Tiltpoul's Blog

Winning a car- May 2007

Teddys requested that I tell my story of winning a car... since you know the outcome, pretend you don't and enjoy as I relive one of the most exciting days of my life...

I was only about 4 months into a new job, but was able to swing having Memorial Day weekend off (Saturday, Sunday, and Monday). I was supposed to go down to Tunica with two friends of mine, one who was a gambler and another who was moving to San Francisco a few months later. In April, I booked the room at Hollywood Casino Tunica for all three nights, which I was getting comped. Since that seemed to be a really good deal, I was looking forward to the trip.

Unfortunately, at the last minute, both friends backed out, and I had to make the trip alone. I almost didn't go down, but my gambling instinct said do it. I drove down early Saturday morning (like I left around 1am) and got down to Tunica around 8am. I knew my room wouldn't be ready at the time, so I decided to play a little bit of double-deck blackjack. I started around 1pm, $25 table back in the high-limit room. I played for about 3 hours, and got taken for about $600, a little over half of my budget for the trip. I decided not to go to the ATM, so I dropped down to a $10 table (6-deck) for a while. Around 5pm, they announced that everybody needed to swipe their card for electronic entries into a drawing. I went and swiped and was told I had 9 entries.

I went back to the table, where I got on a bit of a run of good cards. At 6pm, they announced five names to come up to the Safari Bar to pick one of five "Deal or No Deal" style cases, 4 of which had $100, and one that had a finalist spot. Alas, my name was not announced, but I was still doing well on the $10 table (up about $150). At 7pm, they announced another five names... and mine was one of them. I RAN over to the Safari Bar, and got there first. They allowed me to pick the first case, so I chose number 4 (they weren't numbered, but was the fourth one opened). They opened the first three, all of which were $100. They got to mine, and it said Finalist. I kind of jumped up a bit, gave a bit of a hollar, and they told me to come back with necessary paperwork at 10pm.

Back at the BJ table, everybody was rooting for me to win the car. The dealer offered me, outright, $20,000 to buy the car from me. However, another player told me (while he was on break) that Mississippi has an odd luxury tax law, and the last player to sell the car would have been better off taking the money. I hadn't really decided what to do at that point, so I cashed out, and went up to my room (which I had checked into earlier) and called friends and family. My best friend who cancelled at the last minute told me to call her ONLY if I won the car.

By 9:30, I was a nervous wreck. I was walking around the casino... no, pacing like a mad man. My nerves were at an all time high. At 10:00, I went back to the Safari Bar, and was told I needed to sit in chair 2. This time, the prizes were $500 or the car. However, we were supposed to pick in the order we won... I was to go second. I had already made up my mind I was going to pick case 4 again. However, chair 1 picked case 4. Convinced she probably won, I listened to the crowd, most of whom was screaming "THREE THREE THREE." It seemed good enough for me, so I picked case 3. The three remainders picked their cases.

The announcer took a bit of time to open each case. Inside, it was kind of a pop-up of what you won. He opens case 1, and you could see green, saying $500. Then he gets to person number 2, opens the case, and you could see green, and $500. He gets to me. At this point, I'm shaking like crazy, and he opens the case. I remember seeing some blue and yellow... then at that point, it's an out of body experience.

I see myself running around screaming, I WON I WON, OH MY GOD! I CAN'T BELIEVE I WON THE CAR!!! I'm pretty sure security got a GREAT laugh at my expense, as most of the audience was dying of laughter. I was by myself, but started hugging anybody who came up to me. I'm easily excitable anyways, but this one takes the cake. I have another friend who called Hollywood to get the security footage of it, but alas, they said no (big surprise). After I settled down, and the laughter stopped, they took me upstairs to the corporate office. I filled out some paperwork, took the cash, and said I wanted $5000 in cash, and the rest in a check (roughly 10,000).

By the way, while all the pandemonium, I called my best friend and told her I won... she was not really surprised, saying I was the luckiest person she knew (we actually went to Vegas the year before, on a trip I won from Harrah's). I realized then I didn't know what I said or did during the chaos, so I decided to change outfits completely before returning to the casino floor. I took all my chips from BJ (about $160) and gave them to the dealer as a toke. I played $50 DD BJ for the remainder of the trip, and really enjoyed myself.

I ended down about $1000 from the $6000 I had ($5000, plus the $1000 I brought). It was lost on a nasty last session of Single Deck at Horseshoe RIGHT before I left to go home. It was still one of the most fun weekends I have ever had.

Tunica- Last two casino reviews!

After typing for about 30 minutes, my eyes need a break, so I decided to take a short break, but now it's time for the last two casinos in Tunica.

SAM'S TOWN GAMBLING HALL TUNICA- I know there are a lot of people on here who really like the Boyd properties. They have a linked casino card, which is great, but my feeling is the properties are so inconsistent. There are a few that are really nice (Borgata) and a bunch of middling properties. This one falls into the latter category.

I'm not sure about the other Sam's Town casinos, but this one caters to a specific demographic, mostly aged 50+. This is the only casino in Tunica that really tries to separate itself in the age category, IMO. They have an RV Park, a lot of senior days, as well as bring your friend type days. The ads usually feature swingers in their late 40s with Anderson Cooper-like grey hair. In all my time gambling in Tunica, Sam's Town is the only one where I never truly felt comfortable.

That being said, they are known for friendly dealers. I haven't played there a lot, but my experience has been they do have some of the most efficient dealers in Tunica. Many of them have worked there forever, and are perfectly content. My walk-through this last trip I had a dealer practically beg me to sit down at a full table to play some Blackjack. That's really not an exaggeration either...

Blackjack rules are pretty standard in Tunica, EXCEPT here, where they are probably the stingiest. They do not allow RSA on ANY game, and I believe Double Deck and Single deck have slightly more stingy rules too... they aren't HORRIBLE, and they DO have single deck still (the only Casino Strip properties to offer it) but you will get better rules and possibly better minimums at the Casino Center properties.

One other interesting note: They offer 3-card progressive with the stingy Pair Plus payout... HOWEVER, there are two tables that are not progressive that offer the 4-1 on the flush! Neither pit was open when I was there, so I don't know how often those tables get action, but kudos to Sam's Town for offering that paytable. They do have live Keno as well, and the Video Poker paytables are pretty good, with 9-6 JoB on the floor... Bonus Poker is a terrible table though, so be aware. The poker room is large, although there are not many tables open at any given time. A player at another casino told me ST's poker room gets third most action, with the best time being Saturday mornings... they have a very generous tournament at that time.

I stayed at the hotel years ago, and the offers were very nice. They have since renovated many of the rooms, and it's a very large hotel, though it's tough to tell from the front. Restaurants include a buffet, a BBQ joint, a steakhouse and cafe. I've been told the food is pretty good, but I've never eaten anywhere there. As I said, this isn't my type of place...

HOLLYWOOD CASINO TUNICA- Let me start by saying that in 2007, I won a car at this casino. This really won't judge my view of it anymore, since I've grown to hate Penn National, but to give a completely unbiased review would be quite difficult. There will always be a special place in my heart for Hollywood.

Back in the day (well, 2005-7), Hollywood was THE place. It's amenities were on par with Horseshoe and Gold Strike, and it most likely had the third most traffic, next to Grand and Horseshoe. It was decked out hardcore in movie memorabilia, with authentic pieces from movies and a totally Hollywood theme. The dealers were efficient, friendly and the muzak was all 80s movie themes. It was my FAVORITE casino anywhere for a long time...

Then Penn National decided to do a number on the joint. They eliminated a bunch of the table games, made their comps a bit harder to get (while not linking their properties, but I could do a separate blog entry on that), and achieving their top tier status took nothing short of owning the casino. They have since moved the player's club to the hotel front desk, though it's now open 24 hours. The decor hasn't been changed at all, and the place is starting to feel aged.

Regardless, the games that are offered are 21+3, Double Deck BJ (decent rules), Craps, Crapless, Roulette, 3-card poker progressive and MS Stud.... THAT'S IT! Where there used to be at least 30 tables there are barely 20. The poker room is out on the floor as the back got flooded last summer. The renovations are VERY slow.

One word about the poker room... while it's never been the focus at Hollywood, they used to have a really laid back atmosphere that was tourist-heavy and gambler-prone. The money flowed there (for me) and that's where I fell in love with the place. Nowadays, they have a hard time getting a 2-4 limit game going, and even on the weekend (Friday night) they only had one table going. It's a shame, because if they actually tried to make a nice poker room, I think it could compete.

Other than that, the place is very slot heavy. VP has poor paytables, even at $1 level. They used to have some 9-6 JoB machines, but those are gone. Back in the day, I had a ridiculous run on one machine (without hitting a royal). I had something like 10 four-of-a-kinds before hitting a full house. I ended up about $250 on a quarter machine, which is the most I've won without hitting a Royal Flush.

The hotel used to be really nice. The amenities were good, although the hot water in the shower was boiling when it came out. That was my only complaint about the room. Otherwise, it was a comfy bed with very nice sheets and pillows. I hope that's still the same.

Well, that should cover all the Tunica casinos. I am doing another Vegas trip in May for WoVCon and on Tuesday, I'm playing in a PLO 8s or Better Tournament down at Hollywood Casino in Lawrenceburg. Other than that, my next gambling trip will have to be in April. Work's getting busy; last week I put in over 50 hours.

See you on the flip side.

Tunica- Rest of the trip/ Reports on the casinos there

So I realized that I never went back and filled out the rest of my report.... some blogger I am, huh? I apologize to those waiting with bated breath; I didn't realize people actually read my brain droppings, so thank you to all who read and or leave a comment...

So to put it nicely, I ended my Tunica trip up about $1000. That's not bad, though after Southland, I was up $3000. As I mentioned, I played quite a bit to get my TR points up for the new year. I have since learned that if I get to 10,000 RCs a quarter you get a special TR Insider, which I'd be curious as to what you get for that. I'm tempted to make a trip to HSI soon to earn some more points, but my work schedule is so not conducive to that right now...

Anyways, I basically lost the majority of money on Video Poker. I decided to go up to the $1 level, on 9/6 JoB. My run of cards went so far South I was practically in Biloxi. After my last post, I confined all of my play to Roadhouse and/or Horseshoe. Between the two casinos, they have everything I like (except Ultimate Texas Hold Em) so there was really no reason to go anywhere else.

The rooms at Roadhouse are still spectacular, though the hotel is showing its age. Considering the entire casino is super-themed out to be a dive, the hotel still looks and feels like a Sheraton. There's still a tube TV in the room, though the jacuzzi in the room worked very well. The beds are still quite comfortable and the sheets are high quality. Overall, this is my favorite hotel to stay at, probably anywhere, though Caesars Augustus Room is pretty spectacular. However, I can't always get that free...

So to complete my review of Tunica casinos...

BALLY'S- To be honest, this will be done based on my trip in December as I found no reason to ever go back to the property... great start to a review...

Before anybody gets confused, Bally's TUNICA was sold off during the big merger of Harrah's/Caesars to Colony Capital, along with Harrah's East Chicago, Harrah's Tunica (on Casino Strip), and the two Hilton properties (ACH, LVH). They kept the naming rights which is leased by Caesars to Bally's Tunica. My understanding at the time was they were going to create a new name/theme, but it's obvious this property is on its last legs, so I'm sure even a rename would cost too much.

Unfortunately, this Bally's represents the Wild Wild West theme found in the in between casino at Atlantic City. It's a COMPLETE dive. Roadhouse tries to be a dive through its decor, but it becomes surprisingly nice and tacky, like a Tilted Kilt restaurant. Bally's is the rundown Hooters that's right next to TK. They still have a decent selection of table games, including Crapless, Super Fun 21 SD, DD BJ at $10 mins, and 21+3. At the time, they still have Deuces Wild though I'm not sure if it's the new improved version PGDan talks about.

VP offerings are not great, although the slot inventory is surprisingly up to date. The card is linked through Resorts, and they offer the $1 buffet, where if you earn $1 in comps you get a free buffet for that day. I never ate at that buffet before the downturn, so I'm certainly not going to now... as I mentioned Resorts actually has a pretty decent buffet, so I'd head over there for a little more class. There is a cafe/gift shop as well on property. The hotel is one of two I never spent the night at (the other being the Fitz) and it's more of a motel that's detached quite a bit from the casino. I believe they run a shuttle between the two. Over both weekends I was there, the parking lot of the hotel was empty.

THE FITZ- No longer a Barden owned property, the new owners have nearly abandoned the Irish theme in favor of a classier look. What's left is perhaps the biggest change-up of all the Tunica properties, save Harrah's.

First, getting to the Fitz can be a bit confusing. The casino is the closest to the river, and it's situated all by itself on a separate road. Harrah's would fit this category too, but it's so big and it's the first one you reach. Plus, it's easily accessed from Hwy 61, where the Fitz requires you take either Casino strip or a non-named road to get to the road to get there. Nearby is the Tunica Queen loading dock, if you'd like to take a tour of the Mississippi.

The Fitz is the only casino to have carport style parking. This is REALLY nice, and it's VERY accessible, unlike most of the parking garages in the area. It looks kind of cheesy, but on a rainy day, it's great to have it. I always remember Fitzgerald's as being kind of gaudy and low-brow. For a long time, all the dealers boxed their own tips, so the service was usually pretty good if you were slinging dollars their way. Many of the dealers worked PT at the Fitz and full-time somewhere else. I guess it kept them from gambling and, when you box your own tips, you kind of are gambling. However, the dealers now all pool, so the service is pretty typical Tunica.

My trip there I played craps. They did bring back Crapless "by popular demand." I'm not sure I understand the obsession with the game in Tunica, and nearly every casino offers it at $10, which is no way to play that game. The dice were not kind, though the dealers weren't too bad. The table games have been minimized, but they still have the standards; roulette, craps, 21+3, 3-card progressive... nothing fancy. If you like slot machines or VP that still pay out in coins, they have a small section in the back of some old time machines. The VP is full pay, but the idea of waiting for a hopper to be filled is not nostalgic to me, it's just plain wrong!

As mentioned above, I have never stayed at this hotel. However, it's just steps away from the casino, so if you like your gambling to be close, the Fitz is not a bad option. The decor is much improved, and if it were more convenient, I would play there on every trip... it's just so out of the way...

Tunica, Day 2- Mar. 3 (Part 1)

So it appears as if my birthday luck kind of went a bit South... yesterday did not go quite as well as I would have hoped, although I'm basically locking up my Diamond status already for 2013...

When we last spoke, it was after midnight, and I was heading out for an early morning of play. I decided to go to Tunica Roadhouse and Horseshoe Casino, with a quick walk-through of Gold Strike. I think the best way to structure this will be to give the review of each place, then backtrack on how I did for the day.

TUNICA ROADHOUSE- This is the old Sheraton Casino/Hotel. The outside is styled in a Tudor mansion, while the inside was completely redone to be a roadhouse, gritty and obviously a dive. Ironically, the theme is so well carried out that it ends up being a pretty nice place. Table games used to be an afterthought at Sheraton, but now it seems as though they are an important piece, that is, if you like Vegas games in Tunica.

Yes, the 6-5 Single Deck BJ trend has hit Tunica with a vengeance and Roadhouse probably has about 10 tables of single deck games. On a positive note, they are mostly $5 minimums, and the pits are only open at peak times. There is one table in the main pit, but double-deck is $15, no RSA, and 3-2 on BJ. There are three craps tables and a roulette table as well. TCP and MS Stud are both very important, getting two tables each. And of course, 21+3 is the remainder, with 8-deck shoes, though they do have $3 minimums on that game if you like it.

One good thing is the VP selection hasn't changed much since it was Sheraton. There are plenty of 9-6 JoB in $.25, though some of the other games on those machines do not have optimal paytables. Roadhouse sometimes runs good promotions too, for various gifts and free play and what not, and VP play usually counts towards those. I'll do a hotel review tomorrow, as I'm staying there tonight and Monday evening.

One thing now missing from December is the buffet upstairs. Known as the Big Kitchen Buffet, it was my favorite, because it was both lower in price and had all the same good food as Horseshoe, plus it was not as crowded. I understand why they closed it, but it's a shame because it was a hidden gem. There is a diner near the hotel, though I have not seen that. Otherwise, most of the food options are over next door at Horseshoe.

HORSESHOE CASINO, Tunica- This is the granddaddy of the Horseshoe properties. While not the original, it was still owned by the Binion's until Harrah's bought it out in 2005 (?). A lot of the staff has been there since day one, as their new name badges point out. This results in dealers not being quite as friendly as other Harrah's properties, but they deal a very good game and the service is still pretty outstanding.

Horseshoe is known as being the gambler's joint, and this one is no exception. They offer single-deck, 3-2, RSA, No double after split, H17, double on any two cards, for one of the best single deck games in the country. Double-deck is also important to the mix, with same rules as single-deck, except you can double after the split. Six-deck games usually feature the 21+3 bonus, but they have eliminated Lucky Ladies. I'm not sure if craps still has 100x odds... I thought that was a Horseshoe standard, but I saw a sign on one table that said 20x. I'm playing that today, so I'll try to find out.

Other table games include Flop Poker, THE Bonus, TCP, MS Stud, LIR, Fortune PGP (in "Asian" room, though it's not super decked out in Asian motif) and EZ Bacc and Mini Bacc. Incidentally, Horseshoe and Harrah's are the only two casinos that offer PGP, which surprises me. VP is lousy; truly, there's ZERO reason to play VP at Horseshoe because Roadhouse is a stone's throw away with a better offering of games.

The poker room has become the premier one in Tunica. After talking with a girl about it while getting slaughtered on Single Deck, she said all the action of Gold Strike went to Horseshoe. I hope to play there later today. Nearby is the Burger Bar and the Village Square Buffet. I ate at the buffet this trip (comped without reward credits) and it is very expansive and good. Nothing was a huge stand out though, which is kind of disappointing.

One final thing about Horseshoe: They have some of the best and easiest access to casino hosts around. I highly recommend making a trip to talk to them. They will nearly always comp you something and even if you just say hi, they'll probably offer you a free buffet. I don't usually use a host when I visit a casino, but I make the exception here, since they are so good about helping you out. I asked for a second night at Roadhouse, and it was given to me without question.

GOLD STRIKE CASINO, Tunica- This casino is owned by MGM, although it was originally owned by Mandalay/Circus Circus. If you are an MGM player, then you should find the property a step above all their others in terms of availability of comps and how nice the dealers are. By Tunica standards, my experience has been that it is still the most stuck-up of all the places out there.

Table games include 6-deck BJ, Double Deck and Single Deck, all with about the same rules as Horseshoe (I think there's no RSA on Single deck though). Baccarat is available on the floor, as is MS Stud, TCP, Caribbean Stud (one of the few in Tunica), Four Card, and LIR. Craps I think is 20x odds. Gold Strike is one of four casinos to feature a high limit area too (the others being Horseshoe, Harrah's and Hollywood).

The poker room is upstairs and is a little posher than what it used to be. Then again, it doesn't seem to have quite as much action either. The room used to be the best in Tunica, and I don't say that lightly, as I really don't like this property at all. But my quick walk-through had only two tables open.

Food offerings include a buffet, a cafe, and some other restaurant offerings in a mall food court type setting. The hotel is by far the largest in Tunica, and stands about 27 stories tall. You can see it nearly everywhere in the resort area. The player's club is MLife, is the linked system MGM uses. If I decide to pass through there again, I'll update this, but I don't really care for Gold Strike, so don't count on it...

I need to take a break from writing... I'll post my results in a while, suffice it to say, I'm down about 900, but that was for roughly 14 hours of play, a lot of the losses coming on $1 VP, which increases my tier score to secure Diamond status with Caesars.

Catch you in a bit...

Tunica, Day 1- Mar. 2

Happy Birthday to Me! LoL... well, not anymore, I suppose, but this was my report from yesterday, though technically, last night was yesterday, yadda yadda...

(Sorry, just woke up, I have to get the gunk out of my eyes)...

I couldn't really sleep all that well last night at HSI, since I was still wired about coming down here. I woke up around 5:30am, probably from the lightning and thunder that was going on outside. I tried falling back asleep, but to no avail, so I decided to start to pack up. The news said it was going to get REALLY nasty on my drive down, especially after 10am, so I wanted to get to Nashville before the storms came through. However, at that particular time, until about 6:15, it was nasty to start out in the weather out there.

When I left around 6:30, it was clearing up, and I stopped and filled up gas and got some allergy medicine and a Mt Dew for the road. Every year around this time, I always get a sinus infection for about a week. This year it was a little different, as it was less intense, but I'm on day 4 of it, so today (and probably tomorrow) I will be going through tissue like it's going out of style.

Btw, for those who haven't been to Louisville yet since the Minton bridge reopened, let me tell you, it's a WORLD of difference. The traffic problems are minor comparatively. I was still beating rush hour, but before the bridge reopened, you had to leave by 5 am if you wanted to avoid traffic. Anyways, I got down to Nashville by about 8:30 CST, which was THEIR rush hour, but it wasn't all that bad anyways. There was one stretch of about 10 miles outside Bowling Green that was really nasty with weather, but overall, good drive. I got to the Memphis area a little before noon.

I decided to go out to Southland Gaming and Track, since I hadn't been there in forever (at least 4.5 years), and we were debating a few things in a forum on here. I can now very safely clarify any questions.

SOUTHLAND GAMING AND TRACK, West Memphis, AR- This casino is a bit more traditional nowadays. Originally, it opened up with a law that stated that all games had to be "decision-based," meaning slots had to allow a respin feature. Apparently that law is gone, as most of the slots appear to be traditional Class III devices. If they are Class II, they don't have any indication that they are. The old familiar titles are all over the casino, but it seems like the crammed a ton into one space. I should point out they are renovating too, so that may have taken up some valuable floor space (the signs they had posted were QUITE risque i.e. Balls to the Wall, and We're making it bigger, with a construction guy and his wrench that looked like a...)

Anyways, the floor space devoted to table games SEEMS less than what it was before. 4.5 years ago, they used to use real cheques with electronic cards and decisions. The dealers paid out money, but they just hit buttons for decisions made by players. This has now become the reverse; using iTables the cards are real, and the money is fake, until you're ready to cash out. Then they pay you out in cheques (same style they used before, Doc). Games offered in that pit are 8-deck BJ, 6-deck BJ, 2-deck BJ, TCP and Ultimate Texas Hold Em. There is also electronic style roulette and craps as well.

UTHE has the optimal pay table for trips, so I decided to play that when the table opened. I was playing with the dealer and one other player. I was running pretty well, so I decided to make some dealer bets. We hit a couple, and I wasn't losing, so after being up $100 I ALMOST got up. Then I hit a full house, and decided to stay just a few more hands. I get 10s-4h. I check, flop is Qs-Js-2d. I check and honestly, I say "Turn over the ace of spades, king of spades." The next two cards are As-Ks! My first ROYAL FLUSH, ON MY BIRTHDAY! Of course, I start FLIPPING OUT! That was a nice 2700 hit right there! I make a substantial tip, and decide to start playing $1 for the dealers on the trips (the only place you could play it) every hand.

Dealers switch out, we are having a lot of fun, and some woman comes up trying to figure out the game. I get Ah-3h. I go all-in 4x, flop comes 2h,4h, I don't remember the other card. I say, "Put the five of hearts up there" Last card is 5h. Within 30 hands I get a straight flush! The pit came over and asked if I wanted my picture with a giant check; I politely declined. After about 2 hours, I cashed out +3360! That was a nice drive-by!

So I head down to Tunica with a full wallet. I decide to make a deposit of some of the money in my bank, and get to Harrah's around 4pm. I check-in, staying at the Veranda hotel, and get changed and showered. The hotel room is better than my December stay, but I'm still not fond of the hotel. The room is a little more modern than before, with reds and blacks, but the bathroom is still a bit crowded and the tub looks cheap. I have a nice bed though. So around 5pm, I head over to Harrahs. Check out my last Tunica report for a full-report on Harrahs. That's the only one I actually wrote.

I get my $40 in free table play from the players club. The table play at Harrah's is a bit different than others. It actually functions like a bet, so you can play it anywhere on a table. However, it's for one bet only, and you don't get the original wager. I learned the hard way last time playing Baccarat, so I decided to get 4 $10 bets and play it on the 3-card side wager on 21+3. The dealer was very nice and my last 2 hands of free bets I hit the bonus, so I won $180 with no real money at stake (other than the main wager!) NICE! Unfortunately, the BJ was awful to me, like it has been lately, so I only ended up $85. Still, a win is a win.

I decide to head over to Resorts, as I have a bunch of free slot play over there this weekend. Of course, the two are the FARTHEST apart of all the casinos, so it's a bit of a drive. I get there, and it's still relatively warm out (it got up to 80 degrees today!)

RESORTS, Tunica- If you weren't aware, Colony Capital had to sell of both Tunica properties (Resorts and Ballys) to generate enough money to keep the AC properties open. It is now owned in a partnership called RIM, which is some sort of investment group. Obviously, they are trying to figure out what to do with both places and it's beginning to show at Resorts.

First, they are promoting themselves into the ground. While the $1 craps is gone, they did go to $3 craps with 20x odds. They got rid of a Crapless table since December, and keep cutting back on everything. They used to have 9-6 JoB; that's gone. They did have a $5 DD game, pays 3:2 on BJ. The place just feels tired, and they are doing everything they can to bring people in. EVERY DAY I'M HERE, they have a different free slot play offer. If you worked nearby, you could probably make a killing there.

I used my free slot play on a .25 progressive 8-5 JoB. That was the best schedule I could find. I didn't win anything of the $5, so I walked around a bit. I decided to play roulette... which is unusual for me, but let me explain. I have a friend at work who loves to gamble, but she only plays roulette. Her favorite number is 17, while mine is 10. Each time we do a big gambling trip, we give the other $20 to play $5 four times on the other number (I play hers on 17, she plays mine on 10). It's more for the social aspect, and it's kind of fun. This is the ONLY time I play roulette. Well, I couldn't hit for her this time, nor could I hit for myself, and I ended down about $100. I had a lot of fun with the dealer though. She did hit a 10 one time, but if I had been playing 34, I would have done much better... oh well.

Resorts runs a promotion called the $1 buffet. After you earn 1 dollar in comps, you can convert that into a free buffet. I earned that buffet playing roulette, so I took advantage of it. The buffet is upstairs in what used to be gaming area in the old Harrah's. The buffet is surprisingly nice, with some of the most delicious meat offerings I've had in a while. I know the steakhouse gets rave reviews. However, the upstairs area never got converted from the old Mardi Gras theme, so it feels REALLY out of place and dated. The bathrooms have the old neon signs and are kind of creepy as to where they are located on that floor. I know they are hurting, but I can't help but feel somebody has died up there...

When I left, the winds had picked up and it got rather chilly. I decided to head back and take a short nap before spending the evening out. I woke up and typed this, and now I'll be heading out....

Hope you're enjoying this report.