WoVCon I Wrap-up

Just arrived home from WoVCon I this morning on an over-night flight. I caught a few hours sleep when I got here, but my head is not yet clear. I thought it would be appropriate to start a new thread for attendees and others to post about the actual WoVCon activities, separate from the various what-are-we-going-to-do-and-who-will-be-there threads.

Prior to the actual meeting, my wife and I had two opportunities to get together with Croupier and his wife (a very nice couple, I should note.) I think I may have posted about those from my phone, but I have not yet tried to read most of the 1,000 posts that were made while I was out of town, and I certainly haven't looked back at my own.

There were nine attendees at the WoVCon I, which started at Main Street Station. I arrived a half hour late, hoping that the others would be inebriated before any trivia or gambling competitions could begin. There had been some exchanging of gifts -- Ooops! not only did I forget to bring anything, but in the confusion of introductions and grabbing a seat, I then forgot to thank people properly. I will resolve that shortly as my head clears from the flight.

There were a few attempts at stump-the-waitress, but this was a pretty sharp young lady, and I think she turned out to be up for each challenge. Then there was the trivia quiz for those of us with trivial minds.

I tried to document that portion of the festivities with an image, but I did not take the appropriate steps of getting everyone positioned similar distances from the camera. Yes, the fat guy is on the far left, and the muscle guy is on the far right, but neither of us is really so much bigger than the others as it appears in the photo.



This lineup of the usual suspects includes from left to right: Doc, mdh, Mrs. mdh, rdw4potus, allenwalker, Croupier, Mrs. Croupier, Wizard (of Odds & Vegas), and gofaster87.

Following the fun at Main Street Station (no, we did not go out back to put coins on the railroad tracks, and no, we did not climb the stairs or have any eating contests), we hit the road to Binion's for a little Texas Hold-em, where we filled nine of the ten seats at the table. I had previously played the game twice ever in my life (some years ago now), so I was not clear on either the procedures or the etiquette. I was just glad that my losses were not to the painful level (though my craps losses for the trip did reach the uncomfortable zone.) I know that both Croupier and his wife came out of that competition as winners, but I don't know the final rankings for the rest of the crew.

Hunger pangs started to attack the Wizard, who suggested we retire across the street for dinner. Unfortunately, most of the group already had plans for the evening. As I had projected in an earlier post, my wife declined to attend this event, but I did make the excursion to retrieve her for dinner, which turned out to involve just the two of us, the Wizard, and gofaster87.

All-in-all, it was quite a fun get together. I will likely have more to say about it, but I think I need to get a bit of food and a little more rest before my memories are clear enought to report more fully. Hopefully the other attendees will contribute a bunch more to complete this wrap-up, though I don't know how many of the out-of-towners are back home just yet.

thanks for the post and the picture Doc. wish i could have been there.



.

Doc was too modest to say that he won the Wizard trivia challenge. I think it was not even close. The prize was a nicely framed Dogs Playing Poker picture. However, he couldn't fit it in his luggage, so I purchased it back from him. So congratulations to Doc. Not only did he win that, but he won money from me on whether the cocktail waitress could answer trivia questions. I usually bet the "no," but she was a lot smarter than she looked.

In terms of poker, Croupier and his wife Victoria were the big winners. Croupier had stacks and stacks of chips in front of him, and Victoria was also comfortably ahead as well. Who was the big loser? Yours truly. In a 2/4 limit game I managed to lose about $80. I'm pretty sure nobody else lost more. What can I say, for a gambling writer I really stink at poker. So I declare Croupier to be the WoV poker champion.

However, fellow Brit switch (who did not attend) is no slouch at poker. I'd love to see the two of them duke it out to see if Croupier can retain his title.

By the way, there was some talk about going to the Sahara rummage sale the next day. I'm glad we didn't. The paper said the line was three hours in 100 degree heat, there was a $10 entrance fee, a buyer's premium added to all sales, and lot of the good stuff was already purchased by insiders who had dibs before the public.

With all the people on here that claim to live in Vegas (zippy, JimMorrison, etc) all that showed is 6 members? There has to be 20 people here who claim to live in Vegas, where were they?

Quote: Wizard

By the way, there was some talk about going to the Sahara rummage sale the next day. I'm glad we didn't. The paper said the line was three hours in 100 degree heat, there was a $10 entrance fee, a buyer's premium added to all sales, and lot of the good stuff was already purchased by insiders who had dibs before the public.

From long long experience, you made the right decision. All the good stuff was long gone and whats left was priced so high nobody wanted it. I'm sure it was packed by Ebay sellers hoping to unload casino collectibles on the internet.

Quote: EvenBob

With all the people on here that claim to live in Vegas (zippy, JimMorrison, etc) all that showed is 6 members? There has to be 20 people here who claim to live in Vegas, where were they?

I'm embarrassed to say I totally forgot about it. A month before, I really planned to attend, but then it slipped my mind on the big day. I'm sorry. I really did want to meet you guys.

By the way, what were some of the trivia questions for the waitress?

Quote: EvenBob

With all the people on here that claim to live in Vegas (zippy, JimMorrison, etc) all that showed is 6 members? There has to be 20 people here who claim to live in Vegas, where were they?

Sleeping. WOO reminded me the day before but I didn't get up in time. Nighttime get togethers are much better for me. I'm normally not up before 2-3ish.

Looks like it was a fun time, sad I could not attend. Maybe a future year. Until then I will stick with the WoV-East mini-conventions.

Quote: zippyboy

By the way, what were some of the trivia questions for the waitress?

First, I should correct one of the Wizard's comments -- I did not win any money on waitress wagers, in part because I didn't participate in any of them.

I do recall these two questions being asked of the MSS waitress, both of which she answered correctly:
(1) What were the first names of the Three Stooges?
(2) Whose picture appears on the $100 bill?

Yes, the Wizard wagered on the "won't get it right" side of that and lost to some other attendees. After I had retrieved my wife and met up again with the Wizard and gofaster87 for dinner, they said that they had been discussing whether I would know the answer to a particular trivia question. I did know it, but they never said whether the two of them had wagered on that. There were discussions about possible questions for the waiter, but none were ever wagered on.

I confess that on the main trivia contest I did come out on top -- either further proof of my trivial mind or (if you accept that knowing trivia is a good thing) just evidence that Mr. Martin did not attend. There were 16 questions asked, with the last being a tie breaker. I got 7 correct and know that at least one other attendee got 3 correct. I still have my answer sheet, from which I think I could reconstruct the list of questions. However, that might be stomping on the Wizard's material, so I won't steal his thunder without permission.

Thanks for the account!

I really wish I'd been there :(

Quote: Doc

(1) What were the first names of the Three Stooges?

The first names of the actors or the characters? I'd be lost either way. i mean, I know about the 3 stooges, but I've never seen more than clips of their work.

Quote:

I still have my answer sheet, from which I think I could reconstruct the list of questions. However, that might be stomping on the Wizard's material, so I won't steal his thunder without permission.

We'll have to remember to ask the Wizard. Meantime I think every WoVCon should have its own questions. Otherwise past attendees have an advantage over the rest. So as part of every WoVCon, someone should post the trivia questions, though not necessarily the answers.

I believe that the three actors that most of us remember from the films actually used their own real first names or nicknames for the characters' names. Anyway, I think it was intended for the waitress to give the characters' names. There was a fourth one that appeared earlier and perhaps later in the series, but only three at a time.

I didn't mean to imply that the Wizard would use the same list of questions for a future WoV meeting. However, he compiled the list, so I don't want to be the one to post it here unless he gives the OK. If he were to say it is all right, I would post my reconstructed list and leave it open for others to correct. I would also indicate which ones I got right, where I made mistakes, etc. But not if the Wizard has any reason to want his question list restricted.

.....

Quote: gofaster87

I dont think he has a trademark or patent on the questions. I dont think he would care. Some of the questions were:

Thanks! I'll give it a try. A "?" means I'm not sure.

What plant is linen made from
Flax

What was Michael Jacksons first solo album
Thriller?

What two VPs served under Nixon
Agnew and Ford

What is the closest star to the Sun
Proxima Centauri

Who said we have not yet begun to fight
McArthur?

A pound of flesh is from what Shakespeare play
The Merchant of Venice

coocoo cashoo is mentioned in what two songs
Good one. I think one is "I Am the Walrus" by the Beatles. I've no idea what the other is.

Where is the loose duece vp game located that has the payback of 101.6
Beats me.

Name what casino or casinos on the strip that only have 3:2 BJ
No idea

What casino in clark county has the best bj game(Im not exactly sure on the wording here)
As we say in mexico: NPI

Quote: Nareed

What was Michael Jacksons first solo album
Thriller?

Off the Wall.

Quote:

Where is the loose duece vp game located that has the payback of 101.6
Beats me.

Fitzgerald's

Quote:

Name what casino or casinos on the strip that only have 3:2 BJ
No idea

Palazzo/Venetian.

Quote:

What casino in clark county has the best bj game(Im not exactly sure on the wording here)
As we say in mexico: NPI

Hacienda.

OK, since gofaster87 has opened the flood gates, here is my complete (?) list, along with comments about my efforts:

1. From what plant is linen made?

2. Which two individuals (first and last names each) served as vice president under Richard Nixon? (1/2 point each)

3. Who said, "I have not yet begun to fight"?

4. In which work of Shakespeare is the phrase "a pound of flesh" used?

5. Which two songs from the 1960s used the expression "ku-ku-ka-choo"? (I many not have spelled that correctly, and I think it was 1/2 point each.)

6. What was Michael Jackson's first solo album?

7. What is the fourth most populous country in the world?

8. Which star is closest to our sun?

9. Who is the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court?

10. Name either of the two strip casinos that have no 6:5 blackjack tables.

11. Which Clark County casino has the most single-deck 3:2 blackjack tables?

12. Which Las Vegas casino has the video poker machine with the highest payout percentage?

13. Which team won the first Super Bowl?

14. In the TV show Gilligan's Island, what was Gilligan's full name?

15. Name all five boroughs of New York City.

16. At the end of the film "Charlotte's Web", how many eggs did Charlotte lay? (Closest answer wins the tie breaker.)


I answered the first four correctly and was confident of my answers. Turned out that would have been enough for victory. Shortly after that, the conversation veered into unfamiliar territory. I think that either of my sons could have answered some of the remaining questions that I missed, so it might just be a generational thing.

I should have answered #5 correctly, but in error I wrote the album name for one song (didn't ever own it) and I completely forgot the other one even though I owned the "album" on reel-to-reel tape. I missed #6; I have never owned any Michael Jackson music on any form of media.

I got #7 correct, only because I recently read about it on this forum. I would only have been guessing without that thread. I didn't have a clue about #8 and wrote down the name of a galaxy in my foolishness.

It annoyed me that I missed #9. I think I just tricked myself by naming an associate justice with the same first name. I also missed both #10 and #11, but I got #12 correct, again because I had read about it in the forum.

I also missed #13 – just not a big fan of pro sports. Even though I read most of the "Word of the Day" thread, including the deadly sins portion where I think this was discussed, I did not remember Gilligan's first name for #14.

Finally, #15 was back to something that doesn't discriminate against a geezer, and I got that one correct. Unfortunately , #16 wasn't for my generation (perhaps my kids would know), and I just offered a throw-away number.

And there you go folks Doc had the whole list. I couldn't remember all of them except I only got one or two right. Doc had some great stories. We had a coupe of places of interest in common such as White Sands Missile Range and Egypt. It was nice to hear some stories from some one that had been to those places as well.

flax or jute,
Jean Paul a/k/a John Paul Jones
Manhattan, Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, Richmond?.
The high payout vp game? Guessing Sams Town on Boulder Strip.
No idea on any of the others. Ain't never read or seen Charlotte's Web or Wiily Wonka or Winnie the Pooh or any of that stuff.
Superbowl? I think it relates to football on or about new years day. Played by highlighter fetishists who seem to drop markers all the time.
Its the Chief Justice of the United States and the Associate Justices of the United States Supreme Court.

Quote: gofaster87

Doc had some great stories.

I'm not so sure how "great" my stories are, but I do ramble on a bit. Since we are talking trivia, here's an interesting bit related to question #2:

Shortly after the beginning of Nixon's second term (maybe summer of 1973), there was an editorial column in Playboy magazine. It suggested that what the country needed was for (1) the vice-president to resign, (2) Nixon to nominate someone more capable as vice-president, (3) quick senate confirmation, followed by (4) Nixon to resign himself.

I always thought that was amazing prognostication to come from a source such as Playboy. I understand that the entire Playboy archive is now available on line for a subscription fee. If I were willing to pay the fee, I would search mid-1973 for that editorial (yeah, that's why I would likely consider paying the subscription).

At WoVCon, when I answered #4, someone asked whether I was some sort of student of Shakespeare. I don't think I have ever read that play, but I did see it performed once. I really liked the way that the "pound of flesh" issue was resolved. I probably don't remember this accurately, so someone correct my faulty memory:

There is a binding contract secured by a debt of a pound of flesh from one party. Eventually, the creditor is prepared to collect on the outrageous terms. A magistrate, judge, or perhaps even the doge rules on the case and says that the creditor does indeed have the right to collect the pound of flesh. However, he does not have the right to collect or even to spill a single drop of blood and will be punished if he does. I thought that was clever.

Quote: gofaster87

Some of the questions were:

............

Where is the loose duece vp game located that has the payback of 101.6
.......

Seems like all the questions were just decoys to get the waitress to answer THIS one. Nicely concealed, Wiz.

.....

I was just wasting time at the Palms 2 nights ago when I hit this. A thrill, but only $20.

Just woke up after long flight home and 1 1/2 hr. drive to get to the house. First I would like to thank the Wizard for having us. I would also like to thank him for the hat and gambling 102 book. Trivia questions were indeed tough. Congrats Doc. I believe I got a 3 1/2. Wizard I believe you were not the big loser in the holdem session because my wife lost her complete buy-in of 100$ (which I put-up because she was at the restroom lol). I was up 61$ before I left the table. Had a great time this trip in Vegas(which was our longest stay yet 6 nights). I regret not being able to play craps with Allenwalker at MSS because of crowded tables but maybe we will get another chance again sometime. I also would have liked to have seen GOfast play video poker and the Wizard at the BJ table but maybe next time. It was great meeting everyone.

I forgot to thank Mr. and Mrs. Croupier for being the big winners at the poker table. Very nice people.

Most of the trivia questions have been answered (some right, some wrong) by various members above, and I think there has been adequate opportunity for everyone to think the questions over if they wanted to. So here are what I believe are the correct answers. (By the way, my apologies to mdh for under-reporting his second-place score; I probably didn't even hear what score everyone got.)

1. Flax
2. Spiro Agnew and Gerald Ford
3. John Paul Jones
4. "The Merchant of Venice"
5. "I Am the Walrus" and "Mrs. Robinson"
6. "Off the Wall"
7. Indonesia
8. Proxima Centauri
9. John Roberts
10. Venetian or Palazzo
11. Riverside (Laughlin)
12. Fitzgerald's
13. Green Bay Packers
14. Now here's the troubling one. The Wizard gave the answer "Willy Gilligan"; however, this Scopes.com web page refutes that and says that "Gilligan" was the only name used for the character in the entire series. It explains the sources for the erroneous (?) answer. I'll leave the topic open for the Wizard's rebuttal.
15. Manhattan, Queens, Bronx, Brooklyn, Staten Island
16. 514

Gilligan's full name has been a subject of debate among fans of the series for decades, which was somewhat resolved by the release of Gilligan's Island — The Complete First Season on DVD in 2004. In a documentary called Before the Three Hour Tour, excerpts from Sherwood Schwartz's original treatment for the series reveal that Gilligan's full name was to be "Willy Gilligan". But that rendition failed and was not aired. The documentary also reveals that Schwartz found the name "Gilligan" by flipping through an Iranian phone book.[1] Despite the creator's choice of first name, no name but Gilligan is used in any of the three seasons, animated series, TV movies, or even the first episode, which includes the names of the Professor and the Skipper (in the unaired pilot, Lovey Howell addresses Gilligan as "steward," as in a ship's steward, not Stewart as some devotees allege). So, just as "Columbo" is never "officially" given a first name on air, neither is Gilligan.

In Rescue from Gilligan's Island, the returning castaways' names are announced. The writers, heightening the folklore surrounding Gilligan, omitted the first mate's name despite providing the names of the others.

Quote: FleaStiff

Manhattan, Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, Richmond?.

Ooops! : Until 1975, the Staten Island was officially named the Borough of Richmond.
Heck, I'm old enough to still call it New Amsterdam.

Quote: FleaStiff

Heck, I'm old enough to still call it New Amsterdam.

Perhaps, then, you had as much trouble as I did on the "pop culture" questions: #5, 6, 13, 14, & 16.

Gilligan: I've got another trivia question

The actor that played Gilligan, what was his other big role on TV, back in the early 60's?

heh heh, you have to be getting up there in age to know this one. But Gilligan's Island devotees who do not know this one, tsk tsk. No looking it up of course.

Maynard G. Krebs, the bearded hippie with the aversion to work, in The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis. (And for the next trivia question: the answer is "An entertainment lawyer in Los Angeles" for whatever became of the actress who played the role of the girl who liked Dobie Gillis).

The Super Bowl question could be construed as a trick; originally it was known as the AFL/NFL World Championship Game. The winner of the first game known OFFICIALLY as "The Super Bowl" was the New York Jets.

The original Three Stooges were Moe Howard (Moses Horowitz), Larry Fine (Louis Feinberg), and Shemp Howard (Sam Horowitz). Shemp was replaced by Curley (Jerome Horowitz), who was replaced again by Shemp. Then Joe Besser, then Joe DeRita. Moe, Shemp, and Jerome were brothers. The unofficial 4th stooge was Emil Sitka, who was the professor/pastor/shop owner foil ("Join hands you lovebirds") in so many of their shorts. I loved the Stooges when I was maybe 10-15 years old, but watching them now I don't think they're funny at all. The timing is all wrong. Maybe half a dozen of their shorts I find amusing, the rest are just off somehow. But the Stooges story is fascinating, full of perseverance through tragedy. There are a number of biographies available, most of them pretty good. You can't go wrong by the star ratings at Amazon.

Quote: FleaStiff

Maynard G. Krebs, the bearded hippie with the aversion to work, in The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis. (And for the next trivia question: the answer is "An entertainment lawyer in Los Angeles" for whatever became of the actress who played the role of the girl who liked Dobie Gillis).

Ding ding ding!

Quote: Mosca

Three Stooges were Moe Howard (Moses Horowitz), Larry Fine (Louis Feinberg), and Shemp Howard (Sam Horowitz). Shemp was replaced by Curley (Jerome Horowitz), who was replaced again by Shemp. Then Joe Besser, then Joe DeRita.

Joe DeRita is the only one I am unfamiliar with. Joe Besser was awful btw. I also remember Shemp coming *after* Curly, but I will accept I am wrong if you looked it up.

Quote: odiousgambit

Joe DeRita is the only one I am unfamiliar with. Joe Besser was awful btw. I also remember Shemp coming *after* Curly, but I will accept I am wrong if you looked it up.

I read Moe's autobiography, a few years ago. Shemp was part of "Ted Healy and His Stooges". He left before the classic shorts, then came back after Curley's stroke. Shemp died of a heart attack in the mid 50s. The Three Stooges Museum is not far from me.

I recall a Croupier vs. bowl of Binion's chili challenge was booked. Did it come to pass?

Quote: Ayecarumba

I recall a Croupier vs. bowl of Binion's chili challenge was booked. Did it come to pass?

From the first post of this thread (yeah, I know it is a long way back there):

Quote: Doc

... no, we did not go out back to put coins on the railroad tracks, and no, we did not climb the stairs or have any eating contests ....

To be more explicit, if Crooupier tried the Binion's chili, it was not while the rest of us were around. I think he said that whole thing came out of a discussion with Nareed about eating at the IP buffet, and since Nareed was unable to attend, he didn't have anything to prove to her.

Quote: Doc

From the first post of this thread (yeah, I know it is a long way back there):


To be more explicit, if Crooupier tried the Binion's chili, it was not while the rest of us were around. I think he said that whole thing came out of a discussion with Nareed about eating at the IP buffet, and since Nareed was unable to attend, he didn't have anything to prove to her.

Oh, IIRC the action was between the Wizard and Croupier. Perhaps cooler heads prevailed.

Quote: Doc

To be more explicit, if Crooupier tried the Binion's chili, it was not while the rest of us were around. I think he said that whole thing came out of a discussion with Nareed about eating at the IP buffet, and since Nareed was unable to attend, he didn't have anything to prove to her.

I had nothing to do with the chili at Binion's. besides neither Croupier nor anyone else needs an excuse, least of all to prove anything to me, in order to do something massively unwise.

For the record we were going to sample every item from the IP buffet, with rules and exceptions to be determined, and rate them all. I'm still game next year, WoVCon or not. Provided the IP is still standing then.

WIz : However, fellow Brit switch (who did not attend) is no slouch at poker. I'd love to see the two of them duke it out to see if Croupier can retain his title.

Talk about bringing in a ringer. LOL

For me it was the Con that never was. Planned on Hitting DT Saturday AM. But Laughlin was too much fun. I will post on the Wiz's Laughlin thread later. I have to say you just can't beat it. So We never got to LV till Sunday. Went to Mob Museum (Fun, needs more descriptions to exhibits, great multimedia use). Checked the Board about the Fiesta but saw nothing. Guess that was good since everyone got beat up at the craps table. Went for Ethiopian food instead. If you are looking for good Ethiopian just ask your cab driver.
Monday went to UNLV Library. Wife is a Library grad student. I go to a lot of Libraries. Checked out the Menu collection. Turtle soup has fallen out of style I see. Then stopped at the Seafood Supermarket. I need that in my town. A whole supermarket of every Asian food you can think of.

Doc did you ever get to the park for the Bighorn Sheep? Saw the tiniest ewe. Would have fit in a milk crate.

Just stayed 2 nights at the El Cortez and I finally found the Pool. 1 block up at the Spike. $10 a person and I have to say the pool is small but nice. 2 little waterfalls, loungers in shallow area and a lot of towels. I would go there over the nugget unless you want a slide and shark.

Quote: Wavy70

... Doc did you ever get to the park for the Bighorn Sheep? Saw the tiniest ewe. Would have fit in a milk crate.

Missed it. This trip we didn't get any closer to Boulder City than Fiesta Henderson. Maybe next time we're out that way.