw Paul Zerdin the Ventriloquist ( Recommended )
b) Walked through the Diamond Lounge at PH ( Nice enough, I guess, but not great )
c) Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art (thanks, myVegas)
- BGFA was interesting, but the best mini-gallery I got to see was Steve Wynn's. He had a display after the DESERT INN had been torn down and before WYNN had been built. So this was quite a few years ago.
d) Saw the Revised Version of BEATLES LOVE at Mirage (got 1 free ticket from myVegas)
EI is no longer a well kept secret thanks to Yelp and word of mouth. On Sundays, all the LA people hit up EI before they go back home. I prefer the Caesars diamond lounge vs. Planet Hollywood.
On a separate note, where is Aceofspades? I sure miss his live trip reports.
July 16th, 2016 at 9:05:50 AM
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Haven't been to Caesar's Diamond Lounge, it is on my to-do list. My favorite so far is PARIS. Get a Cabernet to go in a plastic cup and they fill it up 3/4's of the way.Quote: SiegfriedRoyI prefer the Caesars diamond lounge vs. Planet Hollywood.
This is Ground Control to Major "Spades",Quote: SiegfriedRoyOn a separate note, where is Aceofspades? I sure miss his live trip reports.
You've really made the grade,
And the papers want to know "what count you use,"
Now it's time to leave "your exile" if you dare
There's emptiness behind their eyes
There's dust in all their hearts
They just want to steal us all and take us all apart
