Croupier's Blog

New Year New Focus

First of all people, if you are reading this, Happy New Year. May the coming of another decade prove the catalyst for your search for happiness to take on a whole new level.

This is my first blog of the new year and has been posted here in its entirety. It is from my blog at http://thehouseedge.blogspot.com/

For me this New Year, I have decided it is a time to grow up and focus on what I want to do with the rest of my life. It is a time to step forward and try and push my career forwards.

The first thing I have to do is become a better dealer. I will focus more at work, and hopefully put myself in a position where I can not be overlooked by the higher powers. Even still I will be improving myself, so that is my first target.

The second is this blog. It will follow my progress at work, not just in trying to improve myself, but also by posting the problems new dealers have. We have a boatload of Trainees at work at the minute, and they remind me of the days when I was new. This means I will be sharing stories both recent and old of dealings wiht customers, and generally being a newbie.

Once again, Happy New Year, and may the variance be with you!

My First Baseball Game

On Friday June 25th 2010, I attended my first baseball game, the Las Vegas 51's hosting the Sacramento River Cats at Cashman Field.

For those of you that are not familliar with the 51's, they are the AAA (lower division) affiliate team of the Toronto Blue Jays. They play their games Cashman Field, capacity 9,334.

The day started off fairly uneventfully if slightly scaryily. As we were staying at the Best Western Mardi Gras on Paradise Road, we took the 108 (I think) from the Convention Centre downtown, disembarking just after Main Street Station. We then walked down a road whose name I forget, but seemed in quite a run down part of Downtown. I was just glad it was daylight. We (my wife and I) walked until we found a 7-11, where we asked for directions, and found out we were 5 minutes away from the stadium. It was not a walk I was looking forward to retracing, in the dark, the other way. The walk from the 7-11 to the stadium isnt conducive to pedestrians, with a lot of construction when we were there.

When we got to the stadium, the first thing we did was pick up our free sunglasses, which was the promotion of the night. The 51's have various promotions to pull in the fans, including $1 Bud night, bobblehead night, free hat night and so on.

When we had picked up our tickets from will call (we had booked in advance through Ticketmaster to make sure we got good seats) we made our way in, bought ourselves some drinks and snacks (they make a mean Hot Dog at Cashman Field) and found our way to our seats. We forgot to tip the girls who show you to your seats. Afterwards we felt really guilty.

On to the game. With everyone standing for the US National Anthem, my wife asked if we should stand. I said I felt it was the right thing to do, to respect the traditions of the ball game and people of the country we were in.

The game itself was pretty poor, considering I was cheering on the 51's. They were 0-3 down by the middle of the second, and didnt put a score on the board until the top of the 5th.

I must say I found the seats spacious and comfortable, compared to the way fans at football (soccer) matches in the UK are hemmed in. I also found the men bringing me Ice cold beers quite agreable, even though I was carded 3 times (what a compliment).

By the middle of the 8th, we decided we should head back. A few of the Local fans were leaving already, so we thought we should make a move. It was only when we left the field, and I saw the neon lights that I realised where we were. We were about 10 minutes away from the El Cortez and Neonopolis, which is a far nicer walk to contemplate in relation to trekking to Main Street Station, so we went to the El-Co. On the way to the El-Co we were accosted no less than 3 times. The first was by a menacing looking gang banger sterotype guy who had seen us leaving the game asking if we had any change. The second was a guy having left the game the same time as us asking if we knew first aid, as he was diabetic and might need us to administer his insulin. The guy was also drunk as a skunk, and this actually scared us more than the other guy.

The third guy was my personal favourite. He was a guy in jeans and a black T-Shirt, with long hair, your typical 80's rock fan. He started with "Can I ask you a question?" to which I replied "You just did." He laughed and said, "ok let me ask you a couple more". It ended up with me and this guy spending a couple of minutes talking bands and guitarists, before I remembered my wife was there and probably scared by the crazy rocker (even though she married one). I was ready to buy the guy a drink and carry on the conversation. I didnt.

So from there we made our way safely to the El-Co, and spent the night cruising Downtown.

For anyone interested the 51's lost 2-11. This was the score when we left, and how it finished.

I'm Back

Hi Everyone!

After a few (or more) problems with my computer, and many other things you dont want to know about, as some of you may be glad to hear I'm back.

I will shortly be starting 2 regular blogs, one gambling related, and one personal. The gambling related blog will push traffic here and the Odds site (hopefully) if it becomes succesful. I will use both blogs to help promote the Wizards site as I feel I owe him a personal debt. To that end, I would love it if everyone here could suggest topics for discussion, that could help me get started. I will also be resurrecting the ask the dealer thread, and using some questions on my blog, to help get more traffic here.

Ill be grateful for any contributions anyone could make.

Glad to be back,

Craig - Aka Croupier.

The not quite Daily Update.

Well, I have had a couple of days at the Luxor, and there is no wireless internet access in the rooms there, hence my lack of updates.

It however has been a good start to the trip so far. After a less than spectacular start to the trip, the Luxor made up for it. Mainly playing penny slots and even though the Mrs blew $100 on Blackjack ($10 min 3-2 before you ask) we finished the Thursday with exactly the money we started with.

This is due to a simple little (NOT a guaranteed winning) system the wife and I thought up to try and maximise our enjoyment. We both smoke so when we want a cigarette, we sit down at the penny slots, normally when one of us gets a feeling a certain machine is looking at us funny. We then put in $10. We play the maximum lines and minimum per line until we hit a bonus or a win of more than 100 credits, then we up the line bet by one and continue until our initial stake is at least doubled, or gone. Either way we enjoy ourselves, and I have hit two $200 plus pays on the penny slots in the last few days and the wife a couple of $100's. I know its not gonna happen every time, but hey, its all fun and games.

On Friday we ventured out to the Excalibur, and found a $5 3-2 CSM blackjack game, where we played for around an hour and broke even. We also walked over to the Tropicana and Hooters. The renovation work at the Trop is exstensive and still ongoing. Hooters really is a dive. The Trop was good to me though, breaking even most of the day and hitting $50 of $5 on a Survivor penny machine while my wife was in the toilet.

Saturday wasnt as good to us. We bought a Monorail day pass and decided to hit all the casinos on the east side of the strip up and down the monorail. Its been a killer day for gambling, including a $50 loss at Casino War (I know, but I like it). Oh, before I forget I should mention that when I say we were evens, that was on our daily budget of $300. We went a little crazy today and spent a bit, but as we were winning it doesnt really matter.

Will keep you up to date with the rest of our exploits, including some more touristy stuff planned for next week.

Croupier.

Vegas Be Ready - I Have Arrived!

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, children of all ages, I have arrived. After a total of 11 hours 55 minutes, 2 planes, 3 airports and more bad food than I could eat, I am here. And so is the wife. luckily.

The trip however has already started badly - I got long hauled. Off the plane and into a taxi, tell the driver we want the Mardi Gras on Paradise. I end up with a distinct feeling of dread when I see the Airport Tunnel. I know then that I have been well and truly shafted. Didnt even remember to get the Taxi number to report him as I was struggling with 5 suitcases. I know it was kind of my own fault for not telling him not to take the airport tunnel, but still, you live and learn.

Remember people if you want anything on the East side of Vegas - the Airport Tunnel is not your friend.

On a positive note the staff at the Mardi Gras are all great (so far), the all slot casino area comps drinks, and the bar is showing all the Football....sorry Soccer matches.


Consider this the first of many daily updates, and will let you know how my first full day went tomorrow.


Croupier