Headlock's Blog

Happy New Year Part II

The next day, Jan. 5, we stayed away from the casino most of the day, but played late that evening, about 10:30. So I was at the craps table again, and the second shooter after I joined the table made four different points. He established the 4 as his 5th point so I told the dealer (I was standing right next to her) that I wanted to lay the 4 for $750. It takes a while to gather up that many green chips and I was still dropping chips on the table when the dice flew. He threw them in the corner where I was dropping chips and I think probably hit my chips, and naturally it was seven out. Anyway I made $375 on the lay plus $125 for the Fire Bet. This is the part you will not believe.....the very next shooter also made 4 points, so I got my chips ready for next lay bet. He promptly established the 9 as his 4th point. So again I made the lay bet, $675 this time, and before long collect my $450 lay winnings plus $125 on the Fire Bet. Well by this time I had multiplied my $1,000 buy-in to about $3,000, so looking for the big win I upped my pass line and come bets to $10 with $100 odds. This part you will believe; the next eight rolls of the dice were number, number, number, seven, number, number, number, seven. $660 gone in eight rolls, probably less than 3 minutes.

Meanwhile my wife had some luck of her own, she hit a royal flush on the quarter super times pay with a 5x multiplier, $5,000! We left the next morning about $9,000 to the good.

Next gambling trip will be to Ameristar in Black Hawk, Colorado in February.

Happy New Year

I have two W-2G's already this year, after having only one in 2012.

On New Years Eve I lost $2,400 playing craps, but the blow was lessened a bit when I hit 4 aces and the kicker on a $1 DDB machine for $2,000. Still ended up down $1,400.

Last night playing craps again $5, 10x odds, 2 come bets and $5 Fire. I bought in for $1,000 and before I got a beer I was down $500. Then the player just right of stick got on a roll and before long he was shooting for his fifth point, needed a 5 or an 8. So he established the 8 and I laid the 8 for $600, $25 vig. Maybe two rolls later he hit the 8, but now I have $1,250 coming on the Fire bet. Well it didn't take him long and he established the 5. So I got all the cash and chips I had, borrowed some from my wife, (she just happened to be there because it was time to go eat) and laid the 5 for $2,250. I barely got the chips and cash on the table and he hit the 5. Didn't even pay the vig, which I knew was $75 but I always wait for the dealer to say how much. Anyway by this time it's 8:30 and I have an 8:30 reservation at the steakhouse, so I ask the box if I can go eat and collect the $5,000 when I come back. She says "No, they prefer you wait for it" So I waited until about 9:10 to get my $5,000. I tipped the crew $100 and tossed $100 to the shooter. There was $10 total on the Fire bet, $5 of it mine, none for the shooter.

So I go eat my late steak, come back to the table and about 10 minutes in, another shooter is working on his 5th point. He established the 5, I laid it for $675. You would think I learned my lesson earlier, but noooooo.....Anyway he sevens out 2 rolls later and I smiled as I collected the $450 winnings on the lay bet. About this time the box person looks at me and says "We owe you $3" It was from the $2,250 lay bet two hours earlier. They figured out what the lay bet including the vig would have been and instead of asking for the $75, which I would have paid, they gave me $3.

Las Vegas September 2012

My wife and I enjoyed our last trip to Las Vegas. I took $5,000 with me, which I folded and put in my pocket. We stayed at the Tropicana September 5-8. We were comped a standard room in the Paradise Tower. The rooms are pretty good size, have a really nice bed, 42" HDTV. The bathroom I would say is below average. There was a basket of fruit and snacks (no drinks) in the room when we arrived.

We were both wanting cheesecake so we walked to Caesars from the Trop, on the west side of Las Vegas Blvd. It's not a straight shot down the sidewalk anymore with City Center in the middle. We did most of our walking on the east side of the boulevard after that. Anyway we enjoyed our dinner and cheescake and headed back to the Trop. Didn't even go in the casino at Caesars.

We played craps ($5 min, 3x4x5x odds) and some $1 video poker.

Thursday morning we started up the strip with no particular destination in mind, but CET properties were a bit higher on the to do list because I like the Fire Bet in craps, and my wife and I both like to play Mississippi Stud. We had tickets to LOVE at Mirage so we planned to work our way that far. So we stopped and played at Planet Hollywood, Paris, and Flamingo. Did not go into Bally's. When we left Flamingo we went across the street to Caesars and then to the Mirage. Didn't win or lose a lot at any of the casinos, but together we were down about $1,000.

We stayed at the Mirage the first time we went to Las Vegas, in 1991 and we had a blast. We've stayed there several times since but I like it less every time.

So we sat down at a $10 blackjack table, and when the shoe was done we both bought in for $200 and placed our M Life cards on the table. We both placed $20 in the circle for our first bet. Our cards are still laying there. The dealer says "you gotta be a big spender, bet $25 to get rated" The floor person looks over and ignores us. A few minutes later the floorman asks if we're together and says he'll rate one of us. Well I really don't care, I don't play enough to earn any comps, but it just struck me as a bit petty. Every time I put my card down with my money at a CET property they picked it up and at least acted like they did something with it. This dealer is old. She claims she was in Tokyo when the bombs were dropped and I believe her. I saw a cocktail waitress in there that looked even older.

So we're playing, and a young man from Holland sits down, his wife or GF is with him but not playing. And another guy from Canada at third base. Wife and I are at 1 and 2. Anyway, I get 16 against a 10 with $20 out and so I ask if I can surrender, and YES I can. No big deal, but from that point on the Canadian is surrendering just about every bust hand he has. Once he asked if he could surrender after he took a hit.

The Japanese dealer was quite chatty but it became annoying after the 15th "pushy pushy better than takey takey" so we quit (together we're up about $250) and went looking for video poker. We found a bank of $.25 deuces wild machines with a progressive on the royal that was over $2,000. Played that for a while then went to see LOVE.

After the show, we went back to the deuces wild progressive machines and the $2,000 jackpot was still there. Well, guess who hit it....ME! My fifth royal flush this year, all on quarter machines. Anyway it took forever for the slot tech to come and check on me. I tipped her $22 from the $2,222 payoff. So back to the Trop (cab this time) and I want to play craps.

So we buy in for $1,000 each, playing $10 PL and two come bets, 3x4x5x odds, and we are by far the biggest bettors on the table. Anyway the table was bad and we lost $300 each in a matter of minutes and called it a night.

Next morning we're up about $800 for the trip, so we try the $1 VP and each lose $200 in no time. Back to the craps table, buy in for $600 each and now we're playing $5 PL, 2 come bets and full odds. Having fun, not winning or losing much for 20 minutes or so and then stick change. Well, you know it's bound to be seven out and sure enough it was. Stickman calls it out so the whole casino can hear. Well then we go three shooters in a row who roll three numbers then seven out, and the stickman gets jollier each time! Seven Out with a definite happy tone to his voice. I can't stomach that anymore so we take off. Count our money and the $800 profit we started with has somehow turned into a $400 loss in about half an hour.

So up the strip we go to Paris, where they take our players card without any snide comments, even though we're only playing $5 Mississippi Stud. We're really having a good time, the dealer is chatty, the coctkail waitress is nice and on time, too. I was in for $300, and got back to even. Meanwhile my wife has hit a full house, a $500 winner, and she's up $600. I gave her my $300 in chips so she could color up with $1,000. She won another $100 and colored up $1,100. So we're in for $400, $700 profit. Had lunch at Mon Ami Gabi (it was great!) and headed north again. I thought we might get to Casino Royale, I like the craps and the 100x odds there. Didn't make it, we stopped in to Bally's. Wife played $10 BJ and got a $20 chair massage, while I played $5 craps.

Had a good time playing craps there, although one of my come bets disappeared and the dealer swore I did not have a come bet up. Oh well, only $5, right? Anyway playing along, I'm playing $5 on the Fire Bet and what do you know, some kid at the other end makes 4 points! Then establishes the 8 as the 5th point! I know right away that I'm going to lay the 8. If I had only $2 on the Fire I probably wouldn't, but with $5 on it I can make a nice profit. So I have $1,250 coming if he hits the 8; I want to make half that. I lay the 8 for $600, $25 commission. He rolls a seven a few rolls later and I look like a genius! Noone else had more than $1 on the Fire Bet. Just a few minutes later the dealers announce the table is going to $10, no grandfather so I colored up $1,400 and left.

Next morning I count the money, we're up $1,000. Came out ahead $2,400 at Mirage, $700 at Paris, and lost a bunch at the Trop even though we didn't play very long there. I folded the $6,000, put it in my pocket, and went home.