Now that I am back from Vegas, and through the Thanksgiving Holiday I can sit down and write a few words about my recent Vegas Trip.
This trip started with two (2) nights at the Golden Nugget Gold Club Tower Rooms. These rooms are almost exactly like the Rush Towers but offer VIP Check In, Free Spa use and VIP Line passes for resteraunts on the premises. I have stayed at the Golden Nugget in the past and enjoy the rooms and the general property. I do not enjoy gambling there as the general casino area dealers tend to be a little more gruff and disinterested in you or their jobs. However, over by the sportsbook is a small party-pit (yes the dealers are all women and wear outfits that exaggerate certain body features) but they are more interactive and tend to allow for more fun at the tables. Slot machines and Video Poker machines all tend to be a little tighter than other downtown properties.
First morning after arrival went over to Main Street Casino and enjoyed the excellent Breakfest Buffet with my wife. With low-tier Players Club discount $15,78 for all-you-can-eat breakfest for two (2) is not that bad. After Breakfest moved over to the historic bar and drank Mimosa's and played video poker.
Started teaching my wife basic Video Poker strategies. Whie she did not hit any big hands, she did come out a winner which is something she seldom does when gambling. Playing Jacks or Better she got a four-of-a-kind tens (10) and a Scratch off for an additional $2-$5000. Tell her that the most I have seen is $5. She jokes that it is a $3 drink at one of the Hotel stores. She scratches off her card and it is $3. We laugh at this and go on playing.
Meanwhile, I hit my first two (2) four -of-a-kind hands of the trip for $125 payout each. One of the things I have found out over the years is that the 50 cent Video Poker machines tend to hit more consistently for four-of-a-kinds on the Double Double Bonus Poker. I think this is because most people do not play 50 cents, they play 25 cent or $1, and the 50 cent machines need to even out or balance their actual payout to their "supposed-to" payout percentages. In order to do this, they tend to hit more Full Houses and low-end Four-of-a-Kinds.
After playing for a couple of hours, my wife ran off to the Golden Nugget Spa while I ran around town on some errands. When I returned in the early afternoon I went to the Golden Nugget Party Pit and visited with Pit Bosses who I have developed a common friendship with and played some three-card poker. Did not do much, several flushes, couple of straights but nothing big. When my wife finally joined me after exercising and enjoying the spa.
Our first evening we went down to Caesar's Palace to register my wife and office nurse for their medical conferences. Then we headed down to Town Square Mall area to eat at Claim Jumpers. Always, a good meal, with lots of selections. If you leave hungry it is your own fault. We returned to Golden Nugget and played some Video Poker, but otherwise did not make it too late of a night. On our way back to the room, we stop in the little hotel gift shop to get my wife a drink to take back to the room and she grabs a 20-ounce Diet Dr. Pepper. The attendent rings up the purchase and it is $3. We laugh again at the scratch offs from Main Street.
Our second full day we were up early for me to drive my wife and office nurse down to Caesars Palace fo their medical conferences. I then headed out to The M Resort to claim a free Polo Shirt for my son. I arrived early and the Players Club was still in the process f getting things together to open. I walked over to a lonely man at a craps table. Asked how things were going and he just kinda of shrugged his shoulders. I bought in for $100 and was just going to do some little betting. The gentleman had just crapped out so I was offered the dice.
I placed my $5 Place bet and rolled, setting five (5) as my point. I bought 6 and 8 for $12 each and after hitting each a couple of times took the bets down to $6. As I hit these numbers more, I increased the bets on the houses money. I use a basic Collect One, Press One, Collect One, Press One sequence at this point. I hit my Five (5) point and started a new come out. Rolling an eight (8) for the new point. I moved my eight (8) bet over to the six and bought the four (4) and ten (10) since I had been rolling quite a few during my previous point. I proceeded to hit two more points when it dawned on me that I had not be playing my Whirl bets on my come out rolls. Good thing since I was not hitting any.
Anyway, i decided to place my Whirl bet for a nickle ($5). I roll a three (3) so lose my Place Bet but am paid $11 on the Whirl Bet. I press the Whirl Bet to $10 and roll an Eleven (YO! 11) I get paid on my Place Bet and also $22 on the Whirl Bet. I bump the Whirl up to $15 and roll Eleven (YO! 11) again. I am paid both my Place bet (still just a nickle - $5) and $33 on the Eleven. I bump my Whirl bet again to $20 and roll yet a third Eleven.
The dealers and other player and yelling , bumping fists and generally having a good time over this third eleven in a row. I am paid the $5 Place bet and $44 on the Whirl Bet. I bump my Whirl again to $25 and my next roll is Boxcars Twelve (12) which means I lose $5 on my place bet but I am paid $150 on the Whirl Bet. Having just had one of my best Whirl bet series I do not bump up the bet. I roll snake-eyes (2) and lose the Place bet but win another $150 on the Whirl bet.
At this point, I am doig really good, having won close to $400 on my low betting. I roll a nine (9) and establish a new point. I go ahead and buy the 4 and 10 again and place bet the five. With my previous place bets on six and eight still active. I also go ahead and place all the hard ways for $5 each. I roll an easy six, collect the six bet and replace the hard way bet. I then roll a hard 8 collect the hard way, collect the eight, bump up the six and eight bets. I then finally roll a dreaded seven and crap out. This series I hit a total of 6 point numbers along with a great Whirl bet series.
The man who was at the table when I walked up was all "You ready to roll again?" "I will pass the dice and let you continue." I stated "My arm is a little tired, let me take a quick break and go get my son his Polo Shirt from the Players club since it is open now. He "No way man, keep rolling." He was really desperate sounding and having just enjoyed such a great roll I told him "OK but I don't think I will do that good since my arm is a little tired."
I place my bets and get the dice and roll a seven (7) we both get paid front line. I then establish a point, roll a couple of times, hit my point, establish a second point, and crap out. At this point "I have got to get over here to the players club right quick. You go ahead and roll, or wait and I will be back in just a few minutes." I walk over to the players club, get in and get a nice Royal Blue Polo for my son. Is a really good shirt for him to wear at golf practice now that he is on the golf team.
I walk back over to the craps table, and the man has colored up and left. I look at my pile of chips and decide I will try one more set of rolls. I roll three times before crapping out and sigh loudly. I decide I need to go ahead and color up and head out since I wasn't really suppose to be down at The M Resort for any length of time anyway. I color out $387 from my original buy in of $100. Not too bad for less than an hours worth of work, er fun.
I stop outside and take a couple of pictures of Case Heavy Farm equipment for a friend of mine and post it to Facebook under "Toys for Troy". I then get in the rental car and head back to the Nugget. Once there, I go upstairs, shower, shave and finish packing all of my stuff. My wife's Office Nurse's husband and I get everything together and head downstairs to check out and go gamble. We head over to Main Street and sit at the bar drinking and playing video poker.
At the bar, I hit another four-of-a-kind and get my $2 scratch off. Over the course of three hours I change machines 3 times as I hit four-of-a-kinds and move on. I get a total of $12 in scratch off cards ($2, $2, $3, $5). We head down to Caesar's Palace to get my friends wife and go to lunch. My wife still has a noon luncheon medical education seminar to attend.
We eat at the Caesar's Palace food court and then head off to see if we can check in. Get all checked in and head off to gamble some more. We end up at the Seahorse Bar drinking Seven and Seven and playing Video Poker. These machines allow for a Double-or-Nothing option when you hit a winning hand. I explain to my friend that for the lower payouts this is probably a good thing but on your higher payouts it is best to take the payoff.
We play for several hours, I drink several Seven-and-Sevens and hit a Four-of-a-Kind Kings. This is a $125 payout and I am offered the opportunity to Double-or-Nothing. I am slightly intoxicated and "I am here to GAMBLE!" mentality has kicked in. I select Double and the Dealer's card is the 10 of spades. I grumble at my own stupidity. Can only win if I get a Jack, Queen, King or Ace. I push if I hit a ten.
From the four cards I select the second from the right. It is the Ace of Spades. I have Doubled my winnings to $250. The other cards are 2, 3 and 9. The only card to win and I selected it. I tell you, I normally go with the first card next to the dealer almost all of the time. I can not explain why, but for some reason I just knew if I did my same ole' same ole' that I would lose and decided to change it up. My friend had been picking the second from the right so I guess subconciously that is why I picked it. No idea. Just know that I was estatic.
My wife calls to say she is out fo the conference and we meet up. She gets a room key and goes to change and go to the spa to work out and relax. I sit and play for several more hours and end up cashing out break-even. But I at least got quite a few hands in at this property that I normally do not gamble at.
Saturday is not a good day. I gamble here, I gamble there, I lose here, I lose there, I finally start using my money again after losing my winnings thus far. I do not sit and lose, lose, lose at one table or game, I set my lose limit and when I hit it I move on. For table games I usually buy in for $200 and risk $100. For Video Poker I buy in for $100 and will cash out and move on when I reach $25. I do this because I hit so many good hands when I start getting down low. I will admit however, at some of the machines I get down to $25 and figure "Screw it" and continue until it is $0.00 or I am back up.
Sunday starts out slowly. Head over to El Cortez and place some Football parlays and my friend places a $50 Tony Stewart NASCAR bet. We sit at Blackjack and play for a while, I move to Video Poker when BlackJack does not go well for me. I kind of bounce back and forth between winning and losing. Still down for the trip now around $600.
In the evening, my wife and I play some here and there, do not do well. She leaves to go exercise. I move over to one of the bars to play video poker and things start to turn around. I hit four-of-kind after four-of-a-kind on a quarter machine. I am up $400 on a starting ticket of $75. I cash out and go see if my wife is done exercising. She is not, so I head back over to the bar to play some more and figure I would play my $100 in free-play. I convert the $100 in free-play into $137.00. I cash out and go to the room.
For the trip I ended up down $140-$150 but I have receipts for things I paid cash for of just over $300. So really I am up for the trip. Overall I had a fantastic time. I ended up hitting 16-18 Four-of-a-Kinds. I had a great little roll of the dice. Enjoyed some Spa time at Golden Nugget and Caesar's. Ate lots of free food. Drank lots of free alcohol. Enjoyed time with a friend I don't spend enough time with. Enjoyed time with the wife away from work and home life. A really, really great trip!