Tiltpoul's Blog

I'm moving to Iowa!!

Well, it's official... I'll be moving to the state where my heart is... Iowa!

I didn't want to post anything on here before, since it wasn't a done deal, but I was offered a corporate position with my company and will be moving to the Quad Cities in the next few weeks. It's been a long awaited promotion and I'm a bit nervous of leaving a sales job where I've excelled for 5 1/2 years, but I need to do this for my career.

It's kind of crazy. A few weeks ago, the regional manager approached me about my ability to relocate (I'm very relocatable). I felt the conversation was really strange, and even commented on that to my friends. Two weeks ago, she approached me about the corporate position, and I said I would be interested in interviewing. Last Monday I did a less than 24-hour trip to HQ to interview, then they told me they had to run a background check and I had to take a "math test". I say "math test" since there was really no math involved; mostly plug and chug, but they say a lot of people fail it.

I hadn't heard anything for the week, and assumed something might have cropped up in the background check (like one of my speeding tickets). I have never had a run-in with the law, so I knew that would be okay, but you never know what a former landlord might say. I had an ex-friend who I lived with who could easily screw my chances for a position if he wanted to.

THIS MORNING, I got the call that I got the job, and now I'm in the airport terminal on my way out there. I'll be flying back later this week to get packed and drive out with my car, but there's an important meeting they could use my input on tomorrow (I already have a lot of knowledge of the position). It's really surreal, but I'm looking forward to a new challenge in my life.

Luckily, there's gambling available in Iowa; unfortunately, it's not great, but I'm sure I'll manage. ;)

Horseshoe Cleveland Trip- June 24

So my luck had been running a bit South lately, after a busted trip in Atlantic City and my Chicago trip ending in a loss as well. I've been up to Hollywood Toledo twice, first time a small win, second a big loss. PGP is kicking me in the nuts right now, and the variance is absolutely horrid. However, after my quick trip to Scioto Downs I decided I should hike up to Cleveland and check out how Horseshoe is doing...

The first time I was there was roughly one week after it opened. The paint was still drying and people were lined up wall-to-wall (and in some cases, outside the building). Now that it's been open about 5 weeks, the place has settled down a bit, though it's still pretty busy. The layout really shows that it wasn't well thought out. There isn't enough room to walk in the aisles, especially around the table games area. While it's kind of maze like anyways, having to navigate through rows of people is not all that much fun.

On the last trip, I decided to play UTH, and got my A$5 handed to me. This trip, I went upstairs, and there was a seat on PGP. Table min was $25, though I was impressed with how many BJ tables downstairs were $15. Incidentally, craps table mins are all $15 with 100x odds, but those mins are simply too high still. Roulette is $15, and most carnival poker games are $10, with PGP being $25 and MS Stud being $5.

Anyways, I sat down and played PGP. My first hand was a loser, and I figured this would be another day of K-K, 9-8 low getting beat by Aces with nothing up. However, it started to turn around. They switched cards, then switched dealers, and in the relief's 20 minutes he had about 5 pai gows (of which I had one and still beat him). I finally hit some bonuses with him, and he dealt a 4-of-a-kind, so that paid an Envy. The main dealer returned and it was mostly up and down. They switched shifts and the new dealer had some incredible saves, but alas, I felt my luck was out. I was also starting to get hungry, so I asked for a buffet comp (which they wrote WITHOUT using RC's) and left.

I went to use my $20 of Free Play on VP. Unlike most CET properties, using free play does NOT earn you any RCs. I was playing 8/6 JoB though, so I guess I didn't mind. I played through the $20, and ended up cashing out with $30, which was nice. I then went downstairs to eat.

As I wrote before, the buffet is just okay. They do have this awesome mac and cheese station that is really good. The grilled kielbasa is fantastic, but outside of that, there wasn't a lot great to my sensitive pallet. There was some good salmon, but it had a nasty lemon paste, so I had to eat around it. Dessert selection is good; they had a FANTASTIC chocolate cake, but the Red Velvet Cupcakes were dry and the coconut cake was too. If you can get a freebie, this place isn't terrible, but if you're paying, even with RC's, go upstairs to the Food Court and grab something up there.

With only about 150 RCs to go to secure Diamond status through March 2014, I decided to head back up to the VP machines. Big mistake. I couldn't hit quads to save my life, though I did have an unusual number of near-Royals. I ended up losing $200, now down $80 for the trip, and went downstairs to play some $5 MS Stud.

The dealer at the table was very nice, though procedures were not important to her at all. She would deal cards from left to right, then pay out left to right. When I asked if that was standard, she said yes, and was VERY surprised when I told her payouts usually go from right to left (except on Caribbean Stud and Tiles). Anyways, it was going kind of bad for me, when a nice couple who had ZERO clue what they were doing sat down. I was teaching them a bit, then they got up and we had one hand before changing cards. I got pocket 9s, dealer turned up a 5, then 9, then 5! They change cards and some more people sit down. The dealers change, and a very nice couple who had been watching sits next to me. The lady gets pocket 5s, the dealer puts up a 5. I tell her to triple up, next card is an Ace, which hits me, then the last is another 5. FIRST HAND EVER, a woman gets quads!

We were having a lot of fun, but I couldn't really go up or down, so I left up $300 and cashed out. For the day I was up roughly $220, which I was okay with since it was a last-second decision to go up there. I feel I broke my losing streak, and I had a good time, so I was happy.

I may be doing an HSI trip on Thursday; I haven't decided yet. I haven't been down for a long time, mostly because I'm mad they took out Tiles. The trip will depend on a lot of things that happen with work this week. Catch you next time...

Scioto Downs REVIEW (?)

So I finally headed down to the casino that is technically the closest to where I live, Scioto Downs. I, at first, thought I had no reason to go down to this casino, since my understanding was that it's a slot parlor. A coworker told me that they did have Video Poker, so this morning, I finally got the gumption to drive and check it out.

Scioto Downs is a harness-racing park, which I guess if you're into Horse Racing is not entirely common. I don't know, I could care less about the ponies. The casino is completely detached from the grandstand, which I find rather odd. It's very small, maybe about 40,000 sq feet, possibly less than that. The outside looks kind of dingy, though they do have a small electronic sign out front that is kind of neat. Inside, it's much nicer, with dark woods and a lot of interesting fixtures. In the center there is a bar, though that could easily be taken out if they ever get approval to add table games.

I was required to wear a wristband, even though I'm over 29. I went to the player's club booth/cashier and signed up for a card. Despite being owned by MTR, it is a separate system. They do not have a card match program going on. When they first opened up, the promo was $5 free play; it is now a spin the wheel for $25-250, though it's an electronic wheel, meaning you'll get $25 in free play, which I still think is generous, given that there is currently no competition.

I then searched to find the Video Poker machines. I went back to one corner where I saw Video Keno, but alas, no VP. I went to the high limit bar area, with the bartops, and those were Video Keno (though had the buttons for VP). I then went to the center bar, and again found Video Keno. I did a quick search around, and this is indeed a slot palace, with ZERO Video Poker. Sigh... I guess it means I won't go down there again.

If you're a slot player, you'll like the mix of games (I think). They have a lot of the newer games, some community games, a lot of Aristocrat titles and some proprietary games. There aren't a ton of reel games, but there are some. I found a Monopoly game to spend my free play, and hit a few small hits. I could have cashed out at $18, but I liked the game and wanted to try to go for a bonus. I cashed out $10.

The bill acceptors are all near the cashier cage, and there is no great line to use them. I think they assume most people won't need them, but they are also ATMs so there was a bit of a line. I imagine at peak times (during races and weekends) this area will become a zoo. Then again, during races, the place might just be empty, since it's so far from the grandstand.

If you happen to be traveling through Columbus, it might be worth a quick stop to get the free play. If you like slots, then you'll find this place acceptable. For the rest of the world, it will probably become a deserted Dotty's once Hollywood opens.

Quick Chicago-area UPDATE

For Memorial Day weekend, I met my parents in Chicago to have a good time and drop off some Fiesta plates for relatives. It was kind of planned at the last minute, and the purpose was not gambling, but rather to spend time with family. However, being the gamblin' man I am, I had to explore a few places before meeting up with them.

First, I drove out to Joliet on Friday night/Saturday morning to see Harrah's and the revamped Hollywood Casino. Harrah's Joliet is in my short list of casinos in Illinois I actually enjoyed at one time. Unlike many Midwest casinos, the Chicago properties have undergone some renovations, and Harrah's was no exception. Overall, it still looks the same, but the move of the table games pit is a welcome change. However, the most welcome change was the reasonable table minimums on a Friday evening! Most carnival games were $5, and there was BJ at $10 and $15. Craps was $10 but fell back to 10x odds. I'm happy to see Illinois Gaming allowing a few more games than the standards (like Mississippi Stud and Four Card).

There was also a nice party pit area with scantily clad dealers. The rules in the pit were fair; no 6:5 BJ, just $15 mins. Unfortunately, I didn't see many of the older dealers who really made this property great. I have long said Harrah's Joliet has the most consistent and best dealers out there, but I saw games moving much slower than they used to. There is something to be said for experience, and I'm afraid maybe they have gone other places.

A few other notes: Poker offered 1-2 NL, 1-2 PLO, but only had three tables open on Friday night (due to the gaming position law I'm sure). As I walked near the VP area, I passed by a woman who was DEALT a SEQUENTIAL ROYAL FLUSH. Unfortunately, she was only on a progressive, not a sequential machine, and one of her friends even commented on that. Oh how happy I'd be for just the Royal, but oh well... The band playing in the club area sounded pretty good, though they were finishing up when I was there.

After Harrah's, I jumped over to Hollywood, this time to collect a new chip. First off, the Parking Garage is a much welcome addition. The lack thereof has always been troubling for me, and it's nice to be able to park in a covered area. The pavilion is a complete 1440 (360x4!); seriously, if you haven't been, you have to go especially if you remember the old Argosy pavilion. It looks like every other new Hollywood Casino, so don't expect any surprises, but man, they really did a number on the place!

They also did a number on the games offered... in a bad way! BJ had one lower limit ($10) game with 6:5 on BJ, one $15 game, and the rest was ENTIRELY $25 minimums. Craps was $10 mins, but with 20x odds and triple the field on 12. MS Stud and TCP were $10 mins. The back BJ pit is the "Celebrity dealers" and while I was there for the short time, they had two LIVE performances. Neither were great, but I have an appreciation for people who actually sing, instead of lip sync. Is it worth the price of admission (playing higher $)? Heck no, but you can stand around and hear them throughout the casino, so it's still pretty good.

Here, I played some craps. The first shooter made some points quickly, but at the higher mins, I play more conservatively, and lost $75 when the next shooters made point, 7. I don't think the service was quite as bad as a typical Penn property, but man, those table minimums are ridiculous this day and age. Harrah's was ALWAYS the higher end property, but this conversion, while nice, doesn't change the fact that a leopard can't change its spots.

My next casino was a hike (which I knew was going to be). RIVERS, in Des Plaines, is quite the hike. I got there after numerous tolls took a toll (ha ha) on my wallet.

First off, I want to give an entire paragraph (and probably a thread) to the frickin' genius designer of the parking garage. They had one of those signs that say how many spaces are open, which always seem to be wrong... whatever. So I get up to Level 3, and EACH PARKING SPOT has a little light above it that tells whether it's occupied. GENIUS! How often do you drive around, thinking you found a spot only to be disappointed with a motorcycle there??? I was so impressed I took pictures. WHY HASN'T ANYBODY ELSE DONE THIS YET??? I know it's to make sure nobody is using it for long-term parking at O'Hare (which is like a mile away), but SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SMART!!!

After being wildly impressed with the parking garage, I had great expectations for the property and the delivered. The casino is quite nice, though it was crazy busy at 2 am on a Saturday morning. Of course, this is a tourist casino, and I imagine locals don't even bother with the place. Table game selection is unusually good for an Illinois casino, with Big Baccarat, Mini Bacc (Macau style and dealer handled), PGP, MS Stud, Craps, TCP, Four Card and even Spanish 21 with S17.

I decided to sit down at the Spanish 21 table (which was the only $15 min BJ game on the floor). It had been empty for a while apparently, but when I sit down at a table, I'm a magnet for other players. First hand I get a BJ, and we play a few more hands. Then, a guy sits down and buys in so now there's 3 players at the table. The dealer gives me a card, then skips over the second player and gives the new player an Ace... oh boy, not good... this led to a fracas I haven't seen in a long time, with people shouting and the supervisor making a very poor call of allowing myself to get out of the hand. He then dealt the third player a BJ, and had the dealer take a card for himself. The second guy started whining, so the dealer gave him a hand to play, which he then allowed to take back after it was dealt. It's the first time I've seen this, and frankly, I think it's a bad procedural move. I'm not doing it justice on here; I'll probably start a new thread on it.

I decided I had enough, and cashed out up. I left and drove out to Horseshoe, where I played some Tiles. Nothing too exciting, except the dealer set his hand incorrectly, and before he was done paying it out, surveillance called to tell him he did it wrong. They then had to collect a win to a push from one player, then collect a win to a loss from the other. I've also never seen this done before (at least not mid-hand). I guess the guy on the camera watches Tiles religiously, and loves to point out dealer mistakes. My hand was a loss either way.

BTW, if you're at Horseshoe, as of yesterday morning, there is a $1 9/6 JoB Progressive back near the poker room with a $5000 jackpot. I made a go at it, did pretty well, but did not hit the Royal.

I went to Ameristar, proceeded to lose some there, then met my parents for breakfast at Cracker Barrel. We went to Navy Pier yesterday, then went and saw Hairspray at Drury Lane Oakbrook (HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMEND!) I fell asleep by about 10:30, and got up this morning and went to the Ameristar Casino. Still a lot of badness, though I did do the only Sharpshooter on craps. VP was awful to wretched; then played some MS Stud that was not good.

Catch you later...

WoVCon ][- Part 4

So I woke up after my 2 hour nap and decided it was the best day to hit up the North Las Vegas casinos. When I heard North Las Vegas, everybody said it would be dangerous. I decided to start up at Aliante Station, and it didn't seem dangerous at all... little did I know that people were referring to the city of North Las Vegas! Well, I figured that out later.

1) ALIANTE STATION- I rather liked this casino. It was quiet and like every other Station property. I played PGP here and played heads up with a dealer who obviously doesn't deal the game often. I won a little money, collected my $1 chip and decided to play some 9/6. I got stuck on the machine, but eventually got back to even, earning a bunch of points along the way.

2) CANNERY- I was rather impressed with this casino. It seemed very nice with a fun pin-up theme. I loved the bar area with the leg lamps. I played on quick round of craps, where I won $5 plus my $1 chip. I saw the 21+3 game you find in the Midwest and excited to see its becoming a widespread bonus bet. Rio has it, but it's different and probably a higher HE. Anyways, the player's club wasn't open when I got there, but after a quick tour, I got a card. They have a $100 loss rebate, and found an 8-5 Bonus + Progressive in the non-smoking room.

I played the game, would get down to about $50 then hit quad deuces. Then went down, hit quad 4s. I couldn't lose or win a lot. I was on the machine a very long time. Finally, I get quad Aces. Now I have enough to be happy with the win, plus I can get some free play and a buffet. It was a good time, though I spent too much time there.

3) LUCKY CLUB- I may be hazy as to what was next, but I saw the casino on the side of the road. I went in, saw they had table mins and there was a coupon in ACG. I walked in, and the place was clearly a dive. When you have a cashier/gift shop/hotel check-in behind a glass window with a teller style microphone, you know it's bad. I got my card, and went to the BJ table. I played a few hands, 3rd base, as the guy on 1st was clearly the high roller here, betting $200 a hand. He was drinking Patron from the bottle, with the bottle at the table. You could smell it a mile away. Another kid walked up to the table, then doubled a 12 against a 2. The first guy about lost it, despite the fact that it didn't "change the cards" one way or the other. I left, then saw a sign in the parking lot about how they are not responsible for damages and the parking lot is not "bailment." Not sure I'll be back there again...

4) LONGHORN (or is it BIGHORN?)- I'm too lazy to go check out my chip now, but it's a tiny tiny casino in North Las Vegas. The BJ rules here are surprisingly good; BJ in Diamonds wins +$5, Late surrender, Double on any 2 OR 3 cards. If you can stomach playing there, it's probably not a bad place. It's also the only place I've ever seen the cashier smoking INSIDE THE CAGE! I played a shoe on the table, lost about $20, and left promptly.

5) JERRY'S NUGGET- This was the surprise of the day to me. I found the property to be rather nice. It was well laid out with a slightly higher clientele. I can imagine the property is not as nice during the nighttime, but I would consider going back for a great promo. The player's club/gift shop was strange. I played UTH here, and the two hands I played I almost hit a straight flush both hands. I was there just to get the $1 chip, so I won a few bucks and left quickly.

6) SILVER SLIPPER (?)- I'll update this later... The player's club, which is not connected to Lucky Club, despite similar ownership, took FOREVER. I got my card, and went to play double deck, which was dealt from a shoe. I had a nice run, and colored up my chips after one round. This was the only place I won my match play. Had I been less conservative, I probably would have won about 60, as it was I took 20. My $100 cash out at the cashier prompted a security call.

7) POKER PALACE- Walked in, looked around, walked out... they did have the shufflemaster machines, but the BJ rules I saw were super-lousy on the tables. I didn't see $1 chips and no craps or roulette, so they may only offer tokens.

8) ORLEANS- I forgot I also checked this place out earlier on Saturday. The New Orleans theme is taken to the hilt here, and there are some creepy mannequins up above the table game area waving at you. I'm not sure what my thoughts are on the place. I played some PGP while eating exotic Mexican candy. They have the only banking rule I've seen where it goes around from player to player, regardless if somebody banked or not. This is very generous, and the house wouldn't make much money on it if everybody opted to do so. Obviously, they aren't going to do that though. I'm not a Boyd property guy, but I'd consider taking them up on a free room offer if I ever got one.

After my N Las Vegas excursion, I decided to take yet another nap (bringing me to a total of 10 hours of sleep so far for the trip). After the nap, it was time to head back to Fiesta Henderson to meet the WoVCon group and PaiGowDan. I got there a bit early, so I played some JoB where I won $50. We opted for craps, since Dan was a relief dealer and it was tough to figure out where he was. The craps table was as cold as ice. I'm not sure what happened, but PGD was unable to get to us after his break, and unfortunately, I was supposed to meet a friend at 9pm. I said hi to him while at the table, and headed back to the Rio.

I went to the buffet for dinner, which was good though the quality has faltered just a little bit. It was the Mother's Day spread and so the selection was still pretty good. They have some great sushi on the menu. I then met up with my friend and we went out. Unfortunately, I left my iPod at the buffet, and when I realized it, it was already gone and nobody had turned it in! Oh well, I spent the evening with my friend, and we managed to get some PGP time. I was playing two hands, and was catching some bonuses. I upped my bet to $10 on each bonus, then got a straight flush! At $500, I figured that would go to pay for a new iPod. Unfortunately, the luck turned, but I still managed up $250. I then went to my room for my last 2 hours of sleep.

I got up early Monday morning, and decided to head to the Strip. I needed to check out some stores for some research in the retail world, and I wanted to buy my new iPod before the long flight home. I parked at Caesars, then did my normal walk to Bellagio (where I played Tiles), Cosmopolitan (PGP), Aria (Tiles), NYNY, down to Mandalay Bay. I checked out the Art of Shaving store, and met the nice manager who gave me some info I needed to know (I work for a place that sells the product). She convinced me to set up an appointment for a shave, which I did. I then realized I walked a LONG way without my car, so I took a taxi back to Caesars.

It was about 9:45 and it appeared as though the Apple Store was open. Alas, it wasn't, so I had to wait 15 minutes. I found a slot machine (Dean Martin's Wild Party), and opted to cycle through $100, since I hadn't really given my TR card much action for the trip. I ended up hitting a nice bonus that left me $60 up. I went and bought my new iPod, then got back to Rio to set it up and check-out.

Back to Mandalay Bay to get my shave. I was a bit nervous, as I've never shaved with a razor (I use an electric at home). IT WAS AMAZING!!! If you've never done an actual shave, I HIGHLY recommend it. It's very relaxing and the products they use leave your skin feeling so soft. After that was done ($65 with tip) I went over to MGM Grand. I went to the Tiles table, where I was carded for the first time. THE SHAVE WAS A MIRACLE!!! I decided to play $50 a hand, and for about an hour, I only lost 2 hands. It was a nice run to end the trip (a first for me). I ate at the great sushi restaurant at MGM and drove back to the airport.

A final note about the rental car return: it's much farther from the airport than I realized. I missed it the first time, but luckily I figured it out on the second go around. Returning the car was easy and I made it in plenty of time. My Wi-Fi in the terminal was spotty, so I just played around on my phone, got on the plane, and was back around 12:15am EST.

OVERALL, the trip was good. I ended down about $300, which included the new iPod purchase. For me, that's a huge win. I didn't play much at CET properties, and I notice for my August trip I'm not getting great options yet. If I were going by myself, I'd opt for a Station property and try to get it comped once I'm there, but I'm probably taking a friend who has never been, so I pretty much need to stay on the Strip. In that case, it'll either be Harrah's or MGM Grand (if I'm going to stay somewhere I have to pay, I might as well give them a second chance).

This weekend, it's off to Chicago to visit family. While it's not a gambling trip specifically, I will be hitting up Hollywood Joliet, Rivers, Ameristar (where we're staying since my mom is VIP there) and Horseshoe. Be prepared for another long, boring report!