My Vegas Vacation

Probably no one is really interested but here is what happened to me this week (7 - 11 Dec - even the dates were lucky)

Left out of Baltimore on South West at 07:10 and arrived in Vegas at 9:20 (20 minutes early). The flight was 60% full so no one took the middle seat - heaven!

Instantly upon arrival at the baggage carousel our bags came out - heaven2! There was no one on line at the taxi stand (that would be 3) and by 10 A.M. we were at our destination - Harrah's. Because I play a bit we were comp'd for 4 nights and at the Diamond check-in I asked for an upgrade and they put us into an Executive Suite. Not too bad - two separate rooms plus a Jacuzzi and dual-headed shower. The view was of the back of the hotel (including a good shot at the dumpsters) but we weren't there for the view. We were there for other things that I'll get to presently.

Harrah's is an old casino/hotel complete with low-ceilings and no ventilation. Consequently every day was like smoking a carton of cigarettes. It was also stifling hot throughout the casino - to cool down we had to go outside to very pleasant 60 degree temps. The gambling is standard LV strip style - crap video poker, an overabundance of penny slot machines and a few table games. With one brief exception I never had to wait to get into a crap game.

The National Rodeo finals were in town this week and the place ran heavy with cowboys and cowgirls who seemed to be the real deal. Gambling wise we didn't do much on the Tuesday - I lost a couple of hundred as did my bride. We ate at KGB's just off the casino floor and while the music was loud and bordered on the freak the burgers were delicious.

On Wednesday some friends of ours came up from St. George, Utah and took us down to South Point and M.

My friend is the person who introduced me to video poker and when you walk into South Point you are in video poker heaven. A huge floor with every kind of machine and game possible in an extremely large and airy casino - high ceilings, lots of ventilation. Their craps game only permits 2x odds (and for the life of me I can't figure that out) and the rail was full of cowboys and one cowgirl standing just to my left who let out an Oklahoma shriek every time I rolled one of her numbers (come bettor). I had a 20-minute roll and even though I made a lot of money the shrieking was too much so after the hand I colored and cashed and played some VP. Hit four aces on a bonus plus machine at the dollar level and cashed out another $400+.

We had a comp'd lunch buffet at South Point and while it isn't the best I've ever had it wasn't the worst either.

M is also relatively new but there were only about 20 people in the place. The VP is less than exciting and they seem to have more baccarat tables than craps tables. Only the baccarat tables were in play and I didn't feel like starting a craps game. We didn't stay that long because South Point set the standard for the day and M wasn't close except for the venue itself and the 32-Degree bar that carried 100's of beers on tap. We had a German Pilsner and it was delicious.

By the end of Wednesday I was up on South Point and managed to win a couple hundred more at Harrah's before bed.

On Thursday after breakfast I dropped my buy-in playing craps and my bride hit two royal straight flushes for a grand each in an hour on two different machines. My deal with my bride is this - I fund all of her losses - she keeps all of her winnings - that works for us.

Thursday also brought the real reason for the Vegas trip. My daughter and her husband had flown in from Hawaii several days earlier to renew their vows on their 10th year anniversary and my bride and I wanted to attend. They were doing this at Wynn's and were comp'd two mini-suites (long story) and several hundred dollars worth of slot/vp free play each. I had never been in Wynn's to gamble and it was very pleasant. I started in the Encore while the bride and daughter were getting make-up and hair done and opened up a craps table. Wynn has an interesting side bet - all low numbers (2-7) or all the high (7-12) numbers at $35 to 1 or all the numbers for $179 to 1. To get it the shooter has to roll the set of numbers where your bet is. I saw it made time after time at the table where I played - at least either the low or high. Only once did I see the whole set made and some guy had put a nickle on it. I made three hundred in about an hour and then colored and cashed and went and played VP for awhile. It isn't bad, standard Vegas 7/5 bonus, a couple of 8/5's here and there. I hit a nice payoff and cashed then changed into my going-to-the-wedding outfit. The wedding was great and after we hung out in one of the Parasol bars until dinner which we did at SW. If you ever get the chance to eat at SW be sure to get there early (reservations necessary) and get a seat by the windows. There is a show out in the courtyard that is indescribable. Every half hour starting at 6 there are animations with music - the first was this huge frog that sung "Wonderful World." The bone-in rib eye was done to perfection.

After dinner a little more VP and I hit another bonus poker payoff at the $1 level for yet another $400 and then my bride and I taxied back to Harrah's. I wasn't tired so I played some more craps and made back the morning's losses plus a bit.

On Friday we just played a bit and then went back over to the Wynn because both my wife and I had made enough points in the player's club to qualify for two comp'd buffet's each. So we took my daughter and son in law to an early dinner at the buffet. This was an extremely good meal in all regards. My favorite part was the pre-split king crab legs.

We taxied back Harrah's and I went off to find a craps table. Once there I experienced one of those sessions that make a trip and then some. Two players each had long hands during which I managed to make a lot of come bets to the point where it was like a fountain of chips flowing in my direction. The best part - player one did his thing, the next shooter sevened out in two rolls and then player two did his thing. This guy hit a lot of hard ways and I hit two three-time hard way numbers. While I didn't do a $1 parlay beyond the first I did press the bet all the way on the second and third. l colored and cashed at end of that hand.

We checked out Saturday morning and took our comp'd limo to the airport, checked in at curbside (I recommend that) and flew through security. Even though the plane was closer to capacity than on Tuesday we still had an empty middle seat - heaven.

And oh, by the way, in the airport waiting for the flight my bride hit a slot for $180 more.

Its good you had such a profitable trip.

As to South Point, my understanding is that it always is favored for large clean rooms, good blackjack and video poker selections, good slots, but the 2x at the craps tables bespeaks the central theme of the place: sweat the money. Even the recent headline making adjustment of chips in the slots to make them looser was more publicity hype than any real change of their attitude. I'm told they give the bum's rush to even low rollers who are card counters at Blackjack.

Thanks for the report Martin. I enjoyed it very much. Glad to hear things went your way, especially the empty middle seats, both ways! Were there many cow folks at the Wynn?

I enjoyed my steak at SW, but boy it was crowded on the Saturday night I was there. It was noisy from folks talking, and the tables are pretty close together. It was so loud, I had a hard time following the conversation at my own table. I think this happens all over the room, so everyone keeps raising their voices until it is unpleasant all over.

Not too many - but a few. In general a very nice crowd - not the up-tight aholes you run into at Caesars.

SW was crowded but I don't remember it being exceptionally noisy - I think my eardrums were still in shock from the music in KGB's.

I find M much more interesting that the SouthPoint. SP looks and feels like a giant unattractive warehouse with those tiny screen vp machines at all the bars. M has a far nicer ambience to me plus every bartop machine is the new big screen variety. M's restaurants also far outclass anything the SP has, except Michaels.

I can't understand how the M stays open. I've read many reports saying how few people are in there.

I didn't read how you did overall.

Quote: JerryLogan

I find M much more interesting that the SouthPoint. SP looks and feels like a giant unattractive warehouse with those tiny screen vp machines at all the bars. M has a far nicer ambience to me plus every bartop machine is the new big screen variety. M's restaurants also far outclass anything the SP has, except Michaels.

I can't understand how the M stays open. I've read many reports saying how few people are in there.

I didn't read how you did overall.

Everyone has their own favorite - I liked SP because of the acreage of VP games - I've never seen a casino with so much VP before.

I net a tad over 3 grand for the week and I don't dare ask the bride how she did. She'll let me know next time she needs a stake.

Now that's a good vacation!

I like the bigger screens because my eyesight isn't the greatest. Plus I'm not certain which place has the best looking cocktail waitresses yet. I'll just have to keep visiting.

I like the M Resort, and really liked the Silverton as well. Not just because of the giant fish tank and Bass Pro shop. Both have decent buffets, table games and arrays of VP. SouthPoint left me cold and unimpressed, but each to their own... it's the wonderful thing about Vegas... if you don't like one place, another place is just around the corner.